THERE WILL BE POLITICAL
INFLUENCE IN FOREIGN POLICY.
>> Bill: DID IT CHANGE THE
STORY?
ENERGY SECRETARY RICK PERRY
RESIGNING AND JOINS ME IN HIS
FIRST TELEVISION INTERVIEW HOME
IN TEXAS.
YOU WERE AT THE RALLY LAST
NIGHT.
GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I HAVE A LOT TO GET TO.
SEE HOW MUCH -- 2 1/2 YEARS ON
THE JOB.
DEPARTURE HAD BEEN RUMORED FOR
WEEKS.
WHAT DOES YOUR DEPARTURE HAVE
TO DO WITH UKRAINE, MR.
SECRETARY?
>> YEAH, WELL, IT HAS
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH
UKRAINE AND EVERYTHING TO DO
WITH THE LAST EIGHT OR NINE
MONTHS I HAVE -- I'VE BEEN
LOOKING BACK TO TEXAS ON A
REGULAR BASIS TO ROUND TOP,
TEXAS, MY WIFE, MY DOGS AND
GOING ON TO THE NEXT ADVENTURE
IN LIFE.
I HAD A NUMBER OF THINGS I
REALLY WANTED TO GET DONE
BEFORE I DEPARTED AND CAME BACK
TO TEXAS.
WORKING ON THE LNG PROJECTS
BRINGING AMERICAN GAS INTO
EUROPE WAS A BIG, BIG PART OF
THAT.
MAKING SURE WE HAD THE MLUs
DONE WITH POLAND, UKRAINE AND
THE REST OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
SO THEY WEREN'T BEING HELD
HOSTAGE BY RUSSIAN GAS.
WE HAD ISSUES WITH CIVIL
NUCLEAR AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE
NUCLEAR COOL AGAIN AND WE'VE
BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
TOMORROW I LEAVE FOR BRUSSELS
HITTING THE SMALL MONITOR
REACTOR CONFERENCE.
FIRST OF ITS KIND OF DONE.
LAST AND FOR ME ON A PERSONAL
NOTE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS I WORKED ON WAS STANDING
UP IN OFFICE FROM WHOLE CLOTH
ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
TECHNOLOGY OFFICE IS NOW SET UP
AND READY TO GO.
>> Bill: TO YOU FROM YOUR
MILITARY DAYS, TIME AS A
GOVERNOR AND TIME IN THE WHITE
HOUSE, YOU GOT THAT OKAY?
WE'LL GET THIS STRAIGHTENED OUT.
LIVE TELEVISION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, SIR.
IF YOU'VE GOT ME BACK I WANT TO
BRING YOU BACK.
>> WE'RE BACK ON WITH AUDIO NOW.
>> Bill: DID HIS COMMENTS MAKE
THINGS BETTER OR WORSE
YESTERDAY WITH MICK MULVANEY?
>> I THINK HE WAS STRAIGHT UP
WITH WHAT HE SAID.
I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE --
>> Bill: STRAIGHT UP HOW?
>> PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO CONNECT
DOTS.
BY BASICALLY SAYING THAT THERE
WAS NO QUID PRO QUO IN THE
SENSE OF WHAT THOSE FOLKS OUT
THERE WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE.
THAT WE'LL GIVE YOU THIS MONEY
UNLESS YOU GO INVESTIGATE JOE
BIDEN AND HIS SON.
I NEVER HEARD THAT SAID
ANYWHERE ANY TIME IN ANY
CONVERSATION, BILL.
AND I THINK THE TRUTH OF THE
MATTER IS WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO
GET UKRAINE BACK IN THE SPHERE
OF INFLUENCE OF THE UNITED
STATES AND THE WESTERN STATES
WITH AMERICAN GAS FOR TWO PLUS
YEARS WHEN IMPORTANT SHEFRNG
COMPANY WAS OVER THERE.
YOU HAVE TO GET RID OF THE
CORRUPTION IN THIS COUNTRY.
THE OLIGARCHS AND PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRY WERE CORRUPT.
TOO MANY OF THEM WERE, LET ME
PUT IT THAT WAY.
ZELENSKY RAN ON THIS AND SAID
YOU ELECT ME AND I WILL STOP
THIS CORRUPTION IN THE COUNTRY.
WE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH
HIM.
AT NO TIME -- DID I HEAR ANYONE.
>> Bill: YOU ARE SAYING THE
BIDEN'S NAME DID NOT COME UP IN
ANY OF YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH
UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS.
