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New Day Saturday
Clinton Calls Trump Supporters "Deplorables"; Possible Joint U.S.-Russia Strikes On Militants; North Korea Claims Fifth, Biggest Nuclear Test To Date; Trump, Clinton Spar Over Foreign Policy, Military; Wells Fargo Fires Over 5,300 Employees, Faces Millions in Fines; Colin Kaepernick to Continue Anthem Protest. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired September 10, 2016 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[08:00:00] HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Her tenure has brought us only war and destruction and death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The equivalent of at least 10,000 tons of TNT. That's the explosive power of Kim Jong-Un's latest nuclear bomb test.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we launch against us or our allies, we will launch against.
JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We believe that the plan if followed has the ability to provide a turning point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: So good to see you. I'm Christi Paul.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. Less than 60 days now until Election Day and Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both leveling statements and claims against the other on the campaign trail.
PAUL: Last night, Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton spoke before donors and offered this blunt assessment, not of Donald Trump himself but of his supporters. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic, you name it. Unfortunately, there are people like that and he has lifted them up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: In the meantime, Donald Trump also went off script at a rally in Florida. Here's what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching right smack in the middle of the heart and she wouldn't be prosecuted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: CNN's Scott McLean is joining us from Washington. Let's start with Hillary Clinton, the reaction that you are hearing this morning, Scott, to the deplorables comment.
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NEWSOURCE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the deplorables comment, Christi, is going over like a lead balloon with Donald Trump supporters, as you might expected. It is a trending subject on Twitter and all you have to do is take a very quick glance to see that it is causing some genuine offense.
In fact, Breitbart, the conservative news site of Trump's campaign CEO, Steve Bannon, is already calling it or suggesting that it could be Clinton's 47 percent moment, referring to that comment that Mitt Romney made back in the 2012 campaign that was caught on camera during a campaign fundraiser.
Now the Clinton campaign spokesperson, Kellyanne Conway, she also responded on Twitter saying "Hillary placing people in baskets, slandering, but admitting after eight years they are desperate for change."
Now Hillary Clinton herself does not have any campaign events planned for today, but her campaign spokesperson on Twitter tried to clarify a little bit perhaps of what Secretary Clinton may have meant.
Saying that, Nick Merrill saying this, not everyone is Alt-Right who supports Donald Trump, but the Alt-Right does support Donald Trump. And if you look at people who attend his rallies, at least his assessment is that about half of them seemed to come from that faction of the party.
PAUL: All righty, let's talk about Donald Trump. Why does it keep going back to somebody shooting someone?
MCLEAN: Yes. So Donald Trump has been pretty disciplined as of late of really sticking on message and really forcing Hillary Clinton to up her game. Not really giving her very much in the way of controversy to allow her just to sink into the background and let him self- destruct.
But last night at Pensacola, Florida, Trump took a bit of a different approach. He had the teleprompter there, but also went off script a little bit as well. It's really a sign that Donald Trump is trying to brand Hillary Clinton using his primary style as really a corrupt insider who believes that she's above the law.
PAUL: All righty. Scott McLean, appreciate it. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: This morning two major international headlines both playing out. Both with huge implications for the race for the White House, of course, potentially groundbreaking deal first between the U.S. and Russia on cooperation in Syria.
And then of course, the new outrage after North Korea claims it successfully tested its most powerful nuclear device yet. Let's go first to Geneva where U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced for the first time both sides will be working together to try to end the conflict in Syria.
Which could, if successful, if this deal is successful, could help them both battle ISIS in the country. This agreement comes after months of talks and at a time when U.S./Russia relations had been frosty at best.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KERRY: Today the United States and Russia are announcing a plan, which we hope will reduce violence, ease suffering, and resume movement towards a negotiated peace and the political transition in Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:50:09]PAUL: CNN has live team coverage of all this developing -- all this developing information we're getting in this morning. I want to start with CNN international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, who is live in Geneva.
So Nic, what are the rumblings there now this morning now that the ceasefire deal, specifically about the ceasefire deal and the seven days that it's going to take to make it official?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Sure. Well, the U.N. is saying this is a real opportunity because the U.N. behind me here, they are the ones that will have to take this and run with it, if you will.
Given that if the seven days, the ceasefire, the humanitarian aid to get to Aleppo, if all of that works and the United States can break this new ground by working closely with Russia to target ISIS and Al- Nusra, the former al Qaeda ally in Syria.
If all that works and the U.N. here will be responsible for bringing the opposition side together, the opposition and the government together.
And the U.N. themselves say that this is a good opportunity, the best opportunity, what they have been waiting for. The opposition say they have some concerns about it, but totally happy for the ceasefire.
They think this is a good deal. They want to get out from underneath the bombing, but they have a real worry that Russia is expected to put pressure on President Bashar Al-Assad to agree and put into effect all the new things on the ground.
And beyond that as well, he's going to need pressure on him because he's going to be forced from power and he's resistant until now. And Russia in the past hasn't done any of this. So hope, concern, that's the picture from here.
PAUL: All right, Nic Robertson, we appreciate it. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: All right, now to the rising global fury after North Korea's stunning claim that it successfully detonated its most powerful nuclear device yet.
CNN's Will Ripley is live from Tokyo. Will, you've reported from Pyongyang in North Korea several times, more than any western TV journalist in recent years, what do you think North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un is trying to accomplish with this latest test?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Victor. Most analysts will tell you that the chance of a nuclear strike from North Korea is very low. This is more about self-preservation for Kim Jong- Un and his regime, how can nuclear weapons, which cause isolation and sanctions (inaudible) self-preservation?
Well, because they help Kim Jong-Un project power both to his audience at home, which is very important, and also abroad. Also he can advertise this weapons technology. North Korea always sells its weapons once they perfected them.
So this nuclear technology could end up in the hands of a terrorist organization or possibly another rogue state. And the key here is that Kim Jong-Un is hoping that this will help give him leverage internationally.
To force the United States and the United Nations to acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear state, something that President Obama said on Friday absolutely won't happen.
But what is concerning is the rapid progress and the development of these weapons despite all the international sanctions, the size of this explosion compared to the one in January, which was 4 to 6 kilotons, with 10 kilotons roughly twice the size just smaller than the bomb that exploded in Hiroshima -- Victor.
BLACKWELL: All right, Will Ripley there for us in Tokyo, thanks so much. We'll talk more about national security with our panel of political experts. We got Larry Sabato, Boris Ephstyn from the Trump campaign, Maria Cardona who is a Hillary Clinton supporter. We'll have that conversation in just a moment.
PAUL: Also Wells Fargo, boy, a lot of talk, a lot of backlash after its accused of creating millions of fake bank accounts for unknowing customers.
BLACKWELL: And Samsung has a new warning for Galaxy Note 7 phone owners after reports that the phone can catch fire.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:11:52] BLACKWELL: Welcome back. Donald Trump dialing back his praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Clinton has slammed him we've seen for calling the Russian president a stronger leader than Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: When she talks about me, Donald Trump likes Putin, and Putin likes Trump. Honestly, I don't know the gentleman, but you know what? He's been nice to me. If he's nice to me -- if we got along with Russia, that wouldn't be so bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Well, earlier this week, Tim Kaine who is on the ticket with Clinton attacked Trump for what he calls his, quote, "Bizarre fascination," close quote, with strong men like Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un and Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
Let's bring in Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. We have got Maria Cardona, CNN political commentator and Hillary Clinton supporter, and Boris Epshteyn, who is a senior adviser to the Trump campaign. Welcome to all of you.
All right, so we'll get to the headlines overnight of baskets of deplorables and shooting people in the heart in a moment. I want to start, though, with you, Boris, and a response from the campaign on this announcement of the deal between the U.S. and Russia as it relates to Syria.
BORIS EPSHTEYN, SENIOR ADVISER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN: Obviously, Hillary Clinton is not in the same page with Barack Obama and Secretary of State Kerry. Hillary Clinton is a hypocrite. She tried to reset with Russia. She tried working with them, just like Barack Obama and Kerry are trying to do now.
