>> reporter: yeah, this is something that senator mccain along with lyndsey graham is holding a series of hearings and trying to make public of some of what official haves been saying and seeing behind closed doors when it comes to the evidence of u.s. intelligence analysts that it was moscow that was behind this interference u.s. election. that's going to be a big moment next week when everybody gets back to washington and donald trump gets back to new york and gets back to work at least for members of congress who have been on a bit of a break. despite the president-elect's team do not want to be fox boxed in. not that it would stop donald trump from making decision that we have seen from his behavior in the past and decisions making. it could be put at risk -- it is a fine line for the president-elect trump to walk. >> halie jackson for us in florida. thank you, big thanks to lucy kafanov and hans nicolls as well. michael mcfaul, ambassador, thank you for your time this afternoon. lets start with with the tweet that the president-elect trump posted a short time ago. lets put it back

john mccain and lyndsey graham says this matter should be looked into this and there are disagreements of this. here on washington on both sides oaf pennsylvania avenue that the united states cannot tolerate foreign actors trying to metal in u.s. elections. >> i believe it was over 130 days ago since the last press conference. >> it was at that press krc conversation, you were there and trump sl tru trump slitted -- >> they never took it seriously. when there were reports how the rnc is hacked as well and whether it was hacked or nothing was released. they were pushing back when it came out of the dnc and fears looking as if the russians or somebody was acting in the favor of them over the democrats. they have not publicly taken it seriously or privately or pushing it off as well. this is something we ar are -- there are a lot of agreements even if russia was involved that they in effect tip the scale for donald trump. and believing somebody going into change the face of washington. whether russia hacking into the dnc and releasing john pesodests e-mails. the campaign is trying to get

do you agree of what you just heard from lyndsey graham? i think senator graham deserved a lot of credits as he's recognizing the facts as they are. all of us despite whether republicans or democrats need to recognize that in the next election cycle, this could be aimed at us. this is about a foreign power, a hostile foreign power having their thumb on the scales of american elections. they wanted to show a how bad democracy can be and i am quoting here, "to split off key american allies by creating an image that other countries can depend on the u.s.," do you believer of this that putin accomplished any of those things? >> what's clear is the russis have a phd in this information. you can oftentimes tell what is true by just taking the condition of what's coming out of the press shop. i think we need to be concerned about this. i think we need a commission that is independent to look into it and to learn the lessons that making sure in two or four years, we are not going through all of this all over again. >> should the u.s. retaliate again

we don't have statements yet from senator i don't know mccain or lyndsey graham. they are traveling to ukraine and georgia. it is a trip that aimed at what vladimir putin had done in the region as well as what he did in this election and we of course, heard them how they believe lyndsey graham. we'll look to see what they say about these sanctions and how the administration is putting out today. what they think they maybe able to do in addition to that, going forward. jacob. >> thanks with reaction fs and from the hill. some breaking news, out of washington, d.c. and of course, honolulu and owahu, where president obama is on his holiday vacation. in response to cyber interference of the election. we know that several voting system were compromised and data were downloaded from some of those voter registrations and systems were up to 200,000 names ochlt this is the much awaited and anticipated response of the obama administration. president obama says these actions are not the sum totals of our response and perhaps an illusion to covert response. we may also see wi

>> well, i do think that lyndsey graham and john mccain are the two people to watch here as well as some of the other republicans. senator mitch mcconnell, he's a member of that. there is a gang of eight people in congress. the white house has to greet on intelligence matter. mitch mcconnell before the election was pushing back. remember the obama administration, intelligence community came out of a unifying assessment from the agency saying hey, russia are involved in hacking of this election. we know now that the cia has since came out said there is a specific intent there and you saw mitch mcconnell changed his tune ever so slightly after a look at that report came out. he is now saying this needs to be looked at in a pibipartisan way. graham said on cnn yesterday, that his vendor for his campaign, e-mail was hacked. again, a question here how much attempt was there to hack into republican group and was that information suppressed while the russians were leaking information. all information valuable whether or not it is suppressed or deseminated like you are pointing out there. katie,

also john mccain and lyndsey graham saying there are an investigation into this matter. they don't necessary believe the cia and intelligence agencies when they say that they believe russia is behind the hacks. and more broadly that they believe russia tried to tip the scale in this. this could over shadow or taint his victory. it is important to point out that the cia never indicated that the russian hacking did tipped the scales and provide a motive for what they believed the russian government hacked or tried to -- and he said that look, it is digging deeper to determine what's happening to make sure if there is any a requirement that it does not happen again. we'll continue to get tough questions by this if congressional increase does go under way. kristen welker, thank you very much. i am joined now by sean spicer. it is nice to see you. >> good to see you, kate. lets start with this issue over the weekend of donald trump hacking question. senator mcconnell says he agrees with graham and mccain that there should be an investigation of this idea that russia interfere

