Which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] sestak. Ing us is let me ask you this question. Why did you plan on entering the race . I wasnt planning on it. Politics to pay back the healthcare coverage that lioblastoma that john mccain came back. Only 8 have survived and my daughter has done it twice. In a safe shelter in june i decided again i needed to do something for the country as i watched everything, i thought there was something that his nation had invested in me, over 31 years in the United States military, in the navy, in order to e represent a nearly two to one republican district as a emocrat and yet they reelected me without spending a penny on a because i aign ad, honestly believe our choice not just to beat mr. Trump but to heal our countrys soul again, where rica they believe at least somebody will be accountable to them. Self, or special interest, thats the primary, running. m second, we have for far too long didnt le who understand, the military can stop a problem, they will never problem. Those who voted for that tragic misadventure in iraq who didnt would end before they decided to begin, led all turkeys shameless invasion, we led them against our kurdish allies today. Make sure we restore u. S. Leadership to this global world order, that from john f. If kennedy and Ronald Reagan id, understanding it was our leadership of this global accord around the world that kept our American Dream alive and prospering. Me ask you about your daughter. How is she doing today . Wonderful. Shes taken a gap year, just after graduating from high school. Her courses online, of course, she went to boston for radiation on her and surgeries and all and she wants to be a creative writer and shes moment of it. Shes a warrior thats twice as me. Ong as lets talk about joe sestak. You were raised in philadelphia, attend the u. S. Naval academy. Why . I wanted to go into the since states navy ever third grade. Y father, an immigrant from czechoslovakia, went off to the navy, world war ii, stayed in afterwards and continued to serve his country. I never met a greater man. I just wanted to go because he find out i loved it. It wasnt just the sea. I loved it because the use of were there youth of america were there, came ogether and performed with accountability. Come aboard an aircraft carrier, steve. Those 5,000 ge of sailors is 19 1 2. So i loved that coming together. Though, and it, stayed in, because this nation invest in you when youre in the services i mentioned, so i love going to sea. Ashore they sent me to Harvard University for a doctorate in economics and be rnment in order to utilized, for example, for in the white ton house to develop the National Securities what i owe the for the experience it gave me, im glad i followed my know,r, understanding, you integrity and values really are service to country to others accountability and answering for one self. Boy, this nation took care of us then. When my daughters brain cancer came back twice, with the healthcare it gave us. 1974, a year that was full of political turmoil. Graduated second in your class. Who graduated first . Savage, a wonderful individual. Went off into the medical corps, and, as i remember, it was Ronald Reagans personal physician. I tell you, he was one of those guys that just didnt have to much after the evening meal. Im in there pouring through the books. Great guy. When you look at where we are today, when you graduated in that Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, the impeachment debate was front center. Our first appointed president , you d ford, what were thinking then and are there parallels to what were dealing with today . Parallels. E president nixon actually spoke at the graduation as we were off to sea. His nation was quite divided then. Not quite the fabric of america that we have today, and then impeachment, but the difference was that that nixon ment was about mr. And whether he had broken the law or not. At today, this impeachment is little different. More tion is divided much so. And its divided because of and sense ats used of division that too often comes ut from our commanderinchief and president. And second, this impeachment is because the president has somehow wrapped himself up in half of the country. Not the whole. Supposed to dore in representing the United States of america. O while i support this mpeachment inquiry, because he had asked a foreign leader to in the o and interfere most blessed sanctity that we have in america, our fair and elections, i would hope its done in the most nonpartisan way possible because that will happen, no matter the outcome of this, will in this divide of america. A president needs who speaks in worlds of unity, not division. What makes thats this so different. It was a war that tore us apart during vietnam. You would stand there at attention marching, as we did would come people around and put flowers in your a different was type of tear. It was over a policy. Who we become one over are and what we can be and frankly, thats why im running. Think policies are so important, but i know that nless you can unite america again, disagree well, we wont fabric in nt in our the hole of the cloth of america and never meet the defining challenges of our moment in history. At your commissioning ceremony in annapolis, do you remember what president nixon you and your fellow graduates . I frankly dont. Not that im dismissive of it, heard e at the moment i about it. The excitement of that moment, as we threw our hats up in the as you well know, happens hen you graduate, not caring where it comes down, and my father watching me to give me very first salute, when i whate commissioned, thats i most remember. With all due respect to the president , because there is the the dent and there is presidency, and i think we tend to forget that. We end to forget that when look at that man, at that moment, i looked at the presidency, and while i dont remember his words i was glad no have the presidency there, so