WHEN WE’RE CATALOGING ALL THE TIMES YOU’VE WORN BLACK FACE.
THAT’S WHAT THE PRIME MINISTER
OF CANADA WAS DOING YESTERDAY.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >>> JOINING US NOW, MEMBER OF
THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN JIM HIMES
OF CONNECTICUT.
OF CONNECTICUT. IN ABOUT 90 MINUTES, THE
COMMITTEE IS EXPECTED TO MEET
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH THE
AGAINST COMMUNITY’S INSPECTOR
GENERAL ABOUT THAT WHISTLEBLOWER
COMPLAINT.
COMPLAINT. >> JIM WERE WITH, WOULD YOU LIKE
ABOUT THAT OR JUSTIN TRUDEAU?
>> I’M GLAD I’M NOT GETTING
PULLED IN ON JUSTIN TRUDEAU,
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> THAT’S A NO ON JUSTIN
TRUDEAU.
TRUDEAU. WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO FIND OUT
IN THE HEARING AND ARE THERE ANY
QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT BEON’T B
TO GET THE ANSWERS YOU NEED?
>> THERE ARE TWO THINGS WE NEED
TO KNOW.
TO KNOW. WE NEED TO KNOW THE SUBSTANCE OF
WHAT THIS BHISWHISTLEBLOWER
COMPLAINT IS.
COMPLAINT IS. THERE’S REPORTING THAT THIS MAY
INVOLVE THE PRESIDENT MAKING A
PROMISE TO A FOREIGN LEADER
MAYBE ON A PHONE CALL.
HAD IS NOT SOMETHING I KNOW
ABOUT FROM MY JOB HERE, IT’S
WHAT I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER.
NEVER A COMFORTABLE MOMENT FOR A
HEAVEN CONGRESS.
HEAVEN CONGRESS. SO
SO MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED
THERE.
THERE. WHO KNOWS.
WHO KNOWS. THE SECOND THING OF COURSE WE
NEED TO REESTABLISH, THIS IS
PART OF A LARGER THEME, IS THAT
THE DNI, THE ACTING DNI BROKE
THE LAW WHEN HE DECIDED TO
BASICALLY INTERCEPT THE
INSPECTOR GENERAL’S REPORT TO
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE IN THE
HISTORY OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS AND OF
COURSE IT IS AN ILLEGAL ACT.
THERE IS NOTHING IN THE STATUTE
THAT GIVES THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE THE
AUTHORITY DO WHAT HE DID.
AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SHOULD
BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, WHEN PURE TALKING
ABOUT A CLASSIFIED ENVIRONMENT,
WHEN YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT NSA
AND CIA, YOU EITHER GO THE
ESTABLISHED ROUTES TO TALK ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK IS A
VIOLATION OF THE LAW, THAT IS TO
SAY YOU COME TO CONGRESS THE WAY
THIS WHISTLEBLOWER DOES, OR
MAYBE YOU DO WHAT EDWARD SNOWDEN
DID AND TAKE ALL OF OUR SECRETS
AND PUT THEM OUT THERE.
AMERICA SHOULD THINK HARD OF
WHICH ROUTE THEY PREFER AND THEY
HAVE COMPROMISE.
HAVE COMPROMISE. THE LEGAL ROUTE.
>> WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
BENNY GANTZ AND BENJAMIN
NETANYAHU, VERY CLOSE RACE.
"THE WASHINGTON POST" JUST BROKE
THE HEADLINE THAT ISRAEL --
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN
NETANYAHU AND HIS MAIN RIVAL
HANDED A POSSIBLE POWER SHARING
AGREEMENT TO END POLITICAL
CRISIS.
CRISIS. AND THAT’S ALL THEY SAY.
THEY SAY IT’S A DEVELOPING
STORY, THEY’LL CONTINUE.
>> WHICH WOULD BE A CONCESSION
FOURNETTE
FOURNETTE FOR NETANYAHU.
FOR NETANYAHU. BUT WE’LL STAY ON TOP OF THAT
STORY.
STORY. I WANT TO GO BACK TO THIS IQG
REPORT WITH THIS PERSON THAT
WILL COME AND OFFER YOU
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ABOUT WHO
THE PRESIDENT TALKED TO AND WHAT
THE PROMISE WAS.
WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP FROM
YOUR COMMITTEE BASED ON WHAT YOU
LEARN IN ABOUT 90 MINUTES FROM
NOW DEPENDING ON WHAT IT IS?
