Hello, everyone, im kate boldu bolduan. Thank you so much for joining me. Shock and surprise. You would think at this point it would be nearly impossible for a comment from the about the to shock or surprise anyone. But he did in a jarring oval office interview. President trump said hed welcome foreign interference in the upcoming election. Here he is with abc. Listen. Your campaign this time around, if foreigners, if russia, if china, if someone else offers you information on opponents, should they accept it or call the fbi . I think maybe you do board of health. I think you might want to listen. Theres nothing wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, norway, we have information on your opponent. Oh, i think id want to hear it. You want that kind of Interfeesinte Interference on our elections . Its information. I think id take it. If i thought there was something wrong, id go maybe to the fbi if i thought there was something wrong. But when somebody comes up with research, they come up with op research, lets call the fbi, the fbi doesnt have enough agents to take care of it. But you go and talk honestly to congressmen, they all do it, they always have. And thats the way it is. Its called the oppo research. In the 12 hours after that, predictably democrats especially democratic president ial candidates, they have voiced Outrage Diming Dial dialing up calls for impeachment. Kamala harris saying that trump is a National Security threat. But also predictably, sadly, republicans are either ducking or dodging in large part the president s comments. Really criticckets save a couplf republicans. Sarah westwood is at the white house where the president is either doubling down or trying to clean things up now. And manu rajus on capitol hill. Lets get to it. Manu, you would think that my inbox, your inbox would be flooded with republicans speaking out in defense of free
and fair elections, condemning the president s remarks. But no. You did hear from Lindsey Graham. Reporter yeah, he was one of the very few who have spoken out critically of what the president has been saying, saying that, no, you should in fact go to the fbi if there was as someone who was offering foreign dirt, someone Foreign Government, particularly a hostile Foreign Government coming to you and Offering Dirt on your political opponent and making it very clear, kate, that hes prepared to offer legislation to make it even clearer that this kind of activity is illegal. Thats not the right answer. If a Foreign Government comes to you as a public official and offers to help your campaign, giving you anything of value, whether it be money or information on your opponents, the right answer is no. Reporter what are the implications of hearing the president of the United States saying its okay to accept foreign dirt from about an
opponent . I think its a mistake. I think its a mistake of law. I dont want to send a signal to encourage this. I hope my democrat colleagues will be equally offended by the fact that this actually did happen in 2016 where a Foreign Agent was paid for by a Political Party to gather Opposition Research. All those things are wrong. Reporter should there be legislation to make it expressly outlawed in this country . I think it already is, i think. But im willing to make it clear if we need to. But most republicans are taking a bit of an opposite tack saying they have not seen the comments that some joni ernst, republican from iowa, up in 2020 said. Marcia blackburn from tennessee, not familiar with what the president said. Some also defending the president , as well, including senator tom tillus of north carolina, said making it pointing at Hillary Clinton and her effort to try to get dirt on the russia the Trump Campaign by hiring the Opposition Research firm fusion gps which, of course, contracted withChristopher Steele, the former british agent, to try to look into potential ties between the Trump Campaign and russia. But those two situations, not entirely synonymous. Christopher steele was hired steele himself went to the fbi to discuss what he was learning, and the actual effort of trying to hack into foreign the dnc servers and get Podesta Emails and leak those out, thats much different than what was happening with the steele situation, with the steele dossier. Nevertheless, youre Hearing Republicans make that case as a lot of them try to defend what the president is doing, but Lindsey Graham making that opposite case just moments ago. Right, but but these two things, the dossier and what trump is talking about here, these things are not the same. And Lindsey Graham, he knows it. Lindsey graham has said as much. Hes set that he is the one who told john mccain when john mccain received the steele
dossier, Lindsey Graham says has said hes the one that told john mccain to take the dossier to the fbi. Ive talked to him about that. Youve talked to him about that. He knows thats not the same thing, manu. Reporter thats right. In fact, he said that after the president had criticized the late senator mccain for going to the fbi with the information from the steele dossier, he said he encouraged him to go to the fbi. So yeah, this is not the exact same thing, but republicans are trying to a lot of them are trying to conflate these two issues to try to make it appear the same because they know how sensitive this is you know, im going to jump im going to jump in real quick. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, shes speaking, and im told she might be being asked about this right now. In terms of being to be held accountable to obey the law. We have a package that were putting forth in light of the mueller report. A package of legislation, duty
