'What's Not Okay?': Chris Murphy Won't Let Up On State Department Nom About Qatar Plane Gift, Business Dealings

Forbes Breaking News

At Thursday's Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) questioned Joel Rayburn, Assistant State Department Secretary nominee.

Transcript

00:00Senator Ricketts, exchange with you, Mr. Rayburn, regarding the ways in which the Trump

00:07administration is thinking about a deal with Iran. It seems pretty muddled to many of us on this

00:12committee. You likely heard Vice President Vance yesterday suggest that, in fact, the Trump

00:17administration would be open to Iran being able to enrich. The president himself posted on social

00:24media an article that outlined a deal that would allow Iran to have enrichment capabilities.

00:30So I look forward to this continued conversation. If, in the end, a deal gets struck in which Iran

00:37makes promises never to obtain a nuclear weapon but is given the ability to enrich to a certain level,

00:44that sounds a lot like the JCPOA, what a tragedy it would be to have thrown out the window to then

00:51just re-enter a deal on very similar parameters. I also appreciated the answer you gave

00:59on the president's decision to remove Syria sanctions. But I'm interested in your views,

01:06because there's a Washington Post report this morning that says some of Trump's own officials

01:12are mounting a quiet but determined rearguard action to undermine President Trump's Syria policy,

01:18which is to lift all sanctions. I actually think the president is right, that it's time for us to

01:25lift these sanctions and give the Syrian regime a shot. But there is reporting that there are members

01:31of his team that are seeking to undermine that decision. Are you part of the group that is described

01:37here that is trying to convince the president not to lift sanctions on Syria?

01:43Senator, thank you for that question. Senator, as a private citizen, I'm not in the U.S. government.

01:50I'm not a part of the policy system. And the president has been very clear with his policy guidance.

01:59So if I'm confirmed, I'm going to implement the president's policy as handed to me also by

02:06Secretary Rubio. And that's been very clear. But you've obviously, you know, thought and written

02:11extensively on this topic. Do you want to share your personal views with us on whether the president is

02:17right to pursue a release of these sanctions? Senator, I support the president's goals and his

02:24initiative as he laid out just within the last 48 hours. I think it offers, as I said to Senator

02:31Sheehan and Senator Rish, it offers a golden opportunity to turn the page on more than half

02:36a century of Syria being a source of instability, a failed state. It's people suffering. The president

02:42is taking a bold move to give the Syrians an opportunity to grasp that. He has expectations that

02:48he's also laid out. So I think this is a, this is a policy, if I'm confirmed, that's the policy that

02:54I'll be implementing. Listen, help us understand the advice you are going to give the president

03:01regarding the investments that are being made by Gulf nations in the president's businesses and the

03:09direct gifts that are being made to the president. I disagree with the president's decision to do business

03:15deals with foreign nations and sovereign wealth funds and companies that are controlled by foreign

03:20governments while he's in office. And I think the American people agree. I think the reason that the

03:26announcement on the gift of the plane was so shocking is because this was different. This wasn't

03:32an investment in a Trump business. This was just a gift of a $400,000 luxury plane, $400 million luxury

03:40plane, not to the U.S. government, but apparently to Trump himself, because he was going to be allowed to

03:45take it with him to his library, whatever that is going to be after he's out of office. So help us

03:53understand what the line is here. I think the American people don't really understand what's

03:58ethical, what is not, what advice you as his chief advisor for the Middle East are going to give him.

04:06Is it okay, if it's okay for the president to get investments in his businesses, if it's okay for the

04:11president to get a gift to the presidential library, what's not okay? Would it be okay for a foreign

04:17government to hand him an envelope of cash? Explain to the American people what the line is here.

04:24Senator, thank you for the opportunity to address this. Of course, I'm not in the system, so I'm not

04:28part of the review process at this stage. I'm not privy to the engagements either within our system.

04:36But you've obviously seen the, you know what the debate is here. I think on this issue,

04:42it's important to hear your personal views. Where do you think the line exists? Could you give an

04:47example of a gift or a payment to the president of the United States that would be unethical or illegal

04:58or that you would advise against? Senator, my personal view and in my experience, the White House

05:03and President Trump are going to follow all applicable laws and ethical guidelines that govern

05:08the reception of gifts. I have no doubt that that process is going to be followed to the letter.

05:14And you don't believe that the gift of the plane violates, at the very least,

05:18the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution? Senator, again, I'm not involved. I'm not in the system.

05:23I'm not involved in that process, but I am confident that the White House, that the president,

05:27are going to follow all the applicable laws and ethical guidelines governing the reception.

05:32Yeah, that is that is not terribly confidence and inspiring. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

05:38Okay, so next we have Mr. Paul, please.

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