Had Editorial Board has taken the rare step of calling on the white house chief of staff to apologize to a member of congress. And now for five days in a row the president s handling of the families of fallen american soldiers has been at the center of the news. A continuing story of the president s own making. The president has now spoken for the first time about his comments the chief of staff made in the White House Briefing room yesterday. Four star retired marine general john kelly was moved to discuss publicly something that is intensely personal for him, his sons death in afghanistan, just to stress how sacred that topic should be. Now in a new interview the president is talking about it again. He was so offended because he was in the room when i made the call. And so were other people. And the call was a very nice call. He was so offended that a woman would be that somebody would be listening to that call. He was he actually couldnt believe it. Actually, he said to me, sir, this is not acceptable. This is really not and he knew i was so nice. I was look, ive called many people, and i would think that every one of them appreciated it. In his Briefing Room remarks this week, general kelly also criticized Florida Democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson. Kelly said he had seen her speak two years ago at the dedication of a new Fbi Field Office named for two lauchlt officers killed in a fire fight. He accused her of self agrandizing in the speech, saying she talked about how she called president obama to get funding for the building. Kelly said he was stunned by it. Called her an empty barrel making noise. But a local newspaper today shared the video of the entire speech. You can find it, watch it all on the internet. She speaks efuse civil about Law Enforcement, at one point asking all Law Enforcement officers present to stand and be sa lutd. She praises democrats and republicans. She asks the audience to repeat after her the motto of the fbi, fidelity, bravery, and integrity. And she receives a standing ovation. In light of the fact that we can now see the whole speech, today reporters asked White House Press secretary Sarah Huckabee sanders whether kelly stood by his statement . General kelly said he was stunned that representative wilson made comments at a building dedication honoring slain fbi agents about her own actions in congress, including lobbying former president obama on legislation. As general kelly pointed out, if youre able to make a sacred act like honoring american heroes all about yourself youre an empty barrel. In fact, have you seen the speech . I have. And thenup that most of it was her efuse civil praising these fbi agent and when she was talking about what she did in congress, she was not talking about getting security for 20 million. She was talking about naming the building for those fbi agent who she then went on to efuse civil praise and that was the bulk of the speech. She also mention that had and she also had quite a few comments that day that werent part of that speech and video that were also witnessed by many people that were there. What general kelly referenced yesterday. Tell us specifically. He said there was a lot of grandstanding. He was stunned that she had taken that opportunity to make it about herself. Will he come out here and talk to us i think he addressed the facts thoroughly yesterday. No. He was wrong yesterday. If you want to go after general kelly, thats up to you, but i think that if you want to get into a debate with a four star marine general, i think that thats something highly inappropriate. Remember, that comment right there. A few hours later after facing criticism about saying reporters should not debate generals, the white house put out this statement. Quote, of course everyone can be questioned, but after witnessing general kellys heart felt and somber account, we should all be able to agree that impugning his credibility on how best to honor Fallen Heroes is not appropriate. Today the white house also criticized the media for continuing to talk about this story. You guys are the ones talking a lot about that story, and he felt it was important to address you and all of america directly. This story has been given an eformous amount of coverage over the last 48 hours, and he thought it was important that people got a full and accurate picture of what took place. It should have ended yesterday after general kellys comments. But it didnt. It continued. And its still continuing today. It continues in large part because just a few hours after kelly finished in the Briefing Room, the president wrote this on twitter just before 11 00 at night. The fake news is going crazy with whacky congresswoman wilson, a democrat, who was secretly on a very personal call and gave a total lie on content. And tonight as we mentioned the Washington Post he had Editorial Board is out with this, quote, john kelly owes the con woman an apology. Lets get to that with our lead off panel tonight. Mr. Rucker, ill read from your he had Editorial Board tonight, and as we said, this is dramatic. It is unfortunate that the sacrifice of brave people, such as the four soldiers killed in niger, can get over poured by the petition namecalling of politics. That is a point mr. Kelly was trying to make thursday and that he undercut with his misrepresentation of ms. Wilson. He needs to set the record straight. Philip, how did this go so wrong . Let me just start by pointing out to the viewers that dont know the ins and outs of the newspaper business that im a reporter, not part of the he had Editorial Board. Yes. Forgive me. No. Thats correct. Theres a wall between the two, ideally. This all went wrong starting monday afternoon when the president made this an issue and began to politicize this