Required to turn over data and information that they collect to chinese intelligence. Fccs designation comes as beijing tightens control over hong kong, putting into effect a sweeping National Security law that completes beijings takeover of hong kong. Hong kongs leader, carrie lamb, supporting that takeover and the end of civil rights in hong kong. Prodemocracy groups say this is the end of the hong kong the world once knew. On monday secretary of state mike pompeo announced the United States is stopping the exports of defense equipment to hong kong. The state Department Also imposed the same restrictions on defense and dualuse technology. Last year the United States exported more than 75 million of military equipment to hong kong, most of which was in the form of engines and turbines, 3. 5 million though marked as tanks, artillery, missiles, rockets, guns and ammunition. Secretary pompeo said, quote we cannot risk these items falling into the hands of the Peoples Liberation army whose primary purpose is to uphold the dictatorship of the ccp by any means necessary. Formally designated huawei and zte as threats to National Security. His declaration a major step toward removing National Security threats from the United States. Joining us, the chairman of the federal Communications Commission, ajit pai. And, ajit, good to have you with us. Its been some time since we knew that both of these companies were turning over information that they gathered in the course of their normal businesses to the Peoples Liberation army, to chinese intelligence. Why this decision now . Well, thanks for having me on, lou. Unlike in commune nist china d communist china, we have the rule of law. The fcc proposed to ban the use of fcc funding being used by Telecom Carriers here in the United States on problematic equipment or services coming from carriers like huawei and zte. We initially proposed to designate them as National Security threats, but we wanted everyone to make their case. We heard from the executive branch, we heard from congress, other stakeholders, and we heard from huawei and zte. The overwhelming weight of the evidence suggested that huawei and zte would be National Security threats. Thats why we moved forward with a firm designation to plant a flag to say that going forward, starting on july 1st, tomorrow, that usf funding, funding overseen by the fcc, will not be allowed to be used by u. S. Telecom carriers on equipment or services from these two companies which do present a National Security threat to the United States. Lou is this effectively the beginning of pushing both of these companies out of the u. S. Market . Thats a good question. All i will say is that we are looking at, overa all, the security of our Communications Networks. Right now were talking about Communications Networks that are funded in part by the fcc. Last year we also opened up a conversation about whether we should broaden that prohibition, for equipment or services used by Networks Even if theyre nod not funded by the fcc. Weve been working with congress on socalled grip and replace legislation to remove problematic equipment. No heart what company it is no matter what company it is, if its compromising the United States communication networks, thats not allowable. We will not allow that to happen on our watch. Lou so huawei and zte are are g barred as well then from access to our, to the backbone of the internet, to our basic telecommunications infrastructure, is that correct . Thats correct. So what we found was that these two companies, huawei and zte, had ties to the Chinese Communist party, to the Chinese Military apparatus, the Peoples Liberation army. Ing in addition to that, they are only gated under chinese law, if they get a request from the intelligence services, the secret police, they must comply with it, and they are prohibited from disclosing the fact of that request to any of their customers. Especially if youre talking about small rural carriers in the United States, its not a risk that we believe is worth taking that could allow for all kinds of intrusion, the installation of back doors, the infection of our networks with malware, the theft of intellectual property. There are all kinds of risks that are simply not worth taking here in the United States, and i would argue, elsewhere in the world. Lou and, indeed, in terms of the rest of the world, ajit, where does europe stand . Where do our allies in the pacific and asia stand . Well, based on my own personal conversations with some of my foreign counterparts, weve gotten a good response from many of our allies around the world. Ive talked to folks from south america, europe and asia, and i think those conversations are starting to have traction. Singapore, for example, took a step with one of its major carriers to limit huawei use, installation of 5g equipment. Just yesterday the Indian Government banned 59 chinesebased mobile apps including tick doc from their tiktok altogether. The Chinese CommunistParty Presents a unique threat to Communications Networks, and here in the