mr. livingston: if you tell the truth in t.s.a. you will be targeted. i call it the lord of the flies. you either attack or be attacked. mr. rhoades: ma'am, if i may. ms. norton: yes. mr. rhoades: i was accused of going native. ms. norton: going what? mr. rhoades: going native. ms. norton: explain that, sir. mr. rhoades: ma'am, it's a slang term where i was visiting mosques in my official working with the somali community where jeh johnson, my secretary, tells me he wants to conduct community outreach and my supervisors accused me of going native. i take that to mean i'm somehow converting to islam. i'm acting as a native. it's a disgusting, bigoted term, and when i think of that within the context of my written mid year evaluation that tells me to

profile somali people, i'm disgusted by it. going native? i'm truly disgusted by it. ms. norton: now, this committee -- the house unanimously passed a bill called the federal employee anti-discrimination act to help hold managers accountable. you know, the kinds of retaliation that would happen below your level perhaps is apparently better taken care of. i was an original co-sponsor. it looks like most of the committee was. this is -- this bill, by the way, is pending in the senate. it hasn't passed the senate yet. but it would require the agencies to keep track of every single complaint.

somehow for the string of issues, mr. livingston, for example, you indicated there would have to be a tracking of the complaint through inception and resolution. do you think this would help bring some additional level, mr. livingston -- any of the three of you -- i'll start with you, mr. livingston, through the process? mr. livingston: yes, ma'am. anytime there's checks and balances and you track that i think that's a good thing. ms. norton: see if something funny is going on here. with the string of -- you see the string of -- mr. livingston: yes, ma'am. i think t.s.a. has a management protocol problem. i think if you can track and show the process -- and i know the committee has looked at it for years, i think if you can show that, because all these leaders are not bad. some are very good. exceptional.

i can name several. but all it takes is somebody to circumvent that process and now you ruined the good work of many. but if you track that and you quantify it and you can show the progress of the well-intended, i think everybody benefits. if you have toxic, cancerous leaders that are injected in this process, it undoes all the good work that the well-intended leaders do. and that's why mr. neffenger needs a team around him that can do that. in this process you're talking about, this tracking, this mechanism the numbers in the data doesn't lie and it's forever. once you put it into the record and once you track it, it's consistent overtime and that's what we need is consistent, persistent, quality leadership because factual data will make us better. ms. norton: mr. livingston, they gave me something of what you said to staff indicating these nondisclosure agreements stand in the way. i notice -- and of course, i'd like to know whether you think

our bill that says that you can't restrict the employee from disclosing waste, fraud and abuse to congress, special council or the inspector general, whether that reaches far enough? mr. livingston: i think we overuse the nondisclosure agreements in my agency. i think every legal case we have ends in one and i think that's an abuse of the power we have. i did write a statement to that. i will look for it very quickly and read it to you. every case from a misconduct or e.e.o. ends into an n.d.a. at worst it shows our problems. at the least it shows a cover-up. every case can't be an n.d.a. we should have public disclosure. we should show the public what we're doing it and if we're hiding it we're hiding something. mr. mica: i thank the gentleman.

we'll recognize the gentleman from south carolina, mr. mulvaney. mr. mulvaney: i thank the chairman and i wish that mr. lynch had stuck around for a few minutes because he said something i thought mr. brainard handled it very well. i'll go back just for the record and i think mr. lynch mentioned at the end the airlines were interested in moving product, moving people through and i think mr. brainard, you handled that extraordinarily well. i know some folks who work there and their families fly, nair friends fly and they care just as much about safety as we do. it's probably just as inaccurate to say the airlines only care about moving product as it would be to say all you care about is safety. that you don't care about the folks who have to stand in line and how long they do. in fact, i look to a longer conversation about who cares let less about it, cooperation or bureaucracy. i guess they're tied. i want to talk about the way the employees are treated. is anybody familiar with the circumstances at charleston, south carolina about kimberly

barnett? just something we talked about here today. she complained about her supervisor falsifying records in her area. it was the k-9 use of the dog. she went to the o.s.c. which is where she was supposed to go and made the complaint in june of 2014, and by november of 2014 she was fired. she was fired over a completely different allegation regarding using inappropriate language when her car got struck by a bus. so i wanted to mention her because this is -- it's more than just you, gentlemen. we heard your stories. but i think everybody from every one of our districts could bring some of these stories in. but let's talk about how to fix it and if it can be fixed. mr. livingston, you hit the nail on the head. your exact language was accountable leadership which i agree with. can you name to me a federal agency that has that? mr. livingston: i used to work at the nuclear regulatory

commission and i worked at the department of the navy and they had it. mr. mulvaney: maybe it's a function what we do in this committee but since we've see the bad stuff all the time we can tell you again and again, we can bring you examples of leadership breaking down, leadership not being accountable, of folks not being able to fire people. we can do -- you could have a hearing here every single day how poorly the v.a. is run for those same reasons. you mentioned one of the challenges the agency faces is personnel. i think you said it was staffing and then it was money. i feel it's incumbent upon me you haven't cut your budgets. your budgets have been fairly flat the last couple years. when you tell me every day this summer will be the day like thanksgiving is, why is that? it can't just be money. in fact, it can't be money because we really haven't changed the money that much. mr. livingston: we are in a perpetual human resource model whether where we're always losing and recruiting people.

we don't have a model where we recruit and maintain and if you don't sustain top quality people then you're not going to get the best work force. if we're always recruiting because we're always losing, you're not going to get the best people. if you don't take care of the people that you hire, they're not going to stay. if you don't care of the people that you hire and get them into a career development leadership program and if you don't take your best people and groom them for bigger, better positions, if you don't send them to the top level schools and don't invest in them, if you don't make people feel important and if you don't make people care about them, they're not going to say no matter where they are. mr. mulvaney: i agree with that wholeheartedly. anybody here who's ever had to hire or fire people or run an organization probably agrees with that statement. >> if people think you care about them, they will take a bullet for you.

>> which leads me to my question, why are we doing this? you describe some of the same frustrations we have with sony bureaucracies. -- with so many bureaucracies. unaccountableout leadership, we hear that in here every single day from every single agency we bring in. my question is why are we doing this? why would it be letter to let private services to services functioning? you defend the agencies as to why the federal government needs to be doing this? we have had contractors coming here before. there is always the threat hanging over contractors. we don't have that with the tsa. i ask you to defend the federal role. as are we doing this

federal government? >> i would like to take a stab at that. one of the essential elements of government is -- i grew up as an army ranger. a ranger lives and breathes, a leader is responsible for his or her unit. responsible for everything that unit does or fails to do. when they are failures there must be consequences to those failures. we don't have consequences in tsa. entire people and the chain of command would have been released. >> we would fire them and replace them with somebody else. >> i would suggest whether it is private, whether we stay, my view is irrelevant. it requires the most essential ingredient and i work for kraft foods and marketing.

intangibles,the but that is why we are all here. failures of accountability, failures of performance. >> i will cut you off. i don't want to take away, but that frustration is embodied and experienced in this committee every single day. >> your recognize. >> you are on the sheet. are you aware of examples of an investigation as you believe specifically to move in from an agency? examples? >> i know the morale survey was -- i know the investigation in miami was used as an instrument.

