English subtitles for clip: File:1-11-17- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest: After last
night's late arrival,

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we're moving a little
slower than usual today.

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So appreciate
your patience.

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I do not have any
statements at the top,

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Josh, so we can go
straight to questions if

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you want to kick us off.

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The Press: Sure,
thanks, Josh.

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Let me start with the
summary that was provided

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to President-elect Trump
last week about -- by the

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intelligence community
about unsubstantiated

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compromising information
that was obtained by Russia.

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Was President Obama also
briefed by the IC either

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on paper or in person
about that report?

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Mr. Earnest: Josh, what I
can tell you is that as a

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general matter I've not
been in a position to read

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out publicly the details
of the intelligence

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briefings that the
President receives.

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What I have previously
confirmed, though, is that

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President Obama did
receive a briefing on the

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report that was compiled
by the intelligence

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community at the
President's direction on

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Russia's nefarious
activities to undermine

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public confidence in
the 2016 election.

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The President received
that briefing the day

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before the unclassified
version of that

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report was released.

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That was last Thursday.

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But for the contents of
that briefing, or for the

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contents of the classified
report, for that matter,

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that's not something
I can speak to.

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The Press: Without getting
into the content of it,

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what you were just
discussing was information

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that was provided to the
President about Russia's

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cyber interference
with the U.S. campaign.

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This seems to be
slightly different.

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This isn't about John
Podesta's emails or

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hacking the DNC.

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This would be about trying
to obtain compromising

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information on Trump.

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Without talking about the
details of it, can you say

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whether that was part of
the briefing that the

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President received?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
that gets -- you're asking

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me directly about the
content of the report.

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And as we discussed
before, it's certainly

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understandable that people
would be interested in

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trying to understand
what's included there, but

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that's just not something
that I can discuss.

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Just to clarify one aspect
of your question, the

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report that was released
does discuss in detail the

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malicious cyber activity
that was perpetrated by

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Russia on political
entities in the United

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States -- in both parties,
by the way -- to undermine

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public confidence
in the election.

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But that wasn't the only
tactic that they used.

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Certainly the release of
that hacked material --

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there's a discussion of
this fake news phenomenon

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in the report, as well
-- so it's important to

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understand that the report
that was compiled by the

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intelligence community
goes beyond just the

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malicious cyber activity
that Russia engaged in.

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The Press: You talked
quite a bit from the

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podium about the
importance of a smooth

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transition, and the
President has, as well.

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Is this administration
doing anything to try to

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stem what appears to be
significant leaks from the

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intelligence community
aimed at punching

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back at Trump?

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Mr. Earnest: Josh, I think
I'm on the record as much

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as anybody in talking
about the need to protect

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classified information.

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And there are previous
situations in which I've

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expressed concern about
the willingness of

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individuals to talk about
classified activity

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publicly -- or classified
information publicly, and

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I don't have the
luxury of doing that.

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I stand before all of you
speaking on the record, on

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camera, and I have a
responsibility to protect

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classified information.

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There are other people who
use the cloak of anonymity

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to disseminate that
information, and that's

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something that has
happened not just

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throughout this
presidency, but that's

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something that's been
happening certainly over

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the course of many
previous Presidents as well.

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That's not to okay it, but
it certainly is a

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frequent occurrence.

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The Press: And it's one
thing to sort of talk

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publicly about the need
to protect

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classified information.

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It's another thing to do
something proactively to

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try to stop what
appears to be leaks.

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Certainly there have been
other instances where news

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organizations or others
who receive leaks there

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have been investigations
by this

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administration into that.

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So I'm just curious
whether the White House is

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going back to these people
and saying, you've got to

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button this up, you
can't be doing this.

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Or is it just sort of
talking about it

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from the podium?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
a couple of things, Josh.

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I think, first of all,
the White House has been

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extraordinarily
conscientious in

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protecting classified
information.

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And that is something that
the President expects,

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particularly with
regard to leaks.

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And the President
is proud of that.

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With regard to leak
investigations, all of you

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have talked about --
rather critically, in fact

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-- some of the efforts
that the administration

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has undertaken to protect
classified information.

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Questions about
prosecuting individuals

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who are engaging in
criminal conduct or

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leaking information that
is punishable under the

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criminal law, those
kinds of prosecutorial

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investigative decisions
are made at the FBI.

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And those decisions are
made free of any sort of

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political interference,
and certainly made free of

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any interference
from the White House.

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But I've said on a number
of occasions that I

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believe it's important
for everybody in the U.S.

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government who's entrusted
with access to classified

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information to uphold
their oath to protect it.

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The Press: Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson --

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nominee Rex Tillerson was
on the Hill -- is on the

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Hill today, testifying.

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And he's suggesting that
he could be even tougher

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on Russia than the Obama
administration

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in certain respects.

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Particularly, he said that
what the administration

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should have done after
Russia seized Crimea was

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to send defensive weapons
and air surveillance

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assets to the Ukrainians.

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Is the outgoing
administration

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sufficiently convinced
that Tillerson, if

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confirmed, would be tough
enough on Russia, and do

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you have any response
to sort of his

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second-guessing of the way
that this administration

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handled the Ukraine issue?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, with
regard to appraising

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Mr. Tillerson's candidacy,
I'll leave that to the men

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and women of the United
States Senate to evaluate.

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It's their responsibility
to determine whether or

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not this is an individual
who is capable of

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representing the United
States and serving in the

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President's cabinet.

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And that's why we have a
process where the United

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States Senate offers
advice and consent to the

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President in choosing
those nominees, and that

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certainly is why those
nominees have to undergo

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rigorous background
checks, comply with

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ethical regulations that
ensure that they don't

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have conflicts of interest
that could impact their

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judgment or raise
questions about

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their judgment.

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And this is also why the
Congress holds hearings to

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try to understand how a
nominee would approach

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some of these issues
once in office.

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But I'm going to leave to
individual members of the

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Senate to pass judgment.

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That's not something
that I'll do from here.

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It certainly would
undermine our commitment

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to a smooth and effective
transition if I spent a

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lot of time critiquing
the performance of the

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nominees when they're
testifying before Congress.

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With regard to the policy
that we have used in

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Ukraine, what I can
tell you is that this

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administration has been
strongly supportive of the

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efforts of the Ukrainian
people and the Ukrainian

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government to counter
flagrant attempts by the

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Russians to violate their
sovereignty and their

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territorial integrity.

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And there are a variety of
forms of assistance that

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the United States has
provided -- certainly

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extensive financial
assistance to try to

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strengthen their economy.

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Obviously President
Obama had been a leading

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advocate in communicating
with the world and in

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communicating with Russia
about the need to resolve

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this conflict and
certainly to deescalate it.

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And the President has been
strongly supportive of the

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efforts of European
leaders to pursue a

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process to try to broker
a diplomatic agreement

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between Ukraine
and Russia.

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Implementing that
agreement has been

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challenging and we've
not made nearly as much

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progress on that score
as we would like.

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The United States has also
worked closely with our

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allies in Europe to impose
tough sanctions against

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Russia that we know have
had a negative impact on

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Russia's economy.

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And we do know that since
those sanctions were put

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in place, Russia's economy
has been faltering.

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Some of that is because of
the global price of oil,

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but limiting their access
to international financial

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markets and limiting their
access to some of their

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most prominent and
important trading partners

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surely hasn't helped.

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And that's a price that
Russia has had to pay.

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Russia, based on a
decision that was made by

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the United States and
our allies, is not

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participating in G8
meetings anymore.

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Those meetings are now
called G7 meetings, and

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Russia doesn't
participate.

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So Russia has faced
intense isolation because

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of their flagrant
violation of

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Ukraine's sovereignty.

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So our response to
Russia's involvement in

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Ukraine has been tough.

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It has had an impact, and
there have been

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negative consequences.

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But ultimately, if the
incoming administration

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chooses to escalate that
situation militarily, that

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would be a different
conclusion than this

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administration reached
with regard to our

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interests and the
interests of our

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friends in Ukraine.

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But somebody else will be
calling those shots in the

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afternoon of January 20th.

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The Press: And just
lastly, did the President

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catch any of the
President-elect's news

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conference today?

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Mr. Earnest: I don't know
that President Obama had

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an opportunity to watch
the news conference live,

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but I'm confident that
he's following the

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news coverage of it.

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Julia.

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The Press: Thanks, Josh.

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One of the things that
President-elect Trump

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touched on today was he
actually said that he does

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think that Russia was
behind the hack into the DNC.

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That was really the
furthest he's come on that

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subject so far.

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Mr. Earnest: He also said
it could be others -- at

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the end of it.

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The Press: Sure.

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But the point he then
followed with is that it

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was an equal opportunity
hack; that, really, the

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reason why the DNC was
exposed was because the

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RNC just had better cyber
protections in place.

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Is it your understanding
that both parties were

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equally targeted in these
cyber intrusions during

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the campaign, and it just
came down to a

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matter of security?

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Or was it more
targeted than that?

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Mr. Earnest: Julia, I
think what I would do is I

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would just point you to
the key judgments of the

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report that was issued by
the intelligence

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community last week.

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And in these key judgments
-- let me just read one

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00:11:26,085 --> 00:11:27,955
sentence, one bullet from
those key judgments.

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00:11:27,953 --> 00:11:30,993
It simply says, "Russia's
intelligence services

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00:11:30,990 --> 00:11:33,830
conducted cyber operations
against targets associated

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00:11:33,826 --> 00:11:37,126
with the 2016 presidential
election, including

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00:11:37,129 --> 00:11:39,799
targets associated
with both major U.S.

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00:11:39,799 --> 00:11:44,639
political parties." So
that is the judgment of

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00:11:44,637 --> 00:11:48,477
the FBI, the CIA, and the
NSA that compiled this

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00:11:48,474 --> 00:11:51,444
report with the support of
the Director of

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00:11:51,444 --> 00:11:53,884
National Intelligence.

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00:11:53,879 --> 00:12:02,159
So I do think it is
another illustration of

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00:12:02,154 --> 00:12:05,554
the Russian motive.

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00:12:05,558 --> 00:12:06,628
And this is another
finding of the report

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00:12:06,625 --> 00:12:09,965
about the clear assessment
of the intelligence

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00:12:09,962 --> 00:12:14,732
community that Russia's
aim was to disadvantage

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00:12:14,733 --> 00:12:18,843
Secretary Clinton and give
a boost to

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00:12:18,838 --> 00:12:19,908
Mr. Trump's campaign.

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00:12:19,905 --> 00:12:22,245
That certainly would
explain the aggressive

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00:12:22,241 --> 00:12:28,551
effort to hack Democrats
and the refusal to release

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00:12:28,547 --> 00:12:33,357
information about
Republicans in a damaging

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00:12:33,352 --> 00:12:36,622
way that had also been
obtained by the Russians.

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00:12:36,622 --> 00:12:38,322
The Press: But should the
DNC have gone further to

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00:12:38,324 --> 00:12:40,394
protect itself or to
cooperate with the FBI?

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00:12:40,392 --> 00:12:42,762
Mr. Earnest: Well, I'll
refer you to the DNC for

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00:12:42,761 --> 00:12:44,761
what sort of cooperation
was in place with

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00:12:44,763 --> 00:12:45,533
regard to the FBI.

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And I also can't speak
to what sort of cyber

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00:12:47,166 --> 00:12:51,306
defenses they had in
place back in 2015.

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00:12:51,303 --> 00:12:52,673
That's something that
they can speak to.

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00:12:52,671 --> 00:12:54,211
The Press: One thing I'm
wondering if you could

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00:12:54,206 --> 00:12:56,306
speak to as well from
the press conference was

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00:12:56,308 --> 00:13:00,848
President-elect Trump's
moves to distance himself

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00:13:00,846 --> 00:13:03,216
from his business
interests by placing his

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00:13:03,215 --> 00:13:05,385
business in the hands of
his sons, but he did not

285
00:13:05,384 --> 00:13:08,224
go so far as to completely
divest or to set

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00:13:08,220 --> 00:13:10,060
up a blind trust.

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00:13:10,055 --> 00:13:12,155
He's bringing in
an ethics advisor.

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00:13:12,158 --> 00:13:15,828
Could you say whether or
not the White House thinks

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00:13:15,828 --> 00:13:19,168
that that goes far enough
to really separate the

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00:13:19,165 --> 00:13:21,505
future President from any
conflicts of interest when

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00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:22,400
he takes office?

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00:13:22,401 --> 00:13:24,341
Mr. Earnest: I'm obviously
not in a position to offer

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00:13:24,336 --> 00:13:30,606
any sort of expert
judgment or analysis of

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00:13:30,609 --> 00:13:32,449
the steps that the
President-elect

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00:13:32,444 --> 00:13:33,684
announced earlier today.

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All I can tell you is that
President Obama chose a

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00:13:37,183 --> 00:13:39,053
very different approach.

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00:13:39,051 --> 00:13:40,491
I would acknowledge at
the front end that their

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00:13:40,486 --> 00:13:42,886
financial situations are
quite different, but

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00:13:42,888 --> 00:13:45,658
President Obama's approach
was quite

301
00:13:45,658 --> 00:13:46,458
different, nonetheless.

302
00:13:46,458 --> 00:13:48,998
And President Obama's
approach was to liquidate

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00:13:48,994 --> 00:13:52,794
virtually all of his
assets and put them

304
00:13:52,798 --> 00:13:53,728
into Treasury bills.

305
00:13:53,732 --> 00:13:56,372
And as I've observed on a
couple of occasions, that

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00:13:56,368 --> 00:13:58,538
was a very good decision
for the country.

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00:13:58,537 --> 00:14:00,737
It was a very poor
decision for the

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00:14:00,739 --> 00:14:02,239
financial standing of the
Obama family.

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00:14:02,241 --> 00:14:05,511
This was a time when
the Federal Reserve was

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00:14:05,511 --> 00:14:10,381
slashing interest rates
to deal with the Great

311
00:14:10,382 --> 00:14:14,992
Recession, and that made
the return on Treasury

312
00:14:14,987 --> 00:14:16,927
bills very small.

313
00:14:16,922 --> 00:14:20,762
But President Obama was
pleased to make the

314
00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:22,359
financial sacrifice
because it was in the best

315
00:14:22,361 --> 00:14:23,431
interest of the country.

316
00:14:23,429 --> 00:14:25,529
He also believed that
it ended up serving the

317
00:14:25,531 --> 00:14:27,671
administration quite well.

318
00:14:27,666 --> 00:14:31,406
Essentially, he set a
standard at the very top

319
00:14:31,403 --> 00:14:32,773
that everyone else in his
administration

320
00:14:32,771 --> 00:14:33,571
has also followed.

321
00:14:33,572 --> 00:14:37,072
And President Obama is
quite proud of the fact

322
00:14:37,076 --> 00:14:39,216
that there has not been a
major personal or ethical

323
00:14:39,211 --> 00:14:42,611
scandal during his
eight years in office.

324
00:14:42,615 --> 00:14:45,685
And some of that is
because of the ethical --

325
00:14:45,684 --> 00:14:48,654
of the tone that he set
from the earliest days of

326
00:14:48,654 --> 00:14:52,024
his presidency about the
extraordinarily high

327
00:14:52,024 --> 00:14:54,464
ethical standard that he
and other senior members

328
00:14:54,460 --> 00:14:56,960
of his administration
would be following.

329
00:14:56,962 --> 00:14:57,692
Toluse.

330
00:14:57,696 --> 00:14:59,196
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

331
00:14:59,198 --> 00:15:00,428
During the press
conference today,

332
00:15:00,432 --> 00:15:04,002
President-elect Trump said
that the intelligence

333
00:15:04,003 --> 00:15:06,573
community was disgraceful
to let out the information

334
00:15:06,572 --> 00:15:08,942
that was published
in BuzzFeed.

335
00:15:08,941 --> 00:15:11,641
He compared the
intelligence community to

336
00:15:11,644 --> 00:15:13,014
Nazi Germany.

337
00:15:13,012 --> 00:15:14,412
I wonder if you have
any response to that.

