Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he did not receive any “illegal” orders after the 2020 election.
Martha Raddatz, anchor of ABC’s “This Week,” noted that reports “abounded” saying that Milley worried former President Donald Trump might try to use the military to stay in power.
“Were you concerned at any time that you might receive an illegal order after Election Day?” she asked the general in an interview that aired on Sunday.
“I never did receive an illegal order,” Milley responded. Pressed again if he was at least concerned about it, the top military official added, “No, you know, I argued the case at various times for alternative courses of action. Never received an illegal order.”
Reports about Milley and other military officials fearing that Trump might attempt a coup date back more than two years.
At the time, Trump fired back with a statement that said, “If I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley.” He also said, “I’m not into coups!”
Trump is now running a 2024 campaign seeking another term in the White House, possibly leading to a 2020 rematch against President Joe Biden. Trump is doing so while facing indictments in four criminal cases, including two focused on alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The former president has denied any wrongdoing, pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces, and claims that politically motivated prosecutors are conducting a “witch hunt” against him.
Milley, who is set to retire in the coming weeks as his term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff comes to an end, also said in his interview with ABC that he is not concerned about the prospect of another January 6.
“No, I’m not nervous about it,” Milley said, adding later, “I don’t get nervous about a lot of things. I’ve seen a lot of combat. So I’m beyond that actually.”
Pressed on his level of confidence, Milley added, “I am confident that the United States and the democracy in this country will prevail and the rule of law will prevail. I’m absolutely confident of that. And these institutions are built to be strong, resilient, and to adapt to the times, and I’m 100 percent confident we’ll be fine.”