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<v Speaker 1>Future of the Justice Department on the line. I want

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<v Speaker 1>to bring in Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. He's a

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<v Speaker 1>member of the Judiciary Committee. Senator, what is your reaction

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<v Speaker 1>to what you just heard from Bill Cassidy today, the

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<v Speaker 1>reasoning that he laid out and basically how he got

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<v Speaker 1>to yes, even an unenthusiastic one.

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<v Speaker 2>Deep disappointment because this vote is so cravingly wrong for

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<v Speaker 2>the country as well as ulimately, I think for Senator Cassidy,

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<v Speaker 2>I think it will go down as one of his

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<v Speaker 2>graver mistakes. And not surprising because I have predicted along

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<v Speaker 2>that Republicans would support Lanche in spite of his being

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<v Speaker 2>unfit and his being more loyal to the president than

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<v Speaker 2>to the Constitution or to the country. And so I

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<v Speaker 2>am really disappointed, but not surprise.

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<v Speaker 1>You know. At one point, Cassidy complained about what he

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<v Speaker 1>described as a quote cycle of presidents using the DOJ

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<v Speaker 1>to prosecute their enemies, and then he said this, Listen.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm realistic that President Trump can be unrelenting on this,

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<v Speaker 3>but this will be true no matter who the Attorney

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<v Speaker 3>general is. When former Attorney General Bill Bohr endorsed mister Blanche.

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<v Speaker 3>He said, mister Blanche will run the department as effectively

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<v Speaker 3>as anyone can under President Trump. Some have called that

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<v Speaker 3>thanked praise. I don't think that it is. I think

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<v Speaker 3>it is a reality.

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<v Speaker 1>As effectively as anyone can under President Trump. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>Cassidy was clear he had what he was saying were

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<v Speaker 1>law fair concerns, But it sounds like he's taking those,

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<v Speaker 1>recognizing that they might be real, and saying, well, it

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't really matter, we can't do much about it anyway,

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<v Speaker 1>and he might put someone worse in.

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<v Speaker 2>That's why this vote is so equally disappointed, because, in effect,

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<v Speaker 2>it's an abdication of responsibility. You know, the Senate of

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<v Speaker 2>the United States, in its advice and consent function, has

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<v Speaker 2>to take a stand in favor of the rule of

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<v Speaker 2>law and against conflicts of interest and corruption, which Todd

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<v Speaker 2>Blanche will enable President Trump to do. Whether it is

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<v Speaker 2>the cryptocurrency corruption that has enabled Donald Trump to make

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<v Speaker 2>one point four billion dollars last year a loan, or

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<v Speaker 2>the Monuments and the Arch and the ballroom of the

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<v Speaker 2>East Wing, which involves donations and contributions to his pack

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<v Speaker 2>or other projects, or simply this sham Sledge fund I

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<v Speaker 2>call it a thud fund one point eight billion dollars

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<v Speaker 2>to the people who rioted and were convicted of felonies

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<v Speaker 2>and then the tax community. He's enabling Donald Trump's corruption,

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<v Speaker 2>and to say that somebody else would do the same thing,

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<v Speaker 2>I think is really ducking and dodging an essential responsibility.

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<v Speaker 1>I also can't help but think about the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>Bill Cassidy has been in this position before. He was

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<v Speaker 1>really the lynchpin on RFK Junior. He got some assurances

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<v Speaker 1>that RFK Junior seemingly renegged on when it came to

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<v Speaker 1>vaccine credibility. Vaccine denialism is what he ended up getting

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<v Speaker 1>from RFK Junior. Not exactly shocking when you look at

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<v Speaker 1>the pattern. But I wonder if there is a conversation

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<v Speaker 1>among the Republicans that you talk to that this is

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<v Speaker 1>an administration that going along to get along doesn't seem

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<v Speaker 1>to work. Because he got on board with that and

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<v Speaker 1>still got primaried effectively by a Trump backed candidate. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>is there a recognition of that, And if there is

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<v Speaker 1>or there isn't, do you, as Democrats think that there

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<v Speaker 1>is any future moment where these Republicans will vote any

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<v Speaker 1>differently or does it not matter to the political stakes

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<v Speaker 1>that they no longer have to be beholden to not

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<v Speaker 1>change the underlying fact that they are just still Republicans.

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<v Speaker 2>As I said when I was asked repeatedly what Republicans

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<v Speaker 2>would do on this vote, I've seen this movie before,

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<v Speaker 2>we all have, and unfortunately it has ended this way before.

