MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Interview

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HAYES: For more on where Kavanaugh`s nomination stands, I`m joined by  Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. Senat0r, what is your  understanding of where things are at right now?

GILLIBRAND: Well, I feel like what we`re seeing from the Republican Party  and certainly the White House is just attack, deny, attack, deny and try to  shove this through so quickly so that you can`t actually have a real  hearing or a proper investigation. And the fact that they won`t allow the  FBI to investigate these claims is shocking. The fact that they don`t tend  to call corroborating witness is concerning. And the fact that they`re not  even going to assess Ms. Ramirez` claims is also unacceptable. So I just  feel like they`re just pushing this through at all cost.

HAYES: The President today referred to the claim by Ms. Ramirez that she  was drunk, that she was confused, and that all of this is a "con job" in  his eyes. What do you think about it?

GILLIBRAND: I hope the American people are paying attention. I hope  American women are paying attention. President Trump has already shown in  his words and deeds that he doesn`t value women. He`s attacking someone  who has come forward, a survivor. They wonder why survivors don`t come  forward. It`s exactly for this reason. Because they`re treated so poorly  by the Commander in Chief. She`s being berated, she`s being accused of  lying, she`s being disparage publicly by this president, it`s disgraceful.

And I just hope the American public and women all across this country are  paying attention so they can call their senators and urge their senators to  vote no on Kavanaugh. Clearly, he does not have the character or the  honesty to be a Supreme Court Justice.

HAYES: Do you think your colleagues in the Republican side or do you think  they`ve convinced themselves as this is some kind of conspiracy, this is  some sort of grand plot that you and your colleagues in the Democratic side  have cooked up to sabotage Kavanaugh?

GILLIBRAND: I can`t -- I don`t I can`t get into the minds of the  Republicans but I can tell you what they`ve done is unconscionable.  They`re not even giving the basic process that they gave to Anita Hill, to  not even have the FBI investigation to make it impossible to call  corroborating witnesses who have relevant information to offer I think is  really disconcerting. But I think if America`s public does speak out, we  have a chance of defeating this nominee on the merits.

HAYES: You don`t think -- you don`t think it`s a done deal? You think --  you think there are -- there`s an open question as to whether the votes are  there and whether this is going to happen or not?

GILLIBRAND: I believe it`s an open question because I believe that if the  American people speak out loudly on this and really talk about their own  personal experiences and how they see this unfolding and how offended they  are by the president`s remarks and offended they are by this process, I  think they could change votes of Senators today. So I think it`s a moment  when America`s women need to be heard and that Americans who care about  justice need to be heard.

HAYES: Let me ask you -- there`s been a strange line I think Republicans  are trying to walk here. I think clearly they have been counseled not --  to try to not disparage or attack the accusers and have an open mind, but clearly they`re all -- a lot of them just want to go ahead and vote anyway. I want to get your reaction to some of the comments we`ve heard some of your colleagues then also from Kevin Cramer who`s trying to be one of your colleagues running in North Dakota for the Republican Party. Take a listen.

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HAYES: Let`s start with that last question. What`s your answer that?

GILLIBRAND: Well, the fact that he -- that this candidate for Senate doesn`t believe that someone who assaults a young woman who`s a minor, 15 years old, assault her, covers her mouth when she tries to scream, and that story is being corroborated by people who have heard this story before. The fact that she told her therapist five years ago, the fact that she told her husband five years ago, a friend a year ago. The fact that she`s taking a lie detector just asking the FBI to investigate. Those are all edition of truth.

And so, the fact that he says even if it`s true, that this is not grounds  to disqualify him, I don`t know what planet he`s living on. That`s a  violent crime. He should be going to jail if he was allowed to be  prosecuted today. It`s not OK. And so I think the fact that so many  people, some of the Republicans, my colleagues are saying, oh, it`s just an  allegation, well it`s not just with an allegation. You assess their  credibility. That`s their job as Senators.

They`re supposed to assess the credibility of people who are coming forward  to say I don`t think this person`s trustworthy. I don`t think this person  is telling the truth. I think they`ve lied under oath about their past.  And then to roll out a Fox News interview as if it`s an FBI investigation?  A Fox News interview is not an FBI investigation.

They didn`t even ask all the relevant questions. And the fact that he  downplayed his drinking while his best friend wrote a whole book about  their drunken behavior, the fact that his college roommate said that he  would come home drunken and belligerent. The fact that he said about Mr.  Ramirez and this is again Brett Kavanaugh`s college roommate said I believe  her because she has the kind of personality. She was kind. She was  thoughtful. She couldn`t imagine her making this up.

That`s called corroborating evidence. It`s things you hear and listen to  and then assess who do I believe. That`s your job. Now, this is not a  court of law. We`re not proving beyond a reasonable doubt. No one`s going 
to jail. This is about do you deserve the promotion? Do you deserve this job opportunity to be a Supreme Court Justice, to a lifetime appointment, to make fundamental decisions about women`s rights for perhaps decades to come? Do you have the privilege to serve, not whether you`re going to be convicted in law.

So every time you hear on Fox News, oh innocent, you know, assume you`re  innocent. You have to have proved beyond a reasonable doubt. They`re  trying to confuse voters, they`re trying to confuse people across this  country. That is not -- that is not what this is about. It`s about do  you believe he`s honest, do you believe he has the character to have a  lifetime appointment? Do you think his story isn`t adding up? And based  on hearing from these two women, these strong credible women, and their  stories, and all the corroborating evidence, I believe them.

HAYES: All right, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, thank you so much for  joining me.

GILLIBRAND: You`re welcome.

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