Transcripts For WPVI This Week With George Stephanopoulos 20171022

Were running out of time. Is the window for diplomacy closing . Were on the flight deck of the uss reagan. In the sea of japan. Our exclusive look at the military buildup around the Korean Peninsula. And its a story ive been following for more than a decade. Uncommon valor was common that day. The 2004 battle in sadr city, iraq. The families and soldiers who sacrificed about to become a television miniseries. Were one on one with lead actor Michael Kelly. And the reallife inspirations behind a long road home. Action. From the white house to your house, we take on the moments that matter, this week. Good morning. As we come on the air this week, were seeing success in one war. With the defeat of isis in raqqa, syria. Preparations for what may be the war ahead, you see us there on the deck of the uss reagan. During an american show of force this week in the waters off korea. And an emotional war of words here at home. Sparked by debate over President Trumps phone calls to the families of the fallen. And to one widow in particular. The wife of a green beret killed in niger earlier this month. On tuesday, trump called the family of that fallen soldier. Sergeant la david johnson. A longtime family friend, democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson was also listening in. And said the family was not comforted. By the president s words. By thursday, chief of staff john kelly was in the Briefing Room defending the president. Kellys words were raw, emotional, and personal, as he spoke about the loss of his own son in afghanistan in 2010. Let me tell you what my best friend, joe dunford told me. He was my casualty officer. He said, kel, he was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into. By joining the that 1 . He knew what the possibilities were. Because were at war. If general kelly had stopped there, this debate would likely be over. As a nation, we almost certainly could have agreed to make those painfully intimate words the last words. Instead, using the language of a political operative, kelly then attacked that florida congresswoman, who had criticized the president. Accusing her of being disrespectful at a 2015 building dedication to fallen fbi agents. And the congresswoman, stood up. And in the long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there in all of that, and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building. And she just called out president obama and on that phone call, he gave the money, the 20 million to build the building. She sat down. The problem with that account, it just wasnt true. As video from the 2015 event shows, wilson using most of her remarks to pay tribute to the fallen. But instead of apologizing or correcting the record, the white house doubled down. If you want to get into a debate with a fourstar marine general, i think that thats something highly inappropriate. Sanders later said, anyone can be questioned. But her defense didnt sit well. Even among some of trumps allies. The White House Press secretary today said it was highly inappropriate to get in a debate with a fourstar general. Do you agree with that . No, not in america. But this did happen in america. And lets turn to another retired fourstar general, and former cia director, david petraeus. Good morning, general petraeus. Great to see you. Good to be with you, martha. Thanks. I want to start with what the white house said, about it being highly inappropriate to debate a fourstar general. I think were all fair game. And i certainly experienced lots of that, in testimony on capitol hill during the surge in iraq and subsequent endeavors in Afghanistan Central command and so forth. We, in uniform, do protect the rights of others to criticize us. I remember opening the New York Times at the sixmonth mark on the surge. A fullpage ad attacking me personally. I didnt appreciate it, needless to say. I remember it. It said, general betray us. Yes. But at the end of the day, were fiercely protective of the rights of our americans to express themselves. And even if that includes criticizing us. And general, you saw the emotional response that john kelly had about the gold star family and the call the president made. But he also had very harsh words about congresswoman wilson. Is that appropriate . Especially given that he was wrong . Well, this is obviously an unfortunate situation. We need to unite behind our gold star families, to embrace them with compassion and support. Not to drag them into partisan politics. Sadly this is a bit symptomatic of what i think is afflicting our country right now. Arguably, the most important threat the United States faces is not russia, iran, north korea, chinese competition, or isis. Its parochialism here at home. Especially in this city. Which is preventing us from resolving issues that could allow us to capitalize on extraordinary opportunities. America is leading the world in the i. T. Revolution, life sciences, energy. Manufacturing. We need to relearn the word of compromise. We need to take the volume down. Look, i know john kelly very, very well. He was a tremendous division commander. A twostar commander in the second half of the surge. Served with him subsequently in other positions. I have to think that this weekend, hes sitting at home or in the white house, trying to figure out how to turn down the volume. How to get this behind us. And how to focus on what really is important to the country over all. But he didnt do that this week. I want to go back to that. He didnt do that this week. And he has been seen as you say, as this voice of reason in the white house. But did he lose some of that authority by joining this political fight . Again, my hope is that the john kelly that we all know and respect enormously, whose family, obviously, experienced that