NBC WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT KRISTEN WELKER HAS THE LATEST ON
KRISTEN WELKER HAS THE LATEST ON THIS.
THIS. HEY, KRISTEN, GOOD MORNING.
HEY, KRISTEN, GOOD MORNING. >> HODA, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> HODA, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. PRESIDENT TRUMP WHO HAS BEEN ON
PRESIDENT TRUMP WHO HAS BEEN ON HIS DEFENSE OVER HANDLING OF
HIS DEFENSE OVER HANDLING OF RUSSIA IS TRYING TO PIVOT TO
RUSSIA IS TRYING TO PIVOT TO ANOTHER FOREIGN POLICY FLASH
ANOTHER FOREIGN POLICY FLASH POINT, IRAN.
POINT, IRAN. OVERPASS SENDING OUT THAT TWEET
OVERPASS SENDING OUT THAT TWEET IN ALL CAPS, EXPLOSIVE AND
IN ALL CAPS, EXPLOSIVE AND UNEXPECTED.
UNEXPECTED. THE PRESIDENT IS DRAWING A LINE
THE PRESIDENT IS DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND AND APPEARING TO
IN THE SAND AND APPEARING TO THREATEN THE COUNTRY TO CROSS
THREATEN THE COUNTRY TO CROSS IT.
IT. AOVERPASS A TWITTER TIRADE.
AOVERPASS A TWITTER TIRADE. IF IRAN THREATENS U.S., IT WILL
IF IRAN THREATENS U.S., IT WILL FACE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.
FACE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES. THE PRESIDENT TWEETING IN ALL
THE PRESIDENT TWEETING IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS JUST BEFORE
CAPITAL LETTERS JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT, NEVER, EVER THREATEN
MIDNIGHT, NEVER, EVER THREATEN THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU
THE UNITED STATES AGAIN OR YOU WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE
WILL SUFFER CONSEQUENCES THE LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT
LIKES OF WHICH FEW THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED
HISTORY HAVE EVER SUFFERED BEFORE.
BEFORE. WE’RE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT
WE’RE NO LONGER A COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED
WILL STAND FOR YOUR DEMENTED WORDS OF VIOLENCE AND DEATH.
WORDS OF VIOLENCE AND DEATH. BE CAUTIOUS.
BE CAUTIOUS. HIS FIERY TWEET APPEARS TO COME
HIS FIERY TWEET APPEARS TO COME FROM ROUHANI CAUTIONING AGAINST
FROM ROUHANI CAUTIONING AGAINST FURTHER RETALIATORY ACTION
FURTHER RETALIATORY ACTION AGAINST HIS COUNTRY.
AGAINST HIS COUNTRY. SAYING, AMERICA SHOULD KNOW
SAYING, AMERICA SHOULD KNOW PEACE WITH IRAN IS THE MOTHER OF
PEACE WITH IRAN IS THE MOTHER OF ALL PEACE AND WAR WITH IRAN IS
ALL PEACE AND WAR WITH IRAN IS THE MOTHER OF ALL WARS.
THE MOTHER OF ALL WARS. THE WAR OF WORDS COMING JUST
THE WAR OF WORDS COMING JUST THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE TRUMP
THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS POISED TO
ADMINISTRATION IS POISED TO REIMPOSE SANCTION SUSPENDED
REIMPOSE SANCTION SUSPENDED UNDER 2015 IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL.
UNDER 2015 IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL. TRUMP PULLING OUT OF THAT OBAMA
TRUMP PULLING OUT OF THAT OBAMA NEGOTIATED DEAL MEANT TO KEEP
NEGOTIATED DEAL MEANT TO KEEP IRAN FROM DEVELOPING A NUCLEAR
IRAN FROM DEVELOPING A NUCLEAR WEAPON.
WEAPON. >> WE WILL BE INSTITUTING THE
>> WE WILL BE INSTITUTING THE HIGH EST
HIGH EST HIGHEST LEVEL OF ECONOMIC
HIGHEST LEVEL OF ECONOMIC SANCTION.
SANCTION. ANY NATION THAT HELPS IRAN IN
ANY NATION THAT HELPS IRAN IN ITS QUEST FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS
ITS QUEST FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS COULD ALSO BE STRONGLY
COULD ALSO BE STRONGLY SANCTIONED BY THE UNITED STATES.
