CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Congressman Ted Lieu

Interview

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BLITZER: Yes, it's a tough, tough process. Thanks very much, Phil Mattingly, for that report.

Joining us now, Congressman Ted Lieu. He's a Democrat who serves on both the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees.

Congressman, thanks for joining us.

REP. TED LIEU (D), CALIFORNIA: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Even the president admitted today that there's a lack of experience on the part of Dr. Jackson, and he said he would understand completely if Jackson withdrew his name.

But the White House, at least as of right now, says Jackson won't bow out, at least not yet. And they're planning to defend him.

In light of the new details that you just heard that Senator Tester, among others, are saying, what do you think?

LIEU: Thank you, Wolf, for your question.

Being president is a serious job. You can't just make rash and impulsive decisions, and when you do, you run into problems, like Ronny Jackson. There was very little vetting. Donald Trump seemed to have just picked him because he happened to be his doctor in the White House.

And now we see that Ronny Jackson is getting multiple allegations of misconduct from different people. I think Ronny Jackson should withdraw his nomination and take the hint from President Trump that they're not really going to support him very much.

BLITZER: Dr. Jackson apparently wasn't vetted very seriously before the president announced his nomination on Twitter. What does that say about how the Trump administration, specifically the president, operates?

LIEU: It seems like the president makes decisions based on impulse, without considering all the facts.

And what we have here with Ronny Jackson is a person who has now multiple allegations against him. He's now thrown into the national spotlight. This is not good for Ronny Jackson. None of this had to happen if Donald Trump simply would have allowed the White House staff to do the appropriate vetting procedures.

I happen to have the largest VA in my district, the West Los Angeles VA. We need a powerful leader who is above-board, clean, and ethical. Ronny Jackson does not seem like that person.

BLITZER: And somebody with a lot of management experience, if you're going to be operating a huge, the second largest department in the federal government, the department of Veterans Affairs.

Let's get some news on North Korea while I have you, Congressman.

Last year President Trump was calling Kim Jong-un Little Rocket Man, among other things. He gave a speech at the United Nations. He blasted the human rights record in North Korea. But today he actually called Kim Jong-un very open and very honorable.

Is this laying the groundwork for his upcoming meeting with the North Korean leader?

LIEU: I served on active duty under Pacific Air Forces. And it's very clear to me that the U.S. has no good military options against North Korea, so I support diplomacy.

And I support the Trump administration engaging in diplomacy with the North Korean leader, and I hope that this summit, whenever it happens, goes well. And I really hope we can mitigate the risk of North Korea and do it without having an all-out war in Asia.

BLITZER: That would be a disaster, indeed, for so many, not just hundreds of thousands, but maybe millions of people.

The president was very clear on what he wants from his talks with the North Korean leader. He said he wants North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons. No more nukes. Do you think that's possible?

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LIEU: I think it's possible. I think it's unlikely. I can see the North Koreans not doing anymore in terms of their nuclear weapons development. But for them to give up their existing nuclear weapons, I think it's hard for them to do that, because they view that as really their ability to deter aggression from the United States and from other countries.

So I'm not sure that that's likely going to happen.

BLITZER: At the same time, as you know, Congressman, the president is calling the Iran nuclear deal, he hates it, as you know, he calls it insane, ridiculous today.

So, how do you think the North Korean leader will negotiate, will deal with the U.S., if the president, by May 12, rips up the Iranian nuclear deal?

LIEU: That's a great question, Wolf.

I think the North Korean negotiations will hinge on what they see Donald Trump do with the Iran deal. There is no evidence that Iran is not complying in any significant manner with the Iran deal. And if all of a sudden the United States just rips it up, the North Koreans will be asking themselves, how can we trust the U.S. in future negotiations?

I think there are ways to use other agreements to address some of the efficiencies in the Iran deal. But to completely rip it up, I think, would make it difficult to go with North Korean negotiations on another deal with North Korea.

BLITZER: On another issue, you reacted to CNN's reporting on President Trump's personal use of a cell phone by -- a personal cell phone, I should say, by tweeting this. I will read it.

"Dear President Trump, you can either use secure communications and General Kelly will know who you are talking to, or you can use your unsecured personal cell phone, and foreign intelligence agencies will know who you are talking to and record your conversations. I would go with Kelly."

Is this just a national security issue? Do you believe Congress should have some oversight as far as the president's use of a personal cell phone with security risks at stake?

LIEU: Absolutely.

This is a significant national security issue. There is an existing flaw known as the signaling system number seven flaw. I'm a recovering computer science major. But I know that this flaw is not fixed, which means that foreign intelligence agencies can listen in on your cell phone conversations, just knowing your cell phone number. And there's really no good way to stop it.

So I think they are targeting Donald Trump's phone. I would be surprised if they were not. And I hope Donald Trump is not saying anything important in those phone calls.

BLITZER: Congressman Lieu, thanks, as usual, for joining us.

LIEU: Yes, thank you, Wolf.

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