>>> NOW BACK TO BUTTE, WILLIE GEIST IT CONTINUES.
>> JOE, FINALLY AFTER ALMOST A
FULL HOUR OF A TWEET STORM THE
PRESIDENT WHILE SKIMMING THE
TREES BROUGHT IT IN FOR A
LANDING FINALLY WITH ONE LAST
TWEET.
TWEET. HE SAYS THE LYING AND LEAKING BY
THE PEOPLE DOING THE REPORT AND
ALSO BRUCE OHR AND HIS LOVELY
WIFE MOLLY.
WIFE MOLLY. THAT’S NOT HIS WIFE’S NAME IT’S
NELLY.
NELLY. ADDS COMEY OUR GUEST IN A MOMENT
JOHN BRENNAN, CLAPPER AND ALL OF
THE MANY FIRED PEOPLE OF THE FBI
BE LISTED IN THE REPORT.
ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
>> I DON’T THINK HE’S OKAY.
>> WE GOT WITH US NOW THE FORMER
CIA DIRECTOR THE STAR OF THE
PRESIDENT’S LATEST TWEET, JOHN
BRENNAN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY
AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST FOR
MSNBC AND FORMER CHIEF WHITE
HOUSE DOMESTIC POLITICAL ADVISER
UNDER PRESIDENT CARTER AND
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
UNDER PRESIDENT CLINTON.
SO, MR. DIRECTOR, WHAT DO WE
EXPECT TO SEE TODAY?
>> FORGIVE US FOR LAUGHING.
>> I DON’T KNOW WHAT WE EXPECT
TO SEE TODAY BASED ON THAT
TWEET.
TWEET. I THINK MR. TRUMP IS SEEING MORE
AND MORE OF THE WALLS CLOSING IN
ON HIM, WHICH IS WHY HE’S
BECOMING INCREASINGLY DESPERATE,
BUT I THINK SOME OF HIS TWEETS
JUST INDICATE HOW ILL-SUITED HE
IS FOR THE PRESIDENCY AND HIS
HANDLING OF SOME OF THESE ISSUES
DEMONSTRATES AGAIN HE’S
INCOMPETENT.
INCOMPETENT. >> FROM WHAT YOU KNOW AND WHAT
YOU CAN TELL US, WHAT SHOULD THE
PRESIDENT BE MOST FEARFUL OF IN
THE COMING WEEKS?
>> WELL, I THINK THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION -- I WON’T SAY
IT’S COMING TO IN AN END BUT
IT’S BUILDING TO A CRESCENDO
WITH REPORTS COMING OUT.
WHO KNOWS WHAT SEALED
INDICTMENTS ARE ALREADY OUT
THERE.
THERE. NOW THAT MR. TRUMP HAS GIVEN HIS
WRITTEN RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS I
THINK BOB MUELLER AND THE TEAM
WILL FEEL THAT THEY CAN MOVE
FORWARD WITH SOME OF THE OTHER
SHOES THAT WILL BE DROPPING ON
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE INNER
CIRCLE.
CIRCLE. >> DOES DONALD TRUMP FROM WHAT
YOU KNOW AND WHAT YOU CAN TELL
YOU, DOES DONALD TRUMP HAVE MUCH
TO FEAR FROM VLADIMIR PUTIN,
FROM RUSSIA?
FROM RUSSIA? DO THEY HAVE HIM IN A
COMPROMISED POSITION?
COMPROMISED POSITION? >> I THINK IF YOU JUST LOOK AT
HIS TWEETS AND HIS COMMENTS AND
HIS INCREASINGLY DESPERATE
ATTITUDE, I THINK HE HAS A LOT
TO FEAR, WHICH IS WHY HE DON’T
TRY TO DELEGITIMATIZE THE
MUELLER TEMPLE’S EFFORTS AND THE
INVESTIGATION OVERALL.
INVESTIGATION OVERALL. MR. TRUMP KNOWS WHAT HE HAS DONE
IN THE PAST.
HE HAS DEMONSTRATED A LACK OF
ETHIC, A LACK OF PRINCIPLE, AND
WHETHER IT BE IN HIS GOVERNMENT
AFFAIRS OR IN HIS PRIVATE
BUSINESS DEALINGS, THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT’S GOING, TO I
THINK, COME BACK AND HAUNT HIM.
>> LET’S SHIFT FROM MUELLER TO
RUSSIA TO SAUDI ARABIA, SOME OF
DONALD TRUMP’S APOLOGISTS SAY
THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN SAUDI
ARABIA, WHAT HAPPENED TO A
"WASHINGTON POST" COLUMNIST JUST
HAPPENS IN A MATTER OF COURSE IN
A LOT OF COUNTRIES THAT WE ALLY
WITH.
WITH. CAN YOU BLOW THAT LIE TO PIECES
RIGHT NOW?
RIGHT NOW? >> WELL, I THINK IT DEMONSTRATES
HOW UNPRINCIPLED HE IS.
