>>> WELCOME BACK. ON WEDNESDAY, WE LEARNED THAT A
COAST GUARD LIEUTENANT AND A
WHITE NATIONALIST HAD STOCK
PILED A LOT OF WEAPONS TO KILL
AS MANY LEFT IS IN GENERAL,
UNQUOTE, AS HE COULD.
IT WASN’T UNTIL FRIDAY
AFTERNOON, A WEEK AFTER THIS
MAN’S ARREST, THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAD TWEETED ABOUT
EVERYTHING FROM SO-CALLED FAKE
NEWS TO THE WALL TO THE ACTOR
JUSSIE SMOLLETT, THAT THE
PRESIDENT FINALLY COMMENTED ON
THIS CASE.
THIS CASE. AND THEN, ONLY WHEN ASKED.
>> I THINK IT’S A SHAME.
YEAH.
YEAH. I THINK IT’S A VERY SAD THING.
A THING LIKE THAT HAPPENS.
I’VE EXPRESED THAT.
BUT I’M ACTUALLY GETTING A VERY
COMPLETE BRIEFING IN ABOUT TWO
HOURS.
HOURS. >> ON DO YOU THINK YOU BEAR ANY
RESPONSIBILITY FOR MODERATING
YOUR LANGUAGE WHEN IT COMES TO
THAT?
THAT? >> NO, I DON’T.
I THINK MY LANGUAGE IS VERY
NICE.
NICE. >> JOINING KNOW NOW IS THE
FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY
SECRETARY JEH JOHNSON.
WELCOME BACK TO "MEET THE
PRESS."
PRESS." >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME,
CHUCK.
CHUCK. >> THE MOST UNUSUAL ASPECT IS
THAT IT SEEMED TO TAKE 72 HOURS
BEFORE THE PUBLIC KNEW.
MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN.
GIVEN GNAT IT WAS A COAST GUARD
LIEUTENANT, WHY DID IT TAKE SO
LONG TO GO PUBLIC?
AND WHY DID THE GOVERNMENT LOOK
LIKE IT WAS UNDERPLAYING THIS?
>> FIRST, CHUCK, I THINK IT’S
IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE COAST
GUARD IN GENERAL IS AN
OUTSTANDING MILITARY SERVICE.
I THINK I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT
THE COAST GUARD.
I WAS THEIR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT.
>> IT’S PART OF HOMELAND
SECURITY.
SECURITY. NOT THE PENTAGON.
>> THERE’S NO DEEP, DARK,
VIOLENT EXTREMEIST GROUP RESIDIN
IN THE COAST GUARD.
THIS PERSON WAS AN EXCEPTION.
THERE ARE VARIOUS REASONS WHY AN
ARREST
ARREST ARREST, A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
MAY NOT COME TO LIGHT RIGHT
AWAY.
AWAY. I DON’T HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION
WHY IT TOOK 72 HOUR.
I’M GLAD INVESTIGATORS UN
UNCOVERERED THIS INDIVIDUAL’S
WRITINGS ON HIS GOVERNMENT
COMMUTER.
COMMUTER. AND THE FACT THAT HE’S BEEN
ARRESTED.
ARRESTED. SO THAT’S THE GOOD NEWS STORY
HERE.
HERE. HAT’S OFF TO INVESTIGATORS FOR
UNCOVERING THIS BEFORE ANYTHING
BAD COULD HAPPEN.
>> THE QUESTION I HAVE IS HOW
DID SOMEBODY WITH THIS IDEOLOGY
GET INTO THE COAST GUARD?
NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER ONE. STAY IN THE COAST GUARD?
NUMBER TWO.
NUMBER TWO. AND APPARENTLY, IF HE WAS DOING
THIS STUFF AT HIS WORK COMPUTER,
HOW DID NOBODY NOTICE?
>> FIRST, RIGHTLY SO, WHEN YOU
ENLIST IN THE MILITARY.
YOU GO TO A MILITARY ACADEMY.
YOU GO TO BASIC TRAINING.
WE DON’T ASK WHAT IS YOUR
POLITICAL LEANING?
POLITICAL LEANING? WE DON’T PROBE POLITICAL
THOUGHTS.
THOUGHTS. THE U.S. MILITARY.
OUR SERVICES SHOULD BE
APOLITICAL.
APOLITICAL. AND FOR THE MOST PART THEY ARE.
THEY’RE APOLITICAL.
THEY’RE APOLITICAL. REMARKABLE PROFESSIONALS.
REMARKABLE PROFESSIONALS. TO GO DOWN THE ROAD OF PROBING
PEOPLE
PEOPLE PEOPLE’S VIEWS ON THINGS IS A
DANGEROUS ROAD.
DANGEROUS ROAD. WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF
ROOTING OUT PEOPLE WHO HARBOR
EXTREMIST VIEWS HAT COULD TURN
THE VIOLENCE.
THE VIOLENCE. THE GOOD NEWS STORY IS, WE DID,
IN FACT, UNCOVER THIS
INDIVIDUAL’S PLANS AND HATRED
BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO ACT ON IT.
>> THERE’S BEEN CONTROVERSY IN
THE PAST, THAT HOMELAND SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION THAT YOU RAN AN
THE ONE PREVIOUS TO YOU WANTED
TO IDENTIFY A RISE IN HAT THEY
THOUGHT WAS DOMESTIC THREATS.
WHITE NATIONALISM.
WHITE NATIONALISM. IN 2016, DHS HAD 41 EMPLOYEES
AND A $21 MILLION BUDGET TO
COUNTER VIOLENT EXTREMISM.
IN 2018, IT’S EIGHT EMPLOYEES
AND THE BUDGET IS LESS THAN $8
MILLION.
