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Trump Frustrating GOP and His Own Campaign?; French President Slams Donald Trump; Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired August 03, 2016 - 09:00   ET

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


[09:00:01] CAMEROTA: All right. Thanks so much for being with us today. We'll see you tomorrow. It's time now for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much. You guys have a great day. NEWSROOM starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, disarray.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump lurching from one controversy to another.

KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN MUSLIM AMERICAN SOLDIER: This person is not fit for the office he is seeking.

COSTELLO: Trump's top aides concerned he is way off message.

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Donald Trump has been the ultimate disrupter in this political campaign but now he seems to be moving into the area of self-sabotage.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think my whole life has been about handling pressure. I think I have a great temperament for winning because I know how to win.

COSTELLO: How does he get back on track?

Let's talk, live at the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thanks so much for joining me.

The Donald Trump campaign momentum stalls, frustration builds. Just as national polls show Hillary Clinton recapturing the lead, we're hearing more insider accounts of growing divisions and plunging morale. And Trump himself is said to be to blame.

The report getting so much traction that the Republican nominee responded earlier this morning. Tweeting this, quote, "There is great unity in my campaign, perhaps greater than ever before." But insiders say Trump's tendency to become distracted and go off message is a big problem. Magnified by his recent fight against prominent Republicans, and even the parents of a slain Muslim U.S. soldier.

Here is what our sources tell John King. Campaign chair, Paul Manafort, is telling Trump he must keep his promise to stay focused on the issues, and RNC boss Reince Priebus has talked to Trump several times in recent days to convey the growing dismay of party leaders and donors.

One major flash point. Trump ignoring senior staffers and refusing to drop the fight against those Gold Star parents, the Khans. One aide even said to us, Trump keeps snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

We have a lot to cover, again, this morning. So let's begin with our senior political reporter Manu Raju.

Good morning, Manu.

RAJU: Good morning, Carol. Now remember two weeks ago, Republicans had left their nominating convention and insisted that they were more united than ever. But since then, we have seen controversy after controversy. And distraction after distraction. Prompting another round of tension and handwringing over the Republican nominee. So all that unity that was projected in Cleveland, just simply seemed to be tapering over long festering tensions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: I don't regret anything. I said nice things about the son.

RAJU (voice-over): Republican leaders and Donald Trump's own campaign staff, frustrated with their candidate. Sources tell CNN even Trump's campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is upset with Trump. The tipping point, Trump openly challenging the parents of slain Muslim soldier, Captain Humayun Khan.

KHAN: This person is not fit for the office he is seeking.

RAJU: Trump refusing to drop his fight with the Gold Star family. Despite the urging of senior staff. And failing to stay on message and attacking Hillary Clinton.

TRUMP: I was hit very hard from the stage, and you know, it's just one of those things. But no, I don't regret anything.

RAJU: This, as Trump refuses to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan in his Republican primary, telling the "Washington Post," "I'm just not quite there yet. I'm not quite there yet."

Trump thumbing his nose at Ryan's delayed decision to endorse him back in May.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I'm just not ready to do that at this point. I'm not there right now.

RAJU: Trump also declining to back former GOP nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain, who is in a tough reelection battle. "I've always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets."

Trump's tension with McCain has been brewing, ever since Trump criticized the war hero for being captured in Vietnam. McCain telling me back in May he wants Trump to apologize to POWs.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: When he said, I don't like people who were captured, then there is a great -- there's a body of American heroes that I would like to see him retract that statement.

RAJU: The avalanche of Trump's controversial statements, prompting several prominent Republicans to break from their party and back Hillary Clinton.

President Obama, using the weight of the office to slam Trump at a news conference with the foreign leader at the White House.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Our Republican nominee is unfit to serve as president.

RAJU: And blasting Republicans for standing by their nominee.

OBAMA: If you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that what he has said is unacceptable, why are you still endorsing him?

This is in a situation where you have an episodic gaffe. This is daily, and weekly, where they are distancing themselves from statements he is making.

