English subtitles for clip: File:12-12-16- White House Press Briefing.webm

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Mr. Earnest: Good
afternoon, everybody.

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Happy Monday.

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I hope you all had
a good weekend.

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I do not have any comments
at the start, so we can go

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straight to questions.

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Josh, would you
like to start?

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The Press: Sure.

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Thanks, Josh.

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Why don't we
start with Aleppo?

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Does the U.S.

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government still think
it's possible to prevent

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Aleppo from falling to the
Syrian government, or is

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it possible to concede at
this point that

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it's a lost cause?

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Mr. Earnest: Josh, the
United States government

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continues to be deeply
concerned about the

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situation in Aleppo, and
the violence there

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is only increasing.

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The risk facing innocent
civilians has been

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grave for some time.

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It continues to worsen.

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Despite our best
diplomatic efforts to

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reduce the violence and
increase the flow of

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humanitarian assistance,
the Assad government,

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backed by the Russians,
continues to try to bomb

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innocent civilians
into submission.

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And it's a terrible
situation that does not

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appear to be
getting better.

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The Press: And the U.S.

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is saying that Russia
has turned down a U.S.

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offer for a ceasefire.

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What were the terms
of that ceasefire?

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And given that it seems
that Russia and its Syrian

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partners are on the verge
of winning 98 percent

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control of the area in
Aleppo, according to the

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Syrian forces, why would
Russia agree to our

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terms at this point?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, I can't
speak to the intricacies

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of the conversations that
were taking place between

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Secretary Kerry and some
of our top diplomats and

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their Russian
counterparts.

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There were other countries
that were involved in

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these conversations
as well.

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So I can't speak to
intricacies of the

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proposed arrangement, but
I can certainly tell you

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what the goals were.

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The goal was to try to end
the bombing, and the few

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innocent civilians that
remain -- try to get them

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out of harm's way, and
try to allow the flow of

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humanitarian assistance
to these communities that

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have been shut off from
the outside world

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for a long time.

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So those were the
goals all along.

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And in the months and
years that we've been

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negotiating to try to find
a diplomatic solution,

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we've been rebuffed by the
Syrians because, with the

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backing of the Russians
and the Iranians, they've

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continued to wage this war
with virtual impunity.

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The Press: Are you still
pursuing a ceasefire

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effort with Russia
at this point?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
the door remains open and

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we continue to be
interested in trying to

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find a diplomatic solution
to the situation not just

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in Aleppo but in Syria
because we know that

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there's not a military
solution that can be

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imposed on the situation.

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So, yes, we are still
interested in diplomacy.

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We still are open to and
interested in trying to

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find a diplomatic
solution.

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But optimism is not high.

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The Press: And turning to

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the cyber interference in

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the U.S. election.

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Does the White House --
well, I know you guys are

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doing your own
investigation that the

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President has called
for to hacking.

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Does the U.S. support

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congressional
inquiries into that, and

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would you cooperate
with them?

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And if so, do you have a
preference as far as the

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format -- whether that
should be the Senate

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Intelligence Committee, a
select committee of some

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sort or other format?

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Mr. Earnest: Josh, we
certainly have long

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supported the principle of
congressional

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review of this matter.

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There has been intensive
cooperation between the

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intelligence community and
other national security

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agencies and members of
Congress in both parties,

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both before and
after the election.

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The briefings have been
provided in a variety of

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settings, both classified
and unclassified.

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In some cases, it's
briefings of members.

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In some cases, it's
briefings of staff.

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In some cases, it's
briefings of both.

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So one of the stated goals
of the ongoing review that

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the President ordered last
week by the intelligence

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community was to compile
information that could be

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presented to Congress.

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Presumably, that
information would be

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useful in supporting a
congressional review of

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this matter that is
certainly warranted when

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you consider the stakes
and the consequences.

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So we support the
principle of congressional

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review, but I wouldn't
weigh in with an opinion

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right now about which
committee should

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bear that responsibility.

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The Press: But if Congress
in some format takes upon

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itself to start a
committee and look into

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it, even as you're doing
your own investigation,

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the investigation would
comply and cooperate to

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help that get
moving forward?

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Mr. Earnest: Absolutely.

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And as I mentioned, Josh,
the administration and

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national security
professionals, both

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high-ranking officials and
those farther down the

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chain, have been in
regular touch with members

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of Congress on
this matter.

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There's been a substantial
number of briefings and

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extensive communication
between national security

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officials and Congress
because of the rightful

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role that Congress
has in this matter.

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The Press: And I'm sure
that you saw over the

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weekend the
President-elect and his

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team disparaging the CIA,
bringing up the Iraq war

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stuff, openly disputing
the assessment of the

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intelligence community
about Russian hacking,

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calling it ridiculous.

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Is the President concerned
that the President-elect

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is undermining confidence
in the intelligence

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community with those
kinds of remarks?

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Mr. Earnest: Well,
President Obama's

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experience over the last
eight years has been that

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the men and women of the
intelligence community in

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the United States
are patriots.

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These are men and women
with specialized skills,

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in many cases, who have
chosen to not just

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dedicate their careers but
dedicate their lives to

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our national security.

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They don't do it for the
fame and the glory; in

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most cases, their

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identities are never known.

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I guess in many cases,
their identities

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are never known.

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They aren't doing it
because the pay is great.

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In many cases, these
are professionals with

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substantial capabilities,
with areas of expertise

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that would allow them to
get a much bigger paycheck

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in the private sector.

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These are men and women
who dedicate themselves to

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this cause because they
love this country.

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And President Obama has
benefitted enormously from

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their work, from their
expertise, from their

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advice, and from their
service to the country.

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And President Obama is
certainly not the first

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President to have enjoyed
the benefits of the

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experts in our
intelligence community,

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and I'm confident the
President-elect would

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benefit from that advice
if he remains

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open to it. Ayesha.

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The Press: Following up or
continuing along the issue

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of the cyber-attack, I was
wondering -- the Trump

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team has said that --
well, first I guess I want

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to ask, does the White
House have a position on

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if the Russians were
interfering, trying to --

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attempting to interfere
with the election, what

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their motives were?

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Was it to actually help
elect Donald Trump?

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Or was it just
to create chaos?

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And on top of that, the
Trump team has said that

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this is an effort to
delegitimize the results

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of the election.

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And I was just wondering,
what does the White House

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say to the American people
when they are hearing

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these reports about
Russian interference?

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There are all these
investigations going on --

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to the average American,
this may raise questions

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to them, even though
the intelligence isn't

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necessarily questioning
or saying that the actual

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votes were hacked or
anything like that, the

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appearance of the
interference could raise

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questions in the
minds of Americans.

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So what does the White
House say to that?

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Mr. Earnest: Well, Ayesha,

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there's obviously a lot there.

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Let me start by reminding
you of the statement --

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extraordinary statement

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that was issued by the U.S.

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intelligence community the
first week in October.

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In that statement that
reflected the consensus

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view of 17 different
intelligence agencies,

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they've concluded and
reported to the American

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public that Russia was
engaged in malicious cyber

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activity in an attempt to

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destabilize our political system.

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That's a
significant charge.

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And the fact that the
intelligence community

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came forward and made
public this assessment is

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extraordinary, even
unprecedented.

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That's the first thing.

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The second thing is there
was a lot of reporting

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over the weekend about
additional intelligence

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assessments that
have been reached.

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If that's something that
can be shared publicly,

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that's going to come

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from the intelligence community.

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It's not going to
come from here.

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And that is evidence of
the continued commitment

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of this administration
to ensuring and even

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protecting the integrity
of the basic institutions

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of government, including

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the intelligence community.

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That all said, you didn't
need a security clearance

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to figure out who
benefitted from malicious

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Russian cyber activity.

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The President-elect didn't
call it into question.

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He called on Russia
to hack his opponent.

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He called on Russia to
hack Secretary Clinton.

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So he certainly had a
pretty good sense of whose

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side this activity
was coming down on.

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The last several weeks of
the election were focused

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on a discussion of emails
that had been hacked and

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leaked by the Russians.

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These were emails from the
DNC and John Podesta --

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not from the RNC
and Steve Bannon.

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It was the President-elect
who, over the course of

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the campaign, indicated
that he thought that

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President Putin was
a strong leader.

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It was the President-elect
who indicated the

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potential that he would
withdraw from some of our

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critically important
NATO commitments.

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It was the President-elect
who refused to disclose

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his financial
connections to Russia.

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It was the President-elect
who hired a campaign

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chairman with extensive,
lucrative, personal

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financial ties to Russia.

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It was the President-elect
who had a national

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security advisor on the
campaign that had been a

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paid contributor to RT,

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the Russian propaganda outlet.

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The President-elect's
team, his campaign, didn't

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make any effort
to obscure this.

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So all of that is
information that was not

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obtained through
intelligence channels.

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It's not information that
was disclosed for the

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first time at
the White House.

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It's all information that
all of you reported on.

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It's information that all
of you reported on well in

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advance of the election,
and it's all information

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that is, as far as I
can tell, undisputed.

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So I think what it does,
it probably leads people

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to a variety of
conclusions.

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One conclusion that it
leads me to is the special

254
00:13:28,073 --> 00:13:36,048
responsibility that
members of Congress have

255
00:13:36,048 --> 00:13:39,552
to take a close look at
this -- particularly those

256
00:13:39,552 --> 00:13:41,320
members of Congress that

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00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,290
endorsed Mr. Trump in the election.

258
00:13:44,290 --> 00:13:46,125
They were aware of all
this information, too --

259
00:13:46,125 --> 00:13:47,493
not because they were
getting classified

260
00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:49,995
briefings, but because

261
00:13:49,995 --> 00:13:55,100
it was available to the public.

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00:13:55,100 --> 00:13:58,637
So I think in some cases,
we've seen some pretty

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00:13:58,637 --> 00:14:04,843
heated rhetoric from
Republicans wringing their

264
00:14:04,843 --> 00:14:10,248
hands about this and about
the potential impact it

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00:14:10,249 --> 00:14:11,917
has on our national
security and the integrity

266
00:14:11,917 --> 00:14:16,889
of our system
of government.

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I think they should spare
us the handwringing and

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00:14:18,591 --> 00:14:22,294
fulfill their basic
responsibility,

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00:14:22,294 --> 00:14:26,098
considering the bar has
been raised based on their

270
00:14:26,098 --> 00:14:29,901
political choices.

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00:14:29,902 --> 00:14:31,971
The Press: But with
everything that you just

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00:14:31,971 --> 00:14:33,739
laid out, President-elect
Trump has disputed the

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00:14:33,739 --> 00:14:37,142
idea that Russia favored
him or that Russia was

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00:14:37,142 --> 00:14:40,879
behind or interfering,
meddling in the election.

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I mean he says that no one
knows what's going on.

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00:14:43,582 --> 00:14:44,750
So you basically laid out

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00:14:44,750 --> 00:14:46,752
a case that that's not the case.

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00:14:46,752 --> 00:14:49,354
And if -- and just going
on what you just said,

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00:14:49,355 --> 00:14:52,191
doesn't that cast a cloud
over this election -- I

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00:14:52,191 --> 00:14:54,426
mean, everything that you
just laid out saying that

281
00:14:54,426 --> 00:14:58,130
this is clearly done to

282
00:14:58,130 --> 00:15:01,766
favor President-elect Trump?

283
00:15:01,767 --> 00:15:02,935
Mr. Earnest: Well, a
couple of things here.

284
00:15:02,935 --> 00:15:08,140
The first is the
conclusion about Russia's

285
00:15:08,140 --> 00:15:10,976
involvement in malicious
cyber activity to

286
00:15:10,976 --> 00:15:15,247
undermine confidence in
our political system

287
00:15:15,247 --> 00:15:16,415
represents the consensus

288
00:15:16,415 --> 00:15:17,882
view of the intelligence community.

289
00:15:17,883 --> 00:15:19,618
There's no disagreeing
with that.

290
00:15:19,618 --> 00:15:21,153
And that's the reason that
they came forward with

291
00:15:21,153 --> 00:15:22,421
that extraordinary
statement a month

292
00:15:22,421 --> 00:15:25,591
before the election.

293
00:15:25,591 --> 00:15:27,760
So there is no -- there
certainly should be no

294
00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:33,198
dispute about that.

295
00:15:33,198 --> 00:15:35,968
And the material that
I cited, again, is not

296
00:15:35,968 --> 00:15:37,468
information that you're
hearing from me

297
00:15:37,469 --> 00:15:38,837
for the first time.

298
00:15:38,837 --> 00:15:40,439
This is information that
all of you have reported

299
00:15:40,439 --> 00:15:43,809
on, thoroughly
investigated, and

300
00:15:43,809 --> 00:15:49,381
discussed on television.

301
00:15:49,381 --> 00:15:56,555
So, again, there's no
debate I'm seeking here.

302
00:15:56,555 --> 00:16:01,627
I, as I've done in the
past, tried to just lay

303
00:16:01,627 --> 00:16:03,661
out some objective facts.

304
00:16:03,662 --> 00:16:08,667
The debate, the argument
about the policy

305
00:16:08,667 --> 00:16:11,470
differences and the
differences in agendas

306
00:16:11,470 --> 00:16:13,806
pursued by the
President-elect and

307
00:16:13,806 --> 00:16:16,408
President Obama -- we had
an opportunity to have

308
00:16:16,408 --> 00:16:17,943
that debate, and that
was the subject of an

309
00:16:17,943 --> 00:16:19,877
extensive debate.

310
00:16:19,878 --> 00:16:21,180
And the election didn't
turn out the way

311
00:16:21,180 --> 00:16:23,848
that we had hoped.

312
00:16:23,849 --> 00:16:26,685
And since then, I've gone
to great lengths to try to

313
00:16:26,685 --> 00:16:30,488
avoid getting into
a debate with the

314
00:16:30,489 --> 00:16:32,558
President-elect's team
because our priority is on

315
00:16:32,558 --> 00:16:35,961
fulfilling the President's
basic, institutional

316
00:16:35,961 --> 00:16:40,699
responsibilities to effect
a smooth transition to

317
00:16:40,699 --> 00:16:43,401
the next presidency.

318
00:16:43,402 --> 00:16:45,971
So what I've stated in not
an argument, but really

319
00:16:45,971 --> 00:16:49,174
just a presentation of
objective facts about what

320
00:16:49,174 --> 00:16:53,712
all of you and the
American public knew in

321
00:16:53,712 --> 00:16:56,148
advance of the election.

322
00:16:56,148 --> 00:16:58,350
And, yes, this was all
material that was known by

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00:16:58,350 --> 00:17:04,923
Republican politicians in
the Congress that endorsed

324
00:17:04,923 --> 00:17:06,458
the President-elect.

325
00:17:06,458 --> 00:17:13,532
And how they reconcile
their political strategy

326
00:17:13,531 --> 00:17:15,800
and their patriotism is
something they're going to

327
00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:17,602
have to explain.

328
00:17:17,603 --> 00:17:19,338
The Press: One more topic.

329
00:17:19,338 --> 00:17:21,706
The President-elect also,
over the weekend, he

330
00:17:21,707 --> 00:17:25,744
talked about his call
with Taiwan and basically

331
00:17:25,743 --> 00:17:28,580
raised questions about
whether the U.S.

332
00:17:28,580 --> 00:17:31,949
needs to be bound by
the one-China policy.

333
00:17:31,950 --> 00:17:35,454
Obviously, China is very
upset about this and has

334
00:17:35,454 --> 00:17:37,423
raised serious
concerns about it.

335
00:17:37,423 --> 00:17:40,759
I was wondering -- I
know that the Obama

336
00:17:40,759 --> 00:17:42,961
administration is saying
that the one-China policy

337
00:17:42,961 --> 00:17:46,198
is still in effect, and
it's very important.

338
00:17:46,198 --> 00:17:48,367
But I guess is there a
concern going forward?

339
00:17:48,367 --> 00:17:50,269
Because it seems like the
next administration is not

340
00:17:50,269 --> 00:17:52,471
going to take that stand.

341
00:17:52,471 --> 00:17:55,908
It's like what are the
consequences, I guess, if

342
00:17:55,908 --> 00:17:59,110
President-elect Trump
follows through without

343
00:17:59,111 --> 00:18:02,347
respecting or with not

344
00:18:02,347 --> 00:18:04,616
respecting the one-China policy?

345
00:18:04,616 --> 00:18:08,220
Mr. Earnest: Well, the
United States government

346
00:18:08,220 --> 00:18:10,656
under the leadership of
President Obama has been

347
00:18:10,656 --> 00:18:11,823
and remains firmly

348
00:18:11,824 --> 00:18:13,892
committed to our one-China policy.

349
00:18:13,892 --> 00:18:17,095
That's also the policy,
by the way, that previous

350
00:18:17,095 --> 00:18:20,466
Presidents in both
parties have pursued.

351
00:18:20,466 --> 00:18:23,401
And our country has
benefitted from

352
00:18:23,402 --> 00:18:26,905
adherence to that policy.

353
00:18:26,905 --> 00:18:29,408
One reason that we have
pursued that policy is

354
00:18:29,408 --> 00:18:32,077
because the Obama
administration does not

355
00:18:32,077 --> 00:18:35,314
view Taiwan and our
relationship with Taiwan

356
00:18:35,314 --> 00:18:37,349
as a bargaining chip.

357
00:18:37,349 --> 00:18:40,819
Taiwan is not a
source of leverage.

