'This is outrageous': Passages from Peril make Gen. Mark Milley's alleged heads-up call with China 'actually worse than originally reported'

Sarah D | 9:52 AM on September 22, 2021

Last week, when media started reporting on some eyebrow-raising passages about General Mark Milley in Bob Woodward and Bob Costa’s new book “Peril,” it caused quite a stir across the political spectrum. Democrats and liberals were largely pleased at the prospect of Donald Trump’s Joint Chiefs chair working behind the scenes to undermine the president, while Republicans and conservatives were largely very disturbed.

Well, now the actual passages are making their way into the public sphere, and Milley’s actually looking even worse:

Here is the section from Peril on Milley’s call on 10/30/20 with the PLA's Li Zuocheng: “You & 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. It’s not going to be a bolt out of the blue.” pic.twitter.com/OmoDsKm2Ld

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) September 22, 2021

If the transcripts are indeed accurate, Gen. Milley has quite a lot to answer for. Particularly when you consider that the call in question took place in October, well before the January 6 riots at the Capitol.

This is actually worse than originally reported. https://t.co/0VAlxe7Kfw

— Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) September 22, 2021

5 years.

So when he was Chief of Staff of the US Army? Did the rest of the JCS know he was talking to Chinese Generals on the regular?

— ArmaliteAR-180B 🇻🇦 (@ArSpade) September 22, 2021

Even if I were to be as charitable to Milley as I can and assume his motives were 100% pure, this still isn't how he should have said this. Giving the Chinese the sense that our chain of command can be circumvented over personal relationships is a net negative. https://t.co/bOhXJA8qB8

— Noam "MF Blum" (@neontaster) September 22, 2021

There is just no way to make this quote OK. You either follow orders or you refuse. You do not give the target a polite heads up that will cost your country lives. https://t.co/Vd1tx7mpV4

— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) September 22, 2021

I know that people who think Trump is unhinged think this is okay, but it isn't. Not in any world. Remember all the crap that you all are letting slide becomes precedent. I can't wait for the first military person who thinks Joe Biden is incompetent. 🤷‍♀️ https://t.co/0o9GsCFm1w

— GOPPouncer (@Mellecon) September 22, 2021

I can't wait for the first general who thinks Biden is incompetent. This is utterly ridiculous. He's going to warn him so what? They can attack first? These are real men and women putting their lives on the line, not cannon fodder

— GOPPouncer (@Mellecon) September 22, 2021