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Campaigns At Full Steam On Labor Day; Clinton Welcomes Press Aboard New Plane; Trump Tries To Expand African-American Outreach; Kaepernick Exercising Constitutional Right; Sanders' Campaign For Clinton; Trove Of Documents On ISIS Terror Attack; Trump: "Haven't Planned" Any Mock Debates to Prepare; P Diddy: Clinton Needs to Earn the Black Vote. Aired 1-1:30p ET
Aired September 05, 2016 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And the vice-presidential candidate, Tim Kaine, they spent the morning in Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We can't let this happen. We can't elect a man who belittles our closest allies and embraces Vladimir Putin.
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And Donald Trump is now looking at us and saying, hey, guys trust me. I'm not going to give you my tax returns like everybody has does. Even Richard Nixon produced his tax returns. If you can't meet the ethical standard of Richard Nixon, God help you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Our Jim Acosta is in Canfield, Ohio right now, following the movement of the Trump campaign. Joe Johns is in Cleveland ahead of the Hillary Clinton appearance there next hour. Interestingly, both campaigns had their planes on the tarmac in Cleveland at the very same time. Something that also caught the attention of Tim Kaine among so many others.
Jim Acosta, first of all, from you, what are we hearing from the Donald Trump folks today?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, I think that image sums it up. Every four years, we seem to say it. It's all about Ohio and it does seem like that on this Labor Day as we get into the homestretch of this 2016 election campaign.
Donald Trump is visiting (ph) a few different spots here in the northern part of the state around Cleveland, Ohio. He was in Cleveland earlier this morning meeting with a group of union members, union leaders. And also, after that, had lunch with a group of union members there in Cleveland.
He's going to make his way over here at Canfield, Ohio, which is near Youngstown, to go to this county fair. So, we're going to see Donald Trump and Mike Pence walking around this fair later on this afternoon.
But, Wolf, what we heard from Donald Trump earlier this morning is sort of road testing that message we're going to be hearing over the next 60 to 70 days. And that is Donald Trump trying to connect with blue collar workers, saying that his message, his prescription for the economy is going to help them in the long run.
Listen to what Donald Trump had to say earlier this morning, saying he can relate with workers here in Ohio. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a great state. I worked in Ohio for a pretty extended period of time. I think it's just a great place. And it's been abused like every state. It's not like just Ohio. Every state has been abused by incompetent leadership, especially as it coming -- as it comes to jobs and manufacturing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Now, interesting to also note, Donald Trump took note of what happened to President Obama during his trip there for the G20 meeting in China. Donald Trump mentioning to reporters there, earlier this morning in that group that was gathered there in Cleveland, how the Chinese did not put that staircase next to Air Force One, when President Obama deplaned when he arrived in China, essentially describing that as showing no respect to the president of the United States. He intimated to that crowd there earlier this morning, Wolf, that that will be different in a Donald Trump presidency.
We should also point out that Kellyanne Conway, the Campaign Manager for Donald Trump, she is traveling with the candidate on this stretch of these stops here in Ohio. And she mentioned reporters gathered outside that restaurant, that they're looking for voters who don't typically vote every four years.
This goes to the heart of, really, the hopes of this campaign. That, yes, these polls show that they're behind. But they believe that there are voters out there who, perhaps, don't show up in polls, aren't showing up every four years to vote, that those are Donald Trump voters. And when they come out in force, Wolf, they're going to make the difference come November -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Joe, Hillary Clinton has a Labor Day event in the next hour. The actual big event, the unveiling of her new campaign plane, at least as of right now. Does this mark a significant change? For all practical purposes, do we expect more travel, more campaign stops and more openness from Hillary Clinton, as far as the press is concerned? Because now she's allowing the president aboard her plane.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly a big moment for the journalists who have been covering Hillary Clinton's campaign, that's for sure. Look, at the end of the day, Wolf, I think it'll be a footnote. A footnote that says we are now entering the homestretch of this campaign, at least it's in the horizon.
Another footnote, by the way. Tim Kaine, her running mate, joined her on the plane there briefly today. And yet, another one, a picture by colleague, Dan Merica, who traveled with Hillary Clinton, showing the plane on the tarmac here in Cleveland with the tail of the plane of Donald Trump just in the distance. So, all of that is showing us that we are in the homestretch.
Now, what does it mean? Well, the hope springs eternal that it means for access for journalists who are covering Hillary Clinton. And, in fact, today, she actually came back and talked to some of the reporters who were covering her. Let's listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hey, guys.
CROWD: Hi.
