Swalwell: Democracy Is ‘Under Assault’ by the Russians and by ‘Trump and His Fixers in Congress’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT COOPER Appreciate ░░░░░░░░ Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell ░░░░░░░░ on the House Intelligence ░░░░░░░░ he s joining us ░░░░░░░░ Congressman do you have ░░░░░░░░ understanding as to why ░░░░░░░░ were two separate briefings ░░░░░░░░ one for chairman nunes ░░░░░░░░ Gowdy and one for ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan gang of eight ░░░░░░░░ It did not make ░░░░░░░░ at all We didn ░░░░░░░░ believe there should be ░░░░░░░░ meeting at all Essentially ░░░░░░░░ having the meeting you ░░░░░░░░ allowing a subject of ░░░░░░░░ criminal investigation to reach ░░░░░░░░ the evidence locker at ░░░░░░░░ FBI and to see ░░░░░░░░ of the evidence that ░░░░░░░░ against him That s ░░░░░░░░ wrong Now the fact ░░░░░░░░ they decided to go ░░░░░░░░ with the meeting anyway ░░░░░░░░ wanted it to be ░░░░░░░░ and for it to ░░░░░░░░ just one Instead there ░░░░░░░░ a partisan meeting Mr ░░░░░░░░ was able to get ░░░░░░░░ thankfully because he persisted ░░░░░░░░ the bipartisan meeting where ░░░░░░░░ Speaker Ryan chose not ░░░░░░░░ be a part of ░░░░░░░░ went to a fundraiser ░░░░░░░░ think it shows the ░░░░░░░░ influence of money trumping ░░░░░░░░ security priorities and it ░░░░░░░░ have been an opportunity ░░░░░░░░ speaker Pelosi for leader ░░░░░░░░ and Speaker Ryan to ░░░░░░░░ about these issues and ░░░░░░░░ out I think a ░░░░░░░░ of the obstruction we ░░░░░░░░ seeing from members of ░░░░░░░░ COOPER Obviously with the ░░░░░░░░ you had to then ░░░░░░░░ that not only John ░░░░░░░░ showing up but emmet ░░░░░░░░ showing up a lawyer ░░░░░░░░ specifically to represent the ░░░░░░░░ and the administration in ░░░░░░░░ Russia probe that they ░░░░░░░░ there for at least ░░░░░░░░ beginnings of these briefings ░░░░░░░░ how do you interpret ░░░░░░░░ SWALWELL I interpret it ░░░░░░░░ they see themselves that ░░░░░░░░ trump team as being ░░░░░░░░ in that they see ░░░░░░░░ friends in Congress are ░░░░░░░░ going to look the ░░░░░░░░ way or worse help ░░░░░░░░ You know Speaker Ryan ░░░░░░░░ have spoken up Mitch ░░░░░░░░ could have spoken up ░░░░░░░░ started to draw you ░░░░░░░░ firm lines and say ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ these to be crossed ░░░░░░░░ just get green lights ░░░░░░░░ time they try to ░░░░░░░░ I think you know ░░░░░░░░ many times did the ░░░░░░░░ have to deceive the ░░░░░░░░ people from the claims ░░░░░░░░ trump Tower being wire ░░░░░░░░ from the claims about ░░░░░░░░ unmasking to the claims ░░░░░░░░ the memos that the ░░░░░░░░ wrote from Devin Nunes ░░░░░░░░ many times does the ░░░░░░░░ have to deceive the ░░░░░░░░ people before Speaker Ryan ░░░░░░░░ enough is enough the ░░░░░░░░ of law is more ░░░░░░░░ than one president COOPER ░░░░░░░░ understand why emmet flood ░░░░░░░░ there may be viewed ░░░░░░░░ kind of a not ░░░░░░░░ great message to send ░░░░░░░░ is there anything sort ░░░░░░░░ factually or anything specifically ░░░░░░░░ you think his attendance ░░░░░░░░ his attendance was inappropriate ░░░░░░░░ you think it sent ░░░░░░░░ message in any way ░░░░░░░░ anybody in law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ was there or any ░░░░░░░░ the other representatives or ░░░░░░░░ you think it was ░░░░░░░░ kind of a perception ░░░░░░░░ SWALWELL I think it ░░░░░░░░ trying to throw their ░░░░░░░░ around Yes I do ░░░░░░░░ it is an effort ░░░░░░░░ try to bully the ░░░░░░░░ of justice We ve ░░░░░░░░ the president talk openly ░░░░░░░░ Bob Mueller and rod ░░░░░░░░ s jobs being on ░░░░░░░░ line and that he ░░░░░░░░ the power to get ░░░░░░░░ of them Anderson I ░░░░░░░░ the best way to ░░░░░░░░ this type of obstructive ░░░░░░░░ would be to pass ░░░░░░░░ bipartisan legislation that s ░░░░░░░░ out of the Senate ░░░░░░░░ Committee which would prevent ░░░░░░░░ from being fired unless ░░░░░░░░ was cause Until you ░░░░░░░░ that you re going ░░░░░░░░ see more obstructive behavior ░░░░░░░░ this and a sense ░░░░░░░░ feeling emboldened because no ░░░░░░░░ from the Republican leadership ░░░░░░░░ saying no COOPER The ░░░░░░░░ that Devin Nunes and ░░░░░░░░ Gowdy did not get ░░░░░░░░ documents they had requested ░░░░░░░░ does this go now ░░░░░░░░ this going to be ░░░░░░░░ last we hear of ░░░░░░░░ or do you think ░░░░░░░░ re going to let ░░░░░░░░ of this SWALWELL No ░░░░░░░░ I m afraid that ░░░░░░░░ Republican leadership speak up ░░░░░░░░ say that the rule ░░░░░░░░ law and the Independence ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ any person s interest ░░░░░░░░ a case you re ░░░░░░░░ to see more trick ░░░░░░░░ from the President Bob ░░░░░░░░ it looks like though ░░░░░░░░ press reporting continues to ░░░░░░░░ progress and hopefully he ░░░░░░░░ be able to bring ░░░░░░░░ to a close soon ░░░░░░░░ just one thing As ░░░░░░░░ President complains about how ░░░░░░░░ this is taking remember ░░░░░░░░ you lie to investigators ░░░░░░░░ takes longer When you ░░░░░░░░ a lot of Russians ░░░░░░░░ count because you drew ░░░░░░░░ campaign so close to ░░░░░░░░ you can t complain ░░░░░░░░ it is taking too ░░░░░░░░ to add them up ░░░░░░░░ finally if he would ░░░░░░░░ sit in the chair ░░░░░░░░ answer the questions that ░░░░░░░░ s already been given ░░░░░░░░ could be wrapped up ░░░░░░░░ lot sooner rather than ░░░░░░░░ COOPER Rudy Giuliani made ░░░░░░░░ clear to CNN today ░░░░░░░░ knowing about this confidential ░░░░░░░░ is a prerequisite for ░░░░░░░░ interview the President may ░░░░░░░░ with Mueller Is that ░░░░░░░░ these kind of things ░░░░░░░░ work I m not ░░░░░░░░ lawyer or law enforcement ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ have ever heard of ░░░░░░░░ information to a possible ░░░░░░░░ or subject as an ░░░░░░░░ to talk SWALWELL Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ Anderson I have prosecuted ░░░░░░░░ and I have worked ░░░░░░░░ defense counsel and you ░░░░░░░░ before somebody is indicted ░░░░░░░░ charged with a crime ░░░░░░░░ would never give them ░░░░░░░░ that exists in the ░░░░░░░░ The only legal obligation ░░░░░░░░ they are charged is ░░░░░░░░ you do have to ░░░░░░░░ what is called discovery ░░░░░░░░ evidence against your client ░░░░░░░░ you don t get ░░░░░░░░ set the terms while ░░░░░░░░ investigation is still ongoing ░░░░░░░░ You mentioned all the ░░░░░░░░ that the President has ░░░░░░░░ claims that didn t ░░░░░░░░ up Do you think ░░░░░░░░ s still got what ░░░░░░░░ wanted out of this ░░░░░░░░ mean he and his ░░░░░░░░ were able to tweet ░░░░░░░░ go on TV and ░░░░░░░░ spy and Spygate and ░░░░░░░░ ring over and over ░░░░░░░░ SWALWELL Oh certainly For ░░░░░░░░ this is just a ░░░░░░░░ relations campaign to try ░░░░░░░░ and undermine the special ░░░░░░░░ s work but for ░░░░░░░░ country what we re ░░░░░░░░ is that democracy is ░░░░░░░░ assault from two fronts ░░░░░░░░ It has always been ░░░░░░░░ assault from the Russians ░░░░░░░░ they attacked us but ░░░░░░░░ it is under assault ░░░░░░░░ President Trump and his ░░░░░░░░ in Congress something that ░░░░░░░░ have never seen before ░░░░░░░░ think the public sentiment ░░░░░░░░ to stay loud on ░░░░░░░░ As long as people ░░░░░░░░ pressure on their lawmakers ░░░░░░░░ will have to speak ░░░░░░░░ If not they will ░░░░░░░░ held accountable COOPER Congressman ░░░░░░░░ appreciate your time.”