>>> I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD
TO THIS DAY SINCE PRESIDENT
BIDEN ANNOUNCED YOUR NOMINATION
IN FEBRUARY AND OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS MEMBERS OF THIS
COMMITTEE WILL HAVE THE
PRIVILEGE OF HELPING INTRODUCE
YOU TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SO
THAT THEY CAN GAIN THE SENSE OF
CONFIDENCE THAT I HAVE IN YOUR
VALUES, YOUR SKILLS, YOUR
COMPETENCE AND THE NECESSITY OF
CONFIRMING YOU TO THE SUPREME
COURT.
>> DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CHRIS
COONS OF DELAWARE YESTERDAY
DURING THE FIRST DAY OF HEARINGS
FOR SUPREME COURT NOMINEE
KETANJI BROWN JACKSON.
WITH DAY TWO OF THOSE HEARINGS
SET TO BEGIN IN JUST A FEW
MINUTES, SENATOR COONS JOINS US
NOW.
I KNOW, SENATOR, WE WANT TO GET
TO UKRAINE AND YOU'VE GOT TO GET
INTO THE HEARING ROOM SO WE WILL
DIVE RIGHT IN.
WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO HEAR DAY
TWO IN THE HEARINGS?
>> WELL, YESTERDAY JUDGE JACKSON
MAINTAINED HER COMPOSURE AS A
WHOLE RANGE OF SENATORS MADE
OPENING STATEMENTS, SOME OF
THEM, LIKE MINE, WERE LAYING OUT
WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE HER
REMARKABLE, IMPECCABLE
CREDENTIALS, HER RECORD, HER
CHARACTER AND HER VALUES, OTHERS
MADE A WIDE RANGE OF ATTACKS
THAT WERE, I THINK, BASELESS,
TWO-DIMENSIONAL CARICATURES OF
JUDGE JACKSON.
TODAY SHE WILL GET TO RESPOND.
SENATORS WILL BE QUESTIONING HER
IN 30-MINUTE ROUNDS AND SHE WILL
BE ABLE TO ANSWER.
AND I THINK SHE WILL MAKE QUICK
WORK OF DISMISSING SOME OF THE
MORE OUTLANDISH AND UNFOUNDED
SUGGESTIONS OR ACCUSATIONS MADE
BY A FEW OF MY COLLEAGUES.
OVERALL THE TONE AND TENOR
YESTERDAY WAS POSITIVE, VERY FEW
REPUBLICAN SENATORS QUESTIONED
OR CRITICIZED HER ACTUAL
CREDENTIALS OR RECORD BECAUSE
THEY ARE OUTSTANDING.
>> I WAS GOING TO SAY, IT STRUCK
ME AS A BIT IRONIC THAT WE GOT
LECTURES FROM SOME REPUBLICANS
SAYING THEY WEREN'T GOING TO
TAKE THIS INTO THE GUTTER AND
THEN REPUBLICANS TOOK THIS INTO
THE GUTTER SAYING THAT THE JUDGE
WAS SOFT ON CRIME AND THAT --
SHOO
SHOO.
>> HIDDEN AGENDA.
>> -- SOMEHOW WAS A FRIEND OF
SEXUAL PREDATORS AND HAD A
HIDDEN AGENDA.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY SAD
AND PATHETIC.
>> HAVING HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET
HER EXTENDED FAMILY, PARENTS,
BROTHER, I AM STRUCK BY THE FACT
THAT SHE WAS RAISED IN A STRONG
FAMILY, HER OPENING STATEMENT
BEGAN WITH BOTH THANKING HER
FAMILY AND THANKING GOD AND
RECOGNIZING THAT HER FAITH AND
HER WORK ETHIC HAVE BEEN CENTRAL
TO WHAT SUCCESS SHE'S HAD IN
LIFE.
SHE CAME ACROSS AS A HUMBLE,
DISCIPLINED, HIGHLY CAPABLE,
LEGALLY SKILLED NOMINEE FOR THE
SUPREME COURT, AND FRANKLY, SHE
ALSO GOT IN THE INTRODUCTION AN
INCREDIBLY STRONG VOTE OF
CONFIDENCE FROM A RETIRED D.C.
CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, A
CONSERVATIVE, A REPUBLICAN, WHO
WAS IN THE POSITION TO REVIEW
HER RULINGS ON THE DISTRICT
COURT FOR MANY YEARS AND GAVE
THE SORT OF UNQUALIFIED LETTER
OF INTRODUCTION BEFORE THE
HEARING AND THEN PERSONAL
ENDORSEMENT AT THE HEARING
YESTERDAY THAT HAS BEEN
BUTTRESSED BY LETTERS OF
ENDORSEMENT AND SUPPORT FROM
PROMINENT LAW ENFORCEMENT
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
CHIEFS OF POLICE AND THE FOP.
I DOUBT THAT THE FOP AND IACP
THAT A RANGE OF CONSERVATIVE
JURISTS AND JUDGES WOULD BE
SUPPORTING AND ENDORSING ANYONE
WHO WAS SOFT ON CRIME OR PALLED
AROUND WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHERS
OR WAS A DANGER TO OUR CHILDREN
AND SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES
SUGGESTED WITHOUT CONCRETE
FOUNDATION.
>> YEAH, THAT ONE CLAIM WAS MADE
BY ONE SENATOR FROM MISSOURI, IT
WAS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT
NONE OF HIS FELLOW REPUBLICANS
EVEN BACKED HIM UP ON THAT
ARGUMENT, BUT I SUSPECT WE WILL
HEAR MORE OF THAT TODAY.
SENATOR, FORGIVE ME FOR CUTTING
TO THE CHASE, BUT AS YOU WITH A
MUCH THIS PLAY OUT, AS YOU WATCH
THIS CANDIDATE PRESENT HERSELF,
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTION THAT
SHE WILL BE CONFIRMED?
>> I DON'T.
I THINK THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AS THEY WATCH TODAY WILL SEE THE
SAME JUDGE THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN
SAW WHEN HE WAS INTERVIEWING
POSSIBLE NOMINEES.
SOMEONE WHO'S WORK ETHIC,
EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS AND
WHOSE CHARACTER MAKE HER A GREAT
NOMINEE FOR THE SUPREME COURT.
SHE CLERKED FOR JUSTICE BREYER
ON THE SUPREME COURT, HE'S BEEN
A MENTOR TO HER FOR YEARS.
ONE OF THE ROLES THAT HE HAS
PLAYED AS A JUSTICE IS TO HELP
BUILD CONSENSUS, TO WORK WITH
PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS
AND VALUES.
I'M GOING TO BE QUESTIONING HER
TODAY ABOUT HER SERVICE AS THE
VICE CHAIR OF THE U.S.
SENTENCING COMMISSION AND SOME
STAND OUT EXAMPLES OF HOW SHE
WORKED WITH CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS
OF THAT PANEL IN THE INTEREST OF
ADVANCING BOTH LAW AND JUSTICE.
>> AND THAT HEARING BEGINS IN
ABOUT 14 MINUTES.
WE WILL CARRY IT LIVE HERE ON
MSNBC.
SENATOR, LET ME TURN THE PAGE TO
UKRAINE AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING
RIGHT NOW WHICH IS THE CONTINUED
ATTACKS BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY
ON CIVILIANS INSIDE MARIUPOL,
BUT ALSO ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
BEING AFTER PLACES LIKE THEATERS
WHERE CLEARLY MARKED THAT
CHILDREN ARE IN THERE,
HOSPITALS, MATERNITY HOSPITALS,
HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS.
PUTIN PUSHES ON, FRUSTRATED
PERHAPS, BUT HE CONTINUES TO
ATTACK UKRAINE.
WHAT MORE IN YOUR ESTIMATION
COULD AND SHOULD THE UNITED
STATES BE DOING HERE?
>> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN CAN AND IS DOING
IS TO MEET WITH OUR NATO
PARTNERS.
YESTERDAY HE HAD A CONVERSATION
WITH THE HEADS OF STATE OF THE
UNITED KINGDOM, GERMANY, FRANCE,
ITALY.
HE IS TRAVELING TO EUROPE THIS
WEEK TO MEET WITH OUR VITAL NATO
AND EU PARTNERS.
OUR STRENGTH IS OUR UNITY AND I
THINK IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO
CONVEY CLEARLY AND FORCEFULLY
RED LINES TO PUTIN SO THAT HIS
BRUTAL BUTCHERY OF CIVILIANS
COMES TO AN END, WE NEED UNITY
IN NATO TO BE ABLE TO DRAW RED
LINES AND ENFORCE THEM.
