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Multiple Women Accuse Trump Of Sexual Assault; Trump To Speak Amid Eight Claims Of Sexual Misconduct; Trump's Wife Melania Staying Off The Campaign Trail; Allegations of Sexual Abuse by Donald Trump Examined; Donald Trump Speaks in New Hampshire; Clinton Campaign Blames Russia for Email Hack. Aired Noon-1p ET

Aired October 15, 2016 - 12:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- political smear campaigns in the history of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Each time an accuser has come forward with their story, the Trump campaign has responded with specific reasoning and alibis to dispute them.

Let's go now to CNN's Jessica Schneider in New York. And so Jessica, two women came forward yesterday. We are talking about a total of eight women. How is Trump responding to the latest two?

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Donald Trump fighting back vigorously against all of these claims. He's even saying that he is the victim and that this election is being rigged.

Eight women have now come forward to say that they were sexually accosted by Donald Trump over a time period ranging from the '70s and '80s up until 2010. Their stories are very similar. They all say that these were uninvited incidents of groping and kissing.

They say they are coming forward now because of Donald Trump's own words in that "Access Hollywood" tape and his subsequent denials at last weekend's debate.

A woman named Kristin Anderson said she was at a Manhattan nightclub in the 1990s when Trump groped her. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRSTIN ANDERSON, TRUMP ACCUSER: I was sitting on the couch with my girlfriends. It was at a club. I was talking to them. Next thing I know, there's a hand up my skirt. I basically just pushed the hand away, turned and looked. Got up off the couch and we all moved.

It was a very packed. There were people everywhere, as it was then. You know, I recognized $e eyebrows right away. I turned to my girlfriends, they said oh, that's Donald Trump. Oh, yes, that's Donald Trump, the eyebrows. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: The Trump campaign is responding forcefully to Anderson's claim. They have been responding forcibly at every woman has come forward, but Trump's spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, saying this about Kristin Anderson's account.

She says, "This is a total fabrication, it did not happen. It is logical and nonsensical to think that Donald Trump was alone in a nightclub in Manhattan and that the alleged incident in recognition of Mr. Trump went unnoticed by both the woman involved and anyone else in this crowded venue. Further, why is this coming out just now?"

Hope Hicks continued by saying, "The answer is that this is clearly a political attack designed to tear down Mr. Trump." Now all of these women have claimed that they told their friends or family members in the hours and days after the alleged assaults.

But they all say they are coming forward just now because this has become a huge issue in his presidential campaign -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Jessica Schneider, thank you so much for that. Trump is also claiming that the Clinton campaign and the media have created this controversy.

Let's talk about this more with CNN political commentator, Tara Setmayer, and Donald Trump supporter, Gina Loudon. Gina, to you first, do you believe the Clinton campaign and the media are really behind this?

GINA LOUDON, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, if you do read the Podesta e-mail that came out in the Wikileaks release, they said we are going to have to try to paint Mr. Trump as a sexual pervert. It's the only way they believe they could win.

And so if you believe their own words, I guess, it is theoretically possible. Let me back up and say, I think it is incredibly important, I have counseled many women who have been sexually assaulted, and girls.

But I have counseled men who have been falsely accused and boys who have been falsely accused. It's important that we, especially in the media and as commentators, we dwell in the realm of facts, facts that we know.

When you look at the real misogyny that has taken place in this campaign, it's taken place by Hillary Clinton, not by Donald Trump.

WHITFIELD: So, I wonder, Gina, if we could take a moment and listen to these accusers, at least two of whom have, you know, gone in front of the camera now and there are eight now in total. This is what they have to say about what precipitated them even coming forward and then reflecting on what they alleged happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald just grabbed my ass.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Next thing I know, there is a hand up my skirt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His hand started going towards my knee and up my skirt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A quick hug and kiss on the lips and I was shocked, just because I was like what was that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He then grabbed my shoulder and began kissing me again very aggressively and placed his hand on my breast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So that's from five of the eight women, Gina, and many of them have said in various interviews that when they heard Donald Trump respond to the "Access Hollywood" and say that he has never done those things before, it was just locker room talk, many of them came forward, on their own, and at great risk, you know, to be criticized, which is why many of them say they didn't come forward long ago. What is your response to them when they say they have done this on their own?

