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Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump About to Leave For Scotland on Golf Business; Former Trump Campaign Manager Weighs In On Race; Trump Claims Victory After Blow to Obama's Immigration Plan; Anti-Trump Group Launches Ad Pushing Delegate Revolt; Trump Questions Clinton's Religion, Carson Says Lay Off; Polls Close in Brexit Vote, Awaiting Results. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired June 23, 2016 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:17] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump heading to Scotland not to meet with world leaders but for golf three weeks from the convention. Is he making a huge mistake? His former Campaign Manager Cory Lewandowski joins me live.
Plus, a Supreme Court dealing a major blow to President Obama's immigration plan as Trump's signature issue just gotten a major boost and we are waiting the result of the historic vote in Great Britain. Will America's strongest ally break free? Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, Donald Trump leaving New York any minute now for his golf course in Scotland just three weeks until the Republican convention. Trump is heading overseas not to burnish his foreign policy credentials, not to sit down with Prime Minister David Cameron to discuss Britain's possible historic break with Europe but to tend to the business of a golf course opening in Scotland.
And even there, the presumptive nominee does not appear to be getting a warm welcome when he arrives. Several residents have raised Mexican flags in Scotland near Trump's resort. A way to protest his controversial comments about Mexican immigrants. Now just before heading out on his trip though, Trump sat down with NBC News and took a big swing at Hillary Clinton. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You also made the claim that her e-mail -- personal e-mail server had been hacked, probably by foreign government suggesting that suggesting that --
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You don't know that it hasn't.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait a minute. Suggesting that she would be compromised as president. What evidence do you have?
TRUMP: Well, first of all, she shouldn't have had a personal server, OK? She shouldn't have had it. It's illegal. What she did is illegal. Now, she might not be judged that way, because you know, we have a rigged system. But what she did is illegal. She shouldn't had a personal server. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But is there any evidence that it was hacked,
other than routine --
TRUMP: I think I read that and I heard it and --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where?
TRUMP: -- somebody also gave me that information. I will report back to you. I will give it to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: In just a moment, I'm going to talk about this and much more with Trump's former Campaign Manager Corey Lewandowski. You're seeing him there. He's going to be my guest.
I want to begin though with Jim Acosta. He is OUTFRONT in Turnberry, Scotland. And Jim, this is obviously a very significant trip. It's significant timing. You are there on the ground.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.
BURNETT: What is his plan in Scotland?
ACOSTA: Well, Erin, this might not be an easy putt for Donald Trump. These overseas trips for political candidates have a way of getting a politician in the rough, you might say, to use some golf jargon. But you know, Donald Trump is essentially here for a business trip. He is out here to check on this golf property behind me, Trump Turnberry, which is a very nice resort, they spent hundreds of millions of dollars refurbishing it, the ribbon cutting for the completion of that project takes place tomorrow. He'll helicopter in on his Trump helicopter.
His family will be here to greet him. And we understand he's going to have a press conference and take questions. But this is highly unusual, Erin in that he's not going to do what we normally see politicians do during this stage of a general election campaign. Usually, you see candidates meeting with foreign leaders, four years ago, Mitt Romney met with the British Prime Mister David Cameron. As a matter of fact, that trip ended up having a few gaffes involved in it and this time around, Donald Trump is not meeting with David Cameron, he is not even meeting with the top government officials here in Scotland and has come under heavy criticism here in the UK.
The Prime Minister here has slammed Donald Trump's proposal to temporarily ban Muslims coming into the U.S. as wrongheaded. And Trump has questioned whether or not the U.S. and Britain would have a good relationship, should he become president. So there are a lot of pitfalls waiting for him here. He may get into the rough, he may get into a few sand hazards or water hazards when he lands here. And, you know, you should know, also, Erin, that you know, in addition to visiting this golf course, he's heading up to another one in Aberdeen, just a short drive from here.
That project has been pretty controversial. He's -- Donald Trump has tried to use the Scottish version of eminent domain to time to time to claim property up there. That didn't work out. He clashed with residents up there and a few of those residents have raised Mexican flags, as you said, to protest his stance against immigration. And so as -- as Donald Trump stirs up controversy back in the United States, he's doing it over here in the United Kingdom, as well.
BURNETT: All right, Jim Acosta, thank you very much. On the ground for that important trip. Trump's business trip has some questioning his priorities. Because we are literally now in the final countdown of the Republican convention.
Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight, Donald Trump is heading to Scotland. He's not visiting world leaders, but promoting a Trump golf course.
TRUMP: It's already a masterpiece, and we're going to further enhance it.
ZELENY: After winning their presidential primary, candidates often take a victory lap to showcase their foreign policy credentials. Like Mitt Romney in 2012. And Barack Obama in 2008. Not Trump. He is showcasing his brand abroad as Republicans at home worry about his chances in November. He's trying to reset his campaign. Turning the focus to his rival.
[19:05:19] TRUMP: Hillary Clinton may be the most corrupt person ever to seek the presidency of the United States.
