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Donald Trump Says Debate Rivals are Coming After Him; Interview with Carole Simpson; Conservative Group Targets Trump; Highlighting Undocumented Immigrant Stories In Push for Immigration Reform; Perils of the Happy Hour Debate? Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired September 16, 2015 - 09:00   ET

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


[09:00:01] CUOMO: I see you as a person of authority. I would like to buy you breakfast.

PEREIRA: Take it.

COOPER: I accept.

CUOMO: Done.

CAMEROTA: Thank you.

PEREIRA: Take it.

CUOMO: Time for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello. I will pay but I'm using mixed wallet.

PEREIRA: Nothing in there.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Gees. Have a great day, guys.

NEWSROOM starts now.

And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. The clock is ticking and the political stakes are climbing by the minute. We are now just nine hours from the first Republican candidates squaring off in the CNN debates.

That's Air Force One, of the Ronald Reagan era, looming over the main stage. Today we're looking at two rounds that could shape the presidential race. First up the undercard. The four lowest polling candidates going head-to-head before a non-primetime audience. Then at 8:00 Eastern, the main event. Eleven candidates climbing onto the stage and at the center, frontrunner Donald Trump egging on his rivals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As far as the research, I said I've been doing it for the last 30 years, I guess, Bill. I don't know how you can prepare for something. I hear everybody is coming after me. We had one poll where I was at 40 in New Hampshire. I'm at 40 and second place I think was 12 or something. And, you know, they are all coming after me is what I hear and whatever it is, it is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN's Athena Jones joins us live now from the site of the debate, the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Good morning, Athena.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. This is where all the action is going to go down in a few hours. And you just heard Donald Trump mentioning some other poll out of New Hampshire. I want to talk to you about a poll out today. A brand new from New Hampshire from WBUR. Take a look at it. We can put it up on the screen. It shows that Donald Trump is still out on top at 22 percent. Ben Carson is not far behind, and just four points behind there at 18 percent.

But then take a look at there. Carly Fiorina, she is the other candidate, the other so-called outsider candidate, the non-politician, she is in third place at 11 percent. Everyone else is in single digits. You can see there, Jeb Bush, John Kasich tied at 9 percent.

This is an important state, New Hampshire is, for both of those candidates and that's the backdrop as we head into the debate tonight. And we've been talking a lot about Donald Trump. We know he's going to be a focus or I should say a target tonight -- in tonight's debate. And he's really -- as we've seen in the last several months he's really torn up the usual playbook when it comes to campaigning and also when it comes to preparing for big nights like tonight. In a few hours we'll have a chance to see if that unusual approach continues to pay off for him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONES (voice-over): Debate day is here. In just hours GOP presidential hopefuls will be facing off inside the Reagan Presidential Library.

TRUMP: I don't know how you can prepare for something. I hear everyone is coming after me.

JONES: While some lower tier candidates are gearing up --

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to mix it up because I like to rumble.

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I read up on current issues.

JONES: The frontrunner was busy soaking up the spotlight. Donald Trump, as always doing things his own way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Donald J. Trump.

JONES: He was on the campaign trail on the eve of the debate, making an appeal to veterans aboard the USS Iowa, a historic World War II battleship. TRUMP: I am with the veterans 100 percent. We have illegal

immigrants that are treated better, by far, than our veterans.

JONES: Tuesday Vice President Biden taking his gloves off, sharply denouncing Trump's rhetoric towards Latinos on illegal immigration.

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There is one guy absolutely denigrating an entire group of people. Appealing to the baser side of human nature. Working on this notion of xenophobia in a way that hasn't occurred in a long time.

TRUMP: There is tremendous crime. There's tremendous drugs pouring across the border.

JONES: Trump's remarks igniting a firestorm from hundreds of anti- Trump protesters outside. In typical Trump fashion, his 15-minute speech was short on policy details. Instead he bashed his rivals.

TRUMP: I'm fighting some very nice people. But they're never going to do anything with these countries. They are never going to be able to do it. It's an instinct. It's something that's special. They don't have it.

JONES: As the candidates get ready for round two tonight, the Donald seemed unfazed by those taking aim at him both on and off the stage.

TRUMP: Feel good about it. Feel really good about it.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Any special preparation?

