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Live Coverage of Preparations for Democratic Convention; WikiLeaks Posts Alleged DNC Emails; Interview with Darrell Hammond. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired July 23, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:08]

POPPY HARLOW, HOST: Hi everyone, welcome to our special live coverage live here in Philadelphia. What a day it has been. You are watching CNN special live coverage of Hillary Clinton's march towards history at the Democratic National Convention right here in Philadelphia. Her newly minted running Virginia Senator, Tim Kaine, now officially by her side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, U.S, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think being the first woman President would be quite a change from the president's we've had up until this point.

I'm running because I have a lifetime of experience in getting results and fighting for people.

I'm a progressive but I'm a progressive who likes to get things done.

REPORTER: The issue of your email practices.

CLINTON: I didn't have to turn over anything.

REPORTER: Did you wipe the server clean?

CLINTON: What like with a cloth or something?

BERNIE SANDERS, FORMER U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All anyone wants to talk about is Donald Trump.

CLINTON: Isn't he the one that's like "ugh, you're all losers?"

I have just one word for Mr. Trump, Baste, enough.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well I think the only card she has is the woman's card.

TRUMP: If fighting for women's healthcare and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman card then deal me in.

We are stronger together. Let's go out and make that case to America. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: There you have it welcome to Philadelphia folks the city famous of the Declaration of Independence, the beautiful Liberty Bell, and oh yes, those famous steps that Rocky Balboa ran up, those iconic stairs. Well here in just two days from now this city will play host to another historic event, the first Democratic National Convention with a woman at the top of the ticket.

And now we know who Hillary Clinton's running mate will be.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: It is Virginia Senator, Tim Kaine, the battleground state politician known for his expertise in security and also foreign policy. He also has put in full display today speaks fluent Spanish, something he put to use time and time again in his announcement today. Listen.

[Speaking Spanish]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: My colleague, Brianna Keilar was at the event today in Miami, she joins me now live. I mean Brianna, where do we begin what an impassioned, impassioned set of remarks. He seemed sort of near tears when he talked about gun control. And he kept saying progressive, we are the progressive ticket, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right and you know part of that to that point of him saying that we are the progressive ticket speaks to what is going to be his vulnerability but perhaps also his strength.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The fact that to Liberal Democrats he might leave something to be desired. He has had positions on abortion that aren't right with what Liberals would want, supporting some parental consent late term abortion ban with an exception for the life and health of the mother. He's even supported offshore drilling so that's not going to speak to a lot of Democrats on the left Poppy. But polls are showing those folks, many of whom supported Bernie Sanders are moving over to Hillary Clinton. So the big concern for the Clinton campaign was getting someone who could not only a broad appeal but also help her when it comes to moderates. She has struggled with white males, that's an area where Donald Trump can exploit in Pennsylvania, in Ohio. And they think that Tim Kaine is someone who can help with that.

And today for a guy who the knock on him was that he was boring he showed with his speech that he was anything but in what was his first chance to really introduce himself to so many people. Here's part of what he said.

TIM KAINE, PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENT NOMINEE: I've been able to see how government works and how sometimes it doesn't from just about every perspective and I've always believed that however you serve what matters is whether you actually deliver results for people. And that's been my goal - that's been my goal in every position I've ever held.

Now I know for a lot of you this might be the first time you're hearing me speak and hey let me be honest for many of you this is the first time you've even heard my name, but that's OK because I'm excited for us to get to know one another.

KEILAR: And if it's any indication Poppy how Tim Kaine was received by this audience speaking in Spanish then he's going to be able to make certainly some headway as much as it matters for the Vice Presidential pick with Hispanic supports of Hillary Clinton. He time and time again as you said spoke Spanish. He told the folks here that his guiding principles are faith familia and trabaho. Faith, family and work to a lot of applause that he got today.

[15:05:20]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Yes. Brianna Keilar live for us in Miami. Brianna thank you so much, let's talk about all of this with my panel. And you know it's interesting when he did come out he said welcome to everyone in Spanish. Sort of the first words out of his mouth. So let's talk about it with the panel.

