Speed Reads

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. 

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."