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Congressman Seth Moulton, the Democrat from Massachusetts, has arrived in Chicago. And of course, if you've been with us before, you're aware of his time as a marine combat veteran serving four tours in Iraq, so a unique perspective that we always enjoy sharing. Congressman, it's great to see you in Chicago. Thanks for being here. This clearly made Joe Biden angry. How does it make you feel?
Well? I mean, we all know how important bo Biden's service is to Joe Biden as a father, as a commander in chief, as an American, and it is really remarkable that you have a major party candidate in Donald Trump who just truly hates veterans. And that's not an exaggeration. He has shown time and time and again he's called them. He's called us losers and suckers, and there was losers
for signing up, suckers if you get killed. He was walking around Arlington Cemetery with his own chief of stabmarine veteran John Kelly, when he said, I just don't understand why they did it, what was in it for them? And this well, John Kelly was there in part to see his own son's grave, Lieutenant Kelly, who died in Afghanistan.
Well, whatever you may think about his attitude toward veterans, he does have a veteran running with him in Jade Vance. Kama Harris also has a veteran running with her in Tim Walls. And yet his service record has come under immense scrutiny since his selection. It has framed it as stolen valor.
Well, because jade Vance is following Donald Trump's playbook of denigrating veterans, and we should be celebrating the fact that, you know, for the first time in a long time, we have two veterans on the major party candidates, the first time that we've had veterans really from these most recent wars, and that's something that we should be celebrating. And you know, both Jade Vance and at Tim Waltz have service records that should be lifted up and used
as an example. Instead, jd Vance is just going down the same path as Donald Trump and attacking the service record of Tim Wallas, who, by all accounts was a great soldier in the army.
Well, look, we saw this with your former colleague John Kerry from Massachusetts, the Swift Boats. Of course, we've got some of the same people involved in the messaging in this campaign, in Chris Losovita, who was part of the Swift Boats campaign back in two thousand and four. I was compelled by Mark Kelly's response to all of this. Clearly was not happy with this stolen valor accusation, but he said, both of you should be thanked for your service.
Jd Vance, that's right, and Tim Walls is that the way we should approach.
Exactly, And then that's what I just said. I mean, we should be lifting up the fact that both of them have served the country in different and important ways. And you know what veterans really hate is other veterans who misrepresent their service, who make their record out to be more than it is. And that fundamentally is what Evans is trying to accuse Tim Wilson. But it just doesn't it doesn't hold water. It doesn't hold water at all, and it's not really the way that veterans respect yourself.
Serving in Congress, I have a lot of veterans on the other side of the aisle I disagree with on a lot of policy issues, and yet they're often the first people I go to work with, like if I have to do, you know, work on a piece of bipartisan legislation, like the nine eight National Mental Health Hotline. Now it's part of the Veterans Crisis Line as well. I co authored that bill with an Air Force veteran
from Utah. There are a lot of issues we disagreed on, but he was one of the first people I went to work with on that legislation because I knew as a result of our shared service, we had something in common. We had some trust that we shared some common experience, even though we did very different things as an infray aser in the Marines, as a world record holding pilot in the Air Force. So you know, Chris was an amazing Chris Stewart was an amazing partner in many ways,
much more distinguished military record than than mine. I'm not in the Againness Book of World Records for anything for my time in the Marines. But the point is that we found that common ground, and you would like to see that happening on the presidential stage. But of course Jade Vance is just going down in the gutter with Donald Trump. He's much more interested in following Donald Trump's playbook than upholding the values that he should have learned in the Marines.
Well, Congressman, obviously, we thank you for your service and all those who have served or are currently serving. And in recent weeks, Joe and I have had to ask some pretty tough questions about those who are currently serving and whether or not they may have to become active in combat in the Middle East once again, as we cast an eye on Iran, which still has yet to retaliate against Israel, and wait for a progress on a
potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. That of course, is something Joe Biden wants to achieve with the remaining time as president. He spoke about that on the convention floor last night. Just take a listen briefly to his words.
I'll keep working to bring hostages home and and the war on Gossam bring pieces occurred in the life. We're working around the clock. My Secretary of State, rent a wider war and REU and I hostages to their families, and surge humanitarian health and food assistance into Gaza. Now then the civilian suffering of the Palace Indian people, and finally, finally, finally deliver a cease firing in this war.
Now Israel, of course has accepted this bridge cease file proposal from the US, Hamas at this time has not. Are you confident that it can be done or are you still worried that potentially the US could get involved in a deeper conflict in the Middle East.
No, Look, I'm very concerned, and let's just be clear, not in our national security interests to be drawn into another massive war in the Middle East. It's not in our interests in terms of our big picture problems around the globe, like focusing on China, where the focus should be for US national security right now. Of course, there's already a hot war in Ukraine that could spill over into Europe. The last thing we need is to get
bogged down in the Middle East. That would be a gift the sieging thing in China, in Vladimir Putin in Europe. We also we also want to make sure by the way that in the Middle East we reach a resolution that enables us to truly have peace for Israelis and Palestinians. And we should agree on some common points here. First of all, Israel needs to not just end this war,
but actually win it. Actually defeat Hamas. You can't have a terrorist organization running Gaza, but they need to do that in a way that has a political endgame that both sides can buy into, that can truly bring peace. Prime Minister yet Yah who hasn't articulated that yet. So this is a complicated situation in some ways because the players have made it so complicated. But it shouldn't be. We should be able to find a lot of common
ground here. Let's defeat Hamas, Let's stop killing civilians, Let's have a durable peace plan that it is politically acceptable to both Palestinians and Israelis, and ultimately that not only brings peace to the Mid least it make sure that the United States doesn't have to have troops on the ground.
Well, there is a fear, if not an expectation, that Iran is going to retaliate militarily against Israel for the killings of the leader of Hamas and the official from Hesbolah. That means that once again, after what we saw in April, American airmen sailors could actually be in a direct head to head combat, essentially knocking down missiles out of the air, shooting at drones, we're getting very close to a direct engagement in that world with Iran. How nervous does that make you?
That's right, And the Republicans have attacked President Biden for trying to de escalate the situation. Let me just be clear. De escalating the situation is exactly in our interests right now because we do not want to be in a shooting war with Iran. We do not want to be
putting us lives at risk here now. Does Iran need to be deterred from further action, Yes, absolutely, But this is a complex negotiation going on here, and we want to have fundamentally peace between Israelis and Palestinians so that Iran doesn't have the motive to continue these attacks. Let's also not forget that Israel has a serious problem on its northern border with Hesbola, and I think that's a
particularly complex situation. There's not an easy answer there. Israel has already seen one hundred thousand of its citizens displaced. They need to be able to go back to their homes in peace. So you know, there's a reason why the United States is having a role in the peace process here and why we're trying to stay out of a direct conflict that would fundamentally draw us into a war.
Congressman, it's great to have your expertise as a member of the Armed Services Committee. Of course, given your own experience in the region. Congressman Seth Milton of Massachusetts, joy your time in Chicago. Sir, we appreciate having you