WEBVTT - Iran: Congressional GOP Should Rally Around Victory 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:03.720 Welcome to today's podcast sponsored by Hillsdale College, All Things 0:00:03.800 --> 0:00:06.440 hilldalet Hillsdale dot ed or. I encourage you to take 0:00:06.480 --> 0:00:08.920 advantage of the many free online courses there, and of 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:11.280 course I listen to the Hillsdale Dialogue, all of them 0:00:11.280 --> 0:00:14.560 at q for Hillsdale dot com or just Google, Apple, 0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:19.160 iTunes and Hillsdale. Welcome back. I'm to Hewett, joined now 0:00:19.200 --> 0:00:22.520 by Nebraska Senator deb Fisher. Senator Fisher is a member 0:00:22.520 --> 0:00:26.120 of the United States Senate's Armed Services Committee. Senator welcome. 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:28.680 Give us your assessment of the first ten days of 0:00:28.720 --> 0:00:29.680 the battle with Iran. 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:32.000 Hik you. 0:00:32.120 --> 0:00:34.920 It's just great to be with you. First of all, 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:39.600 I support the President and the administration's actions that they've. 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:40.560 Taken on a run. 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:44.720 This is a state sponsor of terrorism around the world. 0:00:44.800 --> 0:00:48.520 They are a threat to our country, so I think 0:00:48.600 --> 0:00:51.680 that the actions are being taken. 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:56.400 Have been good. First of all, we've been given briefings. 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.920 A number of times. We just had another classified briefing 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:04.520 this morning on the Arm Services Committee about what's happening, 0:01:04.720 --> 0:01:08.759 how it's progressing. But the administration's been clear, as I said, 0:01:08.800 --> 0:01:12.520 on those military objectives, and that's to make sure that 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:15.480 Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:18.199 It's also to destroy their. 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:21.680 Ballistic missile capability right now. 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:24.119 That short range and medium range. 0:01:24.280 --> 0:01:30.000 Capabilities that those ballistic missiles have. But looking forward, it 0:01:30.040 --> 0:01:33.480 would be a year maybe two before Iran would have 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:36.440 an ICBM, an intercontinental ballistic missile. 0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:40.360 That can't happen. That would put Europe in play for them. 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:41.000 It would be. 0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:44.800 Dangerous, and then it's just not hopskipping a jump until 0:01:44.920 --> 0:01:47.880 they would threaten the United States. So we need to 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:51.200 take out those capabilities. And then the third one was 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.480 to be able to destroy their navy, and we've seen 0:01:55.400 --> 0:01:59.240 a lot of accomplishment there. Over thirty forty ships have 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:05.080 been taken out of action, and that's important due to 0:02:05.440 --> 0:02:08.400 the straits of hormouse and commerce. We need to make 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:13.920 sure that that commerce can still travel safely through that area. 0:02:14.400 --> 0:02:17.480 And by taking out their navy and taking out their 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:22.120 ballistic missiles, that's going to help us to make that 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:24.079 a safe passage once again. 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:28.800 Senna Fisher, your colleague, Sennor Blimenthal from Connecticut is a Democrat. 0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:31.920 He came down to talk to reporters today and said 0:02:31.960 --> 0:02:34.680 he'd been in a classified briefing and he believed we 0:02:34.680 --> 0:02:38.959 were preparing to send ground troops to Iran. I don't 0:02:38.960 --> 0:02:40.799 know where he got that. Have you heard that. 0:02:42.919 --> 0:02:47.679 Senator Bloomenthal was in the same briefing that I was in, now, Hugh, 0:02:47.760 --> 0:02:52.200 I don't talk about what we discuss in classified briefings, 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:54.200 but I can tell you that was. 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:56.600 Not my understanding, and I was. 0:02:56.560 --> 0:03:01.200 There throughout the major part of the brief including Sender 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:05.920 Blumenthal's questions that he asked, and I specifically asked some 0:03:06.080 --> 0:03:11.240 questions related to ground troops as well as we both 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:15.919 known as your listeners know, the Department of War makes 0:03:16.000 --> 0:03:19.240 plans for many contingencies. 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:20.880 That are out there. We want that to happen. 