Leon Panetta: President Donald Trump Is Weakening His Position As Commander-in-Chief

>>> IN THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING YESTERDAY, THE WHITE HOUSE WAS
UNABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT TWEET ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS
NOW TO THE 15,000 ACTIVE DUTY TRANSGENDER TROOPS AFTER THE
PRESIDENT'S SURPRISING TWITTER ANNOUNCEMENT.
JOINING ME IS LEON PANETTA THE FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, THE
DIRECT TO CIA DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND CHIEF OF
STAFF FOR PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON NOW THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PANETTA
INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC PAL POLICY IN KOFL.
I'M GUESSING YOU'RE NOT TELLING YOUR STUDENTS THIS IS THE RIGHT
WAY TO MAKE POLICY ON TWITTER, NO CONSULTATION WITH THE
GENERALS, THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MAY BE INFORMED WHILE HE
WAS ON VACATION? >> THIS IS EXACTLY THE WRONG WAY
TO MAKE POLICY THAT AFFECTS OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
YOU CANNOT DO IT BY A TWEET THE WAY THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE IT.
WITHOUT TAKING THE TIME TO SIT DOWN WITH OUR MILITARY LEADERS,
WITH OUR DEFENSE OFFICIALS AND REALLY WORK THROUGH THE POLICY
INVOLVED HERE. AND SO WE'RE SEEING THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THAT. I COMMEND GENERAL DUNNFORTH FOR
SAYING WE'RE GOING TO KEEP POLICY IN PLACE BECAUSE THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF IS NOT AN ANSWER TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> THEY SAID AT THE PRESS BRIEFING THAT THIS POLICY ERODES
MILITARY READINESS. YOU CAN RESPOND TO THAT?
>> WE ARE THE STRONGEST MILITARY POWER ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
BECAUSE WE HAVE ALLOWED EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF RACE,

