Concerned Trump Would Go ‘Rogue,’ Gen. Milley Took Control of the Nukes

 

The Founding Fathers believed that subordination of the military to the authority of civil masters was critically important to prevent the emergence of a new form of tyranny or dictatorship.

Bob Woodward’s new book Peril, coauthored with Washington Post reporter Robert Costa tells how Gen. Milley asserted military control of the nation’s nuclear weapons behind the back of former President Donald Trump. The authors write that the events of January 6th shook the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Concerned with the president’s mental stability, Milley held a secret meeting at the Pentagon with his senior leadership.

Worried that Trump would launch a first strike against China, Milley told his senior leader not to follow any orders regarding military action, including launching nuclear weapons unless he was present. ‘No matter what you are told, you do the procedure. You do the process. And I’m part of that procedure,’ Milley told the officers, according to the book. According to Woodard and Costa, Milley considered this an oath.

Another sign of his new role of de facto or at the very least caretaker commander in chief was Gen Milley’s January 8th phone call with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Milley assured Pelosi that the nuclear weapons were safe.

Pelosi told members, ‘This morning, I spoke to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to discuss available precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike,” Pelosi wrote. “The situation of this unhinged President could not be more dangerous, and we must do everything that we can to protect the American people from his unbalanced assault on our country and our democracy.’

During their conversation, the four-star general and the House Speaker both agreed that the president was “crazy” After the events of January 6th, Milley felt the military could no longer control President Trump. According to Woodard and Costa, the uncertainty led Milley to “take any and all necessary precautions.”

Along with getting a secret oath from his senior leaders and reassuring the House Speaker, Milley had back and forth phone calls with Chinese General Li Zuocheng. The American General told his Chinese counterpart that there would be no surprise attack from the United States.

‘General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years. If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,’  Milley reportedly told him. Milley also told the Chinese general that ‘democracy can be sloppy sometimes.’

Peril also highlights the feelings of other senior leaders in the Trump Administration. CIA Director Gina Haspel reportedly told Milley, ‘We are on the way to a right-wing coup.’ In response, Milley told Haspel to ‘aggressively watch everything, 360.’

This year alone, we have seen military coups in Myanmar, Mali, and Guinea. There were also coup attempts in Armenia and Nigeria. In all of those, successful or otherwise, the military arrested and detained the civilian leadership.

While some may cheer on General Milley for his actions “safekeeping” nuclear weapons, it is not a giant leap to go from safekeeping to controlling them. The military is subordinate to civil authority for good reason and should not be an issue subject to partisan politics.

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  1. Clifford A. Brown Member
    Clifford A. Brown
    @CliffordBrown

    Tyrion Lannister (View Comment):
    What do we *know*?  Well according to some of 200+ anonymous sources from the book, Milley told the Chinese (an enemy) “If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,”.  He is stepping out of the chain of command and contemplating alerting our enemy prior to an attack, supposedly taking away the element of surprise and putting our nation in peril.

    Except China is not an enemy, declared so by Congress or shown by attacking us with military force. Adversary, competitor, challenger, sure. Not an enemy as meant by the Framers or U.S. law.

    Also, Woodward has been flat out making stuff up, including entire interviews, for well over a decade. Woodward lies with ease.

    AND. Milley has shown himself untrustworthy for well over a year.

    Also, even the Rosenbergs were not charged with treason. That is how seriously we have taken the constitutional limit on that charge. Instead, they were charged with violating an espionage act and an atomic energy act, at least one of which had a death penalty provision.

    • #61
  2. The Cloaked Gaijin Member
    The Cloaked Gaijin
    @TheCloakedGaijin

    I saw this.

    “John Bolton backs Gen. Milley: ‘Mark Milley is a staunch supporter of the Constitution and the rule of law. His patriotism is unquestioned.'”

    • #62
  3. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    The Cloaked Gaijin (View Comment):

    I saw this.

