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Trump to WSJ: Zero Chance I'll Quit; Paul Ryan to Speak After Rebuking Trump; Clinton's 1st Response to Trump Tape Will Happen at Debate; Growing List of GOP Lawmakers to Trump: Drop Out; RNC Member: "We Are Stuck And So Is Pence"; Some In GOP Call For Pence To Top Ticket; Trump Tweet: I Will Never Drop Out; Growing List of GOP Lawmakers to Trump: Drop Out; Haiti Bears Brunt of Hurricane Matthew. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired October 08, 2016 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:00:10] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. Welcome to a special live edition of CNN Newsroom. I'm Poppy Harlow, coming to you from the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, this is the site of the second presidential debate that airs tomorrow night right here on CNN. The breaking news this hour, Donald Trump tweeting moments ago, blaming the media, quote, "The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly. I will never drop out of the race, will never let my supporters down." Hashgtag Make America Great Again.
Trump vowing to stay in this race despite a newly surfaced video in which he uses stunningly vulgar language and makes sexually aggressive remarks, describing trying to kiss, grope, and have sex with married women saying, quote, "When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything." Speaking about grabbing women's genitals. You will hear him in his own words in a moment. But first the fallout, beginning with House Speaker Paul Ryan. He is expected to address voters In Wisconsin at any moment. He has already condemned Trump's actions in a statement. He disinvited trump to this event, it was supposed to be a big show of unity.
And then Mike Pence was supposed to go. Now Mike Pence is not going. But he is issuing this statement as Trump's running mate. "As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump in the 11-year-old video released yesterday. I do not condone his remarks and cannot defend them. I am grateful he has expressed remorse and apologized to the American people." And if you need more proof of how serious this scandal is, the GOP Official telling CNN there is now growing pressure for the RNC to dump Trump as the party's candidate and to focus down ballots, to focus on saving Congress. For his part, Donald Trump just released a video shortly after midnight last night, a statement and apology, then he went after the Clintons. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've never said I'm a perfect person nor pretended to be someone that I'm not. I've said and done things I regret and the words released today on this more than a decade old video are one of them. Anyone who knows me, knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it. I was wrong and I apologize. I've said some foolish things, but there's a big difference between the words and actions of other people. Bill Clinton has actually abused women and Hillary has bullied, attacked, shamed, and intimidated his victims. We will discuss this more in the coming days. See you at the debate on Sunday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Donald Trump right now, we know he is in Trump tower with his campaign preparing for tomorrow's debate. The Clinton campaign says it is at that debate that Hillary Clinton will make her first remarks formally addressing this on camp, just putting out the statement saying they will not address it until the debate when they are live in front of what is expected to be at least 80 million people watching. I'm now going to play you the tape the center of this entire scandal. You will hear Donald Trump on pop mic, speaking with Billy Bush, then a host of Access Hollywood. Before we play this though, to parents, if you are in a room with your children we want to you warn the language, it's extremely offensive and graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
TRUMP: You know, and --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She used to be great. She's still very beautiful.
TRUMP: I moved on her actually. You know, she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her and I failed. I admit it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa. And?
TRUMP: I did try (BLEEP) her. She was married.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's huge news.
TRUMP: No, no, Nancy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TRUMP: No. This was -- you know, just, and I moved on her very heavily, in fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said I'll show you where they have nice furniture. I took her furniture. I moved on her like a bitch. I couldn't get there, and she was married. And all of a sudden I see her, she's now that the big phony tits and everything. She's totally changed her look.
BILLY BUSH, FORMER AMERICAN RADIO AND TELEVISION HOST: Sheesh, your girl's hot as shit. In the purple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa.
BUSH: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa.
BUSH: Yes, the Donald has scored.
TRUMP: Whoa.
BUSH: Whoa, my man.
(Crosstalk)
(Multiple Speakers)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Set this up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is very funny.
BUSH: Give this up this up.
TRUMP: Look at you. You are a pussy.
BUSH: You got to put this up. You got to get this up (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) first?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes (INAUDIBLE)
BUSH: You got to get this up (INAUDIBLE)
TRUMP: You and I will walk in.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. So, I have (INAUDIBLE)
TRUMP: Maybe it's a different one.
BUSH: It better not be the publicist. No, it's her. It is --
TRUMP: Yes, that's her with the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I'm automatically attracted to beautiful. I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when are you a star they let you do it. You can do anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever you want.
TRUMP: Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand by.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HARLOW: It has been less than 24 hours since that video surfaced and the political fallout is growing. Let's bring in Jason Carroll. He is in Wisconsin where Paul Ryan is set to address voters any moment. Also with me is Jamie Gangel in Washington who has been working her sources, speaking with GOP fighters. Thank you both for being here.
