>>> WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DONALD TRUMP'S TROUBLING
RHETORIC AND NOW WILBUR ROSS LOOKS TO BE GETTING INTO THE THX
HERE. SPEAKING AT A CONFERENCE IN LOS
ANGELES YESTERDAY, "VARIETY" REPORTS ROSS RECALLED THE SCENE
AT MAR-A-LAGO ON APRIL 6th. WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP ORDERED THE
AIR STRIKE AGAINST SYRIAN FORCES AS HE HOSTED THE CHINESE
PRESIDENT. THE SECRETARY REPORTEDLY TOLD
THE AUDIENCE, JUST AS DESSERT WAS BEING SERVED, THE PRESIDENT
EXPLAINED TO MR. XI THAT HE HAD SOMETHING HE WANTED TO TELL HIM,
WHICH WAS THE LAUNCHING OF 59 MISSILES INTO SYRIA.
ROSS JOKED, IT WAS IN LIEU OF AFTER-DINNER ENTERTAINMENT.
AFTER THE CROWD LAUGHED, ROSS REPORTEDLY SAID, QUOTE, IT
DIDN'T COST THE PRESIDENT ANYTHING TO HAVE THAT
ENTERTAINMENT. FOR SOME PERSPECTIVE, THOSE 59
TOMAHAWK MISSILES ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE COST AROUND $89 MILLION
AND AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE ATTACK, ACCORDING
TO THE SYRIAN MILITARY. >> FROM CAPITOL HILL, SENATOR
JOHN McCAIN OF ARIZONA. GREAT TO TALK TO YOU.
A LOT TO COVER. LET'S START, THOUGH, OBVIOUSLY,
WITH ONE OF THE GLARING STATEMENTS THE PRESIDENT SAID
YESTERDAY THAT HE WOULD BE HONORED TO MEET WITH THE
DICTATOR OF NORTH KOREA. YOUR REACTION TO THAT.
>> I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT
APPRECIATES THE FACT THAT WHEN HE SAYS THINGS LIKE THAT, IT
HELPS THE CREDIBILITY AND PRESTIGE OF THIS REALLY
OUTRAGEOUS STRONG MAN. THE LARGEST GOLOG LEFT ON EARTH
IS IN NORTH KOREA. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THEIR HUMAN
RIGHTS ABUSES AND OTHERS. JOE, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT
THIS AND ALSO ABOUT THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE
PHILIPPINES, AND YOU AND I ARE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER BEING
REAGAN REPUBLICANS. ONE THING REAGAN DID WAS HE
PRAISED PEOPLE WHO STOOD UP AGAINST DICTATORSHIPS.
REMEMBER WHEN HE MENTIONED NATHAN TRANSKY'S INCARCERATION
AND HOW IT ENCOURAGED THOSE WHO WERE STANDING UP AGAINST THE
SOVIET UNION AND HOW IT RICOCHETED AROUND THE GULAGH AND
TAKE DOWN THIS WALL. THIS IS A DRAMATIC DEPARTURE TO
THE KIND OF HUMAN RIGHTS THAT I ADMIRED RONALD REAGAN SO MUCH
FOR. I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY
HE WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENT IN HISTORY.
>> WHY DOES THERE SEEM TO BE A TREND THAT THIS PRESIDENT
PRAISES TYRANTS IN NORTH KOREA, TYRANTS IN RUSSIA, AUTOCRATS IN
TURK Y MURDERERS IN THE PHILIPPINES.
AND WHAT CONCERN ARE OUR FELLOW REPUBLICANS ON THE HILL VOICING
AT LEAST BEHIND THE SCENES ABOUT THIS?
>> WELL, I THINK IT'S VERY DISTURBING.
IT'S DISTURBING BECAUSE WE ARE PROUD REPUBLICANS AND WE STAND
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. THE REASON THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA WAS CALLED THE SHINING CITY ON THE HILL.
ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WE ENDED THE COLD WAR, WE STOOD IN
STARK CONTRAST TO THE SOVIET UNION.
