>>> DONALD TRUMP STARTS A LOT OF FIGHTS BUT WHERE VOTERS WEIGH
IN, TRUMP LOST. THE PRIMARY WHERE STEVE BANNON'S
INSURGENT CANDIDATE BEAT HIS OPPONENT.
MICHAEL GRIMM PLED GUILTY TO. AT A EVASION IN 2015.
HE WAS RELEASED IN APRIL AFTER SEVEN MONTHS IN JAIL.
AND WHETHER REPUBLICANS LIKE IT OR NOT, HE IS BACK IN THE
SPOTLIGHT TO FORCE ANOTHER POTENTIAL GOP CIVIL WAR WITH A
PRIMARY CHALLENGE TO GET HIS OLD SEAT BACK.
EXCONGRESSMAN AND EX-CON IS HERE ON "THE BEAT" THIS EVENING.
AND YOU HAD A WIDELY COVERED CONFRONTATION WITH A JOURNALIST.
GRIMM THREATENED TO THROW THAT REPORTER OFF THE CAPITOL
BALCONY. >> JUST FINALLY, BEFORE WE LET
YOU GO, SINCE WE HAVE YOU HERE. WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE --
>> ANYTHING THAT'S OFF TOPIC. >> WHAT ABOUT --
>> THANK YOU.
MICHAEL GRIMM IS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND JOINS ME FOR THIS
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> YOU LOOK AT THAT CLIP, IS
THAT THE GUY RUNNING FOR CONGRESS OR ARE YOU DIFFERENT
NOW? >> WELL, I'M STILL THE SAME
PERSON. BUT I THINK ANY REAL PERSON HAS
A BAD DAY AND MAKES A MISTAKE. FOR FIVE YEARS I DEALT WITH
REPORTERS AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.
ON THAT DAY, I LET MY EMOTIONS GET AHEAD OF ME.
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS IFRGS TAKING THREE STEPS FORWARD AND
FIVE BACK AND THERE'S NO EXCUSE. I APOLOGIZED.
I SAID SOMETHING I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID.
>> YOU'RE COMING OUT OF JAIL FOR PLEADING GUILTY ON TAX EVASION.
ARE YOU SORRY FOR THAT? >> I'LL SORRY THAT I HAD
DELIVERY OFF THE BOOKS. TAX EVASION MAKES IT SOUND SO
OMINOUS LIKE I'M AL CAPONE. I GUARANTEE YOU YOU GO TO
RESTAURANTS EVERY DAY IS THAT EVERY DELIVERY BOY WHO IS
DELIVERING FOOD IS OFF THE BOOKS.
I HAD THREE DELIVERY BOYS AND A DISH WASH HE OFF THE BOOKS.
IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THIS CITY, THAT IS A CIVIL FINE.
A CIVIL MATTER. EXCEPT FOR ONE PERSON.
MICHAEL GRIMM. >> I'M NOT MAKING IT SOUND LIKE
AL CAPONE. YOU SAID, CONCEALING OVER
$900,000 IN RESTAURANT REVENUE AND SAYING YOU KNOWINGLY MADE
THESE MISLEADING STATEMENTS EVEN THOUGH EMPLOYEES HAD BEEN PAID
IN CASH. THAT'S HOW YOU DESCRIBED IT.
>> THAT $900,000 IS NOTQUOTE, E BEEN PAID IN CASH, THAT'S HOW
YOU DESCRIBED IT. >> THAT $900,000 NUMBER IS NOT
ACCURATE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN THAT.
THAT'S OVER MANY YEARS AND THAT ALSO INCLUDED ABOUT 14 MONTHS
THAT I DIDN'T EVEN OWN THE RESTAURANT, BUT THAT WAS PART OF
THE DEAL THEY WANTED TO MAKE BECAUSE THE NUMBER WAS TOO
SMALL. BUT THE POINT IS, AGAIN, WHY IS
IT A CIVIL MATTER? OVER 10,000 OF THESE FINES HAVE
BEEN GIVEN OUT TO RESTAURANT OWNERS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF
THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, I'M THE FIRST ONE
CRIMINALLY CHARGED BECAUSE THE ENTIRE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WAS
WEAPONIZED AGAINST ME FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES.
