Romney: My op-ed was about my relationship with Trump "and how we are going to work together" | Video

TAPPER: Joining me exclusively now, it's: Utah's new elected Republican senator, Mitt Romney, will be officially sworn in tomorrow. Senator elected, thank you very much for being here.

ROMNEY: Thanks Jake. It's good to be with you.

TAPPER: Why write this editorial and why do it now?

ROMNEY: Well, I actually wrote a very similar editorial before I went to Utah's primary and put it My view on the president and on his presidency indicated that I would work with the president as I would with any president in areas where I agree to work together. Where I do not agree, I'll point it out. But for issues related to the divisions that are part of our political environment, I will speak if I feel the need, if something meaningful takes place. And I think it is important, at the beginning of my new job, to make my position very clear and to note that the departure of Secretary Mattis and the decision to withdraw from Syria abruptly were a precipitous event for me. finally go on this album.

TAPPER: I want to talk about Syria in a minute, but I want to focus on the op-ed for a second. A senior White House official told me today that the president was disappointed to see that even before taking the oath you would be pursued after him instead of joining him and pursuing the Democrats and the closure.

ROMNEY: As far as closure is concerned, I will be on the side of the Republicans, which is important for us to secure the border. At the same time, in my editorial, I have not only spoken about the president, my relationship with him and how we will work together, but also my perspectives and priorities. trade in China with our allies around the world, immigration, etc. So, I think it's important, at the beginning of your new job, to describe exactly what you hope to accomplish and that's what I did.

TAPPER: The President mentioned you at his cabinet meeting today. Here is a little what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I would like Mitt to be more of a team player, you know? I'm surprised he did it so fast. If he had really fought against President Obama as he did against me, he would have won the elections.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

TAPPER: What is your answer? What is your thought when you see this?

ROMNEY: Well, of course the president is entitled to his perspectives, to his own opinions, and I respect his right to express these things as I do. And we will work together on issues that, in my opinion, are in the best interest of the country and my state, and for which we disagree, we must do so.

TAPPER: It seemed to note that other senators who had come before you to criticize him – Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee – were suddenly no longer in the US Senate even though They wanted to be there forever. It looked like a vague threat. Not that he necessarily gets rid of you, but that the base abandons you if you are not with him.

ROMNEY: You know, I think if people come to Washington with the express hope of staying at work forever, they make a huge mistake. The idea of ​​this democratic republic is that people come to represent those who elected them, as well as their opinions and values. And I come to Washington with this perspective. And I'm not really looking for the next election or the next place. I seek to represent the things that our country needs at a critical time, and I believe that a president like any leader in a house, a church, a school, a company, a leader has an impact not just on the policies, but also on the character of the people who are lucky enough to look at this person. And I think that in this scenario, the president needs to focus more and hope to make some changes. And by the way, I'm expecting people to have suggestions on how I could do a better job too, and I'm open to that.

TAP: When you say that you have problems with his character and that you talk about his integrity and honesty with the suggestion being that he lacks integrity and honesty, that Did he do anything in particular that bothered you?

ROMNEY: Well in the last two years, I have published a number of statements relating to things that were of paramount importance. great concern for me. The president's response to Charlottesville has been a source of great concern to me. Roy Moore's support in the Senate race was something that worried me a lot. His attack on the media, I wrote an entire article about it. So I've often described places where I do not agree with the chair, and I think it's very important for a chair to demonstrate the qualities of integrity and honesty, frankness, empathy and respect for this institution for our democratic republic. I think all of this is part of the job. And, while I agree with him on many political fronts and applaud the work of Republican leaders in Washington, there are places in connection with the formation, if you will, of a national character that, in my opinion , could be improved.

TAPPER: Well, you called him a fraudster. I mean, in 2016, you made a very strong speech in the – it was in Utah or Arizona, calling fraud. Some people who are allied with the president, others who are not, say, hey, you know, the president has endorsed you in your race in the Senate and you have accepted the downline. The President has emphasized today. You had an interview with him to potentially be secretary of state. What's changed? Why were you willing to talk to him and accept his approval when you had all these reservations about him?