But all of a sudden now she's become a complete unhinged warmonger and try to start a war or cause a war just to win a couple of votes and beat Donald Trump.
BLACKWELL: OK, and you say she's trying to start a war and that is supported by what on her platform --
EPSHTEYN: Look at everything she's saying about Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin. All she says is negative, negative, negative. Meanwhile, Barack Obama and Secretary Kerry are trying to work with Russia to fight ISIS together. So that is absolutely not productive and it is warmongering.
BLACKWELL: You say she's trying to start with whom?
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He didn't answer your question, Victor.
EPSHTEYN: With Russia. Look at her comments about Putin, that we shouldn't be working with Putin. That Putin against -- I believed she used the word deplorable at some point. (Inaudible) she meant. Over and over and over again, she goes and attacks Vladimir Putin while the United States government today is working with Putin together, working with Russia to fight ISIS in Syria.
BLACKWELL: That's the campaign's response to the announcement of the deal in Syria.
EPSHTEYN: I haven't spoken to Mr. Trump this morning, I'm sure he'll be making a comment on it, but here is the position and here's the bottom line here. Hillary Clinton is completely unhinged.
She's out there warmongering and she is way too trigger happy in order to win a couple of votes while Donald Trump is saying that we should be working with Russia to fight ISIS. And it seems like Barack Obama and Secretary Kerry are taking his leadership.
BLACKWELL: All right, Maria, I've to give you an opportunity to respond to that.
CARDONA: Those kinds of comments I think are what underscore what most Americans believe, that Donald Trump and his campaign and his frankly his leadership or lack thereof would be a complete danger to the country.
This is absolutely ridiculous what Boris is saying. Hillary Clinton has said what many American leaders have said in terms of criticizing what Donald Trump's bizarre bromance is with Vladimir Putin.
[08:15:08]And that is this is a man who -- Vladimir Putin is a man who suppresses his opposition, who has killed journalists, who doesn't believe in equality, who is a strong man dictator. Now that doesn't mean that we can't work with him. Boris, I'm talking and you're interrupting me.
BLACKWELL: Boris, please, hold on.
CARDONA: That doesn't mean that we should not be working with him and clearly, Secretary Clinton is the one that has proven and has the experience that she can work, not just with him, but with other leaders around the globe. And with our allies specifically to focus on the greatest threats to our global community, which clearly Donald Trump is completely clueless about the thing.
BLACKWELL: Let me bring Larry in this conversation. Larry, you just heard the response there from the Trump campaign to this deal. Do you see that Hillary Clinton wants to start a war with Russia from your view, straight down the middle, not speaking for either candidate or campaign?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Of course, not. Victor, by the way, listening to them, it's OK if you leave now. I'll be perfectly happy to stay on the sidelines.
But no, I don't think Hillary Clinton is looking to start a war. Look, it boils down to this, things that go well internationally during an election campaign, it's going to benefit the party in power that's the Democrats, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Things that go wrong internationally or domestically during the election campaign will benefit the candidate of the party out of power, that's Donald Trump. That's how most of us who analyze elections interpret events during the election campaign.
BLACKWELL: All right. Larry, Maria, Boris, stay with us. We'll continue this conversation.
EPSHTEYN: Hillary Clinton disagrees with Barack Obama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:20:21]
BLACKWELL: All right, back now with Larry Sabato, Maria Cardona, and Boris Epshteyn. We have a few minutes together. I'll ask that we not interrupt one other. I'll have to jump in occasionally to move us along, but let's not interrupt one other.
If we can do that, if we can't, I'll just end the segment and we'll move on with the show. Let's start with what Hillary Clinton said yesterday to a group of donors in New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it. Unfortunately, there are people like that and he has lifted them up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, this is being compared, Maria, to Mitt Romney's comment of 47 percent of the voters will support Obama they are depended on the government and they believed that they are entitled. I gather you disagree with that. Why?
