Former Mattis Aide Describes What It's Like Trying To Brief Trump

"All the president's answers were simplistic and ad hoc, shooting from the hip on issues of global importance," the former Navy pilot said.
By Susie Madrak — October 30, 2019

Guy Snodgrass, the man who was communications director under Secretary of Defense James Mattis was on CNN's New Day this morning to plug his new book, Holding the Line: Inside Trump's Pentagon with Secretary Mattis.

"You were talking about the pressure that's been put on you, you said 'It seems that military members are all honorable when we close our mouths and hold our tongues, but when we give ourselves a voice, when we dare speak truth to power, well, then our honor is questioned,' " John Berman said.

He asked Snodgrass how it felt, watching the attacks on Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman by the president and his allies.

"Anytime you go after someone's characterization of their service based on the fact you don't like what they're saying is pretty dangerous," Snodgrass said. "

Berman read from the book:

Many times during Secretary Tillerson's tenure, reporters would claim that he thought his boss was an idiot and Tillerson would deny it publicly but there was no doubt among most observers in the room that day that Tillerson was thinking exactly that. Both men, Mattis and Tillerson, were despondent. We had just witnessed a meeting with Trump up close and personal. Now we knew why access was controlled so tightly. For the remainder of the meeting, President Trump veered from topic to topic like a squirrel caught in traffic, dashing one way and then another. All the president's answers were simplistic and ad hoc, shooting from the hip on issues of global importance.

Hoo boy.

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