CNN Panel Cracks Up at Gen. Milley Saying He Hasn’t Read Any of the Trump Books He Was Interviewed For

CNN’s Inside Politics cracked up at Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responding to questions about his participation in several books written about the Trump administration.

During a break in the Senate Armed Service Committee’s hearing on Tuesday, CNN’s John King focused on how many times Republicans questioned Milley on books about the last days of Donald Trump’s presidency. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in particular pressed Milley on which books he was involved in.

Milley told Blackburn that he spoke to Bob Woodward and Michael Bender.

She followed up by asking: “Were you accurately represented in these books?”

“I haven’t read any of the books,” Milley deadpanned, drawing laughter from CNN.

“A little bit of comedy at the end there,” King said. “But we should be texting our sources right now make sure they don’t get invited to hearings where they’re under oath I guess if they are going to ask the questions up there.”

McClatchy’s Francesca Chambers said Milley suggested “he did talk to almost all of the authors,” and wasn’t disputing the media’s coverage on the contents. Washington Post’s Olivier Knox objected, however, by noting how Milley pushed back on the insinuation from Peril that he tried to usurp Trump’s control over the military in the last days of his presidency.

“He says he didn’t read the books,” King said to Knox’s point. “He clearly closely read the media accounts and the media conversations about the books.”

Kaitlan Collins said it was “obvious [Milley] had spoken to some of the authors,” judging by the nature of the book contents involving him.

“I do think it speaks to the level of gravity in this situation regardless of what you feel about Milley of what they were felt they were facing when Trump was president,” she said.

“You’re exactly right,” Dana Bash agreed. “If there was kind of a camera on us while we were watching that it was a moment to watch the chairman of the joint chiefs be asked whether you talked to all of these authors…It was definitely a moment.”

Watch above, via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet Newsletter
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!