Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Report: Obama Blasts GOP Over Supreme Court Reversal; Clinton And Trump Differ Greatly on College Tuition; Scam Says Clinton Backers Can Vote by Texting Online, Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 03, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: This is what president Obama just said today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some of the same folks who just a while back said well, we can't have hearings and vote for the guy Obama nominated because we're so close to the election, we should let the next president make the nomination. Right. That's what they said.

So now they think Hillary might win, they say "well, we might block hers, too." But I thought you said that the people were going to decide? Can I talk to the press for a second?

What happened? Do we have a runback of the tape? Do we ever kind of go "what happened?" That's what they said and now they're saying something entirely different. Come on, man!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Manu, let me go to you because, again you covered the hill and there were Republicans, remember after the judge Merrick Garland nomination and you have the Mitch McConnells of the world saying hang on, let's wait for the election. Now it's looking like if there were to be a Hillary Clinton presidency you hear other Republicans saying no, we don't want the voters to decide, we'll hold off for four years. He's right.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: This will be a furious fight within the Republican party and senate Republican conference about whether or not to confirm, president Clinton, if she does win, her nominee. You have Republican senators like Jeff Flake saying we should consider the new administration's nominee. Then you have others raising concerns about confirming any Democratic justice including senator Richard Burr of North Carolina. I obtained audiotape of him over the weekend where he said "I'm going to fight to keep that last seat vacant for four years in another four years we can try to fill that seat with a Republican justice."

This is going to be the real dividing line, within the senate Republican conference even if the Democrats do take it by senate majority, they will need Republican support in order to overcome a filibuster in the senate. It's not a done deal that even if Hillary Clinton wins when they take the senate that they could get a Democratic justice, they need Republican support, so this debate within the Republican conference so significant in determining who will fill that final ninth seat.

BALDWIN: Manu, David, Kirsten, Gloria, thank you so much. Final button on this conversation, let's go to twitter. Look at this, this is on board the Trump plane. This is a picture where Donald Trump tweeted "watching my beautiful wife Melania speak about our love of country and family, we will make you all very proud."

That is, in fact, CNN he's watching so let me take the moment to say hello, Mr. Trump, we've got a phone, five days go. Love to have a chat, we'd all love to chat. Thank you so much.

Moments from now, live pictures from Florida, president Obama will be speaking to a crowd there. Also, pictures on the right side, Winterville, North Carolina, that's where Hillary Clinton is headed. We will listen in live. Five days to go. You're watching CNN.

[15:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, so now that we can count the numbers of days left until election day on a single hand, Hillary Clinton is launching a last-minute push for one of the more challenging demographics, the millennials. Tonight, I can tell you she is in Raleigh, North Carolina, hosting event with her former rival, senator Bernie Sanders and singer Pharrell will be swinging by, a lot of Bernie backers have applauded Clinton for adopting some of his policies, some of his ideas. Among them, making college tuition more affordable, that resonates with so many young people. That the third and final debate this is how both candidates addressed that very issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to make college debt free and for families making less than $125,000, you will not get a tuition bill from a public college or university if the plan that I worked on with Bernie Sanders is enacted.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She can say all she wants about college tuition and I'm a big proponent. We'll do a lot of things for college tuition but the rest of the public will be paying for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's talk more about college tuition with CNN money's Cristina Alesci. We talked about Hillary Clinton and borrowing from Bernie Sanders. What about Donald Trump?

CRISTINA ALESCI; CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: The quintessential Donald Trump answer is there's not enough specifics. Every time I cover one of these policies issues there isn't enough to go on. What we do know is he's been out there criticizing colleges for not using enough of their money to help middle or lower income defray the cost of tuition. Here's the problem, not many colleges have the kind of endowments he

seems to be criticizing. How many colleges do you know have billion- dollar endowments? Probably about 100 in the U.S. You're talking about a very limited application of what he is talking about. Donald Trump says if the colleges do not take some of that money and use it to help poor to middle-income kids they'll lose their tax-exempt status.

That's nice. But how many colleges have the flexibility to do that? To take that money? That's the biggest down side of his plan. For Hillary, look, you're talking about a broad swath if her plan goes through, under $125,000, if a student from a family that makes under $125,000 wants to go to a state school, they can go for free.

[15:40:00] The criticism of that has been it's expensive to pull off. $50 billion a year to pull that off and even the liberal economists and specialists that have looked at her plan say there may be a better way to use that money. To a state school, they can go for free. There may be a way to maybe target just the neediest kids.

