English subtitles for clip: File:1-12-15- White House Press Briefing.webm

1
00:00:04,471 --> 00:00:05,101
Mr. Earnest:
Good afternoon, everybody.

2
00:00:05,105 --> 00:00:07,675
We've got a full
house today.

3
00:00:07,674 --> 00:00:08,904
Let me just do a quick
statement at the top

4
00:00:08,908 --> 00:00:11,578
and then we'll move
to your questions.

5
00:00:11,578 --> 00:00:13,578
Obviously, a lot has
happened since we all

6
00:00:13,580 --> 00:00:17,850
convened in this room six
days ago, most importantly

7
00:00:17,851 --> 00:00:19,851
the terrible terror
attacks that we saw

8
00:00:19,853 --> 00:00:20,953
in Paris
last week.

9
00:00:20,954 --> 00:00:22,954
And I expect that we'll
have ample opportunity

10
00:00:22,956 --> 00:00:24,956
to talk about that
over the course

11
00:00:24,958 --> 00:00:25,958
of this
briefing today.

12
00:00:25,959 --> 00:00:27,959
However, before we do, let
me also note something

13
00:00:27,961 --> 00:00:29,961
else important that
happened, which is that

14
00:00:29,963 --> 00:00:31,463
House Republicans
put forward

15
00:00:31,464 --> 00:00:34,104
Department of Homeland
Security funding legislation

16
00:00:34,100 --> 00:00:37,500
through the end of
fiscal year 2015.

17
00:00:37,504 --> 00:00:40,004
Unfortunately, Republicans
have also unveiled plans

18
00:00:40,006 --> 00:00:42,006
to muck around with
that legislation.

19
00:00:42,008 --> 00:00:44,008
This is legislation that
funds our efforts

20
00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:46,210
to protect our ports
and our borders.

21
00:00:46,212 --> 00:00:47,652
It provides
aviation security.

22
00:00:47,647 --> 00:00:49,887
It bolsters our
cybersecurity.

23
00:00:49,883 --> 00:00:51,883
It coordinates with state
and local authorities

24
00:00:51,885 --> 00:00:53,115
to improve our
counterterrorism

25
00:00:53,119 --> 00:00:55,119
resilience in communities
across the country.

26
00:00:55,121 --> 00:00:57,621
And, yes, it enforces
our immigration laws.

27
00:00:57,624 --> 00:00:59,794
There's never a good
time for Republicans

28
00:00:59,793 --> 00:01:02,563
to do something like this,
but right now it seems like

29
00:01:02,562 --> 00:01:05,132
a particularly bad time
for them to do so.

30
00:01:05,131 --> 00:01:07,131
Republicans have said
they're doing this because

31
00:01:07,133 --> 00:01:09,433
they have a political or
ideological objection

32
00:01:09,436 --> 00:01:11,436
to the President's executive
action on immigration.

33
00:01:11,438 --> 00:01:14,208
So let me repeat what
you've heard me say before:

34
00:01:14,207 --> 00:01:16,207
The President's
plan would bring some

35
00:01:16,209 --> 00:01:18,209
badly needed
accountability to our

36
00:01:18,211 --> 00:01:20,211
immigration system by
requiring undocumented

37
00:01:20,213 --> 00:01:22,853
workers -- I'm sorry,
undocumented immigrants

38
00:01:22,849 --> 00:01:24,849
who have been in this
country for more than

39
00:01:24,851 --> 00:01:27,091
five years to come out of
the shadows, get right with

40
00:01:27,086 --> 00:01:29,456
the law, submit to
a background check,

41
00:01:29,456 --> 00:01:30,856
and pay taxes.

42
00:01:30,857 --> 00:01:33,857
The Republican plan would
undo all of that and send

43
00:01:33,860 --> 00:01:35,860
the country back in
the direction of doing

44
00:01:35,862 --> 00:01:37,862
nothing, which is
something that no less

45
00:01:37,864 --> 00:01:42,874
an authority than Marco
Rubio has said is amnesty.

46
00:01:42,869 --> 00:01:45,069
So I guess that means
there's probably a lot

47
00:01:45,071 --> 00:01:47,611
of reasons to think that what
Republicans are planning

48
00:01:47,607 --> 00:01:50,447
on the DHS funding
bill is a bad idea.

49
00:01:50,443 --> 00:01:52,443
So with that, Jim, do you
want to get us started

50
00:01:52,445 --> 00:01:53,445
with questions today?

51
00:01:53,446 --> 00:01:54,446
The Press:
Thanks, Josh.

52
00:01:54,447 --> 00:01:55,887
Just to follow up on that
-- so the President would

53
00:01:55,882 --> 00:01:59,122
veto this legislation that
the House has assembled?

54
00:01:59,118 --> 00:02:01,118
Mr. Earnest:
Well, we've made clear,

55
00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:03,890
dating back to last fall,
that the President would

56
00:02:03,890 --> 00:02:08,260
oppose any legislative effort
to undermine the executive

57
00:02:08,261 --> 00:02:10,461
actions that he took to
add greater accountability

58
00:02:10,463 --> 00:02:14,873
to our immigration
system.

59
00:02:14,868 --> 00:02:16,568
The Press:
Can you tell us anything

60
00:02:16,569 --> 00:02:20,269
about this hacking of CENTCOM,
how disruptive was it?

61
00:02:20,273 --> 00:02:23,943
Do you have any
information on it?

62
00:02:23,943 --> 00:02:25,613
Mr. Earnest:
Jim, I don't have

63
00:02:25,612 --> 00:02:27,042
a lot of information
on this.

64
00:02:27,046 --> 00:02:30,186
It just occurred within
the last hour or so.

65
00:02:30,183 --> 00:02:32,083
I can tell you this is
something that we're

66
00:02:32,085 --> 00:02:33,415
obviously looking into
and something that

67
00:02:33,419 --> 00:02:35,359
we take seriously.

68
00:02:35,355 --> 00:02:37,455
However, just a note
of caution to folks as

69
00:02:37,457 --> 00:02:39,457
they're covering this
story, there's a pretty

70
00:02:39,459 --> 00:02:42,859
significant difference
between what

71
00:02:42,862 --> 00:02:47,902
is a large data breach
and the hacking

72
00:02:47,901 --> 00:02:49,001
of a Twitter
account.

73
00:02:49,002 --> 00:02:52,342
So we're still examining
and investigating

74
00:02:52,338 --> 00:02:57,748
the extent of this incident,
but I don't have any

75
00:02:57,744 --> 00:03:00,884
information beyond
that for you.

76
00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:04,420
The Press:
On the topic du jour,

77
00:03:04,417 --> 00:03:07,157
why did neither
President Obama or

78
00:03:07,153 --> 00:03:10,753
Vice President Biden or
Eric Holder attend

79
00:03:10,757 --> 00:03:14,397
the Paris solidarity
march this Sunday?

80
00:03:14,394 --> 00:03:16,394
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Jim, I can tell you

81
00:03:16,396 --> 00:03:18,396
that what was on the television
screens of people across

82
00:03:18,398 --> 00:03:21,298
this country and I think
even across the globe

83
00:03:21,301 --> 00:03:24,841
was a remarkable display of
unity by the French people

84
00:03:24,837 --> 00:03:31,007
in the face of these
terrible terror attacks.

85
00:03:31,010 --> 00:03:33,010
And the way that that
country has come together

86
00:03:33,012 --> 00:03:35,652
I do think struck a chord
and inspired people all

87
00:03:35,648 --> 00:03:39,388
across the world and
throughout this country.

88
00:03:39,385 --> 00:03:41,885
It was a remarkable
display.

89
00:03:41,888 --> 00:03:44,758
There were also a number
of other world leaders

90
00:03:44,757 --> 00:03:46,757
who were there to
participate and show

91
00:03:46,759 --> 00:03:48,829
their support
as well.

92
00:03:48,828 --> 00:03:50,828
And some have asked
whether or not the

93
00:03:50,830 --> 00:03:53,500
United States should have
sent someone with a higher

94
00:03:53,499 --> 00:03:57,939
profile than the
ambassador to France,

95
00:03:57,937 --> 00:03:59,937
and I think it's fair to say
that we should have sent

96
00:03:59,939 --> 00:04:03,079
someone with a higher
profile to be there.

97
00:04:03,076 --> 00:04:07,216
That said, there is no
doubt that the American

98
00:04:07,213 --> 00:04:09,713
people and this
administration stand

99
00:04:09,716 --> 00:04:12,856
foursquare behind our
allies in France as they

100
00:04:12,852 --> 00:04:14,322
face down this threat.

101
00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,320
And that was evident
throughout last week,

102
00:04:16,322 --> 00:04:18,322
when you saw that
the President's top

103
00:04:18,324 --> 00:04:20,324
counterterrorism advisor
here at the White House

104
00:04:20,326 --> 00:04:22,826
was in touch with her
French counterpart minutes

105
00:04:22,829 --> 00:04:25,869
after the reports of
this terror attack

106
00:04:25,865 --> 00:04:27,335
first emerged.

107
00:04:27,333 --> 00:04:29,633
You saw later in the
day that the President

108
00:04:29,636 --> 00:04:32,106
of the United States
telephoned President Hollande

109
00:04:32,105 --> 00:04:34,045
to not just express his
condolences on behalf

110
00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,780
of the American people to
the people of France but

111
00:04:36,776 --> 00:04:39,846
also to pledge any
needed cooperation and

112
00:04:39,846 --> 00:04:43,186
assistance to conduct the
investigation and to bring

113
00:04:43,182 --> 00:04:45,782
to justice those who are
responsible for those

114
00:04:45,785 --> 00:04:47,555
terror attacks.

115
00:04:47,553 --> 00:04:49,823
I can tell you that that
kind of coordination that

116
00:04:49,822 --> 00:04:51,822
is the backbone of the
strong relationship

117
00:04:51,824 --> 00:04:54,194
between the United States
and France continues.

118
00:04:54,193 --> 00:04:56,193
It continued throughout
the weekend,

119
00:04:56,195 --> 00:04:57,165
and it continues today.

120
00:04:57,163 --> 00:04:59,163
In fact, I can tell you
that the French ambassador

121
00:04:59,165 --> 00:05:01,235
to the United States will
be here at the White House

122
00:05:01,234 --> 00:05:03,704
later today to meet with
Lisa Monaco, who is,

123
00:05:03,703 --> 00:05:05,943
as I mentioned earlier,
is the President's top

124
00:05:05,938 --> 00:05:06,978
counterterrorism
advisor.

125
00:05:06,973 --> 00:05:08,973
The Press:
How much higher a profile

126
00:05:08,975 --> 00:05:11,545
do you think should have
-- or does the President

127
00:05:11,544 --> 00:05:13,184
think should
have been there?

128
00:05:13,179 --> 00:05:16,819
Eric Holder was in the
city and did television

129
00:05:16,816 --> 00:05:18,916
talk show shows
that morning.

130
00:05:18,918 --> 00:05:21,418
Should he have been the
person representing the U.S.?

131
00:05:21,421 --> 00:05:23,991
Or at what level would
the President have

132
00:05:23,990 --> 00:05:26,090
been satisfied
with that presence?

133
00:05:26,092 --> 00:05:28,192
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I can tell you,

134
00:05:28,194 --> 00:05:29,694
Jim, that had the circumstances
been a little bit different,

135
00:05:29,696 --> 00:05:31,166
I think the President
himself would have liked

136
00:05:31,164 --> 00:05:33,004
to have had the
opportunity to be there.

137
00:05:32,999 --> 00:05:34,029
The Press:
Why not --

138
00:05:34,033 --> 00:05:35,173
Mr. Earnest:
Well, the fact is,

139
00:05:35,168 --> 00:05:38,538
that is this is obviously
a march that the

140
00:05:38,538 --> 00:05:40,878
planning for which only
began on Friday night

141
00:05:40,873 --> 00:05:45,613
and 36 hours later
it had begun.

142
00:05:45,611 --> 00:05:48,551
What's also clear is that
the security requirements

143
00:05:48,548 --> 00:05:50,118
around a
presidential-level

144
00:05:50,116 --> 00:05:52,756
visit or even a vice
presidential-level visit

145
00:05:52,752 --> 00:05:54,452
are onerous and
significant.

146
00:05:54,454 --> 00:05:57,024
And in a situation like
this, they typically

147
00:05:57,023 --> 00:06:01,793
have a pretty significant
impact on the other

148
00:06:01,794 --> 00:06:03,194
citizens who are
trying to participate

149
00:06:03,196 --> 00:06:05,536
in a large public
event like this.

150
00:06:05,531 --> 00:06:07,531
We talk about this a lot
when it comes to the

151
00:06:07,533 --> 00:06:11,773
President attending a
basketball game, but the

152
00:06:11,771 --> 00:06:13,871
fact of the matter is
there were not just

153
00:06:13,873 --> 00:06:15,873
thousands of people
at the event --

154
00:06:15,875 --> 00:06:17,445
there were millions.

155
00:06:17,443 --> 00:06:20,613
It wasn't just an arena
that needed to be secured,

156
00:06:20,613 --> 00:06:22,813
but a large outdoor area
that poses significant

157
00:06:22,815 --> 00:06:25,055
security
challenges.

158
00:06:25,051 --> 00:06:27,051
I'm confident that
the professionals

159
00:06:27,053 --> 00:06:29,093
at the Secret Service could
overcome those challenges,

160
00:06:29,088 --> 00:06:31,088
but it would have
been very difficult

161
00:06:31,090 --> 00:06:33,090
to do so without significantly
impacting the ability

162
00:06:33,092 --> 00:06:37,532
of common citizens to
participate in this march.

163
00:06:37,530 --> 00:06:40,870
And after all, what I
think was so impressive

164
00:06:40,867 --> 00:06:43,867
about this display is it
demonstrated the unity

165
00:06:43,870 --> 00:06:48,010
of the French
people.

166
00:06:48,007 --> 00:06:51,077
And that is something that
we are always mindful

167
00:06:51,077 --> 00:06:54,447
of in situations like this,
of interfering with those

168
00:06:54,447 --> 00:06:56,447
who are trying to attend
an event, particularly

169
00:06:56,449 --> 00:06:59,649
when the purpose of the
event is to demonstrate

170
00:06:59,652 --> 00:07:03,692
the unity of spirit and
purpose of the people

171
00:07:03,689 --> 00:07:04,959
who are coming
together.

172
00:07:04,957 --> 00:07:06,097
The Press:
This consideration

173
00:07:06,092 --> 00:07:10,662
of perhaps having had a more
prominent presence there,

174
00:07:10,663 --> 00:07:13,503
is that something that
just has been considered

175
00:07:13,499 --> 00:07:15,339
at the White House today,
or was it something you

176
00:07:15,334 --> 00:07:18,174
considered doing on Friday
when you first knew that

177
00:07:18,171 --> 00:07:21,041
this was going
to happen?

178
00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:22,010
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Jim, I'm not

179
00:07:22,008 --> 00:07:24,148
going to sort of unpack
all of the planning

180
00:07:24,143 --> 00:07:26,583
and discussions that
went into this.

181
00:07:26,579 --> 00:07:29,519
But I think suffice it to
say there should not be,

182
00:07:29,515 --> 00:07:33,485
and there is not any doubt
in the minds of the people

183
00:07:33,486 --> 00:07:35,756
in France or people around
the world, and certainly

184
00:07:35,755 --> 00:07:40,325
not among our enemies,
about how committed

185
00:07:40,326 --> 00:07:42,926
to a strong relationship
that the United States

186
00:07:42,929 --> 00:07:44,929
is with France, and
committed to the same

187
00:07:44,931 --> 00:07:46,971
kinds of values
that they are.

188
00:07:46,966 --> 00:07:50,036
I think in some ways, most
importantly, the people

189
00:07:50,036 --> 00:07:52,076
who understand this
best of all are the

190
00:07:52,071 --> 00:07:53,511
French people
themselves.

191
00:07:53,506 --> 00:07:55,506
And I did note that the
French ambassador was

192
00:07:55,508 --> 00:07:57,808
on television earlier today
in which he described

193
00:07:57,810 --> 00:07:59,810
the French people as
overwhelmed by the

194
00:07:59,812 --> 00:08:03,752
expression of solidarity
and grief from all corners

195
00:08:03,749 --> 00:08:05,749
of the American people,
including from the

196
00:08:05,751 --> 00:08:07,591
highest levels of the
administration.

197
00:08:07,587 --> 00:08:08,757
Steve.

198
00:08:08,754 --> 00:08:09,754
The Press:
Josh, just to follow

199
00:08:09,755 --> 00:08:13,865
up on this, did you consider
having the President go,

200
00:08:13,860 --> 00:08:16,260
or was it something that was
just developing too late

201
00:08:16,262 --> 00:08:18,132
to actually pull
together in time?

202
00:08:18,130 --> 00:08:19,370
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Steve, as

203
00:08:19,365 --> 00:08:20,495
I mentioned to Jim,
I'm just not going

204
00:08:20,499 --> 00:08:22,699
to be in a position to sort
of unpack the scheduling

205
00:08:22,702 --> 00:08:26,272
planning discussions
that we have here.

206
00:08:26,272 --> 00:08:28,542
But what I can tell you is
that there are some

207
00:08:28,541 --> 00:08:32,041
who have suggested
that the U.S. presence

208
00:08:32,044 --> 00:08:33,044
at the march
should have been

209
00:08:33,045 --> 00:08:35,845
represented by somebody
with a higher profile than

210
00:08:35,848 --> 00:08:37,988
the ambassador
to France.

211
00:08:37,984 --> 00:08:41,724
And I guess what I'm
saying is that we here

212
00:08:41,721 --> 00:08:43,721
at the White House agree
that somebody with a higher

213
00:08:43,723 --> 00:08:46,193
profile should have
also included --

214
00:08:46,192 --> 00:08:47,192
The Press:
And did the French

215
00:08:47,193 --> 00:08:49,063
ask you to come?

216
00:08:49,061 --> 00:08:51,061
Mr. Earnest:
Steve, I'm not aware

217
00:08:51,063 --> 00:08:53,603
of all the conversations
that may have occurred

218
00:08:53,599 --> 00:08:56,869
between French officials and
American officials here.

219
00:08:56,869 --> 00:08:57,739
The Press:
There's been plenty

220
00:08:57,737 --> 00:08:58,707
of criticism
about this.

221
00:08:58,704 --> 00:08:59,904
Is this
criticism fair?

222
00:08:59,906 --> 00:09:01,906
Mr. Earnest:
Well criticism from whom?

223
00:09:01,908 --> 00:09:04,748
The Press:
A wide variety of --

224
00:09:04,744 --> 00:09:06,314
everybody from --

225
00:09:06,312 --> 00:09:07,342
Mr. Earnest:
But nobody that comes to mind?

