WAS HAPPENING, BUT HE WAS
PLANNING A VERY MAJOR ATTACK,
AND WE GOT HIM.
>> Pete: THAT WAS
PRESIDENT TRUMP EXPLAIN WHY HE
TOOK ACTION TO KILL YOUR BRAND'S
TOP GENERAL, HE DID IT TO HOLD
BACK A WAR, BUT HIS CRITICS ARE
PILING ON.
>> BUT WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL
OPPOSITION, ENTERING INTO
ANOTHER MIDDLE EAST WAR.
>> I WOULD ANTICIPATE THE
PERSIAN GULF WAR WILL BEGIN
ANEW.
>> THIS ONE OFF ACTION CAN HAVE
UNBELIEVABLY HORRIFIC
CONSEQUENCES.
THE NUMBER ONE, THERE WILL BE
DEAD AMERICANS, DEAD CIVILIAN
AMERICANS AS A RESULT OF THIS.
>> IT IS NOT JUST
SERVICE MEMBERS, ALL AMERICAN
CITIZENS ARE WALKING PRIME
TARGETS FOR IRANIAN RETALIATION.
>> Lawrence: ACCUSING
PRESIDENT TRUMP AS USING THE
AIR STRIKE AS IMPEACHMENT,
TWEETING SO WHAT IF TRUMP ONCE
MORE, KNOWS IT IS AT LEAST A
WAR AND NEEDS A DISTRACTION."
OH, MY GOD.
PETE, TYPICALLY WHEN THERE IS
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THE COUNTRY
COMES TOGETHER, YOU PUT POLITICS
ASIDE.
OF COURSE, THEY CAN HAVE THE
DEBATE IF THE PRESIDENT SHOULD
DECLARE WAR, BUT ACCUSING THE
PRESIDENT OF USING THIS FOR A
BLOCK FOR IMPEACHMENT?
>> Pete: THE WHOLE IDEA OF HIM
BEING COMMANDER IN CHIEF, THERE
WAS A COMMENTATOR TODAY THAT
SAID RIGHT ACTION, WRONG
COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
AND IT DOES NOT MATTER THE
DECISION THAT IS MADE.
THERE WAS LITERALLY JONATHAN ON
ANOTHER NETWORK THAT SAID, THE
IMPLICATION IS, I WOULD RATHER
HAVE THE CORRECT COMMANDER IN
CHIEF, MEANING HILLARY CLINTON
AND THE WRONG ACTION.
AND SUMS UP PRECISELY HOW THEY
VIEW HIM, THE REALITY IS, THE
COMMENTARY IS TRUE.
HE MADE THE RIGHT CALL.
HE MADE A CALL BASED ON ADVISORS
AROUND HIM WHO BELIEVE THIS IS
AN IMMINENT THREAT AND
SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE HE SAW A
POLICY ACTION TAKEN UNDER THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WHERE
SOVEREIGN AMERICAN SOIL WHERE
THERE WAS A CONSULATE OR AN
EMBASSY THAT WAS THREATENED THEN
NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
DISMISSED BY AN INTERNET VIDEO
AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR LATER ON.
HE SAID IF YOU'RE GOING TO TRY
THAT.
AND WE KNOW WHAT THEY DO, IRAN
40 YEARS AGO USE THE EMBASSY IN
TEHRAN AS A LAUNCHING OFF POINT
FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
THE EMBASSY IS MEANINGFUL, IT IS
SOVEREIGN AMERICAN SOIL.
THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
AND AS A RESULT, I SEE THE SIGNS
IN FRONT OF ME, AND I'M GOING TO
COMPENSATE.
I WILL SEND THE MARINES, I WILL
SEND THE 82ND AIRBORNE, WHICH HE
DID KNOWING THEY HAD
INTELLIGENCE ON THE LINE.
IT LOOKED LIKE A BIGGER REACTION
THAN PEOPLE THOUGHT AS A RESULT,
THEY KNEW WHAT WAS COMING NEXT.
THIS WAS SOMETHING INTENTIONAL,
BECAUSE HE DID NOT, IMAGINE IF
HE HAD NOT ACTED.
THE AMOUNT OF NEGLIGENCE HE
WOULD BE CHARGED WITH FOR
KNOWING ABOUT THE GATHERING
THREAT AND NOT STEPPING UP.
>> Emily: THERE BEEN THREATS
FROM HIM FOR DECADES, THAT'S WHY
I'M HARPING ABOUT KNOWING MORE
ABOUT THIS.
BECAUSE I THINK THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE DESERVE THE KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT WHY THIS TIME WAS
DIFFERENT WITH ALL OF THE
POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES THAT WILL
COME FROM THE STRIKE.
LOOK --
>> Pete: LIKE IN 2011, THERE
WERE DOWNSIDES THAT CAME FROM
THAT TOO.
