The authors explain Milley‘s growing concerns that personnel moves that put Trump acolytes in positions of power at the Pentagon after the November 2020 election, including the firing of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the resignation of Attorney General William Barr, were the sign of something sinister to come.

Milley spoke to friends, lawmakers and colleagues about the threat of a coup, and the Joint Chiefs chairman felt he had to be „on guard“ for what might come.

„They may try, but they‘re not going to f**king succeed,“ Milley told his deputies, according to the authors. „You can‘t do this without the military. You can‘t do this without the CIA and the FBI. We‘re the guys with the guns.“