Bolton ‘insecure’ by claims of survey balloons all over Trump presidency

THE PRESIDENT IS FACING BLOWBACKTHIS MORNING WHEN IT COMES TO HOW THEY HANDLED THE CHINESESURVEILLANCE BALLOON THAT WAS SHOT DOWN ON SATURDAY.TO TALK MORE ABOUT THIS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE FORMERNATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, JOHNBOLTON HERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AMBASSADOR,FOR BEING HERE. I THINK THE FIRST QUESTION IS,DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE SHOT DOWN THIS BALLOONSOONER? >> YES, ABSOLUTELY.YOU KNOW, WHEN IT WAS FIRST.

SIGHTED NEAR ALASKA ON THE 28thOF JANUARY, ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS NORAD, THE NORTHAMERICAN SPACE COMMAND, DECIDED IT WAS NOT THREATENING.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW THEY KNOW.THE PAYLOAD FOR THIS BALLOON WAS APPARENTLY THE SIZE OF THREEBUSES. THAT'S PRETTY BIG.WERE WE CONFIDENT THERE WAS NOT A NUCLEAR WEAPON IN THATPAYLOAD? WERE WE CONFIDENT IT WAS NOTCARRYING BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS, PATHOGENS OR TOXINS THAT COULDHAVE BEEN DUMPED INTO A.

RESERVOIR OR SPREAD ACROSS CROPLANDS? WHY WERE THEY SO SURE?AND TWO DAYS LATER, THEY DID DETERMINE IT WAS AN INTELLIGENCETHREAT, AND DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND DIDN'T TELL THEPRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES UNTIL THREE DAYS AFTER THE FIRSTCONTACT, WHICH I FIND INCREDIBLE.>> YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, IT WAS JANUARY 31st THATTHE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ALERTED PRESIDENT BIDEN, THAT'S WHEN HEASKED FOR THOSE OPTIONS ABOUT POTENTIALLY SHOOTING IT DOWN.YOU THINK HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

TOLD THE DAY IT WAS DETECTED?>> WELL, I THINK MUCH SOONER. THERE'S A LOT THAT WE DON'T KNOWHERE. AND THE WORDING OF MANY OF THESTATEMENTS BY ADMINISTRATION SPOKESMAN IS SLOPPY.AND WHEN THE WORDING IS SLOPPY, THAT OFTEN MEANS THE UNDERLYINGSTORY IS SLOPPY. THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN MYVIEW. AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THEEXPLANATION. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW WHEREIN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND FROM THAT FIRST SIGHTING, THE FIRSTDETECTION OF THE BALLOON, HOW.

FAR UP DID IT GO, WHERE DID ITSTOP, AND WHY DID IT STOP? >> THE ARGUMENT IS THAT SHOOTINGIT DOWN OVER WATER WAS THE SAFEST OPTION, BECAUSE WHATWE'VE HEARD FROM OFFICIALS IS THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT IT COULDHAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO PEOPLE, IT COULD HAVE HURT PEOPLE, TOBUILDINGS, IT COULD HAVE HURT PEOPLE IF THEY SHOT IT DOWNWHILE IT WAS OVER MONTANA OR IDAHO, FOR EXAMPLE.DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT?>> WELL, I THINK WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THESAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS.

HOW WOULD THEIR SAFETY BEAFFECTED IF THERE WERE WEAPONS ON THAT THING THAT WE DIDN'T ACTWHEN IT WAS TIMELY TO DO SO. AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THEGREAT CITIZENS OF ALASKA AND MONMONTANA, IT'S LESS POPULATED THAN HERE AT HOME.WE'VE HAD BOMB SHELTERS BEFORE, WE CAN BE PREPARED FOR THIS.THE GOVERNMENT CAN TAKE COMPENSATION FOR PROPERTYDAMAGE. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THATARE UNANSWERED ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT DO.BUT THERE'S A LOT POSSIBILITY.

HERE, TOO.WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS IF SHOOTING IT DOWN MEANSDESTROYING IT. BACK IN THE DAY, BEFORE THEREWAS ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM SPACE, WE USEDTO DUMP FILM THAT OUR SATELLITES HAD TAKEN INTO CANISTERS THATCAME BACK TO EARTH AND WERE CAUGHT BY AIRPLANES.I DON'T KNOW THE TECHNOLOGY, IF WE STILL HAVE IT OR HAVE JUNKEDIT, OR IF IT WAS POSSIBLE HERE. BUT THE SAYING GOES, WHERETHERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY. CAPTURING THAT PAYLOAD IS GOINGTO BE VERY IMPORTANT.

