Markwayne Mullin to Kaitlan Collins: Why Would CNN Run a Preliminary Report?

COLLINS: “Well, and we have made clear it‘s a preliminary report, but this is the only intelligence report so far.”
MULLIN: “Well, then why would you run with it? Because you‘re assuming — but you‘re assuming this this report is the report, and it is absolutely not even close report. Do you know how many intelligence agencies briefings I have sit in?”
COLLINS: “We have said it’s one report, senator. And you sit on Armed Services and you just said you do not trust the Defense Intelligence Agency report.”
MULLIN: “No. What I said is — “
COLLINS: “I mean, is that something you’re going to bring up with the Pentagon?”
MULLIN: “No, what I said is, I don‘t trust this report, because I have sat in briefings now for 12 years, I was on the — I was on the Intel Committee in the House. Not one time did we have DIA ever come in and brief us. That was not where our briefings were coming from. In fact, go back and see all the intelligence briefings we‘ve had that‘s been public and been in private, that‘s been released. Have you ever seen DIA one time, ever, brief Congress, ever? One time, ever brief Congress? No, they have not.”
COLLINS: “Have you seen intelligence, though, that contradicts what the DIA is saying so far?”
MULLIN: “Well, I‘ve seen — I‘ve seen reporting — not reporting from you, but I‘ve seen reports come out. As far as a full briefing, we haven’t, as you know, we‘ve already said this, the briefing has been — has been pushed to Thursday. But the initial reports we have 100% contradicts what DIA was saying here. And I‘m not saying DIA isn‘t capable. DIA is capable. I‘m saying this report is not an accurate report. I don‘t even know where this report came from. I don‘t know who authorized this report or where they gathered their intelligence, but there‘s no way — “
COLLINS: “It came from the DIA.”
MULLIN: “Well, there’s more — there‘s multiple people inside DIA, Kaitlan. But how did — how did this person that brought this report together, how did they get their information? Where did their information come from? Because they didn‘t — it wasn‘t collective around the ICs, as I said before, not to repeat myself, gathering information with individuals that was actually on ground, not the assumption. So I don‘t — I don‘t know where this report was generated from. I know it was reported out of was DIA, but why?”