On CNN, Trump's former national security adviser H.R. McMaster says his reported troop drawdown is "a huge risk." "I know why Americans are frustrated with what they are calling endless wars because we have been incompetent in our conduct of our campaigns in Afghanistan & Iraq.."
McMaster says it's "an effort worth sustaining. The danger is great to us. It is not a theoretical case." He says troop commitment was at a sustainable level.
"I think what Donald Trump has done is doubled down on the flaws of the Obama administration's approach to Afghanistan," McMaster adds, saying the bar was set too high.
"People are saying, we're in Afghanistan and it's not Denmark yet. Afghanistan doesn't need to be Denmark. It just needs to be Afghanistan and on a slow path to gaining self-sufficiency."
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Trump rarely speaks to press upon returning to DC. Can't recall when he ever has. But he did tonight in the dark to vigorously deny the Atlantic story. "I would be willing to swear on anything that I never said that about our fallen heroes...What animal would say such a thing?”
On McCain: "He had a first class, triple-A funeral — that lasted for 9 days by the way. I had to approve it. All of that had to be approved. And I approved it without hesitation and without complaint. I felt he deserved it.”
On canceling the visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery: "The reason it couldn’t fly because it was raining about as hard as I’ve ever seen. And on top of that it was very, very foggy...And the Secret Service told me you can’t...There was no way I would have been able to."
White House staff just got an email that says there is “no reason for panic or alarm,” but the cafeterias in the two buildings next to the White House — the Executive Office Building and the New Executive Office Building — are closed because a staffer tested positive for Covid-19
Email says contract tracing has been done and no West Wing staff need to quarantine at the time.
This isn’t the same as the dining room in the West Wing, but dozens of staffers eat at these two places daily.
Currently it doesn’t sound like any of the task force members are expected to join President Trump at today’s briefing. That could change, of course.
Kayleigh McEnany tells Fox News these will be short briefings where Trump is "mainly delivering information to the American people that's needed on therapeutics and vaccines." She says he will take questions.
Asked if anyone will join Trump at today's briefing, McEnany says, "You'll have to tune in." This morning the plan was to not have task force officials there. We'll see if that changes given the questions the WH has gotten.
It’s difficult to think of another president being asked about their second term priorities and ultimately providing none, with just over four months to go before the election.
It’s a good question he didn’t answer: “One of the things that will be really great — the word experience is still good, I always say talent is more important than experience, I've always said that — but the word experience is a very important word, a very important meaning.”
"I never did this before, never slept over in Washington. I was in Washington maybe 17 times and all of a sudden I'm the president of the United States, you know the story, riding down Pennsylvania Avenue with our First Lady and I say this is great but...”
The park police is now warning the protesters to leave. They have given three warnings over a loud speaker, and moved up to the barricade. Several rows of officers in the far part of this picture — mounted on horses and on foot.
The protests have been peaceful. Curfew in DC isn’t until 7. The street is closed. It’s not clear why they’re being asked to move.
The police moved in with flash bangs and tear gas. Protesters are now moving down the street.
A notable moment from the hearing this a.m. when CDC Director Dr. Redfield was asked who's in charge of making sure coronavirus tests can be administered. He turns to Dr. Fauci, who says, "My colleague is looking at me to answer that..."
Fauci continued: "The system does not, is not really geared to what we need right now, what you're asking for. That is a failing. It is a failing. Let's admit it. The fact is the way the system was set up was that the public health component that Dr. Redfield was talking about.."
...was a system where you put it out there in the public and the physician asks for it and you get it. The idea of anybody getting it easily the way that people in other countries are doing it, we're not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes, but we're not."