'FELT LIKE A WAR ZONE': Jeh Johnson reflects on 9/11

. THANKS, LUCAS. SO, AS WE REFLECT ON THE 25TH. YEAR SINCE 9/11, THE MEN AND. WOMEN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF. HOMELAND SECURITY CONTINUE. WORKING TO PROTECT AMERICA. DHS SAYS ICE HAS ARRESTED MORE. THAN 2,150 KNOWN OR SUSPECTED. TERRORISTS. AND DEPORTED 2015 SINCE. PRESIDENT TRUMP RETURNED TO. OFFICE. LET'S GO TO STEVE DOOCY, JOINED. BY FORMER DHS SECRETARY JEH. JOHNSON. OVER TO YOU, STEVE.

>> Steve: ALL RIGHT, L.J., THANK. YOU VERY MUCH, MR. SECRETARY, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN. >> Steve: IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU. YOU KNOW, AS WE REFLECT BACK AND. LAWRENCE JUST HAD THOSE NUMBERS. ABOUT THE NUMBER OF TERRORISTS. WHO HAVE BEEN APPREHENDED IN THE. COUNTRY. AS WE LOOK BACK 25 YEARS, YOU. WERE HERE IN NEW YORK CITY 25. YEARS AGO. >> YES. >> Steve: IT WAS A BIG DAY. BECAUSE IT YOUR BIRTHDAY. >> IT WAS MY 44TH BIRTHDAY. BEAUTIFUL DAY. I COMMUTED IN FROM MY HOMETOWN. IN NEW JERSEY, EXPECTING A. WONDERFUL DAY.

>> Steve: RIGHT. >> THEN THE WORLD CHANGED AT. 8:46. I LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW. I SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THE ONE MOMENT IN MY LIFE WHEN. MY BRAIN REFUSED TO REGISTER. WHAT MY EYES WERE SEEING IS WHEN. THAT TOWER COLLAPSED, THAT FIRST. TOWER. >> Steve: YEAH. >> WHEN I FINALLY WENT HOME THAT. DAY, NEW YORK CITY FELT LIKE A. WAR ZONE. >> Steve: YEAH. >> FIGHTER JETS OVERHEAD. THE GUARD ON THE WASHINGTON. BRIDGE ALL THE TRAFFIC. I HAD BEEN IN NATIONAL SECURITY. BEFORE. I WAS AT THE PENTAGON.

>> Steve: RIGHT. >> AS GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE AIR. FORCE DURING THE CLINTON. ADMINISTRATION NINE MONTHS. BEFORE AND THAT DAY I WAS A. BYSTANDER. BUT, RENEWED MY DEDICATION TO. NATIONAL SECURITY. >> Steve: RIGHT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN YOU. WERE THE GUY WHO RAN THE. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AS WE LOOK AT THE FLORAL. TRIBUTES TO THE MEN AND WOMEN. WHO LOST THEIR LIVES THAT DAY, 343 IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. ALONE, AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE.

DAYS YOU SERVED, RUNNING THE. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, ONE OF YOUR BEST DAYS WAS. MAY 1st. >> MAY 1ST, 2011, THE DAY WE GOT. BIN LADEN. I WAS GENERAL COUNSEL. I WAS THE LAWYER FOR THE. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE THAT DAY. SEPTEMBER 11TH, 20081 WAS MY. SINGLE WORST DAY AS AN AMERICAN, MAY 1, 2011 WAS MY SINGLE BEST. DAY AS A PUBLIC SERVANT. >> Steve: LOOK AT ALL THE PUBLIC.

SERVANTS GATHERING HERE BECAUSE. OF THE COMMEMORATION THAT'S. GOING TO TAKE PLACE SHORTLY. >> AND ANYONE UNDER THE AGE OF. 25. >> Steve: WHAT WAS THAT. >> WAS NOT BORN YET. >> Steve: NEVER FORGET. YOU GOT TO NEVER FORGET. >> EVERY YEAR I COME HERE I SEE. A WIDER AND WIDER GAP BETWEEN. THE FIRST RESPONDERS, LAW. ENFORCEMENT TODAY AND THOSE WHO. WERE ON THE JOB 25 YEARS AGO. A LITTLE GRAYER, BUT THAT GAP. GETS BIGGER AND BIGGER. >> Steve: YEAH. AS YOU LOOK -- WE ALL WANT TO. KNOW THAT 25 YEARS LATER WE ARE.

SAFER. ARE WE? >> I BELIEVE THAT DHS IS DOING A. BETTER JOB AT TRACKING WHO. ENTERS THE COUNTRY. >> Steve: LET'S MOVE THIS WAY. JUST A LITTLE BIT. THERE WE GO. >> DHS IS DOING A BETTER JOB OF. WHO IS TRACKING, WHO IS ENTERING. THE COUNTRY. WE'RE SAFER IN THAT RESPECT. BUT, THE THREAT ENVIRONMENT HAS. EVOLVED, WHICH IS WHY I. PERSONALLY THINK THAT IT'S TIME. TO TOTALLY RETHINK HOMELAND. SECURITY AND REBUILD IT,

CONSOLIDATE JUST ABOUT ALL. FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT INTO ONE. PLACE. LEAVE THE LAWYERS OVER IN DOJ. DE-CONFLICT ALL THEIR MISSIONS. GET RID OF THE TURF FIGHTS, AND. HAVE ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKING. TOGETHER TO DEAL WITH AN. EVOLVING THREAT PICTURE. >> Steve: IT'S BEEN 25 YEARS. PROBABLY TIME TO TAKE A LOOK. >> THANKS FOR HAVING M.