The oath troops are sworn to defend is to the Constitution, not a "wannabe dictator," Gen. Mark Milley, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in his farewell address.

Milley's comments were presumably a parting shot at former President Donald Trump, who nominated him to be the 20th chairman, though their relationship deteriorated over Trump's presidency and has further devolved since then.

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“We are unique among the world’s armies," Milley said during Friday's ceremony honoring his retirement. "We are unique among the world’s militaries. We don’t take an oath to a country. We don’t take an oath to a tribe. We don’t take an oath to a religion. We don’t take an oath to a king, or a queen, or a tyrant or dictator. We don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution.”

Last week, Trump claimed that Milley's actions during and after the 2020 presidential election, in which Trump refused to concede, could be considered treasonous, previously punishable by death. His comments prompted a wave of criticism from defense leaders.

Trump's criticism centered on a highly scrutinized call Milley had with his Chinese counterpart in which the U.S. general sought to assure Beijing that the U.S. military would not make a move against it in the post-election chaos.

“If the Fake News reporting is correct, [Milley] was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States,” Trump wrote in the post on Truth Social last week. “This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been death! A war between China and the United States could have been the result of this treasonous act."

Milley has had to take "appropriate measures" to protect himself and his family, he told CBS's 60 Minutes this week.

“Look, I'm a soldier. I've been faithful and loyal to the Constitution of the United States for 44 1/2 years, and my family and I have sacrificed greatly for this country,” he said. "And you know, as much as these comments are directed at me, it's also directed at the institution of the military.”

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When asked if there was anything inappropriate about his call, Milley replied, “Absolutely not. Zero. None," and added, “I'm not going to comment directly on those things, but I can tell you that this military, this soldier, me, will never turn our back on that Constitution.”

Milley's four-year tenure as chairman and more than 40-year military career has come to an end as Gen. Charles Q. Brown has taken his place.