Transcription
Joining me now is Congressman Robert Garcia. He is the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. And his fellow oversight Democrats today debuted a widget on their website, you can check it out, that they say tracks the Trump family's profits from, quote, digital grift. And man, the numbers keep going up literally every second. There's so many things to ask you, I want to start by just playing you something that journalist Maggie Haberman said recently. She has a book out that seems everybody seems to be reading and she had this to say before Trump's financial disclosure was released. Let me play that.
We've only, the collective we, the World Street Journal has done a lot of work, The Times, The Washington Post, a lot of outlets have done a lot of work on this. All of of us have only scratched the surface, I think, of what is happening because there's so much we can't see. It's interesting because Chris and I were talking about how it's sort of a surprise they released this, but it is a little bit like we know what they tell us.
You've been thinking a lot about Trump's unprecedented financial conflicts. Do you agree with Maggie Haberman about the scope of what needs to be uncovered and really that THAT WE STILL MAY NOT KNOW A LOT?
I COMPLETELY AGREE. I MEAN, THE REALITY IS, IS WHAT WE KNOW, WHAT'S PUBLIC FACING, IS JUST PART OF THE I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF MASSIVE CORRUPTION THAT IS HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE AND ACROSS ALL OF OUR AGENCIES. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF PAY THE FAMILY ENRICHING THEMSELVES, THERE IS EVIDENCE OF THE FAMILY ENRICHING THEMSELVES CLEARLY. THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT EVERYTHING FROM PARDONS BEING SOLD TO CONTRACTS BEING IT'S NOT JUST THE PRESIDENCY ALONE IS TWO BILLION DOLLARS RICHER, JUST HIM, NOT TO MENTION THE REST OF HIS WHETHER IT'S CORRUPTION, WHETHER IT'S CORRUPTION, WHETHER IT'S THE PROTECTION OF PEDOFILES IN THE EPSTEEN SCANDAL, WHETHER IT'S GIVING OUT CONTRACTS TO FRIENDS, WHETHER IT'S SELLING ACCESS DIRECTLY TO THE WHITE HOUSE. THERE WILL BE SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S SO MUCH TO INVESTIGATE IN THE YEARS AHEAD THAT DONALD TRUMP AND HIS FAMILY HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND to be accountable to the American public.
And I want to talk about that because I think so many people are thinking about that. You're going to be in quite a hot, important seat about that. But first, I wanted to just get your thoughts about that series of events in the financial disclosures I mentioned at the top of the show, that basically Trump paused his Liberation Day tariffs leading to a stock market surge one day after 327 purchases were made in his name. Where everybody's I'M SURE YOU'RE STILL DIGGING THROUGH ALL OF THIS AS I'M SURE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE STAFF ARE, BUT WHAT DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT TIMING STRIKE YOU?
WELL, THE TIMING I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR TO MOST FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING AT THIS IS THAT THE TRUMP'S ARE ENRICHING THEMSELVES AND USING THE GOVERNMENT TO DO SO. WHILE PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD GAS, GROCERIES, THE TRUMP'S ARE TAKING PEOPLE'S HARD-EARNED WEALTH, GIVING IT TO THEMSELVES, GIVING TAX CUTS TO THEMSELVES AND THEIR FRIENDS AND THEN MANIPULATING WHETHER IT'S THE MARKET OR THEY ARE MANIPULATING THEIR RELATIONSHIPS OR USING OUR FOREIGN POLICY TO SELL OFF ACCESS AND MAKE THEMSELVES THAT IS THE MOST CORRUPT PERSON TO EVER HOLD OFFICE IN THIS COUNTRY. AND WE ARE GOING TO EXPOSE IT. I WILL ALSO SHARE THAT WE HAVE REPORTS FROM FOLKS AT OUR AGENCIES, WHISTLEBLOWERS, WE ARE BUILDING STRONG INVESTIGATIONS AND WE WILL MAKE THE CASE AND TAKE THIS CASE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. CERTAINLY WHEN WE HAVE THE POWER TO SUBPOENA AND HAVE ACTUAL HEARINGS, THAT THE TRUMP FAMILY IS A FAMILY THAT IS FOCUSED ON ENRICHING THEMSELVES AND NOTHING MORE.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW you're going to go about doing that. I know you're thinking about it, and Democrats have a very good shot of taking back power in the House, especially. The Trump sons, as I just noted this, they claim there is a firewall between them and their father. It's very hard to believe. I don't think that one particularly passes the smell test. How would you go about getting to the bottom of it? Does it involve bringing them up? What is the process that people should expect? You're preparing for come next January, February, potentially?
One, there is no firewall. Give me a break. That's hilarious. The Trump boys are, they follow their dad, whether it's on the new Qatari jet now, Air Force One around the world. When dad is out meeting with foreign dignitaries, the boys are right behind cutting real estate deals. Donald Trump Jr. is apparently now, of course, advisor and all of these new companies popping up. They're getting these huge contracts that are enriching the company and Donald Trump Jr. with defense contracts. And so what is happening right now is a complete grift. And it's going to be up to oversight THAT DEMOCRATS AND OTHER COMMITTEES TO INVESTIGATE, TO HAVE THE ACCOUNTABILITY. I SHARE WITH A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WHEN WE WIN THE WE WILL HAVE A FORWARD-LOOKING AGENDA AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. BUT SO IS ACCOUNTABILITY. WE CANNOT JUST MOVE ON FROM THE CORRUPTION AND FROM THE STEALING OF THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS' HARD-EARNED WEALTH. FOLKS LIKE DONALD TRUMP JR., ERIC TRUMP, JARED KUSHNER, STEPHEN MILLER, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE IN FRONT OF OUR COMMITTEE. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO ENSURE THAT THEY APPEAR. THERE'S ALREADY BEEN PRECEDENT, BY THE WAY, TO HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS OF PRESIDENTS APPEAR BEFORE OUR COMMITTEE, INCLUDING HUNTER BIDEN, WHO I'M STILL TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT ACTUALLY HE DID. WHERE WAS THE THESE GUYS ARE ACTUALLY STEALING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM ALL OF YOU AND FROM THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER. SO THE POWER OF SUBPOENA, INVESTIGATION, PUTTING WE ARE WORKING EVERY SINGLE DAY AND COORDINATING WITH COMMITTEES AND MY PARTNER JAMIE RASKIN ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE, ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT. AND WE'RE WORKING EVERY THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE ALL THE WAY THROUGH NOVEMBER AND ON DAY ONE YOU CAN EXPECT NUMEROUS SUBPOENAS GO OFF THE DOOR.
