Trump needs to 'FINISH THE JOB' with Iran, Rep. Crawford argues

? AISHAH: ALEX HOGAN LIVE, THANK. YOU. RIGHT NOW THE INVESTIGATION'S. UNDERWAY INTO CYBER ATTACKS AT. WATER SYSTEMS IN AT LEAST SEVEN. STATES INCLUDING MINNESOTA. SOME UTILITIES NOW SWITCHED. TO -- FORCED TO SWITCH OVER TO. MANUAL OARMSES. PRESIDENT TRUMP -- OPERATIONS. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS REJECTING THE. IDEA THAT IRANIAN HACKERS ARE. BEHIND THESE ATTACKS, BLAMING. INSTEAD MINNESOTA AND ITS. GOVERNOR, TIM WALZ. DESPITE FEDERAL AGENCIES DAYS. AGO WARNING THAT IRANIAN HACKERS. WERE TARGETING THE SAME KINDS OF.

SYSTEMS. >> WE'LL TALK ABOUT NUCLEAR, AND. WE'LL BE IN THERE TALKING ABOUT. NUCLEAR FOR SEVEN HOURS. I SAY WHY IS IT, WHY DO YOU NEED. SEVEN? YOU CAN TAKE TEN MINUTES, FIVE. MINUTES, BUT SEVEN HOURS. AND THEN THEY'LL GO OUT AND I'LL. SAY -- THEY DISCUSS NUCLEAR, AND. THEY'LL GO OUT AND SAY WE NEVER. DISCUSSED NUCLEAR. AND I'LL SAY, WHY DID THEY SAY. THAT? THEY DO IT TO MAKE ME ANGRY, YOU. KNOW? JUST MAKE ME ANGRY. AISHAH: PRESIDENT TRUMP. REPORTEDLY ORDERING A FRESH.

ROUND OF STRIKES OP IRAN THAT. COULD START AS SOON AS TODAY OR. TOMORROW. LET'S BRING IN HOUSE. INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN. RICK CRAWFORD. CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR. JOINING US. >> YOU BET. AISHAH: I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT. WHAT WE MIGHT SEE HAPPEN OVER. THIS WEEKEND. WE ARE WAITING TO FIND OUT IF. STRIKES ARE IMMINENT. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE PRESIDENT. SHOULD DO WITH IRAN? >> WELL, I THINK HE SHOULD. FINISH THE JOB, QUITE FRANKLY. I THINK WHAT WE SEE HERE IS HE. HAS GIVEN THEM TREMENDOUS LEASH. DIPLOMATICALLY SPEAKING. AND IT'S BEEN MEANT WITH, YOU.

KNOW, COMPLETE DISRESPECT, AS. YOU HEARD HIM SAY. HE TALKS ABOUT NUCLEAR. DISARMAMENT, AND THEN THEY COME. OUT AND SAY WE NEVER DISCUSSED. NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT. I BELIEVE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP. HAS GIVEN THEM EVERY OPPORTUNITY. DIPLOMATICALLY TO RESOLVE THIS. ISSUE, AND THEY'VE REFUSED. SO THERE'S REALLY NOTHING MORE. TO DO. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RED. LINES HAVE BEEN CROSSED. HE'S GIVEN THEM EVERY. OPPORTUNITY, AND THEY'RE SHOWING. NO WILLINGNESS TO DO IT. SO I SUPPORT THE KINETIC ACTION. THAT'S TO BEING UNDERTAKEN NOW.

AISHAH: THERE'S ALSO THIS IDEA. THAT POTENTIALLY STRIKING THEM. HARD IN ONE BIG WAVE WOULD DO US. BETTER ESPECIALLY BECAUSE. THERE'S THESE REPORTS OUT, I'M. SURE YOU'VE SEEN, OF OUR DEFENSE. MISSILE CAPABILITIES, A SHORTAGE. OF THOSE STOCKPILES WHEN IT. COMES TO THE THSDs AND THE --. THADs. IF THE REALLY IS RUNNING OUT OF. MISSILES AND INTERCEPTERS, THAT. SHOULD BE A FIVE ALARM FIRE. MR. TRUMP SHOULD BE CALLING ON.

CONGRESS TO SKIP ITS RECESS AND. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IMMEDIATELY. BUT IF THE MISSILE GAP IS BEING. FLOATED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES. BY OFFICIALS WHO WANT MR. TRUMP. TO STAND DOWN, THEN THE. PRESIDENT SHOULD BANISH THOSE. VOICES FROM THE SITUATION ROOM. ARE WE LOOKING AT A MISSILE. SHORTAGE HERE, SIR? >> WELL, I THINK MAGAZINE DEPTH. IS ALWAYS A TOPIC OF. CONVERSATION WHETHER IT'S OURS. OR THEIRS, AND THAT'S A FAIR. SUBJECT TO ADDRESS. BUT I DO THINK THERE ARE SOME. FOLKS THAT MAY RAISE THIS FOR. POLITICAL REASONS AS AM IN.

