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Trump Refocuses Attack on Hillary Clinton, Trump Slips In Polls After Week of Public Battles, Kasich Unsure Who He Will Vote For, Kasich: "Honored" to Meet With Gold Star Families, Trump Camp Discussed VP Potential with Kasich Aide, Kasich: John McCain An American Hero, Trump's Ohio Agenda, Clinton Leads Trump By 8% Points in New Poll, Trump Refocuses ion Clinton As Poll Numbers Slip, Gingrich: Trump Getting Back on Message, Trump Camp's Push For African-American Voters; Black Church Faces Scrutiny For Trump Endorsement; Clinton Makes History As Presidential Candidate; Obama Focuses On Feminism In Personal Essay; A-Rod Retiring From Baseball After 22 Seasons. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 07, 2016 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining. I am Fredericka Whitfield. Donald Trump trying to get back on message after a bruising week of public scuffles, but the hits keep coming this time in the form of new poll numbers. An ABC News Washington post-poll finds Hillary Clinton up by 8 percentage points over Trump among likely voters in a two-candidate match. Clinton maintains that edge even when you factor in the Libertarian and Green Party candidates. Meanwhile Trump is refocusing his attention on Clinton, leveling a new round of harsh attacks going as far as to question her mental stability.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It was in front of some friendly reporter, they asked her a very easy question and she short-circuited. She used the term, "Short circuited." She took a little short circuit in the brain and she got problems. I mean, if we had real people, this would be a real problem for her. But I think that the people of this country don't want somebody that's going to short circuit up here.
WHITEFIELD: All right. This is some Republicans are slow to rally around Trump, including Ohio Governor, John Kasich who skips the GOP convention. He explained his reasoning and his thoughts on Trump's recent battles with prominent Republicans. He talked exclusively this morning on State of the Union.
JAKE TAPPER: Governor Kasich, thanks so much for joining us.
JOHN KASICH, GOVERNOR: Glad to do it. Thanks for coming here.
TAPPER: So, last time I saw you was around the time of the Republican convention, which you did not attend. Very interesting results. It's the first convention in Modern History according to Gallup, where more people were less likely to vote for the nominee after the convention, than were more likely.51 percent said that they were less likely to vote for Donald Trump after the convention than 36 percent, so even more likely. Why do you think that is?
KASICH: Well, you know, look. I think Jake in America, people, even though we have these enormous problems, I don't think people want to leave in the world of anger. They want to believe there's a better tomorrow. I got the sense that there was a, sort of a foreboding out there. And I just don't think that's where people want to be. No, I didn't go because -- I think it's about manners. You know, if I wasn't prepared to go there and get up and endorse a nominee. I always To go there and get up and get up and endorse the nominee, I always thought it was inappropriate to go into that convention hall. Here's a great -- here's something's, Jake that's really true. People want politicians to stand on principle, until the principle they're standing on is not one that they agree with.
TAPPER: Right.
KASICH: Now, what no one should be confused about, no one, is that, you know, I wrote an (op-ed) piece about Hillary, you know, I think she's on the bus, Bernie's driving and she's sitting in the back seat. I mean, she is no more than big government.
TAPPER: Well, you said there's -- should be no confusion about your support of Hillary Clinton. You don't support Hillary Clinton --
KASICH: No, of course, not.
TAPPER: But you also don't support Donald Trump.
KASICH: So, I have endorsed him, that correct. That's correct. You know what have not en when you go into the voting booth? So, you have not endorsed him. Do you know what you're going to do when you go into the voting booth?
TAPPER: No. If we still have time, thera little bit, but not a lot. Have you ever for a democrat for President?
KASICH: No.
TAPPER: You've only voted Republican?
KASICH: Yes. But I'm a Republican.
TAPPER: Right.
KASICH: And have -- you know --
TAPPER: Is it possible that you will not vote for a Republican for President?
KASICH: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. This is -- this is very disturbing and alarming to me. I shouldn't say alarm -- it's not alarming. I wish that I could be fully enthusiastic, I can't be. So, I don't know what's going to happen at the end.
