CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Maxine Waters

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

ACOSTA: Now, my next guest raised questions about the now former officer when she held up photos of a gun versus a Taser, tweeting, how could a trained officer make a mistake shooting an unarmed gun with a gun instead of a Taser? Hard to believe. It certainly is.

And Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California joins me now from Minneapolis.

Congresswoman, the entire state of Minnesota is on edge, as you know, you're there both because of the Daunte Wright case and also because we're expecting a verdicts in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the ex-cop who held his knee on George Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes.

What is going to take do you think to bring healing to this devastated community? WATERS: Well, as you know, the world is watching. And this is a clear

case -- certainly George Floyd the way he was killed, you know, in plain view of millions of people. And so, we absolutely expect a verdict for the officer to be determined to be guilty, and, of course, we cannot see how we cannot get a guilty verdict.

If we don't get a guilty verdict, it would be a miscarriage of justice, and unfortunate, because it certainly will do nothing to heal the divide in this country as it relates to police who are killing unarmed black men in particular.

ACOSTA: And your congressman -- Congresswoman, your colleague, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, reacted to Daunte Wright's killing by tweeting, quote, I am done with those who condone government-funded murder. No more policing, incarceration and militarization. It can't be reformed.

What did -- what did you make of your colleague's comments on that? Do you agree with that? What do you think?

WATERS: Well, of course, we are all very, very anxious to get justice. We have lived with, you know, so many young black people in particular, men and women, but certainly black men being killed and the officers getting away with it. The family left without having gotten justice. It goes on and on and on.

So I can understand the disgust. I can understand the feelings that so many have about, we've got to get some justice in both of these cases. And so, I know that my colleague speaks her mind. And she said what was in her heart. I understand that very well.

I'm here today, because, number one, I want to show that there are members of Congress who really care about what is happening with these cases, and whether or not we're going to get justice, or whether or not the police unions and the lies they tell are going to win. So she spoke her mind been and I appreciate that, and I love her for it.

ACOSTA: And, Congresswoman, I need to ask you about what you said to Republican Congressman Jim Jordan after he had a heated exchange with Dr. Anthony Fauci at a hearing. Let's play that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): What objective outcome do we have to reach before -- before Americans get their liberty and freedoms back?

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, CHIEF MEDICAL ADVISER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN: You now, you're indicating liberty and freedom. I look at it as a public health measure to prevent people from dying --

JORDAN: You don't think Americans' liberties have threatened the last, Dr. Fauci? They've been assaulted. Their liberties have.

FAUCI: I don't look at it as a liberty thing, Congressman Jordan.

JORDAN: Well, that's obvious. FAUCI: I look at it as a public health thing. I disagree with you on

that.

JORDAN: I just want to know when do people get their First Amendment liberties back?

FAUCI: You know, I don't think anyone was censured because they felt they couldn't disagree with me. I think you're making this a personal thing, and it isn't.

JORDAN: It's not a personal thing.

FAUCI: No, you are. That is exactly what you're doing.

JORDAN: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, I don't want you to answer my question. The America people want Dr. Fauci to answer the question.

REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): Well --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your time has expired, sir.

WATERS: You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Congresswoman, that had a lot of people talking about this moment. You told him to shut his mouth. Take us back to that moment. What upset you so much?

[16:20:01]

Obviously, he was hectoring Dr. Fauci there about COVID restrictions that have been going on for over a year in this country, or about a year in this country. People are fed with it obviously.

What upset you so much during that moment? Why did you speak out?

WATERS: Well, first of all, let some just say that we have so many important things to be concerned about. We are concerned about defeating this virus. And we just put out a $1.9 trillion piece of legislation to make sure that people have food on their tables, getting a $1,400 stimulus check, $300 to help with unemployment, money to the cities and the states.

And I have worked very hard on rental assistance now between December and now, I have created over $47 billion for people to get the back rent paid. And here you have Jordan coming to the committee, challenging the most credible human being on this issue of dealing with this pandemic.

