Murphy On Meet The Press: We're Literally Putting Money Into The Pockets Of The Very Nations That We Are Fighting Right Now

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday joined Meet the Press with Kristen Welker and slammed the incompetence of Donald Trump and his administration as the war in Iran is spiraling out of control. Murphy highlighted the insanity of lifting sanctions on Iranian oil, putting money into the pocket of the very country the U.S. is currently fighting. Murphy also called on his Republican colleagues to accept Democrats' proposals to reopen TSA and other DHS agencies, while negotiations over reforms to ICE and CBP are ongoing.

Responding to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's unhinged calls to intensify the war with Iran, Murphy laid out the reality on the ground: "This administration has totally lost touch with reality. This war is spinning out of control. Prices are spiking for millions of Americans. There's a new war breaking out between Israel and Lebanon. Oil assets of our allies are continuing to be hit in the region. There's no end in sight. The Secretary of Treasury just said we're going to escalate in order to de-escalate. It's like they've never read a history book. That's exactly what our war leaders said in the middle of Vietnam and the 20 years of mismanagement in Afghanistan. We need to end this war. The only way you are going to get prices down here in the United States, the only way that you are going to bring peace to the region is by ending this war. And it may be that the quickest way we can do that is by denying them the funding that they need to perpetuate this war, which is increasingly out of control."

Murphy slammed the incompetence of the Trump administration and its failure to explain the goals of this war: "What we know is that the minute we stop bombing, this new regime is going to start rebuilding their missile capacity and their drone capacity. The estimates are that it will only take them a handful of months to reconstitute that threat. So what did we get at the end of this war? We're going to waste billions of dollars. We're going to get dozens, if not hundreds, of Americans killed. We're going to start new conflicts in the region. And when it's all said and done, a more provocative regime is going to be in charge with the same military capacities. This is nonsensical. This is what happens when you put real estate developers and talk show hosts in charge of American national security."

He highlighted the insanity of Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil: "I mean every single day, this war makes less and less sense. We're going to give Iran $14 billion to fund this war with the United States. We're going to give Russia billions of dollars to fund their war with Ukraine. We're literally putting money into the pockets of the very nations that we are fighting right now. Like we've never seen this level of incompetence in war making in this country's history, and frankly, we've had a lot of incompetence in war making."

Murphy rejected any additional funding or ground troops for Trump's illegal and disastrous war and called on the president to focus on the urgent needs of the American people: "That would be a mistake of colossal proportions. And the American public doesn't want this war, right? If we're going to spend $200 billion, they want that money to be spent on them. Think of what we could do with $200 billion here at home. We could make sure that none of the 20 million Americans that are getting a health insurance increase because of Trump's policies have their premiums raised. We could rebuild schools in every neighborhood across this country. The fact that this President is so focused on Iran and Venezuela and has no interest in helping people here at home…it's absolutely heartbreaking."

On funding for the Department of Homeland Security, Murphy said Democrats are ready to reopen TSA and will continue to push for reforms to rein in the lawlessness of ICE and CBP: "Democrats have been clear we are willing tonight to provide the votes to open up every part of the Department of Homeland Security while we resolve our narrow differences on how ICE is terrorizing our communities. So almost every single day last week, Democrats went to the Senate floor and said, 'Let's open up [TSA]'. Republicans said no. 'Let's open up the Coast Guard.' Republicans said no. They want to hold TSA hostage so that they can continue getting Democrats to fund the illegality happening at ICE. Let's just isolate our differences. Let's not hold TSA hostage any longer."

A full transcript of the interview is below:

Kristen Welker: Now to Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Senator Murphy, welcome back to Meet the Press.

Senator Chris Murphy: Good morning.

Welker: Good morning. Thank you for being here. I want to start with Iran. The Pentagon, as I was just discussing with the Treasury Secretary, is planning to ask Congress for more than $200 billion in additional funding for the war. Most Democrats have vowed that they're not going to approve this funding request. But by opposing this request, are you risking potentially leaving American forces vulnerable?

Murphy: I thought that was a really scary appearance by the Treasury Secretary. This administration has totally lost touch with reality. This war is spinning out of control. Prices are spiking for millions of Americans. There's a new war breaking out between Israel and Lebanon. Oil assets of our allies are continuing to be hit in the region. There's no end in sight. The Secretary of Treasury just said we're going to escalate in order to de-escalate. It's like they've never read a history book. That's exactly what our war leaders said in the middle of Vietnam and the 20 years of mismanagement in Afghanistan. We need to end this war. The only way you are going to get prices down here in the United States, the only way that you are going to bring peace to the region is by ending this war. And it may be that the quickest way we can do that is by denying them the funding that they need to perpetuate this war, which is increasingly out of control.

