On Tuesday, we learned the upcoming book Peril reports that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley told his Chinese counterpart he would inform them if then-President Donald Trump planned to launch an attack.
Two interesting developments came out this afternoon.
Milley’s spokesman Col. Dave Butler did not deny the China story in his mumbled statement. Former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller did not authorize Milley to have secret calls with China.
I know we should not assume anything, but this does not look good for Milley.
Josh Rogin posted Butler’s statement. It is long, but empty since it does not confirm or deny the story.
Miller told Fox News he did not give Milley permission to talk to China:
“The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the highest-ranking military officer whose sole role is providing military-specific advice to the president, and by law is prohibited from exercising executive authority to command forces,” Miller said. “The chain of command runs from the President to the Secretary of Defense, not through the Chairman.”—Fox News has learned there were about 15 people present for the calls. Sources told Fox News that there were multiple notetakers present, and said the calls were both conducted with full knowledge of then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper and then-acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller – something Miller denied.”If the reporting in Woodward’s book is accurate, it represents a disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination by the Nation’s top military officer,” Miller said, adding that if the story of Milley’s “histrionic outbursts and unsanctioned, anti-Constitutional involvement in foreign policy prove true, he must resign immediately or be fired by the Secretary of Defense to guarantee the sanctity of the officer corps.”
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