Rep. Scott Rigell Slams Trump: ‘I Truly Believe He Would Harm Our Country’
RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
TAPPER: "Donald Trump as their nominee. This week they are starting to go public. Joining me now is Republican congressman Scott of Virginia is warning that it would be nothing short of catastrophic. Thank you for joining me. I appreciate it."
RIGELL: "Thank you."
TAPPER: "You called Donald Trump a reckless dangerous bully with a void in his heart. He keeps winning including in Virginia last night. Is it possible your quarrel is not with with Donald Trump but Republican voters?"
RIGELL: "Not at all. I believe that Republican voters have got a reason to be upset and angry that I’m submitting to them that the solution is not Donald Trump in any respect the. If I look at who would be our commander in chief, represent a district with a highest number of men and women in uniform of all the 35 congressional districts. To think we would put our young men and women under the command of like someone Donald Trump who is reckless and devoid of judgment, I cannot in good conscious vote for him. I will not."
TAPPER: "You will not vote for him map will you do if he’s not the nominee?"
RIGELL: "I’m not going to vote for Hillary Clinton. I’m going to have to go write in someone. This is deeply troubling to me that I’m here and having to talk about this topic. I didn’t think I would see the day, and this extremist moment we’re in in our country, the solution is not Donald Trump. When a person is seeking the highest office of the land and the party that I have been a part of all my life and that I love, yet he says he admires Putin. He quotes muse Lee knee. He can’t get his way out of a kkk David duke reference. He struggles with this. What is missing in the mind of a person who doesn’t just immediately reject the kkk and David duke? He doesn’t represent who we are as a Republican party."
TAPPER: "Do you think the party needs to coalesce around an alternative one person instead of four?"
RIGELL: "I’m a Marco Rubio fan. I have been. I’m in for Marco. Any of the other candidates, I believe, would unify us. That’s why when I sent my letter out to Virginia to the Republicans I was deliberate in not — I didn’t mention Marco. Because I didn’t want them to think it was about me pushing Marco. It was about me with my best judgment as a businessman, as a father, husband, and public servant. Everything I have learned in life says that Donald Trump is — he would harm — I truly believe he would harm our country. I’ve got to speak out about this. I am."
TEPPER: "Are more members of Congress going to be speaking out?"
RIGELL: "I saw another friend there on the monitor speaking out. I appreciate Bob Dole doing this. I get stopped in the hallways and all kind of places over there at the capitol and they’re going thank you for what you’re doing, Scott. I think yeah I could use a little help."
