The Generals Who Spoke
Retired General Mark Milley served 40 years in the U.S. military, including as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He warned that Trump is “a fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country.”
Retired General John Kelly, Trump’s own former Chief of Staff, told the New York Times that Trump met the definition of a fascist. Kelly served as a Marine general for decades. He ran the White House. He used the word deliberately.
Retired General Jim Mattis, Trump’s first Secretary of Defense, broke with the administration publicly. Admiral Mike Mullen, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Bush and Obama, condemned the use of the National Guard to clear Lafayette Square. General Stanley McChrystal endorsed the opposing candidate.
Ten former top military officials publicly called Trump “a danger” and backed his opponent. These were not political commentators. They were the people who commanded the U.S. military.
The Purge
In February 2025, Trump fired 6 top-level military officers in a single action. General Charles Q. Brown Jr., the nation’s highest-ranking military officer and a history-making Black fighter pilot, was among the first removed.
Two dozen+ senior generals and admirals removed by Hegseth since taking office. Including the highest-ranking officer during an active war.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said any general or admiral involved in DEI initiatives “has got to go” and proceeded to remove more than two dozen senior generals and admirals since taking office. The removals included the Army’s most senior officer during an active war.
In September 2025, Trump and Hegseth gathered 800 military generals and admirals for an unprecedented meeting. A retired Army brigadier called it “an insult”. The Intercept described it as “an embarrassing rant.”
What It Means
The military is not supposed to be political. The generals who spoke up broke an unwritten rule because they believed the circumstances required it. The purge that followed sent a message to every serving officer. Speak up and your career ends.
Erdogan purged 15,000 military members after the 2016 coup attempt. The U.S. purge was smaller in scale but identical in function. Remove the leaders who might refuse an unlawful order. Replace them with people who will comply.
A retired general warned that military leaders are “duty-bound to reject illegal orders.” The generals who would have rejected those orders are the ones being removed.
Read more on the Rule of Law hub and the 5-step pattern brief.