THEY WANTED ME OUT OF OFFICE. BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD
DELIVERY BOYS OFF THE BOOKS, BECAUSE I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN
LIKE EVERY OTHER BUSINESS OWNER, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.
AND I REGRET THAT. >> YOU WANT TO GO BACK CONGRESS.
DO YOU THINK FORMER FELONIES OR EX-CONVICTS LIKE YOURSELF HAVE
THE RIGHT TO VOTE? >> SOMEONE WHO SHOULD NEVER HAVE
BEEN A FELONY, SURE. >> SHOULD ALL EX-CONVICTS HAVE
THE RIGHT? >> NO.
BUT THE CRIME IS THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT MAKING IT A FELONY
WHEN I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A CIVIL FINE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO TELL ME THAT EVERY SINGLE RESTAURANT OWNER
RIGHT NOW DOWN THE POLITIC
BLOCK SHOULD ALL BE LINED UP AND TAKEN TO PRISON AND MADE FELONS,
THAT'S A VALID POSITION TO HAVE, BUT THEN CHANGE THE POLICY.
YOU CAN'T HAVE MAYOR DE BLASIO GOING OUT THANKING BUSINESS
OWNERS FOR HIRING PEOPLE OFF THE BOOKS AND THEN IN A SANCTUARY
CITY, AND ONLY SINGLING OUT MICHAEL GRIMM.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM. >> BUT ON THE VOTING, IS YOUR
POSITION THAT YOU CAN GO AND A CONVICT, BE AN EX-CON, AND GET
BACK INTO CONGRESS, BUT OTHER PEOPLE SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE THE
RIGHT TO VOTE? >> THAT'S A MISNOMER WHEN YOU
SAY, THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
I HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. >> RIGHT, IT DEPENDS ON THE
STATE. BUT MITCH McCONNELL HAS SAID,
BASICALLY, STATES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INTEREST IN
RESERVING THE RIGHT TO VOTE TO THOSE WHO HAVE ABIDED BY THE
SOCIAL CONTRACT. LEADERS IN YOUR PARTY, DO, I
THINK AS YOU KNOW, OPPOSE THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR A LOT OF
EX-CONVICTS LIKE YOURSELF? >> NOT LIKE MYSELF.
I THINK THEY OPPOSE IT FOR PEOPLE ESPECIALLY THAT DO
VIOLENT CRIMES. PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY BREAKING
THE LAW, NOT CIVIL MATTERS, OKAY?
A CIVIL MATTER IS A CIVIL MATTER AND A CRIME IS A CRIME.
I WAS AN FBI AGENT FOR OVER 11 YEARS.
AND I BELIEVE IN THE LAW, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CIVIL INFRACTION AND A
FELONY. >> NOW, YOU MENTIONED SANCTUARY
CITIES IS I THINK WHAT YOU'RE CALLING NEW YORK CITY.
YOU PREVIOUSLY VOTED TO PROTECT SO-CALLED D.R.E.A.M.ers.
DONALD TRUMP PROMISED TO DEPORT THEM.
WAS HE WRONG? >> NO.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THAT SPECIFIC VOTE, IF YOU LOOK AT
THE LEGISLATION, THERE WAS A POISON PILL IN THERE.
