CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript Interview with Mazie Hirono
Interview
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Joining us now is Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, a member of the Judiciary Committee. Senator, I want to start there. I want to get your reaction to this reporting from the "New York Times" that the president owes, and it's hard to fathom this, the president owes hundreds of millions of dollars in debt and paid just $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017, despite claiming he pays millions in taxes.
As damning as these details are, they raise even more questions about the president's finances, don't they?
SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): Of course. It shows that he is a cheater. He's a liar, he's a cheater. We all know teachers and firefighters and nurses who pay more than $750 a year in taxes. So what this should say to the American people is there is a reason why the president has never disclosed his tax returns because he has a lot to hide.
Not to mention, you know, there are a lot of concerns about national security risks because he owes or gets money from foreign governments. So, all in all, it just indicates once again there are two things President Trump cares about, himself and money.
ACOSTA: And one big remaining question is, of course, to whom does the president owe all of this money? You were just touching on that.
HIRONO: Oh, yes.
ACOSTA: What are some of the national security implications of a president owing that much money to an unknown entity? And how do you get to the bottom of it?
HIRONO: It will require investigation. And so when someone, well, of course the president owes that much money to whomever, particularly if it's a foreign country, then he is very vulnerable to that foreign country putting pressure on him for all kinds of things. And that is why these are matters of great concern to the FBI, CIA,
and others who should be investigating, not to mention the Department of Justice, but we all know where Attorney General Barr is with regard to any investigations relating to President Trump. Very concerning.
ACOSTA: And the president says, as you heard, this information about his taxes and financial status is false. He called it fake news. There is one simple way obviously to set the record straight and that is where the president to release his tax returns. Do you foresee him ever doing that?
HIRONO: Of course. I don't think so because he's been talking about releasing his tax returns after this very mysterious audit that seems to be going on forever, but we never see it, and this is why all these lawsuits and investigations have to occur to force him to disclose.
We all know that the president lies every day and he is very protective of his financial interests, but what it shows is his so- called business genius has been losing money, apparently hand over fist. And he's certainly no self-made millionaire, billionaire or anything. Daddy bailed him out.
ACOSTA: And President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, let's turn to that, Amy Coney Barrett, we'll see some meetings with senators starting tomorrow, but you won't be one of them. You've said you're going to forego that meeting in favor of questioning her when she's under oath. What will your participation in these hearings look like?
HIRONO: I will make it very plain to the American people what is at stake with this nominee and what's at stake first and foremost is their health care coverage because one of the first cases that the Supreme Court will hear with Amy Barrett sitting there if she is confirmed is the attack on the Affordable Care Act.
Then the president would like his nominee to strike down the Affordable Care Act. And she's already indicated as much when she questioned Chief Justice Roberts in his decision on the Affordable Care Act, which saved the Affordable Care Act.
[17:25:03]
So that's the first order of business for this new nominee. I think the American people should know that's what's at stake. In the midst of a pandemic with over 200,000 people dead, over 7 million testing positive, and there's going to be more of this kind of tragedy.
So, she's going to be there to strike down the Affordable Care Act. Millions of people will not have health care coverage. A 100 million people with pre-existing conditions will not have health care. And that's what the American people are looking at.
So they should get very upset by this and I hope that they recall their senators who in 2016 said, in a presidential year, we should let the people decide who their president is, and that president should nominate the nominee for a vacancy, but they completely did a 180. These senators' constituents should call them and say why aren't you
keeping your word? Why are you trying to make sure that this person is on the Supreme Court so that she can strike down Affordable Care Act that covers all of our families?
You know, I really think about the kitchen table discussions that will happen should the Affordable Care Act get stricken down. And they're going to be sitting there wondering how they are going to afford health care or pay for health care. That's the real-life consequences of this nominee.
ACOSTA: Certainly a lot at stake and a lot on the table. Health care may be the number one topic of them all. Senator Mazie Hirono, thank you so much for joining us.
HIRONO: Thank you very much.
ACOSTA: We appreciate it.
HIRONO: Aloha.
ACOSTA: Aloha to you.
HIRONO: Take care.
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