May 12, 2025 • 17 mins
In this episode, Michael Ellis, the Deputy Director of the CIA, discusses the agency's counterterrorism efforts, particularly focusing on the fight against drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations. He highlights the importance of addressing the fentanyl crisis, the role of China in drug trafficking, and the CIA's shift in priorities under the Trump administration. The Tudor Dixon Podcast is part of the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Podcast Network. For more visit TudorDixonPodcast.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Last week, I had
the honor of sitting down with the Deputy Director of
the CIA, Michael Ellis. This was such an exciting experience
because we were included in the new media that got
the first hand information from the top members of the administration.
We got to actually go to DC and sit down
with them. It was kind of like a celebration of
(00:21):
the first hundred days. But the Deputy director also shared
insight into some of the new ways that the CIA
is working, and I say that because they've been given
the ability to kind of change up how things were
going in the Biden administration and do things differently under
the Trump administration. We also talk about some of the
changes like the cartels being designated as terrorist organizations, because
(00:46):
once you designate them that way, the CIA can change
how they work things, and that can also affect so
many other areas that were focused on and that the
Trump administration is focused on, like the fentanyl crisis, the
fentanyl coming in China, how you go after China for
some of the things they're doing, and a whole lot more.
But before we get into.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
That interview with the Deputy Director of.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
The CIA, first, let me talk to you about my
partners at Preborn. When a mother with an unplanned pregnancy
is deciding about the future of her unborn child, it's overwhelming.
She wants to make the right choice, but society and
those around her are telling her that her baby's just
not a life. Preborn's whole ministry is to love these
(01:29):
women and to empower them with the choice of life.
And it's an external it's an eternal moment for these women.
But I want to share one woman's story with you.
It's Stephanie. Stephanie was scared and afraid, and she felt
like she didn't deserve love and support. But after receiving
so much love and support from a caring clinic, she
(01:49):
experienced her eternal moment when she met her child on
an ultrasound. She left the clinic that day feeling hopeful,
and now she is so blessed by her five year
old son. It was a life saved. So when you
support the Ministry of Preborn, you are supporting pro life
clinics nationwide with free ultrasounds to help empower a mom
(02:12):
to choose life. Your tax deductible donation of twenty eight
dollars monthly is reaching eternity. To get involved, simply dial
pound two fifty and say the keyword baby. That's pound
two fifty baby, or visit preborn dot com slash tutor.
That's preborn dot com slash tutor. And this interview is
(02:33):
sponsored by Preborn. Stay tuned because I've got Michael Alice
coming right up. We are in the Executive Office building
here at the White House, and we have the Deputy
Director of the CIA with us, Michael Alis.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Michael, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Thank you for having me. It's great to be here
with you today.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Absolutely, this is actually like I'm totally ganked out about this,
so I'm trying to be coupled, but I'm actually really excited.
But I'm really excited because of what everything that you
guys are doing is. There's a couple of different things
I want to hit on today because I know that
you have a counter terrorism unit, and you've talked a
little bit about what you're doing with the cartels and
(03:09):
how they've been designated as terrorist organizations. Now you've also
said that that goes beyond the border, So can you
explain a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Absolutely, and thank you again for having me here today,
it is an honor to serving President Trump's administration as
a Deputy Director of the CIA, working at part of
a great team with Director Ratcliffe and the other members
in Austcrie team for President Trump. You know, on the
counter terrorism front, you know, one great win from the
first hundred days that I wanted to highlight is we
brought back Ja'far. This is the guy who was one
(03:39):
of the Abby gate plotters who organized an attack that killed
thirteen American service members that you know, working with inner
agency counterparts, we found him, tracked him down, helped extra
diet into the United States where he's going to be
facing charges. We held. That was within the first hundred days.
I think it was in late late February, in the
(04:00):
early days of administration too. But you know, CIA has
been working on finding these men of terrorist targets for
for years, right, I mean, these are taking an enormous
amount of effort to try to track down these terrorists
who to where they are and again to bring up
in justice to hold them accountable. That was one great
(04:21):
win from the first one hundred days. But you mentioned,
you know, on the counter narcotics front, you know, one
of the President Trump's priorities is the total elimination of
the cartels, and that is what we are going to
do with CIA. You know, we're obviously part of a
full of government effort. We aren't the only agency in
this fight. But you know, for too long, I think
the intelligence community viewed the counter narcotics fight as a
(04:43):
little more of a law enforcement problem. We sort of
viewed it like, well, that's for FBI, it's for DHS.
