CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Chris Murphy

Interview

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COOPER: Ryan Nobles, appreciate it.

Perspective now in what we've seen in this trial and what's to come from one of the jurors, Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut joins us now.

Senator, I first just wanted to get your reaction to the case that the House Managers laid out over the past two days.

SEN. CHRIS MURPHY (D-CT): Well, it's a remarkable case. It is a case that is full of loads of impeachable conduct. I mean, I think you can make the case that even if January 6 did not happen, the President had violated his Oath of Office repeatedly, simply through his attempts to try to bully state officials into overturning the election.

And then I think the impeachment managers did a good job of showing how January 6th was entirely a construction of Donald Trump.

It wasn't some organic rally that he just showed up to speak at. He, in fact, was the primary organizer of it. And at that rally, he had all sorts of information to know that this was a very dangerous, very violent crowd, and even with that knowledge, he equipped them with the information.

He incited them to violence that led, I think, very knowingly, very predictably to the attack that left many, many people dead and injured.

I think today, you know, their focus was on making it very clear that the crowd believed they were acting at the direction of President Trump, but then also making it equally clear how dire the harm is to the United States.

These right-wing groups claim that they have had boons in recruitment since January 6th, they are still planning more attacks on the United States. And they also showed how our image and reputation abroad has suffered, that America is less secure today, because of what happened on the 6th.

It's a really compelling case, I hope there are at least a handful of Republicans who are moved by it. We'll see this weekend.

COOPER: I was struck by a video that you posted on Twitter talking about a conversation you had with it with a freshman senator after today's proceedings. Can you just talk about that a little bit?

MURPHY: Yes, I think you have to, you know, understand that you know, these are videos that we're watching showing our lives in danger, right? We watched yesterday for the first time, security footage of all of us being rushed out of the Senate chamber.

We saw for the first time how close we were to rioters who we now know were intent on killing us. Who knows how it would have turned out, but I think we have enough evidence to understand that there were a lot of lives in danger that day?

And so, for you know, a hundred people and hundreds of staff to be reliving that inside the chamber, you know, it's a little different than the standard trial before a jury. It's certainly very different than the Ukraine trial a year ago, when as I walked out with a freshman senator, you know, he was remarking to me, you know, these are tough things to watch, tough things to process, especially if you just showed up to the Senate about 30 days ago.

COOPER: You know, it was pointed out today, you know, the President's responses and lack of responses to what happened the day it happened. And one of the videos that he made is, you know, he said, this is what happens, when -- you know, in his opinion, an election is stolen, or people aren't listened to.

But that phrase, "This is what happens," it is very telling, and it sort of has a double meaning that was pointed out today, which is he knew what would happen if you bring -- if you lie to people and get them riled up.

And, you know, you've seen them attack the Michigan State House, and then you get them to come to Washington and then you tell them to go to Congress itself and that you're going to march with them and fight like hell.

This is what happens, and any reasonable person would know that, and the President was indicating the day of the attack, he knew it. That he knew this is what happens because this is what happens when you do this.

MURPHY: Well, that tweet that he sends out at six o'clock on the day of the insurrection that I think he does erased some hours later is essentially an admission of guilt because as you point out, he is basically telling everyone in that tweet that he knew that violence was going to occur, that everyone should have known.

[20:10:15]

MURPHY: And then at the back end of that tweet, he is, of course, celebrating the violence, applauding all of the individuals who stormed the Capitol, and in the deaths of multiple individuals, and so more than probably any other piece of evidence, that tweet gives you a very clear window into the President's frame of mind that day.

And the managers also did this, I think, a very good job of showing how, you know, over the course of four years, Donald Trump applauded violence, rewarded violence over and over again, right?

This local official from New Mexico who said, the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat. Guess what? He gets an invitation to the White House after he sends out that message. All of it was a predicate to January 6th.

And of course, he should have known given a celebration of violence leading up to that day, that that's what was going to happen when he sent the crowd to the Capitol.

COOPER: I'm just curious. I mean, you know, it seems pretty clear the way most Republican senators are going to vote. Behind the scenes, I mean, I don't know how much collegiality there is any more these days. But do your Republican colleagues tell you what they really think? Because so much of this or the things they say publicly just seem intellectually dishonest?

MURPHY: You know, they had a chance about three weeks ago, to essentially remove Donald Trump from any leadership position in their party and they did not.

And so today, I think they are faced with the recognition that Donald Trump is going to be the leader of the Republican Party, the face of the Republican Party, the most powerful person in the Republican Party for the next four years.

And just as they lived in fear of him for the last four years, apparently, they are now prepared to live in fear of him for the next four years. I think that continues to drive much of their behavior. They are going to rationalize it by saying that either this proceeding is unconstitutional, or that the President didn't give explicit instructions for violence.

But I think when it comes down to it, most of them watch what has happened to Republican Congressmen who crossed Donald Trump. They get into a bunch of trouble, and many of them just want to try to avoid that, and that's sickening.

That is terrible for our republic. That could spell the end of democracy, but I think if you ask me what they're thinking, that's likely what they're thinking.

COOPER: What do you think of Senators Graham, Cruz and Lee meeting with the President's defense team late this afternoon? Is that appropriate?

MURPHY: I mean, listen, I think it is -- this is not a jury trial. It's not a criminal trial. There are no rules against members of the Senate talking with the lawyers.

Frankly, there are, you know, Democratic Senate members who were having conversations on the floor, in front of the cameras with Jamie Raskin and others.

So, I guess, to be honest, Anderson, I'm not terribly worried about that. Frankly, I'm sure Republican senators watch the President's lawyers' presentation the first day of the trial and are panicked that they are going to repeat that very poor and embarrassing performance and are trying to give them a little bit of friendly advice.

COOPER: Senator Chris Murphy, appreciate your time.

We're joined now by George Conway.

MURPHY: Thanks.

COOPER: Thanks, Senator.

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