HE LIKES PEOPLE WITH MONEY.
HE LIKES PEOPLE WHO CAN DO
THINGS NOIRM AND ADVICE HISED AA
PROGRAM.
PROGRAM. AS A RESULT OF THE BRIEFINGS
AGAIN BEFORE IEN, MOHAMMAD BIN
SALMAN AUTHORIZED THE KILLING OF
THIS JOURNALIST FOR "THE
WASHINGTON POST".
WASHINGTON POST". THIS IS SOMETHING THE UNITED
STATES SHOULD NEVER IGNORE AND
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES SHOULD COME DOWN LIKE A
TON OF BRICKS ON THE SAUDI
GOVERNMENT AND MAKE IT CLEAR TO
THE KING AND THE REST OF THE
SAUDI ROYAL FAMILY THAT YOU HAVE
YOUR FATE IN YOUR OWN HANDS AS
FAR AS THE U.S. RELATIONSHIP IS
CONCERNED.
CONCERNED. AND IF MOHAMMAD BIN SALMAN STAYS
IN POWER IT WILL TO BE THE GREAT
DETRIMENT OF THE SAUDI KINGDOM.
>> YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THE
PRESIDENT HAS RESPONDED TO THE
SAUDI CRISIS, WE LOOK AT THE WAY
HE’S RESPONDED TO VLADIMIR PUTIN
FOR SOME TIME.
DO YOU HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE
THAT MUCH OF THE PRESIDENT’S
BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THOSE COUNTRIES
HAVE AS MUCH TO DO WITH HIS OWN
FINANCIAL GAIN IN THE PAST AND
POSSIBLY IN THE FUTURE AS IT HAS
TO DO WITH HIS POLITICAL
FORTUNES?
FORTUNES? >> YES, I DO.
>> HIS POLICIES.
>> I FEEL HE’S BEEN DRIVEN BY
MONEY, BY HIS OWN FINANCIAL
SITUATION.
SITUATION. HIS PROFILE AND SO ALL OF THIS,
I THINK, CONTINUES TO BE WRAPPED
UP IN HIS APPROACH TO THESE VERY
IMPORTANT NATIONAL SECURITY
ISSUES WHERE HE PUTS FIRST AND
FOREMOST HIS INTERESTS
FINANCIAL, BUSINESS, PERSONAL
AHEAD OF THE COUNTRY’S.
>> PERHAPS THE UNITED STATES
WOULD NOT BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
TRADE WAR WITH CHINA IF THERE
HAD BEEN TRUMP TOWER BEIJING A
LONG TIME AGO, MAYBE 100 STORY
HOTEL.
HOTEL. BUT THAT IS NOT WHERE WE ARE,
WE’RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TRADE
WAR.
WAR. WE’RE COMING UP ON THE 40th
ANNIVERSARY OF NORMALIZATION OF
RELATIONS IN JANUARY.
>> 40 YEARS AGO.
>> 40 YEARS AGO.
BUT 40 YEARS LATER THINGS ARE
LOOKING FAIRLY BLEAK.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
>> THERE’S NO QUESTION THAT
CHINA TRADE PRACTICES ARE
UNACCEPTABLE.
UNACCEPTABLE. FORCED TECHNOLOGY AND JOINT
VENTURE REQUIREMENT, ACTUAL
THEFT --
THEFT -- >> CAN YOU PATH NUMBER ON THAT
THEFT, BY THE WAY?
>> IN THE TENS OF BILLIONS OF
NUMBERS.
NUMBERS. WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS DOMINATE
THE NEW 5G, 21st TECHNOLOGIES.
THEY CAN’T DO IT INTERNALLY SO
THEY ARE STEALING.
YOU CAN’T MEASURE JUST IN TERMS
OF DOLLARS AND CENTS.
THEY WILL BE ABLE WITH
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE,
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, DRIVERLESS CARS, SENSORS COMES
UP, THEY CAN’T DEVELOP IT
QUICKLY ENOUGH FOR THEMSELVES SO
THEY ARE STEALING IT.
>> WHY IS THIS SUCH A DIFFICULT
PROBLEM FOR THE UNITED STATES TO
TACKLE?
TACKLE? I REMEMBER IN 1995 AND 1996 AND
1997 PASSING -- I NEVER READ IT
BUT MFN LEGISLATION FOR MOST
FAVORED TRADE STATUS TO CHINA
AND WE WOULD ALWAYS SAY EVERY
YEAR OKAY WE’LL PASS IT IN ’95
BUT THEY HAVE TO STOP STEALING
OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.
A YEAR LATER THEY ARE STILL
STEALING IT.
STEALING IT. WE PASS IT AGAIN.
A YEAR LATER THEY ARE STEAL IT
AGAIN AND PASS IT AGAIN.
THEY HAVE BEEN RIPPING OFF OUR
COMPANIES.
COMPANIES. >> I’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN TWO
CYCLES.
