CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Raskin

Interview

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BURNETT: OUTFRONT now, Democrat congressman from Maryland, Jamie Raskin, a member of the House Oversight Committee which was briefed yesterday by the Secret Service about the situation. Obviously, there's a big investigation going on, to see if it's espionage.

Congressman, OK, the president says, no problem, I'm not concerned. The secretary of state who is the most loyal lieutenant that the president has basically at this point is saying this is a big deal, and it matters. What is up with them not being on the same page?

REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD), OVERSIGHT & GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMITTEE: Well, obviously, the president doesn't want to admit that he continues to left his guard down at Mar-a-Lago. You know, Camp David is in my district up in Thurmont, Maryland. And it would be as if Camp David also doubled as a hotel and spa.

In other words, he uses it as a presidential retreat, the second White House and so on. At the same time basically anybody willing to put down a credit card can get in there and wander around. And there are parties and people coming in and coming out. And this woman was picked up with four cell phones, a laptop and then a thumb drive that was infected with malware that could be a nightmare if it were installed in a computer on the premises.

So I think obviously the president is in deep denial about what he has done. But the Trump administration continues to be just a mess in terms of security.

BURNETT: All right. So the Trump administration obviously in the minutes of the Mueller report. We have members of Mueller's team speaking out. Some of them expressing frustration with the Attorney General. You know, Barr summary of the nearly 400 page, because they had their own summaries and he didn't use them. Some are upset. Some are saying the findings were alarming and significant which they don't feel is the sense that Bill Garr gave at all in the four-page summary.

Do you think Barr is trying to hide something or not? Considering I think he knows if full well we are getting a chance to look at most of this thing.

RASKIN: Well , let's hope he know that is. Let's hope he is certain that it's going to be turned over. Every day that goes by I think we're on day 13 or 14 now, it starts to feel less and less certain.

But, look, if you look at prior cases of independent counsels and special counsels, they turned over not just the report but all of the accompanying and underlying material within a day or two. We're talking about vans coming over with big boxes of materials.

BURNETT: Yes.

RASKIN: Tapes and notes and so on. Instead what we get is this mysterious and inscrutable four-page press release that he continues to edit and update as he goes by amending comments. It's a very disturbing situation.

We believe in Congress that we have every right to the report. And we want it turned over immediately.

[19:45:01] BURNETT: So, when the president says hey you guys are getting your 400 pages and that's not enough, he is right? You're saying I want the report but also want the van full of whatever.

RASKIN: Yes.

BURNETT: Every one of the 500, you know, subpoenas.

RASKIN: Yes. BURNETT: Everything.

RASKIN: Absolutely. We want exactly what Congress has gotten in the past, because we are the institutional body that is appointed to do constitutional oversight over the president. Not the attorney general. The attorney general works for the president. We do constitutional oversight over the executive branch. We want exactly what Congress has gotten before.

BURNETT: All right. So, Congressman, I want to ask you about the former Vice President Joe Biden, a man you know personal who has been accused by women of inappropriate touching over the years. He talked about it today.

Let me play part of it.

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BURNETT: A non-apology. Is that the right thing to do?

RASKIN: Oh, gee, first of all, I don't really know Vice President Biden. I can't claim him as a friend of mine.

And obviously he is going to have to decide how he wants to deal with that situation. When you're in politics, at least, you know, the politics that I know -- I'm just in the House of Representatives, but we apologize all the time when we hurt people's feelings, offend them, bump into them.

Politics is a tough business and people get feelings hurt a lot. And so, you know, I'm a middle child. I like to bring people together. So, I'm willing to say I'm sorry.

But I don't know. He might feel like he is being targeted at this point and, you know, people are trying to conflate different kinds behaviors. So, he is in a complex situation. But I think, look, the country is going through a transformation or a consciousness because of what's been raised by feminism. And that's all to the good. I think he needs to demonstrate to people that he is really caught up and he understands that he has offended some people.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Congressman Raskin. I appreciate your time. Have a good weekend.

RASKIN: Thank you so much.

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