AND CHAIRMAN OF THE COWEN GROUP. WELCOME BACK TO BLOOMBERG.
I WANT TO START WITH THE BASICS NOW THAT WE HAVE A CHANCE TO
SPEAK WITH YOU.
WE SAW HISTORY MADE TODAY IN MIAMI, WHERE THE FORMER
PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. CHARGED WITH A FEDERAL CRIME.
THIS INDICTMENT IS MAKING AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF NEWS.
THERE IS A POLITICAL ASPECT TO THIS AS REPUBLICANS AND
DEMOCRATS ARGUE OVER IT. BUT FOR SOMEONE WHO HELD YOUR
POST AND THE PENTAGON FOR INSTANCE, DO YOU THINK THE
CHARGES ARE WORTH MAKING HISTORY?
>> ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A BAD DAY FOR MR. TRUMP.
IT WAS A VERY GOOD DAY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE SENSE
THERE WAS A REAFFIRMATION OF THE BELIEF THAT WE HOLD THAT NO
PERSON IS ABOVE THE LAW INCLUDING THE FORMER PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES. I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING
SOME 10 YEARS ON THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
BARRY GOLDWATER, ASKED ME TO SERVE ON THE INTEL COMMITTEE
AND I DID SO AS THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THAT COMMITTEE FOR
HALF OF THAT TIME. AND THEN OVER AT THE PENTAGON I
CAN TELL YOU THERE'S NOT A DAY THAT WENT BY THAT I DID NOT
HOLD DOCUMENTS AND LOOK AT THEM AND UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH IT WAS
COSTING IN TERMS OF TREASURY TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION, HOW
MANY PEOPLE WERE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO COLLECT IT.
HOW MANY MEN AND WOMEN SERVING ON THE FRONT LINES AS FAR AS
THE MILITARY WAS CONCERNED WERE IN JEOPARDY.
IF THAT INFORMATION WERE TO GET INTO THE HANDS THAT WERE NOT
SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT IT IS A SACRED DUTY AND THAT IS.
WHAT MAKES THIS SUCH A TERRIBLE
CRIME IF IN FACT, THE FACTS ARE VERIFIED THAT YOU PUT IN DANGER
THE SECURITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
KNOWINGLY HOLDING ONTO THIS INFORMATION.
IT WAS TOP-SECRET CAR PARK -- COMPARTMENTALIZED THE VERY
HIGHEST OF SECURITY. THAT IS WHAT IS INVOLVED AND
THAT IS WHY THE FORMER PRESIDENT IS BEING HELD
ACCOUNTABLE. JOE: DID YOU EVER TAKE ANY OF THOSE
DOCUMENTS HOME?
>> NO. I NEVER DID.
I WOULD BE BRIEFED EVERY MORNING, ONCE I ENTERED THE
OFFICIAL LIMOUSINE, AND DRIVING MY APARTMENT OVER TO THE
PENTAGON. IT TOOK SIX MINUTES TO GET
THERE. I WAS GIVEN THE PRESIDENTIAL
DAILY BRIEF. I SCANNED IT QUICKLY.
SAW WHAT I NEEDED TO SEE. IF I NEEDED QUESTIONS I WOULD
LEAVE THE BRIEFING BOOK AND HAVE SOMEONE BRING IT UP TO MY
OFFICE AT THE PENTAGON. I TRY NOT TO HOLD ONTO ANYTHING
AND ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE WITH ME TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS ALWAYS
RETURNED. ANNEMARIE: MR. SECRETARY SOME OF THE
MARKINGS ON THE DOCUMENT SHOW THAT THEY SHOULD ONLY BE SHARED
WITH U.S.
ALLIES, PART OF THE FIVE I'S HOW CONCERNING IS THAT FOR U.S.
ALLIES THAT THIS INFORMATION THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS SHARED IN
THE U.S. COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY GOT INTO
THE WRONG HANDS?
>> IT CALLS INTO QUESTION OUR CREDIBILITY IN TERMS OF
PROTECTING THE INFORMATION. IT CALLS INTO QUESTION THE
SECURITY. THEY HAVE GATHERED INFORMATION
THAT WE DO NOT HAVE AND SHARED THEM WITH SOURCES THAT ARE
CONFIDENTIAL TO THEM AND SACRED TO THEM BUT THEY HAVE SHARED
THAT WITH US AND NOW IF THEY FEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE A
PROCEDURE IN PLACE OR DON'T HAVE PEOPLE AND A PRESIDENT IN
PLACE WHO WILL REVERE THOSE DOCUMENTS AND PROTECT THEM AT
ALL COSTS, THEN THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO SHARE THEM WITH US
IN THE FUTURE. THAT IS ONE OF THE FEARS THAT
MANY OF THE COUNTRIES I HAVE SPOKEN WITH RECENTLY, THEY FEAR
THAT WE WILL HAVE A RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE OF THE FORMER
PRESIDENT AND HE WILL ACT AS CAVALIERLY AND RECKLESSLY AS HE
DID IN HANDLING THESE IN THE FUTURE.
IT THEY MAY BE VERY UNWILLING TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO US
THAT MAY COME FROM THEIR OWN SECURITY. ANNEMARIE:
IS THERE SOMETHING THAT ALLIES WOULD WANT TO SEE IN PLACE IN
CASE THERE WAS A RETURN OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT TO THE WHITE
HOUSE SO THEY CAN FEEL THE INFORMATION THEY'RE PROVIDING
U.S. INSTITUTIONS TO STAY IN THE PROPER HANDS AND IS CLASSIFIED
AND PROTECTED IN THE APPROPRIATE MANNER?
