Defense Secretary Hegseth Cancels General Milley’s Security Clearance and Protection – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
2:58 PM – Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has revoked the security measures and clearance of retired Joint Chiefs chairman General Mark Milley.
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The new defense secretary has also instructed the acting Inspector General to perform a review board to assess if there is sufficient evidence for Gen. Milley to lose a star in retirement due to allegations of “undermining the chain of command” during President Donald Trump’s initial term, according to officials.
The inspector general’s review will encompass “an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding Gen. Milley’s actions so the Secretary can determine if it’s suitable to revisit his military grade review decision,” said Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot.
“The secretary has notified Gen. Milley today that he is revoking his security detail authorization and suspending his security clearance as well,” he added.
Milley is recognized for his tenure as chairman during President Donald Trump’s first term. Although their relationship began positively, it became strained as Milley counseled Trump on various matters.
He notably resisted the president’s inclination to use force domestically to quell protests following George Floyd’s death and faced scrutiny in 2021 for independently reaching out to his Chinese counterpart. At the time, Trump labeled these calls as treasonous, while Milley insisted they were standard procedure and part of his duties.
In his closing days as chairman, after Trump had exited the office, Milley was candid about his former boss. During his retirement ceremony, he stated that “we don’t take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. Nor do we pledge an oath to a would-be dictator.”
“We don’t pledge an oath to an individual. We honor our oath to the Constitution and to the ideals that embody America, and we’re prepared to die to defend it,” he asserted at that moment.
According to Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, the decision to strip Milley of his clearance and detail was made because “undermining the chain of command threatens our national security, and reinstating accountability is a key priority for the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership.”
Moreover, further measures could involve the removal of Milley’s Army chief of staff portrait. His chairman portrait was taken down mere hours after Trump was inaugurated.
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