CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Coons

Interview

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COOPER: Senator Coons, why do you think the attorney general claimed today without evidence that he believes there was spying on the Trump campaign? Because it -- I mean, his claim seems to contradict what Congress has been told by the Department of Justice, right?

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): It was a striking assertion by the attorney general. I, frankly, think, he should have been more careful with his words because spying has some very negative connotations. Ultimately, when Senator Schatz asked him a follow-up question, he changed it to unauthorized surveillance. But I think it was a fairly striking allegation for him to weigh in on at today's hearing.

COOPER: A source familiar with Barr's thinking told CNN the attorney general didn't mean the word spying in a pejorative sense. He meant it in the classic sense. Do you know what that clarification means? I mean, again, it's a loaded term.

COONS: Not at all. I think spying implies the illicit and inappropriate use of surveillance technology to benefit one political campaign and disadvantage another. That's how I heard it, that's why I was so struck by it and was glad that Senator Schatz asked a follow- up.

But the attorney general, my understanding is, did not say, oh, that's not what I meant at all. He merely changed the words a little bit. I do think this is an issue where we're going to have to follow closely what the attorney general does, as well as what he means.

COOPER: I mean, he's the nation's top law enforcement officer. Is it -- do you think he's doing this to appeal to President Trump or do you know what his motive would be?

COONS: I don't know what his motive would be. I have to take him at his word that he is simply concerned about protecting the rule of law and ensuring there wasn't unauthorized or inappropriate surveillance of political activity.

But you know, as I said, in today's hearing as I've said before in his confirmation hearing, the fact that Bill Barr, now Attorney General Barr, chose to send in an unsolicited 18-page memo going against Bob Mueller's, special counsel Mueller's theory of obstruction of justice raised real alarm for me, raised concerns for me about how he views the Department of Justice, although he is an institutionalist with some close eye ties to the department I'm concerned he act more as the attorney general of the United States and less as attorney for the president.

COOPER: Did you or how did you interpret Barr's answer that whether or not Mueller's investigation was a witch hunt really depends on where you're sitting? I mean, that's sort of an extraordinary answer.

COONS: I thought that was an extraordinary answer. I think that was -- an obvious answer would have been he supported the Mueller investigation, thought that it was necessary to the rule of law, and that transparency was important.

He did not say that. He said whether or not you view it as a witch hunt depends on where you sit. That was one of several striking things. He also in response to my question about whether or not the president or anyone at the White House had been given a copy of the Mueller report or briefed on the Mueller report refused to answer it.

COOPER: And just lastly, I know you introduced legislation today to repeal the president's travel ban, there was no Republican co-sponsor on it. So, even if this bill somehow managed to get some Republicans supported in the Senate and passed, isn't it dead on arrival on the president's desk?

COONS: It is. Anderson, as you know, most of the time I engage in very pragmatic legislating, very bipartisan legislating. I try to have a Republican cosponsor for all the bills I introduce.

This is a bill I think is more prophetic. It's about saying what America we believe we should be in, meaning an America where our president does not make campaign promises to ban Muslims or any other specific religious minority from coming to the United States and use the power of the presidency to carry out that ban through an executive order. Every Democratic senator who's running for president is a cosponsor of this bill. We have a very wide number of cosponsors both in the house and the Senate but so far, only Democrats.

So, you're right, it's dead on arrival at the White House, but it should show clearly how we believe we can keep the country safe and still respect our most fundamental values of a commitment to religious liberty.

COOPER: Yes. Senator Coons, thank you for your time.

COONS: Thank you, Anderson.

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