ROMNEY: Well, you know, after his election to the presidency, I hoped a lot that he would show up, reach the office coat. After all, becoming president of the United States is an elevation for anyone. And he said during the campaign that he could be extraordinary presidential. When I hear that I think of Washington and Lincoln and Jefferson and Roosevelt and Kennedy and Eisenhower, I think of those qualities. And I think that while he was talking about that, and although it was my hope, I do not think he followed it as he did for some of his other promises.

TAPPER: Do you regret to accept his endorsement? when did he send this tweet during your race in the Senate?

ROMNEY: He supported me. I did not support it. And I have not decided who I will support in 2020. I will wait to see what are the alternatives.

TAPPER: So you're not on board? Because the senior senator from Utah, Mike Lee, said that he was likely to support the president.

ROMNEY: I think it's too early to make that decision and I want to see what are the alternatives, but I've already pointed out we are agreeing on a whole series of fronts but I think the president can, if you wish, improve his game and do a better job of helping us to come together as a nation.

TAPPER: Is there a chance that you will become an alternative to President Trump and that you will run against him in the presidential elections in 2020?

ROMNEY: No. You may have heard of my earlier race. I had this experience. And by the way, I recognize that the president had succeeded, and I was not. He did something that I could not do. He won and I recognize him and appreciate him. But no, I'm not running again, and we'll see if anyone else participates or not in a Republican primary, but time will tell.

TAPPER: You said in March 2016, because there was a problem. In 2012, the kids may not remember it, but when you ran for president, Donald Trump wanted to support you. You wanted him to approve you. And there was an event in Las Vegas and you accepted his support. And then, in March 2016, you wrote in a tweet: "If Trump had said four years what he said today about the Klan, Muslims, Mexicans, the disabled, I'm not sure. I would not have accepted his support. "

OK, he did not say these things, but he was the main leader of the nation who pushed the lie to the fact that Barack Obama, the first African president, American, was born in Africa. Again, a lie, and you accepted his approval even though it was his political claim to fame. Was it a mistake?

ROMNEY: You know, I'm sure I've made a lot of mistakes and –

TAP: But is this that?

ROMNEY: – I'm going to let people make the assessment of errors and not mistakes, but when the President of the United States, frankly, from either side said, "I support your candidacy ", I think you would say thank you very much. But I pointed out that I have been thinking quite regularly over the years of where I disagreed with candidate Donald Trump and President Trump, and I will continue to do so. And I hope that these opportunities will be fewer.

I do not intend to be a daily commentator, to be someone who stops every night in the Senate Chamber and looks for the closest camera and says what I think of the president's tweet or the fault of the day. But if there is a very important question, I will talk about it. And sometimes it's hard to know how –

TAP: Yes, how do you decide that?

ROMNEY: And you must make that decision. And people will say, well, it's different from last time. That's fine, you make your decision as best as you can, but I know my principles, what I think is right for the country, and I know that the country is still as divided as I do. have never seen. In many ways, people are angry and resentful and want to see leaders who are able to unite and move these things forward and meet the challenges we face with our excessive spending, the unbalanced budget, the mess we have for immigration, our education challenges, our health needs. They want so much to see us do so much that these other things bother us, and I would like to be able to focus on the most important things and remove some of the division, anger and bitterness that exist in politics today.

TAP: I would like to address some substantive issues, but I have to ask Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel, who is the daughter of your older brother, Scott, to tell you about your criticism . And she wrote, citing on Twitter, "For a new Republican Senator" – that's Uncle Mitt – "or attack @ Realdonaldtrump as their first act feeds what Democrats and the media want and is disappointing and unproductive ". Have you been surprised? I know you told him that the opinion letter was coming out, but were you surprised that she publicly criticized you?

