Sen. Kennedy on alliance between US and France, Iran deal

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Sen. Kennedy on alliance between US and France, Iran deal

Louisiana lawmaker talks French President Macron's address to Congress, the special relationship between the ally nations, and offers insight on attending President Trump's first state dinner.

This is a rush transcript from "Your World," April 25, 2018. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: They embraced each other by hugging one another in their arms and kissing each other's cheeks. It kind of remind you of something.

(LAUGHTER)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We do have a very special relationship. In fact, I will get that little piece of dandruff off. It will be -- we have to make him perfect.

MACRON: Thank you. Thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: I like him a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: All right. So what is French for bromance? Turns out bromance. What are the odds?

No, I have no idea.

Welcome back, everybody.

And, of course, a lot of people are saying, this odd relationship and the one that you would least expect the sort of grow into the buddy system that it has is surprising the world. And these two are pleased as punch with it.

I'm talking about the French president, the American president. Two years ago, as the president French president was saying, nobody would have foresaw the roles that they would be in as leaders of their respective countries.

However, there is a little bit of confusion between what the French president was telling the president yesterday at that state dinner and the kind of stuff he was telling Congress today.

The man at both events joins us right now, Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy, who joins us from Washington.

Senator, what do you make, first of all, of this special and unique relationship, but, more to the point, the slight different tone the French president took today addressing Congress?

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY, R-LOUISIANA: Well, I spent about five hours with President Macron last night. I listened to the speech. I followed his career.

He's a charming guy. He's a good politician. I don't mean that in the pejorative sense.

It seems to me, Neil, he's very much like Trump and Obama. Like President Trump, he ran against the system. Started with nothing. Established his own movement, his own party. Like President Obama, he's very cerebral a guy. He tries to be far-sighted.

Let me tell you my concern. And I'm delighted to have France and the people of France as an ally. I thank them so much for helping us in Syria.

But I wonder if President Macron is a little bit naive. I think he thinks that we can reason with the ayatollah in Iran and Kim Jong Un in North Korea and President Putin in Russia. I hope he's right. And certainly you should talk and try diplomacy.

But there are some folks who understand strength. And I think that in dealing with Putin and the ayatollah and Kim Jong Un from weakness is like trying to hand-feed a shark. I think President Putin, for example, understands one thing. You have got to hit him right in the face.

I think he understands those sanctions. I think Kim Jong Un does, too. I think Kim Jong Un saw what happened in Syria. I'm not saying that you don't try to reason with your adversaries, but -- as President Macron wants us to, but there are just some bad people in the world. They're not sick, they're not confused. It's not a question that momma or daddy didn't love them enough. They're just bad people.

(CROSSTALK)

CAVUTO: You know, Senator, I'm wondering the messages that the French president might have sent.

With the president in the joint press conference and taking questions from reporters afterwards, he low-keyed any stark differences on junking the Iran deal. To Congress, he more or less said, nix it, you will regret it. Let's work with what we got.

KENNEDY: Right.

CAVUTO: He said the same thing about the Paris climate accord. Don't leave it. Fix it. Make it better.

He did not pound that theme with the president. What do you make of that?

KENNEDY: Well, I don't know.

I'm not being critical. He's a good politician. And I think he's trying to be America's friend. And I think he's trying to get President Trump to trust him.

CAVUTO: Well, I just noticed there, Senator, that he got a lot of standing ovations from Democrats on those items.

KENNEDY: He did. He said many things I agree with.

CAVUTO: Yes.

KENNEDY: But we live in a real world, Neil.

And I just worry that we're not where we are and we're not there yet, but with Kim Jong Un, because we went to him and said, pretty please, with sugar on top, stop building a nuclear weapon.

He's scared. Putin respects us. Assad now respects us. The ayatollah is moving in to Syria with the Revolutionary Guard not because he cares about the people of Syria, not because he cares about Assad. He wants to establish a beachhead in Syria with -- along with Hezbollah, so they can screw with Israel and they can control the Middle East.

Now, he's not going to understand sitting down and let's break bread and reason together.

CAVUTO: You're quite right.

You could argue, whether you like President Trump or not, whatever he's doing is yielding very different results. They might fail, as the president himself said, but he is getting China to make concessions, at least verbally, on some key areas because of this tariff stuff.

We will see how it sorts out. And he's meeting with the North Korean leader. And I think that has surprised people like Macron and maybe Europe in general, especially when Angela Merkel comes later this week. What do you think?

KENNEDY: Yes.

Well, I think you're on to something, Neil. And I have got to be careful in how I say this. I think, under President Obama, who was a really bright guy -- I didn't agree with a lot of his politics -- but we got to the point internationally where our friends didn't trust us.

They were confused. And our enemies didn't quite respect us. With President Trump -- and I mean this affectionately -- they look at him and they see what he did in Syria and they see what he's doing in terms of trade, and they go, well, he's a little bit crazy, you know?

CAVUTO: But crazy in a good way, crazy in a good way.

KENNEDY: In a good way. In a great way. And he's tough.

CAVUTO: All righty.

KENNEDY: And this guy means business.

And I think that is helping us. I don't think Kim Jong Un is coming to the table because we asked him pretty please.

CAVUTO: Do you like French food? Did you eat everything last night?

KENNEDY: I did.

CAVUTO: Excellent.

KENNEDY: Mrs. Trump did a wonderful job.

CAVUTO: Excellent. That's what I heard.

Sir, thank you very, very much, Senator John Kennedy of the beautiful state of Louisiana.

END

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