personal loss of a service member, of their son. The last full measure of devotion as Abraham Lincoln termed it. Went through that. And i just have to think, hes thinking, how can we turn down the volume . How can we move forward . And how can we focus the administration and the country on the issues that are preventing us from capitalizing on extraordinary opportunities . I want to get your reaction to what admiral mike mullen the former chairman of the joint chiefs said earlier in month. Im increasingly concerned about the dependence of the American People on jim mattis, h. R. Mcmaster, john kelly, and Rex Tillerson. I have been in too many countries, globally, where the generals, if you will, gave great comfort to their citizens. That is not the United States of america. Do you have any of those same concerns . Well, i know them all, obviously. As does our great former chairman of the joint chiefs, admiral mullen, under whom it was a privilege to serve in iraq and afghanistan. If youre going to have to depend on some people, i think these are pretty great people. I think the administration has a Superb National security team. Arguably among the best in recent memory. By and large, theyre guiding a policy that is really more continuity than change. In a number of areas. Though certainly there are changes in areas such as tax, trade, climate, and so on. But, this is a superb team. A team that has helped guide the defeat of the Islamic State in iraq and syria. That has made the right call with the president approving on afghanistan, i believe, that is seeking to get chinas attention. To deal with the north korean situation in a way that is ever more pressing. So, again, this is a superb group of individuals. Theyre not all military, obviously, secretary tillerson. General petraeus, earlier, this year in june, in the aspen ideas festival, you kind of dodged a question. Saying the team is important. You dodged a question about whether President Trump was fit for office. Saying it was immaterial because of the team. Immaterial . Look, i felt it was inappropriate for a former general to be judging whether someone elected by the American People is fit or not. Hes our president. And what we need to do as a country is try to support those who are supporting him. So that we can, indeed, continue this Economic Growth that we have had. So we can shore up national defenses. Come to grip with issues like immigration reform, infrastructure investment, tax reform, and the rest. And i do want to talk about niger and what happened there, given they were ambushed, was this an intelligence failure, as some on the hill are saying . We dont know. Thats why theres a team from the department of defense out there investigating. We have to wait to see what they find. Before we make that kind of a judgment. And you saw the fall of isis in the stronghold of raqqa in syria this week. What does that tell you . About where we are . That was a success. Now what . Its a very important success. As i mentioned the last time we were together, the sooner isis could be shown to be a loser is the sooner its not as effective in recruiting, in pros le advertising, encouraging, inspiring, and so forth. And that is now very much the case. Plus, the media center in raqqa has been destroyed, as well. As i also said, the battle that matters most is the battle after the battle. What happens after the Islamic State is defeated. Were already seeing that in iraq. This is the battle over power and resources. In countries that have a lot of resources. Particularly in the case of iraq. And what you have seen there is right after the defeat of the Islamic State, in an area around kirkuk. Because of an illtimed referendum, pressure on the Prime Minister to keep going. And to reclaim areas from the kurdish pesh merga that had been occupied when iraqi forces evacuated in the wake of isis. I want to get to north korea. Stand by with me for a moment. As we mentioned, i traveled some 7,000 miles to the sea of japan this week. And it really felt like a world away from the political rancor here at home. The men and women who stand ready to protect this nation and its allies are laser focused on the mission and unrattled by the escalating threat of conflict with north korea. The sea of japan is bristling with warships. This is the uss Ronald Reagan a Nuclear Powered aircraft carrier. Where the roar of fighter jets is constant. The 5,000 sailors on board conducting five days of drills with south korean counterparts. North korea calling the exercise a provocation. Accusing the allies of trying to frantically start a nuclear war. In washington on thursday, the director of the cia saying north korea is mere months away from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear weapon. We ought to behave as if were on the cusp of them achieving that objective. Reporter and the president s National Security adviser warning patience is running thin. Were in a race to resolve this short of military action. Were not out of time. But we are running out of time. We are running out of time. Reporter landing on the reagan this week, a tail hook trap, the intensity of the exercises is evident. Everyone is aware of the tension on the peninsula. Does that factor into your exercises . We live with this kind of stuff in balance all the time. Were very keen, and aware, i think, of the tension. Reporter this is the carriers third trip to the sea of japan in the last five months. The same waters where many of the missiles north korea has launched have come crashing down. The training that we conduct is about being ready to respond. And, ready to respond to whatever happens. I have control of everything that moves on the flight deck and on the hangar bay. One plus 30minute cycle, we could launch an event from anywhere from 12 to 15 to 20plus aircraft. Reporter with so many moving