It's not something that we do. We're worried about China
and Russia and al data and look, we have to
worry without all those all those bad actors too. But
you know, the partels, you know, they are killing America
every day, right, ends of thous of the American dying,
the fentanyl coming into the United States, and that is,
(05:06):
you know, something we can't ignore, right, It's the numbers
are are astounding, and so that's an area that Director
Radcliffe and I have have prioritized. We're shifting resources, were
shifting with personnel, were really we're taking some of the
lessons learned from that counter terrorism fight to destroy the cartowns.
Because it's the same you know, obviously, different motivations, different structures,
(05:29):
but then they were talking about dismantling a bent and
that is something that CIA has spent two decades of
the War on Terror learning how to do.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
How is the new designation as terrorist organizations change your
ability to go after them?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
What is it? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
To the random a person tell us what exactly that means?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Yeah, Well, I can't get into too many specifics about
you know, how that affects of the work we do,
but I will say it is helpful. Right, they're recognizing
these groups, they are foreign terrors organizations. A president has
designating as such, and that does unlock some additional legal
authorities in a variety of rows that make it easier
for CIA and other parts of the US government to
(06:13):
take on this threat. But again, we've built a finely
tuned machine at CIA over the past twenty years since
you know, more than that, since nine to eleven, to find, fix,
and finish terrorist targets. And now we're going to be
taking that machine. Turning to the cartels. It might mean
that we have to, you know, have a few more
(06:33):
Spanish speakers, and you know, maybe the Arabic speakers might
have to look at Spanish too. Right, as we turn
to this problem, set but it's too important. It's right
in our backyard, and we can't we can't afford to
ignore any for any longer.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Well, I think that's how we have all felt.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I mean, we walked in today and we saw the
pictures of the people on the front lawn, all of
the folks that have been arrested. And it's interesting because
I saw someone post today what kind of six organization
looks at this and says, I want to put these
people's pictures and put them in.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
The lawn, And I'm like, this is lost on the
radical left.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
It is lost on the left that these people have
come into our country and committed horrendous, horrendous crimes. And
the reason I believe, but you can correct me if
I'm wrong, the reason for putting these out there so
people can actually see this person committed this crime and
was taken out of this country is so people can
say they're really truly were bad guys here.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, and we're really doing something yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
No, And it crystallized it. Right. You know, you can
look at the statistics, you can look at the data
enough meaningful obviously, but you know data can be sterile
and impersonal, right, like putting the faces on it, and
you know the places of the victims as well, right,
like remembering like the harm that has been caused by
the failure to spear our border, it really brings it
(07:50):
home to people. So look, you know, CIA obviously has
international focus, right, we don't have a domestic security function.
But you know, just like terrorism, the narcotics threat is
one that originates overseas. Right. It starts with precursor chemicals
in China coming into Mexico and other countries in Latin America.
It's being synthesized into deadly drugsing fatanyl, and then they
(08:12):
smuggled across our border. Right, So there's a domestic component
for that, right. Wean our domestic law enforcement agencies to
help on the domestic side. There's also a foreign component,
and that's where CIA and the rest of the intelligent
community can help the defense.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
What is this may sound like a stupid question, but
what is the purpose of it? Is it for them
to make money? Is it to hurt Americans? Is this terrorism?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
You know? And that's one of the areas where I think, again,
it is a little different than the traditional terrorist threat
because the motivations are different. It's primarily financial you know,
because if if it's for fatanyl, there was cocaine, I mean,
and there's still this cocaine that's still a problem could
looking near on right, But that was as more like
which which drug it is varied over time based on
what's going to make the most money. But for too long. Again,
(09:01):
these cartels have prospered from the an atmosphere where they
could operate in relative in the community. So we're working
with you know, with partner governments in the area too.