Well, I want you to know that Dr. Fauci has been response for encouraging people to do what the experts tell us to do. He's been responsible for helping us getting to the point where we can see the light of day. We can defeat this virus if we are only listening and paying attention. And so, Jordan is a bully. He tried to intimidate Dr. Fauci. Dr. Fauci

is more credible in his little finger than Jordan will ever have, and yes, I shut him down, because we did not need him, number one, disrespecting the chairman and then try to bully and intimidate Dr. Fauci.

Sometimes you just have to do that and get back to the issues so we can deal with what the public sends us to Congress to do, and that is solve problems and provide a safety net for all of our people.

ACOSTA: It sounds like you would do it again.

WATERS: Well, let me just tell you, I'm one that does not take kindly to intimidation and bullying. So, of course, I intervened there, and I said what I had to say so that we could get back on the issues.

Then I had an opportunity to talk with Dr. Fauci about what is known as long haulers. Those people who've been in hospitals, who've gotten shot, move down everything. But there are a few of them, a small percentage of them that can't seem to shake the virus. And that's the kind of information we need.

And he was able to explain what is going on with that. He was able to further the American people about how important to all of us to listen to the experts, so that we could combat this virus. And so, that's what I wanted to do, get back on the issues.

And Jordan, every time he comes, he over-uses his time. He does not pay any attention to the chair. He knows that we only each have a few minutes, five minutes, to speak.

He goes overtime. He challenges the chair. He intimidates. And so, sometimes you just have to do what you have to do and say what you have to say and move on.

ACOSTA: And I want to switch topics here. We just learned in the last hour that Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of your colleagues on the Republican stand, is standing down on launching an American First Caucus that Punch Bowl News reported on, said it would have been calling for protecting what it described as, quote, Anglo-Saxon political traditions.

Greene had faced blowback from House leadership, the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy saying the GOP is not the party of nativist dog whistles.

But I just to remind everyone who they did support. Let's play a little bit of this, and I'll ask you about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people.

Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.

Look at my African-American over here. Look at him.

Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects or flag, to say get that son of a bitch off the field right now?

She is a low IQ individual, Maxine Waters. I said it the other day.

They've gone so far left that they consider Pocahontas to be a rational person.

I can name Kung flu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Why do you think Kevin McCarthy was willing to call out Marjorie Taylor Greene but Donald Trump, Congresswoman?

WATERS: Well, I don't know what goes on in that caucus.

But, you know, you played the voice of the past president of the United States, Donald Trump, and it's okay, because people need to be reminded how disrespectful he was, how dishonorable he was. And we're still wondering, and many are still wondering across the world, how did he become president of the United States with that kind of attitude, with that kind of voice, or with that kind of disrespect?

[16:25:06]

And so, that's who he was. I don't know what's going on in that caucus, except they are splintered, I know, but the more QAnon takes over the party, some of them are going to have to step up to the plate and step away from that, because I think following what happened on January 6th, when we were invaded in the Capitol of the United States, in the Capitol building was broken into and the roof was climbed on by those invaders, those insurrectionists, we're reminded what happened.

And they're going to be reminded what happened in the history book of this country, that they were insurrectionists, that they tried to destroy the Capitol, and they came to kill Nancy Pelosi and any of us who could have been caught out on the plaza where they were.

And so, knowing that, I'm hopeful that it will bring some sense to some of them, and they will back down, and they will not go forward with further trying to divide us and talk about who is credible, who is a real American, who deserves to be supported, and who does not.

It's unfortunate that we've had to live through with. We've got to get out of it, and we've got to go forward. And we've got to support our democracy and make sure that we get rid of not only the proud boys, but the Oath Keepers and QAnon, and the KKK, and all of those racists who are trying to destroy our democracy.

ACOSTA: All right. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, we knew you would have strong words for us today. Thank for you stopping by. We appreciate it. We hope to have you on in the future. Thanks so much, Congresswoman.

WATERS: Well, thank you so very much. I appreciate being on.

ACOSTA: All right. Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source