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Clinton-Kaine Looking For Post-Convention Bump; Pennsylvania and Ohio for the campaigning; Race Is On For November; Chelsea Clinton Makes Emotional Pitch For Her Mother; Trump States He Wanted To Hit DNC Speakers So Hard; Hillary Clinton Speaking Shortly; Father of Muslim-American Speaks. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired July 29, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington, 6:00 p.m. in London, 8:00 p.m. in Jerusalem. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

The Democratic presidential ticket about to hold its first post- convention campaign event in Philadelphia. Hillary Clinton, who accepted the nomination last night and her running mate, Tim Kaine, beginning a 102-day push to the November eighth election.

The event today kicks off a major bus tour through Pennsylvania and Ohio, two key battleground states.

Donald Trump kicks off the post-convention spirit -- sprint, I should say, to November in another key battleground state today. We're talking about Colorado.

Our Senior Washington Correspondent Jeff Zeleny is over at the Clinton-Kaine event at Temple University in Philadelphia. Our CNN National Correspondent Jason Carroll is in Denver just ahead of the Trump appearance.

Jeff, talk a little bit about the message, the importance of these two states, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, now the real of three-month march to the election day is on here. A hundred and two days exactly from today.

And what the Clinton campaign is trying to do is really expound on their themes of their convention. We saw so many signs here in Philadelphia that said, stronger together. She's hoping that she and Tim Kaine indeed are stronger together.

But the reality is the scripting that we've seen over the last week is now going to be replaced by the political reality here, is that she is locked in a very tight race with Donald Trump.

So, her campaign, along with Tim Kaine, is focusing on Pennsylvania and Ohio. Twenty electoral votes here in Pennsylvania, 18 electoral votes in Ohio. They are going to be talking about the economy as they make their way across the bus here in Philadelphia on to Harrisburg, finally on to Ohio. And really drawing a contrast with Donald Trump and his outsourcing activities. They're going to be visiting factories, talking to voters along the way here.

But, Wolf, the reality here is once those balloons of course were cleaned off the convention floor, the hard work of the next three months is at hand here. And the Clinton campaign knows it has work to do, in terms of the campaign specifically. Donald Trump still ranks higher than her in poll numbers on the economy as well as other measures -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Stand by.

Jason Carroll is out in this Colorado. Jason, Donald Trump certainly has been in attack mode this week, especially with all of the criticism leveled against him during the Democratic convention in Philadelphia. Do you expect him to keep up that pressure today once he speaks at his rally?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Without question, Wolf. Expect him to keep up those attacks, to step up the pressure. If any indication of what we heard yesterday in Davenport, Iowa, we're expected to hear more here today in Colorado Springs when his town hall gets underway.

Basically, what the Trump camp is saying, after you've listened to everything that was said during the convention, the DNC convention, is that Hillary Clinton, the president, Democrats in general, they're feeling, basically, out of touch. Out of touch with what real Americans feel and what they think about the country.

In terms of feeling, they feel as though that most Americans feel that they are not safe. Quoting Donald Trump, "They don't feel safe going to the theater. They don't feel safe getting on an airplane. They feel as though the president painted a rosy picture of the country, one that does not exist."

You know that yesterday, Hillary Clinton made it very clear that Donald Trump is someone -- is a man who is very easily baited into tweeting. Well, that certainly didn't stop him from tweeting several times throughout her speech.

Much of what he has to say read pretty much like this. Let me read a few of them to you. Crooked Hillary Clinton mentioned me 22 times in her very long and very boring speech. Many of her statements were lies and fabrications.

Here's another one, Wolf. Crooked Hillary said that I couldn't handle the rough and tumble of a political campaign. Really? I just beat 16 people and I am beating her.

And, Wolf, also just within the past hour, I checked Donald Trump's Facebook page. He basically said that Hillary Clinton leading the country would be worse. It would mean, quote, "more higher taxes, rampant terrorism and more corruption." So, this is what he's saying about this candidate.

