US military leaders condemn Capitol riot as assault on the Constitution

In a rare joint message, the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday assailed last week’s riots at the U.S. Capitol – which yielded five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer – as an assault on the nation’s constitutional process.

"The violent riot in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 was a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building, and our Constitutional process," read an internal memo to troops obtained by Reuters. The memo reminded troops that freedom of speech and assembly does "not give anyone the right to resort to violence, sedition and insurrection." Milley was in the headlines last summer when he expressed regret for accompanying President Donald Trump during a photo-op at Lafayette Square amid protests, calling the decision "a mistake."