>>> MY NAME IS DAN BARKHUFF, I’M
A NAVY GRADUATE, AN EX-NAVY
S.E.A.L., CURRENTLY AN EMERGENCY
ROOM PHYSICIAN AND WITH VETERANS
LEADERSHIP.
MONTHS AGO, THE PRESIDENT
LEARNED THAT THE RUSSIANS WERE
PAYING BOUNTIES FOR DEAD
AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN
AND CHOSE TO DO NOTHING ABOUT
IT.
ANY COMMANDER IN CHIEF WITH A
SPINE WOULD BE STOMPING THE
LIVING [ BLEEP ] OUT OF SOME
RUSSIANS RIGHT NOW,
DIPLOMATICALLY, ECONOMICALLY, OR
IF NECESSARY, WITH THE SORT OF
ASYMMETRIC WARFARE THEY’RE USING
TO SEND OUR KIDS HOME IN BODY
BAGS.
MR. TRUMP, YOU’RE EITHER A
COWARD WHO CAN’T STAND UP TO AN
EX-KGB GOO OR YOU’RE COMPLICIT.
WHICH IS IT?
DONALD TRUMP IS UNFIT TO BE OUR
COMMANDER IN CHIEF AND THAT’S
WORSE THAN USELESS.
I’M A PRO-LIFE, GUN-OWNING
VETERAN AND I CAN SEE TRUMP FOR
WHAT HE IS, A COWARD.
WE NEED TO SEND THIS DRAFT
DODGER BACK TO HIS GOLF COURSES.
THE LIVES OF OUR TROOPS DEPEND
ON IT.
>> THE LINCOLN PROJECT IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT OF
THIS ADVERTISING.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THAT NEW AD TAKING ON PRESIDENT
TRUMP FOR HIS REPORTED INACTION
AFTER REPORTS RUSSIA HAD OFFERED
BOUNTIES TO ENCOURAGE
TALIBAN-LINKED MILITANTS TO KILL
AMERICAN TROOPS.
JOINING US NOW, A MEMBER OF THE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE,
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TAMMY
DUCKWORTH OF ILLINOIS.
SHE IS A RETIRED U.S. ARMY
LIEUTENANT COLONEL WHO FLEW
MISSIONS AS A HELICOPTER PILOT
IN THE IRAQ WAR.
SHE IS A RECIPIENT OF THE PURPLE
HEART.
IT’S VERY GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON
THE SHOW.
I’D LIKE TO START BY ASKING YOU,
SENATOR, WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU
STILL WANT ANSWERS TO PERTAINING
TO THE RUSSIAN BOUNTIES, AND
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO HEAR FROM
THE PRESIDENT?
>> WELL, MIKA, WHAT I WANT TO
KNOW IS, WHEN DID WE KNOW ABOUT
THESE BOUNTIES?
FROM ALL OF THE REPORTS THAT
WE’RE READING IN THE MEDIA, IT
SEEMS THAT WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT
THEM AS EARLY AS 2019 BUT THAT
THE PRESIDENT WAS RECEIVING
BRIEFINGS ON THEM IN HIS DAILY
PRESIDENTIAL BRIEF AS RECENTLY
AS FEBRUARY.
SO, THIS PRESIDENT HAS KNOWN
ABOUT THESE BOUNTIES.
IT HAS BEEN CORROBORATED THROUGH
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE SOURCES,
AND HE’S DONE NOTHING.
HE’S ALLOWED THE TALIBAN TO
CARRY OUT THE ORDERS OF THE
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT TO KILL
AMERICAN SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN,
AND THAT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
AND SO, I’M ACTUALLY HEADED TO A
BRIEFING THIS MORNING IN THE
SECURE BRIEFING ROOM IN THE
SENATE TO FIND OUT MORE.
I’M JUST ABSOLUTELY APPALLED
THAT THIS IS WHAT’S HAPPENING
AND THAT OUR PRESIDENT IS
MISSING IN ACTION.