Basically, what this is coming down to, it's an election not just about who is the better candidate to lead the country, it's about which vision of America that you believe in. The Trump camp is betting that most people, most voters, will believe in the vision that he is painting -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jason Carroll in Colorado covering the Trump campaign. Jeff Zeleny at Temple University in Philadelphia with the Hillary Clinton campaign. We're going to be having extensive live coverage of those rallies coming up. We'll get back to them shortly.

Hillary Clinton's message last night was that now the sky's the limit and that she's the one who has had the steady hand to handle the most important office in the world.

Here with us right now, our Senior Political Reporter Nia-Malika Henderson, and John King, our Chief National Correspondent, the anchor of CNN's "INSIDE POLITICS."

[13:05:06] John, the first of these three presidential debates, those are going to be the big events coming up over the next couple of months. Still, what, 59 days away from the presidential debate on September 26th. And now, we see this Pennsylvania and Ohio bus tour. The strategy going forward now to build up momentum going into what will clearly be those critical debates.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Think about it, Wolf. Think about the contrasting messages, the contrasting tone, the contrasting ideas we heard in Cleveland and Philadelphia. Imagine when Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, they're just a few feet apart on the stage having this debate face to face. So, I think all Americans are waiting for that.

And I think given how close the race is right now, if it stays that way, these debates will be highly consequential.

So, what happens between now and then? You just showed the map of where the Democrats are going. If Hillary Clinton can hold Pennsylvania and win Ohio, Donald Trump is not going to be the next president of the United States.

So, where do you go? You go into small towns that have that economic anxiety. Look at Youngstown, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, blue collar workers, white working class voters, where Hillary Clinton is struggling right now.

She needs to make the case that Donald Trump, as she tried to in the speech last night, he talks the -- he wants to be -- says he's your voice but what would he do? He has no plans. He doesn't care about you. She's touched on the outsourcing by the Trump -- the Trump companies, the ties, the suits and all of that.

Last night, looked for that to come up a lot at the outsourcing. But also look for her to try to make the case, as she did last night. She said, we Democrats have not spent enough time listening to you. That empathy for people who are anxious economically, struggling economically, critical to the Democrats.

BLITZER: Nia, as you remember, that first CNN-ORC poll after the Republican convention in Cleveland saw a 10-point swing. Donald Trump went from five points down to five points up. On CNN's "NEW DAY" earlier today, Tim Kaine, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, spoke about the message from the Democrats going forward. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM KAINE (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL PRESUMPTIVE CANDIDATE: And with respect to Donald Trump and the things that he's proposing and the way he treats others and the vision he has for this country, it'll -- it's going to be very easy for me to point that out, consistent with them laying out why we're so different and why a Clinton administration is going to be one that's focusing on positive results for people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Clinton campaign, they're expecting a considerable bump out of their convention as well. Isn't that right?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right. You saw Donald Trump give something of a bump there. He has been talking about his lead in the polls, at least according to our CNN poll -- the ORC poll I think shows him up like six points or something.

So, we'll see what happens with Hillary Clinton. I mean, you saw her there really reach out to a broad range of people. On the one hand, try to hold onto the Obama coalition. But then, also try to reach out to independent voters1 and Republican voters. They think -- in talking to the Clinton campaign, they think they did their campaign a lot of good. They expect to see a polling bounce.

But, again, I think we'd have to check in August and September and then leading up to the election to see how this thing plays out and see if it -- see if it even lasts.

And then, I think we just have to see what they're doing in these different states, what states they are targeting, what kind of ground game each of them have, what kind of ads they're putting up on the air.

We saw, I think, from the Hillary Clinton campaign really go up early, spend millions of dollars in a lot of these swing states. And now, you see Donald Trump trying to catch up with a message, essentially saying, don't keep the car and the keys in Hillary Clinton's hands because look at where the country is now.

I think one of his best lines has been, how is the status quo working out for you? And I think that's a theme that we're going to hear him keep on hammering.

