WEBVTT

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WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK.ORNING J

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>>> PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRED HIS

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DEFENSE SECRETARY MARK ESPER ON

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SOCIAL MEDIA YESTERDAY.

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NBC NEWS REPORTED LAST WEEK THAT

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ESPER HAD ALREADY PREPARED A

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FORMAL RESIGNATION LETTER SINCE

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THEY HAD BEEN AT ODDS OVER

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SEVERAL ISSUES.

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FOR INSTANCE, ESPER WAS WORKING

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WITH CONGRESS TO RENAME MILITARY

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BASES NAMED AFTER CONFEDERATE

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SOLDIERS, A MOVE THE PRESIDENT

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OPPOSES.

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AND OVER THE SUMMER, ESPER

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PUSHED BACK ON SENDING ACTIVE

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DUTY TROOPS TO PUT DOWN PROTESTS

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AND ALSO DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM

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TRUMP’S PHOTO-OP AT ST. JOHN’S

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CHURCH.

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JOHN KELLY, THE FORMER CHIEF OF

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STAFF, SAID THAT’S PER QUOTE,

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MADE THE DECISION TO STAY LOYAL

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TO THE LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION

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AND PAID THE PRICE.

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SPEAKING TO THE MILITARY TIMES

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LAST WEEK, ESPER SAID QUOTE,

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WHO’S GOING TO COME IN BEHIND

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ME, A REAL YES MAN AND THEN GOD

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HELP US.

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JOINING US NOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE

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HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE,

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ADAM SMITH OF WASHINGTON.

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HE WAS RE-ELECTED LAST TUESDAY

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TO REPRESENT WASHINGTON’S 9th

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CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

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ALSO WITH US FORMER NATO SUPREME

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ALLIED COMMANDER, RETIRED

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ADMIRAL STEVE STAVRIDIS.

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HE IS CHIEF INTERNATIONAL AND

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DIPLOMACY ANALYST FOR NBC NEWS

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AND MSNBC.

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ADMIRAL STAVRIDIS, GOD HELP US.

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IS THAT -- IS THAT OVER THE TOP?

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IS THAT -- OR ARE WE IN UNKNOWN

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TERRITORY?

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I PERSONALLY -- I FEEL THE

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PRESIDENT IS AT RISK OF DOING

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SOMETHING INCREDIBLY DESTRUCTIVE

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TO THE UNITED STATES IN THE NEXT

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MONTH OR TWO.

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AM I BEING OVERLY HYSTERICAL?

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>> WELL, NO.

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YOU’RE NOT BEING OVERLY

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HYSTERICAL, BUT WE ALL OUGHT TO

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BE CONCERNED.

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I SPENT TWO YEARS AS THE SENIOR

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MILITARY ASSISTANT AS A THREE

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STAR TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

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UNDER DON RUMSFELD.

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I’LL GIVE YOU THREE REASONS WE

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OUGHT TO BE WORRIED.

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ONE IS TACTICAL.

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THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

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RECEIVES AN ORDERS BOOK AND HE’S

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THE ONE WHO MAKES THE DECISIONS

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TO DEPLOY UNITS OVERSEAS.

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THOSE ARE HIGHLY TECHNICAL

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DECISIONS.

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YOU CAN’T JUST JUMP INTO THE

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MIDDLE OF IT WITHOUT DOING

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DAMAGE TO HOW WE DEPLOY OUR

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TROOPS.

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NUMBER TWO, OPERATIONALLY AT THE

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LEVEL OF THEATER, THIS IS WHERE

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THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE THINKS

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ABOUT, WELL, SHOULD THAT

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AIRCRAFT CARRIER BATTLE GROUP GO

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TO THE ARABIAN GULF OR TO THE

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SOUTH CHINA SEA.

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THEN FINALLY, STRATEGICALLY.

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THERE ARE SOME PRETTY OBVIOUS

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CONCERNS HERE STARTING WITH AND

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NOT TO GET AT THE REALLY DARK

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END OF THE SPECTRUM, BUT THE

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NUCLEAR CODES.

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THIS IS NOT TRIVIAL.

