joining us now, senate health, education and labor senator mike braun.tion to this? >> whenever you make statements like that in this day and age you probably ought to make sure number one you don't have people on your staff that will put you through that. i think you know, once the information came out, you know could have fired them to make a point of it. when you're sanctimonious like that, liz, and you're talking about it and you vane even had the dilligence to kind of make sure on your own staff you don't have people that will put you through that, i think that's what happens when you're out there kind of moral listic, you pay attention to the details and i think it is kind of almost emblematic of so many other ways that the biden administration has navigating through stuff. yes, in this case, i think there should have been more forceful in terms of getting rid of those individuals when you put so much out there you would do that if it actually event eighted. they didn't. elizabeth: got it, senator. reaction to this "wall street journal" report that

one of the republicans to sign the letter joins me now, indiana senator mike braun. s. >> good to be here. >> martha: why did you feel compelled to write this letter? you feel there's any indication the attorney general won't allow this to proceed? >> i'll go back to several months ago when i interviewed merrick garland. are you going to pursue the rioters and arsonists in the summer of 2020 in the same enthusiasm of january 6? he said sure we will. trying to give me some type of stat in terms of how that was working. i hardly heard anything about that. he also sent out a letter accusing parents of being domestic terrorists when they were trying to stand up in school board meetings. he would be end to bend. and here special counsel durham reminds me if you're a dog lover of a basset hound. the trail has gotten hotter. there's three indictments. they're afraid of it. he needs to have full liberty to go forward with the investigation. >> martha: you know, what do you make of what was exposed in that file something because there are, as you say, in this round as well, a

guest: senator mike braun of indiana said this. as far as troops are concerned, i've strongly opposed president biden's decision to send troops to eastern europe to defend countries that should defend themselves. two weeks ago, president biden killed an action that would have ended the pipeline. that is on the senate side, but what do you think of the sentiment? guest: i voted for sanctions on nord stream 2 because i do think it gives vladimir putin the ability for recursive measures. that said, the president has, pretty strong, saying that if there is an invasion, but are prudent can kiss nord stream 2 goodbye. the germans may not like that, but there have to be economic consequences. there are impacts on europe because of their dependence on russian energy needs. he saw the meeting earlier this week, trying to shore up natural gas supplies. host: joe in west plains, missouri, republican line. go ahead. caller: i don't think the russians or putin are going to do anything. they would have did it already. it is not a good military s

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. >> so, they'll one kristol, senator mike braun joined in and said, let countries defend themselves.t time i checked, countries like romania were part of nato. what is behind this gop shift to -- >> well, romania is not part of nato, maybe we should have let it in. but we started the weekly standard in november september 1995. we urge clinton's invasion of bosnia in 1995 and actually attacked politicians like phil graham. and signed a letter to -- [inaudible] bosnian muslims. so i think it is not as unusual as maybe we have been saying. russia makes it a little different. but of course, we just had a republican president who is basically pro putin in many ways, for four years. and the one thing i would say is this. first of all, trump has not really weighed in in a big way on this in the last few days or weeks or months, i don't think. but what he says will be important and that will probably -- some republicans. some of them who are against supporting the president, president biden. but the main thing to be said is that everything changes if putin invades, whether it is a big one or

i saw senator mike braun put how a statement that he was opposed to president biden's decision to sendrn europe. senator lindsey graham was very much in favor of it. i know there's a bit of a divide on the right. in the foreign relations committee how unified is everybody on pushing back on russia? are there any handful of republicans arguing against it? >> my impression, chuck, there's only a few members of the republican caucus, let alone the foreign relations committee who are following what i'll call the tucker carlson line which is questioning why we should do anything to defend ukraine. why we should be deployed troops why nato is essential to our security. but the vast majority of americans i've heard from or spoken up in hearings, i just came from a several long hour hour with secretary blinken and secretary austin, i'm not hearing a lot of voices that are saying from the republican caucus we shouldn't be reinforcing our allies in europe. >> in fact, it's a weird divide. you have a small group saying one thing and then you have others who say we haven't been aggressive enough,