226
00:09:07,346 --> 00:09:08,286
The Press:
I can give you --

227
00:09:08,281 --> 00:09:09,381
Mr. Earnest:
Go ahead, Steve.

228
00:09:09,382 --> 00:09:10,982
It's your turn to ask the
question, so you can --

229
00:09:10,983 --> 00:09:12,553
The Press:
Ted Cruz --

230
00:09:12,551 --> 00:09:13,691
Mr. Earnest:
Ted Cruz.

231
00:09:13,686 --> 00:09:14,816
The Press:
Jake Tapper.

232
00:09:14,820 --> 00:09:15,790
Mr. Earnest:
Jake Tapper did have

233
00:09:15,788 --> 00:09:16,558
some criticism.

234
00:09:16,555 --> 00:09:18,395
I saw that too.

235
00:09:18,391 --> 00:09:19,991
The Press:
Marco Rubio.

236
00:09:19,992 --> 00:09:21,192
The Press:
-- throw out some names.

237
00:09:21,193 --> 00:09:21,893
The Press:
There are other

238
00:09:21,894 --> 00:09:23,634
Republicans too.

239
00:09:23,629 --> 00:09:25,699
Mr. Earnest:
So, Steve, you're asking?

240
00:09:25,698 --> 00:09:30,408
The Press:
Is this criticism fair?

241
00:09:30,403 --> 00:09:32,403
Mr. Earnest:
It's certainly a free country,

242
00:09:32,405 --> 00:09:34,975
and people have the
opportunity to subject

243
00:09:34,974 --> 00:09:37,714
their elected officials
to criticism and make

244
00:09:37,710 --> 00:09:40,750
it clear when they
disagree with a decision

245
00:09:40,746 --> 00:09:42,786
or an action that's been
taken by the administration,

246
00:09:42,782 --> 00:09:44,782
and I certainly wouldn't
quibble with their

247
00:09:44,784 --> 00:09:45,784
right to do so.

248
00:09:45,785 --> 00:09:47,755
And to the extent that
there are those who are

249
00:09:47,753 --> 00:09:50,023
out there saying that the
administration should have

250
00:09:50,022 --> 00:09:52,022
sent someone with a higher
profile to participate

251
00:09:52,024 --> 00:09:56,024
in the march, I guess
what I'm saying is that

252
00:09:56,028 --> 00:09:57,528
we agree that we should
have sent someone with

253
00:09:57,530 --> 00:10:00,530
a higher profile --
again, in addition

254
00:10:00,533 --> 00:10:02,233
to the ambassador
to France.

255
00:10:02,234 --> 00:10:03,374
The Press:
Let me just ask one

256
00:10:03,369 --> 00:10:04,809
last thing, sort of
related to this.

257
00:10:04,804 --> 00:10:07,874
President Hollande has
called the Paris attacks

258
00:10:07,873 --> 00:10:09,843
an "act of war."

259
00:10:09,842 --> 00:10:13,312
How does this change your
strategy toward going

260
00:10:13,312 --> 00:10:14,712
after Islamic State?

261
00:10:14,714 --> 00:10:17,314
Are the French now going
to be stronger partners?

262
00:10:17,316 --> 00:10:18,116
Or how do you
interpret this?

263
00:10:18,117 --> 00:10:20,917
Mr. Earnest:
Well, there's an important

264
00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:22,920
leap that's made in
the construct of the

265
00:10:22,922 --> 00:10:24,922
question there,
which is there still

266
00:10:24,924 --> 00:10:28,024
is an investigation that's
ongoing to determine exactly

267
00:10:28,027 --> 00:10:31,597
what the links were between
these individuals who

268
00:10:31,597 --> 00:10:34,467
were responsible for these
terror attacks in France

269
00:10:34,467 --> 00:10:37,037
and their communications
and support from

270
00:10:37,036 --> 00:10:39,236
extremists in other
locations around the globe.

271
00:10:39,238 --> 00:10:41,238
There's some reporting
-- public reporting

272
00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:45,180
-- that I'm referring to
that indicates that these

273
00:10:45,177 --> 00:10:47,347
individuals may have
had links to or even

274
00:10:47,346 --> 00:10:48,716
traveled to Yemen.

275
00:10:48,714 --> 00:10:53,324
I know that there is a
video that's emerged today

276
00:10:53,319 --> 00:10:56,089
that we're still reviewing
here in which one of the

277
00:10:56,088 --> 00:10:58,928
terrorists indicate
some sympathy and

278
00:10:58,924 --> 00:11:00,794
support from ISIL.

279
00:11:00,793 --> 00:11:03,063
So we're reviewing all
of this and trying

280
00:11:03,062 --> 00:11:06,332
to assist the French
as they take the lead

281
00:11:06,332 --> 00:11:08,472
on the investigation, as
they should, about who

282
00:11:08,467 --> 00:11:11,307
is responsible, what kind
of support they had,

283
00:11:11,303 --> 00:11:13,603
and what links that
has to other

284
00:11:13,606 --> 00:11:16,706
extremist groups
around the world.

285
00:11:16,709 --> 00:11:17,709
Move around just
a little bit.

286
00:11:17,710 --> 00:11:18,710
Laura.

287
00:11:18,711 --> 00:11:19,241
The Press:
Thank you.

288
00:11:19,245 --> 00:11:20,115
Merci.

289
00:11:20,112 --> 00:11:21,152
How did the
President follow the

290
00:11:21,147 --> 00:11:22,947
demonstration
yesterday?

291
00:11:22,948 --> 00:11:25,748
And what was his personal
feeling when he was

292
00:11:25,751 --> 00:11:29,021
looking at all those
American channels

293
00:11:29,021 --> 00:11:32,321
airing the demonstration
for hours?

294
00:11:32,324 --> 00:11:34,394
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Laura, I don't

295
00:11:34,393 --> 00:11:37,063
know how much of the
march the President

296
00:11:37,063 --> 00:11:40,263
watched on television, but
I can tell you that the

297
00:11:40,266 --> 00:11:43,006
comments that I have
reiterated today about

298
00:11:43,002 --> 00:11:45,802
the rather impressive display
of unity and solidarity

299
00:11:45,805 --> 00:11:48,075
from the French people
is something that the

300
00:11:48,074 --> 00:11:50,074
President made
note of as well.

301
00:11:52,378 --> 00:11:55,478
And these are messages
that were most importantly

302
00:11:55,481 --> 00:11:57,881
sent by the citizens of
France, but they were

303
00:11:57,883 --> 00:11:59,883
echoed by people all
across the globe.

304
00:11:59,885 --> 00:12:02,355
And there were many ways
people could demonstrate

305
00:12:02,354 --> 00:12:04,824
those expressions of
support -- everything

306
00:12:04,824 --> 00:12:08,394
from an op-ed to a tweet
to a speech at the

307
00:12:08,394 --> 00:12:10,394
Golden Globes
Awards last night.

308
00:12:10,396 --> 00:12:12,966
And I think that is
indicative of the kind

309
00:12:12,965 --> 00:12:15,635
of solidarity that the
American people feel with

310
00:12:15,634 --> 00:12:18,234
our allies in France --
not just because of the

311
00:12:18,237 --> 00:12:20,737
terrible tragedy that
they've endured, but also

312
00:12:20,739 --> 00:12:22,939
because of the kinds of
values that they fight for.

313
00:12:22,942 --> 00:12:24,942
These are the same kinds
of values that we hold

314
00:12:24,944 --> 00:12:25,944
dear in this
country.

315
00:12:25,945 --> 00:12:27,915
And I think that's why
the bond between the

316
00:12:27,913 --> 00:12:30,513
United States and France
is so strong today.

317
00:12:30,516 --> 00:12:32,056
The Press:
When the demonstration

318
00:12:32,051 --> 00:12:34,051
began at one o'clock in
the afternoon in Paris,

319
00:12:34,053 --> 00:12:36,053
the White House sent a
message at seven o'clock

320
00:12:36,055 --> 00:12:38,255
in the morning here,
by email, the U.S.

321
00:12:38,257 --> 00:12:40,797
saying that there
will be a summit

322
00:12:40,793 --> 00:12:44,493
to fight violent
extremism.

323
00:12:44,497 --> 00:12:45,767
What is your
point there?

324
00:12:45,764 --> 00:12:47,764
What do you expect
from this summit?

325
00:12:47,766 --> 00:12:49,636
Mr. Earnest:
Well, let me say

326
00:12:49,635 --> 00:12:50,635
a couple of things
about that.

327
00:12:50,636 --> 00:12:52,936
This effort to counter
violent extremism

328
00:12:52,938 --> 00:12:54,938
is something that we've
talked about quite

329
00:12:54,940 --> 00:12:56,510
a bit over
the years.

330
00:12:56,509 --> 00:13:00,549
This has long been a focal
point of our planning

331
00:13:00,546 --> 00:13:03,216
when it comes to our
counterterrorism strategy.

332
00:13:06,152 --> 00:13:13,322
The other thing that I
would anticipate that

333
00:13:13,325 --> 00:13:14,495
we would expect to discuss
in the context of the summit

334
00:13:14,493 --> 00:13:15,993
is to invite leaders
from the private sector

335
00:13:15,995 --> 00:13:20,165
and technology community
to discuss how extremists

336
00:13:20,166 --> 00:13:23,736
are using social media
platforms to try

337
00:13:23,736 --> 00:13:30,346
to inspire acts of violence
and inspire extremism --

338
00:13:30,342 --> 00:13:33,742
expressions of extremism
by other people.

339
00:13:33,746 --> 00:13:35,746
And we want to talk about
strategies that we can

340
00:13:35,748 --> 00:13:38,948
employ to better promote
pluralism, inclusion

341
00:13:38,951 --> 00:13:41,451
and resilience in communities
all across the country.

342
00:13:41,453 --> 00:13:43,793
One of the other things
that we would expect that

343
00:13:43,789 --> 00:13:46,029
we would talk about in a
summit like this would

344
00:13:46,025 --> 00:13:49,165
be to highlight the
experience of some pilot

345
00:13:49,161 --> 00:13:51,161
programs that have
operating in cities

346
00:13:51,163 --> 00:13:53,333
like Boston, Los
Angeles, and the

347
00:13:53,332 --> 00:13:56,202
Minneapolis-St. Paul area,
where local officials

348
00:13:56,202 --> 00:14:01,742
have really employed some
pioneering techniques

349
00:14:01,740 --> 00:14:04,880
to try to work very closely
in their communities to,

350
00:14:04,877 --> 00:14:10,747
again, root out efforts
to inspire and recruit

351
00:14:10,749 --> 00:14:12,619
extremists, or to
propagate extremist

352
00:14:12,618 --> 00:14:14,658
ideology in a way that's
not good for the country

353
00:14:14,653 --> 00:14:16,653
and certainly not good for
the communities where that

354
00:14:16,655 --> 00:14:17,655
may be occurring.

355
00:14:17,656 --> 00:14:19,996
So there are some very
interesting, innovative

356
00:14:19,992 --> 00:14:21,992
techniques that are being
employed, and we want

357
00:14:21,994 --> 00:14:24,764
to share those best practices
with other local officials

358
00:14:24,763 --> 00:14:26,303
who'd participate
in this summit.

359
00:14:26,298 --> 00:14:27,768
The Press:
And will you

360
00:14:27,766 --> 00:14:29,766
speak about the battle
against Islamist extremism?

361
00:14:29,768 --> 00:14:33,208
Mr. Earnest:
Well, all forms of violent

362
00:14:33,205 --> 00:14:35,405
extremism would certainly
be discussed in the

363
00:14:35,407 --> 00:14:36,507
context of
this summit.

364
00:14:36,508 --> 00:14:41,618
But obviously the
threat that we see from

365
00:14:41,614 --> 00:14:45,854
violent extremism in
which individuals invoke

366
00:14:45,851 --> 00:14:48,891
the name of Islam, an
otherwise peaceful

367
00:14:48,887 --> 00:14:52,057
religion, as they carry
out these attacks would

368
00:14:52,057 --> 00:14:55,057
certainly be
obviously a priority

369
00:14:55,060 --> 00:14:57,030
in the
discussion here.

370
00:14:57,029 --> 00:14:57,699
Ed.

371
00:14:57,696 --> 00:14:58,996
The Press:
Josh, why wouldn't you

372
00:14:58,998 --> 00:15:00,998
use the phrase right
there, that we are

373
00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,000
going to take on
Islamist extremism?

374
00:15:03,002 --> 00:15:05,002
You said all forms of
violent extremism.

375
00:15:05,004 --> 00:15:07,004
Mr. Earnest:
She asked me what the

376
00:15:07,006 --> 00:15:08,976
summit would discuss,
and all forms of violent

377
00:15:08,974 --> 00:15:10,974
extremism would be
discussed, and obviously

378
00:15:10,976 --> 00:15:16,786
the most potent and certainly
the most graphic display

379
00:15:16,782 --> 00:15:18,982
that we've seen in
recent days is, again,

380
00:15:18,984 --> 00:15:21,484
motivated by those individuals
that seek to invoke

381
00:15:21,487 --> 00:15:23,527
the name of Islam to carry
out these violent attacks.

382
00:15:23,522 --> 00:15:25,922
And that's certainly
something that we want

383
00:15:25,924 --> 00:15:27,564
to work very hard to
counter and mitigate,

384
00:15:27,559 --> 00:15:29,699
and we've got a strategy
that we've been discussing

385
00:15:29,695 --> 00:15:30,895
for some time to
exactly do that.

386
00:15:30,896 --> 00:15:31,766
The Press:
So if it's the most

387
00:15:31,764 --> 00:15:33,194
potent form, according
to you, of extremism,

388
00:15:33,198 --> 00:15:35,768
why isn't the summit
on countering

389
00:15:35,768 --> 00:15:37,368
Islamic extremism?

390
00:15:37,369 --> 00:15:38,669
Mr. Earnest:
Because violent extremism

391
00:15:38,671 --> 00:15:40,071
is something that we
want to be focused on,

392
00:15:40,072 --> 00:15:45,342
and it's not just Islamic
violent extremism that

393
00:15:45,344 --> 00:15:46,374
we want to counter; there
are other forms of --

394
00:15:46,378 --> 00:15:47,378
The Press:
The recent cases

395
00:15:47,379 --> 00:15:49,549
in Paris, Australia, Canada
-- isn't the thread through

396
00:15:49,548 --> 00:15:51,818
them that it's
Islamic extremism?

397
00:15:51,817 --> 00:15:52,817
Mr. Earnest:
Well certainly the

398
00:15:52,818 --> 00:15:56,118
examples that you cite are
examples of individuals

399
00:15:56,121 --> 00:15:58,421
who have cited Islam
as they've carried out

400
00:15:58,424 --> 00:16:01,364
acts of violence.

401
00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:03,930
There's no
arguing that.

402
00:16:03,929 --> 00:16:05,199
The Press:
You said several times

403
00:16:05,197 --> 00:16:06,437
we should have sent
someone higher than

404
00:16:06,432 --> 00:16:07,662
the ambassador.

405
00:16:07,666 --> 00:16:08,936
Mr. Earnest:
With a higher profile

406
00:16:08,934 --> 00:16:10,934
than the ambassador,
that's correct.

407
00:16:10,936 --> 00:16:12,936
The Press:
Question: Why didn't you?

408
00:16:12,938 --> 00:16:13,938
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Ed, I've

409
00:16:13,939 --> 00:16:16,039
sort of tried to describe
to you exactly the

410
00:16:16,041 --> 00:16:19,611
situation here, that we're
talking about a march that

411
00:16:19,611 --> 00:16:23,881
came together with
essentially 36 hours' notice

412
00:16:23,882 --> 00:16:27,282
and a march that occurred
outdoors with an

413
00:16:27,286 --> 00:16:32,396
obviously very large number
of people that participated.

414
00:16:32,391 --> 00:16:34,431
We are mindful any time
the President goes

415
00:16:34,426 --> 00:16:37,396
to a public place, or the Vice
President for that matter,

416
00:16:37,396 --> 00:16:39,836
that we don't want -- or
at least we want to try

417
00:16:39,832 --> 00:16:42,832
to mitigate the impact that
the security precautions

418
00:16:42,835 --> 00:16:44,835
would have on those
who are participating

419
00:16:44,837 --> 00:16:45,837
in this public event.

420
00:16:45,838 --> 00:16:47,878
And there's no doubt that
had the President or

421
00:16:47,873 --> 00:16:50,573
Vice President on this
very short timeframe gone

422
00:16:50,576 --> 00:16:52,916
to participate in this event
that took place outdoors

423
00:16:52,911 --> 00:16:56,351
with more than a million
people in attendance,

424
00:16:56,348 --> 00:16:57,948
that it would have
significantly impacted

425
00:16:57,950 --> 00:17:00,120
the ability of those who
were attending the march

426
00:17:00,119 --> 00:17:01,689
to participate in the way
that they did yesterday.

427
00:17:01,687 --> 00:17:03,057
The Press:
Everyone acknowledges

428
00:17:03,055 --> 00:17:04,495
the President's
safety is of utmost.

429
00:17:04,490 --> 00:17:05,590
It's not an
issue at all.

430
00:17:05,591 --> 00:17:07,361
Of course his security is
important and you don't

431
00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:08,559
want to detract
from the event.

432
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:09,600
How do you explain
then that the

433
00:17:09,595 --> 00:17:11,495
Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu,

434
00:17:11,497 --> 00:17:12,897
he made it there?

435
00:17:12,898 --> 00:17:14,738
He's a huge target
obviously, unfortunately.

436
00:17:14,733 --> 00:17:15,663
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I will allow

437
00:17:15,667 --> 00:17:17,667
the Israelis to discuss
what security precautions

438
00:17:17,669 --> 00:17:18,739
they had in place.

439
00:17:18,737 --> 00:17:19,667
The Press:
There were dozens of leaders

440
00:17:19,671 --> 00:17:20,671
-- dozens of leaders
from countries that

441
00:17:20,672 --> 00:17:21,412
are very important.

442
00:17:21,407 --> 00:17:22,837
They're not America,
but very important.

443
00:17:22,841 --> 00:17:23,711
How did they
make it there?

444
00:17:23,709 --> 00:17:24,479
Mr. Earnest:
I'm not suggesting that

445
00:17:24,476 --> 00:17:25,346
they aren't at all.

446
00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:26,244
The Press:
How did they make it there?

447
00:17:26,245 --> 00:17:27,075
Mr. Earnest:
Ed, you should

448
00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:27,949
talk to them about the
security precautions

449
00:17:27,946 --> 00:17:28,746
they have
in place.

