SAVE AMERICA, KILL THE BILL, AND
THAT’S MY RIFF.
NOW, BEFORE WE CONTINUE ON THE
FUTILITY OF BUILD BACK SMALLER
AND CHUNKIER, A NEW FIASCO IS ON
THE RISE.
YESTERDAY PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE
WORLD HEADLINES WITH THE
EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT THAT
QUOTE, MINOR INCURSION INTO THE
UKRAINE BY RUSSIA WOULD BE OKAY.
AFTER THE UPROAR, HE THEN TRIED
TO WALK IT BACK TODAY BY SAYING,
I WILL QUOTE, IF ANY ASSEMBLED
RUSSIA UNITS MOVE ACROSS THE
UKRAINIAN BORDER, THAT IS AN
INVASION, END QUOTE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
BACK IN 2014 NON-UNIFORMED
MERCENARIES AND SPECIAL FORCES
POPPED UP IN CRIMEA.
THEY DIDN’T ASSEMBLE.
THEY JUST TOOK THE COUNTRY OVER.
BY BIDEN’S DEFINITION IS THAT AN INVASION?
IS IT A MINOR INCURSION IS IT AN
UKRAINE IS SURROUNDED BY FOUR
NATO COUNTRIES, HUNGARY,
SLOVENIA, SLOVAKIA, POLAND.
WE HAVE JOHN RATCLIFFE, AMERICAN
INSTITUTE POLICY CENTER FOR
AMERICAN SECURITY CO-CHAIR.
JOHN, THANK YOU SO MUCH AS
ALWAYS, SIR.
FRANKLY YOU HAVE TO TELL ME, I
WATCHED THE THING LIVE IN REAL
TIME.
MAYBE YOU DID TOO.
WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT SAYING?
>> I DID WATCH IT AND TO SAY
THEY WALKED IT BACK MAY BE THE
UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR,
LARRY.
THINK HOW BAD THIS WAS.
THE PRESIDENT GAVE HIS REMARKS
AT 4:00 P.M. YESTERDAY.
THIS MORNING JEN PSAKI GAVE HER
FIRST EVER INTERVIEW WITH
FOX NEWS TO TRY TO WALK BACK HIS
STATEMENTS.
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, YOU KNOW
THIS ADMINISTRATION DOESN’T LIKE
TO BE OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT
ANYTHING ALSO WENT ON NATIONAL
TV TO WALK BACK HIS COMMENTS.
THEN AFTER THE UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT HIMSELF TWEETED ABOUT
THIS, JOE BIDEN HAD TO MAKE
ANOTHER APPEARANCE THIS MORNING
TO WALK BACK WHAT HE SAID.
YOU KNOW, THAT’S HOW YOU KNOW,
HIS REMARK WAS SO OUT OF LINE
AND CONCERNING AND IT REALLY,
REALLY UNDERSCORES WHY THIS IS
THE PRESIDENT’S ONLY SECOND
PRESS CONFERENCE.
WHY DON’T THEY WANT HIM OUT
THERE SAYING THINGS UNSCRIPTED.
IT CAUSES DAMAGE AROUND THE
WORLD.
I MEAN THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE
TWEETED ABOUT THIS SAYING THERE
ARE NO SMALL INCURSIONS.
THERE ARE NO SMALL NATIONS.
THERE ARE NO SMALL CASUALTIES.
THE ROUGH TRANSLATION ON THAT,
LARRY, IS, SOMEONE KEEP THE
IDIOT IN THE WHITE HOUSE FROM
BLATHERING ON ABOUT THIS.
IT REALLY IS EXTRAORDINARY THAT
IT CAME TO THAT AND SO YOU KNOW,
OBVIOUSLY I THINK YOU KNOW, HE
DID NOT INTEND THAT TO BE A
PUBLIC COMMENT.
I THINK WHAT HE RELATED THERE
WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED
IN INTELLIGENCE BRIEFINGS ABOUT,
HEY, IF RUSSIA DOES SOMETHING
MINOR WE WON’T NEED TO DO
ANYTHING OR WE’LL JUST TAKE SOME
MINOR ECONOMIC STEPS THAT WAS
NEVER INTENDED TO BE MADE
PUBLIC.