358
00:18:40,819 --> 00:18:43,120
It's a close partner
of the United States.

359
00:18:43,121 --> 00:18:46,058
Taiwan is the ninth
largest trading partner of

360
00:18:46,058 --> 00:18:48,961
the United States.

361
00:18:48,961 --> 00:18:53,232
And bargaining that away
is not something that this

362
00:18:53,232 --> 00:18:56,768
administration believes
is in our best interest.

363
00:18:56,768 --> 00:19:01,006
And in fact, I think you'd
be hard pressed to make

364
00:19:01,006 --> 00:19:05,177
the case that it's in
the interest of Taiwan.

365
00:19:05,177 --> 00:19:09,281
But what we have been able
to do by pursuing that

366
00:19:09,281 --> 00:19:15,921
policy and adhering to
that policy is to have a

367
00:19:15,921 --> 00:19:20,826
close partner in Taiwan
and a constructive

368
00:19:20,826 --> 00:19:23,295
relationship with China,
where we've been able to

369
00:19:23,295 --> 00:19:25,264
make important, even
historic progress on

370
00:19:25,264 --> 00:19:28,699
climate change; and where
we've unlocked cooperation

371
00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:30,168
on the Iran deal.

372
00:19:30,168 --> 00:19:33,272
We would not have
succeeded in completing a

373
00:19:33,272 --> 00:19:35,841
diplomatic agreement
to prevent Iran from

374
00:19:35,841 --> 00:19:36,908
obtaining a nuclear weapon

375
00:19:36,909 --> 00:19:39,444
without China's effective cooperation.

376
00:19:39,444 --> 00:19:42,514
We've been able to lower
tensions around cyber

377
00:19:42,514 --> 00:19:45,317
issues, and we have been
able to work effectively

378
00:19:45,317 --> 00:19:46,618
with the Chinese to ramp

379
00:19:46,618 --> 00:19:49,821
up pressure on North Korea.

380
00:19:49,821 --> 00:19:50,889
We certainly don't agree

381
00:19:50,889 --> 00:19:52,424
with the Chinese on everything.

382
00:19:52,424 --> 00:19:54,726
But where common ground
does exist, we've been

383
00:19:54,726 --> 00:19:57,729
able to make progress in
a way that benefits the

384
00:19:57,729 --> 00:20:00,132
American people and
benefits the Chinese

385
00:20:00,132 --> 00:20:03,368
people and, when it
comes to climate change,

386
00:20:03,368 --> 00:20:08,273
benefits the planet.

387
00:20:08,273 --> 00:20:12,377
That kind of progress is
much more difficult if

388
00:20:12,377 --> 00:20:20,519
tensions are heightened

389
00:20:20,519 --> 00:20:24,389
around our one-China policy. Justin.

390
00:20:24,389 --> 00:20:28,260
The Press: I guess I
wanted to go back to the

391
00:20:28,260 --> 00:20:35,067
presentation of objective
facts, and it seems

392
00:20:35,067 --> 00:20:39,338
obvious that both Donald
Trump and his campaign

393
00:20:39,338 --> 00:20:41,505
don't necessarily
agree with that.

394
00:20:41,506 --> 00:20:45,777
We heard Donald Trump
on Twitter I think this

395
00:20:45,777 --> 00:20:47,646
morning that it's
impossible to tell who is

396
00:20:47,646 --> 00:20:49,247
responsible for hacking

397
00:20:49,247 --> 00:20:50,616
without catching them in the act.

398
00:20:50,616 --> 00:20:55,887
And then John Bolton,
who's been a top advisor

399
00:20:55,887 --> 00:20:57,356
to him and is reportedly
in line for a job at the

400
00:20:57,356 --> 00:20:58,957
State Department, last
night floated the idea

401
00:20:58,957 --> 00:21:00,058
that the hack of the DNC
could have been a false

402
00:21:00,058 --> 00:21:03,562
flag operation, and
insinuated that perhaps

403
00:21:03,562 --> 00:21:08,100
the Obama administration
was responsible for that.

404
00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:12,971
Obviously, I think both
those statements raise

405
00:21:12,971 --> 00:21:13,772
a lot of questions.

406
00:21:13,772 --> 00:21:16,942
But I'm wondering what
your response to either

407
00:21:16,942 --> 00:21:18,276
of those charges is.

408
00:21:18,276 --> 00:21:21,079
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I've tried to avoid

409
00:21:21,079 --> 00:21:23,615
responding to some of
the charges from the

410
00:21:23,615 --> 00:21:26,051
President-elects
Twitter feed.

411
00:21:26,051 --> 00:21:27,985
And what I've tried to
do is just to

412
00:21:27,986 --> 00:21:29,621
present objective facts.

413
00:21:29,621 --> 00:21:31,957
And I think the objective
fact that's relevant here

414
00:21:31,957 --> 00:21:34,693
is the intelligence
community, a month before

415
00:21:34,693 --> 00:21:38,196
the election, came forward
and presented a unanimous

416
00:21:38,196 --> 00:21:43,168
view, a high-confidence
assessment that China was

417
00:21:43,168 --> 00:21:47,205
engaged in malicious cyber
activity to destabilize

418
00:21:47,205 --> 00:21:48,372
our political system.

419
00:21:48,373 --> 00:21:50,575
The Press: You said China. You mean --

420
00:21:50,575 --> 00:21:51,443
Mr. Earnest: I'm sorry. Russia.

421
00:21:51,443 --> 00:21:54,913
Flipping back and
forth between topics. Tricky.

422
00:21:54,913 --> 00:21:59,317
But thank you
for clarifying.

423
00:21:59,317 --> 00:22:01,353
But listen, the
intelligence community's

424
00:22:01,353 --> 00:22:07,092
assessment was unanimous
and direct about Russia's

425
00:22:07,092 --> 00:22:10,595
malicious cyber activity.

426
00:22:10,595 --> 00:22:11,630
The Press: Can't you just
say that he's wrong on

427
00:22:11,630 --> 00:22:14,066
both these fronts?

428
00:22:14,066 --> 00:22:16,802
We can -- isn't that what
you're trying to say here,

429
00:22:16,802 --> 00:22:17,668
that the U.S.

430
00:22:17,669 --> 00:22:20,038
can determine a hack
even if they don't catch

431
00:22:20,038 --> 00:22:22,841
someone in the act,
and that the Obama

432
00:22:22,841 --> 00:22:24,842
administration did not
conduct a false flag

433
00:22:24,843 --> 00:22:26,311
operation on the DNC?

434
00:22:26,311 --> 00:22:27,846
Mr. Earnest: Well, I will
rule out that the United

435
00:22:27,846 --> 00:22:33,518
States, in any way,
engaged in the kind of

436
00:22:33,518 --> 00:22:39,224
false flag operation
that a wide range of

437
00:22:39,224 --> 00:22:40,692
irresponsible conspiracy

438
00:22:40,692 --> 00:22:45,397
theorists have put forward.

439
00:22:45,397 --> 00:22:47,466
So we can dispense
with that.

440
00:22:47,466 --> 00:22:49,700
But, look, I've gone to
great lengths to try to

441
00:22:49,701 --> 00:22:51,803
avoid the whole
charges-counter charges.

442
00:22:51,803 --> 00:22:55,006
So the President-elect has
said one thing on Twitter.

443
00:22:55,006 --> 00:22:57,909
But 17 intelligence
agencies of the United

444
00:22:57,909 --> 00:23:02,881
States have come forward.

445
00:23:02,881 --> 00:23:04,116
They came forward two
months ago to put forward

446
00:23:04,116 --> 00:23:06,518
their unanimous assessment
about Russia's

447
00:23:06,518 --> 00:23:10,388
malicious cyber activity.

448
00:23:10,388 --> 00:23:21,666
And I'll let you and the
American people judge who

449
00:23:21,666 --> 00:23:23,368
is in a better position
to defend their argument.

450
00:23:23,368 --> 00:23:26,838
The Press: Sticking with
this morning's Twitter,

451
00:23:26,838 --> 00:23:30,809
President-elect Trump said
that costs on the F-35

452
00:23:30,809 --> 00:23:33,678
project were "out of
control," and that he

453
00:23:33,678 --> 00:23:38,150
hoped to save billions on
the project going forward.

454
00:23:38,150 --> 00:23:39,251
This is a problem.

455
00:23:39,251 --> 00:23:44,422
Their project has been
sort of plagued by delays

456
00:23:44,422 --> 00:23:45,690
and cost overruns
in the past.

457
00:23:45,690 --> 00:23:51,229
I'm wondering if you agree
that there are still

458
00:23:51,229 --> 00:23:51,696
issues going forward, or
if the administration's

459
00:23:51,696 --> 00:23:52,731
position is that costs

460
00:23:52,731 --> 00:23:54,599
have stabilized for the F-35.

461
00:23:54,599 --> 00:23:55,567
Mr. Earnest: I can't speak
in detail about

462
00:23:55,567 --> 00:23:58,003
the F-35 program.

463
00:23:58,003 --> 00:24:02,640
I know that we have worked
hard to institute the

464
00:24:02,641 --> 00:24:05,477
kinds of reforms that
would limit cost overruns.

465
00:24:05,477 --> 00:24:08,547
What impact that would
have on the F-35 program

466
00:24:08,547 --> 00:24:11,416
is something we can
look into for you.

467
00:24:11,416 --> 00:24:15,553
As we discussed a little
bit last week, this

468
00:24:15,554 --> 00:24:17,022
administration has put
forward a wide range of

469
00:24:17,022 --> 00:24:22,593
cost-saving reforms that
Republicans in Congress

470
00:24:22,594 --> 00:24:26,698
have either rejected or
even refused to consider.

471
00:24:26,698 --> 00:24:28,834
Now, keep in mind, these
are reforms that our

472
00:24:28,834 --> 00:24:32,137
military leaders say would
save taxpayers money and

473
00:24:32,137 --> 00:24:36,140
would make the
country safer.

474
00:24:36,141 --> 00:24:42,614
So I guess you'd have to
ask Republicans why they

475
00:24:42,614 --> 00:24:46,151
can both claim -- or how
they can both claim to be

476
00:24:46,151 --> 00:24:50,055
fiscal conservatives and
tough on national defense

477
00:24:50,055 --> 00:24:53,425
when they're blocking
reforms that would save

478
00:24:53,425 --> 00:24:56,394
taxpayer dollars and
make the country safer.

479
00:24:56,394 --> 00:24:59,097
That's hard to reconcile.

480
00:24:59,097 --> 00:25:02,466
But I think one could
conclude that they're

481
00:25:02,467 --> 00:25:03,501
actually more focused on
politics and obstructing

482
00:25:03,501 --> 00:25:05,170
the agenda of the
Democratic President than

483
00:25:05,170 --> 00:25:06,471
they are on actually
trying to save taxpayers

484
00:25:06,471 --> 00:25:09,908
money or keep
the country safe.

485
00:25:09,908 --> 00:25:13,477
The Press: Finally, the
vice president of Aetna

486
00:25:13,478 --> 00:25:21,353
today was testifying about
the merger, and said that

487
00:25:21,353 --> 00:25:24,389
his company should have
withdrawn from all of the

488
00:25:24,389 --> 00:25:26,957
Obamacare marketplaces
because the program wasn't

489
00:25:26,958 --> 00:25:28,193
economically viable.

490
00:25:28,193 --> 00:25:30,929
So obviously there's some
question about whether

491
00:25:30,929 --> 00:25:36,268
they did so for reasons
surrounding this merger.

492
00:25:36,268 --> 00:25:37,002
But I'm wondering -- this
is something he said under

493
00:25:37,002 --> 00:25:42,374
oath -- whether you would
dispute that, and whether

494
00:25:42,374 --> 00:25:45,810
if a major insurer at
this point said this in

495
00:25:45,810 --> 00:25:48,513
testimony at a trial, what
that kind of says about

496
00:25:48,513 --> 00:25:51,081
the overall health of
the Obamacare program.

497
00:25:51,082 --> 00:25:52,684
Mr. Earnest: I didn't
see the entirety of his

498
00:25:52,684 --> 00:25:55,086
testimony, and obviously
I'm going to allow

499
00:25:55,086 --> 00:25:59,124
business executives to
make whatever business

500
00:25:59,124 --> 00:26:01,126
decisions they believe is
in the best interests of

501
00:26:01,126 --> 00:26:03,360
their company and
their shareholders.

502
00:26:03,361 --> 00:26:07,499
I think I'd just point out
that since the Affordable

503
00:26:07,499 --> 00:26:13,305
Care Act went into effect
stock prices of most

504
00:26:13,305 --> 00:26:17,642
health care companies have
gone up, in some cases

505
00:26:17,642 --> 00:26:22,580
quite substantially.

506
00:26:22,580 --> 00:26:28,352
Many health insurance
companies have been able

507
00:26:28,353 --> 00:26:34,659
to effectively provide
coverage through the

508
00:26:34,659 --> 00:26:39,631
marketplace that has been
good for their company's

509
00:26:39,631 --> 00:26:42,100
bottom line and good
for their

510
00:26:42,100 --> 00:26:44,401
company's shareholders.

511
00:26:44,402 --> 00:26:46,371
It's also been good for
the United States of

512
00:26:46,371 --> 00:26:50,342
America -- 20 million more
Americans have access to

513
00:26:50,342 --> 00:26:53,545
quality, affordable
health insurance.

514
00:26:53,545 --> 00:26:55,780
The growth in health
care costs is at a near

515
00:26:55,780 --> 00:26:57,882
all-time low.

516
00:26:57,882 --> 00:27:01,853
So I think the benefits of
our approach speaks for

517
00:27:01,853 --> 00:27:06,291
itself when you consider
the way that millions of

518
00:27:06,291 --> 00:27:11,862
Americans have benefitted
from health care reform

519
00:27:11,863 --> 00:27:15,567
under President Obama, and
we've been able to design

520
00:27:15,567 --> 00:27:18,803
a reform of the private
health insurance market in

521
00:27:18,803 --> 00:27:21,639
a way that ends up being
both good for customers,

522
00:27:21,639 --> 00:27:22,639
but also good for

523
00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:26,511
providers as well. Gardiner.

524
00:27:26,511 --> 00:27:28,646
The Press: Josh, what does
it mean that Trump has

525
00:27:28,646 --> 00:27:30,181
upended two of the most

526
00:27:30,181 --> 00:27:31,516
sensitive relationships that the U.S.

527
00:27:31,516 --> 00:27:33,918
has -- Russia and China?

528
00:27:33,918 --> 00:27:44,763
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I -- President Obama has

529
00:27:44,763 --> 00:27:49,967
obviously worked hard to
manage those relationships

530
00:27:49,968 --> 00:27:54,506
in a way that gives
the United States the

531
00:27:54,506 --> 00:27:59,477
opportunity to capitalize
on common ground where it

532
00:27:59,477 --> 00:28:04,816
exists even as we speak

533
00:28:04,816 --> 00:28:08,586
bluntly about our differences.

534
00:28:08,586 --> 00:28:09,954
And in each case,
our differences are

535
00:28:09,954 --> 00:28:20,831
substantial, but in each
case, effective diplomacy

536
00:28:20,832 --> 00:28:24,969
resulted in both those
countries bolstering our

537
00:28:24,969 --> 00:28:29,207
effort to prevent Iran
from obtaining a nuclear

538
00:28:29,207 --> 00:28:35,080
weapon and further isolate
the North Korean regime

539
00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,015
for their destabilizing
activities on the

540
00:28:38,016 --> 00:28:41,453
North Korean Peninsula.

541
00:28:41,453 --> 00:28:42,654
Those are just a
couple of examples.

542
00:28:42,654 --> 00:28:44,155
There are also individual
examples with regard

543
00:28:44,155 --> 00:28:45,456
to our relationship.

544
00:28:45,457 --> 00:28:47,592
Obviously the United
States was able to work

545
00:28:47,592 --> 00:28:50,328
effectively with Russia
to destroy the declared

546
00:28:50,328 --> 00:28:54,432
chemical weapons stockpile
of the Assad regime.

547
00:28:54,432 --> 00:28:56,367
That would not have
occurred had the United

548
00:28:56,367 --> 00:28:57,268
States and Russia not been

549
00:28:57,268 --> 00:29:00,004
able to work effectively together.

550
00:29:00,004 --> 00:29:05,009
And because we did that
there are tons of chemical

551
00:29:05,009 --> 00:29:07,278
weapons that are
not floating on the

552
00:29:07,278 --> 00:29:09,414
battlefield in Syria that
could potentially fall

553
00:29:09,414 --> 00:29:11,916
into the hands of
ISIL terrorists.

554
00:29:11,916 --> 00:29:13,650
Those chemicals have been
destroyed because the

555
00:29:13,651 --> 00:29:15,520
United States and
Russia worked together.

556
00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:17,722
It doesn't mean that
we patched up all our

557
00:29:17,722 --> 00:29:19,924
differences with Russia.

558
00:29:19,924 --> 00:29:21,860
It means that we
identified a common

559
00:29:21,860 --> 00:29:25,496
interest and didn't let
our differences interfere

560
00:29:25,497 --> 00:29:28,399
with our ability to
achieve it in a way that

561
00:29:28,399 --> 00:29:30,033
makes the world safer.

562
00:29:30,034 --> 00:29:32,704
A similar analogy exists
around climate change with

563
00:29:32,704 --> 00:29:33,538
regard to the U.S.