You know, the Mexicans, they don't want these cartels running
their country. They don't want the violence, the collection it brings.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I'd like to change gears for a minute and talk
about Israel. It's now the month of May, and eighty
years ago this very month, the horror of the Holocaust,
the final solution came to an end. But do you
know that half of all Holocaust survivors live in Israel.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
The pain of the.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Past now intensified today by October seventh and the rise
of anti Semitism everywhere, and along with other elderly Jews,
thousands in Israel live below the poverty line. There's no
safety net there. That's why I support the International Fellowship
of Christians and Jews. The Fellowship provides a lifeline to
these precious ones in the form of hot meals and
(09:58):
boxes full of healthy food. And for only twenty five dollars,
you can help provide a food box, and better yet,
for three hundred and thirty five dollars, it provides hot
meals for an entire year. To give generously, call eight
eight eight four eight eight I f c J again,
that's eight eight eight four eight eight four three two five,
(10:21):
or go online to give at IFCJ dot org. That's
IFCJ dot org. I joke about it because it's so
ridiculous that we've had to have it, because we I
think we so many of us knew, and it was
it was almost punishable if you said that you thought
it was a laborate So we are so grateful to
you for what you do to come out and say
these are the fact these are this is the.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Truth I mean, and that's what the present deserves. Right,
are the deserve intelligent assessments in American people. They deserve
intelligent assessments that are supported by the facts on the ground. Right,
you know, no politics, no bias in it, just the
most factorate assessment to inform the parliaments for one policy invidas,
you know, on China more broadly though as well. You know,
(11:03):
I think a tremendous amount of credit is due to
President Trump for recognizing the threat that China OSes to
the United States. And he recognized it before anyone else did.
In Washington, you know, the national security strategy of the
United States in Republican and Democratic administrations alike, for decades
said it was US policy to enable the peaceful rise
of China, right, that was our policy to enable their rise.
(11:25):
President Trump was the first one who came in twenty seventeen,
it is like, that's not the policy anymore, right, China
in addition to the fenteral preak for the problem that
we're in discussing right that, on trade issues, on intellectual property, theraft,
on cybersecurity, on issue after issue that they just have
been solving the rules. And President Trump was the first
(11:46):
one to stand up and really change the dynamic. And
you know, for the CIA now it's the top priority
for US. This is an expotential threat and it's a
technological competition that we're in with China, where whether it's
ais wanted computings on biotechnology. We have to prevail, right,
we have to empower the American private sectors, and we
(12:11):
have to understand Chinese capabilities to be able to succeed
in that competition.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I mean, so I come from the manufacturing world, and yes,
I would say that China really was what crushed our
foundry and so many others in the United States. So
I watched as our customers would take their products over
to China and then China would just copy them.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Well, and you know that they never allowed US companies
to say max as to the Chinese market, the Chinese
company kind of the US market. And yes, you know,
you look at product after product that looks suspicious where
that the Chinese version looks suspiciously similar to we like. Yeah,
I mean look at their fifth generation fighter letter CHET
that looks an awful lot like the F thirty five,
(12:53):
which you know, again, lots of people.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Don't understand that we actually had military equipment made by
our adversary, and they have been able to copy some
of what we're doing, but they copy everything and then
and so Jack Lrsy just recently came out and he
said he want us to get rid of IP loss
and get rid of any laws on intellectual property. And
I just think this is how nines people can be.
(13:17):
This is what you've created, this is what you own.
This this is what you've built. And you could have
anybody in the United States, but certainly foreign actors. It's
very dangerous to have them get a fold of our
intellectual property.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, and part of the problem historically was that there
wasn't any deterrence, there wasn't any cost on foreign adversaries
who engaged in this kind of intellectual property theft. Right.
You know, Chinese hackers would penetrate with the US company
or government agency and look there is you know there
(13:49):
are sanctions or name chaining and seminal indictments, but you
know those are ultimately toothless because the Chinese hackers never
showed up in the US, so we never erected them
and they operate after the US system, So sanctions weren't
particularly meaningful. And you know, that's an area where President
Trump again has started making the difference in his first administration.
And we're c i A and other punt the government
(14:10):
are can play a role in second theistricts and to
start restoring the terrens right and sometimes that means that
we have to engage in offensive operations ourselves to be
able to create again a cost for China and other
and other bad actors on cybersecurity, to make them realize
(14:31):
that they can't act with immunity. If that they engage
a pad behavior, that will be a price fool.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Do you think that is our biggest threat today? Is China?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I mean we see them in anywhere from globally, in
our in our you know, they're they're building new naval
courts across the globe, so we even see them in space.
