CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Steve Cohen"

Interview

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REP. STEVE COHEN (D-TN): You know, I'd look at it. We did it with Obama, so I'd take it into consideration but I'd be concerned about it because it would increase the debt, which we -- I voted against the Trump tax bill, which put over a trillion dollars on the debt, and I voted against other proposals he's had, the budget proposal, put over a trillion dollars on the debt.

We're going so far out that the debt the United States carries, that China carries is imperiling both our economies and China's economy, which affects the world's economy. I have no doubt, we're going to see a recession. What you see with U.S. steel is a response to the tariffs that were poorly thought out.

The world is concerned about Trump acting on his own on these tariffs, and not working with allies to try to come up with mechanisms that help our country --

SCIUTTO: Right.

COHEN: -- and the world's economy. We're not independent. And Trump said, yesterday, that there are recessions in Europe but we're great. Well, if the recession's in Europe, they're going to come to America. It's a worldwide economy. And if they can't buy our goods, we're going to have a recession. We all work together, and he can't understand that, or he just refuses to admit it.

SCIUTTO: Are you concerned, though, as a Democrat, that if the president proposes this and Democrats vote against a payroll tax cut, one that they've supported in the past and, two, one that would put more money into the pocket of Americans, that the president would be setting you up and say, "Listen, I tried to help you. Democrats stood in the way."

COHEN: Well, that's certainly what he could say. He's going to say whatever he has to say. The man has no conscience whatsoever, and he has no understanding of the truth. He's a prevaricator when he wakes up in the morning. I mean, he just -- or, I guess it's still the morning at 3:30, when he starts to tweet. But I don't think we should base our policies and our actions on what

he's going to do, because he's going to create his own realities, whether it's Pocahontas, whatever it is --

SCIUTTO: But why wouldn't that be --

COHEN: -- he's going to create it.

SCIUTTO: -- but why wouldn't that be a fair argument? To say, "Listen, a payroll tax cut will give you -- economy may be slowing down, I want to cut you a break here. And after all, Democrats voted for this in 2011." So why wouldn't that be a fair argument?

COHEN: Well, that's a good argument except for the fact that it does cause more of a deficit down the line, you have less income, coming into the federal government. It could affect Medicaid, it could affect Social Security. And we need to protect Medicaid and Social Security. That's so important.

And if you just do (INAUDIBLE) that you're going to have to pay for tomorrow, it's not good policy. And there are certain things we could do immediately, like an infrastructure bill, to put people to work and get goods to market, that would help the American economy and it would help the American worker. And we need an infrastructure bill.

We need a minimum wage bill that puts money in the hands of people that are not living at poverty wages, and they spend every penny and that stimulates the economy rather than the Trump tax bill, that put money in the upper one percent, who put it into C.D.s or even bonds, if they could make any money, get an interest rate return and let it sit. But they don't invest it.

SCIUTTO: OK. But before we go, I do want to ask you, because you're on the record as a strong supporter of impeachment. Another Democrat, this time the fourth highest-ranking Democrat in the House, has come out, announcing his support.

But still, a majority of Americans don't want to go there. They don't want to go there. Why are Democrats coming out in support of a truly extraordinary step here, when you don't have the public backing for it?

COHEN: Well, we do have the public backing in a lot of areas. Ben Ray is running for the Senate -- United States Senate in New Mexico, and I guess the support's there in New Mexico, and it's certainly there in my district and in a lot of districts around the country.

SCIUTTO: Not nationally, though. You would need --

COHEN: There are --

SCIUTTO: -- a majority of Americans to want this, for it to go somewhere. And you'd also need a Republican Senate, by the way.

COHEN: The fact is, if you have hearings -- and we're having kind of quasi-hearings -- but if you had a full impeachment inquiry, you would develop facts and put out information concerning the Mueller report, concerning obstruction of justice, concerning Emoluments Clause violations and other errors, mistakes and violations of the Constitution in this administration, that would bring those numbers up.

In Watergate, the hearings started with about a 19 percent for impeachment, it got to about 67 or something. True, we had the John Dean and we had Rose Mary Woods and you're not going to have a Rose Mary Woods, but you could have something like that.

And I think if the people heard from McGahn and were trying to get McGahn to testify, we've gone to court and asked (ph) the (ph) -- Judge Jackson, I think, will have it in his court, to order him to appear.

SCIUTTO: Right.

COHEN: But if he testifies, if Dearborn testifies, if Lewandowski testifies, the information that Trump tried to obstruct justice, might bring those numbers up to where they need to be.

SCIUTTO: Well, we'll see. There's a lot of ifs there. Congressman Steve Cohen, we appreciate you taking the time this morning.

[10:35:02] COHEN: You're welcome, Jim. Have a good one.

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