Rich McCormick: The Middle East Peace Process Is a Bigger Issue than Qatar’s Jet Plane Gift to Trump

COLLINS Do you think ░░░░░░░░ s ethical for the ░░░░░░░░ to accept a 400 ░░░░░░░░ plane from the Qataris ░░░░░░░░ you just heard in ░░░░░░░░ first term he accused ░░░░░░░░ of sponsoring terrorism MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ I haven t heard ░░░░░░░░ exactly But I can ░░░░░░░░ you that if it ░░░░░░░░ unethical that will be ░░░░░░░░ to the people to ░░░░░░░░ or the president to ░░░░░░░░ But it s a ░░░░░░░░ of if it s ░░░░░░░░ if it gives undue ░░░░░░░░ I think Qatar has ░░░░░░░░ a good actor in ░░░░░░░░ ways in negotiating with ░░░░░░░░ entities both on our ░░░░░░░░ against us and basically ░░░░░░░░ that conduit to try ░░░░░░░░ get hostages back I ░░░░░░░░ they want to be ░░░░░░░░ I think they want ░░░░░░░░ be economically advantageous to ░░░░░░░░ of us If you ░░░░░░░░ at President Trump and ░░░░░░░░ he s done foreign ░░░░░░░░ wise I d argue ░░░░░░░░ he s probably one ░░░░░░░░ the most effective people ░░░░░░░░ actually a peace process ░░░░░░░░ the Abraham Accords what ░░░░░░░░ s done for the ░░░░░░░░ East and the peace ░░░░░░░░ economically militarily I think ░░░░░░░░ could make arguably a ░░░░░░░░ that he s been ░░░░░░░░ most effective foreign policy ░░░░░░░░ in the Middle East ░░░░░░░░ But to the heart ░░░░░░░░ this matter I mean ░░░░░░░░ can make that argument ░░░░░░░░ the Abraham Accords were ░░░░░░░░ defining moment of the ░░░░░░░░ Trump term But are ░░░░░░░░ as a sitting member ░░░░░░░░ Congress personally comfortable with ░░░░░░░░ notion Regardless of whether ░░░░░░░░ violates the Emoluments Clause ░░░░░░░░ if it s ethical ░░░░░░░░ personally if this came ░░░░░░░░ for a vote in ░░░░░░░░ would you say yes ░░░░░░░░ it MCCORMICK I don ░░░░░░░░ think it s going ░░░░░░░░ come down to a ░░░░░░░░ It s not either ░░░░░░░░ to be a legal ░░░░░░░░ illegal I don t ░░░░░░░░ Congress by the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ in charge of a ░░░░░░░░ not in which gifts ░░░░░░░░ president can accept I ░░░░░░░░ that s a lawyer ░░░░░░░░ m not a lawyer ░░░░░░░░ m a doctor I ░░░░░░░░ in Congress We re ░░░░░░░░ going to vote on ░░░░░░░░ They ll come up ░░░░░░░░ it s acceptable or ░░░░░░░░ that s going to ░░░░░░░░ remain to be seen ░░░░░░░░ I m really worried ░░░░░░░░ is the peace process ░░░░░░░░ s going on in ░░░░░░░░ Why it happened How ░░░░░░░░ we mitigate that from ░░░░░░░░ again How do we ░░░░░░░░ ourselves economically to countries ░░░░░░░░ will be friendly with ░░░░░░░░ for generations to come ░░░░░░░░ s really important to ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS But Congressman actually ░░░░░░░░ you read the Emoluments ░░░░░░░░ it says No Person ░░░░░░░░ any Office shall without ░░░░░░░░ consent of Congress accept ░░░░░░░░ any present of any ░░░░░░░░ whatever from any King ░░░░░░░░ or foreign State I ░░░░░░░░ it actually does directly ░░░░░░░░ to do with the ░░░░░░░░ of Congress sir MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ historically I m curious ░░░░░░░░ re the Reporter could ░░░░░░░░ tell me if every ░░░░░░░░ we ever received from ░░░░░░░░ Middle East have been ░░░░░░░░ on Because I don ░░░░░░░░ remember that at all ░░░░░░░░ I m just asking ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS I m saying ░░░░░░░░ is the Emoluments Clause ░░░░░░░░ for general purposes COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ mean typically presidents are ░░░░░░░░ supposed to accept MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ get it I get ░░░░░░░░ So is there COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ from foreign leaders MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ I know I know ░░░░░░░░ have though historically we ░░░░░░░░ accepted gifts from all ░░░░░░░░ the world The question ░░░░░░░░ is there a monetary ░░░░░░░░ on that I don ░░░░░░░░ know I m not ░░░░░░░░ lawyer I m sure ░░░░░░░░ ll look into it ░░░░░░░░ if it s illegal ░░░░░░░░ won t do it ░░░░░░░░ Can you remember MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ I said we got ░░░░░░░░ problems in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ I promise you COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ situation from a past ░░░░░░░░ S president Democrat or ░░░░░░░░ who has accepted a ░░░░░░░░ this large from a ░░░░░░░░ government I can t ░░░░░░░░ Oh never this large ░░░░░░░░ course not But that ░░░░░░░░ not the question The ░░░░░░░░ isn t how large ░░░░░░░░ is Is it legal ░░░░░░░░ it something we voted ░░░░░░░░ before Is there a ░░░░░░░░ But you re avoiding ░░░░░░░░ question which is what ░░░░░░░░ a bigger deal right ░░░░░░░░ Is it the peace ░░░░░░░░ Is it the economic ░░░░░░░░ of Israel to Arab ░░░░░░░░ that are friendly to ░░░░░░░░ process They re going ░░░░░░░░ be our allies into ░░░░░░░░ future They re going ░░░░░░░░ have this this incredible ░░░░░░░░ on getting hostages back ░░░░░░░░ settling what s going ░░░░░░░░ in Gaza Those are ░░░░░░░░ bigger issues The plane ░░░░░░░░ settle itself I mean ░░░░░░░░ will work itself out ░░░░░░░░ m not going to ░░░░░░░░ a big deal out ░░░░░░░░ it because we that ░░░░░░░░ something new We haven ░░░░░░░░ even really considered yet ░░░░░░░░ I m really worried ░░░░░░░░ the peace process and ░░░░░░░░ we do economically going ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS Yeah I don ░░░░░░░░ think the peace process ░░░░░░░░ to do with whether ░░░░░░░░ not the Qataris are ░░░░░░░░ the United States a ░░░░░░░░ to the tune of ░░░░░░░░ million MCCORMICK Exactly Thank ░░░░░░░░ for agreeing with me ░░░░░░░░ that That s COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ it hasn t MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ s exactly that s ░░░░░░░░ my point Yes that ░░░░░░░░ exactly my point Yeah ░░░░░░░░ you COLLINS I m ░░░░░░░░ it s not impeding ░░░░░░░░ My question is separate ░░░░░░░░ whether or not you ░░░░░░░░ OK with it MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ got it I think ░░░░░░░░ answered that question pretty ░░░░░░░░ though I think COLLINS ░░░░░░░░ Rich McCormick clearly that ░░░░░░░░ not something that s ░░░░░░░░ problem for you MCCORMICK ░░░░░░░░ think I think we ░░░░░░░░ decide over time I ░░░░░░░░ sure there ll be ░░░░░░░░ to take a look ░░░░░░░░ it make sure there ░░░░░░░░ nothing wrong with it ░░░░░░░░ illegal If we have ░░░░░░░░ vote in we ll ░░░░░░░░ on it and then ░░░░░░░░ ll see But I ░░░░░░░░ it s something that ░░░░░░░░ new it s a ░░░░░░░░ that yeah 400 million ░░░░░░░░ that s an expensive ░░░░░░░░ I get it But ░░░░░░░░ it s not on ░░░░░░░░ taxpayer Will it be ░░░░░░░░ that s going to ░░░░░░░░ nefarious software on or ░░░░░░░░ like that That s ░░░░░░░░ to have to be ░░░░░░░░ or evaluated But right ░░░░░░░░ it s just not ░░░░░░░░ forefront of this issue ░░░░░░░░ Is that a concern ░░░░░░░░ you have MCCORMICK How ░░░░░░░░ times are you going ░░░░░░░░ ask me the same ░░░░░░░░ I think I ve ░░░░░░░░ that question thoroughly now ░░░░░░░░ You raised the question ░░░░░░░░ about whether or not ░░░░░░░░ was something you d ░░░░░░░░ to be concerned about ░░░░░░░░ it s turned over ░░░░░░░░ the Defense Department Congressman ░░░░░░░░ McCormick thanks for your ░░░░░░░░ tonight.”