HOUSE. GREAT WAY TO KICK OFF.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. JOINING ME NOW IS SOMEBODY WHO
WAS IN THE ROOM AT THIS BIZARRE
MEETING.
MEETING. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE ARM
SERVICES COMMITTEE.
SERVICES COMMITTEE. WASHINGTON DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMAN
ADAM SMITH.
ADAM SMITH. AND, CONGRESSMAN, YOU DIDN’T
WALK OUT OF THE ROOM.
YOU AND THE OTHER COMMITTEE
CHAIRS THAT HAVE JURISDICTION
OVER NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES
STAYED IN THE ROOM.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT HAPPENED? AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTER YOUR
LEADER WALKED OUT?
>> WELL, THERE WAS SOME
IMPORTANT POLICY DISCUSSIONS
THAT NEED TO BE HAD.
I MEAN, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THE PRESIDENT’S PLAN WAS.
WE HAD SECRETARY ESPER THERE.
CHIEF OF STAFF WAS THERE.
SORRY, CHAIRMAN OF THE CHIEF OF
STAFF WAS THERE.
WE WANT TO HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. THE PRESIDENT HAS A WAY OF
TALKING THAT DOES NOT EXACTLY
INDUCE PEOPLE TO WANT TO SIT AND
LISTEN TO HIM.
AND HE WAS PRETTY HARSH ON
DEMOCRATS AND NANCY PELOSI AND A
WHOLE LOT OF THE SPEAKER I
SHOULD SAY AND A WHOLE LOT OF
OTHER PEOPLE IN A WAY I THINK IS
NOT BEFITTING OF A PRESIDENT.
SO I UNDERSTAND WHY THE SPEAKER
AND THE SENATE MINORITY LEADER
AND THE HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER
WALKED OUT.
WALKED OUT. BUT I HAD QUESTIONS I WANTED
ANSWERED.
ANSWERED. SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE
ACTUAL POLICY OF THE ISSUE AFTER
WE GOT THROUGH THAT.
>> DID THE PRESIDENT STAY?
>> HE WAS SORT OF LIKE MOVING
OUT OF HIS CHAIR AT ONE POINT
BUT HE DID STAY.
YES.
YES. >> DID HE CONTINUE TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING
AFTER --
AFTER -- >> OH, YEAH.
YES.
YES. >> AFTER SPEAKER PELOSI LEFT?
>> YES, HE DID.
>> DID HE HAVE ANY COMMENTS
ABOUT WHY THEY WALKED OUT?
>> WELL, I THINK THEY SORT OF
FIRED ENOUGH SHOTS AT EACH
OTHER.
OTHER. MOSTLY, THE PRESIDENT AT THE
SPEAKER AND OTHERS AS THEY WERE
LEAVENING THAT THIS WAS MORE OR
LESS DEALT WITH.
AND THAT’S NOT A WAY TO CONDUCT
BUSINESS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. DID ANYBODY TRY TO MEDIATE?
DID ANYBODY TRY TO MEDIATE?
>> YOU KNOW, THAT’S NOT REALLY
OUR PLACE.
OUR PLACE. >> NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU’RE
NOT.
NOT. BUT DID ANYBODY ELSE?
LIKE MICK MULVANEY?
LIKE OTHERS IN THE ROOM?
>> NO, THIS IS THEIR BOSS AND HE
DOES THINGS THE WAY HE DOES
THINGS.
THINGS. SO, NO, THEY LET IT HAPPEN.
BUT LOOK, THE POLICY IS
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. >> WELL, LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY RESIDUAL
FORCE.
FORCE. RESIDUAL FORCE.
RESIDUAL FORCE. SUPPOSEDLY, THE PRESIDENT KEEPS
SAYING NO.
SAYING NO. WHAT WERE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT
IN THERE?
IN THERE? AND HOW DID HE SQUARE IT?
>> WELL, AND THAT IS AN
IMPORTANT POINT.
IMPORTANT POINT. BUT, LOOK, OVERALL THE THING TO
REMEMBER HERE IS THIS WASN’T
JUST A DECISION TO PULL BACK A
FEW TROOPS FROM THE BORDER.
THIS WAS A DECISION MADE LAST
DECEMBER WHEN THE PRESIDENT
ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE LEAVING
SYRIA.
SYRIA. AND THE IMPLICATIONS THAT HAD
FOR TURKEY AND THEIR PLANNING.
