Donald Trump Finally Signs New Russia Sanctions Bill | All In

>>> TODAY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FINALLY DID
SOMETHING HE DID NOT WANT TO DO. AFTER DAYS OF DELAY, HE SIGNED A
PACKAGE OF NEW SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, ALONG WITH IRAN AND
NORTH KOREA, WHICH CONGRESS HAD PASSED WITH VETO-PROOF
MAJORITIES. IN WHAT NOW LOOKS LIKE A
SUCCESSFUL EFFORT TO TIE THE PRESIDENT'S HANDS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS FREQUENTLY PARADED HIS EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND
OTHER BILL SIGNINGS IN FRONT OF THE TV CAMERAS WITH AN AUDIENCE
PRESENT TO WATCH HIM PERFORM HIS PRESIDENTIAL DUTY, THE SIGNING
OF THE RUSSIA SANCTIONS BILL TODAY WAS QUITE DIFFERENT.
NO CAMERAS, NO PRESS, NO NOTHING.
THE WHITE HOUSE DID RELEASE A PRESIDENTIAL SIGNING STATEMENT
CRITICIZING THE BILLE BILL. ACTUALLY THAT.
>> RELEASED TWO DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS.
THE OFFICIAL SIGNING STATEMENT AND WHAT THEY LATER EXPLAINED
WAS PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT WHICH ENDS ON THE
TRUMPIAN NOTE, I BUILT A TRULY GREAT COMPANY WORTH MANY
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THAT IS A PART OF THE REASON I
WAS ELECTED. AS PRESIDENT I CAN MAKE FAR
BETTER DEALS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES THAN CONGRESS.
IN THAT STATEMENT THE PRESIDENT ACCUSED CONGRESS OF ESSENTIALLY
USURPING HIS PRESIDENTIAL POWER TO SET U.S. FOREIGN POLICY, AND
HE SOUNDED WHAT SEEMS A CONCILIATORY NOTE TOWARDS
RUSSIA, QUOTE, IT REPRESENTS THE WILL OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO
SEE RUSSIA TAKE STEPS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED
STATES. WE HOPE THERE WILL BE
COOPERATION BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES ON MAJOR GLOBAL ISSUES
SO THAT THESE SANCTIONS WILL NO LONGER BE NECESSARY."
RUSSIA, HOWEVER, WAS UNIMPRESSED AFTER PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN
ALREADY ORDERED THE U.S. TO CUT 755 DIPLOMATIC STAFF FROM ITS
MISSIONS IN RUSSIA. TODAY PRIME MINISTER DMITRY
MEDVEDEV UNLEASHED A SOCIAL MEDIA TIRADE AIMED AT PRESIDENT
TRUMP. THE U.S. PRESIDENT'S SIGNING OF
THE PACKAGE OF NEW RUSSIA SANCTIONS ENDS HOPES FOR
IMPROVING OUR RELATIONS. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS
SHOWN ITS TOTAL WEAKNESS BY HANDING OVER EXECUTIVE POWER TO
CONGRESS IN THE MOST HUMILIATING WAY.
THE U.S. ESTABLISHMENT FULLY OUTWITTED TRUMP.
THE PRESIDENT IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE SANCTIONS, YET HE COULD NOT
BUT SIGN THE BILL. I'M JOINED NOW BY CONGRESSMAN
TEDLIEU OF CALIFORNIA. THE SIGNING STATEMENT SORT OF
MADE A CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT THAT THIS WAS AN INCURSION ON TO
THE PRESIDENT'S CONSTITUTIONAL POWER TO SET FOREIGN POLICY.
WHY THAT NOT THE CASE? >> THANK YOU, CHRIS, FOR THAT
QUESTION. LET ME FIRST SAY TODAY IS AN
EXAMPLE OF A U.S. CONGRESS IMPOSING ITSNG ITS WILL ON THE
PRESIDENT, UNLIKE AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES IN AMERICA, CONGRESS IS
A COEQUAL BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT. AND WHEN I READ THAT SIGNING
STATEMENT, ACTUALLY BOTH OF THEM, THE SECOND WAS
PARTICULARLY BIZARRE. HE REFERENCES OBAMACARE AND
OTHER ISSUES. AND I DON'T REALLY BUY HIS
CONSTITUTIONAL ARGUMENT. EVERYTHING IN THE SANCTIONS BILL
WHICH IS NOW LAW IS CONSTITUTIONAL THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNSEL HAS LOOK AT IT. NO PRESIDENT WANTS HIS HANDS
TIED, BUT IN THIS CASE WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT.
WELL DID THAT TODAY. >> THIS SANCTIONS BILL HAS END
UPPED HAVING THIS GREAT SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE BECAUSE OF THE
CONTEXT OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO RUSSIA'S INTERFERENCE IN
THE ELECTION, THE POSSIBLE COLLUSION BETWEEN THE
PRESIDENT'S CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA IN THAT ACTIVITY.
BUT CAN YOU MAKE THE AFFIRMATIVE ARGUMENT ON THE MERITS FOR WHY
THIS BILL WILL MAKE THINGS BETTER?
>> ABSOLUTELY. FIRST OF ALL, IT WILL MAKE IT
BETTER BECAUSE IT HOPEFULLY WILL DISSUADE RUSSIA FROM ATTACKING
US AGAIN WITH THE MASSIVE CYBER ATTACK IN THE NEXT FEDERAL
ELECTIONS. THIS WAS A BIPARTISAN REBUKE TO
THE PRESIDENT SAYING MR. PRESIDENT, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND CONGRESS DO NOT TRUST YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING WHEN IT COMES
TO RUSSIA. AND IT'S A REBUKE TO RUSSIA,
SAYING DO NOT TRY TO INFLUENCE OUR ELECTIONS AGAIN BECAUSE
YOU'RE GOING TO GET CONSEQUENCES WORSE THAN IF YOU HAD TRIED.
>> YOU THINK THE CONSEQUENCES, THESE MOSTLY TARGET OIL AND GAS
THERE IS A LITTLE BIT OF THE LEGISLATION AS I UNDERSTAND IT
THAT IS SOMEWHAT MAGNITSKY ACT IN SO FAR AS INDIVIDUALS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORGANIZATION CAN BE TARGETED YOU.
THINK THAT ACTS AS A DETERRENT? >> IT DOES.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THIS LEGISLATION IS IT
PREVENTS DONALD TRUMP FROM LIFTING SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA
WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE DOESN'T TAKE ACTIONS
THAT FAVOR THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT WITHOUT CONGRESS
KNOWING ABOUT IT. >> WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF BOTH --
THERE WAS A STRANGE KIND OF SMOKE SIGNAL IT FELT IN THE
RUN-UP TO THIS WITH THE PRESIDENT SORT OF DITHERING.
THERE WAS LACK OF CLARITY ABOUT WHETHER HE WAS GOING TO SIGN IT.
HE SIGNED IT QUIETLY. AND THEN THE RUSSIANS SORT OF
LEAPING AT THE CHANCE TO TROLL AND BAIT THE PRESIDENT.
BUT ALSO CONCEDING THAT HE DIDN'T WANT THE SIGN IT.
THE MESSAGE HAD BEEN SENT TO MOSCOW THAT THIS WAS NOT HIS
IDEA. >> IT'S VERY CLEAR THE PRESIDENT
DIDN'T WANT THE SIGN THIS LEGISLATION.
AND I THINK THE RUSSIANS ARE REALIZING WHAT REPUBLICAN
MEMBERS ARE REALIZING NOW, WHICH IS WE HAVE A WEAK PRESIDENT.
DONALD TRUMP IS WEAK, NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S BEEN WHITE HOUSE
CHAOS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE HE HAS HISTORICALLY LOW APPROVAL
RATINGS, AND HE HAS VERY LOW INFLUENCE OVER REPUBLICAN AND
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATORS. THAT'S WHY HE COULDN'T GET
OBAMACARE REPEAL PASSED. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING
NOW, A WEAK PRESIDENT WITH A SURGING MORE CONFIDENT CONGRESS.
>> WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP TO YOUR MIND IN U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS?
IF THEY RESPOND WITH SOME SORT OF RETALIATORY ACTION OF THEIR
OWN IN RESPONSE TO THESE, WHERE DOES THIS GO?
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH HAVING THE UNITED STATES HAVING
CLOSER RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES, INCLUDING WITH
RUSSIA. I HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN A
PRESIDENT LOOKS LIKE HE IS BEHOLDEN TO THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT. AND THAT'S IN PART WHY CONGRESS
SENT THIS POWERFUL BIPARTISAN MESSAGE.
BUT THERE IS MANY ISSUES WE DEAL WITH ON RUSSIA OTHER THAN
CYBERISSUES. THERE ARE ISSUES RELATING TO
FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ISSUES RELATING TO TRADE AND COMMERCE.
WEWE CAN WORK WITH RUSSIA ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES.
AND KEEP IN MIND RUSSIA IS PART OF THE IRAN DEAL AS WELL.
SO THERE ARE MANY AREAS WHERE THE U.S. DOES COOPERATE WITH

Donald Trump Finally Signs New Russia Sanctions Bill | All In | MSNBC

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