MOBILIZING THE NATIONAL GUARD?
AND HOW DO WE PREVENT THIS KIND
OF ATTACK FROM EVER HAPPENING
AGAIN?
JOINING ME NOW, MINNESOTA
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR AMY KLOBUCAR,
WHO CO-CHAIRED YESTERDAY’S
HEARINGS AND IS THE CHAIRWOMAN
OF THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE.
>> THANKS, ANDREA.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WHAT A HEARING YOU GUYS HELD.
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE FBI
THREAT FIRST OF ALL.
JANUARY 5th, THE DAY BEFORE,
NIGHT BEFORE, THERE’S A CLEAR
THREAT REPORT, AN EMAIL WARNING,
YOU KNOW, THAT WE’RE GOING TO --
THAT WAR IS COMING.
THE KEY WITNESSES WHO WERE IN
CHARGE HAD NOT SEEN IT.
HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?
DO YOU BLAME THE FBI FOR NOT
FLAGGING IT?
ALL THE EMAILS PEOPLE GET.
IS IT THE SYSTEM THAT THERE’S
NOT BETTER COMMUNICATION?
IT DOES RECALL THE KIND OF STOVE
PIPING WE SAW BEFORE 9/11.
>> EXACTLY.
WE’LL BE ASKING THE FBI THAT
NEXT WEEK, REALLY TWO
OPPORTUNITIES.
DIRECTOR WRAY WILL BE TESTIFYING
TUESDAY BEFORE THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE AND SENATOR PETERS AND
I ARE HOLDING ANOTHER BIPARTISAN
JOINT COMMITTEE THE NEXT DAY.
AND WE’LL BE HAVING WITNESSES
FROM THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT AS
WELL AS HOMELAND SECURITY AND
THE FBI TO ASK THAT VERY
QUESTION.
BUT IT DOES DEFY REALLY ANY KIND
OF PRUDENT LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT
NO ONE ON THE END OF THE CAPITOL
POLICE OR THE SARGENT AT ARMS
SOMEHOW SAW THAT FROM THE
NORFOLK FIELD OFFICE, BECAUSE IT
DID SAY THAT THERE WERE SOCIAL
MEDIA REPORTS THAT THEY WERE
GOING FOR WAR.
IT’S ON BOTH SIDES.
YOU CAN’T SEND AN EMAIL LATE AT
NIGHT AND PUSH SEND WHEN IT’S
THE U.S. CAPITOL THAT IS THE
TARGET OF THEIR ASPIRATIONS.
BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU
HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE.
I THINK, ONE, WE LEARNED THERE
WERE INTELLIGENCE BREAKDOWNS
LIKE THAT ONE.
TWO, THE WAY THIS WORKED WITH
THE CAPITOL POLICE IS VERY
DISTURBING BECAUSE THE POLICE
CHIEF HAS TO GO TO THEM FOR
PERMISSION.
IT APPEARS HE FELT EVEN IN A
CRISIS.
WHILE THOSE TWO SERGEANT AT ARMS
WERE GUARDING THE SENATE AND THE
HOUSE AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE
DOING THAT, TRYING TO PROTECT
THE MEMBERS, HE WAS CALLING THEM
TO ASK TO STRATEGIZE ABOUT WHAT
TO DO.
NONE OF THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE IN
A NORMAL POLICE HIERARCHY
SYSTEM, AND WE NEED TO CHANGE
THAT AS WELL AS BETTER
INTELLIGENCE SHARING.
>> THE OTHER STUNNING TESTIMONY
WE HEARD TUESDAY CAME FROM THE
ACTING D.C. POLICE CHIEF, ROBERT
CONTEE.
TALKING ABOUT THEIR DISCUSSIONS
WITH MILITARY LEADERS ON TRYING
TO GET THE NATIONAL GUARD
DEPLOYED.
LET ME PLAY THAT FOR YOU.
>> THERE WERE SEVERAL ARMY
OFFICIALS THAT WERE ON CALL.
I DON’T KNOW ALL BY NAME WHO
WERE ON CALL.
SEVERAL OFFICIALS FROM DISTRICT
GOVERNMENT.
