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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

One-On-One With Hillary Clinton After Historic Win; Does Trump's Softer Tone Signal New Playbook? Does Trump's Softer Tone Signal New Playbook?; Democratic Endgame; Sanders Back Home In Vermont Tonight; Politico: Sanders "Filled With Resentment" After Loss; Clinton On Sanders: Common Goal To Defeat Donald Trump. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired June 08, 2016 - 20:00   ET

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

[22:00:00] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, thanks for joining us, a big night ahead. There is Donald Trump and whether he can let go as Republicans have been all but begging him to do, move past his complaints about a federal judge.

There's Bernie Sanders. He is meeting tomorrow with president Obama and how his supporters will handle a likely Clinton/Trump race in November. We begin with my conversion with Hillary Clinton herself. She declared victory last night in a speech to supporters that even 2012 Republican, Newt Gingrich, called spectacular and very effective, his words. He spoke about making history for women in politics, criticism of the Clinton foundation, her husband's role in that foundation if she's elected, and more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Secretary Clinton, congratulations on your historic achievement last night. Today Trump's campaign is saying they'll make a concerted effort to attract Sanders supporters. I know you spoke to Senator Sanders last night. According to a "Politico," he feels, "Rage against you." They say he's "Filled with resentment," that's according to people in his campaign. How do you overcome that and overcome that in his supporters?

HILLARY CLINTON (D) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Well, Anderson, I know how it feels to have wages a hard fought campaign and to fall short. As I said last night, my supporters were passionate, Senator Sanders's supporters were passionate. I really totally respect their feelings. I called Senator Sanders last night, to congratulate him on the really extraordinary campaign that he has run.

And I looking forward to working with him to achieve our common goal, which is to defeat Donald Trump. And Senator Sanders has said he will work every day, every week to see that happen. So we're going to be working to make sure that we have a unified party going into our convention and coming out. I know Senator Sanders will be meeting with President Obama tomorrow.

COOPER: Do you have specifics of how to do that?

CLINTON: Well, I do intend to reach out to his supporters. A lot of his supporters and our supporters share the same goals. We want to raise the national minimum wage. We want to have universal health care coverage. We want to fight inequality, create more economic opportunity for hard working people. We want to make college affordable, so it doesn't bankrupt kids and their families. We have a lot of the same goals. We may have approached it somewhat differently, but our goals are the same.

And contrast that with Donald Trump who set up a fake university, Trump University that committed fraud on people. Who doesn't want to raise the minimum wage. Who wants to go backwards when it comes to universal health care, who proposed a tax plan that would just be great for billionaires and terrible for everybody else. So as we reach out and we talk about what's at stake in this election. I really believe a lot of Senator Sanders' supporters will join us in making sure Donald Trump doesn't get anywhere near the White House.

COOPER: Trump has said he is clearly going to focus on the Clinton Foundation. Last night said, and I quote, the Russians, the Saudis, the Chinese all gave money to the foundation and quote, got favorable treatment in return. The foundation has obviously, raised huge sums of money for worthy causes. It's always not been transparent though. Tens of millions come from a Canadian partnership whose donors remain secret. There was a large donation from Algeria that wasn't submitted to State Department for approval. If you're president, will your husband divest himself of any association with the foundation?

CLINTON: Well, Anderson, we'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it, but let me try to set the record straight. We had absolutely overwhelming disclosure. Were there one or two instances that slipped through the cracks, yes. But was the overwhelming amount of anything that anybody gave the foundation disclosed, absolutely. And I'm proud of the foundation. I'm proud of the work that it has done. Nine million people have lower cost HIV AIDS medicine because of the work of the Clinton Foundation my husband.

We have women across the country from Latin America and Africa, across the world getting good jobs, being able to support themselves for the first time. Here in our country, we have better food and nutrition that is helping young kids in America be healthier and not fight obesity. We have so much we are proud of. I will put that up against any of the innuendo and accusation coming from Donald Trump. Because the work that has been done has garnered accolades and appreciation from every corner of the world because it has been so far sighted, visionary, and effective.

[22:05:00] COOPER: But some big donors clearly want the association with you or your husband that they linked to the foundation gives them. As president, obviously, it's vital that you and your husband not to appear to be in any way compromised. So I guess have you considered the idea of him stepping down?

