♪.
LARRY: WELL, FOLKS, LOOKS LIKE
NOW LOOKS LIKE THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION KNEW ABOUT THE
CHINESE FLYING SAUCER, WHATEVER
IT IS ALL ALONG WHEN IT LEFT
CHINA OR, WAY BEFORE IT GOT INTO
ALASKA.
AND THAT RAISES THE QUESTION, DO
WE BELIEVE ANYTHING THEY SAY
ABOUT THIS OR PERHAPS OTHER
THINGS AS WELL?
ANYWAY, JOINING ME NOW TO TALK
ABOUT IT, FLORIDA SENATOR
MARCO RUBIO.
HE IS THE VICE-CHAIR OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
SENATOR RUBIO, THANKS FOR COMING
ON.
WE APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
I MEAN THEY KNEW FROM THE
BEGINNING OF THIS THING AND THEY
STILL WAITED FOREVER AND YOU
KNOW, I’VE HAD THIS -- LOOK I
DON’T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS.
I DON’T GET IT.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE
DOING, WHY THEY’RE DOING IT BUT
HERE’S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A
CREDIBILITY PROBLEM.
IF THEY KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING
WHY DIDN’T THEY TAKE ACTION
SOONER, SENATOR?
>> WELL THE WHITE HOUSE, LET ME
PUT IT TO YOU THIS WAY BECAUSE I
WANT TO BE CAREFUL HOW I TALK
ABOUT IT.
I THINK UNITED STATES, AGENCIES
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES HAD A
AWARENESS THIS BALLOON WAS OUT
THERE AND THAT IT WAS HEADED
TOWARD AS PATH THAT WOULD BRING
IT OVER ALASKA AND THEN THE
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.
THEY WERE AWARE OF THIS IN
ADVANCE OF IT ACTUALLY DOING IT.
THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOOT
IT DOWN OVER INTERNATIONAL
WATERS.
THEY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOOT
IT DOWN BEFORE IT ENTERED US AIR
SPACE.
THEY CHOSE NOT TO DO.
THE BALLOON CROSSED MIDDLE OF
THE COUNTRY, GOING OVER MOST
SENSITIVE FACILITIES INCLUDING
STRATEGIC COMMAND.
THEY HAD PAY LOAD ASSOCIATED
WITH COLLECTING SIGNALS AND
TAKING IMAGERY.
THEN IT SHOT IT DOWN OVER THE
COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
THEY SAID THEY DIDN’T HAVE TIME
TO REACT IS, THE LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY, AND IN ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE IS CAUSING SUSPICION AND
IT UNDERMINES THE CONFIDENCE
THAT THESE GUYS KNOW WHAT
THEY’RE DOING.
LARRY: TO THAT POINT, THERE WAS
SOME KIND OF A RUMOR RUNNING
AROUND TODAY THAT PRESIDENT
BIDEN WAS THINKING ABOUT A
SPEECH TO THE COUNTRY TO EXPLAIN
THIS.
I MEAN TO ME SHOULD, WITHOUT
HESITATION SPEAK TO THE COUNTRY,
BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS KIND OF
SCRATCHING THEIR HEAD.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’RE SCRATCHING
YOUR HEAD.
YOU’RE IN THE INTEL COMMITTEE.
HAVE YOU HAD BRIEFINGS THAT ARE
SATISFACTORY?
DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW NOW MORE
THAN YOU DID A WEEK AGO?
>> I WANT TO BUY PURE KATE THE
BALLOONS AND SEPARATE FROM THE
THREE OTHER INSTANCES.
WE KNOW WHAT THE BALLOON DOES,
WE KNOW WHY IT CAME HERE.
WE DIDN’T SHOOT THAT ONE DOWN
UNTIL IT CAME OFF THE COAST.
THE OTHER THING HE SHOULD
ADDRESS THREE OTHER INSTANCES
HERE IS WHY.