TAPPER: You said you didn't watch the Democratic Convention (CROSSTALK)
KASICH: I watched just a tiny little bit. I watched all Donald Trump's speech, and I watch, I did you the con, speak.
TAPPER: So, the cons obviously, Khizr and Ghazala Khan, their son Captain Humayun Khan killed in Iraw in 2004. Your tweeted abfter Donald Trump started attacking the parents and questioning. We tweeted, there's only one to talk about Gold Star parents with honor and respect Captain is a hero. Together we should pray for his family. Trump's response was he was viciously attacked by the Khans.
KASICH: Yes. I looked. I didn't see that but here's when I do to till you.. As the governor, every year, except this year, because we fortunately haven't lost anybody, we've had families of people who have been lost serving their country. Jakes, they come to the State House, they gather in the cabinet room, and then one by one, these families come in to see me. It's very tough. Usually, there's a picture of their son, pr daughter or their father that's right up there as they come in. I give them flag, and I sit and I talked to them. I tell them about the loss of my mother and father in a sudden accident and I said, "You know, let's not compare, but what I can tell you, is I've seen the black hole. Iv e had the deep mourning and the pain and the pain, but here's what I know, "I believe the scripture when it says that those who give up their life or surf someone else will wear a break down. That their service is mark ihn the book of life. Never to be raised. I hug the, sometimes some few people sit in the room with me. Sometimes a tear gets shed, Sometimes I give
recommendatise elpk they can find somebody. To help them. It's really Jake. It's really tough, Jake. But I'm honored to do it. Because if there's anything that I ca n say to these families, anything at all. And we got kids in there. And their dad is gone, other mom is gone. It's just excruciatingly difficult. But I'm so glad I do it. And I'm sure glad that they would me honor me to come. .
TAPPER: There was a report in the New York Times that Donald Trump Jr. called you and tried to sass out your feeling, your interest the vice president and said you would be able to run domestic and foreign policy. Is that -- is that report true?
KASICH: I never got a call. Apparently of my aides did, so --
TAPPER: Donald Trump Jr. did call one of your aides and had that conversation?
KASICH: That's what the reports are, but you know.
TAPPER: What does that -- but I mean, your age (INAUDIBLE) that accurate?
KASICH: Yes. That's what one of them has told me. Yes.
TAPPPER: Yes. That it was accurate.
KASICH: Yes. But I never got a call. And that's yesterday, you know, I said during the campaign and nobody -- nobody in the press believed, you know, I might have been -- I might have agreed to be George Washington's Vice-President. But I got the second best job in the country. You know, President, Governor of Ohio. So, I was never interested in being anybody's Vice-President.
TAPPER: it wasn't tempting at all?
KASICH: You know it's not amazing, I never considered it.
TAPPER: Really? That whole --
KASICH: Why would I want to be a vice? I'd be the worst vice- president. I have too many opinions, Jake.
TAPPER: You have a lot of opinions, that's for sure.
KASICH: Yes, so --
TAPPER: Well, because you get to run foreign policy and domestic policy, if that was the pitch. It sound like a pretty --
KASICH: -Well, I'm running for a policy in Ohio. You got to remember, we, you know, we got Michigan on our border, you know. They're going to build a wall I'm sure.
KASICH: I -- so Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said you were embarrassing, your state of Ohio when you skipped the convention in England. You talk about the pressure that you felt, people telling you needed go, you needed indorse, were their channel rffort goed to the convention? And who put the --
KASICH: No, not really..
TAPPER: Who put the pressure on you?
You: talk the pressure that you felt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were there back channel efforts to get you to come to the convention? And who put the -- and who put the Jake on you?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KASICH: No, no, I mean, who put the pressure on you?
TAPPER: Who put the pressure on you? Who put the pressure on you? people would call who are long time friends of mine and say, you know, "You need to do this for yourself."
KASICH: Well, they say couple of things. First of all, you need -- you need a Sports party, and secondly, you know, don't get the impression that you're a Clinton's supporter. You know that's his kind of, this things, you know. Well. let me be clear. I'm not. OK? I see --I see four years of good luck with her. Total good luck and melt down and economics -- I mean, I -- OK. So that's one thing.
