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House Floor Sit-in; Trump Hits Clinton in Speech. Aired 2-2:30p ET
Aired June 22, 2016 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:09] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf, thank you, sir.
I'm Brooke Baldwin. I will pick it up in the very same spot. The tears still fresh, the funerals still going and now the calls for a revolt growing louder. Right now an absolutely extraordinary moment unfolding on Capitol Hill. Dozens of members of Congress staging a sit-in on the House floor, angry about the gun violence sweeping the nation just ten days after the Orlando attack. They are demanding a vote on gun control. A team of Democrats, led by Georgia Congressman John Lewis, the civil rights icon, delivering an impassioned speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all of my colleagues join me on the floor. I wonder what would bring this body to take action? What would finally make Congress do what is right, what is just, what the people of this country have been demanding, and what is long overdue? We have lost hundreds and thousands of innocent people to gun violence. Tiny, little children.
We can no longer wait. We can no longer be patient. So today we come to the well of the House to dramatize the need for action, not next month, not next year, but now! Today!
We have to occupy the floor of the House until there is action.
REP. JOHN LARSON (D), CONNECTICUT: Rise up, Democrats. Rise up, Americans. This cannot stand. We will occupy this floor. We will no longer be denied a right to vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: And then the members started to tweet, tweeting out photos, showing their solidarity, showing their defiance, one after another using the #nobillnobreak and #goodtroubleinsilencenomore. You could hear chants from the floor as more and more of these lawmakers joined in.
Let's begin with our senior political reporter, Manu Raju, who is live there on Capitol Hill.
I mean I think what was so striking for me is to see, again, the legendary John Lewis, who marched with Dr. King for civil rights, now sitting on the floor, on Capitol Hill, for this. MANU RAJU, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and leading the House in protest, too, Brooke. Actually, there were a number of chants - chanting to demand action on legislation. A number of things they've been chanting, "no bill, no break." This is what the members of Congress are saying. They're saying, "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired," and said, "we shall not be moved."
And because they're not moving, they're disrupting the order of the House, disrupting business in the House. House Republicans wanted to move forward with a series of votes today but they have not been able to do that. In fact, they came into session around noon today and they had to quickly gavel out, saying the House was out of order, which is one reason why we're actually not seeing any video, any TV, nothing on TV about what's actually happening on the floor because technically they're in a recess.
Now, what Republicans are going to do next remains to be seen, but they could presumably turn the lights off on the chamber and sort of force Democrats to leave. But what they're demanding are votes on expanding background checks and this dispute between House and - between Democrats and Republicans over how to deny suspected terrorists the right to purchase firearms and how to define who those terrorists actually are.
Now, on that terrorist issue, there is a bill in the Senate from Susan Collins of Maine, who's trying to push a compromise on this issue, but we're seeing concerns from the right, from the NRA, who thinks that it actually raises some constitutional concerns, and we're hearing that Senate - Republican leaders want to have a vote on that pretty quickly, possibly this week, but it will probably fail and lead to more theatrics and protests like we're seeing today.
BALDWIN: Quickly, Manu, just, you know, when is the last time you saw something like this happening? Wasn't it the Republicans staging a sit-in and the Democrats flipped the lights out?
RAJU: Yes, that's right, and it was when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in charge of the chamber and the Republicans did the same thing, not wanting to break, wanted to demand a vote and staging this sit-in and Democrats turned the lights off and eventually Republicans left. So, clearly, Democrats believe they have an advantage on this issue, which is why they're mounting - doing things like this, staging this protest on the House floor and last week launching that 15-hour filibuster on the Senate floor.
Brooke.
BALDWIN: We rely on Twitter photos and Periscope. Welcome to 2015 with these cameras off.
Manu Raju, thank you so much. I know you've got a big interview coming up next hour. We'll check in with you again.
[14:05:07] Meantime, the White House is now reacting to today's sit- in. President Obama taking to Twitter as well. "Thank you, John Lewis, for leading on gun violence where we need it most. One of those taking part in today's floor protest is Democratic Congressman John Yarmouth. Also joining me is Republican Congressman David Jolly. He introduced the gun compromise bill just yesterday.
So, congressmen, welcome to both of you.
REP. JOHN YARMUTH (D), KENTUCKY: Thank you. Good to be with you.
REP. DAVID JOLLY (R), FLORIDA: Thank you, Brooke. Good to be with you.
