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Zika in Florida; Clinton Bus Tour. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired July 29, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:28]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: You are watching CNN on this Friday afternoon. Thank you, thank you for being with me. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Let's get to it. Just this afternoon, Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine were reminding voters there are now just 101 days remaining until you elect the next president of the United States.

This was their first stop on their three-day bus tour going through the two key battleground states, first beginning in Pennsylvania, then on to Ohio. The Republican rivals, Mike Pence, Donald Trump, they are also stumping, but separately, Trump in Colorado, Pence in Ohio.

Both sides know there is no time to waste here, closing argument time, polls showing a virtual dead heat between Trump and Clinton. We know he got the bounce after Cleveland. Will she get some sort of bounce after Philadelphia? One of the questions, obviously, this is after she became the first woman ever to accept the Democratic presidential nomination.

Looking at Philadelphia this past week and specifically last night, it was a convention finale, custom-made for Hillary Clinton, even with its own original song.

Joining me now, our senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, who was at that event at Temple in Philadelphia.

We have seen them, right, Jeff, board the bus. They are off for the next three days. What was the message today after her big night?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, they are off on that bus, where the message is all about the economy. That's why they picked a tour of Pennsylvania, of Ohio.

They are going to be stopping along the way in some factory towns, other places, to make the point that they believe that they have the better argument, the better plan to increase infrastructure spending, to increase economic spending and economic output for people. What they're trying to do here, Brooke, is tap into this anxiety that really is existing in the country, going after some of those white working-class voters who aren't necessarily on board with them.

But at a rally before they left here at Temple University here in Philadelphia, Hillary Clinton made clear that she believes at least there is a tale of two conventions, last week in Cleveland and here in Philadelphia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In fact, his speech, his whole convention, seemed more about insulting me, instead of helping the American people.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: So, here's what I have said I will do. And we're going to get to work on the very first day.

Within the first 100 days of our administration, we're going to break through the gridlock in Washington and make the biggest investment in new good-paying jobs since World War II.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, clearly there, Hillary Clinton making the argument about jobs. That is going to be a central theme of their stops throughout Pennsylvania today, tomorrow, then into Ohio on Sunday, Brooke.

So, this campaign now fully joined, if my math is right, 101 days until that Election Day in November.

BALDWIN: You are correct, my friend. Despite I'm sure many long days, 101 is correct. Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much from Philadelphia.

Before, though, we continue to look ahead for those -- this final stretch, let's look back to last night, Hillary Clinton first making it official, accepting her party's nomination for president on the Democratic side, making history, being the first woman speaking, acceptance speech.

[15:05:15]

Hillary Clinton celebrated this mega-milestone. And she also took the time not only to send her message out there, but to hit Donald Trump and hit him hard, repeating themes that the Republican nominee, that he is reckless, that he is divisive, and that he is unfit to be president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: So, my friends, it is with humility, determination, and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for president of the United States!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: The truth is, through all these years of public service, the service part has always come easier to me than the public part.

I get it, that some people just don't know what to make of me.

You really think Donald Trump has the temperament to be commander in chief?

AUDIENCE: No!

CLINTON: Donald Trump can't even handle the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign. He's taken the Republican Party a long way, from morning in America to midnight in America.

Americans don't say I, alone, can fix it. We say, we will fix it together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: With both conventions now in the history books, let's take a closer look at the state of the 2016 race.

Joining me now, Democratic strategist Chris Kofinis, A.B. Stoddard, associate editor and columnist for RealClearPolitics, CNN political commentator Scottie Nell Hughes, who supports Donald Trump.

Happy Friday to all of you.

A.B., let me just begin with you. How do you think she did last night?

A.B. STODDARD, REALCLEARPOLITICS: Well, I don't think it was the most memorable speech. I think she was at her best. She started on a sort of warm note, and she built up to being sort of the tough commander in chief. And she had to go after Donald Trump last night. She had a big audience, one of her last chances until the debates to really capture the people who are left in between the two nominees.