LOUDON: Certainly, if a video surfaces or, like the one we saw of Mr. Clinton groping the flight attendant last week or if --

[12:05:06]WHITFIELD: But talk about these women who said they came forward on their own as a result of Trump saying it was locker room talk. He would never and had never done those things.

LOUDON: Like I said, certainly, if there's any sort of proof, we have to start really having a conversation about this. Right now, there's absolutely zero proof. This is a day and time where there are video tapes on every corner, in a nightclub. There are video tapes everywhere.

I have had a purse picked up before and I have been able to locate who took the purse because there was a video tape. Until there's some sort of proof, you just can't -- we can't live in a society where we just decide because somebody said something, especially in the last days of a campaign, the very 11th hour that suddenly that's some sort of proof. It just isn't.

WHITFIELD: So granted this is 20 or 30 years ago, depending on each individual's account. You are saying that their personal testimony that's not enough for you. There has to be more to substantiate their claims even though there is a real common denominator here with the language and with their experiences.

LOUDON: Well, in fact, there is -- there are witnesses to the contrary. There are witnesses in fact on that plane that day who say that completely didn't happen. This woman says she wanted to marry Mr. Trump. That she was coming on to him.

WHITFIELD: We haven't heard from those witnesses yet --

LOUDON: A statement that came out yesterday.

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Just to immediately address that, the witness that came forward that claimed what happened on the plane is completely discredited. He is implicated in a child sex scam. He fabricated things for newspapers in Britain. The guy has been completely discredited. The witness the Trump campaign put forward is just, you know, ridiculous.

WHITFIELD: At least one publication is reporting on that. CNN has not yet verified the story or the character or the involvement of that person.

SETMAYER: Right. So I would be cautious on the Trump campaign to do that.

WHITFIELD: That's your point of view based on other reporting that you have seen.

SETMAYER: The larger context here, I'm sitting back, looking at this and listening to the hypocrisy of fellow conservatives who went after Bill Clinton and who have say that we should believe Bill Clinton's accusers. There's no proof, only their word.

All we got from Juanita (inaudible) to Kathleen Willy, the same thing, not saying that their claims aren't potential credible and that might have happened. But the standard doesn't seem to apply to Donald Trump.

And the difference also and if someone, my fellow panelist says that she has counseled women that have been sexually assaulted, then you should know better and understand why women don't come forward right away.

There is a power dynamic that often times prevent them from speaking out because it's usually by someone they know and is more powerful than them. And they feel they won't be believed.

Now we are getting on Bill Cosby territory here because when someone comes out and says he did the same thing to me. We hear it as a collective then it makes people say, wait a minute, hold on, wait a second.

For the ones that you allegedly counseled that were falsely accused, I question how many of them bragged about the activity, about the sexual assault that they like to do and those were the fake accusations against them that came out.

Donald Trump, himself, bragged about what he likes to do to women because he can do it as a star. Then these women come out and say yes, he did it to me. Donald Trump, himself, said he did never did this. It was him not the Clinton --

WHITFIELD: When you heard the "Access Hollywood" tape and he says I can get away with it. He says he has done it. You are shaking your head when Tara was reminding us of that. They're not just words. He was admitting to that behavior. Why is it so unbelievable in your view?

And to Tara's point, is it hypercritical for Donald Trump to have brought this up 30 years ago, parade for women during the debate with their alleged links to Bill Clinton's improprieties and now the table has turned and accusations are being hurled against Donald Trump. You are saying that there isn't enough evidence.

LOUDON: Well, I do believe -- I was appalled when I heard the words of Donald Trump, but no more appalled that I am when I hear Hillary Clinton call the women that her husband was proven to have assaulted and she called them bimbos. She spent $100,000 trying to shame these women after they had been abused.

SETMAYER: And Donald Trump not doing the exact same thing?

WHITFIELD: You're still not addressing the issue at hand right now.

[12:10:00]LOUDON: But I am, if you let me finish.

SETMAYER: He's doing the same thing at these rallies, he's calling these women sick liars, saying that they are not good looking enough for him to sexual assault them. I mean, Donald Trump --

LOUDON: It's three weeks before an election. Can we be realistic here? It's three weeks before an election. The accusations and all of the proof about Hillary Clinton shaming these rape victims in some cases, this is called rape enabling. I'm much more concerned for the victims of America, who have to go through something like what Hillary Clinton --

(CROSSTALK)

SETMAYER: Justifying Donald Trump. That's sexually assault enabling them. I guess we are even.

