MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Interview

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MELBER: Welcome back. The other big story tonight. ABC News reporting  and this is for the first time, former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort  has reached a plea with Special Counsel Bob Mueller. As I mentioned NBC  News has not confirmed this report yet. It`s all unfolding right now and  I`m joined by Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, a  former prosecutor who serves on the pivotal Judiciary Committee relevant to  this and the Judge Kavanaugh news which we`re going to get to in a few  minutes. First, your reaction to these reports which would have been  shocking if you think about this a year or two ago, a campaign chair having  been convicted now cutting a deal. Your reaction?

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: It would have been shocking just  a year ago. Remember that Paul Manafort was in effect tampering with  witnesses. His apartment was raided by the FBI because there was the  prospect of his destroying documents. Now there is the potential for his  cooperation which in my hope, at any rate, would be involved in any kind of  plea agreement. A trial often serves a public education function. And so,  the public really needs and deserves some public airing of what he did and  why he did it and the special counsel would be well served by his  cooperation because he knows a lot about Russia collusion as alleged  against the President of United State.

MELBER: Well, Senator, on that point, the Cohen plea process involved a  brief but rather frank assessment of someone very close to Donald Trump  explaining in his own words how he committed crimes with Donald Trump  although as you know, the question of what else the feds are going to do  with the bigger part of that is open. Do you think it would be a good  thing then if Paul Manafort does confess to some of whatever it is that`s  in this plea agreement tomorrow on open court or are you concerned that  this is all a bid by Manafort who we learn today isn`t an active  defensively with Donald Trump to not have what you called the public  education function of that larger trial this was going to be the more  Russia-related trial?

BLUMENTHAL: We`ll see what happens in the actual playroom. But obviously  if it involves some reference and substantiation to the claim that the  president is an unindicted co-conspirator, that he`s implicated in serious  wrongdoing, that goes to the legitimacy of his president, it will be  further strong evidence and support for the special counsel at a time when  the president is increasingly overt in his desire to shut down that  investigation, his sycophants and surrogates in Congress are threatening  both the special counsel and the Attorney General, and the prospect of the  Attorney General losing his job is a further threat to the special counsel.  So anything that supports the Special Counsel`s investigation is being  welcomed.

MELBER: I want to broaden out to thinking about this with President Trump  and of course the midterm elections that are hanging over all of this  because Michael Moore who of course is a noted critic of the president was  on with my colleague Chris Hayes last night. One of the points he made 
that`s even broader than the so-called witch-hunt attack on this is whether the current occupant of the Oval Office has the requisite respect for the rule of law as a foundation of American democracy or does he have a 
different mindset called from business or something, even more, a pseudo-authoritarian that doesn`t really care about that.

I`m curious at that broader level given how much you work on these issues  what you think. Take a listen to how Michael Moore put it.

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MELBER: Senator?

BLUMENTHAL: Comparing Donald Trump to the normal CEO I think is an insult  to the American business community because my hope is that the ordinary CEO  has more respect for the rule of law than Donald Trump. In fact, he has  nothing but contempt for the American judiciary, for the rule of law, and  for the principles of democracy that are so threatened because of his  chaotic and erratic administration.
And I asked Judge Kavanaugh directly about these attacks on the American  judiciary in the confirmation hearings, I was deeply and gravely  disappointed by Judge Kavanaugh`s failure to denounce and condemn these  attacks on the independent judiciary. And when the history of this error  is written, Ari, I believe that heroes will be our independent judiciary  and our free press who have done so much to defend our democracy despite  the continuing content for the rule of law demonstrated by our president.

MELBER: Well, and I think we have that and that`s the other big story.  There are these written questions that are part of the process right now.  He was asked in addition to what happened in the hearings as you mentioned,  he was asked in a new round of written questions. Do you believe the  investigation is -- that is currently being overseen a special counsel is a  "witch-hunt." And Judge Kavanaugh writes back. This was in response to  your side`s questioning. Well, sitting judges and nominee should refrain  from commenting on current events and political controversies. Senator, do  you think that he is being deliberately daft or cagey there?

