Angus King defends Milley for contact with Chinese counterpart

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) defended Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley for contacting his Chinese counterparts after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

During a CNN interview Tuesday, King was asked if he felt Milley breached the military chain of command when he assured China that the United States was not going to launch a military offensive.

“No, I think Gen. Milley did exactly what he was supposed to do, and should do, in that situation,” King said.

The top US military general and other senior Pentagon officials are scheduled to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee to testify over the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Sen. Angus King discusses what he expects to hear.https://t.co/nIHxcTfRIH pic.twitter.com/Nor59NwLPT

— New Day (@NewDay) September 28, 2021

Milley has become a lightning rod for the right since the details of the general’s call to China were detailed in the book “Peril” written by reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

“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 said to his Chinese counterparts, according to the book.

Milley defended the call during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, saying that the call was generated by “concerning intelligence” that caused American officials to think China was worried about an attack.

King, who sits on the committee, told CNN before the hearing that there appeared to have been “some understanding” that China was concerned about an attack. 

“We could have ended up in a nuclear war. All Gen. Miley said was, ‘There’s no intention of attacking, calm down, our system is stable,’ ” King said. 

“And ironically, President Trump — who’s been very critical of Gen. Milley — has himself said, ‘I had no intention of attacking China,’ ” King continued. “And that’s what Gen. Milley communicated with China to try to calm them down from the possibility of initiating some kind of attack on us in anticipation.”