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Union That Invited Donald Trump Backs Out of Visit; Why Support Donald Trump?; New York Minimum Wage Could Hit $15 Per Hour; Dallas, Texas Up Close; The '70s and the Rise of Feminism; Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired July 23, 2015 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[10:30:00] DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of Republicans who I talk to privately say that they are concerned about kind of what that line is, Carol, whether or not you push him to make clear that the Republican Party doesn't stand for some of the things that he said, that has been controversial, or you've got to be careful not to push him too far that you push him out of the party and he does run as an independent, and as I said to you before, you know, history shows that when that happens, you hand the keys to the White House to the Democrat.

(LAUGHTER)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. OK. So let's talk about his visit to Texas today. He's going to be along the Mexican border, right? And this Border Patrol agent union invited him and then pulled out. Why?

BASH: Well, first of all, you might be wondering why I'm standing at the airport and the reason is because we're waiting for Trump to come on his plane, and he was supposed to have a meeting with the executive committee of that very union, the local border patrol union here at the airport before heading off to the border.

It doesn't seem like that is going to happen because, as you said, this morning the -- that local chapter decided that it was going to not officially be inviting Donald Trump here, and it wasn't really specific in the statement of exactly why, but it made pretty clear that they were afraid it looked like they were endorsing him as a candidate, which obviously they're not in the business of doing.

Now Trump, sources insist that he is still on his way and that he is going to still take a tour of the border with Border Patrol agents, it just won't be officially part of the union process. So we're still trying to get to the bottom of exactly how it happened, how high up it came that they shouldn't be associated if at all. So we'll let you know when we find out.

COSTELLO: OK. I can't wait to hear. Dana Bash reporting live from Texas this morning. Thanks so much.

So what is it about Donald Trump that is striking such a chord with voters. He's ahead in the latest FOX News poll taking 18 percent of likely Republican primary voters. It's a slim lead but it is a lead nonetheless. "NEW DAY's" Alisyn Camerota sat down with a group of Trump supporters

to see what they find so inspiring about this man.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: Sean, what do you like about Donald Trump?

SEAN VAN ANGLEN, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Well, I like that he gets results and he isn't just talk.

CAMEROTA: Paula?

PAUL JOHNSON, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I like that he's not a politician. I am tired of politicians. I'm tired of the sugar coating that they tell us that they are going to fix this economy. I believe Mr. Trump really wants to make America great again.

CAMEROTA: Susan?

SUSAN DELEMUS, REPUBLICAN VOTER: He says what he means. I honestly believe he's telling the truth.

CAMEROTA: Jerry, what do you like?

JERRY DELEMUS, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Our country is in terrible economic condition. And middle class America has been decimated over really the last 30 years. Donald Trump has taken failed businesses and companies and turned them around, made them profitable again, which really America sort of is. And I believe that he has the complete ability to be able to do that.

CAMEROTA: Ryan, what do you like?

RYAN GIRDUSKY, REPUBLICAN VOTER: His immigration policy. I think that immigration is the most important issue facing our country today.

CAMEROTA: What do you think is Donald Trump's immigration policy?

GIRDUSKY: Certainly to crack down on sanctuary cities. I don't think that Katherine Steinle's death would have gotten the coverage it did had Donald Trump not speaking about those.

CAMEROTA: Were you all comfortable with what he said about Mexicans? That's the controversial thing, where he said, they're not sending their best and their brightest, they're sending criminals, they're sending rapists?

J. DELEMUS: He didn't say Mexicans, he said Mexico. And his point was that Mexico is outmaneuvering America. And they are outmaneuvering us. I mean, what other country in the world would allow that type of illegal immigration to come across the border?

CAMEROTA: Jeff, what do you like about Donald Trump?

JEFF GOOLSBY, REPUBLICAN VOTER: The fact that he's a businessman. The fact that he's a developer. The fact that he's a straight shooter. The fact that when he goes into the boardroom, he has to make something happen.

CAMEROTA: So you call him a straight shooter. Some people say he shoots from the hip. He just this week called Senator Lindsey Graham an idiot.