SANCTIONED BY THE UNITED STATES. >> BIGGER SANCTIONS FROM THE
>> BIGGER SANCTIONS FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULED
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SCHEDULED TO TAKE EFFECT IN NOVEMBER ARE
TO TAKE EFFECT IN NOVEMBER ARE AIMED AT CUTTING OFF VIRTUALLY
AIMED AT CUTTING OFF VIRTUALLY ALL OF IRAN’S GLOBAL OIL MARKET.
ALL OF IRAN’S GLOBAL OIL MARKET. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO
SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO TO A LARGELY IRANIAN AUDIENCE IN
TO A LARGELY IRANIAN AUDIENCE IN POMPIA, CALIFORNIA, LAUNCHING AN
POMPIA, CALIFORNIA, LAUNCHING AN ATTACK OF IRAN’S CLERICAL AND
ATTACK OF IRAN’S CLERICAL AND MILITARY LEADERS.
MILITARY LEADERS. >> SHOWS IRAN IS RUN BY
>> SHOWS IRAN IS RUN BY SOMETHING THAT RESEMBLES THE
SOMETHING THAT RESEMBLES THE MAFIA MORE THAN GOVERNMENT.
MAFIA MORE THAN GOVERNMENT. >> THE PRESIDENT’S THREAT TO
>> THE PRESIDENT’S THREAT TO IRAN REMINISCENT OF HIS FIRE AND
IRAN REMINISCENT OF HIS FIRE AND FURY COMMENTS DIRECTED AT NORTH
FURY COMMENTS DIRECTED AT NORTH KOREA.
KOREA. >> HE’S NOT JUST TWEETING ABOUT
>> HE’S NOT JUST TWEETING ABOUT IRAN, KRISTEN, HE’S ALSO
IRAN, KRISTEN, HE’S ALSO TWEETING ABOUT THE RUSSIA
TWEETING ABOUT THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. A LOT GOING ON ON THAT FRONT,
A LOT GOING ON ON THAT FRONT, TOO.
TOO. >> AMID CRITICISM HE HASN’T BEEN
>> AMID CRITICISM HE HASN’T BEEN TOUGH ENOUGH ON RUSSIA,
TOUGH ENOUGH ON RUSSIA, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS AGAIN LASHING
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS AGAIN LASHING OUT AT HIS PREDECESSOR TWEETING
OUT AT HIS PREDECESSOR TWEETING OVERNIGHT, SO PRESIDENT OBAMA
OVERNIGHT, SO PRESIDENT OBAMA KNEW ABOUT RUSSIA BEFORE THE
KNEW ABOUT RUSSIA BEFORE THE ELECTION.
ELECTION. WHY DIDN’T HE DO SOMETHING ABOUT
WHY DIDN’T HE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?
IT? IT’S ALL A HOAX.
IT’S ALL A HOAX. THAT TWEET UNDER SCRUTINY, THE
THAT TWEET UNDER SCRUTINY, THE ASSERTION IT’S A HOAX AFTER
ASSERTION IT’S A HOAX AFTER TRYING TO CLEAN UP COMMENTS HE
TRYING TO CLEAN UP COMMENTS HE MADE AFTER HELSINKI SUMMIT WITH
MADE AFTER HELSINKI SUMMIT WITH VLADIMIR PUTIN IN WHICH HE
VLADIMIR PUTIN IN WHICH HE BELIEVED PUTIN’S DENIAL OF
BELIEVED PUTIN’S DENIAL OF ELECTION MEDDLING OVER U.S.
ELECTION MEDDLING OVER U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WHO
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WHO POINTED THE FINGER SQUARELY AT
POINTED THE FINGER SQUARELY AT THE RUSSIAN LEADER.
THE RUSSIAN LEADER. THE MUDDLED MESSAGING AFTER
THE MUDDLED MESSAGING AFTER PLANNING THE SECOND PUTIN
PLANNING THE SECOND PUTIN SUMMIT.
SUMMIT. OVER THE WEEKEND THERE WERE
OVER THE WEEKEND THERE WERE BIPARTISAN CALLS FOR THE
