Fox News "Sunday Morning Futures" - Transcript: Rep. Ro Khanna: The president has his facts wrong on China
Interview
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
BARTIROMO: And joining me right now in an exclusive interview is Democratic Congressman from California Ro Khanna. He sits on the House Oversight, Budget, and Armed Services Committees.
And, Congressman, it's good to see you this morning. You thanks so much for joining us.
REP. RO KHANNA, D-CALIF.: Thanks for having me on, Maria.
BARTIROMO: Let me kick it off with your reaction to the president, as well as what you're anticipating from the Mueller report, Congressman?
KHANNA: Well, I would say, on China, the president's facts are just wrong.
We had a report recently that we have an $891 billion trade deficit with China. It's the largest in our 243-year history. And that's because the tariffs haven't been working. And I know he knocks the Green New Deal. But, really, we have a green energy race with China.
They're leading in making electric vehicles, 40 to 50 percent of vehicles. And the Democrats are saying, let's make them here.
(CROSSTALK)
BARTIROMO: Congressman, just to be clear, this president is really the first president that has pushed back on China because of the trade imbalance and because of the constant intellectual property theft.
So, when you talk about the deficit with China, that was very much in place, and that was one of the catalysts that caused the president to act and put China's feet the fire.
KHANNA: Right. I agree with you about the trade theft. And I'm not saying that China isn't acting inappropriately.
But the 25 percent trade tariffs, which even Gary Cohn has rejected, I think has made the situation worse. And the facts speak for themselves. We have the largest trade deficit with China today in our history.
And what we ought to be doing...
BARTIROMO: Right.
KHANNA: Anyway...
BARTIROMO: That's why the president has his team on the ground right now in Beijing trying to do a deal.
Congressman, let's talk about the facts from the Mueller report. If we do get the facts from the Mueller report that there was, in fact, no collusion, as many of us have expected for the last two years, are you going to let the facts speak for themselves?
What's your next move, when we do get the report and you are able to see it later this afternoon, the summary, and you hear that there was no collusion with the president and Russia?
KHANNA: Well, I heard my colleague John Ratcliffe earlier.
We passed a bill together. He voted, part of 420-0, to make the full Mueller report public. So that should be the first step.
Second, there -- the Mueller report has a lot of indictments of Russians who have interfered. So, putting aside the collusion...
BARTIROMO: Right, but that's not collusion. Just to be clear, that wasn't collusion.
KHANNA: Sure.
BARTIROMO: There's no collusion, Congressman. Is that a fair statement, no collusion?
KHANNA: Well, I want to hear -- I want to read the report first, but there are two separate issues. I agree with you, Maria.
One is Russian interference. Every American should be opposed to that.
BARTIROMO: Right.
KHANNA: And we should look at what the Russians did and take steps.
BARTIROMO: Right. No, that wasn't debated. Nobody debated that.
What we're debating is whether or not the president colluded with the Russians. And now we're learning that there will be no more indictments.
One issue that I have had -- you're on the Oversight Committee, sir.
KHANNA: Yes.
BARTIROMO: Carter Page, we know that the Carter Page was wiretapped. He was a member of the Trump campaign. And the other side wanted to spy on the Trump campaign.
For two years, we have been hearing about all of these charges. Your colleagues called the president treasonous. Carter Page was never charged. So he was wiretapped, but never charged. Does that bother you, that all of this euphoria around Carter Page, and yet the guy is walking around? He never did anything wrong.
KHANNA: Well, Maria, I have never called the president that.
But I am for a transparent investigation...
BARTIROMO: OK.
KHANNA: ... and having the facts lead wherever they do.
I do think there have been allegations that Mueller has made about Manafort and giving polling to a Russian.
BARTIROMO: Right. Again, no collusion.
Let's take a short break, sir. And I want to ask you really what you want to know, where you want to see that transparency.
We will be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARTIROMO: And I'm back with Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna.
Congressman, I want to ask you. We said earlier your colleagues have been trying to take down this president and called him treasonous. Is it fair to say that -- that your colleagues overreached? And should they step down from their positions for, the last two years, misleading the public so massively?
KHANNA: I don't think so.
I think most of our colleagues have been calling for transparency; 80 percent of FOX News viewers want the report to be public. Every member of the House has said it should be public.
BARTIROMO: I'm talking about Adam Schiff, Adam Schiff two years ago yesterday, or two years ago this week, saying he had more than circumstantial evidence that the president colluded with Russia.
Where is the accountability? How do you spew that out, when there's absolutely no evidence? Should he step down for calling the president treasonous and misleading the American people for the last two years?
KHANNA: Well, I don't think he's ever called the president that. I certainly would never use that term.
What I do think is important...
BARTIROMO: He said he had more than circumstantial evidence. That's a quote, sir. You know that.
KHANNA: Well, what I would say is, let's get the Mueller report out.
It doesn't matter what any member of Congress thinks. What matters is what Bob Mueller has found. We haven't even read the report. Let's -- let's look at what he has found, not just about possible interference of Russia and who was involved, but also an obstruction of justice.
And then I would stand by the Mueller report. I think Bob Mueller has more credibility than anyone in Congress.
BARTIROMO: All right.
KHANNA: And what matters is his findings.
BARTIROMO: All right, so you stand by the report.
I know that sometimes you vote alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Does it -- does it bother you that -- the idea that you can get rid of fossil fuels in 10 years? Does it make sense and that it would cost upwards of $94 trillion, sir, real quick?
KHANNA: I don't think it's correct that it would cost $93 trillion.
What I'm concerned about is the green energy race. China is building solar plants...
BARTIROMO: Yes.
KHANNA: ... energy and wind -- we need to be competing here. We need to have electric vehicles here. We need to have renewable energy here.
And that's something Republicans believe in too.
BARTIROMO: Right.
KHANNA: I don't want to lose out to China.
BARTIROMO: Yes, that's absolutely right.
KHANNA: And so I...
BARTIROMO: China, I believe, is the story of our day. I totally agree with you there, sir.
Sir, we appreciate you joining us. We hope you will come back. Sorry about the abbreviated time. We are waiting on the Mueller report. Thank you so much, sir.
KHANNA: Thank you, Maria.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source