CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Representative Thomas Massie

Interview

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BURNETT: New tonight, President Trump facing growing criticism from his own party, on his waffled position on guns this week, his attacks on Jeff Sessions and his wildly panned massive tariffs. That's just in the past few days. And the GOP has not been shy about slamming the boss. Here is what the number two Republican in the Senate, John Cornyn, told reporters today about the president's confusing meeting on guns this week.

He said, "You may have noticed that interesting reality TV show at the White House the day before yesterday. And that is when he was explicitly asked about the president's position on guns."

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is OUTFRONT. He's the chairman of the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus.

And I appreciate your time, Congressman. Thanks so much. You know, you hear what John Cornyn had to say.

REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R), SECOND AMENDMENT CAUCUS: Thanks, Erin.

BURNETT: Are we seeing a reality show or are you confident right now that you know where the president stands on -- let's just start specifically, because he was talking about guns -- on guns?

[19:45:05] MASSIE: Yes. Yes. Well, look, the president's lack of regard for due process concerned me greatly. But you know, John Cornyn has a bill that has the same problem. He would take gun rights away from veterans, and then do the due process later. You know, the Second Amendment is important but due process is foundational to our country.

BURNETT: So when the president said, you know, police should take guns away from people without due process, he was talking about the mentally ill, obviously. You did come out and slam that today on Twitter. And you said in part, Congressman, "POTUS said police should take guns away from person in Florida whether they had the right or not. Advocated for law enforcement to ignore due process. Is anyone OK with this? Because I'm sure as hell not."

Look, you're not afraid to take him on. That was pretty direct. You didn't mince your words there at all, sir. Doesn't sound like you have confidence in what he's saying. Right? He said something on Wednesday, now the NRA says he's saying the opposite. Do you have confidence that you really know what he believes in?

MASSIE: Well, you know, the president won my congressional district by 40 points, but if he's wrong, I'm going to call him out on it. But, you know, Obama was wrong on this, too. He implemented a process that the Social Security Administration and that the Veterans Administration, whereby people's rights to own a gun are taken away without judicial process. John Cornyn's bill called "Fix NICS" would double down on that.

I think everybody's confused about due process. Due process involves a court where you had your day in court. You can't have your rights segregated without a day in court.

BURNETT: So that's the issue of guns where the president is saying something you vehemently disagree with and many others in your party do. They also disagree with many other things he had to say about guns. I know you do, too, as well. You know the age, for example, which you can buy a semiautomatic rifle.

I want to ask you about the president's tariff announcement, though, as well, Congressman. 25 percent on steel, 10 percent on aluminum imports. Many in your party are angry. Speaker Ryan, Orrin Hatch, Mike Lee of Utah calling it a huge job-killing tax hike on American consumers. There are just a few of many, many in your party who think this is a bad idea. Do you support the president on tariffs or not?

MASSIE: Look, if you want to do away with the income tax and replace it with a general tariff, you know, we can talk about that. But I think it's dangerous when you go in and start picking winners and losers and trying to put tariffs on any one industry.

But back to your point on the age, at the age at which you can buy guns, look, 18-year-olds can be called upon to die for their country in the military and they can pick who the president is by voting and so I don't agree with any of the proposals to raise the age to buy a long gun from 18 to 21. That's just taking away somebody's constitutional rights based on their age.

BURNETT: So Congressman, I mean, so just in this interview, you disagree with him on due process on guns, disagree with him on age of buying a rifle, you disagree with him on tariffs. Those are just a few of the things this week. I mean, your colleague in the Senate, John Thune.

MASSIE: Yes.

BURNETT: Summarized it today, Congressman, by saying, "There is no standard operating practice with this administration. Every day is a new adventure for us."

Do you trust that the president is really on your team, that he believes in the same conservative values that you do when you've just gone through three things this week on which you agree with nothing that he did?

MASSIE: Well, there is one thing I agree with. He said that we need to arm teachers. I completely agree with that. 98 percent of mass public shootings happen in a gun-free zone. We shouldn't label our students as being in a gun-free zone. And we've got at least --

(CROSSTALK) BURNETT: So -- but I mean, I just want to get this point. Do you agree with him on one thing? I mean, do you trust him? Do you trust him to support your values?

MASSIE: Well, we've got three branches of government. You know, he can go out and put forward ideas, and then we'll sort through those ideas and see what we like and we'll put them into law or not to put them into law. But one of the ideas I like is allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons.

BURNETT: Right.

MASSIE: It's the only way you're going to stop these mass shootings. The solutions that my colleagues are offering to enhance background checks, these are unserious. They wouldn't have stopped a single public school shooting in this century.

BURNETT: I understand the point -- I totally understand the point you're making. But I just want to get it at this point. It sounds to me that it's pretty clear that you're saying you don't trust the president to fight for what you want him to fight for. You're saying there's three branches of government. I don't have to worry about him. You know, you're talking around it. But I hear what I hear. Am I right?

MASSIE: No, you know, look, there's three branches of government. Our founding fathers didn't trust one person to run the whole government. When he's right, I'll acknowledge it. And he's right on allowing teachers to carry concealed. When he's wrong about short- circuiting due process just like Obama did at the VA and the Social Security Administration, I'll call him out on that, too.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Congressman Massie. I appreciate your time tonight.

MASSIE: Thanks, Erin.

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