THESE ARE NOT NEW ROW, THE AERO
THAT CONGRESS CREATED 114 CASES
SIMILAR TO THESE, SAME
ATTRIBUTES, SAME CHARACTERISTICS
REMAIN UNEXPLAINED BUT THEY HAVE
DATA ON THOSE.
THESE THINGS ARE NOT KNEW.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE 114
CASES THE 500 OTHERS THEY HAVE
CATALOGED AND THOSE THREE, THIS
IS THE FIRST TIME IN NORAD
HISTORY WE SCRAMBLED ANYTHING
DOWN OVER US AIR SPACE.
THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE.
WHEN YOU SHOOT SOMETHING DOWN
OVER US AIR SPACE, NOT ONCE,
THREE TIMES, USING MISSILES WITH
THE COUNTRY RIGHT UNDERNEATH I
THINK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
DESERVE TO HEAR WHY YOU DID IT,
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR.
I DON’T KNOW WHY IT IS TAKING SO
LONG.
I DON’T THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS
SPOKEN ABOUT ABOUT A BRIEF
COMMENT HE MADE ON FRIDAY
SOMEWHERE.
LARRY: WHY DID THEY DO IT?
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA?
YOU’RE AS INFORMED ABOUT THIS AS
ANYBODY.
WHY DID THEY DO IT?
>> THE ONLY THING WE HAVE BEEN
TOLD IS WHAT YOU’VE SEEN THEM
SAY PUBLICLY.
THAT A 25,000 FEET IT POSED A
RISK TO CIVILIAN AVIATION BUT,
WE HAVE HAD HUNDREDS, HUNDREDS
OF THESE THINGS FLY AT THE SAM
ALTITUDE, SAME ATTRIBUTES, NONE
OF THEM WERE SHOT DOWN.
THE REAL QUESTION IS WHY WERE
THESE SHOT DOWN, NOT ONES
BEFORE?
WHAT WILL WE DO WE IDENTIFY
SOMETHING AT 20,000 FEET SLOW
MOVING WILL WE SHOOT THAT DOWN
AS WELL?
THOSE ARE IMPORTANT ANSWERS
PEOPLE DESERVE TO HEAR, PEOPLE
DESERVE TO HAVE, I THINK IT HAS
TO COME FROM THE
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, WHICH IS
ONLY ONE THAT CAN GIVE THE ORDER
TO FIRE MISSILES AT THESE
THINGS.
LARRY: I WAS, THAT, DO YOU THINK
THIS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IS IN
COMMAND?
IS HE IN COMMAND GENERALLY,
SENATOR RUBIO BUT IN THIS
PARTICULAR EPISODE IS HE IN
COMMAND?
>> I OBVIOUSLY DON’T HAVE A LOT
OF INSIGHT INTO THE
INNER-WORKINGS OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION BUT I’VE SEEN
NOTHING DEMONSTRATED OUTWARDLY
TO US THAT IS HE IS COMMAND.
PART OF IT IS THE WHITE HOUSE IS
AFRAID TO PUT HIM IN FRONT OF A
MICROPHONE ON SOMETHING LIKE
THIS.
I DON’T THINK THEY HAVE THE
CONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
THEY ARE CONCERNED HE MIGHT
MISSPEAK OR SAY SOMETHING THAT
CAUSES CONFUSION.
THAT IS MY PERSONAL VIEW.
MAYBE THERE IS SOME OTHER REASON
FOR IT.
IF THERE IS THEY HAVEN’T TOLD
YOU US.
THEY HAVE OFFERED ANY RATIONALE
OR HAVE I HEARD ANYTHING TO
BELIEVE THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
SHOULDN’T ADDRESS US.
HE CAN SAY THE SAME THING JOHN
KIRBY HAS BEEN SAYING,
SPOKESPERSON FROM THE
WHITE HOUSE IS SAYING, COMING
FROM THE PRESIDENT, THAT IS WHO
IS IMPORTANT.