CARDONA: Absolutely. That's a ridiculous comparison because what Hillary Clinton said and she said it herself, it was a gross generalization that many of Trump supporters that he has brought into his campaign are people who support the views of the Alt-Right.
People who are white supremacist. People who are xenophobic, racist, sexist. She did not say anything that was not untrue. I think the reason why it's important to point this out is because Donald Trump has normalized this kind of vitriol, the kind of hatred.
The kind of feelings that are focused on intolerance and on divisiveness that is completely the opposite of what we as a country of American values, of inclusion, inequality and diversity should be empowering.
And so I applaud her for doing that. It's nothing different than when she focused on the Alt-Right. When you have advisers like Steve Bannon, Ann Coulter, Steve King, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who demonstrate those kinds of anti-American values, it's not a wrong assessment.
BLACKWELL: Boris, let me come to you when breitbart.com calls itself the platform for the Alt-Right. You bring Steve Bannon on as the campaign CEO, are some of the criticisms fair?
EPSHTEYN: Absolutely not. Here's what Hillary Clinton did. She went to high ticket, high-dollar fundraiser on Wall Street where she's most comfortable. She was sipping champagne cocktails with Barbara Streisand and told us what she really feels about the American people.
She looks down on Americans. She's disgusted by Americans and she does not deserve to do that. She doesn't deserve feel that way. So now we know where Hillary Clinton stands with the American people. She feels that voters are in a basket of deplorables.
That's old school Washington thinking at its absolute worse. That's why Hillary Clinton is plummeting in the polls and losing in this campaign. Donald Trump is able to relate to voters. He's able to relate to everybody from a cab driver to a businessman in the boardroom.
Hillary Clinton absolutely cannot and it's because of her views on the American people, which are completely condescending and hypocritical.
BLACKWELL: All right, let me come to you, Larry. I mean, this phrase, basket of deplorables, is quick and easy to remember like binders full of women, like 47 percent, like clinging to their guns and religion, will this stay with the campaign?
SABATO: Well, I would expect the Donald Trump people to use it and Donald Trump himself probably will. I think her mistake was in using the word half. There are some deplorable people in that campaign, I have seen them on Twitter and other places.
You can't hide the white nationalism that is a part of this. However, it's wrong to over generalize and characterize what will be at least the low 40s, maybe higher than that, of the American public. We don't want to that. So I think it was an exaggeration she'll probably want to avoid in the future.
BLACKWELL: But let me read --
CARDONA: Victor, Kellyanne Conway, who is now the campaign manager actually said earlier this year that Trump supporters were skizzy (ph) and downright sleazy. That's his campaign manager.
BLACKWELL: Hold on a second, let me read the full statement from the Trump campaign on Hillary Clinton's remarks. And I just want to make sure we get into this conversation. "Just when Hillary Clinton said she was going to run a positive campaign, she ripped off her mask and revealed her true contempt for everyday Americans.
Tonight's comments were more than another example of Clinton lying to the country about her e-mails, jeopardizing our national security or even calling citizens super predators.
[08:25:08]This was Clinton as a defender of Washington's rigged system telling the American public that she could care less about them.
And what is truly deplorable is that Hillary Clinton made an inexcusable mistake in front of wealthy donors and reporters happened to be around to catch it. It's that Clinton revealed just how little she thinks of hard working men and women of America," that's from Jason Miller, a senior communications advisor.
I want to also play something quickly that Donald Trump said yesterday that is getting a lot of attention. Going back to this analogy of shooting someone. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching right smack in the middle of the heart. And she wouldn't be prosecuted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: So we get the point. Before you go there, Boris, I understand where he's going, the Trump campaign believes she gets off scot-free. But why does he return to the analogy of shooting someone, this time in the heart?
EPSHTEYN: Look at the history of the Clintons. Everything from white water, the loan scandal, everybody around them went to prison, they didn't. Look at the down Lincoln bedroom and the fact that she lied not just to the American public, but to the FBI.