CLINTON: Again, I'm not going to consider anything until we see what the circumstances are. But let me just point out that people give lots of money to presidential campaigns, don't they? They give lots of money to political parties as well. So, you know, that's money that goes directly to support political activities of candidates. Money that has been given to the foundation goes to support humanitarian work. And if people want to influence anybody in office, I think they would choose the political route and indeed the work of the foundation speaks for itself.

COOPER: Out on the campaign trail, one of the things you said several weeks ago is your husband might be put in charge of revitalizing the economy. Is that something you're seriously looking at, a position for him in that regard?

CLINTON: Well, I'm looking for his good advice and his extraordinary understanding of what we've got to do to help distressed communities in America. Those that are dealing left out and left behind. We got to have a real focus on helping communities from Appalachia and coal country to Indian country to inner-city neighborhoods and that's what I think he would bring to any discussion that we were having about what are the best ways to do that, because he has a terrific track record. Both as president, as governor before that, and indeed he actually wrote a book about putting America back to work. And through the Clinton foundation has helped to create jobs. Has helped to train people for jobs.

So he has a wealth of experience and I'm looking forward to tapping into that and finding out what we can do. I want all hands on deck when it comes to revitalizing the economy. I feel a very personal responsibility. You know, and honestly, Anderson, some places I am going to pay attention to, I don't think they're going to vote for me. I said that when I was in coal country. But I am going to support them and my husband is going to be working with my team to try to figure out what we can do to restore hope and opportunity in a lot of those places.

COOPER: Yesterday, House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, said it would be fabulous for two women to be on the ticket. Do you think the country is ready for that, and all-female ticket? Obviously, you can't give out names or anything, but can you tell me a timetable for picking a VP?

CLINTON: Look, I am looking at the most qualified people, and that includes women, of course. Because I want to be sure that whoever I pick could be president immediately if something were to happen. That's the most important qualification. There are a lot of people in the Democratic Party that bring so many great assets to the table. I'm going to really begin to pay attention to that now that we've wrapped up the primary process. But it doesn't matter to me who the person is, as long as that person can really do the job that is required.

COOPER: And in terms of a timetable, do you want anyone in place much before the convention, at the convention obviously?

CLINTON: Anderson, I don't know. Because I am not sure how long it will take to sort all of this out. We'll have it done by the convention, but I'm not going to speculate how much before the convention it might be completed.

COOPER: Secretary Clinton, again, congratulations. CLINTON: Thank you. Take care.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Well, there's always plenty to talk about. Joining us, is a Sanders surrogate, Jonathan Tasini, John Jay Lavalle, a New York Trump delegate. A Clinton supporter, former New York City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn, and our political analyst, David Gergen and Gloria Borger. Jonathan Tasini, let's start with you. The fact that Secretary Clinton said she believes a lot of Senator Sanders supporters will get on board with her candidacy, makes it sound sort of sound like it's inevitable. Is it?

JONATHAN TASINI, SANDERS SURROGATE: Well, I know I'm going to have to rain on this party a little bit. As Bernie said, the struggle continues, and respectfully to the secretary, the primary process is not wrapped up, there's a primary next week in Washington, D.C. We know that there's a huge steep hill to climb, but we're still making the argument, at this point, Bernie may change his mind. But at this point, I have been on this campaign since the beginning. And I'm sticking by my man. We're going to make the argument to superdelegates. I do think that coming out of the convention, whoever is the nominee, that we are going to have a purpose that unites us. And that is to defeat Donald Trump.

[22:10:00] There's no question about that. Bernie Sanders has made it very clear that he will work overtime as the nominee to defeat Donald Trump.

COOPER: Christine, do you think it is possible for Donald Trump to actually pick up Sanders supporters?

CHRISTINE QUINN, FORMER NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER, CLINTON SUPPORTER: No, I think that's impossible. And I think it is the last thing Bernie Sanders would ever want is to support someone who is so racist and so dangerous to our country and the world as Donald Trump. And look, Jonathan is right in a way. There is the D.C. next week, and if senator Sanders and his supporters feel it is important to move to that moment, we have to respect that. And I think there is no way that this convention is going to happen in July without Bernie Sanders being an enormous part of it, and I really, obviously, agree with Jonathan, that we will be completely united after the convention. But I actually believe because Senator Sanders is so committed to making this country better, and Donald Trump is a threat to that, that we will be united well before the convention.

