CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview With Rep. Ro Khanna
Interview
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Let me bring in Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna. He is a co-chair of the Sanders 2020 campaign.
So, Congressman Khanna, a pleasure, sir. Welcome.
REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Brooke, great to be on.
BALDWIN: So I read the -- I read the statement. Senator Sanders says it's ludicrous, he never would have told Elizabeth Warren a woman couldn't win. But the Warren campaign has yet to shoot this down.
You know the man. Did he say these things to Elizabeth Warren?
KHANNA: Every time he has talked to me about Senator Warren, he's talked with utmost respect.
He has absolute conviction that she would beat Donald Trump. He's talked with admiration about the coalition he's -- she's building.
And here's the reality. There are many Elizabeth Warren fans on his campaign, including me. So I don't think that there is going to be any daylight between progressives at the end of the day. We want to see a progressive nominee. We want to see a Democratic nominee beat Donald Trump.
BALDWIN: As I pointed out, Congressman, Senator Warren has yet to comment on our story today. So she has yet to dispute any of our reporting.
Why would she or anyone from her team make this up?
KHANNA: Well, I can't speak for what her campaign is going to say.
I can't speak for House Democrats. We're going to be coming out with a press conference, people who are supporting Joe Biden, people who are supporting Senator Warren, and people who are supporting Bernie Sanders, and say that we're going to unify the day we have a nominee, all of us are going to get behind that nominee.
And I think that people are going to be far more unified this time around than ever before in any Democratic campaign. We understand the threat Donald Trump poses and how we have to work together.
BALDWIN: I want to come back to this point of unity in a second.
But I do want to ask you, Congressman Khanna, did you have any -- have you had a conversation with Senator Sanders about anything relating to that December 18 meeting he had in Elizabeth Warren's apartment? Do you know anything about the substance of that conversation?
KHANNA: No, the conversations I have had with Senator Sanders is, how are we going to stop the war in Iran? How are we going to make sure that the president doesn't escalate the violence?
And that's why we have a bill to defund any offensive action in Iran. Senator Sanders is focused on the issues, how do we improve lives, Medicare for all, free public college, infrastructure. And that's what this campaign ought to be about.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: But do you know anything about that specific conversation, just yes or no?
KHANNA: I do not. I do not.
BALDWIN: OK.
Going back to your point about unity, adding to all of this, Politico reporting just over the weekend on the Sanders campaign talking points, telling volunteers to say that Elizabeth Warren supporters are -- quote -- "highly educated, more affluent people who are going to show up and vote Democratic no matter what" and that -- quote -- "She's bringing no new bases into the Democratic Party."
I want to play something for you and I will get your opinion, but this is how both Warren and Sanders responded to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I was disappointed to hear that Bernie is sending his volunteers out to trash me.
Democrats want to win in 2020. We all saw the impact of the factionalism in 2016. And we can't have a repeat of that.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have hundreds of employees. Elizabeth Warren has hundreds of employees.
And people sometimes say things that they shouldn't. You have heard me give many speeches. Have I ever said one negative word about Elizabeth Warren?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Congressman Khanna, did the Sanders campaign tell its volunteers to go out and speak ill of Senator Warren, yes or no?
KHANNA: Senator Sanders never did. No one senior on the campaign did.
And, in fact, most people recognize that Senator Warren was the lead on the bankruptcy law. She actually connects with working families. So anyone who's calling her elitist doesn't know what they're talking about.
BALDWIN: Someone close to the Sanders campaign was asked if this kind of thing would happen.
[15:20:02]
And this is what they told Politico -- quote -- "We were never told to go negative or contrast with other candidates. Bernie would let us know when it was OK. So, if that's happening, he is aware."
What would you say to that person?
KHANNA: Well, I don't know who it is. It's an anonymous quote.
What I can tell you is that, from the campaign chairs, to the campaign manager, to the senator, everyone speaks with Senator Warren with extraordinary respect.
I mean, I have worked with Senator Warren. She's one of the leading advocates for working families and the middle class.
And here's what's happening. People are afraid that we're going to have one of the most progressive nominees as president. And so there's a lot of attacks. But both Senator Sanders or Senator Warren would be extraordinary progresses. And most of us on both campaigns really respect the other side.
And so we shouldn't let stories like this divide the progressive movement.
BALDWIN: These two are the best representations of the progressive wing of this party, when you look at this crop of candidates. So how is it going to look if these two decide to go after one another tomorrow night on the debate stage?
KHANNA: I would be very surprised if they did. They have genuine respect for each other.
But, more than that, they agree on the policies. They both agree that we need Medicare for all. They agree we need free public college. They agree we shouldn't be getting into wars in -- overseas.
So are there differences? Yes, there are differences in terms of certain style and certain policies, but they agree on far more than they disagree with.
The real contrast is, do we want a progressive vision for this party, or do we want the status quo?
BALDWIN: Congressman Ro Khanna, thank you very much.
KHANNA: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Thank you.
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