(APPLAUSE)
ZELENY: He's touching down in Britain, the day after its referendum on whether to leave the European Union. A consequential vote for which Trump has expressed support. Hillary Clinton has been highly critical of how Trump's comments would influence the global economy.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It matters when a presidential candidate talks like this. Because the world hangs on every word our president says. The markets rise and fall on those statements.
ZELENY: Republicans are pressing Trump to get his campaign back on track. Starting with his massive fund-raising shortfall to Clinton. He said today, he would no longer make his campaign repay a $50 million loan.
TRUMP: I've got a lot of money and I might put up my own money too. I probably will at some point.
ZELENY: He also told Hugh Hewitt, he's leading toward announcing some members of his cabinet before Election Day. A practice he thought was common until Hewitt told him otherwise.
TRUMP: I think I might be inclined to do that. I don't think it's that unusual. Though that's been done before, hasn't it, Hugh?
HUGH HEWITT, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: No, I don't think we' ever had a cabinet member named. There was a hint that Colin Powell was going to be W's Secretary of State but it was just a hint. I mean, if you appear with these guys.
TRUMP: Well, did they wait until after the election and then the cabinet --
HEWITT: Yes, yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY: Now that conversation was an interesting window into just how new all of this is for Trump. He insists he's getting his campaign operation in order and there are some signs of that tonight. We learned he's hired a veteran campaign manager in Ohio who helped President Bush win that state in 2004. But Erin, many Republicans are still looking for more signs here and visiting his golf courses in Scotland is not exactly what some of them had in mind.
BURNETT: All right, Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much.
And OUTFRONT now, the former Trump campaign manager, now our political commentator here at CNN. Corey Lewandowski. Corey, welcome to CNN. A lot of things to ask you about tonight.
But first I want to ask some questions about you, questions our viewers will have. You are now a contributor for us here. You and I have done many interviews with you as a campaign manager, now you're a contributor. Did you sign a nondisclosure agreement when you worked for the Trump campaign?
COREY LEWANDOWSKI, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: So when I came on the campaign -- thanks first and foremost for having me on. It's a pleasure to be with you tonight. When I came on board the Trump campaign like everybody else, I said what I would do is keep confidential information confidential. And I signed a document to that degree and I don't plan on breaking that. My confidentiality agreement is such where information I would be privy too -- private conversations that take place between family members that are not meant for the public audience are going to be held in the closest and strictest of confidence with me.
And I think that's my duty and my obligation not just as someone who signed a document, but more importantly as a person who has respect for the individual he worked for. So, I'll -- I will tell you, that I'm not here to release private information of family members or discussions that took place behind the scenes that the public really has no reason to be aware off.
BURNETT: Right. Okay. So private conversations. But also just in terms of whether you're going to be able to say what you really think. I mean, the agreement that CNN obtained that Trump employees signed says something a little bit more specific than what you just said, Corey, it said, during the term of your service and at all times thereafter, you hereby promise and agree not to demean or disparage publicly the company Mr. Trump, any Trump company, any family member or any family member company. Did you sign something like that? That said no disparaging?
LEWANDOWSKI: Let me tell you who I am. And for those who don't know me, I'm a guy who calls balls from strikes. I'm going to tell it like it is. Because, you know, that's how I've had my entire career and most of the time my own detriment. People who know me know I'm a very straight forward person. I'll tell you exactly like it is, whether you like it or not. And, you know, maybe that's the reason I don't have some of the jobs I should have had or been given some of those opportunities, because I'm a straight forward person.
That's not going to change. No matter what I've done or what I've said, if something is wrong, I'm going to tell people it's wrong. If something is right, I'm going to tell people it's right. So, there is nothing that is going to stop me from telling the truth, in my opinion, regardless of what it is.
BURNETT: Even when it's saying something bad about Donald Trump.
LEWANDOWSKI: And I think that's what the people --
(CROSSTALK)
-- and that's what the people deserve.
BURNETT: Right. The bottom-line, that the viewers want to know, even when it's saying something bad about Donald Trump --
LEWANDOWSKI: Look, I'm going to say it like it is. If I agree, if I disagree, I'm going to come out and tell you, this is right, this is wrong, this is my opinion on things. And I think that's what the people have a right to have. My opinion on what I believe is right and wrong doesn't mean you have to agree with me but I am going to tell you what I think for sure.
BURNETT: All right. So, let me give a chance to do that right now Corey for our viewers. The "Washington Post" is reporting a new company called left hand enterprises, it was formed in April, it got two big payments, about three quarters of a million dollars from the Trump campaign and it got it in just a few days. That means, it went from not existing to getting three quarters of a million dollars in money, in just a few days, in the top ten biggest vendors to the Trump campaign. And of course Corey as you know, this is a campaign that as of the latest filings had only $1.3 million cash on hand this month. Right. So we're talking half of that would be going to one vendor. What is this company? What will it do for the campaign? Can you tell us?
