mcmaster's book at war with ourselves offers an Insider's perspective on the chaotic environment in the Trump White House revealing the dysfunction among top officials during his tenure McMaster was determined to tell Trump what he didn't want to hear leading to his brief tenure as National Security advisor lasting just over a year Trump's obsession with Russia was a major point of contention for McMaster who criticized the president's inability to separate Russian meddling from the legitimacy of his presidency McMaster warned Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a manipulative leader who would never be a true Ally urging Trump to be cautious McMaster portrays Steve Bannon Trump's former Chief strategist as a fawning Court Jester who fueled Trump's sense of grievance and paranoia against his perceived enemies second Secretary of State Rex tillison and Secretary of Defense James Mattis often clashed with Trump viewing him as a dangerous leader who required constant management McMaster and Trump disagreed on key foreign policy issues including the value of American Allies the threat of authoritarian regimes and the future of Afghanistan despite his criticisms McMaster credits Trump for taking decisive action in response to Syria's use of chemical weapons in 2017 unlike his predecessor McMaster acknowledges that Trump's tougher stance on China was a positive shift in US foreign policy addressing China's growing military and economic power the January 6th 20121 Capital assault marked a decisive break between McMaster and Trump leading McMaster to condemn Trump's actions as a betrayal of his oath McMaster criticizes Trump for abandoning his duty to defend the Constitution after his 2020 electoral defeat which he argues stained the US's Global image Trump's distancing from Project 2025 is questionable given the involvement of 140 former Trump officials suggesting Dee rooted plans for a second term mcmaster's Book provides a detailed account of Trump's foreign policy decisions highlighting the challenges of advising a President Who resisted critically advice mcmaster's historical expertise reflected in his previous work on Vietnam shapes his critique of trump drawing parallels between past and present failures in leadership [Music]