Elections matter, but how much they matter depends entirely on how free, open and fair they are.

The Saudis and Emiratis blame all of this on Iran. I think they’d have to grant, that as has been said, that the Houthis are an internally generated movement in Yemen and the Saudis were supposed to be dealing with the Houthis, who started out in essence along their border. So one of the things that we’re seeing is a complete failure of Saudi policy toward Yemen over the past 10 years, but the Saudis totally believe that the reason the Houthis are able to succeed militarily is the amount of money, advice, and guns they are receiving from Iran.

I want to be the first guy to reverse a communist revolution.

When you work in the White House you talk to the White House staff all day, so you're talking to the guy who handles the congressional liaison and the guy who's handling domestic politics and the guy who's handling the American economy and so forth.

First impressions matter. Experts say we size up new people in somewhere between 30 seconds and two minutes.

I never said I had no idea about most of the things you said I said I had no idea about.

While all Alawites fear vengeance against their entire community should Assad fall, there are varying degrees of loyalty to the Assads.