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Donald Trump Sticks to FOX Boycott; Interview with Jeff DeWitt; Interview with Foster Friess; Aired 10-10:30a ET
Aired January 28, 2016 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:01] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The president's remarks were part of the latest installment of "Live from the White House" where anchors from television stations across the country interview the president on different topics, including the Affordable Care Act, terrorism and the Super Bowl.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, Bill tried. Will Trump cave?
BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: Just want you to consider it. You owe me milkshakes. I'll take them off the ledger if you consider it.
COSTELLO: So if FOX's debate is a no-go, what about the offers from his rivals?
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to propose a venue. We already have it reserved.
COSTELLO: Plus the potential of an explosive pandemic. Why U.S. scientists say we need to learn from the Ebola outbreak and act fast.
Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
Donald Trump doubles down. FOX News tries to patch things up. But the billionaire is refusing to budge on his boycott of tonight's Republican debate. Not even FOX's Bill O'Reilly could coax Trump back onto the stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: I think you should forgive not only journalists who come at you in ways you don't like, but I think you should be the bigger man and say, you know what? I didn't like it and you should make that case all day long. But I'm not going to take any action against it. You know, don't you think that's the right thing to do? DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It probably is, but, you
know, it's called an eye for an eye, I guess also. You can look at it that way.
O'REILLY: No, no, no.
(CROSSTALK)
O'REILLY: That's Old Testament.
TRUMP: I don't take it seriously. Bill --
O'REILLY: No, no, no.
TRUMP: You are taking --
O'REILLY: If you're the Christian, the eye for the eye rule goes out. Here's what it is. Turn in the other cheek.
TRUMP: Bill, Bill, let me --
O'REILLY: You're depriving the people of seeing you --
TRUMP: No, I'm not.
O'REILLY: -- in a forum they need to see you in.
TRUMP: No. A lot of press will be there and everybody.
O'REILLY: Come on, it's about the country.
TRUMP: We're going to help a lot of veterans whereas FOX is not giving anything to the veterans. I'm giving 100 percent to the veterans.
O'REILLY: Oh stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Trump referring to his rival event, a fundraiser for wounded veterans. And this morning Trump says he won't be alone. Trump tweeting, quote, "Wow, two candidates called last night and said they want to go to my event tonight at Drake University."
CNN's Phil Mattingly live in Des Moines with more. Good morning.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Carol. Likely those two candidates, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, who won't be participating in the debate but have talked about trying to figure out a way to kind of co-op Donald Trump's debate. We'll have to wait and see on that.
But, Carol, two hours, that's how long it took for Donald Trump to sell out his event, his competing event tonight in Des Moines. Basically underscoring the fact that all attention is on him. He's starting to suck the oxygen out of the room. And that's a big problem for some campaigns just four days before the Iowa caucuses, and as you've seen, candidates attacking full-throated in the last couple of hours. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. RAND PAUL (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think he's very much afraid of questions about his bankruptcies. Maybe afraid about the fact that he's actually never voted in a Republican presidential primary. So, you know, for 70 years he's been a progressive Democrat. I was wondering if maybe he's going to show up in the Democrat primary debate the next time.
CRUZ: Apparently Mr. Trump considers Megyn Kelly very, very scary. And, you know, Donald is a fragile soul. I mean, she might ask a mean question, and who knows what could happen? I mean, his hair could stand on end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY; Carol, last night Ted Cruz in an event in west Des Moines calling him gentle Donald over and over again. Cruz with really the most to gain or lose by what happens over the -- the next four days is right neck and neck with Donald Trump in the polls here in Iowa trying to figure out some way to counter that he won't have Donald Trump to debate with on that stage tonight. His team going all in, all out right now on social media, trying to figure out some way to siphon off some of the attention Donald Trump has gotten by what he's decided to do tonight.
COSTELLO: All right. Phil Mattingly, reporting live from Des Moines. Thank you.
With me now, Trump supporter and surrogate, Jeff DeWitt.
Welcome, Jeff.
JEFF DEWITT, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Thanks, Carol. Thank you for having me.
COSTELLO: Thanks for being with me. Do you know who these two candidates are who want to join Trump at his event tonight?
