Transcript [00:00] Hey folks, Eric Stacklec here. Welcome [00:01] to the Watchman newscast. One of the [00:04] world's most strategic waterways was [00:06] just seized by Islamic jihadists. I'm [00:09] not talking about the Straight of [00:10] Hormuz, although there is an Iranian [00:13] link here as well. Surprise, surprise. [00:15] Yemen's Houthi militia, which is backed [00:17] by Iran's regime, gained control of the [00:20] Babel Mandab Strait last Friday. It's a [00:22] critical choke point that connects the [00:24] Red Sea with the open ocean. At least [00:27] 10% of the world's maritime trade passes [00:30] through Babyland, including close to 9 [00:33] million barrels of oil per day. Over the [00:36] past several days, Houthi terrorists [00:38] have overwhelmed Yemeni government [00:39] forces roared down Yemen's coastline and [00:42] seized several strategic islands in the [00:45] Red Sea. They've also launched attacks [00:47] against neighboring Saudi Arabia. And [00:49] now the Saudis are asking President [00:51] Trump for military help. But the [00:54] president so far has declined. For [00:57] starters, the Saudis have offered little [00:59] help in the US war with Iran's regime. [01:02] And the president also wants them, not [01:04] to mention other Arab states and the [01:06] Europeans to learn how to defend [01:09] themselves in their own backyard and not [01:11] always beg the United States to come to [01:14] their rescue. Now, Sentcom Commander [01:16] Brad Cooper was in Jedha today, meeting [01:18] with Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin [01:20] Salman, so there may be greater US [01:23] involvement coming in addition to the [01:26] intel and targeting information that [01:27] we're already providing. In the [01:30] meantime, the Saudis have also been [01:31] forced to shut down a key oil pipeline [01:34] after it was attacked by drones launched [01:37] from Iraq, very likely by Iranianbacked [01:41] militias. Shocking, I know, folks. It's [01:44] very clear what's happening here. The [01:46] Iranian regime wants to expand the war [01:48] and open new fronts in order to drive up [01:51] oil and gas prices and hurt Republicans [01:54] and President Trump in November's [01:56] midterm elections. While things are [01:58] heating up in the Middle East, as [01:59] always, remember we've also got threats [02:02] to the US homeland. I recently sat sat [02:05] down with Homeland Security Secretary [02:07] Mark Wayne Mullen at the Republican [02:09] midterm convention in Dallas to break [02:11] down what America is facing, what's been [02:14] achieved, and the challenges that still [02:17] lie ahead, including Iranianbacked [02:20] terror plots right here on US soil. Take [02:24] a look, [02:25] >> Miss Secti, great to have you here with [02:26] us. And the stakes couldn't be higher. [02:28] Obviously, midterms around the corner [02:29] with the first ever Republican midterm [02:32] convention. One of the big issues that [02:33] the president is highlighting is the [02:35] massive success in deportations, right, [02:38] >> in securing the border, perhaps more [02:40] than any time in American history. Talk [02:42] a bit more about that, how your [02:44] department's at the forefront of that. [02:45] >> Well, I want to keep in mind the Biden [02:48] administration said they needed Congress [02:49] to act to secure the border. Well, let [02:51] me tell you, Congress hasn't acted on [02:53] actually immigration reform since 1959. [02:56] It was President Trump that came in and [02:58] said these policies can be taken effect [03:00] immediately within his authority and [03:02] secure the border. So he secured the [03:04] border day one. 16 months now we've had [03:06] zero releases into the United States. [03:09] We're seeing crime drop because with [03:11] illegal migration or illegal aliens came [03:14] crime. Right? If you choose to step [03:16] across our border and cut line because [03:19] you because legally people get here all [03:21] the time through legal migration [03:24] policies that we put in place. So they [03:26] followed the rules. Individuals that [03:27] came over here illegally, they chose to [03:29] cut the line. Minute they chose to do [03:31] that, they broke the law. They became [03:32] the criminal at that point. Regardless [03:34] of what you want to say, they broke the [03:36] law. That means that you are criminal by [03:38] it by by your choice. What President [03:41] Trump has is he's focused on that. And [03:44] to bring down crime, you got to bring [03:46] down um the the illegal entry into this [03:49] country because you got to know who's [03:51] coming to your country. It's impossible [03:53] to to secure our borders and to to have [03:56] um uh uh safe streets go hand in hand. [03:59] It's impossible to have an open border [04:01] and safe streets at the same time. And [04:04] every single illegal that is that kills [04:07] an American citizen is 100% preventable [04:09] because they shouldn't be here. So when [04:11] you talk about uh um uh uh murder rates [04:14] going down to 126 year low, it's because [04:17] of our strong push toward securing the [04:20] border and then getting the criminals [04:21] off our streets because of President [04:22] Trump's leadership. [04:23] >> Yeah, Secretary, it's common sense [04:25] policies number one. And number two, [04:26] >> that's what the president said last [04:27] night, too. We're a party of common [04:28] sense. [04:29] >> Yes. And this all happened in just under [04:31] two years. Pretty amazing. Hey, the [04:34] month of August alone, over 50,000 [04:35] arrests of illegals, deportation flights [04:38] continue. Talk a bit more about that. It [04:40] seems like things are ramping up in a [04:42] good way uh under your leadership at the [04:44] department. [04:44] >> So, we have great men and women [04:46] throughout the Department of Homeland [04:47] Security that want to do their job. We [04:49] have 270,000 employees and we're in law [04:52] enforcement and and we take care of the [04:55] crimes and the individuals that are [04:56] trying to come into our country from the [04:58] sea to the air uh to the to to the land [05:01] and to cyber. Um and so it's a whole [05:03] approach. So when I walked in, all I had [05:06] to do was realize that I have patriots [05:07] here that are wanting to work because [05:09] they had been working for free for over [05:10] 40 days because we were in a shutdown. [05:12] It was 76 days total before they got [05:15] paid and they still showed up every [05:16] single day to protect the homeland. All [05:18] we did was let them go. We empowered [05:20] them. And my question to all my [05:22] component leaders, which I have 22 [05:24] components, is what do you need from me? [05:26] What's what's keeping you from doing [05:28] your job? What is the bureaucracy? What [05:30] is the headache? what is the paperwork [05:32] that's keeping you from being able to go [05:34] out there and and and protect the [05:35] homeland like you signed up to do? And [05:37] every time I do that, I get takeaways. I [05:40] go and I fix the problem because if I [05:42] can just release them, let them do their [05:44] job in in in the right way. Give them [05:46] the training they need, give them the [05:47] tools that they need, give them the [05:49] support they need, they want to do it [05:52] and they will do it. And that's what's [05:53] been happening. All we did is empower [05:55] individuals to do the job that they [05:56] signed up to do. [05:57] >> Imagine that. And as you said, they're [05:59] willing. They want to do this job. the [06:01] American people. Talk about the [06:02] challenges you face from sanctuary [06:04] cities, a persistent problem, sanctuary [06:06] cities, attacks on our ICE agents. Can [06:09] you talk a bit more about that challenge [06:10] and how you're overcoming it? [06:11] >> Eric, the frustrating thing when you [06:13] have sanctuary cities, it's not just [06:15] they're protecting illegals, they're [06:17] harboring criminal activity. That's [06:19] where we see the worst criminal [06:20] activities happen. And it's not just [06:22] confined to that city. What they do is [06:25] they push out into other communities. [06:27] They push out to other states. and then [06:29] they find safe haven back in the [06:31] sanctuary cities or sanctuary states. [06:33] And that's where we're chasing these [06:34] organized crime, uh, these cartels, uh, [06:37] these drug dealers, these drug the these [06:40] child traffickers are are are operating [06:42] out of these safe agents called [06:44] sanctuary cities. They're not doing any [06:46] they're not it's not humane. In fact, [06:47] it's the opposite of humane what these [06:49] these socialist um liberal democrats [06:53] that are running these cities and [06:54] running these states are doing. So, we [06:56] go into those states regardless they [06:57] have cooperation or not. just saw an [06:59] operation that we worked in a sanctuary [07:01] state called New York that has a [07:03] horrible governor. And uh and in there [07:06] we took 2100 people off the streets. [07:09] Criminals, the worst