And she made the case that he's too risky. And I think that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are at this point trying to look beyond the invested partisans who are already with them and trying to tell people -- Donald Trump's telling people who can't stand Hillary, I got to talk you into voting for me, and she's telling people who are scared of Donald Trump that she's going to try to find a way to talk them into voting for her.

And there aren't a lot of those people left, but whoever wins them will get to 50 percent-plus one.

BALDWIN: Chris, I'm sure you're excited, but I think, a little bit to A.B.'s point, it's like talk about the high bar in terms of the magic from a speech. You had Michelle Obama. Then you had the Bill Clinton. Then you had Joe Biden, and then the president right on that penultimate night, and then Hillary Clinton.

Actual maybe speaking aside, on message, what did you think?

CHRIS KOFINIS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think she painted a very clear contrast.

She's never going to have the rhetorical power of a Barack Obama. That's not her style. But I think what she made very clear is that the American people have a choice. You can either vote for the guy who wants to talk about the problems, or you can vote for the woman who wants to solve the problems.

And I think what you saw in her speech last night is a very kind of detailed explanation about how she's going to go about in a very clear, determined way to solve the problems that are affecting this country that clearly people have grave concerns about.

And I think that when you paint that and contrast that to not just her speech, but the overall convention, with the Republicans, in particular the Trump speech, I just find it hard to believe that the American people are not going to see this as a pretty clear choice.

Now, that being said, this is going to be a tough race for a host of reasons. There's going to be sugar high bumps that come out of these conventions. But I think you saw a very clear explanation and vision laid out that's going to make it easier for voters, those undecided voters, to decide and vote for Hillary.

BALDWIN: It is interesting sort of looking at the visual or the sense of America that was painted by Republicans last week, Democrats this week.

Scottie, as the Trump supporter, what did you hear through it all?

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think there's a lot of parallels that existed between the two conventions. There's a lot things that were a lot alike.

But I agree with the previous person that there were a lot of differences between -- and it was not only the people on the stage, where Hillary Clinton did have a large crescendo with a lot of people just backing her up, and it was a high bar for her.

I don't know what she could have said that would have actually impressed me to say, oh, that's who I need to support, where Republicans were almost a buildup to Donald Trump. He was the star.

[15:10:01]

And I think ratings are showing it. Four million more people, according to the ratings that just came out, watched Donald Trump's speech over Hillary Clinton's speech.

And I think that shows on the outside. But on inside, I think there were a lot of things that were missing from it. We really did not talk about radical Islamics. We did not sit here -- and you say there was policies? I did not see policies, when we had some of the worst jobs numbers for third quarter in a row come out again.

Hillary Clinton did not tell me how she was going to be an agent of change, as they wanted her to be, that's different from the last eight years that the truth is a lot of Americans are still very much hurting from.

BALDWIN: And I think on that point, Chris, let me pose that back to you. By the way, on the ratings, Brian Stelter is coming up, because I don't have all these numbers off the top of my head. But I do know that, for the most part, that there were more eyes on Philadelphia than Cleveland.

But to Scottie's point, Chris, Trump was tweeting there was no mention in Hillary Clinton's speech about radical Islam, no mention of the refugee crisis or specifically Syrian refugees and fears of what could happen, fears of terrorism over here. And I'm wondering, where -- reality, right? It was a very different picture, as I mentioned, than was painted last week vs. this week.

But for a lot of these Americans going to vote, it is not a fuzzy -- warm and fuzzy picture.

KOFINIS: There's no question that the American people are frustrated and angry. That, I think we can all agree on.

The question is, you only get so far with anger. You only get so far with frustration and division. I think that was the contrast that was being made very clear not only last night in Hillary Clinton's speech, but throughout.

And in terms of -- I have to say this. In terms of the mention about Islam, radical Islam and ISIS, I was at the convention. I heard it multiple times. It was said multiple times. But this isn't about checking a box. This is about actually having a plan and a policy.

And here's the part that's amazing. I have been in politics a long time. To this day, nobody can tell me, when is Donald Trump going to actually give a policy speech about the economy, a policy speech about how to make government work better, a policy speech in terms of how to deal with inequality, whether it's affecting minorities, whether it's affecting women?