J. DELEMUS: It's true, it's true. He's an idiot.

CAMEROTA: Is it presidential?

J. DELEMUS: Sure.

JOHNSON: Well, what is presidential anymore? I mean, we have a president sitting in the White House right now. He's taken so many vacations that's costing the taxpayers' dollars. What has he done for America?

Donald Trump will take us above that. He'll make America once -- the way we once were. We'll be great again.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about where some people believe he has flip- flopped. He previously was in support of universal health care. Today he says Obamacare is a total disaster. Does that bother anybody?

J. DELEMUS: I think he's right.

JOHNSON: He is.

J. DELEMUS: Obamacare is a disaster. There are a lot of doctors being pushed out of the market place because they can't afford it.

CAMEROTA: Does it bother you that he previously was for universal health care?

J. DELEMUS: We all have that ability. Our minds are a great thing. We have the ability to learn and to change and to adjust. Certainly, Donald Trump has got that ability down to a science.

CAMEROTA: So you see it as adaptability, not flip-flop.

J. DELEMUS: Exactly right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's right.

CAMEROTA: I want to ask you about the comments that Donald Trump made about John McCain and about his POW status. Some took offense and said that when Donald Trump said, "I prefer people who don't get captured," that he issued a slight, unintentionally, to all POWs.

How do you feel about those comments?

[10:35:15] VAN ANGLEN: Well, I think that's taking it a little bit too far. First of all, Mr. Trump did say four times that McCain was a war hero. And again, he was a war hero, yes, he said what he said, but I think the media and everyone is only playing that one clip.

CAMEROTA: Jerry, you are a veteran.

J. DELEMUS: Yes.

CAMEROTA: You are a Marine. What did you think about the POW comment?

J. DELEMUS: I think his lack of respect for McCain is actually as a sitting senator more so than as a veteran. And as a Marine, I'll tell you is we like guys that don't get captured, too. I don't think he meant that as an insult to POWs or the military at all.

S. DELEMUS: But don't forget, McCain insulted the crazies.

JOHNSON: That's right.

J. DELEMUS: Which was --

S. DELEMUS: Which was a blanket insult for people who would support Trump.

CAMEROTA: Who are people who are those going to the Trump rally.

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: Exactly. And how do you know how many military people were there.

J. DELEMUS: There were a lot of them.

JOHNSON: You know, my husband is a Vietnam vet. And after I told my husband what Mr. Trump said, my husband said, I love him.

CAMEROTA: So you took more offense at John McCain calling the Trump supporters crazies because there may have been some veterans.

J. DELEMUS: There are definitely would have been veterans in there.

CAMEROTA: OK. Show of hands, how many people on election day plan to vote for Donald Trump? Undecided?

GIRDUSKY: I'm undecided. You know, I could see myself voting for him and then if somebody else comes along that care about my issues and my positions, then I can see myself voting for them, too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Thanks to Alisyn Camerota.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, from the Bronx to Buffalo, fast food workers could see their minimum wage hiked to 15 bucks an hour. But could we see that trend across the country? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [10:41:02] COSTELLO: New York's fast food workers could be on their way to a big fat raise. The state's wage board has just recommended the minimum wage be raised to $15 an hour within the next several years. The move comes after months of strikes in New York and across the country. Workers and union groups demanding what they call a living wage for the men and women who work at places like McDonald's and Taco Bell.

Christine Romans is following this story. So this is a big victory for those workers.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: It is. It is. And these are for fast food workers. So you've never seen something like this where you've seen a city just taking one particular industry, Carol, and raising the wages from $8.75 for that industry to -- well, by $15 by the end of 2018 in New York City and then everybody else in New York by the year 2021.

So let's look at some of the other places that have done this. Because across the country, Carol, there has been this real change. Cities on the West Coast, Kansas City, Chicago, San Diego, and now New York, $15 for fast food workers. The case for raising the minimum wage, the current wages are just too low. You can't live on them. They're not livable. Taxpayers are subsidizing big companies. Taxpayers are paying for food stamps, taxpayers are paying for other tax credits and payments to people who are making very, very low salaries.