report. If someone comes to you, if a mandating that campaigns report foreign offers of assistance. This shouldnt even its so selfevident as a matter of ethics, but well have to codify it, mandating a duty to report for campaigns reporting foreign interventions in our elections. Protecting our elections with paper ballot, thats our Election Security bill that zoe lofgren is working on. She is working with the senate, hoping to have bipartisan support in the house for our legislation to protect our electoral system. Closing foreign money loopholes, thats mr. Sarbanes bill post the mueller report. And mr. Thompson will be having a hearing in the Homeland Security committee about preventing foreign disinformation. That is just a sample of some of the things that will be out
there. I believe were making Good Progress on oversight. Our our chairmen are doing a great job. Im so proud of them. The winning in the courts and winning documents from the Justice Department with the thought of contempt or following up on subpoenas. And were going to get the truth for the American People so that they can know what the attack is on our country, what the president refused to do about it, and what he engaged in to cover up what was done. Theres so many things happening, i just want to refer to one thing in hong kong. As many as of you know, some of you do anyway, the issue of china has been an important one for me since tiananmen square, even before, but there terms of Public Policy in the congress. Tiananmen square, june 4th, we celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the massacre in tiananmen square. At the same time, were observing that the Chinese Government is engaged in arresteding millions and putting them into education camps. They are diminishing the democracy in hong kong, trying to really just eliminate the culture, the language, the religion in tibet. The list goes on and on. But right now currently, as we gather here, in hong kong the last few days, hundreds of thousands if not a Million People gathered in the street to protest an Extradition Law that the Chinese Government wants the Hong Kong Government to pass. Its such a horrible horribly dangerous piece of legislation. Im very pleased to be supporting legislation that
senator marco rubio and chris smith on the republican side, jim mcgovern and i on our side and others are putting forth to improve and modernize the u. S. Hong kong relations act, and that is going to be submitted today. Theyre just finalizing it. Its being submitted today. But this is so wrong, and i do hope that the president will speak about human rights in china and freedoms in china when he talks about trade with the chinese. I am pleased with secretary pompeos statement on whats happening in china in this regard. With that ill take any questions. Yes you always hit right there. Thats right. When it comes to the issue of Opposition Research, what will do if a House Democrat accepted assistance, Campaign Assistance from a foreign power . What pert its so against
any sense of decency. But let me give you an example. Perhaps you dont know this or maybe you do, but to remiennd, 2000 when the races between senator gore and governor bush, tom downy, close friend of al gore was playing george bush in the debate prep. Somebody through over the transom, under the door, whatever place it came the plans for the Bush Campaign in the debates, in the debates. They got that to tom downy. He picked it up and sent it to the fbi. This isnt even Foreign Governments. Thats what you do. There is a sense of decency about fruit from the forbidden tree. Illgotten gain about what,
again, how then governor bush would have conducted that debate. This is this is so and just by dent of your question, with all due respect, you make it sounds like it could be a common thing. It is not. What the president said last night shows clearly once again over and over again that he does not know the difference between right and wrong. And thats probably the nicest thing i can say about him. If he doesnt know the difference, it could explain some of this ridiculous behavior. And now to invite further involvement of Foreign Governments into our election there was an assault on our democracy, an assault on our country by the russians. That has been clearly documented by the Intelligence Community. And the president of the United States instead of coming to the defense of our our democracy has said its a hoax. This is this is beyond