>> what do you do if you get yourself in trouble after they go after you? >> anytime you report misconduct and tone favorite people, it goes against the favorite people. you report 35 dish you report security violations. it seems to go against the grain. >> the idea was to establish a respect for the people.

if you don't say something you are considered a weak leader. i think if you say something you are considered an outsider. i had another one say if she files a complaint, it is our word against hers. i said i'm not going to lie. he says if you don't, we not going to work with you. obviously i was on the outside from the get go. i was stunned another one would ask me to lie. happening something and were going to report it? >> absolutely i did. >> could one of you give a background on how integrity tests are conducted at the airports? >> i can give you some insight.

the integrity testing went into high gear shortly after a media story about ipads were taking place and our tsa officer will come out and they will run test items through cash cards, money, dvds, and things like that. items that come out, when they conduct the integrity test they will come to these items and the federal security director will get a call and we will be notified of the outcome. generally speaking they will ask if you can recover them for us through lost and found. i will give an example that certainly you will appreciate. one of the items they are notorious for planting our pens. they will throw a 10 on the floor and tsa picks it up and turns it in. out a couple of investigators and literally interrogate them and push for a resignation or proposed removal

for theft. i know this because they have done it at -- i know because they have joked it is the most successful test they have had. when he picked up the pen and threw it in the garbage because he did not put any intrinsic value on the pen. .t was a $200 pen in my operation i happened to be the worst offenders of picking up tens. the irony of all this when talking about testing is you hold the people in the field to the highest standard, the people at headquarters to the lowest standard. we have people picking up tens and they are sending out these criminal investigators. it is commonplace for them to come out and threaten people with a criminal prosecution. they will take a not criminal case to a local prosecutor as part of the fairness actors say they are spending 50% of their time on criminal investigations.

and they take and hold the field to a much different standard of accountability. at oure people headquarters abusing their staff members. words they put a stupid plastic pen on the ground. >> i can go to cvs and get something that looks just like it and i couldn't tell the difference between that and a seven dollar pen. i have never seen a passenger in turn a pen to the lost and found at the airport. if that is not a most ridiculous use of taxpayer money, i don't know what is. do you think they ever target individual employees or individual airports? >> i have never seen any indication the tests are conducted for any particular reason. i think that portion of the test is. i think integrity testing is actually essential.

the only people that hate to see theft in the workplace more than the american public are the unemployed. >> thank you for the extra time. >> thank you. let me yield to mr. cummings. he is going to yield. >> i'm going to have to go to another meeting, but i want to thank you all for being here. you have provided some very significant testimony. we need to see the entire picture. but we certainly cannot have a situation where the even worry about retaliation, let alone be the victim of it. think you will that concern

from both sides. again i want to thank you all. we have to find a way to cut out that layer you were talking about, those people who seem to want things to go the way they have been going, and the way they have been going on is not healthy. and it takes away from the of the agency and its effectiveness and efficiency. know they are going to explore this. but this idea of people being sent from one country to another , if that is about retaliation, i will tell you something, to me that is criminal. family -- families are so important.

and the families that have to go through that help, life is short. i will yield. thank you. think the ranking member for those comments. i just wanted to make sure i understand the difference between the legitimate use of tools for management and its abuse. i asked before about these assignments, and i can see how it opens itself due to abuse. internally, they have begun to take some action. such a problem within the agencies. i want to ask about directed reassignments. i want to know if it has been misused.

we see this all across the government. this is the capacity of the to ask the employee to move every four years. see that in the state department, we see that in the services of the united states. it from theee national park service. i think a former administrator suspended the tour of duty they would whereby be moved every four years. >> you are speaking to mr. carraway. he was the administrator between the transitions.

he not only saw the detrimental effect it had on the culture of our work, he also had been subjected to it himself. he had walked that will -- walked that mile. in onr. neff injured came 2015, here -- he reaffirmed to hold what mr. carraway had done. sure if they have tried to do it since mr. carraway put a freeze on it. there are some things you don't find out about until the bells are run. but he did freeze that process. when you sit down and look at the information, it is crystal clear. >> it was a problem in that agency. not unusual in having this tour of duty. >> last year, when i hired and is a federal security director, i did not sign a liability

agreement -- a mobility agreement. the tsa signed a -- signed an agreement. if you want to be a candidate you sign a mobility agreement. what they did is they established a mobility process with the federal security directors and started moving them around. they did not have a business reason to do it. we are certainly able to articulate that. >> that happened in november 2014. i received my directed reassignment. you are just calling the same thing, it directed reassignment. what is important to understand is on the night of february 19, 2015, my former federal security

director called on his cell phone. i heard every word he said. i suspended that action. that did not go through 80 -- through an executive resource council. it goes back to a point i want to reinforce here. if we are going to ignore them or work around them or lie about them, then it is going to affect us. >> you can call it a tour of duty reassignment. my friends and colleagues on the other side have the same view about the minimal attention even at your level, that civil servants even half. a bill pleased we passed ourselves, just waiting for the senate.

take a bill to do something about this. i noticed on march 24 of this year, the president administrator, a detailed explanation about why this employee must be re-signed -- reassigned. any other option it seems to me is important. does that help the situation? >> this is a question of using policy in such a way that you can push an agenda. there would be legitimate reasons you can to a directed reassignment. you may have somebody who is not performing well. you may have some but he who is abusive to the workforce. you may not be able to determine somebody who has not reached that level. you are prepared to sit down and have an options meeting.

you being at this location is not going to work. there are circumstances in which do aould do a written -- directed reassignment. this goes back to do you have a policy in place that governs this. i will tell you a comment i heard and i will say it in this hearing, because there are 300 witnesses to the previous deputy administrator, where they were talking about ethics and accountability. that is the mentality that these people have. they don't care if you are going to file an eeo. it is very difficult to get them to accept a complaint. there needs to be legitimacy with this. that is why these types of moves are absent. >> they ended my probationary. the argument was made they had no proof.

