>> THAT A GREAT POINT AND SO MUCH HAS BEEN SETUP THIS ONE
ACTION AND NOT JUST ACTION,
THERE’S PARDONS THIS PRESIDENT
HAS ISSUED AS WELL.
THANK YOU BOTH.
JOINING ME NOW A FORMER U.S.
ARMY OFFICER AND IRAQ WAR
VETERAN, THE COFOUNDER AND
FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE VOTE VETS
ADVOCACY GROUP.
ADVOCACY GROUP. JOHN, I KNOW YOU FEEL STRONGLY
ABOUT THIS CASE.
I’VE WATCHED SOME OF THE THINGS
YOU’VE SAID.
YOU’VE SAID. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHAT’S
HAPPEN SAID, WHAT WE LEARNED
TODAY FROM THAT TESTIMONY AND
WHAT THE PRESIDENT’S INVOLVEMENT
HERE MEANS?
HERE MEANS? >> I THINK THE FIRST THING I
TOOK TODAY FROM THE TESTIMONY
THAT CAME OUT OF "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" WHEN YOU WATCH THESE
VETERANS TALK, YOU COULD FEEL
THE PAIN IN THEIR VOICES.
AND I THINK WE COULD TALK ABOUT
A LOT TODAY, THE RAMIFICATIONS
OF WHAT THIS MEANS OR WE COULD
TALK ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR OUR TROOPS
CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND AND IN
COMBAT, AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR
FUTURE TROOPS WHO HAVE MAYBE
SEEN SOMETHING WRONG BUT THE
PAIN YOU HEAR IN THE VOICES OF
THE S.E.A.L.s AS THEY GO TO
EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM IS
HEART BREAKING BECAUSE WHAT I
FELT IS THEY WERE TRYING TO
RELIEVE SOME OF THEIR OWN GUILT
OF BEING AROUND AN INCIDENT OR
BEING AROUND A CHIEF WHO IS
THEIR SENIOR NONCOMMISSIONED
OFFICER IN THIS DEPLOYMENT DO
THINGS ILLEGAL, AND THIS REALLY
WAS A CRY FOR HELP FOR THEM TO
GO TO NCIS, AND IT’S REALLY HARD
FOR ME TO WATCH THEM DEAL WITH
THAT PAIN.
THAT PAIN. >> THERE’S ALSO A BROADER
QUESTION HERE OF THE WAY THE
PRESIDENT CONCEIVES OF WHAT U.S.
POLICY SHOULD BE ABOUT THE
COMMISSION OF WAR CRIMES, ABOUT
TORTURE.
TORTURE. HE TALKED ON THE CAMPAIGN ABOUT
KILLING THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF,
QUOTE, TERRORISTS.
QUOTE, TERRORISTS. HE TOLD THAT STORY ABOUT A U.S.
GENERAL DIPPING BULLETS IN PIGS
BLOOD.
BLOOD. HE SEEMS TO RELISH IN THE KINDS
OF THINGS THAT AN ENTIRE
STRUCTURE HAS BEEN ERECTED
WITHIN THE U.S. ARMED FORCES
OVER DECADES TO PREVENT FROM
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. >> HE’S BASICALLY TELLING THE
NAVY I DON’T TRUST YOU TO MANAGE
YOUR OWN BUSINESS.
AND WE’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE THIS.
LIKE THIS. WE’VE NEVER SEEN A SCENARIO
WHERE THE MILITARY CHAIN OF
COMMAND AND THE MILITARY JUSTICE
SYSTEM BASICALLY IS CHECKMATED
BY THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
SO YOU COULD BASICALLY DO
ANYTHING WRONG RIGHT NOW IN ANY
OF THE SERVICE BRANCHES AND IF
YOU COULD GET, YOU KNOW, PETE
WHO’S A FOX NEWS HOST TO PROMOTE
YOU ON A PRESIDENT -- A SHOW THE
PRESIDENT WATCHES, HE COULD
CERTAINLY UNDERMINE THE ENTIRE
MILITARY CHAIN OF COMMAND, HE’S
DAMAGED MILITARY LEADERS AND
OFFICERS FOR WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY
POLITICAL DRAMA HE WANTS TO USE
FOR HIS OWN POLITICAL BENEFIT,
AND HE’S DAMAGED AN INSTITUTION,
JUST LIKE HE’S DAMAGEDETER
INSTITUTIONS THROUGH HIS
DEALINGS WITH THE IMPEACHMENT
AND DAMAGED THE INSTITUTIONS OF
THE ARMED FORCES AND I THINK
THAT’S HEART BREAKING FOR ANYONE
IN THE MILITARY WHO’S SERVED IN
IT.
