>> I SAID THIS BOOK DESCRIBES A
PRESIDENT BOTCH A PANDEMIC,
WHICH APPEARS HAVE HAPPENED.
BOLTON REPORTEDLY WRITES THE
PRESIDENT DID NOT KNOW THAT
BRITAIN HAS NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND
ASKED IF FINLAND WAS PART OF
RUSSIA.
BOLTON ALSO WRITES THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP CAME CLOSER TO
WITHDRAWING THE UNITED STATES
FROM NATO THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN.
BOLTON DESCRIBES A SCENE FROM
TRUMP’S 2018 MEETING WITH NORTH
KOREAN LEADER, KIM JONG-UN,
WHERE SECRETARY POMPEO SLIPPED A
NOTE TO BOLTON ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT SAYING HE’S SO FULL OF
BLANK.
BOLTON DETAILS HOW THE
PRESIDENT’S CLOSEST ADVISERS HAD
AN UNFAVORABLE OPINION ABOUT HIS
ABILITIES SUCH AS CHIEF OF STAFF
JOHN KELLY WHO ASKED WHAT IF WE
HAVE A REAL CRISIS LIKE 9/11
WITH THE WAY HE MAKES DECISIONS?
THIS BOOK ILLUSTRATES
POTENTIALLY HOW BAD, HOW OVERTLY
BAD THINGS WERE INSIDE THE WHITE
HOUSE.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT IS
THE DUTY OF THE MATTISES, THE
TILLISES OR THE BOLTONS TO DO
SOMETHING OR SAY SOMETHING IN
REAL TIME?
THESE AREN’T JUST NUANCES THAT
MIGHT BE TROUBLING.
THIS IS UNPATRIOTIC BEHAVIOR.
THESE ARE ACTIONS THAT ENDANGER
OUR NATIONAL SECURITY, THAT
ENDANGER THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> WHEN HE’S COMMANDER IN CHIEF
AND HE’S IN CHARGE OF THE
NUCLEAR CODES.
HE’S GOT THE NUCLEAR CODES.
AND HE’S IN CHARGE OF THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT’S EXECUTIVE
BRANCH, THEY HAVE A DUTY,
IMMEDIATELY, TO GO TO CAPITOL
HILL, IF THEY DON’T WANT TO TALK
IN THE PRESS, TO TESTIFY BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS, AND TO INTEL
COMMITTEES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS,
TO ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEES, TO
FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES, AND
LET THEM KNOW THAT THE SHIP OF
STATE IS IN THE HANDS OF A MAD
MAN.
OR AT LEAST IN THE HANDS OF AN
IGNORANT MAN WHO DOESN’T HAVE
THE TEMPERAMENT OR INTELLECT TO
EFFECTIVELY RUN THE COUNTRY.
JAMES MATTIS DIDN’T DO THAT.
REX TILLERSON DIDN’T DO THAT.
JOHN BOLTON MOST GLAREINGLY DID
NOT DO THAT.
>> UNTIL HE COULD MAKE MONEY.
>> RIGHT.
UNTIL SUCH TIME HE COULD MAKE
MONEY.
AND SO YOU DO HAVE A DUTY, YOU
DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY, IF YOU
THINK, AS JOHN BOLTON BELIEVES
CLEARLY, THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
UNFIT FOR OFFICE, THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS SO IGNORANT THAT HE
DOESN’T EVEN KNOW THAT FINLAND
IS NOT A PART OF RUSSIA, IF HE’S
SO IGNORANT THAT WHEN HE’S IN A
MEETING WITH THERESA MAY, THEN
THE UNITED KINGDOM’S PRIME
MINISTER, SOMEBODY POINTS OUT
THAT BRITAIN IS A NUCLEAR POWER
AND HE WAS SHOCKED BY THAT FACT,
THEN, YEAH, JOHN BOLTON HAS THAT
RESPONSIBILITY.
CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE
NATION THAT HE TOOK AN OATH TO,
THAT HE SWORE TO PROTECT AND
DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE
UNITED STATES.
HE HAD THAT DUTY, HE FAILED THAT
DUTY BLUNTLY, KELLY FAILED THAT
DUTY, MATTIS FAILED THAT DUTY,
EVERYBODY THAT SERVED WITH THIS
PRESIDENT AND LEFT AND REMAINED
SILENT, KEPT THEIR PEACE, FAILED
THEIR DUTY.
JOHN MEACHAM, HARD TO SAY WHERE
TO BEGIN.
I WANT TO ASK YOU IF THERE’S ANY
PARALLEL HERE WITH OTHER
PRESIDENTS, OBVIOUSLY THERE
AREN’T.
WHEN I WAS READING THE EXCERPT
ABOUT FINLAND, THE STORY FROM
WORLD WAR II CAME TO MIND WHEN
STALIN KEPT LOOKING AT A MAP OF
EUROPE AND TALKED ABOUT
COUNTRIES THAT RUSSIA WANTED TO
ATTACK AND HE KEPT ASKING
WHETHER HOLLAND -- OR HE KEPT
TALKING ABOUT THE GERMANS ARE IN
HOLLAND RIGHT NOW, HOW CAN WE
REMOVE THEM.
THE GERMANS ARE IN THE
NETHERLANDS.
AND NONE OF STALIN’S AIDES DARE
TO TELL HIM HOLLANDS AND THE
NETHERLANDS WERE THE SAME PLACE.
IN THIS CASE, DONALD TRUMP
IGNORANT OF THE FACT THAT
FINLAND IS ITS OWN COUNTRY, THAT
THE UNITED KINGDOM BECAME A
NUCLEAR POWER DECADES AGO,
IGNORANT OF SO MANY OTHER FACTS.
BUT JOHN, MORE CONCERNING HIS
SUPPORT FOR CONCENTRATION CAMPS,
HIS VERBAL SUPPORT OF
CONCENTRATION CAMPS, IN SUPPORT
OF A TRADE DEAL, HIM BEGGING FOR
HELP IN FRONT OF CAMERAS AND OFF
OF CAMERAS FROM COMMUNIST
CHINESE TO GET RE-ELECTED.
WE KNOW HE’S DONE THAT, WE KNOW
HE DID THAT WITH RUSSIA.
.
AND, OF COURSE, THE FOOTNOTE
THAT HE SAID THAT JOURNALISTS
WERE SCUM AND HE THOUGHT THEY
SHOULD BE EXECUTED.
THIS IS -- THIS IS NO LONGER
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT.
THIS IS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AS A
NATION AND THIS IS JUST THE
INFORMATION WE KNOW, WE ARE IN
PERILOUS, PERILOUS WATERS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WAS THINKING YESTERDAY WHEN I
WAS READING PETER’S STORY AND
OTHERS IN A WAY HOW QUAINT IT IS
TO THINK THAT DONALD T. REAGAN
IN 1987, ’88 SHOOK THE CORE OF
THE AMERICAN SYSTEM BY REVEALING
THAT MRS. REAGAN USED AN ASTROLL
GER TO ADVISER ON MR. REAGAN’S
SCHEDULE.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT?
AND THAT MOMENT, DURING
IRAN/CONTRA, WHEN HOWARD BAKER,
TENNESSEE, CAME IN AS CHIEF OF
STAFF, HIS FOLKS LOOKED AT THE
25th AMENDMENT ABOUT RONALD
REAGAN IN 1987 AND THEY GOT IN
AND THEY SAW PRESIDENT REAGAN,
REALIZED HE WAS TOTALLY FINE AND
MOVED ON.
BUT THAT’S ACTUALLY A SMALL
EXAMPLE OF HOW GROWN UPS SHOULD
ACT IN MOMENTS LIKE THIS.
THEY WERE WORRIED THAT THE
PRESIDENT MIGHT NOT BE ALL
TOGETHER THERE, AND SO THEY DID
SOME HOMEWORK.
