CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Senator Kristen Gillibrand of New York

Interview

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COOPER: Well, the breaking news tonight, President Trump may be going along with it, but a source tells us he is blaming Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake and Democrats for delaying the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.

Earlier tonight, I spoke about this day with New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

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COOPER: Senator, from the way the day started, would you have ever expected it would end with an FBI investigation into these allegations?

SEN. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D), NEW YORK: Well, you know, interestingly I'm not surprised because I think what Dr. Blasey Ford accomplished yesterday was really important. She told her truth, and she had so much courage and so much determination and was so honest. I mean you could just see it coming out of her, the honesty and integrity of her testimony. And I think it inspired a lot of people.

And for a lot of women, it was the moment when they were being represented too. She stood for all of us. She stood for millions of women all across this country who have suffered through trauma and then perhaps not listened to and not believed. And she spoke for all of us.

So, I'm not surprised at the power of the #MeToo moment is that affecting, the fact that senators listened, and some of them listened to them to the degree that they actually now want an FBI investigation.

COOPER: What -- I mean, the change in tone, though, from, you know, the end of yesterday to today, not only from the president of the United States but also Republicans on the committee, Senator Lindsey Graham -- I mean, you talked about Professor Ford's testimony. Do you think it was just that? Because certainly after Judge Kavanaugh testified, Republicans were very much behind what he had to say.

How much of it was Dr. Ford's actual testimony? How much was perhaps response from women and others today that people calling in to Senate offices, e-mailing, and the like?

GILLIBRAND: I think it's both actually. I think Dr. Ford's testimony was so profound and so inspiring. I think that she showed such courage that people really see her as a hero.

Even this morning, you know, when I was bringing my son to school, a teacher came up to me in tears, tears because she was so worried, like where is our country going? And what's interesting about this #MeToo moment is that women are taking that fear, taking that anger, and they are speaking out. They are speaking their own truths and fighting back.

And I think it did result, as you said, in millions of women speaking out, calling their members of Congress, calling their senators to be heard.

COOPER: It is -- I mean, Kirsten Powers and others on our air last night were saying, you know, if Professor Ford had come out and, you know, cried in the way that judge Kavanaugh did and yelled and raised her voice in the way that he did and not answered questions, that the Republicans on the committee at the very least and many people maybe watching at home would have viewed her very differently. It's a double standard essentially.

Do you believe that?

GILLIBRAND: Yes, I do. I think what you saw in Dr. Ford was an inspiring testimony from the heart. I cried during her testimony. It emotionally moved me. I couldn't even see her face.

But every word out of her mouth was -- you could see it was painful. It was obvious that she was speaking the truth, that it was coming from her heart, that it was painful, and that she suffered because of how Judge Kavanaugh treated her in high school.

And so, there was a huge difference between the way she came to the committee hearing as wanting to be helpful, wanting to be forthright. There was a righteousness behind her words. I did not see any of that out of Judge Kavanaugh. There was a huge difference.

And it's one of the things that this moment is about. This is a larger moment about this -- the fact that there's so much institutional power that these very powerful men have, and then they do not want to let that go.

And I think that's why women are not taking this laying down. They are standing up. They are speaking out. They are speaking their own truths. They are wanting to be heard, and they're not going to let this moment pass without being heard.

COOPER: Just finally, I mean, you talked about the teacher at your child's school wondering about where the country is going. A lot of people were asking what message yesterday's event sent to survivors of sexual assault. I'm wondering what message you think today's events sends to them.

GILLIBRAND: So, last night, I was depleted. I was gutted. There was a fear that the country hadn't gotten better and that nothing has changed, that those in power are refusing to meet this moment with integrity and honesty. And I felt that way. I felt like I can't believe we are where we were in 1991, and that's

what the tears of the teacher were about, that is anyone going to stop this train wreck from happening? And I just looked at her, and I said, we are not going to give up. We are going to keep fighting.

And a think a lot of women woke up this morning and said, this is not over. Our voices do matter. Our stories do matter, and we are going to take the courage of Dr. Blasey ford and project it because she spoke for all of us. And I think that is the larger moment.

So today is the day of hope that it is not over and that we are going to keep speaking out and demand for from these male powerful elected leaders, particularly of the Republican Party, who are unwilling to realize that women's voices do matter.

COOPER: Senator Gillibrand, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

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