THAT SAID, AWKWARD SHAPE OF BUILDING MAKES IT AWKWARD TO
TALK ABOUT.
TALK ABOUT. THAT’S JUST THE START OF IT
TODAY.
TODAY. THE PRESIDENT FIRED THE HOMELAND
SECURITY SECRETARY YESTERDAY.
AND TODAY HE FIRED THE HEAD OF
THE U.S. SECRET SERVICE.
THERE ARE ALSO NOW REPORTS HE’S
GOING FIRE A NUMBER OF OTHER
HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIALS,
INCLUDING THE NUMBER THREE
OFFICIAL AT THE AGENCY.
HE APPARENTLY NEEDS HER OUT NEXT
SO HE CAN INSTALL HIS PREFERRED
REPLACEMENT FOR KIRSTJEN NIELSEN
AS ACTING SECRETARY OF THE WHOLE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. IF HE FIRES HER AND -- HE’LL
NEED A GUY TAKE OVER HIS JOB
WHICH IS RUNNING THE CUSTOMS AND
BORDER PATROL.
BORDER PATROL. WE’LL HAVE NO DEPUTY SECRETARY,
THE NUMBER TWO LEFT A YEARING
INTO NEVER GOT REPLACED.
THE NEXT PERSON DOWN THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND IS THE NUMBER THREE
OFFICIAL IN THE DEPARTMENT.
THAT’S PERSON REPORTEDLY ABOUT
TO BE FIRED AS WELL.
THERE’S AN ACTING HEAD OF FEMA,
ACTING HEAD OF I.C.E.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN ACT HEAD
OF BOARD CUSTOMS AND BORDER
PROTECTION.
PROTECTION. WE ARE ABOUT TO HAVE A NEW
ACTING HEAD OF THE SECRET
SERVICE.
SERVICE. WHEN THE NEW ACTING SECRETARY OF
HOMELAND SECURITY STARTS GOING
CABINET MEETINGS AND STARTS
APPEARING AT WHITE HOUSE EVENTS
AND HAS TO START ANSWERING FOR
THE ACTIONS OF HIS AGENCY, HE’LL
BE IN GOOD COMPANY.
THERE’S AN ACTING DEFENSE
SECRETARY, ACT INTERIOR
SECRETARY, ACTING HEAD OF THE
FAA IN A MOMENT NOT LIKE WE NEED
A GOOD ONE OF THOSE RIGHT NOW.
THERE’S EVEN A KTING WHITE HOUSE
CHIEF STAFF U WHICH DOESN’T MAKE
SENSE BUCK THAT’S WHAT THEY CALL
HIM MICK MULVANEY NOW.
WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF IS
NOT A SENATE CONFIRMED POSITION.
THEY’RE JUST CALLING HIM ACTING
TO KEEP HIM ON HIS TOES.
I THINK THERE’S A COUPLE OF
DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON HERE.
PART OF SIT TURNOVER.
THIS PRESIDENT IS BARELY THROUGH
ONE HALF OF HIS TERM IN OFFICE.
HE’S CHEWED UP AND SPIT OUT
SECRETARIES FROM EVERY AGENCY
THAT IS UNDER HIM.
TOM PRICE.
TOM PRICE. REMEMBER HIM?
REMEMBER HIM? THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THE.
HE’S TURFED OUT ALL THOSE
SECRETARIES.
SECRETARIES. HE’S ON HIS THIRD CHIEF OF STAFF
ALREADY.
ALREADY. HE’S GONE THROUGH FIVE
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORS. I DON’T THINK HE HAS A NEW ONE
ACTS OR NOT.
FOR THE FIRST, LIKE, YEAR AND A
HALF OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
THE RATE OF TURNOVER, THE RATE
OF PEOPLE BEING FIRED OR
QUITTING OR LEAVING IN SCANDAL
AND DISGRACE OR UNDER THREAT OF
INDICTMENT WAS SO OVERWHELMING
WE USED TO TRY TO KEEP TRACK OF
THE DEPARTURES IN THE STUDIO.
IT BECAME TOO MUCH IN THE END.
WE STOPPED DOING IT.
THERE AREN’T ENOUGH PIXELS IN
THE TWORLD MAKE IT WORTH IT.