BALDWIN: Congressman Yarmouth, let me just begin with you. I know you were part of the sit-in and I know it's tricky because apparently when you walk out, you may not be able to rejoin them, so thank you for taking a minute with me. Can you just - whose idea was this to actually sit down in the well?
YARMUTH: Well, it started actually on Monday night. John Larson of Connecticut, Katherine Clark from Massachusetts and John Lewis started reaching out to members they thought might want to participate. And then we actually had a meeting last night to kind of play out the scenario and figure out the logistics. So it's pretty much an organic thing. This morning in our Democratic caucus meeting Leader Pelosi talked about what we were doing and gave her implicit blessing to it and that encouraged a lot of other members to join in.
So at one point I think we probably had about 70, 75 Democrats sitting and standing in the well of the House. And with the passion that you heard from John Lewis, that was reflected in - throughout the caucus. So we're prepared to be there for the duration. We go on break supposedly Friday afternoon for next week. And we're prepared to do this until Friday, and that's the derivation of the - the no bill, no break chant.
BALDWIN: So - all right, so you're prepared to continue sitting. Dozens have joined in, as you pointed out.
Congressman Jolly, before we get to the substance, and I think - I think you two sort of were on the same page here, what do you, just as a Republican, make of what's happening in the well?
JOLLY: So, Brooke, I don't question the conviction of my Democratic colleagues. I'm not sure I agree with their tactics. I will tell you, we have to be very careful. You know, I left Florida after Orlando, a state that was united in mourning, and quickly came to a Congress divided. It's not helpful on either side of the aisle to cast blame, to yell shame, to accuse others of being complicit in mass shootings in American history. I don't know that I agree with the Democratic tactics, but I'll tell you, I'm somebody who says, let's open the floor of the House and have the debate.
You know, I gave a speech this morning as soon as we opened before the Democratic sit-in and I said, here's why I disagree with the Democratic proposal. Here's what I've offered that would provide no fly, no buy, but also due process and Second Amendment protections for law-abiding citizens. If that's not the answer, help mean improve it. Let's get to a consensus here. My fear is, the politics of blame play well in November, and the architects of failure see political currency in this in November. The tone is important. Let's work together on both sides of the aisle. No fly, no buy, but protect the Second Amendment and due process.
BALDWIN: But let me just stop you a minute back. You know, you don't agree with the tactics. We know what's happening on the Senate side. We know that nothing is really happened. We're waiting, you know, for the Susan Collins' measure to be introduced. On your side, though, nothing's happened, especially in the wake of Orlando. I was down there as well. So what's wrong with being a little dramatic?
JOLLY: So, Brooke, inaction is wrong, which is why as a Republican I've introduced a compromise bill, HR-5544, that says no fly, no buy, but you're entitled to a due process hearing within 30 days if you're declined the purchase of a firearm. I think we can get there.
You know the irony here, Brooke, is if we just do our job, here's the most scandalous part of all, this is easy. This is actually easy. We can solve this. This is nothing more than politics. We wouldn't condone this type of behavior in elementary school kids.
BALDWIN: How is this easy, though? With all due respect, congressman, how is this easy? Nothing happened.
JOLLY: Here's why. And no -
BALDWIN: Jump in. Jump in.
JOLLY: The solution is easy. The solution's easy because every American agrees, if you're on a watch list, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun. But every American agrees, if you're wrongly on the list, you should be entitled to due process. We can do that.
I begged my Democratic colleagues to put due process in their proposal. It would get support. I begged my Republican colleagues, let's do something. Let's act in the wake of Orlando. Let's not play politics with this. It's heartbreak. And so I'm saying, look, I don't agree with the tactics, but if it forces a discussion, a debate on the House floor, so be it. Let's have that debate. I look forward to it.
BALDWIN: Congressman Yarmuth, jump in, and feel free to talk amongst yourselves, by the way.
YARMUTH: Sure. Here's the difference. In the Senate, Brooke, they have a filibuster. They can - they can force a cloture (ph) vote. If they get 60 votes (INAUDIBLE), they can bring something to the floor. We have nothing except what's called a discharge position, which you have to get 218 votes to bring - for something to come to the floor. Well, we only have 188 Democrats and we probably would get a handful of Republicans to agree, but we can never get 218. So we have limited leverage to bring - to force votes on important measures.
[14:10:10] This is very important. The American people want to us take action. They don't want us to just have moments of silence after every one of these unspeakable tragedies. So I think David's right. It is a relatively easy fix. And I think it would be a relatively easy debate. That's all we're saying, let's have the debate, let's have a vote and let's - let the will of the Congress be done.
