Welcome to Beg to Differ. the Bulwerks Weekly Roundtable discussion featuring civil conversation

across the political spectrum from center left to center right.

I'm Mona Charon, syndicated columnist and policy editor of the Bullwork.

I'm joined by our regulars Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution in the Wall Street

Journal, Linda Chavez of the Niskanin Center and Damon Linker of the Week.

We're delighted to welcome as our special guest,

Eric Aidelman, who is rejoining us,

former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy,

former Ambassador, and many other roles, senior roles in government.

So thank you one and all for being here. It is a it's a grim day in American democracy. We had

The president of the United States launch an attack on the capital.

And we are in the midst as we speak

of resignations, of calls for the 25th amendment to be invoked and of course impeachment.

Let's just review before we to set the stage.

Let's just review where we are and Eric I want to start with you

because you orchestrated a letter that an op-ad rather that was

published by all the living ex secretaries of defense warning that the US military can never be used for illegal purposes and

get involved in anything regarding American elections.

And were there people, this was just a few days ago,

did you get any response from people saying, you know, this is a little

overheated, no need to worry, maybe you're being, maybe you're overreacting? I think Chuck

Hagel you told you said had that reaction at first, right?

...