Sen. Daines After Visiting Bucha, Ukraine: ‘What We Saw Today Was Shocking, It Was Numbing’

TAPPER Joining us live ░░░░░░░░ in Kyiv to discuss ░░░░░░░░ senator Steve Daines of ░░░░░░░░ He is the first ░░░░░░░░ S senator on the ░░░░░░░░ here in Kyiv and ░░░░░░░░ s just returned from ░░░░░░░░ tour of Bucha where ░░░░░░░░ allegedly left behind mass ░░░░░░░░ of Ukrainians as well ░░░░░░░░ bodies in the streets ░░░░░░░░ thanks so much for ░░░░░░░░ here So the top ░░░░░░░░ for the International Criminal ░░░░░░░░ he visited Bucha and ░░░░░░░░ as well And he ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine is a crime ░░░░░░░░ Do you agree DAINES ░░░░░░░░ completely agree What we ░░░░░░░░ today was shocking it ░░░░░░░░ numbing We re parents ░░░░░░░░ four children we have ░░░░░░░░ grandchildren To see these ░░░░░░░░ graves and to watch ░░░░░░░░ investigators who are with ░░░░░░░░ digging shovelful by shovelful ░░░░░░░░ these bodies the bodies ░░░░░░░░ women of small children ░░░░░░░░ across the board it ░░░░░░░░ it s mind numbing ░░░░░░░░ s terrible And we ░░░░░░░░ there in fact looking ░░░░░░░░ they re excavating taking ░░░░░░░░ bodies out you could ░░░░░░░░ the rubble Like an ░░░░░░░░ had destroyed these residential ░░░░░░░░ We met with the ░░░░░░░░ of Bucha today He ░░░░░░░░ Senator can I show ░░░░░░░░ my home So we ░░░░░░░░ him to his home ░░░░░░░░ destroyed by the Russians ░░░░░░░░ You have some photographs ░░░░░░░░ took of the mass ░░░░░░░░ DAINES I do TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ want to put this ░░░░░░░░ during your trip to ░░░░░░░░ As always we want ░░░░░░░░ warn our viewers they ░░░░░░░░ upsetting to see So ░░░░░░░░ us what you re ░░░░░░░░ at when we re ░░░░░░░░ at these photos DAINES ░░░░░░░░ so this is the ░░░░░░░░ there in Bucha where ░░░░░░░░ were excavating and taking ░░░░░░░░ by shovel the bodies ░░░░░░░░ You can see the ░░░░░░░░ bags that the bodies ░░░░░░░░ in And then they ░░░░░░░░ open up the bags ░░░░░░░░ stench was horrific They ░░░░░░░░ take these bodies back ░░░░░░░░ the tents that you ░░░░░░░░ there and they were ░░░░░░░░ doing autopsies forensic examinations ░░░░░░░░ m covering my nose ░░░░░░░░ the stench was terrible ░░░░░░░░ smell of death It ░░░░░░░░ a very quiet and ░░░░░░░░ scene It s sitting ░░░░░░░░ next to a church ░░░░░░░░ just kind of adds ░░░░░░░░ just the whole perspective ░░░░░░░░ what we re seeing ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER The savagery DAINES ░░░░░░░░ really is TAPPER Vladimir ░░░░░░░░ is out there and ░░░░░░░░ minions throughout the world ░░░░░░░░ in pro Putin propaganda ░░░░░░░░ this is all fake ░░░░░░░░ were there DAINES The ░░░░░░░░ is what was just ░░░░░░░░ around the world on ░░░░░░░░ And that was why ░░░░░░░░ was so important to ░░░░░░░░ American officials come to ░░░░░░░░ come to Kyiv And ░░░░░░░░ had dinner just minutes ░░░░░░░░ Jake with a Ukrainian ░░░░░░░░ leader And I asked ░░░░░░░░ I said what we ░░░░░░░░ in Bucha today what ░░░░░░░░ going on like Bucha ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine Just as you ░░░░░░░░ Jake Ukraine is one ░░░░░░░░ big crime scene This ░░░░░░░░ going on in Mariupol ░░░░░░░░ we speak TAPPER At ░░░░░░░░ a much much bigger ░░░░░░░░ DAINES It is When ░░░░░░░░ is written about what ░░░░░░░░ happened here in Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ terrible terrible story And ░░░░░░░░ s not forget the ░░░░░░░░ sent a very strong ░░░░░░░░ today as I was ░░░░░░░░ through the devastation They ░░░░░░░░ this these war crimes ░░░░░░░░ not end until this ░░░░░░░░ ends TAPPER Right DAINES ░░░░░░░░ war will not end ░░░░░░░░ the Ukrainians have the ░░░░░░░░ aid they need to ░░░░░░░░ the Russians TAPPER Well ░░░░░░░░ s talk about that ░░░░░░░░ President Biden just approved ░░░░░░░░ 800 million It s ░░░░░░░░ about 3 billion total ░░░░░░░░ are your concerns about ░░░░░░░░ getting here fast enough ░░░░░░░░ obviously logistically it s ░░░░░░░░ to get helicopters et ░░░░░░░░ to a place from ░░░░░░░░ the world DAINES Well ░░░░░░░░ need to speed up ░░░░░░░░ cadence at which that ░░░░░░░░ aid is made available ░░░░░░░░ then delivered to the ░░░░░░░░ There s a couple ░░░░░░░░ places that the lethal ░░░░░░░░ is coming in We ░░░░░░░░ got to speed that ░░░░░░░░ We also need to ░░░░░░░░ sure that we are ░░░░░░░░ to the Ukrainians in ░░░░░░░░ of what they need ░░░░░░░░ met with leaders here ░░░░░░░░ They said they need ░░░░░░░░ artillery inaudible 155 mm ░░░░░░░░ that s what they ░░░░░░░░ They need the heavy ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER I think they ░░░░░░░░ getting the howitzers right ░░░░░░░░ Well we ve got ░░░░░░░░ talk about how many ░░░░░░░░ need as well They ░░░░░░░░ to get them here ░░░░░░░░ Because as you know ░░░░░░░░ you watch that battle ░░░░░░░░ just looked at here ░░░░░░░░ ago the Russians are ░░░░░░░░ the move They re ░░░░░░░░ down in a part ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine where they have ░░░░░░░░ better territorial advantage than ░░░░░░░░ had when the Ukrainians ░░░░░░░░ them north of Kyiv ░░░░░░░░ because they had better ░░░░░░░░ The territory is not ░░░░░░░░ friendly for the Ukrainians ░░░░░░░░ south That s why ░░░░░░░░ need to accelerate this ░░░░░░░░ aid TAPPER President Biden ░░░░░░░░ this genocide the other ░░░░░░░░ He said that wasn ░░░░░░░░ a legal ruling it ░░░░░░░░ his opinion but he ░░░░░░░░ it was pretty obvious ░░░░░░░░ you agree DAINES I ░░░░░░░░ tell you what I ░░░░░░░░ it was atrocities they ░░░░░░░░ war crimes At this ░░░░░░░░ I don t sure ░░░░░░░░ we need to get ░░░░░░░░ in definitions This is ░░░░░░░░ terrible terrible situation These ░░░░░░░░ war crimes It s ░░░░░░░░ these are war crimes ░░░░░░░░ need to be prosecuted ░░░░░░░░ Vladimir Putin and those ░░░░░░░░ committed these crimes need ░░░░░░░░ be held accountable TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ senator Steve Daines of ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ being here We really ░░░░░░░░ your take DAINES Thank ░░░░░░░░ Jake.”