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Clinton Camp Going All-In; FBI Russia Information. Aired 2- 2:30p ET

Aired November 01, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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


[14:00:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Now supports Donald Trump.

That's it for me. Thanks for watching. The news continues right here on CNN.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf Blitzer, thank you so much.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. You are watching CNN.

We are in the home stretch. Do you feel it? Seven days. Seven to go before we know who America's next president will be. And you only need to look to this map to see how Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and their top surrogates are working to get their messages out to you, the voter, in these final days. They're hitting the most important states, the battleground states today, especially Florida.

As CNN's new poll of polls shows the race tightening even more, check this out, only four points separate Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton nationally. Listen, this is coming down to character. Hillary Clinton, her campaign releasing a new ad going right after Donald Trump as she is trying to shift the attention, you know, change the course of conversation from the latest e-mail controversy involving a top aide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ON SCREEN TEXT: He really believes this:

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing.

ON SCREEN TEXT: And this:

TRUMP: When I come home and dinner's not ready, I go through the roof.

ON SCREEN TEXT: He really said this:

TRUMP: Grab them by the (EXPLETIVE DELETED). And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.

ON SCREEN TEXT: And did this:

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More accusers coming forward to say they were sexually assaulted by Donald Trump.

TRUMP: And I'll go backstage before a show.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

TRUMP: And everyone's getting dressed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump walked into the dressing room while contestants, some as young as 15, were changing.

TRUMP: They're standing there with no clothes. You see these incredible looking women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's begin the hour with Dana Bash, our CNN chief political correspondent there in D.C.

I mean this is - this is a scathing ad. This is perhaps not where the Hillary Clinton campaign thought they would be a week before Election Day. Yet do you think that this will be effective in changing the course of the conversation?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's the most effective tool that the Clinton campaign has and they know that from experience. To use Donald Trump's own words against him, to try to get under his skin because there's no question he sees these ads and most importantly to leave this as one of the last impressions that voters get because, Brooke, we've talked about this several times as the sort of pendulum has swung back and forth, but I am reminded about it from sources I've been talking to even this morning that this has been such a volatile race and having really a lot to do with who the focus is on. When the spotlight has been on Donald Trump for all the things that Hillary Clinton just put into that ad, things are better for Hillary Clinton and the voters, those swing voters, those people, frankly, who are just not really thrilled with either candidate, probably, lean more towards Hillary Clinton. When the spotlight is more on her, as has been for the past several days, since Friday when the FBI came out with its bombshell, and maybe more importantly, Brooke, Donald Trump has really stayed on that message and been pushing in an offensive way, not a defensive way, things get bad for Hillary Clinton. So that is why they're trying to, as you put it so well as you were coming to me, change the subject. The question is whether or not that's going to fly.

BALDWIN: We'll find out in seven days.

Dana, thank you so much.

With me now, Michael Nutter, a Clinton supporter, the former mayor of Philadelphia and a CNN political contributor. He'll be joining us. S.E. Cupp is here, a CNN political commentator. Matt Schlapp is here, a Trump surrogate and former President George W. Bush political director and chairman of the American Conservative Union.

So, as we wait for the mayor, because we want to make sure we have a Hillary Clinton supporter as part of the panel. And, guys, get in my ear as soon as he joins us please. S.S. Cupp, let me just throw this to you. You know, on the same

question I was asking Dana in terms of this Hillary Clinton ad, using Donald Trump's own words against him. You know, you're also hearing the Clinton campaign on message trying to tie Trump to Russia. Will that work as their closing argument?

S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, it's interesting. I think that Republicans have done a very, very good job of making Hillary Clinton unlikable. Now she has helped herself in that over and over again, sort of insisting on operating in this constant cloud of opacity and unaccountability and just handling all of these issues very badly.

But I don't think Republicans have done an effective job of making her look dangerous. And that's what Democrats have done more effectively with Donald Trump. They've made him look dangerous. Whether that's morally or, you know, with the nuclear codes. And the Clinton ads, I think, have really hammered that point. Ultimately, at the end of the day, and we'll find out in a week, I think people are more likely to vote for someone they don't like than they are someone they think could sort of collapse the country.

[14:05:12] BALDWIN: Well, it's interesting on the point of making her look dangerous, let's flip it, right? You look at the Trump team and essentially, you know, Donald Trump's message, especially when you've been listening in the last 24 hours is, if you elect her, there will be years and years of drama, she'll be investigated.

