CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview With Virginia Senator Mark Warner

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, thank you, Brooke.

Senator Warner, thank you for talking to us.

There was a significant revelation yesterday about Paul Manafort, the president's former campaign chairman, having a meeting with the Russian intelligence -- someone linked to Russian intelligence, sharing campaign polling data.

What was your reaction when you learned about that?

SEN. MARK WARNER (D), VIRGINIA: Well, obviously, a lot of attention is focused on the shutdown and the current state of play.

But I think one of the most significant activities of this whole investigation came out yesterday, where it was revealed -- by a mistake by Mr. Manafort's own lawyers -- I don't think they meant to reveal this -- but that Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, took private Trump campaign data and at some point in 2016 -- we assume during the summer -- shared that with a known Russian intelligence operative, someone who's got obviously ties to Putin, also has ties to one of the significant oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska, who has also got close ties to Putin.

And so the question becomes, to me, this appears as the closest we have seen yet to real live actual collusion. Clearly, Manafort was trying to collude with Russian agents. And the question is, what did the president know? What did Donald Trump know about this -- this exchange of information?

Did the Russians end up using this information in their efforts that took place later in the fall, where they tried using the Internet Research Agency and other bots and other automated tools on social media to suppress, for example, African-American vote?

Was that something that was driven by this campaign data that was turned over to the Russians? We don't know those answers, but this raises a whole host of additional questions that we need to get answered.

RAJU: That's interesting, because there have been a lot of meetings between Trump officials, people tied to the Trump campaign, Russians.

But you believe this specific meeting is the most significant evidence potentially of collusion?

WARNER: Well, if what's reported is accurate, if what the Manafort lawyers by mistake revealed is accurate, where Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, shared confidential or semi-confidential Trump campaign data with a Russian intelligence operative, Mr. Kilimnik, to me, how is that not evidence of an effort to collaborate in some way, particularly when we saw, subsequent to this sharing of information, the Russians use their social media army to, in effect, try to influence the election by -- particularly as we have seen in the area of suppressing African-American vote?

Now, can we make that connection from the Trump campaign data to the suppression of the African-American vote? Not at this point.

But why else would you be sharing confidential campaign data with a Russian intelligence agent?

RAJU: This sounds like the first time you were learning about this was yesterday.

WARNER: This was the first time that we learned -- now, obviously, we have been looking at Mr. Manafort and Mr. Kilimnik and others, that this has been in the public agenda, public press for some time.

But this level of detail, of sharing, you know, Trump campaign data with a Russian spy, a Russian spy that has got ties to Putin and oligarchs like Oleg Deripaska, I think this will be something that we will hear a lot more about in the coming days and weeks.

RAJU: Will you also look into the Trump campaign polling operation as well on the committee?

WARNER: Listen, I would like to see what specific information was relayed. I would like to know whether there was efforts, for example, from the Trump campaign to also do suppression of vote.

Clearly, there were Trump allies who were trying to suppress vote, particularly African-American vote, with some of the rules in various states. But seeing that campaign data would be something that would be very valuable.

[15:25:00]

RAJU: And before I let you go, one last thing.

We learned today about William Barr, the attorney general nominee for the president. He has told Lindsey Graham that he would not interfere with the Mueller investigation. You have raised concerns about some of Barr's past writings.

Do those assurances that he's giving reassure you in any way about the Barr nomination?

WARNER: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

I mean, you have William Barr, who had a good reputation, but unsolicited, tried to, in a sense, apply for this job over the last few months by sending in letters to the Trump administration, saying, hey, he believes the special counsel is not fully legitimate. He believes the president is above the law.

I clearly think it was those reasons why this individual was chosen. Trump has made clear he doesn't believe that he is subject to the laws of the land. And he clearly wants to try to undermine the Mueller investigation. I believe that's why Mr. Barr was selected. And I believe, even though Barr has got a great reputation from the past, that he ought to recuse, and that actually his name ought to not go forward.

RAJU: Senator Warner, thanks a lot -- Brooke, back to you.

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