To prioritize cybersecurity across the board. Ill consult with experts to plan for the steps that my administration will take in order to secure our systems, improve our cyber defenses, and to better withstand future attacks that we know will come and to impose costs on those who conduct them. I fully expect bipartisan support from this based on what weve heard so far. Our adversaries are highly capable. Cyber threats are among the greatest threats to our Global Security in the 21st century. I believe we have to treat them with the same seriousness and purpose that we treated threats of other unconventional weapons. We have to work with our allies to establish Clear International rules and mechanisms, enforce them, and consequences for those countries that violate them. I want to close with this. As i look at the first of what will be millions of vaccinations going into the arms of americans, after hundreds, thousands, of lives lost, Congress Finally passing an Economic Relief package after months and months of delay, and a new urgency for bipartisan approach to cybersecurity, after years of a president who refused to stand up to our adversaries and hold them accountable. Im reminded of a quote this season from a jesuit priest. He wrote, advent is a time for rousing. Delt believed first were shaken to our depths then were ready for a season of hope. As a nation, weve certainly been shaken to our depths this year. Now its time to awaken, to get moving. Time for hope. Weve gotten through tough times before in this nation. Well get through these difficult times as well. Well do it by coming together, by working with one another, by being you heard me say many times when we are at our best, the United States of america. There are certain things that rise way above partisan differences that threaten the United States. There are National Security interests that require us to cooperate, and im confident, im confident, well be able to do that. After a year of pain and loss, its time to unite, to heal, to rebuild. For all those who are suffering right now, whove had enormous loss, lie awake at night wondering what tomorrows going to bring, i say god bless you all, and i promise you were going to continue to push as hard as we can to finish the job. May god bless you all, may god protect our troops. Merry christmas and happy holidays to you all. Now, ill be a happy to take some questions. Meagan, ill let you tell me whos thank you, mr. President elect. President obama once referred to this emerging cyber battlefield as the wild west. President trump in commenting on this most recent breach said the situation was well under control. Given what you just said about this, that it represents a grave risk, do you believe it also represents an act of war and will you respond in kind, if so . The answer is, first of all, it is a grave risk and it continues. I see no evidence that its under control. I see none. Defense department wont even brief us on many things. So i know of nothing that suggests its under control. This president hasnt even identified whos responsible yet. Number two, the question of the damage done remains to be determined. We have to look at very closely the nature of the breaches, how extensive they are, and what damage has been done. Thirdly, theres going to be a necessity, as president obama and i in our administration talked about, we need International SocietyInternational Rules of the road on cybersecurity. We have to bring along our allies and our friends. So we hold everyone accountable who breaches any of these basic fundamental rules. And lastly, i believe that when i learn the extent of the damage, and, in fact, who was formally responsible, they can be assured that we will respond and probably respond in kind. Theres many options, which i will not discuss now. Why not lay out those kind of options publicly, though . Isnt part of the issue here deterrence and the fact that russia felt some immunity if it is, indeed, russia, to do what theyve done here . We have not done that in any other areas where we have faced international crises. We dont sit here and say that were going to strike you with a nuclear weapon. We dont sit and were going to say, and so on. Let us determine what the extent of the damage is. I promise you there will be a response. On another issue, sir, as you know the runoff elections in georgia could well determine whether theres a Democratic Senate in january or a Republican Senate in january. Is the are you waiting for the outcome of those two races to make some of the final selections for your cabinet including the attorney general, the most significant outstanding cabinet secretary you have to pick . No, not based on the attorney general. Its just a matter of getting to it and through it and being able too to announce them. Theyll all be announced either just before or just after. Were going to make tan announcement tomorrow and may have another announcement between then, christmas and new years. Were just working through all of the efforts to do due diligence. Lastly, has the issue of the investigation of your son come up in discussions with your team and with potential candidates about no. The attorney general . No. I guarantee you im going to do what i said. The attorney general of the United States of america is not the president s lawyer. I will appoint someone who i expect to enforce the law as the laws written. Not guide it by me. Thank you, sir. Thank you, mr. President elect. There is growing concern today about that new variant of covid19 sweeping across the uk. Should the United States right now impose a travel ban on flights coming in from the uk . As you know, there already is one, unrelated to that finding, that new strain, number one. And the question is whether or not at the very least it only allows americans coming home to be able to come back to the states. Citizens. One of the things im waiting to get a response from my covid team is whether or not we should require testing before they get