450
00:17:28,747 --> 00:17:30,317
You've been to enough
-- look, you have been

451
00:17:30,315 --> 00:17:31,685
to enough events where the 
President is attending

452
00:17:31,683 --> 00:17:34,183
a conference or a summit
with other world leaders,

453
00:17:34,186 --> 00:17:37,426
and I think that you have
seen firsthand that the

454
00:17:37,423 --> 00:17:39,723
security precautions that
are in place for the

455
00:17:39,725 --> 00:17:41,365
President of the
United States --

456
00:17:41,360 --> 00:17:43,000
this has been true of
previous Presidents, too --

457
00:17:42,995 --> 00:17:46,065
are sometimes more onerous
than the precautions that

458
00:17:46,064 --> 00:17:47,434
are put in place for
other world leaders.

459
00:17:47,433 --> 00:17:48,803
The Press:
Sure.

460
00:17:48,801 --> 00:17:49,631
In the Mandela funeral
there were dozens

461
00:17:49,635 --> 00:17:50,535
of dozens of leaders.

462
00:17:50,536 --> 00:17:52,136
The American security
might be more,

463
00:17:52,137 --> 00:17:53,777
but it comes up in
short notice.

464
00:17:53,772 --> 00:17:55,842
Unfortunately, Mandela
dies, and you wanted

465
00:17:55,841 --> 00:17:56,611
to be there.

466
00:17:56,608 --> 00:17:57,508
You made it.

467
00:17:57,509 --> 00:17:58,579
How did that come
together then?

468
00:17:58,577 --> 00:18:00,317
Mr. Earnest:
The difference with

469
00:18:00,312 --> 00:18:03,052
President Mandela is
that there had been

470
00:18:03,048 --> 00:18:04,988
discussions that had been
ongoing for, frankly,

471
00:18:04,983 --> 00:18:07,553
a number of years about
the ceremony that would

472
00:18:07,553 --> 00:18:09,723
take place in the
event of his death.

473
00:18:09,721 --> 00:18:11,121
And so there was
a much clearer --

474
00:18:11,123 --> 00:18:11,723
The Press:
But you guys didn't

475
00:18:11,723 --> 00:18:12,423
know what day.

476
00:18:12,424 --> 00:18:13,764
Mr. Earnest:
That's right.

477
00:18:13,759 --> 00:18:15,699
But there was a much
clearer plan that was

478
00:18:15,694 --> 00:18:17,564
already in place that
could be followed for

479
00:18:17,563 --> 00:18:19,803
executing that event
on a short timeframe.

480
00:18:19,798 --> 00:18:22,038
There obviously was
nothing in place because

481
00:18:22,034 --> 00:18:23,874
I don't think anybody
contemplated the kind

482
00:18:23,869 --> 00:18:25,069
of attack that we
saw in Paris.

483
00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:27,540
The Press:
You said the

484
00:18:27,539 --> 00:18:28,539
President personally wishes
-- he would have liked

485
00:18:28,540 --> 00:18:29,370
to have gone.

486
00:18:29,374 --> 00:18:30,214
Why didn't he?

487
00:18:30,209 --> 00:18:31,109
What was he
doing on Sunday?

488
00:18:31,109 --> 00:18:32,409
We haven't gotten an
accounting of what

489
00:18:32,411 --> 00:18:33,481
the President
did Sunday.

490
00:18:33,479 --> 00:18:35,049
Mr. Earnest:
I haven't spoken to the

491
00:18:35,047 --> 00:18:36,277
President about what
he did yesterday.

492
00:18:36,281 --> 00:18:37,721
The Press:
Why not?

493
00:18:37,716 --> 00:18:39,816
you've said many times
-- the most transparent

494
00:18:39,818 --> 00:18:41,418
administration -- what
was the President doing?

495
00:18:41,420 --> 00:18:42,350
Mr. Earnest:
Ed, I guess I prepared

496
00:18:42,354 --> 00:18:43,754
for a lot of questions
today, but I did not

497
00:18:43,755 --> 00:18:46,095
prepare for a question
based on what the President

498
00:18:46,091 --> 00:18:47,191
was actually
doing yesterday.

499
00:18:47,192 --> 00:18:48,732
The Press:
You didn't -- okay.

500
00:18:48,727 --> 00:18:50,567
Attorney General Eric
Holder was in Paris,

501
00:18:50,562 --> 00:18:52,332
and they put out a
statement -- his office

502
00:18:52,331 --> 00:18:53,871
-- saying that he had
very important meetings.

503
00:18:53,866 --> 00:18:56,006
No one would counter
that the counterterror

504
00:18:56,001 --> 00:18:57,271
meetings were
very important.

505
00:18:57,269 --> 00:18:58,669
One would assume that
the French officials

506
00:18:58,670 --> 00:19:00,340
who attended those
meetings -- some of them,

507
00:19:00,339 --> 00:19:01,979
anyway -- probably
went to this rally.

508
00:19:01,974 --> 00:19:05,144
And the Attorney General's
office says that he had

509
00:19:05,143 --> 00:19:07,513
to get back to Washington
on Sunday afternoon;

510
00:19:07,513 --> 00:19:09,453
that was one reason why he
couldn't make the rally.

511
00:19:09,448 --> 00:19:10,378
Why couldn't the
Attorney General?

512
00:19:10,382 --> 00:19:11,452
He was in that city.

513
00:19:11,450 --> 00:19:13,990
So there's no issue of --
security was already in place.

514
00:19:13,986 --> 00:19:15,116
How could he
not attend?

515
00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:16,190
Mr. Earnest:
Ed, I am not aware

516
00:19:16,188 --> 00:19:17,558
of the details of the
Attorney General's

517
00:19:17,556 --> 00:19:20,156
schedule for yesterday.

518
00:19:20,158 --> 00:19:22,258
But if you are asking
whether or not somebody

519
00:19:22,261 --> 00:19:24,831
like the Attorney General should
have attended or should have

520
00:19:24,830 --> 00:19:27,030
been asked by the White House
to attend, what I am telling

521
00:19:27,032 --> 00:19:28,702
you is that, yes, we
believe somebody with

522
00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:30,900
a higher profile should have
been asked to attend.

523
00:19:30,903 --> 00:19:31,473
The Press:
What about this

524
00:19:31,470 --> 00:19:32,470
rally in D.C.?

525
00:19:32,471 --> 00:19:33,771
There was a rally,
I believe it was

526
00:19:33,772 --> 00:19:35,672
a march from the Newseum
to the French Embassy.

527
00:19:35,674 --> 00:19:37,174
We should note the
President did go to the

528
00:19:37,175 --> 00:19:38,745
French Embassy last
week, obviously.

529
00:19:38,744 --> 00:19:40,244
He signed a condolence
book, he expressed his

530
00:19:40,245 --> 00:19:42,145
solidarity with
the French people.

531
00:19:42,147 --> 00:19:43,987
But I understand the
President is probably

532
00:19:43,982 --> 00:19:45,282
not going to go marching
through the streets

533
00:19:45,284 --> 00:19:48,084
of D.C., but the White
House Chief of Staff,

534
00:19:48,086 --> 00:19:51,686
the Vice President, a Cabinet
secretary somewhere --

535
00:19:51,690 --> 00:19:55,330
how come you didn't have
someone in D.C. at a rally?

536
00:19:55,327 --> 00:19:57,267
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Ed, I know

537
00:19:57,262 --> 00:19:57,892
that there were a number of
administration officials

538
00:19:57,896 --> 00:19:59,266
that did participate
in that rally.

539
00:19:59,264 --> 00:20:00,934
I think a lot of them
-- or in that march

540
00:20:00,933 --> 00:20:02,833
-- and I think a lot of
them participated

541
00:20:02,834 --> 00:20:04,834
-- would have done so even
if they weren't members

542
00:20:04,836 --> 00:20:06,176
of the
administration.

543
00:20:06,171 --> 00:20:10,371
But I can tell you, Ed,
that for all of this talk,

544
00:20:10,375 --> 00:20:12,675
there is no doubt, and
there should be no doubt,

545
00:20:12,678 --> 00:20:14,378
about this commitment of
the administration and the

546
00:20:14,379 --> 00:20:16,449
commitment of the American
people to standing

547
00:20:16,448 --> 00:20:18,718
shoulder to shoulder with
our allies in France

548
00:20:18,717 --> 00:20:20,157
as they deal with the
aftermath of these

549
00:20:20,152 --> 00:20:22,292
terrible terrorist attacks
and as they continue

550
00:20:22,287 --> 00:20:24,387
the fight for the kinds
of values that we hold

551
00:20:24,389 --> 00:20:26,089
so dear on both sides
of the Atlantic.

552
00:20:26,091 --> 00:20:28,531
Justin.

553
00:20:28,527 --> 00:20:30,327
The Press:
I want to talk about

554
00:20:30,329 --> 00:20:34,469
cyber, but I had a question on
the anti-extremism summit.

555
00:20:34,466 --> 00:20:36,666
It had been originally
scheduled for October,

556
00:20:36,668 --> 00:20:39,138
or it was supposed to be in
October and then it seemed

557
00:20:39,137 --> 00:20:40,507
like it was delayed
a couple times.

558
00:20:40,505 --> 00:20:42,945
Could you just talk about
why that was delayed,

559
00:20:42,941 --> 00:20:45,041
why it didn't happen
back in October?

560
00:20:45,043 --> 00:20:47,743
Mr. Earnest:
Well, there have

561
00:20:47,746 --> 00:20:51,286
been a number of discussions
about how exactly --

562
00:20:51,283 --> 00:20:52,783
about how this was
going to come together.

563
00:20:52,784 --> 00:20:55,854
And trying to schedule
among state and

564
00:20:55,854 --> 00:20:58,654
local leaders, leaders in
the private sector,

565
00:20:58,657 --> 00:21:01,297
community leaders from
other places across

566
00:21:01,293 --> 00:21:03,663
the country
is difficult.

567
00:21:03,662 --> 00:21:06,262
But I guess I can say
that -- what I would say

568
00:21:06,264 --> 00:21:08,204
is that this is something
that we've been focused

569
00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,740
on for quite some time; that
this notion of countering

570
00:21:10,736 --> 00:21:13,576
violent extremism has been
a central focal point

571
00:21:13,572 --> 00:21:15,712
of our counterterrorism
strategy for a long time,

572
00:21:15,707 --> 00:21:20,947
dating back to February of
2010, when then-Assistant

573
00:21:20,946 --> 00:21:22,516
to the President for
Homeland Security

574
00:21:22,514 --> 00:21:25,684
and current CIA Director
John Brennan gave a speech

575
00:21:25,684 --> 00:21:29,154
at NYU's Islamic Center and
the Islamic Law Students

576
00:21:29,154 --> 00:21:34,364
Association at NYU where
they discussed the need

577
00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,899
to counter efforts to
recruit people in the name

578
00:21:37,896 --> 00:21:39,896
of violent extremism, and
the efforts -- and the need

579
00:21:39,898 --> 00:21:42,598
to work closely with local
law enforcement and with

580
00:21:42,601 --> 00:21:48,111
community leaders to try
to counter that message.

581
00:21:48,106 --> 00:21:49,976
The Press:
So was the scheduling

582
00:21:49,975 --> 00:21:52,215
incidental, like you were just
able to corral everybody?

583
00:21:52,210 --> 00:21:54,650
Or was Paris kind of an
impetus that enabled

584
00:21:54,646 --> 00:21:57,686
you to bring people in for
this meeting next month?

585
00:21:57,683 --> 00:21:59,383
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I guess what

586
00:21:59,384 --> 00:22:03,654
I would say is that this --
certainly, that the tragic

587
00:22:03,655 --> 00:22:08,125
events that we saw in Paris
last week are a reminder

588
00:22:08,126 --> 00:22:09,966
of how important it is for us
to be vigilant about this

589
00:22:09,961 --> 00:22:12,001
specific issue.

590
00:22:11,997 --> 00:22:14,937
And this summit, as I have
described earlier, will

591
00:22:14,933 --> 00:22:18,203
be an important opportunity
for us to talk about some

592
00:22:18,203 --> 00:22:20,803
of the strategies that we
have in place, to mitigate

593
00:22:20,806 --> 00:22:23,546
the messages that are
emanating in social media

594
00:22:23,542 --> 00:22:27,412
to try recruit people in the
name of violent extremism.

595
00:22:27,412 --> 00:22:30,082
And we certainly also look
forward to the opportunity

596
00:22:30,082 --> 00:22:33,382
to hearing from local
officials and leaders

597
00:22:33,385 --> 00:22:35,825
of communities all across
the country about how

598
00:22:35,821 --> 00:22:38,861
they've worked together
in a way to mitigate

599
00:22:38,857 --> 00:22:40,857
those messages and
to counter them.

600
00:22:40,859 --> 00:22:42,859
And it should be an
opportunity for those

601
00:22:42,861 --> 00:22:44,931
kinds of best practices
to be shared with local

602
00:22:44,930 --> 00:22:46,930
officials from all across
the country that will

603
00:22:46,932 --> 00:22:47,762
participate in
this event.

604
00:22:47,766 --> 00:22:48,936
The Press:
All right.

605
00:22:48,934 --> 00:22:50,934
And then on cyber, the
President said today

606
00:22:50,936 --> 00:22:52,936
that he's going to announce
legislation tomorrow

607
00:22:52,938 --> 00:22:56,208
to encourage collaboration
between companies and

608
00:22:56,208 --> 00:22:59,008
the government on
cybersecurity practices

609
00:22:59,010 --> 00:23:00,010
and information.

610
00:23:00,011 --> 00:23:02,381
But it sounds a lot like
CISPA, which is the

611
00:23:02,380 --> 00:23:04,550
legislation that's been
kind of languishing

612
00:23:04,549 --> 00:23:06,989
on Capitol Hill for
a couple of years,

613
00:23:06,985 --> 00:23:08,955
you guys had voiced
concerns about that before.

614
00:23:08,954 --> 00:23:10,694
So I'm wondering,
has that changed?

615
00:23:10,689 --> 00:23:12,529
Or are we going to hear
a different version

616
00:23:12,524 --> 00:23:14,794
of that legislation
tomorrow?

617
00:23:14,793 --> 00:23:16,233
Mr. Earnest:
Well, we'll save

618
00:23:16,228 --> 00:23:17,768
tomorrow's news
for tomorrow.

619
00:23:17,763 --> 00:23:19,763
But you have heard
me say on a number

620
00:23:19,765 --> 00:23:23,135
of occasions that we've been
pretty disappointed that

621
00:23:23,135 --> 00:23:25,305
Congress has not fulfilled
their responsibility

622
00:23:25,303 --> 00:23:27,303
that they have to
deal with this

623
00:23:27,305 --> 00:23:28,945
critically
important issue.

624
00:23:28,940 --> 00:23:30,940
And that's why you
heard the President

625
00:23:30,942 --> 00:23:33,182
talk a little bit today
about some legislative

626
00:23:33,178 --> 00:23:35,178
proposals that
he's going to send

627
00:23:35,180 --> 00:23:39,080
up in the name of strengthening
consumer protections

628
00:23:39,084 --> 00:23:41,454
and making sure that
consumers and students

629
00:23:41,453 --> 00:23:43,453
get the kind of protection
and assurances that

630
00:23:43,455 --> 00:23:46,725
they deserve when it
comes to their privacy.

631
00:23:46,725 --> 00:23:48,795
We would hope that that
would not be something

632
00:23:48,794 --> 00:23:51,164
that would get bogged
down in partisan debates.

633
00:23:51,163 --> 00:23:52,163
This is something
we should all

634
00:23:52,164 --> 00:23:53,194
be able to
agree on.

635
00:23:53,198 --> 00:23:54,198
We'll see.

636
00:23:54,199 --> 00:23:56,869
I think the same thing --
same description could

637
00:23:56,868 --> 00:23:58,938
apply to the kinds
of cybersecurity

638
00:23:58,937 --> 00:24:00,937
legislation that the
President looks forward

639
00:24:00,939 --> 00:24:01,939
to talking
about tomorrow.

640
00:24:01,940 --> 00:24:03,940
But for the details of
that, we'll have more

641
00:24:03,942 --> 00:24:04,612
on that for you.

642
00:24:04,609 --> 00:24:05,949
The Press:
Well, Senator Thune

643
00:24:05,944 --> 00:24:07,944
issued a statement
today saying that

644
00:24:07,946 --> 00:24:09,216
the President had gone
kind of absent on the

645
00:24:09,214 --> 00:24:10,554
cybersecurity
measures.

646
00:24:10,549 --> 00:24:12,079
I think I asked you a
couple of weeks ago

647
00:24:12,083 --> 00:24:14,423
if you guys were bringing
people in for briefings

648
00:24:14,419 --> 00:24:17,959
or pushing this
type of thing.

649
00:24:17,956 --> 00:24:19,956
One of the proposals the
President unveiled today

650
00:24:19,958 --> 00:24:23,328
actually is kind of
a recast of this

651
00:24:23,328 --> 00:24:26,698
2011 proposal; now it's 30
days instead of 60 days

652
00:24:26,698 --> 00:24:29,638
to trigger a data
breach notification.

653
00:24:29,634 --> 00:24:31,634
So why is it going
to be different?

654
00:24:31,636 --> 00:24:33,476
And what are you guys
going to do differently

655
00:24:33,471 --> 00:24:34,811
this time to kind
of encourage

656
00:24:34,806 --> 00:24:36,206
it to move on
the Hill?

657
00:24:36,208 --> 00:24:37,308
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I do think that

658
00:24:37,309 --> 00:24:40,279
certainly in the aftermath
of some of the more recent

659
00:24:40,278 --> 00:24:43,218
cyber-attacks that we've
seen that have been

660
00:24:43,215 --> 00:24:45,815
carried out against
a number of private

661
00:24:45,817 --> 00:24:49,787
companies -- including
most recently Sony

662
00:24:49,788 --> 00:24:51,788
-- hopefully that got the
attention of people

663
00:24:51,790 --> 00:24:53,790
on Capitol Hill, that
they actually need

664
00:24:53,792 --> 00:24:55,792
to fulfill their
responsibilities

665
00:24:55,794 --> 00:24:57,794
to actually make
progress on this issue.

666
00:24:57,796 --> 00:25:00,496
And the proposal that we
have sent up, or will send

667
00:25:00,498 --> 00:25:06,238
up, is one that does
have the strong support

668
00:25:06,238 --> 00:25:08,238
of consumer groups because
they recognize how

669
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,240
important it is for
companies to fulfill

670
00:25:10,242 --> 00:25:12,242
their obligations to
communicate clearly with

671
00:25:12,244 --> 00:25:14,244
their consumers and their
customers to make sure

672
00:25:14,246 --> 00:25:16,246
those customers can take
appropriate steps

673
00:25:16,248 --> 00:25:19,048
to protect their privacy
and protect against

674
00:25:19,050 --> 00:25:21,090
identity theft.

