CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Brendan Boyle

Interview

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[09:40:22] HARLOW: Well, this morning the President is facing new criticism as he tries to disavow a racist chant at his rally earlier this week. He is now claiming that he was not happy when supporters in the crowd there in North Carolina repeatedly shouted "send her back" referencing sitting U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. Let's talk about this and a lot more with Democratic Congressman Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania. It's nice to have you sir. Good morning.

REP. BRENDAN BOYLE (D-PA): Yes. Thanks for having me.

HARLOW: So you tweeted earlier this week calling the President racist-in-chief. The President is saying, I didn't like hearing those chants at my own rally, you know, I disavow them. He didn't do that in the moment, though, I should note. What would you have to hear from the President to assuage your concerns given the label you've placed on him?

BOYLE: Yes. Well, it's not just myself but others. I mean, it's a hashtag that's going around Twitter frankly because it fits. He clearly is a racist. And I'm not someone who throws around that term lightly. I think if you do, it loses its impact. But in his case also let's not sugar coat it or twist ourselves into not attempting to avoid saying what is obvious.

At this point given who he is, given the things he's done in his life, given birtherism, my conclusion, the conclusion of a lot of the American people I think is pretty sad at this point in terms of who Donald Trump actually is.

HARLOW: So there's nothing he could say that would assuage you or concern or your belief on that front. Let me read to you from Susan Glasser, her column this week in "The New Yorker" from quote, half the country is appalled but not really sure how to combat him. The other half is cheering or at least averting its gaze. This is what a political civil war looks like, with words, for now as weapons.

Two parts to this question, does her sort of hedging there for now, talking about words as weapons for now make you concerned about potential violence ahead? And then also, is this where we are? I mean, would you call this a political civil war in this country?

BOYLE: Those aren't -- that's not a terminology that I use. But I will say, one concern that I have and it's by the way been not just me but a number of us privately talking about the sort of vitriolic climate in which we're living and that the President is clearly egging on especially at his rallies. And the idea that someone, you know, unbalanced with some sort of mental health challenges would then act upon those words, we already saw it in the last couple of years a number of people in politics and in the media were on the receiving end of one very disturbed individual already.

It seems to me that what we need to do now and it would be helpful if we had the White House, someone who wanted to tamper down that sort of rhetoric because it can end up feeding a climate in which people do some very extreme things.

HARLOW: Let's hope not. Let me ask you about, you know, if you haven't heard, we have a big debate coming up here on CNN July 30th and 31st, the next Democratic debate. We now know the line-up, who's going to be on the stage, and what night, et cetera. The former vice president Joe Biden obviously, a Pennsylvania guys, is about to be on the debate stage between Senator Kamala Harris and Senator Cory Booker, two African-American senators who have accused him at least of racial insensitivity.

Democrats right now are unifying on the issue of race against the President, right? And you're among them. Do you think it would be a misstep for Booker or Harris to take on Joe Biden again on busing on his, you know, praise of working with some segregationist senators? Would that be a misstep right now?

BOYLE: Well, I mean given that take for example the busing issue, that seems have been debated actually before I was born. So I'm not just as a one Democrat and as a member of Congress, but as a voter I'm much more interested in the issues and the ideas that will lead us through the 20s this upcoming decade being debated and discussed rather than going back to the 1970s.

I do hope also while, you know, individual candidates are going to pursue their own strategies, I do hope that we focus a little bit on President Trump not exclusively but showing the ways in which we are so strongly opposed to this administration and just have a different agenda. And it's just not the extreme rhetoric the President uses.

Keep in mind the one big accomplishment of President Trump and the Republican Congress last term was their tax cut, $2 trillion, 83 percent of which went to the top 1 percent. With Democrats in charge of the House, we just passed yesterday the first minimum wage increase in a decade. That is major contrast in terms of which party is actually fighting for working people and which party is fighting for the top 1 percent.

[09:45:11] HARLOW: You did. A $15 minimum wage bill that does not look like it's going to go anywhere in the Senate. But you guys unified around that. I would encourage people to read the CBO reporting on that to see what it means for jobs, what it means for wages, et cetera because it is really important to pay attention to.

But just going back to your point about, you know, busing was debated before you were born, I get that. But it sounds like you're saying votes, policies, actions, words of a member of Congress even decade ago aren't relevant to how they would perform as President. Is that a correct read?

BOYLE: No, that's not necessarily what I'm saying. I'm just saying that I hope the focus is on the issues of today and tomorrow and not going back 50 years.

I also have to say, I don't think any of the 20 Democratic candidates standing on that stage is can anywhere close be credibly compared to Donald Trump when it comes to race and ethnicity. Specifically Joe Biden has an incredible record when it comes to civil rights in this country, from the 1970s all the way through to today. If he talks about that proud civil rights record for which he's won awards, lifetime achievement awards, if he speaks about that I'm sure he'll do just fine. Joe Biden's character is in clear contrast to the current occupant of the White House.

HARLOW: OK. Quick yes or no, if your primary were today, would your vote be for Joe Biden? Sounds like it.

BOYLE: Yes, it would.

HARLOW: OK.

BOYLE: First, there is a little hometown pride here since Biden is a Philly area guy.

HARLOW: Obviously.

BOYLE: We have adapted him for many years.

HARLOW: OK. BOYLE: But I do believe and the polls show this, that he would be our best candidate to beat Donald Trump.

HARLOW: Congressman Brendan Boyle, appreciate your time this morning. Have a nice weekend.

BOYLE: All right. Thank you.

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