Biden White House considering pre-emptive pardon for retired general who made secret phone calls to China: report

Senior White House officials are reportedly considering issuing a pre-emptive pardon to retired Gen. Mark Milley, amid concerns that President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration may target the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The potential pardon for Milley, who served as the nation's highest-ranking military officer during part of Trump's first term, was reported by the Washington Post on Thursday. Milley, 66, faced significant scrutiny during President Biden's first year in office following revelations from journalist Bob Woodward. Milley had placed secret phone calls to a senior Chinese official before the 2020 election and after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. During a September 2021 congressional testimony, Milley confirmed he had called Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People’s Liberation Army, assuring him that the U.S. would give advance warning in the event of an attack on China during the final days of Trump’s presidency.

Milley explained that the calls were made due to U.S. intelligence indicating that China feared an imminent strike, and he wanted to reassure them. In response, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who was Trump's pick to head the State Department, called for Milley’s removal, accusing him of trying to “actively undermine the sitting Commander in Chief.”

Trump later criticized Milley on Truth Social, calling his actions "treasonous" and suggesting the penalty for such an offense in the past would have been death.

The president-elect also claimed that Milley had failed to inform him about the calls to China. Milley, however, has consistently maintained that his actions were neither inappropriate nor treasonous.

Milley is one of several officials under consideration for pre-emptive pardons from Biden before he leaves office next month. Others include former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Dr. Anthony Fauci. These discussions have been reported by Politico, which also revealed that White House counsel Ed Siskel and chief of staff Jeff Zients are considering these pardons to protect the individuals from potential future investigations or indictments.

It remains unclear whether President Biden is involved in these deliberations or has taken a stance on the matter. The White House has not yet responded to The Post’s request for comment.