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Democrats Unveil Abuse of Power and Obstruction Articles of Impeachment; Interview with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) on Impeachment; Trump Hosts Russia on Day Articles of Impeachment Are Unveiled; U.S., Mexico and Canada Negotiators Sign Modified Trade Deal; Mayor Says Multiple People Dead in Jersey City Shooting. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired December 10, 2019 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:30:00]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: In the next few weeks President Trump is set to become just the third President to be impeached in the United States.

And for the third time in her Congressional career my next guest will have a front row seat to the process. When Zoe Lofgren was a law student working in the office of a then California Congressman, she helped write one of the articles against President Nixon even though that article was ultimately not adopted by the House.

During impeachment hearings for President Clinton, Lofgren took to the House floor blasted her Republican colleagues for what she called a quote/unquote decision that will permanently damage our constitutional democracy and here she is today. She is the second most senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee which is expected to begin votes on these articles of impeachment against President Trump later this week.

And Congresswoman Lofgren joins me now live from Capitol Hill. Congresswoman, a pleasure. Welcome.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): Good afternoon.

BALDWIN: So here you have it. Two articles of impeachment. One on abuse of power. The other on obstruction of Congress. You tell me, Congresswoman Lofgren, which do you think is the strongest?

LOFGREN: Well, I think they're both quite strong and they're interrelated, of course. The President by the direct evidence that we have clearly has abused his presidential authority to benefit himself to the detriment of the Constitution and the national interest.

He also in a way that is just extraordinary. It's never happened before, has refused to provide anything to the House of Representatives. I mean, not a document. He told all of the employees in the executive branch they couldn't testify. Some did anyhow. That's an unprecedented obstruction of Congress. You just can't have that.

BALDWIN: Within -- noticeably absent from these two articles, Congresswoman, is any mention of the Mueller investigation. Can you just take me behind the scenes as to why obstruction of justice was not included?

LOFGREN: Well, I think the sounder course is to include articles where we have direct evidence to support those charges, and these two articles have that. We have a report from Mr. Mueller. We have some FBI notes and the like but we didn't actually get all of the witnesses to support that report.

In fact, we just won one of the lawsuits about Mr. McGahn coming to testify and, of course, now that's been appealed. So we don't have direct evidence for all of that. It certainly is cited in the pattern of behavior that is of concern. Because it's not just what the President has done. It's the continuing threat that he poses to the Constitution. He's still doing this.

BALDWIN: No and to that point. I mean we listen to members of your party this morning in the announcement. You know, Democrats are saying that President Trump is a quote/unquote clear and present danger. So you have that, but when you flash forward, we know the Senate will not convict him. So are you --

LOFGREN: How do you know that?

BALDWIN: I'm -- what we're hearing when you do the math, you look at number of Republicans, you know, you hear the likes of Lindsey Graham saying, essentially, no way, Jose. Are you not convinced that the Senate won't -- keep him?

LOFGREN: well, I don't know. We have to do our duty without, you know, hedging the bets on what Senators will do if they don't do their duty.

BALDWIN: Go you think there's a possibility, Congresswoman? Do you think there's a possibility --

LOFGREN: Here's what I believe.

BALDWIN: Yes.

LOFGREN: Here's what I believe. If people look at the direct evidence, they will reach the inescapable conclusion that the President abused his power for his personal benefit to the detriment of the Constitution and our national security. If they look at that, then their own oaths of office call them to do something. So I'm not writing off anyone of any party that they would fail to do their duty.

BALDWIN: On the same day that your party unveils impeachment articles against this President, it also announces a trade deal. I was wondering. Is this just coincidental timing or was this done to rob the President of his you know do nothing Democrats talking points?

LOFGREN: Well, we've been working on this trade deal for months, so it finally -- we got the final touches done just in the last day or two, and so I think it's just --

[15:35:00]

So it took that much time to do, and I'm glad that it looks like a better deal than our current situation.

BALDWIN: We are also learning that some House Democrats from districts that Donald Trump won in 2016 met to discuss ways -- I'm just back on impeachment -- met to discuss ways to possibly avoid a full-on impeachment trial and they floated this idea of censure instead of impeachment. I'm curious, Congresswoman Lofgren, just what have you heard from your colleagues about this option?