338
00:15:14,413 --> 00:15:17,283
Mr. Earnest: Listen, as
President Obama has said

339
00:15:17,283 --> 00:15:21,983
many times, the men and
women of our intelligence

340
00:15:21,987 --> 00:15:25,157
community are patriots.

341
00:15:25,157 --> 00:15:28,227
They do their important
work not because the

342
00:15:28,227 --> 00:15:30,797
paycheck is large -- many
of them are experts that

343
00:15:30,796 --> 00:15:32,136
could command a much
higher salary in the

344
00:15:32,131 --> 00:15:33,461
private sector.

345
00:15:33,465 --> 00:15:35,735
They aren't engaged in
this work because they're

346
00:15:35,734 --> 00:15:39,304
going to get a lot of
personal glory and credit

347
00:15:39,305 --> 00:15:41,975
for their service -- most
of the men and women who

348
00:15:41,974 --> 00:15:43,514
serve in the intelligence
community actually do

349
00:15:43,509 --> 00:15:44,979
their work in secret.

350
00:15:44,977 --> 00:15:46,317
Their identities
will never be known.

351
00:15:46,312 --> 00:15:48,182
We will never have an
opportunity to thank them

352
00:15:48,180 --> 00:15:50,920
personally for their
service and sacrifice for

353
00:15:50,916 --> 00:15:51,916
this country.

354
00:15:51,917 --> 00:15:53,987
These are men and women
who served our country

355
00:15:53,986 --> 00:15:56,486
under Democratic and
Republican Presidents, and

356
00:15:56,488 --> 00:15:59,028
they made a decision when
they began their career to

357
00:15:59,024 --> 00:16:01,864
set aside their own
personal and ideological

358
00:16:01,860 --> 00:16:05,860
views, and focus solely
on the facts, and focus

359
00:16:05,864 --> 00:16:11,404
solely on marshaling
and presenting the most

360
00:16:11,403 --> 00:16:15,913
insightful analysis
and the most accurate,

361
00:16:15,908 --> 00:16:18,978
relevant and timely facts
to the President and other

362
00:16:18,977 --> 00:16:21,147
national security
decision-makers so that

363
00:16:21,146 --> 00:16:23,446
they can make the best
decisions about what's

364
00:16:23,449 --> 00:16:26,249
necessary to
protect the country.

365
00:16:26,251 --> 00:16:29,391
And the leadership of
the intelligence under

366
00:16:29,388 --> 00:16:34,628
President Obama reflects
that lifetime commitment

367
00:16:34,626 --> 00:16:36,566
to service.

368
00:16:36,562 --> 00:16:41,572
And there were some
not-so-subtle references

369
00:16:46,305 --> 00:16:49,645
to questioning the
integrity and motives of

370
00:16:49,641 --> 00:16:51,641
the leaders of the
intelligence community.

371
00:16:56,582 --> 00:16:59,852
Jim Clapper serves as
the Director of National

372
00:16:59,852 --> 00:17:02,752
Intelligence -- has for
almost six years now.

373
00:17:02,755 --> 00:17:05,025
He's somebody who enlisted
in the Marine Corps in 1961.

374
00:17:07,126 --> 00:17:10,066
Since then he's been
serving his country.

375
00:17:10,062 --> 00:17:13,002
He flew dozens of combat
missions over Southeast

376
00:17:12,998 --> 00:17:16,898
Asia as a pilot, and he is
somebody who has served

377
00:17:16,902 --> 00:17:19,742
Presidents in both parties
as a high-ranking military

378
00:17:19,738 --> 00:17:21,908
official and as a
high-ranking official in

379
00:17:21,907 --> 00:17:23,907
our intelligence
community.

380
00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:27,644
Certainly somebody like
Jim Comey, the Director of

381
00:17:27,646 --> 00:17:31,716
the FBI, was a
high-ranking political

382
00:17:31,717 --> 00:17:36,727
appointee of the
Bush administration.

383
00:17:36,722 --> 00:17:38,592
He was somebody who
was confirmed almost

384
00:17:38,590 --> 00:17:41,760
unanimously in the
United States Senate.

385
00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:43,800
Strong majorities of
Democrats and Republicans

386
00:17:43,796 --> 00:17:47,136
signed up to support
him because of his

387
00:17:47,132 --> 00:17:51,402
well-established
reputation for integrity.

388
00:17:51,403 --> 00:17:52,743
That certainly is the
reason that President

389
00:17:52,738 --> 00:17:55,078
Obama chose him
for the job.

390
00:17:55,073 --> 00:18:00,813
And similar things can be
said about John Brennan,

391
00:18:00,813 --> 00:18:04,653
who dedicated more than
two decades of his career

392
00:18:04,650 --> 00:18:07,590
to serving our
country in the CIA.

393
00:18:07,586 --> 00:18:14,396
That included some service
in countries overseas with

394
00:18:14,393 --> 00:18:15,963
whom the United States
has very sensitive,

395
00:18:15,961 --> 00:18:19,261
complicated relationships,
and he served Presidents

396
00:18:19,264 --> 00:18:20,764
in both parties.

397
00:18:20,766 --> 00:18:24,506
Admiral Mike Rogers,
Director of the NSA, is

398
00:18:24,503 --> 00:18:26,543
somebody who has had a
distinguished career in

399
00:18:26,538 --> 00:18:29,378
the United States
military, and he has held

400
00:18:29,374 --> 00:18:31,944
those senior positions
-- a variety of senior

401
00:18:31,944 --> 00:18:33,714
positions under Presidents
in both parties.

402
00:18:33,712 --> 00:18:40,352
So I think it is deeply
misguided for anybody, at

403
00:18:40,352 --> 00:18:47,722
any level, to question the
integrity and motives of

404
00:18:47,726 --> 00:18:49,696
the patriots who serve
in our intelligence community.

405
00:18:49,695 --> 00:18:52,795
Doesn't mean they're
always right, but

406
00:18:52,798 --> 00:18:55,898
questioning their
motives is another

407
00:18:55,901 --> 00:18:57,131
thing altogether.

408
00:18:57,135 --> 00:19:00,035
The Press: I also
wanted to ask what this

409
00:19:00,038 --> 00:19:04,248
administration thinks
about Vladimir Putin and

410
00:19:04,243 --> 00:19:05,243
whether he's a
war criminal.

411
00:19:05,244 --> 00:19:07,484
That's a question that
came up in the hearings

412
00:19:07,479 --> 00:19:08,579
for Secretary of State.

413
00:19:08,580 --> 00:19:14,420
Rex Tillerson seemed to
not want to use that label

414
00:19:14,419 --> 00:19:16,159
to describe Putin.

415
00:19:16,154 --> 00:19:18,224
Is that something that
this administration

416
00:19:18,223 --> 00:19:21,263
believes is appropriate
for a label

417
00:19:21,260 --> 00:19:21,890
for Vladimir Putin?

418
00:19:21,894 --> 00:19:25,364
Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
that that designation or

419
00:19:25,364 --> 00:19:29,034
that label has been used
by any senior officials

420
00:19:29,034 --> 00:19:30,334
in this administration.

421
00:19:30,335 --> 00:19:32,305
Obviously we have, on
a number of occasions,

422
00:19:32,304 --> 00:19:38,244
expressed profound concern
about some of the tactics

423
00:19:38,243 --> 00:19:40,143
used by the Russian
government under

424
00:19:40,145 --> 00:19:42,545
the leadership of
President Putin.

425
00:19:42,548 --> 00:19:46,988
The willingness of the
Russian government to

426
00:19:46,985 --> 00:19:52,495
punish journalists,
to target political

427
00:19:52,491 --> 00:19:58,231
opponents, has created a
human rights situation in

428
00:19:58,230 --> 00:20:00,700
Russia that's troubling.

429
00:20:00,699 --> 00:20:04,739
But I've not heard anybody
apply that label -- at

430
00:20:04,736 --> 00:20:05,976
least nobody in the Obama
administration apply

431
00:20:05,971 --> 00:20:07,041
that label to him.

432
00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:10,579
The Press: One more on
-- Trump basically said

433
00:20:10,576 --> 00:20:12,346
during his press
conference that Obamacare

434
00:20:12,344 --> 00:20:14,684
was imploding on its own
and Democrats should be

435
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,320
happy that he's putting
for -- he's going to put

436
00:20:17,316 --> 00:20:19,256
forward a plan to vote to
repeal it and replace

437
00:20:19,251 --> 00:20:21,151
the law simultaneously.

438
00:20:21,153 --> 00:20:23,393
What's your
reaction to that?

439
00:20:23,388 --> 00:20:26,258
And do you have a
preference for whether or

440
00:20:26,258 --> 00:20:28,428
not there is a gap between
repeal and replace, or

441
00:20:28,427 --> 00:20:30,097
whether it's done, you
know, as he said, on the

442
00:20:30,095 --> 00:20:31,125
same week or on
the same day?

443
00:20:31,129 --> 00:20:33,669
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
what is certainly true is

444
00:20:33,665 --> 00:20:37,235
to repeal the law without
a replacement would create

445
00:20:37,235 --> 00:20:40,205
chaos not just for those
Americans who purchased

446
00:20:40,205 --> 00:20:41,775
their health insurance
through the Obamacare

447
00:20:41,773 --> 00:20:46,443
marketplace, but for all
Americans, including the

448
00:20:46,445 --> 00:20:48,215
vast majority of Americans
who purchase their health

449
00:20:48,213 --> 00:20:50,813
insurance through
their employer.

450
00:20:50,816 --> 00:20:53,286
To repeal the Affordable
Care Act without a

451
00:20:53,285 --> 00:20:56,425
replacement would inject
an unprecedented level of

452
00:20:56,421 --> 00:20:59,061
uncertainty into the
broader health care market.

453
00:20:59,057 --> 00:21:03,057
This is a significant
portion of our economy

454
00:21:03,061 --> 00:21:04,701
we're talking about here.

455
00:21:04,696 --> 00:21:08,266
So that would be a really
bad thing for the country.

456
00:21:08,266 --> 00:21:09,636
It would be bad
for our economy.

457
00:21:09,635 --> 00:21:12,175
It certainly would be bad
for millions of Americans

458
00:21:12,170 --> 00:21:18,380
who rely on their health
insurance to protect their

459
00:21:18,377 --> 00:21:20,047
family's financial
situation but also to

460
00:21:20,045 --> 00:21:24,115
protect their own health.

461
00:21:24,116 --> 00:21:27,156
With regard to the plans
that are put forward by

462
00:21:27,152 --> 00:21:29,592
the incoming
administration, you've

463
00:21:29,588 --> 00:21:31,288
heard me say this before
-- I'll give you the short

464
00:21:31,289 --> 00:21:34,089
version, and
it's simply this.

465
00:21:34,092 --> 00:21:37,662
At some point -- based
on the President-elect's

466
00:21:37,663 --> 00:21:40,363
comments today, that point
may come sooner rather

467
00:21:40,365 --> 00:21:44,235
than later -- I would
expect that the incoming

468
00:21:44,236 --> 00:21:47,376
Secretary of the Health
and Human Services,

469
00:21:47,372 --> 00:21:49,672
Mr. Price, if he's
confirmed, will be

470
00:21:49,675 --> 00:21:52,615
standing before you, maybe
even right at this podium,

471
00:21:52,611 --> 00:21:57,111
in this room, to present
the health care plan that

472
00:21:57,115 --> 00:21:58,855
was put forward by the
Trump administration.

473
00:21:58,850 --> 00:22:03,260
And what I would urge you
to do is to evaluate that

474
00:22:03,255 --> 00:22:05,295
plan on its merits.

475
00:22:05,290 --> 00:22:08,130
President Obama, with
Obamacare, has established

476
00:22:08,126 --> 00:22:10,026
an extraordinarily
high benchmark.

477
00:22:10,028 --> 00:22:13,328
Since President Obama
signed that bill into law,

478
00:22:13,331 --> 00:22:16,831
20 million more Americans
got access to health care.

479
00:22:16,835 --> 00:22:19,205
These are Americans that
didn't previously have

480
00:22:19,204 --> 00:22:22,274
health insurance
coverage that do now.

481
00:22:22,274 --> 00:22:25,314
That has reduced the
uninsured rate in this

482
00:22:25,310 --> 00:22:30,120
country to historic lows.

483
00:22:30,115 --> 00:22:31,815
What we have also seen is
we have limited the growth

484
00:22:31,817 --> 00:22:36,257
in employer premiums to
3.4 percent last year.

485
00:22:36,254 --> 00:22:41,324
That's a much lower
inflation rate than before

486
00:22:41,326 --> 00:22:43,666
the Affordable Care Act
was signed into law.

487
00:22:43,662 --> 00:22:45,832
The Affordable Care
Act includes sweeping

488
00:22:45,831 --> 00:22:48,271
protections for people
that have a preexisting

489
00:22:48,266 --> 00:22:51,036
condition, for women
who previously could be

490
00:22:51,036 --> 00:22:52,906
charged more by their
insurance company just

491
00:22:52,904 --> 00:22:54,304
because they are women --
that's something that has

492
00:22:54,306 --> 00:22:55,976
been outlawed.

493
00:22:55,974 --> 00:22:57,914
Parents can now keep their
children on their health

494
00:22:57,909 --> 00:23:00,379
insurance up until age 26.

495
00:23:00,378 --> 00:23:02,278
That was previously not an
option available before

496
00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:04,880
the Affordable Care Act
was signed into law.

497
00:23:04,883 --> 00:23:06,683
The Affordable Care Act
extended the life of

498
00:23:06,685 --> 00:23:07,955
Medicare by 11 years.

499
00:23:07,953 --> 00:23:11,453
And the Affordable
Care Act, according to

500
00:23:11,456 --> 00:23:15,196
independent projections by
the CBO, would reduce the

501
00:23:15,193 --> 00:23:18,693
deficit by $3 trillion
over the next two decades.

502
00:23:18,697 --> 00:23:20,737
That's a substantial
savings.

503
00:23:20,732 --> 00:23:25,172
And the President actually
said this last night --

504
00:23:25,170 --> 00:23:27,110
you've all got it on
tape -- if the Trump

505
00:23:27,105 --> 00:23:30,405
administration can put
forward a plan that would

506
00:23:30,408 --> 00:23:36,318
exceed these benchmarks
and do so at a lower cost,

507
00:23:36,314 --> 00:23:38,314
President Obama
will support it.

508
00:23:40,285 --> 00:23:44,755
So we'll have an
opportunity to see if the

509
00:23:44,756 --> 00:23:47,856
Trump administration
is up to the task.

510
00:23:47,859 --> 00:23:48,529
Leland.

511
00:23:48,527 --> 00:23:49,257
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

512
00:23:49,261 --> 00:23:51,901
A question about the
speech from last night.

513
00:23:51,897 --> 00:23:54,797
The President talked about
major threats to our

514
00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,940
democracy, and in that he
listed a number of things

515
00:23:57,936 --> 00:24:00,606
and they were reminiscent,
if you will, of past

516
00:24:00,605 --> 00:24:02,405
criticisms of Mr. Trump.

517
00:24:02,407 --> 00:24:05,307
And what I'm wondering is,
if you connect those dots,

518
00:24:05,310 --> 00:24:07,250
was the President saying
that Mr. Trump is a threat

519
00:24:07,245 --> 00:24:09,685
to our democracy, or are
his followers,

520
00:24:09,681 --> 00:24:11,281
based on those things?

521
00:24:11,283 --> 00:24:13,853
Mr. Earnest: Leland, I
can tell you that the

522
00:24:13,852 --> 00:24:18,022
President's message was
focused on the American

523
00:24:18,023 --> 00:24:20,793
people, and urging the
American people to be

524
00:24:20,792 --> 00:24:23,832
engaged in our democracy
to counter the threats,

525
00:24:23,829 --> 00:24:25,999
both external to the
United States but also

526
00:24:25,997 --> 00:24:29,237
some of those
threats internally.

527
00:24:29,234 --> 00:24:33,874
And certainly our country
has overcome significant

528
00:24:33,872 --> 00:24:37,712
internal divisions before
-- some even greater than

529
00:24:37,709 --> 00:24:40,109
the kind of political
divide that we see on

530
00:24:40,111 --> 00:24:42,781
display in our current
political debate.

