DESTRUCTION. GUESS WHAT?
THAT LED TO ONE BIG MESS. >> JOINING ME NOW IS THE FORMER
HEAD OF THE CIA, JOHN BRENNAN. MR. BRENNAN, WELCOME BACK TO
"MEET THE PRESS." >> GOOD MORNING, CHUCK.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON. >> THE PRESIDENT SAID A FEW
OTHER THINGS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE INTEL COMMITTEE.
HE TWEETED, PUTIN AND I DISCUSSED FORMING A CYBER
SECURITY UNIT SO THAT ELECTION HACKING AND MANY OTHER NEGATIVE
THINGS WILL BE GUARDED. WHY DID OBAMA DO NOTHING WHEN HE
HAD INFO BEFORE THE ELECTION? ALL RIGHT.
THERE IS A LOT TO UNPACK IN HERE.
BUT LET'S START WITH, DO YOU INTERPRET THIS AS PRESIDENT
TRUMP TAKING THE WORD OF VLADIMIR PUTIN OVER THE WORD OF
THE AMERICA'S INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY?
>> IT CERTAINLY INDICATES HE DOESN'T TAKE THE WORD OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S BEEN DOING
REPEATEDLY IN TERMS OF HIS REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE.
IN WARSAW HE CONTINUED TO QUESTION THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY'S CONFIDENCE THAT RUSSIA INTERFERED IN THE
ELECTION. HE ALSO RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT
THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
THEREFORE, I QUESTION WHETHER MR. PUTIN HEARD WHAT HE NEEDED
TO FROM MR. TRUMP ABOUT THEIR ASSAULT ON OUR ELECTION.
>> YOU SEEM PARTICULARLY UPSET ABOUT HIM QUESTIONING THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ON FOREIGN SOIL.
WHAT'S WRONG? HE BROUGHT UP THE IRAQ ISSUE.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM SHOWING PUBLIC SKEPTICISM?
>> I DON'T THINK HE DEMONSTRATES GOOD NEGOTIATING SKILLS WHEN IT
COMES TO MR. PUTIN. TWO DAYS AGO IN WARSAW, HE GAVE
MR. PUTIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO POINT TO THE FAILURES OF U.S.
INTELLIGENCE. TO ME I THINK HE SEEDED THAT
GROUND. AND ALSO RIGHT BEFORE HE MET
WITH MR. PUTIN AND TALKED WITH HIM AT SOME LENGTH, WHICH I'M
GLAD HE DID, HE SAID IT'S AN HONOR TO MEET PRESIDENT PUTIN.
AN HONOR TO MEET THE INDIVIDUAL WHO CARRIED OUT THE ASSAULT
AGAINST OUR ELECTION? TO ME IT WAS A DISHONORABLE
THING TO SAY. >> LET ME UNPACK SOMETHING ELSE
HE SAID IN HERE, TOO. HE SAID QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY THE
CIA HAD TO ASK NEW QUESTIONS. THAT'S NEW ABOUT THE CIA.
>> IT'S NEW TO ME, TOO. WE HAVE NO DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE
AUTHORITIES. THAT'S WHAT THE FBI DOES.
MR. TRUMP HAS POINTED TO THE CIA ASKING THE DNC AND MR. PODESTA.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG. >> ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID IN
YOUR HEARING, AND I WANT TO GO INTO THIS, IS YOU MADE A COMMENT
ABOUT TREASON. LET ME PLAY IT HERE AND GET YOU
EXPLAIN IT FURTHER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> FREQUENTLY INDIVIDUALS WHO GO ALONG THAT TREASONOUS PATH DO
NOT EVEN REALIZE THEY'RE ON THAT PATH UNTIL IT GETS TO BE A BIT
TOO LATE. >> WITH SO MANY STORIES ABOUT
VARIOUS MEETINGS WITH RUSSIA, THERE'S A NEW ONE THIS
MORNING -- AND I THINK THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN RESPONDS ESSENTIALLY
THEY DIDN'T KNOW THIS RUSSIAN LAWYER'S BACKGROUND WITH THE
KREMLIN, THAT IT WAS UNWITTING. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING
TO? WAS IT MEETINGS LIKE THAT WITH
THE INFORMATION YOUR FOLKS COLLECTED AT THE CIA THAT RAISED
YOUR SUSPICIONS? >> I■ç WILL GIVE THE RUSSIAN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES THEIR DUE. THEY WILL DO WHATEVER THEY CAN
TO BE ABLE TO GET INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED IN THEIR VIEW FOR
THEIR NATIONAL SECURITY. SO THEY'LL INTERACT WITH PEOPLE,
AND FREQUENTLY PLAY PEOPLE, AND A LOT OF TIMES INDIVIDUALS WHO
ARE INTERACTING WITH RUSSIANS, NOT EVEN RUSSIANS, OTHERS THAT
THE RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ARE USING, ARE BEING
EXPLOITED FOR RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE PURPOSES.
