00:00Well, that was a mechanism to remove people from our country.
00:02Are we currently at war with Venezuela?
00:05No, we're not in a state of war in Venezuela.
00:07The president invoked the alien enemy.
00:09I know.
00:10Senator, let me be clear with you.
00:11No, but what the president was talking about are these gangs that have...
00:15These narco-trafficking groups that are waging war on the United States, there's no doubt.
00:18The vast majority of the men that rounded up...
00:20And deported to torture under this law had no criminal records whatsoever.
00:24I would...
00:25Independent.
00:26Independent.
00:27Over 75 percent.
00:28Who did we torture?
00:29We haven't tortured anybody.
00:30Will you advise...
00:30The president to rescind his invocation of the wartime alien enemies act?
00:33Of course not.
00:34No, of course not.
00:35I mean, these are people...
00:35...that are threats of the national security of the United States.
00:37Mr. Secretary, last March, the president invoked the alien...
00:40...and enemies act.
00:41A notorious wartime law last used for Japanese internment.
00:45He said that he was responding to the Maduro regime's supposed invasion or other...
00:50...acts of war against the United States.
00:52But in recent weeks, you, the department...
00:55...of justice and our friends across the aisle have repeatedly said...
00:57...that we are not at war with Venezuela.
01:00Secretary Rubio, if that is true and we are not at war with Venezuela, will you advise...
01:05...the president to rescind his invocation of the wartime alien enemies act?
01:09Well, that was a mechanism...
01:10...to remove people from our country that prevent grave danger.
01:13So, for example, we know for a fact...
01:15...that Trinidad Agua is a very dangerous gang.
01:17In fact, I believe, if I'm not mistaken, I may have been the first member of Congress...
01:20...the wartime act, Mr. Secretary.
01:22Well, it...
01:23Are we at... are we currently at war with...
01:25...Venezuela?
01:26No, we're not in a state of war in Venezuela.
01:28Okay, the Supreme Court has described the alien...
01:30...enemies act as a wartime power.
01:32Our Supreme Court.
01:33And before now, the alien enemies...
01:35...was only invoked during the War of 1812, World War I, World War II.
01:40And it was used to intern thousands of innocent civilians.
01:43Are you really arguing that the president...
01:45...should be able to wield an internment law in...
01:47No, no, no.
01:48But we're talking about two separate things here.
01:49So, you're talking about the state...
01:50...of Venezuela or are describing the regime.
01:52And we're talking about...
01:53No, no.
01:54But what the president designated...
01:55The president...
01:55...to revoke the alien enemies...
01:56I know, Senator, but let me be clear with you.
01:57It's a very clear wartime power.
01:58No, but what the president...
01:59The president was talking about...
02:00...of these gangs...
02:01...and these narco-trafficking groups...
02:02...that are waging war on the United States.
02:03There's no doubt.
02:05These groups have waged war on the United States.
02:07They have waged...
02:08For example, Train to Dog was not just a criminal gang president...
02:10...in our street.
02:11It is a criminal gang responsible...
02:12...directly responsible for narco-trafficking.
02:13Mr. Secretary, the Trump administration...
02:15...has acknowledged that the vast majority of the men...
02:17...it rounded up and deported to torture...
02:19...under this law...
02:20...had no criminal records whatsoever.
02:22We didn't torture anything.
02:23Independent...
02:24...over 75%.
02:25Who did we torture?
02:26We haven't tortured anybody.
02:27We've arrested people that are members of gangs...
02:29...and we've deported them.
02:30We don't want gang members...
02:31...in our country.
02:32...independent investigations have found...
02:33...that many of the men were here legally.
02:34If the administration is willing...
02:35...to lie about who it's targeting under this law...
02:37...what protections to totally innocent people...
02:39...have against...
02:40...abuse.
02:41Again, I want to ask you...
02:42...will you advise the president to rescind...
02:45...in his invocation of the wartime alien enemies...
02:47Of course not.
02:48I mean, these are people that are threats...
02:49...of the national security...
02:50...of the United States...
02:51...but I've described this in hearings in the past...
02:53...including before you guys...
02:54So you're saying that we're at war...
02:55...we are absolutely...
02:56...when it comes to narco-trafficking groups...
02:58...and criminal gangs that are targeting the United States...
03:00...for criminal activity.
03:01We're in a state of war.
03:02There's no doubt about the fact...
03:03...that we're confronting them...
03:04...in a war like...
03:05...because...
03:05They're waging war against us and they're enemy combatants as a result of it and the fact
03:10of the matter is that we are confronting these irregular groups and that's one of the great challenges of the new century in this
03:15hemisphere in particular is that these non-state actors who possess state-like capabilities
03:20in terms of their weaponry pose a grave danger to the United States.
03:23I don't think any American would dispute.
03:25That we have cartels that pose a threat to the national security of the United States.
03:30When it comes to warfare, I mean you're saying that he can't
03:35invoke this wartime power.
03:39No, I'm saying
03:40You're asking me- I'm here to discuss foreign policy and what's in the realm of the Department of State.
03:43Well, you don't think you don't-
03:44I think your question-
03:45You don't think you don't-
03:45There's something for invoking the Alien Enemies Act-
03:47But I would tell you that-
03:48Which is a wartime-
03:49Which is something that-
03:50Yeah, but you're asking me-
03:50Can be invoked during wartime-
03:51Right, but you're asking me a question that's-
03:52It's only being invoked during the War of 1812, World War I and-
03:55You're asking me a question-
03:56It's only being invoked three times and this President is invoking it.
03:59Okay.
04:00You're asking me a question about the domestic application of a law that's best directed
04:03to the Department of Justice.
04:04It's not a complication.
04:05It's not a complication.
04:06It's very simple.
04:07Because you're asking me something to opine on something that's in the realm of the Department
04:09of Justice in terms of its-
04:10The domestic application-
04:11Well-
04:12I can tell you that the United States is most certainly-
04:14Confront-
04:15Confronting terrorist and criminal organizations operating in our hemisphere that pose a grave
04:19danger to the United States-
04:20Anyone who believes that gangs that flood our country with fentanyl or cocaine-
04:23Right, let me ask you this-
04:24Are not threats to the United States-
04:25Is not living in reality and certainly does not reflect the opinion of most Americans-
04:28The President already said-
04:30That he was ready to put American troops in Venezuela again.
04:32So we're at war-
04:33Right now.
04:34Um-
04:35When did he say that?
04:36So if things don't go well with Archivistas, you've empowered-
04:38When did the president say he was going to put troops in Venezuela?
04:39What is the criteria?
04:40If returning-
04:41What is your criteria if returning-
04:42When did the president say he was going to put troops in Venezuela-
04:43When did the president say he was going to put troops in Venezuela?
04:44If the president-
04:45I don't recall the president saying he was going to put troops in Venezuela.
04:47Where did he say that?
04:47I'm asking you, what are your...
04:49But that's what you said.
04:50Yeah, the president has already said that he was ready to put American troops in Venezuela.
04:53No, I think the president has said that...
04:55He retains the right as commander-in-chief to protect the United States against any imminent threats.
04:59Maybe that involved...
05:00Maybe that involves troops, maybe that involves air power.
05:01We hope, but we don't anticipate that being the case in Venezuela.
05:04I worry...
05:05That you are playing fast and loose with our nation...
05:08Well, I just gave you testimony here...
05:09And let me just say, I just want...
05:10I just want to conclude by saying...
05:11Yeah, but I just gave you testimony of how well things are moving forward, not as fast as everybody would like.
05:15He also said that in six or nine months, if things don't go well, you're going to have to do something else.
05:18And the president has already said that he's...
05:20He's not ruled out the military option.
05:21And you've also just said that, yes, we are at war.
05:23The president has wartime power.
05:25The president retains the power to use military to protect...
05:27So it's reasonable for me to ask you...
05:28And I gave you a very specific example.
05:30Every president retains the right to defend the United States against an imminent threat.
05:33Yes, if there are...
05:35Just give you an example.
05:36Iranian drones deployed in Venezuela that could threaten the United States.
05:39We most...
05:40We certainly will address that, even if it's located in Venezuela.
05:42But we hope we don't get to that point.
05:44We don't expect...
05:45I don't think that...
05:46We're not trending in that direction.
05:47That's a fact.
05:48But that said, you know...
05:50People of America are worried that this is a president who engages in yet another forever
05:54war, Mr. Secretary.
05:55We don't need to be in another forever war.
05:57And that is the path that we are going towards.
06:00Let me just say...
06:00Well, how are we going towards a forever war if we're dealing with...
06:03We're dealing with Elsie Rodriguez every now...
06:05You're not going to ask him to rescind his invocation of the Alien Enemies Act.
06:09That...
06:10Well, it's Americans in jeopardy.
06:11And let me just say something about the president's recent comments about NATO allies.
06:15When I served in Iraq, there were Polish forces there with us.
06:18There were British forces there...
06:20There were Spanish forces there with us.
06:21There were Spanish forces there with us.
06:22I personally landed in Elsie, España.
06:25Which came under direct attack by insurgents.
06:28Polish troops who worked with the...
06:30Illinois military with the Illinois National Guard for 30 years died in Afghanistan, Mr.
06:35Secretary.
06:36All the president wants is for NATO to have more capabilities.
06:38So I just want to say is that our NATO allies have stood beside us...
06:39He wants our allies to have more capabilities.
06:40And we...
06:40We need to maintain the strength of that alliance.
06:42I get it.
06:43All the president wants is for NATO.
06:44Senator, your time's up.
06:45We're making much progress here.
06:46Very much...
06:47Well, let me just say...
06:48The president just wants our allies to have more capabilities...
06:50To be involved in operations like that, God forbid, in the future if necessary.
06:54That's not what...
06:55That's not what...
06:55That's not an unreasonable request.
06:56He said that they stayed a little behind and they certainly did not come to our defense.
06:59And we're not every country in your...
07:00Not every country in NATO participated in those missions.
07:02Not did.
07:03Denmark...
07:04Denmark...
07:05Denmark...
07:06Take a look.
07:07Got it.
07:08That is as a sales process wanna offer some of the greatest military casualty.
07:10There's no doubt that many of our allies have stepped forward and provided us...
07:10assistance to us, and there are many others that simply don't have the capability to do
07:12it now or in the future.
07:13That's not what the President said.
07:15That's what he was pointing to.
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