ORIENTATION WE'VE ALLOWED EVERYBODY EVERYONE TO SERVE OUR
COUNTRY. IF THEY MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS
OF BEING A SOLDIER THEN THEY OUGHT TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY
TO SERVE. AND THAT'S THE POLICY THAT THIS
COUNTRY HAS PUT IF PLACE. THE PRESIDENT'S BAN TRIED TO
REVERSE THAT POLICY AND IT'S VERY DAMAGING TO BOTH THE MORALE
AND THE QUALITY OF OUR MILITARY. WE'RE STRONG BECAUSE WE ABIDE BY
THE PRINCIPLES THAT WE BELIEVE IN.
WHICH IS THAT IN THIS COUNTRY, EVERYONE IS CREATED EQUAL AND
EVERYBODY DESERVES A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE OUR NATION.
>> MR. SECRETARY, AT THE SAME TIME THIS TWEET WAS COMING OUT,
THE WHITE HOUSE HAD A PRINCIPLES COMMITTEE MEETING YESTERDAY TO
DECIDE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO SEND MORE TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN AND
THERE'S A PROBLEM THERE. THERE'S A DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN
MATTIS AND TILLERSON ON ONE SIDE, OTHERS AS WELL AND THE
PRESIDENT APPARENTLY ON WHETHER TO SEND A FEW THOUSAND MORE
TROOPS WITH THE COMMITMENT TO AFGHANISTAN.
THESE ARE THE BIG ISSUES, PLUS THE THREAT OF ANY DAY NOW THE
POTENTIAL OF ANOTHER ICBM LAUNCH FROM NORTH KOREA.
>> ANDREA, WE ARE LIVING IN A VERY DANGEROUS WORLD.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS MANY FLASH POINTS IN THE WORLD THAT COULD
ERUPT INTO A LARGER CONFLICT, WHETHER IT'S IN THE MIDDLE EAST,
WHETHER IT'S SYRIA, ISIS, WHETHER IT'S IRAN, NORTH KOREA,
WHETHER IT'S AFGHANISTAN, WHETHER IT'S THE WHOLE ISSUE OF
CYBER WAR, WHETHER IT'S RUSSIA, CHINA.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF
OUGHT TO BE FOCUSING ON THOSE DANGER POINTS AND DEVELOPING
PROPER POLICY AND STRATEGY TO DEAL WITH THOSE DANGER POINTS.
THE FACT THAT HE'S SPENDING HIS TIME TWEETING PUBLICLY DEMEANING
HIS ATTORNEY GENERAL, TALKING POLITICS TO THE BOY SCOUTS,
DOING THINGS THAT NO OTHER PRESIDENT HAS EVER DONE IN THE
HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY, I THINK IT'S WEAKENING HIS POSITION AS
COMMANDER AND CHIEF AND IS SEND A TERRIBLE MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
THAT THE UNITED STATES IS NOT LIVING BY THE STANDARDS THAT WE
SAY ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR DEMOCRACY.
>> NOW LET ME ADD TO THAT THE FACT THAT HE HAS BEEN
UNDERCUTTING HIS SECRETARY OF STATE TELLING "THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL" HE DISAGREES ABOUT THE DECISION TO RECERTIFY THAT IRAN
IS COMPLYING WITH AT LEAST OF THE NUCLEAR AGREEMENT, WHICH IS
WHAT THE DECISION OF ALL THE OTHER ALLIES AND THE IRAN
WEAPONS INSPECTORS ARE SAYING, THE INTERNATIONAL WEAPONS
INSPECTORS. SO, AND THERE ARE OTHER CABINET
SECRETARIES AS WELL AS THE CHIEF OF STAFF AND OF COURSE JEFF
SESSIONS WHO ARE KIND OF TWISTING IN THE WIND.
>> WELL, IT'S -- IT'S JUST A HORRIBLE WAY FOR THIS
ADMINISTRATION TO BEHAVE. I'VE NEVER -- I'VE NEVER IN MY
LIFETIME HAVE SEEN A PRESIDENT WHO TREATS HIS CABINET THE WAY
THIS PRESIDENT HAS DONE. PUBLICLY DEMEANING AND
CRITICIZING MEMBERS OF HIS OWN CABINET, UNDERMINING POLICIES
THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED, TWEETING HIS VIEWS ON EVERYTHING
THAT UNDERMINES ANY KIND OF BASIC STRATEGY FOR OUR COUNTRY.
WHAT THIS DOES IS IT BASICALLY MAKES EVERY CABINET MEMBER THAT
MUCH MORE NERVOUS ABOUT WHAT THAT INDIVIDUAL WILL DO.
AND THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF HAVING A CABINET IS TO EMPOWER PEOPLE
THAT YOU TRUST, THAT ARE LOYAL TO YOU, AND YOU ARE LOYAL TO
THEM. THAT'S THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO
WORK. AND HE'S BASICALLY UNDERMINING
THAT BASIC POLICY. SO WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AN
ADMINISTRATION THAT IS OPERATING BY TWEETS AND A PRESIDENT WHO'S
OPERATING SOLELY BY TWEETS RATHER THAN THE CAREFUL PROCESS
OF DEVELOPING POLICY CAREFULLY, WORKING WITH YOUR CABINET,
WORKING WITH YOUR NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL IN ORDER TO DO
WHAT IS RIGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY. THAT'S NOT HAPPENING AND THE
FACT IS, IT IS WEAKENING, NOT ON THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, I
THINK IT'S WEAKENING OUR COUNTRY.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE OFFICE OR THE POSITION OF CHIEF OF STAFF
REINCE PRIEBUS NOW UNDER FIRE, HIS CLOSE ALLY, THE PRESS
SECRETARY WAS PUSHED OUT, QUIT IN PROTEST.
AND NOW HE'S UNDER ATTACK BY ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI WHO'S
OBVIOUSLY VERY CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT.
>> WELL, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T -- YOU CAN'T BE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES AND HAVE EVERYBODY IN THE WHITE HOUSE
SHOOTING AT EACH OTHER. I MEAN, THIS IS -- I GUESS IT
WAS MO UDAWEL WHO USED TO SAY THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS
FORM A FIRING SQUAD IN A CIRCLE. AND THAT'S WHAT THIS WHITE HOUSE
HAS DONE. EVERYBODY'S SHOOTD AGENT EACH
OTHER. EVERYBODY'S CRITICIZING EACH
OTHER INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND IN THAT ATMOSPHERE, HOW THE HAKE YOU CAN GET POLICY DONE FOR
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? SOMEHOW THEY'VE GOT TO RESTORE
SOME SENSE OF DISCIPLINE. AND, FRANKLY, THE CHIEF OF STAFF
HAS A RESPONSIBILITY DO THAT. IF HE DOESN'T LIKE PRIEBUS, IF
HE DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH HIM, THEN HE OUGHT TO GET SOMEBODY
WHO WILL INSTALL THAT KIND OF DISCIPLINE.
BUT FOR GOODNESS SAKES, TO HAVE THIS KIND OF OPEN WARFARE GOING
ON BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT, HIS STAFF, AND HIS CABINET MEMBERS

Leon Panetta: President Donald Trump Is Weakening His Position As Commander-in-Chief | MSNBC

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