(CROSSTALK)

LOUDON: There's not even an accusation that Mr. Trump has ever raped anyone -- evidence that Hillary Clinton has -- not only did she --

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Let me interject here. So Gina, Donald Trump has been calling this a conspiracy saying it is taking place at the hands of a global power structure. Now 24 days before Election Day, is it your view that voters when they go the polls they will think of it as a great conspiracy or will be second guessing now character of both candidates based on the reporting and allegations that came to the surface recently?

SETMAYER: Well, I think --

WHITFIELD: Gina first.

LOUDON: I'm sorry. I think that when voters go to the polls, especially women like me who are moms and professional women, I think that they are going to get in there and they're going to be worried about their children being safe, and not having open borders.

I think they are worried about a candidate, Hillary Clinton who said things like that, hey, Wall Street, Goldman Sachs, what I say to you isn't what I'm really -- don't worry about what I say to the voters because I don't really mean it.

I think they are going to be worried about someone as dangerous as Hillary Clinton who sells uranium to Russia and takes hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign governments --

WHITFIELD: So these accusations are immaterial you are saying?

SETMAYER: Well, the polls don't show that.

LOUDON: I believe that proof matters. I think when women look at the fact that Hillary Clinton said a 12-year-old rape victim probably brought it on herself, that's on tape, it's proven. This is what Hillary actually did, I think those kind of things are going to matter especially to women.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tara, the big influencer for voters as they head to the polls?

SETMAYER: I think the -- well, unfortunately, the voters are faced with two awful choices. It's looking more and more that Hillary Clinton is corrupt and a crook and Donald Trump is crazy. These are the choices that the American people have to choose from. I think this is awful.

But what they are going to look at, though, is someone who has the temperament to be president and that can actually run the government. The way Donald Trump ran his campaign is indicative of what a disaster it would be if you put him at even more power, with the power of the United States behind him.

I mean, Donald Trump, they want to talk about issues. Trump won't talk about issues. The way he reacts to any type of adversity should scare everyone. When you are president of the United States, there's influx in adversity all the time.

The fact that he's unable to process this or ever take responsibility or demonstrate humility, that is concerning. He's ginning up his base to de-legitimize our election calling it rigged, saying it's some global conspiracy.

WHITFIELD: We'll leave it there.

SETMAYER: It's the people transfer of power that keeps our country and our democracy so special. He's trying to undermine that for his own selfish reasons and that to me is dangerous.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Ladies. Tara Setmayer, Gina Loudon, appreciate it.

Reminder, fresh off the heels of these sexual misconduct allegations, we are going hear from the Republican presidential nominee at any moment now in that space right there taking that stage in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We'll take you there live as it happens. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:17:17]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Donald Trump not letting the allegations against him keep him off the trail. He is scheduled to hold a rally at any moment now in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. CNN's Sara Murray is at that rally joining me now live. Sara, we do believe it's any moment he is to be introduced.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, we are expecting him shortly. Senator Jeff Sessions is warming up the crowd for him right now. The question is whether we are going to see Donald Trump come out today and continue to try to refute these allegations of sexual assault against him or try to turn the corner and focus on some of the issues that battleground state voters in New Hampshire have been focusing on.

An aide tells me that he is expected to talk about the drug problem here in New Hampshire, that's a big issue with voters here. These are the kinds of messages that are repeatedly overshadowed and have been for the last few days as Donald Trump continues to not only deny any of these allegations of sexual assault.

But also to insult the women who are bringing these accusations on a number of cases, even suggesting that these women were not attractive enough to warrant his attention. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Sara Murray, we'll check back with you when Donald Trump then takes to the stage.

So as Donald Trump crisscrosses the country to campaign, one of his biggest supporters is rarely seen. Where is Melania Trump? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:22:36]

WHITFIELD: All right, live pictures right now, former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani preparing the crowd there in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for the soon arrival of Republican nominee, Donald Trump. When he arrives we'll take you there live.

All right, meantime, as Donald Trump's campaign hits yet another crisis, one of his biggest supporter has been mostly silent, his wife, Melania. CNN's Brian Todd explains the woman who could be first lady is rarely seen on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: Right now, I am being viciously attacked with lies and smears. It's a phony deal. I have no idea who these women are. BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the accusations pile up, the most important woman in Donald Trump's inner circle has stayed silent and has been largely absent from the campaign trail since her ill-fated speech at the Republican convention.

MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: My parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life.

TODD: Melania Trump made it clear early in the campaign that she would focus much of her time raising their son, Baron, but she did issue a statement the morning after the "Access Hollywood" tape came out saying, quote, "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man that I know."

To her lawyers Mrs. Trump also sent a letter to the writer and editor of a "People" magazine article. She threatened to sue them, not over the writer's allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her, but over a passage which claimed falsely according to Melania Trump that the writer once casually met Mrs. Trump on the street.

LYNN SWEET, "CHICAGO SUN TIMES": It's knit picking and it's not part of the larger issue.

TODD: How does Melania Trump really feel about all the allegations? Why hasn't she come out and spoken at any length about them to cameras. The campaign isn't commenting. A crisis communications guru has a theory.

RICHARD LEVICK, CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST: I think there's real fear. What else might there be?

TODD: Mrs. Trump does have examples to follow.

SWEET: Usually in campaigns, wives are used to be validators of their husband, to be a voice to talk about their husband. Wives in campaigns or spouses in general in campaigns are often used to tell the public about a side of the candidate that they otherwise would not know.

TODD: A role immortalized by Hillary Clinton in a 1992 "60 Minutes" interview after Jennifer Flower said she'd had a long running affair with Bill Clinton.

[12:25:03]CLINTON: I'm not sitting here some little woman standing my man like Tammy Wynett. I'm sitting here because I love him and I respect him and I honor what he's been through and what we've been through together. If that's not enough for people, then heck, don't vote for him.

TODD: But so far, none of that from Melania Trump. It's been left to her husband.

TRUMP: By the way, we are stronger today than we were ever before.

TODD: If Mrs. Trump addresses the multiple allegations, how should she do it? LEVICK: They need to take her out of the cocoon, take her out of hibernation. She needs to be front and center talking about this issue, showing her forgiveness.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: "The New York Times" reports Donald Trump and his advisers have considered a joint television interview that he and Melania Trump would give to a major network. But "The Times" says after a statement from the "Access Hollywood" anchor who Trump talked about in those initial tapes and after excerpts from his interviews from Howard Stern came out, campaign officials nixed that idea. The Trump campaign wouldn't comment on that or give us any comment for this story. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

WHITFIELD: All right, Melania may be staying off the campaign trail, but Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is not. Her big focus, suburban female voters. Her message to women, next.

Plus we are still awaiting to hear from Donald Trump himself in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We'll bring you his comments live as it happens.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Live pictures right now in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The crowd is in place awaiting Donald Trump to appear.

He's had a number of guests from Jeff Sessions to former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani who have been there trying to warm up the crowd. It seems as though they might be close to hearing from Donald Trump himself. When that happens we'll take you there live.

[12:30:00] Meantime, Ivanka Trump has returned to the campaign trail amid allegations that her father sexually assaulted multiple women. She stumped in the crucial state of Pennsylvania in an effort to court female voters. CNN chief political correspondent, Dana Bash has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump gets the raucous crowd, but his daughter's trip on the trail is speaking volumes. Ivanka Trump's whirlwind schedule is targeting areas likely to determine whether her father becomes president. The suburbs of Philadelphia.

IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: I wouldn't be able to go into the office every day if I didn't have a safe place to bring my child.

BASH: She played it very safe. Fielding several of the same softballs at multiple events, like why she thinks her father would make a good president. And darting out, ignoring our attempts to ask questions. First in Chester County.

Ivanka, what was your reaction when you heard your father's tape?

And again later in Delaware County.

Ivanka, Can you answer a question?

She preaches to the choir Pennsylvania women already all in for Trump, despite his lewd language caught on tape, and the new multiple allegations of groping.

JESSICA CURTIS, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I'm voting for Donald Trump.

BASH: You sound a little reluctant when you say that.

CURTIS: Well, I think it's just been a hard road.

MELISSA BRAITHWAITE, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: He wasn't saying what he does to women, per se. I think he was just bragging.

BASH: Team Trump is hoping local media coverage will help with the political reality not reflected inside these Suburban Philly events. GOP officials privately tell us Donald Trump's 2005 comments hurt him big time here, especially among women. A new poll shows Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by a whopping 43 percent among female voters here in the Philly suburbs.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The suburbs of Philadelphia because we have to get that vote. We want to get that vote.

