WE HAVE STEVE MOORE, PRINCETON
PROFESSOR BURT MARKIEL.
FIRST UP, LET’S GO BALLOONING.
WE HAVE SENATOR ROGER WICKER.
HE IS THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE
SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE.
SENATOR WICKER, LET ME JUST TEST
YOU.
ARE WE HEARING YOUR SOUND, SIR?
>> I’M HEARING YOU FINE.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR.
LARRY: THAT’S GREAT.
I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
MAYBE WE CAN TURN THE SOUND UP
HERE ON THE FLOOR.
WE HAD SOME TECHNICAL PROBLEMS.
ANYWAY, SENATOR, WELCOME BACK TO
THE SHOW.
THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS.
>> GLAD TO BE HERE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU
JUST TALKED ABOUT.
WHEN YOU AND I WERE HELPING
DONALD TRUMP CUT TAXES AND CUT
REGULATIONS WE TOOK THE BURDEN
OFF OF JOB CREATORS.
AND GAVE THEM MORE FREEDOM AND
YOU KNOW WHAT WE DID?
WE CREATED A TON OF MORE NEW
JOBS AND BROUGHT A LOT OF MONEY
BACK TO THE UNITED STATES.
SO BEFORE YOU ASK ABOUT BALLOONS
LET ME STAND UP AND CHEER YOUR
MONOLOGUE.
IT WAS 100%.
LARRY: YOU’RE AWFUL NICE, SIR,
ACTUALLY, YOU’RE AWFUL NICE, I
APPRECIATE IT.
YOU’RE THE RANKING REPUBLICAN ON
THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE AND --
>> ARMED SERVICES, ARMED
SERVICES COMMITTEE, LARRY.
LARRY: ARMED SERVICES, EVEN
BETTER TO SOME EXTENT.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO TELL US WHAT
IS GOING ON HERE?
WE GOT ONE BALLOON, THREE METAL
I CAN AERIAL OBJECTS THAT MAY BE
BALLOONS CARRYING PAYLOADS.
ALL OF SUNDAY ED WE DISCOVERED
THIS.
WE LET THE BIG BALLOON RUN
THROUGH THE COUNTRY, PROBABLY
RADIOING BACK TO BEIJING ALL
MANNER OF INTEL.
I MEAN, SENATOR WICKER, WHAT IS
YOUR TAKE ON THIS?
WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?
>> WELL WHAT MY TAKE IS THE
FIRST BALLOON WAS IN FACT THE
MAJOR ISSUE STILL.
IT WAS WITHOUT QUESTION A
CHINESE SURVEILLANCE BALLOON.
IT WAS CAPABLE OF BEING GUIDED
FROM A BASE AND BASICALLY IT
WENT OVER THE PACIFIC AROUND THE
EQUATOR AND THEN TURNED NORTH
DELIBERATELY TO ALASKA AND
TRAVERSED SEVERAL OF OUR STATES OVER THE MOST, SOME OF OUR MOST
OVER THE MOST, SOME OF OUR MOST
SENSITIVE BASE NO DOUBT
GATHERING INFORMATION AND
SENDING IT BACK TO CHINA.
EVERY NUCLEAR FACILITY WE HAVE
IN TERMS OF OUR STRATEGIC
CAPABILITY WAS VISITED BY THIS
BALLOON AND IT REALLY IS, IT IS
NOT SOMETHING FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION TO BE PROUD
ABOUT, TO BE PATTING THEMSELVES
ON THE BACK ABOUT AS THEY WERE
IN THE BRIEFING LAST WEEK.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS A SHAME.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN
OVER ALASKA IN TERRITORIAL
WATERS BEFORE IT GOT TO ALASKA.
SO THAT’S THE MAJOR ONE.
WE DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE
OTHERS.
AS A, AS THE RANKING REPUBLICAN,
THE TOP REPUBLICAN ON THE SENATE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE WE HAVE
NOT RECEIVED MUCH INFORMATION
ABOUT THESE OTHER OBJECTS.
THEY JUST COULD BE NEAR SPACE
JUNK FOR THAT MATTER BUT IT DOES
POINT OUT THAT OUR NORAD
CAPABILITIES NEED TO INCLUDE
THESE TYPES OF THINGS AS WELL AS
SATELLITES AND MISSILES AND
SLOWER MOVING THINGS, ANYTHING
FROM 40,000 FEET UP TO 80,000.
LARRY: SENATOR WICKER, THE THING
I DON’T UNDERSTAND, SO THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION, DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT, DID NOT WANT TO
SHOOT DOWN THE FIRST BALLOON
WHICH WAS AN OBVIOUS BALLOON.
I MEAN WE COULD ALL SEE IT.
PEOPLE FROM THE GROUND WERE
LOOKING UP AT IT IN MONTANA FOR
HEAVENS SAKES.
