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Trump Attacks Claims of Sexual Aggression; Accuser: Trump Will Distract Public and Media; Trump: "Corporate Media" Working for Clinton; Ex-Contestant, Trump Accuser Appear on CNN; Former Miss NC: Trump Barged Into Dressing Room; Trump Accuser: He Groped Me On Flight; Trump: Allegations "Totally and Absolutely False"; Pence: Evidence Coming To Debunk Allegations; First Lady: Trump's Dismissal "An Insult". Aired 9-9:30a ET
Aired October 14, 2016 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:29] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Hi, you guys. Have a wonderful weekend. Welcome, everyone. NEWSROOM starts now.
Good Friday morning. I'm Poppy Harlow in today for my friend, Carol Costello. So glad you're with us. A lot of news to get to this hour and we begin with politics. Donald Trump charges back on to the campaign trail angry, defiant, and on the attack in the battleground states of Ohio and Florida, targeting the women now accusing him of unwanted sexual advances.
In a moment, you will hear from two of the accusers who sat down with CNN. Trump says their accusations are completely baseless.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These vicious claims about me of inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false. We already have substantial evidence to dispute these lies, and it will be made public in an appropriate way and at an appropriate time very soon.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You're hoping this dies down for you?
JESSICA LEEDS, ACCUSES DONALD TRUMP OF SEXUAL ASSAULT: I'm expecting it to, yes. Because as I said, I think Trump's organization or Trump himself will come up with some other blockbuster that will occupy the media. He's very good at that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Trump is running low on time to get his campaign back on track. It's now less than 25 days to go until you, American voters, go to the polls. Both campaigns, meantime, blitzing the swing states. Trump in North Carolina today. His running mate, Mike Pence, is in Florida. Bill Clinton visits Ohio today, as does President Obama. And Chelsea Clinton is in Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton, though, the candidate herself, notably absent. Why? We'll discuss that in a moment.
But let's begin with Trump's response to those allegations. CNN's Senior Political Reporter Manu Raju joins us live from Capitol Hill this morning. Good morning, Manu.
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Good morning, Poppy. Donald Trump actually painting himself as a victim of an unrelenting media and political establishment, going aggressively after the media for printing these allegations of unwanted sexual advances by Donald Trump.
And last night, actually, Melania Trump breaking her silence on this issue as well, actually tweeting out a letter from her lawyer pushing back against the "People" magazine writer who also alleged that Donald Trump may have sexually done things inappropriately to her several years ago when Melania Trump was pregnant. But in that letter, Poppy, actually not addressing the central allegation of sexual assault saying instead that they actually did not meet as the writer alleged, that they had met on his New York City sidewalk.
Now, Donald Trump trying to rile up his base by saying that this is a conspiracy. This is an effort by the political establishment to go after him to help the Clinton campaign. Here's a taste of what he had to say yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The most powerful weapon deployed by the Clintons is the corporate media, the press. The corporate media in our country is no longer involved in journalism. They're a political special interest, no different than any lobbyist or other financial entity with a total political agenda, and the agenda is not for you. It's for themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: Now, the real fear among Republicans, that all of this is spiraling out of control in this crucial stretch ahead of the elections. Down ticket Republicans just do not know how to respond.
I'm here in Madison, Wisconsin, waiting for Paul Ryan to actually start to talk about what his decision going forward was, to not defend or campaign with Donald Trump. He's scheduled to speak here to college Republicans later today and answer questions from them.
Yesterday, he actually was speaking with business leaders here in Wisconsin and was scheduled to speak for 30 minutes, to answer questions for 30 minutes. He scrapped that Q and A session, a real sign that Republicans just don't know how to respond to Donald Trump and all these allegations. The message is all over the place that's why we're seeing a lot of Republicans running away from him.
But Donald Trump wants to leave the message like this, Poppy, that the media, the establishment, is out to get him, an effort to rile up his base. The question is, will it work and get independent voters come November, Poppy.
HARLOW: Mm-hm. I mean, that's what he needs, right? He's got his base. They're here. What he needs are those independents, those undecideds, those people on the fence. Is this going to help him or hurt him in that effort? That's what this is all about 24 days out. Manu, thank you very much. Reporting from Capitol Hill this morning.