COOPER: Gloria, Donald Trump certainly believes or seems to believe that Hillary Clinton is vulnerable on the Clinton Foundation. On the various sort of network of relationships that people donated. Obviously, as I said in the interview, look, they've done extraordinary work. A lot of people have HIV medication around the world that wouldn't otherwise have it. Lives have been saved. But you know, there has been lack of transparency from time to time. There's this Canadian foundation, which has been in partnership with it, which the donors don't have to disclose who they really are. Is she vulnerable? GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Look, I think yes.

I think Donald Trump has made it very clear that he is going to hit them on this. He is going to have a press conference next week on this subject in particular. And he's going to keep hammering it home that she's what he calls, crooked Hillary. Trying to remind a younger generation of all of the issues surrounding the Clintons that a lot of people have put to bed for years and years. And I think she's going to say he's unstable and that he doesn't have the temperament to be president. And he's going to say well, you know what, people don't trust you and let me tell you why. Because he understands that her largest vulnerability, you saw this, Anderson, in every exit poll we looked at among Democrats, is that her largest vulnerability is the trust issue. And he believes if that if he continues to hammer it in, people will not trust her enough to be president. So it is kind of a vulnerability for her. But I guarantee you, and heard it in answer to your question tonight, she will be prepared to fight back at him on it because they're expecting it.

COOPER: John Jay, you're a Trump supporter, do you believe she's vulnerable on the Clinton Foundation. Obviously they've done tremendous work for a lot of people around the world. Is there a risk that Donald Trump goes after her on that?

JOHN JAY LAVALLE, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think he's going to. I think honesty is an issue, or I should say dishonesty. You know, we have the with the private secret server. We have the issues with the foundation. These are core issues. These are things that American people are looking at. More than half the people believe that she's dishonest. I don't know how she gets over that. As far as -- we were talking about Bernie Sanders and where his people are going to go, it's about the message. The message of Donald Trump, the message of Bernie Sanders is a message of no more establishment, no more business as usual. And there's going to be a substantial portion of the Sanders supporters that will going to support Donald Trump. And they're going to support Donald Trump

TASINI: That's not true, John Jay, with all respect. I still believe that Bernie has a shot at the nomination, I'll make it clear again, but Donald Trump stands for everything that Bernie Sanders has worked against his entire lifetime. Not a single thing that Donald Trump stands for would Bernie Sanders supporter. And he has made very clear, calling Donald Trump a pathological liar, earlier in the campaign, correctly in my view. He made very clear he will work overtime to defeat Donald Trump. It is not about Bernie Sanders, it I about the message.

QUINN: No, it's about Donald Trump.

COOPER: One at a time. Guys, stop. I swear, I am on remote, I can't hear you and the audience can't as well. David, let me bring you in here, because you're the only one we haven't heard from yet. Do you believe secretary Clinton is vulnerable on the Clinton Foundation thing?

[22:15:00] I have been doing reading on it. There have been things that Secretary Clinton is calling falling through the cracks. You know, millions of dollars in speeches, which weren't put in as donations. It was listed as revenue. There's not unnecessarily any real smoking gun. There are certainly a lot of questions that have been raised.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Anderson, I think it is important to understand that some months ago, I think a year or two ago that, that Mrs. Clinton and I think her husband recruited Donna Shalala. Who had been an outstanding cabinet member in the Clinton years, and then the president of the University of Miami. They recruited her to come in when she resigned the university to be head of the foundation, and basically clean up the books.

My very firm understanding from people around her is that she feels there was some sloppiness in the books, but that's been cleaned up and that they're not vulnerable. Now we'll have to wait and see. Obviously, she's a partisan. She's biased toward Hillary Clinton. Nonetheless, I do think they have brought somebody and who is a serious person to protect themselves against these kinds of charges of sloppiness, which can be read in more than one way. I would imagine they're less vulnerable than they appear on the surface, so then the Trump people assume. But we will have to wait and see.

COOPER: We have to take a good break. No shortage of material tonight. A lot to cover in the world of politics. The latest on Donald Trump, which some are calling the reboot of his campaign last night, teleprompter and all. We'll talk about whether it will be enough to keep nervous supporters on board? And whether he can keep himself from launching new attacks on the Trump University lawsuit judge or others.

