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  • >> 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