he's not asking for something unlawful or unethical or illegal. so you want to try to support that. but you also want to, you know, if you can, maintain the proper sort of distance. i'm not suggesting they are sending substitutes because they don't want to go. i'm told they do have scheduling conflicts. but he is putting them in a difficult spots. he wants each to approach and stand with him as they fly over, again, wrapping it around them like it is his military. it's not. it's the american people's. >> there is this lack of leadership. it habs topsy toughery since james mattis resigned in protest. and patrick shanahan took over. since january, we have seen how that changed in recent days. we have mark esper taking over. it does come at an interesting time in leadership. it is interesting to think of what mattis would do if he had been at d.o.d. >> he slow rolled it. >> i do think this will play