parts, live bombs, and missiles, and no margin of error, coordination of every movement during these complex exercises is critical. And just before the fighter jet hits the deck, it goes to full power in case it doesnt hit any of the wires. Too high, youre not going to stop. Too low, it can get catastrophic pretty quickly. We have the best pilots in the world out here. Any deviation from glide slope and center line and it can end poorly quickly. Reporter this pilot, call sign waldo, has been flying for 16 years. And is pretty confident that the u. S. Navy can outmaneuver kim jongun. The ability to target an aircraft and our ability to defend ourselves makes us makes me feel pretty good. So from a personal standpoint, im not alarmed. Reporter this carrier is only part of the military presence. The marine corps is leading the charge, as well. Were now at the Marine Corps Air station in japan. This is the f35. Theres a squadron of these here. These are the most sophisticated planes in the u. S. Arsenal. This major has been taking part in the exercises, flying the f35. The nations Crisis Response for us. We train to fight tonight. And we will fight and win tonight. Reporter and with the region remaining on the brink, they have to be ready to fight tonight. And were back now with general petraeus. Your successor at the cia said we have about a 20 to 25 chance of a real conflict there. Can you see a diplomatic resolution at this point . I think theres still an opportunity here. And really, all of this rhetoric, frankly, is aimed, not at north korea, but at china. This is about getting president xis attention, once hes done with the party congress, which is still ongoing. So that china will really clamp down on the umbilical cord through which 90 of the trade to and from north korea transits. China has the ability to bring north korea to its senses but doesnt want to bring it to its knees. They dont want to see a reunified Korean Peninsula and all that that would entail. But this is possible. And thats what this is all aimed at doing. The saberrattling. Certainly the preb rations. So that if there is some kind of military engagement that well be the best prepared we can possibly be. But needless to say, any possible scenario is ugly. And thats what everyone is intent on preventing. But it requires chinas action. You talked about the rhetoric being aimed at china. Theres been a lot of rhetoric from President Trump. He tweeted that secretary of state Rex Tillerson is wasting his time. Trying to negotiate with north korea. Youre saying all of this is aimed at china . This is aimed at china. And again, secretary tillerson is undertaking the kind of Strategic Engagement that is necessary here. To build that relationship. Also in advance of a trip out there by the president himself. This is the essence of this. This is chinas decision to take. Whether they are going to do, which they did do one time before, 15 or so years ago. Which was to get north korea back to the negotiating table. Halt the missile and Nuclear Testing where it is right now. But you have heard this rhetoric. It may be aimed at china, but north korea is hearing it. Kim jongun is hearing it. Does this exacerbate the situation . Does it make conflict more likely . Well, before you get into a crisis, this probably gives the other side a bit of pause. The problem with this kind of approach is that if you end up in a crisis, even inadvertently, then you dont want the other side thinking that you might be prone to take the slack out of the trigger. Because then they might be the ones to pull the trigger first. What is the strategy if china doesnt do its part . China has to understand the new strategic reality that would result. Which is very uncomfortable for them. If they didnt like the air defense system, the antiballistic Missile System that went into korea, they really wont like all the other stuff that is going to follow, or that which will go into japan. At what point do Nuclear Weapons have to go back into south korea . When does japan get offensive capabilities . What does japan do about the Nuclear Issue . Does it get its own nuclear program. This, i think, is what china has to really come to grips with. And decide that once and for all, they are going to dramatically tighten what goes in and out of korea and russia does the same. And they all approve the u. N. Security Council Resolutions that should, indeed, do just that. Let me ask you this simple question. As we sit here right now, are you concerned there could be a real nuclear war with north korea . Certainly concerned. The question is how concerned. Likely . I dont think likely. No. All of this, again is a Communications Strategy that is trying to make sure that china understands that this administration is in a very different situation from any of its predecessors. That north korea, on this president s watch, could have the capability to hit a city in the United States with nuclear weapon. We hope they dont do that. Nice to talk to you this morning, general petraeus. Thank you so much. Great being back. Thank you. 13 years after an army platoon was ambushed on the streets of sadr city, their battle and their bravery is the subject of a powerful new miniseries. Actor Michael Kelly and two of the reallife he roes portrayed in the series join me after a short break. Es join me after a short break. What are the ingredients of a life well lived . Is it the places you go . The things you own . Or the people that fill it with meaning . For 150 years, generations of families have chosen pacific life for retirement and Life Insurance solutions. Protecting whats most important to you. Thats the power of pacific. Ask a Financial Advisor about pacific life. Not all Fish Oil Supplements provide the same omega3 power. Megared advanced triple absorption is absorbed three times better. So one