RESIGNATION LETTER FROM DEFENSE SECRETARY JAMES MATTIS IN JUST A
MOMENT.
MOMENT. IT’S STAGGERING.
IT’S STAGGERING. BUT FIRST, WE’RE NOW 701 DAYS
INTO THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY.
AND WE WANT TO BEGIN BY
RECAPPING JUST ONE WEEK IN THIS
ADMINISTRATION, ONE WEEK.
APPARENTLY AN ADMINISTRATION
UNRAVELING FROM WITHIN.
AS PROBES EXPANDED INTO MORE OF
THE PRESIDENT’S POLITICAL
BUSINESS AND FOREIGN TIES ON
FRIDAY, A WEEK AGO TODAY, HIS
SEARCH FOR A NEW CHIEF OF STAFF
FAILED, RESULTING IN AN INTERIM
PICK, ONE WHO WE FOUND HAD TO
CALLED TRUMP A, QUOTE, TERRIBLE
HUMAN BEING" RIGHT BEFORE THE
2016 ELECTION.
2016 ELECTION. ON FRIDAY, RYAN ZINKE RESIGNED
HOPE TO GO WARD OFF
INVESTIGATIONS FROM THE NEWLY
EMPOWERED HOUSE DEMOCRATS.
THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE
PRESIDENT LASHING OUT ON TWITTER
CALLING HIS FORMER ATTORNEY A
RAT AND BASHING THE FBI.
ON MONDAY, THE MARKETS CONTINUED
THEIR SLIDE INTO THE WORST
DECEMBER SINCE THE GREAT
DEPRESSION.
DEPRESSION. THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE REPORTED THAT SOCIAL
MEDIA POVTS BY RUSSIANS AIMED AT
HELPING TRUMP CONTINUED INTO HIS
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. THIS TIME, ATTACKING ROBERT
MUELLER.
MUELLER. MONDAY SAW INDICTMENTS IN A
TURKEY SCHEME INVOLVING FORMER
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER
MICHAEL FLYNN, WHO ON TUESDAY
CUESED BY A JUDGE OF SELLING
OUTS HIS COUNTRY.
AND WARNED TO COOPERATE MORE
WITH THE SPECIAL COUNSEL OR FACE
JAIL THYMEIME.
JAIL THYMEIME. THEN ON WEDNESDAY, PRESIDENT
TRUMP TWEETED SEEMINGLY OW OF
THE BLUE FOR A FULL WITHDRAWAL
FROM SYRIA TAKING THE PENTAGON
BY SURPRISE AND INFUR YATDINGIAT
REPUBLICANS ON CAPITOL HILL.
YESTERDAY, TRUMP BLEW UP A DEAL
TO FUND THE GOVERNMENT OVER
CONSERVATIVE CRITICISM ON A
BORDER WALL AND THAT BRINGS US
TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
RESIGNING IN PROTEST OF THE
PRESIDENT’S WORLD VIEW, THE
FIRST TIME THAT HAS EVER
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE WEEK.
THE PENTAGON SPOKESMAN SAYS
SECRETARY MATTIS VISITED THE
WHITE HOUSE ON THURSDAY
AFTERNOON, MET WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND HAND DELIVERED A
LETTER OF RESIGNATION DATED
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. IT CAME AS THE PRESIDENT DOUBLED
DOWN ON HIS SYRIA WITHDRAWAL.
AND REPORTS EMERGED OF A MAJOR
PULLOUT FROM AFGHANISTAN.
THE LETTER INCLUDES NONE OF THE
USUAL THANKS AND PRAISE FOR THE
PRESIDENT’S LEADERSHIP OR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS NOR EVEN A
SALUTATION AT THE END.
HERE WE GO.
QUOTE, ONE CORE BELIEF I HAVE
ALWAYS HELD IS THAT OUR STRENGTH
AS A NATION IS INEX TRICKBLY
LINKED TO THE STRENGTH OF OUR
UNIQUE AND COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM
OF ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS.
SIMILARLY, I BELIEVE WE MUST BE
RESOLUTION AND UNAMBIGUOUS IN
OUR APPROACH TO THOSE COUNTRIES
WHOSE STRATEGIC INTERESTS ARE
INCREASINGLY INTENTION WITH
OURS.
OURS. IT IS CLEAR THAT CHINA AND
RUSSIA, FOR EXAMPLE, WANT TO
SHAPE A WORLD CONSISTENT WITH
THEIR AUTHORITARIAN MODEL,
GAINING VETO AUTHORITY OVER
OTHER NATIONS’ ECONOMIC,
DIPLOMATIC AND SECURITY
DECISIONS, TO PROMOTE THEIR OWN
INTERESTS AT THE EXPENSE OF
THEIR NEIGHBORS, AMERICA AND OUR
ALLIES.
