LET’S PLAY "HARDBALL." ♪
♪ >>> GOOD EVENING, I AM STEVE CAR
KNACK EE IN FOR CHRIS MATTHEWS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP MADE AN
UNANNOUNCED TRIP TO IRAQ TO
VISIT TROOPS AT A BASE WEST OF
BAGHDAD TODAY, THIS THE FIRST
TIME HE VISITED TROOPS IN A
COMBAT ZONE.
COMBAT ZONE. LAST WEEK THE PRESIDENT SHOCKED
HIS OWN ALLIES AND ADVISERS
ANNOUNCING A PLAN TO WITHDRAW
TROOPS FROM SYRIA.
IN IRAQ TODAY, HE DCHDEFENDED TH
DECISION.
DECISION. >> IF THEY WANT US TO DO THE
FIGHTING, THEY ALSO HAVE TO PAY
A PRICE, AND SOMETIMES THAT’S
ALSO A MONETARY PRICE.
SO WE’RE NOT THE SUCKERS OF THE
WORLD.
WORLD. WE’RE NO LONGER THE SUCKERS,
FOLKS, AND PEOPLE AREN’T LOOKING
AT US AS SUCKERS, AND I LOVE YOU
FOLKS BECAUSE MOST OF YOU ARE
NODDING YOUR HEAD THIS WAY.
>> THE VISIT COMES AMID A
GROWING STALEMATE IN WASHINGTON
WITH PART OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT STILL SHUTDOWN.
THE PRESIDENT SPENT MUCH OF THE
LONG CHRISTMAS WEEKEND ALONE IN
WASHINGTON, RAGING AGAINST
CRITICISM OF BOTH THAT
WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA AND HIS
OUSTER OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
JAMES MATTIS.
JAMES MATTIS. TODAY, HE DEFENDED THOSE
DECISIONS.
DECISIONS. >> ONE YEAR AGO I GAVE OUR
GENERALS SIX MORE MONTHS IN
SYRIA.
SYRIA. I SAID GO AHEAD, GET THEM.
AND IT TURNS OUT IT WAS REALLY A
YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
I SAID GO GET THEM.
WE NEED SIX MONTHS.
GO GET THEM.
THEY SAID GIVE US ANOTHER SIX
MONTHS.
MONTHS. I SAID GO GET THEM.
THEY SAID CAN WE HAVE ONE MORE
PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS.
I SAID NO, NO.
I SAID I GAVE YOU A LOT OF SIX
MONTHS.
MONTHS. AND NOW WE’RE DOING IT A
DIFFERENT WAY.
DIFFERENT WAY. >> SINCE THE WEEKEND, THE
PRESIDENT TWEETED OVER 30 TIMES,
LASHING OUT AGAINST A HOST OF
CRITICS.
CRITICS. TRUMP TOOK PARTICULAR AIM
AGAINST MATTIS AND HIS SPECIAL
ENVOY BATTLING ISIS THAT
RESIGNED PROTESTING THE
ADMINISTRATION DECISION TO
WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM SYRIA.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TWEETING, QUOTE,
WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA
INGLORIOUSLY FIRED JIM MATTIS, I
GAVE HIM A SECOND CHANCE.
SOME THOUGHT I SHOULDN’T.
I THOUGHT I SHOULD.
INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP.
INTERESTING RELATIONSHIP. ACCORDING TO "THE WASHINGTON
POST," THE PRESIDENT WAS ANGERED
BY THE COVERAGE OF MATTIS’
RESIGNATION.
RESIGNATION. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL
REPORTEDLY TELLING THE POST THAT
THE PRESIDENT WAS, QUOTE,
SEETHING ABOUT THE NEWS
COVERAGE, DECIDED TO EXPEDITE
HIS DEPARTURE IN REACTION TO
NEGATIVE NEWS COVERAGE.
JOINED BY PHILIP BRUCKER, AND
EVELYN FARKAS AND CHARLIE SYKES.
THANKS TO YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH
US.
US. PHILIP, THE UNEXPECTED NEWS THAT
CROSSED WIRES THIS AFTERNOON,
THE PRESIDENT MAKING A SURPRISE
TRIP TO IRAQ.
TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW.
I THINK HE LEFT WASHINGTON, YOU
REPORTED, AT 12:06:00 A.M.
TODAY.
TODAY. TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT WHEN
THE WHITE HOUSE AND PRESIDENT
DECIDED TO MAKE THE TRIP, HOW
EXACTLY IT CAME ABOUT.
>> THAT’S RIGHT, STEVE.
IT WAS A SENSITIVE SECRET TRIP
BEING PLANNED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS,
NO DOUBT, BUT THE PRESIDENT
DECIDED TO LEAVE WASHINGTON IN
THE DARK OF NIGHT JUST AFTER
MIDNIGHT.
MIDNIGHT. SO AFTER CHRISTMAS, EARLY THIS
MORNING, AND TOOK THAT FLIGHT
OVER TO IRAQ.
IT WAS AN 11 HOUR FLIGHT.
HE WAS ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE.
THERE WERE SOME CLUES HE MAY BE
GONE BUT WE DID NOT KNOW
OFFICIALLY HE WAS GOING TO IRAQ
UNTIL THE MOMENT WE STARTED
GETTING NEWS, WHICH WAS THREE
HOURS INTO THE VISIT ON THE
GROUND THERE.
GROUND THERE. HE MET WITH TROOPS, HE POSTED
FOR SELFIES, HE GOT A BRIEFING
FROM SOME LOCAL COMMANDERS AND
DIPLOMATIC LEADERS AND GAVE THAT
SPEECH YOU HAVE BEEN PLAYING
CLIPS OF TO A GROUP OF TROOPS
THERE IN IRAQ.
IT COMES AT A MOMENT OF INTENSE
TURMOIL AT THE PENTAGON.
NOT ONLY THE PERSONNEL CHANGES
YOU MENTIONED BUT DECISIONS BY
THE PRESIDENT LAST WEEK TO
WITHDRAW TROOPS SUDDENLY FROM
SYRIA AND HE ALSO MADE A
DECISION TO ADVISERS ACCORDING
TO THE REPORTING, IT IS NOT
FORMALLY ANNOUNCED, THAT HE
INTENDS TO DRAW DOWN THE
FOOTPRINT IN AFGHANISTAN.
THAT’S THE WAR WE HAVE BEEN
FIGHTING 17 YEARS NOW.
SO A LOT OF CHANGE IN TERMS OF
MILITARY STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP
AT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.
>> YOU SAY IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN
THE PLANNING A FEW WEEKS.
THAT’S WHAT I’M TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT.
OUT. I WONDER IF YOU HAD REPORTING OR
HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT ANY DIRECT
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DECISION
TO MAKE THIS TRIP NOW AND THE
WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA, POSSIBLY
MORE IN TERMS OF TROOP
WITHDRAWALS.
WITHDRAWALS. IS THERE A DIRECT CONNECTION?
THIS IS THE KIND OF TRIP HE
HASN’T MADE BEFORE.
HE HAS GIVEN A NUMBER OF
EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY HE HASN’T
MADE THIS KIND OF TRIP.
IS IT CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE
DECISION ON SYRIA?
>> I DON’T THINK IT IS DIRECTLY
CONNECTED.
CONNECTED. I THINK CERTAINLY IT IS FALLING
ON THE CALENDAR WITH THAT
DECISION, BUT IT IS NOT LIKE HE
BEGAN PLANNING THIS LAST WEEK
BECAUSE OF CRITICISM FOR SYRIA.
THIS TAKES MANY WEEKS OF
PREPARATION.
PREPARATION. TRUMP MENTIONED TO REPORTERS
TRAVELING WITH HIM TODAY THAT HE
TRIED TO GET OUT TO GO TO A WAR
ZONE A COUPLE TIMES BEFORE AND
NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE TRIP
BECAUSE OF SECURITY PROBLEMS.
I HAD AN INTERVIEW WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP ABOUT A MONTH
AGO IN LATE NOVEMBER AND ASKED
WHETHER HE PLANNED TO TRY TO
VISIT TROOPS BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS
AND HE WAS A LITTLE CIRCUMSPECT,
BUT IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS
WAS SOMETHING HE WANTED TO DO
AND WAS LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT
TIME TO DO IT, SO I DON’T THINK
IT IS CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE
SYRIA DECISION.
