MSNBC "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" - Transcript: "Trump heads to G7 summit. "

Interview

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VELSHI: 31 members of Congress have come out in support of launching impeachment inquiries since the August recess started with three House Democrats coming out in favor of impeachment just yesterday. According to NBC News, this brings the total House members supporting an impeachment inquiry to 133. That includes 14 House Committee Chairs. How many more are going to add their names to the list before the House returns on September 9th? Joining us now is one of those Chairs, Democratic Congressman Mark Takano of California, who came out for impeachment yesterday. He is the Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Congressman good to see you. Thank you for being with us.

REP. MARK TAKANO, (D-CA): My pleasure, Ali.

VELSHI: Tell me what made your mind up to come out in favor of this.

TAKANO: Well, Ali, it`s as I was listening to the show before my chance to speak to you, some - I`m impressed by just the amount of chaos and the ways in which this President breaks norms and undermines our institutions. There is not a lot that I can do about that. But I can do something about standing up for the rule of law. And that`s the push back against the chaos of this Presidency. And I`m convinced of that. I also had a chance to be with some of my constituents to take a pulse on what`s going on in my district. And after having done that, I`m convinced that it`s time. It was time for me yesterday to stand up for our Constitution, stand up for our democracy stand up for our Democratic institutions stand up for the rule of law. This President violated the law by obstructing justice so there is ample evidence contained in the Mueller report that demonstrates that. And he obstructed justice not for a very trivial reason, but it was a very serious thing. It was a very serious violation of the law and it had to do with impeding and trying to stop a very significant investigation of Russian interference into our elections, which are the foundation of our democracy.

VELSHI: Let me ask you then. There are a growing number of your colleagues who are calling for impeachment. Some have done so as you have after going back for their recess and talking to their constituents. What`s the - how does that line break? Who is mostly in favor? And who is mostly still resistant? And of those who are resistant, what is it that`s holding them back?

TAKANO: Ali, I don`t know really how to answer that question because what I`m seeing are people like members, like freshmen, Lauren Underwood, who is from a very difficult district who I had no conversation with her. She is in a very difficult close district, maybe one of the ten most contested districts that we anticipate in the next year. And she came out for - for the inquiry. Brad Snyder, a colleague of mine. He is a class mate of mine and, you know, he actually was defeated one term and he`s come back. I`m from a district that, you know, I was able to win, you know, rather comfortably. So there is no pattern here of who is coming forward and who is still remaining. You know, reticent to come forward. I just think that what you`re seeing playing out here is a similar sort of pattern that I remember as a 13-year-old boy watching Watergate unfold. You know, Richard Nixon won nearly every state in union except for Massachusetts and the District of Columbia came in with a huge electoral victory. And it took many, many months for members of Congress to come around to the gravity of what President Nixon had done. I think you are seeing a similar process unfold here. Members coming to grips with their conscious certainly it is not about the polling that`s causing us to come forward. Most Americans are still not convinced. But I think it`s important. I go back to this principal of the rule of law. The rule of law is important to uphold that no person is above the law, including the person that holds the highest Office and the President of the United States.

VELSHI: Chairman Mark Takano, good to see you. Thank you for joining me tonight.

TAKANO: You`re welcome. Thank you.

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