>>> WELCOME BACK. AS WE’VE SAID, SENATOR McCAIN’S
DEATH WILL HAVE AWE PRO PROFOUND
EFFECT ON THE SENATE BUT IT’S
NOT JUST THAT THE SENATE IS
LOSING A STATESMAN, IT’S ALSO
LOSING ONE OF THE FEW
REPUBLICANS WILLING TO STAND UP
TO PRESIDENT TRUMP, ESPECIALLY
WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES OF
NATIONAL SECURITY.
NATIONAL SECURITY. WITHOUT McCAIN, OKLAHOMA SENATOR
JAMES INHOFFE IS THE TOP
REPUBLICAN ON THE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE AND HE WAS A LOT MORE
FRIENDLY TO PRESIDENT TRUMP THAN
McCAIN WAS.
McCAIN WAS. MOMENTS AGO THE SENATOR SAID
McCAIN IS PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR
THE WHITE HOUSE FLAG
CONTROVERSY.
CONTROVERSY. I’M JOINED NOW BY RHODE ISLAND
SENATOR JACK REED, THE RANKING
DEMOCRAT ON THE SENATE ARMED
SERVICES COMMITTEE THAT McCAIN
CHAIRED.
CHAIRED. SENATOR, FIRST OFF TO THIS NEWS
FROM SENATOR INHOFFE, I THINK HE
WAS SPEAKING TO CNN WHEN HE SAID
THAT SENATOR McCAIN WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
NOT KEEPING THE FLAG AT HALF
STAFF TODAY BECAUSE HE WAS SO
VOCALLY OUTSPOKEN AGAINST THIS
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. >> WELL, I BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT
SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED THE FLAG
AT HALF STAFF.
IT’S HONORING AN INDIVIDUAL WHO
GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THE COUNTRY
AND I THINK SENATOR INHOFFE
UNDERSTANDS AND RESPECTS THE
SACRIFICE SENATOR McCAIN MADE
FOR HIS COUNTRY, SO I THINK THE
PRESIDENT ULTIMATELY MADE THE
RIGHT DECISION.
RIGHT DECISION. I THINK ENGAGING IN SORT OF A
DISSECTION OF THAT DECISION AT
THIS POINT DOESN’T REALLY
HELP --
HELP -- >> WHAT ABOUT SENATOR INHOFFE
SAYING THAT McCAIN WAS AT FAULT
FOR IT?
FOR IT? >> I THINK THAT THAT IS NOT
ACCURATE, SIMPLY BECAUSE SENATOR
McCAIN’S ACTIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE
PROMPTED A RESPONSE IN ANY WAY,
SHAPE OR FORM FROM THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. IT’S SOMETHING THAT APPEARED TO
BE PETTY RATHER THAN
PRESIDENTIAL AND FRANKLY I THINK
IT APPEARED TO THE PRESIDENT TO
BE INAPPROPRIATE.
BE INAPPROPRIATE. HE REVERSED HIS DECISION.
HE ISSUED A PROCLAMATION.
THE FLAG WILL BE AT HALF STAFF
APPROPRIATELY UNTIL SENATOR
McCAIN IS BURIED AT ANNAPOLIS
AND THAT’S THE RIGHT THING TO
DO.
DO. >> SENATOR CORKER IS ALSO
RETIRING AND LEAVING AN OPENING
ON THE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE AS WELL.
WITH CORKER GONE NEXT YEAR AND
WITH McCAIN NOW GONE, ARE YOU
CONCERNED ABOUT THE VOID IN
REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IN THESE
VERY IMPORTANT COMMITTEES WITH
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE WILLING TO
PUSH BACK ON THE PRESIDENT,
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
ISSUES OF NATIONAL SECURITY?
>> WELL, WE ARE LOSING SEVERAL
POWERFUL VOICES.
POWERFUL VOICES. THE MOST POWERFUL OBVIOUSLY IS
JOHN McCAIN, BUT BOB CORKER HAS
BEEN A VERY THOUGHTFUL AND VERY
STATESMANLIKE COLLEAGUE IN THE
SENATE.
