OFFICIAL.
ERIC: WELL, NOW BACK TO ONE OF
OUR TOP STORIES ON THIS SUNDAY,
DAN COATS EXPECTED TO STEP DOWN
AS DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE.
THAT IN THE COMING DAYS.
YOU KNOW, REPORTS HAVE LONG SAID
THAT AT TIMES HE HAS BEEN AT
ODDS WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP OVER
ISSUES SUCH AS RUSSIA AND THE
PRESIDENT'S ATTACKS ON THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY OF OUR
COUNTRY.
MR. COATS EXPECTED TO BE
REPLACED BY TEXAS REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSMAN JOHN RATCLIFFE WHO
IS A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF THE
PRESIDENT.
JEFF MASON IS HERE, WHITE HOUSE
REPORTER FOR REUTERS.
JEFF, WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS
DEVELOPMENT MEANS?
>> Reporter: WELL, IT MEANS A
FEW DIFFERENT THINGS, ERIC.
I MEAN, NUMBER ONE, IT'S THE
LATEST IN THE CLOSE CABINET
OFFICIALS WHO HAVE LEFT
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING
THAT DAN COATS HAS LASTED AS
LONG AS HE HAS.
THERE HAS CERTAINLY BEEN
TENSIONS BETWEEN HIM AND THE
PRESIDENT FOR SOME TIME, DATING
BACK AT LEAST AS FAR AS A YEAR
AGO WHEN THE TWO MEN WERE GIVING
SORT OF DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT
THE THREAT OF RUSSIA AND
RUSSIA'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE 2016
ELECTION --
ERIC: WAS IT SEEN THAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS DOWNPLAYING THAT
AND COATS, YOU KNOW, STAUNCHLY
PUSHED BACK --
>> YEAH.
ERIC: IN TERMS OF ACTION ON THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY?
>> THAT'S SPOT ON, YES.
DAN COATS WAS DEFENDING THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND ALSO
MAKING VERY CLEAR THAT THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY'S INTEL
ON THE FACT THAT RUSSIA HAD, IN
FACT, INTERVENED IN THE 2016
ELECTION WAS ACCURATE.
AND THE PRESIDENT, OF COURSE,
CAST DOUBT ON THAT FOR SOME
TIME, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
THIS CABINET OFFICIAL STOOD UP
AGAINST.
I ALSO REMEMBER THERE BEING A
PARTICULARLY REMARKABLE MOMENT
WHERE DAN COATS WAS ASKED, I
BELIEVE BY ANDREA MITCHELL OF
NBC, ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S
REMARK AT THE TIME THAT HE MIGHT
INVITE PRESIDENT PUTIN TO COME
VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND DAN
COATS WAS NOT AWARE OF THAT AND
SAID SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES
OF, WELL, THAT WOULD BE SPECIAL.
THAT WAS AN UNGUARDED MOMENT,
DAN COATS HAS SINCE KEPT A LOWER
PROFILE, BUT THAT DIDN'T GO OVER
WELL IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
ERIC: YEAH.
I REMEMBER THAT, HE WAS CAUGHT
OFF GUARD ON THAT.
COATS HAD BEEN A RESPECTED
SENATOR FROM INDIANA, AMBASSADOR
TO GERMANY.
CRITICS ARE GOING TO SAY THIS IS
THE PRESIDENT TRYING TO MOLD
INTELLIGENCE, MAYBE GOING SOFTER
ON RUSSIA, WELLS ENCOURAGING
ATTACKS -- AS WELL AS
ENCOURAGING ATTACKS ON THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND
HAVING RATCLIFFE MAYBE DOING HIS
BIDDING OVER AT DEFENSE.
WHAT DO YOU DO YOU THINK ABOUT T
WHAT DO YOU DO YOU THINK ABOUT A
WHAT DO YOU DO YOU THINK ABOUT ?
>> WELL, RATCLIFFA HAS CERTAINLY
SHOWN HE WILL STAND UP FOR
TRUMP'S WORLD VIEW.
IT'S ALSO SORT OF REMARKABLE OR
INTERESTING, WORTH NOTING IN ANY
CASE THAT WITH COATS' EXPECTED
DEPARTURE, MOST OF THE SORT OF
REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT MEMBERS
OF TRUMP'S CABINET ARE NOW GONE;
JIM MATTIS, OF COURSE, FORMER
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, LEFT,
NIKKI HALEY, THE FORMER UTAH
AMBASSADOR TO UNITED NATIONS
IS -- U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UNITED
NATIONS IS GONE WITH DON'TS
APPARENTLY ON -- WITH COATS ON
HIS WAY OUT, AND WE'RE REPORTING
THAT AS WELL, THAT'S ONE LESS
LINK TO MORE TRADITIONAL
REPUBLICAN WORLD VIEW, AND MORE
PEOPLE AROUND THE PRESIDENT WHO
ARE BASICALLY ALIGNED WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
ERIC: YEAH.
IRONICALLY, MR. RATCLIFFE WAS ON
"SUNDAY MORNING FUTURES" THIS
MORNING WITH MARIA BARTIROMO,
AND I WANT TO SAY IN HIS DEFENSE
THAT HE DOES HAVE NATIONAL
SECURITY EXPERIENCE.
HE WAS THE CHIEF OF
ANTI-TERRORISM AT THE EASTERN
DISTRICT OF TEXAS, AND HE WAS
THE ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY THERE
IN THE DOJ.
AND HE HAD, HE WAS PRETTY TOUGH
ON ROBERT MUELLER DURING THE
QUESTIONING, SUPPORTING
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> HE WAS.
ERIC: LET'S PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF
THE SOUND BITE FROM THIS
MORNING'S INTERVIEW WITH MARIA
IN WHICH HE DID NOT GIVE ANY
INDICATION THAT HE MAY HAVE A
JOB IN THE OFFING, BUT THIS IS
WHAT HE SAID.
