CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont

Interview

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COOPER: Yes, it's going to be quite a battle. Phil Mattingly, thanks.

Just before air, I spoke with Senator Bernie Sanders.

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COOPER: Senator Sanders, Senator Blumenthal calls Kennedy's announcement earth-shaking, gut wrenching. Our Jeff Toobin says, in 18 months, abortion will be illegal in some 20 states. Is this potentially the end of Roe v. Wade?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Well, you know, it's ironic. The polling is very clear that the overwhelming majority of the American people support Roe versus Wade. We have differences of opinion on abortion, but the idea of overturning Roe versus Wade would be a decision that reflects only a small minority of the American people.

So, I hope very much that the next nominee to the Supreme Court does not hold that position. But the bottom line is this is obviously an enormously, enormously important issue, everything to do with women's rights, having to do with gay rights, having to do with solidifying the pro-corporate, anti-worker wing of the Supreme Court.

COOPER: Do you have any confidence that the President Trump would appoint somebody to your liking? I mean, it certainly seems that, you know, he did publish a list during the campaign of potential nominees. Gorsuch was on that list and he's indicated this next one will come from that list as well.

SANDERS: No, I have no hope that he will appoint anything resembling a moderate or a justice who will take both sides and to consider it -- the consideration. I think what we're looking for is the nomination of a right-wing extremist.

I would say this, Anderson -- you may recall that when Merrick Garland's nomination was brought forth by President Obama, Mitch McConnell said, let the American people decide, you shouldn't be considering this important nomination just before an election and he obstructed it and refused to allow a vote to take place.

I would say to Mitch McConnell -- remember what you said when Obama was president. Let the American people have a vote in November as to whether or not they want to overturn Roe versus Wade, whether they want to allow discrimination against the gay and lesbian community, whether or not they want votes to make life harder for the working people of this country.

[20:10:03] Remember what you said when Obama was president.

And the second point that I would make, Anderson, is that we have some, few, very few, but we have some Republicans here in the Senate who believe that it should be a woman who controls her own body and not the state or federal government, and I hope that they will work with those of us who hold that position in opposition to any nominee who wants to take away that basic right that women should have.

COOPER: On what you said about Mitch McConnell, your Democratic Senate colleagues have been accusing McConnell hypocrisy. If the shoe though was on the other foot and Justice Kennedy retired under a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress just before midterms, wouldn't Democrats also push to get a new nominee through?

SANDERS: Well, I think you need some consistency here. I mean, we have the most recent example and that is President Obama nominated an individual to the Supreme Court, by the way a pretty moderate guy. And the Republican leadership said, no, we're not going to let you vote on him. We should have an election first.

So, all I would say here is that I would hope that Mitch McConnell remembers what he said when Obama was president.

COOPER: If it does not go the way you would like it to go and Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court, and it is made illegal in as many as states as Jeff Toobin mentioned. How big a drive do you think that will be for the left, for all people who are supportive of the right -- to the right to have an abortion?

SANDERS: I think it would be a very important factor in bringing people out to the polls. You know, we -- there are differences of opinion in this country about abortion, when abortion should be legal or not. I'm very strongly pro-choice.

But as I said earlier, the vast majority of the people believe that Roe versus Wade is the law of the land and should remain the law of the land, and I think that if Trump nominates somebody who wants to undo that constitutional right that women now have, you're going to see a massive uprising on the part of people all over this country, not just women but men who think that that decision should be left to women and not to the government.

COOPER: And just finally, I want to ask you about Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez. He's a primary win in New York last night. She's a Democratic socialist aligned with you on many issues. Minority Leader Pelosi says this is just one choice in one district. People shouldn't get carried away. Is this just one choice in one district? Is it a larger than that? How do you see it?

SANDERS: I think it is larger than that. I think if you look at what happened in Maryland last night, Ben Jealous want a very strong victory by taking on much of the Democratic establishment in Maryland, campaigning on Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage to bucks an hour, legalizing marijuana making public colleges and universities tuition-free demand leave the wealthy stop paying more in taxes.

So, I think what you are seeing both in New York City with Alexandria, in Maryland with Ben, are strong candidates running grassroots campaigns on a progressive agenda, and I think when you have that combination, you're going to see more and more victories all across this country.

COOPER: Senator Bernie Sanders, appreciate your time. Thanks.

SANDERS: Thank you.

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