>> Neil: ALL RIGHT.
THE PRESIDENT HAS ALREADY
ORDERED INCREASED SANCTIONS
FOLLOWING THAT ATTACK THAT THE
IRANIANS WERE NOW BEHIND OR OUR
INTELLIGENCE SAYS THAT ON SAUDI
ARABIA.
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT CHAPEL
CANDIDATE TULSI GABBARD WONDERS
IF THE PRESIDENT IS DOING OUR
COUNTRY'S BIDDING OR SAUDI
ARABIA'S.
IT'S HARD TO SAY.
CONGRESSMAN, VERY GOOD TO HAVE
YOU.
>> THANKS, NEIL.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> Neil: WHAT SURPRISED FOLKS IS
THE DEGREE TO WHICH YOU HAMMERED
THAT CHARGE OF THE PRESIDENT
THAT SAID YOU'RE NOT OUR PIMP.
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?
>> WELL, LET'S JUST MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE HERE
AND RECOGNIZE THE CONTEXT.
WHAT I WAS RESPONDING TO THAT
THE PRESIDENT TWEETED OUT AND I
WANT TO READ YOU WHAT HE SAID IN
THAT TWEET SAYING THAT "WE'RE
WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE KINGDOM
AS TO WHO THEY BELIEVE WAS THE
CAUSE OF THIS ATTACK AND UNDER
WHAT TERMS WE WOULD PROCEED."
LOOK, NEIL, I'M A SOLDIER.
I TOOK AN OATH AS A SOLDIER AND
A MEMBER OF CONGRESS TO SUPPORT
AND DEFEND OUR CONSTITUTION, TO
SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AND IT'S A HUGE DISGRACE TO HEAR
OUR COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF BASICALLY
PUT US IN A POSITION, PUT US,
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, OUR MEN AND
WOMEN IN UNIFORM, OUR MILITARY
ASSETS IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE
SERVANTS OF THE SAUDI KINGDOM.
STANDING BY AND AWAITING THEIR
ORDERS ON HOW WE SHOULD PROCEED.
>> Neil: WAS HE SAYING THAT,
CONGRESS WOMAN, AS MUCH AS THAT
THEY'RE LOOKING INTO THIS.
THEY'RE NOT MARCHING ORDERS
HERE.
THEY'RE TRYING TO ASCERTAIN WHO
WAS BEHIND THAT ATTACK AND THAT
IS WHAT I THINK HE WAS WAITING
ON.
>> WELL, IF TRUMP DIDN'T MEAN
WHAT HE SAID WHEN HE TWEETED
THAT OUT, THAT WE'VE GOT TO SEE
UNDER WHAT TERMS WE WOULD
PROCEED, THEN HE NEEDS TO
CLARIFY WHAT HE SAID AND
ACTUALLY SAY WHAT HE MEANT.
HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES.
HE'S THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF
THE STRONGEST MILITARY IN THE
WORLD.
HE NEEDS TO BE CLEAR.
THIS WAS SAID A COUPLE DAYS AGO,
HE'S NOT ISSUED ANY KIND OF
CLARIFICATION.
ALL WE CAN PRESUME IS HE SAID
WHAT HE MEANT IN THAT TWEET.
>> Neil: ALL RIGHT.
HE'S NOT RESPONDED TO YOUR
ALLEGATIONS OR EVEN TWEETED A
RESPONSE.
BUT WHAT YOU DID SAID, I NEVER
ENGAGE IN HATEFUL RHETORIC
AGAINST YOU OR YOUR FAMILY,
NEVER WILL BUT YOU'RE OFFERING
OUR MILITARY ASSETS TO THE
DICTATOR OF SAUDI ARABIA.
THE QUESTION I HAD FOR YOU,
CONGRESSWOMAN, IF YOU BECOME
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
AND SAUDI ARABIA WERE ATTACKED
LIKE IT WAS HERE AND APPARENTLY
BY IRAN, WOULD YOU NOT
INTERVENE?
>> I WOULD DO WHAT IS IN THE
BEST INTEREST OF OUR COUNTRY.
AS A SOLDIER I SEE THESE THINGS
VERY CLEARLY, SEEING WHAT IS OUR
GOAL, WHAT IS OUR OBJECTIVE.
WITH IRAN, WE HAVE TWO PRIMARY
OBJECTIVES.
NUMBER 1, TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY'RE NO LONGER MOVING FORWARD
OF BUILDING THEIR NUCLEAR
CAPABILITY AS THEY CURRENTLY
ARE.
NUMBER 2, TO PREVENT THIS
ALL-OUT SHOOTING WAR WITH IRAN
THAT IT APPEARS WE'RE HEADING
TOWARDS, THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR
TWO REASONS.