LOFGREN: I haven't heard anything about that. Obviously, the Constitution provides just one remedy. And that's the sole authority of the Congress to impeach and the Senate to convict. You know, we can write a bill that says anything, but I haven't heard much discussion of that, honestly.

BALDWIN: OK. OK. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, a pleasure. Thank you very much.

LOFGREN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Moments ago President Trump wrapped up a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister at the White House. Again, this is the same man he leaked sensitive intelligence information to back in 2017 at the White House, and it comes as Russia is still -- as the Congresswoman points out -- actively attacking U.S. elections. So we'll talk about why this meeting happened at all, next.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Here's an update for you on the breaking news out of Jersey City, New Jersey, where the Hudson County prosecutor's office has just confirmed that one police officer was fatally shot today. Two additional officers and a civilian also have gunshot wounds, they're said to be stable. This is still an active situation.

A law enforcement source tells CNN that at least one of the shooters has been neutralized inside of a bodega convenience store. A source says a robot has also been sent into the store where some of the shots were fired. We'll keep you updated as soon as we get more information there.

As for today in Washington, a pretty extraordinary event over at the White House today because just when you look at the timing, ironic doesn't begin to describe it. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov just left the White House. There he was minutes ago meeting one-on- one with President Trump. Hours after Congressional Democrats announced their articles of impeachment.

And just again, a reminder as far as what happened the last time Lavrov and Trump were in the Oval Office, that was May 2017. Trump in that meeting revealed sensitive intelligence information and bragged about firing FBI Director James Comey.

And as CNN's Jim Sciutto reported for us, the CIA was so worried about that 2017 intel leak they pulled a high-level covert source out of Moscow. So, Jim is with me now, he is the author of "The Shadow War Inside Russia, Russia's and China's Secret Operations to Defeat America." What do you think of this meeting today?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Listen, there are so many things remarkable about it. Let's connect it to the Ukraine story for a moment, right.

The President is being impeached for withholding a meeting to the Ukrainian President, an ally until they delivered an investigating of a political opponent. What did the President of the U.S. government ask of adversary, competitor or whatever you want to call it, Russia, before giving this meeting to the Russian Foreign Minister?

Russia has conceded nothing in the last couple years. They still occupy Ukraine. They're still according to the intelligence community interfering in our elections.

BALDWIN: Yes.

SCIUTTO: What did Russia had to do to get this meeting and show of support and show of closeness? Apparently, nothing. That's remarkable. And what has changed in the two years since the President in the Oval Office shared the most highly classified intelligence supplied by an ally? We later learned the ally being Israel.

We also know and I reported this in my story about the Russian spy, is that a few weeks after that meeting in the Oval Office with Lavrov, the President met with Putin in Hamburg, they were concerns in the intelligence community that the President shared classified information again.

What is the confidence we can have that his pally-ness with Russian officials didn't lead him to do so? It's truly remarkable.

BALDWIN: We don't actually know. I mean David Singer was sitting in that seat from "The New York Times" last hour, and he was like, we don't actually know what the meeting was supposed to be about. Right. I mean the possibility would be discussing Syria or the nuclear treaty with Russia that the President pulled the U.S. out of. What was this about?

SCIUTTO: Well, one thing -- well, we also know they're talking about missile treaties, as you say. That is a priority for the President and a reasonable one. The U.S. and Russia lack a key missile agreement right now and there's talk of a major START agreement also lapsing as well. That's a real issue.

One thing we know was not on the agenda is election interference. The President failing once again with an opportunity to directly warn Russian officials we will not stand for this. We're 11 months away. And by the way, another point to be reminded of the Ukraine story is that three years ago that you had all of the uproar about the President's advisers meeting in Trump Tower with Russian officials promising dirt on Hillary Clinton.

Right now the President's attorney is in Ukraine seeking dirt on a possibly political opponent, Joe Biden, and not just from Ukrainian politicians. We should note, pro-Russian Ukrainian politicians. One of the people, Parliament members that Giuliani met with trained with the KGB. Now, you'd have to be pretty dumb not to imagine that Russia is trying to juice that process. Perhaps provide shady information to the President's personal attorney? What is the level of confidence you have in anything that they would be delivering? That's where we are today. Less than a year to the U.S. election.

BALDWIN: That's where we are today. Jim Sciutto, thank you very much.

SCIUTTO: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thanks for sticking around for me.

