>>> IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE
>>> IN AN UNPRECEDENTED MOVE
JUST WEEKS BEFORE THE
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE WILL NO
LONGER OFFER IN-PERSON BRIEFINGS
TO CONGRESS ON ELECTION SECURITY
AND FOREIGN INTERFERENCE,
ACCORDING TO A CONGRESSIONAL
OFFICIAL BRIEFED ON THE MATTER.
THE DECISION COMES AS THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION SEEKS TO HALT THE
IN-PERSON BRIEFINGS REPORTEDLY
OVER CONCERNS OVER LEAKS.
CONGRESSIONAL INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEES WILL HAVE ACCESS TO
CLASSIFIED WRITTEN INTELLIGENCE
REPORTS BUT THE CANCELLATION OF
IN-PERSON BRIEFINGS MEANS
CONGRESS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO
QUESTION OFFICIALS ABOUT WHAT’S
BEHIND THE REPORTS.
AND NEW REPORTING BY NBC NEWS
SAYS THAT THE FBI AND DHS PLAN
TO BRIEF CONGRESS ON CYBER
THREATS TO ELECTION SECURITY AND
DISINFORMATION BUT NOT ON THE
PLANS AND INTENTIONS OF FOREIGN
ADVERSARIES.
IN A STATEMENT TO NBC NEWS, THE
FBI SAID, QUOTE, THE FBI IS
COMMITTED TO KEEPING CONGRESS
INFORMED ON ELECTION SECURITY
AND MALIGN FOREIGN INFLUENCE
THREATS, PROTECTING OUR
ELECTIONS REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY
FOR THE FBI.
WE DECLINE TO COMMENT FURTHER.
DHS HAS YET TO RESPOND TO NBC
NEWS.
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO OF FLORIDA,
THE ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE
SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
ISSUED A STATEMENT THAT SAID IN
PART, THIS SITUATION WE NOW FACE
IS DUE, IN NO SMALL PART, TO THE
WILLINGNESS OF SOME TO COMMIT
FEDERAL CRIMES FOR THE PURPOSE
OF ADVANCING THEIR ELECTORAL
AIMS.
BUT ALSO SAID THE LEAKS SHOULD
NOT QUOTE RELEASE THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY FROM THE
LEGAL OBLIGATION TO BRIEF
CONGRESS.
JOINING US NOW FORMER CIA
DIRECTOR, JOHN BRENNAN, AN
ANALYST FOR NBC NEWS.
ALSO WITH US MEMBER OF THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
INDEPENDENT SENATOR ANGUS KING
OF MAINE.
SENATOR, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO
STATE FOR US CLEARLY IF YOU
COULD, WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE
ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AND HAVE
THOSE BRIEFINGS.
>> THE CLEAREST WAY I CAN PUT
IT, IF YOU TOOK EVERYTHING YOU
JUST SAID AND STRIKE THE WORD
CONGRESS AND INSERT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT’S WHO’S GETTING USED
IN THIS INFORMATION.
THIS IS INFORMATION COLLECTED BY
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND
THEY OWE IT -- WE OWE IT, THE
GOVERNMENT OWES IT TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO TELL THEM
WHAT THEY KNOW IN ORDER TO HELP
THEM MAKE A GOOD DECISION ON
NOVEMBER 3rd.
THIS IS NOT A SPAT BETWEEN
CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT OR
REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS.
IF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
LEARNS THAT OUR ELECTION IS
BEING MANIPULATED WITH BY A
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT THEY WOULD
TELL CONGRESS AND THROUGH THEM THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
WHO DO THESE PEOPLE WORK FOR IN
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY?
MY ROTE
MY VOTE IS THEY WORK FOR YOU AND
ME, THEY DON’T WORK FOR THE
PRESIDENT.
THEIR OATH IS TO THE
CONSTITUTION, NOT ANY PARTICULAR
PRESIDENT.
>> DIRECTOR BRENNAN, IN YOUR
RESPECT THE RESPONSE WOULD BE
THAT YOU’RE GOING TO GET THE
WRITTEN REPORTS SO YOU CAN READ
THEM.
IS THAT NOT GOOD ENOUGH?
>> I THINK AS SENATOR KING SAID,
IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE BACK
AND FORTH BETWEEN OUR ELECTED
LEGISLATORS AND PROFESSIONALS.
IT’S IMPORTANT FOR OUR MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS TO UNDERSTAND FULLY
EXACTLY WHAT FOREIGN NATIONS AND
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ARE DOING
TO INTERFERE IN OUR ELECTION.
