Interview with Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
HILL: Fired FBI Director James Comey's newly released memos detail several interactions with President Trump in attempts to influence the Russia investigation perhaps. Three Republican committee chairmen had pushed for the memos to be released. But do they help or hurt the president? Joining us now, Democratic Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who, of course, is also a member of the foreign relations committee. Sir, good to have you with us. When we look at these memos and what's coming out of them, there's a lot of focus, obviously, from each side on certain aspects. Elijah Cummings saying they show a blatant effort to deny justice and interference by the president. Is that what you see?</s>SEN. ED MARKEY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Well, obviously, the president was obsessionally focused on the Russia investigation. His conversations with Mr. Comey reflected that, his public comments have reflected that, his comments about the investigation by Robert Mueller being fake all reflect that. So, these documents just further flesh out this intense effort, which Donald Trump has had right from the beginning of his presidency to try to sweep the entire Russia investigation under the rug. And all this is going to do is just further intensify the public's demand that they know everything that did happen potentially to compromise the presidential election of 2016 and the relationship between the Trump campaign, the Trump administration and the Russian government.</s>HILL: The president clearly does have a focus on the investigation, but being in your words obsessed with it, does that really show an effort though to interfere? You can be obsessed with something and talk about it all the time and how you want it to go away, but is that evidence that he is, in fact, trying to undermine -- especially based on what we see in these memos?</s>MARKEY: Well, I think what we've seen right from the beginning is a whole series of steps taken by the president to ensure that there would be no full investigation of what happened in Russia. He is just absolutely angry with Jeff Sessions for walking away from the investigation, recusing himself. That is evidence that he thought his attorney general would be responsible for ensuring that there was no investigation. The same thing is true with how he requested that it be an easy handling of Michael Flynn, of how each and every revelation that comes out is just something that is not real news, not accurate. But the totality of the picture, each and every detail as it comes out is an indication of a serious concern on the part of the president that in its totality, it becomes clear that there was an attempt to obstruct an investigation to get to the heart of the potential compromise of the election of 2016.</s>HILL: Although, of course, the investigation is still ongoing. We don't know what it found, it is not finished yet and so, it rolls along. I want to get your take on some other things and let's stay with Russia if we could for a moment, because obviously Russia is a focus as we're seeing in a lot of these memos, but also based upon what we learned happened with the president over the weekend, walking back plans for sanctions. You know, as someone who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, where do we stand at this point? How does this affect the way the United States is being perceived?</s>MARKEY: Well, we still are waiting for the president to impose the sanctions on the Russian government that have been legally authorized by the United States Congress. That includes for actions which the Russians are taking in propping up Assad, for their actions in the Ukraine, for other actions that clearly go right to the heart of this malign influence which increasingly Russia and Putin are playing across the planet. But the president thus far has not been willing to impose the toughest possible sanctions on the oligarchs in Russia, on economic entities within that country that would begin to push back on Putin to show him that there is a price that has to be paid when the leader of a nation, this is Putin, who is in clear violation of the norms of international conduct.</s>HILL: I also want to get your take on North Korea because North Korea as we're learning dropping its demand that American troops be removed from South Korea as a condition for giving up its nuclear weapons. Hearing that more from the president of South Korea, does the president deserve some credit here for moving these diplomatic efforts forward?</s>MARKEY: Over the years, the North Koreans have made many representations that ultimately have proven not to be true. If this is true, if the North Koreans are willing to accept a concession that American troops can stay on the Korean peninsula, then that would be a step forward. But history teaches us that when we are negotiating with the North Koreans that we have to test their representations every single step of the way. But ultimately, if it's possible to keep our troops there and to begin a process towards denuclearization, then that would be a good thing. But I think it's much too early to reach a conclusion that the North Koreans are actually able to propose and comply with that kind of a guarantee back to the United States and South Korea.</s>HILL: Senator, we are super tight on time so really only time for a yes or no on this one. Heidi Heitkamp saying he will be a yes for Mike Pompeo. Is this a political calculation in your mind?</s>MARKEY: Well, again, each individual member of the Senate has to make up their own mind on each nominee and I obviously am opposed to Mike Pompeo. I think his record on LGBTQ issues, on Muslim issues, on issues of war and peace from my perspective cannot earn an affirmative vote from me, but other members have to make up their own minds.</s>HILL: We will have to leave it there. Senator Markey, appreciate your time, thank you.</s>MARKEY: Thank you.</s>CUOMO: All right, this is a tough story but we have to talk about it. Sandy Hook families are taking legal action against this guy, conspiracy monger Alex Jones. He called the massacre of 20 children and six educators a hoax. He is, of course, going back on that now that he may have to pay a price for it. But a father who lost his son that day says that ain't enough. He's filing suit. The details, next.