Former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said Wednesday he did not authorize Gen. Mark Milley to directly contact China’s top military commander, despite claims that the secret conversations were approved.
Miller said the alleged calls were a “disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination” and that Milley should resign immediately.”
Similarly, Sen. Rand Paul said Wednesday that Milley “could have started an accidental nuclear war” if he did, in fact, make unauthorized phone calls to China during Trump’s final weeks as president.
“If I were president, I would sit him down immediately and have him take a polygraph test and ask him, ‘What did you say to the Chinese?’” Paul said, per Just the News.
“Did you indicate that the president was liable to attack them and that you would try to prevent that? If that is true, that could have started an accidental nuclear war,” he continued. “We could have a nuclear war over a mistake because the general is going outside the line of command to insinuate something that nobody believes to be true, but actually could have started a war.”
However, in a statement, Milley disregarded calls for him to resign.
“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,” the chairman’s spokesman, Col. Dave Butler, said in a statement.
“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.”