on an aircraft to fly home. Number one. And number two, when they get home, should they quarantine. Thats my instinct, but im waiting to hear from my experts right now. You talked about how you want to propose a new covid relief plan when you do take office. Yes. It took more than six months for congress to reach that new deal. Americans are suffering at this moment. How can you assure americans that relief will come and come soon . You all ask the most interesting questions. Have you ever known anyone in the history of the United States of america that could be president and assure exactly what the congress is going to do . I cant assure anything, but i can tell you what i can expect. I fully expect on those Critical Issues that were facing, number one, being able to get all the work we need done and all the funding to be able to get that vaccine in everyones arm, and thats 300 Million People. Well get that done because youre going to see that the responsibility has already been recognized by the republicans and democrats in the congress because the constituency is going to demand it. Number one. Number two, all those people are out there hurting and lost jobs to no fault of their own. Theyve extended unemployment for ten weeks. Simply not sufficient. Necessary to get it done, to get through the holidays, but i predict to you well get cooperation and get that done. Ive been arguing from the very beginning, told how i love it, it makes me sound so much younger, high naive i am, about how the congress works. I think ive been proven right across the board. The things that are left to deal with from unemployment, to people needing unemployment insurance, to the ability to have access to health care, ability to get the treatment for free, et cetera, all of that is something that the public is not going to stand for us not doing, and i think with donald trump not in the way, that will also enhance the prospect of things getting done. Will your plan include a new round of stimulus checks to the American People . And if so yes. For how much . Look, thats a negotiating issue but it will, yes, it willing and i think by the way, i think we owe Bernie Sanders and his republican colleagues the thanks for getting not all the stimulus we looked for, 1,200, but getting 600 done. I think youll see in that there is a clear understanding that these issues go beyond any ideology. People are desperately hurting. And the republicans are hurting as badly as democrats. There are a few people, im not saying theyre responsible for any of this, a few people are doing extremely well in that kshaped recovery and theyre doing fine, but they still need access to the vaccines. They still need access to making sure that we are able to handle crises in the hospitals, et cetera. So i think on the things relating to a, vaccine distribution, which is going to cost billions more dollars, its simply going to cost billions more dollars. We need national standards, layout to help governors discern how theyre going to get that vaccine throughout their communities. Number one. Number two, were going to need to take care of those people who through no fault of their own are unemployed. Theyve worked like hell, but they have no job because of the covid crisis. And thirdly, were going to have to begin to rebuild the country. We cant wait. We cant wait to rebuild the economy. Were going to have to start doing that now on infrastructure programs and a whole range of other things. I think the sort of the dawn has broken on the vast majority of people. There are still people who dont want to help. There are still people who are insisting my way or the highway. But the vast majority of the members of congress, i believe, will be able to work out those those specific issues that are of national consequence. Thank you, mr. President elect. Thank you. Mr. President elect, thank you. Thank you. Im still not sure if i heard you say specifically, though, sir, what is your ask of the congress in just one months time, what is your ask of the congress after you have watched over these many months when people in your party as well did not necessarily act as quickly as some americans would have liked. What is your ask, sir . My ask will be laid out there in detail, but it relates to four things. Number one, making sure we have all the money we need to get the vaccine to 300 million americans at a minimum over the next year. The next calendar year. Number one. Number two, making sure that all those people who are unemployed through no fault of their own because of the covid crisis, Small Businesses and big businesses, et cetera, are shutting down, that they continue to be able to live day to day. They dont engage in food shortages, theyre not in a position where they get thrown out of their homes. I would also be asking for a moratorium on being evicted from your homes for failure to pay rent. Moratoriums on relating to the issue of whether or not your mortgage are being paid. Thirdly, i think its critically important we provide all of the ppe as well as the direct payments to Small Businesses and others to be able to stay open. To be able to keep their people employed. That is something thats going to increase as time moves. And lastly, were going to need to make sure that were in a position that we can provide for the opportunity for people to begin to go back to work and get new jobs. Developing infrastructure. Given the narrow majorities in the house and senate, youve watched many administrations come and go, do you believe that you will have a honeymoon to get things accomplished . I dont think its a honeymoon at all. I think its a nightmare that everybodys going through and all say its got to end. Its not a honeymoon. Theyre not doing me a favor. Ill ask you a rhetorical question, i dont expect you to answer, and that is, do you think that republicans who are losing their businesses, do you think republican constituents out there who cant pay their mortgage, do you think theyre not letting their