BLUMENTHAL: He`s being evasive. He was evasive in the hearing. In fact,  he was seemingly misleading. And that`s why today in the Judiciary  Committee meeting, I moved to adjourn that meeting so that we could get the  documents. Time and information are absolutely necessary. Unfortunately,  so disappointingly, my Republican colleagues are rushing to judgment and  regarding this responsibility as a rubber-stamp, not the real advice and  consent that we need.

And those evasive and seemingly misleading responses from judge Kavanagh  make all the more necessary that we have access to the millions of pages of  documents that have been concealed and hidden. Put aside the committee  confidential issue. There are millions of pages of documents from his 
service as staff secretary to President Bush that are directly relevant to the most instructive period of his professional life.

MELBER: Well, and on that -- on that, Senator, the question of  transparency as you know, your colleague making waves today, Senator Dianne  Feinstein, has said publicly she`s got information from an individual that  she thinks is relevant to the nomination but she sent it to the federal  authorities. Now, she`s not elaborating at all on the nature of this, and  as we do around here I have to mention NBC News hasn`t confirmed anything  about the details of what might be in that secret complaint. The White  House is pushing back and I want to give their side.

They say this is an 11th-hour attempt to delay Kavanaugh`s confirmation.  Now, you were successful in delaying today`s vote by a week out of the  committee. Do you have anything to add to Senator Feinstein`s a rather  opaque statement?

BLUMENTHAL: All I can say is that Senator Feinstein received information  from an individual who strongly requested confidentiality and declined to  come forward. She honored that request and nonetheless referred it to  federal investigative agencies specifically the FBI for investigation. But  --

MELBER: But Senator, do you -- do you know -- did the Democratic side of  the committee of Senator Feinstein receive that while there were still time  to raise it in the hearings?

BLUMENTHAL: What I can tell you is that Senator Feinstein respected the  request for confidentiality. I learned about it literally last night and  we have appropriately she has done so referred to investigation.

MELBER: What about the White House concerned though that it does seem  late, that the judge isn`t getting an opportunity to address this in the  hearings where that type of vetting is supposed to occur?

BLUMENTHAL: I think we need more information in documents on the issues  apart from this one wholly separate from the information that Senator  Feinstein received from that individual. And we ought to have another  hearing.

MELBER: Fair enough.

BLUMENTHAL: And the judge ought to come forward to answer the questions  that are asked of him.

MELBER: Fair enough. And I want to get you as well on the other big  issue. We`ve covered a lot of ground and I appreciate you being generous  with your time. Before I let you go, Roe v Wade continues to hang over  this nominee and why he worked for a pro-life administration in a  political-legal capacity in the -- in the Bush Administration before he was  a judge, Federalist Society, pro-life credentials which many people would  say, OK fine, then be honest about it. But there is an increasing view  that under the questioning of you and your colleagues, he effectively tried  to hide that.

I want to play for you a Bill Press who I`m sure you know, a journalist  who`s covered five different confirmation hearings. Here`s how he put it  on THE BEAT regarding Kavanaugh`s statements to your committee under oath  about Roe. Take a look.

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MELBER: Final question, your reaction. Did Judge Kavanaugh lie and is the  anti-Roe v Wade?

BLUMENTHAL: He was certainly seemingly misleading in his answers and  clearly vague and evasive ambiguous in response to my questions about a  memo that he wrote which said that Roe v Wade can be overturned. Those are  his words. And also said there are justices on the Supreme Court who would  vote to overturn. He potentially is the fifth vote to overturn or at least  chip away at Roe v Wade in a way that undermines that long-established  precedent and undercuts women`s health care and reproductive rights. I  hope that my colleagues will do more than simply rubber stamp this  nomination.

MELBER: Senator Richard Blumenthal from the Judiciary Committee on a busy  night, thank you for being with us as part of our coverage of those  stories. Up ahead, we take a turn back to the storm that is bearing down  on millions of Americans and we go there live.

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