CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Chris Van Hollen
Interview
HILL: For Mitch McConnell, it's a political exercise. Other Senate Republicans also said as much, Lindsey Graham most notedly.
Shortly before air time, I spoke with another senator, Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Senator Van Hollen, I want to ask you first about what we just heard from Senator McConnell. Are your fellow Democratic senators, are you fully impartial heading into a Senate trial?
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): Erica, yes, I am, because I'm willing to listen to all the evidence before rendering a final verdict in this case. Do I think that the House has made an overwhelming case for impeachment as of this point in time? Yes, I do, but I also have heard the president say that he wants to have a big trial and he wants to have witnesses talking about how he's not guilty of the offenses he's been charged with and I'm absolutely willing to listen.
At the same time, that's why it's so important that we have witnesses that apparently the president or the president's team and Mitch McConnell don't want to call. Everybody should be able to make their case in a true trial that's fair in the Senate.
HILL: Well, in terms of having those witnesses, Senate Leader McConnell said, quote, we haven't ruled out witnesses. We said, let's handle this case just like we did with President Clinton. Fair is fair.
What are your thoughts on that? Are you OK with handling this in the exact same manner that it was held for President Clinton?
VAN HOLLEN: Well, every trial is different. You know that. I think the American public knows that.
And I think it's very reasonable to seek some assurances right up front that there will be witnesses. There were witnesses in the Clinton trial. There were three deposition witnesses.
[20:20:02]
There were lots of witnesses in the previous trial for President Andrew Johnson.
And so, there's no reason why Senator Mitch McConnell can't tell us up front that he's going to agree to call these very important fact witnesses from the White House who have direct knowledge of the impeachment charges that are being made against the president.
HILL: As you know, some of the witnesses the president has referred to, including former Vice President Biden, Hunter Biden. If Mitch McConnell does acquiesce, and he does say yes for going to have witnesses, if there is a push for the Bidens, are they fair game?
VAN HOLLEN: So, as you know, the Biden issue is a total red herring. It's been well-documented that there is no truth to the allegations and I haven't heard any Republican senators talk about calling Hunter Biden or Vice President Biden.
Look, if Senator McConnell wants to put that in the mix, that's obviously his choice. But he hasn't done that. And we have said that we want witnesses. We've named four fact witnesses that are not, you know, some, you know, wild goose chase that has already been disproven.
We're talking about witnesses in the White House, including Michael Duffey and we just learned over the last few days that Michael Duffey within 90 minutes of President Trump's phone call with President Zelensky sent that information with the U.S. military assistance to Ukraine and at the same time asking them to keep it quiet, hush, hush. So, clearly, they understood that this was inappropriate and Michael Duffey's exactly the witness that we need to hear from along with the documents and the original transcript of the phone call, rather than the memo form.
HILL: And as opposed, as you put it, the rough transcript that the White House released.
In terms of those emails that are released because of this FOIA lawsuit, those were referenced by Senator Schumer today in his letter to his fellow Senate colleagues where he called for evidence to be admitted. He also then later today said he could and would push for a vote.
Do you know of any of your Republican colleagues who would get behind that vote and potentially join Democrats for certain witnesses and evidence?
VAN HOLLEN: Well, I think it's going to be awfully hard for them to
explain to their constituents why they're voting against calling fact witnesses and trying to get documents, right? If you were going to have a fair trial, every American understands that means that everybody gets to put on their case. That means you get to call witnesses.
So, in voting against witnesses, if they choose to vote against witnesses, it's pretty clear that they're afraid of the truth. That's been the question all along. If the White House and President Trump had nothing to hide, why are they so scared about presenting those documents and those witnesses?
HILL: Senator Chris Van Hollen, appreciate you joining us. Thank you.
VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you. Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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