This is the first I heard of that. If so,I missed it. NOT doubting your word on this.
I was following it at the time, and it was controversial even then. Milley already had been slated to become Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Trump overrode that based solely on his interview with Milley. In fact, he was so taken with Milley following his interview with him that he announced Milley as his choice in December 2019 -- more than nine months before the then-current Chairman was slated to retire. That had never happened before.
https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2019/07/25/milley-confirmation/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/08/trump-says-gen-mark-milley-chair-joint-chiefs-staff/2249369002/Milley was at times considered a long shot for Joint Chiefs chairman, who serves as the top military adviser to the president. Others in contention included Adm. John Richardson and Air Force Gen. David Goldfein. Sources say some of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' aides this week were still betting on Goldfein.
Milley is a chatty, quick-witted, barrel-chested officer who seemed to click with Trump. At times they could be seen laughing together, or sharing a joke.
During a Medal of Honor presentation in June, Trump pointed to Milley, seated in the front row.
"A very good negotiator, Gen. Mark Milley," Trump said. "I could see in his eyes when I talk about the cost of those bombs. He's good at throwing them, but he's also good at pricing them. Right? I see it."https://www.npr.org/2018/12/08/674935309/meet-mark-milley-trumps-pick-for-joint-chiefs-chairmanBottom line is that Milley wowed (or bullshitted...) Trump in that interview, and that led Trump to ignore his senior military advisors and go with Milley.
NO airdale should EVER be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Their ONLY personal experience in combat is air combat,which is a VERY different thing that infantry combat.
First, the Chairman doesn't have any command over operational forces -- neither do any of the Chiefs of Staff, for that matter. They are administrators and advisors. We've had four Chairman who have been Air Force, and they have seemed fine.
Second, General Goldfein got the Distinguished Flying Cross (twice) with a Combat "V" in the Gulf War. Flew combat missions there, and also over Serbia, where he was shot down, evaded capture, and eventually was rescued. Milley saw no active combat in his entire career. So in terms of personal experience in ground combat, they're equal. But at least Goldfein knows what it is like to be shot at on multiple occasions.
I am sure someone he trusted suggested to him that he do that. After all,if you are a CEO and faced with a situation you personally know nothing about,you ask your aides and advisors.
@sneakypete But...you're just kind of making that up, aren't you? There is absolutely zero evidence of that - there isn't any claim that even his son-in-law Jared advised him to appoint Milley. The evidence is all to the contrary. Who specifically, as a "trusted advisor" on military matters, do you think even fits that description??? Trump's two most senior military advisors were the Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both of whom were opposed to Milley. There
wasn't any other senior military advisor who would have known more than Trump did. Those two are it. And I'd point out that despite Trump now being very critical of Milley, he has never once claimed that someone else recommended Milley to him, or gave him bad advice. Because it was reported right from the start that Trump just liked Milley from his interview. Look at what Trump said above -- He could tell from their interview that Milley was a "good negotiator", that he could "just see it". That's a guy talking about his own judgment, not someone else.
If Trump truly "knew nothing" about what he wanted from the military after
two years as Commander in Chief, that's pathetic. Presidents have weekly meetings with the Chairman at the minimum, but usually with all of them. They prepare briefings, he sits through them, hears them debate policy and recommendations, etc.. He's
supposed to puck that crap up as part of his job --
and perhaps the single most important job of a President is Commander in Chief. The Chairman is not a command job, and it's not about the intricacies of tactical operations so you don't need technical or professional knowledge. It is big-picture policy, advice, etc.. He apparently just impressed Trump in the interview, as I posted in that article above. And based on his
own personal evaluation of Milley in that interview (he interviewed the Army, Navy, and Air Force Chiefs - couldn't be a Marine because that was the current Chairman), he ditched his advisors' recommendations and went with Milley. There isn't a shred of evidence to the contrary.
You're coming up with what you wish the truth was rather than just looking at the facts.
