Page 35 - General Mcmaster News Today

Joining me now is the man behind that op-ed, thomas ricks, the pulitzer prize winning former reporter for "the wall street journal" and "the washington post," and we should note the author of the book "churchill & orwell: the fight for freedom." great to have you here this evening. >> thank you. >> you wrote this op-ed. it is somewhat unusual in its advice on substance and certainly in its style. what are you trying to get across? >> well, i agree with everything you said in your introduction ex...

What if he is replaced by a right wing extremist who operates on an alternative set of facts? so much the better, i say. and here is why, the author writes. the saving grace of donald trump as president is his incompetence. he knows almost nothing of how the federal government works. joining me now is the man behind that op-ed, thomas ricks, the pulitzer prize winning former reporter for "the wall street journal" and "the washington post," and we should note the author of the book "churchill & o...

And he has strip mined hr mcmasters credibility. >> you make such an important point there. it is obviously the opposite of the conventional wisdom in so much of washington. before we let you goes, have to talk about the godfather. in explaining your logic, you say think of it this way. which would be a more dangerous, a mafia family oveeen by the cruel and inmpetent michael corleone, or one let by hi ineffectual brother fredo. so i say let donald be donald. explain. >> i mean, donald trump is a...

Spokesman for the president. his job is not to protect donald trump. its to protect the country. remember, this is a guy who is still on active duty, in uniform. he is subject to the uniform code of military justice. and he is not behaving as the very good national security advisers of the past have. for example, brent scowcroft. you didnt see him go out and speak on behalf of the presidents he worked for. he did his job as national security adviser. so i think -- i used to believe in the adults...

Advisers of the past have. for example, brent scowcroft. you didnt see him go out and speak on behalf of the presidents he worked for. he did his job as national security adviser. so i think -- i used to believe in the adults in the room theory because i thought it was good to have good people around to contain trump. ive stopped believing that really from watching general mcmaster over the last couple of weeks. we hasnt improved trump particularly. trump is being trump. what has happened is tha...

World. general mcmaster in particular has played a key role on all of this. brought on as a well regarded national security adviser after mike flynn had to go. he has been forced lately to defend everything from trumps embrace of autocrats to jared kushners supposed alleged attempt to have a secret back channel with russia. and that sense that this highly respected adult in the room is now towing the line for the trump administration led to an op-ed of its own. and it is a doozy entitled general...

Congress what he knows about the meetings, he will do the same if contacted and connected with any court. >> did the president discuss it. >> i am not getting into what the president did discuss. your question assumes facts that are not substantiated by anything but anonymous sources so far being leaked out. >> did he approve of action? >> youre asking if he approves of an action that is not a confirmed action. that said, i think secretary kelly, general mcmaster both discussed in general terms ...

Anonymous sources tweeting out. lets begin there. dana bash, let me begin with you. weve got gloria, steve hall, david chalian. dana, to you first. on the question of jared kushner, didnt get very far. he shot that down. >> he did. i think that this new war room or whatever it is, this machine moving in to better help answer questions, i should not say better. i should say more effectively answer questions, from their perspective, seems to be churning and that answer on kushner was probably exhi...

Supports the freedom of expression. we support that. >> when you say that youre going to try to defeat isis and al qaeda, what are you doing to eliminate the abject property that is the breeding ground for the terrorists? >> as weve mentioned before, his national security team is putting together a holistic solution to defeating isis. when that strategy is complete, well have information for you on that. >> you said that a back channel is an appropriate part of diplomacy. >> i didnt say that. i ...

How is it that its appropriate for someone who is a private citizen, not sworn in as an official of the u.s. government, to conduct any kind of negotiation or diplomacy with a foreign official? >> again, i would just refer you to the comment of secretary kelly, general mcmaster said about how they can be an imrtant tool in diplomacy. >> today white house press secretary sean spicer facing sharp questions about reports that president trumps son-in-law and top advisor jared kushner considered sett...