MY NEXT GUEST SERVED AS THE 25TH UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA.
PLEASE WELCOME, SECRETARY ASH CARTER!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
>> Stephen: MR. SECRETARY, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> Stephen: FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T FOLLOWED ALL THE
SECRETARIES OF DEFENSE, YOU WERE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE UNDER
PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR HOW LONG?
>> A LITTLE AROUND TWO YEARS, AND THE NUMBER TWO JOB BEFORE
THAT, NUMBER THREE BEFORE THAT AND JOBS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE
REAGAN ADMINISTRATION.
>> Stephen: HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE PRESIDENT OBAMA OR ANY
OF THE OTHER PRESIDENTS YOU SERVED UNDER WITH -- AS
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WITH OUR PRESENT PRESIDENT?
>> WELL, I MEAN, LET ME START WITH RONALD REAGAN.
I WORKED FOR CASTRO WEINBERGER, THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, AND YOU KEEP GOING THROUGH
PRESIDENT BUSH ONE, PRESIDENT CLINTON, PRESIDENT BUSH TWO, ON
THROUGH PRESIDENT OBAMA.
I WOULD SAY THEY WERE ALL PRETTY GOOD EXECUTIVES, IN MY
OBSERVATIONS.
>> Stephen: AS COMMANDERS IN CHIEF.
>> YES, AND GOOD LEADERS, AND VERY ASIDUOUS ABOUT THEIR WORK
AND DECENT PEOPLE.
THAT WAS TRUE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA WHEN I WAS WORKING FOR HIM.
HE WAS HARD WORKING, HE WAS A DEMANDING GUY, BUT THAT WAS OKAY
WITH ME.
AND I KNOW WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO ASK IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT,
WHOM I DON'T KNOW WELL, I MET HIM A FEW TIMES, NEVER REALLY
WORKED FOR HIM, SO I CAN'T REALLY SAY WHAT HIS HABITS MUST
BE.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE HE PAYS ATTENTION TO HIS CABINET
SECRETARIES, WHICH WOULD HAVE BOTHERED ME.
PRESIDENT OBAMA DIDN'T ALWAYS LISTEN TO MY ADVICE, BUT I
ALWAYS GOT A CHANCE TO GIVE MY ADVICE, AND THAT WAS TRUE GOING
BACK TO SECRETARY WEINBERGER, HE USED TO BE LISTENED TO BY
PRESIDENT REAGAN, YOU COULD SEE THAT, AND THAT WAS A GOOD THING.
>> Stephen: DID ANY OF THOSE PRESIDENTS EVER GO AROUND THE
ROOM AND ASK THE CABINET TO SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT THEM FOR THE
CAMERA?
>> THIS IS THE THING, THEY ALSO, I THOUGHT, WERE CAREFUL, AND I
TRIED TO BE AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, AND I TOLD THE TROOPS
THIS, YOU'RE DOING A SERIOUS THING, YOU KNOW, WAR IS A
SERIOUS BUSINESS, AND THE PUBLIC TRUSTS IT IS SERIOUS BUSINESS,
AND I EXPECT YOU TO BEHAVE YOURSELVES, AND YOUR CONDUCT AND
COMPORTMENT LIKELY MATTERS.
I HAVE TO SAY, IN THE CASE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP, SOMETIMES I
JUST -- IT'S A PERSONAL STATEMENT, IT'S NOT ANYTHING
ABOUT POLICY OR POLITICS, I DON'T LIKE THE PERSONAL CONDUCT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THAT WAS VERY
GENTLY STATED.
VERY GENTLY STATED.
( LAUGHTER ) IN 2016, YOU WERE ONE OF THE
PEOPLE, ALONG WITH THE PRESIDENT, WHO LIFTED THE
TRANSGENDER BAN ON SERVICEMEMBERS.
>> YEAH ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS REINSTATED THAT.
UNDER THE PRETEXT OF THE MEDICAL COSTS OF
A TRANSGENDER SOLDIER.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WE LOSE BY EXCLUDING THESE PEOPLE?
>> WELL, WE'VE GOT AN ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE, AND WE
NEED -- THE REASON WE'RE THE FINEST FIGHTING FORCE IN THE
WORLD IS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE, AND WHAT MATTERS IN
CHOOSING THEM IS MILITARY QUALIFICATIONS, AND I CONTINUE
TO MAINTAIN THAT, AND THAT IS WHAT LED ME TO THE VIEW THAT WE
OUGHT TO ADMIT TO THE MILITARY AND RETAIN IN THE MILITARY THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST QUALIFIED TO DO A GIVEN JOB.
NOBODY GETS TO DO A JOB SIMPLY BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE IN THE
MILITARY, AND, SO, MILITARY NECESSITY AND NOT SOCIAL POLICY
WAS WHAT I THOUGHT OUGHT TO GOVERN RETENTION AND ADMISSION
TO THE MILITARY.
I BELIEVE THAT THEN AND I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT TODAY.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU SURPRISED IT GOT FLIPPED SO QUICKLY, THAT
IT ONLY LASTED A FEW YEARS?
>> I THINK IT WILL COME BACK BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON THE
FUNDAMENTAL MILITARY NECESSITY OF QUALIFICATION ALSO ARE WHAT
REALLY MATTER.
BY THE WAY, STEPHEN, YOU MENTIONED TRANSGENDER, I
REMEMBER WHEN BOB GATES DIDN'T DO ASK DON'T TELL, I ALSO OPENED
UP ALL MILITARY POSITIONS TO WOMEN.
IT'S HALF THE POPULATION.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND SOMETHING YOU MAY NOT KNOW,
ALSO, WHICH IS WE'RE NOT GEOGRAPHICALLY EVERYWHERE WE
WANT TO BE.
WE GET A LARGE NUMBER OF RECRUITS FROM JUST SIX STATES IN
THE UNITED STATES, AND WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THERE ARE 44 STATES
WHERE WE'RE NOT IN THERE RECRUITING PEOPLE ENOUGH, SO
THAT'S ANOTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO, WHICH DOESN'T
ATTRACT AS MUCH PUBLIC ATTENTION BUT IS REALLY JUST AS IMPORTANT,
BUT ALSO TECHNICAL AND SPECIALIZED TALENT.
SO THERE ARE LOTS OF PLACES.
IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE BEST AND IT'S GOING TO BE AN ALL
VOLUNTEER FORCE AND NOT A DRAFT, WE HAVE TO PICK ON THE BASIS OF
MILITARY QUALIFICATION ALSO.
>> Stephen: BACK WITH MORE SECRETARY ASH CARTER.
STICK AROUND.