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:25.680 We want to be able to have our military look 0:03:25.880 --> 0:03:29.919 at what the objectives are in any area to achieve 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:33.360 and then what steps they would take, and then to 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:36.920 practice on those. But it's up to the commander in chief. 0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:41.920 It's up to President Trump to determine when those plans 0:03:42.040 --> 0:03:45.320 or if those plans are ever going to be put 0:03:45.480 --> 0:03:49.920 into practice. We saw that with Venezuela and learned later 0:03:50.560 --> 0:03:53.520 that that was a plan that had been in place 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:57.360 for many years, as well as the Twelve Day War 0:03:57.440 --> 0:03:59.960 with Iran, when we did the bombing of their new 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:04.400 clear facilities, So I think it I would never have 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:08.960 phrased that the way that Senator Bluementhal tried to phrase 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:10.480 it with the press. 0:04:10.840 --> 0:04:13.440 Now, I'd like to move on to the cost. It's 0:04:13.480 --> 0:04:17.039 obviously large, and it's going to be getting larger and 0:04:17.279 --> 0:04:21.920 perhaps into the hundreds of billions. So usually in wartime 0:04:22.000 --> 0:04:24.159 and in time of a battle or a conflict, the 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:27.599 United States Congress would vote a supplemental appropriation. I don't 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:30.400 think the Democrats will support that. They're against this battle. 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:32.600 I'm not even sure they want us to win this battle. 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:36.640 But what about using reconciliation? Senator? That would require the 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:39.359 budget committees of both houses to agree on the top line, 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:42.919 on a DoD line, on a and then come to 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:46.840 your committee Committee of Authorization and then to appropriation. Is 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:49.440 that a simple majority? Is that on the table? 0:04:51.400 --> 0:04:51.600 You know? 0:04:51.640 --> 0:04:53.240 I think we need to look at everything. 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:57.640 This is important that we are able to pass additional 0:04:57.720 --> 0:05:02.240 funding to cover the expenses that we're going to have 0:05:02.640 --> 0:05:08.320 in protecting our national security by taking out, as I 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:12.000 mentioned earlier, number of the objectives that are that are 0:05:12.080 --> 0:05:16.279 listed in Iran that we need to take out. We'll 0:05:16.320 --> 0:05:20.160 see what happens the speaker. Speaker Johnson has talked about 0:05:20.720 --> 0:05:25.880 doing a reconciliation in the House. We'll see if if 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:29.560 they're able to do that. I guess you, I still 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:33.800 have hopes that we can get a supplemental done. I 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:39.040 think the more information that the Administration can give us 0:05:39.440 --> 0:05:43.600 here in the Senate, especially when we're trying to work 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:47.000 through this, and then also in the House giving us 0:05:47.040 --> 0:05:51.279 that information so that we can have a better understanding 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:56.680 of what you know they're they're doing moving forward. So 0:05:56.760 --> 0:06:00.000 I still have some hope for a supplemental. I think 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:04.440 there's different ways that we can put one together and 0:06:04.520 --> 0:06:09.880 maybe address other issues besides just looking at around itself. 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:15.240 Last question, Senator, I have not heard one Democrat unequivocally 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:20.480 embrace the idea of winning, of having this regime which 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:23.040 is a malign in evil presence and has been for 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:28.000 forty seven years. Fall have you heard any Democrat advocate 0:06:28.120 --> 0:06:32.640 for by whatever means it comes about popular revolution, a 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:36.040 coup inside the regime itself at cracks, whether or not 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:38.800 we kill every Mula that ever wants to be the 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:41.159 supreme leader, I don't know how it is, But does 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:43.800 any Democrat speak in terms of winning and what an 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:46.520 unqualified good that would be for the world and for 0:06:46.560 --> 0:06:47.440 the people of Iran. 