WHAT WE DIDN’T SEE COMING, WHAT
I DIDN’T SEE COMING ABOUT THAT
INCREDIBLE PACE OF TURNOVER,
ABOUT THAT THAT RAPID PACE OF
PEOPLE DEPARTING THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, PEOPLE BEING
FIRED OR LEAVING IN DISGRACE OR
FLEEING ON THEIR OWN TERMS --
WHAT I DIDN’T SEE ABOUT THE TIME
ABOUT HOW FAST THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WAS EMPTYING OUT
SO EARLY ON WAS THAT IN SO MANY
OF THESE CASES WHEN PEOPLE LEFT,
UNDER WHATEVER CIRCUMSTANCES,
THEY WOULDN’T ULTIMATELY GET
REPLACED.
REPLACED. THAT’S TURNED OUT TO BE REALLY
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. AND OVER TIME, I THINK THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AND THE PRESIDENT
PARTICULARLY DECIDED THAT THAT
DYNAMIC IS NOT A PROBLEM.
THAT’S NOT LIKE FALLING DOWN ON
THE JOB.
THE JOB. MAYBE THIS PART OF THE WAY
THEY’RE DELIBERATELY TRYING TO
RUN THE GOVERNMENT UNDER
PRESIDENT BUSH NOW.
EXCUSE ME, PRESIDENT TRUMP.
JONATHAN BLITZER AT THE NEW
YORKER TODAY SAYS AS LONG AS A
YEAR AGO, LAST SPRINGER A SENIOR
HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIAL TOLD
HIM THAT KIRSTJEN NIELSEN
COULDN’T BE FIRED EVEN BACK
THEN, DESPITE REPORTED CONFLICT
BETWEEN HER AND THE WHITE HOUSE.
SHE COULDN’T BE FIRED BECAUSE AT
OFFICIAL INSISTS THERE WAS NO
NUMBER TWO OFFICIAL.
THERE WOULDN’T BE ANYONE TO STEP
UP AND RUN THE DEPARTMENT IF
KIRSTJEN NIELSEN GOT CANNED.
THAT’S THE EXCUSE FOR A YEAR
AGO.
AGO. THAT WOULD BE DISASTROUS FOR AN
AGENCY.
AGENCY. YOU REALIZE HOW BIG HOMELAND
SECURITY IS?
SECURITY IS? FAST FORWARD A YEAR LATER TO
TODAY, THERE IS STILL NOBODY IN
THE NUMBER TWO JOB.
THEY NEVER BOTHERED NOMINATING
ANYBODY FOR THE NUMBER TWO JOB
AT THAT LAST AGENCY WHEN THE
SECRETARY QUIT LAST APRILLE BUT
NOW, NEVERTHELESS, KIRSTJEN
NIELSEN IS OUT ANY WAY.
THERE STILL ISN’T ANYBODY IN THE
NUMBER TWO JOB.
THAT WAS ENOUGH TO CONSTRAIN
THEM FROM FIRING HER A YEAR AGO,
BUT NOW THAT’S NO CONSTRAINT.
IN ADDITION TO HER BEING FIRED,
WHILE THERE’S NO NUMBER TWO
OFFICIAL AT THE AGENCY, NOW
EVERYBODY IS WAITING ON THE
NUMBER THREE PERSON TO GET FIRE
AS WELL.
AS WELL. AND WHAT?
AND WHAT? DO YOU THINK THEY’RE GOING TO BE
REPLACED?
REPLACED? >> I MEAN IN, A NORMAL
ADMINISTRATION YOU WOULD EXPECT
PEOPLE AT THAT HIGH OF A LEVEL
AT THAT BIG OF AN AGENCY TO BE
REPLACED AND ON THE DOUBLE.
I MEAN, IF NOTHING ELSE, YOU
WOULD USUALLY THINK THAT IF YOU
TRIED TO DECLARE SOMETHING A
NATIONAL EMERGENCY YOU WOULD TRY
TO STAFF UP THE PART OF THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THAT’S TO
DEAL WITH THAT EMERGENCY.
QUITE TO OPPOSITE HERE.
THE PRESIDENT IS DECLARING A
NATIONAL EMERGENCY ON THE
BOARDER AND FIRING ALL OFFICIALS
FOR ALL MAJOR AGENCIES THAT DEAL
WITH THAT IN THE GOVERNMENT
WITHOUT ANY EFFORT TO NOMINATE
REPLACEMENTS FOR THEM.
AND IT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE
BECAUSE HE JUST WANTS TO INSTALL
HIS OWN ACT LITES AND DEVOTEES.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE REPORTS
TONIGHT THE GUY HE’S PUTTING IN
AS THE ACTING HOMELAND SECURITY
SECRETARY IS SOMEBODY THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T EVEN KNOW.
IT’S NOT SOMEBODY HE’S BEEN
WAITING FOREVER TO SEE IF HE CAN
GET THIS GREAT GUY INTO A HIGH
LEVEL JOB.
