Rep. Jeffries: Jan. 6 Insurrection ‘Came Very Close’ to Being Much Worse

RUSH TRANSCRIPT WOODRUFF With ░░░░░░░░ exceptions members of the ░░░░░░░░ political parties view January ░░░░░░░░ very differently For a ░░░░░░░░ take now we re ░░░░░░░░ by the chairman of ░░░░░░░░ House Democratic Caucus he ░░░░░░░░ Representative Hakeem Jeffries of ░░░░░░░░ York Congressman Jeffries thank ░░░░░░░░ very much for being ░░░░░░░░ us I believe you ░░░░░░░░ at least part of ░░░░░░░░ Congressman Nehs was saying ░░░░░░░░ I want to ask ░░░░░░░░ you ewe on the ░░░░░░░░ of the House on ░░░░░░░░ 6 What memory do ░░░░░░░░ take away from that ░░░░░░░░ JEFFRIES Well what took ░░░░░░░░ on January 6 was ░░░░░░░░ violent attack on the ░░░░░░░░ the Capitol and the ░░░░░░░░ and it was of ░░░░░░░░ incited by the former ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ Trump who for several ░░░░░░░░ prior to January 6 ░░░░░░░░ perpetrated the big lie ░░░░░░░░ he actually won the ░░░░░░░░ and that it was ░░░░░░░░ from him He radicalized ░░░░░░░░ of people across the ░░░░░░░░ and some of them ░░░░░░░░ up on January 6 ░░░░░░░░ on effectively overthrowing the ░░░░░░░░ and trying to halt ░░░░░░░░ peaceful transfer of power ░░░░░░░░ You know it s ░░░░░░░░ day like Pearl Harbor ░░░░░░░░ like Bloody Sunday down ░░░░░░░░ Selma Alabama and like ░░░░░░░░ 11th that should live ░░░░░░░░ infamy here in America ░░░░░░░░ throughout the world WOODRUFF ░░░░░░░░ we said you were ░░░░░░░░ on the floor How ░░░░░░░░ did it come to ░░░░░░░░ even worse than it ░░░░░░░░ Ultimately these riders were ░░░░░░░░ able to get into ░░░░░░░░ House Chamber they didn ░░░░░░░░ get into the Senate ░░░░░░░░ from your perspective how ░░░░░░░░ did we come JEFFRIES ░░░░░░░░ came very close I ░░░░░░░░ the sergeant at arms ░░░░░░░░ the debate that was ░░░░░░░░ the way with respect ░░░░░░░░ the results in Arizona ░░░░░░░░ he said something that ░░░░░░░░ can remember as vividly ░░░░░░░░ if it was said ░░░░░░░░ today When he said ░░░░░░░░ mob has breached the ░░░░░░░░ there on the second ░░░░░░░░ there are few steps ░░░░░░░░ of the House Chamber ░░░░░░░░ prepared to hit the ░░░░░░░░ and secure the gas ░░░░░░░░ that are underneath your ░░░░░░░░ I ve been in ░░░░░░░░ at that point for ░░░░░░░░ years never did I ░░░░░░░░ any real understanding that ░░░░░░░░ were gas masks in ░░░░░░░░ house chambers let alone ░░░░░░░░ have to utilize them ░░░░░░░░ day And thankfully at ░░░░░░░░ point Capitol Police found ░░░░░░░░ escape route and they ░░░░░░░░ able to safely evacuate ░░░░░░░░ of Congress but many ░░░░░░░░ us at that particular ░░░░░░░░ thought we were actually ░░░░░░░░ to have to fight ░░░░░░░░ our lives WOODRUFF And ░░░░░░░░ we heard Congressmen Nehls ░░░░░░░░ to some people or ░░░░░░░░ people in his words ░░░░░░░░ ushered into the building ░░░░░░░░ you witness that in ░░░░░░░░ way JEFFRIES Yeah the ░░░░░░░░ was violated folks urinated ░░░░░░░░ desecrated the citadel of ░░░░░░░░ democracy It is fantasy ░░░░░░░░ fiction that you know ░░░░░░░░ many people that was ░░░░░░░░ wine and roses It ░░░░░░░░ after the facts spin ░░░░░░░░ s why the bipartisan ░░░░░░░░ 6 Select Committee is ░░░░░░░░ important in uncovering the ░░░░░░░░ presenting it to the ░░░░░░░░ people in terms of ░░░░░░░░ happened why it happened ░░░░░░░░ day and also coming ░░░░░░░░ with some recommendations as ░░░░░░░░ how to prevent that ░░░░░░░░ of violent attack and ░░░░░░░░ on our democracy from ░░░░░░░░ happening again And Judy ░░░░░░░░ me make this one ░░░░░░░░ about the Democratic and ░░░░░░░░ members of the Select ░░░░░░░░ Chairman Bennie Thompson Vice ░░░░░░░░ Liz Cheney they