EXCLUSIVE: John Kerry on London terror attacks: “Travel ban will be cannon fodder to the recruiters”
ALSO: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt: Withdrawing from Paris climate agreement “was not a political decision”
PLUS: Preview from NBC News anchor Megyn Kelly of her exclusive, one-on-one interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, airing tonight on NBC at 7p/6c
JUNE 4, 2017 — Former Secretary of State John Kerry exclusively told “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd that President Trump finding a better deal than the Paris climate accord is “like O.J. Simpson saying he’s going to go out and find the real killer.”
On the London terror attacks, Kerry said that Britain has “had a longstanding problem with respect to greater levels of alienation, a harder time assimilating into the broader British society, a lack of similar opportunity … I’m going to leave it to her [Prime Minister Theresa May] and to them to sort that out, particularly five days before an election. “
He added: The “travel ban will be cannon fodder to the recruiters. It’s the worst thing we could do. But we do need to do and we do extraordinary screening.” Watch the full interview.
E.P.A. Administrator Scott Pruitt also joined this morning’s broadcast, telling Todd that “the rest of the world applauded” the Paris climate accord “because it put us at an economic disadvantage.” The decision of the United States to withdraw from the agreement “was not a political decision,” he added. Watch the full interview.
Former Vice President Al Gore addressed the White House’s economic defense for withdrawing from the climate deal : “The loss of jobs in the coal industry started with the mechanization of the coal industry. Natural gas started displacing coal and the fossil fuel sector, and promising to re-create the 19th century is not a visionary strategy for a successful 21st century.” Watch this exchange, and tune in tomorrow to MSNBC’s “MTP Daily” at 5 p.m. ET for the full interview.
NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel and NBC News national security analyst Michael Leiter shared the latest developments on the London terror attacks in the beginning of this morning’s program. Engel reported live from London: “There is a concern that we might not be at the end of this. This is the holy month of Ramadan. ISIS has called for its supporters to carry out attacks during Ramadan.” Watch the segment.
NBC News anchor Megyn Kelly shared a preview of her exclusive, one-on-one interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said that he “didn’t even really talk” to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn at a dinner both attended in December 2015. Tune in to the debut of “Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly” this evening at 7 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. CT for more from her interview with Putin.
Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter, The Washington Post’s Michael Gerson, radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt and Demos President Heather McGhee addressed the week in news, including the upcoming hearing of former F.B.I. Director James Comey.
Read the full transcript of this morning’s show on MeetThePress.com.
For more from moderator Chuck Todd throughout the week, sign up for the “First Read” newsletter, and subscribe to the “1947: The Meet The Press Podcast” for on-demand interviews.
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