THERE’S BEEN SOME SPECULATION
AGAIN, WE SHOULD UNDERLINE WE
DON’T KNOW WHO HE SPOKE TO BUT
THERE’S SPECULATION THAT IT MAY
HAVE BEEN A JULY 31st PHONE CALL
TO VLADIMIR PUTIN THAT WAS
ORIGINALLY CHARACTERED BY THE
WHITE HOUSE AS IT TO TALK ABOUT
SIBERIAN WILDFIRES WHICH RAISED
EYEBROWS AT THE TIME?
WHAT WILL YOU DO NEXT FROM THE
INFORMATION YOU HEAR THIS
MORNING?
MORNING? >> WELL, AND LET’S -- LET’S
REITERATE THAT WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT PRESS REPORTS.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WE DON’T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY IS
IN THE SUBSTAPS OF THIS
IN THE SUBSTANCE OF THIS
COMPLAINT.
COMPLAINT. NOT ALL WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINTS
ARE ABOUT SERIOUS STIFF.
THE
THE STUFF.
STUFF. THE LAW SAYS THESE COMPLAINTS
WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO THE
APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES IN THE
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. IT COULD BE NOTHING, IT COULD BE
SOMETHING VERY, VERY SERIOUS.
YOU KNOW, I ALMOST HATE TO
SPECULATE, BUT IF THE PRESIDENT
MADE SOME KIND OF PROMISE TO
VLADIMIR PUTIN -- AND HERE WE
NEED TO BE CAREFUL TOO.
HE IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO
DECLASSIFY WHATEVER MATERIALS HE
WANTS.
WANTS. HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO
NEGOTIATE WITH FOREIGN LEADERS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST TO SORT OF
PLAY THE OTHER END OF THE
SPECTRUM, IF HE PROMISED
VLADIMIR PUTIN, YOU KNOW, TO
LIFT SANCTION IF THE RUSSIANS
HELP HIM IN THE NEXT ELECTION,
NOW WE HAVE A VERY, VERY SERIOUS
CHALLENGE TO OUR DEMOCRACY.
I’M NOT SAYING IT IT’S’S THAT, I
JUST SAYING IT COULD BE VERY
SERIOUS AND CAN’T SPECULATE
UNTIL WE HEAR FROM THE INSPECTOR
GENERAL.
GENERAL. >> IF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SAID
IT IS OF, QUOTE, URGENT CONCERN.
>> IT’S NOT NOTHING.
IT’S NOT NOTHING.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PRESIDENT,
OF COURSE, IS THAT, YOU KNOW,
THE PRESIDENT VIA TWITTER
THREATENS TO INSINNER RATE NORTH
KOREA WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
IS THAT SERIOUS OR NOT?
AND SO WE’LL HAVE SOME THINKING
TO DO.
TO DO. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. THAT’S A GOOD POINT.
CONGRESSMAN DAVID IGNATIUS HAS A
QUESTION FOR YOU.
DAVID.
DAVID. >> CONGRESSMAN, I JUST WANT TO
ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR OWN SENSE OF
THE ROLE GOING FORWARD OF THE
ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE, JOSEPH MAGUIRE.
THIS IS NOT SOMEBODY PEOPLE KNOW
A LOT ABOUT.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS
YOU’VE GOT FOR MAGUIRE AND HIS
ROLE?
ROLE? >> WELL, THIS GETS US TO THE
PROCESS THAT HE FOLLOWED,
BECAUSE HE VIOLATED A VERY CLEAR
AND EXPLICIT LAW ABOUT HOW HE
TRANSMITS WHISTLEBLOWER
TRANSMITS WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINTS TO THE CONGRESS.
KNOW THERE’S NO A.M.MBIGUITY IN
LAW.
LAW. ONCE THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT A
WHILS BLOWER COMPLAINT IS
SERIOUS, THE DNI BASICALLY HAS A
CLERICAL ROLE.
CLERICAL ROLE. HE SENDS IT TO CONGRESS.
HE DOESN’T CONSULT WITH THE DOJ,
HE SURE DOES NOT CONSULT WITH
THE WHITE HOUSE.
AND THE REASON THAT’S IMPORTANT,
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHY THIS
IS IMPORTANT.
IS IMPORTANT. THE DNI IS THE BOSS.
HE’S THE MAIN MAN IN THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. SO IF YOU’RE A GUY BEAVERING
AWAY IN THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY AND YOU SEE SOMETHING
THAT CONCERNS YOU, REMEMBER, THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TAKES
LETHAL ACTION, IT SUR VEILS
PEOPLE, IT DOES VERY DANGEROUS
STUFF.
