TONIGHT AND HOW THEY’RE CHOOSING
TO HANDLE THESE PROTESTS.
>> VERY INTERESTING.
GARRETT HAAKE, WE’LL CHECK BACK
IN WITH YOU, IF NEED BE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I’M JOINED BY COLONEL LAWRENCE
WILKERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE TO
COLIN POWELL.
I WONDER FROM YOUR EYES IN YOUR
MANY YEARS SERVING AND IN
GOVERNMENT, WHAT YOU MADE OF
WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID LAST
NIGHT?
>> CHRIS, I WANT TO THANK YOU
FIRST FOR LETTING ME SEE THE
OPENING SCENES AND HEAR THE
OPENING COMMENTARY.
IF I WERE WATCHING BEIJING IN
TIANANMEN SQUARE OR WATCHING
NURNBURG IN HITLER’S TIME, I
WOULDN’T HAVE SEEN TWO DIFFERENT
SCENES EXCEPT THERE WAS NO
KILLING -- YET.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT, COLIN
POWELL AND I USED TO TALK ABOUT
PERIODICALLY, WITH SOME PASSION,
WAS THE CIVIL MILITARY
RELATIONSHIP IN OUR COUNTRY.
AND WE BOTH ADMITTED THAT THE
200 PLUS YEARS OF REPUBLICAN
DEMOCRACY THAT WE HAVE ENJOYED
HAS BEEN ASSURED LARGELY BECAUSE
OF THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AND NOW I SEE THESE SCENES LIKE
YOU SHOWED AND LIKE I HAVE SEEN
IN THE PAST 96 HOURS OR SO, AND
I SEE THAT RELATIONSHIP FRAYING
AND ERODING IN FRONT OF MY EYES.
AND IT REALLY CONCERNS ME.
BECAUSE WE WERE RIGHT, IT IS THE
ESSENCE OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
IT’S THE REASON WE’RE STILL
HERE.
AND NOW I SEE IT DISAPPEARING
BEFORE MY EYES.
>> I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THAT
LAKOTA HELICOPTER AND THE SHOW
OF FORCE, WHICH TO ME, THE PARK
POLICE WERE THE AGENTS THAT
CLEARED LAFAYETTE PARK.
BUT SOME SET OF ORDERS WERE
COMMUNICATED DOWN SOME KIND OF
CHAIN OF COMMAND TO HAVE A U.S.
MILITARY HELICOPTER FLY LOW OVER
A CIVILIAN POPULATION, ASSEMBLED
TO PROTEST AS A SHOW OF FORCE.
ARE YOU TROUBLED BY THE FACT
THAT THAT CHAIN OF COMMAND, THAT
SET OF ORDERS, WHEREVER THEY
CAME FROM, ULTIMATELY SUCCEEDED
IN BEING CARRIED OUT?
>> I AM.
AND I’M CONCERNED BECAUSE I KNOW
GENERAL MILEY, THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF,
HOWEVER HE SAYS THAT NAME, IS
NOT IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND.
HE IS AN ADVISOR TO THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND TO THE
PRESIDENT AND TO THE NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL.
HE IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE CHAIN
OF COMMAND.
POWELL USED TO SAY, I DON’T EVEN
COMMAND MY SECRETARY HERE.
AND HE WAS RIGHT.
HE DIDN’T COMMAND A SINGLE
SOLDIER.
SO WHAT IS THAT GUY DOING?
WHAT IS HE DOING STAGE CRAFTING
HIS APPEARANCE THERE IN BATTLE
FATIGUES WITH THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES?
AND WHO, QUESTION, WHO DID ORDER
THAT?
WAS IT THE D.C. GUARD COMMANDER?
WAS IT THE MILITARY DISTRICT OF
WASHINGTON COMMANDER?
WHO ORDERED THAT?
AND WHO TOLD HIM TO DO THAT?
IF IT WAS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, HE’S OUT
OF ORDER COMPLETELY.
IF IT WAS THE MILITARY DISTRICT
OF WASHINGTON COMMANDER WHO
DECIDED TO DO THAT, UNDER WHOSE
ORDERS DID HE DECIDE TO DO IT?
UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S?
UNDER SECRETARY ESPER’S?
THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT ARE
GOING TO ROYAL AROUND FOR A LONG
TIME.
IT’S NOT LIKE WE HAVEN’T DONE
SIMILAR THINGS BEFORE.
INDEED, WE HAD A SEGMENT OF THE
COUNTRY YOU MAY RECALL IN 1861
THAT TRIED TO DESTROY THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA AND FORMED ITS
OWN CONFEDERACY TO DO SO.
SO WE HAVE HAD QUOTE UNQUOTE
AMERICAN SOLDIERS SHOOTING AT
AMERICAN PEOPLE ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE WANT TO
HAPPEN AGAIN.
I THOUGHT WE HAD PUSHED THAT DOG AWAY, AND WE WERE, IN A SENSE,
AWAY, AND WE WERE, IN A SENSE,
IN A CIVIL/MILITARY RELATIONSHIP
THAT WAS SACK ROWROSANCT.
YOU HAVE TO POINT A FINGER,
ALTHOUGH I WOULD ADMIT IT
STARTED MAJORLY AFTER 9/11 WITH
MY OWN ADMINISTRATION, GEORGE W.
BUSH’S ADMINISTRATION, BUT IT
HAS BEEN GIVEN AN INCREDIBLE,
CATALYTIC EFFECT BY THIS