U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley on Assad as head of Syrian government: “In no way do we look at peace happening in that area with Iranian influence”
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): “Here’s what I think Assad’s telling Trump by flying from this base: “F you””
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Friday’s Senate briefing: “When we asked about the legal authorization, they [the administration] said they weren’t prepared to discuss that”
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on working with Russia: “Make them an offer they can’t refuse”
APRIL 9, 2017 — In an exclusive “Meet the Press” interview this morning, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called on President Trump for action: “Go after Russia through sanctions not only for interfering in our elections, but aiding and abetting the use of chemical weapons by a war criminal, Assad.”
“Here’s what I think Assad’s telling Trump by flying from this base: ‘F you,’” said Graham in reference to Syria jets taking off from the base hit by the U.S. airstrike.
The senator also responded to moderator Chuck Todd’s interview with Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, noting that “regime change is now the policy of the Trump administration.” Haley had addressed the administration’s “multiple priorities” in Syria: “It’s to defeat ISIS. I mean, we’ve got to do that for peace and stability in the area. It’s also to get out the Iranian influence.” Watch Graham’s full interview.
“You are going to see is pressure on the political solution. That’s really what’s going to happen,” the ambassador said. Watch Haley’s full interview.
“I agree with Ambassador Haley that I don’t think there’s any political solution to the civil war in Syria that doesn’t mean that Assad moves aside because he’s tearing up the country. But instead of regime change, what we should focus on is humanitarian relief,” responded Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who exclusively joined the program.
Kaine told Todd that, in the Senate briefing on Friday, the White House “still presented us with no plan. We don’t know if it’s limited or whether there’s more. And when we asked about the legal authorization, they said they weren’t prepared to discuss that.” Watch Kaine’s full interview.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) suggested that you encourage Russia to work together by making “them an offer they can’t refuse. And that means tightening the screws on them, dealing with sanctions, telling them that we need their help, they have got to come to the table and not maintain this horrific dictator.” Watch Sanders’ full interview.
This morning’s roundtable was comprised of David Brooks and Helene Cooper of The New York Times, Rich Lowry of National Review and Danielle Pletka of AEI.
Read the full transcript of this morning’s “Meet the Press.”
For more from moderator Chuck Todd throughout the week, watch MSNBC’s “MTP Daily” weekdays at 5 p.m., and subscribe to the “1947: The Meet The Press Podcast” for on-demand interviews.
MANDATORY CREDIT: NBC’S “MEET THE PRESS WITH CHUCK TODD”
- Mandatory credit to NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on first reference.
- The onscreen “Meet the Press” credit must be clearly visible and unobstructed at all times in any image, video clip, or other form of media.
- Embedded web video must stream from the NBCNews.com media player with the unobstructed credit as described above.
# # #
