CAMERA.
STEVE: I’VE NEVER SMOKED A
STEAK.
PETE: PRESIDENT TRUMP DENIES
REPORT CLAIMING, ADAMANTLY
DENIES HE CALLED FALLEN U.S.
SERVICE MEMBERS LOSERS.
SERVICE MEMBERS LOSERS.
STEVE: HE SAYS IT IS NOT TRUE.
>> GRIFF JENKINS WITH MORE ON
THE PRESIDENT’S RESPONSE, GRIFF.
GRIFF: GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
THEY ARE ON DEFENSE AGAINST
THESE ALLEGED DISPARAGING
REMARKS MADE IN 2018 TRIP NEAR
PARIS WHERE THE PRESIDENT
CANCELED A TRIP BECAUSE OF BAD
WEATHER AND BAD VISIBILITY
APPARENTLY AND WHERE HE MADE
REMARK.
LET ME GIVE YOU THE QUOTE THAT
EVERYBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT.
IN A CONVERSATION WITH SENIOR
STAFF MEMBERS IN SCHEDULE VISIT,
WHY SHOULD I GO TO THE CEMETERY,
IT’S FILLED WITH LOSERS AND THEY
WRITE IN A SEPARATE CONVERSATION
ON THE SAME TRIP, TRUMP
PREFERRED TO MORE THAN 1800
MARINES WHO LOST THEIR LIFE AT
BILLO WWOOD AND AFTER
PRESIDENT’S RALLY HE WAS PUSHING
BACK, LISTEN.
>> TO THINK I WOULD MAKE
STATEMENTS NEGATIVE TO OUR
MILITARY AND FALLEN HEROS WHEN
NOBODY HAS DONE WHAT I’VE DONE,
THEY MADE IT UP.
GRIFF: NOW THIS IS SIGNIFICANT,
THE TRIP WAS SIGNIFICANT BUS
BELLOWWOOD IS PART OF MARINE
HISTORY.
ON THE TRIP JOHN KELLY ALONG
WITH GENERAL DUNFORD BOTH
MARINES BUT THE ARTICLE SOURCED
BY ANONYMOUS SOURCES AND RETIRED
GENERAL JACK KEANE, FOX NEWS
CONTRIBUTOR HAD THIS TO SAY IN
THE LAST HOUR.
JACK: I’VE BECOME SUSPICIOUS OF
A ANONYMOUS SOURCES AND I FIND
IT ODD THAT COMMENTS MADE A
NUMBER OF YEARS AGO ARE NOW
COLLECTED UP 60 DAYS PRIOR TO AN
ELECTION AND THROWN OUT FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE’S CONSUMPTION.
GIVEN INFLAMMATORY NATURE OF IT,
IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE LEAKED,
YOU THINK THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN
LEAKED AT THE TIME.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO BRING INTO
QUESTION THE CREDIBILITY OF THE
STORY ITSELF.
GRIFF: SO TO BE CLEAR, VERY
DAMMING WORDS ALLEGED TO BE MADE
AND NO ONE IN THE CONVERSATION
WENT ON THE RECORD, HOWEVER,
THIS MORNING YOU SEE SARAH
SANDERS WHO IS TWEETING THAT THE
ARTICLE IS, QUOTE, TOTAL BS, I
WAS ACTUALLY THERE AND ONE OF
THE PEOPLE, PART TO HAVE
DISCUSSION, THIS NEVER HAPPENED,
ALTHOUGH IT IS ALREADY PICKING
UP ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.
DNC PUTTING OUT A STATEMENT THIS
MORNING SAYING THE PRESIDENT HAS
NO HONOR AND NO SHAME.
WE WILL FIND OUT, GUYS, IF THE
PRESIDENT HAS MORE TO SAY ABOUT
IT.
HE HAS THE PHOTO-OP COMING UP
HERE WITH PRIME MINISTER A
LITTLE BIT BEFORE NOON.
ONE THING IS FAR FROM OVER AND
THE PRESIDENT SAYS IT DIDN’T
HAPPEN AND A LOT OF PEOPLE
TALKING ABOUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
PARTICULARLY MILITARY MEMBERS
WHO ARE OFFENDED THAT LET ALONE
THE PRESIDENT WOULD MAKE THESE
REMARKS.
STEVE: THE PRESIDENT SAID LAST
NIGHT I WOULD BE WILLING TO
SWEAR THAT I NEVER, EVER SAID
THAT.