MARLENE FURGIUELE-MENTZER, MEMBER, WOMEN FOR TRUMP: Donald Trump is a change candidate and the right person to get things done.

BASH: A group called women for Trump is feverishly trying to do just that, even those who are not thrilled with his behavior.

FURGIUELE-MENTZER: I'm a feminist and of course, it bothered me. However, the topics that are facing this country are far greater than the words on that tape.

BASH: On the suburban Philadelphia streets, some female Trump supporters say they're motivated by their opposition to Hillary Clinton.

COLLEEN GREEN, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: Yeah, I think she's a liar. I think she's a fraud. I think she covers up a lot of things.

(OFF-MIC)

BASH: But the owner of this yoga studio in West Chester, P.A. says her female clients are now more likely to vote Hillary.

SUSAN SLUK, OWNER OF EAT, DRINK, OM: I'm hearing lot of women that are really starting to dig their heels and feel empowered about themselves based upon what's happening in the campaign.

BASH: Even some who say she is hardly their first choice. HANNAH COLLINS, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: If it were any other Republican candidate, maybe I would like write Bernie in, but it's just not the time for a protest vote

BASH: Can we say that you (abstract) part of Hillary?

Democrats at this Clinton phone bank say Trump is making their jobs easier.

VAL ARKOOSH, COMMISSIONER OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: A number of people have said to me that what was sort of I'm going to hold my nose and vote for Secretary Clinton has turned into steadfast support.

BASH: the question is whether Ivanka or any Trump can turn that around in under four weeks. Dana bash, CNN, Malvern Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, we're going talk more about that. Meantime, you're seeing Donald Trump is just taken to the stage there in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We're going to monitor his comments, bring them live as it merits.

Meantime, let's talk a little bit more particularly about Ivanka Trump's role in all this. CNN Political Commentator Tara Setmayer and Donald Trump Supporter, Gina Loudon, both back with me. Ladies, all right, so Tara, let me begin with you. Not Trump's wife, but his daughter, Ivanka, who is indeed a force, but on the campaign trail 24 days now ahead of Election Day and usually you see very prominently the wife or the spouse of a candidate. What does this say to you in terms of the relationship, the family, the positioning of why Ivanka Trump has been kind anointed as a real force in reaching out, particularly to these suburban female voters?

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think because Ivanka is more polished, she's been out in front in public most of her life. So I think she knows how to handle this better than Melania, infairness to her. I don't think Melania, that's really what --- she's happy being in the background and that's clear and plus what happened to her at the convention I think left a bad taste in her mouth and soyw for her sake, they would much rather have Ivanka, I think she's a better surrogate.

WHITFIELD: But those voters need, want, I don't think first of getting to know the couple.

SETMAYER: Who normally ...

WHITFIELD: That is actually, be first lady.

SETMAYER: Yes, normally. But this -- there's nothing normal or conventional about this election. And I think that, you know, we see that just based on what we see every single day.

[12:35:02] But putting Ivanka out front there and going to Philadelphia is significant because, without winning the suburbs of Philadelphia or at least making inroads there, Donald Trump has no chance of winning Pennsylvania.

But right now latest poll show that Donald Trump is polling at about 24 percent with women in suburban Philadelphia. That's not going to cut it. It's about 28 percent to 30 depending on the poll nationally. That's not going to cut it. Mitt Romney won college educated women. Mitt Romney won white voters, college educated white voters overall by plus six. Right now, Donald Trump is losing college educated white women by 18. Republicans have won that voting block every year since 1972. So he -- just with the math, it doesn't seem possible for Donald Trump to make up the deficit with women.

WHITFIELD: So then Gina, how in your view is it Ivanka who can turn the tide so to speak for her dad?

GINA LOUDON, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, this is one place where I agree strongly with Hillary Clinton, I think that Mr. Trump's family says a lot about the kind of person he is and the fact that they're all even involved in his company, a company that promotes women disproportionately, that pays women more disproportionately. I think that it is again, we go to the difference between words and actions. And I think when we look at the actions of the Trump family and in their company and the way they've have run it, we do have a proven history of how women would be treated.

WHITFIELD: How do you see Ivanka helping, particularly in those slumping numbers that, you know, Tara was, you know, underscoring as it pertains to Donald Trump losing support among some women. How is it Ivanka can help build back up in your view?