SENATE. THERE HAS TO BE INDIVIDUALS THAT
STEP UP AND IT HAS TO BE ALL OF
US, NOT JUST REPUBLICANS BUT
ALSO DEMOCRATS STEPPING UP,
TRYING TO DO IT AS JOHN McCAIN
DID IT SO OFTEN ON A BIPARTISAN
BASIS, ISSUE BY ISSUE.
ULTIMATELY I HOPE WHAT CONVINCES
MY COLLEAGUES TO TAKE THE
APPROPRIATE ACTION IS THAT WHAT
WE DO ULTIMATELY AFFECTS THE
LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF YOUNG AMERICANS IN UNIFORM,
AND THEY DESERVE OUR NOT --
ANYTHING LESS I SHOULD SAY THAN
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE COUNTRY
AND OUR COMMITMENT TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
CONSTITUTION. I HOPE THAT INSPIRES MY
COLLEAGUES INCLUDING MYSELF TO
STEP UP MORE.
>> IF THERE WAS A DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENT AND YOU WERE THE
LEADER OF THE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT
TO BE SKEPTICAL OF THE COMMANDER
IN CHIEF?
IN CHIEF? WHY WOULD YOU THINK IT WOULD BE
IMPORTANT TO BE SKEPTICAL IF YOU
WOULD AGREE?
WOULD AGREE? >> WELL, I THINK IT’S VERY
IMPORTANT TO BE SKEPTICAL
BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE
AN INDEPENDENT ROLE IN THE
CONGRESS.
CONGRESS. WE HAVE INDEPENDENT POWERS AND
WE HAVE TO ENSURE THE DECISIONS
ARE MADE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER
IT’S A FELLOW DEMOCRAT OR
REPUBLICAN, ARE THE BEST IN
TERMS OF THE COUNTRY AND FOR THE
FUTURE OF THE NATURE.
THAT REQUIRES NOT BLIND LOYALTY,
IT REQUIRES VERY OBSERVANT AND
AT SOME TIMES CRITICAL, BUT
CRITICAL IN A WAY THAT’S NOT
SIMPLY PARTISAN AND DISRUPTIVE,
BUT CONSTRUCTIVE, AND THAT’S
WHAT I HOPE WE CAN DO.
>> WITH JOHN McCAIN GONE, WHO’S
GOING TO FILL THAT VOID?
WHO WILL BE THE NEXT JOHN
McCAIN?
McCAIN? >> I THINK WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO
SEE IS YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE
SENATE AND OTHER COLLEAGUES
STEPPING UP.
STEPPING UP. I THINK WHAT YOU’LL SEE ALSO
WILL BE ON AN ISSUE BY ISSUE
BASIS, THERE WILL BE AN ISSUE
THAT REALLY ENGAGES SOMEONE.
THEY’LL STEP FORWARD AND THEY’LL
TAKE THE LEAD.
THEY’LL BE FOLLOWED BY WE HOPE A
BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS.
I DON’T THINK THAT ANYONE RIGHT
NOW WHO’S BEEN BEING PREPARED
FOR, GROOMED FOR TAKING THE
PLACE OF JOHN McCAIN.
FIRST OF ALL, IT WOULD BE
VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE HIS
PLACE INDIVIDUALLY.
PLACE INDIVIDUALLY. I THINK WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SEE
IS AND WHAT I HOPE YOU SEE IS
ALL OF US STEPPING UP
SIGNIFICANTLY TO FILL THE GAP
THAT HE’S LEFT.
>> IN THIS HIGHLY PARTISAN
CLIMATE THAT WE’RE LIVING IN
WHERE IF YOU GO AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT YOU’RE LIKELY TO LOSE
YOUR SEAT, WON’T BE ABLE TO WIN
A PRIMARY, THAT’S WHY CORKER IS
NOT RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION, WHY
FLAKE ISN’T RUNNING FOR
RE-ELECTION, JOHN McCAIN NOT
POPULAR IN HIS HOME STATE OF
ARIZONA BY A MAJORITY OF
REPUBLICANS ANY LONGER BECAUSE
OF WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. IN THIS PARTISAN CLIMATE, IS IT
POSSIBLE FOR LAWMAKERS TO DEFY
THEIR LEADER?
