WITH US, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF
AT THE CIA, AND PENTAGON, FORMER
CHIEF COUNCIL TO THE HOUSE INTEL
COMMITTEE.
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOU
ALL, KRISTEN, OLD FRIEND, I’D
LIKE TO BEGIN WITH YOU.
THE PRESIDENT SEEMED A LITTLE
BIT DEFENSIVE ON IMMIGRATION.
DID IT LEAD YOU AND/OR OTHERS TO
BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE TRULY
CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THIS WAVE
THAT HE INSISTS IS REALLY NO
BIGGER THAN OTHER OFF YEARS?
>> BRIAN, IT’S GREAT TO BE WITH
YOU, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
I THINK TO SOME EXTENT THE
ADMINISTRATION IS CAUGHT OFF
GUARD BY JUST HOW BIG THIS WAVE
IS.
AS YOU HEARD PRESIDENT BIDEN
SAY, THIS IS A SEASONAL ISSUE.
THESE NUMBERS SURGE WHEN WE
APPROACH THE SPRING, AND WARMER
MONTHS.
AND YET, WHAT HIS OWN DHS
SECRETARY HAS SAID IS THAT THIS
SURGE IS GOING TO BE, THEY
BELIEVE, THE LARGEST IN 20
YEARS.
AND SO OF COURSE HIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN FIELDING
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THERE’S
BEEN MIXED MESSAGING, WHETHER
HIS POLICIES ARE UNINTENTIONALLY
SENDING THE MESSAGE THAT
MIGRANTS ARE WELCOME.
AND SO THEY’VE BEEN ON THE
DEFENSIVE ABOUT THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT’S PART OF
WHAT YOU WITNESSED TODAY, AND IN
TERMS OF THE LINES OF
QUESTIONING, MINE IN PARTICULAR,
I ASKED PRESIDENT BIDEN IF HE
WOULD COMMIT TO TRANSPARENCY ON
THE ISSUE, IF HE WOULD ALLOW
REPORTERS TO GO AND TO SEE THE
DETENTION FACILITIES WHERE SOME
OF THOSE MIGRANTS ARE BEING
HELD, THOSE CHILDREN, IN
PARTICULAR, HE SAID YES, HE
WOULD, BUT DIDN’T GIVE A
TIMELINE.
SO THERE’S A REAL AREA THERE, I
THINK, BRIAN, FOR US TO FOLLOW
UP ON, AND STAY ON TOP OF WHAT
HAS BECOME A CRITICAL ISSUE, USE
POINT OUT, THE PRESIDENT HAS
LAID OUT THIS ROBUST AGENDA, AND
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EARLY
CRISES THAT HE’S DEALING WITH AT
THE SAME TIME, BRIAN.
>> PETER BAKER, INDEED, COMING
OFF ONE OF THE POINTS KRISTEN
JUST MADE, A DRAMATIC READING
FOR YOU FROM POLITICO, AND IT
GOES LIKE THIS.
"THE PRESIDENT AND HIS TEAM HAVE
SET EXPECTATIONS LOW AND
ROUTINELY CLEARED THEM, ALL THE
WHILE TRYING TO CREATE A
DELIBERATE CONTRAST WITH THE
CHAOS THAT DEFINED THE FOUR
YEARS OF DONALD TRUMP’S
PRESIDENCY," AND PETER, HERE’S
THE QUESTION IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE
SAW FOR OVER AN HOUR TODAY.
WHAT DID WE LEARN TODAY ABOUT
HOW HE SEES THE OFFICE, AND
HAVING HAD SUCH AN UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE SERVING A
PRESIDENT FOR EIGHT YEARS, HIS
VIEW OF THE PRESIDENCY NOW THAT
IT’S HIS.
>> WELL, I THINK HE DOES WANT TO
SEND A STARK CONTRAST FROM HIS
PREDECESSOR, OBVIOUSLY, YOU
KNOW, PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PRESS
CONFERENCES OFTEN VEERED OFF IN
MANY DIFFERENT TANGENTS, OFTEN
INCLUDED HOSTILE EXCHANGES WITH
REPORTERS, OFTEN INCLUDED
ATTACKS ON POLITICAL ADVERSARIES
THAT WERE PRETTY CAUSTIC AND,
YOU KNOW, UNUSUALLY VITRIOLIC
EVEN FOR WASHINGTON.
PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS TRYING TO
SHOW A DIFFERENT SIDE.
BUT HE’S ALSO NOT THE SAME AS
HIS PREDECESSOR’S PREDECESSOR.
