Fox News "The Story with Martha MacCallum" - Transcript: Interview with Sen. Chris Coons

Interview

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MACCALLUM: Also joining me now Democratic Senator Chris Coons, a member of the Senate judiciary and foreign relations committee. Senator, good to have you with us tonight. Thank you very much for being here.

SEN. CHRIS COONS, D-DEL.: Always good to be on with you, Martha. Thank you.

MACCALLUM: Thank you.

COONS: Thank you for the chance to be on with you.

MACCALLUM: Absolutely. We always like having you.

So, with regards to this whistleblower and his lawyer, what are your thoughts when you look at all these text messages?

COONS: Well, my principal thought here, Martha, is that the whistleblower needs to remain protected, should not be hauled in front of Congress, because frankly, that's what whistleblower protection statutes are there for.

When there is someone who works for the federal government who see something wrong --

MACCALLUM: Yes.

COONS: -- they need to be able to come forward and offer that evidence. What matters here in the ongoing impeachment inquiry in the House is that not the whistleblower, but other folks, Lieutenant Colonel Alex Vindman, Ambassador Gordon Sondland have confirmed the core of what he was saying was going on.

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MACCALLUM: I think, you know, that's very true. But you know, we all keep hearing even in --

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COONS: That the president was using his office for his own benefit.

MACCALLUM: I'm sorry. Let me ask you a question if I may interrupt for one second.

COONS: Sure.

MACCALLUM: Nancy Pelosi said that without the whistleblower this whole thing would have never begun. And in the beginning of this process we heard from Adam Schiff he said we absolutely have to hear from the whistleblower.

COONS: That's right.

MACCALLUM: And he said that we will find a way to do it. We'll find a way to do it behind closed doors, but you know, there's no protection --

COONS: Right.

MACCALLUM: -- in this law for, you know, the protection is against retaliation, the protection is against losing your job. At this point, why is it no longer important to hear from him when it used to be very important to Democrats?

COONS: Well, I think if it were possible to hear from the whistleblower with confidence that his identity would not immediately be released, and that the whistleblower would as a result, face retaliation or even physical threats, I think it would be constructive.

But Martha, let's not miss the core point. What the whistleblower alleged, which was that the president didn't have just one call with President Zelensky of Ukraine, there was an entire organized campaign to establish a quid pro quo to hold up $400 and badly needed military aid for a country that was under Russian assault.

That's been confirmed by folks who were on the call like Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, or folks who are not career bureaucrats, not never-Trumpers, but in the case of E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland, a strong supporter of President Trump. He's testified there was a quid pro quo here.

MACCALLUM: Yes, there's no doubt that those --

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COONS: So, I think the core allegations brought forward by the whistleblower --

MACCALLUM: There's no doubt.

COONS: -- are being confirmed and that's important.

MACCALLUM: If those individuals feel strongly that something was happening that was proceeding not as normal, we heard that from one of the vice president's aides as well today.

COONS: Yes.

MACCALLUM: So, their testimony is absolutely part of this and it is perfectly understood.

COONS: That's right.

MACCALLUM: I want to ask you one, and you know, we're going to have public hearings next week and the American people can decide if they think it's impeachable or not --

COONS: That's right.

MACCALLUM: -- which is really the bottom-line question here that we'll to in the public testimony next week.

Before I let you go, what do you think about the emergence of a potential candidate, Michael Bloomberg, for New York?

COONS: Well, I just heard it as I was coming on that he was considering filing in Alabama. I assume as a Democrat. The striking thing, here is someone who has a three-term mayor of New York who is worth, I think more than $50 billion, it will certainly made for a more vigorous debate about Medicare for all and a number of other proposals. I think I'll just say off the top --

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MACCALLUM: What does it do to Joe Biden? What do you think he's thinking tonight?

COONS: -- my head that I welcome -- I welcome a successful businessman to the race. I still think Joe Biden will win the Democratic primary. He represents the heartland of America, America's middle class, his values, his background will make him a great candidate, and I think a great president.

MACCALLUM: All right. Come back soon and we'll talk longer, sir. We're little short tonight.

COONS: Thanks, Martha.

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