TAPPER: Pressure -- KASICH: Well, I see good luck there too.
TAPPER: Were you surprised when Donald Trump declined to endorse Speaker Ryan, Senator McCain and Senator (INAUDIBLE)?
KASICH: Yes -- well, yes. I find it -- it was a little bizarre, right? Let's talk about each of them. Paul, you know, he's in a Jack Kemp mode, he's a -- he's a guy that's a positive. He's a guy that wants to, you know. reach out to the people who are in poverty. He's the one that wants to lower the tax code so we don't punish the successful billed entrepreneurship.
TAPPER: Great guy.
KASICH: OK? Used to be an aide when I was budget chairman. Kelly Ayotte, OK? She's a terrific senator. She comes from New Hampshire, I'm going to go campaign for her. I'm going to do whatever I can to help her.
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: I'm all over. I was just in Illinois the other day, helping Senator Kirk raise some money for the house republicans in Illinois. I've been for senator Paul, I'm going to Colorado. I mean, I'm doing -- I was in Philadelphia in a tough race over in Philadelphia. Yes, I'm going to help all house and senate members. And that's important. I mean, let's talk about McCain. I love John McCain.
KASICH: John McCain is such an amazing guy, not just an American Hero. But here's a guy who has served his country well. He's outspoken, he takes orders from no one. As far as I'm concerned, McCain shouldn't even have to run for election in the senate. He ought to be on the senate as long as he wants to be. You know, he's in the tough race out there.: I'm going to go after her. I don't care what it takes. I got to go out there and help McCain. And he's he really, truly is. For the people that watched the show, he's a remarkable guy. He so loves his country.
TAPPER: Governor, your admiration for John McCain is moving. Your nominee for president, the Republican presidential nominee said John McCain is not a hero. He prefers people who weren't captured.
KASICH: Yes. Well, I don't agree with that. I don't agree with that. OK? I think John McCain a hero. All throughout this--anybody can, okay? You know, Trump said this you say, trump, why don't you slug him over the head. Look, my actions has spoken louder than any words.
TAPPER: Your refusal to endorse him.
KASICH: And think about this. I want to know when anybody had a convention they stayed. When they were the governor who didn't go in the convention hall -- I mean, some people are really Furious with me about that: But I did what i thought I needed o do. And you know what? I never went in that whole to promote myself and I wanted -- believe it or not, I wanted to show respect to the nominee. Am I going up there and disrupting his bill was not my -- what I intended Ohio when Ohio? Can Trump win Ohio? He's going to win parts of Ohio where people are really hurting. There will be section who will win people and haven't heard any answers but I still think it's difficult if you are dividing to be able to win in Ohio. I think it's really, really, difficult?
TAPPER: What does Donald Trump need to do to get you to vote for him? You've always aid that you'll never vote for Clinton. Is there any way that Donald Trump can change?
KASICH: Well, you know, it's,-- you know, there's so much over the dam now it's becoming increasingly difficult but I want, you know, unifine. And now, you can either operate on the dark side of the street or you can -- you can operate in the light. I believe that America needs people to operate in the light. Plain and simple.
TAPPER: Governor Kasich, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.
KASICH: I loved it.
TAPPER: Thanks.
WHITEFIELD: All right. With John Kaiser now closer to historic nomination helps (_importantroles) women are playing on some Trump how well that affect the wall their Republican.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
AMY KRAMER: In large part because of the post-DNC, kind of, bump or is it in large because of recent gaps by Donald Trump because of the DNC bot but also how any millions of dollars that priority is USA, and the Cliton campaign has been on the air and I'll be swing state .already . And there's been pretty much no matter spent by Donald Trump or any super pets supporting them?
WHITEFIELD: And so you're saying that is largely and that's by he hasn't made that kind of, investment. He needed joke. W
KRAMER: Well, I think that the they are in about When OKAY. I mean, money, I think when you are just hammered with negate adds, time and time. And -- except Donald Trump has been (INAUDIBLE) he does have an impact. Honestly, I mean, it's like (CROSSTALK)
WHITEFIELD: Because OHIO is so important and people love him in Ohio.