CLINTON: Welcome to our big plane. It's so exciting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think?
CLINTON: I think it's pretty cool, don't you? You are supposed to say yes.
(CROSSTALK)
[13:05:03] I am so happy to have all of you with me. I was just waiting for this moment. And I'm -- no, really. And I'll -- and I'll come back and talk to you more formally but I wanted to welcome you onto the plane.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How is your Labor Day weekend?
CLINTON: It was good. It was really good. Yes, we had a good time. The last moment of -- hello, Mark. I recognize your hat. How are you? I'm glad you are here. Yes, the last moment before the mad dash the next two months. So, I hope you guys are ready.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you ready?
CLINTON: I'm ready. More than ready. Are you ready (INAUDIBLE)? Has Arun (ph) been taking good care of you?
CROWD: Yes, he has. Very good.
CLINTON: Arun has been -- how long have you been working for me now?
ARUN: Two and a half years.
CLINTON: Two and a half years. He started right out of -- well, he was still in -- you were still in college, right?
ARUN: Right out of Penn (ph).
CLINTON: Right out of Penn (ph). I know, I know, we're so happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Labor Day.
CLINTON: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Labor Day.
CLINTON: Happy Labor Day. I know, that's exactly right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have a Labor Day message?
CLINTON: Oh, I do, you'll hear it. I definitely -- I definitely do. If you want more happy Labor Days, you know who to vote for.
Thanks. I'll come back later.
CROWD: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHNS: It brings to mind a couple of things. Hillary Clinton's campaign and the candidate, herself, have been under fire for not holding a news conference in so long, at least a formal news conference. They say they have done a lot of interviews and they've been out on social media and they've been accessible to the public, generally.
But I think it also brings to mind the fact that years and years ago, Hillary Clinton was accessible when she traveled. I know I traveled with her internationally. And as a matter of fact, she came back and talked to reporters fairly frequently and has held news conferences. But this is not that time and she wasn't running for president. That's when she was first lady.
BLITZER: Quick question, Jim. Does Donald Trump allow a pool of reporters aboard his plane now as well?
ACOSTA: Typically, no, Wolf. Now, we don't know about future developments, whether or not that might take place from today on forward. But what we do know, Wolf, is that, so far, during the duration of this campaign, the press has not traveled with Donald Trump. Press pools have not traveled with Donald Trump. Certain reporters have been brought on board his plane from time to time. But they're not given that level of access.
But, you know, I could just hear the Trump campaign responding to what Hillary Clinton is doing today on her plane. She's not holding a press conference. And as the Trump campaign was saying to reporters earlier this morning, this is a day, something like 275, since she last held a press conference with reporters. And so, they don't mind that juxtaposition. They don't mind putting their access to their candidate, versus the press access to Hillary Clinton. They feel like that comparison is, really, night and day -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Jim Acosta and Joe Johns, out on the campaign for us. Thank you very much. Donald Trump's outreach to union workers today comes on the heels of
this weekend visit to an African-American church in Detroit. Trump attended a service at the Great Faith Ministries. He called for unity and promised to address the economic challenges facing many African- Americans.
Dr. Ben Carson is an adviser to Donald Trump, former presidential candidate. He's joining us now, live. Dr. Carson, thanks very much for joining us.
DR. BEN CARSON (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, ADVISOR, TRUMP CAMPAIGN: A pleasure, Wolf.
BLITZER: You were with Donald Trump in this outreach to African- American voters in Detroit. What do you think he accomplished?
CARSON: I -- well, he had an opportunity to really hear from the people and to see how warmly they received him. And it's good for him to know that because, you know, you might get the impression from a lot of the things that the media says that all black people hate Donald Trump. But of course that's not true.
But, also, he had an opportunity to hear from them. And this is something that he's going to be doing not only in Detroit but in lots of cities across the nation, listening to community leaders. What are their concerns? And, more importantly, what are their solutions? And what things have they seen that actually work? Because you really want to build policies around things that work as opposed to around ideology.
BLITZER: As you know, Dr. Carson, critics see Donald Trump's outreach now, to the African-American community, as too little, too late. That one weekend in Detroit at this church, for example, can't erase so many of the comments that were made out on the campaign trail that the African-American community, in general, didn't like. So, how do you respond to that?
CARSON: I would say, you know, he's had a number of meetings in various and sundry places and will continue to do that. But I don't think it really matters when and how he meets. He's going to be criticized.
You know, so, you can't really spend your time worrying about the criticism. You've got to concern yourself with what you're trying to accomplish. And if you're trying to make America great again, you have to have a strong infrastructure, including our inner cities. You cannot neglect those and expect to be successful.