531
00:24:42,781 --> 00:24:45,481
But the President was
making the case to the

532
00:24:45,483 --> 00:24:47,353
country -- both to his
supporters and those who

533
00:24:47,352 --> 00:24:49,622
do not support him -- that
the most effective way to

534
00:24:49,621 --> 00:24:52,821
overcome those divisions
is for us to look for

535
00:24:52,824 --> 00:24:56,264
common ground with our
fellow citizens, to assume

536
00:24:56,261 --> 00:24:58,931
the best, and to engage
in the hard work of

537
00:24:58,930 --> 00:25:01,530
democracy, of advocating
for the kinds of solutions

538
00:25:01,533 --> 00:25:02,873
that will move the
country forward.

539
00:25:02,868 --> 00:25:05,008
And the President believes
that if the American

540
00:25:05,003 --> 00:25:08,673
people pursue that
approach, that our country

541
00:25:08,673 --> 00:25:12,673
is in -- the future for
our country is as bright

542
00:25:12,677 --> 00:25:13,447
as it's ever been.

543
00:25:13,445 --> 00:25:15,985
And part of the
President's optimism is

544
00:25:15,981 --> 00:25:20,891
rooted in this spirit that
he has seen in the younger

545
00:25:20,886 --> 00:25:23,256
generation of Americans
who are committed to

546
00:25:23,255 --> 00:25:25,895
fairness and justice
and equality,

547
00:25:25,891 --> 00:25:27,121
and are civic-minded.

548
00:25:27,125 --> 00:25:28,665
They wanted to see our
country succeed and they

549
00:25:28,660 --> 00:25:30,400
want to see everyone
in our country have an

550
00:25:30,395 --> 00:25:35,565
opportunity to get a fair
shot and a fair shake.

551
00:25:35,567 --> 00:25:36,907
And that gives the
President a lot of

552
00:25:36,902 --> 00:25:37,832
optimism about the future.

553
00:25:37,836 --> 00:25:39,306
But it's going to require
a lot of hard work, and

554
00:25:39,304 --> 00:25:41,574
the President indicated
that he was prepared to

555
00:25:41,573 --> 00:25:43,273
engage in that hard work
as a citizen himself.

556
00:25:43,275 --> 00:25:45,745
The Press: And speaking of
something the President

557
00:25:45,744 --> 00:25:47,984
might be wanting to work
on, he said that race

558
00:25:47,979 --> 00:25:50,849
relations are better than
they were 10 or 20 years ago.

559
00:25:50,849 --> 00:25:52,619
He said he doesn't need
statistics, although he

560
00:25:52,617 --> 00:25:54,757
alluded that statistics
might support that.

561
00:25:54,753 --> 00:25:58,793
ABC News-Washington Post
tracking poll -- 30

562
00:25:58,790 --> 00:26:01,290
percent of people in 2000
said race relations were

563
00:26:01,293 --> 00:26:01,993
generally bad.

564
00:26:01,993 --> 00:26:04,063
When the President was
elected in 2008,

565
00:26:04,062 --> 00:26:05,932
36 percent: generally bad.

566
00:26:05,931 --> 00:26:08,601
Today, 63 percent:
generally bad.

567
00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,640
So what is the President
or the White House

568
00:26:10,635 --> 00:26:13,535
pointing to showing that
race relations are better

569
00:26:13,538 --> 00:26:16,208
than they were 10 or 20
years ago that this poll

570
00:26:16,207 --> 00:26:16,877
doesn't suggest?

571
00:26:16,875 --> 00:26:19,115
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I think that the President

572
00:26:19,110 --> 00:26:20,450
didn't have polling
data in mind.

573
00:26:20,445 --> 00:26:24,715
I think the President had
in mind other metrics

574
00:26:24,716 --> 00:26:27,686
about the success that
we've had in closing the

575
00:26:27,686 --> 00:26:31,526
achievement gap; in
increasing the percentage

576
00:26:31,523 --> 00:26:34,193
of Americans from minority
groups that are enrolled

577
00:26:34,192 --> 00:26:35,222
in college, for example.

578
00:26:35,226 --> 00:26:37,626
We've had some success in
closing the wealth gap.

579
00:26:37,629 --> 00:26:39,569
There's more work to be
done, but we certainly

580
00:26:39,564 --> 00:26:44,404
have moved that in a
positive direction.

581
00:26:44,402 --> 00:26:46,402
I think what those polls
reflect are actually a

582
00:26:46,404 --> 00:26:48,344
somewhat different
phenomenon, which is

583
00:26:48,340 --> 00:26:54,750
simply that in a modern
age, in a

584
00:26:54,746 --> 00:26:57,616
modern communications
environment, where

585
00:26:57,615 --> 00:27:00,315
everybody has got a
video-equipped cellphone

586
00:27:00,318 --> 00:27:03,588
in their pocket, that we
all too often come face to

587
00:27:03,588 --> 00:27:08,458
face with the most graphic
elements of the racial

588
00:27:08,460 --> 00:27:12,660
divide in this country
that have yet to be healed.

589
00:27:12,664 --> 00:27:15,804
And that's disconcerting.

590
00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,140
In some cases, it's even
discouraging

591
00:27:18,136 --> 00:27:19,506
to some Americans.

592
00:27:19,504 --> 00:27:23,674
And I think that would
explain some of the poll

593
00:27:23,675 --> 00:27:24,775
results that you've seen.

594
00:27:24,776 --> 00:27:26,346
But the truth is, those
kinds of incidents --

595
00:27:26,344 --> 00:27:32,284
whether they are
confrontations between law

596
00:27:32,283 --> 00:27:38,423
enforcement officers and
young minorities, or a

597
00:27:38,423 --> 00:27:44,093
response to those kinds of
incidents that show some

598
00:27:44,095 --> 00:27:47,965
significant civic
discontent and even unrest

599
00:27:47,966 --> 00:27:50,506
-- I think is
disconcerting to a large

600
00:27:50,502 --> 00:27:53,402
portion of the population
and prompts some people to

601
00:27:53,405 --> 00:27:55,045
despair about the state
of race relations

602
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:56,510
in our country.

603
00:27:56,508 --> 00:27:58,708
The truth is, those kinds
of things have been

604
00:27:58,710 --> 00:28:01,310
happening for generations
-- these kinds of

605
00:28:01,312 --> 00:28:07,482
confrontations between
law enforcement

606
00:28:07,485 --> 00:28:09,025
and minorities.

607
00:28:09,020 --> 00:28:10,690
That's not a new thing.

608
00:28:10,688 --> 00:28:13,958
The difference now is that
we see it in vivid detail,

609
00:28:13,958 --> 00:28:19,568
and our conscience is
aroused by that, both out

610
00:28:19,564 --> 00:28:23,064
of concern for the safety
and security of our brave

611
00:28:23,068 --> 00:28:26,838
men and women who serve
honorably to protect our

612
00:28:26,838 --> 00:28:31,108
communities, but also out
of concern for the fair

613
00:28:31,109 --> 00:28:35,309
treatment and basic
civil rights of people,

614
00:28:35,313 --> 00:28:37,883
regardless of the
color of their skin.

615
00:28:37,882 --> 00:28:41,252
And the fact that that is
not a concern that is just

616
00:28:41,252 --> 00:28:45,322
held by Hispanics and
African Americans, but

617
00:28:45,323 --> 00:28:47,793
rather a concern that the
vast majority of Americans

618
00:28:47,792 --> 00:28:52,162
of all races hold, I think
is also, in and of itself,

619
00:28:52,163 --> 00:28:57,003
an illustration of the
progress that we've made

620
00:28:57,001 --> 00:29:00,271
in making our country as
fair and as just as we

621
00:29:00,271 --> 00:29:01,141
would like it to be.

622
00:29:01,139 --> 00:29:04,379
But I think the President
-- the passion in the

623
00:29:04,375 --> 00:29:08,715
President's speech was
rooted in not just an

624
00:29:08,713 --> 00:29:11,753
acknowledgment that
there's more work to do,

625
00:29:11,749 --> 00:29:14,119
but in a commitment to
engage in the difficult

626
00:29:14,119 --> 00:29:17,919
work of addressing some
of those challenges.

627
00:29:17,922 --> 00:29:19,262
And the President looks
forward to doing

628
00:29:19,257 --> 00:29:22,057
that as a citizen.

629
00:29:22,060 --> 00:29:23,500
John.

630
00:29:23,495 --> 00:29:25,235
The Press: Throughout the
campaign, the President

631
00:29:25,230 --> 00:29:29,330
consistently questioned
really whether

632
00:29:29,334 --> 00:29:31,774
President-elect Trump was
prepared to assume the

633
00:29:31,769 --> 00:29:32,739
office of the presidency.

634
00:29:32,737 --> 00:29:35,607
I'm wondering now if that
assessment has changed at all.

635
00:29:35,607 --> 00:29:37,977
He said during the
campaign that the

636
00:29:37,976 --> 00:29:40,276
presidency is not a
reality TV program.

637
00:29:40,278 --> 00:29:42,778
Nine days out, does the
President think

638
00:29:42,780 --> 00:29:44,380
that he's ready?

639
00:29:44,382 --> 00:29:46,022
Mr. Earnest: I haven't
heard the President

640
00:29:46,017 --> 00:29:47,587
put forward an
assessment like that.

641
00:29:47,585 --> 00:29:51,455
And the President has
strong feelings about this

642
00:29:51,456 --> 00:29:54,896
-- he expressed them
vividly over the summer

643
00:29:54,893 --> 00:29:56,893
and fall of the
presidential campaign.

644
00:30:00,532 --> 00:30:06,172
Those sentiments, that
opinion was rooted in the

645
00:30:06,171 --> 00:30:09,871
President's values about
what's best for the country.

646
00:30:09,874 --> 00:30:11,974
They were also rooted
in his own personal

647
00:30:11,976 --> 00:30:14,176
experience of serving as
President of the United

648
00:30:14,179 --> 00:30:16,179
States for the
last eight years.

649
00:30:20,151 --> 00:30:22,221
But the opportunity to
make those arguments and

650
00:30:22,220 --> 00:30:25,560
to put forward that kind
of assessment

651
00:30:25,557 --> 00:30:28,357
expired on Election Day.

652
00:30:28,359 --> 00:30:31,359
In the aftermath of the
election, President Obama

653
00:30:31,362 --> 00:30:34,962
accepted responsibility
for putting aside his own

654
00:30:34,966 --> 00:30:37,436
personal political views
and focusing on the kind

655
00:30:37,435 --> 00:30:39,805
of smooth and effective
transition that the

656
00:30:39,804 --> 00:30:43,204
American people
are counting on.

657
00:30:43,208 --> 00:30:45,748
President Obama, just last
night, talked about how

658
00:30:45,743 --> 00:30:47,813
much he and his
administration benefitted

659
00:30:47,812 --> 00:30:51,352
from the professionalism
and courtesy and

660
00:30:51,349 --> 00:30:54,289
selflessness of the Bush
administration as they

661
00:30:54,285 --> 00:30:56,825
were transitioning
out of office.

662
00:30:56,821 --> 00:30:59,921
I'm confident that
President Bush had

663
00:30:59,924 --> 00:31:04,234
frustrations and concerns
and deep disagreements

664
00:31:04,229 --> 00:31:06,099
with the approach that
the incoming Obama

665
00:31:06,097 --> 00:31:08,337
administration was
prepared to pursue, but

666
00:31:08,333 --> 00:31:09,833
they were insistent that
they were not going to

667
00:31:09,834 --> 00:31:13,574
allow those differences of
opinion to affect their

668
00:31:13,571 --> 00:31:19,041
ability to give President
Obama and his team every

669
00:31:19,043 --> 00:31:20,943
opportunity to get a
running start when they

670
00:31:20,945 --> 00:31:21,915
entered the White House.

671
00:31:21,913 --> 00:31:25,213
And President Obama made
it a priority earlier this

672
00:31:25,216 --> 00:31:28,486
year, before the -- or
early last year, before

673
00:31:28,486 --> 00:31:32,526
the outcome of the
election was known, that

674
00:31:32,523 --> 00:31:34,693
regardless of who
succeeded him in office,

675
00:31:34,692 --> 00:31:38,532
he wanted his team to be
prepared to engage in a

676
00:31:38,529 --> 00:31:40,069
smooth and effective
transition so that the

677
00:31:40,064 --> 00:31:42,234
incoming President could
have every opportunity

678
00:31:42,233 --> 00:31:42,903
to succeed.

679
00:31:42,900 --> 00:31:46,400
And that's what we've been
doing since November 9th,

680
00:31:46,404 --> 00:31:47,434
the day after
the election.

681
00:31:47,438 --> 00:31:49,308
The Press: You said on
Thursday and Friday of

682
00:31:49,307 --> 00:31:52,807
last week that the
President had no plans to

683
00:31:52,810 --> 00:31:56,380
phone Donald Trump to talk
about the briefing that

684
00:31:56,381 --> 00:31:57,151
they each received.

685
00:31:57,148 --> 00:32:01,018
Do you know whether
they've spoken since last

686
00:32:01,019 --> 00:32:01,949
Thursday at all?

687
00:32:01,953 --> 00:32:04,053
Mr. Earnest: As
mentioned before, I'm

688
00:32:04,055 --> 00:32:05,325
going to protect the
ability of the President

689
00:32:05,323 --> 00:32:09,223
and the President-elect to
consult in private, so I

690
00:32:09,227 --> 00:32:10,597
don't have any specific
telephone calls

691
00:32:10,595 --> 00:32:11,365
to tell you about.

692
00:32:11,362 --> 00:32:13,002
The Press: On another
subject, there are a lot

693
00:32:12,997 --> 00:32:15,637
of reports out indicating
that as the President's

694
00:32:15,633 --> 00:32:19,473
time in office winds down,
that Chelsea Manning may

695
00:32:19,470 --> 00:32:22,610
be pardoned or
sentence commuted.

696
00:32:22,607 --> 00:32:26,147
I'm wondering if you have
any update on any of that

697
00:32:26,144 --> 00:32:29,284
legal question.

698
00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:30,520
And I have a
follow-up question.

699
00:32:30,515 --> 00:32:33,685
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
additional information to

700
00:32:33,685 --> 00:32:34,985
share about this.

701
00:32:34,986 --> 00:32:38,426
I've refrained from
commenting on specific

702
00:32:38,423 --> 00:32:40,563
clemency applications that
have been filed with the

703
00:32:40,558 --> 00:32:41,358
Department of Justice.

704
00:32:41,359 --> 00:32:43,759
I was asked just last week
about whether or not the

705
00:32:43,761 --> 00:32:46,131
President intended to act
on the clemency petition

706
00:32:46,130 --> 00:32:48,970
that had been put forward
by attorneys for former

707
00:32:48,966 --> 00:32:51,006
Illinois governor, Rod
Blagojevich -- I didn't

708
00:32:51,002 --> 00:32:53,402
have any comment on that
situation, and I don't

709
00:32:53,404 --> 00:32:57,874
have any commentary on any
of the paperwork involving

710
00:32:57,875 --> 00:33:00,575
Chelsea Manning either.

711
00:33:00,578 --> 00:33:04,348
The Press: On April 21st,
2011, the President was

712
00:33:04,349 --> 00:33:07,119
talking about then Bradley
Manning's case and said,

713
00:33:07,118 --> 00:33:08,788
"We are a nation of laws.

714
00:33:08,786 --> 00:33:10,656
We don't let individuals
make decisions about how

715
00:33:10,655 --> 00:33:12,995
the law operates." He
said, "He broke the law."

716
00:33:12,990 --> 00:33:15,630
Does the President still
believe that Chelsea

717
00:33:15,626 --> 00:33:17,096
Manning broke the law?

718
00:33:17,095 --> 00:33:20,195
Mr. Earnest: Well, more
importantly, it's not the

719
00:33:20,198 --> 00:33:25,268
President's responsibility
to serve as judge and jury.