LOUDON: Well, I think that she's, obviously, very polished, very articulate as Tara already mentioned. But I also think that, you know, just helping to lend a voice to some of the things that concern women in this particular election like National Security. It's a huge one.

Hillary said straight up, she wants open borders and open trade. Those are things most women in this country don't want, because they want to be safe from terror. They want their children safe from terror. They want their children to have jobs. It's Mr. Trump who has proven again and again he knows how to create jobs where you contrast that with Hillary Clinton who has never created a job ever, and by the way isn't even campaigning for the next several days as far as I have been told.

SETMAYER: Was necessary for a debate.

WHITFIELD: Gina, do you want to here from Melania Trump? I mean we know there was a statement last week in response to the "Access Hollywood" video tape that was, you know, released. The last time we saw her in a speaking role was during the RNC and that didn't go over well. So do you want to hear more from her? Do you think to overcome whatever conceptions people have based on, you know, those two public displays that people need to hear more from her, see her more in an active role?

LOUDON: You know, I would take issue with the -- pre supposition that she did something. I don't know I was on the floor at the debate. I covered that media ... WHITFIELD: Wait a minute.

(CROSSTALK)

LOUDON: Yes, and I thought that she did an absolute beautiful job. I think that she, again, is very articulate and ...

WHITFIELD: So wasn't a setback in your view that there were plagiarized works? You are not overlooking that part are you? The plagiarism?

LOUDON: I don't think that -- we've already rehashed that. And I really don't think that that was ...

WHITFIELD: Right. But what I'm saying is would it be to her to now be public -- play a much more pubic role some 24 days before Election Day to recover from that so that people can get to know her better, see who she is or you don't think it matters?

LOUDON: I would love to see more of her. No, I would love to see more of her. I think what is so cool though about their relationship, frankly, is the fact that Mr. Trump respects where she wants to be. If she wants to be in the workplace, he's going to help her with that. If she wants to be on the campaign trail he would definitely love to have her I'm sure, if she wants to be home taking care of their little boy, she gets to be there. That's what women in this country want. We want the freedom to do what we want to do. And you contrast that with the Bill Clinton, a known, sexual, you know, -- it's fascinating to me that all of a sudden, the left is very concerned about what sort of proprietary is going to take place in the oval office.

WHITFIELD: But Tara, I think the issue is ...

LOUDON: When Bill Clinton is in office ...

WHITFIELD: Well, I think the issue is people feel like they get to know a candidate by getting to know the spouses as well and there are, you know, of so many predecessors, there are so many examples in which you'd see the spouse on the campaign trail in a much more active role. And so the question being, you know, would it better benefit Donald Trump if people would see Malania Trump as well or get to know her? Would it help even paint a better picture or different picture about him by getting to know the spouse?

[12:40:03] SETMAYER: Not necessarily. I think we need to be careful making Melania Trump into this, you know, this figure, because it would remind people, also that she's significantly younger than him. She is the supermodel billionaire, you know, billionaire model's wife, third wife. And that you can go back to Donald Trump's infidelities and the fact that how he got to his third marriage and what he did to his first wife and how ugly that was in the tabloid. I mean I think that she's a less sympathetic figure for the average woman in this country. So that's probably -- it probably some consideration, that focus group that she didn't resinate as much with women the way that may be some other more traditional first ladies have. But the other thing about this, you know, this so pivoting back to bill Clinton's infidelities versus Donald Trump and, you know, Donald Trump's record with women ...

LOUDON: It wasn't infidelity, it was abuse. There's a difference.

SETMAYER: Is now more than just words. It's more than just locker room talk. And I wrote about this on cnn.com today. Where this is for women and the Republicans to continue to dismiss the alligations, the patterns, everything going on with Donald Trump is to run the risk of losing the ...

WHITFIELD: How was educated women's vote ...

SETMAYER: ... for good. All right, this is unacceptable and people ...

WHITFIELD: So Tara, I hate to interrupt you but. I do want to take -- I want to take everyone to Fort Smith, New Hampshire now. Because the nominee himself, Donald Trump is talking on a very important and crucial issue. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D TRUMP: And you know what I mean. In fact, today, the cousin of one of these people ...

In fact, today, the cousin of one of these people very close to her wrote a letter that what she said is a lie, that she was a huge fan of Donald Trump. That she invited Donald Trump to a restaurant to have dinner which by the way I didn't go to.

