Xi is a DICTATOR: GOP senator

. JACQUI? J JEFF STEPHANIE BENEFIT, THANK. YOU SO MUCH. FOR MORE LET'S BRING IN NEBRASKA. REPUBLICAN SENATOR PETE. RICKETTS. SENATOR, GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, SIR. >> MORNING. JACQUI: I JUST WANT TO GET YOUR. REACTION TO THAT NEWS WE JUST. HEARD FROM STEPHANIE BENNETT. OVER IN THE U.K. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT. >> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IT'S. IMPORTANT THAT WE CON TO WORK. WITH OUR ALLIES, AND THE BRITS. ARE GREAT ALLIES, AND MAKE SURE. THAT WE'RE ALWAYS TAKING STEPS. TO STOP THE TERRORISM THAT WE. SEE AROUND THE WORLD. A LOT OF THIS IS FUNDED BY IRAN.

OBVIOUSLY, THE INVESTIGATION HAS. TO GO ON HERE TO FIND OUT FOR. SURE IS, BUT IT'S ANOTHER REASON. WHY WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PUT. SANCTIONS ON IRAN AND MAKE SURE. WE DON'T ALLOW THEM TO HAVE OIL. MONEY TO BE ABLE TO FUND THIS. THEY ARE THE LARGEST STATE. SPONSOR OF TERRORISM. 9 AND THE OTHER THING IS JUST. THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DANGEROUS. WORLD OUT THERE, AND WE'VE GOT. TO CONTINUE TO BE VIGILANT. AGAINST THESE TYPES OF ATTACKS. JACQUI: THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, SPEAKING OF IRAN AND. SORT OF THE NEXUS WITH ALL OF. THE NEWS THAT WE SAW THIS WEEK, THE PRESIDENT MEETING WITH. PRESIDENT XI, OBVIOUSLY IRAN WAS.

A FACTOR THERE AND PART OF HER. DISCUSSIONS. HIS DISCUSSIONS. THE PRESIDENT SAID HE DIDN'T. SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH XI ON. THE ISSUE OF TAIWAN. HOWEVER, IF XI IS TRYING TO. LEVERAGE PURCHASES OF IRANIAN. OIL OR RUSSIAN OIL IN EXCHANGE. FOR ARMS TO TAIWAN OR SUPPORT TO. TAIWAN, WHAT SHOULD THE MESSAGE. FROM THE U.S. BE ON THAT FRONT? >> THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE VERY. CLEAR WITH XI JINPING THAT WE. ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SELL. ARMS TO TAIWAN, THAT OUR POLICY.

HAS NOT CHANGED. AND THIS PRESIDENT DELIVERED THE. LARGEST ARMS SALE LAST YEAR OF. $11 BILLION. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE. GET THOSE ARMS TO TAIWAN. IN FACT, WE'RE ABOUT $30 BILLION. BEHIND ON ARMS SALES TO TAIWAN, SO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON. DELIVERING THOSE. BECAUSE, FRANKLY, XI JINPING'S A. COMMUNIST DICTATOR. THE ONLY THING HE UNDERSTANDS IS. FORCE. IF WE WANT TO DETER HIM FROM. TAKING TAIWAN BY FORCE, WE HAVE. TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT STRONG. DETERRENCE, AND TAIWAN HAS TO. HAVE A STRONG DETERRENCE.

THEIR LEGISLATURE PASSED A BIG. LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE TO BUY MORE. ARMS, SO WE SHOULD PROVIDE THOSE. ARMS SO THEY CAN HAVE A STRONG. DEFENSE POSTURE. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO PREVENTED. THIS FROM HAPPENING WHERE XI. JINPING TRIES TO TAKE THEM BY. FORCE, AND THAT'S THE BEST. OUTCOME WE CAN HAVE, LOOK THAT. THE STRAITS OF TEHRAN REMAIN. PEACEFUL FOR STRONG DETERRENCE. JACQUI: YOU'RE SAYING HE SHOULD. SIGN THE $14 BILLION ARMS SALE. BILL. YOU CALLED THAT PACKAGE A GOOD.

