Reaction of the Chief of Staff to Trump: ‘A would-be dictator’

US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley’s statement that US soldiers did not swear allegiance to a “would-be dictator” was interpreted as a reference to “former US President Donald Trump”, with whom he has had recent tensions.

Milley spoke at an official ceremony held at a military base in Arlington, as his term ends Oct. 1 and the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., takes over. “We do not swear allegiance to a country, a tribe or a religion. We do not swear allegiance to a king, a queen, a tyrant or a dictator. “We do not swear allegiance to a would-be dictator,” Milley said, emphasizing that they swear allegiance to the constitution, not to themselves.

On September 27, Trump criticized Milley on his social media platform for meeting with his Chinese counterpart without his knowledge in the final month of his presidency. Following Trump’s posts, Milley said she would “take the necessary precautions” to ensure his safety and that of his family.

BIDEN’S PRAISE TO MILLEY

In his speech, US President Joe Biden praised Milley’s military career and patriotism, stating that he served in many war zones, from Panama to Haiti, from Afghanistan to Iraq.

Noting that Milley guided the US military through one of the world’s most complex times in terms of security, Biden said: “From NATO to the Indo-Pacific, to establishing new strategic partnerships like AUKUS, to maintain our power to the maximum. At an advanced level in the cyber and space fields, we will strengthen existing US alliances.” “It played a pivotal role,” he said. (AA)