The highest-ranking United States general feared on several occasions that the then president, Donald Trump, would unleash a war with China in the last months of his term, and he contacted his counterpart in that country to assure him that he would not allow it to unleash a military conflict, according to a book by The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Miller, called Gen. Li Zuocheng on October 30 (four days before Trump's lost presidential election) and on January 8 (two days after Trump's assault on Capitol Hill). of followers of the former president), according to this book.
Donald Trump raises millions of dollars for his campaign, without yet confirming a candidacy
Aug. 2, 202100: 34
The first call came when Milley reviewed intelligence information suggesting that Washington was preparing an attack in accordance with military exercises in the South China Sea.
This fear was compounded by Trump's belligerent rhetoric against China.
"General Li, I want to assure you that the US government is stable and that everything is going to be fine. We are not going to attack or carry out any operation against you," he said, according to the book
Peril
[
Danger
, in Spanish].
[Six policemen will be punished with disciplinary measures for their conduct during the assault on the Capitol]
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff even promised Li that he would warn him in case the United States attacked, based on the relationship that united them.
"General Li, you and I have known each other for five years. If we are going to attack, I will call you in advance. It will not be a surprise," he guaranteed.
On the second call, after the events in the Capitol that went around the world, it was not so easy to convince Li.
"We are 100% firm. Everything is fine. But democracy can be messy at times," he added, according to the book.
Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021.John Minchillo / AP
Milley, who did not communicate his conversations with the Chinese general to Trump, understood Li's skepticism.
According to the book, the president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff believed that the then president had suffered a mental deterioration after losing the November 2020 elections.
[The Capitol Police had information about the armed robbery weeks before the event, according to the Senate]
In fact, he shared this thought with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a phone call on January 8.
According to the transcript obtained by the authors, Trump, they said, was mentally unstable.
Fearful that China might step up, Milley recommended the same day to the US Indo-Pacific Command to postpone the military exercises.
With information from The Washington Post