WAS KILLED LAST NIGHT.
THERE IS A LOT OF REACTION
THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST,
OBVIOUSLY.
YOU SEEING -- YOU'RE SEEING
SECRETARY OF STATE POMPEO TWEET
OUT PICTURES OF REJOICING IN THE
STREETS.
THERE OBVIOUSLY WILL BE SOME
PUSHBACK, SOME RETALIATION.
YOU'RE HEARING DEMOCRATS ON YOUR
PROGRAM AND OTHERS SAYING THAT
SULEMANI IS FAR MORE DANGEROUS
AS A MARTYR THAN HE WAS ALIVE.
AND THAT THIS IS KIND OF
SHOOTING FROM THE HIP FOREIGN
POLICY.
REPUBLICANS ARE SAYING THAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID IF YOU ATTACK
AMERICANS OR AMERICAN INTERESTS,
WE WILL PUNCH BACK AND THAT AS
OPPOSED TO PRESIDENT OBAMA,
REPUBLICANS WILL SAY, WHO DREW A
RED LINE AND DIDN'T ENFORCE IT,
THE PRESIDENT IS MAKING CLEAR HE
WILL.
STEVE: THAT'S RIGHT.
BRET, WE WERE WATCHING AN
INTERVIEW YOU DID WITH THE
SECRETARY OF STATE, MIKE POMPEO,
BACK IN APRIL.
AND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY
HAD NEVER HEARD THE NAME OF
COMMANDER SULEMANI.
BUT ESSENTIALLY THE SECRETARY OF
STATE SAID HE WAS A TERRORIST,
AND NOW WE'VE LEARNED OF THE
HUNDREDS OF AMERICANS WHO HAVE
LOST THEIR LIVES AND THOUSANDS
WHO LOST A LIMB AT THE
OPERATIONS THAT HE ORCHESTRATED.
GOING FORWARD, HOW MANY THERE IN
WASHINGTON, HOW MANY MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS ARE GOING TO CLAMOR FOR
SOME SORT OF AN EXPLANATION FROM
THE PRESIDENT ABOUT WHAT LEGAL
AUTHORITY HE HAD TO PULL THE
TRIGGER?
>> I THINK THERE'LL BE A LOT OF
THAT, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF
ASKING, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED
SPECIFICICALLY.
LISTEN, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING
QASSEM SOLEIMANI FOR MANY YEARS,
I SPENT SOME TIME IN IRAQ WHERE
THESE IEDs, ROADSIDE BOMBS,
TOOK OUT HUNDREDS OF AMERICAN
SOLDIERS AND SERVICE PEOPLE.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, WOUNDED
THOUSANDS.
HE WAS A BAD, BAD CHARACTER.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT COMES NEXT.
AND HOW DOES IRAN RESPOND.
WE'RE BEING TOLD, AND NOT ONLY
FROM U.S. OFFICIALS, BUT ALSO A
DIPLOMAT IN THE REGION, THAT
THIS WAS AN IMMINENT ATTACK IN
THE MAKING THAT WAS BEING BACKED
BY QASSEM SOLEIMANI AND THE
IRANIANS ON AMERICAN INTERESTS
WHETHER IT WAS THE U.S. EMBASSY
OR OTHER INTERESTS.
AND ALSO REMEMBER THAT IRAN DID
ATTACK THAT SAUDI FACILITY AND
DID OTHER THINGS THAT HADN'T