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<v Speaker 2>But ultimately, the answer to Republicans' lack of spine will

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<v Speaker 2>be at the ballot box. Senator Cassidy was defeated because

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<v Speaker 2>Donald Trump opposed him in the primary, and you would

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<v Speaker 2>think he'd be liberated by in effect having nothing left

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<v Speaker 2>to lose. That is part of why I'm so deeply disappointed,

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<v Speaker 2>because this vote could have been a matter of conscience

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<v Speaker 2>and conviction, and I think that his vote for Blanche

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<v Speaker 2>is simply more evidence that the Trump cult is alive

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<v Speaker 2>and well in the Republican Party. He has taken over

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<v Speaker 2>that party, and Democrats need to be strong in mobilizing

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<v Speaker 2>support at the ballot box against Republicans. We should have

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<v Speaker 2>no illusions that somehow Republicans are going to break ranks

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<v Speaker 2>and follow their conscience or conviction. We need to take

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<v Speaker 2>back control of the Senate as well as the House.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's probably the right conclusion to draw. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>we're talking about Cassidy's vote. It's really the promise of

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<v Speaker 1>a vote. Do you have any sense of when the blanche,

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<v Speaker 1>the vote itself is actually going to be.

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<v Speaker 2>We are learning right now what the schedule is going

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<v Speaker 2>to be for the rest of the day. We're voting

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<v Speaker 2>on the Russian sanctions bill, which I champion with Senator Graham,

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<v Speaker 2>really evidence that we can cooperate and work together on

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<v Speaker 2>a bipartisan basis. The vote will be overwhelming in favor

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<v Speaker 2>of scorching sledgehammer sanctions and tariffs against the purchasers of

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<v Speaker 2>Russian oil and gas that are fueling Putin's war machine.

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<v Speaker 2>His slaughter of Ukrainians literally every night with hundreds of

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<v Speaker 2>missiles and drones. As you well know and others who

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<v Speaker 2>are watching it is the war crime of this century.

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<v Speaker 2>And we are saying to Vladmir Putin, and he's probably

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<v Speaker 2>watching the Senate right now, we will stand with Ukraine

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<v Speaker 2>and g Ukraine were saying you are not alone in

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<v Speaker 2>a very bipartisan way.

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<v Speaker 1>This is some of the final work that Senator Graham

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<v Speaker 1>was doing before he died. You were his partner in this.

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<v Speaker 1>You and I have had so many conversations about this

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<v Speaker 1>bill because it's one of the rare pieces of legislation

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<v Speaker 1>that had upwards of eighty co sponsors, it was bipartisan,

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<v Speaker 1>and yet it sort of languished in the Senate for

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<v Speaker 1>over a year because Republican leadership was waiting for a

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<v Speaker 1>high sign from the White House to say, all right,

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<v Speaker 1>go ahead, you can put it on the floor. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>I understand the diplomatic reasons that that was done, but

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<v Speaker 1>when you talk to the Ukrainians and when you and

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<v Speaker 1>Senator Graham were having conversations with people like Zelenski, how

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<v Speaker 1>much time and leverage was lost because this bill was

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<v Speaker 1>waited on. I recognize what you're saying about the impact

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<v Speaker 1>it'll have now, but it could have had that impact

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<v Speaker 1>a year ago.

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<v Speaker 2>That is a really important, excellent point. Ali and Senator

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<v Speaker 2>Graham and I went to Ukraine together seven or eight times.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been there ten times. And Zelensky came here just

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<v Speaker 2>last week and his message to us was, we need

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<v Speaker 2>the tariffs bill. It has been a constant refrain of

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<v Speaker 2>mine and it was of Senator Graham's, and ultimately, fortunately

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<v Speaker 2>the White House has sided with US. President Trump has

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<v Speaker 2>said he will sign this bill. Ukraine has turned the tide.

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<v Speaker 2>It is now taking back territory. It's reaching deep into

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<v Speaker 2>Russia with missiles and drones, and I think President Trump

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<v Speaker 2>has recognized that Zelensky has cards that he can play,

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<v Speaker 2>Ukraine has tools that they can use to finish the job.

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<v Speaker 2>Their fight is our fight because Putin will continue this

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<v Speaker 2>slaughterish aggression against our allies, and we will have an

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<v Speaker 2>obligation to put our own sons and daughters in harm's

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<v Speaker 2>way if he attacked Poland or Sweden or Finland or

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<v Speaker 2>any of the Baltic states, and so our own national

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<v Speaker 2>security at state. That recognition underlying President Trump's support, I

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<v Speaker 2>think is tremendously important. I'd argue it's overdue, but today

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<v Speaker 2>we're taking an important step in the right direction.

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<v Speaker 1>And I know you rushed here from the Senate floor

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<v Speaker 1>to make this live shot with us. I really appreciate that.

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<v Speaker 1>I can also give you an update. No vote is

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<v Speaker 1>official until it's gabbled, but it does look like this

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<v Speaker 1>sanctions built right now has enough support to pass the

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<v Speaker 1>vote currently sixty five to nine, which makes sense a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of bipartisan co sponsors. But Senator Richard Blumenthal, thank

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<v Speaker 1>you for coming on talking with us about that and

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<v Speaker 1>all the other news up in the Senate right now.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you