[16:05:11] Jason, let me begin with you. What are the voters there saying? I mean, this is a Republican gathering. Are they standing by Donald Trump and what do they expect Paul Ryan will say when he takes the stage? Because he has not formally pulled his endorsement from Donald Trump?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Exactly. Well, you know, I've spoken to a Ryan operative tells me that, once again, no fireworks when he takes the stage just about any moments from now. What he's expected to do is to try to rally the base, encourage voting, especially now (INAUDIBLE) but I have to tell you since standing out here that Jamie been here in Elk horn and I -- you really get a sense that it's symbolic of what's happening in the GOP at large.
Even before Ryan has taken the stage. You had a number of Trump supporters who have been out here heckling some of the speakers who have come up here. You have to remember, this event that he holds here in the Fall Fest, he's about to take the stage now, Poppy. As an event that he holds every single year. And some people saying, "You disinvited Donald Trump, bring on Trump. Bring on Trump."
HARLOW: Right. Jason, let me jump in. Jason, very sorry to apologize. I'm very sorry to apologize. I want to bring our viewers now to House Speaker Paul Ryan. Let's listen in.
PAUL RYAN, U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: There is a bit of an en elephant in the room.
(Multiple Speakers)
RYAN: It is a troubling situation. I'm serious, it is. I put out a statement about this last night. I meant what I said and it's still how I feel, but that is not what we are here to talk to about today. You know what we do here at Fall Fest? We talk about our ideas. We talk about our solutions. We talk about our conservative principles and we promote our candidates right here in Wisconsin that are fighting for us, candidates like our Senator Ron Johnson.
You know, what matters in elections is are we giving people real choices? Seven people out of ten people in America, seven out of ten people in America, they don't think this country is on the right track, do they?
AUDIENCE: No.
RYAN: Seven out of ten people, they think that their kids are going to be worse off in this country. We have never done that before in this country. We have never given the next generation a darker future. We have always stepped up and fixed the problems in front of us in our generation so that our children and our grandchildren can be better off. And you know what, you know what we're doing about it in the House? You know what we're doing about it as conservatives?
We are offering people a better way. We are offering solutions. I tell you what, last January, we got together, we said, "We need to take an agenda to the country." We need to show men and women in America those seven out of ten people, that's not just Republicans, that's not just Independents, that's Democrats also. They need to have solutions and we're offering them. Let me tell you a few things. Number one, six plans, go to better.gop. Six things, we have got to get people out of welfare and back into the workforce.
Our welfare system isn't working. Our welfare system tells people stay out of work. We need to get people back into work so they can get on the ladder of life. So that they can reach their dreams. We are showing you exactly what welfare reform looks like. You know what, seconds thing, we --
HARLOW: All right. We're going to continue monitoring Paul Ryan speaking live in Elk Horn, Wisconsin. He came out on stage and he said, "There is an elephant in the room. I put out the statement about it last night that is how I felt and that is still how I feel." But then he moved on. And he said, "We are not here to talk about that. We are here to talk about ideas, back with me is my panel." And also, Jason Carroll is live there in Elk Horn, Wisconsin.
Let me -- before I go to Jason. David Gergen, this is the highest ranking elected Republican in our government and he condemned Donald Trump's comments in a statement last night. But He came on stage today and he said, "Not going to talk about it. We're here to talk about ideas."
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I know, he tried to take that off elephant, put it off in the corner somewhere.
HARLOW: The elephant is still there.
GERGEN: Yes. The elephant is still there. And he's dancing around. I think there is a lot going on.
HARLOW: Why did he do that?
GERGEN: Because I think there's a lot going on behind the scenes to try to figure out how to get out of this mess. And whether they really need to kind of persuade him to leave or whether will stay behind him, what they want to do, they want to let go through the state. I can guarantee you, tons of (INAUDIBLE) other people are talking about this. It's time (INAUDIBLE) strategy.
HARLOW: But then why don't you post comment about what -- why do you --
GERGEN: But you can't speak -- well, I think it was done by (INAUDIBLE)
HARLOW: I mean, he comes down, he didn't say any -- I mean, he did not even say -- I -- even repeat his statement again condemning him (INAUDIBLE)
GERGEN: Nobody -- I said I -- you know, I said what I believe and that's it. And he does really wants to move on. HARLOW: Yes.
GERGEN: He didn't want to have a party wallowing on this thing for the next seven days. So, it -- it's a tough situation for Republicans.
HARLOW: Yes.
GERGEN: Because, you know, there is no way under the rules that they can force Donald Trump out.
