Face the Nation: Vinograd, Smith, Raskin, Turner

[0:04] We turn now to Samantha Vinograt. She was a top Homeland Security official in the Biden [0:07] administration and is now a national security contributor here at CBS. And A.T. Smith is a [0:13] former deputy director of the Secret Service and now a CBS law enforcement analyst and joins us [0:18] from Greenville, South Carolina. Good to have you both here. Sam, you were in the room with us, [0:25] sheltering with some of our colleagues. As I understand it, you were close to the perimeter [0:32] and able to detect some of what was happening. I was struck. National Guard was there. Secret [0:38] Service was there. Private security was there. National Guard was there. The perimeter of the [0:42] security went out pretty darn far. There were protests surrounding the building. There weren't [0:47] just protests about Trump. There were protests around Jeffrey Epstein. There were protests about [0:51] the corporation that owns this news network. There were protests about the Iran war. How did you [0:59] assess the security situation last night? Well, Margaret, I think a lot of us are waking up this [1:04] morning and asking the basic question of is anywhere safe? And the reality is that in this country, we [1:10] are facing the most complex threat environment in our nation's history, in particular from lone actors, [1:16] individuals who radicalized to violence, often online. In this scenario, two things can be true. [1:23] It can be true that law enforcement and intelligence professionals prepared exhaustively [1:28] for last night. Weeks of planning, intelligence gathering, physical security barriers, officers [1:34] on site. But it can also be true that in this moment, in this security environment, the paradigms of the [1:40] past may not be sufficient to meet the moment. And with that in mind, security professionals, as well as [1:46] private citizens, need to rethink what it is going to take to actually secure these mass gatherings where [1:52] there are so many protectees and what it's going to take to secure communities. [1:57] It's frightening. I mean, AT, we're in a room with the most heavily guarded man in the world. And yet [2:06] this happened. The acting attorney general said the system worked. In your view, did the system work? [2:15] The system did work in terms of what the Secret Service trains to do every day when it comes to [2:20] covering and evacuating a protectee. And as you saw, the security plan there [2:25] had the scenario where the president and the vice president exited different ways. They exited in [2:32] different ways than the normal folks had come into the gathering. Having said that, the Secret Service, [2:39] as I've said many times, no one is more critical of themselves than the Secret Service. So they're going to [2:45] have to look at this very diligently in terms of this individual, how he was able to run that magnetometer [2:54] as he did and get as close as he did with two firearms. That is not acceptable. And they will have [2:59] to try to figure that part out and see what the intelligence and the investigation is going to bring in [3:08] terms of what this individual's history was. And then, as you said earlier, Margaret, try to figure [3:13] out exactly how he got those guns into the hotel. Did he avoid, as you said, taking an airplane to get [3:22] there and by using a train and so forth, was able to secrete them in some way and get them there. So [3:27] it's a tough thing. The Secret Service was very successful in how they did that. And as Sam said, [3:33] the perimeter around the hotel was exhausted. But again, anytime you have a breach like this, you've [3:42] just got to address it and be your worst, you know, critic. You know, AT, I was speaking with some of our [3:49] producers before the program. Many of us have traveled with the president in the past and past [3:53] presidents and other high level officials. When the president goes overseas or the vice president, they [3:58] typically take over an entire hotel. Secret Service really locks the place down. That didn't happen last [4:03] night here on U.S. soil. Is that the kind of thing we're going to start seeing that it'll be more [4:08] sort of like an Israeli model? You may have to, particularly, you know, [4:14] it's difficult because you have obviously a hotel that's open to the public. They have other guests [4:19] that are unassociated with the event last night, and they are going to have to take a hard look at how [4:25] you maybe screen those guests coming in. It's very hard to necessarily know everything about everybody [4:31] that's there. But probably one safety scenario would be what you just said to more or less lock [4:38] down the hotel. We don't normally do that in the United States, and usually the Secret Service is very [4:44] successful at coordinating and sort of corralling that area like the ballroom that's, you know, [4:51] going to be used for the event and making it secure. But again, they'll have to take a look at that. [4:56] And I said also that, you know, this was not a national special security event, but the planning [5:03] preparation, the weeks of work really align it to that kind of a security plan. So I'm sure in terms [5:10] of parameters, that was all done. Sam, I think you make such a great point, which is essentially [5:17] you can't protect against the unexpected, right? You can't protect against everything. We've talked [5:23] about this, though. I mean, as parents, as human beings, and being in that room, so many of those [5:31] lawmakers, so many of those journalists are dehumanized. They are attacked online. They are [5:36] attacking each other. You have a high level of animosity in the public space. People were united, [5:45] and the president