[13:10:10] BLITZER: Well, let me shift gears again. I want to get your quick reaction to what the president of the United States said today at a news conference in China. He was asked about some controversial demonstrations, if you will, surrounding the San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has refused to stand, as you know, during the "National Anthem" at the games, to protest what he says is the treatment of African-Americans by police. The president says he thinks that Kaepernick is sincere in his protest. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My understanding, at least, is that he's exercising his constitutional right to make a statement. I think there's a long history of sports figures doing so. When it comes to the flag and the "National Anthem" and the meaning that that holds for our men and women in uniform and those who have fought for us, you know, that is a tough thing for them to get past to then hear what his deeper concerns are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Dr. Carson, so, what's your reaction to Kaepernick's protest and the president's comments?
CARSON: Well, there's no question that he has a right to protest. He can do anything he wants. That's why we have a free country. That's why people fought for that and that's what our flag represents. I'm a little disappointed that the president of the United States doesn't take a stronger stand in defense of what this country stands for and what its flag symbolizes. But, of course, he's a free citizen, too. He can do what he wants.
BLITZER: What would you have wanted the president to say?
CARSON: I would have wanted him to say that, you know, the flag represents our country, the good and the bad. Anybody who's waiting for the country to be perfect before they will honor the flag is going to waiting for a very long time. But we should do everything we can to enhance the image, the comradery, the unity of our people, not encourage people to, you know, be divided on this issue. I think he has created an opening now for a big division that didn't have to be there.
BLITZER: Dr. Carson, thank you very much for joining us.
CARSON: Thank you, Wolf, very much.
BLITZER: Up next, Bernie Sanders hits the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton. And, later, exclusive new details on the way ISIS plans its attacks against the west and the sophisticated network that helps terrorists pick their targets.
[13:12:45]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:16:42] BLITZER: Senator Bernie Sanders is heading the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton today in New Hampshire. This is his first solo-event for his former rival. He spoke at an AFL-CIO Labor Day event earlier this morning, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: Together, we showed the entire nation that the American people, in fact, are sick and tired of the status quo. They want a government that represents all of us and not just the one percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Hillary Clinton is in Ohio with her running mate, Tim Kaine, this morning. The campaign, as you know, debuted their new plane. Hillary Clinton gave a nice little welcome to the traveling press core.
HILLARY CLINTON, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am so happy to have all of you with me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you missed us?
CLINTON: I was just waiting for this moment.
BLITZER: Joining us now, our CNN Political Commentator Van Jones. Van, thanks very much for joining us. It's taken Hillary Clinton a while to open up her plane to the press. Donald Trump has not yet done so, although that potentially could change. What do you expect to hear from her now that the press is on the plane? And hopefully, she will be more responsive, have a full-scale news conference, for example, it's been quite a while.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, you know, it's interesting because she actually does have a lot of substantive things to say. If you go on the Web Site, listen to the speeches, you know, some of these one-on-one interviews, you know, she's such a policy walk, she's got, you know, a bunch of great ideas. But right now, that's being drowned out by the fact that she --
BLITZER: Hey, Van, hold on for a moment because we now have a live feed coming in. This is from Donald Trump's plane. He's actually meeting with reporters aboard his plane. Right now, he's traveling from Cleveland to Youngstown and he's answering questions. I want to listen in.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- done an amazing job as the attorney general of Florida and she is very popular.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Follow up (inaudible) are coming up, how are you preparing, how are you got -- what advice are you (inaudible)?
TRUMP: Well, we speak all the time. I think I'm preparing somewhat like I prepared for the other debates. I think I'm preparing -- you know, I enjoyed the debating process. Obviously, I did well in the debates according to the online polls that they did right after the debates and I think I'm doing the same.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you doing a lot of prep work?
TRUMP: I'm doing some. I'm doing some. I mean, I've seen people do so much prep work though when they get out there, they can't speak. I've seen that. So yes, we're doing some.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of prep work? Take us inside your own -- do you mind just pulling back the curtain a little bit?
TRUMP: Well, it's really -- basically, I've called a lot of things right. I shouldn't go into Iraq -- shouldn't get out of Iraq the way they got out of Iraq. I mean so many different things we've been talking about. Take the oil. I've been saying take the oil for years.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is someone playing Hillary in your prep?
TRUMP: No. No. I haven't done that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you plan to have -- I'm sorry. Do you plan to have session before someone does?
TRUMP: I hadn't planned on it. I never did it before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you definitely going to do all three of these debates?
