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Hillary Clinton Arrives In Philadelphia For DNC; Bill O'Reilly Says White House Slaves Were "Well Fed"; Democratic Heavyweights To Address DNC Tonight; Campus Rampage Becomes Pivotal Moment For Kaine. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired July 27, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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


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[15:31:00]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, so we have some pictures for you. We're watching closely to see if we can see the woman of the week here, Hillary Rodham Clinton. This is her plane. The nose of her plane. Trying to see -- get a sneak peek of her. We have not seen her yet in Philadelphia. This is the first time she has arrived. And just a quick reminder she obviously is - this is all for her so tomorrow night it's her big night when she speaks in prime time and it is her daughter who has been here. We've seen glimpses of her, especially as her dad spoke last night so lovingly about her mother. Chelsea Clinton will be introducing her tomorrow.

So, I'm going to keep one eye on that plane and guys just get in my ear if we want to go back to that picture.

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BALDWIN: But for now, shall we move on? Let's talk about Fox News host Bill O'Reilly who is being criticized after appearing to defend the living conditions of the slaves who built the White House. He was specifically responding to the first lady's speech Monday night here at the DNC where she said she wakes up every morning in a home that was built by slaves. And this is how Bill O'Reilly responded.

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BILL O'REILLY, FOX NEWS HOST: Slaves that worked there were well fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802. However, the feds did not forbid subcontractors from using slave labor. So Michelle Obama is essentially correct inciting slaves and builders of the White House, but there were others working as well.

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BALDWIN: Let's go there. Michael Smerconish is with me, CNN political commentator and anchor to "Smerconish" here on CNN. Also with us, Bakari Sellers, CNN commentator and former Democratic member of the South Carolina House. Bakari, let's call him out - let's call him out.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean it's easy to just label this as being ignorant. It's easy to label this as being below what most journalists hold to be the bar. But I think it is deeper than that. I think it's the fact that many times African Americans in this country don't get their life valued.

There is a question about human decency. There is a question about human dignity. And in that clip, Bill O'Reilly didn't display any of that. I think any - it's not an appearance to defend slavery. What he did say was that slaves were well fed which is beyond the pale. And it is not as if he gave the appearance of anything. He was speaking in a way that was disrespectful to the legacy of many people who came to this country in shackles and actually were tormented, who died, were beaten. And if they had any other choice, no, Mr. O'Reilly, they wouldn't be there building the White House. They would be living free.

And I think the fact that he can't understand that, that he can't wrap his head around those words of dignity and decency, I really have no use for him at all.

BALDWIN: Strong words from you. From you, just the politics of it all. The first lady's speech, you know, she's a tough one to criticize and yet are you surprised this came of it?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN ANCHOR "SMERCONISH": No. I think if you put Bill O'Reilly, Fox News and the worth slavery in the same sentence, you've got a twitter sensation. It was awkward. I don't get the well fed reference. You know I think we've all become expert today in learning what kind of labor built the White House. I like the historian who said it was a mansion built in the south during slavery. Of course there was slave labor involved. I think awkwardly he was fact checking her and concluded that she was correct but I don't understand the fed basis for that reference because there seems to be no historical support for it.

BALDWIN: OK. Let's move on. I'm done with that. Let's talk about Mayor Michael Bloomberg who is speaking this evening.

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BALDWIN: I think it goes - I think it goes Biden, Bloomberg, Kaine, Obama. You're excited to hear from him, why?

SMERCONISH: Are you not giving a shout out to my suspenders?

BALDWIN: Oh, my gosh!

SMERCONISH: What's the deal. You put me on with Bakari.

BALDWIN: Shame on me, I - take your jacket off.

SELLERS: You're officially - you're officially the most handsome person --

BALDWIN: I need a defender, sorry, I'm in the zone - I'm in the zone baby.

SMERCONISH: I upped my game because of Bakari sitting here next to me and like you're ignoring it.

I am excited about Michael Bloomberg.

[17:35:00] BALDWIN: Tell me why Mr. suspenders, tell me why.

