MSNBC "Hardball" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Cory Booker

Interview

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MATTHEWS:  Welcome back to HARDBALL.
 
In Davenport, Iowa, today, I talked to Senator Cory Booker about President Trump`s declaration of an emergency at the southern border.  Well, several Republicans opposed the emergency because they feared what a Democratic president might do with that additional executive power. 
 
So I asked Senator Booker, is gun violence a national emergency?  And here`s what he said. 
 
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SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE:  For me, it is.  When you live in a community where there`s shootings.  An amazing young man shot, was murdered at the top of my block where I live.
 
I deal with this urgency.  I live in a low income inner city neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey.  And I see every single day the tragedies because we do not have a national consensus in our policy makers, because we have consensus amongst people, over 90 percent of Americans believe we should have common sense gun safety, 86 percent of NRA members think we should have universal background checks. 
 
MATTHEWS:  Yes.
 
BOOKER:  But we`re not doing it.  So, is that an emergency?  Forget your political or legal definition, but for people who live in communities with gun violence, people who are afraid for their kids at their schools, people are afraid of their houses of worship, they feel a sense of emergency. 
 
MATTHEWS:  So, you would consider it as a national emergency, declaring it? 
 
BOOKER:  Again, I think we need to respect the separation of powers.  But for me as a president, you can call it emergency.  I feel a sense of national urgency to get these things done.  And I`m going to be the president, should I be elected, that`s going to make sure we have common sense gun safety laws to stop the carnage we`re seeing. 
 
America is not a war zone. 
 
MATTHEWS:  OK.
 
BOOKER:  We should not have this level of violence. 
 
MATTHEWS:  Let`s get -- let`s talk about the globe, because the president of the United States is our chief diplomat.  He`s our head of state in the whole world.  I mean, who do you admire when you read the papers and watch the news in the world right now?  Who world leaders we just say, that`s sort of what we`re looking at, we like?
 
BOOKER:  You know, I`m a big -- I really respect Merkel.  I think she is somebody --
 
MATTHEWS:  The chancellor of Germany, yes. 
 
BOOKER:  Yes, but she`s been governing in a very complex world.  She`s been insulted and disrespected by our president.  We have a president that finds it easier to cozy up to dictators than he does to deepen and strengthen allies. 
 
MATTHEWS:  Why does he go that? 
 
BOOKER:  But does he -- I don`t -- you know, his psychology, I don`t want to go there. 
 
MATTHEWS:  Why does he like Putin?  Why does he like guy?  Why does he like Netanyahu?  He likes all these tough guys. 
 
BOOKER:  You know, the way he talked about it, the North Korean dictator.  I mean, this is a guy that to me has weakened our nation abroad. 
 
MATTHEWS:  Yes.
 
BOOKER:  He`s weakened our alliances, which make us strong, the way he cozies up to dictators. He won`t even admit that America has been attacked by the Russians and they are still coming at us. 
 
A president`s job is to be the commander in chief.  He is not making America stronger, he`s making America weaker. 
 
And by doing things -- you want to talk about what our military is concerned with?  Read their reports on climate change.  The military knows that if we don`t do anything, there`s going to be more instability, more famines, more refugees, more extremism.  And we have a president that can`t even admit that threat in this country. 
 
MATTHEWS:  Last couple of questions quickly.  Venezuela, you know, I sometimes think the neocons are back and want to take our army to South America? 
 
BOOKER:  Using military interventions in the last 20 years has really, really worked well. 
 
(LAUGHTER)
 
MATTHEWS:  I know, I know the whole history.
 
BOOKER:  Iraq, I mean, you can go through the places.  There are ways to solve this problem.  But you know what?  We`re going to do to need our allies to do it and we`re going to need strong coalitions to do it.
 
MATTHEWS:  Should we bring back -- if it`s President Booker, would you restore American support for the Iranian nuclear deal? 
 
BOOKER:  Look, I`m a strong supporter of that deal.  I think it was the thing that best protected Israel and Israel`s safety. 
 
I think what this president has allowed Iran to do, Iran has grown in strength.  They now have a pathway from Syria.  We see them doing things in Yemen, to Lebanon. 
 
So I think that the best way to check Iran is to stay strong with our allies.  This president after America made a deal, he turned his back on America`s word and America`s deal, weakening that alliance at a time we need a strong alliance in that region. 
 
MATTHEWS:  Senator Booker, thank you for your time. 
 
BOOKER:  Thank you very much. 
 
MATTHEWS:  We`ll be back again.
 
BOOKER:  I hope so.  Thank you.
 
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