675
00:25:21,086 --> 00:25:23,656
At the same time, this
is also welcome news

676
00:25:23,655 --> 00:25:28,495
to industry, because
this clarity associated

677
00:25:28,493 --> 00:25:31,733
with one specific national
standard would make

678
00:25:31,730 --> 00:25:34,630
it clear to them what sort
of obligations they need

679
00:25:34,633 --> 00:25:36,673
to fulfill to
their customers.

680
00:25:36,668 --> 00:25:38,668
Right now there's a little
bit of a hodge-podge

681
00:25:38,670 --> 00:25:41,140
of requirements
that vary by state.

682
00:25:41,139 --> 00:25:45,079
And by putting in place a
tough national standard,

683
00:25:45,076 --> 00:25:47,776
it will add some clarity
to businesses and make

684
00:25:47,779 --> 00:25:50,819
them more effective in
their response and more

685
00:25:50,815 --> 00:25:53,185
effective in communicating
with their customers

686
00:25:53,184 --> 00:25:55,484
in a timeline that's
appropriate and will

687
00:25:55,487 --> 00:25:59,187
ensure that customers can
keep their privacy safe.

688
00:25:59,190 --> 00:26:00,190
Jon.

689
00:26:00,191 --> 00:26:01,961
The Press:
Josh, will the

690
00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:06,260
United States take part
in any retaliation

691
00:26:06,264 --> 00:26:09,504
once it's established who
was responsible behind?

692
00:26:09,501 --> 00:26:13,241
If AQAP was determined
to have been behind this

693
00:26:13,238 --> 00:26:18,048
attack in Paris, or ISIS
proves to have been behind

694
00:26:18,043 --> 00:26:20,383
it, will there be a
response that will

695
00:26:20,378 --> 00:26:21,618
include the
United States?

696
00:26:21,613 --> 00:26:25,013
Mr. Earnest:
Jon, a possible response

697
00:26:25,016 --> 00:26:27,016
is not something that
I'm in a position

698
00:26:27,018 --> 00:26:29,358
to talk about
at this point.

699
00:26:29,354 --> 00:26:31,494
The two organizations that
you cite are obviously

700
00:26:31,489 --> 00:26:34,529
under intense pressure
from the United States

701
00:26:34,526 --> 00:26:38,366
and our allies already.

702
00:26:38,363 --> 00:26:40,363
And I would
anticipate that that

703
00:26:40,365 --> 00:26:41,365
pressure will
continue.

704
00:26:41,366 --> 00:26:43,336
But that would have
been the case even

705
00:26:43,335 --> 00:26:45,875
if we had not seen these
terrible terror attacks

706
00:26:45,870 --> 00:26:47,610
carried out
last week.

707
00:26:47,605 --> 00:26:50,775
But we're going to work
closely with the French

708
00:26:50,775 --> 00:26:53,175
as they investigate
exactly what happened.

709
00:26:53,178 --> 00:26:55,818
I know that there is some
information about two

710
00:26:55,814 --> 00:26:58,884
of the individuals that
the United States has been

711
00:26:58,883 --> 00:27:01,283
aware of and shared with
our French counterparts,

712
00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:03,986
including some information
about their travel history.

713
00:27:06,124 --> 00:27:08,894
But at this point I'm not
in a position to speculate

714
00:27:08,893 --> 00:27:12,063
about what sort of
response the French

715
00:27:12,063 --> 00:27:14,063
may decide is appropriate
and what sort of role

716
00:27:14,065 --> 00:27:16,035
the United States would
play in that response.

717
00:27:16,034 --> 00:27:17,034
The Press:
Are we losing ground

718
00:27:17,035 --> 00:27:18,035
in the war
on terror?

719
00:27:18,036 --> 00:27:21,176
We obviously have this
terrible attack in Paris.

720
00:27:21,172 --> 00:27:25,382
I asked you last week
about what has happened

721
00:27:25,377 --> 00:27:28,917
with Boko Haram in
Nigeria; they've gained

722
00:27:28,913 --> 00:27:32,313
incredible territory,
they've taken over

723
00:27:32,317 --> 00:27:35,087
a military base.

724
00:27:35,086 --> 00:27:39,326
Obviously, we have
the ongoing efforts

725
00:27:39,324 --> 00:27:42,994
in Syria and
in Iraq.

726
00:27:42,994 --> 00:27:46,564
It looks a lot messier
out there than it did

727
00:27:46,564 --> 00:27:49,564
when the President was
talking just a year ago

728
00:27:49,567 --> 00:27:52,607
about decimating core al
Qaeda and just the JV

729
00:27:52,604 --> 00:27:54,004
team being out there.

730
00:27:54,005 --> 00:27:55,975
Are we -- give
me like a status

731
00:27:55,974 --> 00:27:57,744
report on the war
on terror.

732
00:27:57,742 --> 00:27:59,742
Mr. Earnest:
Well, there certainly are

733
00:27:59,744 --> 00:28:01,044
experts who are better
positioned to do that than I.

734
00:28:01,046 --> 00:28:02,546
But let me give you --

735
00:28:02,547 --> 00:28:03,247
The Press:
But what's the

736
00:28:03,248 --> 00:28:04,448
White House
view on this?

737
00:28:04,449 --> 00:28:07,349
Mr. Earnest:
Let me take a run at this.

738
00:28:07,352 --> 00:28:12,622
Our counterterrorism
officials say that the

739
00:28:12,624 --> 00:28:15,294
biggest challenge, one of
the most difficult things

740
00:28:15,293 --> 00:28:18,893
to detect and disrupt are
attacks that are carried

741
00:28:18,897 --> 00:28:23,867
out by lone offenders
or by foreign fighters.

742
00:28:23,868 --> 00:28:25,868
There are certainly a
wide range of steps that

743
00:28:25,870 --> 00:28:27,540
we can take and
are taking.

744
00:28:27,539 --> 00:28:29,539
I talked about some
of them earlier

745
00:28:29,541 --> 00:28:32,141
in terms of trying to counter
the extremist ideology

746
00:28:32,143 --> 00:28:34,183
that's propagated
on social media.

747
00:28:34,179 --> 00:28:36,179
There certainly are steps
that this administration

748
00:28:36,181 --> 00:28:38,181
takes to monitor the
movements of individuals

749
00:28:38,183 --> 00:28:40,183
that have recently
traveled to areas

750
00:28:40,185 --> 00:28:43,985
like Syria where it's
possible they may have

751
00:28:43,988 --> 00:28:49,598
sought training with militants
in that region of the world.

752
00:28:49,594 --> 00:28:51,594
The President, as
you will recall,

753
00:28:51,596 --> 00:28:54,236
last fall convened a United
Nations Security Council

754
00:28:54,232 --> 00:28:57,832
meeting where he discussed
with other world leaders

755
00:28:57,836 --> 00:29:01,436
the need to coordinate
activities as we counter

756
00:29:01,439 --> 00:29:03,439
the threat from
foreign fighters.

757
00:29:03,441 --> 00:29:05,441
These are individuals with
Western passports that

758
00:29:05,443 --> 00:29:07,183
travel to Syria or Iraq.

759
00:29:07,178 --> 00:29:09,178
They do pose a threat when
they return from that

760
00:29:09,180 --> 00:29:11,180
region that they may carry
out acts of violence

761
00:29:11,182 --> 00:29:13,182
in their home countries,
and that's something that

762
00:29:13,184 --> 00:29:14,184
we're very
aware of.

763
00:29:14,185 --> 00:29:18,285
And it requires a very
high level of coordination

764
00:29:18,289 --> 00:29:21,359
to monitor the movements
of those individuals.

765
00:29:21,359 --> 00:29:23,359
And we're going to
continue to be engaged

766
00:29:23,361 --> 00:29:27,501
in a very high level of
coordination with the

767
00:29:27,499 --> 00:29:30,699
French not just as they
investigate this specific

768
00:29:30,702 --> 00:29:33,402
attack, but also as we
assess the threat from

769
00:29:33,404 --> 00:29:36,244
other individuals and
other entities that may

770
00:29:36,241 --> 00:29:38,881
be operating and may
aspire to carry out acts

771
00:29:38,877 --> 00:29:41,717
of violence against
Westerners or against

772
00:29:41,713 --> 00:29:42,713
American interests.

773
00:29:42,714 --> 00:29:44,714
The Press:
But I'm asking if you

774
00:29:44,716 --> 00:29:46,656
look at developments over
the past year, you look

775
00:29:46,651 --> 00:29:48,691
at the lone wolf attacks in
Ottawa and in Australia,

776
00:29:48,686 --> 00:29:54,726
you look at this attack in
Paris by terrorists that

777
00:29:54,726 --> 00:29:57,666
may well be tied to
both al Qaeda in the

778
00:29:57,662 --> 00:30:01,832
Arabian Peninsula and ISIS,
you have what Boko Haram

779
00:30:01,833 --> 00:30:04,833
has done in Nigeria, and
you have our inability

780
00:30:04,836 --> 00:30:11,806
to push ISIS out of Iraq --
I mean, isn't it a fair

781
00:30:11,809 --> 00:30:14,879
assessment to say it looks
like we are losing ground

782
00:30:14,879 --> 00:30:16,879
or the terrorists are beginning
to get an upper hand?

783
00:30:16,881 --> 00:30:19,821
Not to mention the latest
development today with

784
00:30:19,817 --> 00:30:22,117
a terrorist group
apparently, or at least

785
00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:26,390
they're sympathizers with a
terrorist group, taking over

786
00:30:26,391 --> 00:30:28,161
CENTCOM's Twitter account,
its YouTube channel.

787
00:30:28,159 --> 00:30:34,969
I mean, it seems like some
lost momentum, doesn't it?

788
00:30:34,966 --> 00:30:36,966
Mr. Earnest:
No, I don't share that

789
00:30:36,968 --> 00:30:37,968
assessment at
all, Jon.

790
00:30:37,969 --> 00:30:40,909
On the military side,
we can run through some

791
00:30:40,905 --> 00:30:41,905
statistics here.

792
00:30:41,906 --> 00:30:44,206
Over the skies of Iraq there
are now seven countries

793
00:30:44,209 --> 00:30:47,609
that are flying combat missions
alongside U.S. forces.

794
00:30:47,612 --> 00:30:48,542
In Syria --

795
00:30:48,546 --> 00:30:50,546
The Press:
ISIS still controls Mosul.

796
00:30:50,548 --> 00:30:52,548
Mr. Earnest:
In Syria, there are

797
00:30:52,550 --> 00:30:54,550
four nations that are flying
with the United States.

798
00:30:54,552 --> 00:30:56,552
And to date, that
coalition has conducted

799
00:30:56,554 --> 00:30:58,554
over 1,700 airstrikes
against ISIL terrorists,

800
00:30:58,556 --> 00:31:01,526
more than 960 of them in
Iraq and close to 790

801
00:31:01,526 --> 00:31:03,896
of them in Syria.

802
00:31:03,895 --> 00:31:06,665
That means that regularly
our coalition is taking

803
00:31:06,664 --> 00:31:09,034
out ISIL fighters, their
commanders, hundreds

804
00:31:09,033 --> 00:31:11,203
of vehicles and
tanks, nearly 260

805
00:31:11,202 --> 00:31:13,042
oil and gas
facilities.

806
00:31:13,037 --> 00:31:15,037
This is the infrastructure
that affects --

807
00:31:15,039 --> 00:31:19,079
that funds their
acts of terror.

808
00:31:19,077 --> 00:31:21,447
They've also taken out
more than 1,000 fighting

809
00:31:21,446 --> 00:31:23,786
positions, checkpoints,
buildings, barracks

810
00:31:23,781 --> 00:31:27,521
in and around -- in
Iraq and in Syria.

811
00:31:27,518 --> 00:31:29,518
That's the reason that
ISIL's momentum has been

812
00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:33,630
blunted in Iraq, and it
is why their leaders are

813
00:31:33,625 --> 00:31:37,525
feeling more pressure than
they ever have before.

814
00:31:37,528 --> 00:31:42,068
And all of that is a
testament to the success

815
00:31:42,066 --> 00:31:44,066
that this President
has had in building

816
00:31:44,068 --> 00:31:46,068
an international
coalition to degrade

817
00:31:46,070 --> 00:31:47,210
and ultimately
destroy ISIL.

818
00:31:47,205 --> 00:31:50,345
What's also true is that
the threat that we face

819
00:31:50,341 --> 00:31:55,781
now is very dispersed,
and that does pose a set

820
00:31:55,780 --> 00:31:57,480
of unique
challenges.

821
00:31:57,482 --> 00:32:02,752
But there is, as tragic as
the events were in France

822
00:32:02,754 --> 00:32:07,194
last week, a difference
between the ability

823
00:32:07,191 --> 00:32:11,431
of core al Qaeda to spend
years on a conspiracy

824
00:32:11,429 --> 00:32:13,529
involving dozens of
individuals in the

825
00:32:13,531 --> 00:32:15,601
United States to carry
out horrific attacks,

826
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,200
like they did on
September 11th, 2001,

827
00:32:19,203 --> 00:32:21,473
and the terribly
violent actions of one

828
00:32:21,472 --> 00:32:24,142
or two or three
individuals.

829
00:32:24,142 --> 00:32:27,682
It's a different kind of
threat and it is one that

830
00:32:27,679 --> 00:32:30,619
poses its own unique
set of challenges.

831
00:32:30,615 --> 00:32:34,685
And it is why we can talk
about the success that

832
00:32:34,686 --> 00:32:38,286
we have had in truly
decimating core al Qaeda

833
00:32:38,289 --> 00:32:41,359
that used to exist and
operate with impunity

834
00:32:41,359 --> 00:32:44,059
in the region between
Afghanistan and Pakistan,

835
00:32:44,062 --> 00:32:47,002
and the kind of threat
that we face now from

836
00:32:46,998 --> 00:32:49,438
individuals who in
many cases are being

837
00:32:49,434 --> 00:32:52,804
radicalized through social
media and carrying out

838
00:32:52,804 --> 00:32:58,114
either lone wolf attacks
or are individuals who

839
00:32:58,109 --> 00:32:59,449
have traveled to the
region and gotten some

840
00:32:59,444 --> 00:33:02,714
expertise and
returned to the fight.

841
00:33:02,714 --> 00:33:04,714
This is all something that
we're very mindful of,

842
00:33:04,716 --> 00:33:07,756
and I'm not in a position
to downplay the risk

843
00:33:07,752 --> 00:33:10,392
associated with all this,
but it is important

844
00:33:10,388 --> 00:33:13,988
to understand the kind
of pressure that these

845
00:33:13,991 --> 00:33:16,591
leading extremists -- or
the individuals who are

846
00:33:16,594 --> 00:33:18,694
leading these extremist
groups are under right now.

847
00:33:18,696 --> 00:33:20,696
And they're under that
pressure because of the

848
00:33:20,698 --> 00:33:22,698
counterterrorism
strategy that this

849
00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:23,770
administration
has put in place.

850
00:33:23,768 --> 00:33:24,938
The Press:
So if I can just do

851
00:33:24,936 --> 00:33:25,666
a couple quick
ones on the march.

852
00:33:25,670 --> 00:33:27,000
You said you should have
sent somebody with

853
00:33:27,004 --> 00:33:28,144
a higher profile.

854
00:33:28,139 --> 00:33:29,979
Why?

855
00:33:29,974 --> 00:33:30,874
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I guess for

856
00:33:30,875 --> 00:33:31,945
a couple of reasons.

857
00:33:31,943 --> 00:33:36,953
One is we want to send
a clear message, even

858
00:33:36,948 --> 00:33:40,848
in a symbolic context
like this one, that the

859
00:33:40,852 --> 00:33:42,822
American people stand
shoulder to shoulder

860
00:33:42,820 --> 00:33:45,120
with our allies
in France.

861
00:33:45,123 --> 00:33:49,763
And sending a high-level,
highly visible senior

862
00:33:49,761 --> 00:33:51,901
administration officials
with a high profile to that

863
00:33:51,896 --> 00:33:54,436
march would
have done that.

864
00:33:54,432 --> 00:33:59,072
That said, in reality there
is no doubting the strong

865
00:33:59,070 --> 00:34:04,680
degree of support and allegiance
that we share with

866
00:34:04,675 --> 00:34:07,245
the French people to the
kinds of values that were

867
00:34:07,245 --> 00:34:09,815
under attack last
week in Paris.

868
00:34:09,814 --> 00:34:12,114
And that is evidenced by
the President's call with

869
00:34:12,116 --> 00:34:14,116
President Hollande; the
President's visit to

870
00:34:14,118 --> 00:34:16,788
the French Embassy here
in Washington last week;

871
00:34:16,788 --> 00:34:21,998
the close level of coordination
that exists between

872
00:34:21,993 --> 00:34:23,223
counterterrorism officials
in the United States

873
00:34:23,227 --> 00:34:25,497
and counterterrorism
officials in France

874
00:34:25,496 --> 00:34:27,496
in the ongoing meetings,
including the one that's

875
00:34:27,498 --> 00:34:29,938
probably taking place right 
now between the French Ambassador

876
00:34:29,934 --> 00:34:32,274
and the President's top 
counterterrorism advisor.

877
00:34:32,270 --> 00:34:33,770
The Press:
So you acknowledge

878
00:34:33,771 --> 00:34:35,141
it was a mistake not to send
somebody higher profile

879
00:34:35,139 --> 00:34:37,039
to that march
in Paris.

880
00:34:37,041 --> 00:34:40,311
Whose mistake
was it?

881
00:34:40,311 --> 00:34:43,051
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Jon, I'm not

882
00:34:43,047 --> 00:34:46,747
going to be in a position to
sort of unpack the logistical

883
00:34:46,751 --> 00:34:49,791
and scheduling conversations
that have taken place here

884
00:34:49,787 --> 00:34:52,387
at the White House over
the last several days.

885
00:34:52,390 --> 00:34:56,330
But what I can do is
acknowledge to you that

886
00:34:56,327 --> 00:34:58,627
we should have sent somebody
with a higher profile.

887
00:34:58,629 --> 00:35:00,969
Richard.

888
00:35:00,965 --> 00:35:02,435
The Press:
I just want to go back

889
00:35:02,433 --> 00:35:04,133
to the summit
in February.

890
00:35:04,135 --> 00:35:06,835
I just want to make clear
-- are foreign leaders

891
00:35:06,838 --> 00:35:07,708
invited to
this summit?

892
00:35:07,705 --> 00:35:10,105
Mr. Earnest:
I don't have an exact

893
00:35:10,107 --> 00:35:12,647
invite list to present
at this point, but

894
00:35:12,643 --> 00:35:14,643
we certainly would
welcome the participation

895
00:35:14,645 --> 00:35:17,245
of people from other countries,
if they chose to do so.