TRUMP: I've been doing this for 30 years. A lot of preparation. But I feel really good about the debate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JONES: So there you have Trump saying he feels really good about the debate. He's also said his whole life has been preparation for a debate. And that he's also a strong counterpuncher whenever he's under attack. So one of the big questions tonight will be whether any of the candidates can land a punch on him and what he'll say to hit back -- Carol.

(LAUGHTER)

[09:05:06] COSTELLO: All right. Athena Jones reporting live from California this morning.

It's also a big, big night for the moderators, right? CNN's Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt will be asking candidates tough questions on things like domestic and foreign policy. They'll also be tasked of making sure the candidates follow all the debate rules.

It is a tremendous challenge, one they all say they are looking forward to.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: We want debate about policy, about policy, about leadership, about the different things they bring, the different things they have said about each other.

HUGH HEWITT, CONSERVATIVE RADIO HOST: I'm not out to get anybody. I don't think Dana is either. I want to hear what the differences are between these candidates on key issues of national security and domestic policy.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I love politics. I'm obsessed with the process and the actual debate of ideas and that's our goal, to actually get them to debate the ideas that the Republican voters care about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Could be a tall order. My next guest knows exactly what it's like to ask tough questions on debate night. Former ABC News anchor Carole Simpson made history back in 1992 when she became the first female and first African-American to moderate a presidential debate between then candidates Bill Clinton, George Bush and Ross Perot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAROLE SIMPSON, FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE MODERATOR: Good evening and welcome to the second of three presidential debates between the major candidates for president of the United States. There is no subject matter that is restricted. Anything goes. We can ask anything. So President Bush, I think you said it earlier, let's get it on.

GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Let's go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. Carole Simpson joins me now live.

Good morning. It's so nice to see you.

SIMPSON: Good to see you, Carol. Another Carol.

COSTELLO: Another Carol. That's right. But one without the E. Are you -- like do you find yourself wishing that you were part of this debate tonight?

SIMPSON: Yes. Once you've had that heady experience, you know, you want it again. It was very difficult. I was very frightened. I had jitters and butterflies but as soon as the red light came on, you have to do your job. And you do it. So it was a wonderful experience and the highlight of my career.

COSTELLO: Oh, my goodness. I remember that debate like it was yesterday. You did a wonderful fabulous job. What advice would you give to the moderators of tonight's debate? SIMPSON: Well, you know, things have changed so much. And I think

moderators were more respected 20-some odd years ago like when I did it. But now the whole deal is let's get the press. Let's get the moderator. Let's embarrass them, which I think the candidates feel plays with the public. And it does seem to play with the public. So they are not quite as respectful. So they have to be a little bit more careful I think than I did those years ago.

COSTELLO: Donald Trump. How would you handle him? Because I think you're specifically talking about him. Because he will attack the moderators. But the moderators can't exactly attack back. But they have to do something.

SIMPSON: I know. And see, if I were there, I'm afraid I would attack back. That I would say, listen, you are not making any sense. Stop saying things like that. I would -- I think I would just go off because he's so what? Theatrical and dramatic and hurtful of people. That it is like, listen, bad boy, stop doing that. Answer the question. You have given us no specifics on anything. Stop talking about women's faces and stuff like that. You gorgeous creature.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: You gorgeous creature. I'm just curious, if you were in Megyn Kelly's shoes in the last debate, how would you have responded to Donald Trump?

SIMPSON: I would have -- I'm proud of the job that she did. But I'm perhaps a little more feisty than Megyn. And again, I think I would have come back at him and go, how dare you? How can you say you haven't said those things? I've got them right here, look at this. And of course he's going to interrupt and he's going to try to get her flustered. And that is what I think moderators have to do is not get flustered by Donald Trump and do their job.

COSTELLO: Well, I can certainly guarantee that Dana Bash or Jake Tapper will get flustered. Hugh Hewitt, I don't think he will either.

Carole Simpson, thank you so much for being this morning. I appreciate it.

[09:10:01] Another strange twist to this debate, a conservative group, Club for Growth, is actively campaigning against a Republican candidate in the primary.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump wants us to think he's "Mr. Tell It Like It is." But he has a record and it's very liberal. He's really just playing us for chumps.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I would guess Trump's opponents on the stage will use the same line of attack. Here to talk about this and more, Dan Pfeifer, former senior adviser to President Obama, and Sabrina Schaeffer, executive director for the Independent Women's Forum.