She lied to Congress. She perjured herself and there's obstruction of justice because she had her team bleach her e-mails after those preservation letter and after there was a subpoena from Congress.
So she's obviously committed crimes before, but has not been fully prosecuted for them and that's exactly what Mr. Trump is saying.
BLACKWELL: She's not been convicted of any crime, let's just make that clear.
EPSHTEYN: But she should have been prosecuted for the crimes.
BLACKWELL: That is a view that you have and many have, that she should have been prosecuted for the crimes, but my question was, why does Donald Trump return to keep shooting somebody and keep getting away with it?
EPSHTEYN: Again, he's saying she's done everything in this country that's illegal. She's committed perjury. She's committed obstruction of justice. If you look at her history, she's really done a lot for what a regular person, like that naval officer, John Luster, will be prosecuted.
CARDONA: Boris, you're just lying.
EPSHTEYN: Don't interrupt me, please. She said that naval officer at the forum said, I would be in prison if I did what you did. And that's what happened to her. She keeps getting off scot-free and that is what Donald Trump is saying and that's what the American people are hearing.
BLACKWELL: All right, go ahead, Maria, quickly.
CARDONA: So two quick things, Donald Trump clearly loves his shooting analogies and that should make every American afraid, number one. Number two, it's rich coming from the Trump campaign about Hillary Clinton's comments when this is a man who started his campaign day one insulting Mexican immigrants, Latinos and continued insulting women, veterans, insulting a whole religion of Muslims.
Americans are sick and tired of a candidate who does nothing but insult them. Hillary Clinton is the one who will bring them together and believes that we are stronger together.
BLACKWELL: I wonder if his comment of calling half his supporters racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, and Islamophobic, jeopardizes that message. We'll have that conversation throughout the day. Maria, Larry, Boris, thank you, all. Quick break, we'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:31:47]
PAUL: Welcome back. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell.
Last night, Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, spoke to donors in New York and she offered this really blunt assessment of Trump supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, islamophobic, you name it. And, unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.
PAUL: In the meantime, Donald Trump went off script at a rally in Florida to attack Hillary Clinton.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She could walk into this arena right now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching right smack in the middle of the heart. And she wouldn't be prosecuted.
(END VIDEO CLIP) PAUL: Well, that's just part of what we're talking about today in terms of the words that are being use here. Both candidates though, we should point out, have also talked about the military endorsements for candidates that are coming out for them.
88 military leaders signed a letter backing Trump. Hillary Clinton saying she has 110 and that her officers, she says, are more highly ranked.
We also heard the two candidates talking policy this week. Here's what Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump said about their plans to defeat ISIS.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: We have to defeat ISIS. That is my highest counter terrorism goal. And we've got to do it with air power, we've got to do it with much more support for the Arabs and Kurds who will fight on the ground against ISIS.
TRUMP: Look, I have a very substantial chance of winning. Make America great again. We're going to make America great again. I have a substantial chance of winning. If I win, I don't want to broadcast to the enemy exactly what my plan is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: All right, let's talk about these important issues. Will Fischer, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council. And, Amber Smith, a spokeswoman for the Concerned Veterans for America. Both with us now. And, before we start I do want to thank both of you so much for your service.
WILL FISCHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNION VETERANS COUNCIL: Thank you so much for having me on today.
AMBERT SMITH, SPOKESWOMAN, CONCERNED VETERANS FOR AMERICA: Thank you.
PAUL: Thank you for being here. All right, I want to get your reaction to that, first of all, Will. Why -- first of all, she says air power, she says more support for Arabs and the Kurds.
You've served in Iraq, do you think that is a possibility, to bring Arabs, and Kurds and the U.S. Forces, to bring everybody together to fight ISIS?
FISCHER: Absolutely. Absolutely. Look, I think this week in talking about this issue, what we had on one side was Secretary Hillary Clinton, someone who knows how to maintain their bearing, someone of poise, someone with a plan to keep America safe by bringing people together, and, someone who is aptly prepared to be President of the United States and Commander in Chief.
