CAUGHT IS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF
THE "NEW YORK POST" TODAY WITH
THE HEADLINE DISHONOR.
JOEY JONES, RETIRED MARINE BOMB
TECHNICIAN AND AFGHANISTAN
VETERAN.
FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR, FOX
NATION HOPE AND FRIEND OF "THE
FAULKNER FOCUS".
YOU HEAR FROM TWO DIFFERENT
DADS, TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS
ABOUT SOMETHING THAT THEY HAD
IN COMMON.
REACTION TO THE WATCH CHECK.
>> YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS SAY
THERE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
PERCEPTION AND REALITY.
WHEN YOU SAY THAT, WHAT MATTERS
IS PERCEPTION, NOT REALITY.
IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT
PRESENT A MESSAGE EVEN IF IT’S
NOT WHAT WE INTEND.
I CAN’T TELL YOU IF HE WAS
CHECKING HIS WATCH OR SEE WELL
ENOUGH TO READ THE HANDS ON HIS
WATCH.
I DON’T KNOW.
I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT JOE
BIDEN DOES WITH HIS WATCH.
HE OBVIOUSLY WAS DOING THE
MOTION OF CHECKING HIS WATCH.
I SAW IT AND AS SOON AS I SAW
IT I PAUSED THE TV AND THOUGHT
OVERLY CRITICAL.
I’M UPSET WITH HIM ANYWAY.
I PICK UP TWITTER AND ALL OVER
TWITTER.
MILLIONS OF OTHER PEOPLE SAW IT.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SAY
I’M SURPRISED BUT I’M NOT.
I’M DISGUSTED AND JUST DON’T
UNDERSTAND, THEN HE GOES AND
STARTS TALKING ABOUT THE LOSS
OF HIS OWN SON AND I HATE THAT.
MY HEART BROKE FOR HIM WHEN IT
HAPPENED BUT IT IS ALMOST LIKES
HE WANTS TO EQUATE THAT TO THE
SONS AND DAUGHTERS LOST ON THE
BATTLEFIELD.
IT IS A STRANGE WAY OF
PRESENTING YOURSELF AS THE
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.
THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THOSE
MEN AND WOMEN ONTO THE
BATTLEFIELD WHO DIED AND
SACRIFICED.
A VERY STRANGE WAY TO PRESENT
YOURSELF TO THE PEOPLE THAT YOU
SHOULD BE ON YOUR KNEES KISSING
THEIR HEADS.
INSTEAD YOU CHECK YOUR WATCH
AND TALKING ABOUT YOUR OWN
SACRIFICE.
I THINK IT JUST SHOWS HOW
DISCONNECTED EITHER THROUGH OLD
AGE OR MAYBE HE HAS JUST ALWAYS
BEEN THAT WAY.
I’M 35 YEARS OLD.
HE WAS A POLITICIAN A DECADE
BEFORE I WAS BORN.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT HE WAS LIKE
BACK THEN BUT HE ISN’T GREAT AT
CONNECTING WITH FOLKS TODAY, I
CAN TELL YOU THAT.
>> Harris: AS YOU WERE TALKING
AND GIVING PLAUSIBLE OTHER
THINGS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED
I WAS THINKING IF THERE IS EVEN
THE POSSIBILITY IT IS JUST A
NERVOUS TICK, WHATEVER IT IS.
ISN’T ANYBODY AROUND THIS MAN
TO SAY DON’T WEAR YOUR WATCH TO
THE CEREMONY.
THAT’S WHAT WE DO FOR EACH
OTHER.
I KNOW MY MILITARY DEPENDENT
BACK GROUND COMES FROM A DAD
WHO WOULD DO THAT FOR HIS
SOLDIERS AND WHAT THEY WOULD DO
FOR HIM.
>> EXACTLY.
IT’S DISTASTEFUL.
YOU HAVE -- YOU ARE THE LEADER.
YOU HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE WHO
ARE AROUND JUST TO MAKE SURE
YOU DON’T HAVE LINT ON YOUR
JACKET AND THEY CAN’T HELP YOU
NOT CHECK YOUR WATCH WHEN DEAD
BODIES ARE ROLLING OFF AN
AIRPLANE?
I DON’T WANT TO EXACERBATE THE
PAIN AND RAGE FELT BY GOLD STAR
FAMILIES.
THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN A LOT OF
GRACE RIGHT NOW AND WE
SHOULDN’T TAKE THEIR WORDS AND
USE IT TO ATTACK POLITICIANS.
