Top US general Mark Milley told Stephen Miller to ‘shut the f—up’ when he said BLM protests were turning US cities into war zones, book says

• CNN published excepts from WSJ reporter Michael Bender's upcoming book on Trump's election loss.
• Bender wrote Trump aide Stephen Miller and Gen. Mark Milley clashed as protests raged across the US.
• Milley told Miller to "shut the f— up" after Miller said US cities were like war zones, the book said.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

One of America's top generals told Stephen Miller to "shut the f—up" after the Trump advisor suggested that protesters had turned US cities into war zones, according to excepts of a new book published by CNN.

In "Frankly, We Did Win This Election: The Inside Story of How Trump Lost," the Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Bender described the scene inside the White House as anti-racism protests played out in Seattle and Portland last year, CNN reported.

Then-President Donald Trump, Miller, then-Attorney General Bill Barr, and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were clashing over how to respond to the unrest, the book said, per CNN.

During one debate in the Oval Office, Bender wrote, Miller said while watching cable news coverage of the protests that the scene reminded him of a war zone.

"These cities are burning," Miller was reported to have said.

Milley took issue with Miller's comments, Bender wrote, adding that Milley turned around in his seat, pointed his finger directly at Miller, and said: "Shut the f--- up, Stephen."

Insider has contacted the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff for comment.

Bender also detailed how Trump was keen to quash the protests with violent show of force which would send a signal of strength.

Trump told his subordinates that he wanted to see law enforcement "getting physical" with protesters, Bender wrote, according to CNN.

"That's how you're supposed to handle these people," Trump told top officials, according to Bender. "Crack their skulls!"

Barr pushed back against Trump's ideas, advice which the president took onboard to a degree, Bender reported.

"Well, shoot them in the leg - or maybe the foot," Trump said, according to Bender. "But be hard on them!"

Insider has contacted representatives for Trump for comment.

Bender went on to write that Milley, who considered the protests a political rather than military issue, made a concerted effort to get as close to Trump as possible during the final months of his presidency as he was concerned that Trump might invoke the Insurrection Act as a response to the protests.