Mark Milley, who will step down as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff this week, interprets former President Donald Trump's recent statement implying execution was a fitting punishment for Milley's conversation with a Chinese general during Trump's contentious final months in office.
In a conversation with Norah O’Donnell of CBS, Milley dismissed the comments as a personal attack. He also confirmed he plans to guarantee his and his family's safety following Trump's unsettling remarks. However, Milley does not regret reestablishing his Chinese colleague's trust in the U.S.'s stability amid Trump's attempts to remain in power.
Through a post on Truth Social, Trump's new platform, he suggested last week that Milley's off-the-record communication was a "treasonous act", so egregious that in the past, the penalty would have been capital punishment. These comments are alarming, even more so considering Trump is currently the Republican frontrunner for presidency.
Milley responded to these comments, saying they weren't just directed at him, but at the U.S. military as a whole, which comprises 2.1 million uniformed individuals. “The American people can rest assured that every single one of us, from private to general, will remain loyal to the Constitution, irrespective of any threats or humiliation," he affirmed.
O’Donnell asked Milley if his communication with China was in any way treasonous, to which he responded with a resolute "absolutely not. Zero. None".
The two calls Milley made to China's top general, Li Zuocheng, are documented in “Peril,” a 2021 book by prominent journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. Responding to intel that suggested China believed the U.S. was planning an attack, Milley reassured Li that the U.S. had no such intentions. Despite the tumult after the January 6th Capitol riots, he reassured Li again, emphasizing that the U.S. was “100 percent steady.”
Milley faced harsh backlash from Trump and his supporters over these actions, leading to calls for his resignation and treason charges. However, he stood by his actions, arguing they were not only right but also transparent to senior Trump administration officials.
Regardless of Trump's comments, Milley is not worried about his safety. "I've put adequate safety precautions in place, even though I wish those comments hadn't been made," he stated.
Trump's stinging words towards Milley have received criticism from his own former vice president, Mike Pence. Pence, who himself has been on the receiving end of Trump's indifference, said, "There’s no call for that kind of language directed towards someone who’s worn the uniform of the United States and served with just distinction.”
