CNN "State of the Union" - Transcript: Interview With Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Interview

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My next guest says her presidential campaign is surging at just the right time.

After taking third in New Hampshire, Senator Amy Klobuchar is now on the trail in Nevada, where she's hoping she can prove she can keep her momentum going.

Joining me now from Las Vegas is Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Thank you so much for joining me this morning.

KLOBUCHAR: Thanks, Dana.

BASH: I want to start, first of all, on the crisis in the Justice Department, after the attorney general, Bill Barr, dialed back a sentencing recommendation for Trump associate Roger Stone.

Nine of your Democratic colleagues, including Senators Warren and Sanders, have called for the attorney general to resign. Do you think he should resign?

KLOBUCHAR: Sure, I'd be glad if he resigned. I just don't think that is realistic.

And what is realistic right now -- I didn't support him to begin with. I'm the one that grilled him on his expansive view of executive power, which all of that has come to roost.

But what I think is realistic is that he is now going to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee. I'd also like him to come to the Senate. And, along with my colleagues, I have asked him to do that, so we can probe him on the role of the president in trying to influence decisions in the Department of Justice, in particular the Stone decision. I just think it's outrageous, knowing how hard these career prosecutors work to do the right thing, how hard they worked on a case like Roger Stone's, got him convicted, and then get undermined when it comes to the sentencing.

That's just not normal.

BASH: OK.

So, Senator, let's talk about where you are now, the primary. And the calendar is -- is about to get -- in the states where you are about to get much more diverse. You finished very strong in New Hampshire, as you well know.

And, because of all of that, your time as a prosecutor in Minnesota's Hennepin County is getting more scrutiny. So, I want to ask you about that.

I want you to listen to what you said when you were running for prosecutor in 1998.

KLOBUCHAR: I think I'm going to look young.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 1998)

KLOBUCHAR: When you look at the crime rate in Hennepin County, it's not acceptable. We have to look at making sure that there's a consequence when someone commits a crime.

And when you see the dramatic reductions in crime in other parts of the country, we can learn a lot from what they're doing. And they're enforcing the law down the line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So, that tough-on-crime approach has now been linked to racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

So, in retrospect, do you regret that?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, let's set this up.

I was running against a Republican opponent who actually was advocating for longer sentences, as well as less gun control. So, I was actually arguing, when I talk about consequences, it can mean things like drug courts, like restorative justice, which was a major focus of my time in the county attorney's office.

And, during my time there, we actually saw a 12 percent reduction in African-American incarceration rates.

So, what do I think when I look back at that? I was not involved in some of the controversial issues in other states, like stop and frisk. I understand that that is unconstitutional.

But what I was focused on there is trying to go after crimes and making sure there's a consequence. But it does not mean that it always has to be prison time. There just has to be some kind of reaction to make sure that people aren't just committing crimes, and there's no response.

The response has to be tailored to what the crime is.

BASH: OK.

So, from 2002 to 2004, more than 60 percent of juveniles brought to the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center were black, according to a Council on Crime and Justice study, even though only around 10 percent of the county's overall population was black -- was black.

You have been clear that you believe that there is racism in the justice system. But, given that and given the stats from back then, do you take any responsibility for the racial disparities in the criminal justice system on your watch?

KLOBUCHAR: I think everyone involved in the criminal justice system has to take responsibility, including myself.

What we know is that there's institutional racism. And how do we get at it is really my job and will be my job as president. And I would argue someone with this experience actually could do a very good job of getting at it, one, sentencing changes, like the FIRST STEP Act, that I was a co-sponsor of, that we passed.

And, as a prosecutor, it was important to have me as one of the co- sponsors, reducing nonviolent sentences on the federal level. As president, I will roll it out for the Second Step Act, to create incentives for the states, where 90 percent of people are incarcerated, doing something for clemency and having a clemency board outside of the Justice Department, an innovative approach that I will bring forward as president.

[09:20:08]

Doing more when it comes to eyewitness identifications, diversifying police departments and offices, making sure that we have videotape interrogation something that I advocated for when I was prosecutor.

I have always said that we are not like a business in the criminal justice system. You don't want to see repeat customers.

BASH: So...

KLOBUCHAR: What you want to see is people get help, so they can get out of the system, which is why I have been the lead Democrat when it comes to drug courts.

BASH: Senator, I want to turn now to one of your opponents for the Democratic nomination, Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

There's report in "The Washington Post" this weekend that paints a sweeping picture of him making crass sexual comments, objectifying women, creating a sexist culture in the workplace. Now, I want to be clear, Bloomberg has denied the allegations. He said

on Twitter that he has zero tolerance for an environment where women aren't respected.

What do you make of the reports?

KLOBUCHAR: I think he has to come on a show like yours here, Dana. He has not gone on any Sunday shows since he announced.

I have got to answer questions like I just did on my record, and he has to do the same thing. I don't think you should be able to hide behind airwaves and huge ad buys. He has to come on these shows.

And I also am an advocate for him coming on the debate stage. I know I'm not going to be able to beat him on the airwaves, but I can beat him on the debate stage, because I believe my argument for my candidacy is so much stronger. The Midwest isn't flyover country to me. I live there.

The people that work there like they're poker chips -- since I'm in Vegas -- of one of the president's bankrupt casinos -- they're not poker chips to me. They're my friends and neighbors.

When it comes to a state like Nevada, they have two women senators, majority women legislature. I have an incredibly strong argument here that this state, this state has put women in power really like no other state.

And then, finally, the work that I have done in terms of bringing people with me, not just by running ads, but what we just saw in New Hampshire, moderate Republicans, independents building a coalition, that's what we need to build a coalition to win.

And I'd add one more thing. Since that New Hampshire primary, Dana, I have raised over $12 million in just a little over a week. So, I can finally be competitive on the airwaves and get teams in every single Super Tuesday state.

BASH: So, Senator, before I let you go, I want to ask you about one other opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders.

Congressman Dean Phillips, who is backing you, says he thinks that there are probably 25 to 30 seats that absolutely would be impacted directly by having a self-avowed Democratic socialist at the top of the ticket.

Do you think Democrats would lose the House if Bernie Sanders were the nominee?

KLOBUCHAR: You know, I'm not a pundit, but -- what I do know this.

I'm the only one on that debate stage, when asked, do you have a problem with a socialist leading the Democratic ticket, that I said yes. And that is despite the fact that Bernie and I are friends. We came in together.

And my argument is that we don't just have to win an election by eking by a victory at 4:00 a.m. We have got to win big.

And I'm the one with the track record, as Dean Phillips knows, which is why he's supporting me, that brings people with me, that wins in the reddest of red rural areas, as well as suburban areas, that flips the statehouse every single time.

I'm the only one on that debate stage that has done it. It's not talking points to me. And of course we need to keep the House. And you do that by having a candidate that shares the views.

Here in Nevada, as you were just talking about early in the show, we don't want to kick 149 million Americans off their current health insurance in four years, which is exactly what Bernie's bill would do.

People are much more pragmatic. They want plans and not pipe dreams. I am the candidate that brings that. And I think that's why we are surging across the country.

BASH: Senator Amy Klobuchar, thank you so much for joining me this morning. I appreciate it.

KLOBUCHAR: Thank you. Great to be on, Dana.

BASH: Thank you.

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