WHATEVER WE CAN GET OFF THEBOTTOM OF THE SEA, IF THERE WERE SOME OTHER WAY TO HAVE BROUGHTIT DOWN MORE SLOWLY, IF WE COULD HAVE PROVEN THIS WAS CHINESEINTELLIGENCE GATHERING, WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A CLOSER LOOKAT IT. >> THE OTHER THING WE HEARD FROMTHE PENTAGON IS THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING BEFORE, WHENYOUR BO BOSS, YOUR FORMER BOSS, FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS INOFFICE, WE'RE NOW LEARNING FROM A SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALWHO SAYS THOSE PREVIOUS OCCURRENCES WERE DISCOVEREDAFTER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

LEFT OFFICE.I THINK YOU AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER, HOW CAN A CHINESE SPYBALLOON GET INTO CHINESE AIR SPACE AND SOMEONE LIKE WAS NOTTOLD, SOMEONE LIKE FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS NOT HOLD,MARK ASPER WAS NOT HOLD ABOUT THIS.HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? >> AS FAR AS I KNOW, EVERY TRUMPADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL WHO HAS BEEN ASKED HAVE SAID THEY DIDN'TKNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I WILL SAY THIS, IF THERE WASANY ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE THAT THESE BALLOONS WERE OVER THE UNITEDSTATES AND HIGHER AUTHORITY.

WASN'T TOLD, THAT'S A SERIOUSPROBLEM. THAT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM.THAT'S NOT WHAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING.I WROTE THESE WORDS DOWN. I WAS SO, SO STUNNED BY THEM.ONE OFFICIAL TOLD FOX NEWS THAT THE BALLOONS WENT UNDETECTED,UNDETECTED. AND THEN SAID, TWO THINGS CAN BETRUE AT ONCE. THIS HAPPENED AND IT WASN'TDETECTED. IF IT WASN'T DETECTED WHEN ITHAPPENED, HOW DID WE DETECT IT MORE RECENTLY?DID THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION.

INVENT A TIME MACHINE?WHAT IS THE BASIS OF THIS NEW DETECTION?NOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS OFFERED TOBRIEF FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICIALS FROM THE TRUMPADMINISTRATION. THEY HAVEN'T CALLED ME.I'M NOT WAITING BY THE PHONE FOR IT, ALTHOUGH I WOULD TAKE THEBRIEFING IF THEY OFFERED IT. I THINK CONGRESS HAS GOT A LOTOF QUESTIONS HERE. THIS WAS A BOTCHED EFFORT FROMTHE BEGINNING. AND BY THE WAY, THE FACT THATTHERE WERE EARLIER TRANSITS OF.

PART OF THE UNITED STATESTERRITORY, WHICH I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION MADE PUBLIC TOSAY IT'S NOTHING NEW, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, PROVES EXACTLYTHE OPPOSITE. THE VERY FACT, IF IT IS A FACT,THAT THE CHINESE HAVE TRIED THIS BEFORE SHOULD HAVE ALERTED USAND SHOULD HAVE CAUSED US TO TAKE ACTION BEFORE THE BALLOONCROSSED INTO AMERICAN SOVEREIGN TERRITORY.>> NOTABLE TO SAY THAT YOU DO WANT THAT BRIEFING.AMBASSADOR BOLTON, WHILE I HAVE YOU HERE, I WANT TO ASK YOUABOUT WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER,.

THESE NEW POLLS WE'RE SEEINGFROM ABC AND “THE WASHINGTON POST” ON 2024, WHERE IT SAYS FEWAMERICANS ARE EXCITED ABOUT A TRUMP/BIDEN REMATCH.I KNOW YOU HAVE TOYED WITH THE IDEA OF RUNNING FOR OFFICE.HAVE YOU MADE A DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE RUNNINGFOR PRESIDENT IN 2024? >> I HAVE NOT, BUT I WOULD SAY,WHETHER I RUN OR NOT, I DO THINK NATIONAL SECURITY IS GOING TO BEA MUCH MORE IMPORTANT ISSUE IN 2024 THAN IN RECENT ELECTIONS.AND IF THIS CHINESE BALLOON INCIDENT PROVES ANYTHING, IT'STHAT THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED.

STATES NEED TO HEAR MORE FROMCANDIDATES WHAT THEIR FOREIGN POLICY VIEWS ARE.THESE ARE LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS THAT PRESIDENTS MAKE.I KNOW IT'S NOT BEEN THE SOURCE OF A LOT OF POPULAR DISCUSSIONIN RECENT CAMPAIGNS. THAT'S A MISTAKE FOR THECOUNTRY. THE CANDIDATES NEED TO TALKABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY MUCH, MUCH MORE.>> DO YOU THINK TRUMP HAS A GOOD MESSAGE ON NATIONAL SECURITY?>> TRUMP DOESN'T HAVE ANY MESSAGE ON NATIONAL SECURITYOTHER THAN THAT HE WOULD BE.

PERFECT, PERFECT PHONECONVERSATIONS, PERFECT DECISIONS ON THE BALLOON, PERFECTDECISIONS TO SOLVE THE RUSSIA/UKRAINE WAR.IT'S ALL ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. IT'S NOT ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY.>> FORMER AMBASSADOR JOHN BOLTON, THANK YOU FOR THATPERSPECTIVE THIS MORNING.

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