GOODS, ALSO SURPRISINGLY SEEN
AS TEPID.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS,
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL THAT WE'LL
AVOID AN OUTRIGHT WAR.
TO FORMER SENATOR TOM COBURN,
YOU NEVER LIKE TO SEE TRADE
TIFFS OF ANY SORT, SEEMS THE
MARKET IS A DICEY READ OF
THINGS BUT FOLKS ARE PUTTING
MONEY ON THE LINE THAT THIS IS
GOING TO END ALL RIGHT.
DO YOU THINK IT WILL END ALL
RIGHT?
>> I DO.
I DO.
IS WE GAVE AWAY MANUFACTURING
BASE THROUGH FREE TRADE
POLICIES, AND CHINA ESSENTIALLY
ABSCONDED WITH INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY AND ACTUALLY COERCED
PEOPLE INTO GIVING PARTS OF
THEIR BUSINESS AND INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY TO THEM, JUST TO BE
ABLE TO TRADE THERE.
I HAD AN INTERESTING EXCHANGE
AND HE SAID ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE
NOT.
SO THEY'RE NOT THE BEST WHEN IT
COMES TO THE INTEGRITY OF
TRADE.
SO, LOOK, I THINK WE'RE SEEING
THIS HANDLED JUST RIDE.
EVENTUALLY CHINA HAS TO COME
BASED ON CHEATING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT
OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE JOBS
TODAY BECAUSE OF CHINA'S
BEHAVIOR.
SO I'M A FREE TRADER, BUT I
THINK YOU GOT TO SET SOME RULES
FOR CHINA AND MAKE SURE THEY
UNDERSTAND.
AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO END
UP WELL.
NEIL: SENATOR, OUR COMMERCE
SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS WAS
QUOTING HERE, IF YOU WILL
INDULGE ME.
CHINA IS OUT OF BULLETS TO
RETALIATE.
DO YOU AGREE, IT'S OUT OF
SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM?
>> I'M NOT SURE I KNOW THE
ANSWER TO THAT, NEIL.
I KNOW THAT OUR PURCHASES FROM
THEM ARE TREMENDOUSLY LARGER
THAN THEIR PURCHASES FROM US,
AND SO THEREFORE THE PAIN OF
ANY TRADE ESCALATION HURTS THEM
FAR WORSE THAN IT HURTS THE
AMERICAN CONSUMER.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, WITH
RISING WAGES AND RISING
EFFECT ON AMERICANS.
THEY DIDN'T USED TO HAVE, THAT
ACTUALLY WERE STOLEN THROUGH
FRAUD AND COERCION BY CHINA.
SO I THINK WHAT HE'S DOING IS
FINE.
MY HOPE WOULD BE IT WOULDN'T
ESCALATE.
I THINK WE HAVE THE UPPER HAND
RIGHT, AND WE SHOULDN'T BUCKLE
BECAUSE THE CHINESE SAY WE
SHOULD.
I DON'T FIND THEM TO BE
HONORABLE IN TERMS OF TRADE
POLICIES ESPECIALLY WHEN
SECRETARY OF COMMERCE TOLD ME
IN A MEETING IN CHINA THAT THEY
WOULD NOT HONOR THEIR WTO
OBLIGATIONS.
SO WHEN THEY'RE TELLING YOU
THEY'RE GOING TO CHEAT, YOU
KNOW, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
NEIL: AT LEAST IN THE PAST,
THEY DIDN'T SAY THAT.
THAT SEEMS A LITTLE UP-FRONT.
>> THEY SAID THAT FIVE YEARS
AGO.
NEIL: WELL, ALL RIGHT.
LET ME QUICKLY GET YOUR
THOUGHTS ON THE BRETT KAVANAUGH
SITUATION, SEEMS TO BE
DISINTEGRATING FAST.
SOME REPUBLICANS ARE WORRIED
THIS MIGHT BE TORPEDOED.
>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A
BORK.
THEY'RE TRYING TO BORK HIM.
HE HAD THE INVESTIGATION, ALL
THE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT ME,
SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN HIGH
SCHOOL THAT HE SAYS HE WASN'T
EVEN THERE.
WHY DIDN'T THEY FIRE THIS
WHY.
AT BEST.
I THINK IT'S A PLANNED STRATEGY
TO UNDERMINE HIS CREDIBILITY
WHEN, IN FACT, HE SAYS IT
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A CASE OF
MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
THE FACT IS, WHAT IS THIS, 40
YEARS AGO OR 35 YEARS AGO THAT
SOMEBODY IS GOING TO REMEMBER
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WHY IS IT
NOW COMING FORWARD?
IT'S ALL POLITICS TO ME, AND I
THIS IS AN HONORABLE MAN THAT'S
BEEN THROUGH CONFIRMATION AND