On the other side, we have Donald Trump. A capricious charlatan whose only plan seems to revolve around insulting the military, attacking veterans, alienating our allies, and fan dancing for Vladimir Putin. And, I just don't think that's going to get the job done.
[08:35:07]
PAUL: All right, Amber, I would like your assessment of what you just heard there.
SMITH: Okay, well, first of all, I'm not speaking on behalf of Concerned Veterans for America, I'm just speaking on behalf of myself. But I think that in reaction to what your other guest just said, in terms of being level-headed, Hillary Clinton just called Americans "a basket full of deplorables."
How is that presidential to attack Americans who are going to be voting in this election? And I think on the other hand in terms of Donald Trump and his foreign policy, I think it's very clear that it is one that is led by America's national interest. He's interested in putting America first. One that puts security and regional stability, you know, at the forefront of those issues. And, so I think that we've seen a very clear foreign policy stance from Donald Trump. And what we've seen from Hillary Clinton is that she wants to continue the failed foreign policy stances that have come out of the Obama/Clinton administration.
PAUL: Well, I want to listen to some of what Donald Trump said as we get away a little bit from that part of the military policy and to what our veterans are dealing with when they come home. Here's what he talked about when referring to veteran suicide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's almost impossible to conceive that this is happening in our country. 20 to 22 people a day are killing themselves. A lot of it is they're killing themselves over the fact that they can't -- they're under tremendous pain and they can't see a doctor. We're going to speed up the process, we're going to create a great mental health division. They need help.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Speed up the process, create a great mental health division. Will, what does that mental health division look like to you? What is the most urgent need?
FISCHER: Donald Trump's plans -- wants to destroy and privatize the V.A. He's made that very clear. And, you know, again, that just goes back to his -- the way he's been throughout this entire campaign, talking out both sides of his mouth.
He wants to help veterans, but he wants to destroy and privatize the V.A. Look, the reality is that 87% of private sector doctors aren't ready and equipped to handle the military mental health issues that veterans are facing. And that what we need is a fully funded, fully staffed, strong V.A., and equipped V.A., that's ready to be able to provide care to all veterans. And Secretary Hillary Clinton is going to work to ensure that happens.
PAUL: All right, speaking of her. Let's listen to what she said about veterans' health.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: I have a whole section devoted to veterans mental health. And we've got to remove the stigma. We've got to help people currently serving, not to feel that if they report, their sense of unease, their depression that somehow it's going to be a mark against them. We have to do more about addiction, not only drugs but also alcohol.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Amber, is there anything that she said there that doesn't sit well with you?
SMITH: Look, I've been working on V.A. reform for three-plus years. And let me just tell what your pre -- what the other guest just said was completely false. And it was a talking point straight from the Clinton campaign.
Donald trump does not want to privatize the V.A. What he wants is he wants to reform the V.A. and get rid of that bureaucratic red tape that really hinders veterans from getting the care that they need and that they deserve and that they have earned. There is a difference between choice and privatization. So we keep hearing that, that is a false rhetoric. There is no privatization within the V.A., in terms of what we're trying to do.
We're trying to make it easier for veterans so they have basically a lifeline to the V.A. and having the V.A. pay for their health care, if they live too far away from a facility. Or if they don't like their doctors at the V.A. why should they not have the choice to go pick a doctor that they choose? The employees that work at the V.A. get to. The employees that work in the federal system get to pick their own doctor, why should veterans not be able to?
And if they are happy and they want their doctor at the V.A., then guess what? They get to go to the V.A. But nobody, including Donald Trump, is talking about privatizing the V.A. That's a false rhetoric.
And, in terms of what Hillary Clinton said, she's talking about a system that's already in place. And it is a failure. When we're talking about mental health care, there's a hotline that is already set up, a suicide hotline that veterans can call into. And guess what? When they do, when that is their last hope because they're suicidal and they see no hope, and they call in and they're doing the right thing, guess what? Sometimes nobody answers the phone and sometimes it goes to voice mail. So who is failing America's veterans? The V.A. and the V.A. that Hillary Clinton wants to continue.
