>>> I WANT TO BRING INTO THE
>>> I WANT TO BRING INTO THE CONVERSATION NOW ROBERT LIT.
CONVERSATION NOW ROBERT LIT. HE USED TO WORK AT THE OFFICE OF
HE USED TO WORK AT THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE UNDER PRESIDENT
INTELLIGENCE UNDER PRESIDENT OBAMA.
OBAMA. HE WAS GENERAL COUNSEL IN THAT
HE WAS GENERAL COUNSEL IN THAT OFFICE.
OFFICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
US. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. >> THANKS.
>> THANKS. I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO BE HERE.
I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO BE HERE. [ LAUGHTER ]
[ LAUGHTER ] >> WELL, YOU’RE HERE ON A NIGHT
>> WELL, YOU’RE HERE ON A NIGHT THAT IS REMARKABLE NEWS.
THAT IS REMARKABLE NEWS. WE LEARNED YESTERDAY THAT THE
WE LEARNED YESTERDAY THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD MOVED TO INSTALL
PRESIDENT HAD MOVED TO INSTALL SOMEONE SURPRISING AS THE NEW
SOMEONE SURPRISING AS THE NEW ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
INTELLIGENCE. A MAN NAMED RICK GRENELL WHO HAS
A MAN NAMED RICK GRENELL WHO HAS NO INTELLIGENCE EXPERIENCE AT
NO INTELLIGENCE EXPERIENCE AT ALL, HAS NEVER HAD AN
ALL, HAS NEVER HAD AN INTELLIGENCE RELATED JOB.
INTELLIGENCE RELATED JOB. WE THEN LEARNED TONIGHT IN THE
WE THEN LEARNED TONIGHT IN THE "NEW YORK TIMES" THAT THE
"NEW YORK TIMES" THAT THE PRESIDENT APPEARS TO HAVE
PRESIDENT APPEARS TO HAVE DECIDED TO GET RID OF THE
DECIDED TO GET RID OF THE EXISTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
EXISTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE BECAUSE HE WAS VERY
INTELLIGENCE BECAUSE HE WAS VERY ANGERED THAT THERE WAS A
ANGERED THAT THERE WAS A BRIEFING BY SOMEONE IN HIS
BRIEFING BY SOMEONE IN HIS OFFICE LAST WEEK TO CONGRESS
OFFICE LAST WEEK TO CONGRESS THAT RUSSIA IS TRYING TO
THAT RUSSIA IS TRYING TO INTERFERE IN THE 2020 ELECTION
INTERFERE IN THE 2020 ELECTION TO AGAIN BENEFIT PRESIDENT
TO AGAIN BENEFIT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
TRUMP. IT SEEMS LIKE THAT’S WHAT CAUSED
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT’S WHAT CAUSED THE QUICK MOVE TO INSTALL RICK
THE QUICK MOVE TO INSTALL RICK GRENELL IN THIS JOB AND TO OUST
GRENELL IN THIS JOB AND TO OUST THE EXISTING DIRECTOR.
THE EXISTING DIRECTOR. JUST HAVE TO ASK YOUR TOP-LINE
JUST HAVE TO ASK YOUR TOP-LINE REACTION TO THAT TONIGHT.
REACTION TO THAT TONIGHT. >> WELL, I THINK THIS IS ALL
>> WELL, I THINK THIS IS ALL VERY TROUBLING.
