Admiral Stavridis On His Meeting With President-Elect Trump: I Came Away With A Sense That He Is Developing A Broad View Of The World

“I had a good meeting with him, we spent about 50 minutes together. We talked about issues around the world. He asked sensible, smart, well informed questions, he used no notes. I came away with a sense that he is developing a broad view of the world. I am very encouraged by his selection of my good friend General Jim Mattis for Secretary of Defense and General John Kelly for the Department of Homeland Security. I think Mr. Tillerson is a good choice for Secretary of State from what I can see so I think that team in the National Security diplomatic space is coming together and we should give them time and space to show us what they want to do.”

—Admiral Stavridis on his meeting with President-Elect Trump and his thoughts on some of his cabinet picks

Former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, Admiral James Stavridis called into Kilmeade & friends to talk about his meeting with President-Elect Trump, his optimism over some of Trump’s cabinet picks, the need to respond to Russian hacking and call them out for bad behavior, President Obama’s foreign policy and the dangers of an armed conflict with China over Taiwan.

Listen here:

Stavridis on the potential for an armed conflict with China over Taiwan

(Kilmeade) Do you think Donald Trump has an opportunity to make China nervous for the first time in decades?

(STAVRIDIS) I think he does and I think we also have to be careful with China in the same way we need to be careful with Russia which is to say they are a nuclear power, they are highly nationalistic. Taiwan is a real flashpoint for them, dare we say it, a red line for them. I think they would go to combat if they really felt we were moving toward a position of recognizing Taiwan as an independent nation. I don’t think that’s a smart move for us, we need to be very modulated.