Executive Editor for CNN Politics, Mark Preston, he's with us. Ryan Nobles is also with us, National Correspondent for CNN Newsource and (inaudible) in his home state. Also with us Michael Nutter, the former Mayor of this great City of Philadelphia. And Scottie Nell-Hughes, National Political Commentator for USA Radio Networks and a Trump supporter.

Mark, let's begin with you. Look there are a few ways that you can utilize this second language in a speech, how well did he do?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: He did excellent, I mean the fact that he was able to weave it in at certain points but not overdo it I think says a lot. Look he has an interesting job ahead of him right in the sense that he will be Hillary Clinton's chief defender. OK, he doesn't have to be the chief attack dog, I think we're going to see Elizabeth Warren take on that role, perhaps Bernie Sanders as well. But he's also going to be somebody who tries to reach out to the Hispanic community in a way to drive up the numbers of the Hispanic voters in 8 key states.

HARLOW: So in 2012 only 40% of the Hispanic electorate came to the polls. They need and want a lot more than that. How effective can he be in getting that.

PRESTON: Well I also think we shouldn't over emphasize. I mean he is not himself with you know OK - he's not Hispanic himself. So let us not overstate that. I just think that it's helpful for him to be able to go into communities and to speak that language. At the same point though he's also going to have to go into communities and speak to white men who are not behind Hillary Clinton, who she has a big problem with. But he could perhaps go into a state like Georgia. We haven't talked about Georgia yet, where he could go in and talk to white men in Georgia at the same time talking to very big pockets of Hispanics in that state.

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HARLOW: And is this Mayor Nutter, is this the Clinton camp making the calculus that getting those white male votes is more important to them than getting the liberal Sander supporter votes that they didn't have?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Because although he and she today kept pounding on the word progressive he is more centrist.

MICHAEL NUTTER, FORMER MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA: Well I think the first issue is that she has a running mate who can govern, who knows how to make decisions, a person she's going to have to work with for at least four years, possibly 8.

HARLOW: But do you think they'll make that calculation?

NUTTER: I'm sure it was a part of the overall calculation. You take a lot of things into consideration for the Vice Presidential pick and you can't deny you know geography, access, communities you can talk too, all of those are factors but governing has to be number one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Let's take a look for our viewers and Scottie; I want you to look at this as a Trump supporter especially. So we're going to show you the two rollouts. Right, Miami Beach they come out together sort of hand in hand. And then we'll pull up for you, last week, last Saturday, Donald Trump comes out, speaks for 28 minutes on his own before he brings Pence out.

Scottie Nell to you. Your take on the Tim Kaine rollout versus your man's rollout.

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, NATIONAL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, USA RADIO NETWORKS: I think they're two different styles. I mean there's no doubt and that's kind of a you know but they are still kind of the same team, they all have the same goal of uniting the people and engaging the people within their party whether it's through celebrating or diversity or whether it's to the actual plans and proposals.

I think what we saw today between the two differences one party that wanted to speak as everybody as one, where everybody can understand, that wanted to unite our country. We have such divisions right now. We can celebrate diversity; in fact that's what makes America great. But we also need to also find ways that unifies us and I think that was something that came out in Mr. Trump's, the entire audience as well as Mr. Trump and Mike Pence's speech. What we saw today was just a way they spoke to just certain people and

I think that's a problem we have in America today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUGHES: We keep just speaking to certain people and leaving others out and I think as I said between the two and I think Mr. Trump did his rollout the way because he knew if he stayed on stage as we saw with what happened with Ted Cruz the tension was always going to be on him. That's just how he is, he is larger than life. So he stepped off to give Mike Pence the spotlight. And we've seen them together plenty since.

HARLOW: I want you guys to let's consider this and Ryan to you because you've covered him so closely in the state of Virginia. Donald Trump knocking Kaine. All right, he's already come out and given him a nickname, corrupt Kaine. The camp released this statement, the Trump camp; let's pull it up "it's only fitting that Hillary Clinton would select an ethnically challenged insider like Tim Kaine who's personally benefited from the rigged system. While serving in government, Kaine has taken tens of thousands of dollars in freebies - more than $160,000 in fact on free vacations, free clothes, and free tickets."

