QUESTION WE ARE SADDLED WITH REGARD TO THE SITTING PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES. >> A COUPLE OF DAYS ANO IN THE
ROSE GASHEDEN. THE PRESIDENT MADE THE CLAIM
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD NOT CALLED THE FAMILIES OF FALLEN SOLDIERS
A CLAIM THAT'S NOT TRUE. HE WROTE IN HIS CHIEF OF STAFF
AND MENTIONED KELLY AND SAID OBAMA MA NEVER CALLED HIS SON.
HERE'S WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY DURING A
RADIO INTERVIEW. >> THEY ASKED ME THAT QUESTION
AND FOR THE MOST PART TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I THINK I
CALLED EVERY FAMILY OF SOMEBODY THAT'S DIED.
AS FAR AS OTHER REPRESENTATIVES,
I DON'T KNOW, YOU COULD ASK GENERAL KELLY, DID HE GET A CALL
FROM OBAMA, YOU COULD ASK OTHER PEOPLE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT
OBAMA'S POLICY WAS. >> SOON OF THAT INTERVIEW, AN
ANONYMOUS WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAID PRESIDENT OBAMA NEVER
CALLED KELLY WHEN HIS SON, THE SECOND LEIUTENANT ROBERT KELLY
WAS KILLED IN COMBAT IN 2011, WHITE HOUSE VISITOR LOGS SHOWED
THE OBAMAS HOSTED KELLY AND HIS WIFE AT A BREAKFAST FOR GOLD
STAR FAMILIES AFTER HIS SON DIED.
THEY SAID THEY WERE SEATED AT FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA'S
TABLE. >> AND THE QUESTION THE NOT
WHETHER HE DID OR DID NOT THE QUESTION IS ACTUALLY AGAIN THAT
THIS PRESIDENT WOULD SO FLIPPANTLY USE THE DEATH OF HIS
CHIEF OF STAFF'S SON THE TRAGEDY, THAT FAMILY'S TRAGEDY,
AGAIN AS A THROW AWAY LINE FROM A FIGHT THAT HE SHOULD HAVE NOT
EVEN ENGAGED IN. A FIGHT OVER ATTACKING OTHER
PRESIDENTS. AGAIN, MARK HALPERIN.
THESE ARE THROW AWAY LINES FOR FIGHTS THAT HE SHOULD NOT ENGAGE
IN. THIS DOES HIM NO GOOD.
THIS DOES THE COUNTRY NO GOOD. >> THIS MAKES ME PROFOUNDLY SAD
AS ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS TO MAKE
THESE FAMILIES WHO HAD SUFFERED PAY THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TO
MAKE THEM A PART OF THIS. WHETHER GENERAL KELLY OR
SERGEANT JOHNSON BY CRITICIZING PRESIDENT OBAMA BY BRINGING IN
GENERALICALLY'S SON. I THINK IT'S A SAD THING T.
PRESIDENT BEARS MOST OF THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS, FOR
SHAPING THIS DISCUSSION. I DO THINK, I'LL SAY, NOT TO BE
CORRECT AM OF THIS PROGRAM. BUT THE COVERAGE IN THE LAST 12
HOURS IN GENERAL. THEY CREATE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE
FAMILY AND THE PRESIDENT WAS A MISTAKE.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID ON THE CALL.
>> WHAT DOES GENERAL KELLY DO NEXT?
HOW DOES GENERAL KELLY, THAT SHOWED THE PASSING OF HIS SON
AND REALLY A LOT OF OUR PRODUCTION TO GENERAL KELLY WAS
READING THAT EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH HE GAVE ABOUT SACRIFICE
OF THESE FAMILIES, SO WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM GENERALICALLY NEXT?
>> I THINK AND I HOPE HE CAN CONVINCE HIS PRESIDENT, TO TAKE
THIS OFF THE TABLE. NOT THE SUBJECT OF TWEETS AND
POLITICAL ATTACKS AND TALK RADIO, REALLY, THERE ARE SO MANY
TOPICS THE PRESIDENT USES FOR SHORT-TERM POLITICAL DESIRES AND
LASHING OUT, THIS SHOULD NOULD ONE OF THEM.
>> MIKE BARNACLE, WHAT DOES PRESIDENT KELLY DO NEXT?
I WONDER HOW ANY OF US. WE UNDERSTAND HE IS IN THERE
SERVING HIS COUNTRY. IT'S EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT
FOR HIM. WE UNDERSTAND HE WOULD MUCH
LATTER NOT BE IN THERE. DOES HE HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING
ABOUT THIS? >> JOHN KELLY REPORTS FOR DUTY
TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY THIS MORNING.
JOHN KELLY REPORTS FOR DUTY TO THE WHITE HOUSE THIS MORNING.
>> SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE A SUPERVISORS, A
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. >> I WOULD HOPE, PRAY AND THINK
THAT GENERAL KELLY WOULD SPEAK TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES TO ADDRESS WHAT MARK HALPERIN INDICATED.