[19:10:26] LEWANDOWSKI: The company was listed as a direct mail expense and that company was supposed to be doing direct mail in states in Nebraska and Indiana. And let me tell you this. And I don't try to pass the buck. But I can tell you that if there is anything that has not been appropriate, Mr. Trump will find it and fix it. And I can tell you that this campaign that I have no longer -- that I'm no longer part of, but I was very diligent in watching where that money was spent. And I can tell you that every vendor knows that we deserve that Mr. Trump would get the best price, the best rate and whatever may be on left hand enterprise, whatever their job was supposed to have been done was done effectively and officially, and if it wasn't, we'll make sure that the money is returned properly.
BURNETT: So were you responsible then for left hand enterprises?
LEWANDOWSKI: I was not responsible for that. That came out of a separate budget which I didn't have under my purview. But let me tell you this, I can tell you, because I've worked there for an extended period of time. That every dime that goes out of that building through that campaign, is scrutinized and looked at and vetted and I would be sure right now based on the story that the "Washington Post" is reporting is that there is an internal audit taking place right now, to ensure that every dime was spent properly, and Donald Trump is the only person who does this, to watch his -- he watches this money, because it's been his money for so long. And that's what he would do with the federal government, as well.
BURNETT: So Corey, just to be clear, so I understand. You're saying that you know that it was for direct mail. Obviously, it's a huge amount of money, especially for two states. Indiana, obviously, a significant one. Nebraska less so in the process. But if it wasn't under your purview, whose was it under? At that time Paul Manafort who would just have come in?
LEWANDOWSKI: That's right. There were two separate budgets in the campaign and this was the direct obligation of, you know -- if this did not fall into my purview, this was done in the state operations budget of which was held responsible through another party and not mine. So, just to be clear, I am certain that the money was spent wisely. It was spent in the best accord with what the campaign standards are. But it wasn't something I was directly responsible for.
BURNETT: All right. In the three days since you were fired, Corey -- three-and-a-half, right? It was obviously sudden on Monday morning. The Trump family has said some really flattering things about you. Here's a brief snippet for people who haven't caught it all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think Corey is terrific. I watched him before, he was terrific toward me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Corey is an amazing guy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a great relationship with Corey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. Corey, you have been pretty honest about this in that you did not see your firing coming, you had a conference call on Monday morning, you walked into a room, it happened. You have had a few days now to sit, to go home, to see your family. Do you feel angry?
LEWANDOWSKI: I don't. I feel honored. I feel honored to have been part of changing the American political system for the rest of our lives and hopefully so much further. And the Trump family has been so good to me and my family. And so generous that it's been so humbling to know that for a small period of time, I had a small role in helping with this campaign. And the generosity that they have showed me, and the kindness that they brought me in and let me into their family and to their hearts and their lives. To give me the privilege of running a presidential campaign, it's been a great experience for me, and I have no ill will.
As a matter of fact, I would -- I would go back and do it exactly the same way, only better. And if I did something to disappoint the family and I didn't accomplish what they needed, then they did what they needed to do because the campaign is bigger than Cory Lewandowski. It's about changing the direction of our country. And if that means the only way to get Donald Trump elected president is I'm not part of the campaign any more, sure that's tough.
But you know what, sometimes it's tough. And you have to be tough to get the results that you need. That this country needs. And I am fully committed in my private time with my family and my friends and telling everybody that I know that Donald Trump is the only person that is going to save this country for my children and hopefully their children someday.
BURNETT: All right.
LEWANDOWSKI: So, know, it's been a great privilege.
BURNETT: All right. Certainly no disparaging there. Let me ask you something, Corey. When you laugh, you just heard Donald Trump this morning talking to Hugh Hewitt on the radio saying, you know, whether it's possible he might come out early with what his potential candidate picks might be. Obviously you have to have a VP before you have any of that. When you left this week, did he have a VP in mind?
LEWANDOWSKI: Well, the list when I left was very, very short. It was ongoing conversations. The individuals who he is talking to about being part of that process, have all agreed that they want to be part of that process. And look, there's been some speculations out there that, you know, people don't want to be part of this. It's absolutely the opposite. Every person that he has talked to, every person that he had an interest in talking to, has reaffirmed with 100 percent certainty that they would be absolutely welcome on the ticket. They want to do this.
These are individuals who are of the highest quality that are ready and able to serve in a capacity, should they be part of the ticket that gets elected. They would be ready to go on day one, there's no on-the-job training here. And these people would be ready to go and are excited about the prospect of being on the ticket with Mr. Trump.
[19:15:15] BURNETT: All right. So Corey, how short is that list? You say short list. What does that mean when it comes down to that? I'm not asking for names. You're not going to give them. But I mean, is it three? Is it four? Is it two? How long is the list?
LEWANDOWSKI: It's no more than four right now. It's no more than four individuals right now, and these are the absolute very best. People that everyone will know, they're household names, there are people that he has said will help him achieve his legislative agenda, people who are going to very, very happy when he finally makes the determination of which one of those he's going to select.
