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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

Republicans Set To Duel On Tonight's GOP Debate In Simi Valley. Aired 12:30-1p

Aired September 16, 2015 - 12:30   ET

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

JOHN "MAC" STIPANOVICH, FORMER JEB BUSH POLITICAL STRATEGIST: He is not saying anything, I would keep track...

[12:30:02] ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: How do you advice them to have a conversation with someone who does not follow this same rules?

STIPANOVICH: I would keep -- I would not let Trump distract from the point that he's not saying anything. I would keep driving him home in saying, "Yes, OK, either do not withstanding how would you round up 11 million people?

Tell America that you're going to put people on cattle cars and ship under concentration camps on the boarder. Is that it? If its not it, what is this? Spit it out.

BANFIELD: That would be very painful to hear that kind of suggestion. But I think it would certainly make a massive of headline.

Mac Stipanovich, it's good to see you. Thanks so much. I appreciate it.

STIPANOVICH: You're welcome.

BANFIELD: And we're going to see just how Jeb and everyone else on that stage does, just hours from now the Republican Primetime Debate taking place at 8:00 P.M. Eastern time. And that follows the undercard debate should be just as exciting. Remember what happen in the last time undercard? If you didn't watch, the women in the center in your screen, she made huge hit in now she is on the main stage. Don't miss the undercard, 6:00 Eastern and the main debate at 8:00 P.M. Eastern.

Coming up next. The candidates making their way right now live to the Reagan Library as we speak in Simi Valley. We've got our live cameras up ready to catch them. As they come in to get their first look at this majestic stage. It's at 45 feet up on the air so that Air Force One can be perfectly set behind them, imagine the logistics. Imagine might that height propel them or might it sink them in their presidential hopes.

We're going to take you live to the Reagan Library just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:35:10] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Running for offices is combat its intellectual combat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well this is the swimsuit competition. The talent rounds are coming.

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've been doing this for 30 years, a lot of preparation. But I do really good about the debate.

DANA BASH, CNN DEBATE MODERATOR: So, I don't really worry much about what Donald Trump says, this is an entertainment. These are actually serious times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need to be my self that's what I'll do. But keeps forward they may.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN DEBATE MODERATOR: All these other folks can talk all they want. You want someone who will fight and win that I'm the candidate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Well, which of these candidates is going to really make the big flash on the Republican Presidential Debate?

I could tell you one thing, they are all preparing in different ways. Do you want to know how the Kentucky Senators whose on that stage tonight is preparing?

Rand Paul is at the gun range. And we actually have live cameras there right now as he sort of manages a pretty big automatic cell riffle. I can't tell you what it is because it's kind of unclear shot right now. But I can tell what he's doing. His in a Simi Valley gun range and he is shooting up the tax code.

I swear I'm not kidding this is exactly what Rand Paul is doing right now. He is taking at automatic cell weapon to the tax code. But he also said something, I don't know how you'll read it. I don't know how Donald Trump will read. But he said this on the Daily Caller yesterday. He said, "I think he deserves both barrels". He was referring to Donald Trump. "I want to make sure everyone in the whole country knows he is a fake conservative."

Let's listen and hear what he has to say on this gun range as he's preparing. He's getting some instruction as I understand. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way it works basically is you show the magazine at the bottom like a power tool battery. And nothing in the chamber yet until you charge the charging handle.

RAND PAUL, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you take this, pull it back.

PAUL: Now we're loaded. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The safety is on right now, it won't fire, so you flip it up.

PAUL: OK

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This way you get a kind of feel for everything.

PAUL: OK. Safety is still on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, like the dock and everything. Let's take your left hand and put it out here. Put a little more control.

PAUL: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want you lean more into it with more before you address the stance.

PAUL: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get it on your shoulder, you see the red triangle?

PAUL: Yeah. The red triangle should be in the center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, go ahead and shoot something on the tax bill.

PAUL: OK, let's do that.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this range it's going to hit about two which is low because you're close, lean more in to it a little more.

PAUL: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead.

PAUL: And say, so I should aim slightly above whenever I want to hit?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

PAUL: Just very slightly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

You hit the T right there.

PAUL: Here we go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, let's try to do, one more fold address the stance. Upper body more folded like that.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... in the middle there.

PAUL: Here we go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead and shoot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: OK, so that's a pretty big target folks like that's a massive target the tax code. So hopefully he can hit that target.

This is how Senator Rand Paul is winding down before the very stressful 2:45 minute long debate at the Reagan Library.

By the way Senator Paul is going to join my colleague Wolf Blitzer after he's finish at the gun range he's going to be live for one-on- one with Wolf at the debate hall.

So make sure you stick with that. I'm sure he'll let you know how he did and he might even brings you pieces of that tax code.

So still with the meta-force, Donald Trump and Ben Carson are both getting hard for this support of the Evangelical Christian voters as well. You just saw the effort to get the second amendment mentors what about those Christians?

