CNN "Anderson Cooper 360" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Kathleen Rice

Interview

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COOPER: By the way, the President she is referring to is the former President. She talks of him as though he did not lose the election and that is what it takes to rise in the Republican ranks these days, buy into the big lie, to borrow that phrase from an anonymous conservative, that's all the counts these days, buying into the big lie. Perspective now and the message this sends and the Congresswoman

spreading it from someone who has served alongside her, New York Democratic Congresswoman Kathleen Rice.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for being with this. What signal do you think House Republicans are sending if they oust, you know, Representative Cheney from her leadership post in favor of Representative Stefanik?

REP. KATHLEEN RICE (D-NY): Thank you for having me, Anderson and the signal is a very clear one, that the Republican Party in this country is completely coopted and owned by Donald Trump. That's it.

I thought that there was maybe going to be some hope in the aftermath of what happened on January 6th with the insurrection where the majority of Republicans as we were hunkering down trying to find safe places to be, were saying, "This is ridiculous. We have to stop this charade."

But they have all gone to and found their way down to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring of Donald Trump and when there were some hopes it may be a Republican Party that used to be the party of George Bush, Ronald Reagan, et cetera or John McCain is now a party of a cult of one and that's Donald Trump.

And look, this should not just concern traditional Republicans who do not like the direction that Kevin McCarthy is taking House Democrats and the Republican Party writ large in. It should affect every single American, because the premise of the Republican Party, as Kevin McCarthy is defining it right now, is based on a lie, right?

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RICE: That is what it's based on. They don't believe in facts anymore. They just pull even lies and myths and disinformation. And what they're going to do to Liz Cheney, who, by the way, is a colleague of mine, whom I like very much, we don't agree on much. She is a true conservative. It's just outrageous what they're about to do to her next week and it should concern every single American.

COOPER: I mean, I've said this repeatedly, but I do think it's a really important point that our democracy relies on there being, you know, in our case, two parties that battle over ideas, and that you know, disagree and have good arguments and come up with solutions or don't come up with solutions, but it's based on facts and it's based on actual ideas, as opposed to just a cult of personality.

That's something we haven't seen before and that is what the Republican Party now, sadly, is completely buying into.

RICE: Well, you know, what the ironic thing is, too, Anderson, I came into Congress with Elise Stefanik. She is not just my colleague, but she is also a fellow New Yorker.

The Elise Stefanik of 2014, when we both first ran for Congress doesn't even remotely resemble the Elise Stefanik of 2021. COOPER: How so?

RICE: I mean, if you look at her voting record, first of all, and this is not me saying, it is Club for Growth. This is the most conservative organization there is out there who basically branded her a liberal, especially when you compare her voting record to that of Liz Cheney.

She was a moderate Republican when she ran in 2014. She has taken a complete turnaround and complete -- I don't even know, it's kind of an insult to say that she drank the Kool-Aid. I mean, it's so much worse than that.

And the fact that she is, you know, getting this power grab and convincing her colleagues to support her by perpetuating a lie, whether it's the recount in Arizona or all of this other stuff, I mean, it's just unbelievable and it should concern everyone.

Look, Washington is full of people who are just solely ambitious for themselves. I never thought that Elise was like that. She wasn't back in 2014, but that is what she has become and that is basically what the entire Republican Party has become.

COOPER: It's about staying in power. It's about, you know, whatever your principles were, put that aside, kind of tell yourself, oh, it's not that big a deal. No matter how bad it can get, it's not going to really hurt democracy.

But, you know, we saw an attack on the Capitol. If after an attack on the Capitol by Americans, it doesn't do it, I don't know what will.

RICE: You know, well, look, I hate to say this, but, you know, history has a way of repeating itself. And when you think you're safe, you know, you turn around and you say, oh, my gosh, now I'm the target.

I just think it's so crazy that we couldn't get any Republican support for this final COVID bill that was supported by over 75 percent of Americans across the board, not one Republican vote, Anderson. And guess what all of those Republicans are doing now? They're going back in their districts and they are putting out these flashy newsletters that are saying, look at all this money that I brought back to my district and all of you folks in my district, through this bill, oh by the way that I didn't vote for. It's just absurd.

And the vote that Kevin McCarthy is allowing the Caucus to take next week, where they are ostensibly going to get rid of Liz Cheney, is basically Kevin McCarthy saying to the American people, guess what -- the Republican Party is no longer about you or this country. It is solely about Donald Trump.

COOPER: Yes. Congressman Kathleen Rice, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

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