EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on North Korea: “A Freeze or Something Short of Denuclearization is Certainly Better Than the Situation We Have Right Now”

EXCLUSIVE: Flake Says He’s With Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in Opposing Any Deal That Gives ZTE Any New Access

MAY 27, 2018 – Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) joined “Meet the Press” in an exclusive interview this morning, telling moderator Chuck Todd that he hasn’t ruled out a possible 2020 presidential run: “It’s not in my plans, but I have not ruled anything out. I do hope that somebody runs on the Republican side other than the president, if nothing else, simply to remind Republicans what conservatism is.”

The retiring Arizona senator also responded to Vice President Mike Pence’s praise for Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio as a “tireless champion of strong borders and the rule of law” earlier this month: “There aren’t many people in Arizona who look to Joe Arpaio as a paragon of the rule of law or virtue in this sense. So, I think it was unfortunate. … I just don’t think that it’s proper to refer to him in that way.”

Flake shared that he’s OK if denuclearization is more of a long-term goal for the Korean Peninsula: “A freeze or something short of total denuclearization is certainly better than the situation that we have right now, where we had an escalating situation.” As the Trump administration reached a deal Friday to reduce sanctions on the Chinese telecom giant ZTE, Flake said, “I am with Senator Rubio” in opposing any deal that gives ZTE any new access to American vendors or the United States in any form. Watch the full interview.

On a North Korea summit, “The issue that seems to be holding this up is frankly just logistics,” said Victor Cha, former director for Asian affairs on the U.S. National Security Council. “In terms of the substance, the key issue is are they going to give up their nuclear weapons? And I think, unfortunately, the answer is no,” Cha, an NBC News and MSNBC analyst, told Todd. “We are the primary obstacle in places like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, the I.M.F., where the North Koreans want money.” Watch the full interview.

Steven Brill, author of “Tailspin: The People and Forces Behind America’s Fifty-Year Fall – and Those Fighting to Reverse It,” also joined the show to discuss his new book and the need for “guard rails” against legal and financial excesses. Watch the interview.

Washington Free Beacon’s Matthew Continetti, NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson, and The Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter joined the broadcast’s roundtable for insight and analysis on the week in politics, including the NFL’s new anthem policy. “I don’t think this was an issue until Trump made it an issue,” says Walter. “I don’t think Americans were sitting around thinking, “This is what is dividing this country.””

Read the full transcript of “Meet the Press” this morning.

Follow the show on Twitter and on Facebook for the latest, and watch MSNBC’s “MTP Daily” at 5 p.m. ET for more from moderator Chuck Todd.

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Olivia Petersen
NBC News
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e: olivia.petersen@nbcuni.com

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NBC NEWS’ “MEET THE PRESS WITH CHUCK TODD”

“Meet the Press with Chuck Todd” is where newsmakers come to make news — setting the political agenda and spotlighting the impact Washington decision-making has on Americans across the country. It is the #1 most-watched Sunday public affairs show across the board for the 2016-2017 season, reaching more than three million viewers every Sunday and millions more through social, digital and on-demand platforms. “Meet the Press” brings its authority and influencer interviews to MSNBC with “MTP Daily” weekdays at 5 p.m. ET and to the “1947: The Meet the Press Podcast”. It’s the longest-running show in television history, having celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2017 with the launch of its first-ever film festival in collaboration with the American Film Institute this November. Chuck Todd is the political director of NBC News and the moderator of “Meet the Press“; John Reiss is the executive producer.