Rep. Paul Gosar says Joint Chiefs of Staff chair should be hanged

Rep. Paul Gosar suggested the retiring Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Mark A. Milley should be hanged.

Gosar, R-Ariz., made the comments in his weekly newsletter emailed to constituents that has become a regular source of controversy.

Gosar’s long-winded email touched on a variety of subjects, but it really hit its inflammatory stride when recapping an interview last week with the former Capitol police chief and the House Administration Committee regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which Republicans have repeatedly tried to blame on Democrats even though former President Donald Trump told his followers to be there that day and that it would “be wild.”

In that interview, former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund blamed the events of Jan. 6 on an “intelligence failure” by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security and said that the Pentagon denied several of his requests for assistance during the attack.

Gosar used those comments to blame the events on Milley, even though Gosar has been credited with helping plan the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and took credit for them afterward in comments to constituents.

“After the riot was in full swing, the Chief’s request for National Guard was finally approved,” Gosar wrote in the newsletter. “But even after approval was given, General Milley, the homosexual-promoting-BLM-activist Chairman of the military joint chiefs, delayed.”

Gosar continued:

“Of course, we now know that the deviant Milley was coordinating with Nancy Pelosi to hurt President Trump, and treasonously working behind Trump’s back. In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung. He had one boss: President Trump, and instead he was secretly meeting with Pelosi and coordinating with her to hurt Trump. That is, when he wasn’t also secretly coordinating and sharing intelligence with the Chinese military. How this traitor remains in office is a question we need answered.”

Milley is retiring this month. On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Milley.

Prior to becoming Chairman, Milley was U.S. Army chief of staff. He has served multiple commands, including with the 10th Mountain Division, and his deployments in more than 40 years of service include Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom, among others.

Gosar formerly worked as a dentist and never served in the military.

Gosar’s email drew an immediate rebuke.

Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling appeared on CNN on Sunday to rebuke both Gosar and former president Donald Trump, who made similar comments about Milley on social media last week.

“Throwing the blame on him for all sorts of things that have occurred in government just seems to be malicious and certainly … vile, and it shows just how deeply disturbed both of these individuals are and how they are disconnected from the role of government officials,” Hertling said.

“To threaten to either hang or to shoot them for being a traitor is just bizarre … and somewhat ridiculous and a little bit sick,” Hertling continued.

Gosar himself is credited with planning the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and appeared to take credit for it at an event in Arizona afterward, where he told constituents he “started the revolution.”

Gosar's office did not immediately respond to The Arizona Republic's request for comment.

More: Donald Trump's attacks on top military officer are 'outrageous,' Pete Buttigieg says

Comments on China tie to concern over Trump, nukes

Gosar's suggestion that Milley was “sharing intelligence” with the Chinese military appears to be a reference to a story that came out in 2021 when Milley said he had to assure China in the waning days of the Trump presidency that the U.S. would not launch a nuclear attack.

Trump, who selected Milley for the chairman’s job in 2018, blasted the statement, and so did and his congressional allies at the time, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

But the Defense Department characterized the communications as common reassurances aimed at preventing a nuclear war.Army Col. Dave Butler, Milley's spokesperson, said at the time that Milley's calls with the Chinese were routine and staffed by other agencies.

“The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs regularly communicates with Chiefs of Defense across the world, including with China and Russia," he said. "These conversations remain vital to improving mutual understanding of U.S. national security interests, reducing tensions, providing clarity and avoiding unintended consequences or conflict. His calls with the Chinese and others in October and January were in keeping with these duties. General Milley continues to act and advise within his authority in the lawful tradition of civilian control of the military and his oath to the Constitution.”

When Trump was asked about the incident afterward, Trump described the events in the opposite terms of what happened, saying that Milley should be punished if he warned China of an attack before it took place.

"So, first of all, if it is actually true, which is hard to believe, that he would have called China and done these things and was willing to advise them of an attack or in advance of an attack, that's treason," Trump said to his former aide and White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, on "Spicer & Co."

Milley once said transgender people could serve in military

Also unclear precisely is why Gosar suggested Milley is “sodomy-promoting.”

President Barack Obama allowed transgender people to serve, while Trump issued a policy aimed at keeping those people from serving. President Joe Biden reversed that position when he became president.

In 2019, Milley said he had no issue with transgender people serving in the military so long as they adhered to all other restrictions.

Milley's comments during the Trump presidency were controversial.

"So if you meet the medical, behavioral health, the conduct standards and physical standards, etc., then it's my view that you should be welcomed in," Milley said at the time when questioned by a member of Congress on the issue.

Gosar's newsletter continuously inflammatory

Gosar’s weekly newsletter continually serves as a source of controversy, including earlier this year when he shared a link in the email to a racist website that identified U.S. officials as "Jewish warmongers."

It was later revealed that Gosar employed two young men in his office, Wade Searle and Landen Petersen, who have close ties to white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

An investigation found that social media accounts of the two men routinely used stereotypes to disparage minorities and Jewish people, including one time in 2021 when they referenced "hook-nosed bankers" and another that declared, "The liberal apparatus encourages murderous, violent, genocidal behavior to resentful non-whites (of which they import millions every year) with 24/7 constant genocidal anti-White rhetoric."

Gosar’s office declined at the time to comment or to say whether the men continued to work for the congressman, and Gosar’s office declined to answer that question again Monday.

Reach reporter Ryan Randazzo at ryan.randazzo@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4331. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @UtilityReporter.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rep. Paul Gosar says Joint Chiefs of Staff chair should be hanged