DEWITT: Well, I think -- I think I just heard you say it was Huckabee and Santorum. Is that correct?
COSTELLO: I -- well, maybe I missed it. Is it Huckabee and Santorum? So they're going to go and join Trump instead of going over to FOX?
DEWITT: I thought --
COSTELLO: He was speculating. He was -- he was speculating. He didn't know for sure. But I wondered if you did.
DEWITT: No, no, I thought I heard that earlier on your show.
COSTELLO: OK. So we'll continue to guess, but that's who we think it is. And maybe it is. I don't know.
DEWITT: OK.
COSTELLO: I want to -- I want to run this by you. Two veterans groups say they don't want money from tonight's Trump event. This tweet is from the founder of the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of American, quote, "If offered the IAVA will decline donations from Trump's events. We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts."
[10:05:12] Why put wounded veterans in the middle of this drama?
DEWITT: Well, keep in mind that Mr. Trump has been a supporter of veterans and our brave men and women that fought for our freedoms for quite a long time. This is nothing new. And so if he is -- has an opening in his schedule that he had planned on for the debate and now he has time to do something else, I think it's a very appropriate use of time.
COSTELLO: But that's -- but veteran's group saying that --
DEWITT: That he goes for his passion to raise money for veterans.
COSTELLO: Veterans groups say, you know, you're just using us for political gain. Why do that? Why just not make your donations pure? Why put us in the middle of this drama?
DEWITT: Well, I think the fact that Mr. Trump can use his status to promote a great cause like veterans, I think that obviously is getting in the news. We're talking about that. And if that can get other people talking about it and get more and more donations coming in, obviously, to support our veterans who quite frankly our government hasn't been great to, I think that's a great cause to promote.
COSTELLO: Newt Gingrich says Trump is making a substantial mistake. He says nobody should be confident they have these caucuses locked down. Is Trump taking Iowa voters for granted?
DEWITT: Well, again, I think that Iowa voters should be upset at any candidate that shows up. When you have this news channel that's showing clear bias. If you've watched, you know, Megyn Kelly's shows, she clearly is biased against Mr. Trump. And then when you look at the statement -- you know, he was still going to do it, though, with what Megyn Kelly had said. But the statement put out by FOX about Putin and the ayatollah and this crazy talk that they put out, I can't imagine why any candidate would show up. And then when you have the chairman of FOX News go yesterday, go out on social media and asked for another candidate.
He asked for Bloomberg to come into the race, and here he is, basically showing his preference for somebody who's not even going to be on that stage.
COSTELLO: So is -- is that what happened? Roger Ailes asked --
DEWITT: I think it shows weakness on the part of any candidate that goes to the debate.
COSTELLO: Yes. But why can't, as Bill O'Reilly suggested, Donald Trump stand on that stage, say his peace and answer any question put to him? Because let's face it, he's going to have to deal with much harder things if he is elected president, isn't he?
DEWITT: Well, Mr. Trump does interviews all day and almost all night. He's done six debates which he's won very clearly by almost any polls you see out there. It's not as if he hasn't been asked every tough question over and over and over again so I don't know what else we really would learn by tonight.
COSTELLO: Really? Really? I mean, on the eve of the caucuses you don't think maybe people in Iowa who haven't made up their minds won't tune in to the debate to hear what he has to stay, really?
DEWITT: Oh, I think that if he were there, we would all tune in. And has been shown by the polls already with him not there.
COSTELLO: So why not go? Why not go and have Mr. Trump enlighten them?
DEWITT: Look, FOX News has been saying horrific things about Mr. Trump in the statement they did, and that now with what, you know, Mr. Murdoch did. And I'm OK with FOX News. I like FOX News, but these kind of things show that they're not going to be an honest broker of political discussion, and quite frankly, the American people deserve an open and fair debate.
We need a fair debate with fair questions. And if you have the moderators and the channel itself showing this severe bias against one candidate, then clearly that candidate has to look at alternatives.
COSTELLO: Well, conservatives on FOX News, now that you bring them up, they're now openly wondering whether Mr. Trump has the temperament to be president. And it goes along the lines of what I asked you before. Sean Hannity said maybe people who like him and support him should be paying attention because he's going to be dealing with mullahs in Iran, he's going to be dealing with Vladimir Putin, and he can't deal with Megyn Kelly?
