The bizarre world of John McEntee: How a Trump aide tried to reshape US military policy by himself
WASHINGTON, DC: According to a new book by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, former President Donald Trump attempted to begin the withdrawal of the United States military from Afghanistan in his final days in office, but he wasn't the one behind the stint.
In his book, 'Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party', Karl reveals that Trump's "body guy," advisor Johnny McEntee, supposedly oversaw a disorganized effort to change the nation's military foreign policy, as per the excerpts published in Vanity Fair on Friday, November 10.
McEntee was let go in 2018 after a background evaluation revealed a severe gambling habit that raised concerns for national security. However, he returned after the White House chief of staff changed, this time in the role of Director of the Presidential Personnel Office, which is in charge of hiring and discharging employees.
How did Johnny McEntee attempt to independently alter US military policy?
The book 'Tired of Winning: Donald Trump and the End of the Grand Old Party', set to release on November 14, explains how Johnny McEntee, 30, led a haphazard attempt to bring home the troops from Afghanistan.
Although Jonathan Swan of Axios was the one to initially report on the incident, Jonathan Karl's book provides a deeper dive into McEntee's efforts.
McEntee became the Director of the Presidential Personnel Office after working as Trump's "body guy" (aka "body man") — the staff member in charge of escorting the president on his travels and handling his luggage.
Hence, he was primarily in charge of managing the recruitment and termination of executive branch personnel. McEntee also made sure that employees remained faithful to Trump.
Karl notes that following the 2020 election, McEntee assumed a more prominent role. This included aiding Trump in the removal of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his replacement, Christopher Miller, as well as in the hiring of Douglas Macgregor, Miller's senior adviser.
McEntee proceeded to draft a list of recommendations for Trump's final acts as president, which included the withdrawal of the military from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Africa, as per the book, which also uncovers the events of the House January 6 Committee's investigation.
What happened after Johnny McEntee's bizarre proposal related to US military foreign policy?
In his book, Jonathan Karl notes the astonishing narrative of what transpired after Johnny McEntee's bizarre proposal related to military foreign policy came to light, as uncovered during the House January 6 committee's probe, but left out of its final report.
The panel had taken the sworn testimony of Robert O'Brien, the national security adviser, McEntee, Macgregor, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Mark Milley.
As per Vanity Fair, Karl writes, "Three days after Macgregor arrived at the Pentagon, he called McEntee and told him he couldn't accomplish any of the items on their handwritten to-do list without a signed order from the president."
Macgregor advised them to concentrate on Afghanistan and stipulate a precise timeframe for withdrawal. He proposed January 31, 2021.
Karl goes on, "McEntee, of course, didn't know the first thing about drafting a presidential directive — let alone one instructing the movement of thousands of servicemen and -women. He had two jobs in the White House — only one of which he was qualified for — and neither one had anything to do with national security or the military."
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Macgregor subsequently instructed McEntee and his assistant "to open a cabinet, find an old presidential decision memorandum, and copy it" as they were unable to come up with a draft of the document.
"Easy enough," says Karl. McEntee, along with his assistant, "wrote up the order, had the president sign it, and sent it over to Kash Patel, the new acting defense secretary's chief of staff."
However, when word got out to the acting defense secretary and other high-ranking officials, it immediately sparked agitation. After Miller and others convened to talk about the next course of action, Milley immediately questioned who had given Trump such military advice.
He and Miller proceeded to the White House to get answers when nobody could figure out where it originated, as per Karl. Trump's national security adviser, O'Brien, apparently said he had never seen the memo before when Milley questioned him about its source.
According to the excerpts, Vice President Mike Pence's national security adviser Keith Kellogg, remarked, "This doesn't look right," after seeing the order.
The president's signature, in Kellogg's opinion, was the only item that appeared authentic, but even that may have been forged by an "autopen," which is used to sign hundreds of letters.
"You're telling me that thing is forged?" answered Milley answered with shock, adding, "That's a forged piece of paper directing a military operation by the president of the United States? That's forged, Keith?"
The concerned officials went up to Trump, who acknowledged signing McEntee's document, to make him understand that such a daring move required a careful policy review process as it could be dangerous.
"As soon as he realized an Afghanistan withdrawal would require more work than having McEntee scribble up a note, he dropped it entirely," writes Karl in the new book.