THIS MOVE BY THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO CANCEL
OR SHARPLY LIMIT THE TYPE OF
INTERACTIONS WITH CONGRESS IS
VERY WORRISOME, CONSISTENT WITH
WHAT YOUR PREVIOUS GUEST SAID
IT’S PART OF THE
ADMINISTRATION’S STRATEGY TO
PREVENT THE FLOW OF INFORMATION
OR INTELLIGENCE TO CONGRESS THAT
COULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO DONALD
TRUMP.
IT ALSO PREVENTS THE FULL EXTENT
OF RUSSIA’S INTERFERENCE IN OUR
ELECTION BE KNOWN.
WE KNOW RUSSIA’S INFLUENCE IN
THE 2016 ELECTION HELPED DONALD
TRUMP GET ELECTED.
WE KNOW RUSSIA ARE TRYING TO
DENIGRATE VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN.
AND IT’S ONE MORE INDICATION
THAT DONALD TRUMP WILL DO
ANYTHING TO STAY IN OFFICE
BETWEEN 2021.
I THINK THEY’RE RIGHT TO BE
CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW WITH THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMUNE
COMMUNITY.
>> JOHN BRENNAN, IS THERE ANY
OTHER REASON THE DIRECTOR WOULD
HEAD UP A DECISION LIKE THIS?
DO YOU THINK IT IS TO PROTECT
BAD INFORMATION ABOUT DONALD
TRUMP FROM COMING OUT?
IS THERE ANY OTHER REASON TO DO
THIS?
>> WELL, HIS STATED PURPOSE IN
HIS LETTER WAS TO ENSURE CLARITY
AND CONSISTENCY IN THE BRIEFINGS
THAT GO TO CONGRESS.
THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH GOOD
MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT AND
REVIEW AND COORDINATION OF THOSE
BRIEFINGS.
HE SAID IT’S DESIGNED TO PROTECT
SOURCE AND METHOD.
I DON’T AGREE WITH THAT AT ALL.
I BRIEFED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
REPEATEDLY DURING THE 2016
ELECTION ON RUSSIAN EFFORTS TO
INTERFERE IN THE ELECTION.
SO I THINK IT’S JUST AN EFFORT
TO TRY TO STIFLE AND SUFFOCATE
THE FLOW OF INFORMATION TO
CONGRESS BECAUSE DONALD TRUMP
FEARS WHAT CONGRESS CAN DO AS
FAR AS EXPOSING A LOT OF HIS
ACTIVITIES THAT I THINK THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE, QUITE
FRANKLY, FED UP WITH.
>> JONATHAN LEMIRE?
>> SENATOR KING, WHAT RECOURSE
DO YOU HAVE, PERHAPS, TO GET THE
ADMINISTRATION TO REVERSE ITSELF
HERE?
AND COULD YOU TALK TO US A
LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE
SEEN, BRIEFED UPON, AS MUCH AS
YOU’RE ABLE, IN TERMS OF
ELECTION INTERFERENCE THIS TIME
AROUND?
WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016.
WE KNOW THAT IN RECENT WEEKS
THERE HAVE BEEN WARNINGS FROM
ODNI AND OTHER AGENCIES WHETHER
IT’S RUSSIA, CHINA, IRAN, OTHER
COUNTRIES ARE TRYING TO
INTERFERE WITH THE ELECTION.
IS THIS ADMINISTRATION DOING
ENOUGH TO STOP IT?
WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
>> THE ANSWER IS NO, NOT ENOUGH.
AND YOU’RE RIGHT.
WE -- THAT’S WHAT MAKES THIS SO
FRUSTRATED, JONATHAN, A MONTH
AGO THEY TOLD US THE
INTERFERENCE WAS HAPPENING.
NOW WHAT THEY’RE TELLING US IS
WE’RE NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU ANY
MORE CLEAR INFORMATION.
AND JOHN BRENNAN MADE AN
IMPORTANT POINT, THE LETTER FROM
THE HEAD OF THE DIRECTOR OF
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE SAID WE’LL
GIVEN WRITTEN BRIEFINGS.
I BET I SAT THROUGH 2 OR 300
HEARINGS IN THE SENATE AND THERE
WAS NEVER A TIME THAT THE
QUESTIONING DIDN’T ELICIT
INFORMATION FROM WHAT WAS IN THE
DRY TRANSCRIPT.
SO YOUR QUESTION IS WHAT CAN WE
DO?
WE’RE ALL READY.
I’VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE
LEADERSHIP OF THE INTELLIGENCE
COMMITTEE.
WE’RE ALREADY TRYING TO WORK
WITH THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE TO WALK BACK THIS D
INTELLIGENCE TO WALK BACK THIS
POSITION AND AT LEAST SHARE THIS
INFORMATION WITH THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES, WHICH
OUR COMMITTEE HAS A VERY GOOD
RECORD.
I DON’T RECALL A LEAK INCIDENT
IN EIGHT YEARS I’VE BEEN ON THE
COMMITTEE.
WE CAN HANDLE CLASSIFIED
INFORMATION.
THE OTHER QUESTION IS, SHOULD IT
BE CLASSIFIED BECAUSE IT’S
EMBARRASSING NOT BECAUSE IT
COMPROMISES NATIONAL SECURITY?
THAT’S A WHOLE SEPARATE ISSUE.
>> DIRECTOR BRENNAN, VERY MUCH
ON THE SUBJECT OF RUSSIA
ELECTION INTERFERENCE, A WEEK OR
SO BACK YOU SAT FOR AN INTERVIEW
WITH JOHN DURHAM’S INVESTIGATORS
AS PART OF THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT’S PROBE INTO THAT
INVESTIGATION.
YOU WERE TOLD YOU WERE A
WITNESS, NOT A TARGET.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT THAT
INTERVIEW COVERED, AND WHAT DO
YOU THINK OF THE PROBE HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW AS WE HEAD INTO THE
FINAL WEEKS BEFORE THE ELECTION?
>>
>> THE INTERVIEW COVERED A WIDE
ARRAY OF ISSUES ABOUT WHAT THE
LAW ENFORCEMENT DID DURING THE
2016 CAMPAIGN TO THE ASSESSMENT.
THEY’RE TRYING TO FILL THEIR
RESPONSIBILITIES FROM THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
IT’S CLEAR THIS EFFORT THAT WAS
SPEARHEADED OR AUTHORIZED BY
WILLIAM BARR AND DONALD TRUMP IS
A TROLLING EXERCISE, GOING
THROUGH A LOT OF DOCUMENTS, A
LOT OF INFORMATION, CONDUCTING A
LOT OF INTERVIEWS TO SEE WHAT
THEY CAN FIND AS FAR AS MISTAKES
OR EVEN CRIMINALITY.
BUT WILLIAM BARR TALKS A LOT
ABOUT QUESTIONING THE
PREDICATION OF THE INVESTIGATION
OF THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IN 2016.
I REALLY QUESTION THE
PREDICATION OF THIS
INVESTIGATION, THIS REVIEW,
WHICH AGAIN SEEMS TO BE AN
OVERARCHING EFFORT TO TRY TO
INDICT MAYBE LITERALLY OR
FIGURATIVELY THOSE INDIVIDUALS
WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE, I
THINK, NECESSARY, IMPORTANT AND
APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATION OF
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016
ELECTION THAT INVOLVED THE U.S.
PERSONS DURING THAT TIME.
>> FORMER CIA DIRECTOR JOHN
BRENNAN AND SENATOR ANGUS KING,
THANK YOU, BOTH.
BEFORE WE GO TO BREAK, DONNY
DEUTSCH, THERE ARE SO MANY
THINGS WRONG WITH THIS AND I
HATE TO SAY IT DOESN’T SEEM TO
BOTHER THE REPUBLICANS, BUT FOR
THE DEMOCRATS, WHAT SHOULD THE
STRATEGY BECAUSE BECAUSE THERE
ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS IN
WHICH THEY COULD BE REALLY GOING
AFTER THIS PRESIDENT, HIS
DECISIONS AND DECISIONS THAT
HE’S MADE, WHETHER IT’S ON
CORONAVIRUS, RACIAL VIOLENCE,
BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE SUCH A HIGH
CRIME IN MANY WAYS IN TERMS OF
COVERING UP INFORMATION THAT
COULD BE PROTECTING THIS
PRESIDENT DURING AN ELECTION?
>> MIKA, THE EMOTIONAL SIDE, THE
RIGHT SIDE OF MY BRAIN SAYS THE
DEMOCRACY, THESE TYPES OF
THINGS, KEEPING INFORMATION
ABOUT THE CDC, THE POSTMASTER
STUFF IS OBVIOUSLY VITAL.
BUT THE MESSAGE TO DEFEAT DONALD
TRUMP IS A FAILED PRESIDENCY.
180,000 DEATHS CLIMBING TO
300,000, JOBS LOST, VIOLENCE IN
THE STREETS INSPIRED BY DONALD
TRUMP.
THOSE ARE THE KITCHEN TABLE
ISSUES.
THESE OTHER ISSUES, WHICH
FRANKLY, EVEN LONG TERM ARE MORE
DANGEROUS, ARE NOT THE ANSWER
FOR 60 DAYS OUT, STAY CLOSE TO
HOME.
>> ALL RIGHT.
STILL AHEAD, TWO MEMBERS OF THE
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE,