720
00:33:25,269 --> 00:33:26,739
Chelsea Manning, as a
member of the United

721
00:33:26,738 --> 00:33:34,108
States armed forces, went
through a legal proceeding

722
00:33:34,112 --> 00:33:36,152
administered by the United
States military under the

723
00:33:36,147 --> 00:33:39,347
laws that govern the
conduct of members of the

724
00:33:39,350 --> 00:33:44,420
United States military,
and there was a hearing

725
00:33:44,422 --> 00:33:46,222
and a conviction
and a sentence.

726
00:33:46,224 --> 00:33:48,494
And it all went through
that regular process.

727
00:33:48,493 --> 00:33:51,033
And that's the way we
determine guilt or

728
00:33:51,028 --> 00:33:53,498
innocence in this country,
particularly with regard

729
00:33:53,498 --> 00:33:55,398
to the conduct of men and
women in our armed forces.

730
00:33:55,400 --> 00:34:01,210
And that's the way
that our system works.

731
00:34:01,205 --> 00:34:03,975
The Press: And my final
question is, yesterday a

732
00:34:03,975 --> 00:34:06,975
Cubs official confirmed to
me that the team will come

733
00:34:06,978 --> 00:34:10,578
to the White House on
Monday to be honored for

734
00:34:10,581 --> 00:34:12,751
their World Series
Championship.

735
00:34:12,750 --> 00:34:13,350
I'm hoping to --

736
00:34:13,351 --> 00:34:14,151
Mr. Earnest: You've
got good sources.

737
00:34:14,152 --> 00:34:15,022
The Press: Thank you.

738
00:34:15,019 --> 00:34:17,619
I'm hoping you can confirm
that news and maybe tell

739
00:34:17,622 --> 00:34:20,592
me if it was difficult to
arrange that visit in the

740
00:34:20,591 --> 00:34:22,431
last few days of
the presidency.

741
00:34:22,427 --> 00:34:24,497
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
thing I can tell you,

742
00:34:24,495 --> 00:34:27,595
John, is that one of the
highlights of my eight

743
00:34:27,598 --> 00:34:29,668
years of working in the
White House was, earlier

744
00:34:29,667 --> 00:34:31,937
this summer, when my
hometown Kansas City

745
00:34:31,936 --> 00:34:35,076
Royals came to the White
House to celebrate their

746
00:34:35,072 --> 00:34:38,612
World Series Championship
with President Obama.

747
00:34:38,609 --> 00:34:42,849
And I'm pleased to confirm
that many of my colleagues

748
00:34:42,847 --> 00:34:46,087
here in the West Wing who
are themselves Cub fans

749
00:34:46,083 --> 00:34:49,553
will get to enjoy exactly
the same thing when the

750
00:34:49,554 --> 00:34:52,354
Chicago Cubs come to the
White House on Monday to

751
00:34:52,356 --> 00:34:54,756
celebrate their World
Series Championship with

752
00:34:54,759 --> 00:34:56,759
President Obama.

753
00:34:57,862 --> 00:34:59,302
Those of us who were
-- I, of course, was

754
00:34:59,297 --> 00:35:00,727
disappointed that my
Royals didn't

755
00:35:00,731 --> 00:35:01,401
make the playoffs.

756
00:35:01,399 --> 00:35:05,099
But I think anybody who
is a sports fan, even if

757
00:35:05,102 --> 00:35:06,902
you're not a baseball
fan and not a Cubs fan,

758
00:35:06,904 --> 00:35:13,474
appreciated the historic
run that the Chicago Cubs

759
00:35:13,478 --> 00:35:17,548
had through the playoffs
and to a World Series

760
00:35:17,548 --> 00:35:19,388
title this year.

761
00:35:19,383 --> 00:35:21,283
Obviously a seven-game
series, that was historic

762
00:35:21,285 --> 00:35:27,155
and exciting, and this
is a young team that's

763
00:35:27,158 --> 00:35:29,958
equipped to make many
future visits to the

764
00:35:29,961 --> 00:35:32,731
White House I think.

765
00:35:32,730 --> 00:35:36,600
So the President is really
looking forward to it.

766
00:35:36,601 --> 00:35:45,181
I'm not aware that we've
encountered any unexpected

767
00:35:45,176 --> 00:35:47,576
challenge in trying to
schedule this visit.

768
00:35:47,578 --> 00:35:50,518
In fact, this visit is
actually being scheduled

769
00:35:50,515 --> 00:35:52,415
earlier than normal.

770
00:35:52,416 --> 00:35:55,356
For example, the Royals
obviously won in November

771
00:35:55,353 --> 00:35:56,923
of 2015 and they didn't
visit the White House

772
00:35:56,921 --> 00:35:59,021
until July of
the next year.

773
00:35:59,023 --> 00:36:01,463
The Cubs are coming just
a couple of months after

774
00:36:01,459 --> 00:36:03,499
securing their World
Series title, and I think

775
00:36:03,494 --> 00:36:05,794
that's an indication that
we've been able to work

776
00:36:05,796 --> 00:36:09,266
effectively with the front
office of the Chicago Cubs

777
00:36:09,267 --> 00:36:10,137
to schedule a visit.

778
00:36:10,134 --> 00:36:14,704
And I know President Obama
and other members of the

779
00:36:14,705 --> 00:36:18,445
White House staff are
really looking forward to it.

780
00:36:18,442 --> 00:36:18,842
Jared.

781
00:36:18,843 --> 00:36:21,783
The Press: Josh, not in
the context of last week's

782
00:36:21,779 --> 00:36:24,219
briefing, but in the
context of a news story

783
00:36:24,215 --> 00:36:27,255
over the last 24 hours,
have you seen -- has the

784
00:36:27,251 --> 00:36:30,921
President seen the reports
from CNN, from BuzzFeed,

785
00:36:30,922 --> 00:36:37,332
from Mother Jones about
this allegation about

786
00:36:37,328 --> 00:36:39,568
compromising information
for the President-elect?

787
00:36:39,564 --> 00:36:42,604
Mr. Earnest: The President
was quite busy last

788
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:45,200
evening while this news
broke, but I'm sure -- so

789
00:36:45,202 --> 00:36:47,302
he was not reading it
in real time as this

790
00:36:47,305 --> 00:36:49,475
information was
being reported.

791
00:36:49,473 --> 00:36:51,543
But the President is
certainly aware of the

792
00:36:51,542 --> 00:36:53,182
news reports and has
read many of them.

793
00:36:53,177 --> 00:36:55,047
The Press: What is -- is
there any reaction that

794
00:36:55,046 --> 00:36:55,876
the President has?

795
00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:57,210
Have you spoken
to him since that?

796
00:36:57,214 --> 00:36:59,484
I know that NBC News got a
chance to ask him a little

797
00:36:59,483 --> 00:37:01,753
bit about this on the
plane, but have you talked

798
00:37:01,752 --> 00:37:04,652
to him about any of these
details, any reaction to

799
00:37:04,655 --> 00:37:05,695
what's included in this?

800
00:37:05,690 --> 00:37:07,960
Again, not about what
may or may not have been

801
00:37:07,959 --> 00:37:09,999
included last week in the
confidential briefing, but

802
00:37:09,994 --> 00:37:11,094
in this as a news story?

803
00:37:11,095 --> 00:37:13,095
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
a specific

804
00:37:13,097 --> 00:37:14,467
presidential reaction to
share with you.

805
00:37:14,465 --> 00:37:15,935
I know the President did
have an opportunity to

806
00:37:15,933 --> 00:37:19,973
talk to Lester Holt of NBC
about this briefly last

807
00:37:19,971 --> 00:37:20,901
evening before the speech.

808
00:37:20,905 --> 00:37:24,045
But I don't have anything
to add to it beyond what

809
00:37:24,041 --> 00:37:25,141
the President said.

810
00:37:25,142 --> 00:37:28,042
The Press: In the press
conference today, the

811
00:37:28,045 --> 00:37:30,585
President-elect said that
because the presidency

812
00:37:30,581 --> 00:37:33,381
cannot have conflicts
of interest in law, he

813
00:37:33,384 --> 00:37:35,584
basically -- his argument
was conflating it and

814
00:37:35,586 --> 00:37:37,686
saying that therefore
there is no ability for

815
00:37:37,688 --> 00:37:39,658
the presidency to have
a conflict of interest.

816
00:37:39,657 --> 00:37:40,787
That's not true, is it?

817
00:37:40,791 --> 00:37:47,931
Mr. Earnest: Well, I'm no
government ethics expert,

818
00:37:47,932 --> 00:37:54,102
but that seems like a
tough case to make even to

819
00:37:54,105 --> 00:37:57,075
somebody who is not
steeped in those

820
00:37:57,074 --> 00:37:58,314
kinds of details.

821
00:37:58,309 --> 00:37:59,139
The Press: And
one last one.

822
00:37:59,143 --> 00:38:02,143
Again, this is not trying
to get you to confirm or

823
00:38:02,146 --> 00:38:04,786
deny anything from the
confidential briefing last

824
00:38:04,782 --> 00:38:08,082
week, but the President,
on the campaign trail

825
00:38:08,085 --> 00:38:10,755
leading up to Election
Day, expressed a lot of

826
00:38:10,755 --> 00:38:13,195
certitude about what the
American people would

827
00:38:13,190 --> 00:38:15,730
choose on November 8th.

828
00:38:15,726 --> 00:38:20,336
Was that based on his
impression of Donald

829
00:38:20,331 --> 00:38:23,371
Trump, the prima facie
case that Trump was making

830
00:38:23,367 --> 00:38:24,297
to the people?

831
00:38:24,301 --> 00:38:28,141
Or was there something
that he knew that either

832
00:38:28,139 --> 00:38:30,579
in the back of his mind or
in the forefront of his

833
00:38:30,574 --> 00:38:34,614
mind said this is just --
this is something that --

834
00:38:34,612 --> 00:38:36,012
can you give us a little
bit more about that

835
00:38:36,013 --> 00:38:37,313
certitude and
why it existed?

836
00:38:37,314 --> 00:38:38,714
Mr. Earnest: Look, I
think the President was

837
00:38:38,716 --> 00:38:42,186
expressing exactly the
same kind of certitude

838
00:38:42,186 --> 00:38:44,426
that most of you thought
-- not because I'm

839
00:38:44,422 --> 00:38:46,362
suggesting that you're
biased in any way, but

840
00:38:46,357 --> 00:38:49,427
based on your own
analysis of the

841
00:38:49,427 --> 00:38:51,297
political environment.

842
00:38:51,295 --> 00:38:53,295
Just about every public
poll indicated that

843
00:38:53,297 --> 00:38:55,667
Secretary Clinton
was likely to win.

844
00:38:55,666 --> 00:38:57,266
Many of those public polls
indicated that she was

845
00:38:57,268 --> 00:38:59,268
likely to win
rather handily.

846
00:39:00,838 --> 00:39:04,338
But that's not the
way it turned out.

847
00:39:04,341 --> 00:39:06,011
So the President was
disappointed by that outcome.

848
00:39:06,010 --> 00:39:09,380
He was surprised
by the outcome.

849
00:39:09,380 --> 00:39:13,520
But the American people
spoke, and he set aside

850
00:39:13,517 --> 00:39:15,057
his own political
differences with the

851
00:39:15,052 --> 00:39:16,622
incoming President to
ensure a smooth and

852
00:39:16,620 --> 00:39:19,090
effective transition, and
he's asked his team to do

853
00:39:19,090 --> 00:39:19,560
the same thing.

854
00:39:19,557 --> 00:39:21,557
And the President and his
team have delivered

855
00:39:21,559 --> 00:39:22,559
on that promise.

856
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:24,230
The Press: Was classified
information about Donald

857
00:39:24,228 --> 00:39:26,528
Trump a factor in
President Obama's

858
00:39:26,530 --> 00:39:30,470
confidence in what he
thought was going to happen?

859
00:39:30,468 --> 00:39:32,768
Mr. Earnest: No, I think
the President's confidence

860
00:39:32,770 --> 00:39:35,040
about what he thought and
hoped would happen in the

861
00:39:35,039 --> 00:39:37,939
election was driven by
a variety of factors.

862
00:39:37,942 --> 00:39:41,912
Many of them are his own
experience campaigning on

863
00:39:41,912 --> 00:39:45,052
the campaign trail, the
kind of projections about

864
00:39:45,049 --> 00:39:47,589
voter turnout that were
coming in from sources

865
00:39:47,585 --> 00:39:49,125
around the country.

866
00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:52,120
Obviously, public polling
and private polling

867
00:39:52,123 --> 00:39:54,523
influenced his judgment.

868
00:39:54,525 --> 00:39:56,895
I think the President was
pleased to see the degree

869
00:39:56,894 --> 00:39:58,694
to which his message was
resonating on

870
00:39:58,696 --> 00:39:59,566
the campaign trail.

871
00:39:59,563 --> 00:40:02,133
I think the President
believed that Secretary

872
00:40:02,133 --> 00:40:06,173
Clinton would have been an
excellent President, and

873
00:40:06,170 --> 00:40:09,240
that certainly contributed
to some of the confidence

874
00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:09,910
that he felt.

875
00:40:09,907 --> 00:40:14,407
But like most Americans,
he was surprised

876
00:40:14,411 --> 00:40:15,011
by the outcome.

877
00:40:15,012 --> 00:40:16,482
Jean.

878
00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:17,880
The Press:
Thank you, Josh.

879
00:40:17,882 --> 00:40:21,852
On North Korea, North
Korea continues to

880
00:40:21,852 --> 00:40:27,692
threaten with the nuclear
and ICBM to South Korea

881
00:40:27,691 --> 00:40:28,791
and the United States.

882
00:40:28,793 --> 00:40:35,163
Did President Obama feel
he did enough to resolve

883
00:40:35,166 --> 00:40:40,376
North Korean nuclear
issues while he was President?

884
00:40:40,371 --> 00:40:43,371
Mr. Earnest: Jean,
obviously the situation is

885
00:40:43,374 --> 00:40:45,614
not resolved, but
President Obama does

886
00:40:45,609 --> 00:40:47,749
believe that because of
the decisions that he

887
00:40:47,745 --> 00:40:51,845
made, the United States is
able to protect ourselves

888
00:40:51,849 --> 00:40:53,649
from the threat that is
emanating from North Korea.

889
00:40:53,651 --> 00:40:56,121
The United States is able
to protect our allies from

890
00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:58,090
the threat that emanates
from North Korea.

891
00:40:58,088 --> 00:41:01,028
And the United States has
succeeded in mobilizing

892
00:41:01,025 --> 00:41:03,065
the international
community to further

893
00:41:03,060 --> 00:41:05,460
pressure and isolate the
North Korean regime to

894
00:41:05,462 --> 00:41:08,462
persuade them to
change course.

895
00:41:08,465 --> 00:41:12,575
With regard to the defense
of the United States,

896
00:41:12,570 --> 00:41:14,440
there's been a significant
increase in the military

897
00:41:14,438 --> 00:41:16,038
assets that have been
deployed to the Asia

898
00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:20,880
Pacific, including naval
assets with anti-ballistic

899
00:41:20,878 --> 00:41:24,018
missile capabilities, to
protect the United States.

900
00:41:24,014 --> 00:41:26,214
That includes advanced
radar systems in places

901
00:41:26,217 --> 00:41:28,657
like Guam and Japan.

902
00:41:28,652 --> 00:41:31,852
The United States is
working closely with the

903
00:41:31,856 --> 00:41:33,926
South Korean government to
deploy a THAAD battery,

904
00:41:33,924 --> 00:41:37,594
another anti-missile
battery on South Korean

905
00:41:37,595 --> 00:41:39,965
soil, to better protect
our South Korean allies.

906
00:41:39,964 --> 00:41:46,004
There are a number of
naval assets, ships in the

907
00:41:46,003 --> 00:41:50,573
Pacific Ocean that are
bolstering the defense of

908
00:41:50,574 --> 00:41:52,944
the United States, and
there's also military

909
00:41:52,943 --> 00:41:56,083
equipment that's been
deployed to Alaska to also

910
00:41:56,080 --> 00:41:57,380
protect the United States.

911
00:41:57,381 --> 00:41:59,151
So there have been
significant movements of

912
00:41:59,149 --> 00:42:01,289
military equipment
to protect the U.S.

