"THE FAULKNER FOCUS." "OUTNUMBERED" STARTS RIGHT NOW. >> Emily: THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE BACKING OFF REPORTS THAT RUSSIA PUT BOUNTIES ON THE HEADS OF U.S. TROOPS, DOWN DOWNPLAYING AT ONE POINT WAS A SENIOR ELECTION STORY. OUR INTEL AGENCIES HAVE LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN THE REPORTS MEETING THE STORY IS AT BEST UNPROVEN AND POSSIBLY UNTRUE. BUT LAST YEAR PRESIDENT BIDEN, DEMOCRATS AND THE MEDIA OFTEN CITED THE REPORTS TO ATTACK FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH SOME EVEN CRYING TREASON. THIS IS "OUTNUMBERED," I’M EMILY COMPAGNO. HERE TODAY, MY COHOSTS HARRIS FAULKNER AND KAYLEIGH McENANY, MORGAN ORTAGUS AND JOINING US TODAY IN THE CENTER SEAT, JASON CHAFFETZ, FORMER UTAH CONGRESSMAN AND A FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR. WHEN THIS STORY FIRST MADE HEADLINES LAST YEAR IT PROMPTED A WAVE OF CRITICISM AGAINST NONPRESIDENT TRUMP AND EVEN THOUGH THE REPORTS WERE UNPROVEN, THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS DID NOT HOLD BACK ON OUR OWN KAYLEIGH McENANY AT THE LECTERN. SHE TOLD "THE NEW YORK TIMES" THAT THEIR STORY WAS WRONG AND THAT SHE WAS HAMMERED FOR IT. WATCHING AND KAYLEIGH, WE WILL GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE. YOU GO OUT OF THE LOOP BY THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY? >> AS I NOTED THERE WAS NOT A CONSENSUS AMONG THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. >> WHAT IS THE PRESIDENT HAVE TO SAY TO SERVICE MEMBERS THAT ARE AFRAID THAT THEIR LOVED ONES MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED AND CONNECTION TO THE BOUNTY. >> TO THE PRESIDENT OR THE ADMINISTRATION PLAN TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE BOUNTIES PLACED ON THE HEADS OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS SERVING IN AFGHANISTAN? >> TO THE PRESIDENT RAISE THE ISSUES ON RUSSIAN BOUNTIES ON THE LIVES OF AMERICANS? SPEAK OF THE REPORTS OF RUSSIAN BOUNTIES ON AMERICAN MILITARY FORCES AND YET THE WHITE HOUSE HAS DONE NOTHING TO PUSH BACK, WHAT IS THE DELAY? >> Emily: KAYLEIGH, YOUR PERSPECTIVE? >> Kayleigh: I WAS ASKED DOZENS AND DOZENS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RUSSIA BOUNTY, AKASH AND REPORTED ON THE FIRST OF THE STORY CAME OUT AND SAID LOOK, DO NOT BE SO QUICK TO BUY THE STORY, THIS INFORMATION IS UNVERIFIED, THERE ARE DISSENTING OPINIONS IN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, DO NOT RUN WITH THIS NARRATIVE, IT’S SIMPLY NOT TRUE AND NOT THE CASE BUT NOT ONLY DID THEY RUN WITH IT, IT IS REMARKABLE IF YOU TAKE A WALK THROUGH MEMORY LANE AT "THE NEW YORK TIMES" CONVINCING MILITARY FAMILIES WHO HAD THEIR LOVED ONES KILLED IN ACTION THAT IN FACT RUSSIA BOUNTIES WERE PROBABLY TO BLAME AND NOT ONLY THAT BUT THEIR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SIMPLY DIDN’T CARE. IT WAS A HEINOUS ALLEGATION, THEY RAN WITH IT, CNN DROPPED THE WORD "ALLEGED" FROM THEIR REPORTING, "THE WASHINGTON POST" SAID THEY HAD VERIFIED THE REPORTING AND WENT ON TO GIVE PRESIDENT TRUMP, IT WAS AMAZING, IT WAS A STORY THAT, A NARRATIVE THAT SET IN IN THE SUMMER AND ONE THAT TOOK HOLD AND WAS SO HEINOUS OF THE HEART OF IT THAT THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF WOULD NOT CARE ABOUT THE UNITED STATES MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN IN THE LINE OF BATTLE, IT WAS EGREGIOUS ANDEGREGIOUS. >> Emily: MORGAN, WHAT EXACTLY DOES MODERATE OR LOW CONFIDENCE MEAN AND TELL US ABOUT THE RISK THAT THESE KINDS OF LEAKS POSED TO THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY. >> Morgan: YEAH, KAYLEIGH AND I WERE WORKING AT THIS AT THE SAME TIME AND THIS WAS INCREDIBLE HE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE FIRST, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY HAS NOT CHANGED THEIR ASSESSMENT ON THIS RECORDING, IT’S BEEN REPORTED AND OPEN SOURCED IN NEWS ARTICLES THAT THIS WAS KNOT AND AN ANALYTIC FINISHED PRODUCT OF THE INTEL COMMUNITY, THIS IS A DEBUNKED RUMOR, THE WRITERS, THE AUTHORS OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES" WHO WROTE ON THIS RIGHT ON INTELLIGENCE MATTERS, THEY WERE EXPLAINED BEHIND THE SCENES DOD, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE LIST, EVERY SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL THAT WE HAD, ROBERT O’BRIEN GAVE A BRIEFING ON THIS AND THE REAL PROBLEM HERE IS THAT YOU HAD A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL TAKE A PIECE OF RAW INTELLIGENCE, LEAK IT TO THE MEDIA AND THE MEDIA RAN WITH IT BECAUSE IT WAS A NARRATIVE BASED ON WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP. EARLIER THIS MORNING, THEY TRIED TO GO TO PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE MILITARY INTO A CONFLICT WITH RUSSIA OVER A DEBUNKED RUMOR. THIS WAS INCREDIBLY IRRESPONSIBLE, INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING AT THE TIME. AND THE DEMOCRATS RAN WITH IT, MANY DEMOCRATS REALLY KNEW MUCH BETTER BECAUSE THEY HAD DEALT WITH INTELLIGENCE ISSUES FOR A LONG TIME. >> Emily: JASON YOU ARE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL SECURITY SO SHARE WITH US YOUR PERSPECTIVE FROM THE POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE WHILE YOU HAD COLLEAGUES THAT WERE CALLING THIS AT THE TIME AND OUTRAGE, TREASON AND WORSE DURING THAT SITUATION WHEN THE INTEL WAS QUITE CLEAR TO THEM ON THAT SIDE SIDE. >> I THINK WHAT’S THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS ANDND A ADDED TO A VE VERY LONG LIST IS CONGRESSMAN SCHIFF AND CONGRESSMAN SWALWELL, THEY WILL COME OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS, AND BE ABLE TO SAY, WE’VE SEEN CLASSIFIED INFORMATION THE REST OF YOU HAVEN’T HAD AND THEY THREW GASOLINE ON THIS FIRE AND CAP TELLING PEOPLE IT WAS TRUE, THAT IT WAS WORSE, THAT IT WAS TREASONOUS AND IT WAS ALL POLITICAL THEATER AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY DID THIS, THEY DIDN’T JUST GET IT WRONG, IT WASN’T A MISTAKE, IT WAS A CALCULATED POLITICAL PLOY AND WHY THESE TWO STILL SIT ON THE HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE IS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG AND SHAME ON NANCY PELOSI FOR CONTINUING TO APPOINT THEM BECAUSE THEY USE THIS AS A POLITICAL BLUDGEONING TOOL AND FOR KAYLEIGH AND MORGAN AND ROBERT O’BRIEN AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL INTELLIGENCE, I’M SURE THE APOLOGIES AND THE CORRECTIONS WILL JUST COME FLOWING IN TODAY. >> Emily: THIS WAS PART OF A CAMPAIGN TACTIC AND A NARRATIVE PUSHED BY FOR EXAMPLE THEN HAVING CANDIDATE BIDEN ABOUT TRUMP’S FAILURE TO ADMONISH RUSSIA, HIS FAILURE TO BE BRIEF, THEY RAN WITH THIS REALLY FAR DURING THE CAMPAIGN. >> Jason: THEY DID AND IT WAS A NARRATIVE THAT THEY STARTED EVEN BEFORE DONALD TRUMP BECAME PRESIDENT, THEY RAN WITH IT FOR FOUR YEARS AND IT’S ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE. ALL THE FICTION AND THE HOAX ABOUT DONALD TRUMP AND RUSSIA, THEY NEVER CAME UP WITH ANYTHING AND THEY CONTINUE TO USE IT AND NOW WE GET TO THE FOUR YEARS OF DONALD TRUMP AND THERE ISN’T A SINGLE BIT OF EVIDENCE. DONALD TRUMP WAS TOUGHER ON RUSSIA THAN WE ARE SEEING PRESIDENT BIDEN IS AND CERTAINLY PRESIDENT OBAMA SO YOU WANT TO SEE WHO IS BEING SOFT ON RUSSIA RIGHT NOW, IT’S JOE BIDEN. RUSSIA IS AMASSING TROOPS ON THE UKRAINIAN BORDER AND YOU BARELY HEARD A PEEP OUT OF THIS PRESIDENT. >> Morgan: CAN I BACK HIM UP -- I’M SORRY. >> Emily: MORGAN, PLEASE. >> Morgan: I WOULD IS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT THIS TYPE OF THINGS HAVE GLOBAL RAMIFICATIONS, THE CONGRESSMAN’S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, THERE’S GLOBAL RAMIFICATIONS WHENEVER WE RUN WITH BAD INTELLIGENCE AND PRESENTED TO THE WORLD AS FACTS. ENEMY LATER HAVE TO BACKPEDAL IN ALL OF THIS AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY KAYLEIGH AND I AND THE DOD WERE PUSHING BACK ON THIS SO MUCH IS BECAUSESE THERE ARE PLENTY OF THINGS THE RUSSIANS DO THAT ARE EGREGIOUS AND WRONG. AMASSING TROOPS AT THE UKRAINIAN BORDER AS JASON JUST TALKED ABOUT AND WHENEVER YOU START BLAMING THE RUSSIANS FOR DEBUNKED RUMORS OR BAD INTELLIGENCE OR RAW INTELLIGENCE INTELLIGENCE, IT LOSES THE VERACITY AND OUR ABILITY TO HOLD RUSSIA ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MANY THINGS THAT THEY DO THAT ARE QUITE EGREGIOUS. SO THAT’S WHY IT’S SO DANGEROUS, IT UNDERMINES WHAT RUSSIA IS ACTUALLY GUILTY FOR AND UNDERMINES OUR ABILITY TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE. >> Emily: WE SEE THAT SAME SORT OF THING, HARRIS, IN TERMS -- >> Harris: I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN A LITTLE BIT HERE BECAUSE SENATOR COTTON WHO JOINED ME LAST HOUR WAS SAYING THAT THERE ARE SOME REAL, TANGIBLE WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT HOW NOW JOE BIDEN IS HANDLING RUSSIA, THE PIPELINE, JASON, I WILL COME BACK TO YOU ON THIS POINT, TO FILL IN THE BLANKS ON SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE WATCHING. IF THE MEDIA WERE REALLY DOING ITS JOB WOULD BE LOOKING AT THOSE ITEMS AND SAYING, OKAY, YOU’RE NOT WATCHING WHAT’S GOING ON THERE, YOU’RE NOT WATCHING THE TROOPS AMASSING, WHAT YOU’RE DOING IS WATCHING AN OLD NARRATIVE THAT NOW HAS BEEN DEBUNKED. BY THE WAY, WHY WASN’T IT DEBUNKED WHEN SOME ON CAPITOL HILL LIKE SENATOR COTTON TOOK A LOOK AT IT AND SAID THERE’S NO THERE THERE. THAT’S WHY IT’S IT’S IN THAT LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE CATEGORY OF INTELLIGENCE. WHY WERE INTO QUESTIONS VERSIONING THEN? THEN WE SAW THIS PERPETUAL, WITH KAYLEIGH AT THE LECTERN, WE GOT YOU TODAY, AND >> Kayleigh: , YOUR RESPONSE WILL BE, LET ME SHOW YOU HOW YOU DIDN’T. YOU KNOW? AND IT WAS JUST -- WHAT WAS I CAME ABOUT? NOW WE REALLY ARE IN A CAPITULATED POSITION WITH A COUNTRY THAT MEANS US HARM. >> Kayleigh: IF I CAN JUST SAY, THERE ARE RAMIFICATIONS TO THIS, LET’S BE VERY CLEAR WHAT’S AT STAKE THERE, I READ STATEMENTS TO THE PRESS FROM THE CIA, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SAYING WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS SO DAMAGING TO OUR ABILITY TO COLLECT INTELLIGENCE, NO ALLY IS GOING TO WANT TO SHARE INTELLIGENCE THAT IS LEACHED TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES," OBAMA DOUBT WITH ON AVERAGE 33 REFERRALS OF CRIMINAL LEAKS. PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS DEALING WITH 100 ON AVERAGE EVERY YEAR, REFERRALS TO DOJ, THIS IS DAMAGING, THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES FOR AMERICAN LIVES, AMERICAN TROOPS WHEN THE PRESS RUNS WITH A NARRATIVE AND WE DON’T GET THE INTELLIGENCE WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR MEN AND WOMEN ABROAD AND PROTECT OUR MEN AND WOMEN AT HOME. >> Emily: MORGAN, I’D LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE NEXT WORD AS WELL -- >> Jason: THE PROBLEM IS -- GO AHEAD, JASON. >> Jason: IT WAS AN ELECTION YEAR AND THEY WERE TRYING TO CONTINUE TO DISCREDIT THE PRESIDENT, THEY TRIED AND TRIED AND TRIED AGAIN AND THE TRADITIONAL MEDIA JUST RAN WITH IT AND MEANWHILE YOU HAVE A VERY RESPONSIBLE GENERAL McKENZIE WHO’S IN CHARGE OF THE UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND TELLING US HE HASN’T SEEN THE INFORMATION SO SOMEBODY NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND FOR ME AGAIN, I GO BACK TO CONGRESSMAN SWALLOWINGCONGRESSMANSWALWELL AN THEY HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THEY SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR SPEWING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION THAT WAS NOT TRUE AND DOING IT FOR PURELY POLITICAL REASONS. >> Emily: MORGAN, I BELIEVE I WAS STANDING -- GO AHEAD, PLEASE. >> Morgan: I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, SPEAKING OF ACCOUNTABILITY, I’D LIKE TO SEE SOME ACCOUNT ABILITY TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES" AND "THE WASHINGTON POST," REPORTERS IN WASHINGTON WHO UNDERSTAND INTELLIGENCE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS RAW AND UNVERIFIED INTELLIGENCE AND STILL RAN WITH IT ANYWAY, I’D LIKE TO SEE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY THERE AND FURTHERMORE, THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY WASN’T THIS BEING BRIEFED TO PRESIDENT TRUMP? YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THE PRESIDENT GETS HIS DAILY BRIEF AS KAYLEIGH AND OTHERS NO, THE LAYERS OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, IT’S ANALYZED, YOU DON’T... YOU RARELY PRESENT RAW INTELLIGENCE TO THE PRESIDENT. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WERE WRONG WITH THE STORY, IF YOU REPORTED EVERY RUMOR TO THE PRESIDENT YOU COULD SPEND ALL DAY WITH THE PRESIDENT GIVING THEM RUMORS AROUND THE WORLD, THAT’S NOT HOW INTELLIGENCE REPORTING WORKS. SO LAYER AFTER LAYER, THE PRESIDENT WAS BEING QUESTIONED ABABOUT, WHY WEREN’T YOU BRIEF, THEN? THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEVER ARISE TO HIS LEVEL. UNTIL IT’S GONE THROUGH HER FULL ASSESSMENT. THE STORY IS BAD AND THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME ACCOUNT ABILITY NOT ONLY IN CONGRESS BUT THE MEDIA REPORTED. FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES THROUGHOUT THE CAMPAIGN SEASON. >> Harris: SENATOR COTTON SAYS THAT BIDEN OWESS TRUMP AN APOLOGY. >> Kayleigh: 100%. >> Emily: WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.