DEWITT: And I think this is a perfect example of showing that he's able to stand up for what's right. And he's able to stand up for what he believes in. And quite frankly, the other candidates that aren't able to do that that obviously shows their weakness in leadership.
COSTELLO: No, but Sean Hannity is wondering so --
DEWITT: This is a leadership skill that --
COSTELLO: You don't like what Vladimir Putin is going to say so you're just going to leave the room and say, I'm sorry, I'm not dealing with you? Because on the world stage, that sometimes doesn't work.
DEWITT: But again, don't forget. This is a debate that he's doing willingly. And if they're going to keep insulting him before the debate, at some point you just have to say, you know, enough is enough. I've done six debates. I've won them all. You know, I think the other candidates should be throwing a party right now that they have a chance to win a debate because with him there, he would win this debate as well.
I almost think if you saw the news about the Minnesota girls' basketball team that was kicked out of a tournament for being too good, it almost feels like the candidates and FOX got together to kick Mr. Trump out of the debate because he's too good. So it will give everyone else a shot.
COSTELLO: Yes. But the other candidates like Ted Cruz want to debate Mr. Trump one-on-one.
[10:10:04] You heard Ted Cruz, he doesn't appear afraid of Mr. Trump. He wants to debate him one-on-one.
DEWITT: Well, I never said -- well, that's a publicity stunt. You know that. He obviously is trying to --
COSTELLO: No, I don't know that.
DEWITT: To get himself out from the pack.
COSTELLO: Ted Cruz is a wonderful debater. He's very good at that. So I -- I believe Ted Cruz when he says he wants to debate Donald Trump. And he's not afraid.
DEWITT: And I agree with you. He is a very good debater. Because he's been a lawyer and a politician his whole life. And is that what we want? Do we want to elect somebody who is another life-long lawyer?
COSTELLO: That was a good turn, Jeff DeWitt.
DEWITT: He's a great -- and I like him. He's a good guy, but we need something different. We need a successful businessman. That's what our country needs. That's what America is yearning for, which is why Mr. Trump leads in the poll. And that's what we're looking for. So somebody that can stand up and do things differently. That's what you get in a businessman that you don't see in the lawyers and the politicians that are going to show up tonight.
COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Jeff DeWitt, many thanks to you.
All right. So let's talk about --
DEWITT: Thank you.
COSTELLO: You're welcome. Let's talk about what we just heard from Mr. DeWitt, I want to bring in our panel, CNN's Brian Stelter, nationally syndicated talk show host Michael Medved, and "Washington Examiner" and columnist, and Republican strategist Kristen Soltis Anderson. Welcome to all of you. So, Michael, I want to start with you. You
just heard Jeff. What stood out to you?
MICHAEL MEDVED, HOST, "THE MICHAEL MEDVED SHOW": What stood out to me was his inability to answer a simple question. I would understand why Jeff DeWitt wouldn't show up for a debate. But for Donald Trump, this is insane. It's really insane. And by the way, it's a great opportunity here not so much for Ted Cruz but for Marco Rubio. The most recent polling among the polled showed that Rubio was within seven points of Cruz. Cruz was within seven points of Trump.
And it's all about the undecided voters in Iowa. The Quinnipiac poll showed 40 percent of all Iowa voters have not made up their minds. Now Trump is not going to alienate his own loyal supporters because as he said they would support him even if he went down 5th Avenue and shot somebody. But in terms of those undecided people who haven't made up their minds yet, this is a great opportunity for Rubio to say we need somebody who can actually unite the party, who's not afraid of debating at any time or another, who doesn't pick a fight with FOX News, which, by the way, is the most conservative of the news networks.
And that's basically the line that I think you're going to hear from Senator Rubio tonight. And that could give him a surprisingly strong showing in the Iowa caucuses.
COSTELLO: So, Kristen, what do you think is really behind this? I also want to ask you about the wounded veteran thing because there are wounded veterans groups who think they're being used by Mr. Trump.
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, COLUMNIST, WASHINGTON EXAMINER: The reason why Donald Trump is doing this is he's making a gamble. When you take a look at his poll numbers over the last couple of months, the only moments when Trump has declined at all in the national polls are moments when he's been out of the headlines. After the CNBC debate when the big headlines were Bush versus Rubio and talking about the moderators there. After the original CNN debate, when Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson really started to make gains on him.
