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Interview With Presidential Candidate Evan McMullin; Hillary Clinton Talks Terrorism. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired September 06, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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


[15:00:19]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour here. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Dueling rallies today. We have been listening to Donald Trump.

Let's go to Hillary Clinton here speaking specifically about ISIS.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: ... the attack of 9/11.

I was a senator from New York. I knew people who were killed. I worked with families and the few survivors. I worked to get the health care needed by our first responders and emergency workers who ran toward danger.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: I worked to make our country safer and to rebuild New York and the Pentagon.

But I always, always was determined to do anything I could to bring bin Laden to justice.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And thanks to the very patient, painstaking work of the American intelligence community, finally, when I was secretary of state, we were given the opportunity to evaluate the best evidence we had seen in a long time.

And I was honored to be part of that small group in the Situation Room advising President Obama as we went through the evidence over and over and over again, trying to decide, was it credible enough, strong enough to take action, and, if we did, what kind of action? Would it be a missile strike? Would it be a bombing? Would it be an attack by special forces?

And when it came time to go around the table, these were all extremely experienced, thoughtful experts. We all gave our opinions. I was one who said I thought it was worth the risk.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You go, girl!

CLINTON: And I was...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And I was in that small Situation Room on that day. You all know the story.

Some of you read the book. Some of you have seen the movies. But there is one thing I want to tell you, because it demonstrates again what our values are as Americans. Remember, Donald Trump has said he would order American troops to torture. He would order American troops to murder family members of terrorists. That's what he has said, heedless of the consequences that that would lead to in terms of putting Americans all over the world at even greater risk.

But here's what happened that night in Pakistan. This is not an often-told part of the story. So, I want to tell you, particularly the young people here, particularly active-duty and military veterans like Mary (ph).

If you saw any of the reenactment, you know that one of the helicopters clipped its tail as it was going in to the courtyard on the wall. It disabled that helicopter. Now, thankfully, every contingency had been thought through.

And so we were prepared for that. The military was prepared. They could get another helicopter there to take out the SEALs who were going to have to blow up the disabled helicopter. After rushing in to the compound, taking out the two bodyguards, taking out bin Laden's adult son, taking out bin Laden, they knew they had to get out of there.

At any time, there could have been Pakistani military wondering, what's going on? Something's happening. This was a military garrison town. So, time was really precious.

But here's what the SEALs did. Before they blew that helicopter up, they took out all the women and children, family members of terrorists, including the worst terrorist of all. They took them out of the compound, around the back to safety before they blew that helicopter up.

That, Donald Trump, is what American honor looks like.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

[15:05:06]

CLINTON: I want to mention just three other threats, one threat here right at home, the epidemic of gun violence. And we have got to have comprehensive background checks. Close the gun show loophole. Close the online loophole and -- and the ability of people on the terrorist watch list buying a gun in America. (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: This agenda I have just briefly outlined is supported by a vast majority of Americans and a vast majority of American gun owners.

And it is time we all said in one voice, hey, we can respect the Second Amendment, we can respect the right to own arms, but we don't want people who shouldn't have guns in the first place killing anybody else ever again.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Another threat to our country is climate change; 2015 was the hottest year on record. And the science is clear. It's real. It's wreaking havoc on communities across America.

Last week's hurricane was another reminder of the devastation that extreme weather can cause. And I send my thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by Hermine. But this is not the last one that's going to hit Florida, given what's happening in the climate. Nobody knows that better than folks right here in Tampa and in the broader region.

Sea levels have been rising here about an inch per decade since the 1950s. At the rate we are going, by 2030, which is not that far away, $70 billion of coastal property in this state will be flooding at high tide.

And whenever our infrastructure is threatened, so, too, is our homeland security. The next president will have to work with communities like Tampa's to prepare for future storms.

When I'm in the Oval Office, I'm going to work with local leaders to make smart investments in infrastructure to help protect regions from flooding and other effects of climate change. I'm going to continue to work on the international and national level to try to turn the clock back to stabilize and reduce emissions even more to try to gain more time.

