Trump inauguration live updates: Trump arrives at church service with family as inauguration events begin

General Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, says he is “deeply grateful” for the pardon that President Biden granted him recently.

Milley is an outspoken critic of Trump and has said he fears being called back into uniform and court-martialed by the Trump administration.

In a statement reacting to the pardon, Milley said after 43 years of service to the country: “I do not wish to spend my remaining time that the Lord gives me fighting those who may unjustly seek revenge for perceived slights.” .

He adds that he wants to save his family and friends from “the resulting distraction, expense and anxiety.”

“It has been an honor and privilege to serve our great country in uniform for more than four decades, and I will continue to maintain faith and loyalty to our nation and our Constitution until my last breath,” he adds.

Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, who was granted a preemptive pardon, also said he was “eternally grateful” to Biden.

“I wish this pardon was not necessary, but unfortunately the political climate we currently find ourselves in has made the necessity somewhat of a reality. Like all other public servants, I was simply doing my job and respecting my oath will always honor that,” he told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.