BLITZER: Let me play a clip for you, John. This is a moment from last night's Philadelphia convention, Chelsea Clinton introducing her mother. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHELSEA CLINTON: My earliest memory is my mom picking me up after I had fallen down, giving me a big hug and reading me "Good Night, Moon." From that moment to this one, every single memory I have of my mom is that regardless of what was happening in her life, she was always, always there for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: You and I have been covering the Clintons going back to 1992 when Bill Clinton was running for president. Spent some time in Little Rock, Arkansas. How do you think Chelsea did?

KING: I first met Chelsea when she was 11 so it's remarkable to see her as this poised, young woman now. She just had a baby five and a half weeks ago. It's pretty remarkable.

Look, a lot of people compare her speech to Ivanka Trump's speech. Ivanka Trump also introduced her father. Ivanka is the more polished public speaker. Ivanka had some politics in her speech. Chelsea didn't want to do that. She's trying to humanize her mom. She was always there for me. This is what they're trying to say. They're trying to say, you may think Hillary Clinton's been around a long time. You may have this perception of her as a calculating politician but she's there for you.

[13:10:01] She -- Chelsea Clinton did it and some others speakers, too. She's with you when the crisis happens but then she calls back and checks in. Chelsea was saying, you know, even though she was busy professionally, my dad was governor, she made my soccer games. She made my ballet recitals.

Part of a very consistent theme to try to humanize Hillary Clinton a little bit, soften the edges, but also say, when she starts something, she sticks with it. That was a key point of this convention and Chelsea was party of the testimonial, if you will, that Hillary Clinton is a doer not a talker. And when she starts something, she takes it to the finish. And sometimes she loses but she gets back up.

So, Chelsea Clinton played an incredible part, wolf, trying to take the rough edges off but also get into the tenacious, the fighting part of Hillary Clinton.

BLITZER: It's interesting, Nia, that both of these women -- Ivanka I think is 34 years old, Chelsea I think is 35 years old. They are very poised, very smart, good speakers. I think they were friends or at least good acquaintances in New York.

HENDERSON: Yes, probably not anymore .

BLITZER: I don't know about -- I don't know what's going on now. But both of these women are going to be out there on the campaign, affective spokeswomen for their -- for their parents.

HENDERSON: I think that's right. And, in some ways, they're both spokespeople for the liberal agenda, right. I mean, if you remember Ivanka's speech, I mean, she, in some ways, sounded like a Democrat, talking about a paid maternal leave. I think that surprised people a lot. But she, I think, Donald Trump at least sees her as sort of an ambassador to women voters, a group of voters that he is not doing well with, as it is right now.

So, we'll see what they'll do. Again, they both just had babies, if I recall, quite recently. So, we'll see how they're able to juggle that and also get out and be surrogates for their parents. And I think they're pretty affective surrogates. Chelsea Clinton, I think she has a master's in public health. She is a real walk just like her mother. And it'll be interesting to see how she's deployed in these next months in this campaign because it's very much an all-hands-on-deck affair for the Democrats.

For -- I think for Donald Trump, he has to rely on his kids in some way because not a lot of the Republicans are rallying to his side in a way that Democrats are rallying to Hillary Clinton's side.

BLITZER: John, let me play this clip. Donald Trump last night reacting to what he heard this week at the Democratic convention.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I wanted to hit a couple of those speakers so hard. I was going to hit one guy in guy, in particular, a very little guy. I was going to hit this guy so hard. His head would spin. He wouldn't know what the hell happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: I want your reaction to that because this is Donald Trump. He's caused a little stir with those words.

KING: But most people think by little guy he meant the former New York city mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who, a fellow New Yorker like Donald Trump, fellow businessman like Donald Trump, who pealed the skin off Donald Trump. Essentially saying, I'm a New Yorker. I know a con when I see it. This guy's a fraud. This guy's lying to you. Don't go there.

Look, I laughed when you played that clip. And this was a key part of Secretary Clinton's speech last night. She said, that's what people do. They laugh at Donald Trump. They laugh at some of these things because they are provocative. They are controversial.

