CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Adam Schiff

Interview

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BURNETT: All right. Manu, thank you.

And I want to go now to one of the members of the January 6th committee, the Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff. And Congressman, I tried to play this here for anyone who wasn't able to hear it. Incredibly emotional testimony from the officers today. All of whom risked their lives to protect yours and your colleagues, dramatic and disturbing video that we have not seen before of the riot. What stood out to you the most?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Well, I was watching the officers as we played some of that initial video, and just seeing how difficult, how painful it was for them to see this again, to see the graphic footage of their own - attacks on them was very moving to hear Sgt. Gonell talk about going home to his wife and not being able to embrace her because he still had all that bear spray and wasp spray and whatever they were spraying on these officers, all over his uniform.

And particularly to hear this immigrant, in the case of Gonell, talk about being called a traitor, not really being an American. This is someone who joined the military, served in Iraq, put his life on the line time and time again. Or to hear Ofc. Dunn talk about being called these racial slurs for the first time in his life in uniform. It was just really, really powerful.

BURNETT: So the officers shared the stories about that day, but we also heard a similar plea from officers who testified. Let's play it.

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GONELL: We do need to get to the bottom of who incite it, who brought those people here, why the people were made to believe that the process was rigged.

HODGES: I need you guys to address if anyone in power had a role in this.

DUNN: There was an attack carried out on January 6th and a hit man sent them. I want you to get to the bottom of that.

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BURNETT: That's what they said again and again, get to the bottom of who incite it, anyone in power, hit man. Can you truly get to the bottom of this, Congressman Schiff without having the former President Donald Trump testify?

SCHIFF: Well, we'll make that decision further down the line when we follow the evidence. We certainly need to get to the bottom of why all of these thousands of people felt that they were somehow in the right to attack these police officers, to attack the Capitol.

Somehow they were convinced that the election had been stolen. They were convinced by all these lies. Someone organized this. It was clear from the testimony, but also clear from other evidence. People came prepared to do violence against the Capitol and there's responsibility among our ranks in Congress for the propagation of that lie, that deceit that motivated so many of them. And those officers today were exactly right, that's beyond their power to investigate. That really falls to us in Congress.

BURNETT: So I want to play an emotional moment that you had during today's hearing, Congressman. Let me play it.

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SCHIFF: As if we're no longer committed to a peaceful transfer of power after our elections. If our side doesn't win, then God help us. We deem elections illegitimate merely because they didn't go our way rather than trying to do better the next time, God help us. And we're so driven by bigotry and hate that we attack our fellow citizens as traitors if they're born in another country or they don't look like us, then God help us.

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But I have faith because of folks like you.

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BURNETT: So Congress, I played that because obviously you were prepared going in today. You knew what the videos would show you knew what these officers would say generally and yet it was emotional for you. Were you surprised by that and struck by your own - really essentially losing your ability to talk there for a moment.

SCHIFF: I was surprised, I guess, going into the hearing that I would find it as moving as I did. But I wasn't surprised really after the beginning of the hearing, because seeing the reaction of these officers, hearing them describe what they endured, what it's meant to them, and what it's meant to their families and the hardship that placed on them.

Hearing Ofc. Dunn talk about breaking down with his fellow black officer, colleague and they're shocked at what had happened, that profound questions they were asking about whether is this America. It moved all of us. I think all of us on the committee had to really struggle to hold it together, watching these brave men and hearing what they went through.

BURNETT: Congress Schiff, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

SCHIFF: Thank you.

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