>> NEVER HEARD THE BIDEN NAME.
>> Bill: DID IT COME UP AT THE
WHITE HOUSE?
>> NOT WITH ANYONE.
I'M TELLING YOU, BILL, THE
BIDENS NAME.
DID CORRUPTION COME UP?
WE HEARD THAT IN ALMOST EVERY
CONVERSATION WE HAD TALKING
ABOUT UKRAINE AND WHETHER OR
NOT PRESIDENT ZELENSKY WAS
GOING TO COME OVER HERE.
BECAUSE PRESIDENT TRUMP WASN'T
GOING TO SEND AMERICAN MONEY TO
A COUNTRY THAT HAD A HISTORY OF
BEING CORRUPT.
AND HE WAS HAMMERING THAT AND
WE HAMMERED THAT.
I PUSHED ON HIM A LOT TO MAKE
THAT PHONE CALL BECAUSE I
BECAME CONVINCED THAT ZELENSKY,
THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM, WERE
LEGITIMATELY TRYING TO GET RID
OF THE CORRUPTION AND GET OFF
THE RUSSIAN GAS.
>> Bill: THE PRESIDENT SAID YOU
PUSHED HIM TO MAKE THE PHONE
CALL WITH ZELENSKY.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT
CHARACTERIZATION?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I CALLED MULTIPLE TIMES AND
SAID YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT WAS
TO JOHN BOLTON, TO WHETHER IT
WAS MICK MULVANEY, WHEN I SAW
THE PRESIDENT I SAID MR.
PRESIDENT IT'S TIME TO MAKE
THIS PHONE CALL.
I THINK BRINGING IN THIS
PRESIDENT AND SHOWING HIM THAT
WE ARE GOING TO BE GOOD,
RELIABLE.
THEY HAVE TO DO SOME THINGS.
THEY HAVE TO SHOW US THEY'RE
GOING TO RESPECT THE RULE OF
LAW, BE TRANSPARENT AND
UNBUNDLE THEIR MIDSTREAM GAS
COMPANY.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE PART
OF HIM COMING IN.
AND I THINK THAT'S COMPLETELY
AND ABSOLUTELY LEGITIMATE AND
WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE
DOING, BRINGING THE PRIVATE
SECTOR IN.
AMERICAN COMPANIES, AMERICAN
GAS, AND SHOWING EUROPE THAT
YOU CAN COUNT ON US AND YOU
AREN'T GOING TO BE HELD HOSTAGE
BY RUSSIAN GAS.
>> Bill: YOU SAID A WEEK AGO
YOU WERE TOLD TO CONSULT WITH
RUDY GIULIANI ON MATTERS WITH
UKRAINE.
WERE YOU OKAY WITH THAT?
>> YOU KNOW, I WAS.
I'VE KNOWN RUDY SINCE 2008.
I ENDORSED HIM FOR PRESIDENT IN
2008.
I WORKED ON -- I TRUSTED HIM.
>> Bill: YOU DIDN'T THINK IT
WAS ODD WHEN YOU WERE TOLD TO
DO THAT?
>> AS A GOVERNOR OF TEXAS I USE
PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT
ALL THE TIME.
I RESPECT THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
I HAPPEN TO KNOW PEOPLE IN THE
ENERGY INDUSTRY SMARTER THAN
THE STATE DEPARTMENT FOLKS.
I DIDN'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH
THAT AT ALL.
>> Bill: YOU HAVE A SUBPOENA
DEADLINE TODAY.
WILL YOU MEET THAT DEADLINE AS
OF TODAY?
>> OUR GENERAL COUNSEL IS
TAKING A LOOK AT THAT RIGHT NOW.
WHEN THEY SEND THEIR ANSWER IN
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHATEVER
THEIR DECISION WILL BE I'LL
FOLLOW THAT.
>> Bill: I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS
A YES OR NO.
DO YOU HAVE ONE NOW?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S
A YES OR NO YET.
I HAVEN'T SEEN WHAT THE GENERAL
COUNSEL'S ADVICE TO ME IS GOING
TO BE.
>> Bill: DEMOCRATS ARE ALREADY
ASKING YOU TO TESTIFY.
WILL YOU DO THAT?