SMERCONISH: Because Gallup says 43% of Americans are Independents. They're not D's, and they're not R's, they're I's, I happen to be one of them.

Now if you say OK, to whom does the independent community look for leadership? I don't know. It's a short list but he is on it. And I like this guy, I would have liked to have seen him get into this race. And I think that he's put on that stage, yes, because he's an A-lister who is endorsing Hillary Clinton, but also because you got the Gary Johnson factor out there. Johnson at 13% or so in the polls. And I think this is deliberate to make sure that movement doesn't go too far.

BALDWIN: It is white middle-aged men, many of whom in this country who do not have college degrees where Hillary Clinton is not doing well with. Maybe he can help pull that in. Maybe Tim Kaine tonight. You, you love you some President Obama. You're not shy about that.

SELLERS: I'm not shy about that at all, I mean we're two skinny guys with funny names right. So I think that Barack Obama is definitely in the White House right now, going through scribbling on that pad.

BALDWIN: He's probably ripping up part of it and re-writing (inaudible).

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SELLERS: -- after Donald Trump made those comments that showed that he wasn't prepared to be President of the United States. I think the President is going to have a lot of fun with this speech. I think the energy is going to be amazing. I think he's going to take us somewhere. But I also think that the President doesn't want to have the second-best speech in his house. Because Michelle Obama took it to another level. And if he doesn't come with his A-game, then Sasha and Malia are going to give him just pure trash over the next few days. So it's a really high bar. I'm excited for it. I think tonight's going to be a great night. I have a really low bar for your friend, Michael Bloomberg, so I think he can beat expectations.

SMERCONISH: Did they want my salt shaker off the table?

BALDWIN: He may need your suspenders actually.

SELLERS: They need your suspenders tonight.

SMERCONISH: They would look good on Michael Bloomberg, OK. They'd look good on you Bakari for your speech tomorrow night.

SELLERS: I might rock them.

SMERCONISH: Think about it.

SELLERS: I might rock them.

BALDWIN: All right gentleman, we'll have a sartorial conversation at the commercial break. Bakari and Michael, thank you very much. Watch this guy, Saturdays 9am and 6pm. Thank you so much. Forgive me suspenders my goodness.

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BALDWIN: Straight ahead though we have to be serious and talk about a very pivotal moment for the time then-Governor Tim Kaine, the massacre of the mass shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia at Virginia Tech. We'll talk with a father whose son was injured. He took four bullets during that shooting. He says Kaine was the first official to come to his son's bedside. That personal story coming up.

You're watching CNN's special live coverage from Philadelphia.

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[15:41:45]

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BALDWIN: Here we go. We are back live here in Philadelphia. It is day number three, it is a big, big, big day at the Democratic National Convention here in the city of brotherly love.

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BALDWIN: We have President Barack Obama set to speak tonight. And the theme is working together. So let me bring in the Democratic Governor of the great state of New York, Andrew Cuomo. Governor, nice to see you.

ANDREW CUOMO, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: Good to see you.

BALDWIN: I'm used to the other Cuomo. But it's nice to get you around these parts.

CUOMO: Oh, thank you, thank you, better than the other Cuomo.

BALDWIN: Oh you know. Beautiful tribute I was saying of your father on Monday night. That was lovely to see him honored up on the big board. But let's just begin with Hillary Clinton. I was reading this morning in the "New York Times," I mean obviously the shattering of the glass ceiling when we finally saw her live at the end moment last night. But the "New York Times" is reporting some of her advisors say overemphasizing the achievement could backfire. Apparently they've pulled some sort of women achievement video that she would appear to be the apparent heir of that. Do you think that's a fine like to walk for her and her team?

CUOMO: Frankly, no. I guess you can overdo anything but I think it is a really big deal that the first woman has been nominated. I have three daughters.

BALDWIN: Yes.

CUOMO: And it resonates with them. I think it resonates with real people. I think it just clicked last night. You know people actually understood what it meant. This is something that people can truly relate to in life. You know, how come there has never been a woman President? We're all equal. Men are equal to women. Glass ceiling. So I think it is a very, very powerful fact.