This statement goes on referring to Kaine as crooked Kaine. It is so important for us to put this in context of what's legal in this state, what's not legal, so tee it up for us.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN NEWSOURCE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly its vulnerability because of the optics, it doesn't look good. But it - there's not really a lot of substance behind the attack and I can tell you that having covered not only Tim Kaine but Bob McDonald who was convicted on similar charges after the fact.

HARLOW: Right.

[15:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: And simply you know Tim Kaine was never actually accused of linking the gifts that he received toward any official government action. No-one has ever accused him of that. All the gifts -

HARLOW: -- you mean he didn't help anyone in return for gifts?

NOBLES: Right, exactly, exactly. And all the gifts that he received were completely legal under Virginia law. A big chunk of them, more than $100,000 were actually his payment for making political trips for people like Barack Obama.

So to a certain extent Kaine went over what he was responsible to do during his time as Virginia Governor. For instance the one that everyone attacks him for is the $18,000 Caribbean vacation home which was basically a friend of his and Mark Warner, the Senator who serves with him in Virginia, offered him the use of that Caribbean home and that was the value that Kaine decided to assign to it.

HARLOW: And that's not the picture he painted of himself today talking about being the son of a welder saying as family you help family, you get up before dawn and you go help in the iron shop et cetera.

But Mark Preston to you, I want your thoughts on that. But also you know this a guy who called himself boring.

PRESTON: Right.

HARLOW: And then you've got Elizabeth Warren on the other end of it who many thought perhaps Clinton would tap and she takes on Donald Trump. Did she miss a chance in not tapping Warren, or did Tim Kaine just prove to the world that he's not so boring?

PRESTON: No, he's certainly boring. And there's something to be said about embracing your inner self and doing it in a self-deprecating way. So I do think Tim Kaine coming out there and saying listen I'm not flashy, sorry, I am who I am, I think that's endearing to people quite frankly. Had he come out and been flat then the idea of boring would be a capital B right now. We would say that this guy doesn't have the charisma; he's not going to be good on the campaign trail.

What he did today is give us some idea of what he could be like on the campaign trail. But as far as the gifts go, Republicans could perhaps benefit from this if they are able to use it strategically. And when I mean that I think if they try to attack Tim Kaine in a shotgun blast and just keep on talking about him and shooting it out there, that's not going to work, it's going to get lost in the (white) noise.

However if they're strategically able to take that message and put it to certain pockets of voters in certain states, try to drive up that white male vote that is right now not with Hillary Clinton, it could be effective.

But to Ryan's point who has spent more time covering Tim Kaine than any of us here. You know it wasn't ethically challenged of him doing it, but it doesn't matter, can they seize on it politically.

HARLOW: It matters - it matters how people read it.

PRESTON: Right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right, we're going to all stay here, we're going to take a quick break and Scottie; I want more of your take on this especially when he said you better watch out, talking about your man Donald Trump.

Much more ahead and also this; a reminder do not miss CNN's live coverage of the Democratic National Convention, it all begins right here on Monday 4pm eastern, we'll be right back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: Also ahead, hacked emails raising questions about whether the DNC was really neutral in the primary race. The shocking messages about trying to undercut Bernie Sanders.

And did a German gunman in Munich lure his victims with a fake Facebook post? The new details we're learning about the rampage that left nine people dead, most of those victims' teenagers.

Also this ahead this hour, security a huge concern in the run up here to the convention in Philadelphia. Coming up a look at how police are bracing for an additional 50,000 people to descend on this city this week. All ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:00]

HARLOW: All right, welcome back. Just as the Democratic National Convention gets under way here and Democrats get ready to gather in Philadelphia, potential bombshell from WikiLeaks. The online file sharing site released 20,000 hacked emails today from the DNC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The real key here at issue is that these leaked emails include a few where staffers discussed possible ways it looks like to undercut fellow Democrat Bernie Sanders during the campaign. And that the back and forth about this was ongoing between Clinton and Sanders, and now these emails show at the very least bad optics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Let's talk about this with CNN Chris Frates who has been following them.

