CNN "The Lead With Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview With Virginia Senator Mark Warner

Interview

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TAPPER: All right, Sam Kiley in Riyadh, thank you so much.

Joining me now is the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Vice Chairman Mark Warner from Virginia.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

SEN. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: Thank you, Jake.

TAPPER: President Trump just tweeted that he spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and that the Saudis deny any involvement, any knowledge of the apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi and that the Saudis are vowing a full investigation.

Do you trust the Saudis on this?

WARNER: I don't think I trust the Saudis on this, because I don't think they have been very forthcoming.

I also want to make sure that we get whatever evidence that the Turkish government may have. I think there needs to be a full-fledged international investigation. And it appears to me that the Saudi story, even in the last 24 hours, has been changing, to where they may be acknowledging that the journalist, Khashoggi, was murdered, but somehow presenting the notion that it was rogue elements.

I mean, come on, Jake. This is actually not some dark room or off some dark, deserted road. This is inside the Saudi Consulate, and 15 individuals coming over from Saudi Arabia for what at least appears to be one task only, and that was the elimination of Mr. Khashoggi.

TAPPER: So you're the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Have you seen intelligence about this, and if so, what can you tell us about it?

WARNER: I'm not going to speak to any of the classified information that I may have seen. I do know that I think our government is gathering that information, and we will be briefed appropriately.

But this is clearly a case where it appears -- and I think a lot of us had hopes that MBS, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, might be moving towards liberalizing his nation, allowing more rights of women. But we have seen now a repeated pattern, not only in terms of Mr. Khashoggi, but earlier, just this past year, where MBS basically imprisoned hundreds of his relatives to extract payments from them, where they held hostage the Lebanese prime minister, even stories about MBS kind of restraining his mother in a basement.

There seems to be, unfortunately, a pattern here that is reminiscent of the old authoritarian Saudi governments.

TAPPER: So I want to get to MBS in a second. But let's talk for a second, if we can, about the meeting between Secretary of State Pompeo and the leadership of Saudi Arabia.

They seemed to be all smiles in front of the camera. Are you confident that behind the scenes Secretary Pompeo delivered a tough message on behalf of President Trump in the U.S.?

WARNER: Well, I'm not going to criticize Secretary Pompeo for the public footage.

I do wonder what appears to have been only with the king at least a 10- or 15-minute meeting, whether he fully represented the extent -- maybe this president doesn't feel, but I can assure you that broadly based bipartisan feeling here in the Senate is if this journalist, who had been living in Virginia, in my state, was murdered in this heinous way inside the Saudi Consulate, there needs to be consequences, because our government -- this is more than an economic deal, which is the way the president seems to reduce any of these, into some kind of monetary exchange.

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You know, our government has stood for a free press. We have stood for human rights. This president hasn't been willing to voice those kind of feelings, but clearly there's a broad base of bipartisan senators who will try to hold the Saudi government accountable, if this all proves to be the case.

TAPPER: A Turkish official told CNN today that Khashoggi's body was chopped up. Is that true? And how much stock do you put in reports from the Turks?

WARNER: Well, Jake, we have heard, again, published reports that the Turks may have either audio or visual -- videos.

I'm not aware whether that is true or not. But there have been public reports. I would hope that if the Turkish government did have that kind of evidence, that in an appropriate way they would make that -- present that to the international community, obviously including our government.

TAPPER: This administration has embraced Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, as he's known. And, as you note, he's gone after critics, he's gone after internal dissidents.

Take a listen to your colleague Republican Senator Lindsey Graham earlier today.

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TAPPER: Senator Warren, do you agree, MBS has got to go?

WARNER: First of all, I think we need to get all of the facts out before we reach a final conclusion.

But the behavior of the Saudi officials does not inspire any confidence. If the Turks have this evidence, it ought to be brought forward.

But what I would also hope from my Republican colleagues an indication that the president of the United States, who speaks up for our values, which is respect for a free press, which is respect for human rights, needs to be willing to speak out more strongly than he has.

And, quite honestly, this is more than an economic transaction between our arm sales and the Saudis. Listen, the Saudis are an important partner in many ways in a very dangerous neighborhood. But this kind of behavior should not be allowed on the international scene.

TAPPER: Sources tell CNN that Saudi Arabia is preparing to say that Khashoggi was killed during a botched interrogation and the whole operation was carried out by individuals without the clearance to do so.

What are the odds, what's the percentage that this happened with Saudi King Salman or MBS not knowing about it or not authorizing it?

WARNER: Well, Jake, we have seen visual evidence and the Turks have reported 15 Saudi agents flying in to Istanbul, going to the consulate, which, is my understanding, plenty of Saudi diplomats are there, and then coming out and within a 24-hour period leaving the country.

Again, that's a large group of individuals coming in. This was not some dark alley. This was inside the Saudi Consulate. It's strains any credibility that somehow the leadership of the Saudi regime, which is so authoritarian, wouldn't have knowledge of these actions.

TAPPER: Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, thanks for your time, sir.

WARNER: Thank you, Jake.

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