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Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) Discusses Impeachment Inquiry, Trump's Ukraine Call; Death Toll Climbs as Turkey Invades Syria; 10 Cities Accuse Trump Campaign of Not Reimbursing for Rally Security; GOP Senator Dodges Question: If Appropriate for Trump to Ask Ukraine, China to Investigate Political Rival; 2 Men Trying to Flee U.S. When Arrested at Dulles Airport after Lunching with Giuliani. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired October 10, 2019 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:30:00]
REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): If that doesn't work, then resorting to subpoenas. But really trying to accommodate any kind of legitimate objections of certain information. But if you completely stonewall and delay and block and obstruct the inquiry, that's a whole matter all together.
I don't think they can claim the process is unfair when they're not even participating. They have to get involved and actually at this point bring forward all evidence that could bear on the allegations of the complaint.
Right now, my humble opinion, Brooke, that the American people think there's a presumption that something very wrong happened. They saw the July 25th transcript. They've seen the whistleblower complaint.
So it's almost as though the Republicans and the White House need to come forward with all evidence to illuminate the situation and see if there's anything that mitigates it. We're willing to look at everything.
This is a sad moment for America. None of us came to Congress to impeach a president, but now we have to do our duty. Follow the facts wherever they lead.
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Right. Congressman Krishnamoorthi, thank you so much.
KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.
BALDWIN: Just ahead here on CNN, as the military offensive in northern Syria intensifies, Republican anger aimed at the president continues to grow. We are live on the Turkish/Syrian border, next.
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BALDWIN: The military offensive in northern Syria is intensifying. Airstrikes began yesterday against the Kurds after the U.S. essentially abandoned its key ally in the fight against ISIS. A steady stream of artillery has been raining down. Turkey moved in after President Trump called for U.S. troops to step aside.
Turkey's president called the actions successful.
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RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translation): And 129 terrorists killed since the beginning of the operation. Terrorist organizations and its supporters immediately became to spread misleading and incorrect news. And why? In order to blacken our country and bring down our operations. Of course, there are wounded people aside from the 109. Also, there are those that have surrendered.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Of course, casualties, including civilians, as people are frantically trying to flee the violence.
European leaders speaking out, urging Turkey's president to end all of this. More than 60,000 people have left their homes according to the International Rescue Committee. And the U.N. Security Council met today behind closed doors.
CNN chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, joins me, live, there in northern Syria.
And, Clarissa, tell me what you have seen what you have heard, from these innocent civilians trying to flee?
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Brooke, they're saying now that number could quickly go from 60,000 to hundreds of thousands.
And it's not surprising to see how that would be possible, because we, earlier on today, spent time in a town right up on the Turkish border. Basically, every shop was shuttered.
The streets were deserted, except for about 80 or so people who gathered to try to protest the Turkish military operation that's been under way for over 24 hours now.
Very quickly, Kurdish forces came out said, you guys need to disburse. There was artillery hitting targets all around the town, and those people did pull out, but as they're pulling out, as we followed them out, it's clear they don't know where to go, Brooke.
Simply put, there's no safe haven right now in Syria for all of these people who are quickly becoming displaced.
As they're getting in their cars and loading their lives on to their backs to try to escape the strikes, they are doing so with no real sense of direction or purpose in terms of where they're going, where will be safe, where they will be able to find water, shelter, food. Also they're doing so with no real knowledge when they might be able
to return to their homes, because this operation is expanding all the time, and could include a swath of territory up to 200 miles wide, 18.5 miles deep.
Put simply, Brooke, this is a massive operation. No sense of when it could end and no sense where is safe for these people to go -- Brooke?
BALDWIN: So you describe the conundrum, of course, for these innocent men, women and children. And of course, the other question, what happens to all of these ISIS prisoners held in these facilities. Where do they go in the thick of all this?
Clarissa Ward, we hang on your every word in the Turkish/Syrian border area. Thank you for your reporting. Stay safe to you and your crew.
Breaking news also this hour, the arrest of a pair of Rudy Giuliani associates, indicted on criminal charges for allegedly funneling foreign money into U.S. elections.
And the "Wall Street Journal" is now reporting that these two were arrested at the airport with one-way tickets just hours after having lunch with Rudy Giuliani himself.
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Stay here.
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BALDWIN: As President Trump prepares to headline a rally in Minneapolis in the next couple of hours, cities across the country are accusing his campaign of leaving them to foot the bill for security costs related to Trump's rallies. Ten cities say they haven't been reimbursed.
CNN politics reporter and editor-at-large, Chris Cillizza, is with me.
And this came to light because of the back and forth between President Trump and the mayor of Minneapolis over the cost of today's rally. Is that right?
