A nonprofit nonpartisan place that has independent thinkers. So to sit here at new america and help to design the organization itself. It is not an exaggeration to say that they have done more in this last year that we have accomplished in a lifetime. As a filmmaker and bestselling author. You can see trump and his generals of what new america is. So not only to think independently, its almost for the country right now thats how it struck me. So right now and give you a chance to ask questions and then give you a little time for a book signing so with that with the unconventional questions so you say in the beginning that i am a former Government Official and with the assistant secretary so looking from the other side and to have their own agenda so can you walk us through particularly the situation you are writing about is unfolding in real time. Thank you for hosting this event. So you make mistakes all the time. And previously i want to know everything. Then youll never miss the book. And at that turn point if im dealing with the Trump Administration in some way. So to give you an idea what its like to be an author. Sometimes you can spend two days preparing for an interview and talking to somebody and to hang out with them. It is one sentence in the book. So it is a book about isys as a former editor of mine said ray dont you write about the National Security team. And those that really help me to help me with those big issues so everybody has an agenda. And it is a false standard. And thats a different issue than productivity. And then to be in a position many people i know voted for President Trump. So that is on my shoulder when i was writing about this. And then to work in a senior position for the president he is a good piece of work and i am happy about that. And to say i hate trump or i love trump that is a complicated figure and people would be canceling their amazon order. Trying to turn it to consequential. And i could just go on. And then to interpret that from other people. So what you are actually trying to say. With the similarity of the book between President Trump and president obama with the differences of china and iran and how they approached and those that come outside of the mainstream of the party the machine candidate wins. So barack obama and President Trump they both see themselves to get out of america. And in fact it is so fascinating. Job is exactly the same position obama was in at the end of his tenure in 2008. The exact same number of troops in afghanistan we will take 4000 out and then its around 8000 for what he inherited from obama that both president s wanted to get out and when they do the math and have the iraq 2001 with that situation but basically the special Operations Forces , they havent made a major unforced air one erro error. And the senior director for counterterrorism and was held over and this is very honorable for our National Security decisionmaking and with the counterterrorism to be held over by obama and those that are at the Mccain Institute and those by the trump team by obama so to see that terrorism sphere. So there is a consensus of the terrorism. And that he is with that departure. But the second bush term is different like the secret prisons closed 2006 with the Supreme Court ruling. That second inaugural addres address. Yes. By the end of the second bush term so the trump team has dialed back very low compared to what obama had. Thats one thing i wanted to mention to you. That you are a journalist and it shows you are a reporter. But you are also a researcher so also the fact that you can do research on domestic terrorism so that does affect a little bit where you take issue for what is said and done in this administration. We did some in particular to conduct terrorist attacks conducted by a saudi citizen in a travel ban country this is the first time there was an attack since 9 11. So the travel ban says this is a solution that people are coming out to say that they have legal permanent residents so it made no sense. Then i get into it in some detail and there was some political pressure from the Trump White House to come up with the intelligence to show that the tele band countries are really a problem and that wasnt the case. Jim matus said that iraq was leading the charge against isys and attorney general sessions said you wanted iraq to remain on the list you wanted iraq to remain on the list. And that is a portrait of where mcmaster was recorded of quoting the battle in 2005 that then he has family in the United States now he cannot come back his own family and visit and then to really argue the case. They want that one. Because that is a good example you call access to the right. And you also talk about you also show between 2017 and 2019 the former general mattis john kelly and general dunford and although not a general officer, when they were there , basically they numbered successes, basically they numbered successes look at 2017 it is much better than it was then right now. Trump actually to his credit set off operations against isys changed the authorities and then to be micromanaged and also live cap on the troops and then we have three helicopters to have any coverage at all. To leah lend support on the kurds and to have debated that for so long by the time they found that exclusion they knew they violated the terms. So there was a small american of Ground Forces if you got that right you also with the use of chemical weapons china i think you know that when historians write the history even if the tactics on trade have been questionable it is the Defense Strategy of matters on general mattis that china has to go with the South China Sea and with that they have