HARLOW: Right.
GERGEN: Under the rules, he has to withdraw himself. So, you can either do it through persuasion. If that's what you want.
[16:10:12]Or you can let him stay and try to work back it up. Or you can start putting pressure on him by pulling the plug on various things you're doing to help it.
HARLOW: He just tweeted he's never going to --
GERGEN: Yes, he's not going to quit.
HARLOW: Totally never going to quit.
GERGEN: But he depends so much on the Republican National Committee far more than the other nominee in the past as his field operation. And if they pull back, then that really hurts him. However, if they pull back, they could lose a lot of the senate seats. And they could lose the senate. So, they have a dilemma to figure out how they go forward with this. There are a number of people in the party who would love to move on right now in front of another candidate, but they're not sure they can.
HARLOW: Stay with me, guys.
GERGEN: Yes.
HARLOW: We're going to pull up Paul Ryan's statement here. And as we do, I want to go back out to Jason Carroll who is live in Elk Horn. Paul Ryan saying that, "I am sickened by what I heard, women are to be championed and revered, not objectified." As we get Jason back up, Ron Brownstein and Lanhee Chen. Lanhee Chen, you worked with Mitt Romney on his Campaign. Mitt Romney also put out a statement against this. Paul Ryan, what is his next ove?
LANHEE CHEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think he's in a really tough spot. I think he needs the figure out if it's sustainable for him to be where he is right now. Because essentially to say I don't condone the behavior, I think it's awful. But I still think the guy should be President. And that's just a really hard place to be. I mean, knowing Paul a little bit, he's a man of principle, he's a man of character. It's got to be tough for him to stay there.
HARLOW: You mean, Ron Brownstein, Paul Ryan also the one who came out when Donald Trump made comment saying that judged of Hispanic heritage and not fit to do (INAUDIBLE) Paul Ryan after backing Trump said, "By the way, that's the textbook definition of racism."
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Look that -- Look, Paul Ryan is deeply conflicted, because on the one hand, he knows he needs a Republican President to sign the bills he wants to pass, his tax cut, deregulation, repealing Obamacare. On the other hand, Paul Ryan is the disciple of Jack Kemp, that was his mentor. The Donald Trump vision of the party is fundamentally anathema to everything Paul Ryan believes the Republican Party should be in a lot of different ways.
Most importantly, Trump has structured it largely as a party aimed at white anxieties about the changing country. Paul Ryan very much believes, like Kemp that the future of the Republican Party is to take their ideas into all communities into (INAUDIBLE) for African- American, Hispanic, of course. So, they have a fundamental philosophic disagreement that goes way beyond the individual episodes of Trump's behavior, but those just bring it to a head.
GERGEN: Yes.
HARLOW: David?
GERGEN: I think (INAUDIBLE) when -- before this started, before this (INAUDIBLE) broke. There were probably at least 50 million people in this country who intended to vote for Donald Trump. Mitt Romney got 59 million. So, it -- there's at least 50 million people out there. Paul Ryan has to figure out. What are those 50 million people going to do if we start trying to pull the plug on this guy?
CHEN: Yes.
BROWNSTEIN: Right. Exactly.
GERGEN: We don't know. 0:13:01]
BROWNSTEIN: There is no plan B right now, right?
CHEN: There is no plan B. I mean, as much as Republicans want -- some of these Republicans want there to be a plan B. There isn't. And so, Paul is doing the best he can right now. I just don't know if it's sustainable for him in the long run.
GERGEN: Yes --
HARLOW: But guys, stay with me. Just let me bring Jason Carroll. And he can hear me now. Jason Carroll is there at the event live with Paul Ryan. Jason, what's the reaction? I mean, are there -- are there hecklers? Were people wanting him to address it? What are the folks in the crowd saying?
CARROLL: Well, let me just tell you, he just finished wrapping up leaving the stage. And what I was trying to say before, it's been magnified even more now that he's finished speaking. What you saw, Poppy, was a crowd divided. As Paul Ryan continued to give his speech, there were hecklers in the crowd who continued to shout, "Bring on Donald Trump. Why did you disinvite Donald Trump?" And then, just as Ryan was finishing up his speech, several of them actually walked to the front of the stage and then some of the security got to the front as they held up signs and Ryan finished up. Even before he took the stage, you -- we sort of predicted what kind of reception he was going to receive by some of those here in the audience, you have people seaming and yelling, "Why is Trump not here? Bring on Trump." And then one of the speakers said, "Look, be respectful." He said, "We've seen an awful lack of that here in the campaign," and then screamed at the Trump hecklers, "Clean up your act."
