Gen. Mark Milley, the retiring chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a new interview that former President Donald Trump told him not to bring wounded veterans to public events.
The profile piece, The Patriot, published in The Atlantic, offers details about Trump’s reaction to Milley’s 2019 welcome ceremony.
The ceremony took place at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Miller chose wounded army captain Luis Avila to sing “God Bless America.”
Avila has been on five combat tours and lost a leg to an IED. He has also suffered heart attacks, strokes and brain damage, as a result of his injuries. Milley wanted to celebrate Avila’s heroism and bravery, as a testament to the sacrifices marked forces make for their country.
It was rainy the day of the ceremony, and the profile describes how even with the help of Milley’s wife and then-Vice President Mike Pence, Avila was nearly knocked over.
Footage of the performance shows Trump embracing Avila afterward with congratulations.
However, Milley said that moments later, Trump asked him, “Why do you bring people like that here?” Trump continued, “No one wants to see that, the wounded.”
Milley then tried to educate Trump on the importance of disability visibility, honor and sacrifice, but Trump merely barred Milley from inviting Avila to all future public events.
Milley told The Atlantic that when on tour in Iraq and Afghanistan, he had to personally bury 242 soldiers who served under his command.
Milley recalled multiple occasions when Trump has spoken ill of service members. In 2020, Trump canceled his trip to the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in France, where 1,800 U.S. Marines are buried, and reportedly labeled all dead American soldiers as “losers” and “suckers.”
Milley also was upset by Trump’s demand that he be present in uniform at the infamous photo-op in Washington, D.C.’s Lafayette Square when George Floyd protesters were forcefully cleared out of an area next to the White House. The general felt a military leader should not be involved in a political event.
Milley later made a public apology on the matter, and Trump told him that “apologies are a sign of weakness.” The two’s relationship was further strained from there on.
Set to retire at the end of the month, Milley is the 20th chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He was chosen by Trump in 2019. Before that, he was the 39th chief of staff of the Army and had served in multiple commands over the course of his career.
