Throughout his first term as president, Donald Trump made no effort to hide his contempt for the late Sen. John McCain. Trump’s hatred for the Arizona Republican was so intense that in 2019 when the president prepared to visit to Japan, the White House asked the Navy to move the USS John McCain “out of sight” to avoid upsetting Trump’s delicate sensibilities.
Six years later, it appears Team Trump has replaced one hero with another on its enemies list.
As Inauguration Day 2025 got underway and only hours remained in Joe Biden’s presidency, the retiring Democrat issued a series of pardons, including one for retired Gen. Mark Milley, an Army general handpicked by Trump to serve as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. As Biden’s announcement noted, Milley “served our nation for more than 40 years, serving in multiple command and leadership posts and deploying to some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy. As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he guided our Armed Forces through complex global security threats and strengthened our existing alliances while forging new ones.”
Hours later, during unscripted remarks to supporters in Emancipation Hall, the new president whined a bit about his immediate predecessor’s decision. “Why are we trying to help a guy like Milley?” Trump asked. “Why are we doing Milley?”
The reason that Biden felt the need to protect the retired general is that in 2023, as part of a series of tantrums, Trump falsely accused Milley of having committed a “treasonous act” in the wake of the Republican’s 2020 defeat. “[I]n times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” Trump wrote on his social media platform. (The underlying accusations were completely bonkers.)
But as the new president publicly questioned why his predecessor would protect one of Trump’s targets, NBC News reported on developments unfolding a few miles to the west.
The Pentagon unveiled a portrait of retired Gen. Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, earlier this month. But now that Trump is president, and hours after Milley received a pre-emptive pardon from Biden on his way out the door, Milley’s portrait appears to have been taken down.
The New York Times reported that the portrait was taken down at the direction of the Trump White House.
In other words, six years after Team Trump wanted the USS John McCain “out of sight,” a painting of Trump’s former joint chiefs’ chairman had to be put out of sight, too.
Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley's portrait has been removed from the Pentagon hallway where it was hanging as late as 12:46 pm today, when the earlier photo was taken. The portrait was just unveiled Jan. 12. It is not clear where the portrait was removed to. pic.twitter.com/bWnCh6Yl76 Idrees Ali, Reuters’ national security correspondent, noted that the day after Milley’s portrait was moved, a fresh coat of paint now covers the area where painting used to hang. “It’s as if it never existed,” Ali added. Shortly after midnight, the new president continued to focus on Milley, noting that the retired general was serving on the White House’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council. “YOU’RE FIRED!” Trump wrote, referring to Milley and others who are no longer welcome to serve on related White House panels. In the run-up to the 2024 elections, the retired general reportedly told Bob Woodward that he believes Trump is “a fascist to the core.” That assessment appears unlikely to change anytime soon.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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