564
00:29:33,538 --> 00:29:35,106
relationship with China.

565
00:29:35,106 --> 00:29:36,508
The ability of the United
States and China to work

566
00:29:36,508 --> 00:29:41,746
together to reach a mutual
agreement to cap our

567
00:29:41,746 --> 00:29:48,052
carbon emissions catalyzed
the international

568
00:29:48,052 --> 00:29:52,023
community in reaching an
historic Paris agreement

569
00:29:52,023 --> 00:29:54,926
about a year later that's
actually the first time

570
00:29:54,926 --> 00:29:57,896
the United States -- or
the first time the world

571
00:29:57,896 --> 00:29:59,864
has come together to

572
00:29:59,864 --> 00:30:02,066
confront this substantial challenge.

573
00:30:02,066 --> 00:30:07,205
And that's evidence
of tough, principled

574
00:30:07,205 --> 00:30:12,377
diplomacy that doesn't
ignore our differences but

575
00:30:12,377 --> 00:30:22,053
rather prevents our
differences from blocking

576
00:30:22,053 --> 00:30:27,492
our ability to advance
our interests and do good

577
00:30:27,492 --> 00:30:29,761
things for the
American people.

578
00:30:29,761 --> 00:30:33,565
And ultimately the next
President will have to

579
00:30:33,565 --> 00:30:35,967
determine what kind of
approach he wants to take

580
00:30:35,967 --> 00:30:38,903
in managing those
relationships to ensure

581
00:30:38,903 --> 00:30:43,608
that we can protect
our interests but also

582
00:30:43,608 --> 00:30:45,376
capitalize on
opportunities

583
00:30:45,376 --> 00:30:47,779
when they arise.

584
00:30:47,779 --> 00:30:48,880
The Press: "Ultimately"
seems to be

585
00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:50,415
happening right now.

586
00:30:50,415 --> 00:30:53,017
There's obviously a
longtime understanding

587
00:30:53,017 --> 00:30:55,320
that there is one
President at a time, but

588
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,689
this President-elect seems
to be almost uniquely

589
00:30:58,690 --> 00:31:03,228
interfering in the
international affairs

590
00:31:03,228 --> 00:31:05,430
of President Obama.

591
00:31:05,430 --> 00:31:07,999
You are having to scramble
in your discussions

592
00:31:07,999 --> 00:31:09,634
with the Chinese.

593
00:31:09,634 --> 00:31:13,905
This President-elect seems
to be scrambling somewhat

594
00:31:13,905 --> 00:31:16,474
your relationship
with the Russians.

595
00:31:16,474 --> 00:31:19,343
Can you talk about the
particular challenges you

596
00:31:19,344 --> 00:31:22,247
are facing in this
transition considering

597
00:31:22,247 --> 00:31:25,416
that the comments and
the tweets that this

598
00:31:25,416 --> 00:31:30,154
President-elect seems to
be affecting in real time,

599
00:31:30,154 --> 00:31:32,357
right now, your
relationships with two of

600
00:31:32,357 --> 00:31:36,527
the most important
countries in the world?

601
00:31:36,527 --> 00:31:39,130
Mr. Earnest: Well, I
think, Gardiner, the truth

602
00:31:39,130 --> 00:31:42,500
is that, as we discussed
quite extensively in

603
00:31:42,500 --> 00:31:49,007
advance of the election,
that rhetoric and tweets

604
00:31:49,007 --> 00:31:57,348
and tactics of the
President-elect were

605
00:31:57,348 --> 00:31:59,783
having an impact on
our relationship with

606
00:31:59,784 --> 00:32:01,085
countries around
the world.

607
00:32:01,085 --> 00:32:02,253
We talked in here quite
extensively about how

608
00:32:02,253 --> 00:32:05,423
other world leaders had
raised concerns with

609
00:32:05,423 --> 00:32:08,459
President Obama or raised
worries with President

610
00:32:08,459 --> 00:32:15,800
Obama about that rhetoric

611
00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:17,769
and some of those comments.

612
00:32:17,769 --> 00:32:19,737
This is not
particularly new.

613
00:32:19,737 --> 00:32:22,807
They certainly do have --
take on added weight now

614
00:32:22,807 --> 00:32:24,275
that they don't just
come from the Republican

615
00:32:24,275 --> 00:32:29,280
nominee but that they come
from the President-elect.

616
00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:33,651
But ultimately this is
part of what a transition

617
00:32:33,651 --> 00:32:37,088
is about, which is trying
to lay the groundwork for

618
00:32:37,088 --> 00:32:46,164
the next President
to succeed.

619
00:32:46,164 --> 00:32:50,201
So we're going to continue
to try to make very clear

620
00:32:50,201 --> 00:32:53,271
to countries around the
world -- both our allies

621
00:32:53,271 --> 00:32:58,609
and countries like China
and Russia that are

622
00:32:58,609 --> 00:33:02,112
decidedly not allies
-- exactly what the

623
00:33:02,113 --> 00:33:07,251
longstanding policy of the
United States has been,

624
00:33:07,251 --> 00:33:10,555
because in many cases
those policies are in the

625
00:33:10,555 --> 00:33:12,590
best interest of
the United States.

626
00:33:12,590 --> 00:33:14,425
But what the
President-elect chooses to

627
00:33:14,425 --> 00:33:20,197
do with that opportunity
will be up to him.

628
00:33:20,198 --> 00:33:21,666
The Press: Josh, is the
President concerned about

629
00:33:21,666 --> 00:33:24,001
the President-elect
singling out individual

630
00:33:24,001 --> 00:33:26,604
companies like Lockheed
which then see their

631
00:33:26,604 --> 00:33:29,140
market values plunge?

632
00:33:29,140 --> 00:33:31,843
You have spoken about the
power of words from the

633
00:33:31,843 --> 00:33:35,480
President before --
their effect on markets.

634
00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:40,551
This President-elect
seems to not just fail to

635
00:33:40,551 --> 00:33:43,388
understand that, but
almost gleefully use his

636
00:33:43,388 --> 00:33:47,591
comments and his tweets
to affect not only the

637
00:33:47,592 --> 00:33:49,927
behavior of companies but
their stock prices, their

638
00:33:49,927 --> 00:33:51,763
valuations, and the rest.

639
00:33:51,763 --> 00:33:55,366
Do you see that as an
appropriate use of

640
00:33:55,366 --> 00:33:58,235
presidential power
and prerogative?

641
00:33:58,236 --> 00:34:01,239
Mr. Earnest: Well, look,
ultimately President-elect

642
00:34:01,239 --> 00:34:05,910
Trump has been advocating
a different kind of

643
00:34:05,910 --> 00:34:10,681
strategy for economic
growth and job creation in

644
00:34:10,681 --> 00:34:15,219
the country, and we're
going to have an

645
00:34:15,219 --> 00:34:18,188
opportunity to
see if it works.

646
00:34:18,188 --> 00:34:20,424
President Obama has
pursued a strategy that's

647
00:34:20,425 --> 00:34:22,226
rooted in investments
in the middle class and

648
00:34:22,226 --> 00:34:24,395
focusing on the best
interests of people who

649
00:34:24,395 --> 00:34:26,330
are in the middle class
and working hard

650
00:34:26,330 --> 00:34:27,998
to get there.

651
00:34:27,998 --> 00:34:31,002
Those investments in
infrastructure, asking

652
00:34:31,002 --> 00:34:32,637
those at the top of the
income scale to pay a

653
00:34:32,637 --> 00:34:36,541
little bit more, have

654
00:34:36,541 --> 00:34:43,815
resulted in a strong economy.

655
00:34:43,815 --> 00:34:45,817
Our economy is currently
in the midst of the

656
00:34:45,817 --> 00:34:49,454
longest streak of job
growth on record.

657
00:34:49,454 --> 00:34:52,256
Over the last 81 months,
15.6 million private

658
00:34:52,255 --> 00:34:55,292
sector jobs have been
created, and unemployment

659
00:34:55,293 --> 00:35:00,398
has been cut in half since
the peak of the recession.

660
00:35:00,398 --> 00:35:03,601
I went through before
about the positive trends

661
00:35:03,601 --> 00:35:06,070
that we're seeing related
to wages and

662
00:35:06,070 --> 00:35:08,306
reduction in inequality.

663
00:35:08,306 --> 00:35:10,908
The stock market has even
tripled since the lows

664
00:35:10,908 --> 00:35:14,045
that it hit in
March of 2009.

665
00:35:14,045 --> 00:35:21,185
And the poverty rate fell
farther and faster in 2015

666
00:35:21,185 --> 00:35:26,657
than it had in any
year since the 1960s.

667
00:35:26,657 --> 00:35:28,593
Those the results of the
economic strategy that

668
00:35:28,593 --> 00:35:31,895
President Obama
has pursued.

669
00:35:31,896 --> 00:35:38,269
And the President-elect
is already showing the

670
00:35:38,269 --> 00:35:42,305
different kind of strategy
that he intends to pursue.

671
00:35:42,306 --> 00:35:43,908
And we'll see if it works.

672
00:35:43,908 --> 00:35:45,375
The Press: Josh, you
obviously have, over the

673
00:35:45,376 --> 00:35:48,646
last year, had very
critical comments about

674
00:35:48,646 --> 00:35:50,515
Mr. Trump, comments that

675
00:35:50,515 --> 00:35:52,717
you have not gone away from.

676
00:35:52,717 --> 00:35:54,218
You have stood by them.

677
00:35:54,218 --> 00:35:55,486
You've simply said that
we're now focused

678
00:35:55,486 --> 00:35:56,621
on the transition.

679
00:35:56,621 --> 00:35:59,857
I'm just -- you, a year
ago, mentioned that

680
00:35:59,857 --> 00:36:01,526
Mr. Trump had fake hair.

681
00:36:01,526 --> 00:36:03,627
I'm just wondering if you
still stand behind that.

682
00:36:03,628 --> 00:36:06,430
And is there a hair
transition going on?

683
00:36:06,430 --> 00:36:07,464
(Laughter.)

684
00:36:07,465 --> 00:36:08,833
Is there some training of barbers to

685
00:36:08,833 --> 00:36:11,736
deal with this challenge
going forward?

686
00:36:11,736 --> 00:36:17,375
Mr. Earnest: So, look, I
think anybody who has done

687
00:36:17,375 --> 00:36:22,647
this job for two and a
half years I think has

688
00:36:22,647 --> 00:36:26,750
probably said a thing or
two that he or she wished

689
00:36:26,751 --> 00:36:28,286
they hadn't said.

690
00:36:28,286 --> 00:36:29,754
And I think you've
identified one of the

691
00:36:29,754 --> 00:36:31,756
things that I wish
I hadn't said.

692
00:36:31,756 --> 00:36:32,957
The Press:
Hair-raising stories.

693
00:36:32,957 --> 00:36:35,660
Mr. Earnest: Let
the puns begin.

694
00:36:35,660 --> 00:36:36,527
Although, let's keep

695
00:36:36,527 --> 00:36:38,729
that to Twitter. Olivier.

696
00:36:38,729 --> 00:36:39,663
The Press: Josh, you
mentioned the early

697
00:36:39,664 --> 00:36:40,798
October announcement
from the

698
00:36:40,798 --> 00:36:43,234
intelligence community.

699
00:36:43,234 --> 00:36:47,572
You talked about I guess
this new internal look at

700
00:36:47,572 --> 00:36:49,774
what the evidence shows
about Russia's activities.

701
00:36:49,774 --> 00:36:51,308
The President is the
ultimate

702
00:36:51,309 --> 00:36:52,810
declassifying authority.

703
00:36:52,810 --> 00:36:55,346
How much evidence,
as opposed to merely

704
00:36:55,346 --> 00:36:57,815
findings, are you willing
to declassify to show to

705
00:36:57,815 --> 00:37:00,217
the American people to
back up these really

706
00:37:00,217 --> 00:37:01,619
startling claims?

707
00:37:01,619 --> 00:37:04,488
Mr. Earnest: Olivier, this
process is one that the

708
00:37:04,488 --> 00:37:07,390
President ordered just
last week, and men and

709
00:37:07,391 --> 00:37:14,865
women in our intelligence
community are working hard

710
00:37:14,865 --> 00:37:18,736
to do this review
and prepare as much

711
00:37:18,736 --> 00:37:25,408
information as possible
about what transpired,

712
00:37:25,409 --> 00:37:31,515
about how it happened, and
what Russia was

713
00:37:31,515 --> 00:37:34,484
hoping to accomplish.

714
00:37:34,485 --> 00:37:36,053
So I wouldn't prejudge
at this point what will

715
00:37:36,053 --> 00:37:39,357
actually be included in
the final report,

716
00:37:39,357 --> 00:37:43,794
in the final review.

717
00:37:43,794 --> 00:37:44,929
But the President
certainly is interested in

718
00:37:44,929 --> 00:37:46,397
getting to the
bottom of it.

719
00:37:46,397 --> 00:37:52,503
And one of the goals of
doing the review, one of

720
00:37:52,503 --> 00:37:56,073
the purposes of doing the
review is to communicate

721
00:37:56,073 --> 00:37:58,609
with the American
public what we know.

722
00:37:58,609 --> 00:38:00,311
There are going to be some
limitations in our ability

723
00:38:00,311 --> 00:38:01,979
to do that because we're
also going to have to

724
00:38:01,979 --> 00:38:04,247
protect the sources and
methods that are used by

725
00:38:04,248 --> 00:38:05,683
the international
community to

726
00:38:05,683 --> 00:38:07,251
obtain this information.

727
00:38:07,251 --> 00:38:09,754
Those are sources and
methods that on an ongoing

728
00:38:09,754 --> 00:38:11,756
basis are critical to
our national security.

729
00:38:11,756 --> 00:38:17,261
So it seems unlikely at
this point that the entire

730
00:38:17,261 --> 00:38:20,331
report would be
declassified and released.

731
00:38:20,331 --> 00:38:22,933
But certainly the
classified elements of the

732
00:38:22,933 --> 00:38:26,404
report will be shared,
including with Congress in

733
00:38:26,404 --> 00:38:27,672
those classified channels.

734
00:38:27,672 --> 00:38:32,209
And we'll release and
declassify -- we'll

735
00:38:32,209 --> 00:38:34,879
declassify and release as
much information

736
00:38:34,879 --> 00:38:36,080
as we can.

737
00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:41,585
But at this point it's
hard to predict exactly

738
00:38:41,585 --> 00:38:43,487
what that means.

739
00:38:43,487 --> 00:38:44,555
The Press: The other
October statement was

740
00:38:44,555 --> 00:38:47,290
about what China --
Russia -- sorry, you're

741
00:38:47,291 --> 00:38:49,960
contagious -- Mr. Earnest:
It's tricky, isn't it?

742
00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:53,731
The Press: What Russia
was trying to do.

743
00:38:53,731 --> 00:38:55,199
Was Russia successful,
ultimately?

744
00:38:55,199 --> 00:38:56,734
And if they were, does
that mean that on this

745
00:38:56,734 --> 00:39:00,837
President's watch, Moscow
was able to influence an

746
00:39:00,838 --> 00:39:02,073
American election?

747
00:39:02,073 --> 00:39:04,107
Mr. Earnest: Well, so I
think it's important,

748
00:39:04,108 --> 00:39:10,681
Olivier, to understand the
two goals -- or sort of

749
00:39:10,681 --> 00:39:21,358
the two priorities
that we'd identified.

750
00:39:21,358 --> 00:39:31,168
The first is the
protection of the basic

751
00:39:31,168 --> 00:39:35,005
election administration
infrastructure

752
00:39:35,005 --> 00:39:36,874
of the country.

753
00:39:36,874 --> 00:39:40,211
You'll recall that we
had detected that some

754
00:39:40,211 --> 00:39:48,852
entities tied to Russia
had succeeded in intruding

755
00:39:48,853 --> 00:39:52,757
on some websites used by
election administrators

756
00:39:52,757 --> 00:39:53,924
across the country.

757
00:39:53,924 --> 00:39:55,860
Now, we also talked a lot
about how difficult a task

758
00:39:55,860 --> 00:39:59,864
it would be to succeed in
disrupting the casting and

759
00:39:59,864 --> 00:40:02,066
counting of ballots,
primarily because our

760
00:40:02,066 --> 00:40:05,903
election infrastructure
is decentralized and

761
00:40:05,903 --> 00:40:07,872
administered in a variety
of ways, and so that could

762
00:40:07,872 --> 00:40:11,975
make it -- that would make
hacking that system --

763
00:40:11,976 --> 00:40:16,647
that decentralized system
-- quite challenging.

764
00:40:16,647 --> 00:40:21,285
But the integrity of
our election system is

765
00:40:21,285 --> 00:40:24,388
critical to our democracy.

766
00:40:24,388 --> 00:40:28,826
And so this administration
did work effectively with

767
00:40:28,826 --> 00:40:31,562
Democratic and Republican
election administrators

768
00:40:31,562 --> 00:40:33,830
all across the country to
help them bolster their

769
00:40:33,831 --> 00:40:39,103
cyber defenses against
those Russian intrusions.

770
00:40:39,103 --> 00:40:40,905
This is an effort that was
run through the Department

771
00:40:40,905 --> 00:40:41,972
of Homeland Security.

