Top U.S. generals reportedly discussed ways to stop Former President Donald Trump from staging a coup following his loss in the 2020 election, excerpts from a forthcoming book revealed.
Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, reportedly spoke with other Joint Chiefs about a plan to resign following the election. The move was part of an attempt to avoid carrying out orders from Trump to stage a coup that they believe to be illegal and dangerous.
Fear of Trump Coup
"It was a kind of Saturday Night Massacre in reverse," Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker wrote in the forthcoming book "I Alone Can Fix It," a copy of which was obtained by CNN.
The book, which is scheduled to release next Tuesday, also revealed that Milley told colleagues and lawmakers that he felt he had to be "on guard" for any unforeseen events.
"They may try, but they're not going to f**king succeed," Milley told his deputies, according to the authors, as reported by The Hill. "You can't do this without the military. You can't do this without the CIA and the FBI. We're the guys with the guns."
Leonnig and Rucker's forthcoming book also revealed that Milley voiced concern over the former president's actions in the days leading up to the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The authors said the general described Trump as the "authoritarian leader" and compared him to Adolf Hitler.
Ahead of Trump's "Million MAGA March," Milley told aides that he feared the protest would resemble the pro-Nazi militia that fueled Hitler's rise to power.
The book revealed the Milley had been on the frontlines of trying to stop Trump from firing FBI Director Chris Wray and CIA Director Gina Haspel.
Milley has become the subject of controversy when, in June 2020, he joined then-president Trump in a photo-op at St. John's Church after federal officials violently cleared peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters from Lafayette Square near the church.
Trump Supporters
Several protesters said the federal officials had not given them instructions to move before they began to deploy tear gas and batons. The officers also began charging forward and knocking people to the ground. Some also rammed protesters with their riot shields, Amelia Brace, an Australian journalist who was at the scene, told NPR.
The book "I Alone Can Fix It" is also expected to give readers an inside look into Trump's plans to stage a "victory" party with nearly 400 attendees despite public health regulations for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump's campaign had initially planned to hold the celebration at the Trump International Hotel, but moved it to the White House to avoid being subjected to local ordinances that said no more than 50 people could gather at an indoor venue, according to The Washington Post.
Leonnig's and Rucker's forthcoming book is based on hours of interviews with over 140 people, which included senior Trump officials and advisors. The scenes were also corroborated by multiple sources and internal memos.