>> WHAT’S HIS DUTY AT THIS
POINT?
HE SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT IT.
>> THAT IS A RIDICULOUS
STATEMENT FROM MR. TRUMP.
I MEAN, IF HE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
IT, THEN THERE’S ONLY THREE
THINGS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
ONE, THEY TOLD HIM ABOUT IT AND
HE DOESN’T REMEMBER.
TWO, WE KNOW THAT IT WAS IN HIS
PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEF, AND HE
DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT IT, IT MEANS
THAT HE DIDN’T ACTUALLY READ HIS
BRIEFING, HE DIDN’T BOTHER TO DO
HIS HOMEWORK.
OR THREE, THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM
KNOW THAT HE IS SO INCOMPETENT
AND UNLIKELY TO DO ANYTHING OR
THEY’RE AFRAID THAT HE IS
SOMEONE WHO WILL COMPROMISE OUR
INTELLIGENCE SOURCES THAT THEY
DIDN’T TELL HIM.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
SO, NONE OF THOSE THREE OPTIONS
IS AN ACCEPTABLE OPTION.
HE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING.
AND NOW THAT HE KNOWS ABOUT IT,
HE STILL HASN’T DONE ANYTHING!
HE HASN’T SPOKEN UP.
ALL HE’S DONE IS DENY AND TRY TO
SHIFT BLAME.
WE NEED A LEADER WHO’S GOING TO
PULL THE COUNTRY TOGETHER, WHO’S
GOING TO BRUSH THE RUSSIANS BACK
OFF, AND WHO’S GOING TO LEAD A
RESPONSE.
AND HE’S DONE NONE OF THAT.
OUR TROOPS IN HARM’S WAY, MIKA,
NEED TO KNOW THAT THEIR
COMMANDER IN CHIEF WILL
SAFEGUARD THEIR WELL-BEING AS
THEY ARE OUT THERE FACING THE
ENEMY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THE
REST OF US.
AND THEIR COMMANDER IN CHIEF
RIGHT NOW IS HIDING SOMEPLACE,
SULKING IN A CORNER, CLAIMING
THAT HE DIDN’T READ HIS
HOMEWORK.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE.
THE MAN IS DERELICT IN HIS DUTY.
>> SENATOR DUCK WORTH, IT’S
WILLIE GEIST.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK ON THE
SHOW THIS MORNING.
IN MY EXPERIENCE OF MY REPORTING
OVER THE LAST COUPLE DAYS, THIS
IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE.
I’M HEARING FROM REPUBLICANS AND
CONSERVATIVES WHO ARE APPALLED
BY THIS.
OBVIOUSLY, MILITARY FAMILIES WHO
ARE APPALLED BY THIS.
YOU ARE MORE CONNECTED TO THE
VETERANS’ COMMUNITY AND ACTIVE
DUTY, I SUSPECT, THAN MOST
PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES
SENATE.
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THEM
ABOUT THIS STORY?
>> WELL, WILLIE, WHAT I’M
HEARING FROM THEM IS THAT THEY
FEEL THAT THEY ARE NOT BEING
PROTECTED BY THEIR COMMANDER IN
CHIEF.
I’VE REACHED OUT TO MY FRIENDS
AT THE NATIONAL GUARD, THOSE WHO
ARE ON ACTIVE DUTY, AND YOU
KNOW, JUST CHATTING.
I HAVE A BUNCH OF FOLKS THAT I
CALL MY TRUTH-TELLERS.
THESE ARE MY FOLKS WHO GENERALLY
VOTE REPUBLICAN, WHO ARE STILL
IN THE MILITARY, AND I REACH OUT
TO THEM AND SAY, HEY, WHAT IS
GOING ON, WHAT’S YOUR FEELING
HERE?
AND THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING,
THAT THEY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT
THE PRESIDENT WOULD NOT BE
LEADING AT THIS POINT.
AND THEY WANT TO KNOW, WHAT DO
THE RUSSIANS HAVE ON HIM?