JOLLY: And if I might add, look, the facts matter here. Here's my opposition, and it's on constitutional conviction, not politics. If you're currently one of the eight or nine classes prohibited from purchasing a firearm, it's post adjudication. If you've been found guilty of a violent crime, you've been adjudicated to have a mental health challenge, dishonorably discharged by the armed services. The watch list has no adjudication to it.
Now, we can agree, if you're on the list and a potential threat, you shouldn't be able to buy a gun. But if you're wrongfully on that, lets provide due process. So the discharge petition, my concern is it simply brings up the failed measure of the last two years that Democrats have offered and it doesn't do anything to bring folks like myself over to say, OK, I can support this because it provides due process and protects the Second Amendment. Let's work together on this. And that's what we're saying.
BALDWIN: OK.
YARMUTH: There's an added - there's an added benefit to this, too. There are a lot of people who are on the no fly list who don't know they're on it.
JOLLY: That's right.
BALDWIN: That's right. That's right.
YARMUTH: They might go (INAUDIBLE) buy a gun and say, no, you can't, and then they can have the adjudication that they (INAUDIBLE).
JOLLY: That's right. And, listen, my bill -
BALDWIN: All right.
JOLLY: My bill doesn't provide notification when you're on the list. It lets law enforcement investigation.
BALDWIN: Right.
JOLLY: But if you're denied a Second Amendment right, you're notified.
BALDWIN: I don't know if this is the moment that much of the nation has been waiting for, but this is certainly a moment.
JOLLY: Let's work together.
YARMUTH: OK.
JOLLY: All right.
BALDWIN: Noted. Gentlemen, I appreciate both of you. Thanks you so much, Congressman Yarmuth and Jolly.
JOLLY: Thank you.
YARMUTH: Thank you, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Thank you. Thank you.
JOLLY: Thank you, Brooke.
BALDWIN: We're keeping our eyes on those pictures on Capitol Hill. Thank you both.
And from Capitol Hill to the race for the White House. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump today delivered the - quite the counterpunch he has been promising for weeks against his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Just 24 hours after Secretary Clinton blasted Trump on the economy, the billionaire hit Clinton for 40 minutes, attacking her from all sides, foreign policy, her private e-mail server, her support of the Iraq War and so much more. Through all of this, you know, the attacks, Mr. Trump stayed on script, relying on a teleprompter instead of his usual off-the-cuff style. Here he was.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Hillary Clinton - and as you know she - most people know she's a world class liar. Just look at her pathetic e-mail server statements.
The other candidate in this race has spent her entire life making money for special interest, and I will tell you, she's made plenty of money for them, and she's been taking plenty of money out for herself. Hillary Clinton has perfected the politics of personal profit and even theft. She ran the State Department like her own personal hedge fund, doing favors for oppressive regimes, and many others, and really many, many others in exchange for cash.
Together, she and Bill made $153 million giving speeches to lobbyists, CEOs and foreign governments in the years since 2001. They totally own her, and that will never, ever change, including if she ever became president. Got help us.
She believes she's entitled to the office. Her campaign slogan is, I'm with her. You know what my response is to that? I'm with you, the American people.
The Hillary Clinton foreign policy has cost America thousands of lives and trillions and trillions of dollars, and unleashed ISIS across the world. No secretary of state has been more wrong, more often and in more places than Hillary Clinton. Her invasion of Libya handed the country over to ISIS, the barbarians. Thanks to Hillary Clinton, Iran is now the dominant Islamic power in the Middle East, and on the road to nuclear weapons. Hillary Clinton's support for a violent regime change in Syria has thrown the country into one of the bloodiest civil wars anyone has ever seen, while giving ISIS a launching pad for terrorism against the west.
Hillary Clinton's message is old and tired. Her message is that things can't change. My message is that things have to change and that this is our one chance and maybe our only chance to do that change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Mr. Trump spoke this morning in lower Manhattan, here are live pictures in North Carolina as we're watching and waiting for Hillary Clinton, who is likely to respond to Donald Trump at that rally there in Raleigh. We'll hear what she says. We'll take it.
[14:15:07] And Trump paying his businesses with money from his campaign. Democrats calling foul on that, but we're asking, is there actually anything wrong with that, legally speaking?
