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

Interview

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BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kaitlan.

And now, Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum who is in favor of impeaching the president.

Congressman, I appreciate your time.

So, you heard the president say the courts would not allow you Congress to impeach him. Do you have any idea what he is referring to? What's your response to that?

REP. BETTY MCCOLLUM (D-MN): No, I don't backup and it is a -- as a social studies teacher, I think he needs to go become and retake civics because the House certainly has the ability to launch investigations. And if they feel they have enough evidence, impeachment.

BURNETT: Right. There is no -- there is no court involved.

All right. So I want to play again --

MCCOLLUM: No.

BURNETT: -- for you, Congresswoman, part of what the president said about the word impeachment.

[19:35:01] He brought this part up on his own, right? This is from the gut. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: To me, it's a dirty word, the word "impeach". It's a dirty, filthy disgusting word. And it had nothing to do with me. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Your reaction?

MCCOLLUM: Well, I think the fact that we're talking about moving forward with high level investigations that could lead to impeachment does have to do exactly with the president. We know that this president has committed covering up his actions.

He lies to the American public all the time. It's well-documented. 10,000 lies in the Washington post. And so, we have every right to get to the truth because the president is not above the law. So we need to be able to do our work. And that's why many of us are saying we have to look at impeachment because he snubbed his knows as Congress doing its job through the regular subpoena power.

BURNETT: So, you've been clear obviously you support impeachment and now a few additional Democrats joined those calls, right, after Mueller made a statement yesterday. Do you -- but it hasn't been this sudden stampede, Congresswoman. Let's be fair. It hasn't been a stampede.

Do you think there are more Democrats supporting it but are afraid to come out publicly at this point?

MCCOLLUM: Well, many of my colleagues were taking in break to read the Mueller report and, of course, look at it again. And then Mr. Mueller spoke. I think people are going to be very shocked at the way what the president does really can't shock anybody anymore.

But this morning, the tirade that we saw on the White House lawn, his misinformation, his tweet earlier in the morning about the Russians helping and saying he won the election on his own, which is totally back and forth, you know, what side is he speaking from?

But I would say this -- I mean, Democrats are taking this very seriously. There is a broad diversity of opinion. And that's good. When we come together and form unity it will be a thoughtful one.

Whereas many of my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, what they say in the elevator and then I hear on shows such as yours are very different, you know, exact opposite. So, you know, we're having thoughtful discussions and we need to do that.

BURNETT: So, when you hear Justin Amash come out and say he is for it, you are saying other Republicans are telling you basically the same, right, in the elevator, in private. What's holding them back?

(CROSSTALK)

MCCOLLUM: -- Republicans say that the president's use of emergency powers is outrageous.

BURNETT: Yes.

MCCOLLUM: They -- you know, some of the things he has done in the budget with zeroing things out, what he has done with the border wall and then saying, you know, he can spend money however he chooses to, that Congress -- I'm on the appropriations committee we have the power of the purse.

They are outraged but some of these remarks, but I don't hear them say it publicly.

BURNETT: All right. Well, thank you very much. I appreciate you're time, Congresswoman.

MCCOLLUM: Thank you.

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