She -- Secretary Clinton was trying to make the point, it's not funny. He's the candidate for president and that's not presidential. That does not show presidential temperament. That is not the person you want, you know, when you have to make a big decision about policy or being on a big -- on the global stage at some big moment.

And this is a key part. Again, it's a key part of Donald Trump's appeal. He's authentic. He says what comes into his head. Voters think he's unvarnished and unfiltered. He's not beholding to anybody. So, it has worked for Trump so far. Clinton is trying to say, no, no, no, no. This guy -- he's

essentially trying to say he's a clown. He's not a president. He's a performer. He's not a president. And this will be the debate for the next 120 days. She is trying to disqualify him by saying, you might laugh at that, but you don't want to laugh at your president.

BLITZER: All right, John and Nia, I want both of you to stand by. There's more analyst coming up.

We're keeping a close watch right now, Hillary Clinton getting ready to speak any moment now live. She's at Temple University in Philadelphia with Tim Kaine. We're going to bring you her remarks once they start there. You see Tim Kaine. He's already on the stage. They've got a big crowd over there at Temple University in Philadelphia there. Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton, they're on the stage as well. They're getting ready to say a few -- a few words. They're going to be introduced. Let's take a quick break. Much more right after this.

[13:14:23]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:18:11] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine, they're holding a rally now at Temple University in Philadelphia as they kick off their weekend bus tour. The bus tour starting right here in Philadelphia. Tim Kaine speaking now, getting ready to introduce Hillary Clinton.

They will go from Pennsylvania, a key battleground state, next door to Ohio, another key battleground state. Their spouses, Bill Clinton and Anne Holton, they are there with them as well. We're going to have live coverage of Hillary Clinton once she starts speaking. So get ready for that.

Tens of millions of people watched as Hillary Clinton made history last night, becoming the first woman of the United States to accept a major party's nomination for president here in the United States. But what you didn't get to see is this. Look at this. The private moments of Hillary Clinton backstage as she watched her daughter Chelsea Clinton introduce her and as she celebrated with family, friends and staff after the speech. The photographer who took these pictures for CNN described Hillary Clinton as, quote, "tense but not nervous, knowing it was an important moment for women in this country." That's a direct quote from the photographer.

And what was arguably one of the most powerful moments of the Democratic National Convention, a grieving father recounted the pain of losing his soldier son in Iraq. He painted a portrait of American ideals, love the country, honor of military sacrifice and respect for dignity. And Khizr Khan offered a strong counter narrative to Donald Trump's appeal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF DECEASED MUSLIM-AMERICAN SOLDIER: Our son, in my own head, dreams, too, of being a military lawyer, but he put those dreams aside the day he sacrificed his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.

[13:20:24] 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. He wants to build walls and ban us from this country.

Donald Trump, you're asking American's 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. 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 United States of America. You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The father of 27-year-old Humayun Khan, a U.S. Army captain who was killed in battle in Iraq.

Those were powerful moments. You guys were with me. We were all there at the convention in Philadelphia. I was down on the floor and you could just feel the tension in there as a result of what this grieving father - and you could see the mother standing right next to him - we saying one of the most powerful moments of this Democratic Convention.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, and he could make the case, like no one else on stage there, as someone who had a son who sacrificed - made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and essentially saying to Donald Trump that you don't get American values. You don't get the Constitution. You don't get that we all share these American values and that immigrants share them, that Muslims share them as well. So I thought it was very powerful. I think a lot - for a lot of people, that might have been the most memorable thing because he was so poised, so heartbroken in some ways and so I think angry with Donald Trump in making this case that Democrats are trying to make as well.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And by nature we just discount a little bit what a politician says, because they're a politician. They're supposed to go out there and criticize the other guy. But to have a gold-star parent standing there talking about his son who died for all of us -

HENDERSON: Yes.