772
00:40:41,972 --> 00:40:43,941
And there were experts in
the cyber department of

773
00:40:43,941 --> 00:40:47,511
Department of Homeland
Security who worked with

774
00:40:47,511 --> 00:40:48,579
officials all across the
country to

775
00:40:48,579 --> 00:40:51,115
bolster those defenses.

776
00:40:51,115 --> 00:40:53,149
And what the intelligence
community has said since

777
00:40:53,150 --> 00:40:56,921
Election Day is that
there was no increase in

778
00:40:56,921 --> 00:41:00,390
malicious cyber activity
from the Russians against

779
00:41:00,391 --> 00:41:02,793
the elections
infrastructure that

780
00:41:02,793 --> 00:41:05,629
interfered with the
ability of people to cast

781
00:41:05,629 --> 00:41:08,365
ballots and have them
counted accurately.

782
00:41:08,365 --> 00:41:14,071
So that was a priority.

783
00:41:14,071 --> 00:41:20,144
And there was an enormous
amount of work, much of

784
00:41:20,144 --> 00:41:23,680
which took place behind
the scenes, that went into

785
00:41:23,681 --> 00:41:27,585
protecting the integrity
of the system that we have

786
00:41:27,585 --> 00:41:28,619
in this country for

787
00:41:28,619 --> 00:41:32,957
casting and counting ballots.

788
00:41:32,957 --> 00:41:39,196
Separately, there was
a concern about the

789
00:41:39,196 --> 00:41:49,106
hack-and-leak strategy
that Russia had used

790
00:41:49,106 --> 00:41:56,413
against Democrats and

791
00:41:56,413 --> 00:42:03,721
allies of the Clinton campaign.

792
00:42:03,721 --> 00:42:09,260
And in the five weeks
since Election Day, we've

793
00:42:09,260 --> 00:42:13,497
heard from a lot of
experts and analysts

794
00:42:13,497 --> 00:42:19,904
reviewing the election and
trying to understand how

795
00:42:19,904 --> 00:42:24,208
this surprising
outcome came about.

796
00:42:24,208 --> 00:42:27,912
And there are a variety of
theories and analyses that

797
00:42:27,912 --> 00:42:30,547
have reached a variety of
different conclusions.

798
00:42:30,547 --> 00:42:31,882
So I'm confident that
people will take a look

799
00:42:31,882 --> 00:42:32,917
at all of this.

800
00:42:32,917 --> 00:42:35,019
I know that there are some
people, particularly on

801
00:42:35,019 --> 00:42:39,622
the Democratic side, who
have been harshly critical

802
00:42:39,623 --> 00:42:44,028
of some of the decisions
that FBI Director Jim

803
00:42:44,028 --> 00:42:47,363
Comey made in releasing
some information about the

804
00:42:47,364 --> 00:42:52,403
Bureau's investigation
of Secretary Clinton.

805
00:42:52,403 --> 00:42:55,906
There are others who have
been critical of the

806
00:42:55,906 --> 00:42:59,243
electoral strategy pursued
by Secretary Clinton --

807
00:42:59,243 --> 00:43:01,912
both in terms of her
messaging, but also in

808
00:43:01,912 --> 00:43:10,020
terms of her travel in
battleground states.

809
00:43:10,020 --> 00:43:11,722
This is something I think
people are going to be

810
00:43:11,722 --> 00:43:13,891
chewing over for quite
some time as they try to

811
00:43:13,891 --> 00:43:22,466
read the electorate and
discern what factors

812
00:43:22,466 --> 00:43:22,799
may have contributed

813
00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:23,500
to the outcome. Margaret.

814
00:43:23,500 --> 00:43:24,768
The Press: Josh, you
rattled off a number of

815
00:43:24,768 --> 00:43:28,072
facts, as you said,
publicly acknowledged,

816
00:43:28,072 --> 00:43:30,007
widely reported
information linking Russia

817
00:43:30,007 --> 00:43:32,076
and Donald Trump -- Mr.
Earnest: Yes, that

818
00:43:32,076 --> 00:43:32,843
are not in dispute.

819
00:43:32,843 --> 00:43:34,211
The Press: Right.

820
00:43:34,211 --> 00:43:37,448
But that also does sort of
take the White House off

821
00:43:37,448 --> 00:43:38,549
the hook for not having

822
00:43:38,549 --> 00:43:40,217
launched this probe earlier.

823
00:43:40,217 --> 00:43:41,585
Do you regret not having
launched it prior

824
00:43:41,585 --> 00:43:43,687
to the election?

825
00:43:43,687 --> 00:43:49,125
Mr. Earnest: Well, to be
clear, the only reason

826
00:43:49,126 --> 00:43:52,963
that the intelligence
community could release a

827
00:43:52,963 --> 00:44:00,637
unanimous assessment of
Russia's malicious cyber

828
00:44:00,637 --> 00:44:03,040
activity is because

829
00:44:03,040 --> 00:44:04,708
they've been investigating it.

830
00:44:04,708 --> 00:44:08,479
So this is something that
our intelligence community

831
00:44:08,479 --> 00:44:09,513
and our national security
infrastructure was

832
00:44:09,513 --> 00:44:09,980
closely monitoring.

833
00:44:09,980 --> 00:44:16,620
They've been doing
that for a long time.

834
00:44:16,620 --> 00:44:20,457
And they are aware, and
we've discussed the unique

835
00:44:20,457 --> 00:44:22,893
vulnerability that the
United States has in

836
00:44:22,893 --> 00:44:27,398
cyberspace, given how our
advanced economy is so

837
00:44:27,398 --> 00:44:29,867
reliant on those kinds of
Internet connections for

838
00:44:29,867 --> 00:44:32,870
elements of
our daily life.

839
00:44:32,870 --> 00:44:35,939
And so our national
security infrastructure is

840
00:44:35,939 --> 00:44:40,109
oriented to monitor
threats to that system and

841
00:44:40,110 --> 00:44:44,181
to try to protect
against vulnerabilities.

842
00:44:44,181 --> 00:44:49,520
So this is something
that we've been closely

843
00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:51,922
watching since long before
the election started.

844
00:44:51,922 --> 00:44:53,724
The Press: Well, why not
announce the probe back

845
00:44:53,724 --> 00:44:57,528
when the DNI released the
statement in October?

846
00:44:57,528 --> 00:44:58,662
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
the reason that the

847
00:44:58,662 --> 00:45:02,131
statement was released was
precisely because there

848
00:45:02,132 --> 00:45:03,634
was an ongoing probe.

849
00:45:03,634 --> 00:45:05,135
The Press: Right, but
this new probe you're

850
00:45:05,135 --> 00:45:07,037
characterizing as
something new, something

851
00:45:07,037 --> 00:45:10,441
more than what had already
been -- Mr. Earnest: This

852
00:45:10,441 --> 00:45:14,211
review is just a
retroactive one.

853
00:45:14,211 --> 00:45:17,113
So this is a probe that
won't just include a

854
00:45:17,114 --> 00:45:20,017
review of malicious cyber
activity in the 2016

855
00:45:20,017 --> 00:45:23,821
election; it also will
include a close look at

856
00:45:23,821 --> 00:45:29,058
potential cyber intrusions
in 2012 and 2008 that --

857
00:45:29,059 --> 00:45:31,962
The Press: -- think that
was required in October?

858
00:45:31,962 --> 00:45:36,133
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
the malicious Russian

859
00:45:36,133 --> 00:45:40,803
cyber activity that was
announced in October was

860
00:45:40,804 --> 00:45:44,608
already under
investigation.

861
00:45:44,608 --> 00:45:47,911
So this was something that

862
00:45:47,911 --> 00:45:49,613
we were already looking at.

863
00:45:49,613 --> 00:45:50,580
That's the only reason we
were in a position to

864
00:45:50,581 --> 00:45:51,548
talk about it.

865
00:45:51,548 --> 00:45:53,484
The Press: Because you
know -- because Donald

866
00:45:53,484 --> 00:45:58,989
Trump and a number of
his team members are

867
00:45:58,989 --> 00:46:00,624
characterizing this as
politically motivated, not

868
00:46:00,624 --> 00:46:02,892
just false flags, but
frankly, made up by the

869
00:46:02,893 --> 00:46:05,796
administration, saying
-- the President-elect

870
00:46:05,796 --> 00:46:09,265
himself tweeted out,
saying if this was known

871
00:46:09,266 --> 00:46:10,267
why wasn't it said
prior to the election?

872
00:46:10,267 --> 00:46:15,772
You point out that in
October we were saying

873
00:46:15,772 --> 00:46:17,540
that, yes, but for the
White House not to have --

874
00:46:17,541 --> 00:46:18,408
or at least be perceived
to have put its shoulder

875
00:46:18,408 --> 00:46:20,310
behind this kind of probe
the way that the President

876
00:46:20,310 --> 00:46:24,248
has now done is what
I'm trying to get at.

877
00:46:24,248 --> 00:46:24,748
Mr. Earnest: I see.

878
00:46:24,748 --> 00:46:30,354
The Press: Why didn't
he do that then?

879
00:46:30,354 --> 00:46:31,754
Mr. Earnest: Well, in part
because -- well, again, so

880
00:46:31,755 --> 00:46:33,090
it's important for people
to understand that this is

881
00:46:33,090 --> 00:46:33,824
something that was the
subject of an

882
00:46:33,824 --> 00:46:35,159
ongoing investigation.

883
00:46:35,159 --> 00:46:38,428
Even in the days and
weeks leading up

884
00:46:38,428 --> 00:46:39,796
to the election.

885
00:46:39,796 --> 00:46:40,464
Our intelligence
community, our national

886
00:46:40,464 --> 00:46:42,466
security agencies,
including the FBI and the

887
00:46:42,466 --> 00:46:45,067
Department of Homeland
Security, were closely

888
00:46:45,068 --> 00:46:48,038
watching Russia's
malicious cyber activity.

889
00:46:48,038 --> 00:46:49,306
There was an ongoing
investigation.

890
00:46:49,306 --> 00:46:50,908
It was being investigated.

891
00:46:50,908 --> 00:46:52,942
It was being closely
watched in order to

892
00:46:52,943 --> 00:46:54,478
protect our democracy.

893
00:46:54,478 --> 00:46:59,950
What is also important is
not just the mobilizing

894
00:46:59,950 --> 00:47:06,022
and marshaling of that
expertise to protect the

895
00:47:06,023 --> 00:47:07,991
country in cyberspace,
but also to protect the

896
00:47:07,991 --> 00:47:11,028
integrity of the
institutions.

897
00:47:11,028 --> 00:47:17,667
You all covered the
election closely and know

898
00:47:17,668 --> 00:47:18,135
how it would have been
consumed if the President

899
00:47:18,135 --> 00:47:21,071
had -- to borrow your
phrase -- put his shoulder

900
00:47:21,071 --> 00:47:23,540
against the intelligence
community and pressed them

901
00:47:23,540 --> 00:47:27,678
to conduct an
investigation that would

902
00:47:27,678 --> 00:47:29,980
have called into question,
just weeks before an

903
00:47:29,980 --> 00:47:37,788
election, whether or not
politics was

904
00:47:37,788 --> 00:47:39,456
driving that decision.

905
00:47:39,456 --> 00:47:44,528
That's why, at every
turn, President Obama

906
00:47:44,528 --> 00:47:53,736
prioritized the integrity
of our national security

907
00:47:53,737 --> 00:47:56,106
infrastructure and our
intelligence community.

908
00:47:56,106 --> 00:47:59,676
Now that the election is
over, it's important for

909
00:47:59,676 --> 00:48:01,311
the integrity of our
democracy for our

910
00:48:01,311 --> 00:48:03,247
intelligence community
the take a look at what

911
00:48:03,247 --> 00:48:08,452
happened in 2016 and in
2012 and in 2008 to ensure

912
00:48:08,452 --> 00:48:14,758
that as our country
conducts future elections

913
00:48:14,758 --> 00:48:21,897
that we can more
effectively confront some

914
00:48:21,898 --> 00:48:23,267
of the malicious forces
that may be seeking to

915
00:48:23,267 --> 00:48:26,803
interfere in our
system of democracy.

916
00:48:26,803 --> 00:48:30,641
The Press: But to counter
some of those accusations

917
00:48:30,641 --> 00:48:34,711
about the motivations of
the administration in

918
00:48:34,711 --> 00:48:37,113
announcing that, can you
just make clear whether --

919
00:48:37,114 --> 00:48:40,250
rule out, if you would, if
that is, in fact, the case

920
00:48:40,250 --> 00:48:42,185
that you were not in any
way suggesting that the

921
00:48:42,185 --> 00:48:45,255
results of the election
had been compromised?

922
00:48:45,255 --> 00:48:51,962
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I think this goes back to

923
00:48:51,962 --> 00:48:53,397
Olivier's question -- I'm
trying to make sure that

924
00:48:53,397 --> 00:48:54,096
we don't talk
past each other.

925
00:48:54,097 --> 00:48:55,732
I think the thing that is
really clear and something

926
00:48:55,732 --> 00:49:00,103
that we have acknowledged
for weeks now is that the

927
00:49:00,103 --> 00:49:03,140
intelligence community did
not detect any increase in

928
00:49:03,140 --> 00:49:10,279
malicious cyber activity
on Election Day that

929
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:13,950
interfered with the
casting and accurate

930
00:49:13,950 --> 00:49:15,886
counting of ballots.

931
00:49:15,886 --> 00:49:21,291
That is not my opinion;
that is based on the close

932
00:49:21,291 --> 00:49:25,996
monitoring by the
intelligence community and

933
00:49:25,996 --> 00:49:29,633
other national security
agencies that have a

934
00:49:29,633 --> 00:49:30,767
responsibility of
protecting

935
00:49:30,767 --> 00:49:36,373
us in cyberspace.

936
00:49:36,373 --> 00:49:41,511
But what's also clear is
that the results of the

937
00:49:41,511 --> 00:49:50,587
hack and leak operation
carried out on the orders

938
00:49:50,587 --> 00:49:55,959
of Russia were extensively
discussed in the weeks

939
00:49:55,959 --> 00:49:58,261
before Election Day.

940
00:49:58,261 --> 00:50:01,098
The results of those
operations were

941
00:50:01,098 --> 00:50:02,399
extensively discussed.

942
00:50:02,399 --> 00:50:07,837
There was a daily leaking
of John Podesta's emails

943
00:50:07,838 --> 00:50:11,975
at websites that all of
you news organizations

944
00:50:11,975 --> 00:50:15,245
closely monitored.

945
00:50:15,245 --> 00:50:20,183
And those are editorial
decisions that are left in

946
00:50:20,183 --> 00:50:23,987
your hands and the hands
of the people who work at

947
00:50:23,987 --> 00:50:26,456
your news organizations.

948
00:50:26,456 --> 00:50:29,659
But you weren't waiting
for leaks from the RNC or

949
00:50:29,659 --> 00:50:34,398
from Steve Bannon.

950
00:50:34,398 --> 00:50:45,142
And I think that's
illustrative of -- well,

951
00:50:45,442 --> 00:50:47,144
people can draw their own
judgments, and obviously

952
00:50:47,144 --> 00:50:48,477
the intelligence community
will do the same thing.

953
00:50:48,478 --> 00:50:53,116
But you don't need a
security clearance to get

954
00:50:53,116 --> 00:50:55,652
access to that information
to draw your own judgment.

955
00:50:55,652 --> 00:50:56,887
The Press: Well, there are
some on Capitol Hill --

956
00:50:56,887 --> 00:50:59,256
Democrats among them --
who are saying the White

957
00:50:59,256 --> 00:51:01,857
House has pulled its
punches with Russia, and

958
00:51:01,858 --> 00:51:04,628
on this particular issue
they have been concerned

959
00:51:04,628 --> 00:51:10,300
that there hasn't been
a stronger response.

960
00:51:10,300 --> 00:51:11,535
At the time, the White
House said there would be

961
00:51:11,535 --> 00:51:11,835
a proportional one.

962
00:51:11,835 --> 00:51:13,103
Has there been a response?

963
00:51:13,103 --> 00:51:14,738
Mr. Earnest: Well, at
the same time that we

964
00:51:14,738 --> 00:51:15,839
discussed the fact
that there would be a

965
00:51:15,839 --> 00:51:21,511
proportional response we
also made clear that the

966
00:51:21,511 --> 00:51:23,779
details of the response
were something that we

967
00:51:23,780 --> 00:51:26,249
were unlikely to be able
to discuss in public.

968
00:51:26,249 --> 00:51:29,852
So if -- The Press: Were
they undertaken at all?

969
00:51:29,853 --> 00:51:34,191
Mr. Earnest: Again, even
to confirm the nature of

970
00:51:34,191 --> 00:51:41,798
our response at this point
-- well, I'm just not

971
00:51:41,798 --> 00:51:44,366
going to be in a position
to discuss exactly what

972
00:51:44,367 --> 00:51:50,707
the response
is or will be.

973
00:51:50,707 --> 00:51:52,676
There are a variety
of reasons for that.

974
00:51:52,676 --> 00:51:57,314
But I can offer the same
assurance that I did

975
00:51:57,314 --> 00:52:04,921
before the election that
the President and his team

976
00:52:04,921 --> 00:52:05,522
believe that a
proportional

977
00:52:05,522 --> 00:52:06,490
response is warranted.

978
00:52:06,490 --> 00:52:07,457
The Press: Is it safe
to assume that the

979
00:52:07,457 --> 00:52:09,292
announcement of this probe
isn't the extent

980
00:52:09,292 --> 00:52:14,130
of the response?

