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National security spokesperson john kirby says that an earlier device — a balloon shot down off south carolina nine days ago — was part of a chinese high altitude programme for intelligence gathering. we were able to determine that china has a high altitude balloon programme for intelligence collection that is connected to the people's liberation army. it was operating during the previous administration but they did not detect it. we detected it. we tracked it. and we have been carefully studying it to learn as much as we can. we know that these prc surveillance balloons have crossed over ...

Clark. good to have you on this morning. first i wonder if i could get your view. nato secretary general stoltenberg said that china and russia have been increasing use of balloons and other intel gathering aircraft in this space here, near space or somewhere between 30,000, 60,000 feet. in your view is that a new and major threat in terms of intelligence gathering? >> well, i think it may fill in some gaps that the chinese and russians don't have covered in their own satellites surveillance programs. insofar as its collecting information it would be used in targeting against us or exploring o...

Thanks for being with me. had you learned more about these three most recent objects that have been shot down that you can add to what we've learned this afternoon? >> we were briefed, of course, on the balloon over south carolina and obviously china's unacceptable provocative actions there and what we learned from the administration in terms of the intelligence gathering, we haven't learned anything additional beyond what's been in the public space on these last three objects, alaska, canada and michigan. we should be getting a classified briefing, i presume. we've asked for it in the coming ...

That scares the hell out of me. >> we get more information by the hour now about what exactly these spy craft capabilities are. president biden, though, said he is no longer concerned about the chinese balloon floating above u.s. military bases. listen. >> no, look. the total amount of intelligence gathering -- [spanish interpreter] >> let's bring in republican senator ron johnson of wisconsin serving on the homeland security committee. thank you for being with us this morning. >> good morning. hope you are doing well. >> thank you. based on the intelligence you've seen about this balloon and ...

Amount of intelligence gathering -- [speaking spanish] >> dana: i don't know if you could read the words. the president said that it was not a major breach and he is trying to basically push this off the front page of the paper. do you think it was not a major breach? >> well, certainly they have satellites that can collect some of this data. we'll never know, possibly, because of the damage caused in the water or whatever exactly what was collected, but the fact -- i think the really important part of this is the policy piece. are we going to allow these to investigate in our airspace in