"In my view there has been more space given than I can remember for hate & the overt expression of it, & I am deeply concerned that the overt expression of hate propagates more hate" @DHSgov@SecMayorkas tells @AspenSecurity
"The expression of white supremacy, however odious we might consider it to be, is an ability that individuals have to express under the 1st Amendment" per @SecMayorkas
"It is the connectivity btw the expression of an ideology & violence that prompts our involvement"
#January6th - "I remain in disbelief that this country does not unify in condemnation of what happened on January 6th" per @SecMayorkas "That speaks of the acuity of the divide & why I consider it to be a concern"
.@SecretService's disappearing text messages from #January6th - "The Secret Service remains committed to cooperating fully w/the Committee" per @SecMayorkas "We need to know exactly what happened on January 6th...that is the commitment of the Secret Service"
"The migration [that caused the messages to be lost] was planned well before January 2021" adds @SecMayorkas
"In that divide come foreign adversaries who exploit it, who spread disinformation to drive ppl's behavior...who have the interest in our weakness & our downfall"
"We're not rooting out white supremacy, we're rooting out the violent manifestation of it" per @SecMayorkas when pressed on white supremacists in law enforcement
Is white supremacy "hardwired" into the fabric of the US?
"If I said yes to that, boy would that be a gloomy view of our country" per @SecMayorkas "It is certainly a part of our history from inception but does that mean it's part of our fabric...[long pause]"
"the border is secure. We are working to make the border more secure" per @SecMayorkas "That has been a historic challenge"
"There is work to be done" he says but notes "I take issue w/the math of holding the solution hostage until the problem is resolved"
"We'll have more packages of aid [for #Ukraine] to announce in the weeks and months to come" per @WHNSC's John Kirby
White House praises grain deal signed Friday but cautions "success of course is going to depend on #Russia's compliance w/the agreement" per @WHNSC's John Kirby
"We used to always talk about super powers & I think we now live in a world where we need to talk about cyber powers" @Microsoft President & Vice Chair @BradSmi tells #AspenSecurity
#Drone threat to the US - "We [US] have to think abt whether or not humans will remain in the kill chain bcs some of our adversaries have decided they will not & that the targeting will be done much quicker" House Intel Comm.'s @RepJasonCrow tells #AspenSecurity
Threat to US from drones-"How do we stop those drones before they ever launch?" asks @USSOCOM Commander Gen. Richard Clarke tells #AspenSecurity
"The cost for entry...is very very low" he says, adding there also needs to be discussion of norms for use of drones
#Chemcial-#Biological threat to US significant, even from non-state actors - "It's pretty simple to do" per @USSOCOM's Gen Clarke
Helping #Somalia-"We get it by, with & through" partnerships, LtGen Michael Langley, nominated to lead @USAfricaCommand, tells SASC
"It's the best thing that will thwart the great power competition that's coming w/these false value propositions" from #Russia, #China
US working w/#Africa|n countries to help them establish maritime exclusion zones - "That's going to be the biggest deterrent, or assurance actions... that's going to deter #China from trying to take over the West Coast of the African continent" per LtGen Langley
"#AFRICOM needs more resources, not less" per SASC Ranking Member @JimInhofe, saying he's heard rumors support to @USAfricaCommand is going to be downgraded