THE CHIEF’S SON WAS PLEADING FOR
DEPLOYMENT OF THE NATIONAL
GUARD.
IN RESPONSE TO THAT, THERE WAS
NOT AN IMMEDIATE YES, THE
NATIONAL GUARD IS RESPONDING.
THE RESPONSE WAS MORE ASKING
ABOUT THE PLAN THAT -- YOU KNOW,
WHAT WAS THE PLAN FOR THE
NATIONAL GUARD.
I WAS JUST STUNNED THAT, YOU
KNOW, I HAVE OFFICERS THAT WERE
OUT THERE LITERALLY FIGHTING FOR
THEIR LIVES AND WE’RE KIND OF
GOING THROUGH WHAT SEEMED LIKE
AN EXERCISE TO CHECK THE BOXES.
>> NOW, THE PENTAGON DIDN’T
REVEAL THIS RIGHT AWAY.
THEY, IN FACT, LIED ABOUT IT.
BUT ONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THAT
CALL WAS GENERAL CHARLES FLYNN,
I REMEMBER, WHO IS MICHAEL
FLYNN’S BROTHER.
MICHAEL FLYNN WAS ONE OF THE
LEADERS OF THE WHOLE PROTEST
GROUP.
DOES THAT DISTURB YOU?
>> YES.
AND THAT TESTIMONY FROM THE
ACTING POLICE CHIEF OF THE
METROPOLITAN POLICE, WHO DID A
VERY GOOD AT THIS HEARING, THAT
WAS VERY CHILLING.
AND THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS
THAT WE’RE CALLING
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
THERE’S TWO ELEMENTS.
ONE, THE NATIONAL GUARD, TO GET
THEM MOBILIZED, USUALLY DO IT IN
ADVANCE, AT LEAST 24 HOURS, 36
HOURS, AT BEST FOR A BIG EVENT,
A WEEK IN ADVANCE.
THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN HERE, AND
THAT IS IN PART BECAUSE OF THE
INTELLIGENCE BREAKDOWNS WITH THE
CAPITOL POLICE AND OTHERS.
BUT THEN YOU HAD THE SECOND
PIECE, WHICH WHEN THE CRISIS WAS
GOING ON, WHY WAS THERE ANY KIND
OF DELAY AT ALL AND WHY DIDN’T
THEY IMMEDIATELY SAY WE’RE GOING
TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN RIGHT
NOW?
AND THAT’S A QUESTION WE WANT TO
ASK OF THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT.
>> I WANT TO ALSO ASK YOU ABOUT
FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS, NANCY
PELOSI HAS AT LEAST A DRAFT
PROPOSAL FOR A 9/11-STYLE
COMMISSION.
I COVERED THE 9/11 COMMISSION
AND TOM CAINE AND LEE HAMILTON,
THE BIPARTISAN LEADERS, HAVE
REPORTEDLY TOLD POLITICO THAT
THIS PLAN IS NOT IDEAL AT ALL,
ESPECIALLY IN THIS POLITICIZED
ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE IT DOESN’T
HAVE EQUAL NUMBER OF DEMOCRATS
AND REPUBLICANS AND EQUAL
SUBPOENA POWER AND IT COULD BE
DOOMED FROM THE BEGINNING TO NOT
BE CREDIBLE TO TRY TO ALLAY ALL
OF THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES OUT
THERE.
>> WELL, I WANT TO LOOK AT THIS.
I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THIS DRAFT
THAT I HEARD HAS BEEN FLOATING
AROUND.
BUT I THINK IN CONCEPT, THE IDEA
TO HAVE A COMMISSION IS A GOOD
ONE.
YOU CAN DIG DEEPER THAN WE CAN
IN THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS.
BUT THERE’S ONE PIECE THAT’S
GETTING MISSED HERE WHEN WE
DISCUSS THIS.
SENATOR PETERS AND I FOCUSED ON
DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO
UNCOVER WHAT WENT WRONG AT THE
CAPITOL AND THEN USE THOSE
ANSWERS TO COME UP WITH
SOLUTIONS TO FIX THINGS.