I MEAN, ONCE YOU GOT TO THE
WEEKEND PHONE CALL, I THINK
TURKEY HAD MADE THEIR DECISION.
BUT IT WAS THE LEADUP TO THAT
THAT WAS PROBLEMATIC AND ALSO
THE PRESIDENT REALLY EMPHASIZED
IN THE MEETING ALL THE PRESSURE
HE PUT ON TURKEY NOT TO DO THIS.
HENCE, THE LETTER.
AND I HAD THE SAME REACTION YOU
DID, CHUCK, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE
LETTER.
LETTER. I HAPPEN TO KNOW THE WHITE HOUSE
LAWYER AND I CAN ASSURE YOU HE
DID NOT WRITE THIS.
IT WAS UNIQUELY THE PRESIDENT.
BUT NONE OF THAT WAS PUBLIC.
I MEAN, IF THE PRESIDENT REALLY
DIDN’T WANT ERDOGAN TO GO IN, WE
COULD HAVE HAD SOME VERY PUBLIC
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT.
THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN.
NOW, AS TO THE QUESTION AS
RESIDUAL FORCE, WHAT THEY’RE
REALLY SAYING IS THEY ARE GOING
TO KEEP FORCES IN IRAQ JUST
ACROSS THE BORDER.
I DIDN’T GET 100% CLARITY ON
THIS BUT MY SENSE WAS THEY’RE
PLANNING ON PULLING THEM OUT OF
SYRIA AND LEAVING THEM IN IRAQ.
THAT IS STILL DANGEROUS.
WE HAVE ABANDONED AN INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT PARTNER IN THE KURDS.
WILL WE FIND CAPABLE ENOUGH
PARTNERS TO CONTAIN SYRIA NOW?
THAT’S HIGHLY DEBATABLE.
BUT THE PRESIDENT, AS YOU HEARD,
HE’S CONFIDENT IN THE RUSSIANS
AND SYRIANS AND I GUESS THE
TURKS TO DO THAT.
SO WE’LL SEE.
>> DID ANYBODY -- DID ANYBODY
ELSE IN THAT ROOM MAKE THE CASE
AGAINST TRUSTING THE RUSSIANS
WITH SYRIA?
WITH SYRIA? >> OH, A LOT OF PEOPLE DID,
INCLUDING --
INCLUDING -- >> HOW DOES HE REACT?
HOW DOES HE REACT TO THAT?
>> WELL -- YEAH.
NO, HE REACTED BY BASICALLY
SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF RUSSIA
WANTS TO GO INTO SYRIA, LET
THEM.
THEM. THEY WENT INTO AFGHANISTAN AND
THEY GOT DESTROYED.
SO, YOU KNOW, LET THEM FIGHT,
YOU KNOW, OVER -- YOU HEARD IN
THE CLIPS FROM THE ITALIAN PRIME
MINISTER COMMENTS.
MINISTER COMMENTS. YOU KNOW, THAT’S BASICALLY WHAT
HE SAID.
HE SAID. IT’S -- IT’S, YOU KNOW, IT’S
THEIR FUNERAL BASICALLY.
IT’S NOT GOING TO BENEFIT THEM
BETTER THAN US.
THE POLICY POINT A LOT OF US
MADE IS CONTAINING ISIS IS
REALLY NUMBER ONE OUR ISSUE.
NOW, THE PRESIDENT EMPHASIZED
ISIS IS ATTACKING RUSSIA AS
WELL.
WELL. AND THAT MAY WELL BE TRUE.
BUT WE’RE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR
DEFENDING RUSSIA.
DEFENDING RUSSIA. WE’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFENDING
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT AT ONE
POINT BEFORE THE LEADERS WALKED
OUT, THAT SENATOR SCHUMER MADE A
POINT THAT HIS FIRST DEFENSE
SECRETARY JIM MATTIS SAID DOING
THIS IS GUARANTEEING THE
REEMERGENCE OF ISIS.
HOW DID THE PRESIDENT HANDLE
THAT CRITICISM FROM HIS FORMER
DEFENSE SECRETARY?
DEFENSE SECRETARY? >> HE INSULTED THE FORMER
DEFENSE SECRETARY AT GREAT
LENGTH.
LENGTH. >> SO HE DIDN’T ACCEPT THE
PREMISE?