And then Ryan supporters started to applaud in support of that man. And so, what you are seeing is really symbolic of what we are seeing in the GOP. And GOP very divided as we've seen here in this crowd, Poppy.
HARLOW: You know, Jason, emblematic, right? GOP divided and a crowd divided there as you put it. David Gergen, your thoughts.
GERGEN: Well, just -- definitely we're just talking about. How did they -- how is the leadership, you know, feels like they're going to lose this race, they're leading at the top. How do they pull the plug and not having this kind of a -- by the (INAUDIBLE)
HARLOW: He (INAUDIBLE)
CHEN: Yes, right.
HARLOW: It's not just, you know, there's one thing what, you know, what the media is talking about, what the pundits are saying, but this is about the voters, I mean, we -- our -- my team and I spent the last three weeks across key swing states. And some of those voters who check back in within the last 24 hours who supported Trump. When we called them and said, do you still support him? And many of them are still standing by him.
[16:15:09] BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Trump core is very hard to move and they are with him. But they are not enough to win the election. And where Donald Trump -- where Donald Trump is suffering, the reason he's stuck in the low 40s or maybe now even slightly below that is that he is under performing, literally, any Republican nominee ever among college educated white voters.
HARLOW: Yes.
BROWNSTEIN: Not only women, but also college educated white men. These are the voters who expressed the most doubt about his temperament, his experience, his values, his qualifications, everything that has happened, Poppy -
HARLOW: Yes.
BROWNSTEIN: - since the day (INAUDIBLE) reconfirmed though it's --
HARLOW: Right.
BROWNSTEIN: - and the fear for the Republicans is now that, not only will the ceiling be too low, but the floor might be dropping as well.
GERGEN: Yes. And this is -- listen, Donald Trump can now run against a Republican establishment. They start
(CROSSTALK)
HARLOW: Which is by the way what won him the primary.
GERGEN: Won him the primary. And he could -- he could split this party apart. I mean, this could be the destruction of the Republican party as a -- as a viable alternative.
HARLOW: Stay with me. We got a lot more obviously to talk about here. Want to get a quick break. And coming up, and you know we are here because, why? The second presidential debate will happen here in St. Louis tomorrow night. There is so much more to talk about since the appearance of that video of Donald Trump speaking in 2005 the fallout from negative reaction from his fellow Republicans. More live coverage right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: All right. Welcome back to our special live coverage here from Washington University, the site of the second presidential debate tomorrow night. We are continuing to follow what has been just a snowball effect of fallout for Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, 31 days before the election. Due to this 2005 videotape that was released yesterday by the Washington Post.
[16:20:07] We will read you a statement we just got from Entertainment Tonight host Nancy O'dell who was the subject of Donald Trump's rude remarks in that tape. She wrote, politics aside, I'm saddened that all these comments still exist in our society at all. When I heard the comments yesterday it was a -- was disappointing to hear such an objectification of women. The conversation needs to change because no female, no person should be the subject of such crass comments whether or not cameras are rolling. Everyone deserves respect no matter the setting or gender.
As a woman who has worked very hard to establish her career, and as a mom, I feel I must speak out with the hope that the society will always strive to be better. For more on the fallout, let me bring in CNN's Jamie Gangel. She is in Washington, she has been speaking with her sources. Jamie, Paul Ryan just took the stage. And he said there is an elephant in the room but that is not what we are here to talk about. Your reaction.
JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: So, look, the GOP sources I've talked to, these are people who are elected officials, and they are long time veterans. Some of them have ties to the Trump camp, and they are still hoping that there is, that Trump might step aside. But I want to say, use the word wishing because this is wishful thinking.
There is just no evidence as we've seen from Trump. He just doubled down again in his recent statement to say that he's not getting out, no matter what. But these party veterans are just looking at ways to see if there is anything that they can do that might change his mind. But as one person said to me, Donald Trump is only listening to one person and that's Donald Trump. Poppy.
HARLOW: You know, Jamie, you've obviously, done a lot of reporting, especially on the Bush family and you've interviewed Jeb and you've interviewed both former Bush presidents. The other person in the videotape is Billy Bush, the cousin of Jeb Bush. And we had Jeb Bush come out with a statement yesterday condemning this. Any other reaction (INAUDIBLE) you can share with us from the Bush camp, the Bush family?
GANGEL: So, I've reached out to everyone in the Bush family. They are not commenting. I think it's fair to say that Jeb's tweet yesterday speaks for the family. Maybe we're going to hear from his son, George P. Bush, who's Texas land commissioner in the next day. He has actually been supporting Donald Trump. But I think this is a very awkward situation for the family.
Billy Bush -- some people don't realize this, he is the nephew of former President Bush, 43, he's the first cousin of Jeb Bush and President George W. Bush. So, I really think that, you know, this is family for them. It's -- they don't want to get involved in it. But I think Jeb's words probably speak for how everyone is feeling, Poppy.
HARLOW: Yes. Jamie, I appreciate the reporting, obviously. We'll come back to you as you get more of it. If you have many, many sources of it that you (INAUDIBLE) Jamie Gangel, thank you for the reporting tonight. And as we said, some Republican you heard more and more calling from Mike Pence, Donald Trump's running mate, the Governor of Indiana to take the top of the ticket. 31 is out of it -- out from elections, is that even possible? If so, what would it take to happen? We're going to talk about how that could possibly be the case for a complex rule? We'll dive into it next. You are live in the CNN Newsroom.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:27:45] HARLOW: All right. Welcome back to our live continuing coverage here from Washington University in St. Louis, ahead of the next presidential debate here tomorrow night. Joe Biden the vice president just tweeting this about Donald Trump's tape. The words are demeaning. Such behavior is an abuse of power. It is not lewd. It is sexual assault. That coming just now from the vice president. Meantime, breaking news on CNN we have learned that Donald Trump at this moment is still deciding whether or not he will address the public.
Whether or not he will make a speech tonight regarding the fallout from that 2005 videotape where he made those sexually explicit and aggressive comments about grabbing women's genitals. Some Republicans are now calling for Trump to be replaced at the top of the ticket by his running mate, Mike Pence. Is that possible? Especially 31 days out from the general election? Tom LoBianco is with us, he's one of our reporters on cnnpolitics.com. Also with us CNN political commentator and former RNC Chief of Staff Mike Shields. Gentleman, thank you for being here. Tom, let dive into the scenarios here, right? It's all about something called Rule 9, right? But in order for Rule 9 to take effect, Donald Trump has to voluntarily drop out. And he has said time and time again, including a tweet within the last hour, there is no way he is going to do that. How would this work?
TOM LOBIANCO, CNN REPORTER: Well, if he did drop out. Like you said, he's been very clear, that's not going to happen. But if it were, then it would go to the Republican Party to the RNC, the -- in fact, the same people who set the rules that got them into this nomination in the first place to decide who to replace him with. It doesn't look like that's going to happen.
You know, there's a different thing that's been kind of thrown out there by election experts which is called the so-called faithful selector. That's where we get to Mike Pence, this idea that maybe they cast their ballot. They say they're going tol cast their ballot for trump, when in reality, they're going to cast their ballot for Mike Pence. This is kind of the Hail Mary that's out there in lieu of Rule 9 right now. Because, you know, we just saw that all caps tweet from Donald Trump. He's not going anywhere.
HARLOW: Exactly. And as we talk, let's bring that tweet up for our viewers. Let me remind you guys of what Donald Trump have said in the last hour. The media and the establishment want me out the race so badly. I will never drop out of the race. Will never let my supporters down. #MAGA, MakeAmericaGreatAgain.
Mike, can we dig in a little bit more to this Faceless Elector (ph) scenario, I mean, how that could work in terms of going to the Electoral College and basically, if -- if there's any possibility of that happening?
MIKE SHIELDS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I mean, I think that's extremely unlikely, to be honest with you. I think Donald Trump's on the ballot. Ballots are being printed.
In terms of getting him off of the ballot, I think a lot of that is actually under a state law issue. Every -- all 50 states have their own election laws.
HARLOW: Right.
SHIELDS: And so you have to go state-by-state-by-state if you're going to adjust the ballot. People in Iowa have already been voting since September.
People in Colorado are getting ready to vote in some battleground states -- Florida. Arizona has a lot of early votes. So there's a real logistical issue if you want to try and change the names on the ballot before the election.
I think it's very difficult.
HARLOW: Right, of course.
SHIELDS: It's not impossible. It's been done before.
HARLOW: Well...
SHIELDS: I think that the vice presidential nominee under McGovern, there was an issue there where people very late got in and changed it. That's up to the judges in the states, the rule, the election laws in their state.
For the Electoral College, I think that is so far gone from -- from reality. I'm not really sure how you would start a campaign to go and campaign to the electors to try and make them into faceless electors so that when they go into the Electoral College, they switch their vote.
HARLOW: Right. Well, I mean, not to mention, guys, the president -- I mean, the president voted yesterday. President Obama voted yesterday.
And Tom, correct me if I'm wrong. But you would then have to literally negotiate with 50 states attorneys general.
TOM LOMBIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. Yes, it's -- I mean, it's not going to happen in the least. You know, I think one of the things that's (ph) very interesting, you know, we're talking about the process. We're talking about the rules.