incident in niger where four soldiers were killed. The president had been silent for 12 Straight Days about that. And immediately, you know, began an astack basically on president obama. It spierld out of control for this white house for five Straight Days. And i think yesterday chief of staff john kelly wanted to use his credibility as a battlefield commander, as somebody who had lost his own son to war to come out and try to put an end to this story, but he did not get his facts straight. He misrepresented what congresswoman wilson did in florida and that has just compounded the problems for this administration. Philip, ive watched this story covered on television. Weve been part of it now for five days, and ive heard over and over and over that the white house has a tool in its toolbox to stop this and other issues before they become a weeklong story, and that is to take the high road and end it. In this case again the road not taken . Thats right. But this is a president who hasnt ever really taken the high road when these controversies come up. He always want to fight back. He always wants to defend hills, pounce on whoever he thinks his enemy of the moment might be. And in this case his enemy is frederica will sop, the congresswoman from florida, who is not only the representative of the Johnson Family which lost this young man in africa, but he was a mentor in her program. She was a family friend. She knew this family very well, and thats one of the reasons that she felt so compelled to come out and speak up about it. Hey, eugene, your headline nicely makes up my next question. My first to you. What john kelly got wrong about representative Frederica Wilson and the Johnson Family. Can you share with our viewers the short version . Yeah. Absolutely. This is a story about identity and how we view people. And i think the general communicated that he was stunned that a member of congress would participate in this phone call. And i think what he left out for people is that representative wilson is not primarily a member of congress to the Johnson Family. Shes known them for decades. She was the principal of Sergeant Johnsons fathers school. Sergeant johnson and two of his brothers were in her mentor ship program. Shes very much like family to them. She referred to him as her son. And so she wasnt listened to the phone daul as a lawmaker. She was listening to the phone call as a family friend, if not even a family member. And i think what it got to, what i tried to get to is the idea that for Many Americans family is a far broader concept that maybe the nuclear traditional family ideas that we see perhaps championed by general kelly. In his attempt to discredit her he ended up telling a story that wasnt even true and more importantly had absolutely nothing to do with why these four men are in niger. And here we are on a friday night and were still talking about it. Shannon, there was general kelly in the Briefing Room and i think it was Nicolle Wallace who said this week he can only do this once. He put the full weight of his emotion as a gold star father, his moral authority, the stars that used to rest on his shoulders, and yet tonight here he is kind of the story. Right. I imagine he wanted anything but to be the story. Of course. At the beginning of this week when we set off on this week on monday. When you look at companies and how they handle Crisis Communications and situations like this and president trump, a businessman, he was going to run the white house. Hes going to run the country like a business. I covered companies for a long time before this white house gig. I could not imagine a company handling crisis communication like this. You get your facts straight. If youre going to respond, if youre going to send someone out to respond, know its going to fan the flames. Its going to drag the story on a day longer and you have to have that statement sealed air tight. You cant come out and make a even the tiniest error because it will fan the flames, exacerbate the story. Sarah sanders has been doing communications, politics, campaigns, pretty much her whole life because of the work she did coming out with her father. But from a pr dmuks standpoint, if you talk to people who do corporate pr, they will tell you theyve done everything wrong this week to make this story drag out for such a long period of time. Philip rucker, youre the White House Bureau chief for the Washington Post. And when you hear from the podium the notion that a retired four star marine general ought not to be questioned on Something Like this, what does that do to you . Its pretty chilling. I was watching that press Conference Today and couldnt believe what Sarah Sanders said and its worth noting that she did come out with that statement to try to clarify it a little bit. There are two problems with that statement. One is that even if he were a military official it is our job as journalists to ask questions of every public official, whether theyre in the military or the government as a civilian of the but secondly, he was not speaking yesterday in the capacity as a general. He was speaking as the white house chief of staff, as effectively a political staff trying to help his boss, the president , get out of a Public Relations crisis. Eugene, it strikes me that here we are having the discussion all around this issue once again. Its been reduced to this wordy keep hearing this keep is obscene. This is an obscene turn for a conversation that should be about our brave americans willing to put on the uniform and go all over the world for their country. We have these four returning veterans who didnt make it. Tell us a couple more things about Sergeant Johnson so we can try to make this a little more about him. Absolutely. I mean, he was married to his High School