| After former President Donald Trump backed out of a CBS 60 Minutes prime-time election special, Vice President Kamala Harris had the stage to herself last night. She took questions on a wide range of national security challenges that will face her should she prevail in next month's election. "A week ago, Trump backed out," Scott Pelley said in the introduction to the special in which 60 Minutes has interviewed the major party presidential candidates since 1968. "The campaign offered shifting explanations. First, it complained that we would fact-check the interview. We fact-check every story," Pelley said. Trump has a well-known aversion to fact-checking, which he considers a tool of liberal bias. "Later, Trump said he needed an apology for his interview in 2020. Trump claims correspondent Lesley Stahl said in that interview that Hunter Biden's controversial laptop came from Russia. She never said that." Harris was grilled by CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker, and perhaps what was most notable were the questions she avoided answering. She wouldn't say if she would use military forces to defend Taiwan or to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and wouldn't commit to Ukraine's eventual membership in NATO. Here are some highlights: ISRAEL/NETANYAHU: "I maintain Israel has a right to defend itself … and how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. This war has to end," Harris replied when Whitaker began by asking how to keep the war in the Middle East from spinning out of control. "Does the U.S. have no sway over Prime Minister Netanyahu?" Whitaker pressed. "You urged him not to go into Lebanon. He went in anyway." "The work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles," Harris said. "But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening," said Whitaker. "Do we have a real close ally in Prime Minister Netanyahu?" "I think, with all due respect, the better question is: do we have an important alliance between the American people and the Israeli people?" Harris replied. "And the answer to that question is yes." ISRAEL UNDER ATTACK FROM HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH, AND HOUTHIS ON OCT. 7 ANNIVERSARY IRAN/NUKES: "Iran has American blood on their hands," Harris said. "And what we saw in terms of just this attack on Israel, 200 ballistic missiles, what we need to do to ensure that Iran never achieves the ability to be a nuclear power, that is one of my highest priorities." But Harris would not say if, as president, she would take military action if there was proof that Iran was building a nuclear weapon. UKRAINE/PUTIN: When the subject turned to Ukraine, Harris was quick to portray Trump as in the pocket of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "If he were president, Putin would be sitting in Kyiv right now. He talks about, oh, he can end it on day one. You know what that is? It's about surrender." "Would you meet with Putin to negotiate a solution to the war in Ukraine?" Whitaker asked. "Not bilaterally without Ukraine, no. Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine," Harris said. But when pressed about NATO's promise to admit Ukraine as a full member of the alliance in the future, Harris waffled. "Those are all issues that we will deal with if and when it arrives at that point. Right now, we are supporting Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia's unprovoked aggression." TRUMP'S NEBULOUS PLAN TO NEGOTIATE A 'VERY FAIR, RAPID DEAL' TO END UKRAINE WAR IS ZELENSKY'S BIGGEST EXISTENTIAL NIGHTMARE BORDER/IMMIGRATION: When it came to immigration, Whitaker questioned why it took the Biden-Harris administration so long to address the crisis at the southern border. "There was an historic flood of undocumented immigrants coming across the border the first three years of your administration. As a matter of fact, arrivals quadrupled from the last year of President Trump. Was it a mistake to loosen the immigration policies as much as you did?" "It's a long-standing problem. And solutions are at hand. And from day one, literally, we have been offering solutions," Harris said. "Was it a mistake to kind of allow that flood to happen in the first place?" Whitaker pressed. "I think the policies that we have been proposing are about fixing a problem, not promoting a problem," she said, pushing back against the suggestion Biden ignored the problem as it worsened. "The first bill we proposed to Congress was to fix our broken immigration system, knowing that if you want to actually fix it, we need Congress to act. It was not taken up. Fast forward to a moment when a bipartisan group of members of the United States Senate, including one of the most conservative members of the United States Senate, got together, came up with a border security bill," Harris said. "Well, guess what happened? Donald Trump got word that this bill was afoot and could be passed. And he wants to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. So he told his buddies in Congress, kill the bill. Don't let it move forward." BIDEN SEES LOWEST YEAR OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS CHINA/TAIWAN: On China, Harris stuck to current U.S. policy that recognizes one China, but opposes any change in the status quo for