republican representatives know they got a problem. Do you think the person who just lost some a Family Member and is worried about losing another one who happens to be a republican, a staunch republican, isnt telling his or her republican senator, state representative, youve got to help, youve got to get something done . Do you think all those people who are making judgments of whether or not i am my child will be able to go to school and i have to stay home and i cant go to work, therefore, i have no income, are all democrats . I think theres been a dawning here and, look, you have a Different Team in town. You have a Different Team in town. Im not going to villainize the opposition, but im going to stand and say this is what we got to do because they know it. They know it. Its not like im saying what we want to do is we want to make sure that we are going to sign a new trade agreement with a, b, or c. This is life and death. Thats why i believe well get it done. Sir, if i can ask a followup to the attorney general decision. You and president obama selected eric holder on december 1st. Every recent president has selected their attorney general by this point. What is taking you so long to make this critical decision, and do you believe that this is a time in the posttrump era where you need someone who is not steeped in politics, who may have a lifes work above or beyond politics . The answer is, first of all, weve gone fast on everybody in the total cabinet. So we not president obama and yourself, sir. The whole cabinet . The whole cabinet. Whole cabinet . There were a few missteps on commerce, as you remember, but i do. Im sure. I didnt want to raise them, though. But, look, this is were looking for a team and we will instill the greatest confidence in the professionals at doj to know once again that there is no politics, theres no politics. As you know, theres been a great debate about in every single appointment whether or not people, there are enough africanamericans, enough hispanics, enough asianpacific americans, enough people who have are new and young. So were just working through it. Its not by design. Theres not an obvious choice in my mind. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Merry christmas. Merry christmas. President elect. Hey. You just spoke about your confidence that it will be possible to get things done once President Trump has left office. Not excuse me, not just because hes left office, because its all becoming obvious exactly whats at stake. Right. But even so, are you concerned about the effects, long term, that his presidency and now in the transition, his refusal to concede, his challenges to the election, will have on american politics, will have on the Republican Party, especially if he does take the step of filing for reelection next months or to run in 2024. You know, are you concerned about him lingering around . I know, i see you smiling, but i still have to ask it and kind of a corollary to that, would you consider filing for reelection early next year to show that youre not going to be a lame duck . Im not going to be a lame duck. Just watch me. Just watch me. Ive been saying this from the very beginning. Look, lets just get the work from this point on for the next several years, there is one objective. Its not my political future. Its bettering the circumstances for the average american. Thats what its all about. And i want to communicate to the American People what i hope they already understand about me. Its about them. Its not about me. Its not about me. Still, do you think that the climate will be different after President Trump than it was before him . Well see. I dont know. I mean, im not a fortuneteller, but i can tell you that the calls ive gotten from city republicans in powerful positions, they know me. They know i level with them. They know i never mislead. They know i tell them the truth. And they know i dont go out of my way to try to embarrass. In terms of the transition, are there areas where the trump team has not been cooperative that have not been made public . Weve heard a bit about the issues at the pentagon last week. Are there other areas that you think the public should be aware of . There are other areas, im not sure its relevant whether the public should be aware of. Look, what im trying to do is pull together Political Parties that are in the congress that know that were facing four serious crises, and we have to address all of them. None of us will get all we want, but we can make real progress. And so my focus is on uniting, not emphasizing the divisions. Thank you. Last question. Thank you, mr. President elect. Russia, as you said, is suspected of carrying out this massive cyber hack. You said it happened under president Donald Trumps watch, but, of course, in january 21, it will then, of course, land on your doorstep. My question is all right. Lets get something straight, land on my doorstep, his failure will land on my doorstep. Yes. Okay. What are the Practical Implications of overseeing a government where experts say it could take years to know where the hackers went and years to remove them. How can you ensure the systems will be safe given what experts are saying . I cant ensure it but i can deman based on the experts both here and among our allies what is needed to find that out. It may cost literally billions of dollars to secure our cyberspace. It may take a great deal to get it done. First and foremost, it takes people who are knowledgeable and vigilant about what is happening and how its happening. And so im just going to do all that need be done. All that need be done to determine, a, the extent of the damage, b, the nature of how it occurred, c, what i should be doing internally in terms of my administration to protect against it in the future, and number four, getting together with our allies to try to set up an International System that constitutes appropriate behavior in cyberspace and get us all to get to the point where we hold, all hold, any other cou