WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement condemning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to revoke the security detail and clearance for retired General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2019-2023:
“Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s recent actions to remove retired General Mark Milley’s personal security detail and security clearance, and his attempt to strip General Milley of a star, are a blatant abuse of power and nothing more than Donald Trump settling political scores. Instead of focusing on national security, Secretary Hegseth is undermining the military’s integrity and setting a dangerous precedent to appease his boss. I voted against Secretary Hegseth’s nomination because I worried he would be a “yes-man” on Donald Trump’s war path of retribution. This petty decision confirms that concern, and suggests that they are just getting started.”
###