Mark Esper Recalls Truly Vindictive Way Trump Wanted To Punish Military Leaders
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The pettiness and vindictiveness of former President Donald Trump is further revealed in former Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s new book, “A Sacred Oath.”
According to an excerpt of Esper’s memoir that Talking Points Memo shared on Tuesday, Trump demanded the reactivation of retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal and retired Navy Adm. William McRaven so they could be court-martialed.
Their crimes? Per Esper, it was because they dared to criticize Trump.
Esper detailed a May 2020 meeting in which himself and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley talked Trump out of his request that McChrystal and McRaven be called back to duty with the sole intention that they could be punished for what they’d said, reported TPM.
Trump only agreed not to go through with his plan when Milley “promis[ed] that he would personally call the officers and ask them to dial it back,” wrote Esper.
Elsewhere in his book, Esper recalled frequently shutting down Trump’s wild ideas including striking Iran and Venezuela, blockading Cuba and firing missiles at drug labs in Mexico and then lying about it.
Trump axed Esper after the 2020 election.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