    “John Bolton backs Gen. Milley: ‘Mark Milley is a staunch supporter of the Constitution and the rule of law. His patriotism is unquestioned.’”

    This actually explains a fair bit.

    • #63
  4. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    Flicker (View Comment):

    The Cloaked Gaijin (View Comment):

    I saw this.

    “John Bolton backs Gen. Milley: ‘Mark Milley is a staunch supporter of the Constitution and the rule of law. His patriotism is unquestioned.’”

    This actually explains a fair bit.

    Unlike everybody else he knows, Milley never had a chance to fire him. 

     

    • #64
  5. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    BDB (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    The Cloaked Gaijin (View Comment):

    I saw this.

    “John Bolton backs Gen. Milley: ‘Mark Milley is a staunch supporter of the Constitution and the rule of law. His patriotism is unquestioned.’”

    This actually explains a fair bit.

    Unlike everybody else he knows, Milley never had a chance to fire him.

    Would he have wanted the option?

    • #65
  6. Chris Oler Coolidge
    Chris Oler
    @ChrisO

    Brian Watt (View Comment):

    As much as I believe that Milley acted dishonorably in the way that the Afghanistan withdrawal operation was conducted and believe him to be a weak and woke-obsessed individual with more authority than he should have, he still deserves the presumption of innocence. If a verified recording of the actual phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart materializes that clearly and unequivocally supports the allegation, then he should face court martial. Until then, it’s hearsay from an anonymous source. He’ll be put under oath soon testifying before the Senate. It will be interesting to hear the choice of words he uses when confronted with the allegation.

    There was a report that one of the phone calls was intercepted, but I need to find the source again. Imagine the analyst making the transcript of that one…

    • #66
  7. Roderic Coolidge
    Roderic
    @rhfabian

    Nope.  Fake news.

    Martha MacCallum interviewed Gen. Jack Keane who said that Milley’s call to the Chinese was “part of his (Milley’s) job” and was done in concert with Milley’s staff.  This was a conference call with 15 members on the US end with members of the administration taking part.  Proceedings were shared across several agencies.  This is part of a regular series of communications with various national military leaders across the world to promote stability.

    Keane thought that Milley had intelligence indicating that the Chicoms were getting twitchy over the situation in the US, but it was unrealistic to expect the military to release details of the intelligence or of the call to the public. 

    • #67
  8. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Roderic (View Comment):

    Nope. Fake news.

    Martha MacCallum interviewed Gen. Jack Keane who said that Milley’s call to the Chinese was “part of his (Milley’s) job” and was done in concert with Milley’s staff. This was a conference call with 15 members on the US end with members of the administration taking part. Proceedings were shared across several agencies. This is part of a regular series of communications with various national military leaders across the world to promote stability.

    Keane thought that Milley had intelligence indicating that the Chicoms were getting twitchy over the situation in the US, but it was unrealistic to expect the military to release details of the intelligence or of the call to the public.

    In other words, “The Pentagon has determined that the Pentagon did nothing wrong.”

    Yeah, . . . nah.

    • #68
  9. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Roderic (View Comment):

    Nope. Fake news.

    Martha MacCallum interviewed Gen. Jack Keane who said that Milley’s call to the Chinese was “part of his (Milley’s) job” and was done in concert with Milley’s staff. This was a conference call with 15 members on the US end with members of the administration taking part. Proceedings were shared across several agencies. This is part of a regular series of communications with various national military leaders across the world to promote stability.

    Keane thought that Milley had intelligence indicating that the Chicoms were getting twitchy over the situation in the US, but it was unrealistic to expect the military to release details of the intelligence or of the call to the public.

    I’m skeptical of this leak from the book for reasons that I mentioned above, but I’m also not convinced that the discussion Keane is referencing is the same as what is being reported from the book.  Without the book, we’re kind of flying blind, but the leaked passages indicate that there were two calls in the latter part of the Administration, and that Milley stated he would warn the Chinese in the event an attack was imminent.  That does not sound like what is described by Keane, although I did not hear the broadcast.  To my knowledge, Keane is also retired and would not be in the immediate loop.