>> THEY HAVE TO BE SATISFIED THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE IN
POSITIONS OF POWER AND INFLUENCE WHO ARE CREDIBLE,
RELIABLE, HONEST AND HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC
INTEREST AND TRUST. WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE
THE NOTION THAT ANY PRESIDENT CAN WAVE HIS HAND OR DISCLOSE
THE INFORMATION IN HIS HANDS AND THEREBY JEOPARDIZING THE
LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DEPENDING UPON HIM TO KEEP
THOSE SECRETS, WHILE THAT CALLS INTO QUESTION THE VIABILITY OF
THE U.S. AS THE FREE WORLD THAT HAS AN
UMBRELLA TO PROTECT OUR ALLIES AS WELL AS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THEY'VE A REAL PROBLEM IN TERMS WE DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE, WE
DON'T HAVE THE PROCESS THAT IS RELIABLE AND PRODUCTIVE THEY
MAY NOT SHARE THAT WITH US AND THAT PUTS US AND THEM IN A
DANGEROUS POSITION. JOE:
MR. SECRETARY, AS WE HAVE SEEN THE DOCUMENTS THAT WERE
DISPLAYED ON THE FLOOR AT MAR-A-LAGO OUR VIEWERS HAVE
SEEN THE SAME PHOTOGRAPHS WITH DOCUMENTS THAT ARE LABELED SCI
SENSITIVE, COMPARTMENT INFORMATION WE HAVE SEEN
INFORMATION LIKE TALENT KEYHOLE, CAN YOU CONNECT THE
DOTS FOR US ON WHAT THESE TYPES OF DOCUMENTS MAY INCLUDE.
WE HEARD TALK ABOUT BATTLE PLANS THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT
MAY HAVE BEEN PERTAINING WERE SHARING.
>> THE PENTAGON IS ENGAGED IN WAR PLANNING THAT MAY ARRIVED
AT ANY MOMENT. THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS
PROCESS. THE NOTION THAT THIS WOULD BE
SHARED WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS NOT
UNUSUAL. JOE: THAT WOULD BE LABELED SCI.
>> IT WOULD BE. TOP-SECRET YES.
YOU GET INTO MORE SPECIFICS IN TERMS OF ANALYZING WHAT WE KNOW
IN THE WAY OF COUNTRIES WHO ARE PRODUCING BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
WHO ARE ENGAGED IN CYBER ACTIVITIES WHO ARE DOING
PROFILES ON INDIVIDUALS AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR SECURITIES.
THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT LAYERS AND LEVELS BUT
ULTIMATELY THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IS SOMEONE
WHO TREATS THESE WITH REVERENCE TO SAY PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE AT
STAKE. I AM ELECTED TO PROTECT AND
DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LIVES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND THOSE OF OUR ALLIES WHEN YOU DROP THAT STANDARD AND SAY,
I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT TO WITH THIS I DON'T NEED A
PROCESS, I CAN WAVE MY HAND AND DECLASSIFY IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT
ASKING ANYBODY, WHEN HE SAY THAT TO THE WORLD IT CALLS INTO
QUESTION WHY THEY SHOULD SHARE ANYTHING WITH US. ANNEMARIE:
WHEN YOU READ THE REPORTING AND YOU READ THE INDICTMENT ITSELF,
WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST TROUBLING TO NATIONAL SECURITY OFF OF
THESE DOCUMENTS?
>> WHAT IS MOST TROUBLESOME IS THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAD THEM,
HE WAS NOTIFIED SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE THEM, HE REFUSED TO TURN
THEM OVER AND HE PLAYED A GAME OF HIDE AND LIE, HIDE THE
DOCUMENTS AND IF YOU LIVE FOR ME, THAT WILL BE EVEN BETTER.
IF YOU PULL THOSE DOCUMENTS OUT, THAT WILL BE EVEN BETTER.
SO, THEY, CLEARLY TO ME, HE IS ENGAGED AND OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE.
HE IS ENGAGED IN THE CONSPIRACY WITH HIS AIDE TO HELP HIM HIDE
THE INFORMATION AND EVEN ENCOURAGE ONE OF HIS LAWYERS TO
LAND HIS BEHALF. THAT IS WHAT IS SO DISCOURAGING.
HE HAS NO REVERENCE WITH THIS INFORMATION.
THE DAY AFTER HE FIRED JIM COMEY HE HAD A MEETING IN HIS
OFFICE IN THE WHITE HOUSE WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF RUSSIA
AND THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR WHAT DID HE DO.
HE GAVE SOME INFORMATION THAT WAS CLASSIFIED, HE SAID HE
DECLASSIFIED IT THERE BUT HE MAY -- IT MAY HAVE COME FROM
THE SECURITY LINES OF THE ISRAELIS.
THAT IS THE IMPETUOUS CITY THAT HE DISPLAYS THEY AFTER DAY AND
VIRTUALLY, THINK ABOUT THIS, EVERY PERSON WAS EVER SERVED
WITH HIM HAS COME AWAY WANTING TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT HOW BAD
IT WAS. I DON'T RECALL THAT HAPPENING
WITH ANY OTHER PRESIDENT IN OUR HISTORY.
THERE IS NOT A PERSON WHO HAS SERVED IN OUR WHITE HOUSE WHO
CAME OUT AND SAID IF HE COULD ONLY SEE WHAT IS GOING ON
BEHIND THESE CLOSED DOORS. ANNEMARIE:
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.