MUCH FOR THAT.
AND LET’S CONTINUE ON THIS POINT
THAT ELLISON STARTED.
AS DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IN
WASHINGTON THERE, THE PEOPLE ARE
ALLOWED NOWHERE NEAR THE
PEOPLE’S HOUSE ANYMORE.
THERE IS NOW THIS NEW RING OF
HIGH FENCING INSTALLED YESTERDAY
AND TODAY, FOUR-TO-FIVE WITH
CONCRETE BARRIERS AT THE BASE.
THEY HAVE EXTENDED OUT FROM
LAFAYETTE PARK, AN EXTENSION OF
THE CROWD REMOVAL EFFORT REALLY
THAT STARTED WITH CHEMICAL
DISPERSANTS AND WEAPONS AND
CLUBS ON MONDAY.
WELL, TODAY THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, BILL BARR, WHO ORDERED
THIS MOVE TO ALLOW FOR THE
PRESIDENT’S PHOTO OP IN FRONT OF
THE CHURCH ORIGINALLY TRIED TO
DEFEND THE ACTION.
>> THE PRESIDENT ASKED ME TO
COORDINATE THE VARIOUS FEDERAL
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES.
WE DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED MORE
OF A BUFFER TO PROTECT THE WHITE
HOUSE AND TO PROTECT OUR AGENTS
AND SECRET SERVICE PERSONNEL.
THERE WERE PROJECTILES BEING
THROWN, AND THE GROUP WAS
BECOMING INCREASINGLY UNRULY.
AND THE OPERATION TO -- THEY
WERE ASKED THREE TIMES IF THEY
WOULD MOVE BACK ONE BLOCK.
THEY REFUSED.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS THE
HEAD OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE
NATION AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO
WALK OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE AND
WALK ACROSS THE STREET TO THE
CHURCH OF PRESIDENTS.
I DON’T NECESSARILY VIEW THAT AS
A POLITICAL ACT.
I THINK IT WAS ENTIRELY
APPROPRIATE FOR HIM TO DO.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS GOING
TO DO THAT UNTIL LATER IN THE
DAY AFTER OUR PLANS WERE WELL
UNDER WAY TO MOVE THE
PERIMETERS.
>> SO YOU HEARD THE MAN.
CHEMICAL DISPERSANTS ASIDE, THE
PRESIDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK
ACROSS THE STREET.
THE A.G. ALSO SAID THE
GOVERNMENT IS NOW INVESTIGATING
THOSE WHO ACCUSES OF SPARKING
VIOLENCE AT VARIOUS PROTESTS.
>> I DO THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO
POINT OUT THE WITCH’S BREW THAT
WE HAVE OF EXTREMIST INDIVIDUALS
AND GROUPS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT ANTIFA AND
OTHER SIMILAR EXTREMIST GROUPS
AS WELL AS ACTORS OF A VARIETY
OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL
PERSUASIONS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
IN INSTIGATING AND PARTICIPATING
IN THE VIOLENT ACTIVITY.
>> ON ANOTHER FRONT TONIGHT,
ANOTHER PROMINENT RETIRED
MILITARY OFFICER IS SPEAKING OUT
AGAINST TRUMP’S RESPONSE TO THE
PROTESTS AND RAISING ALARM ABOUT
HIS LEGACY AS PRESIDENT.
RETIRED FOUR-STAR MARINE CORPS
GENERAL JOHN ALLEN ONCE
COMMANDED ALL U.S. FORCES IN
AFGHANISTAN.
HE HAS WRITTEN IN FOREIGN POLICY
THAT TRUMP’S ACTIONS IN RECENT
DAYS, QUOTE, MAY WELL SIGNAL THE
BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE
AMERICAN EXPERIMENT.