913
00:42:01,285 --> 00:42:03,325
And the President believed
that that was prudent

914
00:42:03,320 --> 00:42:07,390
given the threat that
emanates from North Korea.

915
00:42:07,391 --> 00:42:10,461
We've obviously been
steadfast in our support

916
00:42:10,461 --> 00:42:13,601
of both Japan and South
Korea as they

917
00:42:13,597 --> 00:42:14,427
counter this threat.

918
00:42:14,431 --> 00:42:17,401
Those are our allies that
are most directly

919
00:42:17,401 --> 00:42:19,241
in harm's way.

920
00:42:19,236 --> 00:42:22,436
And our commitment to
their national security is

921
00:42:22,439 --> 00:42:24,639
resolute, and hopefully
that will be the

922
00:42:24,642 --> 00:42:26,882
case in the incoming
administration.

923
00:42:26,877 --> 00:42:29,417
There's a strong reason to
believe that it will, but

924
00:42:29,413 --> 00:42:32,083
ultimately the incoming
President will have

925
00:42:32,082 --> 00:42:33,982
to make those kinds
of decisions.

926
00:42:33,984 --> 00:42:36,024
And we're pleased that we
have succeeded at the end

927
00:42:36,020 --> 00:42:39,120
of last year in passing
through the United Nations

928
00:42:39,123 --> 00:42:45,263
Security Council the
toughest-ever sanctions

929
00:42:45,262 --> 00:42:46,562
on North Korea.

930
00:42:46,563 --> 00:42:49,263
And that required building
the diplomatic support not

931
00:42:49,266 --> 00:42:52,806
just of our allies in
Europe, but also the

932
00:42:52,803 --> 00:42:55,703
support of countries like
Russia and China, with

933
00:42:55,706 --> 00:42:59,946
whom we have some profound
differences of agreement

934
00:42:59,944 --> 00:43:02,384
-- or differences of
opinion in other areas,

935
00:43:02,379 --> 00:43:03,879
but with regard to North
Korea, we've been able to

936
00:43:03,881 --> 00:43:08,221
find common ground in
a way that has applied

937
00:43:08,218 --> 00:43:10,318
additional pressure and
further isolated the

938
00:43:10,321 --> 00:43:10,991
North Korean government.

939
00:43:10,988 --> 00:43:16,958
The Press: So North
Korea's intent is still valid?

940
00:43:16,961 --> 00:43:21,661
Mr. Earnest: Our view with
regard to North Korea is

941
00:43:21,665 --> 00:43:24,635
that they should refrain
from the kinds of

942
00:43:24,635 --> 00:43:29,705
destabilizing activities
that frequently rattle

943
00:43:29,707 --> 00:43:33,007
nerves not just in the
region but around the world.

944
00:43:33,010 --> 00:43:34,950
We believe that North
Korea needs to come into

945
00:43:34,945 --> 00:43:37,145
compliance with
international obligations

946
00:43:37,147 --> 00:43:40,287
that relate to their
nuclear program because we

947
00:43:40,284 --> 00:43:43,184
would like to see the
Korean Peninsula be

948
00:43:43,187 --> 00:43:44,687
denuclearized.

949
00:43:44,688 --> 00:43:48,088
And what we have indicated
to North Korea is if

950
00:43:48,092 --> 00:43:50,792
they're prepared to
take those steps, the

951
00:43:50,794 --> 00:43:53,264
international community is
prepared to work with them

952
00:43:53,263 --> 00:43:56,633
to implement those steps
and allow North Korea to

953
00:43:56,633 --> 00:44:00,533
begin the process of
reentering the

954
00:44:00,537 --> 00:44:01,777
global community.

955
00:44:01,772 --> 00:44:02,342
The Press: One more.

956
00:44:02,339 --> 00:44:07,779
Recently, North Korean Kim
Jong-un proclaimed North

957
00:44:07,778 --> 00:44:11,918
Korea will soon launch
ICBM anytime, anywhere.

958
00:44:11,915 --> 00:44:15,415
Is the United States ready
to shoot down

959
00:44:15,419 --> 00:44:17,619
ICBM for defense?

960
00:44:17,621 --> 00:44:20,221
Mr. Earnest: As the
Secretary of Defense said

961
00:44:20,224 --> 00:44:23,564
over the weekend, the
United States has the

962
00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:25,800
capability to protect the
United States and our

963
00:44:25,796 --> 00:44:28,296
allies from the threat
that emanates from North

964
00:44:28,298 --> 00:44:31,798
Korea, including the
capability to shoot down

965
00:44:31,802 --> 00:44:34,042
those missiles that could
pose a threat to

966
00:44:34,038 --> 00:44:37,338
the United States
or our allies.

967
00:44:37,341 --> 00:44:38,311
Andrew.

968
00:44:38,308 --> 00:44:40,108
The Press: Josh, you've
worked in the White House

969
00:44:40,110 --> 00:44:41,710
for a relatively
long time now.

970
00:44:41,712 --> 00:44:46,012
Do you think it's a
good strategy for an

971
00:44:46,016 --> 00:44:48,716
administration to pick
fights on kind of multiple

972
00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,989
fronts with the media,
with intelligence

973
00:44:51,989 --> 00:44:55,189
agencies, with senators
within their own party?

974
00:44:55,192 --> 00:44:58,932
Would that be something
you would advocate?

975
00:44:58,929 --> 00:44:59,999
(laughter)

976
00:44:59,997 --> 00:45:04,067
Mr. Earnest: Well, it
sounds like a bit of a

977
00:45:04,068 --> 00:45:04,668
leading question.

978
00:45:04,668 --> 00:45:05,668
(laughter)

979
00:45:05,669 --> 00:45:09,109
But that's okay.

980
00:45:09,106 --> 00:45:11,746
Listen, I think what I
can tell you is President

981
00:45:11,742 --> 00:45:16,312
Obama has pursued a
different approach.

982
00:45:16,313 --> 00:45:20,683
The President benefitted
from a highly effective

983
00:45:20,684 --> 00:45:21,784
working relationship
with the

984
00:45:21,785 --> 00:45:22,925
intelligence community.

985
00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:25,160
He was able to obtain
timely, relevant and

986
00:45:25,155 --> 00:45:28,095
accurate information from
the experts in the U.S.

987
00:45:28,092 --> 00:45:31,692
intelligence community
that aided him and his

988
00:45:31,695 --> 00:45:34,965
team greatly as they made
important decisions to

989
00:45:37,167 --> 00:45:39,367
protect the United States
and our interests

990
00:45:39,369 --> 00:45:41,369
around the world.

991
00:45:42,272 --> 00:45:44,472
With regard to Congress,
the administration worked

992
00:45:44,475 --> 00:45:46,645
to try to find common
ground with Democrats

993
00:45:46,643 --> 00:45:48,013
and Republicans.

994
00:45:48,011 --> 00:45:50,011
It doesn't mean that the
administration got along

995
00:45:50,013 --> 00:45:52,113
with Democrats and
Republicans at every turn.

996
00:45:52,116 --> 00:45:54,586
There are some cases where
you're going to have

997
00:45:54,585 --> 00:45:57,255
differences of opinion.

998
00:45:57,254 --> 00:46:00,654
And I would anticipate
that the incoming

999
00:46:00,657 --> 00:46:03,827
administration will find
the same thing with regard

1000
00:46:03,827 --> 00:46:05,267
to their relationships
both with Democrats

1001
00:46:05,262 --> 00:46:10,032
and Republicans on
Capitol Hill.

1002
00:46:10,033 --> 00:46:12,233
With regard to the media,
there's been a lot of

1003
00:46:12,236 --> 00:46:14,206
attention on this in the
last couple of months.

1004
00:46:14,204 --> 00:46:18,044
Our approach has been to
engage with all of you.

1005
00:46:18,041 --> 00:46:22,581
The President believes
strongly that an

1006
00:46:22,579 --> 00:46:26,579
independent, unbiased,
professional media is

1007
00:46:26,583 --> 00:46:29,483
critical to the success
of our democracy.

1008
00:46:29,486 --> 00:46:34,526
And one way we can invest
in your efforts to hold

1009
00:46:34,525 --> 00:46:36,865
people in power
accountable is to come out

1010
00:46:36,860 --> 00:46:39,830
here and answer questions,
and to do so on camera, on

1011
00:46:39,830 --> 00:46:42,730
the record, just about
every single day.

1012
00:46:42,733 --> 00:46:44,833
And President Obama does
that himself occasionally.

1013
00:46:44,835 --> 00:46:47,935
And it's good for the
country and it's good

1014
00:46:47,938 --> 00:46:48,608
for our democracy.

1015
00:46:48,605 --> 00:46:50,105
It means that all of you
have an important

1016
00:46:50,107 --> 00:46:51,577
role to play.

1017
00:46:51,575 --> 00:46:52,915
It certainly doesn't mean
that we've

1018
00:46:52,910 --> 00:46:54,040
always gotten along.

1019
00:46:54,044 --> 00:46:56,614
But it does mean we've
been able to function

1020
00:46:56,613 --> 00:47:03,883
effectively to ensure that
our differences of opinion

1021
00:47:03,887 --> 00:47:07,357
don't affect your
ability to do your job.

1022
00:47:07,357 --> 00:47:09,827
It doesn't affect the
ability of the White House

1023
00:47:09,826 --> 00:47:12,566
to do its job or to
effectively engage with

1024
00:47:12,563 --> 00:47:17,773
the White House Press
Corps that is tasked with

1025
00:47:17,768 --> 00:47:19,098
informing the American
people about what's

1026
00:47:19,102 --> 00:47:20,402
happening around here.

1027
00:47:20,404 --> 00:47:21,434
The Press: Were there
any times during this

1028
00:47:21,438 --> 00:47:25,008
administration where
you've worried that that

1029
00:47:25,008 --> 00:47:27,078
kind of bunker mentality
was setting in and that

1030
00:47:27,077 --> 00:47:30,477
was preventing you
from getting --

1031
00:47:30,480 --> 00:47:32,550
Mr. Earnest: Well, that's
always a risk

1032
00:47:32,549 --> 00:47:33,689
to guard against.

1033
00:47:33,684 --> 00:47:36,684
And this is the example
that I've most often cited

1034
00:47:36,687 --> 00:47:39,387
with regard to our
relationship with the media.

1035
00:47:43,493 --> 00:47:49,033
Our democracy is
constructed such that the

1036
00:47:49,032 --> 00:47:53,202
free and independent media
is in place to hold people

1037
00:47:53,203 --> 00:47:55,143
in power accountable.

1038
00:47:55,138 --> 00:47:56,938
And that means it's your
responsibility as an

1039
00:47:56,940 --> 00:47:59,080
independent journalist to
demand greater access,

1040
00:47:59,076 --> 00:48:03,846
to demand greater
transparency, to demand a

1041
00:48:03,847 --> 00:48:07,747
better, more effective,
more fulsome explanation

1042
00:48:07,751 --> 00:48:09,391
of what the President is
thinking about, what the

1043
00:48:09,386 --> 00:48:11,856
President is doing
and why he's doing it.

1044
00:48:11,855 --> 00:48:15,755
And that informs your
coverage, and that

1045
00:48:15,759 --> 00:48:17,129
certainly informs your
analysis of what

1046
00:48:17,127 --> 00:48:18,267
exactly is happening.

1047
00:48:18,262 --> 00:48:21,662
Now, there are certainly
times -- many times --

1048
00:48:21,665 --> 00:48:24,505
where officials in the
White House -- sometimes

1049
00:48:24,501 --> 00:48:26,171
the President, sometimes
members of his senior

1050
00:48:26,169 --> 00:48:29,839
staff, sometimes me --
aren't happy with the way

1051
00:48:29,840 --> 00:48:31,610
that that information is
being portrayed in

1052
00:48:31,608 --> 00:48:34,248
your reporting or in
your analysis.

1053
00:48:34,244 --> 00:48:40,784
But the goal that I have
set is not to suggest that

1054
00:48:40,784 --> 00:48:43,424
you have a responsibility
to write stories that make

1055
00:48:43,420 --> 00:48:45,820
the White House look good.

1056
00:48:45,822 --> 00:48:48,222
That's not your job.

1057
00:48:48,225 --> 00:48:52,765
Your job is to call it as
you see it and to provide

1058
00:48:52,763 --> 00:48:54,303
as much insight as
possible about what

1059
00:48:54,298 --> 00:48:57,498
exactly is happening
here at the White House.

1060
00:48:57,501 --> 00:49:01,841
And if we're doing a good
job, more often than not

1061
00:49:01,838 --> 00:49:08,408
the President will at
least look like he's got

1062
00:49:08,412 --> 00:49:12,652
the right priorities,
based on your readers.

1063
00:49:12,649 --> 00:49:14,789
But really what we want is
we want journalists to

1064
00:49:14,785 --> 00:49:17,855
use their skills as
storytellers, as writers,

1065
00:49:17,854 --> 00:49:20,994
as journalists to describe
to the American

1066
00:49:20,991 --> 00:49:23,461
people what's happening.

1067
00:49:23,460 --> 00:49:24,730
And sometimes that's going
to make the President look

1068
00:49:24,728 --> 00:49:26,368
good, and sometimes
it's probably not.

1069
00:49:26,363 --> 00:49:32,433
But when we're
dissatisfied or unhappy

1070
00:49:32,436 --> 00:49:36,236
with the way that some of
the coverage is going,

1071
00:49:36,239 --> 00:49:43,049
there is a temptation to
retreat to the bunker and

1072
00:49:43,046 --> 00:49:45,516
to say, the heck with
those guys, to heck with

1073
00:49:45,515 --> 00:49:48,085
their stories, to heck
with what they think,

1074
00:49:48,085 --> 00:49:54,195
let's just go and do
what we think is right.

1075
00:49:54,191 --> 00:49:58,261
That kind of conviction is
admirable, but it's unwise

1076
00:50:01,164 --> 00:50:05,934
to write off such a
critically important

1077
00:50:05,936 --> 00:50:07,806
element of our democracy.

1078
00:50:07,804 --> 00:50:11,474
And so that's why I've
viewed it as my role to

1079
00:50:11,475 --> 00:50:17,115
make sure that when
tensions do flare up -- I

1080
00:50:17,114 --> 00:50:19,254
should say, when tensions
get a little higher than

1081
00:50:19,249 --> 00:50:22,819
usual, that it's important
for me to make the case to

1082
00:50:22,819 --> 00:50:27,089
my colleagues not retreat
into the bunker, and to

1083
00:50:27,090 --> 00:50:28,790
continue to engage.

1084
00:50:28,792 --> 00:50:30,092
Occasionally, I have to
make that case to

1085
00:50:30,093 --> 00:50:31,493
my boss, too.

1086
00:50:31,361 --> 00:50:36,771
you guys get frustrated
with us, to engage with

1087
00:50:31,495 --> 00:50:34,365
But I also have a
responsibility that when

1088
00:50:36,767 --> 00:50:40,067
you to make sure that
that frustration doesn't

1089
00:50:40,070 --> 00:50:43,240
interfere with your
ability to do your job so

1090
00:50:43,240 --> 00:50:45,540
you don't start writing us
off and say, I'm just not

1091
00:50:45,542 --> 00:50:46,882
going to call those guys,
I'm just going write what

1092
00:50:46,877 --> 00:50:50,817
I want -- to heck with
what those guys think.

1093
00:50:50,814 --> 00:50:52,754
And that's the kind of
relationship that I've

1094
00:50:52,749 --> 00:50:53,749
tried to facilitate here.

1095
00:50:53,750 --> 00:50:55,150
I think every press
secretary has their own

1096
00:50:55,152 --> 00:50:59,322
approach, and surely my
successor is going to have

1097
00:50:59,322 --> 00:50:59,992
his own approach.

1098
00:50:59,990 --> 00:51:02,030
But that's the approach
that we have taken.

1099
00:51:02,025 --> 00:51:06,195
And I think the President
has been very well served

1100
00:51:06,196 --> 00:51:10,636
by it, in part because so
many people who are in

1101
00:51:10,634 --> 00:51:15,104
here are so dedicated and
experienced and determined

1102
00:51:15,105 --> 00:51:18,405
to play that important
role in our democracy, but

1103
00:51:18,408 --> 00:51:22,308
also because our
administration has a

1104
00:51:22,312 --> 00:51:24,612
pretty powerful case to
make about the virtue of

1105
00:51:24,614 --> 00:51:25,954
the decisions that
we've been making here.