softgel has more omega3 power than three standard fish oil pills. Megared advanced triple absorption. Why should over two hundred years of citi history matter to you . Well, because it tells us something powerful about progress that whether times are good or bad, people and their ideas will continue to move the world forward. As long as they have someone to believe in them. Citi financed the transatlantic cable that connected continents. And the panama canal, that made our world a smaller place. We backed the Marshall Plan that helped europe regain its strength. And pioneered the atm, for cash, anytime. For over two centuries weve supported dreams like these. And the people and companies behind them. So why should that matter to you . Because, today, we are still helping progress makers turn their ideas into reality. And the next great idea could be yours. This week, much has been said of the sacrifices and bonds shared by soldiers. Something i have had the privilege of witnessing up close over years of reporting on americas wars. At the outset of the conflict in iraq, i had the honor of getting to know one unit in particular. A harrowing street fight in baghdad bonded them as brothers. I wrote about their experience in a book called the long road home. Now being made into an eightpart miniseries. By National Geographic channel. Almost undescribable. Probably the loudest thing i have ever heard. Fire came from the righthand side of the street. And the left. And from the front and the rear. Reporter april 4, 2004, a ferocious battle in what was supposed to be a Peace Keeping mission. 19 soldiers, ambushed. Pinned down in an alley in a slum of sadr city, baghdad. The rest of the battalion, racing to rescue them. Unprotected. Exposed. Facing masses of armed insurgents. Some guys have seen some things that no one ever wants to see. Reporter in the wake of the ambush, dozens wounded. Eight dead. When you go to a veterans ceremony, and you see the old veterans get together and hug and cry and you never really understood it. I understand it now. Reporter 13 years later, we return to a different sadr city. This time, in texas. These should be basically a match to the real buildings right here. Reporter these painstaking reconstructions erected at ft. Hood for the National Geographic miniseries, the long road home. [ gunfire ] come on, baby. Reporter its the story of the battle. Heartpumping action. And the story of the heartbreak of the families left behind. I love you. I love you. Reporter actress Kate Bosworth is playing gina denomy. Wife of troy. One of the wounded in the battle. We met her shortly afterwards. Its just an unbelievable feeling of fear. Not knowing, you know, who is hurt. Who is no longer with us. Reporter that pain is all too real again for the families who lost their loved ones in the battle now visiting the set. Just feeling that emotion. Reporter painful for the widows and for the soldiers reliving those moments with the actors who play them. Is there moments that you have, maybe if i turn to the left opposed to the right . No, no. The guilt is that i didnt get shot. They did. Thats it. Reporter its a responsibility for all the actors to get it right. We wanted to do the men who did in this real life the justice that they deserve. Um so, i think that part is really special. Reporter the actor Michael Kelly from house of cards is portraying then Lieutenant Colonel gary volesky. Now a threestar general. Perfectly capturing the heart and care all those years ago. Uncommon valor was common that day. Because there were soldiers doing things that we talk about. But you dont teach stuff like that. They all just performed magnificently. Im honored to be able to serve with soldiers like that. And joining me now actor Michael Kelly, retired Army Sergeant first class, eric bourquin, who served in that sadr city battle. And gina denomy, whose husband was injured. Eric, you were 23 years old when you were trapped on the roof. 13 years later, sit hard reliving this . Initially, it was. Its been such a great experience to go through this and expose myself and learn so much about it throughout all my time on the set. And being able to see this. So, it was hard going through it. But its been very, very helpful. I should add you were a technical adviser as well. You were there every day. Yes, maam. I was there on set quite a bit. I was responsible to make sure everything was as authentic as it could be. As true to the story as it could be. Gina, you think back on that day. You havent changed a bit since that early interview. Troy left for iraq thinking it was a peacekeeping mission. Three, four days after your son, merrick was born. Correct. When you look back on that day now, what do you remember about that . Oh, there were so many emotions. You know, obviously, the fear of the unknown and concern for the guys going over there. But also having this newborn baby and thinking, wow, okay, this belongs to him as much as me and ive got to get this right for a whole year by myself and do it right. And i remember just thinking, this is this is going to be a long year. And trying to at the same time, keep spirits up to send him off the best way possible. And gina, that day, the day of the battle, when you fewer than 1 of our nation serve. We have heard john kelly talk about in this week. People really dont understand what thats like. After this battle, they fought for 80 straight days. What is it like knowing eight soldiers died that day . Troy obviously survived. Right. What dont we understand about notifications . Wow. Um the its a very scary thing to think about someone showing up at your door with that kind of news. And being part of the care team, we went through some training of, to go in after theyre notified to lend support and help to the families. And its a training you go through. But its something