SO, I WOULD HAVE TO REALLY RESEARCH THAT VOTE, BUT FROM
WHAT I REMEMBER, THERE WAS A BIT OF A POISON PILL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT LEGISLATION, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EXACTLY WHAT IT
SEEMS TO BE. IF THERE'S A POISON PILL IN
THERE -- >> DO YOU SUPPORT DEPORTATION OF
D.R.E.A.M.ers THEN? >> I THINK THAT THE DACA ISSUE
IS THE ONE THING THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE TO STAND FIRM
ON, BECAUSE IT'S THE LEVERAGE THAT WE NEED TO GET REAL REFORM
AND TO ACTUALLY GET, I WOULD SAY, NUMBER ONE, LET'S START
WITH SECURING THE BORDERS. NUMBER TWO, LET'S END CHAIN
MIGRATION. NUMBER THREE.
LET'S ACTUALLY HAVE AN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM THAT WORKS,
SO THAT GOOD, LAW-ABIDING OWNERS OF RESTAURANTS AND OWNERS OF
OTHER BUSINESSES HAVE A ROBUST GUEST WORKER PROGRAM, SO THAT
THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUT A DISHWASHER OFF THE BOOKS.
BECAUSE, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE COMING FOR THAT JOB.
AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
BUT NO ONE SHOWS UP FOR THE DISHWASHER JOB, EXCEPT THE
PEOPLE THAT ARE OFF THE BOOKS. SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU OWN A
BUSINESS. I WANT TO GET YOU ON GUNS,
YOU'RE A CANDIDATE, THIS IS A BIG ISSUE.
IF WE COULD DO LIGHTNING ROUND ON SOME OF THEM.
BUMP STOCKS, SHOULD THEY BE BANNED?
>> I THINK IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT THE ATF HAS A JURISDICTION TO DO
THAT. AND THEY HAVE TO GO BACK AND
RE-EVALUATE THAT. >> SHOULD THEY DO IT?
>> YEAH, I THINK THE ATF HAS TO LOOK AT THAT.
>> WHEN YOU SAY SAY, LOOK AT THOSE, ARE YOU FOR BANNING BUMP
STOCKS? SHOULD THE ATF BAN THEM?
>> I THINK THE ATF SHOULD. >> ASSAULT WEAPONS AND
ASSAULT-STYLE WEAPONS. >> I THINK THEY ALREADY.
>> WOULD YOU BE FOR A BAN ON -- >> I THINK THEY ARE.
>> SEMIASSAULT -- >> NO, SENATOR FEINSTEIN'S BILL
I DON'T SUPPORT. >> BACKGROUND CHECKS?
>> IF THEY'RE DONE PROPERLY, YES.
>> WOULD YOU VOTE FOR THE BACKGROUND CHECK THAT'S BEEN
PROPOSED, LIKE AFTER SANDY HOOK. >> WHOSE BILL IS THAT?
>> THE SANDY HOOK -- >> I THINK THERE'S MORE THAN ONE
BILL. >> THE SENATE VERSION WOULD BE,
YOU HAD CHRIS MURPHY PUT SOMETHING FORWARD THAT SAYS,
CLOSE THESE LOOPHOLES AND HAVE NATIONAL BACKGROUND CHECKS.
>> AGAIN, HERE'S THE PROBLEM -- AND I'M NOT DODGING THE PROBLEM
AT ALL. WHAT I HAVE SEEN IN ALMOST ALL
OF THIS LEGISLATION IS IT'S WAY TOO BROAD.
SO THEY -- >> TOO BROAD ON GUNS?
>> TOO BROAD MEANING THEY'RE BRINGING IN OTHER THINGS.
LIKE, THERE WAS LEGISLATION THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED VETERANS
FROM GETTING GUNS UNLESS THEY HAD A NOTE FROM THE DOCTOR AND
THEY COULD HAVE BEEN THERE BECAUSE OF A MYRIAD OF REASONS.
THEY HAD PRESS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T PAY THEIR FINANCES AND
NOW THEY CAN'T GET A GUN. NO, I WON'T SUPPORT THAT.
>> FINAL QUESTION, DO YOU EXPECT PRESIDENT TRUMP COME CAMPAIGN
FOR YOU OR AGAINST YOU IN THIS PRIMARY?
>> NO, I WOULD EXPECT HIM