0:10Let's talk about the tactic of seizing Let's talk about the tactic of seizing Iranian ships by the Trump Iranian ships by the Trump administration.
0:17Well, uh I thought that uh last Friday Well, uh I thought that uh last Friday when uh the uh ceasefire between Israel when uh the uh ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was in place and the uh and Lebanon was in place and the uh Iranians said that they would open up Iranians said that they would open up the straight uh and in fact began to the straight uh and in fact began to open up the straight that the ceasefire open up the straight that the ceasefire was then fully in place and that we was then fully in place and that we would begin moving forward would begin moving forward uh in the negotiations in Islamabad. Uh
0:52uh in the negotiations in Islamabad. Uh it looked very promising last Friday it looked very promising last Friday when these uh events took place. Then when these uh events took place. Then President Trump said that he was not President Trump said that he was not going to take uh the US blockade off the going to take uh the US blockade off the straight of Hormuz, which is another way straight of Hormuz, which is another way of saying he was not going to take the of saying he was not going to take the US blockade off of Iran. And this is US blockade off of Iran. And this is after Iran has just agreed to end its
1:16after Iran has just agreed to end its blockade. And he also said that the blockade. And he also said that the United States was going to stop and United States was going to stop and board ships that were headed toward Iran board ships that were headed toward Iran uh or were leaving from Iran.
1:30uh or were leaving from Iran.
1:30And the end result is that the Iranians And the end result is that the Iranians did 180° turn and they said they're did 180° turn and they said they're reclosing the straight of Hormuz. And reclosing the straight of Hormuz. And that's where we are today.
1:42that's where we are today.
1:42This is completely counterproductive.
1:45This is completely counterproductive.
1:45Forget the legality of what we did. This Forget the legality of what we did. This is completely counterproductive. You got is completely counterproductive. You got the cease play ceasefire in place on the cease play ceasefire in place on Friday and you're talking about having Friday and you're talking about having negotiations in Islamabad early this negotiations in Islamabad early this week in the wake of putting the week in the wake of putting the ceasefire in place. Why wouldn't you ceasefire in place. Why wouldn't you just put an end to the American naval just put an end to the American naval
2:07blockade on Iran? It just makes common blockade on Iran? It just makes common sense. Why would you say you're going to sense. Why would you say you're going to keep the blockade on? Why would you say keep the blockade on? Why would you say that you're going to board Iranian ships that you're going to board Iranian ships and then actually go out and board an and then actually go out and board an Iranian ship after you shoot it up? Uh Iranian ship after you shoot it up? Uh it just doesn't seem to make any sense it just doesn't seem to make any sense to me. And this is, you know, one of the to me. And this is, you know, one of the
2:29principal aspects of Trumpian foreign principal aspects of Trumpian foreign policy. It is rather bizarre and doesn't policy. It is rather bizarre and doesn't seem to comport with what would consider seem to comport with what would consider one would consider sort of rational one would consider sort of rational legal behavior. So I to be honest don't legal behavior. So I to be honest don't understand what's going on here.
2:49understand what's going on here.
2:49>> Don't they isn't it in their interest to >> Don't they isn't it in their interest to have Iranian oil on the market? That's I have Iranian oil on the market? That's I I didn't mention that, but you're I didn't mention that, but you're exactly right that that's why we were exactly right that that's why we were allowing Iranian oil to come through the allowing Iranian oil to come through the straight out into the global market.
3:04straight out into the global market.
