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Melania Trump Breaks Her Silence; President Obama Has Been Working Hard to Get Hillary Clinton Into White House; Iraqi-Led Forces Taking the Fight to ISIS in the Air and on the Ground. Aired 10:30- 11:00a ET

Aired October 18, 2016 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:30:16] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN HOST: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

The Donald Trump campaign has been in damage control mode trying to downplay his lewd and sexually aggressive comments caught on tape more than a decade ago. The latest attempt on the outrage, the candidate's wife, Melania Trump, broke her silence with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, AC 360: Is that language you have heard him use before?

MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: No, no, that's why I was surprised because I said, like, I don't know that person that would talk that way.

COOPER: He described it as locker room talk. To you, I mean, you sort alluded to that as well, is that what it is to you, just locker room talk?

TRUMP: Yes. It is kind of a two teenage boys. Actually, they should behave better, right?

COOPER: He was 59.

TRUMP: Correct. And sometimes I said I have two boys at home. I have my young son and I have my husband.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Melania Trump says her husband has apologized for his crass remarks and she has forgiven him.

The only thing better than touting your own credentials have having a sitting president do it for you. President Obama has been working hard to get Hillary Clinton into the White House. He is also been working hard at shaping his own legacy. "The Washington Post" writes this morning quote "Obama has started earlier and seems more publicly strategic than his predecessors about framing his legacy. He is determine to get the jump on his critics about how his presidency is preserved for prosperity." Key some points.

Take a look at this web ad from the Clinton campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I hear anybody saying their vote does not matter, that it doesn't matter who we elect, read up on you were history, it matters. We have got to get people to vote. In fact, if you want to give Michelle and me a good sendoff, get people registered to vote. If you care about our legacy, realize everything we stand for is at stake on the progress we have made in the stakes in this election. My name may not be on the ballot, but our progress is on the ballot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I don't know about you, but that felt like the president was actually campaigning for himself. Hillary Clinton was nowhere in that. She is at the very, very end, that's it.

With me now to talk about this is Brian Balogh. He is a history professor at the University of Virginia and co-host of the radio show "Back Story with the American History Guys." I'm also joined by Lillian Cunningham. She is the host and creator of "the Washington Post" presidential podcast.

Welcome to both of you.

BRIAN BALOGH, CO-HOST, BACKSTORY WITH THE AMERICAN HISTORY GUYS: Morning.

COSTELLO: I'm so happy to have you here because I'm a big fan of both your podcasts. So Lillian, I want to start with you.

LILLIAN CUNNINGHAM, HOST/CREATOR, PRESIDENTIAL PODCAST, THE WASHINGTON POST: Sure.

COSTELLO: Your podcast is about how history views our presidents. Mr. Obama seems to be doing the work for you. Did other presidents do that?

CUNNINGHAM: Well, I mean, there's a long history in the American presidency of presidents trying to shape their legacy while they are in office. And it is uncommon that when a president is close to ending his term, he will go out and campaign for his successor because that's a big part of securing a legacy, is, you know, making sure that the person who follows you in office is going to continue the policies that you put forward.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

CUNNINGHAM: It's not surprising.

COSTELLO: It's not surprising.

So Brian, do historians take into account a president's own assessment of his performance?

BALOGH: Not over the long run. I think at, you know, the first history is usually written by journalists. All presidents try to take a crack at that themselves. And then you look at the memoirs of people from the administration that start coming out. And then you get down to more serious historians. And I will add that leadership drops off precipitously as soon as we serious historians get our hands on things.

COSTELLO: So maybe that's why he's out there trying to shape his own legacy.

BALOGH: You bet.

COSTELLO: Lillian, I just listened to your podcast about Bill Clinton. He had a biographer on. And he said that same forces that drove Clinton for the better also drove him for the worst. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clinton is -- I've always said he's an exaggeration of all of us. He's sort of chaos theory. There's a lot of good and bad in him. Is he good or bad? The obvious became obvious which was that he's both. That they're inseparable. That the same forces that drove Clinton for the better also drove him for the worse. And you couldn't separate the two. And his presidency sort of like that. It's a grab bag of good and bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:35:00] COSTELLO: All right, so we lost Lillian's IFB (ph) so she can't hear me now. So I'll pose this question to you, Brian. It's interesting, could you say the same about all presidential candidates that their best traits are also their worst traits?

BALOGH: I don't know if I would agree with that. I think of somebody like a great president by all accounts, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was a terrific communicator. And I find very little to criticize about that. Some people might not agree with the objectives of what he was communicating. I would say the same about Ron Reagan, Ronald Reagan, who was seen as a great communicator. That's an incredible talent that I don't particularly see any downside to.

