The Unknown Known: Watch Donald Rumsfeld come clean about his political career

YouTube

Watch On

Documentarian Errol Morris, whose films have focused on everyone from former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to the culprits behind the Abu Ghraib photographs, is no stranger to headline-grabbing political figures. But his latest documentary, The Unknown Known, might turn out to be his most controversial yet. The upcoming film tackles the life and career of Donald Rumsfeld, who in a decades-long political career served in Congress, weathered the Watergate scandal, and infamously oversaw the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Though this glimpse of The Unknown Known is less than three minutes long, it provides some intriguing insights into Rumsfeld's character. When asked whether he might eventually have become president if Ronald Reagan had chosen him over George H.W. Bush as his running mate, Rumsfeld concedes, "That's possible." Rumsfeld goes on discusses how the 9/11 hijackers managed to carry out their attack, which occurred during his tenure as secretary of Defense under George W. Bush.

More than anything, though, The Unknown Known seems intent on capturing Rumsfeld himself. "When Shakespeare wrote history, the motivating force was character defects, jealousies, etc. etc. Maybe Shakespeare got it wrong," says Morris. "Maybe he got it right," replies Rumsfeld.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

What kind of other insights into Rumsfeld's character and career will the film provide? We'll find out when The Unknown Known hits theaters in limited release in April.