CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: "Interview with Sen. Mazie Hirono"
Interview
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BLITZER: Manu Raju, up on Capitol Hill, thank you. Let's get some more on all of this. Joining us now Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, she is a member of both the Judiciary and Armed Services Committees. Senator, thanks so much for joining us.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): Certainly.
BLITZER: Let's begin with the attack on Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure. First of all, have you been briefed on this attack?
HIRONO: Not by the administration. About apparently the decision is that Iran did it, although, you know, I'm glad that Saudi Arabia is seeking an international group of countries to weigh in. Unlike what the president first said that he was locked and loaded ready to go depending on what Saudi Arabia recommends that we do. Which is a crazy way of handling foreign relations.
But be that as it may, I think we need to be very careful because the Middle East is wrought with peril and a lot of opportunities to miscalculate events and under normal circumstances, Wolf, you would think that the United States could play a role in tamping down the -- tamping down the -- what is going on there and the heightened tensions, but that's not the kind of role we apparently are being looked to play.
BLITZER: Do you think the evidence at least what you've seen so far points toward Iranian involvement, that that evidence is conclusive?
HIRONO: I don't know that the evidence is conclusive. Especially as Saudi Arabia -- would like to have further investigations. So, I think that's what needs to happen. Because as I mentioned, Wolf, the Middle East is an area fraught with peril and we can't afford any miscalculations. And so apparently the president has walked back his locked and loaded comments by saying that he doesn't want to go to war with anybody. Well, yes, that would be good, because if he you would go to war, he have to get congressional authorization to do that.
BLITZER: Let's move on to this new subpoena for President Trump's tax returns. Lawmakers as you know, in the House Ways and Means Committee, they haven't been able to obtain the tax returns, but now prosecutors in New York are demanding the documents from President Trump's long time accounting firm as well as the Trump organization. Do you think that effort will be successful?
HIRONO: I have little doubt that the Trump administration will fight that as well. That effort to follow the money, which will probably result in a lot of information coming out, but the New York D.A. has his -- I don't know if it is a woman or man.
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But they need to investigate whether or not any state laws were violated by these hush money payments. So they will do their best to put their best foot forward to investigate what is going on with the Trump organization.
BLITZER: Let's turn to the latest allegations of misconduct involving the Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Did the FBI, do you believe the FBI did -- did the FBI mishandle the investigation into Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearings?
HIRONO: It was not just me, but others have called their investigation a sham. Because -- not because of the FBI's limiting their investigation, but because they were told by the White House and by Senate Republican leadership as to how many people they could talk to. So I think that it is clear that the investigation was incomplete and a sham as I frame it.
Because with Debbie Ramirez, she named -- her attorneys disclosed some 25 people who could potentially have corroborated her allegations about what Brett Kavanaugh did and as you may know, Wolf, I ask every nominee whether or not as an adult they've engaged in sexual assault or sexual harassment of any kind and Kavanaugh said no. So, if the investigation had been complete and these 25 people who potentially could have corroborated Debbie Ramirez's allegation then that means that Brett Kavanaugh lied to Congress. And that is serious business.
BLITZER: But "The New York Times" is quoting from the book, saying, she doesn't have any recollection -- personal recollection.
HIRONO: No, that is not -- that is not with regard to Debbie Ramirez. That is regarding another person who is alleged to have experienced this kind of behavior. Debbie Ramirez is a totally different person with a different allegation about his sexual misconduct.
BLITZER: Well do you believe --
HIRONO: And then the bottom line is whether he lied to Congress.
BLITZER: All right. Well do you believe that like several of the Democratic presidential candidates are now saying that Kavanaugh should be impeached?
HIRONO: I'm saying that the House Judiciary Committee should begin an impeachment inquiry which is a prelude to any decision that they would make regarding impeachment.
BLITZER: Senator Hirono, as usual, thanks for joining us.
HIRONO: Thank you.
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