Nervous W.H. Communications Director Struggles to Answer Secret Service Questions

PALMIE Good morning Kristen ░░░░░░░░ So let s start ░░░░░░░░ there with what we ░░░░░░░░ just heard from the ░░░░░░░░ Elijah Cummings Should Director ░░░░░░░░ step down Does President ░░░░░░░░ think that s the ░░░░░░░░ course of action at ░░░░░░░░ point PALMIE The president ░░░░░░░░ the White House have ░░░░░░░░ in Director Pierson s ░░░░░░░░ to do this job ░░░░░░░░ have confidence in the ░░░░░░░░ that she s undertaking ░░░░░░░░ exactly what happened at ░░░░░░░░ incident that you referred ░░░░░░░░ that happened here at ░░░░░░░░ White House a couple ░░░░░░░░ ago You know it ░░░░░░░░ something that they re ░░░░░░░░ very seriously We ve ░░░░░░░░ here that they ve ░░░░░░░░ some of the security ░░░░░░░░ already and she s ░░░░░░░░ that review We re ░░░░░░░░ that process go forward ░░░░░░░░ president has confidence that ░░░░░░░░ a 30 year veteran ░░░░░░░░ has the ability to ░░░░░░░░ the department and to ░░░░░░░░ this review And we ░░░░░░░░ see what comes of ░░░░░░░░ WELKER Jen I know ░░░░░░░░ continues to say that ░░░░░░░░ president has confidence in ░░░░░░░░ Secret Service but I ░░░░░░░░ the question is why ░░░░░░░░ lawmakers on Capitol Hill ░░░░░░░░ who I was speaking ░░░░░░░░ and just a lot ░░░░░░░░ Americans say they re ░░░░░░░░ confidence So why does ░░░░░░░░ president still have confidence ░░░░░░░░ when we re just ░░░░░░░░ about this breach in ░░░░░░░░ that occurred when he ░░░░░░░░ visiting the CDC PALMIE ░░░░░░░░ know that this is ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ public interest and there ░░░░░░░░ lot of concern for ░░░░░░░░ president s safety which ░░░░░░░░ course we appreciate But ░░░░░░░░ s also it s ░░░░░░░░ very complicated and confidential ░░░░░░░░ to protect the president ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ you know the president ░░░░░░░░ with the Secret Service ░░░░░░░░ day They protect him ░░░░░░░░ protect his family He ░░░░░░░░ an extraordinary amount of ░░░░░░░░ in dealing with them ░░░░░░░░ professionalism their level of ░░░░░░░░ So I think he ░░░░░░░░ you know our perspective ░░░░░░░░ different from that of ░░░░░░░░ who legitimately has real ░░░░░░░░ about what they ve ░░░░░░░░ happen here but given ░░░░░░░░ breath of the experience ░░░░░░░░ the president has in ░░░░░░░░ with Secret Service the ░░░░░░░░ who protect him he ░░░░░░░░ confidence in them WELKER ░░░░░░░░ what was his reaction ░░░░░░░░ he learned that a ░░░░░░░░ with a gun who ░░░░░░░░ a criminal history was ░░░░░░░░ an elevator with him ░░░░░░░░ Atlanta What was his ░░░░░░░░ to that and when ░░░░░░░░ he find out PALMIE ░░░░░░░░ m not I m ░░░░░░░░ gonna this is I ░░░░░░░░ not gonna get into ░░░░░░░░ uh how he is ░░░░░░░░ um how he s ░░░░░░░░ on his uh his ░░░░░░░░ that Director Pierson WELKER ░░░░░░░░ did he find out ░░░░░░░░ that Jen PALMIE I ░░░░░░░░ not going to get ░░░░░░░░ you now we have ░░░░░░░░ um in wanting to ░░░░░░░░ protect the president s ░░░░░░░░ um um ability to ░░░░░░░░ with the um talk ░░░░░░░░ with his um with ░░░░░░░░ Secret Service crosstalk WELKER ░░░░░░░░ let me ask you ░░░░░░░░ PALMIE so we won ░░░░░░░░ into the we are ░░░░░░░░ going to get into ░░░░░░░░ about how he s ░░░░░░░░ You know that she ░░░░░░░░ with him last week ░░░░░░░░ Director Pierson didn t ░░░░░░░░ the Atlanta incident on ░░░░░░░░ Hill yesterday crosstalk PALMIE ░░░░░░░░ m not I m ░░░░░░░░ I WELKER Is the ░░░░░░░░ feel as though he ░░░░░░░░ getting updates in a ░░░░░░░░ fashion when he needs ░░░░░░░░ by the director of ░░░░░░░░ Secret Service PALMIE He ░░░░░░░░ confident that in his ░░░░░░░░ how he is informed ░░░░░░░░ matters involving his protection ░░░░░░░░ And what more broadly ░░░░░░░░ he want to see ░░░░░░░░ particularly given that initially ░░░░░░░░ were told that intruder ░░░░░░░░ Gonzalez was apprehended almost ░░░░░░░░ after he got into ░░░░░░░░ White House We then ░░░░░░░░ that he was apprehended ░░░░░░░░ inside the White House ░░░░░░░░ there a problem with ░░░░░░░░ here PALMIE I mean ░░░░░░░░ s a question for ░░░░░░░░ Secret Service They re ░░░░░░░░ ones who are answering ░░░░░░░░ publicly answering the questions ░░░░░░░░ the public about um ░░░░░░░░ exactly happened that night ░░░░░░░░ you know there is ░░░░░░░░ review going on about ░░░░░░░░ Um and you know ░░░░░░░░ are questions for them ░░░░░░░░ respond to WELKER Let ░░░░░░░░ get you to respond ░░░░░░░░ something that was in ░░░░░░░░ New York Times Jen ░░░░░░░░ morning about the Secret ░░░░░░░░ This is on these ░░░░░░░░ and just the collapse ░░░░░░░░ protocol It says The ░░░░░░░░ dog that was supposed ░░░░░░░░ be released was not ░░░░░░░░ is of course in ░░░░░░░░ to the incident with ░░░░░░░░ Gonzalez The front door ░░░░░░░░ the White House was ░░░░░░░░ unlocked An alarm box ░░░░░░░░ the entrance was muted ░░░░░░░░ it was annoying members ░░░░░░░░ the Usher s staff ░░░░░░░░ work nearby And the ░░░░░░░░ who eventually tackled Mr ░░░░░░░░ after the intruder ran ░░░░░░░░ the staircase leading to ░░░░░░░░ Obamas living quarters was ░░░░░░░░ duty and just happened ░░░░░░░░ be walking past that ░░░░░░░░ as he was leaving ░░░░░░░░ The fact that there ░░░░░░░░ so many breakdowns in ░░░░░░░░ that night Jen the ░░░░░░░░ must be concerned about ░░░░░░░░ particularly from the standpoint ░░░░░░░░ family wasn t home ░░░░░░░░ the time we should ░░░░░░░░ that but the fact ░░░░░░░░ so many layers broke ░░░░░░░░ PALMIE Well we ve ░░░░░░░░ that Kristen We ve ░░░░░░░░ that the president was ░░░░░░░░ about this He met ░░░░░░░░ Director Pierson about it ░░░░░░░░ s conducting a review ░░░░░░░░ re letting that review ░░░░░░░░ forward We ll look ░░░░░░░░ those results In the ░░░░░░░░ the president has faith ░░░░░░░░ the men and women ░░░░░░░░ Secret Service that are ░░░░░░░░ him WELKER A lot ░░░░░░░░ lawmakers say there should ░░░░░░░░ an independent investigation Would ░░░░░░░░ Obama support that Is ░░░░░░░░ going to call for ░░░░░░░░ PALMIE Um not at ░░░░░░░░ time We have like ░░░░░░░░ said the Secret Service ░░░░░░░░ doing their own investigation ░░░░░░░░ internal review there and ░░░░░░░░ are letting that process ░░░░░░░░ forward.”