3:04You're you're exactly right. And here You're you're exactly right. And here they are threatening to cut it off in they are threatening to cut it off in addition to the fact they're making it addition to the fact they're making it less likely that the other side trusts less likely that the other side trusts you, the Iranians trust you, and that you, the Iranians trust you, and that you can work out a deal. Uh it seems you can work out a deal. Uh it seems that the Trump administration wants a that the Trump administration wants a deal. They should want a deal because as deal. They should want a deal because as
3:25I said to you before, they can't go up I said to you before, they can't go up the escalation ladder and win. Number the escalation ladder and win. Number one, and number two, they are in danger one, and number two, they are in danger of taking the international economy off of taking the international economy off a cliff. So they should want a deal a cliff. So they should want a deal here. And sometimes President Trump acts here. And sometimes President Trump acts like he wants a deal. Other times he like he wants a deal. Other times he acts like he doesn't want a deal. And acts like he doesn't want a deal. And
3:47this is an instance of that. And then this is an instance of that. And then you add to it, as you did, the fact that you add to it, as you did, the fact that we really do need that Iranian oil out we really do need that Iranian oil out in the global market to do everything in the global market to do everything possible to keep oil prices as low as possible to keep oil prices as low as possible. Well, the reason great powers possible. Well, the reason great powers have a diplomatic core is that they're have a diplomatic core is that they're multilingual, multilingual, bicultural.
4:12bicultural.
4:12they they understand their adversary as they they understand their adversary as well as their allies and uh the Trump well as their allies and uh the Trump administration has gutted the State administration has gutted the State Department. So uh one wonders if it's Department. So uh one wonders if it's just an on the one hand they may want a just an on the one hand they may want a deal on the other hand they're utterly deal on the other hand they're utterly unable perhaps to read Iranian unable perhaps to read Iranian political power and Iranian culture.
4:39political power and Iranian culture.
4:39>> I agree with you. I mean, there's no >> I agree with you. I mean, there's no question that just in a very general question that just in a very general level, President Trump does not respect level, President Trump does not respect expertise.
4:48expertise.
4:48He He thinks he's a genius. He thinks he He He thinks he's a genius. He thinks he knows everything. He doesn't have to knows everything. He doesn't have to rely on experts and he doesn't need rely on experts and he doesn't need anyone from the State Department or any anyone from the State Department or any area experts inside the government to area experts inside the government to tell him what to do. He knows what to tell him what to do. He knows what to do. So, there is that dimension to it.
5:07do. So, there is that dimension to it.
5:07But there's another dimension to this, But there's another dimension to this, Chris, that's even more worrisome.
5:12Chris, that's even more worrisome.
5:12And that is that it sometimes strikes me And that is that it sometimes strikes me that President Trump is a mad king. I that President Trump is a mad king. I don't know if you read the story in the don't know if you read the story in the Wall Street Journal uh about what life Wall Street Journal uh about what life is like inside President Trump's White is like inside President Trump's White House uh in the course of this war House uh in the course of this war against Iran. And the story is told in against Iran. And the story is told in there uh and the White House has not there uh and the White House has not
5:37refuted this story that uh after those refuted this story that uh after those two pilots were shot down uh earlier two pilots were shot down uh earlier this month uh and President Trump was this month uh and President Trump was told about this. He was hysterical. He told about this. He was hysterical. He he was hysterical for a few hours. He he was hysterical for a few hours. He was just beside himself with rage to the was just beside himself with rage to the point where his aids had to keep him point where his aids had to keep him outside of the room while they decided outside of the room while they decided
6:06how to deal with the problem. And how to deal with the problem. And occasionally one of the aids would go occasionally one of the aids would go out and brief him on what was going on.
6:15out and brief him on what was going on.
6:15You want to just think about what's You want to just think about what's going on here. Here is the president of going on here. Here is the president of the United States in the midst of a the United States in the midst of a serious crisis. An American fighter has serious crisis. An American fighter has fighter plane, an F-15 has been shot fighter plane, an F-15 has been shot down inside of Iran. There are two down inside of Iran. There are two pilots who are missing. They have to pilots who are missing. They have to rescue them. And this is going to take rescue them. And this is going to take some careful planning. This is a crisis.
6:37some careful planning. This is a crisis.
