CNN "State Of The Union With Jake Tapper" - Transcript "Interview with Sen. Cory Booker"

Interview

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TAPPER: OK, welcome back to STATE OF THE UNION. I'm Jake Tapper.

Every Democratic running for president now supports the impeachment inquiry into president Trump. What is not clear is how that inquiry will affect the Democratic field as they try to convince voters they should replace President Trump in the White House.

Joining me now 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey. Senator Booker, pardon me, you've been calling for impeachment proceedings to begin since late May, saying that the president has obstructed justice per the Mueller report and refused to comply with congressional investigations. For now however House Speaker Pelosi says the inquiry is to focus on Ukraine. Given that you thought the impeachment inquiry should proceed for other reasons, is she wrong?

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, she's right right now. Look, this a real moment in history and we should look at it not through a political eye but through a patriotic one.

We have a president that is undermining his oath to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. Part of that is essential because checks and balances built into our constitution, built into our form of government.

This president wasn't releasing documents. He wasn't allowing subpoenas, people to testify. And so this impeachment proceedings process gives us a tremendous amount more leverage with which to make him comply because he's not above the law. When he does something wrong or that has the implication we see right now, he should be investigated, he should be held to account.

TAPPER: So, senator, the constitution says that a president could be impeached for -- quote -- "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Can you explain to our viewers what high crimes and misdemeanors the president has committed?

BOOKER: Well, clearly, I mean, from the federalist papers to even in past impeachment, we see that defined in a broader sense and for me it is -- comes down fundamentally how they portrayed their office. And I think we see a president right now what's implicated in that transcript, in that whistleblower report is someone that frankly was pursuing their own interests above our national security interests.

And as someone who's actually visited Ukraine, who sat with their military leaders, who have lost their fellow soldiers in a hot war while they're being attacked by the Russians, who are currently attacking our country, trying to undermine our democracy. We had a bipartisan agreement that we should give resources and aid to a desperate country. And this president seemed to be willing to hold that up in order to pursue his petty political aspirations.

And that is absolutely unacceptable. If this is true, that is an impeachable offense. History will look back on what did we do when a president was willing to trash the constitution, act less like a leader of the free world and more like a dictator or a thug in using American power to pursue his own personal gain.

[09:35:01]

TAPPER: I want to ask you about Hunter Biden's involvement Ukraine. And let me state again for the fifth time on this show the former Ukrainian prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko told "Bloomberg" in May -- quote -- "We do not have any grounds to think there was any wrongdoing" -- unquote -- by Hunter Biden.

That said, do you think it's acceptable for the child of a president or a vice president to be sitting on the board of a foreign company while their parent is conducting foreign policy?

BOOKER: Look, I have a lot of beliefs about ethics rules and the needs for our government of the United States to go far further in the rules that we have. But the fact that the Republicans right now are trying to use this and distract from the president of the United States and his own actions is to me incredible.

And so, yes, I have problems with the way things happen. I have problems with Congress people coming in and holding their office and leaving -- and walking right out the door and going to work for lobbying firms. There are a lot of things I see in Washington that need changing and I intend to bring a whole new suite of ethics laws to the White House when I get there.

But right now we have a crisis in our country. It has been exposed that the president of the United States on potentially more than one occasion is using his office for his own political gain at the expense of national security, urgent national American interests.

And this is the thing. You know, we -- I serve on the Foreign Relations Committee, and perhaps it's the most bipartisan committee I sit on, because when we look at the world and the threats against this country whether it's Russian aggression or attempts to undermine our government, you see a lot of bipartisanship there.

This is president that when it comes to foreign relations is violating something we all agree on, is that when we look out into the world we've got to find ways to stand together as Americans in defense of our country. This president seems to be violating that, and that is a serious, serious offense we should be investigating using an impeachment inquiry.

TAPPER: I hear what you're saying but just to put a button on this it sounds like your suggesting that in a Booker administration the child of a president or vice president, it would not be OK for them to be joining foreign boards while the president or vice president is conducting foreign policy as required by the law. Am I hearing you incorrectly or am I hearing you correctly?

BOOKER: Look, I'm watching what's going on with the Trump family right now and Trump properties and I just find that deeply offensive to just a -- any kind of independent sense of what's honorable, ethical, not to mention in consistence with the emoluments clause. I just don't think that children of presidents, vice presidents during administration should be out there doing that.

But this -- any implications right now, any whatsoever -- look, Joe Biden is a statesman. He is truly an honorable man. We may have differences in this campaign, I wouldn't be running if I didn't think I should be president, not him. But I would be standing firmly in defense of Joe Biden throughout this process because this is in no way can besmirch his character, his honor and his incredible service to this country over decades.

And so I'm offended by the Republicans trying to shift the attention and this is -- and what is Trump's scandal. This is a Trump scandal and potential violation of office. It has -- it should in no way affect the vice president in his pursuit of the nomination.

TAPPER: So let me ask you about your campaign. You are right now just under $200,000 short of reaching the fund-raising goal that you set in order to stay in the race. The clock runs out in 36 hours. Might this be the second to last day of your campaign?

BOOKER: Well, it could be but I tell you what, what we've seen over the last week has been an avalanche of support. We have nearly 35,000 donors who have been helping us make this call. We've raised $1.5 million plus. We've actually already crossed the threshold to make the November debates of 165,000 unique donors. So, the surge and the momentum is great but, yes, I still need help. We're still hoping people in this final 36 hours to go to Corybooker.com and help us not reach this goal, it's not a goal, it's a real number that we believe is necessary for us to stay in this race with a trajectory to win the nomination.

I'm in this to win it. It's not a vanity play. I'm not sticking around for ego.

I don't think you should be in this primary, at least this is my values, my lens. I'm not going to be in this primary unless I have a viable path to victory. We have that right now but in the fourth quarter we're going to need help and I'm hoping people will help, 35,000 people about -- already done so but we need some more help in these last 36 hours and I hope more people will come onto Corybooker.com, and make a donation.

TAPPER: Well, the good news is your fund-raising director will not be mad at you because you mentioned your Web site twice. Senator Booker, thank you so much.

BOOKER: I thought it was three times, Jake, so forgive me. Corybooker.com.

[09:40:00]

TAPPER: That's three. All right. Thank you, sir. Appreciate it. Appreciate your time.

BOOKER: Thank you for your help. Thank you.

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