CBS "Face the Nation" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Lindsey Graham

Interview

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MARGARET BRENNAN: Yesterday, we spoke with Senator Lindsey Graham who joined us from Istanbul, Turkey. We do want to caution you, there will be a graphic image that some may find disturbing. We began our conversation by asking Senator Graham for his take on the President's decision to remove the ban on American companies selling goods to Chinese tech giant, Huawei.

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-South Carolina/Judiciary Committee Chairman/@LindseyGrahamSC): Well, it's a lot of leverage because Huawei is a huge Chinese company, and it really is owned by the Chinese government, it's not a private sector company as we would know it. Microsoft came into my office trying to make sure that they could sell some technology to China that would not compromise our national security. So I don't know what he agreed to regarding exceptions to the ban. If they're minor exceptions, that's okay, but if we're selling Huawei major technology, that would be a mistake.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you don't worry that this is too much of a concession on national security grounds?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: I don't know yet. It's clearly a concession. There will be a lot of pushback if this is a major concession. If it's a minor concession I think it's part of the overall deal.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We know President Trump did meet with President Erdogan at the G20 as well and he seems to have the impression that President Trump said there will not be U.S. sanctions if Turkey goes ahead and buys Russian-made weapons systems. Is that the case?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Well, I'm in Turkey and it's being reported in the Turkish media that President Erdogan is claiming that President Trump, in their discussions, told Turkey that if you activate the S-400, we'll find a way around sanctions. I doubt if that conversation occurred. It's impossible-- under our law, if Turkey buys the-- activates the S-400 missile battery they bought from the Russians, sanctions would be required under law. And we also, a couple of days ago, passed legislation banning the sale of the F-35 to Turkey if they activate the Russian S-400 missile battery. There is no way we're going to transfer to Turkey the F-35 technology and let them buy a Russian missile battery at the same time. It would compromise our platform.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're not saying sanctions are inevitable at this point. You see a way around them, some kind of compromise?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: I hope so. But under our law, there is no discretion. If they activate the S-400 Russian missile battery, they will be sanctioned under U.S. law and the F-35 technology cannot be transferred to Turkey. We need to find a way out of this dilemma.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I'm sure you saw that video of Presidents Putin and Trump seeming to laugh when asked about election meddling. Did that concern you?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: What concerns me is are we going to be ready for their meddling next time? I've seen this administration up their game. In 2018 we had a midterm election without a whole lot of interference because we're-- we're upping our game, so to speak. So it was, clearly, a joke.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But last time you were on this program, you said Russia did not learn its lesson. So when you see this joking about something so serious regarding an upcoming election, doesn't that counter everything--

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yeah.

MARGARET BRENNAN: --in terms of a hard line the rest of the national security-- security community is trying to send?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yeah, I'm not so sure rebuking Putin in-- in front of a bunch of cameras does much good. What hurts him is when you hit him in the polic-- pocketbook. His oligarch friends are having a hard time placing their money around the world. We put tremendous sanctions on the Russian economy, particularly, in the energy area and it's biting Russia. So actions mean more than anything in this part of the world.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you believe that President Trump embracing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman undermines the U.S. credibility on human rights?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yeah, I don't think it helps. I led the effort to sanction M.B.S., the Crown Prince. There is no doubt in my mind that he ordered the killing of Mister Khashoggi, that he knew about it, that he's done things like that to other people and that he's been a disruptive force throughout the region. So I'm in a completely different place when it comes to M.B.S.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Here at home, I know you've been working with the President's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and some Democrats as well to try to find some compromise around asylum laws. The President said that he will go through with rounding up migrants after the July Fourth holiday. Do you see any legislative compromise?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Yes, I do. I've spent about an hour with Speaker Pelosi. And here's the compromise: we'll start turning the aid back on to Central America. It is in our national security interest to help the triangle-- Northern Triangle nations with their economy, with their rule of law problems. But if you don't turn off the magnets that attract people, which is our asylum laws, if you don't reform them, they will keep coming. All you have to do is to put one foot on the United States soil, if you're from Central America with a small child you're not going to get deported.

MARGARET BRENNAN: On that question of children, it-- it was that image of that El Salvadorian father who drowned along with his two-year-old daughter that really captured a lot of attention this week. That was his child. That was not a tool to exploit the asylum system. By warning that asylum is going to get tougher and saying that the border might close, doesn't that incentivize people that take the risk in the first place?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Good question. Here's what I think, and I don't know and it does break your heart to see that image and the thought that went into it. Here's what I think the father believed, "If we can just make it across the Rio Grande, and I can put one foot in America, my child and myself are going to be in America and we're not going to get sent back." I would like that asylum claim to be made in Mexico at a U.N. center so that this father doesn't have to risk him and his child drowning in the future. Asylum claims should be made in the home country or in a facility in Mexico because the reason he tried to go across the river--he was told by people in Central America, "If you can put one foot on American soil, you're home free." And this is a tragic result of that policy.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to quickly ask you about your friend, Joe Biden. How do you think he performed in the Democratic debate this week?

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: He's got to up his game. But anybody that knows Joe Biden, there's not a racist bone in his body. That's not a cliche, that's a reality. But the narrative is that maybe it's not his time and that he's not up to the task. I think you will esti-- underestimate Joe Biden at your own peril. I watched the debate. The policy options being presented to the country by the leading contenders on the Democratic side are their biggest problem. Pretty liberal, pretty extreme. But when it comes to Joe Biden, I think the next debate, he's got to change the narrative. And one thing I'll say about Kamala Harris, and I said this before, she's got game. She is very talented, she's very smart, and she will be a force to be reckoned with.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Graham, thank you very much for your time.

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: Thank you.

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