Category: Defense

Defense Secretary Hegseth Revokes Gen. Milley’s Security Clearance And Protection

RAMSTEIN-MIESENBACH, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 08: General Mark Milley attends a press conference after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the U.S. military's Ramstein air base on September 08, 2022 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. The Ukraine Defence Contact Group is a U.S.-led effort to bring together defense leaders from dozens of countries across the globe in order to facilitate military support for Ukraine in its ongoing efforts in fighting Russia's military invasion. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
General Mark Milley attends a press conference after a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the U.S. military’s Ramstein air base on September 08, 2022 in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
2:58 PM – Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pulling the security protections and clearance of retired Joint Chiefs chairman General Mark Milley.

The new defense secretary is also tasking the new acting Inspector General to conduct a review board to determine if enough evidence exists for Gen. Milley to be stripped of a star in retirement based on his actions to “undermine the chain of command” during President Donald Trump’s first term, officials say.

The inspector general review will include “an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding Gen. Milley’s conduct so that the Secretary may determine whether it is appropriate to reopen his military grade review determination,” Pentagon spokesman John Ullyot said.

“The secretary informed Gen. Milley today that he is revoking the authorization for his security detail and suspending his security clearance as well,” he said.

Milley is known for serving as chairman during President Donald Trump’s first term in office. The relationship started out strong. However, it worsened over time as Milley tried to advise Trump on multiple issues. 

He’s known for pushing back on the president’s interest in using force domestically to stop protestors after the death of George Floyd, and was at the center of a controversy in 2021 when he made independent calls to his Chinese counterpart. At the time, Trump said the calls were an act of treason, but Milley claimed the calls were routine and part of his responsibilities. 

During his final days as chairman, after Trump had left office, he was outspoken about his former boss. He said at his official retirement ceremony “we don’t take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. We don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator.”

“We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it,” he said at the time.

According to Hegseth’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, the decision to strip Milley of his clearance and details was taken because “undermining the chain of command is corrosive to our national security, and restoring accountability is a priority for the Defense Department under President Trump’s leadership.”

Additional moves might include getting rid of Milley’s Army chief of staff portrait. Milley’s chairman portrait was stripped from the wall just hours after Trump was sworn in. 

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Senate Approves $895B Defense Bill Despite Democrat Opposition To Youth ‘Trans Care’ Ban

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 17: Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming government funding bill. Thune was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming government funding bill. Thune was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
1:52 PM – Wednesday, December 18, 2024

The Senate approved the Pentagon’s massive $895 billion annual budget on Wednesday, which also prohibits the use of federal funds to provide transgender surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria, angering pro-LGBTQ Democrats.

In an 85-to-14 vote, the Senate passed the 1,800-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which had cleared the House of Representatives last week and now just needs President Joe Biden’s signature. 

At the start of every new fiscal year on October 1st, Congress is tasked with passing the NDAA to authorize defense spending and specify expenditures. This year’s bill, which comes more than two months late, amounts to a 1% uptick over last year’s budget. 

The bill also features a 4.5% pay hike for service members across the board at the start of 2025. 

While NDAAs historically garner bipartisan support, Republicans were able to successfully throw out the bill’s provision on child transgenderism, which Democrats uplifted.

GOP officials argue that since a child’s brain doesn’t stop developing throughout their teens and mid-20s, with many “phases” and confusion naturally experienced throughout their childhood, it’s ethically wrong to allow under-18 minors to permanently alter their bodies forever due to a mental disorder.

The new NDAA blocks the military’s health care service Tricare from footing the bill for “gender transition” coverage pertaining to service members’ children under the age of 18. All 21 Senate Democrats were against the provision change.  

Led by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), she claimed that the transgender policy could have an impact on an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 gender dysphoric children of service members. 

According to the Modern Military Association of America, there are close to “10,000 transgender youth ages 6 to 22” with parents active in the military. 

Besides the transgender provisions, the NDAA aimed to improve conditions for service members, including a 14.5% bump for junior troops in a bid to help recruitment efforts. An amendment was also added to the bill that would authorize the Department Of Defense (DoD) to safeguard the border from drones, which comes after the recent arrival of drones in the Northeast. 

“Murderous drug cartels and foreign adversaries have taken advantage of the chaos of the last administration to fly drones unchecked into American airspace,” Ernst said in a statement.

“Border security is national security, and Americans deserve real measures to protect them against a growing threat.”

Additionally, the measure enables the use of the National Guard to help support efforts to control the crossing of illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Hiring individuals based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will also be prohibited until the DoD is able to conclude its investigation of DEI programs. 

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Trump Issues Strongest Defense of Gun Rights Since Assassination Attempt

AmmoLand Inc.Posted on by
SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/08/trump-issues-strongest-defense-of-gun-rights-since-assassination-attempt; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

 

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On Saturday at Gun Owners of America’s inaugural Advocacy and Leadership Summit, President Donald Trump virtually addressed the crowd of attendees with both words of encouragement and a warning about the siege facing Second Amendment rights in the lead-up to the November election.

President Trump’s speech, which was warmly received by the crowd, comes at a time when Second Amendment rights face some of their greatest threats in history. Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and anti-gun tyrants in Congress and state legislatures across the country have unleashed a relentless assault against guns, owners, and dealers nationwide.

In his speech, President Trump addressed gun owners in America by name, saying, among other things:

“When I am President, I will always listen to Gun Owners of America. I want to congratulate all of you, because you’ve really come a long way in a short period of time…”

“Kamala Harris has supported gun confiscation schemes throughout her career…”

“I ask all of the gun owners to get out and vote…”

Watch the full video above.

Tim Macy, the Chairman of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:

“We’re incredibly grateful to President Trump for taking the time to address our attendees. Without a doubt, this was President Trump’s strongest take on gun rights to date, and coupled with Senator Vance as his running mate, gun owners have a clear choice this November.”

Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, added:

“Our rights are absolutely on the ballot, and it’s essential that gun owners do everything we can to turn out the pro-gun vote and ensure Kamala Harris is not the next occupant of the White House.”

About Gun Owners of America

Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.

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