ROMNEY: No, she is the president of the Republican Party. She has the responsibility. I respect his right to express that from this point of view. It's probably more, if you will, in plain clothes than through dinner. Thanksgiving dinner because, of course, we have disagreements in our family, but she is a very loyal Republican, true to the President, and she does what she thinks is best for him and for the left.

TAPPER: One of the critics – that's my last question from Trump – one of the critics regarding the people who came before you, Republican Senators, Party's (ph) consciences Jeff Flake, Bob Corker is that in general there would be tsk-tsking (ph) but no action. Until there is one – with a few exceptions, Bob Corker has proposed sanctions against Russia as chairman of the committee on the draft law on relations. Senate, and Jeff Flake ceased voting for the judges until Mitch McConnell introduced the bill to protect Robert Mueller. Mitch McConnell never did it. He ended up putting an end to the judges indefinitely. Are you ready to take action rather than simply express your dismay if the moment demands it?

ROMNEY: Well, the answer is that I will support the positions that I share and that I will oppose and vote against things that I do not agree with. but I do not think you're going to Washington saying, I'm going to cut my nose in spite of my face. I will vote against people I would support to be tough on the president. It does not make sense.

TAP: No, but there is a time when you want the Mueller Protection Bill to be passed, if you want sanctions against Russia to be adopted –

ROMNEY: Well, look at things you really think are just as opposed to symbolic or punitive elements for the president. There is no reason to push anyone, Republican or Democrat, in the eye, just to make a statement. After all, we are in Washington trying to make a difference for the American people and just doing symbolically hurtful things to someone you are opposed to makes no sense, in my opinion. I could express my views, but if there are places where the President wants something and I think it's wrong, vote with my conscience, not with his.

TAPPER: Very good. The substance goes up. We will take a short break. You have a lot to say about the president personally, but you accept it – with him on politics. We have the border wall, pulling US troops from Syria. We will go into all of this afterwards. Stay with us.

(BREAK)

TAPPER: And we're back with Republican Senator elected from Utah Mitt Romney, who is the second person in the history of this nation to have been the governor of & # 39; 39, a state and the United States. senator of another.

Sam Houston from Texas, you said.

ROMNEY: Yes.

TAPPER: Ok.

So we are in the middle of a government shutdown. President Trump insists on $ 5.6 billion for a border wall. The Democrats refuse to give it to him.

Tomorrow, the Democrats in the House will propose a government clean funding bill, providing $ 1.3 billion for border security, not for the wall. The closure is now at its twelfth day, close to one million federal government employees traveling without pay.

Do you want the House bill to go to the Senate so that you can vote it? What is the path to follow?

ROMNEY: Well, there is substance, then symbolism.

And, obviously, if the president could get a check for $ 5 billion to build the wall, it would give a huge victory for the Republicans and a big loss for the Democrats.

And it's very hard to convince the Democrats to vote for something like this. So there must be some kind of agreement where the Democrats get something and the Republicans get something. That's how it happens in Washington. At least that's what I read …

TAPPER: Okay.

ROMNEY: … about what's going on in Washington.

(RIRE)

ROMNEY: I have not been here long enough to know. But I think that must happen or find another way to get things right, and then seek agreement, where, again, both parties get something.

It has to be a win-win. You have trouble getting a win-win compromise in the Senate, where you need several Democratic votes to get something that will become law.

TAPPER: One of the big problems – and I guess you'll discover it by becoming a Senate negotiator – is that President Trump's team will try to negotiate and will then be negated by the president. Trump. .

Vice President Pence offered Democrats $ 2.5 billion for the Border Wall and then President Trump – I do not think the Democrats would defend him anyway, but President Trump did it. has reduced. Earlier, Vice President Pence told Republicans in the Senate that he simply had to pass a clean-up bill, and the president would sign it. And the president did not sign it.

I mean, it's going to be a problem.

ROMNEY: Well, I will not intervene and say, well, here's how the chair should negotiate his priorities.

