NBC "Meet the Press" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Amy Klobuchar
Interview
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CHUCK TODD:
And joining me now is Democratic presidential candidate Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Senator Klobuchar, welcome back to Meet the Press.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
Thank you, Chuck. It's wonderful to be on.
CHUCK TODD:
All right, the collision of impeachment, the campaign is all now upon us. In 63 days, I think, we'll be caucusing. You might be there taking a break from the Senate trial. What role does public opinion play in all this for you? I mean, we're at a stalemate. No matter what you think of the facts, we're at a public opinion stalemate here. What role should that play in this?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
The first obligation is a constitutional one. We don't have a choice. This is something where the Founding Fathers themselves, James Madison said that the reason we needed impeachment provisions is that he feared that a president would betray the trust of the American people to a foreign power. That's why this is proceeding. I see it simply as a global Watergate. Back then, you had a president in Richard Nixon who was paranoid and he delegated to some people to go break into the headquarters and get into a file cabinet to get dirt on a political opponent. That's basically what this president has done on a global basis. Yes, it's a public trial and the public will be able to see more and will be able to reach their own decisions, but in the end it's our constitutional obligation and I can do two things at once.
CHUCK TODD:
Let me -- I want to show you a quote from a Congress -- a member of Congress from Michigan who said this. Brenda Lawrence, Democrat, said this. "We are so close to an election and I will tell you sitting here, knowing how divided the country is, I don't see the value of taking him out of office, but I do see the value of putting down a marker saying his behavior is not acceptable." That is one way to look at this public opinion, that you see that people, sort of -- people that are actually listening and everything are torn on the election as opposed to this, are split on this. You've got a Democratic member in your own state, Collin Peterson, who didn't even vote to go through this procedure. He's from a Trump district. Is that what you hear?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
Let me talk about how I see this. Yes, this is a legal impeachment proceeding and it could result in him being thrown out of office. That is true. But I see this as part of a bigger pattern and the pattern is this: He betrays the trust of the American people. He puts his private interests, he puts his business interests, he puts his partisan political interests in front of our country's. That's what people get. That's why you see, for instance, the fact that he went out there and rallied for the opponents -- Republicans in Louisiana and Kentucky and the Democrats won. We have a new Democratic governor in Kentucky and that is because the people said, "You know what? He's betrayed us on healthcare. We haven't been able to get the healthcare that we want."
CHUCK TODD:
Do you fear, though, what he could do -- how he would interpret a Senate acquittal?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
I have no idea what he will do. All I know is that we have an obligation to the country to lead, to have this proceeding be conducted fairly, which I believe it has. It was all in public in the last week. People got to see people like Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, who made the American point to his dad, "Hey, this is a country where you can tell the truth." I think the importance is that it's fair and that we get a result.
CHUCK TODD:
The Republicans have poured millions of dollars into these swing districts trying -- with an anti-impeachment message. Democrats have not countered. And I understand why they haven't, right. They don't want to look like they're politicizing this process. And yet, what's happening? It's an asymmetrical warfare and you're losing the political argument in public opinion. Should there -- hindsight's 20/20. Are Democrats making a mistake not sticking up with paid media for these -- particularly these swing state Democrats?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
I think it's way too early to tell that, Chuck. We have got a whole election season in front of us and my evidence is what just happened, where we took back the Virginia State House and State Senate right in the middle of all of this because the voters were looking at that, yes. This is a patriotism check. This is a values check. There are people that don't even want to have the -- watch the president on TV anymore. They have to turn the volume down on their TV. And it is also an economic check. So, when I went on those -- that Blue Wall tour to places like Michigan and Pennsylvania and to Wisconsin and talked to citizens who had maybe voted for him before, they said, "Enough. He hasn't come through for us. Our prescription drug costs are skyrocketing. What has he done? He's just whining on TV all the time."
CHUCK TODD:
Let me talk about your race. It seems as if right now everybody is focused on everybody's flaws, all the reasons why none of you can unite the Democratic party, why none of you can do this, and you've got this problem, and this candidate's got that problem. It's only a focus on the warts. Is this damaging long-term?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
We will come together. You know, we are not like the Republican party, where they say, "He says jump and they say, 'How high?'" and no one says, "The emperor has no clothes." Our party is going to have a debate about issues, but I am the candidate from the very beginning that said we have to cross the river of our divides when I announced on that river in the middle of that blizzard. I am the candidate that said, "I don't want to be the president for half of America, but all of America." And I have set a very clear path that we will have divides, but I am where the people are. And that means that I have big, bold ideas. No one has a monopoly on good ideas, but I am the one that will unite this party.
CHUCK TODD:
What's the criticism of your campaign so far that's resonated the most with you? That you think, "You know what? That's fair. I'm trying to change"?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
Well, I think it would always be nice to get in more money, and we have. You know, they're always saying, "Oh, you haven't raised as much money as some of these other guys." Well, I'm not as well known. Since the last debate, we've taken over $2 million in at one instance, online, from regular people, in six days. So, we are expanding. We're opening more offices in Iowa. We're more -- opening more offices and adding staff in New Hampshire and in the other early states. And that's because the momentum's on our side. And I'm never going to be able to compete with two billionaires. That is true. I'm not going to be able to buy this $30 some million ad buy.
CHUCK TODD:
You seem particularly insulted by Bloomberg's entry. No I mean, and I look, I understand if other -- but look he's -- this is your space. You're saying, "Hey, I'm the compromise. I'm the one that if Biden falters, and all of a sudden, hey, you, you're getting into my space." That's what you sounded like.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
Well, it is more about money in politics for me. I have admiration for the work that he's done, but I don't buy this argument that you get in because you say, "Oh, everyone else sucks." I just don't. I think we have strong candidates. I don't think that any of the polling or the numbers show that people are dissatisfied with all their candidates. They're just trying to pick the right one. So, my case is to make that it's me. I'm the one from the beginning that has set that path that you look people in the eyes, you tell them the truth, that no, we're not going to give free college to everyone, but we're going to match our economy with the jobs and the education system that we have. I'm the one that is the only one on the stage that didn't get on that bill for kicking people off their current health insurance in four years.
CHUCK TODD:
Michael Bloomberg, if he doesn't qualify -- if you don't ever get to debate him, but he ends up winning a nomination --
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
That can't happen.
CHUCK TODD:
Are the rules --
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
I mean, he's got to debate people and he also has to get out there. You know, I didn't see him out there in the middle of that snowstorm three days ago in Iowa. I was out there and people turned out. People turned out in big numbers wherever we went. And that's because, that's why we have early states, so that people are able to meet the candidates and they're able to make a good decision. It cannot be all about money or rich people would be running and winning in every Senate race in the country. That's not what happens.
CHUCK TODD:
Back quickly to impeachment. Any chance you would vote to acquit?
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
I can't see that happening right now, but I am someone that looks at each count and makes a decision. I've said from the beginning, I see this as impeachable conduct.
CHUCK TODD:
Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat from Minnesota, sorry about the University of Minnesota yesterday. It's been a great season. It's been a good season.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
Okay that's true. The Rose Bowl was in our reach.
CHUCK TODD:
It's been a good season.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
We will see. We will see.
CHUCK TODD:
It's still a heck of a season. Row the boat.
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR:
Okay, thank you.
CHUCK TODD:
Thanks for being on. Stay safe on the trail.
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