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Trump Vows To Bring Up Bill Clinton's Scandals; Chicago Tribune Endorses Gary Johnson For President; "Art of the Comeback" Co-Author on Trump's Views; Aleppo on Brink of Collapse, No Sign of U.S. Action; SNL Debuts Alec Baldwin Playing Trump Tonight. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired October 01, 2016 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:00:36] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. You're live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Poppy Harlow. So glad you're with us. First up, more fighting words from Donald Trump. The Republican presidential candidate with a new angle of attack on his rival Hillary Clinton.
It's all coming out in a brand new "New York Times" piece. Trump's declaring, quote, "She's nasty but I can be nastier than she ever can be." He says he may bring out Bill Clinton's affairs and past indiscretions because he believes Hillary Clinton's treatment of the women tied to her husband will turn female voters away from supporting her. Trump though was less keen to answer questions about whether he was unfaithful to any of his three wives saying, quote, "No one ever discussed it. I never discuss it. It was never a problem." All of this is an old video surfaces showing Donald Trump appearing in a video produced by "Playboy." Here's a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Let's see what happens.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: No word yet from Trump's people in response to that video. Also a brand new post-debate poll shows the presidential raise is neck and neck. Clinton leading Trump by just three points according to FOX News. Can we expect those numbers to change after everything we have seen on the campaign trail this week?
Back to discuss with me, CNN political commentator Lanhee Chen who also worked on Mitt Romney's campaign and Republican political commentator and Donald Trump supporter Paris Dennard. I should note, Lanhee, you are not supporting Donald Trump this time around. He says, I'm going to go there. I'm probably going to bring up Bill Clinton's past infidelities. He said this in an interview yesterday with the "New York Times."
What evidence is there to back that working with the undecided voters and the female voters that he needs because not only is his camp telling him pretty much not to go there, his supporters in Congress have been saying publicly he doesn't think, they don't think that Trump should go there.
LANHEE CHEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think there is evidence that it will work from electoral standpoint. I think this is just something that he's pursuing on his own. I'm pretty sure the advice he's getting from those around him is to stick to issues like trade and the economy and maybe even national security or even perhaps to prosecute the case against Hillary Clinton with respect to Benghazi, the Clinton Foundation, or e-mails.
But he is instead decided to focus on a topic that frankly I don't think will get him anywhere either with independent women or with conservative women if the thesis is that he needs more conservative support. So, it's not clear to me why he's doing this aside from the fact that maybe this is just what he actually really wants to be doing rather than focusing on what his campaign may be asking him to do instead.
HARLOW: Paris, as a Trump supporter, are you glad to see him taking this route?
PARIS DENNARD, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, I mean, that's a very good question, Poppy. I'm not glad to see that the campaign has taken this turn some 30 days out before the general election and one of the most important elections of our time. It's unfortunate that Secretary Clinton decided to raise this issue and play it, but I call it gutter politic on the debate stage. I will say that I wish --
HARLOW: By bringing up former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, is that what you're saying?
DENNARD: Yes. But I will say that I wish Mr. Trump would recalibrate, focus on the issues as we move into the next debate. Get back to the issues that matter. Like my colleague said. Trade, the issues of Benghazi, the FBI investigation, and things like that and the economy and jobs. Things that people want to hear him talk about because they want to hear the difference between his plans and her plans. We've seen Secretary Clinton on the campaign trail. We've seen her in the public view for many, many years.
We want to hear something different and we think that Mr. Trump, I think Mr. Trump can offer that. And it's just a sad state when this is what we're talking about, some 30 days out when I think more Americans are more concerned with deeper, more substantive issues whether or not Secretary Clinton and her judgment and -- not President Trump, Mr. Trump and what he may have said 30 years ago or 10 years ago.
