On January 8, 2021, the same day Milley reportedly spoke to China in a secret phone call, CNN ran a story claiming Pelosi had gotten assurances from Milley there are safeguards in place in the event President Trump wants to launch a nuclear weapon. Milley released a statement through a spokesman that confirmed the reporting in the book Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa that stated Milley had two conversations with his counterpart in the Chinese military that UNDERMINED President Trump.