Trump says, he is doing well with the Evangelical. And so far his numbers do back that. The CNN poll of Republicans out earlier this month shows that Trump was meeting among White Evangelical Nationally with 32 percent of the vote. But look at Ben Carson, he's in a close second to 28 percent.

Trump, has repeatedly said on the campaign trail that the Bible is his favorite book. But some people are questioning how sincere he is about his faith particularly after this interview last month, have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: I'm wondering what one or two of your most favorite Bible verses are and why?

TRUMP: Well, I wouldn't want to get into it because to me that's very personal, you know, when I talk about the Bible it's very personal so I don't want to get into verses. I don't want to get into...

(CROSSTALK)

TAPPER: ... does those verses means a lot to you that you think about recite?

TRUMP: That the Bible means a lot to me but I don't want to get into specifics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: In one again specifics, maybe he will tonight thought because we have been told his boning up on some those verses.

Will his support among Evangelicals continue to rise? Will it wane? Will it be affected at all? Will the polls translate into real numbers with real voters for Trump?

Joining me now to discuss, Former Bush White House Press Secretary, Scott McClellan, Dan Pfeiffer who is the CNN's Political Commentator and Formal Senior Advisers to President Obama and Amanda Carpenter also is CNN Political Commentator and Former Communications Director for Senator Ted Cruz.

So, let me start with you if I can Scott that twice divorced, married thrice, casino mogul have been on the cover of Playboy. Once supported abortion rights and says that he likes his cracker in his wine when goes up for communion. And yet he does well with Evangelical. Why?

[12:40:14] SCOTT MCCLELLAN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Well he is doing well across the board. I think what you have is that electorate race within a certain segment of the Republican Party that is very angry about the way things are going in Washington. And even some outside the Republican Party in he's tapping into that anger they want someone that is the antithesis of President Obama.

And so I think you're seeing that support across the board. Now whether not that holds, I think its really up to Donald Trump. He is definitely not comfortable speaking to the more of social conservative base or the Evangelical base of the Republican Party.

And he's biggest threat to himself is himself Donald Trump really self in flowed. The other threat he has to worry about is, at some point here is he going to be over exposed. All we are hearing is Donald Trump 24/7 and at some point people are going to get tired of that I think.

BANFIELD: Did he jump the shark-factor. So Amanda, jump on this if you would with me. I listen to woman answering questions in the crowd before the big rally in Dallas. And I think it was Gary Chapman, our Correspondent who said, he's been really rough on women. How do you feel about that? The woman said "I hate it I really hate it."

And then, you know, Gary sort of bewilder and said then why are here? And so that because I like everything else and that doesn't matter, do you think that's the same issue with the Evangelicals because I was looking at Evangelicals that their God is number one and you cannot Trump that. And if you're against that nothing else matter. Where am I wrong?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, well I think Evangelical voters are expecting to hear more from Donald Trump at some point on this front? It's not coming through because listen , you know, George Bush, Barack Obama they all had to go and explain to voters how they have a personal relationship with God not necessarily because you have to be a faithful person. But voters want to hear that you're accountable to a power higher than yourself.

And I don't think Donald Trump has ever done that. And if he doesn't show people that he doesn't think its all about him. He's not accountable to higher power. At some point I think Evangelical voters will have to question that and wonder why he doesn't have a personal relationship with God that his willing to talk about.

BANFIELD: So Dan answer me this it seems like everyone has been asked about their planning what they're willing to devote. Anyway they say they are going to call out his weaknesses in these areas, they're going to call out his weaknesses as a conservative as well.

And, yet again I come back to that lady down in Dallas who said it doesn't matter because overall he's just the guy that is asked, he show our anger and frustration. Don't you have to point out that he's just like every other politician since they see him it's exactly they opposite?

DAN PFEIFFER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think that exactly right. You're not going to win a battle with Donald Trump by questioning his policy, his ideology, his character that's all price into the baseline people were already think bad about him. What you have to do is show that he is just as much an insider, an

establishment figure as all these other people up there. I mean it is one of the greatest tricks of all time that Donald Trump, a reality star -- reality show star billionaire has become the candidate of the common person.

And that's I think is the one vain that they should push to get that. The problem is Jeb Bush is a terrible vehicle for that. You know, and, you know, part of the press -- you know, his political legacy family very wealthy himself. And so we have to find the right person do it.

BANFIELD: Yeah, Dan Pfeiffer nice to have you, Scott McCmellan good to be able to ask you a question than you actually take them, I love that, thank you.

I had a wait to wait a few weeks for that. And Amanda Carpenter, thank you for your insight as well, great color choice glad you got the memo, thanks for the three of you.

And we're going to continue to watch for the candidates because they are arriving any moment now.

Stage is set, their podiums are ready as we mention they're going to walk through that debate hall and get their first tours starting in the next few moments. You can watch that all in full right here live on CNN.

