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Robert O'Brien on foreign election meddling from Iran, Russia: 'We're going to stop it'

2020-10-22 | 🔗
Insight from the Trump administration's National Security Adviser on 'Fox & Friends.’
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Steve Fox NEWS: ALERT: U Dot S Intel officials warning that IRAN and Russia are trying to meddle in the election Ainsley director of national intelligence. John Ratcliffe says IRAN is behind fake e mails, intimidating voters as Russia obtains? U dot s voter information, even if the adversaries pursue further attempts to intimidate or attempt to undermine voter confidence of know that our election systems are resilient and you can be confident. Your votes are secure. Brian well, both russian President, Vladimir Putin and IRAN have denied any involvement in this. What about the strategy of telling everybody I ahead of time, instead of the aftermath like the Obama administration, did Ambassador Robert Obrien joins us now ambassador. This probably wasnt a surprise to you. What about the strategy of telling us first before the election this time? No, we want the voters to know whats going on ive been talking about this for many months. As you know its not just Russia and IRAN, its China, and there are
several other countries we have not yet gone public on were taking major steps to protect the elections. Ive held over twenty high level meetings here at the White House with the National Security Council. The Department of Homeland Security is working with our fifty states. National Guard units set up with their cyber units of I was in Iowa and they have a terrific cyber unit. The Iowa National Guard recently and theyre, working with their secretary of state so across the country, were making big efforts to make sure our election infrastructures hardened and that people know their votes going to be counted Steve. We know the country of E Iran has sent an e mail out. Throughs e tone ya by Saudi Arabia, essentially saying vote for President Trump on election day or were going to come after you, whats Russia doing whatS China doing. That are the examples you can give us regarding those countries. Well the thing to its no surprise that IRAN has done this because the jcpoa has cut them
off from billions of dollars of the jackpot they received when they signed the jcpoa. All those billions have been cut off so theres no surprise their getting involved in our elections. They dont like the fact that Israels making peace with their arab natures, the neighbors, the same thing with Russia. The presidents been tougher on Russia than any administration. Since Ronald Reagan, we see that theyre out on twitter and various places with disinformation. You can see the same thing with China. China goes about trying to cultivate local leaders, mayors and governors and congressmen and convince them if they dont vote Chinas way or they dont do what China wants. China wont invest in their districts or cities. That sort of thing there are ore countries that are attempting to do things via cyber twitter and Facebook. Just make sure the information youre getting is from a trusted source. The fact that back to Brians comment the President wanted to get out early on this and let the american people know whats happening,
were trying to shine a light on it because sunshine and transparency s the biggest disinfectant Ainsley. What are you all doing to make sure this election is fair, is legitimate yeah, its a great question Ainsley were working. Weve got a massive unit at homeland security. We spent hundreds of millions of dollars, helping the states and, as you know, the states run our elections. The secretaries of state and lieutenant governors manage their elections out in their states harden their infrastructure. The good news is were so decentralized. Ninety five percent of the ballots that are cast have some sort of paper analog so that they can be audited its very difficult for an adversary to actually change the outcomes of the elections and weve been doing everything we can to make sure thats the case on election day that no one can play with the tallies on the votes as they come in and were very confident that were in good shape on that front because of the advanced planning because of the white houses involvement in making sure our elections are safe. Brian right,
the moderator in todays debate, has had three of the same topics. Maybe four that Chris Wallace picked. Foreign policy is not one of them that must frustrate you, because the presidents going against a vice president. That was told by his Secretary of Defense that hes been wrong on every major foreign policy and national security decision. Over the last forty years, they killed Gadhafi and had no plan for the next day they pulled out of Iraq and called ISIS part of the JV team. You would love to contrast. Your approach to their approach wont you that was fantastic Brian. I want to focus on what the presidents done. The presidents brought peace to the Middle EAST with the historic Abraham accords, peace between Israel, Bahrain and UAE, and theres more to come on that front. Secretary Pompeo signed an agreement with the Taliban to stop the attacks on: U Dot S military in Afghanistan and were moving towards peace in Afghanistan with talks that were supporting there.
We brought justice to Baghdadi, and just recently we brought the Beatles home that killed, Kayla, Mueller theyre, going to be prosecuted and put in jail for life were going to bring them to justice. The president stood up to China, the first president in my lifetime that stood up to China. He put massive tariffs on them and is bringing free and fair trade back to our relationship. He stood up on the China virus against them. Hes Ree built our military encouraged NATO to spend an additional four hundred dollars billion to defend the west from China and are Russia and that doesnt even get to the trade deals the Usmca, which replaced the potential NAFTA. I was in Brazil this past week we signed three new trade deals that are fantastic for America, with Brazil of its just one thing after another, hes done more in the year and a half than ive been here than most presidents do in eight years its really been impressive. Brian Ukraine, too, theres that Steve Ambassador after the
director of national Intelligence and the FBI director made their statement to the press yesterday about 730, Adam Schiffed. Had this observation wed, like your comment watch as far as Director Ratcliffes statement, the two examples that he gave of iranian interference: the mailing of these mails, purportedly to democratic voters, thats an effort to suppress the democratic vote or an effort to enname the democratic vote, or simply to sow chaos its hard to see how that could be hurtful to the president. So we dont know whether this is just Ratcliffes spin or the assessment of the analyst. The sad thing for the american people is, they cannot rely on what they hear from the director of national intelligence without proof on the table Steve. What do you think about that? Cant trust what the director of
National intelligence says unless he says, ladies and gentlemen, exhibit a its really sad and its sad that its coming from Chairman Schiff, because he has access to the intelligence hes seen it. He knows that we cant release the intelligence either on Russia or on IRAN or China. These other countries hes seen it, but then he challenges the director of national intelligence to release sensitive signal, intelligence or human intelligence or satellite reconnaissance that we have knowing that wont happen. So thats a sad thing. I know John Ratcliffe hes, a good man and you saw standing behind Him- was Chris Wray and the rest of the team. There are real efforts by our adversaries. Ive said this from the start. To sow discord among Americans, ask is weve, got to stop it and were going to son it and thats. Stop it, and you know, chairman Schiffs Comments- is just the sort of discord that they were hoping to stir so thats. Unfortunately Brian he gets lower every day.
Transcript generated on 2020-10-22.