>> i very much appreciate your indulgence. our committee moves unanimously on this. the nuances are quite different. , do youwhere the agency really hold people accountable? let's put it in writing about why the employee must be reassigned. let's look at what the options are. there may be no option. i particularly appreciated your explanation. reasons. some what we are here discussing and not the reasons that are used across the government, but the abuse of these party policies. i thank you very much for your testimony. >> by law to conclude and thank

all the members for their participation. particularly for you all coming forward. i have set you have confirmed some of our worst suspicions. it takes some brief people to come forward, especially from an agency that is renowned for retaliation, has grown to renowned for getting its employees and those who step forward and reported some of the problems are paying some pretty high penalties. it is abusive to you, to the system. i was one of the people who created tsa way back after 9/11 as the chair of aviation subcommittee. the president wanted it on his desk by thanksgiving. we try to structure something

that would replace what we had. i think there should be a federal responsibility. we changed from having the airlines in the private sector there weren't federal guidelines in place and they fail to be put in place. away with it, i said change the rule. the most shocking testimony are diffuse heard today, and what they have done to you all is uncalled for and horrible. mr. livingstone talked about the intel analysis capability. that really scares me, the most important responsibility of that agency is to connect the dots.

i'm going to ask the administrator to take action to revamp that activity. that is the most important government responsibility, intelligence gathering the information, all the stuff we need to keep people from doing damage. to testify and are familiar that is one of our weak spots, that is scary. we did everything from washington, that was a disaster, we have tried to localize some of the hiring and other activities. is so big, is it they can't think out of the box.

you have people in control. administratorhe but you can have people in control who are vengeful, who have taken actions that are just unacceptable. if you have to have somebody , so be it.t vacancy what you have described is an and thenauthority, 197,000 on one of them. so the intel bothers me. we have got to get that piece of the puzzle there. i don't care what you put there, private, public screeners,

things will get through. if we spent some of that money looking at people who pose a even screening people who are working behind the scenes, we have a hearing on that. they don't have a passport number, they don't have social security numbers. miami and orlando, and there is one more airport where they are's -- where they are screening the workers. they check them and they can go through, as you know. they have cameras, they have all kinds of things that are not allowed. and they have chemicals, but

they have access to the aircraft, which they can do a lot of damage to. some of that where it can be better spent. would you agree with that. >> i'm glad some of the union folks came. when i wrote the bill i made certain that the tsa and tso have the ability to belong to a union. i strongly believe in that right of every american worker. i don't think anyone should be forced to join a union. provision, theo five privates greening under -- private screening under federal observation.

it's not a question of union representation, and i don't think people should fear public versus private, even the tsa folks. involve some competition and i heard you all speak to that. again we need to protect that right. some can get fired because that is the way we set up. it sounds like some of the wrong people are getting removed. and in the private screening they increase the compensation to retain better people and be more flexible in scheduling. that is one reason i favor that model under federal supervision. i cited a history of what has been going on with the delays.

said there was no plan b and that we expect a meltdown the summer. is that correct? >> yes, sir. >> if i can say something with that, federal security directors are working with their staff, working with the airlines. we have faced challenges. be confident we are going to able to find workable solutions as long as we are keeping partnerships with our stakeholders. >> you had a lot of good workers out there. we need a better way of rewarding and retaining the good tso workers, get rid of some of the bureaucrats at the top were causing most of the problems. there they felt threatened, particularly by me.

bureaucracy.huge they are very domineering over the bureaucracy. them in my airport. always left that option open, what my local airports requested to opt out, and they came down and he told me the reverend was so intimidated. and so threatened. that it took years to get us to consideration of the opt out. lawi had to change the where they must accept the application, rather than when we set it up. it was permissive with the language shell. took two years more as they thwarted our congress's

attempt. we have 450 airports. wyoming is different from jfk. with the right balance of public-private operations, i would never take the federal government out. are a lot of junior members here. nobody understands the significance of intel analysis situation. maybe you have a different opinion? >> i want to go on record saying while you don't have into leadership, you have some top intel professionals working the office. the advanced analytic part functions very effectively. he is gettingu

great intel support from them. it will continue to function even better. >> i put the resources there. it has worked out well. another thing is you have these lines that extend out from the airports. you saw what happened in brussels. it was an attack on the american airlines. we decided the attack in los angeles. a are looking for the easiest targets. the tsa provides a layer of protection. we have air marshals, we have pilots who are armed. thing we have, and they have always come to the when the passengers found

out what is going on. the passengers beat the living hell out of anyone who pose as a true risk. the airline staff, i have to give them credit. my concern, we have built this huge bureaucracy. they have their vengeful way of controlling the agency, which shouldn't be. i'm not happy to hear there is no plan b. we cast a lot of responsibility for making it work. check advancing that.

i will say it is improved. there were more people in pre-check then were on the other lines. they use the dogs and people in line to get into tsa. they are checking people as they come in before they can get to the blind to take up people like they did in brussels. suggestions that i hope you all can take back. i know you have tried palm -- tried positive suggestions. iton't think any of you did to being vengeful. you have the best interest in

the public. not as many questions as comments. we will have the administrator in a couple of weeks here. remarks? committee certainly has some level of influence. imagine if every year you had to run for reelection. >> my contract expires every 24 months. had toour people, they recertify for their job. i would hope looking forward, one of the things we can certainly do better is find a better option, people are getting incredibly stressed out.

what you don't hear about are the success stories that happen every day. i know some people -- we have a great people and the wonderful opportunity. >> again, it starts from up here. you will work from certain constraints from what flows down. >> we have brought some very serious issues here today. inmer back into the original 2009. we can agree on some of the things that will be addressed now. the prime opportunity to advance the operational success of tsa. none of the things that we hear are personal.

>> speaking in the betterment of tsa. if we can take a look at how the executive resource council points to these at tsa, that may be a way for you to exert your control over tsa. that is where -- that is the nucleus for everything. not sure it isn't effective in the best interest. several things you have said over and over. >> you can imagine my frustration. they have ignored me, they try to do every they can.

since we have created -- i have never seen anyone come forward. most people have been afraid to come forward. they even put bags over their heads. you all are very brave. i think you would do it again, because you are trying not to be mean towards anyone or vindictive, but to better the operation. >> i wanted to thank you for the opportunity to speak before the committee. i hope i communicated issues along with resolutions after reflective thought. i appreciate the opportunity to be heard.

wish theis one thing i committee would have oversight on is the directive reassignment policy. this is not personal, it is .rofessional as a party suggestion i would do an audit of all the tsa programs. you cannot fix a problem unless .ou diagnose it correctly the tsa has demonstrated the responsiveness at times has not been there. however embarrassing it is. healthieror us to get we have to diagnose the problem and take our medicine. all three of you stepping forward. i think it will be a constructive hearing and constructive path forward. there will be no further business for the committee.

this meeting is adjourned.

>> this month we showcase our student camera winners. this year's theme is the road to the white house. do you want presidential candidates to discuss? michael fraser, 12 at troy high school. the great lake, and the flint water crisis. and their video titles.

