Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news. Well, this is a heck of a way to start a conversation. Joining us live from Capitol Hill. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts again, ranking member Senate Banking Committee, Member of the Senate Finance Committee. Senator, it's good to see you. Welcome back to Bloomberg TV
and radio. You sure seem to be top of mind, if not top of word, every time the President speaks lately, and I want to ask you about your effort to quash this bailout as many are calling it for Argentina. President said today this is a direct quote, just helping a great philosophy take over a great country. We don't have to do it, he said, It's not going to make a big difference for our country. How many Republicans, how many America First Republicans did you get to sign on?
Yeah, you know, you ask exactly the right question. Donald Trump ran for office proclaiming he would do America first. Instead, he is sending twenty billion American taxpayer dollars to bail out his buddy in Argentina. And he's doing this after Argentina has just cozied up to China. And cut a deal with China that takes the legs out from underneath
American soybean farmers. So let me get this straight. Argentina hurts American farmers, and the President of the United States responds by giving twenty billion dollars to Argentina, plus Secretary best saying and a blank check if they need more. That's pretty appalling.
Well, Congress, not have a chance to weigh in outside of your legislation. Is this money as good as Argentina's.
Well, that's what I want to do. I just went to the floor of the Senate and introduced the bill and ask for unanimous consent that we move it forward, and there was an objection. So now I'm just saying to the Republicans. Look, you guys have criticized this. I've heard Chuck Grassley speak out against it, other senators who represent farmers in their home state saying this is a terrible idea. Well, you know, this is your chance, not
just talk, you can actually take action here. The United States Senate has the power to say no, we're not going to do this, So let's just bring it to the floor and vote. Because I feel pretty sure that if everybody had a chance in the Senate to vote on this, that the answer would be no money to Argentina, thank you very much. We'd rather support our farmers and families here in America.
So do you know if you're going to get a vote, will this go to the floor.
You know, the person who determines that is the Republican leader, not the Democrats. So all I can do is keep raising the alarm about this and asking people all over this country to let the Republicans know that we want to vote on this. We want to put a stock to this. You know, the American soybean farmers have really been hurt, and American farmers who are growing other crops have been hurt as well, because when Donald Trump has done this, tariff's on tariffs off one hundred percent tariffs,
fifty percent tariffs, twenty percent tariffs. Many many buyers of those agriculture products who our farmers spent some of them have spent decades developing those markets and those relationships. They said, look, if your president is going to impose tariffs on my home country, I can't buy your product. And that's putting our American farmers under a lot of pressure. The soybean
farmers in particular, got targeted by China and Argentina. Argentina doing a deal with China to cut out American soybean farmers. That's just not right and we should not be rewarding a country that acts against the interests of the American people and the American farmer, and that is exactly what Donald Trump is doing.
Senator I want to turn from Argentina now to Capitol Hill. I'm curious if you have spoken to the Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about his plans next and what's going on with the shutdown and when people can expect to feel some relief.
So I don't talk about private conversations, but let me put it this way, Democrats are really clear about what we're asking for. We want the Republicans just to roll back those cuts that are going to knock fifteen million Americans off their healthcare coverage and drive up insurance costs for tens of millions more Americans. We're just that's all we're asking for here in the Republicans right now literally
will not even sit down and negotiate. The House is out for its fourth week of vacation, so they can't even be here to vote, and the Senate just says, no talking. You know, that's not how it works in a democracy. We're fighting to try to help Americans be able to afford their health care. And I'm going to be clear, I'm not defending the American healthcare system. I
think it's badly broken. But what Trump is doing to that system, along with the Republicans, is they're going to take a creaky, barely functioning system and just smash it apart, and that ultimately is going to hurt everybody in this country. And we're just we're just trying to push back, say, just give people back the coverage they had back in June. We're not trying to rewrite the whole system. We're not
spending any additional money. Just give people what they had a few months ago before Donald Trump and the Republicans passed that one big, beautiful bill.
Senator, I do want to turn to your home state of Massachusetts right now, in the short time that we do have left. President Trump saying today he was very critical of the Boston mayor in Facts, saying at one point that he would consider pulling the World Cup games from Boston. Of course, that is something that is up to the head of FIFA. However, are you concerned that Boston could be the next target for National Guard troops.
Let me just start with saying what a terrific job Michelle Wu, who is mayor of Boston is doing. In fact, she just won in the primary for her reelection which comes up in November, by forty nine points, so much so that her opponent dropped out. So the people of Boston really seem to think that she's doing a pretty
terrific job. And given that Boston has the lowest crime rate of any major city in America, that Michelle Wu has done more on affordable housing and to put create more childcare slots really tells you why she is much respected and often much loved in the city of Boston.
For Donald Trump to attack her, it seems to me, is just a way to say he doesn't like people who are not bowing the need to Donald Trump, because that's the one thing she has pushed back and said to the President of the United States, if you want to help make Boston safer, then send us some better gun safety laws nationally. We're doing a good job here in Massachusetts, but help us out nationally so guns don't get imported from elsewhere, help us with health care, help
us with housing. Those are the things that will help make Boston an even better city. Donald Trump doesn't like anyone who doesn't bend the knee, so frankly, I'm not surprised that he's trying to pick some kind of fight with Michelle Wou, but I don't think it's going to work.
You know, he did say a senator that he thought that the mayor was in fact intelligent and smarter than some of the other mayors. For what it's worth, I put that out there. He was being asked about these street takeovers that have taken place, the pro Palestinian protests that have in some cases been pretty large scale in Boston.
I'm just wondering what would be your response, and would be what should be Governor Healey's response if Donald Trump decides that your hometown is next for National Guard troops.
Well, so, I just want to be clear on what you're talking about. Mayor Wou put out a very strong statement about this and said we're not going to do this. She's also put out a strong statement when a police officer got hurt when there's been a protest. Look, everybody has problems. Things happen, But that's why we have our local police. That's why we have our state police, and they are doing an excellent job. We don't need any national troops to come in to somehow flatter Donald Trump's ego.
Certainly wouldn't be the first time. Would you pursue legal action if he did, Senator, Oh yes, Look.
What Donald Trump is trying to do right now in California, in Illinois is pretty clearly illegal, and the courts have already said so across the board that he does not have the authority to engage in this kind of takeover of American city. Same thing for Portland. But this is about more than just what is legal. This is about Donald Trump trying to find as many ways as possible to suppress, to shut up, to hush anyone who disagrees
with Donald Trump. And that's true whether we're talking about mayors of big cities, or we're talking about late night comedians, or we're talking about elected officials, Donald Trump cares most about using the federal government and its power to silence dissent rather than to advance the interests of the American people. That is the central problem we have, and it just keeps cropping up over and over because Donald Trump wants government to serve him personally, not the American people.
Number one to mince Worth's Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren at Massachusetts, Thank you, senator for joining us on Bloomberg.
Thank you for having me