981
00:52:14,130 --> 00:52:15,799
Mr. Earnest: At the risk
of going down a slippery

982
00:52:15,799 --> 00:52:19,669
slope on this, yes, it is
fair for you to assume

983
00:52:19,669 --> 00:52:25,075
that this probe is not the
extent of the response to

984
00:52:25,075 --> 00:52:26,776
Russia for their malicious
cyber activity in the

985
00:52:26,776 --> 00:52:29,379
run-up to the election. Andrew.

986
00:52:29,379 --> 00:52:31,181
The Press: I just want to
clear something up, Josh.

987
00:52:31,181 --> 00:52:33,083
You seem to be -- correct
me if I'm wrong -- but you

988
00:52:33,083 --> 00:52:38,255
seem to be suggesting that
Russia didn't have to hack

989
00:52:38,255 --> 00:52:41,858
ballot machines or the
actual vote tally in order

990
00:52:41,858 --> 00:52:44,294
to have a determinant
effect on the outcome

991
00:52:44,294 --> 00:52:46,596
of the election.

992
00:52:46,596 --> 00:52:49,933
Mr. Earnest: I guess what
I'm doing is I'm trying to

993
00:52:49,933 --> 00:52:52,836
be as specific and as
clear as I possibly can

994
00:52:52,836 --> 00:52:55,238
about what our approach to
confronting this challenge

995
00:52:55,238 --> 00:53:01,310
was, and the first was
taking a close look at

996
00:53:01,311 --> 00:53:03,513
what steps would be
necessary to protect our

997
00:53:03,513 --> 00:53:06,783
elections infrastructure
and to protect the

998
00:53:06,783 --> 00:53:09,685
accurate casting and
counting of ballots.

999
00:53:09,686 --> 00:53:16,026
And there was a whole lot
of work that took place

1000
00:53:16,026 --> 00:53:22,464
behind the scenes in the
weeks and even months

1001
00:53:22,465 --> 00:53:24,100
leading up to Election
Day by experts at the

1002
00:53:24,100 --> 00:53:29,239
Department of Homeland
Security with election

1003
00:53:29,239 --> 00:53:30,640
administrators all across
the country to protect

1004
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:31,374
their systems against
Russian cyber intrusions.

1005
00:53:31,374 --> 00:53:33,209
And what we have learned
since Election Day is

1006
00:53:33,209 --> 00:53:37,113
that, based on the careful
monitoring of a variety of

1007
00:53:37,113 --> 00:53:40,015
national security
agencies, we can conclude

1008
00:53:40,016 --> 00:53:48,425
that there was no increase
in the Russian malicious

1009
00:53:48,425 --> 00:53:52,429
cyber activity on Election
Day that was aimed at

1010
00:53:52,429 --> 00:53:54,998
disrupting the casting
and counting of ballots.

1011
00:53:54,998 --> 00:53:57,133
But, separately, you've
asked this other question

1012
00:53:57,133 --> 00:54:01,171
about the hack and leak
operations carried out

1013
00:54:01,171 --> 00:54:03,006
by the Russians.

1014
00:54:03,006 --> 00:54:06,442
There's no denying that
the results of those hack

1015
00:54:06,443 --> 00:54:13,650
and leak operations were
part of the debate in the

1016
00:54:13,650 --> 00:54:16,987
days and weeks leading
up to Election Day.

1017
00:54:16,987 --> 00:54:19,022
That also is just
an objective fact.

1018
00:54:19,022 --> 00:54:20,991
There was extensive
coverage of the daily

1019
00:54:20,991 --> 00:54:26,563
leaks of John
Podesta's emails.

1020
00:54:26,563 --> 00:54:28,898
That's just --
that's true.

1021
00:54:28,898 --> 00:54:31,935
To the extent that any
Republicans were hacked,

1022
00:54:31,935 --> 00:54:33,770
the only time that
occurred as far as I can

1023
00:54:33,770 --> 00:54:38,608
tell is when Colin
Powell's emails were

1024
00:54:38,608 --> 00:54:41,077
hacked just so that they
could release information

1025
00:54:41,077 --> 00:54:43,913
critical to
Secretary Clinton.

1026
00:54:43,913 --> 00:54:46,983
That seemed to be the only
revealing thing in the

1027
00:54:46,983 --> 00:54:50,353
emails from General
Powell's email account

1028
00:54:50,353 --> 00:54:53,690
that were released.

1029
00:54:53,690 --> 00:54:56,292
So, again, I think there's
-- and again, that's not

1030
00:54:56,292 --> 00:54:59,496
based on any
intelligence assessment.

1031
00:54:59,496 --> 00:55:01,331
That doesn't require
a security clearance.

1032
00:55:01,331 --> 00:55:05,702
That's something that was
widely reported by all of

1033
00:55:05,702 --> 00:55:16,179
you, and I think an
indication of the kind of

1034
00:55:16,179 --> 00:55:17,881
information that people
can use as they factor

1035
00:55:17,881 --> 00:55:18,580
into their judgment about
what Russia may have

1036
00:55:18,581 --> 00:55:19,482
been trying to do.

1037
00:55:19,482 --> 00:55:20,850
The Press: But you accept
that it's possible that

1038
00:55:20,850 --> 00:55:26,056
that alone could have
affected the outcome

1039
00:55:26,056 --> 00:55:27,824
of the election?

1040
00:55:27,824 --> 00:55:28,291
Mr. Earnest: Well, as I
mentioned in response to

1041
00:55:28,291 --> 00:55:37,100
Olivier, there are a
variety of factors that

1042
00:55:37,100 --> 00:55:38,668
many people legitimately
think contributed to the

1043
00:55:38,668 --> 00:55:41,337
outcome, and whether you
want to question the

1044
00:55:41,337 --> 00:55:46,743
propriety of some of
FBI Director Comey's

1045
00:55:46,743 --> 00:55:50,246
pronouncements or the
wisdom of Secretary

1046
00:55:50,246 --> 00:55:56,286
Clinton's strategy for
campaigning -- those kinds

1047
00:55:56,286 --> 00:55:58,354
of things are open to
debate and I think will be

1048
00:55:58,354 --> 00:56:00,022
open to careful analysis
by political scientists

1049
00:56:00,023 --> 00:56:07,764
for months, if not years,
as they try to determine

1050
00:56:07,764 --> 00:56:09,733
why the election outcome
was so surprising to so

1051
00:56:09,733 --> 00:56:14,404
many people, including
both candidates.

1052
00:56:14,404 --> 00:56:16,206
The Press: Just to follow
up on Margaret's question

1053
00:56:16,206 --> 00:56:20,577
-- this question has a
proportional response.

1054
00:56:20,577 --> 00:56:21,945
There must have been a
debate here at the time

1055
00:56:21,945 --> 00:56:23,813
about whether your
response should be covert,

1056
00:56:23,813 --> 00:56:28,618
and I'm wondering if, in
retrospect, you think --

1057
00:56:28,618 --> 00:56:30,620
whether you think there
could be a revisiting of

1058
00:56:30,620 --> 00:56:35,125
that decision, given the
level of unease among U.S.

1059
00:56:35,125 --> 00:56:37,327
citizens about what's
happened, and level of

1060
00:56:37,327 --> 00:56:42,265
unease in democracies like
Sweden and Germany, where

1061
00:56:42,265 --> 00:56:43,333
people believe that their

1062
00:56:43,333 --> 00:56:46,636
system of government is under threat.

1063
00:56:46,636 --> 00:56:48,838
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I think what I will

1064
00:56:48,838 --> 00:56:53,610
acknowledge is that there
are a variety of policy

1065
00:56:53,610 --> 00:56:58,848
questions that are raised
in the United States and

1066
00:56:58,848 --> 00:57:04,020
in democracies around
the world based on what

1067
00:57:04,020 --> 00:57:08,358
transpired in the United
States on Election Day,

1068
00:57:08,358 --> 00:57:19,435
and in days and weeks that
led up to Election Day.

1069
00:57:19,435 --> 00:57:20,970
I'm just not going to be
in a position to talk

1070
00:57:20,970 --> 00:57:23,740
about the internal
conversations about a

1071
00:57:23,740 --> 00:57:27,843
potential proportional
response other than to say

1072
00:57:27,844 --> 00:57:34,818
that those discussions
have occurred and the

1073
00:57:34,818 --> 00:57:36,252
President concluded that a
proportional

1074
00:57:36,252 --> 00:57:41,024
response was appropriate.

1075
00:57:41,024 --> 00:57:42,725
But at this point, I just
can't get into the wisdom

1076
00:57:42,725 --> 00:57:49,966
of how or whether or when
that proportional res ponse

1077
00:57:49,966 --> 00:57:51,500
could be publicly
discussed.

1078
00:57:51,501 --> 00:57:52,836
The Press: Would you
expect the President to

1079
00:57:52,836 --> 00:57:55,471
revisit that decision once
the results of the review

1080
00:57:55,471 --> 00:57:57,373
have come through?

1081
00:57:57,373 --> 00:57:59,442
Mr. Earnest: Not
necessarily.

1082
00:57:59,442 --> 00:58:04,080
I mean, look, the thing
that I've said all along

1083
00:58:04,080 --> 00:58:07,317
is that proportional
response is appropriate;

1084
00:58:07,317 --> 00:58:09,485
we may or may not be in a
position to disclose

1085
00:58:09,485 --> 00:58:14,357
what that response is.

1086
00:58:14,357 --> 00:58:16,759
That's still true.

1087
00:58:16,759 --> 00:58:20,964
There still could be
a time when this is

1088
00:58:20,964 --> 00:58:25,368
something that we're able
to discuss more publicly.

1089
00:58:25,368 --> 00:58:28,404
If there is, that wouldn't
necessarily reflect a

1090
00:58:28,404 --> 00:58:32,508
change in our
position or strategy.

1091
00:58:32,508 --> 00:58:37,046
But at this point, it's
difficult to speculate

1092
00:58:37,046 --> 00:58:40,015
exactly how or whether
that will play out.

1093
00:58:40,016 --> 00:58:42,151
The Press: Well, except
that the Vice President

1094
00:58:42,151 --> 00:58:44,287
said that he hoped that
we didn't know what would

1095
00:58:44,287 --> 00:58:45,989
happen -- right?

1096
00:58:45,989 --> 00:58:47,523
Mr. Earnest: Yes, he did
say that at one point.

1097
00:58:47,523 --> 00:58:51,294
And, look, I think that
goes to many of the

1098
00:58:51,294 --> 00:58:57,100
questions that are raised
about whether or not

1099
00:58:57,100 --> 00:58:58,935
discussing the
proportional response in

1100
00:58:58,935 --> 00:59:01,037
public could undermine
the effectiveness

1101
00:59:01,037 --> 00:59:04,006
of that response.

1102
00:59:04,007 --> 00:59:07,577
But it's, ironically
enough, difficult to

1103
00:59:07,577 --> 00:59:10,847
assess that if you can't
discuss the response

1104
00:59:10,847 --> 00:59:13,283
itself in public. Ron.

1105
00:59:13,283 --> 00:59:14,750
The Press: So is this
where the White House

1106
00:59:14,751 --> 00:59:17,120
intends to leave this
issue of how determinative

1107
00:59:17,120 --> 00:59:20,423
or not the hacking
operation was or wasn't to

1108
00:59:20,423 --> 00:59:22,792
the outcome of
the election?

1109
00:59:22,792 --> 00:59:26,095
You're essentially saying
it's one of many factors

1110
00:59:26,095 --> 00:59:30,866
that happened during the
final run-up to Election

1111
00:59:30,867 --> 00:59:35,471
Day, and the President
can't determine whether

1112
00:59:35,471 --> 00:59:38,574
that was more significant
than whether Secretary

1113
00:59:38,574 --> 00:59:40,710
Clinton had campaigned
here or there, or what --

1114
00:59:40,710 --> 00:59:42,946
is that where
you leave us?

1115
00:59:42,946 --> 00:59:44,547
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
at least for today, I

1116
00:59:44,547 --> 00:59:47,517
don't have any sort of
election analysis --

1117
00:59:47,517 --> 00:59:48,216
official White House

1118
00:59:48,217 --> 00:59:50,987
election analysis to put forward.

1119
00:59:50,987 --> 00:59:54,223
The Press: That's what
people want to know --

1120
00:59:54,223 --> 00:59:56,125
does the President think
that the Russians swung

1121
00:59:56,125 --> 00:59:58,795
this election somehow.

1122
00:59:58,795 --> 00:59:59,862
Simple question.

1123
00:59:59,862 --> 01:00:01,097
It's not a simple
question, but it's the

1124
01:00:01,097 --> 01:00:03,232
question -- that's what
people want to know.

1125
01:00:03,232 --> 01:00:05,201
Does the President think
the Russians swung this

1126
01:00:05,201 --> 01:00:06,669
election somehow?

1127
01:00:06,669 --> 01:00:08,203
Mr. Earnest: Well, listen,
I think what we're focused

1128
01:00:08,204 --> 01:00:10,940
on right now is trying to
understand exactly what

1129
01:00:10,940 --> 01:00:15,011
the Russians did, collect
as much available

1130
01:00:15,011 --> 01:00:18,348
information as we can
about that, try to assess

1131
01:00:18,348 --> 01:00:20,950
what their motives were.

1132
01:00:20,950 --> 01:00:22,484
And, look, I think this
may be a question that

1133
01:00:22,485 --> 01:00:25,922
people are going to
continue to ask as

1134
01:00:25,922 --> 01:00:27,757
Congress steps forward
to fulfill their

1135
01:00:27,757 --> 01:00:28,891
responsibility that they
have to take a

1136
01:00:28,891 --> 01:00:29,659
look at this.

1137
01:00:29,659 --> 01:00:31,861
And, look, I think in some
ways this is going to be a

1138
01:00:31,861 --> 01:00:34,763
pointed question -- in
some ways, this is not

1139
01:00:34,764 --> 01:00:36,666
just a question to ask
the President; this is

1140
01:00:36,666 --> 01:00:39,502
actually an even better
question to ask supporters

1141
01:00:39,502 --> 01:00:42,605
of Mr. Trump's campaign,
many of whom now, at least

1142
01:00:42,605 --> 01:00:46,976
in Congress, are worried
about the answer

1143
01:00:46,976 --> 01:00:49,245
to that question.

1144
01:00:49,245 --> 01:00:51,147
The Press: Because you
think that they will

1145
01:00:51,147 --> 01:00:54,116
conclude that the hack and
leak operation did, in

1146
01:00:54,117 --> 01:00:55,318
fact, swing the election?

1147
01:00:55,318 --> 01:00:57,820
Mr. Earnest: I don't know
what they would conclude.

1148
01:00:57,820 --> 01:01:01,624
But what we have right
now on Capitol Hill is a

1149
01:01:01,624 --> 01:01:05,861
situation where many
Republicans who offered

1150
01:01:05,862 --> 01:01:08,631
their endorsement of the
Trump campaign, less than

1151
01:01:08,631 --> 01:01:14,569
five weeks later are now
publicly worrying about

1152
01:01:14,570 --> 01:01:16,105
Russian influence.

1153
01:01:16,105 --> 01:01:19,008
And again, how they
reconcile their political

1154
01:01:19,008 --> 01:01:22,111
strategy and their
patriotism is a question

1155
01:01:22,111 --> 01:01:23,578
that they're going
to have to answer.

1156
01:01:23,579 --> 01:01:26,182
The Press: Just on one --
you talk about on Election

1157
01:01:26,182 --> 01:01:27,884
Day and the analysis
that's been done -- you

1158
01:01:27,884 --> 01:01:31,954
say there was no increase
in Russian

1159
01:01:31,954 --> 01:01:34,891
malicious activity then.

1160
01:01:34,891 --> 01:01:37,093
The word "increase"
kind of stands out.

1161
01:01:37,093 --> 01:01:39,662
Was there some malicious
Russian activity going on

1162
01:01:39,662 --> 01:01:44,567
that did not increase on
that day, so there was a

1163
01:01:44,567 --> 01:01:46,502
baseline of ongoing

1164
01:01:46,502 --> 01:01:48,471
malicious Russian activity?

1165
01:01:48,471 --> 01:01:49,505
Mr. Earnest: Well, we
certainly know that there

1166
01:01:49,505 --> 01:01:51,174
is a baseline of Russian
malicious activity in

1167
01:01:51,174 --> 01:01:56,979
cyberspace, and I think
that's a given and I think

1168
01:01:56,979 --> 01:01:59,415
it's something that
we're all aware of.

1169
01:01:59,415 --> 01:02:01,417
For more details about
what the intelligence

1170
01:02:01,417 --> 01:02:03,886
community perceived on
Election Day, that's

1171
01:02:03,886 --> 01:02:04,954
something you'll
have to ask them.

1172
01:02:04,954 --> 01:02:07,223
But what -- The Press:
You're essentially ruling

1173
01:02:07,223 --> 01:02:10,093
out that the Russians did
something on Election Day

1174
01:02:10,093 --> 01:02:13,062
that altered the vote
count -- that somehow,

1175
01:02:13,062 --> 01:02:15,865
mechanically or otherwise,
in key states like

1176
01:02:15,865 --> 01:02:18,533
Pennsylvania, Michigan,
Wisconsin, where there was

1177
01:02:18,534 --> 01:02:21,771
this "surprising outcome"
-- you are ruling out that

1178
01:02:21,771 --> 01:02:25,875
the Russians did anything
that caused that?

