SENATOR FROM VERMONT WHO WANTS TO BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.

PLEASE WELCOME SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS!

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )

>> Stephen: SIR, GOOD TO SEE YOU, WELCOME BACK!

GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

>> Stephen: ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE YOU ON.

I'VE GOT TO SAY, YOU'RE LOOKING SPREE, YOU'RE LOOKING GOOD, EVEN

THOUGH -- AND I WANT TO PUT THIS UP, NOT TO BRING UP ANY BAD

MEMORIES OR ANYTHING -- YOU WERE HERE IN SEPTEMBER LAST TIME AND

JUST DAYS AFTER YOU WERE HERE, YOU HAD A HEART ATTACK.

I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR HOW TOUGH I WAS ON YOU.

( LAUGHTER ) THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

GILLIBRAND WAS HER AND HER KIDNEYS FAILED.

>> I KNOCKED ON WOOD THAT NIGHT.

TURNS OUT, THIS IS PLASTIC.

>> Stephen: IT IS.

IT IS.

I APOLOGIZE TO YOU AGAIN.

IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT.

OKAY.

THERE'S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT IN THE WORLD AND THE CAMPAIGN.

I'D LIKE TO START OFF WITH THE RECENT POSSIBLY WAR WITH IRAN.

THE UNITED STATES, JUST TO RECAP, WE SENT A DRONE STRIKE AT

THE PRESIDENT'S COMMAND TO KILL HEAD OF THE QUDS FORCE QASEM

SOLEIMANI.

NIKKI HALEY HAS SAID THE ONLY PEOPLE MOURNING SOLEIMANI ARE

DEMOCRATIC LEADERS.

HAVE YOU SEEN ANY DEMOCRATIC LEADERS MOURNING SOLEIMANI?

ARE YOU MOURNING SOLEIMANI?

ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SAY BACK WITH NIKKI HALEY RIGHT NOW,

PERHAPS WITH A FRAGRANT GESTURE?

( LAUGHTER ) >> NO, NOBODY I KNOW IS MOURNING

SOLEIMANI, BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, STEPHEN, I THINK ABOUT

THE MODERN HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY, AND I REMEMBER VIETNAM,

THAT WAS MY GENERATION, AND I REMEMBER THE WAR IN IRAQ.

THOSE ARE THE TWO WORST FOREIGN POLICY BLUNDERS IN THE MODERN

HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY, AND BOTH OF THOSE WARS WERE BUILT ON

LIES.

( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I JUST WANT TO

POINT OUT THAT CANDIDATE TRUMP AGREED WITH YOU.

>> YEAH, WELL -- >> Stephen: CANDIDATE TRUMP

AGREED THAT IRAQ WAS THE WORST DECISION.

>> YEAH, BUT HERE'S THE POINT -- THE POINT IS THAT BOTH OF THOSE

WARS WHICH CAUSED SUCH INCREDIBLE SUFFERING IN OUR

COUNTRY -- 59,000 AMERICAN SOLDIERS DEAD AS A RESULT OF THE

VIETNAM WAR, PROBABLY MORE DIED AFTER THEY CAME BACK, A

GENERATION REALLY ENORMOUSLY IMPACTED.

THE WAR IN IRAQ, 4500 OF OUR PEOPLE, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF

IRAQIS DEAD.

WE SPENT TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT SHOULD BE INVESTED IN

HEALTHCARE, IN EDUCATION, IN INFRASTRUCTURE.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT IN

THAT WAR BASED ON A LAW YOU REMEMBER.

YOU REMEMBER IT VERY WELL.

>> Stephen: SURE, YEAH.

YEAH.

WE WERE TOLD -- WE WERE TOLD THAT SADDAM HAD MASS WEAPONS OF

MASS DESTRUCTION, CHEMICAL WEAPONS TIED INTO AL QUAIDA, ALL

ALIKE, AND ALL OF THAT SUFFERING.

AT THE END OF ALL OF THAT, ALL OF THE DEATH, ALL OF THE

SUFFERING, TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF EXPENDITURES, WE GET BOOTED

OUT OF IRAQ, THEY NO LONGER WANT US THERE.

SO I WILL DO EVERYTHING THAT I CAN TO STOP A WAR WITH IRAN THAT

I THINK WILL BE A DISASTER.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THE

ADMINISTRATION, AS YOU WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IN THE

SHOW, THE ADMINISTRATION SENT REPRESENTATIVES BOTH IN THE

MILITARY AND FROM THE CABINET TO HAVE A BRIEFING AT THE SENATE

YESTERDAY.

WERE YOU AT THESE BRIEFINGS?

>> YES.

>> Stephen: MIKE LEE CALLED THESE INSULTING.

DID YOU FIND THEM INSULTING?

>> WELL, I AM SO USED TO TRUMP THAT I -- YOU KNOW, AND HIS

ADMINISTRATION THAT NOTHING SURPRISES ME.

( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: ISN'T THAT PART OF

THE DANGER OF THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT WE'RE

BECOMING DEAFENED TO THE LIES.

>> YES.

AND MIKE LEE IS A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN WITH WHOM I DISAGREE

WITH ON ALMOST EVERYTHING BUT HE AND I HAD WORKED TOGETHER

BECAUSE MIKE IS MAYBE OLD FASHIONED ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IN

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) I KNOW THAT IS SOMETHING -- AND

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT TRUMP I THINK HAS NOT YET READ OR

UNDERSTANDS.

( LAUGHTER ) BUT WHAT MIKE MADE PUBLIC

TODAY -- WHICH IS TRUE, I WAS THERE, IN FACT, SIGNATURE RIGHT

BEHIND HIM -- WHEN ASKED BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MILITARY

AND THE C.I.A. IF, IN FACT, TRUMP DECIDES TO ASSASSINATE THE

LEADERSHIP -- THE LEADER -- OF IRAN, WOULD HE HAVE TO COME TO

CONGRESS FOR AUTHORIZATION, AND THEY COULD NOT GIVE A CLEAR

ANSWER ON THAT.

AND HERE IS THE POINT THAT I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS,

THE CONSTITUTION IS EXTREMELY CLEAR, IT IS THE CONGRESS OF

UNITED STATES THAT HAS WARMAKING POWERS, NOT THE PRESIDENT.

( APPLAUSE ) AND THAT IS WHY I HAVE

INTRODUCED LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD PREVENT SPENDING -- GIVING

TRUMP ONE NICKEL OF MONEY TO GO TO WAR IN IRAN, AND THERE'S

ANOTHER GOOD PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT, ONCE AGAIN,

WOULD BRING UP THE WAR POWERS ACT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE COULD

NOT GO TO WAR UNLESS HE HAD THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE CONGRESS.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IT HAS BEEN A LONG

TIME, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG HERE, BUT IT HAS BEEN A

LONG TIME SINCE CONGRESS HAS EXERTED THAT POWER.

HOW DO YOU THINK WE GOT HERE WHERE TRUMP THINKS HE CAN ACT

WITH SUCH IMPUNITY?

>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, AND IT IS UNFORTUNATE SITUATION THAT

THAT HAS EXISTED, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I THINK THE ANSWER IS,

YOU KNOW, AND I'VE GOT TO SAY THIS.

IT IS A POLITICIAN, THE PRESIDENT GETS UP THERE, WE'RE

GOING TO BE TOUGH, THESE ARE EVIL GUYS, WE'RE GOING TO WAR,

WOW!

YOUR POLL RATINGS GO UP!

AND PEOPLE SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT ARE THE UNINTENDED

CONSEQUENCES OF THAT?

HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL DIE?

HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST US?

OH, CANDIDATE X OR CONGRESSMAN X IS SOFT ON TERROR.

YOU KNOW, CONGRESSMAN X, HE DOESN'T WANT TO PROTECT AMERICA,

ALL RIGHT, AND I REALLY GET VERY ANGRY AT THAT APPROACH, BECAUSE

WE SIT IN THE CONGRESS IN OUR BEAUTIFUL ROOMS, BEAUTIFUL

STUDIO OVER HERE, AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WAR IS ABOUT.

WE DIVERT THE FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS

AFFAIRS.

I MET WITH THE MOTHERS OF THE YOUNG MEN WHO LOST THEIR LIVES

IN THE WAR, MET WITH THE WIVES, MET WITH THE KIDS, I MET WITH

THE SOLDIERS WHO CAME BACK WITHOUT ARMS AND LEGS, WHO ARE

DEALING WITH PTSD TODAY.

WAR IS A HORROR, AND IT'S TIME POLITICIANS UNDERSTOOD THAT

WE'VE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO AVOID WAR.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) AND I'VE GOT TO SAY, STEPHEN,

YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO SAY THAT I KNOW IT IS NOT SEXY TO TALK

ABILITY DIPLOMACY, IT IS NOT SEXY TO TALK ABOUT MAKING SURE

THAT WE HAVE A GREAT STATE DEPARTMENT WITH PEOPLE WHO KNOW

THE CULTURE AND THE LANGUAGE OF COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD.

I'VE MET SOME OF THE PEOPLE, THEY DO A GREAT JOB.

IT AIN'T SEXY.

IT IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL, IT'S BETTER TV TO TALK ABOUT HOW

WE'RE GOING TO KILL THIS ONE AND KILL THAT ONE.

BUT I BELIEVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF END

LESS WARS, THEY WANT TO IMPROVE LIVES FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

AND, YOU KNOW -- ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )

>> Stephen: SOME PEOPLE JUSTIFYING THIS ARE POINTING AT

THE AUMF OF 2002.

>> RIGHT.

>> Stephen: THE AUTHORIZATION OF USE OF MILITARY FORCE

FOLLOWING THE ATTACKS OF 9/11.

>> RIGHT.

