'Most puzzling': Trump first week decision leaves Morning Joe hosts baffled

Donald Trump revoked the government-funded security details from some of his former administration officials turned critics, but panelists on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" expressed surprise about one of the individuals who was targeted.

The president ended Secret Service protection for former secretary of state Mike Pompeo and his top aide, Brian Hook, as well as former National Security Adviser John Bolton – all of whom had been targeted by Iran for assassination – and canceled the federal protection provided to his former Covid-19 adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and other Republicans have urged him to reconsider.

"Well, they're concerned not just for those who are now exposed to possible assassination squads from Iran," Scarborough said. "They're also concerned about how it impacts government, people who are serving in the government today. Will they be afraid to take certain steps because they may be exposed?

"Yeah, they may be exposed when they get out of public service, and so that is the real question. You know, a lot of debates over Secret Service protection being taken away from Anthony Fauci and others. The thing, though, that really sends a chill in the defense community and the intel community are, of course, Pompeo and Bolton, but especially Brian Hook, which is interesting."

"You know, I've been in meetings, I've been around tables with Brian Hook," he added. "I've never heard him criticize Donald Trump or the Trump administration, and, in fact, he's a pretty loyal soldier. His job was obviously to protect us from the Iranian threat, and so I think a lot of people, a lot of people on the Hill and a lot of people in the State Department are shocked that Brian Hook, of all people, also getting his security detail taken away when the threat, as Sen. Cotton said, is very real from Iran."

Co-host Jonathan Lemire was also baffled by Trump's decision on Hook, although he was less surprised that he had sought to punish Bolton, an outspoken critic, and even Pompeo.

"That's the most puzzling one," Lemire said. "John Bolton, the most obvious. Bolton has been a very outspoken critic of Donald Trump, but even Mike Pompeo – of course, Trump appointed him both as CIA director and secretary of state in the first term, and the Iran threat does remain real. Let's remember that during this past campaign, the Biden administration warned that Iran was actively trying to potentially assassinate Donald Trump during that campaign. Iran has denied that. We know there were other attempts on Trump's life, but the threat does remain, and now that Trump is returned to power, you know, there's even more scrutiny on the relationship with Iran."

"So this is something where Republican senators, certainly Graham and Cotton, there may be more today with the Senate back in session this week in Washington, may indeed speak out and say that this was an ill-advised decision," Lemire added. "This was Trump putting personal feelings ahead of security issues."

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