RUSH TRANSCRIPT Mourners poured ░░░░░░░░ the streets of Baghdad ░░░░░░░░ the funeral procession killed ░░░░░░░░ Friday s drone strikes ░░░░░░░░ regime has named a ░░░░░░░░ qasem sole maupi who ░░░░░░░░ killed And the country ░░░░░░░░ threatening the U S ░░░░░░░░ what it is describing ░░░░░░░░ forceful revenge Now CNN ░░░░░░░░ learning that the Trump ░░░░░░░░ is privately warning members ░░░░░░░░ Congress that the retaliation ░░░░░░░░ come within weeks With ░░░░░░░░ now a former senior ░░░░░░░░ to the National Security ░░░░░░░░ in the Obama Administration ░░░░░░░░ Franchesca chambers is the ░░░░░░░░ House correspondent for mcclatchen ░░░░░░░░ C Good to see ░░░░░░░░ all Is the White ░░░░░░░░ trying to smooth things ░░░░░░░░ with Democrats in Congress ░░░░░░░░ these warnings about possible ░░░░░░░░ after not consulting with ░░░░░░░░ or fog informing them ░░░░░░░░ the strike There s ░░░░░░░░ smoothing out that might ░░░░░░░░ going on in terms ░░░░░░░░ circumventing congressional Democrats during ░░░░░░░░ process but it s ░░░░░░░░ stimulating a fair It ░░░░░░░░ a warning about what ░░░░░░░░ come and happening at ░░░░░░░░ very frost domestic political ░░░░░░░░ It s sending a ░░░░░░░░ from the president about ░░░░░░░░ dangers he says that ░░░░░░░░ Nation faces and why ░░░░░░░░ Democrats if even if ░░░░░░░░ didn t consult with ░░░░░░░░ need to spor what ░░░░░░░░ has done and what ░░░░░░░░ s going to do ░░░░░░░░ the next few weeks ░░░░░░░░ can I just add ░░░░░░░░ Yes Because I think ░░░░░░░░ s important to depoliticize ░░░░░░░░ a little bit I ░░░░░░░░ no fan of the ░░░░░░░░ s Iran strategy But ░░░░░░░░ are dealing somewhat with ░░░░░░░░ and Oranges We don ░░░░░░░░ yet know what the ░░░░░░░░ basis for this attack ░░░░░░░░ I have some skepticism ░░░░░░░░ it but I hope ░░░░░░░░ see something declassified The ░░░░░░░░ s case for not ░░░░░░░░ Congress ahead of a ░░░░░░░░ value target drone attack ░░░░░░░░ strike is very different ░░░░░░░░ notifying Congress about ongoing ░░░░░░░░ streams to United States ░░░░░░░░ around the world A ░░░░░░░░ value target a targeted ░░░░░░░░ strike against one has ░░░░░░░░ kept close hold in ░░░░░░░░ past Under the Obama ░░░░░░░░ Congress was not always ░░░░░░░░ I think we have ░░░░░░░░ not mix these two ░░░░░░░░ up With respect to ░░░░░░░░ information after the fact ░░░░░░░░ statutorily requires access to ░░░░░░░░ underlying intelligence But at ░░░░░░░░ junkture it s morning ░░░░░░░░ the administration keeps Congress ░░░░░░░░ of both the threat ░░░░░░░░ as well as any ░░░░░░░░ activities or military resources ░░░░░░░░ may be needed But ░░░░░░░░ necessarily on a strike ░░░░░░░░ this of soleimani It ░░░░░░░░ not always the case ░░░░░░░░ an ideal world yes ░░░░░░░░ gang of 8 would ░░░░░░░░ known But this is ░░░░░░░░ we can t forget ░░░░░░░░ fact that Congress wasn ░░░░░░░░ notified ahead of Ubl ░░░░░░░░ the legal basis was ░░░░░░░░ this strike that impacts ░░░░░░░░ congressional notification process and ░░░░░░░░ the underlying intelligence was ░░░░░░░░ perhaps that helps underscore ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress and ░░░░░░░░ the Senate are seeing ░░░░░░░░ very differently Here s ░░░░░░░░ example Take a listen ░░░░░░░░ is an assassination This ░░░░░░░░ a top official of ░░░░░░░░ foreign government This isn ░░░░░░░░ the head of a ░░░░░░░░ terrorist group No matter ░░░░░░░░ bad a guy he ░░░░░░░░ how evil he was ░░░░░░░░ was a commanding general ░░░░░░░░ a sovereign foreign nation ░░░░░░░░ we executed him I ░░░░░░░░ t think you can ░░░░░░░░ it anything other than ░░░░░░░░ assassination It s not ░░░░░░░░ first time America has ░░░░░░░░ involved in assassinating a ░░░░░░░░ official But it s ░░░░░░░░ the most high profile ░░░░░░░░ official that the United ░░░░░░░░ military has ever executed ░░░░░░░░ the fact that people ░░░░░░░░ to act like the ░░░░░░░░ government is the victim ░░░░░░░░ this case is to ░░░░░░░░ outrageous And yes this ░░░░░░░░ going to potentially get ░░░░░░░░ about of it gets ░░░░░░░░ But what is the ░░░░░░░░ Sit and do nothing ░░░░░░░░ our embaecy get attacked ░░░░░░░░ more Let our troops ░░░░░░░░ attacked even further To ░░░░░░░░ the Iranian government to ░░░░░░░░ to oppress their own ░░░░░░░░ They killed 1 500 ░░░░░░░░ who were unarmed peacefully ░░░░░░░░ in their own country ░░░░░░░░ is not a government ░░░░░░░░ is a rational government ░░░░░░░░ can sit down at ░░░░░░░░ negotiating table So then ░░░░░░░░ in your view this ░░░░░░░░ in your view signposts ░░░░░░░░ ahead Where are the ░░░░░░░░ in how representatives are ░░░░░░░░ this strike differently and ░░░░░░░░ potential fallout from it ░░░░░░░░ Well members of Congress ░░░░░░░░ made it absolutely clear ░░░░░░░░ there will be a ░░░░░░░░ debate about this heading ░░░░░░░░ the next week when ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration has said ░░░░░░░░ they will brief members ░░░░░░░░ Congress in a classified ░░░░░░░░ They have not yet ░░░░░░░░ the evidence publicly though ░░░░░░░░ Security adviser Robert o ░░░░░░░░ saying yesterday he could ░░░░░░░░ do that at this ░░░░░░░░ members expecting to get ░░░░░░░░ behind closed dooshz Mitch ░░░░░░░░ urging them to wait ░░░░░░░░ they get that information ░░░░░░░░ make a decision on ░░░░░░░░ or not they would ░░░░░░░░ this action But not ░░░░░░░░ that whether they would ░░░░░░░░ future military action in ░░░░░░░░ or Iran based on ░░░░░░░░ Julian when you look ░░░░░░░░ the president s demeanor ░░░░░░░░ from his statement yesterday ░░░░░░░░ the political rally last ░░░░░░░░ he sees this as ░░░░░░░░ and showing strength by ░░░░░░░░ out this threat in ░░░░░░░░ But at the same ░░░░░░░░ talk to us about ░░░░░░░░ real contrast that he ░░░░░░░░ demonstrating when he campaigned ░░░░░░░░ wanting to end wars ░░░░░░░░ his statement was this ░░░░░░░░ not to start a ░░░░░░░░ but to end one ░░░░░░░░ then you listen to ░░░░░░░░ in the region who ░░░░░░░░ saying there is more ░░░░░░░░ come and this may ░░░░░░░░ provoked a type of ░░░░░░░░ Sure He positioned himself ░░░░░░░░ 2016 as much as ░░░░░░░░ against George W Bush ░░░░░░░░ his preemptive war as ░░░░░░░░ did with Hillary Clinton ░░░░░░░░ he made many statements ░░░░░░░░ he promised not to ░░░░░░░░ The Nation into unnecessary ░░░░░░░░ Right now many of ░░░░░░░░ critics are saying that ░░░░░░░░ exactly what he has ░░░░░░░░ Without clearly taking away ░░░░░░░░ threat that existed from ░░░░░░░░ by removing killing this ░░░░░░░░ So there s a ░░░░░░░░ between when he said ░░░░░░░░ the campaign and what ░░░░░░░░ s doing now And ░░░░░░░░ would add we can ░░░░░░░░ talk about President Trump ░░░░░░░░ if he remaid himself ░░░░░░░░ the last few days ░░░░░░░░ the same questions about ░░░░░░░░ he governs uses foreign ░░░░░░░░ his willingness to say ░░░░░░░░ that are not true ░░░░░░░░ all very much at ░░░░░░░░ heart of why people ░░░░░░░░ t believe some of ░░░░░░░░ he has to say ░░░░░░░░ have serious questions about ░░░░░░░░ credibility of the rationales ░░░░░░░░ are being put forth ░░░░░░░░ now And Samantha what ░░░░░░░░ do you want answered ░░░░░░░░ to what helps justify ░░░░░░░░ strike They re really ░░░░░░░░ questions Secretary of State ░░░░░░░░ told John Berman that ░░░░░░░░ was based on an ░░░░░░░░ based assessment I m ░░░░░░░░ what that included and ░░░░░░░░ people like Gina Haskell ░░░░░░░░ the D nirks I ░░░░░░░░ the president in the ░░░░░░░░ details of this strike ░░░░░░░░ also how the Iranian ░░░░░░░░ and other key players ░░░░░░░░ the area would respond ░░░░░░░░ whether this would in ░░░░░░░░ deeper Iranian aggression Finally ░░░░░░░░ final part should have ░░░░░░░░ what impact would this ░░░░░░░░ on diplomacy I believe ░░░░░░░░ will shut the door ░░░░░░░░ intelligence community should have ░░░░░░░░ insight on that particularly ░░░░░░░░ the State Department said ░░░░░░░░ door to diplomacy is ░░░░░░░░ All we have seen ░░░░░░░░ date is the president ░░░░░░░░ administration take defensive actions ░░░░░░░░ deterrent actions after this ░░░░░░░░ But we have not ░░░░░░░░ any realistic indication that ░░░░░░░░ thought through an actual ░░░░░░░░ with respect to an ░░░░░░░░ ramp which would be ░░░░░░░░ Franchesca you re at ░░░░░░░░ White House asking those ░░░░░░░░ Do you believe when ░░░░░░░░ that question if there ░░░░░░░░ ever be an answer ░░░░░░░░ comes from this administration ░░░░░░░░ White House hasn t ░░░░░░░░ that question so far ░░░░░░░░ your point about being ░░░░░░░░ at the White House ░░░░░░░░ s difficult about this ░░░░░░░░ is that the president ░░░░░░░░ not at the White ░░░░░░░░ He was ensconced in ░░░░░░░░ private resort where this ░░░░░░░░ place where reporters aren ░░░░░░░░ allowed You d find ░░░░░░░░ press office locked and ░░░░░░░░ there It s not ░░░░░░░░ if you can waltz ░░░░░░░░ and ask those sorts ░░░░░░░░ questions They did have ░░░░░░░░ call for reporters where ░░░░░░░░ took several of those ░░░░░░░░ but not getting very ░░░░░░░░ answers on this I ░░░░░░░░ to reflect there s ░░░░░░░░ one answering those questions ░░░░░░░░ can’t ask you.