. >>> WELCOME BACK TO "MORNING
JOE," JOINING US NOW DEMOCRAT SENATOR CHRIS COONS OF DELAWARE
WHO WRITES A PIECE FOR THE "NEW YORK TIMES" TITLED "WHY JEFF
FLAKE'S EXIT SHOULD SCARE DEMOCRATS."
GOOD MORNING, IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, YOU WRITE FLAKE'S RETIRING
IS DEEPLY PRINCIPALED TO ME. HE REPRESENTS A RETIRING PARTY.
SENATOR IMHOFF SAID MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE THE TREND, TALKING
ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEAVE.
>> I SERVE WITH SENATOR FLAKE AND FOR CORKER, ALTHOUGH WE
DISAGREE ON A WIDE RAIN HIM OF THINGS, SENATOR FLAKE IS A
WESTERN REPUBLICAN, A CONSERVATIVE, FROM DIFFERENT
FAITHS FROM DIFFERENT VALUE FRAMES.
WE HAVE SERVED VERY WELL TOGETHER ON THE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE BECAUSE WE SHARE A COMPLIMENT TO AMERICA'S
ROLE IN THE WORLD THAT LEADS THE FIGHT FOR NOBLE FREEDOM THAT
LEADS BASED ON OUR COMMITMENT TO OPEN SOCIETIES, TO FREE PRESS,
TO HUMAN RIGHTS, NOT JUST OUR NARROW NATIONAL SELF INTERESTS.
I THINK SENATOR FLAKE SAW CLEARLY THE THREAT TO THAT
POSITION THAT DONALD TRUMP'S INTERNATIONAL POLICIES PRESENT
AND THAT MADE IT HARDER AND HARDER FOR HIM TO BE SUCCESSFUL
IN A PRIMARY CAMPAIGN. IF THE VOICES ARE MISSING FROM
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BIAS IN THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE
AND IF AS FOR IMHOFF IS SAYING, ONLY THOSE WHO ARE MINDLY LOYAL
TO PRESIDENT TRUMP SHOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE AS REPUBLICANS
IN THE SENATE, THEN I'M GRAVELY CONCERNED WHAT THAT SAYS FOR
MARC REMAINING THE BEACON OF FREEDOM IN THE WORLD.
>> HE WAS PRETTY HONEST ON THIS SHOW YESTERDAY, WHY NOT STICK
AROUND AND FIGHT DONALD TRUMP IF THIS IS HOW YOU FEEL.
HE SAID, PLAINLY, I CAN'T WIN. I CAN'T WIN THIS PRIMARY FIGHT
INSIDE THE STATE OF ARIZONA, DO YOU VIEW A AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
DEMOCRATS? MAYBE A DEMOCRAT CAN WHEN A SEAT
IN ARIZONA OR TENNESSEE, IF STEVE BANNON AND THAT WING OF
THE PARTY WANT TOSS PRIMARY EVERY REPUBLICAN SENATOR EXCEPT
FOR TED CRUZ, ISN'T THAT GOOD FOR YOU A AND THE DEMOCRATS?
>> WELL, IT'S FOOD IN A NARROW SENSE.
THAT'S RIGHT. MY ELECTION WAS CERTAINLY
FACILITATED BY A DIVISIVE PRIMARY THAT LED THEM TO CHOOSE
A CANDIDATE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION WHO WASN'T VERY
COMPETITIVE AND I'M GOOD FRIENDS WITH CONGRESS WOMAN KIERSTEN
CINEMA WHO WOULD MAKE A GREAT SENATOR, EXACTLY THE POINT OF MY
PIECE THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE CELEBRATING JUST THE PHARAOH
PARTISAN VICTORY OF CAMPAIGNING ONE SEAT OR LOSING ONE SEAT IN
THEA. WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THIS,
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS AS PATRIOTS AND ASKING WHETHER WHAT
JEFF FLAKE HAS BEEN SAYING ABOUT OUR PRESIDENTEN IN P ISN'T TRUE
AND SOMETHING THAT CALLS US TO ACTION AND TO WORK TOWING IN A
WAY THAT STRENGTHENS THE ROLE OF THE SENATE GOING FORWARD.
>> SENATOR, GOOD MORNING, HAROLD FORD, LET'S TURN TO ISSUES FOR
ONE MOMENT, TWO OF THEM. HOW ARE THINGS GOING WITH THE
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN CARDEN AND CORKER AROUND IRAN, AROUND IRAN
AND TWO, WE HAD KEIR SIMMONS AWAITING GENERAL MATTIS' VISIT
ANTICIPATING PRESIDENT TRUMP NEXT WEEK.
WHERE DO YOU STANDS THERE AND WHAT IS YOUR THINKING OF
DIPLOMACY? WE ARE GETTING REPORTS IT'S
FAILING ON THE NORTH KOREA PART. >> WELL, HAROLD, I AM VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAYS THE PRESIDENT HAS UNDER MINED HIS
SECRETARY OF STATE, SECRETARY REX TILLERSON AND MADE IT HARDER
AND HARDER PURSUING WITH NORTH KOREA BY ENGAGE INCOME A
PERSONAL BARRAGE OF ATTACKS ON KIM JONG-UN THE LEADER OF NORTH
KOREA. I DO THINK THERE ARE ONGOING
CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN CRAMER CORKER AND RANKING MEMBER CARDEN
ON THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE ABOUT OUR PATH FORWARD
NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP DESSERTIFIED PART OF THE JCPOA UNDER A
STATUTE WE HAVE. IT STARTED OFF A PERIOD OF 60
DAYS WHERE WE WILL BE LOOKING HARD IN THE SENATE AT WHAT ELSE
WE COULD BE DOING TO REIGN IN IRAN'S BAD BEHAVIOR IN THE
REGION. I OPPOSE RENEGOTIATING,
REOPENING THE JCPOA. ALL OF OUR EUROPEAN ALLIE VERSUS
COMMUNICATED TO US THAT THEY WON'T WELCOME THAT.
THEY WON'T PARTICIPATE IN THAT. I AM CLEAR ABOUT THE REAL THREAT
IRAN POSES TO OUR INTERESTS, OUR ALLIE ISRAEL, TO THE PEOPLE AND
THE SECURITY OF THE REGION BY SUPPORTING TERRORISM.
WE'VE GIVEN PRESIDENT TRUMP STRONG TOOLS.
WHEN THE SENATE VOTED 98-2 PASSED A FEW SANCTIONS LAW T.
PRESIDENT HASN'T YET TAKEN THAT UP TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS AGAINST
RUSSIA OR USE IT AS STRONGLY AS I THINK HE SHOULD AGAINST IRAN.
I THINK WILL YOU SEE BIPARTISAN WORK IN SUPPORTING AND
STRENGTHENING OUR MULTILATERAL ACTIONS AGAINST EVE I THINK WE
WILL SAVE THE JCPOA AND