JOE BIDEN MADE IT PUBLIC.
NOW THE BACKLASH AND THE UPROAR
FROM THAT HAS REALLY CHANGED THE
CHESSBOARD WITH RESPECT TO WHAT
HAPPENS IN THE UKRAINE MOVING
FORWARD.
LARRY: IF HE NEVER INTENDED TO
MAKE IT PUBLIC, OKAY BUT, IT IS
A VERY BAD STATEMENT OF POLICY
IF IT IS TRUE.
LOOK, LET ME READ YOU ONE MORE
THING.
THIS, COMES ACROSS 1:10 P.M.
THIS AFTERNOON.
OUR JACQUI HEINRICH REPORTING.
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE BEING
TOLD RUSSIA IS LIKELY TO INVADE.
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM SEVERAL
COMMITTEES INCLUDING ARMED
SERVICES AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
JOHN, THEY TELL ME THEIR
BRIEFINGS THIS WEEK INDICATE
U.S. OFFICIALS, I GUESS THAT
MEANS THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY, CIA, DNI, WHATEVER,
U.S. OFFICIALS BELIEVE RUSSIA IS
LIKELY TO INVADE.
DESPITE THE NARRATIVE THAT PUTIN
HAS NOT YET MADE UP HIS MIND.
SO I GUESS I’M GOING TO ASK,
EVEN IN YESTERDAY’S NEWS
CONFERENCE, WITH THE SLIP OF THE
TONGUE ABOUT A MINOR INCURSION
NOT BEING SO BAD WHICH THEY THEN
SCURRIED TO WALK BACK TODAY,
DOES BIDEN KNOW THAT IN FACT
RUSSIA IS GOING IN?
AND THEN, JOHN, WHAT IN GOD’S
NAME ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT
IT?
BECAUSE LOOK, I DON’T WANT
AMERICAN TROOPS GOING INTO
UKRAINE.
THAT IS NOT THE POINT BUT WE
HAVE TO WORK WITH NATO.
FOUR NATO COUNTRIES SURROUND
UKRAINE AS WE KNOW.
I WILL ADD TO THIS AT ONE POINT
IN THE PRESSER YESTERDAY, BIDEN
DID SAY A SENSIBLE THING.
HE SAID ONE OF THE SANCTIONS
COULD BE BANKING SANCTIONS TO
KEEP RUSSIA OUT OF THE U.S.
DOLLAR BASED FINANCIAL SYSTEM.
NOW THAT IS TALKING TURKEY.
I LIKE THAT, BUT HE IS NOT DOING
IT.
HE JUST MADE IT AS A THROW AWAY.
THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD DONE
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, KEEP
RUSSIA OUT OF THE ENTIRE U.S.
DOLLAR BANKING SYSTEM WHICH IS
ABOUT 90% OF THE GLOBAL
FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS.
BUT, JOHN, I DON’T SEE IT, WHAT,
WHERE, WHAT’S HAPPENING?
>> WELL, YOU MADE THIS POINT
BEFORE, LARRY.
I HEARD YOU MAKE IT.
YESTERDAY JOE BIDEN UNDERSCORED
WHAT HIS POLICY CONTINUES TO BE
WITH RUSSIA WHICH IS, LET’S WAIT
AND SEE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
ONLY VLADMIR PUTIN KNOWS WHAT HE
IS GOING TO DO.
IT GOES BACK TO THE CONVERSATION
THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAD
PREVIOUSLY ON THIS ISSUE ABOUT
YOU KNOW, IF RUSSIA INVADES.
AND, WAITING FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND THAT IT IS STILL THE
CALCULUS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION
AND HIS NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM,
WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG
THING FROM THE BEGINNING.
WE’RE IN THIS SITUATION BECAUSE
THEY WERE NOT PROACTIVE AND
ADDRESSED, AS PUTIN BEGAN TO
MOVE TROOPS BACK IN APRIL OF
THIS YEAR, INTO THE DONE BECAUSE
REGION.
AND WE’LL NOT HAVE REPEAT OF
WHAT HAPPENED WITH CRIMEA.
