CNN "Wolf" - Transcript: Interview With Rep. Ryan Costello

Interview

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BLITZER: We're back with the breaking news. The attorney general of the United States, Jeff Sessions, hitting back at the president of the United States saying the Department of Justice won't be improperly influenced. He says the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.

This after the president in an interview that aired on Fox News earlier this morning went after the attorney general publicly rebuking him, humiliating him, basically saying the only reason he got his job as the top law enforcement officer of the United States was because he was loyal to Donald Trump during the presidential campaign.

Let's get reaction right now from Republican Congressman Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania.

Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

So give me your reaction to this exchange. A pretty extraordinary exchange. I don't think I've ever heard a president publicly rebuke an attorney general along these lines. And now the Attorney General Jeff sessions saying to the president, you know what, I'm not going anywhere, we got a job to do.

REP. RYAN COSTELLO (R), PENNSYLVANIA: I agree. I haven't heard it either. I would agree with your reporter who coined it rare and measured. I think it's more than anything else Jeff Sessions who's probably had enough.

If you listen to conservative radio or certain news channel, I mean, every single day Jeff Sessions is just getting lit up. I think what the president did in sort of describing what he wants his attorney general to do also makes it a little bit more difficult for whomever the next attorney general is who has to go through Senate confirmation.

Loyalty is not the test for an attorney general. Fidelity to the law, independence, and following the law and protecting individual rights and upholding the constitution is the standard.

[13:20:02] So the president's description of something other than that, I think is a little bit troubling.

And then my final point there is, the laws of political gravity don't always apply to a president in real time. And this president has actually demonstrated that sometimes they don't apply at all.

We're in a situation now where I think you're going to speak about the AMI issue, where the coloration of this is looking a little bit different now.

BLITZER: It certainly is. But, you know, why doesn't -- if the president so much dislikes, distrusts, can't stand Jeff Sessions, why doesn't he just fire him?

COSTELLO: Well, it would reflect poorly upon him, number one. And while it would be problematic, I think for Republicans to have to answer those questions, it would also enable Republicans the ability to assert some independence. I think Middle America is looking for Republicans to stand up and call balls and strikes fairly here.

And so while I think it would be a problem for the president, I don't subscribe to what some are suggesting that somehow this would be a problem for Republicans. I do think though that confirming someone else becomes extremely difficult. And this obviously then clouds or makes it all the more challenging to get Judge Kavanaugh through confirmation in the coming weeks.

BLITZER: Yes, he doesn't want to do anything that's going to undermine that confirmation process. And as you correctly point out, there are midterm elections, critically important midterm elections, coming up in November.

I've heard from some people who are close with Jeff Sessions. He really feels that he's got a job to do for the American people as being the attorney general. And he's afraid if he were to resign, for example, the next person who comes in might not necessarily do the job that he's trying to do. I assume you've heard similar things why he's not submitting his resignation.

COSTELLO: Well, added to that, Wolf -- I mean, look, I serve as a member of Congress, and there are some times where I bite my lip on things that I disagree with. And I think I'm best suited to do this job.

I think those that serve in government feel that they have a skill set and experience that they're best suited to do that job. Otherwise, why would they be doing it? I think in the case of the attorney general, who is a very conservative -- who is a very, very conservative U.S. senator, policy-wise, outside of this independent counsel issue, he has probably been as conservative and as principled and as aligned with the president on policy, immigration, drug enforcement, right on down the line, as any attorney general you could expect out of a conservative presidency.

So this really relates to one thing and one thing only, and that is, I think, he wants -- we can go back to what President Trump said about Eric holder. He had a lot of things that were negative towards President Obama and Eric Holder but the one thing he said was, he protected the president. And he wants an attorney general that's going to protect him from what he views as an illegitimate investigation.

I don't think it's illegitimate. Most people don't. I think Michael Cohen pleading to what he did, I think Paul Manafort pleading to what he did, and some of the other indictments that Mueller has secured with Russian interference demonstrate that it is a legitimate investigation.

BLITZER: Yes. Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts. Paul Manafort was convicted on eight counts.

But let me get your reaction to the other breaking news, Congressman, that the head of American Media, the parent company of the National Enquirer, David Pecker, a long-time friend and associate of Donald Trump -- of the president of the United States has been granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation, his testimony, setting up the hush money payment to Karen McDougal, the former playmate for $150,000, working together with Michael Cohen, the president's former lawyer.

What's your reaction when you hear that he was granted immunity? And how much damage could he do to the president?

COSTELLO: Well, my hunch is that, he will confirm what Michael Cohen said, that there was some sort of coordination on paying these women in order to keep them quiet. I think there's an expectation that that's what will happen. I think a lot of the American public thinks that way.

The central question though is, is it a campaign violation or is it a federal crime? And then we ask ourselves the political question. Is paying off two women heading into an election in order to keep them quiet, to help you win an election, is that impeachable? And we know that's a political question.

And the irony here is that for as much as Republicans don't want to answer that question right now, is that an impeachable offense, Democrats don't want to answer that question. Because there are hints here of 1998 and President Clinton all over the place. And I think as this unfolds, we may even find more similarities between the two.

[13:25:01] But that's where we're headed in terms of what the American people are going to get exposed to, and what members of Congress are going to have to ask moving forward.

BLITZER: Congressman Ryan Costello of Pennsylvania, he's a Republicans. Thanks so much for joining us.

COSTELLO: Good to be with you.

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