NUMBER 1, WE HAVE TO KEEP THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE SAFE.
KEEP THAT AT THE FOREFRONT.
WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THESE
OBJECTIVES BY UNDERSTANDING AND
REALIZING THAT THE CURRENT
STRATEGY HAS FAILED.
IT'S NOT HELPING US ACHIEVE THAT
OBJECTIVE AND WE NEED TO REENTER
THE IRAN NUCLEAR AGREEMENT AND
GET RID OF THESE CRIPPLING
ECONOMIC SANCTIONS THAT ARE
CONTINUING TO ESCALATE THIS WAR
AGAINST IRAN.
>> Neil: WELL, IRAN HAS BEEN
DOING THIS STUFF WITH OR WITHOUT
SANCTIONS, WITH OR WITHOUT A
DEAL.
DOESN'T --
>> THAT'S NOT TRUE.
>> Neil: THEIR PROVOCATIVE
BEHAVIOR --
>> THE IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL WAS IN
PLACE, IRAN WAS FOUND TO BE IN
COMPLIANCE BY OUR OWN
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES AND OTHER
COUNTRIES AGENCIES.
THEY WERE COMPLYING WITH THE
DEAL.
THEY WERE NOT MOVING FORWARD
TOWARD BUILDING A NUCLEAR
WEAPON.
NOW IT'S IN THE TRASH, IRAN IS
CONTINUING --
>> Neil: THE NUCLEAR DEAL NOT
WITHSTANDING, THEY'VE ALWAYS
BEEN PROVOCATIVE.
WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU, WOULD YOU
AS PRESIDENT THEN IGNORE THAT
PROVOCATION, DEAL OR NO DEAL,
WOULD YOU WORK WITH THE SAUDIS?
DO YOU LIKE THE SAUDIS MORE OR
LESS THAN IRAN?
WHAT?
>> IT'S NOT ABOUT WHO YOU LIKE
OR WHO YOU DON'T LIKE.
IT'S ABOUT ONCE AGAIN FOCUSING
ON OUR OBJECTIVE OF KEEPING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE SAFE.
WHAT HAS JUST HAPPENED AND
TRANSPIRED THE LAST FEW DAYS
DIDN'T JUST POP UP OUT OF
NOWHERE.
WE CAN'T LOOK AT THIS IN
ISOLATION.
IT WAS KICKED OFF BY PRESIDENT
TRUMP WALKING AWAY FROM AND
THROWING THAT NUCLEAR DEAL IN
THE TRASH, INCREASING --
CRIPPLING ECONOMIC SANCTIONS
THAT ARE HURTING THE PEOPLE OF
IRAN MOST OF ALL, DESIGNATING
THEIR MILITARY AS A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION, DEPLOYING MORE
TROOPS TO THE REGION.
A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HAVE
PUSHED US, THE WORLD, TO THIS
POINT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
>> Neil: SO LET ME ASK YOU.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE LEADER OF
SAUDI ARABIA?
A LOT OF SIGNALS POINT THAT HE
WAS BEHIND THE KILLING OF "THE
WASHINGTON POST" JOURNALIST A
YEAR AGO.
BUT HE'S STILL IN CHARGE.
OTHERS HAVE SAID YOU CAN'T PICK
AND CHOOSE YOUR LEADERS OF
COUNTRIES YOU DON'T LIKE.
IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WOULD YOU TALK WITH HIM, DEAL
WITH HIM ON AN ATTACK LIKE THIS,
DO SOMETHING IN CONCERT WITH
HIM?
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT UNDER
THESE AND OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES TO
BE READY AND TO HAVE THE
WILLINGNESS TO TALK TO LEADERS
OF OTHER COUNTRIES.
YES, I WOULD MEET WITH THE
LEADER OF SAUDI ARABIA AS I
WOULD WITH THE LEADER OF IRAN TO
DEESCALATE THESE TENSIONS AND
SAYING WHAT IS THE BEST INTEREST
OF THE UNITED STATES AND HOW CAN
WE BEST ACCOMPLISH THAT
OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS KEEPING THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE SAFE.
DOING WHAT IS IN THE BEST
INTEREST OF OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
BY PURSUING THESE DIPLOMATIC
MEASURES, WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT THAT
WORST CASE SCENARIO, WHICH IS AN
ALL-OUT SHOOTING CONFLICT WAR
THAT WOULD CAUSE A DEVASTATING
COST TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, TO
OUR TROOPS, COUNTLESS LIVES,
TRILLIONS MORE DOLLARS.