THEY DIDN’T WANT TO SHOOT IT
DOWN.
THERE IS NOBODY IN MONTANA TO
HIT.
I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY LET THAT
THING DRIFT.
SITS OVER OUR NUCLEAR
ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEMS
AND DRIFTS THROUGH THE EAST
COAST WHERE THEY FINALLY SHOOT
IT DOWN.
THEY WOULDN’T TOUCH THAT,
SENATOR, NOW THEY’RE SHOOTING
EVERYTHING UP THERE.
NOW THESE THINGS, SOMETIMES WITH
CANADA, SOMETIMES ON OUR OWN, IT
LOOKS TRIGGER HAPPY.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND THIS, WHAT
ARE WE SHOOTING AT AND WHY ARE
WE SHOOTING IF WE DON’T KNOW
WHAT THEY ARE?
SOMEBODY IN THE PRESS BRIEFING
RULED OUT ALIENS.
IT IS NOT UFOs.
IT IS NOT EXTRATERRESTRIAL.
WE DON’T KNOW IF IT IS FROM
CHINA.
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT A METALLIC
BALLOON WITH A PAY LEAD IS,
ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
DO YOU FOLLOW ME?
LIKE WE’RE TRIGGER HAPPY.
>> I DO FOLLOW YOU.
PART OF IT IS WE JUST DON’T
KNOW, AND SHOULDN’T THAT BE OF
CONCERN TO US, LARRY?
>> YES.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IF THIS IS NEAR SPACE JUNK AND
AT 40,000 FEET IT INTERFERES,
POSSIBLY INTERFERES WITH AIR
TRAFFIC, SHOULDN’T WE HAVE A
BETTER CAPABILITY?
SO GENERAL VANHERK OF NORAD HAS
BEEN CALLING FOR UPGRADED
CAPABILITY.
I THINK HE IS GOING TO GET IT.
BUT YES, YOU DO MAKE A POINT.
THEY WERE VERY PROUD OF
THEMSELVES FOR THE WAY THEY
HANDLED LETTING THE ASSURED
SPACE SURVEILLANCE BALLOON GO
FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE
UNITED STATES AND, THEN MIGHTY
QUICK TO DO THE OTHER THINGS.
AND WE’LL FIND OUT WHAT THEY ARE
BUT, IF WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THIS
SORT OF THING IN COMMERCIAL
AIRSPACE, IN CIVILIAN AIRSPACE,
WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT, WE
NEED TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY IT
EARLIER THAN THIS.
LARRY: I THINK, I’M JUST GOING
TO GUESS, BUT I’M GOING TO GUESS
THAT A WHOLE LOT OF AMERICANS
WANT TO KNOW, IS THIS A CHINESE
INVASION BASICALLY?
I MEAN THEY’RE IN OUR AIRSPACE
AND WE DIDN’T SEEM TO WANT TO DO
ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I’M SPEAKING OF THE BIG BALLOON
BUT NOW ALL OF THESE OTHER
THINGS ARE POPPING UP.
ARE WE BEING INVADED?
IS OUR SOVEREIGN TERRITORY BEING
INVADED OR IS IT BEING BROKEN?
YOU KNOW WE TALK ABOUT THAT ON
THE SOUTHERN BORDER WITH THE
IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.
NOW IT IS LIKE A WHOLE
COUNTRYWIDE, NATIONWIDE THING.
AGAIN, WHAT IS UP WITH THIS?
WHO IS DOING THIS TO US?
>> WELL I HAVE TO INTERJECT, THE
SOUTHERN INVASION AGAIN, TOTALLY
SELF-INFLICTED WOULD BY THE
BIDEN CAMPAIGN, BY THE THE BIDEN
TRANSITION AND BY THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IN FIRST DAYS.
IF ANYBODY DIDN’T HEAR THAT AS
AN OPEN INVITATION TO THE
SOUTHERN BORDER, THEY
MISUNDERSTOOD.
I DON’T KNOW IF WE’RE BEING
INVADED BUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
NEED TO KNOW THAT ABOUT THESE
OTHER OBJECTS IN THE SKY.
WE NEED TO KNOW THAT CHINA IS
NOT OUR FRIEND.
THEY ARE OUR ADVERSARY.
WE TRADE WITH THEM AND THEY SELL
A LOT OF STUFF TO US AND WE’RE
GLAD TO SELL THEM SOME ITEMS
THAT WE MANUFACTURE TOO BUT THEY
ARE OUR MILITARY ADVERSARY AND
WE ARE NOT READY TO BE STRONG
ENOUGH IN THE PACIFIC TO KEEP
THEM FROM DOING SOMETHING
FOOLISH.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I’M A REAGAN
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH GUY.
WE NEED A LOT MORE STRENGTH IN
ALL OF THIS, WHETHER IT’S THE
CAPABILITIES GENERAL VANHERK HAS
ASKED FOR AND WHAT OUR MARINES
AND NAVY NEED IN THE WESTERN
PACIFIC.