[09:05:06] RAJU: Trump firing back.

TRUMP: Well, he's a terrible president. He'll probably go down as the worst president in the history of our country. He's been a total disaster.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAJU: Now earlier this morning, Trump did tweet that there is great unity inside his campaign, but really the refusal to endorse Paul Ryan has prompted a lot of turmoil internally. Actually, a source close to RNC chairman Reince Priebus tells our colleague, Dana Bash, that Mr. Priebus was incredibly upset with Donald Trump for refusing to endorse Paul Ryan, given how close Reince Priebus is with Paul Ryan. They both are from Wisconsin, are longtime friends.

And also, some House and Senate Republicans tell us that they believe Trump is simply acting vindictive. So such remarks they believe will make it harder to stop more Republicans from defecting and refusing to support Trump this fall -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Manu Raju, reporting live for us this morning.

Many Republicans are in agony over Trump's candidacy. Some have jettisoned Trump to vote Clinton in November. The list ranges from Hewlett Packard chief and GOP donor, Meg Whitman, the former Chris Christie aide, to former members of both Bush administrations.

So I want to bring in Trump surrogate and Arkansas attorney general, Leslie Rutledge.

Welcome back, Leslie.

LESLIE RUTLEDGE, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Thank you. Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning and thanks for being here. You told NPR before you spoke at the Republic National Convention that Republicans are extraordinarily unified. That the dysfunction within the Republican Party is dissipating quickly.

In light of what we just reported, how can that possibly be true?

RUTLEDGE: Republicans remain unified behind Donald Trump because we know that Donald Trump will put Americans back to work. Americans care about having jobs and having safe communities --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: But we just talked about all of this disunity within your party.

RUTLEDGE: -- for their children to be raised. Well, no, what we should be talking about is look at the disunity at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Why is no one talking about that? Why is no one talking about Bernie Sanders supporters walking out of that convention? Why are the media not asking about --

COSTELLO: We talked extensively about that.

RUTLEDGE: -- the Arkansas delegate being thrown out of the delegation?

COSTELLO: I'm asking you about the disunity within your own party and these prominent Republicans saying they're going to vote for Hillary Clinton. As far as I know, no powerful Democrat is going to vote for Donald Trump. So let's just stick to the issues at hand right now this morning and talk about unity within your party.

RUTLEDGE: Republicans and independents across the board supporting Donald Trump because they know that Donald Trump will put Americans back to work and that Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt politician. That's the Supreme Court matters. That the issues at hand where she has lied repeatedly. Hillary Clinton worked for the American people when she lied, when she kept that e-mail server in her basement and ask someone who Hillary Clinton worked for, I would fire her, too. And so that's why I'm not going to hire Hillary Clinton. Neither should the American people.

COSTELLO: Well, OK, going back to Donald Trump and Paul Ryan and John McCain, if there is unity within the party, why doesn't Donald Trump throw his support behind those powerful Republicans?

RUTLEDGE: Donald Trump is running a campaign to defeat Hillary Clinton. Paul Ryan is a campaign. Senator McCain is running a campaign for each --

COSTELLO: Paul Ryan and John McCain are both in primary fights right now. So why isn't the Republican nominee helping them?

RUTLEDGE: Look, the Republican nominee is focused on defeating Hillary Clinton because that is the fight that Donald Trump is engaged in. And that is what he is focused on, is being president of the United States. Speaker Ryan will win. He is a strong speaker. Senator McCain will win. But Donald Trump is focused on defeating Hillary Clinton, the most corrupt person that has ever run.

COSTELLO: But many Republicans -- many Republicans say Donald Trump is not focused on defeating Hillary Clinton. He is letting all these side issues -- like his fight with the Khans, for example. Why do that? Why not focused on Hillary Clinton and her flaws as a candidate?

RUTLEDGE: Well, why doesn't the media focused on Hillary Clinton's flawed candidacy, on how unfit she is to be president of the United States? Because she has lied to the American people. She has hid her e-mails in a private server. Where are those 30,000 e-mails? Why do we not to continue to ask those questions --

COSTELLO: Why isn't -- why isn't Donald Trump saying that?

