IMPEACHMENT TALKS, NOW MOVING
ON.
JOINING US, U.S. COMMERCE
SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS.
MR. SECRETARY, GOOD TO HAVE YOU
WITH US.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD
PELOSI, BUT AS I JUST REPORTED,
SHE SAID NO PLANS FOR A FORMAL
IMPEACHMENT INVESTIGATION VOTE
AT THIS TIME WHICH LEAVES OPEN
THE QUESTION, WHAT IN THE WORLD
ARE THEY DOING IF THEY ARE NOT
CARRYING OUT AN IMPEACHMENT
INVESTIGATION AND GIVING
EVERYONE A VOTE.
>> ONE THING THEY ARE NOT DOING
IS IMPROVING THE USMCA TRADE
DEAL WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT
WOULD BE VERY GOOD FOR ALL
AMERICANS, FARMERS, FOR
INDUSTRIAL WORKERS AND
CONSUMERS.
FOR EVERYONE.
IT SEES AS THOUGH THEY DON'T
REALLY WANT TO TAKE DEFINITIVE
ACTION ON ANYTHING.
LOU: I THINK THEY MADE IT CLEAR.
AFTER BASICALLY A YEAR -- ALMOST
A YEAR AND 9 MONTHS IN CHARGE OF
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING TO
ADVANCE ANY PROGRAM IN THE
NATIONAL INTEREST AUTHORED BY
THIS ADMINISTRATION.
YOU MENTIONED THE FARMERS.
WE LEARNED TODAY THAT THE
CHINESE HAVE DECIDED THEY DON'T
WANT TO BUY THAT $50 BILLION, $4
BILLION TO $50 BILLION OF
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS THAT WE
THOUGHT HAD BEEN AGREED TO IN
THE SO-CALLED PHASE ONE AS
ANNOUNCED BY THE PRESIDENT.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME AS YOU
KNOW, MR. SECRETARY, WE HAVE
SEEN THIS REGIME MUCH PRESIDENT
XI RENEGE.
AT THIS POINT, THIS GOES BEYOND
MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
THIS IS A POSITION OF PRESIDENT
XI, IS IT NOT?
THEY INDICATED THEY WOULD
CONTINUE BUYING SUBSTANTIAL
AMOUNTS RIGHT NOW.
THE $40 TO $50 BILLION WAS MEANT
TO PHASE IN OVER A COUPLE OF
YEAR TIME PERIOD.
LOU: THAT WASN'T MADE CLEAR TO
ANYONE AS I HAVE READ ANYONE'S
REPORTING, INCLUDING MY OWN.
THE IDEA THAT $40 TO $50 BILLION
WAS GOING TO BE PHASED IN.
THERE IS AS COMMUNICATION
PROBLEM BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND
THE UNITED STATES, IT'S PRETTY
CLEAR.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER INSTANCE
IN WHICH WE HAVE A TRADING
PARTNER MAKING STATED POSITIONS
AND THE UNITED STATES ACCEPTING
THOSE POSITIONS, AND THEN TWICE
WITHIN A 6-MONTH PERIOD WATCHING
THEM RENEGE.
THAT'S JUST ABOUT ENOUGH.
>> ESPECIALLY IF IT'S TRUE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE THAT
THEY STOPPED MAKING THE
PURCHASES THAT THEY HAD DONE
VOLUNTARILY JUST BEFORE THE
TALKS RESUMED.
THEY SAID WHEN WE WERE ALL IN
THE OVAL FRIDAY THAT THEY WOULD
CONTINUE THE BIG PURCHASES
PARTICULARLY OF SOYBEANS AND OF
PORK THAT THEY HAD STARTED JUST
BEFORE THAT.
SO IF THEY ARE NOT, THAT REALLY
IS A VERY SPECIFIC RENEGE.
LOU: AT THIS POINT IT IS
BECOMING FAIRLY UNTENABLE, I
WOULD THINK.
MR. SECRETARY, I HAVE GOT TO
APOLOGIZE.
ADAM SCHIFF STALK BEING THE
LATEST ON THE SO-CALLED
IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
>> PEOPLE SHOULD MAKE NO MISTAKE
ABOUT THAT.
THEY ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT THEY
ARE REQUIRED TO DO.
AND I THINK SHOWING ENORMOUS
COURAGE.
AND I THINK WE OWE A GREAT DEBT
OF GRATITUDE TO OTHER SERVANTS
LIKE AMBASSADOR YOVANOVICH WHO
HAD TO ENDURE SO MANY FALSE
SMEARS ON HER CHARACTER AND HAS
CONTINUED TO SHOW THE COURAGE TO
COME FORWARD AND SPEAK TO OUR
COMMITTEES.
AND WE ARE ALSO LEARNING A GREAT
DEAL ON THE ISSUE OF CONDITION
AMOUNT.
THE EFFORT TO CONDITION A WHITE
HOUSE MEETING THAT WAS
DESPERATELY SOUGHT BY THE
UKRAINE PRESIDENT IN ORDER TO
GET A COMMITMENT FROM THAT
PRESIDENT TO DO THESE POLITICAL
INVESTIGATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT THE
CONDITIONAL OF THAT MEETING.
I WANT TO UNDERSCORE HOW
IMPORTANT THAT MEETING WAS FOR
UKRAINE.
IT IS AT THE TOP ASK OF MOST OF
COUNTRIES TO HAVE A MEETING WITH
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
THIS IS MOST OF PARTICULARLY
TRUE FOR A COUNTRY INVADED BY
ITS NEIGHBOR, RUSSIA.
THAT'S IN THE MIDST OF A HOT
CONFLICT, THAT IS DEPENDENT ON
US ECONOMICALLY, DIPMATICALLY,
AND MILITARILY TO SHOW THAT THEY
HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THAT GAVE ENORMOUS LEVERAGE TO
PRESIDENT TRUMP TO THE COERCE
WHAT HE WANTS FROM THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UKRAINE.
AT THE TIME THE STATE DEPARTMENT
IS TRYING TO URGE UKRAINE TO
FOLLOW THE RULE OF LAW, YOU HAVE
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES URGING THAT PRESIDENT TO
ENGAGE IN POLITICAL
INVESTIGATIONS.
YOU COULD NOT HAVE A MESSAGE --
LOU: ADAM SCHIFF TALKING ABOUT
QUID PRO QUO.
AND WE ARE TALKING WITH COMMERCE
SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS.
MR. SECRETARY, I WANT TO
APOLOGIZE FOR INTERRUPTING.
WE JUST HEARD ADAM SCHIFF
ANNOUNCE SOMETHING NEW.
TALKING ABOUT THE CONDITIONAL OF
A MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT.
IT WAS SO IMPORTANT IT RISES TO
THE LEVEL OF A QUID PRO QUO AS
THE REST OF HIS STATEMENT.
AT LEAST THE IMPLICATION OF IT.
THIS IS GETTING TO BE THINNER
AND THINNER GRUEL BY THE DAY,
SRNTS IT?
>> IT'S JUST LIKE THE HUMANER
THING.
THEY KEEP CHANGING THEIR THEORY
ABOUT WHAT IT IS HE DID WRONG.
MUELLER FINALLY WENT AWAY, YOU
DON'T HEAR THEM TALK ABOUT IT
ANYMORE.
LOU: ESPECIALLY THE DEMOCRATS.
>> THEN THEY WERE SAYING THERE
WAS A QUID PRO QUO IN THE PHONE
CONVERSATION.
NOW THEY KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE.
SO NOW THEY ARE INVENTING
ANOTHER THING THAT A MEETING WAS
THE QUID PRO QUO.
GOD KNOWS WHAT IT WILL BE NEXT.
BUT THE OTHER THING ADAM SCHIFF
SOUNDS AMAZING, HE WAS SAYING
HOW COURAGEOUS THESE FORMER
STAFFERS WERE IN COMING FORWARD.
ONE GUY WHO IS NOT BEING
COURAGEOUS IS THE WHISTLEBLOWER.
STILL WANTS TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.
THE WHISTLEBLOWER STARTED THIS
WHOLE THING.
LOU: YOU MEAN THE CIA OFFICER
WHO HAD THIRD PARTY INFORMATION
WHAT THAT HEARSAY WAS MOVED TO
FILE A COMPLAINT IN CONCERT WITH
THE ADAM SCHIFF COMMITTEE.
>> WELL, YEAH.
AND THE THIRD-PARTY INFORMATION
HE HAD PROVED TO BE INCORRECT.
I THINK THAT'S THE REAL REASON
THEY DON'T WANT TO EXPOSE HIM.
FOR THEM TO SAY THEIR MAIN
OBJECTIVE IS TO PRESERVE THIS
GUYS ANONYMITY IT'S INCREDIBLE.
AN SEA ANONYMOUS WHISTLE BLOWER
MISINFORMATION CANNOT BE A BASIS
FOR IMPEACHMENT.
LOU: ALMOST ANYTHING IS
APPARENTLY AVAILABLE TO THIS
COMMITTEE, AS THE PRESIDENT HAS
POINTED OUT.
EIGHT BEGAN BY CREATING A
DRAMATIC SCENE AS FIT WAS FROM
ONE OF THOSE SCREENPLAYS THAT
ADAM SCHIFF HAD WRITTEN AS HE
SUDDENLY RELAPSED INTO BEING A
THESPIAN INSTEAD OF THE CHAIR OF
THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE,
REPORTING FAITHFULLY ON WHAT
TRANSPIRED AND THE PRESIDENT'S
WORDS, FROM THE TRANSCRIPT OF
THAT CALL, AS THE PRESIDENT
SAID, IT WAS PERFECT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS PERFECT.
BUT IT WAS EXCULPATORY OF ANY
CLAIM THAT COULD BE MADE BY ANY
RATIONAL, REASONABLE PERSON THAT
THERE WAS A QUID PRO QUO AGREED
UPON.
LET ME FINISH OUR CONVERSATION
IF I MAY ON THE SUBJECT OF
CHINA.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
AND AT WHAT POINTS ARE WE GOING
TO ACCEPT THE IDEA THAT THE
CHINESE ARE NOT WORTHY OF U.S.
TRUST?
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY MIND BOGGLING
TO THINK THAT THEY WOULD HAVE
RENEGED ON THIS AGAIN AT THIS
STAGE.
IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS IT WILL BE
VERY LIKELY A FACE-TO-FACE
MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT XI AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP OUT IN ASIA IN
CONNECTION WITH THE MEETINGS.
SO SOMETIME BETWEEN NOW AND THEN
THOSE THINGS HAVE TO GET
RESOLVED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER
BECAUSE ORIGINALLY THE HOPE HAD
BEEN PERHAPS THIS PHASE ONE
COULD BE DOCUMENTED BY THEN.
LOU: WE WERE TOLD IT WAS GOING
TO BE PAPERED I BELIEVE WAS THE
EXPRESSION OF TREASURY SECRETARY
MNUCHIN AND THE PRESIDENT.
IN FACT IT'S BEING PAPERED OVER
A BIT, IT SEEMS TO ME.
THAT THIS IS AN IMPASSE AND ONE
WHICH IT SEEMS TO ME IS HARDLY A
RESOLVABLE ON CHINESE TERMS.
>> THERE IS ONE EASY WAY TO
RESOLVE SIT WHICH WOULD BE FOR
THE CHINESE TO RESUME THE
PURCHASING THEY HAD BEEN DOING
IN THE RUN-UP TO THE TALKS LAST
WEEK.
LOU: RESPECTFULLY YEAR NOT AN
AGRARIAN NATION.
A DEAL OVER 1%.
I THINK THIS IS GETTING TO BE A
LITTLE EMTBIERGS THIS COUNTRY TO
HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS.
WE ARE THE MOST OF ADVANCED
SUPER POWER ON EARTH WITH ALL OF
OUR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND ALL
OF OUR FINISHED PRODUCTS THAT WE
ARE MANUFACTURING.
WITH ALL OF OUR INDUSTRY.
WE COME UP WITH SOYBEANS.
I AM SORRY, MR. SECRETARY, YOU
LOST ME ON THAT ONE.
SOMEWHAT I WAS SAYING IS THE
BEST WAY FOR THEM TO DEMONSTRATE
THAT THEY ARE LIVING UP TO THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT HAD BEEN
REACHED BEFORE WOULD BE TO
RESUME THE PURCHASES THAT THEY
WERE DOING AS RECENTLY AS LAST
WEEK.
THAT'S A WAY TO PROVE THAT THEIR
GOOD INTENT IS STILL THERE.
IF THEY STOP THAT, THEN I AGREE
WITH YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE TO
QUESTION IT.
LOU: I QUESTION ANYTHING THAT
STARTS OUT WITH TWO FAILED
AGREEMENTS.
BOTH OF WHICH SEEM TO BE THE
CHINESE RENEGING.
I CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE PURSUIT
ON THE PART OF THE UNITED
STATES.
MR. SECRETARY, AS ALWAYS IT'S