HARLOW: Yes. We know that they care more about those other issues. You're completely right. Trump then yesterday went on this sort of 3:00 a.m. twitter rant about the former Miss Universe. He called her disgusting. He brought up a sex tape, et cetera and even now some of his supporters, like a big supporter, Newt Gingrich, are criticizing him for this. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: This last week, I think has been frankly a lost week, a week which has hurt him. Which has shaken his own supporters. And you can't tweet at 3:00 in the morning. Period. There's no excuse. Ever. Not if you're going to be president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[17:05:18] HARLOW: Lanhee, you know, even Elizabeth Warren who obviously despises Donald Trump tweeted, you never tweet at 3:00 a.m. with ways to create new jobs for worker or hold Wall Street accountable. How does Donald Trump sort of right the ship or the ship around come Monday morning?
CHEN: You know, I think they've got to get back as a campaign just focusing on that the core sort of economic message that Trump stressed in his 15 minutes, the first 15 minutes of that last debate, and then I think if they're going to attack Hillary Clinton, I don't think it should be on some of these personal issues. I think they focus on issues around her trustworthiness and honesty.
The problem with the 3:00 a.m. tweet storm is that it plays right into this notion that Donald Trump is not temperamentally fit to be president. And I think it really got to put him in situations, maybe take that twitter account away or figure out some way to prevent him from tweeting at 3:00 in the morning because nothing good --
HARLOW: Good luck. I don't think that is going to happen. Don't think anyone is taking twitter away from Donald Trump, period.
DENNARD: Poppy, one thing that -- you go ahead. One thing that shows is that he is a fighter and that he will stand up and fight back if he's attacked.
HARLOW: Wait, wait, wait, wait. Why does tweeting at 3:00 a.m. show that?
DENNARD: It's not necessarily tweeting at 3:00 a.m. But it's what he's been doing. He's tried to defend himself against these attacks against --
HARLOW: So let's dig into that a little bit.
DENNARD: Yes.
HARLOW: -- because I hear you. But I think even people who don't support President Obama would say that his temperament in the office, his unflappability has been an asset to him when you're dealing with delicate diplomacy, do you want someone who takes the bait, who has to respond to every criticism?
DENNARD: Yes. I think to push back on that. That point up President Obama. I think that some have said that there's been a sentiment that they would have liked him to be more aggressive, like him to be more engaged and especially internationally. So, when you look at Mr. Trump and his responses, yes, I think some of the tactics might not be the best thing for him to be doing right now but the core of why he is upset, the core at why he is defending himself is a positive because I want a president who is going to fight just as hard for jobs, fight just as hard for economy.
HARLOW: So, there's an important distinction there, Lanhee Chen, and that is fighting hard, right? That's important. And taking the bait. How do you see it, Lanhee.
CHEN: Well, yes, I mean, this is the issue. He had an opportunity in that last debate to pass on potentially addressing the Miss Universe issue or address it very quickly and move on. I think what probably bothers his supporters, I think what bothers a lot of people who are Independents looking at this is precisely this issue of him taking the bait, of him needing to be responding to everything to the point where he's responding to staffers that are Democrats, that he's responding to staffers that are Republicans that might be against him. You know, so I just think that he needs to be a little bit more disciplined. And I'm sure his campaign would like him to be disciplined as well.
HARLOW: Lanhee Chen, Paris, thank you both.
DENNARD: Thanks, Poppy.
CHEN: Thank you.
HARLOW: Coming up this hour, another campaign trail slip-up by libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. This time he was asked to name a single world leader he respects and he could not but despite that moment, another major U.S. newspaper just endorsed him for president. We'll tell you which one and speak with them live.
Also, stunning images, horrific images out of Aleppo, Syria, after hours of searching through the rubble the moment a rescue worker finds an infant alive. We will show you this heart wrenching scene. You're live in the CNN Newsroom.
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[17:11:59] HARLOW: The Chicago Tribune rejecting both the Republican and the Democratic candidate for president. The paper just out with its endorsement of libertarian candidate Gary Johnson. The Tribune editorial board writing, libertarians Gary Johnson of New Mexico and running-mate William Weld of Massachusetts are agile, practical and unlike the major party candidates experienced at managing governments. They offer an agenda that appeals not only to the Tribune's principles but to those of the many Americans who say, they are socially tolerant but fiscally responsible. This endorsement comes after Gary Johnson's two very public gaffes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE BARNICLE, JOURNALIST: What would you do if you were elected about Aleppo?
