CNN "The Situation Room" - Interview with Sen. Jack Reed

Interview

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BLITZER: Jim Acosta at the White House for us, thank you.

Joining us now, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island. He's the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee and, as such, is an ex officio member of the Intelligence Committee.

Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: We have a lot to discuss but, first, your reaction to this subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee to have the former White House counsel, Don McGahn, come before the committee and testify.

What's your reaction?

REED: I think it's appropriate. I think the House Judiciary Committee is the focal point, the focus of investigations of the president's conduct. Mr. McGahn was there. He is featured prominently in the Mueller report. I think it would be appropriate for not only the Congress but for the American people to hear his position on what he said; it's being disputed by the president.

I tend to concur with the Mueller report. I think Director Mueller did a very fair, very honest, very professional job.

BLITZER: Some are already even making comparisons to Watergate, when then White House counsel John Dean was forced to come before Congress and testify.

Do you see any parallels here?

REED: Well, I think there are parallels in the sense that Mr. McGahn was privy to a lot of the issues surrounding -- particularly the obstruction of justice charges, where the inference was the president was taking steps repeatedly or trying to take steps to frustrate the investigation, firing Comey and doing other things.

And Mr. McGahn was the counsel to --

[17:15:00]

REED: -- the president and was closely involved in those decisions. And I think it would be fair for him -- not only fair, it would be appropriate for him to come before the Congress and the American people. And I think he would answer truthfully.

I think he's a very excellent attorney and a very decent person and he will answer truthfully. And those answers, I think, will help.

BLITZER: As we speak, Senator, your Democratic colleagues in the House, they're on a conference call, discussing this entire question of impeachment.

Based on your reading of the Mueller report, do you believe President Trump has committed impeachable offenses?

REED: I think the question about obstruction of justice is still one that has to be looked at very closely. As even attorney general Barr said, in his letter to us initially, Mr. Mueller could not exonerate the president from that charge. So that is a very significant issue.

With respect to the conspiracy issue, the Barr letter suggested that there was nothing there. But when it came down to the obstruction charge, he was very, I think, specific in quoting directly from all of the report that he could not be exonerated. The president could not be exonerated.

So I think you have an issue there. And I think the best way to proceed is through further investigation, calling first Director Mueller, who can give context. I mean, if his whole report was based on the premise that he thought was appropriate, that he could never charge the president because that was a policy of the Justice Department, that a president cannot be charged, can only be impeached, I think that puts this whole report into a specific context that will be very useful.

And then I think we have to get the whole report, even the redacted portions. It could be controlled in terms of distribution, so not everyone gets to see it. But critical members on both sides of the aisle get to see it. And I think, with the McGahn testimony, it could be -- shed even further light on what took place.

BLITZER: Your Senate colleague, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a presidential candidate from Massachusetts, she's called on the House to begin impeachment proceedings.

Is she right?

Is that necessary right now?

REED: At this juncture, I think what's appropriate is to follow the investigation. There's a certain point which the evidence and the facts will become obvious, I think, to all, we hope, but at least to significant numbers, that there is culpability here.

And at that point, that's when I think the Judiciary Committee in the House can start formal, if you will say, impeachment proceedings. But there is an obligation to investigate these allegations and to establish the facts, establish the evidence.

And after that, if you've reached a critical point and you feel that there have been high crimes and misdemeanors, which is a very, very broad range of possible charges, have been reached, then you can proceed.

And again, having been through this once before in the '90s, then it goes to the floor of the House of Representatives and that's the vote of the House. No president is impeached until the House, the whole House votes.

So these judiciary proceedings are appropriate, useful and, I think at the investigation level, are timely and should be pursued.

BLITZER: Senator Reed, thanks so much for joining us.

REED: Thanks, Wolf.

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