>>> IT HAS NOW BEEN ONE MONTH SINCE DONALD TRUMP SENT THE MOST
DISRUPTIVE TWEET OF HIS PRESIDENCY.
IT SAID TERRIBLE, JUST FOUND OUT THAT OBAMA HAD MY WIRES TAPPED
IN TRUMP TOWER JUST BEFORE THE VICTORY.
NOTHING FOUND. THIS IS MCCARTHYISM.
THAT TWEET HAS PROVOKED INVESTIGATIVE ACTION BY THE
HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS IN THE HANDS OF
CHAIRMAN DEVIN NUNES. HE HAS TURNED THAT INTO A
CORRUPTING -- CORRUPT-LOOKING GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT
STRAIGHT IF THE UNDERLYING ISSUES WEREN'T SO SERIOUSERIOUS.
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND/OR HIS CAMPAIGN TEAM AND/OR
HIS TRANSITION TEAM BEING COMPROMISED BY THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT OR RUSSIAN AGENTS. THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT WAS
BEHIND THAT TRUMP TWEET. THAT IS THE ISSUE, THE HOUSE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS SUPPOSE TO BE INVESTIGATING.
THAT IS THE ISSUE, THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS
INVESTIGATING. AND MOST TROUBLING FOR THE TRUMP
WHITE HOUSE, IT IS THE ISSUE THE FBI IS INVESTIGATING.
THE TRUMP TWEET WAS PUBLICLY PROVEN UNTRUE BY THE DIRECTOR OF
THE FBI AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE NSA.
AND ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, WHICH NOW INCLUDES DEVIN NUNES,
EVERYONE ON FOX NEWS ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, RAND PAUL,
THEY ALL ARE NOW TRYING TO SAY THAT SUSAN RICE DID SOMETHING
WRONG IN HER JOB AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER WHEN AND IF SHE
EXAMINED INTELLIGENCE REPORTS ON THE TRUMP TEAM'S INTERACTIONS
WITH FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS OR FOREIGN AGENTS.
HEAR WHAT SUSAN RICE SAID ON ANDREA MITCHELL'S REPORT AT 12
NOON TODAY. >> THE ALLEGATION IS THAT
SOMEHOW OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS UTILIZED INTELLIGENCE
FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY FALSE.
I LEAKED NOTHING TO NOBODY. THERE WERE OCCASIONS WHEN I
WOULD RECEIVE A REPORT IN WHICH A U.S. PERSON WAS REFERRED TO,
NAME NOT PROVIDED, JUST U.S. PERSON.
AND SOMETIMES IN THAT CONTEXT, IN ORDER TO UNDERSTOOD --
UNDERSTAND THE ORDER OF THE REPORT.
REQUEST THE INFORMATION AS TO WHO THAT U.S. OFFICIAL WAS.
>> THERE WAS NO ONE MOMENT IN THE TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
WHERE DONALD TRUMP GAVE THE SLIGHTEST HINT THAT HE'S CAPABLE
OF FAITHFULLY EXECUTING ANY OF THE DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENCY AND
THERE WAS NO MOMENT WHEN DONALD TRUMP SAID ANYTHING TO INDICATE
HE UNDERSTOOD THE CHALLENGES AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT FACES.
>> ALEPPO WAS A DISASTER. IT'S A HUMANITARIAN NIGHTMARE,
BUT IT HAS FALLEN FROM ANY STANDPOINT.
WHAT DO YOU NEED, A SIGNED DOCUMENT, TAKE A LOOK AT ALEPPO.
IT IS SO SAD WHEN YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED.
>> TODAY IT TOOK THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE ABOUT 15 HOURS TO ISSUE A
WRITTEN STATEMENT ABOUT THE WORST CHEMICAL ATTACK IN SYRIA
IN THE SIX YEARS OF THE CIVIL WAR, AT LEAST 83 PEOPLE,
INCLUDING 25 CHILDREN DIED, AT LEAST 350 OTHERS WERE INJURED IN
THE INCIDENT, SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL SAID THE
ATTACK LOOKS LIKE A WAR CRIME. IT COMES LESS THAN ONE WEEK
AFTER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAID THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
ACCEPTS THE REALITY OF PRESIDENT ASSAD'S CONTINUED CONTROL OF THE
GOVERNMENT IN SYRIA. HERE IS WHAT THE TRUMP WHITE
HOUSE SAID WHEN IT FINALLY RELEASED A STATEMENT.
>> TODAY IS CHEMICAL ATTACK IN SYRIA AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN
IS REPREHENSIBLE AND CANNOT BE IGNORED BY THE CIVILIZED WORLD.
THESE HEINOUS ACTIONS ARE A CONSEQUENCE OF THE PAST
ADMINISTRATION'S WEAKNESS AND IR RESOLUTION.
PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID IN 2012 HE WOULD ESTABLISH A RED LINE
AGAINST THE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND DID NOTHING.
UNITED STATES STANDS WITH OUR ALLIES TO CONDEMN THIS ATTACK.
IN 2013 DONALD TRUMP REPEATEDLY TWEETED THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA
SHOULD DO NOTHING IN SYRIA. "PRESIDENT OBAMA, DO NOT ATTACK
SYRIA. THERE IS NO UPSIDE AND
TREMENDOUS DOWN SIDE. SAVE YOUR POWDER FOR ANOTHER AND
MORE IMPORTANT DAY. IN THE LAST HOUR RACHEL READ YOU
TWEET UPON TWEET UPON TWEET FROM DONALD TRUMP SAYING DO NOT GO
INTO SYRIA. DO NOT GO INTO SYRIA.
OF COURSE THE PRESIDENT WAS PREPARED TO USE FORCE IN SYRIA.
IT WAS CONGRESS THAT REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE IT.
BUT PRESIDENT HAD PLENTY OF FREE TIME ON HIS HANDS TODAY TO
ACTUALLY SPEAK ABOUT SYRIA, SAY SOMETHING, OR EVEN TWEET ABOUT
IT, BUT THIS IS WHAT HE WAS DOING INSTEAD.
>> THEY WOULD SAY, THERE'S NO WAY TO 270.
BUT THERE WAS A WAY TO 306. BUT WASN'T THAT AN EXCITING ONE.
HUGE DISADVANTAGE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, VERY TOUGH.
THEY SAY ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR REPUBLICAN TO O WIN.
>> HERE IS WHAT CANDIDATE TRUMP SAID ABOUT CONTAINING NORTH
KOREA'S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS. >> YOU LOOK AT NORTH KOREA,
WE'RE DOING NOTHING THERE. CHINA SHOULD SOLVE THAT PROBLEM
FOR US. CHINA SHOULD GO INTO NORTH
KOREA. CHINA IS TOTALLY POWERFUL AS IT
RELATES TO NORTH KOREA. WHEN THEY MADE THAT HORRIBLE
DEAL WITH IRAN, THEY SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE FACT THAT THEY DO
SOMETHING WITH RESPECT TO NORTH KOREA.
>> OF COURSE, HE'LL BE SAYING ALL THAT THIS WEEKEND IN HIS
SUMMIT WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT. A SENIOR NORTH KOREAN HAS TOLD
DICTATOR.
HE FIRED A MEDIUM RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE INTO THE SEA
OFF THE KOREAN PENINSULA ACCORDING TO THE MILITARY.
THIS WEEKEND, THE PRESIDENT WILL BE MEETING FOR THE PRESIDENT OF
CHINA STARTING ON THURSDAY. PRESIDENT TRUMP RECENTLY TOLD
THE FINANCIAL TIMES "IF CHINA IS NOT GOING TO SOLVE NORTH KOREA,
WE WILL." MEANWHILE, ISIS HAS MADE ITS
FIRST OFFICIAL REFERENCE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP.
AN ISIS SPOKESMAN RELEASED THIS STATEMENT.
AMERICA YOU HAVE DROWNED AND THERE IS NO SAVIOR.
THERE IS NO MORE EVIDENCE THAN THE FACT THAT YOU ARE BEING RUN
BY AN IDIOT WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHAT SYRIA OR IRAQ OR ISLAM IS.
JOINING US NOW, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE CIA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO GO, FIRST OF ALL, TO THE SUSAN RICE
SITUATION. AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT
YOU'VE HEARD IN THAT STORY AS IT'S UNFOLDED TODAY.
INCLUDING WHAT SUSAN RICE HAD TO SAY ABOUT IT.
THAT GIVES YOU ANY CONCERN OR IS THERE ANY POINT THAT YOU THINK
WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON OR ELABORATING ON IN THAT STORY?
>> WHAT I WOULD SAY BASED ON SUSAN'S REMARKS TODAY AND IT
ACCORDS WITH MY EXPERIENCE AND JUDGMENT.
SHE WAS MERELY DOING HER JOB. WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS THAT SHE'S
DELIVERED EACH MORNING A SERIES OF REPORTS, OCCASIONALLY THEY
REFERRED TO FOREIGNERS CONTACTING AMERICANS ABOUT
SOMETHING AND SHE HAS THE OPTION OF ASKING THE FBI OR THE
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY TO -- IF IT CAN BE JUSTIFIED TO LET
HER KNOW WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE AND OFTEN TO PROTECT THEM.
SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO GO TO AN AMERICAN AND SAY, YOU SHOULD
KNOW WHO YOU'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH, DO THAT QUIETLY.
IT'S NOT SPREAD AROUND THE GOVERNMENT.
BUT, ESSENTIALLY, THIS IS -- AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ISN'T
DONE CASUALLY. THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT, AS THEY SAY, UNMASKING SOMEONE, HAVE A VERY HIGH BAR
FOR DOING THAT, SO I THINK -- SHE WAS BASICALLY JUST DOING HER
JOB, AS SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IT.
>> THE -- THERE SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING ABOUT SUSAN RICE WITH
REPUBLICANS IN WASHINGTON, WE SAW LINDSEY GRAHAM COME OUT AND
SAY WE SHOULD FIND OUT WHAT SHE WAS UP TO HERE.
LINDSEY GRAHAM HAVE BEEN COMMENTS.
AS SOON AS THE NAME SUSAN RICE GETS MENTIONED, RAND PAUL IS
JUMPING IN AND SAYING THERE'S SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE THE NAME SUSAN RICE IS IN INVOLVED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY GUIDANCE YOU CAN GIVE US ABOUT WHY THAT NAME SETS
OFF REPUBLICAN WASHINGTON THE WAY IT DOES?
>> WELL, I THINK, I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU, LAWRENCE, WE'RE
LIVING INTO AN EXTRAORDINARY PARTISAN TIME.
IF ANYTHING THE PARTISANSHIP HAS DEEPENED IN THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION AS A RESULT OF ALL THESE CONTROVERSIES.
IT MAY BE RELATED TO THE LINGERING CONTROVERSY OVER
BENGHAZI. WHO KNOWS EXACTLY WHY SHE SETS
OFF THESE REACTIONS. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IN THIS CASE
SHE WAS SIMPLY DOING HER JOB AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, FRANKLY,
IRRESPONSIBLE TOO NOT TAKE A LOK AT SOME OF THESE COMMUNICATIONS
IN PART TO -- REMEMBER THIS, TOO.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE PRESIDENT AT A TIME.
DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME, THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION WAS STILL
IN CHARGE AND IN AN UNUSUAL TRANSITION, THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION, TO BE, WAS ACTUALLY CONDUCTING FOREIGN
POLICY, RECALL THE PHONE CALL THAT TRUMP MADE TO THE LEADER OF
TAIWAN BREAKING WITH THE ONE CHINA POLICY THAT HAD BEEN
FOLLOWED FOR YEARS. NOW IT'S BEEN REPAIRED OF
COURSE. SO FOR THAT REASON ALONE,
SOMEONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE MIGHT WANT TO KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING
GOING ON HERE THAT EFFECTS OUR CONDUCT OF AMERICAN FOREIGN
POLICY. BUT TO RETURN TO MY BASIC POINT.
SHE WAS JUST DOING HER JOB HERE IS WHAT ANY NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER WOULD HAVE DONE IN THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCE.
>> WHAT IS THE STATEMENT THAT REX TILLERSON ISSUED TONIGHT.
THE STATEMENT SAYS NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED YET ANOTHER RANGE
BALLISTIC MISSILE. THE UNITED STATES HAS SPOKEN
ENOUGH ABOUT NORTH KOREA. WE HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENT.
AND THAT IS THE SINGLE MOST EXTRAORDINARY COMMENT I'VE EVER
HEARD A SECRETARY OF STATE MAKE. I DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS A
LIMIT TO WHAT SHOULD BE SAID ABOUT A PARTICULAR COUNTRY,
ESPECIALLY ONE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT OF TENSION.
THEY'VE DONE FIVE NUCLEAR TEST, THREE OF THEM UNDER THE CURRENT
LEADER. LAST ONE IN SEPTEMBERMBER HAD H
YIELDED ABOUT THE SAME BLAST THAT WENT OFF IN WORLD WAR II.
THEY PROBABLY HAVE BETWEEN 12 AND 20 NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
AS I FOLLOWED IT. THEY'VE BEEN WORKING SINCE 1995
OR THEREABOUTS ON AN ICBN THAT COULD REACH THE UNITED STATES
AND THEY MADE ENOUGH PROGRESS ON THAT.
. I THINK IT'S FAIR.
I HAVE SAID AND WRITTEN THAT IT'S LIKELY THAT WITHIN THE TERM
OF THIS PRESIDENT, THE FIRST FOUR YEAR TERM, THIS PRESIDENT
WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING THAT NO PREVIOUS PRESIDENT HAS
HAD TO DEAL WITH, AND THAT IS AN INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC
MISSILES IN THE HANDS OF NORTH KOREAN LEADER, WHO IN THIS CASE,
MUCH STABLE LEADER THAN HIS-- PRED -- PEOPLE WHO MET THE
FATHER SAY HE WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD AND HAD A
FAIRLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WAS GOING ON
INTERNATIONALLY AND IF NOT RATIONAL WAS CERTAINLY NOT MAD
MAN. THIS CURRENT ONE IS ILL
DISCIPLINED PERSON WHO DOESN'T WORK VERY HARD.
WHO IS EMOTIONAL, WHO HAS CARRIED OUT PURGES AT A LEVEL
EXCEEDING ANYTHING WE'VE SEEN BEFORE IN NORTH KOREA.
I THINK IT DESERVES NOT ONLY A COMMENT BUT CAREFUL
CONSIDERATION OF POLICY, WE'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE OVERALL STATE OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S
AVAILABLE NOW ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON BETWEEN THE RUSSIANS,
RUSSIAN AGENTS AND THEIR ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE OUR
ELECTION, ESPECIALLY WHAT COULD BE THEIR CONTACTS DO YOU HAVE AN
OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF WHAT YOU THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT.
>> IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE FOR ME TO SPECULATE ABOUT THE LEVEL
OF COLLUSION OR NOT AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOOKED AT IT WHO ARE
PRIVY TO ALL OF THE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ARE HESITANT TO DRAW
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THAT AS YOU'VE SEEN IN COMMENTS FROM THE SENATE
AND COMMENTS FROM THE DIRECTOR CLAPPER; BEFORE HE RETIRED.
BUT WHAT YOU SEE HERE, THOUGH, IS WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, THIS IS
THE CORE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE ALL OF THIS
CONTROVERSY NOW. WE WOULD NOT BE TALKING ABOUT
80% OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IN TERMS OF CONTROVERSY
REGARDING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, HAD THESE THINGS
NOT HAPPENED. WHAT HAPPENED, WELL, THE
RUSSIANS, WITHOUT QUESTION, HACKED INTO THE DNC SERVER AND
STRATEGICALLY PLACED INFORMATION THAT WAS DETRIMENTAL TO THE
CLINTON CAMPAIGN USING WIKI LEAKS AS ITS INTERMEDIARY AND
HACKED INTO THE E-MAIL AND RELEASED THOSE THINGS
STRATEGICALLY AS WELL. I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY WHAT'S
GOING ON HERE SOMETHING THAT RUSSIA HAS ALWAYS DONE.
YEARS AGO THEY WOULD HAVE HAD TO DO THIS THROUGH ACCESS AGENTS
AND PHYSICAL PRESENCE. NOW, THEY HAVE THE MARVELOUS
TOOL OF THETHE INTERNET AND SOC MEDIA AND TROLLS THEY USE TO
MARKET THIS MATERIAL AROUND THE WORLD THEY HAVE AN
ADMINISTRATION THAT SEEMS MORE VULNERABLE TO THIS IN THE PAST.
THEY TRIED TO DO THIS IN THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME TOOLS AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE WHAT SEEMS
TO BE A VUN -- VULNERABLE BLT ON THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
WERE THERE AMERICANS, ANY AMERICANS IMPLICIT IN WHAT THEY
WERE DOING. WE NEED TO GET THE FOCUS BACK ON
THAT AS OPPOSED TO ALL OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE ARISEN,
LARGELY FLOWING FROM THE PRESIDENT'S FOOLISH TWEETS SOME
WEEKS AGO. THERE'S A INABILITY, I WAS
THINKING TODAY, WHAT IS IT THAT'S STRIKING ABOUT THIS
ADMINISTRATION, THERE ARE THREE OR FOUR THINGS THAT HIT ME.
THE SEEMING INABILITY TO CONNECT ONE THING TO ANOTHER.
I MEAN, WHEN HE DID THAT TWEET, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED A FRIEND
AND SAID, OKAY, WE'RE LOOKING, NOW, AT WEEKS, POSSIBLY MONTHS
OF TURMOIL BASED ON SOMETHING THAT WAS A FOOLISH ACTION.
AND THAT HAS, IN TURN, DEEPENED PARTISANSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO
PARTIES AND I DON'T THINK IT'S MUCH OF A STRETCH TO SAY IT'S
MADE IT HARD FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO DO EVERYTHING
IT WANTS TO DO IN THE DOMESTIC AREAS SUCH AS TAX REFORM.
THIS INABILITY TO CONNECT ONE ACTION TO ANOTHER IS KIND OF
ASTONISHING. >> BEFORE YOU GO, CAN YOU JUST
GIVE US ONE MORE INCITE REFERENCE.
WHAT WOULD BE EXAMPLES OF WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO DO THEN IN
OUR ELECTIVE PROCESS. >> WELL, ALL THEY WERE TRYING TO
DO THEN WAS PORTRAY REAGAN. THEY WERE TRYING TO SAY, IF HE'S
ELECTED, THIS WILL BE BAD FOR THE WORLD BECAUSE WE WILL BE
EDGING TOWARDS WAR AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING
WITH HILLARY CLINTON, AS WELL. I WAS IN RUSSIA IN OCTOBER,
BEFORE THE ELECTION. AND IF HE WERE TO LOOK AT THE
PRESS THEN OR THE MEDIA. THE MESSAGE GOING TO THE RUSSIAN
PUBLIC, IF HILLARY CLINTON WAS ELECTED, PREPARE FOR WAR.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH
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