GARY JOHNSON, ENTREPRENEUR: About --
BARNICLE: Aleppo.
JOHNSON: And what is Aleppo?
BARNICLE: You're kidding.
JOHNSON: No.
BARNICLE: Aleppo is in Syria.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST, "HARDBALL": Who is your favorite foreign leader?
JOHNSON: Who is my favorite --
MATTHEWS: Any one of the continents, in the country, name one foreign leader that you respect and look up to, anybody.
JOHNSON: I'm with Shimon Peres.
MATTHEWS: No, no. I'm talking about living. Go ahead. You've got to do this. Anywhere. Any continent, Canada, Mexico, Europe, over there, Asia, South America, Africa, name a foreign leader that you respect.
JOHNSON: I guess I'm having an Aleppo moment in the former president of Mexico.
MATTHEWS: But I'm giving you the whole world.
JOHNSON: I know. I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Let's talk about this with Michael Lev, he is a member of the tribune's editorial board. Thanks for joining me.
MICHAEL LEV, EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Thank you.
HARLOW: All right. Walk me through the decision-making process. Obviously you guys saw those gaffes. Obviously you discussed them.
LEV: We did.
HARLOW: And not concerned?
LEV: No. The Tribune going back to 1860 when we endorsed Abraham Lincoln really have stood along with Republicans because we believe in a couple of basic principles, maximum individual responsibility and limited government. And so when we looked at Donald Trump, the Republican who we -- you might expect us to have gone for, we saw back in March, he's unfit to be president. He lacks self-control. He lacks the ability to be self-reflective and simply is not up to the job.
We looked then at Hillary Clinton. She would tax and spend her way into a government that we don't how they would handle a $20 trillion debt. And besides that, there are integrity issues and character issues with her starting with the e-mail issue and what the FBI called her recklessness with national security. So we were kind of up a tree. And then --
HARLOW: But you didn't have to endorse. You could have come on and not endorsed.
LEV: Right. Except that we met with Gary Johnson and William Weld. We spent an hour with them. And we found them to be principled and we found them to be effective in leadership. These are two guys who were Republican governors, of Democratic states and who got the job done. And then we also found when Gary Johnson had one of his moments, he said, I screwed up. And that was pretty refreshing, too. You know, imagine Donald Trump --
HARLOW: So, did you get a sense that he knew a lot about the situation in Syria, for example?
LEV: We talked about Syria, we talked about the economy. And what we found with him was a guy who believes in a lot of the same things that we do. Social moderate as you said and economically conservative and why wouldn't we endorse the guy whose governing principles align with ours. And so, that's what we decided to do.
HARLOW: Interesting moment yesterday on MSNBC. Gary Johnson's running-mate William Weld said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL WELD (L), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not sure anybody is more qualified than Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States. I mean, that's not the end of the inquiry though. We were two-term governors and I think Gary is very -- very solid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: He said I don't think anyone is more qualified than Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States. What's your reaction to that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEV: Well, we sort of said the same thing. We acknowledge -- Hillary Clinton would be -- Hillary Clinton would be a fine and competent president. The question is what do we at the Tribune with our looking back at Abraham Lincoln and looking into the future, what do we do with our endorsement? If we endorse Hillary Clinton, we're stuck with her on November 9th and thereafter. Whatever we say in criticizing her then people would say, well, you endorsed her. And that's why we didn't do it. We decided to stick with our principles and the idea that what Johnson says is kind of what we say and you can agree or disagree with us. But listen to the fact that we're standing up with what we believe in.
[17:16:25] HARLOW: You also write and this is a line that stands out. We reject the cliche that a citizen who chooses a principle third- party candidate is squandering his or her vote.
LEV: Right.
HARLOW: Do you believe that a vote for Gary Johnson and William Weld makes a Trump or Clinton presidency more likely, a Trump presidency more likely or a Clinton presidency more likely or are you betting he can win?
