SO THAT WAS THE DAY THAT TRUMP’S FIRST NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
HAD TODAY.
HAD TODAY. AND YOU MIGHT REMEMBER AFTER
MIKE FLYNN HAD TO LEAVE THE
WHITE HOUSE, HAD TO RESIGN OR BE
FIRED AS TRUMP’S FIRST NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER, AHEAD OF HIS
SOON TO BE FORTHCOMING FELONY
CHARGES, THE PRESIDENT PICKED A
NEW GUY TO BE HIS NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER FOLLOWING UP
FLYNN.
FLYNN. HE PICKED A NAVY ADMIRAL NAMED
ROBERT HARWART AS HIS NEXT
CHOICE AS NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER.
ADVISER. IT’S ALMOST FORGOT.
EN
EN ENEN NOW.
ENEN NOW. HE TURNED DOWN TRUMP’S REQUEST
TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY WHICH
WAS VERY EMBARRASSING FOR THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. AFTER THAT EMBARRASSMENT WITH
ADMIRAL HARWARD, PRESIDENT TRUMP
TURNED TO HIS THIRD CHOICE,
GENERAL H.R. McMASTER WHO DID
TAKE THE JOB.
HE LASTED IN THAT JOB FOR ABOUT
A YEAR DESPITE THE FACT THAT FAR
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE TIME
THAT HE WAS SERVING AS NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER, THE PRESIDENT
WAS HAPPY TO OPENLY COMPLAIN
ABOUT McMASTER AND LET IT BE
KNOWN THAT HE HATED BEING IN HIS
COMPANY TO THE POINT WHERE HE
WOULD TO LONGER ALLOW H.R.
McMASTER TO GIVE HIM NATIONAL
SECURITY BRIEFINGS EVEN THOUGH
TECHNICALLY McMASTER WAS THE
PRESIDENT’S NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER.
ADVISER. THAT HISTORY BETWEEN TRUMP AND
McMASTER IS WHAT MADE THIS
POTENTIALLY THE WEIRDEST
HEADLINE OF THEM ALL TODAY.
NBC NEWS REPORTING THAT DESPITE
THE FACT THAT TRUMP FIRED
McMASTER, DESPITE THE FACT THAT
HE WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO
HUMILIATE McMASTER FOR MONTHS
MOAT
MOAT BOTH BEFORE FIRING HIM AND
AFTER, NBC NEWS REPORTING TODAY
THAT RECENTLY, PRESIDENT TRUMP
HAS BEEN CALLING H.R. McMASTER
AGAIN.
AGAIN. SAYING HOW MUCH HE MISSES HIM.
THAT’S NOT ME MAKING FUN.
THAT’S THE REPORTING.
"ACCORDING TO TWO PEOPLE
FAMILIAR WITH THE CONVERSATIONS
IN PHONE CALLS TO McMASTER,
TRUMP TOLD HIS SECOND NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER THAT HE MISSED
HIM."
HIM." THE REASON WE WOULD SEEM TO BE
LEARNING THIS NOW, THE REASON
THIS WOULD SEEM TO BE REPORTED
NOW, IS BECAUSE HOWEVER TRUMP
FEELS ABOUT ANY OF HIS PAST
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS,
REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH HE MISSES
AND LOVES HIS EXES, AS OF TODAY,
HE’S GOT A NEW EX.
AS OF TODAY, HE’S FIRED ANOTHER
ONE.
ONE. AND THIS RELATIONSHIP ENDED AS
RAGGEDLY AND CHAOTICALLY AS ALL
THE REST OF THEM.
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER JOHN
BOLTON REPORTEDLY SHARING A
PRINCIPALS MEETING AT THE WHITE
HOUSE AS RECENTLY AS THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS OFFICE
PUTTING OUT A STATEMENT AT 10:56
A.M. TODAY ANNOUNCING JOHN
BOLTON WOULD BE BRIEFING THE
PRESS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
BRIEFING ROOM TODAY AT 10:30
P.M.
P.M. JOHN BOLTON, HOWEVER, DID NOT
MAKE IT UNTIL 1:30 P.M. BECAUSE
1 HOUR AND 2 MINUTES AFTER THIS
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE PRESS
SECRETARY ABOUT HIS FORTHCOMING
BRIEFING, THE PRESIDENT TWEETED
THAT JOHN BOLTON HAD BEEN FIRED
AND, IN FACT, HE HAD BEEN FIRED
LAST NIGHT.
LAST NIGHT. WHICH MAKES NO SENSE, RIGHT?
THE WHITE HOUSE WAS STILL HAVING
BOLTON CHAIR MEETINGS AT THE
WHITE HOUSE AND THEY WERE STILL
ANNOUNCING HIS FORTHCOMING
BRIEFINGS TO THE PRESS TODAY.
PRESIDENT SAYS HE WAS FIRED LAST
NIGHT.
NIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT,
THAT ISN’T EVEN, LIKE, THE STORY
HERE.
