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Trump to Tour Flooded Areas in Louisiana; Trump Expresses "Regret" in Rare Move; Manafort Resigns as Trump Campaign Chairman. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired August 19, 2016 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:02] ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, I'm Erica Hill in for Carol Costello this morning. Thanks for being with us.

We are following a developing story out of Louisiana. Donald Trump's running mate Mike Pence is on the ground there. He landed in Baton Rouge just a short time ago.

We are still awaiting Trump's arrival, however, so we'll be watching for that. The pair are expected to tour parts of the region left drowning in these historic floods we've been telling you about. That visit may come, though, with some hiccups.

The governor's office telling CNN no one from the Trump campaign has reached out to them about the visit, adding, "We welcome Trump to Louisiana but not for a photo-op, instead, we hope he'll consider volunteering or making a sizable donation to the Louisiana Flood Relief Fund to help the victims of the storm."

Rosa Flores joins us live from St. Lamont. She's been on the ground there for some time.

Rosa, good morning to you.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. You know, this is what Donald Trump is going to find whenever he comes out into these communities to survey the damage. You can see that some of these homes are still under water. And like you mentioned, this is St. Lamont, Louisiana, and the floodwaters started rising very quickly here, some of the residents tell me, on the 16th, and we are on the 19th. And here we are with all of these floodwaters.

Now like you mentioned, Erica, Donald Trump expected to arrive here in Louisiana very soon in the area of Baton Rouge. We're about 45 minutes from that location. And this is what you're going to find. Now his visit of course comes after a second shake-up in the camp Trump and also after President Obama has been highly criticized because he hasn't visited the Louisiana area and these devastated areas yet. Now he did send one of this Cabinet member, Secretary Jeh Johnson.

I was actually at the press conference yesterday when he was there and I took the opportunity to ask him about why the president has not arrived and if he will recommend to the president to visit Louisiana. Here's what he said. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEH JOHNSON, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: The president can't be everywhere. I will be briefing him on what I see here and what the status of our recovery and response efforts are. Administrator Fugate did the same thing after his visit here two days ago. So the president is closely monitoring the situation.

FLORES: Will you recommend that he come visit?

JOHNSON: As I said, the president can't be everywhere. I know he has a very busy schedule this fall and in the coming days. And he is closely monitoring the situation. We know the chief executive of the entire U.S. government, you can't be everywhere. Including places you would like to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now very shortly after that, Governor Bel Edwards throwing a lifeline at the president, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOHN BEL EDWARDS (D), LOUISIANA: If he's going to visit, I would just assume it'd be a week or 10 days, 14 days from now. And I will tell you, it is a major ordeal. They free up the interstate for him. We have to take hundreds of local first responders, police officers, sheriff's deputies and state troopers to provide security for that type of visit. I would just assume have those people engaged in the response rather than trying to secure the president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now Governor Edwards had a similar thing to say about Trump's visit. Here's the statement, quote, "We welcome him to Louisiana, but not for a photo-op. Instead, we hope he'll consider volunteering or making a sizable donation to the Louisiana Flood Relief Fund to help the victims of the storm."

As we take another live picture here, Erica, I just want to give you a sense as to how this water has been receding. I was with first responders a few days ago on a boat in this particular area and you can see that there is still water. So that's one of the things that we're hearing from first responders that in some of these areas, the water is receding very, very slowly.

HILL: So tough as we know that -- with the water table and just the way Louisiana is set up in general, the water doesn't really have anywhere to go, presenting a separate challenge.

Rosa Flores, for us this morning. Rosa, thank you.

As we look at Donald Trump, there's some talk about this new executive team that he's brought on for the campaign and whether or not it means a new Donald Trump. The candidate broke with his aggressive style on the stump last night, expressing remorse over comments he's made. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sometimes in the heat of debate, and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words, or you say the wrong thing. I have done that.

(CHEERS AND LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: And believe it or not, I regret it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Sunlen Serfaty is covering the story for us from Washington this morning. Sunlen, good morning.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Erica.

[10:05:01] Well, this new tone from Donald Trump is so notable and so remarkable because, put simply, it is so uncharacteristic for Donald Trump to admit any sort of wrongdoing whatsoever. Now notably he did not say the words, "I am sorry," it was not an apology formally, but he did rather prefer to kind of give a blanket statement of remorse to all the people that he has offended over the course of his campaign. Here's more of what he had to say last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I do regret it. Particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But one thing I can promise you this, I will always tell you the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And the Clinton campaign has been very quick to point out to say, look, this isn't a change, don't believe this is Donald Trump changing his ways and saying, look, the very day he announced his candidacy, he offended and refused to apologize. They gave the example, of course, when his announcement address, he criticized Mexican immigrants calling them rapists. And certainly if you look back, there is a whole list of controversies that this has been the pattern. Everything from John McCain to his criticism of Judge Curiel.

