CNN "CNN Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview With Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD) On Attacks Against Buttigieg

Interview

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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm running against a candidate, Pete Buttigieg, among others, who has raised contributions from more than 40 billionaires, including the CEOs of some of the largest drug company s companies in America. So we are independent, our revolution, all these other groups. They are legally able to do whatever they want.

So my message to all of the candidates, let's end all of that stuff right now. You want to do it today, let's do it today. (END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: Joining me now to discuss this is Pete Buttigieg supporter and Democratic Congressman Anthony Brown.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.

REP. ANTHONY BROWN (D-MD): Hey, Ryan, great to be on.

NOBLES: You're out on the campaign trail for the mayor. So, respond to that point by Senator Sanders. Can a President Buttigieg not be unduly influenced by these wealthy donors that are funding his campaign?

Well, what I would say whether you're president, governor, or member of Congress or U.S. senator, if you can't say no to your donors, you shouldn't be in this business.

[16:20:03]

But let's look at the facts. Ninety-eight percent of Pete's donations are small-dollar donations. The average donation is less than $40. He doesn't have the years and years and years and years that Senator Sanders has had in building a national network of fundraising. But what we see in our campaign, as we win in Iowa, as we're really surging here in New Hampshire, grassroots support and low-dollar donations to pick up even more. So it's already a low-dollar fueled campaign.

And the other thing that's important that we point out is, you know, the most important thing to do is to beat Donald Trump. He raised a few weeks ago $25 million in one day. So if the contribution is lawful and those are the only contributions that we take, then whether it's $5, then go to PeteforAmerica.com and donate $5.

NOBLES: You got the talking points there.

BROWN: Or $2800 which is the maximum under the law. The only thing that Pete promises, the only that this campaign promises, we will use every dime to defeat Donald Trump. That's the only promise.

NOBLES: So obviously he finds himself in a position now where he's among the frontrunners. So he's taking a lot more incoming, not just from Senator Sanders but also from Vice President Biden, and the former vice president putting out a digital ad this week, essentially highlighting his experience as a member of the Obama administration and a vice president, and downplaying the mayor's experience as only being a mayor from a smaller Midwestern city. What do you make of that comparison? And do you think it's a fair one?

BROWN: Well, first of all, I'm disappointed to see the Vice President do that and it seems more a statement about his campaign than Pete's record. It's also somewhat insulting to residents of midsized cities like South Bend, which is similar to the size to where we are today, in Manchester, to think that they don't wrestle with difficult issues, they do. Affordable housing and economic revitalization and public safety. These are difficult issues that so many Americans, whether you're in a

small town or whether you're in neighborhoods, even in big cities, are wrestling with. So for the vice president to suggest that small town America or a mid-size city aren't experiencing challenges.

NOBLES: But part of -- you know, there is a lot of things that presidents have to deal with that mayors don't, right?

BROWN: Absolutely.

NOBLES: You talked about, you know, helping to craft the Iran deal, there was the capture of Osama bin Laden. These are things that mayors don't have to deal with, right? Is this something that Mayor Buttigieg is going to be able to step in in day one and be able to take it on?

BROWN: Yes, look. His experience on putting on the uniform. I mean, he's the only candidate who has actually put on the military uniform, got on the C-17 with men and women in uniform, went to Afghanistan, served as a naval intelligence officer. So he -- while it may not be a prerequisite that you served in uniform to be president, certainly coming after President Donald Trump, who has a complete disregard for our men and women in uniform I think it's a preference and a preference that voters will recognize.

Pete knows the importance of a strong military. But more important, he knows the impact of that decision, if you're going to send men and women in harm's way and he also appreciates that there are alternatives to the use of military force like diplomacy and development. So he brings that experience along with his experience as a leader and a manager of a -- you know, a midwestern industrial city.

NOBLES: So let's talk about one area of weakness for the mayor that has been very evident in his polling, and that's the lack of support that he has from voters of color particular African-American voters. And there have been many of these advocacy group, Black lives matter being one of them. That have been very critical of his candidacy. What can he do to encourage more voters of color to get behind this campaign?

BROWN: Sure. It's like, you know, the challenge that every campaign faces. And that's, you know, meet the voters where they are. This morning I was at an African-American church in Nashua. And, you know, Pete was on with Charlemagne the God in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.

We've made a pretty sizeable digital ad buy in South Carolina and Nevada. It's meeting voters where they are, and when voters, whether African-American or others, learn about Pete, who he is as a person, his values, his faith.

But more importantly, what plans he has to improve your quality of life and the quality of life of your family, then that's when Pete enjoys the support. He gains, he earns the support of voters. And if you look at, for example, in South Bend, Indiana, the community that knows him the best, the African-American community, and the leadership, business leaders, Councilwoman McBride have all endorsed him. So this is a campaign where got to meet the voters where they are. And

as we do, that's where you see the support surge. In Iowa, Pete was an unknown a year ago. He comes out of Iowa victorious. In New Hampshire we're surging and you know --

NOBLES: He hasn't been declared the winner in Iowa but I see your point.

(LAUGHTER)

BROWN: We say victorious. He's still victorious. I mean, you know, a year ago, and that was a year ago today That Pete had his first four meet-and-greet. A handful of people turned out and then by the end of the year and certainly by the time we got to the caucus, he was having, you know, record-breaking townhalls.

NOBLES: Right. Let's talk quickly, time for us to wrap up but, how important is a win in here New Hampshire? Do you think he needs to come out on top, in first place, on Tuesday night?

[16:25:02]

BROWN: Well, let's not forget. We are in Senator Sanders' backyard. And he did exceptionally well against Hillary Clinton four years ago. So, you know, we need to harness that enthusiasm, that excitement that's out there for Pete. We've got a great organization. A lot of volunteers. The voters are really hungry for change, the kind of change that Pete Buttigieg promises. And so I think we're going to do very well.

NOBLES: OK. All right. Congressman Brown, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it.

BROWN: Okay, Ryan.

NOBLES: All right. And Fred, let's send it back to you.

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