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BLITZER: Joining us now, Congressman Eric Swalwell. He is a Democrat. He serves on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees.
Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.
Let me give your immediate reaction to Roger Stone. What do you think?
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D), CALIFORNIA: Good evening, Wolf.
Well, I don't think you have a lot of guts if you are refusing to cooperate in an investigation that's trying to secure our elections. And if you admire President Trump so much, then you must also admire his words in September 2016, when he said, who takes the Fifth? Only the mob takes the Fifth.
So, unless you're associating yourself with mob-like tactics, you, I don't think, have much guts, and it looks like Roger Stone has a lot to hide. And I will leave it at that, Wolf.
[18:10:01]
BLITZER: All right, Congressman, as you know, William Barr is now emerging as President Trump's possible nominee for attorney general. Barr served in that role under President George H.W. Bush.
If nominated and confirmed, he would oversee the Mueller investigation. Would you support Barr's nomination?
SWALWELL: I'm certainly open to it, and I think, as we have seen over the last few days, you know, how honorable of a man George H.W. Bush was, someone who was kind, who loved his country, who sought to unite us and led with optimism, that this individual served in his administration, I think that must give him some credential.
I would want to know, though, has he ever talked to President Trump or anyone in the family or administration about the Russia investigation, if he has ever expressed thoughts that prejudged the investigation, and whether he would pledge to allow Bob Mueller to continue to follow the evidence and reach its natural conclusion?
But, right now, he sounds a hell of a lot better than Matt Whitaker, who already has prejudged the investigation and, according to Vox.com reporting, has plotted with the president to try and take over the investigation.
BLITZER: Do you think Barr would get confirmed by the Senate?
SWALWELL: Well, if all of that is true, that he has not talked to the president, and that he hasn't prejudged the investigation, that he would allow Bob Mueller to finish his work, I do think he would be confirmed.
Look, we do need an attorney general. I accept that Donald Trump is allowed to make and have people in his Cabinet who he wishes. I just want to make sure that the rule of law is followed. And that's what is at stake right now with Matt Whitaker being there.
So, I think Mr. Barr certainly deserves a fair hearing.
BLITZER: Well, what would be your concerns if Robert Mueller actually finishes his final report before the president is able to confirm a new attorney general?
SWALWELL: Well, my biggest concern would be that Congress would not have access to the report, and that the president would seek to stand on executive privilege and prevent us from seeing it.
However, I think Bob Mueller is going to continue to speak through indictments, and I expect that, in the coming weeks, considering the number of grand jury witnesses who have come forward, that we will see more indictments.
But I think it's imperative that the Congress, particularly the House Judiciary Committee, where I sit, is able to see the Mueller report as soon as it is presented to the attorney general or acting attorney general.
BLITZER: What do you expect, Congressman, from the Mueller findings tomorrow on both Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort?
SWALWELL: Well, I expect that we will see that President Trump, his family and his campaign were eager to do two things during the pendency of the 2016 election. They were eager to work with the Russians and to take any assistance
that the Russians had offered and that they were eager to do business with the Russians. And also we have found that, when confronted about it, people like Michael Cohen and Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort have all lied.
And so I expect you will see more evidence of a candidate for president of the United States drawing himself very close to our adversaries.
And, Wolf, as you sit there in honor of President George H.W. Bush, you can't help but think, when you listen to all the tributes that were said about him, he was a person who knew who our allies were and who they were not. And I think that distinguishes him with the current occupant of the White House, who was so eager to work with a foreign adversary.
BLITZER: The special counsel's filing on Michael Flynn, the president's former national security adviser, revealed that there are three ongoing investigations.
So does it sound like things perhaps aren't wrapping up quite yet?
SWALWELL: That's right, Wolf. There are three ongoing investigations.
It looks like at least one of them relates to the Trump-Russia question, as to whether they worked with the Russians. But it also signals that, when they are able to get witnesses to cooperate and tell the truth, and it took 19 interviews to get there with Michael Flynn, they can learn a lot and they can do a lot.
But when witnesses lie, tamper, obstruct, as we have seen with Paul Manafort, it really sets back the investigation. And I say that because Donald Trump, as much as he complains about the length of the investigation, he ultimately drives the length of this investigation, I think, more than almost anyone else who is in it.
So if he were to just cooperate, sit down with the special counsel, stop trying to obstruct via Twitter or dangling pardons, we could reach a conclusion much sooner.
BLITZER: What do you think that filing reveals about others in the Trump transition who potentially might be pretty vulnerable in the Russian investigation?
SWALWELL: Well, this was a transition unlike any we'd seen in any prior administration, Wolf.
We saw that Jared Kushner and Steve Bannon and many others were taking meetings with foreign nationals before the Obama administration had even left. So, knowing that they were doing that and knowing that Jared Kushner has failed to disclose prior foreign contacts, knowing that he was financially vulnerable because of his prior financial dealings, I hope that we answer the question as to whether Jared Kushner has been compromised or as to whether Jared Kushner has been trying to access or cash in on access to the White House.
[18:15:22]
And I expect that that will be a part of the special counsel's final presentation to Congress.
BLITZER: Congressman, before I let you go, on a very different subject, you tweeted in support of a proposal of a Biden-Swalwell ticket in 2020.
Are you prepared to run in 2020 as either a presidential or a vice presidential candidate?
SWALWELL: Yes, or Swalwell-Biden, Wolf. I'm open to entertaining both variations.
And I was actually -- as a fan of Cher, and my mom, who has been to many of her concerts, my mom was just thrilled. And I think she has sent that to every person in the world that she has ever talked to.
BLITZER: All right, we will see what happens on that front as well.
Congressman Swalwell, thank you so much for joining us.
SWALWELL: Thanks, Wolf. Been a pleasure.
BLITZER: All right, there's more news we're following.
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