CNN "Cuomo Prime Time" - Transcript: Interview with Bennie Thompson

Interview

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REP. BENNIE THOMPSON (D-MS): Thank you for having me.

CUOMO: Let's talk strategy, then we'll talk merits. Why this way?

THOMPSON: Well, it's an option that's available to us, and clearly, the actions of January 6th, we should be able to shut down completely. If we are successful in our lawsuit and hold those individuals accountable, I think from a punitive standpoint, we will put them out of business.

We can't allow the riotous activities, just because people disagree with the outcome of an election. People should not have overrun the Capitol to stop the confirmation of the election. That's just not who we are.

So my lawsuit takes on the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 and we bring that forward to this day to get us some remedy.

CUOMO: Right. You don't take on any act here. You're actually motivating the act. I get the grievance, but it's about the method.

In the law, you know this, but for the audience, there's a concept called standing which means Bennie Thompson in his private capacity as a citizen has a right to sue. What is your right to sue these parties for what happened on January 6?

THOMPSON: Well, I was in the gallery at the time that it was the confirmation of the votes was taking place. And all of a sudden, in the midst of that process, the Capitol was raided.

Individuals broke through security, broke windows, broke doors, someone ultimately was killed before my very eyes, all those kinds of things.

And I'm carrying out my congressional duties, but those members of the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, spurred on by Trump and Giuliani and his other people wanted to stop Members of Congress from doing their constitutional duty.

CUOMO: The KKK Act is a very interesting mechanism. It was meant to provide civil remedies for Federal officers who were kept from doing their job. And so therefore, you have to make the point that Trump didn't do his job in his official capacity because of his intentions towards insurrection.

So in the lawsuit, you say Trump delayed delivering his incendiary remarks to the crowd at the Ellipse in order to afford the defendant, Proud Boys, an opportunity to arrive at the Capitol and overcome its initial defenses. How do you prove that?

THOMPSON: Well, I think we will prove it in court. One of the first persons to enter into the Capitol was one of the leaders of the Proud Boys. They broke the window with a shield. It's clear from the photos that we have. So we'll have our day in court.

I'm clear this insidious behavior played out in front of millions of people. And you know, it's all because of the stage that was set by Donald Trump after he lost the November election.

He encouraged people to come to Washington, indicated that it was going to be wild and in his speech, just before people left that area, he encouraged them to go to the Capitol. He said --

CUOMO: I understand. I understand it and I covered it, but your burden is different. Your burden is to show that he delayed in a way to give opportunity and advantage to who you name as defendants. Do you have proof that he delayed?

[20:30:22] THOMPSON: We absolutely have. We'll provide it in court. And that's

why we're pursuing it like we are. I'm convinced that he acted irresponsibly. We bring in this action. I look forward to having my day in court.

CUOMO: The KKK act, obviously, that is the name it was born out of that time, but it also it puts a feel to this entire civil action. What do you personally believe that that insurrection was about when it comes to race, when it comes to white fear and white hate?

THOMPSON: Well, when I look at what was said, by the people breaking into the U.S. Capitol, they had Confederate Bell flags, which is, you know, was a symbol of the Confederacy that was fought over slavery. So, people coming in calling themselves patriots breaking into the United States Capitol, we can't condone this kind of action.

And we have to put a stop to it. One of the ways we can put a stop to this kind of action is by taking those individuals to court. And if the court sees a way out, they'll have to pay. So clearly, we're looking to have our day in court, I appreciate the NAACP, joining me and representing me in this instance, that oldest civil rights organization in the country.

They've fought for fairness and equal opportunity. And so, this is one of those measures. I disagree with Trump. But I'm not going to try to break in the White House or anything else, we settle our differences in America at the ballot box. The Trump administration could not accept defeat, they went to court last in pretty much every court in the land, but they still somehow wanted to stop and stop the election, the confirmation or the election, and then we just can't have it.

So, this lawsuit is my humble way of giving accountability to somebody who has put a real stain on the reputation of the United States of America. We can't go to other countries talking about the goodness and greatness of our country, when they see people over running our hallowed halls of the Capitol. This is not who we are. And so we have (INAUDIBLE).

CUOMO: As a human reminder of that, your reputation precedes you, anybody can Google your name and see where you come from and what you've been through. What was it like for you in there? How bad did you think it was going to get?

THOMPSON: Well, it was getting bad. And as time went on, when we saw the Vice President, the Speaker and other leadership being whisked out of the area, and the only people left were members of Congress who didn't have security details. And we could hear that glass breaking the doors being beat on we could see the furniture being moved to block the doors from the people who had broken in.

My wife called me wanting to know what was going on. And I really couldn't tell him, because I'm unable to see on outside. She said, when I'm looking at people breaking into the Capitol right now. I said, well, I'm inside the Capitol, but I can't see it.

So for that time, all of us with our gas masks own, trying to follow the advice of security to get out of this area. But we were unable to get out because of the rioters who had broken in and tried to stop the counting up of the Electoral College votes.

You know, Emmett Till a 14-year-old young man was killed in my district (INAUDIBLE) a lot of atrocities have occurred in my state. And so, all that was going through my mind at that time, that is it coming to an end over an election. I thought elections were way that civilized people resolve their differences.

But obviously, those individuals who attempted well succeeded in breaking into capital had a difference opinion. I resent that. I know this country is greater than what I experienced that day and I'm prepared to go to court and defend that greatness.

[20:35:11]

CUOMO: Well, Congressman, I'm very sorry, what you had to be through that day, I'm even more sorry for what your wife must have experienced, because she knew what kind of people will break it in there and what they were saying, and she knew you were on the inside. Send her our best and our regards, and we'll see what happens with your lawsuit Congressman. Bennie Thompson, thank you very much for being with us.

THOMPSON: Thank you.

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