A thrill records of “Today with George Stephanopoulos” broadcasting on Sunday, February 23, 2025 on ABC Information is listed below. This duplicate might not remain in its last type, might be upgraded and might include small transcription mistakes. For previous program records, check out the “Today” records archive.
RADDATZ: And I’m signed up with currently by retired General George Casey, that worked as a participant of the Joint Chiefs of Team under Presidents George W. Shrub and Barack Obama. When Casey was principal of personnel of the Military, a 41-year Military professional, Casey additionally worked as leader of united state and international pressures in Iraq from 2004 to 2007. We invested a great deal of time with each other back there in Iraq.
So, what occurred Friday evening was absolutely unpreceded, shooting the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Team, one more participant of– of the Joint Chiefs, and a number of elderly policemans.
Just how worried are you concerning that?
CASEY: Martha, that’s exceptionally destabilizing at– at once that’s a great deal taking place locally and a great deal taking place abroad.
When– when you get rid of a lot of elderly leaders, particularly without warranting and– and offering due situation, it develops big unpredictability in the rankings. And it simply isn’t an advantage for the armed forces at an extremely tough time.
RADDATZ: And– and discuss the distinction, General Casey. You have actually obtained government employees being terminated. Yet it’s various when you terminate participants of the armed forces, that are not expected to be political.
CASEY: Yes, allow me– allow me provide you a fast civics lesson to discuss the factor concerning private control over the miliary.
When– when George Washington brought the– the constitutional convention with each other in Philly in the summertime of 1787, they were duke it outing the trouble of just how to develop an efficient standing armed force that would not endanger the freedom it was made to secure. And of those– the 39 endorsers of that Constitution, 22 were experts of the War of independence. And they developed the concept of placing the control over the armed forces in the hands of the chosen private leaders of the judicial branch– I’m sorry, of the legal branch and of the executive branch. And the armed force has actually approved that for 236 years.
RADDATZ: Pete Hegseth indicated that General Brown was a DEI hire. He made obvious that he intended to terminate General Brown. And at the heart of that appears to be DEI. And– and General Brown, as you simply saw, had actually– had actually made those video clips concerning his very own experiences with bigotry after the joint– George Floyd murder.
Do you assume DEI is the factor these males and females were terminated?
CASEY: I– I can just choose– with what individuals– what the management has actually stated. Which appears to be the famous factor that has actually been advanced. Which’s a trouble for me due to the fact that these leaders were adhering to the authorized instructions of the private leaders of the previous management. And currently we’re mosting likely to place leaders at risk and penalize them for adhering to authorized orders from one more management. I indicate, provide me a break.
RADDATZ: And– and– and now, as a matter of fact, these initial– this initial month, under Head of state Trump, they did away with those DEI programs so they were, in a feeling, adhering to the orders of– of this management.
CASEY: The management has full control over the instructions and plans that the division adheres to. So, they can transform the plan. They do not require to transform individuals.
RADDATZ: Allow– allow me review you something from among the guys that was terminated, General James Slife, that– that is the vice principal of the Flying force. He stated, “The head of state and assistant of protection should have to have generals they rely on and the pressure should have to have generals that have trustworthiness with our chosen assigned authorities. While I’m dissatisfied to leave under these conditions, I would not desire the result to be any type of various.”
So, why should not the head of state have the ability to select individuals he desires?
CASEY: He– he should. Actually– as a matter of fact, I might differ with the timing and every little thing of these– of these eliminations, however it’s totally– it is considerably within the head of state’s authority. That’s his– that’s his authority. He is the u.s. president of the militaries. And we adhere to the instructions of the– our private leaders.
RADDATZ: It– however– however you’re claiming, should not have done it this way or there should be reason, or individuals– or he simply does not (ph) recognize?
CASEY: It needs to be much better clarified. It needs to be much better clarified. And– and once more, I– I truthfully do not assume it was essential due to the fact that if they intend to transform the instructions, they can transform the plans and not individuals.
RADDATZ: Do you have any type of worries concerning Head of state Trump’s selection to change Brown? I– I intend to check out something from previous principal of personnel– or previous Joint Chiefs Chairman General Marty Dempsy. He composed last November that if these generals were terminated, it would certainly bring into question the qualifications and credentials of the brand-new policemans assigned to take their location.
Lieutenant General Dan Caine, a 3 celebrity, not a 4 celebrity, returning from retired life. Do you have worries that he might be to political?
CASEY: Truthfully, it’s except me to state. I do not rest in judgment over individuals that are mosting likely to be assigned by our private leaders. I assume that’s something that the Us senate Armed Solutions Board will certainly occupy as they supply their recommendations and approval on that particular election.
RADDATZ: And simply lastly, General Casey, speak about what this does to the spirits of the more youthful policemans, or the more youthful employed people?
CASEY: Yes, it– as I stated, it develops unpredictability in the rankings. And I’ve talked with a couple of individuals over the last number of days and, you understand, can you– can you visualize if you’re a– a young policeman and you’re searching for and claiming, why did these individuals obtain eliminated? Since you– you do not intend to do what they did. Therefore, you’re attempting to figure that out. And it simply develops a great deal of disturbance and unpredictability.
RADDATZ: OK. Many thanks a lot, General Casey. It’s great to see you once more.
RADDATZ: I’m signed up with currently by Legislator Jack Reed, the leading Democrat on the Armed Solutions Board.