CHRIS CILLIZZA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER & CNN EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Yes, Brooke. When I write my book covering the Trump's presidency, it's going to be called "It All Began with a Tweet," right?
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CILLIZZA: Let's go to the tweet that it began it all. OK. There's a tweet before this Donald Trump's campaign manager essentially says a left-wing resistor, who's the mayor of Minneapolis, is trying to gouge us on prices for this rally. Donald Trump retweets it, 72,000 tickets requested. And a response, "Welcome to Minneapolis where we pay our bills." OK. He's talking about this. All right. So Donald Trump as you see
here, they do great work here, this group, Donald Trump's campaign has not paid a lot of those.
You mentioned ten outstanding bills. How about to the tune of $841,000? You can see, this is from all over the country, Tucson, El Paso, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont.
Spokane, they have not paid the bill. And it goes back aways. This was the rally held in comparison to the Beto O'Rourke rally. $470,000 and expenses in this, expenses go back to the 2016 campaign. Green Bay and Eau Claire, Spokane.
The most costed tied up, it's mostly overtime for security. The Trump campaign says the Secret Service handles that. Secret Service says, we don't handle overtime payments for local police. The point is, the money owed and not paid.
If you were going to be the Minneapolis mayor, a pretty good jab to take at Donald Trump.
BALDWIN: But when you do the math, we know Trump's campaign and RNC raised $125 million.
CILLIZZA: Correct.
BALDWIN: Just in the third quarter. It's not like they're short on cash.
CILLIZZA: OK. A couple things. Raised $125 million in the third quarter and $156 million on hand. Not that they can't pay it.
One other point, Brooke. This is not new for Donald Trump. Donald Trump was regularly sued by contractors when he was in his real estate business for not paying them the full amount that they believed they were owed. It's a pattern like so many things that goes from his private life to his political life.
BALDWIN: I can see it now. It all started with a tweet.
CILLIZZA: "It All Began with a Tweet: The Donald Trump Story."
BALDWIN: Chris, thank you.
CILLIZZA: Thanks, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Coming up, another Republican lawmaker caught on camera trying to dodge the very simple question, was it appropriate for President Trump to ask foreign powers to investigate his political rival." We will play his answer or lack thereof, in full, next.
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BALDWIN: Moments ago, while speaking to reporters in Denver, vulnerable Republican Senator Cory Gardner refused repeatedly to say if President Trump's call to Ukraine and China to investigate political opponents was appropriate. Listen for yourself.
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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is it appropriate for a president --
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SEN. CORY GARDNER (R-CO): We are going to have an investigation and it's a non-partisan investigation.
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GARDNER: It's an answer you get from a very serious investigation.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Would you be OK if it was a Democrat asking a foreign government --
GARDNER: -- a jump to a very partisan, partisan serious use of a tool in the Constitution. This is about an investigation taking place in the Senate Intelligence Committee. Where it should be.
What we've seen from the House of Representatives and Nancy Pelosi is a very partisanized effort. Why other -- what other reason do you have to cover four states every time you do a story on us?
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GARDNER: It's about Colorado. It's an California. It's about North Carolina and Arizona. That's what you see over and over again in these stories.
It's a very serious time, a very serious investigation. Let's have the investigation.
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GARDNER: You know what I said before.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You're not answering the question. You're a smart guy.
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GARDNER: This is about politics in the moment and that's why they're trying to do this now. The American people will have a choice in an election coming up and see this transparent, I hope, investigation.
But right now, what you're seeing is Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives trying to drive a very partisan process. I'm not going to fall into that. Before we get all of the facts and see the results of a serious non-partisan investigation.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: If the facts were to show --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: There you go.
Coming up on CNN, Senator Bernie Sanders, live with Dr. Sanjay Gupta ahead of CNN's "Equality in American" town hall. The 2020 candidate is ready to talk about his recent heart attack and what it means for his campaign. Of course, in addition to LGBTQ issues. That happens on "THE SITUATION ROOM," live today at 6:00 eastern.
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And tonight, CNN partners with the Human Rights Campaign presenting a groundbreaking CNN town hall event, "Equality in America." Join 2020 candidates as they discuss issues facing the LGBTQ community and in a night of back-to-back-to-back town halls. It starts at 7:30 Eastern only here on CNN.
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching hour two here with me on CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
[14:59:53]
The story today, two men with links to Rudy Giuliani are in federal custody. They've been indicted of charges of funneling money into a U.S. election. Their names are Igor Fruman and Lev Parnas. They were arrested at a Washington airport with what prosecutors say were one- way tickets out of the country.
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