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World News See other World News Articles Title: 6 Takeaways From Austin, Milley and Congress’s Game of Pass the Blame 6 Takeaways From Austin, Milley and Congress’s Game of Pass the Blame By Kelly - Oct 1, 2021 President Joe Biden’s top military adviser declined to comment Wednesday on the president’s mental capacity, and that might have been one of the nicer things he said in testimony before a House committee. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during the House Armed Services Committee hearing that the terrorist threat could become stronger after the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Along with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., commander of U.S. Central Command, Milley fielded questions on Capitol Hill for the second day in a row. The three top military leaders appeared Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. There was significant overlap in the two hearings, but the House hearing produced some fresh news as well as dramatic exchanges with lawmakers. Here are six big takeaways. 1. Mental States of Biden, Trump Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., pushed Milley on the contents of “Peril,” a new book by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, by reading aloud from its reported conversation between Milley and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., shortly after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. DesJarlais quoted Pelosi from the book as saying: “What I’m saying to you is that they couldn’t even stop him from an assault on the Capitol. Who even knows what else he may do? And, is there anybody in charge at the White House who was doing anything but kissing his fat butt all over this?” DesJarlais asked Milley: “Do you recall that?” “I would just say there were a lot of disparaging comments made, and my focus was to assure her that the nuclear weapons systems were under control,” said Milley, whose stint as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff bridges the Trump and Biden administrations. The book also quotes Pelosi as telling Milley about former President Donald Trump: “You know he’s crazy. He’s been crazy for a long time.” Woodward and Costa quote Milley as saying: “Madam Speaker, I agree with you on everything.” “If you’re the principal adviser to the president and she said that to you, do you think that you were doing service to a president by agreeing with the speaker that your commander in chief is crazy?” DesJarlais asked Milley. Milley responded: “I actually said I’m not qualified to assess the mental health of the president. What I’m agreeing to is that we have to have a secure nuclear system.” Milley earlier repeated to the House panel what he told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday: that Trump did not plan to attack China, but that intercepted Chinese communications indicated the communist regime feared that would happen. DesJarlais then pivoted to Biden. “Have you had any conversation with the [House] speaker or any of our foreign leaders about our current president’s mental capacity?” DesJarlais asked. “We have a physician right here on the panel who was the personal physician to the prior three presidents who said President Biden should take a mental competency test,” DesJarlais added, referring to Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, who took office in January and was White House physician for Trump. “We see it in the press. His lack of ability to answer questions,” the Tennessee Republican said of Biden. “Have you had any conversations with anybody concerning his ability to carry out a nuclear order or any other serious engagements?” Milley said he has not commented on the mental state of either Trump or Biden. “No. My answer would be the same,” Milley said. “I’m not qualified to evaluate a president’s mental health or your mental health or anybody’s mental health. I’m not a doctor.” “But you were concerned about Trump; you said you were concerned about him when you made the call to China,” DesJarlais said. Milley disputed that accusation. “No, I didn’t. What I said on the call to China was, ‘I guarantee you that President Trump is not going to attack you in a surprise attack,’” Milley said. “I was carrying out his intent. President Trump’s intent. In order to protect the American people and prevent an escalation or an event.” Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., seemed annoyed at this line of questioning from DesJarlais. “The gentlemen’s time has expired,” he said, then huffed and added: “That was helpful.” Later in the hearing, Jackson, the Texas congressman who had been White House physician, said Milley had failed to do his duty with the botched Afghanistan exit and the questions about the phone calls to the Chinese general. “Gen. Milley, will you now resign?” Jackson asked. Milley responded: “I serve at the pleasure of the president.” Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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