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IT IS COMPLICATED.

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YOU DON’T WANT TO JUST THROW

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SOMEBODY IN TO IT AND I’LL CLOSE

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BY SAYING THE SEC DEF APPOINTEE

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HAS A DECENT RECORD AS A

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COLONEL.

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HE SERVED IN A COUPLE OF LOW

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LEVEL POSTS IN THE PENTAGON.

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TO PULL HIM UP TO BE THE

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SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ON A

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MOMENT’S NOTICE WOULD BE LIKE A

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BASEBALL TEAM NOT GOING TO THE

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BULLPEN.

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IT WOULD BE LIKE GOING DOWN TO

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THE HIGH SCHOOL BALL TEAM AND

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SAYING, HEY, SEND THAT PITCHER

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UP HERE TO THE MAJOR LEAGUES.

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SO YEAH, WE OUGHT TO BE PRETTY

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CONCERNED ABOUT IT.

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>> CHAIRMAN SMITH, YOU HEAD UP

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THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE IN

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THE HOUSE.

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IT APPEARS THAT THE CRIME OF

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DEFENSE SECRETARY ESPER WAS NOT

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BEING 100% LOYAL AT ALL TIMES TO

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DONALD TRUMP WHICH IS WHAT HE

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REQUIRES.

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WHAT ARE YOUR CONCERNS FROM YOUR

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POSITION AND ALSO SHOULD WE BE

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THINKING AS SOME HAVE REPORTED

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ABOUT FBI DIRECTOR WRAY, EVEN

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CIA DIRECTOR HASPEL AND THE

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SECURITY OF THEIR JOBS?

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>> WELL, I THINK ADMIRAL

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STAVRIDIS IS CORRECT, THIS IS A

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DESTRUCTIVE ACT BY THE

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PRESIDENT.

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THERE’S NO MAJOR POLICY CHANGES

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IF HE’S UNHAPPY WITH SECRETARY

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ESPER THAT’S ONE THING.

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IF HE’S GOING TO BE CONTINUING

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HIS TERM, BUT HE’S NOT, WE NEED

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CONTINUITY WITHIN THE JOB.

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TO REMOVE SECRETARY ESPER AT

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THIS POINT, NUMBER ONE, GIVES

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ALL THE CONCERNS THAT ADMIRAL

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STAVRIDIS JUST LAID OUT.

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NOW, I WILL SAY THAT ACTING

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SECRETARY MILLER I SPOKE TO HIM

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YESTERDAY.

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HE’S NOT BAD GUY.

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ADMIRAL STAVRIDIS IS ALSO

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CORRECT HE’S NOT QUALIFIED FOR

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THE POSITION BUT SOUNDS LIKE

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HE’LL DO HIS BEST AND HE’S

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WORKING WITH CHAIRMAN MILLIE,

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BUT IT PLACES UNCERTAINTY AT DOD

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AT A WAY THAT’S VERY DANGEROUS

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AND THE SECOND POINT WHAT MIKA

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IS ALLUDING TO, WHAT’S NEXT?

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WHAT ELSE IS PRESIDENT TRUMP

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GOING TO DO THAT’S GOING TO

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PLACE OUR COUNTRY IN JEOPARDY?

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LET’S BE 100% CLEAR ON THIS.

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THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THE

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OUTCOME OF THIS ELECTION.

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I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF

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ELECTIONS, I HAVE SEEN VERY

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CLOSE ELECTIONS.

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WE ALL HAVE.

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THEY HAPPEN.

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THERE’S NO QUESTION OF THE

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OUTCOME HERE.

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WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND MITCH

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McCONNELL AND THE REPUBLICANS

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ARE DOING HERE IS UNBELIEVABLY

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DESTRUCTIVE TO THIS COUNTRY AND

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COMPLETELY WRONG.

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THERE’S NO LEGITIMATE CHALLENGE

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TO THIS ELECTION SO YOU’RE

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BEGINNING TO SEE IN THE FIRING

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OF MARK ESPER THE DAMAGE THAT

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PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN DO IF THE

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REPUBLICANS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT