Susan Rice in March: ‘I Know Nothing’ About Unmasking Trump Team Intercepts

WOODRUFF We spoke earlier ░░░░░░░░ evening with former Obama ░░░░░░░░ House National Security Adviser ░░░░░░░░ Rice the author of ░░░░░░░░ piece It was her ░░░░░░░░ interview since leaving the ░░░░░░░░ House I began by ░░░░░░░░ about the allegations leveled ░░░░░░░░ by House Intelligence Committee ░░░░░░░░ Devin Nunes that Trump ░░░░░░░░ officials including the president ░░░░░░░░ have been swept up ░░░░░░░░ surveillance of foreigners at ░░░░░░░░ end of the Obama ░░░░░░░░ clip starts RICE I ░░░░░░░░ nothing about this I ░░░░░░░░ surprised to see reports ░░░░░░░░ Chairman Nunes on that ░░░░░░░░ today I mean let ░░░░░░░░ back up and recall ░░░░░░░░ we have been The ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ his predecessor President Obama ░░░░░░░░ wiretapping Trump Tower during ░░░░░░░░ campaign Nothing of the ░░░░░░░░ occurred and we have ░░░░░░░░ that confirmed by the ░░░░░░░░ of the FBI who ░░░░░░░░ pointed out that no ░░░░░░░░ no White House can ░░░░░░░░ the surveillance of another ░░░░░░░░ citizen that can only ░░░░░░░░ from the Justice Department ░░░░░░░░ the approval of a ░░░░░░░░ court So today I ░░░░░░░░ don t know to ░░░░░░░░ Chairman Nunes was referring ░░░░░░░░ he said that whatever ░░░░░░░░ was referring to was ░░░░░░░░ legal lawful surveillance and ░░░░░░░░ it was potentially incidental ░░░░░░░░ WOODRUFF Right RICE on ░░░░░░░░ citizens And I think ░░░░░░░░ s important for people ░░░░░░░░ understand what incidental means ░░░░░░░░ means that the target ░░░░░░░░ either a foreign entity ░░░░░░░░ somebody under criminal investigation ░░░░░░░░ that the Americans who ░░░░░░░░ talking to those targets ░░░░░░░░ have been picked up ░░░░░░░░ Well I wanted to ░░░░░░░░ you about this because ░░░░░░░░ you also know in ░░░░░░░░ last few weeks The ░░░░░░░░ York Times has reported ░░░░░░░░ in the final days ░░░░░░░░ the Obama administration individuals ░░░░░░░░ out of their way ░░░░░░░░ spread information throughout the ░░░░░░░░ about what they knew ░░░░░░░░ intelligence that the Russians ░░░░░░░░ interfered in the election ░░░░░░░░ year and that there ░░░░░░░░ have been a connection ░░░░░░░░ Trump campaign officials So ░░░░░░░░ story s now been ░░░░░░░░ there for several weeks ░░░░░░░░ there be a connection ░░░░░░░░ RICE I m not ░░░░░░░░ of any connection I ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ I must say Judy ░░░░░░░░ one of the most ░░░░░░░░ White House officials and ░░░░░░░░ most senior responsible for ░░░░░░░░ security I found that ░░░░░░░░ a bit perplexing I ░░░░░░░░ not aware of any ░░░░░░░░ given to disseminate that ░░░░░░░░ of information WOODRUFF Well ░░░░░░░░ having crosstalk RICE So ░░░░░░░░ have no idea whether ░░░░░░░░ was the case But ░░░░░░░░ fact is that and ░░░░░░░░ president did request back ░░░░░░░░ December that the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ compile all of the ░░░░░░░░ that it had on ░░░░░░░░ had transpired during the ░░░░░░░░ with respect to the ░░░░░░░░ involving themselves in the ░░░░░░░░ campaign And that report ░░░░░░░░ provided to the American ░░░░░░░░ in unclassified form and ░░░░░░░░ Congress in classified form ░░░░░░░░ early January WOODRUFF And ░░░░░░░░ there a concern though ░░░░░░░░ the Obama administration inside ░░░░░░░░ White House that the ░░░░░░░░ Trump administration might not ░░░░░░░░ up on that intelligence ░░░░░░░░ had been gathered RICE ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ the concern because to ░░░░░░░░ extent that there was ░░░░░░░░ need to follow up ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t be done ░░░░░░░░ by the White House ░░░░░░░░ by the intelligence community ░░░░░░░░ by the Justice Department ░░░░░░░░ appropriate I think our ░░░░░░░░ was and the president ░░░░░░░░ direction was let us ░░░░░░░░ sure that we have ░░░░░░░░ and put together in ░░░░░░░░ place all the information ░░░░░░░░ we have so that ░░░░░░░░ is there for the ░░░░░░░░ administration it s there ░░░░░░░░ the American people and ░░░░░░░░ for con Congress to ░░░░░░░░ as they see fit ░░░░░░░░ ends]