Four Days Away from Possible Partial Government Shutdown.
CAMEROTA: New details are emerging from a newly-released report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election. and we have learned that Russians did not stop after President Trump's win. An analysis shows that Russian trolls targeted Robert Mueller after he was named special counsel and a host of other things that you probably read on your social media accounts. Joining us now is Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland. Senator Cardin is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator, this -- the findings of this report are so chilling, because it turns out out that the Russian interference was so much deeper and more insidious even than we knew. And it's hard to see how any American was immune from this. I mean, here are some of the things that they tried to inject toxicity into our world. I mean, not just the election. They aimed to increase support for Julian Assange. They aimed to erode support for Robert Mueller and James Comey. They specifically targeted African- Americans, really sowing discord in that community, trying to kind of gin up outrage. They pushed turnout depression, saying, "Stay home on election day. Your vote doesn't matter." They did all sorts of text to vote scams. They created confusion about voting rules. They diverted candidate support. They tried to suggest voting for a third party. And it continues to this day. They're still doing it. I just don't know how anybody can trust, frankly, when they see a meme on their social media account now.</s>SEN. BEN CARDIN (D), MARYLAND: Well, Alisyn, the information that you're using is coming from the Senate Intelligence Committee. Earlier this year in January, I issued a report from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, talking about Russia's asymmetric arsenal against democracies, not only here in the United States but around Europe. And what Russia is doing is interfering in our system. And the tragedy is that this administration is not taking steps to protect us. We know that Russia is going to be active. They feel more comfortable in supporting the Trump policies and the Trump institutions. And we need to protect ourselves from foreign interference. And this administration was very late to even acknowledging that Russia was involved.</s>CAMEROTA: Yes, so --</s>CARDIN: We need to take steps to protect ourselves.</s>CAMEROTA: Right. So what's the answer? If you can't count on the Trump administration -- and evidence proves that you can't -- how are people supposed to know when they're reading -- they're on social media, if they are dealing with a real person or if they're dealing with a troll? What's Congress doing? What are the rest of us supposed to be doing?</s>CARDIN: What we've seen in Europe that they have taken action against social media platforms for disclosure and accountability. We have not taken adequate steps here in the United States to require social media platforms to know who they're dealing with and to make sure the public is aware where this information is coming from.</s>CAMEROTA: Here's just -- I just want to put it up so people can recognize these things. OK? I think it really is going to be up to individual people to now be able to spot something that just doesn't feel right. I mean, so here -- this is all about Mueller, right? So they say that Robert Mueller was, you know, trying to side with radical Islamic groups; and it just doesn't wash. I mean, it's just made up out of thin air. And then they have all sorts of stuff about how James Comey is a dirty cop, and they have all of this kind of Hollywood imagery. There's one of Hillary Clinton here that Russian trolls put out that say that black college students are not excited about this election; they think Hillary is a liar. None of this turns out to be true, but when you see it, you know, on your Facebook feed you think for a minute, "Oh, I didn't know that. Wow, that's interesting." But it's not true. It's just stunning, this stuff. And I think it's really a big responsibility that people are going to have to educate themselves, since they're still doing it to this day.</s>CARDIN: Well, misinformation is a tool that's used by Russia. They use it against their own citizens in order to keep popular support for the government. Misinformation is a tool. They're using it in Russia. They're using it in Europe. They're using it in the United States. And we need to defend ourselves against this foreign attack.</s>CAMEROTA: OK, government shutdown. Is the government shutting down on Friday? Do you see any way to avoid it?</s>CARDIN: It makes no sense for government to shut down. First of all, the issue we're talking about is border security. Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have reached an agreement on border security that would give the president another $1.6 billion for border security but just not a wall; because a wall makes no sense at all. If the president can't go along with that, we have another way to keep government open. It's called a continuing resolution where we keep government open as we negotiate our differences. In either case, there's no reason at all for a government shutdown, unless the president not only wants a shutdown, but demands a shutdown.</s>CAMEROTA: So what's Mitch McConnell doing today about it?</s>CARDIN: Mitch McConnell is trying to find a way in which we can avoid this. He does not want a government shutdown. I'm convinced about that. But will he take on President Trump? That's going to be the issue. We have the votes in the Senate. We have the votes in the House. Is he willing to take on the president and say, "No, it makes no sense to close government. Let's pass at least a continuing resolution in order we make sure the government stays open past Friday"?</s>CAMEROTA: I want to ask you about something that we've heard so much about in terms of a bipartisan approach and something that you've supported; and that's this criminal justice reform. That seems like it's going full steam ahead. That seems like it's going to pass. That seems like something that the president, since he has supported it, will sign, but of course, it has its detractors. So Senator Tom Cotton has said here, "With respect to my conservative friends and colleagues, they have jumped on the bandwagon too soon. A number of serious felonies, including violent crimes, are still eligible for early release in the version of the bill the Senate will vote on in a matter of days." He doesn't like it. There are others: Senator Kennedy we've had on has issues with it. What is your message to those Republican colleagues of yours?</s>CARDIN: Well, this is modest reform that's long overdue. The Judiciary Committee held hearings on it. It's bipartisan. It takes nonviolent offenders, gives them an opportunity, a second chance. All of us in life have had a second chance. So it really is sensible sentencing reform, and it will pass, I think, the Senate this week and the House, be signed by the president. It's about time that we move forward with reforming a criminal justice system that needs change.</s>CAMEROTA: Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat, gives Jared Kushner most of the credit for making this happen. This was something that had been stalled, as you know, in Congress for a long time. Democrats had wanted it to happen, and then Jared Kushner came to town. Do you give him the credit for moving this to the point it is today?</s>CARDIN: I give the Trump administration credit for moving it through the House and Senate. Remember, the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans these days. To pass a prison reform or sentencing reform in a Republican-controlled Congress is unusual, and it would not have happened without the support of the White House, which has been -- Jared Kushner has certainly been the key person on this.</s>CAMEROTA: Senator Ben Cardin, thank you very much for giving us an update on all of these things this morning.</s>CARDIN: Alisyn.</s>CAMEROTA: John.</s>BERMAN: So it is a case getting the attention of a president, a one- time war hero facing a murder charge for killing a suspected Taliban bomb maker. Up next, his family's message for President Trump.