Mark...you are letting your antipathy for Donald Trump get in the way of understanding the sophistication of a man such as Admiral Swift...he is Commander of a US Fleet, who was asked a set-up question by an academic in a public setting with the world monitoring...both allies and geo-political rivals. 

There is never going to be an answer provided by any military commander of rank, in any public settling which calls into question military readiness or cohesion or loyalty to their oaths....now behind the scenes and off the record, that might be a different matter...but I'm amazed that you think an Admiral is going to be inclined to publicly support a narrative which calls into question the fitness of the President and the readiness of the military to take actions if ordered....military men of rank are not fools Mark... and academics should think a bit before assuming a gotcha question is going to have a " you got me" response