LEV: Here's our thinking, our thinking was, we look at the polls and they said what we think. More than 50 percent of the country doesn't like either candidate from the major parties. And so I don't know and we don't know what the calculation would be and we didn't want to go there if we say this, well, voters in this state go this way. Will it tip things this way or the other? I believe that people from both parties are unhappy as are we and they'll vote their conscience and we wrote our conscience.
HARLOW: Do you think he can win? Do you think Gary Johnson can win?
LEV: I don't really think he can win and we're okay with that, too. If I said I think he can win, I think that would be disingenuous. The idea is again that we're trying to play a long game here. We're standing with a guy that we believe in and we're also trying to say that this country is in trouble politically. The Democrats, we don't like them. We think they're going in the wrong direction. The Republicans, we don't even recognize them and that's wrong.
HARLOW: Michael, interesting conversation. It is a fascinating editorial. I would encourage everyone to read it. Thank you.
LEV: Thank you.
HARLOW: Also a programming note, our very own Fredricka Whitfield will interview libertarian candidate Gary Johnson tomorrow afternoon 2:00 p.m. Eastern only right here.
Still to come, Donald Trump versus Rosie O'Donnell or former Miss Universe or his 3:00 a.m. tweets. The many signs a Republican candidate for president doesn't get over a grudge easily. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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[17:21:58] HARLOW: This week Donald Trump's public feud with a former Miss Universe became a major distraction for the Republican candidate. It is not the first time the real estate tycoon has lashed out at someone for criticizing him.
As our Sunlen Serfaty explained, it's all part of a pattern that started long before Trump entered politics.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump's pension for public feuds didn't start with his foray into politics. They've been part of his persona as long as he's been in the public eye. One of the earliest squabbles was over 30 years ago with author Graydon Carter, a feud Trump carries on to this day. Carter was editor of "Spy" magazine in the '80s and referred to Trump as a quote, "Short fingered vulgarian." Trump had never let it go. Listen to Carter this year on NPR.
GRAYDON CARTER, JOURNALIST: He will send me pictures, tear sheets from magazines, with a gold sharpie, he will circle his fingers and in his handwriting say, see, not so short. And I know it just gives him absolute fits.
SERFATY: Marco Rubio baited Trump with it during the debate. Prompting this over the top response.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Look at those hands. Are they small hands? If they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem. I guarantee you.
SERFATY: And who could forget Rosie O'Donnell, that feud still going strong after a decade. It all started in 2006 when O'Donnell lambasted Trump as a hypocrite for almost taking the crown away from then Miss USA pageant winner Tara Conner, after tabloids revealed her drinking and using drugs. Something that Trump finally publicly forgave her for but invoked O'Donnell's ire for the man known as a playboy.
ROSIE O'DONNELL, COMEDIAN: Everyone deserves a second chance.
SERFATY: Trump immediately doubled down.
TRUMP: Rosie O'Donnell is disgusting, I mean, both inside and out. You take a look at her. She's a slob. She talks like a truck driver.
SERFATY: And it's a feud that lingers today with Trump actually mentioning O'Donnell during the first debate.
MEGYN KELLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Your twitter account --
TRUMP: Only Rosie O'Donnell.
SERFATY: For a campaign desperate to modulate their presidential contender, Trump's consistent feuds and his inability to let go of them has proven even more problematic. The thin-skinned business tycoon going after FOX debate moderator Megyn Kelly back in March after Kelly brought a past derogatory remarks he had made against women.
TRUMP: There was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.
SERFATY: In July, he continually clashed with the Khan family, belittling the parents of Humayun Kahn, a Muslim army captain killed in Iraq after they spoke out against him during the Democratic National Convention.
TRUMP: His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say.
SERFATY: And when it comes to those twitter outbursts, his preferred way of needling his enemies, he had this to say to David Letterman.
TRUMP: The twitter thing, the tweeting thing does get you in trouble. You say things and you think it's so cute and so smart and it comes back to haunt you.
