CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: "Interview with Sen. Kamala Harris"

Interview

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BLITZER: Kaitlan Collins over at the White House, thanks for that report.

Joining us now, a leading democratic presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris. Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): Sure, Wolf. Good to be with you.

BLITZER: So you say President Trump, in your words, has emboldened white nationalism. So what went through your mind, Senator, when you heard him say today that the nation must condemn white supremacy?

HARRIS: You know, Wolf, I just -- he does not speak as a leader. He rarely does. And on this occasion, America needs a leader to actually speak truth and do it in a way that acknowledges fact. And we just can't get that from Donald Trump.

It is his words, yes, and I said that. His words and his conduct have coddled this kind of behavior, and in terms of the white nationalism. And the reality is that his words also today were empty and, frankly, meaningless on the issue of gun violence.

What we have seen in El Paso, a mother was a human body shield to save the life of her infant child.

[18:40:03]

We have seen police officers run into danger to save innocent lives. We have seen the worst kind of tragedies we can imagine and this president will not call it what it is, gun violence that is out of control and that we as a nation are in need of reasonable gun safety laws.

I feel very strongly that America needs real leadership and this president is not able to provide it.

BLITZER: You think there is going to be a chance that some significant gun legislation could even come up for a vote in the Senate? It passes the House where there is a democratic majority, but the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, doesn't even let this kind of legislation come up for a vote.

HARRIS: It's highly irresponsible. But this is not the first time. I'm a part of leadership on a bipartisan bill to improve America's elections infrastructure because we all know that the Russians interfered in the election with the President of the United States. Bipartisan support, I served on the Senate Intelligence Committee. There are members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republicans, who support this. And he will not put that on the floor for a vote.

So it is -- I call on him to step up. And I frankly believe very strongly that the members of the United States Congress must lead and stop cowering to the special interests and must lead in terms of fighting for the well-being of the American people and the safety and well-being of the American people. It is time to act. We are not going to wait. And we can't wait for another tragedy.

You know, people say, oh, well, maybe we're waiting for a good idea. Nope. All the good ideas have been had. Many of my friends and I have proposed great ideas. But you know what? We don't need new ideas. We've got them. We need Congress to act, and in this case, the United States Senate. And Mitch McConnell should put the vote on the floor. And I believe everybody should have to stand and speak on this issue and be held accountable by their constituents. Because, Wolf, here is the other thing about this. Those bullets are not distinguishing between a republican and a democrat. And those children going to school every day in fear of some gunman roaming the halls of their school could care less if you are a democrat or a republican.

The American people have a right to expect that on certain issues, we not act in a way that is about partisanship, but we act in a way that is about the best interest of the health and well-being and safety of the American people.

BLITZER: Senator, the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, just put out a statement. Let me read part of that to you.

He said the Senate Republicans are prepared to do their part. He's asked committees to reflect on the President's policy proposals that were spelled out today. What are the chances that any of this though leads to new legislation that potentially could be signed into law?

HARRIS: Look, you know, frankly, Wolf, you know Washington, D.C. This is actually, literally in the hands of one person in terms of this -- the legislative action, and it's Mitch McConnell. And I would hope and pray that he understands that he actually has the power to do the right thing here and that he will do the right thing. But it doesn't sound like he's prepared to do that and that's irresponsible.

BLITZER: And President Obama, as you know, he rarely, since leaving office, weighs in on these kinds issues publicly. He put out a very powerful statement today. And let me read once again a little piece of that.

He said, we should soundly reject language coming out of the mouths of any of our leaders that feeds a climate of fear and hatred or normalizes racist sentiments, leaders who demonize those who don't look like us or suggest that other people, including immigrants, threaten our way of life or refer to other people as sub-human or imply that America belongs to just one certain type of people. That's a part of the statement from President Obama.

It is clear he's referring to the current president. I assume you agree.

HARRIS: Of course I agree. And, again, you just contrast the words and you don't even need to know who they are coming from to know that one are the words of a leader and the other are the words of someone who does not understand and is not actually a leader. President Obama is absolutely spot-on and has a history of being spot-on on these issues.

And, listen, Donald Trump is -- he does not understand, I think, the importance and the responsibility of being President of the United States when it comes to speaking to our better angels, when it comes speaking to our better selves, when it comes to elevating discourse and engaging all Americans to think of ourselves as all being in this together. [18:45:07]

[18:45:09] And he, on this issue in particular, was playing golf for most of the day. Are you kidding me? Blood is streaming. Babies are being orphaned. And he's playing golf.

So, just across the board when you look at the behavior, the action, and the words of this current president America deserves better.

BLITZER: It appears, as you know, that the El Paso shooter specifically targeted the Hispanic community and several Mexican citizens --

HARRIS: Right.

BLITZER: -- who happen to have been visiting El Paso and were killed in the process.

You are right now at the UnidosUS Conference.

HARRIS: Yes.

BLITZER: What are you hearing from the people there?

HARRIS: I'm hearing what I've been hearing, frankly, for the last two years. But in a heightened volume, you know, today as we all mourn what has happened in our country.

And I'm hearing a combination of things. I'm hearing fear. I'm hearing outrage. And I'm hearing also a recommitment to fight and to fight for the best of who we are.

You know, Wolf, I have been meeting people along the way ever since this president started campaigning about, you know, rapists and murderers and, you know, mass deportations and a wall that, by the way, will never get built, and vilifying immigrants.

I've been hearing the stories from the day after the election in November of 2016 from pediatricians, because families were cancelling appointments for their children to come in for fear that those families would have contact with an institution that might deport them. I've been hearing from teachers from day who are one noticing that children are not coming to school out of fear that when they go home after school, their parents might not be there.

I'm hearing the fear that comes from family members and parents who are concerned that if they're -- if they're -- they're going shopping for school supplies on a Saturday, weekends before school starts, that they might be slaughtered because of a white supremacist.

These are the things I'm hearing. And we need a president of the United States who says, I will work in every way possible so that the people of our country will not live in fear, so that the children of our country will not live in fear.

But we don't get this from that -- this president. From this president, what we get is hate-mongering. We get speech that's clearly intended to sow hate and division among us.

And so, I applaud President Obama for speaking up at this moment in the way that he did.

BLITZER: Under a hypothetical Kamala Harris presidency, Senator, you say you are prepared to take executive action if Congress can't pass gun control legislation within your first 100 days. You want obviously universal background checks. You want an assault weapons ban.

HARRIS: Uh-huh.

BLITZER: Is there any other action you're considering when you look at these -- for example, two most recent mass shootings and unfortunately tragically, sadly there have been so many of them in recent years?

HARRIS: Right. So, under the Harris administration, I will give the United States Congress 100 days to pull their act together on this and put a bill on my desk for signature. And if they do not, I will take executive action, as you mentioned, and in particular put in place a comprehensive background check requirement.

I'll also make sure that we give the ATF the resources that it needs to take the licenses of gun dealers who violate the law. Wolf, you should know, 90 percent of the guns associated with crime are sold by just 5 percent of the gun dealers. So, we need to take those licenses.

And then the third piece is that I'm prepared to take executive action to ban the importation of assault weapons into our country.

Why am I prepared to do all of this? Because it is time to take action.

Words are not enough. Beautiful speeches are not enough. Great ideas are not enough. Grand gestures are not enough.

We need to take action. Our -- the people of our country deserve it.

BLITZER: Senator Kamala Harris, thanks so much for joining us.

HARRIS: Thanks, Wolf. Take care.

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