Seth Moulton: Trump and Hegseth ‘Literally Appear to Be Negotiating on Behalf of Putin’

COOPER Joining us now ░░░░░░░░ Moulton a Marine Corps ░░░░░░░░ and member of the ░░░░░░░░ Armed Services Committee He ░░░░░░░░ traveled to Ukraine during ░░░░░░░░ war So congressman President ░░░░░░░░ said that Ukraine is ░░░░░░░░ to get all its ░░░░░░░░ back and not going ░░░░░░░░ be allowed membership in ░░░░░░░░ NATO Both of these ░░░░░░░░ things that the Kremlin ░░░░░░░░ have wanted out of ░░░░░░░░ negotiation Is it clear ░░░░░░░░ you whether the U ░░░░░░░░ or Ukraine got anything ░░░░░░░░ Russia in return MOULTON ░░░░░░░░ s pretty clear that ░░░░░░░░ did not I mean ░░░░░░░░ and Hegseth literally appeared ░░░░░░░░ be negotiating on behalf ░░░░░░░░ Putin They re trying ░░░░░░░░ sell us on the ░░░░░░░░ the Kremlin wants and ░░░░░░░░ is everything wrong with ░░░░░░░░ a good negotiation I ░░░░░░░░ it violates every principle ░░░░░░░░ negotiation you can imagine ░░░░░░░░ mean first of all ░░░░░░░░ s saying he s ░░░░░░░░ for a deal Putin ░░░░░░░░ that Trump is desperate ░░░░░░░░ a deal He promised ░░░░░░░░ end of the war ░░░░░░░░ day one and he ░░░░░░░░ already broken that promise ░░░░░░░░ now he s scrambling ░░░░░░░░ get a peace deal ░░░░░░░░ he s selling the ░░░░░░░░ before he or he ░░░░░░░░ giving away the house ░░░░░░░░ should say before he ░░░░░░░░ puts it on the ░░░░░░░░ I mean it s ░░░░░░░░ crazy negotiating tactics unless ░░░░░░░░ understand that Trump is ░░░░░░░░ trying to sell us ░░░░░░░░ what Putin wants COOPER ░░░░░░░░ it possible that he ░░░░░░░░ t know what his ░░░░░░░░ defense secretary was going ░░░░░░░░ be saying today about ░░░░░░░░ membership MOULTON I mean ░░░░░░░░ s a lot of ░░░░░░░░ in this administration I ░░░░░░░░ agree with that but ░░░░░░░░ is one of the ░░░░░░░░ important things that Trump ░░░░░░░░ going to do because ░░░░░░░░ over the future of ░░░░░░░░ is not just about ░░░░░░░░ this war It s ░░░░░░░░ telling dictators all around ░░░░░░░░ globe especially Xi Jinping ░░░░░░░░ China whether or not ░░░░░░░░ are going to stand ░░░░░░░░ to authoritarian regimes that ░░░░░░░░ to take over foreign ░░░░░░░░ And we all know ░░░░░░░░ if China decides to ░░░░░░░░ over Taiwan it could ░░░░░░░░ start World War III ░░░░░░░░ could see tens of ░░░░░░░░ of American troops die ░░░░░░░░ that kind of conflict ░░░░░░░░ there s a lot ░░░░░░░░ stake with what s ░░░░░░░░ on here This negotiation ░░░░░░░░ matters We can t ░░░░░░░░ out of this negotiation ░░░░░░░░ Putin thinking that he ░░░░░░░░ a win and Trump ░░░░░░░░ already literally handing him ░░░░░░░░ before the negotiation has ░░░░░░░░ really started COOPER It ░░░░░░░░ interesting because Secretary Hegseth ░░░░░░░░ out this vision of ░░░░░░░░ security infrastructure in Europe ░░░░░░░░ Europe taking the lion ░░░░░░░░ share of responsibility for ░░░░░░░░ s security Do you ░░░░░░░░ Europe is actually capable ░░░░░░░░ deterring Russia from future ░░░░░░░░ Do they have enough ░░░░░░░░ that would be needed ░░░░░░░░ stay on the ground ░░░░░░░░ the front lines in ░░░░░░░░ MOULTON Look Europe has ░░░░░░░░ up big time to ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine They ve increased ░░░░░░░░ spending on defense and ░░░░░░░░ m all for that ░░░░░░░░ do want the the ░░░░░░░░ to do more But ░░░░░░░░ whole foundation of NATO ░░░░░░░░ whole principle behind NATO ░░░░░░░░ that America has the ░░░░░░░░ backs That s the ░░░░░░░░ it s worked for ░░░░░░░░ years That s the ░░░░░░░░ that we ve deterred ░░░░░░░░ in Europe for 75 ░░░░░░░░ So if you suddenly ░░░░░░░░ that off the table ░░░░░░░░ say Oh yeah no ░░░░░░░░ s checked out now ░░░░░░░░ s not let s ░░░░░░░░ forget that Trump has ░░░░░░░░ this before too Trump ░░░░░░░░ literally said We will ░░░░░░░░ support certain NATO countries ░░░░░░░░ he s trying to ░░░░░░░░ away territory from some ░░░░░░░░ our NATO allies trying ░░░░░░░░ take Greenland away from ░░░░░░░░ and this is just ░░░░░░░░ is just totally nuts ░░░░░░░░ the problem is that ░░░░░░░░ s very dangerous for ░░░░░░░░ future stability of Europe ░░░░░░░░ because we do have ░░░░░░░░ commitments because that has ░░░░░░░░ a bedrock of how ░░░░░░░░ works the next time ░░░░░░░░ decides to start a ░░░░░░░░ because he said Hey ░░░░░░░░ got a win out ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine let s go ░░░░░░░░ Poland next let s ░░░░░░░░ to Latvia next American ░░░░░░░░ are going to be ░░░░░░░░ the line.”