ALLIES. THAT IS WHY WE MUST USE ALL THE
TOOLS OF AMERICAN POWER TO
PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE.
MY VIEWS ON TREATING ALLIES WITH
RESPECT AND ALSO BEING CLEAR
EYED ABOUT BOTH MALIGNEED ACTORS
AND STRATEGIC COMPETITORS ARE
STRONGLY HELD AND INFORMED BY
OVER FOUR DECADES OF IMMERSION
IN THESE ISSUES.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO
HAVE A SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WHOSE VIEWS ARE BETTER ALIGNED
WITH YOURS ON THESE AND OTHER
UJTS IS, I BELIEVE IT IS RIGHT
FOR ME TO STEP DOWN FROM MY
POSITION.
POSITION. MATTIS GAVE AN END DATE FOR HIS
TENURE OF FEBRUARY 28th.
>> ADMIRAL, YOUR REACTION TO
YESTERDAY’S EVENTS AND THE
DEPARTURE OF IF THE JAMES
MATTIS.
MATTIS. >> YOU KNOW, I’VE KNOWN JIM
MATTIS FOR DECADES, OF COURSE.
AND WHEN HE WAS A COLONEL, HIS
CALL SIGN WAS NOT MAD DOG.
HIS ACTUAL CALL SIGN WAS CHAOS,
WHICH STANDS FOR COLONEL HAS AN
OUTSTANDING SOLUTION.
OUTSTANDING SOLUTION. IT WAS AN AFFECTIONATE TERM FOR
A FULL COLONEL WHO FLEW AROUND
THE BATTLEFIELD AND INFLICTED
CHAOS ON HIS OPPONENTS.
THAT’S A PRETTY APPROPRIATE WORD
FOR TODAY.
FOR TODAY. AND I THINK THE THING TO KEY IN
ON HERE IS THAT LETTER.
THE THREE SALIENT POINTS ARE
ALLIES, PARTNERS AND FRANCE.
THIS NETWORK THAT OUR COUNTRY
ENJOYS THAT HE SAW BEING TAKEN
APART.
APART. NUMBER TWO IS THE RISE OF
STRATEGIC COMPETITORS, RUSSIA,
CHINA, AND IN PARTICULAR THE WAY
WE’RE ESSENTIALLY CEDING THE
MIDDLE EAST TO RUSSIA.
DEEP, DEEP CONCERN TO JIM.
AND THIRDLY, NOT STAYING FIRM,
GOING AFTER TERROR, THE MALIGNED
ACTORS PIECE.
ACTORS PIECE. SO ALLIES, PARTNERS, FRIENDS,
STRATEGIC COMPETITORS AND GOING
AFTER THE TERRORISTS, THE LAST
ONE TO BE TO PULL OUT OF SYRIA
AND THE SUPPOSEDLY PLANNED
PULLOUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
THOSE OUGHT TO WORRY US DEEPLY
BECAUSE THAT’S HOW WE’RE GOING
TO SEE THE RETURN OF GLOBAL
TERRORISM THE LEAVING THAT ZONE
OPEN.
OPEN. MATTIS SAW ALL OF THAT.
I THINK HE WANTED TO STAY, BUT
HE REALIZED AS WE TALKED ABOUT
YESTERDAY ON THE PROGRAM, JOE
AND MIKA, THAT TO STAY ANY
LONGER, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN
ENABLER.
ENABLER. HE HAD TO MAKE THAT CHOICE.
IT WAS A TERRIBLE CHOICE FOR
JAMES MATTIS.
JAMES MATTIS. I FEEL FOR HIM WITH ALL MY
HEART.
HEART. BUT HE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE, IN
MY VIEW.
MY VIEW. >> AMBASSADOR NICK BURNS,
SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAEVENT
HAPPENED IN OVER 40 YEARS.
IT HAPPENS VERY RARELY THAT YOU
HAVE A CABINET OFFICIAL
DEPARTING AN ADMINISTRATION IN
PROTEST.
PROTEST. BUT IT CERTAINLY HAPPENED
YESTERDAY WITH JIM MATTIS.
THE LANGUAGE WAS SEARING AND
ANYBODY THAT’S BEEN COVERING THE
NEWS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS,
OUR WATCHING THE NEWS COULDN’T
HAVE MISSED HIS -- MATTIS’
REFERENCE TO RUSSIA AND THAT HE
SEES RUSSIA AS AN ENEMY AND HE’S
DISAPPOINTED IN THE FACT THAT
DONALD TRUMP DOESN’T UNDERSTAND
THAT.
THAT. >> WELL, YOU’RE RIGHT, JOE.
THIS WAS A LETTER OF PROTEST.
AND IT WAS ALSO A LETTER OF
PRINCIPAL.