So what is the Is China our veggus threat?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yeah? I mean they are the great power competitor right
now right whether it's good in the military or the
political front, but in the economic front we were just
talking about. Obviously there are other threats out there, Russia, Iran,
North Korea. We worry about all of them too, isis
in al Qaeda. You know, we can't take our out
the ball and any of them. But at the end
(15:15):
of the day, none of them have to get voted
to China US. None of them pose an existential threat
to America the way that China does. You know, when
when Director Ratcliffe and I when we you know, lay
at our priority inside of CIA and and you know
turn our great people, uh towards taking on these threats
on the behalf of the president, it's China and technology
because I think again the competent with China is a
(15:37):
technological competition in a way that our competence in the
Soviet during the Cold War really wasn't. And it's a
partels because again that's that scourage of deadly drugs killing Americans.
You know, Uh, that's in our backyard. So we have
we have to put that in order before we can
get that everything else there before I let you go.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
When I ask coming into the CIA after the Biden administry,
what have you seen that you've I mean, you talked
about getting the guy from the Abby gate?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yes, why did.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
That take so long?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Has the Has the CIA changed since the Biding the administration?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
We changed the priorities And you know, another area where
Director Ratcliffe and I are really you know, changed things
is just on focusing on mission right. The CIA, like
many other parts of society and many other parts of
the government, I think, was distracted by the agenda. There's
things that really took away from our ability to carry
(16:35):
out the mission and the half American people. So you know,
we want an ultimate meritocracy at CIA. We want an
elite workforce. This mission is important, right, with no time
for these distractions or survived. Oh that's that's not that's
not what we should be doing. Right. So we're putting
the focus squarely back on the mission, the uh, the
(16:58):
social and cultural issues. You know, people can do that
in their own time, they shouldn't be doing it at work.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yes, well, I think that the majority of Americans agree,
and that's why President Trump came into the mandate. We
appreciate what you're doing there, and I think the first
one hundred days has been phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
We're excited to see what else to do. But congratulations
on what you have done so far.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Thank you, and thank you so much for having me tonight.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Thank you all for joining me on the Tutor Dixon Podcast.
For this episode and others, go to Tutordison podcast dot com.
You can subscribe right there, or head over to the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts
and join us next time on the Tutor Dixon Podcast.
Have a blessed day,
Welcome to the Tutor Dixon Podcast. Last week, I had
the honor of sitting down with the Deputy Director of
the CIA, Michael Ellis. This was such an exciting experience
because we were included in the new media that got
the first hand information from the top members of the administration.
We got to actually go to DC and sit down
with them. It was kind of like a celebration of
(00:21):
the first hundred days. But the Deputy director also shared
insight into some of the new ways that the CIA
is working, and I say that because they've been given
the ability to kind of change up how things were
going in the Biden administration and do things differently under
the Trump administration. We also talk about some of the
changes like the cartels being designated as terrorist organizations, because
(00:46):
once you designate them that way, the CIA can change
how they work things, and that can also affect so
many other areas that were focused on and that the
Trump administration is focused on, like the fentanyl crisis, the
fentanyl coming in China, how you go after China for
some of the things they're doing, and a whole lot more.
But before we get into.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
That interview with the Deputy Director of.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
The CIA, first, let me talk to you about my
partners at Preborn. When a mother with an unplanned pregnancy
is deciding about the future of her unborn child, it's overwhelming.
She wants to make the right choice, but society and
those around her are telling her that her baby's just
not a life. Preborn's whole ministry is to love these
(01:29):
women and to empower them with the choice of life.
And it's an external it's an eternal moment for these women.
But I want to share one woman's story with you.
It's Stephanie. Stephanie was scared and afraid, and she felt
like she didn't deserve love and support. But after receiving
so much love and support from a caring clinic, she
(01:49):
experienced her eternal moment when she met her child on
an ultrasound. She left the clinic that day feeling hopeful,
and now she is so blessed by her five year
old son. It was a life saved. So when you
support the Ministry of Preborn, you are supporting pro life
clinics nationwide with free ultrasounds to help empower a mom
(02:12):
to choose life. Your tax deductible donation of twenty eight
dollars monthly is reaching eternity. To get involved, simply dial
pound two fifty and say the keyword baby. That's pound
two fifty baby, or visit preborn dot com slash tutor.
