>> I GUESS THEY’RE WEIGHING WHAT
WILL BEUSEFUL TO THEM.
LEANN, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IN A REMARKABLE PUBLIC LETTER
PUBLISHED IN THE WASHINGTON
POST, ALL TEN LIVING FORMER U.S.
DEFENSE SECRETARIES CAUTION THE
MILITARY IN ANY ELECTION
DISPUTE.
AND THEY WARN THAT ANY USE OF
FORCES WOULD TAKE THE COUNTRY
INTO DANGEROUS UNLAWFUL AND
UNCONSTITUTIONAL TERRITORY.
JOINING ME NOW IS CHUCK HAGEL.
ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF THAT
LETTER, MR. SECRETARY, THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US.
I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH THIS,
WHY DID YOU AND THE OTHERS FEEL
THE NEED TO DRAFT THIS LETTER?
>> I THINK PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE
HAVE WITNESSED FOR ALMOST FOUR
YEARS THE DANGEROUS HE WILL
ERRATIC AND IRRESPONSIBLE
BEHAVIOR AND ACTIONS TAKEN BY
THIS PRESIDENT, ESPECIALLY IN
THE LAST FEW WEEKS SINCE THE
ELECTION WHEN THERE HAS BEEN
VERY LOOSE TALK ABOUT MILITARY
LAW EMPLOYING THE INSURRECTION
ACT.
OVERTURNING THE ELECTION,
JANUARY 6th, THAT YOU JUST
TALKED ABOUT, IS PART OF THAT.
I THINK TO PUT AN ACCENT ON
THAT, THERE IS NEWPAPERS IN THE
LAST 24 HOURS THAT HAVE BEEN
FULL OF THE CONVERSATION THAT
THE PRESIDENT HAD WITH THE
SECRETARY OF STATE IN GEORGIA.
THAT IS PRETTY UNNERVING, WHAT
THE PRESIDENT DID.
HE THREATENED THE SECRETARY OF
STATE.
WHEN YOU TOTAL THAT UP AND YOU
THINK ABOUT THE MILITARY BEING A
CENTRAL PLAYER IN THIS IF THE
PRESIDENT WOULD MOVE TO EMPLOY
THE INSURRECTION ACT, OR TO
INSTALL
INSTALL MILITARY RULE IN THIS
COUNTRY, IT HAS TO BE DONE
THROUGH THE MILITARY.
OUR OP-ED JUST REMINDING OUR
MILITARY, AND THEY KNOW THIS,
THEY’RE RESPONSIBLE AND
FANTASTIC AMERICANS, THAT THEIR
RESPONSIBILITY IS TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
THAT IS WHERE THEY HAVE SWORN
THEIR OATH.
NOT TO A PRESIDENT OR A PARTY.
I’M CONFIDENT THAT IF THIS WOULD
EVER COME TO THAT THEY WOULD DO
THAT.
IT’S JUST A REMINDER, AND I
THINK IT WAS AN IMPORTANT
STATEMENT, AND AN IMPORTANT
REMIND TORE ALL CITIZENS OF THIS
DEMOCRACY.
>> ARE YOU TALKING TO THE
OFFICERS IN THE RANK AND FILE,
OR ARE YOU SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO
THE ACTING DEFENSE SECRETARY,
CHRISTOPHER MILLER, WHO IS A
POLITICAL APPOINTEE?
>> THAT OP-ED WAS INTENDED FOR
EVERYONE.
I WOULD ACTUALLY START WITH THE
CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY.
THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY ARE
REMINDED THAT THE CORNER STONE
OF OUR DEMOCRACY IS A SMOOTH
LAWFUL TRANSITION OF POWER.
THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE ALWAYS
DONE.
THAT IS WHAT WE EXPECT, THAT IS
WHAT AMERICANS EXPECT.
AND FOR A PRESIDENT TO CONTINUE
TO INSIGHT, AND ENFLAME, THAT
DOES GREAT DAMAGE TO CONFIDENCE
IN OUR SYSTEM, IN OUR PROCESS,
IN DEMOCRACY.
SO THAT OP-ED WAS INTENDED FOR
ALL AMERICANS, CERTAINLY
INTENDED FOR THE PENTAGON.
OFFICERS ENLISTED, CIVILIAN
EMPLOYEES THERE AS WELL.
>> YOU’RE A FORMER REPUBLICAN
SENATOR.
I KNOW YOUR SERVED REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS.
I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT YOU
MAKE OF THE PARTIAL DEFENSE THAT
I WAS GIVE AN MOMENT AGO BY KEN
BUCK OF COLORADO WHO IS NOT
SUPPORTING THIS CHALLENGE TO THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE RESULTS, BUT
PART OF HIS DEFENSE IN
SUPPORTING THE PRESIDENT AND THE
PRESIDENT’S EFFORTS TO
INVESTIGATE ALL OF THE FRAUD
THAT DOESN’T EXIST IS BECAUSE HE
SAYS HE HAS BEEN TREATED
UNFAIRLY BY DEMOCRATS.
THE IMPEACHMENT WAS UNFAIR.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT
ARGUMENT?
>> POLITICS ITSELF IS NOT NECESSARILY A FAIR BUSINESS.
NECESSARILY A FAIR BUSINESS.
ANYONE WHO HAS EVER WITHIN IN
FLIKT
POLITICS OR PART OF POLITICS, IS
UNFAIRNESS.
I WISH OUR SYSTEM WAS PERFECT.
WE HAVE LAWS.
WE ADHERE TO LAWS BEEN THE
ELECTORS FROM ALL 50 STATES MET
A FEW WEEKS AGO AND THEY
REGISTERED THEIR CERTIFICATION
OF THEIR STATES.
MANY OF THOSE STATES IN
CONTENTION AND IN QUESTION HAVE
REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS, REPUBLICAN
SECRETARIES OF STATE, AND THEY
CERTIFIED THE ELECTION.
THE ELECTORS DID, THE ONES
RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THAT.
AND THAT IS PART OF OUR LAW.
THAT IS HOW WE TRANSFER POWER
PEACEFULLY.
NOW THIS FOLLY THAT THE CONGRESS
IS UP TO IN THREE DAYS IS NOT
GOING TO WORK.
IT’S FUTILE.
ALL IT WILL DO IS CONTINUE TO
UNDERMINE DEMOCRACY AND
CONFIDENCE IN OUR SYSTEM, AND
JUST PROLONG THIS CHARGE THAT
THE PRESIDENT HAS CONTINUED TO
MAKE, STARTED MAKING IT BEFORE
THE ELECTION.
WHEN HE SAID "THE ONLY WAY I CAN
CLOSE AN ELECTION IS IF THERE IS
FRAUD.
WE KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE.
THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS.
SO I’M SORRY, MR. BUCK CLAIM
THAT’S POLITICS IS UNFAIR OR
UNFAIR TO HIM.
I COULD PROBABLY GIVE YOU HALF A
DOZEN UNFAIRNESSES THAT I THINK
HAPPENED TO ME.
THAT’S JUST THE BUSINESS.
I DON’T KNOW OF ANYONE THAT HAS
NOT BEEN AN ELECTED OFFICIAL
THAT GETS SOME OF THAT
TREATMENT.
BUT IF YOU BELIEVE ENOUGH IN THE
SYSTEM, IN THE LAW OF THE LAND,
THAT IS JUST PART OF IT.
IN THE END, WE MUST MAINTAIN
LAW.
I MEAN IS WHAT KEEPS US A FREE
PEOPLE, AND THAT IS WHAT KEEPS
US A FREE COUNTRY, AND THAT IS
WHAT ALLOWS A STRONG, STRONG AND