JOEL RUBIN: Let's take a step back here and really be clear. President Trump has been attacking and criticizing the American intelligence community, the people who are responsible for keeping us safe, since he came into office. This is part of a trend. It's been ongoing for over a year, and one has to ask why is he consistently doing this? Consistently attacking the people who in the FBI support law enforcement around the country, who keep terrorists at bay, who attack drug rings. It's a really demoralizing attack, and it's essentially undermining our ability to stay safe.
BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): Joel, is it wrong if you feel targeted by the higher ups in the intelligence community to attack back? Or should you just sit there like a pin cushion and say I guess I'll be railroaded right out of office?
RUBIN: We have to remember here, the president is attacking individuals in positions who have responsibility for protecting the nation. And there is an ongoing investigation led by Robert Mueller that was -- he was a Republican appointee under President Bush, who I also served under as a career officer. And we need to let these investigations play out. Attacking law enforcement by name definitely sends signals about the attacker more than the attacked.
BUCK SEXTON: But he's attacking political appointees by name, and these are people --
RUBIN: Not all of them, no.
SEXTON: These are people -- hold on, I think this is a very important distinction --
RUBIN: [Andrew] McCabe was not --
KILMEADE: Let him finish.
SEXTON: President Trump is not at war with the rank-and-file of the FBI or the CIA. Some people who used to run those organizations, I think, have a vested interest in trying to convince the American people that's what's going on, but it's just false. And I think that anyone who spends time around the rank-and-file, particularly the FBI and the agency, know that there are plenty of people who think that Trump is actually doing a great job. But his focus is on those who had levers of power during the primary -- during the general election campaign and seemed to be abusing them to stop him from being president.
KILMEADE: And Joel, I'm siding with you, too, that I think the president should let the Robert Mueller probe to play out, but he has every right to fight back and defend himself, especially if nobody else will. And if you go on the streets and talk to cops, they feel as though president does have their back. I think you'll agree with me on that.
