‘Incredibly shameful’: Rep. Garcia slams lawmakers on handling of Bondi testimony

[0:00] Joining us now, Democratic Congressman of California, Robert Garcia, [0:03] ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. [0:06] Good to have you back on the program, Congressman. [0:08] Have you spoken to the chairman about this? [0:12] So our teams have been communicating, but I spoke to Chairman Comer not too long ago, [0:16] and I think we all reminded him that at the end of the day, [0:20] this subpoena that's in place for the attorney general was a vote of the entire committee. [0:24] And so that subpoena has already gone out. [0:27] The attorney general is set to appear on April 14th. [0:30] The only way to reverse that decision is for the entire committee to actually take a re-vote [0:36] because it was bipartisan. [0:38] All Democrats, a handful of Republicans, including Representative Mace that you just referenced. [0:43] And so as far as we're concerned, this subpoena is moving forward. [0:47] We need her testimony. [0:48] Why are half of the Epstein files not presented to the Congress yet? [0:51] Why was Ghislaine Maxwell moved to a less secure facility? [0:54] There are real questions for the AG. [0:56] And now that she is leaving her office, I think, which was the right decision, [1:00] she has a chance. [1:00] To be honest with the American public and to be honest with the Congress. [1:04] Well, do you think there is, though, a chance that he pushes it to a re-vote? [1:08] And if there is a re-vote, can you hold those numbers? [1:12] I think we would hold those numbers. [1:13] I think it would be, one, incredibly shameful to now somehow want to hide the truth. [1:19] I mean, we've heard from AGs and former AGs as relates to the Epstein case. [1:24] We've had these these depositions of the idea that someone that's about to be under oath [1:29] in just about two weeks in front of our committee. [1:31] Somehow we're going to re-vote to not allow her to actually speak, I think, is an insult [1:36] to the investigation and, quite frankly, to the survivors. [1:39] The survivors are demanding. [1:41] They want Pam Bondi to be questioned. [1:43] And the fact that Republicans would go against their vote and take a re-vote, I think, is [1:49] pretty ridiculous. [1:49] And I would expect that the Republicans that voted with us in that initial subpoena would [1:54] hold their votes. [1:56] We have seen, though, Congressman, and you well know this, that Pam Bondi can be combative [2:00] when giving public testimony. [2:02] Before Congress. [2:03] So let's say she does appear. [2:05] Do you have a real hope that, first of all, she might have a different approach, given [2:10] she's no longer working for the Trump administration, and that you would learn something [2:14] substantive from her? [2:17] I mean, of course, that would be our hope. [2:19] Look, I think, obviously, the AG, we've seen her in other hearings. [2:23] This would be her first hearing, though, exclusively on the Epstein investigation. [2:27] I think that's something the American public and the survivors are demanding, but deserve. [2:33] As it relates to her testimony, she has a real opportunity now. [2:37] She's not going to be working for the president here very soon. [2:41] So she has a real opportunity to do right by the survivors, to be honest, to give the [2:46] full truth under oath, and perhaps we can gain some information. [2:49] Look, there's been a cover-up happening at the White House as it relates to the Epstein [2:54] files. [2:55] Well, now is her chance for the truth. [2:57] Now is her chance to actually uplift and support the stories of the survivors. [3:01] And so that's going to be on her. [3:02] But we've got some real questions and tough questions prepared for her. [3:06] And, of course, this is all in about two weeks. [3:08] April 14th is the date. [3:09] So we expect her to come in. [3:11] Four people familiar with the situation tell MSNOW that President Trump is considering [3:15] a number of possible replacements for Bondi. [3:17] They include the EPA administrator, Lee Seldon, Republican Senator Eric Schmidt, [3:22] U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, former Trump lawyer Alina Haba, and, of course, [3:27] the interim AG now, Todd Blanch. [3:29] Would you have confidence in any of those potential picks? [3:32] I would. [3:34] I would not. [3:35] And for a couple of