    • #69
  10. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Maybe this has already been covered (I haven’t read any of the comments) but even though people who do this don’t get a firing squad these days, they still lose their pensions, right?

    • #70
  11. BDB Inactive
    BDB
    @BDB

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Maybe this has already been covered (I haven’t read any of the comments) but even though people who do this don’t get a firing squad these days, they still lose their pensions, right?

    Haha.  Nobody loses their pensions.  

    • #71
  12. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    Tyrion Lannister (View Comment):
    What do we *know*? Well according to some of 200+ anonymous sources from the book, Milley told the Chinese (an enemy) “If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,”. He is stepping out of the chain of command and contemplating alerting our enemy prior to an attack, supposedly taking away the element of surprise and putting our nation in peril.

    Except China is not an enemy, declared so by Congress or shown by attacking us with military force. Adversary, competitor, challenger, sure. Not an enemy as meant by the Framers or U.S. law.

    China has attacked us, and the west in general, with a virulent bio weapon.  Our failure to admit this so that we can continue to live well off their slave labor does not make this less true.

    • #72
  13. DrewInWisconsin, Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    China has attacked us, and the west in general, with a virulent bio weapon. Our failure to admit this so that we can continue to live well off their slave labor does not make this less true.

    Given Fauci’s involvement and our shadow-government’s funding of it, it could be argued that we attacked ourselves with a virulent bio-weapon.

     

    • #73
  14. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    DrewInWisconsin, Oaf (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    China has attacked us, and the west in general, with a virulent bio weapon. Our failure to admit this so that we can continue to live well off their slave labor does not make this less true.

    Given Fauci’s involvement and our shadow-government’s funding of it, it could be argued that we attacked ourselves with a virulent bio-weapon.

    We patented it. We developed it.  We paid for it.  We shopped out the construction of it.  And the Chinese say the outbreak occurred just after our troops were in Wuhan for the military olympics.  I can see their point if they say we attacked ourselves.  I don’t believe it, but it makes ense.

    • #74
  15. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Flicker (View Comment):
    just after our troops were in Wuhan for the military olympics

    Military olympics? Is this something I would know about if I followed the “news?”

    • #75
  16. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    The Reticulator (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):
    just after our troops were in Wuhan for the military olympics

    Military olympics? Is this something I would know about if I followed the “news?”

    Yes.  It was published in the first months of last year.  Oh, you mean the notional Press?  No, I don’t think that’s the kind of thing they publish.

    • #76
  17. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Here are some references:

    https://militarybenefits.info/military-world-games/

    Wuhan Military World Games: COVID-19 Conspiracy Theory

    The exact origin of the COVID-19 virus has not been confirmed but it is believed to have first appeared at a “wet market” in the Chinese city of Wuhan, capital of hard-hit Hubei province and the epicenter of the serious outbreak. However, a Chinese government spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said that American athletes participating in the Wuhan Military World Games may have “brought the epidemic to Wuhan,” fueling a coronavirus conspiracy theory. There is, however, no evidence, scientific or otherwise, to support this theory and the Pentagon criticized Zhao’s remarks, calling them “false and absurd.” The Trump administration has also laid blame firmly at China’s feet.

    ***

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gop-report-says-october-2019-wuhan-military-games-were-one-of-the-earliest-superspreader-events/ar-AAMSX3J

    GOP report says October 2019 Wuhan military games were ‘one of the earliest superspreader events’

    Jerry Dunleavy  8/3/2021 

    House Foreign Affairs Republicans concluded the World Military Games in Wuhan in October 2019 was “one of the earliest super spreader events” during the pandemic, with their new report contending COVID-19 escaped from a Wuhan lab in late August or early September 2019 — with China covering it up for months.

