MSNBC "All in with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Cory Booker
Interview
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HAYES: There was no answer there. Sherrilyn Ifill, and Mimi Rocah, thank you so much.
Joining me now, another Democrat serving on the Judiciary committee, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey,
Do you think that Brett Kavanaugh told you the truth today?
SEN. CORY BOOKER, (D) NEW JERSEY: First and foremost, before I even address that, I just want to say there are millions of Americans who are survivors of sexual assault who were watching what was happening today above and apart from the next Supreme Court justice, I think a lot of Americans were looking for a process and for people that would validate the mere epidemic of assault that we have in our country. And to them and others I just want to first of all say that what you saw today was not befitting of how we should, as a country, be dealing with people who are coming forward and telling their truth. It was a painful and sad day, I
think, for a lot of folk. And I think we should acknowledge that.
HAYES: What was it that troubled you about the nature of how this came to be and what we saw today, particularly as pertains to Dr. Blasey Ford?
BOOKER: I think there`s been an insult about this process of how you deal with a survivor who has a credible levels of testimony, who has talked about it in 2012 to therapists, talked about it to their husband, talked about it to multiple friends.
And I think the way we`ve treated this, by not having a thorough investigation of the facts, by not calling in -- in a court of law we would have called it hearsay statements outside of court that are not allowing to cross-examine these witnesses, in other words ask them questions. There were so many things that were just, to me, demeaning about this process to survivors in general, and even the way may colleagues on the other side who I have friendships there and respect, but they bring in a prosecutor to ask questions to her. They never interrupt her. They never talk over her about what her or her family is going through. They say they brought her in because they wanted to seem objective politically.
Well, that went out the window when they seem to be clamoring with extreme partisanship to express their sympathies and their outrage about how Justice Kavanaugh is being treated, but very little about a woman who came forward with incredible courage, under incredible pain, in an environment of viciousness and hate and death threats to tell her story.
And so to me, again, I will talk about the Supreme Court justice, I talked about him for months, but to me this is perhaps in a culture in our country that needs to be addressed today was a severe disservice.
HAYES: I want to play -- and I agree with you about her testimony today, about how affecting it was. I want to play what she talked about was the impact of what happened, what she says happened when she was 15. Take a listen.
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HAYES: What message is sent to survivors of sexual assault and sexual violence if this vote happens at 9:30 tomorrow and they vote to move him to the floor?
BOOKER: It`s a message that has been sent for decades in this country, generations, whether the abuser is wearing a collar, whether that abuser is an executive, whether that abuser is wearing a judge`s robe, that powerful people and others will try to destroy you if you come forward, they`ll try to vilify you if you come forward. I mean, this has not been a good day. This has just not been a good day. And now we rush, without giving a full vetting to her -- to what she`s talking about.
And simple things. Look, you mentioned it earlier, that day of July 1 on his calendar saying he was going to drink beers at a house. Don`t we -- shouldn`t we investigate what that house looks like? Does the floor plan match her description? I mean, there are basic things we could be doing not by having the party`s investigators of the committee`s Republicans, but having an independent investigator to get the facts all out and then let senators address it.
This is a disrespect, not just to the courage and heroism that Dr. Ford showed today, but what is it saying to all those people who against -- powerful people, people of privilege -- as he said, I`m a Yale Law Grad, and all those other things that he kept flashing before us as if those kind of powerful privileged people have never conducted, engaged in sexual assault, or somehow that`s an exculpatory issue in any way.
What message did Americans -- the most deliberative body in America send today as we rush to a vote tomorrow before a full vetting, before witnesses are called in, before investigations are done, before corroborating evidence is evaluated, this is a very painful day and a very sad day for our country.
HAYES: Senator Cory Booker again, after a very long day, I thank you for making time this evening.
BOOKER: Thank you.
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