to nixon but its my father i most remember. You mentioned being out to sea. As a navy admiral and officer, was the most difficult ever had to sestak make in the u. S. Navy . Yes. We are a little different in the services. In the other the other Services Grew up, cold say, in the war, there was a wall across europe. And eastern if somebody flew across that from the other side in military aircraft you knew it was an acts aggression for sure and you had very black and white rules. Operates on the commons of the seas. Everybody owns it. Before i went into the persian gulf, in kidnapped of my s, i pulled n my 30 aman, and they came in and briefed you on the rules of engagement, in what was a pretty intense place back then and they aid no iranian aircraft has ever overflown a u. S. Navy ship. Its upon you to decide if war and they of went through things again. As i went through that narrow all of a hormuz sudden we noticed on radar a combat aircraft taking off and towards us from iran. Had to stand there and watch all the parameters i had and make an assessment that i had upon by our nation. And decide if this craft coming could fire that missiles, whether it was an act and did i take a father . There is no mother, may is out there. Even though i was reporting what was going on. End of the day, as it flew overhead, as it had the not to do, i decided fire. It was a large difference of opinion if i did the right thing it was, in my mind proceed, judgment to let it fly over, first act, because this had been after we ship, hitting the ship that i was commanding, it hit a mine, almost sunk two or earlier, had been rebuilt and i had flown the argest American Flag that i could find, and said, and i i signed at gulf and picture of every crew member on the previous crew that hit a conflict to say, were back but that tough decision was one that i had been i made for and i think the right decision. You know part of the debate role of therace the military. The president is saying he wants to see u. S. Troops get out of describes as endless wars but critics saying the troops in syria and good served as a eryone deterrent. Broadlyspeaking what is the of the u. S. Military . When are we in endless wars being used as a deterrent to prevent further wars . Militaries should be used for almost for reassurance, deterrence. So, for example, today, we have had never, ever wanted any amphibious forces after world war ii. Has begun now to have amphibious forces because its getting a that ncerned about china has all of a sudden begun to japan w islands that believes it owns but china wants. So its beginning to think about conflict . E be a we need to be present out there, aircraftrance with our carrier in japan. I advocated as a navy admiral we be putting one in guam need two ause you aircraft carriers to operate for 24 hours. Se, they also are deterrents. Our forces were in europe. He problem, whats happened, and why the United States citizenry has understandably faith in u. S. Leadership and our Global Engagement in the told was the tragic decision initially, because when i arrived in the aarabian were over 20 International Ships waiting to become part of my group. Had been on the ground for a very short period of time, brief period of time in the beginning commanded came out, this carrier, and they were and from japan to germany italy said weve come because america has been attacked. On 9 11. But when i went into the persian gulf to later begin the iraq sor strikes against only two of the countries went with us because they understood, leaders did not, that them we couldnt tell how it would end and sunni they t shia, and then created isis that metastasized took us into syria. We needed to be there but we didnt do syria well. Us a year and a half to give small arms to the secular who forces against assad were fighting the beginnings of isis. Because of the delay isis filled put troops in and having put them down, so to speak, in jails and in other underground at least, we then abandoned our ally. Is, we e overall for me lead this world in global ourership with the power of diplomacy. The power of our economy. The military should be there for reassurance and to be used only, almost as a last resort, and the of that is iran, to where we convenient the world under diplomatic and economic sanctions, including strange and llows like china russia, so economic and diplomatic persuasion removed the Nuclear Weapons making cable, where we would have had two Nuclear Devices in 60 days, we fixed that problem and now we broke our word under this president and that accord when they kept their word and now were going perhaps withroblem our military. Military will stop the problem, steve. Never fix a problem. We have to make sure people understand our engagement in the world, which they lost faith in because of that tragic iraq which let isis metastasized throughout the eventually. Because of a terrible decision that was supported by democrats and republicans in the senate alike. Gress we need someone who understands this world to lead us back to u. S. Leadership. Reassure our allies and to protect our interests overseas. Reassuring and standing together even on trade with dont go we oneonone. We convenient 70 or 80 of the worlds gross deck product from the Transpacific Partnership say, ries, japan, and china, you want to trade fairly . Youre going to have to be able or 80 of the 0 world. Were Standing Shoulder to shoulder with the world trade organization. Now lets go by the rules of the road of trade. Oneonone. Were strong when we are with our allies together. To go back to what you said earlier about the presidency and the president. Occupant, donald trump, your view of him is what . Mr. Trump has forgotten what a leader is supposed to be. Hether its a captain of the ship or the commander in chief of our military forces or greatest nation in the world. That leaders bring together people. They are the ones that unite a leaderecause its also a who does not believe he is above