It's something he's going to do on his own and in the way that he thinks is most effective. He has his trading style. I am sure that other people have theirs.

But I come back to the basic premise, namely that it must be win-win. And you go back and look at the history of big bills that have brought the country forward. It took Republicans and Democrats to come together for this to happen unless a party was fortunate to have 60 votes in the Senate.

TAPPER: Good.

ROMNEY: And then you could do something like Obamacare. But other than that, you have to get together.

TAPPER: Republican Senator Bob Corker, who is retiring or retired, said a few days ago that this border wall is not about national security; it's about the president trying to sound politically hard.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: It's an invented fight, so the president may seem to be fighting. But even if he wins, our borders will be insecure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: All the argument of Corker was, this complete closure is useless, it is not a question of securing the border, but of the president trying to sound hard and people go without pay.

ROMNEY: Well, I think it's unfortunate that the government is closed.

This obviously has an impact on a large number of people who do not receive paychecks, but also on many other people who are considering going to a national park, companies that are hosting people going to parks nationals. People who are inconvenienced here in Washington and want to go to the Smithsonian will find it closed.

This has a significant impact. It's very unfortunate. But I think the President is very sincere when he says that he wants to secure the border. And how to get there is a real question. This will have to be developed on a bipartite basis.

But it is clear that we must have a safer border. And I think that should really focus on the E-Verify system, which basically penalizes employers if they hire people who are here illegally.

TAPPER: Do you think the closure is worth it for the president's border wall?

ROMNEY: Well, he has to make his own assessment himself.

TAPPER: But what do you think? You now represent people who do not receive pay checks.

ROMNEY: Yes, let me tell you that I would vote for the boundary wall. This has been part of my platform for many, many years.

I think we should have a border wall on our southern border. Whether it is a wall, a fence or a technology, it may be that, in some cases, the natural landscape is preventing people from getting in the way. enter easily. But we must secure our border.

But that is inevitably, but not enough. We need to do a lot more with our E-Verify system, our visa tracking systems, and so on. And we have to facilitate, in some ways, people who come here legally, work temporarily and then go home, especially in the agriculture sector.

In Utah, we rely on many people who come to harvest crops, and so on. We should let that be guided by what states need, as opposed to what the federal government requires.

TAPPER: You were dismayed by President Trump's decision in December to withdraw troops from Syria, which resulted in the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and the Special Envoy of the United States. global coalition to defeat the Islamic State. Brett McGurk.

The President says that we have to get out of these foreign entanglements. And that's what he ran. Why is he making a mistake?

ROMNEY: The reason we are involved in the world is to make the world safer, which is good for the world and for us, because we are interacting with countries around the world.

We sell products all over the world. People come and go in our different countries and we share not only culture, but also education, technology and innovation. And so, having a stable world where we can trade is a very good thing for us and for the world.

So we are in Syria with a very small footprint, about 2,000 people, to help our allies out there, the Kurds and, in some ways, to bring some stability to this area, so that's what we're doing. Assad or Erdogan or the Russians or the – you know, the Iranians do not rush to slaughter people, they do not kill our allies either.

Therefore, withdrawing on a steep basis, without interacting with them, coordinating with them, or securing the contribution of Secretary Mattis, for example, is something that, in my opinion, is very disturbing to me and for several others.

TAPPER: I hear you talking about the haste of all this and not consulting your allies. But what do you say about the general argument that the United States can not be the policeman of the world and that we are now involved in this endless war?

We have been in Afghanistan since 2001. – What year is 2019? We are approaching the 18th year of this war. This means that there will be people born before 9/11 who will fight in Afghanistan.

When does it end? What do you say to your constituents when they say, we can not do this forever?

ROMNEY: And the answer is that you can not be everywhere forever. But you put our troops and our military forces in places where, hopefully, they are not involved in a conflict in a kinetic way, but they are able to provide stability in a region, which is beneficial for hundreds of thousands, even millions of people. .