Donald Trump really engulfing himself in a controversy. There has been a major pushback and then he refuses to apologize. Most recently, last month coming out of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, of course, the Muslim parents of the American soldier killed in war, that moving address directed towards Donald Trump, where Donald Trump was really engulfed in another form of criticism, and then he refused to back down, saying he did not regret his criticism of the parents. Here's what he said earlier this month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I don't regret anything. I said nice things about the son and I feel that very strongly. But of course I was hit very hard from the stage. And you know, it's just one of those things. No, I don't regret anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: So now of course Donald Trump changes to large, not specifically other that controversy, Erica, but the big question, of course, is will this change the tone, will this strategy stick -- Erica.

HILL: It'd be interesting to see what happens with that. Sunlen Serfaty for us in Washington this morning.

Meantime, we are just learning this breaking news. Paul Manafort, of the Donald Trump campaign, is confirming has resigned from the campaign. Of course, some big changes and shake-ups there over the last few days. Paul Manafort of course was brought in, in the last few months to shake things up with the last regime change. He had been demoted somewhat. And as we're understanding and as we're learning this morning, CNN confirming Paul Manafort did, in fact, offer his resignation according to the campaign and it was accepted.

What does that mean? Well, it just adds a little bit more to our plate this morning that we have and it's already a full one for David Gergen, CNN senior political analyst and of course former presidential adviser to Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. Sunlen Serfaty staying with us as well. Also with us, General Robert Magnus, former assistant commandant of the Marine Corps.

Good to have all of you with us. David, I want to get you to weigh in on this first. Is it a surprise at all?

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, there are several surprises. First, I don't think it's a surprise that Paul Manafort has resigned. I think the big surprise is whether we're watching a Switcheroo, one of the biggest ever in politics.

You know, Paul Manafort was the person who was seen as the most influential and the most aggressive in trying to get Donald Trump to, quote, "pivot," to become more moderate, to become -- to express regrets as he did last night. And he's been replaced. He's been, you know, basically forced out by two people coming in now who are coming in from the so-called dark side of politics, who were expected to make Trump even more abrasive and more pugilistic.

And what does he do in his first night? He goes soft on the opening and says he expresses regrets. Now what does that all mean? I mean, are these people from the dark side really moving him, getting the pivot that Manafort couldn't? I think we'll have to wait and see.

I do think one thing we're seeing quickly with the new team is they're responding to events much more rapidly, events that are in the news, you know, sending Donald Trump down to Louisiana was a very smart move, given all the kind of criticism that's going on about President Obama being on vacation. But very importantly, Donald Trump picked up on that State Department story about Iran and the relationship of payments to hostages being released and he got it right into his speech.

He's running the events of the day I think more cleverly, more aggressively, and that could be one of the first changes. But whether there's a true pivot and a new Donald Trump after 15 months, I think we shouldn't be swayed by one night. Let's give it a little time.

[10:10:01] HILL: Wait and see what happens, but definitely, as you point out, David, in the last 36 hours or so, we have seen a shift.

GERGEN: Yes.

HILL: General, as commander-in-chief, there's been a lot of talk about the tone and the temperament of Donald Trump and whether or not that fits the role of commander-in-chief. And up until this point, he said very clearly this is the person that you want to have in charge. I don't back down from my words. I don't go back on what I said.

Now we're seeing, though, this little bit of a shift, this softening, as David put it, that we saw last night. Which of those approaches in general is going to be more effective on a world stage?

GEN. ROBERT MAGNUS, FORMER ASSISTANT COMMANDANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Well, thank you very much for having me this morning. I believe that the president as commander-in-chief as well as the chief executive has to be seen and heard by the American people and by our friends and our enemies to be clear, to be consistent, to be honest about the facts as he sees it, and when he's wrong to change course. Not to stay a course that he's not productive for American security and the security of Americans and our friends.

So I think while I watched the campaign as things go up and down around, I look at the basic temperament. Is he honest? Is he truthful? Does he have a consistent eye towards the American people, their well-being, their security and our national interest, and I think that will be the telling thing. An honest, forthright, strong, consistently focused on the American people and their values.

HILL: Would it have been more effective -- he came out last night and he said he some regrets and he said I will always tell you the truth, but he wasn't specific about those regrets were, who the people were that he was referring to when he said, I may have caused personal pain.

General, would it have been more effective on both a domestic and an international stage if he got down to sort of brass tacks on that and was specific?