    ***

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Military_World_Games

    2019 Military World Games

    The 2019 Military World Games (Chinese2019年世界军人运动会pinyin2019 Nián shìjiè jūnrén yùndònghuì), officially known as the 7th CISM Military World Games (Chinese第七届世界军人运动会pinyinDì qī jiè shìjiè jūnrén yùndònghuì) and commonly known as Wuhan 2019, was held from October 18–27, 2019 in WuhanHubeiChina.[2][3]

    The 7th Military World Games was the first international military multi-sport event to be held in China and also the largest military sports event ever to be held in China, with 9,308 athletes from 109 countries competing 329 events in 27 sports.[4][5] The multi-sport event included 25 official and 2 demonstrative sports. Six sport disciplines such as badminton, tennis, table tennis, women’s boxing and men’s gymnastics made their debuts in the event

    • #77
  18. DaveSchmidt Coolidge
    DaveSchmidt
    @DaveSchmidt

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Here are some references:

    https://militarybenefits.info/military-world-games/

    Wuhan Military World Games: COVID-19 Conspiracy Theory

    The exact origin of the COVID-19 virus has not been confirmed but it is believed to have first appeared at a “wet market” in the Chinese city of Wuhan, capital of hard-hit Hubei province and the epicenter of the serious outbreak. However, a Chinese government spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said that American athletes participating in the Wuhan Military World Games may have “brought the epidemic to Wuhan,” fueling a coronavirus conspiracy theory. There is, however, no evidence, scientific or otherwise, to support this theory and the Pentagon criticized Zhao’s remarks, calling them “false and absurd.” The Trump administration has also laid blame firmly at China’s feet.

    ***

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/gop-report-says-october-2019-wuhan-military-games-were-one-of-the-earliest-superspreader-events/ar-AAMSX3J

    GOP report says October 2019 Wuhan military games were ‘one of the earliest superspreader events’

    Jerry Dunleavy 8/3/2021

    House Foreign Affairs Republicans concluded the World Military Games in Wuhan in October 2019 was “one of the earliest super spreader events” during the pandemic, with their new report contending COVID-19 escaped from a Wuhan lab in late August or early September 2019 — with China covering it up for months.

    ***

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Military_World_Games

    2019 Military World Games

    The 2019 Military World Games (Chinese: 2019年世界军人运动会; pinyin: 2019 Nián shìjiè jūnrén yùndònghuì), officially known as the 7th CISM Military World Games (Chinese: 第七届世界军人运动会; pinyin: Dì qī jiè shìjiè jūnrén yùndònghuì) and commonly known as Wuhan 2019, was held from October 18–27, 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China.[2][3]

    The 7th Military World Games was the first international military multi-sport event to be held in China and also the largest military sports event ever to be held in China, with 9,308 athletes from 109 countries competing 329 events in 27 sports.[4][5] The multi-sport event included 25 official and 2 demonstrative sports. Six sport disciplines such as badminton, tennis, table tennis, women’s boxing and men’s gymnastics made their debuts in the event

    A great way to recruit future allies within rival militaries.  Perhaps set up some blackmail opportunities. 

    • #78
  19. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    Clifford A. Brown (View Comment):

    Tyrion Lannister (View Comment):
    What do we *know*? Well according to some of 200+ anonymous sources from the book, Milley told the Chinese (an enemy) “If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise,”. He is stepping out of the chain of command and contemplating alerting our enemy prior to an attack, supposedly taking away the element of surprise and putting our nation in peril.

    Except China is not an enemy, declared so by Congress or shown by attacking us with military force. Adversary, competitor, challenger, sure. Not an enemy as meant by the Framers or U.S. law.

    China has attacked us, and the west in general, with a virulent bio weapon. Our failure to admit this so that we can continue to live well off their slave labor does not make this less true.

    From the info coming out now, we might have attacked ourselves.

    • #79
  20. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Sorry, Drew.  I saw you comment after I’d already posted.

    • #80
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