SYRIA DECISION. >> EVELYN, IN TERMS OF WE PLAYED
CLIPS A MINUTE AGO, THE MESSAGE
THE PRESIDENT BROUGHT TO TROOPS,
AND BROUGHT TO THE WORLD TODAY
IN THAT SPEECH, ADDRESSING THE
IDEA OF WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA,
SAYING I GAVE THE GENERALS MORE
TIME THAN I WANTED TO GIVE THEM.
I SAID ENOUGH.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF WHAT HE IS
TRYING TO CONVEY, WHAT DID HE
END UP CONVEYING?
>> FIRST THING HE CONVEYED IS
THAT HE CARES, HE WENT THERE.
HAVE TO GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR
THAT, STEVE.
THAT, STEVE. OFTEN WE DON’T GIVE HIM MUCH
CREDIT, BECAUSE HE DOES FUMBLE,
AND THERE WAS A BIT OF A FUMBLE,
HE CALLED US SUCKERS, AND NOW
WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE SEEN AS
SUCKERS ANY MORE.
I DON’T THINK THAT’S USEFUL.
UNFORTUNATELY THE DECISION HE
MADE ON SYRIA MAKES US LOOK WEAK
AND UNRELIABLE, INCLUDING IN THE
EYES OF THE IRAQIS.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE BACK STORY
IS, MAYBE HE WAS UNWILLING TO
LEAVE THE BASE, BUT YOU CAN’T
ASK THE PRIME MINISTER TO COME
TO YOU, YOU’RE IN THEIR COUNTRY,
YOU SHOULD GO THERE.
THE MESSAGE, I GAVE THEM TIME,
WE NEED TO WITHDRAW.
THAT ISN’T BAD EITHER, IF YOU
FOLLOW HOW PRESIDENT OBAMA DEALT
WITH THE MILITARY, HE OFTEN HAD
THE SAME REACTION AND
CONVERSATION, LIKE GUYS REALLY,
ANOTHER SIX MONTHS?
SO THAT’S UNDERSTANDABLE, EVERY
PRESIDENT GOES THROUGH THAT.
THE PROBLEM IS HE MADE THE
DECISION UNILATERALLY, WENT
AGAINST HIS CABINET.
DIDN’T SEEM TO CONSULT WITH
ANYONE EXCEPT THE TURKISH
PRESIDENT AND THAT’S A PROBLEM
BECAUSE IT EFFECTS ALLIES
FIGHTING WITH US.
WE HAVE 74 OTHER COUNTRIES IN
THE COALITION, INCLUDING SOME ON
THE GROUND.
THE GROUND. THE FRENCH ARE ON THE GROUND
TODAY.
TODAY. AND THE OTHER THING ON ISIS, YOU
TALKED ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON
WITH ISIS, THERE WAS JUST AN
ATTACK RIGHT NEAR MOSUL IN THE
NORTHERN PART OF IRAQ.
SO ISIS IS VERY MUCH A THREAT TO
IRAQ.
IRAQ. THEY’RE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR
WITHDRAWAL, THE SYRIAN
WITHDRAWAL, BECAUSE THEY’LL HAVE
TO OBVIOUSLY STEP UP.
I THINK THE REAL MESSAGE IS NOT
THAT WE’RE SUCKERS, IT IS A
QUESTION MARK.
QUESTION MARK. SO THE ALLIES ARE THINKING WE
ARE LOOKING WEAK AND MAY NOT BE
THE MOST RELIABLE ALLIES.
FOR TROOPS, THE MESSAGE IS I’M
HERE, I CARE, I’M GOING TO GIVE
YOU SUPPORT BUT IT IS NOT
UNCONDITIONAL.
UNCONDITIONAL. >> I’M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT,
CHARLIE SYKES, HOW THIS IS GOING
OVER WITH THE PUBLIC.
