“Great and irreparable harm”: Milley assailed Trump in draft resignation letter

Why it matters: Milley’s letter, drafted in the days after police used tear gas and batons to clear protesters and journalists out of Trump’s way for a photo op at Lafayette Square in Washington, shows the stark divide between Trump and the country’s military leadership toward the end of his term.

  • The book excerpt, published in the New Yorker, notes that Milley had other — shorter and longer — versions of the letter but preferred this one.
  • “The events of the last couple weeks have caused me to do deep soul-searching, and I can no longer faithfully support and execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Milley wrote in the draft letter obtained by Glasser and Baker.
  • “I believe that you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military,” he continued.
  • “I thought that I could change that. I’ve come to the realization that I cannot, and I need to step aside and let someone else try to do that.”

The big picture: Milley also feared that Trump was seeking to use the military to remain in power.

https://www.axios.com/2022/08/08/mark-milley-trump-draft-resignation-letter