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Trump Feuds with Sen. Bob Corker; Republicans Fail to Pass Promised Legislation; "Breitbart" Working to Defeat Some Republican Senators; Reports: Russian-linked Facebook Ads Targeted Voters in Michigan; RNC Chair Demands Democrats Return Weinstein Political Contributions; New Details on Vegas Shooter's Mindset. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 10, 2017 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: This, after President Trump fired off a series of tweets over the weekend saying Senator Corker begged him for an endorsement in his 2018 re-election campaign and that Corker decided not to run because he didn't, quote, "have the guts." Corker responded with a tweet of his own, calling the White House an "adult day care center." As you can see, the fiery back and forth between the two men goes on and on.

Let's discuss this and more with the chair of the Republican National Committee, the chairwoman, Ronna Romney McDaniel, is joining us right now.

Ronna, thanks very much for joining us.

Yes, you've got a tough job ahead of you.

But first of all, what's your reaction to this war of words between these two Republicans, the president and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee?

RONNA ROMNEY MCDANIEL, CHAIR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Well, I think tensions are high. The president came to Washington to get the job done for the American people and he's seen a Congress that hasn't been able to deliver repeal and replace, yet, and he's focused on tax reform. And so as he's traveling this country, he's coming to Washington and saying, we've got to get things done and I need my team to be behind me as we're focused on the American people. And I think in the end, they're going to come together because Senator Corker recognizes, just as the president does, that the middle class of this country needs to see tax cuts. We need to see repeal and replace. And we need to deliver on our promises we ran on as a party.

BLITZER: As you know, Senator Corker also says that, in his words, the vast majority of his Republican Senate colleagues actually share his views in private, although, they don't say publicly what he does. What does that say about President Trump's standing in the Senate?

MCDANIEL: I think the president has great standing in our party and in the Senate. And look at the RNC and our record fund raising. That shows the support, especially from the small-dollar amount from this president. Listen, I travel the country every day, Wolf, and the president's supporters are behind him. They want to see his agenda get done. They want to see tax cuts for the middle class. They want to see corporate tax levels reduced. They want to see repeal and replace of Obamacare. And they want to see infrastructure. We need to, as a party, let our purpose unite us and deliver on the promises we made to the American people.

BLITZER: He does need to unite the Republicans behind his agenda. He's got a lot of issues coming up this week. Iran, he wants to decertify the Iran nuclear deal. As you say, he wants to engage in tax reform. But a very public feud like this with Senator Corker, who is, as I said, the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, that sort of undermines that agenda, doesn't it?

MCDANIEL: I think the president's channeling what I see. I do see it. I do town halls. I did two, last week, in Pennsylvania. And I literally had people outraged because they're saying, we sent you there, we gave you the White House, the Senate, we want to see these things get done. So the president came to Washington because he wanted to stop the status quo. He wanted to see a change, and actually see Congress and the White House work together to get things done. He's channeling that. We need to work on behalf of the American people. In the end, that's going to be what we're going to be held accountable for, getting --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Ronna, who do you blame these first nine months of this new administration, the president or Republicans in the Senate?

MCDANIEL: I blame the Democrats for putting Obamacare in place. And I blame Democrats who aren't working with us on anything. Listen, for repeal and replace --

BLITZER: You have the majority.

(CROSSTALK)

MCDANIEL: -- we had 217 --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Ronna, Ronna, you have the majority in the Senate. You have the majority in the House. You have the White House. You have the majority in the state legislatures, the majority in the Republican -- Republican governors are in the majority. You have all of that but, so far, you've been unable to do what you promised, for example, repeal and replace Obamacare, get tax cuts going, infrastructure spending. Still waiting for that.

MCDANIEL: So, I'm optimistic on those things. And I will say, 217 Republicans in the House did pass repeal and replace, and 49 in the Senate. So, yes, we are short. We do not have a big enough majority in the Senate on the Republican side to get things done. That's why 2018 is so pivotal, because we have a great map to expand the Senate. But Democrats haven't come to the table on anything. Their whole mantra is resist and obstruct. How is that helping the American people. And while Republicans --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Hold on. Hold on.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Are you encouraged the president's reaching out to Chuck Schumer now to improve Obamacare to try to fix it? You saw that tweet, the conversation they had over the weekend.

MCDANIEL: I think the president's a pragmatist and he's saying we have got to get things done on the American people. That's always on his mind. How do I deliver for the people who have been hurting under the failing Obama president? How do I deliver for those whose wages have been stagnant, who haven't seen Washington work on their behalf? So if I have to work with Republicans or Democrats, I'm going to get that done. That's what voters saw --

BLITZER: So you support that?

MCDANIEL: -- in President Trump and they want to see him accomplish the things he ran on.

BLITZER: Just want to be precise. On the reaching out to Chuck Schumer to improve, to fix some of the problems of the Affordable Care Act, you're with the president on that? You think that's a good idea since repeal and replace is not going anywhere?

MCDANIEL: I'm for everyone working together to find relief for the American people. And we do need to repeal and replace, because we know Obamacare is failing across this country. We'll see what they come with up. But Obamacare has been a disaster. Premiums are going up and insurers are pulling out of marketplaces. Republicans have tried their best to get this done. We hope to find bipartisan support to solve this problem that's hurting millions of Americans.

