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Clinton Makes History as Democratic Nominee; Father of Fallen Muslim Soldier Slams Trump. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired July 29, 2016 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:02] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton, basking in the moment and celebrating a milestone. She becomes her party's standard bearer, and for the first time, a woman is the Democratic nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, independents, for the struggling, the striving, the successful, for all those who vote for me and for those who don't. For all Americans together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Hillary Clinton hoping for the same kind of bounce that propelled her husband to the White House nearly 25 years ago.

Let's get right to Joe Johns. He's inside the convention hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Hi, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. The CNN/ORC overnight polling suggests Hillary Clinton's speech was very well-received. She covered a lot of ground. Reintroducing herself, referencing the history of the moment, talking about her motivations for running and going out after Donald Trump.

It is with humility, determination, and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for president of the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

H. CLINTON: It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for president of the United States.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

JOHNS (voice-over): Hillary Clinton drawing a sharp contrast with Donald Trump's vision for America.

H. CLINTON: Don't believe anyone who says, I alone can fix it. Those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland. And they should set off alarm bells for all of us. Really? I alone can fix it? He's forgetting every last one of us. Americans don't say, "I alone can fix it." We say, we'll fix it together.

JOHNS: Repeatedly slamming Donald Trump.

H. CLINTON: We heard Donald Trump's answer last week at his convention. He wants to divide us from the rest of the world and from each other. He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us to its unlimited promise. He's taken the Republican Party a long way from morning in America to midnight in America.

JOHNS: Questioning his judgment.

H. CLINTON: Imagine, if you dare, imagine, imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.

JOHNS: Knocking Trump's understanding of the issues.

H. CLINTON: Now Donald Trump -- Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, "I know more about ISIS than the generals do." No, Donald, you don't.

You didn't hear any of this, did you, from Donald Trump at his convention? He spoke for 70-odd minutes, and I do mean odd.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

And he offered zero solutions. But we already know he doesn't believe these things. No wonder he doesn't like talking about his plans. You might have noticed I love talking about mine.

JOHNS: Clinton also using her speech to praise Bernie Sanders and reach out to his supporters.

H. CLINTON: I want you to know, I've heard you. Your cause is our cause.

JOHNS: Hoping to broaden her base with all voters.

H. CLINTON: I will be a president for Democrats, Republicans, independents, for the struggling, the striving, the successful, for all those who vote for me and for those who don't, for all Americans together.

JOHNS: Clinton's daughter Chelsea introducing her mother.

CHELSEA CLINTON, DAUGHTER OF HILLARY AND BILL CLINTON: People ask me all the time, how does she do it? How does she keep going amid the sound and the fury of politics? Here's how. It's because she never ever forgets who she's fighting for.

JOHNS: The nominee herself acknowledging the history of the moment.

H. CLINTON: Standing here as my mother's daughter and my daughter's mother, I'm so happy this day has come. I'm happy for grandmothers and little girls and everyone in between. I'm happy for boys and men because when any barrier falls in America, it clears the way for everyone.

[09:05:06] After all, when there are no ceilings, the sky's the limit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: As the clean-up continues here in the convention hall, the Clinton campaign bus tour is about to get started right here in the city of Philadelphia. It will make its way to Harrisburg and then on to a couple of stops, and the all important battle ground state of Ohio -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Joe Johns, reporting live from the floor of the convention.

Come on home, Joe. It's time. Thanks so much.

JOHNS: You bet.

COSTELLO: Yes. See you soon.

With me now, CNN political analyst and editor-in-chief of the "Daily Beast," John Avlon, Democratic strategist and Hillary Clinton supporter Robert Zimmerman, Nomiki Konst, she is a radio host of Sirius XM and a DNC platform committee member. She was also a big supporter of Bernie Sanders. And Amy Kremer, she -- super PAC.

Welcome to all of you. All right, Robert, I'm going to start with you.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning. So, Robert, Clinton was not the poet. She campaigned in pros. Was it was good enough?

ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Actually I think it was particularly powerful and moving because she was true to herself. I think that is what really defines a great speech. The authenticity of it. You saw a woman who was I think awed by the historic moment of this convention. Proud. A woman who loves public policy and believes deeply in public service.

And I think what was most important to me is it was a speech and a convention of optimism, a faith in America, and a very dramatic difference from the Trump convention and what that represented.

COSTELLO: And, Nomiki, I couldn't help but noticed what Hillary Clinton was wearing. She was dressed all in white. And you know, Shonda Rhymes produced that video that showed Hillary Clinton through the years. Shonda Rhymes also produces and writes "Scandal" and Olivia Pope and there was Hillary Clinton dressed all in white, like a white knight.