896
00:35:17,248 --> 00:35:21,148
I think the focal point,
however, will be on the

897
00:35:21,152 --> 00:35:23,422
efforts that local
communities all across

898
00:35:23,421 --> 00:35:26,061
the country have undertaken to
try to counter this threat

899
00:35:26,057 --> 00:35:28,257
in their individual
communities and to talk

900
00:35:28,259 --> 00:35:30,259
about some of the
strategies that the

901
00:35:30,261 --> 00:35:34,331
United States would employ to
protect American citizens.

902
00:35:34,332 --> 00:35:36,772
But I wouldn't rule out
necessarily that there may

903
00:35:36,767 --> 00:35:40,167
be an opportunity
for non-Americans

904
00:35:40,171 --> 00:35:40,841
to participate
as well.

905
00:35:40,838 --> 00:35:43,308
The Press:
And I just want to go

906
00:35:43,307 --> 00:35:44,407
a little
further, Josh.

907
00:35:44,408 --> 00:35:46,778
Is it a show -- are we
going to try to make

908
00:35:46,777 --> 00:35:49,577
it a show of solidarity
in front of violent

909
00:35:49,580 --> 00:35:52,980
extremism, or is it going
to be like a technical

910
00:35:52,984 --> 00:35:55,124
summit where people
are going to come up,

911
00:35:55,119 --> 00:35:58,959
foreigners or local -- or
Americans with their ideas

912
00:35:58,956 --> 00:36:02,756
and their -- the thing to
build up to face this?

913
00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:05,060
Mr. Earnest:
I would anticipate that

914
00:36:05,062 --> 00:36:07,062
you can describe this
as a working event.

915
00:36:07,064 --> 00:36:09,064
This is an opportunity for
us to take a very close

916
00:36:09,066 --> 00:36:11,166
look at policies that are
in place to protect the

917
00:36:11,168 --> 00:36:14,268
American people and to
review, again, in very

918
00:36:14,272 --> 00:36:17,172
detailed fashion some of
the best practices that

919
00:36:17,174 --> 00:36:20,674
have been used by other
communities to build

920
00:36:20,678 --> 00:36:23,148
strong connections
between local enforcement

921
00:36:23,147 --> 00:36:26,517
officials and community
leaders to protect those

922
00:36:26,517 --> 00:36:30,117
communities and to try
to counter the kind

923
00:36:30,121 --> 00:36:34,491
of extremist messaging that
we see on social media

924
00:36:34,492 --> 00:36:36,492
that's targeted at
disaffected individuals.

925
00:36:36,494 --> 00:36:38,494
And we want to make sure
that we're working with

926
00:36:38,496 --> 00:36:40,636
community leaders and law
enforcement to counter

927
00:36:40,631 --> 00:36:42,771
that messaging and to
protect our communities.

928
00:36:42,767 --> 00:36:43,897
Alexis.

929
00:36:43,901 --> 00:36:45,741
The Press:
Josh, two quick questions.

930
00:36:45,736 --> 00:36:48,936
What does the President
believe is the right

931
00:36:48,940 --> 00:36:51,310
approach to take to
an English-language

932
00:36:51,309 --> 00:36:54,009
propaganda magazine
like "Inspire"?

933
00:36:54,011 --> 00:36:56,751
Because that's come up
so much this weekend

934
00:36:56,747 --> 00:37:02,057
as enjoining and encouraging
violent extremism.

935
00:37:02,053 --> 00:37:05,323
Mr. Earnest:
Well, the focal point

936
00:37:05,323 --> 00:37:12,163
of our countering violent
extremism efforts has been

937
00:37:12,163 --> 00:37:15,433
on countering the
extremist messaging that's

938
00:37:15,433 --> 00:37:18,003
propagated so broadly out
there in the Internet.

939
00:37:18,002 --> 00:37:20,942
And this is a unique
challenge that

940
00:37:20,938 --> 00:37:23,538
counterterrorism officials
have to deal with.

941
00:37:23,541 --> 00:37:26,311
As recently as 15 or
20 years ago, this

942
00:37:26,310 --> 00:37:28,310
is obviously not much that
they had to contemplate

943
00:37:28,312 --> 00:37:31,512
because the Internet
wasn't so well developed.

944
00:37:31,515 --> 00:37:34,185
And so this does pose a
pretty unique challenge,

945
00:37:34,185 --> 00:37:40,595
and it's one that we spend
a lot of time working on.

946
00:37:40,591 --> 00:37:43,791
Let me tell you a couple
of ways in which

947
00:37:43,794 --> 00:37:46,564
we have tried to
counter this.

948
00:37:46,564 --> 00:37:48,734
The first is by
encouraging moderate

949
00:37:48,733 --> 00:37:52,833
voices, particularly in
the Muslim community,

950
00:37:52,837 --> 00:37:56,307
to speak up and speak
out against this.

951
00:37:56,307 --> 00:37:58,407
That as Muslim leaders
would tell you --

952
00:37:58,409 --> 00:38:00,409
those who have studied and
practiced this religion

953
00:38:00,411 --> 00:38:02,551
would tell you -- Islam
is a peaceful religion.

954
00:38:02,546 --> 00:38:07,916
And the kinds of violent
acts that are advocated

955
00:38:07,918 --> 00:38:12,858
in the outlet that you
have described is entirely

956
00:38:12,857 --> 00:38:14,857
inconsistent with
the basic principles

957
00:38:14,859 --> 00:38:16,229
of that peaceful
religion.

958
00:38:16,227 --> 00:38:18,397
And what's important is
not just for me to stand

959
00:38:18,396 --> 00:38:21,036
up here and say that, but
for respected leaders

960
00:38:21,032 --> 00:38:23,032
in the Muslim community
to come forward and

961
00:38:23,034 --> 00:38:25,034
say that, not just in
the United States but

962
00:38:25,036 --> 00:38:26,006
around the world.

963
00:38:26,003 --> 00:38:28,003
And there have been
religious leaders

964
00:38:28,005 --> 00:38:30,005
in other countries that have
issued religious edicts

965
00:38:30,007 --> 00:38:33,447
outlawing this kind of
extremism and violence.

966
00:38:33,444 --> 00:38:38,554
And that is helpful
in this effort.

967
00:38:38,549 --> 00:38:40,549
The second thing that I
think is worth noting --

968
00:38:40,551 --> 00:38:43,691
and this goes a little bit
to Jon's question, I guess

969
00:38:43,688 --> 00:38:49,798
-- is that the original
author of this publication

970
00:38:49,794 --> 00:38:52,134
has been wiped off
the battlefield.

971
00:38:52,129 --> 00:38:56,539
And, again, that is a
testament to the kind

972
00:38:56,534 --> 00:38:59,234
of pressure that these
terrorist leaders are

973
00:38:59,236 --> 00:39:01,576
under -- that they are
being watched, that

974
00:39:01,572 --> 00:39:04,112
they're being monitored,
and they are at risk

975
00:39:04,108 --> 00:39:08,378
whenever they are out
operating publicly,

976
00:39:08,379 --> 00:39:11,319
even when they're operating
publicly in a place like

977
00:39:11,315 --> 00:39:15,185
Yemen; it seems
really far away.

978
00:39:15,186 --> 00:39:16,886
But we recognize the
threat that these

979
00:39:16,887 --> 00:39:18,457
individuals face,
and because of the

980
00:39:18,456 --> 00:39:20,196
counterterrorism strategy
that this President has

981
00:39:20,191 --> 00:39:22,231
put in place, those
extremist leaders are

982
00:39:22,226 --> 00:39:24,796
under intense pressure and
many of them have been

983
00:39:24,795 --> 00:39:26,565
wiped off the
battlefield.

984
00:39:26,564 --> 00:39:27,394
The Press:
Just to follow up,

985
00:39:27,398 --> 00:39:31,438
because the creator
of "Inspire" is dead,

986
00:39:31,435 --> 00:39:34,005
is the President
concerned just that

987
00:39:34,004 --> 00:39:36,474
the statement that you
just made, that the

988
00:39:36,474 --> 00:39:40,174
messengers will be
killed, has itself been

989
00:39:40,177 --> 00:39:44,447
an inspiration to
violent extremists?

990
00:39:44,448 --> 00:39:46,518
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Alexis, I guess

991
00:39:46,517 --> 00:39:52,857
the alternative is should we
have not taken the strike

992
00:39:52,857 --> 00:39:54,857
to take out those
extremist leaders.

993
00:39:54,859 --> 00:39:56,859
That is certainly not
a decision that the

994
00:39:56,861 --> 00:39:58,861
President arrived at,
but if there are people

995
00:39:58,863 --> 00:40:00,863
who want to second-guess
that strategy,

996
00:40:00,865 --> 00:40:01,865
they're welcome
to do so.

997
00:40:01,866 --> 00:40:03,836
But the President
certainly believes

998
00:40:03,834 --> 00:40:06,134
that keeping --
applying military

999
00:40:06,137 --> 00:40:08,807
pressure on terrorist
leaders and killing

1000
00:40:08,806 --> 00:40:10,876
them when we have the
opportunity is a good

1001
00:40:10,875 --> 00:40:12,375
counterterrorism
strategy.

1002
00:40:12,376 --> 00:40:13,276
The Press:
My other question

1003
00:40:13,277 --> 00:40:14,777
is about tomorrow's
meeting with leaders,

1004
00:40:14,779 --> 00:40:16,549
the congressional
leaders.

1005
00:40:16,547 --> 00:40:19,847
Is the President's goal
to talk to them about the

1006
00:40:19,850 --> 00:40:22,450
areas in which they differ
because of the discussion

1007
00:40:22,453 --> 00:40:24,853
in the past few days
about the number of veto

1008
00:40:24,855 --> 00:40:27,825
threats, or is his goal
to talk to them about

1009
00:40:27,825 --> 00:40:28,795
what they have
in common?

1010
00:40:28,793 --> 00:40:30,023
Mr. Earnest:
I certainly think

1011
00:40:30,027 --> 00:40:32,997
that there's been
adequate attention given

1012
00:40:32,997 --> 00:40:34,397
to those areas
where we disagree.

1013
00:40:34,398 --> 00:40:36,398
The President is looking
forward to a robust,

1014
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,400
constructive discussion
on those areas where

1015
00:40:38,402 --> 00:40:39,402
we do agree.

1016
00:40:39,403 --> 00:40:41,243
They do exist and the
President is looking

1017
00:40:41,238 --> 00:40:42,438
forward to talking
about them.

1018
00:40:42,439 --> 00:40:46,409
That said, there continues
to be some areas where

1019
00:40:46,410 --> 00:40:49,310
we disagree on things that
actually are priorities.

1020
00:40:49,313 --> 00:40:53,353
And one of those areas is
legislation that would

1021
00:40:53,350 --> 00:40:55,550
ensure that the Department
of Homeland Security

1022
00:40:55,553 --> 00:40:57,553
is adequately funded
through the end

1023
00:40:57,555 --> 00:40:58,555
of this
fiscal year.

1024
00:40:58,556 --> 00:41:00,556
I don't know yet whether
or not that would come

1025
00:41:00,558 --> 00:41:02,558
up in the meeting, but
we'll try to give you

1026
00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:04,560
a readout of the meeting
after it's taken place.

1027
00:41:04,562 --> 00:41:05,392
Major.

1028
00:41:05,396 --> 00:41:07,566
The Press:
Josh, AQAP asserted that

1029
00:41:07,565 --> 00:41:09,965
it was behind the
original attack in Paris.

1030
00:41:09,967 --> 00:41:11,967
Does the administration,
based on what it knows,

1031
00:41:11,969 --> 00:41:13,869
have any reason
to doubt that?

1032
00:41:13,871 --> 00:41:15,811
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Major, I can

1033
00:41:15,806 --> 00:41:17,806
tell you that there
is information about

1034
00:41:17,808 --> 00:41:19,978
this investigation and about
these individuals that

1035
00:41:19,977 --> 00:41:22,817
we have shared with
French investigators.

1036
00:41:22,813 --> 00:41:24,813
They are, after
all, in the lead

1037
00:41:24,815 --> 00:41:25,815
in this
investigation.

1038
00:41:25,816 --> 00:41:27,856
This terrible act took
place on their soil

1039
00:41:27,852 --> 00:41:30,392
and they should take
responsibility for

1040
00:41:30,387 --> 00:41:32,257
investigating and
determining who

1041
00:41:32,256 --> 00:41:35,326
was responsible and what
kind of support they had.

1042
00:41:35,326 --> 00:41:38,466
So we have shared
information with our

1043
00:41:38,462 --> 00:41:40,602
French counterparts
on this matter,

1044
00:41:40,598 --> 00:41:42,598
but it's not information
that I'm prepared

1045
00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:43,600
to discuss
from here.

1046
00:41:43,601 --> 00:41:45,601
The Press:
Does the administration

1047
00:41:45,603 --> 00:41:47,403
have any verification of
the reports that started

1048
00:41:47,404 --> 00:41:50,804
to come out of Nigeria on
Friday about a potential

1049
00:41:50,808 --> 00:41:54,948
massacre of up to 2,000
carried out by Boko Haram?

1050
00:41:54,945 --> 00:41:56,385
Mr. Earnest:
Well, we certainly are

1051
00:41:56,380 --> 00:42:00,050
aware of those reports and
there are some other,

1052
00:42:00,050 --> 00:42:03,550
frankly, disturbing reports
of violence out of Nigeria

1053
00:42:03,554 --> 00:42:05,494
over the weekend
as well.

1054
00:42:05,489 --> 00:42:08,459
We do continue to be
concerned about that

1055
00:42:08,459 --> 00:42:11,059
situation and we're going
to continue to work

1056
00:42:11,061 --> 00:42:14,661
with the Nigerian
government on our

1057
00:42:14,665 --> 00:42:16,505
counterterrorism
efforts.

1058
00:42:16,500 --> 00:42:18,500
At the same time, we're
also going to continue

1059
00:42:18,502 --> 00:42:20,802
to urge the Nigerian
government to live

1060
00:42:20,804 --> 00:42:24,204
up to some basic human rights
and some basic principles

1061
00:42:24,208 --> 00:42:30,218
of human rights that
sometimes get overlooked

1062
00:42:30,214 --> 00:42:33,714
out of an effort to try
to fight this terrible

1063
00:42:33,717 --> 00:42:35,717
terrorist scourge that
they're dealing with

1064
00:42:35,719 --> 00:42:36,859
in their country
right now.

1065
00:42:36,854 --> 00:42:38,854
But the United States
is going to continue

1066
00:42:38,856 --> 00:42:40,996
to monitor these events
and continue to work

1067
00:42:40,991 --> 00:42:42,391
with Nigeria
on this.

1068
00:42:42,393 --> 00:42:43,523
The Press:
Does it believe that

1069
00:42:43,527 --> 00:42:45,397
the numbers could be as
high as so far reported,

1070
00:42:45,396 --> 00:42:46,596
and that this could
be a massacre

1071
00:42:46,597 --> 00:42:48,037
of significant
dimension?

1072
00:42:48,032 --> 00:42:50,532
Mr. Earnest:
I don't have any assessment

1073
00:42:50,534 --> 00:42:52,234
on this outside of
the public reporting

1074
00:42:52,236 --> 00:42:53,236
on this that
I've seen.

1075
00:42:53,237 --> 00:42:55,377
The Press:
Is it fair to assume

1076
00:42:55,372 --> 00:42:57,342
that what you're telling
us without saying

1077
00:42:57,341 --> 00:42:59,881
it directly, which I'll
try to get you to do,

1078
00:42:59,877 --> 00:43:01,717
is that the Attorney
General is the one who

1079
00:43:01,712 --> 00:43:03,912
missed the opportunity
because he was there

1080
00:43:03,914 --> 00:43:05,654
and could have come to
a different conclusion

1081
00:43:05,649 --> 00:43:07,749
about his whereabouts
when the march occurred?

1082
00:43:07,751 --> 00:43:09,751
Mr. Earnest:
No, I'm not saying that.

1083
00:43:09,753 --> 00:43:11,793
I'm not suggesting
that anybody bears

1084
00:43:11,789 --> 00:43:13,789
responsibility of this
outside the White House.

1085
00:43:13,791 --> 00:43:15,791
The White House has to
make a decision about

1086
00:43:15,793 --> 00:43:17,793
who is going to represent
the administration and the

1087
00:43:17,795 --> 00:43:19,795
American people at a march
like this, and that's

1088
00:43:19,797 --> 00:43:22,967
where that decision lies
and the White House

1089
00:43:22,967 --> 00:43:23,797
should have made a
different decision.

1090
00:43:23,801 --> 00:43:25,801
We here at the White
House should have made

1091
00:43:25,803 --> 00:43:27,003
a different decision.

1092
00:43:27,004 --> 00:43:28,504
The Press:
Did that decision rise

1093
00:43:28,505 --> 00:43:29,205
to the level of the
President himself?

1094
00:43:29,206 --> 00:43:30,076
Mr. Earnest:
It did not.

1095
00:43:30,074 --> 00:43:31,244
The Press:
Whose level did it rise to?

1096
00:43:31,241 --> 00:43:32,411
Mr. Earnest:
I'm not going to get into --

1097
00:43:32,409 --> 00:43:33,449
as I mentioned
to Steve --

1098
00:43:33,444 --> 00:43:34,274
The Press:
But the President

1099
00:43:34,278 --> 00:43:35,608
was not presented
with this decision?

1100
00:43:35,612 --> 00:43:36,612
Mr. Earnest:
This is not a decision

1101
00:43:36,613 --> 00:43:39,853
that was made by
the President.

1102
00:43:39,850 --> 00:43:41,720
The Press:
Your predecessor from

1103
00:43:41,719 --> 00:43:46,189
this podium in 2012 was asked
about one of the cartoons

1104
00:43:46,190 --> 00:43:49,230
published by
Charlie Hebdo.

1105
00:43:49,226 --> 00:43:51,366
And he said, representing
the President and this

1106
00:43:51,362 --> 00:43:54,962
administration, that the
White House questioned

1107
00:43:54,965 --> 00:43:57,535
the judgment of the
publication of that

1108
00:43:57,534 --> 00:44:00,204
particular cartoon
-- not that it was

1109
00:44:00,204 --> 00:44:03,074
an illegitimate act
of satire, but the

1110
00:44:03,073 --> 00:44:05,273
judgment involved
behind it.

1111
00:44:05,275 --> 00:44:07,415
Does the White House
stand by that questioning

1112
00:44:07,411 --> 00:44:09,281
of the judgment of the
publication of that

1113
00:44:09,279 --> 00:44:12,119
cartoon in light
of recent events?

1114
00:44:12,116 --> 00:44:12,886
Mr. Earnest:
Let me say a couple

1115
00:44:12,883 --> 00:44:13,913
of things about that.

1116
00:44:13,917 --> 00:44:15,087
The first is
-- and this

1117
00:44:15,085 --> 00:44:17,825
is something that I don't
want to be overlooked --

1118
00:44:17,821 --> 00:44:20,261
what my predecessor also
said in the context

1119
00:44:20,257 --> 00:44:24,357
of those very same comments
was that the publication

1120
00:44:24,361 --> 00:44:26,361
of that material did not
in any way justify

1121
00:44:26,363 --> 00:44:27,903
an act of violence.