Those are the only moments when Trump has not grown in the polls. So I think he viewed this debate as an opportunity for his opponents to gain some ground on him where he's just one of eight or nine on a stage. So for him, his goal is to get as much oxygen as he can by being in the headlines as much as he can.
The reason why it's a gamble is that the attacks that he's -- been leveled against him so far about he's not conservative enough, he's, you know, maybe not a nice guy, those are attacks he's been able to deflect easily. His core message is, I'm strong and I'm a winner. You see Ted Cruz now going after that core piece of his message saying he's weak. He's gentle Donald. That's why this is so much of a gamble.
If swing voters start to actually think maybe Donald Trump is not a strong guy, maybe he's not a winner, that's why this is a risk for Donald Trump but it's a risk he's willing to take if it keeps his name in the headlines.
COSTELLO: OK. So, Brian, I wanted to ask about the ratings. So Donald Trump keeps bricking up, you know, 24 million viewers who were tracked in the first debate.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Right.
COSTELLO: But frankly, over time the ratings have been declining for these debates.
STELTER: Right.
COSTELLO: Even with the inclusion of Donald Trump. So set the record straight on that.
STELTER: Yes. That's right. And the Trump campaign is probably going too far by setting the bar so low. They've been saying maybe the debate will only get one or two million viewers without Trump there. No, that's truly. I think the debate will get 10 million to 15 million viewers even without Trump. But there will be a lot of curiosity about this alternative event. I think viewers will be flipping the channel back and forth. Maybe all night watching.
And I agree with Kristen about attention. If you don't mind, I'm going to read from the "Art of the Deal." I don't normally read from 29-year-old books on TV, but everything about Trump is explained in this book. It really is true.
He says, "The point is, if you're a little different or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold and controversial, the press is going to write about you. I've always done things a little differently. I don't mind controversy." You know, and he goes on and on. Essentially, 20 years or 29 years ago he explained his playbook for this campaign right here in the "Art of the Deal." It's no wonder why he says this is the second best book behind the bible because it's working for him once again in 2016.
[10:15:08] COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. I wish I could go on. Kristen Soltis Anderson, Michael Medved, Brian Stelter, thanks to all of you.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump sticking to his guns and boycotting tonight's debate. Why it could increase calls for an alternative to stop his march to the nomination.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Breaking news out of Mexico. Affluenza teenager Ethan Couch is on the move. Mexican officials say he's been put on a flight to Dallas and he's expected to be back in the United States within an hour. He's got a court date in about three weeks to see if his juvenile sentence will be moved to an adult court. Couch was convicted in the drunk driving death of four people but served only probation.
All right. Back to politics now. As we've been telling you, when Republicans gather in Iowa tonight for their last faceoff, Donald Trump will be noticeably absent.
[10:20:02] And as Trump's grip on the top spot grows, so do concerns among some members of the establishment who want a viable alternative to rally around. And that's ramping pressure on the weaker candidates to drop out.
Joining me now, Foster Friess, he's the founder of Friess Associates and a supporter of Rick Santorum. He is widely credited with funding Santorum's 2012 presidential run.
Good morning, sir.
FOSTER FRIESS, FOUNDER, FRIESS ASSOCIATES: Carol, nice to be with you on CNN. What an honor that you invited me. Thank you very much.
COSTELLO: Well, thank you for being with me. I appreciate it. I have to ask you about this debate drama that's going on. What do you make of it?
FRIESS: Well, I'm just amazed that Donald Trump is a master at getting earned media. But I kind of think the whole debate and primary process has turned into a very sophisticated Jerry Springer show.
(LAUGHTER)
FRIESS: And I just am so excited to be with Rick Santorum on the trail where he talks about the threat of ISIS, he talks about the issue of ethanol to Iowans, and how important that is, and how he's been a long-time supporter not because of a political favor with the farmers but just because of a national security issue where he views by increasing the fuel supply we do well.
