CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island

Interview

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COOPER: We'll see. Again, this would be comical except it involves real troops, real migrants, and real consequences beyond the border, real decisions having to be made by our troops.

Earlier this week, soldiers in Nigeria opened fire on a group of unarmed religious protesters. According to Amnesty International, at least 45 people were killed. The military says the protesters threw stones and they fired in self-defense. Human rights groups say otherwise.

Today, the Nigerian army posted video of President Trump's speech on its Twitter feed saying we released the video saying if president Trump can say rock are is as good as a rifle, who is Amnesty International, unquote.

More now on this from Rhode Island Democratic Senator Jack Reed. I spoke to him earlier this even.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) COOPER: Senator, I wonder what went through your mind when you heard the president earlier trying to walk back his suggestion that the military should shoot back at migrants who throw rocks or treat rocks like guns?

SEN. JACK REED (D), RHODE ISLAND: Well, my initial reaction when I heard the president talking about using American forces to shoot at civilians who throw rocks, it was completely illegal, completely contrary to ethics and contrary to the instructions I know they received, which requires to use proportional self-defense.

Walking it back today was just finally admitting what the military officers told him, that it is not only preposterous but it is wrong.

[20:25:05] COOPER: I mean, he also walked it back, denying he was implying they should shoot the people with rocks. Now, he is saying that they will just arrest people. But, I mean, the president's words matter, whether he walks them back or not.

You heard Nigeria's army, an organization that has massacred, you know, innocent civilians and committed atrocities, you had them today tweeting the president's words to justify killing dozens of protesters, some of whom threw rocks.

REED: You are absolutely right. Words have consequences. And the president's either off the cuff or certainly uninformed -- it is very, very daunting and disturbing to have a president giving an address about his plans for the border using, effectively, misinformation. In fact, suggesting he would condone American troops using weapons against civilians throwing rocks.

And, of course, as you point out, Anderson, the Nigerian army has picked that up as justification for doing exactly that. They shot numerous civilians who were protesting. Words have consequences. The president doesn't recognize that sometimes. Or just doesn't care. And that is very, very disturbing.

COOPER: There are also real geopolitical threats, obviously, that the U.S. military needs to be focusing on, is focusing on. Has the Department of Defense or this White House indicated to the Senate Armed Services Committee that this caravan is a direct national security threat to the United States?

REED: There has been no indication that this is a direct national security threat to the United States. We have to protect our borders. And that's the job of the Customs and Border Patrol. In fact, the troops that are going down there and other presidents have used troops, are merely support. But we have to ask real questions about how much it will cost us, and indeed what better use these troops can be deployed for.

We have engineer units they are sending to the border that could be used at Tyndall Air Force Base to help relieve some of the destruction caused by the hurricane. That would help the readiness of the United States. It is unclear that these troops will be providing that kind of support to the military. Again, this seems to be more of a political statement than a national security statement. And it is a political statement that the president is making just several days before the election.

COOPER: Just lastly, in your letter to the president yesterday, you requested a full accounting of the financial costs of the deployment. Has the White House or the Pentagon given any estimates on how much all of this is going to cost? Because moving, you know, as many as 15,000 troops, that's not cheap.

REED: It is not cheap at all. It's probably -- it's millions of dollars, certainly, in terms of moving the troops. And there is also the opportunity cost. These troops could be training. They could be getting ready for deployment.

It is something that we have to have an accounting for. And, frankly, again, this seems to be less about national security, less about wise use of resources. And, again, it's putting potentially American military forces in a position that they are not as well-trained for. They are not law enforcement officers. In fact, they can't be law enforcement officers.

They should be focused on those missions that are central to their role in the world, which is defending us from combatant enemies of the United States.

COOPER: Yes. Senator Jack Reed, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

REED: Thank you, Anderson.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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