And the minimum wage is not kept up with inflation. But what you'll hear from business is it increases the cost of doing business. They will raise their menu prices, they will cut jobs, or have fewer worker hours. Technology could replace workers. That's a threat we've heard again and again. The New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says, all right, I'm going to call your bluff. We are going to raise these wages for fast food workers because it's just the right thing to do.

On the federal level you have not seen much traction to get Congress to do something. But on the local level you're seeing a lot of different cities now who are raising those wages. Interesting that it's for one particular sector.

COSTELLO: Yes.

ROMANS: Food workers.

COSTELLO: Well, it's also interesting because, what, McDonald's didn't have a very good earnings report.

ROMANS: It did not.

COSTELLO: Right?

ROMANS: No. Sales were down 10 percent. Right? So -- but when you're looking at -- when you're talking about somebody who owns one of those McDonald's franchises they're probably not happy about this. When you talk about somebody who works at a McDonald's they say they're going to spend this money immediately right back into the economy because they're living paycheck to paycheck. They're living penny to penny and this will help them, assuming they don't get their hours cut.

COSTELLO: Yes. Christine Romans, many thanks. I appreciate it.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the rise of feminism. The focus of the latest episode of CNN's documentary "THE SEVENTIES" but how far have we really come?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ: Hey, it's Michelle Rodriguez from New Country 96.3 KSCS. This is where you can find me on the air during the day but today I'm going to take you around my hometown, Dallas, Texas. Come on and join me.

OK, so we're leaving the radio station walking into our plaza with a beautiful backdrop of the American Airlines Center which is also home of the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas stars where some of the hottest concerts make their stops here in Dallas. But if shopping is more your thing try the Bishop Arts District where you can find unique boutiques like Indigo 1745 and Fetish.

And to catch some of the best views of our city, Reunion Tower has to be one of your first stops. See you all at the top. The sights are amazing from 561 feet up in the air. The ball lights up with all sorts of colors, and this is definitely a landmark of Dallas and part of our skyline.

And if you want to enjoy some live music, you got to head out to Deep Ellum. Any genre, any day of the week, you can find it here especially Adair's Saloon known for its awesome burgers, the best burgers in town. Come grab a bite to eat with me. Those look delicious. Look at that. It is amazing.

Hope you guys enjoyed a little bit of my hometown, Dallas, Texas, and I hope I'll see you all soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:44:55]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time to take a walk down memory lane with me. You know, let's go back to the day when the Beatles broke up, President Nixon resigned, and disco was a big craze. But the '70s would also be known for the rise of feminism.

Tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern CNN airs the documentary "THE SEVENTIES: THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES." Here's a peek.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DICK CAVETT, FORMER TALK SHOW HOST: There are a lot of women in this country who feel that they're being pushed around and they have become very vocal. They call themselves the women's liberal movement. And we have two representatives from that movement here tonight. They're both writers. Susan Brown Miller had a piece in the "Sunday Times" a couple of weeks back and Sally Kempton.

I think I had every woman's lib star on the show. Once with Hugh Hefner of Playboy, that was exciting.

[10:50:06] What do you think men are doing wrong?

SUSAN BROWN MILLER, ACTIVIST: They oppress us as women. They won't let us be and Hugh Hefner is my enemy.

CAVETT: Is Hef your enemy? We really set you up tonight, didn't we?

HUGH HEFNER, PLAYBOY: I'm more in sympathy than perhaps, you know, the girls realize with --

MILLER: Women.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women.

MILLER:

HEFNER: I'm sorry.

MILLER: Yes. I'm 35.

HEFNER: Than the ladies realize. I use girls referring to women of all ages.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You should stop.

CAVETT: They can learn I would say (INAUDIBLE) took it out with Hugh Hefner.

MILLER: The day that you were willing to come out here with a cotton tail attached to your rear end --

Women had so much to talk about because the dialogue on so many of our issues was controlled by men.

CAVETT: There's some of you who reject men altogether. They won't sit in the same room with a man if they can avoid it. Are you two of those ladies?

MILLER: We think there's going to be a struggle and we don't think that men are going to give up their power and privilege easily.

BETH BAILEY, AUTHOR, SEX IN THE HEARTLAND: Women's movement, the sexual revolution, and the gay liberation movement all had their origin before the '70s but that's when Americans had to make sense of them in their daily lives and in their institutions and communities. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Women's liberation is only one of a number of

groups ranging from stridently militant to traditionally feminist who feel that women haven't (INAUDIBLE) on their rights. They don't constitute a majority of women but their numbers aren't growing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Wow. It was a time when women came together and got a lot done. Collectively. They fought for equality. It was a beautiful thing. But here's the reality. Women are still fighting for equality today and in my opinion we're also fighting amongst ourselves.

Here is the latest example. This online feud between Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj. It started out as a fight over who should be nominated for the Best Video at the Video Music Awards but it quickly devolved in a woman-versus-woman thing.

Here's Katy Perry's tweet. She tweeted this, quote, "Finding it ironic to parade the pit women against other women argument as one unmeasurably capitalizes on the takedown of a woman."

So let's talk about that and more with Teri O'Neill, she's the president for the National Organization for Women.

Welcome, Terry.

TERRY O'NEILL, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN: Thanks, it's great to see you.

COSTELLO: It's nice to have you here. So we have come a long way, I want to make that clear. I mean, we've achieved amazing things in just -- you know, since the 1970s, but we still have a ways to go, and one of the most disturbing aspects of, you know, modern times to me is this woman versus woman thing. It just persists and I don't know why.

O'NEILL: You know, Carol, I think that part of the reason it persists is we have come a long way in the sense that if you heard back in the '70s a majority of women were not all on board, did not all call themselves feminists. Now a vast majority of women do. We are seeing, however, in our society right now and it is really bubbling up in a big way unsustainable, really intolerable disparities among women.

Disparities across racial lines among women in health outcomes, in wealth, in income, and those are the issues that feminists today are really having to address and having to address in a big way. And let me just give you an example. I don't worry for my daughter, who is white skinned, that when she gets pulled over in a traffic stop that she could end up dead in a jail cell. But my African-American friends who are moms and dads have to worry about that for their daughters and their sons.

That's not acceptable and that is something that the feminist movement is absolutely must grapple with immediately.

COSTELLO: Yes. And the feminist movement is grappling with it, but, you know, there are plenty of women who don't call themselves feminists these days. I think that's perfectly fine. You know, I think there's a split between those women who kind of believe the same things but really can't see eye-to-eye to fight these common things that you talk about.

O'NEILL: You know, I think, as between individual women, women are allowed to be competitive, and so I look at the Nicki Minaj versus Taylor Swift, I don't know a lot of the details about it, but clearly competition is alive and well. And that's fine. I do think that one of the things that must unite us is our understanding of how different our life -- our life experiences are, and that's got to shape our way of understanding our competition and understanding the ways in which we -- I really think we need to think carefully about what we consider to be succeeding. Right? Succeeding is not always defeating somebody else.

Succeeding is sometimes taking a step back and saying, gee, what are the real goals here? What are my real values here and how do I want to behave in accordance with my true values? I think most people, men and women, agree that women should have full equality, and within that value system that's how you approach issues of individual competition.

[10:55:11] We're not there yet, and there is -- let's face it, there is huge white privilege throughout this country, and women who identify as feminists are more and more coming to understand that this racial privilege needs to be addressed.

COSTELLO: All right. Terry O'Neill, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it. And make sure you watch "THE SEVENTIES: BATTLE OF THE SEXES" tonight right here on CNN, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. I'm telling you, it's amazing. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right. We want to take you live to Capitol Hill right now where Secretary of State John Kerry is defending the nuclear deal that he helped craft last week with Iran. As you can see, he's facing lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

[11:00:02] Here is a portion of what Kerry said moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: So this isn't a question of giving them what they want. I mean, it's a question of how do you hold their program back.