KRAMER: He's a sore -- he's a sore loser. And it's like he's crying over spilt milk. This is also the same man that pledged to support the Republican nominee. And so did he lie when he -- when he pledged to do that? Or -- I mean, the things is, put on your big boy wants and get over it. He just endorsed Paul Ryan and Paul Ryan said we have a binary choice here. It's either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump Is John Kasich really going to be able look himself in the mirror and be with support the Republican nominee. say we're a nation divided. That's not true. We agree on a lot and we have democrat she appoints, you know, how many more judges to the court. WHITEFIELD: So, Buck, how do you respond to that? Is it hypocritical and isn;t that he's turned aL was going.
BUCK SEXTON: I think that Kasich stayed in the race longer thn he had to. I think that's been clear for while. That is first priority is all things relating to John Kasich. And also, he has the tendency, it's a sanctimony that I don't think will play particularly well outside of the State of Ohio. But for the Trump campaign, Ohio is obviously going to be incredibly important. It's very unlikely they can win, unless they can manage to convince a fair number of blue collar democrat voters to come over to Trump side of the aisle. And I think Kasich probably could be helpful in that process. He knows he could be helpful in that process. And that's why he's saying, his position, as recently as in this interview is, well, "Trump can win over my vote, essentially." So, he wants to be quartered, he wants to be relevant. He wants to play a role in this process going forward. I do say that his staying out of the convention altogether I think was preferable to showing up and not endorsing in terms of what's best for the Republican Party right now or at least what's best for
the Trump campaign. But I think that he's going to continue to try to insert himself as much as he can into the process. Knowing that in a sense, he can play King Makers on degree with the ability to sway votes in Ohio which is a state that Trump absolutely has to win. Especially now that Virginia is looking bluer and bluer by the day.
WHITEFIELD: Well, I think everybody's in agreement the messaging is really important. And this morning, Newt Gingrich was asked about that on FOX News Sunday about how Trump gets back on message. Listen.
NEWT GINGRICH: I think that, first of all, if you look at the last few days, I think he's gotten the messages. He came out and endorsed Paul Ryan which he should have done in the first place. He endorsed John McCain which he should have done in the first place, he endorsed Kelly Ayotte. I mean, these are steps back in to being, you know, it's very tricky if you've never run for public office. To jump from being a businessman to being one of the two leaders fighting for the presidency.
WHITEFIELD: All right. So, Amy, it's not on (INAUDIBLE) John Kasich what he has to say or think but Newt Gingrich says, you know, it's really about the big tent. So, how much of what he is saying is viable, is realistic, is believable?
KRAMER: Well, I think that voters are paying attention. And at the end of the day, they're going to vote on issues that matter to him. And I don't think Hillary Clinton has the solution. Donald Trump has the solution. And I think that's where -- how people are going to vote on November. And I think that's what matters. This is the thing, while Donald Trump has the -- the reason he's got the support he has is because he's out there listening to the American people. He is not echoing what is coming out of Washington and out of New York. From the media and the (CROSSTALK)
WHITEFIELD: OK. Janice?
JENNICE FUENTES: Not at all. Not at all. I'm sorry. With all due respect. He is listening to no one but himself. I think everything he does everyday is an insult to his own highly paid and highly talented staffers. I can't imagine what it's like to be in the room every time he opens his mouth because he is paying for really good advice that he's not listening to. He is his worst own enemy. And you're right. This is about messaging. We're no longer in the Primary. We are now in the General Election. And, you know, Hillary Clinton was for him to defeat but he is defeating himself every time he goes in the --
WHITEFIELD: All right. We're going to leave you right there Jennice Fuentes, Buck Sexton. Amy Kramer, thanks so much to all of you, appreciate it. And we'll have you all back. Thank you.
SEXTON: Thank you.
KRAMER: Thank you.
FUENTES: Thank you.