you never want to actually have to use. And its its a hard thing. Because there is never the right words to use. So, and then, the notification system its its put in place in a way to protect the families as much as possible. But theres always the issue of people wanting to know things as soon as possible. But they have to be notified through the correct channels. I know you told me recently that after that day, whenever you would leave and leave out the back door to your car, what did you do . Well, so whenever the way our house was in texas, the access to the garage was from the back, from the street behind the house. So when i would go somewhere, on my return, i would drive around to the front of the house first, to make sure there wasnt a car waiting. Pretty serious stuff. Tough. Michael, you have taken on the role of one of the heroes of this battle, gary volesky. I know you met him well into the shooting. Why why was this so important for you to do . I know youre the son of marine. But youre a busy guy. Yeah. Well, after i was offered the role, i sat down that night and i read four of the scripts. And as im reading it, i couldnt stop reading it. Rifling through it. I was like this is incredible. I started to and wasnt working out in my schedule so well to do the project. I was like, let me google this gary volesky guy. So i googled him. I saw some interviews you had done with him. It was the things he said, the way he spoke about his wife, that she was the true hero. Much like hearing what gina goes through and all these women go through at home. I was just like i gotta play this guy. Ive gotta if they think im the right guy for this role, then ive got to do it the best justice i can do. Heres a man who, still to this day, as a threestar general is, you know, puts his life on the line for us. For me to be able to do the fun things that i get to do in my life, to be an actor, um, and to have the freedoms that i enjoy. So i was like, i gotta get this right. I gotta do everything i can to do this man the justice that he deserves. I was struck and still am, and all of us have a bond over this together. By the bond you created, you had with the real with an eric bourquin. One of my favorite photos. A young actor named john beavers played eric. Eric has those tattoos. Thats makeup on john beavers. And i dont know, is that makeup on you, Michael Kelly . You called that the band of bourquins. Its been a powerful bond, hasnt it . It has been. Ive been fortunate enough to along this journey, i have come along and made quite a few friends. Its been special to be able to see that the American Public and the people outside the military community actually care enough about just like michael was saying. You know, how important it is to get the stories out there. Because this story in particular, is a human story. Its about love. It affects all of us. Anybody can be able to identify with any aspect of the show, regardless of what side or what military service they were in. Michael, you went through about three weeks of basic training. Learned a lot about things . Nothing like what these guys go through. But it was i did learn a lot. And that was another part that was really important for all of the actors. And, you know, john beavers, who plays bourq. We took it so serious. We wanted everything to be as real as we could make it. Because, again, just wanting to do these men the justice they deserved. And so we, we worked hard, man. It like i said, nothing like the real thing. But we learned how to clear buildings. In groups of one, two, and four. Eight. And we just wanted to make it right. I love when some of the real soldiers in the battle first saw you and thought, i dont know. I dont know if this guy is going to make it. Eric was introducing me to a couple of, at the Kickoff Party that you had for us. And it was the first time meeting a lot of these guys. A lot of the soldiers were fortunate enough to meet their guys before i did. So it was my first introduction meeting the rest of the guys. I go into this bar, theyre like, hey, guys. This is Michael Kelly. Hes playing gary volesky. Theyre like, oh, really . Good luck, buddy. No no they were dead serious. I was like, guys, this is hard enough, man. Playing a legend. Playing a legend. Gary volesky is on a pedestal here. To have to play someone that these men, to this day, would follow into hell. Every one of them has said it to me. Theyre like, i would follow that man into hell. And to take that on as an actor is scary. I was so scared. Well, i will say, im not a film critic. But you do a magnificent job. You captured gary and everybody like him so beautifully. Thank you so much, eric. Thank you so much, gina. The script is written by the fabulous miko elan. The show premiers on National Geographic on november 7th. The war of words over condolence calls from the commander in chief overshadowed the other big headlines this week. The roundtable takes on all of it when we come back. Its easy to think that all Money Managers are pretty much the same. But while some push High Commission investment products, Fisher Investments avoids them. Some advisers have hidden and layered fees. Fisher investments never does. And while some advisers are happy to earn commissions from you whether you do well or not, Fisher Investments fees are structured so we do better when you do better. Maybe thats why most of our clients come from other Money Managers. Fisher investments. Clearly better money management. Shatters the competition. Hydrating skin better than prestige creams costing over 100, 200, and even 400. For skin that looks younger than it should. Fact check this ad in good housekeeping. Olay regenerist. Ageless. Whats new from light and fit . Greek nonfat yogurt with zero artificial sweeteners. Real fruit and 90 calories. Youll be wowed try new light fit with zero artificial sweeteners. Catch this week online all week at abcnews. Com. On facebook. And twitter. This week with George Stephanopoulos brought to you by chevron. We come into this world needing others. Then we are told its braver to go it alone. But there is another way to live. A way that sees the only path to fulfillment is through others. But prevagen helps your brain with an ingredient originally discovered. In jellyfish. In clinical trials, prevagen has been shown to improve shortterm memory. Prevagen. The name to remember. Weve got folks who are deliberately trying to make folks angry. To demonize people who have different ideas. To get the base all riled up. Because it provides a short term tactical advantage. Discontent deepened and sharpened partisan conflicts. Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories. And outright fabrication. Former president S Barack Obama and george w. Bush lamenting the state of politics. What many perceived as a direct rebuke of President Trump. Last night, a message of unity, with all five former living president s gathered together at a benefit for the victims of this seasons devastating hurricanes. Lets bring in the roundtable to tackle all the weeks news. Abc news political analyst matt dowd. Politico White House Correspondent eliana johnson. Perry bacon jr. Political writer for fivethirtyeight. And commentator for abc news cokie roberts. I want to go back to john kelly. It was a big week. I think the debate would have ended there after his emotional briefing on that. But there were aspects to his remarks that you, matt dowd, found especially troubling. I thought the initial part of his conversation and how a soldier comes home after theyre killed and happens this that process was very emotional and touching. You ask the question, is, does he know who he works for . He talks about the sacredness of gold star families. And we lost that when he works for a guy who attacked gold star families and john mccain as a prisoner. He talked about the sacredness of women when he has somebody that said certain things on tape that are at best predatory and has been accused by 12 or 14 different women of behavior. He says we lost the sacredness of religion and he works with someone who wanted to ban muslims. And so, i think, part of what john kelly did was, it was touching. But also it left wide open the question of, does he really know the guy that he works for . Eliana, do you think he possibly was talking about President Trump or not . There has been debate about that. I said this right after the fact. I think john kelly is smart enough to know that the least effective way to communicate the wump and to with trump and to get through to him is to criticize him directly. So, i i also think, you know, it was clear that he was tacitly criticizing the president by and rebuking not only the democratic congresswoman who politicized this but the president who politicized the gold star families, first during the campaign. Then again this past week. And, who clearly is culturally coarse in the way he has talked about women and treated women in his employ and places in his place of work. So, um i think its possible. I think theres a relationship between john kellys remarks, which i think were addressed to trump fans and trump critics and the former president bushs remarks. Which i think were addressed to trump fans and trump trit criti alike. Theyre not just talking to one segment of the population. Coarse toward women is a mild way of putting it. And in a week where were having a lot of conversation about me, too. And going after congresswoman wilson was a mistake. Thats where he really made a mistake, in my opinion. Saying she politicized it. He politicized it by going after her. And gets it wrong, by the way. Its made it so uncomfortable for all of us. Nobody wants to be in a situation where were having a conversation about the rights and wrongs of notifying someone whose the family of someone who has been killed. Its just so it makes it so un uncomfortable. Thats been true throughout the presidency. We just keep being made uncomfortable over and over again. Perry, the gold star families aside. And indeed that was extremely uncomfortable and painful to watch. And painful to watch john kelly having to go through that again. But, do you think, given kellys very political remarks and i did try to get to this with general petraeus, does it change how we view him because he was so political . Sure. It did for me. I think of him in some way as someone who reins in the president. Or takes the president away from his more political moments. In this case, i thought kelly reinforced it. I was surprised he said things that were easily refuted by a video released less than 24 hours later. His comments were not only very political, they were also inaccurate. I was surprised by that. I would be surprised if kelly does Something Like that again. I think hes genuinely been seen by people in washington so what general petraeus was saying, hes probably right now thinking yes. Last night made us feel so great. Those pictures of those five president s, none of whom, by the way, voted for donald trump. Are standing there together and trying to do good. Is just thats how we feel about america. Thats what we love about this country. And instead of that, what were getting constantly is this barrage of hatred. And its very dispiriting. And matt, i want to talk about those comments by the former president s. How significant is that . Huge. I mean, i think this is just another added effect. George w. Bush is someone who basically disappeared for eight years during Barack Obamas term. Went back to texas. Went about his business. Never said a word. Those words said would not have been said if not for donald trump. And whats been happening in the campaign. And steve bannon. I think what has to