♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY.

WE'RE BACK WITH FORMER C.I.A.

DIRECTOR AND AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK, "UNDAUNTED," JOHN BRENNAN.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE THE STABILITY OF THE UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT GIVEN OUR PRESIDENT IS SICK NOW AND HAS SO MUCH

DISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE SORT OF

MAINTAINED THE AMERICANA OF THE LAST FEW DECADES.

THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN ACCUSED, QUITE CREDIBLY, OF

DESTABILIZING GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD OVER THE LAST 50

YEARS.

AS SOMEONE WHO WANTS RAN THE C.I.A., DO YOU SEE PATTERNS OF

FOREIGN BEHAVIOR IN THE UNITED STATES THAT IS HELPING TO

DESTABILIZE OUR GOVERNMENT THE WAY THE UNITED STATES HAS

DESTABILIZED GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE WORLD?

DO YOU SEE THE RUSSIANS PLAYING GAMES AGAINST US THAT WE PLAYED

IN OTHER REGIMES AROUND THE WORLD?

>> WELL, I THINK THE ADVENT OF THE TECHNICAL AND DIGITAL ERA

HAS GIVEN THE RUSSIANS AS WELL AS THE CHINESE AND OTHERS A

GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO CARRY OUT THESE INFLUENCE

OPERATIONS AND REALLY SHAPE THE ATTITUDES AND VIEWS OF THE

AMERICAN PUBLIC.

WE SAW THAT IN THE 2016 ELECTION AND THEY ARE VERY SOPHISTICATED

CYBER ACTORS.

I BELIEVE OUR ADVERSARIES LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES HERE IN THE

UNITED STATES INCLUDING THE FREEDOMS AND THE LIBERTIES WE

ENJOY TO OPERATE HERE.

THAT'S WHY THE F.B.I. AND THE REST OF THE INTELLIGENCE

COMMUNITY REALLY, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO BE ON THE TOP OF THEIR GAME

TO UNEARTH, UNCOVER AND STOP THESE ACTIVITIES FROM TAKING

PLACE.

AS YOU POINT OUT NOW, IN THE MIDST TO HAVE THE PANDEMIC, AND

WE HAVE A PERSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WHO EVEN ON THE BEST OF

DAYS, IS RECKLESS, IMPULSIVE AND UNSTABLE, LAYER ON TOP OF THAT

HIS COVID DIAGNOSIS AS WELL AS THE MEDICATIONS AND THE STEROIDS

HE'S UNDER, THAT'S WHY I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT HE

MIGHT DO DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME WHEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A

COMBINATION OF FACTORS THAT LOOKS LIKE A VERY DANGEROUS

COCKTAIL FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.

>> Stephen: THE BOOK IS "UNDAUNTED," AND IT'S REALLY A

MEMOIR, AS YOU SAY "MY FIGHT AGAINST AMERICA'S ENEMIES AT

HOME AND ABROAD."

IT IS WELL KNOWN THE RUSSIANS ARE TRYING TO INFLUENCE OUR

ELECTIONS NOW.

WE DO A BETTER KNOW A BALLOT.com WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO

AND LEARN EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO.

OUR VOTING IS SO DECENTRALIZED AND SO FRAGMENTED, MY CHANGE

COUNTY BY COUNTY AROUND THE UNITED STATES.

IS THE FACT WE HAVE SUCH A FRACTURED AND DECENTRALIZED

VOTING SYSTEM A BENEFIT WHEN A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO

HACK INTO OUR ELECTIONS?

>> A BLESSING AND A CURSE, GIVEN THAT STATES CONTROL VOTING

SYSTEMS.

UNFORTUNATELY I THINK WE'VE SEEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN VARIOUS

STATES TRY SUPPRESS VOTING, BUT AS FAR AS THE TECHNICAL

ARCHITECTURE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE

THAT DISTRIBUTION AMONG THE VARIOUS STATES THAT ARE NOT

INTERCONNECTED, IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR FOREIGN ADD

ADVERSARIES TO HAVE STRATEGIC IMPACT TO CHANGE VOTING TALLIES.

RUSSIANS HAVE NAVIGATED THE SYSTEMS, WE KNEW IN 2016 THEY

MAY HAVE TAKEN TOWN SOME VOTER REGISTRATION ROLES.

BUT I'M WORRIED INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE A ABILITY TO SHAPE

VOTES IN KEY STATES.

>> Stephen: HIS BOOK, "UNDAUNTED," ON SALE NOW,

DIRECTOR JOHN BRENNAN, EVERYBODY.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

THANK YOU, SIR.

>> THANK YOU.