I’M NOT TIPTOE BUT BE
RESPECTFUL BUT AS SOMEONE WHO
HAS HAD TO GO TO A LOT OF
FUNERALS AT ARLINGTON, SOMEONE
TEXTING WITH A GOLD STAR
DAUGHTER FIVE MINUTES BEFORE
THIS HIT I HAVE MY OWN RAGE AT
THIS.
I AM UPSET AND I THINK HE
SHOULD BE BETTER THAN THAT.
BETTER THAN THAT IN A LOT OF
WAYS.
>> Harris: WE’LL PUT UP AT MY
REQUEST, TEAM, THE HOTLINE
NUMBER FOR MILITARY VETERANS.
MILITARY LEADERS IN OHIO HAVE
SENT A MESSAGE TO VETERANS,
JOEY.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE TALK
ABOUT ON THE PROGRAM PREVIOUS
TO THE LOSS WE SUFFERED WITH
THE 13 IN AFGHANISTAN AND ALL
THAT’S PLAYED OUT THERE.
BUT VETERANS WHO ARE FEELING
FRUSTRATED AND CHALLENGED BY
THIS TIME, HERE IS THAT FROM A
MAJOR GENERAL.
>> EVEN THE TOUGHEST WARRIORS
SOMETIMES NEED TO TAKE A KNEE
AND GET A DRINK OF WATER.
AND THAT APPLIES MENTALLY, TOO.
SOMETIMES THE EMOTIONAL AND
MENTAL BURDEN BECOMES TOO HEAVY
AND WE HAVE TO TAKE A KNEE AND
ASK FOR HELP.
THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT.
PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE
CURRENT EVENTS THAT WE SEE
UNFOLDING.
>> Harris: JOEY.
>> I APPRECIATE YOUR WORDS.
THE VETERANS I KNOW ARE
INSPIRED BY GENERALS THEY SEE
WALK ACROSS THE PARADE DECK AND
INSPIRED BY THE SMALL UNIT
LEADERS THAT WE FOUGHT
ALONGSIDE THAT TRULY UNDERSTAND
OUR OWN EXPERIENCE AND ACTUALLY
SHED BLOOD ON THESE
BATTLEFIELDS.
I’M NOT DIMINISHING THE GENERAL.
THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEAN.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE I HOPE
SPEAK UP ARE THE STAFF NCOs
THAT LED TROOPS ON THE
BATTLEFIELD AND JUNIOR OFFICERS.
I HOPE THEY CHECK IN WITH THEIR
TROOPS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
NEED TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, I
LOST MY BROTHER AND MY LEGS IN
2010.
WE UNDERSTOOD IN 2012.
IT WASN’T TO WIN THE WAR.
IT WAS UNDERMINED BY 2014.
THIS IS A FIGHT INTERNALLY
WE’VE HAD FOR A LONG TIME.
MOST OF US UNDERSTOOD WE LOST
THE WAR 10 YEARS AGO BECAUSE
THE POLITICAL WILL IN THIS
COUNTRY WAS NOT TO KEEP A
PRESSURE THERE AND WIN THE WAR
IN THE SENSE OF WHAT WE WERE
TOLD WE WERE TRYING TO DO.
DESTROY THE TALIBAN.
SO THE POLITICS HAVE BEEN THE
TAIL WAGGING THE DOG ON THE
BATTLEFIELD.
I HOPE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TAKE
THAT LESSON TO HEART WHEN WE
ARE ELECTING LEADERS AND
LISTENING TO THE NARRATIVE.
IT WAS PRETTY HURTFUL TO SEE
MIKE POMPEO STAND NEXT TO A
TALIBAN LEADER AND HAVE
PRESIDENT OBAMA SEND 40,000 OF
US TO AFGHANISTAN TO PULL US
BACK IN TIME TO LOSE THE FIGHT
SO HE COULD GET AN ELECTION AND
CLAIM VICTORY.
THIS IS NOT NEW.
IT HAS HAPPENED WITH EVERY
ADMINISTRATION.
PRESIDENT BIDEN JUST TOOK IT TO
THE NEXT LEVEL AND SOME OF US
GOT KILLED ON THE WAY OUT.
IT WAS UNNECESSARY.
>> Harris: JOEY JONES, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH.
WE’LL KEEP THAT CRISIS LINE UP
AS WE GO OUT INTO THIS NEXT