Face The Nation's John Dickerson On Trump Foreign Policy: 'Who Is Running The Show Here?'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Face The Nation Moderator John Dickerson commented on the apparent foreign policy differences that exist between Donald Trump and some of his nominees, particularly General James Mattis at Defense and Rex Tillerson at State, telling Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that if the confusion over contradictory messaging is not cleared up, it could lead to real consequences.
"I think he's not a hands-on guy. That's fine. Delegating is a perfectly reasonable management structure, but when the guy at the top says we should be making hamburgers and you're saying we should be selling salads, there's a disconnect there. The question on Russia is, you have Donald Trump saying we should get along. We should be friends. Then you have his Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense saying the United States needs to take proportional action to counter the Russian threat. Those are very different views of the world and they relate, not just simply to the views you might have at a cocktail party, but to actual action that needs to be taken."
Dickerson said the incoming administration needs to make it clear where they stand and who is in charge.
"Who is running the show here? What's the policy? Who dictates it? That's not just important for the people involved in government to know who is running the show, but also foreign countries, in particular in this case, Russia to know what's happening and who do they pay attention to? Do they pay attention to the Secretary of Defense and State or do they listen to the President, himself?"
He pointed out that nations around the globe will act based on many different factors, and mixing policy preferences could cause additional problems for the incoming President.
"Other countries don't just sit there and say we'll wait for a couple of weeks and let it all get settled out. They make decisions. They make alliances. They draw all kinds of goofy conclusions...In foreign capitals, when they say to themselves, well this is what the administration really feels and they do so based on, kind of, loose information, then they make alliances and decisions and start nuclear programs and put troops in certain places. These words, particularly in foreign affairs, and the confusion, tends to create activity."
