MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Tammy Baldwin

Interview

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VELSHI: Jill Wine-Banks, Eli Stokols, thanks for joining me this evening.  Great to see both of you. For more reaction to the President using his  office to retaliate against the Russia probe I`m joined by Democratic  Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. Senator, good to see you again. Thank  you for being with us tonight.

SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN (D), WISCONSIN: It`s great to join you, Ali.

VELSHI: What is your take on this the president politicizing the  intelligence community and now seemingly saying that yet again it is  because of the Russia investigation and the idea that John Brennan had some  role in setting the President up in this way?

BALDWIN: You know, it`s small, its petty, the President likes to get his  way he wants to silence his critics and he doesn`t seem to be a big fan of  the rule of law. But this is a democracy and people are going to keep on  speaking out. And it`s why it`s so important that the Mueller  investigation be able to continue unobstructed, not interfered with because  our very democracy depends upon it and it`s also why it`s so important to  protect a free press.

VELSHI: Let me ask you about this. There have been a number of Republican  Senators who had surprisingly strong things to say about this might be  finding themselves on the wrong side of history on this one but let`s just  play back some of it for you.

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VELSHI: Interesting language there. Hatch saying that he`s been fairly  outspoken for a guy who deals in national security. That`s conflating two  issues. He`s been very outspoken. He hasn`t said anything to anybody  that`s classified. He hasn`t leaked information out there. He hasn`t  treated his classified -- his access irresponsibly. It`s starting to bring  two messages into play.

BALDWIN: Certainly it`s confusing things I and as you were just saying  that he`s doing all of this, the president that is, in plain sight and you  would think that my colleagues would understand that. Look, the reason why  so many keep their security clearances when they have been leaders in the  roles that Admiral McRaven, as well as Brennan, have held is for our  national security so that their successors can consult and ask for advice.  It protects America. And you have pointed out that Brennan and his  capacity has been one of the people who has done the most to keep America  safe.

VELSHI: We are you know, less than three months away from an election and  when you see this sort of behavior people running toward the President as  opposed to away from in on things like this. What does that say to you?

BALDWIN: Well it`s very disturbing. I think that they want to make it  more difficult for people to discern the truth. And again I have to return  to why it is so important that the Mueller investigation be allowed to  continue. Recall that this is an investigation about an adversary Russia  interfering in our democracy and there`s a lot of threads that this  investigation is following. But we have done very little between 2016 and  today to bring that to a stop, to be serious of the consequences. It`s why  I`m a co-sponsor of the Deter Act. But we have got to stand together as a  country against these attacks on our democracy.

VELSHI: Senator Baldwin, good to talk to you again. Thank you for being  with us, Senator Tammy Baldwin.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

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