NOMIKI KONST, DNC PLATFORM COMMITTEE MEMBER: That's a good point. You know, we were -- excuse me voice, there was a lot of yelling this weekend and chanting and enthusiastic cheering. You know, we were on the floor of -- in New York, both Robert and I were in New York and the video was very powerful. I mean, it was story telling. And I have to say that even as a Bernie Sanders supporter, the delegation felt -- the Bernie Sanders delegation felt that it was a strong video.

You know, there were moments, obviously, where there was disagreement. There are a lot of Sanders supporters who felt like they were shut out of a lot of the process of the convention. And it was really great to hear that Hillary, the secretary, mentioned the Sanders supporters, and that she was listening to them and hearing them. And we're really looking forward to seeing how she's going to implement some of the reform that we have mentioned, beyond the platform committee, beyond the rules committee.

Because in light of the scandals of the WikiLeaks, I think that a lot of the supporters are reluctant to jump on board and she cannot win without Sanders supporters. Especially --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: She mentioned Bernie Sanders specifically. Nomiki, she mentioned Bernie Sanders specifically in her speech. Yet there were still boos from the Bernie or busters in the crowd. Was it appropriate?

KONST: You know, there were definitely some -- people are frustrated. And we have understand that Bernie Sanders delegates, for the most part, they were organizing their community. They were representing their communities. They're raising money off of go fund me pages, and sharing hotel rooms with three, four, five people, at $550 at night. And I think they had the expectation that they were going to be debating the platform and the rules initially as they were promised, taking it to the convention.

And when that didn't happen, when the Sanders delegation decided not to submit minority reports and debate, I think they were frustrated. And it wasn't a lot of -- there wasn't an opportunity to really express their voice. And so it's going to be a grieving process, it's going to be frustrating. But I think it's now on Secretary Clinton to reach out to them and get on the ground and feel what kind of pain they're feeling.

I mean, this is a completely different segment of the Democratic Party that needs in those swing states. She needs the fracking activists, she needs the TPP activists, she needs young people to get out there and organize. And that convention --

ZIMMERMAN: But, Carol, if I could just point out, not only did the Sanders contingent agree with the Clinton community -- the Clinton supporters on the platform and do a joint platform, but I think you saw between Bernie Sanders very powerful words at the convention, Elizabeth Warren's words, and an overwhelming majority of Sanders, according to the CNN poll, are coming together.

Now the challenge before us is to see not just a united Democratic Party, but Hillary Clinton's campaign reach out to Republicans and independents because the challenge right now is standing up with a message to unite our country against the dangerous neophyte that Donald Trump represents and his conduct. I think --

COSTELLO: Well, let's --

ZIMMERMAN: I think -- yes, go ahead, Carol.

COSTELLO: No, no. I want to talk about the -- you know, the change in the air and the world of politics right now because I'll pose this question to you, John Avlon. In this election of change Hillary Clinton actually embraced her past. She said, I am not one of those people, and then she added, I sweat the details. Is that a good strategy?

[09:10:09] AVLON: Well, I think she had to acknowledge, however gently, that, you know, she has a problem in terms of honesty and trustworthiness as we've discussed many times after a quarter century in the public eye. So she had to acknowledge that in order to transcend it. I mean, the other real judo move she has to deal with, and she took steps to address last night, is that the energy in politics this cycle has been behind populous anger.

Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, using a lot of the same rhetoric about a rigged system, special interests, big money. And those -- that's a tough passion for Hillary Clinton to tap into because she has been a mainstay of public life for so long. But the key line, the most important sentence in her speech, Carol, when she said that the economic system -- the problems in the economic system reflect problems in our democracy, that democracy isn't working well, and therefore, our economic system isn't working well.

And with that, she's able to put the focus on a lot of people's frustrations on that wrong track number on the division and dysfunction in Washington, on the ideology and extremism and divisiveness. And that's where it needs to be because then it builds directly on her ability to say, I'm a pragmatic progressive, I'm confident. And that way I can actually begin to address your concerns rather than simply screaming about them. That was the most important line on the speech today.

COSTELLO: And the other thing I want to get into, and I'll address this question to you, Amy, Hillary Clinton is enthusiastically playing the woman's card. You heard a lot about mothers and daughters. That moment on stage when Hillary Clinton hugged her daughter, I think that really resonated with many women. Donald Trump still has a woman problem. So how does he combat those images?

AMY KREMER, CO-CHAIR, WOMEN VOTE TRUMP: Well, Carol, I do agree that it was a very moving moment when Chelsea and Hillary were on stage together. I mean, I even teared up. I think probably most women did and maybe even some men. And last night was historic. But the fact of the matter is, Hillary has a trust problem. She does not have integrity or trustworthiness, at least that's what the American people think. That's what polling shows. And I don't know how you get past that. And as far as the women problem goes, you know, women are going to

vote on issues that matter to them and hit close to home, and that safety and security for our families, in our nation as well as jobs in the economy and health care and education. Those are the four top issues that women are concerned about.