>> americans are drowning in issues such as immigration, medicare, terrorism, leaked e-mails. although these are important topics, the issue that will affect the most americans is the issue of the 1%. >> 1%. >> 1%. >> 1%. >> 1%. >> no, not that 1%. this 1%, the shining blue jewel of the united states, the great lakes. >> truly one of the unique resources in the world. largest freshwater resource in the world. nothing like it. ever yone of us has a responsibility to do what we can to protect the waters. >> in the u.s., we are very lucky. we have the best drinking water in the world. that has allowed us to become a bit complacent about our drinking water. we take it for granted. 70% of our fresh water is right here. >> here is the scale in visualizing just how significant the great lakes are. here is a graphic of 100 water bottles, representing 100% of the earth's surface.

71% of the entire earth is covered in water. of all that water, only 3% is fresh. of that 3% of fresh water, 2/3 is trapped in ice and glaciers. that means 1% of all the water on earth is fresh and accessible. >> fresh water will be the great battleground of the future. it is not going to be a war over oil or fuel or energy. >> it is incredibly important we protect the great lakes, it being really the most precious natural resource we have not just in michigan, but in the country and, arguably, worldwide. >> besides the great lakes being a treasured resource, it faces

many threats and complications. on the coast of lake huron, construction of a nuclear waste dump is underway. located less than a mile from the water, 200,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste is being buried in porous limestone. that is right next to the most important freshwater ecosystem in the world. >> the notion we are going to store nuclear waste anywhere near the great lakes does not make a lick of sense. >> that is a fact -- water moves, and water moves downhill. ideally, anything you bury underground, you will keep away from water. we have not been successful in this country at storing nuclear waste. we have not done it yet. we do not know how well we can do it. wanting to put this repository next to 70% of the world's fresh water is cause for concern. i would like to see more dialogue on it. >> the great lakes are a huge portion of the world's fresh water supply. anything that could contaminate those waters is something we need to be paying attention to and thinking about long and hard before moving forward.

there are not nearly enough politicians in the state of michigan that put their money where their mouth is when it comes to protecting the environment. they will pull it out on the stump, saying we need to protect our great lakes, but if you check their voting records, more than half of the state house and senate have 0% voting records when it comes to the environment. >> it is a very, very tragic example of what happens when you do not have a government that is very active in protecting its people. >> protection. the people of flint, michigan needed protection. instead, they were poisoned, and their children were affected. the public caught on to the atrocities occurring in flint, but almost a year after the incident occurred. since the filming of this documentary began, we have been following the water contamination situation in flint, michigan. it has exploded on to the national scene. it has received coverage from multiple news sources and emergency actions from president obama. >> we still do not have drinkable water in flint. up to 10,000 children have been poisoned with lead because the state of michigan decided it was less expensive to use untreated

flint river water rather than water from the great lakes. >> we used to make jokes about the things we would find there. people dump dead bodies in the flint river. that is terrible, but that is the reputation it has. >> they decided to hook flint back up to the water, but only paid for half the hook up. >> it solved the immediate problem of reconnecting to detroit water, disconnected from detroit water. because of the chemicals they use to purify the flint water, it really caused problems with the lead piping. the water was terrific at the treatment plant, but the minute you put it in those pipes, those chemicals draw the lead out. >> the decision was made to save money to disconnect from the world's best water source, the great lakes, to go to the flint river, which even general motors stopped using because it is corroding their pipes. they caused the damage but will only pay for half the reconnection.

>> the scary part is the level of irreversible damage. it is not just, oh, we will send a doctor and it will be fine. you know what i mean? the damage has been done. >> drinkable water in the united states is not something that americans should not have access to. there will be devastating long-term impacts for children that have been exposed to lead in the flint area. >> people don't pay attention to issues. they trust the people they elect. >> the people of flint were relying on their government. and it failed them. >> they are actively trying to make people know less when people should know everything. >> the scarcity of fresh water in the world is a vital situation that needs to be

addressed. it is an enormous situation that is seldom mentioned amongst politicians. the united states cannot afford to have the great lakes poisoned as the water was in flint, michigan. let's not forget over 60% of the human body is composed of water. that puts the responsibility on every one of us to protect our freshwater resources. >> it's easier to ignore things. but the second people start being loud about it, it is on national news. it is not a superhero movie. it is up to people to do something. >> as all americans and all humans consume water, the issue of freshwater demands input of presidential candidates. water is essential for the endurance of america and the world. >> to watch all of the prize-winning documentaries in this year's student cam competition, visit student

cam.org. >> coming up, donald trump delivers a speech of foreign policy, ted cruz names carly fiorina as his running mate. later, a house oversight hearing on misconduct at the tsa. >> c-span's washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. up thursday morning, florida congressmen, member of the appropriations committee about issues before the house, including his legislation. to prohibit members from calling for the solicitation of contribution for elections. then illinois congresswoman will discuss the older americans act, that provides a series of services. be sure to watch washington

journal, beginning live at 7 a.m. eastern thursday morning. >> our campaign 2016 bus continues to travel across the country to honor winners from this years student cam competition. sam smith was recognized by classmates, families, and elected officials for their -- o then our bus travels to south dakota and visits with winners -- and the final stop of the week includes a visit to delano committal school in minnesota, where third price winners were honored for their video on pollution. comcast carter -- comcast, charter, and -- every day this week, be sure to watch one of the top 21 winning entries before washington journal.

>> in his first speech focused on foreign policy, presidential candidate donald trump discusses the fight against terrorism. building relations with china and russia and called for building up the u.s. military. a day after winning all five of tuesday's republican primaries. this is 45 minutes. >> thank you very much. memoir,cently published i tell the story of coming from afghanistan to the united states legally.

as a teenager and of my latest invice as a u.s. diplomat afghanistan, iraq, and the united nations, analyzing what we did right and drawing lessons for the future. america gave me an opportunity to succeed, and i tried to pay back a little with my service to the united states. book, i would my like everyone to read it. it will make your head spin. today as the primaries wind

down, donald trump delivers a much-anticipated speech on his foreign policy philosophy. a critical moment for america and the world. the end of world war ii, some 70 years now, the united states has supported a world that has included war among the major powers. we provided them from dominating critical regions, asia, europe, and the middle east. we did so by maintaining a favorable balance of power. creating, expanding, and , andining strong alliances

by seeking areas of cooperation and reconciliation with rivals. but we have been embroiled with several costly conflicts, and the world has become more complex, unstable, and dangerous, one in which rival powers are more aggressive, hostile regimes are pursuing weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons, long-range missiles, and cyber capabilities, and the threat of terrorism and extremism is acute. indeed, the international order, the state system created by the west, is it self under attack by

states and rising powers with alternative concepts of order. as often seen in our history, after a period of great excursion during the first decade of the 21st century, post of1, we are now in a period withdrawal and retreat. things can still get a lot worse. ,e have a sluggish economy growing inequality, rising debt and debt service. our infrastructure needs and the need for domestic programs is growing. to reduces rising expenditure on national security

at a time when we need to pay more attention to our security needs. backdrop, the president of primaries have shown that our country is deeply conflicted or polarized about america's purpose or mission around the world. mr. trump has been a provocative voice in this debate. his message has resonated with a significant part of our electorate. interest has invited donald trump to elaborate upon his distinctive views of the -- of america's role in the world and how he would lead america as commander in chief. we will extend similar invitations to the other candidates. we are delighted mr. trump is here. please join me in welcoming him.

