Sam Stein: Trump’s Running Out There Saying We Obliterated Iran’s Nuclear Program, “I Get The Nobel Prize”
MSNBC contributor Sam Stein on Friday’s “Morning Joe” analyzed President Donald Trump’s ordering of a strike on Iran.
KATTY KAY, MSNBC: Sam, there’s so little goodwill between Republicans and Democrats in the House at the moment, at a time when even over an issue of national security, traditionally, in the good old days of American politics, they would have found a way to come together, even if temporarily, and even if pro forma. But they’re just not doing that now. And I think in the end, that squeezes Democrats further out of the equation, doesn’t it? SAM STEIN, For sure. Just a technical note, the original report on that DIA assessment was not from a congressional reporter. Take that however you want. KAY: You mean it was not, the report of it was, yeah. SAM STEIN: The reporter was not a congressional correspondent. I just want to note that. But to your larger point, the profound level of distrust is remarkable. And Jim Himes, who we saw in that clip, I think he’s a member of the Gang of Eight, he passed into a ranking member on the Intelligence Committee. He was not told in advance of the operation. He told me he was sitting on his couch on a Saturday night, following it on Twitter. Wasn’t he having a beer? KAY: In the original story, Sam, he was having a beer. SAM STEIN: I didn’t want to be repetitive, but yes, he was having a beer. And I think there are serious long-term consequences to doing things like not sharing intel with your member of Congress. And by that, it’s not just what we’re talking about here of distrust. People need to have confidence in the intelligence, right? And if you can’t get bipartisan buy-in, if you’re not sharing with Congress, if in Trump’s case, you’re saying your own DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, has it wrong, then increasingly foreign governments, nonpartisan observers, people who rely on intel will not be able to rely on your intelligence. And I think that has pretty profound national security consequences, where you want to be able to have a trusted intel come from your administration. And I just don’t see, if it keeps going in this direction, how people would ever trust the intelligence produced by this administration, especially when Trump’s running out there to say, oh, we obliterated the whole thing. We got it done. Congratulations. I get the Nobel Prize.
