Rep. John Garamendi: Trump Is Putting Us on ‘Very Dangerous Road’ with Cabinet Picks, ‘FBI Is Going To Be Wiretapping’

ANNOUNCER This is CNN ░░░░░░░░ News Dean Our breaking ░░░░░░░░ tonight President Elect Donald ░░░░░░░░ announcing he intends to ░░░░░░░░ Kash Patel to head ░░░░░░░░ the FBI Currently the ░░░░░░░░ of the FBI is ░░░░░░░░ Wray who is in ░░░░░░░░ middle of serving a ░░░░░░░░ year term He came ░░░░░░░░ be the director in ░░░░░░░░ after then President Trump ░░░░░░░░ James Comey That is ░░░░░░░░ Chris Wray was nominated ░░░░░░░░ confirmed by the Senate ░░░░░░░░ has been in that ░░░░░░░░ now for several years ░░░░░░░░ FBI directors serve out ░░░░░░░░ 10 year terms and ░░░░░░░░ not at the whim ░░░░░░░░ whichever president may be ░░░░░░░░ power Joining us now ░░░░░░░░ Congressman John Garamendi of ░░░░░░░░ Congressman thanks so much ░░░░░░░░ being here with us ░░░░░░░░ first just want to ░░░░░░░░ your reaction to this ░░░░░░░░ news we re getting ░░░░░░░░ GARAMENDI It s very ░░░░░░░░ Throughout the entire campaign ░░░░░░░░ said Oh he s ░░░░░░░░ talking That s just ░░░░░░░░ rhetoric As Trump said ░░░░░░░░ am your retribution and ░░░░░░░░ revenge agenda And now ░░░░░░░░ re seeing it play ░░░░░░░░ not only with this ░░░░░░░░ for the FBI but ░░░░░░░░ for the military You ░░░░░░░░ a look at all ░░░░░░░░ the appointments They are ░░░░░░░░ of a strategy that ░░░░░░░░ president has laid out ░░░░░░░░ put in place his ░░░░░░░░ promises which is retribution ░░░░░░░░ seek revenge on his ░░░░░░░░ enemies And in his ░░░░░░░░ words Mr Patel has ░░░░░░░░ it very very clear ░░░░░░░░ he thinks he will ░░░░░░░░ to the press and ░░░░░░░░ ll do to political ░░░░░░░░ It is a very ░░░░░░░░ a very very dangerous ░░░░░░░░ on which Trump is ░░░░░░░░ us Dean And you ░░░░░░░░ that he is carrying ░░░░░░░░ on his campaign promises ░░░░░░░░ wasn t that he ░░░░░░░░ holding this back or ░░░░░░░░ being open He talked ░░░░░░░░ lot about political retribution ░░░░░░░░ yet Americans made him ░░░░░░░░ again What do you ░░░░░░░░ of that GARAMENDI Well ░░░░░░░░ I make of it ░░░░░░░░ that oh that s ░░░░░░░░ talk that s just ░░░░░░░░ that s just talk ░░░░░░░░ the campaign trail all ░░░░░░░░ talk about things they ░░░░░░░░ going to do but ░░░░░░░░ re never going to ░░░░░░░░ it Well heads up ░░░░░░░░ he intends to do ░░░░░░░░ You look at all ░░░░░░░░ the appointments that he ░░░░░░░░ made not necessarily in ░░░░░░░░ enforcement you look at ░░░░░░░░ environmental issues he said ░░░░░░░░ re going to drill ░░░░░░░░ drill And he s ░░░░░░░░ in place people that ░░░░░░░░ to make sure that ░░░░░░░░ United States drills and ░░░░░░░░ for oil everywhere that ░░░░░░░░ possibly can That s ░░░░░░░░ the environmental side He ░░░░░░░░ he d roll back ░░░░░░░░ environmental protections and he ░░░░░░░░ do that or at ░░░░░░░░ attempt to do it ░░░░░░░░ so believe him believe ░░░░░░░░ Trump said And what ░░░░░░░░ now you re seeing ░░░░░░░░ play out here with ░░░░░░░░ nominee for the FBI ░░░░░░░░ is an