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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the revocation of retired Gen. Mark Milley’s security clearance and personal security detail and has directed an inspector general to review whether Gen. Milley should be demoted in retirement.
Some shit you should know before you read: Security details for retired military leaders are typically provided on a case-by-case basis, depending on assessed threats. Usually, after leaving their positions, security is granted for 6 months to a year. In regards to Gen. Milley, after he retired in September of 2023, the Pentagon extended his security detail due to credible threats from the Iranian government following the US strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani under the Trump administration.
What’s going on now: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has revoked retired Gen. Mark Milley’s security clearance and personal protection detail, citing concerns about his past actions while serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a statement, Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot said, “The Secretary informed General Milley today that he is revoking the authorization for his security detail and suspending his security clearance as well.” In addition, the Pentagon’s inspector general (IG) has been directed to look into “the facts and circumstances” related to Milley’s conduct “so that the Secretary may determine whether it is appropriate to reopen his military grade review determination.”
This all comes as tensions between President Trump and Gen. Milley have long been a defining aspect of their relationship, with conflicts emerging over military decisions, political optics, and Milley’s public statements. In the final days of Trump’s first term, Milley angered the president by independently reassuring China’s military that the US had no plans to launch an attack on China as Trump was continuing to dispute the election, a move that Trump called “treasonous” and said was worthy of execution. Milley has also been openly critical of Trump, both during and after his tenure, referring to him in private as a “wannabe dictator.”
Digging deeper: Milley is not the only former official whose security protections have been rescinded under the Trump administration. Alongside Milley, Trump also revoked security details for former CIA/Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and former State Department official Brian Hook—all of whom have been under credible death threats from Iran.
