shouting match
Gen. Milley 'repeatedly blew up' at Trump over racial justice protests, new book reports
Former President Donald Trump and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley reportedly found themselves in a heated shouting match in the Situation Room last year.
The account comes via reporter Michael Bender's new book Frankly, We Did Win This Election, as revealed Monday by Axios. According to Axios, the book describes how Milley "repeatedly blew up" at Trump over how racial justice protests should be handled in the summer of 2020, with Trump looking to invoke the Insurrection Act.
A passage from the book describes how during a meeting in the Situation Room, Trump reportedly "exaggerated claims about the violence and alarmed officials," announcing he "put Milley 'in charge.'" But Milley reportedly "confronted Trump about his role," telling him he "was an adviser, and not in command," at which point Trump "had enough."
"I said you're in f---ing charge!" Trump reportedly shouted at Milley, prompting Milley to yell back, "Well, I'm not in charge!" Trump reportedly then told him, "You can't f---ing talk to me like that!" Milley reportedly said to others, "Goddamnit. There's a room full of lawyers here. Will someone inform him of my legal responsibilities?"
Attorney General William Barr reportedly backed up Milley, telling Trump, "He's right, Mr. President. The general is right." Trump denied the account to Axios, calling it "totally fake news" and promising that "if Gen. Milley had yelled at me, I would have fired him."