CSPAN - Sen. Graham Reacts to Trump-Zelensky Meeting
Aired: 2025-02-28
Duration: 03:56


=== Let's Talk About the Positive (03:56) ===

[00:00:00]  I don't know if you can make a deal.
[00:00:02]  The problem is I've empowered you to be a tough guy.
[00:00:06]  And I don't think you'd be a tough guy without the United States.
[00:00:10]  And your people are very brave.
[00:00:12]  But you're either going to make a deal or we're out.
[00:00:14]  And if we're out, you'll fight it out.
[00:00:17]  I don't think it's going to be pretty, but you'll fight it out.
[00:00:21]  But you don't have the cards.
[00:00:22]  But once we sign that deal, you're in a much better position.
[00:00:26]  But you're not acting at all thankful.
[00:00:28]  And that's not a nice thing.
[00:00:30]  I'll be honest, that's not a nice thing.
[00:00:32]  All right.
[00:00:33]  I think we've seen enough.
[00:00:34]  What do you think?
[00:00:37]  This is going to be great television.
[00:00:39]  I will say that.
[00:00:41]  All right.
[00:00:42]  We'll see what we can do about putting it together.
[00:00:44]  Thank you.
[00:00:46]  Guys, let's go.
[00:00:49]  Guys, come on, let's go.
[00:00:51]  We'll see.
[00:00:52]  All right, guys, guys, come on.
[00:00:55]  Please.
[00:00:56]  Hey, come on.
[00:00:57]  Let's move.
[00:01:01]  Guys, come on.
[00:01:01]  Let's move, please.
[00:01:03]  Please.
[00:01:08]  Thank you.
[00:01:14]  Senator, he's here.
[00:01:16]  He's coming.
[00:01:20]  Guys, guys, right now, you got to move.
[00:01:23]  It's all right.
[00:01:28]  He's coming.
[00:01:37]  It's good.
[00:01:38]  He's here.
[00:01:39]  Is this better?
[00:01:43]  So, what I think is complete, utter disaster.
[00:01:48]  I've been to Ukraine eight or nine times since the war started.
[00:01:53]  I understand the consequences of Putin's actions against Ukraine.
[00:01:58]  I appreciate what the Ukrainian people have done.
[00:02:01]  They fought like tigers.
[00:02:03]  At the end of the day, I was hoping that this minerals deal, which would be transformative in the relationship, would go over well.
[00:02:12]  I talked to Zelensky this morning.
[00:02:14]  Don't take the bait.
[00:02:16]  President Trump was in a very good mood last night.
[00:02:19]  Somebody asked me, am I embarrassed about Trump?
[00:02:22]  I have never been more proud of the president.
[00:02:24]  I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country.
[00:02:29]  We want to be helpful.
[00:02:31]  What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful.
[00:02:34]  And I don't know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again.
[00:02:40]  I think most Americans saw a guy that they would not want to go in business with.
[00:02:45]  The way he handled the meeting, the way he confronted the president was just over the top.
[00:02:51]  So I think the relationship between Ukraine and America is important, vitally important.
[00:02:59]  But can Zelensky do a deal with the United States after what I saw?
[00:03:04]  I don't know.
[00:03:09]  What did he say to you about his interactions and whether he thinks he was shocked.
[00:03:15]  He was very upbeat.
[00:03:18]  I told Zelensky, we'll talk about security guarantees.
[00:03:22]  We'll talk about ceasefires and how the war ends.
[00:03:25]  This is a process.
[00:03:26]  You have a new relationship with America.
[00:03:29]  A $500 billion, half a trillion dollar deal that President Trump is proud of, that gives us an interest worth defending.
[00:03:37]  Let's talk about the positive.
[00:03:40]  But he was terrible at Munich, Zelensky, and I think he has made it almost impossible to sell to the American people that he's a good investment.
[00:03:53]  That's what he is.
[00:03:55]  Senator Real Grim.