LEVEL JOB. THIS CALLING PEOPLE OUT OF TOP
JOBS IN THE GOVERNMENT, THIS
CULLING OF AGENCIES AND AGENCY
OFFICIALS DOESN’T APPEAR TO BE
THE PRODUCT OF LAZINESS OR
UNDERSTANDING THAT APPOINTING
PEOPLE IS PART OF RUNNING THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH. IF IT WERE THAT I DON’T THINK WE
WOULD SEE IT ACCELERATING OVER
TIME AS TRUMP IS DOING BUSINESS
IN THIS WHITE HOUSE.
I THINK PART OF WHAT’S GOING ON
HERE IS AS HE LEAVES THE UPPER
ECHELONS OF THE AGENCIES VACANT
AND FIRES CABINET SECRETARIES
AND REFUSES TO NOMINATE ANYBODY
TO REPLACE THEM, HE LEAVES THESE
COMPARATIVELY WEAK, LOW PROFILE
ACTING OFFICIALS WHO DON’T HAVE
TO GO THROUGH THE SENATE
CONFIRMATION PROCESS.
CONFIRMATION PROCESS. THEY ANSWER TO THE PRESIDENT AND
THE PRESIDENT ALONE IN TERMS OF
HOW THEY GOT THEIR JOB.
BECAUSE THERE’S IN LONG JEFT
THEY ALSO DON’T BRING IN THEIR
OWN SENIOR STAFF TO RUN THE
AGENCY THE WAY THE AGENCY SHOULD
BE RUN "THE WASHINGTON POST"
EDITORIALIZED ON THIS AFTERNOON.
QUOTE, ACTING CHIEFS DON’T HAVE
A CHANCE TOO INSTALL A TEAM,
THOUGH NO MAJOR LEADER OF A
DEPARTMENT CAN YOU CAN SEED
WITHOUT ONE.
WITHOUT ONE. MAKES RECRUITMENT HEARDER TOO.
UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHOLE
EXTRAS -- ACTING APPOINTEES HAVE
EVERY REASON TO KATE TORE HIS
WHIMS AND FORSAKE THE PROBLEMS
THIS THE WHITE HOUSE.
BY APPOINTING SO MANY ACTING
CHIEFS MR. TRURCHDS CUTS THE
SENATE’S JOB ON GIVING ADVICE
AND CONSENT ON MAJOR
APPOINTMENTS.
APPOINTMENTS. OVER ALL, THE PRACTICE INJECTS
UNCERTAINTY AND DISRUPTIVENESS.
THAT PERFECT,
THAT PERFECT, RIGHT?
RIGHT? FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION ON SO
MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS.
UNCERTAIN.
UNCERTAIN. DISRUPTIVE.
DISRUPTIVE. ACT CABINET OFFICIALS, JUST
EMPTYING OUT THE RANKS OF THE
SENIOR OFFICIALS AT THESE
AGENCIES IT DOES HAVE TO DIRECT
BENEFIT OF DODGING THE SENATE
CONFIRMATION PROCESS WHICH IS
NICE IN A FRIENDLY AND COMPLIANT
SENATE.
SENATE. YOU DON’T WANT TO BOTHER TO HAVE
YOUR PELOSI TO HAVE THEM VETTED
BY ANY OUTSIDE ENTITY.
ALSO SOME PEOPLE SOMETIMES SAY
THINGS IN CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
THAT THE CONGRESS TENDS TO HOLD
THEM TO WHEN THEY’RE RUNNING THE
AGENCY.
AGENCY. YOU WOULDN’T WANT THAT.
KEEPING THE ACT ANYONES THERE IS
IT LIMITS THE ANYONESES GETTING
ANYTHING DONE THROUGH THE NORMAL
WAY OF GETTING THINGS DONE.
BUT THE BENEFIT OF IT FOR A
PRESIDENT LIKE THIS IS THAT IT
JUST BLUNTLY CHANGES THE PROFILE
OF POWER IN THE AMERICAN FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
GOVERNMENT. RIGHT?
RIGHT? IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY SENATE
CONFIRMED CABINET SECOND TEARS,
IF YOU DON’T HAVE STRONG
RECOGNIZABLE LEADERS EFFECTIVELY
RUNNING ANYONESES IN THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THEN YOU DON’T
RISK THE CHANCE OF THERE BEING A
COUNTERWEIGHT AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT’S POWER.