But we're going to have to begin working immediately on mitigation and resilience and prevention as well.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And what about Donald Trump? Well, he doesn't even believe in climate change. He says it is a hoax invented by the Chinese.

And he says -- quote -- "You can't get hurt with extreme weather."

Now, this is the same guy who at one of his golf courses in some coastal place has demanded that a seawall be built to protect his golf course from rising tides.

So, it's all fine if it affects Donald, but if it affects the rest of humanity, he could care less. If it affects people who lose their homes or their businesses that took a lifetime to build, doesn't matter to him.

When it comes to protecting our country against natural disasters and the threat of climate change, once again, Donald Trump is totally unfit.

BALDWIN: You have been listening to Hillary Clinton here. Man, this is so on.

As if you haven't been paying such attention to this presidential election, just to listen to both of these candidates today, first Donald Trump in that town hall atmosphere, talking national security, pivoting between myriad issues, all of us are paying very close attention, and Hillary Clinton as well here in Florida.

Let me bring in two voices, Matt Schlapp, former political director for George W. Bush and a Trump supporter -- actually, scratch that -- three voices. Lucky me. CNN politics executive editor Mark Preston and CNN political commentator Hilary Rosen, a Clinton supporter and Democratic strategist.

Wow.

Mark, to you first.

I mean, it's been so fascinating just watching yesterday, even working yesterday, in Labor Day. And now we are sort of over that holiday hump, full sprint to November 8.

Talk to me just a bit about the political atmosphere, these two rallies happening in key states at the very same time and the poll out today.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Yes, no doubt, Brooke.

Look, we are looking in the rear-view mirror of Labor Day. We have 60-odd days left before the election. We're in a political knife fight. And what we saw through the months of July and August are going to pale in comparison to what we're going to see in September and October.

This is going to get very ugly. This is going to get very nasty. And they are going to be talking really about a few key issues, the economy, as well as terrorism and foreign policy.

[15:10:02]

As you noted, just now, we had these dueling rallies where they're discussing it. We will see Tim Kaine talking about it in another state, potentially a battleground state of North Carolina today. These are issues on the people's mind.

And for all of those viewers who haven't been clued in, they will now be clued in. So, just imagine the entire nation now will be tuned in to the next 60 days in this presidential race.

BALDWIN: Yes. You mentioned next hour. And we will listen in to Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate. He's talking national security.

And, so, Matt, here's my question for you, as we have been listening to Donald Trump, we will be listening for Tim Kaine. National security sort of the theme that's pervasive on this day after Labor Day.

When you look at the polls, Hillary Clinton has an edge when it comes to foreign policy. Donald Trump has an edge when it comes to terrorism. What are you listening most for? What do you think would put a voter over the edge?

MATT SCHLAPP, FORMER WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS: Look, I think the question of security, Brooke, is right on.

I think it is our economic security and what we see in fact that America has somehow lost its leadership in the worldwide economy. I think it is this question of national security. Do Americans feel safe and secure in their communities and in their homes?

I think the answer to both those questions is answered by the right track/wrong track question, where upwards to 66 percent or so of Americans, which is a lot of Democrats included, feel like this nation is on the wrong track, somehow, this nation has lost itself, we are not heading in the right direction.

So, I think these themes -- when so much of the American electorate believes that we are on the wrong track, I think it really benefits the outsider. That benefits Donald Trump.

BALDWIN: Benefits Donald Trump. Talking to Congressman Rogers a second ago, also, you look at the atmosphere surrounded by veterans being asked questions by a close friend, adviser, retired Army General Mike Flynn.

Hilary Rosen, we will certainly be listening for Tim Kaine sort of slamming Donald Trump. Just looking at an excerpt, he's going to basically point out that Donald Trump over the years has been all over the place, right, on Iraq, on Russia, on Libya. Give me a preview.

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: Well, he has been all over the place. The problem is, though, he doesn't admit it. So then people really don't know what he's thinking, like he's doing all week on immigration, back and forth, back and forth.