extraordinarily important ░░░░░░░░ You think about J ░░░░░░░░ Hoover Politicians lived in ░░░░░░░░ for 20 almost 30 ░░░░░░░░ because Hoover was using ░░░░░░░░ FBI to spy on ░░░░░░░░ personal lives their political ░░░░░░░░ and their economic lives ░░░░░░░░ Hoover used that as ░░░░░░░░ tool to gain control ░░░░░░░░ Patel has made very ░░░░░░░░ clear who he s ░░░░░░░░ after He s going ░░░░░░░░ you He s going ░░░░░░░░ other media personnel who ░░░░░░░░ with him who are ░░░░░░░░ in opposition to Trump ░░░░░░░░ policies Patel has promised ░░░░░░░░ do that Believe him ░░░░░░░░ is a very serious ░░░░░░░░ that Trump is putting ░░░░░░░░ on and it will ░░░░░░░░ to a significant diminution ░░░░░░░░ our political our social ░░░░░░░░ well as our democratic ░░░░░░░░ here in the United ░░░░░░░░ So beware be very ░░░░░░░░ aware of what Trump ░░░░░░░░ doing Dean And so ░░░░░░░░ this case you know ░░░░░░░░ the check on the ░░░░░░░░ president s power lies ░░░░░░░░ the Senate This is ░░░░░░░░ Senate confirmed position We ░░░░░░░░ just reminding everyone that ░░░░░░░░ Republicans will have a ░░░░░░░░ but it s a ░░░░░░░░ majority And so they ░░░░░░░░ t you know they ░░░░░░░░ still going to you ░░░░░░░░ have to work to ░░░░░░░░ people through a Republican ░░░░░░░░ Senate as evidenced by ░░░░░░░░ Gaetz dropping out from ░░░░░░░░ nominated for Attorney General ░░░░░░░░ it became clear that ░░░░░░░░ just not going to ░░░░░░░░ for him Obviously Congressman ░░░░░░░░ are a Democrat that ░░░░░░░░ in the House so ░░░░░░░░ a Senate Republican but ░░░░░░░░ am curious how you ░░░░░░░░ that will go if ░░░░░░░░ think Senate Republicans will ░░░░░░░░ for this GARAMENDI Well ░░░░░░░░ s be very much ░░░░░░░░ the FBI can investigate ░░░░░░░░ independents Republicans and most ░░░░░░░░ else in the United ░░░░░░░░ And so the power ░░░░░░░░ the FBI to investigate ░░░░░░░░ is significant Even though ░░░░░░░░ senators are Republicans maybe ░░░░░░░░ re Democrats but those ░░░░░░░░ strike fear into the ░░░░░░░░ senators as well as ░░░░░░░░ of Congress and wannabe ░░░░░░░░ of Congress and that ░░░░░░░░ a method of controlling ░░░░░░░░ oversight and the balance ░░░░░░░░ power between the Congress ░░░░░░░░ courts as well as ░░░░░░░░ presidency And so using ░░░░░░░░ FBI as a tool ░░░░░░░░ investigatory tool striking fear ░░░░░░░░ other words keeping in ░░░░░░░░ case the Republicans in ░░░░░░░░ I would suggest it ░░░░░░░░ going to happen I ░░░░░░░░ certainly the Democrats and ░░░░░░░░ press and others who ░░░░░░░░ out strongly against Trump ░░░░░░░░ the campaigns and before ░░░░░░░░ during the course of ░░░░░░░░ administration will be looking ░░░░░░░░ their shoulders always thinking ░░░░░░░░ FBI is there wiretapping ░░░░░░░░ ve got to be ░░░░░░░░ I can t speak ░░░░░░░░ And there is the ░░░░░░░░ day by day issue ░░░░░░░░ issue in which we ░░░░░░░░ our freedom Dean All ░░░░░░░░ Congressman Garamendi thank you ░░░░░░░░ coming on and offering ░░░░░░░░ thoughts We really appreciate ░░░░░░░░ GARAMENDI: “Thank you.”