BRET BAIER JOINS US ON THE SET
TONIGHT.
WHERE ARE WE IN THIS QUESTION
MUCH LIKE OH, YEAH, I'M TALKING
TO SOURCES INSIDE IRAQ, INSIDE
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW.
MANY PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT THE
ATTACKS WOULD BE COMING FROM
PROXIES INSIDE IRAQ.
THE CHOICE OF THOSE TWO BASES IS
INTERESTING.
ONE WAS AL-ASAD, THE OTHER WAS
THE KURDISH CAPITAL.
IS THIS A SIGNAL?
IS THIS THE MESSAGE?
THE KURDS WERE SUPPORTING THE
U.S.
>> Tucker: IF YOU ARE IRAN AND
YOU WANT TO INFLICT MAXIMUM
DAMAGE, YOU HAVE TO HIT A
DIFFERENT BASE?
>> AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
EASIER.
IT'S CLOSER TO IRAN.
I'M READING THROUGH THE TEA
LEAVES.
WE WILL SEE WHAT THE DAMAGE
ASSESSMENT IS, BUT IF AS
REPORTED THAT NO U.S.
CASUALTIES, WE DON'T KNOW IF THE
IRAQIS TOOK CASUALTIES AT EITHER
ONE OF THESE BASES.
I THINK WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HERE
FROM THE SOURCES ON THE GROUND
IN BAGHDAD COULD BE MORE ABOUT
THE IRANIAN SHIA MILITIAS THAT
SUPPORT IRAN, THAT MAY BE ACTIVE
INSIDE BIG
INSIDE BAGHDAD.
>> Tucker: HOW IS THIS, AND
AGAIN, THIS IS MOVING EVEN AS WE
SPEAK, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE
CAN TELL NOW, HOW IS THAT
BREAKING DOWN?
>> I THINK WE HAVE YET TO SEE.
I THINK THAT THIS IS THE BIGGEST
TEST FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP AS A
LEADER.
IT IS BY FAR HIS BIGGEST TEST.
AS YOU KNOW, HE CAMPAIGNED ON
GETTING OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST,
OF BRINGING TROOPS HOME.
THIS IS HIS MOMENT TO DECIDE HOW
FAR TO PUSH THIS, WHAT THE
RESPONSE IS, AND WHAT THAT
RESPONSE WILL BE WILL DICTATE
HOW THE REST OF THE WORLD
REACTS.
AS FAR AS THE POLITICS, IT WILL
CHANGE THE DEMOCRATIC RACE
SIGNIFICANTLY.
YOU'VE SEEN BERNIE SANDERS GO
FAR HARD ON THIS ISSUE.
JOE BIDEN IS TRYING TO RIDE THE
RAILS.
BUT HE HAS HIS OWN ISSUES ABOUT
THE DON MIKE WHAT THE
ADMINISTRATION DID WITH IRAN AND
THE PAIN OF MONEY TO IRANIAN
OFFICIALS.
IT'S NOT CUT AND DRY.
>> Tucker: IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT.
AS HARD AS SOMEONE WATCHING THIS
WHO IS NOT COVERING POLITICS
FULL TIME AS YOU ARE, IT DOESN'T
SEEM LIKE THE DEMOCRATS ARE ALL
THE WAY ON ONE SIDE OR
REPUBLICANS ONE SIDE OF THE
OTHER.
IT'S MORE CONFUSING THAN THAT.
>> OH, 100%.
THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN AN
ELECTION YEAR AND WE ARE THREE
AND A HALF WEEKS AWAY FROM THE
IOWA CAUCUSES, MOST IMPORTANTLY,
THE NEXT STEPS IN IRAQ ON THE
GROUND, AND WHETHER THOSE
TARGETS INSIDE IRAN, MAY BE,
THAT SHOT THOSE MISSILES, WILL
BE ON THE SIDE OF U.S.
>> Tucker: IS IT CLEAR, I HATE
TO USE THE TERM TALKING POINTS,
BUT IF YOU WERE TO SIT DOWN WITH
THE PRESIDENT OR ONE OF HIS
ADVISORS AND SAY, WHAT'S OUR
PLAN GOING FORWARD, IS IT CLEAR
WHAT THE ANSWER WOULD BE?
BECAUSE THAT'S THE PURPOSE.
IF AND WHEN HE DOES IT, IT WILL
BE A CLEAR, HERE'S WHERE WE ARE,
THIS IS WHAT I'M THINKING.
NOTICE WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING
FROM THE GANG OF EIGHT OR ANYONE
ON CAPITOL HILL AS THEY WERE
BRIEFED BY OFFICIALS.
IT'S EXPECTED TO BE BRIEFED
TOMORROW ON THE INTELLIGENCE
THAT LED TO TAKING OUT SOLEIMAN
SOLEIMANI.
I THINK THERE IS HEAVY
SKEPTICISM UP ON CAPITOL HILL
AND IN DIFFERENT CORNERS.
MAYBE THAT'S WHAT THE
PRESIDENT IS GOING TO ADDRESS.
>> Tucker: HE IS GOING TO
ADDRESS WHY HE DID IT.
>> YEAH, AND NEXT STEPS.
THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE THE
COUNTRY IS GOING TO WANT TO KNOW
WHERE ARE WE GOING FROM HERE.
THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, BY NOW,
THEY HAVE A DECENT SENSE OF WHAT
IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE GROUND.
>> Tucker: SO, I KNOW YOU ARE
NOT IN THE EDITORIALIZING
BUSINESS, BUT TELL ME IF YOU CAN
CONFIRM THIS INSTINCT.
MY SENSE IS THAT THE PRESIDENT
IS NOT INTERESTED IN SOME SORT
OF WAR WITH IRAN, CERTAINLY NOT
A GROUND WAR.
HIS INSTINCTS ARE RESTRAINT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE SENSING OR
HEARING?
>> POLICY WISE.
WHAT HE CAMPAIGNED ON, THAT'S
WHAT HE SUGGESTS.
WHAT HE SAYS VERBALLY ABOUT
BEING TOUGH AGAINST IRAN, WHAT
HE TWEETS OUT SENDS A DIFFERENT
MESSAGE.
WHETHER HIS RHETORIC MATCHES UP
WITH WHAT THE POLICY DECISION IS
GOING TO BE TONIGHT, I THINK IT
IS THE KEY MOMENT FOR THIS
PRESIDENT TO BE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF.
>> Tucker: DO YOU THINK WE ARE
GOING TO HEAR FROM THE PRESIDENT
TONIGHT?
>> I WOULD GUESS THAT WE WOULD,
BECAUSE IT'S THAT BIG OF A
MOMENT.
LISTEN, HAVING COVERED THE
PENTAGON FOR A LONG TIME,
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING
BEHIND THE SCENES.
THERE'S ALL KINDS OF TARGETS
THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER WE ARE
GOING TO STEP TO THAT NEXT LEVEL
AND WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS.
>> Tucker: THIS BEING
WASHINGTON AND WASHINGTON BEEN
FUNDAMENTALLY BUREAUCRATIC, A
LOT OF EMPLOYEES WERE SENT HOME
TODAY.
ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
>> IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
AT 1:00, IT WAS A GHOST TOWN.
THERE WAS NO ONE THERE.
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE
APPARENTLY WAS CLOSED DOWN.