1122
00:44:27,898 --> 00:44:30,798
That was true then, it
was true last week,

1123
00:44:30,801 --> 00:44:31,931
and it's
true today.

1124
00:44:31,935 --> 00:44:36,445
There is nothing that
the individuals at that

1125
00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:41,180
satirical magazine did
that justified in any way

1126
00:44:41,178 --> 00:44:44,318
the kind of violence that
we saw in Paris last week.

1127
00:44:44,314 --> 00:44:46,084
None.

1128
00:44:46,083 --> 00:44:48,923
That is, I think, the
most important principle

1129
00:44:48,919 --> 00:44:50,859
that's at
stake here.

1130
00:44:50,854 --> 00:44:54,224
At the same time,
it would not be the

1131
00:44:54,224 --> 00:44:56,664
first time that there
has been a discussion

1132
00:44:56,660 --> 00:44:59,300
in this country about the
kinds of responsibilities

1133
00:44:59,296 --> 00:45:01,896
that go along with
exercising the right

1134
00:45:01,899 --> 00:45:03,539
to freedom of speech.

1135
00:45:03,534 --> 00:45:06,074
And in the scenario --
or in the circumstances

1136
00:45:06,070 --> 00:45:09,170
in which my predecessor was
talking about this issue,

1137
00:45:09,173 --> 00:45:11,473
there was a genuine
concern that the

1138
00:45:11,475 --> 00:45:15,645
publication of some of
those materials could

1139
00:45:15,646 --> 00:45:18,186
put Americans abroad
at risk, including

1140
00:45:18,182 --> 00:45:20,352
American soldiers
at risk.

1141
00:45:20,350 --> 00:45:22,350
And that is something that
the Commander-in-Chief

1142
00:45:22,352 --> 00:45:23,352
takes very
seriously.

1143
00:45:23,353 --> 00:45:30,993
And the President and his
spokesman was not then

1144
00:45:30,994 --> 00:45:37,864
and will not now be shy
about expressing a view

1145
00:45:37,868 --> 00:45:40,968
or taking the steps that
are necessary to try

1146
00:45:40,971 --> 00:45:44,611
to advocate for the safety
and security of our men

1147
00:45:44,608 --> 00:45:45,608
and women in uniform.

1148
00:45:45,609 --> 00:45:47,679
The Press:
But advocating and

1149
00:45:47,678 --> 00:45:50,478
taking steps to protect
American service personnel

1150
00:45:50,481 --> 00:45:54,481
is different than criticizing
or raising questions

1151
00:45:54,485 --> 00:45:58,925
about the judgment underlying
any satirical expression,

1152
00:45:58,922 --> 00:46:02,862
be it to mock Islam or
Christianity or Judaism,

1153
00:46:02,860 --> 00:46:03,860
or anything else.

1154
00:46:03,861 --> 00:46:04,861
Where do you
draw the line?

1155
00:46:04,862 --> 00:46:06,062
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I think it

1156
00:46:06,063 --> 00:46:08,303
depends on
the scenario.

1157
00:46:08,298 --> 00:46:09,868
I think --

1158
00:46:09,867 --> 00:46:11,867
The Press:
There is not an absolute

1159
00:46:11,869 --> 00:46:14,769
support of satirical
mockery of any institution

1160
00:46:14,771 --> 00:46:15,301
on this planet.

1161
00:46:15,305 --> 00:46:16,275
Mr. Earnest:
I think there are

1162
00:46:16,273 --> 00:46:17,273
a couple of
absolutes.

1163
00:46:17,274 --> 00:46:19,274
The first is, is that the 
publication of any kind

1164
00:46:19,276 --> 00:46:22,176
of material in no way
justifies any act of violence,

1165
00:46:22,179 --> 00:46:24,179
let alone an act of
violence that we saw

1166
00:46:24,181 --> 00:46:25,851
on the scale
in Paris.

1167
00:46:25,849 --> 00:46:29,449
And there is -- this
President, as the

1168
00:46:29,453 --> 00:46:33,793
Commander-in-Chief,
believes strongly in the

1169
00:46:33,790 --> 00:46:36,590
responsibility that he has
to advocate for our

1170
00:46:36,593 --> 00:46:38,593
men and women in uniform,
particularly if it's

1171
00:46:38,595 --> 00:46:40,095
going to make
them safer.

1172
00:46:40,097 --> 00:46:42,097
And the President takes very
seriously his

1173
00:46:42,099 --> 00:46:44,099
responsibility as
Commander-in-Chief to do that.

1174
00:46:44,101 --> 00:46:46,101
And that's something
that we're going

1175
00:46:46,103 --> 00:46:48,103
to continue to do
in the future.

1176
00:46:48,105 --> 00:46:50,075
Those are the absolutes --
or at least two of them.

1177
00:46:50,073 --> 00:46:53,843
But when we are confronted
with these kinds

1178
00:46:53,844 --> 00:46:57,814
of scenarios where we're
balancing basic rights

1179
00:46:57,814 --> 00:47:00,484
alongside very important
responsibilities that

1180
00:47:00,484 --> 00:47:02,854
must also be exercised,
it's going to always

1181
00:47:02,853 --> 00:47:04,993
depend on the scenario.

1182
00:47:04,988 --> 00:47:07,858
But what won't change
is our view that that

1183
00:47:07,858 --> 00:47:10,498
freedom of expression in
no way justifies

1184
00:47:10,494 --> 00:47:12,494
an act of violence
against the person

1185
00:47:12,496 --> 00:47:14,196
who expressed
a view.

1186
00:47:14,198 --> 00:47:16,698
And the President
considers the safety

1187
00:47:16,700 --> 00:47:19,640
and security of our men
and women in uniform

1188
00:47:19,636 --> 00:47:21,636
to be something worth
fighting for.

1189
00:47:21,638 --> 00:47:22,638
The Press:
And lastly, do you

1190
00:47:22,639 --> 00:47:26,479
believe the French in
any way feel slighted

1191
00:47:26,476 --> 00:47:29,276
or insulted by the lack of
a higher-profile

1192
00:47:29,279 --> 00:47:30,849
U.S. presence
yesterday?

1193
00:47:30,847 --> 00:47:32,147
Mr. Earnest:
I don't.

1194
00:47:32,149 --> 00:47:34,219
And if you believe the
public words of the

1195
00:47:34,218 --> 00:47:36,458
French ambassador to the
United States who described

1196
00:47:36,453 --> 00:47:38,493
himself and the French
people as overwhelmed by

1197
00:47:38,488 --> 00:47:40,488
the expression of
solidarity from the

1198
00:47:40,490 --> 00:47:42,490
American people, including
the President of the

1199
00:47:42,492 --> 00:47:44,492
United States, the
French people certainly

1200
00:47:44,494 --> 00:47:45,264
don't feel that way.

1201
00:47:45,262 --> 00:47:47,502
The Press:
So you're apologizing

1202
00:47:47,497 --> 00:47:49,497
because you're
being criticized?

1203
00:47:49,499 --> 00:47:51,499
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I think what I'm

1204
00:47:51,501 --> 00:47:53,501
acknowledging is that
we should have done

1205
00:47:53,503 --> 00:47:55,503
something differently,
and this is an opinion

1206
00:47:55,505 --> 00:47:57,505
that's been expressed by
a lot of other people,

1207
00:47:57,507 --> 00:47:59,507
and I'm acknowledging
that there's a sense here

1208
00:47:59,509 --> 00:48:01,679
that the White House should
have sent somebody with

1209
00:48:01,678 --> 00:48:03,278
a higher profile
to the march.

1210
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:04,880
Jim.

1211
00:48:04,881 --> 00:48:06,051
The Press:
So what you're saying

1212
00:48:06,049 --> 00:48:07,549
is that the White
House made a mistake?

1213
00:48:07,551 --> 00:48:08,681
I just want to
make that clear.

1214
00:48:08,685 --> 00:48:09,725
You haven't
used that word.

1215
00:48:09,720 --> 00:48:11,360
Mr. Earnest:
Well, if we should have --

1216
00:48:11,355 --> 00:48:12,285
essentially I'm
suggesting that we

1217
00:48:12,289 --> 00:48:13,219
should have done
something differently,

1218
00:48:13,223 --> 00:48:14,153
so I think it's fair
for you to assess that.

1219
00:48:14,157 --> 00:48:15,697
The Press:
Does the President

1220
00:48:15,692 --> 00:48:16,732
believe that the White
House made a mistake?

1221
00:48:16,727 --> 00:48:18,197
Mr. Earnest:
I have not spoken to the

1222
00:48:18,195 --> 00:48:20,435
President about this
specific matter.

1223
00:48:20,430 --> 00:48:21,870
The Press:
And you said that

1224
00:48:21,865 --> 00:48:23,265
this decision did not
reach his level.

1225
00:48:23,267 --> 00:48:25,207
Doesn't the buck stop
with the President?

1226
00:48:25,202 --> 00:48:25,902
Mr. Earnest:
It always does.

1227
00:48:25,902 --> 00:48:27,002
He'd be the first
to tell you that.

1228
00:48:27,004 --> 00:48:27,834
The Press:
Yes.

1229
00:48:27,838 --> 00:48:30,408
So why wasn't this
decision brought to him?

1230
00:48:30,407 --> 00:48:31,907
Mr. Earnest:
Well, Jim, I'm not going

1231
00:48:31,908 --> 00:48:33,978
to sort of unpack the
planning and logistics

1232
00:48:33,977 --> 00:48:35,777
that go into these
kinds of decisions.

1233
00:48:35,779 --> 00:48:37,249
The Press:
Why not?

1234
00:48:37,247 --> 00:48:38,887
Mr. Earnest:
Well, just because that

1235
00:48:38,882 --> 00:48:40,682
would be pretty
complicated.

1236
00:48:40,684 --> 00:48:42,624
The Press:
Is it an interagency failure?

1237
00:48:42,619 --> 00:48:44,719
Perhaps the White House
was not talking about this --

1238
00:48:44,721 --> 00:48:47,061
Mr. Earnest:
No, mentioned in response

1239
00:48:47,057 --> 00:48:48,357
to Major's question that the
responsibility lays here

1240
00:48:48,358 --> 00:48:49,998
at the White House for
finding appropriate

1241
00:48:49,993 --> 00:48:51,933
representation
at the march.

1242
00:48:51,928 --> 00:48:53,498
We certainly were
pleased that the

1243
00:48:53,497 --> 00:48:55,597
U.S. ambassador to France could
participate in that march.

1244
00:48:55,599 --> 00:48:57,539
That sends an
important signal too.

1245
00:48:57,534 --> 00:48:59,934
The President's travel
to the French Embassy

1246
00:48:59,936 --> 00:49:03,436
here in the United States sends
a pretty important symbol.

1247
00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:05,340
The President telephoning
his French counterpart

1248
00:49:05,342 --> 00:49:07,742
on the day of the
attacks and offering

1249
00:49:07,744 --> 00:49:09,944
up his condolences on behalf
of the American people

1250
00:49:09,946 --> 00:49:15,256
and pledging his -- any needed
assistance in cooperation

1251
00:49:15,252 --> 00:49:17,292
I think makes it pretty
clear to everybody who

1252
00:49:17,287 --> 00:49:19,427
is paying attention that
the United States and this

1253
00:49:19,423 --> 00:49:22,023
administration stands
shoulder to shoulder

1254
00:49:22,025 --> 00:49:24,025
with our allies in
France at this time.

1255
00:49:24,027 --> 00:49:26,027
The Press:
And the Secretary of State

1256
00:49:26,029 --> 00:49:28,669
earlier today said this
was a bit of quibbling.

1257
00:49:28,665 --> 00:49:31,435
So I suppose what
you're saying

1258
00:49:31,435 --> 00:49:33,405
is that he's wrong
in that assessment.

1259
00:49:33,403 --> 00:49:35,403
Mr. Earnest:
It sounds like you're

1260
00:49:35,405 --> 00:49:37,475
getting me to quibble
with his remarks.

1261
00:49:37,474 --> 00:49:39,074
The Press:
Quibbling with his quibbling.

1262
00:49:39,076 --> 00:49:41,476
Mr. Earnest:
I'm not going to do that.

1263
00:49:41,478 --> 00:49:43,478
What I can tell you
is that certainly the

1264
00:49:43,480 --> 00:49:44,680
Secretary of State
is somebody who has

1265
00:49:44,681 --> 00:49:47,221
very important
responsibilities himself.

1266
00:49:47,217 --> 00:49:51,387
He was in India this
past weekend doing

1267
00:49:51,388 --> 00:49:53,388
some important
work representing

1268
00:49:53,390 --> 00:49:54,390
U.S. interests there.

1269
00:49:54,391 --> 00:49:56,491
I'll also note that at the
conclusion to his trip

1270
00:49:56,493 --> 00:49:58,493
to India he made an
unannounced visit

1271
00:49:58,495 --> 00:50:00,495
to Pakistan, where
he is right now.

1272
00:50:00,497 --> 00:50:02,497
And while in Pakistan,
he actually visited the

1273
00:50:02,499 --> 00:50:04,599
school in Peshawar
that was the site

1274
00:50:04,601 --> 00:50:06,771
of the terrible
terrorist attack just

1275
00:50:06,770 --> 00:50:07,770
a couple of
weeks ago.

1276
00:50:07,771 --> 00:50:11,941
And I think in the same
way that high-profile

1277
00:50:11,942 --> 00:50:13,942
representation at
the march and the

1278
00:50:13,944 --> 00:50:15,944
President's decision
to go to the

1279
00:50:15,946 --> 00:50:17,946
French Embassy in
Washington shows U.S.

1280
00:50:17,948 --> 00:50:19,948
solidarity with the
French people as they

1281
00:50:19,950 --> 00:50:22,220
confront terrorism, I think
the Secretary of State's

1282
00:50:22,219 --> 00:50:25,059
visit to this school
demonstrates the American

1283
00:50:25,055 --> 00:50:27,295
people's solidarity with
the people of Pakistan

1284
00:50:27,290 --> 00:50:29,890
as they face down extremism
and violence and terrorism

1285
00:50:29,893 --> 00:50:30,893
in their own
country.

1286
00:50:30,894 --> 00:50:31,694
The Press:
And not to belabor

1287
00:50:31,695 --> 00:50:34,395
this, because it's been
belabored, but the

1288
00:50:34,398 --> 00:50:35,398
Vice President
was sitting

1289
00:50:35,399 --> 00:50:37,499
at home all
weekend.

1290
00:50:37,501 --> 00:50:38,831
Presumably he
could have gone.

1291
00:50:38,835 --> 00:50:41,075
Mr. Earnest:
Yes, so was the President.

1292
00:50:41,071 --> 00:50:41,901
The Press:
What was pressing in

1293
00:50:41,905 --> 00:50:43,875
Wilmington, Delaware
this weekend?

1294
00:50:43,874 --> 00:50:46,514
The Press:
And just to follow up

1295
00:50:46,510 --> 00:50:48,610
on Major's question
about images

1296
00:50:48,612 --> 00:50:51,712
of Prophet Muhammad, should
Americans be fearful

1297
00:50:51,715 --> 00:50:54,315
of how they depict
the Prophet Muhammad?

1298
00:50:54,317 --> 00:50:56,487
Mr. Earnest:
No, the American people

1299
00:50:56,486 --> 00:50:57,356
should --

1300
00:50:57,354 --> 00:50:58,484
The Press:
Should they be able

1301
00:50:58,488 --> 00:50:59,828
to depict however
they see fit?

1302
00:50:59,823 --> 00:51:01,223
Mr. Earnest:
No question.

1303
00:51:01,224 --> 00:51:03,794
There is no -- again,
there is no expression

1304
00:51:03,794 --> 00:51:07,994
of public opinion or
viewpoint or perspective

1305
00:51:07,998 --> 00:51:11,298
that in any way
justifies a terrible act

1306
00:51:11,301 --> 00:51:12,541
of violence
like this.

1307
00:51:12,536 --> 00:51:13,536
There is none.

1308
00:51:13,537 --> 00:51:15,537
There is no
justification for it.

1309
00:51:15,539 --> 00:51:17,539
This is a terrible
act of violence.

1310
00:51:17,541 --> 00:51:18,541
It's an act of terrorism.

1311
00:51:18,542 --> 00:51:20,542
And it's an assault on
the kinds of values that

1312
00:51:20,544 --> 00:51:22,944
we hold dear in this country
and the kinds of values

1313
00:51:22,946 --> 00:51:24,546
that they hold
dear in France.

1314
00:51:24,548 --> 00:51:27,718
And I think for some
people it serves

1315
00:51:27,717 --> 00:51:32,157
to be a clichĂŠ that when our
men and women in uniform are

1316
00:51:32,155 --> 00:51:37,525
fighting alongside our
allies in far-flung lands,

1317
00:51:37,527 --> 00:51:39,527
that they're not just
fighting for our security,

1318
00:51:39,529 --> 00:51:41,529
they're fighting
for our values.

1319
00:51:41,531 --> 00:51:43,531
This is a pretty good
illustration of that.

1320
00:51:43,533 --> 00:51:45,533
And that's why we
certainly value the kind

1321
00:51:45,535 --> 00:51:47,505
of contribution that the
French people have made

1322
00:51:47,504 --> 00:51:49,144
to taking
on ISIL.

1323
00:51:49,139 --> 00:51:51,139
We have not had a chance
to talk yet about

1324
00:51:51,141 --> 00:51:53,181
the leading role that
France has played in taking

1325
00:51:53,176 --> 00:51:59,116
on AQIM in North Africa, that
there is French expertise

1326
00:51:59,115 --> 00:52:02,155
and a legacy there where
French military forces

1327
00:52:02,152 --> 00:52:05,092
have been very effective
in applying pressure

1328
00:52:05,088 --> 00:52:09,158
to terrorist leaders in
North Africa that have

1329
00:52:09,159 --> 00:52:11,899
ambition for attacking
France and other

1330
00:52:11,895 --> 00:52:13,865
Western interests.

1331
00:52:13,864 --> 00:52:17,764
So, again, we value
the kind of strong

1332
00:52:17,767 --> 00:52:19,967
relationship that the
United States has with

1333
00:52:19,970 --> 00:52:22,010
France, and there is no
doubt in the mind of this

1334
00:52:22,005 --> 00:52:24,005
President, there certainly
is no doubt in the mind

1335
00:52:24,007 --> 00:52:26,477
of 2 the French ambassador
to the United States,

1336
00:52:26,476 --> 00:52:28,916
that the American people will
continue to be stalwart

1337
00:52:28,912 --> 00:52:31,852
allies with France as
we face down those

1338
00:52:31,848 --> 00:52:34,718
terrorists that try to
use violence to attack

1339
00:52:34,718 --> 00:52:35,718
our basic values.