STUFF. IF YOU’RE SOME GUY BEAVERING
AWAY AT NSA AND YOU SEE
SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK IS
ELILLEGAL, IF YOU THINK I TAKE
THE ILLEGAL ROUTE AND MY BOSS IS
GOING TO DECIDE WHETHER CONGRESS
GETS TO SEE WHAT I’M WORRIED
ABOUT, THAT WHOLE CHANNEL DOES
NOT WORK.
NOT WORK. AND WE HAVE A PROFOUND INABILITY
TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT TO THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. >> SO CONGRESSMAN, THE QUESTION
IS, WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES
FOR ACTING DIRECTOR MAGUIRE FOR
SUPPRESSING THIS INFORMATION?
JUST STRAIGHT UP, WHAT’S --
WHAT’S YOUR JUDGMENT ABOUT THAT?
>> WELL, HE NEEDS TO BE HELD
ACCOUNTABLE THE WAY ANYBODY ELSE
WHO BREAKS THE LAW IS HELD
ACCOUNTABLE.
ACCOUNTABLE. THIS POINTS TO A MUCH LARGER
ISSUE THAT WE CAN SPEND TEN
SECONDS ON.
SECONDS ON. CORY LEWANDOWSKI COMES TO THE
CONGRESS AND SAYS I DON’T FEEL
LIKE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS.
NO ASSERTION OF ANY LEGITIMATE
PRIVILEGE.
PRIVILEGE. THE DNI IS MAKING UP PRIVILEGES
THAT DON’T EXIST IN THE LAW.
CONGRESS NEEDS TO REBUILD THE
SENSE THAT YOU DON’T GET TO HOLD
IT IN CONTEMPT.
WHEN CONGRESS SAYS YOU GIVE US
ANSWERS, YOU DO IT.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
SAID WE DON’T RECOGNIZE THIS AND
THAT’S NOT THE TWHA COUNTRY
WORKS.
WORKS. MY REPUBLICAN FRIENDS WHO ARE
HIDING IN THE CRACKS IN THE
FLOORBOARDS HERE IN THE CAPITOL,
THEY OUT OUGHT TO REMEMBER THERE
WILL BE A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT
SOMEDAY AND THEY SHOULD ASK
THEMSELVES HOW THAT DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENT FLIPPING THEM THE BIRD
EVERY TIME THEY WANT TO DO
OVERSIGHT OF THE EXECUTIVE WHEN
IS RUN BY A DEMOCRAT.
>> SWITCHING TO IRAN, YESTERDAY
SECRETARY OF STATE POMP WAS IN
THE MIDDLE EAST AND DECLARED
THAT THE ATTACK ON THE OIL FIELD
WAS A, QUOTE, ACT OF WAR.
PRESIDENT BACKED OFF THAT A
LITTLE BIT AND SAID HE WANTED TO
SLOW THINGS DOWN, WANTED TO
CONSIDER WEIGHING HIS OPTIONS
BEFORE DECIDING WHAT DO NEXT.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS HOW
CONCERNING IS IT FOR YOU THAT
THE ADMINISTRATION IS TALKING
OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF HIS MOUTH?
THAT THERE’S SUCH CONFLICTING
MESSAGES FROM WASHINGTON TO BOTH
OUR ALLIES AND OUR POTENTIAL
ADVERSARIES?
ADVERSARIES? >> YEAH, IT’S AN INTERESTING
QUESTION.
QUESTION. I ACTUALLY ASKED THIS IN A
MEETING WITH THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY THE OTHER DAY.
YOU KNOW, SAUDI ARABIA ISN’T
EVEN POINTING THE FINGER AT
IRAN.
IRAN. LOOK, I BELIEVE THAT IRAN WAS
INVOLVED IN THIS.
YOU KNOW, THE HOUTHIS DON’T HAVE
THE TECHNICAL CAPABILITY TO PULL
OFF THAT KIND OF RAID.
WE DON’T KNOW 100% FOR SURE SO
WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. BUT, LOOK, YOU KNOW, POMP’SEO’S
NOT WRONG.
NOT WRONG. WHEN MISSILE’S ATTACK ONE OF
YOUR OIL FIELDS, THAT’S AN ACT
OF WAR.
OF WAR. WHAT DO THE SAUDIS DO ABOUT IT?
IT WAS SAUDI ARABIA THAT WAS
ATTACKED.
