Way to act shocked and surprised, Alysin! (Sorry -- not in a forgiving mood this morning as our country hovers over the edge of a fascist takeover.)
"Former defense secretary James Mattis made an extraordinary statement yesterday that President Trump is intentionally trying to divide Americans. Last night, President Trump responded. Jeremy Diamond has more," Alysin Camerota said on New Day this morning.
Diamond said it was an "extraordinary rebuke" with Mattis condemning the president's handling and the unrest we have seen over the last week.
"Specifically calling out the president's use of military force, particularly in clearing out the demonstrators when we saw federal law enforcement and National Guardsmen clearing out the protesters from Lafayette Park earlier this week so that the president could go and have a photo op in front of the St. John's Church," he said.
"Mattis also accuses the president of a lack of leadership. Let me read you part of this extraordinary statement."
"We should note that more than one of those three years was with Jim Mattis as defense secretary. So, remarkable to hear him say this, particularly because Mattis has been resistant to calling out President Trump since retiring from the military, since leaving his post. Now, the president has fired back in very Trumpian fashion. Let me read you part of the president's tweet as well where he says Jim Mattis was the world's most overrated general," Diamond said.
He also noted that Mattis resigned on his own accord and wasn't asked for his resignation, as Trump contended.
"The president is facing problems with his current Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who yesterday also stepped out of line with the president disagreeing with the president's suggestion that he would use active duty military forces here in the United States to quell some of those protests and unrest in the United States."
Diamond said Esper's word's angered Trump.
"Mark Esper was at the White House after he made those statements with the Pentagon. He did meet with the president. Three sources are telling us, Alisyn, that Esper is expected to stay on the job for now. Yesterday the press secretary, after Esper was at the White House, after he met with the president in the Oval Office, she refused to give him a vote of confidence, saying simply that 'We will all learn at the same time if the president loses confidence in his current defense secretary.' "
