The new US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has revoked the security detail and security clearance of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, and ordered an investigation into his conduct.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth took decisive action by revoking the security detail and security clearance of former US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley. Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot confirmed the move, which marks a significant step in Hegseth’s second day in office. Hegseth also directed the department’s inspector general to investigate Milley’s “conduct” and assess whether a review of his rank is warranted, though specific details regarding the alleged conduct were not provided.
This development follows the removal of Milley’s portrait from the Pentagon on January 20, hours after former President Donald Trump’s inauguration. While the portrait of Milley as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs was taken down, his earlier portrait from his tenure as US Army Chief of Staff remains displayed as of Tuesday afternoon.
General Milley, appointed by President Trump in 2018, had a tumultuous relationship with the former president, particularly during the final months of Trump’s administration. Milley famously referred to Trump as a “fascist” and, in his final address as Chairman in 2023, made an indirect reference to the former president by stating that the military does not swear allegiance to a “wannabe dictator.”
Trump, who has long accused Milley of treason, took issue with Milley’s phone calls with his Chinese counterpart in 2020, which Trump called “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” Milley, however, defended the calls, asserting that they were coordinated with the relevant defence secretaries and national security agencies. Trump also criticized Milley for his handling of the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite Milley opposing the decision to pull troops out.
In response to the controversy, Joe Kasper, Chief of Staff to the US Secretary of Defence, commented, “Undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defence Department under President Trump’s leadership.”
On his final day in office, President Joe Biden issued a blanket pardon for Milley, acknowledging his decades of military service. Biden described Milley’s service as “honourable” and said he had been deployed to “some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy.” Milley expressed gratitude for the pardon, reaffirming his loyalty to the nation and Constitution.
Despite the pardon, Milley’s rank could still be subject to review if the ongoing inspector general investigation uncovers any wrongdoing. This comes in the wake of broader actions taken by Trump, including the firing of several inspectors general and the revocation of security details for former officials such as John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, and Anthony Fauci.
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