'If I was going to do a coup': Trump faces ridicule after lashing out in a baffling statement
Former President Donald Trump is not pleased with the reports about General Mark Milley's concern that he would attempt a coup after losing the presidential election to President Joe Biden. He lashed out at Milley in a bizarre new statement on Thursday, and it didn't take long for social media users to fire back at him.
In the statement, which included more than 400 words, the former president denied that he ever "threatened, or spoke about, to anyone, a coup of our Government," describing the allegation as "So ridiculous!"
"Sorry to inform you, but an Election is my form of 'coup,'" Trump said, "and if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley."
Trump weighs in with a lengthy statement about General Milley: \u201cSorry to inform you, but an Election is my form of \u2018coup,\u2019 and if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley\u201dpic.twitter.com/FYAixNygA6— davidshepardson (@davidshepardson) 1626364381
Trump's statement came shortly after excerpts of a forthcoming book were made public. The book, written by Washington Post writers Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, detailed Milley's alleged concerns and remarks about Trump's relentless push to overturn the presidential election. Christopher Miller, acting Defense secretary in the final days of Trump's term, has already publicly revealed that he was trying to avoid a coup in that period.
Milley likened Trump's rhetoric and falsehoods about the election to "the gospel of the Führer" and compared the former president's unwavering efforts to overturn the election as "a Reichstag moment" — referring to Adolph Hilter's 1933 attack Germany's parliament building to solidify Nazi supremacy, according to Leonnig and Rucker's detailed report.
Trump's attempts to weaponize the military were also high on Milley's list of concerns. But despite Milley having legitimate concerns based on Trump's rhetoric and actions, the former president fired back with an insulting dig at Milley.
Taking a verbal jab at Milley's career and accolades, Trump claimed he only appointed him the four-star Army general as Joint Chiefs chair "because the world's most overrated general, James Mattis, could not stand him, had no respect for him, and would not recommend him."
"To me," Trump said, "the fact that Mattis didn't like him, just like Obama didn't like him and actually fired Milley, was a good thing, not a bad thing. I often act counter to people's advice who I don't respect."
Trump's lengthy statement has caught the attention of lots of social media users. Some have even taken to Twitter to criticize the former president as they shared endless reasons why Milley's concerns were justified.
Responding to our book #IALONECANFIXIT:\nFormer President Trump said he didn't like or respect the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and that Gen. Mark Milley would "one of the last people" he would want to "do a coup with."pic.twitter.com/SM4wf8wcsD— Carol Leonnig (@Carol Leonnig) 1626364562
He just implied that he would like to do a coup with somebody.— Paul Schrum (@Paul Schrum) 1626364623
Does he have a list of people he WOULD \u201cdo a coup with\u201d? If the list is non-trivial, that is disqualifying for public office.— Mark spots the X (@Mark spots the X) 1626364786
Trump denies contemplating a coup but adds that "if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley."— Peter Baker (@Peter Baker) 1626366819
Along the way, Trump confirms that he appointed Milley only to spite Mattis, who recommended another candidate. "I often act counter to people's advice who I don\u2019t respect," he says of the man he appointed secretary of defense.— Peter Baker (@Peter Baker) 1626368456
WTF does he call Jan. 6?\nCoup: a sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.\nHe tried, in a violent insurrection, to overturn an election...the very basis of our Government.— 7462BF (@7462BF) 1626367182
also: "don't listen to that guy, he'd never even THINK of betraying his country" is not the sick burn Trump imagines it ishttps://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/status/1415711167796895748\u00a0\u2026— Catherine Rampell (@Catherine Rampell) 1626367955
1. Lost the election by a pretty sizable margin despite efforts to sabotage the USPS\n2. Spent the time between election and certification trying to strongarm officials into changing the vote totals\n3. Tried to recruit "alternate" electors to override the states' voteshttps://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1415700943291756548\u00a0\u2026— Parker Molloy (@Parker Molloy) 1626366648
I'm sick of people downplaying this. "Oh, it was just tourists in the capitol. Big deal." No, that wasn't it. That wasn't the scariest part. That was the last-ditch attempt to stop Congress from counting the EVs. The coup was everything that happened between the election and 1/20— Parker Molloy (@Parker Molloy) 1626366921
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