the worst. Do you [07:11] know the majority of those individuals, [07:13] the state had them locked up either from [07:16] the city level in a jail or a a prison [07:18] and they released them and we had [07:19] detainers on them. Meaning that hey, we [07:22] told them this person has no legal [07:23] status. They're convicted criminals or [07:25] they wouldn't be locked up. Before you [07:28] release them back into the community [07:29] where they can harm more people, let us [07:32] take them. We'll take them off your [07:34] hands and we'll deport them back to the [07:35] country they came from. And these [07:37] sanctuary states and sanctuary cities [07:38] refuse to even cooperate with that. I [07:41] mean, okay, if you want to say you don't [07:43] want us showing up at the job sites or [07:45] you don't want us on your streets, [07:46] that's that that's not debatable. We're [07:48] doing our job. We're going to do our job [07:50] regardless because I don't pick and [07:52] choose which law we're enforced. were a [07:53] portion of the nation's immigration [07:55] policy. Full stop. [07:56] >> Right. But if you want to make that [07:58] argument, okay, I disagree with you, but [08:01] okay. But we should at least agree when [08:03] you have these individuals that are [08:05] already convicted of a crime. [08:07] >> Murders. [08:07] >> Yes. They're convicted felons there and [08:10] of the of any type of crime you can [08:11] think of from childh trafficking to to [08:14] to uh drug trafficking to murderers to [08:17] worse. Yeah. Worst to worse. [08:19] before you release him back on the [08:21] streets, get them out of our country. [08:23] Honor our detainer and they won't. [08:25] That's from California to New York to [08:27] Massachusetts to New Jersey to Virginia [08:30] uh to Minnesota. And it's just these [08:33] governors that we we would I don't have [08:35] to agree with your policies to work with [08:36] you, but it shouldn't be a red or blue [08:39] thing when we talk about protecting our [08:40] neighborhoods. [08:41] >> Yeah, it's really maddening. And one [08:43] maddening aspect of the previous [08:44] administration secretary was the drug [08:46] cartels were running ramps. Nicaragua. [08:49] >> That's changing now. The border is more [08:52] secure than it's been in memory. Talk a [08:54] bit more about that. How the cartels are [08:56] increasingly kind of feeling the brunt [08:58] of strong border policies and homeland [09:00] security policies. [09:01] >> Well, let me once you push one area um [09:05] that the criminal activity goes [09:06] someplace else. So, because of President [09:08] Trump's effort to secure our border, [09:09] which we have a secured southern border, [09:12] now we're seeing pressure come on our [09:13] northern border and [09:15] >> which is long. It's 5,400 miles. Yes, [09:18] it's 5,400 miles and and we while we do [09:21] have our differences with Canada, the [09:24] law enforcement in Canada works really [09:26] good with us. Um, so we have a good [09:29] cooperation that we're working handinand [09:31] with regardless of what's happening on [09:32] the political side of things. Um, but [09:35] what we're seeing with cartels is we're [09:37] making a shift, right? The cartels now [09:39] are because we we took several of these [09:42] underneath President Trump's leadership [09:43] and we diagnosed them. designated them [09:46] as terrorist. [09:48] >> So now they're starting to pair with [09:50] other terrorist organizations out there [09:52] too. And so the activity that we're [09:54] seeing come from them I is even more [09:56] horrific than we had in the past. And so [09:59] we have to fight this at every Yes, [10:00] they're brutal. We got to fight this [10:02] from every aspect. We can't just simply [10:05] >> we can't just simply turn a blind eye to [10:07] the criminal activity because it's not [10:08] going to go away. It's going to continue [10:09] to grow. And so at DHS, we are [10:12] constantly having to we're constantly [10:15] have to look at what we do every single [10:17] day and adjust because every time we [10:19] stop the criminals from doing one thing, [10:21] they'll adjust and try to do something [10:23] else. And we've got to always be one [10:25] step ahead of them. [10:25] >> The threat level is always expanding, [10:28] diversifying in the wrong way. [10:30] >> In the wrong way. That's right. [10:31] >> Uh you mentioned terrorist [10:32] organizations. 