LET’S BRING IN THE SECRETARY OF
STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA MIKE POMPEO JOINS US
FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT,
MR. SECRETARY, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
SECRETARY: STEVE, GOOD MORNING,
PAULA DEAN AND KANE BROWN.
STEVE: WE HEARD JACK KEANE
REFERRING TO THIS STORY THAT THE
PRESIDENT SAYS IS NOT TRUE.
HE NEVER SAID IT.
AND ONE OF JACK’S -- THE
GENERAL’S OBSERVATION IS THAT
ISN’T IT UNUSUAL THAT THEY WOULD
SIT ON THE STORY WHICH IS
COMPOSED OF A NUMBER OF
ANONYMOUS SOURCES, SIT ON IT FOR
A COUPLE OF YEARS, ESSENTIALLY
60 DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTION FOR
MAXIMUM PAIN.
SECRETARY: YEAH, STEVE, I
HAVEN’T READ THE WHOLE PIECE.
IF I’M TRACKING CORRECTLY, I
THINK I WAS ON THE TRIP AS WELL.
BUT WHAT I CAN SAY FOR SURE I’VE
NEVER HEARD -- I’VE BEEN WITH
THE PRESIDENT 4 YEARS AND I HAVE
NEVER HEARD THE PRESIDENT USING
LANGUAGE ABOUT HIM CALLING
MILITARY SUCKERS AND LOSERS.
HE’S HAD THE DEEPEST RESPECT.
I’M A VETERAN TOO AND I CARE
DEEPLY ABOUT THESE YOUNG MEN AND
WOMEN.
I’VE WATCHED THE PRESIDENT HONOR
THEM IN EVERY SITUATION THAT
I’VE BEEN WITH HIM AS WELL.
STEVE: IF YOU WERE ON THE TRIP,
WHY DID HE NOT MAKE THE VISIT TO
THE CEMETERY BECAUSE AT THE TIME
WE HEARD THAT IT WAS THE
WEATHER, THE CHOPPERS WOULDN’T
FLY, THE SECRET SERVICE WOULDN’T
DRIVE HIM, THE PRESIDENT SAYS
THAT THIS CONVERSATION NEVER
HAPPENED, SO YOU WERE THERE, WHY
DIDN’T HE GO TO THE CEMETERY?
SECRETARY: STEVE, I DON’T KNOW
PRECISELY WHAT THE
DISCUSSION-MAKING WAS INSIDE.
I DO REMEMBER WHETHER THEY COULD
FLY OUT OR NOT.
YOU HAVE TO ASK SOMEBODY
INVOLVED IN DECISION-MAKE
PROGRESSES, I SIMPLY WASN’T.
I WAS WITH HIM FOR A GOD PART OF
THE TRIP AND NEVER HEARD HIM SAY
WORDS DESCRIBED IN THE ARTICLE,
I NEVER SAW.
>> SECRETARY, ANOTHER TOPIC WE
ARE LOOKING AT IS CHINA.
THE PRESIDENT IS IN ON CAMPAIGN
TRAIL IN PENNSYLVANIA AND WHILE
THERE HE TALKED ABOUT CHINA AS
IT RELATES TO COVID-19 AND
TALKED ABOUT A BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION WOULD MEAN WITH
RESPECT TO RELATIONSHIP WITH
CHINA.
LET’S TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT HE
SAID AND WE WILL GET YOUR
REACTION.
>> NEVER HAS ANYBODY RIPPED OFF
OUR NATION LIKE CHINA.
WE NEVER TOOK IN TENCENTS FROM
CHINA AND I GAVE 28 BILLION,
28 BILLION TO THE FARMERS
BECAUSE THEY WERE TARGETED
UNFAIRLY.
WE ARE REVERSING DECADES OF THE
BIDEN BETRAYALS THAT DECIMATED
PENNSYLVANIA JOBS, YOU KNOW
THAT.
THIS STATE LOST -- LISTEN TO
THIS, 1 AND 3 MANUFACTURING JOBS
AFTER THE TWIN DISASTERS OF
NAFTA AND CHINA’S ENTRANCE INTO
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION.
JOE BIDEN’S AGENDA IS MADE IN
CHINA, MY AGENDA IS MADE IN
AMERICA.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
>> WE ARE FINALLY REBUILDING OUR
COUNTRY, IT’S CALLED AMERICA
FIRST.
>> YOUR THOUGHTS, SECRETARY?