United States we are sending a signal that we are not going to tolerate that threat any longer. Lou thank you very much, we appreciate it. Ajit pai, chairman of the federal Communications Commission which today has changed the world a bit in going after both zte and huawei. Few leaders on the political right willing to stand up to the mob. Instead, theyre allowing the left to continue their support of the radical agenda. Last night the Democratic National committee took things past their normal guard withenvariety stupidity. In a tweet, the dnc took the official position that celebrating the fourth of july at Mount Rushmore is the equivalent of celebrating white supremacy. Did i mention were talking about the Democrat Party in party . The tweet has since been deleted but without explanation or apology to the president of the United States or the American People. And were not going to wait on that, are we . Members of the radical House Democrats today received a White House Briefing following New York Times reporting that russia had paid the taliban to cull our troops in afghanistan to kill our troops in afghanistan. Dependent on anonymous sources, the reporting was knocked down in todays intelligence briefing. President trump, the white house, the pentagon, the director of the National Intelligence all dismissing the New York Times report. And theyve denied that President Trump was ever briefedded on those charges. A conclusion that House Majority leader steny hoyer today seemed to agree with. I also agree with john bolton who said it was inconceivable, from his perspective, that there is not a cause for briefing on this matter of such importance. Apparently, that did not happen. I left the white house with the impression and the president has said he was not briefed. Leave it at that. Lou and leave it at that. The Democratic Party may do that, but it is not its typical course, is it . The Democrat Party has managed to destroy its already diminished credibility. They once again look inept and clownish in their efforts to still attack President Trump. Listen to them today as they struggle to withdraw from their assertions that President Trump had sat on information about russian bounties. Nothing in the briefing that we have received led me e to believe it is a hoax. There may be different judgments as to the level of credibility. As we look at these, and im going to call them allegations because i cant confirm or deny any underlying intelligence perhaps the president knows something, perhaps he doesnt know anything, perhaps he reacted a certain way, perhaps he doesnt or didnt. It just makes no sense at all. Lou no, the left make no sense at all. They look silly, clownish and, as usual, inept. The leftwing National Media kept playing the pink poodle to the sinister and silly radical dems today even as their absurd, fictional russian bounty narrative blew up in their faces. What is the deal with the democrats and russia . Dont they ever learn . So far they havent. Cnn and the New York Times both claiming unnamed sources to report that President Trump was briefed on those bounties. And the Associated Press made more claims without facts that john bolton had briefed the president as early as last year. All fake news, all lies. All as usual. Up next, the radical dems withdraw from their assertions on russian bounties while the rinos cant quite grasp that they will either win with this president , or they will lose and lose badly. Congressman jim bank withs, he banks, he joins us here he banks, he joins us here he banks, he joins us here i am totally blind. And non24 can make me show up too early. Or too late. Or make me feel like im not really there. Talk to your doctor, and call 8442342424. Theres a me no one knows waiting to be set free so, whats the empty suitcase for . The grand prize trophy i was born to be somebody lou breaking news now, the senates rino trio of mitt romney, Lindsey Graham and marco rubio have introduced together in hopes of reining in President Trumps ability to remove troops from germany. Romney saying, quote the withdrawal of u. S. Troops from germany would be a gift to russia, and thats the last thing we should be doing. End quote. This rino trinity clearly ignoring what the president said about the topic just last week. Were going to be reducing our forces in germany. Some will be coming home and some will be going to other places, but other places in europe. I think it sends a very strong signal to russia. Lou a strong signal to russia. The president also being called upon by many to move many of those troops to poland are which would actually put them in greater proximity to russia. If romney, rubio and graham are, again, clownish, and they didnt even explain how the president s plan to move our troops closer to russia would be a problem for us. I dont think that theyre doing too well at foreign, foreign policy. Joining us tonight, our guest says the New York Times has blood on their hands for even publishing the fictional russia bounty story. Hes congressman jim banks, member of the House