1179
01:02:25,875 --> 01:02:27,143
Or are you not
ruling that out?

1180
01:02:27,143 --> 01:02:30,646
Mr. Earnest: What I
am saying is a little

1181
01:02:30,646 --> 01:02:32,949
repetitive, but
that's by design.

1182
01:02:32,949 --> 01:02:33,850
I'm trying to -- The
Press: But that's the

1183
01:02:33,850 --> 01:02:36,452
issue, and we understand
-- the hack and leak

1184
01:02:36,452 --> 01:02:38,621
and the election.

1185
01:02:38,621 --> 01:02:40,890
Mr. Earnest: But I'm
talking specifically about

1186
01:02:40,890 --> 01:02:42,991
this question that you're
posing about cyber

1187
01:02:42,992 --> 01:02:48,164
activity and the counting
and casting of ballots.

1188
01:02:48,164 --> 01:02:51,200
And for more precision,
I'd refer you to the

1189
01:02:51,200 --> 01:02:51,968
intelligence community.

1190
01:02:51,968 --> 01:02:53,970
But I think it's pretty
clear what I'm saying

1191
01:02:53,970 --> 01:02:57,272
here, which is that on
Election Day there was no

1192
01:02:57,273 --> 01:03:02,712
observed increase in
malicious Russian cyber

1193
01:03:02,712 --> 01:03:06,482
activity that altered or
disrupted the accurate

1194
01:03:06,482 --> 01:03:09,619
casting and
counting of ballots.

1195
01:03:09,619 --> 01:03:11,621
The Press: There are a
number of electors who are

1196
01:03:11,621 --> 01:03:13,489
requesting an intelligence
briefing before they vote.

1197
01:03:13,489 --> 01:03:15,491
Does the White
House support that?

1198
01:03:15,491 --> 01:03:18,861
Mr. Earnest: I saw those
reports shortly before I

1199
01:03:18,861 --> 01:03:20,796
walked out here, and I
understand that some of

1200
01:03:20,796 --> 01:03:23,265
them may have sent a
letter to the intelligence

1201
01:03:23,266 --> 01:03:25,067
community or to
the White House.

1202
01:03:25,067 --> 01:03:27,637
I haven't seen the letter,
so we'll take a look and

1203
01:03:27,637 --> 01:03:28,538
-- The Press:
Conceptually, does the

1204
01:03:28,538 --> 01:03:29,472
White House support that?

1205
01:03:29,472 --> 01:03:30,740
Or do you think we need
to just kind of close

1206
01:03:30,740 --> 01:03:31,607
the book on this?

1207
01:03:31,607 --> 01:03:33,543
Mr. Earnest: I'd want to
take a look at the letter

1208
01:03:33,543 --> 01:03:35,111
before I respond.

1209
01:03:35,111 --> 01:03:35,978
The Press: And just
one last thing.

1210
01:03:35,978 --> 01:03:39,916
On these reports about the
President-elect declining

1211
01:03:39,916 --> 01:03:43,819
daily presidential
briefings, intelligence

1212
01:03:43,819 --> 01:03:46,288
briefings, how concerned
is the President about

1213
01:03:46,289 --> 01:03:53,462
that in terms of the
security of the nation,

1214
01:03:53,462 --> 01:03:56,399
which is obviously is
his main objective?

1215
01:03:56,399 --> 01:03:57,967
How concerned is the
President that the

1216
01:03:57,967 --> 01:04:01,504
President-elect is
apparently not doing these

1217
01:04:01,504 --> 01:04:03,272
briefings on
a daily basis?

1218
01:04:03,272 --> 01:04:04,774
Mr. Earnest: Well, I guess
a couple of things

1219
01:04:04,774 --> 01:04:05,408
come to mind.

1220
01:04:05,408 --> 01:04:10,779
The first is over the
course of the Republican

1221
01:04:10,780 --> 01:04:12,448
primary, the
President-elect had

1222
01:04:12,448 --> 01:04:22,024
criticized President Bush
for not sufficiently

1223
01:04:22,024 --> 01:04:24,759
protecting the country
from 9/11, and even

1224
01:04:24,760 --> 01:04:30,666
criticized him for not
carefully listening to the

1225
01:04:30,666 --> 01:04:34,604
Presidential Daily
Briefing that was later

1226
01:04:34,604 --> 01:04:43,678
declassified that
warned of 9/11.

1227
01:04:43,679 --> 01:04:46,482
So the President-elect,
certainly firsthand,

1228
01:04:46,482 --> 01:04:46,716
understands how important
the presentation of this

1229
01:04:46,716 --> 01:04:50,086
intelligence
information is.

1230
01:04:50,086 --> 01:04:52,221
And as I mentioned at
the top of the briefing,

1231
01:04:52,221 --> 01:04:55,791
President Obama has deep
respect and admiration for

1232
01:04:55,791 --> 01:04:57,994
the men and women of our
intelligence community

1233
01:04:57,994 --> 01:05:00,730
that work literally
through the night to

1234
01:05:00,730 --> 01:05:04,867
compile an intelligence
briefing for the President

1235
01:05:04,867 --> 01:05:07,737
of the United States
that includes the most

1236
01:05:07,737 --> 01:05:09,138
accurate, up-to-date
information possible.

1237
01:05:09,138 --> 01:05:16,078
And in order to make good
decisions, a President has

1238
01:05:18,014 --> 01:05:18,914
to have access to
good information.

1239
01:05:18,914 --> 01:05:20,850
And by good information, I
mean information that is

1240
01:05:20,850 --> 01:05:23,452
accurate, that is up to
date, that is presented

1241
01:05:23,452 --> 01:05:27,890
clearly, and President

1242
01:05:27,890 --> 01:05:29,091
Obama has benefitted from that.

1243
01:05:29,091 --> 01:05:30,558
The decisions that he's
made have benefitted from

1244
01:05:30,559 --> 01:05:31,394
that, and the American

1245
01:05:31,394 --> 01:05:32,461
people have benefitted from that.

1246
01:05:32,461 --> 01:05:34,663
What's also true is that
the intelligence community

1247
01:05:34,664 --> 01:05:40,169
needs to be able to
operate without fear of

1248
01:05:40,169 --> 01:05:44,707
retribution for
presenting bad news.

1249
01:05:44,707 --> 01:05:46,208
That's often part and
parcel of the

1250
01:05:46,208 --> 01:05:47,543
Presidential Daily Briefing.

1251
01:05:47,543 --> 01:05:49,312
These are the bad things
that are happening in the

1252
01:05:49,312 --> 01:05:51,881
world, or these are
the potential negative

1253
01:05:51,881 --> 01:05:53,182
consequences for the
United States as a result

1254
01:05:53,182 --> 01:05:54,015
of a global event.

1255
01:05:54,016 --> 01:05:55,685
It's important for the
intelligence community to

1256
01:05:55,685 --> 01:05:58,254
not be in a position where
these professionals who

1257
01:05:58,254 --> 01:06:00,056
are dedicating their lives
to the protection of the

1258
01:06:00,056 --> 01:06:03,459
United States are not
subjected to retribution

1259
01:06:03,459 --> 01:06:05,261
just because the person
who is reading the

1260
01:06:05,261 --> 01:06:08,297
briefing may not want
to hear bad news.

1261
01:06:08,297 --> 01:06:10,132
The Press: So it sounds
like you're saying the

1262
01:06:10,132 --> 01:06:11,701
President is concerned
that the President-elect

1263
01:06:11,701 --> 01:06:12,902
is not taking
these briefings.

1264
01:06:12,902 --> 01:06:13,903
Mr. Earnest: What I'm
saying is that President

1265
01:06:13,903 --> 01:06:15,638
Obama has benefited
enormously, and the

1266
01:06:15,638 --> 01:06:17,973
country has benefited
enormously, from his

1267
01:06:17,973 --> 01:06:20,676
ability to make good
decisions based on

1268
01:06:20,676 --> 01:06:21,377
good information.

1269
01:06:21,377 --> 01:06:24,013
And the only way that he
is able to obtain that

1270
01:06:24,013 --> 01:06:25,214
good information -- and by
good information I mean

1271
01:06:25,214 --> 01:06:28,116
up-to-date and accurate
information -- is because

1272
01:06:28,117 --> 01:06:31,220
of the tireless efforts of
the experts and patriots

1273
01:06:31,220 --> 01:06:35,758
in the intelligence community. Kevin.

1274
01:06:35,758 --> 01:06:37,827
The Press: Would it then
be a mistake for the

1275
01:06:37,827 --> 01:06:42,031
President-elect to not do
the same, especially once

1276
01:06:42,031 --> 01:06:44,433
he assumes the office?

1277
01:06:44,433 --> 01:06:46,836
Mr. Earnest: Listen, the
President-elect is going

1278
01:06:46,836 --> 01:06:48,870
to have to develop his
own routine and his own

1279
01:06:48,871 --> 01:06:53,542
strategy for educating and
equipping himself with the

1280
01:06:53,542 --> 01:06:55,778
necessary knowledge to
make good decisions

1281
01:06:55,778 --> 01:06:57,747
for the country.

1282
01:06:57,747 --> 01:07:00,449
And like every other
American,

1283
01:07:00,449 --> 01:07:01,917
I'm hoping he'll do that.

1284
01:07:01,917 --> 01:07:02,985
The Press: Let me circle
back on the one-China

1285
01:07:02,985 --> 01:07:04,787
question that you
fielded earlier.

1286
01:07:04,787 --> 01:07:07,990
How important is that
policy for U.S.-China

1287
01:07:07,990 --> 01:07:11,426
relations and the
stability in that region?

1288
01:07:11,427 --> 01:07:14,363
Mr. Earnest: Well, as I
mentioned the day after

1289
01:07:14,363 --> 01:07:17,732
this issue arose -- or at
least the first time that

1290
01:07:17,733 --> 01:07:26,041
this issue arose in the
Briefing Room, which I

1291
01:07:26,041 --> 01:07:26,742
think was a week ago now
-- I made clear that this

1292
01:07:26,742 --> 01:07:29,078
is an issue the Chinese
government considers to

1293
01:07:29,078 --> 01:07:32,815
be highly sensitive.

1294
01:07:32,815 --> 01:07:43,759
And disrupting this policy
could have a disruptive

1295
01:07:43,759 --> 01:07:51,434
effect on our ability to
work with China in those

1296
01:07:51,434 --> 01:07:54,370
areas where our
interests do align.

1297
01:07:54,370 --> 01:07:57,906
That reflects the high
priority that China places

1298
01:07:57,907 --> 01:08:00,309
on this policy
and on Taiwan.

1299
01:08:00,309 --> 01:08:04,246
I would also point out the
United States values the

1300
01:08:04,246 --> 01:08:08,617
close partner that
we have in Taiwan.

1301
01:08:08,617 --> 01:08:10,419
Certainly, President Obama
doesn't view Taiwan as

1302
01:08:10,419 --> 01:08:11,821
a bargaining chip.

1303
01:08:11,821 --> 01:08:15,257
This is our ninth largest
trading partner in the

1304
01:08:15,257 --> 01:08:15,591
world and shouldn't
be used as a

1305
01:08:15,591 --> 01:08:17,827
point of leverage.

1306
01:08:17,827 --> 01:08:18,994
It doesn't end up being
good for our

1307
01:08:18,993 --> 01:08:20,862
relationship with China.

1308
01:08:20,863 --> 01:08:27,002
It also doesn't end up
being good for Taiwan.

1309
01:08:27,002 --> 01:08:29,238
The Press: Last, ask you
about this notion that

1310
01:08:29,238 --> 01:08:35,244
some are floating that
what's essentially going

1311
01:08:35,243 --> 01:08:36,411
on -- sort of the false
flag point that was made

1312
01:08:36,412 --> 01:08:37,179
earlier -- is when people
talk about hacking by

1313
01:08:37,179 --> 01:08:41,450
Russia, they talk about
this issue or that issue,

1314
01:08:41,450 --> 01:08:44,353
and even as Ron mentioned,
some nine Democrats and I

1315
01:08:44,353 --> 01:08:46,856
believe one Republican
elector are suggesting

1316
01:08:46,856 --> 01:08:49,325
they'd like to see sort
of the intel breakdown of

1317
01:08:49,325 --> 01:08:52,760
what's happened vis-à-vis
the Russian hacking.

1318
01:08:52,761 --> 01:08:54,897
The long and short of it
is people are suggesting

1319
01:08:54,897 --> 01:08:59,001
that there are some out
there who are trying to

1320
01:08:59,001 --> 01:09:02,905
delegitimize the election
of President-elect Trump.

1321
01:09:02,904 --> 01:09:05,573
Can you understand why
they might have that

1322
01:09:05,573 --> 01:09:07,143
perspective when they look
at it broadly

1323
01:09:07,143 --> 01:09:08,143
through that lens?

1324
01:09:08,143 --> 01:09:11,279
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
what I would say -- I

1325
01:09:11,279 --> 01:09:16,384
think what I can account
for is the conduct and

1326
01:09:16,385 --> 01:09:21,056
language that's being used
by this White House and by

1327
01:09:21,055 --> 01:09:22,991
this President of
the United States.

1328
01:09:22,992 --> 01:09:29,265
And less than 12 hours
after the election results

1329
01:09:29,265 --> 01:09:32,535
were in, President Obama
was standing in the Rose

1330
01:09:32,535 --> 01:09:37,673
Garden committing his
administration and his own

1331
01:09:37,673 --> 01:09:42,510
personal effort to
executing a smooth and

1332
01:09:42,511 --> 01:09:46,882
effective transition for
the benefit of the country

1333
01:09:46,881 --> 01:09:48,250
and so that the Trump
administration could get

1334
01:09:48,250 --> 01:09:50,920
off to a running start.

1335
01:09:50,920 --> 01:09:52,721
A day later, the President
of the United States

1336
01:09:52,720 --> 01:09:54,822
invited President-elect
Trump to sit with him in

1337
01:09:54,823 --> 01:09:57,626
the Oval Office for 90
minutes, talking about a

1338
01:09:57,626 --> 01:09:59,962
range of important issues.

1339
01:09:59,962 --> 01:10:01,864
And then in an
unprecedented fashion, we

1340
01:10:01,864 --> 01:10:04,465
invited all of you into
the Oval Office to hear

1341
01:10:04,466 --> 01:10:06,435
directly from the
President-elect and the

1342
01:10:06,435 --> 01:10:09,605
President of the United
States as they articulated

1343
01:10:09,605 --> 01:10:14,843
their shared commitment
to a smooth and

1344
01:10:14,843 --> 01:10:15,978
effective transition.

1345
01:10:15,978 --> 01:10:20,482
So I think that the
actions and words of the

1346
01:10:20,482 --> 01:10:22,718
President of the United
States in the 48 hours

1347
01:10:22,718 --> 01:10:30,059
after the election I think
make clear his commitment

1348
01:10:30,059 --> 01:10:31,293
to fulfilling his
institutional

1349
01:10:31,293 --> 01:10:35,164
responsibility to give the
incoming President the

1350
01:10:35,164 --> 01:10:38,300
best opportunity to
succeed in uniting and

1351
01:10:38,300 --> 01:10:40,336
leading the country. Jordan.

1352
01:10:40,336 --> 01:10:41,837
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1353
01:10:41,837 --> 01:10:45,307
I want to change subjects
and ask you about a letter

1354
01:10:45,307 --> 01:10:48,242
that Neil Eggleston sent
to Senators Feinstein and

1355
01:10:48,243 --> 01:10:50,479
Burr regarding the
Senate Torture Report.

1356
01:10:50,479 --> 01:10:53,515
In that letter he told
them that the report is

1357
01:10:53,515 --> 01:10:56,752
going to be kept in the
Presidential Archives but

1358
01:10:56,752 --> 01:10:59,054
that President Obama
instructed the Archivist

1359
01:10:59,054 --> 01:11:01,423
to keep that material
classified for the full 12

1360
01:11:01,423 --> 01:11:02,958
years that's allowed
under the law.

1361
01:11:02,958 --> 01:11:06,027
What I want to know is if
the report or parts of the

1362
01:11:06,028 --> 01:11:10,032
report are going to become
declassified anyway, why

1363
01:11:10,032 --> 01:11:10,933
not just make them
declassified now?

1364
01:11:10,933 --> 01:11:12,568
Why wait the 12
years instead?

1365
01:11:12,568 --> 01:11:14,069
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
the important thing to

1366
01:11:14,069 --> 01:11:17,172
remember here, Jordan, is
that a substantial portion

1367
01:11:17,172 --> 01:11:19,474
of the report has already
been declassified, right?

1368
01:11:19,475 --> 01:11:23,278
That there's an executive
summary and other

1369
01:11:23,278 --> 01:11:24,980
critically important parts
of the report having been

1370
01:11:24,980 --> 01:11:25,614
declassified and released
so the American people

1371
01:11:25,614 --> 01:11:27,650
could consider it.

1372
01:11:27,650 --> 01:11:31,487
With regard to other
aspects of the report,

1373
01:11:31,487 --> 01:11:35,057
ultimately the
intelligence community

1374
01:11:35,057 --> 01:11:38,661
will have to review the
material that's included

1375
01:11:38,661 --> 01:11:41,864
in that report to
determine what

1376
01:11:41,864 --> 01:11:43,232
can be released.