That's preborn dot com slash tutor. And this interview is
(02:33):
sponsored by Preborn. Stay tuned because I've got Michael Alice
coming right up. We are in the Executive Office building
here at the White House, and we have the Deputy
Director of the CIA with us, Michael Alis.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Michael, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Thank you for having me. It's great to be here
with you today.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Absolutely, this is actually like I'm totally ganked out about this,
so I'm trying to be coupled, but I'm actually really excited.
But I'm really excited because of what everything that you
guys are doing is. There's a couple of different things
I want to hit on today because I know that
you have a counter terrorism unit, and you've talked a
little bit about what you're doing with the cartels and
(03:09):
how they've been designated as terrorist organizations. Now you've also
said that that goes beyond the border, So can you
explain a little bit about that.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Absolutely, and thank you again for having me here today,
it is an honor to serving President Trump's administration as
a Deputy Director of the CIA, working at part of
a great team with Director Ratcliffe and the other members
in Austcrie team for President Trump. You know, on the
counter terrorism front, you know, one great win from the
first hundred days that I wanted to highlight is we
brought back Ja'far. This is the guy who was one
(03:39):
of the Abby gate plotters who organized an attack that killed
thirteen American service members that you know, working with inner
agency counterparts, we found him, tracked him down, helped extra
diet into the United States where he's going to be
facing charges. We held. That was within the first hundred days.
I think it was in late late February, in the
(04:00):
early days of administration too. But you know, CIA has
been working on finding these men of terrorist targets for
for years, right, I mean, these are taking an enormous
amount of effort to try to track down these terrorists
who to where they are and again to bring up
in justice to hold them accountable. That was one great
(04:21):
win from the first one hundred days. But you mentioned,
you know, on the counter narcotics front, you know, one
of the President Trump's priorities is the total elimination of
the cartels, and that is what we are going to
do with CIA. You know, we're obviously part of a
full of government effort. We aren't the only agency in
this fight. But you know, for too long, I think
the intelligence community viewed the counter narcotics fight as a
(04:43):
little more of a law enforcement problem. We sort of
viewed it like, well, that's for FBI, it's for DHS.
It's not something that we do. We're worried about China
and Russia and al data and look, we have to
worry without all those all those bad actors too. But
you know, the partels, you know, they are killing America
every day, right, ends of thous of the American dying,
the fentanyl coming into the United States, and that is,
(05:06):
you know, something we can't ignore, right, It's the numbers
are are astounding, and so that's an area that Director
Radcliffe and I have have prioritized. We're shifting resources, were
shifting with personnel, were really we're taking some of the
lessons learned from that counter terrorism fight to destroy the cartowns.
Because it's the same you know, obviously, different motivations, different structures,
(05:29):
but then they were talking about dismantling a bent and
that is something that CIA has spent two decades of
the War on Terror learning how to do.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
How is the new designation as terrorist organizations change your
ability to go after them?
Speaker 3 (05:45):
What is it? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (05:47):
To the random a person tell us what exactly that means?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Yeah, Well, I can't get into too many specifics about
you know, how that affects of the work we do,
but I will say it is helpful. Right, they're recognizing
these groups, they are foreign terrors organizations. A president has
designating as such, and that does unlock some additional legal
authorities in a variety of rows that make it easier
for CIA and other parts of the US government to
(06:13):
take on this threat. But again, we've built a finely
tuned machine at CIA over the past twenty years since
you know, more than that, since nine to eleven, to find, fix,
and finish terrorist targets. And now we're going to be
taking that machine. Turning to the cartels. It might mean
that we have to, you know, have a few more
(06:33):
Spanish speakers, and you know, maybe the Arabic speakers might
have to look at Spanish too. Right, as we turn
to this problem, set but it's too important. It's right
in our backyard, and we can't we can't afford to
ignore any for any longer.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Well, I think that's how we have all felt.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I mean, we walked in today and we saw the
pictures of the people on the front lawn, all of
the folks that have been arrested. And it's interesting because
I saw someone post today what kind of six organization
looks at this and says, I want to put these
people's pictures and put them in.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
The lawn, And I'm like, this is lost on the
radical left.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
It is lost on the left that these people have
come into our country and committed horrendous, horrendous crimes. And
the reason I believe, but you can correct me if
I'm wrong, the reason for putting these out there so
people can actually see this person committed this crime and
was taken out of this country is so people can
say they're really truly were bad guys here.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Yeah, and we're really doing something yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
No, And it crystallized it. Right. You know, you can
look at the statistics, you can look at the data
enough meaningful obviously, but you know data can be sterile
and impersonal, right, like putting the faces on it, and
you know the places of the victims as well, right,
like remembering like the harm that has been caused by
the failure to spear our border, it really brings it
(07:50):
home to people. So look, you know, CIA obviously has
international focus, right, we don't have a domestic security function.
