THE JACK HAMMERS.
JOHN ROBERTS NORTH LAWN.
>> Sandra: FOR MORE ON THIS
LET'S TURN TO BUCK SEXTON
FORMER C.I.A. ANALYST.
WE RECEIVED A STATEMENT FROM
DAN HOFFMAN.
HE COULDN'T COME ON THIS
MORNING BUT WE REACHED OUT TO
HIM FOR A STATEMENT.
HE SAID I HAVE LESS OF PROBLEM
WITH CNN INVESTIGATIVE
JOURNALISTS RUNNING WITH A HOT
STORY THAN THE SOURCES THAT
TIPPED THEM OFF.
IF ANY OF STORY IS TRUE,
WHOEVER WAS DISCUSSING THIS
SENSITIVE STORY WITH CNN WAS
COMMITTING A MAJOR DERELICTION
IN DUTY.
PUTIN WILL NOT HESITATE TO
LAUNCH ASSASSINATIONS THOSE WHO
BRANDS TRAITORS.
JUST LOOK AT THE FATE OF OTHERS.
I CAN IMAGINE OUR OUR SOURCES
RISKING THEIR LIVES BEHIND
ENEMY LINES WHETHER IT'S WORTH
IT AND IT WILL EXPOSE THEIR
IDENTITIES.
THE KEY POINT OF THE STORY A
C.I.A. SOURCE HAD TO BE TAKEN
OUT AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP
COMPROMISED HIM AND THEIR
SACRED WORK OUT OF PARTISAN
POLITICS.
OTHER ISSUES ON WHICH TO ARGUE
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
BEFORE I WENT OVER AS CHIEF OF
STATION MANY YEARS AGO A C.I.A.
VETERAN WAS GIVING ME SOME
ADVICE HOW BEST TO DO OUR WORK.
HE SUMMED IT UP SIMPLY.
THE SECRET OF OUR SUCCESS IS
THE SECRET OF OUR SUCCESS.
YOUR REACTION TO THE REPORTING
THIS MORNING.
>> I AGREE WITH MY OLD
COLLEAGUE DAN AND SUMS IT UP
NICELY IN THE STATEMENT.
I WOULD ADD TO IT THERE IS AN
OBVIOUS RECKLESSNESS FROM
ANYBODY WHO WOULD BE TALKING
ABOUT THIS KIND OF STORY THAT
HAD ACCESS OR KNEW ANYTHING IF
THAT'S WHAT WENT ON HERE.
SEEMS TO BE THE CASE.
THERE IS ALSO JOURNALISTS WHO
RUN WITH THIS.
THEY HAVE TO AS AMERICANS AND
PATRIOTS MAKE SOME
DETERMINATIONS WHAT THE PUBLIC
NEEDS TO KNOW VERSUS WHAT
ACTUALLY DOES PUT PEOPLE IN
JEOPARDY AND WHAT CAN BE
PROBLEMATIC FROM A NATIONAL
SECURITY PERSPECTIVE.
LEGALLY THEY CAN -- IT DOESN'T
MEAN THEY CAN REPORT ON
WHATEVER THEY WANT.
IN THIS CASE IT'S CLEAR IT WAS
JUST MEANT TO GET TRUMP.
THE STORY HERE ISN'T ABOUT THE
WHOLE OPERATION.
THE AGENCY HAS COME OUT, RARE,
AND SAID IT IS B.S. AND NOT
TRUE.
BUT THIS WAS ALL MEANT TO BE A
WEAPON AGAINST DONALD TRUMP.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK SOME OF
THE OTHER BARRIERS BOTH FROM
PEOPLE ALLEGEDLY INSIDE THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TALKED
ABOUT THIS AND SOME OF THE
JOURNALISTS WHO RAN WITH A HALF
BACKED IF NOT ENTIRELY UNTRUE
STORY BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE GET
TRUMP ERA, ALL THE RULES OF A
SUDDEN DON'T APPLY THE SAME WAY.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED I THINK
WITH THIS STORY.