SO, AGAIN, THE PROCESS OF COMMITTING TREASON AGAINST ONE'S
COUNTRY FREQUENTLY TAKES PLACE IN AN UNWITTING FASHION IN THE
EARLY STAGES. >> WHAT ROLE DO YOU BELIEVE THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY SHOULD PLAY WHEN YOU FIRST SEE IT?
IF YOU SEE THAT THERE IS SOMEBODY THAT COULD BE
COMPROMISED AND THEY DON'T KNOW IT, DO YOU GO AND WARN THESE
FOLKS? DO YOU SAY, HEY, BE CAREFUL WITH
THIS RELATIONSHIP? OR DO YOU -- WHAT IS THAT LINE
THERE? ISN'T THERE A POINT WHERE YOU
WANT TO WARN AN AMERICAN, HEY, DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM?
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WILL
DETERMINE HOW WE PROCEED. IF WE BELIEVE THAT THE RUSSIANS
ARE SEEKING TO EXPLOIT AN INDIVIDUAL, WE WILL WORK WITH
THE FBI, MAKING SURE THE FBI IS AWARE OF THIS.
THERE MAY BE OTHER PARTS OF THIS PUZZLE THAT WE'RE UNAWARE OF, SO
WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION, BECAUSE OF OUR VERY IMPORTANT
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE RESPONSIBILITIES, TO MAKE SURE
THE FBI IS INFORMED ABOUT ALL OF THESE POSSIBLY SUSPICIOUS
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE.
>> WHEN YOU WERE COLLECTING THIS DATA AT THE TIME, AND YOU WERE
RAISING ALARM BELLS, WE NOW KNOW, BACK IN, I BELIEVE IT'S
JUNE NOW OF 2016, A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE FBI WAS TOLD.
WHY IS IT IN HINDSIGHT IT SEEM THAT IT TOOK AWHILE FOR THE REST
OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO COME AROUND TO YOUR ASSESSMENT?
>> WE WERE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE FBI AS WELL AS WITH
NSA. AS YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, THERE IS
SOME VERY SENSITIVE SOURCES AND METHODS INVOLVED.
SO WE HAD TO BE PARTICULARLY CAREFUL ABOUT HOW WE HANDLED
THIS INFORMATION, WHO WE TALKED TO.
I WENT DOWN AND SPOKE TO THE OFFICIALS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND
THE PRESIDENT ABOUT IT, I SPOKE TO JIM COMEY AS WELL.
SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE SURE AS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION
IS MOVING FORWARD, WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL THAT COULD
COMPROMISE THE ABILITY OF THE BUREAU AS WELL AS CIA AND THE
REST OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO COLLECT ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION. SO IT HAS TO BE HANDLED VERY
CAREFULLY. >> WHEN IT WAS FINALLY EXPOSED
AND YOU MET WITH FOLKS AND THERE WAS A DEBATE ABOUT WHAT TO DO,
OBVIOUSLY THERE'S BEEN A TICK-TOCK AND ONE OF THE
INFAMOUS QUOTES OUT THERE IN THE WASHINGTON TICK-TOCK IN WHAT
HAPPENED IN THE OBAMA TERM. THIS IS WHAT ONE OBAMA OFFICIAL
SAID. IT IS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT MY
ENTIRE TIME IN GOVERNMENT TO DEFEND, SAID A FORMER SENIOR IN
RUSSIA. I THINK WE SORT OF CHOKED.
THE IDEA IS NOTHING WAS DONE BEFORE THE ELECTION, AND THERE
ARE COMPLAINTS NOTHING WAS DONE AFTER THE ELECTION.