But you know, just like terrorism, the narcotics threat is
one that originates overseas. Right. It starts with precursor chemicals
in China coming into Mexico and other countries in Latin America.
It's being synthesized into deadly drugsing fatanyl, and then they
(08:12):
smuggled across our border. Right, So there's a domestic component
for that, right. Wean our domestic law enforcement agencies to
help on the domestic side. There's also a foreign component,
and that's where CIA and the rest of the intelligent
community can help the defense.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
What is this may sound like a stupid question, but
what is the purpose of it? Is it for them
to make money? Is it to hurt Americans? Is this terrorism?
Speaker 3 (08:36):
You know? And that's one of the areas where I think, again,
it is a little different than the traditional terrorist threat
because the motivations are different. It's primarily financial you know,
because if if it's for fatanyl, there was cocaine, I mean,
and there's still this cocaine that's still a problem could
looking near on right, But that was as more like
which which drug it is varied over time based on
what's going to make the most money. But for too long. Again,
(09:01):
these cartels have prospered from the an atmosphere where they
could operate in relative in the community. So we're working
with you know, with partner governments in the area too.
You know, the Mexicans, they don't want these cartels running
their country. They don't want the violence, the collection it brings.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I'd like to change gears for a minute and talk
about Israel. It's now the month of May, and eighty
years ago this very month, the horror of the Holocaust,
the final solution came to an end. But do you
know that half of all Holocaust survivors live in Israel.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
The pain of the.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
Past now intensified today by October seventh and the rise
of anti Semitism everywhere, and along with other elderly Jews,
thousands in Israel live below the poverty line. There's no
safety net there. That's why I support the International Fellowship
of Christians and Jews. The Fellowship provides a lifeline to
these precious ones in the form of hot meals and
(09:58):
boxes full of healthy food. And for only twenty five dollars,
you can help provide a food box, and better yet,
for three hundred and thirty five dollars, it provides hot
meals for an entire year. To give generously, call eight
eight eight four eight eight I f c J again,
that's eight eight eight four eight eight four three two five,
(10:21):
or go online to give at IFCJ dot org. That's
IFCJ dot org. I joke about it because it's so
ridiculous that we've had to have it, because we I
think we so many of us knew, and it was
it was almost punishable if you said that you thought
it was a laborate So we are so grateful to
you for what you do to come out and say
these are the fact these are this is the.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Truth I mean, and that's what the present deserves. Right,
are the deserve intelligent assessments in American people. They deserve
intelligent assessments that are supported by the facts on the ground. Right,
you know, no politics, no bias in it, just the
most factorate assessment to inform the parliaments for one policy invidas,
you know, on China more broadly though as well. You know,
(11:03):
I think a tremendous amount of credit is due to
President Trump for recognizing the threat that China OSes to
the United States. And he recognized it before anyone else did.
In Washington, you know, the national security strategy of the
United States in Republican and Democratic administrations alike, for decades
said it was US policy to enable the peaceful rise
of China, right, that was our policy to enable their rise.
(11:25):
President Trump was the first one who came in twenty seventeen,
it is like, that's not the policy anymore, right, China
in addition to the fenteral preak for the problem that
we're in discussing right that, on trade issues, on intellectual property, theraft,
on cybersecurity, on issue after issue that they just have
been solving the rules. And President Trump was the first
(11:46):
one to stand up and really change the dynamic. And
you know, for the CIA now it's the top priority
for US. This is an expotential threat and it's a
technological competition that we're in with China, where whether it's
ais wanted computings on biotechnology. We have to prevail, right,
we have to empower the American private sectors, and we
(12:11):
have to understand Chinese capabilities to be able to succeed
in that competition.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
I mean, so I come from the manufacturing world, and yes,
I would say that China really was what crushed our
foundry and so many others in the United States. So
I watched as our customers would take their products over
to China and then China would just copy them.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
Well, and you know that they never allowed US companies
to say max as to the Chinese market, the Chinese
company kind of the US market. And yes, you know,
you look at product after product that looks suspicious where
that the Chinese version looks suspiciously similar to we like. Yeah,
I mean look at their fifth generation fighter letter CHET
that looks an awful lot like the F thirty five,
(12:53):
which you know, again, lots of people.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Don't understand that we actually had military equipment made by
our adversary, and they have been able to copy some
of what we're doing, but they copy everything and then
and so Jack Lrsy just recently came out and he
said he want us to get rid of IP loss
and get rid of any laws on intellectual property. And
I just think this is how nines people can be.
