Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles >> Neil: IT WAS TOUCH AND GO IN HONG KONG. THE SECOND DAY OF DISRUPTIONS AT THE AIRPORT, ONE OF THE BUSIEST ON THE PLANET. 174 MILLION PASSENGERS GO THERE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IT WAS SHUT DOWN AND GOT VIOLENT AND GOT FOLKS WORRIED. HERE WITH US, FROM THE JUDICIALRY COMMITTEE, DOUG COLLINS. GOOD TO HAVE YOU. >> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU. >> Neil: WHAT SHOULD BE THE EXTENT OF OUR REACTION, MESSAGE, WHAT IS UNFOLDING IN HONG KONG? >> I THINK WE ALWAYS SUPPORT FREEDOM. YOU'RE SEEING THAT FOLD OUT ON THE STREETS. YOU'RE SEEING THE AMERICAN FLAG, HEARING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM. WE'RE IS SYMBOL OF FREEDOM AND HOPE. IT'S BEING PLAYED OUT FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE FEELING THE OPPRESSION THAT THEY FEEL CREEPING IN ON THEM AND THEY WANT THE FREEDOM THAT THEY'VE HAD IN HONG KONG. >> Neil: SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN ON OUR PART? IF THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO US? THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN VERY CAUTIOUS, TRYING TO BALANCE THIS, TO DEAL WITH THIS, TO DEAL WITH TRADE. YOU THINK HE SHOULD BE MORE DIRECT? YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE THREATENING? HOW WOULD YOU PLAY IT? >> I'M NOT SURE THREATENING IS THE RIGHT ANSWER. CONTINUING OUR SUPPORT AS WE ALWAYS HAVE ACROSS THE WORLD. WE SHOULD BE THE COUNTRY THAT IS SUPPORTING FREEDOM AND SUPPORTING THOSE THAT ARE CLAMORING TO BE FREE. HE'S ALSO THE -- THE PRESIDENT IS PLAYING THIS IN A WAY HE HAS TO. WE'RE DEALING WITH TRADE ISSUES AS WELL. PUTTING THE TWO TOGETHER IN A SITUATION THAT WE KNEW WAS HEADED TOWARDS THE RECOMBINATION OF HONG KONG AND MAINLAND CHINA IS JUST GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER. WE'LL SEE MORE OF THIS AS IT GETS CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THAT DATE. >> Neil: IF IT GETS VIOLENT, SIR, IF THEY CRACK DOWN LIKE THEY DID IN TIANANMEN SQUARE 30 YEARS AGO, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK? >> I HOPE THEY DON'T DO THAT. THAT WOULD GET A REACTION FROM THE WORLD. THE WORLD WOULD REACT. THERE WOULD BE A VALID REACTION FROM THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU SEE AN OPPRESSION LIKE WE SAW IN TIANANMEN SQUARE AND ESPECIALLY HONG KONG, WHICH IS A BRIGHT SPOT FOR THE ECONOMY AND SOUTHEAST ASIA. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IS OPEN. THAT WOULD ELICIT A VIOLENT RESPONSE FROM THE WORLD IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN. >> Neil: THAT WAS THE HOPE AFTER TIANANMEN SQUARE. THE CHINESE CRACKED DOWN AND FIGURED THE WORLD WOULD GET OVER IT AND MOVE ON AND THEY DID. YOU WORRY ABOUT HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF? >> A LITTLE BIT. THIS IS DIFFERENT. IN CHINA, THEY CAN SWALLOW UP THE TIANANMEN SQUARE INCIDENT AND GO BACK INTO THEIR -- AGAIN, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE TIME HERE. YOU'RE DEALING IN A MUCH DIFFERENT CHINA THAN WE DEALT WITH BACK THEN. THIS IS SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND. THEY'RE ALSO HAVING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THEIR POSITION ON THE WORLD STAGE, THEIR ECONOMIC POSITION AND HONG KONG IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN SOMETHING HAPPENING INTERNALLY THERE IN BEIJING. IT'S DIFFERENT IN THAT RECORD. IT WILL BE HARD TO COVER THIS UP. >> Neil: THE MARKETS STORMED BACK ON THE NOTION THAT MAYBE THE PRESIDENT WAS DANGLING A CARROT TO THE CHINESE TO DELAY SOME TARIFFS AND THAT HOPES ARE BUILDING THAT THERE CAN BE A DEAL. DO YOU THINK WE'RE CLOSE TO A DEAL? DO YOU FEAR THAT OUR HOPES JUST GOT UP OR WHAT? >> NO, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING -- THIS UNDERESTIMATED HERE. EVERYBODY IS SORT OF LOOKED AT THE CHINA AMERICAN NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE OLD WAY THAT WE GO BACK AND FORTH. ONE WOULD GIVE, ONE WOULD NOT. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF KEEPING THE CHINESE OFF BALANCE. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. THAT'S NOT A BAD THING WHERE THEY'VE HAD THE UPPER HAND FOR SO LONG. I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS COMING BACK AND SAYING, YOU DID THIS, NOW LET ME GO BACK AND CHANGE, THIS I'LL HOLD OFF. HELP OUR CONSUMERS. THE SAME TIME, IT MAKES CHINA SAY WE'RE IN THIS FOR THE LONG HAUL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO CAVE IN. >> Neil: YOU THINK ANY OF THIS IMPEACHMENT TALK GOES FURTHER AND FURTHER BACK AND THAT THOSE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT WERE ENTERTAINING THAT HAVE TO LOOK AROUND AROUND SAY, ALL RIGHT, IT'S NOT GOING IN I WHERE? >> THEY WOULD RATHER TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAN THE ECONOMY, ANYTHING THAN THE JOBS MARKET OR ANYTHING WITH THE CONSUMER CONFIDENCE RISING. THEY WOULD RATHER TALK ABOUT A PRESIDENT THAT THEY HAVE HATED SINCE 2016 WHEN HE WAS ELECTED. THEY WANT TO DISTRACT. MY CHAIRMAN HAS BEEN GOING AROUND, MEDIA ALL OVER SAYING THEY'RE IN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY. HE KNOWS THAT'S NOT TRUE. >> Neil: I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT HE SAID IT'S AN IMPEACHMENT -- TECHNICALLY IT'S NOT. BUT HE SAID THAT. WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT? >> WELL, HE WANTS TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. THIS IS WHAT I'VE SEEN. WE'RE A COMMITTEE OF PRESS RELEASE. WE WANT TO HAVE A TWITTER MOMENT