[13:35:23] BLITZER: Let me get your reaction to these reports that Steve Bannon, of "Breitbart," a former top strategic adviser, is now working to defeat some incumbent Republican Senators up for re- election, John Barrasso of Wyoming, Doug Fisher of Nebraska, Orrin Hatch of Utah. There's a whole list out there right now. What's your reaction to that?

MCDANIEL: As a party, we stay neutral on primaries, which is helpful because then you can bring the divided factions together towards the overall purpose of winning the election in the general. But, yes, this is going to be a tough midterm. We want to make sure we keep those incumbent Senators in place. We want to make sure we keep their seats and -- but the voters are going to decide and, ultimately, the RNC is going to support whatever the voters decide.

BLITZER: You're the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. What's your reaction to the news reports that are out there now that Russian-linked Facebook ads specifically targeted voters in Michigan in the presidential election in 2016 to hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign, to create some chaos and, in the end, to help Donald Trump?

MCDANIEL: The biggest damage done to Hillary Clinton's campaign was done by Hillary Clinton in Michigan. She didn't show up in our state. She ignored Michigan. She flew over the issues that mattered to people in our state. She didn't talk about trade. She didn't talk about better wages. She didn't talk about Obamacare. And most importantly, she didn't show up. President Trump came to Michigan over and over again. His message resonated. And that's why he won this great state of Michigan.

BLITZER: He barely won the great state of Michigan. You're right, it is a great state. He barely won the great state of Michigan. It wasn't a landslide, by any means. But here's the question once again. The Russians were placing ads designed to impact Michigan voters. You're from Michigan. What's your reaction to the report they were using Facebook, other social media platforms, to try to go after Michigan voters to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump?

MCDANIEL: What I'm saying is whatever they did in Michigan is not why Hillary Clinton lost Michigan. Hillary Clinton lost Michigan because she didn't come to our state. She didn't campaign here. And she didn't resonate with our voters. President Trump won --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Do you think the Russians were -- do you think the Russians were --

(CROSSTALK)

MCDANIEL: I'm not privy to that.

BLITZER: -- targeted Michigan, Wisconsin

MCDANIEL: I have no knowledge of that.

BLITZER: -- other key battleground states? You've seen all the reports.

MCDANIEL: Yes. No, I haven't seen the reports. I've seen the reporting. I didn't see that as Michigan chair. What I saw was a movement for President Trump. I saw people making their own signs, opening their own offices. I saw rallies with 30,000 people. I saw the president come to our state on Election Day, and wake up on Election Day in Michigan, because that's how much our state meant to him. President Trump won this state through a great message, being a good candidate, and showing up for the people of Michigan who had been ignored by so many presidential candidates before, including Hillary Clinton.

BLITZER: Very quickly, I want to get your reaction on Harvey Weinstein news. You've been demanding that Democrats return donations, political contributions they received from Harvey Weinstein in light of the news of his decades of sexual harassment.

Here's the question though, should Republican candidates also return donations from people guilty of sexual harassment?

MCDANIEL: Well, if we have a donor at the level of Harvey Weinstein who gave $1.4 million, who was a bundler who had access, yes, I would say, yes, you should. I don't know of anybody who's had that background. But Harvey Weinstein, what he has done, these eight settlements he made, his own admissions that he had demons that he treated women in an egregious way, obviously, a sexual predator, using his power to put women in bad situations, that's something Republicans and Democrats should agree on. That it's despicable. And you have seen Democrats returning those donations. You've seen Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer. I applaud them for doing that. The DNC should do the same thing. They're keeping 90 percent of his donations. I don't understand. If you stand for treating women well, and for the respect of women, you shouldn't take money from somebody who treated women with the absolute highest level of disrespect.

BLITZER: Because there's no doubt Harvey Weinstein did awful, awful things

MCDANIEL: Awful things.

BLITZER: -- and it's not come to light. Everyone now agrees on that.

But as you know, over the past few days, a lot of critics have pointed out that the president of the United States, his remarks that came out almost exactly a year ago, the Hollywood -- "Access Hollywood" tape showed a disrespect for women as well. You know what, I'm not going to play the tape again.

[13:40:05] MCDANIEL: It's not even comparable. Harvey Weinstein brought women into his hotel rooms. To even make that comparison is disrespectful to the president.

BLITZER: It isn't.

MCDANIEL: He didn't have eight settlements. He didn't have women coming forward saying what --

BLITZER: There were plenty of women who -

MCDANIEL: -- who Harvey Weinstein admits he did that.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: But I wanted to point out, Ronna, there were plenty of women who came forward and made accusations against then-private citizen, Donald Trump.

I'll play the clip for you, because it's an awful clip, and people are referring to it, and saying it's a double standard that Republicans have on the one hand, versus Democrats. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm automatically attracted to beautiful women. I just start kissing them. (LAUGHTER)

Like a magnet.

And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever you want.

TRUMP: Grab them by the (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(LAUGHTER)

I can do anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That was exactly a year ago. Awful, awful words. He was still elected president of the United States.