And a Homeland Security employee with high level clearance may have been plotting attack on top officials. We have those details ahead. Keep it right here. I'm Brooke Baldwin and this is CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN.
Here you go, live pictures, Raleigh, North Carolina. As we are waiting to see, Hillary Clinton speaking at this big campaign event down there. Will she counter - will she be tempted to counter any of the points Donald Trump made in his 40-minute speech that hit Secretary Clinton really on all sides, foreign policy, private e-mail server, Iraq War vote, Libya. We shall soon see.
In the meantime, let's analyze what the Republican nominee said with CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash, who was down in the room, in the ballroom, and CNN political commentator Ryan Lizza. Ryan is also the Washington correspondent for "The New Yorker."
[14:20:04] So, hello.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello.
RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hey.
BALDWIN: You were in the room. You know, I was watching you earlier saying that this was the speech that Republicans have been begging for.
BASH: Yes, in that he actually gave a very sort of well thought out, cogent speech listing in kind of bullet form all of the reasons why he doesn't think Hillary Clinton should be president, as you said, when it comes to her - from his perspective, the fact that she's been in office too long. He obviously took that to another level, called her corrupt, which we can talk about in a second.
BALDWIN: Uh-huh.
BASH: But just policy-wise, on trade, on immigration, on foreign policy. And that is the kind of thing that Republicans have been begging for as they've been, you know, kind of cowering under their desks as they've been watching Donald Trump for the past month -
BALDWIN: Some of them not wanting to write checks.
BASH: Exactly.
LIZZA: Right.
BALDWIN: Yes.
BASH: A moth or so, as they've seen the kind of message that he's been giving. They've been wanting him to focus where they think he should be, which is on Hillary Clinton. Now there are, you know, there are some controversial things that he said in there when it comes to specifics, but for the - for the most part, big picture, he framed it the way Republicans have been begging him to, to use to his advantage what he used to his advantage so well in the primary, that he's not - never been in public office and that that is a good thing for people who are so sick of the institutions of Washington and even economic institutions that he was - he was railing against.
So, from that perspective, there is a big sigh of relief from people who were questioning the very basic performance, but also ability of him to be a more conventional, just a little bit of a more conventional candidate, that he can give this kind of speech and not just kind of give a performance and a show that really does energize people at his rallies.
LIZZA: Yes. Yes.
BALDWIN: And let's be clear, some of it were - and I think you alluded to this - some of - you know, he talked about facts and there were also facts, right? And we'll fact check some of that a little later. And also to be fair, Hillary Clinton on what she could say as well.
But I'm curious on, you know, what he talks about with Libya and how she was - you know, wanted to intervene, unlike members of Obama's cabinet, a la Bob Gates, who I know she's close with. You know, he could hit her on that on substance. But there were other things he was saying that I'm just wondering, as an audience member, as someone who's trying to decide, how will they know where the truthiness lies?
LIZZA: Yes. And there's an enormous amount of this speech to fact check, right?
BALDWIN: Yes.
LIZZA: And it's, you know, it's not an easy speech to fact check on the fly. And he's not always comfortable with being 100 percent accurate.
I think I agree with Dana about the - he finally has a message that he's articulating. I mean he has not had a message. H e's not had a specific, consistent case against Hillary Clinton. It's mostly been a kind of kitchen sink strategy with the taunts, with the crooked Hillary. But today he actually - you know, he tried to make it relevant to the average voter. The economy is rigged. She's part of the problem. Politics is rigged. She's part of the problem, right? So that's actually, you know, a simple, consistent message that I think any Republican running against Hillary Clinton would probably land on, especially given the sort of anti-establishment moment we're in right now. So that's - that's sort of new, and, as you point out, Republicans are probably saying, ah, finally, there's something that we can all - a message we can all rally around.
I think the part of the speech where people are going to be shaking their head is, there's still this litany of attacks on Hillary that work really, really well with the conservative base, with that 30 percent of the country who are hard core Trump supporters and Republicans, but the voters that he's actually got to reach in these swing states, it sort of washes over them like, OK, this is just partisan attacks.
BALDWIN: But on the "r" word, on the rigged word, and on the corrupt --
LIZZA: Yes.
BALDWIN: I kept thinking, and I know he name checked him I think at least once, Bernie Sanders, right?
LIZZA: Yes.
BALDWIN: So if he's trying to speak to -
BASH: Exactly.
BALDWIN: Not just those, you know, far right, but more on the Bernie Sanders side of the spectrum -
BASH: Yes.