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: He does poll better than her on the economy, though, despite maybe some of the points you're making.

KOFINIS: Yes, but here's the difference, Brooke.

At some point, when voters decide, you're going to see, I think -- you're going to see a lot of uncertainty right up to the first debate. When those two candidates come up next to each other and one has answers and one has rhetoric, answers will win out.

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: You know what beat answers, Brooke?

BALDWIN: Quickly.

HUGHES: And when you look at who's actually created jobs, and you talk -- people have more faith and trust. They're tired. We have learned that this year. Politicians and the talk, they can talk a fine line. They're obviously not playing it.

So, when all of Mr. Trump's answers are going to have to be, Hillary, how many jobs have you created? I have created tens of thousands. How many have you, and how many have you kept being?

(CROSSTALK)

KOFINIS: Is that before or after the bankruptcies? I'm just curious.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: Let me go to A.B. I hear both of you. And let me go to A.B.

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: And ask this. When we look at this sort of the political process, which is so fascinating, and it is the primaries, and it is drumming up the base. Right? And then it's sort of the crescendo into the conventions, and now is the moment that matters the most, because now you have you have the attention of so many Americans, A.B.

And especially I'm thinking of independents and folks who are just simply undecided and perhaps Republicans who might vote Democrat and vice versa this year. What do they need to do? What should we be listening for in this final stretch?

STODDARD: Well, I'm interested to see just how much each candidate is going to try to pivot.

I mean, Hillary Clinton ended her convention on more sort of a note of reaching out to centrists, more tough talk on national security and appeals to patriotism. Then Donald Trump the other day before he veered off into Russian espionage was actually talking about how sad he is for students and he was talking about a minimum wage increase.

And so there seemed to be a pivot there.

BALDWIN: It's like this funny reversal.

STODDARD: Right. They're going to go after each other's voters or the traditional voters of each other's parties, like said, in order to get to 50-plus-one.

And they're very, very loathe -- these two people, the people that are remaining, those independents are the most skeptical of politicians and they are not invested partisans. They're going to be the hardest to get. But I think it is going to have to be some kind of appeal to the middle.

And Hillary Clinton is going to have to watch that she doesn't go too far to the right of Donald Trump. BALDWIN: OK.

A.B. Stoddard, Scottie Hughes, Chris Kofinis, have wonderful weekends. Thank you all so much.

KOFINIS: Thank you. You, too.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Coming up next, A.B. just mentioned it, just the optics. Right? This is the Democratic National Convention. Look at all the American flags, though, passionate speeches from veterans, chants of USA, USA emanating from the crowd. This wasn't the RNC. This was the DNC. These were sights and sounds from Philadelphia, which is, you know, perhaps reminiscent of a Bush convention.

What's behind this sort of role reversal that we just alluded to a moment ago, and what does that mean moving forward?

[15:15:00]

Also ahead, Donald Trump told his supporters ahead of last night don't watch Hillary Clinton's speech. Did his ask work? We mentioned the ratings a second ago. We have the numbers. Who ultimately got more viewers? Was it Donald Trump or was it Hillary Clinton? Brian Stelter joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: So, looking at that final night in Philadelphia, that final night at the Democratic National Convention, some of the themes you could see when flipping on TV military, patriotism, law enforcement.

Those were themes that are really more typical of a Republican National Convention. One of the questions being put out there today, did the Democrats outflank the Republicans on their own brand?

Douglas Brinkley is with me, CNN presidential historian.

And, Doug Brinkley, it's interesting, because when we left Cleveland, everybody was sort of talking about Ivanka Trump and how what she said could have -- you could have plucked her and put her at the DNC.

[15:20:03]

And then General Allen and the chants of USA and everything else, RNC, what do you make of that?

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats have kind of co-opted that sort of hyper-patriotism we associate with Ronald Reagan.

After all, Reagan was the original it's morning again in America guy, and the Clinton campaign's trying to say Donald Trump wants it midnight again in America. In other words, Trump's been running a campaign where he's saying

America's broken, we're not -- we're struggling, we're not a world leader anymore. And once Donald Trump started doing that, it gives Hillary Clinton a wide opening to kind of pick up the pieces of it, if you like, Bush and Reagan Republicanism, and co-opt it, triangulate it, grab it and make it their own.