COSTELLO: Well, could you say that about perhaps Donald Trump? Because, you know, some people might say his brashness is a bad quality. Others say it's his best quality. And that's what we need in this country to evoke change. So in that sense could you apply that logic to somebody like Donald Trump?

BALOGH: Well, certainly Donald Trump's brashness has gotten him a lot of attention. But I think the problem with Trump is that he strays very far from reality sometimes. And I think that's a real problem and a candidate. I think it is a real problem and even a more serious problem in a president.

COSTELLO: So when -- I wish we could get Lillian back but we are having problems and I apologize, Lillian, but I'll pose this question to you, Brian. When this election is all said and done and it is over, do you already think about how you might teach your students about what happened during the election of 2016 and what would you say?

BALOGH: Well, we are teaching - I will speak for myself. I'm teaching my students about this election in very real time. I have devoted certainly two or three classes this term already to placing Donald Trump in historical perspective. Something that is not terribly easy to do.

I think if we look to after the election, we have to see who wins. But win or lose, I think Trump does fit fairly neatly into a long standing populist tradition, and there have been populist on the left and populist on the right. Trump is the latter. Sadly, Trump also fits into a long tradition of misogyny and of bigotry in the United States. That is another framework for considering Donald Trump.

COSTELLO: So Lillian, I have listened to every single one of your podcasts. And what I have discovered in listening to the descriptions of each president is America really has had a lot really bad presidents. And I ask you about that because people are worried this year that whoever they put in office, he or she will be a bad president. So offer them comfort. We have been down this road before in America, haven't we?

CUNNINGHAM: We have. I mean, really great presidents have been the exception in our history more than the rule. And, you know, you could see it as discouraging that we have had a lot of, you know, equally vitriolic campaigns. Some very bad presidents. But it's also reassuring to know over the course of American history the arc has been, you know, slanting toward progress, and we see that as a nation we're very resilient and we have been through extremely dark times and to date have always found a way not just to get through them but to actually get to a better place on the other side. So I think there's some hope.

COSTELLO: Yes, there is. There's always someone who comes out of the woodwork, right, as a great leader. It will happen.

Brian Balogh and Lillian Cunningham, thanks to both of you.

Coming up in the NEWSROOM, Iraqi forces closing in on ISIS' last stronghold in Iraq, but the Pentagon warns U.S. troops will be in harm's way.

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[10:43:38] COSTELLO: Iraqi-led forces are taking the fight to ISIS in the air and on the ground. Coalition tanks and convoys well in closer to ISIS last-remaining stronghold in Iraq, Mosul. In just the past 24 hours, they have routed militants from nine nearby villages. U.S. troops will be heavily involved in this effort to take back Mosul and the Pentagon admits that could put Americans in harm's way.

Nick Paton Walsh is with Peshmerga fighters on the road to Mosul. Hi, Nick.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, as you said, we saw yesterday, as the first Peshmerga convoy moved over the barriers they had separating them from ISIS towards the main road behind me here. Now actually enveloped in a pretty thick cloud of black smoke. We are not quite sure what it's from. An oil fire, maybe an airstrike, may be a car. But always hard to tell.

And that Peshmerga convoy moved down the road yesterday. It was pretty clear there were foreign troops with them. We saw vehicle that are very distinctly associated with the American armed forces. And I saw western African (ph) inside them. They were part of that convoy. And then they disappeared into the front ranks. So it's unclear quite what their role was. They may well have been involved in helping some of the air power here that's being coordinated. I mean, very effective against ISIS so far. Helping the Peshmerga to take that territory as you say. The Iraqi army also moving in other villages around here as well.

Turkey, though one of the many different powers here trying to make their claim on this offensive has put a bit of a bombshell out today, saying that its jets were involved in the airstrikes that we have been hearing recently. And that's very politically controversial because Baghdad and Iraqi government has said stay out of this offensive. Turkey said, well, we get involved because we need to protect some of the Sunnis who live the Sunni sect here of Islam in the Middle East, that they need to protect them, as they're much of the population in the city of Mosul.

So a lot here already happening. We are merely in the second day of this offensive. We heard from a senior Peshmerga Iraqi-Kurdish commander today telling CNN it could last as long as two months. But still the resistance ISIS is putting up, pretty intense -- Carol.

[10:45:38] COSTELLO: All right, Nick Paton Walsh reporting live from inside Iraq this morning.

It is a make or break face-off for both candidates at tomorrow night's debate. What are the key to victory for both sides?

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[10:49:46] COSTELLO: Tomorrow night is the final face-off in the 2016 race. At stake, that crucial undecided voter. So what do Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have to do to come out with a win among those types of voters?

Joining us now is Jacob Thompson. He is the coach and director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' award-winning debate team. Welcome, sir.