ATTACKED. WE’VE SOLD SAUDI ARABIA HUNDREDS
OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF
ADVANCED WEAPONRY.
ADVANCED WEAPONRY. YOU KNOW, I THINK EVERYBODY IF
IT TURNS OUT TO BE IRAN WOULD
FORGIVE THEM FOR DOING A
PROPORTIONATE RESPONSE FOR AN
ACT OF WAR ON THEIR TERRITORY.
THE UNITED STATES IS NOT
OBLIGATED TO DO THAT.
WE ARE NOT THE WORLD’S
POLICEMEN, WE ARE CERTAINLY NOT,
YOU KNOW, A TREATY ALLY OF A
COUNTRY THAT DISMEMBERS
JOURNALISTS, THAT BOMBS SCHOOL
CHILDREN IN YEMEN, THAT WON’T
LET WOMEN OUT OF THE HOUSE
WITHOUT A MALE RELATIVE.
I WANT TO SLOW DOWN THIS NOTION
THAT YOU GUYS WERE PUSHING THAT
SOMEHOW OUR CREDIBILITY, OUR,
YOU KNOW, IRAN NEEDS TO BE
CHECKED, IT NEEDS TO BE PUSHED
BACK ON, BUT IT IS NOT
NECESSARILY THE UNITED STATES’
ROLE TO RETALIATE FOR A STRIKE
THAT THEY MAY HAVE DONE IN SAUDI
ARABIA.
ARABIA. >> ELISE.
>> ELISE. >> CONGRESSMAN, SOME DIPLOMATS
IN THE REGION ARGUE THAT WHEN
IRAQ INVADED KUWAIT IT WAS NOT
CUE TWHAT
CUE TWHAT KUWAIT THAT WENT TO WAR WITH
IRAQ, IT WAS THE UNITED STATES
THAT BUILT THE COALITION AND
STOOD UP THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
ARGUMENT?
ARGUMENT? >> WELL, I THINK THAT THAT IS
WHEN YOU GO TO WAR THAT IS
ABSOLUTELY THE WAY YOU DO IT.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT IF WE GO
TO WAR, THE CONSTITUTION IS VERY
CLEAR THAT THIS INSTITUTION THAT
I’M STANDING IN RIGHT NOW
DECIDES TO DO THAT, NOT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
SO, YES, THAT IS THE WAY TO GO
TO WAR.
TO WAR. BUT, MIKA, WE NEED TO REMEMBER
TWO THINGS THAT HAPPENED AFTER
THE KUWAIT WAR, WHICH WAS
EXACTLY THE WAY ONE DOES THESE
THINGS, GOD BLESS GEORGE H.W.
BUSH.
BUSH. NUMBER ONE, IT WAS A COALITION.
NUMBER TWO, WE NEED TO REMEMBER
THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS CREATED
THE CONDITIONS THAT LED TO THIS
ATTACK.
ATTACK. IF WE WERE STILL IN THE IRAN
NUCLEAR AGREEMENT, WHICH THE
PRESIDENT, A MAN WHO COULDN’T
TELL YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM DECIDED IT
WAS A BAD IDEA THAT HE
DESTROYED, THERE NEVER WOULD
HAVE BEEN AN ATTACK ON SAUDI
ARABIA.
ARABIA. WOULD THE IRANIANS BE BEHAVING
THEMSELVES?
THEMSELVES? NO, THEY WOULDN’T.
BUT WHAT THEY’RE DOING IN SAUDI
ARABIA WITH ALL OF THESE TANKERS
AND ALL THE MISBEHAVING THEY’RE
DOING, THEY’RE DOING BECAUSE WE
WALKED AWAY FROM AN AGREEMENT
THAT WE DIDN’T NEED TO WAURKLK A
FROM.
FROM. WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WE ARE
WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE OF THE
ACTIONS OF DONALD TRUMP.
>> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING ON
THE SHOW THIS MORNING.
WE’LL BE FOLLOWING 9:00 A.M. TO
SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. >>> STILL AHEAD, SILICON VALLEY
AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY USED TO
BE ALLIES.
BE ALLIES. THESE DAYS NOT SO MUCH.
NEW YORK MAGAZINE IS LOOKING AT
THAT BREAKUP AND WHAT IT MEANS
AS WE HEAD TOWARD 2020.
THAT REPORTING IS AHEAD.
>>> AND AS WE GO TO BREAK, A
LOOK AT THE LATEST ISSUE OF TIME
MAGAZINE, THE NEW COVER STORY IS
ABOUT HOW THE E-CIGARETTE MAKER