And I'm not comparing what he said then in that "Access Hollywood" video to what Harvey Weinstein did, but this crosses political parties, right?

MCDANIEL: Here's the difference, Wolf. The president apologized for that and many Republicans came out and said those comments weren't appropriate. The difference is Harvey Weinstein is a major bundler for the DNC. They have embraced him. He has admitted to these instances where he put women in completely inappropriate situations, that he was a sexual predator. And we're just saying to the Democratic Party, give his money back. If you stand for what you say you do, for women's rights, if you are champions of women, give his money back. Where's Hillary Clinton? Where's she standing on this issue? She's been silent. Her silence is deafening.

So I applaud the Democrats who are giving back that money. They're doing the right thing. This isn't a partisan issue. All of us should be speaking out against the sexual predator, like Harvey Weinstein, using his power to put women in terrible situations.

BLITZER: Ronna Romney McDaniel is the chair of the Republican National Committee.

Ronna, thanks so much for joining us.

MCDANIEL: Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: A killer's chilling words. During a deposition, the Las Vegas gunman revealed his unusual habits and what he did in casinos all night. The CNN exclusive reporting coming up.

Plus, investigators now revealing what those numbers on the note found in his room signified.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:46:45] BLITZER: We're learning more about the killer who carried out the Las Vegas massacre. CNN has exclusively obtained a court deposition taken back in 2013. It's part of a civil lawsuit filed by the gunman against the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas after he slipped and fell in the walkway. In this deposition, Stephen Paddock called himself the biggest video poker player in the world, saying he would stay up all night and sleep all day. He said he would gamble up to $1 million in a single night. Paddock also called video poker a game of discipline. And at times, he appeared condescending and sarcastic while telling his attorney why he stayed sober while gambling. Paddock also said he was prescribed valium by a doctor he had on retainer. He said he and took the drug for anxiousness.

Up next, a former FBI senior profiler joins me. We'll analyze these revelations, including what police say the killer's note inside his hotel room revealed. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:52:05] BLITZER: After more than 1,000 leads in the Las Vegas massacre investigation, there is no clear motive. But we are getting insight into the killer's lifestyle from a 2013 deposition the gunman, Stephen Paddock, gave for a lawsuit he filed against a hotel in Las Vegas. In the deposition, obtained exclusively by CNN, Paddock admits to being a major gambler, betting some nights up to a million and taking valium for anxiousness.

Joining us to discuss this is the former FBI senior profiler and author of "Dangerous Personalities," Joe Navarro.

Joe, thank you very much for joining us.

How valuable is this deposition and what does this tell us about Stephen Paddock?

JOE NAVARRO, FORMER FBI SENIOR PROFILER & AUTHOR: Extremely valuable. And I'm glad you guys were able to pull it up, because it definitely gives us an insight into this individual.

You know, his own statements, though they may be self-reporting, gives us an insight into his lifestyle, the things that he likes, doesn't like, the hours where he's up. He likes the nighttime, and so forth. But one of the things that stands out is just how caustic and almost narcissistic he was towards those attorneys. And I have to tell you, that would have worked against him in front of a judge.

BLITZER: We also learning, as you know, that the note Paddock left behind in his hotel suite contained written calculations on targeting the crowd at the country music festival. How does it paint a picture of a motive?

NAVARRO: I'm not sure it paints a picture of the motive. But it does go to what we talked about before, and that is that this individual was so calculating and so nefarious, his reptilian indifference to human life, knowing that a crowd would be corralled, it doesn't surprise me that he has a list because it's consistent with psychopathy, with a psychopath. BLITZER: The program "60 Minutes" interviewed a group of law

enforcement first responders in Las Vegas who made it to the hotel room. Listen to what they saw when they first entered the killer's room.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: So many guns, so many magazines, stacks and stacks of magazines everywhere, just in suitcases all neatly stacked.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: We were tripping over guns, tripping over long guns inside. There were so many.

UNIDENTIFIED "60 MINUTES" REPORTER: That many?

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Joe, your reaction? They described the scene looking like an armory. What does that tell us, first of all, the amount of weapons that they saw and discovered in that hotel suite?

NAVARRO: Well, it speaks to, one, a lot of planning, a lot of organization. The -- being able to get all of this equipment on the quiet, and actually over-planning. This may speak to a little bit of obsessive compulsiveness, this over-planification. But that doesn't take away from the more dangerous and underlying pathology, which is, you know, what kind of individual this really was.

[13:55:15] BLITZER: You think they're going to get the clear motive any time soon or is this going to be an open mystery?

NAVARRO: I think it's going to be an open mystery. And I'll tell you why. Years ago, I talked to a serial killer, and I asked him, why did you do these things, and he said because he could. That's chilling. And oftentimes, we may not know a motive other than the psychopathic mind has that capability.

BLITZER: It is a sick, sick evil mind, indeed.

Joe Navarro, thanks very much for that analysis.

So was it a political stand or was it a political stunt? The president is admitting that the Vice President Mike Pence's early NFL departure was all planned. What did it cost to taxpayers? That, and a lot more. Stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)