Gen. Milley Defiant on ‘Issues in the Media’ Reported in Peril: ‘At No Time Was I Attempting to Usurp Authority’
Gen. Mark Milley took a defiant posture while addressing revelations in the book Peril during his opening testimony of a Senate Armed Forces Committee hearing.
The tell-all book co-authored by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa included controversial reports that led some to suggest that General Milley should be tried for treason for backchannel conversations with his Chinese Military counterpart General Li Zuoncheng and discussions about former President Donald Trump’s mental health in the context of nuclear weapons.
After delivering prepared remarks on the military operations surrounding the Afghanistan withdrawal, Gen. Milley added “Thank you, chairman, and if I could, I know that there are some issues in the media that are of deep concern to many members on the committee, and with your permission, I would like to address those for a minute or two.”
“I’ve served this nation for 42 years,” he continued. “I spent years in combat, and I buried a lot of my troops who died while defending this country. My loyalty to this nation, its people, and the constitution hasn’t changed and will never change as long as I have a breath to give. My loyalty is absolute and I will not turn my back on the following.”
He then addressed reports of what he called “the Chinese calls,” noting that he “routinely communicated with my counterpart General Li with the knowledge and coordination of civilian oversight.”
“I am specifically directed to communicate with the Chinese by the department of defense guidance, the policy dialogue system,” he continued. “These military-to-military communications at the highest level are critical to the security of the United States in order to deconflict military actions, manage crises, and prevent war between great powers that are armed with the world’s most deadliest weapons.”
He then made abundantly clear that he was NOT going rogue. “The calls on 30 October and 8 January were coordinated before and after with Secretary Esper and Acting Secretary Miller’s stamps of approval.”
He then relayed his detailed version of events surrounding a phone call he shared with Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding Trump’s mental health with regards to the nuclear arsenal.
“After the Speaker, Pelosi call I convened a short meeting in my office with key members of my staff to refresh all of us on the procedures which we daily at that level,” he noted. “I informed Miller of Speaker Pelosi’s phone call. At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp authority, or insert myself in the chain of command.”
Watch above via CNN.
