Milley’s Office Defends China Calls Detailed in Woodward Book: Was ‘Conveying Reassurance’ to ‘Maintain Strategic Stability’
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The office of General Mark Milley has responded to the serious allegations in a new book about his actions during the final months of the Trump administration.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a new book from Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, was so worried about how unstable then-President Donald Trump was acting that he took steps to make sure Trump couldn’t launch nuclear weapons.
Another significant revelation is Milley reportedly calling his Chinese counterpart to assure the United States would not attack. Per the Washington Post:
One call took place on Oct. 30, 2020, four days before the election that unseated President Donald Trump, and the other on Jan. 8, 2021, two days after the Capitol siege carried out by his supporters in a quest to cancel the vote…
“General Li, I want to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay,” Milley told him. “We are not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you.”
In the book’s account, Milley went so far as to pledge he would alert his counterpart in the event of a U.S. attack, stressing the rapport they’d established through a backchannel. “General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years. If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise.”
That reporting set off an avalanche of condemnation, and some Republicans have called for him to step down. Even Alexander Vindman said Milley should resign if the report is true.
Trump himself responded by accusing Milley of treason.
A spokesperson for Milley put out a statement Wednesday defending those calls.
“His calls with the Chinese and others in October and January were in keeping with these duties and responsibilities conveying reassurance in order to maintain strategic stability,” the statement reads.
Milley’s office says that all of his calls were “coordinated and communicated with” the Pentagon.
The statement also addressed his meeting to discuss nuclear protocols, saying it was “to remind uniformed leaders in the Pentagon of the long-established and robust procedures in light of media reporting on the subject.”
“General Milley continues to act and advise within his authority in the lawful tradition of civilian control of the military and his oath to the Constitution.”
NEW via @CBSDavidMartin:
A spokesman for General Mark Milley defends the phone calls he had with his Chinese counterpart, as reported by @realBobWoodward and @costareports. They wrote that Milley reassured China 2X that U.S. was not going to strike, which is not disputed here: pic.twitter.com/lvB68FiWk1— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) September 15, 2021
