ASSAD? >> THOSE STEPS ARE UNDERWAY.
>> THERE YOU GO. JOINING ME NOW, SENATOR McCAIN
OF ARIZONA. WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU. GOOD TO BE BACK WITH YOU.
>> I WANT TO START WITH, I KNOW YOU TOLD SOME REPORTERS, YOU
SPOKE WITH THE PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT ON THIS TOPIC.
WHAT CAN YOU SHARE? >> YESTERDAY MORNING, AFTER THE,
ALL THE INFORMATION CAME OUT. HE SAID HE WAS VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT IT. THAT HE WAS HAVING MEETINGS WITH
THE SECRETARY, WITH GENERAL McMASTER.
AND THEY WOULD BE PROVIDING HIM WITH THE ADVICE AND COUNSEL THAT
FRANKLY, I THINK, IS APPROPRIATE.
HE WAS CERTAINLY VERY CONCERNED. YOU SAID YOU BELIEVE ASSAD NEEDS
TO PAY THE PRICE. PREVIOUSLY YOU'VE SAID
POTENTIALLY ONE WAY TO DO THIS IS GROUND THE AIR FORCE, TAKE
THEIR AIR FORCE OUT. THEY CANNOT FLY AGAIN.
IF THEY FLY, THEY GO DOWN. IS THAT STILL YOUR
RECOMMENDATION OF THE INITIAL RESPONSE?
>> THAT'S MY INITIAL RESPONSE. WE NEED ESTABLISH SAFE ZONES, TO
EQUIP THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY. I WOULD ADD ONE POINT TO THAT.
THE PILOTS. YOU KNOW THE NUREMBERG PILOTSES
AFTER WORLD WAR II, CARRYING OUT ORDERS WAS NOT A SUFFICIENT
EXCUSE WHEN THEY TRIED THE NAZIS.
CARRYING OUTARIES IS NOT A SUFFICIENT EXCUSE FOR DROPPING
NERVE GAS ON INNOCENT CIVILIANS. WE ALL SAW THE PICTURES AND
WE'RE APPALLED AND ANGERED AND SHOCKED.
JUST INCREDIBLE. >> IS THIS A REMINDER THAT THERE
IS A BELIEF THAT FOREIGN POLICY MATTERS AT THE END OF THE DAY?
THAT TRUMP SAID, HEY, THERE ARE TOO MANY QUAG MEYERS.
WE'RE GETTING INVOLVED IN TOO MANY FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING. DO YOU GET THE FEELING PRESIDENT
TRUMP NOW GETS THE IDEA THAT THERE'S NO OTHER POLICEMAN IN
THE WORLD? >> I THINK HE IS REALIZING OUR
MORAL RESPONSIBILITY AND IT WAS GRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATED WITH THE
FATHER HOLDING THE TWO DEAD BABIES.
I THINK HE IS GETTING IT. I THINK HE REALIZE THAT'S
AMERICA MUST LEAD. AND BY THE WAY, AMERICA HAS NOT
LED IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. AND WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE
MUCH TRUMPETED REMOVAL OF ALL THE STUFF, WITH RUSSIA AND THAT
BASHAR AL ASSAD THAT OBAMA AND KERRY WERE SO PROUD OF?
>> I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT. WHATTER RESPONSIBILITY DOES
VLADIMIR PUTIN HAVE FOR THIS ATTACK?
NIKKI HALEY, AT THE UNITED NATIONS, SAID THIS IS ON PUTIN'S
HANDS TOO. IT WAS HIS RESPONSIBILITY.
HIS PLEDGE IN THIS DEAL. IS PUTIN, SHOULD HE BE HELD
RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS? >> I THINK ABSOLUTELY HE SHOULD
BE RESPONSIBLE. BY ANNOUNCING THIS GRAND
AGREEMENT, WHICH WOULD REMOVE ANY CHEMICAL WEAPONS, THEY
DIDN'T KEEP THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN.
CHUCK, THE RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT USED PRECISION GUIDED WEAPONS TO HIT
HOSPITALS IN ALEPPO, KILLING, IN GROSS VIOLATION OF EVERY
INTERNATIONAL LAW UNDER A NORMAL STANDARD.
AND VLADIMIR PUTIN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
I HOPE GOAL THAT. GIVE THE UKRAINES THE DEFENSIVE
WEAPONED WITH WHICH TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AND RECOGNIZE IT.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PRESIDENT, WHO IS CLEARLY BEING
TESTED. OKAY IN CLEARLY BEING TESTED, TO
STAND UP AND FRANKLY, MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF, WHICH I THINK
COULD BE VERY HELP HAVE TO HIM AND THE NATION.
>> SENATOR RUBIO BELIEVES WASN'T A COINCIDENCE THAT ONE WEEK
AFTER SECRETARY OF STATE TILLERSON CHANGED AMERICAN
POLICY ASSAD, THAT THISSED HAPPEN.
DO YOU THINK IT WAS A COINCIDENCE?
>> I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN AND ASSAD
THINKING THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH THIS.
THE SFAMTS WERE MADE.
I WAS VERY PLEASED TO HEAR A STATEMENT TODAY.
SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, AS HIGHLY CREDENTIALED AS THEY ARE,
THEY'RE IN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
SO I THINK WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TODAY WAS
VERY HELPFUL. WE NEED TO INCREASE SANCTIONS ON
IRAN, ON VLADIMIR PUTIN. AND UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF A
COMPETITION WE'RE IN. >> TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
ONE, ANY MILITARY STRIKE THAT THE PRESIDENT CONSIDERS, HE
DOESN'T NEED CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL.
DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD GET IT? >> I DON'T THINK HE NEEDS
CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL. ONE OF THE PRECEDENTS FOR THAT
WAS AFTER THE BOMBING OF THE DISCO IN BERLIN, RONALD REAGAN
STRUCK LIBYA. BUT THE LARGER PICTURE, WE NEED
AN AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF MILITARY FORCEFUL WE'VE GOT TO
UPDATE IT, MAKE IT MORE REALISTIC AND WE HAVE TO HAVE
CONGRESS, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, INVOLVED IN
THESE DECISIONS. SO I'LL WORK TIM CAIN TO COME UP
WITH ONE. >> LET'S SAY THIS STRIKE IS
SUCCESSFUL ENOUGH TO GROUND THE ASSAD AIR FORCE AND REALLY
WEAKEN ASSAD. THEN WHAT?
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CONUNDRUM.
RIGHT? THEN WHAT?
>> I THINK THEN YOU ESTABLISH THE SAFE ZONE.
YOU ARM AND TRAIN AND EQUIP THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY.
YOU DO NOT STOP YOUR EFFORTS TO RETAKE RAQQAH.
YOU CAN DO TWO THINGS AT ONCE AND WE HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY TRY TO
HOLD PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE. BOTH BASHAR AL ASSAD AND
VLADIMIR PUTIN. >> AND ARE WE GOING TO BE IN THE
REBUILDING EFFORT OF SYRIA? >> WE HAVE TO, CHUCK.
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN LIBYA AFTER WE TALKED AWAY, AFTER
GETTING RID OF GADHAFI. >> A TOUGH POLITICAL SELL.
A TOUGH DOMESTIC SELL. >> IT WAS VERY TOUGH AFTER WORLD
WAR II, MY FRIEND. I BELIEVE IN GOODNESS AND
DECENCY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THEM
WHY IT IS IN OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS.
>> I WANT TO ASK BUT THE SENATE. MICHAEL BENNETT WAS JUST ON.
HE SAID TO SAY HI. HE SAID HE THOUGHT, THAT YOU AND
HE HAD TALKED ABOUT TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO STOP THIS.
WERE YOU GUYS ALONE? IS THAT THE PROBLEM?
>> NO. WE HAD SEVERAL OTHERS WITH US
THAT WERE IN A ROOM IN MY OFFICE AND WE DISCUSSED THIS.
FRANKLY, OPPOSED TO THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES WHERE WE WERE
ABLE TO AVERT THIS, THE LEADERSHIP WAS NOT INTERESTED.
AND THERE WAS MORE OF A POLARIZATION, WHICH IS
REFLECTIVE OF THE ATTITUDES OF THE COUNTRY, IN MY VIEW, WHICH
MADE IT DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST COUPLE TIMES, WHERE WE WERE ABLE
TO DIVERT IT. HAVE NO DOUBT, WE'RE ON A
SLIPPERY SLOPE. >> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE
COURTS? MORE POLARIZED COURTS?
DO YOU THINK IT WILL MEAN AMERICANS DISTRUST COURTS IF
EVERYBODY IS FAR LEFT AND FAR RIGHT?
>> I THINK WILL HARM THE FAIRNESS OF OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM.
LOOK AT THE APPROVAL RATING OF CONGRESS.
>> IF WASN'T FOR YOU, IT IS JUST FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR BOTH OF
US THESE DAYS. >> I'M AFRAID IT IS, MY FRIEND.
WE'VE KNOWN EACH A LONG TIME. YOU'VE GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE
YEARS. >> I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BOTH OF US HAVE. GOING RIGHT DOWNHILL.
>> YOU'VE BEEN HIDING YOUR OWN EASTER EGGS.
>> SENATOR McCAIN, ON THE DAY