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Secretary Nielsen says she agrees with intel community "full stop"

Kirstjen Nielsen speaking at a podium.
Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, speaking at the Aspen Security Forum Thursday, said that while she hasn't "seen any evidence" that Russia targeted the U.S. election "to favor a particular political party," she agrees with the intelligence community's assessment "full stop."

Why it matters: The administration has vacillated on the the extent to which Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. The issue came to a head on Monday when President Trump refused to confront Russian President Vladimir Putin about Moscow's involvement during their joint press conference. The administration has since sought to clarify their position.

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What else she said

On Immigration

Quote"Kids should be with their parents."
— Kirstjen Nielsen
  • Nielsen said the immigration system in the U.S. is "broken," and that "Congress is a part of it."
  • On the issues of migrant adults leaving behind children in the U.S., Nielsen said DHS will be working "to re-find them," but that it's "complicated because ... all of these adults who left without their kids left based on a decision to leave their children."
  • She said the family separation policy "wasn't a policy" as much as a "decision to enforce the law across the board."

On terrorism

  • Nielsen said that on average, the U.S. stops 10 terrorists a day from crossing the border.
  • The threat of terrorism "has changed ... I worry a lot about cyber," she said.
  • "Terror's gone viral."

One more thing: When asked about President Trump's "both sides" comment after the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville last year, Nielsen said: "It's not that one side was right and one side was wrong."

Kirstjen Nielsen