McMaster: Flynn Indictment Is Not Impeding Our Work on the NSC

BAIER It s a ░░░░░░░░ world and you look ░░░░░░░░ the world and there ░░░░░░░░ a ton of hot ░░░░░░░░ The next question is ░░░░░░░░ sensitive but you said ░░░░░░░░ was open when we ░░░░░░░░ this thing Does an ░░░░░░░░ like the indictment of ░░░░░░░░ predecessor carry some form ░░░░░░░░ policy or security impact ░░░░░░░░ foreign allies get rattled ░░░░░░░░ it do adversaries get ░░░░░░░░ by it does it ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration foreign ░░░░░░░░ McMASTER I see no ░░░░░░░░ of the investigation in ░░░░░░░░ way impeding the important ░░░░░░░░ that we are doing ░░░░░░░░ what we are endeavoring ░░░░░░░░ do is to regain ░░░░░░░░ strategic focus and so ░░░░░░░░ the president asked us ░░░░░░░░ do in the national ░░░░░░░░ Council is involve responsibilities ░░░░░░░░ to departments who have ░░░░░░░░ execute policies and we ░░░░░░░░ done that and with ░░░░░░░░ the time that we ░░░░░░░░ saved tactical details we ░░░░░░░░ established a very strong ░░░░░░░░ foundation of strategy clearly ░░░░░░░░ objectives for the national ░░░░░░░░ challenges we are facing ░░░░░░░░ of those challenges is ░░░░░░░░ and what we are ░░░░░░░░ to do with Russia ░░░░░░░░ three things We need ░░░░░░░░ counter Russia s destabilizing ░░░░░░░░ that we saw really ░░░░░░░░ significantly in the last ░░░░░░░░ years right you can ░░░░░░░░ back to now service ░░░░░░░░ Gastonia 2007 invasion of ░░░░░░░░ 2008 invasion of Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ intervention on the side ░░░░░░░░ the Assad regime in ░░░░░░░░ and go on and ░░░░░░░░ disturbing pattern and then ░░░░░░░░ course you have the ░░░░░░░░ of democracies broadly in ░░░░░░░░ west Europe has suffered ░░░░░░░░ particular from this You ░░░░░░░░ Russian hands in the ░░░░░░░░ referendum you re starting ░░░░░░░░ see Russia active in ░░░░░░░░ well in advance of ░░░░░░░░ Mexican election so what ░░░░░░░░ have been focused on ░░░░░░░░ the three things we ░░░░░░░░ to do with Russia ░░░░░░░░ warfare new generation warfare ░░░░░░░░ they attempt to use ░░░░░░░░ strategy of subversion but ░░░░░░░░ disinformation and propaganda to ░░░░░░░░ communities and effect our ░░░░░░░░ I gave this talk ░░░░░░░░ strategic confidence it s ░░░░░░░░ an element of that ░░░░░░░░ of reclaiming our strategic ░░░░░░░░ is having confidence in ░░░░░░░░ unifies us as Americans ░░░░░░░░ so it would be ░░░░░░░░ if every time we ░░░░░░░░ about what divides us ░░░░░░░░ also at least give ░░░░░░░░ time to what to ░░░░░░░░ units us as Americans ░░░░░░░░ we want to confront ░░░░░░░░ s destabilizing behavior It ░░░░░░░░ t be anybody s ░░░░░░░░ to have a large ░░░░░░░░ conflict with Russia and ░░░░░░░░ third thing what we ░░░░░░░░ to do is find ░░░░░░░░ of cooperation with Russia ░░░░░░░░ Russia policies are focused ░░░░░░░░ You don t think ░░░░░░░░ counterparts around the world ░░░░░░░░ rattled from yesterday McMASTER ░░░░░░░░ don t think so ░░░░░░░░ are in close contact ░░░░░░░░ national security adviser support ░░░░░░░░ that we have Laughter ░░░░░░░░ We get together periodically ░░░░░░░░ conferences and we are ░░░░░░░░ on the phone with ░░░░░░░░ other and there s ░░░░░░░░ confidence I think there ░░░░░░░░ more confidence in the ░░░░░░░░ States frankly I think ░░░░░░░░ s a sense that ░░░░░░░░ engaging in areas that ░░░░░░░░ had disengaged You might ░░░░░░░░ an article three to ░░░░░░░░ years ago it sort ░░░░░░░░ celebrated the most American ░░░░░░░░ East as this was ░░░░░░░░ well how is that ░░░░░░░░ out right What we ░░░░░░░░ endeavored to do is ░░░░░░░░ engage in a meaningful ░░░░░░░░ with allies and partners ░░░░░░░░ break this horrible cycle ░░░░░░░░ violence to have the ░░░░░░░░ defeat of ISIS We ░░░░░░░░ now with allies and ░░░░░░░░ defeated ISIS in 95 ░░░░░░░░ the so called caliphate ░░░░░░░░ Syria and Iraq There ░░░░░░░░ a lot to celebrate ░░░░░░░░ what s going on ░░░░░░░░ situation is in the ░░░░░░░░ East right now it ░░░░░░░░ very tenuous Yemen horrible ░░░░░░░░ crisis there we are ░░░░░░░░ very hard to address ░░░░░░░░ to convince other that ░░░░░░░░ they have to address ░░░░░░░░ matter of urgency in ░░░░░░░░ U S Reengagement in ░░░░░░░░ region in that area ░░░░░░░░ other areas has been ░░░░░░░░ and encouraging BAIER General ░░░░░░░░ thank you for your ░░░░░░░░ remarks thank you for ░░░░░░░░ service to the country ░░░░░░░░ McMASTER Thank you Bret ░░░░░░░░ a privilege to be ░░░░░░░░ you and everyone Thank ░░░░░░░░