BURNETT: So Corey, let me ask you one more thing about how he handles himself in public. He was asked in an interview today, as you saw, on NBC with Lester Holt about Hillary Clinton's e-mails. He said, her use of a private serve enable foreign governments to hack her e-mails. He said it in a speech just obviously yesterday and now Lester Holt asked him about it. Here's the key exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Is there any evidence that it was hacked, other than routine phishing?
TRUMP: I think I read that and I heard it and --
HOLT: Where?
TRUMP: -- somebody also gave me that information. I will report back to you. I'll give it to you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Should he stop making this allegation without proof, Corey? At this point, there is -- let's just be clear. There is no proof.
LEWANDOWSKI: Here's the issue we have with the e-mail server, right? This was hiding in someone's bathroom, in some location, held offsite. Hillary Clinton has admitted she has made a massive mistake on this. As you know there's hundreds of FBI agents looking into this. She has clearly committed a crime against our country. She doesn't want to admit it. There are 33 e-mails or so that are still classified, they were on that server that should never have been. The real question is --
BURNETT: But Corey, the real question is -- hold on, hold on. Because the real question is -- the real question is, did a foreign government hack it? There is no proof. That's what he specifically alleged in the speech. What --
LEWANDOWSKI: Here's what we do know -- what we do know is that we do know that a foreign government hacked the DNC's e-mail system. We know that for sure. That's unequivocal and they have admitted to that. What we don't know is that, did they also hack Hillary Clinton. We don't know that --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Right. So guess -- you're giving him advice now. You're not his campaign manager anymore. But would you tell him to stop saying things that he does not know to be true?
LEWANDOWSKI: No. What I think you have to do is you have to raise an issue because there is a serious question about the security of those e-mails. What we know is that there are classified documents on those e-mails for sure. We know that unequivocally because the U.S. Senate has those e-mails and they're under a classified briefing right now. So the American people can't have those. The State Department continues not to release all of the e-mails, because they're classified.
And the fact that these were in an unsecured location is a crime, and the fact is, the federal government should be prosecuting Hillary Clinton for this crime. And they have chosen not to do it. That's what the root of this is all about.
BURNETT: Right. Well, the root of is, of course she has been charged with nothing at this point and there has been no evidence of proof.
LEWANDOWSKI: And that's a failure of our government, is the problem. That's a failure of our government because if it wasn't Hillary Clinton, if it's you or I using a private server to store classified materials, you and I would both be charged by now.
BURNETT: All right. Corey, I'll leave it there. Thank you very much. I appreciate your time.
LEWANDOWSKI: Thank you.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, the Supreme Court blocking President Obama's immigration plan that would have protected more than four million people from deportation. That decision, how does it play directly into Donald Trump's hands?
Plus, growing concerns in the Trump campaign over the possible delegate revolt. How was campaign chief plans to shut it down?
And Ben Carson calling out Trump for attacking Hillary Clinton's religion. Ben Carson, yes, one of his top surrogates, our special report on a favored Trump attack.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:21:50] BURNETT: Tonight, Trump claiming victory after a deadlocked Supreme Court blocked President Obama's controversial executive actions on immigration reform. Trump warning on Twitter, "Supreme Court has kept us safe for executive amnesty for now but Hillary has pledged to expand it taking jobs from Hispanic and African-American workers."
And that was just the beginning of the battle. Michelle Kosinski is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: Good morning, everybody.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The President's disappointment palpable.
OBAMA: I have pushed to the limit of my executive authority. In November, Americans are going to have to make a decision about what we care about and who we are?
KOSINSKI: The Supreme Court dealing him a major blow, his most recent executive action on immigration, affecting more than four million people who came to America illegally, allowing them to temporary safety from deportation, and the ability to work, study, get driver's licenses and tax credits, remains in limbo. And this issue now in the hands of the next Supreme Court justice, the next Congress, the next president. Donald Trump, who has built his campaign on keeping certain people out --
TRUMP: We're going to build the wall. We have no choice. We have no choice.
They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists --
KOSINSKI: In a statement warns that "Hillary Clinton's plans would go even further than Obama's tweeting Hillary Clinton's open borders are tearing American families apart. I'm going to make our country safe again for all Americans. Also, Obama and Clinton should not meeting with the special interests and start meeting with the victims of illegal immigration."
Clinton slamming Trump in her own statement, "This decision is also a stark reminder of the harm Donald Trump would do to our families, our communities and our country." Because Republicans have refused to take up the President's nominee for the Supreme Court, the now eight justices split evenly on whether President Obama overstepped his legal bounds by taking executive action.
