General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, denied that calling his Chinese counterpart to warn him about “rogue” President Donald Trump was wrong, saying it went through proper Defense Department channels.
Excerpts published Tuesday from a book about the last months of the Trump presidency said Milley had coordinated with the top Democrats, CIA and the NSA to monitor Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot, as well as reached out to his Chinese counterpart before the 2020 election, to reassure him the US wasn’t about to attack.
“All calls from the Chairman to his counterparts, including those reported, are staffed, coordinated and communicated with the Department of Defense and the interagency,” Colonel Dave Butler, a spokesman for Milley, said on Wednesday.
“General Milley continues to act and advise within his authority in the lawful tradition of civilian control of the military and his oath to the Constitution,” Butler added.
Meanwhile, the White House said President Joe Biden considers Milley “a patriot who has fidelity in the US Constitution,” and has “complete confidence” in his leadership, according to Reuters.