>> WHAT I DO KNOW AS A FORMER
FEDERAL PROSECUTOR IS IT DOES
APPEAR THERE WERE CRIMES
COMMITTED DURING THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION.
YOU TALKED THE EARLIER ABOUT
MICHAEL FLYNN.
HIS PHONE CALL WITH THE RUSSIAN
AMBASSADOR WAS A HIGHLY
CLASSIFIED NSA INTERCEPT.
SOMEONE IN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION LEAKED THAT CALL
TO TO THE WASHINGTON POST.
THAT'S A FELONY.
GLENN SIMPSON, FROM FUSION GPS,
IN TALKING ABOUT THE STEELES
DOSSIER SAID HE AND BRUCE OTHER
DID NOT MEET UNTIL AFTER THE
ELECTION.
BRUCE OTHER SAID UNDER OATH THEY
MET THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE
ELECTION.
ONE OF THEM IS NOT TELLING THE
TRUTH.
ERIC: NOW BREAKING NEWS, WE HAVE
IT FROM THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF IN
HIS TWITTER, LET ME READ IT,
QUOTE: I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
THAT HIGHLY RESPECTED
CONGRESSMAN JOHN RATCLIFFE WILL
BE NOMINATED BY ME TO BE THE
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE, A FORMER U.S.
ATTORNEY JOHN WILL LEAD AND
INSPIRE GREATNESS FOR THE
COUNTRY HE LOVES.
DAN COATS, THE CURRENT DIRECTOR,
WILL -- THEN WE HAVE TO GET TO
NEXT TWEET --
>> WE TO WE HAVE TO WAIT --
[LAUGHTER]
SO YOUR THOUGHTS.
>> WELL, SO THAT CONFIRMS,
OBVIOUSLY, WHAT MANY OF US HAVE
BEEN REPORTING ABOUT THIS MOVE.
IT ALSO, I HAVE TO CHUCKLE, I
MEAN, IT'S -- I THINK THE
PRESIDENT DOESN'T LIKE TO BE
SCOOPED NECESSARILY ON HIS OWN
PERSONNEL MOVES.
AND SO THE FACT THAT THESE
REPORTS WERE COMING OUT,
CLEARLY, HE WANTS TO BE SURE TO
BE THE ONE TO CONFIRM THAT.
SO IT'S CONFIRMED.
IT DOES SORT OF PUT TO REST A
LONG QUESTION MARK OVER DAN
COATS' TENURE.
AS WE WERE SAYING EARLIER, HE
HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN SOMEBODY WHO
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN
ESPECIALLY FOND OF IN TERMS OF
HOW THE TWO OF THEM DIFFER WITH
REGARD TO ISSUES WE WERE TALKING
ABOUT EARLIER, ESPECIALLY ON
RUSSIA, BUT ALSO OTHER AREAS OF
INTELLIGENCE INCLUDING IRAN AND
NORTH KOREA.
SO THE PRESIDENT NOW BRINGING IN
MUCH MORE OF A LOYALIST.
WE'LL SEE IF MAYBE THAT
FOLLOW-UP TWEET THE MAKES CLEAR
WHEN EXACTLY THE --
ERIC: YEAH, WE HAVE IT RIGHT
HERE NOW.
HE SAYS MR. COATS WILL BE
LEAVING ON AUGUST 15TH.
SO HE STILL HAS SOME TIME.
HE SAID I WOULD LIKE TO THANK
DAN FOR HIS GREAT SERVICE TO OUR
COUNTRY.
THE ACTING DIRECTOR WILL BE
NAMED SHORTLY, SO THEY'LL HAVE
AN ACTING DIRECTOR BEFORE
RATCLIFFE MOVES OVER.
HE'S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST
CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, ESPECIALLY FROM TEXAS.
SO DO YOU THINK EVEN DESPITE
SOME MAYBE DIFFERENCES IN POLICY
THAT HE POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE
WITH COATS, THERE WON'T BE THAT
MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE, THAT HE
WILL BE TOUGH ON THE THREATS
THAT THIS COUNTRY FACE AND OUR
ADVERSARIES IN THIS -- DO YOU
HAVE CONFIDENCE AND DO YOU THINK
WASHINGTON WILL HAVE CONFIDENCE
IN RATCLIFFE AS THE NEW DIRECTOR
OF THE DNI?
>> WELL, I MEAN, I CAN'T SAY
WHETHER I HAVE CONFIDENCE, ERIC,
BUT I THINK THAT WHETHER
WASHINGTON HAS CONFIDENCE WILL
BE THE SUBJECT OF THE HEARINGS
THAT COME UP FOR WHEN HE GOES
BEFORE CONGRESS FOR
CONFIRMATION, AND THAT THAT'S
THE REASON, NO DOUBT, THE
PRESIDENT WILL HAVE AN ACTING
DNI IN IN THE MEANTIME.
BECAUSE HE MAY FACE SOME TOUGH
QUESTIONING, AND HE MAY HAVE A
TOUGH THE TIME GETTING CONFIRMED
IF THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, IF SOME
PEOPLE IN THE SENATE ARE NOT
CONVINCED THAT HE WOULD BE
STRONG ENOUGH IN THIS AREA.
THAT SAID, IT'S THE PRESIDENT'S
PREROGATIVE TO CHOOSE THE PEOPLE
THAT HE WANT ADVISING HIM.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, I THINK
WE'VE SEEN CERTAINLY OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS THAT REPUBLICANS
IN MOST CASES ON THE HILL ARE
HAPPY TO SUPPORT THEIR PRESIDENT
ON THINGS LIKE THIS.
ERIC: JEFF MASON, ALWAYS
INSIGHTFUL.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS