>> Bret: RICH EDSON AT THE

STATE DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU.

POLITICAL WASHINGTON OBVIOUSLY

BUZZING TONIGHT ABOUT THE

DEPARTURE OF JOHN BOLTON AS THE

PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL SECURITY

ADVISOR.

JOINING US TONIGHT TO TELL US

WHAT HE KNOWS, SENATE FOREIGN

RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBER AND

CHAIR OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY

COMMITTEE, LINDSEY GRAHAM OF

SOUTH CAROLINA, THANKS FOR BEING

HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Bret: SEE THIS COMING?

>> A BIT.

A PERSONALITY POLICY DIFFERENCE

THAT LED TO A CHANGE.

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW

JOHN BOLTON SERVE THE COUNTRY

WELL, HE GAVE THE PRESIDENT GOOD

ADVICE, BUT THE ONE THING YOU'VE

GOT TO LEARN BUT PRESIDENT TRUMP

AS I'VE COME TO LEARN IS HE'S

UNCONVENTIONAL.

IT'S OKAY I THINK OR TALK WITH

THE TALIBAN EVEN AT CAMP DAVID

IF THERE'S A REASON TO BELIEVE

THEY'RE GOING TO ACCEPT AND

CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR, AND I

THOUGHT WE JUST GOT AHEAD OF THE

CART THERE, BUT JOHN IS GONE AND

THERE ARE A LOT OF THE CHOICES

AND APPRECIATE WHAT JOHN DID FOR

THE COUNTRY.

>> Bret: EVEN A COUPLE DAYS

AHEAD OF 9/11 TO DO THAT AT

CAMP DAVID?

>> YEAH.

I CAN UNDERSTAND THE TIMING, BUT

THE MAIN THING IS -- I TOLD THE

PRESIDENT YOUR RIGHT TO WANT TO

REDUCE OUR COMMITMENT.

YOUR RIGHT TO WANT TO LOWER OUR

COSTS.

18 YEARS LATER, WHAT HAVE WE

FOUND?

AL QAEDA IS STILL THERE, ISIS IS

THERE.

BUT THE AFGHAN ARMY IS 270,000.

18 YEARS AGO THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN

ARMY.

6 MILLION WOMEN IN SCHOOL, A LOT

OF POSITIVE THINGS.

THERE'S A LOT OF BAD THINGS AND

WE CAN'T DO IN AFGHANISTAN WHAT

WE DID IN IRAQ, IGNORE SOUND

MILITARY ADVICE AND PULL THE

PLUG ON THE PLACE, BUT HAVING

SAID THAT, I'D LIKE TO END THE

WAR.

THE ONLY WAY YOU EVER END THE

WAR IS TO GET THE TWO SIDES

TALKING SO IT'S OKAY TO TALK

WITH THE TALIBAN.

IT WOULD BE OKAY TO COME TO

CAMP DAVID BUT WHAT I THOUGHT

WAS A MISTAKE IS -- WELL, THE

BIG MISTAKE IF THE TALIBAN

REALLY SCREWED UP WHEN IT CAME

TO TRUMP.

IF THIS AN INSULT OF THE

PRESIDENT TO KILL THAT SOLDIER

WHILE HE'S TRYING TO END THE

WAR.

I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO REGRET

THIS.

I THINK THE TALIBAN ARE REALLY

GOING TO REGRET WHAT THEY DID.

>> Bret: WHAT YOU SAY TWO

ALLIES WILL LOOK AT THE TURMOIL

INSIDE THE ADMINISTRATION?

THERE HAVE BEEN 60 INDIVIDUALS

IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION,

EITHER RESIGNED OR BEEN FIRED,

SOME OF THEM ON THE PAGE HERE.

WHAT YOU SAY TO THOSE ALLIES --

IT'S VOLATILE, UNCERTAIN.

LOOKING NOW AT THE FORCE

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR IN

THREE YEARS PLUS?

>> HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY TO

ALLIES, JUDGE US BY WHAT WE DO.

WE REDUCED OUR PRESENCE IN SYRIA

BUT WE STILL HAVE A COMMITMENT

TO NORTHEASTERN SYRIA TO PROTECT

THE KURDS AND MAKE SURE IRAN

DOESN'T TAKE OVER.

WE GOT OFF IN IRAN DEAL THAT I

THOUGHT WAS A BAD DEAL AND THE

PRESIDENT KEPT HIS WORD.

HE'S TRYING TO REDUCE OUR

COMMITMENT IN AFGHANISTAN THAT

MAKES SENSE TO ME, WE ARE PAYING

WAY TOO MUCH MONEY 18 YEARS

LATER AND WE CAN REDUCE OUR

FORCES AND BE SAFE HERE, BUT WE

JUST CAN'T PULL OUT OF THE

PLACE.

I WOULD SAY TO OUR ALLIES, WHY

DON'T YOU HELP HIM MORE?

>> Bret: IT WAS IRAN A POLICY

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT

OF JOHN BOLTON?

MAYBE THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO

MEET WITH THEIR PRESIDENT, MAYBE

EVEN AT THE U.N.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY?

>> I THINK BOLTON LOOKED AT

TRUMP THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL

FOREIGN POLICY LENS.

THE CONDITION WAS HIM, YOU DON'T

TALK TO GUYS COMING TO ELEVATE

KIM JONG UN.

I DON'T CARE PRESIDENT TRUMP AND

KIM JONG UN GO ON VACATION.

IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO GIVE

HIM UP -- GIVE UP HIS NUCLEAR

WEAPONS, I'M OKAY WITH PERSONAL

DIPLOMACY THAT'S UNCONDITIONAL.

I'M OKAY WITH TALKING TO THE

IRANIANS AS LONG AS WE GET A

BETTER DEAL.

WHAT WOULD A BETTER DEAL BE?

THEY CAN HAVE NUCLEAR POWER BUT

THEY CAN'T ENRICH A PROCESS OF

URANIUM, THAT WOULD BE A BETTER

DEAL SO I'M NOT HERE TO MUCH OF

THE PRESENT.

YOU BEAT ME, 16 OF THE

REPUBLICANS COMING TO BEAT

HILLARY CLINTON.

LET'S GIVE YOUR WAY TO TRY AND

I'M GOING TO SUPPORT A MOLOKAN.

>> Bret: LOOKING AT

NORTH KOREA AS A BLUEPRINT, WHAT

DO YOU SEE OUT OF THOSE

NEGOTIATIONS AND THOSE TWO

SUMMITS?

>> I SEE BETTER.

NO NEED FOR MUSCLE TESTING, NO

BOMBS BEING EXPLODED.

A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP -- HOW

WILL THAT WORK OUT?

THOSE WHO CRITICIZE THE PRESENT,

HOW WELL DID YOU DO ANY WRONG?

HOW WELL DID YOU DO IN

NORTH KOREA?

I'M A PRETTY HAWKISH GUY BUT

AFTER 18 YEARS, IT'S OKAY TO

REEVALUATE OUR COMMITMENT IN

AFGHANISTAN.

IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME,

BUT I'M JUST URGING THE

PRESIDENT DON'T IGNORE SOUND

MILITARY ADVICE.

YOU CAN REDUCE OUR PRESENCE IN

AFGHANISTAN BUT IF YOU LEAVE

AFGHANISTAN, AL QAEDA AND ISIS

ARE COMING AFTER US.

>> Bret: SO DID HE FIRE HIM OR

DID BOLTON RESIGN?

>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DON'T

THINK IT REALLY MATTERS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY I LIKED

JOHN BOLTON.

HE SERVED HONORABLY AND AS

PRESIDENT LOST TRUST AND FAITH

IN JOHN BOLTON AND I THINK HE'S

GOT SOME GOOD CHOICES.

>> Bret: LET'S TALK ABOUT

THAT.

IF YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT TODAY.

WHO'S ON THE PLATE?

>> GENERAL KELLOGG IS THE

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR TO

MIKE PENCE.

THE VICE PRESIDENT, HE WORKED

FOR GENERAL McMASTER.

>> Bret: KEITH KELLOGG.

>> KEEP KELLOGG.

CONFIDENT, CAPABLE, CONFIDENT,

HAS THE PRESIDENT'S TRUST.

A DYNAMIC YOUNG MAN WORKING IN

THE STATE DEPARTMENT, PART OF

THE IRAN TEAM AND THE

STATE DEPARTMENT CLOSE TO

POMPEO.

YOU'VE GOT REQUIRE DELL, WHO

WORKED FOR McMASTER WHO KNOWS

THE INS AND OUTS OF THE NATIONAL

SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE WAY IT

MEETS.

THE ONE THING I THINK WAS A

KNOCK ON JOHN BOLTON IS THE

PROCESS KIND OF DIED ON HIS

WATCH.

>> Bret: THESE ARE THE THREE

GUYS.

KEEP KELLOGG, BRIAN, RECORD OUT.

>> THOSE ARE THREE NAMES THE

PRESIDENT MENTIONED TO ME.

THERE ARE OTHERS ON THE LIST,

BUT WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

SOMEBODY THAT CAN WORK WITH

POMPEO, WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT

OF DEFENSE TO GET THE INNER

AGENCY BACK -- STOOD BACK UP.

>> Bret: 'S DOESN'T REQUIRE

SENATE CONFIRMATION VOTE.

THIS IS JUST ABOUT TRUST WITH

THE PRESIDENT, RIGHT?

>> IT'S ABOUT UNDERSTANDING THE

PRESIDENT TRYING TO ENACT HIS

WILL BUT TELLING THE TRUTH.

HERE'S THE TRUTH AND HERE IS HOW

I GET ALONG WITH HIM.

THIS PRESIDENT, YOU'RE RIGHT TO

WANT TO REDUCE OUR COMMITMENT

AFGHANISTAN, REDUCE THE COST AND

MAYBE REDUCE THE TROOP LEVELS.

BUT IT WOULD BE A BIG MISTAKE TO

DO IN AFGHANISTAN WHAT OBAMA DID

IN IRAQ.

I'M LOOKING FOR A NATIONAL

SECURITY ADVISOR WHO UNDERSTANDS

THE PRESIDENT, CAN WORK WITH

OTHERS, GIVE THE PRESIDENT GOOD

ADVICE AND BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

PUSH BACK WHEN HE NEEDS TO.

>> Bret: I WANT TO ASK YOU TWO

MORE QUESTIONS.

ONE, THERE'S AN INVESTIGATION

OUT OF COMMERCE SECRETARY

WILBUR ROSS, IF HE PUT HIS

FINGER ON THE SCALE AND NOAA

SCIENTISTS IN THE FALL OF THE

ALABAMA ORDEAL WE DEALT WITH

LAST WEEK.

WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS IN MY?

>> NOT GOING TO GIVE A --

>> Bret: THAT'S FOR THE

RECORD?

>> YEAH, THANK YOU.

NEXT QUESTION.

I COULD CARELESS, THIS WHOLE

THING IS A BUNCH OF GARBAGE.

IF THE PRESIDENT DID HAVE A

MODEL WHERE IT COULD HAVE

ALABAMA IF IT WENT THROUGH

FLORIDA.

THIS IS THE TRUMP WORLD.

THE GUY CAN'T DO ANYTHING, THE

GUY GETTING CRITICIZED BY A

BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO JUST HATE

HIS GUTS AND I'M NOT PLAYING

THAT GAME.

>> Bret: THE STORY ABOUT THE

RUSSIAN ASSET THAT WAS

EXTRACTED.

>> ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHAT I

THINK IS COMPLETE B.S., TRYING

TO BLAME THE PRESIDENT FOR

SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

NETWORKS OUT THERE SAYING THE

PRESIDENT GOT A LOAN COSIGNED BY

OLIGARCHS.

WHEN IT COMES TO TRUMP, I'M VERY

SUSPICIOUS -- YOU SAY IT AND

THEN YOU TRY TO VERIFY IT LATER.

THE PRESIDENT IS A HANDFUL.

HE MAKES HIS FAIR SHARE OF

MISTAKES, BUT THE STORY ABOUT

THE PRESIDENT DAMAGING OUR

NATIONAL SECURITY I THINK IS

UNVERIFIED AND UNTRUE.

>> Bret: ARE YOU CONFIDENT

THAT THE FUNDING OF THE

GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO GO

WITHOUT A BUMP?

>> IT MAY BE A BUMP, BUT IT'S

GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE FAILURE

IS NOT AN OPTION.

BOTH PARTIES NEED TO CONVINCE

THE PUBLIC WE ARE NOT COMPLETELY

CRAZY.

AND WE CAN DO OUR JOB.

>> Bret: LAST THING, ANYTHING