[applause] mr. trump: thank you for the opportunity to speak to you, and thank you to the center for national interest for honoring me with this invitation. it truly is a great honor. i'd like to talk today about how to develop a new foreign policy direction for our country, one that replaces randomness with purpose, ideology with strategy, and chaos with peace. it's time to shake the rust off america's foreign policy. it's time to invite new voices and new visions into the fold, something we have to do. the direction i will outline

today will also return us to a timeless principle. my foreign policy will always put the interests of the american people and american security above all else. it has to be first, has to be. that will be the foundation of every single decision that i will make. [applause] america first will be the major and overriding theme of my administration. but to chart our path forward, we must first briefly take a look back. we have a lot to be proud of. in the 1940's, we saved the world. the greatest generation beat back the nazis and japanese imperialists. then, we saved the world again. this time, from totalitarianism and communism.

the cold war lasted for decades but, guess what, we won and we won big. democrats and republicans, working together, got mr. gorbachev to heed the words of president reagan, our great president, when he said, "tear down this wall." [applause] history will not forget what he did. a very special man and president. unfortunately, after the cold war, our foreign policy veered badly off course. we failed to develop a new vision for a new time. in fact, as time went on, our foreign policy began to make less and less sense. logic was replaced with foolishness and arrogance, which led to one foreign policy disaster after another. they just kept coming and coming.

we went from mistakes in iraq to egypt to libya, to president obama's line in the sand in syria. each of these actions have helped to throw the region into chaos and gave isis the space it needs to grow and prosper. very bad. it all began with a dangerous idea that we could make western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interests in becoming a western democracy. we tore up what institutions they had and then were surprised at what we unleashed. civil war, religious fanaticism, thousands of americans and just killed lives, lives, lives wasted, horribly wasted. many trillions of dollars were lost as a result. the vacuum was created that isis would fill. iran, too, would rush in and fill that void, much to their

really unjust enrichment. they have benefited so much, so sadly, for us. our foreign policy is a complete and total disaster. no vision. no purpose. no direction. no strategy. today, i want to identify five main weaknesses in our foreign policy. first, our resources are totally over extended. president obama has weakened our military by weakening our economy. he's crippled us with wasteful spending, massive debt, low growth, a huge trade deficit and open borders. our manufacturing trade deficit with the world is now approaching $1 trillion a year. we're rebuilding other countries while weakening our own. ending the theft of american jobs will give us resources we need to rebuild our military,

which has to happen, and regain our financial independence and strength. i am the only person running for the presidency who understands this, and this is a serious problem. i'm the only one -- believe me, i know them all, i'm the only one who knows how to fix it. [applause] secondly, our allies are not paying their fair share, and i've been talking about this recently a lot. our allies must contribute toward their financial, political, and human costs, have to do it, of our tremendous security burden. but many of them are simply not doing so. they look at the united states as weak and forgiving and feel no obligation to honor their agreements with us. in nato, for instance, only 4 of 28 other member countries

besides america, are spending the minimum required 2% of gdp on defense. we have spent trillions of dollars over time on planes, missiles, ships, equipment, building up our military to provide a strong defense for europe and asia. the countries we are defending must pay for the cost of this defense, and if not, the u.s. must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves. we have no choice. [applause] the whole world will be safer if our allies do their part to support our common defense and security. a trump administration will lead a free world that is properly armed and funded, and funded beautifully. thirdly, our friends are beginning to think they can't

depend on us. we've had a president who dislikes our friends and bows to our enemies, something that we've never seen before in the history of our country. he negotiated a disastrous deal with iran, and then we watched them ignore its terms even before the ink was dry. iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, cannot be allowed. remember that, cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. [applause] and under a trump administration, will never, ever be allowed to have that nuclear weapon. [applause] mr. trump: all of this without even mentioning the humiliation of the united states with iran's treatment of our ten captured sailors - so vividly i remember that day. in negotiation, you must be willing to walk.

the iran deal, like so many of our worst agreements, is the result of not being willing to leave the table. when the other side knows you're not going to walk, it becomes absolutely impossible to win -- you just can't win. at the same time, your friends need to know that you will stick by the agreements that you have with them. you've made that agreement, you have to stand by it and the world will be a better place. president obama gutted our missile defense program and then abandoned our missile defense plans with poland and the czech republic. he supported the ouster of a friendly regime in egypt that had a longstanding peace treaty with israel, and then helped bring the muslim brotherhood to power in its place. israel, our great friend and the

one true democracy in the middle east, has been snubbed and criticized by an administration that lacks moral clarity. just a few days ago, vice president biden again criticized israel, a force for justice and peace, for acting as an impatient peace area in the region. president obama has not been a friend to israel. he has treated iran with tender love and care and made it a great power. iran has, indeed, become a great, great power in just a very short period of time, because of what we've done. all of the expense and all at the expense of israel, our allies in the region and very importantly, the united states, itself. [applause] we've picked fights with our oldest friends, and now, they're starting to look elsewhere for help. remember that.

not good. fourth, our rivals no longer respect us. in fact, they're just as confused as our allies, but in an even bigger problem is they don't take us seriously anymore. the truth is they don't respect us. when president obama landed in cuba on air force one, no leader was there, nobody, to greet him. perhaps an incident without precedent in the long and prestigious history of air force one. then, amazingly, the same thing happened in saudi arabia. it's called no respect. absolutely no respect. do you remember when the president made a long and expensive trip to copenhagen, denmark, to get the olympics for our country, and after this unprecedented effort, it was announced that the united states

came in fourth -- fourth place? the president of the united states making this trip -- unprecedented -- comes in fourth place. he should have known the result before making such an embarrassing commitment. we were laughed at all over the world, as we have been many, many times. the list of humiliations go on and on and on. president obama watches helplessly as north korea increases its aggression and expands further and further with its nuclear reach. our president has allowed china to continue its economic assault on american jobs and wealth, refusing to enforce trade deals and apply leverage on china necessary to rein in north korea. we have the leverage. we have the power over china, economic power, and people don't

understand it, and with that economic power, we can rein in and we can get them to do what they have to do with north korea, which is totally out of control. he has even allowed china to steal government secrets with cyber attacks and engaged in industrial espionage against the united states and its companies. we've let our rivals and challengers think they can get away with anything, and they do. they do at will. it always happens. if president obama's goal had been to weaken america, he could not have done a better job. finally, america no longer has a clear understanding of our foreign policy goals. since the end of the cold war and the breakup of the soviet union, we've lacked a coherent foreign policy. one day, we're bombing libya and getting rid of a dictator to foster democracy for civilians.

