Former President Donald Trump insinuated Monday that he would bring three big-name national security specialists into his administration if elected the 47th chief executive next month.
Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt gently nudged Trump during an interview about whether the Republican nominee would bring back former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell and ex-national security adviser Robert O’Brien, while adding Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)
“Oh, a lot of the people that you like are going to be there, OK?” Trump teased in response. “I can name all the people that you like, and I like the same people. So you’ll have those people, and you’ll have more.”
Trump, 78, did not mention any specific names for national security roles, though he did name-drop former US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer as a potential returnee.
“I had a lot of great people, Lighthizer, I had so many great people,” he said, later adding: “And some of the bad ones, it’s nice, I know who they are.
“I know the good ones, the smart ones. I know the dummies. I know the weak ones. I know the people,” Trump added. “When I got there, remember, I was a developer from New York. I took a crash course. And I have great people. We have great people lined up. You see that.”
During his first administration, Trump had reveled in the mix of foreign policy hawks and doves that surrounded him.
One key prerequisite to serving in a hypothetical second Trump term will be loyalty, according to transition co-chair Howard Lutnick.
“Those people were not pure to his vision,” Lutnick reflected to the Financial Times Monday about former Trump administration officials who quit during his first term, such as former chief of staff John Kelly and ex-defense secretary James Mattis.
Lutnick insisted next time will be different.
“They’re all going to be on the same side, and they’re all going to understand the policies, and we’re going to give people the role based on their capacity — and their fidelity and loyalty to the policy, as well as to the man.”
Israel and Iran
During his wide-ranging interview with Hewitt on Monday, Trump also touched on the situation in the Middle East and the conflict between Israel and Iran.
“If Israel hits their [Iran’s] nuclear sites, will you applaud?” Hewitt asked.
“Yeah, I dealt with [North Koraen dictator] Kim Jung Un. And he has nuclear weapons. And you tend to speak a little bit differently when they have nuclear weapons,” Trump replied.
The Republican nominee also acknowledged recent polling showing him in a dead heat with Vice President Kamala Harris among Arab Americans as she grapples with progressive infighting over the Israel-Hamas war.
“I want to see everything get worked out. I want peace. I don’t want to see people killed. I want peace, and they know that. And the Jewish people know that. And both sides like it, and know that I can get peace,” Trump suggested.
“There were no wars with Trump. People don’t realize it. I took over ISIS, and I decimated ISIS,” he added. “I had some real generals over there.”
