This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Arguably, Donald Trump is president today because of a popular television reality show in which he regularly “fired” people who did not measure up. It’s high time he really does that to a number of unworthy subordinates.

Top of the list for such action are holdovers from the Obama administration who have, inexplicably, been allowed to run its successor.  Never mind that Candidate Trump explicitly pledged to repudiate the Obama legacy – something its authors cannot be relied upon to do. 

Then there’s one of the President’s regrettable choice as his National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster. Literally from Day One in the job, McMaster has insubordinately defied his boss on everything from naming our jihadist enemies to committing ground forces in Syria to certifying Iranian compliance with the fraudulent Obamabomb deal.  

It’s time for Donald Trump to tell McMaster: “You’re fired.”

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Few things are more impressive than a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.  The occasion of the commissioning of a new one happens infrequently.  And, when it does, the event should be seen as a cause for national jubilation as it marks a significant improvement in our country’s ability to project power and, thereby, promote “peace through strength.” 

And so it was on Saturday, when President Trump presided over the induction into the fleet of the USS Gerald Ford. The high point for me was when ordered to “bring the ship to life,” the Ford’s crew raced aboard, fanning out along the deck in a dazzling display of discipline and patriotic pride.

God bless the Gerald Ford and those who will, having brought her to life, now bring her to bear to protect the lives and freedoms of their countrymen.

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

For six months now, demoralized supporters of Donald Trump have consoled themselves with one thought:  At least we don’t have to contend with a Hillary Clinton administration bringing us Barack Obama’s “third term.”   

A new report out of Rex Tillerson’s State Department confirms the bureaucracy didn’t get the memo.

The “2016 Country Reports on Terrorism” exemplify the Obama-Clinton team’s hostility towards Israel and whitewashing of the jihadist Palestinians. For example, it claims the Palestinian Authority rarely “explicitly calls for violence against Israelis” and “generally does not tolerate it.”

As Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois wrote Secretary Tillerson yesterday, that’s “demonstrably false.” “The PA…not only tolerate[s] terrorist attacks against Israelis but it also incites, rewards, and memorializes those who carry out these horrific attacks.” 

It’s time the State Department works for Donald Trump – and us, not Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. 

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

One-eighth of Donald Trump’s term of office is past.  While there have been notable accomplishments, it was far less productive than either the President or his supporters wanted.

Arguably, that’s substantially because the Trump administration is largely staffed by people who do not support the President and his policies.  Most worked previously for Barack Obama.

This is an obvious formula for disaster.  Yet, a Trump subordinate frequently at odds with his boss, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, recently told his staff that there are “no [Obama] hold-overs” on the National Security Council. Any there who previously worked for Obama are now “part of the team.”

If President Trump allows people who actually are still playing for the other team to call plays on his, he will find the rest of his term as frustrating and unproductive as its first six months.

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Donald Trump has made no secret of wanting an improved relationship between the United States and Vladimir Putin’s Russia. And during his presidency to date, Mr. Trump has relentlessly pursued that goal.

My greatest concern about this agenda has always been that Putin would perceive his American counterpart’s efforts as evidence of weakness or worse, appeasement.  We saw how that worked out when Barack Obama actually engaged in such accommodating behavior – namely, the Kremlin’s immense nuclear buildup, serial aggression and mounting threats to our allies and this country.

Now, Mr. Trump faces an all-too-common presidential temptation.  Having forged a personal relationship with an adversarial leader, including over dinner at the recent G-20 meeting, the American senses that their rapport will overcome real, serious and abiding conflicts. 

As they say in New York, Mr. President, when it comes to Vladimir Putin, fuggedaboutit. 

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute. 

Three months ago, President Trump was furious when the State Department wrongly certified that Iran was complying with its obligations under the Obamabomb deal – an accord that he had rightly savaged as a candidate.  Worse yet, the new administration affirmed it as in the national security interests of the United States.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was ordered immediately to denounce Iran for conduct that was decidedly not consistent with American security – notably, its support for terrorism, ballistic missile developments and regional hegemonism.  All of these activities have been greatly enabled by the legitimacy and $150 billion Tehran’s mullahs got out of the deal.

Incredibly, despite a last-minute, high-level internal administration slug-fest yesterday, the State Department recertified Iranian compliance – while once again incoherently denouncing, and even sanctioning, its continuing, threatening behavior. 

There can be no excusing such a dangerous misstep this time.

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Over seven million Venezuelans turned out yesterday in a massive, collective and desperate plea for help to prevent the regime of Nicholas Maduro from completing its destruction of their country, economy and lives. 

That regime banned the plebiscite, but as many voted against Maduro as in the last free election that gave the opposition control of parliament. Maduro responded that time by effectively stripping the National Assembly of its power.  On July 30^th, he will use a rigged ballot to complete Venezuela’s transformation from a nominally “democratic” failed state into a full-blown dictatorship. 

How can America help the people of Venezuela avoid that fate – and the ominous implications for our own security of an unchecked, radical leftist government in this hemisphere with immense oil reserves and ties to Cuba, Iran, China and Russia? Stop buying the regime’s oil and stop selling it gasoline.

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Has there been treasonous “collusion” between American political figures and Vladimir Putin’s Russia? 

I have spent four decades defending our country against the Kremlin and welcome the sudden interest in exposing and ferreting out Moscow’s hostile activities – provided it is authentic, and not artificially restricted for partisan purposes.

A test of that important caveat will be whether any of the investigations now underway address an initiative that certainly seems to involve collusive actions with Russian interests that have materially endangered U.S. national security.  

Like the better-known sale of large quantities of America’s uranium stockpile to Russia, this one – known as Skolkovo – was a result of Hillary Clinton’s willingness to help donors to her family’s foundation transfer to Putin sensitive American assets, in this case militarily relevant technologies.  They included hypersonic rocket engines now being used to threaten our country. 

Skolkovo demands investigation.

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Missouri Congresswoman Vicki Hartzler wants her colleagues in the House of Representatives to have a vote today to roll-back part of Barack Obama’s wrecking operation against the U.S. military.  

Historically, it has been both common sense and official practice to regard the armed forces as essential to the security of our nation. Accordingly, their personnel were selected for the purpose of winning decisively any conflict.  

During the Obama years, however, the military services were directed to subordinate this priority to advancing a radical political agenda, without regard for – and at huge cost to – combat readiness and morale in the ranks.  The most egregious example of such social engineering is a requirement to integrate “transgender” individuals and pay for their sex change operations and other, vast health care requirements.

Rep. Hartzler is trying to stop such insanity, and deserves our strong support.

This is Frank Gaffney.

This is Frank Gaffney with the Secure Freedom Minute.

Donald Trump went to Saudi Arabia in May to call on Muslim nations to “drive out” those who engage in or sponsor Islamic terrorism.  Several responded by isolating and boycotting one of the worst offenders: Qatar. 

President Trump subsequently declared his support for this “hard but necessary” step to confront a nation that had been “a funder of terrorism at a very high level.”

Yet, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has repeatedly expressed official support for Qatar. A former ExxonMobil executive long tied to that nation, he should have to recuse himself on this issue. Instead, he just signed a memorandum of understanding with the Qataris about jointly countering terrorism.  That’s protective cover for Qatar’s toxic ruler that will enable and encourage him to continue supporting our jihadist enemies. 

This must stop, and officials who won’t support the President’s policies must go. 

This is Frank Gaffney.