VERY TROUBLING. THERE IS A THIRD STORY AS WELL
THERE IS A THIRD STORY AS WELL THAT JUST BROKE LATE THIS
THAT JUST BROKE LATE THIS EVENING, WHICH IS THAT THE
EVENING, WHICH IS THAT THE NUMBER TWO AT THE OFFICE OF
NUMBER TWO AT THE OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, A CAREER CIA
INTELLIGENCE, A CAREER CIA OFFICER WHO’S VERY WELL
OFFICER WHO’S VERY WELL RESPECTED HAS BEEN ASKED TO GO
RESPECTED HAS BEEN ASKED TO GO BACK AND INSTEAD THEY HAVE MOVED
BACK AND INSTEAD THEY HAVE MOVED IN A FORMER AIDE TO DEVON
IN A FORMER AIDE TO DEVON NUNES’ WHO WAS BEST KNOWN FOR
NUNES’ WHO WAS BEST KNOWN FOR TRAIPSING AROUND THE COUNTRY,
TRAIPSING AROUND THE COUNTRY, AROUND THE WORLD TRYING TO
AROUND THE WORLD TRYING TO UNDERMINE THE CONCLUSION OF THE
UNDERMINE THE CONCLUSION OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
RUSSIA INVESTIGATION. SO I THINK THAT NUMBER ONE YOU
SO I THINK THAT NUMBER ONE YOU HAVE A MAN WHO IS UTTERLY
HAVE A MAN WHO IS UTTERLY UNQUALIFIED TO BE THE DIRECTOR
UNQUALIFIED TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.
OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE. THE STATUTE THAT CREATED THE
THE STATUTE THAT CREATED THE POSITION SAYS THAT THE DIRECTOR
POSITION SAYS THAT THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SHOULD
OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SHOULD BE SOMEBODY WITH EXTENSIVE
BE SOMEBODY WITH EXTENSIVE NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTISE.
NATIONAL SECURITY EXPERTISE. NOW, HE’S ONLY GOING IN AS
NOW, HE’S ONLY GOING IN AS ACTING SO HE DOESN’T NEED TO
ACTING SO HE DOESN’T NEED TO MEET THAT QUALIFICATION, BUT HIS
MEET THAT QUALIFICATION, BUT HIS PRINCIPAL QUALIFICATION APPEARS
PRINCIPAL QUALIFICATION APPEARS TO BE POLITICAL LOYALTY TO THE
TO BE POLITICAL LOYALTY TO THE PRESIDENT, AND THAT IS VERY
PRESIDENT, AND THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS IN AT LEAST TWO
DANGEROUS IN AT LEAST TWO RESPECTS.
RESPECTS. THE FIRST ONE AND "THE NEW YORK
THE FIRST ONE AND "THE NEW YORK TIMES" STORY ABOUT THE BRIEFING
TIMES" STORY ABOUT THE BRIEFING OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE DEMONSTRATES THIS.
DEMONSTRATES THIS. THE PURPOSE OF THE INTELLIGENCE
THE PURPOSE OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IS TO GENERATE
COMMUNITY IS TO GENERATE FACTUAL, ACCURATE, UNBIASED
FACTUAL, ACCURATE, UNBIASED INFORMATION SO THAT POLICY
INFORMATION SO THAT POLICY MAKERS CAN MAKE DECISIONS IN THE
MAKERS CAN MAKE DECISIONS IN THE WILLING TO
WILLING TO TELL THE PRESIDENT OR THE
TELL THE PRESIDENT OR THE CABINET INFORMATION TAT THE
CABINET INFORMATION TAT THE PRESIDENT DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR,
PRESIDENT DOESN’T WANT TO HEAR, THUS UNDERCUTTING THE UTILITY OF
THUS UNDERCUTTING THE UTILITY OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. THE OTHER RISK OF COURSE IS YOU
THE OTHER RISK OF COURSE IS YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT’S
HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT’S ANNOUNCED WITHOUT ANY BASIS THAT
ANNOUNCED WITHOUT ANY BASIS THAT HE THINKS PRESIDENT OBAMA
HE THINKS PRESIDENT OBAMA WEAPONIZED THE INTELLIGENCE
WEAPONIZED THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AGAINST HIM.
COMMUNITY AGAINST HIM. YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO’S
YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO’S ALREADY INDICATED HE’S WILLING
ALREADY INDICATED HE’S WILLING TO WEAPONIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT
TO WEAPONIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGAINST HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS,
AGAINST HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS, AND THERE’S A REAL RISK TO
AND THERE’S A REAL RISK TO HAVING A COATARY OF LOYALISTS AT
HAVING A COATARY OF LOYALISTS AT THE HEAD OF THE INTELLIGENCE
THE HEAD OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO EMBOLDEN
