CNN "Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview With Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego

Interview

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BLITZER: Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona is joining us. He's a key help member of the House Armed Services Committee.

REP. RUBEN GALLEGO (D), ARIZONA: Hi, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thanks so much, Congressman.

Let me start with your reaction, quick reaction to comments from the White House chief of staff, John Kelly, on undocumented immigrants coming into the United States. Kelly says they aren't criminals, but they do have trouble, in his word, assimilating into modern society, they don't speak English, they come from rural environments.

What do you make of those remarks?

GALLEGO: Well, it kind of shows you how ignorant and essentially dumb Kelly is when it comes to immigration issues.

These are the same things that were said about his Irish ancestors back in the 1830s all the way to the 1860s, and probably beyond then. They have said that about every immigrant group that has come to this country.

And also I hope he would actually recognize the fact that so many of those immigrants that he so-called are uneducated actually ended up being Marines that served under him.

[18:10:00]

But this kind of just is the overall problem with this White House. They are clueless when it comes to immigration issues. They have no idea what they're doing. They largely run off conspiracy theories and whatever is found on FOX News.

And that's why we don't have a fix for DACA and immigration in general, because they just kind of talk to each other and really have no clue what they're doing or saying.

BLITZER: And apparently he was sort of trying to soften some of the rather harsh rhetoric from the president of the United States about immigrants being criminals, rapists. You remember all that kind of talk.

Was this, from your perspective...

GALLEGO: Well, he failed.

BLITZER: You're a Marine, he's a Marine. Was it simply a poor choice of words, or do you think this reflects his genuine beliefs?

GALLEGO: No, this reflects his genuine belief.

We actually have had conversations with -- when he was Secretary Kelly as part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, as part of my job as a member of Congress. And he's pretty clueless when it comes to immigration issues and how the border works and how immigration law works in general.

So this is not surprising at all. He has said some pretty bad things, in my opinion, to members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that were really tone-deaf. So this does not surprise me whatsoever. And it doesn't surprise me why the White House can't get anything done on DACA, because they can't really do anything internally because they can't even figure out what the hell is going on -- heck is going on. I apologize.

BLITZER: The White House also trying to explain a cruel joke allegedly made by Kelly Sadler, a White House aide, about your fellow Arizonan, Senator John McCain.

She made a joke about him dying. Sarah Sanders refused today to offer any substantial comments on the matter during the press briefing.

Do you believe, first of all, that Sadler should lose her job?

GALLEGO: She should not only be fired, but if she had any dignity, she would resign right away. But at the same time, this whole administration is one big

administration that has zero dignity or respect both for other politicians or just the American public in general.

When you have a president that doesn't apologize for creating a conspiracy theory about the first black president being born in a foreign country, who doesn't apologize for publicly talking about sexually harassing women, for basically making up lies about immigrants and God knows how many other Americans, this is the type of standard that his own staff are taking.

So I'm not surprised. This administration has zero morals when it comes to actually holding up the dignity of the White House, and the staff is basically following the lead of the president.

BLITZER: What does it tell you about the culture, the tone over at the White House that Sadler felt comfortable even making this joke?

GALLEGO: Well, it's because this all really stems from the top.

It tells you that you have an administration that does not understand the dignity that comes with the office, the responsibility. And you have an administration and you have leadership in that West Wing that essentially allows this type of talk to happen all the time, and the fact that actually they did this and said this about an American hero is disgusting.

But you shouldn't be saying this about any type of American that is going through such a tough situation right now. But, again, they take their cues from the president. We have never heard the president apologize for some of the awful things that he's said, so I'm not surprised that Sadler somehow thinks this is acceptable type of rhetoric.

BLITZER: We certainly want to send only our best wishes to Senator McCain.

Let's turn to the upcoming summit next month, June 12, in Singapore between President Trump and Kim Jong-un of North Korea. The White House sounded rather optimistic about all of that today, emphasizing the goal is full nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Do you believe that's realistic?

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BLITZER: Full denuclearization, I should say.

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GALLEGO: Yes.

I don't believe it's realistic. I hope it happens, though. I think any good American wants to see a good outcome that comes out of the Korean Peninsula. What we have seen traditionally is the Koreans try to get a lot of something for nothing in return. I think they're going to offer to stop the nuclear tests, even though

they don't really need to do any more nuclear tests. Their nuclear test site has been destroyed because of their own testing. And at the end of the day, I think a lot of work has already been done by the South Koreans, to give them credit.

At the same time, the president, I think, is coming to these negotiations a little too anxious, already talking about Nobel Peace Prizes and all these types of accolades, when we need to focus on getting down to the brass tacks sort of issues.

So I'm hopeful, but I have seen how North Korea has acted in the past. And I think the president right now is not actually entering this in the best negotiating possible -- negotiating scenario possible.

BLITZER: Congressman Gallego, thanks so much for joining us.

GALLEGO: Thank you.

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