25 year anniversary of [10:35] 911, of course, right? [10:36] >> But we still have a persistent Islamic [10:38] terror threat. that the Iranian regime [10:39] and their proxies. How concerned should [10:42] we be about that threat? The the threat [10:44] of radical Islam still 25 years on but [10:46] still present. You have the Iranian [10:48] regime making threats of course against [10:49] land. Talk a bit more about combating [10:51] that. Well, as we know, Department of [10:53] Homeland Security came out of the ashes [10:56] of literally the ashes of 911 because [10:59] there was a lot of um missed [11:02] opportunities to put the dots and [11:04] connect the dots together to keep that [11:06] horrific incident from taking place [11:08] >> throughout the '90s. [11:09] >> Yes. And from Osama bin Laden overseas [11:12] to even the individuals that came in to [11:14] do flight training at Norman, Oklahoma, [11:16] there was a lot of lot of a lot of [11:18] opportunities that were missed. So DHS [11:20] was like, we're bringing all those uh um [11:22] components together underneath one [11:24] underneath one department, Department of [11:26] Homeland Security, and we're going to [11:27] continue to look at it every day. I will [11:29] tell you, Department of Homeland [11:31] Security are are going after and [11:33] arresting bad individuals and stopping [11:35] bad actors trying to hurt the homelands. [11:38] I I in fact to the point where I I I'm [11:40] I'm talking to the the White House about [11:42] changing our seal. Um and and your [11:45] seals, the a eagle during the time of [11:48] peace looks towards the olive branch. [11:50] During the time of war, it looks towards [11:51] the arrows. What we're want to do is and [11:54] and I mean this for the for for the what [11:56] we fight every day is that in department [11:58] of homeland, we need to be looking [11:59] towards the arrows every day because our [12:01] homeland is at war every day. Every [12:03] single day, these terrorist [12:04] organizations are trying to find a [12:06] foothold to to inflict pain and terror [12:09] into the homeland. We have been lucky to [12:11] prevent that for 25 years. And I do mean [12:14] lucky uh in a sense that because we got [12:17] men and women that are willing to do [12:19] their job even underneath vorrible [12:21] leadership like the Biden [12:22] administration, they were still able to [12:23] prevent it. [12:24] >> Yeah, it really feels like America under [12:26] President Trump, it is a firewall for [12:28] sanity as we discussed for really [12:30] Western civilization against these [12:32] multiple threats. [12:34] >> Speaking of which, last question. You're [12:35] a very busy man. We'll let you go in a [12:37] minute. Uh midterms in November [12:39] obviously, [12:39] >> right? And you mentioned the the [12:42] craziness of the left these days. Talk a [12:45] bit more about the stakes for what you [12:46] do. Great advances made in homeland [12:48] security over the past two years. Want [12:50] to keep that going, of course. What does [12:52] America look like, our security, our [12:54] border, our immigration policy if the [12:57] left gets any position of power? [12:59] >> Well, I know that um the men and women [13:02] at Department of Homeland Security is [13:03] going to continue doing their job. Yeah. [13:05] Regardless of who's in power, uh it just [13:07] might look different. The threats aren't [13:09] The threats are real every day. They're [13:11] real. Every day there's something new [13:13] that we're dealing with. Um and I hate [13:15] to say it, but I'm just speaking the [13:17] truth. [13:18] >> Yeah. [13:18] >> It's not a matter of if, it's more like [13:20] probably a matter of when something [13:22] horrific takes place again. Uh and and [13:24] and we are in Department of Homeland [13:26] Security trying to prevent that. So what [13:28] I say is we leave no stone unturned. [13:30] Anything that comes to us, no matter how [13:31] big or how small it is, we're going to [13:33] chase it to the end until we realize it [13:35] is a threat or not a threat. and we're [13:37] going to to to do what we can to [13:39] eliminate it. Um when when you start [13:41] talking about the real issues between [13:43] the Republican party and the Democrat [13:45] party, when you have a Democrat party [13:46] that is pandering to a criminal [13:48] activity, you invite that type of uh [13:51] behavior and mindset and complacency to [13:53] come into our cities, into our states, [13:55] and then into our countries. Uh we can't [13:57] allow that to happen. And I think it's [13:59] on purpose. And let me just chase a [14:01] rabbit with you here real