And at the same time, it's good for us. And so we are involved in the world. We have hundreds of thousands of men and women fighting each other. We will not have them all sitting at home, hoping nothing will happen. No, we put them in place to prevent bad things from happening.

That's why they are in the demilitarized zone – or next to it in South Korea. And it's to make sure that we keep the stability there, because we do not want to rush to create a war that hurts the entire economy and many people.

So that's one of the reasons we have troops around the world. But are we going to be the police? No, but are we part of an effort to make sure the world is stable and is it in our interest? Yes, it is in the interest of America.

It was our strategy. The idea of ​​Bretton Woods was that we would help to promote free trade in the world and stability in the world, and that we had the power to do it. That's why we have aircraft carriers that go into some of these oceans to ensure stability. It's good for us and for the world.

TAPPER: I want to turn to Russia.

The President said today that – quote – "The reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were entering Russia, they were right to be there" – without a quote.

It is a false vision of the Soviet invasion. This is just not what happened.

But beyond that, what do you make of the gap between the president's pro-Russian speech on Putin, pro-Russian rhetoric in many ways, compared to his argument that he did more than Obama? , for example by arming Ukrainians and in sanctions? Whether he wants to do it or not is another matter, but these penalties are being imposed.

Do you think he's harder towards the Russians, as hard as you want him to be?

ROMNEY: Well, I think it's important to be lucid vis-à-vis Vladimir Putin

And Russia has a real problem. Their population is decreasing. Their workforce is decreasing. John McCain used to say that it was a service station parading as a country. And they have problems.

En conséquence, Poutine cherche des moyens d'accroître sa population et de renforcer sa base industrielle et économique. Et donc, il regarde les anciens États satellites de l'Union soviétique.

Et les États-Unis doivent indiquer très très clairement dans notre communication et dans les choses que nous faisons que c'est inacceptable pour nous et pour le monde qu'il ne peut pas envahir d'autres nations.

Il y a – depuis Seconde guerre mondiale, il n'y a qu'une seule puissance majeure qui a envahi ses voisins. Et cela fait longtemps que la Russie est allée en Géorgie, en Ukraine. Et c'est tout simplement inacceptable.

Je pense que le président Obama n'a pas géré la situation aussi bien qu'il aurait pu. Et je pense qu'il est très important que ce président indique clairement à Vladimir Poutine que nous n'accepterons pas les incursions et les aventures dans la conquête d'un territoire et d'une population de nations souveraines autour de la Russie.

TAPPER: Vous souhaitez qu'il soit plus dur que la Russie

ROMNEY: Vous savez, je vais l'appeler comme je le vois en ce qui concerne les actions qui se produisent.

J'aurais probablement été enclin à une rhétorique plus agressive opposant M. Poutine. . Je pense qu'il est important que le leader du monde libre souligne que les nations qui assassinent des membres des médias, qui ne tolèrent pas la dissidence, ne sont pas les nations avec lesquelles nous allons nous aligner, et que Vladimir Poutine a été très malheureux. et chef affreux.

TAPPER: Avant de vous laisser partir, beaucoup de gens veulent savoir comment vous allez.

Vous avez combattu le cancer de la prostate il n'y a pas si longtemps. De toute évidence, votre charmante épouse, Ann, a eu ses problèmes de sclérose en plaques au fil des ans. Comment allez-vous deux? Comment va votre santé?

ROMNEY: Eh bien, heureusement, nous nous en sortons très bien, alors …

TAPPER: Ce n'est pas du bois. Mais nous vous en procurerons quelques-uns là-bas.

ROMNEY: Assez proche, oui.

Nous nous en sortons très bien. Et Ann en particulier, elle reste très saine et très forte. Et je vais très bien aussi.

TAPPER: Sénateur élu, j'espère que vous continuerez à venir ici et à nous parler. Nous avons vraiment apprécié. Thank you so much.

ROMNEY: Merci beaucoup. Thank you.

TAPPER: Appréciez-le.

ROMNEY: Merci. C'est bien d'être avec vous.