the self-governing island of Taiwan, which Beijing considered a rogue province that must be reunited with the mainland. "Listen, we need to make sure that we maintain a 'One China' policy, but that includes supporting Taiwan's ability to defend itself, including what we need to do to ensure the freedom of the Taiwan Strait." Would that include using U.S. military power to deter China, and defend Taiwan if it came to that? "I'm not going to get into hypotheticals," Harris said. FROM HER GLOCK TO PUTIN: SIX TAKEAWAYS FROM THE HARRIS 60 MINUTES INTERVIEW Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre's Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn't work, shoot us an email and we'll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSE HAPPENING TODAY: President Joe Biden is being briefed this morning on the federal government's response to Hurricane Helene and the preparations for Hurricane Milton at 10 a.m., and shortly after that is scheduled to provide an update in remarks from the Pentagon. Overnight, Milton was downgraded to a Category 4 hurricane after briefly becoming a Category 5 storm Monday with winds up to 180 mph. Milton is still expected to be a deadly and destructive storm when it hits the west coast of Florida in the Tampa area tomorrow night. Its approach has promoted a massive evacuation from the region, which has clogged roads and is forcing airports to close and cancel flights. The White House continues to battle what it says is misinformation about the response, including rumors that the $750 payments FEMA it is distributing for immediate expenses will have to be paid back (it doesn't) or that the Biden administration had failed to mobilize adequate numbers of troops and military equipment to help get aid to those most in need. The Pentagon says thousands of active duty and National Guard troops are working around the clock in relief and recovery operations."The National Guard has activated more than 6,100 Guardsmen, hundreds of high water vehicles, and dozens of helicopters and rescue boats from 18 different states in State-Active-Duty status," Maj. Gen. Pat Rider said at a Monday briefing for reporters. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has established 12 emergency operations centers across the southeast, with three in North Carolina. The Army Corps of Engineers also has emergency power teams conducting assessments in North Carolina and Georgia, as well as water/wastewater assessments, bridge and road inspections, and debris removal efforts in North Carolina and Florida." TRUMP: 'THEY DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE': In an interview with Laura Ingraham that aired on Fox last night, former President Donald Trump continued to portray the federal response as inadequate to the task. "For the worst hurricane that anybody's seen … they don't have the people — they're not doing — it's a bad, it's a very bad thing. This is Katrina," Trump said. "I'd have a tremendous team of people here. They don't have any people here." "I was in North Carolina. Yesterday, I was in Georgia — and Georgia's different. You have a good governor. He's doing a very good job," Trump said. "But North Carolina is a disaster. And it was also hit very hard. But they don't have the people. And they're complaining, there's no people around to help." "I was there for the entire day, and I saw virtually nobody other than the people who were badly affected," Trump continued. "And one man — he's got a house that's gone, and he's sitting on a rock. He's sitting on a rock. What's going on there, you have to help him." Trump also scoffed at the $750 payments FEMA is giving out for immediate needs. "So we're almost $300 billion for Ukraine, and yet they're offering people $750." HARRIS: 'IT'S EXTRAORDINARILY IRRESPONSIBLE': Speaking to reporters over the roar of a helicopter at Joint Base Andrews last night, Kamala Harris blasted Trump for promoting a false narrative for political gain. "There is a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president about what is available, in particular, to the survivors of Helene. And first of all, it's extraordinarily irresponsible. It's about him; it's not about you," she said. "And the reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them now and resources that are about helping people get back on their feet and rebuild and have places to go. You are entitled to these resources." NC COMMUNITY 'VERY GLAD TO HAVE THE SOLDIERS THERE': Meanwhile, Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin provided an on-the-ground perspective when she posted about her colleague Liz Friden, who has been embedded with soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division. On Monday, the troops were hard at work in Garren Creek, North Carolina, which she described as "an isolated mountain area nearly wiped out east of Asheville that until now had been cut off." "The soldiers went house to house to knock on doors to see what supplies people needed. Once checked, the soldiers tied a pink ribbon on the houses to mark they had what they needed and told residents they would come back in a few days," Griffin said. "The soldiers of the 101st Airborne arrived to these hard-hit neighborhoods in infantry squad vehicles and then walked on foot for hours, knocking on doors, house to house. They took note of the addresses and residents' information at each house of the damage done to the roads, driveways, yards, and vehicles to report back to FEMA and the National Guard on what help is needed where." "The community seemed very glad to have the soldiers there. Several residents said they felt they had been forgotten until the U.S. Army showed up." HURRICANE HELENE MOST HURT GOP AND INDEPENDENT VOTERS IN NORTH CAROLINA: WHAT TO KNOW CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: Israel under attack from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis on Oct. 7 anniversary Washington Examiner: 'Another day of a living hell': Families of Israeli hostages mark Oct. 7 anniversary Washington Examiner: Oct. 7 one year on: How Hamas attacks upended Middle East and US-Israeli alliance forever Washington Examiner: Hurricane Helene most hurt GOP and independent voters in North Carolina: What to know Washington Examiner: Georgia 'pre-bunking' conspiracy theories, warns voter rolls will fluctuate Washington Examiner: From her Glock to Putin: Six takeaways from the Harris 60 Minutes interview New York Times: Russian Missile Hits Near Ukrainian Air Base Reuters: Russian Missile Hits Palau-Flagged Vessel In Odesa, Second Attack In Two Days The Guardian: Hypersonic Missile Targets Major Ukrainian Airbase Defense News: Netherlands Delivers F-16s to Ukraine, Provides $440M for Drones Reuters: Philippines Launches Naval Drills With Allies As Regional Tensions Simmer USNI News: Chinese Maritime Safety Officers Beat Vietnamese Fishermen During South China Sea Interdiction, Say Officials Wall Street Journal: Israel Is Targeted by Militants in Gaza, Yemen, and Lebanon on Oct. 7 Anniversary Breaking Defense: In a Year of War Since Oct. 7, Israel Introduced New Battlefield Tech, Honed Its Organization Bloomberg: US Deal on F-35s Allows Lockheed to Win Back Withheld Payments The Hill: US Spending on Middle East Conflict Tops $22B Since Oct. 7, 2023: Research Breaking Defense: Northrop Grumman Adds AI to Army's Command System for Counter-Drone Defense Defense One: Is 'Big AI' Beating ‘Small AI’—and What Does It Mean for the Military? The War Zone: Chinese Laser Anti-Drone System Spotted in Iran Air & Space Forces Magazine: Two B-1 Bombers Fly Close Air Support Exercise in South Korea Aviation Week: Small Airlifters Are Becoming a Big Priority for the US Air Force Air & Space Forces Magazine: NRO Joins Pentagon Exercises, 'Making Progress' on New Targeting Satellites National Security Journal: Chinese Missile Attack on U.S. Bases: The Worst Scenario Is Numbing National Security Journal: Let Israel Decide How to Respond to Iran's Missile Attack National Security Journal: North Korea and Iran: The Evil Axis of Missiles National Security Journal: Rubis-Class: The Submarine From France That Sunk a Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier National Security Journal: Iraqi Kurds Deserve Better Air & Space Forces Magazine: At This Air Force Depot, Advanced Manufacturing Is Cutting Edge No Longer Air & Space Forces Magazine: New Challenges, New Opportunities in EW Air & Space Forces Magazine: Days After Returning, KC-135s Evacuate MacDill Again for Hurricane THE CALENDAR: TUESDAY | OCTOBER 8 TUESDAY | OCTOBER 8 9 a.m. — George Washington University Institute for Korean Studies sixth annual North Korea Economic Forum Conference: “The North Korean Economy in a Changing Global Order," with Hojye Kang, senior lecturer, Berlin Free University Institute of Korean Studies https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/the-6th-annual-north-korea-economic-forum-conference 10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies International Security Program and U.S. Naval Institute in-person and virtual event: "At the Helm of Innovation: A discussion: Advancing Naval Capabilities," with Vice Adm. James Pitts, deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities; retired Rear Adm. Raymond Spicer, chief executive officer and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute; and Seth Jones, CSIS senior vice president and director, International Security Program https://www.csis.org/events/helm-innovation-discussion 12 p.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual book discussion: The Ukraine War and the Eurasian World Order, with Glenn Diesen, professor, University of Southeast Norway and associate editor, Russia in Global Affairs journal; Artin DerSimonian, junior research fellow in the Quincy Institute Eurasia Program; and Anatol Lieven, director, Quincy Institute Eurasia Program https://quincyinst.org/events/the-ukraine-war-and-the-eurasian-world-order/ 12 p.m. 37th and O Sts. NW — Georgetown University Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and Democracy for the Arab World Now forum: “The Israel-Gaza War: One Year Later,” with Mouin Rabbani, co-editor of Jadaliyya; Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of DAWN; Arie Dubnov, associate professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University; and Yousef Munayyer, senior fellow, Arab Center https://georgetown.zoom.us/webinar/register 1 p.m. 1777 F St. NW — Council on Foreign Relations discussion: “Russian Aggression Beyond Ukraine,” with