Armed Services committee and active officer in the navy reserve who served in afghanistan. Congressman, great to have you with us. This is just more idiocy from the New York Times. At some point you would think they would become somewhat embarrassed by their unnamed sources and their propencety to report propensity to report absolute claptrap. You would think so, lou, but obviously not. This is a despicable hit piece by the New York Times published on friday with one clear intention, and thats to damage President Trump as we get closer to election day by rehashing the russiantrump collusion hoax narrative that the American People have grown so tired of. The democrats, on the other hand, they took the bait. They jumped the gun on friday, and its confusing as youve already mentioned to keep up with them. On friday they were attacking President Trump because he might have known about it, and he didnt do anything about it. Today they walked out of a briefing and theyre attacking him because he didnt know anything about it. Its confusing, its hard to keep up with, its despicable, and the American People have had enough of it. Lou yeah. Well, just keeping a straight, straightahead look at true north. The New York Times is a leftwing propaganda arm of the Democratic Party, the radical dems. They have given themselves over to pure nonsense. And, by the way, i dont and i, if i may disagree we you on this, i dont think the American People are confused at all. They know what a silly, inept lot these dems are right now. And, by the way, if they want to rehash, if they want to rehash the idiotic russian collusion story, i say bring it on. Do as much of it as you can, New York Times, washington post, abc, cbs, whomever. Because the American People realize that that was entirely a conspiracy to overthrow the president of the United States. It was spygate, it was an effort to stop his candidacy and then to overthrow him when he won the presidency. And they were as inept at that as they are everything else. Then they tried impeachment. Why not . Lets bring it back. I mean, let everybody just wallow e in what stupidness, you know, has enveloped the entire Democratic Party. Theyre a silly lot. I couldnt agree more, lou. This is the, this piece though in the New York Times on friday, the worst part of it is now the russians know what with with what we know. Maybe the intelligence was good, maybe it wasnt. We dont know that, and thats why the president was never briefed on it. The intelligence was never verified. The bad part about this is now our career intelligence officials in the field who are doing their jobs might not ever be able to find the truth because the russians would be if it were true, the russians are literally shredding the evidence. If its not true, the russians are laughing at us because once again they worked with the New York Times and the Democrat Party to sow discord in the United States of america. And thats whats despicable about it. For me personally, i served in afghanistan, did 50 vehicle convoy missions outside of the wire during the time that these bounties were allegedly in place. That means the bounty was on my head and that the democrats and the New York Times have prevented our Intelligence Community from doing their job to get the facts and track this down so that we can hold those responsible accountable is absolutely shameful. Lou yeah, it is shameful. And even if the intelligence is, you know, is what it appears to be, completely absurd, the idea that we wouldnt know what is being done and the idea that the taliban needs some further incentive to try to kill our soldiers . Does that not, as one who has served there, congressman, doesnt that seem a little silly to you, that the taliban needed a little boost from the russians to want to kill americans . And we might not ever know because a leaker went to the no, no, i just mean on the face of it. Youre right. They dont need more incentive. But we might not ever know the truth because the New York Times published a story on friday that revealed classified, Sensitive Information that was shared with them from a leaker. Thats whats so astonishingly wrong with this story. It was all a hit piece to attack the president , and im sick and tired of it. I want the leaker to be held accountable and the New York Times to be held accountable for that as well. Lou see, now you this is whats interesting. Was there a leaker . Because this is, again, unidentified sources, unnamed sources, anonymous sources. Who the hell knows who it was. It could have been any number of people. But what is troubling to me is three and a half years into this president s first term we still have leaks that can be this noxious and this, and this just, as you say, somewhat annoying. Congressman jim banks, as always, its great to have you here. We appreciate it. Thank you. If jim banks. Up next, why does the national leftwing media accept joe bidens bunker mentality that keeps him in his basement most of the time . Historian Victor Davis Hanson joins us next. Stay with us. If. Lou break