YOU KNOW, WHY IS IT THAT HE IS
SO UNWILLING TO CONFRONT
VLADIMIR PUTIN?
WHY IS HE PUTTING THE INTERESTS
OF RUSSIA IN FRONT OF THE
INTERESTS OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ARE WEARING THE UNIFORM OF
THIS GREAT NATION?
AND FRANKLY, THERE’S JUST A LOT
OF BEWILDERMENT AND A REAL SENSE
OF ABSOLUTELY BEING LET DOWN,
YOU KNOW, BEING BETRAYED BY
SOMEBODY WHO SHOULD BE WATCHING
OUT FOR THEIR BEST INTERESTS.
AND INSTEAD IS JUST DENYING,
DENYING, DENYING, AND TRYING TO
SHIFT BLAME.
THAT’S NOT WHAT COMMANDERS DO.
>> CLAIRE McCASKILL.
>> GOOD MORNING, TAMMY.
I HOPE THE GIRLS ARE GREAT.
I MISS SEEING MILEY.
LET ME ASK YOU AN IMPORTANT
QUESTION ABOUT PUTIN’S WISH
LIST.
AND WE KNOW THAT GETTING THE
TROOPS OUT OF EUROPE, AMERICAN
TROOPS OUT OF EUROPE, IS VERY,
VERY HIGH ON PUTIN’S WISH LIST.
THE UNDERMINING OF NATO AND
GETTING OUR TROOPS OUT OF
EUROPE.
TRUMP HAS ANNOUNCED HE’S PULLING
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
AMERICAN SOLDIERS OUT OF
GERMANY.
WHAT IS THE FEELING AMONG
REPUBLICANS IN THE SENATE?
IS THERE ANY WILL THERE TO STOP
WHAT HE IS TRYING TO DO IN TERMS
OF GIVING PUTIN EVEN A BROADER
ABILITY TO INFLUENCE DEMOCRACIES
ACROSS THE GLOBE, AND
PARTICULARLY AMONG OUR ALLIES
THAT ARE THE EUROPEAN CITIZENS?
>> GOOD MORNING, CLAIRE.
IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
THE GIRLS ARE FINE.
THANK YOU.
I AM NOT SEEING THE WILLINGNESS
OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES TO
STAND UP TO THIS PRESIDENT ON
THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
IN FACT, THEY’RE AVOIDING ANY
COMMENTS ON IT WHATSOEVER.
AND TO BE HONEST, I -- I’M
DISAPPOINTED IN THEM.
YOU WOULD THINK MEMBERS OF THE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE ON
EITHER SIDE OF THE AISLE WOULD
BE SUPPORTING OF OUR TROOPS AND
SUPPORTING OF THE DEFENSE OF OUR
NATION.
AMERICA’S PRESENCE IN EUROPE IS
ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO THE
ALLIANCE THAT IS THERE.
IT IS NATO.
IT IS AN ALLIANCE.
BUT WE ARE AT THE LINCHPIN OF
THAT ALLIANCE.
WE ARE THE REBAR AND THE
CONCRETE THAT HOLDS THAT
ALLIANCE TOGETHER.
AND WITHOUT US, IT CANNOT
WITHSTAND THE RUSSIANS.
AND THIS IS EXACTLY, AS YOU
SAID, RUSSIA’S WISH LIST,
VLADIMIR PUTIN’S WISH LIST.
YOU KNOW, WE DID NOTHING WHEN HE
ANNEXED CRIMEA.
AND IN FACT, PRESIDENT TRUMP
EVEN SAID THAT MAYBE THEY SHOULD
BE ALLOWED TO KEEP CRIMEA.
AND RUSSIA JUST CONTINUES TO
PUSH FORWARD AND FORWARD.
AND BY LEAVING, WE LEAVE OUR
ALLIES IN EUROPE WITHOUT THE
DEFENSE THAT THEY NEED.