more freedom of navigation. And to take a more respectful line with the chinese. Thats the right approach. Trump gave a well received speech on the majority country a iran it was minus the iran bashing. And it hasnt benefited any of them. And those diminishing returns are clear. And we need a book. Talking about the administration and not the book. [laughter] and clearly not a fan of President Trump. And then with the political people. And then to have successful post careers lined up. So why did they do this quex. But trump did not hide who he was. In fact john kelly has said not only did he not know trump he didnt know anybody who knew trump. Rex to listen is very religious and basically his wife said god is speaking to us and has a pla plan. But on the military side the commanderinchief. But he was in the process of retiring. I think there is another important factor here and another interesting the second secret choice of defense the first is Stanley Mcchrystal and then they wanted to talk about secretary of defense. Although he was already effectively the National Security advisor. And his staff talk to a reporter about president obama. Bed statement of obama appointed secretary of energy. But that didnt work out. They are not used to be considered for the secretary of defense. They said are you sure . [laughter] and mcchrystal says yes i am sure and basically he privately thought trump was ignorant since he has come out and said that publicly. Then for trias as the shadow National Security advisor is asked if he would do the job and he said no i cant do it. And then jim matus november 18 on Washington State said i am giving this on volunteering this feedback can i call you back . But two days later they have differences and with the campaign trail mattis said you could get more information but that makes no sense at all. The edgy hottie parents are not sitting down for beer. So trump was excited by that and then sources said what you said publicly to be the most successful alliance in history and that disagreement with the to the resignation. And a number of those markers are places mattis on general mattis refused. That is not normal. Use of my career at the pentagon and the pentagon is very good and is not all for bad reasons. And then to come back as a Political Risk . So its not all for bad reasons but that level is not common and there was a fabulous review from the Washington Post that the biggest question is how do you feel about that. And as president. You may feel but what about the next president that we feel more confident about quick. Thats a great question. So the group on the book is ultimately about the military relations and it is paradox it is baked into all of this that the generals have to give the best military advice. And then they can do whatever they want but if President Trump says everybody has to dress as big bear today they have to do it. There are all kinds of regulations. [laughter] [laughter] just because you can do something doesnt mean that you should. Look at the policies of the special operation guys and mostar veterans and with trump as commander in chief and to have some very interesting questions and hr mcmaster there was a phd history piece but the whole point of the book is the generals did not give Lyndon Johnson what he needed to win the war. Johnson didnt want to hear that military advice to have a Pressure Campaign against the north vietnamese and then tried to win the war and then the war was not one. So there is a difficulty in the relationship but with general mattis that was a slow roll when he was asked to do south korea and the military options in 2017 you cannot have a wargame without war powers. And general mattis with his rhetoric he is a belly lawn he is a bully. Lets put it that way. But that doesnt transfer and our allies with the european diplomat yesterday and now we dont even Pay Attention so they are starting their own enrichment. And then it usually happens on holidays in august. One of the other things and that it is good at managing so theres those institutions that were built and you do talk a lot about the government and the deep state and where the bureaucracy that you point to. The example is pompeo with the cia and has been regarded with that for a letter explanation of how he behaved he was not particularly liked. He liked the fact he did not subscribe to the russian idea and did not promote in the election when he was at cia. And then a conventional cia director and that they shouldnt really have them. And the source of the method they put on at the white house and that they can share intelligence with us at a certain level with that relationship between putin and trump. So im quoting people at the agency. So one thing that has struck me and that can help with this is that we have an unwritten constitution but as i am thinking about the book and then to say with the Intelligence Community and there is a set of norms that are the defining features and then to be not far from here on capitol hill are on the hills of congress. Is not a particularly paralyzed moment with civil war and the conflict of the seventies. I dont think we have that bad behavior but the cold war in the sense united especially when it comes to foreignpolicy security and then after 9 11 even with those approval ratings. And then with that consensus. One is the financial crisis the other is the iraq war. But that turns out to be very expensive and then for the common man. And then not to be ready for this discussion but and then to have ideas about these issues. So there are answers to these questions. I didnt appreciate how much of the system is not statutory. When People Choose not to do things