Treasonous or tactful? Here’s how General Mark Milley stepped between Trump and China

SINCE THE MOMENT PRESIDENT TRUMP NOMINATED HIM FOR CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, CONTROVERSY HAS CONTINUED TO FOLLOW GENERAL MARK MILLEY.

FROM THE INFAMOUS WHITE-HOUSE-TO-CHURCH WALK, TO THE CHAOTIC WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICANS FROM AFGHANISTAN, AND NOW REVELATIONS HE BACK-CHANNELED COMMUNICATIONS TO THE CHINESE AT THE END OF TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY.

THAT MAKES GENERAL MARK MILLEY JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.

NOW, HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP DIDN’T START OFF HOSTILE.

IN 2018, TRUMP WAS THE ONE WHO NOMINATED THE PRINCETON GRAD TO HIS CURRENT POSITION.

HE WAS APPOINTED THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND IN JUNE 2020, DRESSED IN FATIGUES, MILLEY ESCORTED THEN-PRESIDENT TRUMP FROM THE WHITE HOUSE TO SAINT JOHNS CHURCH—MINUTES AFTER POLICE AND NATIONAL GUARD SCATTERED CROWDS USING GAS AND RIOT CONTROL TACTICS.

WHILE HE REFUSED TO TESTIFY TO CONGRESS ABOUT THE MILITARY’S ROLE, HE *DID* SAY IT WAS A MISTAKE AS PART OF A COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS.

MILLEY: AS A COMMISSIONED UNIFORMED OFFICER, IT WAS A MISTAKE THAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM, AND I SINCERELY HOPE WE ALL CAN LEARN FROM IT. 

LONGWORTH: MILLEY ALSO HAD TO EXPLAIN WHY HIS IMAGE APPEARED IN RE-ELECTION ADS FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP–WITHOUT HIS CONSENT. A PROBLEM BECAUSE THE MILITARY PROHIBITS UNIFORMED OFFICERS FROM PARTAKING IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.

HE ALSO GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN MATT GOETZ OVER WEST POINT’S TEACHINGS OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY.

MILLEY: BUT I DO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT ACTUALLY FOR THOSE OF US IN UNIFORM TO BE OPEN-MINDED AND BE WIDELY READ. AND THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY IS A UNIVERSITY. AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE TRAIN AND WE UNDERSTAND. AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHITE-RAGE AND I AM WHITE AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND IT. SO WHAT IS IT THAT CAUSED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO ASSAULT THIS BUILDING AND TRIED TO OVERTURN THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

LONGWORTH: OF COURSE, MILLEY WAS ALSO ONE OF THE LEADERS BEHIND THE WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN.

AND NOW, IT’S SECRET CALLS TO CHINA. 

A NEW BOOK BY BOB WOODWARD AND ROBERT COSTA–TITLED PERIL–REVEALED THAT MILLEY WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT TRUMP’S POTENTIAL BEHAVIOR. HE CALLED HIS CHINESE COUNTERPART TO ASSURE HIM THE U-S WOULD NOT BE ATTACKING THE COUNTRY.

LONGWORTH: THEY WROTE, MILLEY WAS CERTAIN THAT TRUMP HAD GONE INTO A SERIOUS MENTAL DECLINE IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE ELECTION, WITH TRUMP NOW ALL BUT MANIC, SCREAMING AT OFFICIALS AND CONSTRUCTING HIS OWN ALTERNATE REALITY ABOUT ENDLESS ELECTION CONSPIRACIES.

TRUMP: THAT’S TREASON. AND I WOULD THINK. I’VE HAD SO MANY CALLS TODAY SAYING THAT’S TREASON.

MILLEY TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE CALLS WERE PERFECTLY WITHIN THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HIS JOB.

SO THAT’S GENERAL MARK MILLEY–JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS, AND DON’T FORGET TO HIT THE STRAIGHT ARROW BIAS METER.