SERFATY: Advice from the past that many are hoping he'll take now. Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Sunlen, thank you.
Coming up, we'll talk more about this with a woman who knows Trump well. She co-authored Donald Trump's book, "The Art of the Comeback." We'll get her reaction to Trump's possible threat to bring up Hillary Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton and his infidelities in the next presidential debate. Does she think that's a smart move? You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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[28:46] HARLOW: Thirty eight days, folks. Thirty eight days, that's all we have left until we elect the next president of the United States. This follows what many say was not a strong debate performance for Donald Trump overall on Monday night. Trump has spent the past six days subsequently talking about the controversy over his comments regarding former Miss Universe Alicia Machado instead of sticking to the issues that voters tell us they care about most, like jobs and the economy.
Let's talk about all of this and the strategy as we head into debate number two with the woman who knows Donald Trump well, Kate Bohner, she co-authored Trump's book "The Art of the Comeback." Thank you for being here.
KATE BOHNER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, DMS INVESTMENT SERVICES: Thanks, Poppy. Good to be back.
HARLOW: You wrote this book in the late '90s while Donald Trump and Alicia Machado were going through this whole thing. She just won Miss Universe, she subsequently gained weight. He said it was too much weight. He had her exercise publicly in front of journalists to try to lose it. You were there.
BOHNER: That was actually the same year that the book came out at 1997. And there is a chapter in the book about Miss Universe and the Miss Universe contest because he had just purchased it. And I remember it well, the whole thing. What's interesting about looking at the reports today and I saw the interview with Anderson Cooper with Miss Machado is, at the time, it was kind of business as usual.
[17:30:00] I mean, you know, it was kind of like here's Miss Universe. You know, she was crowned. She gained weights. That's a problem. You know, it's a business problem.
We got to take care of it. You know, she gets flown in on this health thing. But I don't remember it being sort of having more important than all of the other kind of mini crises that were happening at the Trump organization. But today it seems like it was this enormous thing that was happening at the time. And maybe it was more but that certainly wasn't my impression internally.
HARLOW,CHOR: Hillary Clinton brought it up in the debate and said that Alicia Machado, who also says that Donald Trump called her Miss Housekeeping, Miss Piggy. He and his camp say he didn't. But now what "The New York Times" is reporting he will do in the next debate likely is bring up Bill Clinton's past infidelities and indiscretions. Here's what "The Times" wrote, "Trump said he was bringing up Mr. Clinton's infidelities because he thought it would repulse female voters and turn them away from the Clintons."
Do you think that's a smart political strategy to do that?
BOHNER: I don't. And I also feel like he's already brought it up by saying I'm going to bring it up, I'm going to bring it up, I'm going to bring it up with the way the 24 cycle is, our psychologist le is he's already brought it up. I just don't think that's going to shift, move the needle for women voters. It's -- first of all, old news. Just processed and processed and processed. My impression is and certainly personally I have empathy and compassion for Hillary Clinton.
(CROSSTALK)
BOHNER: -- for having gone through that.
HARLOW: His point is the way she talked about subsequently in public and in private about the women that had affairs --
BOHNER: Right.
HARLOW: -- with her husband.
BOHNER: I can't really comment on that except the fact that I know they're very, very tight. They are a partnership and she's an intensely loyal person, and that could have been just loyalty to her husband.
HARLOW: Talk about your personal experience in the last few months. You knew Donald Trump well. You wrote this book with him. You're not publicly backing him or not backing him right now.
BOHNER: Right. It's been interesting. I came on your show about a year ago and one of the things I said was Trump will brand kind of the last thing worth branding and that's authenticity. And I sort of knew he was going to let it all hang out for better or for worse. And I talked, as you know, specifically about my experience, and that I had a great experience, terrific working for him and with him on the book. The book was successful. It was an intense project. And not only did he not sexually harass me, he was a mentor, encouraging. It was a very -- it was an environment where I felt like I could make mistakes and not get punished and learn and stretch myself.
