NEIL: YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL
FARMERS THERE IS A TRADE WAR ON.
THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE RECEIVING
END FOR BETTER PART OF A YEAR,
SINCE ALL OF THIS FIRST STARTED.
THE PRESIDENT IS PROMISING AID
TO FARMERS WITH ALL THE TARIFF
DOUGH HE IS GETTING.
BIG CHUNK MAY BE UP TO
$15 BILLION WILL COME VIA
AGRICULTURE SUPPORT.
IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY
JOINS US RIGHT NOW.
SENATOR, GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE IDEA
THE PRESIDENT HAD TO HELP
FARMERS IN YOUR STATE AND
ELSEWHERE TO HELP ABSORB THE
TARIFF BODY BLOWS?
>> FARMERS WILL PREFER THE
MARKET OVER THE AID THE
PRESIDENT IS TALKING ABOUT.
IF THE AID COMES, FARMERS WILL
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT BUT,
BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT THEY
SUPPORT WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS
TRYING TO DO IN REGARD TO CHINA.
OUR FARMERS KNOW THAT THE THEFT
OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, TRADE
SECRETS, PARTICULARLY
MANIPULATING THE CURRENCY THAT
CHINA DOES, ALL OF THAT IS VERY
HARMFUL TO THE ENTIRE UNITED
STATES ECONOMY BUT PARTICULARLY
WHEN THEY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR
TO US IMPORT INTO THEIR COUNTRY
BY THE MANIPULATION OF THEIR
CURRENCY.
WE NEED FARMERS, WANT THAT
CHANGED AND THEY ARE GOING TO
STAND BEHIND THE STRONG POSITION
THAT THE PRESIDENT'S TAKEN.
I COMPLIMENT THE PRESIDENT
BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT CHINA HAS
TO LIVE BY THE RULES OF
INTERNATIONAL TRADE, JUST LIKE
THE UNITED STATES AND ALMOST THE
REST OF THE WORLD DOES.
AND THEY KNOW THAT CHINA IS IN
THE WTO, THAT THERE ARE A MATURE
NATION, THEY'RE THE SECOND
LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD
THEY OUGHT TO LIVE LIKE AN ADULT
IN THAT INTERNATIONAL WORLD.
NEIL: WE'RE NOT THERE, ARE WE?
HE USE AS FIGURE THAT HAVE
BEEN -- TARIFFS HAVE BEEN GOOD
TO US.
THAT WE GOT $100 BILLION FROM
THE CHINESE.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE GOT THAT
FIGURE?
>> I SUPPOSE HE TOOK THE
ADDITIONAL TARIFFS AGAINST THE
AMOUNT THEY IMPORT INTO US.
I ASSUME THAT THAT'S WHERE HE
GOT IT.
I'M TAKING HIM AT HIS WORD
AND --
NEIL: I DON'T THINK HE SAID THAT
SENATOR.
WHO ARE WE TO QUIBBLE OVER
DETAILS LIKE THIS BILLION HERE,
BILLION THERE, I COULD GO 35,
MAYBE UP TO 39, MAYBE
$40 MILLION.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE LUMPING THAT
TOGETHER WITH ITEMS WE SELL
ABROAD TO CHINA, YOU'RE LYING?
>> WELL, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO
TAKE YOUR WORD FOR THAT.
I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
COMMENT ON THAT --
NEIL: LET'S ASK WHERE THE MONEY
GOES THEN.
ASSUMING THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS
FOUND IT TO BE ACCURATE, I WILL
CHECK THIS, I KEEP TRYING TO GET
THE REAL SKINNY ON THAT.
I CAN'T.
IT IS TOUGH, BUT OUR DEFICIT IS
ONLY GETTING WORSE, RIGHT?
WHERE DOES THAT MONEY GO, DO YOU
KNOW, SENATOR?
>> WELL, OBVIOUSLY ALL TARIFFS
GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT BUT
IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEFICITS
I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT WE DON'T
HAVE A TAXING PROBLEM.
WE HAVE MORE MONEY COMING IN
THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR, EVEN
THOUGH WE HAD THE TAX CUTS.
NEIL: YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
I'M WONDERING EVEN WITH THE
BILLIONS WE'RE GETTING OF ALL OF
THIS, IT IS NOT PUTTING A DENT
IN THE DEFICITS, YOU HAVE GOT TO
WONDER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT
STOPS, OKAY?