Welker: Well, let me ask you, though, because the war is underway, you have argued, and I'll put this quote, 'we need to end this war right now.' If the U.S. ends the war right now, as you're arguing for, could that leave Iran with a more extreme anti-American regime and even lead to a potentially larger conflict for the next administration?

Murphy: But the administration has already said their goal is not regime change. They are perfectly satisfied to leave in charge of Iran a regime that is going to be worse for American interests than the previous regime. What we know is that the minute we stop bombing, this new regime is going to start rebuilding their missile capacity and their drone capacity. The estimates are that it will only take them a handful of months to reconstitute that threat. So what did we get at the end of this war? We're going to waste billions of dollars. We're going to get dozens, if not hundreds, of Americans killed. We're going to start new conflicts in the region. And when it's all said and done, a more provocative regime is going to be in charge with the same military capacities? This is nonsensical. This is what happens when you put real estate developers and talk show hosts in charge of American national security.

Welker: Just to be very clear you are a no on any funding request?

Murphy: I'm absolutely a no on any funding request. I mean, every single day, this war makes less and less sense. We're going to give Iran $14 billion to fund this war with the United States? We're going to give Russia billions of dollars to fund their war with Ukraine? We're literally putting money into the pockets of the very nations that we are fighting right now. Like we've never seen this level of incompetence in warmaking in this country's history, and frankly, we've had a lot of incompetence in warmaking.

Welker: Well, speaking of my conversation with the Treasury Secretary, he said all options are on the table when I asked him about ground troops. Is there any scenario where you would support putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iran?

Murphy: Never. Never. That would be a mistake of colossal proportions. And the American public doesn't want this war, right? If we're going to spend $200 billion they want that money to be spent on them. Think of what we could do with $200 billion here at home. We could make sure that none of the 20 million Americans that are getting a health insurance increase because of Trump's policies have their premiums raised. We could rebuild schools in every neighborhood across this country. The fact that this President is so focused on Iran and Venezuela has no interest in helping people here at home…it's absolutely heartbreaking.

Welker: You heard me ask the Secretary about the decision to loosen oil sanctions on Iran and Russia. He said that money was going to go to China anyway. He argues these are temporary moves that are ultimately going to bring down pressure on the supply of the global oil markets. Are you supportive of those moves if ultimately they do, in fact, lower the cost of oil?

Murphy: The only way to lower energy prices is to end this war. I mean, what he told you is that Iran was getting discounted prices previously from China, and we are now removing sanctions so that they can get premium prices. So we are literally putting billions of dollars into the very regime that we are fighting. Again, no matter how badly we fought the war in Iraq or Afghanistan or Vietnam, I don't think at any point during those wars, we were literally handing the enemy cash with which to fight our troops. We've just never seen anything like this. The quickest way to lower energy prices is to end this war and get this President focused on this country.

Welker: Let me talk to you about the shutdown. President Trump is threatening to put ICE agents in airports as early as Monday as we're seeing these long TSA lines as TSA agents call out sick or don't show up to work because they're not receiving a paycheck amidst this partial government shutdown. Does that threat make you more inclined to end this shutdown?

Murphy: Why don't they just reopen TSA? Why don't we just reopen the Coast Guard and FEMA? Democrats have been clear we are willing tonight to provide the votes to open up every part of the Department of Homeland Security while we resolve our narrow differences on how ICE is terrorizing our communities. So almost every single day last week, Democrats went to the Senate floor and said, 'Let's open up [TSA]'. Republicans said no. 'Let's open up the Coast Guard.' Republicans said no. They want to hold TSA hostage so that they can continue getting Democrats to fund the illegality happening at ICE. Let's just isolate our differences. Let's not hold TSA hostage any longer.

Welker: During the previous shutdown in the fall, you criticized the eight Senate Democrats who broke ranks to negotiate an end to the shutdown with Republicans. You said they capitulated and lost the quote, 'political advantage.' Do you see this shutdown ending in the exact same way, with moderates, effectively saying, time to end this time to make a deal with Republicans.

Murphy: Well, I hope the Democrats stay together on a very simple principle, which is, we swore an oath to the Constitution to uphold the law, and right now, ICE is operating lawlessly. No matter who is in charge, they are rounding up legal immigrants, denying them their rights. They are still terrorizing American citizens. They are abusing protesters who are standing up to this illegal activity. So until we get commitments from the administration that ICE is going to behave legally, yes, I believe the Democrats should stand together. I think we have an obligation to not fund an agency that is acting this lawlessly.