BRET.
>> Bret: NEVER FORGET,
ERIC SHAWN THE NEW YORK CITY.
THANK YOU.
TALK MORE ABOUT THE 9/11
ANNIVERSARY AND WHERE THEY STAND
RIGHT NOW AND CHIDE WEALTH
ACTING HOMELAND SECURITY
SECRETARY.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Bret: 19 YEARS AFTER THE
ATTACKS, ONE IS THE BIGGEST
THREAT FACING THE U.S. NOW?
>> LET ME SAY, BRET, IT’S A
POWERFUL DAY AND I HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME IN
NEW YORK CITY WITH THE
VICE PRESIDENT.
FIRST RESPONDER WAS WITH FAMILIE
AND SURVIVORS AND MANY OF US
REMEMBER WHERE WE WERE 19 YEARS
AGO TODAY.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE TODAY AND
WHAT IT MEANS TO THOSE OF US
THAT ARE IN HOMELAND SECURITY
BUSINESS AND GO TO WORK EVERY
DAY TRYING TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY
MORE SECURE.
FROM A THREAT PERSPECTIVE, WE
SEE A NUMBER OF TRADITIONAL
THREATS THAT HE BATTLED ON 9/11.
COUNTERTERRORISM, FOREIGN
TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE
STILL CERTAINLY A THREAT TO THE
HOMELAND THAT WE SEE MORE OF A
CERTAINLY DOMESTIC THREAT HERE
IN THE COUNTRY AS WELL OVER THE
LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THE THREAT HAS CHANGED AND IT’S
WORKED OVER THE YEARS BUT WE
CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK AT THE
DEPARTMENT TO CONFRONT ALL
THREATS.
>> Bret: NOT LONG AGO, I SAT
DOWN WITH THE FBI DIRECTOR AND
THERE’S INVESTIGATIONS IN 50
STATES ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ABOUT
DIFFERENT THREATS.
IT IS THE HOMEGROWN THREAT THE
BIGGEST THING YOU’RE LOOKING AT?
>> IT IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM.
WE’VE HAD SUCCESS ON THE
BATTLEFIELD AND OVERSEAS AND
WE’VE SEEN THE TRADITIONAL
AL QAEDA, ISIS, SPECIFIC THREATS
SORT OF DIMINISH AND ASSIGNS.
BUT THE LONG GROAN, HOMEGROWN,
DEFENDER, IT’S GOING TO DO
SOME KIND OF INCIDENT HERE IN
THE HOMELAND IS CERTAINLY A
CONCERN FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW FOR THE FBI, THAT’S THE
THREAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON TODAY.
IF YOU’VE SEEN THAT IN THE LAST
SEVERAL YEARS, THE ATTACKS ON
THE HOMELAND HAVE BECOME FROM
DEFENDERS ARE SMALL CELLS OF
INDIVIDUALS.
AND THAT’S WHERE THE FOCUS IS
AND AGAIN, WE DO OFFER AT THE
DEPARTMENT SO WHILE WE ARE
FOCUSED ON ONE, WE ARE CERTAINLY
DO THEIR WIDE RANGE OF THREATS
BASED ON THE HOMELAND.
>> Bret: I WANT TO PLAY THE
SOUND BITE FROM THE HALL
DIRECTOR ABOUT THE BIGGER THREAT
FROM CHINA.
TAKE A LISTEN.
>> THE GREATEST LONG-TERM THREAT
FROM THE NATIONS INFORMATION AND
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, TO OUR
ECONOMIC VITALITY IS THE
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AND ECONOMIC
ESPIONAGE THREAT FROM CHINA.
IT’S THE THREAT TO THE ECONOMIC
SECURITY AND BY EXTENSION TO OUR
NATIONAL SECURITY.
>> Bret: FROM A HOMELAND
SECURITY PERSPECTIVE, DO YOU SEE
CHINA AS A THREAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY, I AGREE WITH THE
FBI DIRECTOR 100%.