THEIR LEADER? >> WELL, WHAT WILL MAKE IT
POSSIBLE IS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IF IT’S VERY CLEAR IN THESE
ELECTIONS IN NOVEMBER THAT THEY
WANT A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR, A
CHANGE IN TONE, A CHANGE IN
OUTLOOK, THEN YOU’LL SEE THAT
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. THAT IS THE GOVERNING FRANKLY
AND THANKFULLY THE GOVERNING
FACTOR IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT’S THE WILL OF CITIZENS.
THAT’S WHY IT’S IMPORTANT FOR
ALL OF OUR AMERICAN CITIZENS TO
GET INVOLVED, GET ACTIVE AND TO
VOTE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO
SENDING THE MESSAGE.
IF THE MESSAGE IS IF YOU’RE A
REPUBLICAN JUST FOLLOW THE
PRESIDENT BLINDLY OR IF IT WAS A
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT, THE SAME
MESSAGE.
MESSAGE. IT HAS TO BE A MESSAGE OF
RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT FOR
THE CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION. >> LET ME SWITCH GEARS AND ASK
YOU ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
THE ONGOING LEGAL DRAMA THAT
SEEMS TO BE CLOSING IN ON HIM.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK WITH HIS
LONG-TIME FIXER, HIS FORMER
PERSONAL LAWYER SAYING THAT HE
DID COMMIT A CRIME, ADMITTING TO
BEING A FELON AND IMPLICATED THE
PRESIDENT AND IT WAS A PRETTY
BIG DEAL.
BIG DEAL. ONE OF YOUR DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER
COLLEAGUES IN THE HOUSE, JERRY
NADLER, WAS ON "MEET THE PRESS"
OVER THE WEEKEND.
JUST LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID.
>> WELL, I THINK THE MUELLER
INVESTIGATION HAS TO CONTINUE
FIRST AND FOREMOST AND THE
COMMITTEE HAS TO DEFEND THE
MUELLER INVESTIGATION AGAINST
THE PRESIDENT AND THE
REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS ATTEMPTS
TO SABOTAGE IT, DISCREDIT IT AND
DISCREDIT THE FBI AND THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
CONGRESS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A
CHECK AND BALANCE ON THE
EXECUTIVE, AND WE OUGHT TO BE
HOLDING INVESTIGATIONS.
HOLDING INVESTIGATIONS. >> REPRESENTATIVE NADLER SAYS WE
OUGHT TO BE HOLDING, AS IN
DEMOCRATS OUGHT TO BE HOLDING
INVESTIGATIONS.
INVESTIGATIONS. DO YOU BELIEVE DEMOCRATS ARE
DOING ENOUGH?
DOING ENOUGH? ARE YOU HOLDING ENOUGH
INVESTIGATIONS OR TRYING TO HOLD
ENOUGH INVESTIGATIONS
ENOUGH INVESTIGATIONS CONSIDERING ALL OF THE VERY
SERIOUS LEGAL QUESTIONS THAT
SURROUND THE PRESIDENT AND THE
FACT THAT HIS FORMER LAWYER HAS
IMPLICATED HIM IN A CRIME?
>> WELL, THE REALITY IS THAT THE
INVESTIGATORY PROCESSES OF THE
SENATE AND THE HOUSE ARE
CONTROLLED BY THE REPUBLICAN
MAJORITY.
MAJORITY. THEY SET THE AGENDA, THEY SET
THE HEARINGS.
THE HEARINGS. THEY CERTAINLY SPENT A GREAT
DEAL OF TIME LOOKING INTO THE
BEHAVIOR AND ACTIVITIES OF
SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON.
THEY HAVE NOT SPENT THE SAME
AMOUNT OF TIME WITH PERHAPS THE
EXCEPTION OF THE SENATE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE.
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE. SENATOR BURR AND SENATOR WARNER
ON A BIPARTISAN BASIS HAVE
LOOKED AND CONTINUE TO LOOK AT
SOME OF THESE ISSUES INVOLVING
RUSSIAN REACTION AND INTERACTION
IN OUR CAMPAIGN.
BUT I BELIEVE JERRY IS RIGHT, WE
HAVE TO BE MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE
BUT I DON’T THINK THAT WILL
HAPPEN AS LONG AS THE
REPUBLICANS ARE CONTROLLING THE