Mark Milley's Pentagon Portrait Is Already Gone

3 hours ago 5

A recently unveiled portrait of retired General Mark Milley was taken down at the Pentagon after President Donald Trump was sworn into office.

The Pentagon referred Newsweek to the White House for comment. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email.

Why It Matters

Milley, the former top officer of the U.S. military, and Trump have had a publicly fraught relationship over the years. When Milley was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trump's first term, the two often disagreed over military decisions. Those tensions escalated after Trump's 2020 loss when Milley expressed concerns that Trump would try to overturn the results of the election.

A before and after of the Pentagon hallway where General Mark Milley’s portrait was unveiled just a few weeks ago. It was removed after Trump was inaugurated, though reason is still unclear. pic.twitter.com/p7g7mSNvVj

— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) January 20, 2025

What To Know

Less than three hours after Trump was inaugurated again, several reporters noticed that the portrait that had just been unveiled at the Pentagon on January 10 had been taken down.

Milley, the former top officer of the U.S. military, received a pardon earlier in the day from outgoing President Joe Biden, who released a flurry of last-minute clemency actions in the final hours of his presidency. Among those was a "full and unconditional" pardon for Milley, covering the retired general from January 1, 2014.

Biden said that the pardons are not an admission of wrongdoing but a protection extended to Trump's foes out of fears that the new president may retaliate against his critics.

Milley publicly broke with Trump in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests when law enforcement forcibly cleared protesters from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., so that Trump could walk with top administration officials, including Milley, to the historic St. John's Church for a photo op. Milley later publicly apologized for his participation.

His willingness to speak out against Trump has earned the president's ire. In 2023, Trump suggested that Milley should receive the death penalty for treason. The president has also referred to him as a "moron" and slammed the general for being "slow-moving and thinking."

When Milley retired later that year, he seemed to lodge veiled criticisms at Trump, saying in his retirement speech, "We don't take an oath to a king, or a queen, or to a tyrant or dictator, and we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator."

What People Are Saying

Retired General Mark Milley said in a Monday statement: "My family and I are deeply grateful for the President's action today. After forty-three years of faithful service in uniform to our Nation, protecting and defending the Constitution, I do not wish to spend whatever remaining time the Lord grants me fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights."

Former President Joe Biden said Monday: "The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense. Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country."

Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on X, formerly Twitter, on January 12: "We unveiled the portrait of U.S. Army (Ret.) General Mark Milley, the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mark, it was good to see you back at the Pentagon. Thanks again for all you have given in service to our nation. I wish you Godspeed in the chapters to come."