be recognized by republicans and many conservatives is that the Republican Party as they know it is gone. This is a party that would never nominate lincoln again. Never nominate teddy roosevelt. Certainly wouldnt nominate Ronald Reagan. And that party is gone. They might as well get h. G. Wells on the line, get back in a time machine, and find the party that they think still exists. Its gone. I think its true. Bushs remarks jumped out at me. We heard from john mccain and president obama. Bush made a point of disappearing from the public stage for eight years during the obama presidency. And thats a courtesy hes obviously not granting to President Trump. He talked about bigotry, conspiracy theories. And americas place in the world. And thats a debate that President Trump first rand paul brought it up. But trump has brought to the fore about isolationism and internationalism. And thats something that i dont think the Republican Party has resolved. Its at the heart of the debates were having right now. I do think that matt is right. That the Republican Party is at a point of deep identity crisis. That said, i dont think bush speaking up about this is really going to have very much of an effect. I agree. I think the party will move forward. Its the party of trump right now. Okay, were going to hold it right there. Coming up, the roundtable weighs the in on the latest fallout from the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the impact of the me too movement. Stay tuned. Under pressure like never before. And its connected technology thats moving companies forward fast. Ecommerce. Real time inventory. Virtual changing rooms. Thats why retailers rely on comcast business to deliver consistent Network Speed across multiple locations. Every corporate office, warehouse and store near or far covered. Leaving every competitor, threat and challenge outmaneuvered. Comcast business outmaneuver. That cough doesnt sound so good. Take mucinex dm. Ill text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. One pill lasts 12 hours, so. Looks like im good all night why take 4hour cough medicine . Just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. Lets end this. Start the interview with a firm handshake. Ay,no dont do that try head shoulders instant relief. It cools on contact, and also keeps you 100 flake free. Try head shoulders instant relief. For cooling relief in a snap. Uh, all the cars . At carmax, we buy all the cars. All the cars. Old cars . Yes. New cars . Oh, yeah. Sports cars . Indeed. A big ol boatlike car . Permission to come aboard what about a car thats all makes awkward car noises hgnnnnnnnnnnnnayyayyy i dont see why not. What about, lets say. Oh, i dont know, a purple van with a painting of a wizard just shooting lightning out of his fingers riding a unicorn sneezing rainbows . Definitely. Just asking for a friend. Yea, i figured. whispered to camera wow. How much money do you think youll need in retirement . Then we found out how many years that money would last them. How long do you think well keep oooooohhh you stopped youre gonna leave me back here at year 9 . How did this happen . It turned out, a lot of people fell short, of even the average length of retirement. We have to think about not when we expect to live to, but when we could live to. Lets plan for income that lasts all our years in retirement. Prudential. Bring your challenges. For the latest on politics, the white house, and President Trump, download the abc news app now and sign up for breaking news alerts. Well be right back with more roundtable. Oundtable. At fidelity, trades are now just 4. 95. We cut the price of trades to give investors even more value. And at 4. 95, you can trade with a clear advantage. Fidelity, where smarter investors will always be. And at 4. 95, you can trade with a clear advantage. Kelly were out of body wash what are you doing . . I thought you had a cold . . I dont need all this. Mucinex fastmax is powerful enough to handle pretty much every symptom. Name one. How bout 9 . Sore throat, cough, even. Yeai can read, you know. Were done here. Ahhh boogers to betsy mucinex fastmax. 9 symptoms. 1 dose. Max strength. Start the relief. Ditch the misery. Lets end this. And for kids multisymptom relief, try 1 recommended childrens mucinex. Tand, our adulte children are here. So, we save by using tide. Which means we use less. Three generations of clothes cleaned in one wash. Those are moms. Anybody seen my pants . Nothing cleans better. Put those on dad its got to be tide. Whats new from light and fit . Greek nonfat yogurt with zero artificial sweeteners. Real fruit and 90 calories. Youll be wowed try new light fit with zero artificial sweeteners. Not all Fish Oil Supplements provide the same omega3 power. Introducing megared advanced triple absorption it supports your heart, joints, brain, and eyes. And is absorbed by your body three times better. So one megared has more omega3 power than three standard fish oil pills. Megared advanced triple absorption. We cut the price of trades to give investors even more value. And at 4. 