Didn't even know who the heck we're talking about here, but these allegations have been, many of them, are already proven so false and, in fact, the other one with "People magazine", the butler said it was a total lie. Remember the butler? The butler said it was a total lie. We can't let them get away with this, folks. We can't. Total lies. And you've been seeing total lies. But, we are going to stop it. We are not going to back down. And remember this it's a rigged election because you have phony people coming up with phony allegations with no witnesses whatsoever ending up from 20 years ago, 30 years ago.

How about this crazy woman on the airplane? OK? I mean, can anybody believe that one? How about this, after 15 minutes we don't know each other. After 15 minutes she said well, was too much. Shall I decide 15 minutes? With the ladies in this place, it would be one second and it would be smack. 15 minutes. No, it's a crazy world we are living in. But that's what I mean. It's a rigged election, because they're taking these unsubstantiated no witnesses, putting them on the front pages of newspapers. So it's a rigged election, but we're not going to let it happen. And we're just getting started.

Americans have had it with the years and decades of Clinton corruption. You can go back to white water. You can go back to the cattle deal. Remember the cattle deal? Where she got a far greater return on investment than anybody in the history of the cattle business? I mean give me a break. These are crooked people. Hence, I call her, crooked Hillary. Crooked Hillary. And right now, she's resting for the debate. True. She's resting. She's resting for the debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, so what's become a very important issue on the campaign trail for Donald Trump, his mantra (ph) about it being a rigged, crooked system and also now saying that the allegations coming from these now eight women, all of it phony allegations.

So Gina Loudon and Tara Setmayer back with me now. So Gina, your thoughts on Donald Trump while his campaign is saying this issue, you know, is over with. It's taking up too much time. It's Donald Trump who continues to keep it, give it oxygen, keep this issue alive.

[12:45:03] LOUDON: Well I think that his point about the rigged election is so important. And that is what we need to be taking a look at. You know, the Wikileaks e-mails that we've seen no show that Hillary Clinton was colluded with the state department, with the FBI, with the Obama administration, with certain media outlets.

Those sort of things make Americans feel like, gosh, does my vote even matter at all? Am I being completely manipulated and lied to by a woman who wants to rule in a totalitarian way? I mean colluding with media outlets and state departments, that's not something that we know to have ever happened in American history. It smacks in the face of everything that is American. And so I think he's right, those are the issues we need to be focused on. But I do believe if he believes he is innocent in this last minute, 11th hour accusations, he certainly has to say so. I think that's an important thing. I think if he were just remaining silent on that like Hillary is about the Wikileaks e-mails, then I think that it looks like some sort of in for guilt. So I'm glad he's answering that.

WHITFIELD: So four days away now from the last presidential debate. Tara, Donald Trump, perhaps he's giving some insight into what he hopes to maintain as center stage during that debate?

SETMAYER: Yes. I mean he telegraphed what he was going to do before the last debate and he did that. But this whole idea that Donald Trump needs to defend himself after every single thing. You can't have it both ways. Either you want him to talk about the issues or you don't, because it can't be while he has to defend himself. But we want him to talk about the issues and at some big global conspiracy that the media is putting forward and if the Clinton campaign is putting forward because of the allegations against him. These are self-inflicted and again these are cue (ph) -- these arguments to try to justify Donald Trump running his campaign into the ground and burning down the GOP in the process is amazing to me.

LOUDON: He's winning in some polls today.

SETMAYER: No, he's not. He's not winning in any polls, he's losing.

LOUDON: Yes, he is. SETMAYER: Loosing significantly.

LOUDON: Rasmussen polls and the L.A. times tracking polls today.

SETMAYER: Both of those polls are not included in what's considered to be normal polling. The L.A. poll has a different methodology. The Rasmussen poll is not as reliable as it was. It is different people who do it now. Overall Donald Trump is losing, in the key states he needs to win. He's loosing in Florida, he is loosing in Ohio now. He's losing in North Carolina now. So the momentum has shifted.

WHITFIELD: Depends on which poll you look at.

SETMAYER: And this is why -- and him doing this and making fun and making light of this is an insult to every sexual assault victim.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: Polls decide what will matter is at November 8 and the turn out for this election. All right, Gina Loudon, Tara Setmayers thank you so much really appreciate it.

LOUDON: Thank you.

