DPCC Co-Chair Cicilline Discusses President’s Efforts to Undermine Russia Investigation

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WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman David Cicilline, Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy & Communications Committee (DPCC), appeared on MSNBC's On the Record with Greta Van Susteren to discuss the ongoing investigations into Trump-Russia ties. Congressman Cicilline highlighted Trump's character assault on special counsel Robert Mueller – and commented on Trump's admission that his previous claim that he had tapes of his private conversation with Director Comey was untrue. Below are excerpts from the interview. Click here to watch the video.

"It should be clear that the President doesn't have the authority to fire Robert Mueller. He is appointed by the Attorney General, in this case the [Deputy] Attorney General since Jeff Sessions has recused himself. That's the person who hired him, and that's the person that can fire him. The President would have to direct Rod Rosenstein to do it, if he declined he would have to fire Rod Rosenstein and find someone else willing to follow his order. This is a decision of the [Deputy] Attorney General not the President."

"Robert Mueller has impeccable integrity. When he was confirmed to be the FBI Director, the vote was 98 to zero, every Republican and every Democrat supported him. His reputation is impeccable no one has questioned his professionalism. He has the ability to conduct this Russian investigation.

"This investigation is about whether or not the Russian interference in our election included collusion from the Trump campaign. Jim Comey relates to one part of a potential obstruction of justice by the President. The investigation, the central part of this inquiry is what the Russians did to interfere with our Presidential election, and whether or not the Trump campaign was included. The fact that he has a friendship with a potential witness is [irrelevant]."

"This is an effort by the President to undermine Robert Mueller and if he thought he couldn't do this job objectively and impartially he would recuse himself. I absolutely don't believe it's appropriate. When you talk about the purpose and the scope of this investigation it has to do with Russian interference with our Presidential election and whether or not there is collusion between that and the Trump campaign. Jim Comey's involvement, if any, was when he was the victim of the attempt to obstruct justice and was discharged, that doesn't relate to the underlying investigation about Russia's conduct."

"I think it is very clear by the President's own admission today that his hope was to force Jim Comey to tell the truth. I think most of us believed he was going to tell the truth under oath anyway…I think it was a dumb tweet, I don't think it's witness intimidation because Jim Comey was apparently trying to be bullied into being truthful, he was going to be truthful anyway. I think the President proved by saying there might be tapes out there when Jim Comey testifies thinking there might be tapes that gives more veracity to his testimony. The President proved Jim Comey was a truthful person under oath unwittingly by making that tweet, so I don't think that amounts to obstruction."