CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. John Kennedy

Interview

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SCIUTTO: Welcome back. This morning Republican lawmakers continuing to stand behind President Trump as outrage builds over his racist comments and tweets.

With me now is Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana.

Senator, we appreciate you taking the time this morning.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): Thanks, Jim. Thanks for having me, man.

SCIUTTO: So last night you were on Fox News. You referred to the squad as these four congresswomen are known. You said the reason that there are -- that there's a reason there are directions on a shampoo bottle, in effect, it seemed, insulting their intelligence. You called them whack jobs. And now this morning the president's actually quoting you.

[09:40:04] I just want to ask you, because we've had a lot of conversations on this program, do you think your words have helped or hurt the dialogue on this issue?

KENNEDY: I don't know the answer to that, but they are -- they are heartfelt. I think --

SCIUTTO: Heartfelt to call sitting congresswomen whack jobs?

KENNEDY: Yes. I believe that.

SCIUTTO: Really?

KENNEDY: I believe that the four congresswomen are more famous than wise.

Look, this is America. They're entitled to their beliefs. They are Americans. I'm entitled to mine, Jim. They -- they --

SCIUTTO: But is that -- you said yourself, I'm not sure the president should exchange playground insults with them.

Aren't these playground insults?

KENNEDY: I guess from one point of view you could make that argument. But if it were up to me, I would follow the advice I gave the president and say, let's don't engage in these playground insults. But we're in them.

And if you'll give me a point, I'll share with you my perspective on it.

SCIUTTO: Please, I want to hear your perspective.

KENNEDY: I don't think the president is a racist. I did not believe his original tweet was racist. I thought it was a poor choice of words. It worried me that some immigrants in America -- we're a nation of immigrants --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

KENNEDY: Would be offended by his words. He quickly clarified. And here's what I see -- hear the president saying now.

SCIUTTO: But, wait -- OK, go ahead, because I'm curious how you think the president clarified his comments. Tell me how you think he did it.

KENNEDY: OK, this is what I -- this is what I hear the president saying. This is not China. This is not North Korea. This is America. If you hate America, if you think America was wicked in its origins, if you think that most Americans today, including but not limited to white people, are evil, racist and --

SCIUTTO: Well, who said that? Who said that they hate --

KENNEDY: Let me --

SCIUTTO: I know, but I get your point, but who -- but I just have to challenge your premise. KENNEDY: OK.

SCIUTTO: They didn't say they hate America. They didn't say all white people are racist. And, by the way, President Trump has criticized this country repeatedly. I'll just remind you, once, I mean, he compared the U.S. to Russia. You may remember this in 2017, Bill O'Reilly noted that Putin is a killer. The president, I'm quoting his words here said, there are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers. Well, you think our country is so innocent. The president -- as a sitting president compared his country, our country, basically put it on a level with a dictatorship.

KENNEDY: This -- well, you raised the issue of the four congresswomen, and let me say it again, this is what I believe. I believe that the four congresswomen think that America was wicked in its origins.

SCIUTTO: How so?

KENNEDY: I think -- I think they -- well, you'll have to ask them. I think that they --

SCIUTTO: Well, but if you're making allegations, I'm curious, based on what?

KENNEDY: I'm -- let me -- let me -- let me -- let me -- let me -- let me finish my -- well, for example, let me give you an example. Well, let me finish my thought, though.

I think they also think that America is even more wicked today. I think that they believe that many Americans, maybe most Americans, are racist, are misogynistic, are evil.

SCIUTTO: But how do you -- what do you base that statement on? How do you know that they believe most Americans -- I mean it's quite a charge to make. And many of the charges the president has made are flat out false. He said that they're pro-terrorist. You know, read the interview that the president misquotes. In fact I should say Ilhan Omar --

KENNEDY: Well, let me -- let me -- let me put it --

SCIUTTO: In fact she said that al Qaeda committed atrocities. So many of the president's critiques of them are outright false.

So I'm curious how you -- how you accuse them of believing that most Americans are racist. I just -- I just -- you've got to back it up if you're going to make that claim.

KENNEDY: Well, I don't have time to replay, and you wouldn't replay it anyway, all the various interviews that the -- the four congresswomen have given. They have made anti-Jewish statements. The other night Congresswoman Pressley said, I think I know what she meant, I'm quoting her now, she said, we don't need any more queers who won't be a queer voice, closed quote.

Now, do I think that the congresswoman is homophobic? No. Do I think that she hates gay people? No. Nor do I think that the president is a racist or hates people of color.

But I certainly, when I first heard that comment, Jim, and -- and I think if we're being honest you did, too, it made me cringe. I, frankly, agree with --

SCIUTTO: But did anything the president say make you cringe. As you note, we're all children of immigrants. The question -- unless you're Native American. The question is just how far back -- how many generations. I'm Italian-Irish. My grandparents I -- I assume you've got Irish blood running through your veins. And as you know --

KENNEDY: I'm Scotch-Irish. Yes.

[09:45:00] SCIUTTO: Scotch-Irish. As do I.

As you know, Irish were not welcome when they came here. Irish need not apply. Italians were not welcome. They were often told to go back to their countries. Why is it OK in the year 2019 for the sitting U.S. president to give that message to today's immigrants in this country?

KENNEDY: Well, I think that's why the president quickly clarified his remark. When I first heard his words, I honestly did not think they were racist. I did worry that many immigrants in America would be offended by them.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Fair.

KENNEDY: And I think that's why -- why he quickly clarified to say, what I'm saying is, this is America, you're free to leave anytime you want to if you hate our country so much.

SCIUTTO: Right. We, I mean, we will disagree on whether criticizing the country constitutes hate.

But, Senator Kennedy, I do appreciate --

KENNEDY: No, it's the degree -- no, wait, wait, wait, Jim, it's the degree of criticism. Now it -- and it's the way you criticize.

SCIUTTO: OK.

KENNEDY: I don't think it's fair -- I don't think it lifts America up to be anti-immigrant. I also don't think it lifts America up to call people queers.

SCIUTTO: Fair. OK.

KENNEDY: I don't think it lifts America up to spread anti-Jewish tropes and say it's all about the benjamins. I don't think any of this lifts America up.

SCIUTTO: OK, on that -- on that I think -- on that issue, I think we're agreed.

Senator Kennedy, we will have to leave it there but I do appreciate, as always, you taking the time to join us and have a conversation.

KENNEDY: You bet. Thanks, man.

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