CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D), Oregon

Interview

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OUTFRONT now, one of those senators, Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

Senator, great to have you with me. I appreciate your time tonight.

First your reaction to this memo.

SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D), OREGON: You bet.

BURNETT: The president has signed it. It would allow troops to use lethal force on the border to protect border agents from violence from migrants. Your reaction.

MERKLEY: Well, the president's continued with a political play, really, and it's one he started a week before the election in which he issued the initial order for the troops to go. It's one he said they need to be there by November 5th, the day before the election, of course. If anyone doubts that it was done simply to dramatize his argument over immigration, it wasn't done because security is threatened for the United States of America.

[19:50:00] BURNETT: So, your letter as you point out on the 5,800 troops went to the defense secretary, Jim Mattis. On this issue of lethal force, by the way, this is important. I mean, people watching should understand, right? This is not something the troops can use anywhere, right? This is a really crucial and very carefully wielded weapon, to use that word.

The defense secretary is not on board. He was asked if the troops would be able to protect themselves during a hostile situation with migrants and he said, no, not with a firearm. The direct opposite of what's in the memo.

Do you think he's going to stand up with the president or get in line?

MERKLEY: Yes, no, I think he will stand up to the president. He realizes this is really a misuse of troops for political purposes. I was disappointed that he wasn't stronger on the initial deployment. He went that far, but I don't think he'll go this far.

I completely respect his service and his knowledge and wisdom regarding the fact that you don't politicize the use military forces in the United States of America. And you don't use them for this sort of -- as a prop in political propaganda from the president of the United States.

BURNETT: So, the president, you know, obviously used an expletive this week to describe one of your colleagues in the House, and today your Democratic colleague in the House, Congressman Tulsi Gabbard, spoke out about the president, you know, saying he's putting America first on the Saudi Arabian situation. She tweeted, quote, hey, @RealDonaldTrump being Saudi Arabia's expletive is not America first.

Now I will say this is a word theoretically I could use on CNN. The one the president used is one that I wouldn't, but I personally wouldn't use either one. That's why I said bleep there.

My question is how can Democrats criticize the president about lowering the discourse when they're going to use words like that?

MERKLEY: Well, certainly you have a very large community of Democrats who serve in Congress and were very frustrated. That goes much further than I'm comfortable with. I think the language takes away from the fundamental point which is that in this situation, the president is really almost operating as Saudi Arabia's agent or publicist or advocate rather than America's advocate. That's the point that needs to be made better that we do it without that kind of language.

BURNETT: Quickly before we go, the president just came out with a tweet about the weather and let me just read it to you. He said -- here we go, brutal and extended cold blast could shatter all records in caps. Whatever happened to global warming? He's talking about the Thanksgiving forecast, for cold weather in the Northeast.

What do you say to the president?

MERKLEY: Well, I tell you, I'm standing out here in cold wind right now, but that isn't the point. You're going to have cold patches and warm patches across the globe. We see these warmer temperatures driving everything from the more powerful hurricanes to the forest fires to acidity that's damaging shellfish in the oceans.

We're all being affected by this. It is a threat to our planet. It needs to be taken seriously. It is being taken seriously across the globe but not by our president.

BURNETT: All right. Senator Merkley, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.

MERKLEY: Thank you, Erin. Take care now.

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