Fox News "The Story with Martha MacCallum" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Val Demings
Interview
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Also here, Hogan Gidley from the White House, Juan Williams, and General Jack Keane, all joining us tonight. But first up, Intelligence Committee member Val Demings.
Congresswoman, thank you so much for being with us tonight. It's good to have you on THE STORY.
REP. VAL DEMINGS, D-FLA.: Hi, Martha. It's great to be with you.
MACCALLUM: Thank you very much. So, you heard that the intro about -- you know, sort of the lack of enthusiasm, I guess, in some parts of the country for these proceedings. Does that concern you at all?
DEMINGS: Well, Martha, let me say this. As you've already indicated, I spent 27 years at the Orlando Police Department, had the honor of serving as the chief of police. And look, some days were more exciting, if you will, are more entertaining than others.
But we're involved in a very serious process right now. It's not a joking matter, it's not a laughing matter. I take this impeachment inquiry that we were involved in very, very seriously, just as I did the work that I did as a law enforcement officer. And I think our obligation now during the public hearings is to make sure that the American people have access to the information. Because I believe we all want to get to the truth.
MACCALLUM: Yes, I think that's absolutely true. Ambassador Yovanovitch is up tomorrow. You had a line of questioning yesterday that was about her. Tell me what you wanted -- what you want to know from her? What your line of questioning, a little preview of that if you -- if you can.
DEMINGS: Well, Ambassador Yovanovitch, a career foreign service officer who has served this country extremely well. And we all know that there are some questions around her reassignment.
Now, let me make this quite clear because I know this -- as a former chief of police, the president of the United States has the right to assign ambassadors or reassign them.
MACCALLUM: True.
DEMINGS: You serve at his pleasure. But the question still remains, we have an ambassador who was pretty aggressive in terms of an anti-corruption initiative. And I think that Ambassador Yovanovitch was the victim, if you will, of a smear campaign. And so, we really need to try to understand why this ambassador who was, as I said, pretty aggressive in terms of anti -- or being anti-corruption was reassigned?
MACCALLUM: Yes. It's a very good question.
DEMINGS: Suddenly, in the way that she was.
MACCALLUM: Yes, it's good question. Today, we heard from Ukraine's foreign minister who said that Ambassador Sondland, and we heard yesterday from Bill Taylor a new information about a July 26th phone call during which he testified that he had heard from one of his aides that the president indicated that he was more -- it was Sondland's takeaway that he was more interested in the investigations than in Ukraine..
And the foreign minister said, "Ambassador Sondland did not tell us, and certainly did not tell me about the connection between the assistance and the investigations. You should ask him."
So, that -- you know, adds up to a number of Ukrainian officials including the president of Ukraine, who have all indicated that they did not feel pressure in this situation to do any investigation. What do you say to that?
DEMINGS: Well, next week, Martha, Ambassador Sondland will have yet another opportunity to come in and give testimony. We look forward to that. But when we talk about whether the Ukrainian president, President Zelensky felt pressured, it's a little difficult to assume that he did not because he said he did not.
As you know, Ukraine is very dependent on critical assistance from the United States to protect themselves against Russia aggression. The military aid that we have been given them now for, at least, the last five years is critical to their survival.
But we also understand that Ukraine is a strategic partner for the United States in terms of our national security. And so, you know, as we talk about whether the president felt pressured or not, what we do know when we look at the readout that was released by the White House, when President Zelensky mentions he's just about ready to purchase new javelins, President Trump says, I need you to do me a favor though.
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MACCALLUM: Yes. And that --
DEMINGS: I would think that -- yes, I would think that president --
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MACCALLUM: I mean, what's indicated in the call that, that favor was to look into corruption. And one of the things that's been pointed out is the question of the president's motivation and whether it was personal.
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DEMINGS: Yes, yes. Yes, but --
MACCALLUM: Which some people indicated in the hearing or whether it was policy-oriented in terms of the larger picture of corruption named before that money would be released.
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DEMINGS: That's absolute -- that's absolutely correct. The president talks about -- after he says I need you to do me a favor though, not once, Martha, and I would invite you, and I know you've read the readout and all of your viewers not once does President Trump mentioned the word, corruption.
He talks about investigations and specifically mentions the Biden. So I know we all want to get to the truth. We have that obligation to the American people, they deserve to. And as a former law enforcement officer, I am committed to doing that.
MACCALLUM: Well, we look forward to your questions tomorrow, Congresswoman Demings. Thank you very much. Good to have you here tonight.
DEMINGS: Thank you.
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