Swalwell on Whitaker Hearing: It Was a ‘Damage Assessment to the Rule of Law’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT All right ░░░░░░░░ was the first big ░░░░░░░░ down where Democrats tried ░░░░░░░░ get answers from the ░░░░░░░░ Administration and it got ░░░░░░░░ early The man overseeing ░░░░░░░░ Mueller probe took them ░░░░░░░░ during the questioning But ░░░░░░░░ weren t able to ░░░░░░░░ him to cough this ░░░░░░░░ and it s important ░░░░░░░░ have not interfered in ░░░░░░░░ with the special counsel ░░░░░░░░ investigation I have not ░░░░░░░░ any funds to the ░░░░░░░░ counsel s investigation I ░░░░░░░░ not attempted to use ░░░░░░░░ intermediaries to get information ░░░░░░░░ the president I have ░░░░░░░░ talked to the president ░░░░░░░░ the United States about ░░░░░░░░ special counsel s investigation ░░░░░░░░ Eric Swalwell was among ░░░░░░░░ committee members to field ░░░░░░░░ s fire He joins ░░░░░░░░ Welcome to primetime Good ░░░░░░░░ Chris Thanks for having ░░░░░░░░ back So first question ░░░░░░░░ you believe all of ░░░░░░░░ answers given to you ░░░░░░░░ the acting ag Well ░░░░░░░░ re going to have ░░░░░░░░ test those answers with ░░░░░░░░ witnesses and other evidence ░░░░░░░░ I m not going ░░░░░░░░ draw that conclusion now ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ guys are worth being ░░░░░░░░ at their word They ░░░░░░░░ proven in the past ░░░░░░░░ Trump campaign the trump ░░░░░░░░ and the trump businesses ░░░░░░░░ the Trump Administration that ░░░░░░░░ re just now being ░░░░░░░░ A question on that ░░░░░░░░ you think that there ░░░░░░░░ a chance that an ░░░░░░░░ attorney general might lie ░░░░░░░░ Congress I asked him ░░░░░░░░ an account that the ░░░░░░░░ York Times reported which ░░░░░░░░ that before he became ░░░░░░░░ of staff to sessions ░░░░░░░░ was auditioning and interviewing ░░░░░░░░ be the president s ░░░░░░░░ in the White House ░░░░░░░░ respond to the Mueller ░░░░░░░░ So I asked him ░░░░░░░░ that He said no ░░░░░░░░ never happened That s ░░░░░░░░ with a very reputable ░░░░░░░░ reporting so we ll ░░░░░░░░ to go back and ░░░░░░░░ what s going on ░░░░░░░░ CUOMO You know another ░░░░░░░░ aspect today that could ░░░░░░░░ a key takeaway Was ░░░░░░░░ telling the truth Great ░░░░░░░░ was asked a question ░░░░░░░░ you guys tend to ░░░░░░░░ people around the Mueller ░░░░░░░░ about whether or not ░░░░░░░░ defended supported this and ░░░░░░░░ He would talk about ░░░░░░░░ fact that Mueller has ░░░░░░░░ and Mueller doesn t ░░░░░░░░ a conflict He did ░░░░░░░░ say he will defend ░░░░░░░░ probe He said it ░░░░░░░░ an ongoing investigation What ░░░░░░░░ you make of that ░░░░░░░░ Well he also would ░░░░░░░░ say that it s ░░░░░░░░ a witch hunt William ░░░░░░░░ said that and others ░░░░░░░░ Rosenstein has said that ░░░░░░░░ I think that he ░░░░░░░░ the most important person ░░░░░░░░ that hearing for his ░░░░░░░░ was Donald Trump and ░░░░░░░░ wasn t going to ░░░░░░░░ that far But I ░░░░░░░░ get him to say ░░░░░░░░ believed Bob Mueller to ░░░░░░░░ honest and despite the ░░░░░░░░ s multiple tweets Bob ░░░░░░░░ is not conflicted But ░░░░░░░░ I tried to say ░░░░░░░░ you willing to say ░░░░░░░░ to the President right ░░░░░░░░ Mr President he s ░░░░░░░░ he s not conflicted ░░░░░░░░ again he wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ that far So you ░░░░░░░░ see I