the next day, we're watching the same civilians suffer while that country falls and absolutely falls apart. lives lost, massive moneys lost. the world is a different place. we're a humanitarian nation, but the legacy of the obama-clinton interventions will be weakness, confusion and disarray, a mess. we've made the middle east more unstable and chaotic than ever before. we left christians subject to intense persecution and even genocide. [applause] we have done nothing to help the christians, nothing, and we should always be ashamed for that, for that lack of action. our actions in iraq, libya, and

syria have helped unleash isis. and we're in a war against radical islam, but president obama won't even name the enemy, and unless you name the enemy, you will never ever solve the problem. [applause] hillary clinton also refuses to say the words radical islam, even as she pushes for a massive increase in refugees coming into our country. after secretary clinton's failed intervention in libya, islamic terrorists in benghazi took down our consulate and killed our ambassador and three brave americans. then, instead of taking charge that night, hillary clinton decided to go home and sleep. incredible. clinton blames it all on a video, an excuse that was a total lie, proven to be

absolutely a total lie. our ambassador was murdered and our secretary of state misled the nation. and, by the way, she was not awake to take that call at 3:00 in the morning. and now, isis is making millions and millions of dollars a week selling libya oil. and you know what? we don't blockade, we don't bomb, we don't do anything about it. it's almost as if our country doesn't even know what's happening, which could be a fact and could be true. this will all change when i become president. to our friends and allies, i say america is going to be strong again. america is going to be reliable again. it's going to be a great and reliable ally again. it's going to be a friend again. we're going to finally have a coherent foreign policy based upon american interests and the

shared interests of our allies. [applause] we're getting out of the nation-building business and instead focusing on creating stability in the world. our moments of greatest strength came when politics ended at the water's edge. we need a new rational american foreign policy, informed by the best minds and supported by both parties, and it will be by both parties - democrats, republicans, independents, everybody, as well as by our close allies. this is how we won the cold war, and it's how we will win our new future struggles, which may be

many, which may be complex, but we will win if i become president. [applause] first, we need a long-term plan to halt the spread and reach of radical islam. containing the spread of radical islam must be a major foreign policy goal of the united states and indeed the world. events may require the use of military force, but it's also a philosophical struggle, like our long struggle in the cold war. in this, we're going to be working very closely with our allies in the muslim world, all of which are at risk from radical islamic violence, attacks, and everything else. it is a dangerous world, more dangerous now than it has ever been. we should work - thank you. [applause]

we should work together with any nation in the region that is threatened by the rise of radical islam. but this has to be a two-way street. they must also be good to us. remember that. they have to be good to us, no longer one-way. it's now two-way. and remember, us and all we're doing, they have to appreciate what we've done to them. we're going to help, but they have to appreciate what we've done for them. the struggle against radical islam also takes place in our homeland. there are scores of recent migrants inside our borders charged with terrorism. for every case known to the public, there are dozens and dozens more. we must stop importing extremism through senseless immigration policies. we have no idea where these people are coming from. there's no documentation. there's no paperwork. there's nothing.

we have to be smart. we have to be vigilant. a pause for reassessment will help us to prevent the next san bernardino or frankly, much worse. all you have to do is look at the world trade center and september 11th, one of the great catastrophes, in my opinion, the single greatest military catastrophe in the history of our country. worse than pearl harbor because you take a look at what's happened, and citizens were attacked, as opposed to the military being attacked -- one of the true great catastrophes. and then there's isis. i have a simple message for them. their days are numbered. i won't tell them where and i won't tell them how. we must -- [applause] we must, as a nation, be more unpredictable.

we are totally predictable. we tell everything. we're sending troops. we tell them. we're sending something else. we have a news conference. we have to be unpredictable. and we have to be unpredictable starting now. but they're going to be gone. isis will be gone if i'm elected president. and they'll be gone quickly. they will be gone very, very quickly. [applause] secondly, we have to rebuild our military and our economy. the russians and chinese have rapidly expanded their military capability, but look at what's happened to us. our nuclear weapons arsenal, our ultimate deterrent, has been allowed to atrophy and is desperately in need of modernization and renewal. and it has to happen immediately. our active duty armed forces

have shrunk from 2 million in 1991 to about 1.3 million today. the navy has shrunk from over 500 ships to 272 ships during this same period of time. the air force is about one-third smaller than 1991. pilots flying b-52s in combat missions today. these planes are older than virtually everybody in this room. and what are we doing about this? president obama has proposed a 2017 defense budget that in real dollars, cuts nearly 25% from what we were spending in 2011. our military is depleted, and we're asking our generals and military leaders to worry about global warming.

we will spend what we need to rebuild our military. it is the cheapest, single investment we can make. we will develop, build and purchase the best equipment known to mankind. our military dominance must be unquestioned, and i mean unquestioned, by anybody and everybody. but we will look for savings and spend our money wisely. in this time of mounting debt, right now we have so much debt that nobody even knows how to address the problem. but i do. no one dollar can be wasted. not one single dollar can we waste. we're also going to have to change our trade, immigration and economic policies to make our economy strong again. and to put americans first again. this will ensure that our own

workers, right here in america, get the jobs and higher pay that will grow our tax revenues, increase our economic might as a nation, make us strong financially again. so, so important. we need to think smart about areas where our technological superiority, and nobody comes close, gives us an edge. this includes 3d printing, artificial intelligence, and cyber warfare. a great country also takes care of its warriors. our commitment to them is absolute, and i mean absolute. a trump administration will give our servicemen and women the best equipment and support in the world when they serve and where they serve. and the best care in the world when they return as veterans and they come back home to civilian life.

our veterans -- [applause] mr. trump: our veterans have not been treated fairly or justly. these are our great people and we must treat them fairly. we must even treat them really, really well, and that will happen under the trump administration. [applause] finally, we must develop a foreign policy based on american interests. businesses do not succeed when they lose sight of their core interests and neither do countries. look at what happened in the 1990s. our embassies in kenya and tanzania -- and this was a horrible time for us -- were attacked and 17 brave sailors were killed on the u.s.s. cole. and what did we do?