But I have found that it makes people angry. And I know that might sound strange but people have come up to me who I have written me on Facebook, of course, and said, almost like I'm traitor. Just I'm -- by saying I had a great experience with him, working with him, that doesn't mean I'm on the hook, right, to support him today for what he says about Megyn Kelly. Even close personal friends and it's just been an interesting experience.
HARLOW: Wow. Getting sort of told because you say those things you're responsible for backing him.
BOHNER: Right. It's almost like gotcha, like as he does one more thing they're like, are you still -- do you still like him?
HARLOW: Very much.
Kate, nice to have you on again, and important perspective. We appreciate it.
BOHNER: Thanks, Poppy.
HARLOW: Right now though, a sneak peek at the next episode of "Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown." He heads to Nashville to take in the city's lively music.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: Nashville, Tennessee.
(MUSIC)
BOURDAIN: When I planed to do a show here, I was saying, you know, everybody does shows about music in Nashville. But then we got really, really lucky.
(MUSIC)
BOURDAIN: So prepare yourself. This show is all about music and it is filled with the most awesome music ever in the history of the world, maybe even the universe.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Nashville, "Parts Unknown," this Sunday night, 9:00 eastern, only on CNN.
We'll be right back.
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[17:38:24] HARLOW: A tragic update on this week's school shooting in Townville, South Carolina. 6-year-old Jacob Hall has died. He was one of three people shot Wednesday on the playground at Townville Elementary. And the deputies say a teenager opened fire, shooting him and another student as well as the teacher. The two other victims were treated and released from the hospital. But again, a 6-year-old boy, Jacob Hall, murdered.
I want to shift to Syria where bombs rain down day after day as the government and its Russian allies press their offensive in the battered city of Aleppo. We are told one of the main hospitals there has just been hit for the second time in four days. The people who run towards the aftermath of these bombings are civilian rescue workers. They're known as White Helmets. And while they perform the work of super heroes, they're only human. In the town of Idlib one of one rescuer dug through the rubble to find an infant, desperately trying to reach this baby. While she was in his arms, as medic cleaned her face, she reaches her tiny mans towards the man who just saved her life. He is overcome with emotion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CRYING)
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:40:14] HARLOW: Another day, another child, another human symbol of Syria's brutal civil war. Many children there have known nothing but this hell since they were born because it has been raging on for five years.
Joining me now is Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, a senior fellow at the Counsel on Foreign Relations.
Gayle, thank you for being with me.
You wrote an incredible piece this week, the title "Aleppo, Where Children Die but the World Does Nothing." Now we're at a stage where 300,000 people are trapped in the city. It is surrounded by 10,000 Assad troops and no humanitarian aid reaching people. How did Syria get to this point as the international community, many say didn't respond enough?
GAYLE TZEMACH LEMMON, SENIOR FELLOW, COUNSEL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: That's right. I think there are two things. You have a civil war that became a proxy war over five years. And you also have the fact that the ghost of the Iraq war hangs very decision U.S.-born policymakers and the Obama administration making. The Obama administration feels it was elected to end wars in the Middle East, not begin them. And so for years there have been people I've talked to within the administration arguing for greater intervention. Not boots on the ground but for the U.S. to do more. And for years there has been this sort of State Department versus the White House "push me, pull you" back and forth about how intervention the U.S. can get into without entering a quagmire in the Middle East that the Obama administration did not feel it wanted to be a part of.
HARLOW: You know, it's interesting when you look back at when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state she called for a no-fly zone. That didn't happen. Now Secretary of State John Kerry not only this week said that, look, the ceasefire agreement with Russia is completely obviously on the rocks, given that 96 kids have been killed there in the last week. But there's new leaked audio of him that has been obtained by CNN. And I want you to listen to this because in this you hear his frustration with the American approach here.
(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: Four people in the administration who have all argued for use of force, and I lost the argument. I've argued for use of force. I stood up. I'm the guy that stood up and announced we're going to attack Assad because of the weapons. And then, you know, things evolved into a different process.
(END AUDIO FEED)
HARLOW: He said, I wanted use of force. What's your reaction?
