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Republicans for Hillary; Clinton Foundation keeps charity money? Says most charity is done in-house; New travel warnings for European destinations; Brazil facing severe political issues; Egypt Air flight 804 black box signal detected underwater by French Navy; Troops celebrate liberation of small town from ISIS; Air strikes gain ground in Syria. Aired 10:30-11:00a

Aired June 01, 2016 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:50]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): ... money contributors tells CNN if it is Trump versus Clinton and there is no viable third-party candidate, I will be voting for Hillary Clinton. Those who disagree are letting Elmets have it. From voicemails:

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: You're a disgusting pig.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I can't even believe you call yourself a decent Republican.

LAH (voice-over): To emails calling him a disgrace and a socialist. To simply, "shame on you." Other Republicans choosing a decidedly different path. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senator Lindsey Graham thawing on Trump. And Marco Rubio burying his hatchet with the man he once called a con artist.

MARCO RUBIO, UNITED STATES SENATOR: I want to be helpful, I don't want to be harmful. Because I don't want Hillary Clinton to be President.

LAH (voice-over): But Trump's harm, argues Elmets, is already unfolding before the electorates.

DOUG ELMETS, FORMER REAGAN STAFFER: These rallies are not a moment in time. If Donald Trump is elected President, you will see these things continue on for years beyond.

LAH: You believe you're in good company?

ELMETS: I believe I am in great company. They're just afraid to say that they support Hillary Clinton. But I do think that either they will do it publicly at some point or they'll privately do it in the polling booth in November.

LAH: So how many of these cross-over Republicans are there? Four recent national polls show approximately 6 to 8 percent of self- described Republicans say that they will back Hillary Clinton. 6 to 8 percent, if this is indeed a close race, that is nothing to scoff at. Carol?

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN HOST: All right Kyung Lah reporting. Thank you so much. For more on this a won over (ph) again Congressman Adam Schiff. He's a Democrat from California who serves on the House Permanent Select Intelligence Committee, as well as on the Benghazi Committee. And he is a Hillary Clinton supporter. Welcome, sir.

ADAM SCHIFF, HILLARY SUPPORTER: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: So you heard what Kyung Lah said. In this latest Quinnipiac poll that came out this morning, it shows only 4 percent of Republicans would vote for Hillary Clinton, 4 percent of Democrats would vote for Donald Trump. So it's not so promising is it? That so many Republicans are ready to vote for Hillary Clinton.

SCHIFF: I think actually over time you're going to see more and more Republicans do exactly that and say exactly that, as you indicated in the story before. There are grave concerns -- and I talk to Republicans, very mainstream, solid, life-long Republicans, who do not believe that Donald Trump is fit to be President of the United States. Who recoil at the idea that he could be the leader of the free world.

And I think much as was indicated, people may not be able to -- be willing to say that publicly, these long-standing, true blue Republicans. But many are saying it privately and I think many will go to the voting booth and privately cast their votes for Secretary Clinton. Because the idea of this con man, essentially, becoming President of the United States is unthinkable. And I think we've got just another indication this week of just how unelectable he ought to be.

And that is when the whole Trump story came out and the disclosure of these documents about what a fraud scheme this Trump University was, Trump's reaction was to attack the judge in the case and say that, at least in his view, part of the reason why the judge ruled the way he did in disclosing these documents was because of what Trump believed to be his Mexican heritage. That is so unsuitable for someone running for President ...

COSTELLO: But Congressman ... All of this doesn't seem to matter to his supporters, right? Because if you delve deeper into this Quinnipiac poll and you look at independent voters, 36 percent of independents say they would vote for Donald Trump if the election were held today. 29 percent of independents say they would vote for Hillary Clinton. So Donald Trump has struck a chord, and like it or not, these things about Donald Trump don't bother them.

SCHIFF: Well there's certainly a base of people that Donald Trump has as supporters that he has appealed to, frankly, their baser instincts. And they are for him come hell or high water. But you're also seeing, I think, Donald Trump shed support. And I think that those polls that have it close between Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump right now, are more of a reflection of the fact that the Democratic Primary is not over. And there's still a great many people in the Democratic Primary process who are supporting Senator Sanders. And so Secretary Clinton has not consolidated that support. I think that will happen after the convention. So I think those polls will change quite substantially. But the fact that week after week ...

COSTELLO: Well what, what I -- I just want to point out something else in this Quinnipiac poll. Because it's a confounding poll. Confounding because it's so contradictory, and I'll give you an example. When voters are asked about who would respond more effectively to an international crisis, 53 percent say Hillary Clinton. But when they're asked who is most effective at fighting ISIS, the numbers flip. More say Trump would be effective. That's confounding, and why is it? Could it be that many Americans don't really buy into President Obama's plan to fight ISIS and they think Hillary Clinton will just continue that blueprint?

[10:35:05]

SCHIFF: You know, I think people are conflicted. And I think many people are more than capable of holding conflicting positions at the same time. So yes, you're right, it is surprising, it is confounding ...