And Hillary Clinton represents the status quo. She is trying to present herself as this agent of change, but she represents the status quo. I mean, we all know how long she has been in public office. And she's got 100 percent name I.D. And look at the hug she came out and gave President Obama after he spoke.

I mean, I think looking at that, people looked at that hug and it was -- it was moving, but at the same time, it meant that she was going to be four more years of the Obama administration. And so I think she has a real problem. And the last thing I would say to that is, you know, you say that Donald Trump has a problem with women, well, you know, if Hillary Clinton is doing so much for women and children, then why doesn't she have more support of women? And I think that comes down to women are really focused on trustworthiness.

COSTELLO: She's got tremendous support among women voters. At this moment in time, I think 70 percent of women support her.

KONST: Yes.

COSTELLO: So she does have -- she does have support of women right at the moment. But panel, stay with me because we're going to talk about more stuff after a break.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, another powerful moment at the convention. The father of a fallen Muslim American soldier sent a stern message for Donald Trump. Actually it was more of a takedown, right?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:17:49] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Faith, patriotism and law and order. You think Republican, but last night, the flag waving, naked admiration for our troops and police were decidedly Democratic themes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ALLEN (RET.), FORMER SPEICAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY, GLOBAL COALITION TO COUNTER ISIS: We must choose hope, every American in uniform, in the White House, or at home.

(AUDIENCE CHANTING)

USA, USA, USA!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But the most powerfully emotional moment, an angry grieving father who lost his son in the Iraq war. This is Humayun Khan, an Army captain who was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart after losing his life in the Iraq War. His father Khizr stole the show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER CAPT. HUMAYUN KHAN: Our son, Humayun, had dreams too of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside, the day he sacrificed his life soldiers.

Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America.

If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America.

Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities; women; judges; even his own party leadership.

[09:20:05] He vows to build walls, and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future.

Let me ask you: have you even read the United States Constitution?

I will -- I will gladly lend you my copy.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

In this document, look for the words -- look for the words "liberty" and "equal protection of law".

Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America.

You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities.

You have sacrificed nothing and no one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And the crowd went wild.

So let's bring back our panel, John Avlon, Robert Zimmerman, Amy Kremer. I'm also joined by CNN political commentator and radio host, Ben Ferguson.

Amy, when you were watching that last night, you're Trump supporter, what went through your mind?

AMY KREMER, CO-CHAIR, WOMEN VOTE TRUMP: Well, Carol, it was moving. Any time you're listening to a grieving parent, it is moving. And I thank him for his son's sacrifice to our nation. I think the unfortunate thing is, right now, we're sending more troops to Iraq and Syria because of the vacuum that we've created there.

COSTELLO: But things he said, Amy, about Donald Trump, he said Donald Trump sacrificed nothing and no one. And he should visit Arlington National Cemetery. Look at the graves there. And the many names --

KREMER: Carol, I understand that. COSTELLO: Is that fair?

KREMER: Donald Trump is in support of our troops. He thinks the troops don't get enough for from their commander in chief. That's a fact. He is focused on the troops for quite a while now.

It is actually why the "Military Times" did a recent survey in 2-to-1 troops support Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. I think that's important here.

You know, I mean, our troops, they're over there fighting for our liberty and freedom, and any n life, it is one American life too much. But let's talk about the rule of law. At what point did anybody bring out the rule of law and following the rule of law at this convention. No one did.

COSTELLO: Wait, let's --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: It's Democratic National Convention, I don't think they're going to bring those things up at the Democratic Convention.

KREMER: But he brought up the Constitution, Carol. That's a rule of law. And what about Kate Steinle and the Benghazi victims? You know, what about those people? Why didn't Hillary Clinton have their parents there last night? I think that's a very important question that needs to be asked.

COSTELLO: Should Hillary Clinton have had the parents of others there as Amy suggests?

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Let me say this first. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Kahn and any parent to lose their loved ones -- I don't criticize him, because his anger is something I hope we never experience.

But the politics of this from the Democrats putting him on stage, I think this is a very bad move. I think the question could be asked of Hillary Clinton, have you ever gone to see the soldiers of Benghazi who gave their life, when you lied to their parents about them being killed, because of a YouTube video to cover up your incredible incompetence? She has never been to their funeral. She's never been to their grave sites. I think this opened them up to that attack.

I also think there's one other big issue, and that is this. Donald Trump would not have banned this young man from being in this country. That is extreme for him to say that. There is a problem with immigrants that are coming in this country, and we don't know --

COSTELLO: Let me interrupt you. You said the Benghazi parents. Did the Republicans do that at that convention? Didn't they politicize a mother's grief?

