Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued an apology to Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff for a joke at his expense.
When he saw Schiff’s name on the guest list at a change of command ceremony on Thursday for the Defense Intelligence Agency, Milley quipped, “I wasn’t sure if it was gonna be a hearing or an indictment.”
Schiff did not attend, according to Stars and Stripes, but Milley issued an apology on Monday to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
“Today I spoke with the Honorable Representative Adam Schiff and apologized for a comment I made, in jest, during opening remarks at the DIA change of command,” he said. “My comments were in no way meant to be offensive.”
A spokesperson for the congressman told Politico that Schiff “appreciated the call, and looks forward to continuing to work with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Department of Defense.”
Schiff, a California Democrat, has emerged as a leading critic and investigator of the Trump administration, ranging from allegations of collusion with Russia and the Ukraine-focused impeachment investigation that got President Trump impeached by the Democratic-led House and acquitted by the GOP-controlled Senate.
