Steve Bannon, former strategist to President Donald Trump, has called for the immediate court martial of retired General Mark Milley on the first day of a potential second Trump administration. Bannon, who was recently released from federal prison after serving a sentence for contempt of Congress, laid out his vision for the next Trump White House in a bold interview with former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. The interview, set to air on Friday, revealed Bannon’s scorched earth strategy toward several figures in the U.S. military and government.
Bannon’s remarks specifically target Milley, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has become a vocal critic of Trump in recent years. According to Bannon, one of Trump’s top priorities should be to “reassert civilian control over the Pentagon” by recalling Milley to active duty and initiating a military tribunal to court martial the general. Bannon insists that Milley’s actions and public statements, including reportedly calling Trump “fascist to the core,” warrant serious consequences.
“I think Mark Milley has got to be recalled… the first action of President Trump,” Bannon said during the interview. “I think it is so important to reassert civilian control over the Pentagon, the uniformed services. Mark Milley has to be recalled to active duty on the afternoon of the 20th, and I think a military tribunal… a court martial has to be impaneled. Mark Milley has to be brought up on charges and court martialed.”
The former general, who served as the top U.S. military officer from 2019 until his retirement in 2023, has been at odds with Trump since the end of his presidency. Milley publicly clashed with Trump during the aftermath of the January 6th Capitol protest, and his comments about Trump have since fueled the tensions between them.
Bannon’s call for Milley’s court martial is part of a broader vision for Trump’s second term, which he believes should focus on rooting out those he views as adversaries or disloyal to Trump’s agenda. In his interview with Spicer, Bannon outlined several key priorities, including a sweeping purge of the federal bureaucracy, especially agencies like the FBI.
“I think the FBI ought to be taken apart, shut down as a federal agency,” Bannon said, suggesting that Congress should dismantle the current federal law enforcement structure and rebuild it from scratch. He also advocated for cleaning house within the Justice Department, recommending that Trump demand the resignation of all U.S. attorneys upon taking office.
His interview reveals that he is not only in close contact with Trump but also serving as an informal adviser on potential appointments to key positions in a second Trump administration. Bannon has expressed support for firebrand figures like Rep. Matt Gaetz for Attorney General and former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence.
Bannon’s vision for Trump’s second term includes shaking up the White House briefing room and removing any remaining figures from the previous administration who might oppose Trump’s agenda.
When Trump returns to office, he will face significant resistance from both Democrats and Republicans who may oppose these measures. The prospect of military tribunals and the dismantling of the FBI would be a historic shift in U.S. governance, and it remains to be seen whether proposals of this nature would be able to garner the support needed to pass through Congress or survive legal challenges.