[10:50:06] JACOB THOMPSON, DEBATE DIRECTOR/COACH: Hi, thanks for having me.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. So, so much has come out in the public before this next big debate. Hillary Clinton, you know, with those notes from the FBI alleging that there might be quid pro quo between the state department and the FBI. And then Donald Trump and all of these women coming forward saying that Donald Trump groped them. How quickly do you think those the stage in Las Vegas on Wednesday?

THOMPSON: Well, I'm not sure it will come up immediately in the debate. You know, presidential leadership and character is one of the topics that will be discussed. So I'm sure it will come up and I'm sure it won't be pretty.

COSTELLO: Because the voters that I have been talking with, they say that they are over is stuff. And they just want to hear how the candidates are going to help them in their own lives. Like, you know, they want them to talk about policies. Is that possible at this point?

THOMPSON: It is going to be very tough. You know, I have experienced the same thing in several debates. Watch events that I have been part of it. In the second debate when the last question came up of what can you say one nice thing about each other, you know, there was this palatable sense of relief and the audience applauded when that happened. So I think that the American public is ready to hear more about policy details. And, you know, I hope that the candidates can focus on that in the last debate.

COSTELLO: So most people thought Donald Trump did not win that last debate. So what does he need to do on that stage to win?

THOMPSON: Right. Well, you know, as a debate coach, I tell my debaters that there are really three keys to success in the debate -- prepare, prepare, and prepare. I think that Trump needs to work hard to prepare for this debate. He needs to outline a positive vision for how he can move America forward and connect to the middle class. And if he could do those two things, he would be more likely to succeed. I'm not sure that we will see that happen though.

COSTELLO: Well, he did have one shining moment in the last debate, right, when he was criticizing Hillary Clinton for saying one thing in private and another publicly. She responded with the Abe Lincoln thing. And he responded like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now she's blaming the lie on the late great Abraham Lincoln, that's one that I haven't -- OK. Honest Abe, honest Abe never lied. That's the good thing. That's the big difference between Abraham Lincoln and you. That's a big, big difference we're talking about some difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK, so that was right off the top of his head. He took advantage of the moment. Good, right?

THOMPSON: Yes, that was one of his best moments in the debate I thought. And you know, he is a great off the cuff speak, and can often once, at least strike gold. But really the key to success and debate is preparation. And had he done more in debate number two, there would be a lot more moments like that I suspect.

COSTELLO: OK. So the rub against Hillary Clinton is that she actually over-prepares while Donald Trump underprepares. There was a moment from the last debate where she addressed all of the sex talk by evoking Michelle Obama. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I hear something like that, I'm reminded of what my friend Michelle Obama advised us all. When they go low, you go high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK, but the rest of the debate wasn't exactly like that, right?

THOMPSON: No. There was not much going high for the entire debate unfortunately. But, you know, that was a great moment for her. The key to success -- one of the keys to success in a presidential debate is having a presidential sounding character and tone and really being above the fray is great way to capture that.

COSTELLO: OK. So we will be watching. I'm sure you will be watching too. And we will check back.

Jacob Thompson, thanks for joining me this morning.

Our special coverage leading up to the debate starts tomorrow. I'll be right back.

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[10:53:17] COSTELLO: Checking some top stories at 58 minutes passed.

The former vice chairman of the joint chiefs staff admitting he lied to the FBI about leaking top secret information to the media about Iran's nuclear program. Retired four-star general James Cartwright pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday. Under the plea deal, he could face six months in prison. Sentencing is set for January 17th.

The president of one of the country's largest police organization is apologizing for police mistreatment of minorities. Terrence Cunningham addressed the international association of chiefs of police at its convention in San Diego. He says officers have sometimes been the face of oppression and says police must work with communities to rebuild trust.

Police in Carrboro, North Carolina tell CNN they do not think Democrats are being targeted in a graffiti incident there over the weekend. A democratic campaign office was spray painted with the words "hang the capitalists." But police say there has been similar graffiti in the area for years and they don't think it's related to the firebombing of a Republican campaign office in Hillsborough.

President Obama welcomed Italy's Prime Minister Mateo Rensey to the White House with a grand ceremony on the south lawn that happened just a short time ago. President Obama hosts the final state dinner of his presidency tonight. The celebrity chef Mario Batali will whip up a sweet potato pasta dish and singer Gwen Stefani will perform.

And don't forget -- special coverage of Wednesday night's debate between the two Republican candidates. It is the third and final one. We will have special coverage all day long.

And thank you very much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D. TRUMP: I have great respect for women. I have tremendous respect for women.

M. TRUMP: My husband is real. He is raw. (INAUDIBLE).

D. TRUMP: We should take a drug test.

M. TRUMP: I have the two boys at home. I have my young son and...