COSTELLO: But why wouldn't most, why wouldn't most voters say if they think Hillary Clinton is great on international crises, why wouldn't they say yes, she could most effectively fight ISIS. Why are they choosing Donald Trump over her on that very important issue?

SCHIFF: Well I think ultimately they're not going to choose Donald Trump over Secretary Clinton on that issue. But right now I think people are responding viscerally. They see the horror that ISIS is. They want it stopped, they want it stopped right now. And Donald Trump gives a simplistic answer about how he is going -- to use Ted Cruz's words but I think they're shared -- carpet bomb ISIS, kill the family members of ISIS, bring back waterboarding. And there is a certain element that that argument appeals to. That very superficial visceral argument. But I think that is not going to ...

COSTELLO: Right, right, they like his tough talk against ISIS. And Hillary Clinton -- I know if you listen to strategists out there -- can't talk quite as tough. Because she would turn off her base. So is that the problem?

SCHIFF: Well it's more than risking turning off the base. Frankly it is, those policies would not only would not work but they'd be counterproductive. The ban on Muslims for example, alienates our very important allies in the region, that makes it more difficult to build a coalition. It makes us -- it makes it more difficult to fight side- by-side when we need to, with our Gulf allies. So the Secretary has to make sure she's saying things that are good policy, that are going to help us win the war against ISIS.

It's much easier to be reckless at times the way Donald Trump is. But you're going to see increasingly, people in the military, as the story indicated, people with experience with foreign policy and national security, come out and condemn what Trump is saying as being counterproductive. We're seeing that happen already, and I think as we see that happen more and more often from now to November, you'll see Secretary Clinton's lead over Donald Trump widen. COSTELLO: OK I want to get to some more numbers from this Quinnipiac poll because it's so fascinating to me. Because there are more contradictory numbers. OK here's another one. Voters think Mrs. Clinton is more moral but less trustworthy than Donald Trump. Critics might say that's because of the email controversy and Hillary Clinton's evolving explanations. And this is what I mean about evolving explanations. This is what she said about the email controversy last week versus this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Just like previous Secretaries of State, I used a personal email. Many people did. It was not at all unprecedented. I have turned over all of my emails. No one else can say that. I have been incredibly open about doing that, I will continue to be open.

CLINTON: I've said many times, it was still a mistake and if I could go back I would do it differently. And I understand people may have concerns about this. But I hope voters will get the full picture of everything I've done in my career and the full threat posed by a Donald Trump presidency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Why doesn't she just come out and say, "you know what? Look, I made a mistake. I didn't turn all my emails over. I didn't preserve emails as I was required to do, and I'm sorry about that." Wouldn't that be a more effective explanation? Wouldn't people find her more trustworthy if she said those words?

SCHIFF: You know I think she has said that she made a mistake. In fact I think she's repeatedly said that she's made a mistake. And if she had to do it over again she would not use a private email server for her official work. I'm not sure frankly, what more she can do than the regret she's expressed about it. And for people who, for them, the email thing is the end-all, I don't think she's going to persuade them.

But frankly I think that's a very small number of people. The vast majority of the American people I think, are concerned about their future. About who is in a position to lead the country. Who can deal with all the foreign policy, national security, challenges that we face, who is better on the economy. I think people are going to go and vote on those issues.

But you know, this is a continuing issue just by the nature of the fact that you have multiple government inquiries into it. You have the private judicial watch, that right wing group litigation. So it's going to keep coming back into the news but I'm not sure that there's much more the Secretary can do, aside from saying it was a mistake. But it has to be put into context that other Secretaries of State also made very similar mistakes.

COSTELLO: All right. OK, Congressman Adam Schiff thanks for stopping by. SCHIFF: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Earlier in the hour during a heated conversation about the candidates and the money they give to charity, Trump supporter Gina Loudon said, "The Clinton Foundation" -- and I'm quoting here -- "keeps upward of 80 percent of the money raised. I promise to look into that number for you. And my team has."

So here's the lowdown from Politifact and Factcheck.org. That 80 percent number has been quoted by many conservatives, but they may be referring only to the amount donated by The Clinton Foundation to outside charities. The bulk of The Clinton Foundation's charitable work is actually performed in-house. And last year one independent watchdog did an analysis of the foundation's funding and found that 89 percent of its funding went to charity, earning it an "A" rating. I'll be back.

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[10:44:45]

COSTELLO: A new travel warning for Americans heading to Europe this Summer. The State Department says travelers should be aware of the potential risks of terrorist attacks. But say the alert is not related to new -- to a new or specific threat. The alert comes as Europe gears up for events including the European Soccer Championship which is expected to attract very large crowds.

So what does that mean if you plan to head overseas? Let's ask CNN Military Analyst, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling. Hi, thanks for being here.

LIEUTENANT GENERAL MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning. So first of all, explain the difference between an alert and a warning or advisory.

