CROWDS OF SUPPORTERS BEFORE
THEY STORMED THE U.S. CAPITOL
LAST WEEK.
JOINING US NOW FORMER ACTING
HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY
CHAD WOLF.
GOOD MORNING, SIR, WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU.
>> Sandra: YOU SERVED 14 MONTHS
IN YOUR ROLE IN THIS
ADMINISTRATION.
FROM YOUR VIEW, WHAT ROLE DID
THE PRESIDENT PLAY IN LAST
WEEK’S VIOLENCE?
>> WELL, I THINK AS WE LOOK
BACK AT THE EVENTS OF LAST WEEK
I THINK CERTAINLY THE
PRESIDENT’S WORDS MATTER.
I’VE SAID THAT PUBLICLY ON
SEVERAL OCCASIONS NOW.
THE INDIVIDUALS THE STORMED THE
CAPITOL, RIOTERS, CRIMINALS
THAT DID THAT HAVE A LOT OF
BLAME FOR THEIR ACTIONS
THEMSELVES AND I THINK THAT’S
IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND.
I WOULD JUST PIVOT A LITTLE BIT
TO THE EVENTS WE SAW OVER THE
SUMMER.
ACTIONS IN PORTLAND, OAKLAND,
AREAS LIKE THAT WHERE THE
ACTIVITIES OF VERY VIOLENT
INDIVIDUALS TRYING TO BURN DOWN
A COURTHOUSE AND OTHER SIMILAR
TO WHAT WE SAW IN THE CAPITOL
TRYING TO DISRUPT THE WORKINGS
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS VERY
FEW OUTRAGE, VERY FEW OUTSPOKEN
INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THE ATTACK ON
THOSE FEDERAL FACILITIES AND
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
ACROSS THE BOARD THAT
INDIVIDUALS ARE SHOWN THE SAME
TYPE OF OUTRAGE DURING THE
SUMMER WHERE LAW ENFORCE T WAS
UNDER SIEGE.
WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN
PERSPECTIVE.
THE PRESIDENT’S WORDS DO MATTER.
SUPPORTERS AND OTHERS LISTEN TO
HIM.
I EXPRESSED MY DISAPPOINTMENT
IN HIM NOT COMING OUT SOONER
BUT HE HAS DONE IT SINCE THEN.
I ENCOURAGE HIM TO DO MORE OF
THAT.
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND THE
INDIVIDUALS THAT AGAIN ATTACKED
THE CAPITOL HAVE A TREMENDOUS
AMOUNT OF PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY AND AS WE SEE IN
THE NEWS EVERY DAY ARE BEING
HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
>> Sandra: YOU IMMEDIATELY
CONDEMNED THE VIOLENCE YOU SAW
IN THE CAPITOL LAST WEEK AND
IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR THE
PRESIDENT TO DO SO AS WELL AND
SAID IF HE DID, YOU WOULD AGREE
TO STAY ON BOARD THE
ADMINISTRATION UNTIL ITS FINAL
DAY.
THE PRESIDENT DID EVENTUALLY
CONDEMN THAT VIOLENCE BUT STILL
YOU RESIGNED EARLY.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO WALK AWAY?
>> SO AS YOU KNOW, SANDRA, THE
DEPARTMENT OVER THE LAST
SEVERAL MONTHS, THE AUTHORITY
AS THE ACTING SECRETARY HAS
BEEN THE SUBJECT OF LITIGATION
ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS.
AS RECENTLY AS LAST FRIDAY HAD
ANOTHER COURT RULING MISS
GUIDED IN MY OPINION THAT HAD A
NATIONWIDE INJUNCTION.
I DID NOT SEE A LEGAL PATH
FORWARD AND I WANTED TO
PRESERVE THE GOOD WORK THE
DEPARTMENT HAS DONE OVER THE
LAST FOUR YEARS.
WE’VE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT
OF WORK WHETHER WE TALK ABOUT
INCREASE BORDER SECURITY,
RESTORING INTEGRITY TO THE -- I
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE
DEPARTMENT WAS BEST POSITIONED
TO CONTINUE TO FULFILL THOSE
DUTIES AND MAKE DECISIONS, THE
ACTING SECRETARY WILL CONTINUE
TO MAKE DECISIONS OVER THE
COURSE OF THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS
AND INTO THE TRANSITION OF
POWER.
I DID NOT SEE A LEGAL PATH
FORWARD IN THOSE FINAL DAYS AND
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE
DEPARTMENT WAS BEST POSITIONED
AS THAT TRANSITION OF POWER.
>> Sandra: DO YOU WORRY ALL
THAT WORK YOU DID UNDER THIS
ADMINISTRATION WILL BE UNDONE
UNDER THE INCOMING
ADMINISTRATION ESPECIALLY NOW
THAT DEMOCRATS CONTROL THE
SENATE?
>> I THINK THAT’S CERTAINLY A
CONCERN PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU
LOOK AT SOME OF THE BORDER
SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION
SECURITY MEASURES THAT HAVE
PROBABLY BEEN THE MOST DEBATED.
BUT AGAIN I AM EXTREMELY PROUD
OF WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED ON THE
BORDER.
SECURING OUR BORDERS, MAKING
SURE WE HAVE NATIONAL
SOVEREIGNTY.
IT’S A BIG ISSUE.
WHEN YOU TALK TO MEN AND WOMEN
OF THE BORDER PATROL THEY WANT
THE NEW BORDER WALL SYSTEM AND
CRAVED THAT AND THANKFUL FOR
THE PRESIDENT AND THE
DEPARTMENT FOR GIVING THAT TO
THEM.
WE TALKED ABOUT RESTORING
INTEGRITY TO THE IMMIGRATION
SYSTEM.
WHAT WE SAW FOUR YEARS AGO WITH
A SYSTEM THAT WAS BROKEN.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY
THAT.
WE SAW AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF
FRAUD WITHIN THE IMMIGRATION
SYSTEM.
WE HAVE TAKEN A NUMBER OF STEPS
OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS TO
ROOT OUT THAT FRAUD AND BRING
INTEGRITY BACK TO THE
IMMIGRATION SYSTEM.
CERTAINLY SOME OF THE COMMENTS
MADE BY PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN’S
TEAM AS THEY COME IN I THINK
ARE A LITTLE CONCERNING.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE CONTINUE TO
WATCH THAT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY THIS IS
ABOUT PROTECTING THE HOMELAND,
IT’S ABOUT PROTECTING AMERICAN
CITIZENS, NOT ABOUT POLITICS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE
MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN
PLACE OR EVEN NEW MEASURES ARE
DOING JUST THAT AND WE’RE NOT
CATERING TO ONE POLITICAL
SPECTRUM OR IDEOLOGY, ONE SIDE
OF THE AISLE OR THE OTHER.
THIS IS ABOUT THE SECURITY OF
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> Sandra: I WANT TO ASK YOU
ABOUT THE SECURITY AT THE
CAPITOL FOR THE INAUGURATION
NEXT WEEK.
THE "NEW YORK POST" THIS
MORNING HAS A PICTURE WITH THE
HEADLINE BUNKER HILL ON IT.
SOLDIERS CAMPING OUT AT THE
CAPITOL.
20,000 ARE DEPLOYED TO THE
NATION’S CAPITAL.
YOU LOOK AT THE SCENE AND THINK
WELL CERTAINLY THINGS WILL BE
SAFE BUT YOUR EARLY DEPARTURE
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY IS CALLING INTO
QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT THINGS
ARE IN FLUX.
WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK YOUR
DEPARTURE WILL HAVE ON THE
ABILITY TO SECURE THE CAPITOL
FOR THE INAUGURATION?
>> I HEARD THAT CRITICISM.
IT IS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS WHO
DON’T KNOW HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS.
THE THING IN PLACE THROUGHOUT
THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK IS RUN
BY PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
INDIVIDUALS.
COMMAND AND CONTROL BY THE
SECRET SERVICE.
D.O.J., LAW ENFORCEMENT, D.O.D.
NATIONAL GUARD.
M.P.D. IN METRO D.C. AND OTHERS.
IT IS NOW AN OPERATIONAL MATTER
THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
ARE TAKING PLACE.
THE ACTING SECRETARY OR THE
SECRETARY HAS VERY LITTLE JOB
OTHER THAN MAKE SURE THE
COORDINATION CONTINUES TO OCCUR.
I WILL SAY THE ACTING DEPUTY
SECRETARY AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY IS OUR CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER REMAINS IN
HIS POST SO I SEE ALMOST NO
ISSUES WITH THE LEADERSHIP AT
THE DEPARTMENT AND AGAIN THIS
COMMAND AND CONTROL, THE
UNIFIED COMMAND STRUCTURE
AROUND THIS EVENT AND THE
INAUGURATION SECURITY IS BEING
MANAGED FROM THE UNITED STATES
SECRET SERVICE AND OTHER
PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS.
I HAVE EVERY TRUST AND
CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO
DO THEIR JOB AT THE END OF THE
DAY.
>> Sandra: QUITE A A SCENE TO
SEE THE TROOPS.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU, REAL QUICK?
>> THANK YOU.
>> Sandra: WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU,
CHAD?
>> DIDN’T HEAR THAT QUESTION. I LOOK TO STAY INVOLVED IN A
I LOOK TO STAY INVOLVED IN A
LOT OF THESE ISSUES ON THE