1340
00:52:35,719 --> 00:52:38,689
The Press:
And in dealing with this

1341
00:52:38,688 --> 00:52:40,688
oversight, does the
President have any

1342
00:52:40,690 --> 00:52:44,560
plans to call
President Hollande?

1343
00:52:44,561 --> 00:52:46,261
Have any communications
been made from the

1344
00:52:46,263 --> 00:52:49,033
White House to the French to
say we screwed up on this one?

1345
00:52:49,032 --> 00:52:50,732
Mr. Earnest:
Well, again, based

1346
00:52:50,734 --> 00:52:53,804
on the public expression
and public comments from

1347
00:52:53,803 --> 00:52:56,303
the French ambassador, I'm
not sure that's necessary.

1348
00:52:56,306 --> 00:52:58,546
But if it is, the French
ambassador will be sitting

1349
00:52:58,542 --> 00:53:00,942
down with the President's
top Homeland Security

1350
00:53:00,944 --> 00:53:02,944
Advisor here at the
White House today --

1351
00:53:02,946 --> 00:53:05,016
it may be taking place right
now -- and if that's necessary

1352
00:53:05,015 --> 00:53:06,685
I'm confident that
will be conveyed.

1353
00:53:06,683 --> 00:53:08,253
The Press:
And maybe can be communicated.

1354
00:53:08,251 --> 00:53:09,081
Okay.

1355
00:53:09,085 --> 00:53:10,985
Mr. Earnest:
Julie.

1356
00:53:10,987 --> 00:53:11,987
The Press:
Couple things.

1357
00:53:11,988 --> 00:53:13,988
First, just back on
Paris for a second.

1358
00:53:13,990 --> 00:53:15,990
I'm told the Secret
Service was not asked

1359
00:53:15,992 --> 00:53:17,092
about the potential
security concerns around

1360
00:53:17,093 --> 00:53:19,993
a vice presidential or
a presidential visit

1361
00:53:19,996 --> 00:53:20,996
to Paris around
the march.

1362
00:53:20,997 --> 00:53:21,827
So are you saying
that's inaccurate?

1363
00:53:21,831 --> 00:53:23,801
Or what should we
conclude from that?

1364
00:53:23,800 --> 00:53:27,000
Was this about security, or
was it about something else?

1365
00:53:27,003 --> 00:53:28,703
Mr. Earnest:
Well, I appreciate you

1366
00:53:28,705 --> 00:53:31,905
giving me the opportunity
to clarify here.

1367
00:53:31,908 --> 00:53:34,478
I'm not going to get
into the planning

1368
00:53:34,477 --> 00:53:37,017
or logistics that went
into the decision related

1369
00:53:37,013 --> 00:53:38,553
to the march.

1370
00:53:38,548 --> 00:53:41,888
What I have merely
reiterated is something

1371
00:53:41,885 --> 00:53:44,525
that we have talked about
on many occasions and

1372
00:53:44,521 --> 00:53:47,691
applies to every time the
President wants to attend

1373
00:53:47,691 --> 00:53:50,691
an event alongside
thousands or hundreds

1374
00:53:50,694 --> 00:53:53,294
of thousands or even
millions of other people,

1375
00:53:53,296 --> 00:53:56,796
which is that that requires
significant onerous

1376
00:53:56,800 --> 00:54:00,700
security precautions that
necessarily have an impact

1377
00:54:00,704 --> 00:54:02,704
on the ability of those
who are attending that

1378
00:54:02,706 --> 00:54:05,646
event to fully
participate.

1379
00:54:05,642 --> 00:54:08,782
And there is no doubt that
had the President attended

1380
00:54:08,778 --> 00:54:11,618
that march on short notice
yesterday, it would have

1381
00:54:11,615 --> 00:54:15,085
had -- the security
precautions around

1382
00:54:15,085 --> 00:54:17,885
his attendance and
participation would

1383
00:54:17,887 --> 00:54:21,857
have had an impact on those
who attended the march.

1384
00:54:21,858 --> 00:54:23,858
The Press:
You said this was not

1385
00:54:23,860 --> 00:54:25,360
a decision that was made
by the President himself,

1386
00:54:25,362 --> 00:54:27,332
but he is the President
of the United States.

1387
00:54:27,330 --> 00:54:29,670
If he had decided that
this was a priority

1388
00:54:29,666 --> 00:54:32,106
for him to be there in Paris
for this march, he could

1389
00:54:32,102 --> 00:54:34,572
have -- ostensibly,
he could have

1390
00:54:34,571 --> 00:54:36,041
come forward
and said that.

1391
00:54:36,039 --> 00:54:38,139
Does he personally
regret not saying,

1392
00:54:38,141 --> 00:54:40,111
you know, I really want
to be there for this,

1393
00:54:40,110 --> 00:54:41,710
it's the reason I called
the French President

1394
00:54:41,711 --> 00:54:43,881
immediately after these
attacks and I should be there?

1395
00:54:43,880 --> 00:54:45,880
Mr. Earnest:
Julie, I didn't talk

1396
00:54:45,882 --> 00:54:48,052
to him about his
personal regret.

1397
00:54:48,051 --> 00:54:50,051
What I can tell you
is that here at the

1398
00:54:50,053 --> 00:54:52,053
White House we do believe
that we should have sent

1399
00:54:52,055 --> 00:54:54,055
somebody with a higher
profile to the march

1400
00:54:54,057 --> 00:54:56,457
beyond just the U.S.
ambassador to France.

1401
00:54:56,459 --> 00:54:57,529
The Press:
Just quickly on the

1402
00:54:57,527 --> 00:54:59,097
meeting tomorrow with 
congressional leaders.

1403
00:54:59,095 --> 00:55:01,095
It's week two of the
Congress; you guys have

1404
00:55:01,097 --> 00:55:03,097
already issued I guess
it's three veto threats,

1405
00:55:03,099 --> 00:55:05,399
the most recent of which
-- just at the top here.

1406
00:55:05,402 --> 00:55:06,772
What is the President's
message going

1407
00:55:06,770 --> 00:55:09,270
to be to congressional leaders
at this meeting tomorrow,

1408
00:55:09,272 --> 00:55:12,442
who, the Republicans at
least, seem to feel like

1409
00:55:12,442 --> 00:55:15,012
he's not starting off on a
great foot with them given

1410
00:55:15,011 --> 00:55:16,481
his veto threats?

1411
00:55:16,479 --> 00:55:17,009
And how is he going to
explain that in the meeting?

1412
00:55:17,013 --> 00:55:18,053
Mr. Earnest:
Well, let me say

1413
00:55:18,048 --> 00:55:20,048
a couple things
about that, Julie.

1414
00:55:20,050 --> 00:55:22,050
The first is none of the
veto threats that you've

1415
00:55:22,052 --> 00:55:24,052
heard from us in the last
week or so has it at all

1416
00:55:24,054 --> 00:55:27,354
been a surprise,
particularly because the

1417
00:55:27,357 --> 00:55:29,857
pieces of legislation that
we're talking about are

1418
00:55:29,859 --> 00:55:31,859
pieces of legislation in
which the administration

1419
00:55:31,861 --> 00:55:32,861
already had
well-known views.

1420
00:55:32,862 --> 00:55:35,132
So while it may raise
questions in the minds

1421
00:55:35,131 --> 00:55:37,271
of some Republicans about the
President's willingness

1422
00:55:37,267 --> 00:55:41,837
to work with Republicans
in Congress to advance

1423
00:55:41,838 --> 00:55:45,138
priorities, it might also
raise questions in the

1424
00:55:45,141 --> 00:55:48,281
mind of some others that
Republicans have chosen,

1425
00:55:48,278 --> 00:55:51,278
as their first few pieces
of legislation, bills they

1426
00:55:51,281 --> 00:55:53,121
know the President
opposes.

1427
00:55:53,116 --> 00:55:55,116
So that's the
first thing.

1428
00:55:55,118 --> 00:55:57,158
The second thing
is, despite those

1429
00:55:57,153 --> 00:55:59,923
disagreements there
is another important

1430
00:55:59,923 --> 00:56:01,923
principle here, and this
is something that the

1431
00:56:01,925 --> 00:56:03,925
President has articulated
on several occasions,

1432
00:56:03,927 --> 00:56:06,427
particularly since the
midterm elections.

1433
00:56:06,429 --> 00:56:08,429
We can't allow a
disagreement over

1434
00:56:08,431 --> 00:56:10,431
a handful of issues to
become a deal-breaker

1435
00:56:10,433 --> 00:56:11,433
over all
the others.

1436
00:56:11,434 --> 00:56:13,504
There's a lot of important
work that needs to get done.

1437
00:56:13,503 --> 00:56:15,503
And whether that's
reforming our tax code

1438
00:56:15,505 --> 00:56:17,705
to make it more fair and
more simple, or investing

1439
00:56:17,707 --> 00:56:20,147
in the kinds of
infrastructure projects

1440
00:56:20,143 --> 00:56:22,143
that we know are going to
create jobs over the long

1441
00:56:22,145 --> 00:56:24,245
term and lay the
foundation for a modern

1442
00:56:24,247 --> 00:56:26,247
infrastructure that
will benefit everybody,

1443
00:56:26,249 --> 00:56:27,489
including
our economy.

1444
00:56:27,484 --> 00:56:29,654
It could be working
together to open

1445
00:56:29,652 --> 00:56:31,652
up overseas markets for
American businesses.

1446
00:56:31,654 --> 00:56:33,654
There are a whole host
of things that we could

1447
00:56:33,656 --> 00:56:34,756
do by working
with Republicans.

1448
00:56:34,758 --> 00:56:36,758
It doesn't mean
we're going to agree

1449
00:56:36,760 --> 00:56:37,760
on everything.

1450
00:56:37,761 --> 00:56:38,761
Certainly we're not.

1451
00:56:38,762 --> 00:56:40,762
But the question is,
are we going to allow

1452
00:56:40,764 --> 00:56:42,764
a disagreement over a
few things to become

1453
00:56:42,766 --> 00:56:44,766
a deal-breaker for
all the others.

1454
00:56:44,768 --> 00:56:46,768
The President certainly
hopes that it won't.

1455
00:56:46,770 --> 00:56:48,770
And that will be something
they'll discuss at the

1456
00:56:48,772 --> 00:56:48,872
meeting quite
a bit tomorrow.

1457
00:56:48,872 --> 00:56:50,772
Scott.

1458
00:56:50,774 --> 00:56:51,774
The Press:
Back in his 2010

1459
00:56:51,775 --> 00:56:53,745
State of the Union,
the President said

1460
00:56:53,743 --> 00:56:55,743
he would have meetings like
this on a monthly basis.

1461
00:56:55,745 --> 00:56:57,415
I know you don't read out
every time the President

1462
00:56:57,413 --> 00:56:59,053
meets with legislative
leaders, but it seems

1463
00:56:59,048 --> 00:57:01,348
like he's fallen
short of that total.

1464
00:57:01,351 --> 00:57:02,321
Mr. Earnest:
We're in the first month

1465
00:57:02,318 --> 00:57:03,158
of the year and
they're going

1466
00:57:03,153 --> 00:57:04,653
to have their first
meeting tomorrow.

1467
00:57:04,654 --> 00:57:06,594
So it depends on where
you draw the line, right?

1468
00:57:06,589 --> 00:57:10,389
Admittedly, I would
say that I don't think

1469
00:57:10,393 --> 00:57:12,163
that the meetings, the
formal meetings certainly

1470
00:57:12,162 --> 00:57:14,062
haven't been
that frequent.

1471
00:57:14,063 --> 00:57:16,903
I was asked about this
last week I think

1472
00:57:16,900 --> 00:57:19,740
in which I declined to
suggest that we would set up

1473
00:57:19,736 --> 00:57:22,236
a similar sort of
artificial standard.

1474
00:57:22,238 --> 00:57:24,478
But I do think that
you can expect the

1475
00:57:24,474 --> 00:57:26,474
President to be in regular
touch with leaders

1476
00:57:26,476 --> 00:57:28,476
on Capitol Hill, both
Democrats and Republicans,

1477
00:57:28,478 --> 00:57:30,478
in pursuit of the kind of
common ground that we believe

1478
00:57:30,480 --> 00:57:32,480
is necessary to move
the country forward.

1479
00:57:32,482 --> 00:57:34,482
And, again, it doesn't
mean we're going

1480
00:57:34,484 --> 00:57:35,484
to agree over
everything.

1481
00:57:35,485 --> 00:57:37,485
I don't want to paper over
the differences because

1482
00:57:37,487 --> 00:57:40,157
the differences are
significant, but the

1483
00:57:40,156 --> 00:57:42,156
President is determined
to try to work with

1484
00:57:42,158 --> 00:57:44,528
Republicans where he can to
try to find common ground.

1485
00:57:44,527 --> 00:57:47,897
And where they can't,
the President is going

1486
00:57:47,897 --> 00:57:49,897
to be prepared to use all of
the elements of his executive

1487
00:57:49,899 --> 00:57:51,899
authority to move us
forward on his own.

1488
00:57:51,901 --> 00:57:54,101
And the President made
that pretty evident

1489
00:57:54,103 --> 00:57:59,113
in the last few days of --
or last few weeks of 2014,

1490
00:57:59,108 --> 00:58:01,108
and I think even here
in the early stages

1491
00:58:01,110 --> 00:58:03,650
of 2015 he's been pretty
clear about that too.

1492
00:58:03,646 --> 00:58:04,416
The Press:
Is the size of the

1493
00:58:04,414 --> 00:58:07,684
group a little
unwieldy?

1494
00:58:07,684 --> 00:58:09,454
Mr. Earnest:
Not necessarily.

1495
00:58:09,452 --> 00:58:12,222
I think this can be
an appropriate forum

1496
00:58:12,222 --> 00:58:15,362
for discussion where we
can have a sizeable number

1497
00:58:15,358 --> 00:58:18,128
of congressional leaders all
in one room sitting down,

1498
00:58:18,127 --> 00:58:20,127
putting their heads
together to try

1499
00:58:20,129 --> 00:58:22,429
to find and identify some
areas of common ground.

1500
00:58:22,432 --> 00:58:23,602
And I think
those kinds

1501
00:58:23,600 --> 00:58:26,640
of discussions
are constructive.

1502
00:58:26,636 --> 00:58:28,636
I think what you're
pointing out is that

1503
00:58:28,638 --> 00:58:30,638
often it's hard to reach
a final agreement

1504
00:58:30,640 --> 00:58:32,640
on something when you have
a large number of people

1505
00:58:32,642 --> 00:58:33,642
in the room.

1506
00:58:33,643 --> 00:58:35,643
I wouldn't anticipate
that any final agreements

1507
00:58:35,645 --> 00:58:37,615
will be reached on
any momentous pieces

1508
00:58:37,614 --> 00:58:39,914
of legislation in this
meeting, but after all,

1509
00:58:39,916 --> 00:58:41,916
we're seven days into
the new Congress.

1510
00:58:41,918 --> 00:58:44,258
But I do anticipate that
there will be a very

1511
00:58:44,254 --> 00:58:46,994
useful discussion, and the
President is certainly

1512
00:58:46,990 --> 00:58:49,030
hopeful that Democrats
and Republicans from

1513
00:58:49,025 --> 00:58:52,965
Capitol Hill will participate
in the same meeting --

1514
00:58:52,962 --> 00:58:55,532
or participate in the
meeting in the same spirit

1515
00:58:55,531 --> 00:58:57,131
that the President will
bring to the meeting,

1516
00:58:57,133 --> 00:59:01,603
which is a spirit of
cooperation and optimism

1517
00:59:01,604 --> 00:59:04,404
about the country, certainly
about the progress that

1518
00:59:04,407 --> 00:59:07,647
we have made on the economy,
and optimistic about our

1519
00:59:07,644 --> 00:59:09,644
ability to try to
put aside political

1520
00:59:09,646 --> 00:59:13,016
differences and focus on
those areas where common

1521
00:59:13,016 --> 00:59:15,116
ground exists and we
can make progress

1522
00:59:15,118 --> 00:59:17,958
for everybody here
in the country.

1523
00:59:17,954 --> 00:59:18,954
Chris.

1524
00:59:18,955 --> 00:59:23,665
The Press:
Obviously if the

1525
00:59:23,660 --> 00:59:25,700
White House had made a
different decision --

1526
00:59:25,695 --> 00:59:27,765
schedules can be changed
whether it's Eric Holder

1527
00:59:27,764 --> 00:59:29,764
or John Kerry.

1528
00:59:29,766 --> 00:59:31,736
Did the White House
underestimate the symbolic

1529
00:59:31,734 --> 00:59:33,204
importance of
this march?

1530
00:59:33,202 --> 00:59:36,302
Mr. Earnest:
Well, to the extent

1531
00:59:36,306 --> 00:59:40,276
that anybody had an opportunity
to estimate it in 36 hours,

1532
00:59:40,276 --> 00:59:47,956
I think what you can
say is that this kind

1533
00:59:47,951 --> 00:59:49,651
of symbolism
is important.

1534
00:59:49,652 --> 00:59:51,952
That, after all,
is why we sent the

1535
00:59:51,955 --> 00:59:56,455
U.S. ambassador to France
and why we believe that

1536
00:59:56,459 --> 00:59:57,629
we should have sent
somebody with an even

1537
00:59:57,627 --> 00:59:59,627
higher profile, that those
kinds of expressions

1538
00:59:59,629 --> 01:00:03,129
of symbolic solidarity
are meaningful in the

1539
01:00:03,132 --> 01:00:05,132
same way that it was
meaningful for the President

1540
01:00:05,134 --> 01:00:07,134
to go to the French Embassy
here in Washington last

1541
01:00:07,136 --> 01:00:10,376
week and write a
thoughtful note in a book

1542
01:00:10,373 --> 01:00:13,943
at the embassy expressing
his profound sorrow at those

1543
01:00:13,943 --> 01:00:16,543
who were lost and his
resolve to working with the

1544
01:00:16,546 --> 01:00:19,046
people of France to
protect our values

1545
01:00:19,048 --> 01:00:20,518
and to protect
our livelihood.

1546
01:00:20,516 --> 01:00:24,786
And those expressions
of -- those symbolic

1547
01:00:24,787 --> 01:00:26,957
expressions are important,
and they certainly were

1548
01:00:26,956 --> 01:00:27,956
important
yesterday, too.

1549
01:00:27,957 --> 01:00:28,957
The Press:
And is that why

1550
01:00:28,958 --> 01:00:30,958
John Kerry is going on
Thursday and Friday?

1551
01:00:30,960 --> 01:00:32,960
Mr. Earnest:
Well, you'd have to

1552
01:00:32,962 --> 01:00:33,962
talk to him about
his schedule.

