Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican iconoclast from Wyoming, took a thinly-veiled shot at her GOP colleagues Wednesday when she praised Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley for his efforts to protect American democracy after the 2020 presidential election.
It’s our quote of the day.
General Milley, you found yourself in your constitutionally prescribed role standing in the breach. And for any member of this committee, for any American to question your loyalty to our nation, to question your understanding of our Constitution, your loyalty to our Constitution, your recognition and understanding of the civilian chain of command is despicable. I want to apologize for those members of this committee who have done so and I want to thank you for standing in the breach, when so many, including many in this room, fail to do so.
rep. liz cheney (r-WY)
Cheney noted that the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol represented an “effort to stop the constitutionally prescribed process of counting electoral votes” and said it marked the first time in American history that there was not a peaceful transition of power between presidential administrations.
“In the aftermath of that attack, many of the members of our constitutional system failed to do their duty. Many of them punted. Many of them today are still attempting to obstruct the investigation into that attack, attempting to white wash what happened,” Cheney said.
Republicans have criticized Milley following revelations in the book “Peril” – penned by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa – that he was concerned about Donald Trump’s mental state in the waning days of his presidential administration and took steps to make sure the nuclear arsenal wasn’t abused.
At a Senate hearing Tuesday, Milley acknowledged that he was a source for the book, but insisted that he acted within the scope of his role.
But on Wednesday, Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, pressed Milley on the book, asking “You spent more time with Bob Woodward on this book, than you spent analyzing the very likely prospect that the Afghanistan government was going to fall immediately to the Taliban, didn’t you?” asked
“Not even close,” Milley responded.
Gaetz insisted that Milley and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin would have been fired if President Biden wasn’t so “addled.”
Asked Wednesday if he regretted talking to the authors of “Peril,” Milley responded “I think that it’s important for me to speak to the media. I am trying to stay apolitical, and I believe I am.”
Among the most eyebrow raising revelations in “Peril” is that Milley twice reached out to his Chinese counterpart in the final months of the Trump administration to assure him that the U.S. was not planning to start a war.
On Wednesday, Milley explained that U.S. intelligence reports indicated that the Chinese were growing concerned about a possible U.S. attack and his outreach took place with the proper approvals.
“This is all done with oversight,” he said.
