ALSO: Rep. Elijah Cummings Exclusive: Asylum Seekers Should Be Allowed to Cross the Border, “That’s the Law”
PLUS: Exclusive with Tom Steyer on a Potential 2020 Presidential Run: “I Haven’t Decided Yet”
NOVEMBER 25, 2018 – In an exclusive, live interview on Meet the Press, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said he disagreed with President Trump’s assessment of Jamal Khashoggi’s killing saying “it’s inconsistent with the intelligence” he’s seen.
Additionally, Sen. Lee told moderator Chuck Todd that the war in Yemen is an “unauthorized, unconstitutional war.” He urged Congress to halt the efforts in Yemen, saying “This is not an ally that deserves this kind of military intervention, especially because there has been no connection between the safety of the American people and our involvement in this war.”
When asked about President Trump’s recent criticisms of court rulings and the judiciary, Sen. Lee, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said “It’s not entirely unprecedented for a president of the United States or another public official to criticize court rulings, in some cases, Supreme Court rulings.” He continued, “I try to express disagreement about the courts without impugning the court’s motives whenever I can.” Watch the full interview.
In addition, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) joined the program for an exclusive, in-studio interview and said he would not support President Trump’s potential deal with the incoming Mexican government on asylum seekers: “They should be allowed to come in, seek asylum, that’s the law.” Cummings also said he would not support changing the law: “No, I think we have a system that has worked for a long time. This president’s come in, wants to change it, that’s up to him. But now the Congress has got to stand up and hopefully they will.”
As the incoming Chair of the House Oversight Committee, Cummings said “no” when asked if he’d grant subpoena power to the committee’s ranking Republican member, “It’s our opportunity. I will consult with them. I will work with them, unlike they did with me. But no.” Watch the full interview.
Plus, businessman Tom Steyer sat down for an exclusive interview and said he hasn’t decided yet whether to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. He said if another Democrat ran who included his ideas he would be “a part of that movement … one way or the other.”
When asked if impeaching President Trump should be a priority in this next Congress, Steyer replied, “I think it’s an absolute first step to getting towards a positive vision for the country … I think there’s no question that this president has both met the grounds for impeachment and that it’s urgent to get him out of office …” Watch the full interview.
Pentagon correspondent for The New York Times Helene Cooper, TIME Contributor and NBC News Political Analyst Elise Jordan, presidential historian and author of Leadership: In Turbulent Times Doris Kearns Goodwin, and SVP of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute and NBC News Contributor Danielle Pletka joined the broadcast’s roundtable for insight and analysis on the week in politics.
Watch the full panel.
Read the full transcript of Meet the Press this morning and follow the show on Twitter and on Facebook for the latest.