Sweetheart who was pregnant and unfortunately was the mother of two other young kids, a sixyearold and i believer take twoyearold boy as well. He was really into popping wheel i didnt see on bikes when he was a kid. Just a very active young man. And just very much involved in trying to figure out how he could serve his country and give back to his community. And thats why he got involved in the 5,000 Role Models Program that the representative founded. And thats why he got involved in the mail terry. And so this whole story is about him and his service and his sacrifice in this war, in this area that so few americans are even aware of. And not just americans, i mean, we even saw senator john mccain communicate that he has been made insufficiently aware of the intelligence as to why Sergeant Johnson was there. And so i think its so important to focus on him, this young man who gave his life to fight for freedom. And the military, a community that the president says he honors very much. And thank you for that, eugene. Hes also being laid to rest tomorrow in a military funeral s correct is this. Yes. Absolutely. Okay. Shannon, one more question. And it is useful that you have covered other disciplines in life prior to this, because this may speak to had that. Is there a broader lesson here on the people who are drawn into the center of this administration on what can happen to people who find themselves working for this administration. Well, if you think youre not going to be part of the story, you are going to be part of the story. Everyone in this inner circle of this president is under an immense skut any, is a huge piece of attention. You know, we just saw the sort of fan domestic around sean spicer or steve bannon. Theres so much interest and attention on this administration that those in the inner circle, they have a spotlight on them. And it seems like nine months in they should have learned this now, but facts matter. The media, we will hold them account alk when the fights arent right, we will question them on it. We will race those points. If they dont want the conversation to continue down that path, get the facts straight, and we wont keep asking about them. I guess those would be my lessons at 11 00 on friday after a week lining every like this. I get it. And i hope our viewers note just how much these three print journals have added to our discussion. Appreciate it very much. As we approach our first break tonight, still ahead, was the ambush that killed these four u. S. Soldiers in africa due at least in part to this quote were hearing about a massive intelligence failure. Plus the white house says its highly inappropriate as weve been reporting to question a retired four star general. Up next, well ask a retired four star general what he thinks about that when the 11th hour continues on a friday night. Hi, im the internet you know whats difficult . Adulting. Tj get a job hi, guys. Im back. Time to slay heals, heals, heals yes youuuu no, i have a long time girlfriend. Mom i need my macaroni you know whats easy . Building your website with godaddy. Pick a domain name. Choose a design. You can build a website in under an hour. Yeah whoo yes get your domain today and get a free trial of gocentral. Build a better website in under an hour. Throughout history, the one meal when we come together, break bread, share our day and connect as a family. [ bloop, clicking ] and connect, as a family. Just, uh one second voice guy. [ bloop ] huh . Hey . I paused it. Bam, family time. So how is everyone . Find your awesome with xfinity xfi and change the way you wifi. Alright, looks like weve got chips, ppretzels retzels . Plain, sourdough, spicy, sesame, chocolate covered, Peanut Butter filled, plain. Great. So what are we gonna watch . Oh show me fall tv. Only xfinity x1 brings you the best hand selected picks this fall. Do you want to go after general kelly, thats up to you, but i think that that if you want to get into a debate with a fourstar marine general, i think thats something highly inappropriate. White House Press SecretarySarah Huckabee sanders introducing this notion that generals, retired generals, even retired generals working in a political capacity as a civil servant, as chief of staff in the trump white house, shouldnt be questioned, that that would somehow be inappropriate or as eli stocky else of the wall street journal put it. White house just implied that kellys rank and military service should deter the media from questioning the chief of staff. Lets ask a retired fourstar general, shall we . Barry mccaffrey. Also with us, political analyst steve submit a veteran of the Bush White House and the mccain campaign. General, i dont mean to put you on the spot. I know its a Small Community of active and retired fourstar generals, but are we allowed to disagree with you . Do you get any of that at home . Well, i dont encourage it personally, brian, but i think, you know, when it comes to the serious question of by the way, i was a retired fourstar working in the clinton administration, in the white house, ran a 200 person agency. Took some serious shots out of the political system. And so general kelly obviously is subject not just as a white house chief of staff but as a serving military officer to being questioned by the media, the congress, the court system. Of course. Its a democracy under the rule of law. But it sounded there briefly like there was a desire for us to be a country where people dont disagree with generals. And ooing youve gone to war against a couple of those in your lifetime. Yeah. No. That was a foolish statement on the part of the White House Press secretary. Its ridiculous. This has been a terrible week for general kelly. He got his facts wrong on this congresswoman. He got angry. I think hes extremely fra