CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ted Yoho

Interview

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WHITFIELD: All right. Boris Sanchez, thank you so much at the White House.

All right. With me now to discuss further, Republican Congressman Ted Yoho from Florida. He is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Good to see you. So do you agree with the President that these sanctions or more sanctions will bring Iran to the negotiating table?

REP. TED YOHO (R), FLORIDA: Yes, I really do. I think the pressure

that you have seen has caused the reaction that Iran is doing, and it's because of the economic pressure they feel, so they're striking out. And I think President Trump is right on for pulling out of the JCPOA to get rid of that terrible deal that was negotiated under the Obama administration with President Obama and John Kerry to put that pressure back on.

And the rest of the world said, no, it's not the right thing to do. But what we are seeing now is Germany, the UK, and other countries really see Iran for the bad players that they are and the mayhem they are causing around the world through their proxy groups whether it's Hezbollah or the Houthis or the Iranian revolutionary guard.

WHITFIELD: So what is the strategy and bringing them to the negotiating table to negotiate what if the nuke deal was not enough and this administration walked away from it? What is being presented to Iran to incentivize them to engage in a new deal?

YOHO: Sure. Let me go back to the JCPOA. That was a deal that --

WHITFIELD: You don't have to because you already said. But just answer that question.

YOHO: Well, it wouldn't have prevented the Iranians from getting a nuclear weapon.

WHITFIELD: But for a year they were compliant. So what would be offered that would be different? How do you incentivize Iran?

[14:05:05] YOHO: The economic pressure that they feel not just through us but through the other allies that we have that see what Iran is doing with the four tankers that they destroyed in may and the two this month, the rest of the allies are going to say, you know, they are bad players. They are the leading state's --

WHITFIELD: But all of that may be a consequence of the walking away from the first nuke deal. So --

YOHO: No, no, no --

WHITFIELD: If this administration is saying we want to see you back at the table, what would that discussion be like? What is being negotiating?

YOHO: I think this is a great time to come to the table. And I think if they realize that they can't go down the nuclear path, which I agree with President Trump, and then focus on their economy -- and I thought what President Trump said yesterday was let's help Iran make Iran great again.

That's focusing on the Iranian people and getting away from the terrorist activity or the radical stuff since in 1979 when the Ayatollahs came into power and focus on building a strong Iran, a strong Iranian economy where they are incorporated in the 21st century.

WHITFIELD: What is the they you are advocating?

YOHO: Keeping the sanctions on until Iran is ready to negotiate.

WHITFIELD: And then what, negotiating for what?

YOHO: Find out what their need is so we can do infrastructure developments, the developing economy. And then from the economy develop trade. And then for strong trading partners there is going to be less conflicts.

And so, President Trump is doing exactly the right thing especially by not going in there and bombing over a piece of equipment. I would send them a bill for that and I would sue them in court over that and then take it to the world court and, again, it shows Iran was the one responsible for that.

They have already claims they shot down the drone. And the rest of the world is, again, looking at the tankers they have destroyed, looking at the drove they have destroyed. They say you guys cant continue to go on this.

WHITFIELD: Except the international community is looking at what precipitated that. And if Iran in some way was either, a, one philosophy is trying to get attention, the other was response to being put in a corner because, you know, the administration walked away from the deal.

YOHO: Right. From the history is going to look at that that America by pulling out of the JCPOA and putting these restrictions on them, did they precipitate that? But we had nothing to do with what they are doing in Yemen, with what they are doing in Syria, with what they are doing in South America.

And if you look back over the course of decades, you know, you can look at the Khobar towers, you can look at what they have done in Beirut, bombing in Argentina where they killed 85 people at a Jewish synagogue that they haven't been held accountable for. So this is not something that's an isolated incidence. This is something that the Iranian regime has done since the '70s. And it is time to -- I would love to see the Iranian people stand up --

WHITFIELD: So all of this is payback for all of that, you are saying?

YOHO: No, it's not payback. It's just who Iran is. And I think it's time we change that page in history and get away from the radical clerics that are running Iran and let somebody have a stabilized government that we can work with.

WHITFIELD: OK. So congressman, let me as you this, you know. I want to ask you about the murder of "Washington Post" journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Listen to this exchange with President Trump on "Meet the Press" about that matter, still unresolved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TODD: The United Nations said they would like the United States to order the FBI to investigate Jamal Khashoggi's death and possibly MBS involvement in it. Will you allow the FBI to do that?

TRUMP: I think it's been heavily investigated --

TODD: By who?

TRUMP: By everybody. I mean, I have seen so many different reports.

TODD: What about the FBI?

TRUMP: Here is where I am. Are you ready? Iran has killed many, many people a day. Other countries in the Middle East, this is a hostile place. This is a vicious, hostile place. If you are going to look Saudi Arabia, look at Iran, and look at other counties, I won't mention names, and take a look at what's happening. And then you are outside of the Middle East and you take a look at what's happening with countries, OK. And I only say they spend $400 billion to $450 billion over a period of time, all money, all jobs, buying equipment --

TODD: That's the price. As long as they keep buying, we'll overlook this behavior?

TRUMP: No, no. I'm not like a fool. We don't want to do business with them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Congressman, the killing of Khashoggi was also vicious and hostile.

YOHO: Terrible.

WHITFIELD: So do you think the FBI should be investigating?

YOHO: No, I don't. It happened on Turkey's soil. I think the Turkish intelligence service ought to investigate it.

WHITFIELD: A columnist for an American newspaper --

YOHO: Well, you have a good point there. They should weigh into it, and I think the person behind this should be held accountable. And if it's the leader of that country, MBS, he should be held accountable for that. I would allow the Saudis to do what they have to do to hold people accountable.

[14:10:07] WHITFIELD: You trust Saudi Arabia to hold people accountable?

YOHO: Well, I trust the Turkish government to do their investigation. You brought up a great point. He was an American resident here. And so maybe the FBI can help them somewhat. But whoever goes back to, yes, I think the world community should say this is unacceptable behavior when you start going after the free press this is something I know you in journalism are extremely concerned with.

WHITFIELD: Every American should be.

Congressman Ted Yoho, thank you.

YOHO: Have a great day.

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