( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WE'RE HERE WITH THE AUTHOR OF "A SACRED OATH," FORMER SECRETARY
OF DEFENSE MARK ESPER.
YOU DESCRIBED OVAL OFFICE MEETINGS THAT WERE A MELEE OF
BAD IDEAS PUSHED BY HIS WHITE HOUSE SICKO FANS.
WHO'S THE MOST DANGEROUS?
>> YOU DESCRIBE STEVE MILLER WHO PROPOSED THE OUTLANDSH IDEAS.
THE IDEA OF DEPLOYING A QUARTER MILLION TROOPS TO THE BORDER TO
DEAL WITH CARAVANS WHICH IS ABSURD.
WHEN WE WERE HAVING THE DISCUSSIONS TALKING ABOUT THE
UNREST IN PORTLAND, SEATTLE, HE WOULD TALK ABOUT AN AMERICAN
DYSTOPIA WHERE CITIES ARE BURNING AND MELEE WAS RULING.
TO GENERAL MILLEY'S CREDIT, HE CARRIED FACTS AND STATISTICS AND
SAID THERE'S ONLY A MINORITY OF CITIES AND NOT MANY PROTEST AND
PROTESTERS.
THE GENERAL WAS IMPORTANT TO SAY, THIS IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT
ISSUE, LET STATE AND LOCAL DEAL WITH IT AND THIS IS NOT THE
PLACE FOR THE MILITARY.
>> Stephen: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THE ADMINISTRATION TO
SMELL THE CRAZY COMING OFF STEPHEN MILLER.
ARE YOU SURPRISED GUYS LIKE THAY SPECIFICALLY -- WHO IS SO
READILY CRAZY AND POORLY INFORMED AND BALLS-OUT RACIST IS
STILL GETTING JOBS.
HE'S WORKING FOR MCCORMACK'S CAMPAIGN IN PENNSYLVANIA, AND HE
DIDN'T GET IT, YET STEPHEN MILLER IS STILL SUCKING ON THE
G.O.P. POLITICAL GRAVY BECAUSE NOBODY HAS THE COURAGE TO PUT
THESE GUYS OUT THE TO PASTURE.
DOES THAT SHOCK YOU THAT PEOPLE YOU KNOW WHO ARE TERRIBLE FOR
AMERICA CAN STILL GET JOBS IN MAINSTREAM POLITICAL CIRCLES?
>> I DON'T GET IT, I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS HOW DO G.O.P.,
MY PARTY, I'M A REAGAN REPUBLICAN, HOW DO WE GET
DIVORCED FROM DONALD TRUMP AND THOSE AROUND HIM?
THE CHALLENGE IS PRESIDENT TRUMP PUSHED A LOT OF TRADITIONAL
REPUBLICAN POLICIES, LOWERED TAXES, DEREGULATION,
CONSERVATIVE JUDGES, REBUILD THE MILITARY, STRONGER BORDER, ALL
GOOD THINGS.
>> Stephen: BUT A MANNEQUIN WCOULD HAVE GOTTEN THE SAME
POLICIES ( APPLAUSE )
>> RIGHT.
SO MY MESSAGE TO MY FELLOW REPUBLICANS IS THERE'S A NEW
GENERATION OF REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES WHO I HOPE WILL
EMERGE AFTER THE MIDTERMS AND RUN.
YOU CAN GET SOMEONE WHO PUTS COUNTRY OVER SELF, ADVANCE CORE
REPUBLICAN IDEAS, GROW THE BASE AND BRING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
TOGETHER.
I HAVE BEEN SAYING THE BIGGEST THREAT FACING THE COUNTRY TODAY
IS NOT CHINA, IT'S THE EXTREME POLITICAL PARTNERSHIP CAUSING
DYSFUNCTION IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
AND WE HAVE TO BREAK THIS.
( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: YOU KNOW HOW FEW
REPUBLICANS IN OFFICE THERE ARE LIKE YOU.
YOU'RE A MINORITY.
IT'S STRANGE HOW FEW PEOPLE LIKE YOU THERE ARE.
I'M NOT CALLING YOU A REPUBLICAN POLITICIAN BUT THANK YOU FOR
SUPPORTING THOSE POLICIES.
SO FEW PEOPLE WILL ESPOUSE IT PUBLICLY.
>> THAT'S THE ISSUE.
>> Stephen: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE QUESTION JAKE TAPPER ASKED
YOU THE OTHER DAY, GIVEN YOU KNEW ALL OF THIS, WHY DID YOU
WAIT TO PUT IT IN A BOOK?
SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL BOOKS INSTEAD OF PROTECT THE
COUNTRY.
EVEN IF I ACCEPT YOUR ANSWER, SOMEBODY ELSE PUT IN THERE MAY
NOT HAVE MADE THE PUSHBACKS YOU DID.
>> RIGHT? WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU ABOUT THE STATE OF OUR
COUNTRY THAT IT'S JUST THIS ONE MAN IN THIS POSITION PUSHING
BACK AGAINST THE CRAZY AND THAT YOU CAN'T BE TRUTHFUL TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE BECAUSE THE FOUNDERS IMAGINE THAT AN
INFORMED PUBLIC WOULD SAVE OUR COUNTRY, NOT ONE GUY, HOWEVER
WELL MEANING.
>> WELL, LOOK, IT WASN'T JUST ONE PERSON, THERE WERE OTHER
MEMBERS IN THE CABINET.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU DID KNOW ALL THIS STUFF BUT FELT YOU
COULDN'T AT TELL IT.
>> TAKE IT AT ANY POINT IN THE STORY IN 2020, IF I HAD COME
OUT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN FIRED, WHICH IS THE PRESIDENT'S
PREROGATIVE, HE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE FIRED ME ON THE SPOT.
MY RATIONALE IS IF I'M NOT HERE TO STOP A QUARTER MILLION TROOPS
TO THE BORDER WHEN PROPOSED, WHO WOULD BE THERE IF HE WANTS TO
SHOOT MISSILES TO MEXICO, OR SEND 10,000 PAR TROOPERS IN
AMERICA AND WHO WILL BE TO STOP THE VENS -- VENEZUELA TALK IN
OCTOBER.
>> Stephen: WE DESERVE TO KNOW THAT TO MAKE OUR CHOICE AND I
TAKE YOUR RATIONALE, BUT WHERE ARE WE AS A COUNTRY IF YOU CAN'T
TELL US THAT?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THE OPENING PAGE, THE FIRST FIVE PAGES I TALK ABOUT THE DILEMMA,
I WRESTLE WITH IT.
I TALK TO MY WIFE AND SHE SAYS AS YOUR WIFE, PLEASE QUIT, AS AN
AMERICAN, STAY.
I REACHED OUT TO THE LATE GENERAL COLIN POWELL AND HE SAID
YOU HAVE TO STAY.
WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE LOYALISTS COME INTO THE PENTAGO,
WITHDRAW FROM SOMALIA, AND IT GOES ON AND ON.
AT THAT POINT, THEY ONLY HAD 60 DAYS.
THINK IF THEY HAD EIGHT MONTHS.
>> Stephen: THE MEMOIR IS "A SACRED OATH."
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
BACK WITH JUDD APATOW.