CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Interview With New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez

Interview

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BLITZER: Yes, I suspect we will be hearing a lot from him before he heads to prison in early March in Upstate New York.

Jim Acosta, thank you very much.

Joining us now, Senator Bob Menendez. He is the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

So, as you know, these federal prosecutors, they say the president directed Michael Cohen to commit two of the crimes for which he is going to jail. What does that mean for the president?

SEN. ROBERT MENENDEZ (D), NEW JERSEY: Well, look, you know, we know that the president's confidants have lied and obviously now lied for him.

In the case of Mr. Cohen, the lies are really significant, now that we know the truth. The truth is that the president, as a candidate, was involved deeply in a Russian business deal, and that Michael Cohen spoke to a high Kremlin official about that deal, that it was going on deep into the presidential campaign, and that Michael Cohen, at the direction of the president, actually committed these campaign finance violations.

It is the first time that any of the individuals, in terms of a public knowledge, has said that they were directed by the president to do something that is a violation of law.

So it seems to me that the walls are closing in on the president, as we see those who lied for him, his former campaign chair, his former lawyer Mr. Cohen, his national security adviser, are now all telling the truth about him.

The question that is left is, does the fish rot from the head down?

BLITZER: You know, the prosecutors say that AMI, the parent company of "The National Enquirer," made that hush money payment, in their words, federal prosecutors, in cooperation, consultation and concert with, and at the request and suggestion of one or more members or agents of the Trump presidential campaign, in order to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

How concerning is that?

MENENDEZ: Well, I think it should be very concerning for the president.

What we're beginning to see, as elements of this continue to become more public, is the interlocking relationships and the corroboration of what some of these people who have turned now witnesses for the government are being independently verified by other entities, in this case "The Enquirer." And so that interlocking begins to show you the web of actions that

took place by those who are clearly associated with the president, whether through the campaign or post that. And it goes to prove that the remarks or the comments of these individuals -- the testimony, I should say, that they're giving to the special counsel and the prosecutor are being buttressed by other information.

And I think that's a rather critical element the president should be concerned about.

BLITZER: Congressman Adam Schiff, who is going to be the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee starting in January, he just told me in the last hour here in THE SITUATION ROOM that he wants the Justice Department to review the precedent that a sitting president can't be indicted.

What is your reaction to that? Do you agree with him?

MENENDEZ: Well, I think that no one is above the law.

And at the end of the day, how far would you allow a president of the United States, whether it be this one or any other, to commit serious violations of the law and continue to stay in office simply because they're the president?

If that was the case, then Richard Nixon would have stayed in the White House. And the list goes on in history. So I think that the department has to consider, at what point are there serious enough violations of the law that even a president must ultimately come forth and have to respond to it in a court of law?

[18:20:10]

BLITZER: Senator Menendez, before I let you go, I want to turn to Saudi Arabia.

You and some of your fellow senators, you voted to advance this resolution that would end U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen. But earlier today, the House of Representatives took action that will make it easier for House Republicans to block the resolution.

If it fails, what is your next step?

MENENDEZ: Well, first of all, I think we're going to get a strong vote out of the Senate. The vote to proceed to this legislation was 60 votes, a bipartisan vote, I think a clear repudiation of the administration's embrace of Saudi Arabia as it relates to Yemen and beyond that.

And if we cannot -- we will pass it in the Senate, I'm convinced. If it cannot pass in the House, we will go right back to this at the beginning of the next Congress, and I hope to do something even more significant, because while this resolution is important about not having U.S. involvement in Yemen, the way we stop the war in Yemen and that there is a consequence for the crown prince for the Khashoggi killing is with the legislation I have with Senator Graham, Senator Young and others on a bipartisan basis, the Saudi Arabia Accountability in Yemen Act.

Strong sanctions against Global Magnitsky, against those who were involved in the Khashoggi killing, stopping those who are trying to stop humanitarian aid to Yemen, stopping those who are giving aid to the Houthis, driving to a political solution in Yemen, and suspending arm sales to Saudi Arabia, that has real teeth.

And it's a bipartisan piece of legislation. We're building even greater support for it. We intend to move that early next year.

BLITZER: All right, Senator, thanks very much, Senator Menendez joining us from Capitol Hill.

MENENDEZ: Thank you.

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