MAGNUS: Well, it probably would have affected the newscasters today, but I will tell you that I thought that was a very personal speech on Mr. Trump's part. He was open kimono. While I know the people say, well, he didn't apologize, I heard an apology there very clearly. It was a recognition that he was losing his core message which was, as I said, about the well-being and the security of Americans, and what I call his new approach to both domestic policy and foreign policy.

So I think it was a very good speech, a very honest speech. And, like the rest of what he said, you can expect him from his heart to tell us the truth.

HILL: I want to get some more on what we're learning in terms of what we're learning about the stepping down, the resignation of Paul Manafort. Sources telling CNN he was concerned he was becoming a distraction to the campaign. As we mentioned, the campaign in just the last few moments putting out a statement which reads, and I'm quoting here, "This morning, Paul Manafort offered and I accepted his resignation from the campaign. I am very appreciative for his great work in helping to get us where we are today and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process. Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success." And that was signed Donald J. Trump.

Interesting to note here, Sunlen, that we're hearing from our sources that Manafort was concerned he was becoming a distraction. There were a couple of different news reports of course this week further broadening his involvement with different issues in Ukraine.

What is it specifically or what have you been hearing in terms of political circles, as we watch Donald Trump's plane I believe making its way into Baton Rouge here.

Sunlen, you're hearing about that concern of Paul Manafort being a distraction because with 81 days to go now, the last thing any campaign needs is another distraction, Sunlen.

SERFATY: You're absolutely right. And I think that this is a very clear admission from the Trump campaign that they were not on the right trajectory and that this is kind of a recalibration of their strategy. You know, as you mentioned, there were of course questions and criticisms about Paul Manafort's ties to lobbying abroad. But it seemed that the biggest nail in the coffin really here was his relationships with the campaign.

It appears that he had been the one really pushing back on Donald trying to make those so-called presidential pivots. And it seems that Donald Trump felt a little shackled in sort of his command or his request for the candidate to shape up and do things the way that doesn't come naturally to him.

In that statement that you read by Donald Trump campaign, I thought it was notable that they kind of specifically pointed out that Paul Manafort was at the beginning specifically brought in to be this -- this convention guru, this guy who could help lead their delegate strategy when then it was thought that there would be a contested convention, going into Cleveland in August.

[10:15:12] And then he kind of took on a bigger role within the campaign. After Corey Lewandowski was out as campaign manager, he was not elevated to campaign manager then, which was notable, but certainly had significant influence in the campaign. But it does seem in the course of the last few weeks, and certainly over the plunging of his poll numbers in the last few weeks, that he was trying to push the candidate Donald Trump to a place that he clearly did not want to be -- Erica.

HILL: CNN political director David Chalian is also with us at this point. And, David, give me just a second, I just want to point out to the folks watching of course that is Donald Trump's plane arriving in Baton Rouge. He's joining Mike Pence there on the ground.

It's interesting timing, David, that we are seeing Donald Trump's plane arrive. There he is, he's going to be on the ground with his running mate. We know the governor of Louisiana has said, look, you may be better off waiting a little bit, I don't want this to just be a photo-op. And yet those optics could go a long, long way with voters and as that image is coming at us, David Chalian, we're also learning that now Paul Manafort is stepping down because he doesn't want to be a distraction. Are the two somehow canceling each other out here?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: No, I don't know that they're canceling each other out. You know, there's no shortage of news coming from the Trump campaign this week.

Let's deal with Manafort first. I see the plane is coming to a rest shortly and we can then talk about the Baton Rouge visit. But, Erica, I think, you know, Manafort was clearly demoted in this process. I know earlier in the week when the campaign shake-up happened, Kellyanne Conway was talking about how they were the core four people and that this was just an expansion and adding two. But Paul Manafort was clearly sidelined in this process, even though he had retained that title of chairman.

And as you noted, these stories that had come out all week long about his work in Ukraine, his Russian ties, that clearly was starting to become a distraction, as our sources tell Dana Bash, Paul Manafort said I don't want to be a distraction. When you combine the fact he was becoming a distraction or at least he thought so, according to our sources, and that he had been sidelined, getting out of way completely, clearly made the most sense here.

I do think what you're seeing, though, when you see Donald Trump last night trying out a change in tone, talking about regrets, when you see his new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, out on shows, doing interviews day in and day out now and talking about the past forward here, when you see a commitment in bringing on Steve Bannon to really taking the fight in a brawler kind of way to Hillary Clinton every day, you are seeing the emergence here of what seems to be a new team and perhaps a new strategy for these final 80 days in the campaign.

