>>> WE ARE ALL BACK, CLAIRE,
LET ME SHARE THIS WITH YOU,
THIS IS REPORTING FROM NBC
NEWS, TRUMP TRANSITION TEAM IS
COMPILING A LIST OF CURRENT AND FORMER US MILITARY OFFICERS FOR
POSSIBLE COURT-MARTIAL.
THOSE WHO WERE DIRECTLY
INVOLVED IN THE WITHDRAWAL FROM
AFGHANISTAN AND EXPLORING
WHETHER THEY COULD BE COURT-
MARTIAL FOR THEIR INVOLVEMENT.
ACCORDING TO A U.S. OFFICIAL
ANY PERSON FAMILIAR WITH THE
PLAN, OFFICIALS WORKING ON THE
TRANSITION ARE CONSIDERING
CREATING A COMMISSION TO
INVESTIGATE THE 2021 WITHDRAWAL
FROM AFGHANISTAN INCLUDING
GATHERING INFORMATION ABOUT WHO
WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE
DECISION-MAKING FOR THE
MILITARY, HOW IT WAS CARRIED
OUT AND WHETHER THE MILITARY
LEADERS COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR
CHARGES AS SERIOUS AS TREASON.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> WELL, PROBABLY THE WORST
THING WE’VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY,
I THINK.
BY THE WAY, THOUGH, THEY CAN
TAKE A SHORTCUT, THEY COULD
JUST GO BACK AND READ WHAT
TRUMP AGREED TO FROM
NEGOTIATING THIS DEAL, TRUMP IS
THE ONE WHO SAID THERE WILL BE
A DATE CERTAIN OF WITHDRAWAL.
TRUMP WAS THE ONE WHO FRANKLY,
FACILITATED THE RELEASE OF MANY
OF THE TALIBAN, THAT DID THE
DAMAGE DURING THE WITHDRAWAL.
I MEAN, IT WAS TRUMP.
HE DID THAT.
HE WAS THE ONE, WHO DICTATED
THE WITHDRAWAL FROM
AFGHANISTAN.
IT DIDN’T HAPPEN UNDER JOE
BIDEN.
SO, THAT WILL BE AN INTERESTING
PART OF WHATEVER THING THEY GET
UP IN TERMS OF LOOKING INTO IT.
MAYBE, I AM STILL HOLDING ONTO
SOME KIND OF SLIVER OF
UNREALISTIC HOPE, BUT I WILL
TELL YOU THIS ABOUT THE
CONFIRMATION OF ALL OF THESE
GUYS. THESE REPUBLICANS AREN’T
GOING TO SAY NO UNTIL THEY HAVE
TO.
IF THIS ETHICS REPORT COMES OUT
AND IT’S AS DAMNING AS IT’S
RUMORED TO BE IN TERMS OF
REPUBLICANS SAYING THIS IS
UNACCEPTABLE, THEN THAT GIVES THEM COVER.
THEY DO NOT HAVE TO OPPOSE
TRUMP’S NOMINEE, THE NOMINEE IS
WITHDRAWN OR THE NOMINEE
DECIDES NOT TO PURSUE.
SO THEY ARE NOT GOING TO COME
OUT AND SAY THAT THEY ARE
VOTING NO ON ANY OF THESE UNTIL
THE PROCESS PLAYS OUT BECAUSE,
WE DO KNOW THIS ABOUT THEM,
THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
POLITICAL COVER FROM DIRECTLY
CONFRONTING TRUMP.
I DON’T THINK THOUGH, WHEN IT
COMES DOWN TO IT, THAT THERE
WILL BE A LACK OF 4 TO 5
MEMBERS TO SAY NO, PARTICULARLY
TO MATT GAETZ.
>> THE STORY ABOUT COURT-
MARTIAL’S. I UNDERSTAND THAT
IT’S VERY MUCH ON THE TABLE.
WE KNOW FROM MARK ESPER’S BOOK THAT TRUMP WANTED TO DO IT TO
GENERAL CRYSTAL AND ADMIRAL,
THERE WERE BULWARKS AGAINST IT.
I UNDERSTAND FROM ALL OF OUR
CONVERSATIONS THAT WHAT IS
RADICAL ABOUT HEGSETH AND TRUMP
2.0 IS THAT BY DESIGN, THE
GUARDRAILS ARE GONE.
JUST TAKE ME INSIDE THE STATE
OF PLAY AND ANXIETY INSIDE THE PENTAGON.
>> TRUMP TELEGRAPHS HIS
PUNCHES.
HE TELLS YOU WHAT HE’S GOING TO
DO AND THAT HE USUALLY DOESN’T
OR HE TRIES TO DO IT AND HE HAS
TELEGRAPHED HIS PUNCHES ABOUT
REMOVING THE GUARDRAILS AT THE
PENTAGON SINCE HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT FIRING MILLIE AND BROWN
AND ALL THE PEOPLE AND NOW HE’S
IN A POSITION TO DO THAT.
HE’S TELLING US WHAT HE’S GOING
TO DO AND WE SHOULD RESPECT
THAT THAT IS WHAT HE WANTS TO
DO AND HE WANTS TO EMPOWER
PEOPLE TO EXECUTE THAT STRATEGY
AND EVEN IF HE DOESN’T, THE
CHILLING EFFECT IS TREMENDOUS.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE PEOPLE IN
THE PENTAGON SAYING, AM I GOING
TO GET FIRED AND IF I GET
FIRED, HOW DO I PAY MY BILLS,
IF I LOSE MY RETIREMENT, HOW DO
I KEEP MY FAMILY SAFE, THIS IS
A VERY REAL CONVERSATION AMONG
SENIOR LEADERS AT THE PENTAGON
AND HE’S NOT GOING TO SAY THEY
ARE NOT LOYAL, HE WILL TAKE
SOMETHING LIKE THE AFGHANISTAN
WITHDRAWAL AND TRY AND USE THAT
AS A LEVER TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE
THAT HE CAN REMOVE THE OTHER
WAY.
IT’S ALL EXCEPTIONALLY SERIOUS. THERE’S NOTHING THAT SOMEONE
LIKE PUTIN WOULD LOVE MORE IS
TO REMOVE AN ENTIRE CROP OF
LEADERSHIP FROM THE PENTAGON IN
A TIME WHEN THE U.S. IS ENGAGED
AROUND THE WORLD.
>> HOW CAN PEOPLE PROTECT THEM?
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE THE
CITIZENS WILL HAVE TO RALLY, IF
THEY FIRE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE AT
THE PENTAGON, PEOPLE HAVE TO DO WHAT TRUMP SUPPORTERS HAVE DONE
FOR WORK CRIMINALS, RAISE LEGAL
FUNDS, CREATE LEGAL DEFENSES,
PR TEAMS, A POLITICAL OPERATION
TO HELP THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR
FAMILIES MAKE THE CASE TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, PROTECT THEIR
BENEFITS AND THEIR JOBS AND IF
THEY LOSE THEM, THEY NEED A
PLACE TO LAND, THEY NEED A
PLACE TO GET A PAYCHECK, WHILE
THIS POLITICAL STORM CONTINUES
TO CHURN ALL AROUND THEM.
IT’S A POSSIBILITY THAT HE
COULD REMOVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
DONE NOTHING WRONG AND THEY CAN
GET REMOVED.
>> IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT
COURT-MARTIAL IN, HE’S ALSO TALKING ABOUT TAKING THEIR
RETIREMENT.
NOT JUST KICK THEM OUT BUT TAKE