MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Danny Heck
Interview
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MATTHEWS: That`s a lot of money. It`s about $300,000.
REP. DENNY HECK (D), WASHINGTON: Well, the smell of that is the kind half wants you to grab your nostrils by your thumb and your index finger and squeeze tightly.
Look, this is potentially the violation of who knows how many conflict of interest statutes. It certainly raises the issue again of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.
Just to remind your viewers, Chris, there are three mentions of the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution, one in Article I, two in article II, which require the president to report to Congress, submit to Congress any gift or receipt of gift from a foreign government, which he`s absolutely refused to do.
And, of course, that`s no surprise. He refuses to release his tax returns. He`s the most -- the least transparent, the most opaque president in history.
MATTHEWS: And, by the way, presidents, even when they get a gift, like they get a horse or a pony or they get a vase or anything or a ring from a foreign government, they immediately have to look at it, appreciate it, and then give it to the National Archives. They can`t take anything, historically.
HECK: So, let us remind viewers this is not only in the Constitution, but it`s also what all modern presidents have done.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
HECK: President Kennedy refused in part to accept honorary citizenship in his ancestral homeland in Ireland because of this.
President Carter actually was required to sell his family peanut farm that had been in the family I don`t know how many generations because of this. All other presidents respect this, except this one.
MATTHEWS: Do you get a sense the Saudis are buying our president?
HECK: Buying, as in now or
MATTHEWS: Buying, like putting a hotel
HECK: Buying or bought?
MATTHEWS: Your tense is up to you.
(LAUGHTER)
HECK: Well, listen
MATTHEWS: Do you think they`re -- they`re putting -- they`re buying hotel rooms at his hotel to curry favor with our president?
HECK: If they weren`t, why isn`t he revealing it? Why isn`t he submitting it to Congress? Why isn`t he being more transparent?
What has he got to hide?
MATTHEWS: Well, I would like to know the whole thing about the guy, because I can`t figure this president out in this regard.
Originally, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I thought what he was trying to do was develop some big grand scheme, a grand deal with the Saudis, who knows what, something to do with the terrorists, something to do with Iran, something to do with Israel, that was going to be good for everybody.
And, lately, I get the feeling of a lot more petty reason.
HECK: Yes, it`s long past time for us to reevaluate our relationship with Saudi Arabia. That`s for sure.
Listen, if they want to be a member of the community of civilized nations, they have to begin acting like it. And ordering the murder of a journalist certainly doesn`t qualify.
MATTHEWS: How sound is that? OK, you`re on the committee. How sound is the CIA case that MBS, the prince, ordered this killing?
HECK: Obviously, Chris, I can`t reveal what it is that we have been briefed on that is of a classified nature.
But I sit here before you tonight and tell you that I agree with Senator Corker, who said, if this was in front of a court of law, this guy would be convicted within 30 minutes.
MATTHEWS: Mike Pompeo is backing up the president. Why?
HECK: Who knows? Who knows?
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: Why -- Mattis, the secretary of defense, is backing -- they`re all together on this.
HECK: No, they`re not. Chris, they`re not.
Why is it that our classified briefing for all members of the House next week includes Secretary of State Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, but not the director of the CIA, Gina Haspel? Why is that?
MATTHEWS: Because she knows the truth.
HECK: All right. There you go.
MATTHEWS: Well, thank you very much, U.S. Congressman Denny Heck of Washington state.
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