NBC "Meet the Press" - Transcript: Syria

Interview

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CHUCK TODD:

And joining me now is Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a member of the Armed Services Committee and a veteran who served in the Middle East during the Iraq War. Senator Ernst, welcome back to Meet the Press.

SEN. JONI ERNST:

Oh good morning, Chuck. Good morning, Chuck.

CHUCK TODD:

Good morning. Let me just start simply with your reaction to the missile strikes from Friday night.

SEN. JONI ERNST:

Yes. I am glad that the president has joined with France and Great Britain and took these strikes. I think it was important that we destroy that infrastructure that Bashar al-Assad had used to deliver chemical weapons against his own people. So I am glad that we've taken this step. Of course we need to now have discussions what should happen in the future.

CHUCK TODD:

You supported the strike last year as well. But I spoke to you right after that strike. And here's what you told me about the next time President Trump did this. Here's what you said to m.

(TAPE: JONI ERNST / "MTP DAILY" / APRIL 7, 2017)

Going forward I do believe that we need that notification coming to Congress. And if he wishes to do anything further he does need to bring that specific plan with his reasoning to Congress before we move forward.

CHUCK TODD:

Now President Trump did not do that. He acted multi-laterally as far as working with Britain and France but unilaterally as comes here inside this country, did not notify Congress. Are you at all uncomfortable with that?

SEN. JONI ERNST:

Well, I am uncomfortable going forward if he wishes to commit ground troops in the area. Currently we do have an effort to fight against ISIS in the region. And that is our main focus. This is secondary to that. But certainly if he wishes to go any further he does need to work with Congress.

So the air strikes, I'm comfortable at this point with that. But as many of my colleagues have also stated we need a new AUMF. We need to address this situation. And the president does need to come to Congress and we need to have those discussions. So for now I am comfortable with the actions that he took with Great Britain and France. But, again, we need to have these discussions because we don't see that Bashar al-Assad will all of a sudden become a real nice guy.

CHUCK TODD:

I know there wasn't an easy needle to thread here about trying to find this balance to send a message to Assad so he doesn't do this again and not get drawn in too far. Your colleague, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina this morning in the New York Times is worried about the result of the strikes. He says this, "I fear that when the dust settles this strike will be seen as a weak military response and Assad will have paid a small price for using chemical weapons yet again," because we didn't take it all out. He still is going to have those capabilities. What do you say to that?

SEN. JONI ERNST:

Well, I think we do need to find a way to make sure that Syria is rid of all of its chemical weapons. They are not sticking to the chemical weapons convention. We know that for a fact now. So we do need to address the situation. But we need to have a broader discussion.

I am pleased that we have partnership with France and Great Britain. But we do have to, as a United States military, figure out a way forward. Make sure that we have destroyed the capabilities that Bashar al-Assad has to take these chemical weapons against his own people. So he is a war criminal. And we need to have a very strong and resolute action in regards to the situation.

CHUCK TODD:

Is there an effective way, in your mind, to deter Russia's support of Assad? Or is it too late?

SEN. JONI ERNST:

I think at this point they have been supporting for a very, very long time. It's unfortunate that they are so involved in that region. But we do have to find a way forward. If diplomacy would work I would say we need to always start with diplomacy.

But certainly they knew that there would be military action. That was made quite clear that there would be strikes. We did not see a response from Russia. Not yet. We do need to keep our eyes open for any sort of retaliation. But it does make this a very tenuous situation.

CHUCK TODD:

Let me ask you a couple of separate questions about the Russia investigation. First the legislation that's bipartisan legislation, Thom Tillis, Lindsey Graham, Chris Coons, Cory Booker, essentially to protect Robert Mueller's status as a special counsel. Protect him from being fired. Thom Tillis in an op-ed in the Washington Post making the case this is actually good for the president to take away this speculation about whether Mueller stays or go. Would you support that legislation if it came to the floor?

SEN. JONI ERNST:

Well, it is my understanding that my senior senator from Iowa, Chairman Chuck Grassley, will bring this up in judiciary for discussion. I would like to see the final text of that before I state whether I would support it or not. We'll see where this goes. I don't believe that the president will fire Mueller. We'll see. But certainly want to see that text and I'm glad that they will have the discussion.

CHUCK TODD:

And finally, I want to get you to respond to some criticism James Comey laid at all of Congress in his book in the attacks on the law enforcement community. And he writes this, "I know there are men and women of good conscience in the United States Congress on both sides of the aisle who understand this. But not enough of them are speaking out. They must ask themselves to what or to whom they hold a higher loyalty: to partisan interests or to the pillars of democracy. Their silence is complicity. It is a choice. And somewhere deep down they must know that." Do you accept his criticism that you and others have not spoken out enough in support of law enforcement as the president has, at times rhetorically, undermined law enforcement?

SEN. JONI ERNST:

Well, I think that we do stand behind those men and women of our various agencies. Those that are truly non-partisan and those that are working for the good of the American people. I have not read James Comey's book. I'm sure at some point it will come out, we'll be able to view that.

But I would say that as head of an agency there is need for a level of respect going both ways. So I respect the men and women that do their job and do it in a non-partisan manner. And I wish that we had seen that a little bit more from some of the heads of our agencies in the federal government as well.

CHUCK TODD:

All right, Senator Joni Ernst, Republican from Iowa. I will leave it there. Senator, thanks for coming on this morning, sharing your views. Appreciate it.

SEN. JONI ERNST:

Thank you very much.

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