PREMISE? OR --
OR -- >> HE -- HE -- HE ATTACKED -- HE
ATTACKED THE MESSENGER.
BASICALLY, HE SAID -- AND I
DON’T WANT TO GET INTO
SPECIFICS.
SPECIFICS. I HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF
RESPECT FOR GENERAL MATTIS.
THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT.
HE BASICALLY SAID CONSIDER THE
SOURCE.
SOURCE. HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT HE’S
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. HE’S A TERRIBLE GENERAL.
SO THAT WAS HOW HE DEALT WITH
GENERAL MATTHIS’S CONCERNS.
>> SO WHAT IS YOUR SENSE?
YOU KNOW YOU TALK TO THESE
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS
CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS WITH -- OUTSIDE OF PRESIDENT
TRUMP BEING IN THE ROOM.
YOU HAVE A GENERAL SENSE OF HOW
CLOSELY ALIGNED I’M GUESSING
YOU -- I’M PRETTY SURE YOU
ARE -- THAT YOU AND MANY OF YOUR
REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES, AT LEAST
ON THIS ISSUE, ARE.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO -- HOW DO
WE GET OUT OF THIS BOX THAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS PUT AMERICA’S
FOREIGN POLICY IN?
>> WELL, TWO THINGS ABOUT THAT.
ONE, THE ONE POINT I TRIED TO
IMPRESS UPON THE PRESIDENT WAS
THE IMPORTANT -- IMPORTANCE OF
PARTNERS IN FIGHTING TERRORISTS.
YOU KNOW, I DON’T THINK IT’S
WISE FOR THE U.S. TO DROP
100,000 TROOPS DOWN IN A FOREIGN
COUNTRY AND SAY WE’RE GOING TO
FIX THINGS.
FIX THINGS. IT IS VERY WISE FOR US TO FIND
PARTNERS IN THOSE PARTS OF THE
WORLD, LIKE THE MIDDLE EAST,
LIKE SOUTH ASIA, LIKE AFRICA,
WHERE AL QAEDA, ISIS, AND OTHER
RADICAL GROUPS ARE STRONG AND
BUILD PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTAIN
THEM SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO
BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE FIGHT.
AND THAT’S WHAT WE WERE DOING IN
SYRIA.
SYRIA. PRIOR TO THE PRESIDENT’S
ANNOUNCEMENT, WE HAD NOT LOST A
SINGLE U.S. TROOP IN OUR EFFORT
IN SYRIA.
IN SYRIA. THERE WAS A TERRORIST ATTACK
SHORTLY THEREAFTER THAT KILLED
SOME U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS.
BUT PRIOR TO THAT, WE HAD -- THE
KURDS HAD BEEN DOING THE
FIGHTING.
FIGHTING. SO THE BIG THING WAS BUILD A
PARTNERSHIP, MAINTAIN THAT
PARTNERSHIP.
PARTNERSHIP. AND I WILL SAY THE PRESIDENT’S
PLAN IS TO SANCTION TURKEY SO
HARSHLY THAT THEY WILL AGREE TO
A CEASE FIRE.
THAT -- THAT IS HIS PLAN.
AND SECRETARY MANUCHIN LAID OUT
HOW AGGRESSIVE THESE SANCTIONS
WERE AND THEY ARE CONFIDENT
THOSE SANCTIONS WILL WORK TO
FORCE TURKEY --
>> ARE YOU?
>> NO, I’M NOT AND NEITHER WERE
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM,
INCLUDING SENATOR MENENDEZ.
HE’S WORKED ON SANCTIONS IN
IRAN, NORTH KOREA, A LOT OF
PLACES.
PLACES. HE KNOWS HOW WELL THEY WORK AND
DON’T WORK.
DON’T WORK. SO THERE IS CONCERN THAT THAT
WILL BE EFFECTIVE.
>> AND ONE FINAL QUESTION.
I’M SURE YOU AND OTHERS MADE THE
POINT THAT ERDOGAN IS NOT -- NOT
SOMEBODY TO BE TRUSTED ALL THE
TIME TO KEEP THEIR WORD.
HOW DOES HE REACT TO THAT?
>> HIS BIG POINT IS, YOU KNOW,
IF WE -- WHICH IS INTERESTING
BECAUSE I’M NOT SURE HOW THIS
JUXTAPOSES WITH ALL THE
SANCTIONS I JUST TALKED ABOUT --
BUT THE PRESIDENT’S BIG POINT
WAS WE CAN’T DRIVE TURKEY INTO
THE HANDS OF RUSSIA.
