CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview With Delaware Senator Chris Coons

Interview

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BLITZER: A very significant development, indeed.

Guys, thanks very much, Shimon, Laura and Jessica.

There's more we need to discuss right now.

Joining us, Senator Chris Coons. He's a Democrat who serves on the Judiciary Committee. He took part in William Barr's confirmation hearing today.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

COONS: Always good to be with you, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, I want to get to the Barr hearing in just a moment, lots of questions on that.

But I want to begin with your quick reaction to these late-breaking developments in the Mueller probe. What does it say to you that the special counsel was able to produce so much documentary evidence supposedly proving that Paul Manafort lied?

[18:15:05] COONS: While it's striking that Robert Mueller continues to investigate, develop and release through a variety of filings and charges more and more evidence.

I will remind you ,this is President Trump's campaign manager from his presidential campaign, who is now by Mueller being confirmed to have not just failed to fully cooperate, but to have actively lied and to have broken his cooperation agreement.

The Mueller investigation is the farthest thing from a witch-hunt. I was encouraged today that Bill Barr agreed that it's not a witch-hunt, as the president has so often suggested. Instead, it's produced more than 30 indictments.

And I will remind you the president's longtime personal counsel, Michael Cohen, the president's national security adviser, and the president's campaign manager have all either pled guilty or been convicted of a range of charges.

That's why in the Barr investigation -- excuse me -- in the Barr confirmation hearing today, I reminded him that we are in a national period somewhat similar to when Elliot Richardson appeared in front of the Judiciary Committee back in 1973.

BLITZER: Elliot Richardson was then the attorney general.

I want to turn to the Barr confirmation hearing today, and you were there, one of the senators asking questions.

After meeting with Bill Barr in private, you raised some concerns about how he may handle the Mueller probe if he's confirmed as attorney general.

Did you find, Senator, his public testimony today reassuring?

COONS: Well, broadly speaking, yes.

He made forceful statements about his respect for Robert Mueller, his long relationship with him, and his belief that it is in the country's best interests to ensure that he has the resources and the independence to complete his investigation without interference.

However, I carefully went through questions that U.S. senators asked Elliot Richardson in his confirmation hearing back in 1973, similar context, similar concerns.

And Bill Barr did not make the same kind of unequivocal commitments that Elliot Richardson did. He did not make an unequivocal commitment that Robert Mueller would be allowed to pursue this investigation wherever it leads, including by making his own decisions about whether to compel testimony by the president.

He didn't make what I was hoping for, which was an unequivocal commitment to share with the committee the fruits of Robert Mueller's labors, a final report. And he didn't make an unequivocal commitment that he would both seek and follow the conclusions of the Department of Justice ethics specialists around recusal.

Those were three particular concerns I had today. I was broadly encouraged by his tone, his forcefulness, his determination to be independent of the president and to protect the Department of Justice and Mueller's investigation.

I was not encouraged by his very careful wording around those specific topics.

BLITZER: So how will you vote on his confirmation?

COONS: Well, we have a whole second day of hearings tomorrow, and then I will have questions for the record.

I'm keeping an open mind, Wolf, because I think it is an important confirmation hearing.

BLITZER: What will it take to earn his vote -- the vote in favor of his confirmation?

COONS: More specific and concrete commitments around these critical issues. And then there are other areas of concern around his past statements, previous actions, around civil liberties, civil rights, criminal justice reform, LGBT rights, that we haven't really touched on much today at all.

I will say, on that front, I was encouraged that, when it comes to criminal justice reform, although, like Senator Sessions, former Attorney General Sessions, Bill Barr, as attorney general, was a tough-on-crime prosecutor and attorney general back in the '90s, he did say he would fully implement the FIRST STEP Act just signed into law by President Trump, an important bipartisan criminal justice reform measure.

BLITZER: Senator Coons, thanks, as usual, for joining us.

COONS: Thank you, Wolf.

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