MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon’s inspector normal to analyze the conduct of retired Joint Chiefs of Employees Chairman Basic Mark Milley. Milley had clashed at instances with President Trump throughout his first time period. Now Trump’s protection secretary needs to find out whether or not it’s acceptable that Milley be diminished in rank from his present 4 stars. NPR’s Tom Bowman joins me to speak about this. Hey, Tom.

TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: Hey there.

KELLY: Decreasing a four-star normal in rank isn’t a factor to be undertaken frivolously. What extra are you able to inform us?

BOWMAN: Effectively, we do not have plenty of element why that is being completed or any particular conduct right here. The Pentagon put out a launch late final night time saying solely, quote, “undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our nationwide safety, and restoring accountability is a precedence for the Protection Division below President Trump’s management.” Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth additionally revoked Milley’s safety clearance in addition to his safety element. He had 24/7 safety offered by the Military. Safety particulars have been earlier revoked, in fact, for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Nationwide Safety Adviser John Bolton. All three males have been concerned within the U.S. airstrike again in 2020 that killed Iranian Basic Qasem Soleimani, and there is an ongoing risk towards them from Iran.

KELLY: And, Tom, I am attempting to sq. this up with what President Biden did on his approach out the door. He gave Basic Milley and a few others immunity from prosecution.

BOWMAN: That is proper, Mary Louise. It applies to federal and navy regulation. What’s being proposed right here is administrative motion.

KELLY: OK. So not plenty of element on what could come subsequent or what conduct could also be below assessment, however clearly Trump and Milley had their moments, had a rocky relationship.

BOWMAN: Completely. No, Trump selected Milley to be his senior navy advisor again in 2019, however the relationship soured over time and solely acquired worse. For instance, Trump wished to make use of active-duty troops in American cities. Milley and others talked him out of it. Trump urged taking pictures protesters within the legs, clearly an unlawful order that Milley others opposed. And there have been instances when Milley satisfied him to alter course on coverage, like eradicating all U.S. troops from Syria. Milley advised him they wanted to proceed going after the remnants of the Islamic State, and so they’re nonetheless there.

The massive rupture, Mary Louise, got here in June 2020, after the protests following the loss of life of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump and Milley walked from the White Home throughout Lafayette Sq., as chances are you’ll keep in mind. Milley realized it was clearly – it was a political photograph op and shortly apologized, saying I shouldn’t have been there, and that it created a notion of the navy getting concerned in home politics, and the navy should stay apolitical. That actually upset Trump. And Milley had a not too refined parting shot at Trump when he retired in September 2023. Let’s hear.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MARK MILLEY: We do not take an oath to a king or a queen, or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we do not take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We do not take an oath to a person. We take an oath to the Structure. And we take an oath to the concept it is America, and we’re keen to die to guard it.

KELLY: Wannabe dictator, we heard Milley saying there. Though, he notably didn’t point out Trump by identify.

BOWMAN: No, that is proper. And civil navy relations specialists inform me going after a retired senior officer like that is extraordinarily uncommon, possibly unprecedented.

KELLY: NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman. Thanks.

BOWMAN: You are welcome.

(SOUNDBITE OF BADBADNOTGOOD AND GHOSTFACE KILLAH’S “EXPERIENCE”)

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