He's done that on the Iraq War. He's done that on Syria. He's done that on troops in Afghanistan. He's done that on ISIS. And so I think what you're going to hear Tim Kaine say is, which is the real Donald Trump? Does he have a real foreign policy?

And, importantly, that Hillary Clinton does have one. I'm not really sure what world Matt's living in, but the United States' global economic position is actually quite strong. The dollar is high against the euro. It is high against the yen. The global economy is really depending on the United States right now in so many ways.

And so what we have to do is make our domestic economy stronger. Hillary Clinton is talking about that. In the last hour, I heard Donald Trump just basically complain. But I heard Hillary Clinton offer solutions on climate change, on jobs, on security.

So I think that this next 60 days are going to be really important, but I think what's going to be important is, can Donald Trump do more than complain and will people give Hillary Clinton's policy a listen, or is the noise just too loud in this campaign to get to real solutions?

BALDWIN: Matt, Hilary wonders what world you are living in.

Response, please, sir.

SCHLAPP: Yes. If a Republican were to tell you don't worry, be happy, in the current economic state, where people haven't seen their incomes rise, they see their economic prospects drifting away...

(CROSSTALK)

SCHLAPP: Let me finish. They see their home values and their pensions in an increasingly precarious situation. If any Republican were to say that, they would be heartless.

The fact is, Hilary, you ought to recognize that people outside our zip code and outside New York City, they are hurting. And this economic situation we're in, where we have the lowest percentage of labor participation since Jimmy Carter, this is a big problem for regular old Americans who are trying to scratch together the money to pay their bills. And you should take it more seriously.

ROSEN: Let's not go revisionist here. What I said was, as a country, our dollar is strong against other countries.

SCHLAPP: Which is not good for us.

(CROSSTALK)

ROSEN: Where we need help is in the domestic economy.

And so that is important. And you can say it is not good for us, but it is your candidate who thinks that trade is irrelevant to the global economy.

SCHLAPP: That's not true. That's not true.

(CROSSTALK)

ROSEN: We have to have a stronger domestic economy. We have to have a stronger global economy. So I don't see any scenario where Donald Trump has offered actual policy. What you see is a lot of complaining. And I just don't think the American people want to hear complaining.

(CROSSTALK)

[15:15:00] BALDWIN: Go ahead, Matt. Go ahead.

SCHLAPP: I think, Hilary, what the American people see is, 0I don't think they are as partisan as you or I are. I think they simply want to have a job that they can believe in.

And they want to know that their wages will increase over time and they have the money to pay for what they need to get done for their kids and for their lives. And I think it is kind of heartless to act like, no, everything's fine.

The fact is, the American economy is weak and the American electorate in poll after poll says that. It is the number one issue. After 7.5 years of Obama policies, you have had your shot. It didn't work for people. And enough voters across this country are saying, I'm willing to try change.

They're willing to try so much change that they're willing to take a bet on someone who's never been involved in politics before. That must make Hillary feel really bad, the fact that she's been in for so long and this outsider is leading her in the CNN poll.

BALDWIN: Now, now, hang on. I heard Donald Trump say he's winning. Let's just be precise. Let's be precise. They're basically -- they're neck and neck within the margin of error, which is significant and which is something that Trump has been talking about.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHLAPP: It's huge.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Mark Preston, I don't want to feel like I'm ignoring you.

Mark Preston, just quickly on immigration, because we have heard so many different iterations of thoughts on immigration from Trump, I know the surrogates are saying it's been crystal clear. Here's what I'm wondering,. Do you think he is being intentionally murky? Is that a smart strategy here playing to both sides?

PRESTON: I don't necessarily think it is intentional, but certainly it is certainly confusing when he says one thing one day and says something the next day. Then, of course, his campaign and his surrogates say in fact he's been very clear about it.

He hasn't been very clear about it. But what I would say is that his newest position, his most -- latest position, the idea that he would not -- he would be open to the idea of allowing some of these undocumented workers to stay here in the United States, is going to be more accepting to a broad part of the Republican base, as well as independent voters certainly in key states that he needs to win.

Politically, that would be a better position at this point in the campaign to take.

BALDWIN: OK, Mark and Matt and Hilary, thank you.

PRESTON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: We also just really wanted to get to this. Just a short time ago, Hillary Clinton on that plane of hers now slamming Trump during this rare Q&A with reporters, with the traveling press here. Hear exactly what Hillary Clinton said. We will talk to Kirsten Powers, get her to weight in.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:21:16]

BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

At this very moment, here he is, Tim Kaine behind the podium there in Wilmington, North Carolina, getting ready to go and talk national security specifically. This was pre-planned. Also happens to be the very same day as we just heard Donald Trump taking questions on national security. We know that Tim Kaine will take Donald Trump on.

We also know Hillary Clinton has taken Trump on today and Trump taking Hillary Clinton on. You seeing a theme here? But let me play some sound for you . This is Hillary Clinton specifically speaking to reporters who now travel with her on her new campaign plane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: He said that the American people don't care about his tax returns. And, in fact, he's also said that it's none of our business.

I just think he's dead wrong. I mean, the reason that presidential candidates going back decades have released their tax returns is because the American people want to know.

He clearly has something to hide. We don't know exactly what it is, but we're getting better guesses about what it probably is. And if he is going to pursue this campaign, he owes it to the American people to come clean and release those tax returns.

The FBI resolved all of this. Their report answered all the questions. The findings included debunking his latest conspiracy theories. I believe I have created so many jobs in the sort of conspiracy theory machine factory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's talk about all of this with CNN political analyst Kirsten Powers, who served in President Bill Clinton's administration.

Kirsten, nice to see you.

KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Good to be here.

BALDWIN: Nice to see Hillary Clinton talking to some reporters here.

POWERS: Yes.

BALDWIN: OK, so, sorry, couldn't help myself.

But, listen, here she is, two days in a row. Before we get to some of the specifics here, how do you see this gaggle today? Is this Hillary Clinton's attempt to sort of flip the narrative?

POWERS: Yes. But it also makes you wonder why she wasn't doing this sooner. She looks great. She is engaging and she's changing the conversation to something that she wants to talk about, rather than letting the media sort of direct the narrative.

And so she wants to talk about the fact that Donald Trump's foundation gave money to an attorney general who may or may not have made a decision in his favor. And so that's something that she wants to push into the media bloodstream and there is no better way to do it than this.

BALDWIN: And the tax returns and saying essentially...

POWERS: Exactly.

BALDWIN: ... he is just this reality TV star. Right?

POWERS: Yes.

BALDWIN: I imagine this is also foreshadowing to some debate zingers.

POWERS: Yes. Yes.

And I think the idea that his tax returns may be hiding things, the fact that most -- she's correct that most Americans do want to see the tax returns. In most polls, people, a majority, a large majority of people will say that they want to see a candidate's tax returns, so she is absolutely right about that.

BALDWIN: She also said toward the end that the FBI report revealed, answered all the questions on her use of that private e-mail server when she was secretary of state. But do you feel that way? Are all questions answered?

POWERS: Well, I think for me all the questions are answered, but I'm not sure that all the questions are answered for the average person in the public.

And if you look at the CNN poll, for example, how badly she fares in terms of trust numbers against Donald Trump, where typically in polls you will see them both having pretty bad trust numbers somewhat close to each other, sometimes he's a little more than her, sometimes she's a little more than him, in terms -- on trustworthiness.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: But isn't that what this is about, questions about judgment? [15:25:00]

POWERS: Well, I think what has happened is, this poll was taken during a time again when there was a bad news cycle for her in terms of her judgment and in terms of whether or not people feel she's being totally straightforward about whether it is the e-mail server or whether it is about the foundation, because there was a lot in the news about the foundation.

And so I think between those two issues those are the things that are really dragging down her trust numbers.

BALDWIN: And I think the vice president is aware of that. He stopped for a chat with my colleague Jeff Zeleny, and then Tim Kaine standing right there. You almost kind of want to watch his face as he listened to the response from the vice president talking about what Hillary Clinton needs to do to get voters to trust her. Here they were.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know her heart and I have known her a long time. And my advice, presumptuous me to give anybody advice, just open up her heart a little bit more.

I remember conversations with Hillary about health care, talking about, Joe, do you know how many people are going to bed tonight staring at the ceiling worrying about if their wife has breast cancer, they will lose their house. I say, say that. Talk about it, just like you covered with Barack.

Barack doesn't -- well, doesn't do that, but he feels it. And it is just important people understand that more about her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And Jeff was telling me -- he prefaced that with, I know I get in trouble sometimes with some of the things I say, and then here he was telling his friend, telling the woman who wants to be president of the United States to open her heart.

What do you make of that, Kirsten?

POWERS: Well, I think he's right that that is something that people probably would appreciate if they could see her the way her friends see her and the way her family sees her.

BALDWIN: But to say that openly and so publicly, because that is maybe a weakness.

POWERS: Well, the thing is, I don't think that her trust -- that's really what her trust numbers are about, though.

I think her trust numbers are about what we were talking about before. I am not sure that if people knew her heart that it would necessarily change things. I think people feel that in a specific instance, specifically having a server and the way she talked about the e-mails and some of the things she said that weren't completely accurate, I think that is what's affecting her trust numbers.

And then the other problem is, I don't think Hillary Clinton would be comfortable doing that. I think she's been under attack in the public eye for a very, very long time, and she's through that process learned to be very a very private person. And I don't think she would be comfortable bearing her heart publicly.

BALDWIN: Quite as much as Joe Biden has done.

POWERS: Yes.

BALDWIN: Kirsten Powers, thank you so much.

POWERS: Thank you.

BALDWIN: One surprising nugget from these new CNN polls, the independent voters out there. Let me show you this number here. Trump has a massive lead over the choice for president, basically a 20-point advantage over Hillary Clinton among that bloc of voters.

A bit of context here. Romney beat Obama among independents by five points.

And one person eager for those independents is my next guest, Evan McMullin. He's a former CIA officer, former chief policy director of the House Republican Conference. And, oh, by the way, he's running for president as an independent candidate.

Evan, nice to meet you. Welcome to CNN.

EVAN MCMULLIN (I), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good to be with you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So, you were sort of like the never Trumper before there was the hashtag #neverTrump.

What do you make specifically of those numbers, how well Trump is doing with this independent voting bloc?

MCMULLIN: Well, I think what's really important is that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are two of the most unpopular and distrusted candidates that we have had from the two major parties in modern history.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Does that worry you, Evan?

MCMULLIN: That they are? Absolutely, it does, like it worries most Americans. We need better leadership in this country.

And as I have been saying for the last few weeks, it is time, I believe, for a new generation of leadership that puts the interests of the American people first.

BALDWIN: But on the independents specifically, why do you think they like Trump?

MCMULLIN: I don't think they necessarily like Trump. I think people are caught in this space where they are trying to choose the best of -- or the lesser of two evils.

And I think we have got to remove ourselves from that mind-set. I think we have been in that mind-set for a long, long time, not just in this election, but as a result we keep getting leaders who don't put the country's interests first.

I think both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two people who think of themselves before they think of Americans. And we keep getting these leaders who I think are just unfit for leadership of this country. If given a better option, which is what I'm trying to do, I believe that independent voters and many others will choose otherwise.

BALDWIN: Well, Donald Trump says -- obviously, he says he thinks he would be the best option.

And he keeps talking about immigration specifically. And when it comes to the 11 million or so undocumented immigrants in this country, right, you blink and it is something new. Last week, it was one way and one way only. They have to leave. And now it's, OK, the criminals and let's make sure the border is safe, and then maybe one day legal status.

And my question to you is -- and this is a question I keep repeating myself on -- but there is this murkiness over this immigration answer, right, what to do. Do you think that is a smart strategy?

MCMULLIN: Look, it is hard to pin him down on any particular issue, whether it is national security or immigration or any other.

I mean, he doesn't understand anything about policy real -- really, the details of any...