CNN "The Lead With Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview With California Congressman Ted Lieu

Interview

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Can you do that right now, or do you have to wait for the Democrats to take power in January?

REP. TED LIEU (D), CALIFORNIA: If Republicans put country over party, we could do it next week. If they don't, we are going to have to wait until January.

TAPPER: OK. So it will happen in January.

The chief of staff to Jeff Sessions, Matt Whitaker, will be the new acting attorney general. Whitaker told CNN last year that he could envision a scenario where the new attorney general would reduce Mueller's budget so low, make it so small, that the Mueller investigation would grind to a halt, essentially.

Do you fear that Whitaker, as acting attorney general, will have that happen?

LIEU: He is exactly the wrong person to oversee the Mueller probe.

The whole reason there was a special counsel investigation is because there was a conflict of interests for the president to oversee the investigation through the White House. To have Whitaker there is exactly the same problem.

And I also note that , under the Vacancies Act, it's unclear if Whitaker could even be in that position. He is not Senate-confirmed. And then there is an issue about what position he has. Would it qualify to be under the Vacancies Act?

So, I that is still somewhat of an open question.

TAPPER: Do you expect Mueller to act quickly with any possible announcements, now that the midterms are over and the attorney general has been fired?

LIEU: I believe Robert Mueller is a very smart man, and that he has contingencies in place.

We're also going to be sending letters to both the attorney general's office, as well as special counsel, to say if there has been any change in the scope of the investigation, they need to inform members of the Congress and specifically the Judiciary Committee.

TAPPER: Do you think that Mueller's job is in jeopardy until Democrats take over the House of Representatives, presumably in January?

LIEU: I do not believe Robert Mueller's job is in jeopardy right now.

I think the president does see that as a red line. I do believe putting Matt Whitaker in is probably a red line as well. But we will see what Whitaker has to say.

And in terms of firing Robert Mueller, under Department of Justice regulations, he could still only be fired for good cause. He can't just be fired just because Whitaker doesn't like him or what he's doing.

TAPPER: You think that President Trump is not willing to cross the line to fire Robert Mueller or have Robert Mueller fired? Did I get that right?

LIEU: I do believe that.

And, also, if the president believes that the only way to clear his name is for the Mueller investigation to clear his name, then he would not fire him, because, otherwise, there's no way Donald Trump gets his name cleared.

TAPPER: Do you actually believe that? Or are you just trying to convey that to President Trump, trying to convince him psychologically, some sort of Vulcan mind-meld here, that, don't do this, President Trump, because you want to clear your name?

(LAUGHTER)

TAPPER: Do you actually think that he has this red line?

LIEU: I do, because I think he would have actually, in fact, executed a firing of Robert Mueller. I think he does think in his mind that the majority of the American people would rise up against him and that the Judiciary Committee and now the Democratic control of the House would be a check and balance on his ability to do that.

TAPPER: All right, Congressman Ted Lieu, thank you so much. And, presumably, congratulations on your reelection. I'm assuming, if you're talking to me, you won reelection last night.

LIEU: Yes, thank you, Jake.

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