CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ro Khanna

Interview

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BLITZER: Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill, thank you very much.

Let's get some more on all of this said.

Joining us now, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California. He's a member of the Oversight and Armed Services committees.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

And I want to get to Congressman Ratcliffe and the whole issue about becoming director of national intelligence in a moment.

But let's start with the president's attack over these past three days on your committee chairman, Elijah Cummings. What went through your mind, Congressman, when you started to read all those tweets?

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Wolf, I said he picked the wrong target.

Elijah Cummings is respected not just by Democrats. Mark Meadows respects him. Jim Jordan respects him. He speaks with great moral authority.

And you saw how Elijah Cummings responded to President Trump. He didn't engage in personal insults. He said, Mr. President, I'm still willing to work with you on prescription drugs.

So, this is going to backfire on the president.

BLITZER: The attack follows the racist tweets he directed at four freshman Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez, Pressley, Omar, and Rashida Tlaib.

And, today, the president also attacked the Reverend Al Sharpton, saying he -- quote -- "hates whites."

Is the president's 2020 message working, though, with his base?

KHANNA: No, it's not. He's overplaying his hand.

I know Steve Bannon believes that the more you talk about race, and the more you talk about immigration, it's on the president's turf.

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But by insulting people that directly, he's offending something very basic about Americans. And this is going to backfire in suburban districts across the country.

So he has really overplayed this. And he has made the attacks something that most Americans cringe at.

BLITZER: As the chairman of the House Oversight Committee -- and it's a powerful committee -- Elijah Cummings has clearly aggravated the president by focusing in on conditions at the border with Mexico, for example.

And now your committee is out with another report on the administration's relationship with Saudi Arabia and the possible transfer of nuclear technology to that country.

What can you tell us about this?

KHANNA: Well, it's very concerning that the administration may have initiated plans to transfer nuclear energy to Saudi Arabia without coming to Congress, without getting any notification or giving notification to Congress.

And they owe the American people an explanation. The problem with the president is, he doesn't understand oversight. Cummings is not -- Chairman Cummings isn't going after the president personally. He's just doing his constitutional duty. BLITZER: The other news, Congressman, we're following, of course, is

the president's decision to nominate Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe to serve as the director of national intelligence.

Do you believe he's qualified?

KHANNA: Well, Wolf, let me be very fair here. I know John Ratcliffe. We actually did a bill together, the IDEA Act, that the president signed.

My view is that he ought to have the opportunity to make his case. But there's serious questions he needs to answer. One, is he going to be an independent voice? Two, what is his background in intelligence? Three, is he going to be able to stand up to this president and talk compellingly about Russian interference?

I believe he should have the opportunity to make his case.

BLITZER: On FOX News this Sunday, Ratcliffe said it's going to be really difficult for anyone to rely on the findings of the Mueller report.

Do you think Ratcliffe can be confirmed if he doesn't believe the findings, for example, of the Mueller report, that those findings are legitimate?

KHANNA: No, I think he has to at least acknowledge that Mueller's conclusions about Russian interference are legitimate.

And he has to assure people that he will take steps to prevent that from happening. I mean, you had Mr. Mueller testifying that the Russians are still interfering.

I can't see how you have a director of intelligence who isn't going to deal with that threat. I think he should have the opportunity to make his case, but he has some very serious questions to answer.

BLITZER: Let's turn to impeachment.

You do not -- at least not yet -- support opening a formal impeachment inquiry. But 107 of your Democratic colleagues do want to take that step.

Is the House Judiciary Committee essentially already conducting an impeachment inquiry?

KHANNA: Here was the big news.

Chairman Nadler has said that he can move to formally start a hearing, an impeachment inquiry, any time he wants. I think they're inching towards that. My expectation is that Chairman Nadler will do that. That doesn't require a House vote.

And I expect, after the court cases are resolved in the next few weeks, where they're seeking the underlying documents, that he will go forward, regardless of a House vote. BLITZER: We're also anticipating, of course, the CNN Democratic

presidential debates here in Detroit.

You serve as co-chair of the Bernie Sanders campaign. As you know, there's a new Quinnipiac poll that came out today, shows -- showing Bernie Sanders losing ground. He stands at 11 percent right now. That's down from 13 percent earlier in the month.

Does that worry you?

KHANNA: It doesn't, Wolf. I mean, the polls have him in second, some in third. Today's had him tied for third with Kamala Harris.

But the reality is, as long as he's in the top three or four people headed into the fall, he will be fine.

And I remember President Obama was about 15 points below Hillary Clinton, had a good speech at the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Iowa and catapulted into the lead. He's going to be one of the strong contenders. And he's got a very strong ground game in Iowa and New Hampshire and even in South Carolina.

BLITZER: What do you make, Congressman, of Senator Kamala Harris' new health care proposal that she released today? Joe Biden's campaign is calling it a Bernie Sanders-lite Medicare for all.

KHANNA: Well, I think she needs to clarify where she stands.

I mean, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are very clear. They're for Medicare for all. I have to read the details, but I don't think there's been a clear answer.

I hope that she will articulate exactly where she stands. But I think the two people in the race who have clearly committed to Medicare for all are Senator Warren and Senator Sanders.

BLITZER: Congressman Ro Khanna, thanks, as usual, for joining us.

KHANNA: Wolf, thanks for always having me on.

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