Tag: michael hayden
Former NSA Director: Someone Else Making Trump’s 2nd Amendment Comment Would “Be In The Back Of A Police Wagon”

Former NSA Director: Someone Else Making Trump’s 2nd Amendment Comment Would “Be In The Back Of A Police Wagon”

Published with permission from Media Matters of America

Hayden: “You’re Not Just Responsible For What You Say, You Are Responsible For What People Hear”

From the August 9 edition of CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper:

JAKE TAPPER (HOST): I want to play for you this comment that Donald Trump just made at a rally, that the Clinton people are saying this is him joking about Hillary Clinton getting assassinated.

[…]

TAPPER: How do you interpret what he said?

MICHAEL HAYDEN: Well, Jake as you and I were just commenting, we’re both native English speakers, and when I heard that for the first time, that was more than a speed bump. Alright?

That’s actually a very arresting comment. And it suggests either a very bad taste reference to political assassination and an attempt at humor, or an incredible insensitivity. It may be the latter, an incredible insensitivity to the prevalence of political assassination inside of American history, and how that is a topic that we don’t ever come close to, even when we think we’re trying to be light-hearted.

TAPPER: There was an attempt on Donald Trump’s life a few weeks ago, actually, and the Secret Service got involved.

HAYDEN: Well, let me say if someone else said that outside of the hall, he’d be in the back of a police wagon now, with the Secret Service questioning him.

[…]

HAYDEN: I used to tell my seniors at the CIA, you get to a certain point in this business, you’re not just responsible for what you say, you are responsible for what people hear.

Photo: CNN

Trump’s Response To 50 Republican National Security Officials: ‘They Don’t Feel Relevant’

Trump’s Response To 50 Republican National Security Officials: ‘They Don’t Feel Relevant’

Donald Trump’s response to the 50 Republican national security officials who signed a letter declaring him a risk to the country’s security was to claim they were bitter about not being involved with his campaign.

The letter, signed by top profiles in national security including Michael Hayden, former director of the C.I.A., stated that Trump “lacks the character, values and experience” to lead the country. It also asserted Trump would end up being “the most reckless president in American history.” The letter promised that none of the signatories would be voting for Trump.

Trump hit back during an interview on Fox Business Tuesday morning, claiming that the officials were bitter at not being invited to the Trump campaign.

“[…] I wasn’t using any of them and they would have loved to have been involved with the campaign,” Trump said.

He also attempted to blame the group of signatories for a number of nonspecific problems: “Look where the country is now on national policy. Look what we are in defense. Look where we are. Look at the mess we are in. Whether it’s the Middle East or anyone else.”

“Look at the terrible job they’ve done,” he continued. “I hadn’t planned on using any of these people.”

The signatories joined a growing list of Republicans refusing to support Trump, including, most recently, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.

Trump’s response concluded by claiming the letter was a push for publicity for the signatories: “They don’t feel relevant because of that and they form a group and they go out and try to get some publicity for themselves and they hope that somebody else other than Trump wins because that way they can get a job.”

Photo: U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to a member of the media following a news conference at Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., May 31, 2016 REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

#EndorseThis: Trump REALLY Wants To Know: ‘Why Can’t We Use Nukes?’

#EndorseThis: Trump REALLY Wants To Know: ‘Why Can’t We Use Nukes?’

Ask any on-the-fence Hillary Clinton supporter why it is that they can’t throw their weight behind The Donald, and their answer usually comes down to one thing: Nukes.

“I can’t image his stubby, paranoid little fingers on the nuclear trigger,” they’ll say.

And they’re right: Trump is a vengeful “counterpuncher” who unloads all of his rhetorical ammo on anyone who crosses him. Gold star mother expressing silent grief over the death of your son? Maybe you aren’t allowed to speak because of your religion, Trump implies. Impartial judge who happens to be presiding over two fraud lawsuits against the Trump University wealth seminar? Your Mexican heritage may imply that you’ll betray the Constitution because you hate Donald’s border wall, Trump repeats on all the shows.

And so it would be on the world stage: Trump wants absolute respect: additional payment for NATO protection, money for border walls, devaluing of currency, perfect trade parity. Global personal domination: “I alone can solve.”

But what if Donald is crossed? Well, it’s not hard to imagine. Morning Joe‘s Scarborough told a story on air this morning of an anonymous tip he received from a one-time Trump foreign policy advisor. It’s as bad as you think.