said he wasn't wrong in using that word, because they were all scared of what was [5:51] going to happen next. I don't know how we solve for that as a society, because it seems to have [5:59] really seeped in to our politics and to our conversations. I mean, it is just the new normal. [6:08] Every time an incident like this happens, the optimist in me thinks perhaps this will be a turning [6:14] point. Perhaps this will be a turning point where each and every person in this country [6:19] thinks about what they say and how they act. Words do matter, certainly. At the same time, [6:24] whenever an incident like this happens, and I say this, Margaret, as a mother and as a security [6:28] professional, I hope that it is also a wake-up call to law enforcement professionals to rethink [6:34] whether additional steps are needed, like perhaps screening guests coming into a public venue at a mass [6:39] gathering with a lot of protectees, but that it is also a wake-up call to every person in this country [6:45] to understand that they have a role to play in our homeland security. While law enforcement looks at [6:50] whether additional protocols are needed at various sites, every viewer, every person in this country [6:55] needs to say something when they see something. An individual in their circle, at their workplace, [7:00] in their family, is demonstrating signs that they could be going down a pathway to violence. [7:05] They need to ask for help from a law enforcement professional or other trained official, and we need [7:10] to really devote all the resources that we can to ensuring that the integration between state and [7:15] local and federal officials is not just where it was before, but tighter than ever, so that we can [7:21] try to prevent these incidents from happening in the future. Sam, I'm glad you're safe. I'm glad you're [7:26] with us. AT, thank you very much for your insights. We'll be right back. And we're back now with Maryland [7:34] Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin. Congressman, you were there last night. Yes, indeed. One of the guests in the [7:41] ballroom. Unfortunately, this is not your first encounter with political violence for many people [7:47] in that room. The president, Steve Scalise, who survived a shooting himself. Charlie Kirk's widow was [7:53] there. RFK Jr., as we mentioned, and you were at that Capitol on January the 6th, sheltering in fear for [8:01] your life at that period of time. How did that influence? What happened last night? What did you do? [8:08] So I just entered the room and I was talking to some reporters who approached me from the Boston Globe. Their table [8:15] was right near the perimeter as I was entering the ballroom. Kerry Kennedy was their guest and we were in [8:22] conversation when there were three loud booms. I heard some screams, plates, glasses, silverware hitting the ground and then [8:32] everybody was yelling, get down. Somebody kind of pushed me from the back and [8:37] we all ended up on the floor. When it was over, Kerry, who of course lost her father to [8:46] an assassin gunman and her uncle, President Kennedy, she said, I can't believe that school children are [8:57] dealing with this all across America and don't have the resources to process their trauma. And so that launched a [9:07] conversation about gun violence and how, you know, somewhere between 275 and 300 people are shot every day in our [9:15] country and we lose more than 100 of them every day. So even as this nightmare was unfolding at the White House [9:22] Correspondents' Dinner, dozens and dozens of people had been shot and killed in our country. And so I hope [9:30] this isn't just an inside the beltway story. I hope we talk about the conditions for school children and [9:36] people all over the country who are dealing with this. No, it's a good point. We had, we benefited from [9:43] all that security. That's right. Those children across the country don't have a sliver of it. Well, that's right. [9:48] And, you know, I heard President Trump talk about this demonstrating the importance of the new ballroom [9:55] and he sent out some messages about the ballroom and that might help people who are visiting the [9:59] White House. But what about people who are in shopping malls and movie theaters and high schools [10:05] and elementary schools across the country? So I hope we can have a serious bipartisan national [10:11] conversation about what we can do to improve public safety for everybody. Well, to that point, I mean, [10:17] we're in the 10th week of a partial shutdown of Homeland Security, which, by the way, [10:22] Secret Service falls under the umbrella of Homeland Security. So do many essential workers. This has [10:28] been just tangled up in this policy standoff in Congress. Do you think things change after last night? [10:35] I certainly hope so. I mean, you know, of course, we had a unanimous vote out of the Senate. All the [10:41] Republicans, all the Democrats, and then all the Democrats in the House vote to restore all of the [10:46] funding except for ICE. And of course, it was about ICE killing innocent people in Minneapolis, [10:52] Alex Preddy and Renee Good, that led to this standoff over this. So I hope we can improve [10:58] public safety for everybody. But it was in the House and Republican leadership wasn't willing to [11:02] do that. But do you think it it changes now that Democrats and Republicans will say, [11:06] let's fund everything fully? Yeah. Again, we've got three quarters of Congress all together [11:11] on moving forward, resolving the remaining issues and getting everything funded. Fortunately, [11:17] you know, there's no interruption in any of ICE's funding because it was so super hyper funded [11:24] originally. So that's why it's kind of a made up controversy, because they have the money that they [11:32] need. But we still have to deal with the underlying issues that led to this in the first place. [11:36] It was the Democrats position to hold that up to make the argument over changes policy wise to ICE [11:45] and CBP. Well, right after the killings in Minneapolis. Yes, absolutely. And the vast [11:49] majority of American people agree. No, what's made up is the idea that ICE somehow isn't getting its [11:54] money. Got it. It's been getting I mean, it's got the money for a long time. Yeah, because of the [11:58] original, you know, big, beautiful bill. The president, I want to make sure that I recognize what he said, [12:05] because we don't hear him speak this way very often. He said, I asked all Americans to recommit [12:11] with their hearts to resolve our difference peacefully. And he talked about being unified [12:17] with the press. Yes. Well, that certainly that's a new message from him. That's great. He had called [12:24] the press, of course, the enemy of the people. And he's been engaged in a lot of lawsuits against your [12:29] profession. Well, yes, we are going into this politically charged midterm season. There's going [12:36] to be campaigning around the country with lawmakers out there. I mean, does something change? He said [12:41] this. Does something change? Does Democratic language need to change as well? Well, we have said all [12:47] along that we need every politician in the country, every leader in the country, every citizen in the [12:53] country denouncing political violence across the board, regardless of where it's coming from. So, [13:02] you know, I find this a welcome change in rhetoric. But, you know, what happened last week, they brought [13:07] a lawsuit against the Southern Poverty Law Center, whose whole purpose is to work is to investigate [13:14] violent right wing extremism in the country. And now they're prosecuting them for having used [13:19] undercover agents, which, of course, the FBI uses and the government uses all the time. [13:24] Well, understood. And there there is across party lines, some some political violence, [13:28] way too much of it right now. And actually, Speaker Emerita Pelosi on this program said to me [13:33] recently that she thought the threat or the concern about violence or threats to your family is what is [13:39] hurting recruitment of people to run for office, particularly mothers, particularly women. [13:44] And are you seeing that the people are afraid to even join public life because of this? [13:51] Sure. Anybody who's thinking about running for office undoubtedly thinks about that. Anybody who's [13:56] thinking about running for president undoubtedly thinks about that. And those people have the most [14:00] protection with the Secret Service and other people don't have the same kind of protection. So, [14:06] look, we've got to rediscover the great American tradition of nonviolence and Dr. King and the [14:13] civilizing movements that have always opposed violence versus the violent groups that have used [14:20] violence historically, beginning with the Ku Klux Klan, in order to terrorize other people. [14:25] Congressman Raskin, thank you for joining us. And we're glad you were able to do so. We'll be right [14:30] back. We turn now to the British Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Sir Christian [14:37] Turner. Good to have you here. Good to be here, Margaret. Thank you. You too. We're in that [14:41] ballroom last night. You've had a lot of security training for unstable countries where you have [14:46] been posted as a professional diplomat over the course of your career. Did you ever imagine in one [14:52] of the most heavily guarded rooms in D.C., you'd have to put that to use? Well, at the training I've [14:56] had in some of those places I've been actually kicks in last night. You basically do what you're told [15:00] and let the professional security folk do what they do. And I think it was one of my big takeaways last [15:05] night. I think it was, I'm with the people who say it was a success story. The Secret Service [15:11] absolutely did what they needed to. Not only that, but seeing actually all the journalists in the room [15:17] and their training kicking in, in a weekend that is all about the freedom of the press. I'm full of [15:22] admiration for the way people responded last night. Well, you, me too. But you have a week ahead of [15:30] you because King Charles and Queen Camilla are expected to arrive tomorrow. This is a going to [15:36] be a big event regardless of what happened last night. But just to be clear, you haven't changed [15:41] your security assessment. You believe it is still safe for them to come and speak to Congress and be [15:47] at the White House? So we respond to that professional advice. I'm currently planning to be welcoming [15:52] their majesties tomorrow. But of course, our team's been in touch way through the night and we'll be through [15:58] the day to see whether the events of last night have any change in our operational planning. And [16:02] I'm very confident that their majesties will have the very best security throughout the visit. [16:07] All right. Because there is another big ballroom gathering planned, right? For the King. [16:12] It's going to be an extraordinary three or four days for us, Margaret. We've been planning this visit [16:17] for years, really. It's the 250th between our two countries. I mean, a somber background after last [16:25] night for all of us. But I still hope we'll be able to showcase this moment and make it the celebration [16:30] that it deserves to be. Well, a celebration. But to be clear, it's also a bit of repair work, [16:36] right, to the special relationship. The president had been quite