Excellent to see you today, Legislator Reed.
I’m mosting likely to transform to Ukraine momentarily however I intend to obtain initial your response to the shooting of C.Q. Brown and the others.
SEN. JACK REED, (D) RHODE ISLAND & & POSITION PARTICIPANT, ARMED SOLUTIONS BOARD: Well, it was totally unjustified. These males and females were excellent experts. They were dedicated to their vow to safeguard the Constitution of the USA.
And evidently, what Trump and Hegseth are attempting to do is to politicize the Division of Protection. And it’s not unusual. They placed Kash Patel as the FBI supervisor that is a partial, that has no, I assume, regard for the practices of nonpartisanship of the FBI.
And currently, they have actually transformed to DOD. And they desire every person in DOD to be holding to the head of state, not to the Constitution. They desire every person there what they’re informed, despite the legislation.
What was additionally shocking in the weekend break was shooting all the supporter generals of the armed force. If you’re mosting likely to damage the legislation, the initial point you do is you remove the legal representatives.
So we’re taking a look at an extremely unsafe threatening of the worths of our armed forces and the effects are being really felt currently. Individuals wondering about whether they must remain. Skilled leaders asking yourself if they must venture out.
It is– it’s the start of an extremely, really major deterioration of the armed forces and politicization of the armed force.
RADDATZ: You state that. Do you believe in Lieutenant General Dan Caine that the head of state has selected to change C.Q. Brown?
REED: I do not understand General Caine. He will certainly be subject, as the situation, to cautious evaluation by the board. There are clearly a wonderful lots of concerns that we’re mosting likely to elevate with him, however I assume we need to provide him the possibility to make his situation and additionally to explain that he is mosting likely to agree to talk reality to power, happy to provide his ideal armed forces recommendations to the head of state, not simply inform the head of state what he intends to listen to.
And additionally to be open and show the Congress the truths on the ground, not be a political agent for the head of state. So those belong to the problems that we’ll attend to as we move forward.
RADDATZ: Okay. Allow– I intend to reverse to Ukraine. Rather an impressive week. You listened to Head of state Trump’s individual strikes on Head of state Zelenskyy that’s been defending his nation for 3 years. What is your response to what you’ve heard today and the type of unsupported claims you’ve listened to?
REED: Well, I– basically, this is the Head of state Trump giving up to the Russians. Not a surprise. In Afghanistan, he took a seat with the Taliban, omitted the federal government of Afghanistan, in Doha, via his consular offices and they basically stated, pay attention, never mind us for a year and we’ll be out.
And currently, he’s attempting the exact same point, which is, generally, we’re mosting likely to damage the Ukrainians. Oh, and incidentally, we’re going to obtain their valuable minerals that the deal price costs as a risk to do also worse.
This is not a statesman or a mediator. This is simply a person that appreciates Putin, does not rely on the battle of the Ukrainians and is dedicated to closing to a caesar.
Which I assume is mosting likely to be incorrect due to the fact that Putin will certainly not drop in Ukraine. He will certainly start in a project both private and in a lot of cases obvious to threaten the various other federal governments in Eastern Europe and it’ll wreak havoc.
Once Again, the Trump–
( CROSSTALK)
RADDATZ: Yet could this be a discussing method? Could this simply be a discussing method to bring Ukraine to the table, to make certain that there is something to relocate the sphere right here?
REED: Well, I would certainly be a lot more positive because tip if there was an energetic discussion in between the Ukrainians and the USA relative to these arrangements, that we comprehended where their lines are, and so on. That evidently has actually not occurred.
I assume he– Trump’s conversations with Zelenskyy total up to public declarations which are usually deceptive or totally incorrect there’s no actual objective to involve the Ukrainian federal government to learn what they require, what they need to do to safeguard themselves and the European order post-World Battle II.
So without that, this is simply– you understand, Putin and Trump obtaining with each other via emissaries to–
RADDATZ: Legislator, the– when you recall over these previous 3 years, however, they are still up in arms. So separating Vladimir Putin does not show up to have actually functioned either. So what is the option right here?
REED: Well, the initial option is to connect to the Russians that we will certainly be really, really major concerning their activities in Ukraine. It– it would certainly indicate to tighten up the permissions.
What Trump has actually done is– is evidently he’s uncoupled the department in the FBI that is in charge of permissions enforcement and versus the Russian oligarchs. To make sure that’s one more indicator of wink, wink, you’ll be fine, Vladimir.
What we need to do is maintain the stress on, and after that enter into arrangements– arrangements that will certainly consist of the Ukrainians, not omit them. And after that with this stress, ideally, Putin will certainly make a decision that he the expense is undue to proceed this initiative.
That’s– it’s– it’s a challenging, hard roadway to hoe, however it’s a much better one than yielding and seeing the damage of Ukraine.
And my feeling is that the accusations by the Russians versus Ukrainians hereafter negotiation if it takes place will certainly be alarming undoubtedly, that they will intentionally hound and damage every person they assume is a– was a challenger of them.
RADDATZ: Okay.
REED: And we will certainly birth that disadvantage– we will certainly birth that on our principles.
RADDATZ: Okay. Thanks for joining us today, Legislator Reed. I constantly value your time.
Showing Up, Republican Mike Lawler is calling Vladimir Putin a disgusting tyrant and goon. So what does he make from Head of state Trump’s pivot in the direction of Russia?
We’re back in 2 mins.
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