do ░░░░░░░░ great job No member ░░░░░░░░ that committee hates Donald ░░░░░░░░ but they do love ░░░░░░░░ they do love America ░░░░░░░░ all do We do ░░░░░░░░ the peaceful transfer of ░░░░░░░░ and that s why ░░░░░░░░ re committed to uncovering ░░░░░░░░ truth And and you ░░░░░░░░ spoken about how in ░░░░░░░░ congresswoman chaney approached you ░░░░░░░░ as the assault on ░░░░░░░░ capital was taking place ░░░░░░░░ to you about how ░░░░░░░░ hold President Trump accountable ░░░░░░░░ you point out she ░░░░░░░░ and are now serving ░░░░░░░░ that committee will they ░░░░░░░░ t the my very ░░░░░░░░ tiny minority in their ░░░░░░░░ Have Any Republicans in ░░░░░░░░ house spoken to you ░░░░░░░░ reflecting any views differently ░░░░░░░░ what we re hearing ░░░░░░░░ the Republican leadership in ░░░░░░░░ house Well the Republican ░░░░░░░░ has completely abdicated responsibility ░░░░░░░░ the context of ensuring ░░░░░░░░ the events around January ░░░░░░░░ never happen again and ░░░░░░░░ they shouldn t be ░░░░░░░░ at Do a partisan ░░░░░░░░ because that was an ░░░░░░░░ tragedy Now there are ░░░░░░░░ of House Republicans that ░░░░░░░░ a fortunately vote to ░░░░░░░░ the election of Joe ░░░░░░░░ and I do have ░░░░░░░░ with many of them ░░░░░░░░ did the right thing ░░░░░░░░ night and hopefully there ░░░░░░░░ continue to try and ░░░░░░░░ the right thing and ░░░░░░░░ up to the efforts ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump and his ░░░░░░░░ co conspirators to really ░░░░░░░░ American democracy which would ░░░░░░░░ be good for anyone ░░░░░░░░ good for Democrats not ░░░░░░░░ for Republicans not good ░░░░░░░░ independence not good for ░░░░░░░░ But do you think ░░░░░░░░ are more than the ░░░░░░░░ who voted To impeach ░░░░░░░░ later they mean are ░░░░░░░░ are we looking at ░░░░░░░░ situation where there may ░░░░░░░░ more a closet Republicans ░░░░░░░░ are prepared to stand ░░░░░░░░ or is what you ░░░░░░░░ what there is lost ░░░░░░░░ hope that That Republicans ░░░░░░░░ good will be on ░░░░░░░░ Cheney and adam kinda ░░░░░░░░ in those who voted ░░░░░░░░ hold Donald Trump accountable ░░░░░░░░ inciting their violent insurrection ░░░░░░░░ their impeachment vote will ░░░░░░░░ up and reclaim their ░░░░░░░░ because right now that ░░░░░░░░ are not the party ░░░░░░░░ Ronald Reagan and not ░░░░░░░░ party of John McCain ░░░░░░░░ not the party of ░░░░░░░░ Dole or george w ░░░░░░░░ or george w bush ░░░░░░░░ not even the party ░░░░░░░░ Mitt Romney You know ░░░░░░░░ are the party of ░░░░░░░░ Trump and a violent ░░░░░░░░ Take your party back ░░░░░░░░ the good of America ░░░░░░░░ I want to turn ░░░░░░░░ something that has grown ░░░░░░░░ of what happened that ░░░░░░░░ and course to challenge ░░░░░░░░ election That s the ░░░░░░░░ by Democrats to get ░░░░░░░░ rights Reform legislation passed ░░░░░░░░ until now No Republicans ░░░░░░░░ at least in the ░░░░░░░░ have expressed a willingness ░░░░░░░░ do this but just ░░░░░░░░ the last few days ░░░░░░░░ we re hearing from ░░░░░░░░ Republicans that that they ░░░░░░░░ might be willing to ░░░░░░░░ at the the way ░░░░░░░░ electoral vote is counted ░░░░░░░░ of voting rights reform ░░░░░░░░ that something that you ░░░░░░░░ could be acceptable Well ░░░░░░░░ s not an either ░░░░░░░░ situation we have to ░░░░░░░░ both the right to ░░░░░░░░ is sacred to the ░░░░░░░░ of our democracy This ░░░░░░░░ of one person one ░░░░░░░░ and government of the ░░░░░░░░ by the people and ░░░░░░░░ the people really brought ░░░░░░░░ life by every single ░░░░░░░░ being able to exercise ░░░░░░░░ franchise choosing who represents ░░░░░░░░ at all levels of ░░░░░░░░ And so we ve ░░░░░░░░ to elevate