>> Steve: LOOK AT THAT.
CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US.
LET’S BRING IN SOMEBODY ELSE TO
TALK ABOUT THIS.
>> Brian: NATIONAL SECURITY
SPOKESPERSON NOW, FOUNDER,
MORGAN ORTAGUS JOINS US.
YOU’VE BEEN ON THE GROUND IN
ISRAEL BEFORE, HE TRAVELED WITH
THESE DELEGATIONS WITH THE
PRESIDENT.
WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WILL THIS
TRIP HAVE ON HIS PRESIDENCY?
>> HONESTLY, I THINK VERY
LITTLE.
HE HAS WAITED ALMOST TWO YEARS
INTO HIS PRESIDENCY TO MAKE AN
IMPORTANT TRIP, AND HE IS
INSULTING EVERYBODY ALONG THE
WAY TO GETTING HERE.
ISRAEL AND SAUDI ARABIA AND UAE,
HE HAS REALLY DEGRADED THESE
RELATIONSHIPS.
THEY SHARE A COMMON ENEMY WITH
THE UNITED STATES AND THAT THE
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN.
SO THE FACT THAT HE HAS HAD SUCH
CLOSE NEGOTIATIONS EVEN THOUGH
THEY HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE A
DISASTER, BUT HE’S BEEN TALKING
TO THE IRANIAN THROUGH THE
RUSSIANS, I MIGHT ADD.
THEY HAVE BEEN OUR
INTERMEDIARIES IN THE JCPOA TAX.
THE FACT THAT HE’S TALKING TO
THEM AND TRYING DESPERATELY AND
ALMOST BEGGING TO GET BACK IS A
HUGE PROBLEM FOR BOTH ISRAEL AND
SAUDI ARABIA.
AS MY FRIEND DAN CRENSHAW JUST
MENTIONED, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION HAS SIGNALED THAT
THEY WANT A CONFLICT POTENTIALLY
FOR THE PALESTINIANS IN EAST
JERUSALEM.
IN THE BIG PROBLEM WITH THAT, AS
YOU KNOW, THE ISRAELIS SEE
JERUSALEM AS THE UNDISPUTED
CAPITAL OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE, OF
THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
THAT IS WHY U.S. LAW SAYS THE
U.S. EMBASSY HAS TO BE IN
JERUSALEM AND NOT IN TEL AVIV.
THAT’S WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
HIS TEAM MOVED IT THERE.
SO I THINK THAT YOU ARE COMING
TO THE REGION AFTER YOU SORT OF
PURPOSELY IGNORED THEM, AND MANY
TIMES INSULTED THEM OVER THE
PAST 18 MONTHS.
UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND
MIKE POMPEO LEE HANDED BIDEN AND
HIS TEAM AT PEACEFUL MIDDLE EAST
THROUGH THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS, AND
THEY THUMBED THEIR NOSE AT IT.
>> Ainsley: WHAT DO YOU THINK
THE CONVERSATION WILL BE WITH
THE POUND DOWN AT CROWN PRINCE?
>> Steve: EVENING THE PARIAH?
>> Ainsley: HOW DOES HE
SMOOTHED THAT OVER AND ASKED TO
PRODUCE MORE OIL?
>> Brian:>> I DON’T KNOW, BECAUS
TREATING THE RELATIONSHIP AS
TRANSACTIONAL.
WE HAVE HAD A RELATIONSHIP WITH
THEM SINCE THE FOUNDING, WHEN
FDR WAS ON THE SHIP WITH THE
FOUNDING KING OF SAUDI ARABIA.
IT HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN GREAT.
9/11 WAS A VERY DARK POINT
BECAUSE WE KNOW MOST OF THOSE
HIJACKERS CAME FROM SAUDI ARABIA
SAUDI ARABIA.
BUT WE PAINFULLY WORKED FOR
YEARS.
IN FACT, I SPENT ALMOST ALL OF
2010 AND 2011 AND SAUDI ARABIA
WORKING ON COUNTERTERRORISM
ISSUES.
FOR YEARS AND YEARS, THE SAUDIS
HAVE WORKED TO BETTER THEMSELVES
ON THE ISSUE.
LISTEN, THE MURDER OF
JAMAL KHASHOGGI WAS STUPID, IT
WAS TERRIFIC, EVERYONE THINKS
THAT, BUT WE LOOK AT THE
MIDDLE EAST AND ACCEPT IT FOR
THE REALITY THAT IT IS.
THE REALITY IS THAT YOU DON’T
GET THE PEACE BETWEEN ISRAELIS
AND PALESTINIANS WITHOUT
SAUDI ARABIA.
WE KNEW THAT AND THAT IS WHY WE
CONTINUE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP.
>> Steve: THAT’S WHY IT’LL BE
SO AWKWARD WHEN HE DOES MEET
>> Steve: YOU GOT THE
PRESIDENT SINGING ALONG.
>> Brian: MORGAN, A QUICK
QUESTION ABOUT ISRAEL.
THIS IS ALSO A GOVERNMENT IN
TURMOIL.
THEY JUST CHANGE LEADERS AND
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU IS POISED TO
GO BACK AGAIN, RIGHT?
>> FROM YOUR LIPS TO GOD’S EARS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR
THE UNITED STATES.
MAYBE NOT FOR THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
REMEMBER, THE SAME PEOPLE IN
CHARGE OF FOREIGN POLICY RIGHT
NOW FOR BIDEN WERE THERE FOR
OBAMA.
REMEMBER, NETANYAHU WAS FAMOUSLY
TAKEN OUT THE SIDE EXIT OF THE
WHITE HOUSE.
THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF ELECTIONS
IN ISRAEL BUT I THINK WE ARE IN
A VERY, VERY PERILOUS TIME FOR
THE MIDDLE EAST, BECAUSE THE
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN HAS
COME OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS AND
DURING THESE NEGOTIATIONS,
THEY’VE ADVANCED THEIR ABILITY
TO GET A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
WE HAVE NOT ENFORCED SANCTIONS.
THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT
ENFORCED SANCTIONS ON THE BOOKS
AGAINST IRAN, AND I REALLY SEE
THIS, GUYS, AS A FACE-SAVING
TRIP FOR RELATIONSHIPS THAT
REALLY HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED, AND
THEY HAVE DROPPED THE BALL ON
THINGS LIKE THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS,
WHICH WOULD HAVE SOLIDIFIED THE
PRESSURE AGAINST IRAN.
INSTEAD WE HAVE JUST SPENT OUR
TIME IN NEGOTIATIONS.
>> Ainsley: CAN I ASK
SOMETHING SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT?
IF THEY DON’T ENFORCE THESE
SANCTIONS, WHAT MESSAGE DOES IT
SEND GOING FORWARD?
THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH
ANYTHING?
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
THE BIG PROBLEM WHEN YOU DON’T
ENFORCE SANCTIONS, IT DOESN’T
JUST APPLY TO IRAN.
WHAT DOES THAT TELL THE
NORTH KOREANS, THE VENEZUELANS?
WHAT DOES IT TELL ANY ROGUE
ACTOR AROUND THE WORLD?
WHEN THEY SEE THAT SANCTIONS
AREN’T ENFORCED ON IRAN, WHEN
THE RUSSIANS SEE IT, NO MATTER
WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD THEY
THINK THEN SANCTIONS BECOME A
POLITICAL TOOL AS OPPOSED TO
SOMETHING THAT HE SHOULDN’T BE
ABLE TO GET OUT OF U.S.
SANCTIONS UNLESS YOU HAVE
CHANGED SAID BEHAVIOR THAT GOT
YOU INTO THE SANCTIONS IN THE
FIRST PLACE.
SO THIS IS A DAMAGE CONTROL
TRIP.
MAYBE HE CAN CONTROL THE DAMAGE,
MAYBE HE CAN REPAIR SOME
RELATIONSHIPS, BUT THERE ARE
SOME PRETTY DEEP SEATED WOUNDS
AND IT DOESN’T HELP THAT OVER
THE PAST TWO WEEKS HE HAS DONE
NOTHING BUT REITERATE THAT HE IS
ONLY GOING TO TO THE THE DASH HE
PAINSTAKINGLY REMINDED EVERYONE
THAT HE’S NOT MEETING WITH MBS,
HE’S ONLY GOING BECAUSE THEY ARE
MEETING.
SO I FEEL HE HAS INSULTED MANY
FRIENDS AND ALLIES ALONG THE WAY
AND I DON’T THINK HE’S GOING TO
GET THE ROSY RECEPTION THAT HE
CERTAINLY RECEIVED IN EUROPE.
>> Steve: ULTIMATELY, THOUGH,
THE REASON HE’S IN THE
MIDDLE EAST IS FOR THE OIL AND
GAS.
AND WE HAVE HEARD ALREADY FROM
THAT REUTERS TAPE, WHERE
EMMANUEL MACRON TOLD THE
PRESIDENT A WEEK OR SO AGO THAT
SAUDI ARABIA DOES NOT HAVE
INCREASED CAPACITY.
MORGAN, HE DOES NOT HAVE TO GO
TO SAUDI ARABIA TO BEG FOR OIL.
WE’VE GOT ENOUGH IN THIS
COUNTRY, BUT THIS ADMINISTRATION
WILL NOT GO AHEAD WITH EMBRACING
OIL AND FOSSIL FUELS IN THIS
COUNTRY.
THEY’VE GOT A GREEN AGENDA AND
THEY DON’T WANT TO HACK OFF
THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL LEFT BY
PUNCHING MORE HOLES IN THE
GROUND.
HE DOES NOT NEED TO GO TO
SAUDI ARABIA, BUT IT’S THE EASY
WAY OUT.
>> YOU SAID IT EVEN BETTER THAN
I COULD HAVE.
WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEMS WE
HAVE CREATED HERE AT HOME.
WE CAN SELL THEM OURSELVES.
WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEMS IN OUR
OWN HOUSE.
I THINK IT MAKES THE
UNITED STATES LOOK TERRIBLE WHEN
IT’S CLEAR THAT WE ARE ONLY
GOING OVER TO THE MIDDLE EAST
FOR OIL, FOR ENERGY NEEDS.
THAT MAKES US LOOK AWFUL.
YOU ARE SAYING THAT’S NOT WHY WE
WERE THERE, AND BY THE WAY, WE
DO WORK WITH HIM ON
COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES.
CHINA AND RUSSIA DO YOU HAVE A
PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, IN
THE GCC, WHERE YOU HAVE THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT ENERGY AND ECONOMIC
EXPANSION.
AND TODAY ON THE COVER OF THE
SAUDI MAGAZINE THERE ARE ISRAELI
IDF SOLDIERS.
THEY ARE PEOPLE TRAVELING FROM
DUBAI TO TEL AVIV TODAY AROUND
THE REGION WHICH NEVER WOULD
HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT PRESIDENT
DONALD J. TRUMP.
>> Brian: ABSOLUTELY, MORGAN.
IF WE DON’T SHOW UP, THE CHINESE