We take you live now to a conversation with senator bob menendez. He is discussing a report put out by the committees democrats about the Trump Administrations Foreign Policy. I will be asking him some questions. The senator has a tight schedule and we may not have time at the end for audience questions. A number of you already sent me questions that you want asked. So lets begin. The virtual floor is yours. Thank you. Very much. Good to see you again. Thank you for joining us for the release of this online forum. Let he fell you why i thought undertaking this is right. Much has been written about his failed policy, but i thought it was important to assess the damage of the past four years from a congressional per sective and to look at the starkest examples of how he has engaged with the world. My staff interviewed dozens of former officials, many who served as senior officials in the Trump Administration. Speaking to people in more than 20 countries and what we found was troubling. His words and actions have been negative for the people and broad broader the country. We see the north Korean Nuclear missile programs larger and more capable than before. We see him inching closer to a nuclear weapon. Instead of coming up with a better deal, he alienated our partners and allies. Indeed he has bullied and threatened our closest friends. We need to address our most blessing challenges. Trump is not leading the global response, he is under mining it. His expectations, lack of attention, and inkent si left promises initiatives to wither on the vine. His attacks on Democratic Values have empowered autoterians to tighten their holds. Four years in, if youre still searching for the trump doctrine on Foreign Policy, you will find a warm embrace of autocratic leaders, the president has championed his policy as an America First approach, but in practice what we have is a trumpfirst approach. This report catalogs some of the most damaging aspects of what that means for americans. He has been marked by chaos, neglect, and National Security failures. Foreign officials recounted how they dont know who speaks for the patrick swayze, or whether or not a new policy announcement is real or will be abruptly reversed. It is no wound near partners are weary of coordinating with us. His attempts to engage on real crisis have resulted in diplom t diplomatic failure. When it became clear that a quick breakthrough with north korea was unrealistic he lost interest and called it solved. It is not solved. He me in grekted pressing challenges including nuclear proliferation, he has undermined efforts. He has refused to participate in global vaccine agreements, and he has criticized Foreign Policy by not advancing his own interesting calling on governments to aid hymn and work against his opponents. He has undermined our ability to promote values globally. He separated families at the border, turned away refugees, attacked a free press, teargassed citizens in a peaceful protest, and spouts rhetoric on race. He has given a green light to repressive regimes around the world. His attacks on the media are sided by foreign leaders. And according to a former u. S. Official, third, the abrupt and inconsistent decision makeen has taken close allies by surprise and thrown alliances into disarray. We heard from forth governments is frayed. And for good reason. We treated our allies not as trusted partners, but as the kid we can pick on in the schoolyard time and time again. From declaring canada a National Security threat to threatening germ any, to fleetenning and instulting mexico, our friends feel abused and alienated. Some have moved on looking to build alliances at the table. Fourth the president s os tillty has left the United States withdrawn and isolated from pressing global challenges and provided openings to our adversaries. Our go it alone approach shows that when the United States seeks to bargain with iron, only the Dominican Republic votes with us and our close allies vote against us. Not because they dont agree with the objective, but the u. S. Lofsz all credibility and on the issue. While we have a list of grievances, walking away takes away our ability to effectively Counter China and to improve these institutions. Fifth and perhaps most dangerously, the rhetoric and actions emboldened an authoritarian regime weakening rights and undermining values. He has made clear that the United States will not push back when leaders punish an academic institution. Carry out a power grab, or assassinate a journalist. Instead of holding them accountable, he went out of his way to definite the crown prince. Going so far as to defend him. It is not met with combination. Today, auto accurates and authoritarians know that donald trump has their back. Now americans might wonder what does this have to do with me . It is true. U. S. Foreign policy is often not on the forefront of most minds. For decades american leaders pursued a vision based on Democratic Values. Today that is hanging in doubt. If the United States is not standing up to regimes, if it does not Counter Chinas repression, if it allows a tax to go unanswered, it erodes all of our rights abroad and at home. And it under minds our authority. It sends a Ripple Effect around the world. If we do not ban together, we will be ill equipped to peach future challenges. So where do we go from here . We need to rebuild Foreign Policy institutions like the state department. Which has suffered the loss of extraordinary talent in the last four years. Restoring overseas confidence requires highly qualified diplomats that conduct themselves nin a reliable matte. It wont be easy, but it is absolutely necessary. Alliances