NEGOTIATING CHIP. OBVIOUSLY, DIDN'T FRAME IT THE. BECAME SAY -- SAME WAY AFTER. THIS MEETING, BUT A COUPLE MORE. TIMES HE'S GOING TO SEE XI THIS. YEAR. DO YOU WANT TO SEE THAT PACKAGE. SIGNED BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING? >> I TO WANT TO SEE THAT PACKAGE. SIGNED. I'LL LEE IT TO THE DISCRETION OF. THE -- LEAVE IT TO THE. DISCRETION OF WHEN. THE PRESIDENT SENT A VERY STRONG. MESSAGE LAST YEAR, WE'RE $30. BILLION BEHIND ON DELIVERING. WEAPONS TO TAIWAN. WHILE I DO WANT TO SEE MORE ARMS. SALES IN THE FUTURE, WE NEED TO. FOCUS ON DELIVERING THE WEAPONS.

THAT WE ALREADY HAVE SALES FOR. SO THAT TAIWAN CAN PUT THOSE TO. USE. YOU KNOW, DETERRENCE IS MORE. THAN JUST SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO. SELL ARMS, IT'S ACTUALLY. DELIVERING THEM. AND WE NEED TO GET THOSE ARMS TO. TEHRAN SO THEY CAN PUT THEM IN. PLACE. JACQUI: OKAY. THERE WERE SOME CRITICISMS OF. THE PRESIDENT'S LEVEL OF. HOSPITALITY HE SHOWED TO XI. JINPING. SENATOR THOM TILLIS CALLED THE. MEETING A WTF MOMENT. TILLIS SAID HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT. THE TREND OF SPENDING MORE TIME. WITH DESPOTS AND LESS TIME WITH.

DEMOCRATIC LEADERS OF NATIONS, NOT THAT XI JINPING'S COMING. HERE TO LEARN HOW TO BECOME A. DEMOCRATIC CAPITALIST NATION, HE'S TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW. HIS OPPOSITION WILL ULTIMATELY. EMBRACE THEIR WORLD VIEW. DO YOU SHARE THAT CONCERN FROM. TILLIS AT ALL? >> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE. DON'T END UP IN A WAR WITH. COMMUNIST CHINA. XI JINPING HAS ALREADY SAID HE'S. WILLING TO TAKE TAIWAN BY FORCE. HE'S A DICTATOR. DICTATORS TEND TO TELL YOU WHAT. THEY'RE GOING TO DO, WE SHOULD. BELIEVE HIM. BY REMAINING IN DIALOGUE WITH.

HIM, THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE. CAN AVOID A CONFLICT. NOW HAVE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE STRONG. DETERRENCE. WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE TAIWAN. HAS STRONG DEFENSE, BUT A. RELATIONSHIP WHERE PRESIDENT. TRUMP IS TALK TO XI JINPING --. TALKING TO XI JINPING IS A GOOD. THING TO MAKE SURE WE AVOID THAT. CONFLICT AND CONVINCE XI JINPING. THAT HE OUGHT NOT TRY TO TAKE. TAIWAN BY FORCE. AISHAH: JACQUI: OKAY. SPECIFICALLY ON AGRICULTURE, THE. TREASURY SECRETARY SAYS CHINA IS. MEETING, BASICALLY, ITS.

OBLIGATIONS ON SOYBEANS, BUT. THEY'RE BEHIND IN THE $17. BILLION IN OTHER AGRICULTURAL. GOODS. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH WHAT THE. PRESIDENT AND WHAT THE U.S. GOT. OUT OF THIS LAST SUMMIT WITH THE. CHINESE? >> WE NEED TO KEEP THE PRESSURE. ON COMMUNIST CHINA FOR LIVING UP. TO WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING. TO DO. THEY'RE A TERRIBLE TRADE. PARTNER. WE SAW THIS WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP. SIGNED THE PHASE ONE TRADE DEAL. IN HIS FIRST ADMINISTRATION. AS SOON AS TRUMP WAS OUT OF. OFFICE, XI JINPING RENEGED ON.