So the excitement of hearing those issues is really refreshing where most of the candidates are talking about nonissues. And Rick, the other day, we had eight people in a coffee shop, all were for someone else. By the end of the day after his presentation, seven of them came over to his side. So I'm excited about the fact that he probably has the best chance of winning because he won in Pennsylvania, two Pennsylvania races where he had a million more Democrats.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see --
FRIESS: A million more and he still beat them.
COSTELLO: Back to Donald Trump for just a second. Some establishment Republicans think he's bad for the Republican Party and would make a dangerous president. What do you say?
FRIESS: Well, my success, God blessed me with success because of very important principle. And that's I looked at people and I harnessed their strengths and I ignored their weaknesses. Donald's weakness might be diplomatic speech, but as far as his ability to excite people and get a message across is what's bothering the American people.
And I think I love the fact that he's kind of repeating all the things Rick Santorum has been saying. Rick Santorum at his announcement said we have to cut back not only illegal immigration but we have to cut back legal immigration to save the jobs for American workers.
COSTELLO: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Does that mean -- does that mean you kind of like Donald Trump?
FRIESS: Well, I like the fact that he's bringing a lot of new voters to our party. And I like the fact of what he's saying. You know, what he's saying is what Rick Santorum has been saying all along. Rick Santorum just doesn't say it as cleverly as Donald Trump as he gets the media.
COSTELLO: As Donald Trump. Well, let me ask you this.
FRIESS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Let me ask you this. Evangelicals, and I know you have a very strong faith. Evangelicals threw their support behind Rick Santorum in Iowa. Right? Rick Santorum won Iowa.
FRIESS: They did. They did.
COSTELLO: Right?
FRIESS: Right. Absolutely. Yes.
COSTELLO: But Donald Trump is a very different guy than Rick Santorum. Why do you think evangelicals like Donald Trump?
FRIESS: Well, I think you saw this thing about the raccoon story where you come home from vacation after three weeks, get 200 raccoons in your basement, you call the exterminator, you could care less if he's got bad breath and is a mean ordinary guy. You just want the raccoons gone. And I think the frustration of the American public has gotten to that point where they really haven't thought out perhaps what is the chance for Donald Trump to go in a general election. He's never been tested in an election. And they just are so upset with the lawlessness that we've had, the divisiveness.
Rick Santorum got almost a standing ovation when he talked about how he treats the other side with respect. Barbara Boxes and he went out tooth and nail but he said because he treated her with respect, that he dealt with the issues not the personality, when it came to author the Iranian Security Act, Barbara Boxer was his co-sponsor. So when --
COSTELLO: Well --
FRIESS: He said we wanted to get rid of divisiveness, he's a guy who can bring us together. We have too much prejudice against poor, black and (INAUDIBLE).
COSTELLO: Well, as you know, as you know, Foster, Rick Santorum isn't doing so well in the polls. And a lot of candidates aren't doing do well. Some establishment Republicans saying you know what, it's time to drop out so that, you know, voters can coalesce about a candidate who is doing OK, like Marco Rubio. Do you think that it's time for candidates with like 2 percent, 1 percent support to drop out?
FRIESS: Well, if they're at 2 percent, at least, Carol, they're tied with low fat milk. So that's a start. And I think who cares about the polls? When you think about it, the polls -- last time he was 5 percent in the polls nine days before he won Iowa. What does that say to people? And Matt Devin was down 4 percent in the Kentucky race he wins by 9 percent. And so the polls are, like, 360 people.
[10:25:01] I promise you, you have a possibility of surprise because he go to these little events we've been going to, people love Rick Santorum's warmth. They love his temperament. And the fact that he can sit down and explain, what is the threat of ISIS, he was the first -- I mean, he authored the Iranian sanctions and he named the enemy as fundamentalist Islam. Everybody else called war on terror. In World War II, we declared war on blitz screen? Terror is not an enemy, I mean, why do people not name the enemy?
COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Foster Friess, thanks for being with me this morning.
FRIESS: I'm here right in the middle of an Iowa heat wave. I'm going to put my bathing suit on and head to the lake this afternoon.
COSTELLO: I know. It's a good thing you have that warm coat on and that cool hat.
Thanks, Foster Friess.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the estimated number of cases enters the millions. What the World Health Organization wants you to know about the Zika virus, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:30:12] COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining --
