Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller stunned reporters with a bizarre, meandering interview in which he praised Russia and said he cant wait to quit his post, according to a transcript released Friday.
Miller, appointed just two months ago by President Donald Trump , told reporters Thursday on a flight back to Washington that he had professional respect for how they do things in Russia. He said the nation had been dealt a bad hand, and played it very, very well.
Miller added: I kind of, you know, like, professionally, Im like, wow, theyre doing pretty well, and theyre using a lot of irregular warfare concepts, information, all this stuff, in a way that, you know, like good on them.
I cant believe what I just read.
The defense secretary actually said this about Russia:
Professionally Im like, wow, theyre doing pretty well, and theyre using a lot of irregular warfare concepts, information, all this stuff, in a way that, you know, like... good on them. https://t.co/w1isNpsBDq
I cant believe what I just read.
Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) January 15, 2021
The defense secretary actually said this about Russia:
Professionally Im like, wow, theyre doing pretty well, and theyre using a lot of irregular warfare concepts, information, all this stuff, in a way that, you know, like... good on them. https://t.co/w1isNpsBDq
Miller presumably was not referring to such matters as the poisoning of dissidents . But aggressive efforts by Russian President Vladimir Putins government and its supporters to utilize social media and other means to sow political discord in the U.S. is a major concern that has been flagged by Americas intelligence community. Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election to aid Trump documented by Special Counsel Robert Mueller proved a political drag on much of Trumps term.
The acting defense secretary, a hawkish Special Forces veteran and former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, also said he would have liked to deal with the delays and cost overruns that plagued the Pentagons F-35 joint strike fighter and the littoral combat ship programs. But he added: I cannot wait to leave this job believe me.
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Still, Miller said a part of me is, like, I would have loved to have gotten involved in the acquisition process and try . . . and you know, talk about wicked problem.
Millers thoughts became so mangled at one point the Defense Departments transcript reads: Blah blah bluh blah.
The Guardians world affairs reporter Julian Borger called it a gobsmacking incoherent briefing.
Gobsmacking incoherent briefing from the US acting defence secretary, Chris Miller, today.
Highlights include \"I cannot wait to leave this job, believe me.\"
\"blah blah bluh blah\" (actual quote according to DoD transcript).
contd..
Gobsmacking incoherent briefing from the US acting defence secretary, Chris Miller, today.
Julian Borger (@julianborger) January 15, 2021
Highlights include "I cannot wait to leave this job, believe me."
"blah blah bluh blah" (actual quote according to DoD transcript).
contd..
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Heres another Miller nugget:
\"The president, SecDef, meI, whatever the correct English is, you guys can clean that up. Should have paid more attention in high school. My wife would be ashamed of me not knowing the proper prepositionand then, uh General VanHerck.\"
Julian Borger (@julianborger) January 15, 2021","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Julian Borger","author_url":"https://twitter.com/julianborger","cache_age":86400,"description":"\"The president, SecDef, meI, whatever the correct English is, you guys can clean that up. Should have paid more attention in high school. My wife would be ashamed of me not knowing the proper prepositionand then, uh General VanHerck.\" Julian Borger (@julianborger) January 15, 2021\n\n","options":{"_hide_thread":{"label":"Hide previous Tweet in conversation thread","value":true},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Julian Borger on 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News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"United States Secretary of Defense","slug":"united-states-secretary-of-defense","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/united-states-secretary-of-defense"},{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">"The president, SecDef, meI, whatever the correct English is, you guys can clean that up. Should have paid more attention in high school. My wife would be ashamed of me not knowing the proper prepositionand then, uh General VanHerck."
Julian Borger (@julianborger) January 15, 2021
An unidentified Defense Department official explained Millers confounding comments by telling The Washington Post that he often uses casual and humorous language with reporters ... during travel. That characteristic does not convey well in a written transcript, but was obvious to participants, the source added.
Miller and his entourage were returning from visits to Defense Department sites in Tennessee, Kentucky and Colorado.
At some point, Miller is likely to be called on the carpet to answer reports that the Pentagon rebuffed requests for the National Guard to be quickly deployed to respond to the right-wing insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol last week and rampaged through offices hunting for politicians.
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Inspectors general of the Departments of Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, and the Interior have launched joint investigations into the Jan. 6 attack and the inadequate response to the dire threat, it was announced Friday.
Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz announced today the initiation of a review. https://t.co/D9ST7X0ToB pic.twitter.com/JMYbBpLgQy
Justice OIG (@JusticeOIG) January 15, 2021","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Justice OIG","author_url":"https://twitter.com/JusticeOIG","cache_age":86400,"description":"Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. 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Horowitz announced today the initiation of a review. https://t.co/D9ST7X0ToB pic.twitter.com/JMYbBpLgQy
Justice OIG (@JusticeOIG) January 15, 2021
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Miller was named to his post in early November after Trump tweeted that he had terminated then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper , who had gotten at cross purposes with the president. At the time, retired four-star U.S. Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey called Miller a perfectly good, experienced combat soldier, but said he is unqualified for this office .
McCaffrey warned then that Trump was gearing up to seize the White House with the help of some Pentagon leaders. There is some crazy thinking going on inside that White House, he said.
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The crisis at the top of the Pentagon is just beginning - (DANGER. We are watching a slow moving Trump coup to defy the Biden election and refuse to leave office by diktat. Believe your eyes. This will be a test of our institutions.) https://t.co/fB7JNUz1fg
Barry R McCaffrey (@mccaffreyr3) November 11, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Barry R McCaffrey","author_url":"https://twitter.com/mccaffreyr3","cache_age":86400,"description":"The crisis at the top of the Pentagon is just beginning - (DANGER. We are watching a slow moving Trump coup to defy the Biden election and refuse to leave office by diktat. Believe your eyes. This will be a test of our institutions.) https://t.co/fB7JNUz1fg Barry R McCaffrey (@mccaffreyr3) November 11, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Barry R McCaffrey on 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Pentagon","slug":"the-pentagon","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/the-pentagon","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/the-pentagon","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/the-pentagon"},"relegenceId":4216784,"url":"https://action.news/topic/the-pentagon"},{"name":"Politics and Government","slug":"politics-and-government","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/politics-and-government","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/politics-and-government","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/politics-and-government"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Politics and Government","slug":"politics-and-government","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/politics-and-government"},{"name":"Russia","slug":"russia","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/russia","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/russia","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/russia"},"relegenceId":3691301,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"Russia","slug":"russia","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/russia"},{"name":"United States Secretary of Defense","slug":"united-states-secretary-of-defense","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/united-states-secretary-of-defense","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/united-states-secretary-of-defense","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/united-states-secretary-of-defense"},"relegenceId":3700733,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"United States Secretary of Defense","slug":"united-states-secretary-of-defense","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/united-states-secretary-of-defense"},{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">The crisis at the top of the Pentagon is just beginning - (DANGER. We are watching a slow moving Trump coup to defy the Biden election and refuse to leave office by diktat. Believe your eyes. This will be a test of our institutions.) https://t.co/fB7JNUz1fg
Barry R McCaffrey (@mccaffreyr3) November 11, 2020
Millers full comments can be read here.
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