CNN "Wolf" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Adam Schiff

Interview

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BLITZER: All right, joining us now, California Congressman Adam Schiff. He's the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee.

[13:20:00] Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

What's your reaction to the way the president has been reacting, treating Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, as opposed to Kim Jong-un? REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: Well, it's so jarring to hear the president of the United States talk about one of our strongest allies as obnoxious, as weak. It is so distressing. And, of course, we've seen this pattern with criticism of our allies, the alienation of Germany and France, Australia, which fought with us in every war we've been engaged in. So it's deeply distressing but so jarring when you compare it to the praise he had for Kim Jong-un. The way the president talked about how he had this difficult task, he did marvelously well of consolidating his power. Well, he murdered members of his own family. This is the person -- as well as an American -- and this is someone the president is now praising to the maximum degree.

BLITZER: What do you think of the president's announcement that the U.S. was now going to suspend joint military exercises with South Korea? Because, as you know, this is something that the North Koreans have hated for so many years.

SCHIFF: Well, look, we all wanted this to be a productive summit and lead to a successful negotiation, but you have to say, looking at it objectively, the North Korea really got a couple key concessions, and China did as well. We got nothing but a vague promise. They got the cessation of military activities. They got the president of the United States to use their own language in describing that as provocative. This is how the North Koreans and the Chinese describe these military exercises, which are for our security and for the security of our South Korean ally. To make that concession, to do so even without consulting our South Korean ally and get nothing in return except the vague promise of some future denuclearization, a promise more vague than, in fact, we had received in the past from North Korea, Kim has got to be very happy with how this turned out. To be on the stage with the president of the United States, to get this concession and not have to give up anything for it.

BLITZER: Well, they -- they have, as I pointed out to Leon Panetta, they have done certain things leading up to the summit, like suspended their nuclear testing, suspending their ballistic missile testing, releasing three American detainees. All of that is significant.

SCHIFF: Well, it's significant, but you would expect, at a minimum, that if they're going to get a meeting with the president of the United States, they're going to have to repatriate Americans they've held hostage. I mean how could a president ever meet with the North Korean leader while Americans are still held hostage. So certain things were an absolute minimum.

But those were all done prior to the summit. What they got at the summit, we got nothing for in return. And someone who bills himself as a great negotiator, I think just got out negotiated by this young dictator.

BLITZER: Yesterday Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican, he said he hopes that something positive emerges from all of this. But, if not, then the military option should certainly be on the table. He wants Congress, the House and Senate, to pass an authorization for the use of military force against North Korea if necessary. Listen to what another Republican senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, told

me last night in "The Situation Room." Listen to this.

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BLITZER: Where do you stand?

SCHIFF: Well, I wouldn't call Lindsey Graham a danger to the country, but I do agree it's a very bad idea. And --

BLITZER: To have an AUMF?

SCHIFF: To have basically --

BLITZER: Authorization for the use of military force?

SCHIFF: Authorization passed in advance, a prospective authorization, in case things don't go in this negotiation the way we want. That's a terrible idea. And I'm surprised, given the history we've had with the preexisting authorizations, which have never gone away, of unlimited duration, and the problems that's caused in terms of congressional oversight in our ability to put a meaningful constraint on the president's ability to make war, that we would even suggest having this kind of blanket authorization in advance of any imminent danger.

BLITZER: On this you're with Rand Paul, not Lindsey Graham.

SCHIFF: Certainly concur it's a very bad idea.

BLITZER: The president was willing to meet with Kim Jong-un, really without any preconditions. He said he would do so during the campaign. But another presidential candidate said he would meet with leaders from North Korea and other regimes during a presidential campaign.

Let's go back to 2007. This is then-Senator Barack Obama.

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BLITZER: Sure sounds like, at that point, he and Donald Trump are on the same page. Go ahead. It's better to talk than not talk, even with leaders of rogue regimes.

SCHIFF: I think that it's certainly better to talk than not talk, even with your adversaries. Sometimes more important to talk with your adversaries than ever.

[13:25:06] BLITZER: But he says even without any preconditions.

SCHIFF: Oh, I understand, but, as president, he was not going to have a meeting with Kim Jong-un and make military concessions to him and get nothing in return. That, I think, was a very naive decision by Donald Trump to expect that by virtue of his wonderful personality or his keen insight, having just met Kim Jong-un, he could tell that he was a trustworthy person. That's a mistake George Bush made with Putin, that we not -- should not make with Kim Jong-un.

BLITZER: There's more we need to talk about, other stories that are unfolding as we speak. We're going to get the congressman's reaction to the new ethical questions being raised over Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump making $82 million last year while working for the president in the White House.

And the White House economic adviser who said Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada stabbed the president in the back suffers a heart attack. I'll speak with someone who's in touch with Larry Kudlow. That and much more. Stand by.

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