CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Joaquin Castro

Interview

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BLITZER: Everybody standby because I want to bring in Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas right now. He's on the Intelligence Committee. He was asking questions earlier in the day. Congressman, thanks for joining us.

So you saw Mueller explain that from the outset of his team, ruled out the prospect of charging President Trump, based on Justice Department guidelines. Based on what heard today, do you believe President Trump would have been indicted if not for those Justice Department guidelines?

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): Yes. I believe that if Donald Trump was not sitting in the White House, that he would be sitting in a courtroom and he would be prosecuted for obstruction of justice. I also think it's very telling that Bob Mueller and his report and in his testimony today said that they didn't find sufficient evidence on conspiracy.

He didn't say the same thing with respect to obstruction of justice. In fact, he was very clear that the President was not exonerated. So it affirmed my belief that the Special Counsel's report essentially served up to Congress the job that it needs to do in opening an impeachment inquiry.

BLITZER: Well, you also saw Mueller, he did have to go back and clarify his comments, specifically he says that his comments did not reach a determination as to whether the President committed a crime. It's very different than saying they were ready to charge, but for the OLC ruling, isn't it? When he had to go back and clean that up?

CASTRO: On Ted Lieu's question, yes. I think he's obviously being very cautious and very careful and he's trying not to do the job of Congress. It's clear if something is going to be done, if there is a process, it's going to be undertaken to charge the President of the United States, who is sitting in the White House, that Congress has to do it, and he believes that it wasn't his job.

BLITZER: So where do you think this goes from here?

CASTRO: Well, I think that in the coming months, you'll see a growing support for opening an impeachment inquiry. That doesn't meant that, automatically, people will say, we should impeach the President, but that more and more people will believe that there should be an inquiry opened up, a process open up to make that determination.

BLITZER: You heard Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker, say -- you know, basically reiterate her relatively go slow approach, it's not yet time to begin formal impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives despite all that we heard right now. You disagree with her?

CASTRO: Well, I have great respect for the Speaker and, of course, her perspective. And, look, ultimately, it is her decision about whether we start an impeachment inquiry or not. But we've seen the number of democrats who support opening that impeachment inquiry continue to grow.

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And I believe that that will just grow larger in the coming months.

BLITZER: Congressman Castro, thanks so much for joining us.

CASTRO: Thank you.

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