Page 346 - Predecessors News Today

But, instead, hes playing politics. youre right. hes very sensitive to the integrity of his election even though compromised by russia. hes trying to undermine the 2018 elections by raising doubt as to whether russia is trying to tip the scales in favor of a party. its absurd the way he handles this. >> the president says hes been tougher on russia than any of his predecessors. abo if a bipartisan sanctions bim is placed on his desk, i assume hell sign it. the last was passed by the senate with ...

Regard to crimea. there was a third thing that happened. i dont know if its good or bad. the white house is decided to postpone the visit of president putin until after the first of the year. >> when i left my business it began to succeed, as well. so ill -- ill come down here. >> i think they wait until youre gone to make the decisions. no. i want to comment briefly on what you responded to. with senator coons on what tools to use with regard to pushing back on some of the interference and othe...

Very few americans heard anything except the argument that went on about a funding. now, i know the president believes, i know you believe and i believe, and i think most everyone believes that nato is the most successful military alliance in the history of the world. and as you pointed out, its certainly one of the pillars of our national security and one that we need to support and one that we need to work well. there are very few downsides of nato, but there is one blemish. and the president ...

Anything exempt the argument that went on about the -- about funding. i know the president believes and you believe and i believe and most everyone believes that nato is the most successful military alliance in the history of the world. as you pointed out, its certainly one of the pillars of our national security and one that we need to support and one that we need to work well. there are very few downsides of nato but there is one blemish. the president has underscored that publicly and well. h...

Any way. i mean, other than of course this breaks with norms, of course this is punitive, of course its political. its not like he was relying on these folks for any sort of intelligence. >> well, he may not have personally but -- >> that doesnt mean -- >> hold on, joe. >> yes. thats what i was going to say is that, you know, his -- he has many agencies and national security staff who may be relying on these people because remember their expertise is not just about this one russia investigation....

It is usually and expressly to help advise their successors. to help government in the future. i remember when i was in the white house, when i served at the homeland security adviser, i regularly called on my predecessors, who served in prior administrations, administrations from other parties, and i would call upon them in national security crises, in terrorism crises, or to help develop policy. and some of them did criticize the sitting administration. but you know what, john? i may have disa...

Know what hes talking about? >> melissa: nobody is partisan in that group. an earlier, speaker of the hospital ryan zinke doesnt take the threat to revoke security clearances very seriously. >> i think hes telling people. this is something that is in the purview of the executive branch. these people already lost their clearances. >> marie: them of the claims need seem to be based on classified information, but also point out that my kid and didnt work for barack obama, he worked for george w. bu...

>> its to benefit the country. its to benefit the current occupants of the leadership offices so they can call their predecessors and consult on complex and difficult issue that is the current holders may be facing. its done to support the country. whats crazy about this move by the president is that if he were to strip them of security clearances, it wouldnt hurt the former officials at all. most of them are doing things unrelated. it would hurt the currency agencies and its part of a long prac...

People, you look at what is happened, take a look at all the shannangans that has gone on, hard to have confidence in that group. >> which leads us to our pane. . jeremy, because you are the former fed here, i would like -- like to begin with you, why do we offer security clearances to former very senior ranking intelligence officials including but not limited to our former cia directors once they have left office? >> its to benefit the country, its to benefit the current occupants of the leader...

>> joe, i would add to the list just yesterday the trump organization announced a new $196 million investment in one of its golf clubs in scotland north of aberdeen. eric trump who runs the organization now said the time is right for us. perhaps because the president of the united states is, sits where he sits and its good for business. richard haass, all that hypocrisy joe laid out is there and good to remind people of all that. back to the claim initially made by sarah sanders yesterday that j...