The President tried to reassure supporters that the families affected will still be very low priorities for deportation. But what Democrats are calling a defeat for millions of people wanting to come out of the shadows -- many conservatives view as --
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: A win for the constitution, presidents don't write laws, Congress writes laws.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSINSKI: You look at the amazing evolution of this. I mean, remember, first you have Congress unable to reach a compromise on immigration reform. The President then says, he is forced to go around Congress and take executive action. Republicans call that a gross overreach. There are lawsuits filed. Ultimately, they refuse to even consider his Supreme Court nominee. And now you have a Supreme Court deadlock on a major issue. The way the White House described this today, is dysfunction in Congress. Now infecting the judiciary -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Michelle, from the White House. And now Trump supporter, Jason Osborne. John Avlon, editor-in-chief
of "The Daily Beast." And Clinton supporter Basil Smikle, good to have all of you with me. John, this issue was Trump's rallying cry. I mean, how many times -- I've done interviews, you've done interviews. He says, I'm the one who put this on the table, he is very proud of it. The wall with Mexico. Did this ruling give him a big victory today?
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I don't think so politically. And here's why, look, it's a vindication of his position in the short run but it's also evidence of broken government in a really fundamental way. The Supreme Court didn't make a decision on us today. They effectively punted because they're deadlocked. If they had ruled against him, his voters would have been really riled up and that can be a win heading into the polls. If there is one political phrase Donald Trump knows, it's the people vote out of fear, not love. You know (INAUDIBLE) but it's true. Next in line, the Trump could have said.
Instead, the people who are affected by this, the dreamers, and those families and the undocumented, their energy is going to be on the activists and their families and the immigrant families.
BURNETT: They want to get out.
AVLON: Their energies get behind them because of this ruling. Not Trump supporters.
BURNETT: Jason?
JASON OSBORNE, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think this is a complete win. Not just for Trump, but for America. I mean, I think if you look at this -- I think you have to understand that this win -- or this ruling today, reaffirms what Trump has been saying, what the 16 other Republican candidates for president are saying.
AVLON: There is no ruling today.
OSBORNE: What the Congress said. There is no action today.
AVLON: Their inability to decide. Right. Exactly.
OSBORNE: But at the very least, it stopped what could be a disastrous thing for our country, moving forward. In that we need to have an immigration policy set forward. We don't need a president that is going to say, who he admitted himself, how many times that I don't have the authority to do this.
BASIL SMIKLE, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: Bringing millions of families out of the shadows. Three hundred thousand here in New York alone, making them part of the economy. Something that Hillary Clinton talked about, even if you don't support what Hillary Clinton is saying.
[19:26:28] BURNETT: People who came here illegally and did not come in and play by the rules. SMIKLE: But they're -- but they are playing by the rules now. And
the fact of the matter is --
OSBORNE: Now? Not when they got here.
SMIKLE: But they're playing by the rules now and they want to be productive citizens -- but they want to be productive citizens. So, how is this actually good for the nation when you have millions of people, families, that actually want to pay their taxes, that want to actually contribute to this economy, and they're not being allowed to do so.
OSBORNE: Because I'm sitting here looking and having been out in Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina, the last several months. And hearing stories from people that are saying, I lost my job because my company downsized, and moved overseas. I lost my job because they could find somebody else -- that could work less hours. So tell that to the guy in Michigan that's losing his auto parts --
SMIKLE: But let me tell you what Donald Trump is doing. What Donald Trump is doing to me is far more dangerous when you add his statement on. That these individuals are taking jobs away from African- Americans, from Latinos. Latinos, by the way, who he is disparaging -- African-Americans, he's got the one --
BURNETT: In a statement today, just want to make sure -- in his statement today, he said, Clinton has pledged to extend this amnesty, hurting poor African-American and Hispanic workers.
SMIKLE: To me, that is one of the most dangerous statements you can make. What is he doing, he's playing again to people's fears. He is putting communities against each other. And that to me is the hallmark of his candidacy. Playing to people's fears and not their aspirations.
AVLON: What's real about this, though? This is not a vindication for any position because the Supreme Court punted. Because it is deadlocked, because of broken government. And so it's not a -- you can make a -- you can make a reasonable case. The President Obama overreached with this decision.
BURNETT: But doesn't this motivate -- to that point, wouldn't this motivate both sides to go vote? Right? Because whoever gets out there is going to get justice -- put over the top.
AVLON: And that is the ultimate example of the politicization of the court.
BURNETT: Right.
AVLON: I mean, that is what we're looking at. The Supreme Court, the politicians and justices, which are supposed to be distinct separate branches have blurred to the point where they're indistinguishable and the division in this function --
SMIKLE: But politicized by a Congress that doesn't want to engage the President's nominee. The President wants to do his job. Why is Congress not doing their job? Which is the issue in the first place that this case --
AVLON: And watch out. Because, look, if Hillary Clinton is elected, all of a sudden you're going to see a bunch of senators say, you know what, Merit Garland is really reasonable. We should get him into the lame duck session right away. Because we don't want to see what's going to happen.
BURNETT: In a weird way actually making argument for both the Democrats and Republicans whenever they're the ones about to leave office to not fill the spot? Because it does say, this is an issue the country deeply cares about. It should be the will of the people -- if you're this close to an election, shouldn't it be the will of the people?
