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MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and his Morning Joe crew were stunned by the revelation ex-First Lady Melania Trump just wandered in while officials watched a top-secret raid unfold in the Situation Room — and offered advice on the aftermath.
According to a sneak peek from Vanity Fair’s Bess Levin, the new book by ex-Trump Defense Dept. chief Christopher Miller reveals that the then-first lady “popped in” to watch the raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi:
Melania was, inexplicably, in the Situation Room during the US’s 2019 ISIS raid that resulted in the death of then ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. According to Miller, Melania was there with the president, Vice President Mike Pence, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, among others. He writes: “Her presence was unexpected, to say the least. I wondered how it would play in the press if word got out that the first lady had popped in to watch a major military operation.”
On Tuesday morning’s edition of MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Scarborough and his crew of regulars and co-hosts were stunned by the revelation, with Mika Brzezinski exclaiming, “I don’t even know what to say!”
After reading through some of Miller’s quotes, former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki and others mocked the idea of a first lady in the Situation Room:
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Jonathan Lemire, you’re the expert on all things White House. Does this happen a good bit? Does Jill Biden go into the Situation Room when like they’re reviewing sensitive information or targeting an ISIS leader?
JONATHAN LEMIRE: No, I think she’s pitched to watch the Super Bowl, that she’s an Eagles fan in the Situation Room, perhaps. But no, this has not happened. It points to breakdowns in security clearance. We know that secret clearance was a hot topic during the Trump White House that Trump, Jared Kushner and Melania Trump got theirs over the chief of staff’s objections at the time. It’s a breakdown of processes. Again. We should note though Melania Trump was right about the role. Conan, Conan the hero dog played in the ISIS…
JOE SCARBOROUGH: She got the dog thing right.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: She got to her dog thing right. It did become a pretty big story for a couple of days so that’s the one thing she did get right.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: This is ridiculous!
…
JOE SCARBOROUGH: She got that right. So, Jen Psaki, what say you just, did this happen a lot in the White House when you around.
JEN PSAKI: You know, I’m not going to beat around the bush here, Joe. I have never seen a first lady walk into the Situation Room. I worked for two presidents, two amazing four.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: What about Commander?
JEN PSAKI: Never, the dogs, I don’t know what their security clearances are or how that works. Never seen a dog in the Situation Room either. I mean, it’s also this is an ice raid. I mean, what on earth was the first lady doing there for the security clearance reasons, but also to talk about the dog or anything else? That’s bizarre, too. So, no, this is not normal. I think it’s important to restate that as much as possible around Trump and never seen it happen. And the two White Houses I’ve worked it.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Not normal. Also not end of the world, just kinda weird.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Weird. Totally Weird.
JEN PSAKI: Weird.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: And I could see how the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense would look around and say, What is this? Is this a reality TV show? What’s going on here? Wife’s coming and talking about a dog? Yeah, it’s very weird.
Watch above via MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
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