MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: Trump: "Governor Steve Bullock interview."

Interview

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MATTHEWS: I`m joined right now by two Democratic Congressmen, David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Ted Lieu of California. Gentlemen, thank you. Congressman Cicilline, you start. Jack Kennedy, when he was president, once said, sometimes party loyalty asks too much. I don`t understand these republicans. There is a chance they say, I like his tax cuts. I like his deregulation. I don`t like his personal behavior. This was about his personal behavior, and they voted with him like lemmings. Your thoughts?

REP. DAVID CICILLINE (D-RI): Yes, I mean, it`s very disappointing. This is really a sad vote in many ways. We only had four republicans who were willing to show the courage of their convictions to speak up and condemn this racist language in strong terms. The President evidenced he doesn`t understand what is really great about this country, and that is our diversity, the fact that America is a welcoming place for people from all over the world. The idea saying go back to your country is one of the oldest, racist tropes there is. It should have been condemned by every democrat, every republican, every independent, every American. It`s un-American. It was disgusting. The President owes them an apology. He owes the American people an apology.

MATTHEWS: Congressman Lieu, you said something very powerful on this. I`d wish you`d say it again.

REP. TED LIEU (D-CA): Thank you, Chris, for your questions.So like many people in America, I`m an immigrant. I also served on active duty in the United States military because I love America, and yet people have told me to go back to China or Japan or North Korea, and it`s very hurtful when that happens. And like many immigrants, when we get that go back insult, we feel that we don`t belong here in America. And make no mistake, the go back insult is flat-out racist because it`s based on race. If I was white, people wouldn`t tell me to go back to China. They tell me, and I experienced that insult because I happen to be of Asian race. But what`s good is Americans now realize that immigration is a good thing. We have high support for immigration. In fact, record highs according to a new poll. And David Cicilline and I are still going to be standing here after the occupant of the White House departs.

MATTHEWS: Yes, I think that`s true, Mr. Cicilline. Nobody would tell some West Virginian from Scotch-Irish background to go back to Scotland or you go back Northern Ireland. Nobody would think of that because they`re white. It`s so obvious in the way that`s --

CICILLINE: Yes, I mean, it`s so obvious, and what`s so disappointing is you look at the President`s language, you look at his policies. This is clearly racism. And this was an opportunity for everyone to stand up and say enough is enough. We need to move forward on a whole range of important policy issues. We`ve passed 230 pieces of legislation that are sitting on Mitch McConnell`s desk. We have lots of work to do for the American people. But it would have been very helpful today if everyone in the Congress said this is not America, this is not acceptable and condemned it and voted to condemn the President for what he did. And it was very disappointing that we only had four republicans that were willing to add their voices to this.This is -- doesn`t reflect who we are as a country. We cannot let the President say these things and change the character of America. And it was disappointing today that we weren`t joined by our republican colleagues. But it was an important thing to do. The President and the country need to see us standing up and saying this is not acceptable. This is un-American. This is not who we are. No one should be speaking this way, particularly the President of the United States.

MATTHEWS: Well, urging a unanimous vote today, early today, Speaker Pelosi condemned the President`s words as racist, a move that prompted republicans to ask the parliamentarian to strike her words from the record under the rule that prohibits personal attacks on the House floor. Here it is.

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REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): These comments from the White House are disgraceful and disgusting and these comments are racist. Every single member of this institution, democratic and republican should join us in condemning the President`s racist Tweets. To do anything less would be a shocking rejection of our values and a shameful abdication of our oaths of office to protect the American people. I urge an unanimous vote and yield back.

REP. DOUG COLLINS (D-GA): I was going to give the gentle speaker of the House if she would like to rephrase that comment.

PELOSI: I have cleared my remarks as a parliamentarian before I read them.

COLLINS: Can I ask that her words be taken down? I make a point of order, the gentlewoman`s words are unparliamentarian, her words will be taken down.

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MATTHEWS: Well, the parliamentary later ruled that Pelosi`s language us indeed out of order. However, a vote to strike words Pelosi`s word from the word was overruled by a near unanimous democratic vote. Let me ask you, Congressman Lieu. What do you think of about that? Some of the -- one of our producers is pretty sharp and said, the language of the resolute itself was pretty personal about the President. What was wrong with her saying that in her argument for it?

LIEU: There is nothing wrong with what Speaker Pelosi said because it was the truth. There is an antiquated rule in the House of Representatives that basically says during debate, you cannot say the President is racist or that his remarks are racist, even if it is. And what the House of Representatives did today is we, in effect, reversed precedent because we want to make sure we say factory true things on the House floor. And I want to note that the President is engaging in a new line of attack now. He is attack legal immigration and U.S. citizenship. And the problem for him is that many Americans are immigrants or have family members who are immigrants. This is backfiring on him in a big way, and he is going to see that most of America does not support what he says.

CICILLINE: And, Chris, the real irony of it -- the real irony of it is the republicans didn`t have the courage to stand up and call it out and say it`s racist and condemn him. Then they try to prevent those of us actually have the courage to stand up and tell the truth, from preventing us from doing that and trying to get the Speaker`s words taken down. I mean, think about that, bad enough, you don`t have the courage that you`re a coward who won`t stand up for American principles of equality and diversity and all the things that have made this country strong, but then you want to take down the words of the Speaker because she spoke the truth? It`s a shameful day.

MATTHEWS: Yes, they should stay away from the Lincoln Memorial. Thank you so much, U.S. Congressman David Cicilline and Congressman Ted Lieu, thank you, sir.

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