WAR WITHOUT GETTING CONGRESS
ON BOARD.
ONE OF ONLY THREE
REPUBLICANS TO VOTE FOR IT
REMARKABLY WAS MATT GAETZ OF
FLORIDA WHO IS ONE OF THE
PRESIDENT'S CLOSEST ALLIES.
MAYBE THE SINGLE CLOSEST
ALLIES IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
HE JOINS US NOW.
CONGRESSMAN, THANKS FOR
COMING ON.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY YOU
ARE CERTAINLY ONE OF THE
PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE CLOSEST
TO THE PRESIDENT.
HE IS COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO
THIS.
YOU, AS HIS CLOSE ALLY,
VOTED FOR IT.
TELL US WHY YOU DID THAT.
>> I SPOKE TO THE PRESIDENT
TODAY AFTER ONE OF AMERICA'S
BRAVE PATRIOTS WAS LAID DOWN
AT ARLINGTON.
ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS WHO
PASSED AWAY JUST DAYS BEFORE
CHRISTMAS IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE PRESIDENT TOLD ME IS
MORE ANTIWAR THAN I AM.
AND I LOVE THE PRESIDENT FOR
THAT, TUCKER.
THE THING IS, YEAH, I THINK
HE GOT A FEW OF THE ADVISORS
OF THE PRESIDENT WHO ARE
TRYING TO SLOW-WALK THE
ADMINISTRATION INTO WAR.
WHEN THE PRESIDENT RELIES ON
HIS INSTINCTS AND WE HAVE
THE TRUMP DOCTRINE, WE KILL
THE TERRORIST AND WE COME
HOME.
AND I THINK THIS WAR POWERS
RESOLUTION WAS WORTHY OF
SUPPORT BECAUSE IT DID NOT
CRITICIZE THE PRESIDENT.
IT DID NOT SAY HE WAS WRONG
IN KILLING SOLEIMANI.
BUT HE DID -- IT DID SAY
THAT IF ANY PRESIDENT WANTS
TO DRAG OUR NATION INTO
ANOTHER FOREVER MIDDLE EAST
WAR THAT THEY REQUIRE THE
APPROVAL OF THE UNITED
STATES CONGRESS.
THAT'S SOMETHING I DEEPLY
BELIEVE.
AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING
THE PRESIDENT DEEPLY
BELIEVES.
>> Tucker: SO WHY
WOULDN'T -- I MEAN, FIRST OF
ALL, I THINK THE
CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT.
I THINK IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS
THAT IT DOES.
BUT WHY WOULDN'T CONGRESS,
IF THEY ARE SO IN FAVOR OF A
MILITARY ACTION PUT
THEMSELVES ON THE RECORD
ENDORSING IT.
IT SEEMS LIKE ONE OF THE
REASONS PEOPLE OPPOSE THIS
IS BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID.
THEY ARE COWARDS IN THE
CONGRESS.
>> IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT I
THINK WE HAVE MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS THAT DEPART FROM
WHAT THE FRAMERS AND
FOUNDERS BELIEVED WOULD
HAPPEN.
THEY BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD
CLOSELY GUARD OUR ARTICLE 1
POWERS AND THAT WE WOULD
ENSURE THAT NO PRESIDENT
WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE
AWAY IN ANY SORT OF AFFRONT
TO WHAT WAS INTENDED FOR US
TO BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
IT'S MY BELIEF DECLARING WAR
IS NON-DELIBLE DUTY FOR THE
UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
SUGGEST WE HAVE TO NOT DO
OUR JOB SO THAT PEOPLE IN
UNIFORM CAN DO THEIRS.
WE CAN ACTUALLY DO BOTH,
TUCKER.
>> Tucker: JUST TO BE
TOTALLY CLEAR, YOU ARE ONE
OF THREE REPUBLICANS WHO
VOTED IN EFFECT, AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT'S STATED POSITION
BUT YOU JUST TALKED TO THE
PRESIDENT AND HE SAID THAT
HE IS ON YOUR SIDE?
>> WELL, THE PRESIDENT
PROBABLY WOULD HAVE
PREFERRED THAT I VOTE ABOUT WITH
THE OTHER REPUBLICANS.
HE CERTAINLY SAID THAT I
THINK ON THESE BROADER
QUESTIONS OF WAR AND PEACE,
DONALD TRUMP UNDERSTANDS
THAT THE PRO-WAR CANDIDATE
LOSES PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS.
HILLARY CLINTON WAS MORE
PRO-WAR AND LOST.
AND IF YOU LOOK PREVIOUSLY,
IT'S TYPICALLY THE ANTI-WAR
CANDIDATES THAT WIN.
I THINK SINCE 9/11 JOHN
KERRY WAS THE ONLY ANTI-WAR
CANDIDATE THAT LOST AN
ELECTION.
AND SO I THINK THAT THE
PRESIDENT UNDERSTANDS THAT
AND HE IS TOO SMART TO LET
NANCY PELOSI TRY TO CAST HIM
AS THE PRO-WAR CANDIDATE AND
THAT'S WHY I DON'T THINK WE
ARE GOING TO WAR WITH IRAN.
>> Tucker: I THINK THAT'S A