>>> A NEW POLL BY THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS SHOWS 56% OF CURRENT AND
FORMER SERVICE MEMBERS APPROVE
OF THE JOB PRESIDENT TRUMP IS
DOING AS PRESIDENT.
WHO BETTER TO WEIGH IN ON THIS
THAN RETIRED MARINE CORP BOMB
TECHNICIAN JOEY JONES.
BREAK DOWN THE NUMBER FOR US.
A STRONG APPROVAL RATING AMONGST
VETS FOR THIS PRESIDENT.
WHY?
>> YEAH.
I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST WE
HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THIS POLL
HAPPENED BEFORE THE SYRIA
DECISION AND BEFORE JAMES MATTIS
LEFT THE PENTAGON.
THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT
BELOOK AT THE FACT THAT VETERANS
AND ACTIVE SERVICE MEMBERS ARE
LUMPED TOGETHER IN THIS POLL.
4,000.
BUT IT DOESN'T DISCERN HOW MUCH
OF EACH.
AND TODAY THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT
THE VETERAN COMMUNITY AND THE
ACTIVE DUTY COMMUNITY, I THINK
THOSE GROUPS ARE DIFFERENT THESE
DAYS.
BUT OVERALL THE REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENT, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT
MAKES PROMISES AND KEEPS ONE IS
GOING TO DO WELL.
WE LOOK AT SOUTH AMERICA, THE
MIDDLE EAST, EVEN PARTS OF ASIA.
WE LOOK AT PLACES WHERE WE'RE
DEPLOYED AND WE SEE HOW THE REST
OF THE WORLD LIVES AND WHEN WE
COME BACK WE HAVE A RENEWED
RESPECT FOR WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHAT IT
TAKES TO KEEP IT THIS WAY.
THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS
USUALLY MAKE BETTER DECISIONS ON
FOREIGN POLICY AS FAR AS THE
SERVICE MEMBER IS CONCERNED AND
WE'RE GOING TO RESPECT THAT AND
KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE GO TO
THE POLLS
>> THAT'S ANOTHER PORTION OF THE
POLL THAT WE'RE PUT ON THE
SCREEN.
59% SAY HE'S A STRONG LEADER,
48% SAYING HE HAS THE RIGHT
TEMPERAMENT.
THE PRESIDENT ALWAYS CRITICIZED
FOR TEMP AREMENT AND LEADERSHIP.
BUT THE VETERANS SEE THROUGH
THAT AND SEE SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
>> YOU LOOK AT THIS ISSUE
BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
JAMES MATTIS.
BEFORE I SEE THE DIFFERENCES I
SEE SIMILARITIES.
THEY'RE BOTH POPULOUS IN THEIR
OWN WAY, A SUBGROUP OF AMERICANS
THAT BELIEVE IN EVERYTHING THEY
SAY AND DO BECAUSE OF THE WAY
THEY CONDUCT BUSINESS AND THE
WAY THEY STAY TRUE TO THEIR WORD
WHEN IT COMES TO POLICY
DECISIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO
SEE AND MY OPINION THAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS GOING TO HAVE
TO EARN THIS APPROVAL RATING
BACK WITH JAMES MATTIS GONE FROM
THE PET GONE.
PENTAGON.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS GONE A LONG
WAY WITH VA ACCOUNTABILITY AND
VETERANS CHOICE.
BUT THOSE TWO THINGS SOUND
BETTER THAN THEY ARE EFFECTIVE.
I KNOW PRESIDENT TRUMP KNOWS
THAT.
VETERANS CHOICE IS A BAND AID
FIX TO, AN EXPENSIVE FIX.
AND THE VA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
REMOVES THE BAD BUT DOESN'T
OFFER A SOLUTION.
I HOPE PRESIDENT TRUMP TAKES THE
NEXT TWO YEARS TO CONTINUE TO
FIX IT.
>> THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION OF VETERAN'S
CHOICE IS AN ONGOING THING AND
NOWHERE WHERE IT SHOULD BE BUT A
LOT OF STEPS THAT WOULD NOT HAVE
HAPPENED IF THERE WAS A DEMOCRAT
IN THE OVAL OFFICE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND VETERANS SEE THAT.
>> A KEY NUMBER HERE, 52%
APPROVE OF PRESIDENT TRUMP'S
HANDLING OF BORDER SECURITY, A
BIG NATIONAL CONVERSATION WE'RE
HAVING RIGHT NOW, A SHOWDOWN ON
NINE DAYS IN TO A SHUTDOWN.
DOES THAT NUMBER SURPRISE YOU
AND WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT HOW
THIS WILL PLAY OUT?
>> NO, NOT AT ALL.
I THINK VETERANS AMONG ALL
AMERICANS UNDERSTAND THE NEED
FOR DIVERSITY IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND HARD WORK COMES FROM A LOT
OF PLACES.
I COME FROM A TOWN THAT'S 75%
HISPANIC IN THE CITY LIMITS.
BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST IS TO SEE
SECURE THIS COUNTRY.
THE IDEA THAT LIVING IN THE
SHADOWS IS NO WAY TO LIVE AT
ALL.
REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID FOR
DECADES NOW, SECURE THE BORDER
AND WE'LL PROVIDE A PATH TO
CITIZENSHIP.
AND FOR DEMOCRATS NOT TO TAKE
REPUBLICANS UP ON THAT OFFER
SHOWS JUST HOW PARTISAN OF AN
ISSUE THIS IS.
THE FACT WE'RE NOT GETTING
$5 BILLION TO.
FUND THE WALL SHOWS YOU IT'S ALL
POLITICS AND NOT POLICY AND
THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.
>> WE HAVE TO LEIGH IT
>> WE HAVE TO LEAGH IT
>> WE HAVE TO LEAFH IT
>> WE HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.
IS THERE ONE ISSUE THAT
DEMOCRATS COULD SEIZE ON IN 2020
THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE WITH
VETS?
>> I THINK LOOKING AT THE VA NOT
AS A MODEL FOR GOVERNMENT FUNDED
HEALTH CARE BUT A PLACE, A
VOUCHER PROGRAM, OPEN IT UP TO
THE OPEN MARKET COULD BE A BIG
WIN FOR THE VETERANS.
>> YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT BUT
KNOWING THAT SPACE REALLY WELL,