Look CNN I should note has not been able to independently verify these emails. But what is making headlines doesn't look good, right? It looks like collusion among some to undercut Sander's campaign.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yes Poppy it's really going to fuel that tension that we've seen for months now. Because remember Bernie Sanders and his top aides have complained that the DNC under chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz was essentially putting its finger on the scale for Hillary Clinton and these new emails are really sure to add fuel to that fire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: Take this one from May 13th. Just days after Sanders wins West Virginia an aid to Wasserman-Schultz informs her that Sanders campaign manager, a guy named Jeff Weaver, thinks Sanders should take his fight all the way to the convention floor there in Philadelphia. She responds to that by saying Weaver is "an ass".

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: And a few days later on May 17th that same aid tells Wasserman-Schultz that in an interview with CNN Weaver was asked about violent behavior by Sanders supporters at the Nevada Democratic Convention and he criticized the Nevada state party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: Wasserman-Schultz replies by saying "Damn liar. Particularly scummy that he barely acknowledges the violent and threatening behavior that occurred."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: Now. It's worth repeating here Poppy that CNN has not independently established the emails authenticity and I've reached out to the DNC, Sanders and Clinton camps and have not yet gotten a response. But you know these emails really could flare tensions ahead of this week's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. They could threaten the truce between Sanders and Clinton.

Remember you know he essentially agreed to a more progressive party platform in exchange for Sanders dropping his fight to replace Wasserman-Schultz as that DNC chair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: And Republican Donald Trump got in on the action a little bit today, he tried to stoke those flames this morning by tweeting about how the emails show the DNC was you know planning to destroy Bernie Sanders. And if you're Clinton or some of the other Democrats hoping to unite the party in Philadelphia this week, you know these leaked emails are really bad news Poppy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So if you're the Sanders camp right now Chris, and I know we've reached out for comment from them and haven't gotten it yet, and you're writing the final - the final words of your remarks that you'll deliver on stage here Monday night at the DNC, how does this affect that do you think?

[15:20:00]

FRATES: Well certainly they're not happy about it right, and this is something that we're going to continue to see how it plays out. Both Bernie Sanders and the Clinton camps were set to meet last night to talk this over a little bit and I've reached out to say well does this affect that agreement? Does this put things into tatters going forward? You know certainly it's more of an internal machination at this point; this is not something that I think will threaten to spill out onto the fall like we saw in Cleveland with the Republicans and the (inaudible) Trump guys. But we've really got to wait and see here Poppy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HARLOW: Right. Right, so this isn't going to be a Cruz moment, I mean he's already endorsed Clinton but the question is how far does he go in pushing voters towards her especially after these emails came out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right, Chris, thank you, appreciate it.

FRATES: You're welcome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Coming up next, we're going to turn our attention overseas to the tragic horrific shooting in Munich. New revelations about the teenager, the 18 year old, that authorities now say is behind the rampage that has left nine people dead in Munich. Ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: An explosion shaking Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan earlier today, it was three separate explosions where suicide bombers killed themselves and 80 other people earlier today.

The killers were in a middle of a crowd of peaceful demonstrators there in Kabul and in addition to murdering 80 260 others are wounded. ISIS has claimed responsibility. Deadly attacks in Afghanistan have spiked recently since ISIS began losing territory in Iraq and Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:25:15]

HARLOW: All right, staying overseas. We have now confirmed the name of the man who opened fire at that shopping mall in Munich, Germany, killing nine people yesterday.

I want to take you straight to Munich where tonight authorities are learning a lot more about who this individual is, what his motivation may have been.

Fred Pleitgen is live for us there tonight. Show us the picture. I understand we have the name and a new image of the gunman?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you're absolutely right Poppy. CNN has now been able to independently confirm the identity and the name of the alleged shooter. His name is Ali Sonboly. He's 18 years old. He apparently lived with his father here in Munich.

