Brit Hume.

And we had allied ourselves with the insurgents, with the mujahideen, uh, rebels.

And I don't, I think it didn't occur to a lot of people, uh, at that time that, uh, Afghanistan would be a source of danger and, and indeed, major threat to the United States.

It just wasn't on the radar.

[upbeat music]

[cheering]

At the time, there was a lot of feeling that, uh, we went busting in there with our military, even for the purpose of running Saddam Hussein's army out of Kuwait, which he had, you know, which he had, he had invaded, that, um, that we would be hated for that, but it didn't seem to turn out that way.

The Kuwaitis, of course, unbelievably grateful.

Such is a world worthy of our struggle and worthy of our children's future.

There was a lot of talk about a new world order and a lot of controversy about that.

I think to the most Americans, the New World Order looked like one in which our mortal enemy had been defeated and that our prestige was rising around the world.

We were the victors.

We were the world's sole superpower.

And at least in terms of foreign policy and the world situation, life was pretty good.

was punitive and fundamentally going after the direct source of the attacks, but was not going to be enough to change al-Qaeda's mind and actually did not really set al-Qaeda back in the long term.

We knew that Bill Clinton had tried to take out Osama bin Laden, and had failed to do that or passed up the opportunity.

Such is a world worthy of our struggle and worthy of our children's future.

There was a lot of talk about a new world order and a lot of controversy about that.

I think to the most Americans, the New World Order looked like one in which our mortal enemy had been defeated and that our prestige was rising around the world.

We were the victors.

We were the world's sole superpower.

And at least in terms of foreign policy and the world situation, life was pretty good.

was punitive and fundamentally going after the direct source of the attacks, but was not going to be enough to change al-Qaeda's mind and actually did not really set al-Qaeda back in the long term.

We knew that Bill Clinton had tried to take out Osama bin Laden.

was trying to fight the shark away

from the kid.

You have to remember, in the summer of 2001, there were essentially two stories in America.

One was the disappearance of a Washington, D.C. intern by the name of Chandra Levy, and the other was shark attacks off the Atlantic coast.

And they got the bulk of the attention for month after month after month.

In August of that year, President Bush went back to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, and We were waiting for a decision on stem cell research, and it was a big deal for the White House.

And we were told that at the end of his August break, he would have a decision on how the U.S. would proceed with adult stem cell research.

news.

Brit Hume.

So I'm sitting in the studio, and of course, at Washington, the backdrop of that studio is a window that o- that looks out at the US Capitol.

And so that was behind me as I was sitting there doing the Washington end of the anchoring.

I wasn't on camera much, but that's where I was sitting.

And at one point, the, Brian Wilson, who was over on Capitol Hill for us just up the street, uh, called in on the briefing line to say that there was a plane headed up the Potomac River at, at a high speed, and nobody was sure what it was, but they thought it might be headed for the Capitol, and they were evacuating the building, which I promptly reported on the air that they were evacuating the Capitol.

That was the kind of event, you know, that, that, that happened that day.

And presently, Kim Hume walks into the studio while I'm not on, and she said, "We're moving you to the other studio next door, um, because, you know, if that plane hits the Capitol, you know, you're gonna be in the line of fire there." And, and, and I made a extremely pompous little speech about how this is where I need to be.

You're looking at the face of war in the 21st century."

brit hume

uh this was kind of a wild and woolly place where uh terrorists were being harbored supported and if we were going to go after the terrorists we had to go after them where they were And we were in a situation where we couldn't observe a lot of niceties about how we can't go here, we can't go there because the government is not hostile to us as far as we knew.

So that had to be the rules of the road going forward.

Let's

And I think the result was that One of the recommendations was that the Director of National Intelligence be established in order to better coordinate the intelligence among the different intelligence agencies.

Because it was believed that we needed to learn the lessons fully of what led to an attack that we proved to be not properly prepared for, that we caught us off guard, and that we must therefore not allow this to happen again.

And it was a device that has been used in the past where you appoint these commissions and they conduct investigations and produce voluminous reports and lay blame.

And they tend to be bipartisan and to some extent non-controversial so that whatever lessons they say we need to learn, we then try to learn.

uh

this was kind of a wild and woolly place where uh terrorists were being harbored supported and if we were going to go after the terrorists we had to go after them where they were And we were in a situation where we couldn't observe a lot of niceties about how we can't go here, we can't go there because the government is not hostile to us as far as we knew.