>> THAT GETS BACK TO WHAT YOU
AND I AGREE ON.
WE DON'T HAVE A TAXING PROBLEM.
WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM.
NEIL: THAT IS ARGUMENT, YOU'RE
QUITE RIGHT FOR ANOTHER DAY,
SIR.
I WANTED TO GET YOUR READ ON
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS LATELY.
ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL BARR IS
TAPPING A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR TO
LOOK INTO WHAT GOT THE RUSSIA
PROBE GOING INTO THE FIRST
PLACE.
DO YOU SUPPORT THAT MOVE?
>> WELL, ABSOLUTELY AND I
APPLAUD BARR FOR FOLLOWING
THROUGH.
AND LET'S SAY, IF SOME, IF
SOMEBODY VIOLATED THE LAW,
OBVIOUSLY THEY OUGHT TO BE
PROSECUTED.
BUT EVEN IF THERE IS NO
PROSECUTION, DON'T YOU THINK IT
DOES A GREAT DEAL OF GOOD TO
HAVE THE SUNSHINE IN ON ALL THAT
WENT IN TO THE PRE-MUELLER
HEARINGS, WHETHER THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, THE FBI,
THE, ARE NOT THE COMMITTEE, THE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, THE
FBI, IF THERE WAS COLLUSION AND
CONSPIRACY, TO MAKE A BIG THING
OUT OF NOTHING?
BECAUSE IT ENDED UP BEING A BIG
THING OUT OF NOTHING BECAUSE YOU
HAVE MUELLER, WELL-RESPECTED,
YOU HAVE 19 LAWYERS HE HIRED AND
A LOT OF THEM HAD CONTRIBUTED TO
HILLARY CAMPAIGN.
NEIL: RIGHT.
>> WHEN THEY ALL COME BACK AND
SAY THERE WAS NO COLLUSION, NO
CRIME, THEN WE OUGHT TO FIND OUT
WHAT LED TO THIS CONSPIRACY IN
THE FIRST PLACE?
NEIL: SENATOR, DONALD TRUMP, JR.
HAS BEEN ASKED BY THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IN THE
SENATE TO APPEAR BEFORE THEM.
THEY ACTUALLY SUBPOENAED HIM
BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T GO
VOLUNTARILY.
THE PRESIDENT MADE IT VERY CLEAR
HE THINKS DONALD TRUMP, JR. HAS
DONE ENOUGH.
DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD GO BEFORE
YOUR COLLEAGUES ON THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE?
>> YOU'RE GOING TO ACCUSE ME OF
IGNORING YOUR QUESTION WHEN I
ANSWER IT THIS WAY BUT YOU GOT
TO RESPECT THAT A PERSON THAT
HAS NEVER BEEN ON THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE AND IT IS
VERY PRIVATE AND VERY SECRET
WHAT GOES ON THERE, AS IT OUGHT
TO BE SECRET.
ALL I CAN TELL YOU I'M GOING TO
HAVE TO RESPECT SENATOR BURR'S
JUDGMENT WHY HE IS DOING IT.
WHETHER I APPROVE OF IT OR NOT
APPROVE OF IT AND THERE WAS SOME
EXPLANATION IN OUR CAUCUS AND
THOSE SORTS OF CONVERSATIONS I
CAN'T REPEAT.
ONLY WHAT I SAY AND I DIDN'T SAY
ANYTHING IN THAT CAUCUS.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT.
>> SO I KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE
THAN I'M TELLING BUT I CAN'T
TELL YOU, I CAN'T TELL THAT TO
YOU.
NEIL: I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR
COLLEAGUE LINDSEY GRAHAM SAID
DONALD TRUMP, JR. SHOULD GO.
SO MOVE ON.
>> WELL I'M, I'M CHAIRMAN OF A
COMMITTEE.
I WOULDN'T WANT OTHER CHAIRMAN
TELLING ME HOW TO RUN MY
COMMITTEE.
I WILL NOT TELL CHAIRMAN GRAHAM
WHETHER HE SHOULD GIVE ADVICE TO
BURR OR NOT.
NEIL: SENATOR, ALWAYS A
PLEASURE.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.