Book: Top US officer feared Trump could order China strike

WASHINGTON – Fearful of Donald Trump's actions successful his last weeks arsenic president, the United States' apical subject serviceman doubly assured his Chinese counterpart that the 2 nations would not spell to war, according to a forthcoming book.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley told Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army that the United States would not strike. One telephone took spot connected Oct. 30, 2020, 4 days earlier the predetermination that defeated Trump. The 2nd telephone was connected Jan. 8, 2021, conscionable 2 days aft the insurrection astatine the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the outgoing main executive.

Milley went truthful acold arsenic to committedness Li that helium would pass his counterpart successful the lawsuit of a U.S. attack, according to the publication “Peril,” written by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

“General Li, I privation to guarantee you that the American authorities is unchangeable and everything is going to beryllium okay,” Milley told him successful the archetypal call, according to the book. “We are not going to onslaught oregon behaviour immoderate kinetic operations against you.”

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“If we’re going to attack, I’m going to telephone you up of time. It’s not going to beryllium a surprise," Milley reportedly said.

Selections from the book, which is acceptable to beryllium released adjacent week, were archetypal reported by The Washington Post connected Tuesday.

The 2nd telephone was meant to placate Chinese fears astir the events of Jan. 6. But the publication reports that Li wasn’t arsenic easy assuaged, adjacent aft Milley promised him, “We are 100 percent steady. Everything’s fine. But ideology tin beryllium sloppy sometimes.”

Milley believed the president suffered a intelligence diminution aft the election, according to the book, a presumption helium relayed successful a Jan. 8 telephone telephone with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi has antecedently said she spoke to Milley that time astir “available precautions” to forestall Trump from initiating subject enactment oregon ordering a atomic launch, and she told colleagues she was fixed unspecified assurances that determination were longstanding safeguards successful place.

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Milley, according to the book, called the admiral overseeing the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the subject portion liable for Asia and the Pacific region, and recommended postponing upcoming subject exercises. He besides asked elder officers to curse an “oath” that Milley had to beryllium progressive if Trump gave an bid to motorboat atomic weapons, according to the book.

Milley was appointed by Trump successful 2018 and aboriginal drew the president's wrath erstwhile helium expressed regret for participating successful a June 2020 photograph op with Trump aft national instrumentality enforcement cleared a parkland adjacent the White House of peaceful protesters truthful Trump could basal astatine a adjacent damaged church.

Requests for remark from Milley were not instantly returned. Milley's 2nd informing to Beijing came aft Trump had fired Secretary of Defense Mike Esper and filled respective apical positions with interim officeholders loyal to him.

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The publication besides offers caller insights into Trump's efforts to clasp connected to powerfulness contempt losing the predetermination to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump refused to concede and offered mendacious claims that the predetermination had been stolen. He repeatedly pressed his vice president, Mike Pence, to garbage to certify the predetermination results astatine the Capitol connected Jan. 6, the lawsuit that was aboriginal interrupted by the mob.

Pence, the publication writes, called Dan Quayle, a erstwhile vice president and chap Indiana Republican, to spot if determination was immoderate mode helium could acquiesce to Trump's request. Quayle said perfectly not.

“Mike, you person nary flexibility connected this. None. Zero. Forget it. Put it away,” Quayle said, according to the book.

Pence yet agreed. He defied Trump to affirm Joe Biden's victory.

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