>> Kurt Kotenberg out of green Bay. Thanks so much.
>> Thank you for having us. >> There is a new ten day
ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, and we're into
week two of a ceasefire with Iran and new today,
Iran announces the Strait of Hormuz is open. The
temporary détente in the war with Iran comes in the
midst of a build up of U.S. forces having steamed into
the region. Last week, we interviewed Democratic U.S.
Second District Representative Mark Pocan,
who called the U.S. Israel War with Iran. Chaos piled
on top of chaos. Tonight, we turn to Republican U.S.
Senator Ron Johnson. And Senator, thanks very much
for being here. >> Well, Fredricka, thanks
for having me on. >> So it seems to be
welcome news that Iran has declared the Strait of
Hormuz open. But what about Representative Pocan
comment that this war is chaos on top of chaos? Are
you satisfied with the war planning that went into
this and the move? >> Since last weekend? I
was on one of the Sunday morning shows and the host
started the interview by saying that I was
supportive of the war in Iran, and I pushed back
immediately by saying, no, I am absolutely opposed to
the war. The Iranian ayatollahs declared on
America 47 years ago. The fact that they have
hundreds, probably thousands of Americans,
blood on their hands and obviously tens of thousands
of their own citizens, blood on their hands. So
what I'm supportive of is ending that war once and
for all, ending the threat, ending the menace, and
ending the there any possibility that they could
obtain a nuclear weapon weapon which could be
existential to America. So yeah, it is war. Messy. Is
it chaotic? Sure. You know, I don't like war, but we
had to act before we weren't able to act before
they became a nuclear power, before they had so many
missiles and so many drones that taking this action
would have devastated the region. It's been
destructive enough. But again, so I support
President Trump's very difficult decision. This is
good news. I think, you know, we have dramatically
degraded Iran's capability to be a state sponsor of
terror, to develop a nuclear weapon, to hold the
Strait of Hormuz hostage. And I think this latest
blockade is certainly showing. It's proving its
worth in bringing Iran to the negotiating table and
forcing to force them into what should be as close to,
you know, unilateral disarmament and just, you
know, unconditional surrender as possible.
>> And so you think it's a diplomatic course at this
point, not a bombing course, to quote, finish the job,
as you've said you want to do.
>> Yeah. When President Trump met with the families
of the fallen at Dover, the dignified return, he
reported in his speech that the family is almost to a
person said, okay, we've sacrificed now finish the
job. And I think it'd be, you know, not good if we
left a regime in place, continue to be dedicated to
enrich uranium, not give up those uranium stockpiles,
continue to build up their missile and drone
stockpiles, to continue to threaten the region and
threaten world peace. So I want to finish the job. We
have obviously decimated their leadership. We've
decimated their their missiles, their drones,
their nuclear program. But we haven't finished the job.
But we need to do that. >> You took exception last
week to the president threatening to wipe out an
entire civilization in Iran. It was a newsworthy rebuke
from a high ranking Republican. What did you
think when you saw that threat?
>> I guess I wouldn't call it a rebuke. I was asked a
question. I gave an honest answer. We're not at war
with Iranian people. In fact, we are trying to do
everything we can to support them. We want to
liberate the Iranian people, not not impoverish them. So
again, President Trump has a certain negotiating style.
I mean, I, for one, am hoping and praying it works.
I mean, Frederica, just think of how if all these
things are successful, it looks like Venezuela is on
the road to success. If we can tame Iran, if we can
remove that regime and get more responsible leadership
in there, who are going to be more interested in
governing Iran for the benefit of its people as
opposed to their ideology being a state sponsor of
terror? I mean, just understand how positively
that could reset global politics or the
geopolitical situation throughout the world. If
Cuba could reclaim if Cubans could reclaim their
liberty, their freedom. I mean, these are, you know,
Iran should be incredibly successful and prosperous
nation, as should Venezuela, as should Cuba. And it's
only it's only through American leadership that
those things can happen. >> As to not being at war
with the Iranian people and Iranian U.A.W. student that
is now there says it very much feels to her like the
U.S. is at war with the people. How do you respond
to that? >> That's one person's
opinion. Again, we're not doing polls. I mean,
they've obviously canceled the internet, so we don't
know exactly what's happening inside Iran. I
think one of the reasons the Iranian regime is so
brutal to its people, I mean, they executed 30 to
40,000 of their own citizens in a couple of
days. Okay. My guess is a large majority of Iranians
would like to see the ayatollahs gone on the
dustbin of history. The sooner the better. Again, I
don't there are certainly people within Iran who
support the mullahs and the ayatollahs, but I just have
to believe when you take a look at the long history of
Iran, the Persian people and stuff, I mean, this has
been a prosperous land. The ayatollahs have just
devastated what could be incredibly prosperous and
freedom loving type of country.
>> How, in your mind, can ordinary Iranian citizens
like that U.A.W. student of whom we spoke rise up and
take over the regime? >> Well, it's very
difficult. I pointed this out in the past. You know,
for those who just want to keep pushing nationwide gun
control and those who want to disarm America, this is
what it looks like when a population disarmed, when
the only people that have bullets and rifles and
weapons are our brutal regime, it leads to tyranny.
And we had some pretty interesting testimony in
the Senate this this past week, Congressman Thomas
Massie went through the list of regime after regime
after regime, brutal dictatorial regimes leading
to the deaths of millions of their citizens. The
first action was always disarming the population.
So it's difficult. I think we've certainly weakened
the regime. It's as weak as it's ever been. In his 47
years. We may have to do some assistance. We may
have to to provide some. I'll call it, assistance to
the Iranian people so they can. Finally, on top of
that regime. >> Senator Ron Johnson, we