TO SPEAK OF THE IMPACT ON THE
DEVASTATION THAT WOULD BE CAUSED
AROUND THE REGION AND THE WORLD.
>> Neil: ALL RIGHT.
SO THE INTERPRETATION IS THAT
YOU WANT TO BRING BACK THE IRAN
DEAL.
BUT IT GIVES A SIGNAL HERE THAT
YOU'RE NO FAN OF THE SAUDI
LEADERSHIP.
I GET THAT.
BUT MORE OF A FAN OF THE
LEADERSHIP IN IRAN.
>> NO, I'M A FAN OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.
I'M A FAN OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
AS PRESIDENT AND
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, I WOULD PUT
THEIR INTERESTS --
>> Neil: IS IT IN OUR INTEREST
FOR SAUDI ARABIA TO BE PROTECTED
OR ITS KINGDOM TO BE PROTECTED
OR DO YOU DRAW A DISTINCTION?
>> LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IS NOT
IN OUR INTERESTS.
THIS ALLIANCE THAT HAS BEEN
LONGSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES AND SAUDI ARABIA IN SPITE
OF THE FACT THAT THEY ARE
DIRECTLY AND INDEPENDENT
DIRECTLY SUPPORTING AL-QAEDA.
WE JUST OBSERVED THE 18th
ANNIVERSARY OF THAT TERRIBLE
ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY IN 2001.
THEY'RE CONTINUING TO SPEND
BILLIONS EVERY YEAR PROPAGATING
THIS EXTREMIST IDEOLOGY THAT IS
FUELLING THE GROWTH OF TERRORIST
GROUPS LIKE AL-QUAIDA AND ISES
AND OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY'RE DIRECTLY SUPPORTING
THOSE THAT POSE A THREAT TO OUR
COUNTRY AND TO THE UNITED
STATES.
THAT THREAT THAT WE NEED TO
DEFEAT.
>> Neil: IS THAT THREAT GREATER
THAN IRAN?
>> YES; IT IS.
>> Neil: SAUDI ARABIA IS MORE OF
A PROBLEM FOR US --
>> IRAN DOES NOT POSE A DIRECT
THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE PREVENT IRAN FROM
CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD
TOWARDS DEVELOPING A NUCLEAR
WEAPON.
THAT IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE
FOCUSED.
IF I WERE PRESIDENT, THAT'S WHAT
I'D BE DOING, GETTING BACK INTO
THAT NUCLEAR DEAL, GETTING RID
OF THESE CRIPPLING ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN
THE INTERESTS OF OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
>> Neil: SO A PRESIDENT GABBARD
WOULD SEE SAUDI ARABIA AS A
BIGGER THREAT TO OUR COUNTRY
THAN IRAN.
>> WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS
SAUDI ARABIA ENDING THEIR
SUPPORT FOR AL-QUAIDA.
TERRORIST GROUPS LIKE AL-QUAIDA.
>> Neil: I'M SORRY.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I ASKED.
>> I KNOW.
YOU'RE TURNING MY WORDS AROUND.
>> Neil: NO, NO, NO.
I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR.
YOU HAVE HIGHER OPINION OF IRAN
THAN YOU DO SAUDI ARABIA.
>> NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M
SAYING.
>> Neil: EXPLAIN.
>> I'M FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN
BEST KEEP THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
SAFE.
ON HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE -- WE HAVE OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY INTACT.
>> Neil: THE SAUDIS ARE A BIGGER
LET TO THAT SAFETY THAN IRAN?
I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
>> THE SAUDIS ARE DIRECTLY
SUPPORTING THE VERY TERRORIST
GROUP THAT ATTACKED US ON 9-11
AND CONTINUE TO POSE A THREAT TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TODAY.
>> Neil: SO IF THE PRESIDENT
WERE TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST IRAN
WITH OR WITHOUT SAUDI
INTELLIGENCE OR HELP, THAT WOULD
BE A BAD MOVE IN YOUR EYES?
>> THAT WOULD BE A VERY BAD
MOVE.
IT WOULD NOT SERVE THE INTERESTS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
IT WOULD COST THOUSANDS MORE OF
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN
UNIFORM THEIR LIVES.
IT WOULD COST US AS TAXPAYERS
TRILLIONS -- WOULD MAKE THE IRAQ
WAR THAT I SERVED IN LOOK LIKE A
PICNIC COMPARED TO THE COST AND
THE CONSEQUENCE AND THE
DEVASTATION THAT WOULD COME
ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THAT WAR.
TO SPEAK OF THE FACT THAT IT
WOULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL GIVEN
THE PRESIDENT WOULD DO THAT
WITHOUT THAT AUTHORITY COMING