John Kerry: 'We Presumed Common Sense' On Paris Climate Deal (Full) | Meet The Press

TRUMP ANNOUNCED THE U.S. WAS PULLING OUT OF THE PARIS CLIMATE
ACCORD. JOINING ME NOW, SOMEONE WHO'S
PERFECTLY SITUATED TO ADDRESS ALL OF THIS MORNING'S MAJOR
STORIES, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY.
MR. SECRETARY, WELCOME BACK TO
"MEET THE PRESS," SIR. >> GOOD MORNING.
>> YOU HEARD MICHAEL. YOU HEARD A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT
THE PRIME MINISTER TERESA MAY SAID.
I WANT TO FOCUS ON THAT SPECIFIC PHRASE SHE USED, MR. SECRETARY.
THAT EXTREMISM, TOLERANCE OF EXTREMISM HAS BEEN TOO -- FOR
TOO LONG, TOO MUCH TOLERANCE OF THIS EXTREMISM IN THE UK.
IS SHE RIGHT? >> WELL, THAT'S A JUDGEMENT
SHE'S GOING HAVE TO MAKE ABOUT THEIR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
MUSLIM COMMUNITY AND GREAT BRITAIN.
AS MICHAEL JUST SAID, THEY'VE HAD A LONG STANDING PROBLEM WITH
RESPECT TO GREATER LEVELS OF ALIENATION, A HARDER TIME
ASSIMILATING INTO THE BROADER BRITISH SOCIETY.
A LACK OF SIMILAR OPPORTUNITY. SO THERE ARE A LOT OF
INGREDIENTS. AND I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT TO HER
AND TO THEM TO SORT THAT OUT, PARTICULARLY FIVE DAYS BEFORE AN
ELECTION. LET ME JUST SAY THAT OBVIOUSLY
EVERY AMERICAN FEELS AS IF WE WERE ATTACKED ALSO.
IT WASN'T ANYBODY IN AMERICA TODAY WHO DOESN'T REACH OUT AND
EXPRESS OUR SORROW AND SOLIDARITY WITH THE BRITISH
PEOPLE. BUT THE FACT IS THAT IF PEOPLE
WANT TO KILL THEMSELVES, THIS IS REALLY HARD FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND I KNOW FROM MY OWN LAW ENFORCEMENT DAYS HOW HARD PEOPLE
WORK AND HOW SIGNIFICANT THE INTELLIGENCE GATHERING AND
COORDINATION COMPONENT OF THIS IS.
BUT IF SOMEONE IS READY TO JUST GO OUT AND MEET A FUSELAGE OF
LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETS AND DIE, YOU CAN TAKE PEOPLE WITH YOU.
AND WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS FOCUS MORE, I BELIEVE, NOT ON A
TRAVEL BAN AS MICHAEL SAID. TRAVEL BAN WILL BE CANNON FODDER
TO THE RECRUITERS. IT'S THE WORST THING WE CAN DO.
BUT WE DO NEED TO DO -- WE DO EXTRAORDINARY SCREENING BUT A
GREAT DEAL MORE EFFORT HAS TO GO INTO THE BUILDING OF COMMUNITY,
THE REACHING OUT AND WORKING WITH THESE ENTITIES, WITH THESE
SECTORS OF SOCIETY SO THAT THERE IS NOT AS SIGNIFICANT A GAP AS
THERE IS IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, BY THE WAY, NOT JUST IN
BRITAIN, ALL OVER THE WORLD THERE IS TOO MUCH DISTANCE
BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE.
>> DO YOU THINK -- LOOK, SHE'S CALLING FOR MUCH MORE PRESSURE
TO BE PUT ON THE DIGITAL COMPANIES, SILICON VALLEY
WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, A WHAT'S APP MESSAGING SERVICE, FACEBOOK,
THERE'S A LOT OF TOOLS THAT THESE GROUPS ARE ABLE TO USE.
>> BUT I THINK IT'S A MISTAKE -- >> DO YOU THINK SILICON VALLEY
DOES HAVE A GREATER RESPONSIBILITY HERE THAN THEY'RE
TAKING? >> SILICON VALLEY HAS MAJOR
RESPONSIBILITY AND MOST -- I MEAN ALMOST EVERY COME COMPANY
IS ENGAGED IN DIALOGUE WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THEM AS I WAS SERVING AS SECRETARY.
BUT, LOOK, DASH PUT OUT A MESSAGE.
THEY CAN PUT IT OUT ON THE INTERNET.
THEY CAN PUT IT OUT IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS SAYING TO PEOPLE
DURING RAMADAN YOU SHOULD ATTACK PEOPLE WITH CARS, KNIVES, AND
GUNS. NOW IF YOU TURN AROUND AND JUST
BLAME THAT MESSAGE EXCLUSIVELY ON THE INTERNET, WE'RE MAKING AN
ENORMOUS MISTAKE. AND IF WE REACH TOO FAR WITHOUT
BEING SENSITIVE TO OUR OWN VALUES, WE GIVE THEM AN
EXTRAORDINARY VICTORY. SO THERE IS A BALANCE HERE.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IN TOO MANY PLACES AND TOO MANY PARTS
OF THE WORLD YOU'VE GOT A LARGE GAP BETWEEN GOVERNANCE AND
PEOPLE. AND BETWEEN THE OPPORTUNITIES
THOSE PEOPLE HAVE -- WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AFTER PARIS.