Later, more on Hillary Clinton, the Democrats, the timing of an Obama endorsement, Bernie Sanders meeting with the president and what his supporters are making of it all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:20:30] COOPER: House speaker Paul Ryan met privately today in Washington with fellow Republicans to rally support for Donald Trump. The meeting came on the heels of a bruising day for Trump on Monday with a number of top Republicans publicly condemning his remarks about Federal Judge Curiel.

Ryan himself called Trump's comments the textbook definition of racist, his words. And on the wake of the GOP backlash, Trump gave a speech last night that was noticeably different in tone, something that a number of high-ranking Republicans have been saying they wanted and need to see. So does this signal a pivot of sorts, and so what's the game plan going forward now that Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee? Dana Bash joins us now. What do we know about the meeting Paul Ryan held today?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Seems like a case of political whiplash. It was just yesterday that Paul Ryan, of course, came out and said what Trump said about the judge was the definition, the textbook definition of racism. Now in a private meeting, just 24 hours later with rank and file Republicans, he's saying guys, we need party unity. We need to get behind our nominee. It sounds like mixed messages to anybody that is remotely thinking logically.

But you know, Anderson, we have been talking this for months. It is a classic case of how conflicted Republicans are, especially elected Republicans. Who hear what they heard with regard to Donald Trump and what he said about the judge. And say that they believe it is morally wrong. It's politically a terrible idea. But then they go back to muscle memory a sane saying, this is our guy, this is our nominee, especially after hearing the speech that he gave last night. Which people thought, OK, maybe he gets it a little bit.

COOPER: Was that speech last night, reading off the teleprompter, was that enough to reassure Republicans were getting shaky?

BASH: It was a first step for a lot of Republicans, not all, but a first step. But you know, these Republicans have been on the Donald Trump roller coaster for almost a year now. So they know, especially in the last several months when it became more and more clear, he was going to be their guy. That even when they get down at the bottom and think there's no more hill in front of them, no more terrorists or turns, or they don't go upside down on the roller coaster. It happens and their stomach drops. I don't think this is something that one speech can reassure those that are shaky, but it is a first step.

COOPER: How prepared is the Trump campaign to take on Hillary Clinton? This is effectively the first day of the general election.

BASH: It's true. You look at the nuts and bolts, Anderson, of getting a campaign operation, a traditional one together. I talked to several high ranking officials that worked on Republican campaigns in the past, not so recent past, saying they feel like the Trump campaign is lagging big time, that they need to step it up. Then you talk to Trump campaign officials and they remind us, he has been unconventional to date, don't expect him to change any time soon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Tonight we close one chapter in history and begin another.

BASH (voice-over): Donald Trump is moving into the general election with some impressive bragging rights.

TRUMP: Thirty-seven primary caucus victories in a field that began with 17 very talented people.

BASH: It's especially remarkable considering how tiny Trump's campaign was. Very few staffers compared to the robust operations of many candidates Trump crushed at the polls.

TRUMP: The last thing we need is Hillary Clinton in the White House.

BASH: But a national campaign against a well-organized Democratic opponent is a different ball game, and some Republican sources say they're worried Trump has been slow to ramp up. Trump advisers insist they're hiring in key states.

BASH (on camera): The director, the communications person, the field person.

ED BROOKOVER, SENIOR ADVISOR, TRUMP CAMPAIGN: I think we will be organized in those states, whether we're organized traditionally, as you described, or in a more nontraditional way where we have our operation.

BASH (voice-over): Sometimes that nontraditional approach leads to turmoil. TRUMP micro manages his own message, as was evident this week when he ditched a staff memo during a conference with surrogates, which he conducted himself, quite rare. When it comes it organizing, Trump appears much more hands off.

TRUMP: As far as building the infrastructure of the campaign, the RNC has been doing it for years.

[22:25:00] BASH: He's relying heavily on the Republican National Committee more so than pass GOP nominees. RNC officials say they have been building modern grass roots organizations in key states for three years, a lesson learned from Mitt Romney's devastating loss in 2012.

SEAN SPICER, RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: What that allows the campaign to do, like never before, is actually integrate and rely on the RNC to help lead that ground effort up and down the ticket. Normally it is the campaign that's done it.

BASH: The Trump operation, as of now, is about 70 people, according to GOP sources. Far fewer than most Republican nominees have had at this point. But Republicans note, add in the RNC's 750 paid staffers, who work for Trump and other GOP candidates, it's a different picture.

SPICER: It doesn't matter what jersey they're wearing, if they help the ticket win in November, that's what really counts.