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:53.600 I haven't heard them say that. What I've heard from every. 0:06:53.360 --> 0:06:59.000 Democrat is they always begin by saying, you know, we're 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:01.279 glad the Alatola. 0:07:00.800 --> 0:07:03.400 Was taken out. He was an evil man, he needed 0:07:03.440 --> 0:07:04.080 to be gone. 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:09.039 But and then they go on in a not in 0:07:09.080 --> 0:07:12.760 a supportive way for the actions that this administration is 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:16.239 taken in addressing it. You know, we've seen forty seven 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:24.600 years of Republican and Democrat administrations say that around is 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:28.560 a threat to this country. They've killed hundreds of Americans, 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:33.960 they sponsor terrorists around the world. We are not safe 0:07:34.120 --> 0:07:38.320 because of the actions that they have and they were 0:07:38.360 --> 0:07:43.240 continuing to work on developing and enriching uranium, developing a 0:07:43.360 --> 0:07:47.960 nuclear weapon, continuing to work on their ballistic missiles and 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:49.520 also get ICBM. 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:55.680 And yet we don't seem to hear that. I was 0:07:55.680 --> 0:07:55.960 going to. 0:07:55.960 --> 0:08:00.160 Say full throat in support from Democrats, but any of 0:08:00.240 --> 0:08:06.360 support I agree from Democrats saying you know, this is 0:08:06.640 --> 0:08:09.160 this is necessary, this has to happen. 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:09.800 You know. 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:14.160 God bless our troops, God bless our commander in chief 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:22.880 for stepping forward and finally taking action to remove this evil, horrible, 0:08:23.640 --> 0:08:28.960 threatening world, threatening a regime that only wanted to become 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:32.720 more and more emboldened so they could blackmail the world. 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:34.920 It would be nice to hear one. 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:37.200 Democratic understand why they can't do that. 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:41.319 If you find one centator like Diogenes with a lamp, 0:08:41.559 --> 0:08:43.880 please let me know and I'll interview them. Just one, 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:47.880 just one Democrat. Senator Deb Fisher from the Great Katy, Nebraska. 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:50.240 Thank you, Senator. I'll be right back in America. Please 0:08:50.280 --> 0:08:52.960 stay tuned the Sail News channel to Salem Radio Network 0:08:52.960 --> 0:09:00.640 on our affiliated radio station. I'm he hewing Welcome back 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:02.640 in America. I'm huge few at David M. Drucker as 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:05.880 a senior political writer for The Dispatch in Washington, d 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:10.760 See David. I just spoke with Sender Deb Fisher of Nebraska, 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:13.480 and I asked her if one Democrat, one Democrat had 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:16.920 come out and unequivocally called for victory in the battle 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:19.200 with Iran so that the Iranian people might be free, 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:20.800 in the world a better place. And she said no, 0:09:20.960 --> 0:09:23.920 to her knowledge, have you heard even one Democrat call 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:28.640 for victory. 0:09:28.760 --> 0:09:29.760 I'm trying to think here. 0:09:29.880 --> 0:09:33.800 I think we may have heard some sentiments like that 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:38.400 from possibly Josh Gotheimer in the House, Jared Moskowitz in 0:09:38.440 --> 0:09:44.480 the House. Possibly Democrats have mostly focused their comments not 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:48.079 just on their opposition to the war generally, but their 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:53.920 argument that the administration hasn't laid out a reasoning for 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:58.439 why now, even though the Iranian threat they acknowledge exists. 0:09:58.880 --> 0:10:02.960 You know, after Yosemite sam on all of its neighbors 0:10:03.000 --> 0:10:04.920 on day one of the battle, you would think it 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:07.520 would be self evident. But they're thick, or they are 0:10:07.559 --> 0:10:11.200 ideologically incapable offending the hard left of their party. Here's 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:14.480 a tougher question. Should Republicans in the House and the 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:17.600 Senate come out and put their arms around this battle, 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:20.120 say it was right to have been begun, and we 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:22.839 need to win it in a decisive fashion. I don't 0:10:22.840 --> 0:10:24.920 know what that looks like, but we need to win 0:10:25.000 --> 0:10:27.679 it in decisive fashion because they're going to own it, 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.280 whether or not they want to own it. It's their party, 0:10:30.800 --> 0:10:34.520 it's their president, it's our president. Actually it's all Americans president, 0:10:34.559 --> 0:10:38.319 but it's their nominee who started it. So shouldn't they 0:10:38.360 --> 0:10:38.760 own it? 