In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence,

whether sought or unsought by the military-industrial complex.

The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

That's President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five-star general and a Republican in 1961.

We're listening to his farewell addressed and the first ever reported use of that phrase,

military-industrial complex.

That's the relationship between the military and the people

who make the military's stuff. Defense contractors, arms manufacturers, aerospace companies.

So let's jump to the future. Here is today's president, Donald Trump, making an important

personnel announcement.

Mark Esper, who is a highly respected gentleman with a great career, West Point, Harvard,

a tremendous talent, who's just named acting secretary of defense. I think he'll do very well.

Yes, Esper has a very long career, but one bit of Esper's career President Trump didn't mention.

His years of experience as the most powerful arms lobbyist in America.

Now, Esper is the CEO of the biggest employer in the world, the United States

military, and controls a $700 billion budget, a good chunk of which goes to Esper's

old colleagues in the defense industry.

The lobbyists that reported, the team that reported to me, I oversaw all their activities across

all services, MDA, non-defense activities.

So everything that Raytheon lobbied on, basically.

Yes, man.

That was one of my responsibilities out of several.

...