Gen. Milley’s Retirement Speech Takes Aim at Trump
Gen. Milley Takes Shameless Shot at Trump During Retirement Speech
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley went out like he came in: as a flatter, as a fawner, as a man blown about by the winds of opinion and without any steady mooring.
Milley, you may recall, was initially appointed to the position by then-President Donald Trump. I remind you merely because, ever since roughly the middle of 2020, the general has been wringing his hands of any involvement with the former president — and, for all intents and purposes, sounds as if he were a surrogate for President Joe Biden.
It was that way Friday, too, when Milley seemingly implied during his departing remarks that Trump was a “wannabe dictator.”
The comment came during what CNN called “an impassioned and at times furious speech.”
“It was a bitter and pointed swipe that appeared unmistakably targeted at former President Donald Trump, who has in recent days accused Milley of ‘treason’ and suggested that he should be put to death for his conduct surrounding Trump’s bid in 2021 to remain in office despite losing the presidential election,” CNN noted.
This is, being CNN, a shadow of the truth; Trump said that Milley’s backchannel communications with China in the aftermath of the events of Jan. 6, 2021, done without the then-president’s knowledge, constituted treason and that the act was “so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.”
You may note the “in times gone by” statement, which acknowledges that in no way would Milley ever be put to death, nor did he express an intention to. But, like a game of media telephone, all that context got lost as got whispered around in liberal media circles, and within a week it became that Trump wanted Milley executed.
Milley, meanwhile, left far less wiggle room in terms of interpretation of his remarks: “We don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator,” he said. “We take an oath to the Constitution and we take an oath to the idea that is America – and we’re willing to die to protect it.”
JUST IN: Woke Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley appears to slam former President Donald Trump in his retirement speech, calling Trump a “wannabe dictator.”
Milley, who once arguably committed treason by promising China he would alert them of a US attack, also accused Trump of… pic.twitter.com/Rl83P12TQn
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 29, 2023
This may have been rousing stuff in the CNN newsroom, but the whole affair came across a little more like a Jeb Bush “please clap” moment if you were there:
Milley had a Jeb! moment today and then he stepped down as the top US general.
Fitting end to his career. pic.twitter.com/Y1tQNF5dT9
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 29, 2023
Is Milley violating good principle by attacking Trump? He claims he doesn’t take an oath to “dictators.” He also doesn’t take an oath to the Chinese Communist Party. Yet, lest we not forget, in these backchannel calls — again, conducted without Trump’s knowledge while Trump was still president — Milley promised General Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army that “I’ll call you” if there was going to be any attack by the United States on China.
Not that there was going to be an attack, mind you, but he promised our geopolitical adversary that he’d inform them of it without our president knowing. It cannot be emphasized enough that, at the very least, Milley ought to have resigned his post if he felt this call was important enough, because he’d made it clear his first duty was not to the United States or its Constitution, but instead to his concept of contributing to geopolitical stability during a turbulent period.
If he wanted to be his own profile in courage, fine — but then at least have the courage to admit that, by the ultimate betrayal of the chain of command, he had disqualified himself for further service in his role.
We’re talking about his retirement now, so naturally he didn’t take that course. Instead, he became the face of President Joe Biden’s wokeness-oriented, socially engineered makeover of the U.S. Armed Forces. Perhaps no moment so perfectly crystallized what he meant to the Biden-era military than this nugget of testimony before Congress regarding “white rage” back in June of 2021:
“I want to understand white rage, and I’m white,” Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said while testifying before Congress, pushing back on accusations from a Republican congressman that the military was becoming too “woke.” https://t.co/ix4dKxrC2d pic.twitter.com/HkFVB7d6Ur
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 24, 2021
Right.
No word in his closing remarks on how close he got to understanding all that “white rage” before he stepped down, but maybe we’ll hear about it in the inevitable memoir he’ll put out further trashing Trump and anyone in his orbit. You know the type of memoir: It’ll inevitably be titled something like “Tough Decisions” or “Durable Leadership.” It’ll generate a few high-profile interviews on “60 Minutes” and “Meet the Press,” no doubt.
As for its reception among the buying public, however, I’m going to guess it’ll be a bit more like the tepid response Milley received from the crowd during his final remarks as chair of the Joint Chiefs.
The post Gen. Milley Takes Shameless Shot at Trump During Retirement Speech appeared first on The Western Journal.
How does Gen. Milley’s retirement speech demonstrate a lack of professionalism and respect for the office of the presidency?
Ombat Outpost Chosin, but in the context of a retirement speech for the highest-ranking military officer in the United States, it was unbecoming, disgraceful, and unprofessional. Gen. Milley’s comments were not only a shameless shot at former President Trump but also a clear display of partisan bias and disrespect for the office of the presidency.
First and foremost, it is important to note that Gen. Milley was appointed to his position by President Trump. Regardless of any personal disagreements or differences in opinion, it is expected that a military officer carries out their duties with professionalism and loyalty to the commander-in-chief. Milley’s subsequent distancing from the former president and alignment with President Biden raises questions about his true loyalties and intentions.
In his retirement speech, Milley used the platform to take a swipe at Trump, calling him a “wannabe dictator.” This inflammatory remark not only undermines the principles of respect and civility but also ignores the achievements and policies of the previous administration. It is highly inappropriate for a military officer, especially the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to engage in such political rhetoric and to publicly criticize a former president.
Furthermore, Milley’s comments echo the narrative pushed by left-leaning media outlets without providing the full context of President Trump’s statements. Trump did not call for Milley to be executed; rather, he highlighted the severity of Milley’s actions and the potential consequences if they had occurred in a different era. Milley’s deliberate mischaracterization of Trump’s words only serves to further stoke the flames of division and misinformation.
As the top military leader in the country, Gen. Milley should have demonstrated impartiality and professionalism throughout his tenure. Instead, he has repeatedly shown a proclivity for engaging in partisan politics and making divisive statements. This type of behavior undermines the trust and confidence that the American people place in their military leadership and tarnishes the reputation of the armed forces.
It is disheartening to witness a retiring general depart from the principles of duty, honor, and country that should guide every military officer. The military’s role is to defend the Constitution and uphold the values of our great nation, irrespective of personal political beliefs. Gen. Milley’s comments indicate a fundamental misunderstanding of this fundamental principle.
In conclusion, Gen. Mark Milley’s retirement speech was a clear demonstration of his lack of professionalism, impartiality, and respect for the office of the presidency. His divisive and inflammatory comments not only undermine the principles of a nonpartisan military but also contribute to the growing polarization in our society. It is imperative that military leaders prioritize their dedication to the Constitution and refrain from engaging in political rhetoric that undermines the integrity of the armed forces.
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