And I think this trip to Baton Rouge is part of that. I think it is showing sort of a flexibility. A nimbleness, if you will, that this clearly was going on. This devastation in Louisiana. And Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence coming together on the campaign trail to go and see it for themselves, get a briefing on this. Express their sympathy to the residents down there in Louisiana. Both to contrast the fact that of course President Obama is on vacation and has not made this visit. We know the Democratic governor there of course said that's not

needed. That would be a diversion of resources. But nonetheless, this is a clear contrast with President Obama and a clear opportunity for Donald Trump to reach out to voters in a sympathetic fashion. Those two things are pretty powerful messages to get out there in a week when you're trying to set forth a new course.

HILL: David Gergen, I know you said we do -- and I think most would agree, we do need to wait and see what happened. Last night was one thing. Last night's speech was one thing. But if you add up everything we've seen in the last 36 hours, it's fascinating. As we hear Kellyanne Conway talk about she's going to let Donald Trump be Trump. You don't want to mess with the person that they have. And yet, at least from the outside, there's clearly a lot of activity happening behind the scenes. And he appears to be listening.

How important are all of these -- these moments that we're seeing, these optics we're seeing, these photo ops, as you put them together moving forward?

GERGEN: They would be very, very important. If -- if, if they continue we've been to this story before. We've been to this well before. When he's told people, I'm going to change. I can guarantee it. Republicans have been -- Republican leaders have been repeatedly told that. And then three days later, he comes out with one of these really explosive statements. So I just think we have to be -- we have to be a little skeptical here about that there's some dramatic transformation taking place until we actually see it, and see proof over time.

You know, if there's a softer, you know, more presidential side of Donald Trump that has not emerged in the campaign but these guys can bring out, his new team can bring out, more power to them.

[10:20:08] You know, they can put him back into much stronger contention. But three days from now, you know, in an offhand remark explodes on something, we're all going to say well, that was a really damn short-lived pivot. So I just think we have to be a little careful here.

HILL: Sure.

GERGEN: I do think that what he's got is he's got some very smart people who are good tactical people around him. They're very good at tactics. But we also have to remember, where they came from. When you've got the guy who ran Breitbart coming in, which is ultraconservative, you know, it's just hard to believe that Donald Trump is suddenly going to start reaching out to all the moderates who have been uncomfortable with him and all the college educated white women, you know, he needs as voters.

HILL: And to your point, too, we heard him say earlier this week in an interview, listen, I am who I am. I'm not going to change, this is who you get.

GERGEN: Yes, exactly. HILL: So to your point, it will be interesting to see.

I want to bring in Dana Bash who's with us on the phone now. Dana, I know you have some reporting to share with us.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT (via phone): That's right, Erica, that, you know, the statement that the Trump campaign put out was pretty basic and bland and I think kind of perfunctory in terms of Donald Trump thanking Paul Manafort for his service. But I'm told that as part of Manafort's resignation, he made clear, personally, to Donald Trump, that he recognized that Manafort said to him that he was becoming a distraction.

As we know and as CNN has been reporting, a lot of stories over the past weeks, two weeks about Manafort's business ties to Russia, what he did with the Ukraine and so on and so forth. And the fact that that has still been going on certainly I think Manafort understood did not help for a candidate, as you all were talking about, who wants at least to try to turn the corner and a candidate who himself has his own distractions, if you will, had been on a weekly sometimes daily basis. The last thing he needs is somebody who's at a senior level or was at a senior level to add to that.

But as I say that, and as I report this to you, I think, you know, it goes without saying that the fact is Paul Manafort was pushed out at the beginning of the week. So it is not a big, big surprise that being pushed out, plus being the subject of some unwanted news stories, the combination of that made it pretty unsustainable for Manafort .

HILL: Sorry, Dana, I missed just the last part of what you said, but I know you were pointing out the fact that it's pretty clear Paul Manafort was pushed out. As we look at the changes that we've seen over the week, and Sunlen, I'm going to put you on the spot here so I apologize in advance. If you don't have this information. But I'm wondering if there are any more rumblings about further changes to come behind the scenes there with the Trump/Pence campaign -- I don't know if we still have Sunlen. We may not, or even David Chalian, you may have even heard that as well.

And again, just sort of -- I understand this is -- I may be putting you guys on the spot, I don't mean to put you in a difficult position but just wondering if there may be any more rumblings that we're hearing in terms of further shakeout behind the scenes that could be coming to the Trump/Pence campaign.

