'Donald Trump is the biggest liar in the history of American politics': Rep. Garcia

[0:00] Just before the break, we were telling you about the new push by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee to get answers about Trump's reflecting pool renovations. [0:08] On that note, I want to bring in ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia. [0:12] Congressman, I got a lot of questions. Which questions do you have? [0:17] A lot of questions. I mean, look, it is just crazy that Donald Trump has been obsessed with this reflecting pool, [0:23] giving contracts to his donor friends, having no bids to fix this reflecting pool. [0:30] Yet he's not going to focus, of course, on the things that Americans actually care about, which is affordability, groceries, the price of rent, the cost for child care. [0:38] And the president continues to lie, not just about the reflecting pool, but about the destruction of all of our monuments across D.C. [0:47] And so we are launching an investigation. We've sent out information to the two companies that are involved with the reflecting pool. [0:54] We may not get answers from the White House, but we expect both of these companies to provide us answers as to what is going on. [1:01] What do they promise the White House? What did the White House ask them to do and why this has been a complete failure? [1:09] You've seen what's happened. People are interested. It's time they answer questions. [1:12] I want just to remind everyone what the president has said about the strength of these renovations. [1:20] This was back in May. Take a listen. [1:24] This will last for at least 50 years. You'll never have a leak. It's very strong. [1:28] You couldn't if you had a knife. I don't want to give anybody ideas. [1:32] If you had a knife, you can't even cut it. So strong, so powerful, powerful rubber. [1:37] It is beautiful. Sealed. And I looked at just one of the little pieces that they did, the finish. [1:43] It's like a piece of glass. Beautiful color, beautiful everything. You could never get anything like that. [1:49] OK, so keep that in mind, the fact that knives and slashes are top of mind, along with Herbert Hoover for the president. [1:56] And then put it side by side, Congressman, with this reporting from The New York Times. [1:59] They obtained government documents and what happened at the pool seems to be unclear. [2:05] While a June 9th report by the U.S. Park Police described the cuts as razor blade slashes made along a 20-foot-long stretch of the foam, [2:13] the administration has yet to present evidence supporting that assertion. [2:16] How can it be that he's made this big, beautiful, reflecting pool that's going to be so strong, [2:22] we're not going to have to come back to it for 20 years, and then supposedly someone with a knife can just slash right through it? [2:28] I hope the American public have realized that Donald Trump is essentially the biggest liar in the history of American politics. [2:35] I mean, the lies, the gaslighting, the way he just looks at the American people straight in the face and continues to lie and lie, it's become comical. [2:47] And I think what's bizarre about this situation is the president was so obsessed about the way he wanted the pool to look. [2:53] He's been so obsessed about renovating D.C. and the way he wants to see it. [2:57] And then when it doesn't go his way, he will lie and lie and lie and not give the American public the actual truth. [3:03] The reality is that what's happening right now at the pool is a complete disaster. [3:09] There is algae everywhere. [3:11] We know the paint has obviously come up to the top of the pool. [3:14] Wildlife have been put in danger. [3:16] It's now being closed to the public. [3:18] The National Guard are arresting civilians that are trying to look and visit the pool. [3:24] It is one of the biggest disasters that's happening right now in the district, [3:30] and all thanks to President Trump. [3:33] And it's not just the pool. [3:34] You think about the pool. [3:36] You think about the ballroom. [3:37] You think about the arts that Trump wants to build to probably celebrate himself. [3:41] These are basically the ideas of a man that wants to control the district, [3:47] that wants to be the king, that views himself as an authoritarian. [3:51] He wants essentially all of these memorials, whether it's the Kennedy Center or the ballroom, [3:56] he wants them to be tributes to himself. [3:58] And so enough, we're going to investigate any company that is choosing to work with the administration [4:04] and is going to be part of destroying these monuments. [4:07] That's why we sent these two letters out. [4:09] And these two companies are on notice. [4:10] They better respond. [4:12] I've only got about 30 seconds left, [4:14] but we did get the transcripts of both the Gates interview vis-a-vis Epstein and Groff's interview. [4:21] Give me your top line from either of those conversations. [4:24] Well, with Ms. Groff, it's clear that she admits to connecting Epstein with President Trump multiple times. [4:31] She said she would connect them often throughout a given year. [4:34] And so this idea that they weren't friendly or they didn't communicate is a lie. [4:39] They obviously had a strong relationship. [4:41] As it relates to Mr. Gates, look, I don't... [4:45] Mr. Gates may have not known what he was doing according to himself. [4:48] What he did know is that Jeffrey Epstein was a sex offender and convicted of a crime [4:53] and continued and chose to continue to hang around with them [4:56] and try to gain wealth for his foundation. [4:58] That is wrong, and everyone should be disgusted by it, regardless of what Mr. Gates has said. [5:03] Congressman Robert Garcia, should you get any answers to that letter, [5:07] please come back and let us know. [5:08] Thank you so much for being with us. [5:10] Thank you.