Foreign Policy Research Institute
Nada Bakos is a senior fellow in the Program on National Security at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and the author of The Targeter: My Life in the CIA, on the Hunt for the Godfather of ISIS. From 200-2010, she worked as an analyst for the CIA.
Trump faces Middle East realities ahead of trip As President Trump prepares to visit the Middle East, his credibility as a foreign policy partner may have been compromised. But at this morning's press briefing, National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster said it's not the President's remarks to Russian officials that have damaging consequence, but leaks to the press. "I think national security is at risk by this leak and leaks like it. There have been a number of instances where this occurred." But the Washington Post and others are sticking by unnamed sources who claim the President's disclosure of closely held secrets created security problems. The President has tweeted that he has the "absolute right" to say what he wants about classified information. Meantime, he hosted the President of Turkey today, has a deadline involving the Iran nuclear deal tomorrow… and he's leaving Friday for the Middle East.
Chaos and confusion as a new administration gets under way After less than a week in office, President Trump has been shaking up governmental institutions — as promised during his campaign. But his labeling intelligence agencies "Nazis" surprised even supporters — and Saturday's apologetic visit to the CIA seems to have backfired. Meantime, the CIA and others are investigating relations between the President's close advisors and Russia. We ask what they're looking for, and hear about the potential consequences of a chief executive at loggerheads with his sources of information on national security.
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
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.
