Trump: "I Had No Intention to Stage a Coup"... Refuting Joint Chiefs Chairman's Allegation

Former President Donald Trump (right) and General Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Former U.S. President Donald Trump has denied the claim made by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman that he feared Trump would stage a coup after losing the last presidential election.

According to foreign media on the 15th (local time), former President Trump issued a statement saying, "I was not interested in a coup. I never told or threatened anyone that I would stage a coup."

This statement came after an excerpt from the upcoming book by Washington Post (WP) reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker, titled "I Alone Can Fix It: Donald Trump's Catastrophic Final Year," was reported.

The excerpt contained content that Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, and senior military officials were concerned about the possibility of a coup attempt by former President Trump and his associates.

These military leaders reportedly feared that former President Trump might carry out a so-called "loyalist coup" by using the military to seize the Capitol to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to President Joe Biden and overturn the election results.

Chairman Milley told colleagues and lawmakers that there was a risk of a coup and that they should be on alert for what was to come, saying, "They might try, but they will not succeed. They cannot do it without the military, the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). We are the ones with the guns."

It is reported that Milley and other senior officials discussed plans to resign one by one if an actual coup order were given.

The book also mentions that Chairman Milley compared investigations during former President Trump's tenure to those under Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

Additionally, some pointed out that in the statement issued by former President Trump that day, the remark "If I were going to stage a coup, I certainly would not have done it with Chairman Milley" actually fuels the coup conspiracy theory further.

Earlier, former President Trump raised allegations of election fraud after the last presidential election, but the judiciary dismissed these claims as lacking evidence.

On January 6th, former President Trump gave a large crowd speech in front of the Capitol, urging to stop the U.S. Congress's work to finalize the election results, which was immediately followed by an unprecedented incident where Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building.

After a period of silence following his departure from office, former President Trump has recently shown signs of political re-engagement by holding large rallies and reviving claims of election fraud.

Former President Trump's influence remains significant in the Republican political sphere. According to AP News citing anonymous sources, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly visited former President Trump on the same day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.