NBC "Meet the Press" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Adam Schiff
Interview
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CHUCK TODD:
Joining me now is Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California who will be the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee when the new Congress is sworn in January. Before we get to the political news, we want to note the three terrible wildfires that are taking place in your home state, Congressman. Last night the death toll rose to 25. Twenty-three of those deaths are in the Camp Fire, that's in Northern California, north of Sacramento. Two more fires are burning north of Los Angeles. Neither of the fires is now under control. Congressman Schiff, I know this is not -- it's next to your congressional district, but you and I were just talking, you said there's now some fires actually in your congressional district. What's the latest?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
Well, obviously they're doing their best to try to control these fires. But this late in the fire season, to have this kind of devastation, it just takes your breath away. People are losing their lives, losing loved ones, losing their homes. And, you know, our thoughts are with them as well as these incredibly brave responders.
CHUCK TODD:
The president tweeted the following yesterday, "There's no reason for these massive deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year with so many lives lost all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now or no more fed payments." Is that what this fire's about? Is it mismanagement of the forests in California?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
No, it's not. I mean, there are a lot of root causes about why the fire season has become so much worse over the years. But you know, for the president, at a time when people are facing utter disaster, to be making a statement like this, making a threat like this, this just goes to show how little he understands the job he has. That he would be punitive at a time like this, rather than coming to the defense of people facing the worst disaster of their lives. He's out there making these broad and false statements and threatening to remove funding from a state that's devastated right now.
CHUCK TODD:
Do you think it's a political thing because California's so blue?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
I do. I do. This is a president who, more than any other, is punitive and I think we saw that in the tax cut by taking away state and local tax deductions. That was aimed at the blue states. Basically, he is only the president, I think in his view, of those who voted for him, the rest, he could care less.
CHUCK TODD: I want to ask you about a letter that you guys are releasing this morning. And I say you guys meaning the leadership of the House, the Senate, key committee chairs, you're a signer of this letter, asking the Justice Department's ethics office to carefully review the current Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker's statements and comments and essentially trying to see if they are advising him to recuse and if so, are they going to inform Congress of that. What more can you tell me about this letter?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF: Well, it's signed by all of our leadership, House and Senate, myself included, to demand that we find out did they give an ethics opinion. Has one been sought on recusal? It seems to me the facts for recusal are very strong here. This is someone who's made repeated and prejudicial comments against the investigation. Someone who has made false statements about it, claiming that the Russians really had no impact on our election. It's someone who has a relationship with one of the important witnesses in the investigation. And I want to say this, if Mr. Whitaker does not recuse himself --
CHUCK TODD: He's not legally required to even if the ethics office says he should, correct?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF: I don't know whether he's legally required to. But here's the thing, we have every right to expect all of the employees of the Justice Department to follow the ethics rules and that means especially the attorney general. But, you know, I want to make this very clear, if he doesn't recuse himself, if he has any involvement whatsoever in this Russia probe we are going to find out whether he made commitments to the president about the probe, whether he is serving as a back channel to the president or his lawyers about the probe, whether he's doing anything to interfere with the probe. Mr. Whitaker needs to understand that he will be called to answer. And any role that he plays will be exposed to the public. We don't want there to be any ambiguity about that.
CHUCK TODD: Are you convinced that he's constitutionally eligible to hold the position?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF: I'm not convinced at all. There are serious constitutional arguments that as a principal officer he cannot be appointed to this position. I think that's certainly the right policy answer. Also may be the answer demanded by the constitution.
CHUCK TODD:
I'm curious what you thought of voter reaction to the Mueller probe. Our exit poll, we asked about their feelings in the Mueller investigation, 46% disapprove. That is a very familiar number to our viewers right now, 46% is the president's job rating, the number of the Republican vote. So I think we know what that core vote is. But only 41% approved of the Mueller investigation. Does political opinion -- how much should it impact what you do in the Democratic Congress these days?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
Well, you know, political -- public opinion always affects us in one degree or another. But I will say this, having watched Mueller's ratings over time, the one thing that we see is around the time he produces indictments, around the time that he produces convictions the support for his investigation goes up. The longer the lapse between indictments the more his ratings go down. So what we're seeing now, I think, is merely the lull because in the period leading up to the midterms he properly took no action. But I think when he issues his report or if there are further indictments you will see public confidence in his work once again rise.
CHUCK TODD: There is -- I know you probably want to get the House intelligence committee's investigation back on track after you're -- after the uneasy relationship between you and the -- who will be now the ranking member Devin Nunes. But I've heard a lot of investigations that Democrats want to do. You talked about in another interview that's going to air tonight about investigating the president's -- what was he doing with Amazon and the postal service. The incoming House judiciary committee chairman was caught on the Acela talking about how to investigate the Kavanaugh issue. Obviously the Mueller probe is going to be a part of this. How do you prioritize what to investigate? And, and at what point do you too much investigating?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF: Well, this is going to be very important, not just in terms of which investigations ought to go forward, which ought to go forward first, but also our strongest purpose here is to put forward a positive agenda and we don't want that lost in a flurry of investigations --
CHUCK TODD: You are worried that there's so much talk about investigations that actually the idea of dealing with pre-existing conditions is getting lost?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF: Well, we have to make sure it doesn't get lost. You know, that's really the first priority for us, it's the reason people voted to put us in the majority -- is to put forward a positive agenda. And, you know, let's face it, the investigations are sexy. They're interesting. You bring witnesses before the Klieg lights, people tune in. The legislative process is less so. It's much less dramatic. But nonetheless in terms of importance to the American people making sure that they can provide for their families, that they can get health care, they can keep their health care, that has to be priority number one. But we are going to need to ruthlessly prioritize on the intel committee which investigative threads we go down, but among the committees also, and we've already started that process.
CHUCK TODD:
Two quick questions, first of all, the Khashoggi tape that Erdogan has said, the Turkish president said that the United States now has a copy of it. You are part of that gang of eight. Is that true? And if so, have you heard it?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
We're going to get a briefing -- I'm going to get a briefing this week. So I fully expect to find out. I did have a briefing up until -- and got information up until recently. But I don't know the answer to that and I'm not sure if I did whether, I'd be able to share it with you anyway.
CHUCK TODD:
Fair enough. And I want to share with you, final number from our exit poll was the favorable rating of Nancy Pelosi: 31% favorable, 56% unfavorable. It looks like she has the votes for Speaker of the House. I know you are very supportive of her becoming Speaker of the House. What do you say to the new members, two of whom I'm going to have on here, who campaigned on new leadership, campaigned on a new generation of leadership, if the Democrats end up reelecting Pelosi, Hoyer and Clyburn as the face of the House Democratic leadership?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
Look, we're going to have a lot of new people in the leadership. They may not be in the very top position or top positions, but we're going to have new leadership in the caucus. We've got a great breadth of talent that's coming up through the ranks. But I will say this, we're going into a fight likely with the president. I certainly hope that this president decides that it's in his naked, personal self-interest because that's the only thing that motivates him to work with Democrats on an infrastructure bill, on bringing down prescription drug prices. But if he decides it isn't, if he continues along this path where the only thing he wants to do is rile his base and --
CHUCK TODD:
Run against Nancy Pelosi.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
-- and run against Nancy Pelosi, we need the strongest general that we have. We need the best tactician, we need the best organizer.
CHUCK TODD:
And you believe that's her?
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
And that's her. There's no one else honestly that comes close.
CHUCK TODD:
Adam Schiff, who will be the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, thanks for coming on, sharing your views. Good to see you, sir.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF:
Good to see you.
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