House Republican Demands Court-Martial for Gen. Mark Milley and Ex-Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin

Staff Writer
Retired Army Gen. Mark Milley and former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. (Photos: Archive)

Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) is calling for retired U.S. Army General Mark Milley and former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to be court-martialed, a legal process used for serious crimes in the military. He claims the two men have made the U.S. military too “politicized” to win wars.

“They’ve broken the military,” Van Orden said, criticizing how the Department of Defense has been managed under their leadership. He argues that despite having the most powerful military in history, the U.S. hasn’t won a war in 80 years.

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Van Orden made these comments during a January 15 interview on the Vicki McKenna Show, a conservative radio program. He argued that the military has become more politicized over time, and that it reached its worst point under Austin and Milley.

“Those guys need to be recalled to active duty and court-martialed for their disgraceful conduct. It’s been terrible. They’ve broken the military,” Van Orden added, according to The Huffington Post.

A court-martial is the military’s most serious legal process, typically used for criminal cases. Officers and sometimes enlisted personnel serve as the jury. While military commanders can initiate a court-martial, the president also has the power to do so.

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However, there is no evidence that Milley or Austin committed any crimes, let alone serious ones like felonies.

When asked about why he thinks a court-martial is necessary, Van Orden didn’t provide evidence of criminal behavior but instead criticized their actions. Specifically, he pointed to Milley’s phone calls to his Chinese counterpart in the final months of Donald Trump’s presidency. Milley, who served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019 to 2023, made the calls out of concern that Trump might start a war with China. In a 2021 book, Milley revealed that he called General Li Zuocheng of China to reassure him that the U.S. was not planning any military action.

Milley explained that he was worried about Trump’s actions following the 2020 election and his claims of voter fraud. He said the calls were part of his usual communications with global military leaders and denied any wrongdoing.

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Van Orden also criticized Austin for his role in the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He called the decision “disgusting” and said Austin “deserted” his duty to protect American citizens and military members. He specifically blamed Austin for the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers during the evacuation and for abandoning civilians in Kabul.

Van Orden also took aim at news outlets like HuffPost, claiming they were making the world less secure by promoting “political activism as journalism.”

The real reason Van Orden is targeting Milley seems to be their personal conflicts. Milley has publicly criticized Trump, calling him “a total fascist” and “the most dangerous person to this country.” This has led to tension between the two, with Trump removing Milley’s portrait from the Pentagon and stripping him of his position on the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.

In response to potential retaliation from Trump, President Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Milley in his final hours in office.

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Milley, who has feared Trump would go after him, told Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward that he believes Trump will try to take action against him if he regains power. “He is a walking, talking advertisement of what he’s going to try to do,” Milley said, referencing Trump and his supporters.

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