HERE. WE JUST ASSUME AT THIS POINT
THAT ANYTHING THE PRESIDENT
SAYS, EVEN ABOUT HIS OWN
BEHAVIOR, HAS TO BE ROUNDED UP
TO THE NEAREST FACT.
SO NOBODY MUCH MINDS THAT HE HAS
CLEARLY TOLD A FALSE STORY TODAY
ABOUT THE FIRING OF JOHN BOLTON,
SOMETHING THAT PLAINLY CANNOT BE
TRUE.
TRUE. WE JUST LET THAT GO.
I MENTIONED AT THE TOP O THE
SHOW THAT WE GOT SAMANTHA POWER
HERE TONIGHT FOR THE INTERVIEW.
AS I SAID, SHE WAS PRESIDENT
OBAMA’S U.N. AMBASSADOR IN HIS
SECOND TERM.
SECOND TERM. ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS
WORTH REMEMBERING ABOUT JOHN
BOLTON TODAY AS HE IS FIRED AS
TRUMP’S THIRD NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER IS THAT BEFORE THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WAS EVER BORN,
JOHN BOLTON WAS ALREADY ONE OF
THE MOST POLARIZING,
CONTROVERSIAL, AND ALIENATING
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HIRES EVER
WHEN THE GEORGE W. BUSH AED
STATION SOUGHT TO INSTALL HIM AS
U.N. AMBASSADOR, DESPITE
BOLTON’S RECORD OF SAYING THINGS
LIKE THIS ABOUT THE UNITED
NATIONS.
NATIONS. >> THE POINT THAT I WANT TO
LEAVE WITH YOU IN THIS VERY
BRIEF PRESENTATION IS WHERE I
STARTED IS THERE IS NO UNITED
NATIONS.
NATIONS. THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY THAT OCCASIONALLY CAN
BE LED BY THE ONLY REAL POWER
LEFT IN THE WORLD, AND THAT’S
THE UNITED STATES, WHEN IT SUITS
OUR INTERESTS AND WHEN WE CAN
GET OTHERS TO GO ALONG.
BUILDING IN NEW YORK HAS 38
STORIES.
STORIES. IF YOU LOST TEN STORIES TODAY,
IT WOULDN’T MAKE A BIT OF
DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE. UNITED STATES MAKES THE U.N.
WORK WHEN IT WANTS IT TO WORK
AND THAT IS EXACTLY THE WAY IT
SHOULD BE BLAUZ THE ONLY
QUESTION, THE ONLY QUESTION TO
THE UNITED STATES IS WHAT’S IN
OUR NATIONAL INTEREST.
IF YOU DON’T LIKE THAT, I’M
SORRY, BUT THAT IS THE FACT.
>> AND THE JBGEORGE W. BUSH
ADMINISTRATION, THEY LOOKED AT
THAT AND DECIDED, DIPLOMATIC
TEMPERAMENT WE’RE LOOKING FOR.
EB
EB EVEN THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED
U.S. SENATE WOULD NOT CONFIRM
THAT PERSON.
THAT PERSON. SOMEBODY THAT CONTROVERSIAL TO
BECOME AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.
PRESIDENT BUSH HAD TO TEMP
TEMPORARILY APPOINT JOHN BOLTON
TO THE JOB DURING A
CONGRESSIONAL RECESS BECAUSE
THAT’S THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD
GET HIM THROUGH.
SO WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP HIRED
JOHN BOLTON, IT’S NOT LIKE HE
KNEW HE WAS GETTING SOMEBODY WHO
WAS GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORK
SMOOTHLY AND BRING PEOPLE
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. NEITHER MR. BOLTON’S TENURE IN
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOR HIS
TIME AS TRUMP’S THIRD NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER WILL BE
REMEMBERED FOR ANY SINGLE
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THE HAWKISH EDITORIAL BOARD AT
THE "WASHINGTON POST" WHICH IS
MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THE
NEWSPAPER AS A WHOLE JUST
LAMBASTED BOLTON TODAY ON THE
OCCASION OF HIS FIRING IN TERMS
THAT SURPRISED EVEN ME.
"BOLTON WAS PICKED BECAUSE MR.
TRUMP HAD ENJOYED WATCHING HIM
ON TELEVISION.
ON TELEVISION. THE RESULT WAS TO COMPOUND THE
CHAOS WHICH HAS CHARACTERIZED
THIS ADDMINISTRATIONADMINISTRATI
THIS ADDMINISTRATIONADMINISTRATI POLICY.
POLICY. THE PRINCIPLE RESPONSIBILITY IS
TO OVERSEE A DISCIPLINED
POLICYMAKING PROCESS THAT
INCLUDES THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
PENTAGON AND INTELLIGENCE
AGENCIES AND TEE UP BIG
DECISIONS FOR THE PRESIDENT.
MR. BOLTON DID NOT DO THAT.