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY AS THIS,
THE FACT THAT HE IS ISN’T SPEAKS
VOLUME ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP
CAPABILITIES AND BY THAT I MEAN
THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WHICH
IS CRITICAL TO A PRESIDENT IN
TIME OF CONFLICT OR TIME OF
CONCERN.
LARRY: SENATOR, LET ME GO ACROSS
THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
CHINA, COMMUNIST CHINA IS SAFING
THAT THE UNITED STATES IS FLYING
ESPIONAGE BALLOONS OVER CHINA
AND IN FACT CHINA IS SAYING A
LOT OF THINGS.
THEY DON’T WANT TO TALK TO OUR
DEFENSE SECRETARY.
I HAVEN’T HEARD AN
ADMINISTRATION RESPONSE TO THE
CHINA PART OF THIS CALCULUS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> WELL, IF WE WERE FLYING
BALLOONS OVER CHINA THEY WOULD
HAVE SHOT THEM DOWN.
THEY DON’T HAVE TO HAVE TOWN
HALL MEETINGS.
THEY WOULDN’T BE GIVING
EXPLANATIONS.
MEDIA WOULD REPORT ONLY WHAT
COMMUNIST PARTY ALLOWS THEM TO
REPORT.
DONATIONS SPY ON EACH OTHER?
ABSOLUTELY.
DO WE FLYBALL LOONS?
I’M NOT AWARE OF US EVER FLYING
A BALLOON ANYTIME I’VE BEEN HERE
OVER CHINA TO THE PURPOSES THEY
OUTLINE.
MAYBE METEOROLOGICAL VENTURE WE
DO TOGETHER, SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
YOU CAN’T JUST FLY OVER CHINESE
AIRSPACE AND NOT GET SHOT DOWN.
IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT IT IS
NOT TRUE.
IT IS WHAT THEY’RE SPINNING.
THEY’RE EMBARRASSED BY IT TO
SOME EXTENT.
THEY’RE MAKING UP STORIES ABOUT
WEATHER BALLOONS.
THEY FIRED HEAD OF, CHIEF MEET
REAL GIFT FOR THE COUNTRY WAS
FIRED.
BE THE SCAPEGOAT FOR WHAT
HAPPENED.
I’M SURE HE LANDED SOMEWHERE
ELSE.
THESE TO ARE TEAR CAN
GOVERNMENTS CAN SAY WHATEVER
THEY WANT.
THEY SAY SILLY THINGS.
LARRY: YOU’RE RIGHT.
I HAD INTHOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
HE SHOULD GET A JOB WITH ONE OF
THESE WEATHER CHANNELS.
ON A RELATED SUBJECT, SENATOR
RUBIO, WOULDN’T IT BE A GOOD
MOMENT TO FINALLY GET RID OF
TIKTOK ONCE AND FOR ALL?
WE STARTED THE CAMPAIGN DURING
THE TRUMP YEARS.
I THINK THERE IS MAJORITY FOR IT
IN THE SENATE.
I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN ALL OVER
THIS, YOU JUST SAID RUBIO TO
SCHUMER, I HAVE YOUR PRESS
RELEASE, LET’S VOTE ON THE
BIPARTISAN TIKTOK BAN.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT?
WHAT IS THE STATE OF PLAY?
>> I’VE BEEN CALLING ON THIS FOR
A LONG TIME.
LOOK THE THING ABOUT TIKTOK, IT
IS NOT VIDEOS, OKAY?
NOT THAT THE VIDEOS SOME ARE
STUPID, SOME ARE PRETTY GOOD.
THAT IS WHY PEOPLE LOOK AT THAT
TO WATCH IT.
IT IS NOT VIDEO, ISSUE IS DATA.
NUMBER ONE IT IS DATA.
THEY ARE COLLECTING DATA, SO ARE
OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES BUT
THIS SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY IS
OWNED BY A CHINESE COMPANY LIKE
EVERY COMPANY IN CHINA AS YOU
WELL KNOW HAS TO DO WHATEVER THE
CHINESE PARTY TELLS THEM, OKAY?