TZEMACH LEMMON: I mean, this is what we've been reporting on a lot of us who have been covering the policy discussion since 2013. Right? You have had a State Department and some other members of the administration pushing for ion and a White House that has really said, listen, until you can guarantee me that getting further involved won't make things worse, I'm not going to sign off on these options. I mean, I've talked to people to the National Security Council for the president's consideration of military options only to have them, you know, all returned with we're not doing this right now. And this has been going on now for years and we've reached this point.
HARLOW: So what now? Right? What is it going to take? Is it if Aleppo falls then the United States gets more entrenched, more involved, you know, militarily? Is that what it's going to take?
TZEMACH LEMMON: Well, and this is the thing. Right now, diplomacy is on life support. But if you're a parent in Aleppo, you feel death is a near certainty. So you have this situation where the international community is still talking about whether Russia, U.S. talks are officially off. Officially they're on life support. They're not officially dead yet. Even though as you and I have been talking about it sure looks like they are. And on the other hand, you have the United States that's still is not terribly eager to get involved, although the White House is now considering more options, we are told, that would include some limited military options. But I don't see any of this as happening around the corner while parents watch bombs fall on to their children.
HARLOW: And these bombs, as we spoke about yesterday, that now can break through the basements where their children used to go for safety. And the president has said the situation in Syria is what haunts him the most as he finishes up his presidency.
Gayle, thank you very much.
I point everyone to your piece on CNN.com. A very troubling but important read.
Thank you.
TZEMACH LEMMON: Great to be here.
HARLOW: Completely switching gears here to "Saturday Night Live," how much do "Saturday Night Live" impressions really engrain in our minds? Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Who said I can see Russia from my house?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah Palin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah Palin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, that was Palin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sarah Palin.
MOOS: Tina Fey, actually.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tina Fey? She didn't say that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[17:45:56] HARLOW: Yes, it was Tina Fey, that moment, courtesy of the 2008 election cycle.
So what iconic moments are yet to come this year as Alec Baldwin steps in to play Donald Trump?
Stay with us. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARLOW: Tonight's the night, folks. SNL fans have been holding their breath and waiting and waiting. The show is back live tonight, and we have a sneaking suspicion that two actors in particular will get a fair share of screen time. Look.
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HARLOW: Brian Stelter, tweeting away, our media correspondent, is with us; and Bill Briggs, a political consultant who helped prepare three different candidates for presidential debates.
You're not SNL actors but you have opinions on this.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Oh, yes.
BILL BRIGGS, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: Oh, yeah.
HARLOW: Thank you, guys, for being here.
When SNL went on a hiatus, Bernie Sanders was still in the race. We have a lot more fodder, material for them tonight.
Brian, let's just begin with you in terms of your expectations for this evening.
[17:50:01] STELTER: I think this is the most anticipated SNL since Donald Trump guest hosted and that was last fall, and folks are wondering what they'll do about the debate and the fact Trump and Clinton are the two nominees. The show has been off for many months and they've cast Alec Baldwin instead of Darrell Hammond, who had been playing Trump last year. And now Alec Baldwin has committed through the election to play Trump.
HARLOW: Bill, here's the importance of SNL. In the election, six to seven million average viewers on the night. That doesn't include all the people that share the clips and watch them online after. People really believe candidates say things they don't. Case in point, what Jeanne Moos showed that a lot of people think Sarah Palin said, "I can see Russia for my house. That was Tina Fey elaborating on what she thought Palin said. How big is it in the race?
BRIGGS: I think it is important, more so with the vice presidential debate that's coming up. You have Tim Kaine and Mike Pence who a lot of folks don't know and sort of blank slates. So "Saturday Night Live" can help paint a picture of these folks are and maybe exaggerate their qualities and say stuff they haven't' said. And it gets into the popular culture, and then you're kind of playing catch up on your messaging to project your candidates. It does matter.