>> RIGHT. >> WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AFTER
BELGIUM. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM OF
PEOPLE LIVING IN ISOLATION AND NOT FEELING AS IF THEY HAVE A
SUFFICIENT STAKE IN SOCIETY IN THEIR WORLD THAT LIFE IS WORTH
LIVING. AND IF YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR OWN
LIFE, YOU CAN TAKE OTHER LIVES WITH YOU.
>> MR. SECRETARY, I WANT TO MOVE TO THE PARIS DEAL.
YOU WERE INVOLVED. THAT'S WHY WE INVITED YOU ON THE
SHOW. I WANT TO GO BACK --
>> I HOPE THAT'S NOT THE ONLY REASON.
>> I UNDERSTAND. THAT I WANT TO GO WAY BACK
MACHINE HERE, THE FINANCIAL TIMES BACK WHEN YOU WERE
NEGOTIATING THIS. HERE WAS WHAT WAS SAID.
"SOME EXPERTS HAVE ARGUED WHILE MR. OBAMA IS MAKING A CASE FOR A
DEAL, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT SUCCESSOR ASSUMING IT IS A
CLIMATE CHANGE SKEPTIC WOULDN'T WALK AWAY FROM A PARIS CLIMATE
AGREEMENT. BECAUSE OF THE APPROACH DURING
THE CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUES SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE."
DO YOU NOW REGRET NOT MAKING THIS TREATY RATIFIED IN THE
UNITED STATES SENATE, FORCING IT TO BE CODIFIED HERE?
>> NO. REALLY I'M NOT.
IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. THAT'S VERY SIMPLE.
LET'S BE REALISTIC ABOUT IT. THE PRESIDENT MADE AN EXECUTIVE
AGREEMENT BECAUSE THAT WAS BEST THAT WE COULD DO.
AND WE PRESUMED THAT COMMON SENSE, THAT BASIC ECONOMICS,
THAT SCIENCE WOULD ULTIMATELY PREVAIL.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY COULD HAVE PREDICTED THAT WE WOULD HAVE
SEEN A STORY LIKE WE SAW IN THE "NEW YORK TIMES" TODAY ABOUT HOW
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS TRAVELED LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL
INTO THE HANDS OF THE COKE BROTHERS AND SPECIAL INTERESTS
WHERE THEY'RE PREPARED TO STAND UP AND DENY SCIENCE AND DENY
FACTS. WHAT DOES DONALD TRUMP KNOW THAT
REX TILLERSON, THE FORMER CEO OF EXXON MOBIL DOESN'T KNOW?
WHAT DOES THE CEO OF APPLE, GOOGLE, GENERAL ELECTRIC,
COMPANIES ALL ACROSS AMERICA WHO URGED THE PRESIDENT NOT TO PULL
OUT WHAT DOES DONALD TRUMP KNOW THAT PRESIDENT XI WHO RUNS AN
ENORMOUS ECONOMY OR PRESIDENT MACRON OR TERESA MAY DOESN'T
KNOW? HIS WHOLE STAFF CAN'T TELL YOU
WHETHER OR NOT HE BELIEVES THE CLIMATE CHANGE IS A HOAX.
I WILL SAY TO YOU IF YOU TRULY UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE, IF YOU
HAVE DONE DUE DILIGENCE AND HOME WORK, THERE IS NO WAY CAN YOU
NOT CONCLUDE THAT THAT THERE'S AN URGENCY TO DOING SOMETHING
AND YOU WOULD NOT PULL OUT OF PARIS.
>> OBVIOUSLY YOU HAVE A ROADBLOCK OF A GOOD CHUNK OF
AMERICANS WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THIS URGENCY.
YOU JUST LAID OUT A CASE THAT YOU THINK THEY'VE BEEN MISLED.
WHAT COULD YOU -- >> MAJORITY OF AMERICANS --
>> I UNDERSTAND. >> THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS
SUPPORT CLIMATE CHANGE AND STAYING IF PARIS.
>> I KNOW. BUT AS YOU UNDERSTAND, THERE IS
A POLITICAL DIVIDE. AND THE PRESIDENT DOES FEEL
POLITICALLY SECURE WITH HIS BASE THAT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WITH
THIS DECISION. IT TELLS ME THAT YOUR MESSAGE
HASN'T PENETRATED ESSENTIALLY RED AMERICA.
WHY? >> WELL, BECAUSE THERE'S AN
ANGER AND A FRUSTRATION IN A LOT OF PARTS OF AMERICA BY AVERAGE
FOLKS WHO HAVE FELT LIKE THEY'RE GETTING SCREWED BY THE
GOVERNMENT AND BY LIFE OVER THE COURSE OF LAST YEARS.
IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED WITH RESPECT TO THE ECONOMIC
CRISIS OF 2008 AND '09 AND LOOK AT OUR TAX STRUCTURE AND YOU
LOOK AT THE FAVOR THAT'S ARE DONE FOR POWERFUL INTERESTS AND
YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE PERSON WORKING HARDER AND NOT GETTING
AHEAD, THERE'S EVERY REASON FOR PEOPLE TO BE VERY ANGRY AND VERY
DISPOSED TO PUT FIRST ABOVE ALL THEIR ECONOMIC SITUATION.
SO I'M NOT SURPRISED. THERE'S NO SURPRISE TO ME THAT
YOU CAN CAMOUFLAGE AS THEY ARE IN A PHONEY ECONOMIC ARGUMENT
THAT HAS NO RELATIONSHIP TO THE REALITY OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN
THE MARKETPLACE. LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF PARIS, MORE
MONEY WAS SPENT ON ALTERNATIVE RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT SEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION THAN ON FOSSIL
FUELS. AND WHEN DONALD TRUMP SAYS TO
THE WORLD, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO NEGOTIATE A BETTER DEAL.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOING TO GO OUT AND FIND A BETTER DEAL.
THAT'S LIKE -- I MEAN THAT'S LIKE O.J. SIMPSON SAYING HE'S
GOING TO FIND THE REAL KILLER. HE'S NOT DOING TO DO THAT
BECAUSE HE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN IT F YOU DID BELIEVE IT, YOU
WOULDN'T PULL OUT OF PARIS. AMERICA HAS UNILATERALLY SEEDED
GLOBAL LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE WHICH FOR YEARS EVEN REPUBLICAN
PRESIDENTS GEORGE H.W. BUSH, YOU KNOW, PUSHED IN THIS DIRECTION.
>> LET ME GO BACK TO TONE AND MESSAGING AGAIN.
AGAIN, LOOK, WE'RE HAVING -- THERE'S THE FACTS AND FIGURES
THAT DEMAND ATTENTION. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
BUT AT THE ENDst DAY, YOU KNOW THIS IS CULTURAL.
THIS BECOMES SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AS YOU JUST VERY WELL
DESCRIBE. BUT YOU ALSO MADE -- YOU ALSO
SAID THIS DECISION WAS "A DECISION ACTED WITH STUPIDITY
AND SELF DESTRUCTIVENESS AND IGNORANCE."
THE REASON I HIGHLIGHT THOSE WORDS IS THAT MANY PEOPLE IN RED
AMERICA HEAR THAT AND THEY THINK, GEEZ, THEY THINK I'M
STUPID. DO YOU THINK THE MESSAGING NEEDS
TO CHANGE IN HOW YOU TALK ABOUT THIS AND HOW YOU CREATE A SINCE
OF URGENCY WITH THIS CHUNK OF AMERICA THAT ISN'T LISTENING TO
YOU? >> YES, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
THERE HAS TO BE FAR MORE FOCUS ON THE ECONOMIC MESSAGE.
I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT RED AMERICA, ABOUT 2.6 MILLION TO 3
MILLION JOBS THAT ARE EXISTING IN AMERICA TODAY IN A FAST
GROWING SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY AND OF THOSE 50% OF PEOPLE ARE
IN RED STATES THAT DONALD TRUMP WON.
SO BECAUSE OF THIS DECISION, AMERICAN LEADERSHIP IN THOSE
SECTORS IS NOW GOING TO BE PUT AT RISK.
WE COULD LOSE SOME OF OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO GROW THOSE
JOBS. AND IN, FACT, LOSE OUT ON THE
LARGEST MARKET OF THE FUTURE. THE BIGGEST MARKET IN THE WORLD
IN THE FUTURE IS GOING TO BE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT IN
THE SECTOR OF ENERGY. AND IF THE UNITED STATES IS
ISOLATED ITSELF NOW STANDING ONLY WITH SYRIA AND WITH
NICARAGUA, NICK -- NICARAGUA WANTED TO DO MORE.
I THINK WE DO HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB POINTING OUT TO
PEOPLE HOW THIS IS PART OF THE ECONOMIC FUTURE.
WE ALSO HAVE TO -- YOU KNOW, DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE REPRESENTS
THE FORGOTTEN MAN. WHAT ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN
CHILDREN IN AMERICA WHO ARE HOSPITALIZED IN THE SUMMER
BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF AIR WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL INDUCED
ASTHMA? WHAT ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN FARMER
WHO IS SUFFERING FROM CROP DISLOCATION, FROM DROUGHT, FROM
WATER -- I MEAN ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
TELL ME ABOUT THE FOREGOENT --
FOR GOTTEN CITIZENS OF NEW ORNS
LEANS? WE HAVE TO TALK TO THE SAME
FORGOTTEN PEOPLE IN AMERICA AND MAKE A BETTER ARGUMENT ABOUT HOW
THEIR LIVES ARE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED.
>> SECRETARY KERRY, BUSY MORNING.
I APPRECIATE YOU COMING

John Kerry: 'We Presumed Common Sense' On Paris Climate Deal (Full) | Meet The Press | NBC News

Latest Posts