CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Chris Stewart
Interview
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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: This just in, President Trump has signed the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. The fund was created to provide compensation to anyone injured or killed in the terror attacks and the aftermath: rescuing people, removing debris under what turned out to be hazardous conditions.
Without reauthorization, the funding was set to run out next year. But you may remember, comedian Jon Stewart, dozens of first responders lobbied Congress hard to make the fund permanent.
And this morning, we also have news a major Trump cabinet shake-up. The president nominated Texas congressman John Ratcliffe to be the senior-most intelligence official in the country, the director of National Intelligence.
Ratcliffe is a Trump loyalist, a fierce critic of Robert Mueller's handling of the Russia investigation. That is spurring questions about Ratcliffe's nomination, given what is supposed to be a nonpolitical role of the DNI chief.
Let's discuss now with Republican Congressman Chris Stewart of Utah. He sits on the House Intelligence Committee.
Congressman, we appreciate you taking the time this morning.
REP. CHRIS STEWART (R-UT): Good morning.
SCIUTTO: As you know, you sit on the Intelligence Committee. The director of National Intelligence Committee -- the director of National Intelligence position, created after 9/11, the senior most intelligence official in the country.
If you look at the resumes of prior DNIs -- James Clapper, he had served as director of two intelligence agencies, the DIA, the NGA, been in intelligence for 50 years.
[10:35:01] The DNI will oversee the heads of all the other intelligence agencies -- Gina Haspel, she's been at the CIA for decades. The head of the NSA, Paul Nakasone. He was with DOD. He commanded Cyber Command, he commanded the U.S. Second Army. You compare those resumes to Congressman Ratcliffe, he's been on the
Intelligence Committee for six months. Is that the experience necessary for this role?
STEWART: Well, I think it is. And you have to remember, he has a very different role in the DNI. He's not a technician. He's not -- it's like the CEO of Home Depot isn't a plumber or an electrician. He's a business leader. And the DNI is essentially someone who works with Congress, works with the president. It's important that he has the president's trust. And he coordinates with all of these agencies.
TEXT: Rep. John Ratcliffe: Elected to Congress in 2014; Member of House Judiciary and Intelligence committees; Former U.S. attorney, Eastern District of Texas
STEWART: So it is a very different role. And I think Dan Coats, who did a remarkable job -- and let me take a moment just to thank him for his service. I met with him for an hour last Friday, and --
SCIUTTO: To your --
STEWART: -- the conversation we had reinforced what a great job he did. And he had a similar --
SCIUTTO: And to your credit --
STEWART: -- similar background to Mr. Ratcliffe.
SCIUTTO: Well, but to be fair, he was a sitting -- he was a sitting senator for a number of years --
STEWART: Yes.
SCIUTTO: -- Ratcliffe, only a couple of years. Let's ask about the politics here. Because as you know, you saw during the Mueller hearings. Ratcliffe, Congressman Ratcliffe delivered a very critical speech, you might say, of Bob Mueller. There wasn't really so much a question at the end. It's CNN's reporting that the president was impressed with that performance last Wednesday, and that put him over the top for this role.
Again, I mean, you say it's an overseeing role. But listen, they're senior to the directors of 17 intelligence agencies with a great deal of experience. He needs their respect and their credibility. Are you concerned that politics made the difference here as opposed to experience? This is not supposed to be a political position.
STEWART: Yes. No, I understand that. And I promise you this. I know John. He won't make it a political position. And his role in Congress is different than it will be at DNI. And people adapt to different roles.
My friend Mike Pompeo, for example, who sat with me again on the Intelligence Committee, went to the CIA, now secretary of state. In each of those three positions, he has a different role and he's intelligent enough and adaptable enough that he understands his role (ph) and then he begins to fill his role (ph).
I think John is the same way. His role and responsibilities as a member of Congress, member of the Intelligence Committee is very different than it will be at DNI. But he's very, very bright. He -- again, he has the president's trust. He understands how Congress works. And he understands the overall picture of how these 17 agencies work. And I'm very confident he'll be able to provide the leadership.
And one other thing -- if I could, Jim, just very quickly -- I don't believe at all that it was his performance on Wednesday that made the difference. I think this is a conversation that's been going on for quite a while. And I think John has impressed the president for a number of months.
SCIUTTO: Well, it's CNN's reporting. We can disagree on how the president made this decision.
STEWART: OK.
SCIUTTO: I do want to get to the role of the DNI and the other intelligence officials. Because you deal with classified intelligence in your role on the committee. You and I have spoken about it. I know how seriously you take that role as part of the function of keeping this country safe.
You know that in these positions, these officials have to have the confidence and the ability and the courage to sometimes tell the commander in chief things he doesn't want to hear. And there's a great deal of reporting from inside this White House -- Mick Mulvaney, we know, told Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen when she was at DHS, not to bring up Russian interference in the election because the president didn't like to talk about that subject.
Is that something you're concerned about, that this president doesn't assign people to these roles who are willing to say, "Listen, Mr. -- I know you don't want to hear this, but this is a big deal." And do you believe that Ratcliffe --
STEWART: Yes.
SCIUTTO: -- is the guy who can do that?
STEWART: Well, I -- once again, I believe that he will. Look, his loyalty, there's no question his loyalty is to the United States of America and the American people, and protecting and defending these people. And he's not going to ever turn that aside for any political considerations. And if you know John Ratcliffe, you know that that is true.
And the second thing is, he does have the courage. And frankly, once again, all of these individuals do. Mick Mulvaney is a good example. He was a member of Congress. He was a partisan member of Congress. But he has served the president well in several roles. Mike Pompeo has done the same thing. There's a number of people who, while they're in Congress, they may
take on a little bit more of a partisan -- a partisan tone and a partisan voice. But they adapt to that, to their new responsibilities.
At the end of the day, it's about leadership. It's about serving the American people. It's about protecting the freedoms of the Americans. And I'm confident, John's going to be -- just serve that very, very well.
SCIUTTO: Well, you're right. That's the right standard. We'll see where the confirmation hearing goes. Congressman Chris Stewart, always good to have you on the program.
STEWART: Thank you, sir.
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