WHITEFIELD: All right. Still ahead. Donald Trump are looking to make some inroads in the battle ground State of North Carolina. Especially among African-American voters. Moments ago, the campaign wrapped up a rally at a historically black church in that state. Mr. Trump's daughter-in-law, the wife of Eric Trump was there. We'll talk to her live. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITEFIELD: All right. In an effort to make inroads with the African-American Community, Donald Trump's Campaign was in church this morning. A historically black church in North Carolina. The Antioch Road to Glory International Ministries. Officially throwing its support behind Donald Trump with its so-called day of endorsement event, this is what a few church attendees had to say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For 52 years to be exact, African-Americans have voted almost 90 percent, 95 percent, you know, democrat. You have never really seen a church step out there and support really a Republican candidate in a long time. And so, especially, for person such as Donald Trump where everyone has said that he has no black support. Seeing this event happen is, you know, is wonderful.
[14:30:01] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's not a politician, so he doesn't have to answer to anyone. He's got a mind of his own, and we want that change, we don't want to go by the books anymore. We want someone who will be touched by our feelings, don't just hear us, listen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Some nationally recognized Trump supporters including Omarosa Manigold (ph), an "Apprentice" contestant turned Trump campaign director of African-American Outreach as well as Trump's own daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump.
Lara joins me now along with Lynne Patton who is vice president of the Eric Trump Foundation and senior assistant to Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Good to see all of you.
All right, so Trump in the latest NBC/"Wall Street Journal" poll shows just 1 percent of African-American support. So Lynne, why is this event so important right now and how did this come about?
LYNNE PATTON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ERIC TRUMP FOUNDATION: Well, as an African-American and minority myself, this event was the most important thing I have ever done in my life. With respect to the percentage, Fredricka, I have to say that I absolutely don't believe it because the support I saw in this room says exactly the opposite.
If you don't believe me, then believe the numbers, because since 2008, the number of Americans living in poverty has risen by 1.4 million and since Barack Obama took office in 2008, the African-American median household income has actually declined by nearly $4,000.
And since Barack Obama took office, the amount of black homeownership has dropped from 47 percent to nearly 40 percent. So you ask yourselves, are you better off than you were eight years ago? Because I know I'm not.
WHITFIELD: So, Lynne, would it have been more effective if Donald Trump himself were there?
PATTON: And you know what Donald Trump will be here, and he'll be reaching ought to the black community more and more as the campaign goes on and he endorses us being here and he trusts his daughter-in- law, Laura and I to handle that task. This is her home state and there's nobody else he'd rather have here.
WHITFIELD: So Lara, this is your home state. How instrumental were you in helping to, you know, convince the churchgoers there or make a pitch to the church there to end up winning their support for Donald Trump?
LARA TRUMP, ERIC TRUMP'S WIFE: Yes, well, it is my home state, I'm honored to here. I love an excuse to come back to North Carolina. I didn't have to do make a pitch or do anything to convince people. Quite frankly the support in the room was 100 percent without a doubt.
Everybody was very enthusiastic to have us here. Super excited to have the service today and really it's an honor to be here and we're so excited to do it.
WHITFIELD: So Lara, on the Facebook page of the church, it does spell out or try to explain why it's Donald Trump that the pastor there and many of the members of the congregation are throwing their support behind him.
I'm going to quote now from the Facebook page saying, "Supporting Hillary is like being with an abusive ex one that you already know left you broken and wounded. At this point, give the new guy a chance."
Do you believe, you know, your best bet is securing the black vote is demonizing Hillary Clinton rather than, you know, touting the merits of Donald Trump or the promises that he's willing to make to that community and actually deliver on?
TRUMP: Well, look, I had nothing to do with the Facebook page, but what I'll tell you, is that there's a famous quote that says, wait, I forgot my quote.
PATTON: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again --
TRUMP: And getting the same result. What we have is eight years of the same result. What you have with Hillary Clinton is the same thing you got with Barack Obama.
Honestly, you know, I had nothing to do with that Facebook page, if that's the way they feel, then I encourage them to post it. They know that Donald Trump is going to do the absolute best thing for this country.
You know, he's going to secure our borders. He's going to bring back jobs, which in this community quite frankly is a huge deal. We heard that from everyone in there today.
