CBS Face the Nation Transcript - May 15, 2016
REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: I'm supporting him as the nominee of the party, but I still have real questions with him as far as national security.I don't think his Asian policy is coherent, because, again, if he does want to get in a trade war with China, he has to explain how that coincides with him wanting to use China against North Korea. If he wants to have leverage over China, how can he be talking about taking troops out of Japan and Korea?
Does he know that it costs more to take the troops out than to leave them there? And does he realize that that would just weaken our leverage against China? I'm very concerned about this romance he seems to have with Putin.
And as far as his statement that he wants Russia take care of what is happening in Syria, that's Barack Obama's policy. But, again, there's a lot about Donald Trump I like. He's brought people into the Republican Party. He's brought in the blue-collar Reagan Democrats, which we had lost over the years.
So, there's a real chance here. But on the foreign policy, I want him to make his policy more coherent. I'm endorsing him. I'm going to vote for him. But before I can actively campaign, I have to see a much more coherent foreign policy.
Excerpt selected not to indicate agreement with King, but for a other reasons.
Note that King is endorsing Trump, not just supporting him, and this in spite of what King states as substantial policy differences.
Also, King is offering reasoned basis for disagreement on the foreign policy side, but he says he is open to persuasion.
Thanks. Meet the Press was preempted today for soccer coverage.