that because ░░░░░░░░ have a voter suppression ░░░░░░░░ that has taken place ░░░░░░░░ across the country and ░░░░░░░░ John robert louis Voting ░░░░░░░░ Act and the freedom ░░░░░░░░ vote act are critical ░░░░░░░░ making sure we push ░░░░░░░░ against that At the ░░░░░░░░ time this principle of ░░░░░░░░ peaceful transfer of power ░░░░░░░░ is central to American ░░░░░░░░ Republican presidents handing off ░░░░░░░░ democratic presidents and vice ░░░░░░░░ that was interrupted and ░░░░░░░░ an almost disrupted permanently ░░░░░░░░ on January Six and ░░░░░░░░ the electoral account vote ░░░░░░░░ is an important thing ░░░░░░░░ should be done To ░░░░░░░░ up some loose ends ░░░░░░░░ exists right now in ░░░░░░░░ peaceful transfer of power ░░░░░░░░ and the time we ░░░░░░░░ left it is a ░░░░░░░░ year mid term elections ░░░░░░░░ in November It doesn ░░░░░░░░ look like a good ░░░░░░░░ at this point for ░░░░░░░░ for historical reasons and ░░░░░░░░ right now Is there ░░░░░░░░ thing What would you ░░░░░░░░ this See President Biden ░░░░░░░░ that could could help ░░░░░░░░ democratic democratic prospects this ░░░░░░░░ or President Biden is ░░░░░░░░ t a great job ░░░░░░░░ making sure that we ░░░░░░░░ the cove with crisis ░░░░░░░░ in science and evidence ░░░░░░░░ a decisive fashion and ░░░░░░░░ ll continue to lead ░░░░░░░░ that way At the ░░░░░░░░ time Deal with the ░░░░░░░░ challenges that we confront ░░░░░░░░ continue to create millions ░░░░░░░░ good paying jobs and ░░░░░░░░ we ll have to ░░░░░░░░ the American people on ░░░░░░░░ we ve done and ░░░░░░░░ ll be able to ░░░░░░░░ They are particularly when ░░░░░░░░ get the Build Back ░░░░░░░░ over the finish line ░░░░░░░░ and but my question ░░░░░░░░ how confident are you ░░░░░░░░ can happen given opposition ░░░░░░░░ your own party in ░░░░░░░░ Senate while I m ░░░░░░░░ confident in a win ░░░░░░░░ a coat where coalition ░░░░░░░░ so we have to ░░░░░░░░ with the various components ░░░░░░░░ that coalition including Senate ░░░░░░░░ mentioned in cinema Believe ░░░░░░░░ Biden who knows the ░░░░░░░░ better than perhaps any ░░░░░░░░ in modern American history ░░░░░░░░ ll get it done ░░░░░░░░ you prepared to say ░░░░░░░░ changes That when the ░░░░░░░░ Back Better bill as ░░░░░░░░ is for example cutting ░░░░░░░░ half the threshold household ░░░░░░░░ Amount for the child ░░░░░░░░ credit All the tax ░░░░░░░░ for children and families ░░░░░░░░ the child tax credit ░░░░░░░░ been transformational for working ░░░░░░░░ low income families and ░░░░░░░░ class families and I ░░░░░░░░ we have to continue ░░░░░░░░ keep it robust But ░░░░░░░░ s have a conversation ░░░░░░░░ see what cent of ░░░░░░░░ mansion comes up with ░░░░░░░░ the end that a ░░░░░░░░ we need a product ░░░░░░░░ decisively makes life better ░░░░░░░░ ever Day Americans and ░░░░░░░░ we get that product ░░░░░░░░ something I can live ░░░░░░░░ maybe something below four ░░░░░░░░ thousand household income Just ░░░░░░░░ congressman jeffries we know ░░░░░░░░ Pelosi says she doesn ░░░░░░░░ tend to search through ░░░░░░░░ remainder of this term ░░░░░░░░ if she decides not ░░░░░░░░ run for leadership again ░░░░░░░░ you gonna run for ░░░░░░░░ party s top position ░░░░░░░░ the house Oh I ░░░░░░░░ got a job to ░░░░░░░░ a of the house ░░░░░░░░ caucus and I also ░░░░░░░░ to go back to ░░░░░░░░ voters to try to ░░░░░░░░ my two year employment ░░░░░░░░ renewed and twenty twenty ░░░░░░░░ something to keep the ░░░░░░░░ on that for the ░░░░░░░░ We will leave at ░░░░░░░░ representative Hakeem Jeffries of ░░░░░░░░ York the chair of ░░░░░░░░ democratic caucus Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much, but you