And you know, it really doesn't matter what's on their Facebook page, I know what's in their hearts in there and they support Donald Trump.
PATTON: As a black African-American, I can say also that, you know, voting Democrat is often times entrenched in our family, our mothers did it, our grandmothers did it, our fathers, our grandfathers, but it's time to break that trend.
And the people in this church today are ready for a common sense leader, and they that leader is Donald Trump, and it's time to vote in a common sense manner.
And quite frankly, the Democratic Party just hasn't done a lot for my community since they took office decades and decades ago, and it continues to this day.
WHITFIELD: OK, and you know, post the RNC and the DNC, we're seeing now some national polling showing that Hillary Clinton is eight points ahead, and so Lara, this week, you know, Donald Trump seemed to lose a lot of steam, particularly with a few missteps.
[14:35:07]Among them he was asked that hypothetical question about sexual harassment and said if his daughter, Ivanka, was harassed at work by her boss that he would hope that she would just leave. And then your husband, Eric Trump, raised a lot of eyebrows when he went on CBS and he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: Ivanka is a strong, powerful woman, she wouldn't allow herself to be objected to it. And by the way, you should take it up with human resources, but at the same time, I don't think she wouldn't allow herself be subjected to that. And I think that's a point he was making and I think he did so well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And so Lara, where do you fall on this? Is it an issue of strength versus weakness?
LARA TRUMP: I think Eric, what he said was totally fine. I think everybody is making something out of nothing there. Eric obviously supports nothing to do with sexual harassment, there's nothing further from anything he would endorse, including my father-in-law, quite frankly. Just the same old tale, let's take a sound bite out after a greater interview --
WHITFIELD: There are a number of incidences that involve sensitive topics as it pertains to women and that's one of them. And we know that among polling Donald Trump, your father-in-law, is not doing well when it comes to appealing to a number of women voters.
Is this yet another incident that makes it very difficult for surrogates such as yourself to try to appeal to women or try to speak on behalf of Donald Trump?
LARA TRUMP: No, not at all. In fact, Lynne and I have been in North Carolina for the past several days, with the women you previously mentioned, with Omorosa. We have gotten the greatest reception specifically from women.
And what I'll to tell you is that Donald Trump employees, and as far as I've seen, more female executives than male executives. He makes no distinction between men and women when it comes to a job well done.
He wants the best person for the job and that's how he's going to treat this country. He wants the best for everyone, man, woman, black or white, he wants the best for America.
PATTON: That's right. And as an employee of Donald Trump myself, I can personally assure all the women out there, including the ones that work for him, they know that Mr. Trump applies the same tenants in life that he applies in the boardroom.
And in business, it's all about what you bring to the table, not your ethnicity, not your gender, not your race, Let me tell you something, if I didn't produce, I wouldn't be there.
WHITFIELD: All right, Lynne Patton, Lara Trump, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it, from Charlotte, North Carolina today. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:41:52]
WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Hillary Clinton making history as the first female presidential nominee of a major party. Just 96 years ago, this month women won the right vote.
It's a significant milestone President Obama underscored in a 1500- word essay published in "Glamour" magazine online entitled, "This is what a feminist looks like."
He says in part, quote, "In my lifetime, we have gone from a job market that basically confined women to a handful of often poorly paid positions to a moment when women not only make up roughly half the workforce, but are leading in every sector from sports to space, from Hollywood to the Supreme Court. In fact more women than ever, married or single are financially independent," end quote, from the president there.
So we decided to assemble some powerful ladies who are familiar faces to you right here on CNN and we talked about what their hopes are for the places they work and live.
But first regardless of political parties, they all chimed in on the history being made following other women's pursuits to the White House, from Victoria Woodhall (ph) in 1872 to Shirley Chisholm (ph) in 1972.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Already making history, there have been others before her from Shirley Chisholm, the list is very long, but does her place as a nominee for a major party mean that the ceiling has been shattered?
KELLY WALLACE, CNN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT AND EDITOR-AT-LARGE: I think so, in the sense that you have to see it to be it, right? Now you have little girls all across the country are saying, that could be me. My own daughter says she wants to be the first president of the United States.