SECRETARY: WHEN THIS
ADMINISTRATION CAME IN TO BEING
IN 2017, THE PREVIOUS DECADE
ALLOWED COMMUNIST CHINESE PARTY
TO WALK ALL OVER US AND
DESTROYING MILLIONS OF JOBS HERE
IN THE UNITED STATES AND COSTING
US A FORTUNE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP REVERSED THAT
AND SO IN EVERY DIMENSION
WHETHER IT’S ECONOMIC MATTERS
THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS SPEAKING
ABOUT, WHETHER IT’S OUR CAPACITY
TO DEFEND AMERICA AGAINST THE
CHINESE MILITARY THREAT OR OUR
EFFORTS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT
AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE TREATED
APPROPRIATELY BY THE CHINESE
COMMUNIST PARTY, THIS PRESIDENT
HAS TAKEN THE RESPONSIBILITY
SERIOUSLY AND THE XI’S
AUTHORITARIAN REGIME KNOWS THAT
WE HAVE PRESIDENT PREPARED THAT
AMERICA IS TREATED FAIRLY AND
PROTECTING OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
PETE: MR. SECRETARY, THE
PRESIDENT ARRIVED ON SCENE TO
CHALLENGE CONVENTIONAL THINKING
AND CHINA BEING ONE OF THEM IN
THE WAY HE STOOD UP AND SAID
THEY’VE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF US
AND ANOTHER ACROSS THE POND IN
EUROPE ON THE WAY HE LOOKS AT
NATO, COLLECTIVE DEFENSE AFTER
WORLD WAR II BUT ULTIMATELY A
LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THE
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE
OUTSOURCED THEIR SECURITY TO THE
UNITED STATES AND THE PRESIDENT
HAS CALLED THEM OUT.
NOW THERE’S A NEW YORK TIMES
HEADLINE OF OUR ALLIES AND
FORMER U.S. OFFICIALS SAYING
THEY FEAR THE PRESIDENT COULD
SEEK NATO EXIT IN A SECOND TERM.
WERE THE PRESIDENT TO GET A
SECOND TERM, WHAT’S THE STANCE
ON FUTURE OF NATO, IS IT WORTH
AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT ALTOGETHER?
SECRETARY: I’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN
NEARLY ALL OF THE DISCUSSIONS
ABOUT NATO AND U.S.’ ROLE, THE
PRESIDENT SAID, LOOK, YOU CAN’T
FREE RIDE.
YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO
PARTICIPATE, FRANKLY, TO HONOR
THE PROMISE THAT IS THE EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES ALL MADE THAT THEY’VE
SPEND AT LEAST 2% OF THEIR GDP
ON THEIR OWN SECURITY AND HE’S
DEMANDED.
THE GOOD NEWS IS HE’S BEEN
SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK GENERAL SECRETARY LEADER
OF NATO SAID THERE’S
$400 BILLION MORE THAT WILL BE
INVESTED INTO NATO.
IT’S A DIRECT RESULT OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP.
NATO IS STRONGER UNDER PRESIDENT
TRUMP THAN IT HAS BEEN IN
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS.
I’M PROUD OF THE WORK WE’VE DONE
THERE.
I’M PROUD OF THE WORK WE’VE DONE
THE THREAT THAT EMANATE THAT
NATO HAS RESPONSIBILITY FOR AND
I’M CONFIDENT THAT THE PRESIDENT
TRUMP TEAM WILL CONTINUE TO
STRENGTHEN FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
STEVE: MR. SECRETARY, BEFORE YOU
WERE SECRETARY OF STATE YOU WERE
CONGRESSMAN FROM THE GREAT STATE
OF KANSAS.
YOU KNOW HOW ELECTIONS WORK AND
YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW EVERYBODY
WHO IS UP FOR REELECTION FEELS
RIGHT NOW.
DO YOU SHARE THE PRESIDENT’S
WORRIES ABOUT MAIL-IN VOTING
BECAUSE WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING,
YOU KNOW, OUT OF WICHITA,
KANSAS, I’M SURE THERE WERE A
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN FAR-FLUNG
PARTS OF THE STATE WHO WERE
VOTING IN THAT PARTICULAR
ELECTION, PROBABLY DID ABSENTEE
OR MAIL-IN VOTING, DID YOU HAVE
PROBLEMS BACK THEN?
SECRETARY: I THINK I VOTED
ABSENTEE A COUPLE OF TIMES,
STEVE.