TWITTER AND FACEBOOK ARE NOT
CONTROLLED BY THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE LAWS HERE.
THEY CAN GO TO COURT.
THEY FIGHT US ALL THE TIME ON
THINGS.
WHEN IT COMES TO CHINA, IF THEY
TELL BYTEDANCE WHICH OWNS
TICKTOCK, I WANT DATA OF
60 MILLION, 70 MILLION AMERICANS
EVERYTHING YOU HAVE ON THEM,
THEY HAVE TO TURN IT OVER OR
BYTEDANCE WILL CEASE TO EXIST OR
SOMEONE ELSE WILL BE TAKING OVER
IT.
DATA ALONE IS THE MOST VALUABLE
COMMUNITY TODAY.
A.I. DOESN’T WORK WITHOUT IT,
QUANTUM COMPUTING DOESN’T WORK
WITHOUT IT.
IT IS THE GREATEST DATA
COLLECTOR OUT THERE TODAY
BECAUSE IT IS FASTEST GROWING
SOCIAL MEDIA APP.
IT IS THE OTHER ABILITY TO
FURTHER NARRATIVES.
THEY CAN USE TIKTOK TO DRIVE
VIDEO PROMOTE MESSAGES IN TIME
OF CONFLICT CONVINCE AMERICANS
SHOULDN’T DEFEND ABOUT TAIWAN.
THAT AMERICA IS WRONG ABOUT
TAIWAN ON OTHER HAND SUPPRESS
MESSAGES THAT SAY CONTRARY RIFF.
IT IS VULNERABILITY.
S IN THEY TRY TO SELL THE
COMPANY, AS YOU TRIED TO DO WHEN
YOU WERE IN THE ADMINISTRATION
UNLESS IT IS SOLD TO A NON-CHINA
ENTITY IT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED
TO OPERATE IN THE UNITED STATES.
LARRY: LAST ONE, SENATOR RUBIO,
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AS
ALWAYS.
THERE IS TALK IN THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION REMOVING,
LOWERING SOME OF THE TRADE
TARIFFS.
TO ME THAT WOULD, WHATEVER THE
MERITS MIGHT BE I THINK
SYMBOLICALLY, IN TERMS OF THESE
NATIONAL SECURITY CRISES, THIS
IS THE WRONG TIME.
IN FACT I’M JUST GOING TO --
THIS IS THE WRONG TIME TO HELP
CHINA IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM
I WOULD THINK.
YOU HAVE BEEN TOUGH ON CHINA.
I GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD.
>> YEAH.
AFTER THE COLD WAR WE THOUGHT
FREE TRADE WOULD GUARANTY PEACE
AND PROSPERITY IN THE WORLD THAT
HAS GENERALLY BEEN TRUE WHEN IT
COMES TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACIES
THAT SHARE VALUES.
THE CHINESE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF
BENEFITS OF FREE TRADE BUT LIVED
BY NONE OF ITS OBLIGATION.
THEY HAVE A HISTORIC EXPORT
DRIVEN ECONOMIC EXPANSION AT THE
EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN MIDDLE
CLASS.
IT LEFT US VULNERABLE ON SUPPLY
CHAINS, ALL KINDS OF BASIC
MANUFACTURING.
SO AMERICA SENDS THEM MOVIES AND
THEY SEND US FINISHED GOODS WE
RELY ON EVERYTHING FROM MEDICINE
TO TECHNOLOGY.
SO THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.
THERE ARE MERCANTILIST COUNTRY.
THEY DO NOT SUPPORT, IT’S A
ONE-WAY STREET.
THERE IS NOT A TIME TO BE
FURTHER EXPLOITING
VULNERABILITIES, CREATING
ADDITIONAL VULNERABILITIES IN
OUR DEPENDENCE ON CHINA AND
THEIR SUPPLY CHAIN CONTROL.
LARRY: SENATOR RUBIO, WE