IF YOU CONTINUE ALONG THIS PATH,
WE’LL IMPLEMENT THESE SEVERE
SANCTIONS NOW AND OF COURSE NONE
OF THAT HAPPENS.
AS A RESULT WE’RE AT A SITUATION
NOW WHERE OUR OWN INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNITY -- THOSE ASSESSMENTS
ARE BASED ON INTELLIGENCE THAT
WE COLLECT BOTH YOU KNOW, HUMAN
INTELLIGENCE AND SIGNALS
INTELLIGENCE AND IT IS GOOD
INTELLIGENCE AND SO WHY WOULDN’T
YOU EXPECT VLADMIR PUTIN TO MOVE
AGAINST JOE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
WHEN HE, WHEN HE MOVED AGAINST A
BIDEN OBAMA ADMINISTRATION THAT
MADE THE SAME PROMISES ABOUT IF
YOU DO THIS THERE WILL BE SEVERE
CONSEQUENCES?
YOU KNOW THE PART ABOUT THIS
THAT I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KEEP
IN MIND WITH REGARD TO VLADMIR
PUTIN AS WELL IS, YOU KNOW,
UNLESS THE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
REALLY IMPACT HIS POWER, THEY
HAVE TO BE SO SEVERE THAT THEY
REALLY DO GO TO HIS POWER BASE.
I MEAN YOU KNOW, DICTATORS AND
AUTOCRATS ARE ALL ABOUT
ACCUMULATING POWER.
IF HE DOESN’T THINK THAT THE
UNITED STATES IS GOING TO DO
SOMETHING THAT DIMINISHES HIS
POWER, HE DOESN’T CARE YOU KNOW,
THE SUFFERING OF HIS PEOPLE AND
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES THAT MAY
MAKE THE RUSSIAN ECONOMY WORSE
IN THE SHORT TERM.
HE IS WORRIED ABOUT KEEPING THE
POWER THAT HE HAS AND I’M JUST
NOT CONVINCED THIS
ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO DO
ANYTHING BECAUSE AGAIN, WHAT
JOE BIDEN SAID YESTERDAY IS, WE
ARE PREPARED, NATO IS OF ONE
MIND AND YOU KNOW WE’LL RESPOND
IF RUSSIA TAKES ACTION.
THAT IS NOT, YOU KNOW, HOW U.S.
POLICY SHOULD BE ON THIS.
THE UNITED STATES SHOULD BE
LEADING ON THIS.
LARRY: I MEAN WE, WE JUST SOUND
LIKE SUCH A PAPER TIGER.
LAST POINT HERE, JOHN,
MR. BLINKEN IS OVERSEAS MEETING
WITH UKRAINE AND EUROPEANS AND I
GUESS HIS MEETING WITH THE
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER
TOMORROW.
JOHN RATCLIFFE, IT JUST SEEMS TO
ME, I AM NOT THE EXPERT THAT YOU
ARE, I SAT IN ON THE MEETINGS
BUT YOU’RE THE EXPERT, YOU’RE
THE INTEL GUY.
THE DIPLOMACY PHASE HAS FAILED
AND WHAT BIDEN IS SAYING YET, HE
MADE NOT BE AS ARTFUL AS HE
WOULD HAVE, SOUNDS LIKE HE IS
ECHOING STUFF BEING TOLD HIM IN
THE OVAL OFFICE BRIEFINGS, IN
THE SITUATION ROOM, BRIEFINGS,
THAT DIPLOMACY HAS FAILED.
RUSSIA IS IN FACT GOING TO
INVADE.
AND WE DON’T HAVE A POLICY OR AT
LEAST WE’RE NOT ARTICULATING A
POLICY.
IN OTHER WORDS, I DON’T KNOW,
MR. BLINKEN, NOT PERSONAL.
LORD KNOWS I DON’T KNOW WHAT HIS
MISSION IS RIGHT NOW.
IS HE TRYING TO TALK THEM OUT OF
IT?
BASED ON WHAT?
>> RIGHT.
AND WHAT THEY KNOW IS THAT HE
WILL JUST TALK THEM TO DEATH.
