Former President Donald Trump has continued his criticism of General Mark Milley, the most senior U.S. military official, following a report that the general spoke to his Chinese counterpart about the possibility of an attack.
Trump issued a statement on Wednesday calling Milley, who is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a "nutjob" and saying his calls with China's General Li Zuocheng had put the country in danger.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Milley had two calls with Li on October 30, 2020, and January 8, 2021, and sought to assure him the U.S. wasn't going to attack China, but if there were to be an attack, Milley would inform Li.
Trump's statement said: "Milley never told me about calls being made to China. From what I understand, he didn't tell too many other people either. He put our Country in a very dangerous position but President Xi knows better, and would've called me.
"The way Milley and the Biden Administration handled the Afghanistan withdrawal, perhaps the most embarrassing moment in our Country's history, would not exactly instill fear in China. Milley is a complete nutjob!" the statement went on.
"The only reason Biden will not fire or court-martial Milley is because he doesn't want him spilling the dirty secrets on Biden's deadly disaster in Afghanistan," Trump concluded.
NEW!
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) September 16, 2021
"Milley never told me about calls being made to China. From what I understand, he didn’t tell too many other people either. He put our Country in a very dangerous position but President Xi knows better, and would’ve called me. The way Milley and the Biden Administration... pic.twitter.com/X3a291Dvm4
The Washington Post's report was based on the upcoming book Peril by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. The authors said they conducted interviews with 200 sources.
President Biden told reporters at the White House on Wednesday: "I have great confidence in General Milley."
Some Republican lawmakers have called for Milley's ouster and even accused him of committing treason or considering committing it. Several members of Congress, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia's 14th district, suggested Milley should face a court martial if the claims in the report are true.
Colonel Dave Butler, a spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Milley's conversations took place under standard procedure.
"The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs regularly communicates with Chiefs of Defense across the world, including with China and Russia," Butler said.
"These conversations remain vital to improving mutual understanding of U.S. national security interests, reducing tensions, providing clarity and avoiding unintended consequences or conflict."
The statement went on: "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."
"All calls from the chairman to his counterparts, including those reported, are staffed, coordinated and communicated with the Department of Defense and the interagency," Butler said.
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About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
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