TAKE THIS OFF THE TABLE. IT'S FAR BIGGER THAN ROBERT
KELLY'S DEATH. IT HAS TO DO WITH EVERYONE WHO
DIES IN THE SERVICE OF THIS COUNTRY.
THEY SHOULD NOT BE INJECTED INTO THE DAILY DISCOURSE OF POLITICS.
THEY SHOULD JUST NOT BE INJECTED INTO THIS.
>> BOB MEACHAM, I WOULD ASK YOU ABOUT PARALLELS, BUT THERE ARE
NO PARALLELS FOR A GROUP OF ADVISERS AROUND A PRESIDENT WHO
ARE STAYING THERE, JUST TO HOLD A LINE AGAINST SHEER INSANITY
COMPLETELY ENVELOPEING THE ENTIRE ROCK HOUSE, THE ENTIRE
ADMINISTRATION. IT SEEMS THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
GENERAL KELLY NOW EVEN HAS TO ENDURE THIS BECAUSE HE FEARS
WHAT COMES NEXT IF HE LEAVES. >> RIGHT.
>> THE CLOSEST THING IS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE JIM
SLAZINGER ISSUED AN ORDER THAT ANY MILITARY ORDER FROM THE
NIXON WHITE HOUSE TOWARDS THE END HAD TO BE CLEARED BY HIM.
GENERAL HAIG WAS PLAYING A REMARKABLE ROLE IN '73, '74, BUT
LET'S GO TO MIKE'S POINT, WHAT IS THE INFLEXION POINT?
IT DID TAKE UNTIL '54 FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, FOR McCARTHY TO BE
BROKEN. WHEN DOES A FEVER BREAK?
BECAUSE IN A REPUBLIC, WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE SUM OF OUR
PARTS. AND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE
COUNTRY IS ENABLING THIS PRESIDENT TO BEHAVE THIS WAY.
AND WHY ON GOD'S EARTH HAS HE TWICE MANAGED TO SMASH HIS
TWITTER FINGER AND HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PINBALL FINGER ON FOLD
STAR FAMILIES? HE DID IT LAST YEAR, HE DID IT
THIS WEEK AND I THINK PART OF THE EXPLANATION MUST BE WE OFTEN
ATTACK THAT WHICH WE FEAR. >> RIGHT.
>> I THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GENERAL KELLY'SSON, THOSE PEOPLE
REPRESENT A LEVEL OF SACRIFICE, A LITTLE OF ENGAGEMENT, WITH THE
LIVES OF OTHERS OF WHICH THIS MAN IS INCAPABLE OF.
>> HE ATTACKS JOHN McCAIN. >> SENIOR McCAIN.
>> JOHN McCAIN OF BEING AGAIN A PRISONER OF WAR WHO REFUSED TO
COME HOME, CONTINUED TO BE TORTURED, HE WASN'T COMING HOME
WITHOUT HIS BAND OF BROTHERS, WHILE DONALD TRUMP WAS DODGING
THE DRAFT, FOUR FIVE TIMES, CLAIMING HE HAD FOOT SPURS WHILE
HE WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL, GOLF, TENNIS AND CHASING WITH IM.
>> AND HERE'S THE THING, IT TRICKLES DOWN, RIGHT?
SO EVEN IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, I DO AGREE WITH MARK.
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW WE TALK ABOUT THIS.
I THINK THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS WOMAN AND COUNCILWOMAN FROM
SOUTHERN FLORIDA ALSO SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL THAN THEY'RE BEING
ABOUT HOW THEY TALK ABOUT THAT PHONE CALL AND COMING OUT TO THE
PRESS TO MAKE THIS A POLITICAL STATEMENT, IT'S THE WHOLE
ENVIRONMENT AND THE CONVERSATION BECOMES MORE TOXIC BECAUSE
EVERYBODY FROM BOTH SIDES FEELS THEY WANT TO GET IN ON IT AND
DEFEND THEIR CORNERS. >> THAT DOES COME FROM THE
PRESIDENT, BUT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ALSO NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR WHAT THEY SAY. >> THE CONGRESS WOMAN BY THE WAY
WHO RELATED THE DETAILS WILL BE ON OUR SHOW COMING UP LATER.
SO WE CAN GET INTO SOME OF THAT WITH HER.
WE KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED, DONALD TRUMP HEARD A CRITICISM
AT A ROSE GARDEN PRESS CONFERENCE.
HE CAN'T LET A CRITICISM GO UNANSWERED.
HE HAS TO SAY, WELL, OBAMA DID IT, TOO.
HE'S LIKE, I HAVE BEEN TOLD. SO THAT WAS, WE HEARD DIRECTLY
FROM GENERAL KELLY OR SOMEONE ELSE THAT HE WAS CALLED ABOUT
THE DEATH OF HIS SON. NOW IT BILL A STORY, HE SAID,
GENERAL KELLY, YOU GOT TO LET NBC NEWS AND OTHERS KNOW IT WAS
YOU. SO THAT CONFIRMS WHAT I SAID AT
THE ROSE GARDEN, BRING GENERAL KELLY INTO THAT IS APPALLING.
I JUST HOPE WE CAN SETTLE