And we saw that happening in Philadelphia.

BALDWIN: Let me follow up on your point there. In doing so, let me play some sound. This is one of the most impassioned speeches, most forceful speeches of last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GEN. JOHN ALLEN (RET.), INTERNATIONAL COALITION COORDINATOR: With her as our commander in chief, America will continue to lead this volatile world. We will oppose and resist tyranny, and we will defeat evil. America...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

ALLEN: America will defeat ISIS and protect the homeland.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I mean, on your point, Doug, of triangulation, what is this? Is this the Democrats trying to reach over to the Republicans, where these themes, the Reagan quote you mentioned, the flanked by American flags, do you think it will be effective, I guess is what I'm asking?

BRINKLEY: I think it was effective. That was a great speech for Hillary Clinton. She couldn't have asked for anymore than that.

I think there are some people in the foreign policy and defense establishment that are worried about Donald Trump, that his kind of pivoting to a new Russian deals-making with Putin has many people disturbed, Trump's idea of NATO being obsolete, on and on. And there is a military and foreign policy establishment and they're gravitating towards Hillary Clinton.

So she wanted to grab that and show that, that Trump has been pushing for veterans, that they need benefits. Quite effectively, Trump's done that. But I think Hillary Clinton is showing, I'm the person that the smart generals and admirals would prefer to see as commander in chief and to work for.

BALDWIN: Just looking ahead to -- I'm mindful in these final 101 days a lot of people are excited about these debates, right? And so the first presidential debate is in September. What will that be like?

BRINKLEY: You guys are going to get your biggest ratings ever at CNN. It is going to be unbelievable, because the real story of the last few weeks is, we did not have a terror attack or violence in Cleveland or Philadelphia, thank God.

BALDWIN: Thank goodness.

BRINKLEY: Oh, I was so worried about it, Brooke. Now, law enforcement did an amazing job. And now that 101 days is soon going to be 99 days. And that clock's going to be ticking.

And these debates are going to be incredibly historic, because it's just going to be a punch fest. You're guaranteed that with Donald Trump. It is going to be his tweeting on steroids, while Hillary Clinton is going to show that I'm tough, too, I can give it right back to you.

So, we're in for quite a fall. And I think Trump's best opportunity to becoming president is to really devastate Clinton in these debates. And we will have to all watch and see.

BALDWIN: They will be here in a blink.

Doug Brinkley, thank you so much.

BRINKLEY: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, we saw the embrace between Hillary Clinton and President Obama, saw the moment Hillary Clinton made history and the mega-balloon drop that seemed to never end. But what about the private moments backstage that the rest of us didn't get to see?

We will talk to Hillary Clinton's convention photographer about these personal moments. Look at these photos that the new nominee shared with her closest friends and family.

Also ahead, Florida officials now confirm four cases of people in Florida with the Zika virus -- how blood donation centers are now taking dramatic new measures in the interest of safety coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:29:14]

BALDWIN: Katy Perry, just one of so many celebrities who turned out in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention this past week. But did that matter? Did that attract, did that help attract larger audiences than the Republican National Convention?

Let's go to the guy that crunches the numbers for us, CNN senior media correspondent, host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Mr. Brian Stelter.

All right, give it to me.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump prevailed, Hillary Clinton not quite reaching the same number of viewers as Trump's speech this time last week.

The early numbers were in for CNN, FOX and other big channels. And it shows about 28 million viewers for Clinton's speech last night, which is a very strong number, but not quite the 30 million that Donald Trump had this time last week. BALDWIN: So, he had her by two million for that one night?

STELTER: That's right.

And what's surprising about that is, during this entire week, the Democrats were actually outrating the Republicans. But in the final night, Clinton wasn't able to quite match Trump's total.

And I think it shows that the interest right now in the GOP is mostly on Trump. You know, people want to hear Trump speak. They weren't quite as interested in the celebs and in the family members at Trump's convention, but they --