it seemed we put more effort into adding china into the world trade organization, which has been a total disaster for the united states. frankly, we spent more time on that than we did in stopping al qaeda. we even had an opportunity to take out osama bin laden, and we didn't do it. and then we got hit at the world trade center and the pentagon. again, the worst attack on our country in its history. our foreign policy goals must be based on america's core national security interests. and the following will be my priorities. in the middle east our goals must be, and i mean must be, to defeat terrorists and promote regional stability, not radical change. we need to be clear-sighted about the groups that will never be anything other than enemies. and believe me, we have groups that no matter what you do, they will be the enemy. we have to be smart enough to

recognize who those groups are, who those people are, and not help them. and we must only be generous to those that prove they are indeed our friends. [applause] mr. trump: we desire to live peacefully and in friendship with russia and china. we have serious differences with these two nations, and must regard them with open eyes, but we are not bound to be adversaries. we should seek common ground based on shared interests. russia, for instance, has also seen the horror of islamic terrorism. i believe an easing of tensions, and improved relations with russia from a position of strength only is possible, absolutely possible. common sense says this cycle, this horrible cycle of hostility must end and ideally will end

soon. good for both countries. some say the russians won't be reasonable. i intend to find out. if we can't make a deal under my administration, a deal that's great -- not good, great -- for america, but also good for russia, then we will quickly walk from the table. it's as simple as that, we're going to find out. fixing our relations with china is another important step -- and really toward creating an even more prosperous period of time. china respects strength and by letting them take advantage of us economically, which they are doing like never before, we have lost all of their respect. we have a massive trade deficit with china, a deficit that we have to find a way quickly, and

i mean quickly, to balance. a strong and smart america is an america that will find a better friend in china, better than we have right now. look at what china is doing in the south china sea. they're not supposed to be doing it. no respect for this country or this president. we can both benefit or we can both go our separate ways. if need be, that's what's going to have to happen. after i'm elected president, i will also call for a summit with our nato allies and a separate summit with our asian allies. in these summits, we will not only discuss a rebalancing of financial commitments, but take a fresh look at how we can adopt new strategies for tackling our common challenges. for instance, we will discuss how we can upgrade nato's outdated mission and structure, grown out of the cold war to confront our shared challenges,

including migration and islamic terrorism. [applause] i will not hesitate to deploy military force when there is no alternative. but if america fights, it must only fight to win. [applause] i will never sent our finest into battle unless necessary, and i mean absolutely necessary, and will only do so if we have a plan for victory with a capital v. [applause] our goal is peace and prosperity, not war and destruction. the best way to achieve those goals is through a disciplined, deliberate, and consistent foreign policy. with president obama and

secretary clinton we've had the exact opposite -- a reckless, rudderless, and aimless foreign policy, one that has blazed the path of destruction in its wake. after losing thousands of lives and spending trillions of dollars, we are in far worse shape in the middle east than ever, ever before. i challenge anyone to explain the strategic foreign policy vision of obama-clinton. it has been a complete and total disaster. i will also be prepared to deploy america's economic resources. financial leverage and sanctions can be very, very persuasive, but we need to use them selectively and with total determination. our power will be used if others

do not play by the rules. in other words, if they do not treat us fairly. our friends and enemies must know that if i draw a line in the sand, i will enforce that line in the sand. believe me. [applause] however, unlike other candidates for the presidency, war and aggression will not be my first instinct. you cannot have a foreign policy without diplomacy. a superpower understands that caution and restraint are really truly signs of strength. although not in government service, i was totally against the war in iraq, very proudly, saying for many years that it would destabilize the middle east. sadly, i was correct, and the biggest beneficiary has been iran, who is systematically taking over iraq and gaining

access to their very rich oil reserves, something it has wanted to do for decades. and now, to top it off, we have isis. my goal is to establish a foreign policy that will endure for several generations. that's why i also look and have to look for talented experts with approaches and practical ideas, rather than surrounding myself with those who have perfect resumes but very little to brag about except responsibility for a long history of failed policies and continued losses at war. we have to look to new people. [applause] we have to look to new people because many of the old people frankly don't know what they're doing, even though they may look awfully good writing in "the new york times" or being watched on television.

finally, i will work with our allies to reinvigorate western values and institutions. instead of trying to spread universal values that not everybody shares or wants, we should understand that strengthening and promoting western civilization and its accomplishments will do more to inspire positive reforms around the world than military interventions. [applause] these are my goals as president. i will seek a foreign policy that all americans, whatever their party, can support, so important, and which our friends and allies will respect and totally welcome. the world must know that we do not go abroad in search of enemies, that we are always happy when old enemies become friends and when old friends

become allies, that's what we want. we want them to be our allies. we want the world to be -- we want to bring peace to the world. too much destruction out there, too many destructive weapons. the power of weaponry is the single biggest problem that we have today in the world. to achieve these goals, americans must have confidence in their country and its leadership. again, many americans must wonder why we our politicians seem more interested in defending the borders of foreign countries than in defending their own. americans -- [applause] americans must know that we're putting the american people first again on trade. [applause] so true. on trade, on immigration, on foreign policy. the jobs, incomes and security of the american worker will

always be my first priority. [applause] no country has ever prospered that failed to put its own interests first. both our friends and our enemies put their countries above ours and we, while being fair to them, must start doing the same. we will no longer surrender this country or its people to the false song of globalism. the nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony. i am skeptical of international unions that tie us up and bring america down, and will never enter -- [applause] and under my administration, we will never enter america into

any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs. [applause] nafta, as an example, has been a total disaster for the united states and has emptied our states -- literally, emptied our states of our manufacturing and our jobs. and i've just gotten to see it. i've toured pennsylvania. i've toured new york. i've toured so many of the states. they have been cleaned out. their manufacturing is gone. never again, only the reverse -- and i have to say this strongly -- never again, only the reverse will happen. we will keep our jobs and bring in new ones. there will be consequences for the companies that leave the united states only to exploit it later. they fire the people. they take advantage of the united states. there will be consequences for those companies.

never again. under a trump administration, no american citizen will ever again feel that their needs come second to the citizens of a foreign country. [applause] i will view as president the world through the clear lens of american interests. i will be america's greatest defender and most loyal champion. we will not apologize for becoming successful again, but will instead embrace the unique heritage that makes us who we are. the world is most peaceful and most prosperous when america is strongest. america will continue and continue forever to play the role of peacemaker. we will always help save lives

and indeed, humanity itself, but to play the role, we must make america strong again. [applause] and always -- always, always, we must make, and we have to look at it from every angle, and we have no choice, we must make america respected again. we must make america truly wealthy again. and we must -- we have to and we will make america great again. and if we do that -- and if we do that, perhaps this century can be the most peaceful and prosperous the world has ever, ever known. thank you very much, everybody. i appreciate it. thank you. [applause] thank you, very much. [applause] thank you.