I DO WONDER AFTER A DECADE AND A
HALF HERE OF IRAQ, OF
AFGHANISTAN, THE POST 9/11
FOREIGN POLICY DEVELOPMENTS, YOU
SEE IN POLLING THERE SEEMS TO BE
MORE HESITANCY THAN A DECADE AND
A HALF AGO WHEN IT COMES TO
DEPLOYING TROOPS, THE IDEA OF
NOT BEING THE WORLD’S POLICEMAN.
I THINK TRUMP USED THAT IN THE
SPEECH, USED THAT LINE.
I THINK THAT SEEMS TO HAVE SOME
POPULAR RESONANCE.
POPULAR RESONANCE. WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF THE
PUBLIC’S REACTION TO TROOP
WITHDRAWAL FROM SYRIA?
>> WELL, I’M INTERESTED IN THAT
AS WELL.
AS WELL. NO QUESTION THAT THERE’S A GREAT
DEAL OF FATIGUE OVER THE ENDLESS
WARS.
WARS. I THINK THAT MAY BE REFLECTED IN
ALL THIS.
ALL THIS. I WANT TO ECHO WHAT EVELYN HAD
TO SAY, YOU HAVE TO GIVE THE
PRESIDENT CREDIT FOR DOING THE
RIGHT THING.
RIGHT THING. I WISH HE HAD DONE IT EARLIER, I
WISH WE DIDN’T HAVE TO SHAME HIM
INTO DOING IT.
AFTER A WEEKEND OF SITTING HOME
ALONE AT THE WHITE HOUSE BEING
PETTY AND PETULENT, YOU COULD
HAVE PRESIDENTIAL GRACE AND
LEADERSHIP ON DISPLAY, HE CHOSE
TO BE PETTY.
STANDING IN FRONT OF TROOPS
DESCRIBING AMERICA’S COMMITMENTS
AS BEING SUCKERS IS DEEPLY
OFFENSIVE WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT
IT.
IT. NOT ONLY DID HE LIE TO THE
TROOPS AND POLITICIZE THE
EVENTS, LIE ABOUT SALARY
INCREASES BUT TO DESCRIBE
AMERICAN COMMITMENTS AS BEING
SUCKERS.
SUCKERS. YOU NEED TO STEP BACK AND
REFLECT ON THE CRASS
TRANSACTIONALISM OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
WOULD IMPLY MEN AND WOMEN THAT
SERVED THEIR COUNTRY IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, PERHAPS GIVEN THEIR
LIVES, WERE SUCKERS.
AND THIS IS THE TONE DEAFNESS
THAT HE HAS.
TO YOUR POINT, YES, I THINK
THERE ARE A LOT OF AMERICANS
THAT ARE MORE THAN WILLING TO
TRAU
TRAU DRAW DOWN, BUT THE WAY IT IS
BEING DONE, THE BETRAYAL OF OUR
ALLIES, THE LACK OF A PROCESS,
THE LACK OF CONSULTATION WITH
THE MILITARY, THE LACK OF
RESPECT FOR SOMEBODY LIKE
GENERAL JAMES MATTIS, AND THAT
PERFORMANCE TODAY, YES, THE
PICTURES ARE WONDERFUL AND MAYBE
THAT’S ALL THAT PEOPLE WILL TAKE
AWAY FROM IT, BUT I THINK IT WAS
AN UNFORTUNATE EVENT ON TOP OF A
SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS.
>> YOU MENTIONED, CHARLIE, IN
THE FULL ADDRESS, THERE WERE
POLITICAL OVERTONES AT SEVERAL
POINTS, DONALD TRUMP GOING AFTER
DEMOCRATS, NOTING NOT JUST HOW
MANY SUPPORTERS HE HAD IN THE
AUDIENCE, YOU CAN WATCH A BIT OF
THAT HERE.
THAT HERE. >> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT,
YOU’RE FIGHTING FOR BORDERS IN
OTHER COUNTRIES AND THEY DON’T
WANT TO FIGHT THE DEMOCRATS FOR
THE BORDER OF OUR COUNTRY.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP OTHERS AND
FOR ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE THOSE
RED CAPS, AND I SAW THEM BEFORE,
I SIGNED A LOT OF THEM, IT SAYS
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.