♪ ♪ ♪ >> just waiting for president trump's remarks in kansas city, missouri, before several thousand veterans gathered for the national vfw convention. while we wait for the president's speech we will take a look at the administrations foreign policy and trade policy. this is from today's "washington journal." >> joining us, a republican from pennsylvania who serves the six

district, good morning. one of the things within hearing from you lately is the president performance in russia. give your assessment of not i what happened on the trip but what you do you think it did fe russia relations? >> it difficult for me to know what it's done for u.s.-russian relations but i think was low point of the presidency and i think that because to me and to think to most americans, the presidency of united states stands for more than just it's hard powers. stan fort saw powers and our role around the globe. and giving that equivalency to vladimir putin on the international stage and undermining our intelligence communities on the fact that rush interfered, i think number one was not a good thing, and number two i think it reinforces for russia and its propaganda campaign in other countries, russia is industry and has interfered in elections all

across the globe. it gives those russian proxy candidates, for instance, bosnia or italy or anywhere else to say this is not true, russia is not anything. i stand on my own. that's not a good thing. >> host: we heard following that trip calling this trip released the present actions in the trip treasonous. would you rise to the level? >> guest: i don't. is what i think. i try and call balls and strikes fairly but if you look at polling, and i'm critical of the present what i don't agree with them on personal things but i try and keep it more on policy. the reason the president i think as such strong numbers amongst republican voters is i think oftentimes democrats or the far left goes too far with the criticism and the republicans look at what democrats say and say they took it too far. that reinforces their support for the president because while that may not agree with

president trump on this that or the other thing or may not like what he tweeted about the navy may use to call someone, but when you take it too far, it gets you back to what you are sort of cooler -- core political police are or what party label you agree with. i don't agree with the trees label. but i have been very critical of the president on this trip. >> host: you mentioned polling with the abc wall street journal point us to talk republicans take about actions of russia. 53% getting approvals present when it comes to how is acting towards russia. >> guest: i'm not one of those 53%. >> host: are you surprised by the figure? >> guest: a little bit surprised but i would attribute that some of two i think some of the over response or some the language that is used on the left but i am surprised. listen, i think a lot of republicans still want to give and to give the president a lot

of room for negotiation. i think will talk about terrorists in a little bit. i'm not comfortable with where this is headed on the tariff side. the one of the american public of the particularly want republican members of congress to give the president enough of a roadway to negotiate the way that he said he was going to negotiate during the campaign [inaudible conversations] our guest will be joining us and go to ask questions about knowing the president and russia but also the topic of the terrorist, -- if you want to tweet us your thoughts you can do so. you can also post on her facebook page@facebook.com/c-span. there was an article in ceq talking about policy what comes to the administration of russia. a highlight something singular the president personal attitude towards food is one thing. they say these include the new class of nuclear weapons, national security strategy

vesicles of russia and china, and continued buildup of u.s. and nato forces in eastern europe and new weapon since ukraine's government and that's because a lot in the battle with progression and surgeons. what you think thathe those actions versus when you the rhetoric about the president trip to russia? >> guest: the sanctions would put on russia last year our continued assistance for military nato buildup as you sit. back to whenet asked, because let's began did come a lot of times what the republican member here is you need to stand up to the president, you are not doing enough. and i say look at what this congress has done in terms of strengthening america's hand against russia. the data points you hit upon or the policies with help put into place are substantial. >> host: again our guests guesl be with us but before we take calls your thoughts on these tears taken as administration might dirigible out new tariffs towards china? >> guest: i am deeply concerned about the uncertainty that it will bring about to the

american economy. i think what w anything else you hear it fromdo farmers concerned about the price of soybeans as a mother dairy products where not headed in a very positive place, and i voted for the tax bill. i think it was good policy. i think you w see tremendous economic growth this quarter. we do need to put more money back in the pockets of middle income americans and we do need more capital expenditures in corporate america and in small businesses. these tariffs agreed to push us back in the wrong direction. >> host: are using any of the impact of tariffs within those you serve in pennsylvania? >> guest: we are starting to that. youu will hear a lot more storis in the coming months, our first call from you come some phoenix, arizona, independent line. you are on with representative costello. >> caller: good morning. i'm in phoenix, arizona, and i was wondering, when you have a person that is going to court

