CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) Is Interviewed About Donald Trump, Russia, DNI, Coronavirus
Interview
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
We're joined now by Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii. She's a member of both the Judiciary and Armed Services committees.
Senator, thanks so much for joining us.
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): Certainly.
BLITZER: Let me start quickly with the President's reaction to Russia's continued election interference here in the United States, that President says he doesn't want help from any foreign country. And he says hasn't gotten any help. But according to U.S. intelligence officials that simply not true, is it?
HIRONO: Well, the President is engaging in wishful thinking when he says that he has not received any help. We all know that he received help from the Russians. So there is that.
And it's very clear what the President cares about is his own re- election and everything is through that filter. So he has now decided that is better to say that he doesn't want any help. So there you go. He cares about himself for the most, and you can explain just about everything he does base on that acknowledgment.
BLITZER: The Senate Democratic leadership, a lot of your colleagues, they're now calling for a new sanctions on Russia, even potentially Putin, himself, for this election interference. Are any of the Republican colleagues, senator, as far as you know on board?
HIRONO: I doubt it, because when it became very clear during the Senate impeachment that the President in fact had asked the Ukrainian President to get dirt on his political opponent, using taxpayer money as a bribe, they didn't seem to be troubled by that. The facts were not particularly disputed. And in fact, the President's legal team basically said, yes he did it, so what. It's not impeachable. So, I doubt that they are terribly concerned, although they should be about any continuing interference by Russia in our 2020 elections.
BLITZER: The President, as you heard in Kylie's report, he is considering who to nominate to serve as the permanent Director of National Intelligence. Your colleague Senator Lindsey Graham says he thinks that position, by the way, is redundant and should be eliminated. Do you think he is right?
HIRONO: No, I do not, because this person is supposed to be the Director of National Intelligence. We have 17 intelligence agencies. I know that, I've served on the Intel Committee myself. So you need somebody who is -- they overall director. So it is not a redundant position at all. It was created after 9/11.
And one thing, Wolf, if we can't rely on our intelligence information, you know, to be told that what's what, then -- if even that agency, those agencies are politicized. I think that really compromises our national security.
[17:10:12]
BLITZER: Yes, it was created after 9/11 to make sure that the left hand of the U.S. government knew what the --
HIRONO: Yes.
BLITZER: -- right of the U.S. government was doing.
HIRONO: There is 17 intel agencies.
BLITZER: That they weren't -- they are holding thinks back from each other.
HIRONO: Yes.
BLITZER: Let's go to the coronavirus right now. You said your biggest takeaway from the briefing, you and your colleagues in the Senate had today is the need to develop a vaccine. Are you saying it maybe too late right now to contain the spread of the disease here in the united state?
HIRONO: We were told today that right now our country is focused on containment, but we're going to need to figure out a way to mitigate, which means that this virus is going to spread. It's very spreadable. And so there's only so much we can do to contain the virus. And it's going to come to our country. That is the fear and expectations, so we better be ready for it.
And one of the ways or several of the ways that we can get ready which this administration is not moving as fast enough is that we need to have the funds there and they've only asked for 1.2 billion in new funds to attack this possible pandemic in our country. We also need to do everything we can to support the creation of a vaccine and that takes anywhere from a year to a year and a half no matter how much you fast track. We also need to create a valid and reliable test on the blood samples that are taken and we don't have that either.
So for -- and the other thing that should happen is just as we did and during the Ebola crisis we should have a czar appointed so that somebody is in charge of everything. We have a lot of agencies that are involved. And just today we have our briefing with about seven different representatives from different agencies, from Department State to Department of Defense, to the Intel Community, to OMB, to CDC. So I think, and I'm not the only one who thinks that there should be a coronavirus czar.
BLITZER: As clearly, these experts should brief you and your colleagues. And this disagree with the President who suggested it's being contained right now. Clearly there's enormous concern.
HIRONO: That is definitely engaging in wishful thinking. And I would think that the President, first and foremost would care about the health of his own constituents, our citizens, but no, he's much interested in what the effect will be on the stock market and any negative effect that will have on his re-election.
BLITZER: The market has gone down 200 points in the last two days, a serious impact indeed.
Senator Hirono, thanks so much for joining us.
HIRONO: Thank you.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source