BALDWIN: Those are the two plans for both candidates. Thank you. We'll want to go straight to the president. He's now speaking in Florida right now. Let's take him live.

OBAMA: I want to thank a couple of people -- I love you, too. I want to thank a couple people. First of all, your outstanding senior senator Bill Nelson is in the house. And your next United States senator Patrick Murphy is in the house.

five days, Florida. Five days. Five days to decide the future of America. The good news is, you don't have to wait five days because if you're registered you can vote right now at any early voting location. In fact, there's just -- there's a location just ten minutes away at the southeast regional library. I will give you the address, 10599 Deerwood Park Boulevard.

You can go to iwillvote.com to find other locations. If you're voting by mail, don't let your ballot sit on your coffee table, on your kitchen table, get all mixed up with all the other stuff you got up in there. Mail in your ballot so it makes it in by election day. We've got to finish what we started. And in order to do that, you have to do what? What does that say? I'm sorry? What does it say?

(CROWD YELLS, VOTE EARLY)

I still can't hear you! I heard you, pep band. I heard that pep band playing a little bit.

(CROWD YELLS, VOTE EARLY)

OBAMA: I appreciate you guys. Now, as I'm traveling around college campuses I start talking about what happened eight years ago, I realize some of y'all were ten years old. Which makes me feel somewhat old. There's one right there, huh? For those of you who were more focused on Nickelodeon -- back in 2008 we were living through two long wars. We were in the early days of what would turn out to be the worst

economic crisis in 80 years. But we fought back. And we put in some policies that made sense. And today --

BALDWIN: He mentioned Nickelodeon, he's talking to young folks, they need those millennial voters. He's in Jacksonville, Florida. This is the second Florida stop of the day and the second time he's mentioned the precise address whereof the closest early voting polling location is so he's saying vote. Five days away until election day and the scams are coming out. Now they are sending images trying to convince people that you can text your vote. By the way, that is absolutely 100% not a thing we will separate fact from fiction next.

[15:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: During the show, we have seen Melania Trump in Pennsylvania, we've seen the president in Florida, and now here she is, Hillary Clinton, in North Carolina.

CLINTON: -- growing and striving and attracting young people. He told me that the average age of the resident here in Greenville was 26 years old.

I also want to acknowledge Josh Stein, candidate for North Carolina attorney general. Patsy Keever, chair of the North Carolina Democratic party. And state Senator Don Davis. And I have saved the best for last, someone whom I've gotten to know over the years, someone who I really look forward to working with. The first thing that congressman Butterfield said to me is, I've got to talk to you about our farmers. Very first thing he said.

Proceeded to tell me that he was out on a 200-acre sweet potato farm earlier today. We talked about the damage that hurricane Matthew has done, the lives lost, the homes lost, and also the agricultural damage with all the flooding. And my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected. We've got to be really focused on what we're going to do with this extreme weather. We're getting more of it, in more places. And I am going to make that a priority for my presidency, to make sure communities are well prepared, they're resilient.

[15:50:00] But that we also work to try to limit the damage by taking on the challenge of climate change and changing weather patterns. Nobody knows more about weather than our farmers, and I am very committed to supporting farms of all sizes but particularly small farms. I think he said, the farm you went to this morning was 200 acres.

That's a lot of land, but that's not a gigantic, multi-thousand-acre farm. Sometimes I think we spend too much time and money looking after the big giant farms and not enough taking care of the smaller farms, the family-owned farms, farms that have been in people's families for generations.

And I will do my very best working with G.K., Eleanor and others in congress to focus federal attention and resources on places that need it. And eastern -- North Carolina is a place that needs it. There are still too many people who feel like they have been left out and left behind. And we've got to spend time thinking about how we bring everybody along.

That is my goal as your president. I want to knock down the barriers that stand in the way of people and places getting ahead. I also, on a personal note, want to say, I was in Arizona last night. Had a great rally there. I don't know, 15,000, 16,000 people. It was extraordinary. I was a little anxious during my speech because the Cubs were playing in the world series.

I have been a fan all my life, l with my dad, went to Wrigley Field. It's been a long time. 108 years, to win a championship and make history. I only wish that my late father and the great Ernie Banks, Mr. Cub, could have seen it happen. Last night was very special. On lots of fronts. Who knows, maybe we've seen even more history made in a few days. You know, the last time the cubs won, women couldn't vote. I think when are making up for that in this election. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. Are you ready to vote?

How many folks have already voted?

Well, that's really impressive! Are you ready to volunteer these last few days?

Are you ready to elect Ray Cooper your governor?