ADDITION TO ESSENTIALLY A SAY --. AMMUNITION TO ESSENTIALLY SAY WE. DON'T NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN. IRAN. AND THE FACT IS THIS HAS GONE ON. FOR 47-PLUS YEARS. IT'S TIME THAT IT'S RESOLVED. IRAN HAS USED THE STRAIT OF. HORMUZ AS LEVERAGE TO BE ABLE TO. DEVELOP WEAPONS OF MASS. DESTRUCTION POTENTIALLY. WE KNOW THEY'VE DEVELOPED. BALLISTIC MISSILES WITH PRETTY. EXTENSIVE REACH AND RANGE. AND THEY'VE DONE THAT BEHIND. THEIR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO. LEVERAGE THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. TO THEIR OWN EFFECT.

SO THAT'S A RED LINE THAT'S BEEN. CROSSED. WE ALSO KNOW THAT THEY'VE HAD. NUCLEAR AMBITIONS FOR QUITE SOME. TIME, NO SECRET THERE. THAT HAS BEEN CROSSED. THIS IS, IT'S -- AS UNFORTUNATE. AS THIS IS, THE TIME HAS COME, AND THE PRESIDENT THAT'S WILLING. TO ADDRESS IT IT IS SITTING IN. THE OVAL OFFICE RIGHT NOW. AND I APPLAUD HIS EFFORTS TO TRY. TO RESOLVE THIS PEACEFULLY, BUT. THEY SEEM UNWILLING TO LISTEN TO. ANY PEACEFUL OPPORTUNITIES. AISHAH: OKAY. I WANT TO ALSO ASK YOU ABOUT. THESE REPORTS THAT CHINA IS.

POTENTIALLY SUPPLYING WEAPONS TO. IRAN. CHINA HAS DENIED THIS. THIS IS TREASURY SECRETARY SCOTT. BESSENT THIS WEEK, CONFIDENT. THAT CHINA IS NOT SELLING. WEAPONS TO IRAN, BUT HERE'S WHAT. HE SAID ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. IF THEY WERE. WATCH. >> IF THERE WERE A PROVEN. DELIVERY OF SHOULDER-POWERED. ROCKETS, THAT WOULD BE VERY. PROBLEMATIC. I THINK THAT PRESIDENT XI HAS. GREAT RESPECT FOR PRESIDENT. TRUMP. CHINESE LEADERSHIP WILL MAKE.

SURE THE PRIVATE SECTOR ACTORS. DO NOT TRANSACT IN THOSE KIND OF. WEAPONS. AISHAH: CHAIRMAN, IF THIS IS. TRUE, IF CHINA IS, INDEED, GOING. BEHIND OUR BACKS AND HELPING. IRAN OUT, SHOULD THE WHITE HOUSE. BE INVITING PRESIDENT XI TO. WASHINGTON IN SEPTEMBER? >> THAT'S A QUESTION THAT'S. PROBABLY BETTER DIRECTED TO. SECRETARY RUBIO AND THE. PRESIDENT HIMSELF. BUT I WILL SAY THIS, THAT, YOU. KNOW, CHINA HAS AN EXTENSIVE. NETWORK TO BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE. WEAPONS TO VARIOUS COUNTRIES, AND SO IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT.

CHINESE-ORIGINATING WEAPONS --. AISHAH: DO YOU THINK THEY ARE? >> I DON'T KNOW. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY ARE, I'M SAYING IT'S ENTIRELY. POSSIBLE BECAUSE THAT KIND OF. THING HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. CHINA HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN. MANUFACTURING WEAPONS. WHAT THEY DO IS THEY'LL, FOR. EXAMPLE, THE RPG. THAT'S A VERY SIMPLE -- BEEN ON. THE BATTLEFIELD FOR DECADES. RPGs ARE MANUFACTURED IN. CHINA. THEY'RE KNOCKOFFS OF THE. ORIGINAL SOVIET MODELS.

AND THEY'VE FOUND THEIR WAY. ACROSS THE WORLD IN VARIOUS. THEATERS FOR DECADES. SO IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE TO. THINK THAT SOME CHINESE. KNOCKOFFS COULD APPEAR IN IRAN. THROUGH PROXIES. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO BE. CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. BUT I AM ENCOURAGED IF SECRETARY. BESSENT SAYS THERE'S AN. AGREEMENT THERE'LL BE NO DIRECT. SALES FROM CHINA TO IRAN, THAT'S. ENCOURAGING. BUT WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE. THERE'S NO BACK CHANNEL MOVEMENT. THERE AS WELL. AISHAH: IF WE DO DISCOVER THIS.

IS TRUE AND IT COMES OUT THIS IS. WHAT THEY'RE DOING, HOW WOULD. YOU RESPOND? >> I'M NOT GOING TO SPECULATE ON. HYPOTHETICALS WHAT THE RESPONSE. WOULD BE, BUT CERTAINLY THE. POINT THAT YOU RAISED ABOUT IS. IT APPROPRIATE FOR US TO BE. MEETING WITH THE CHINESE IF THEY. ARE, IN FACT, ARMING OUR. ADVERSARY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, I. WOULD BRING THAT QUESTION UP. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT. TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING. WITH THE CHINESE IN GOOD FAITH. AND THEY'RE ENGAGING IN GOOD. FAITH WITH US. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT'S GOING TO. BE THE CASE IF THEY ARE WORKING. AROUND FINDING BACK DOOR WAYS TO.

SUPPORT IRAN. AISHAH: ESPECIALLY IF IT'S. PUTTING OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AT. RISK. >> ABSOLUTELY. AISH.