WE’RE NOT READY GET.
LARRY: SO, OKAY, HAVING WORKED
FOR REAGAN AS A CHILD I’M JUST
SAYING WAIT I’M A REAGAN PEACE
THROUGH STRENGTH GUY, AS YOU
WELL KNOW, SENATOR BUT HERE’S
THE THING I THINK EVERYBODY
WANTS TO KNOW SOMETHING
DEFINITIVE ABOUT THIS.
ON THE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
I PRESUME YOU WILL GET
BRIEFINGS, EITHER WILL OR YOU
HAVE ALREADY BUT I THINK PEOPLE
JUST WANT TO KNOW, ALL OF A
SUDDEN YOU KNOW, WE’VE GONE FROM
ZERO TO 100 MILES AN HOUR.
NOTHING IN THE SKIES.
NOW EVERYTHING IN THE SKIES.
HALF IN AND HALF OUT AND WHAT
EXACTLY,
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL"
EDITORIAL TODAY ENDED BY SAYING
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON UP
THERE?
I THINK PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.
WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON UP
THERE?
WHERE DOES THIS END, SIR?
>> I’M GLAD YOU READ
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL."
SO DO I.
IT IS WHAT I START WITH.
LARRY: LOOK IT IS A GREAT
QUESTION.
I CAN ASK THAT QUESTION MORE
CRUDELY NOT OUT OF RESPECT FOR
YOU AND THE SHOW.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, SENATOR
WICKER, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
>> THEE LAST FEW OBJECTS, THE
FOUR OBJECTS THEY’RE NOT YET
CALLING BALLOONS, HAPPENED
PRETTY MUCH OVER THE WEEKEND.
I WAS FLYING, I WAS IN THE AIR
WHEN THE SECOND ONE WAS SHOT
DOWN AND, AGAIN, NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR DID NOT EVEN
CHOOSE TO BEGIN HIS BRIEFING
ABOUT THAT.
HE WAITED UNTIL A QUESTION WAS
ASKED.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE AN
ANSWER TO YOUR VERY QUESTIONS,
LARRY.
WE’RE GOING TO GET THEM.
UNLESS IT IS STAMPED AS
CLASSIFIED BY THE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF, OR HIS CHAIN OF COMMAND,
WE’RE GOING TO GET THAT
INFORMATION BACK TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS,
WE’RE NOT QUITE WHERE WE NEED TO
BE.
WE’RE NOT NEAR WHERE WE NEED TO
BE IN TERMS OF CAPABILITY, NOT
ONLY SURVEILLANCE AND
INTERCEPTION BUT ALSO DEFENDING
OUR FRIENDS AND OUR WAY OF LIFE
AND OUR ECONOMY AS A, AND OUR
RIGHT AS PART OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO MOVE
ABOUT THE OPEN SEAS.
LARRY: JUST LAST ONE, SENATOR,
ARE THE BIDENS TELLING THE TRUTH
ABOUT THIS STUFF?
BECAUSE I WATCHED, THE FIRST BIG
ALAN OVER MONTANA AND SO I DON’T
THINK THEY TOLD ANYBODY THE
TRUTH.
I DON’T KNOW WHY IT TOOK A WEEK
TO GET THIS THING DOWN.
WE SHOULD HAVE SHOT IT DOWN,
CAPTURED, BROUGHT IT DOWN.
LAST QUESTION IN YOUR JUDGMENT,
SENATOR ROGER WICKER ARE THE
BIDENS TELLING THE TRUTH?
>> PROBABLY NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH.
LARRY: RIGHT.
>> BUT WE WILL IN A SETTING
WHERE WE CAN ASK THE PENETRATING
QUESTIONS, WE’LL DO OUR BEST TO
GET TO THE WHOLE TRUTH AND TO
THE EXTENT IT IS NOT CLASSIFIED,
WE’LL LET YOU KNOW.
ALSO GOT TO SAY THIS, LARRY, I
LOVE THE PEOPLE OF MONTANA.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD FOLKS
THERE AND I KNOW YOU WOULDN’T
WANT US TO BE CARELESS WITH
THEIR LIVES.
THERE ARE PLACES IN THE ROCKIES
THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SHOT DOWN.
LARRY: YES. >> WITHOUT ENDANGERING ANYBODY
>> WITHOUT ENDANGERING ANYBODY
BUT I DO LOVE MONTANA.
LARRY: SENATOR, MY SAINTLY WIFE
IS FROM MONTANA.
WE WERE MARRIED IN MONTANA.
HER KIN HAVE BEEN IN MONTANA, A
CENTURY 1/2.
THEY COULD HAVE SHOT IT DOWN,
YOU KNOW IT, I KNOW IT, ANOTHER
DAINES KNOWS IT.
TO THIS DAY I DON’T WANT WHY IT