RUTLEDGE: -- of Hillary Clinton? Why are Democrats not being asked to disavow Hillary Clinton?

COSTELLO: Why isn't Donald Trump saying exactly that on the stump instead of talking about the Khan?

RUTLEDGE: Well, he does talk about that on the stump and how corrupt Hillary Clinton is. Unfortunately, time and again, it's in the Democratic playbook to force other Republicans to disavow our candidate and quite frankly we're not going to do. They should be disavowing Hillary Clinton. They should be embarrassed to even be supporting someone as corrupt as Hillary Clinton.

COSTELLO: OK, so it's the media's fault that Donald -- that -- I don't know. Leslie Rutledge, thanks.

RUTLEDGE: Well, the media should be questions, Carol. The media should be asking questions why Democrats continue to support Hillary Clinton who has lied time and time again to the American public.

[09:10:09] I will not hire someone who's lied to me when they work for me and I will not hire Hillary Clinton and neither will the American public.

COSTELLO: All right. Leslie Rutledge, thanks so much for being with me this morning.

All right, so I'm joined now by CNN senior politics reporter Nia- Malika Henderson and the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, Larry Sabato.

Larry, what did you make of Leslie's interview?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: She's living on another planet. And I say that with respect, of course.

Carol, why is anybody surprised that Donald Trump can't keep a focus even on the issues that might help him to do well? Might even help elect him, that is the economy and Hillary Clinton's problems? Why is anybody surprised that Donald Trump is extremely vengeful, carries grudges, and again just can't focus on the issues that might actually help him?

This is Donald Trump. This is Donald. And it's a disaster. And it's really quite amazing. Take Paul Ryan, for example. Paul Ryan considered sacrificing his own reputation chaired Donald Trump's convention. A lot of people really will never forgive Ryan for doing that. And what is this report having done that, not only has Trump refused to endorse him,. Politico is reporting that quite a number of Trump backers are in Ryan's district trying to defeat him in his upcoming nomination to the House. It's really just incredible and all of this is predictable.

COSTELLO: So -- so, Nia, some are actually asking whether Mr. Trump is serious about winning. Is he?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he is certainly serious about winning in his own mind and in his own way. He believes that he won the primary against all odds, against all of the predictions of reporters and pundits and folks who talk on television. So he is applying that same strategy to the general election. He believes he has realigned all of the usual political lines and party loyalties and essentially that he doesn't really need the party to win because he didn't need the party to win in that primary fight.

And he doesn't believe he needs a huge infrastructure. He think he can essentially win by going on Twitter, doing a lot of interviews, and that proved to be right in the primary, of course, the general election is very different. Traditionally you need massive infrastructure in swing states. You need the backing of the establishment and a party, and you need to grow whatever your base of support is by pivoting toward the center.

He is doing none of those things. But he has his own way of going about this, and there isn't any surprise that he is sticking to that script. That he believes got him where he is.

COSTELLO: So, Larry, there are all sorts of rumors out there. I mean, some within the Republican Party think that Donald Trump -- I mean, they're thinking that he may drop out. There is no evidence that he will or anything like that.

But this is what -- this is what sources are telling CNN. The source says they believe if Trump were to drop out before September 1st, they would be able to replace him on enough states ballots to mathematically still get to 270.

So I just wanted to get your take on that. But that seems an impossibility. SABATO: I think it is a pipe dream. Look, I certainly can't get

inside Donald Trump's head. But I can simply tell you this. That is ridiculous. That scenario is ridiculous. If anybody thinks they can put together a winning campaign at the last minute, given everything that has happened, given the near destruction of the Republican Party's unity in many respects, this fiction that's being promoted by some of the Trump representatives, like the attorney general of Arkansas that you just had on, suggesting that somehow Republicans are unified, everywhere I go, I encounter nothing but disunity.

And by the way, the Democratic version of disunity with Bernie Sanders is a pale shadow of what is going on inside the Republican Party. This is the story of 2016. The disillusion of the Republican Party. And I don't know if they can come back together after it's over.