WE NEED TURKEY ON OUR SIDE, NOT
ON RUSSIA’S.
ON RUSSIA’S. SO THE EXTENT YOU’RE GOING AFTER
ERDOGAN, YOU KNOW, HERE’S AN
IMPORTANT CRUCIAL ALLY THAT
WE’RE GOING TO LOSE, WHICH IS
KIND OF IRONIC IN THAT HE
DOESN’T REALLY SUPPORT A LOT OF
OUR OTHER ALLIES.
HE EMPHASIZED AT GREAT LENGTH
THAT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES LIKE
GERMANY AND FRANCE AREN’T
CARRYING THEIR WEIGHT ON THIS
FIGHT.
FIGHT. THEY WOULDN’T TAKE BACK THEIR
FIGHTERS THAT WERE IMPRISONED IN
SYRIA.
SYRIA. SO, YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW THAT
I FIND TURKEY TO BE A MORE
RELIABLE ALLY THAN GERMANY OR
FRANCE.
FRANCE. GRANTED, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR
ISSUES.
ISSUES. THERE’S ALL THINGS WE WISH THEY
WERE DOING DIFFERENTLY.
BUT THAT WAS SORT OF HIS TAKE
WAS THAT WE DON’T WANT TO LOSE
TURKEY TO THE RUSSIAN SPHERE OF
INFLUENCE.
INFLUENCE. >> INTERESTING TAKE ON HIS PART.
YOU’RE RIGHT.
YOU’RE RIGHT. >> IT WAS.
IT WAS A FASCINATING MEETING,
CHUCK.
CHUCK. I WILL ABSOLUTELY SAY THAT.
>> IT DOESN’T COMPUTE.
I MEAN, IT DOESN’T COMPUTE.
TURKEY’S BEEN COURTING RUSSIA
AND RUSSIA’S BEEN COURTING
TURKEY AND WE’VE LET IT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, DID HE EXPLAIN WHY HE
WAS OKAY WITH THE WEAPONS
SYSTEM?
SYSTEM? >> WELL, NOT REALLY OKAY.
I MEAN, AGAIN, HE DOESN’T WANT
US TO SANCTION TURKEY TOO
HARSHLY.
HARSHLY. I BELIEVE, AT LEAST THE
ADMINISTRATION POLICY IS, CUT
OFF THE F-35 IF THEY BUY THE S
400 AND THEY’RE STICKING TO
THAT.
THAT. THEY’RE A LITTLE MORE SQUEEM IRK
ON
ON SQUEAMISH ON THE SANCTIONS.
YOU DON’T WANT TO SANCTION TOO
HAR LSH
HAR LSH HARSHLY FOR THE S 400 BECAUSE
YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM IN ORBIT
BUT BASICALLY YOU WANT TO
BANKRUPT THEM ON THE OTHER
THING.
THING. BUT AGAIN, HE’S TRYING TO
PRESSURE THEM INTO CHANGING WHAT
THEY’RE DOING BUT I THINK IT
WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO STOP
WHAT THEY WERE DOING BEFORE THEY
DID IT.
DID IT. >> CONGRESSMAN, YOU DID A
TREMENDOUS JOB OF RHETORICALLY
TAP DANCING.
TAP DANCING. AT TIMES, I SAW WHAT YOU WERE
TRYING TO DO THERE.
GOOD FOR YOU.
>> WELL, LOOK.
WE’VE GOT -- WE’VE GOT TO WORK
ON THIS.
ON THIS. THE POLICY’S IMPORTANT.
>> WE DO.
>> WE DO. >> WE CAN’T JUST HAVE A FOOD
FIGHT.
FIGHT. WE’VE GOT A COUNTRY TO DEFEND
AND ALLIES TO PROTECT.
WE GOT TO FIND A WAY THROUGH
THIS.
THIS. >> AND YOU’RE TRYING TO DO YOUR
JOB THERE.
JOB THERE. ANYWAY, IT’S -- IT’S NOTICEABLE
AND I GET IT.
AND I THINK THE VIEWERS SHOULD
GET IT, TOO.
CONGRESSMAN ADAM SMITH, THANKS
FOR COMING ON AND SHARING YOUR