ICYMI: Kelly Calls Out Intelligence Officials’ Lack of Clear Answers About Iran War and Consequences to National Security

"You just get this strong sense that they have a very hard time speaking truth to power. And that's how you find yourself in a situation where we are at war with a country with no strategic goal, no plan, no timeline, no end state, no exit strategy."

In case you missed it, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly joined MS NOW's The Briefing with Jen Psaki this week after pressing senior Intelligence officials at a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) hearing for answers on what President Trump knew or didn't know ahead of the escalating conflict with Iran, emphasizing the Administration's lack of strategy. Kelly also warned about the dangers to our national security of the president being surrounded by "yes people."

Watch the full MS NOW interview here. See key excerpts below:

On the Administrations' lack of accountability to the American people…

"It doesn't take you long to figure out that those folks testifying, that work for the President, are performing for the President. That they know there is one audience. We don't matter. Democrats, Republicans on the Committee do not matter. What matters is the guy who might have the TV on in the Oval Office or up there in the personnel quarters of the White House, watching them. And you just get this strong sense that they have a very hard time speaking truth to power. And that's how you find yourself in a situation where we are at war with a country with no strategic goal, no plan, no timeline, no end state, no exit strategy."

On DNI Tulsi Gabbard's deflecting during the hearing…

"As the DNI, part of her job is to try to coordinate all this stuff between these agencies and get an overall picture for the president, but it is also her role to decide what to bring him. And she brings him the stuff at the top of the list-'hey, here's the stuff we have to react to right now. Here's the imminent danger to U.S. citizens, whether it's at home or abroad'. That's in the job description. So, she was just deflecting. […] This president is very rarely honest with the American people about anything, and having a bunch of sycophants around him has just made it worse."