MSNBC "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" - Transcript: "American teenager detained for 3 weeks."

Interview

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REID: Leading off our discussion tonight is Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett of Texas. He`s a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. And Congressman, when the speaker says that the advocacy for impeachment among some members of her caucus gives her leverage, do you understand who she believes she now has leverage over?

REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D-TX): Not exactly. What I reflect on is that tomorrow will be 100 days since the Mueller report was released. August is approaching. I don`t know what more we need in order to undertake an impeachment inquiry, and I came to that view after hearing all the alternatives and seeing how ineffective they were and how really rather timid or tepid they were. At this point until today, Democrats had not filed any legal action concerning the Mueller investigation except the -- I guess the somewhat related, belated inquiry on tax returns. We`ve just been defending the trump attacks in the legislative as well as in the litigation. I think people will look at what Chairman Nadler did today and say it`s about time.

REID: And what he did today, let`s talk about that specifically. In your view, because there`s a little bit of a back and forth about this, is what was started today an impeachment inquiry?

DOGGETT: Whether you call it an impeachment inquiry or an impeachment investigation, I think it`s really parsing words. What he did was to tell the court in order to get these grand jury proceedings, which are normally private but which were made available in prior impeachment proceedings, that impeachment was one of the possibilities that his committee was considering. I believe they are conducting an investigation, an impeachment inquiry, and that`s what we need because President Trump is engaging in total obstruction. It`s kind of the mafia gang approach of don`t tell anybody anything and don`t produce any documents. And with that kind of strategy, we can either sit back and take it or we can stand up and fight. I think the American people want us to stand up and demand a little accountability from this lawless president.

REID: And you know, one of the theories behind why the Speaker is so reluctant to go forward on impeachment is that potentially she doesn`t have 218 votes in the House, that if impeachment were to come to the floor, it wouldn`t pass, not just because of Republicans, but because of Democrats. Do you agree with that?

DOGGETT: Well, I have the greatest respect for the Speaker. She is a great leader. I don`t agree with her entirely on the approach concerning this matter. I believe that our duty is not one of just taking a poll or doing the politically acceptable thing. We have a duty under the Constitution. What we do about this lawless president will set the standard, will set the precedent for what happens when we have a president -- I don`t know if it`s possible to have a worse president than Donald Trump, but when we have another president, be it Democratic or Republican, who threatens our democracy the way he has. We need to say that when there is this much lawlessness, we are demanding accountability. And to investigate it thoroughly and objectively is what needs to be done and done now. I think we can do that in a way that is respectful of some of our colleagues who are a little more reticent about it who represent districts that have a significant number of Republicans who may well have been fooled by some of the misstatements, the propaganda of the president`s taxpayer-paid attorney, Mr. Barr, and all of his statements, the repeated no collusion, no obstruction, which is absolutely in conflict with the findings of the Mueller report.

REID: And to your view, what is the primary or what are the primary reasons, just very quickly, that you think the president should be impeached? Why?

DOGGETT: Well, I think the 10 examples of obstruction that he engaged in, I think his lying. I think the fact that whether he was involved in a formal conspiracy with the Russians, just a useful idiot, as they say, was concerned only with his commercial interests, that the Russians were involved in undermining our democracy. And Donald Trump`s attitude was and remains come on in, fellows, welcome. And that is really a subverting. It is welcoming an attack on the very basis of our democracy. Now, we know at the same time from this new report the Republicans were meddling in all 50 states --

REID: The Russians.

DOGGETT: -- and threaten our elections -- excuse me, of course. The Russians were threatening all 50 states and they are continuing to do that and the president and Mitch McConnell are blocking -- aren`t taking effective action to preserve our election system.

REID: Indeed. All right, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, thank you so much. Really appreciate joining the discussion.

DOGGETT: Thank you.

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