Page 26 - Thomas Ricks News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

For appearing to speak the truth while not really speaking the truth. remember here that h.r. mcmaster has remained on active duty as a general. he has not retired from the army. and he remains subject to the uniform code of military justice. that makes what he does a little bit more difficult than it would be for the average washington bureaucrat who gets a job like national security adviser. >> so, thomas, are you saying that you see h.r. mcmaster leaving the job? >> i think i saw h.r. mcmaster sell a little bit of his soul over the last ten days or so. >> ooh. >> and he is a man of great so...

Very sort of emotional guy. i think he must feel under enormous pressure, and i think he must be staying in the job so they don't get some bannonite to replace him, some yahoo from that side of the trump administration. so, i think he's doing the country a good duty by staying on as national security adviser. but you can see these people's souls leaving them the longer they're into these difficult jobs. i don't think that kellyanne conway or sean spicer has much soul left. >> well, i mean, i appreciate your commentary, but i can assure you that, i would assume h.r. mcmaster, kellyanne conway a...

For freedom" comes out tomorrow. thomas, great to have you with me. thanks for coming in. >> you're welcome. >> on this breaking news from the top of the hour, kind of adding a new wrinkle to the investigation into russia's meddling in the election and trump campaign's ties to russia, this subpoena, michael flynn denying the subpoena by the senate intelligence committee, now pleading the fifth, what do you make of this? >> i think ultimately general flynn is going to be seen as a side character, not a central figure in the troubles the white house has. i think he doesn't want to go to jail, bu...

President trump that he is going to get out of the russia problems that easily. i think these russia problems are deeper than people understand, and i think what ultimately comes out will be far worse than anything we know now. >> here's how both secretary of state rex tillerson and also the president's current national security adviser, h.r. mcmaster, how they explained this. they did not deny this report, but this is how they explained it over the weekend. listen to this, thomas. >> i think what the president was trying to convey to the russians was, look, i'm not going to be distracted by a...

And intellectually brilliant, and a good pick to lead of department of defense. >> so, general, going back to what you say is mattis dis holds bard tough talk, the author thomas ricks wrote in "fiasco" he once told a group of iraqis, i come in peace. i didn't bring artillery, but i'm pleading with you, if you eff with me, i will kill you all. >> very clear message. >> very clear message, right? >> as we say in the military, clearer message to follow. you can't get much more focused and aligned than that, which clearly is the point. he's acquired this, that he can