And the police has also found out a lot of other things during the investigation over the past 24 hours. They say for instance they found out he was researching how to conduct rampages online before allegedly perpetrating these acts.

They also say that he might have in the past been bullied at certain stages and time, and they're not clear whether or not that might have been something that could have perhaps triggered the rampage that he went on then of course on this Friday here in Munich.

So certainly a wealth of information that's coming out with the authorities here. One of the things the authorities however do say Poppy is they say they have no indication that he was in any way, shape, or form, radicalized. That there was any sort of religious radicalism that had to do with all of this. They say at this point in time they simply do not see anything like that. They say it seems very likely that he is someone who acted alone, that he shot himself after he went on this rampage and certainly a wealth of information that is coming out here as this investigation moves forward.

But I can tell you at the same time Poppy of course you also have the human aspect to all this and this certainly is still very much a city in mourning here in Munich.

I want to show over there, there's a makeshift memorial that was put in place a lot of flowers, a lot of candles. There have been people who have been coming out here throughout the entire day. And it was pouring with rain here. There was people who have been breaking out in tears, that is how emotional people have been. Of course many people here really still struggling to comprehend what happened and why it had to come to this, Poppy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: And when you look at this new image we've just received of the gunman, 18 years old, looks very, very young.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The victims - the victims Fred are many of them quite young, teenagers, what do we know about them?

PLEITGEN: Yes, very, very important point and certainly something that the authorities are very much looking at as well.

They say they believe that it's highly likely that he might have specifically and directly been targeting young people. You know we saw those horrible images of those videos that surfaced shortly after or even as this rampage was still going on of this person apparently opening fire and many people saying that he seemed to be directly targeting young people.

And it's interesting because I talked to the head doctor at one of the main hospitals here in Munich today and he said it's something that they saw as well. They say the trauma patients that came in many of them wounded, some of them also injured in other incidents related to this as well, many, many of them young people. So there is the belief that he might specifically have been targeting youth. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Unbelievable. Fred Pleitgen live for us tonight in Munich. Thank you very much.

Coming up next we're going to turn back here to the United States into politics. And remember this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED CRUZ, FORMER US REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE: Stand and speak and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom.

HARLOW: After Ted Cruz told Republicans to vote their conscience and did not endorse Donald Trump, what does Hillary Clinton need from her former rival, Bernie Sanders, to avoid a moment anything like that at the DNC? And how did those email leaks from WikiLeaks potentially change things? Straight ahead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[15:32:25]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right, welcome back to our special live coverage here in Philadelphia. Last week it was all about Cleveland, and this week it is Philly's turn.

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HARLOW: On Monday, the Democratic National Convention officially takes over this city but I can personally attest that being here it has already overtaken this city and it's a nice 100 degrees here today as well.

So let's compare what we saw last week in Cleveland at the RNC to what we're going to see from the Democrats. To talk about that, our panel, CNN Senior Media Correspondent and host of Reliable Sources, Brian Stelter, is with us. Also with us, Michael Nutter, the former Mayor of this great City and a Clinton supporter. And CNN Political Commentator and Donald Trump supporter, Scottie Nell Hughes.

Thank you all for being here. Let's talk about the tone.

Scottie let me begin with you. The tone that Donald Trump painted of America was a dystopian society that only he can fix. The tone here I think we got a clue from what Clinton and Kaine just said today of what the tone will be here, which is the opposite, a very optimistic stand together tone.

As a Trump supporter are you comfortable with how he painted the picture of America and do you believe that Clinton and Kaine painted too rosy a picture of America that is perhaps reflective of the America they see but not reflective of the America so many people are living in and struggling in today?

HUGHES: Well I think you know Mr. Trump - first of all if were to go back to week ago on our little time machine and start it on Sunday, I guarantee I could not have predicted, none of us could of predicted what happened last week with the RNC. Every day was a different opera story that we continued to live.