1553
01:00:33,963 --> 01:00:35,963
I think that they had
been talking about him

1554
01:00:35,965 --> 01:00:37,935
doing that on the
end of his India

1555
01:00:37,934 --> 01:00:38,964
and Pakistan
trip anyway.

1556
01:00:38,968 --> 01:00:40,968
But again, you'd have
to check with them

1557
01:00:40,970 --> 01:00:42,970
to confirm whether or
not that's the case.

1558
01:00:42,972 --> 01:00:43,972
I don't --
I'm not sure.

1559
01:00:43,973 --> 01:00:44,973
The Press:
Let me ask about

1560
01:00:44,974 --> 01:00:46,974
the CENTCOM breach
just a little bit.

1561
01:00:46,976 --> 01:00:48,516
You mentioned that there
is obviously a difference

1562
01:00:48,511 --> 01:00:51,081
between a data breach
and hacking Twitter.

1563
01:00:51,080 --> 01:00:52,650
But when you talk to
intelligence officials,

1564
01:00:52,648 --> 01:00:54,988
one of the things
they'll tell you

1565
01:00:54,984 --> 01:00:56,984
is that the power
of some of these

1566
01:00:56,986 --> 01:01:00,486
radical groups have been
their PR successes.

1567
01:01:00,490 --> 01:01:03,490
And the idea that CENTCOM
is being hacked at the

1568
01:01:03,493 --> 01:01:05,633
same time that the
President is talking about

1569
01:01:05,628 --> 01:01:08,968
cybersecurity at
the FTC, was this

1570
01:01:08,965 --> 01:01:10,405
a PR coup
for them?

1571
01:01:10,400 --> 01:01:13,400
Mr. Earnest:
No.

1572
01:01:13,403 --> 01:01:14,503
Cheryl.

1573
01:01:14,504 --> 01:01:15,304
The Press:
Thanks, Josh.

1574
01:01:15,304 --> 01:01:16,204
(laughter)

1575
01:01:16,205 --> 01:01:17,075
The Press:
Can I follow up on that?

1576
01:01:17,073 --> 01:01:18,203
Mr. Earnest:
Sure.

1577
01:01:18,207 --> 01:01:20,077
Cheryl, if you
don't mind.

1578
01:01:20,076 --> 01:01:21,076
The Press:
Go ahead.

1579
01:01:21,077 --> 01:01:23,777
The Press:
And also in sort of saying

1580
01:01:23,780 --> 01:01:27,120
that this was less
significant, there have

1581
01:01:27,116 --> 01:01:29,816
been some reports that
there was personal

1582
01:01:29,819 --> 01:01:32,859
information that was divulged
-- names, phone numbers,

1583
01:01:32,855 --> 01:01:35,755
those kinds of things,
obviously not classified

1584
01:01:35,758 --> 01:01:37,598
information on
a Twitter feed.

1585
01:01:37,593 --> 01:01:38,863
But does that make
it significant?

1586
01:01:38,861 --> 01:01:39,731
Mr. Earnest:
It certainly

1587
01:01:39,729 --> 01:01:41,129
makes it something that we
would take seriously.

1588
01:01:41,130 --> 01:01:43,930
But again, the scope
of this particular

1589
01:01:43,933 --> 01:01:45,703
incident is something that's
still under investigation,

1590
01:01:45,701 --> 01:01:48,101
or at least it was
when I walked out here

1591
01:01:48,104 --> 01:01:49,504
an hour or so ago.

1592
01:01:49,505 --> 01:01:51,145
So maybe they've made some
more progress to determine

1593
01:01:51,140 --> 01:01:52,840
what exactly
has happened.

1594
01:01:52,842 --> 01:01:54,082
But we'll certainly
keep you up to date

1595
01:01:54,077 --> 01:01:57,217
on this, and this is
something that will attract

1596
01:01:57,213 --> 01:01:58,683
prominent attention in the
administration because

1597
01:01:58,681 --> 01:02:01,121
it's something that
we take seriously.

1598
01:02:01,117 --> 01:02:01,587
Cheryl, back
to you.

1599
01:02:01,584 --> 01:02:02,414
The Press:
Thanks.

1600
01:02:02,418 --> 01:02:05,558
On Friday the White House 
recieved reauthorization

1601
01:02:05,555 --> 01:02:07,895
for the Terrorism
Risk Insurance Act.

1602
01:02:07,890 --> 01:02:09,930
Will the President
sign that bill?

1603
01:02:09,926 --> 01:02:10,926
Mr. Earnest:
The President will

1604
01:02:10,927 --> 01:02:11,927
sign that bill.

1605
01:02:11,928 --> 01:02:14,998
We have made clear our
disappointment that

1606
01:02:14,997 --> 01:02:16,997
on this critically important
piece of legislation,

1607
01:02:16,999 --> 01:02:18,999
legislation that's good
for our economy and good

1608
01:02:19,001 --> 01:02:23,241
for national security,
it included a rider that

1609
01:02:23,239 --> 01:02:25,809
would try to water
down one element

1610
01:02:25,808 --> 01:02:27,148
of Wall Street reform.

1611
01:02:27,143 --> 01:02:29,143
And that's certainly
something that

1612
01:02:29,145 --> 01:02:32,445
we are not
happy about.

1613
01:02:32,448 --> 01:02:36,188
But again, in this era of
trying to compromise,

1614
01:02:36,185 --> 01:02:38,185
the President on occasion
is going to have to sign

1615
01:02:38,187 --> 01:02:40,187
important pieces of
legislation that

1616
01:02:40,189 --> 01:02:42,929
aren't 100 percent
to his liking.

1617
01:02:42,925 --> 01:02:45,025
And I think the
signing of this piece

1618
01:02:45,027 --> 01:02:47,027
of legislation is
one example of that.

1619
01:02:47,029 --> 01:02:49,029
We'll let you know
when that bill

1620
01:02:49,031 --> 01:02:50,031
has gotten signed.

1621
01:02:50,032 --> 01:02:50,702
Mike.

1622
01:02:50,700 --> 01:02:52,030
The Press:
Thanks, Josh.

1623
01:02:52,034 --> 01:02:54,034
Jim had an interesting
question, even though

1624
01:02:54,036 --> 01:02:56,036
he left, and I was
struck by your exchange.

1625
01:02:56,038 --> 01:02:59,138
He asked you, should
American media

1626
01:02:59,142 --> 01:03:02,282
organizations be fearful
of reprinting these

1627
01:03:02,278 --> 01:03:05,348
cartoons or depicting
Muhammad in some way

1628
01:03:05,348 --> 01:03:08,688
that violent
extremists don't like.

1629
01:03:08,684 --> 01:03:10,924
And there has -- and
you answered about

1630
01:03:10,920 --> 01:03:13,360
-- the talk about
American values.

1631
01:03:13,356 --> 01:03:15,696
There has been some
discussion that American

1632
01:03:15,691 --> 01:03:18,731
media organizations
haven't reprinted some

1633
01:03:18,728 --> 01:03:21,768
of these things deliberately
because they're afraid

1634
01:03:21,764 --> 01:03:24,464
some terrorist could come
in and shoot them up.

1635
01:03:24,467 --> 01:03:28,907
Are you saying that
based on your knowledge,

1636
01:03:28,905 --> 01:03:31,075
the White House -- you guys
know a thing or two about

1637
01:03:31,073 --> 01:03:35,613
security -- that American
media organizations

1638
01:03:35,611 --> 01:03:39,051
shouldn't be afraid of
writing something

1639
01:03:39,048 --> 01:03:43,318
or showing a cartoon that
would offend jihadis

1640
01:03:43,319 --> 01:03:47,489
because, hey, you, as the
White House say, America

1641
01:03:47,490 --> 01:03:49,860
is the place where you
don't have to be afraid

1642
01:03:49,859 --> 01:03:51,799
of that because we have
sufficient security here?

1643
01:03:51,794 --> 01:03:53,794
I just wanted to
understand because there's

1644
01:03:53,796 --> 01:03:55,466
been this big debate,
and the media sort

1645
01:03:55,464 --> 01:03:56,764
of talks
about this.

1646
01:03:56,766 --> 01:03:58,806
And it sounded like you
were starting to address,

1647
01:03:58,801 --> 01:04:01,901
hey, your fears may be
overblown; we're assuring

1648
01:04:01,904 --> 01:04:03,604
you we have this
under control.

1649
01:04:03,606 --> 01:04:05,606
Mr. Earnest:
Well, there's a lot there.

1650
01:04:05,608 --> 01:04:10,578
Let me try to go
through this carefully.

1651
01:04:10,580 --> 01:04:12,780
The first thing is I think
that there are any number

1652
01:04:12,782 --> 01:04:15,182
of reasons that media
organizations have made

1653
01:04:15,184 --> 01:04:17,754
a decision not to
reprint the cartoons.

1654
01:04:17,753 --> 01:04:20,023
In some cases, maybe
they were concerned

1655
01:04:20,022 --> 01:04:21,062
about their
physical safety.

1656
01:04:21,057 --> 01:04:24,897
In other cases, they were
exercising some judgment

1657
01:04:24,894 --> 01:04:27,734
in a different way.

1658
01:04:27,730 --> 01:04:30,170
So we certainly would
leave it to media

1659
01:04:30,166 --> 01:04:33,206
organizations to make
a decision like this.

1660
01:04:33,202 --> 01:04:35,202
I think this goes to
something I was saying

1661
01:04:35,204 --> 01:04:37,204
earlier that there is a
responsibility associated

1662
01:04:37,206 --> 01:04:39,176
with the exercise
of some of these

1663
01:04:39,175 --> 01:04:42,045
First Amendment
rights.

1664
01:04:42,044 --> 01:04:44,584
But that is a decision
that should be made

1665
01:04:44,580 --> 01:04:47,320
by those news
organizations.

1666
01:04:47,316 --> 01:04:48,186
The Press:
But it's a separate

1667
01:04:48,184 --> 01:04:49,624
decision from
being fearful.

1668
01:04:49,619 --> 01:04:51,919
That's a taste,
judgment --

1669
01:04:51,921 --> 01:04:53,821
Mr. Earnest:
Well, again, I think

1670
01:04:53,823 --> 01:04:56,093
that's probably in their
minds -- and I hesitate

1671
01:04:56,092 --> 01:04:58,092
to speak for them, but
since we're going down

1672
01:04:58,094 --> 01:05:00,164
this road, I'll try to
entertain this dialogue

1673
01:05:00,162 --> 01:05:03,462
here -- they're trying
to assess some risk, right?

1674
01:05:03,466 --> 01:05:05,466
They're trying to
understand at what risk

1675
01:05:05,468 --> 01:05:08,768
is it going to put this
organization or our

1676
01:05:08,771 --> 01:05:12,041
employees by publishing
this cartoon.

1677
01:05:12,041 --> 01:05:14,041
Now, I'm confident in
saying that for the vast

1678
01:05:14,043 --> 01:05:16,043
majority of media
organizations, that's

1679
01:05:16,045 --> 01:05:17,145
not the only factor.

1680
01:05:17,146 --> 01:05:19,516
But I would readily
concede that it is one

1681
01:05:19,515 --> 01:05:22,385
in the minds of many of
those news executives.

1682
01:05:22,385 --> 01:05:24,355
But again, that is
a decision for all

1683
01:05:24,353 --> 01:05:25,423
of them to make.

1684
01:05:25,421 --> 01:05:27,921
The responsibility that
this President feels

1685
01:05:27,923 --> 01:05:30,323
is on a couple
of fronts.

1686
01:05:30,326 --> 01:05:33,166
The first is to reiterate,
as I have here a few times

1687
01:05:33,162 --> 01:05:35,162
but I'm going to do
it again because

1688
01:05:35,164 --> 01:05:37,164
it's important, a
basic principle here,

1689
01:05:37,166 --> 01:05:41,536
which is that no public
expression or exercise

1690
01:05:41,537 --> 01:05:46,577
of free speech justifies
violence -- certainly not

1691
01:05:46,575 --> 01:05:49,745
the violence on the scale that
we saw in Paris last week.

1692
01:05:49,745 --> 01:05:55,515
And that is a principle
that the President

1693
01:05:55,518 --> 01:05:57,658
believes is really
important and one

1694
01:05:57,653 --> 01:05:59,423
worth fighting for.

1695
01:05:59,422 --> 01:06:01,422
And I think you could make
the case, as I mentioned

1696
01:06:01,424 --> 01:06:03,594
earlier, that a lot of men
and women in uniform --

1697
01:06:03,592 --> 01:06:06,632
not just from American
soldiers, but French

1698
01:06:06,629 --> 01:06:08,629
soldiers and British
soldiers and others

1699
01:06:08,631 --> 01:06:09,831
are fighting for
that principle

1700
01:06:09,832 --> 01:06:11,272
in a very
real way.

1701
01:06:11,267 --> 01:06:15,707
And that is a testament to
the close alliance that

1702
01:06:15,705 --> 01:06:17,705
we have with the French
and with others.

1703
01:06:17,707 --> 01:06:19,707
The Press:
Josh, but when you said

1704
01:06:19,709 --> 01:06:21,709
no to Jim, you weren't
making a risk assessment

1705
01:06:21,711 --> 01:06:26,311
that there shouldn't be fear,
that if The New York Times

1706
01:06:26,315 --> 01:06:28,785
or Bloomberg printed
this cartoon that

1707
01:06:28,784 --> 01:06:30,524
we would all
be killed.

1708
01:06:30,519 --> 01:06:33,789
You're not making a risk
assessment when you're

1709
01:06:33,789 --> 01:06:35,059
saying you
shouldn't fear that?

1710
01:06:35,057 --> 01:06:36,057
Mr. Earnest:
What I'm saying is that

1711
01:06:36,058 --> 01:06:38,058
individual news
organizations have to assess

1712
01:06:38,060 --> 01:06:40,230
that risk for
themselves.

1713
01:06:40,229 --> 01:06:42,229
I mean, look, I might
add that there are

1714
01:06:42,231 --> 01:06:46,131
also journalists who
assume great personal

1715
01:06:46,135 --> 01:06:47,875
risk to tell
these stories.

1716
01:06:47,870 --> 01:06:50,710
And we've seen that some
of these journalists

1717
01:06:50,706 --> 01:06:53,906
have been captured by
violent extremists who

1718
01:06:53,909 --> 01:06:57,049
have carried out terrible acts
of violence against them.

1719
01:06:57,046 --> 01:07:02,356
So there is a risk
assessment made in lots

1720
01:07:02,351 --> 01:07:04,351
of decisions that
journalists make.

1721
01:07:04,353 --> 01:07:06,353
And, again, I think
the point in the mind

1722
01:07:06,355 --> 01:07:08,325
of the President and
certainly everybody here

1723
01:07:08,324 --> 01:07:10,794
at the White House is
that that is a question

1724
01:07:10,793 --> 01:07:12,793
that should be answered
by journalists.

1725
01:07:12,795 --> 01:07:14,795
They should use their
independent professional

1726
01:07:14,797 --> 01:07:16,797
judgment to make those
kinds of decisions.

1727
01:07:16,799 --> 01:07:18,799
And, again, those
decisions aren't just

1728
01:07:18,801 --> 01:07:22,971
driven by safety; they're
also driven by certain

1729
01:07:22,972 --> 01:07:26,972
ethics and journalistic
standards.

1730
01:07:26,976 --> 01:07:29,846
And these are complicated
issues but ultimately

1731
01:07:29,845 --> 01:07:33,615
ones that journalists
should make.

1732
01:07:33,616 --> 01:07:36,486
I will say that there
have been occasions --

1733
01:07:36,485 --> 01:07:38,485
and somebody
mentioned it earlier,

1734
01:07:38,487 --> 01:07:42,997
I guess it was Major --
where the administration

1735
01:07:42,992 --> 01:07:45,662
will make clear our point of
view on some of those

1736
01:07:45,661 --> 01:07:47,661
assessments based on the need
to protect the American

1737
01:07:47,663 --> 01:07:49,663
people and to protect our
men and women in uniform.

1738
01:07:49,665 --> 01:07:53,635
And so I wouldn't rule
out making those kinds

1739
01:07:53,636 --> 01:07:57,006
of expressions again.

1740
01:07:57,006 --> 01:08:00,946
But, again, these are
the kinds of difficult

1741
01:08:00,943 --> 01:08:03,843
questions that journalists
have to wrestle with.

1742
01:08:03,846 --> 01:08:05,746
There may be an
occasion where

1743
01:08:05,748 --> 01:08:07,748
U.S. government
officials can be helpful

1744
01:08:07,750 --> 01:08:09,750
in providing them advice or
information that can help

1745
01:08:09,752 --> 01:08:11,752
them make that decision,
but ultimately

1746
01:08:11,754 --> 01:08:12,754
the decision
rests with them.

1747
01:08:12,755 --> 01:08:15,095
And regardless of what
decision is made, it does

1748
01:08:15,090 --> 01:08:17,360
not in any way justify
an act of violence.

1749
01:08:17,359 --> 01:08:19,499
Jared, I'm going to
give you the last one.

1750
01:08:19,495 --> 01:08:20,495
The Press:
Then a fun one then,

1751
01:08:20,496 --> 01:08:21,496
Josh, for you.

1752
01:08:21,497 --> 01:08:22,497
Mr. Earnest:
Okay.

1753
01:08:22,498 --> 01:08:23,498
That would be
the first one.

1754
01:08:23,499 --> 01:08:24,499
(laughter)

1755
01:08:24,500 --> 01:08:25,970
The Press:
I'm sorry to hear that.

1756
01:08:25,968 --> 01:08:27,038
Mr. Earnest:
That's okay.

1757
01:08:27,036 --> 01:08:28,976
The Press:
After the 2012 reelection,

1758
01:08:28,971 --> 01:08:31,971
the President said he'd reach 
out to Governor Romney.

1759
01:08:31,974 --> 01:08:34,714
The Wall Street
Journal reporting that

1760
01:08:34,710 --> 01:08:38,010
Governor Romney is putting
out some 2016 trial balloon.

1761
01:08:38,013 --> 01:08:40,953
Has the President in any 
conversation or meeting

1762
01:08:40,950 --> 01:08:42,950
had any interaction
with the Governor since

1763
01:08:42,952 --> 01:08:44,822
their lunch in
November 2012?

1764
01:08:44,820 --> 01:08:45,650
Mr. Earnest:
That's a good question.

1765
01:08:45,654 --> 01:08:47,454
I don't -- off the top of
my head, I don't recall

1766
01:08:47,456 --> 01:08:50,026
any conversation that they've
had since that lunch.

1767
01:08:50,025 --> 01:08:51,925
Thanks, everybody.

1768
01:08:51,927 --> 01:08:52,827
We'll see you tomorrow.