>> RAHM EMANUEL, I JUST WANT TO PLAY A LITTLE BIT --OR TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE IRAN WAR BECAUSE I'VE JUST BEEN IN THE REGION THERE.

>> YEAH.

>> THE NEGOTIATORS, WHETHER THEY'RE FROM QATAR OR WHEREVER, ARE VERY, VERY UPSET AND WORRIED THAT THERE COULD BE ANOTHER MASSIVE OUTBREAK OF WAR.

THEY SAID THAT AS YOU KNOW THE ADMINISTRATION HAD BEEN TELEGRAPHING THAT THERE COULD BE.

TRUMP, THOUGH, TOLD THE F. T. THAT HE HAD NO PLANS IMMEDIATELY TO DO THAT.

AND THE IRANIANS HAVE PUT ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, ON X THEIR OFFICIAL RESPONSE IS BASICALLY WE THE IRANIANS HAVE DEALT THE UNITED STATES A STRATEGIC DEFEAT ON THE BATTLEFIELD IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND A POLITICAL DEFEAT WHICH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO PAY THE BILL FOR THIS WAR.

WE WILL NOT SURRENDER.

I'M JUST SAYING WHAT THEY SAY.

THAT THEY WANT TO NEGOTIATE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS POSSIBLE TO END THIS WAR?

>> WELL, POSSIBLE TO END THIS WAR, LOOK, YOU HAVE A BIG GULF HERE.

I PERSONALLY --THIS IS A PERSONAL VIEW.

I THINK THE PRESIDENT DOESN'T WANT TO DO WAR.

HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO BACK INTO MILITARY CONFLICT.

FROM WHAT I ALSO KNOW IS THERE'S OBVIOUSLY ONGOING BOTH INDIRECT CONVERSATIONS AND THIRD-PARTY CONVERSATIONS AND THE TRUTH IS THE IRANIANS DON'T WANT TO DO A WAR.

NOW, THE GULF, IT'S THE SAIL SAME GULF.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS?

HOW DO YOU HANDLE THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ SO THEY DON'T TAKE CONTROL OF THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND TAKE AN INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY AS IF IT'S THEIR BACKWATER IN THEIR CONTROL?

AND THOSE KIND OF STRATEGIC OPTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES.

NOW, IN MY VIEW I WOULD DO A SERIES OF THINGS BOTH ON THE SHORT TERM, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM THAT WOULD ALTER THAT.

I DON'T THINK EITHER PARTY ACTUALLY WANTS CONFLICT.

BUT NEITHER PARTY KNOWS HOW TO MINIMIZE AND THEN NARROW THE BRIDGE, OR BRIDGE THE DIFFERENCES HERE.

YOU KNOW, SOME WITH THE PRESIDENT --AND I WOULD GO AWAY FROM THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ IF I CAN, CHRISTIANE, SLIGHTLY FROM A HISTORICAL STANDPOINT.

IN ABOUT A MONTH FROM NOW THE PRESIDENT'S GOING TO GO TO THE ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC COUNCIL.

THERE'S GOING TO BE HEADS OF STATE FROM 20-PLUS COUNTRIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD IN THAT PART OF THE WORLD.

HE HAS BEEN DESIROUS, AS YOU KNOW, SINCE DAY ONE FOR HIS LITTLE POTSDAM CONFERENCE WITH STALIN, CHURCHILL AND AT THAT TIME TRUMAN.

AND HE'S SO ENVIOUS AND SO MUCH WANTS THE PICTURE OF HIM WITH HIS FELLOW DICTATORS.

AND HE'S GOING TO BE THE CHURCHILL AT THE TABLE BECAUSE AT POTSDAM CHURCHILL GOT THE ELECTION RESULTS AND ATLEE CAME IN AND HAD TO SIT IN FOR GREAT BRITAIN.

HE COMES INTO THAT CONFERENCE THAT HE WANTS A WEAKENED MAN.

AND PUTIN AND XI WILL SEE A WOUNDED, WEAKENED, DEBILITATED INDIVIDUAL.

AND NOW THE PRESIDENT WILL FINALLY GET THE MEETING HE'S ALWAYS WANTED, THE PICTURE OF THE THREE -- TWO OF THEM CLEARLY DICTATORS.

