CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) is Interviewed About Service Members Hurt in Iran Attack and Top U.S. General Warning that North Korea is Building New Missiles

Interview

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BURNETT: OUTFRONT now, Democratic Congressman John Garamendi, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Congressman, just to make an obvious point here, he says he doesn't know which square block. The president says he knew there were four embassies. There seems to be contradiction there.

But this issue of an imminent threat, he says that the idea there was not an imminent threat is a risk is fundamentally false. You have been briefed. What's your response to the secretary of state?

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): Well, the most important thing a world leader, a secretary of state, a president, whomever that wants to lead a country has is their voracity, their honesty, their trustworthiness. It is totally gone, totally gone by this administration. The president obviously lost it, 15,000 lies and tweets ago.

But when the secretary of state cannot be trusted and the Department of Defense coming in a week later, ten days later and saying oh, by the way, there were 11 people actually injured in that strike, the ability of this government to be believed is simply disappeared. And that is a very, very real problem.

All around the world, our allies such as those that are still left and still believe that America's important partner in the world are going -- we can't trust them, we don't know what they're going to do next, but you mentioned the North Korea situation. Once again, it goes on and on.

The bottom line here is there's a very real problem of trustworthiness in this administration.

BURNETT: So, on this issue, let me just ask you because I know that you -- that the Trump administration not only has not answered this question of imminent risk.

GARAMENDI: Right.

BURNETT: In briefings even that you have all had. They abruptly cancelled four classified briefings related to Iran this week. One of those was scheduled to be before your committee.

GARAMENDI: Right.

BURNETT: Why do you think they're doing that? Is it just that they don't want the questions? Is there something specific they're hiding? Do you have any sense as to this?

GARAMENDI: Well, I think all of those things that you just said are in play. They don't want to be questioned because they don't have a truthful answer. They've got, what, half a dozen different responses already?

And now the military personnel, 11 of them were injured by the blast. Perhaps not with a physical injure but certainly --

BURNETT: Concussion.

GARAMENDI: -- a mental, concussion. So, we're looking at a situation they simply didn't want to have to come. That is not acceptable.

BURNETT: So, you mentioned -- sorry. Go ahead. Finish your point.

GARAMENDI: I was just going to say that we have the responsibility and the administration has the obligation to explain itself. We must hold them accountable, and they must be accountable.

BURNETT: You mentioned North Korea, the number two general in the United States said something that was very stunning about North Korea's nuclear program. And I didn't want it to get lost in all of the other news today. So I wanted to play it for you today.

GARAMENDI: Sure.

BURNETT: Here's General Hyten.

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GEN. JOHN E. HYTEN, VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: North Korea has been building new missiles, new capabilities, new weapons as fast as anybody on the planet with the 115th most powerful economy in the world. Speed itself is efficiency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MADDOW: OK. New weapons as fast as anybody on the planet. Congressman, this is as President Trump talks about his love letters. And just in the past couple of weeks has said this about Kim Jong-un.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un.

[19:35:01]

My relationship with Kim Jong-un is really good.

I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong-un. I think we both want to keep it that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Is there a method to those comments, a strategy?

GARAMENDI: Well, there's an answer to that. This man cannot be our president for four more years.

You take a look what's happened on the Korea peninsula. He has allowed this thing to go from imminent nuclear war to a situation where he's simply allowed North Korea to do anything it wants and along the way to totally put down South Korea, the normal work that we do with South Korea in various military exercises so that we can push back and hold North Korea accountable. Those are mostly gone now. And at the same time, the pressure that is necessary on North Korea has been virtually disappeared.

So, this president has to go. We cannot allow this to go another four years.

BURNETT: Thank you very much, Congressman. I appreciate your time tonight.

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