Guess what? We weren't thinking that when we were little girls so regardless of your politics, I think just seeing the first female Democratic or Republican nominee sends a message to girls and young women that this too can be possible.
WHITFIELD: And when did this sink in, Michaela, because for a very long time we weren't hearing not even Hillary Clinton talk about potentially being the first until the DNC rollout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This election is not about gender, it's about an agenda, one that includes every single American.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: And suddenly we're hearing Michelle Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA: And because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters, and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All set the stage for how historic this is.
MICHAELA ANGELA DAVIS, CULTURAL CRITIC AND WRITER: I'm glad that you recalled the names of other women, Shirley Chisholm is a hero and even when the current president, Barack Obama, was elected, we thought about Shirley, right, because she was the first woman and the first African-American. She really get delegates in that way.
But what's significant about Hillary Clinton is also all the women's shoulders that she's standing on from history and today. Even you saw the DNC, there were women from top to bottom, from Donna Brazile twirling off the stage, Marcy Fudge, there are women bolstering her.
[14:45:01]So I think that I feel that there's a collective women's sense of pride and the celling is now possible, right, so you can't be what you can't see, to echo what she said, that now we know that this is possible. We have seen secretary of states. My daughter has almost only seen women be secretary of state. So that's a new normal.
WHITFIELD: So Christine, how does this change the dynamic?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I bought these presidential place mats for my little boys, I put the president place mat down, and my son said, Mom, there's all grandpas there, there's no grandma in there.
He was so absolutely shocked by that. I mean, in his world, he sees his mom on TV. He sees women around him making decisions at all kinds of different jobs, for his realty it's much different than the way I was growing up.
And certainly my 18-year-old niece who always tells me she's not going to vote for somebody because it's a man or a woman, she almost takes for granted what I think generation x women and baby boomer women see as history. She doesn't want to cast a vote based on gender because she doesn't think she needs to.
WHITFIELD: That's fascinating.
WALLACE: We have seen that. There is a generational divide. You had some young women getting really upset for older women, coming out and saying you've got to vote for Hillary Clinton. You've got to.
WHITFIELD: So Kayleigh, you were a Trump supporter, but then when we talk about the history made of a woman for a major party, the Democratic Party, the first time as a nominee, does this become an issue that is really bigger than politics?
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HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you all very, very much.
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KAYLEIGH MCENANY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Yes, I think that's fair. I think that there are a lot of women who want to see the right woman at the top of the ticket, the right woman become president.
Look, Hillary Clinton achieved history. No one can take that from her. Forevermore we will read about her name in history books as the first major female nominee of a major party. That is a very big deal and no one can take that away from her.
So I think there is a lot of women who can celebrate the history, but at the same time can step back and see the struggles they've had economically in the foreign policy realm and say, hey, this is a big moment, but I'm going to vote on issues.
ANUSHAY HOSSAIN, JOURNALIST: I think another reason millennials got kind of offended was because they are the most educated voting generation in U.S. history. So I don't think that they are voting based on gender.
WALLACE: Look at the world that they're in, that they feel that they don't have to vote for a woman because they don't think this is going to be their only chance to vote for a women.
And that is a big difference certainly from when I was growing up when there weren't as many female candidates. So I think that's -- the difference is almost like these young women are saying, what a second, feminism means we can have choices, right, and we can have choices to choose the person we want to choose whether it's the right woman or not.
DAVIS: There are so many women locked in poverty, locked out of education, locked out of opportunity, so they are looking at this through a different lens, where my mother, who lived through Jim Crowe, is looking at this through a different lens.
So we have to sort of broaden our prospective to let in all the women, and there are women suffering that have never not suffered. So also when we hear certain rhetoric about when things were good, there's some women it has never been good.
And perhaps if you have -- it's not just a game, not just Hillary, who else is with her, who else is going to hold her accountable to women's issues, particularly around poverty, mass incarceration, reproductive rights, minimum wage.
So I think those of us who are privileged have to look back and care about the women who are behind us, who are under the boot.