are a foundational bedrock for protecting the american people. We need partnerships that pull power and resources to counter russia and china and tackle problems we cannot solve right now. Third, halting Global Freedom is a critical objective. Democracies improving u. S. Safety. Fourth, the United States is strongest international nainter were strong at home. The best way to communicate with other nations to drive for full equality is to embodiy iy yit ourselves. We need to undo the damage brought by this president. I hope it will serve as a roadmap for how we rebuild. And the reminder of the con consequences of incoherent chaotic Foreign Policy. For those of us that care about this country and the role we play in the world, there is a lot of work ahead. Thank you for tuning in and i look forward to your questions. Thank you so much, senator. I really appreciate that. I have a lot of questions for you and im hoping that we can tackle all of them. Your report was very interesting and i was particularly struck in a section you had about accountable. You said the Trump Administration needs to be held accountable. But you were somewhat vague about it in the report. What alleged misdeeds do you want to hold the Administration Accountable for, and what, exactly, would accountability look like . The accountability that im talking about is an assessment. We tried to lay a foundational element of that in this report where this Trump Administration has left us in the world into in knowing that assessment, and knowing where the shortcomings are, and where the consequences have been, then question begin to build upon it. For example what happened at the state department. We conducted a serious of informations and a question that ig reviews some of the politicalization at the state department. We need a robust vibrant state department with very capable people to promote American Values around the world. We need to make sure that congress is well respected and engaged. And that is something that the administration sought to trample on. So the accounting in that respect is understanding where the administration has taken us down the wrong path. The consequences that flow from it, and how do we correct it. But, i mean look, we recently just had stories about 545 children who dont, you know, they are still separated from their parents. And i guess what i want to know when it comes to situations like that. Migrant kids and others, or say the politicalization of the state department, its one thing to say we dont want to do these terrible things again, we want to move forward and do better. But what about the people who separated them. What about the individuals who retaliated against career officers at the state department. Things like that. Will they be held accountable or not. What will you do on that front . Look, i dont see the committee acting as the Investigative Authority on all of these issues, and i think there is so much work to do that lies ahead to promote the safety and security of the american people. When there are still those in positions of power that conducted themselves inappropriately, who created some of the consequences of the separation of children that have no parent linga alinkage at thi, of course that will be referred to by the Inspector General or we will look at it specifically. But my view that the committees work that could make america more secure and prosperous. You have the prour to name and shame, frankly, is that the latest that you could do . Could you say look i have not acetated to do that as the Ranking Member and i would do that as the jirm if i had the opportunity. The next question i have beened about 20 times. Do y you opposed the iron nuclear deal, i covered it, but joe biden wants to rejoin the deal. Does he have your support if he becomes president . Look, i think that a President Biden will also face the realities that the iron nuclear deal and the sunset questions are closer to an issue today than they were when the deal was entered into. The reality is that any administration that comes forward there is Ballistic Missiles and they are working to perfect it. I often refer to this as jcpoa plus. The reality is that we will need more than the jcpoa at the end of the deal. When the big mistake, the consequence as said, that the consequence of leading by the Trump Administration, without any effort in realizing our efforts, was a huge mistake. Even the french were talking to us about going beyond, recognizing the shortfalls, and also dealing with an arms continuing arms embargo with missile proliferation, and with other elements. We missed out on that opportunity. So i believe that im sure that vice President Biden, should he become president , will want to da with the totality of those issues and that suggests, to me, a jcpoa plus. So you would support a better deal but not necessarily going back to the old deal . As senator graham and i offered a idea. We auked to some of our european allies about it. Going back to the jcpoa but with a frame work understanding that iran would engage in other elements and Critical Issues that have to be dealt with like their weapons development, like their Ballistic Missile development. Like their proliferation continuing of terrorism as part of a more holistic deal. So the reality is that at the beginning okay, we go back to the jcpoa with an understanding that there is more to be built with. But you realize youre making the perfect enemy of the good here. Youre kind of hoping they will come along. And that sort of thing, and at the end of the day they might not be at all. You realize this, right . I realize that even our closest allies, those