in a statement, republican senator mike braun of indiana said he strongly opposed biden's decision tos. forces to "defend countries that should defend themselves, potentially involving us in another conflict after potentially ending a 20 year war." officials the white house so that the suggestion insisting they have u.s. troops are not going into ukraine to fight and war. >> they are not fighting in ukraine, this is us, this is the united states abiding by our commitments under article five to support, reassure our partners in the region. >> that decision to deploy american troops follows a flurry of diplomacy that has at least so far failed to deliver any progress amid the crisis. this as new satellite imagery of multiple russian military deployments in belarus, crimea, and western russia appear to show increased levels of activity in readiness. critics wonder if the white house is truly committed to not evolving american troops in a hot war in ukraine, why move thousands of them around eastern europe closer to potential danger? in a statement, missouri senator josh hawley said "the

look who's here now, senator mike braun, republican from indiana, who has a thing or two to say aboutnow worth of debt for our country. do you see a debt crisis coming soon? if because we always talk about it. >> no doubt about it, stu. and let's put this in perspective. i've been here a little over three years. when i got here in jalapeno of a oh -- january of '19, 18 trillion. that was approaching record levels. we came out of world war ii the heaviest in debt as a percentage of our gdp. we were savers and investors, now we're consumers and spenders, and i debated bernie sanders on the floor -- look it up, braun/sanders on youtube, dismissing all of this through the modern monetary theory. it doesn't make any difference. stu, this is an example of sticking your head in the sand. republicans have been part of the issue up until the recent spending spree. i'm one of the few that talks about a it all the a time. you feel like you're talking to the side of a barn. americans need to be aware of it. in the long run, this will take us down. stuart: now, senator manchin says that build back

senator mike braun says democrats are to blame for the surge in prices.ld cracked, i chose safelite. they replaced the glass and recalibrated my safety system. that's service i can trust. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ >> ainsley: approval rating now dropping into uncharted territory. >> under 40%. >> this is what happens when you prioritize woke initiatives and you completely ignore the rest of the country. >> ten democrat states -- >> the white house making tributes were falling behind. >> barbaric, antiscience, and is completely politically motivated. >> we are standing by for key inflation data. >> economists say inflation rising to levels not seen since 1982. >> crime is on the rise in the emerald city forcing some business owners to close up shop. >> i can't wait any longer. i protect myself, my assets. >> some supersized price increases could be headed to your super bowl party. >> your ideal spread could cost you as much as 14% more than i did last year. ♪ ♪ >> a little music to start your morning. in gulfport, mississippi. the

south dakota republican senator mike braun is a member of the senate foreign -- mike rounds joins me on the phone. senator, essentially, this is a symbolic vote by the senate. it's not -- historically, it will probably be a footnote in history, if that. a real sanction that begins immediately before the full-blown invasion begins is what is preferred by you and a lot of senators and a lot of democrats actually voted with you for the resolution that was put forth by, i believe it was by -- yeah. i'm sorry, by -- >> senator risch. david: exactly. why didn't that pass? >> we recognize that it's symbolic. look, we're in the middle right now of the beginning of the invasion by mr. putin. we recognize that as well. the message we're trying to send is, is that we believe sanctions absolutely could have at least made him hi twice, but we're past that point. and now it's a matter of moving to the next step which is to make very clear to mr. putin that his cost long term is going to be damning in terms of his long-term viability. sanctions coming, it's going to be hard on us, it's going to be

guest: senator mike braun of indiana said this.roops are concerned, i've strongly opposed president biden's decision to send troops to eastern europe to defend countries that should defend themselves. two weeks ago, president biden killed an action that would have ended the pipeline. that is on the senate side, but what do you think of the sentiment? guest: i voted for sanctions on nord stream 2 because i do think it gives vladimir putin the ability for recursive measures. that said, the president has, pretty strong, saying that if there is an invasion, but are prudent can kiss nord stream 2 goodbye. the germans may not like that, but there have to be economic consequences. there are impacts on europe because of their dependence on russian energy needs. he saw the meeting earlier this week, trying to shore up natural gas supplies. host: joe in west plains, missouri, republican line. go ahead. caller: i don't think the russians or putin are going to do anything. they would have did it already. it is not a good military strategy to w