american. he's giving some of his best tickets to the event to his political donors right there that draws into question what his motivation is. >> do you think some of the military leaders showing a lack of strength, dare i say, because there's obviously some major reservations leaking out from the military side on this? but they're not saying anything publicly? perhaps because this is something relatively new. there is an opportunity to step back and assert their military independence. >> there is a line there. the president is the commander in chief of the military. >> so they have to do what he says? >> right. it would be traditional for them to express their reservations behind closed doors and not do so publicly, but at the same time you don't have a secretary of defense, right? you don't have someone that's in that position of authority and power to push back against the president and i think that is one of the weaknesses of where we are at this moment in time. >> how might it affected their, you know, operational status though to really get involved in