6:37The president of the United States is The president of the United States is throwing a tantrum, an hours long throwing a tantrum, an hours long tantrum, according to the Wall Street tantrum, according to the Wall Street Journal. Again, to the point where he Journal. Again, to the point where he has to be taken outside of the room. Uh, has to be taken outside of the room. Uh, can you imagine this happening with JFK can you imagine this happening with JFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
6:55during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
6:55It's unimaginable. It's unimaginable to It's unimaginable. It's unimaginable to me that any president would act this me that any president would act this way. And it's very interesting how way. And it's very interesting how little attention this episode has got little attention this episode has got uh in the mainstream media. But it, I uh in the mainstream media. But it, I think, speaks volumes about the dangers think, speaks volumes about the dangers that we face with President Trump in that we face with President Trump in control. uh if we get into a really control. uh if we get into a really
7:20serious crisis, something beyond the serious crisis, something beyond the actual war that's now taking place that actual war that's now taking place that threatens to escalate that involves threatens to escalate that involves maybe China or Russia, uh and he's in maybe China or Russia, uh and he's in charge, uh this is a very frightening charge, uh this is a very frightening thought and I would imagine in that thought and I would imagine in that circumstance he'll be pushed out of the circumstance he'll be pushed out of the room again and his aids will take over.
7:39room again and his aids will take over.
7:39But what does that tell you about the But what does that tell you about the United States? And just one final point United States? And just one final point on this, you want to remember that on this, you want to remember that President Trump is the kind of person President Trump is the kind of person who thinks he knows everything and who thinks he knows everything and therefore even his aids don't matter therefore even his aids don't matter that much. He is the ultimate decider.
7:55that much. He is the ultimate decider.
7:55Period. End of story. And if this is our Period. End of story. And if this is our ultimate decider, if this is our ultimate decider, if this is our sovereign uh in an extreme crisis, I sovereign uh in an extreme crisis, I think we're in real trouble.
8:09think we're in real trouble.
8:09Well, he was reportedly Well, he was reportedly against the advice of his military and against the advice of his military and intelligence intelligence chiefs. He uh believed they would the chiefs. He uh believed they would the Iranians would not seize the straight of Iranians would not seize the straight of Hormuz.
8:22Hormuz.
8:22>> Oh, absolutely. I mean, I think if you >> Oh, absolutely. I mean, I think if you go back to the uh original decision to go back to the uh original decision to uh attack Iran and you read there were uh attack Iran and you read there were two New York Times stories uh on this two New York Times stories uh on this whole matter. The second one was just whole matter. The second one was just filled with details. It's very clear filled with details. It's very clear that except for Pete Hexth, who really that except for Pete Hexth, who really doesn't matter very much because I don't doesn't matter very much because I don't
8:44think anybody, even President Trump, think anybody, even President Trump, takes him that seriously, but all of his takes him that seriously, but all of his other adviserss uh were uh very very other adviserss uh were uh very very skeptical, if not opposed uh to this skeptical, if not opposed uh to this operation. They understood full well operation. They understood full well that this was playing with fire. But that this was playing with fire. But nevertheless, President Trump dismissed nevertheless, President Trump dismissed their concerns and he went along with their concerns and he went along with
9:07the Israelis who basically sold him a the Israelis who basically sold him a bill of goods. Uh it was the head of bill of goods. Uh it was the head of Mossad Mossad uh and David Barnea and uh Prime uh and David Barnea and uh Prime Minister Netanyahu who convinced Minister Netanyahu who convinced President Trump that we would win a President Trump that we would win a quick and decisive victory. And then quick and decisive victory. And then just to build on your point, therefore just to build on your point, therefore we wouldn't have to worry about Iran we wouldn't have to worry about Iran closing the straight of Hormuz. We would
9:29closing the straight of Hormuz. We would win very quickly. But the fact is if win very quickly. But the fact is if Trump had listened to his adviserss and Trump had listened to his adviserss and he had carefully examined them uh as to he had carefully examined them uh as to why they were uh reticent or opposed to why they were uh reticent or opposed to going to war against Iran, he might not going to war against Iran, he might not have done this. In fact, I think it's have done this. In fact, I think it's highly likely he would not have done it.
9:50highly likely he would not have done it.
9:50Uh but again, he didn't really care what Uh but again, he didn't really care what they had to say. Uh and he was willing they had to say. Uh and he was willing to listen to the Israelis. Uh, and he to listen to the Israelis. Uh, and he should have understood that the Israelis should have understood that the Israelis were selling him a bill of goods, but were selling him a bill of goods, but apparently he didn't.
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