MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Russian Investigation
Interview
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HAYES: Joining me now for reaction on Trump's attack, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu of California. First let me start picking up on there as someone who was a Prosecutor in the Air Force if I'm not mistaken. What do you think about this trade here of here, we'll give you some documents if you limit your questions and sort of enter that into the record?
REP. TED LIEU (D), CALIFORNIA: Thank you, Chris, for your question. First of all, I don't think it's a coincidence that Donald Trump went on a Twitter meltdown this weekend that continued to today because he got the list of questions that Special Counsel Mueller wanted him to answer. And now they're producing these documents in response. I think that's good. I think giving additional information to a Special Counsel is a good thing and then it will be up to Special Counsel Mueller's team to see if that satisfies them, and that's up to the Special Counsel.
HAYES: There was a round of comments from Republicans this weekend in response to what you just called the meltdown. I'm going play a few of them for you and get your reaction. Here was Orrin Hatch today on the possibility of the President firing Mueller. Take a listen.
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HAYES: Does that make you more secure?
LIEU: Well, not at all, Chris, because the President has done stupid things. But look, if the President does go ahead and fire Robert Mueller, we would have people take to the streets. I believe there would be widespread civil unrest because Americans understand that the rule of law is paramount.
HAYES: You think there would be civil unrest -- wide spread civil unrest?
LIEU: I do. I think you're going have protests and marches and rallies and sit-ins. I believe Americans would not stand for the firing of Robert Mueller. First of all, the President hasn't been able to point to a single
thing that Robert Mueller has done wrong. There is no basis to fire him and he'd have to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein first in order to fire Robert Mueller.
HAYES: Paul Ryan, of course, Speaker of the House, he and Mitch McConnell I thought were -- gave fairly, I don't know, weak minimal statements about the possibility of Mueller's firing and about the President's criticism. This is the spokesperson for Paul Ryan, Ashlee Strong. "As the Speaker has always said, Mr. Mueller and his team should be able to do their job." Is that strong enough?
LIEU: Not at all. And unfortunately, we've seen the Republican-controlled Congress fail on their duty to be a check and balance on the President. And the great thing about America is this November, the voters get to decide. Do they want an actual check and balance on the President? And they will go to the polls, and they'll be weighing on their mind.
HAYES: This is what Trey Gowdy said, which I thought was interesting. He is someone, a Republican who really sort of cut his teeth as a pursuer of Hillary Clinton over Benghazi and the like. Take a listen to what he had to say.
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HAYES: What do you think of that?
LIEU: You know, it is quite telling that all the Republicans who show courage also all happen to be retiring. But I do agree with Republican Trey Gowdy and as a former Prosecutor myself, Donald Trump acts totally guilty. If there was a Richter scale to measure consciousness of guilt, he would be at an 8.0 right now. He is acting completely like not an innocent person.
HAYES: You know, I have to say, I don't know if he's guilty but I have to go ahead and agree with you. The way he's acting, independent of what he did, is not like a person who is super innocent. Congressman Ted Lieu, thanks for being with me.
LIEU: Thank you.
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