US President Joe Biden expressed his "full confidence" in the highest-ranking general in the United States after revelations about his communications with his Chinese counterpart during former President Donald Trump's administration, amidst concerns regarding Trump's mental state at that time. Biden pushed back against Republican calls to dismiss Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley over allegations that he undermined civilian authority over the military during the calls made in October and January, as Trump refused to accept his election loss to the Democrats.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that the President has complete trust in General Milley's "leadership" and his "patriotism and loyalty to our Constitution." General Milley emphasized that the two phone calls he had with Chinese General Li Zuocheng, revealed Tuesday in excerpts from a new book by authors Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, fell within the scope of his duties.
Colonel Dave Butler, Milley’s spokesperson, stated: "The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs communicates regularly with military leaders around the world, including China and Russia." He added that Milley's communications with the Chinese and others in October and January aligned with his duties and responsibilities, and were aimed at ensuring strategic stability.
Woodward and Costa's book "Peril" outlines Milley's and other senior national security officials' concerns between October of last year and January 20 about Trump, furious over his election defeat, potentially igniting a military conflict with China or Iran. It also mentions that Pentagon officials understood that China feared a US attack and might misinterpret certain US movements, such as planned military exercises, as preparations for an attack.
The book states that General Milley, without Trump's knowledge, reached out to his Chinese counterpart to alleviate their fears and assure them that the United States did not intend to take any military action and that the political turmoil was merely the "ugly" face of democracy. As tensions in Washington escalated over Trump’s attempts to retain power in early January, General Milley gathered all his deputies and asked them to inform him should the President seek to launch a nuclear weapon.
Confronted with Republican accusations that Milley had usurped presidential authority regarding the nuclear arsenal, Butler said that the meeting was simply "to remind Pentagon leaders of the established and robust procedures" concerning nuclear weapons. He added, "General Milley continues to operate and advise within his authority and under the legal norms of civilian authority over the military."
Following the release of excerpts from the book, Republican Senator Marco Rubio requested in a letter that Biden fire the Chairman. Rubio claimed that Milley "actively worked to undermine the authority of the Commander-in-Chief of the US armed forces and wanted to leak classified information to the Chinese Communist Party."
Trump criticized Milley on Tuesday, describing him with various epithets and holding him responsible for the chaotic withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in August. Trump stated in a statement, "I assume he will be tried for treason because he was dealing with his Chinese counterpart behind the President's back."