1106
00:51:25,949 --> 00:51:28,189
The results speak for
themselves, in large part.

1107
00:51:28,185 --> 00:51:36,325
So that's obviously going
to make things -- when you

1108
00:51:36,326 --> 00:51:38,126
have a good story to tell,
it's going to make the

1109
00:51:38,128 --> 00:51:42,368
storyteller look better
than if you don't have

1110
00:51:42,365 --> 00:51:46,635
many results to show
for your performance.

1111
00:51:46,636 --> 00:51:49,576
And so that's the approach
that we have taken.

1112
00:51:49,573 --> 00:51:53,673
And I don't know if that
will be relevant or

1113
00:51:53,677 --> 00:51:56,717
resonate with the incoming
administration, but like I

1114
00:51:56,713 --> 00:51:59,253
said, I believe that that
has served the President

1115
00:51:59,249 --> 00:52:00,419
well, and I also believe
that it's served

1116
00:52:00,417 --> 00:52:02,017
the country well.

1117
00:52:02,018 --> 00:52:03,058
Mark.

1118
00:52:03,053 --> 00:52:05,153
The Press: Josh, when you
said a moment ago that

1119
00:52:05,155 --> 00:52:09,425
President Obama feels
the opportunity for

1120
00:52:09,426 --> 00:52:11,796
criticizing
President-elect Trump

1121
00:52:11,795 --> 00:52:15,065
expired on Election
Day, do you feel that

1122
00:52:15,065 --> 00:52:18,435
President-elect Trump is
reciprocating when

1123
00:52:18,435 --> 00:52:21,505
he is critical of the
President's policies

1124
00:52:21,505 --> 00:52:24,805
today, again saying that
the administration created

1125
00:52:24,808 --> 00:52:28,108
ISIS; that Obamacare
is a complete and total

1126
00:52:28,111 --> 00:52:31,081
disaster; that Russia
would have more respect

1127
00:52:31,081 --> 00:52:33,581
for the United States once
President-elect

1128
00:52:33,583 --> 00:52:34,523
Trump is in office?

1129
00:52:34,518 --> 00:52:36,818
Mr. Earnest: Yeah, I
noticed some of

1130
00:52:36,820 --> 00:52:38,820
those comments as well.

1131
00:52:39,789 --> 00:52:41,359
I'll let the
President-elect and his

1132
00:52:41,358 --> 00:52:45,398
team explain why he made
those statements and why

1133
00:52:45,395 --> 00:52:48,895
he wanted to continue to
make the arguments in that

1134
00:52:48,899 --> 00:52:53,439
way, despite the fact that
those arguments don't

1135
00:52:53,436 --> 00:52:57,336
withstand much scrutiny
and there aren't too many

1136
00:52:57,340 --> 00:52:59,340
facts that are mobilized
to support those

1137
00:52:59,342 --> 00:53:01,342
kinds of arguments.

1138
00:53:02,612 --> 00:53:04,252
And to the extent that
there's interest

1139
00:53:04,247 --> 00:53:09,617
in a debate, this
administration feels quite

1140
00:53:09,619 --> 00:53:12,459
proud of the progress that
we've been able to make,

1141
00:53:12,455 --> 00:53:17,195
and the facts of that
progress strongly bolster

1142
00:53:17,193 --> 00:53:20,793
our case and don't do much
to substantiate the case

1143
00:53:20,797 --> 00:53:21,997
that's made by
our critics.

1144
00:53:21,998 --> 00:53:25,038
The Press: On another
issue, can you tell us

1145
00:53:25,035 --> 00:53:27,635
what kind of packing up is
underway in the West Wing?

1146
00:53:27,637 --> 00:53:30,807
Mr. Earnest: Well, what I
can tell you is that the

1147
00:53:30,807 --> 00:53:35,617
packing has begun.

1148
00:53:35,612 --> 00:53:40,682
You can tell which members
of the White House staff

1149
00:53:40,684 --> 00:53:46,354
are planners because they
have made more progress in

1150
00:53:46,356 --> 00:53:50,496
preparing for their
departure nine days from now.

1151
00:53:50,493 --> 00:53:52,533
There are those of us who
will probably be spending

1152
00:53:52,529 --> 00:53:56,299
some time here over the
three-day weekend trying

1153
00:53:56,299 --> 00:53:58,299
to do that work.

1154
00:53:59,736 --> 00:54:02,206
The other thing that has
begun happening is that

1155
00:54:02,205 --> 00:54:03,975
members of the White House
staff have started rolling

1156
00:54:03,974 --> 00:54:10,344
off, because obviously the
transfer of power has to

1157
00:54:10,347 --> 00:54:14,917
occur just in a matter of
hours so there's has been

1158
00:54:14,918 --> 00:54:18,788
a staggered roll-off of
White House staff that is

1159
00:54:18,788 --> 00:54:19,518
starting to accelerate.

1160
00:54:19,522 --> 00:54:24,992
And so the line at the
mess is a little bit

1161
00:54:24,995 --> 00:54:28,335
shorter around
lunchtime, and --

1162
00:54:28,331 --> 00:54:30,171
The Press: A lot of empty
seats in here, too.

1163
00:54:30,166 --> 00:54:33,036
Mr. Earnest: There's more
empty seats in here too, yeah.

1164
00:54:33,036 --> 00:54:35,176
I think you guys are
stretched thin as you are

1165
00:54:35,171 --> 00:54:36,911
covering not just a
President of the United

1166
00:54:36,906 --> 00:54:38,176
States but also a
President-elect as well.

1167
00:54:38,174 --> 00:54:42,714
The Press: Oh, what else
is the President doing today?

1168
00:54:42,712 --> 00:54:45,782
There's not much on the
schedule that you gave us.

1169
00:54:45,782 --> 00:54:47,582
Mr. Earnest: Yeah,
relatively quiet day today.

1170
00:54:47,584 --> 00:54:49,084
The President has got a
couple meetings with staff

1171
00:54:49,085 --> 00:54:52,085
this afternoon, but
obviously given the very

1172
00:54:52,088 --> 00:54:54,628
busy day that he had
yesterday and the very

1173
00:54:54,624 --> 00:54:57,624
late return back here
to the White House, the

1174
00:54:57,627 --> 00:55:00,497
President's day is,
publicly, pretty quiet.

1175
00:55:00,497 --> 00:55:01,367
Athena.

1176
00:55:01,364 --> 00:55:01,894
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1177
00:55:01,898 --> 00:55:03,438
Just a couple with
possible follows.

1178
00:55:03,433 --> 00:55:06,473
On this issue of the
unconfirmed allegations

1179
00:55:06,469 --> 00:55:08,609
regarding the
President-elect and his

1180
00:55:08,605 --> 00:55:11,505
team and Russia that CNN
and other organizations

1181
00:55:11,508 --> 00:55:15,078
have reported on -- I'm
not asking you about those

1182
00:55:15,078 --> 00:55:17,478
allegations themselves or
what was in them, but the

1183
00:55:17,480 --> 00:55:19,880
President talked last
night about the selective

1184
00:55:19,883 --> 00:55:23,283
sorting of facts, and he's
talked a lot over the past

1185
00:55:23,286 --> 00:55:25,726
many months about the
siloing of news sources,

1186
00:55:25,722 --> 00:55:27,092
people living in
their own bubbles.

1187
00:55:27,090 --> 00:55:31,030
And then we have this
whole idea of fake news --

1188
00:55:31,027 --> 00:55:32,867
the definition of which
there doesn't seem to be a

1189
00:55:32,862 --> 00:55:34,432
lot of agreement on
because lots of people are

1190
00:55:34,431 --> 00:55:37,501
using that term
as they see fit.

1191
00:55:37,500 --> 00:55:40,340
So the question is, does
the White House feel that

1192
00:55:40,336 --> 00:55:43,136
BuzzFeed, in publishing
these unconfirmed

1193
00:55:43,139 --> 00:55:48,249
allegations in full, acted
appropriately, or did they

1194
00:55:48,244 --> 00:55:53,214
make it potentially harder
for the truth to come out?

1195
00:55:53,216 --> 00:55:55,086
And going with that, does
Trump and his team have

1196
00:55:55,085 --> 00:55:58,155
a point that these
allegations are just

1197
00:55:58,154 --> 00:56:00,994
another way to
delegitimize him?

1198
00:56:00,990 --> 00:56:08,200
Mr. Earnest: With regard
to the delegitimizing

1199
00:56:08,198 --> 00:56:10,068
thing, I think that's the
easiest one, so let me

1200
00:56:10,066 --> 00:56:11,566
just knock that one out of
the way, which is I think

1201
00:56:11,568 --> 00:56:14,238
that what should be
evidence to anybody who's

1202
00:56:14,237 --> 00:56:17,107
even been paying a little
bit of attention is that

1203
00:56:17,107 --> 00:56:21,807
since the election outcome
was announced, not just

1204
00:56:21,811 --> 00:56:23,611
late on the night of
November 8th but early in

1205
00:56:23,613 --> 00:56:27,413
the morning of November
9th, this administration,

1206
00:56:27,417 --> 00:56:30,087
led by this President, has
been dedicated to ensuring

1207
00:56:30,086 --> 00:56:31,526
a smooth and effective
transition with the

1208
00:56:31,521 --> 00:56:33,161
incoming administration.

1209
00:56:33,156 --> 00:56:34,826
And with regard to
the legitimacy of the

1210
00:56:34,824 --> 00:56:36,464
election, I think that
actions speak much louder

1211
00:56:36,459 --> 00:56:39,529
than words, and I think
that there's just no

1212
00:56:39,529 --> 00:56:43,069
question about that.

1213
00:56:43,066 --> 00:56:45,066
With regard to the
decision that was made by

1214
00:56:45,068 --> 00:56:48,068
your news organization,
BuzzFeed -- who I think

1215
00:56:48,071 --> 00:56:51,971
were obviously all making
their own independent

1216
00:56:51,975 --> 00:56:53,545
decisions -- and doing
separately and different

1217
00:56:53,543 --> 00:56:56,183
things, what I'm just
suggesting is, is that

1218
00:56:56,179 --> 00:56:57,679
your news organization
was the first news

1219
00:56:57,680 --> 00:56:58,920
organization to
report on this.

1220
00:56:58,915 --> 00:57:02,255
That obviously was -- I
don't have any insight

1221
00:57:02,252 --> 00:57:04,252
into what sort of
editorial decision-making

1222
00:57:04,254 --> 00:57:07,694
process was implemented to
reach that conclusion, but

1223
00:57:07,690 --> 00:57:11,030
I'm confident that
there was one.

1224
00:57:11,027 --> 00:57:13,367
I assume there was a
similar process at

1225
00:57:13,363 --> 00:57:14,963
BuzzFeed that reached a
different conclusion,

1226
00:57:14,964 --> 00:57:16,304
as you point out.

1227
00:57:16,299 --> 00:57:20,839
But I guess this is
my point: Independent

1228
00:57:20,837 --> 00:57:23,477
editorial decisions made
by independent news

1229
00:57:23,473 --> 00:57:26,943
organizations should
be made independent of

1230
00:57:26,943 --> 00:57:28,943
government influence.

1231
00:57:30,079 --> 00:57:32,079
Over the last eight years,
we've had a variety of

1232
00:57:32,081 --> 00:57:35,451
circumstances where
the administration has

1233
00:57:35,451 --> 00:57:37,621
expressed some frustration
with some of the editorial

1234
00:57:37,620 --> 00:57:39,460
decisions that were
made by your

1235
00:57:39,455 --> 00:57:41,855
news organizations.

1236
00:57:41,858 --> 00:57:46,198
We've expressed those
concerns sometimes -- not

1237
00:57:46,196 --> 00:57:48,736
sometimes; frequently.

1238
00:57:48,731 --> 00:57:51,371
But at each stage, in
every conversation that

1239
00:57:51,367 --> 00:57:52,837
I've ever been a part
of about an editorial

1240
00:57:52,836 --> 00:57:55,306
decision, we have
acknowledged at the

1241
00:57:55,305 --> 00:57:57,645
beginning, middle and end
of that conversation that

1242
00:57:57,640 --> 00:58:01,480
whatever decision is made
is one that you all will make.

1243
00:58:01,477 --> 00:58:05,177
And that reflects
the respect this

1244
00:58:05,181 --> 00:58:08,081
administration has for the
constitutional rights of

1245
00:58:08,084 --> 00:58:11,824
independent media
organizations.

1246
00:58:11,821 --> 00:58:15,621
But there's another
element of this that I

1247
00:58:15,625 --> 00:58:20,195
think warrants mentioning
here, which is, obviously,

1248
00:58:20,196 --> 00:58:24,366
the President-elect and
his team are suggesting

1249
00:58:24,367 --> 00:58:26,837
that the accusations that
are being made are totally

1250
00:58:26,836 --> 00:58:29,806
unfounded, that there's
no basis for them.

1251
00:58:32,141 --> 00:58:35,081
This President has been in
a situation in which he

1252
00:58:35,078 --> 00:58:41,188
has been criticized in an
utterly false, baseless way.

1253
00:58:41,184 --> 00:58:44,454
And I'm, of course,
referring to the

1254
00:58:44,454 --> 00:58:47,654
President's birthplace.

1255
00:58:47,657 --> 00:58:49,327
There were a wide variety
of the President's critics

1256
00:58:49,325 --> 00:58:51,795
who were suggesting and
propagating conspiracy

1257
00:58:51,794 --> 00:58:55,634
theories that somehow the
President wasn't born in

1258
00:58:55,632 --> 00:59:00,672
the United States, but
that he was the object of

1259
00:59:00,670 --> 00:59:01,740
some grand conspiracy.

1260
00:59:01,738 --> 00:59:03,338
It's still hard to put
together even now as

1261
00:59:03,339 --> 00:59:04,009
you think about it.

1262
00:59:04,007 --> 00:59:08,577
But they made those
accusations even though

1263
00:59:08,578 --> 00:59:09,918
the administration had
already released the birth

1264
00:59:09,913 --> 00:59:14,813
certificate, and even
though there was

1265
00:59:14,817 --> 00:59:18,557
contemporaneous news
reporting announcing his

1266
00:59:18,554 --> 00:59:20,924
birth in Hawaii.

1267
00:59:20,924 --> 00:59:23,994
So the conspiracy theories
were propagated even in

1268
00:59:23,993 --> 00:59:28,033
the face of significant,
overwhelming and

1269
00:59:28,031 --> 00:59:29,701
convincing evidence.

1270
00:59:29,699 --> 00:59:32,899
But yet, those conspiracy
theories continued.

1271
00:59:32,902 --> 00:59:34,942
And many of those
conspiracy theories were

1272
00:59:34,938 --> 00:59:38,538
centered on the long-form
version of the President's

1273
00:59:38,541 --> 00:59:40,581
birth certificate.

1274
00:59:40,576 --> 00:59:43,776
So, when faced with that
situation, President Obama

1275
00:59:43,780 --> 00:59:45,180
made a decision.

1276
00:59:45,181 --> 00:59:47,881
He dispatched an attorney
to fly all the way to

1277
00:59:47,884 --> 00:59:51,924
Hawaii and go to the state
archives and engage in a

1278
00:59:51,921 --> 00:59:54,661
process of obtaining a
document that is rarely

1279
00:59:54,657 --> 00:59:59,697
made public that is not
stored in a way that makes

1280
00:59:59,696 --> 01:00:03,336
it readily accessible
to the public.

1281
01:00:03,333 --> 01:00:05,233
The President's legal team
engaged in a process that

1282
01:00:05,234 --> 01:00:07,204
typically takes weeks and
months to obtain

1283
01:00:07,203 --> 01:00:08,403
that document.

1284
01:00:08,404 --> 01:00:11,974
And once it was obtained,
we released it.

1285
01:00:11,975 --> 01:00:13,645
In this very room.