[09:05:05] A Trump accuser along with a former pageant contestant, I should say, appeared last night on CNN making their charges against the GOP candidate. One claimed that he groped her during a flight that was about 30 years ago, another claim that Trump denies. The other is a former contestant in Trump's Miss USA beauty pageant. She says that Trump came into the dressing room while many of the girls were getting dressed. It's a practice that Trump has publicly bragged about in the past. Here are their stories in their own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMANTHA HOLVEY, 2006 MISS NORTH CAROLINA: I was in a robe, but this was before final's night. We have 51 beautiful girls from all over the country getting ready, all stages of getting ready, and he comes walking in. And I remember feeling so shocked and how inappropriate it was because I was barely 20 years old, and here he comes in to the dressing room and backstage. And I just felt that it was extremely inappropriate.
They lined us all up, and Trump went down the line, and he shook your hand and, you know, looked you over, looked you up and down, head to toe, and was just checking everybody out. I felt very dirty. It was very creepy.
LEEDS: He was grabbing my breasts and trying to turn me towards him and kissing me. And then after a bit, that's when his hands started going -- I was wearing a skirt, and his hands started going towards my knee and up my skirt. And that's when I said, I don't need this, and I got up --
COOPER: Is that literally what you said, or you --
LEEDS: I don't know if I said it out loud or whether -- but I, you know --
COOPER: That's what you were thinking?
LEEDS: I do remember thinking, the guy in the other seat, why doesn't he say something? I mean --
COOPER: Could other people see?
LEEDS: The guy in the seat across the aisle could see. And I kept thinking, well, maybe the stewardess is going to come and he'll stop but she never came.
COOPER: Do you know how long that went on for?
LEEDS: Not real long, no. No, I would say just about, what, 15 minutes? That's long enough.
COOPER: That's a long time.
LEEDS: Yes. COOPER: Did he actually kiss you?
LEEDS: Yes. Yes.
COOPER: On the face, on your lips?
LEEDS: All -- wherever he could find a landing spot, yes. They had a fancy gala at Saks Fifth avenue, and I got to go and represent the Humane Society because I had this fabulous dress. Fabulous dress. And I got to hand out the tickets for the tables, and up to the table comes Donald Trump. And he -- I hand him the ticket for his table and he looks at me and he says, I remember you. You're the woman from the airplane. Now, he used another word.
COOPER: What did he say?
LEEDS: It's obscene. It's obscene. And I just -- I don't want to go there, but he acknowledged me. And I --
COOPER: So when he said, you're -- he said you're the something from the airplane?
LEEDS: Mm-hm.
COOPER: So he was using a derogatory term?
LEEDS: Mm-hm.
COOPER: OK.
LEEDS: As I recall it, I just said, here's your ticket. I hope you have a good evening. And I left pretty soon afterwards because I was thunderstruck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: The Trump campaign denies these claims and is vowing this morning to show proof that they are lies. Let's discuss.
With me now, Washington bureau chief from "The Chicago Sun-Times," Lynn Sweet. Also with me, Larry Sabato. He's the director of Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. Thank you both for being with me.
And, Lynn, let me begin with you. The thing is, you know, this is not impacting Trump's among his loyal supporters, even in those swing states. I mean, I was just in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania interviewing Trump supporters, called them all back after this broke, the "Access Hollywood" tape, et cetera, almost all of them are standing by Trump.
But here's where he has a big problem. Let's look at the new Fox News poll. This is Clinton's lead among likely women voters, shows a 19- point gap. She is ahead by 19 points among Democratic and Republican women. Lynn, is there a path to victory for Trump if he does not narrow that divide? LYNN SWEET, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: He needs
270 electoral votes, Poppy, and he's not on a path to get them. You know, the old saying is that politics is addition not subtraction, and he's not doing it.
But when you talk about the beauty pageant woman who talked about Trump walking in when they weren't dressed?
HARLOW: Right.
[09:10:00] SWEET: For all his complaints against journalists and all the fact checks where he was wrong, this is a fact check that he was right. He says he walked in on women in various stages of undress, and this woman said he did, so this is not a case where journalists are making anything up.
And I just hope when people listen to his rants against journalists, that they take it a piece at a time and they see that a lot of what is going on in his problems with expanding the base is a result of his own words. And that's why he's having so much trouble expanding the base.
HARLOW: Expanding the base. And that's really what it all comes down to. Here's the thing, Larry. What we've heard from Trump surrogates, supporters, including his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, just this morning on "NEW DAY" saying, and you've heard others like Kayleigh McEnany sort of saying, why weren't these accusations brought decades ago? Years ago? No police reports were filed. They are questioning the timing, saying you're less than a month out from the election.
Does that help Trump at all in this in terms of getting any of those undecided voters who are outside of his base, the timing?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: No. Look, it only helps with his base because they're eager to accept absolutely any explanation he gives, no matter how incredible it is. Look, Poppy, it just boils down to this. Donald Trump is substantially behind. Substantially behind.
When you're behind, you have to find ways to expand your base and include other voters. This discussion about women and Trump is exactly opposite of what Trump needs, which is to talk about the issues that helped at getting the nomination, immigration and terrorism, and the economy. And he's either not discussing it or it can't be reported on because these allegations have taken to the floor, so he either gets rid of this and stops fighting this battle, or he gives up whatever slim, and I do mean slim, chance he has of getting to 270.
HARLOW: So let's listen to what his running mate, Mike Pence, said this morning on CBS just moments ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MIKE PENCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Frankly, I think even before the day is out, they'll be more evidence publicly that shows and calls into question these latest allegations.
CHARLIE ROSE, CBS NEWS HOST: What evidence is coming out?
PENCE: Well, just stay tuned. I know that there's more information that's going to be coming out that will back his claim that this is all categorically false.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Lynn, evidence coming out that this is, quote, categorically false. He's not the only one that said that. Jerry Falwell, Jr., who has also endorsed him, said that yesterday on CNN, that there are e- mails, that there will be evidence coming out, the camp is saying, as soon as today. What could that be?
SWEET: Well --
HARLOW: Because we're not talking about just one claim.
SWEET: Well, let's just go, even in that one claim, Trump said he walked in on undressed women. A woman who was there said he did. I don't know what you could do to dispute this when both parties are in agreement. I also don't know, unless Jerry Falwell was privy to whatever this is he's taking on faith, that there is evidence to dispute this. So we could wait and see what it is.
There are multiple claims, multiple streams here, when you talk the allegations against him by various women, and we'll just have to see whether or not it is airtight. I think that Governor Pence is putting a lot on the line by lending his credibility to Donald Trump and vouching for him this morning. We'll just have to let events play out today and see what they put on the table.
HARLOW: And quickly, before I go, Larry, I think that's a really important point because, you know, Lynn, you're right when you talk about say a 2020 or 2024 for Governor Pence. He's clearly willing to put it on the line, Larry, when he wouldn't come out and support Trump immediately this weekend after the tape came out. He waited to see how Trump did in the debate.
SABATO: Well, Pence has tied his future to Trump and he'll never be able to get away from Trump, one way or the other. But also, I think it's -- let's just get down to brass tacks. The odds that all of these women are lying or have invented these stories is next to nil. And everybody outside of Trump's base gets it.
HARLOW: Larry, Lynn, thank you very much. We're going to take a quick break. A lot to come, still.
Next, did Hillary Clinton just find her closer? First lady Michelle Obama revs up the crowd with a blistering Trump takedown. You'll hear her in her own words next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:18:47] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton has harnessed the star power of the White House, bringing out the president, the vice president, and the first lady to campaign for her on the trail. But yesterday, all three pretty much walked away from your typical stump speech and confronted the sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump head on.
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: To dismiss this as everyday locker room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere. The men that you and I know don't treat women this way. They are loving fathers who are sickened by the thought of their daughters being exposed to this kind of vicious language about women. They are husbands, and brothers, and sons who don't tolerate women being treated and demeaned and disrespected.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's the choice between somebody who is as qualified as has ever been to run for this office. On the other hand, you've got somebody who each and every day, every time he talks, proves himself unfit as unqualified for this office.
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: His admission of what is the textbook definition of sexual assault, I'm talking about Trump obviously, is not inconsistent with the way which he's abused power all along.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[09:20:08] HARLOW: Let's bring in CNN senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar.
Brianna, obviously all three of them making not your typical stump speech but it was the first lady who got so much attention yesterday.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure. She may have been the best effective front in this multi-prong attack against Donald Trump that we saw yesterday based on the "Access Hollywood" tape and now all of these allegations that are coming out.