Have a governor who puts families first and your needs. I know he'll do a terrific job. Are you ready to elect Deborah Ross to the United States senate?

She will be the independent voice that North Carolina families deserve, and unlike her opponent, she has never been afraid to stand up to Donald Trump. And then, are you ready to elect our next president and commander in chief?

Did any of you see those debates?

You know, spent four and a half hours standing next to Donald Trump, proving conclusively I have the stamina to be the next president and commander in chief. Saying things like, well, you know, what have you done for 30 years? We know what he's done for 30 years, starting to discriminating against African Americans and denying them housing back in the 1970s.

I chose a different path. I have spent my career fighting for kids and families. And I helped to create the Children's Health Insurance Program as first lady. That now provides health care to 8 million children a year. And I have to tell you, I know it doesn't make headlines, it's not going to, you know, get a big twitter war going.

[15:55:00] But when I travel around and shake hands like I'll do after my remarks and somebody says to me, the Children's Health Insurance Program saved my son's life.

I met a woman here in North Carolina whose daughter was born deaf. And the doctor said, you know, she is never, ever going to be able to talk, she's not ever going to be able to hear. They were determined, began doing investigation. She found out that there were some possible treatments, but they were expensive. She didn't know what she was going to do.

The doctor said, you know, I just heard about this new program, the Children's Health Insurance Program. Maybe you can qualify for that. Because it's really for families that aren't poor but don't have much money, and that's a lot of families, isn't it? Employer who provides health insurance. Self-employed, independent contractors. The mom found out about this thing called the children's health insurance program, and lo and behold, they did qualify, and they started the treatments for their daughter. I met that young woman. She said hello to me. She talked to me. Graduated from college, right here in North Carolina!

Don't let anybody tell you it doesn't matter what you stand for, what you fight for, and who you're trying to help when you make your decision about who to vote for in this election. As a senator from New York, I worked to rebuild New York City after the 9/11 attacks and to provide health care for our brave first responders who ran toward danger, not away from it, and many of -- were you there? God bless, you.

That's another thing. I meet people all over who were there and who worked there, and I meet people who got sick because they worked there. And as your secretary of state, to 112 countries, negotiated ceasefires, reduced the threat of nuclear weapons, stood up for human rights and women's rights and LGBT rights around the world.

And everything I have done, it's because I have been listening to people. Again, I know that's not very exciting. I plead to that. When you spend time listening, not talking, you know, what are the poor journalists going to say? Oh, there, Hillary Clinton was listening again, right? But I'll tell you, it is what motivates me to hear people's stories, to hear the tribulations and the triumphs, to get good ideas, bring people together, find common ground --

BALDWIN: Closing arguments here from Hillary Clinton. I should also mention Donald Trump. He is just down the way in Concord, North Carolina, speaking as well.

Before we get to the next story let me make something abundantly here. Only two ways to vote in this country. Mail in absentee ballot or can vote in person at your polling location either early or on election day. You cannot vote over the web. You cannot text in your vote with a smart phone.

Over the past month deceptive ads have been gaining traction on line encouraging Hillary Clinton supporters to vote via text message. No, you can't, this is fake. The scammers use the same font and branding as genuine Clinton campaign material.

Some of the ads have been claiming to, quote, have been paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign. But make no mistake, they are scams. Brian Stelter has been all over this. Host of "reliable sources." who is putting this together? BRAIN STELTER, CNN HOST: The fake news beat is busy these days. We

don't know the source of these. They started in seems like in Pennsylvania. They've spreading across the web and have become quite viral. It's not voter fraud in the legal sense but it is in the ethical sense.

This is the kind of dirty tricks that we unfortunately see every four years and I am afraid will be especially ugly this year. When you look at it, it looks like a real Clinton ad. We blurred out the phone number but if you text the number, thankfully the company that runs the text messaging, they have put up a message that says any post like this that include text Hillary to the fake number, are false. They are not approved by the company.

For what it's worth, it's interesting how the campaigns are using text messaging for real. 88022 is the Trump number. 47246 is the real Clinton number. The bottom line, Brooke, is there is no way to text message in your vote. Maybe someday, but definitely not in this election. Don't be fooled by these kinds of lies on Facebook and twitter.

BALDWIN: Thank you so much, Brian. Before you go, here are some pictures. Let me just show you how busy everyone is on this Thursday before election day. The president, senator Sanders, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump all speaking right now in key battleground states five days ahead of election days.

[16:00:00] I am here in New York. I am Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so, so much for being with me. We're going to send it to Washington. "The Lead" with Jake Tapper starts right now.