Cory Booker says Trump is achieving ‘none’ of his Iran war objectives: Full interview

[0:00] Welcome back. And joining me now is Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey. He's the author [0:05] of a new book, Stand. Senator Booker, welcome back to meet the press. It's so good to be back on. [0:12] Thanks for having me. It's so great to have you back on. Let's dive in and start talking about [0:17] the war with Iran. The U.S. has reportedly sent Iran a 15 point plan addressing its ballistic and [0:25] nuclear weapons program. And some analysts have already drawn some comparisons to the talks under [0:31] the Obama administration, the deal that was struck during the Obama era. Do you support [0:36] the Trump administration's efforts to try to negotiate a deal with Iran to bring this war to [0:42] an end? I don't support this administration, period. They've gotten us into what will be [0:49] looked at as one of the greatest blunders, presidential blunders of our time. Remember, [0:54] this president had stated objectives, none of which he is achieving right now from the nuclear [0:59] program all the way to, frankly, regime. [1:02] The regime is more extreme. They've shown an asymmetric ability to choke up the straits of [1:08] Hormuz, has caused a global oil shock. And for Americans at home, our costs continue to rise. [1:14] This is after the president has cut people's health care and nutrition programs. And now, [1:19] with over $25 billion that has been spent on the war, over 300 people injured, 13 Americans who've [1:27] lost their lives. This president is pushing us further and further into a global war. [1:32] Conflict with no foreseeable off-ramp and thousands of more troops moving into that [1:37] region. And he still has not come to Congress for any kind of authorization for what is clearly not [1:44] just a war, but the biggest military engagement we've had since the war in Afghanistan. This [1:50] president is off the chain, and we are in a global crisis of his causing. [1:55] Well, let me ask you, you talk about the regime being more extreme. I wonder, at least 40 [2:02] Iranian officials have been killed. As you know, the son of the late Ayatollah Khomeini, [2:07] now reportedly in power. Although, as you know, there are questions even about that as well. [2:12] Do you think it would be responsible for the United States to walk away with hardliners still [2:18] in power? Do you want to see the U.S. stay and try to affect regime change? [2:24] Well, so this is the quagmire that he's gotten us into. He has stated an objective of regime change [2:30] and now put us in a position where we have a more extreme regime. [2:32] My colleague and my friend Langford talked about, hey, we went in here to stop terrorist attacks [2:38] on Americans. Well, we're seeing Iranian proxies from Iran to now the Houthis in Yemen causing more [2:45] attacks. And we're in a situation now where we have degraded their near-term military combat [2:51] capabilities. But remember what we learned from Ukraine, is we are now in a state of war where [2:57] in garages, in basements, people could be putting down, putting together drones for [3:02] just a mere thousands of dollars that could cause serious harm, as we've seen just yet another [3:08] attack on our base where Americans were severely wounded. So what is the administration's plan? [3:15] This has been the problem from the start. He did not consult with Congress. He did not come and [3:21] make his case to us or the American people or strategic allies in the region. This is a [3:27] president that is failing this moment and making matters worse for Americans. He's a man of [3:32] chaos and corruption. And we're seeing that now on a global scale. All right. Let's talk about [3:38] the funding fight over the Department of Homeland Security. As I was just discussing with Senator [3:43] Langford, there was a bill that passed the House that would have funded DHS, but not ICE and not [3:48] CBP. Democrats are demanding changes to the way ICE operates, requiring judicial warrants before [3:54] immigration officers enter homes, banning their use of face masks, just to name a few. Those [4:03] were not a part of the Senate deal. Senator, will this shutdown have been a failure if Democrats [4:09] cannot secure those changes to ICE policies? Well, again, I just want to continue to emphasize [4:16] that we are seeing a colossal failure in presidential leadership because this president [4:23] has said again, I have the power to pay TSA agents and I'm going to do that. Why didn't he do this [4:29] weeks ago when we started seeing the suffering of folks at the airports? And remember, [4:34] this fight has never been about TSA. But what about what Democrats are asking for, [4:38] Senator? So far, it's not a part of any of the legislation that's being considered in either [4:43] chamber. Yeah, we've had a unanimous agreement to do what Democrats were saying from the beginning, [4:49] pay TSA and not let ICE have another dollar when they're reckless and out of control in [4:55] our neighborhoods around the country. We came to that deal. The Republicans capitulated. We [5:00] unanimously passed that out of the Senate and the Republicans rejected it. So, yeah, [5:05] I don't want ICE, mass people jumping out of unmarked cars, slamming Americans to the [5:10] pavement, barreling into their homes without sufficient warrants. I do not want ICE running [5:15] into and around our churches, our schools, our hospitals, our courthouses. And yes, I don't want [5:22] ICE showing up at our polling places, doing the kind of things we've seen video after video of [5:26] them doing. So that's why I'm not funding. I'm not going to vote for another dollar. And we finally, [5:32] finally out of the Senate, got them to come to their senses. [5:35] And say, don't hold TSA hostage. Don't hold FEMA hostage. Pay them. We got that out of the Senate. [5:42] And now the House Republicans saying, no, we want to continue this chaos at our airports [5:46] until you come around and just give us more money for this out of control, reckless TSA, [5:51] excuse me, reckless ICE agency that's in our neighborhoods, in our communities. [5:55] Senator, this has been the longest partial government shutdown now in U.S. history. Come [5:59] on the heels of the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Is there still a path for [6:05] Democrats to secure those key demands that you are asking for in this round of negotiations? Or [6:11] do you not see that as realistic given this standoff? [6:15] Well, again, we know that presidents can bring parties together and solve problems. [6:20] This is the president who's bragged about being the great dealmaker, but he is not [6:23] focused on Americans. He's