Leon Panetta: Donald Trump Has To Be Willing To Back Up John Kelly | MTP Daily

>> >> WELCOME BACK.
THE NEW WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF DID NOT WASTE ANY TIME
YESTERDAY ASSERTING HIMSELF IN HIS NEW ROLE.
HE'S THE LATEST IN A LONG LINE IN WHITE HOUSE CHIEFS OF STAFF,
BROUGHT IN BY PRESIDENTS TO RIGHT THE SHIP IN TUMULTUOUS
TIMES. ANOTHER PRESIDENT, BILL CLINTON,
MADE ONE OF THOSE MOVES BRINGING IN LEON PANETTA TO SERVE AS
CHIEF OF STAFF TO CALM A JITTERY CAPITOL HILL AND WHITE HOUSE
STAFF. PRESIDENTS CLINTON AND TRUMP
WERE IN SIMILAR POSITIONS IN THE POLLS WHEN THEY HAD TO MAKE
THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF. I'M JOINED BY LEON PANETTA.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. I NEED THE CHIEF TITLE TODAY,
SIR. >> IT'S WHICH EVER ONE YOU WANT
TO USE, CHUCK. NORMALLY IT'S SECRETARY PANETTA.
>> YOU WILL LOVE THIS LEAD. THIS WAS IN "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
THE DAY YOU STARTED. THE ANNOUNCEMENT CAME AT A TIME
WHICH MR. CLINTON IS BEING STRONGLY BUFFETED BY POLITICAL
CROSS CURRENTS HOME AND ABROAD.
HIS HEALTH REFORM EFFORT IS BEING PICKED APART IN CONGRESS
AND HE'S INCREASINGLY BEING ACCUSED OF INDECISIVENESS IN
FOREIGN AFFAIRS. SO YOU DO KNOW WHAT JOHN KELLY
IS GOING THROUGH.
OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PERHAPS THE
PUBLIC DISCIPLINE OF DONALD TRUMP AND BILL CLINTON.
BUT LET'S FOCUS ON THE SIMILARITIES.
EXPLAIN WHAT YOU THINK JOHN KELLY IS GOING THROUGH RIGHT RIW
THAT YOU REMEMBER. >> WELL, I THINK THE BIG
CHALLENGE IS TO WALK INTO THE WHITE HOUSE AND REALLY BE ABLE
TO GET YOUR ARMS AROUND THE OPERATIONS WITHIN THE WHITE
HOUSE. IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT HE
ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS FIRST AND FOREMOST, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE
PRESIDENT. THERE HAS TO BE A RELATIONSHIP
OF TRUST BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT AND THE CHIEF OF STAFF.
NOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, HE'S GOT TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH A
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE STAFF THAT'S THERE, AND MAKE THEM
UNDERSTAND THAT HE'S GOING TO BE CHIEF OF STAFF, AND THAT THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH HIM. SO I THINK THE REAL CHALLENGE
FOR JOHN RIGHT NOW IS TO BE ABLE TO PUT IN PLACE ELEMENTS OF
DISCIPLINE, A STRONG CHAIN OF COMMAND, THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP
SOME KIND OF ORDERLY PROCESS OR POLICY.
THOSE ARE THE BIG CHALLENGES THAT HE FACES FROM THE GET-GO.
>> NOW, YOU HAD TO CREATE A PERSONAL RAPPORT WITH BILL
CLINTON THAT WASN'T THERE IN THE BEGINNING, BECAUSE YOU WERE A
WASHINGTON AND CALIFORNIA GUY, WITH AN ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT.
AND YOU'RE BROUGHT IN TO FIX THINGS.
ON ONE HAND, YOU HAVE A HONEYMOON PERIOD.
HOW MUCH ADVICE DO YOU GIVE TO JOHN KELLY SAYING IF YOU GOT
TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE, MAKE AS MANY AS YOU CAN IN THE FIRST
COUPLE OF WEEKS. HOW DO YOU BASICALLY TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF YOUR HONEYMOON PERIOD WITH YOUR BOSS?
>> WELL, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST THAT
JOHN KELLY AND THE PRESIDENT UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER IN WHAT
NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND THAT THE PRESIDENT IS
WILLING TO DELEGATE THAT AUTHORITY TO HIS NEW CHIEF OF
STAFF. THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE.
BILL CLINTON UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEMS THAT WERE IN THE WHITE
HOUSE. HE WAS WILLING TO DELEGATE
AUTHORITY TO ME AS CHIEF OF STAFF, TO BE ABLE TO REORGANIZE
THE WHITE HOUSE AND DEVELOP THE KIND OF CHAIN OF COMMAND.
THAT WAS IMPORTANT THERE. SO THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT
IS TO HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO IS WILLING NOT ONLY TO GIVE YOU THE
AUTHORITY YOU NEED, BUT IS WILLING TO BACK YOU UP AND TO
TRUST YOU IN THAT PROCESS. THAT'S GOING TO BE FUNDAMENTAL
TO JOHN KELLY'S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GET HIS JOB DONE.
>> YOU DON'T HAVE JUST A UNIQUE INSIGHT OF THE JOB.
JOHN KELLY, I BELIEVE HE WAS ONE OF YOUR CHIEF MILITARY AIDES
DURING PART OF YOUR TENURE AT THE PENTAGON.
WHAT IS A SKILLSET THAT HE HAS THAT YOU WISH YOU HAD GOING INTO
BEING CHIEF OF STAFF? >> WELL, I DO KNOW JOHN.
HE WAS MY MILITARY AIDE WHEN I WAS SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE. HE'S A TOUGH MARINE.
HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT DISCIPLINE IS ALL ABOUT.
HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT A STRONG CHAIN OF COMMAND IS ALL ABOUT.
HE UNDERSTANDS WHAT AN ORDERLY PROCESS IS ALL ABOUT.
HE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU HAVE TO STAY FOCUSED ON ACCOMPLISHING
THE MISSION. THOSE ARE ALL IMPORTANT
INGREDIENTS THAT GO TO HIS EXPERIENCE AS A MARINE.
THOSE ARE GOOD QUALITIES. I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING HE'S
GOING TO HAVE TO PICK UP ON IS THE POLITICS OF OPERATING WITHIN
THE WHITE HOUSE. THE POLITICS OF UNDERSTANDING
WHERE THE STAFF IS, WHAT THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE, AND ALSO THE
POLITICS OF DEALING WITH CAPITOL HILL.
BECAUSE IN THE END, IF THIS PRESIDENT IS GOING TO SURVIVE,
IT ISN'T JUST HAVE JUST TO CHANGE YOUR CHIEF OF STAFF.
YOU HAVE TO GET SOME THINGS DONE FOR THE COUNTRY AND THE CHIEF OF
STAFF IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO WHETHER OR NOT THAT
HAPPENS. >> BEFORE I LET YOU GO, THERE
ARE TWO DEVELOPMENTS ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT THAT I WANT
TO GET YOU TAKE ON. SECRETARY TILLERSON MADE SORT OF
THE MOST REMARKS HE'S MADE YET ABOUT NORTH KOREA AND HE SAID
THE FOLLOWING IN A BRIEFING TO REPORTERS.
HE SAID HE WANTS A DIALOGUE WITH NORTH KOREA, HE DOESN'T WANT
REGIME CHANGE. HE SAID WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY,
BUT THEY ARE THREATENING US. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR
REUNIFICATION OF THE PENINSULA. HE'S TRYING TO SEND A MESSAGE
THEY WANT TO TALK, NEGOTIATE. DOES ET SEEM TO BE A
CONTRADICTION OF WHERE WE WERE HEADED BEFORE?
FRANKLY, I AM CONFUSED TO WHAT IS OUR POLICY WHEN IT COMES TO
NORTH KOREA AND THAT LEADERSHIP. >> WELL, THAT'S THEHE FIRST THI
THAT I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION HAS TO FOCUS ON IS ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT JOHN KELLY AND GENERAL McMASTER ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO FOCUS ON IS WHAT IS THE STRATEGY HERE?
OBVIOUSLY, THERE HAS TO BE CONTAINMENT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TO BE TOUGH IN TERMS OF OUR MILITARY
PRESENCE. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TO BE TOUGH
IN TERMS OF MAKING CLEAR THAT THE NORTH KOREANS CANNOT DEVELOP
AN INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILE THAT COULD THREATEN OUR
COUNTRY, AND WE HAVE TO TAKE STRONG STEPS TO DEAL WITH THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO REACH OUT DIPLOMATICALLY TO SEE
WHETHER THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN NEGOTIATIONS.
BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE BOTH EFFORTS.
YOU NEED A STRONG MILITARY EFFORT.
YOU NEED A STRONG DIPLOMATIC EFFORT.
IF THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY HOPE OF DEALING WITH NORTH KOREA.
>> AND THERE'S BEEN SOME REPORTS, THERE WAS "WASHINGTON
POST" REPORT AND NO FINAL DECISION, BUT THE STATE
DEPARTMENT IS THINKING ABOUT EDITING THE MISSION STATEMENT
THAT WOULD ELIMINATE OF PROMOTING DEMOCRACY, ESSENTIALLY
PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC VALUES AROUND THE WORLD.
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THAT? SOME COULD ARGUE THAT AMERICAN
FOREIGN POLICY HAS TO BE MORE REALISTIC AND PRAGMATIC, SO TAKE
THAT OUT OF THE MISSION. WHAT SAY YOU?
>> AMERICA'S DIPLOMACY IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN BASED ON OUR
VALUES AND OUR PRINCIPLE VALUE IS OUR RESPECT FOR OUR
DEMOCRACY, OUR FREEDOMS, AND OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN
SELF-GOVERNMENT. THOSE ARE THE CRITICAL FEATURES
OF WHAT MAKES US A STRONG COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, WHAT MAKES
US THE WORLD LEADER. IF WE ELIMINATE REFERENCE TO
DEMOCRACY, IF WE LIMIT REFERENCE TO THE BASIC FREEDOMS AND
LIBERTIES THAT ARE CRITICAL, NOT ONLY FOR OUR COUNTRY BUT THE
REST OF THE WORLD, THEN I THINK IT UNDERMINES OUR ABILITY TO
EXERT WORLD LEADERSHIP. IT MAKES US WEAKER.
>> SO YOU WOULD ADVISE SECRETARY TILLERSON DON'T MAKE ANY CHANGES
TO THIS? >> DON'T MESS WITH THAT.
YOU DON'T NEED TO MESS WITH THAT.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS TO GET MORE DIPLOMATS IN THE STATE
DEPARTMENT TO DO THE JOB THAT YOU HAVE TO DO, WHICH IS TO
REACH OUT TO THE WORLD AND ENGAGE IN DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONSHIPS THAT CAN HELP OUR

Leon Panetta: Donald Trump Has To Be Willing To Back Up John Kelly | MTP Daily | MSNBC

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