HERTLING: Yes, we have to be very careful in using those terms that the State Department puts out, Carol. A warning is something the State Department says, "you better be aware of some things going on in a country, and you should decide with a great deal of thought before you even think about going there." So these are really dangerous situations.

What we're talking about is places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, where things are happening actively right now. What's been issued for Europe, Carol, is a travel alert. That means, "hey, you need to be aware of some events that are occurring." And what they cited in that alert was the Tour de France, or the European World Cup soccer championship. Or the Catholic Convention in Poland.

These are things where a lot of people are getting together, that there is the potential for terrorists acting. But there's no indicators or any intelligence that anything is going to occur, they're just warning people -- or excuse me -- alerting people that big things are happening in different countries.

And truthfully, Carol, I find it a little bit strange that they would issue an alert for all of Europe. I just returned from Europe yesterday, as a matter of fact. I was there for a week at a medical conference. And found it as delightful as it ever is. Again these alerts are dependent on where you are, and what you're doing, and where you're going. To avoid big crowds and the potential for being caught (ph).

[10:45:45]

COSTELLO: So if I have plans like to go to Italy or France, I should go?

HERTLING: Well what I'd say is yes, first of all. And secondly, what you need to do is, I'd get on the State Department website and I'd recommend that to all your viewers. And just go into the consular information program. You can sign up for other advisories that the State Department will text you.

If you sign up they'll send you what's going on. I've used that several times when I've gone to some of the other European countries and into Israel, even. And you can get alerts on your phone, a text saying, "hey this road is shut down," or, "this thing is happening today, stay away from this part of the country." So even while you're there, active intelligence.

Now checking that State Department website will also give you some information on some countries that are actually under a warning, like parts of Turkey. I wouldn't recommend anyone go to Turkey right now. But in terms of France, or Italy, or Croatia, or Estonia, or any other of the 48 countries in Europe, I'd say check more into the specifics before you travel.

COSTELLO: All right, General Mark Hertling, thanks so much. Still to come in the Newsroom ...

HERTLING: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: You're welcome. This is supposed to be Rio's time to shine. But with the world watching will corruption overshadow the games?

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[10:51:50]

COSTELLO: With only 65 days for Rio de Janeiro to clean up its act in time for the 2016 Summer Olympics, it's not just the city's ongoing fight against Zika, crime, and gang battles. This morning we're diving deeper into Brazil's political crisis. And the corruption with no end in sight. Here's more now from CNN's Ivan Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When the honor guard arrives to greet foreign diplomats at the presidential palace, so do the protesters. Demanding the resignation of the brand new interim President, Michel Temer. Brazil faces a political crisis during a time of great economic pain.

A fresh scandal this month forced a top cabinet minister to announce his resignation. The irony, this is one of the politicians who spearheaded the impeachment process against President Dilma Rousseff forcing her to step down earlier this month for allegedly breaking budgetary laws, which she denies.

WATSON: More than two-thirds of the Congress here voted in favor of an impeachment process of the elected Brazilian President. But many of these lawmakers are, themselves, implicated in a variety of corruption scandals.

Do you think there's a lot of corruption in this room?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I don't think, I'm sure.

WATSON (voice-over): Part of the problem is, it's tough to govern here. When there are dozens of political parties represented in the Brazilian Congress. There's even a professional clown. A comedian who was applauded when he cast his vote for the impeachment of President Rousseff.

Polls show she had nearly single-digit popularity ratings when she was suspended. But so does the legislature that suspended her.

WATSON: People don't respect you?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: No. Like, yes, they don't respect. We don't have much credibility together with this society.

WATSON (voice-over): And it hasn't helped politicians' credibility that several ministers in the new interim government also appear to be under investigation for alleged wrongdoing. The changing of the political guard in this country is still very, very complicated.

WATSON: The elected President, Dilma Rousseff, is still living over here in the official presidential residence. And she is vowing to fight the impeachment proceedings against her. Ivan Watson, CNN, Brasilia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Up next in the Newsroom, a major discovery in the search for that Egypt Air flight, next.

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[10:58:40]

COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 58 minutes past. Investigators now confirm an underwater signal detected by a French naval vessel is from Egypt Air flight 804. That plane vanished from radar over the Mediterranean earlier this month. 66 people on board that flight. Once the black boxes are retrieved, authorities say they'll be handed over to Egyptian officials.

As U.S. trained forces make gains around Fallujah, this video shows troops celebrating after freeing a small town from ISIS. But the challenges inside Fallujah are enormous. Security forces now facing threats from ISIS like boobie traps, snipers, and IEDs. The U.N. says an estimated 50,000 people are trapped inside the city. Fallujah is the last ISIS stronghold West of Baghdad.

U.S. backed coalition forces in Northern Syria are making strides against ISIS. The alliance trying to cut off ISIS's access to the key city of Raqqa. The progress comes as airstrikes nearby kill at least 58 people. As of last night more than 18 airstrikes hit the city of Idlib. One strike damaging a popular hospital, it forced the hospital to close.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. AT THIS HOUR with Berman and Bolduan starts now.

[10:59:55]