One of the things that's fascinating about this is this was discussed back in August. The last time we had a really disastrous...
HARLOW: Right.
LOMBIANO: ...crump (ph) blow up like this with Kaiser Con (ph). You know, what we're looking at now, though, is that you have more establishment-type Republicans talking about this.
This is -- the political significance of this is more -- I don't want to say serious but more establishment types, the people who had gotten on board with Trump somewhat tepidly (ph), now looking at what are our options.
And the reality is it's so late in the game at this point that there aren't any options.
HARLOW: You know, Mike, I think it's interesting because one of the things my panel was just talking about is sort of like the backroom discussions and negotiations that are going on right now, Paul Ryan came out. He didn't address it.
He says there's an elephant in the room. I've put out a statement, you know, condemning what Donald Trump said in that tape that -- that -- that I stand by that, moving on, because a big issue here comes down to -- to funding and fundraising and down -- down ballot, right?
And so -- so if -- if the, you know, party steps away from Trump, what does that do to them down ballot? SHIELDS: Yes, there's a few things. First of all, we all want a snap
reaction. We want to hear what the speaker is going to say and the majority leader in the Senate.
It's been right around 24 hours since this became public, I think. They need a few minutes to assess what's happening before they go out and start making statements.
I -- they've made statements saying they reject what he said. But what they're going to do about the situation, I think, they need a little bit of time to assess that.
In terms of down ballot, yes, I mean, there's already an issue down ballot in terms of what the presidential election's doing. I can tell you this, in the top 20 races that we have polled, we asked a question, would you rather have a member of Congress who would go to Washington and work to help Hillary Clinton or would you rather have a member of Congress that would stop Hillary Clinton.
And overwhelming -- overwhelming numbers on those polls say I'd rather have a member of Congress that goes to stop Hillary Clinton. There's a message in there for the party, that if it becomes clear that Donald Trump -- that this has put him in a place where he can't win, then we're (ph) in a situation, it looks like 1996 again, where you say, Hillary Clinton's going to win.
Let's make sure we win the House and the Senate to stop her, even in -- even in districts where Hillary Clinton was winning on the ballot. So she was ahead. Voters were saying...
HARLOW: Yes.
SHIELDS: ...but I want a Congress to stop her. We might be moving into...
HARLOW: Right.
SHIELDS: ...a scenario where that makes sense. And I think people have to contemplate that before they come out and make statements on it.
HARLOW: Well, I think you saw Mitt Romney doing that, you know, for a fellow Republican today. You know, he -- he came out and done (ph) for him and basically made that case.
Gentlemen, thank you very much. Mike Shields, Tom Lobianco, for us on that. We appreciate it. I do want to let our viewers know we are waiting and -- and watching for Mike Pence to board a plane.
He's headed tonight, we've learned, to a private fundraiser in Providence. This is images (ph) of him moments ago.
His plane will take off at any moment. And he heads to that private fundraiser as Donald Trump remains with his team in Trump Tower trying to strategize over whether or not Trump will come out, address the public in a speech tonight. Coming up next, so you'll hear one-on-one from his daughter, Ivanka
Trump. Ivanka Trump has said time and time again that her father would be, quote, "amazing for women as president," as she meets with her father to discuss that tape that was just released.
She was in the room, we've learned from "The New York Times" last night before he taped that apology. We're -- we're going to play for you my interview with Ivanka Trump, what she told me one-on-one last year about her father and how he would be for women as president. Stay with us, you're live in the CNN "Newsroom."
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HARLOW: I'll get that for her (ph). I'm Poppy Harlow. Welcome back to our breaking news coverage here from Washington University in St. Louis, the site of the second presidential debate taking place here tomorrow night, hosted by our very own Anderson Cooper.
He will be moderating. Just some breaking news in from our Chief Political Correspondent, Dana Bash. Here's what Dana's reporting at this moment.
Mike Pence, Donald Trump's running mate told Donald Trump in their call today that the only effective person to speak on this issue, this scandal, is Donald Trump, himself. Mike Pence also said that if he went to Wisconsin to be on stage with Paul Ryan, which he was planning to, but pulled out of, that that would interfere with that, according to a source familiar with that call (ph).
Again, Dana reporting that Mike Pence told Donald Trump on the phone today, the only effective person to speak about this is you, Donald Trump. Meantime, Donald Trump's wife, Melania, is responding to the newly released video that (ph) her husband -- she says, quote, "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me.
This does not represent the man that I know. He has the heart and mind of a leader. I hope people will accept his apology as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world."