and they are charged with a crime orr they're looking into yourwi crime, do they not also look into other peoples crime if this is possible? i i mean, you've got people that are taken 150 million from the russians. ukip you but gone over there and then speeches for the russians, and yet they stay on trump. do you see what -- >> host: apologies for that caller. >> guest: broadly speaking, i support the mueller investigation. i have from its inception. it's going to lead wherever it leads to. i think it will go wherever the tax take it. that doesn't mean the president colluded or was involved in any of the wrongdoing that's been found by those who actually have been charged or i think the plea agreements that have been met. it also doesn't mean that the clinton campaign or other people

in this country have done wrong things. i don't do the whole what about is him. it's going to lead what is going to lead drama democrats like, joe is next, bronx new york. go ahead. [inaudible] how are you? >> host: you are on with our guest. >> caller: what i want to talk to you this morning is reference to russia here now, i can't understand why the republicans always, when they talk, what they are saying is okay, we knew russia interfered in our election and other elections, but never put their sentences together saying that this, in billy trump and his people that something, you know, something to do with it. they are pretty slick when they

speak, but the people from main street that i speak to, what they are saying is yes, russia interfered in the election with the cooperation of trump and some of his people. now, the democrats cannot understand this is what you doing. yes, yes, yes, we know who did it. try to my assessment of what you said is that this is why we have an independent investigation. congress is not well-suited to do investigations of the sort. it becomes very political very, very quickly. my colleague, joe shuster, just put out and infrastructure plan yesterday. the previous guest wasec p speag about some healthcare bills that will be on the floor this week. we have aek host of issues we could talk energy. we could talk agriculture policy. there are a lot of things that

this congress has been also should be doing. and to get sidetracked and not that it's in elgin investigation, it is legitimate like to have members of congress focus on the rush investigation is will get what we should be doing. that's why we have ended an independent of the station, one aspect was indictment of 12 hackers last week by rod rosenstein. part of that and the stories saying a congressional candidate had asked for information about russians. your name came up. what happened? >> guest: the reason myus name came up is our member it distinctive, my wife and i and a little one were at the shore, and i logged on to the hill.com which is a local, which is a d.c. newspaper and indicated that vista for 2.0 dump information on my been political rate about it online. we were not confuse information. sergey i think public information along with some e-mails that the dccc had back and forth my l been opponents

campaign. but in trying to figure out what congressional candidate, because in the dike that indicated there was congressional candidate who reached out to gusto for 2.2. i don't know how you go about doing that, but because are only a certain number of candidates whose opponent come information had come out, my name is brought up because of the timing of all but i was very clear. on twitter like i said, that was not me. nothing to do with it. i wouldn't, it wasn't me, did they find that who asked for the information? >> guest: i would imagine, i would bet dollars to donuts whomever that candidate was the mueller investigation does about. but i said i'd hope they would just identify who that was to sort of take the cloud over us although i don't think it would thinks it was me. >> host: did the mulching reach out to you and discuss this? >> guest: no. not been contacted. had to say it's very weird for me to be even asked a a questin

like that. that's a legitimate question but it so far ayana foia and what it do on a day-to-day basis to think that somenk of my knee wod be even a part of that. >> host: from new jersey, republican line, j go ahead, i s just wondering why don't you get a a president a shot, a chance? see what happens before you badmouth the man. i don't think you'll be in this job if you're going down the road all the time. i think you are trying to be a john mccain tried to i think what you'll find is i am a republican. i felt from the other regulatory reform measures, money, my voting record while it's one of the board independent voting records in congress, i lean republican on most issues. i worked my way up to the local republican party, helped out candidates all the while but i found that if you're going to like to see what you think and not necessarily toe the party

line every single time you will get callers, republican callers who will sort of characterize you c as always that mocking the president which isn't the case -- >> we believe this and take you live back to kansas city, missouri, president trump about to speak to the thousands of veterans gathered here for the national vfw convention. >> isn't this a great way to start off? what a better way to bring greetings to the president of the united states. it took my introduction, it is with a great deal of pleasure and honor for me to introduce the president of united states, donald j. trump. ♪