CHALIAN: The team will continue to expand. Kellyanne Conway has been talking about that especially in the key battleground states. But I don't think there are rumblings of -- there's not much more of the old leadership to shake up and move out and bring in. So there's a new leadership team in place there. And as Dana was saying, it's not terribly surprising that Manafort would end up leaving the campaign after clearly being sidelined earlier in the week. So now it sort of seems that the shake-up, if you will, that we reported on, on Wednesday, is now complete. HILL: Now complete as we move in to the next phase. And as we talk

about for people who are just joining us, we are of course talking about the news that Paul Manafort has resigned, saying to our Dana Bash reporting that he had told the campaign he was concerned he was becoming a distraction. We've been talking about, too, just the changes that we've seen in Donald Trump in just the last I would say 36 hours or so. Maybe not even. There was the speech last night given on teleprompter where he talked about the fact that he has said some things that he regrets. That even mentioning the fact that some of them may have caused some personal pain for people. He was not specific about which comments or people he was referring to but referencing that, saying that he would be truthful.

[10:25:06] One of the other things that stood out to me, David Gergen, as well is we know, and David Chalian, we were talking about some of this earlier that Donald Trump of course needs to reach out to a broader base in order to up his numbers as we move into November. And David Gergen, we heard him reaching out specifically to African- American voters last night, basically saying look, the Democrats take you for granted, they have forgotten you, and then he said what have you got to lose?

In terms of an approach, it's a new one, David Gergen. But could it be effective to lay that case out for voters that they are being taken for granted in certain areas of this country, and that Donald Trump is worth a shot?

GERGEN: It's certainly worth a shot. Some of the rhetoric last night was reminiscent of what he said before about people being poor, having more of an opportunity in life. It was -- that was rhetoric that, you know, often doesn't -- you don't often associate with Republicans. And so I think it would be welcomed. But I also think you have to put that against the fact that the people now running the campaign, you know, especially Mr. Bannon, have had a reputation of walking very close to the edge on racism. So how much of this is real and how much of it's a feint, I don't think we know.

I think there's one other question about -- and I'd love David Chalian's view on this, if he's still there, about -- in terms of the relationships at the top of the Trump campaign. Where do the children now fit into this? Where does Ivanka fit into this? And where does her husband Jared fit in? Are they -- do they remain influential voices? After all, they have been associated with the forces that did want to have their father turn -- become more presidential, to pivot, and we haven't read their names as being influential in bringing in Bannon and promoting Kellyanne Conway. Where do they stand? I think that's an interesting piece of this still to come out.

CHALIAN: It's an excellent question, David. It is, indeed, true that, you know, Jared Kushner had come back. He and Ivanka were on vacation in Croatia, came back to participate in a meeting at Trump Tower to sort of announce and set the new changes in place with the top leadership. So I do think that there is no waning, there's no diminishment of influence of the children --

(CROSSTALK) GERGEN: But, David, wouldn't you be surprised if Ivanka was recommending Bannon? They just seem like oil and water to me.

CHALIAN: Yes, I think we sometimes -- we have to be a little careful about over interpreting the staff changes. No doubt, Bannon, where he comes from, and Breitbart, and looking at that I think is a key component here. But so too is Kellyanne Conway. And she has a different approach. So I think as we saw last night, I've been saying this throughout the week, I really think it's important we just keep watching the candidate, as you're saying, David, does he continue down the path we saw last night? Is that a sustained new tone, new message? And if it is, that doesn't necessarily match up exactly as if Steve Bannon were the candidate himself.

So we need to be a little careful about over interpreting the staff here. If the candidate himself seems to be determined to change course. I think that's going to be obviously the much more key signal to watch.

HILL: It is an interesting point to bring up, though. I mean, David Gergen brought up, David Chalian, that you followed up on there, in terms of the children because we have also heard that, you know, maybe in the past Ivanka Trump had tried to get him to soften his language, to go out and to say, well, you know, maybe I didn't really mean things this way, perhaps I should not have talked in that manner. Perhaps I did not choose the right words.

And I'm interested, too, just in your take, you know, as an analyst, David, and as you look at this, and as a former adviser, how influential Ivanka has been to this point, someone like an Ivanka Trump, in terms of softening him with important groups, women among them, and how he may still need that moving forward, David Gergen.

GERGEN: Well, Ivanka was extraordinarily important in the early going. He obviously loves his daughter so much and he relied -- but he relied heavily on her judgment through the early stages of this campaign. There have been some insiders who have said privately that he has not been listening to her as much. We haven't seen as much of her on the campaign trail recently. And I think it's a bit of a mystery right now about what exactly -- where exactly she fits in to this.

It just -- it does seem to me that her approach to politics, what she believes in, the sophisticated woman from New York who's, you know, a good corporate executive, and wants to -- and has really stands for -- has influenced her father on women's issues, empowering women and child care, for example.