Fox News "The Story" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. John Garamendi

Interview

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MACCALLUM: And this is where top Democrats like Nancy Pelosi are stuck between a bit of a rock and a hard place tonight. They've got this new wave of the party, and a gathering push back today in favor of Omar.

Tonight, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Democrat Congressman John Garamendi, and author Victor Davis Hanson joined me. But first, Congressman Garamendi of California. Congressman, thank you very much. Good to have you with us tonight to respond to this.

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI, D-CALIF.: Sure. Great to be with you.

MACCALLUM: So, what happened to the vote, and is it going to happen?

GARAMENDI: Well, I think there will be a vote and there certainly should be. There is no place in America, really in this world for anti-Semitism. We really have to push back on that, and each and every one of us in public life whether in Congress, the Senate or City Hall.

We need to watch our language because our words really do carry weight and they may very well be misinterpreted to -- you know, help somebody that may very well be biased. And biasness ought not occur on -- in any circumstance, whether it has to do with Muslims or any faith or any color. This just terribly disruptive to our community, so, watch our language.

MACCALLUM: Well, let me ask you this. Do you think she should be named in this resolution or not?

GARAMENDI: No, I don't think that's necessary. What is necessary is a very strong statement by the Congress, by the people's representatives that this is -- that anti-Semitism language is absolutely not acceptable.

MACCALLUM: But you know, it's interesting because she apologized in the initial stages of all this controversy that's rolled out over the past few months. But she's definitely changed her tone on this in the past week or so. She's not apologizing anymore and now she's gaining support in the party. Does that concern you?

GARAMENDI: Well, what concerns me is bigotry, what concerns me is that basically, the discourse throughout America. We've become in the last couple of years far too ready to put people down to show and display and to actually increase the biasness that does increase. And in many cases, the bigotry, and racism. That concerns me because that is taking over a lot of the discourse, not only in the public, from elected people, but also in the bars and restaurants and homes across America. It's not good for our nation with all the doubt --

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Yes, I understand. You know, but, in terms of -- you know, Jewish voters in this country who feel very upset about what they are hearing from her, what do you say to them tonight that it looks like the way the party is leaning is sort of a broad, and somebody even say -- you know, sort of watered down or diluted a version of a condemnation of her. If it's -- you know, suddenly about everything and not really about that anymore.

GARAMENDI: Well, it has to be about the issue at hand. And we have to be strong about that. And I will assure you that the Democratic Party that I know that my colleagues in Congress are very, very concerned about language that is construed either correctly or not to be anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic, that cannot be.

And so, all of us need to watch our language, and I'll say that to myself, I say it to my other colleagues because it can be used as a weapon against people. People of color, people of one faith or another.

And in this case, clearly her words were construed by many of being anti- Jewish, anti-Israel, and certainly harmful to people of Jewish faith, and Jewish background.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: But, let me ask you about the idea that we heard in the montage at the beginning there, we heard from Linda Sarsour.

GARAMENDI: Sure.

MACCALLUM: And they're basically saying, "Don't back down, Ilhan, you are right that there is too much allegiance to another country -- in Israel and this country. And we're not going to put up with that anymore."

I mean, that is something that I think -- you know, there'll be a lot of pushback from Jewish people in this country when they hear that. If they sense that your party is OK with that.

GARAMENDI: Well, let me start right now with the push back. That's just plain wrong. I don't know anybody who have -- any American that has an allegiance in the sense that, that was used here.

We certainly do support Israel. And we have, and we should continue to do so. At the same time, all of us recognize that there's a very serious problem with the Palestinians and Israelis that needs to be resolved. All of us have worked on this issue for years, if not decades. There's work to be done. The problem still persists.

But it's not a matter of allegiance, it's a matter of support for one of our principal allies, both long and short term. And hopefully, long into the future. That's where I'm coming from. I know that's where many people --

MACCALLUM: Yes.

GARAMENDI: I don't call that allegiance, I call that support.

MACCALLUM: Do you -- do you think that you consider her comments to be anti-Semitic or anti-Israel? Because some people divide those two and say that it's about the policies of the country and not about anti-Semitism. Where do you think it fall?

GARAMENDI: Well, it's been construed as being anti-Semitic. That's why we got to watch the way we use our language that may not be what she intended. But that's certainly the way it's been construed, and certainly the way it's being used by many people on whatever side of this issue want to talk about. So, it's a matter of how we have to be careful, how we use words.

If she or anybody else wants to support the Palestinians, that's perfectly appropriate. If she thinks that Palestinians are getting a bad deal, she should say so. But she should say it in a way that is -- that does not cause people to think her language is anti-Semitic or gives cover to those who are clearly anti-Semitic. And there is more than enough of that far too much in America. And that's where the real harm comes that somebody might construe that today, there's an anti-Semitic movement in Congress.

MACCALLUM: Understood.

GARAMENDI: There is not and there should never be.

MACCALLUM: Congressman Garamendi, thank you very much for coming on tonight, sir.

GARAMENDI: Thank you.

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