CNN "The Lead with Jake Tapper" - Transcript: Interview with Adam Schiff

Interview

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TAPPER: All right. And we're going to talk to one of those three House Republicans who was pulled from the committee by McCarthy coming up. Ryan Nobles, thanks so much.

But joining us right now, let's talk to a Democrat on the committee, congressman and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff.

So, Mr. Chairman, thanks so much for joining us. This special committee to investigate the insurrection on January 6th has been in preparation sessions today to get ready for tomorrow.

We have heard from lawmakers in both parties. We've heard from some of the police officers involved. We've seen dozens of videos from that day.

Are the American people going to learn anything new tomorrow?

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Well, I hope they'll get a much better sense of what it was like to be on the front lines that day, what these officers endured. The fact that many of them thought it was going to be their last day of life, that they were going to die defending the Capitol, and sustained grievous injuries. They'll see some footage that they've never seen before. But mostly, they'll hear these first-hand accounts, which, you know,

those of us that live and breathe this may be familiar with some of that. But most of the public is not. And it's all the more important now that people are trying to whitewash history and reinvent January 6th as some normal tourist day.

TAPPER: House Republican Leader McCarthy was at the White House for an event earlier today. I want to play you a little bit about what he said about Speaker Pelosi's decision to reject two of his five choices for the committee and his conversation with Speaker Pelosi about that decision. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), MINORITY LEADER: It just makes the whole committee a sham. So, the outcome is predetermined.

I think it's contentious, yeah, because I don't think -- I don't think -- the speaker doing something unprecedented to Congress, denying the ability to have thought process, denying a person who's a Navy veteran to Afghanistan, denying a ranking member who has the jurisdiction to oversee it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, just in case people couldn't hear, if you couldn't hear it, he said it just makes the whole committee a sham. So, the outcome is predetermined.

He said the conversation was contentious because the speaker was doing something unprecedented to Congress by denying these two individuals, one of whom was a Navy veteran to Afghanistan, as well as the ranking member who has jurisdiction to oversee it to be on the committee.

[16:30:00]

So, the question I have for you is, this is a bipartisan committee, because Pelosi has put Kinzinger and Cheney on the committee. There are seven Democrats, but how do you really, truly make this bipartisan in a way that convinces not just Democrats and the base, but the American people?

Are you in the Democratic majority, are you going to take extra care to listen to the advice of Cheney and Kinzinger about what they think is the best way to get the information out there?

SCHIFF: Oh, absolutely.

And in the discussions we have had so far, that's really been very much our approach, which is to work collaboratively. Look, this should not be a partisan endeavor. And I think the nine members that we have so far are all determined to get to the truth, not to make this a partisan thing.

And the proof will be in the product. If the hearings that we put on are good and thorough and objective, if the report that we develop and the evidence we find is objective and the recommendations are sound, we will be judged on that.

But McCarthy didn't want any investigation to go forward. He had a chance to embrace a commission that would have been five Democrats and five Republicans, without anyone, I think, having a veto, but he chose not to do that because Donald Trump didn't want it. And now he's complaining, well, the speaker is appointing a select committee.

Yes, that's the result of his obstructionism.

TAPPER: Moments ago, the chairman of this committee, Bennie Thompson, told "The Wall Street Journal" that your committee will not hesitate to subpoena your fellow members of Congress if you think it's necessary or Donald Trump.

So, potentially, theoretically, you would be willing to go to court to compel Kevin McCarthy or Jim Jordan or anyone else to testify, if you felt it was necessary?

SCHIFF: I think we should take whatever steps are necessary, including subpoena, going to court, contempt, enforcement through the Justice Department, whatever is necessary to get the truth, whatever is necessary to provide that exhaustive report.

Our goal and the gold standard is really the 9/11 Commission report. To the degree that witnesses don't willingly provide documents or are not willing to testify, and we have to compel them, then we need to do whatever's necessary to get to the truth.

TAPPER: The new Capitol Police chief stopped by the committee preparation session earlier today in order to -- quote -- "make sure things are safe and secure" -- unquote -- before the hearing tomorrow.

Have there been credible threats of violence or attempts to disrupt the hearing?

SCHIFF: Well, I don't know whether there have been specific threats vis-a-vis the hearing.

But, certainly, many of us that are on this committee, I have had to deal with numerous threats over the years, and those haven't stopped. And I think it's really, obviously, the goal of the sergeant at arms and the head of the Capitol Police to make sure that not only does this hearing go off safely, but that the members are safe throughout the course of their responsibilities.

TAPPER: You have said that you think it will be difficult for this select committee to finish your investigation by the end of the year.

When do you think you will be done?

SCHIFF: You know, Jake, that probably depends on what level of obstructionism we face.

As we have seen in prior investigations, those who didn't want to testify could string us out in the courts for long periods of time. Now, there are ways to combat that we didn't have in the last four years. But we're not completely in charge of the pace.

All I can tell you is, we have a sense of urgency about it. I don't think it's practical to think that we will be done in the few months remaining in this year. But I would hope that we could do it expeditiously and enforce whatever subpoenas are necessary, and do so in a time-sensitive way.

TAPPER: Is the committee going to be willing to look into why there was such inadequate security on January 6, even if that leads to questions about briefings to Speaker Pelosi or Senator Schumer? Are you willing to follow that evidence wherever it goes?

SCHIFF: We're certainly going to be following the evidence in terms of the security going into January 6, the intelligence leading up to it. Why didn't we have better intelligence? Was the intelligence that we had shared? Why wasn't it acted upon if it was shared?

The whole host of issues into why the Capitol was so vulnerable. But let's not mistake what's at issue in terms of Senator Schumer and Speaker Pelosi. I saw the same thing during the impeachment proceedings. This is the way of those who are not interested in getting at the truth to distract.

Let's call the speaker as a witness. Let's call Adam Schiff as a witness. Let's call the whistle-blower as a witness. We have been down this road before. It is just their effort to distract.

[16:35:05]

But we will certainly be looking into the security on that day, and making recommendations going forward how to make sure the Capitol is secure going forward.

TAPPER: One last thing about the use of Kinzinger and Cheney and any other Republicans you might get to join the committee is, I think a lot of people, a lot of observers, and I certainly was surprised when Adam Kinzinger, the congressman, Republican, who voted for impeaching President Trump in January, when he was eager to speak at length about why he was voting that way.

But Democrats did not offer him any more than the one minute that was being allotted every single other Democrat. And I thought, politically, just as an analysis, that that was a missed opportunity by Democrats to have a Republican take center stage to talk about these issues.

And I wonder if that's something that is in your mind when you think about the role of Kinzinger and Cheney?

SCHIFF: Well, I'm sure you're correct, Jake, but I'm not familiar with the circumstances around that speaking time.

But in terms of the select committee, I am certainly encouraged that we give our GOP colleagues ample time to make their views known, to make sure that they speak for Republicans who are interested in getting to the truth, of which there are millions around the country. So, yes, I -- we want to treat them as co-equals in this process, have

respect for their views and make sure that the many millions of Republicans they represent have a seat at the table.

TAPPER: Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California, thanks so much for your time, sir.

SCHIFF: Thank you.

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