BASH: Some GOP strategists, who've worked on traditional presidential campaigns, say they're skeptical this approach will work. One source telling CNN, they worry a critical piece of winning, targeting swing voters in key states could fall through the cracks. Still, RNC officials tell CNN they currently have state directors and offices in 11 states, states strategists in both parties agree are competitive. Yet Trump in typical Trump fashion wants to go bigger.

TRUMP: What I am going to do, I want to focus on 15 or so states. Because we have to win.

BASH: In addition to the 11 states where Republicans are already organizing, Trump is talking about adding four blue states. His home state of New York, Maine, Minnesota, and even California, according to a source familiar with his plans.

TRUMP: Now no other Republican, they wouldn't even go to dinner in California, wouldn't do it.

BASH: Yet, Republican strategists privately admit, New York and California especially are pipe dreams, not really likely to be in play.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And I understand Donald Trump is holding some fund-raisers coming up. Because that's the other issue, not just about the size of his campaign staff. It's about, kind of, the lag of fundraising.

BASH: That's right, the ability to get money them money to pay the staff and get the organization out there that you usually see to win. Look, tomorrow he is going to have a meeting at a restaurant in New York City with members of his own new finance team, with the Republican National Committee finance team. This really is critical of all of the concerns, of course, and there are a lot of concerns you hear from Republicans that worked on campaigns saying what's going on with the Trump campaign. The biggest I think is the fundraising element of this.

Donald Trump is a self-funder in the primaries. So he didn't have an apparatus and a structure of people going out and raising money for him. So they're very concerned he's behind on that. Despite him saying he doesn't have to raise a billion dollars, which is what Hillary Clinton will probably spend. He does have to raise tens of millions, and again, there's concern pretty great that he can actually do that because he has been so behind.

COOPER: Yes, Dana, thanks for reporting. Back with the panel, also joining the conversation, CNN political commentator and Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord. And former Obama advisor, Van Jones, as well as Rick Lazio, a former New York Congressman, who ran against Hillary Clinton in the 2000 Senate race. And Margaret Hoover, CNN Political Commentator and Republican consultant.

Jeff on fundraising, are you concerned that Donald Trump is behind? Because to Dana's point, he loaned his own campaign money during the primary. I think about a third of his campaign funds were paid for by solicitations on the website, people sending in millions of dollars. But the sheer amount of money a traditional campaign has to raise is huge.

JEFFERY LORD, TRUMP SUPPORTER: First of all, Anderson, I think you gave the answer there. It is not a traditional campaign. I am not worried and I'll tell you why. Ultimately I have a lot of confidence in the candidate. He wants to win. He is very incredibly competitive. He said it 17 zillion times. When it comes to a situation like the status of fundraising, or field operations, or anything in the campaign, he is going to do what it takes to win.

If he thinks this is not ramped up enough, he'll take care of it. If he thinks something else isn't ramped up, he will take care of that too. I think we leave that human part of the equation out here. But no, for that reason, no, I am not concerned at all. There's always criticism that can be made. Some of them are legit, and some of them not so legit. At the end of the day, I think he does know what he is doing here.

COOPER: You know, Margaret, it's interesting though, you look back at Mitt Romney, who had long established networks of supporters and funders. Who he worked on the phones, as far as I understand, during his campaign when he was running for president. Donald Trump doesn't have that because he has not been a politician. He obviously got some deep pocketed friends. But are you as confident as Jeffrey is?

MARGARET HOOVER, REPUBLICAN CONSULTANT: No, I'm not, Anderson, I tell you that as a person who worked both on President Bush's re-election campaign and the finance department, building a financial apparatus for a sitting president. And on another in 2008 for Rudy Giuliani as the number two finance person. These races are expensive and you have to have hard dollars to spend. Donald Trump says there's no need to raise a billion dollars. He has never run for president before.

[20:30:02] And I know there's a lot of bombast, and a lot of he can do anything. Maybe he'll sell a building or he's worth $10 billion. But the truth is, the sheer -- just the apparatus is something. I mean you can have, you know, the will to win, but the will to win isn't everything. You come to the battlefield with, you know, your arsenal, your cavalry, you're all the different parts you need as a general to win a war, right, because this is a civilized war in modern times, right. It's a Democratic election.