AND THAT PUTS US, THE UNITED
STATES, IN GREATER DANGER THAN
EVER BEFORE.
>> MIKE BARNICLE.
>> SENATOR, I HAVE TWO QUICK
QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
THE FIRST QUESTION YOU JUST
REFERENCED.
WHAT IN GOD’S NAME IS WRONG WITH
THE REPUBLICANS IN THE UNITED
STATES SENATE?
THIS ISSUE HAS LESS TO DO WITH
POLITICS THAN IT HAS TO DO WITH
THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF
AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL
AROUND THE GLOBE.
THAT’S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
QUESTION NUMBER TWO IS, THE
PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEF.
IF IT’S IN THE PRESIDENTIAL
DAILY BRIEF, IT’S IMPORTANT, NO
MATTER WHAT IT IS, AND THE PDB
CIRCULATES TO CERTAIN NUMBERS OF
PEOPLE WITHIN THE WHITE HOUSE
AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY CHAIN
OF COMMAND.
ARE YOU INTENDING TO CALL
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MARK ESPER,
FOR EXAMPLE, TO TESTIFY ABOUT
WHAT HE KNEW AND WHEN DID HE
KNOW IT?
THOSE ARE THE TWO QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I’M GOING TO ANSWER THE SECOND
ONE FIRST, WHICH IS I HAVE
ALREADY CALLED FOR A HEARING.
I HAVE ASKED CHAIRMAN INHOFE,
THE REPUBLICAN CHAIRMAN OF THE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE, TO
CALL -- TO HOLD A HEARING AND TO
NOT JUST CONCENTRATE ESPER, BUT
ALSO MEMBERS OF THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY TO COME FORWARD AND
BRIEF US ON WHAT THEY KNEW, WHEN
THEY KNEW IT, WHEN THEY
COMMUNICATED THIS TO THE
PRESIDENT.
AND IN ANSWER TO YOUR FIRST
QUESTION, WHETHER OR NOT THE
CHAIRMAN ACTUALLY CALLS FOR THIS
HEARING AND HOLDS THIS HEARING,
IT’S A GOOD INDICATION OF WHERE
THE REPUBLICANS ARE WILLING TO
BE ON THIS.
THEY HAVE SO FAR BEEN UNWILLING
TO CONFRONT THIS PRESIDENT, AND
THEY’VE ALLOWED HIM TO DENY HIS
KNOWLEDGE, THEY’VE ALLOWED HIM
TO SHIFT THE BLAME.
BOTTOM LINE, IF THE PROBLEM
NEEDS AN ANSWER, IF THE PROBLEM
IS SEVERE ENOUGH TO MAKE IT TO
THE PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEF,
THE PRESIDENT NEEDS TO READ HIS
PRESIDENTIAL DAILY BRIEF.
YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEMS THAT GO
UP TO THE PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL ARE
NOT THE PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE
HAVE ALREADY FOUND SOLUTIONS TO.
IT’S THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU CAN’T
FIND A SOLUTION TO.
YOU NEED REAL LEADERSHIP.
THAT’S WHY YOU SIT IN THE OVAL
OFFICE BEHIND THE RESOLUTE DESK.
YOU ARE THERE TO PROVIDE
LEADERSHIP AND TO BE THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF SO THAT THE
PROBLEMS COME TO YOU.
WE HAVE RIGHT NOW A PRESIDENT
WHO DOESN’T GET ANY OF THE
PROBLEMS BECAUSE HIS
SUBORDINATES AROUND HIM KNOW
THAT, NUMBER ONE, HE’S INCAPABLE
OF COMING UP WITH ANY PROBLEMS,
AND TWO, HE’S DISINTERESTED, AND
THREE, HE’S GOING TO SHIFT THE
BLAME ON TO SOMEONE ELSE.
SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE
KEEPING INFORMATION FROM HIM
BECAUSE THEY’RE AFRAID THAT HE’S
GOING TO LEAK CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION OUT TO THE WORLD.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THEY DIDN’T
KEEP THE INFORMATION FROM HIM.
