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national security commentator and analyst
Former national security analyst for Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney and also a former nuclear missile officer
PROFILE
John Noonan
Guest
FROM John Noonan
To the Point
The candidates, up close and personal but light on policy Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were in the same place, but not at the same time. Even so, it's being called a preview of the formal debates to come. The topic was National Security, but NBC's Matt Lauer is taking heat for dwelling on Clinton's e-mails and failing to call Trump on misrepresentations. That's renewed debate about coverage of the campaign, with reporters accused of giving minor issues "false equivalence" with major ones. We hear what the candidates said that was new about national security. Did anything happen that might change voters' minds one way or the other?
To the Point
Barack Obama's nuclear legacy In 1945, the US became the first nation to use a nuclear weapon when it dropped bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then, no other country has followed suit. But the threat of nuclear catastrophe hangs over the world as others build up their arsenals. In the early months of his first term as President Obama promised, "The United States will take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons. To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same." That speech earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. But, in the last days of his second term, he's continuing to modernize America's arsenal — and approving a so-called "smart bomb" — potentially more usable than ever. Isn't it reasonable to ask, why?"
To the Point
Donald Trump and the Russian connection The embarrassing leak of thousands of Democratic National Committee emails came from WikiLeaks, but there's some evidence that it originated with Russian hackers. Vladimir Putin has already been injected into the presidential campaign because of Donald Trump's public comments. The Republican presidential nominee has criticized NATO and the sanctions imposed against Russia after it annexed Crimea. He's praised Vladimir Putin. His campaign manager and other advisors have deep ties to the Kremlin — and Trump's son says there's Russian money in the family business. Russian state media are bullish on Trump's campaign, and Trump has said that, if Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee, it should do the same to Hillary Clinton. Is Trump calling for another "re-set with Russia?" Does Putin want Trump to win?
Recommended
To the Point
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.