IN THE FREE WORLD.
LOU: JOINING US NOW, CONGRESSMAN
JIM BANKS, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE
ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE.
CONGRESSMAN, GOOD TO HAVE YOU
WITH US.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE SOUNDS
LIKE A SECRETARY WHO IS KEENLY
AWARE THAT THE UNITED STATES IS
NOW IN A COLD WAR WITH THE
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
YOUR THOUGHTS.
>> LOU, THIS SPEECH THAT
SECRETARY POMPEO GAVE AT THE
NIXON LIBRARY, IRONICALLY, IS
THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT
SPEECH THE SECRETARY HAS GIVEN
AS SECRETARY OF STATE.
AND IT TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU
NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS
ADMINISTRATION.
YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO 2017 WHEN
PRESIDENT TRUMP FIRST BECAME
PRESIDENT, HIS NATIONAL SECURITY
TEAM CAME TOGETHER, THEY
PUBLISHED A NATIONAL SECURITY
STRATEGY THAT NAMED A GREAT
POWER COMPETITION WITH CHINA AND
SAID WE NEED TO PIVOT AWAY FROM
THE WARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND
FOCUS ON GREAT POWER COMPETITION
WITH CHINA.
NOW FAST FORWARD TO THE POMPEO
SPEECH YESTERDAY CALLING FOR THE
REST OF THE FREE WORLD TO JOIN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN
THAT CAUSE BECAUSE NOW, IF WE
DON’T DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS
NOW, THE TIME HAS RUN OUT TO
EVER DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
THIS NEW COLD WAR --
[INAUDIBLE]
LOU: LET’S LOOK AT WHAT THIS
ADMINISTRATION IS DOING.
THE PRESIDENT HAS ORDERED TWO
AIRCRAFT CARRIER GROUPS INTO THE
SOUTH CHINA SEA.
THIS PRESIDENT IS DOING EXACTLY
WHAT HE SHOULD.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS WE DON’T
KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE
SOUTH CHINA SEA.
WE’RE GETTING VERY LITTLE, VERY
LITTLE INFORMATION FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
MARK ESPER IS ACTING AS IF HE IS
RUNNING A COVERT OPERATION
INSTEAD OF PUTTING TWO CARRIERS
IN, POTENTIALLY, HARM’S WAY.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE E NEED TO
KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON
AND WHAT THOSE CARRIERS AND
THEIR TASK FORCES ARE UP TO.
>> I AGREE WITH YOU, LOU, AND
I’M GRATEFUL AGAIN FOR SECRETARY
POM PAW OWE BEING -- POMPEO
BEING THE ADULT IN THE ROOM,
ADVISING THIS PRESIDENT, THE
PRESIDENT BRINGING ALONG A TEAM
THAT’S LED BY SECRETARY POMPEO
TO DO THAT.
SHUTTING DOWN THE CONSULATE IN
HOUSTON WAS A BIG STEP.
THEY NEED TO SHUT IT DOWN FULLY.
WE KNOW THE FBI HAS SAID THAT
EVERY 10 HOURS THEY OPEN UP A
NEW CASE, A COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
CASE AGAINST THE CHINESE FOR
THEIR THEFT AND INTRE LEK CHUL
PROPERTY THEFT IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA --
LOU: YOU KNOW WHAT, CONGRESS
MARK?
>> WE NEED BETTER LEADERSHIP
FROM SECRETARY E E SPER AND THE
FBI DIRECTOR AS WELL.
LOU: I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM
CHRISTOPHER WRAY HOW MANY DAMN
CASES ARE BEING CLOSED EVERY TEN
HOURS.
THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS, THAT
THEY’VE HAD TIME TO INDULGE IN
OPERATION CROSSFIRE HURRICANE OR
RAZOR, I MEAN, ALL OF THIS
SPYING.
THEY DETACHED I DON’T KNOW HOW
MANY AGENTS AT THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT WHILE WE HAVE
EXISTENTIAL THREATS FROM CHINA
AND FROM RUSSIA POTENTIALLY.
WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS THIS
COUNTRY BEEN DOING?
IT’S JUST STUNNING TO ME WHAT WE
HAVE PUT UP WITH FROM THOSE TWO,
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND
THE FBI.
I WANT TO TURN TO MARK ESPER.
AS YOU POINT OUT, HERE IS THE
MAN WHO HAS HAD A NUMBER OF VERY
PUBLIC CONFLICTS WITH THIS
PRESIDENT.
JOHN HEIGHTEN, THE VICE CHAIR,
THE GENERAL WHO CALLED THIS
PRESIDENT -- I’M NOT EVEN GOING
TO REPEAT WHAT HE SAID, BUT IT
WAS A WORD THAT, IF I WERE
PRESIDENT, HE WOULD BE WITH
FIRED AND WHATEVER ELSE I COULD
DO.
IT’S OUTRAGEOUS, WHAT IS
HAPPENING IN THAT DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE.
ESPER NEEDS TO GO, DON’T YOU
THINK?
>> WELL, I, I BELIEVE SECRETARY
ESPER HAS DONE A HUGE DISSERVICE
TO THE PRESIDENT AND NOT JUST TO
THE PRESIDENT, LOU, BUT TO THE
MEN AND WOMEN WHO PUT ON THE
UNIFORM.
BY NOT SUPPORTING THE COMMANDER
IN CHIEF WHO HIRED HIM IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
I SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT WHO HE
DECIDES TO SURROUND HIMSELF
WITH, AND IN THIS CASE I’M AS
DISAPPOINTED AS YOU ARE THAT
SECRETARY ESPER HAS NOT
RESPECTED THE MAN WHO GAVE HIM
THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A
LIFETIME TO SERVE NOT JUST HIM
AS PRESIDENT, BUT TO SERVE THIS
COUNTRY IN ONE OF THE MOST
IMPORTANT POSITIONS IN THIS
ADMINISTRATION.
LOU: AND HE’S HAD A PUBLIC
CONFLICT WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, THE
VICE CHAIR, CALLING HIM -- USING
A WORD THAT I JUST CAN’T
BELIEVE.
I’M JUST NOT GOING TO REPEAT IT
AND CARRY THAT WATER.
BUTS THIS IS PRETTY DISGUSTING,
WHAT WE’RE SEEING FROM THE
UPPERMOST RANKS OF THE JOINT
CHIEFS AND FROM THE SECRETARY.
I MEAN, THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE
WATER OVER THERE.
AND THEY NEED TO GET THEIR HEADS
ON STRAIGHT, AND I THINK THE
ONLY WAY YOU DO THAT IS GIVE
THEM A VERY LONG TIME TO
CONTEMPLATE IT AS CIVILIANS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT
IT THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS PAID
ATTENTION TO THESE TYPES OF
ACTIVITIES FROM SECRETARY ESPER
AND OTHERS.
I RESPECT THIS PRESIDENT, HE’S
THE BEST LEADER IN MY
LIFETIME --
LOU: DO YOU THINK WE OUGHT TO
FIRE THEM?
DO YOU THINK WE OUGHT TO FIRE
THEM?
>> I THINK THAT’S, LOU, THAT’S
UP TO THE PRESIDENT.
I’M NOT GOING TO TELL THE
PRESIDENT --
LOU: OF COURSE IT IS.
I’M NOT TELLING HIM WHAT TO DO,
I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU
WOULD DO.
>> I, IF I HAD SOMEONE WHO
SAID --
LOU: WELL, I’LL REPHRASE IT THIS
WAY --
[INAUDIBLE CONVERSATIONS]
CONGRESSMAN --
>> [INAUDIBLE]
LOU: THANKS.
MINE EITHER.
[LAUGHTER]
AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION BEFORE
MINE, I ASSURE YOU.