President Obama as well. He's going to be in Ohio. He's focusing on places where people are early voting. Vice President Joe Biden, he's someone who introduced the Violence Against Women Act in 1992. So, he comes from this unique position to talk about this.
But it's really Michelle Obama who has a 64 percent approval rating according to the last time Gallup checked, who is really helping Hillary Clinton with a rebuke of Donald Trump, and a positive message about Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OBAMA: She's traveled to 112 countries, negotiated a cease-fire, a peace agreement, a release of dissidents. She spent 11 hours testifying before a congressional committee. We know that when things get tough, Hillary doesn't complain. She doesn't blame others. She doesn't abandon ship for something easier. No, Hillary Clinton has never quit on anything in her life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: But so many observers, Poppy, are looking at this and what they see, of course, the first lady backing up Hillary Clinton. But this is really also her protecting the legacy of her husband. Trying to get Hillary Clinton elected.
Now, Hillary Clinton is off the campaign trail today. She's got a fund-raising swing. So that's what she's busy with. But she has -- she did appear on "Ellen" and she talked about something that is really concerning so many people on this campaign, including the candidate herself and that is that some people may stay home.
Some Democrats, or some people who are in the middle of the political spectrum, who really maybe didn't want to vote for either candidate because they have an idea that Hillary Clinton has the upper hand here. Here's what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't want anybody to think this election's over because it's been so unpredictable up until now that I'm not taking anything for granted. We've got to work really hard for the next 3 1/2 weeks, because who knows, who knows what can happen. So, everybody who's watching and everybody who has followed this election, please, turn out and vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: And that may be, Poppy, where some of the lack of enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton in the middle of the political spectrum may be hurtful to her. Because there is a scenario the s looking at where those folks who do not want to volt for Donald Trump have really been struggling with voting for Hillary Clinton. May think she's up in the polls, I'm going to stay home. And that's something that they worry could affect the outcome on election day.
HARLOW: Big time. Brianna, thank you very much -- Brianna Keilar in Washington.
And while Michelle Obama is clearly, as you heard just there, outraged, many Trump supporters, his loyal base, are not. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN BELTRE, TRUMP SUPPORTER: He's never abused women number one. He's a good father and a good husband.
REPORTER: How do you know he's never abused women?
BELTRE: How do I know? Because I know people who know him personally.
REPORTER: Why would these women come forward if it isn't true?
MICHAEL CROWLEY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Does it matter? Does it really matter? Does it matter?
REPORTER: What, he allegedly did?
CROWLEY: With the problems this country has, if he did grope a woman, does it really matter? Is it that important? Or do we have bigger fish to fry?
REPORTER: Why would they come forward even if it wasn't true?
CROWLEY: Who cares? Who cares?
REPORTER: Anderson Cooper had to ask Donald Trump three times on the debate stage if he was -- if he had ever done these things, if he had ever groped a woman. He said, no. Does it bother you if that wasn't true?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it doesn't bother me.
REPORTER: Would it matter to you if Donald Trump lied on the debate stage --
CROWLEY: Hillary lies every single day. Hillary lies every single day. Stop it.
DIANE KUSHNER, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Here's the racist that's going to be in the White House if Hillary wins. Nobody seems to be worried about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Let's discuss this Amy Kremer. She's the co-chair of Women Vote Trump and CNN political commentator Bill Press. He supports Hillary Clinton.
Thank you both for being here.
BILL PRESS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi, Poppy.
AMY KREMER, WOMEN VOTE TRUMP: Good morning.
HARLOW: Amy, I'd like to start with you. You just heard one of those Trump supporters say to our Randi Kaye and I quote, "If he did group a woman, does it really matter?"
Amy, you're a woman who is a Trump supporter. Do you think it matters?
AMY KREMER, CO-CHAIR, WOMEN VOTE TRUMP: Poppy, I think everybody is entitled to their day in court. They're innocent until proven guilty and these are simply allegations --
HARLOW: Sorry, Amy. Amy let's just get -- let's get back to the question. Trump supporter said, if he did grope a woman, does it really matter? To you, as a woman who is a big Trump supporter, do you think it matters?
KREMER: Yes, I think it matters. But has it been proven that he's done that?
[09:25:01] So, I mean that's -- I don't know why we continue to talk about these allegations when nothing's been proven. Where were these women over the past year and a half when he was in the Republican primary? Why didn't anybody come forward then?
