MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: "Trump: U.S "Locked & Loaded"."

Interview

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MELBER: We`re back, delving into this reporting about Justice Brett Kavanaugh. And I want to turn now to U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. He`s on the Judiciary Committee. He questioned Kavanaugh last year. Right in the center of these new controversies, thanks for joining us tonight.

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): Good to be with you, Ari.

MELBER: Your reaction to what is new in these accounts and what should be done.

WHITEHOUSE: I think it heightens the urgency of an investigation of the Kavanaugh investigation. I think that after Dr. Blasey Ford`s allegations were public, the second FBI investigation that followed was a bogus investigation. You see Chris Wray trying to walk away from it and ascribe it to the White House. You see people like Max Stier being told that their evidence isn`t welcome at the FBI, which is exactly the opposite of the way investigative agencies ordinarily behave with information.

MELBER: Let`s jump on that point. You`re mentioning one of the students who was named - former student in this reporting. There was this 2019 August letter which you were a part of saying, "In our experience it`s not the practice of the FBI to decline, to pursue credible leads in an investigation or fail to interview accuser and the accused." Is there a mechanism then in your view given those details to go in and have someone interview those individuals? Should that be the FBI or should it be the House where Democrats are in control if the Senate`s not going to approve it?

WHITEHOUSE: If I were to do this in logical order, the first thing I do is to have the House Judiciary Committee investigate the FBI investigation and find out what they did. You could take the FBI investigation and compare it to a real FBI investigation, and you`d be able to see multiple discrepancies between the way the FBI ordinary ordinarily investigates when they`re doing a legitimate criminal investigation and this thing that they did at the White House`s behest. And if I were looking at that, the first thing I`d look at is the so-called tip line. As people who are coming to us, on the Judiciary Committee saying I`ve got evidence, I`ve got a friend who has evidence, I have a client who has evidence, where do we take it to the FBI? And so when we ask the FBI where should this evidence come to? They kept saying not me, not this, no, not here.

MELBER: And Senator you`re not yet backing impeachment of him, is that correct?

WHITEHOUSE: I think you`ve got it investigate first. There are some steps you go through.

MELBER: Understood.

WHITEHOUSE: I`m a prosecutor.

MELBER: I know.

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WHITEHOUSE: --before you ask for the verdict.

MELBER: And your office told us you`re tight on time. So I appreciate you making time. My follow-up question then is, given your position, do you think that some of your colleagues in the Democratic Party have moved too quickly to backing impeachment if this is about the Judiciary Committee and the process going forward with due process for all? Do you disagree with those Democratic candidates?

WHITEHOUSE: Well, I have my view, which is that we need to get these investigations underway, so that we can go forward and on evidence make a determination about what the next step should be and whether that should include impeachment. But the first step, obviously, is to expose what actually took place with this supposed FBI investigation once the allegations were out.

MELBER: And then finally my last question - sorry my last question for you sir--

WHITEHOUSE: No, go ahead.

MELBER: --is if Justice Kavanaugh ultimately is found to have perjured himself before your Committee, what happens? I mean Americans are trying to understand what does it mean if he both was confirmed. That was a vote counting thing. But then also in this process if it is found later by fact-finders that he perjured himself, then what?

WHITEHOUSE: Well, we get to make a decision about whether that`s a high crime and misdemeanor?

MELBER: Understood. On a busy night, Senator, I appreciate your making time. We`ll have you back. I appreciate it.

WHITEHOUSE: Good to be with you.

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