AVLON: That's what Joe Biden said.
BURNETT: Joe Biden said, Chuck Schumer said it. Doesn't this actually make that case?
AVLON: Washington is full of situational ethics, there's no question about it. But I actually do disagree with that. Because when you have the longest vacancy in American history, it does lead to basically an inability for one of the three branches of government to do its job. So, I mean, at least give it a vote up and down. The reality is that the President tried to put forward a centrist justice, who was not a spring chicken that is going to be on the court for 40 years. That itself is a compromised gesture, at least up or down. Because instead you get division, dysfunction and that's what we're seeing his decision was.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks to all of you. You're all going to stay with me. Because next, Trump's top adviser in charge of heading off a delegate revolt at the convention. Could Republicans derail Trump's nomination?
And Hillary Clinton joining a long list of politicians whose faith has been questioned by Donald Trump. Tonight, a Trump adviser calling out the presumptive Republican nominee. One of his top surrogates.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:33:53] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, the push to stop Donald Trump at the Republican convention is hitting the airwaves, a super PAC leading the charge for delegates to revolt, just launching this ad in Iowa.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP, POLITICAL AD)
ANNOUNCER: Iowa Republican State Committeeman Steve Scheffler is trying to force Republican delegates to vote for Donald Trump and threatening those who find that vote for morally offensive. This is one of those times when the delegates need to be free to vote their conscience.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: But the Trump campaign is not leaving anything to chance. The chair, Paul Manafort, with about 200 Trump supporters to plot their path to squash the revolt.
Phil Mattingly is OUTFRONT covering this for us.
Phil, this was one of the first things Manafort did when he took over the campaign, right? Said he was going to get control of the delegates situation. This is a sign that they are worried about this, isn't it?
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it's a sign they're taking it seriously, Erin. Is it still a long shot? Question about it you have to think back to when we were going to head to a contested convention. That was a very jarring experience inside the Trump campaign. Week after week, watching Ted Cruz's operation out- organize, outflank, outhustle them on the delegate side of things.
[19:35:00] What you're seeing now led by Paul Manafort is an effort to ensure something like that never happens again, Erin.
BURNETT: And the Trump campaign, Phil, faced a lot of criticism, that it was not functioning like a typical campaign. In a lot of ways. Not enough people, other things, as well. Can this effort put that to rest?
MATTINGLY: I think when you look at -- look, they're never going to be a traditional campaign. They have made that very clear. Donald Trump has me that very clear.
However, when you look at this and a few other things that have happened this week, after an anemic fund raising report for the month of May, he's had a great three days. Sources saying he raised more than $11 million over the course of that just short period. He now all of a sudden has a rapid response operation going on.
He's raising a lot of money online which they didn't pay attention to before. And obviously as you noted, this organized effort by Paul Manafort. What we're seeing is a traditional campaign in a Trump fashion, I guess, start to come through. And I think that's important.
You talk to Republicans who have been so wary of this campaign, so wary of this candidate, up to this point. Their biggest concerns have been the infrastructure, or complete lack thereof. That is starting to be put in place, and the latest thing we just saw, Erin, Donald Trump hired his Ohio state director and it's a very well-known, very impressive Republican in the state, ran some of George W. Bush's operations, as well as the 2010 campaign.
While this will never be a normal campaign, they're at least moving toward some element of normalcy, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Phil. And, Jason Osborne, back with me, Trump supporter. Steve Lonegan now joins me, the spokesman for the Courageous Conservative Super PAC, which is pushing for the revolt.
OK. So now you've got a conference call for the Trump campaign. They're talking about you and what you're doing. They know you exist. They're doing something about it.
Are you worried that now means -- you're going to fail?
STEVE LONEGAN (R), ADVISING ANTI-TRUMP DELEGATES: We expected this. No, we expected they would gear up to take on this challenge. We have got people coming on board every day, raising money every day. We're raising bigger and bigger money every day. And you're going to see bigger TV ads out over the next couple weeks.
We're not going away. You know, there was a lot of excitement over a contested convention and a lot of argument how it would be great for the Republican Party. We believe that. It will be great for the Republican Party.
We want to see a contested convention. We want to see Donald Trump get off the golf course in a couple days, come back to America, and campaign. And show us what it is to be a presidential candidate, why you should be the nominee.
BURNETT: OK. So when I asked Jason whether he's really worried about this, when you say big money and more ads, what can you tell me, Steve, about how much money? How much money are we talking about that you've raised?
LONEGAN: I will tell you we will raise -- we have and will raise a significant amount of money. We are building the staff to have a true operation in place of Paul Manafort, eight whips on the floor of the convention, we'll have 16. We're going to be reaching out to the delegates.
You know, what the number one guy who can win this convention is Donald Trump. It's his to lose. And we know it's very, very difficult. We're well aware.
BURNETT: And you've said that before.
