>>> LET’S BRING INTO THIS
CONVERSATION NBC’S PENTAGON
CORRESPONDENT WITH MORE ON THE
NEWS EVERYONE IS DIGESTING,
EVERYONE ON TWITTER, NOT THOSE
OF US STARING INTO A CAMERA
LEARNING OF TRUMP LOYALEST AND
THOSE KNOWN TO FREQUENT VIEWERS
OF FOX NEWS.
FORMER DEVIN NUNES TAKING ON A
POWERFUL POSITION.
ANTHONY WHO CLAIRE REFERRED TO
EARLIER TAKING ON AN IMPORTANT
POSITION AND AN INDIVIDUAL THAT
USED TO WORK FOR MIKE FLYNN,
WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE IN
COMMON AND WHY ARE THEY BEING
INSTALLED AFTER TRUMP’S DEFEAT?
>> SO, ONE THING THEY HAVE IN
COMMON IS THEY ARE LOYAL TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THEY ARE LOYAL TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
LOYAL TO THE ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK THAT BIG QUESTION IS
POLICY OR SOMETHING THAT THEY
ALL HAVE AN AGENDA ON THAT THEY
COULD BE BRINGING ADMINISTRATION
COULD BE BRINGING THEM INTO THE
PENTAGON SO THEY CAN PUSH SOME
AGENDA ITEM OR ITEMS IN THE LAST
70 DAYS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.
IT’S NOT REALLY CLEAR ON WHAT
THAT IS RIGHT NOW.
YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW,
THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE COMING IN
BUT WE’RE ALSO SEEING THE
DEPARTURE OF JAMES ANDERSON, WHO
WAS THE UNDER SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE FOR POLICY AND OF JOE
CURNAN UNDER SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE FOR INTELLIGENCE AND
THEY’RE BEING REPLACED BY THESE
TRUMP LOYALISTS.
SO THIS JUST RAISES THE ALARM
BELLS TO ANOTHER LEVEL FROM
WHERE IT WAS YESTERDAY AT THE
PENTAGON.
AFTER THE SURPRISE TWEET THAT
SECRETARY ESPER WAS BEING
TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY, WHICH
AGAIN, NICK COALOLE, THAT WAS A
SURPRISE TO SECRETARY ESPER AND
SENIOR LEADERS IN THE PENTAGON.
THEY WERE NOT EXPECTING IT.
SECRETARY ESPER FOUND OUT RIGHTE
BEFORE THE PRESIDENT TWEETED IT.
THERE WAS A SENSE OF WHAT IS
NEXT?
ELSE COULD BE DISRUPTED?
WE’VE SEEN IS THE BEGINNING OF
THE MOVE AND AGAIN, THE BIG
QUESTION IS THERE GOING TO BE
SOME ATTEMPT HERE TO USE THESE
TRUMP LOYALISTS TO PUSH THROUGH
POLICY ITEMS AND AGENDAS THAT
HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO DURING
THE THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SO FAR.
>> WELL, COULD IT BE SOMETHING
PROACTIVE BUT SOMETHING
PROTECTIVE?
I MEAN COULD IT BE HE’S SETTING
UP A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS?
HE HAD THE SECRETARY OF STATE
FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT PODIUM
TODAY SAYING HE’S PREPAREING FOR
A SECOND TRUMP TERM.
WHAT ELSE COULD THE PENTAGON DO
FOR A PRESIDENT THAT REFUSES TO
ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF AN
ELECTION?
>> IT COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO
WITH THAT.
I MEAN, WHERE MY HEAD IS GOING
WITH IT ON THIS RIGHT NOW IS
OTHER MORE D.O.D. AND NATIONAL
SECURITY RELATED ITEMS THAT
PERHAPS PEOPLE STILL AT THE
PENTAGON AFTER SECRETARY ESPER LEFT, PEOPLE WOULD PUSH BACK ON,
LEFT, PEOPLE WOULD PUSH BACK ON,
SOMEONE LIKE GENERAL MILLIE.
THINGS THEY MIGHT PUSH BACK ON
WE KNOW THEY HAVE THROUGHOUT
THEIR TIME HERE HAVE GIVEN
GUIDANCE AGAINST THE PRESIDENT’S
WISHES INCLUDING PULLING ALL
TROOPS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE WANTS
THEM OUT BY CHRISTMAS, IS THAT
AN AGENDA ITEM THEY COULD PUSH
THROUGH?
WE KNOW PATEL MET WITH ASSAD NOT
LONG AGO IN SYRIA.
IS THERE A SYRIA AGENDA ITEM.
DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH THE
BORDER?
AGAIN, ANOTHER COMMON THREAD
HERE IS IRAN.
WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE VERY STRONG
FEELINGS ABOUT THE IRANIAN
REGIME.
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WOULD
HAPPEN HERE?
THE OTHER QUESTION, I MEAN, WE
HAVE A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS
TONIGHT ABOUT WHAT COULD
POTENTIALLY HAPPEN HERE, AND
ANOTHER ONE IS CANDIDLY IS CHRIS
MILLER, HE HAS A LONG CAREER IN
SPECIAL OPERATIONS AND SPECIAL
FORCES.
HE’S -- I SPOKE WITH A NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO KNOW HIM WELL WHO
SERVED WITH HIM IN THE MILITARY
OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS OR SO AND
HE’S WELL RESPECTED BUT THE BIG
QUESTION IS HE SOMEONE WHO WOULD
FORCEFULLY PUSH BACK ON
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND POTENTIALLY
THESE NEW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE
COME INTO THE PENTAGON OR COMING
INTO THE PENTAGON, WOULD HE PUSH
BACK IF THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE
RADICAL CHANGES IN THESE LAST
70DAYS.
YESTERDAY AFTER SECRETARY ESPER
WAS TERMINATED, DEFENSE
OFFICIALS ASSURED ME THAT IN
FACT, MILLER HAD ADDRESSED
SENIOR STAFF ALREADY AND SAID
LOOK, I’M NOT PLANNING ANY WIDE
SCALE, YOU KNOW, LARGE CHANGES.
WE’RE GOING TO KEEP THE MISSION
GOING.
WE’RE GOING TO KEEP THE TRAINS
RUNNING AS THEY HAVE BEEN BUT