1377
01:11:43,232 --> 01:11:51,407
And I certainly think the
hope is that there will be

1378
01:11:51,407 --> 01:11:56,712
an opportunity for the
American public to

1379
01:11:56,712 --> 01:12:00,983
consider the findings of
the report and learn some

1380
01:12:00,983 --> 01:12:04,720
lessons about what kinds
of steps we want to take

1381
01:12:04,720 --> 01:12:11,760
as a country to protect
ourselves and how

1382
01:12:11,760 --> 01:12:13,162
important it is to ensure
that those steps are

1383
01:12:13,162 --> 01:12:15,264
consistent with
our values.

1384
01:12:15,264 --> 01:12:16,765
The Press: Wouldn't that
decision take on a little

1385
01:12:16,765 --> 01:12:19,334
more urgency given the
concern that you've

1386
01:12:19,334 --> 01:12:20,102
expressed, that the
President has expressed,

1387
01:12:20,102 --> 01:12:25,273
about what President-elect
Trump has said about the

1388
01:12:25,274 --> 01:12:26,775
use of torture?

1389
01:12:26,775 --> 01:12:28,509
Why not speed up
that decision on

1390
01:12:28,510 --> 01:12:32,014
declassification?

1391
01:12:32,014 --> 01:12:34,116
Mr. Earnest: Well, I think
there's ample information

1392
01:12:34,116 --> 01:12:35,751
included in that report
on this topic that has

1393
01:12:35,751 --> 01:12:37,720
already been declassified.

1394
01:12:37,720 --> 01:12:41,256
And we've had an
opportunity to wage this

1395
01:12:41,256 --> 01:12:43,225
debate in public on a
number of occasions, and I

1396
01:12:43,225 --> 01:12:49,598
know that there's at least
one official that's been

1397
01:12:49,598 --> 01:12:51,967
nominated to a senior
position in the incoming

1398
01:12:51,967 --> 01:12:57,406
administration who has
expressed the same kinds

1399
01:12:57,406 --> 01:13:03,612
of views that are included
in that report about the

1400
01:13:03,612 --> 01:13:06,915
ineffectiveness of

1401
01:13:06,915 --> 01:13:09,485
torturing terror suspects. Gregory.

1402
01:13:09,485 --> 01:13:12,821
The Press: The President
is going to sign the 21st

1403
01:13:12,821 --> 01:13:16,125
Century Cures Act in a
signing ceremony tomorrow

1404
01:13:16,125 --> 01:13:18,560
across the street here.

1405
01:13:18,560 --> 01:13:20,629
Signing ceremonies have
been pretty rare of late

1406
01:13:20,629 --> 01:13:24,299
around here.

1407
01:13:24,299 --> 01:13:26,602
President Obama has
actually done fewer than

1408
01:13:26,602 --> 01:13:27,236
his immediate
predecessors, especially

1409
01:13:27,236 --> 01:13:29,104
in the last
couple of years.

1410
01:13:29,104 --> 01:13:31,240
Is that an indication that
the President feels that

1411
01:13:31,240 --> 01:13:34,209
the legislative
accomplishments during his

1412
01:13:34,209 --> 01:13:37,479
presidency haven't been
worth celebrating?

1413
01:13:37,479 --> 01:13:38,947
Mr. Earnest: No, I think
it's an indication that

1414
01:13:38,947 --> 01:13:43,752
there's been very little
passed by Congress under

1415
01:13:43,752 --> 01:13:49,091
Republican leadership
that's worthy of

1416
01:13:49,091 --> 01:13:51,727
a signing ceremony.

1417
01:13:51,727 --> 01:13:54,129
Not going to have a
signing ceremony for a

1418
01:13:54,129 --> 01:13:58,000
post office naming.

1419
01:13:58,000 --> 01:14:00,235
And when you take a look
at what Congress has

1420
01:14:00,235 --> 01:14:08,110
passed, you can do
it pretty quickly.

1421
01:14:08,110 --> 01:14:09,510
I know there are a variety
of ways to measure the

1422
01:14:09,511 --> 01:14:10,646
ineffectiveness of a
particular Congress, and

1423
01:14:10,646 --> 01:14:12,313
there are a variety of
metrics that you can use

1424
01:14:12,314 --> 01:14:14,449
to show that Republican
-- that this most recent

1425
01:14:14,449 --> 01:14:20,656
Republican-led Congress
has been as ineffectual

1426
01:14:20,656 --> 01:14:24,359
as any in history.

1427
01:14:24,359 --> 01:14:26,662
One metric for that is to
actually take a look at

1428
01:14:26,662 --> 01:14:30,933
the bills that President
Obama has vetoed.

1429
01:14:30,933 --> 01:14:33,068
And we can get you the
specific metrics, but

1430
01:14:33,068 --> 01:14:35,337
there aren't many.

1431
01:14:35,337 --> 01:14:37,506
It's not as if Republicans
use their significant

1432
01:14:37,506 --> 01:14:41,677
majorities in the House
and Senate to pass bills

1433
01:14:41,677 --> 01:14:45,246
cracking down on illegal
immigration, or slashing

1434
01:14:45,247 --> 01:14:50,485
business tax cuts, or
slashing business taxes,

1435
01:14:50,485 --> 01:14:52,688
or slashing taxes for
wealthy people -- all

1436
01:14:52,688 --> 01:14:54,289
things that Republicans
claim that they support

1437
01:14:54,289 --> 01:14:59,760
and campaigned
on getting done.

1438
01:14:59,761 --> 01:15:05,567
No, what Republicans have
done is they have passed a

1439
01:15:05,567 --> 01:15:11,640
handful of bills that do
nothing other than strip

1440
01:15:11,640 --> 01:15:17,045
away Obama administration
initiatives.

1441
01:15:17,045 --> 01:15:19,181
So President Obama, for
example, had to veto a

1442
01:15:19,181 --> 01:15:21,549
bill passed through
reconciliation that would

1443
01:15:21,550 --> 01:15:25,621
have repealed the
Affordable Care Act.

1444
01:15:25,621 --> 01:15:27,356
Republicans passed
legislation that would

1445
01:15:27,356 --> 01:15:31,360
have repealed regulations
governing clean air and

1446
01:15:31,360 --> 01:15:35,864
clean water and
labor regulations.

1447
01:15:35,864 --> 01:15:37,866
They're not advancing
their own agenda, they're

1448
01:15:37,866 --> 01:15:39,101
just trying to take
away the President's.

1449
01:15:39,101 --> 01:15:40,369
And I think this
underscores the

1450
01:15:40,369 --> 01:15:44,539
intellectual vacuum at the
center of the Republican

1451
01:15:44,539 --> 01:15:46,842
Party right now.

1452
01:15:46,842 --> 01:15:51,112
It's how they succeeded in
nominating and electing a

1453
01:15:51,113 --> 01:15:56,385
President that many of
them doubt shares their

1454
01:15:56,385 --> 01:15:58,987
conservative philosophy.

1455
01:15:58,987 --> 01:16:00,956
We'll see.

1456
01:16:00,956 --> 01:16:03,625
And in fact, the only bill
that President Obama has

1457
01:16:03,625 --> 01:16:07,296
signed and has been
overridden by Republicans

1458
01:16:07,296 --> 01:16:13,769
in Congress is a bill that
Republicans tried to fix

1459
01:16:13,769 --> 01:16:17,873
that same day to address
the concerns that

1460
01:16:17,873 --> 01:16:23,712
President Obama had raised
in vetoing the bill --

1461
01:16:23,712 --> 01:16:28,717
"immediate-onset buyer's
remorse," one smart

1462
01:16:28,717 --> 01:16:32,387
political operative
labeled it.

1463
01:16:32,387 --> 01:16:38,293
I think it's an indication
of just how bankrupt the

1464
01:16:38,293 --> 01:16:39,995
Republican governing
agenda has been.

1465
01:16:39,995 --> 01:16:41,863
There isn't one.

1466
01:16:41,863 --> 01:16:45,400
And I think the fact that
there have not been many

1467
01:16:45,400 --> 01:16:53,075
signing ceremonies and not
been many vetoes is as

1468
01:16:53,075 --> 01:16:54,776
clear an
indication as any.

1469
01:16:54,776 --> 01:16:55,711
The Press: Well,
obviously, there's two

1470
01:16:55,711 --> 01:16:56,511
actors in this, right?

1471
01:16:56,511 --> 01:16:57,479
There's the President and
there's Congress, and they

1472
01:16:57,479 --> 01:16:58,880
have to work together in
most cases, unless you

1473
01:16:58,880 --> 01:17:01,249
have a super majority,
to get anything done.

1474
01:17:01,249 --> 01:17:03,518
But historians tend to
look at presidencies for

1475
01:17:03,518 --> 01:17:07,522
their body of legislation.

1476
01:17:07,522 --> 01:17:09,124
So can you talk a little
bit about what President

1477
01:17:09,124 --> 01:17:10,325
Obama, over these past
eight years -- since this

1478
01:17:10,325 --> 01:17:12,961
may well be the last --
certainly one of the last

1479
01:17:12,961 --> 01:17:14,396
bills he's going to sign,
probably the last he'll do

1480
01:17:14,396 --> 01:17:19,668
so publicly -- what is the
President most proud of as

1481
01:17:19,668 --> 01:17:20,634
a legislative
accomplishment?

1482
01:17:20,635 --> 01:17:22,437
And is he disappointed,
looking back, that he was

1483
01:17:22,437 --> 01:17:24,873
not able to fulfill
many of the promises

1484
01:17:24,873 --> 01:17:27,342
legislatively that
he set out to do?

1485
01:17:27,342 --> 01:17:29,111
Mr. Earnest: Well,
there's no doubt that the

1486
01:17:29,111 --> 01:17:36,518
President has been deeply
disappointed at the lack

1487
01:17:36,518 --> 01:17:41,356
of effort put forward by
Republicans to try to find

1488
01:17:41,356 --> 01:17:47,195
common ground where
it actually exists.

1489
01:17:47,195 --> 01:17:50,866
The President has been
profoundly disappointed

1490
01:17:50,866 --> 01:17:51,900
that Republicans in the
House of Representatives

1491
01:17:51,900 --> 01:17:54,102
blocked consideration of
a bipartisan immigration

1492
01:17:54,102 --> 01:17:58,240
reform bill that would
have passed had it

1493
01:17:58,240 --> 01:18:00,709
come up for a vote.

1494
01:18:00,709 --> 01:18:02,811
But House Republicans
made a cynical political

1495
01:18:02,811 --> 01:18:04,913
decision to prevent that

1496
01:18:04,913 --> 01:18:11,419
bill from even being considered.

1497
01:18:11,420 --> 01:18:14,256
And the President is quite
disappointed by that.

1498
01:18:14,256 --> 01:18:15,957
I will say, though,
overall, when you consider

1499
01:18:15,957 --> 01:18:18,927
the kind of legislative
progress that we were able

1500
01:18:18,927 --> 01:18:23,932
to make when Democrats
were in charge of the

1501
01:18:23,932 --> 01:18:26,802
Congress, the President's
resume looks quite strong.

1502
01:18:26,802 --> 01:18:29,237
Even when viewed over the
span of eight years,

1503
01:18:29,237 --> 01:18:29,805
that was a remarkably

1504
01:18:29,805 --> 01:18:33,075
productive two-year period.

1505
01:18:33,075 --> 01:18:36,711
Everything from the
Recovery Act that

1506
01:18:36,711 --> 01:18:41,450
contributed to the
President's strategy to

1507
01:18:41,450 --> 01:18:44,820
prevent a second Great
Depression; the Affordable

1508
01:18:44,820 --> 01:18:48,723
Care Act that expanded
access to health care for

1509
01:18:48,723 --> 01:18:58,033
20 million Americans; a
reform of Wall Street that

1510
01:18:58,033 --> 01:18:59,935
has ensured that taxpayers
are never on the hook for

1511
01:18:59,935 --> 01:19:02,037
bailing out a Wall Street

1512
01:19:02,037 --> 01:19:04,606
bank for making risky bets.

1513
01:19:04,606 --> 01:19:05,107
But in the time since the
Wall Street reform bill

1514
01:19:05,107 --> 01:19:11,880
has been signed into law,
we've seen a remarkable,

1515
01:19:11,880 --> 01:19:16,485
impressive economic
growth, job creation and

1516
01:19:16,485 --> 01:19:23,558
increase in the
stock market.

1517
01:19:23,558 --> 01:19:24,960
So those are three
examples off the

1518
01:19:24,960 --> 01:19:25,494
top of my head.

1519
01:19:25,494 --> 01:19:26,193
There's one other example
that I think is

1520
01:19:26,194 --> 01:19:26,862
also relevant here.

1521
01:19:26,862 --> 01:19:30,265
In 2012, while Republicans
did have a majority in the

1522
01:19:30,265 --> 01:19:35,137
House, President Obama did
succeed in doing something

1523
01:19:35,137 --> 01:19:37,038
that Republicans had
blocked for almost 20

1524
01:19:37,038 --> 01:19:39,473
years, and that's getting

1525
01:19:39,474 --> 01:19:43,478
them to raise income taxes.

1526
01:19:43,478 --> 01:19:45,347
But Congress did vote to
raise income taxes on the

1527
01:19:45,347 --> 01:19:52,187
wealthiest Americans in
the lame duck period after

1528
01:19:52,187 --> 01:19:54,089
the 2012 election.

1529
01:19:54,089 --> 01:19:55,924
And that was the
fulfillment of a promise

1530
01:19:55,924 --> 01:19:59,327
that President Obama had
made on the campaign

1531
01:19:59,327 --> 01:19:59,728
trail, and that has had
a positive impact

1532
01:19:59,728 --> 01:20:00,095
on our deficit.

1533
01:20:00,095 --> 01:20:02,898
It's had a positive
impact on the notion of a

1534
01:20:02,898 --> 01:20:05,767
fairness in our tax code.

1535
01:20:05,767 --> 01:20:11,173
And it's had positive
benefits for our economy.

1536
01:20:11,173 --> 01:20:12,641
And we can run -- I'll
spare you running through

1537
01:20:12,641 --> 01:20:16,611
sort of the metrics that
we can use to evaluate the

1538
01:20:16,611 --> 01:20:19,748
wisdom of this strategy,
but when the incoming

1539
01:20:19,748 --> 01:20:22,683
administration lays out
their economic strategy, I

1540
01:20:22,684 --> 01:20:24,586
hope you will go back and
take a close look at the

1541
01:20:24,586 --> 01:20:29,357
impact, the strength that
the American economy

1542
01:20:29,357 --> 01:20:32,060
enjoyed under President
Obama's leadership and see

1543
01:20:32,060 --> 01:20:34,362
if the performance of
the next

1544
01:20:34,362 --> 01:20:37,566
administration measures up.

1545
01:20:37,566 --> 01:20:38,532
The Press: Josh, this
tomorrow's signing, the

1546
01:20:38,533 --> 01:20:40,202
last -- is that the last
bill that the President is

1547
01:20:40,202 --> 01:20:41,636
going to sign in public?

1548
01:20:41,636 --> 01:20:43,238
Mr. Earnest: I would
expect it will be the last

1549
01:20:43,238 --> 01:20:44,906
bill that he signs in
public, but maybe they'll

1550
01:20:44,906 --> 01:20:48,710
pass something quickly and
interesting after -- when

1551
01:20:48,710 --> 01:20:49,911
they return in January.

1552
01:20:49,911 --> 01:20:50,712
But I don't anticipate

1553
01:20:50,712 --> 01:20:54,482
that will happen. Maggie.

1554
01:20:54,482 --> 01:20:54,950
The Press: Circling back

1555
01:20:54,950 --> 01:20:56,985
to the Presidential Daily Briefing.

1556
01:20:56,985 --> 01:20:58,286
Do you think that the
incoming President has any

1557
01:20:58,286 --> 01:21:00,488
reason to doubt the
intelligence

1558
01:21:00,488 --> 01:21:01,456
during that briefing?

1559
01:21:01,456 --> 01:21:03,692
Has President Obama every
questioned some of the

1560
01:21:03,692 --> 01:21:05,293
intelligence that happens

1561
01:21:05,293 --> 01:21:06,728
during the Presidential Daily Briefing?

1562
01:21:06,728 --> 01:21:09,731
Mr. Earnest: Well, look,
Maggie, the people who are

1563
01:21:09,731 --> 01:21:12,934
presenting the briefing
are people who are

1564
01:21:12,934 --> 01:21:15,103
seasoned intelligence
professionals.

1565
01:21:15,103 --> 01:21:16,638
They're experts
in their field.

1566
01:21:16,638 --> 01:21:23,745
In some cases, they are
individuals who have a

1567
01:21:23,745 --> 01:21:27,816
remarkable educational
background or academic

1568
01:21:27,816 --> 01:21:30,085
background in a particular
field, or they're

1569
01:21:30,085 --> 01:21:39,294
experts in technology.

1570
01:21:39,294 --> 01:21:41,563
The intelligence
professionals who compile

1571
01:21:41,563 --> 01:21:43,531
the Presidential Daily
Briefing work

1572
01:21:43,531 --> 01:21:44,199
very hard to do so.

1573
01:21:44,199 --> 01:21:45,500
And the do so without
a lot of glamour.

1574
01:21:45,500 --> 01:21:47,335
They don't do so
in the limelight.

