MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Interview

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VELSHI: I`m joined right here in the studio by Senator Richard Blumenthal,  Democrat from Connecticut who was outside the White House, by the way,  protesting last night if you`re watching this show you would have seen him.  Senator, Vladimir Putin has been invited to Washington, perhaps Donald  Trump will give him the keys to the city or perhaps, more importantly, the  keys to some ballot boxes. The Fox as it were has been officially invited  into the chicken coop.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (R), CONNECTICUT: He already has many of those  cyber keys to the ballot boxes which is the reason that Director of  National Intelligence Dan Coats alerted us that the red lights are blinking  again like they did before 9/11. We are at a moment of national emergency  and that moment with Andrea Mitchell will be historic. The Director of  National Intelligence knows nothing about a meeting between the Commander- in-Chief and the leader of an adversary more than an adversary an enemy who  right now is attacking our country that attack is ongoing and pervasive  according to Coats and it is proved by objective and verifiable  information, again, his words. So inviting Putin to come here when you  look at that indictment but against 12 Russian spies directed by Putin  himself to attack this country makes him an alleged criminal and the  president is inviting him to the White House even before we have finished  the damage control from that first meeting.

VELSHI: I want you to hold that thought on one side and then I want to  play for you. You`ve heard this I`m sure but it`s what Senator Rand Paul  has said about the response to Donald Trump`s visit to Russia, visit to  Helsinki and what he said because I want to try and see how we reconcile  this. Let`s listen to Rand Paul.

VELSHI: I`m puzzled by the line that says if you believe that Russia  interfered and attacked our democratic processes then it must mean that  you`re for war. I think none of us want war and some of us of a certain  age have experienced with the horrors of war. I don`t think that`s what  anybody`s calling for.

BLUMENTHAL: And one of the roads to war as history shows us is in fact  appeasement, giving dictatorial and totalitarian leaders who care nothing  about human rights the path to simply devour countries as happened before  world war two as has happened in other wars and so stopping this aggressor  who is attacking not only ourselves, Ali, but all Western democracy. Part  of his M.O. part of Putin`s playbook is, in fact, to undermine and divide  and sow discord in Western democracies and expand his own spheres of  influence so we need to ally with each other, come together and far from  Trump derangement. Let me just emphasize to you. Today in the United States Senate, there was a vote 98 to zero to say to Donald Trump we will not permit you to turn over American diplomats or public servants so they can be interrogated by the Russian GRU or by Vladimir Putin, a KGB thug. And earlier today, unfortunately, a resolution to impose greater sanctions or expedite the enforcement of present sanctions was defeated because a single Republican objected but there`s a lot of bipartisan support here. It is not about partisan divisions.

VELSHI: And later on I`m going to have Bill Browder on who was the person  named by Vladimir Putin as somebody they`d like to investigate. Senator,  good to see you. Thank you for being here with us tonight, Senator Richard  Blumenthal of Connecticut. 

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