The images sparked a swift wave of criticism from lawmakers and several senior former military officials who said they risked dragging the traditionally apolitical military into a contentious domestic political situation. Milley’s letter was dated June 8, a week after the incident, according to The New Yorker. The article was based on “The Divider: Trump in the White House 2017-2021,” a forthcoming book by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser. “The events of the past two weeks have caused me to do some soul-searching and I can no longer support and faithfully execute your orders as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Milley wrote, according to The New Yorker. “I believe you have done great and irreparable harm to my country. I believe you have made a concerted effort over time to politicize the United States military.” The report said Milley sought advice on the resignation letter from, among others, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford, retired Gen. James Dubick, an expert on military ethics, as well as members of Congress and former officials from Bush and Obama administrations. Milley finally decided not to give up. “This is it,” Milley told his staff, according to The New Yorker. “I’ll just fight him.” “If they want to court-martial me or put me in jail, let them do it,” Milley added. “But I will fight from within.” A spokesman for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs declined to comment to CNN on the report. Milley would later publicly apologize for his involvement in the incident in a pre-recorded speech at the National Defense University. “I shouldn’t have been there. My presence at that time and in that environment created a perception of the military being involved in domestic politics. As a commissioned officer, it was a mistake that I learned from and I sincerely hope everyone can learn from it. Milley said during the speech.
