OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley has been under fire following serious allegations.
While testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, Milley faced a myriad of questions, including Joe Biden’s disastrous handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
An explosive new book also alleges that Milley held secret meetings behind then-President Donald Trump’s back and privately told leaders not to take military strike or nuclear orders from Trump days after the Jan. 6 incident at the U.S. Capitol.
Despite all of this, Milley said he has no plans to resign.
“Senator, as a senior military officer, resigning is a really serious thing – it’s a political act – if I’m resigning in protest,” Milley said.
“My job is to provide advice – my statutory responsibility is to provide legal advice or best military advice to the president, and that’s my legal requirement. That’s what the law is. [The President] doesn’t have to agree with the advice,” Milley said. “[The President] doesn’t have to make those decisions just because we’re generals.”
“It would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice is not taken,” Milley added. “This country doesn’t want generals figuring out what orders we are going to accept and do or not. That’s not our job.”
“My dad didn’t get a choice to resign at Iwo Jima, and those kids at Abbey Gate don’t get a choice to resign. I’m not going to turn my back – they can’t resign,” Milley said. “So I’m not going to resign. There’s no way.”
“If the orders are illegal, we’re in a different place,” Milley added. “But if the orders are legal from a civilian authority, I intend to carry them out.”
Milley says he has no plans to resign. pic.twitter.com/o1knrBiRN8
— Martin Walsh (@RealWalsh_) September 30, 2021
Milley also suggested during testimony that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attempted to undermine or otherwise interfere with the established chain of command for launching a nuclear strike following the breach of the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6.
In January, Pelosi announced that she had talked to Milley about nuclear launch procedures.
“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, D-Calif., said in a letter to Democratic colleagues. “
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,” she added.
In their new book “Peril,” authors Bob Woodward and Robert Costa wrote about the incident:
Milley told Pelosi that there were “a lot of checks in the system” to prevent Trump from going rogue, the book said.
Pelosi reportedly then told Milley: “He’s crazy. You know he’s crazy.”
“He’s crazy and what he did yesterday is further evidence of his craziness,” Pelosi added, referring to the riot.
According to the book, Milley responded, “I agree with you on everything.”
Milley discussed the conversation and provided additional details.
“Speaker of the House Pelosi called me to inquire about the president’s ability to launch nuclear weapons,” he said, confirming the reports. “I sought to assure her that nuclear launch is governed by a very specific and deliberate process.
“She was concerned and made various personal references characterizing the president. I explained to her the president is the sole nuclear launch authority and he doesn’t launch them alone and that I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the President of the United States,” he added.
In any event, Milley continued, adding, “There are processes, protocols, and procedures in place and I repeatedly assured her there was no chance of an illegal, unauthorized or accidental launch.