reasons. [3:36] I mean, one, let's not forget who the president is. [3:39] The president is the one that has weaponized the Department of Justice. [3:43] He's been the one that's been pushing the DOJ and the FBI to attack and weaponize against [3:49] his political enemies. [3:50] And so anyone that he selects, particularly from that list, their job is going to be to [3:54] protect Donald Trump, not to carry out justice, not to actually support the mission of the [3:59] DOJ, which should be separate from the White House. [4:03] And that's always been the case. [4:04] And you've had that from both Republican and Democratic AGs. [4:07] And now we have something completely different. [4:09] Donald Trump expects whoever the attorney general is not to work for the people, but to work [4:14] directly for him. [4:15] The attorney general is not the president's lawyer. [4:19] That's not the job of the attorney general. [4:20] But I think that's what his expectation is. [4:22] And so we'll see who he selects. [4:23] But look, it's someone like Todd Blanch. [4:25] I mean, Todd Blanch has been at the center of the Epstein Files cover-up from the DOJ. [4:30] That's Donald Trump's former personal lawyer. [4:32] And so what you see on that list is a lot of people who have been at the center of the EPSI files cover-up from the DOJ. [4:32] And so what you see on that list is a lot of people who have been at the center of the EPSI files cover-up from the DOJ. [4:32] And so what you see on that list is a lot of people who have been at the center of the EPSI files cover-up from the DOJ. [4:36] I want to ask you before you go about what's unfolding in Iran right now, where, of course, [4:41] there is a search operation underway for the one crew member of the downed U.S. fighter jet in Iran [4:45] who has not yet been recovered. [4:48] And obviously, our major concern right now is for him. [4:52] It's for the very highly trained professionals who are working to rescue him. [4:58] Having said that, what do you think this means for the war going forward? [5:01] I mean, look, my position, [5:05] it hasn't changed from day one. [5:07] We're in a war with no clear mission, no clear objective, and no clear outcome. [5:12] I think it's a shame what's happening. [5:14] Obviously, all of our thoughts right now and our prayers are with the families and everyone that's being impacted. [5:22] But at the end of the day, Donald Trump should be focused on affordability, [5:26] focused on lowering the cost of gas, lowering the cost of groceries, which are going through the roof. [5:30] But we're seeing across this country health care costs go up, gas costs go up. [5:35] Groceries are not. [5:36] That's not coming down. [5:36] And now we're in another four-four. [5:37] Well, then can I ask you, do you worry, Congressman, that this could extend the war and, by extension, [5:45] the economic problems that have occurred as a result of it? [5:50] Sure. [5:51] But I don't think that we had some sort of exit strategy in the first place. [5:54] I mean, Donald Trump addressed the nation just a day ago, and he said nothing about [6:00] us actually exiting the war. [6:02] And, in fact, we were expecting some type of direction, and we got nothing. [6:06] So, as far as I'm concerned— [6:06] Well, I think this is a great question. [6:07] This is a great question. [6:08] And I think this is a great concern. [6:09] Donald Trump right now is in it for himself. [6:10] He has no interest, actually, in actually closing this gap that people are facing here [6:15] on the ground in the United States as it relates to their own affordability. [6:18] And I am concerned that this war continues to go on with no mission. [6:22] We're losing American lives. [6:24] People, of course, are being impacted. [6:26] Now we have this rescue mission that's happening right now, and we have no direction. [6:31] We're spending billions and billions of dollars. [6:34] We can be using those funds to actually focus on support. [6:36] We're not going to be spending billions on those dollars. [6:36] And we're not going to be spending billions on those dollars. [6:36] I think that's a big question. [6:37] I think that's a big question. [6:37] supporting families, child care, health care expansion, facing our roads and our schools [6:41] across this country. But instead, we continue to invest in a foreign war that nobody wants. [6:47] Congressman Robert Garcia, thank you.