Welcome to you both. I'm glad you're here. Before we begin our conversation I'd just like to add that Trump did respond to the Club for Growth. Here is his tweet, he said, quote, "Little respected Club for Growth asked me for $1 million. I said no. Now they are spending lobbyists and special interest money on ads." So there you have it.

So, Dan --

(LAUGHTER)

Are these attack ads coming out because conservative groups don't think Trump's opponents can effectively fight back?

DAN PFEIFFER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I think there is -- I think that's right. There's been -- there are a lot of Republicans who think that Donald Trump would be a disaster in the general election but everyone is so scared of Donald Trump that they haven't been willing to attack him. And so I think what the Club for Growth is doing here is trying to be the first ones to go into the water and say, look, it's OK. everyone come in and try to incent other people, other candidates, the other Republican super PACs to get in there and join them in an effort to defeat Trump.

COSTELLO: So, Sabrina, I would say that everyone is expecting Carly Fiorina to throw the hardest punch. So what should her strategy be?

SABRINA SCHAEFFER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S FORUM: Well, I definitely think that Carly Fiorina's best strategy is going to be to keep the ball in play. Right? She's very -- she's elegant, she's eloquent, she's good at keeping that ball going back and forth over the net. And I think that's just where she wants to be.

On the Club for Growth thing, I just want to mention that I think one area where they may be wrong is that I don't think voters like Trump because he's a Republican or because he's so-called conservative. I think there is something about him that seems more authentic, more real to people. I disagree. But I do think that that's what people are latching on to. And these kind of ads that talk about how he's a liberal might not actually have the effect they're intended to have.

COSTELLO: So the candidates on stage, Dan, should they not mention that?

PFEIFFER: Well, I think that the candidates are going to have to try to draw blood from Donald Trump. They've all previewed this. Jeb Bush, Rand Paul have all talked about how they're going to go after Trump. You know, I agree with Sabrina that this is probably not the most effective attack against Trump because he will stand up there and say here in the Reagan Library, Ronald Reagan used to be a Democrat. And now he's a great conservative hero. I have changed as well. And I think that's a pretty good answer to any attacks like that that come.

COSTELLO: OK. So Rand Paul is one of the candidates that said he is going to be aggressive. And actually his aggressiveness didn't quite fly the last time around. So what can he do?

SCHAEFFER: This is sort of walking a fine line. Right? Because on one hand he does need to differentiate himself from the other candidates up on the stage but at the same time -- and he has some good places where he can do that on foreign policy, on intelligence gathering. But at the same time he can't seem so angry. He has to seem more likable. He has to seem like someone that you can connect with on an emotion and personal level. That's where I think he's going to have some trouble.

COSTELLO: Dan, Ben Carson. Let's talk about him for just a second because does he really have to say anything at all?

PFEIFFER: No. I think he should do exactly what he's been doing, which is stay quiet, just be Ben Carson. Don't try to be Donald Trump or anyone else. Everyone said he -- you know, no one thought he had a great debate the last time yet he's doubled and tripled his support in some polls. So just keep doing what he's doing.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Keep on keeping on. Dan Pfeiffer, Sabrina Schaeffer, thanks to you both.

PFEIFFER: Right.

COSTELLO: I appreciate it. And of course be sure to tune in tonight for the first of the two debates beginning at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. The main event with the 11 candidates starts at 8:00 p.m.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, putting a face on undocumented immigrants. I sat down with one family who will be watching Trump and company closely tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If someday they deport me, I will never -- wherever I go in Mexico, I will never say that Americans are bad because no. I had opportunity to meet a real, real good people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We'll have more of their story after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[09:18:32] BIDEN: I want you to remember --notwithstanding the fact there is one guy absolutely denigrating an entire group of people, appealing to the baser side of human nature, working on this notion of xenophobia that in a way that hasn't occurred in a long time -- the American people agree with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: That is Vice President Joe Biden talking about Donald Trump. As you know, Donald Trump wants to kick out 11 million illegal immigrants and he wants a wall, he wants to build that wall between the Mexican boarder and the United States to keep them out for good.

I talked with one man Trump wants to see deported. His name is Francisco. He came here illegally from Mexico 14 years ago. Francisco is not on welfare. He works hard. He pays taxes. He has a wife and four girls. He says Donald Trump's words hurt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCISCO, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRATION: I don't think that he represent Americans. We want to prove him and people who think like him that we are here, working hard, and facing all the time deportation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: A few years ago immigration cops busted the construction site where Francisco was working. Because he was an illegal immigrant, he was taken to a detention center where he spent three months. Catholic Charities got him out.

