MSNBC "All In with Chris Hayes" - Transcript: "Mueller testifies Trump misled probe."

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

HAYES: Part II of Robert Mueller`s testimony took place in front of the House Intelligence Committee this afternoon and focused on the second volume of Robert Mueller`s report with the former special counsel -- I`m sorry, the first volume -- details Russian interference in the 2016 election. I`m joined now by two members of the House Intelligence Committee who you just saw questioning Robert Mueller earlier today, Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois. Congresswoman Demings, you focused on the president`s truthfulness, or frankness, in the answers he gave. Did you feel like you learned something new about the process by which Robert Mueller came to the decision to ultimately not to seek a live interview?

DEMINGS: Well, yeah, I mean, you know that the special counsel tried almost a year to get the president to sit down. He refused to do that. And so when we asked today about the president`s written responses, the special counsel Mueller was really loud and clear that the president`s answers contradicted much of the other evidence in the case and also that his answers were not always truthful. And so I do believe that that was something additional that we did here with the special counsel`s day today.

HAYES: I think you`re right about that. I think that was one sort of piece of genuine new news today, his characterization under your questioning. The other thing that I thought was new news came out of, congressman, your questioning about the ongoing FBI investigation as regards counterintelligence. I want to play that exchange and get your response to it. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Since i t was outside the purview of your investigation, your report did not address how Flynn`s false statements could pose a national security risk because the Russians knew the falsity of those statements, right?

MUELLER: I cannot get into that mainly because there are many elements of the FBI that are looking at different aspects of that issue.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Currently?

MUELLER: Currently.

(END IVDEO CLIP)

HAYES: What is your understanding of what that means?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Well, it was a little bit of a surprise when you said that. I wasn`t expecting it. It sounds like there may be people -- he said many elements within the FBI -- who actually looking to see whether there are counterintelligence risks associated with Flynn`s lying and that raises the question who else are they basically assessing from a counterintelligence standpoint. It goes to the issue that even though they may not have committed crimes in their interactions between themselves and Russians, the relationships between those entities may have been embarrassing, but they may have liked about them such that they will be subject to manipulation or compromise by the Russians to the detriment of our national security.

HAYES: Congresswoman, did anything your hear today change your assessment of the exposure that we have to something like this happening against in 2020?

DEMINGS: Well, I also think Director Mueller was quite clear on the Russians have never really gone away. And why would we be surprised by that? Because the president has made no serious attempt to hold them accountable. But he said they haven`t really gone away and that they are preparing for 2020 and beyond. And so it`s really incumbent upon us to look at, continue to investigate, Russia`s interference in our election, harden our election systems, and hold this administration, and other people who played in that process, accountable.

HAYES: Do you think that they have been held accountable, congressman?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think yes and no. I think with regard to these counterintelligence risks, let`s just take Jared Kushner, for example. I believe that he`s a walking, talking counterintelligence risk, given his numerous unreported contacts with the Russians and others, given a tremendous leverage that they have over him due to his debts and so forth. And yet in his particular case, not only has he not been held accountable, but he`s actually been given top secret security clearance. That makes no sense.

HAYES: As far as I can tell, he`s running American foreign policy.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Oh, among other things. I think he has domestic and foreign policy, possibly. So, this is an individual with a wide portfolio.

HAYES: I mean, -- I guess I -- on a scale of 1 to 10, congresswoman, like how worried are you, right? I mean, we all watched this unfold in real-time in front of our faces. We watched the president say Russia, if you`re listening. We watched the DNC hack be rolled out to be maximally damaging to the Democratic Party and the first DNC. We watched the Podesta WikiLeaks emails rolled out to be maximally helpful to the day the Access

Hollywood tape. We all saw it in person. And what is your level of concern that we will literally see the same play run again?

DEMINGS: I think that certainly Russia will try to run the same play again. But, Chris, I`m really thankful when I look at local communities all around the nation, certainly in Florida, who have taken substantial steps to harden their own targets to replace antiquated voting equipment, to make sure that they are protecting voter roles and to make sure that vendors play a major part in protecting our voting systems. So I feel hopeful that we`re going to be okay, because of the steps that I know that local supervisor of election offices have taken.

HAYES: So I guess the other questions in terms of accountability, congressman, is where does this go? Obviously, there`s something -- I think north of 90 to 100 members of the Democratic House caucus who have said they favor the opening of an impeachment inquiry. Do you view your work today as part of assembling the facts necessary or entering them into the record to provide sufficient predicate for the opening of an impeachment inquiry?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Possibly. I think that we have to go back and see what are the nuggets that came out of the Judiciary as well as the Intel Committee hearings. We have to continue with the investigation this information about the counterintelligence side of the investigation is brand-new. And I believe that exposing the wrongdoing and issues there is vital not only from the standpoint of making sure people are held accountable, but also protecting our American democracy at this point, because these folks are currently in government, and they pose a risk to our national security now.

HAYES: All right, Congresswoman Val Demings and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, both of the Intelligence Committee, thank you both very much.

DEMINGS: Thank you.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source