MSNBC "The Rachel Maddow Show - Transcript: "Trump seeks emergency order."
Interview
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MADDOW: So there is this new 67-page report on Russian attacks on our election. It was released today by the Senate Intelligence Committee. It is very largely redacted. But the last page of the report, page 67 of 67 is different from all the rest. You can see there at the top. Additional views of Senators Harris, Bennet and Heinrich. That`s three Democratic senators on the Intelligence Committee, California Senator Kamala Harris, Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, the two of them are both running for president right now. Also, New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich. They had almost to say that they thought was not reflected in the committee`s broader report. But they are a little bit mysterious about what it is. We do not endorse every recommendation in the committee`s report and we share some of our colleague`s concerns about the vulnerability that we face, particularly at the state level where counties with limited sources must defend themselves against sophisticated, nation state adversaries. We do not endorse every recommendation. Tell me more. Joining us now is Senator Michael Bennet, member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, 2020 presidential candidate. Sir, it`s great to have you here. Thanks for making time.
SEN. MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thanks. Thanks, Rachel, for having me.
MADDOW: So you do not endorse every recommendation. You and Senator Heinrich and Senator Harris have set yourselves a little bit off from the report in saying that. What do you have a problem with in this report that the other members don`t?
BENNET: Well, I guess I`d say two things. One, we need to make sure that we have a national response to this. I mean, we can`t leave this just in the hands of, you know, counties like Broward County to defend themselves against Russian intelligence and expect that we`re going to be able to protect the country. That was a point of emphasis for us as much as anything else. I would say what`s much more important about this report is that it was issued in a strong bipartisan way from the Senate Intelligence Committee and the conclusions that Russia attacked this democracy in a very fundamental way is now unassailable and in front of the American people. And one thing that`s not redacted in the report are the recommendations that are made about how we need to approach this going forward. So I think it`s a good piece of bipartisan work that takes very seriously this assault by the Russians on our democracy.
MADDOW: In terms of those recommendations, obviously, one of the things that`s been mind bending over these past coup years as the extent of the Russian attack has been more clear and more firmly documented is that in the Senate under Mitch McConnell, he really has not wanted to do anything. He`s blocked even consideration of bipartisan legislation to do anything to change the way that we run our elections to try to stop this from happening again. Is there an expectation that since this is a bipartisan report, since Chairman Burr has signed off on this, that this might have been what McConnell was waiting for? That he might allow some of those recommendations to be enacted.
BENNET: Well, I certainly hope so. Although, just today he blocked two pieces of legislation from going to the floor on election interference by the Russians. One of which would have required candidates to inform the FBI when there was interference of foreign government. The other one of which would have supplied resources to local governments. So as far as my count is that Mitch McConnell has blocked eight such pieces of legislation. Maybe this report will jar that loose. But the other problem he`s dealing with is he`s got a president who continues to deny that the Russians did this, you know? And in Helsinki, stood next to Putin and took Putin`s word on the world stage. In Japan, he made a joke about this with Putin. I can assure you that our -- the people that produced this report do not think that is a joke. This is serious. Just like western democracies all over Europe who are dealing with the fact that Russia`s interfering in this way in their election. So I think it`s really important that our government and frankly our country have a strategic response to what Russia did in `16. We still haven`t responded to that as a country. And to make sure that we`re coordinating Homeland Security, the FBI and local governments to do a better job making sure this doesn`t happen again in 2020.
MADDOW: One of the things --
BENNET: It will -- it will happen again. We just need to make sure that we`re defending again.
MADDOW: Robert Mueller was very clear on that last point yesterday saying it is happening as we speak. It will happen in 2020.
BENNET: That`s right.
MADDOW: They expect it.
BENNET: That`s right.
MADDOW: He was also, to my mind, what was most striking to me about yesterday`s testimony is how blunt Robert Mueller was about the issue of potential compromise, about how people in the president`s campaign did things and had financial entanglements that expose them to be extorted or compromised by Russia and the president did, too. Director Mueller then said that these are matters that were not within the purview of his report. This is stuff that`s been looked at or is being looked at by the FBI. It made me curious as a member of the Intelligence Committee, as somebody who has oversight over intelligence, is that the sort of thing that you will -- that you and your committee will be able to pursue? Mueller is essentially saying the FBI is looking into the president being compromised by Russia. He didn`t suggest that investigation is over.
BENNET: Well, we know from the public record that there were numerous contacts between the campaign and the Russians. Though, President Trump denied that over and over again. It`s not true. I can`t speak to what we`re doing inside the committee. That wouldn`t be right to do.
MADDOW: In terms of what the public does. One last question. This is kind of what the reports looks like today. It uses a lot of toner. It`s really, really redacted. Are we the public ever going to see any more of this? Or is this all we`re ever going to get?
BENNET: I don`t know. I think that this is a negotiation between the committee and the intelligence community. I do think what`s critical is that the public does know what we need to do as a country to respond to this and not just to protect ourselves, but to punish people who do this to the United States of America. The first step there, of course, is having a president who is willing to push back on tyrants that are attacking the United States rather than coddling them, and a majority leader who can actually pass election protection legislation instead of blocking it from even coming up to a vote. Those would be two important steps forward to being able to deal with this very real threat.
MADDOW: Michael Bennet, member of the Senate intelligence Committee, 2020 presidential candidate -- it`s always a pleasure to have you here, sir. Come back soon.
BENNET: Thanks. Great to see you, Rachel.
MADDOW: I appreciate it, sir. Thanks very much.
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