Jeff Flake: ‘Certainly the Easiest Explanation’ that Putin Has Something on Trump

RUSH TRANSCRIPT STEPHANOPOULOS I ░░░░░░░░ to bring in senator ░░░░░░░░ flake in Washington Republican ░░░░░░░░ from Arizona Senator Flake ░░░░░░░░ you for joining us ░░░░░░░░ this morning You tweeted ░░░░░░░░ that the President s ░░░░░░░░ yesterday was shameful I ░░░░░░░░ the big question is ░░░░░░░░ why he did it ░░░░░░░░ you ruled out Vladimir ░░░░░░░░ has something on the ░░░░░░░░ FLAKE I would have ░░░░░░░░ way of knowing that ░░░░░░░░ d have a hard ░░░░░░░░ believing that but it ░░░░░░░░ certainly the easiest explanation ░░░░░░░░ think that s why ░░░░░░░░ many have gone to ░░░░░░░░ If that is what ░░░░░░░░ looks like as the ░░░░░░░░ House said I think ░░░░░░░░ all would like to ░░░░░░░░ what failure looks like ░░░░░░░░ a summit That was ░░░░░░░░ a shameful performance It ░░░░░░░░ was STEPHANOPOULOS Shameful and ░░░░░░░░ don t even know ░░░░░░░░ happened in those two ░░░░░░░░ when President Trump and ░░░░░░░░ Putin were alone Don ░░░░░░░░ we need to know ░░░░░░░░ happened in that conversation ░░░░░░░░ Yes we do That ░░░░░░░░ a big mistake to ░░░░░░░░ alone If the president ░░░░░░░░ as confused as he ░░░░░░░░ to be in terms ░░░░░░░░ our relationship in terms ░░░░░░░░ what the Russians are ░░░░░░░░ of to meet privately ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin is just ░░░░░░░░ So I m very ░░░░░░░░ I think that our ░░░░░░░░ are most concerned particularly ░░░░░░░░ that border right on ░░░░░░░░ I was with a ░░░░░░░░ delegation in Latvia just ░░░░░░░░ weeks ago and what ░░░░░░░░ unnerving is to hear ░░░░░░░░ talk about the propaganda ░░░░░░░░ from Moscow that plays ░░░░░░░░ about 40 percent of ░░░░░░░░ population which is Russian ░░░░░░░░ about NATO being weak ░░░░░░░░ the U S being ░░░░░░░░ non dependable ally for ░░░░░░░░ And then to have ░░░░░░░░ kind of rhetoric from ░░░░░░░░ President just play so ░░░░░░░░ into that has got ░░░░░░░░ be unnerving to them ░░░░░░░░ You say you re ░░░░░░░░ You say this was ░░░░░░░░ The big question is ░░░░░░░░ you can do about ░░░░░░░░ You re a Republican ░░░░░░░░ You ve been quite ░░░░░░░░ as we said of ░░░░░░░░ president Many are demanding ░░░░░░░░ take action as well ░░░░░░░░ Schumer said it s ░░░░░░░░ to ramp up sanctions ░░░░░░░░ bring the president s ░░░░░░░░ up to Capitol Hill ░░░░░░░░ testify about what happened ░░░░░░░░ demand extradition of the ░░░░░░░░ Are you willing to ░░░░░░░░ for that and back ░░░░░░░░ up with action FLAKE ░░░░░░░░ think we ought to ░░░░░░░░ both of those things ░░░░░░░░ increase sanctions obviously we ░░░░░░░░ to target those who ░░░░░░░░ implicated with the indictments ░░░░░░░░ well as other Russian ░░░░░░░░ Second we ought to ░░░░░░░░ the national security team ░░░░░░░░ the White House come ░░░░░░░░ and talk to us ░░░░░░░░ Capitol Hill about what ░░░░░░░░ there Third I think ░░░░░░░░ the Senate ought to ░░░░░░░░ a resolution stating our ░░░░░░░░ for the intelligence community ░░░░░░░░ that we do believe ░░░░░░░░ and we don t ░░░░░░░░ the denials coming out ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin s mouth ░░░░░░░░ I think that that ░░░░░░░░ be done immediately STEPHANOPOULOS ░░░░░░░░ you have a lot ░░░░░░░░ leverage One vote margin ░░░░░░░░ the supreme Court in ░░░░░░░░ Senate If you withhold ░░░░░░░░ vote you can demand ░░░░░░░░ from the president from ░░░░░░░░ team Are you willing ░░░░░░░░ do that FLAKE Well ░░░░░░░░ ve used that on ░░░░░░░░ issues like tariffs where ░░░░░░░░ can look at a ░░░░░░░░ objective For me it ░░░░░░░░ getting a vote on ░░░░░░░░ last week and we ░░░░░░░░ It s more difficult ░░░░░░░░ this regard however The ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution gives the ░░░░░░░░ a lot of power ░░░░░░░░ regard to foreign policy ░░░░░░░░ we d have to ░░░░░░░░ if there is an ░░░░░░░░ measurable that we can ░░░░░░░░ before using leverage like ░░░░░░░░ That s what I ░░░░░░░░ looking at STEPHANOPOULOS Senator ░░░░░░░░ thank you for your ░░░░░░░░ this morning FLAKE Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much.”