CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon

Interview

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BURNETT: All right. Michelle, thank you very much.

And I want to go now to the Democratic senator from Oregon, Jeff Merkley, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

And, Senator, you know, in the context of looking at this picture, it seems important to note a senior White House official with direct access to the president is thinking, has just told "The Atlantic": The Trump doctrine is, we're America, b -- bleep. That is the Trump doctrine.

What's your reaction?

SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D-OR), SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Well, this is such a diplomatic mess, because it's all about -- it starts with trade, with the developed countries, the countries that have similar labor standards and environmental standards and wages. And it's trade with those countries that made America very prosperous from 1945 to 1975.

The things that have been the challenge have been countries having full access to our marketplace, but having very low wages and low environmental standards, and that's China and other friends. But China is the big player here.

So, Canada's a positive partner, Europe is a positive partner in trade. China is a problem. So, the president is just completely off track.

BURNETT: So, during the G7, the president praised Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada. That, though, suddenly changed when Trudeau had a news conference which caused this pull-out of the communique by Trump, because Trudeau vowed that Canada would respond to American tariffs with tariffs of its own.

I want -- I just wanted to play the operative sound bite that got Trump so angry.

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BURNETT: OK, that's how he put it. Trump went DEFCON on Twitter, saying Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our G7 meetings, only to give a news conference after I left saying that U.S. tariffs were kind of insulting and he will not be pushed around. Very dishonest and weak. Our tariffs are in response to his of 270 percent on dairy.

Senator, what's your reaction? Trudeau comes out and says, as his very Canadian manner, very polite, and reasonably, but that he will go ahead and respond in kind. Trump obviously came out and called him, meek, mild, dishonest, and weak on Twitter.

MERKLEY: Trudeau was carrying the same position he had in private. He announced it in public, that Canada is going to be firm on this exchange. It's a conversation among long-time, very close allies. This is not a case where America can just simply dictate changes and expect for Canada to suffer the consequences.

And so, I thought it was a very polite response, but I think what you referred to about the White House staff, saying that the Trump doctrine is we're America, is a --

BURNETT: Well, it's we're America and then it's an expletive B word.

MERKLEY: Yes, I --

BURNETT: I mean, I think it's important to make people understand. It's a little bit more aggressive than that. Yes.

MERKLEY: Yes, and I was going to spare your audience repeating that.

But -- yes, what he means by "we're America," is we get to do whatever we want and too bad for the rest of you. And so, you all just get in line, I'm the big bully here, I'm the puffed-up President Trump.

And the rest of the world is not having it. Europe is not having it. Canada is not having it. And the president to be directing all of this bitter exchange towards the wrong target while he's embracing and cozying up to dictators around the world, it's almost just beyond belief.

[19:35:06] BURNETT: Senator, I'm curious, though. You know, Trump does -- he's correct. Canada has a 270 percent tariff over, quote, dairy imports, right? So, he has a point. There are some serious tariffs from countries that are supposedly our friends.

I understand your point of view here is that he's taken it too far. His former senior adviser David Axelrod has come out and said something pretty provocative. He's a senior political commentator here at CNN, I should note. His comment is, quote, I don't say this casually, at what point do we ask, is the POTUS off his rocker?

Is that a fair question, or, in your view, is that stooping to the same level?

MERKLEY: Well, I will say that just the fact that he's attacking the wrong target suggests he's deeply ignorant, deeply misinformed, or he just likes to get angry as part of an ongoing soap opera. So, there's -- certainly, we see kind of an instability there. And so, it's a concern for all.

But listen, Canada, depending on whose statistics you take, we either have a small surplus, or a small deficit in trade with Canada.

BURNETT: Yes.

MERKLEY: It's a tiny fraction of what we have with Mexico. And Mexico is a tiny fraction, maybe a seventh of what we have with China. So, this is -- this really makes no sense at all, to alienate those who share our values, from whom an exchange of trade has been extremely beneficial to both nations, and not to put your target where it should be, that's on China.

And how do you explain ZTE? Because suddenly, Trump's all worried about jobs in China. Wouldn't it be great to have a president who was worried about jobs in the U.S.?

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time, Senator Merkley.

MERKLEY: Thank you, Erin.

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