HE’S NOT THE SAME AS PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
HE’S NOT -- DOESN’T HAVE THE
SAME SORT OF COOL DISCOURSIVE
STYLE THAT THAT PRESIDENT HAD.
HE IS HIS OWN PERSON, HIS OWN
PERSON, I THINK, IS WHAT THEY
WANT TO COMMUNICATE TO AMERICANS
BECAUSE IT’S SORT OF BEEN THE
REASSURING, YOU KNOW, APPROACH
THAT WON HIM A LOT OF FAVOR IN
LAST YEAR’S ELECTION AND HAS
CONTINUED TO WIN HIM FAVOR IN
THESE POLLS, 59%, I THINK, ARE
GIVING HIM APPROVAL RATING,
HIGHER THAN PRESIDENT TRUMP EVER
HAD AND HIGHER THAN PRESIDENT
OBAMA HAD FOR MANY OF HIS EIGHT
YEARS IN OFFICE.
SO I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO SHOW HIM -- THEY’RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO SHOW HIM IN
THIS KIND OF LIGHT.
NOT NECESSARILY DOMINATING THE
CONVERSATION THE WAY PRESIDENT
TRUMP DID, BUT TRYING TO SHOW
THAT HE’S IN COMMAND, ON TOP OF
A NUMBER OF ISSUES, EVEN AS HE
DOES SEEM AS YOU SAY CORRECTLY
DEFENSIVE ON THINGS THAT ARE OUT
OF HIS CONTROL.
>> HEY, JEREMY BASH, THANKS IN
LARGE PART TO OUR MUTUAL FRIEND
KRISTEN, THE PRESIDENT TALKED
ABOUT FOREIGN AFFAIRS TODAY.
I WANT TO PLAY FOR YOU ONE SUCH
EXCHANGE.
WE’LL DISCUSS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> CAN YOU COMMIT TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE THAT BY MAY 2nd
THE U.S. WILL NO LONGER HAVE
FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN?
>> THE ANSWER IS THAT IT’S GOING
TO BE HARD TO MEET THE MAY 1
DEADLINE.
THIS IN TERMS OF TACTICAL
REASONS.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE, THOUGH, IT’S
POSSIBLE WE COULD HAVE TROOPS
THERE NEXT YEAR?
>> I CAN’T PICTURE THAT BEING
THE CASE.
>> WHAT IS YOUR RED LINE ON
NORTH KOREA?
>> IF THEY CHOOSE TO ESCALATE,
WE WILL RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.
BUT I’M ALSO PREPARED FOR SOME
FORM OF DIPLOMACY.
BUT IT HAS TO BE CONDITIONED
UPON THE END RESULT OF
DENUCLEARIZATION.
>> SO JEREMY, A BIG QUESTION
THAT SPEAKS TO YOUR LIFE’S WORK.
HOW HAS THE U.S. ROLE IN THE
WORLD CHANGED JUST LIKE THAT IN
THE SPACE OF 65 DAYS?
>> YEAH, BRIAN, YOU HAVE NOW A
COMMANDER IN CHIEF WHO’S A
PRAGMATIST.
HE SAYS, LOOK, I KNOW WE HAVE AN
OBLIGATION TO LEAVE AFGHANISTAN
AND BY THE WAY BIDEN HAS LONG
BEEN A PROPONENT OF HAVING A
SMALLER TROOP FOOTPRINT IN
AFGHANISTAN BUT HE SAID THERE’S
NO REALISTIC TACTICAL LOGISTICAL
WAY FOR US TO DO IT IN THE NEXT
30 DAYS.
HOWEVER BIDEN MADE CLEAR THAT
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’RE LIKELY
NOT GOING TO HAVE TROOPS IN
AFGHANISTAN AND THAT’S PRETTY
SIGNIFICANT NEWS HE MADE TODAY
AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
WITH RESPECT TO KRISTEN’S
QUESTION OF HIM WITH RESPECT TO
NORTH KOREA, I THOUGHT IT WAS
INTERESTING HE EMBRACED
MULTILATERALISM, HE SAID WE’RE
GOING TO HAVE ENFORCED U.N.
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS,
WE’RE GOING TO CONSULT WITH OUR
ALLIES BUT HE ALSO TELEGRAPHED
WE’RE NOT GOING TO DO EMPTY
SUMMITRY, PHOTO OFF DIPLOMACY OR
A BROMANCE WITH KIM JONG-UN,
WE’RE GOING TO INSIST ON
DENUCLEARIZATION.
WE’RE GOING TO DENUCLEARIZE THE
PENINSULA AND MAKE SURE KIM