THE ONE PIECE THAT IS SO
IMPORTANT IS THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT, MERRICK GARLAND
GETTING PUT IN PLACE, GUPTA AND
LISA MONACO AND KRISTEN CLARK,
BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE AS
WE KNOW THE FBI HAVE MADE
HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, THERE HAVE
BEEN CHARGES, MAJOR INDICTMENT
AGAINST THE PROUD BOY MEMBERS,
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AT ITS
CORE.
WHO FUNDED THIS?
WHERE DID IT GO?
AS WE LOOK AT ALL OF THESE IDEAS
FOR COMMISSIONS AND HEARINGS,
VERY IMPORTANT, BUT TO ME, THE
BIG THING, ANDREA, IS WHO WAS
INVOLVED, WHO’S RESPONSIBLE, WHO
CREEATED AND COMMITTED CRIMINAL
ACTS THAT SHOULD HOLD THEM
ACCOUNTABLE.
I REALLY APPRECIATED MERRICK
GARLAND’S HEARTFELT SUPPORT OF
GOING AFTER WHITE SUPREME
SCHISM.
HIS ONLY EXPERIENCE WITH HIS
FAMILY COMING TO THE UNITED
STATES LEAVING THE NAZIS IN
SEARCH OF A SAFE HAVEN.
HE REALLY UNDERSTANDS WHY THIS
IS SO IMPORTANT.
>> THAT WAS QUITE A MOMENT
INDEED.
I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY ASK YOU
ABOUT NEERA TANDEN AND SOME OF
YOUR COLLEAGUES, SENATOR MANCHIN
OPPOSING HER, OPPOSING HER FOR
HER PAST TWEETS AND FOR BEING
TOO PARTISAN.
BUT THESE SAME PEOPLE VOTED FOR
RICK GREWUNEL, MORE TOXIC THAN
ANYONE ELSE, ON TWITTER, AND
CERTAINLY THE FORMER PRESIDENT,
DONALD J. TRUMP, WAS THE WORST
BULLIER IN CHIEF ON TWITTER.
>> SO I THINK NEERA WOULD BE --
>> IS IT SEXISM OR -- YOU
KNOW --
>> LET ME START WITH NEERA
TANDEN.
>> IT’S LIKE A DOUBLE STANDARD.
>> SHE WOULD BE A GREAT DIRECTOR
OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET.
THE PRESIDENT IS STANDING BY HER
FIRMLY.
LOOKING FOR VOTES OF COURSE ON
THE REPUBLICAN SIDE.
YOU NOAKNOW WASHINGTON.
THINGS CHANGE.
SHE WROTE A COLUMN ASKING FOR
REPUBLICANS TO SUPPORT HER
SAYING THEY MAY NOT AGREE WITH
HER ON EVERYTHING, BUT SHE’S A
TOUGH PERSON FOR A TOUGH JOB,
AND SHE HAS APOLOGIZED FOR THOSE
TWEETS VERY CLEARLY.
AS YOU SAID, WHILE SENATOR
MANCHIN HAS NOW SUPPORTED
PRESIDENT TRUMP, LET’S MAKE THAT
CLEAR, BUT A NUMBER OF THE
REPUBLICANS THAT REALLY CLOSED
THEIR EYES TO THOSE TWEETS.
AND SHE’S APOLOGIZED.
I THINK SHE’D BE GOOD AT THE
JOB, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
THINKS SHE’D BE GOOD AT THE JOB.
SO I KNOW THEY’RE CONTINUING TO
WORK ON GETTING SUPPORT FOR HER.
>> I DIDN’T MEAN TO SUGGEST THAT
SENATOR MANCHIN SUPPORTED --
CERTAINLY HE DID VOTE FOR RICK
GRUNEL.
>> YES.
>> FAIR ENOUGH.
THANKS FOR FIXING THAT.
SENATOR AMY KLOBUCAR, YOU HAVE
YOUR WORK CUT OUT FOR YOU.
>> EXCITED ABOUT THE JOHNSON &
JOHNSON VACCINE, ANDREA, AND ALL
THAT’S HAPPENING, 70% INCREASE
IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINES
OVER THE FIRST WEEK THAT JOE
BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS TOOK