US general says he never received ‘illegal order’ post-Election Day

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said Sunday that he never received an “illegal order” from former President Trump after the 2020 election.

ABC’s Martha Raddatz asked Milley in an interview that aired on “This Week” whether he was concerned that Trump would give him an “illegal order” to use the military to remain in power after the 2020 election.

“I argued the case at various times for alternative courses of action, never received an illegal order,” Milley said.

There were reports in the year following the 2020 election that top generals feared that Trump would attempt a coup after losing the election. Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker’s book, “I Alone Can Fix It,” outlined the generals’ concerns at the time

“They may try, but they’re not going to f‑‑‑‑‑‑ succeed,” Milley told his deputies at the time, according to the book that was published in 2021. “You can’t do this without the military. You can’t do this without the CIA and the FBI. We’re the guys with the guns.”

Milley also said that he was confident that there would not be a repeat of the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol.

“I am confident that the United States, the democracy of this country will prevail and the rule of law will prevail. I’m absolutely confident of that. And these institutions are built to be strong and resilient, and to adapt to the times and I’m 100 percent confident we’ll be fine,” he said.