MSNBC "Hardball" - Transcript: Interview with Reps. Jackie Speier and Hakeem Jeffries

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

MATTHEWS: Thank you very much John Brennan, former director to CIA and an  expert all his life in defending his country, Joining me right now, U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California who  sits on the House intelligence committee and U.S. Congressman Hakeem  Jeffries of New York who sits on the House Judiciary Committee.

Thank you both for joining us right now. I think I`m looking at Chuck  Schumer and Nancy Pelosi stay next to each other.

But you are lucky. You are much -- congresswoman, you are much looser, I  must say.

But let me ask you about what has been going on in this Russian probe and  the fact that this, Rudy Giuliani seems out of his mind. He is making  references to tapes. He is making reference at the (INAUDIBLE) even  talking about tapes. He will admit to the fact that the President signed  on as his written response to Robert Mueller about working with -- about  Rudy Giuliani`s role and what he told in then -- all this stuff and then he  denies it all. What do you make of what is going this carry-on White House  right now?

REP. JACKIE SPEIER (D-CA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: I actually think it`s  intentional. I think it`s his way of leaking out explosive information  drip by drip and then confusing everyone by saying one thing one day and  contradicting himself the next. So when in fact the Mueller investigation  becomes public, people aren`t going to be shocked and surprised by what  they hear and they`ll be confused, which is exactly what Donald Trump and  Rudy Giuliani want to have happen.

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you congressman, if Trump was going to engage in a  big business deal right through the election and obviously in conflict with  everything he is saying to the American people at the time, why wouldn`t he  be willing to collude on other matters like getting Hillary, beating her?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: That`s a very reasonable  question and with each passing day, with each bit of additional information  and evidence that comes into the public domain, the cloud of suspicion over  Pennsylvania Avenue and the Trump campaign grows stronger. That`s why we  need a full and fair an investigation, which is currently being led by  special counsel, Bob Mueller, into whether there was a serious conspiracy  between the trump campaign at the highest levels and Russian spies to sell  out our democracy and artificially place Donald Trump into 1600  Pennsylvania Avenue. And we as House Democrats are determined to make sure  that when that investigation reaches its logical conclusion, that  information gets presented to the American public.

MATTHEWS: Well, here is another example right in today of how Trump  appears to be helping the Russians. Remember this guy, Deripaska? There  he is billionaire, there is a picture over there, billionaire Russian  oligarch. He used to work with Paul Manafort. Manafort reportedly get -  owes him millions of dollars. He is into him for that. And even offered  him briefings in the Trump campaign during the summer of 2016.

Well, this month, the Trump administration defended their sudden decisions  to lift U.S. sanctions on Deripaska`s company saying he had made major  financial concessions in exchange for relief.

However, the "New York Times" is now revealed a binding confidential  document signed by both sides. And it appears to show that Deripaska could  actually benefit from the agreement. That document reportedly shows that  the deal contains provisions that free him from hundreds of millions of  dollars in debt while leaving him and his allies with majority ownership of  his most important company.

Congresswoman, what do you make of this constant throwing of kisses,  blowing of kisses to Moscow? I have never seen an American Presidents more  pro-Russian.

SPEIER: So Chris, I would also say that there is a couple of other things  we have to look at. Mr. Mnuchin, who is the treasury, secretary, who put  this together also sold his interest in a Hollywood studio to Leonard  (INAUDIBLE). (INAUDIBLE) as it turns out also gave a million dollars to  the Trump inaugural. (INAUDIBLE) also is the second largest holder of  (INAUDIBLE) stock which is the company that Deripaska owns.

The company has actually seen that shares increase by 125 percent since the  announcement was made about the sanctions being removed. This is a  travesty and it shows once again that President Trump all roads lead to  Russia.

MATTHEWS: Congressman, what can the Congress do, the House of represents  which is run by Democrats now knew? What can you do before you get a  Robert Mueller report? That could be six months on, it could be February,  could be next summer, God knows when. What can you before that to  investigate this president?

JEFFRIES: Well, I think we are going to see active investigations ongoing  conducted by Jackie in the intelligence committee as well as under the  chairmanship of Jerry Nadler with respect to unfolding and unraveling some  of these connections so that the information he gets presented to the  American people in the event that the department of justice decides to  block access to the Mueller investigation.

As you know, Chris, having worked here in a high-level within the  institution, we pride ourselves in the House in being a separate and  coequal branch of government and we have a constitutional responsibility to  serve as a check and balance on an out of control executive branch. We  are going to take that responsibility seriously. I think that`s going to  be led by both the Intel committee as well as the judiciary committee.

MATTHEWS: Congresswoman, can you get enough evidence on your own to  consider impeachment, to consider it? Or do you have to have Robert  Mueller? People are saying right now around the edges that the Congress  shouldn`t wait for Mueller, that they should act on their own investigative  ability to find the evidence one way or another and decide on impeachment.  Do you need Mueller?

SPEIER: I think we do need Mueller. I think he has so much more  information than we have at this time. But I was really struck by the poll  today that shows that 67 percent of the Americans don`t trust the President  of the United States. Is that a high crime and misdemeanor? Is that a  lack of trust in the President of the United States that we should act  upon? It`s certainly something we need to start considering. But I do 
think the Mueller investigation and its report is going to be key to our movement forward.

MATTHEWS: OK. Thank you so much. Both of you, Congresswoman Jackie  Speier of California and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn. By that  way, you represent my son now. He lives in your district, Mr. Jeffries.

JEFFRIES: I`m proud to do it.

MATTHEWS: Thank you so much.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source