Matt Schlapp, do you think painting Hillary Clinton that way will be effective for those still making up their minds?

MATT SCHLAPP, TRUMP SURROGATE: Yes, I think there's no question, in the last days of this campaign, the big issue is this ethical cloud that's over Hillary Clinton. This is unprecedented to have an FBI investigation to have been carried on for the last several months. And we learned that it's continued - that it's continuing because of this information about Huma Abedin's husband's laptop.

But, you know, Brooke, here's the thing. The problem for Hillary Clinton with all of her paid ads is, while she's run them three and four to one to Trump ads, her numbers have collapsed. I don't think this is a campaign where paid advertising really makes a difference. And if the theme of that ad is that Donald Trump can be too aggressive and too bold and definitely sometimes offensive and that he doesn't treat sacred cows as sacred, they kind of want somebody like that to come to Washington and shake it up. So the very thing she's saying about Donald Trump, which is sometimes he's too aggressive, too out there, is exactly what a lot of voters want.

So I don't understand why she doesn't go to her strengths, which are, hey, you're out of work. I'm going to work with the government to make sure we have programs so that we can get this economy going and we can employ America again. Talk about investments in roads and bridges. Do what Democrats normally do when the economy is so weak. And she just doesn't do it. It's all about Donald Trump not being acceptable. I don't see it getting her there. CUPP: Well, can I just say - can I just -

BALDWIN: I also think a piece of it is targeting women and I don't know as far as numbers collapsing, I don't know about collapsing.

MICHAEL NUTTER, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: (INAUDIBLE).

CUPP: Yes. Wait, Brooke - Brooke, can I -

SCHLAPP: They did. They have collapsed. They have collapsed.

BALDWIN: Go ahead, S.E.

CUPP: Can I just say that women -

NUTTER: Her numbers have not collapsed.

CUPP: Can I just say, women are not sacred cows, for the record, and it is not bold to go into the dressing room of a 15-year-old girl getting ready to see her naked. That's not bold.

SCHLAPP: But - but, S.E. - S.E., you would also -

CUPP: Women are not sacred cows.

NUTTER: Right. Right.

SCHLAPP: But, S.E., I didn't - I didn't mean to say anything bad about women, but what I'm saying is, is that D.C. -

NUTTER: Yes. Oh, there you go.

SCHLAPP: D.C. needs to be shaken up by a lot of voters and there are aspects of what Donald Trump does even sometimes when he's over the line. They like the fact that he will take people on. And I think you can't deny that that theme in this election is one of the reasons why the CNN poll is getting closer, why the Rasmussen poll is getting closer, why the Investor Business Daily poll is getting closer, why he's now up in the ABC poll.

BALDWIN: They are. They are getting closer. They are absolutely -

SCHLAPP: It is a fact that her paid advertising isn't having the effect.

BALDWIN: Well, let's go to Mayor Nutter. I mean you're the Hillary Clinton supporter. You know, you've heard Matt Schlapp's point.

NUTTER: Sure.

BALDWIN: Would you agree? Why is she going this way in this final week with these ads?

NUTTER: Well, first, I want to agree with S.E. with regard to pushing back on Matt's quote/unquote sacred cows. You know, Donald Trump, as people who really support him, always have to explain what he meant to say when, in fact, he just says what he says and actually means it. He shows us - has been showing us for 15 months who he is, not withstanding the explanations of his supporters.

Hillary Clinton is actually running at least a duel track campaign. I don't know which ads you're seeing, but she is talking about the economy. She is talking about her long-standing support for children and families. And at the same time, pushing back on the things that have really been the centerpiece of a lot of the campaign, which is that Donald Trump is unfit to be president of the United States of America. And after all of the noise and all of the nonsense, this is a public interview process for the most powerful job on the planet. And when we're talking about that person, ultimately people are going to choose the person that they think can actually do the job.

BALDWIN: It's coming down to character. It's coming down to temperament. And then you have, Matt Schlapp, you have, you know, the most powerful Republican on Capitol Hill saying that he voted, you know where I'm going -

SCHLAPP: Yes.

BALDWIN: But couldn't even bring himself to say the name Donald Trump. Here he was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I stand where I stood all fall and all summer. In fact, I already voted here in Janesville for our nominee last week in early voting. We need to support our entire Republican ticket.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: What - I mean, what do you think of that? Mayor Nutter laughs. Matt Schlapp -

NUTTER: Wow, what a ringing endorsement. What a ringing endorsement.