WE JUST SHOWED THAT WE'RE STILL A DEMOCRACY.

AND THAT WE'RE AN OPERATING DEMOCRACY.

AND HE WILL BE THE CHURCHILL AT THE TABLE, NOT THE ROOSEVELT.

>> THAT IS AN INTERESTING MESSAGE.

AND PARTICULARLY BECAUSE HE LIKES ALL THIS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE TALK.

BUT IF HE GOES IN WEAKENED THAT'S AN ISSUE.

BUT HERE'S THE THING.

DOES IT THEN BEHOOVE HIM TO DO WHAT HE SAID HE WOULD DO, WHICH IS WORK WITH THE DEMOCRATS?

LET ME PLAY THIS BIT OF AN INTERVIEW FROM THIS MORNING AFTER THE RESULTS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP.

>> WELL, WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE DEMOCRATS TO MAKE SURE THINGS GO WELL FOR OUR COUNTRY.

VERY IMPORTANT.

THEY'VE ALREADY CALLED AND THEY WANT TO WORK WITH ME.

I HAVE A RIGHT TO VETO EVERYTHING.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE JUST SITTING THERE FOR TWO YEARS VETOING EVERYTHING.

THEY WANT TO SEE THINGS HAPPEN TOO.

I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO CERTAIN LEADERS OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY.

>> SO RAHM, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?

BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WORK WITH, ALL THE REST, THE DEMOCRATS YOU SAID HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF AGENDA THAT THEY NEED TO DO.

BUT HE CAN VETO EVERYTHING, RIGHT?

>> SURE.

HE CAN.

LOOK, I START FROM A VIEW AS A FORMER MAYOR, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF, I'M GOING TO SEE COMMON GROUND.

BUT I KNOW HOW TO HOLD MY GROUND.

AND SO THE GENERAL ATTITUDE SHOULD BE LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE.

AND MARK MY WORDS, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE THAT WILL VOTE WITH DEMOCRATS.

THEN THE PRESIDENT HAS TO MAKE A DECISION.

SIGN OR OVERRIDE.

LOBBYING SKPEGTICS REFORM, BIG BIPARTISAN MAJORITIES ARE GOING TO BE FOR THAT.

SIGN OR BE OVERRIDDEN.

YOU DO TARIFF RELIEF, WHICH IS WHAT IS DRIVING FARMERS CRAZY AND CONSUMERS CRAZY, AND YOU HAVE A RURAL URBAN COALITION ABOUT HOW TARIFFS HAVE HURT.

SIGN OR BE OVERRIDDEN.

AND SO YES, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO VETO.

BUT HE'S GOING TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AT THE LEGISLATION AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO WHEN YOU DO LEGISLATIVE.

WHAT UNITES OUR TEAM AND DIVIDES THE OTHER SIDE.

AND THAT IS -- IF YOU PUT POINTS ON THE BOARD, IF YOU ACTUALLY BRING THE CHANGE THAT PEOPLE, MODERATE REPUBLICANS, INDEPENDENTS HAVE VOTED FOR DEMOCRATS, IF YOU BRING THAT TYPE OF CHANGE YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE AN ELECTORAL COALITION AND MAKE IT A GOVERNING COALITION.

THAT'S WHAT 2027 OFFERS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS.

AND PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS TO LOOK AT THIS AND DECIDE WHETHER HE WANTS TO BE A DIMINISHED PRESIDENT OR PLAY A ROLE.

NOW LOOK, LET'S GO BACK TO HISTORY.

I JUST DID GOING BACK TO '45.

RONALD REAGAN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS OF HIS PRESIDENCY WHEN THE DEMOCRATS CONTROLLED AFTER THE MIDTERM ELECTION OF '86, HE DID WELFARE REFORM.

HE DID --IMMIGRATION ALSO HAPPENED THEN.

YOU CAN GET THINGS DONE.

BILL CLINTON ALSO DID THAT AFTER 1998 ON CERTAIN THINGS.

SO THE OPPORTUNITY EXISTS.

BUT IF THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO ASK LIKE CONGRESS --LIKE THE WAY HE TREATED CONGRESS UNDER THE REPUBLICANS, HE'S IN FOR AN AWAKENING.

THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS WILL NOT BE THE LAPDOG REPUBLICAN CONGRESS THAT'S COMING OUT OF POWER NOW.