But I think you know, I thought more as like yes, they were cautious, but they were still optimistic. They were still about putting America first. And people are -

HARLOW: You heard optimism in his -

HUGHES: I heard a lot of optimism in there, we're going to be great again, we're going to be winning, we're going to give you the tools you need to be a success to provide for your family. We're going to protect your family. And we're going to put America first when it comes to trade and the economy.

So yes, I did hear a lot of optimism and I guarantee I'll hear that same sort of optimism this week as well. This is what these platforms are for.

HARLOW: So Mayor Nutter to you, it's interesting because you know I think Clinton and Kaine have to walk this line and reflect the America where many families feel like they have fallen behind. How do they do that when the tone we heard from them today was very cheery. And the tone that Donald Trump has used and has worked well for him is that no, thinks aren't good for you at home and I'm the only one who can make them better.

How do they reflect some of the anger in America?

NUTTER: Well, Mr. Trump wants to continue that kind of narrative because that worked for him in the primary. It won't work in the general. The country is not falling apart.

Secretary Clinton and Senator Kaine are quite well aware of the challenges that people face in poverty, in education, in crime, in lack of jobs and other opportunities but the country is still great.

[15:35:08]

NUTTER: This whole narrative that we're going to be great again, that means it's not great now, which is just wrong.

So everything that he says, and what Scottie was trying to get across about you know it's about the future, about the future, about the future, in Donald Trump's world means that things are horrible right now. And that is just not the case.

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HARLOW: Brian, a lot was written about the kids, the Trump kids. BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

HARLOW: The Trump kids, which by the way they're adults now, let's just put that out there. Did the Trump kids who are now adults save the RNC?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: You've got Chelsea Clinton will speak here, the former President Bill Clinton will speak. How can her family match up with how the Trump kids did?

STELTER: Well we all know Chelsea, but then we think we know her because we've seen her in the public light for 20 years, but we don't actually ever really hear her speak. Even when she was on MBC's Today Show she was barely ever on T.V. So it's actually pretty rare to see her up on the stage speaking and I think that will be a special moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: This is actually four nights of must see T.V. here in Philly. If you think about the schedule in Cleveland one of the criticisms to the Republican convention was that there weren't enough A-list stars, or ex-Presidents or party bigwigs.

Well here, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, the Biden's the Obama's and the Clintons. From a programming standpoint there are lots of big name speakers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: That's why I think the Democratic convention is going to have higher ratings than the Republican convention.

The numbers for the Republicans were OK but there wasn't a super Trump ratings bump the way he predicted. So I do think the Democrats will probably have more tune in which could go to their advantage.

HARLOW: Who watched the most was for Ivanka and Donald Trump?

STELTER: That's right. I mean Trump certainly - Thursday night was the highest rating night by far. But it was 30 million viewers, it wasn't the 40 or 50 that some expected. Trump thought he might maybe double an average convention, and he didn't do that. But then again it is the hot - middle of the summer, maybe some people aren't tuned in yet.

HARLOW: And guess who'll be watching it all and brining you the numbers every morning on CNN Money and here on CNN, Brian Stelter. Guys, thank you so much, we have much, much more ahead.

We appreciate it, Scottie Nell, Mayor Nutter, Brian Stelter. Coming up next focusing on security with such a high profile list of speakers here in Philadelphia security is already extremely tight.

Coming up next my colleague Miguel Marquez is going to take a look at how this city is preparing for any possibility of threats. Miguel?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Poppy, up to 50,000 protestors a day to keep those protestors and the delegates safe it is going to be a massive effort here. We will tell you about it, coming right up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:41:05]

HARLOW: Welcome back, the city of Brotherly Love becomes the center of the political universe in just about 48 hours. The kickoff of the 2016 Democratic National Convention, that means a lot of security prep here just like we saw in Cleveland last week.

National Correspondent, Miguel Marquez is live in the middle of all of it outside the Wells Fargo Center.

Look, Miguel, last week in Cleveland the barriers were about three times my height. I mean security no joke here. What are they doing in Philadelphia just to prepare for anything?

