. >> i think the most notable comment was not from trump but instead was from general joe dunford, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff when he said that the best way that we can to remember the people who have fallen whose sacrifices gave us the opportunity to live in freedom was not just to think about them but to think about the ways in which we can serve. you know, we live in an environment in which a very small number of young american men and women are out there defending a very large number of us. we have an all volunteer force,

what's really important i think joe dunford made a very good point of it is that to honor those who haverest of the people in this country. it's not just enough to think about the people who have fallen. >> kevin baron, if you're still with us. i'd like to get your reactions to actually secretary of defense's comments, as well. he made a very powerful connection, if you will, between i guess ancient philosophy and i guess there's a reason why they call him the warrior poet drawing on plato and talking about the people that grace the places and in this particular reference, he was talking about national cemetery in arlington once being a plantation, now housing our most treasured souls. >> yeah, and you know, that's how jim mattis talks when you talk to him in person. call me jim. not general mattis. he'll do the same thing. you never know when sometime in the conversation he'll throw back to some classics but you know, you can tell the difference in the speeches between general dunford fundamental addressing the crowd making that national call to service. i think secretary mattis soundin

, general joe dunford tomorrow in the press bs only the second press conference that defense secretary mattis has held since he has taken up his job here at the pentagon, and we were expecting to hear about the strategy to fight isis and also the way ahead in afghanistan. so that press conference slated for tomorrow, and certainly, all eyes are on nato and the nato coalition as president trump begins his journey tomorrow to the middle east and then onward to meet with nato allies in rom rome. >> jennifer griffin reporting live from the pentagon, thanks very much. the headline here, the united states has dropped ordinance in the southeast of syria in response to syrian forces coming into a deconfliction zone there when they were warned to get out, the united states fired warning shots, in when they did not leave, the united states called and air strikes. those air strikes have now commenced and are now complete, it is our understanding. there is no change in policy. the united states in regards to the syrian civil war. are expecting notices from the pentagon and otherwise in the moments

news alert, secretary of defense james mattis and joint chief stearman to be my chairman general joe dunford holding a press briefing with an update on the campaign to defeat isis. refi listening to this, here's what has come out so far, he essentially has said the anti-isa strategy is working also mentioning that they are isolating on raqqa and working on cutting off isis geographic havens in working on eradicating financing in recruiting efforts, cutting flow of fighters and weapons. we will continue to monitor this news conference as it continues. also this comes as we get new information on the american air strike on syria, hitting forces back and being backed by syrian president assad paid both syria and russia are condemning the strikes with a syrian military source actually saying that they killed several people, including soldiers. in fact it hurts their fight against isis. all of this as president trump is set to make his very first overseas trip. he will be visiting the middle east. let's get to john huddy he joins us live in jerusalem at the very latest. >> julie, syrian and russi

donald trump's chairman of the joint chiefs, joe dunford, called russia the number one national security threat facing the united states. donald trump's intelligence community concluded with high confidence that russian intelligence mounted a massive campaign to disrupt the american election and helped get donald trump elected. we should be pushing back on russia, not inviting them into the oval office and telling them, hey, by the way within guys, i fired comey because the pressure from the trump russian investigation was getting too great. that is not something you would see from any normal rational person occupying the oval office. >> here is the official reaction from the white house. sean spicer put out a statement, press secretary, to "the new york times" bomb shell report. quote, by grand standing and politicizing the investigation into russia's actions james comey created unnecessary pressure on our ability to engage and negotiate with russia. the investigation would have continued and obviously termination of comey would not have ended it. once again the real store i have that o

one of the things that's been successful is general joe dunford who just was nominated for second term successful in organizing our allies within the region to focus on isis and go after them. so what we want to do and i think what the president wants to do is work with the saudis to organize a more permanent long-term solution. my boss dr. herb london calls it a condominium if you will of organizing the arab states into a defense focused capability so that they are more committed to their own defense and collective security than having to ask us to come back over and over again. clayton: if our viewers are just waking up on this saturday morning the president has had a long night. set the scene for you in the lower part of your screen we have former campaign manager corey lewandowski and tony shaffer here to analyze what we are seeing, which is the president arriving in riyadh saudi arabia meeting king salman there on the red carpet. really a beautiful ceremony with multiple cameras and horseback and then the president led into the palace there, the royal palace and you see that colla