LONEGAN: But we also know that if Donald Trump is left unchallenged, and if he continues the way he's going, he's going to take the Republican Party out to cataclysmic defeat. And that's a word I use a lot.
BURNETT: Are you worried?
JASON OSBORNE, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: No. This conference call that occurred was a normal occurrence that happens every four years before a convention. You have a whip operation on the floor that's responsible for talking to each delegation and you assigned people. Romney did it, McCain did it, Bush did it. Every convention I've done and there have been six of them, this is a normal occurrence. --
LONEGAN: No. OSBORNE: Yes, of course, it is normal, Steve. To actually recognize
who the nominees are, and I will keep -- you know, let this point get out there, and that today was the first day that all the delegates' names were released publicly.
BURNETT: Right.
OSBORNE: So this idea that there were 1,000 people on a conference call of delegates seems very, very suspect to me. I'm not diminishing your efforts.
I know that you guys want to continue to push a candidate that dropped out several months ago. But this is the -- the reality is that every state made their decision at the end of September on how they were going to conduct caucuses. Fourteen million people voted for Donald Trump. They're going to go to the convention.
BURNETT: OK, 16 million, though, people who voted in the Republican primaries voted for someone who was not Donald Trump. Not the same person. But still, more people didn't want him than wanted him.
LONEGAN: And 50 percent of Republicans in your polls don't want Donald Trump. Double the number of people.
OSBORNE: They changed the process before. Don't change the process now. You're going to leave it up to 57 people?
LONEGAN: The process is -- to decide --
(CROSSTALK)
LONEGAN: Jason, it is not normal for there to be a delegate uprising and a campaign to go into turmoil, not raising money -- heading into a convention.
(CROSSTALK)
OSBORNE: Three weeks beforehand? It's normal for a campaign to have a conference call with people that are working the convention three weeks outside of a convention. That is normal.
LONEGAN: It's normal.
OSBORNE: It is normal to have some people that are upset and don't like the system worked for them, even though the new establishment which you were a part of --
LONEGAN: The system, Jason, is still working. The system doesn't end until the process of the convention.
OSBORNE: Then tell me how you're going to convince 14 million people that voted for one candidate, not 16 million that voted for 16 other candidates -- that there is a savior out there that is going to come in, you're going to try and disrupt the convention for what?
[19:40:07] Who is going to come in and do it? Walker? Cruz? (CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: What is your sell?
LONEGAN: Well, it's interesting. You know what happens when we get him on the phone? People say what about violence in the convention? What if Donald Trump brings violence?
These are delegates and activists saying this. What about the threats in our state? This is what we hearing from delegates. And by the way, the people are not all delegates. They never said that. It was maybe a couple of hundred delegates (INAUDIBLE) like that together, Jason.
(CROSSTALK)
LONEGAN: And you know that what we're doing is brutally difficult, but there was a rising opposition to Donald Trump and he needs to address it and he's not doing it.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Are you worried he's going to Scotland for a couple days?
OSBORNE: No. Donald Trump has got a business to run. So him going to Scotland --
LONEGAN: If this is more important, you can't run for president.
OSBORNE: You would not say the se thing about Ted Cruz going back to the Senate to vote on an important piece of legislation. That's his job. So, don't say that Donald Trump going over to Scotland -- for what, two nights?
LONEGAN: Only two nights. He set his job aside and business aside to become president or continue to run it from the White House?
OSBORNE: I'm sure he is going to --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: -- to his children.
OSBORNE: That's up to him.
BURNETT: Yes. All right.
LONEGAN: He's leaving it up to his kids.
BURNETT: Thank you both very much. We'll be back. Both of you, together.
And OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump questioning Hillary Clinton's religion. Our report on how it's not the first time he's made this charge.
And the first results in Britain's historic vote to stay or break free from Europe. They're coming at this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:45:30] BURNETT: New tonight, Ben Carson takes on Donald Trump. Carson is a Trump adviser, a surrogate, telling the presumptive nominee to lay off Clinton's religion. He says faith is a very private issue.
Trump is raising questions about Clinton's faith, and earlier in the campaign, he was also skeptical of Carson's religion.
Sunlen Serfaty is OUTFRONT.
And, Sunlen, this is a familiar attack line now from Donald Trump.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. It certainly is. This has come up in the past, now turning into something of a pattern. Trump calling into question someone's religion, and their faith, and this time, he's targeting Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: With Obama, you have your guard up, with Hillary, you don't. And it's going to be worse?
SERFATY: It's become a fundamental play in Trump's playbook.
TRUMP: Hillary in terms of religion, she's been in the public eye for years and years. And yet there's no -- there's nothing out there.
SERFATY: Trump questioning Hillary Clinton's faith in a meeting with evangelical leaders, a new attack following an old pattern, where he raises doubts about someone's religion but attempts to ownership of the claim.
TRUMP: I didn't bring it up. Somebody asked me the question.
SERFATY: It's a strategy Trump has been deploying for years, to try to discredit a whole host of political foes. He stoked conspiracy theories about President Obama in 2011.
