CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: "Interview with Rep. Ro Khanna"

Interview

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BLITZER: Emily -- excuse me, Lauren. Lauren Fox reporting for us, thank you very much.

Let's get some more on all of this. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California is joining us. He's a key member of both the Oversight and the Armed Services Committees. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.

And I want to begin with Kurt Volker's testimony up on Capitol Hill today behind closed doors. As you heard according to "The Washington Post," Volker testified that he told Rudy Giuliani, the President's personal attorney, he was receiving untrustworthy information on the Biden family and that he warned the Ukrainians against getting involved in U.S. politics. So what's the significance of this new information?

[17:15:11]

REP. RO KHANNA, (D) OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: Well, it's deeply concerning. Obviously the person who is the foreign policy expert who understands the U.S. -Ukraine relationship clearly said that the information and smears against Vice President Biden had no basis in fact. And yet we see Rudy Giuliani continuing to spread those smears, handing that over to the State Department, pushing a narrative that was false.

BLITZER: Did Voker's testimony give you and your colleagues new leads, potentially new witnesses to pursue?

KHANNA: Well based on the public reporting, what concerns me the most is the text that he apparently sent to one of the ambassadors, saying he doesn't understand why the President is withholding financial aid, military aid from Ukraine for a political campaign. And if that is true, if that text exists, that is explosive. That is a text that shows that the sitting ambassador envoy to Ukraine was concerned that President Trump was using our military, our national security for aiding his own political campaign.

BLITZER: So do you believe the information we're all learning today, the public information will bolster the case for impeachment?

KHANNA: I do. But, Wolf, you also have the President of the United States going on television and saying and asking China to interfere in our election, asking Ukraine to continue to interfere in the election. At this point there is no dispute about the facts. The President is basically saying that he is allowed to get foreign leaders to interfere in our elections. And at some point even Republicans have to say that this is a total violation of our constitutional republic.

BLITZER: Some of your Republican colleagues walked away from the Kurt Volker deposition today saying they don't think that Volker shed new light on any impeachable conduct. Are they saying the same thing in private to members like you?

KHANNA: What they're saying in private, Wolf, is that the President's conduct is inappropriate, some of his tweets are inappropriate, but it doesn't rise to the level of an impeachable offense. I mean, that's what you hear in private.

And my question to them is that what would be impeachable? I mean, if you don't believe that soliciting foreign interference is impeachable, that going after and targeting your political rival with foreign leaders is impeachable, then what is impeachable?

BLITZER: Well, what's your reaction to the President, as you point out correctly, publicly today in front of all the cameras on the -- over at the White House, publicly urging China to investigate the Bidens?

KHANNA: The President is being brazen. I mean, he is basically saying that he's trying to normalize this behavior, and saying that it's perfectly appropriate. I mean, it's as if someone is accused of robbing a bank, goes on television and says, I'm going to continue to rob banks and you're not going to be able to do anything because I've got a lot of money in my campaign account and my poll numbers are good. And the question is when is -- when are people like Senator Mitt Romney going to speak up and say enough is enough, this is about our constitutional democracy? We need profiles of courage who are Republicans, who are going to stand up against this President.

BLITZER: Congressman Ro Khanna, thanks so much for joining us.

KHANNA: Thank you, Wolf.

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