MSNBC "The Beat with Ari Melber" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Eric Swalwell
Interview
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MELBER: And we have been talking about also how this is playing in Congress, where there are many seasoned intelligence experts with this portfolio.
I want to turn to California congressman Eric Swalwell, who is one of them serving on intelligence and Judiciary Committees.
Where does today rate in your view of the Trump administration?
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Lower than I thought we ever could go, Ari. There may have been an American flag on that stage, but I did not see an American President. I saw two defenders of Russia. And I saw a President whose primary role, his principle responsibility to
defend the United States, and he sided with Russia.
But we are not helpless here in Congress. Our founders gave us an opportunity to stand up and defend the United States. We should do all we can to protect the Mueller investigation and solidify that in law. We should pass an independent commission that take this outside of Congress so the American people can understand what happened. And we should devote every resource possible to address the concern DNI, Dan Coats, has raised that our grid in our election system could be compromised.
We can do all of that. I have seen the tweets. I have heard the talk from my Republican colleagues. Talk is cheap. What will you do legislatively? What will you do to vote --?
MELBER: As an intelligence committee member, what is your view of Vladimir Putin today? Donald Trump met with him and then held this public reward in a way. Barack Obama as President declined to hold these kind of joint press conferences. Did you feel that Vladimir Putin looked even keeled, emboldened, intimidated? What was your view of the way he was representing Russia against the United States?
SWALWELL: Well, Air, it`s all-star week here in Washington, D.C. He won the homerun derby of all derbies. Vladimir Putin got an American President to come to Finland to meet with him. And we didn`t get anything out of it. We are not bringing home the 12 individuals who were indicted. We didn`t make any progress in Syria. We didn`t make any progress with Ukraine and we are no safer as we go into the next election.
I think this is a big victory for Vladimir Putin. But again, what will the U.S. Congress do now? Because our President has left his office helpless to act but we are not. And I call on my Republican colleagues.
MELBER: And the final question I want to ask you we are going to be covering later in the hour, what was your interpretation of Vladimir Putin rather odd references to the dossier and to putting dossiers together?
SWALWELL: He is an intelligence officer. He knows exactly, you know, what is alleged what is out there. And he knows what he is guilty of. And the problem is he sees somebody who is completely unwilling to confront him about it. And so he sees nothing but green lights to conduct further operations. And that`s what`s so terrifying, is we are about 100 days from midterm elections. And we need to do everything we can to protect the ballot box because Vladimir Putin sees an open road right and we need some stop lights.
MELBER: Congressman Swalwell, thank you for joining me tonight. I appreciate it.
SWALWELL: My pleasure.
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