and with the way we want our government it does not happen. So its hard to remember whats on every page but this really caught my attention. And then to keep hundreds of american soldiers in syria. And those that are outside the system, so talk about the team that could have the direct influence. And then to grow up in the projects and with the cheapest and with the secretary of defense and then to be directly on television on fox and then to save you really want the North Koreans to get their attention then with the servicemembers families and then to get the oval office and the white house because the North Koreans really do believe we will go to war. And that will create a big crisis. But hes not part of this. But in 2007 a fascinating story how it can really make a difference so with the National Security council that what to do with iraq and with the surge but basically they told trump put the tray is in charge and have a surge so there was all of this influence that was one of the reasons behind the surge and then also ordered to go into the oval office so in context december 2018 in syria everybody in his own cabinet so now he knows hes this kind a guy and rolled out a map and says look. This is like the National Security council stuff. And also her erdogan with the control. And he will listing one dash listen to you if youre giving them new information. If its the same people to do out. Tune you out. So then three months later they talk about pulling out in this inconsistent inconsistency and something i do say in the book which i do think it is true look back at fdr to have a major foreignpolicy crisis like the return of the iron curtain going down in europe and 9 11 are the great financial crisis so trump hasnt had this type of crisis now based on his past behavior i would say what we know about him is not a totally accurate picture but use the American Power but he hasnt had a major foreignpolicy crisis. He has consistent inconsistency for our allies our enemies alike to know what our redlines are. And you cannot count on that. I get advice from the publicist so theres a great scene in the book with Angela Merkel and trump is incensed that they are in agreement every country should spend 2 percent by 2024. So they give up the invoice to get to Angela Merkel. And said germans dont always 600 million either trump misunderstands this but the allies ripping us off if you take out a fullpage ad in the New York Times that they need to pay down her federal debt so it is and obsession with him and our enemies in some way ultimately what they did and if you look at hr mcmaster speech with the question we just indicted 12 Russian Military officers to sabotage the president ial election 2016. And then to show proof. And then a few months before and have a view of the world and i open the book with this amazing meeting and the pentagon opened in 1943 so after fdr and George Marshall plan and that is the presidency and all the way. And its not what we are doing in the world and what are the trade agreements or the posturing of the aircraft carriers and then to give the laydown and talking about the trade agreements that the International Order is much larger in our favor that republicans and democrats agree and have made sense. And then to show how overextended and committed we are and then to say you are up against us. And then to say the globalist he has a bunch of things i cannot say on cspan and then the chinese deficits mean something why do we continue never winning wars and then to become chairman of the joint chiefs and the meeting is widely regarded as being a complete fiasco and Jared Kushner and writes previous that this was lincoln and his generals that is the comparison for the war was not being one so talking about what this presidency would be about. So there are other ways of doing business. So those in the National Security council so basically ask a set of questions so in afghanistan these are not unreasonable questions so although there is a lot of consensus with republicans and democrats on the National Security side so the fact he does that is not bad but then to do things that i say in the book trump is trying to conflate the endless wars so for instance in afghanistan right now another interesting point you could imagine that policy where we keep relative special forces in those numbers with the casualties in the amount of money is not that much nobody wants to buy Life Insurance but that is the context. So it is under this experiment. And then the chaos that ensues. So in 1989 to defeat the soviets and say goodbye then al qaeda came but that doesnt mean the war is over. And then it was founded as the anti empire and then the languages over six months and then the Attention Span is limited so its hard for us to have a consistent policy but there is a common sense approach the democrat or republican president of the future to sign on to with a mission that does not involve the United States. One thing i think is fascinating is how well his campaign was conducted if you think so Many American soldiers died in that fight thats 11002 many bet 11000 kurds died. So im saying this is one of the most successful in iraq and syria that we have conducted sometimes we forget we can do things successfully. So it is a pretty effective military course that we help to create. So with the National Security with that consensus because not a lot has been tried trying to figure out what works and afghanistan all these years but it is a fair point but to be so strong mainstream. And the criticism. And then we need to have National Security. I dont know if this president is helping us with his goals are the way he conducts himself with our