INSTEAD, HE SNIFED AT
INITIATIVES TAKEN BY OTHERS.
AND PURSUED LONGSTANDING PET
CAUSES OF HIS OWN SUCH AS HIS
POINTLESS CRUSADE AGAINST THE
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT.
HE CHAMPIONED AND ATTEMPTED COUP
AGAINST VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT
NICHOLAS
NICHOLAS NICOLAS MADURO WHICH FELL FLAT.
THIS WAS ENABLED AND EVEN EDGE
ENCOURAGED BY MR. TRUMP."
MR. TRUMP MIGHT NOT EVEN BE ABLE
TO FIND SOMEONE TO SAY YES TO
THIS JOB A FOURTH TIME.
MR. TRUMP’S FOURTH NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISER, IF HE CAN FIND
ONE, GIVEN HOW DISASTROUSLY
WRONG IT HAS GONE WITH ALL THE
OTHER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISERS
HE HAS HAD INCLUDING MR. BOLTON
WHO’S OUT AS OF TONIGHT, I THINK
IT’S A FAIR OBSERVATION.
THAT SAID, THAT SAID, LOOK ON
THE SUNNY SIDE.
I MEAN, SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
BREAKUP WITH JOHN BOLTON TODAY
HAS ALREADY SHINED A LITTLE LOVE
LIGHT ON H.R. McMASTER.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? THE PRESIDENT REPORTEDLY CALLING
HIM NOW TELLING HIM HOW MUCH HE
MISSES HIM.
MISSES HIM. TERRIBLE HOW THAT ALL WORKED OUT
BETWEEN US, WHAT ARE YOU DOING
NOW?
NOW? ARE YOU BUSY?
NO, LIKE, SEND ME A PICTURE FROM
WHERE YOU ARE, RIGHT NOW, SNAP
IT, SEND IT OVER.
AND IF YOU’RE TRYING TO BE GLASS
HALF FULL HERE, IT SHOULD ALSO
BE NOTED THAT MIKE FLYNN MAY
SOON BE AVAILABLE.
RIGHT?
RIGHT? I MEAN, HE KNOWS THE ROPES.
FLYNN MIGHT BE AVAILABLE SOON
DEPENDING ON HOW HIS SENTENCING
GOES IN JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS.
HE WILL EITHER BE BACK ON THE
JOB MARKET.
JOB MARKET. HE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE, LIKE,
COMMUNITY SERVICE
COMMUNITY SERVICE RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH MIGHT BE
A LITTLE BIT OF A CRUNCH WITH
THAT KIND OF A JOB, BUT YOU
NEVER KNOW.
NEVER KNOW. POTENTIALLY IT COULD BE A WORK
RELEASE JOB IF HE’S IN MINIMUM
SECURITY PRISON SOMEWHERE OR
TRUMP COULD JUST PARDON HIM IN
WHICH CASE HE’D TOTALLY BE FREE.
IT MIGHT BE WEIRD TO APPOINT A
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER AFTER
YOU HAD TO PARDON HIM FOR FELONY
CHARGES FOR THINGS HE DID WHEN
HE WAS YOUR NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER BEFORE, BUT HONESTLY
WOULD THAT BE ANY WEIRDER THAN
THE DISTANCE THAT WE HAVE
TRAVELED THUS FAR?
THERE’S A LOT GOING ON RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. STUFF THAT WOULD BE FRONT-PAGE
NEWS FOR MONTHS ON END IN ANY
OTHER ADMINISTRATION.
OTHER ADMINISTRATION. JUST TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE, CURRENT
AND FORMER FEMA OFFICIALS WERE
CHARGED WITH FELONY FRAUD IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE DISASTROUS
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DISASTER
RESPONSE TO HURRICANE MARIA IN
PUERTO RICO.
PUERTO RICO. TEN FELONY FEDERAL CHARGES
AGAINST FEMA OFFICIALS FOR
HAVING RIPPED OFF THE TAXPAYERS,
A
A IN THE HURRICANE MARIA RECOVERY.
TOMORROW THERE’S GOING TO BE A
HEARING ON THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION POLICY TO
SERGEANT SICK AND DYING CHILDREN
FOR DEPORTATION, A POLICY THEY
PUBLICLY REVERSED IN THE FACE OF
PUBLIC OUTCRY BUT NOT ENTIRELY.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE EXTENSIVE
COVERAGE ON THAT TOMORROW NIGHT
ON THIS SHOW.
THERE’S ALSO GOING TO BE A
HEARING TOMORROW, A VISE AND
SUDDEN HEARING ON ONE OF THE
MOST CONTROVERSIAL JUDICIAL
NOMINEES OF THE ENTIRE TRUMP
PRESIDENCY AND TONIGHT THERE’S
ALSO A BOMBSHELL CONGRESSIONAL
RACE IN NORTH CAROLINA.CKI WILL
US FOR AN UPDATE ON THAT IN A
FEW MINUTES.