IN ALL OF THESE BOOKS, AND
PETER, JONATHAN CAN CORRECT ME
HERE, I DON’T THINK ANYBODY HAS
SAID THAT MIKE PENCE HAS EVER IN
ANY WAY RAISED THE POSSIBILITY
THAT, IN FACT, WE MIGHT HAVE TO
TAKE STEPS HERE IN THE EVENT OF
A GENUINE CRISIS.
AND YOU’RE RIGHT, WE CAN’T
NORMALIZE THIS KIND OF
REVELATION.
WE WILL, OF COURSE, BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, WE’VE -- IT’S A PANDEMIC,
WE’RE IN THIS RECKONING ABOUT
STRUCTURAL RACISM, JUST ON AND
ON.
BUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES IS SOLICITING THE HELP OF
FOREIGN POWERS, COMPROMISING THE
SOVEREIGNTY OF OUR ELECTIONS.
WE KNEW THAT.
THE UNITED STATES SENATE KNEW
THAT AND SIMPLY DECIDED, BECAUSE
SO MANY OF THEIR SUPPORTERS NOT
JUST SUPPORT THE INCUMBENT, BUT
STRONGLY SUPPORT THE INCUMBENT,
I THINK THAT’S AN IMPORTANT
POINT AND YOU KNOW THIS, PART OF
THE REASON, I THINK PEOPLE NEED
TO REALLY FOCUS ON THIS, PART OF
THE REASON WHEN PEOPLE IN THE
CENTER SAY, WHY DON’T, YOU KNOW,
THESE SEEMINGLY SENSIBLE
SENATORS THEY SAY THEY’RE
WORRIED BUT DON’T DO ANYTHING
ABOUT IT, THE REASON THEY DON’T
DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT IS NOT
BECAUSE OF TRUMP’S BROAD
SUPPORTS IN THEIR STATES BUT
BECAUSE OF THE FEROCITY AND
DEVOTION OF AN EVER-SHRINKING
DEMOGRAPHIC BASE OF SUPPORT FOR
THE PRESIDENT THAT IS SCARY WHEN
THEY LOOK AT IT ON THEIR POLLING
SHEETS, BUT THEY’RE ON THE WRONG
SIDE OF HISTORY HERE.
THE BOLTON PROJECT GIVES US
DETAIL AND IT’S THE DUMP OF, YOU
KNOW, THE NOTES OF A WASHINGTON
INSIDER, WHO CLEARLY ALWAYS KNEW
HE WOULD BE DOING WHAT HE’S
DOING, AND WE’RE ALL PLAYING OUR
PARTS HERE.
WE ARE ENABLING THE HOLD BACK OF
INFORMATION FOR A MEMOIR RIGHT
NOW.
SO WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
BUT THE FACT IS, THIS IS THE
NARRATIVE, THIS IS THE REALITY
OF OUR PRESIDENT.
AND I THINK WE’RE, WHAT, 142
DAYS OR SO AWAY FROM THE
ELECTION AND I HOPE PEOPLE CAN
STAY FOCUSED ENOUGH TO REALIZE
THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THIS AN
ABERRATION NOT OUR REALITY.
>> WELL, AND, WILLIE, AGAIN, THE
QUESTION IS, I REMEMBER IN LAW
SCHOOL MY CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
PROFESSOR READ A CASE AND GOES,
WELL, THAT SETTLES IT, THE TENTH
AMENDMENT AS DRAFTED BY OUR
FOUNDERS IS OFFICIALLY DEAD.
AFTER THIS CASE.
AND HE WAS A LIBERAL, SO I DON’T
KNOW THAT HE SAW THAT AS A BAD
THING.
BUT DONALD TRUMP, IF PEOPLE LOOK
BACK AT THE ACTIONS OF DONALD
TRUMP, THEY CAN BE EXCUSED FOR
COMING TO THE SAME CONCLUSION AS
JOHN MEACHAM WAS SAYING ABOUT
THE 25th AMENDMENT.
YOU HAVE SOMEBODY WHO IN 2016
SOLICITED HELP FROM RUSSIA,
JONATHAN LEMIRE ASKED IF HE
TRUSTED A KGB AGENT OR HIS OWN
AGENCIES MORE IN HELSINKI.
AND DONALD TRUMP SIDED WITH THE
EX-KGB OFFICER AND THREW HIS OWN
INTEL COMMUNITY UNDER THE BUS ON
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE, WHEN
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT RUSSIA
INTERFERED IN THE 2016 ELECTION.
YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT DENYING A
PANDEMIC WAS COMING, EVEN AS JOE
BIDEN WAS WARNING IN JANUARY IT
WAS COMING.
DONALD TRUMP SAYING IT WAS ONE
PERSON COMING IN FROM CHINA.
DONALD TRUMP A MONTH AFTER JOE
BIDEN’S WARNING SAYING IT WAS
ONLY 15 PEOPLE COMING FROM
CHINA.
THE NEXT MONTH SAYING IT’LL ALL
BE GONE SOON.
NOW WE HAVE ALMOST 120,000
PEOPLE DEATH DEADD.
THEN WE HAVE THE PRESIDENT GOING
ON, IN FRONT OF HIS WHITE HOUSE
DOCTORS, SAYING LET’S TRY
DISINFECTANT, LET’S TRY STICKING
LIGHTS INSIDE OF PEOPLE WHILE
THIS PANDEMIC WAS ON THE WAY TO
KILLING THREE TIMES AS MANY
AMERICANS -- IT’S HARD TO --
IT’S HARD -- I -- I -- READING A
BIOGRAPHY ABOUT THE BATTLE OF
BRITAIN RIGHT NOW AND THE PAIN
AND THE MISERY THAT THE BRITISH
PEOPLE WENT THROUGH AS HITLER
BOMBED THEIR CITY ALMOST EVERY
NIGHT, BUT WE’RE IN A PANDEMIC
THAT HAS KILLED THREE TIMES AS
MANY PEOPLE AS DIED FROM
HITLER’S BOMBING RAIDS DURING
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN, UP TO
120,000 WE’RE GOING TO GO UP TO
200,000 IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS
CRISIS.
HE DENIED THE CRISIS WAS HERE,
DENIED IT WAS COMING, DENIES IT
WILL BE HERE IN THE FALL.
AND HE ENGAGES IN MAGICAL
THINKING THAT IS UNTETHERED FROM
REALITY.
FACEBOOK, HELLO MY FRIENDS AT
FACEBOOK, WHILE FACEBOOK PUTS
OUT CONSPIRACY THEORIES THAT
DOCTORS THAT I’VE SPOKEN TO OVER
THE PAST WEEK HAVE HAD TO TELL
THEIR PATIENTS IS A CONSPIRACY
THEORY.
IS A LIE ABOUT DR. FAUCI.
IS A LIE ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS.
IS A LIE ABOUT IT BEING THE SAME
AS THE FLU.
THESE THINGS CIRCULATE AROUND.
AND GRAVE DAMAGE IS CAUSED, AND
THE PRESIDENT PROMOTES THIS.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE A
PRESIDENT WHO OPENLY PRAISES
CHINA, ASKS OPENLY FOR CHINA’S
HELP WHILE MARCO RUBIO SAYS HE’S
JUST JOSHING ABOUT ASKING A
COMMUNIST COUNTRY TO INTERFERE
IN THE ELECTIONS.
HE’S JUST JOSHING, ISN’T IT
FUNNY?
HE’S JUST THAT WAY.
THEN WE FIND OUT BEHIND THE
SCENES, DONALD TRUMP GIVES HIS
GO AHEAD TO THE BUILDING OF
CONCENTRATION CAMPS FOR A
MILLION MINORITIES IN CHINA.