(13:17):
This is what you've created, this is what you own.
This this is what you've built. And you could have
anybody in the United States, but certainly foreign actors. It's
very dangerous to have them get a fold of our
intellectual property.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Yeah, and part of the problem historically was that there
wasn't any deterrence, there wasn't any cost on foreign adversaries
who engaged in this kind of intellectual property theft. Right.
You know, Chinese hackers would penetrate with the US company
or government agency and look there is you know there
(13:49):
are sanctions or name chaining and seminal indictments, but you
know those are ultimately toothless because the Chinese hackers never
showed up in the US, so we never erected them
and they operate after the US system, So sanctions weren't
particularly meaningful. And you know, that's an area where President
Trump again has started making the difference in his first administration.
And we're c i A and other punt the government
(14:10):
are can play a role in second theistricts and to
start restoring the terrens right and sometimes that means that
we have to engage in offensive operations ourselves to be
able to create again a cost for China and other
and other bad actors on cybersecurity, to make them realize
(14:31):
that they can't act with immunity. If that they engage
a pad behavior, that will be a price fool.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Do you think that is our biggest threat today? Is China?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
I mean we see them in anywhere from globally, in
our in our you know, they're they're building new naval
courts across the globe, so we even see them in space.
So what is the Is China our veggus threat?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Yeah? I mean they are the great power competitor right
now right whether it's good in the military or the
political front, but in the economic front we were just
talking about. Obviously there are other threats out there, Russia, Iran,
North Korea. We worry about all of them too, isis
in al Qaeda. You know, we can't take our out
the ball and any of them. But at the end
(15:15):
of the day, none of them have to get voted
to China US. None of them pose an existential threat
to America the way that China does. You know, when
when Director Ratcliffe and I when we you know, lay
at our priority inside of CIA and and you know
turn our great people, uh towards taking on these threats
on the behalf of the president, it's China and technology
because I think again the competent with China is a
(15:37):
technological competition in a way that our competence in the
Soviet during the Cold War really wasn't. And it's a
partels because again that's that scourage of deadly drugs killing Americans.
You know, Uh, that's in our backyard. So we have
we have to put that in order before we can
get that everything else there before I let you go.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
When I ask coming into the CIA after the Biden administry,
what have you seen that you've I mean, you talked
about getting the guy from the Abby gate?
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Yes, why did.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
That take so long?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
Has the Has the CIA changed since the Biding the administration?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
We changed the priorities And you know, another area where
Director Ratcliffe and I are really you know, changed things
is just on focusing on mission right. The CIA, like
many other parts of society and many other parts of
the government, I think, was distracted by the agenda. There's
things that really took away from our ability to carry
(16:35):
out the mission and the half American people. So you know,
we want an ultimate meritocracy at CIA. We want an
elite workforce. This mission is important, right, with no time
for these distractions or survived. Oh that's that's not that's
not what we should be doing. Right. So we're putting
the focus squarely back on the mission, the uh, the
(16:58):
social and cultural issues. You know, people can do that
in their own time, they shouldn't be doing it at work.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yes, well, I think that the majority of Americans agree,
and that's why President Trump came into the mandate. We
appreciate what you're doing there, and I think the first
one hundred days has been phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
We're excited to see what else to do. But congratulations
on what you have done so far.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Thank you, and thank you so much for having me tonight.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Thank you all for joining me on the Tutor Dixon Podcast.
For this episode and others, go to Tutordison podcast dot com.
You can subscribe right there, or head over to the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts
and join us next time on the Tutor Dixon Podcast.
Have a blessed day,
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show News
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Clay Travis
Buck Sexton
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