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:43.800 Well, from a political perspective, you're making a really good 0:10:43.840 --> 0:10:46.000 argument and I think most of them have been doing that. 0:10:46.120 --> 0:10:48.640 It's just that you know, there are you know, some 0:10:48.760 --> 0:10:51.320 dissident voices here, right. I mean, you know, as I've 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:54.120 reported and as I've discussed repeatedly over the past twelve 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:58.640 days or so, most Republican voters, including self identified MAGA voters, 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:02.400 are supportive of the president's action in Iran. But you 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:08.400 do have some loud voices on the right among influencers 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:11.360 and podcasters, a few politicians. 0:11:11.720 --> 0:11:13.400 And some others who are. 0:11:13.360 --> 0:11:16.000 Diametrically opposed to what the President's doing for all sorts 0:11:16.000 --> 0:11:19.320 of reasons. And so I think some Republicans maybe have 0:11:19.559 --> 0:11:23.120 treaded cautiously. I think some of them have been trying 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:26.040 to figure out what they're wrapping their arms around because 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:29.520 the administration hasn't been very forthcoming in its battle plan 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:33.920 broadly speaking, the why now and what. 0:11:33.760 --> 0:11:34.920 The ultimate goal is. 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:37.480 But what I've heard from Republican elected is mostly you 0:11:38.440 --> 0:11:41.200 is support or any or you know, at the very 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.240 least open minded is but mostly support. So I think 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:46.400 you're getting that, you know, I think you know, when 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:48.360 you look at Democrats, just to get back to that 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:48.800 point for. 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:52.600 A minute, that they have a fine find they have. 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:54.800 A tightrope to walk because you don't want to sound 0:11:55.240 --> 0:11:57.839 like you don't understand the threat from Iran. 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:00.800 That Iran has posted those over the last. 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:04.560 Nearly fifty years with a budding nuclear weapons program. On 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:08.000 the other hand, their party, their voters are against the war, 0:12:08.120 --> 0:12:11.040 and American voters broadly when you look at Democrats and 0:12:11.080 --> 0:12:14.520 Independence against the war. So they don't have the same 0:12:14.679 --> 0:12:16.440 pressures that Republicans might. 0:12:16.520 --> 0:12:17.720 But your overall point is. 0:12:18.600 --> 0:12:20.839 An apt one, and that Republicans are going to own 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:22.840 this whether they like it or not. So if they're 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.960 not on board, unless they have a philosophical opposition to it, 0:12:26.000 --> 0:12:29.040 a principled opposition, you might as well speak up and 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:30.120 speak out and before it. 0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:34.439 That's my point. Deb Fisher, Nebraska, Tom Cotton Ark and 0:12:34.480 --> 0:12:36.520 saw they both been on the last two days. They 0:12:36.520 --> 0:12:39.080 are very much for winning, and they argue this is 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:42.160 a malign regime. The world would be a much better place, 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:44.360 and certainly the Iranian people would be better off in 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:47.400 the Middle East, more secure and stable. The world would 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:51.960 be better off if Iran's regime collapse tomorrow or indeed 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:56.679 before nightfall today. But Republicans, I don't know, they're caught 0:12:56.760 --> 0:13:01.239 up in process arguments. I don't hear it except individual interviews, 0:13:01.720 --> 0:13:04.800 and I think maybe Speaker Johnson I ought to go 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:07.160 out there and say, thump the table a little bit. 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:11.520 We're in favor of winning. Yeah. 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:15.679 Look again, from a political standpoint, I think you're onto something. 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:18.880 I think part of the problem that Republicans may be having, 0:13:18.920 --> 0:13:21.160 if this is something you're picking up on, and I 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:22.840 think you may be picking up on it more than me, 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:26.640 is that they don't really know what the whole point 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:29.199 is in terms of the why now. Look, I can 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:33.240 make a very good case to you personally about why 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:35.520 now in my opinion, right, I mean, I'm old enough 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:39.760 to have watched Iran and it's a bad regime and 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:41.600 it's bad actors and all of the. 0:13:41.760 --> 0:13:44.120 State sponsored terrorism and everything. 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:47.560 Right, I can make a case that after fifty years, 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.400 we've tried diplomacy, every president's tried it. It was an admirable attempt. 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:54.520 We've done everything we could. And so maybe you disagree, 0:13:54.600 --> 0:13:57.120 but there are risks to doing nothing. There are risks 0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:59.839 to continuing diplomacy, and so this is why now. I 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:02.720 will tell you that outside of some occasional statements from 0:14:02.720 --> 0:14:07.239 Marco Rubio, the administration has not had a uniform, unified, 0:14:07.880 --> 0:14:11.959 really cogent argument for the why now and what the 0:14:12.120 --> 0:14:16.320 ultimate goal is, and it is so much different than. 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.040 The Bush administration leading into Iraq. 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:20.240 Now. 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.000 Notwithstanding, you know, most Americans have concluded the Iraq War 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.720 was a mistake and we didn't find weapons of mass destruction, 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:30.520 that administration made a unified, cogent argument for why they 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:32.920 were going in and what the goals were and what 0:14:32.960 --> 0:14:35.720 they hoped to get out of that. And I think 0:14:35.840 --> 0:14:38.000 to the extent that you don't hear like a sort 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:40.920 of unified Republican support for this thing is because they're 0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:43.360 all trying to figure out what they're supposed to be supporting. 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:46.560 I mean said that, I mean, I've detected a lot 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:50.040 of support, but I think they're waiting to echo whatever 0:14:50.040 --> 0:14:53.560 the administration's rationale is, and they keep hearing different arguments 0:14:53.600 --> 0:14:54.400 on different days. 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:57.400 You know, that's a very well taken point. I think 0:14:57.440 --> 0:15:02.720 they ought to be supportive ex extraordinarily of winning and 0:15:03.120 --> 0:15:05.760 winning will be defined at a later date, but we'll 0:15:05.800 --> 0:15:08.640 know it when we see it sort of Supreme Court test, 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:12.680 and it might be it might not be a white flag, David. 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:17.360 It might be Larajani Dad Hamany two point zero, who's 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:20.680 already in a Koma Dad. It might be the people 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:22.360 of Iran back and I don't know what it's going 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.920 to look like. But the key is the inability of 0:15:25.960 --> 0:15:29.000 Iran to terrorize its neighbors and supply China with oil, 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:30.120 and that basically it. 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:34.040 Well that's one version of it. But let me just 0:15:34.280 --> 0:15:37.160 play devil's advocate for a minute. We can look back 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:41.200 on Iraq two thousand and three and what ultimately happened 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:43.320 at the end of the day after the surge and 0:15:43.360 --> 0:15:45.480 all the blood and treasure that the US invested in 0:15:45.520 --> 0:15:48.640 that war, and say that we achieved an objective. We 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:51.120 got rid of Zadam Hussein, We installed at least the 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:54.280 quasi democratic government in there that was no longer a 0:15:54.320 --> 0:15:54.920 threat to the. 0:15:54.960 --> 0:15:56.200 US or its neighbors. 0:15:56.720 --> 0:16:00.040 That's all true, and yet most Americans will tell you, 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:02.040 generally speaking, that war was a mistake. 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:04.080 We lost, We didn't accomplish anything. 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:07.360 I agree, but that's because Obama came in after the 0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:09.240 color fact. 0:16:09.280 --> 0:16:11.640 But that that may be true. That may be true. 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:14.280 But my point here is Hugh to play devil's advocate, 0:16:14.840 --> 0:16:16.680 is that I don't think you can say, well, we'll 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:18.880 know what winning looks like when we see it, because 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.920 there could be a lot of follow on consequences to 0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:24.760 the war that we've you know, that we've initiated over 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:27.160 the past twelve days. I just said, and I believe this. 0:16:27.240 --> 0:16:28.920 I can make a great case for doing it. What 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:31.880 the objection should be and can be and why and why? 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.680 Now I'm just saying the administration hasn't done a good 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:36.600 job of giving Republican something that she. 0:16:36.600 --> 0:16:39.120 Wants, and I think they may be too afraid of Iraq, 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:43.200 when in fact Iraq was a success and is a success. 0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:45.920 And thank God today I mis James not untill there. 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:49.440 David M. Drucker follow my next free him at the Dispatch. 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:52.880 I'll be right back. Americans America, I'm too cute. Joined 0:16:52.920 --> 0:16:55.360 by Brett Bair. He was the host of Special Reports, 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:58.680 America's Newsman. Actually it's an anchor and you can watch 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:01.680 them tonight at six pm on the Fox News Channel. Brett, welcome. 0:17:02.160 --> 0:17:05.359 I'm trying to remember if you arrived in DC for 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:08.080 Fox the week before or the week after nine to eleven? 0:17:08.320 --> 0:17:09.080 Was it before after? 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:10.240 On? 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:11.000 On? 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:14.800 Okay? So yeah, you've been there for nine to eleven. 0:17:15.080 --> 0:17:17.400 You've been there for two thousand and three, so two 0:17:17.440 --> 0:17:20.560 invasions Afghanistan and Ibrock. You were there for the Libyan 0:17:20.640 --> 0:17:25.560 operation under President Obama. You have covered Midnight Hammer, You've 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:28.119 all the drones that all the presidents have used, and 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:32.200 now you're covering this conflict. Is this the most partisan 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:33.280 of all of those? 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:39.879 Yes, I'm pretty sure. I'm thinking back in the rolodex 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:44.639 of my brain if there was as much of a split. No, 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:47.240 I think this is the most partisan of all of them. 0:17:47.800 --> 0:17:50.200 That's my assessment too. I just had on deb Fisher 0:17:50.240 --> 0:17:53.720 of Nebraska. She went to the same briefing as Senator 0:17:53.800 --> 0:17:56.680 Blumenthal of Connecticut, and I think both have been on 0:17:56.800 --> 0:17:59.359 your program. And Senator Blumenthal came out and said, I'm 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:01.960 afraid we're head towards ground trips in Iran. And she 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:04.080 came out and said, I didn't hear that at all, 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:07.000 but you wouldn't talk about what you did here. Is 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:10.680 that just the new normal? Yeah? 0:18:10.800 --> 0:18:13.600 I think people are hearing different things and the same briefing. 0:18:14.080 --> 0:18:19.359 We saw that with the drug boats off of Venezuela. 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:23.520 We saw that with you know a number of things 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:28.119 where senators from different parties here completely different things. This is, 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:31.720 you know, I don't get a sense at all that 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:35.720 there is a massive effort for ground troops in Iran. 0:18:36.000 --> 0:18:38.320 In fact, I get the sense of exactly the opposite, 0:18:38.760 --> 0:18:42.000 that the President was signaling and trying to tell the 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:46.239 markets and the oil companies and the American consumer at 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.760 the gas pump that there is a light at the 0:18:48.880 --> 0:18:52.200 end of the tunnel, that our objectives are going to 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:55.280 be met and we're going to work with whatever comes 0:18:55.320 --> 0:18:58.480 out of Iran after that. So, you know, I took 0:18:58.560 --> 0:19:01.119 that as I'm going on the a trip with President 0:19:01.160 --> 0:19:04.960 Trump March twenty ninth, I think everything's going to be 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:09.160 wrapped up with a bow before them in their eyes. 0:19:09.240 --> 0:19:10.520 As far as kinetic. 