not focused on their rising costs. He's not focused on the pain [6:28] at the pump. He's not focused on the problems that he is causing. He's involved in a war of [6:35] mental proportions that's shocking the globe. He is not focused on America first. And we are [6:40] seeing the chaos of this president visit the world and visit Americans' lives. Look at what's [6:46] happening to our airports. This is presidential failure that is actually growing because we in [6:52] America are seeing the real costs of a president like this. American soldiers dying abroad and [6:59] Americans at home paying more and more from their health care costs to their fuel costs. Enough is [7:05] enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is [7:05] enough. Enough is enough. This president needs to be brought to account. And the problem is [7:09] Republicans in Congress are refusing on any of these issues to provide meaningful checks and [7:15] balances. They're not providing the oversight that is needed at this crisis in our country. [7:20] Senator, let's talk about your new book. I have it right here. Stand. I'm going to read a little [7:24] portion for everyone. You write, quote, We cannot cancel everyone who fails a purity test. We cannot [7:32] exile those who don't ally with our every belief. [7:35] However passionately we hold it, coalitions that are only composed of the already converted cannot [7:41] change the country. If everyone in your coalition agrees with you on everything, your coalition is [7:47] too small, too small to make big change and too small for what our democracy demands. Do you [7:54] believe Democrats are making the mistake of shrinking their coalition with what you describe [7:59] as purity tests, Senator? Look, I'm proud of so many things that my Democratic colleagues are [8:05] doing. I'm proud of the fact that I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democrat. [8:05] I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democrat. I'm a Democrat. But as a whole, our party has failed this [8:08] moment. It's why I've called for new leadership in America. I've called for a generational renewal [8:14] because this left right divide is killing our country and our adversaries know it. They come on [8:19] to our social media and try to whip up hate in America. That is one of our biggest crises. [8:25] It is time for a new vision of our country that's far more uniting, that brings people together. [8:30] Doesn't deepen divides. I really believe this is a time where we need new leadership, [8:35] new moral imagination to pull our country together, because the challenges on the horizon [8:39] aren't just this current crisis that Trump has caused. He shouldn't be the main character of [8:45] our narrative right now. We have real challenges from new technologies like AI and robotics, [8:50] new challenges, that we need more unity in our country and a reminder that we are not each [8:55] other's enemies. In fact, our ability to find common ground has always been our greatest hope. [9:00] Senator, I do have to ask you about your own political future. You recently got married to [9:06] your wife, Alexis. Congratulations, first of all. You have said that she will play a big role [9:12] in your decision about whether to run for president. So let me ask you, is she supportive, [9:19] broadly speaking, of your running for president? I think what she's supportive now is, number one, [9:26] we both are excited about being married and hopeful for a family. [9:31] But she knows that she's going to have to make a choice. She's going to have to make a choice. [9:31] She knows what's at stake right now. The generations before us, she are great, [9:36] her parents and her grandparents. But I think what she wants to do as a couple is for us [9:40] just to play a role in whatever that is in the future of trying to get that renewal in a country [9:47] where we begin to have Americans fully embrace the dream. In fact, as she and I talk a lot about [9:53] in the coming months, we just want to be a part of a generation of Americans that helps to redeem [9:58] the dream for all. Sounds like you're saying she would be [10:01] open to the dream. She would be open to the dream. She would be open to the dream. She would be open [10:01] to your running for president. So you're not ruling it out, Senator? [10:05] I am definitely not ruling it out. I'm running for reelection. I hope New Jersey [10:10] will support me for another six years. But what I love about her is she knows as a partnership, [10:16] we are better than we were before we met. And I'm excited about whatever challenges [10:20] we may take on as a couple. Let me ask you, you have run for [10:24] president before in 2020 on a message of love. It's the same message you had back in 2016. [10:31] I want to play you a little bit of something that you had to say back in 2016. Get your thoughts [10:36] about it today. Take a look. I love Donald Trump. I'm going to say that. What? I don't want to answer [10:42] his hate with hate. I'm going to answer it with love. I'm not going to answer his darkness with [10:44] darkness. I love him. Senator, do you still love Donald Trump? I'm a Christian and my faith is very [10:53] clear. Love your enemies. Love your adversaries. Never let somebody pull you so low as to hate him. [10:59] That doesn't mean I won't fight him with ferocity, try to defend and protect people's health care. [11:04] That doesn't mean I'm going to defend public education. But God bless America. Our Declaration of [11:09] Independence ends with those profound words. If we're going to succeed as a nation, we must, quote, [11:13] mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. He may be [11:19] abandoning that ideal of sacred honor, but we need a return to it, an urgency to return to it in our [11:25] country. Hate is going to tear our country apart. Tribalism is already making it difficult to do [11:32] common sense things. [11:34] Americans don't want leaders that will show how great they are at beating others down. They want [11:38] a new generation of leaders that show that they can lift the whole country up. So yes, I will not [11:45] hate my adversaries in Congress. I'll be doing a better and better job, I hope, of reaching out to [11:51] people, pulling them together, and reminding them that in this American moment, the definition of [11:58] our success ultimately will come down to, are we able to put more indivisible into this one [12:04] nation under God? [12:06] All right, Senator Cory Booker, we thank you so very much for joining us. [12:11] Thank you. [12:12] We thank you for watching, and remember, stay updated on breaking news and top stories on the NBC [12:17] News app, or watch live on our YouTube channel.