GOP candidates bash Trump over Milley 'death' comment

A trio of GOP presidential candidates bashed former President Donald Trump on Thursday over his comments suggesting that the nation’s top-ranking military officer should be killed.

Last Friday, Trump laid into Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley on Truth Social, saying that the general “turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States.”

Trump was referring to a phone call Milley took after the Jan. 6 riots to reassure Chinese officials that the United States wasn’t under threat of an attack. Several top Trump appointees were aware of his calls, Milley told Congress later that year.

“This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!” Trump added in his post.

Speaking with CBS Wednesday night, Milley said that he has “adequate safety precautions. I wish those comments had not been made, and I’ll take appropriate measures to ensure my safety and the safety of my family.”

That striking remark from the general, who served closely by Trump’s side after he became Joint Chiefs chair in 2019, hearkens back to when former Vice President Mike Pence’s life was seemingly threatened by his boss during the storming of the Capitol in 2021.

When the comparison was made on CNN this morning, Pence rebuked the former president.

“There is no call for that kind of language directed toward someone who's worn the uniform of the United States and served with such distinction,” Pence said.

Fresh off the second GOP presidential debate Wednesday night, other candidates also took aim at the frontrunner.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the most outspoken Trump critic of GOP presidential contenders, had a harsher take, calling Trump an “absolute child” for the “reprehensible” remarks, while speaking on MSNBC this morning.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson also took aim at the GOP frontrunner.

“To suggest that Gen. Milley should be executed is inexcusable and dangerous,” Hutchinson told POLITICO in a statement. “While some will excuse this latest outrage as Trump just being Trump, the fact is that his statement endangers people and is an insult to those who serve in the military.”

POLITICO reached out to each of the candidates’ campaigns for comment, but only Hutchinson’s team sent a response. (Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy couldn’t respond because he’s with his family, campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.)

The lack of response from others is indicative of how hesitant many of his opponents are to speak out against him on a regular basis.

A Trump campaign spokesperson argued that candidates who do speak out on it are just looking for headlines.

“Who are these people? Seems like they're just thirsty for attention,” spokesperson Steven Cheung told POLITICO.