And just a reminder the debate internet is (ph) begin airing tonight. Live on your screen at 6:00 P.M. Eastern time, do not miss that undercard because Jindal is mad and, you know, he's going to say something real nasty and ugly to Donald Trump. And then you know what can happen when you eat out some win in that first debate stand up on the big stage.

[12:44:12] OK, we are back in just a few moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BANFIELD: Straight out live with Athena Jones outside the Reagan Library where the candidates should be driving up the hill, can you see them yet?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Ashleigh, not yet we expect them any minute. Let me just show you where they're going to be arriving. And you can see this round about here. There's a big banner saying, "Welcome GOP candidates." right above that elephant shape hedge.

They'll be coming up right here and walking right inside for their walkthroughs, we'll try to grab them as they head N.C. How they're feeling if they're ready, if they have anything to tell us and they'll head right in. Check out the debate stage, see where their podiums are, kind of get the lay of land so that they know what to expect later on today. Ashleigh?

BANFIELD: All right let us know the minute they drive up. They should be there any moment. They were invited by the bottom of the hour. So we are now in that moment where this has begun, thank you Athena.

And coming up next, counting down with the Republican Presidential Debate and exclusive look behind the scenes, Wolf is going to take you there in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:52:29] BANFIELD: Live picture for you any minute now, that door will be the site for the massive Republican Presidential Candidates to go right on through and descend in to that beautiful Reagan Library in Simi Valley.

They get a chance to look through it first folks and as soon as they start arriving we're going to show you their arrivals live here on CNN.

But in the meantime Wolf Blitzer went through those doors and he's going to take you on a very intimate tour so you will see what the candidates you're going to see in just a few moments.

Have a look at Wolf tour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm here with Mark Preston of the CNN Executive Editor of Politics.

Mark this is -- what a majestic beautiful area this is for tonight's debate, let's do a little walk. First of all you see Air Force One, how cool was that?

MARK PRESTON CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Right.

BLITZER: Right, these are -- where the candidates are going to be staying and Rand Paul would be here, Mike Huckabee and so forth but doesn't get much better than this. PRESTON: It doesn't. And look how close we are to Air Force One right now, you know. It is -- it's just amazing and how close these candidates are in the Air Force One, you know. The idea is Wolf, is that they want to be the commander-in-chief. They want the next Air Force One to be the one that they fly in.

BLITZER: And if you're Donald Trump, you're going to be standing right here and you're going to be looking at and you see what 500 people in this relatively small room because there were thousands in Cleveland with that first debate, so it's a lot intimate.

PRESTON: It's a lot more intimate and I think that's going to play a big dynamic and how the candidates actually interact. And if they interacting, in fact will they get into an argument or a fighter what have you?

BLITZER: The questioners Dana Bash, Hugh Hewitt, they're going to be sitting right here, they'll ask them questions.

The moderator of course our own Jake Tapper, he's going to be sitting right here. He's going to be trying to keep everyone honest, if you will, walk us through a little bit of the ground rules for tonight.

PRESTON: Right, so, you know, very basic Jake or Hugh or Dana will ask a question to one of the candidates. And the candidate will have a minute to answer. If the candidate invokes a name of someone else up here behind the podium that person will have 30 seconds. But Wolf, we won't be constrain by those time limits because there's actually a debate, if there's a discussion and it's civil and what have you then Jake will probably let the discussion go.

BLITZER: This is the crows nest, where I'm going to be anchoring from later, before in the middle after this debate.

Look at this majestic view we have. We have the audience, the cameras a lot of cameras in here. Then we have those 11 podiums up there for all the 11 candidates who will be in New York primetime debate.

[12:55:04] All right, Mark and inside what's called the spin room right now. And this is obviously very important as to the debate.

PRESTON: It is because this is the place where all the journalists converged together with the candidates and with ...candidates topics and they try to spin how well they did during the debate. They try to wash away any of the bad things, any of the guess so it doesn't carry into the next day. And they tried to pump up some of their best moments. So in here, that interaction connects.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So you just saw them walking on a platform effectively 45 feet up in the hanger which is awesome. The entire stage and the audience right up high so they can be right there with Air Force One. And in case you're wondering 13 cameras, 10 miles of cable, 250 lights. Folks this is going to be a barn burner. Do not miss it. My colleague Wolf Blitzer is going to interview Senator Rand Paul live in the up coming hours. Those are rivals are eminent. The debate clock is on the right hand side and it will be there right up until the main event.

Thanks for watching everyone.

Wolf continues our special debate coverage after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Debate day is here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be amazing. I think this debate going to be truly exciting.

TAPPER: It's a chance to speak to a lot of Americans, milling (ph) the Americans or trying to make up their mind.

[13:00:00] Starts at 8:00 P.M. and it ends when Donald Trump runs out of air.

TRUMP: I hear everybody is coming after me. I've been doing this with 30 years. I feel really good about the debate.

BASH: So I don't really worry much about what Donald Trump says.