"Fascist to the core": Former Trump official Milley warns against "dangerous" second term

Trump appointee Mark Milley called the ex-prez the "most dangerous person ever"

By Griffin Eckstein

News Fellow

Published October 11, 2024 8:42PM (EDT)

Outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley inspects the troops during an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in his honor at Summerall Field at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall September 29, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley inspects the troops during an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in his honor at Summerall Field at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall September 29, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mark Milley warned that Donald Trump is a “fascist to the core” and a danger to the country in an excerpt from journalist Bob Woodward’s new book.

In a snippet from the forthcoming book "War" that was obtained by The Guardian, the Trump appointee expressed concern that the former president would do serious harm to the country during a second term.

“He is the most dangerous person ever. I had suspicions when I talked to you about his mental decline and so forth, but now I realize he’s a total fascist. He is now the most dangerous person to this country,” Milley told Woodward, adding that he fears Trump would have him court-martialed in a second term.

Milley is one of dozens of former Trump administration officials to come out against the former president, He shared with Woodward that he spent the last weeks of the Trump administration warning against a potential coup, saying that he could pull  “a Reichstag moment.”

“They may try, but they're not going to f——— succeed,” Milley reportedly told deputies. “You can't do this without the military. You can't do this without the CIA and the FBI. We're the guys with the guns.”

Milley's tenure lasted well into the Biden administration. He took time to criticize Trump upon his retirement, telling a crowd that he took an oath to the U.S. Constitution and not “a wannabe dictator.” Milley shared that he’s been plagued with “a non-stop barrage of death threats” since disparaging Trump.


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