quick. Okay. [14:03] >> I think you're right, B. Well, we it how [14:05] does how does as the president said this [14:07] last night, right? We have skipped over [14:09] socialism and went right to communia. [14:11] So, how does communism come to rise? How [14:13] does a republic fail? It's because they [14:16] they they give the mistrust of the [14:18] individuals by destroying the fabric of [14:21] the country that they're in. And so, [14:23] they try to say that it's it's fake. You [14:25] can't trust them. They try to run up [14:27] prices. They try to destroy what what [14:29] government is there. They try to say [14:30] everybody's corrupt. They try to bring [14:32] in that hey the only solution is [14:34] government itself [14:36] >> and then when everything falls apart [14:38] then the communist party comes into [14:39] place and says we'll take it from here [14:42] >> and yet it fails too [14:43] >> and then they try to get back to their [14:45] democracy and dream to become the [14:47] republic that the United States is. Um [14:49] we can't allow that to happen. We know [14:52] history. We've seen this playbook [14:53] before. And the Republicans underneath [14:56] President Trump's leadership, he made it [14:57] he made it very clear that we're a party [15:00] of common sense. [15:01] >> Yeah. [15:02] >> Regardless of where you're at, it's [15:04] common sense. You look at where the [15:06] Democrat party is right now by wanting [15:07] to have women in men's sports. Um it it [15:10] it it makes no sense by trying to trying [15:12] to harbor and abetade uh these these [15:15] criminals in their cities um and say [15:18] that criminals have the right to vote. I [15:20] mean, you saw Danberry in Connecticut [15:22] just voted to allow illegals to be able [15:24] to be in law enforcement. So, you're [15:25] putting people in to carry a badge and a [15:29] and a a badge and a gun and they're [15:31] going to enforce the laws. It it doesn't [15:33] make any sense. It's crazy. And you [15:35] can't make sense out of crazy. But the [15:37] Republican party is the party of common [15:39] sense and it and and it we're fortunate [15:42] to have the leader like President Trump [15:44] to call it for what it is. [15:45] >> Yeah, Mr. Secretary, well said. We [15:47] appreciate all you're doing for our [15:48] country. God bless. Thanks. Thank you. [15:49] >> Appreciate it. Appreciate stuff. Yeah, [15:51] >> great discussion there with Homeland [15:52] Security Chief Mark Wayne Mullen. Folks, [15:54] remember the Iranian regime has plotted, [15:56] I didn't discuss this with the secretary [15:58] directly, but the Iranian regime has [16:00] plotted against President Trump to take [16:03] his life on at least two occasions. [16:05] They've also threatened Baron Trump, [16:07] Ivanka Trump. So, this is a very real [16:09] threat. The Iranian regime attempting to [16:12] strike the US homeland or in particular [16:14] assassinate US officials. And I know [16:17] Mark Wayne Mullen, Department of [16:18] Homeland Security Secretary is on top of [16:21] that. When it comes to oil and gas [16:23] prices and this new front, the Baband [16:26] Strait opening. We'll see where this [16:28] goes in the next few days. I think it [16:30] may get to the point where the US does [16:31] have to get involved to help neutralize [16:34] this Houthi threat because the Saudis do [16:37] not seem very able. I guess there's a [16:40] willingness, but they they certainly [16:41] don't seem able despite some of the [16:43] advanced military hardware they have. [16:45] They don't seem able to hold back the [16:48] Houthi tide and this has really been [16:49] happening over the past several years. [16:51] The Saudis have struggled to get the [16:53] Houthi threat under control in [16:55] neighboring Yemen. So the plot thickens [16:58] in the shifting sands of the Middle [17:00] East. Keep it here for updates. We'll be [17:01] coming back to you all this week with [17:04] updates on the Yemen Baba Mandab Strait [17:06] situation and how it affects you no [17:08] matter where you live. Till next time, [17:11] thanks for joining us. God bless you and [17:13] remember never [17:15] Hold your peace. [17:17] >> Hey everyone, thanks for checking out [17:18] the Watchman newscast. Make sure you hit [17:21] the subscribe button so you never miss [17:22] an upload and tap the bell icon so [17:25] you're notified every time a new video [17:27] is posted. And don't forget to share [17:29] your thoughts, insights, and comments [17:32] below. Thanks for watching. We'll see [17:33] you back here tomorrow.