Meantime, "The New York Times" that Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, were at Trump Tower last night, meeting with Donald Trump, discussing what his response would be to that leaked video. Last fall, I sat down with Ivanka Trump for an exclusive interview.
We focused on her campaign, "Women Who Work." And I asked her at that time about her father's treatment of women.
Here is part of that interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Your father points to you telling him that he has been on the campaign trail, quote, "really misunderstood on his views about women." He has said some things that have -- about women that have shocked many people, about Carley Fiorina. He said, look at that face, would anyone vote for that? About Megyn
Kelly's questioning of him in the first Fox debate. He said, there was blood coming out of her wherever.
Ivanka, what was your reaction to that?
TRUMP: Well, I think a lot of the sensationalism around this was orchestrated largely by the media. Look, my father is very blunt.
He's very direct. He is non-gender specific in his criticism of people and people that he doesn't particularly like, or -- or people that he does like but thinks they're wrong on a particular issue.
So you know, I -- I don't think that he's gender-targeted at all. Like I said, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I wouldn't be a high -- high-level executive within his organization if he felt that way.
So he's always supported and encouraged women. And -- and truthfully, he's proven that over decades, through his employment practices, through his hiring practices.
HARLOW: What would a president Trump do for women in this country?
TRUMP: He'd be amazing for women in this country. He would be incredible for women in this country. And -- and he's starting to articulate his positions.
It's -- it's not my place to articulate those for him. I'm not part of the campaign. I'm very busy.
And he's kept me very busy working alongside my brothers and -- and running the organization now that he's taking this step (ph) in -- in terms of his efforts to -- to try and make this country great again, as he says. So you know, I'll -- I'll leave policy to him.
HARLOW: Yes.
TRUMP: But I can speak from my vantage point as a child and also from my vantage point as a colleague, and somebody who works for him. He's been an amazing parent. He's given me every opportunity to succeed.
He's been loving and supportive. He's pushed me. He's corrected me. He's disciplined me. And I think as -- as a parent now, myself, I appreciate how hard that is more than ever before.
When I was 15 or 16, I was a little less impressed by -- by how tough he was and how strict he was with us as children. As a parent now, I see just how hard it is to raise children with -- with drive and with passion and -- and with energy, who have a -- a well-set moral compass.
And -- and he very much did that for me in his role as a father.
(END VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: That was Ivanka Trump speaking with me last year about her
father and the controversies at that time surrounding comments he'd made about women. Ivanka Trump there. We're going to take a quick break.
Much more of our breaking news coverage, this fallout (ph) from the videotape released of Donald Trump's comments from 2005. Stay with me. We're live right after this.
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HARLOW: Welcome back to our breaking news coverage. I'm Poppy Harlow live at Washington University in St. Louis, the site of the second presidential debate. That is tomorrow night here, hosted by our very own Anderson Cooper.
He'll be moderating. Let's bring in David Gergen, CNN Senior Political Analyst and also former adviser to four presidents.
David, if it were your job to right Donald Trump's remarks that he will give tomorrow night in the debate, you've done this for four presidents. You wrote Nixon's resignation letter.
What should come out of...
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: It should be very short.
HARLOW: ...what should come out of Donald Trump's mouth?
GERGEN: I think he has to start by dealing with the apology and repeat it in a very sincere way and then try to move off it so it doesn't become a regular feature of it. I'm not sure he can quell (ph) this storm between now and tomorrow night.
There is so much anticipation now building up about this debate before (ph) everybody's going to be doing it. We could even have a bigger audience than the first debate. Who could have imagined?
HARLOW: I mean, this is going to be Super-Bowl-size audience.
GERGEN: Super Bowl, yes.
HARLOW: At least 80 million people...
GERGEN: Yes, yes, yes.
HARLOW: ...if not bigger, probably...
GERGEN: Right, and...
HARLOW: ...given this.
GERGEN: ...I totally agree on that.
HARLOW: What does he have to say? What are the words? What is the contrition (ph) that we have to see, that (ph) frankly, was not in that video last night?
GERGEN: Look, I said (ph) - no, what you want to have is you felt, one felt that that was a negotiated statement. One -- one-half of it for people who thought he ought to be very apologetic, and the other half was for Donald Trump to fight (ph) it like hell.
And he just pivoted (ph) in the middle of the statement to be the fighter again (ph).
HARLOW: Right.
GERGEN: And so I think he needs to be -- I think he needs to show an enormous amount of contrition come down on this (ph) -- it would be very hard (ph) because the country has changed me. But I -- here's -- here's what he'll have (ph) been thinking about. I think the pressure for him to resign -- I think (ph) his poll numbers are probably going to drop tomorrow.
And that's going to look like, you know, he's heading for a cue today (ph). And so there are a lot who are probably going to say, you really ought to resign.
I think he could go back in history and look, of all things, Richard Nixon's checker (ph) speech, when he was a vice-presidential candidate for Dwight Eisenhower in 1952, and he was -- there was a lot of pressure for him to get off the ticket, and he went on national television and said, it's up to you, the public, to tell me what to do. Should I stay or should I fight?
And he got an avalanche of letters saying fight.
HARLOW: Fight to that.
GERGEN: And it -- and it validated him. And Trump needs something like that.
HARLOW: And that would very much be in step with Trump's campaign of being sort of the outsider...
HARLOW: ...anti-establishment.
GERGEN: Yes, yes.
HARLOW: It's you, the people, don't listen to the media. He's already blaming the media in his latest tweet for this.
GERGEN: Yes.
HARLOW: Bill Clinton is speaking, stumping for his wife right now in Wisconsin. We just got some reporting from our Dan Merica (ph) from the Clinton camp.
She's not going to say a word about this until she takes the stage tomorrow night. Should Bill Clinton say anything?
GERGEN: No. HARLOW: No?
GERGEN: No. I -- I think, listen, he's -- he's -- the Republicans' got have a crisis on their hands right now. Just look and keep digging away because they could even have a civil war on their hands if they're not (ph) careful.
What was interesting about that Paul ryan rally that you just put on, how many people came and said, where the hell is Trump? Why did you disinvite him? They're angry.
This is in his home state where he's so powerful.
HARLOW: I mean, our Tucker Carlson (ph), that was a crowd divided just like East Europeans (ph)...
GERGEN: Crowd divided.
HARLOW: ...have a party divided. So Hillary Clinton, we know, won't say anything until she takes the debate stage here tomorrow night...
GERGEN: Yes.
HARLOW: ...our Anderson Cooper will be moderating.
GERGEN: Yes.
HARLOW: What does Hillary Clinton say? Because if you think back to the primary, when Carley Fiorina was addressing the remarks Trump made about her faith, she said, I think every American woman knows what he meant.
GERGEN: Yes.
HARLOW: And she left it at that.
GERGEN: Yes, she did. She did. It maybe that Hillary can find a moment when a woman asks her a question.
And Hillary can come back and explore her feelings as a woman -- her thoughts (ph) particularly women (ph) because there was (ph) also among women who's -- is very strong.
I think Hillary can also argue because I think it happens to be true that there may be a silver lining in all of this before it's over. And that is the country may finally come to grips with the -- the assaults against women that have been going on, the language that are (ph) with (ph) women.
Women experience this all the time. But they don't see much change. And -- maybe this will be like a chance that Hillary may be able to take -- take that side of the argument about how we have to empower women.
You know, she's -- she's been talking about having more than her half of her cabinet be women. She can maybe use this... HARLOW: If you think back to Beijing, right...
GERGEN: Yes.
HARLOW: ...women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights.
GERGEN: Right, 1995.
HARLOW: Is that --tomorrow night, a moment for that line?
GERGEN: Absolutely.
HARLOW: Wow.
GERGEN: So a good point. That's a very good point.
HARLOW: David Gergen, thank you very much.
GERGEN: OK, thank you.
HARLOW: We appreciate it. Coming up, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, as we said, face off tomorrow night here in the second presidential debate, co-moderated by our very own Anderson Cooper, begins 19:00 Eastern right here on CNN. We'll be right back.
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HARLOW: Welcome back. An update now on hurricane Matthew, which has left a trail of destruction and death from the Caribbean up the eastern seaboard of the Southern United States, but now that it has made landfall in South Carolina, catastrophic flooding is the main concern. Take a look.
This is a scene from this morning as Matthew hit Charleston, a category-one storm with 75-mile-an-hour winds. A short time later, the hurricane may landfall just north of that city, storm surge and heavy rainfall, posing life-threatening flood conditions.
The National Hurricane Center says up to 15 inches of rain are possible near and -- possible near and east of I-95. And in Florida, the hurricane is being blamed for four deaths.
Haiti, though, bear the brunt of this storm. CNN has confirmed at least 336 people have died since hurricane Matthew made landfall there as a category-four storm on Tuesday.
A government spokesperson says 211 people are injured. More than 60,000 people have been displaced. For ways that you can help those affected by this horrific hurricane, go to cnn.com/impact, again, cnn.com/impact.
Coming up, more breaking news, Donald Trump's campaign in crisis mode after a tape surfaces of him making vulgar, lewd and sexually aggressive comments about women. Hear what his wife, Melania Trump, is now saying next.