LOOK, LARRY YOU AND I TALKED
ABOUT THIS IN AUGUST.
THERE IS A RIPPLE EFFECT FROM
WHAT HAPPENED IN AFGHANISTAN.
LARRY: RIGHT.
>> IT IMPACTS WE SAID WITH
RUSSIA, CHINA, NORTH KOREA,
IRAN, THEY WOULD ALL MOVE ON
WEAKNESS IN THE WHITE HOUSE,
INDECISION IN THE WHITE HOUSE, A
NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM THAT
DOESN’T REALLY PUT AMERICA
NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS
ABROAD, YOU KNOW, AT THE TOP OF
THEIR YOU KNOW IMPORTANCE.
AND SO THAT IS THE IMPACT OF
THIS.
AND WE’VE SEEN RUSSIAN
AGGRESSION AND WE’RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO SEE IT.
WE’LL SEE IT FROM CHINA.
WE SEE IT YOU KNOW INCREASINGLY
FROM EVERY COUNTRY AROUND THE
WORLD.
WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE FOR THE
NEXT THREE YEARS BECAUSE WHAT WE
SAW YESTERDAY FROM THIS
PRESIDENT WAS SOMEONE WHO IS
SHOWING INEFFECTIVE, INDECISIVE
DECISION-MAKING IN THE
WHITE HOUSE THAT GETS WALKED
BACK THE VERY NEXT DAY AFTER HE
SAYS WHAT THEY DON’T WANT HIM TO
SAY.
LARRY: THAT IS THE THING.
IT LOOKS EVEN WORSE, IT LOOKS
EVEN WORSE.
AGAIN I WILL JUST, JOHN
RATCLIFFE, YOU HAVE POLAND,
HUNGARY, ROMANIA AND SLOVAKIA,
NATO ALLIES OF THE UNITED STATES
SURROUNDING UKRAINE.
SOMETHING BLOWS UP IN UKRAINE,
WELL, THESE COUNTRIES ARE VERY
LEERY, WORRIED, WARY.
I WANT, I DON’T WANT TO SEND
AMERICAN TROOPS IN.
I’M NOT ADVOCATING THAT BUT ON
THE OTHER HAND I DON’T THINK
RUSSIA SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK
ALL OVER US OR WALK ALL OVER OUR
ALLIES.
POLAND, I MEAN, THERE IS NO
STRONGER AMERICAN ALLY, IS
THERE?
I MEAN THAT’S THE THING.
I DON’T WANT THAT.
IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF OUR --
WE SHOULD BE SENDING THEM
WEAPONS.
BIDEN SAID YESTERDAY WE’RE
SENDING THEM MORE WEAPONS.
I HOPE THAT IS ALL TRUE.
>> LARRY, IF THE TALIBAN WALKS
OVER THIS ADMINISTRATION WHY DO
YOU THINK THE VLADMIR PUTIN
WOULD FOLLOW THAT LEAD?
THAT WAS THE POINT WE MADE WAY
BACK WHEN ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES
OF NOT SHOWING AMERICAN STRENGTH
AROUND THE WORLD FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE AND I THINK WE’RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE IT.
LARRY: UNFORTUNATELY, JOHN
RATCLIFFE, YOU’RE RIGHT, USUALLY
RIGHT.
LOOK WE WHOOPED THEM, WE WHOOPED
THEM ON THIS CRAZY SOCIALIST BIG
GOVERNMENT STUFF WE CHEAPED
THEM.
I’M WATCHING FOREIGN CATASTROPHE
UNFOLD.
I FEEL POWERLESS.
I DON’T LIKE ANYTHING I SEE.
THERE WAS ONCE ABOUT A TIME A
PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT AMERICA
FIRST.
HE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS HAVE BEEN
RIGHT, MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BEEN
APPROPRIATE BUT EVERYBODY KNEW
WHERE THAT PRESIDENT STOOD,
AMERICA FIRST.
THIS BIDEN PERFORMANCE IS
AMERICA LAST.
I MEAN THAT IS THE WAY I GOT TO
DO IT.
GOT TO JUMP OUT.
JOHN RATCLIFFE --
>> THERE WERE KNOW MINOR