THE BIG WORRY, IT’S JUST A
MATTER OF LOGIC.
IT’S A LITTLE BIT OUT OF MY LANE
AS SECRETARY OF STATE.
IT’S A MATTER OF LOGIC AND THE
STATES CHANGED THE RULE.
AND IN THIS ELECTION WE EXPECT
ENORMOUS TURNOUT AND JUST MAIL
BALLOTS TO PEOPLE WHO ARE ON
MAILING LIST ON VOTING ROLES,
THERE’S REAL RISK AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE TO HAVE
AN ELECTION THAT THEY HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN AND I WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT EVERY SECRETARY OF
STATE AND EVERY ELECTION PROCESS
AND PERSON KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE
DOING HAVE BEEN DOING TO EXECUTE
APPROPRIATELY.
WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND ALL OF OUR
TEAM WANT ARE MAKING SURE THAT
THIS ELECTION IS FREE AND FAIR
AND THAT EVERY BALLOT IS COUNTED
APPROPRIATELY.
>> YOU KNOW, MR. SECRETARY, YOU
PENNSYLVANIA, CONCERNS WHERE
BALLOTS TOOK TWO WEEKS TO COUNT,
EVEN WITH ALL OF THAT EQUIPMENT
WITH NEARLY 400,000 BALLOTS THAT
WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE, IT’S
PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE THAT THEY
WOULD ALL BE OPENED AND SCANNED
BEFORE THE POLLS CLOSE ON
ELECTION DAY.
THE REALITY IS WINNERS AND
LOSERS WILL NOT BE KNOWN AT THE
END OF THE NIGHT.
THIS IS NOT JUST A CONCERN
BROUGHT BY REPUBLICANS BUT BOTH
SIDES OF THE AISLE, DOES THAT
CHANGE THE CONVERSATION?
SECRETARY: IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT
THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT.
I’VE SEEN THIS ALL ACROSS THE
WORLD.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT TRIES TO
MAKE SURE THAT OTHER NATIONS
HAVE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT OURS
IS DONE WELL AND TECHNICALLY
RIGHT AND IF THEY CHOOSE TO GO
IN PERSON, THEY VOTE THE DAY
BEFORE THE ELECTION AT POLLING
PLACE DESIGNATED BY THEIR STATE,
THEY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEIR VOTE IS COUNTED.
I HOPE THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT.
IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY THAT WE CONDUCT THIS
ELECTION WITH NOT ONLY LEADS THE
OUTCOME THAT PEOPLE DETERMINE
THROUGH THEIR VOTES BUT
PERCEIVED AS SUCH BY THEM AS
WELL.
WHEN I HEAR CONCERNS EXPRESSED
IN STATES IT CAUSES ME GREAT
CONSTERNATION AS WELL.
I HOPE THAT WE CAN PULL THAT
OFF.
I THINK THAT WE CAN.
AMERICA ALWAYS HAS.
PETE: MR. SECRETARY, REAL QUICK,
BACK INTO THE LANE, THE PENTAGON
WARNING THAT THE CHINESE HAVE
THE LARGEST NAVY, ARE YOU
CONCERNED ABOUT HOW QUICKLY
CHINA IS DEVELOPING ITS MILITARY
CAPABILITIES?
SECRETARY: ABSOLUTELY.
IT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG
TIME.
IT’S ACCELERATED.
THE GOD NEWS IS PRESIDENT TRUMP
HAS MADE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE
CAPABILITIES THAT WE NEED,
WHETHER IT’S THE DESIGNATION OF
THE STATES FORCE, WE HAVE THE
CAPACITY TO COMPETE THERE AND
THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING TO
MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR CHINA
TO USE HAUWEI AND ITS TECHNOLOGY
TO POST THREATS TO US AS WELL,
THEY ARE CONNECTED IN CIVIL AND
MILITARY EFFORTS OR SIMPLY THE
FACT THAT WE’VE NOW SPENT MORE
THAN 700,000,000,002 YEARS
RUNNING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR
MILITARY HAS THE CAPABILITY THAT
IT NEEDS, DO I WORRY ABOUT THE
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY
INCREASING MILITARY CAPACITY,
I’M CONFIDENT THAT PRESIDENT
TRUMP WILL PUT US IN A POSITION
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP
AMERICA SAFE.
STEVE: ALL RIGHT, SECRETARY OF
STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, MIKE POMPEO FROM THE