[08:40:03]
PAUL: All right, Will Fischer --
FISCHER: What I find -- what I find very interesting about what Amber just --
PAUL: I only have about ten seconds Will, but go ahead.
FISCHER: No, no, go ahead.
PAUL: No, I wanted to give you the last word.
FISCHER: It's very interesting she would say that despite the fact that the Rand Corporation, not even three weeks ago came out with a report saying that the V.A. provides equal or better care than the private sector across the board. That veterans and veterans service organizations --
SMITH: -- Why does she not have the choice?
(CROSS-TALK)
PAUL: There are a lot of different points out there about what the V.A. is doing. There are also a lot of questions out there about what the V.A. is doing --
FISCHER: -- Absolutely and it's -- you know -- and Amber, you keep using the word choice --
PAUL: -- and how our veterans are being taken care of. I'm sorry I've run out of time. But I want to thank both of you so much for being here. And again, Will Fischer, Amber Smith, thank you both too for your service.
FISCHER: Thank you very much.
PAUL: It is not unnoticed. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: Well let's turn to one of the biggest banks in the country now caught in a scandal involving millions of fake bank accounts. Cristina Alesci is here with details.
CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, one of the most recognizable brands not on Wall Street, but on Main Street, this is a bank that many Americans have accounts with. It's taking a major hit to its reputation. Wells Fargo, and possibly its bottom line. I'll have more with that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Oh, my goodness. I know you've heard about these allegations against one of the largest banks in the country.
Federal regulators now say employees at Wells Fargo created millions of fake accounts. And in some cases, the bank allegedly charged customers fees on those accounts.
[08:45:14]
BLACKWELL: Well, now the company has fired more than 5300 employees. And it's facing millions of dollars in fines.
Let's bring in CNN Money Correspondent, Cristina Alesci. How could this have happened?
ALESCI: It's an excellent question. A lax oversight for sure, but it's really difficult for the bank to argue at this point that this was just a few rotten apples acting the sheer size and scale of this kind of activity. Here are the numbers, 1.5 million questionable deposit accounts opened without authorization.
About a half million, a little more than that, 565,000 credit card applications. Same thing there. Look, this has got people outraged on twitter on social media.
And, it's raising real questions about the bank's reputation, operations going forward. In some cases, people didn't find out about these fake accounts until a collection agency called them to tell them that their account had been overdrawn. So this is how far it got.
And, it's got people questioning the culture of the bank. We've heard now from employees who said that they were under extreme pressure to deliver on those sales goals. Well, who is telling these people to get so aggressive? How high did this go? Who knew what, when are the questions that will be asked.
And also, people are going to be calling into Wells Fargo asking, you know, am I affected? What can I do? And it could also impact Wells Fargo's business at this point.
Now, what has people really upset is the structure of the settlement. It's confusing right. Because on the one hand you have these allegations from the government, and on the other hand, you have the bank paying a huge fine, about $160 million. But not admitting any wrongdoing. So there are multiple reasons why people should be outraged and scrutiny will continue from here.
PAUL: All right. Cristina, we appreciate it. Thank you so much. I know that just -- that had people -- they didn't know what to do with themselves this week.
BLACKWELL: Nearly -- more than 2 million accounts out there. All right.
PAUL: Out of nowhere. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: There's also this strong warning we want to talk about this morning. Apparently we'll get back to that in a moment. We're going to start small in big business right now.
PAUL: Engineers turning men's business wear --
(LAUGHTER)
BLACKWELL: I'll sit back.
PAUL: Men's business wear into high performing suits that stretches and manages moisture.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GIHAN AMARASIRIWARDENA, CO-FOUNDER, MINISTRY OF SUPPLY: I was a boy scout growing up here in New England and went camping pretty much you know every month. And, became very familiar with outdoor gear, and performance materials. And, you know going to a professional stage in my life, realized that that same performance that I found in outdoor gear didn't exist in what I wore to work.
I'm Gihan Amarasiriwardena. I'm one of the Co-Founders and Chief Design Officer and Executive Chairman of Ministry of Supply.
Ministry of Supply is a performance professional brand for creating clothing that combines the same performance you expect out of your athletic apparel but designing it for the office. We're able to take this with what's called a phase change material. The (inaudible) what it does is it acts like an external battery, so if you become too hot, it absorbs that energy into the shirt, stores it there, and then when you cool off it actually releases that heat back to you.
We did the half marathon up in (inaudible) and actually set a world record for running a half marathon in suits. And, it was a great way for us to show how the garment stretches, how it manages moisture. My favorite quote is from Commander Jim McDivet of one of the Apollo flights, and he say's "we didn't become astronauts to play it safe." And, you can tell we're space junkies over here and so that's very much been an inspiration for us.
COMMENTATOR: Start Small, Think Big brought to you by Chase for Business giving you a complete view of your finances so you can own it. Learn more at chase.com/forbusiness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:52:44]
BLACKWELL: Colin Kaepernick will continue his protest of kneeling during the national anthem when the 49ers play on Monday. In the meantime there are more players who are joining his cause.
PAUL: Yes, Andy Scholes, who is it?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we'll have to wait and see if more players join. We know that three have already done it so far. And you know, he started this protest three weeks ago all by himself, and like I said since then more people have joined including U.S. soccer star, Megan Rapino.
And tomorrow we can expect to see even more players join the cause.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHOLES: As the NFL returns to the spotlight, Colin Kaepernick's peaceful protest has sparked conversation about his aim to shed light on the oppression of minorities in this country. COLIN KAEPERNICK, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS QUARTERBACK: The players aren't
comfortable speaking what's really on their mind and what's right because they're afraid of consequences that come along with it. And that's not an ideal environment for anybody, and I think that also speaks to, you know, the oppression and culture that we have here, where if you don't fall in line, then we're going to get you out.
SCHOLES: Other NFL players are joining in on the protest. Kaepernick's teammate Eric Reid, the Bronco's Brandy Marshall, and the Seahawks Jeremy Lane have all refrained from standing during the anthem.
And this Sunday on 9/11 before their game with the Miami Dolphins the entire Seahawks team is planning a powerful display of national unity honoring the flag but also to express solidarity with Kaepernick.
DOUG BALDWIN, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVER: Even if it wasn't September 11th, the point is, or the protest is to get people to think. You know, I think it's very ironic to me that 15 years ago on September 11th, is one of the most you know devastating times in U.S. history, and after that day we were probably the most unified that we've ever been. And, today you struggle to see the unity and it's very ironic to me that this date is coming up. So, it's going to be a special day, a very significant day.
[ crowd booing ]
SCHOLES: Not everyone agrees with Kaepernick's movement. He was booed during the 49ers final preseason game. But President Obama defended the quarterback's constitutional rights.
BARACK OBAMA,U.S. PRESIDENT: I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about.
SCHOLES: Agree or disagree with Kaepernick's method, good is coming out of his protest. He has pledged to donate the first million dollars of his salary this season to groups that deal with social inequality. The 49ers will also donate a million dollars to community foundations. The Green Bay Packers and coach Mike McCarthy meanwhile will each donate $100,000 to the Green Bay Police Foundation, to improve partnerships between the police and the community. And Kaepernick is giving his portion of sales of his No. 7 jersey which has climbed to the top of the best-seller list.
[08:55:18]
KAEPERNICK: The jersey sales jumped because people's belief that there can be change, and we can make this country better. And, that they believe that I was someone that could help that change.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHOLES: Now tomorrow every NFL team will have a special tribute before the game to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11. And, guys, all eyes are going to be on the Seattle Seahawks to see what they do as a team on the field in terms of this peaceful protest.
PAUL: No doubt. All right, Andy Scholes, we appreciate it.
BLACKWELL: Thanks so much.
PAUL: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: All right, that's it for us this hour. We'll see you back here at 10:00 eastern, for an hour of "NEWSROOM".
PAUL: Don't go anywhere though. "SMERCONISH" starting now.