[15:45:00]

Coming up next, on the next day as she lays out articles of impeachment, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces a deal with the White House on the new North America trade agreement. So we'll explain what really changed, coming up.

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[15:50:00]

BALDWIN: On the same morning the Democrats announce the formal articles of impeachment against President Trump they reached an agreement with the White House to move forward on one of the President's legislative priorities, this trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I would say that we came a long way from what he originally proposed. And there some people that said why make it look like he has a victory. Well we've -- we're declaring victory for the American worker and what is in this agreement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The Democrats won changes for auto workers with auto components being made mostly by North American workers and by 2023 nearly half of those parts must be made by workers who earn at least $16 an hour. How about dairy? U.S. dairy farmers gain access to Canada, and there are new rules for doing business in the digital economy.

So with me now, CNN political commentator Catherine Rampell who is also an opinion columnist with "The Washington Pos.t" And just let me add, you're here, the modified agreement was just signed by trade reps from each of the countries. The question is this just NAFTA updated and modernized? What say you? CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So it is interesting. When Trump announced this new deal last year, a lot of people pointed out the new deal wasn't so much different from the old deal. It was basically two of the trade deals that Trump had declared previously to be the worst trade deals in history, NAFTA and TPP, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which he pulled us out of, kind of mashed together. That they were sort of parts of both elements put together with some additional details including about the rules of origin for autos for example.

Largely it is the same deal. With some additional details. What Democrats are claiming victory over today relates to some of their priorities chiefly what they say will be greater enforcement mechanisms for the labor protections and for some of the environmental provisions that were already in the version that was signed last year.

And then also pulling out some pharmaceutical-related protections that Republicans were behind and industry was behind.

BALDWIN: OK. And then there is a line from Nancy Pelosi today, right, at her lunch behind closed doors according to our sources, that quote/unquote, we ate their lunch. The White House Press Secretary just released a statement saying that the deal was a quote/unquote big win.

RAMPELL: Yes. Both sides are claiming victory here. Right. Trump wants to say, look, trade is maybe my one signature issue, not one of the signature issues. This is something I promised I would get done, as I said, how different it actually is from the previous trade deal we had is a little bit debatable. But he's saying, look, I said that I would renegotiate this and I did. And the Democrats are saying, oh no, no, no, what you had was a flawed renegotiation. We improved upon it. We got some wins for American workers.

And arguably supporting their claim to the narrative is the fact that now the AFL/CIO, a major labor union, is behind it, which is historically unusual. The last time that the AFL/CIO endorsed a U.S. trade deal was something like 20 years ago. So at least big labor does see this as an improvement for their constituents.

And so Democrats are basically claiming that, look, we can walk and chew gum at same time. We can hold Trump to account when it comes to constitutional issues and still find common ground or at least push him more towards Democratic priorities where we think it matters for America.

BALDWIN: Again, it still needs Congressional approval for the final green light. Catherine, thank you very much for coming on.

Moments ago, one FBI officials who has been a constant target of attacks from President Trump announced she is suing the FBI and the Justice Department.

Plus, a seventh candidate just qualified for the next Democratic debate. We'll tell you who next.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We've been following this breaking story out of Jersey City, New Jersey where the mayor has now just confirmed multiple people have been killed in the shooting including a police officer. CNN'S Jason Carroll is now there on the scene and so, Jason, what's happened?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Really tense situation out here, Brooke. As you said the mayor just wrapped up the press conference. Where he confirmed that one officer has in fact, been killed in this shootout. Another officer has been wounded when all of this happened. All this began just about a few hours ago. Witnesses in the area said that they saw two suspects with long guns. The shootout ended up at a small supermarket here in the area right here on this street on MLK Boulevard.

We're also told that there are four fatalities inside of that supermarket. Again, we had heard there were two suspects involved in the shootout. Law enforcement officials would only indicate at this hour, it's still very early on that one of the suspects had been, quote, neutralized.

A number of schools in the area are still on lockdown but it appears right now just given the characteristics of those law enforcement officers who are here in the area, that the situation may, in fact, be over. But tragically, once again, one officer dead tonight, another officer wounded in a shootout that now appears to be over -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right. Jason, thank you so much for the very latest out of Jersey City. We'll stay with you and get up dates in the next couple of hours. Thank you.

Thank you all for being with me. We'll send it to Washington now. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.