Skip to main content
Tags: milley | trump | mattis | hitler
CORRESPONDENT

Trump Picked Milley for JCS Chairman Over Choice of Pentagon Brass

donald trump shakes hands with mark milley
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley during a briefing with senior military leaders in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2019. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

John Gizzi By Friday, 16 July 2021 12:33 PM EDT Current | Bio | Archive

A new book has been grabbing headlines for nearly a week with its claims that Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, compared Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.

The book, ""I Alone Can Fix It: Trump’s Final Year" by Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, says Milley called the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol a “Reichstag Moment” for Trump, referring to the burning of the German parliament in 1933 that allowed Hitler to seize absolute power.

Also making headlines is Trump's denial of the book's claim that Milley believed Trump was plotting a coup, a denial in which Trump dismissed the general as someone who "choked like a dog" under pressure from "the Fake News."

Not mentioned in the book, however, is the fact that Trump appointed Milley to the premier command in the U.S. armed forces over the choice of the Pentagon brass.

In 2019, most Pentagon-watchers wagered that the successor to Gen. Joseph Dunsford as JCS chairman would be Air Force Chief of Staff and Lieutenant General David L. Goldfein. 

Goldfein was backed behind the scenes for the appointment by Dunsford and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Goldfein was a command pilot with more than 4,200 flying hours and had served as director of the Joint Staff — the right hand of the chairman of the JCS.

But to the surprise of those watching the process, Trump instead named U.S. Army Chief of Staff Milley to the JCS chairmanship. The president had reportedly been feuding with Mattis, sources said, and had developed a good rapport with Milley during the interview process. 

John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.

© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


John-Gizzi
A new book has been grabbing headlines for nearly a week with its claims that Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, compared Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler.T
milley, trump, mattis, hitler
298
2021-33-16
Friday, 16 July 2021 12:33 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmaxā€™s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
TOP

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
Ā© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
Ā© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved