Gen. Milley to lose security detail, clearance and face probe, Pentagon says
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Then-Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Mark Milley on Capitol Hill in 2023. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is revoking Gen. Mark Milley's personal security detail and clearance — and the former Joint Chiefs of Staff chair faces a review that could result in a rank demotion, the Pentagon announced Tuesday night.
Why it matters: President Trump has since being sworn in last week moved to target those he regards as "the enemies from within" — among them Milley, for whom President Biden issued a preemptive pardon before leaving office, per Axios' Zachary Basu.
Details: Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot said in an emailed statement that Hegseth relayed the action earlier Tuesday to Milley, who served as the top U.S. Army general under Biden and in the first Trump administration from 2019 to 2023.
- Hegseth also directed the Defense Department inspector general "to conduct an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding Gen. Milley's conduct so that the Secretary may determine whether it is appropriate to reopen his military grade review determination," Ullyot added.
What they're saying: Defense Department chief of staff Joe Kasper said in the Pentagon email: "Undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump's leadership."
The big picture: Trump announced in 2018 he would nominate Milley to be the top U.S. general.
- However, their relationship deteriorated toward the end of his first term — notably after Milley publicly apologized for accompanying Trump to a photo op at St. John's Church in D.C. during protests linked to the murder of George Floyd.
Flashback: Trump once suggested Milley should be executed for treason after The Atlantic reported he communicated with his Chinese counterpart in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
- Meanwhile, Milley told journalist Bob Woodward during an interview for his book, "War," that Trump is "fascist to the core."
- He told military members at a 2023 ceremony marking his retirement: "Don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator."
- Biden noted in his statement on pardoning Milley that the general had been "threatened with criminal prosecutions."
Flash forward: The Pentagon removed a portrait of Milley and Trump publicly fired the general and thousands of other Biden presidential council appointees soon after Trump returned to office this month.
Go deeper: Gen. Milley to take "appropriate" safety measures after Trump death post
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
Axios Future of Defense reporter Colin Demarest contributed reporting.
