{"id":1856,"date":"2017-04-09T12:35:52","date_gmt":"2017-04-09T16:35:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/press.nbcnews.com\/?p=1856"},"modified":"2017-04-09T12:35:52","modified_gmt":"2017-04-09T16:35:52","slug":"mtp-exclusives-graham-calls-on-trump-to-punish-russia-for-supporting-assad-kaine-says-white-house-didnt-offer-plan-on-syria-in-senate-briefing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nbcuniversalnewsgroup.com\/nbcnews\/2017\/04\/09\/mtp-exclusives-graham-calls-on-trump-to-punish-russia-for-supporting-assad-kaine-says-white-house-didnt-offer-plan-on-syria-in-senate-briefing\/","title":{"rendered":"MTP EXCLUSIVES: GRAHAM CALLS ON TRUMP TO PUNISH RUSSIA FOR SUPPORTING ASSAD, KAINE SAYS WHITE HOUSE DIDN\u2019T OFFER PLAN ON SYRIA IN SENATE BRIEFING"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley on Assad as head of Syrian government: \u201cIn no way do we look at peace happening in that area with Iranian influence\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): \u201cHere’s what I think Assad’s telling Trump by flying from this base: “F you”\u201d <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) on Friday\u2019s Senate briefing: \u201cWhen we asked about the legal authorization, they [the administration] said they weren’t prepared to discuss that\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on working with Russia: \u201cMake them an offer they can\u2019t refuse\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

APRIL 9, 2017 — In an exclusive \u201cMeet the Press\u201d interview this morning, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) <\/strong>called on President Trump for action: \u201cGo 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere’s what I think Assad’s telling Trump by flying from this base: \u2018F you,\u2019\u201d<\/a> said Graham in reference to Syria jets taking off from the base hit by the U.S. airstrike.<\/p>\n

The senator also responded to moderator Chuck Todd\u2019s interview with Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,<\/strong> noting that \u201cregime change is now the policy of the Trump administration.\u201d Haley had addressed the administration\u2019s \u201cmultiple priorities\u201d in Syria: \u201cIt’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.\u201d Watch Graham\u2019s full interview.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are going to see is pressure on the political solution. That’s really what’s going to happen,\u201d the ambassador said. Watch Haley\u2019s full interview.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI 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,\u201d responded Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.),<\/strong> who exclusively joined the program.<\/p>\n

Kaine told Todd that, in the Senate briefing on Friday, the White House \u201cstill 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.\u201d Watch Kaine\u2019s full interview.<\/a><\/p>\n

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)<\/strong> suggested that you encourage Russia to work together by making \u201cthem an offer they can\u2019t refuse. <\/a>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.\u201d Watch Sanders\u2019 full interview.<\/a><\/p>\n

This morning\u2019s roundtable was comprised of David Brooks <\/strong>and Helene Cooper <\/strong>of The New York Times, Rich Lowry <\/strong>of National Review and Danielle Pletka <\/strong>of AEI.<\/p>\n

Read the full transcript of this morning\u2019s \u201cMeet the Press.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

For more from moderator Chuck Todd throughout the week, watch <\/strong>MSNBC\u2019s \u201cMTP Daily\u201d<\/strong><\/a> weekdays at 5 p.m., and subscribe to the <\/strong>\u201c1947: The Meet The Press Podcast\u201d<\/strong><\/a> for on-demand interviews.<\/p>\n

MANDATORY CREDIT: NBC\u2019S \u201cMEET THE PRESS WITH CHUCK TODD\u201d \u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n