| TRUMP: 'IF I DID, IT’S A SMART THING': As soon as excerpts from Bob Woodward's latest book, War, were released to selected media outlets last week, the Trump campaign gave a version of his standard blanket denial, denouncing the book as "made-up stories" by a "sleazebag who has lost it mentally" and "belongs in the bargain bin of the fiction section of a discount bookstore or used as toilet tissue." But as was the case with Woodward's three previous books about former President Donald Trump, the anecdotes based on extensive interviews with insiders are largely proving to be accurate. When Trump was asked about sending COVID-19 test machines to Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2020, Trump told ABC News's Jonathan Karl the story is "false." Ditto for Woodward's reporting that Trump has been in regular contact with Putin since leaving office, speaking to him as many as seven times by phone. "That is false," Trump said. But then the Kremlin confirmed Trump had secretly sent Putin some Abbott Point of Care COVID test machines, prompting Woodward to joke yesterday, "I’m now in the future going to remember to call the Kremlin if I’ve written something about Russia." And when asked yesterday by Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait during a sit-down event at the Economic Club of Chicago whether the alleged conversations with Putin happened, Trump sidestepped with a direct denial. "Well, I don’t comment on that," Trump said. "But I will tell you that if I did, it’s a smart thing. If I’m friendly with people, if I have a relationship with people, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing, in terms of a country." One possible reason for Trump's nondenial may be the Logan Act, a provision of U.S. Code that states: Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. Trump has been boasting for months that he will be able to end the war in Ukraine as soon as he's named the winner of next month's election with a phone call. The denials, Woodward writes, don't add up. "I make it as a kind of affirmation to say it’s a smart thing," Woodward said last night on CNN. BURNS: 'PUTIN'S GOT A PLAN': In Chapter 75 of War, Woodward cites CIA Director William Burns as assessing that Putin is "playing" Trump by appealing to his vanity and his belief that he's a master deal-maker. "Putin manipulates," Burns told Woodward. "He's professionally trained to do that." "Before the 2016 election Putin made a comment about Trump in Russian that was interpreted in English as saying he thought Trump was 'brilliant,'" Woodward writes. "The actual Russian word was colorful, which is not exactly the same kind of compliment," he quotes Burns as saying. "Now, that’s not some political opponent saying that about Trump. That’s the CIA director who is steeped in the analysis, in this idea," Woodward said in the CNN interview. "And I know they have very good intelligence on this. What’s Putin trying to do? He’s trying to play Donald Trump." ESPER: 'WE SHOULD TAKE THOSE WORDS SERIOUSLY': Trump's last Senate-confirmed defense secretary, Mark Esper, who was fired by Trump in part for opposing his desire to use active-duty troops against mostly peaceful protesters, is warning that Trump's latest reference to using the military against "enemy from within," whom he described as "sick, radical-left lunatics," should be taken seriously. "Absolutely. He’s spoken about this before," Esper said on CNN Monday night. "If you recall a year ago or so, he spoke about a second Trump term being about retribution. So yes, I think we should take those words seriously." Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) argues Trump's comments are being blown out of proportion. "I think it’s responsible to discuss deploying the National Guard, which is clearly part of the military, to keep our streets safe, to keep rioters out of the street," Waltz, a former Green Beret, said on CNN. "Everyone is welcome to protest peacefully, but when it exceeds that into violence, as it did many times in 2020, then the National Guard was deployed and should be deployed, and that has happened in a bipartisan way across many administrations." But former national security adviser John Bolton, who was also fired by Trump, said that "Republicans who are supporting Trump through gritted teeth" need to think twice. "I think many really don’t want to vote for Trump. They wish they had another nominee, but they’re prepared to vote for him. And they’re rationalizing what Trump says, thinking that it’s not going to be as bad as what Trump himself is saying." "This will be a retribution presidency, and it will not be just against extreme left-wingers," Bolton said on CNN. "It will be against people who are Republicans and conservatives who stood against Trump. And it will be against people in the military like [former Joint Chiefs Chairman] Mark Milley, who I think justifiably worries that Trump will call him back to active duty so he can court-martial [him]." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Stacey Dec. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is traveling to Brussels today for tomorrow's meeting of NATO defense ministers. NATO's new secretary-general, Mark Rutte, has a news conference scheduled for 10 a.m. Eastern time, which will be livestreamed on the NATO website. The two-day ministerial conference includes a working dinner session of the NATO-Ukraine Council and comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to appeal for more weapons, ammunition, and equipment to be rushed to Ukraine as Russia is pressing its grinding efforts to claw back territory captured by Ukraine over the past year. It also comes as the U.S. is looking into reports that North Korean troops are operating side by side with Russian forces in Ukraine. "If true, it would represent a significant deepening of that relationship," John Kirby, White House national security communications adviser, told reporters on a conference call yesterday. "It would also, if true, indicate what I think can only be classified as a new level of desperation by Putin." "I’m not confirming the reporting," Kirby stressed. "It’s coming at a time when Russia continues to suffer extraordinary, in fact, I’d go so far as to say historic levels of casualties in a modern conflict. I mean, more than 1,000 casualties per day just in recent months." US TO ISRAEL: GAZA SITUATION ‘INCREASINGLY DIRE': The White House did confirm that a letter signed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been sent to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warning Israel it could risk losing U.S. weapons funding if it does not step up humanitarian aid to Gaza. "We are now writing to underscore the U.S. government's deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, and seek urgent and sustained action by your government this month to reverse this trajectory," Blinken and Austin write in the five-page letter. "The humanitarian situation for over two million civilians in Gaza is increasingly dire." "This particular letter that we’re talking about now follows a relatively recent decrease in humanitarian assistance reaching the people of Gaza, which is obviously something we’ve been very, very concerned about since the beginning of the conflict," Kirby told reporters during yesterday's teleconference. "I would note that the Biden-Harris administration made a similar request for concrete measures with respect to humanitarian assistance back in April through a similar forum, a letter, and that letter did receive a constructive response from the Israelis." BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S WARNING TO ISRAEL 'NOT MEANT AS A THREAT' DADT SEPARATIONS GET HONORABLE DISCHARGES: The Pentagon has announced that after a review ordered by Austin last year, more than 800 veterans who were dishonorably discharged based on their sexual orientation during the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" era between 1994 and 2011 will have their records amended to honorable discharges, which in some cases will entitle them to additional benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. "What this means is that of the nearly 13,500 individuals who were administratively separated under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and served long enough to receive a merit-based characterization of service, 96% now have an honorable discharge," Austin said in a statement. "Brave LGBTQ+ Americans have long volunteered to serve the country that they love," Austin said. "We will continue to honor the service and the sacrifice of all our troops — including the brave Americans who raised their hands to serve but were turned away because of whom they love. We will continue to strive to do right by every American patriot who has honorably served their country." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: US threatens to pull foreign military aid to Israel over Gaza humanitarian situation Washington Examiner: Biden administration's warning to Israel 'not meant as a threat' Washington Examiner: Israel's Gallant hints at 'precise and deadly' Iranian retaliation Washington Examiner: Deadly Hezbollah attack demonstrates Israel's drone vulnerability Washington Examiner: US warns Iran against making attempts on Trump's life Washington Post: Israel's War On Hezbollah Extends To Eastern Lebanon Reuters: China Won’t Renounce Use Of Force Over Taiwan; Xi Visits Frontline Island Breaking Defense: China's Military Maneuvers Around Taiwan Meant to Send Signal: Analysts Washington Times: Chinese Military Buildup On 'Very Dangerous Trajectory,' Pacific Commander Warns Stars and Stripes: Russian Sabotage Is Escalating Risk Of