Beto O 'Rourke: Interview with Gayle King for the 2020 presidential candidate on CBS This Morning (updated)

Gayle King, co-host of CBS This Morning, spoke with a Democratic presidential candidate Beto O 'Rourke Thursday afternoon in his first national interview since he announced his candidacy for the White House.

King interviewed the former Texas congressman in Burlington, Iowa, after O. Rourke attended his third campaign event in Iowa on the first day of the conference. an impulse of three days. A larger portion of the interview will be broadcast on CBSN and the entire interview will be broadcast on Friday on "CBS This Morning".

O & # 39; Rourke on Trump's dismissal

During his 2018 Senate campaign to overthrow Ted Cruz, O 'Rourke said he believed that President Trump should be dismissed. King asked him today: "Do you still feel like that?"

"There is no doubt for me that, if there was no collusion, there was at least an effort to get along with a foreign power, without the shadow of it." 39, a doubt that there was no obstruction to justice, there was certainly the effort to obstruct justice, "replied O. Rourke. Mr. Trump repeatedly denied that collusion with Russia is interfering with the 2016 presidential election.

O 'Rourke said that the dismissal of the former FBI director by FBI President James Comey by Mr. Trump in 2017, as well as his conversations on Twitter with former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, aimed at putting an end to the investigation conducted in Russia, were examples of obstruction of justice.

But he said the decision to oust Mr. Trump was a congressional matter, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said earlier this week that she objected to the dismissal, because it would create too much division. O & # 39; Rourke now seems to believe that there might be another way to dismiss the president.

"How does Congress choose to approach this set of facts and conclusions that I believe [we] O & # 39; Rourke told King: "I think the American people are going to have a chance to decide this at the polls in November 2020, and maybe that's the best way for us to resolve these issues. pending ".

The experience of O & # 39; Rourke

O & # 39; Rourke expressed his concerns about his experience during his interview with King.

"People said," We had a candidate who did not have extensive political experience. And maybe this time around, we need someone at the White House who has toured the block several times, who has more experience than you. "Obviously, that will not dissuade you," said King.

"Okay, I guess it depends on the type of experience you are looking for .I have already recruited staff, created jobs, developed the economy of the community in which I live. In the local government, Amy helping raise a family and find ways to work on both sides, to pass a law even when I'm in the minority, "said O. Rourke.

"Three-term Congressman, no real legislation on his own behalf, lacks experience.I think even the Texas Tribune said, you know," a very thin record. "Why voters would not care- they not vote for you with your lack of experience? "King asked.

"Well, I'm thankful that in the end, it depends on the voters, they will have the opportunity to meet me, to interview me, to listen to me. will have the opportunity to listen to them, "he said. "All her life in El Pasoan with Amy who is raising these three extraordinary children, owner of a small business … part of the local government, part of the minority party every six years that I spent at Congress and yet offering to the people I serve, delivering for veterans who deliver to our border community … that's all we've done working with and listening to others, and I'm confident this is the key to our ability to meet even greater challenges, we do it by renewing and repairing our democracy and involving everyone. "

A recent poll of the Iowa Democrats has placed O. Rourke in fifth place, behind former vice president Joe Biden, who is expected to join the race next month, and three senators.

While O & # 39; Rourke lost his Senate race against Ted Cruz last year, he lost only 3 points in a deep red state. As Ed O 'Keefe of CBS News reports, he has won fans across the country, worrying about other Democratic campaigns.

He traveled with a small team, never hired consultants and raised a record $ 80 million.

Why O & # 39; Rourke has changed his opinion on his candidacy for 2020

A few days before the race in the Texas Senate last year, O 'Rourke insisted that he would not run for president in 2020.

"I do not want to do it, I will not do it," said O & Rourke to "60 Minutes" correspondent Jon Wertheim. "Amy and I are raising an 11-year-old, a 10-year-old, and a 7-year-old, and we've spent most of the last two years together, missing birthdays together, and we – us – our – our – our family could not survive more than that – we – we must be together. "

King asked O & # rourke about the change, noting: "I know everyone has the right to change their minds."

"What has changed for you and the family?" King asked.

"After the campaign we ran for Texas and after the poll, the best decision was made by my wife, Amy, where she said," There are a lot of people talking about us and doing a lot of things different. Let's go instead and try to understand this now, just spend some time with the family … it's really what we did, "said O & Rourke, adding: "We have seen how resilient and strong our children are. While Amy and I were about to make that decision, we did not have a sitting conversation with our children. They simply started volunteering to give advice. "Hey, dad, if you run, it's in my opinion that you should do it." Or, "Dad, you have to run away because of this or that." were the conversations about going back home from school or– "

"Would they encourage you alone?" King asked.

"On their side," he said.

"Unsolicited, really?"