>> Emily: WE ARE NOT TALKING
ABOUT 2011, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
TODAY.
>> Pete: WHY CAN'T YOU SAY
THIS IS A BAD GUY WHO IS DEAD
AND THAT IS A GOOD THING?
>> Emily: BECAUSE A
CONSEQUENCES THAT COME FROM IT
COULD HAVE STRATEGIC AND
NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE
UNITED STATES THAT OUTWEIGH THE
BENEFITS.
THIS IS A CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION
THAT AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION HAS
TAKEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST SINCE
THE DECISION TO INVADE IRAQ IN
2003, AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THE
STRATEGIC PLANNING FROM THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THAT MEANS
THEY KNOW WHAT WILL COME NEXT.
>> Lawrence: IT IS ONE THING
TO SAY THAT YOU NEED MORE
INFORMATION, BUT YOU HAVE OBAMA
FORMER OFFICIALS LIKE BEN ROGUE
SAYING THAT THEY QUESTION THE
PRESIDENT STRATEGY, THE
COMPETENCE TO LEAD.
>> Dana: THAT WILL HAPPEN, AND
PRESIDENTS CANNOT WORRY.
THEY HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS
BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT
THEY HAVE, THE RESPONSIBILITY
THAT THEY HAVE AND THE TIMING,
AND THAT IS NOT FOR THEM TO
FIGURE THAT OUT RIGHT NOW, THE
OTHER THING IS, IF THERE HAD
BEEN AN ATTACK BASED ON
SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT KNEW
ABOUT AND DID NOT ATTACK, WHAT
YOU THINK THE 2020 DEMOCRATS
WOULD HAVE SAID INSTEAD?
IT WOULD'VE BEEN A DIFFERENT
ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE OF HOW
MUCH TOUGHER THEY WOULD BE.
IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN IT HAPPENS
IN THE MIDDLE OF A PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
TO THE POINT IS THAT THE
CONGRESSWOMAN FROM MINNESOTA
SAID THAT IT MAY BE
PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS JUST TRYING
TO CREATE A DISTRACTION, I THINK
YOU CAN ARGUE PLEASE SAY THAT
FROM SEPTEMBER UNTIL NOW, THE
BIGGEST DISTRACTION IN AMERICA
HAS BEEN IMPEACHMENT.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY A DISTRACTION.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT THERE IS
MORE STRATEGIES BEHIND THIS
BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU POINTED
OUT, PETE, THAT IN APRIL OF
2019, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
DESIGNATES SOLEIMANI AND HIS
GROUP AS A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION.
I THINK THAT PROBABLY WILL LOOK
BACK AND FIND THE HISTORY IS
WRITTEN ABOUT THIS TIME THAT
THERE WAS A LOT MORE STRATEGY
THAN WE THOUGHT.
BUT YOU CAN'T PLAN EVERYTHING
OUT.
SO YES, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE
THINGS ARE GOING.
SPEAK TO THE POINT I WOULD LIKE
TO MAKE IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE SAY
THAT THIS IS THE S ESCALATION,
WHAT HAVE THE IRANIANS BEEN
DOING?
STEADILY ESCALATING AND BECOMING
BOLDER WITH THEIR ACTIONS
AGAINST US STARTING WITH OIL
TANKERS AND THEN THE OIL
PROCESSING FACILITIES AND THEN
U.S. POSITIONS, AND THEN AN
ALL-OUT ATTACK THAT KILLED A
U.S. CONTRACTOR AND THEN AN
ATTACK ON THE U.S. EMBASSY.
SO I ALSO DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY
ALL OF A SUDDEN OUT OF THE BLUE
WE QUESTION THE U.S.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY WHEN
APPARENTLY ESPECIALLY IN
DOMESTIC MATTERS THEY ARE TO BE
ABSOLUTELY BELIEVED AT ALL
POINTS.
IT IS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE
INVOLVEMENT THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN
WE ARE NOT TO TRUST THEM.
WHEN THEY HAVE THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE COMING OUT THAT A
MAJOR ATTACK NECESSITATED THE
PREEMPTION WITH THE RISK.
SO WHY NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN DO WE
NEED MORE INFORMATION WHEN WE
HAVE IT COUPLED WITH IRANIAN
BEHAVIOR AND DECISIONS IN THESE
LAST YEAR OR SO HAVE ESCALATED,
WHY WOULD WE NOT BELIEVE THAT?
>> Lawrence: 2020 DEMOCRATS
LASHING OUT AT PRESIDENT TRUMP
FOR KILLING THE IRANIAN TOP
COMMANDER.
HITTING BACK.
WE WILL DISCUSS NEXT ON
"THE FIVE."
♪ ♪
But right now, is not the time to talk about it.