1286
01:00:13,643 --> 01:00:16,243
Handed it out, on paper,
to all of you, so that all

1287
01:00:16,245 --> 01:00:18,615
of you could look at that
piece of paper and verify

1288
01:00:18,614 --> 01:00:22,884
for yourself, to be
convinced that the charges

1289
01:00:22,885 --> 01:00:24,885
that were lobbed against
the President were false.

1290
01:00:27,056 --> 01:00:32,366
I point all of this out
-- this well-trod path of

1291
01:00:32,362 --> 01:00:34,602
history -- to just
underscore that the

1292
01:00:34,597 --> 01:00:35,937
incoming administration
has chosen a

1293
01:00:35,932 --> 01:00:40,002
different approach.

1294
01:00:40,003 --> 01:00:41,903
They've not been
transparent.

1295
01:00:41,904 --> 01:00:43,844
Many of the questions that
have been raised have been

1296
01:00:43,840 --> 01:00:48,380
about potential financial
entanglements of the

1297
01:00:48,378 --> 01:00:50,318
President-elect, his
family and his

1298
01:00:50,313 --> 01:00:53,683
business in Russia.

1299
01:00:53,683 --> 01:00:57,653
There's ample evidence
that they could marshal to

1300
01:00:57,653 --> 01:01:04,623
make public to refute
those claims -- those

1301
01:01:04,627 --> 01:01:08,427
accusations that they say
are baseless, but they've

1302
01:01:08,431 --> 01:01:10,431
refused to do so.

1303
01:01:17,607 --> 01:01:23,847
That kind of secrecy only
serves to sow public doubt.

1304
01:01:23,846 --> 01:01:27,816
You'll recall during
the campaign, as the

1305
01:01:27,817 --> 01:01:29,557
President-elect was
refusing to release his

1306
01:01:29,552 --> 01:01:32,852
tax returns, people were
saying, what's he hiding?

1307
01:01:34,891 --> 01:01:36,891
People are asking
that question again.

1308
01:01:39,262 --> 01:01:41,302
And again, all of the
available evidence, to the

1309
01:01:41,297 --> 01:01:46,137
extent that there is
any, doesn't actually

1310
01:01:46,135 --> 01:01:49,975
substantiate their
argument that the claims

1311
01:01:49,972 --> 01:01:52,912
are baseless, because I
know at least one member

1312
01:01:52,909 --> 01:01:56,449
of the Trump family was
quoted on the record in

1313
01:01:56,446 --> 01:01:59,986
the not too distant past
saying that the family and

1314
01:01:59,982 --> 01:02:01,822
the Trump organization had
extensive financial

1315
01:02:01,818 --> 01:02:03,818
ties to Russia.

1316
01:02:05,955 --> 01:02:07,595
So, ultimately, I think
that the incoming

1317
01:02:07,590 --> 01:02:08,930
administration is going
to have to make some

1318
01:02:08,925 --> 01:02:12,195
decisions about what
approach they want to take.

1319
01:02:12,195 --> 01:02:15,965
And again, this is an
imperfect analogy -- I'll

1320
01:02:15,965 --> 01:02:20,035
just stipulate that at the
top -- but the difference

1321
01:02:20,036 --> 01:02:21,436
in approach that we have
taken has been

1322
01:02:21,437 --> 01:02:22,937
starkly different.

1323
01:02:22,939 --> 01:02:29,149
We expressed great
frustration about critics

1324
01:02:29,145 --> 01:02:30,915
repeating that information
even though there was

1325
01:02:30,913 --> 01:02:32,753
plenty of publicly
available evidence

1326
01:02:32,748 --> 01:02:34,618
to indicate that
it was false.

1327
01:02:34,617 --> 01:02:36,457
We expressed some deep
frustration to you and

1328
01:02:36,452 --> 01:02:38,052
your news organizations
about the way that you

1329
01:02:38,054 --> 01:02:40,824
were handling
those accusations.

1330
01:02:40,823 --> 01:02:43,223
But ultimately, what
we sought to do was to

1331
01:02:43,226 --> 01:02:46,866
uncover and release
information to

1332
01:02:46,863 --> 01:02:47,863
substantiate our case.

1333
01:02:47,864 --> 01:02:52,034
And the incoming President
has pursued a different

1334
01:02:52,034 --> 01:02:54,104
approach -- not just by
trying to meet the bare

1335
01:02:54,103 --> 01:02:56,643
standard of transparency,
but to fall way short of

1336
01:02:56,639 --> 01:03:00,479
it, and to refuse to meet
that same standard that

1337
01:03:00,476 --> 01:03:02,016
many previous Presidents
have met by

1338
01:03:02,011 --> 01:03:03,781
releasing tax returns.

1339
01:03:03,779 --> 01:03:07,619
So, with regard to the
tactics and strategy that

1340
01:03:07,617 --> 01:03:10,417
they're employing to deal
with this situation, it's

1341
01:03:10,419 --> 01:03:13,559
quite different than
the one that this

1342
01:03:13,556 --> 01:03:16,256
administration
has implemented.

1343
01:03:16,259 --> 01:03:23,169
And given the President's
election and reelection,

1344
01:03:23,166 --> 01:03:26,906
even as the storm of these
charges was swirling, I

1345
01:03:26,903 --> 01:03:30,473
think that would be a
pretty good validation of

1346
01:03:30,473 --> 01:03:34,573
the approach that we have
chosen, setting aside the

1347
01:03:34,577 --> 01:03:39,647
intrinsic benefit to the
American people of the

1348
01:03:39,649 --> 01:03:42,289
incoming administration
living up to standard of

1349
01:03:42,285 --> 01:03:45,155
transparency that was set
by previous Presidents.

1350
01:03:45,154 --> 01:03:46,824
The Press: You raised a
lot of points, so I'll

1351
01:03:46,822 --> 01:03:48,922
combine my follow with
the only other question I

1352
01:03:48,925 --> 01:03:49,595
have, which is --

1353
01:03:49,592 --> 01:03:51,392
Mr. Earnest: I appreciate
you indulging me.

1354
01:03:51,394 --> 01:03:53,664
The Press: Just to be
clear, I want to make it

1355
01:03:53,663 --> 01:03:56,933
clear, the administration
doesn't have a viewpoint

1356
01:03:56,933 --> 01:04:00,703
or any stance on whether
or not it is helpful to

1357
01:04:00,703 --> 01:04:02,903
the pursuit of the truth
for an organization to

1358
01:04:02,905 --> 01:04:05,245
publish unsubstantiated
allegations.

1359
01:04:05,241 --> 01:04:06,471
I just want to make sure
that I know what --

1360
01:04:06,475 --> 01:04:14,515
Mr. Earnest: On principle,
the administration deeply

1361
01:04:14,517 --> 01:04:17,587
respects and will protect
the right of independent

1362
01:04:17,587 --> 01:04:19,687
news organizations to
make their own

1363
01:04:19,689 --> 01:04:20,719
editorial decisions.

1364
01:04:20,723 --> 01:04:22,723
It doesn't mean that we
agree with all of them.

1365
01:04:22,725 --> 01:04:26,795
There are many situations
in which we have not.

1366
01:04:26,796 --> 01:04:29,266
But we respect and will
stipulate from the

1367
01:04:29,265 --> 01:04:32,065
beginning that independent
news organizations should

1368
01:04:32,068 --> 01:04:35,338
make editorial decisions
independent of any sort of

1369
01:04:35,338 --> 01:04:36,108
government interference.

1370
01:04:36,105 --> 01:04:37,605
The Press: That's sounds
different from -- for

1371
01:04:37,607 --> 01:04:39,907
months, though, when
publications were

1372
01:04:39,909 --> 01:04:42,349
reporting on the leaks
during the last months of

1373
01:04:42,345 --> 01:04:44,015
the campaign, you guys
were saying from the

1374
01:04:44,013 --> 01:04:46,083
podium shouldn't these
news organizations

1375
01:04:46,082 --> 01:04:46,752
not be doing that.

1376
01:04:46,749 --> 01:04:47,419
So are you --

1377
01:04:47,416 --> 01:04:48,786
Mr. Earnest:
Actually, I didn't.

1378
01:04:48,784 --> 01:04:54,494
I walked this fine line of
saying -- when I was asked

1379
01:04:54,490 --> 01:04:56,690
about John Podesta's
emails, for example --

1380
01:04:56,692 --> 01:05:00,762
these were emails that
were leaked by DCLeaks,

1381
01:05:00,763 --> 01:05:04,033
which we knew before the
election was actually

1382
01:05:04,033 --> 01:05:05,933
consistent with the kinds
of efforts that were

1383
01:05:05,935 --> 01:05:10,535
undertaken by Russia
to sow doubt

1384
01:05:10,539 --> 01:05:12,509
about our democracy.

1385
01:05:12,508 --> 01:05:14,448
What I said at every turn
was to stipulate that

1386
01:05:14,443 --> 01:05:17,483
those materials
were stolen.

1387
01:05:17,480 --> 01:05:20,420
I said that independent
news organizations are

1388
01:05:20,416 --> 01:05:21,546
going to have to make
their own editorial

1389
01:05:21,550 --> 01:05:24,620
decisions about whether or
not to publish them, or

1390
01:05:24,620 --> 01:05:26,760
how to describe
them publicly.

1391
01:05:26,756 --> 01:05:29,426
And in most situations,
given the fact that they

1392
01:05:29,425 --> 01:05:32,895
were stolen, I declined to
respond -- or to

1393
01:05:32,895 --> 01:05:34,135
react to them.

1394
01:05:34,130 --> 01:05:36,430
There were a couple of
situations in which I did.

1395
01:05:36,432 --> 01:05:38,632
But at each turn I
stipulated that while the

1396
01:05:38,634 --> 01:05:41,174
material was stolen --
and I think that does

1397
01:05:41,170 --> 01:05:45,270
indicate, potentially,
difference of opinion with

1398
01:05:45,274 --> 01:05:47,214
the editorial judgement
that was being exercised

1399
01:05:47,209 --> 01:05:48,409
by news organizations.

1400
01:05:48,411 --> 01:05:51,381
I, at every turn,
stipulated that it was

1401
01:05:51,380 --> 01:05:52,480
their decision to make.

1402
01:05:52,481 --> 01:05:54,181
And look, I think news
organizations who are

1403
01:05:54,183 --> 01:05:56,283
looking back at this
episode have already

1404
01:05:56,285 --> 01:05:59,625
concluded and expressed
some remorse about the way

1405
01:05:59,622 --> 01:06:00,292
they handled it.

1406
01:06:00,289 --> 01:06:04,259
It was The New York Times
who described American

1407
01:06:04,260 --> 01:06:05,730
news organizations,
including the New York

1408
01:06:05,728 --> 01:06:08,328
Times, as essentially
weaponizing information

1409
01:06:08,331 --> 01:06:11,671
that had been hacked and
leaked by Russia with

1410
01:06:11,667 --> 01:06:13,137
nefarious intent.

1411
01:06:13,135 --> 01:06:16,505
So I give them credit for
actually engaging in that

1412
01:06:16,505 --> 01:06:20,945
thought process and in
acknowledging their

1413
01:06:20,943 --> 01:06:22,383
own regret about it.

1414
01:06:22,378 --> 01:06:25,078
But ultimately, every
independent news

1415
01:06:25,081 --> 01:06:27,621
organization is going to
have to draw their own

1416
01:06:27,616 --> 01:06:28,956
conclusions about the
best way to deal with

1417
01:06:28,951 --> 01:06:29,651
situations like this.

1418
01:06:29,652 --> 01:06:31,892
With regard to the people
who are facing these

1419
01:06:31,887 --> 01:06:35,187
accusations though, they
face some decisions too.

1420
01:06:35,191 --> 01:06:37,391
And what this
administration, when

1421
01:06:37,393 --> 01:06:40,763
faced with a similar
circumstance -- our

1422
01:06:40,763 --> 01:06:42,803
reaction was to try
to provide as much

1423
01:06:42,798 --> 01:06:45,938
information as possible
to refute the claims.

1424
01:06:45,935 --> 01:06:50,305
The incoming
administration has relied

1425
01:06:50,306 --> 01:06:53,546
on secrecy, and I think
rather than to refute the

1426
01:06:53,542 --> 01:06:57,212
claims, it has continued
to sow doubt in the minds

1427
01:06:57,213 --> 01:06:58,783
of the public and
apparently in the minds of

1428
01:06:58,781 --> 01:06:59,581
some media organizations.

1429
01:06:59,582 --> 01:07:01,282
The Press: And last
question, related to all

1430
01:07:01,283 --> 01:07:04,123
of this -- fine, the
incoming administration

1431
01:07:04,120 --> 01:07:05,990
may or may not choose to
release this information,

1432
01:07:05,988 --> 01:07:08,128
but my understanding is
that Congress has the

1433
01:07:08,124 --> 01:07:12,464
power to subpoena even the
President -- the incoming

1434
01:07:12,461 --> 01:07:15,261
President to release
his tax returns.

1435
01:07:15,264 --> 01:07:17,204
If I have that right, does
the White House feel that

1436
01:07:17,199 --> 01:07:18,669
that's something
that should be done?

1437
01:07:18,667 --> 01:07:21,137
Mr. Earnest: I'm actually
not aware of that

1438
01:07:21,137 --> 01:07:23,707
congressional power.

1439
01:07:23,706 --> 01:07:26,106
But if it is a power that
Congress has, ultimately

1440
01:07:26,108 --> 01:07:27,448
members of Congress
will have to decide for

1441
01:07:27,443 --> 01:07:29,343
themselves how and
whether to exercise it.

1442
01:07:29,345 --> 01:07:31,915
This gentleman right here.

1443
01:07:31,914 --> 01:07:32,784
The Press: Hi.

1444
01:07:32,782 --> 01:07:35,082
So yesterday, in President
Obama's speech, one of the

1445
01:07:35,084 --> 01:07:38,524
lines I saw frequently
quoted was this idea of

1446
01:07:38,521 --> 01:07:40,561
leaving the Facebook
commenting section and

1447
01:07:40,556 --> 01:07:42,256
going out and talking to
people you disagree with.

1448
01:07:42,258 --> 01:07:44,258
Do you think that --

1449
01:07:44,260 --> 01:07:45,960
Mr. Earnest: He said it a
little bit more concisely

1450
01:07:45,961 --> 01:07:46,631
than you did but --

1451
01:07:46,629 --> 01:07:47,299
(laughter)

1452
01:07:47,296 --> 01:07:49,136
The Press: Do you think
that the President and

1453
01:07:49,131 --> 01:07:52,701
this administration has
effectively reached out to

1454
01:07:52,701 --> 01:07:54,171
those who may not
have agreed with this

1455
01:07:54,170 --> 01:07:56,470
administration's agenda,
whether that's in the

1456
01:07:56,472 --> 01:07:59,172
public or on the
Hill or elsewhere?

1457
01:07:59,175 --> 01:08:01,245
Mr. Earnest: Yes, this
administration has gone to

1458
01:08:01,243 --> 01:08:03,343
great lengths to try
to engage the

1459
01:08:03,345 --> 01:08:04,345
American public.

1460
01:08:04,346 --> 01:08:05,946
Sometimes it's been
through the Internet, but

1461
01:08:05,948 --> 01:08:09,418
oftentimes that's
been in person.

1462
01:08:09,418 --> 01:08:11,788
President Obama himself
has traveled to

1463
01:08:11,787 --> 01:08:13,727
all 50 states.

1464
01:08:13,722 --> 01:08:16,062
There were times where we
sought out locations where

1465
01:08:16,058 --> 01:08:18,928
the President could go to
communities that had not

1466
01:08:18,928 --> 01:08:19,998
traditionally supported
the President.

1467
01:08:19,995 --> 01:08:26,305
Off the top of my head, I
can recall last summer,

1468
01:08:26,302 --> 01:08:27,672
when President Obama
traveled to Elkhart,

1469
01:08:27,670 --> 01:08:31,010
Indiana -- a community
that has enjoyed a

1470
01:08:31,006 --> 01:08:33,406
dramatic recovery from
the Great Recession.

