July 17th, 2013

Sen. Graham’s advice for Pres. Obama on attending the G20 in Russia: “I would ask for a change of venue”

In an interview airing today on The Lead with Jake Tapper, Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) spoke with Jake Tapper about his call for a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Russia, saying that President Obama also should not attend the G20 in St. Petersburg. A full transcript of the interview is after the jump.

ON BOYCOTTING THE OLYMPICS:
“I don’t want to boycott the Olympics, but I want a policy that will get the Russians’ attention… And at the end of the day, the Obama administration’s policies, Jake, whatever it is about Russia, is not working. To John Boehner and John McCain, my great good friends, we have to up our game when it comes to Russia for — before it’s too late.”

ON THE G20 SUMMIT:
“My advice to you [Pres. Obama] is I wouldn’t go to St.  Petersburg, I would ask for a change of venue.”

FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Please credit all usage to CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper

THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

JAKE TAPPER, HOST:  And Senator Lindsey Graham joins me now from Capitol Hill.

Senator, welcome.

In terms of putting this on the table, a boycott of the Olympics, your own friend, Senator John McCain, disagrees with you.

And take a listen to what House Speaker John Boehner said about it this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE:  I love Senator Graham.  We’ve been close friends for 20 years.  But I think he’s dead wrong.

Listen, why would we want to punish U.S. athletes who have been training for three years to compete in the Olympics over, um, a traitor who can’t find a place to call home?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER:  Your response, sir?

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA:  Well, John is my good friend, but it’s not just about Snowden.  Russia has aligned themselves with Iran to keep Assad in power.  And, uh, here’s my question to the Congress and the president.

What does Russia have to do before we push back?

And do I want to counsel the Olympics from an American point of view?

No.

But would I go to Moscow a year and a half from now if they were continuing to support Assad and 200,000 Syrians had been killed, the king of Jordan had been toppled because of the civil war in Syria, Iraq is falling apart, the arms that the Russians are selling Assad falls into Hezbollah’s hands to be used against Iran, they give Snowden asylum and they help the Iranians march toward a nuclear weapon?

Would I accept an invitation sent by Putin?

No.  I don’t want to boycott the Olympics, but I want a policy that will get the Russians’ attention.

President Bush, when he looked into Putin’s soul, made a mistake.  I see a pretty dark figure.  And at the end of the day, the Obama administration’s policies, Jake, whatever it is about Russia, is not working.

To John Boehner and John McCain, my great good friends, we have to up our game when it comes to Russia for — before it’s too late.

TAPPER:  So Senator, is this more about Snowden or is it more about Syria, this — this discussion…

GRAHAM:  It is…

TAPPER:  Of boycotting the Olympics?

GRAHAM:  It’s about Russia and what they’re doing in the world at a time when it matters.

Would Assad stay in power if Russia stopped selling him arms?

No.

If he left, would the world be a better place?

Yes.  There would be a mess to follow in Syria, but the king of Jordan would not be toppled because of the war within.

This is about Iran’s ambitions to get a nuclear weapon and the Russians are being less than helpful.  If they gave Snowden asylum, a man that’s been charged with serious crimes, it would be an affront to us as a nation.

At what point does the president, who has a policy I don’t understand regarding Russia, and the Congress begin to push back?

Should have we gone to the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 and give Hitler a propaganda platform to sell his regime?

TAPPER:  Look…

GRAHAM:  — Russia is not Nazi Germany…

TAPPER:  Right.  You’re not — you’re not comparing them?

GRAHAM:  No, I’m not.

TAPPER:  OK.

GRAHAM:  But what I’m saying is would you have the Olympics in Iran?

TAPPER:  Well…

GRAHAM:  I — I don’t think most people would.

Is Russia Iran?

No, but they’re heading in that direction.

TAPPER:  On the Snowden subject, uh, Russian President Vladimir Putin today addressed some of these concerns.

Let’s take a listen and I want to get your reaction.

GRAHAM:  OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES.  VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIA (through translator):  Bilateral relations, in my opinion, are far more important than squabbles about the activists of the secret services.  We warned Mr. Snowden that any action by him that could cause damage to Russian-American relations is unacceptable for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER:  So Putin is warning Snowden against any ma — making any further leaks.  He says that the U.S.-Russian relationship is important.

Does that alleviate any of your concern?

GRAHAM:  I guess my view toward, uh, President Putin is not a very good one right now.  If he really wanted to change relationships between us and the, uh, Russia, send Snowden back.  That’s the right thing to do, to stand trial for the crimes he’s, uh, been accused of.

Bush got it wrong with Putin.  Obama’s got it wrong with Putin.  Congress is doing virtually nothing.  And if a year from now, there are 200,000 dead in Syria and weapons begin to proliferate that Russia has sold Syria throughout the Mideast, Iraq goes up in flames, I guess we should go to Russia and have a party and celebrate the Olympics.

That just seems disconnected to me.

TAPPER:  Senator, before I let you go, what is the status of the Obama administration’s attempt to provide more military-related assistance to the rebels?

I’ve heard and been told that Congress is really holding it up.

GRAHAM:  If Congress is holding it up, I want to know who is.  I was in the Mideast about two weeks ago.  There’s no activity I can see on the ground where we’re flowing arms in to the rebels.

You know, I don’t want to boycott the Olympics.  I love the Olympics.  But when I talk about women who have been gang-raped by Assad’s forces then — that I meet in Jordanian and Turkish refugee camps, nobody yawns.  I mean everybody yawns.  CNN has done a pretty darned good job.

But at the end of the day, if talking about sports would focus the nation’s attention on Russia, who is up to no good all over the planet, then I welcome this discussion.

I want to change Russian behavior, not, uh, boycott the Olympics.  But in September, the G-20 meets in St.  Petersburg.

Mr. President, President Obama, should you go to St.  Petersburg, Russia for the G-20 Summit if they give Snowden asylum and they don’t change their policy, uh, toward Syria and continue to help Iran?

Should you go?  My — my advice to you is I wouldn’t go to St.  Petersburg, I would ask for a change of venue.

TAPPER:  All right, strong comments from Senator Lindsey Graham.

Thanks so much for joining us today.

GRAHAM:  Thank you.

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