JON OSSOFF.
>> JOHN: THE UNITED STATES
LEVELLING PERHAPS THE MOST
SERIOUS CHARGE A COUNTRY CAN
FACE, ACCUSING CHINA IN THE LAST
HOUR AND A BIT OF COMMITTING
GENOCIDE AND CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY IN ITS REPRESSION OF
WEAKER MUSLIMS.
SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO
MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT JUST A
SHORT TIME AGO.
HE JOINS US FOR AN EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW.
LET ME JUST READ FROM YOUR
STATEMENT.
YOU SAID, QUOTE, I HAVE
DETERMINED THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC
OF CHINA, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
THE CHINESE PARTY HAS COMMITTED
GENOCIDE.
A SIGNIFICANT DECLARATION, ONE
THAT CHINA WILL OPPOSE
VIGOROUSLY.
BUT ALSO ONE THAT RUNS COUNTER
TO WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S
POSITION HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST
COUPLE OF YEARS.
>> JOHN, THANKS FOR HAVING ME
ON.
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS AND
TRAGIC SET OF ACTIONS THAT ARE
TAKING PLACE THERE IN THE
WESTERN PART OF CHINA.
WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR
AN AWFULLY LONG TIME IN THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
WE SANCTIONED OFFICIALS.
WE HAVE TOLD BUSINESSES THEY
COULDN’T BRING PRODUCTS OUT OF
THOSE REGION.
WE TOLD BUSINESSES THEY COULD BE
TOO CLOSE.
THIS IS FORCED LABOR, FORCED
STERILIZATIONS, FORCED
ABORTIONS, THE KINDS OF THING
WES HAVEN’T SEEN IN AN AWFULLY
LONG TIME IN THIS WORLD.
WE HAVE CONDUCTED AN EXHAUSTIVE
REVIEW OF THE FACTS AND MADE THE
DETERMINATION THAT, IN FACT, THE
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY HAS
COMMITTED THESE CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY, CONTINUING TO TRY AND
DENY THESE PEOPLE.
NOT JUST THE WEAKER MUSLIMS, BUT
OTHER FAITHS AS WELL.
IT CONTINUES TO EXIST TO TRY TO
CREATE AN ETHNIC SET OF
ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVEN’T SEEN IN AN AWFULLY LONG TIME.
IN AN AWFULLY LONG TIME.
I HAVE REFERRED TO THIS AS THE
CRIME OF THE CENTURY.
IT IS TIME TO TRY AND CONVINCE
THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY TO
CEASE THIS TERRIBLE SET OF HUMAN
RIGHTS VIOLATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
TAKING PLACE.
>> JOHN: MR. SECRETARY, SINCE
YOU MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT A
LITTLE MORE THAN AN HOUR AGO, IT
HAS RECEIVED APPROVAL IN THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THEN
CANDIDATE JOE BIDEN PROCLAIMED
ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
NOW OBVIOUSLY WHEN YOU’RE A
CANDIDATE, IT’S MUCH EASIER TO
SAY SOMETHING THAN WHEN YOU ARE
IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
SOME OF YOUR REPUBLICAN
COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING, WHAT TOOK
SO LONG?
>> I’M HAPPY TO ACCEPT THAT
CRITIQUE.
WHAT TOOK SO LONG, WHEN YOU DO
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE TO
BE RIGHT.
THIS WILL BE A BIPARTISAN
ANALYSIS THAT WILL BE SHARED BY
A BROAD SWATH OF AMERICANS.
THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER.
WE DIDN’T TAKE IT LIGHTLY.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK.
THERE WERE VIGOROUS DISCUSSION
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT.
WE RELIED ON FACTS THAT CAME
FROM NONGOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES,
JOURNALISTS, TO MAKE SURE WE HAD
EVERYTHING RIGHT.