PRESIDENT’S POWER. THE SMALLER HE CAN MAKE EVERY
OTHER SUPPOSEDLY MAJOR PLAYER
THE LARGER HE BECOMES BOTH IN
THE PUBLIC’S EYE IN TERMS OF HOW
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS
PERCEIVED BUT ALSO HOW POLICY IS
MADE, HOW STUFF GETS DONE.
IF YOU FILL THE WHOLE EXECUTIVE
BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT WITH THE
CABINET WITH ESSENTIALLY TEMPS,
WELL, THE BALANCE OF POWER IN
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS AS
STARK AS IT CAN POSSIBLY BE.
YOU’RE EITHER TRUMP, RIGHT.
YOU’RE JARED OR IVANKA OR YOU’RE
PRESIDENT TRUMP HIMSELF, OR YOU
JUST WORK THERE.
I MEAN, THERE’S TO CATEGORIES
RIGHT?
RIGHT? FAMILY OR THE HIRED HELP.
FOR THE HIRED HELP, THEY’RE NOT
ONLY REPLACEABLE, THEY’RE
IMMEMORABLE.
IMMEMORABLE. THEY GET REPLACED ON A WHIM.
YOU BETTER BEHAVE LIKE YOU’RE
INFINITELY REPLACEABLE OR
SOMEONE NEW WILL BE HERE TO TAKE
YOUR PLACE IN THE MORNING.
THIS CONSOLIDATION OF POWER IN
THE PRESIDENT AND ONLY THE
PRESIDENT IS SORT OF A NEW STYLE
OF FEDERAL GOVERNANCE.
THERE’S A WORD FOR IT IN
POLITICAL SCIENCE.
POLITICAL SCIENCE. IT STARTS WITH "A."
SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE ARE SEEING
NOW WITH HOMELAND SECURITY
OFFICIALS -- WE HAVE SEEN THE
HEAD AND SUBSIDIARY HEADS LOSE
THEIR JOBS ALREADY AND MORE ARE
EXPECTED TO LOSE THEIR JOBS IN
THE DAYS TO COME.
WITH HOMELAND SECURITY IN
PARTICULAR THEY’RE MAKING ONE
OTHER DYNAMIC AT WORK.
IT ALL.
IT ALL. COS IN THE EFFORT TO AVOID
OVERSIGHT, AVOID POWER BY ANYONE
EXCEPT DONALD TRUMP.
PARTICULARLY WHAT WE ARE SEEING
WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY STUFF
IS THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER
THE PRESIDENT IS CONSTRAINED, IF
NOT BY CONGRESS AND NOT BY THE
BALANCE OF POWER WITHIN THE
LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE
BRANCHS THERE’S THE QUESTION OF
WHETHER OR NOT THE PRESIDENT IS
RESTRAINED BY LAW.
THAT’S COMING UP QUITE BLUNTLY
IN THE HOMELAND SECURITY STUFF
THAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
CNN HAD A STRIKING STORY TODAY
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S TRIP THE
CALEXICO LAST WEEK.
THIS IS CNN’S REPORTING.
QUOTE, LAST FRIDAY THE PRESIDENT
VISITED CALEXICO, CALIFORNIA,
WHERE HE SAID, WE’RE YOU WILL,
IF OUR SYSTEM’S FULL, OUR
COUNTRY’S FULL.
COUNTRY’S FULL. CAN’T COME IN.
SORRY.
SORRY. VERY SIMPLE.
VERY SIMPLE. TWO SOURCES TOLD CNN THAT BEHIND
THE SCENES THE PRESIDENT TOLD
BORDER AGENTS TO NOT LET
MIGRANTS IN.
MIGRANTS IN. HE SAID, TELL THEM WE DON’T HAVE
TO CAPACITY.
TO CAPACITY. IF JUDGES GIVE YOU TROUBLE SAY,
SORRY, JUDGE, CAN’T DO IT.
DON’T HAVE TO ROOM.
AFTER THE PRESIDENT LEFT THE
ROOM, THE BORDER AGENTS HE HAD
BEEN SPEAKING TO SOUGHT FURTHER
ADVICE FROM LEADER IN THE
AGENCY.
AGENCY. THE LEADERS TOLD THE AGENTS THEY
WERE NOT GIVING THEM THAT
DIRECTION AND IF THEY DID THEY
WOULD TAKE ON PERSONAL
LIABILITY.
LIABILITY. TOUGH FOLLOW THE LAW, NOT WHAT
THE PRESIDENT TOLD YOU TO DO,
WHICH WOULD BE VIOLATING THE
LAW.
LAW. THIS ISN’T THE FIRST TIME THE
PRESIDENT SEEMS TO BE IGNORANT
OF THE LAW OR INTERESTED IN
FLOUTING IT DIRECTLY.
