CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Carson

Interview

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BALDWIN: Today, Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said Cohen will testify before he goes to prison. And in a statement Tuesday, Davis said this -- quote -- "The medication Mr. Cohen is currently taking made it impossible for him to testify this week. We believe Senator Burr should appreciate that is possible -- that it is possible for Mr. Cohen to be in pain and still have dinner in a restaurant."

Democratic Congressman Andre Carson of Indiana is a member of the House Intelligence Committee.

So, Congressman, a pleasure. Welcome.

REP. ANDRE CARSON (D), INDIANA: What a pleasure. Thank you for having me, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So, Cohen, third time not showing up, even though he is going to prison next month. What -- how would you characterize his strategy on this?

CARSON: I don't know if it's a strategy. I think it speaks more to his character, or lack thereof.

Look, we're hoping to get him before the House Intel Committee before he starts his prison term, so we can ask him questions that he didn't seem like he was willing to answer the last time we talked to him. We're hoping he will be more forthright going forward.

BALDWIN: You think he will? You feel confident he will?

CARSON: It's hard to say. I mean, he's proven himself to be very inconsistent. So we will see.

BALDWIN: OK, we just saw Senator Burr. Let me let me pivot to this. I want to focus on Senator Burr, who has suggested -- chair of the Senate Intel -- suggesting that there is no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion.

Is that the view on the House side as well?

CARSON: Well, before I publicly state my opinion, I'm hoping that we can conduct our interviews in a way that is uninterrupted or unimpeded, the way we saw a year ago, unfortunately, by our Republican colleagues.

Chairman Schiff is very capable, given his experience. We have the creme de la creme, if you will, of folks who are on our committee. We hope to ask the right questions on behalf of taxpayers and the U.S. citizens.

BALDWIN: All right, so I'm feeling your confidence, but, again, the question is, would you agree that you believe -- would you agree with the chairman in saying no collusion? Is that how the House Intel Committee feels?

CARSON: I'm unwilling and unable to make any statement at this time.

BALDWIN: I understand. I understand. Is your committee poised to subpoena that interpreter in the Trump- Putin meetings?

CARSON: I think -- I think everything is on the table at this point.

[15:20:01]

I think we want to get to the bottom of this. I mean, Director Mueller has done a great job with his investigation. Perhaps we will unearth things that he has yet to unearth. And so I think that's the beauty of kind of this three-pronged approach that we have been taking on behalf of taxpayers, on behalf of voters, and on behalf of our country.

BALDWIN: So is that a yes?

CARSON: You know, we're not ruling anything out right now, Brooke, so this is going to be an interesting journey.

I'm sure you will be with us along the journey.

BALDWIN: OK.

Let me ask you about the chairman of your committee, Adam Schiff. He expressed concern just this past Sunday that Robert Mueller, the special counsel, hasn't adequately scrutinized the president's finances. Here he was.

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BALDWIN: So my question in hearing the chairman, my question was, well, how does he know for sure what Mueller has or hasn't looked into?

CARSON: Well, again, I think the original intent of Director Mueller's investigation was to and is to unearth criminal activities that may have taken place.

Ours was primarily to look at the influence or extent of Russia's influence on our electoral process. And in the process of our questioning, we have unearthed criminal activity. And so the beauty of this three-pronged approach is that we're going to see things that perhaps Director Mueller didn't pick up and vice versa.

And I think that's how the legislative branch has operated. You have the executive branch. So, the founding fathers, as complicated as they were, they were brilliant in setting up three separate, but equal branches of government.

BALDWIN: Sure.

I have to ask you about Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, because she has now responded to the president calling for her resignation over anti- Semitic tweets, saying that she has learned from her mistakes and is essentially asking the president if he will do the same.

So, Congressman Carson, what do you think of the president and vice president? Why do you think they're stepping up attacks on her?

CARSON: Well, I think President Trump is speaking to his base. I think he's signaling to his base that he's with them.

Ilhan, who is a good friend -- she's like my little sister in many ways -- you know, she's a genuine person. I believe her statement. I know who she is. She's not anti-Semitic. She's a loving person. She has a wonderful world view.

Look, all of us have said things that we have had to walk back. I think that's kind of the nature of being in politics. But, going forward, there are talks right now, there are discussions. I think that this whole controversy has opened up a different kind of dialogue between Muslims, Christians and Jewish brothers and sisters.

So, good things have come as a result.

BALDWIN: Has she expressed her regrets to you privately?

CARSON: She and I talk regularly. Again, she's not anti-Semitic. She's not an anti-Semite.

She has strong relationships with the Jewish community. She has strong support from the Jewish community. Again, these kinds of dialogues have to be ongoing, they have to be honest. No one is above reproach. No one is above condemnation.

I'm not, Brooke. You're not, as near perfect as you are. None of us are. No group is, no organization.

BALDWIN: Hardly, yes.

CARSON: And so, as human beings, we have to understand that and at least be objective enough to take criticism, to understand critiques, learn from those critiques, if we drop our egos, and move forward.

BALDWIN: Amen.

CARSON: Amen.

BALDWIN: Congressman Carson, thank you. CARSON: Always an honor. Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you, sir.

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