KING: Let's just be clear about that. He's a hero. And just peeling the onion, you've sacrifice nothing. You know, they're trying to - Donald Trump's rich. He's elite. He's not in touch with you. You know, my - here's my Constitution. You're not American. You can't be our president. You don't represent our values. You're intolerant. Go to Arlington Cemetery. Look at all the different faiths. It was - every layer of the argument the Democrats are trying to make

from a person who's not a politician and for whom you have to look at, he spoke with such poise, spoke with such dignity and, you know, when you - if when you meet - when you meet the gold-star parents and families, I mean it - you know just - their pain is lasting. This is 12 years later. But that never goes away. And to stand there and make that case, I asked before the convention, we all do this, you know, you reach out to Republicans. OK, it's the Democratic Convention, but send me a text, send me an e-mail when you see certain moments that you love, certain moments you hate, certain moments you think are powerful. I've got a lot of incoming on that one. People were just saying, wow, what a powerful moment.

And again, we've talked about this, there was a lot of patriotism at the Democratic Convention.

HENDERSON: Yes.

KING: A lot of, you know, the general - General Allan came out with the veterans. A lot of Republicans were saying -

BLITZER: General John Allen.

KING: Yes. A lot of Republicans were saying, where was that at our convention, because that's typically a big theme at Republican conventions.

[13:25:01] BLITZER: Donald Trump has revised his - earlier he said he wants a temporary ban on Muslims coming to the United States until the U.S. can figure out what's going on as far as terrorism is concerned. But lately he's been talking about a ban, if you will, on individuals from countries where terrorism is a serious problem. He's not using the reference to Muslims any longer.

HENDERSON: Right.

BLITZER: That seems to be a shift.

HENDERSON: That seems to be a shift. Still unclear as to the details of this.

KING: Right.

BLITZER: I mean is this - is he talking about France, for instance? Is he banning travelers from there? You know, in some ways, he thinks it's an expansion.

KING: Right.

BLITZER: I mean he's talked about it in that way, but it is a significant issue for him and you wonder if, God forbid, there's another terrorist attack, how he talks about it. I think the convention wisdom early on had been he benefits from - I mean I hate to put it that way -- politically benefits when there is a terrorist attack because people see him as stronger on ISIS and terrorism. But, you know, I think, at some point he's going to have to talk more clearly details. Yes, put it on paper.

KING: Put it on paper. Yes, put it on paper. But he was told - Speaker Ryan was among those who told him it's - a, they think it's unconstitutional, number one, a religious test. This is the United States of America. But, b, how do you legislate that? What's the process. What is the border patrol agent or the customs guy at the airport supposed to do? What are you, are you a Muslim? You say yes or no. It's not on your passport what religion you are.

And Governor Pence, his running mate, called it offensive and unconstitutional when Donald Trump proposed it in an interview with Hugh Hewitt that I think it was done yesterday or today. He said that he was among those that told Donald Trump you need to change this. Governor Pence says he's more comfortable with where it is now at that - saying, you know, if there's terrorism in your country, we have to have extreme vetting and maybe ban some people. But that's - you - an understandable policy. You want to look hard at people coming into the country. But the nuts and bolts of it, I think, are to be explained.

BLITZER: Yes, it's a - it's indeed a very powerful moment, a very important moment at that Democratic Convention.

Right now, Senator Tim Kaine is still speaking. He's introducing Hillary Clinton at a campaign rally at Temple University in Philadelphia. Any moment now, Hillary Clinton will take the stage. We're going to bring you her remarks live. That's coming up.

SEN. TIM KAINE (D), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: And you know that Hillary Clinton, in good times and tough times -

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BLITZER: Hillary Clinton has just started speaking at Temple University in Philadelphia.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: How much they were impressed. And so I want to thank your mayor. Thank you, Mayor Kennedy. I want to thank your congressman who tries to come home to Philadelphia every day, and I know why, because he loves his city, Bob Brady. I am always happy to be here with someone who has been a friend for Bill and me over so many years, an extraordinary public servant and advocate, former governor and mayor, Ed Rendell.

[13:30:07] Now, I, like Tim, I had the great pleasure of serving in the Senate with Senator Bob --