Dem Sen. Warner: ‘I Don’t Believe Democratic Party Is Corrupt’

Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” when asked about former interim Democratic National Committee Donna Brazile’s claims that Hillary Clinton was controlling DNC before voters decided who would win the primary, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said he didn’t believe the Democratic Party was “corrupt.”

Partial transcript as follows:

DICKERSON: And final question. The former DNC chairman Donna Brazile has dropped a bomb this week, saying that basically the Democratic National Committee was rigged for Hillary Clinton in her favor.

Do you believe that’s true?

WARNER: Listen, I have seen some of the press reports.

What I’m a lot more focused on, we have got a really critical election coming up in two days in Virginia where we elect the governor. I hope it’s going to be Ralph Northam, our Democratic candidate. That’s where I’m focused.

And for a lot of folks in Virginia who are frustrated with what’s going on, particularly from this administration, the most important thing they can do is get out and vote on Tuesday, and hopefully elect Ralph Northam the next governor.

DICKERSON: But the problem is, Democrats don’t want to get out and vote if they think their party is corrupt, which is the charge that Brazile is making.

So, if you don’t address the corrupt part, how do you get people to go vote for a Democratic candidate?

WARNER: Oh, I can tell you there is a heck of a lot of enthusiasm.

I don’t believe the Democratic Party is corrupt. I believe the Democratic Party is best when it’s forward-leaning. I think we have got that kind of candidate running in Virginia right now. I’m going to leave here and crisscross Southwest Virginia to try to help get out the vote.

And I hope, on Tuesday night, we’re going to have great victory that — both from Virginia’s standpoint, but also sends a message that some of the actions of this president are at least not acceptable in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

DICKERSON: Senator, thanks so much for being with us.

WARNER: Thank you, John.

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