Very few people have worked closely with President-elect Donald Trump, gotten fired, and walked away with a pretty balanced view of him.
But former national security adviser to Trump, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster is an exception.
In his book At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House, he gives an honest account of working in Trump’s first administration: the good, the bad, and the unexpected.
Last week, McMaster sat down with Michael Moynihan at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia for an in-person Free Press Book Club event to discuss it all. They talk about his moments of tension with Trump, his understanding of Trump’s foreign policy, and how Trump’s rhetoric toward adversaries was actually good, despite being villainized by the press. And also, as McMaster puts it, Trump can be “so disruptive, he often interrupts his own agenda.”
They also get into the president-elect’s current cabinet picks—ones who McMaster sees as good, like Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, but how good picks do not ensure a harmonious administration. They discuss Trump’s options for handling Russia, Iran, and Hamas in his second term, and why McMaster is surprisingly and cautiously optimistic about Trump 2.0.
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The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute in Washington, D.C. FDD’s experts conduct in-depth research, produce accurate and timely analyses, identify illicit activities, and provide policy options—all with the aim of strengthening U.S. national security and reducing or eliminating threats posed by enemies of the United States and other free nations. Learn more at FDD.org.
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Honestly podcasts are what had me become a paid subscriber. They are very well done w questions asked and much opportunity for interviewees to speak. As I read the articles though, I'm becoming less clear on what a free press is. I was hoping to find articles presented in a variety of perspectives and information shared so that readers can make an informed decision as to what they make of what has been reported. I may be unclear on what The Free Press is; since becoming a paid subscriber in December, I'm hearing one perspective in the articles. The one today on Rubio gave a better breadth. Hopefully I'll see more of that type, otherwise Bari or someone help me understand the reporting of Free Press for a reader who is looking for information to make informed opinions of one's own, not to be swayed, convinced of someone else's opinion.
I prefer not to put the linear time into a podcast. I can read a half an hour pod in a couple of minutes. If I miss something I can scroll back with my eyes quickly. Please maintain your focus on printed form.