H.R. McMaster: America is electing a wartime president

H.R. McMaster, Donald Trump’s second national security advisor, joins Margaret Hoover to discuss his tumultuous experience in the Trump White House, what he characterizes as Trump’s “disruptive” leadership, and what a second term could look like.

McMaster, who recently published At War With Ourselves about his nearly 14 months in the administration, assesses the global threats facing the next president and offers insight into challenges posed by Iran, China, and Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

McMaster reflects on how Trump’s approach benefited American interests in some instances but undermined them in others. The retired Army lieutenant general also explains why he holds both Trump and President Biden responsible for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

While he says Trump’s threats and promises about his second-term agenda should be taken seriously, McMaster has confidence there would be effective checks on abuses of presidential power like deploying the military against Americans. However, he also tells Hoover Trump’s preemptive efforts to cast doubt on the election results “should give us all pause” and cautions against demagoguery on both sides.

Support for “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Fairweather Foundation, Charles R. Schwab, Damon Button and Al and Kathy Hubbard. Corporate funding is provided by Stephens Inc.