>> AGAIN, I'M GOING TO RELY
UPON OUR GENERAL COUNSEL TO
GIVE ME ADVICE.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER I'VE DONE
THIS BEFORE WHEN I WAS THE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I HAD AN ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL
TRUMPED UP DEAL THAT WORKED OUT
AGAINST ME AND I'M GOING TO DO
WHAT THE COUNSEL TELLS ME TO DO.
>> Bill: WHEN YOU HEAR ALL THIS
TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION, WHETHER
IT BE COMING ACROSS THE BORDER
IN TEXAS AND THE PRESIDENT'S
PLEA LAST NIGHT ABOUT THE WALL,
WHEN YOU HEAR THE DISCUSSION ON
CAPITOL HILL ABOUT IMPEACHMENT,
WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE
MISSING IN THE STORY?
YOUR ANSWERS TODAY HAVE BEEN
EMPHATIC THERE WAS NOTHING
BEHIND THE SCENES THAT WAS
UNTOWARD.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THIS BEING
CARRIED OUT BY HOUSE DEMOCRATS
HOW ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND WHERE
THIS IS GOING?
>> WELL, I'M A BIG BELIEVER
THAT WE NEED TO BE DOING TRADE
AND WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON IT
AND USMCA, THAT NEEDS TO BE
PASSED.
WHETHER YOU ARE CANADIAN
CITIZEN, MEXICAN CITIZEN OR
U.S. CITIZEN.
THAT IS BEING PUSHED TO THE
SIDE BY THIS ALMOST CRAZED IDEA
THAT SOMEHOW OR ANOTHER THIS
PRESIDENT HAS DONE SOMETHING
WRONG AND WE'LL IMPEACH HIM.
WHAT HE HAS DONE WRONG IN A LOT
OF PEOPLE'S EYES HE ONE AN
ELECTION.
FOR THEM TO GET US SO FAR OFF
TRACK IN WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE
A TOTAL AND ABSOLUTE IMPROPER
USE.
IF THEY ARE GOING TO DO THIS,
THEY NEED TO AT LEAST FOLLOW
THE HISTORIC RULES.
THEY'RE NOT.
LISTEN, AGAIN I GO BACK TO I
GOT INDICTED AS A SITTING
GOVERNOR AND WHEN IT WAS ALL
SAID AND DONE, IT WAS NOT ONLY
THROWN OUT, MY RECORD WAS
EXPUNGED.
I HAD TO SPEND A COUPLE MILLION
DOLLARS DEFENDING IT BUT THE
POINT IS WHY ARE WE LETTING OUR
POLITICAL PROCESS BE SO
CORRUPTED BY THE POLITICS OF
TRYING TO TEAR THIS COUNTRY
APART WHEN THE FACT IS WE HAVE
A LOT OF GREAT THINGS THAT WE
COULD BE DOING AND WE ARE.
BUT WE'RE BEING HAM STRUNG
BECAUSE OF THIS OBVIOUS FROM MY
PERSPECTIVE POLITICALLY
GENERATED ISSUE.
>> Bill: TWO LAST QUESTIONS.
WILL THEY FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF
A CRIME BASED ON YOUR
EXPERIENCE IN YOUR DEALINGS
WITH THE WEST WING OF THE WHITE
HOUSE AND UKRAINE, SIR?
>> NO.
>> Bill: HOW IS YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PRESIDENT
TODAY?
>> IT'S AWESOME.
HE NEVER CEASES SO AMAZE ME.
I'M SITTING THERE YESTERDAY ON
AIR FORCE ONE WATCHING MULTIPLE
THINGS HAPPEN, HIS CHIEF OF
STAFF ON TELEVISION, AND RIGHT
AS THAT ENDS THE PRESIDENT IS
DEALING WITH A GREAT STORY THAT
UNFORTUNATELY I THINK GOT
PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE BECAUSE
OF ALL THIS OTHER STUFF AND
THAT IS FINDING THE WAY TO DO A
CEASE-FIRE IN A PART OF THE
WORLD WHERE MULTIPLE
ADMINISTRATIONS HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT.
VERY UNCONVENTIONAL WAY OF
DOING DIPLOMACY, I GET THAT.
BUT I THINK WE'RE MAKING SOME
GREAT PROGRESS THERE.
HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THEN TO GO DO A MAJOR EVENT
WHERE IN MY HOME STATE OF TEXAS
1,000 JOBS WILL GET CREATED AT
A VUITTON IN TEXAS.
>> Bill: DEMOCRATS THINK TEXAS
IS IN PLAY.
WE'LL SEE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S
THE CASE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND