CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Madeleine Dean

Interview

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MURRAY: Now I actually spoke to Hope Hicks earlier today. She's standing behind her previous statements and insisting that the calls she had with Michael Cohen had to do with that "Access Hollywood" tape, that she didn't have anything to do with these hush money payments involving Stormy Daniels -- Wolf.

All right, Sara, thank you, Sara Murray reporting.

Joining us now, Democratic congresswoman Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for coming in.

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA), MEMBER, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: I want to get your thoughts on these Michael Cohen documents that were released today.

But first of all, do you think the president sufficiently disavowed that hateful "send her back" chant that we heard at that political rally in North Carolina?

DEAN: Well, certainly not. He wallowed in it. We all saw the tape. The tape is not lying. For 13 seconds, he wallowed and enjoyed that racist chant, that, of course, he set on fire through his racist tweets about my colleague.

BLITZER: Says the president passed up an opportunity to scold the people who launched that chant, "Send her back, send her back."

What would you have liked?

What would you like to hear the president say?

DEAN: Think of it, he's the man with the microphone, literally the biggest microphone in the world. And he stood there for 13 seconds and silently enjoyed that chant. I would have liked him to immediately speak to the mike and say, "Not here, not on my watch, no racist talk like that will be tolerated at my rallies."

BLITZER: As you know, your Democratic colleague, Congressman Al Green of Texas, he introduced an impeachment resolution yesterday. He was overwhelmingly rejected in effect.

And you voted with him. You want to see this impeachment process go forward.

But do you think it's a good idea for Congressman Green to continue to submit these kinds of resolutions in the face of pretty significant Democratic leadership opposition?

DEAN: I think I really admire Representative Green. And he was utterly appalled and is utterly appalled by the racism of this president, among other wrongdoings and corruptions. I'm a member of the Judiciary Committee. We are looking at important --

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DEAN: -- oversight. We have Robert Mueller coming in this week. So I think there will be more and more members who call for an impeachment inquiry as I have called for. And I hope we -- our oversight reveals to the American public the extraordinary wrongdoing of this president.

BLITZER: Why continue to call for an impeachment proceeding to begin in the face of this kind of opposition, because it's not going to begin unless you guys come to an agreement, all the Democrats do?

DEAN: What we have to come to is public persuasion. We have to show the American people what went wrong here. I think Robert Mueller is the very first step. That's Wednesday. He'll be before our Judiciary Committee. We'll very thoughtfully elicit from him the narrative, the wrongdoing that is revealed in that report, 100 contacts with Russians and the Trump campaign.

And the Trump campaign never once thought to call law enforcement or the current administration?

They wallowed in that. This is something the president seems to do, wallow in wrongdoing. And then 10 instances of obstruction, where elements of obstruction by the president and those around him, with the exception of some who resisted him, by this president.

BLITZER: Is there something you specifically want to ask Mueller?

DEAN: I have a section I'm planning on.

BLITZER: Do you want to share some of that with us?

DEAN: No.

BLITZER: Some thoughts?

DEAN: No, I'll talk to you afterward.

BLITZER: After you question him?

Let's get to these Michael Cohen documents. Based on what we learned today, it's clear the president was heavily involved in the scheme, if you believe what the FBI is saying, do you believe potentially he could face legal trouble?

DEAN: I think he could. We of course have the Department of Justice policy or finding that the sitting president cannot be indicted.

BLITZER: If he's not reelected, the statute of limitations will not have run out.

Do you think at that point could he face legal problems?

DEAN: Certainly, for that and many other things.

BLITZER: What other things?

DEAN: Other corruption, other crimes.

BLITZER: Do you think the only reason he hasn't been charged is because of the Justice Department policy guideline that a sitting president can't be indicted?

DEAN: That's what we're hearing. We've heard from Robert Mueller and others.

BLITZER: But you want this impeachment proceeding to go forward full speed right after the Mueller hearing concludes next week?

DEAN: I called for an impeachment inquiry. And what that does -- and I believe the Mueller point will be to help launch that -- what that does is complete our oversight and it also signals to the court a greater urgency so that we will get people before us to testify much more quickly.

You know that this administration has blocked us at every turn. It is a lawless administration, cares nothing for the rule of law. And that's what our committee and other committees of oversight are fighting.

BLITZER: Representative Madeleine Dean, thank you so much for joining us.

DEAN: Thanks for having me.

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