IS TAKING A QUESTION ABOUT

IMPEACHMENT.

>> CALL PRESIDENT HAD WITH

PRESIDENT SLESK ON JULY 25TH

AND IF SO ARE THE ACCOUNTS

WE HAVE ALL SEEN OF IT OR

INCLUDING THE TRANSCRIPT OR

PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT RELEASED

BY THE TRANSCRIPT ACCURATE

AND COMPLETE?

IF YOU YOU WERE ON THE CALL

DID YOU HEAR ANYTHING THAT

RAISED A RED FLAG OR

ANYTHING THAT GAVE YOU ANY

CONCERNS?

AND THEN SECONDLY YOU SAID

LAST WEEK THAT YOU -- AS FAR

AS YOU KNEW, EVERYONE AT THE

STATE DEPARTMENT HAS ACTED

APPROPRIATELY IN REGARDS TO

UKRAINE INCLUDING YOURSELF

IS THAT STILL THE CASE?

IS THAT STILL YOUR BELIEF?

IF IT IS, WHY OBJECT TO THE

DEMAND FOR DEPOSITION FROM

THE HOUSE COMMITTEES ON THE

HILL?

AND THEN DO YOU HAVE ANY

SPECIFIC CONCERNS AT ALL

ABOUT WHAT THE STATE

DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL

IS GOING TO BE BRIEFING TO

HILL STAFFERS LATER TODAY.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANKS, MATT.

I WILL TRY TO ANSWER

QUESTIONS 4 THROUGH 7 FIRST

AND THEN 1 THROUGH 3 AFTER

THAT.

BACK TO FIRST PRINCIPLES.

THE PREDICATE OF YOUR FINAL

QUESTION ABOUT OBJECTING TO

WHAT THE FOLKS ON CAPITOL

HILL HAVE ASKED IS

FUNDAMENTALLY NOT TRUE.

WHAT WE OBJECTED TO WAS THE

DEMANDS PUT DEEPLY VIOLATE

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF

SEPARATION OF POWERS.

THEY CONTACTED STATE

DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES

DIRECTLY.

TOLD THEM NOT TO CONTACT TO

LEGAL COUNSEL AT THE STATE

DEPARTMENT.

THAT'S BEEN REPORTED TO US.

THEY SAID THAT THE STATE

DEPARTMENT WOULDN'T BE ABLE

TO BE PRESENT.

THERE ARE IMPORTANT

CONSTITUTIONAL PREROGATIVES

THAT THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

HAS TO BE PRESENT SO WE CAN

PROTECT THE IMPORTANT

INFORMATION.

SO OUR PARTNERS, COUNTRIES

LIKE ITALY CAN HAVE

CONFIDENCE THE INFORMATION

THEY PROVIDE TO THE STATE

DEPARTMENT WILL BE PROTECT

YOU HAD.

SO THE RESPONSE THAT I

PROVIDED TO THEM WAS ONE

THAT ACKNOWLEDGED WE WILL,

OF COURSE, DO OUR

CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO

COOPERATE WITH THIS COEQUAL

BRANCH BUT GOING TO DO SO IN

A WAY THAT IS CONSISTENT

WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES

OF THE AMERICAN SYSTEM.

WE WON'T TOLERATE FOLKS ON

CAPITOL HILL, BULLYING,

INTIMIDATING STATE

DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES THAT IS

UNACCEPTABLE AND NOT

SOMETHING THAT I'M GOING TO

PERMIT TO HAPPEN.

AS FOR WAS I ON THE PHONE

CALL SNIFFS ON THE PHONE

CALL THE PHONE CALL IN THE

CONTEXT NOW I HAVE BEEN

SECRETARY OF STATE FOR

COMING ON A YEARNA.

I KNOW PRECISELY WHAT THE

AMERICAN POLICY IS WITH

RESPECT TO UKRAINE.

IT'S BEEN REMARKABLY

CONSISTENT AND WE WILL

CONTINUE TO TRY TO DRIVE

THOSE SET OF OUTCOMES.

IT'S WHAT OUR TEAM,

INCLUDING AMBASSADOR VOLCKER

WERE FOCUSED ON, WEIGHS TOWN

DOWN THE THREAT THAT RUSSIA

POSES.

HELPING UKRAINIANS TO GET

CORRUPTION OUTSIDE OF THEIR

GOVERNMENT AND TO HELP NOW

THIS ENOUGH GOVERNMENT IN

UKRAINE.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT

OFFICIALS THAT I HAVE HAD

THE PRIVILEGE TO LEAD HAVE

BEEN ENGAGED IN AND IT'S

WHAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO

EVEN WHILE ALL THIS NOISE IS

GOING ON.

>> CHRIS O'DAY, NATIONAL

REVIEW.

>> THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING

HERE.

I WOULD LIKE TO, I GUESS,

ADDRESS THE QUESTION TO BOTH

OF YOU.

YOU CAN TAKE IT IN WHICHEVER

ORDER, WHOEVER WANTS TO GO

FIRST.

PRIMARILY ORIENTED TOWARDS,

I GUESS, WHAT IS

CONVENIENTLY TERMED KIND OF

THE BELTEN ROAD THESE DAYS.

BUT ON A SOMEWHAT BROADER

BASIS NOT JUST WITH HUAWEI

BUT DOES THE U.S. HAVE ANY

SPECIFIC PLANS IN TERMS OF

YOU WHO TO COUNTER CHINA'S

INVESTMENT IN THESE MAJOR,

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

ASSETS AND I ASK THAT HERE

BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE.

STEVE: ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE YOU HAVE GOT THE

SECRETARY OF STATE ANSWERING

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

HE WAS ON THE PHONE CALL.

THEY DID TALK A LITTLE BIT

ABOUT CORRUPTION.

WILL THEY COOPERATE, THE

DEPARTMENT OF STATE WITH