CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript Interview with Chris Murphy

Interview

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And I want to go now to Democratic senator from Connecticut, Chris

Murphy.

Senator Murphy. I don't know how much of that you were able to hear. But Dr. Faust obviously is quite concerned, he feels the situation is unstable, and he's quite concerned. And you also heard what he said about the experimental drug there.

What's your reaction here to what we now know that the president is at the hospital and we're told will spend the next few days there?

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Well, it's obviously serious, getting more serious, and you know, we're pulling for the president and the first lady.

I sit on the Foreign Relations Committee, so I think about this moment through a national security lens. I was glad to see the president standing on two feet, able to speak to the camera. It is important to show our allies and our adversaries around the world that this president is still in charge.

BURNETT: Uh-huh.

MURPHY: But it's also why the White House has to give us more information. This White House has to make very clear what the president's symptoms are and what his prognosis is, because if we do have to start entertaining the possibility of potentially transferring power even for a short period of time, more information is important.

We also need to know, Erin, the scope of this epidemic and this spread at the White House. Obviously, we've had one U.S. senator test positive. But Mitch McConnell is still saying we're going to be back in the Senate voting next week. And if we don't know who's positive, if we don't know how bad this super spreading event was, if it happened, then we're all in trouble.

So, we've got some work to do to trace the source of this infection and to make sure that everyone around the president over the last few weeks is not doing further damage to the nation's public health.

BURNETT: As we said, we know nine people who are that event tested positive. And, by the way, Amy Coney Barrett is not among them. She already had coronavirus. She was clear of it. She had it this summer. So, very recently.

The Gang of Eight, my understanding, Senator, Democratic leaders of Congress, Senate Intel Committee, right, this is your area. Usually, you get briefed on anything relevant or pertinent to national security, to classified intelligence.

But we understand there have been no briefings about the president's health. Is that true and is that a problem for you?

MURPHY: My understanding is that there has not been a Gang of Eight briefing. It's troubling. I would say it's just as troubling that there haven't been more detailed public briefings as of yet. But certainly, you would expect at least the leaders of Congress would be read in here.

You know, again from the congressional standpoint, if there's not an issue over the temporary transition of power, it's not as urgent. But I think it would settle everyone's nerves in Congress and across the world if we had some more information.

BURNETT: I think it certainly would. There's no question about that. Senator, thank you.

MURPHY: Thank you.

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