we are getting blowback not from the democrats so many but from the old faithful, lyndsey graham, johnccain. james langford joining in on that. how much trouble do you think they will be and what can you do about it? >> rex tillerson is an inspired and amazing pick and much like the boss he will be working for, he's unconventional in terms of secretary of state. don't you want somebody who already has a relationship, who has already been in these countries, over 50 of these countries, russia, china, yemen and the middle east, the developing nations? don't you want somebody who already has been out there fighting for u.s. interests? and frankly as secretary of state we have a great relationship and faith and confidence of the president of the united states which is important. can you think of anywhere that's more swamp like than foggy bottom where the state department is? long before hillary clinton got there and used the state department as a concerning for foreign nations to bring their money, it' it's full of controv. people are going the push back. they are trying to conflate many d

i am heartened of the fact and of the response of mccain and lyndsey graham and a number of us in a bipartisan bases recognize that this is an attack and not republicans or democrats but as americs. lets face it, this is essentially the 21st century equivalent of water gate. one is getting dirt in order to embarrass the democratic party. this was a virtual break in and they succeeded and getting information that damaged the democratic candidate. >> congress, let me push you, this was allegedly criminal conduct, it was certainly bad. when you compare to water gate, the difference there is, the criminal conduct was by the candidate in question of the american in candidate. this is distinct and this is a foreign actor because you are not alleging that the candidate, trump is involving in the crime. people who were doing the break in were not officials of the white house, they were with a foreign power. nonetheless, it does not make the actual effects of the break in is greater or worse, this is apart of a pattern specifically with russia. when he you look at what they did in 2008 in georgia and t

lyndsey graham describing ben carson as a needed agent of change is a person that will make a difference here. newt gingrich though, he says that doctor carson needed some prowling. he was not in it. it took a couple of weeks for ben carson to push around. that's in line with the reporting that i had and halie had it the last couple of weeks. they did not had the experience to lead a bureaucracy for hud or any of the department administration which was notable at the time. this was a man who had run for president during the course of 2016 campaign. >> a lot of people say this deserves a lot of over sigh sights -- it waits to be seen. ben, let me bring you in here, we have a loyalist certainly of ben carson. i want to get you on the record of a potential of john hunts man and the value he brings of secretary of state over mitt romney. explain the rivalry between mitt romney and john huntsman and how mitt romney is not a happy man today. >> i think mitt romney would be happy of having the competition in this. >> come on, now. >> he and john huntsman have had similar background and huntsman

a statement that we were keeping an eye for, a joined statement from senator john mccain and lyndsey grahamjust in so i am going to read it for you. the measures announced by the obama administration areong over due but ultimately they are a small prize for the russians to pay. so one thing that's remarkable about this statement there is no criticism for president obama overall foreign policy. we saw from paul ryan is going to come to represent tone ing t line in the new trump administration and they simply said these actions are over due. they also say again, they want to lead this congressional effort for bipartisan sanctions. this is what you want to watch for the next six or so months. how this plays into a potential split in the republican party of how aggressively to go after russia and are senator mccain and graham and others find themselves in the other side of president-elect trump. i think already, you are starting to see democrats, chuck schumer, talking about how president-elect trump should not roll back these newly announced sanctions and should not let these russians who were

homework here where his team does to make sure that key senators, ie john mccain, obviously, lyndsey graham the others are on board with this. >> aisha, on the issue of president obama dismantling this program that could have been a free work. how much pressure do you think trying to act preemptively in the next 29 days. i i want to come back. we are talking about a registry system who have not done anything wrong. and putting them on a list they they are a threat. that gives me great pause. can i take up on that? >> i am a brown person who gets mistaken as being muslims. what does this mean now? i am going to be on the list? >> can i pick up on that? >> robert, go ahead. >> well, i think aisha making valid points. if this executive order that was put in place right after 2001 is so horrific, why didn't president obama end this when he first came into office back in 2009? i find it the timing -- >> it was 2011, that was two years after he came into office. >> to use your terminology, why didn't president obama issued it in 2011. if it was such a bad program, why are we talking about it now

here you have got republicans, marco rubio, john mccain, lyndsey graham. some republicans remember the senate is 52-48. if he loses some republicans, that's a problem. stuart: however, i believe 10 democrat senators are up for reelection two years from now. if some of those democrat senators go against a popular pick for secretary of state or labor epa, they could be in danger two years from now. as well as trying to oppose betsy devoss. >> i think you are right on devoss. she is one i mentioned before in terms of policy differences between the parties. that's why the possibility of a tillerson nomination could be dangerous for trump. if they sense some sort of weakness they will go in there and try to bite the nominee on the leg as well. that's where all this talk about russia's efforts to influence the election comes in. so you have got a lot of democrats and some republicans, again mccain and graham especially talking about the russian efforts to influence the election. calling for a long extended investigation of that. then when they tie, rex tiller on