Sen. John Kennedy says U.S. should "stay the course" in Iran

[0:00] We turn now to Republican Senator John Kennedy, who joins us this morning from Madisonville, [0:05] Louisiana. Senator, it's good to have you on the program. I've got a lot to get to with you. [0:11] Let me just button up where I left it with Ambassador Waltz, if I could, because that [0:15] Saudi civil nuclear deal he was just discussing, it's got to go to you. It's got to go to Congress [0:21] for approval. Are you comfortable with it? No. Maybe someday, but not right now. [0:33] We're bombing a country to keep them from getting a nuclear weapon, but we're signing a deal with [0:41] another country. I know it's a commercial agreement, but that the world perceives as possibly someday [0:48] leading to a nuclear weapon. The world's on a hair trigger. The world looks at what's going on in [0:55] Ukraine, the Middle East. The world looks at America's relationship now with Europe. [1:03] People are scared. That's why I say hair trigger. And if you're running Japan or South Korea or [1:12] Australia or Brazil or some countries in Europe, you're at least thinking about the need to acquire [1:21] a nuclear weapon. And then you see this deal with Saudi Arabia, and it's just not good timing. I think [1:30] someday it might be. I don't think it's going to happen anyway, because the president's conditioned [1:36] it on Iran, on Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel, and they're not going to do that. [1:45] Well, Saudi has said they'd be willing to, but they want a pathway for the Palestinians. [1:50] The Israeli politics at the moment don't make that sound. [1:53] And the president's going to say, the president's going to point out correctly that we've got 26 [1:59] of these one, two, three agreements with other countries. But the timing's not good. [2:06] Understood. It got a lot of attention this week. You were pretty sharp in your questioning there [2:12] of the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, when he asked for $67 billion in funding for the Iran war. [2:19] You said, just like our poll shows, you need more information. Did you get an agreement [2:25] that you will be provided the classified, detailed briefing that you say is necessary? [2:32] I'm having breakfast next Wednesday with General Cain. I've seen the poll. It looks about right. [2:43] I support the president in Iran. We all need to do a better job messaging. [2:48] I may end up with a sombrero on my head by saying this, but we all know the president. He exists [2:57] loudly. He grows anxious when he has an unexpressed thought. He's not always disciplined in his [3:05] messaging. I'm not saying he should stop talking. He's the president. I'm not. But I would put Rubio [3:12] and Cain and Radcliffe and Hedgeseth out there, either in a speech or in a long press conference [3:18] to explain what's going on in Iran, why we went in, why we're still there. [3:24] Now, the Democrats, I listen to Bernie. Bernie wants to just come home. He wants to turn out [3:31] the lights, make sure the cat's inside, and go to bed. That would be a huge, huge mistake. [3:37] Well, it's interesting because 67 percent of Americans want the war to end now. And during [3:44] that questioning, you floated the idea to General Cain, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, that the [3:48] U.S. could stop in Iran, end the blockade, and bring troops home. He didn't lay out for you the [3:53] potential consequences. But why did you ask that question? You're not advocating it. Why are you [4:00] asking it? Because I wanted to know the answer. Look, here's what I think we ought to do. I think [4:07] we ought to tighten the sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil. I think we ought to continue the [4:14] blockade and starve them out. I think we ought to bomb Pickaxe Mountain and try to reach what's [4:21] underneath it. I don't know about, I don't have enough information to know about continuing the [4:29] attacks. The president likes the daily attacks. He believes that sometimes you have to kill a few [4:37] chickens to scare the monkeys. I don't think that's going to work with the Iranian leadership. [4:43] These people are more than mildly insane. It's like dealing with Son of Sam or Charles Manchin. [4:51] But I don't think we ought to just cut and run. If we can stand the pain of the rising cost of energy, [4:58] we need to stay the course at least for a few more months. I also don't think we need to send in troops. [5:04] That's my opinion for what it's worth. Senator Lindsey Graham is going to be laid to rest this [5:11] week in memorial service. One of the things that he wanted up until his death was financial [5:18] restrictions on the biggest buyers of Russian oil. There are 62 signatories to that bill, [5:25] filibuster-proof majority. Will it get voted on before the Senate breaks for summer? [5:31] Don't know. And let me say, look, with respect to the Senate, doing nothing is hard because you [5:40] never know when you're finished. We need to put the House budget resolution on the floor. It's the only [5:47] chance we have to get money to defense the farmers and to take another crack at the SAVE Act. We need to [5:54] add Iran to the to the Graham Russian sanctions bill and vote on it. We need to put put the cryptocurrency [6:03] market structure bill on the floor and vote on it all in two weeks. I love John Thune [6:10] and maybe take a few extra days. Look, I mean, no disrespect. I love John Thune. He's my leader. He's [6:17] got a big brain. He's he's better looking than me. But I think he's just being too cautious. He wants to [6:25] spend the rest of our time talking with with Senator Schumer about shutting down government. [6:31] And the Graham Plattner wing of the party is his party is not going to let Schumer agree with us. [6:37] They already want to give Schumer a bathrobe, a popsicle and an early bedtime and have him retire. [6:45] I don't think Chuck can agree with us. I just think he's going to shut down government. [6:49] I want to go back. You just said you wanted to move forward on what the House just started the [6:53] process on. That would be a party. That would be a party line vote. That would be Republicans [6:59] jamming this thing through. And the SAVE Act, as you know, or even some version of it is highly partisan, [7:07] highly controversial. Bigger picture. Isn't it going to hurt faith in our election process [7:13] if a Republican only policy to change how elections are run is rammed through 100 days, [7:19] you know, less than 100 days out from the election? [7:23] No. In my opinion, for both sides to have credibility in the elections, [7:29] in our elections, we need to do two things and only two things. Number one, you have to prove you are you [7:35] who you say you are in order to register to vote and to vote. And number two, however you decide to vote, [7:42] that's up to the states. We need to go back to having an election day, not an election month. [7:50] We've got to know the results of the election that night or shortly thereafter if it's close. [7:55] That, to me, is what the SAVE Act is all about. And I think we can pass it. And I think we can craft [8:02] it in a way to survive a birdbath. [8:04] Grants, in other words. But we're not going to know if we don't try. [8:07] Grants, in other words, to states to incentivize, not requirements for states to take action. [8:11] Yeah, but that's not the only thing. I've been contacted by some really smart people [8:19] about a way to do it in addition to the grants. I'm not saying it will work, but you're not going to [8:23] know unless you try. All right. Senator Kennedy, a lot of business to get to. I'm going to have to [8:29] leave it there, though. Thank you so much for joining us today. Appreciate your time.