SCHLAPP: I -

BALDWIN: Matt Schlapp, I mean, is he - is he - is he a traitor that he can't even say the guy's name?

SCHLAPP: Not - not at all. Look, Donald Trump is an outsider running for president.

NUTTER: Oh, this will be good.

SCHLAPP: He hadn't been a Republican a very long time. He's new to this process. And, look, he upsets a lot of elected Republicans. We've seen it throughout the process. And he obviously upsets a lot of elected Democrats who think he's going to take on Congress. But let's go back to the facts again. The polls show in poll after poll, including your own poll, that now over 90 percent of Republicans are there with Donald Trump. It's not because they like every aspect of Donald Trump, but it's because this FBI investigation has renewed their concern with the Clinton corruption. They know the Supreme Court is literally four to four with the next president picking that ninth justice which will swing the court one way or the other. They realize that we've got very serious issues with the economy and with terrorism. And, yes, people like Paul Ryan, they're voting for Donald Trump. They're not warmly embracing Donald Trump. I'm not going to try to spin you, Brooke, but there's no question that there's Republican differences.

[14:10:32] NUTTER: I don't think he said that.

BALDWIN: No, it's -

SCHLAPP: But the fact is, is that Republicans are coming home to - he said he voted for him, mayor. I don't know if you were able to listen to that.

BALDWIN: There - there - but we heard Mike Pence say you've got to come home. We heard Paul Ryan say you've got to come home.

SCHLAPP: And it's working.

BALDWIN: But you have - you have -

SCHLAPP: And that's why the polls are tightening.

BALDWIN: You have Ohio governor -

NUTTER: How many people are coming home?

BALDWIN: You have Ohio Governor John Kasich writing in John McCain. How is that coming home?

SCHLAPP: More - more Republicans -

NUTTER: Yes.

SCHLAPP: OK, but more Republicans are coming home to Donald Trump than Democrats are to Bernie Sanders. Do you realize that the head of the DNC was just criticized by the CEO of CNN for the fact that -

NUTTER: Hillary Clinton is running.

SCHLAPP: Excuse me, was just criticized by the head of CNN because Donna Brazile, the head of the DNC, leaked two questions to the Clinton campaign to hurt the Bernie Sanders campaign? There are divisions on both sides. We have these divisions. The fact is, is that Democrats are probably 90 percent going to be with Hillary. Republicans are going to 90 percent be with Donald Trump. And then it's a question for these swing voters. And he's doing really well with them.

BALDWIN: S.E. Cupp, you've been mighty quiet. You're listening.

CUPP: Well, look, as someone -

NUTTER: She's paying attention. CUPP: I'm a Republican who's voting for neither of these people

because they're both, frankly, pretty terrible. But I have a column coming out in "The New York Daily News," I'll take this opportunity to plug, that asks the question, who is to blame for Hillary? I think we've spent an entire year asking who's to blame for Donald Trump and why Republicans have one of the most unqualified, dangerous people as their nominees.

But, she could lose to him. So how - who is to blame for the fact that Hillary Clinton and the Clintons were chosen, as Matt just pointed out, you know, tipping the scales in some point at the DNC, was chosen when her unfavorables were so bad and she was facing some of these scandals that have been swirling around her for years. Was this really the candidate to put up against someone like Donald Trump or really anyone else? I mean he really is the one person who could beat her. It's unbelievable.

BALDWIN: I was just talking to Doris Kearns Goodwin last week and she was just saying -

NUTTER: Well, Brooke, let me -

BALDWIN: I want to get to you, mayor.

NUTTER: Yes.

BALDWIN: But, you know, we were talking about how America - because a lot of folks don't like either of them and how America needs to take a good long look at itself and grab a mirror and look at it.

But, Mr. Mayor, I do want to go to you, just also knowing Philadelphia, as you do.

NUTTER: Sure.

BALDWIN: This major transportation strike -

NUTTER: Yes.

BALDWIN: In Philly -

NUTTER: Yes.

BALDWIN: It is raising all kinds of concerns, you know, because of potential interference on Election Day if this isn't, you know, resolved.

NUTTER: Sure.

BALDWIN: How concerned are you that it will keep people from voting?

NUTTER: Well, the first concern, of course, is that folks need to go to work and kids need to go to school.

BALDWIN: Sure. NUTTER: Election Day is a week from now and I'm sure the elected officials and others who are involved in this will seek to get it resolved as quickly as possible.

But I want to go back to the other points. First of all, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination through a process and got the required number of delegates. The DNC does not run elections all across the United States of America. That's done by local elected officials, as I know my other panelists know.

Secondly, with regard to Donna Brazile, Donna Brazile is doing a fantastic job at the DNC now and prior to that as a great political strategist and TV commentator.

SCHLAPP: Hillary agrees with you.

NUTTER: So, you know, we can talk about questions and who got what question. You know, I think it might not have been too much of a surprise if you were in Flint that you might get a question from somebody about the water, but putting all of that aside -

SCHLAPP: Then why was she fired?

NUTTER: All of that - let me finish.

SCHLAPP: Why was she fired?

NUTTER: All of that - she - she was not fired.

SCHLAPP: Why was she fired? She was fired by CNN and they said her activities were disgraceful.

NUTTER: She was - you're going to keep saying this three times.

SCHLAPP: Yes.

NUTTER: You can say it three times and I'm going to say three times -

SCHLAPP: It's the truth.

NUTTER: She resigned on her - just listen, Matt, she resigned on her own.

SCHLAPP: I am.

NUTTER: That is the fact. So do not spread lies about someone's personal business.

SCHLAPP: Hey, Brooke, can you help me out here? I'm not lying.

NUTTER: Or having conducted themselves.

SCHLAPP: I'm not lying.

BALDWIN: There was -

NUTTER: She resigned.

SCHLAPP: I'm not lying.

BALDWIN: She - there was some sort of termination. I wasn't, obviously -

SCHLAPP: There was.

BALDWIN: That is way, way higher than my pay grade, Matt.

SCHLAPP: Right.

NUTTER: Exactly. So that's somebody else's business, so why don't you leave that to the side (ph).

BALDWIN: You know, so I really can't address it. But I can tell you that CNN (ph) did not help her out.

SCHLAPP: But I'm not lying. She is the one who lied when she said she didn't leak the questions.

BALDWIN: No, no one -

NUTTER: She resigned.

SCHLAPP: She lied when she leaked the question to the Hillary campaign to help that campaign.

NUTTER: She resigned. She's not running for office, Matt.

BALDWIN: OK.

NUTTER: This is the problem with you guys.

BALDWIN: How is this helping America figure out who they should vote for?

NUTTER: You can't stay focused. You can't stay focused.

BALDWIN: Matt, I love you, but, come on.

SCHLAPP: Because, Brooke, because - because, Brooke, you know how it helps?

NUTTER: Stay focused.

SCHLAPP: The fact is - the fact is, is this, which is, why don't we talk about the issues and why isn't it fair and why don't we cover these things fairly? We started this segment by talking about running Hillary Clinton's ad. Donald Trump has many ads about Hillary Clinton's character. And I think it's fair to look at both. And I think it's also fair to look at the character -

[14:15:14] BALDWIN: We were. But my issue - we were totally fair, if I may, we were fair -

NUTTER: Right. Yes.

BALDWIN: Because we came out talking about closing arguments in this final week, right?

NUTTER: Exactly.

BALDWIN: This is what Hillary Clinton is saying to America, case in point, this particular ad. And then I followed up asking you, Matt, specifically about the message to America from Donald Trump saying, hey, here's a drama and investigation if you elect this woman.

SCHLAPP: I think you're fair, Brooke.

BALDWIN: So, fair and square.

SCHLAPP: Brooke, I think -- Brooke -

NUTTER: The problem is starting with the candidate, none of them can stay focused. The Trump people cannot stay focused, can't stay on message and they whine.

BALDWIN: OK. When S.E. Cupp is this quiet, it worries me. It worries me.

CUPP: I - how could I get in? Let them go at it.

BALDWIN: Matt and S.E and Mayor Nutter, thank you all so much.

Focus is a good thing.

NUTTER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: A top Democrat accusing the FBI of sitting on quote/unquote "explosive information" about Trump's ties to Russia and now you have this new information about the investigations. We have that for you.

Also ahead, President Obama essentially saying sexism would replace birtherism if Hillary Clinton were to win. This all had to do with this question that was posed to him from comedian Samantha Bee on Halloween on whether or not Hillary Clinton would be moody and emotional if she were to be president.

