National Security
Vindman: We can’t have Milley ‘acting without any oversight, exceeding his authority’
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman railed against Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley for “exceeding his authority.” Vindman appeared on CNN Tuesday to suggest that the President replace Milley with someone else entirely. Meanwhile, Vindman himself advocated to impeach then President Trump in early 2019.
“There’s no question about the fact there needed to be a better check on Donald Trump,” Vindman told host Chris Cuomo. “That should have occurred, frankly, on two occasions which the Senate should have held him accountable, following impeachment, removed him from office. That did not happen. That’s the way the system is supposed to work. Ultimately, the American public held the president accountable and removed him from office by voting in a new president.”
However, upon reports that Milley kept military weapons away from Trump, Vindman sounded an alarm. “What we can’t have is we can’t have senior military officer acting without any oversight, exceeding his authorities, without civilian control,” Vindman said. “This is a sacrosanct principle. What happens in a different situation the chairman of the joint chiefs acts in what he believes is his best interests? We find ourselves in a slippery slope.”
Therefore, Vindman went on to call for Milley’s replacement. “Simply put, even if he did this for the right reasons, he did the wrong thing. Now he is toxic,” he said. “What’s clear to me is frankly Chairman Milley is tainted . . . There are better candidates to run the military. Folks that are less polarizing. I don’t think we need one that has so much baggage at the moment.”
This reported oversight comes from Bob Woodward and Robert Costa’s book “Peril.” It will be released September 21st.
You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.
What was supposed to be a hearing on the Secret Service agency’s failures leading to two assassination attempts against President-elect Trump, led to a shouting match on Capitol Hill. Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, “shouted at Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, after the GOP lawmaker lambasted the service for security lapses that made Trump a target of two failed shooting attempts” according to Fox News, which details:
The outburst happened after Fallon showed a picture of Presidents Biden and Trump at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony this year and suggested that as the Special Agent in Charge of that detail, Rowe should have been close enough to Biden to be in the picture. Rowe was not pictured.
“Who is usually at an event like this closest to the President of the United States?” Fallon asked, pointing at the photo. “Were you the special agent in charge of the detail that day?”
Rowe said the security detail was present but out of view of the camera. As he spoke, he became enraged and accused Fallon of using 9/11 for political purposes.
“That is the day where we remember more than 3,000 people that have died on 9/11. I actually responded to Ground Zero,” Rowe said. “I was there going through the ashes of the World Trade Center.”
“I’m not asking that, I’m asking you, if you were… were you the special agent in charge!?” Fallon interrupted, shouting at Rowe.
Rowe raised his voice in response. “I was there to show respect for a Secret Service member that died on 9/11!” he yelled back.
“Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe screamed at the lawmaker.
“I’m not,” Fallon fired back, as the committee chairman demanded order and banged his gavel.
“You are, sir. You are out of line, congressman!” Rowe fumed. “Way out of line.”
Fallon then accused Rowe of “playing politics” by refusing to answer his question.
“I am a public servant who has served this nation,” Rowe retorted, saying he served on the nation’s “darkest day.”
“You will not politicize it!” Rowe thundered.
WATCH EXCHANGE: FOX NEWS
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