HARLOW: Here's the thing. I wonder how they'll walk the line. Some comedians who have not taken on the candidates with a more serious attitude, like Jimmy Fallon, have gotten creamed for not doing that. What does SNL do here? People even took issue with him having Trump on earlier as a guest host.
STELTER: Right, liberals have been screaming for months at comedians like Fallon who aren't taking down trump or trying to tear him down, are actually doing a disservice by normalizing Trump. We've seen it, the John Olivers of the world, to be more tough on Trump. But Alec Baldwin, one of the most famous liberals, and the SNL writer's room, we'll see a tough rendition of Trump tonight, whether it's him sipping a lot of water or microphone problems. There was a lot from the debate to be parodied and I'm sure they've had many long nights planning these jokes. Also, this election, it's so serious, that we need to laugh. And I, for one, am glad to have SNL back to make fun of this election.
HARLOW: It gives you something fun to talk about on your show as well.
STELTER: It will, it will.
HARLOW: But about these two candidates, what about Gary Johnson? Bill his two -- his Aleppo moments, and then "I can't name a foreign leader" moment. Expect those tonight?
BRIGGS: I don't know. We'll see. The other thing you could kind of mix in with Gary Johnson is his support for legalized marijuana which, you put those together, and I'm sure the "Saturday Night Live" writers could come up with something interesting and something funny. That's what they do well, take a little truth and exaggerate it and make it funny. That's what can be devastating as well as funny with the "Saturday Night Live" skits.
HARLOW: What's the surprise? What do you expect up their sleeves, Brian?
STELTER: They'll have to find humor in Clinton's performance in the debate also, even though she was widely agreed to be the winner of the debate. Kate McKinnon has had a devastating impression of Hillary Clinton. She won an Emmy for that last year. And I'm curious, almost more so than Alec Baldwin to see what Kate McKinnon does with Clinton in the final stretch of the campaign.
HARLOW: Brian, thank you.
Bill, appreciate it.
BRIGGS: Thanks, Poppy.
HARLOW: SNL tonight.
We'll be right back.
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[17:52:30] HARLOW: And now this week's "CNN Hero." More than 25 million senior citizens in this country live in poverty. It's a segment of this population that's especially fragile. It's easily falling outside of any financial safety nets into homelessness. Our "CNN Hero" is shining a light on this forgotten part of our community.
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UNIDENTIFIED CNN HERO: When you're older, living on the street is a very scary place. You're much more vulnerable. People between the ages of 50 And 62, society views them as too old for working and too young for Social Security. They need help. It's like you don't exists and that's wrong.
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HARLOW: To see how this hero is lifting people out of homelessness and giving them new beginnings, go to CNNheroes.com.
On November 8th, either Donald trump or Hillary Clinton will be elected the next president of the United States while the other experiences what could be the most agonizing public defeat of their life. So what happens to those who miss their chance?
Gloria Borger finds out in tonight's special report, "Almost President, The Agony of Defeat."
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GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Poppy, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are looking forward to just one date on a calendar. That's November 8th, Election Day. But for the one who loses, what happens the day after? Just ask the Romneys.
DAVID AXELROD, FORMER WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: All of the sudden, you're a joke. You're going to Costco.
BORGER (voice-over): Costco is exactly where the Romneys went.
MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The refrigerator was bare. Go to the market, get some food.
ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: There's a lot of tears, a lot of tears.
MITT ROMNEY: It's very hard. It's a real heart-wrenching experience to say, we didn't just get the job done.
Tens of thousands of people, of thousands of people and you think, they cared. I feel I wish we had succeeded for them and the country.
BORGER (on camera): I imagine Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump might feel the same but, Poppy, I'm not sure I can picture either one of them in a Costco parking lot.
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HARLOW: I was just going to say the same thing, Gloria.
Thank you.
Watch it all tonight, 8:00 p.m. eastern, right here on CNN.
I'm Poppy Harlow, in New York. Thank you for being with us. I'll see you in an hour when Donald Trump is set to speak live in Pennsylvania. We have a preview of what he's going to say. You won't want to miss it. Stay with us.
"SMERCONISH" is now.
