CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, (D-FL)

Interview

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WHITFIELD: Jessica Dean in Washington D.C., thank you so much.

So many of the marches taking place across the country are trying to distance themselves from that event in Washington. Leaders of Women's March Incorporated are being accused of anti-Semitism for their association with Louis Farrakhan, a man known for hate speech regarding Jews and the LGBT community. Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is one of those who walked away from the Washington March. She explained why in a "USA Today" op-ed, writing in part, "While I still firmly believe in its values and mission, I cannot associate with the national march's leaders and principles which refuse to completely repudiate anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry. I cannot walk shoulder to shoulder with leaders who lock arms with outspoken peddlers of hate," end quote.

Florida Democratic Congresswoman and former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz joining me right now from Fort Myers where a march is to take place tomorrow. You'll be involved in that, right?

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ, (D) FLORIDA: I will. Thank you, Fredricka. It's good to be with you.

WHITFIELD: Congresswoman, the leaders of the D.C. march have rejected anti-Semitism and homophobia since the controversy began to bubble up. Why did you choose to write this op-ed and continue to oppose the Women's March in D.C., which you have been associated with in the past?

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: I have. And I am not marching in Washington, D.C. with the National Women's March this weekend, like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Emily's List and the Democratic National Committee, and most of my women colleagues in Congress, because it is simply unacceptable, disappointing, and really saddening that the Women's March leadership in Washington continues to associate themselves with a virulent anti-Semite who has discrimination against the LGBTQ community, against women, and refuses to denounce him, and quite frankly took too far long to denounce anti-Semitism, are not inclusive of Jewish women on their board. They belatedly added some Jewish women to whatever their steering committee is.

[14:25:02] But the bottom line is that this weekend is and should remain exclusively about sisterhood and solidarity, about advancing equal rights and fighting oppression in all its forms. And, unfortunately, the women leaders of the National Women's March have become a distraction because they, bafflingly, refuse to fully repudiate and distance themselves from this anti-Semitism and discrimination.

WHITFIELD: And in your view, what do you chalk that up to? Do you chalk that up to inexperience with handling something of this magnitude at this level? Do you believe that it is a reflection of a real reticence? What's behind your view of this delay in repudiating? How do you explain it?

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: That's why I and many others, rank and file women who still believe in this movement -- I fervently believe in this movement. I advance the principles of equality and fighting oppression every single day in my role as a member of Congress, whether it's making sure we fight for comprehensive immigration reform and fighting President Trump of his horrific policy of dividing families, separating children from their parents at the border, fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community, for women. It's baffling it took as long as it did for them to even utter a word against anti-Semitism, that they continue to refuse to condemn a leader like Mr. Farrakhan, who continues to utter those discriminatory and harmful and damaging words of oppression.

And at the end of the day, it just shouldn't be that hard. If we have a unified movement led by women who understand that all forms of oppression and discrimination aren't acceptable, then it shouldn't be that hard to condemn the words, condemn the actions, and condemn the people that are uttering them. It is unacceptable.

WHITFIELD: So earlier today, one of the organizers of the D.C. Women's March was on CNN. She repeated her rejection of anti-Semitism and homophobia, and then had this to say when asked about your op-ed and why you decided to take the position you did, by not attend can the D.C. event. Listen.

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WHITFIELD: So in your view, does this division, does this take away, distract from the objectives of what the Women's March was designed to focus on?

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: Fredricka, I wrote that op-ed because I couldn't remain silent while knowing that I was not going to participate in the march and was deeply concerned about the Women's March leaders in Washington's continued refusal to fully repudiate anti-Semitism, discrimination against LGBTQ people, and women and others.

And they continue to make this about them, about the leaders themselves, rather than about making sure that we can have true solidarity and exclusive focus on these issues. The bottom line is that we have to demand the same principles from the movement as we do from our society. And that's why I wasn't alone in refusing to march with them. Most of my women colleagues are not marching in Washington for similar reasons. They've lost sponsorship of Emily's List, of the Democratic National Committee, of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

And many of us, in fact, most of us, are marching today and tomorrow, in marches across the country, who have similarly distanced themselves and disaffiliated from the National Women's March because they are more focused on it being about them than it being about the movement and advancing our agenda and fighting oppression and bigotry in all its forms, and that's just sad.

WHITFIELD: We will leave it there for now. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, always good to see you. Thanks so much.

WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ: Thank you. You too, Fredricka.

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