Now, I think you could go too far and say she should be elected because she would be the first woman and we don't do that, we're not going to elect a President for symbolism. But if you are the experienced, qualified candidate, and you happen to be a woman, is it a big deal? Sure.

BALDWIN: You mentioned your daughters. What do they say?

CUOMO: Oh, they're very, very excited.

BALDWIN: Yes.

CUOMO: They're very, excited yes. Look, for a role model for a young woman, there has never been a President of the United States. Been very few global leaders who are women. Very few large corporate CEOs who are women. Why? Why? In 2016.

BALDWIN: What about on Terry McAuliffe, Governor of Virginia, who's a very, very close friend of Hillary Clinton's you know saying to Politico that she would reverse on trade and reverse on TPP. John Podesta saying unequivocally that is incorrect. Why do you think he would do that?

CUOMO: You know, this is Democratic politics. Democratic politics can be a contact sport. You know? And this is a big tent on the Democratic side. You look at the diversity that we're very proud of. You have a diversity both in complexion and you have a diversity in terms of positions.

Many of the Bernie Sanders supporters have much different positions than the Hillary Clinton supporters. Even among the Hillary Clinton supporters, there are differences of position. So that's who we are, that's what we are. That's normal.

The trick for the Democratic Party has always been can you unify that group at the end of the day. And that's the job at the convention and that's what was done remarkably well over the past couple of days. And I salute Senator Sanders because he led the way.

[15:45:11]

CUOMO: That was one of the great tests, I think, that had to be accomplished at this convention. Could you bring back the Sanders supporters to really lock arms with the Hillary Clinton supporters.

BALDWIN: Yes.

CUOMO: And that was done in a really big way yesterday.

BALDWIN: I had five of those Bernie or busters if you want to call them that some of whom who said that they will now vote for Hillary Clinton. But you feel, I mean they believe in Bernie, they believe in this so-call revolution. Right? And so my question to you, having been in that arena and you feel it - I mean you know politics is also not just about substance and policy but it is about raw emotion and feeling. And people felt Michelle Obama. People felt Bill Clinton. I have a feeling people will feel Barack Obama tonight.

But for Hillary Clinton where her trustworthiness and favorability is low, how does she bring that in the next couple of months? We keep talking about - people keep talking about humanizing her, isn't that a pejorative way to describe this woman?

CUOMO: Well, yes, but I think -- I think Bill Clinton was masterful on that last night. Now, I have a slightly different perspective, I was in the Clinton administration, I was there for eight years. I was Secretary of Housing and Urban Development so I know Hillary Clinton like this for eight years. I've traveled all over the world with her. And when I read the news stories about Hillary Clinton, I say, who are they talking about? Who is this woman? So I think --

BALDWIN: You feel there is a disconnect between --

CUOMO: -- a total disconnect. So I think what Bill Clinton did, I don't know that he needed to do, but what he did was he said, I want you to think again about who this woman is.

BALDWIN: This girl I met in the spring of 1971 at the Yale Library. Yes.

CUOMO: And I want to give you a different portrait than this constant negative stereotype that has been circulated over and over and over again in the media.

BALDWIN: But at the end of the day, doesn't she need to bring that?

CUOMO: But I think she does. See I see it in her. Think it's the lens that people are now bringing to the picture. But she is -- she has a warmth. She is funny. She is quick. She is bright. We haven't seen that side of her. And I think actually the exposure in the campaign going forward is going to be very good for her.

Now that the primary is over and it's not going to be the drama of Bernie and Hillary, Bernie and Hillary, now it's going to be let's really look at Hillary and maybe let's take a second look at Hillary, and let me re-open my perception of Hillary after what Bill said. And she is an attractive personality.

BALDWIN: Governor Cuomo --

CUOMO: So nice to see you.

BALDWIN: Thanks for swinging by. I appreciate it.

CUOMO: Don't mention the other Cuomo.

BALDWIN: I'm not, you're the star Cuomo of my life from now on in the great state of New York. Thank you.

