[Berman:] All right. Backlash from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the president's remarks on the Charlottesville violence. And this morning, remarks from the CEO of Merck as well. He quit the president's manufacturing council and the effect there is it got the president to respond in a statement. I want to bring in the Democratic Congressman Tom Suozzi right now of New York. Congressman, thanks for being with us. Ken Frazier, CEO of Merck, quit the president's manufacturing council essentially saying he feels it's necessary to take a public stand against bigotry and whatnot. The president responded to that by going after Ken Frazier. He said, "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharm resigned, he will have more time to lower rip-off drug prices." Your reaction to this back-and-forth this morning, sir?
[Rep. Tom Suozzi , Armed Services Committee:] I think the president has dropped the ball here. He's made this whole issue too much about him instead of about the hate that we see going on in America. And the president, by not speaking out directly about the white supremacists, by attacking the CEO of Merck is making it too much about the president, and not about the issue, which is that there's too much hate. And we have to all stand up against this hate in the country.
[Berman:] What do you want to hear the president say today? CNN has learned that he will address the violence in Charlottesville again today. We don't know exactly what he will say. What do you think he needs to say?
[Suozzi:] The president needs to be very bold and just comes straight out and say the United States of America is based upon a fundamental principle that all men and women are created equal. And white supremacists and Nazis and skin heads and these other demented people are not acting American. They're un-American, in fact. And they may have a right to free speech, but we are going to call them out for what they are, which is un-American and there's no place for them in our society.
[Berman:] Have you thought about what might be his motivation for not having said this over the last few days?
[Suozzi:] You know, the president, during his election campaign, you know, really went out of his way to call out progressives and call out Black Lives Matters and other groups, and saying, you know, these protesters and these politically correct people, you know, they've got hate and they're bad you know, like he said, it's both sides. He's just completely wrong here. He's just completely missed the boat because here we have people marching with torches, calling out the most vile things you could possibly imagine. The president has got to be blunt, he's got to be clear, he's got to be direct and he's going to say there's no place for white supremacists in our country.
[Berman:] You know, one area where the president has been blunt and clear is on North Korea. And this is an area you've been watching closely being on the Foreign Affairs Committee. You know, the president says we're locked and loaded in reaction to North Korea right now. Blunt and clear there. And this morning, his secretary of state and secretary of defense wrote an op-ed in the "Wall Street Journal" where they, too, were clear but it was a very different type of clarity right now. They talked a lot about the peaceful pressure campaign the administration is putting on North Korea. Your reaction to their statements?
[Suozzi:] I read that op-ed piece in the "Wall Street Journal." I thought it was very measured. I thought it was very intelligent. I think that Secretary Mattis is really a great American. We're fortunate to him serving our nation. He's devoted his life to our country. But the president, again, he's making these things too much about himself instead of about the issue. Let's not forget who the bad guy is here. The bad guy here is the supreme leader of North Korea. Kim Jong-un is a dangerous character on the world stage and we need to be tough, we need to be firm. This has been going on for a long time. It's been going on for decades, quite frankly. A decade since Kim Jong-un has been there. And we need to send a very clear message that we're not going to support further nuclearization of North Korea. But at the same time, ratcheting up this rhetoric is very dangerous. As Leon Panetta said the other day, God forbid somebody makes a mistake here. This is we're talking people's lives.
[Berman:] Right.
[Suozzi:] People are freaking out all over the world because they are afraid of what could happen.
[Berman:] You say people are freaking out all around the world. But there has been a new development this morning which is that China has instituted new sanctions on North Korea, banning I believe imports of seafood and also some iron products right now. Is it possible that the president's statements and pressure are working to get China to actually do something?
[Suozzi:] Well, since day one, this administration has said that their main goal is to get China to help us with North Korea. That's a good, positive goal.
[Berman:] That's good
[Suozzi:] Yes, that's good, it's positive. That's a very positive thing. And I think that the rest of the international community has stepped up. We have both China and Russia vote for sanctions. This is before the president's tough talk. Good for sanctions. So this has been a concerted effort for some time that the administration has had, that Congress has had, to try to get China and Russia to do more of the heavy lifting here. We need Japan and South Korea to do their share as well. And hopefully, as time goes on, we'll succeed in this effort to try and denuclearize North Korea. But the rhetoric is very dangerous because while we are trying to advance this agenda, people are so worried in that part of the world, as well as in this part of the world, that somebody could make a mistake. The North Koreans can make a mistake. We can make a mistake. I can make a mistake. You have to be careful when dealing with the stuff that someone doesn't make a mistake.
[Berman:] Right.
[Suozzi:] This is a very positive development that China is taking these steps. It's always been the agenda to have these steps be taken. But we're going to need more going forward as well.
[Berman:] Congressman Tom Suozzi of New York, thanks so much for being with us, sir.
[Suozzi:] Thank you, John.
[Berman:] All right. We're going to have more now on the growing tensions with North Korea this morning. The president's top general says he has given the president military options. What does that mean?