FERGUSON: They allowed a mother to grieve and tell the truth about how Hillary Clinton systematically lied to her face and told her -- no one lied to Mr. Kahn's face last night. No one -- when his son died, he didn't die because of a cover-up of Hillary Clinton on the night and the anniversary of 9/11, and then go out on national TV and tell the world it happened because of a YouTube video that was not the cause of it. That is corruption.

COSTELLO: John Avlon, is there a distinction there?

[09:25:00] ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: There is an enormous --

COSTELLO: I want to hear from John Avlon. Go ahead, John.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: This is a conscious attempt by our friends on right on this panel to distract and deflect what was a devastating indictment. We can have a seventh Benghazi commission if they would like. But at some point, it is not relevant to this man's grief and this man's larger point, which is this election is about a choice between open and closed.

And here you have Muslim family, who lost a son in the military, and it speaks to when he pulled out the Constitution, the values that we say we uphold, the equal application, equal protection under law. And if these families respected, if they feel disrespected, the reason it resonated, and I'm going to quote a Republican strategist, John Weaver, who ran the Kasich campaign.

I will take the America of Mr. Kahn over Donald Trump's divisive vision of Donald Trump everyday. It is an inclusion where ever --

(CROSSTALK)

AVLON: No, no, let's deal with total reality here, people. There is not enough respect for the full diversity of the United States, and the vision of Donald Trump. For -- which is expressed in the Muslim ban and you can say it's regional, but we all know what it is reacting to. If this family feels unwelcome, their family feels that their constitutional rights are not being respected by the Republican nominee, that's a problem for the constitutionalist conservatives in the Republican Party, that they need to recognize and own and address.

KREMER: Carol, I'm going to --

COSTELLO: I want to let Robert Zimmerman here, because he is the Clinton supporter on the panel. He should have his fair say.

ZIMMERMAN: I am a Clinton supporter, but most of all, I am a proud American. And the Khan family spoke about the tragic loss they suffered, it is a story that all Americans can respect, and relate to and feel. It rises above partisanship.

I think what is most important here to bring up is that, what, Mr. Khan was referring to is not just a Democratic message. We've never seen more general speak-up in opposition to Donald Trump's policies for making us less safe or for that matter, the Republican chairman of homeland security, Mike McCaul, who said the Trump temporary ban on Muslims would become a recruiting tool for ISIS. At the end of the day, we look at the enormous public service, Mr.

Khan's family has served -- his son served our nation and we look at how Donald Trump in response is diminishing our role and, in fact, his rhetoric according to some of our generals is making us less safe and becoming a recruits message for ISIS --

KREMER: Carol, Carol, can I say something?

FERGUSON: Really quick, with all due respect. There is one thing here, Robert, that you're missing. You're painting with way too broad of a brush. The fact is, the majority of people who do wear a uniform do not trust Hillary Clinton with their lives and they do not trust her with her judgment, specifically because of her actions and her -- the things that she has said about our American military.

There is a reason you're getting --

ZIMMERMAN: That's a partisan talking point.

FERGUSON: No, no, you're getting beat badly because the men and women in uniform do not feel that Hillary Clinton has their back and if she do screw up with a foreign policy issue.

KREMER: Carol --

FERGUSON: Why they died.

KREMER: Carol, I have to say something.

AVLON: The reality is the Republicans -- hold on. Republicans have the traditional support of the military. It might be slightly a bump, but it's more about the underlying conservatism of the men and women in the military. So, that's a deeper problem the Democrats have to address.

But don't pin it on Hillary Clinton. And I think they did a commander in chief night with military men and women, making the case that Donald Trump can't be trusted. That can't be deflected away simply with polls. When Mr. Khan said, what have you sacrificed, that's a personal question, that really should resonate with military families especially those in Arlington.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I want to -- wait, wait. OK, Amy, I want to get you in, but please be fast. I'm waiting for a live news conference out of Florida.

KREMER: Carol, this is what I'll say, is that all of these families have sacrificed, the Benghazi family, military families have all sacrificed. This isn't about those families. This is about the next commander in chief we're going to choose.

And quite honestly, I don't know how many people on this panel are parents, but I am a mother and I have a real problem with any other mother that can look a mother in the eye and lie about why in hell her child died. That's a real issue.

COSTELLO: All right, I have to leave it there.

ZIMMERMAN: Carol, Carol.

KREMER: I have to leave it there. We have to talk about this, there are disturbing developments in the state of Florida.

Governor Rick Scott is talking about it. Four people have come down with the Zika virus by locally infected mosquitoes. The blood donor program has been stopped. Let's listen to the governor.

GOV. RICK SCOTT (R), FLORIDA: Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. And the Florida Department of Health believes that active transmissions of this virus could be occurring in one small area, in one small area, Miami-Dade County. It is just north of downtown.

This area is about one square mile, and Dr. Phillip will give the exact location a little later.