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BALDWIN: Coming up next though let's talk about Virginia and the man we will be seeing on the stage this evening, the running mate, Senator Tim Kaine. We have to talk about a difficult moment for him some years ago in Blacksburg, Virginia. The shooting there at Virginia Tech.

My next guest is a father who will talk about his son, Collin Goddard, who was shot four times in the leg. What he can bring about Tim Kaine, the man who came rushing to his son's bedside from Japan, back to Virginia, coming up next.

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[15:52:15]

BALDWIN: Tonight on the DNC stage, presumptive Vice Presidential nominee Tim Kaine will introduce himself to the nation. Part of who he has become as a man and as a politician was shaped by one of the deadliest shootings in our nation's history.

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BALDWIN: in 2007, then Governor Kaine, came straight to Blacksburg, when a gunman opened fire on the campus of Virginia Tech, killing 32 people. When shots rang out, then Governor Kaine was thousands of miles away, he was actually in Japan. And there was a student there at Virginia Tech by the name of Colin Goddard who was shot four times when he was sitting in his French class.

And so Governor Kaine, he raced across the globe, raced home to Virginia and when Goddard woke up from surgery Governor Kaine was the first public official to visit him in the hospital.

So joining me now, Colin's father, Andrew Goddard. And Andrew thank you so much for being with me. I know Colin just had a baby so congratulations granddad first and foremost.

And secondly, can you just talk to me about - talk to me about those initial moments. First of all I cannot even begin to imagine as a father dealing with this when your son is shot at school. And then you have the Governor race back from Japan to see you.

ANDREW GODDARD, SON WAS SHOT IN 2007 VIRGINIA TECH RAMPAGE: Well, it was obviously not the very best circumstances to meet your Governor for the first time. But he came into the - into the hospital room and he shooed his staff out and closed the door, and he and his wife spent some time with us. And it was very comforting to have someone get -- to come there and to say that they were concerned about us and that they were worried about how Colin was getting over his shooting. And they came to listen to us, to see -- we had a lot of questions and they - you know, he made it very clear from the beginning that he was prepared to do what he could to find answers to our questions.

He was under a lot of stress, and I think I was able to see a lot more deeply into the man than I could have from many other social interactions. So I think I got to see the real Tim Kaine.

BALDWIN: And in seeing the real Tim Kaine, Let me ask you this - did he just come once or has he actually stayed in touch with you all?

GODDARD: He was - he was very open with all of the families after the event. You know we all had questions that needed to be answered, we all had a lot of ideas. He was prepared to listen, he was very open. He met with us every time we wanted to meet with him and we've stayed in contact since because we share the interest in seeing an ending to the reduction in gun violence.

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[15:55:00]

BALDWIN: And so, I want you to tell me, final question here, as he is standing in front of millions of people who will be watching him really introducing himself, now Senator Kaine to the nation. Can you just tell me more about Tim Kaine the man and why you think he and Hillary

GODDARD: Well it's quite easy really. There are things in his character that were not created by the Virginia Tech issue, but they came out and they were showcased by his reaction to Virginia Tech. All of the wonderful things in his character. His intelligence, his compassion, his interest in people were already baked into that guy when he first ran for public office, and it stayed there. And his ideas about wanting to emphasize the responsibilities that go along with gun ownership, those were things that were with him way before Virginia Tech. So we managed to get to see those things.

And if everybody in America could see those things, I think they would feel very confident in having someone of his stature and his background in a position of governance. It's very easy to look at someone like Tim Kaine, and he says himself he's boring. But he's not boring at all, I wouldn't call him that in any way. He's not a carnival barker, and he's not - he's not going to string out a lot of nonsense because he's too intelligent to do that. He's not going to insult a lot of people because he's too compassionate for that. But if that's - if that's what constitutes boringness then you know, I think bring on some more boring.

BALDWIN: Then you're OK with that. You're very OK with that. Andrew Goddard, thank you so much, the nation will be watching. We'll be watching for Senator Kaine followed by the keynote of President Barack Obama. Thank you much, and again please, please best wishes to your son

Colin, and his new baby girl.

I'm Brooke Baldwin, thanks for being with me here in Philadelphia. Special coverage continues in just a moment.