Rep. John Garamendi: Trump Is Putting Us on ‘Very Dangerous Road’ with Cabinet Picks, ‘FBI Is Going To Be Wiretapping’

ANNOUNCER: “This is CNN Breaking News.”
Dean: “Our breaking news tonight, President-Elect Donald Trump announcing he intends to nominate Kash Patel to head up the FBI. Currently, the director of the FBI is Chris Wray, who is in the middle of serving a 10-year term. He came to be the director in 2017 after then-President Trump fired James Comey. That is when Chris Wray was nominated and confirmed by the Senate. He has been in that role now for several years. Typically, FBI directors serve out those 10-year terms and are not at the whim of whichever president may be in power. Joining us now, Democratic Congressman John Garamendi of California. Congressman, thanks so much for being here with us. I first just want to get your reaction to this breaking news we’re getting tonight.”
GARAMENDI: “It’s very troublesome. Throughout the entire campaign, people said, ‘Oh, he’s just talking. That’s just political rhetoric.’ As Trump said, ‘I am your retribution and the revenge agenda.’ And now we’re seeing it play out, not only with this nominee for the FBI, but also for the military. You take a look at all of the appointments. They are part of a strategy that the president has laid out to put in place his campaign promises, which is retribution, to seek revenge on his political enemies. And in his own words, Mr. Patel has made it very, very clear what he thinks he will do to the press and he’ll do to political opponents. It is a very dangerous, a very, very dangerous road on which Trump is putting us.”
Dean: “And you mentioned that he is carrying out on his campaign promises. It wasn’t that he was holding this back or not being open. He talked a lot about political retribution, and yet Americans made him president again. What do you make of that?”
GARAMENDI: “Well, what I make of it is that, oh, that’s just talk, that’s just how — that’s just talk at the campaign trail, all politicians talk about things they’re going to do, but they’re never going to do it. Well, heads up, folks, he intends to do it. You look at all of the appointments that he’s made, not necessarily in law enforcement, you look at the environmental issues, he said we’re going to drill, baby, drill. And he’s put in place people that intend to make sure that the United States drills and goes for oil everywhere that they possibly can. That’s on the environmental side. He said he’d roll back the environmental protections, and he will do that or at least attempt to do it. And so, believe him, believe what Trump said. And what — and now you’re seeing it play out here with this nominee for the FBI, which is an extraordinarily important place. You think about J. Edgar Hoover. Politicians lived in fear for 20, almost 30 years, because Hoover was using the FBI to spy on their personal lives, their political lives and their economic lives, and Hoover used that as a tool to gain control. Now, Patel has made very, very clear who he’s going after. He’s going after you. He’s going after other media personnel who disagree with him, who are outspoken in opposition to Trump’s policies. Patel has promised to do that. Believe him. It is a very serious path that Trump is putting us on, and it will lead to a significant diminution in our political, our social, as well as our democratic processes here in the United States. So beware, be very, very aware of what Trump is doing.”
Dean: “And so, in this case, you know, obviously, the check on the incoming president’s power lies with the Senate. This is a Senate-confirmed position. We’re just reminding everyone that the Republicans will have a majority, but it’s a small majority. And so they don’t — you know, they’re still going to — you still have to work to get people through a Republican-led Senate, as evidenced by Matt Gaetz dropping out from being nominated for Attorney General after it became clear that was just not going to happen for him. Obviously, Congressman, you are a Democrat that serves in the House, so not a Senate Republican, but I am curious how you think that will go, if you think Senate Republicans will go for this.”
GARAMENDI: “Well, let’s be very much aware, the FBI can investigate Democrats, independents, Republicans, and most anybody else in the United States. And so, the power of the FBI to investigate senators is significant. Even though those senators are Republicans, maybe they’re Democrats, but those investigations strike fear into the individual senators, as well as members of Congress and wannabe members of Congress, and that is a method of controlling the oversight and the balance of power between the Congress, the courts, as well as the presidency. And so, using the FBI as a tool, an investigatory tool striking fear, in other words keeping, in this case, the Republicans in line, I would suggest it’s going to happen. I think certainly the Democrats and the press and others who spoke out strongly against Trump during the campaigns and before and during the course of his administration will be looking over their shoulders always thinking, ‘The FBI, is there wiretapping? I’ve got to be careful. I can’t speak out.’ And there is the process, day-by-day, issue-by-issue, in which we lose our freedom.”
Dean: “All right, Congressman Garamendi, thank you for coming on and offering your thoughts. We really appreciate it.”
GARAMENDI: “Thank you.”