IT WERE DOING A NUMBER THINGS
WITH THE DEPARTMENT TO ADDRESS
SOME OF THE AGGRESSIVE TACTICS
BY CHINA AND WE SEE THAT FROM A
ECONOMIC SECURITY STANDPOINT AND
IMMIGRATION SECURITY STANDPOINT,
VISAS, A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES
PARTNERING WITH DOJ AND THE FBI
ON SO ABSOLUTELY FROM A
LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE.
CHINA, VERY SIMILAR, FROM AN
ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE.
VERY MUCH IT’S A REAL CONCERN
FOR US.
>> Bret: WHAT ABOUT THAT
SITUATION?
>> ABSOLUTELY, BORDER SECURITY
AND IMMIGRATION, AND TICKER TAPE BRINGING BACK TO THE
SITUATION IS A CONCERN.
WE ALSO CONTINUE TO MAKE A
NUMBER OF POLICY CHANGES
BRINGING THE INTEGRITY BACK TO
THE SYSTEM SO WE’VE MAKE SURE
THE END OF THE DAY WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS
COMING TO THE COUNTRY WE KNOW
WHO THEY ARE, THAT THEIR COMING
INTO THE COUNTRY AND LEGITIMATE
PORTS OF ENTRY AND THEY’RE NOT
COMING ACROSS THE BORDER
ILLEGALLY.
SNEAKING INTO THE COUNTRY ARE
COMING ACROSS IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT AND WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE WHO’S COMING INTO THE
COUNTRY AND WHETHER IT’S ON THE
SOUTHWEST BORDER AND AN
AIRPLANE.
IN THE AIR ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF
INITIATIVES THE LAST THREE OR
FOUR YEARS, BUT THERE IS MORE TO
DO AND WE ARE HARD AT WORK.
>> Bret: QUICKLY ON THIS AS
YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE
LONG-STANDING ISSUES OVER THE
BORDER WALL IMMIGRATION.
>> WRITES, THAT’S ALWAYS A
CONCERN BUT I THINK WE’RE IN A
GOOD PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO
FUNDING FOR THAT BORDER BORDER W
SYSTEM.
WE HAVE 320 MILES BUILT ABOUT
450 BUILT BY THE END OF THE
FISCAL YEAR.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SECURED ENOUGH
FUNDING TO CONTINUE THE
BORDER WALL SYSTEM AND THERE’S
ALWAYS AN ISSUE OF FUNDING THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
UNFORTUNATELY.
HOMELAND SECURITY SHOULD BE A
BIPARTISAN ISSUE AND AN END HAS
BEEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS
UNFORTUNATELY.
WE’LL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE EYE
ON THE BALL BUT THE 240,000 MEN
AND WOMEN UP DEPARTMENT OF
HOMELAND SECURITY ARE INTERESTED
EVERY DAY AND SECURING THE
HOMELAND IT.
IT’S WHAT WE DO, WE GO TO WORK
TO SECURE THE HOMELAND SO WE
DON’T HAVE ANOTHER 9/11 TYPE OF
EVENT OCCURRED.
>> Bret: I WANT TO DO WITH THE
CONTROVERSY YOU’RE FACING AND
THAT’S THE WHISTLE-BLOWER
INVESTIGATION.
THE WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT IN
PARTS SAYING THAT YOU
PARTICULARLY TOLD A PERSON
WORKING UNDER YOU TO STOP GOING
FORWARD WITH THE INTELLIGENCE
THAT POINTED TO RUSSIA’S
INTERFERENCE IN THE ELECTION.
I’M GOING TO READ FROM THE
COMPLAINT.
MR. MURPHY, BRIAN MURPHY IS HIS
NAME, PROVIDING THE INTELLIGENCE
ASSESSMENTS ON THE THREAT OF
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE
UNITED STATES AND THE FED REPORT
ON INTERFERENCE ACTIVITY BY
CHINA AND IRAN.
THEY STATED THE INSTRUCTIONS,
ROBERT O’BRIEN, THE MEN MATCH ON
JULY 2020, MR. MURPHY THE
INTELLIGENCE NOTIFICATION SHOULD
BE HELD BECAUSE IT MADE THE
PRESIDENT LOOK BAD.