1471
01:08:35,578 --> 01:08:40,148
Most analysts acknowledge
that that recovery was due

1472
01:08:40,149 --> 01:08:44,919
to the hard work and grit
of the people of Elkhart,

1473
01:08:44,920 --> 01:08:46,590
but that opportunity would
not have been available to

1474
01:08:46,589 --> 01:08:50,059
them without the tough
policy decisions that

1475
01:08:50,059 --> 01:08:52,799
President Obama made
early in his presidency.

1476
01:08:52,795 --> 01:08:55,495
And yet, despite the
benefits that have been

1477
01:08:55,498 --> 01:08:56,998
enjoyed by that community
as a result of the

1478
01:08:56,999 --> 01:08:59,439
decisions made by
President Obama, President

1479
01:08:59,435 --> 01:09:04,305
Obama didn't fare well in
that community

1480
01:09:04,306 --> 01:09:05,176
during his re-elect.

1481
01:09:05,174 --> 01:09:08,614
So that's just one example
of the President actually

1482
01:09:08,611 --> 01:09:11,111
seeking out communities
that don't agree with him

1483
01:09:11,113 --> 01:09:13,253
politically to go and
try to make his

1484
01:09:13,249 --> 01:09:14,079
case in person.

1485
01:09:14,083 --> 01:09:16,823
And I'll say that I think
where the President has

1486
01:09:16,819 --> 01:09:20,159
acknowledged shortcomings
on this score is with

1487
01:09:20,155 --> 01:09:22,155
regard to the organizing
that's done by

1488
01:09:22,157 --> 01:09:23,957
the Democratic Party.

1489
01:09:23,959 --> 01:09:26,059
And certainly in the
context of the 2016

1490
01:09:26,061 --> 01:09:28,131
election, the President
has made the argument

1491
01:09:28,130 --> 01:09:30,870
that Democrats weren't
effective in going out and

1492
01:09:30,866 --> 01:09:33,106
making the case to
communities all across the

1493
01:09:33,102 --> 01:09:35,672
country about how they
had benefitted from the

1494
01:09:35,671 --> 01:09:37,841
policies that Democrats
have championed.

1495
01:09:37,840 --> 01:09:40,180
And the President believes
that in order for

1496
01:09:40,175 --> 01:09:43,815
Democrats to do better in
future elections, we're

1497
01:09:43,812 --> 01:09:44,912
going to need to do a
whole lot more of that.

1498
01:09:44,914 --> 01:09:47,214
The Press: One
last question.

1499
01:09:47,216 --> 01:09:49,486
We saw reports that Sasha
wasn't there last night

1500
01:09:49,485 --> 01:09:51,285
because she had
an exam today.

1501
01:09:51,287 --> 01:09:54,157
Any news on how that exam
went or what class it was in?

1502
01:09:54,156 --> 01:09:55,086
(laughter)

1503
01:09:55,090 --> 01:09:58,160
Mr. Earnest: I don't have
a readout of the youngest

1504
01:09:58,160 --> 01:10:02,330
Obama's performance in her
exam today, but I suspect

1505
01:10:02,331 --> 01:10:04,371
her parents concluded that
her performance on the

1506
01:10:04,366 --> 01:10:06,136
test would not have been
enhanced by returning to

1507
01:10:06,135 --> 01:10:07,935
the White House at
2:15 in the morning.

1508
01:10:07,937 --> 01:10:09,307
John Decker.

1509
01:10:09,305 --> 01:10:11,205
The Press: Thanks
a lot, Josh.

1510
01:10:11,206 --> 01:10:12,976
You watched the
President-elect's press

1511
01:10:12,975 --> 01:10:14,445
conference today, you
alluded to that --

1512
01:10:14,443 --> 01:10:15,683
Mr. Earnest: I
saw most of it.

1513
01:10:15,678 --> 01:10:17,478
The Press: What do you
make, I'm curious, of the

1514
01:10:17,479 --> 01:10:19,849
format of the press
conference today?

1515
01:10:19,848 --> 01:10:22,748
A lot different than what
we're used to in dealing

1516
01:10:22,751 --> 01:10:24,251
with President Obama --

1517
01:10:24,253 --> 01:10:24,783
Mr. Earnest: Including
a cheering

1518
01:10:24,787 --> 01:10:25,617
section, apparently.

1519
01:10:25,621 --> 01:10:28,921
The Press: -- that we've
had over the course of the

1520
01:10:28,924 --> 01:10:29,824
past eight years.

1521
01:10:29,825 --> 01:10:32,565
What's your view about
how they conducted

1522
01:10:32,561 --> 01:10:33,291
things today?

1523
01:10:33,295 --> 01:10:35,465
Mr. Earnest: Listen, I
think they're going to

1524
01:10:35,464 --> 01:10:41,404
have an opportunity to set
up the structure of these

1525
01:10:41,403 --> 01:10:43,003
engagements in the way
that they believe best

1526
01:10:43,005 --> 01:10:45,505
serves the President.

1527
01:10:45,507 --> 01:10:49,347
And that certainly is a
prerogative that they have.

1528
01:10:49,345 --> 01:10:52,445
I don't know if that means
they're going to install

1529
01:10:52,448 --> 01:10:54,648
one of those flashing
applause signs in the

1530
01:10:54,650 --> 01:10:55,450
White House Briefing Room.

1531
01:10:55,451 --> 01:10:56,481
(laughter)

1532
01:10:56,485 --> 01:11:00,385
But they can do that
if they would like.

1533
01:11:00,389 --> 01:11:02,489
Look, what you've heard
me say is that it is

1534
01:11:02,491 --> 01:11:06,791
important for the people
who are in positions of

1535
01:11:06,795 --> 01:11:09,165
authority to be
held accountable.

1536
01:11:09,164 --> 01:11:12,434
And I do think it was
important for the

1537
01:11:12,434 --> 01:11:15,534
President-elect, after a
long delay, to make him

1538
01:11:15,537 --> 01:11:18,437
available to the reporters
who were covering him on a

1539
01:11:18,440 --> 01:11:21,340
daily basis, even an
hourly basis, and to

1540
01:11:21,343 --> 01:11:22,743
answer their questions.

1541
01:11:22,745 --> 01:11:25,585
And that was important.

1542
01:11:25,581 --> 01:11:29,281
And I think the American
people and our

1543
01:11:29,284 --> 01:11:31,984
democracy benefits from
him doing that.

1544
01:11:31,987 --> 01:11:35,157
The Press: As you know, he
famously uses Twitter to

1545
01:11:35,157 --> 01:11:37,057
communicate to the public.

1546
01:11:37,059 --> 01:11:40,099
What advantages are there,
in your view, of just

1547
01:11:40,095 --> 01:11:42,695
having a regular old press
conference and talking to

1548
01:11:42,698 --> 01:11:44,968
the press corps that
covers the President

1549
01:11:44,967 --> 01:11:45,367
on a daily basis?

1550
01:11:45,367 --> 01:11:46,767
Mr. Earnest: Well,
obviously, that's a very

1551
01:11:46,769 --> 01:11:47,899
different engagement.

1552
01:11:47,903 --> 01:11:54,143
When the President-elect
is on Twitter he is

1553
01:11:54,143 --> 01:12:01,183
putting forward into the
public views and opinions

1554
01:12:01,183 --> 01:12:05,183
that go virtually
unchallenged.

1555
01:12:05,187 --> 01:12:06,627
At a news conference
it's different.

1556
01:12:06,622 --> 01:12:09,692
At a news conference, he's
responding to a question,

1557
01:12:09,692 --> 01:12:12,192
he'll give an answer, and
in many cases is subjected

1558
01:12:12,194 --> 01:12:15,694
to a follow-up, somebody
pressing a little bit more

1559
01:12:15,698 --> 01:12:17,668
to more directly answer
the question, or to

1560
01:12:17,666 --> 01:12:20,136
account for something that
he's said that may not be

1561
01:12:20,135 --> 01:12:21,205
consistent with the facts.

1562
01:12:21,203 --> 01:12:23,803
And that kind of
engagement is entirely

1563
01:12:23,806 --> 01:12:29,316
different than just
disseminating

1564
01:12:29,311 --> 01:12:30,811
information on Twitter.

1565
01:12:30,813 --> 01:12:32,413
The Press: So you would
suggest more -- not that

1566
01:12:32,414 --> 01:12:35,714
the Trump campaign or
transition is listening to

1567
01:12:35,718 --> 01:12:37,458
you at this point -- but
you would suggest more of

1568
01:12:37,453 --> 01:12:38,183
these over the course
of his presidency?

1569
01:12:38,187 --> 01:12:40,527
Mr. Earnest: What I can
just say on principle is

1570
01:12:40,522 --> 01:12:42,062
that I believe that those
kinds of engagements in

1571
01:12:42,057 --> 01:12:44,657
which people in authority
are engaging with the

1572
01:12:44,660 --> 01:12:47,100
reporters who cover them
regularly, that's a good

1573
01:12:47,096 --> 01:12:48,466
thing for our democracy.

1574
01:12:48,464 --> 01:12:49,964
There's an important role
for those reporters to

1575
01:12:49,965 --> 01:12:51,335
play in terms of
holding people in

1576
01:12:51,333 --> 01:12:52,533
power accountable.

1577
01:12:52,534 --> 01:12:55,704
And it's good to see
people in authority, in

1578
01:12:55,704 --> 01:12:58,574
positions of authority
spending time answering

1579
01:12:58,574 --> 01:13:00,214
their questions and being
held accountable by them

1580
01:13:00,209 --> 01:13:02,879
in a way that's public and
in a way that

1581
01:13:02,878 --> 01:13:04,678
everybody can see.

1582
01:13:04,680 --> 01:13:07,150
The Press: Any possibility
of the Clemson football

1583
01:13:07,149 --> 01:13:08,689
team coming here
to the White House?

1584
01:13:08,684 --> 01:13:09,354
(laughter)

1585
01:13:09,351 --> 01:13:11,521
Mr. Earnest: There is
friend of mine who is a

1586
01:13:11,520 --> 01:13:14,790
proud Clemson graduate who
did have an opportunity to

1587
01:13:14,790 --> 01:13:18,230
fly down to Tampa for the
game, who emailed me very

1588
01:13:18,227 --> 01:13:20,497
early yesterday morning
-- presumably as he was

1589
01:13:20,496 --> 01:13:22,736
boarding his flight back
to D.C. -- to find out if

1590
01:13:22,731 --> 01:13:23,631
that was a possibility.

1591
01:13:23,632 --> 01:13:26,632
I think it's unlikely that
we'll be able to

1592
01:13:26,635 --> 01:13:27,805
arrange a visit on that
short a notice.

1593
01:13:27,803 --> 01:13:35,273
But obviously, I think
Clemson fans have a reason

1594
01:13:35,277 --> 01:13:37,017
to be real proud of their
team, not just in terms of

1595
01:13:37,012 --> 01:13:40,052
the way that their team
performed on the field and

1596
01:13:40,048 --> 01:13:44,818
beat an Alabama program
that I think has -- even

1597
01:13:44,820 --> 01:13:47,690
with the loss has probably
achieved the status of a

1598
01:13:47,689 --> 01:13:50,359
dynasty, but I also think
they can be pretty proud

1599
01:13:50,359 --> 01:13:52,199
of the way that the
coaching staff and the

1600
01:13:52,194 --> 01:13:54,234
players handled themselves
in the aftermath

1601
01:13:54,229 --> 01:13:54,999
of their victory.

1602
01:13:54,997 --> 01:13:57,237
And I think that was
-- for their heroic

1603
01:13:57,232 --> 01:14:00,102
performance in the field,
during the game, I think

1604
01:14:00,102 --> 01:14:06,912
it was their humility and
sense of camaraderie that

1605
01:14:06,909 --> 01:14:09,449
they expressed after the
game that really struck me.

1606
01:14:09,444 --> 01:14:10,784
So, John Gizzi, I'll
give you the last one.

1607
01:14:10,779 --> 01:14:12,579
The Press:
Thank you, Josh.

1608
01:14:12,581 --> 01:14:16,581
You said earlier that you
would not comment on Rex

1609
01:14:16,585 --> 01:14:18,585
Tillerson's hearings,
that you wouldn't pass

1610
01:14:18,587 --> 01:14:21,657
judgement and leave that
up to the Senate in its

1611
01:14:21,657 --> 01:14:25,127
capacity to advise
and consent, correct?

1612
01:14:25,127 --> 01:14:27,927
Mr. Earnest: Yeah, I'll
let the Senate decide.

1613
01:14:27,930 --> 01:14:29,260
Obviously, it's the men
and women of the Senate

1614
01:14:29,264 --> 01:14:35,074
who have a responsibility
to demand answers from the

1615
01:14:35,070 --> 01:14:36,840
men and women that
President-elect Trump

1616
01:14:36,839 --> 01:14:39,179
has asked to serve
in his Cabinet.

1617
01:14:39,174 --> 01:14:41,844
And ultimately, they will
pass judgement on the

1618
01:14:41,844 --> 01:14:43,414
qualifications of those
individuals that have

1619
01:14:43,412 --> 01:14:44,742
been put forward by the
President-elect.

1620
01:14:44,746 --> 01:14:48,186
The Press: Now, two good
friends and allies of the

1621
01:14:48,183 --> 01:14:50,783
President, Senator Cory
Booker and Congressman

1622
01:14:50,786 --> 01:14:54,986
John Lewis, are both
testifying against Senator

1623
01:14:54,990 --> 01:14:57,430
Sessions as nominee to
be Attorney General.

1624
01:14:57,426 --> 01:15:01,526
And does what you said
about the Tillerson

1625
01:15:01,530 --> 01:15:04,030
nomination apply to all
Cabinet nominations?

1626
01:15:04,032 --> 01:15:07,702
Do you have a comment on
that and on two close

1627
01:15:07,703 --> 01:15:10,673
allies of the President
breaking historical

1628
01:15:10,672 --> 01:15:12,972
precedent to testify
against a nominee?

1629
01:15:12,975 --> 01:15:16,475
Mr. Earnest: Look, I would
in no way suggest that the

1630
01:15:16,478 --> 01:15:19,048
standard that I've set for
the President or for me

1631
01:15:19,047 --> 01:15:21,017
who have an institutional
responsibility to ensure a

1632
01:15:21,016 --> 01:15:23,486
smooth and effective
transition somehow applies

1633
01:15:23,485 --> 01:15:25,255
to members of the
United States Congress.

1634
01:15:25,254 --> 01:15:27,394
They should make their
voices heard, and they

1635
01:15:27,389 --> 01:15:28,729
should do so consistent
with their own

1636
01:15:28,724 --> 01:15:29,554
judgement about that.

1637
01:15:29,558 --> 01:15:33,058
And I think that's exactly
what Congressman Lewis and

1638
01:15:33,061 --> 01:15:34,001
Senator Booker have done.

1639
01:15:33,996 --> 01:15:38,936
But President Obama
obviously has

1640
01:15:38,934 --> 01:15:40,274
institutional
responsibilities that

1641
01:15:40,269 --> 01:15:43,409
require him to focus on a
transition and not focus

1642
01:15:43,405 --> 01:15:49,045
on critiquing or
criticizing the people

1643
01:15:49,044 --> 01:15:51,314
that President-elect Trump
has appointed to these

1644
01:15:51,313 --> 01:15:53,553
important positions even
if they are not at all the

1645
01:15:53,548 --> 01:15:54,618
kind of people that
President Obama

1646
01:15:54,616 --> 01:15:55,986
would have appointed.

1647
01:15:55,984 --> 01:15:57,484
The Press: And did Senator
Booker or Congressman

1648
01:15:57,486 --> 01:16:00,456
Lewis discuss their
intention to testify

1649
01:16:00,455 --> 01:16:02,255
with the President
before they did?

1650
01:16:02,257 --> 01:16:03,157
Mr. Earnest: I'm not aware
that they spoke to the

1651
01:16:03,158 --> 01:16:03,928
President about it.

1652
01:16:03,926 --> 01:16:07,466
But even if they did, I'm
not sure that it matters.

1653
01:16:07,462 --> 01:16:09,002
Thanks, everybody.

1654
01:16:08,997 --> 01:16:09,727
We'll see you tomorrow.