upset with your prime minister, [16:42] Keir Starmer, who didn't initially support the offensive operations by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. [16:48] And the president was very clear he was not happy with him. He mocked him. He said, [16:55] he's no Winston Churchill. He said it was too late for the U.K. to even offer help. And then there was [17:00] other tension about the U.K. as a NATO ally. How much repair work is this visit actually about? [17:08] Yeah, well, the extraordinary thing in the British constitution, of course, is the King is above [17:14] politics. I have to remind people he's never given. He is a definite political asset. Let's be clear. [17:18] But he's never given an interview, which I have to remind people, because, of course, [17:21] he's the head of state, but he's not the head of government. So actually, that's why we can make [17:26] this a moment to step up and step back. And I think, I mean, just to take it back to last night, [17:31] I mean, the other takeaway is that strong sentiment you were just discussing with your last guest, [17:35] the president calling for us to resolve our differences peacefully, that there is there is no place for [17:39] political violence in any of our democracies. You know, these are enduring messages. They're baked into [17:46] our political makeup, into your political makeup, that ability for us to look back. We had a small [17:51] difference of opinion in 1776. We've been through that. We've come a very long way. And that, in a way, [17:58] for me, is what is so enduring about this relationship. It's that we've had differences. [18:02] Thatcher to Reagan, Roosevelt, with Churchill, actually, over how to handle Stalin. These are [18:10] moments in the relationship, but actually it endures because it is so deep on security. Yes, [18:16] NATO, on our investment. We are the largest investor in 21 states, $430 billion of trade. I mean, [18:23] the statistics come out, but it's actually about the people that we want this to focus. So I am, [18:28] I'm very confident that's where we will want to focus our time this week. And I should add, [18:34] the prime minister spoke to the president this morning after the incident. The King sent a personal [18:39] message to the president and first lady. So actually in diplomacy, it's as much personal as it is [18:45] political. Well, on the diplomatic front, the UK has been convening European countries to try to [18:52] figure out what to do with the Strait of Hormuz after combat ends. You know the Iran file quite well. [18:58] You were previously a negotiator here. What's your assessment on who is running Iran right now and [19:06] whether we see an end to this conflict anytime soon? So it's difficult in, in Tehran. There are [19:12] clearly some divisions. You pointed to that initial disagreement before the war. But since then, [19:19] Margaret, actually the UK has been doing a lot. We were using our bases for defensive strikes. We've [19:25] flown something like 2,000 sorties with aircraft in the Middle East, shooting down drones and missiles [19:30] to protect our allies every night in very close coordination with the US. And of course, our [19:35] intelligence base, we don't talk about it much, but it's the absolute foundation of so much that is [19:40] going on. We share the same intent, the same policy as the US. We want to constrain this regime and its [19:49] threat. We want the straits open again. So this coalition you refer to that President Macron has [19:56] worked with, with my Prime Minister Keir Starmer on, what we want that to do is something like 50 [20:00] countries coming together to work out. Secretary Hexer called it silly. He said it was just a bunch [20:04] of meetings. What are you going to plan to do? It is planning once the straits are open to ensure that [20:11] the navigation we need has got the assurance of a whole package of boats, of drones, of intelligence [20:21] to be able to make sure that shipping goes through. Because that's what American citizens need, [20:24] that's what British citizens need, the people of Asia need. The global economy is suffering, [20:28] and we want to see that result. It is indeed. Thank you, [20:31] Ambassador. Good luck this week. We'll be right back. A night to celebrate the First Amendment, [20:38] abruptly ended by a gunman, permitted by the Second Amendment to own those weapons. [20:44] Gun violence is not new in America, but the threat of violence is now a cost of public life. [20:51] It permeates our politics. Last month, Supreme Court Justice Roberts publicly appealed for personal [20:58] attacks on judges to stop. U.S. Marshals report there were 564 threats last year, [21:05] and nearly 15,000 against lawmakers, staff and their families, according to U.S. Capitol Police. [21:13] Multiple Trump cabinet members now live on military bases for their own protection. No such fortress [21:20] for the federal and state officials who face growing number of threats in communities across the [21:25] country. There's a marked increase in harassment and threats of physical violence to journalists in the [21:31] U.S. from the very public they are working to inform. As the nation wonders how to keep the next gunman [21:39] out, let's also reflect on how we let this hate in, how we stop it from corroding our democracy [21:47] and grasp onto our civility before we lose it. That's it for us today. Stay tuned to CBS News 24 [21:55] 7 for all the latest on this story. And be sure to tune in to the evening news tonight. Tony DiCoppo will [22:01] anchor from the White House. Due to breaking news today, we will air our interview with Chevron [22:06] Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth next Sunday. Thank you to all my colleagues at CBS. I'm Margaret Brennan.