MR. MURPHY OBJECTED SAID THAT
IT’S -- YOUR RESPONSE?
>> EXACTLY, THAT IS COMPLETELY
FALSE AND IT’S A FABRICATION.
WE’VE BEEN CLEAR REGARDING
RUSSIA INTERFERENCE IN THE
ELECTION.
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE AT ANY
POINT.
WE’VE PRODUCED OVER 27 DIFFERENT
REPORTS OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS
AND I THINK THREE ALONE IN THE
MONTH OF AUGUST WE PROVIDED OVER
40 DIFFERENT BRIEFINGS IN PROOF
AND BRIEFINGS TO MEMBER OF
CONGRESS AND ELSEWHERE ABOUT
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN OUR
ELECTION.
I TALKED ABOUT IT, I TALKED
ABOUT IT ON MEDIA APPEARANCES
SUCH AS THIS, CONGRESSIONAL
TESTIMONY, AND EVEN THIS WEEK IN
THE STATE OF THE HOMELAND
SECURITY ADDRESS.
WE’VE BEEN CLEAR ABOUT MAKING
SURE THAT WE CALL OUT RUSSIA
ADMINISTRATION AND CLEAR ON
THIS.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE’S TALKING
ABOUT AND THAT’S NOT THE CASE
AND IT’S NOT ANY DIRECTION I’VE
EVER GIVEN AND WE’VE BEEN CLEAR.
WE PUT OUT A REPORT TO END
REGARDING RUSSIA INTERFERENCE
AND I BELIEVE ABOUT THREE DAYS
AGO.
SO IT JUST DOESN’T MAKE ANY
SENSE.
>> Bret: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE
HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY
COMMITTEE, BENNIE THOMPSON JUST
WITHIN THE HOUR ISSUED A
SUBPOENA FOR YOU TO TESTIFY IN
THIS REGARD BECAUSE HE SAYS THAT
YOU ARE AVOIDING TESTIFYING.
ARE YOU GOING TO HONOR?
>> VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THAT AND
I AGREED TO TESTIFY ON TWO
SEPARATE OCCASIONS IN THE MONTH
OF AUGUST ON WORLDWIDE THREATS
AND CIVIL UNREST AND OCCURRING
IN PORTLAND.
SINCE THE TIME I’VE BEEN
NOMINATED AND THE LONG-STANDING
PRACTICE AS YOU GO UP FOR A
NOMINATION, THAT YOU DON’T
TESTIFY ON THOSE MATTERS.
WHAT WE’VE DONE WE’VE OFFERED
THE NUMBER TWO AT THE DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO TESTIFY
IN MY PLACE AND IF NOT, I’M
HAPPY TO TESTIFY TO THE
COMMITTEE ONCE MY CONFIRMATION
PROCESS GOES THROUGH ONE WAY OR
ANOTHER.
WE’VE BEEN ACCOMMODATING TO THE
COMMITTEE AND UNFORTUNATELY IT’S
COME DOWN TO THOSE.
>> Bret: YOU SAYING THE BRIAN
MURPHY COMPLAINT IS TOTALLY MADE
UP, TOTALLY FALSE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
KEEP IN MIND, THIS IS A
INDIVIDUAL IN THIS OFFICE IF YOU
GO BACK TO EARLY AUGUST, I
RECEIVED CREDIBLE AND SERIOUS
COMPLAINTS THAT THE INA OFFICE,
INTELLIGENCE OFFICE, COLLECTING
INFORMATION ON AMERICAN
JOURNALISTS.
THE INDIVIDUAL IN CHARGE OF THE
OFFICE, I REMOVED HIM, BRIGHT
LINE FOR ME.
THE INVESTIGATION THAT OIG
INVESTIGATION, INSPECTOR GENERAL
INVESTIGATIONS ONGOING ON THIS
INDIVIDUAL.
IF YOU DON’T LIKE THAT, AND SO
WE SEE NOW THE RESULTS OF IT.
I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR THAT
ABSOLUTELY THAT COMPLAINT IS
FALSE.
OF >> Bret: MR. SECRETARY, WE
TALKED ABOUT IT ON THIS DAY AND