close with us at this time, understand that there is a need to build upon the jcpoa, but not to believe that it is the beginning and the end of what needs to be done. The reality is that there is a lot more. As i mentioned even the french were very much pursue a lot mo when we were in the deal. Anyone who believes that just going back to the jcpoa, including some of my strongest College Students who supported the jcpoa recognize that more has to be done than just the jcpoa. I understand your point. Speaking to the middle east, you have criticized saudi arabia and the United Arab Emirates for their conduct in the brutal yemen war, a war that doesnt get nearly the attention that it deserves. Now, the Biden Campaign has talked about prestricting u. S. Armed sales to the emirates. But i have to tell you, im a bit skeptical they will follow through on this for a noboumber reasons. Should i be skeptical, and if they dont follow through on restricting these arms sales, what do you think we do about it . I do believe when vice President Biden says they would restrict arms sales, they would restrict arms sales to ensure a result and diplomatic engagement with these countries to get them to stop what is happening in their engagements in these parts of the middle east, then that might not result in eliminating arms sales. But otherwise, i do believe they will follow through on it. And the reality is there is very strong support, certainly on the Democratic Caucus, as is exhibited by the votes that i led on, you know, defying the administration on saudi arms deals, and even the uae, which is a better partner than saudi has been. There is a strong appetite among the Democratic Caucus to see that through, and i believe that without President Trump, there would be several republicans who would join us in that effort. So i do take the biden view that they will follow through on it. Well, let me tell you one reason im a bit skeptical that the u. S. Is going to come down hard on the uae. There is some positive ties with them, especially when it comes to israel, one of our most important partners in the region. And the dynamics of the region seem to be changing. In fact, youre hearing even in saudi arabia, there are much fewer restrictions on socializing. Women are not allowed to drive, there is some positive development. How do you ensure that that sort of momentum continues while also holding these countries accountable for their military and human rightsrelated violations in places like yemen and beyond . How do you find that balance . Well, look, we applaud the uaes recognition and relationship with israel and bahrain. We applaud in saudi arabia the greater openings within Civil Society, especially for women. Thats all good. We also have something called the u. S. Law which says that israel must maintain its qualitative edge in the region. So as were looking at these new relationships, we also have an obligation to u. S. Law. So i just get concerned that we see a breakneck speed of sales, for example, being proposed to the uae without the appropriate deliberative process that goes through from the state department, the department of defense, and with our allies to understand the consequences of such sales. So it seems to me that this should be, you know, peace and normalization but not peace and normalization for weapons at the end of the day. So we can have a robust relationship. We can develop a Security Architecture that can include these countries, but u. S. Law says that the qualitative edge of israel needs to be preserved. My question was more about how do you hold these countries accountable for activities in places like yemen, while at the same time not wanting them to be aw backing away from these positive developments. What are some of the things you would do to try to make sure they get both of these messages, that we want the positive stuff but not so much the negative stuff . Listen, that first starts off with the president of the United States who makes it very clear that assassinating a journalist is not acceptable in our relationship, that our relationships dont go you know, totally okay for so long as you do certain things, then you can do anything you want. Thats the message that President Trump has sent. It starts with the president who upholds basic democratic principles, who insists in our relationships that people move toward a greater acceptance of it, that the country move to a greater acceptance of it, that leaders, you know, do not ultimately undermine a free press and descent when it is peaceful. That started with the president , and then its followed by a congress that i would hope in its legislations would promote that as a principle, be prepared to provide a benefit for those who actually follow those fundamental, you know, views of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and that creates consequences for those who dont. I guess, you know, a lot of it people say things all the time in washington, people put out press releases, and i think it just comes down to what actual the devil in the details of what youre actually prepared to do. But, anyway, moving on, although feel free to address that as well. Staying in the region, because we cant escape the middle east, if Benjamin Netanyahu were with us right now, what advice would you give him on how he should approach vice President Biden . Untarnished advice. First of all, i think he needs to understand that the u. S. Israel relationship has been rooted in strong bipartisan support because of our mutual interests. And he needs to understand that it is not good for israel and certainly not good for our relationship to root it in a partisan view