I THINK FOR ANYBODY WATCHING WHO IS JUST as pissed off as you sound and I am. And there's so many people are in this country about how much money this family is making off of the presidency. They're carrying you, and they're thinking like, that sounds great. And it does sound great. I I think, as you know, but people should know, you'd be taking the gavel if Democrats went back the House under unprecedented circumstances. I mean, there's Trump's weaponized Justice Department this term. They're going to continue. You won't have a partner in the DOJ. How are you going to approach this if they just say, I'm not going to appear? I'm not going to abide by the subpoena. I refuse. What what are you going to do without the cooperation from
I THINK WE HAVE TO START OUT WITH COURAGE. I THINK ONE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE THIS ON WITH EVERYTHING WE GOT AND KNOW THAT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS ALLIES ARE GOING TO WEAPONIZE THE GOVERNMENT AGAINST US IN THIS PROCESS. HE'S ALREADY SHOWN HE'S READY TO DO THAT. WE EXPECT HE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT GOING THROUGH THE FALL. AND HE'S GOING TO GO AFTER FOLKS ON OUR COMMITTEE AND THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING HIM ON. SO ONE, WE'VE GOT TO TAKE THIS ON WITH WE'VE GOT TO BE FEARLESS. WE'VE GOT TO BE FEARLESS. WE'VE GOT TO NOT ONLY BUILD NATIONAL SUPPORT LIKE WE'VE DONE WITH THE EPSON INVESTIGATION. IT'S THE SINGULAR MOST BIPARTISAN POPULAR ISSUE IN WE'VE GOT TO RECOGNIZE IT IN THE COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE SEE EYE TO EYE AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE BUILT SUPPORT, THE GRASSROOTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY GOING INTO PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND ON WE'VE GOT TO REACH FOLKS WHERE THEY ARE AT AND FINALLY WE'VE GOT TO USE OUR JUDICIAL POWERS ALONG WITH THEIR CONGRESSIONAL POWERS TO GO AFTER THE FAMILY, TO GO AFTER THE IN THE MAJORITY, AS YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE THE POWER TO SUE. IN THE MINORITY, YOU DON'T HAVE THE SAME ABILITY TO BRING LAWSUITS FORWARD TO THE COURT, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL COURT OR OTHER COURT. THAT'S A POWER THAT MOSTLY THE MAJORITY HAS. SO OUR ABILITY TO GO TO THE COURTS, TO USE OUR ALLIES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT WE WILL HAVE A CONGRESSIONAL POWER TO SUBPOENA AND DOCUMENTS IS GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT. THERE IS PRECEDENT FOR FAMILY MEMBERS TO APPEAR AND WE ARE GOING TO HAMMER THAT HOME. WE WILL HAVE WE ARE GOING TO REQUIRE THAT THE TRUMP, KUSHNERS AND OTHERS APPEAR BEFORE OUR COMMITTEE AND OTHERS.
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS JET BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A VISUAL OF TRUMP FLYING, I MEAN He flew for it on the first time today. The jet that was, of course, donated by Qatar, refurbished to the tune of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. Aside from the obvious issues here, which there are many, the fact that Trump says it will go to his presidential library instead of the next president is really hard to swallow. Do you see a way where taxpayers can keep it, where it stays as a product of the U .S. GOVERNMENT?
I THINK THERE'S SOME CONVERSATIONS AND CERTAINLY I THINK YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE SOME ACTIONS IN COURT ON THIS ISSUE. BUT LOOK, I THINK BROADLY SPEAKING, AS AN AMERICAN, I THINK ALL OF US SHOULD BE I WANT TO BE HORRIFIED OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, THAT ANY AMERICAN PRESIDENT, EVEN A CORRUPT ONE LIKE DONALD TRUMP, IS GOING TO BE FLYING AROUND ON A JET GIVEN TO US BY A FOREIGN NATION, AND HE'S GOING TO BE FLYING THIS JET ON THE 4th OF PART OF JULY, OVER THE MALL, CELEBRATING A FOREIGN NATION, JET, THAT HE PLANS ON THAT IS NOT PATRIOTISM. THAT IS NOT FEELING PROUD OF OUR COUNTRY AND EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD BE SICKENED BY this action by Donald Trump. And so that action, and being investigated, there are numerous committees looking at actually this plane because it's very suspect or we're not also feeling that this plane might even be secure from a national security CERTAINLY, WHETHER OR NOT HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP IT IS A QUESTION THAT I THINK WILL BE FOUGHT IN THE COURTS.
CONGRESSMAN ROBERT GARCIA, THERE'S ALWAYS SO MUCH TO talk with you about. Thank you again for being here tonight.