MARQUEZ: Well they're certainly not joking either. I like to call this the cacophony of democracy and Philly is prepared for it they say. They are expecting up to 50,000 protestors a day throughout this city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: I want to show you what it looks like here at the Wells Fargo Center. There are several different barricades here. Beyond those trees, beyond more barricades, that's actually the Wells Fargo Center where several miles from where you are standing right now all the way up Broad Street here, if you were just to keep going there about four or five miles we'd find you up that way as well. As well as Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

These trucks are now appearing everywhere to prevent those sort of Nice like attacks in this situation as well.

A big problem for police is not only to keep the delegates safe but to keep the protestors safe and allow them to protest as well. They want them out there, they want them to march in the streets and do it. If you are a protestor this is what will happen for the most part. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park you won't see a whole lot though beyond these barricades, so they've set up different areas in this park so that they can have their say. They will also be marching through this city. So it will be a much different feel and look than Cleveland where people were sort of put into one specific area that was fairly contained. This is going to be much more broad throughout the city, Poppy?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Miguel, thank you so much, in the middle of all of it for us and just wait until those 50,000 people descend on this city in just about a day and a half. Thank you Miguel.

Coming up next; we're going to have a little fun here in Philadelphia on a special live CNN Newsroom from Philadelphia, home of the DNC, the convention here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore all have at least one thing in common, they have all become iconic impersonations on Saturday Night Live by one man, this man - live from New York it is Darrell Hammond, and any other characters he's brought with him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Come on, let me get a smile, let me get a smile. Darrell Hammond, live with me next.

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[15:47:20]

HARLOW: No political season would be complete without a healthy dose of late night comedy. And no-one, no-one does it better than Saturday Night Live. One particular SNL impersonator has been cracking all of us up for quite a long time. Most recently as Bill Clinton, and of course as Donald Trump.

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DARRELL HAMMOND, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE COMEDIAN: As I was saying everyone loves me, I even got this fat piece of crap behind me now.

Oh my god, they're multiplying.

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HARLOW: That of course is none other than the legendary Darrel Hammond, he joins me now from New York. I just wished that you were in the 100 degree Philadelphia heat with me just so we could be side by side, but thank you for being with me, we appreciate it.

HAMMOND: I wish I was there too. Are you drinking a lot of water, I haven't figured out how to hydrate yet or anything.

HARLOW: Yes, that is what I'm doing. And let's just jump right into it. I've got to ask you, you've played all these characters, you don't have party ties, you play characters across the aisle, from Bill Clinton, to Al Gore, to Donald Trump. Do you buy the theory that SNL can have the effect of actually swaying how some people vote? You know when you think back to Tina Fay and Sarah Palin or Chevy Chase doing Gerald Ford, do you think this actually affects votes?

HAMMOND: You know I'd read some literature that said that people get their news from Saturday Night Live, particularly weekend update. You know the whole premise of comedy is that the audience has to understand your premise and believe it you know, and buy it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMOND: So I think that's true but there's probably if I wanted to know that for sure I would probably go to someone like you. What are your thoughts?

HARLOW: What are my thoughts? Look, I think that you guys reflect - yes, I think it can impact, I think it certainly can impact people. I'd hope that they're not basing their vote though, that they are not basing their votes on what you guys are doing. But I know that the candidates watch and I want to play this, right, this moment between you and Donald Trump when he hosted SNL. Let's roll it.

[15:50:00]

HAMMOND: You think you're this terrific person, you think you're this, you think you're that, and blah, blah, blah. You're being very naive and quite frankly, you're fired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Take me back to that moment.

HAMMOND: I've given up trying to really describe what it's like to be around SNL but I hadn't seen Trump in a long time.

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HAMMOND: I felt like it was a nice reunion, I hadn't said hello to him in years. And I know that he no matter what, when he's out there he finds a way to make something happen, and I was comfortable to be out there with him, and I hope he felt good about it you know with me too.

HARLOW: Did he say anything to you after that? I mean did you have chitchat backstage?