Max Bergmann, director, Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program; Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow, Chatham House Russia and Eurasia Program (virtual); Andrea Kendall-Taylor, director, Center for a New American Security Transatlantic Security Program; and Adam Segal, CFR chair in emerging technologies and national security https://tinyurl.com/3mt7k6cr 1:30 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: discussion: “The Future of U.S. Strategy Toward Iran: A Bipartisan Roadmap for the Next Administration, with Former Australian Ambassador to Iran Paul Foley; former Deputy Director of National Intelligence Beth Sanner; former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East Alan Pino; Sanam Vakil, director, Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Program; former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta; and former White House national security adviser retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Hoover Institution senior fellow, WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 9 9 a.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies discussion: “How Is Ukrainian Opinion Changing as the War Grinds On? Discussion of New Data from a Five-Wave Survey,” with Samuel Rogers, political economist; Balint Madlovics, political scientist/economist and research fellow, CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest; and Marlene Laruelle, research professor of international affairs and political science, George Washington University and director, Illiberalism Studies Program https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/how-is-ukrainian-opinion-changing-as-the-war-grinds-on 11 a.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Space Policy Institute book discussion: Space Warfare Strategy, Principles and Policy, with author John Klein, SPI professor; Col. William Sanders, U.S. Space Force division chief for strategy, policy and plans; and Peter Hays, SPI professor https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/book-launch-space-warfare-strategy 11 a.m. 1789 Massachusetts Ave., NW — American Enterprise Institute in-person and virtual event: "Xi Jinping's Search for a Lasting Legacy," with Derek Scissors, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Dan Blumenthal, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Stephen Ezell, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; Dean Cheng, U.S. Institute of Peace; and moderator Bonnie Glaser, German Marshall Fund https://www.aei.org/events/xi-jinpings-search-for-a-lasting-legacy 1 p.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies discussion: “Youth Resilience in War-Torn Ukraine,” with U.N. Youth Delegate Yurii Lomikovsky https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events 5:30 p.m. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Johns Hopkins University SNF Agora Institute discussion: “The New Propaganda: Autocracy Inc. and the U.S. Election,” with Sasha Havlicek, CEO, Institute for Strategic Dialogue; Renee DiResta, former research manager, Stanford Internet Observatory; Anne Applebaum, fellow, SNF Agora Institute; and Peter Pomerantsev, fellow, SNF Agora Institute https://hub.jhu.edu/events/2024/10/09/the-new-propaganda-autocracy THURSDAY | OCTOBER 10 8 a.m. 5000 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club 2024 GovCon International Summit: "How international partnerships, coalition warfare and emerging technologies are reshaping the defense landscape and how the U.S. can stay ahead, curve," with Schuyler Moore, CTO at U.S. Central Command; and Michael Miller, director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/poc-govcon-international-summit/ 10 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: "The changing nature of counterintelligence threats,” with Michael Casey, director, National Counterintelligence and Security Center; and Suzanne Spaulding, senior adviser for homeland security, CSIS International Security Program https://www.csis.org/events/counterintelligence-20-fireside-conversation 11:15 a.m. 1030 15th St. NW — Atlantic Council discussion: “The Global Risks Facing the Next President,” with Senate Intelligence Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA). https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/elections-2024-sen-mark-warner 6 p.m. 14th and F Sts. NW — National Press Club book discussion: Twenty Years: Hope, War, and Betrayal of an Afghan Generation, with author Sune Engel Rasmussen, foreign correspondent, Wall Street Journal https://www.press.org/events/npc-headliners-book-event SATURDAY | OCTOBER 12 TBA Ramstein Air Base, Germany — President Joe Biden hosts a leader-level meeting, Ukraine Defense Contact Group to coordinate with international partners on additional assistance for Ukraine | | | | "I have a Glock. And I have had it for quite some time. And, I mean, look, Bill, my background is in law enforcement. And so there you go," Vice President Kamala Harris, in a CBS 60 Minutes interview with Bill Whitaker, who asked "Have you ever fired it?" to which Harris replied, "Yes, of course I have — at a shooting range." | | Vice President Kamala Harris, in a CBS 60 Minutes interview with Bill Whitaker |
|
| | 
Comments
Post a Comment