Interview with Michael Flynn; Interview with Rep. Adam Schiff
BLITZER: Welcome back we're standing by. We have the tape of Hillary Clinton. She just answered a whole bunch of questions aboard her plane on her flight from New York down to Florida. We're going to play that tape. She really goes after Donald Trump on a whole host of issues, including his refusal to release his tax returns, among other issues. We're going to get to that tape in a moment. Adam Schiff is with us, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Democrat from California. I want to get your reaction to what we just heard from retired Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, former head of the Defense Agency. What stood out to you?</s>REP. ADAM SCHIFF, (D), CALIFORNIA: What stood out to me, you asked him about not meeting with the Philippines president and Trump's claim he would have taken Air Force One away, is Flynn made it clear he believed we should stand up to bullies. When you asked him about Putin, he wasn't willing to say the man's name or showed no willingness to talk about Russia's involvement in hacking. For someone who has leaned so far forward in accusations, it was very notable he was unwilling to take on Russia and their cyber activity. It speaks a lot to Flynn's own relationship with Russian TV, the Kremlin mouthpiece, as well as the whole Trump's campaign's affection for the Russian dictator.</s>BLITZER: When you say Flynn's relationship on Russian TV, what do you mean by that?</s>SCHIFF: This is someone that appears on Russian television, who was invited to a dinner to sit next to Putin at that Russian TV's annual dinner. This is the propaganda arm of Putin, the Kremlin. To go to Moscow to say at times things disparaging of the United States, I think shows a closeness to the Russians that characterizes the entire Trump campaign. This is a candidate that has talked disparaging about NATO and speaks flatteringly of Putin, the fact that the Trump campaign is so infused with people that have a favorable opinion of this bully. Flynn, when you invited him to confront that bully, wasn't willing to. He was willing to talk about the Philippine president but not talk about someone who may be actively trying to involve ourselves in this.</s>BLITZER: What is the point you are trying to make about General Flynn, retired U.S. lieutenant general, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency? What's the point you are suggesting about his relationship with the Russian government?</s>SCHIFF: I think General Flynn, like so many surrounding Trump, and Trump himself, has a rosy view of Vladimir Putin. When he is asked to talk about Russia's interference, its hacking, he doesn't take the opportunity to talk about it. He said, I don't know anything about that. You'll have to ask the government. What kind of an answer is that?</s>BLITZER: What is the answer to that? Are the Russians directly interfering in the U.S. election process?</s>SCHIFF: On the basis of the public information, that he ought to be aware of, that I'm certainly aware of, there is very strong evidence of the Russians hacking into the DNC and into DCCC. There is very clear motivation for them to be behind the dumping of information as well. This is a pattern and practice we have seen the Russians undertake in Europe. It's consistent with their modus operandi. The fact that Flynn is unwilling to talk about it tells me that the Trump campaign is just too much in the corner of Vladimir Putin. That is very much against our national security interests. I would love to ask those people who signed that letter on behalf of the Trump campaign, those retired flag officers, what they think of Trump's disparagement of NATO and his glorification of Putin.</s>BLITZER: Do you believe the Russians are interfering, hacking, if you will, DNC computers, DCCC computers, Hillary Clinton's campaign, because they want Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States? Is that your suspicion?</s>SCHIFF: My suspicion, based on the public information, which is very powerful, is that the Russians want to interfere in our elections. They want to sow discord. They would prefer to see Donald Trump, for all the reasons I mentioned. They don't want to see Hillary Clinton as president because they know she will maintain sanctions against them and can build support for international sanctions, as she has as secretary of state. But it is as much about disrupting and discrediting American democracy. We are in a fight over ideas. They are holding up their authoritarian model. We are holding up the democratic model.</s>BLITZER: Congressman Schiff, thanks so much for coming in.</s>SCHIFF: Thanks, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Adam Schiff is the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. Up next, we are standing by for Hillary Clinton. She is getting ready to take the stage in Tampa for a campaign rally. We'll go there live when she is on the stage. Stay with us. Much more right after this.