Transcript: Rep. Jim Jordan on "Face the Nation," March 24, 2019
The following is a transcript of the interview with Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio that aired Sunday, March 24, 2019, on "Face the Nation."
MARGARET BRENNAN: We now turn now to Congressman Jim Jordan, ranking member on the House Oversight Committee and a member of the Judiciary Committee and he joins us from Columbus, Ohio. Congressman as we've said, no one really has seen this report just yet.
REPRESENTATIVE JIM JORDAN: Yeah.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Can you actually claim vindication? A lot of Republicans seem to be seeing that here.
REP. JORDAN: Well we want to read the report first. But what I do know is not-- to date not one bit of evidence to show any type of coordination, collusion, conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election. So that's been-- that-- we- we've sort of known that for a long time--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Or at least none that rises to beyond a reasonable doubt--
REP. JORDAN: Well--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --and can be prosecuted.
REP. JORDAN: Well under- understand this, when this thing all started back in May of 2017 the Justice Department had already been looking into this issue for-- they- they started in 2016, late summer 2016. And all the way up until the special counsel's named in May of 2017 there was no evidence of collusion at that point either because when we deposed Lisa Page, when we deposed Jim Comey they both told us, up until the point that Comey left the FBI, there was no evidence of collusion. Now, 22 months later there still doesn't appear to be any evidence of any type of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to impact the election. We'll read the report and we'll see what it says but that seems to be the- the facts as we know them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you no longer believe that the Mueller Report is a hoax or a scam as the president has called it?
REP. JORDAN: I- I've not called it that. In fact the president has let the Muell--
MARGARET BRENNAN: But the president called it that.
REP. JORDAN: The president- the president has let the Mueller report--
MARGARET BRENNAN: But you--
REP. JORDAN: --play out. I me-- understand this Margaret, everyone got what they- what they-- go back to May of 2017, all the Democrats, all the Republicans in Washington D.C. said we need a special counsel and they got the guy they wanted. They got Bob Mueller, the guy who everyone said is right next to Jesus- can almost walk on water, they got the guy they wanted. He now has his report. And- and it looks like--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right and you--
REP. JORDAN: It looks like it's not going to be--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --tried to file articles of impeachment against the deputy attorney general who- who helped put him in place. Sir, you have been a skeptic of this probe from the beginning
REP. JORDAN: That's because- that's because--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you now
REP. JORDAN: Rod Rosenstein- well--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --accept its findings and believe it has integrity?
REP. JORDAN: Well all I'm saying is the Democrats when they- now- it seems like they now think that this is not going to be the bombshell they thought it was going to be. So they're launching all kinds of new fishing expeditions. They bring in Michael Cohen for goodness sake. They're first announced witness of the 116th Congress. Michael Cohen, a guy who's going to prison in six month- or six weeks for lying to Congress. They bring him in and what does he do? He lies to Congress again. We think at least seven times. So Jerry Nadler sends 81 letters to 60 some different people. So they're launching all kinds of new fishing expeditions to find more information--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well--
REP. JORDAN: Because they're bound and determined to go after the president--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --but you- but Congressman you know--
REP. JORDAN: -- in spite of the amazing--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --that as we said at the beginning of the program, 34 people were indicted. Three companies, aides including the--
REP. JORDAN: --Margaret--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
MARGARET BRENNAN: They had admitted to breaking the law.
REP. JORDAN: Margaret--
MARGARET BRENNAN: So can you admit--
REP. JORDAN: What was the central--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --that this was not a witch hunt?
REP. JORDAN: What was the central charge of the Mueller investigation- of the special counsel investigation? It was to look at potential--
MARGARET BRENNAN: Any link to coordination between Russia and anything related.
REP. JORDAN: Ex- no it was to--
MARGARET BRENNAN: And anything else that came up--
REP. JORDAN: Any type of coordination or conspiracy or collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to steal the election. Remember what Adam Schiff said. We have more than circumstantial evidence to point to collusion to do just what the charge was. But we have not seen it.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. But Congressman because you're deciding to put aside those indictments and guilty pleas it- it appears--
REP. JORDAN: I'm not saying that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --you're picking and choosing this, when you're- you're picking the outcome you like and looking away--
REP. JORDAN: No I'm not.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --from the ones you didn't.
REP. JORDAN: No I'm not. Those people-- they did things wrong.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So--
REP. JORDAN: They're going to have to pay the consequence for that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay.
REP. JORDAN: We understand that. But that wasn't the charge of the special counsel investigation. It was to look at that one fundamental issue. We'll read the report and see what it says. But all indications are that there is no-- and no-- and I- I've seen no evidence. Now almost two and a half years of them investigating, I've seen no evidence of any type of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to impact the election.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.
REP. JORDAN: And neither have you.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well-- Bu- but that's not the- the question we're waiting to see this report. But but more broadly, I mean for Americans. Should they look at this and while yes, there's no indictable offenses that we have seen yet from the special counsel related to the Russia probe or the allegation of conspiracy with Russia. There are all these instances that ethically look questionable that- the president's son agreeing to meet with Russian intermediaries to get dirt on Hillary Clinton. A number of different things along the way that came to light in the course of this investigation, not disclosing to primary voters that the president was seeking business deals in Russia. Do those things morally sit right with you?
REP. JORDAN: Look we'll- we'll read the report and we'll see what- what the special counsel has to say about that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well those are things we already know and I'm asking you ethically, morally?
REP. JORDAN: Here's what I know about the president. In two- in two and a half years as President of the United States, we have seen regulations cut, we have seen taxes reduce, we have seen the economy growing at an unbelievable rate, we have seen--
MARGARET BRENNAN: You're diverting.
REP. JORDAN: --the lowest unemployment in 50 years. No, I'm telling you the truth. I was with the president last Wednesday in- in- right here in Ohio, and I saw the response he got from citizens in our district. The people lined up on the streets cheering him because--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --but those specific examples--
REP. JORDAN: --they- they know we have Gorsuch and Kavanaugh--
MARGARET BRENNAN: --you're- you feel--
REP. JORDAN: --on the court.
MARGARET BRENNAN: --ethically, are fine with you.
REP. JORDAN: I- I'm saying, that wasn't the charge of the Special Counsel investiga-- we're- we're focused on Mr. Mueller's report and I hope it's made public, I hope Bill Barr is- he said he's going to follow the law, make as much public as he can in consultation with Rod Rosenstein and Bob Mueller and we will read the report. But what I do know is it's been an amazing two and a half years under the president's leadership and I think the American people appreciate that. And I know the central charge of the Special Counsel investigation was to look at collusion and there's been zero evidence, zero evidence of any type of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the election. Other things that have happened, people who've done things wrong, they're gonna be held accountable for that. That's the way it's supposed to work in this great country, and that's-- but- but- on the central issue, no evidence whatsoever.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, thank you very much.