Another friend, John Nagl, told Keefe: “On H.R.’s shoulders may be decisions that preserve the world from the threat of thermonuclear war, and there’s literally nobody else who I would rather have in that position. If that means he has to say some things that are not completely true, I’m OK with that.”
Keefe observes, "In this telling, McMaster was a martyr – a man who loved America so much that he was prepared to sacrifice his own reputation in order to save it."
The article also reveals McMaster's frustrations with Jared Kushner's leading role in the Trump administration. Keefe quotes McMaster as saying, "You mean I’ve got somebody running a significant part of foreign policy who doesn’t report into my structure?”
Keefe adds that McMaster’s colleagues told him, “This is the way the president wants it, and it’s just going to happen” – so "McMaster let the matter go," writes Keefe.
Keefe also details McMaster's battles with Trump's former strategist, Steve Bannon. "Bannon and McMaster openly clashed over Afghanistan, and in at least one instance McMaster lost his temper, reportedly shouting, 'You’re a liar!'" Keefe writes.
"Bannon loathed McMaster, deriding him as a 'globalist' who was all too eager to commit troops to foreign conflicts in which America had little strategic interest," Keefe continues. "He pushed for a withdrawal of troops. McMaster told his staff that anyone who briefed Trump about Afghanistan should be prepared for his first question: 'What are we still doing there?' He presented Trump with photographs of Kabul from the 1970s, when it was a more peaceful, stable city. The message, tailored to Trump’s preference for images, was implicit: Afghanistan is not hopeless. Things can change. Trump ultimately sided with McMaster."
Keefe observes, "In this telling, McMaster was a martyr – a man who loved America so much that he was prepared to sacrifice his own reputation in order to save it."
The article also reveals McMaster's frustrations with Jared Kushner's leading role in the Trump administration. Keefe quotes McMaster as saying, "You mean I’ve got somebody running a significant part of foreign policy who doesn’t report into my structure?”
Keefe adds that McMaster’s colleagues told him, “This is the way the president wants it, and it’s just going to happen” – so "McMaster let the matter go," writes Keefe.
Keefe also details McMaster's battles with Trump's former strategist, Steve Bannon. "Bannon and McMaster openly clashed over Afghanistan, and in at least one instance McMaster lost his temper, reportedly shouting, 'You’re a liar!'" Keefe writes.
"Bannon loathed McMaster, deriding him as a 'globalist' who was all too eager to commit troops to foreign conflicts in which America had little strategic interest," Keefe continues. "He pushed for a withdrawal of troops. McMaster told his staff that anyone who briefed Trump about Afghanistan should be prepared for his first question: 'What are we still doing there?' He presented Trump with photographs of Kabul from the 1970s, when it was a more peaceful, stable city. The message, tailored to Trump’s preference for images, was implicit: Afghanistan is not hopeless. Things can change. Trump ultimately sided with McMaster."
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