>> Sandra: THAT PART WAS CLEAR
BY YOURSELF AND YOUR COLLEAGUE
DAN HOFFMAN WHO I WANT TO POINT
OUT IS A FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR.
YOU LOOK AT THE REPORTING IN
THE "NEW YORK TIMES," THOUGH,
AND THEY DON'T SAY IT IS
BECAUSE SPECIFICALLY OF DONALD
TRUMP THAT THIS PERSON WAS
EXTRACTED FROM RUSSIA.
THEY SAY IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE
MEDIA.
YOU'VE HAVE DUG INTO THAT
REPORT AS WELL.
CNN REPORT DONALD TRUMP'S ROLE
IS THE TOP OF THE STORY AND
THEY ASSUME THEIR READERSHIP IS
INTERESTED IN THAT COMPONENT.
THE OVERALL DETAILS WOULD BE OF
MUCH LESSER INTEREST.
AGAIN, C.I.A. HAS ALREADY SAID
IT IS FALSE.
BUT WHAT THEY'VE TOLD US IS
REALLY MEANT TO BE A POLITICAL
STORY.
NOT SO MUCH A NATIONAL SECURITY
STORY.
WHY "THE NEW YORK TIMES" AND
SOME OTHER OUTLETS WOULD THINK
IT IS SOMETHING THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IF
THERE WAS, FORGET ABOUT IT
BEING SPECIFIC TO RUSSIA.
ANY HIGH LEVEL SOURCE IN A
GOVERNMENT USEFUL TO OUR
INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
JOURNALISTS SHOULD KNOW THAT.
IT SHOULD NEVER BE TALKED ABOUT
PUBLICLY AS A PATRIOTIC DUTY.
IT'S A QUESTION OF JUDGMENT AND
ETHICS.
I THINK IN THIS CASE YOU'VE
SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST
DECIDED BECAUSE IT MAKES TRUMP
LOOK RECKLESS WE'LL SAY IT'S
SOMETHING PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR
ABOUT.
>> Sandra: YOU HAVE THE CNN
REPORT THE C.I.A. IS SAYING IS
MISGUIDED AND UNTRUE.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" REPORT
SAYING THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF
THE MEDIA.
NBC FOLLOWED UP ON THE CNN
REPORT AND DROVE TO THE
PERSON'S HOUSE AT WHICH TIME
S.U.V.'S PULLED UP ALONGSIDE
THEM AND GOT THEM TO LEAVE AND
GO AWAY.
THIS PARTICULAR CORRESPONDENT.
HOW MUCH DAMAGE CAN THIS DO
COMING FROM THE C.I.A.
>> THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH AND
REALITY OF DOING INTELLIGENCE
WORK IS TO PROTECT SOURCES AND
METHODS.
IT IS NOT JUST FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL'S SAFETY.
IT IS FOR THE PEOPLE DOWN THE
LINE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO ASK
TO TAKE RISKS ON YOUR BEHALF.
THE AGENCY SAID THIS STORY IS
NONSENSE.
LET'S ASSUME FOR A MOMENT THERE
IS SOME DEGREE OF TRUTH TO IT
SOMEWHERE.
IF THE NBC REPORTERS CAN FIND
THIS PERSON THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT CAN FIND THIS PERSON.
WE KNOW HOW THE RUSSIANS DEAL
WITH PEOPLE THAT SPEAK OUT OF
SCHOOL PARTICULARLY IF THEY
WERE CLOSE TO PUTIN OR A
PROBLEM FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
THERE ARE REAL RISKS HERE.
JOURNALISTS HAVE TO ASK
THEMSELVES WAS IT WORTH IT TO
GET ANOTHER GRUDGE SHOT IN
AGAINST DONALD TRUMP?
I HOPE THEY THINK THE ANSWER IS