ONE OF THE PILLARS OF AMERICA AND ONE OF THE REASONS SO MANY
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WANT TO BE LIKE US BECAUSE WE DO STAND
FOR THESE THINGS. NO, I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT EVERY
WAR AND PUT DOWN EVERY BRUSHG FIRE, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WE
HAVE TO STAND FOR THOSE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES SO THAT
WE CAN ASSUME A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE WORLD.
OTHERWISE WE'RE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> I'M GOING TO ASK YOU, SENATOR, TO PLEASE ZOOM OUT.
THESE COMMENTS THAT THE PRESIDENT MADE ABOUT DICTATORS
FROM SMART COOKIE TO DOING A FANTASTIC JOB, A STRONG LEADER,
VERY FRIENDLY CONVERSATION, RECEIVED CONGRATULATORY CALL,
ALL FROM DICTATORS, ALL FROM LEADERS WE SHOULD BE VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT. AND YET IN A RAMBLING
CONVERSATION WITH CBS'S DICKERSON OVER THE WEEKEND, HE
TALKED ABOUT PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYING THE RELATIONSHIP HAS
DETERIORATED AND HE BROUGHT UP WIRETAPPING AGAIN.
IF I CAN GLEAN WHAT I CAN UNDERSTAND FROM THE
CONVERSATION, WHICH WAS ALMOST INCOHERENT, BIGGER PICTURE, ARE
YOU AT ALL CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S ABILITY TO DO HIS
JOB? >> WELL, WHEN THE PRESIDENT DOES
HIS JOB SUCH AS THE CRUISE MISSILE STRIKE, SUCH AS
SELECTING A NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM THAT IS THE STRONGEST I'VE
SEEN, SUCH AS MANY OF THE ACTUAL ACTIONS THAT HE HAS TAKEN, I
HAVE BEEN STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE. AND I WILL CONTINUE.
HIS COMMITMENT TO RESTORING OUR MILITARY, WHICH IS IN TERRIBLE
DISARRAY, TERRIBLE STATE RIGHT NOW.
I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THE STATISTICS, INCLUDING TWO-THIRDS
OF OUR FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ARE DOWN FOR LACK OF PARTS.
SO, THERE ARE MANY THINGS THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE THAT I
STRONGLY SUPPORT AS FAR AS NATIONAL SECURITY.
BUT THE STATEMENTS AND COMMENTS OBVIOUSLY FLY IN THE FACE OF
EVERYTHING THAT I'VE STOOD FOR AND BELIEVED IN ALL OF MY LIFE.
>> MIKE BARNICLE? >> VERY FEW SENATORS TRAVEL THE
WORLD AS MUCH AS YOU DO. YOU SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO ALSO
TRAVEL THE WORLD AND THEY COME BACK REPORTING WORLD LEADERS AND
PEOPLE OF INFLUENCE IN OTHER COUNTRIES WHEN THEY HEAR ABOUT
THESE THINGS THAT OUR PRESIDENT SAYS, OUR PRESIDENT DOES, THEY
BASICALLY REPLY WITH ONE WORD -- IT'S SAD.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT THAT APPEARS TO BE
GROWING AROUND THE WORLD AMONG OUR ALLIES AND PEOPLE WHO LOOKED
TO THE UNITED STATES? >> I THINK IT'S MORE CONFUSION
THAN ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE OF THE CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS
THAT THE PRESIDENT MAKES. ABOUT HALF THE TIME, I AGREE
WITH HIM, BECAUSE ONE DAY IT'S ONE COMMENT AND THEN THE NEXT
DAY ANOTHER. CONSISTENCY HAS GOT TO BE THE
FUNDAMENTAL PILLAR OF NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY.
AND I WISH THAT THE PRESIDENT WOULD CONSIDER MUCH MORE
CAREFULLY HIS COMMENTS, PARTICULARLY IN PRAISE OF OF A
NORTH KOREAN -- HE'S WORSE THAN A DICTATOR.
HE'S A DESPOT. I'VE RUN OUT OF ADJECTIVES AND
ADD VERBS. THE GUY IN PHILIPPINES HAS
PRAISED EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS. 7,000, I'VE READ, HAVE BEEN
KILLED. YOU CAN'T PRAISE THASE THAT KIN
BEHAVIOR AND NOT HAVE -- RAISE CONCERNS AROUND THE WORLD.
PARTICULARLY WHEN I WOULD ARGUE THAT DEMOCRACY IS IN GREATER
ASSAULT AND PRESSURE NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FLOW OF
REFUGEES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE STRAINS, THE RISE OF
ULTRANATIONALIST LEADERS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES IN EUROPE,
LIKE HUNGARY AND OTHERS, WE NEED THE MESSAGE OF FREEDOM, THE
MESSAGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, THE MESSAGE WE STAND FOR DEMOCRACY
MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. >> SENATOR, I'M LOOKING ON
GOOGLE, AMERICAN PRESIDENT CALLING THE PRESIDENT OF THE
PHILIPPINES, QUOTE, A RESPECTED VOICE FOR REASON AND MODERATION.
THAT WAS RONALD REAGAN ABOUT FERDINAND MARCOS EARLY ON BEFORE
THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION TURNED ON HIM.
I'M WONDERING, TO PUT IN CONTEXT, HAVING PREVIOUS
PRESIDENTS, EVEN PRESIDENT REAGAN WHO YOU PRAISED EARLIER,
PRAISING LEADERS WHO DON'T ACT CONSISTENT WITH OUR VALUES, WHAT
IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS DOING?
>> WELL, MY FRIEND, TO COMPARE -- LOOK, RONALD REAGAN
WAS BY NO MEANS PERFECT. HE MADE MANY MISTAKES.
IRAN CONTRA IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST EXAMPLES.
BUT FROM THE BEGINNING HE MAY HAVE MADE A COMMENT ABOUT MARCOS
OR SOMETHING, BUT FROM THE BEGINNING, RONALD REAGAN, HE
STOOD IN BERLIN AND SAID, TAKE DOWN THIS WALL.
HE SAID NATHAN SHOULD BE FREE. JACKSON VANEK HE SUPPORTED,
WHICH REQUIRED THE EXDUS AND IMMIGRATION OF PEOPLE FROM
SOVIET UNION. YOU CAN FIND A COMMENT OR
STATEMENT THAT RONALD REAGAN MADE, MY FRIEND, BUT HAVE NO
DOUBT ABOUT WHAT HIS PRINCIPLES WERE AND WHAT HE ESPOUSED ISS AD
WHAT HE SUCCEEDED IN DOING. IN THE WORDS OF MARGARET
THATCHER, HE WON THE COLD WAR WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT.
IT WAS STANDING UP FOR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM WHICH IS ONE OF THE
MAIN ELEMENTS. >> ALL RIGHT.
SENATOR McCAIN, WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND
AMERICANS, FOR WORLD LEADERS, THAT ARE HAVING TO KEEP UP OVER
THE LAST 48 HOURS WITH A FLURRY OF STATEMENTS THAT EVEN
PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN DOUGLAS BRINKLEY SAID SUGGESTED A
CONFUSED MENTAL STATE FROM OUR PRESIDENT?
>> MY WORDS, AS I RECENTLY VISIT, IS PRESIDENTS GROW IN
OFFICE. I STILL BELIEVE THIS PRESIDENT
CAN GROW IN OFFICE. I THINK HE HAS SURROUNDED
HIMSELF WITH A STRONG NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM.
I SUPPORTED HIS CRUISE MISSILE STRIKE.
INC. FOR THE FIRST TIME WE ARE STANDING UP TO RUSSIA.
WE ARE STANDING UP FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE UNDER ASSAULT IN
PLACES LIKE MOSUL AND RAQQAH AND WE ARE DOING GOOD THINGS.
AND THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITMENT TO REBUILD THIS MILITARY, WHICH
IS NOT HAPPENING WITH WITH THIS BILL WE'RE ABOUT TO PASS, BUT
HIS COMMITMENT TO THAT I THINK