Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to “immediately pull” retired Gen. Mark Milley’s personal security detail and security clearance, according to multiple senior administration officials.
In addition, Hegseth has directed the new acting Inspector General to convene a review board to evaluate whether sufficient evidence exists to revoke one of Gen. Milley’s stars in retirement. The review will focus on Milley’s alleged actions to undermine the chain of command during President Trump’s first term, officials said.
The Pentagon will also remove a second portrait of Milley, this one located in the Army’s Marshall Corridor on the third floor, commemorating his service as chief-of-staff of the Army. The removal, expected to take place tonight, will leave no remaining portraits of Milley inside the Pentagon. A previous portrait, honoring his tenure as the U.S. military’s top officer, was removed last week on Inauguration Day, less than two hours after President Trump was sworn into office.
When asked about the rationale behind these actions, a senior administration official stated, “There is a new era of accountability in the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership—and that’s exactly what the American people expect.”
Gen. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2023 under Trump and Biden.