WE WOULDN’T HAVE DONE THIS IF WE
DIDN’T THINK THIS DETERMINATION
THAT I ISSUED TODAY WAS PROPER,
APPROPRIATE AND WOULD HOPEFULLY
LEAD TO BETTER LIVES FOR PEOPLE
IN THIS REGION.
THAT, IN THE END, JOHN, IS OUR
OBJECTIVE.
>> JOHN: MR. SECRETARY YOU, LIKE
THE PRESIDENT, ARE IN THE LAST
HOUR OF YOUR TENURE IN THE STATE
DEPARTMENT.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION, WE’RE LOOKING AT
WHAT WE CAN EXPECT WITH COUNTER
INTELLIGENCE CHIEF BILL EVANDINA
SAYING WE HAVE TO EDUCATE
AMERICA SO THEY KNOW WHAT MALIGN
INFLUENCE TASTES LIKE, SMELLS
LIKE, LOOKS LIKE, SO WHEN THEY
SEE IT, THEY CAN CALL IT OUT.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE FOR THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WILL TO
UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE AND SCALE
OF SOME OF THE CHINESE THREATS
AND WHAT IS THE BEST FORCE TO
DEFEAT THAT.
HERE WE HAVE A PRESIDENT-ELECT
WHO NOT LONG AGO SAID CHINA’S
GOING TO EAT OUR LUNCH, COME ON
MAN.
DO YOU BELIEVE THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION WILL BE FULLY E
QUIPPED TO HANDLE WHAT WILL
PEOPLE SAY IS THE GREATEST
FUTURE THREAT FACING AMERICA?
>> JOHN, I’M COUNTING ON IT.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE COUNTING ON IT.
THE WORK PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS
DONE TO IDENTIFY THE RISK.
TALKED ABOUT IT WITH TARIFFS AND
ECONOMIC ISSUES.
TALKED ABOUT IT WITH SPIES
OPERATING.
THE THREAT FROM THE CHINESE
PARTY IS REAL.
WE HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT.
I AM COUNTING ON THE NEXT
ADMINISTRATION CONTINUING OUR
WORK, CONTINUING TO BUILD OUT ON
THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE IN
THE EXACT WAY THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WILL DEMAND IT.
I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE THAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE COME TO
UNDERSTAND THIS CHALLENGE FROM
THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY.
I WILL EXPECT EVERY LEADER TO
CONTINUE TO PROTECT AND SECURE
AMERICAN FREEDOMS.
>> JOHN: ANTHONY BLINKEN BEGINS
HIS CONFIRMATION HEARING IN
ABOUT AN HOUR.
HE SAID IN HIS OPENING
STATEMENT, QUOTE, HUMILITY AND
CONFIDENCE SHOULD BE THE FLIP
SIDE OF AMERICA’S LEADERSHIP
COIN.
HUMILITY BECAUSE WE HAVE A GREAT
DEAL OF WORK TO DO AT HOME TO
ENHANCE OUR STANDING ABROAD.
THERE ARE SOME CRITICS WHO ARE
SAYING THIS SOUNDS LIKE OBAMA
REDUX.
IS HE GOING TO BEGIN WITH AN
APOLOGY TOUR?
>> I SURE HOPE NOT.
I’M PROUD OF THIS COUNTRY.
THIS IS THE MOST EXCEPTIONAL
NATION IN THE HISTORY OF
CIVILIZATION.
I’M PROUD OF THE WORK THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, CHINA.
WE MADE LIFE BETTER FOR PEOPLE
ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.
WE RECOGNIZE THE PEOPLE OF IRAN
AND NORTH KOREA DESERVED BETTER
AND WE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO
ACHIEVE THAT.
LET’S NOT BE AN AMERICA WE
SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR.
WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF THE
GREATNESS, UNIQUENESS AND
EXCEPTIONALISM OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.
>> JOHN: MR. SECRETARY, IT’S
BEEN GOOD TO TALK TO YOU.
WE WISH YOU WELL POST
ADMINISTRATION.