THEY PROVIDED HIM WITH
INFORMATION AND HE DID NOT DO
HIS JOB OF REVIEWING IT.
AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN BRUSHING
PUTIN BACK FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING.
THIS MORNING WE DO HAVE THIS
CLASSIFIED BRIEFING THAT I’M
GOING TO -- AND I WILL BE ASKING
THOSE VERY SAME QUESTIONS.
>> SENATOR DUCKWORTH, BEFORE WE
LET YOU GO, I WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT CORONAVIRUS AS IT AFFECTS
VETERANS’ COMMUNITIES.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES IN THE CONTEXT
OF CORONAVIRUS, WE’RE OFTEN
REFERRING TO SENIOR SENATORS.
AND THERE IS A BIG CRISIS WITH A
HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THE DEATHS IN
THIS COUNTRY OCCURRING THERE.
BUT ALSO, WE SHOULD BE TALKING
ABOUT VETERANS IN THOSE
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND
ALSO VA HOSPITALS WHERE WE’RE
SEEING NUMBERS CLIMB, AS THEY
ARE IN SO MANY PLACES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
HOW DOES THIS COUNTRY, FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOWN, DO A
BETTER JOB TAKING CARE OF ITS
VETERANS WHO HAVE CORONAVIRUS?
>> WELL, WE NEED A CENTRALIZED
RESPONSE.
WE NEED A FEDERAL-LEVEL RESPONSE
TO THE CORONAVIRUS, WHICH WE DO
NOT HAVE.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID EACH
STATE HAS TO DO IT ON ITS OWN,
FROM FINDING YOUR OWN PPE TO
SETTING THE STANDARDS ON WHETHER
OR NOT SOMEBODY WEARS A MASK.
OUR VETERANS HOMES THAT EXIST IN
THIS COUNTRY ARE RUN BY THE
STATES.
THEY’RE NOT RUN BY THE FEDERAL
VA.
THEY’RE RUN BY THE STATES.
THEY’RE OVERSEEN BY THE FEDERAL
VA.
AND YET, BECAUSE EVERY VETERANS
HOME IS RUN IN A DIFFERENT STATE
AND FALLS UNDER A DIFFERENT SET
OF GUIDELINES, THERE IS NO
CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE NATION ON
WHAT STANDARDS WE SHOULD BE
ADHERING TO.
WE NEED CENTRALIZED RESPONSE.
AGAIN, WE NEED LEADERSHIP IN THE
WHITE HOUSE.
WE NEED A PRESIDENT THAT’S GOING
TO UNITE OUR COUNTRY IN THE
EFFORT TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST
THIS PANDEMIC THAT’S ALREADY
KILLED 125,000 AMERICANS AND
COULD KILL AS MANY AS 100,000
MORE.
AND YET, WE HAVE A PRESIDENT
WHO’S MISSING IN ACTION.
AND SO, THAT GOES FOR AMERICANS
ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL
AS OUR HEROES IN VETERANS HOMES
AND AT THE VA FACILITIES.
BUT AGAIN, THERE IS NO
CENTRALIZED RESPONSE COMING OUT
OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
AND SO, EVERYBODY’S LEFT TO FEPD
FOR THEMSELVES, AND THAT’S WHAT
IS HAPPENING IN THESE VETERANS
HOMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THEY ARE LOOKING TO THEIR
GOVERNORS.
AND SOME OF OUR GOVERNORS ARE
OUT THERE FOLLOWING RIGHT ALONG
WITH MR. TRUMP IN DENYING BASIC
PRECAUTIONS LIKE WHETHER OR NOT
YOU SHOULD WEAR A FACE MASK.
>> SENATOR TAMMY DUCKWORTH,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ON
THE SHOW THIS MORNING.
>>> AND COMING UP, HE IS THE
MOST VULNERABLE SENATE DEMOCRAT
SEEKING RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR.