>>> IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT WE
CANNOT PREVENT AN IRANIAN
NUCLEAR BOMB UNDER THE DECAYING
AND ROTTEN STRUCTURE OF THE
CURRENT AGREEMENT.
THE IRAN DEAL IS DEFECTIVE AT
ITS CORE.
>> PAUL: PROM'S DECISION THIS
WEEK TO LEAVE -- PRESIDENT TRUMP
DECISION THIS WEEK TO LEAVE THE
IRAN NUCLEAR ACCORD DRAWING A
MIXED REACTION ON CAPITOL HILL
WITH DEMOCRATS LARGELY
CONDEMNING THE DECISION,
CLAIMING IT COULD TRIGGER A
NUCLEAR CRISIS AND LEAD TO
GREATER TENSIONS IN THE MIDDLE
EAST.
REPUBLICAN RON JOHNSON IS A
MEMBER OF THE SENATE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE.
HE JOINS ME FROM MILWAUKEE,
WISCONSIN.
SENATOR, GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH
US.
THANKS FOR COMING IN.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE
PRESIDENT'S DECISION ON IRAN?
>> I DO.
THE WORLD IS LESS SAFE BECAUSE
OF THE IRANIAN AGREEMENT THAT
FUNNELED ABOUT $100 BILLION PLUS
INTO NOT ONLY THE ECONOMY, BUT
EVEN WORSE, THE MILITARY OF THE
LARGEST STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR
AND WE'VE SEEN HOW THEY USED
THAT MONEY, TO DESTABILIZE
YEMEN, DESTABILIZE SYRIA,
PROVIDE HEZBOLLAH MORE SUPPORT,
ROCKETS IN IS RAM AND THE
ROCKETS IN ISRRAM AND THE
ROCKETS IN ISRAEM AND THE
ROCKETS IN ISRAEL AND THE DEAL
DID NOTHING TO STOP THEIR
BALLISTIC MISSILE TECHNOLOGY
ADVANCEMENT EITHER.
GETTING OUT OF THIS WILL GIVE US
THE OPPORTUNITY TO RATCHET UP
SANCTIONS AND HOPEFULLY COME UP
WITH A BETTER DEAL.
>> PAUL: ARE YOU RECORD WEED WOR
>> PAUL: ARE YOU RECORD WEED WOI
>> PAUL: ARE YOU RECORD WEED WOD
>> PAUL: ARE YOU RECORD WEED WOW
>> PAUL: ARE YOU RECORD WEED WOR
>> PAUL: ARE YOU RECORD WEED WOI
>> PAUL: ARE YOU RECORD WEED WOD
ABOUT THE -- WORRIED ABOUT THE
RIFT WITH EUROPE.
YOU COULD HAVE MORE
TRANSATLANTIC TENSIONS.
YOU'RE ALREADY FIGHTING OVER
TARIFFS ON STEEL AND ALUMINUM.
DOES THAT CONCERN YOU AT ALL?
>> WE WANT TO HAVE A STRONG
RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR NATO
ALLIES AND EUROPEAN FRIENDS AS
WELL.
THE WESTERN DEMOCRACY HAS KEPT
PEACE AND SECURITY THROUGHOUT
THE WORLD.
WE NEED TO HANG TOGETHER.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS,
THOUGH SAME COUNTRIES, BRITAIN,
FRANCE, GERMANY, NEW FULL WELL
WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA ENTERED
THIS UNILATERALLY, DID NOT
CONSULT WITH CONGRESS, DID NOT
RATIFY THIS THROUGH THE TREATY
PROCESS, THAT AGREEMENT WAS
WORTH NO MORE THAN THE PAPER IT
WAS WRITTEN ON AND THEY'RE
RECOGNIZING THAT RIGHT NOW.
HOPEFULLY FRENCH PRESIDENT
MACRON IS CERTAINLY TALKING
ABOUT WORKING OUT A BETTER DEAL
AND THAT'S THE BETTER ATTITUDE
TO TAKE.
>> PAUL: IF SUCH A DEAL DID COME
TO FRUITION, ADDING A COUPLE OF
THE PROVISIONS THAT YOU
MENTIONED BEFORE, LIKE THE
SUNSET PROVISION AND INTRUSIVE
INSPECTIONS, DO YOU THINK YOU
GUYS IN THE SENATE WOULD BE ABLE
AND WILLING TO PUT THOSE
PROVISION INTUSE YOUR
LEGISLATION -- PROVISIONS INTO
YOUR LEGISLATION THAT MONITORS
AND CALLS FOR REVIEW OF THE IRAN
NUCLEAR ACCORD?
DO YOU THINK YOU COULD GET
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT TO DO THAT?
>> I GUESS WHAT I WOULD RATHER
DO IS COME UP WITH A NEW DEAL
AND SEND IT THROUGH ADD VOCATION
OF THE SENATE.
HAD PRESIDENT OBAMA DONE THAT,
THE IRANIAN AGREEMENT WOULD HAVE
BEEN FAR BETTER AND MIGHT HAVE
STOOD THE TEST OF TIME.
IT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HAD
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
THAT'S THE DANGER OF ANY
PRESIDENT ACTING JUNE
PRESIDENT ACTING UUNE
PRESIDENT ACTING UNIE
PRESIDENT ACTING UNILATERALLY
AND NOT GOING THROUGH THE RAT
PHI CASE PROCESS.
-- RATIFICATION PROCESS.
I WOULD RATHER SEE PRESIDENT
TRUMP COME UP WITH A NEW DEAL
AND HAVE IT RATIFIED BY THE
SENATE.
>> PAUL: THE SENATE TREATY,
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE 67 VOTES.
YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET PRESIDENT
TRUMP -- PRESIDENT TRUMP WOULD
HAVE TO GET AN ENORMOUS NUMBER
OF DEMOCRATS TO SIGN ONTO THAT
KIND OF DEAL.
>> DURING THE CORKER CARD YENEN
DEBATE, THE FIRST THING WE WOULD
HAVE VOTED ON WOULD HAVE BEEN A
TREATY.
IF THEY UP HELD THE OATH OF
OFFICE, THAT AMENDMENT WOULD
HAVE PASSED 100-0.
WE HAD REPUBLICANS LOBBYING
AGAINST IT, UNFORTUNATELY.
FROM MY STANDPOINT, SOMETHING SO
SIGNIFICANT CERTAINLY IS A
TREATY AND IT SHOULD BE RATIFIED
AND WE WOULD BE IN A BETTER
PLACE TO I DO HAD HE DONE THAT.
>> PAUL: WHAT'S THE MOOD
GENERALLY SPEAKING IN THE SENATE
ABOUT THIS WITHDRAWAL DECISION?
THE DEMOCRATS -- I REMEMBER WHEN
YOU HAD THIS DEBATE.
THERE WAS BIPARTISAN OPPOSITION
EVEN AMONG DEMOCRATS, SOME
OPPOSED.
I THINK CHUCK SCHUMER VOTED
AGAINST IT OR HE WAS OPPOSED TO
IT IN SOME OF THE CRUCIAL VOTES
ON CAPITOL HILL.
NOW DEMOCRATS SAY WE SHOULD STAY
IN ANYWAY.
WHAT'S CHANGED?
>> WELL, THEY CIRCLED THE WAGONS
EVEN BACK THEN TO END UP PASSING
THE CORKER/CARDEN AGREEMENT ACT.
BUT FROM MY STANDPOINT, I THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE AMBIVALENT.
I COULD HAVE ARGUED THIS BOTH
WAYS, STAY IN THE AGREEMENT, TRY
AND STRENGTHEN IT.
WE'VE ALREADY GIVEN UP ALL OF
OUR LEVERAGE.
THE FICTION OF SNAPBACK
SANCTIONS WAS JUST THAT.
THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET THE
$100 BILLION PLUS BACK.
THERE WAS NO WAY TO PUT IRAN'S
BEHAVIOR BACK IN THE BOTTLE.
SO YOU COULD ARGUE THIS BOTH
WAYS.
BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH WHAT
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE,
PARTICULARLY IF WE START
RATCHETING UP SANCTIONS AT THIS
TIME.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU MADE A
STRONG CASE, WHEN YOU SEE
SPONTANEOUS DEMONSTRATIONS IN
IRAN, OBVIOUSLY THE MONEY IS NOT
FLOWING IN THE COMPLY FOR THE
BENEFIT OF THE IRANIAN PEOPLE.
THIS IS A GOOD POINT IN TIME TO
RATCHET UP PRESSURE ON THE
IRANIAN REGIME.
>> PAUL: GINA HASPEL, DO YOU
THINK SHE WILL BE CONFIRMED?
>> I'M GOING TO SUPPORTER.
HOPEFULLY SHE WILL BE CONFIRMED.
>> PAUL: YOU THINKER
>> PAUL: YOU THINK SHE'S GOING
TO BE CONFIRMED?
>> AGAIN, THERE'S TALK WITHIN
EVEN OUR CONFERENCE.
IT WAS NOT HELPFUL.
SENATOR McCAIN CAME OUT
AGAINST HER.
I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT
FOR SENATOR McCAIN, BUT THAT
WAS NOT HELPFUL IN MATERIALS OF