DID HE CHOKE? >> THAT WAS A VERY BRAVE COMMENT
BY AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE. THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO SAY
THAT ON THE RECORD, FIRST OF ALL.
NO, I DON'T BELIEVE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION CHOKED.
I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT THE ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN PRIOR TO
THE ELECTION AND AFTER THE ELECTION.
I CONFRONTED MY MAIN RUSSIAN COUNTERPART ON AUGUST 4th AND
TOLD HIM, IF YOU GO DOWN THIS ROAD, IT'S GOING TO HAVE SERIOUS
CONSEQUENCES NOT ONLY FOR THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP BUT FOR
OUR ABILITY TO WORK WITH RUSSIA ON ANY ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS AN
ASSAULT ON OUR DEMOCRACY. AND PRESIDENT OBAMA CONFRONTED
PRESIDENT PUTIN IN SEPTEMBER. JIM CLAPPER AND JEH JOHNSON
ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY ABOUT RUSSIAN EFFORTS.
AFTER WE DID THAT, I WONDER WHETHER OR NOT THE RUSSIANS THEN
TOOK A STEP BACK AND SAID, WAIT A MINUTE NOW.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE AS AGGRESSIVE AS WE MAY HAVE BEEN
OTHERWISE. >> DID YOU SEE EVIDENCE OF THAT?
>> I DIDN'T SEE EVIDENCE THAT THEY CONTINUED TO DO SOME OF THE
THINGS WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, SUCH AS MANIPULATING ELECTION
TALLIES AND OTHER TYPES OF THINGS.
THEY WERE MAPPING THE ARCHITECTURE OF A LOT OF THE
STATE SYSTEMS, SO THEY COULD HAVE DONE MORE.
THEY DIDN'T DO MORE. I DON'T KNOW IF THINGS WE DID
VIS-A-VIS THE RUSSIANS HAD AN IMPACT ON THEM IN TERMS OF NOT
PURSUING IT. >> LET ME ASK ABOUT THE ISSUE OF
LEAKS. OBVIOUSLY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THE LEAK ISSUE IS TANTAMOUNT TO THIS,
THAT THE LEAKS ARE UNFAIR. NUMBER ONE, THERE'S BEEN SOME
STUDIES THAT THERE ARE MORE LEAKS COMING OUT OF THIS WHITE
HOUSE, THIS NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN
BEFORE. BUT SOME OF IT, ACCORDING TO THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, IS COMING FROM CAREER FOLKS.
SOME OF IT THEY BLAME YOU FOR SOME OF THESE LEAKS.
FIRST OF ALL, HOW DAMAGING ARE THESE LEAKS?
>> THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEAKS.
ONE IS REVEALING VERY SENSITIVE, CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.
THEY ARE APPALLING. THEY NEED TO STOP, THEY NEED TO
BE INVESTIGATED AND PEOPLE NEED TO BE HELD TO ACCOUNT.
THEN THERE ARE ALSO LEAKS ABOUT CONVERSATIONS AND INTERNAL WHITE
HOUSE INTRIGUE. THAT IS SOMETHING I THINK THE
WHITE HOUSE IS GOING TO HAVE TO GET CONTROL OF.
BUT CLEARLY, AS YOU POINT OUT, I THINK THERE IS A LOT THAT IS
HEMORRHAGING OUT OF THIS ADMINISTRATION.
>> IS THERE INFORMATION THAT IS CURRENTLY CLASSIFIED ABOUT THIS
INVESTIGATION THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE PUT INTO THE PUBLIC
RECORD THAT ISN'T YET? >> I AM DEFERRING TO BOB MUELLER
WHO HAS IMPECCABLE CREDENTIALS AS FAR AS DOING THIS
INVESTIGATION IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE, TO DETERMINE EXACTLY
HOW THE INFORMATION RELATED TO THIS INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE
COMING OUT PUBLICLY. ANY ONGOING INVESTIGATION, THE
BUREAU AND OTHER INVESTIGATORS ARE GOING TO BE VERY CAREFUL
ABOUT EXPOSING INFORMATION. >> YOU TALKED ABOUT BOB MUELLER.
HAVE YOU BEEN INTERVIEWED BY HIM YET?
>> NO, I HAVEN'T.