TRUMP: He doesn't have a birth certificate. Now, he may have one, but there is something on that -- maybe religion, maybe it says he's a Muslim. I don't know.
SERFATY: And in the Republican primary, going after opponents, from Ben Carson --
TRUMP: I'm Presbyterian. Boy, that's down the middle of the road, folks, in all fairness. I mean, Seventh Day Adventists, I don't know about.
SERFATY: To Ted Cruz.
TRUMP: I do like Ted Cruz. But not a lot of evangelicals come out of Cuba, in all fairness.
SERFATY: And one of his most outspoken critics, Mitt Romney.
TRUMP: Are you sure he's a Mormon? Are we sure?
SERFATY: Those questions now turning to Hillary Clinton.
TRUMP: I've watched Hillary for a long time. I just don't know anything about her faith.
SERFATY: But she was ready to respond Wednesday in North Carolina.
CLINTON: He's going after me personally, because he has no answers, on the substance. That's even why he's attacking my faith.
SERFATY: Clinton is a Methodist, who has spoken openly about her faith in the past.
CLINTON: I am a person of faith. I am a Christian. I am a Methodist.
SERFATY: Donald Trump is a Presbyterian.
TRUMP: And I go to church and I love God and I love my church.
SERFATY: But he has had a series of stumbles when speaking about his faith. Struggling with his command of Scripture, referring to Two Corinthians instead of Second Corinthians.
TRUMP: Two Corinthians, 3:17, that's the whole ball game.
SERFATY: And admitting he doesn't feel the need to ask God for forgiveness.
TRUMP: You know, when we go in and church and when I drink my little wine which is about the only wine I drink and have my little cracker, I guess that's a form of asking for forgiveness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY: And we saw Hillary Clinton tweaking Donald Trump just a bit this week over his digs at her religion. At two times during one speech, really going out of her way, saying, as we Methodists like to say -- so trying to jab back at him a little bit, Erin, without mentioning him specifically by name.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you, Sunlen.
And OUTFRONT next, the votes are in. Is America's closest ally about to break free from Europe? It is an historic night, and we are live in London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:52:47] BURNETT: And the breaking news, polls have closed in a historic vote that is going to have major global impact. Millions and millions of British people lining up all day to decide whether the U.K. should be in the European Union or not. And they are now counting the ballots and we are awaiting the final results. It is a crucial moment, frankly, in history. Right now, it is too close to call for what we have at this moment.
Our chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour is OUTFRONT live in London tonight.
And, Christiane, it is an incredible day, an incredible moment here, and an incredible choice. And at this point, no idea which way it is going to go?
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we definitely cannot call it. It is really, really close. There's a running tally of votes counted so far but it's not like a general election. This is really each vote counts. So, it is going to take until all the votes are counted before we really know.
But right now, the remain camp has a very lead, as I say, this is as results come in, but it has been shifting and changing in terms of mood. The pound has gone up and down in the last several hours since polls closed. So, it is very close. We are not calling it by any stretch of the imagination.
We have talked to several members of different campaigns and, you know, each side has been cautiously optimistic. At one point, one side is conceding or at least individuals from one side. So, it's really on a see-saw right now, Erin.
BURNETT: I mean, it's incredible, Christiane. And if Britain leaves the European Union, obviously, they don't use the euro, but to leave European Union, this could be the unraveling of something that took decades to achieve and change world history. You would see perhaps, right, major countries, just a breakup of all of Europe?
AMANPOUR: Well, that's what a lot of Europeans fear. Certainly, the major powers in Europe fear exactly that. So, they have wanted Britain to stay in the European Union. There's no doubt. All Great Britain's allies, all the sort of business leaders, all the security intelligence leaders from the continent and many, many from here have said say it is better to stay in for all sorts of economic, security and other reasons.
However, it's a mark of how bitterly fought this is that it is still close in the U.K. and how much euro skepticism remains in this country.
[19:55:09] But, yes, one of the key things that worried many across Europe and indeed the United States, it has the E.U. as the biggest trading partner, the single market, very worried that a Brexit, if it should happen, would trigger a Frexit, an exit, and you know, it goes on. Whether it's the Netherlands, whether it's Denmark, whether it's even Italy, and, obviously, in France.
An associated worry is that a lot of this movement on the continent are led by far right, hard right wing populist nationalists which are really playing the current politics of anti-establishmentarianism, the populism that we see across the country, based obviously on people's, you know, pain when it comes to the economy and other such things.
It's the climate that's going on not just in Europe but as you see it yourself, in the United States in the current election campaign there.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Christiane. We do indeed, of course, with all of the talk of borders. Donald Trump, of course, is going to be in United Kingdom tonight as those results come out, visiting his golf course.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: And thank you so much for joining us. We'll see you again tomorrow night. Don't forget. You can watch OUTFRONT anytime, anywhere. Just go to CNN Go.
"AC360" with Anderson starts right now.