I mean, it -- in the past six days, ABC, CBS and NBC News have covered this story four hours and 16 minutes. They've only talked about the WikiLeaks for 36 minutes. There's obviously a bias here in the media, and everyone is going after Trump.
HARLOW: We need to follow up on that. You question why the media is talking about these -- these allegations. Do you feel the same way that the media should not have been talked about the allegations against former President Bill Clinton? Because the media talked about those a lot as well.
KREMER: And you know what I think? I think that the media should report the news and be fair and balance and let the people decide. That's exactly what I think. But when you start covering this last Friday and it's all you talked about for 72 hours straight, that's all you hear.
The American people don't want to hear it. The American people are tuning out, because they want to get back to the issues. Everyone is sick of this election. And I am, too. I'm sure that you guys are. But, why -- continue to talk about this?
HARLOW: Just to your point about the ]tuning out, they're not, as Anderson said I the debate Sunday night, this -- this story was the most shared story and discussed on Facebook, on social media.
Bill, let me bring you in because Amy brings a point up of timing. And, and, she makes the point that where were these allegations years ago, 30 years ago, even a few years ago, no police reports were filed, does she have a point there?
PRESS: I think these women have spoken to that. They have said that at that time times were different they made the decision, they were not going to take on Donald Trump. They just moved on.
And when they heard him lie, and let's face it, lie in the debate, they felt they had to come forward.
To Amy's point, here's why we're talking about this still today. You know why? Because Donald Trump won't shut up talking about it. Because he's devoted his entire speech last night to attacking these women. That's why we're talking about it.
And talking about this conspiracy between the Clinton machine somehow and the corporate media, well, you know our job in the media, Poppy. Donald Trump says I just talk, I never touched a woman, I never groped a woman. And now four women have come forward with very, very detailed accounts of how he did. Now what are we in the media --
KREMER: Bill, I'm sorry, but -- PRESS: I want to finish. I let you finish. Please.
KREMER: OK.
PRESS: What do we in the media supposed to do? Just ignore the story? We tell their story. And yes, let the people decide.
Donald Trump has said for two days now he has tons of evidence that they were lying. He has come forth with not one shred of evidence. And finally I just got to say, Poppy, I think it is sad that any woman in America today would consider voting for Donald Trump. And for Donald Trump to do so, I think they are putting their hatred for Hillary Clinton ahead of their love for their country, ahead for any sense of decency.
HARLOW: Bill, let me get Amy back in here, because Mike Pence, Donald Trump's running mate has said on two different morning shows on CBS and NBC this morning that evidence is coming shortly. He just told Matt Lauer I think it's coming in a matter of hours.
Amy, when you look at this, Donald Trump has been invited repeatedly to come on CNN to speak about a host of issues. He has chosen not to. Would you like to see your candidate do that, to come on CNN and to address these women's allegations?
KREMER: Poppy, I want to see him address the allegations. He has done that. He's already said I didn't do it. And he says there's going to be evidence that's going to be put forward to disprove this. So, until that evidence is put forward, I'm going to take him at his word.
PRESS: Poppy --
HARLOW: So, you think -- just to be clear here, Amy, you think we should just stop talking about this completely --
KREMER: No, Poppy, that's not what I said --
HARLOW: Why are we -- that's is what you said.
KREMER: You are talking about it -- I mean it is like an obsession with the media. Bill, laugh -- you can laugh all you want but the fact of the matter is, NBC sat on that tape from "Access Hollywood", they've have it since August, and they were going to release it at a time when it had maximum impact.
PRESS: Calm down, it's an obsession with Donald Trump, that's why we're talking about it.
Poppy, let's be honest here, okay. There's no campaign going on anymore. This is a self-destruction suicide mission on Donald Trump's part who knows he has lost. Every day that he spends attacking Miss Universe or attacking Paul Ryan or attacking these women, he's doing nothing to increase --
HARLOW: I'm out of time. I have to leave it there. Bill, I would just say that the Trump camp would very much disagree
with that statement. Bill --
PRESS: No kidding.
HARLOW: Thank you very much.
KREMER: Thank you.
HARLOW: Still to come here in the NEWSROOM: Donald Trump's path 270 electoral votes, looking more and more narrow, as reliably red states threaten to turn purple.