think the ░░░░░░░░ that a lot of ░░░░░░░░ people have of getting ░░░░░░░░ the wronng side of ░░░░░░░░ Trump CUOMO You also ░░░░░░░░ him about pardons And ░░░░░░░░ said I just want ░░░░░░░░ get the language right ░░░░░░░░ hasn t been involved ░░░░░░░░ any discussions about pardons ░░░░░░░░ yet in the Manafort ░░░░░░░░ it s worth pointing ░░░░░░░░ that for the first ░░░░░░░░ a special counsel prosecutor ░░░░░░░░ that a person in ░░░░░░░░ case Manafort was not ░░░░░░░░ because he was angling ░░░░░░░░ a pardon So what ░░░░░░░░ you make of that ░░░░░░░░ We believe a lot ░░░░░░░░ these witnesses just from ░░░░░░░░ evidence that s out ░░░░░░░░ I m sorry a ░░░░░░░░ of these defendants or ░░░░░░░░ or even people that ░░░░░░░░ guilty like Manafort that ░░░░░░░░ are seeking pardons So ░░░░░░░░ s why I wanted ░░░░░░░░ get to the bottom ░░░░░░░░ that I m going ░░░░░░░░ take him again at ░░░░░░░░ word that he s ░░░░░░░░ straight with us but ░░░░░░░░ m not going to ░░░░░░░░ let that be the ░░░░░░░░ word We re going ░░░░░░░░ look at other witnesses ░░░░░░░░ the Department to see ░░░░░░░░ pardons are being explored ░░░░░░░░ also Chris what was ░░░░░░░░ he said well you ░░░░░░░░ Congressman that the Department ░░░░░░░░ a process for pardons ░░░░░░░░ of course has always ░░░░░░░░ the case until Donald ░░░░░░░░ came along and Sheriff ░░░░░░░░ was pardoned without that ░░░░░░░░ being honored CUOMO Right ░░░░░░░░ you know I guess ░░░░░░░░ was at the point ░░░░░░░░ he was being asked ░░░░░░░░ whether or not the ░░░░░░░░ would be made public ░░░░░░░░ he sounded a lot ░░░░░░░░ way William Barr was ░░░░░░░░ sounding to Senator Durbin ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ have to see what ░░░░░░░░ rules and regulations allow ░░░░░░░░ thought to myself in ░░░░░░░░ moment why are they ░░░░░░░░ this Why are the ░░░░░░░░ even holding this hearing ░░░░░░░░ know the guy is ░░░░░░░░ going to give you ░░░░░░░░ answers on this kind ░░░░░░░░ stuff You he is ░░░░░░░░ short timer Why waste ░░░░░░░░ time Or is that ░░░░░░░░ fair thing to say ░░░░░░░░ suggest it was a ░░░░░░░░ of time SWALWELL No ░░░░░░░░ was a damage assessment ░░░░░░░░ the rule of law ░░░░░░░░ s had a wrecking ░░░░░░░░ taken to it for ░░░░░░░░ last two years and ░░░░░░░░ has been presiding over ░░░░░░░░ Department for the last ░░░░░░░░ months This is the ░░░░░░░░ time we have been ░░░░░░░░ to take that damage ░░░░░░░░ So we wanted to ░░░░░░░░ is the rule of ░░░░░░░░ still standing does the ░░░░░░░░ investigation have the freedom ░░░░░░░░ movement that we believe ░░░░░░░░ needs And of course ░░░░░░░░ s a potential obstruction ░░░░░░░░ considering that it was ░░░░░░░░ in every way that ░░░░░░░░ came into being the ░░░░░░░░ Attorney General it was ░░░░░░░░ in the way that ░░░░░░░░ refused to recuse himself ░░░░░░░░ the Counsel that he ░░░░░░░░ And it was fishy ░░░░░░░░ the way that he ░░░░░░░░ the investigation was nearly ░░░░░░░░ when he said that ░░░░░░░░ week and when I ░░░░░░░░ him if Bob Mueller ░░░░░░░░ sitting here right now ░░░░░░░░ he agree with you ░░░░░░░░ it s nearly complete ░░░░░░░░ he said no he ░░░░░░░░ t agree with me ░░░░░░░░ This first big showdown ░░░░░░░░ is a little bit ░░░░░░░░ a window into our ░░░░░░░░ I want to play ░░░░░░░░ back and forth between ░░░░░░░░ and another Committee member ░░░░░░░░ kind of telescoping where ░░░░░░░░ may be heading I ░░░░░░░░ outgunned over here This ░░░░░░░░ not part of the ░░░░░░░░ of the hearing There ░░░░░░░░ plenty of things to ░░░░░░░░ You can go sit ░░░░░░░░ there but you re ░░░░░░░░ his lawyer Neither are ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chair The questions ░░░░░░░░ are part of this ░░░░░░░░ of running for president ░░░░░░░░ there we could get ░░░░░░░░ done Now that s ░░░░░░░░ right He s out ░░░░░░░░ he s the Republican ░░░░░░░░ s taking care of ░░░░░░░░ you call him out ░░░░░░░░ it He comes at ░░░░░░░░ for wanting to run ░░░░░░░░ 2020 Is this the ░░░░░░░░ it s going to ░░░░░░░░ going forward I have ░░░░░░░░ lot of respects for ░░░░░░░░ Collins He and I ░░░░░░░░ in together This is ░░░░░░░░ process but as the ░░░░░░░░ of a cop that ░░░░░░░░ his back for me ░░░░░░░░ be the first in ░░░░░░░░ family to go to ░░░░░░░░ it s not an ░░░░░░░░ to say to me ░░░░░░░░ re running for president ░░░░░░░░ we did it So ░░░░░░░░ does that mean Are ░░░░░░░░ thinking about running I ░░░░░░░░ considering it We re ░░░░░░░░ close I m offering ░░░░░░░░ now I m going ░░░░░░░░ Iowa and New Hampshire ░░░░░░░░ Carolina I think I ░░░░░░░░ a vision of going ░░░░░░░░ being bold and doing ░░░░░░░░ Being connected by being ░░░░░░░░ first to go to ░░░░░░░░ and having student loan ░░░░░░░░ and two kids under ░░░░░░░░ I think you need ░░░░░░░░ candidate that understands the ░░░░░░░░ struggle of grit and ░░░░░░░░ and then also coming ░░░░░░░░ a place in the ░░░░░░░░ Silicon Valley where we ░░░░░░░░ that you know being ░░░░░░░░ and resilient can solve ░░░░░░░░ and not the way ░░░░░░░░ Washington wall just kills ░░░░░░░░ and opportunity I see ░░░░░░░░ there I m still ░░░░░░░░ it out with my ░░░░░░░░ but I m excited ░░░░░░░░ even be considering it ░░░░░░░░ s some polished response ░░░░░░░░ just gave me there ░░░░░░░░ I do believe you ░░░░░░░░ seriously considering this I ░░░░░░░░ give you a minute ░░░░░░░░ of the show here ░░░░░░░░ this matters Let s ░░░░░░░░ you decide to run ░░░░░░░░ re going to have ░░░░░░░░ fight your way through ░░░░░░░░ field The party has ░░░░░░░░ figure out where it ░░░░░░░░ soul is Let s ░░░░░░░░ you make it through ░░░░░░░░ you now face to ░░░░░░░░ with Donald Trump how ░░░░░░░░ you deal with the ░░░░░░░░ when he starts coming ░░░░░░░░ you with the nicknames ░░░░░░░░ all the things he ░░░░░░░░ and all the things ░░░░░░░░ back in the day ░░░░░░░░ know your father would ░░░░░░░░ put a baton over ░░░░░░░░ top of his head ░░░░░░░░ even saying it how ░░░░░░░░ you respond in that ░░░░░░░░ What is going to ░░░░░░░░ your approach The same ░░░░░░░░ I did for seven ░░░░░░░░ in an Oakland courtroom ░░░░░░░░ would present the evidence ░░░░░░░░ the case I would ░░░░░░░░ would be to the ░░░░░░░░ people that Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ right when he told ░░░░░░░░ that many of them ░░░░░░░░ disconnected and that hair ░░░░░░░░ work wasn t adding ░░░░░░░░ to anything but the ░░░░░░░░ is is he has ░░░░░░░░ not delivered for them ░░░░░░░░ you go toe to ░░░░░░░░ with trump Absolutely I ░░░░░░░░ looking forward to that ░░░░░░░░ it s not about ░░░░░░░░ Trump It s about ░░░░░░░░ people that are counting ░░░░░░░░ him to deliver for ░░░░░░░░ Please let me know ░░░░░░░░ would be an important ░░░░░░░░ into the race Appreciate ░░░░░░░░ perspective.
>> Thank you.