Manchin on Mueller Report: ‘I Don’t Think That There Was a Collusion, a Quid Pro Quo’

MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to “Face the Nation.” Senator Joe Manchin is still with us. Senator, as I mentioned you were one of three Democrats who voted to confirm the Attorney General Bill Barr for his post. And you heard in this exclusive interview with my colleague Jan Crawford this week, he said that some of the investigators in the Russia probe may have been misguided and what they did, quote “antithetical to the democratic system.” What do you make of that characterization?

SEN. MANCHIN: Well, first of all, I’ve- I’ve basically voted for many of the president’s executive decisions they’ve made as far as who their appointments would be. I’ve always felt that the executive should be able to put their team together, if the person’s qualified and has no background- a criminal background and has good experience level. Barr met all that. With that, you’re seeing the decisions he’s making and how he’s making them now in lieu of Mueller’s report. No one has done a more extensive report than Mueller. I was on Intelligence Committee last year and we’ve been delving into this for quite some time. 

But there’s been an awful lot of investigations done by honorable people who have done what they felt was the right thing. Mueller making the decision he made, put it out there. I always wanted to hear from Mueller to come before the- before Congress and hear from his own mind and his own- his own mouth, if you will, what his intentions were and if he thought he was impeded and could not have gone farther or did he find anything. I don’t think that there was a- collusion a quid pro quo, but I think there was an awful lot of people that were riding that pretty high for themselves, trying to put themselves in the best position they could to enhance their own- their own wealth if you will.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You’re talking about contact between the Trump campaign and Russia. But in terms of the attorney general’s allegations that the counterintelligence probe was in some way, either misguided due to politics or by people thinking they’re helping but hurting the country. I mean that’s a pretty strong assertion. Do you regret voting to confirm the attorney general?

SEN. MANCHIN: Well I’ve said this, if he basically takes the position that he’s more the lawyer from the executive point of view and not for the people’s point of view, I would have made a mistake. I wanted to hear from Mueller exactly but now in hearing where he’s coming from, it really gives me pause and concern that he’s the people’s attorney. He should be looking out to prevent- protect the Constitution and all of us who are protected by that Constitution.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well he argues he is.

SEN. MANCHIN: And still has to basically be appointed- yeah. He argues he is, I think he’s wrong in that assertion that they were misguided or intentionally going a different direction. I think that Bob Mueller was beyond reproach. I think we all felt that he was extremely capable, honorable and did a great job. With that, people don’t like this, him not coming out with more of an infinite- definitive if you will. But I think it was very clear, he said that the rules are you’re not going to impeach or bring charges against a sitting president. If that’s the case, he’s put everything out there. Here’s the thing I’ve said, you’ve got a little over 17 months to the next election. If you want to go through an impeachment, we get very little done there anyway—

MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah.

SEN. MANCHIN: We’re getting nothing done if you go into that and next of all, there’s not one Republican in the Senate that would vote for an impeachment so why waste your time? You have an election coming up, voice your opinion there and make your choice. That’s where it should be done.