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:14.240 Action, Oh, that's the most aggressive timetable. I thought from 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:18.240 a political standpoint, the President would have not later than 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:22.480 the end of April and May maybe, but by June 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:25.320 people begin to lock in their political understanding of the war. 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:28.200 But you're saying before he sits down with g he 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:30.760 wants to have a result that he can retail when 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:32.520 he goes to sit down with you. By the way, 0:19:32.600 --> 0:19:35.199 on that trip, do you expect Jimmy Lai to come up? 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:39.600 I don't know if he's going to come up. You know, 0:19:39.800 --> 0:19:42.680 I would think that there'll be questions one hundred percent. 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:47.720 But whether the President brings that up don't You don't 0:19:47.800 --> 0:19:52.000 know Behind closed doors he's got I think there's it's 0:19:52.040 --> 0:19:56.760 a consequential moment to go to China at this moment, 0:19:57.440 --> 0:20:02.880 in this environment, and I'd be surprised if there wasn't 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:06.960 some big deal announced that we have yet to kind 0:20:07.000 --> 0:20:08.040 of put our head around me. 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:11.680 It is indeed, you're focusing on something that I hadn't 0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:14.840 focused on. I'm glad you did that. I can think 0:20:14.920 --> 0:20:17.360 of a lot of summits that have not been consequential, 0:20:17.920 --> 0:20:20.800 but for a US president and the General Secretary of 0:20:20.840 --> 0:20:22.920 the Chinese Communist Party to meet at this moment that 0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:26.320 Iran is in the balance is significant and China might 0:20:26.560 --> 0:20:31.600 need help. I really do think they might need oil. Brett, 0:20:31.680 --> 0:20:32.280 do you agree with that? 0:20:33.480 --> 0:20:33.680 I do. 0:20:33.920 --> 0:20:34.919 I mean, the. 0:20:37.040 --> 0:20:43.440 Tie of Venezuela and taking that avenue off, the kind 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:46.760 of whatever is going to happen with Ron and it's oil, 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:51.960 the situation with Russia. I think that there is, you know, 0:20:52.320 --> 0:20:55.720 probably some kind of deal in the making that the 0:20:55.800 --> 0:21:00.800 President envisions with all of these things at play don't suffer, guest, 0:21:00.800 --> 0:21:05.080 excuse me that in that interim time over the next days, 0:21:05.760 --> 0:21:09.560 we could see some change in Cuba that because they're 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:14.440 dealing with massive blackouts and protests almost every night now. 0:21:15.080 --> 0:21:17.320 Asked to Cuba Brian kill me to ask me this 0:21:17.480 --> 0:21:21.359 on Sunday Night's program. What what I thought was coming? 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:24.680 And I think revolution, kind of revolution is coming, but 0:21:24.760 --> 0:21:26.159 I also think it's not going to be one that 0:21:26.240 --> 0:21:28.600 we assist, but we will help with food ad because 0:21:28.600 --> 0:21:30.359 we're not going to let the Cuban people starve. Do 0:21:30.400 --> 0:21:31.200 you agree with me on that? 0:21:32.160 --> 0:21:32.359 I do? 0:21:32.800 --> 0:21:36.520 And I think that if you think of effectiveness embargoes 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:44.120 effectively hurting the regime while letting business kind of bring 0:21:44.359 --> 0:21:49.520 in some release to give up, they're they're in the 0:21:49.600 --> 0:21:52.840 process of doing that. And we haven't covered it as 0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:56.000 much as I want to because we obviously are dealing 0:21:56.040 --> 0:22:00.320 with the action in Iran and other things. But I 0:22:00.480 --> 0:22:04.000 really think that there is a change that's that's happening. 0:22:04.080 --> 0:22:07.879 And he the presidents claims that Cuba's reaching out and 0:22:08.000 --> 0:22:08.880 talking to Marco. 0:22:08.720 --> 0:22:13.000 Ruviw imint and what year it would be if Venezuela, 0:22:13.040 --> 0:22:15.720 like Cuba and Iran off flipped from being bad guys 0:22:15.760 --> 0:22:18.960 to wearing, if not white hats, at least hats that 0:22:19.040 --> 0:22:20.400 are somewhere around gray. 0:22:20.880 --> 0:22:21.000 Uh. 0:22:21.080 --> 0:22:22.760