Rubio urges Biden to fire Gen. Milley for attempting to undermine Trump after Jan. 6 riot

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) responded to revelations about Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley's reaction to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by calling on President Biden to "immediately" dismiss him from his post.
Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa report in their forthcoming book Peril that Milley called his counterpart in China, Gen. Li Zuocheng, two days after the riot to assure him that former President Donald Trump had no plans to attack China as a way to retain power ahead of President Biden's inauguration. Milley also called a meeting with top military commanders, insisting that no one take orders regarding a nuclear strike unless he was involved, even though the president has authority over the matter.
Rubio clearly does not hold the view that Milley was providing an important check against a possibly "rogue" president. Instead, he warned that his reported conversations with Beijing may have undermined Washington's ability to negotiate. As for the nuclear strike talks, Rubio said such interference "at worst, would cause ambiguity which could lead to war." All told, the senator believes Milley set a "dangerous" precedent.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While it's unclear if others will call for Milley's dismissal, Rubio wasn't alone in his criticism, and, although the reasoning varies, there's a sense among some analysts that what he did was "reckless."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Home Depots are the new epicenters of ICE raids
In the Spotlight The chain has not provided many comments on the ongoing raids
-
Why does Trump keep interfering in the NYC mayoral race?
Today's Big Question The president has seemingly taken an outsized interest in his hometown elections, but are his efforts to block Zohran Mamdani about political expediency or something deeper?
-
The pros and cons of banning cellphones in classrooms
Pros and cons The devices could be major distractions
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
Why are Trump's health rumors about more than just presidential fitness?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Extended absences and unexplained bruises have raised concerns about both his well-being and his administration's transparency
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act