EVERY YEAR. SO THE PRESIDENT WOULD --
>> AND HEARING SHRIEKING IS A
WONDERFUL WORD FOR WHAT HAPPENED
DURING THIS HOUR YESTERDAY TOO,
STICK WITH JAKE SHERMAN’S
DESCRIPTION, MIKE LEE CAME OUT
SHRIEKING.
SHRIEKING. TO ME, IT WAS LIKE THERE’S
GAMBLING GOING ON IN THE CASINO.
OH, MY GOD, THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS CUT OFF ALL
TRUTH, DEBATE AND DEBATE OF
CONGRESS?
CONGRESS? IN TERMS OF CUTTING CONGRESS
OUT, MAKING SURE THERE WASN’T
ANY SORT OF LEGITIMATE
REPUBLICAN PARTICIPATION OR
WHITE HOUSE PARTICIPATION IN THE
IMPEACHMENT, SORT OF CARRYING
ALL THE WATER THAT REPUBLICANS
HAVE CARRIED FOR THIS PRESIDENT.
NOW YOU’VE GOT, IN JAKE’S WORDS,
MIKE LEE AND RAND PAUL AND THE
OTHER PEOPLE UPSET ABOUT BEING
CUT OUT OF THE PROCESS, IMAGINE
THAT, SHRIEKING.
THAT, SHRIEKING. >> I THINK IT’S A MARK OF HOW
BASICALLY IMPOTENT CONGRESS HAS
BEEN AND CONGRESSIONAL
REPUBLICANS INCLUDED THROUGHOUT
THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY.
THAT IT IS HUGE NEWS THAT TWO
REPUBLICANS, INCLUDING RAND
PAUL, WHO OF COURSE IS -- HIS
STOCK AND TRADE IS TO BE AN
ICONOCLAST.
ICONOCLAST. SO YOU HAVE ONE
CONSTITUTIONALEST REPUBLICAN WHO
IS MAD AS A HORNET THAT HE FEELS
THE WHITE HOUSE IS NOT ONLY YOU
SURPG POW FROM CONGRESS, AND TO
YOUR POINT THEY’VE BEEN DOING
FOR THREE YEARS, BUT NOT ONLY IS
HE MAD ABOUT THAT BUT HE FELT
THE BRIEFER WHOSE CAME TINE TALK
TO CONGRESS YESTERDAY WITH THE
PROMISE OF LAYING OUT WHAT THE
ADMINISTRATION’S
ADMINISTRATION’S JUSTIFICATION-BEEN FOR KILLING
QASSEM SOLEIMANI STOPPED SHORT
IN GIVING A RATIONAL AND REFUSED
TO TELL SENATORS AND -- IN HIS
CASE WHAT THEIR RED LINES ARE
GOING FORWARD.
GOING FORWARD. AND LEE’S POINT IS WHY DID YOU
TALK TO US AT ALL?
WHY BRAUGTER?
WHY BRAUGTER? YOU SAW PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
REACTION.
REACTION. HE SAID HE’D NEVER SEEN MIKE LEE
LIKE THAT BEFORE.
I LIKE MIKE LEE AND THE USUAL
THINGS HE’S SAID.
IT APPEARED TO TAKE THE
PRESIDENT ABACK.
PRESIDENT ABACK. >> BECAUSE HE LIKES HIS
REPUBLICANS OBEDIENT, COMPLIANT
AND FALLING IN TO LINE.
I THINK THE COMMENTS THIS
MORNING WHERE HE’S NOT
INTIMIDATED BY ANY REACTION FROM
THE WHITE HOUSE OR FOX NEWS,
WHICH USUALLY HAS THE ABILITY OF
GETTING THE GROUNDHOG TO GO BACK
UNDERGROUND.
UNDERGROUND. I THINK THIS WHOLE STORY IS
STUNNING FROM THE OUTSIDE.
AND MIKE LEE LOOKED AROUND THREE
YEARS IN AND SAID YOU DON’T WANT
US TO DO OUR JOBS?
CONGRESS ISN’T ALLOWED TO SEE
STEVE MNUCHIN’S SECRET
DOCUMENTS.
DOCUMENTS. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT YESTERDAY?
>> AT THE SAME TIME THIS IS
SOMETHING, WHEN IT COMES TO
DECLARING WAR AND USING MILITARY
FORCE THAT HE HAS BEEN
CONSISTENT ABOUT.
CONSISTENT ABOUT. SO MAYBE THAT’S IT.
BUT LET’S NOT LOSE SIGHT OF THE
FACT THERE WAS ANOTHER VERY
IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT IN THE
MEETING THAT EXPLAINS ANGER ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, WHICH
IS WE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
CONGRESS, DON’T HAVE ANY IDEA
WHAT THE INTELLIGENCE WAS BEHIND
THIS IMMINENT THREAT.
MIKE POMPEO WAS SAYING ONE THING
AND THE PRESIDENT WAS SAYING
ANOTHER.
ANOTHER. THE PRESIDENT WAS SAYING WE
CAUGHT HIM IN THE ACT.
THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY BAD
ABOUT TO HAPPEN.
AND MIKE POMPEO BASICALLY WENT
OUT OF HIS WAY TO SAY THERE WAS
AN IMMINENT THREAT.
THERE’S NEVER ONE THING.
AND THIS WAS UP TO THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. SO HERE WE ARE WITH THIS CYCLE
OF ESCALATION, WHICH IS NOW
CYCLING IN FULL WITH IRAN
THREATENING FURTHER RETALIATION.
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT FORM THAT
WILL BE, THROUGH PROXIES, CYBER
WAR FARE, WE CAN’T IMAGINE IT.
AND WE DON’T HAVE A GOOD IDEA
WHAT GOT US INTO THIS.