HAMMOND: No. And you know back in the day I - I mean I talked to Ivanka afterwards and Melania, but I didn't get a chance to talk to him. I mean it's been a number of years before I actually sat down with him and you know just sort of shot the breeze - shoot the breeze and stuff like that, it's been a while.

HARLOW: OK, so you've been talking about these different sort of hand movements that you have been perfecting and one you call the pinched OK, the Donald Trump pinched OK.

HAMMOND: Yes.

HARLOW: What is it?

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HAMMOND: Oh, it's you know everybody changes depending upon what context you know that you see them in. And I think that we never saw Trump in this context in front of 20,000 people and he never did the pinched OK before. But now, galvanized by that you know 20 million or how many million people it is, he starts doing this now, and this now, and this now, which we're calling rubber band. Rubber band is extra excited. I think we saw a little bit of it the other night.

HARLOW: All right, so you happen to be not just - not just on the Trump train, you're a bi-partisan impersonator. Let's play this clip of you playing the former president, Bill Clinton.

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UNDIENTIFIED FEMALE: I am running because I want to be a voice for women everywhere.

HAMMOND: Did someone say women everywhere? Hillary would make a great President and I would make an even greater First Dude.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: It may be the case, he may be the First Dude as you dubbed it. Who's more fun to play Clinton or Trump?

HAMMOND: I'm going to say they're probably about the same. I mean I've often told people that there's nobody like Clinton but now when you start to think about it, there's probably no one like Trump either. Right about the same. Immensely charismatic, doing stuff that other people don't do the whole time and making it score for them. And Trump gets more interesting by the month.

HARLOW: By the month. Look you've done - you've done impressions on everyone from Jimmy Carter, to Dick Cheney, to Al Gore, and I'm wondering what's the best story from when you actually met someone that you impersonated?

HAMMOND: I think Clinton. I think Clinton. I was dressed up like him, I had on the hair, and make-up, wardrobe, everything, was walking around in the White House, which is weird because I graduated with a 2.1 average, I didn't even know what I was supposed - what the hell I was doing there. And I was shaking and shaking - like shaking hands, I felt my cheek flutter a little bit and he walked into the room. And I just gave up and I said you know, Mr. President, I'm not even going to try to act like I don't feel stupid. And he leaned in, in that (inaudible) way he just sort of said, I think you look terrific. And I went, wow, OK, I got it. I see what everyone's talking about. You've got a lot of power, a lot of power, a lot of personal power.

HARLOW: You felt it, you felt it in that moment. All right before I let you go and I know you said to me in the commercial break sir that you don't love to do impressions or impersonations when you don't have the live audience to help rev you up, and I get that, I get that. But I want you to give us your best parody of Donald Trump this week watching Hillary Clinton on stage Thursday night. Give it to us.

HAMMOND: I actually - I can't hear it, literally I cannot hear myself well enough to do that. Sorry.

HARLOW: You can't - you can't hear yourself. How many rubber bands and pinched Oks will there be if he's sitting at home on the couch watching?

HAMMOND: If he's sitting at home watching he'll be doing home base. Do you know what home base is?

HARLOW: No show us.

HAMMOND: Home base is this, that's home base. Home base is when you - he's just waiting - any negative - if you think of - if you think of negative thoughts, it's like weeds in a garden, home base is where he's weeding negative thoughts out and planning for the next day which he thinks is going to be fantastic.

HARLOW: And tweeting. Do you have a tweeting Donald Trump impression?

HAMMOND: No, but I want to get some - I want to hear what - I think there should be a musical score to each of those tweets because he's rocking the world right now with those. I started watching him in New Orleans like a year and a half ago when he first came down the elevator with Melania, boy, masterful wouldn't you say?

HARLOW: Darrell Hammond, a pleasure - a pleasure my friend, thank you, keep rocking it out with you and the entire cast on SNL. Plenty of material for you guys certainly from this political cycle. Thank you so much.

We're going to take a quick break, we'll be right back live from Philadelphia.