MILLION. >> THAT’S GOING IN THE KRONGWRON
DIRECTION.
DIRECTION. >> THEY’RE SAYING, HEY, YOU’RE
TRYING TO POLICE SPEECH.
THIS IS NOT CONFRONTING RAD DAL
ISLAMIC SITUATIONS.
ISLAMIC SITUATIONS. >> THE MISSION IS NOT ABOUT
POLICING OR CURBING OR
DISCOURAGING FREE SPEECH.
BUT BUILDING BRIJS TO
COMMUNITIES FROM WHICH TERRORIST
ORGANIZATIONS OR HATE GROUPS
MIGHT SEEK TO RECRUIT.
THAT WAS SOMETHING I SPENT A LOT
OF TIME ON WHEN I WAS SECRETARY.
IT BECAME THE CENTER PIECE OF MY
COUNTERTERRORISM MISSION.
COUNTERTERRORISM MISSION. I WAS GLAD THAT THE CONGRESS IN
2016 ACTUALLY FUNDED HOMELAND
SECURITY’S EFFORTS TO SUPPORT
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS.
FOR EXAMPLE, A GROUP BASED IN
CHICAGO, CALLED LIFE AFTER HATE.
WHICH WORKS WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO
HAVE LEFT WHITE SUPREMACIST
GROUPS.
GROUPS. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE
NEED TO REDEDICATE OURSELVES AND
FOCUS ON MORE NOW.
>> THERE WAS A TROUBLING "NEW
YORK TIMES" MAGAZINE STORY ABOUT
THIS ISSUE OF WHITE NATIONALISM.
IN 2017, THERE WERE 65
INCIDENTS.
INCIDENTS. ROUGHLY 60% WERE DRIVEN BY
RACIST, ANTI-MUSLIM, ANTI-SEMI
ANTI-SEMITIC THOUGHTS.
ANTI-SEMITIC THOUGHTS. THERE SEEMS TO BE A THREAT OF
WHITE NATIONALISM AND LAW
ENFORCEMENT DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO
TACKLE IT.
TACKLE IT. IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE POLITICS?
>> I HOPE NOT.
VERY DEFINITELY, THERE IS A RISE
IN THE LEVELS OF EXTREMIST
VIOLENT BEHAVIOR DIRECTED NOT
JUST AT PEOPLE BASED ON RACE.
I THINK WHAT IS NEW IS DIRECTED
AT PEOPLE PERCEIVED TO OCCUPY A
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY LIST.
THIS LIEUTENANT’S PERSONAL
BELONGINGS INCLUDED THE LIST.
MUCH LIKE THE PIPE BOMBER THAT
WAS ARRESTED.
WAS ARRESTED. AND THAT IS NEW.
AND -- SO -- WITHOUT POLICING
SPEECH, WITHOUT POLICING THOUGHT
IN A FREE AND OPEN DEMOCRATIC
SOCIETY, TRADITIONAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND IN EFFORTS OF
BUILDING BRIDGES IN COMMUNITIES
NEEDS TO CONTINUE.
THIS IS TRULY A DIFFICULT NUT TO
CRACK.
CRACK. AND THE LEVELS OF HATRED AND
VIOLENCE WE SEE ARE GOING UP.
THE ADL POINTS OUT ANTI-SEMITISM
IS GOING UP NOW.
IT HAS TO START AT THE TOP.
LEADERS LEAD.
LEADERS LEAD. AND PEOPLE REALLY DO LISTEN TO
THEIR LEADS.
THEIR LEADS. AND THE LEVEL OF DIALOGUE IS
DEVIATING DOWNWARD.
DEVIATING DOWNWARD. THE CIVILITY OF OUR DIALOGUE IS
DEVIATING DOWNWARD SUCH THAT
PEOPLE LIKE THIS COAST GUARD
LIEUTENANT FEEL EMBOLDENED.
>> BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T
CONDEMN THIS, BECAUSE THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T WANT TO TAKE
THE LEAD ON THIS, THERE IS NOT
MUCH GOVERNMENT CAN DO UNTIL HE
DOES?
DOES? >> I THINK IT’S INCUMBENT ON
LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE SPECTRUM
TO LOWER THE LEVELS OF OUR -- OR
TO RAISE THE LEVELS OF OUR CIVIL
DISCOURSE, DISCOURAGE VIOLENCE.
CALL IT OUT WHEREVER IT MIGHT
EXIST ON THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM.
>> I HAVE TO ASK YOU QUICKLY.
WE’LL HAVE A VOTE ON WHETHER
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY AT THE
BORDER.
BORDER. SOME DEMOCRATS HAVE TALKED ABOUT
REMOVING FENNING AT THE BORDER.
IS IT A NATIONAL EMERGENCY?
AND WOULD YOU BE IN FAVOR OF
SEEING LESS FENCING THAN IS
THERE NOW?
THERE NOW? >> I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF SEEING
LESS FENCING THAN THERE IS NOW.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE
OUR EFFORTS AT BORDER SECURITY.
MART BORDER SECURITY.
SMART INVESTMENTS IN THE USE OF
THE TAX PAYERS’ DOLLARS IN
BORDER SECURITY.
BORDER SECURITY. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT WAS
APPROPRIATE FOR THE PRESIDENT TO
INVOKE SECTION 2808 OF TITLE X.
THAT IS INTENDED FOR A WAR OR
NATIONAL EMERGENCY HISTORICALLY
OVERSEAS.
OVERSEAS. SO THIS IS REALLY, IN MY
JUDGMENT, TRYING TO FIT A SQUARE
PEG IN A ROUND HOLE.
BETTER TO WORK WITH CONGRESS
AND -- COLLECTIVELY COME TO THE
SMART E, BEST COLLUSION.