FORMER TRUMP DEFENSE SECRETARY
JAMES MATTIS BROKE HIS SILENCE,
AS YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WITH THAT
STRONG REBUKE OF THE PRESIDENT,
ACCUSING HIM OF DIVIDING
AMERICANS, BEING A THREAT TO OUR
CONSTITUTION IN FACT.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH "THE
WASHINGTON POST," FORMER TRUMP
CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN KELLY ALSO
HAPPENED TO BE RETIRED MARINE
CORPS GENERAL, DEFENDED THE
FORMER -- TONIGHT TRUMP
RESPONDED SAYING KELLY, QUOTE,
DIDN’T KNOW I WAS GOING TO FIRE
JAMES MATTIS, NOR DID HE HAVE
ANY KNOWLEDGE OF MY ASKING FOR A
LETTER OF RESIGNATION.
HE WENT ON TO SAY HIS FORMER
CHIEF OF STAFF WAS NOT IN MY
INNER CIRCLE.
THERE WAS SOME SUPPORT ON
CAPITOL HILL TODAY FOR THE
FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY.
>> WELL, GENERAL MATTIS’ LETTER
WAS STUNNING AND POWERFUL.
GENERAL MATTIS IS A MAN OF
EXTRAORDINARY SACRIFICE.
HE’S AN AMERICAN PATRIOT.
HE’S AN INDIVIDUAL WHOSE
JUDGMENT I RESPECT.
>> AND REPUBLICAN ALASKA SENATOR
LISA MURKOWSKI TOOK IT A STEP
FURTHER.
>> I THOUGHT GENERAL MATTIS’
WORDS WERE TRUE AND HONEST AND
NECESSARY AND OVERDUE.
>> CAN YOU STILL SUPPORT
PRESIDENT TRUMP, THEN?
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU’RE
STRUGGLING WITH?
>> I AM STRUGGLING WITH IT.
I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH IT FOR A
LONG TIME.
>> AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, THAT
CAUGHT THE PRESIDENT’S
ATTENTION.
TONIGHT HE POSTED IN PART,
QUOTE, FEW PEOPLE KNOW WHERE
THEY’LL BE IN TWO YEARS FROM
NOW, BUT I DO, IN THE GREAT
STATE OF ALASKA, WHICH I LOVE,
CAMPAIGNING AGAINST SENATOR LISA
MURKOWSKI.
HE SAID IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO
THE CANDIDATE IS AS LONG AS THEY
HAVE A PULSE, AND THAT MAY BE
WHY MOST OF THE REST OF THE
SENATE REPUBLICANS HAD SO VERY
LITTLE TO SAY ON THIS TODAY.
>> GENERAL MATTIS CALLED THE
PRESIDENT A THREAT TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
DO YOU AGREE?
>> I RESPECT GENERAL MATTIS.
HE HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPRESS
HIS OPINION.
>> CAN I ASK YOU A COUPLE
QUESTIONS?
>> NO.
>> DO YOU AGREE WITH MAT SNIS.
>> I ACTUALLY HAVEN’T READ IT
YET.
>> I HAVEN’T SEEN IT.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS ACTUALLY
WORKING TOWARDS UNITING THE
COUNTRY.
>> I THINK BY JUST BLAMING THE
PRESIDENT, HE’S ONLY LOOKING AT
HALF OF THE EQUATION.
>> DESPITE LET’S CALL IT
CONTINUED REPUBLICAN SENATE
SUPPORT, "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
REPORTS GROWING ALONG WITH THE
TRUMP CAMPAIGN ABOUT PLUNGING
POLL NUMBERS AND CONCERNS ABOUT
HIS STANDING IN CRITICAL STATES
LIKE OHIO AND IOWA, STATES THAT
HE CARRIED BY PRETTY WIDE
MARGINS FOUR YEARS AGO.
NBC NEWS REPORTING TRUMP MET
WITH HIS TOP POLITICAL AIDES AND
ADVISERS IN THE OVAL OFFICE THIS
AFTERNOON.
ONE PERSON FAMILIAR WITH THE
CONVERSATIONS, AS THEY SAY, SAID
THE DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT THE