accountability. Of a ship is ew suddenly harmed or goes into goes aground, captain of a navy ship is relieved for cause, but if its not, and the crew things the captain of the ship is above accountability, the crew loses trust in hat captain and the ship disintegrates into chaos. Thats whats began to happen in the United States. Unfortunately believes hes above accountability, for bad incendiary or language that divides and doesnt unite. This is a simple leadership issue. You must respect the other side. Y that i mean, republicans and democrats. I represent a republican district. You cant find a word from me utting down the Republican Party but you find me disagreeing on policies. In a still a question about can we heal our soul . Can we remind americans who we one . Hen were together as and thats the challenge because he divisiveness thats come about from the rhetoric, unfortunately too often from the white house, it doesnt mean the democrats havent done it, but not the president is the of the United States of america, not the undivided states of america. 2006 you your race in defeated the republican incumbent curt welden. How did you do that . My wife to way i got marry me. I proposed to her two days after later er and eight years she said yes. Persistence. And thats what we did. To a train stop or a bus stop every morning at out a. M. And i would hand brochure to everybody that was coming and going to work and i would say, you know, im a navy admiral running on national security, which begins and im Health Security a democrat. I would appreciate it if you would read this brochure. It hard. At it was nearly a two to one republican district. We just worked it hard. We went to the media. The local media. Not just the national media. So that was how we did it with peopletopeople. Explain it any other way than that. I had my classmate bill walsh, brother helping to organize it. And then i just went everywhere rom 6 00 in the morning until late at night. And finally, it was one where people actually did believe what i was saying. Admiral, red Navy Security begins at home and Health Security and that district supported me. Believe, though, that i was a the most senior military combat officer today, veteran, running for the white electedt back then they me and i was the most senior military officer ever elected at hat time to congress, either the senate or the house of representatives. And when i spoke with them, i to see things from their viewpoint. Gun control. About if i had an f from it, i said, ook, it isnt the issue about having guns. Invited anybody with a gun to bring it on the ship, and i ould so you could just have some recreation and shoot your dontal armament but i want to have an assault weapons on the streets of america, and hose pictures of me on the website with assault weapons, to i went with my troops board ships with contraband. New t across the state of hampshire walking in the shoes of people but i dont want them on the streets because when we have an assault weapons band n the 1990s, its an explanation that i appreciate your viewpoint on second right, Second Amendment rights. Gun but heres why i stand where i stand on the use weapons or background checks. Four years later you decide to run for the senate and you former republican turned democrat Arlen Specter in the primary. You win the nomination but what kind of opposition you had from the Obama White House trying to steer you away a primary challenge to , a race which you lost in the general election . Wanted to t really run for the senate but once went r switched parties i around to the counties and thought about it and put out a video about anita hill. Running because i do not believe pennsylvania should be represented by a senator that voted against working families and had tried to humiliate anita hill, who her Sexual Harassment allegations and claims against Ow Supreme CourtJustice Clarence thomas. It was a tough position. Nder the me, too, generation that senator never ould have been accepted by the party but accountability for doing whats right, for people, atters when it does have consequences for one self. A so the president on down, fine president on down, endorsed him. Example, of ut, for going to the wards in philadelphia so i went to over churches namerican where they welcomed me. Its why i wasnt to teach at a afterwards, to pay them back so the consequences was immense money me, but i was 40 of ts down, and the people pennsylvania, republicans and democratic alike, agreed with and then i won. But you learn a lesson in politics. Its perhaps better to offend than a politician because at least god will give forgiveness, very little with support from my party, in fact, they l years later literally gave almost eight imes the monetary support to who won the primary as a democrat than i got, i went home. Fortunate, because my daughters brain cancer came back and my wife, who travels a for International Environmental issues, as well as v. A. On study for the sue side, was able to let me be here at all times with her and i was fortunate because of that but i also know this. Hen i ran again and my party actually put more millions in from the democratic senatorial than they putttee in against Mitch Mcconnell two years earlier to be able to and being able to say, look, im for people above above self, above any special interest, regardless of consequences that having stood for the rights of women like anita hill and others, my partys desire, before the me, too, generation, go a long way ll toward us trying to demonstrate not just by word but by deed. A nearly two to one republican district and have an 95 for the a, human rights campaign, hahn percent for the national get ization of women, reelected without spending a yet, by 20 points, and stood up to my party, on the times where it was wrong. And so i think thats what this is actually looking for. If it is ever to be united again. The anita hill hearings. Of course, chair of the committee at the time, joe biden,