LOOK WHAT THEY JUST PUBLISHED.
HE UNDERLINES, I’M A BIG FAN OF
YOURS.
JOINING US NOW IS THE SENIOR
SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA, THE VICE
CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, THE
COMMITTEE THAT ASK RESPONSIBLE
FOR THIS LAND MARK REPORT,
SENATOR MARK WARNER.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
>> RACHEL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME.
IT’S BEEN A LONG 3 1/2 YEARS.
AND FOR YOUR VIEWERS, THIS IS
VOLUME FIVE OF THE REPORT.
AND ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN
FORMALLY BIPARTISAN.
WE’VE HAD 14 OUT OF 15 VOTES ON
EVERY ONE OF THESE REPORTS.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC READ IT, DRAW
THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS AND MAKE
SURE IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
>> DID YOU PUT OUT A THOUSAND
DAY REPORT ON THE SECOND DAY OF
THE DNC BECAUSE YOU’RE ACTIVELY
TRYING TO KILL MSNBC HOSTS WITH
WORKLOAD?
>> WE FINISHED THIS REPORT IN
MAY, AND IT TOOK THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY THAT LONG
TO GO THROUGH THEIR REDACTIONS
OF WHAT THEY WOULD ALLOW US TO
RELEASE OR NOT.
I WOULD HAVE HOPED IT WOULD HAVE
BEEN OUT EARLIER.
BUT IT IS OUT, AND IT IS NOW
PART OF THE HISTORICAL RECORD.
IT GOES ALONG WITH WHAT WE SAW
ABOUT RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE WITH
SOCIAL MEDIA.
IT GOES ALONG WITH WHAT WE SAW
ABOUT RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE INTO
OUR ELECTION SYSTEM.
AND WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT IS NOT
ONLY WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH, BUT
THE FACT THAT THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY TEN DAYS AGO, SAID
RUSSIA AND OTHER NATIONS ARE
BACK IN 2020 TRYING TO DO IT
AGAIN.
>> THE RUSSIAN ONGOING INTEREST
IN THIS PRESIDENT AND AS THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS
PUBLICLY SAID, THEIR INTEREST IN
MAKING SURE THAT HE’S
RE-ELECTED, HAS BECOME A THEME
SONG IN TERMS OF US TRYING TO
ASSESS THE PRESIDENT’S MOTIVES
FOR A LOT OF HIS HARDER TO
EXPLAIN BEHAVIOR WITH REGARD TO
RUSSIA AND A LOT OF FOREIGN
POLICY AND INTELLIGENCE ISSUES
OVER TIME.
I FEEL LIKE FROM THE BIGGEST
POSSIBLE PICTURE HERE, PART OF
WHAT THE PRESIDENT HAS LEARNED,
PART OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT’S
POLITICAL SUPPORTERS FROM
LEARNED, IS NO MATTER WHAT THEY
GET CALLED OUT FOR WHEN IT COMES
TO RUSSIA AND KNOWINGLY ASSIST
ASSISTING IN RUSSIA’S HELP, THEY
NEVER GET IN TROUBLE FOR ANY OF
IT.
SO I FEEL LIKE THEY’RE BECOMING
MORE BLATANT ABOUT THE FACT THAT
THEY’RE OKAY WITH RUSSIA
INTERFERING ON THEIR BEHALF.
>> WELL, I DO THINK IT IS
UNFORTUNATE TO SAY THE LEAST,
THAT 3 1/2 YEARS LATER, THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS, THE
HOUSE HAS PASSED BILLS, BUT THE
SENATE UNDER MITCH McCONNELL,
HAS NOT EVEN VOTED ON A SINGLE
BILL THAT SAID IF RUSSIA CHOOSES
OR THEIR AGENTS CHOOSE TO PUT UP
ADVERTISEMENTS ON FACEBOOK,
THERE OUGHT TO BE THE SAME
DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS THAT IF
THEY ADVERTISED ON MSNBC.
OR HOW ABOUT THIS FOR A LAW THAT
SHOULDN’T BE A BIG STRETCH.
IF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OFFERS
YOU DIRT IN A PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN, THE APPROPRIATE
RESPONSE OUGHT TO BE, TELL THE
FBI.
DON’T SAY THANK YOU.
WE COULDN’T EVEN VOTE ON THOSE
ADDITIONAL RULES.
AND THAT I THINK MAKES US LESS
SECURE.
NOW, WE ARE SAFER BECAUSE
ELECTION OFFICIALS OF BOTH
PARTIES ACROSS THE STATE OR
COUNTRY HAVE STEPPED UP.
WE ARE SAFER BECAUSE WHILE NOT
PERFECT, THE SOCIAL MEDIA
COMPANIES ARE DOING BETTER AT
TRYING TO FERRET OUT SOME OF THE
MOST ABUSIVE MISINFORMATION.
WE ARE BETTER BECAUSE LITERALLY
HUNDREDS OF COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
PROFESSIONALS ARE DOING THEIR
JOB.
BUT THE FACT THAT THIS WHITE
HOUSE REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE
WHAT THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
SAID TEN DAYS AGO, THAT RUSSIA
IS BACKED, AND CHINA AND IRAN
ARE INTERFERING IN OUR DEMOCRACY
SHOULD GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF
PAUSE 77 DAYS BEFORE ELECTION.
>> SENATOR, THE NARRATIVE IN
THIS -- IT’S TOO BAD IT’S A
THOUSAND PAGES, BECAUSE THERE
ARE SECTIONS OF IT THAT READ
LIKE A THRILLER.
CAN YOU TAKE US INSIDE THE
FINDINGS ABOUT HOW PAUL
MANAFORT, THE CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN
IS THE SAY IT’S NOT NORMAL TO
RUN PLAYS FOR RUSSIA IS AN
UNDERSTATEMENT.
HE’S BASICALLY DESCRIBED IN THE
TEXT AS EITHER WHITITTING OR
UNWITTING AGENT OF A RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL.
EXPLAIN HOW THAT OPERATED.
ANDREW WEISSMANN OF THE MUELLER
CAMPAIGN SAID THERE WERE THINGS
LIKE THAT, THAT WERE NOT KNOWN
TO MUELLER.
HOW DID YOU GET TO THAT AND HOW
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T
HAVE EVERYONE’S HAIR ON FIRE?
>> WELL, THIS IS 3 1/2 YEARS OF
WORK, A VERY BIPARTISAN GROUP OF
STAFF MEMBERS, AND I WANT TO
SHOUT OUT TO FORMER CHAIR, WHO
IS RICHARD BURR, WHO STAYED TO
THIS BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT TO GET
ALL THE FACTS OUT AND MARCO
RUBIO IS TRYING TO CONTINUE IN
THAT STEAD.
AND WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO LET
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC DECIDE HOW
THEY WANT TO READ THIS.
THIS IS, AGAIN, VOLUME FIVE.
WE’VE DONE OTHER REPORTS,
BIPARTISAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ON
ELECTION SECURITY.
AND THE AMAZING THING IS, THE
INDIVIDUAL THAT MANAFORT DEALT
WITH, HAS BEEN MENTIONED IN A
POPULAR PRESS AS POTENTIALLY
BEING INVOLVED IN SOME OF THE
RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION EFFORTS
GOING ON.
SO I THINK THIS SHOULD BE ABOUT,
AS AMERICANS WHO DO WE WANT TO
HAVE DECIDE OUR ELECTIONS?
IT SHOULD BE AMERICANS.
WE MAY DISAGREE WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP AND HIS SUPPORTERS, BUT IT
OUGHT TO BE AMERICANS DECIDING
AMONGST EACH OTHER, NOT OUTSIDE
FOREIGN ENTITIES TRYING TO WEIGH
IN AND TIP THE SCALES ONE WAY OR
THE OTHER.
I THINK WE STILL HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY, I’VE GOT A
RESPONSIBILITY TO PUSH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY EVEN MORE
TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC, NOT SO MUCH
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016, BUT
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2020.
THESE OTHER NATIONS ARE STILL
TRYING TO INTERFERE, BECAUSE IN
A SENSE, THE SOFT UNDERBELLY OF
DEMOCRACY IS OUR SYSTEMS, AND IF
YOU CAN UNDERMINE PEOPLE’S
CONFIDENCE IN OUR SYSTEM, AND
UNFORTUNATELY OUT OF THE WHITE
HOUSE, WE’VE SEEN THIS PRESIDENT
TALK ABOUT NOT BEING WILLING
PERHAPS TO GO BY THE RESULTS OF
THE ELECTION, OR AS THE EARLIER
STORY POINTED OUT, AN
UNPRECEDENTED ASSAULT ON THE
POST OFFICE.
SO MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT PEOPLE
OF GOOD WILL OF BOTH PARTIES
WOULD LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN
2016, LOOK AT THIS BIPARTISAN
REPORT, READ IT, AND THEN MAKE
SURE 2020 WE DON’T HAVE IT
HAPPEN AGAIN.
I’LL PUSH THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY TO COME CLEAN WITH ALL
THEIR INFORMATION.
AND THEN AMERICANS OUGHT TO MAKE
SURE WE DECIDE THIS ELECTION,
NOT FOREIGN ENTITIES.
>> SENATOR, ONE BRIEF LAST
QUESTION FOR YOU.
THERE’S BEEN PUBLIC REPORTING
THAT YOUR COMMITTEE BELIEVES AND
REFERRED TO THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT THAT A NUMBER OF
PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRUMP
CAMPAIGN MAY HAVE LIED TO YOUR
COMMITTEE OVER THE COURSE OF
YOUR INVESTIGATION.
I KNOW YOU’LL BE RELUCTANT TO
TALK ABOUT CRIMINAL REFERRALS,
BUT DO YOU BELIEVE THERE WERE
PEOPLE WHO LIED TO YOUR
COMMITTEE AND SHOULD THEY BE
PROSECUTED?
>> RACHEL, THE CHAIRMAN SAID YOU
SHOULDN’T LIE TO OUR COMMITTEE.
I’M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT
REFERRALS.
THAT’S NOT APPROPRIATE.
AGAIN, WHATEVER HAPPENED WAS
TURNED OVER TO THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT.
>> VIRGINIA SENATOR MARK WARNER,
THANK YOU FOR HELPING US
UNDERSTAND THIS.
AFTER THE DNC IS OVER, I THINK
THERE’S GOING TO BE A SECOND
ROUND OF FOCUS ON WHAT YOU GUYS