SETMAYER: Thank you

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:51:25] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Hillary Clinton says this sexual misconduct claims against Donald Trump reveal who her opponent really is. Clinton has mostly voided commenting on the allegations that have rocked the Trump campaign. But she did address the issue to a crowd of supporters in Seattle last night. Trump, I should stress has definitely (ph) denied his accuser stories calling them lies and smears. Chris Frates joins me now from the Washington with the latest on their reaction from the Clinton campaign. Chris.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Hey Freed. Well, Hillary Clinton has mostly steer clear of these allegations against Trump, largely for fear of pulling the spotlight away from what the Clinton see as a flailing campaign. But she did weigh in last night at a fund-raiser in Seattle saying that, with Trump bragging about mistreating women is showing who he really is. And a top Clinton spokeswoman said to expect the Democrat can talk more about these allegations against Trump, we're in the final debate on Wednesday. As of now, has no public events on her schedule between now and Wednesday. But she does had help from a lot of high profile Democratic surrogates, people like President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama who rebuked Trumps post about sexual assault that really dominate the headlines for days earlier this week, so Clinton is pretty well covered as she takes in time off the trail to prepare for the debate Fred, we'll see if she has anything to say before that big showdown on Wednesday.

WHITFIELD: All right. Big showdown indeed in Vegas, thank you so much Chris Frates in Washington.

All right. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:56:54] WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. So it's national bullying prevention month. And this week's CNN hero is tackling bullying where it often begins, middle school. Every year in the U.S. 7 million children are bullied either at school or online. And when Matthew Kaplan realized his little brother was one of them, he took action even though he was only in the 8th grade.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW KAPLAN, CREATED ANTI-BULLYING PROGRAM: The term peer pressure is thrown around a lot. And usually, when it is it's meant as a negative thing. I believe that we can actually harness pure pressure for good. What if it was cool to be kind and that's what positive peer pressure is all about. Freedom is culture, were being inclusive and being kind is the norm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: To see Matthew's positive peer pressure program in action go to cnnheroes.com.

All right. Hillary Clinton's campaign is now pointing the finger at Russia for hacking into e-mails that are now being released through Wikileaks. The White House has also accused Russia of hacks that where aimed at disrupting next month U.S. election. And CNN's Jim Sciutto, report some experts are now saying this is an attack targeted at America's Democratic institutions.

JIM SCIUTTO, CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, the Clinton campaign clearly very concerned as you have this day-to-day drip, drip of e-mails from Senior Clinton staffers coming out. Now they share the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community saying that Russia is behind these hacks where they go further saying that Russia, in addition to hacking the Democrats and U.S. voting systems is also trying to help Donald Trump win.

Disturbed by the continuing drip of staff e-mails hacked by Russia, top former intelligence officials backing Hillary Clinton are raising the alarm. Former national Counterterrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen, who is an informal National Security adviser to the Clinton campaign echoing the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that the Russian government is the clear culprit.

MATTHEW OLSEN, FRMR. NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER DIRECTOR: This is a significant and unprecedented attack. It's an attack on our Democratic institutions. So from my perspective, it's not just a campaign issue, it's a national security issue.

SCIUTTO: Michael Morell, The former acting director of the CIA who has publically endorsed Hillary Clinton reiterated his charge that Trump has become an unwitting agent of Vladimir Putin, this on a call organized by the campaign.

MICHAEL MORELL, FRMR. ACTING DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY: Trump is cozing up to Putin because Putin has played him like a fiddle. Putin has figured out what makes Donald Trump tick and he's playing to it and Donald Trump is responding.

SCIUTTO: Morell and Olsen argue that the fact that the hacks are focused only on the Democratic nominee, suggest that Russia is trying to sway the election for Donald Trump.

OLSEN: The information is getting released focused on Secretary Clinton. The media conclude that their goal is to really sway this in favor of Donald Trump.

SCIUTTO: Multiple current U.S. Officials with knowledge of the investigation say there is growing evidence that Russia is using Wikileaks as a vehicle to make the stolen e-mails and other documents public, possibly with Wikileaks cooperation. How does this work?

Former NSA and CIA Director Michael Hayden told CBS, the cyber attack begins with Russian criminal gangs.

MICHAEL HAYDEN, FRMR. CIA AND NSA DIRECTOR: I think the actual theft is being done by Russian criminal gangs on behalf of the --