Tom Nichols

The only thing he could say is, well, if you're asking me and the thing that you can then let leak out, any general is going to say, I'm concerned about munition stocks.

I want to make sure our alliances are in order.

I want to make sure that we have all our ducks in a row.

That's normal.

Right.

Putting it in these stark terms and then letting it leak, to me, that seems like a strategy on Kaine's part.

I don't know.

You know, Cain supposedly is one of the few people he respects and will listen to.

But, you know, when we say this is a person Donald Trump listens to, that verb listens is really doing a lot of work.

You know, this is not a deliberative president who takes on board news that he doesn't like.

We saw it in his first term and we're certainly seeing it now.

You know, trying to get inside the decision loop of somebody like Donald Trump is very difficult.

I think what he really wants is regime change.

But I think because, you know, the way he tends to— the way the president tends to wish-cast—

and ignore problems.

He's hoping to do regime change on the cheap.

Can it be done?

Maybe.

I mean, look, if Donald Trump somehow cleanly and efficiently removes one of the worst regimes in the world,

You know, I'll congratulate him.