1575
01:21:47,335 --> 01:21:49,037
But they ensure that the
President has the most

1576
01:21:49,037 --> 01:21:52,841
accurate, up-to-date
information possible in

1577
01:21:52,841 --> 01:21:56,144
order to make good
decisions about the

1578
01:21:56,144 --> 01:21:59,614
country and our
national security.

1579
01:21:59,614 --> 01:22:00,915
There certainly are
occasions where the

1580
01:22:00,915 --> 01:22:02,884
President wants to have a
discussion about some of

1581
01:22:02,884 --> 01:22:06,521
the CIA findings or
the findings from the

1582
01:22:06,521 --> 01:22:08,423
intelligence community to
understand why they've

1583
01:22:08,423 --> 01:22:09,090
reached certain
conclusions or why they're

1584
01:22:09,090 --> 01:22:11,593
putting forward
some analysis.

1585
01:22:11,593 --> 01:22:13,260
And that does mean that
the President is asking

1586
01:22:13,261 --> 01:22:14,496
questions, and then the
intelligence community is

1587
01:22:14,496 --> 01:22:16,698
coming back to him to
further explain what

1588
01:22:16,698 --> 01:22:20,402
is being presented.

1589
01:22:20,402 --> 01:22:24,239
But the President has
never doubted the motives

1590
01:22:24,239 --> 01:22:24,806
of the people who

1591
01:22:24,806 --> 01:22:27,275
are presenting that information.

1592
01:22:27,275 --> 01:22:29,710
And that's because the
President has insisted

1593
01:22:29,711 --> 01:22:31,012
that the intelligence
that's presented to him

1594
01:22:31,012 --> 01:22:33,148
should be accurate and
up to date, and not

1595
01:22:33,148 --> 01:22:37,352
influenced by politics,
and not presented in a way

1596
01:22:37,352 --> 01:22:41,923
that seeks to curry favor
with the person

1597
01:22:41,923 --> 01:22:43,724
receiving the briefing.

1598
01:22:43,725 --> 01:22:46,061
If the news is bad
somewhere in the world,

1599
01:22:46,061 --> 01:22:49,798
the President wants to
know, so that we can have

1600
01:22:49,798 --> 01:22:53,501
an opportunity to
try to address it.

1601
01:22:53,501 --> 01:22:55,270
That's why I think it's
particularly important

1602
01:22:55,270 --> 01:22:58,039
that intelligence
professionals, as they

1603
01:22:58,039 --> 01:23:00,474
have been under the Obama
administration, understand

1604
01:23:00,475 --> 01:23:03,611
that they're not going
to face retribution just

1605
01:23:03,611 --> 01:23:07,349
because they present
some bad news.

1606
01:23:07,349 --> 01:23:10,085
In some ways, that's
the whole point of the

1607
01:23:10,085 --> 01:23:11,086
exercise, is to make
sure that the President

1608
01:23:11,086 --> 01:23:16,124
understands the dangerous
and threatening things

1609
01:23:16,124 --> 01:23:18,593
that could be happening
around the world so that

1610
01:23:18,593 --> 01:23:22,097
we can properly orient our
defenses to protect

1611
01:23:22,097 --> 01:23:24,099
the American people.

1612
01:23:24,099 --> 01:23:26,034
The Press: If this
intelligence is so

1613
01:23:26,034 --> 01:23:27,535
important to helping
shape President Obama's

1614
01:23:27,535 --> 01:23:29,304
decisions around the globe
-- President-elect Trump

1615
01:23:29,304 --> 01:23:30,305
is having a very public

1616
01:23:30,305 --> 01:23:31,773
rift with the CIA right now.

1617
01:23:31,773 --> 01:23:33,842
How detrimental is that
to him coming in as

1618
01:23:33,842 --> 01:23:35,410
President, and is that
something that we should

1619
01:23:35,410 --> 01:23:36,845
be concerned about?

1620
01:23:36,845 --> 01:23:38,313
Mr. Earnest: Well,
listen, I'll let the

1621
01:23:38,313 --> 01:23:39,948
President-elect work
to establish his own

1622
01:23:39,948 --> 01:23:41,549
relationship with the
intelligence community.

1623
01:23:41,549 --> 01:23:43,685
I can just tell you that
President Obama has

1624
01:23:43,685 --> 01:23:46,488
benefitted enormously
from the hardworking

1625
01:23:46,488 --> 01:23:48,156
professionals at the
intelligence community who

1626
01:23:48,156 --> 01:23:51,593
literally work through the
night to provide him the

1627
01:23:51,593 --> 01:23:54,295
most up-to-date, accurate
information in the morning

1628
01:23:54,295 --> 01:23:56,598
so that he can spend his
day making decisions that

1629
01:23:56,598 --> 01:23:58,933
are rooted in
that information.

1630
01:23:58,933 --> 01:24:00,869
The decisions and the
outcomes are going to be

1631
01:24:00,869 --> 01:24:06,174
better if the President
has access to

1632
01:24:06,174 --> 01:24:06,608
accurate information.

1633
01:24:06,608 --> 01:24:08,510
And that's certainly the
expectation that he has

1634
01:24:08,510 --> 01:24:09,978
for the intelligence

1635
01:24:09,978 --> 01:24:12,414
community, and they've

1636
01:24:12,414 --> 01:24:14,749
delivered. Michelle.

1637
01:24:14,749 --> 01:24:15,650
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1638
01:24:15,650 --> 01:24:17,085
Just three quick questions
before the sun

1639
01:24:17,085 --> 01:24:18,720
starts setting here.

1640
01:24:18,720 --> 01:24:19,554
(Laughter.)

1641
01:24:19,554 --> 01:24:21,356
The Press: Three?

1642
01:24:21,356 --> 01:24:23,691
The Press: When you
mentioned -- in all the

1643
01:24:23,691 --> 01:24:26,628
discussion we've had about
the Russian hacking, you

1644
01:24:26,628 --> 01:24:30,565
also mentioned certain
ties to Russia within

1645
01:24:30,565 --> 01:24:31,465
the Trump campaign.

1646
01:24:31,466 --> 01:24:34,569
You mentioned that Donald
Trump didn't disclose

1647
01:24:34,569 --> 01:24:37,038
financial ties to Russia,
that he had at one point

1648
01:24:37,038 --> 01:24:38,705
called on Putin to look

1649
01:24:38,706 --> 01:24:40,675
into Hillary Clinton's emails.

1650
01:24:40,675 --> 01:24:43,678
Did you put those out
there as a suggestion that

1651
01:24:43,678 --> 01:24:47,115
it is possible that there
were ties to this hack

1652
01:24:47,115 --> 01:24:49,117
within the Trump campaign?

1653
01:24:49,117 --> 01:24:58,460
Mr. Earnest: I observed
these facts because they

1654
01:24:58,460 --> 01:25:02,330
seem relevant to the
judgment that people might

1655
01:25:02,330 --> 01:25:08,937
draw upon as they assess
the impact of Russia's

1656
01:25:08,937 --> 01:25:11,172
malicious cyber activity.

1657
01:25:11,172 --> 01:25:13,308
These are objective facts
that were not produced by

1658
01:25:13,308 --> 01:25:15,176
the White House or the
intelligence community.

1659
01:25:15,176 --> 01:25:15,977
They don't require

1660
01:25:15,977 --> 01:25:18,079
a special security clearance.

1661
01:25:18,079 --> 01:25:21,449
They don't require any
special knowledge that's

1662
01:25:21,449 --> 01:25:23,785
found anywhere other than

1663
01:25:23,785 --> 01:25:27,522
in the newspaper or on cable TV.

1664
01:25:27,522 --> 01:25:28,890
So I don't have a new

1665
01:25:28,890 --> 01:25:33,027
intelligence assessment to present.

1666
01:25:33,027 --> 01:25:36,764
But there certainly is
ample information for

1667
01:25:36,764 --> 01:25:41,603
people to consider to draw
their own conclusions

1668
01:25:41,603 --> 01:25:46,407
about what Russia's
motivations may have been

1669
01:25:46,407 --> 01:25:51,746
in undertaking this
unprecedented malicious

1670
01:25:51,746 --> 01:25:52,747
cyber activity.

1671
01:25:52,747 --> 01:25:54,282
The Press: So you're
saying they seem relevant

1672
01:25:54,282 --> 01:25:56,651
based on Russia's
potential motivations, and

1673
01:25:56,651 --> 01:25:59,687
not going the other way?

1674
01:25:59,687 --> 01:26:00,522
Mr. Earnest: When you say
going the other way,

1675
01:26:00,522 --> 01:26:01,222
what do you mean?

1676
01:26:01,222 --> 01:26:02,924
The Press: That you're not
suggesting that they're

1677
01:26:02,924 --> 01:26:04,993
relevant because there
could be a possibility

1678
01:26:04,993 --> 01:26:07,695
that there was some
working together there.

1679
01:26:07,695 --> 01:26:10,098
Mr. Earnest: I
can't speak to that.

1680
01:26:10,098 --> 01:26:14,168
What I'm merely presenting
is as people consider this

1681
01:26:14,168 --> 01:26:17,772
question that Ayesha asked
me about whether or not

1682
01:26:17,772 --> 01:26:24,512
Russia was seeking
intentionally to benefit

1683
01:26:24,512 --> 01:26:27,482
the Trump campaign.

1684
01:26:27,482 --> 01:26:30,251
My response is I don't
have an assessment from

1685
01:26:30,251 --> 01:26:32,387
the intelligence community
to share with you.

1686
01:26:32,387 --> 01:26:34,889
But there's ample
information that people

1687
01:26:34,889 --> 01:26:37,025
can and should use that
was available before the

1688
01:26:37,025 --> 01:26:38,992
election that doesn't
require a security

1689
01:26:38,993 --> 01:26:42,864
clearance that will allow
people to reach

1690
01:26:42,864 --> 01:26:44,699
their own conclusions.

1691
01:26:44,699 --> 01:26:45,266
The Press: Okay.

1692
01:26:45,266 --> 01:26:49,469
And you mentioned that
-- when we talked about

1693
01:26:49,470 --> 01:26:51,706
Donald Trump saying that
there's no evidence that

1694
01:26:51,706 --> 01:26:54,375
Russia was behind this
hack, your response was

1695
01:26:54,375 --> 01:26:57,078
that there shouldn't
be a question there.

1696
01:26:57,078 --> 01:26:58,947
But what is the
administration's take on

1697
01:26:58,947 --> 01:27:00,682
the fact that he does

1698
01:27:00,682 --> 01:27:03,518
repeatedly say this regardless?

1699
01:27:03,518 --> 01:27:06,421
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
I don't want to get into a

1700
01:27:06,421 --> 01:27:07,956
place where there
are charges and

1701
01:27:07,956 --> 01:27:09,524
counter-charges being
traded between the

1702
01:27:09,524 --> 01:27:12,093
President-elect's team
and the President's team,

1703
01:27:12,093 --> 01:27:14,062
because our most important
priority right now is

1704
01:27:14,062 --> 01:27:16,931
trying to fulfill our
institutional obligation

1705
01:27:16,931 --> 01:27:18,599
to ensure a smooth and
effective transition.

1706
01:27:18,600 --> 01:27:23,905
So you have the argument
that's put forward by the

1707
01:27:23,905 --> 01:27:26,474
President-elect, and you
have the statement that

1708
01:27:26,474 --> 01:27:28,476
was put forward by the
intelligence community two

1709
01:27:28,476 --> 01:27:37,285
months ago revealing their
unanimous conclusion that

1710
01:27:37,285 --> 01:27:40,622
Russia was engaged in
malicious cyber activity

1711
01:27:40,622 --> 01:27:42,023
in an attempt

1712
01:27:42,023 --> 01:27:43,725
to destabilize our political system.

1713
01:27:43,725 --> 01:27:46,394
The Press: Do you see any
risk in those statements

1714
01:27:46,394 --> 01:27:48,796
that are repeatedly
made publicly?

1715
01:27:48,796 --> 01:27:49,263
Mr. Earnest: Which

1716
01:27:49,263 --> 01:27:50,431
statements are you referring to?

1717
01:27:50,431 --> 01:27:52,400
The Press: Donald Trump's
statements that there is

1718
01:27:52,400 --> 01:27:54,201
-- refuting the evidence
that the intelligence

1719
01:27:54,202 --> 01:27:56,471
community has
talked about.

1720
01:27:56,471 --> 01:27:58,205
Mr. Earnest: Well, again,
there are plenty of

1721
01:27:58,206 --> 01:28:01,042
concerns I could express
about any number of things

1722
01:28:01,042 --> 01:28:03,244
that the President-elect
has said, but the time for

1723
01:28:03,244 --> 01:28:06,514
those debates has
come and gone.

1724
01:28:06,514 --> 01:28:07,448
The Press: Thanks, Josh.

1725
01:28:07,448 --> 01:28:08,349
Mr. Earnest: Mark, I'll
give you the last one.

1726
01:28:08,349 --> 01:28:09,450
The Press: Thanks.

1727
01:28:09,450 --> 01:28:12,487
Josh, on the matter of the
PDB, there are some days

1728
01:28:12,487 --> 01:28:15,590
when there is no PDB
listing on this schedule

1729
01:28:15,590 --> 01:28:17,792
that we receive
for the President.

1730
01:28:17,792 --> 01:28:22,664
Are those days on which
he does without a PDB?

1731
01:28:22,664 --> 01:28:27,367
Mr. Earnest: Those are
days in which the PDB is

1732
01:28:27,368 --> 01:28:30,038
presented in writing
to the President.

1733
01:28:30,038 --> 01:28:32,106
And I'll just say in
general that there is a

1734
01:28:32,106 --> 01:28:35,710
mechanism for the kind
of feedback that I was

1735
01:28:35,710 --> 01:28:37,845
referring to earlier,
where, if the President

1736
01:28:37,845 --> 01:28:40,281
has questions or is
seeking additional

1737
01:28:40,281 --> 01:28:41,716
information based on
what's presented, there is

1738
01:28:41,716 --> 01:28:45,186
a mechanism for him to
seek that that doesn't

1739
01:28:45,186 --> 01:28:46,888
require a face-to-face
interaction.

1740
01:28:46,888 --> 01:28:50,458
The Press: Is that the
case on weekends, as well?

1741
01:28:50,458 --> 01:28:52,326
A written PDB?

1742
01:28:52,326 --> 01:28:59,834
Mr. Earnest: I think what
I can say most generally

1743
01:28:59,834 --> 01:29:00,268
is that on the days in
which there is not a PDB

1744
01:29:00,268 --> 01:29:03,571
listed, typically what
occurs is the President

1745
01:29:03,571 --> 01:29:08,910
would receive the PDB in
writing or in written

1746
01:29:08,910 --> 01:29:11,179
format I guess is what --
The Press: President-elect

1747
01:29:11,179 --> 01:29:14,482
Trump said on Saturday
when he was taping the Fox

1748
01:29:14,482 --> 01:29:17,685
interview that he expected
that -- to speak with

1749
01:29:17,685 --> 01:29:19,120
President Obama that day.

1750
01:29:19,120 --> 01:29:20,121
Did he?

1751
01:29:20,121 --> 01:29:22,423
Mr. Earnest: Well, as I've
-- as we've encountered in

1752
01:29:22,423 --> 01:29:24,625
here a few times, I'm
going to protect the

1753
01:29:24,625 --> 01:29:26,928
ability of the President
and the President-elect to

1754
01:29:26,928 --> 01:29:29,363
consult privately.

1755
01:29:29,363 --> 01:29:29,764
The Press: But since he
mentioned it,

1756
01:29:29,764 --> 01:29:30,631
can you confirm it?

1757
01:29:30,631 --> 01:29:31,933
Mr. Earnest: I
can't confirm it.

1758
01:29:31,933 --> 01:29:35,403
If the President-elect
and his team choose to do

1759
01:29:35,403 --> 01:29:37,238
that, they're certainly
entitled to that.

1760
01:29:37,238 --> 01:29:39,474
But I'm going to go -- I'm
going to do my best to

1761
01:29:39,474 --> 01:29:41,476
protect the ability of
the President and the

1762
01:29:41,476 --> 01:29:43,210
President-elect to
consult privately.

1763
01:29:43,211 --> 01:29:44,779
The Press: And lastly,
on the question of bill

1764
01:29:44,779 --> 01:29:48,282
signing, did the President
wait up late on Friday

1765
01:29:48,282 --> 01:29:51,519
night to sign the CR?

1766
01:29:51,519 --> 01:29:54,789
Mr. Earnest: I believe
that that's how it -- it

1767
01:29:54,789 --> 01:29:56,557
was signed -- The Press:
He signed by hand?

1768
01:29:56,557 --> 01:29:58,860
Mr. Earnest: Yes, it was
signed by hand shortly

1769
01:29:58,860 --> 01:30:01,062
before he received the
official notification that

1770
01:30:01,062 --> 01:30:02,096
the bill had been signed.

1771
01:30:02,096 --> 01:30:04,031
The Press: It was
about 10 of 1:00 a.m.

1772
01:30:04,031 --> 01:30:05,032
Mr. Earnest: Yes, so it

1773
01:30:05,032 --> 01:30:07,535
was a late night on Friday night. Okay?

1774
01:30:07,535 --> 01:30:07,934
The Press: Okay.

1775
01:30:07,935 --> 01:30:08,402
Mr. Earnest: All right,
thanks, everybody.

1776
01:30:08,402 --> 01:30:08,936
We'll see you tomorrow