Fox News "The Story with Martha MacCallum" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Steve Scalise

Interview

MACCALLUM: Did you see anything in the transcript? And then, anything in the whistleblower complaint today that troubled you?

SCALISE: Well, what troubles me most is that Nancy Pelosi, before the transcript was even released to the phone call, said that the president broke the law. They raised the specter, they said there would be quid pro quo, they had all of these allegations, and then, we see the conversation between President Trump and President Zelensky. And there was absolutely no quid pro quo, there was absolutely no high crimes and misdemeanors.

And so, what is Nancy Pelosi trying to impeach the president on, Martha? I've asked that question even to the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and he can't even answer it.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: I think it has to do with the Biden -- I think the Biden section of it, which I was just discussing with Kellyanne, where he brings up this issue of potential corruption, and says, you know, it looks horrible. You should -- you should really look into that, he says to the president of Ukraine from whom he is withholding military aid. And says, you really should look into that. Joe Biden situation.

(CROSSTALK)

SCALISE: Well, actually, there is no -- there is no money that's been withheld Joe Biden.

MACCALLUM: Who everybody know is the -- is the top candidate running against him right now.

SCALISE: Well, Joe Biden is the one who withheld the billion dollars. Let's be clear about that. Even the president of the Ukraine yesterday said that there was no coercion, there was no any kind of attempt to withhold money. He said they had a good conversation. It was as Kellyanne said, it was a conversation where President Trump was congratulating Zelensky on winning a kind of a longshot race.

I mean he wasn't supposed to win and he won on a platform of cleaning up corruption which there was blatant corruption in the Ukraine.

MACCALLUM: Let me ask you this.

SCALISE: And then, he ultimately won with over 70 percent of the vote. And he's carrying through on cleaning up the corruption, which we should all applaud.

MACCALLUM: So, Rudy Giuliani, says that he is a hero. That he's going to be the hero in this situation that he is committed to cleaning up corruption in other countries. That he's dedicated a large part of his post mayoral life to that cause. Is that what you read into this transcript and this complaint with the -- you know, the meetings that happen in the Ukraine and the discussions about changing around the ambassador -- getting rid of the U.S. ambassador.

And then, the discussions about, you know, you really still have some people surrounding you that aren't so great. Is that how you perceive his role in this?

SCALISE: Well, Rudy can explain what his role is. I know what Zelensky was talking about with the president in that conversation. They were talking about some of the things that are going to be involved in setting up a government to clean up corruption in Ukraine.

And, in fact, he talked about some of the people that he has in his own administration that he wants to get rid of because they're bad actors. And we all knew there were bad actors. And look, even the Joe Biden thing had been out there for years, Joe Biden himself bragged that he held the money back until they fired the prosecutor.

Why isn't somebody looking into that? I think we all ought to be alarmed. That is a sitting vice president. He claimed -- he went to the -- to Ukraine and said that he was going to hold back a billion dollars.

Ad one, by the way, was he acting on behalf of Barack Obama? Martha, I don't know if anyone has asked Barack Obama that question, but I think that's a very valid question. Did Obama give him the (INAUDIBLE) that time?

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Well, apparently, they asked him that question in the moment, and said, you know, you don't have that power, that would be the president. And he said, oh, yes, I do.

SCALISE: Right. They suggest that he didn't.

MACCALLUM: So, he suggests that anyway -- yes.

(CROSSTALK)

SCALISE: And whether or not Biden was bluffing, he did suggest it. And I think Obama is the one that should be asked that question because it's a serious question.

Did President Obama send Joe Biden as vice president to Ukraine to hold back a billion dollars of funding unless they fire the prosecutor? That's alarming.

(CROSSTALK)

MACCALLUM: Well, it seems -- it seems like everybody wants the prosecutor who is -- you know, pursuing the things that they want their side to pursue.

SCALISE: Yes. But ultimately, where are the high crimes and misdemeanors that Nancy Pelosi herself promised. This is irresponsible of the Speaker of the House to make that kind of radical claim.

MACCALLUM: Well, that's what they're going to -- that's -- I mean, it looks like that's what they're on the road to try to figure out. And whether or not they're there remains to be seen of course so we will see as we follow all this along. Steve Scalise, thank you very much. Congressman, great to see you tonight.

SCALISE: Martha, great to be with you.

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