MSNBC "Hardball with Chris Matthews" - Transcript: Trump: "Trump defends racially charged remarks."

Interview

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MATTHEWS: For more, I`m joined by U.S. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democrat from Illinois. How did you hear the president? What did you make of it emotionally when you heard about the president talking about people like yourself, go home where you came from?

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): You know, that used to be kind of a taunt in a schoolyard or maybe in a bit of -- in a fit of road rage in traffic. To now see it elevated to the president`s Twitter feed is shocking.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: But, that being said, it is completely antithetical to what the vast majority of Americans believe in. You know, President Ronald Reagan said it best. You know, you can go to live in France. You can`t be a Frenchman. You can go to Germany and live there. You can`t be a German. But you can come from any corner of the world to America, and you can be an American.

MATTHEWS: Well said.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: And that is who we are as a country.

MATTHEWS: And that`s what Barack Obama said. You just said that very well. That`s what Barack Obama said in that wonderful 2004 speech…

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes.

MATTHEWS: … in Boston.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes, sir.

MATTHEWS: … where he said only in this country is my story possible. People should be thrilled by that…

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes, sir.

MATTHEWS: … and not resist it, the fact that this is a country of ideas and values, not of ethnicity.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Yes, sir.

MATTHEWS: What do you think he is going to achieve by this? I think it may -- I hate to say this, but I really -- I don`t hate to say it. I`m skeptical of my own thinking here. I think he really stepped in it, because I thought he would run on citizenship, against illegal immigrants. But, here, he`s running on pure ethnicity, not even citizenship, which would be a politically tactical smart thing to do, run on citizenship. But here he`s making fun of four citizens.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: That`s right. There are so many people in this country who are just one generation away from having immigrated. Thirty percent of my district was born in another country. And they came here from places like Poland and Ireland and Germany, as well as Mexico and India and other places in the world. And I can tell you, almost with 100 percent certainty, that, when they saw those remarks, they would have been shocked and would have condemned them.

MATTHEWS: You know, just a few days ago, hardly hours ago, this president looked like he had a great opportunity to help drive a wedge in the Democratic Caucus in the House, because Ayanna Pressley had made those tough remarks about race and identity. And, of course, there was a big fight going on in "The New York Times" between Nancy Pelosi and the Squad, those four young women. And now your whole caucus is united against Trump and what he`s been saying.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Right. We recognize the common opposition here. We are completely united against bigotry and prejudice and intolerance and hatred and racism in all its forms. And his tweets embodied all of those things, Chris. It reminded us of why we came here and what the stakes are in 2020.

MATTHEWS: Is he un-American?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think his tweets were un-American. I think they were racist and race-baiting. And I think that -- I think most people see them for what they are. One thing I just want to say, this is part and parcel of his trying to create a culture of fear and cruelty towards immigrants and foreigners.

MATTHEWS: Yes.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: This weekend, on Sunday, I marched through the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, which is the epicenter of the Mexican American area of Chicago, to distribute flyers, know-your-rights flyers, because of the threatened immigration raids.

MATTHEWS: Sure.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Unfortunately, there was no one to hand these flyers out to, Chris. Most people were shuttered inside, fearing that, if they were to go out, they would -- they would basically be caught up in an ICE trap. And so now, with these tweets, with the threatened immigration raids, with what we see on the border, I think this is completely a pattern of un-American activity at the highest levels of government.

MATTHEWS: And here you are, an American, speaking out in the U.S. Capitol. I`m so proud. Thank you, U.S. Congressman Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you. Thank you, Chris.

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