>> Neil: IT WAS TOUCH AND GO IN
HONG KONG.
THE SECOND DAY OF DISRUPTIONS AT
THE AIRPORT, ONE OF THE BUSIEST
ON THE PLANET.
174 MILLION PASSENGERS GO THERE
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
IT WAS SHUT DOWN AND GOT VIOLENT
AND GOT FOLKS WORRIED.
HERE WITH US, FROM THE
JUDICIALRY COMMITTEE, DOUG
COLLINS.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.
>> Neil: WHAT SHOULD BE THE
EXTENT OF OUR REACTION, MESSAGE,
WHAT IS UNFOLDING IN HONG KONG?
>> I THINK WE ALWAYS SUPPORT
FREEDOM.
YOU'RE SEEING THAT FOLD OUT ON
THE STREETS.
YOU'RE SEEING THE AMERICAN FLAG,
HEARING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
WE'RE IS SYMBOL OF FREEDOM AND
HOPE.
IT'S BEING PLAYED OUT FROM
PEOPLE THAT ARE FEELING THE
OPPRESSION THAT THEY FEEL
CREEPING IN ON THEM AND THEY
WANT THE FREEDOM THAT THEY'VE
HAD IN HONG KONG.
>> Neil: SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
ON OUR PART?
IF THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO US?
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN VERY
CAUTIOUS, TRYING TO BALANCE
THIS, TO DEAL WITH THIS, TO DEAL
WITH TRADE.
YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE MORE
DIRECT?
YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE
THREATENING?
HOW WOULD YOU PLAY IT?
>> I'M NOT SURE THREATENING IS
THE RIGHT ANSWER.
CONTINUING OUR SUPPORT AS WE
ALWAYS HAVE ACROSS THE WORLD.
WE SHOULD BE THE COUNTRY THAT IS
SUPPORTING FREEDOM AND
SUPPORTING THOSE THAT ARE
CLAMORING TO BE FREE.
HE'S ALSO THE -- THE PRESIDENT
IS PLAYING THIS IN A WAY HE HAS
TO.
WE'RE DEALING WITH TRADE ISSUES
AS WELL.
PUTTING THE TWO TOGETHER IN A
SITUATION THAT WE KNEW WAS
HEADED TOWARDS THE RECOMBINATION
OF HONG KONG AND MAINLAND CHINA
IS JUST GETTING CLOSER AND
CLOSER.
WE'LL SEE MORE OF THIS AS IT
GETS CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THAT
DATE.
>> Neil: IF IT GETS VIOLENT,
SIR, IF THEY CRACK DOWN LIKE
THEY DID IN TIANANMEN SQUARE 30
YEARS AGO, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK?
>> I HOPE THEY DON'T DO THAT.
THAT WOULD GET A REACTION FROM
THE WORLD.
THE WORLD WOULD REACT.
THERE WOULD BE A VALID REACTION
FROM THE UNITED STATES.
IF YOU SEE AN OPPRESSION LIKE WE
SAW IN TIANANMEN SQUARE AND
ESPECIALLY HONG KONG, WHICH IS A
BRIGHT SPOT FOR THE ECONOMY AND
SOUTHEAST ASIA.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IS
OPEN.
THAT WOULD ELICIT A VIOLENT
RESPONSE FROM THE WORLD IF THAT
WERE TO HAPPEN.
>> Neil: THAT WAS THE HOPE AFTER
TIANANMEN SQUARE.
THE CHINESE CRACKED DOWN AND
FIGURED THE WORLD WOULD GET OVER
IT AND MOVE ON AND THEY DID.
YOU WORRY ABOUT HISTORY
REPEATING ITSELF?
>> A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS DIFFERENT.
IN CHINA, THEY CAN SWALLOW UP
THE TIANANMEN SQUARE INCIDENT
AND GO BACK INTO THEIR -- AGAIN,
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE TIME HERE.
YOU'RE DEALING IN A MUCH
DIFFERENT CHINA THAN WE DEALT
WITH BACK THEN.
THIS IS SOMETHING TO KEEP IN
MIND.
THEY'RE ALSO HAVING TO TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT THEIR POSITION ON THE
WORLD STAGE, THEIR ECONOMIC
POSITION AND HONG KONG IS VERY
DIFFERENT THAN SOMETHING
HAPPENING INTERNALLY THERE IN
BEIJING.
IT'S DIFFERENT IN THAT RECORD.
IT WILL BE HARD TO COVER THIS
UP.
>> Neil: THE MARKETS STORMED
BACK ON THE NOTION THAT MAYBE
THE PRESIDENT WAS DANGLING A
CARROT TO THE CHINESE TO DELAY
SOME TARIFFS AND THAT HOPES ARE
BUILDING THAT THERE CAN BE A
DEAL.
DO YOU THINK WE'RE CLOSE TO A
DEAL?
DO YOU FEAR THAT OUR HOPES JUST
GOT UP OR WHAT?
>> NO, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING --
THIS UNDERESTIMATED HERE.
EVERYBODY IS SORT OF LOOKED AT
THE CHINA AMERICAN NEGOTIATIONS
THROUGH THE LENS OF THE OLD WAY
THAT WE GO BACK AND FORTH.
ONE WOULD GIVE, ONE WOULD NOT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE A
FANTASTIC JOB OF KEEPING THE
CHINESE OFF BALANCE.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
THAT'S NOT A BAD THING WHERE
THEY'VE HAD THE UPPER HAND FOR
SO LONG.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS COMING
BACK AND SAYING, YOU DID THIS,
NOW LET ME GO BACK AND CHANGE,
THIS I'LL HOLD OFF.
HELP OUR CONSUMERS.
THE SAME TIME, IT MAKES CHINA
SAY WE'RE IN THIS FOR THE LONG
HAUL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO CAVE
IN.
>> Neil: YOU THINK ANY OF THIS
IMPEACHMENT TALK GOES FURTHER
AND FURTHER BACK AND THAT THOSE
IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT
WERE ENTERTAINING THAT HAVE TO
LOOK AROUND AROUND SAY, ALL
RIGHT, IT'S NOT GOING IN I
WHERE?
>> THEY WOULD RATHER TALK ABOUT
ANYTHING THAN THE ECONOMY,
ANYTHING THAN THE JOBS MARKET OR
ANYTHING WITH THE CONSUMER
CONFIDENCE RISING.
THEY WOULD RATHER TALK ABOUT A
PRESIDENT THAT THEY HAVE HATED
SINCE 2016 WHEN HE WAS ELECTED.
THEY WANT TO DISTRACT.
MY CHAIRMAN HAS BEEN GOING
AROUND, MEDIA ALL OVER SAYING
THEY'RE IN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY.
HE KNOWS THAT'S NOT TRUE.
>> Neil: I WANTED TO ASK YOU
ABOUT THAT HE SAID IT'S AN
IMPEACHMENT -- TECHNICALLY IT'S
NOT.
BUT HE SAID THAT.
WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> WELL, HE WANTS TO HAVE IT
BOTH WAYS.
THIS IS WHAT I'VE SEEN.
WE'RE A COMMITTEE OF PRESS
RELEASE.
WE WANT TO HAVE A TWITTER MOMENT
THAT WE DO NOTHING.
WHAT HE'S SAYING HERE, HE WANTS
HIS BASE, HIS HARDCORE BASE --
HE HAS A PRIMARY AFFECTING HIM
HERE.
HE WANTS TO SAY LOOK, I'M BEING
TOUGH ON THE PRESIDENT.
IN REALITY, IT'S ALSO SPEAKER
PELOSI WHERE THEY'RE PROTECTING
MEMBERS LIKE HERE IN GEORGIA.
OTHERS ON THE COMMITTEE AND
OTHERS IN THEIR MAJORITY THEY
DON'T WANT TO VOTE ON A FORMAL
INQUIRY.
THERE'S ALWAYS POLITICS HERE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE GOOD IS PRESIDENT IS DOING,
THEY DON'T WANT TO HELP HIM BUT
THEY WANT TO MAKE THEIR BASE
APPEAR THEY'RE ATTACKING HIM,
WHICH IS FALSE.
THEY'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR
MEMBERS AT THE SAME TIME.
>> Neil: YOU'VE BEEN HERING THIS
ANTHONY SCARAMUCI BACK AND
FORTH.
YOU CAN SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT AND HE BURIES YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS BACK
AND FORTH?
>> SOME PEOPLE HAVE HAD TOO MUCH
TV TIME AND SCARAMUCI IS ONE OF
THEM.
LET'S CONTINUE THIS PROCESS OF
STATE YOUR POSITIONS AND MOVE
ON.
THE PRESIDENT IS WELL-KNOWN THAT
HE MAKES HIS DISPLEASURE FELT.
HE WILL TELL YOU IF HE FEELS
LIKE HIS BEING MISPORTRAYED.
LOOK, PEOPLE GOING ON TV AND
SAYING THEIR POSITION, IT HELPS
THEM TO GET MORE AIR TIME AS
WELL.
WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON IS WHAT
THE PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO FOCUS
ON.
LET'S FIX THE ECONOMY.
LET'S GET A TRADE AGREEMENT WITH
CANADA AND MEXICO, WHICH SPEAKER
PELOSI IS HOLDING UP.
SHE'S HOLDING UP THE TRADE
AGREEMENT GOOD FOR MEXICO, THE
U.S. AND CANADA.
WE NEED THAT DONE.
AND THEN LET'S GET ON -- LET'S
DO WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE
DOING AND HAVE BIPARTISAN WORK
ON IMMIGRATION AND THINGS THAT
MATTER TO EVERYDAY AMERICANS.
SCHOOL STARTS BACK.
PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE
ECONOMY IS GOOD, KIDS IN SCHOOL,
EDUCATION.
THOSE ARE THE MEAT AND POTATOES
THAT AMERICANS CARE ABOUT.
WATER NOT DOING IT RIGHT NOW.
>> Neil: THE JEFFREY EPSTEIN
SUICIDE IS RAISING EYEBROWS.
IT'S SORT OF NURSING A LOT OF
THE BIG CONSPIRACY THEORIES.
YOU FIND IT SUSPICIOUS THE WAY
HE DIED?
>> VERY MUCH SO.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD NOT.
HERE'S A VERY HIGH PROFILE
PRISONER, BEEN ON SUICIDE WATCH.
WHY WAS HIS CELL MADE NOT IN
THERE.
WHY WERE THEY UNDERSTAFF?
THAT'S WHY WE'VE ASKED THIS
QUESTION OF THE BUREAU OF
PRISONS.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHY THIS
HAPPENED.
YOU'VE HIT SOMETHING THAT IS
VERY TRUE.