its really there is no sense of whats the word i wanted to find, the ethical sense that informs his comments and his thinking. Yes yeah . I want to make sure we understand what youre saying because youre going to be pushing for legislation here. Are you saying, is it clear now whether this is illegal, whether its wrong, is it illegal to take this kind of information and in addition one of your members at least do we have consider It Impeachable there is there is in the law that you cannot accept contributions, and that includes in kind from a Foreign Campaign cannot from a Foreign Government. That is in the law. If it needs more clarity, then we will go the duty to report. Not that only you dont accept it but you report it to the fbi because this is its an invasion of our democracy. I dont have the language right here. But there is language in the law that prohibits any contribution. Again, contribution is inkind information or whatever that is. We want to make sure that it has more clarity and carries a responsibility to report. Uhhuh. If you discovered were already in campaign season. If you discover that this president in the course of the 2020 campaign accepted help from a Foreign Government as he suggested that he might, would you consider that grounds to launch Impeachment Proceedings . It has nothing to do with any campaign. I want you all to understand that. As we go down this path to seek the truth for the American People and to hold the president accountable, it has nothing to
do with politics or any campaigns. It has everything to do, if i may, excuse me, to answer your question, it has everything to do with patriotism, not partisanship. So we as we collect the facts and it takes time because you have to do your research, make your request, if you go to court, you have to do the accommodation, you know what that is . It takes time to prove that you have tried to resolve the issue, and that takes time. And thats the path that we will be on. And it encompasses any and all of the comments that the president has made. Madam speaker to clarify, though all women in the front here. Im so excited about that. Im here. A couple of us guys here. Why if the president is inviting foreign interference, why is that not grounds to move
toward impeachment . And what concrete steps will you take to try and prevent him from doing it . I didnt know i needed water, but i guess i do. The everybody in the country should be totally appalled by what the president said last night. Should be totally appalled. But he has a habit of making appalling statements. This one borders on so totally unethical that he doesnt even realize it. However, what we want to do is have a methodical approach to the path that we are on, and this will be included in that. But not any one issue is going to trigger, oh, now well go do this because its about investigating, its about litigating, its about getting
the truth to hold everyone accountable, and no one is above the law. I want to get back to our our legislation because that is what the American People elected us to do. They elected us to, for the people agenda, to increase paychecks, Lower Health Care costs, have cleaner government, many of these pieces of legislation are in that. What is it about Mitch Mcconnell and the republicans in congress that they do not want to respond to what is so popular across the board in our country . What to take it back to your question, what is it about the republicans in congress, how much more can they bear of the president s unethical behavior that they think that they are honoring their Oath Of Office . And i believe these are all connected. I think its all about money. Connect the dots in all of this. Its all about money. And look at what the president is doing in terms of saudi arabia and the sale of perhaps Nuclear Technologies as well as planes to saudi arabia. Follow the money. Who benefits from that . Declare a National Emergency that he can bypass congress in terms. Those sales. Bypass the law in terms of transferring of any Nuclear Technology to a country. Follow the money. Madam secretary yes thank you, good morning. On this issue of a Cola Increase, is there, number one, a problem with the idea that people come here and because the pay isnt satisfactory, they go off capitol hill and go to k street and that entails corruption . And why is it so hard naturally to then take a vote on this because its so toxic for a regular pay raise or a Cola Increase . And is it appropriate at this
time when people, you know, themselves back home in the midwest or out west are on the money . Its hard at any time. Its not a pay raise, its a Cola Increase. And whether that comes to be, i dont know. It would have to be a Bipartisan Initiative if it were to be the case. As you know, mr. Hoyer feels very strongly in support of strengthening this institution, that there could be a recognition of with a cola of the work that is done. Let me just say, listening to the members because its never a good time to bring up Something Like this, there is there is a sent meant in the country sentiment in the country that congress should not be just people who can afford to go to congress. It should be about everybody having the opportunity. Many more women, many more people of color and the rest. And that that is where some of the unease comes from that people say, well, it shouldnt
be just for wealthy people. It isnt just for wealthy people. But there is that impression. And there is an impression among members that its hard to have two homes, raise a family, and all the rest. So thats part of what the discussion is. I dont see it as any what you did say . You related it to going to k street . No. I think what is an issue in our country is Revolving Door, largely spinning madly, and the Executive Branch as we see it now. Look at the people in the department the secretaries in the cabinet. Theyre all connected to the special interests. Submarine of them have left already in disgrace, dismay, or disappointment. But you see their connection other whether its epa,