WE CANNOT BLUFF.
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS BEING ADVISED
BY THE BEST AND MOST SKILLED OF
OUR MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE
LEADERS.
I TRUST HIS JUDGMENT HERE.
HE KNOWS THAT WE ARE AT GENUINE
RISK, THAT PUTIN WILL DO TO
UKRAINE WHAT HE AND HIS FORCES
DID TO CHECHNYA AND TO SYRIA.
SEVEN YEARS INTO A CONFLICT IN
SYRIA ALEPPO WAS IN RUINS,
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
CIVILIANS HAD BEEN MASSACRED OR
DISPLACED AND ASSAD HAS EVADED
ANY ACCOUNTABILITY.
IF WE ALLOW PUTIN TO CONTINUE TO
PUMMEL UKRAINE AND TO ESCALATE
TO USING POTENTIALLY CHEMICAL
WEAPONS OR EVEN AS YOU WERE
DISCUSSING EARLIER ON A PANEL
TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS, THE
CONSEQUENCES FOR UKRAINE, THE
WEST AND THE WORLD WILL BE
TRAGIC, BUT PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
DOING EXACTLY WHAT HE NEEDS TO
DO THIS WEEK, ENSURING THAT NATO
CAN SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE TO
DETER PUTIN FROM HIS DANGEROUS
ESCALATION OF THIS HORRIBLE
CONFLICT.
>> SENATOR COONS, GOOD MORNING,
JONATHAN LEMIRE.
YOU JUST MENTIONED CHEMICAL
WEAPONS, POTENTIALLY EVEN A
TACTICAL NUKE.
EXPLAIN TO US MORE ABOUT RED
LINES.
IF THAT'S A RED LINE THAT PUTIN
CROSSES, WHAT SHOULD BE THE
CONSEQUENCE FOR THAT ACTION?
>> THE CONSEQUENCE SHOULD BE
WHAT WE CAN GET, STRONG SUPPORT
ACROSS NATO FOR DOING.
BLUNTLY, WE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL
SO FAR BECAUSE PRESIDENT BIDEN
HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PULLING
TOGETHER ALL 30 MEMBERS OF NATO
TO ACT SWIFTLY AND STRONGLY AND
A NUMBER OF OTHER EUROPEAN
PARTNERS WHO ARE NOT IN NATO.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, EVEN THE SWEDES
AND THE SWISS WHO SAT OUT THE
SECOND WORLD WAR, WHO DID NOT
TAKE ACTION AGAINST HITLER, THEY
HAVE JOINED US IN SENDING
MILITARY AID AND IMPOSING
SANCTIONS.
PUTIN KNOWS HE CANNOT STAND
AGAINST A UNITED NATO AND WEST.
IF PRESIDENT BIDEN IS ABLE TO
CONTINUE TO DELIVER THE FORCEFUL
UNITY THAT HE HAS ASSEMBLED
AMONGST THE WEST, WE CAN DETER
PUTIN.
RATHER THAN HAVING ME GUESS
ABOUT WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO
SAY IF HE DOES THIS, WE WILL DO
THAT, I WILL TRUST PRESIDENT
BIDEN TO RELY ON THE ADVICE OF
AMERICAN MILITARY AND
INTELLIGENCE LEADERS.
HE KNOWS WHO PUTIN IS AND HE
KNOWS THAT WE NEED TO STOP HIM. OVER THE LAST DECADE AS HE TOOK
OVER THE LAST DECADE AS HE TOOK
BITES OUT OF FIRST GEORGIA, THEN
MOLD
MOLDOVA, THEN CRIMEA AND THE
DONBAS, WITH HE DID NOT DO
ENOUGH AS A UNITED WEST TO STOP
HIM.
THIS IS THE MOMENT WHERE WE
MUST.
I WAS ENCOURAGED BY OPEN SOURCE
PUBLIC REPORTING BY THE "WALL
STREET JOURNAL" THAT CLARIFIED
WE ARE SENDING ADVANCED SURFACE
TO AIR MISSILES INTO UKRAINE TO
HELP THEM BEGIN TO CLOSE THEIR
SKY AND DEFEND UKRAINE AGAINST
RUSSIA.
>> ALL RIGHT.