PRINCIPAL. AND SECRETARY MATTIS IS
REMINDING THE PRESIDENT, BUT
ALSO REMINDING ALL OF US OF
WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE
UNITED STATES OVERSEAS, THAT WE
HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO OUR
ALLIES AND PRESIDENT TRUMP, OF
COURSE, IS THE WEAKEST AMERICAN
PRESIDENT TO EVER LEAD THE NATO
ALLIANCE AND HE’S MADE THE EU
INTO A COMPETITOR.
AND MATTIS ALSO SAID THAT RUSSIA
AND CHINA ARE OUR ADVERSARIES
AND WE HAVE TO STAND UP TO THEM
AND WE HAVE TO HAVE STRONG AND
CONSISTENT POLICIES AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN THE
WEAKEST AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN
TRYING TO OPPOSE VLADIMIR PUTIN.
HE’S COZIED UP TO PUTIN.
THIS IS GOING TO HURT THE UNITED
STATES BECAUSE JIM MATTIS WAS
THE STRONGEST MEMBER OF THE
CABINET, THE MOST EXPERIENCED
MEMBER OF THE CABINET.
HAD THE MOST CREDIBILITY WITH
THE REST OF THE WORLD.
THE PERSON THAT PEOPLE FELT
COULD RESTRAIN THIS FECKLESS AND
CYNICAL PRESIDENT.
CYNICAL PRESIDENT. SO HIS ABSENCE AFTER FEBRUARY
28th IS GOING TO HURT OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. YOU’VE SEEN ALREADY THE DAMAGE
HE’S DONE IN ANNOUNCING THE PULL
OUT FROM SYRIA, A GIFT YOU TO
PUTIN AND THE IRANIANS AND
HEZBOLLAH.
HEZBOLLAH. NOW THIS DAMAGE HE’S DONE TRYING
TO GET THE TALIBAN TO COMPROMISE
WITH US.
WITH US. WHY WOULD THEY COMPROMISE WITH
US WHEN THEY KNOW WE’RE GOING TO
BE LEAVING BOTH IN AFGHANISTAN
AND SYRIA?
AND SYRIA? SO A VERY CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS FOR
US.
US. >> PRITCHARD HAASS, THE
AMBASSADOR USED THE TERM
FECKLESS TO DESCRIBE DONALD
TRUMP.
TRUMP. IT’S IRONIC THAT A MAN WHO
CAMPAIGNED ON STRENGTH HAS, IN
FACT, BECOME THE MOST FECKLESS
AND WEAK PRESIDENT SINCE THE --
WELL, WORLD WAR II.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT HE HAS DONE.
HE’S PULLING OUT OF SYRIA.
HE’S CEDING IT TO THE IRANIANS,
ISIS AND RUSSIA.
HE’S PULLING OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
HE’S -- HIS AMBASSADOR SAID HE’S
BASICALLY BLOWN UP OUR
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE TALIBAN TO
TRY TO NEGOTIATE A PEACE AND
HE’S SENT A MESSAGE SUCH THAT
NOW THE NORTH KOREANS ARE SAYING
THEY’RE GOING TO BACK AWAY WITH
ANY GENERAL DEALS THEY HAD MADE
WITH THIS WHITE HOUSE BEFORE.
WHAT IS NEXT?
>> THE IT’S OFTEN SAID THE TRUTH
IS THE FIRST CASUALTY OF WAR.
THE FIRST CASUALTY IS AMERICA’S
REPUTATION.
REPUTATION. AND ANY ANYTHING WE HAVE FOR
DEPENDABILITY, FOR RELIABILITY,
HAS BEEN SHREDDED.
WHAT WE’RE DOING TO THE KURDS
WILL BE CASE 1.
MORE BROADLY, AFGHANISTAN MAY BE
TWO.
TWO. WE’VE HAD THE PROBLEMS WITH OUR
CLOSEST ALLIES IN EUROPE.
BUT I THINK WHEN OTHERS LOOK AT
IT, I WOULDN’T BE SHOCKED IF IN
THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, WE SAW
A NORTH KOREAN PROPOSAL THAT
LINKED SOME PRODUCTS OF GETTING
RID OF MISSILES TO THE MASS
REDUCTION OF AMERICAN TRUE
PRESENCE IN SOUTH KOREA.
AND DONALD TRUMP, FOR ALL I
KNOW, MIGHT BE TEMPTED BY IT.
HE’S SEEN THE COSTS IN BURDENS
OF AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AS
OUTWEIGHING THE BENEFITS.
ON ONE LEVEL, THIS IS TOTALLY
CONSISTENT WITH WHAT I THINK IS
A SERIOUSLY FLAWED AND MISGUIDED
VIEW.
VIEW. HE DOESN’T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND
THAT WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPENING
IN THE WORLD, HIS GOAL OF MAKING
AMERICA GREAT AGAIN COULD BE
FATALLY COMPROMISED.