BALDWIN: I mean that's what he was doing in part, don't you think?
BASH: Totally.
LIZZA: Yes.
BALDWIN: Yes.
BASH: Absolutely. For people who are just, enough, enough. I mean he did it overtly -
LIZZA: Yes.
BASH: As you said, talking about Bernie Sanders. But - but the way that he sort of - the issues that he picked and the way that - that the Trump campaign decided to weave in - never mind this - the personal stuff, talking about her - her again alleged corruption, but issues like trade. That was one of Bernie Sanders', you know, calling cards -
LIZZA: Yes.
BASH: In that it was appealing to the - the working voter, the same kind of voter that Donald Trump has been appealing to. And that matters in a big way to people across the country, but particularly in some of the key battleground states, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, that Donald Trump is really banking on doing well in.
Hitting her on trade and saying she was involved in helping craft these policies and these agreements, whether or not, you know, she wasn't in most of them, in all of them actually, but that she backed them going back to her husband's administration with NAFTA, that that is the kind of thing that my reporting is that the Democrats are most concerned about if not - as much as if not more than the personal stuff, which if you're a Clinton, you're used to.
[14:25:20] LIZZA: Yes.
BALDWIN: So she's begun here, and I think she's just probably saying her hellos and thank yous, but what I'm waiting to hear from her on is, I know she took him to task yesterday, right?
BASH: Yes.
BALDWIN: And this is supposed to be really on Hillary and on the economy moving forward, but won't she be tempted - I mean do -
LIZZA: Yes.
BALDWIN: Of everything he laid out in 40 minutes, could you pluck one piece of that, that she is just -wants to grab on to today?
LIZZA: No - I think - I don't think she's going to defend herself from any of the specific attacks. I think their view is, ignore the specific attacks. Don't get bogged in - down.
BALDWIN: So what does she do, nothing?
LIZZA: She continues the argument she's made in her two big speeches, that he is -
BASH: The campaign is certainly doing it, you better believe it, surrogates.
LIZZA: With the e-mails and talking to reporters and surrogates. But I think what she's going to continue to do is lay out the arguments in those two big speeches, that he's not credible on national security and that he's not credible on the economy. I mean she's - if nothing else, she is extremely disciplined when it comes to message, and she's not going to let a Donald Trump speech attacking her -
BASH: Yes.
LIZZA: On, you know, 20 different issues knock her off of her anti- Trump message.
BASH: And we have the contours of her message versus his message now. And it is, I think, if you just looked at our polling yesterday, it's pretty clear why. It is him saying she's not trustworthy and honest, and her saying you don't want him with his finger on the nuclear codes because he doesn't have the temperament to be president.
LIZZA: Yes. BASH: That, you know, if you take away the specifics -
LIZZA: That's it.
BASH: If you just look at the big picture where you're trying to get those persuadable voters, and I don't know how many of them there really are, those are the - those are the messages that we're going to continue to hear unless something drastic changes.
LIZZA: And just to go back to one thing he - about the -
BALDWIN: Actually, forgive me just a second.
LIZZA: Yes, let's go, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Let's listen in to her really quickly. Hillary Clinton speaking in Raleigh.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: So that North Carolina can get back on the path to the future, get off this detour that you've been on.
Now, I have to start by saying, if you notice anything different about me today, it could be that now I've got double the grandmother glow. This past weekend, Chelsea and Mark had a little boy and we are all totally over the moon about it. And, obviously, our family will do everything we can to make sure that little Charlotte and now little Aidan grow up with every possible opportunity.
I know that's what every parent and grandparent, aunt or uncle, godmother, godfather, people who care about the children in our lives, that's exactly how we all feel. And I believe with all my heart that you should not have to be the grandchild of a former president or secretary of state to have every opportunity available to you in this country.
Every single child deserves the chance to live up to his or her God- given potential. And that has been the cause of my life. It's rooted in the values that I learned from my family and my faith. We are all in this together, and we have a responsibility to lift each other up. As we Methodists like to say, do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can, and that is absolutely true for our children. That's why I got into public service in the first place. And it's why I am determined that we will win this election in November.
And I - I think - I think it's an understatement to say that Americans face a choice in November. As I said yesterday in Ohio, Donald Trump offers no real solutions for the economic challenges we face. He just continues to spout reckless ideas that will run up our debt and cause another economic crash.
[14:30:06] I'm here today to offer an alternative. I have a clear vision for the economy and it's this.
