ISSUE.

HE WAS NOT A FAN OF THIS ACTION.

LET'S GET TO THIS.

>> WAS AT ALL OF THEM?

WAS AT THIS SPECIFIC CABINET

MEMBER?

>> BEFORE I COMMENT ON THAT

PUBLICLY, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A

CONVERSATION WITH THE PRESIDENT

SO I CAN MAKE THEM AWARE OF WHAT

WE WERE TOLD.

I WILL SAY THAT THE MESSAGES WE

RECEIVE DID NOT GET ANY

PUSHBACK.

BUT WE WERE TOLD OVER AND OVER

AGAIN IT WAS THIS ACTION WAS

NECESSARY.

THIS WAS A BAD GUY.

WE HAD TO DO IT.

WE CAN'T HAVE DIVISION.

WE CAN'T HAVE DISSENSION WITHIN

OUR RANKS, WITHIN OUR

GOVERNMENT, OR IT SENDS THE

WRONG SIGNAL TO THE IRANIANS.

I THINK THAT IS COMPLETELY

WRONG.

THEY WERE ASKED TO REPEATEDLY,

WHAT, IF ANYTHING WOULD TRIGGER

THE NEED FOR THE ADMINISTRATION

TO COME BACK TO CONGRESS FOR A

DECLARATION OF WAR OR AN

AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF

MILITARY FORCE?

AT ONE OF THE POINT, ONE OF THE

BRIEFER SAID I'M SURE WE COULD

THINK OF SOMETHING.

BUT THEY STRUGGLED TO IDENTIFY

ANYTHING.

THEY WERE ASKED SPECIFICALLY,

WHAT ABOUT IF YOU CONCLUDED --

IT IS NOT MY POINT TO GET INTO

THAT HERE.

I DON'T WANT TO ACCIDENTALLY SAY

ANYTHING CLASSIFIED.

MY POINT IS, THEY WERE ASKED A

NUMBER OF HYPOTHETICALS ABOUT

SITUATIONS IN WHICH THEY MIGHT

HAVE TO APPROPRIATELY, AND ASKED

FOR AUTHORIZATION FOR CONGRESS.

NOT ONCE DID THEY SAY "YES, WE

NEED TO DO IT IN THAT

CIRCUMSTANCE."

AT ONE POINT, ONE OF THE BRIEFER

SAID SOMETHING LIKE DON'T WORRY,

WE WILL CONSULT YOU.

WELL, WITH HISTORY AS OUR GUIDE,

CONSULTATION ISN'T NECESSARILY

THE SAME THING AS AUTHORIZATION

FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE.

A DECLARATION OF WAR IS WHAT THE

CONSTITUTION REQUIRES.

A DRIVE-BY NOTIFICATION OR

AFTER-THE-FACT LAME BRIEFINGS

LIKE THE ONES WE RECEIVED AREN'T

ADEQUATE.

>> THEY CARRIED OUT THIS ATTACK

ON SOLEIMANI --

>> I'M STILL AGNOSTIC AS TO THA

THAT.

I STILL HAVEN'T HAD THEIR

QUESTIONS ANSWERED THAT I CAME

INTO THAT BRIEFING EXPECTING TO

ASK.

THEY LEFT AFTER 75 MINUTES.

I UNDERSTAND THESE ARE BUSY

PEOPLE.

THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF DEMANDS ON

THEIR TIME.

THEY ARE APPEARING BEFORE A

COORDINATE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT

RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR FUNDING,

FOR THEIR CONFIRMATION, FOR ANY

APPROVAL OF ANY MILITARY ACTION

THEY MIGHT UNDERTAKE.

THEY HAD TO LEAVE AFTER

75 MINUTES WHILE THEY WERE IN

THE PROCESS OF TELLING US THAT

WE NEED TO BE GOOD LITTLE BOYS

AND GIRLS AND RUN ALONG AND NOT

DEBATE THIS IN PUBLIC.

I FIND THAT ABSOLUTELY INSANE.

I THINK IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

AND SO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY

HAD IN MIND.

I WENT IN THERE HOPING TO GET

MORE SPECIFICS AS FAR AS THE

FACTUAL LEGAL MORAL

JUSTIFICATION FOR WHAT THEY DID.

I AM STILL UNDECIDED ON THAT

ISSUE IN PART BECAUSE WE NEVER

GOT TO THE DETAILS.

EVERY TIME I GET CLOSE, THEY

WOULD SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T

DISCUSS THAT HERE BECAUSE IT IS

REALLY SENSITIVE.

WE ARE IN A SECURE UNDERGROUND