CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Al Green

Interview

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[19:30:13] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: That is a great point. That's tough news to hear from those voters that you spoke to there for the Democratic field.

Thanks, MJ.

OUTFRONT with me now, Democratic Congressman Al Green. He has endorsed Kamala Harris for president.

Congressman, thank you for being here.

REP. AL GREEN (D-TX): My honor to be with you. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you. It is clear across the board in all of the new polls that Kamala Harris got a big boost from the last debate. How -- if that's her launch pad, how does she sustain it?

GREEN: Well, I think that these polls tend to go up and down. But I do believe that she gave a presidential presentation. She has demonstrated that she has the courage to prosecute the case. She will prosecute the case against the Russian involvement in our elections. Prosecute the case for reproductive rights for women, prosecute the case so that Dreamers can have a pathway to citizenship, prosecute the case against the assault weapons that are killing our kids, even in schools.

So I think that demonstrating that she has the courage and the knowledge and that she will be there for the American people has made her a person for consideration.

BOLDUAN: There is one big red flag for Harris in these polls. And that's policy. If you look at just this new Quinnipiac poll, Elizabeth Warren tops the pack on who Democrats think has the best policy ideas. Harris is behind her, behind Sanders, and behind Biden on this.

How is that not a problem?

GREEN: I think we're early in the race still. Unfortunately, these races are starting earlier and earlier. We're a long away from Iowa, which takes place next year. I think she'll have policy positions well-defined.

And I think she is also being very deliberative about this. She wants to make sure that what she says is something that will be defended and she presents herself very well when she does make policy statements. I think she'll have the policy positions that the American people will respect.

BOLDUAN: The most important qualities in apology. I'm fascinated by this endlessly, is the most important quality remains to be who has the best chance of beating Donald Trump. Biden was far and a way the leader in the CNN poll on this. And this Quinnipiac poll finds the same, that Biden tops the field at 42 percent with the best chance of beating Trump. Harris is a second, but a distant one at 14 percent.

That's critical to voters. But how does she chip away at that?

GREEN: Well, the vice president has had the opportunity to be on center stage for many years. He was there with President Obama. He is a well-known entity.

Ms. Harris -- Senator Harris has the opportunity now present herself. And I think that these things take time. We are in our infancy with this election. After time has passed and people get to know her and her positions, I think we'll find that they'll believe she is the electable person.

After all, on that stage, she demonstrated that she can be a formidable challenger. She demonstrated that she can take on Trump and that she can take on Putin. I think the American people will appreciate that in the long run.

BOLDUAN: She definitely demonstrated she take on Biden.

Harris is gaining ground in the national polling among black voters. She's now at 27 percent but she does trail Biden who has had a deep well of support months of African-American voters for quite some time. Biden is up 12 in that regard.

Do you think Joe Biden deserves the support of black voters?

GREEN: I think he deserves the opportunity to be heard. All of the candidates do. And I think that he is now running for president. He was on the ticket with another candidate, President Obama, who had to defend the positions of the campaign as it were.

But he now has the opportunity to be heard like the rest the candidates and he will have to defend his positions. You can't have a presidential election and shy away from your history, your past and the positions that you've taken. I think that Senator Harris will defend her positions, her past, her history.

BOLDUAN: Do you think he can't be trusted? Do you think he can't be trusted on issues -- African-American voters -- you know what we're talking about here? GREEN: Do I think that he can't be trusted? Was that your position?

BOLDUAN: Yes, yes.

GREEN: No, I'm not saying that. This is not something that I would take on to the extent that I would demean the vice president. I happen to like the vice president. I just happen to think that Senator Harris is going to make a better president than he would.

I happen to think that she is the future.

[19:35:01] She is what the -- the people of in country are looking for as we move into a future that looks toward working people, working families, making sure that young people are inculcated into the process. I think she will bring a lot of new faces into the process and she'll make a difference when we run against the president.

BOLDUAN: Congressman, thanks for being here.

GREEN: Thank you.

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