Former US President Donald Trump hit back at accusations from two of the most senior military officials who served under him, both of whom now describe him as a significant threat to the nation.
During a pointed exchange, Trump was asked to respond to comments from retired General Jim Mattis and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, both of whom labeled him as “the most dangerous person ever.”
Trump’s response was characteristically direct.”They were not my cup of tea, they were woke,” he said, dismissing the two generals. “You know that they were not great generals in my opinion. I was asking them for advice. I didn’t agree with the advice.”
Citing Milley’s handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Trump said, “Look at the advice that Milley gave to Biden on Afghanistan. Move the soldiers out first, no, you have to move the soldiers out last. I don’t respect them as soldiers. I never did. I fired them both.”
General Mark Milley, who served as Trump’s Joint Chiefs chairman, has become increasingly outspoken, recently calling Trump “a fascist to the core” and stating that no individual has ever posed a greater danger to the United States than the 45th president.
Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who resigned in 2018 after clashing with Trump over the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, appeared to share Milley’s assessment. According to veteran journalist Bob Woodward, Mattis reportedly agreed with Milley’s grim warning about Trump.
The two generals, once key figures in Trump’s administration, have joined a growing chorus of critics concerned about the possibility of a second Trump administration.
Mattis had previously distanced himself from Trump following his resignation, calling the former president divisive in the wake of the George Floyd protests in 2020. Trump retaliated by labeling Mattis “the world’s most overrated general” and questioning his leadership abilities.
While Trump downplays the concerns raised by his former generals, their warnings paint a stark picture of the tensions that plagued his administration.