"Peril," by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, claims that Milley was discussing the demonstrations that exploded at the death of Floyd in Minneapolis with then-President Trump in late May 2020.
Milley reportedly pushed back against allegations that the nation was facing an insurrection that was "burning America down."
"Mr. President, they are not burning it down," he announced, according to Woodward and Costa.
While it was not clear exactly when at the end of May the conversation took place, by the end of the month there had been rioting in several cities, often for many nights before authorities could restore order. More than a dozen cities instituted curfews and thousands were arrested, while thousands of National Guard members were deployed in no less than 15 states.
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Fox News reported on May 31 that in New York City, no less than 345 people were arrested and at least 47 police vehicles damaged or destroyed, and 33 police officers were likewise hurt.
In Indianapolis, two people were shot and killed as demonstrations turned violent, while in Denver, Colo., a car rammed into a police vehicle, injuring three officers and a civilian, and rioters armed with crowbars, baseball bats, assault rifles, and handguns attacked cops and protesters. It was part of a broader wave of violence and disorders that would last for weeks in some cities.
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When Milley spoke to Trump, though, he reportedly cited data at that time that announced there had just been two cities with major demonstrations, while elsewhere it was 20-300 protesters.
"They used spray paint, Mr. President, that’s not an insurrection," he stated.
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He then gestured to a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln and announced that it was not comparable to the militia bombardment of Fort Sumter in 1861.
"We’re a country of 330 million people. You’ve got these penny packet protests," he stated, before continuing that the situation was not as threatening as the 1968 riots in Washington.
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He further told Trump that it was not an issue for the U.S. military and then addressed systemic racism with Trump, according to the book.
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"That’s pent up in communities that have been experiencing what they perceive to be police brutality," he stated.
It was a different approach to the way he saw the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. According to Woodward and Costa, Milley thought that incident "was indeed a coup attempt and nothing less than ‘treason.’"
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