If this device that we depend on for the lifeblood of our modern civilization was able to be manipulated,

if it was able to be turned off.

The US Electrical Grid is critically dependent on extra-high voltage transformers made in China,

since Tommy Waller, president of the Center for Security Policy.

He is an expert on the US Grid and also stars in the documentary Grid Down, Power Up.

And that's something that the Communist Chinese that they understand about our society are dependent on electricity.

Why is industry allowing these vulnerabilities to exist and what happens if the electric grid goes down?

So in 1977 there was a 24-hour blackout in New York City.

There were more than 45 hundred arrests of people who were looting.

More than 550 police officers injured in the line of duty in over 300 million dollars worth of damage in that city in 24 hours.

This is American Thought Leaders, and I'm Yanya Kelly.

Tommy Waller, it's such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders.

It's an honor to be here. Thank you.

Tommy, about three years ago, as we're filming in May of 2020,

President Trump basically signed an executive order declaring an emergency around the National Grid.

And this happened after a transformer, one of these large, high-voltage transformers in the grid of Chinese manufacturer,

was basically inspected by authorities from what I understand.

The results of that inspection are classified, but this grid emergency ensued.

Tell me what happened and how this whole realization that we've had since then has progressed.

Sure, absolutely. So yeah, it was May 1st, 2020, an executive order that declared, as you said, a grid security emergency.

And it was a recognition that our bulk power system has really now become dependent on certain countries that are adversaries,

that really are hostile to the United States, including Communist China.

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