‘Prelude to conflict’: Dem Rep. raises alarm that Trump’s next target of Cuba may come soon

[0:00] New reaction today from lawmakers over President Trump's high-stakes summit in Beijing where the [0:05] president claimed major trade wins, but has given few specifics on what was actually agreed to [0:11] behind closed doors. The talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping also centered on the war [0:16] with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, but the two superpowers failed to reach agreement on ending [0:21] the conflict. I don't think we need China's support. I think the fastest way to end the war [0:28] in Iran is just to stop digging a hole even deeper, and that's what we should do right now. [0:34] Gas and other prices are going through the roof. He says he's not thinking about American finances, [0:39] and he's gotten into this in this war that's making us less safe. So no, [0:43] we don't need China to get us out. We just need to end it. Well, the president was, [0:47] I think, pleased with the outcome of the visit. He thinks it was a big success, [0:50] and the people that were on that trip agree. We have laid the groundwork, I think, [0:54] for a new trade agreement. Joining me now is Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy. [1:00] He serves on the House Oversight and Intelligence Committees and is a member of the Select Committee [1:05] on U.S.-China Competition. Congressman, it's good to see you again, sir. So the president said [1:09] he struck fantastic trade deals during his visit, but few details have emerged on what the two [1:16] superpowers actually agreed to. Were there any breakthroughs reached on key issues like tariffs [1:22] and technology? I don't think so. A few details have emerged about these supposedly fantastic deals. [1:31] All I know is that two things are definitely the case. One is that I think that we committed stumbles [1:40] with regard to Taiwan. And basically, we're potentially risking conflict and war because we [1:48] are lowering our deterrence through a lot of loose talk about Taiwan. And Xi Jinping really pressed Trump [1:56] hard on this issue. And unfortunately, I think Trump might have stumbled in a very dangerous way. [2:03] And then the second thing that is true is that, you know, our farmers here in Illinois are suffering [2:10] as they've never suffered, not only because of the lack of purchases by China and other countries of [2:18] their of their goods, including soy, but also because of extremely high fertilizer and fuel prices. [2:26] And, you know, we as consumers obviously see the price of the pump for one gallon of gasoline. [2:32] But that ripples through the economy, including in the input prices that farmers face. [2:38] Mm-hmm. What about Iran? Because that purportedly was a key part of the president's agenda, [2:43] specifically persuading Beijing to encourage Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and agree on a plan [2:49] to end the conflict. But no breakthrough was achieved there. Trump today repeated his threats [2:54] to decimate Iran. So where does this leave negotiations to end the war? [2:59] I think it's the same place they were before. I think that China did not do anything material to [3:07] help with regard to the Iranian situation. And if anything is the case, I believe that they see us [3:14] in a position of weakness because of the Iran war. The fact that we are, you know, experiencing [3:22] tremendous costs, not only consumers, but also our military and the depletion of resources [3:29] and armaments. But secondly, it helps them in making the case that they, too, should be able [3:36] to attack other countries and throw their arms and elbows around militarily to resolve their disputes, [3:43] whether it's Taiwan or in the South China Sea. And so I think that negotiations over Iran are [3:50] in a stalemate. And that's just fine for China at this point. [3:54] You sent a letter to President Trump demanding full public disclosure of any China-linked business [4:01] dealings involving himself or his family or administration officials. If the White House, [4:06] sir, refuses to disclose any potential financial ties, what tools does Congress have [4:11] to investigate whether U.S.-China policy is being shaped by the president's private business interests? [4:17] Well, we have our own investigatory power. Of course, the majority right now, especially on [4:24] the Oversight Committee, for instance, refuses to do anything to investigate the Trump administration. [4:32] And so the minority and Democrats have had to do this on our own, which we will continue to press, [4:38] especially in this particular case, because I'm concerned that the Trump administration's foreign [4:45] policy is dictated in part by their families' business policies and their dealings. And I'm [4:52] concerned that the Chinese, along with others, know this. And therefore, you know, we operate our [4:57] foreign policy at the public's expense, the American public's expense, to profit the Trump family. [5:06] Hmm. Let me switch gears a moment here, because CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with former Cuban [5:15] President Raul Castro's grandson and top officials. That happened Thursday in Cuba, where he told them [5:20] the U.S. is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes [5:27] fundamental changes. And this is as the Associated Press is reporting. The Justice Department is [5:32] preparing to indict Raul Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of four planes operated by an [5:40] exile group. And as a U.S. energy blockade sends that country into a severe economic and humanitarian [5:47] crisis. What more do you know about what the administration is planning here? [5:52] I'm not sure. I'll be going back into the Intelligence Committee briefings this week, and I'll be pressing [6:00] along with others on this particular issue. But it sounds like a prelude to conflict. It sounds like [6:06] exactly what we did in Venezuela, indicting Maduro in New York City, and then going down to, quote, [6:14] unquote, enforce the will of the court and capturing Maduro. I'm concerned that, again, this type of move [6:22] is going to happen in Cuba. And again, it would be illegal and unconstitutional, just like in Venezuela, [6:28] just like in Iran. And so we in Congress have to preemptively take action, whether it's in [6:34] blocking certain appropriations or nominations to the administration or in enacting the war powers [6:43] resolution preemptively now. Let me also ask you about what's happening this week with the [6:50] Oversight Committee interviewing the prison guard. That's tomorrow, who was allegedly the last person [6:54] to see Jeffrey Epstein alive. And then Thursday, a former personal assistant of the convicted sex [7:00] offender. This is after Democrats announced a new phase in the investigation. So what can we expect [7:07] next? Well, you know, last week I was with survivors in West Palm Beach. We had a field hearing at which [7:16] we heard these moving stories again from the survivors about their abuse. As you know, these [7:22] these women who were abused as girls have not received a single measure of justice in over two [7:30] or three decades at this point. And so we want to make sure that they are at the center of any [7:35] investigation going forward. And we were able to discover a little bit more about what they know [7:40] about Ms. Sarah Kellen, who's on your list of people who are coming up for a deposition. I think [7:46] that's going to be an important one because Kellen was an assistant to Maxwell and Epstein in scheduling [7:53] these supposed massages as well as, you know, scheduling and preparing this abuse. And so we [8:01] want to know exactly what happened. She might know the operational details as well as potential clients [8:07] and other details. But at the end of the day, we need all the files to be released. I've also called [8:14] for the financial files, suspicious activity reports that are filed by banks with the Treasury [8:20] Department to be filed or to be released and disclosed because they detail over $1.5 billion in wire [8:28] transactions involving this child sex trafficking ring. It's a stunning amount of money. Congressman [8:35] Roger Christian Murphy, we thank you for your time with us. Thank you. Thank you so much.