TRUMP

RUSH TRANSCRIPT GEIST Joining ░░░░░░░░ now NBC News Pentagon ░░░░░░░░ Hans Nichols Hans good ░░░░░░░░ We want to talk ░░░░░░░░ about the mission that ░░░░░░░░ to the death of ░░░░░░░░ La David Johnson and ░░░░░░░░ other Americans What more ░░░░░░░░ we know this morning ░░░░░░░░ what happened there NICHOLS ░░░░░░░░ we know a little ░░░░░░░░ of the tactics on ░░░░░░░░ battlefield how it went ░░░░░░░░ We still don t ░░░░░░░░ answers to the big ░░░░░░░░ why were they ambushed ░░░░░░░░ were highly trained mostly ░░░░░░░░ Berets why were they ░░░░░░░░ in the open separated ░░░░░░░░ their vehicles What sort ░░░░░░░░ intelligence failure was there ░░░░░░░░ do know a little ░░░░░░░░ on the back and ░░░░░░░░ Within 30 minutes there ░░░░░░░░ French air support officials ░░░░░░░░ saying that s a ░░░░░░░░ to how closely the ░░░░░░░░ S is working with ░░░░░░░░ allies We know that ░░░░░░░░ are about eight that ░░░░░░░░ separated from the larger ░░░░░░░░ They were visiting a ░░░░░░░░ We got some clarity ░░░░░░░░ on a key question ░░░░░░░░ that is where were ░░░░░░░░ medevac d and how ░░░░░░░░ they medevac d The ░░░░░░░░ were medevac d by ░░░░░░░░ helicopters There was misreporting ░░░░░░░░ this The Pentagon frankly ░░░░░░░░ not cleared information at ░░░░░░░░ so it was the ░░░░░░░░ helicopters that medevac d ░░░░░░░░ troops We still don ░░░░░░░░ know when how long ░░░░░░░░ were on the battlefield ░░░░░░░░ it was an American ░░░░░░░░ that actually ended up ░░░░░░░░ the dead Americans They ░░░░░░░░ two separate helicopters come ░░░░░░░░ a remote region of ░░░░░░░░ You think of the ░░░░░░░░ there with Mali this ░░░░░░░░ drawn by colonials there ░░░░░░░░ t any geographical distinction ░░░░░░░░ they should have more ░░░░░░░░ been on guard given ░░░░░░░░ many terrorist groups there ░░░░░░░░ in that part of ░░░░░░░░ country and that part ░░░░░░░░ the world Listen to ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Mattis said when ░░░░░░░░ was talking about the ░░░░░░░░ risks soldiers face all ░░░░░░░░ the globe clip starts ░░░░░░░░ At the same time ░░░░░░░░ is war and these ░░░░░░░░ are conducting war on ░░░░░░░░ people of all religions ░░░░░░░░ re conducting war on ░░░░░░░░ people who have no ░░░░░░░░ to defend themselves I ░░░░░░░░ just tell you that ░░░░░░░░ this specific case contact ░░░░░░░░ considered unlikely but there ░░░░░░░░ a reason we have ░░░░░░░░ S Army soldiers there ░░░░░░░░ not the Peace Corps ░░░░░░░░ we carry guns clip ░░░░░░░░ NICHOLS Willie a lit ░░░░░░░░ on the back and ░░░░░░░░ with Congress the Pentagon ░░░░░░░░ informed Congress on Tuesday ░░░░░░░░ 4th at 3 47 ░░░░░░░░ first flashing from French ░░░░░░░░ didn t come until ░░░░░░░░ 50 on that day ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon their pledge and ░░░░░░░░ with Congress They want ░░░░░░░░ make sure Congress is ░░░░░░░░ on board obviously not ░░░░░░░░ GEIST A little more ░░░░░░░░ I want to ask ░░░░░░░░ about the latest version ░░░░░░░░ President Trump s travel ░░░░░░░░ that may play some ░░░░░░░░ in the deadly events ░░░░░░░░ took place in Niger ░░░░░░░░ s go through the ░░░░░░░░ ever since the new ░░░░░░░░ ban was announced in ░░░░░░░░ September there has been ░░░░░░░░ glaring question why is ░░░░░░░░ key American partner on ░░░░░░░░ list in one foreign ░░░░░░░░ expert said I m ░░░░░░░░ my head about this ░░░░░░░░ I m not going ░░░░░░░░ make sense of this ░░░░░░░░ now the council on ░░░░░░░░ relations says Chad has ░░░░░░░░ hundreds of troops from ░░░░░░░░ who were fighting terrorism ░░░░░░░░ due to the company ░░░░░░░░ to President Trump s ░░░░░░░░ ban So why must ░░░░░░░░ be a travel ban ░░░░░░░░ a key Allie According ░░░░░░░░ A P it s ░░░░░░░░ due to an ad ░░░░░░░░ issue Chad did not ░░░░░░░░ the kind of paper ░░░░░░░░ provide a repeat passport ░░░░░░░░ due to a paper ░░░░░░░░ Chad s government offered ░░░░░░░░ provide a pre existing ░░░░░░░░ of the same type ░░░░░░░░ passport homeland security refused ░░░░░░░░ make an exception they ░░░░░░░░ the decision was made ░░░░░░░░ the input of the ░░░░░░░░ or the defense department ░░░░░░░░ other national security agencies ░░░░░░░░ objected to Chad s ░░░░░░░░ to the list They ░░░░░░░░ overruled Hans can this ░░░░░░░░ be a question over ░░░░░░░░ stock NICHOLS Yes and ░░░░░░░░ the homeland security says ░░░░░░░░ wasn t following the ░░░░░░░░ to do verification you ░░░░░░░░ to have all these ░░░░░░░░ verified This attack in ░░░░░░░░ is a reminder there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of unsavory ░░░░░░░░ in this part of ░░░░░░░░ world It s difficult ░░░░░░░░ keep track of At ░░░░░░░░ same time everyone at ░░░░░░░░ Pentagon I need to ░░░░░░░░ this stresses the importance ░░░░░░░░ working with local forces ░░░░░░░░ this part of the ░░░░░░░░ T Three prep visions ░░░░░░░░ hear the most here ░░░░░░░░ with and through T ░░░░░░░░ reason we re in ░░░░░░░░ is to train local ░░░░░░░░ Chad forces are very ░░░░░░░░ very experienced remember he ░░░░░░░░ the president no saint ░░░░░░░░ he came to power ░░░░░░░░ 1990 a rebel himself ░░░░░░░░ trained at Gadhafi s ░░░░░░░░ of revolutionaries these are ░░░░░░░░ trained caddian troops they ░░░░░░░░ seen a lot of ░░░░░░░░ through the the spire ░░░░░░░░ You the need partners ░░░░░░░░ quick note officials here ░░░░░░░░ the French partnership is ░░░░░░░░ strong and everyone want ░░░░░░░░ highlight how well U ░░░░░░░░ And French counter terrorism ░░░░░░░░ are working GEIST Do ░░░░░░░░ hear that head scratching ░░░░░░░░ Chad being on the ░░░░░░░░ NICHOLS I would say ░░░░░░░░ an no you need ░░░░░░░░ that s why the ░░░░░░░░ relationships regardless of what ░░░░░░░░ say is important you ░░░░░░░░ so many training at ░░░░░░░░ school Americans learning local ░░░░░░░░ It is it makes ░░░░░░░░ because this is a ░░░░░░░░ part of the world ░░░░░░░░ are all kind of ░░░░░░░░ shadowy groups whether or ░░░░░░░░ they re directly affiliated ░░░░░░░░ ISIS they want to ░░░░░░░░ affiliated witka haram al ░░░░░░░░ Qaeda the central governments ░░░░░░░░ don t have necessarily ░░░░░░░░ good ahold on all ░░░░░░░░ civilians and what their ░░░░░░░░ might be It cuts ░░░░░░░░ ways I d be ░░░░░░░░ at that point to ░░░░░░░░ one way or the ░░░░░░░░ GEIST Thank you haps ░░░░░░░░ are you hearing from ░░░░░░░░ white housant this?”