So that had to be the rules of the road

And I think the result was that one of the recommendations was that the director of national intelligence be established in order to better coordinate the intelligence among the different intelligence agencies.

because it was believed that we needed to learn the lessons fully of what led to an attack that we proved to be not properly prepared for, that we caught us off guard, and that we must, therefore, not allow this to happen again and it was a device that has been used in the past where you you know appoint these commissions and they conduct investigations and produce voluminous reports and lay blame and they tend to be bipartisan and to some extent non-controversial so that whatever whatever lessons they say we need to learn we then try to learn

Happy days, everybody.

Getting Osama Bin Laden came to be seen as you know, an absolute indispensable

element of

winning, if you will, against al-Qaeda.

And so long as he was at large, there was a sense that it was, you know, a job that was not yet complete.

So, Dad, what's the verdict?

You certainly could have done this without me.

I appreciate you saying that in the inscription of the book, but you could certainly have done this without me.

But what do you want us to know that she might not say herself about her journey?

Well, what I'd say about it is that when she got out of college and went to work, I didn't have a clue.

that this is where she'd end up and this is what she'd end up doing.

I knew she was able.

I knew she was smart.

Mm-hmm

... all through all this period.

And all this talk about a deal being near is just an effort for Iran to string this along.

And, uh, this recent attack on that helicopter proves that.

On the other hand, um, the president, his vice president, presumably his negotiating team, all believe that Iran or some faction of the Iranian government is seriously negotiating and have brought them close to a possible deal.

And that somewhere along the way here, if you're looking for a way to queer that, to, to up- to, uh, undermine a deal-

That's nine weeks of "we're close to a deal." I mean, at some point you've got to acknowledge it's not happening.

Yeah.

Your thoughts about Scott Pelley being fired and, and how he's taking on management.

Brian, I've been in this business for more than 50 years, TV news.

Um, I have had many bosses.

Some I really liked and respected, and some I did not, but I have found a way to work with every single one of them, and I have never been in a situation, I worked for, you know, ABC News for 23 years.

I've never been in a situation where I've had to compromise anything that I thought was a meaningful journalistic standard.

Uh, I've always found a way that I could, uh, could satisfy-... hired to be the new chief at 60 Minutes, but I guarantee you that if, uh, if these c- correspondents here are willing to work with him, they'll be able to c- maintain their own sense of integrity, uh, and do good work.

Um, the problem with 60 Minutes is that it's, it's, it's had many screw-ups during its years, despite its reputation, despite the high ratings.

I, I, I just think she's trying to, to be palatable to a bigger audience.

Is there a historical moment that stands out most for you as capturing kind of a uniquely American greatness?

There is, Bret.

I, I've, you know, I've been covering news for about 60 years, and the story that moved me most was the 50th anniversary of D-Day because all of us who were covering that, um, were intent on trying to tell people what we saw there and relive that amazing story of what happened on those momentous days that began in, in, on June 6, 1944, when this enormous armada of ships, uh, and American and, and Allied troops stormed those beaches at Normandy under withering fire and managed to fight their way, uh, past that beachhead and fight their way inland and on to victory in World War II.

And you can't go there, Bret, and I know you've been there, and stand in those, um, that cemetery, uh, above those cliffs and look out at the grave markers for American soldiers who gave their lives, and you think about that, Bret.

They gave their lives.

And they weren't there for conquest.

They were there for liberation, and that is what we, as a great nation w- uh, was able to do and, you know, with our allies, but we were the main driving force there.

Today we're living through a period of conflictHow do you think we as a country come back from the brink every time we talk about it and find common ground, even as we are so divided politically in this country?

Mm-hmm.

Um, it seems to me that, that, uh, Harris did so poorly the last time around and showed herself to be lighter than air, uh, in the eyes of, I think, countless, uh, voters, that she'd be a poor bet, uh, to win the election, even if the Republicans remain in their parlous state.

Um, AOC, it seems to me that she lives out there where the buses don't run, and people see that, and she also is brave, breathtakingly ignorant about certain basic things like, you know, ec- economics and so on.

Uh, so I think, um, she'd have a, she'd have a problem.

Ka- And I, you know, Gavin Newsom has some political skills and, but I think he is awfully burdened-By the situation in California and the record he has composed out there, which is strikingly unimpressive to say the least.

So I think there's real weakness on the part of all three of those candidates.

Um, I guess any one of them could be nominated, and if the party continues in its current direction, who knows, they might even nominate AOC.

Do you think that that's a norm that, uh, President Trump can break? Or is that likely to be the same thing happening all over again?

Mm.

Uh, and the result of that is, of course, you see there's all this hot hockey rhetoric we've been hearing for years about, you know, he's an authoritarian, he's a fascist, he's a Nazi, and all the rest of it, which is rubbish.

Um, but it, but it's taken seriously in some quarters and, and some e- exceptionally influential, uh, newspaper writers and news, news commentators have said much the same thing.

And it gives license to people who despise him to, uh...

If you believe that's true, for example, you believe he's a, you know, a fascist, an authoritarian, if you believe he's trying to be king, well, in your own mind you can justify all kinds of stuff.

I mean, after all, we fought a revolution to overthrow a king.Um, so that's a big piece of it.

And I would say this about it as well, Larry, um, such is the antipathy toward him among Democratic voters, and it's very intense, that politicians who spout this stuff are not simply saying it, uh, because they think it's true, 'cause I think a lot of them don't think it's true.

Mm.

You think that's plausible?

Well, I think China's interesting here because China depends heavily on oil coming out of that region, and oil from Iran in particular.

And, and that is a s- that just shows you that for all the talk about, "China's 10 feet tall in AI," and, "The threat from China is, uh, g- grave," and, "And we're vulnerable," and, "China could do whatever it wants with Taiwan," all that, China has real vulnerabilities, and this is one example of that.

And China can't afford to have this go on.

It is very much, be very much in China's interest to help us to reopen the strait and to, and to c- get the Iranians to cool it.

Um, and I think that's what the president is working on with them, and it's just why I think, and one of the reasons why he had...

While he postponed, he did not cancel that summit with Xi, which I think he ex- he expects will be, will be a favorable event for him and for the US.

W- this guy is heading down the Bill Cosby, Harvey Warntstein, Weinstein road.

Do you get that perspective?

Yeah, I do, Brian.

And I think that, uh, it's a, it's leftover from previous conflicts which have gone sour, and previous conflicts in which certain journalists have made their bones by spotting the, uh, the, the flaws in US military planning and execution going f- as far back as Vietnam.

So it has become a kind of model for coverage, is that, uh, United States undertakes a military mission.

Uh, if it takes a little while, I'm talking about, you know, more than a few days, uh, or a day or two, then, uh, you know, you look for flaws.

You write the flaws.

You emphasize them.

Iran's always there, since '79.

Sorry.

I'm sorry.

There is a reason.

Um, the reason is...

Well, well, first and foremost, the reason is that these people came here illegally, and in doing so, committed a crime.

It is a misdemeanor to be here illegally, but it is a crime.

So for them to say there's no criminal record, what they're-- what I guess they mean to say is that they have, they have not committed any further crimes once they got here.

Where do you think this is heading?

Is, is Trump more like H.W. or is he more like Reagan?

Well, in terms of the, the, the length of the missions, he's more like H.W.... um, as you suggest, Hugh, and I think, you know, uh, uh, this is a somewhat different matter because he had a very discreet mission, did H.W., in Iraq, which was to evict Saddam Hussein's army.

He had a grant from the UN, a, a, a grant of authority from the UN, UN resolution supporting that mission, which was very important politically around the world, and it was very important in the United States.

In fact, he had the UN, uh, uh, authorization before he was able to get, uh, similar authorization through the US Senate, which is a surp- surprising thing you might think in, uh, in, in this day and age.

But that's...

And so he went and did what he [clears throat] thought he had to do.

He evicted Saddam Hussein's army from, from Iraq, and, and from Kuwait, excuse me, and that was it.

But what do you think that tells us about the news business now, Bret?

Go ahead.

I'm sorry.

There is a reason.

Uh, the reason is...

Well, well, first and foremost, the reason is that these people came here illegally, and in doing so, committed a crime.

It is a misdemeanor to be here illegally, but it is a crime.

So for them to say there's no criminal record, what they're- what I guess they mean to say is that they have, they have not committed any further crimes once they got here.

Where do you think this is heading?

Does anybody think crime is not a problem in Chicago? So they're gonna make that hill to stand on? Don't you remember the, the City Council meetings when we saw African American families standing up complaining about the social services that are going to illegals and not to them, how they've overrun our cities and littered their streets and making it unsafe for their kids to go to school? I mean, those people are also listening to this.

Yeah, Brian, they are, and I think...

Now y- this issue, immigration, and particularly illegal immigration, a big piece of why Trump was elected, it's something he's made a priority, um, resist- uh, resistance to illegal immigration, uh, stopping it from coming in, getting people out, it's all broadly popular.

So it works for Trump politically, but in these cons- uh, in these particular areas, urban areas in particular, where Democrats dominate, where the, where the, uh, where the voters are l- are... tend to vote Democratic or Liberal, uh, it's a different world.

And so they're responding, each of them, to the constituencies that they face.

Trump, of course, is to a broader constituency of the whole country, and so that ex- helps to explain the difference, but I just don't think, broadly speaking, Brian, that Democrats can ultimately win on this issue if they are seen by the public as being in support of illegal immigrants and illegal immigration.

Your thoughts about how this ends since you've seen so many.

Well, I...

Does anybody think crime is not a problem in Chicago? So they're gonna make that hill to stand on? Don't you remember the, the city council meetings where we saw African American families standing up complaining about the social services that are going to illegals and not to them, how they've overrun our cities and littered their streets and making it unsafe for their kids to go to school? I mean, those people are also listening to this.

Yeah, Brian, they are, and I think, you know, this issue of immigration, and particularly illegal immigration, a big piece of why Trump was elected, it's something he's made a priority.

Um, resist- uh, resistance to illegal immigration, uh, stopping it from coming in, getting people out, it's all broadly popular.

So it works for Trump politically but in these con- uh, in these particular areas, urban areas in particular where Democrats dominate, where the, where the, uh, where the voters are, are, tend to vote Democratic or liberal, uh, it's a different world.

And so they're responding each of them to the constituencies that they face.

Trump, of course, is to a broader constituency of the whole country and so that ex- helps to explain the difference-

Your thoughts about how this ends, since you've seen so many?

Well, I, it, you know, it will last until, uh, the results of it, the consequences of it become dire.

Mm-hmm.

... on Russian, on the Russian economy.

Uh, he could even get kicked, uh, effectively kick the Russians' economy out of the international, uh, currency trading, currency exchange system, which would be very damaging.

I think, nonetheless, that for all the stories, uh, put by these efforts to bring peace to that, to that conflict, um, the president still has an odd affinity for Vladimir Putin.

And, uh, I think he continues to hope that Putin- that Putin wants peace.

The president, at times, has said as much.

I think the evidence that you just cited, Brian, suggests that, that, uh, that Putin thinks he's winning and doesn't want peace, he wants, he wants victory.

She lists a lot of this stuff and my, my, my sense is, after reading these excerpts, what is her objective, Brit?

How do you view it?

I view it as you do, Brian.

I think that it's a cause that should be supported and, and, and it- and, you know, Vladimir Putin made, in my judgment, a, a terrible blunder when he went charging into Ukraine in the belief that he could have Ukraine in a matter of days.

It didn't work out, the Ukrainians have turned out to be vastly more resilient than he ever imagined, uh, they've been very brave as, as the pr- as the president has now said, and, and, uh, the only way this can work out for him is if he just, uh, attacks civilians.

Uh, these are war crimes, by the way, and, and, and simply bludgeons his way through this war, which I don't think he can do if Ukraine is properly supported by the United States and its allies.

And, and Putin needs to be made to pay for his mistake.

Um, it...

That's the difference.

How do you view it?

I view it as you do, Brian.

I think that it's a cause that should be supported and, and, and it... and, you know, Vladimir Putin made, in my judgment, a, a terrible blunder when he went charging into Ukraine in the belief that he could have Ukraine in a matter of days.

It didn't work out, the Ukrainians have turned out to be vastly more resilient than he ever imagined.

Uh, they've been very brave as, as the...... and- and, uh, the only way this could work out for him is if he just, uh, attacks civilians.

Uh, these are war crimes, by the way, and- and- and simply bludgeons his way through this war, which I don't think he can do if Ukraine is properly supported by the United States and its allies.

And- and Putin needs to be made to pay for his mistake.

Mm-hmm.

And I think if they end up winning one of those two races in Florida, that will remain the case, and then we'll be right back where we started.

Well, I think that's right.

I, look, Dana, just going back to 2022, there was a moment there when there were widespread predictions of a red wave and the Democrats were gonna lose seats right and left and so on.

And my own thought at the time was that the circumstances were such that that could have happened.

I mean, the Democrats had adopted and were arguing and putting into effect a whole host of positions and, and policies that could not possibly, uh, get a majority in this country, that couldn't possibly, uh, uh, be popular, and were not.

And yet they held on and did better than expected in that election.

I view that election as a time bomb that did not go off, and it did go off in 2024 and got Mr. Trump back in the White House.

They're really figuring things out after their loss in 2024." But even today, I feel like I still can't say that.