CYCLES. ONE IN THE ACTUAL NORMALIZATION
OF RELATIONS WITH DR. BRZEZINSKI
WAS INVOLVED WITH WITH PRESIDENT
CARTER AND THEN WHEN WE GOT IN
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.
THEY HAVE A PERSISTENT PROBLEM.
THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT BUSINESS
MODEL.
MODEL. SORT OF STATE DRIVEERNN STATE
CAPITALISM.
CAPITALISM. THE WAY IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
DEALT WITH IS GETTING OUR
EUROPEAN ALLIES TOGETHER WITH US
BECAUSE THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM
THE SAME PROBLEMS.
INSTEAD BY GOING AFTER OUR
EUROPEAN ALLIES ON THINGS LIKE
ALUMINUM AND STEEL WE’VE DIVIDED
AND GIVEN CHINA A GIFT.
NOW I THINK THE REAL REALITY
THAT CAME OUT OF THE G-20 SUMMIT
IS DESPITE ALL THE RHETORIC, THE
PRESIDENT REALIZES HE DOES NOT
HAVE ALL THE CARDS.
HE SAID THIS IS AN EASY TRADE
WAR TO WIN.
>> TRADE WARS ARE EASY TO WIN.
>> EASY TO WIN BECAUSE THEY HAVE
A BIG CIRCLE.
HE’S FOUND JUST THE OPPOSITE,
THAT WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE
CARDS.
CARDS. THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS THE
STOCK MARKET IS WOBBLING AND
GROWTH IS SLOWING AND HE DOESN’T
WANT TO GO INTO 2020 ELECTION
WITH A TRADE WAR.
I THINK HE’LL DECLARE WHATEVER
HE GETS WHICH IS SOME INCREASE
IN SPENDING THAT BACK CHANNEL ON
OUR GOODS, SOME REDUCTION IN
THEIR THEFT, SOME REDUCTION IN
THEIR JOINT VENTURE REQUIREMENTS
AND DECLARE IT THE GREATEST
TRADE EVER.
TRADE EVER. YOU CAN GO INTO 2020 WITH AN ALL
OUT TRADE WAR.
>> MR. DIRECTOR, WE HAVE QUITE A
FEW NEW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
COMING IN, WILL BE SWORN IN
EARLY JANUARY.
EARLY JANUARY. ADVISE THEM ON HOW TO APPROACH
CHINA.
CHINA. HOW SHOULD THEY VIEW CHINA, IS
CHINA A RIVAL, IS CHINA AN
ENEMY.
ENEMY. HOW DO THEY APPROACH THEIR VIEW
ON CHINA?
ON CHINA? >> WELL, I THINK THEY HAVE TO
GET BRIEFED ON CHINA AND CHINA’S
EVOLUTION OVER THE YEARS.
IT IS A BIG POWERFUL COUNTRY AND
IN SOME AREAS WE’LL COMPETE.
SOME AREAS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
THEY CLEARLY ARE TRYING TO
PURSUE A, THIS ONE BELT, ONE
ROAD STRATEGY WHICH IS GOING
SPREAD CHINA’S INFLUENCE AND
PRESENCE AROUND THE GLOBE BUT
THEY ARE ENCOUNTERING PROBLEMS
WITH THAT IN TERMS OF THE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF INSTABILITY
AND WAR AND CONFLICT IN
DIFFERENT PLACES THAT IS
DISRUPTIVE TO THEIR AIMS.
XI JINPING IS FACING SOME
CRITICISM NOW.
CRITICISM NOW. NOT SERIOUS IN MY MIND IN TERMS
OF ANY THREATS --
>> INTERNAL?
>> INTERNAL? >> SOME INTERNAL BECAUSE THE
PROFILE NOW OF CHINA HAS RISEN
AND IT IS CAUSING SOME REACTION,
INCLUDING FROM WASHINGTON.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT XI JINPING HAS TRIED TO DO
IS TO AVOID CONFRONTATION,
CONTINUE TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE.
UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS
CONFRONTATION.
CONFRONTATION. PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHETHER OR
NOT THEY ARE MOVING TOO FAST,
WITH TOO HIGH A PROFILE AND SO
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE HOW
THIS WILL EVOLVE OVER TIME.
NEW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NEED TO
UNDERSTAND JUST HOW WIDE AND
BROAD CHINA’S INFLUENCE IS.
THEIR ROLE IN TERMS OF NORTH
KOREA, THEIR ROLE IN CYBER,
THEIR ROLE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE WORLD IN THE INDIAN OCEAN,
SOUTH CHINA SEA.
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS
OF CHINESE FOREIGN POLICY AND
ECONOMIC POLICIES THAT ARE
INTERRELATED AND SO THERE ARE NO
SIMPLE SORT OF SOLUTIONS TO THE
CHINA PROBLEM.
CHINA PROBLEM. >> SO MUCH TO GET TO.
WE’LL HAVE MORE WITH DIRECTOR