FATALLY COMPROMISED. HE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
GIVING UP -- YOU KNOW, WE’VE
DEFEATED THE TERRORISTS.
WELL, TERRORISTS ARE NOT
DEFEATED.
DEFEATED. THERE’S NO BATTLESHIP MISSOURI
SIGNING CEREMONY IN THE WAR
AGAINST ISIS OR ANYBODY ELSE.
THEY WILL RECONSTITUTE AND LAST
TIME THEY CAME AFTER US FROM
AFGHANISTAN, COULD BE
AFGHANISTAN AGAIN, COULD BE
SYRIA, COULD BE 25 OTHER PLACES.
SO THIS IS AN ONGOING PROCESS.
ESSENTIALLY, HE WANTS TO OPT OUT
AGAIN IN THIS MISGUIDED IDEA
THAT WE CAN BE SAFE HERE AT
HOME.
HOME. AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO PAY
THE PRICE FOR THIS FOR BASICALLY
YEARS TO COME.
THIS HAS NOW BECOME A TRULY
CONSEQUENTIAL PRESIDENCY, BUT
NOT IN THE WAY ANY OF US WANT TO
SEE.
SEE. >> JOHN HIGHLYMANEILM HAY NNHEIL
REMIND MYSELF THAT EVERYBODY IS
DOING THEIR BEST ALL THE TIME,
AND THEY HAVE BEEN.
BUT COULD THIS BE A TURNING
POINT IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH
TRUMP?
TRUMP? LOSING MATTIS IS LOSING A THE
SIGNIFICANT DOSE OF SANITY IN
THE WHITE HOUSE.
COULD THIS BE AN INFLEXION POINT
WITH THE REPUBLICANS AS IT
PERTAIN TOES THIS
PERTAINS TO THIS PRESIDENT?
>> IT COULD BE.
AND I THINK IT’S ONE IN A
CASCADING SERIES OF FLEXION
POINTS.
POINTS. WHEN THE HISTORY OF ALL THIS IS
WRITTEN, YOU WILL START WITH THE
BLUE WAVE THAT HAPPENED IN
NOVEMBER THAT MADE CLEAR THAT
THE PRESIDENT’S POLITICAL
STRENGTH WAS MUCH OVERSTATED AND
THAT THE COST OF STICKING WITH
DONALD TRUMP ARE HIGHER THAN
PEOPLE THOUGHT IN THAT FOR A LOT
OF SENATE REPUBLICANS WHO HAD
LOOKED AT THE FIRST TWO YEARS
AND MADE CERTAIN CALCULATIONS
ABOUT WHAT THE PRICE WOULD BE TO
PART WITH TRUMP, THEY NOW
RECOGNIZE THAT THE CALCULUS IS
CHANGING AND THAT THERE IS LESS
COST TO LEAVING HIM, PARTING
WAYS WITH HIM THAN THERE IS TO
STICKING WITH HIM.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THESE OTHER
SEQUENTIAL THINGS HAPPENING.
THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION MAY BE
COMING TO A CLIMAX AND THAT
TRUMP IS VULNERABLE ON MULTIPLE
FRONTS ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY.
NOW YOU HAVE THIS RESIGNATION
HISTORIC IN THE WAY THAT JOE
SUGGESTED THAT I THINK FOR A LOT
OF REPUBLICANS WHO -- IN THE
SENATE WHO LOOKED AT MATTIS AS
THE GUARDRAIL, AS THE -- I HATE
THE PHRASE ADULT IN THE ROOM.
I’M NOT GOING THE USE IT.
BECAUSE I THINK IT THE
DIMINISHES OTHERS BY NOT CALLING
THEM ADULTS IT MAKES THEM SEEM
AS THOUGH THEY SHOULDN’T BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.
BUT CERTAINLY A MATURE GUIDING
FORCE.
FORCE. THERE’S A LOT OF AMERICANS NOW
WHO ARE SCARED AT WHAT THEY’RE
SEEING.
SEEING. PHRASE YOU USED AT THE TOP,
MIKA, WHEN YOU SAID UNRAVELING,
I THINK THAT IS A SENSE THAT A
LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE RIGHT NOW
ABOUT THE PRESIDENCY AND EVEN
PEOPLE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE --
WHO THINK IT WOULD BE BEST FOR
THE COUNTRY IF DONALD TRUMP NOT
BE PRESIDENT, BUT NOT REACH THE
END OF HIS TERM, I THINK PEOPLE
ARE NOW GOING TO START TO GET TO
GRIPS WITH THE NOTION THAT THE
UNRAVELING OF THE PRESIDENCY IS
AN UGLY THING.
IT’S A DANGEROUS AND
DESTABILIZING THING ON THE
GLOBAL STAGE AND OTHER PLACES.
WE ARE STARTING TO SEE IT RIGHT
NOW AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE
TO BRACE THEMSELVES BECAUSE THIS