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H.R. McMaster on Why the Trump Administration Was ‘At War with Ourselves’

Peter Robinson
@PeterRobinson
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General (ret.) H.R. McMaster, the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, returns to Uncommon Knowledge to discuss his latest book, At War with Ourselves, in which he candidly recounts his experiences as former national security advisor to President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2018. In this wide-ranging interview, McMaster delves into the complexities and challenges he faced while serving in the administration and describes his role in providing the president with multiple options and safeguarding his independence of judgment, partially by drawing on the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus to “play well the role assigned to you.” He reflects on the internal tensions and conflicts within the White House, often exacerbated by differing agendas among staff and cabinet members. McMaster also discusses the difficulties in maintaining a productive relationship with President Trump, especially when offering candid advice that sometimes led to alienation. The conversation is a revealing look into McMaster's often tumultuous experiences in the Trump White House but also emphasizes the importance of a well-structured decision-making process in the realm of national security. Recorded on July 10, 2024.

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Discussion (26)

  • Clarendon@Mackinder
    Terrific interview which motivated me to download the book, which I am now devouring. If anyone wants a look at how the national security bureaucracy really works, and what happens when there is inevitable friction with the political actors in the White House/Administration, this is invaluable, and is a quick and exceptionally well-written read. It is striking me as honest, fair, and balanced, and McMaster brings the perspective of both a warrior and a historian to it.
  • Columbo@Columbo

    McMaster obviously never really cared about the chain of command since he was mostly the superior officer. He never served his commanding officer, instead choosing to force his worldview upon his superior. If he had any integrity, he would have resigned rather than conduct a subversive campaign behind closed doors.

  • CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill@CarolJoy
    ReplyingtoColumbo

    Columbo (View Comment):

    McMaster obviously never really cared about the chain of command since he was mostly the superior officer. He never served his commanding officer, instead choosing to force his worldview upon his superior. If he had any integrity, he would have resigned rather than conduct a subversive campaign behind closed doors.

    If he had campaigned against Trump behind closed doors, why did Trump call him in 2018 to state that McMaster was missed?

    You may be right, but I'd love a bit more information.

    I have to think that Trump was not an easy man to deal with.

    I had a friend who attended a 2016 Trump rally, and while he and his wife sat at their picnic blanket, Trump came over and engaged in discussions with them for 20 minutes. The couple reported that candidate Trump listened as much as he spoke of his plans for the nation.

    This is one side of Trump.

    But there is a different Trump who brushes people off, or cold shoulders someone who has a different idea than the one he seems to be pursuing.

  • CarolJoy, Not So Easy To Kill@CarolJoy

    A big huge Yech! just showed up in the interview.

    McMaster, who is involved in national affairs as a National Security adviser, still considers Jan 6th to be an actual insurrection. Not only that, he then states that Trump brought about this non-existent insurrection!

    Where was this guy when a year or so earlier, AntiFa/BLM burned down structures close to the WH?

    On top of that he has a nasty view of Robinson's own friend Roger Stone.

    This attitude about Jan 6th stands in stark contrast to the fact that he does call out the propaganda efforts of the DNC and its hold over the media with regards to the 2016 up to even now, the Big-Lie-narrative concerning Russian collusion over the 2016 election. (Although this narrative has been refuted.)

    It is almost like one of his thoughts does not meet up with other parts of his thinking.

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