>> Stephen: I READ THE TEXT THE OTHER NIGHT, IT SPECIFICALLY

SAYS YOU CAN ONLY GO AFTER PEOPLE -- YOU'RE AUTHORIZED TO

GO AFTER PEOPLE, THE PRESIDENT, IS AND THIS PRESIDENT AS WELL,

TO GO AFTER PEOPLE WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTACKS OR

WHO AIDED IN THOSE ATTACKS.

AND THE 9/11 COMMISSION SAID THERE WAS NO CONNECTION WITH

IRAN.

>> RIGHT.

>> Stephen: SO HOW CAN THEY STILL JUSTIFY USING THAT?

>> BECAUSE YOU HAVE -- YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RAISING THE RIGHT

QUESTION.

>> Stephen: THANK YOU.

( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU HAVE AN ADMINISTRATION

WHICH IS LED BY A PRESIDENT WHO IS A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR.

( APPLAUSE ) HONESTLY, STEPHEN, I DISAGREE

WITH MANY MEMBERS IN CONGRESS, THEY'RE NOT PATHOLOGICAL LIARS,

BUT THIS PRESIDENT, HONESTLY, IN MY VIEW, DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE

CONSTITUTION, DOES NOT RESPECT THE RULE OF LAW, IS NOT

PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN DEMOCRATIC PROCEDURES, AND THAT

IS WHY I CONSIDER HIM TO BE THE MOST DANGEROUS PRESIDENT IN THE

MODERN HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY, AND I INTEND TO DEFEAT THIS

PRESIDENT.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: IF YOU DO -- LET'S

SAY YOU DO, SOME PEOPLE SAY THIS PRESENT EXCHANGE IS OVER, OTHERS

SAY IRAN IS GOING TO TAKE THEIR TIME AND COULD BE MONTHS OR

YEARS DOWN THE LINE.

IF YOU DO WIN, HOW DOES PRESIDENT SANDERS RESPOND TO

IRANIAN AGGRESSION, THE BOMBING OF OIL FIELDS IN SAUDI ARABIA,

SPONSORING OF TERROR, HEZBOLLAH, WHAT DO YOU DO IN RESPONSE TO

THAT?

>> I TELL YOU WHAT WE DO, WHAT WE DO IS UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A

VERY VOLATILE REGION, THAT, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, THE UNITED

STATES HAS SIDED WITH SAUDI ARABIA, LED BY MOHAMMED

BIN SALMAN WHO IS A MURDERER AND A DEMAGOGUE.

HE IS OUR ALLY.

I THINK WHAT WE DO IS USE OUR DIPLOMATIC POWER AND OUR

RESOURCES TO DEMAND THESE PEOPLE, WHETHER THEY LIKE IT OR

NOT, ARE GOING TO SIT IN A ROOM AND THEY'RE GOING TO START

WORKING OUT THE DIFFERENCES THEY HAVE BECAUSE I THINK THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF GETTING SUCKED INTO WARS THAT

ARE A RESULT OF THEIR DIFFERENCES.

>> Stephen: BUT THE DIFFERENCES ARE JUST NOT

POLITICAL DIFFERENCES, THEY'RE ALSO RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES

BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES IS TAKE SIDES NOW IN A SUNNI-SHIA

DIVIDE THAT HAS GONE ON FOR YEARS.

>> WE HAVE BEEN THE ALLIES OF SAUDI ARABIA SINCE WAY BACK WHEN

AND I THINK THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE LEADERSHIP OF

SAUDI ARABIA MURDERED JOURNALIST JAMAL KHASHOGGI, CUT HIM UP.

THEY WILL CRUSH ANYBODY WHO FIGHTS DEMOCRACY FOR

SAUDI ARABIA, INCLUDES WOMEN WHO ARE THIRD-CLASS CITIZENS.

I'M NOT SUGGESTING ANY OF THIS STUFF IS EASY, IT IS NOT.

BUT WE'VE GOT TO USE OUR DIPLOMATIC POWER, OUR FINANCIAL

CARROTS AND STICKS TO GET PEOPLE TOGETHER, NOT ONLY BETWEEN

SAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN, BUT THE ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS, GET

PEOPLE TOGETHER AROUND THE WORLD WHO ARE IN CONFLICT AND SEE WHAT

ROLE WE CAN PLAY IN TRYING TO AVOID WAR.

>> Stephen: WHAT IS YOUR BAR FOR MILITARY ACTION?

>> LOOK, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE MAY WELL USE.

WE HAVE THE GREATEST MILITARY IN THE WORLD, AND THERE ARE TIMES

WHEN WE MAY WELL HAVE TO USE THAT MILITARY.

BUT I BELIEVE THAT MILITARY ACTION SHOULD BE THE LAST

RESPONSE, NOT THE FIRST RESPONSE.

( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: SENATOR, WE HAVE

TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.

IF YOU CAN STICK AROUND, YOU STICK AROUND BECAUSE WE'LL BE

RIGHT BACK WITH MORE SENATOR BENDERS, EVERYBODY.