>> ALL THE UTERANCES FROM NATION
SECURITY TEAM MADE TO US IN THE
WAKE OF THE DEADLY STRIKE THAT
NOW THREATENS U.S. TROOPS, AND
OUR ALLIES.
OUR ALLIES. WATCH.
WATCH. >> CAN YOU CLAIRE THE ATTACK
SOLEIMANI WAS PLANNING, WAS AT
THE DAYS OR WEEKS AWAY?
>> I THINK IT’S MORE FAIR TO SAY
DAYS FRRKSZ SURE.
IT WAS CLEARLY ON THE BATTLE
FIELD AND PLANNING MILITARY
OPERATIONS.
OPERATIONS. HE WAS A LEGITIMATE TARGET AND
HIS TIME WAS DUE.
>> WAS THE JUST F HE’S BEEN A
DESTABILIZING FORCE FOR SO LONG
OR AN IMMINENT THREAT?
>> IT’S NEVER ONE THING.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SMART
TOO.
TOO. IT’S A COLLECTIVE, IT’S A FULL
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF RISK.
>> HOW IMMINENT?
DAYS, WEEKS?
DAYS, WEEKS? >> YOU’RE AN AMERICAN IN THE
REGION DAYS AND WEEKS, THIS IS
NOT SOMETHING THAT’S RELEVANT.
WE HAVE TO PREPARE, WE HAVE TO
BE READY AND WE TOOK A BAD GUY
OFF THE BATTLE FIELD.
>> IN RECENT DAYS HE WAS
PLANNING NEW ATTACKS ON AMERICAN
TARGETS BUT WE STOPPED HIM.
SOLEIMANI’S HANDS WERE DRENCHED
IN BOTH AMERICAN AND IRANIAN
BLOOD.
BLOOD. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TERMINATED
LONG AGO.
LONG AGO. >> SO WE HAVE GONE -- JUST IN
THESE CLIPS, WE’VE GONE FROM
IMMINENT THREAT TO DAYS, WEEKS
AND YOU KNOW WHAT?
HE WAS A BAD GUY AND HE HAD IT
COMING.
COMING. SO WE CAN NO LONGER TRUST THIS
WHITE HOUSE EVEN WHEN THE
CONSEQUENCES ARE AS GRAVE AS
POTENTIAL WAR TO TELL US
ANYTHING APROX MATING THE TRUTH.
AND WHAT’S REALLY OFFENSIVE TO
SOMEONE LIKE ME THAT’S BEEN AN
INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONAL IS
THEY’RE TRYING TO PUT THE.
>> GOOD FACE OF OUR INTELLIGENCE
SERVICES.
SERVICES. NO, YOU DIDN’T.
YOU’RE LYING ABOUT IT.
I USED TO TELL MY TWO BOYS WHEN
THEY WERE TEENAGERS.
IDEA
IDEA I’D SAY WHERE WERE YOU?
AND IF THEIRS WASN’T MATCHING,
I’D SAY GIVE ME THE KEYS UNTIL
WE COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT
YOU CAN DO AND WHERE YOU CAN GO
WITH THE CAR.
BUT UNTIL WE COME TO AT THE
AGREEMENT, THE CAR STAYS IN THE
GARAGE.
GARAGE. IF YOU RAN OUT OF CHIPS AND
SALSA, IT’S ALL GOOD.
THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
IN CONGRESS RIGHT NOW WITH THE
WAR POWERS DISCUSSION.
THIS PRESIDENT CAN’T BE TRUSTED
WITH THE KEYS TO THE CAR.
MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.
THIS WHITE HOUSE CAN’T MAKE GOOD
DECISIONS.
DECISIONS. THE PRESIDENT IS HANGING OUT
WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE.
THAT’S WHY YOU HEAR NANCY PELOSI
TALKING ABOUT WAR POWERS
AUTHORITY.
AUTHORITY. >> WE’RE GOING TO DO A WHOLE
HOUR DEDICATED TO HOW YOU RAISE
KIDS.
KIDS. I WANT TO USE THOSE INTEL LINES
ON MINE.
ON MINE. HE’S ONLY EIGHT.
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME MOST
NONPOLITICAL SENIOR NATIONAL
SECURITY OFFICIALS WELCOME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GO BEFORE
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. THEY MAKE HARD DECISIONS.
AND THESE BRIEFINGS USUALLY HAVE
THE OPPOSITE EFFECT OF MUTING
SOME OF THE CRITICISM ON CAPITOL
HILL BECAUSE YOU HELP THEM
UNDERSTAND WHY A PRESIDENT MAKES
A DECISION THAT MAY NOT HAVE
BEEN WHAT THEY DID.
AND I’M SPEAKING FROM THE BUSH
YEARS.
YEARS. THESE BRIEFINGS ALMOST
UNIVERSALLY, HELP, DIDN’T HURT.
IT IS EXTRAORDINARY TO SEE A
GROUP OF NATIONAL SECURITY
OFFICIALS
OFFICIALS OFFICIALS BASICALLY BE CALLED
BUMBLEING IDIOTS.
BUMBLEING IDIOTS. >> THIS COULD BE AT THE ONE TIME
YOU’RE BRIEFING THE WHITE HOUSE,
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNSEL, HOUSE
AND SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY ON A KINETIC ACTION
AND WHY IT HAD TO BE TAKEN.
IF THAT’S BEING LIED ABOUT AND
TWISTED, WE’RE NOW USING
INTELLIGENCE AS A WEAPON.
AND NO ONE’S GETTING TO THE
TRUTH HERE.
TRUTH HERE. IT’S ONE OF THE WORST THINGS
THAT COULD HAPPEN.
THEY’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THE
MOMENT WHEN THEY CAN ADVISE THE