MCENANY: That's a really great point. You know, I just graduated from law school and one of the things that's so interesting is the affinity groups on my campus were not based on gender. There wasn't much energy law student women, law student men. There was a lot of energy around the minority affinity groups because they are facing really important issues.
WHITFIELD: We knew this was going to be a dynamic conversation. Obviously the president of the United States thought so too because he actually wrote a column in "Glamour" magazine and I want to quote something that he said. He said, you know, "Two hundred forty years after our nation's founding and almost a century after women finally won the right to vote, for the first ever a woman is a major political party's presidential nominee.
No matter your political views, this is a historic moment for America. And it's just one more example of how far women have come on the long journey toward equality. I want all of our daughters and sons to see that this too is their inheritance."
And this from a president who made history himself and now he is talking about the next chapter being written, but he's also talking about the face of feminism, of being a feminist.
And how it's acceptable and how men have to be on board too, and how in large part, this is about a level playing field, not just for women, but for men and women.
[14:50:03]HOSSAIN: That's what I love about President Obama so much. He doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. The fact that he wrote that article for "Glamour" magazine, just by writing it, he demonstrated to so many men and women around the world and boys and girls around the world that guess what, you can be a man and be a feminist and we also need to change our thinking and our mentality.
DAVIS: He's married to Michelle Obama. Let's be clear. He's got two daughters, two fierce daughters and a mama in the house. So there's also something about men surrounded by women, right, that tend to be feminist.
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WHITFIELD: All right, next hour, much more from Anushay, Kayleigh, Kelly, Michaela and Christine, we talked about what their expectations are in the economy under a Trump or Clinton White House. We'll have much more straight ahead after this.
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[14:55:09]
WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A-Rod is calling it a career, Alex Rodriguez, the Yankee's superstar got emotional when he announced his retirement at a news conference this morning in New York.
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ALEX RODRIGUEZ, RETIRING NEW YORK YANKEES PLAYER: I love this game and I love this team, and today, I'm saying goodbye to both. This is also a proud day. I was 18 when I broke into the big leagues. I never thought I could play for 22 years. I just wanted to make the team. I want to thank the Steinbrenner family, for giving me this opportunity and for making me part of this team.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: Wow, pretty extraordinary. CNN's Richard Roth is at Yankee Stadium. So understandably -- you could really his love of the game and this has been his entire life and to say goodbye to it, well, you know, the silence really was very deafening and it said a lot, didn't it?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: One of the most accomplished, but also controversial players in sports major league history, A-rod as he is known is just four home runs away from a major achievement, 700 total. Only Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds ahead of him.
But for Alex Rodriguez, it was a godfather thing for him, it came down to an offer that he couldn't refuse. Yankee owner, Hal Steinbrenner in chats with Rodriguez telling him in effect become a special advisor to the organization, stay within the Yankees.
But in effect stop playing, which as you can see is very difficult for such a star such as A-rod. After -- during the press conference, Alex Rodriguez was asked what his legacy in the Yankees and baseball would be?
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RODRIGUEZ: I want to be remembered as someone who's madly in love with the game of baseball, someone who loves it at every level, someone who loves to learn, teach it, watch it, play it, and coach it. And also I'm going to be hopefully remembered for someone who tripped and fell a lot, but someone that kept getting up.
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ROTH: What he talked about tripping and falling included probably in that is his suspension for the entire 2014 season for use of performance-enhancing drugs. Nobody except Alex will ever know how much of his home run total and his huge run batted in total is due to the drugs.
But he certainly had a lot of talent, (inaudible), the Yankee manager said, he's one of a kind, there's never been anyone like Alex Rodriguez. Last game, Fredricka, will be August 12th of this month. He's got three games potentially in Boston, a town that's always hated him.
We don't know the reaction now that he's going to be getting out of the game. Could he still play next year? The Yankees made it clear, if he wants to change his mind, he can, but it won't be for New York.
WHITFIELD: OK, well, you've rounded all out there. Richard Roth, thank you so much from Yankee Stadium. Appreciate it. There's so much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM. Stay with us.
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