COSTELLO: So, Nia, I just want to get into one other thing that Leslie said during that rather contentious interview. She said that the media, it is the media's fault. That it's saying that there's disunity within the Republican Party, we're exaggerating that, and we're not -- and I know Larry touched on it a little bit, and we're not concentrating enough about disunity in the Democratic Party because there were more firings at the DNC. So put that into perspective for us.

[09:15:14] HENDERSON: You know, I think, it's -- again, it's their strategy. It's blame the media, it's talk about all the system being rigged. It's Donald Trump versus everybody. Donald Trump versus the media. Donald Trump versus Paul Ryan, sort of a remix of that M & M song, "Detroit versus Everybody." So I think that is something we're going to continue to see from this campaign. It fueled his standing, again, in the primary. It's not working so far in the general.

If you look at these polls, and again, we'll see where they end up a few weeks from now, but he really is bleeding support among independents, who have swung now towards Hillary Clinton's camp. We've seen some high-profile Republicans do the same thing. He is also not doing very well among college educated white voters. So he has a lot of repair work to do. So far there isn't any indication that he is intent on doing that.

And people in his circle obviously continue to be frustrated. They have been frustrated for some time now. And we'll see what that boils over into over these next couple of days. But he is certainly in the middle of a really bad stretch, and we'll see if he can turn it around. I don't think so. I don't think there is going to be any presidential pivot. If we're going to base what he's been doing on the past. He just doesn't seem to have it in him. And again, he believes this is a winning strategy for him.

COSTELLO: All right, I have to leave it there. Larry Sabato, Nia- Malika Henderson, thanks to both of you.

And don't forget, Anderson Cooper moderates a town hall with the Libertarian ticket, Gary Johnson and William Weld, 9:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the U.S. election playing out on the

world stage. Why one world leader says Trump's rhetoric makes him want to retch.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:21:12] COSTELLO: A frightening scene at the Dubai airport. Just hours ago, an Emirates Airlines passenger jet exploded into flames after landing. The plane's wing was ripped off, the plane flipped over, the fuselage exploded sending black smoke billowing into the air. Incredibly, though, all 275 people on board were able to get out safely.

In a statement, the CEO of Emirates say they do not know what happened and then of course an investigation is underway.

The State Department pushing back this morning against a report that a $400 million payment to Iran was made in exchange for four American hostages. The "Wall Street Journal" is reporting the money was loaded on to a cargo plane and secretly airlifted around the same time the hostages were freed in January. The State Department spokesman tells CNN the payment was completely separate from hostage talks.

Donald Trump is doubling down on his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and reaffirming his support for warmer Russia relations. This is what he said on FOX News.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing, frankly, if we actually got along with Russia and worked out some kind of a deal where we go and then knock the hell out of ISIS along with NATO and along with countries that are in the area? Wouldn't that be wonderful as opposed to fighting?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Trump's candidacy has alarmed some world leaders, though. Not only his rhetoric on Russia, but Trump's attacks on the Khan family. The French president, France Hollande, did not mince words. He said Trump makes him, quote, "want to retch." Actually this is Hollande's direct quote. Quote, "His excesses make you want to retch. Should the American people choose Trump, there will be consequences because a U.S. election is a global election.

So let's talk about this with CNN military analyst, retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling and CNN senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward.

Welcome to both of you.

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning. So, Clarissa, the U.S. is a global election? What does the French president mean? CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think a lot

of Americans often forget this, Carol. And it really is an important point. And first of all, I should just say, for the French president Francois Hollande to come out so forcefully like that is practically unprecedented. This is a big deal. And it's a very important point that I think, as I said, that a lot of us Americans tend to forget which is that the world looks to the U.S. as essentially the leader of the free world and so it is a huge concern to the rest of the world who the American president is.

And I think originally when Donald Trump first appeared on the stage as a contender for the Republican nomination, the rest of the world, you know, conversations that I've had with people both in politics and just laymen, the impression they had was that this was kind of a curiosity, sort of an American curiosity essentially, that people were disturbed by him on one level, but also intrigued by.

Now that we see Donald Trump as the official Republican nominee for the president, there is a very real concern among many world leaders about what kind of a president he would be, what kind of a tone he would set. What kind of a free world in essentially he would envision. And so you are -- to see a comment like that from the French president France Hollande is indicative of that, that the responsibility is not just essentially to the American voters, but to a great deal of the entire world, in fact, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, General Hertling, when Hollande says there will be consequences if Trump is elected, what does he mean?

HERTLING: I think he means a shakeup of the world order and not in a good way, Carol. And just let me elaborate on what Clarissa said, if I may. I received -- having spent a great deal of my military career overseas, both in Europe and the Middle East and some parts of Southwest Asia, I've actually heard from many of my friends, members of government and militaries of foreign allies and partners, and they are very concerned.

[09:25:14] And as Clarissa said, it was a curiosity at first. Now there is outright fear. This is not the America they know. The America they know lives by values, tries to treat people well, welcomes people to their shore and partners with others in the defense of liberty and freedom. They are not hearing that from Mr. Trump.

And what I'm hearing from my friends and allies is they are very concerned, and you know, as Mr. Trump says, we need to be respected and feared throughout the world, truthfully, it is scaring most of the people of the world that he has gone as far as he has.

COSTELLO: So, Clarissa, you travel a lot. You go to war zones. What do you -- what are the soldiers on the ground telling you?

WARD: Well, you know what's really interesting is with the number of ISIS fighters who I've actually talked to, they tend to be, and I'm being completely honest here, they tend to be some of Mr. Trump's biggest proponents because in their mind he plays into what they believe is the underlying reality in America, that America is somehow inherently aggressive or anti-Islamic, and they believe that if Trump becomes president, that somehow we will see or the rest of the world will see the real side of America.

Now, obviously, that's -- you're talking about an incredibly small subsection minority. If you talk more broadly to people, I think the real concern that comes across is not that any one of his policies is necessarily abhorrent, but that there doesn't seem to be an overriding guiding principle behind them. And that often, they seem almost arbitrary or erratic. And that is what is worrying so many people because the one thing, the rest of the international community does not want from the U.S. is erratic behavior when it comes to dictating policies or helping the international community implement policies that will have huge ramifications globally -- Carol.

COSTELLO: General, one of the most powerful moments at the DNC was when retired Marine Corps General John Allen got up on stage and he absolutely slammed Trump. He went a step farther last night on Wolf's show, saying that if he was still on active duty, he would refuse orders from Trump to waterboard or torture. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ALLEN (RET.), FORMER COMMANDER, U.S. FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN: I have an obligation to the Constitution of the United States, which I swore to defend with my very life. That's about the rule of law. It's about who we are as an American people. And I would disobey that order if I were given the order to abjectly torture detainees in my possession or to attack the families of alleged terrorists and murder them as well. I'd be forced to. I have no choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, General Hertling, Donald Trump has called General Allen a failed general because he wasn't able to defeat ISIS. So what's your take on all of this?

HERTLING: Well, first of all, I would say that General Allen getting into the fray at the Democratic convention was in my view not the right thing to do. It politicizes the civilian military relations and that's not correct in doing that. But what he said last night in terms of disobeying orders like that, I've said that many times before myself, Carol, many months ago about Mr. Trump's orders to waterboard.

The American military does not execute illegal, immoral or unethical orders. We have a conscience to abide by and an oath to adhere to. And if an order comes like that from a commander-in-chief, we have two requirements. Number one is to try and talk him out of illegal orders and if that doesn't work, and our requirement is to resign. And I think that's what General Allen was talking about.

As for him, not contributing to the fight against ISIS, I think General Allen has proven his ability on the battlefield and has done extremely well not only in Iraq but in Afghanistan, and I consider him a good friend and a terrific military leader.

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. General Mark Hertling and Clarissa Ward, thanks so much.

I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)