THAT DEAL. AND THEY DID NOT BUY THE AMOUNT. OF AGRICULTURAL GOODS THEY SAID. THEY WERE GOING TO BUY. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP. THE PRESSURE ON HIM. I SENT A LETTER TO AMBASSADOR. GREER BEFORE THE SUMMER SAYING. YOU NEED TO KEEP THE PRESSURE ON. COMMUNIST CHINA. I'M VERY PLEASED THAT PRESIDENT. TRUMP DID BRING THIS UP DIRECTLY. AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO PUT THE. PRESSURE FOR THEM TO LIVE UP TO. THEIR COMMITMENTS BECAUSE THAT'S. PORN FOR OUR FARMERS AND. RANCHERS. BUT AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING WHERE. YOU HAVE TO REMAIN VIGILANT. BECAUSE, AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT VERY.

GOOD TRADE PARTNERS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY. ACTUALLY LIVE UP TO THEIR. COMMITMENTS. JACQUI: AS THE AMBASSADOR JUST. MENTIONED, THE PRESIDENT RAISED. THE ISSUE OF IRAN WITH PRESIDENT. XI. SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY. SECRETARY, SAID THE U.S. HAS NOT. YET SANCTIONED CHINESE BANKS. BECAUSE PRIVATE DISCUSSIONS ARE. SOMETIMES PREFERABLE THE PUBLIC. SPECTACLES, AS HE PUT IT. BUT WHEN SHOULD THE U.S. START. TO SANK THESE CHINESE BANKS? WHERE'S THE RED LINE IN YOUR TO. MIND? >> WELL, I WILL LET THE.

ADMINISTRATION DECIDE THAT. BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF. THINGS GOING ON. BUT I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IN. THE SENATE IS CONTINUE TO. SUPPORT WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION. IS DOING WITH REGARD TO. SANCTIONS. JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING WITH. RUSSIA WHEN WE PASSED THE RUSSIA. SANCTIONS BILL. WE SENT A VERY STRONG MESSAGE TO. PUTIN THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE. HIS AGGRESSION IS NOT REWARDED, AND I WOULD SEND THE SAME. MESSAGE TO XI JINPING THAT. YOU'RE SUPPORTING AGGRESSIVE. REGIMES, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO. BE REWARDED. I DO THINK AT SOME POINT WE ARE. GOING TO HAVE TO START.

SANCTIONING HIM. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO MAKE. A BIG, PUBLIC DEAL OUT OF IT, TO. SECRETARY BESSENT'S POINT. BUT IT WE START SQUEEZING THE. CHINESE BANKS ON THIS, THEY'LL. GET THE MESSAGE THAT THIS IS NOT. GOING TO BE A PROFITABLE. BUSINESS FOR THEM. AND THAT'S WHY SANCTIONING IRAN. AND EVERYBODY WHO'S DOING. BUSINESS WITH THEM, CUTTING OFF. THEIR PORTS, CUTTING OFF THEIR. AIRLINES, ALL THAT IS VERY. IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO MAKE. IRAN A POOR COUNTRY. AND GETTING BACK TO WHAT WE. TALKED ABOUT EARLIER WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE TERRORISM AROUND. THE WORLD, IRAN IS THE LARGEST. STATE SPONSOR OF TERRORISM.

