The acknowledgment during a press beating Thursday on the way back from a trip to Nebraska, Tennessee and Colorado, was one of a number of astonishing statements by the man who chose President Donald Trump to take over the post just over two months ago .
The comments come on the same day as the Pentagon said at least 21,000 National Guards were being mobilized in Washington, DC, amid security concerns surrounding next week’s inauguration following the deadly riots at the Capitol.
Miller was asked about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), a fifth-generation fighter considered the most expensive weapons program in history used by the air force, marines and navy. After explaining that the question is about the F-35 and not about another weapon system, Miller begins his answer by saying, “I so … I mean, I can not wait to leave this job, believe me. “
After that, he apparently downplayed the latest American fighter jet, which cost a program of more than $ 1 trillion, and said, ‘Yesterday we said to a guy, a lieutenant colonel or colonel,’ what are you flying? ” F-35 ‘said,’ I was like it was a piece of … and he was like … and he was laughing, and I was like, ‘No seriously, tell me about it. ‘
“I’m like, we created a monster, but you know it,” he concluded.
Miller was also asked what he had learned about Russian activities under the threshold of the war. “Good for them” was his surprising response.
“I know, like professionals, like: wow, it’s going pretty well and they use a lot of irregular warfare concepts, information, all this stuff, in a way you know, like … good for them,” he said.
The transcript does not make clear which news outlets Miller joined in his journey or who asked the questions.
A defense official who traveled with Miller said: ‘The secretary often uses casual and humorous language with reporters and staff while traveling. The feature is not well conveyed in a written transcript, but was clear to the participants. ‘
When asked what he would like to see from Northern Command next week, Miller gave a convoluted response that sometimes seems incoherent. “Uh, I should have looked the commander in the eye, because the president, SecDef, I … I, whatever the correct English is, you can clean it up. Maybe you should have paid more attention in high school. My wife will ashamed of it because I do not know the right preposition – and then, uh General VanHerck. ‘all day, you know, but you want to look the guy in the eye and get a feel for his soul, and I think he probably should have done the same for me,’ Miller said.
Miller continued the withdrawal in Afghanistan, despite the National Defense Act banning the use of Pentagon funds to remove troops without a congressional review. Trump has renounced restrictions on reducing troops in the “national security interests of the United States,” said Major Rob Lodewick, a Pentagon spokesman.
This story has been updated with additional comments from Miller and background.