95, you can trade with a clear advantage. Fidelity, where smarter investors will always be. And were back now with the roundtable. I want to start with you, eliana. And a few things happening on capitol hill. Mitch mcconnell met with President Trump at the white house this week. He says he and speaker ryan are focused on passing tax reform. There have been efforts in the past. Is there anything unique about it this time that you think it has a prayer . I dont think so. The meeting with trump was unique in that it was an act of political theater. I think it was pretty meaningless. They did pass a budget vote. The white house is very excited about, i know. Im bearish, in general, about the Congress Getting really anything done because i dont see the president focusing in a sustained way and delivering a kind of public Pressure Campaign on legislative issues the way he does on sort of the nfl or i mean, we saw the gold star family this week. It just seems to me that thats where his focus and energy and attention is rather than the legislative issues. If he surprises me and does that on tax reform, theres a chance of it passing. The former member of the chairman ways and means committee, david camp, a republican, says health care is hard to do. And its oneseventh of the economy. Taxes are 100 of the economy. Theyre really hard to do. Theyve tried to do it on a partisan basis. Thats not the way we write tax legislation in the country. I think it has a chance. This is easier than health care. Health care had the perception that they were taking away things from people. If they find a way that lowers taxes and maybe decreases the deficit, that can pass. And also, the thing is the party failed on health care. They know that. They are determined on the hill, Lindsey Graham is saying this week, the partys got to pass this or were going the lose next year. I think theres a focus by member of congress. I think something could pass. Martha. I knew you would have something to say. Martha, martha, yes. A recipe for not getting something done is an unpopular president pushing unpopular policy with an unpopular congress. This is a tax cut that 80 of the benefits go to the top 1 of the country. Its not going to help the working class. Its not going help the middle class. Its not going to pass. Okay. Well give you the last word on that. Well see what happens. Well play that tape again. Sure. I want to turn to the serious subject of Harvey Weinstein. Its really sparked a National Conversation about sexual misconduct. We have this me too movement. That didnt start with Harvey Weinstein. It started about ten years ago. So does it really have a chance of changing anything . I doubt it. And it makes me sad to say that. I dont know a woman who has not had some experience. Every single one of us has had something happen. And, for those of us who are older, we just it went with the territory. For a very long time. I think its great people are talking about it. I think its great some men are suffering consequences as a result of it. But i dont think that its likely to change behavior in any significant fashion. And im very sorry to say that. And eliana, do you think it could change behavior . I guess a better question is, what does it take . To change behavior. Its theres a big question for you. A couple of things. I do think that people had begun to think that these sorts of things dont happen anymore. And, um, i do think this has raised awareness of the fact that with a certain type of man, roger ailes at fox news. Harvey weinstein in hollywood, that there is more tolerance for disgusting behavior because of their rare genius and talent. I think that was true with both of these guys. And i think and hope that there will be less tolerance for that sort of thing. What i think is so insidious about these examples is that these men were using their power and their talents to um withhold and abuse. Abuse. Excuse me for a second. But to, you know, either advance women had to participate in it if they wanted their careers to advance. And they had to fear they would fail in their careers were they not participating in this wider culture. And pretty wise fears. Absolutely. And these were industries that trafficked in young, beautiful women. I hope there is more awareness. And less fear for the women to speak up. The women we have seen speak up, of course, have now already made it. You get a final thought on this. I want to go to the fact that some powerful women have come out and said, he did that to me. Should they have come out earlier . Absolutely. But i think much of this depends on, women speaking courageously and taken seriously and not victimized for speaking out. Our default position should be to believe a woman as opposed to not believing them. Keep in mind we have a president that has the same behavior around him. Its the league of predatory gentlemen. Roger ailes, Harvey Weinstein, donald trump, bill oreilly. Perry and i are the men at the table. Until men come out and put a stop to it. And say locker room talk shouldnt exist. Boys will be boys. The men have to do their part. The New York Times is doing a good job. I think the media may change it. More investigations can make a difference. Thank you very much. Well be right back. Be sure to tune in for that tomorrow morning. As we close, a final thought on the controversy surrounding President Trumps call to that gold star family. Let me quote a friend here. Everyone keeps talking about how difficult these calls are to make. Perhaps there should be more emphasis on how difficult they are to receive. Thats all for us today. Thank you for sharing part of your sunday with us. Check out world news tonight. And have a great day. Remarks made by senator john mccain here in philadelphia to accept the Liberty Medal kick off a week of political punch and counterpunch. Is it more of the same, or is Something Different going on . Lets get the inside story. Good morning. Im tamala edwards. Welcome to inside story. And i dont know about the rest of you, but politically im exhausted. [ laughter ] we havent even started talking. Lets introduce you to the panel. Attorney jim eisenhower. Good morning. Good morning, tam. Radio talkhow host dom giordano. See . I cant even get my mouth to work. Sharmain matlockturner. Hi, tamala. And sam katz. Welcome to all of you. So, john mccain is here to get this award. We thought it was going to be a lovefest with him and joe biden. He shows up, and he makes some remarks, and then the president responds. Well let you hear some of what they said, and then there was more to come in the week. Lets get started with this