Greater Conflict In Europe, Army's Williams Says Air & Space Forces Magazine: Allvin Talks Up Speed with Indo-Pacific Air Chiefs During Visit to Region Air & Space Forces Magazine: Army Leaders: Base Defense Must Grow to Meet Air Force Demand The War Zone: Army Already Preparing For V-280 Valor to Dramatically Transform Air Assaults The Hill: Russia, China Collaborating with Criminal Networks in Cyberattacks Against Adversaries: Microsoft SpaceNews: Who's in Charge of Preventing and Responding to Cyberattacks? Defense News: For Replicator 2, Army Wants AI-Enabled Counter-Drone Tech Defense One: Protest Puts Army's HADES Spy Plane on Hold Breaking Defense: New National Guard Chief Nordhaus Takes Stage as Helene, Milton Recovery Continues Air & Space Forces Magazine: Far-Flung Guardsmen Still in Southeast as Hurricane Recovery Continues Military.com: To See Crash Info, Air Force Maintainers Must Now Sign Non-Disclosure Agreements Air & Space Forces Magazine: How to Keep Up in a Software-Defined World ABC News: Navy Jet Crashes Near Mount Rainier With 2 Crew Members Onboard, Officials Say Real Clear World: Cooler Heads Must Prevail Between U.S. & Iran National Security Journal: Iran Seems Destined to Have ICBMs (Tipped with Nuclear Weapons) National Security Journal: Can China Deploy 6 Aircraft Carriers By 2035? National Security Journal: The Navy's Columbia-Class Submarines Will Cost $132,000,000,000 (and Delays Look Likely) The Cipher Brief: Why the 'Cold War' With China is Different – and Potentially More Dangerous The Cipher Brief: The Axis of Authoritarians – and A Dangerous World The Cipher Brief: China is Courting Thailand. Here's Why the U.S. Should Care THE CALENDAR: WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 16 7:30 a.m. — Final day of the Association of the U.S. Army 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition, with Army Secretary Christine Wormuth speaking at 10 a.m. at the Army Civilian Showcase and Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George joining a panel discussion at 10:30 a.m. ausa.org/ausa-live-streams 8 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council in-person and virtual discussion: “The Navy 2024 Navigation Plan,” with Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations, and retired Marine Gen. James Jones, executive chairman emeritus of the Atlantic Council and former U.S. national security adviser https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/a-conversation-with-admiral-lisa-franchetti 9 a.m. 2101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Virginia — National Defense Industrial Association CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) Fall Quarterly Forum: "Implementing DOD Biodefense Posture Review," with Brandi Vann https://www.ndia.org/events/2024/10/16/cbrn-quarterly-fall-forum 10 a.m. (4 p.m. local) Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte news conference ahead of Thursday's defense ministerial meeting at NATO Headquarters https://www.nato.int 10:45 a.m. — Google Public Sector Summit with Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations https://googlepublicsectorsummit.upgather.com 1 p.m. — Truman Center virtual book discussion: Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security, with author Sherri Goodman, advisory councilwoman at the Truman Center; Katie MacDonald, co-founder and managing partner at Tailwind and a member of the Truman National Security Project; and Tony Johnson, CEO and president of the Truman Center https://www.trumancenter.org/news-posts/book-talk 2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Sasakawa Peace Foundation conference: “Extended Deterrence in Asia,” with retired Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Adm. Tomohisa Takei, SPF senior fellow; former Japanese Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobukatsu Kanehara; executive director of SPF; M. Elaine Bunn, nonresident senior adviser at the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues; and Franklin Miller, nonresident senior adviser at the CSIS International Security Program https://www.csis.org/events/csis-sasakawa-peace-foundation-conference 2 p.m. 1779 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Carnegie Endowment for International Peace discussion: “China Evolving Nuclear Policy: What It Means for U.S. Security and International Stability,” with James Acton, co-director of the CEIP Nuclear Policy Program; Fiona Cunningham, nonresident scholar at the CEIP Nuclear Policy Program; Tong Zhao, senior fellow at the CEIP Nuclear Policy Program; and William Hennigan, New York Times opinion correspondent https://carnegieendowment.org/events/2024/10/chinas-evolving-nuclear-policy THURSDAY | OCTOBER 17 3 a.m. Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte makes "doorstep" remarks at the start of a two-day meeting of defense ministers at NATO Headquarters https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news 8:30 a.m. Brussels, Belgium — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte make remarks at NATO Headquarters at the start of a two-day defense ministers meeting https://www.nato.int/ 9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Strengthening the Allied Industrial Base,” with Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA); South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Hyun-dong Cho; Steve Brock, senior adviser to the Navy secretary; Sang-bong Lee, head of engineering and design, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Jim Schirmer, senior vice president and deputy managing director, American Rheinmetall Vehicles; Michael Kuenzli, deputy to the deputy assistant Army secretary for defense exports and cooperation; Mike Smith, CEO, Hanwha Defense USA; and Rob Murray, chief innovation officer, Saab https://www.hudson.org/events/strengthening-allied-industrial-base 12 p.m. Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte holds a news conference at the end of Day One of a meeting of defense ministers at NATO Headquarters https://www.nato.int/ 5 p.m. — Council for a Livable World, J Street, and Foreign Policy for America virtual discussion: beginning at 5 p.m., on “Election 2024: The Future of Progressive Foreign Policy,” with John Tierney, executive director of the Council for a Livable World; Connor Murray, political director, Council for a Livable World; Jeremy Ben-Ami, president, J Street; Tali deGroot, national political director, J Street; Andrew Albertson, executive director, Foreign Policy for America; Willa Lerner, political manager of Foreign Policy for America; and Anna Schumann, communications director, the Council for a Livable World https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register FRIDAY | OCTOBER 18 6:15 a.m. (12 p.m. local) Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte holds a news conference at the end of a meeting of defense ministers at NATO Headquarters https://www.nato.int/ 8:45 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations inaugural conference: “The Future of Critical Minerals and National Security," with former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon; retired Army Gen. Paul Kern, former U.S. Ambassador to Algeria, South Africa, and Indonesia Cameron Hume; and Rogier de la Rambelje, head of mining at EAS Advisors https://www.csis.org/events/future-critical-minerals-and-national-security 10 a.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center Global Europe Program, the Wilson Center Kennan Institute, and the Wilson Center Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition discussion: “Disrupting Russia Artillery Supply Chain,” with Jack Watling, global fellow, Wilson Center Global Europe Program and senior research fellow for land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute; Sam Cranny-Evans, associate, Open Source Centre; and Robin Quinville, director, Wilson Center Global Europe Program https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/disrupting-russias-artillery-supply-chain 10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Integration for Innovation: A Report of the CNAS Defense Technology Task Force,” with former Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work; Ellen Lord, former defense undersecretary for acquisition and sustainment; Michael Brown, former director, Defense Innovation Unit; and Andrew Metrick, former executive director, CNAS Defense Technology Task Force https://www.cnas.org/events/virtual-event-integration-for-innovation12:30 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs book discussion: A Call to Action: Lessons from Ukraine for the Future Force, with co-editor John Nagl, professor of warfighting studies at the U.S. Army War College; co-editor Col. Katie Crombie, chief of the Defense Department Joint Operational War Plans Division; Lt. Col. Stephen Trynosky of the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness; Michael Hackett, State Department foreign service officer; and Matthew Levinger, director of the GWU National Security Studies Program https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/a-call-to-action-lessons-from-ukraine-for-the-future-force | | | | "This comes out in the book, and Trump, as happens, he immediately denies it. I was astonished. The Kremlin issued a statement saying, 'No, this is true.' I don't know. I'm now in the future going to remember to call the Kremlin if I've written something about Russia." | | Bob Woodward, in a Washington Post Live discussion Monday, about the revelation that while he was president, Donald Trump sent scarce COVID testing machines to Russian President Vladimir Putin |
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