campaign 2016, c-span takes you on the road to the white house as we follow the candidates on c-span, c-span radio, and c-span.org. >> independent media is the oxygen of a democracy. it is holding those in power accountable. we are not there to serve some kind of corporate agenda. , we we cover war and peace are not brought to you by the weapons manufacturers. "q and day,"ht on

&a," amy goodman, from democracy now, talks about her book, which looks back at some of the people in topics the show is covered. now really hasn't changed, bringing out the people at the grassroots in the united states and around the world. they very much represent, i think, a majority of people. people who are concerned deeply about war and peace, the growing inequality in this country, climate change, the fate of the planet, are not a fringe minority, not even a silent majority, but a silenced majority, silenced by the corporate media, and that is why we have to take it back. >> is known as one of

washington's premier events, bringing together officials, members of the press, and hollywood stars. the 2016 white house correspondents dinner, this saturday. live coverage from the washington hilton hotel includes arrivals, background, and award presentations. are expected to attend this year's sold-out dinner. larry wilmer -- larry wilmore will headline, and this year, president obama will give his final speech as commander-in-chief. >> at a campaign rally in indianapolis, republican presidential candidate ted cruz chooseed that he would carly fiorina as his running mate if he wins the nomination. he is currently more than 300 delegates behind donald trump in the race.

indiana holds its present to primary on tuesday. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the next president of the united states of america, ted cruz. [applause] ♪ mr. cruz: god bless the great state of indiana. [applause]

mr. cruz: elections are about choices. the republican party faces a choice today. america, i believe, want to unite behind a positive, ,ptimistic, forward-looking conservative campaign based on real policy solutions to the problems. [applause] mr. cruz: and the american people deserve a real choice in november. [applause] an cruz: a choice, and not echo. a meaningful distinction. november and the american people are given a choice between two big

government liberals, two washington insiders enmeshed in the corruption of washington, then we as a republican party will have failed the american people. , when you tell you run for president, one of the choices you make is the choice of selecting a vice presidential candidate. [applause] mr. cruz: this is a choice that you are telling the american people, this is an individual who i trust. and even more importantly, this is an individual you can trust to lead this country, no matter

what might happen. [applause] any responsible candidate for president would have spent much time assessing probable -- possible candidates, thinking through the pros and cons, studying who these people , andpraying about it examining the potential candidates. the characteristics that you look for in a vice president are, indeed, the same characteristics you look for in a president. [applause] all,ruz: first of knowledge. do they know enough to do the job? do they know where jobs come from? do they understand why jobs are leaving america?

do they understand why manufacturing jobs are being driven overseas? carrierunderstand why has left indiana and gone to mexico? do they understand what is happening in the economy? do they understand the constitution or bill of rights? are these words on a piece of paper or promises to protect? [applause] and security. threatsunderstand the facing us in the world, the threats that potentially endanger your children and mine? does this person have the experience and knowledge to do the job? secondly, you look to judgment. do they have the judgment and ntle of a bear the ma

job whose responsibilities gray the hair of every person to hold that office? do they think through decisions in a rash and impulsive way? do they pop off the handle at whatever strikes them at any given moment? or do they think through carefully, measured? around assemble a team them who are smarter than they are? there is an old adage in management that a's hire a's, and b's hire c's. [applause] mr. cruz: if you see a leader that deliberately surrounds himself with people that are not capable, informed, skilled, and

would never stand up to that leader, it tells you that leader is not a leader, but rather someone not at all secure in who they are. [applause] mr. cruz: and the third thing you look to his character -- is character. are they honest? do they have core principles that come from there -- their gut? to be announced today and amended tomorrow. when they look in the mirror, is it based on whatever is trending on twitter? or do they have a foundation? [applause]

to character,gral how do they treat others? how do they treat others, especially those that they do not have to be nice to? everyone knows how to kiss up. everyone can be nice to their boss. that is not complicated. but how do they treat the clerk at the convenience store? how do they treat the average man and woman? how do they treat the average american citizen? how do they treat the vulnerable ? that reveals everything you need to know about character. after a great deal of time and thought, after a great deal of consideration and prayer, i have , if to the conclusion that

i am nominated to be president of the united states, that i will run on a ticket with my vice presidential nominee, carly fiorina. [applause] [applause] [chanting "carly"]

born in texas. [applause] mr. cruz: the very first thing i liked about her. carlton fiorina, known throughout the country simply by the name of carly. [applause] an extraordinary leader. she started working as a secretary at a small firm. and she climbed the corporate ladder to become the ceo of the largest technology company in the world. [applause] and the first female ceo in history of a fortune 20

company. [applause] mr. cruz: a graduate of stanford and m.i.t. carly is brilliant and cable the yet she experienced the hardscrabble world of being a woman professional in the business world. i say that as a son of a pioneering computer programmer, my mother, who started in the 1950's. i say that as the husband of my z, who spentcru two decades in the business world. over and over again, carly has shattered glass ceilings. but in addition to being a woman

of extraordinary intelligence, she is also a woman of deep principles. she served as the chairman of championingon conservative principles. she has studied the threats facing our national security of y serving as chairman of the cia's external advisory board and if you look to the criteria that i laid out, starting number knowsth knowledge, she having spent a lifetime, how to produce jobs. how to raise wages. [applause] she knows firsthand that the key to economic growth

is not government and more and more government but less and less government. my opponent in this race, donald trump, like hillary clinton and bernie sanders looks to government as the answer for every problem. carly knows firsthand from decades in the business world, running one of the 20 largest corporations in america, where jobs come from. [applause] and she respects the bill of rights and constitution. [applause]

if a candidate views the bill of rights as an occasional inconvenience, something to be talked about one day then ignore the rest, if a candidate views religious liberty is cast aside when it is inconvenient, if the candidate views the second merely a as suggestion, they don't have the grounding to be president. carly respects the constitution and the bill of rights to and she understands the threats facing america. she understands this is a dangerous world and in naming her my vice presidential nominee, i am also telling you she is someone you can be

confident and if the occasion arises to be commander-in-chief. [applause] mr. cruz: we need a president who is not neutral between israel and the palestinians. [applause] mr. cruz: we need a president who will not keep in place the iranian nuclear deal but will rip it to shreds. and the second criteria, judgment. it was seven weeks ago today that carly endorsed our campaign. endorsed, initially

before that announcement, she and i sat down and talked at a great length. one of the things that struck me, she said, i have a condition for endorsement. i said, what is it? she said, i don't do anything halfway. if find doors, i want to be all and. i want to be working and campaigning in making the case to the american people. [applause] mr. cruz: that is the kind of condition that you like to hear. her condition was my endorsement is not just an empty rubberstamp. commitmentr a full because carly looked at me and said our country is in crisis and we've got to do this together. [applause] mr. cruz: