NPR’s Steve Inskeep speaks with Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who’s sponsoring laws to ban President Trump from utilizing federal {dollars} to wage battle with Venezuela.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
All proper. We heard Quil point out Iraq and comparisons to Iraq. Our subsequent visitor served 4 excursions within the U.S. navy in Iraq. Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts is on the road. Good morning.
SETH MOULTON: Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: What do you suppose the president’s purpose is in Venezuela?
MOULTON: Effectively, we actually do not know. It appears to be regime change, one thing that he has stated repeatedly he is in opposition to. He is in opposition to regime change wars, and but he appears to be completely obsessive about Maduro to the purpose the place he is placing quite a lot of U.S. service members’ lives in potential hazard right here, attempting to push him out of energy, a rustic that is not even a nationwide safety threat to america.
INSKEEP: A few issues to observe up on there. First, I can title one knowledge level. Within the latest Self-importance Honest interview with Susie Wiles, the chief of workers, it acquired consideration for different issues. However there’s a description of a gathering with the president on November 4 of this yr, and a part of the agenda was, quote, “forcing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from energy.” So we do not have a public assertion by the president, however we’ve got an outline of a gathering during which that is what he desires to speak about.
MOULTON: Effectively, it appears like Iraq 2.0 to me.
INSKEEP: What do you imply?
MOULTON: You already know, a president who’s obsessive about simply getting a international chief out of energy and assembling or concocting a rationale to take action. In fact, we had defective intelligence about weapons of mass destruction that draw – drew us into Iraq. On this case, the president has actually created weapons of mass destruction by declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction and thereby attempting to justify what he desires to do right here.
INSKEEP: Let me observe up on one other factor you stated. You stated Venezuela just isn’t a nationwide safety menace to america. I get it within the sense that we’re not fearful about Venezuela’s navy, however it will not be laborious to search out ways in which Venezuela’s misgovernment has harmed america. It appears to have created a large refugee disaster. Lots of the refugees have ended up in america with enormous social and likewise political results, even injury to your celebration. Why is that not a nationwide safety menace?
MOULTON: Effectively, by that rationale, you possibly can invade half the international locations on the planet. The purpose is that that is about priorities, and China is the key nationwide safety menace to america of America. And by assembling this enormous armada, as Trump describes it, he is taking stress off China, which makes it extra doubtless they’re going to begin a battle.
INSKEEP: What do you imply by taking stress off China? Simply because we’re distracted?
MOULTON: That is precisely proper. And it is a concern I’ve heard echoed from people who find themselves centered on China all through the globe, together with speaking to navy commanders whose job is it’s each single day to discourage and stop China from beginning a battle within the Pacific that might actually turn into World Battle III. To not point out that Putin appears very intent on invading different international locations in Europe. We acquired to maintain stress on Putin in order that American troops do not become involved in a battle there. So there are quite a lot of locations on the planet the place our presence is attempting to discourage and stop wars. Trump appears intent on beginning a battle proper to our south.
INSKEEP: I need folks to know that you’ve got launched laws that blocks the president from utilizing federal {dollars} to have interaction in navy motion in Venezuela. However as very properly, that goes nowhere with out Republican help. Do you’ve gotten any sense that any of your Republican colleagues are involved?
MOULTON: Lots of Republican colleagues are involved. Lots of them have been publicly in opposition to regime change wars, in opposition to what occurred in Iraq. However they’re all simply petrified of Trump. I imply, that is political cowardice at its peak, and, in fact, it begins with Speaker Johnson, whose job is to really observe the Structure and have a vote on going to battle in Congress as a result of that is our constitutional accountability. As an alternative, he simply does no matter Trump desires, which on this case, appears to be supporting his efforts to start out a brand new battle.
INSKEEP: Once you hear analysts take a look at the varied strikes of the administration and see a brand new international coverage orientation, which, in a way, is an outdated international coverage orientation, the place america focuses on the Western Hemisphere and tries additional to dominate the Western Hemisphere much more than the U.S. already has, whereas maybe leaving a little bit more room for Russia and China to do what they need of their areas of the world, that’s a method that Trump’s international coverage has been perceived. Do you suppose that is right and do you suppose that is smart?
MOULTON: It is improper and it is dumb. And that is why each administration, together with Trump’s first administration, had a very completely different nationwide safety coverage that acknowledged that the world is an advanced and interconnected place, and China could appear far-off. Russia could appear far-off, however they current actual threats to us, to our allies and to our American service members. So slightly than push American service members right into a battle we do not want in Venezuela, he is taking – he is not doing sufficient to stop wars the place our adversaries truly actually wish to begin them. So this can be a huge change in coverage from what earlier Democratic and Republican administrations have accomplished.
INSKEEP: Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, thanks very a lot to your time. Good to speak with you once more.
MOULTON: Thanks a lot, Steve.
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