TRUMP: Well, as of this moment, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What could cause you to change your mind? You say as of this moment. So what could cause you to change your mind?
TRUMP: Hurricanes. Natural disaster. No. I expect to do all three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only an Act of God can stop you?
TRUMP: Yes, I know. I look forward to the debates. I mean, I think it's an important element of what we're doing. I think you have an obligation to do the debates. I did them with the other, you know, the other cases. We had, I guess, 11 debates. You know, I look forward to the debates.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You came out with the moderators last (inaudible) having of those --
TRUMP: I respect the moderators. I do respect that. It's interesting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In terms of (inaudible) among the administration. Will you do anything to help them particularly --
TRUMP: Yes, it will bring back jobs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But how about (carjack)?
TRUMP: What we're going to -- I told them very strongly, you may have been in the (inaudible) but we will bring back jobs. Job is the whole deal. It's going to be so vital to this country to bring back our jobs.
Our jobs have been taken like (inaudible). We have never had a case like this before and it's getting and worse and worse. And you look at what we just saw (inaudible) plant after plant after plant where there are no jobs (inaudible).
First of all, the mayor is a terrific person. He's a Democrat who endorse Trump. And his whole area endorse Trump. So that was, you know, pretty great and he's a fantastic guy. And those are a lot of the representatives from the various unions and the (inaudible). And we were just honored to have that kind of support. So let's sit down folks because we're taking off. And we can neither do it later or will do it in another time but we will back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) President Obama's trip to China?
TRUMP: Well, we even give him stairs to come of the airplane.
BLITZER: All right. So there you have it. Donald Trump inviting some reporters aboard his plane in Cleveland heading over to Youngstown, Ohio shortly answering some questions. Earlier, he also suggest that he was open to having reporters aboard his plane now that Hillary Clinton has allowed a pool of reporters aboard her plane, the final two months of this campaign.
Let's see if that holds up. He did say flatly, he will participate in all three presidential debates, barring some Act or God or he's in a hurricane, anything along those lines. He says he respects the moderators. He will participate he says in all three presidential campaigns. Also what went on, took some direct swipes at Hillary Clinton and President Obama for that matter as well.
We're going to take a quick break. We're going to resume our special coverage, get full analysis of what we just heard much more right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Once again, our CNN Political Commentator Van Jones is joining us right now. Van, let's talk a little bit about African- American support for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump ramped up his outreach program by going to a black church in Detroit this weekend. Although Hillary Clinton has about 91 support from African-Americans according to a "New York Times" report, there are still some young African-American voters out there who have serious doubts about her. What can she do to try to gain their support?
JONES: Well, listen, I think that, first of all, let's not poo-poo 91, 92, in some case, it's 97 percent support from the African- American community for Hillary Clinton. It's an extraordinary achievement as a white politician, her support sometimes runs higher than Obama support ran into 2008 and 2012. So she's done a fantastic job with that constituency.
You do have though a younger generation that has grown up with an African-American president and it's also a grown up with everything from Traymon, Martin to, you know, some of these videos that we have seen and they are impatient for a change. She's going inherit some of that impatience.
There was I think a sense in the Obama coalition, the African- Americans were supposed to be in some ways a silent partner during that first term. The Latinos were able to be vocal on immigration. Our LGBTQ Sisters were able to be vocal and brothers on their issues. But for at least that first term, you weren't supposed to talk too much about black stuff.
The Black Lives Matter Movement kind of came out of that quiet, those four years of quiet and say, listen, we want to be heard. And so you have a pit up desire to be heard now on that, I think, she's going to have to deal with. But I would be very, very clear.
What Donald Trump has done has not been very effective at all in this -- in fact, before he went to that black church, some of the things he was saying that were supposed to be outreach to me sounded more like insult than outreach.
BLITZER: As you know, Sean Diddy Combs blasted Hillary Clinton yesterday on MSNBC. Let me the read the quote to you. I hope she, referring to Hillary Clinton, start to directly talk to the community. It makes me feel almost hurt that our issues are not addressed. The heat has to be turned up. I think we should hold our vote because I don't believe any of them.
Does he make a fair point?
JONES: Well, you know, I don't believe in not voting. I know Diddy pretty well and I know he doesn't believe in not voting. I think he is trying to point to this frustration. See, Donald Trump isn't wrong about everything, he's just wrong about almost everything. When he points to this idea that there is a frustration that some African- Americans feel that the Democrats have taken our vote for granted and have not delivered.
That is not off the mark. You hear that in black barber shops, black nail salons, black churches all the time.