[09:20:00] But for his family, the pain is still there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FATIMA, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANT: If he gets deported I'll be really sad. Because when he was in jail I was only a little girl. It really hurt me. He wasn't there for me. They took him away from me.

COSTELLO: When you hear politicians describe people coming over the border from Mexico, do you listen to them?

FATIMA: No. We're not monsters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. I want to talk some more about this. I want to bring in Angelica Salas; she's the executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. Good morning and thank you so much for being here.

ANGELICA SALAS, EXEC. DIR., COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS OF L.A.: Thank you so much for having me. It is a pleasure.

COSTELLO: You're going to organize a big protest surrounding tonight's debate, right? Is this the face you want to present to America? The story of these undocumented immigrants coming into the United States and trying to make a living that are not remotely involved in crime?

SALAS: Really, as immigrants we're families, we're people who contribute to this nation, taxpayers, and individuals who just really want to have an opportunity in this country. And so what we see at the -- with the -- certainly starting with Donald Trump, but then followed by a lot of the other GOP presidential candidates, is a tendency to spew hate and to really talk about a whole set of people in the worst of ways.

When you start off your presidential candidacy of saying that Mexicans are rapists or murderers, there is something really wrong with the way you see America. And so the Latino community, the African American community, people who are hard workers, are saying enough is enough. We want the individuals who seek the highest office of this nation, the presidency of the United States, to respect our communities and to see us as the families that we are, as the contributors that we are, and that we too are part of America.

COSTELLO: But Angelica, there is a problem with immigration in this country. 40 percent of Americans say we need a plan to stop immigrants from coming into the United States illegally.

SALAS: Definitely. And that is why we've been fighting for immigration reform, so that we can actually have policy solutions that reduce illegal migration and increase legal migration; that allow individuals who are in this country undocumented to finally have the path to citizenship; that allows families to stay together in this nation.

So what we have in some of the policy rhetoric we've heard are individuals who want to deport 11 million people -- but not just 11 million undocumented but their U.S. children and their spouses, whole families. That is not what America is. So what we're asking today is that the debate not be a debate about hate, but to debate what matters. To really tell us how they're to build jobs and keep our communities together, not how they are going to build big border walls. We want them to talk about constructing a better path of opportunity, not how they are going to deport millions and millions of people.

So we're asking no hate in this debate. We're asking that our -- all these elected officials and those that seek the presidency stand on higher standard. And we really reflect the courage of the American people. And in the American people, we consider Latinos, African Americans, women, people from all walks of life as being those Americans.

So that's what we're fighting for. That is why we're protesting today, because we want to protest the hate in the debate. We want to make sure that when we are talking about a new America, we're talking about an America that includes all of us.

COSTELLO: Angelica Salas, thank you so much for joining me this morning. I appreciate it.

SALAS: Thank you so much.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Rick Perry says not making the primetime debate helped do him in. Are one of these happy hour candidates next to bow out? Which one will it be? We'll talk about that next.

[09:24:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining me. Before the eleven leading candidates cram onto the stage for tonight's main debate, a much smaller crowd will compete for a much smaller audience. But the stakes loom large for the four candidates in this non primetime showdown. They're fighting for survival with the luxury of more time to introduce themselves and sell their message.

Mark Preston is the executive editor of CNN politics; he joins us live from the Reagan Presidential Library. Good morning, Mark.

MARK PRESTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, CNN POLITICS: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning. So an article in the "Washington Post" begins this way. Quote: "So how in the world do you win a debate for losers?" End quote. Ouch. That's a big ouch.

PRESTON: Yes. And in fact, you know, a lot of people are really downplaying what's going to happen before the quote/unquote "main event". And I really do think that that's a problem and really is not true. If we look at what happened with Carly Fiorina back in August, she was in the quote/unquote "happy hour debate", and she did so well that she's now in the main debate. So when you look at the likes of Bobby Jindal, when you look at the likes of Rick Santorum or Lindsey Graham or you look at George Pataki, if they were to have a stellar performance tonight, there is a chance that they could get back into this race.

[09:30:00] COSTELLO: Yes, but couldn't you argue that Carly Fiorina was largely unknown by the American public and that's really why she stood out? And really voters were kind of familiar with those other candidates.