LET'S MAKE SURE -- PAST. DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE. GIVEN THEM MONEY TO FUND THAT. TERRORISM. THAT'S A BAD IDEA. LET'S STOP DOING THAT, AND LET'S. REALLY CRANK DOWN ON THEIR. ECONOMY SO THEY CAN'T DO THAT. LET'S MAKE THEM POOR SO THEY. CAN'T AFFORD TO FUND TERRORISM. JACQUI: ON THE ECONOMY, THE U.S. AND THE IMPACT THE WAR IS. HAVING, A FOX POLL SHOWS 62% OF. REGISTERED VOTERS SAY GROCERY. SOURCE COSTS ARE A MAJOR PROBLEM. FOR THEIR FAMILY, OF 61% SAY THE. SAME THING ABOUT GAS, 54% ABOUT.

HOUSING. THE PRESIDENT, MEANTIME, SAYS. THE COUNTRY'S HAVING THE BEST. ECONOMIC NUMBERS IN HISTORY, BUT. A HEADLINE ON FRIDAY SAYS SENATE. REPUBLICANS PLAN A LAST DITCH. EFFORT TO LOWER COSTS BEFORE THE. MIDTERMS. REPUBLICANS PRIVATELY WORRY THAT. THEIR MAJORITY IS AT RISK AS GAS. AND GROCERY PRICES SPIKE. DO YOU THINK THAT THE TAX. PACKAGE THAT WAS PASSED EARLIER. THIS YEAR HAS DONE ENOUGH TO. MAKE AN IMPACT FOR VOTERS TO. FEEL IT? >> WELL, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SAW HIGH GROCERY.

PRICES GO UP 20% UNDER JOE. BIDEN, AND GROCERY PRICES WERE. STICKY. THE GAS PRICES ARE ALSO PUTTING. A MAJOR STRAIN ON PEOPLE'S. BUDGETS. DIESEL PRICES FOR OUR FARMERS. ARE HIGH, AND THAT'S PUTTING A. LOT OF PRESSURE ON OUR FARMERS. AND RANCHERS BUT ALSO ON. TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL THE BASIC. GOODS. SO THERE'S CERTAINLY A LOT THAT. IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON OUR. FAMILIES. AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE. ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO RELIEVE. THAT. THAT'S WHY I'M A COSPONSOR OF. THE RATE PAYER PROTECTION ACT TO.

MAKE SURE IF WE'RE BUILDING DATA. CENTERS, THAT THE PEOPLE ARE NOT. PAYING HIGHER ELECTRICITY RATES, THAT THE BAY DATA CENTERS ARE. BUILDING THEIR OWN POWER. THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN DO. IT AND WITH THE WORKING FAMILIES. TAX CUT LAST YEAR, WE DID PUT A. LOT OF MONEY BACK IN PEOPLE'S. POCKETS. FOR EXAMPLE, HERE IN NEBRASKA WE. AVOIDED A $2400 TAX INCREASE. OR -- ON YOUR AVERAGE NEBRASKA. FAMILY, AND WE ADDED NO TAX ON. TIPS, NO TAX ON OVERTIME, WE'VE.

CUT THE FEDERAL INCOME TAX ON. SENIOR ISES DOWN TO ALMOST. NOTHING. SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO. PUT MORE MONEY BACK IN PEOPLE'S. POCKETS. WE PASSED THE 21ST CENTURY. HOUSING ACT TO BE ABLE TO HELP. DO THAT. WE'VE GOT MORE WORK TO DO, THERE'S NO DOUBT. WE ALSO NEED TO REMEMBER THAT. COUNTRY THAT CHANTS DEATH TO. AMERICA CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO. HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. THEY KILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF. THEIR OWN PEOPLE AND HUNDREDS OF. THOUSANDS OF OURS. JACQUI: WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES. IT'S A POINT THAT FOLKS HAVE. BEEN REPEATING A LOT, AND THE. IRANIANS HAVE NOT SEEMED TO.

BUDGE ON IT. ONGOING EFFORT ON THAT FRONT. SENATOR PETE RICKETTS, THANK YOU. SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. ALWAYS.