IT. >> YOU KNOW, THIS -- THIS CALLS
TO MIND THIS POLLING THE
MILITARY TIMES DID RECENTLY
WHICH WAS REALLY STRIKING TO ME.
VERY UNFAVORABLE VIEWS I THINK
FROM ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS, 45%,
VERY FAVORABLE JUST 24%.
OVERALL UNDER WATER IN
FAVORABILITY WITHIN THE U.S.
MILITARY.
MILITARY. DOES THAT SURPRISE YOU?
>> IT DOESN’T SURPRISE ME.
THE PRESIDENT IS ON AN ELEVATOR
GOING DOWN.
GOING DOWN. I MEAN THERE’S A REASON WHY WE
HAVE A WEBSITE CALLED TRUMP IS A
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT, HE
DISRESPECTED A GOLD STAR FAMILY,
RIGHT, HE HAS DECIDED HE’S GOING
TO BAY FOR THE BORDER WALL BY
TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SCHOOL
SYSTEM.
SYSTEM. JUST WEEKEND OVER CHRISTMAS HE
DECIDED HE WOULD DEPART --
DEPORT FAMILY MEMBERS OF ACTIVE
DUTY MILITARY DEPLOYED.
SO IT’S -- YOU KNOW, PARDONING
WAR CRIMINALS IS PAR FOR THE
COURSE IN HIS WAR OVER THE
MILITARY.
MILITARY. IT DOESN’T SURPRISE ME YOU SEE
HIS POLL NUMBERS INSIDE THE
MILITARY GOING FROM WHERE THEY
WERE TO DOWN.
AND I WOULD REMIND YOU THAT’S A
MILITARY TIMES POLL.
THAT’S A MORE CONSERVATIVE
READER BASE TO START, SO, YOU
KNOW, THIS IS LONG-TERM SORT OF
EFFECT THAT HE’S HAD BECAUSE
IT’S BEEN THING AFTER THING
AFTER THING THAT’S TAKING US TO
THE POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, FOR
THE FIRST TIME WE CAN SEE THE
MILITARY VOTER AND VETERAN VOTER
REALLY VOTE AGAINST A AMERICAN
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> LAST QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH
THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS DONE IN THIS CASE
AND A FEW OTHER CASES REACHING
INTO THE MILITARY JUSTICE
SYSTEM, WHAT THAT WILL MEAN FOR
SOMEONE IN A UNIT WHO SEES
SOMETHING THEY THINK IS WRONG OR
WITNESSES WHAT IS GENUINELY AN
ATROCITY OR MAYBE SOMETHING THAT
JUST SEEMS SORT OF OFF AND
WHAT’S GOING TO GO THROUGH THEIR
MIND WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT
WHETHER TO REPORT THAT.
>> IT’S REALLY HARD WHAT THEY
DID.
DID. THE S.E.A.L. COMMUNITY IS A VERY
CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY.
CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY. THERE’S A CLOSE IN 2017 WHERE A
S.E.A.L. WAS INVOLVED WITH A
MURDER OF A GREEN BERET.
AND THIS HAD TO DO WITH THE
TELLING OF MISCONDUCT.
SO WE HAVE A SCENARIO IN THE
SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMUNITY
THAT’S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
WHERE PEOPLE FERAL NOW, HEY, IF
I BREAK THIS CODE WHAT ARE THE
RAMIFICATIONS?
RAMIFICATIONS? ACROSS THE MILITARY AS WELL.
SO I THINK NOW WHEN PEOPLE SEE
MISCONDUCT THAT SHOULD BE
REPORTED THAT THEY KNOW THAT’S
THEIR DUTY AND OBLIGATION,
THURSDAY GOING TO BE A FEAR
GOING FORWARD ON WHETHER OR NOT
THEY SHOULD REPORT IT AT ALL.
ONE THING IS FOR CERTAIN AND TO
THE S.E.A.L.S WE MET TODAY ON
THAT VIDEO, THEY ARE HEROES, AND
THEY CAN REST ASSURED TONIGHT
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC KNOWS THAT