And 2016 just went deeper into the gutter. Have you heard this? A white supremacist supporting Donald Trump launches a robocall calling independent candidate Evan McMullin a quote/unquote "closet homosexual." By the way, the Trump campaign has denounced this. What is going on? 2016. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:20:49] BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

As the FBI looks into those new e-mails that may be linked to Hillary Clinton's private server and that investigation, I can tell you that CNN has learned that investigators are also looking into alleged connections between the Trump campaign and Russia and possible meddling in the U.S. presidential election. And now a startling new claim from the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Minority Leader Harry Reid, in a letter to the director of the FBI, claims the bureau has quote/unquote "explosive information" about Trump and Russia. So, CNN justice correspondent Evan Perez has been digging into this.

Evan, is there any kind of connection? I mean what has the FBI found?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Not very much, Brooke. But let me just - before we get into this, let me just prefis (ph) this by talking a little bit about what we do know. We've seen, obviously, a mutual admiration of sorts between Trump and Putin. They've said nice things about each other. And it is true that there are folks in the U.S. government, including the intelligence agencies and law enforcement that are very concerned about some of the activities the U.S. - of the Russian intelligence services that appeared to be trying to medal in the U.S. elections. They don't necessarily, at this point, believe or have any evidence that this is to elect Trump necessarily. They think that this is really just to sow confusion and chaos in the U.S. election. That's what they believe is happening behind the scenes.

That said, there are a number of investigations that the U.S. - that the FBI has been doing over the last couple of years that do touch on a number of figures in the Trump world, and we're going to deal with those right now.

One of them is Paul Manafort, who was the former chairman of the Trump campaign and the - for over a year the FBI has been taking a look at whether or not there are - there were any connections between him and some pro-Putin forces in Ukraine. He did do some political work for the Ukrainian government here in Washington and the allegations that some Democrats have forwarded is that he didn't properly register as a foreign lobbyist. I can tell you that the FBI has been taking a look at that. It doesn't look like there's - there's going to be a case brought there, but it is something that they've been taking a look at again for well over a year and the investigation also, by the way, has touched on the Podesta Group, which is linked to John Podesta's brother, Tony Podesta, here in Washington.

Another figure who - in the Trump world who is being looked at is Roger Stone. Again, this is a wider investigation. The FBI has been taking a look at WikiLeaks for now about six years. It's a very complicated investigation looking into the leaks of U.S. government documents. And Roger Stone's name has come up, Harry Reid and some of these other folks have suggested that there is some type - some type of coordination between Roger Stone and Julian Assange, the leader of WikiLeaks. Roger Stone denies this. He says that he does have in between mutual friends that they have - that they've been talking to each other but that he denies that there's any coordination and the Trump campaign, by the way, denies that there's any coordination. And as I mentioned, this is a very complicated investigation simply because WikiLeaks is publishing hacked materials, that's what news organizations do and that's one of the problems with bringing that case.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK, so with all these threads, though, what I'm hearing from you is that there is no connection that you are hearing about thus far.

PEREZ: There is not a lot. Exactly.

BALDWIN: Evan, thank you. Evan Perez.

PEREZ: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Next, President Obama drawing some of the highest approval ratings - numbers of his second term. Can he use that to help Hillary Clinton? Help push her over the finish line next Tuesday? We'll get into that.

Also ahead, did you watch this? The president's sit-down Halloween interview with Samantha Bee. And it got pretty real with this question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA BEE: If and when Hillary is president, what do you think will be the female equivalent of, "you weren't born in this country"?

[14:24:37] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's an interesting question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Let's talk about President Obama. He is hitting the campaign trail hard these final seven days stumping for Hillary Clinton. He took some time, though, to stop by Samantha Bee's show "Full Frontal" on our sister network TBS. And if you have not seen the show, she hits hard on women's issue. All, of course, for laughs, because she's a funny lady. In one of the more interesting pieces of her conversation with the president, she asked him this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA BEE, "FULL FRONTAL": If and when Hillary is president, what do you think will be the female equivalent of, "you weren't born in this country"?

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's an interesting question.

BEE: Thank you. I have a lot of those.

OBAMA: I think the equivalent will be, "she's tired, she's moody, she's being emotional."

BEE: There's just something about her.

[14:29:58] OBAMA: There's something about her. When men are ambitious, it's just taken for granted. Well, of course they should be ambitious. When women are ambitious, why? That theme, I think, will continue throughout her presidency and it has contributed to this notion that somehow she