MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - National Security Advisor

Interview

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MELBER: And we turn now back to the breaking news, President Trump making  another big change to his National Security team, HR McMaster out, John  Bolton in.

McMaster had clashed with the president over policy issues, over statements  about Russia, over the direction of the foreign policy of the United  States.

John Bolton known as a hard liner with experience in the Bush  administration. I was just speaking to that whistleblower from Cambridge  Analytica. Bolton had led a super PAC that spent over a million dollars  with that firm. An international news connection that may or may not have  been fully digested at this point.
Because of this breaking news, I want to turn immediately to U.S. Senator  Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut.

Your view of this change, sir?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: As important as the change, Ari,  is the way it was made. Lack of explanation and indication of continuing  churn and chaos and deep division in this White House. And the lack of any  clear direction from the president on policy.

You`re absolutely right, John Bolton is known as a hard liner, clearly  different than others in the administration now on the Iran agreement, for  example, and it points to danger signals.

MELBER: I want to read from the statement again, this is breaking right  now, McMaster saying, "After 34 years of service, I requested this  retirement from the U.S. Army,` because he was still enlisted, "effective  this summer, after which I`ll leave public service. Throughout my career,"  he says, "it`s my greatest privilege to serve alongside the extraordinary  service members and dedicated civilians in the U.S. government."

He thanks President Trump, a thanks made in return, General John Kelly, who  also among these chaos and shake-up stories has been rumored has an on  paper here written statement calling McMaster a fine American. And there  is a background information we`re receiving that this was mutual, that this  was arranged, and I don`t mean to pour cold water on that, it`s my job to  tell you what the White House is saying.
It`s also my job, as you know, Senator, to put it in context. Sarah  Huckabee Sanders tweeted just about a week ago, "I spoke to the president  and General McMaster. Contrary to reports they have a good working  relationship and there are no changes at the NSC."

Your view, Senator, on that aspect of this. This is yet another denial or  attack on reporting about these changes that ultimately has proved  inoperative.

BLUMENTHAL: Put aside attacks on the media, which had become a staple for  this administration.

MELBER: Sure.

BLUMENTHAL: The fact of the matter is that there are fewer even-headed and  balanced mature judgment individuals in this administration. There are  more of the hard liners, to use your term, and that augers very badly for  the kind of balance and maturity that`s needed when critical foreign policy  judgment potentially involving war or peace.

Here we have a seasoned general who is going to be leaving when his kind of insight and experience about the realities of war are so much needed.

MELBER: What is your view of Bolton taking on this role? Because while he  does have foreign policy experience, he is not simply an analyst. He`s  also someone that the president reportedly noticed from his hard hitting  appearances on FOX News. He is someone that has clashed with other what  you might call traditional foreign policy Republicans.

What does it tell you that tonight we`re watching the president scramble  his legal team, moving it to a more aggressive posture towards the DOJ, and  scrambling his foreign policy team, moving it towards what could be argues  as a more aggressive posture towards the world?

BLUMENTHAL: John Bolton has been not only a critic of foreign policies  that others might regard as rational and reasonable, but also has drawn a  fairly hard line on the special counsel`s investigation, adopting the  president`s dismissive and in some cases very oppositional views. And so  again it indicates that the White House is circling the wagon, feeling a  threat from this special counsel investigation, the change in counsel and  the chaos and churn there reflect the same kind of confusion and chaos.

And remember also the role of this job has been classically to be an honest  broker, someone who tries to take the views of different agencies and  present them to the president in an even-handed way.

MELBER: Right. Right.

BLUMENTHAL: John Bolton is unlikely to be that kind of honest broker of  views and positions.

MELBER: Well, you just made such a key historical point which is the  National Security Act, the reorganization of these positions after World  War II, is designed to have, as you say, a factual arbiter between the  diplomats and the generals and everyone else. So Bolton is not just coming  in to play a role in the security team, he`s coming in to be that person,  that Condi Rice-style person. And as you`ve said, there are those who  question whether he`s the right person for that job.

Would you be willing to stay with my breaking coverage as I add some other  experts? This is all happening live.

BLUMENTHAL: Absolutely. Thank you.

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