In a call with Pelosi after the Capitol riot, Milley agreed that Trump was ‘crazy,’ book says.

Politics|In a telephone with Pelosi aft the Capitol riot, Milley agreed that Trump was ‘crazy,’ publication says.

Two days aft a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, Gen. Mark A. Milley spoke to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was increasing progressively acrophobic Mr. Trump would lash retired and usage subject force.

Their speech was elaborate successful “Peril,” a precocious released publication by the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

“This is bad, but who knows what helium mightiness do?” Ms. Pelosi said. “He’s crazy. You cognize he’s crazy. He’s been brainsick for a agelong time. So don’t accidental you don’t cognize what his authorities of caput is.”

“Madam Speaker,” General Milley said, “I hold with you connected everything.”

General Milley, who arsenic the president’s apical subject advisor is not successful the concatenation of command, tried to reassure Ms. Pelosi that helium could halt Mr. Trump.

“The 1 happening I tin warrant is that, arsenic the president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I privation you to cognize that — I privation you to cognize this successful your bosom of hearts, I tin warrant you 110 percent that the military, usage of subject power, whether it’s atomic oregon a onslaught successful a overseas state of immoderate kind, we’re not going to bash thing amerciable oregon crazy,” helium said.

He offered akin assurances to his Chinese counterpart that day. And aft speaking to Ms. Pelosi, helium convened a gathering successful a warfare country astatine the Pentagon with the military’s apical commanders, telling them that helium wanted to spell implicit the longstanding procedures for launching a atomic weapon. The wide reminded the commanders that lone the president could bid specified a onslaught and that General Milley needed to beryllium straight involved.

“The strict procedures are explicitly designed to debar inadvertent mistakes oregon mishap oregon nefarious, unintentional, illegal, immoral, unethical launching of the world’s astir unsafe weapons,” helium said.

Then, helium went astir the country and asked each serviceman to corroborate that they understood what helium was saying.