"Unsolicited, and honestly, I did not expect it, but I think they're just as sensitive to what's going on in the world right now. they will inherit the consequences of the choices you and I will make right now, and they are counting on us to make the right choices, "said King.

O 'Rourke plans to increase corporate taxes

O & # 39; Rourke announced his intention to raise taxes on the rich and explained what it would look like.

"I think companies should be invited to contribute more to the success of this country.I think the richest in an era of historical income inequality should be asked to pay a larger share." I do not know. what should be the level But I know that the tax cuts of almost two years ago, $ 2 trillion while we had a debt of $ 21 trillion, while the extraordinary needs The country was one of the most irresponsible acts that the country has done, "O'Rourke said.

O & # 39; Rourke on what his cabinet would look like

"And you said that if you are elected, your cabinet will look like America," King said. "What does it mean and why is it important to you?"

"In a country where wealth is disproportionately concentrated in white families, in a country where the prison population, the largest in the world, is black and brown disproportionately, in a country that has never before , forever Cost of slavery, segregation, suppression of voters, participation in our economy, we have a lot of work to do, "he said. "And where we can ensure that those who have the opportunity to occupy positions of power and public trust resemble and reflect the country, we should make every effort to do so."

O & # 39; Rourke on health care

O & # r; Rourke told King about health care: "The goal must be universal, guaranteed and high quality health care."

"I think we are completing, supplementing, those who have private employer insurance with the option of being covered by Medicare.This allows us earlier than any other plan to ensure that each American has the opportunity to see a doctor, to afford his medication or to take their child to a therapist, "said O. Rourke.

Prominent 2020 nominees, such as Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders, support the removal of private health insurance as part of a Medicare for All system, a plan that has provoked criticism from Republicans who have long accused the Democrats want to organize the purchase of the health system by the government.

"I think Medicare For All is one of the possible paths," said O & Rourke. "I think the quickest way to do that is to make sure that people who have insurance that they like through their employer can keep it, and we complete that with those who can buy Medicare, which are covered by Medicaid. "

O & # Rourke responds to Trump's comment that he has "a lot of hand movements"

At a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the White House on Thursday, Mr Trump told reporters that he thought O 'Rourke was exceedingly expressive with his remarks. hands when he was talking.

"Well, I think he's got a lot of hand movements, I've never seen so many hand movements," the president told reporters. "I said is he crazy or is it just his way of acting? So, I've never seen him move his hands – I've watched him a little this morning – thinking that it was kind of a press conference, and I actually did not see anything like it, study it, I'm sure you'll be d & # 39; agreement. "

O 'Rourke was unapologetic for talking about his hands during his talk with King.

"I'm pretty lively," O'Rourke acknowledged, claiming that someone had already told him, during the election campaign for the Senate, that he was using his hands too much. "I am who I am," said O & # Rourke.

"And I really think we all want to go beyond pettiness, personal attacks," said O & Rourke, evoking his philosophy of campaigning. "Do not belittle anyone, instead, let's raise one another, let's get the best out of our American compatriots – from each and every one of them, from every community."

O & # 39; Rourke launches into the presidential race

O & # 39; Rourke formalized his presidential race with an online video released Thursday morning. Sitting on a couch next to his wife, O Rourke ad"Amy and I are happy to share with you that I will serve you as the next President of the United States of America."

He said that the crises of our economy, our democracy and our climate "will consume us or offer us the greatest opportunity to liberate the genius of the United States of America". O. Rourke reviewed a list of Democratic Party priorities, including health care, climate change, family separation and criminal justice reform, gesturing or cutting hands. to emphasize each point.

O 'Rourke said that he planned to travel the country and "listen to those I seek to serve, in order to understand, from your point of view, how we can best meet these challenges" .

"In this moment of maximum danger and maximum potential, let us show and show to those who will succeed us in this great country that we are and that we can do."

– Caitlin Huey-Burns

Who is Beto O 'Rourke?

Here is what you need to know about the last candidate to enter the democratic, populous and diverse primary race:

the biography

• Although his legal name is Robert, he is known as Beto. The nickname of Spanish-speaking communities gives names that end with "berto", like Roberto and Alberto, since their childhood.
• As a teenager, he was a passionate musician and was part of various rock bands, including the El Paso-based punk band Foss, after graduating from Columbia University in New York in 1995.
• O & # 39; Rourke worked for several years in startup companies and civic groups on his return from New York to El Paso.
• After working on several local political campaigns, O 'Rourke went on to be a candidate for the El Paso City Council in 2005 and defeated an outgoing two-term candidate.
• In 2012, O 'Rourke, who is fluent in Spanish, announced his candidacy for the Democratic primary to represent the 16th congressional district of Texas, a Latino-dominated district encompassing El Paso and surrounding communities.
• During his time in Congress, O & # Rourke compiled a moderate voting record during his three terms, where he sat on the Armed Services and Veterans Committees.