HE HAS A FERVOR FOR FLOUTING THE
LAW AND PUBLICLY DEFYING THE LAW
WHEN IT COMES TO IMMIGRANTS.
THIS IS WHAT THE "NEW YORK
TIMES" YESTERDAY WITH THE
INITIAL REPORTS NIELSEN WAS
BEING FIRED.
BEING FIRED. SHE CALLED MISS NIELSEN AT HOME
EARLY IN THE MORNINGS DEMANDING
THAT SHE TAKE ACTION TO STOP
MIGRANTS FROM ENTERING THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. SHE REPEATEDLY NOTED THE LIMB
NATION IMPOSED ON HER DEPARTMENT
BY FEDERAL LAWS.
THAT INFURIATED TRUMP FURTHER.
>>> NBC NEWS WAS THE FIRST TO
REPORT THAT MR. TRUMP HAS BEENIN
REINSTATING LARGE SCALE
SEPARATION OF MIGRANT FAMILIES.
ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE SOURCES,
KIRSTJEN NIELSEN TOLD PRESIDENT
TRUMP THAT HE WAS NOT LEGALLY
ALLOWED TO REINSTATE THE POLICY.
LEGALLY HE CAN’T DO IT.
FEDERAL COURT ORDERS PROHIBIT
HER AGENCY FROM REINSTATING THAT
POLICY.
POLICY. THE PRESIDENT HAS NEVERTHELESS
BEEN DEMANDING THAT SHE DO IT.
AFTER THAT REPORT FROM NBC NEWS
THAT WAS MATCHED TODAY BY THE"TH
WALL STREET JOURNAL" AND OTHER
SOURCES.
SOURCES. HERE AS HOW CNN REPORTED IT.
SENIOR OFFICIALS TELL CNN THE
PRESIDENT HAD BEEN PUSHING
NIELSEN TO ENFORCE A WIDESPREAD
ZERO TOLERANCE IMMIGRATION
POLICY.
POLICY. HE WANTED FAMILIES SEPARATED
EVEN IF THEY CAME IN AT A LEGAL
PORT OF ENTRY AND WERE ASYLUM
SEEKERS.
SEEKERS. HE WANTS FAMILIES SEPARATED EVEN
IF THEY WERE APPREHENDED WITHIN
THE UNITED STATES.
SOURCES TOLD CNN NIELSEN TRYIED
TO EXPLAIN TO PRESIDENT THEY
COULDN’T BRING IT BACK AND
STAFFERS SAID IT WOULD BE AN
INMITIGATED PR DISASTER.
THE PRESIDENT WANTS IT ANY WAY.
THE OFFICIAL TELLING CNN, QUOTE,
HE JUST WANTS TO SEPARATE
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. HE LIKES TO DO IT.
HE LIKES IT.
HE LIKES THE WAY IT LOOKS.
HE THINKS IT’S AN EXCELLENT IDEA
OF WHAT HE SHOULD DO WITH HIS
POWERS OF PRESIDENT.
ANYBODY WHO TELLS HIM NO MUST
GO.
GO. THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY WERE SHEERED OF ITS
LEADERSHIP.
LEADERSHIP. NOTHING INDICATE THEY THEMSELVES
WERE AGAINST TAKING LITTLE KIDS
AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES.
NOTHING SUGGEST THEY AS
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS WERE STANDING
IN THE WAY OF THE PRESIDENT
TAKING KIDS AWAY FROM THEIR
FAMILIES OR BREAKING ANY OF
THESE OTHER LAWS THE PRESIDENT
INSISTS THEY BREAK.
THE REASON THE PRESIDENT HAS
BEEN GETTING TOLD NO BY THESE
HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIALS IS
BECAUSE THESE POLICIES HE WANTS
TO PURSUE AREN’T WITHIN THE
LEGAL ABILITIES OF THE AGENCY.
HE WANTS TO DO STUFF COURTS SAY
IS ILLEGAL.
IS ILLEGAL. HE’S CONSTRAINED FROM DOING THIS
STUFF.
STUFF. ALL THESE FOLKS AT HOMELAND
SECURITY ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS
BECAUSE HE WANTS BABIES TAKEN
AWAY FROM THEIR PARENTS.
IT’S NOT AS IF ANYONE IS GOING
TO GO DOWN AS A MORAL HERO FOR
STANDING UP TO HIM ON THIS
ISSUE.
ISSUE. IT’S BECAUSE HE’S LEGALLY
CONSTRAINED FROM DOING THAT.