MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Jack Reed
Interview
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MELBER: We will do that. I am happy to do that. Thank you. Sir.Now we turn to Senator Jack Reed, ranking of the armed services committee. You heard the reference of course to the congressional side of foreign policy, something where you have been a leader. Your reaction, sir.
SEN. JACK REED (R), RHODE ISLAND: Well, I think General Hodges made extraordinarily sound points. It`s very disconcerting when the President attacks our most important ally, NATO. Also, NATO exists not just for the protection of Europeans, but more importantly, it`s our 40 line of defense against the Russian and the Russian malign activities.
And I`m very, very pleads at the resolution I sponsored, to most construct bipartisan support, 97-2, affirming our support for NATO. Also affirming our support for rules based international order and one of the major contributors to that international order is NATO. So it`s in our self- interests to be supportive of NATO, not superficially. And I think in an ill-informed way critical of NATO.
MELBER: So senator, how would you do that, for viewers following this? The general there talking about that being a positive statement from the United States reaffirming the bipartisan commitment to NATO at a time when the President is saying these things. How did you put something together there that didn`t lose Republicans who might worry that people would perceive this as undercutting Donald Trump?
REED: The issue of NATO with my colleagues has been very clear. They understood and they understand that the vital importance it plays to our defense. They did it not as I believe Republicans or Democrats. But they did it as concerned Americans, as representatives of the American people. And that I think is a strong message. I`m glad it`s resonating in Brussels as General Hodge suggests because that is the message I hope that will help contradict and -- the President`s message which is ill informed and impulsive.
MELBER: You say ill informed. I mean, part of this debate is about foreign policy or ideology, what countries and what alliances does America want to be in? And part of this is factual. Donald Trump`s made these claims before, as you know, and he reiterated them today that other countries aren`t pulling their weight. That the United States is being taken advantage of. Is he incorrect about that?
REED: I don`t think so. I think you have to look at the totality of the contribution. As you pointed out, Ari, the first time, the only time article five of the NATO convention was invoked was after 9/11. Europe wasn`t attacked, it was the United States but they came to our support, our aid.
NATO forces are in Afghanistan today. It`s a joint command. NATO forces have died in Afghanistan alongside American forces. They are in Iraq helping with our training mission there. They have units in the Baltics as a trip wire against Soviet aggression and the fear in the Baltics is very palpable that the Russians will try something. They fight cyber warfare. They are afraid that they will try actual kinetic warfare, something like they did in Crimea.
So this alliance is much more than just a simple two percent or x percent. It`s about shared values. It is about staying the distance and working harder. In fact, since 2014, the NATO countries, our allies have raids it
by spending by $87 billion. So this is an alliance that understands we have to stay together. Unfortunately the President wants to undercut it. And in fact, as General Hodges suggested he has made Vladimir Putin very
happy, because for years Putin has been trying to undercut our influence in Europe and has been trying to disrupt NATO. He sees it as a threat. He would like to go back to the good old days when Russian troops occupied half of Germany. That`s not where we want to go.
MELBER: Right. And I think you are speaking to the best, the big question it has also raised which is that in America`s interest? Was that a good thing or what kind of defense mechanisms do we want to have out there?
Senator Jack Reed, my thanks to you. I know it`s a busy day.
REED: Thanks, Ari.
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