And you need resources in order to be able to hit back and don't you better believe that the Clinton apparatus which has been on the national scene for 25 years and has a robust, and loyal, and devoted, and incredibly well-organized fundraising apparatus ...

COOPER: Right.

HOOVER: ... is going to pommel him in no time because he doesn't have the resources on hand to start spending.

COOPER: Although Rick, I mean when a Donald Trump supporters I know, and I can hear Jeffrey Lord about to say it is that, look, he's been able to get, you know, millions and millions of dollars worth of media time because he gives interviews where other candidates haven't, he's, you know, an he has publicly said this as well, look, I can give a lot of interviews.

You know, he does seem to be being more selective these days as the attention has become more pointed and, you know, as the vetting process has been under way, but do you buy that argument of a Trump supporter, Rick, that look it's not a traditional campaign, he doesn't need a polster, because he's , you know, follows the polls on television?

RICK LAZIO, FORMER NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN: Not at all. I mean, the Trump campaign has had a terrible two weeks, they've been playing defense since Hillary Clinton gave a rather scathing critique of Donald Trump and his foreign policy positions.

And if he had his act together, they would have an infrastructure for message management and pushing back and still developing alternative messages to change the topic. That just didn't happen. Donald Trump doubled down, he didn't have an effective surrogate network, they were controlling the message. It's all reflection of a campaign that is not mature and not developed. You look at a Senate -- competitive Senate race like in Ohio with Senator Rob Portman is running for re-election, he's knocked on a million doors already in one state in Ohio. the Trump campaign has got no capacity to do that right now. So they've got a lot of work to do. There's a lot of work around voter identification for a sophisticated technologies that have used to determine what voter preferences are like, and how to target messages, that needs to be used unless you have infinite resources and Donald Trump does not have infinite resources.

COOPER: Van, I mean it's interesting that we talked about Speaker Ryan meetings today with Republicans by and close doors, and there's obviously I mean a lot of discontent with Trump's recent the comments within the Republican Party. But only one Senator Mark Kirk from Illinois has actually withdrawn his endorsement.

Do you think we're going to see more of that, I mean it - or is this is just the, you know, this is the candidate to have and though they may be grumbling, and may think, you know, Speaker Ryan can say it was text about racism what Donald Trump said but he's sticking with him.

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well look, somebody used the term roller coaster. And so at the top people are very happy, they related, they think Donald Trump has figured out a way, and he may have, figured out a way to completely change campaigning, relying only on the air war, only on message, only on media coverage, only on social media, not on your financial network, not on your Grassroots game.

He may have completely re-embedded this thing. But so at the top of the cycles, you see with the Republicans, they're beyond elated, and then they go crashing like they did down, and then some will jump off. And it we'll going to go up and down, up and down, up and down from elation to dejection all the way to November. And who knows the outcome but honestly he is making a very risky bet. I'm not a fan of Donald Trump, I've been very impressed though with his ability to do some things. But if he believes that social media and being able to get on TV every day is enough to win in a swing state against a ground game, he is either crazy or a genius. And we'll see.

COOPER: I want to have hear more from Gloria and from David and the rest of our panel, but we got to take a quick break. There's a lot to talk about ahead. More news, more from the Trump campaign and the Clinton campaign.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:37:59] COOPER: Well, Hillary Clinton now the presumptive Democratic nominee. Donald Trump is making a pitch for Bernie Sanders supporters as we talked about, here's what he said last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: To those who voted for someone else in either party, I will work hard to earn your support and I will work very hard to earn that support. To all of those Bernie Sanders voters who have been left out in the cold by a rigged system of superdelegates, we welcome you with open arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Gloria, I mean do you think Trump can get Sanders supporters?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: I think he is going to make a good try for it, I don't think it is likely at all, I agree with Jonathan who was saying this earlier.

Look, Trump believes that his message if he fine tunes it on the populous front, for example, on the trade issue or on minimum wage, you know, the other week he said, you know, I might be interested and increase in minimum wage or even taxing the wealthy, that these are some issues that Sanders supporters might support him on.

However, there's a large chasm between Trump and Sanders supporters on important issues to them like climate change and the environment and on social issues and all kinds of things, generationally, so, you know, I think, you know, if I were the candidate, I would sure try to get them, but you know, I don't think it's going to be a huge group of voters that is going to move from Bernie Sanders over to Donald Trump. I think if they're disaffected and they don't like Hillary Clinton, they're probably more likely to stay at home.

COOPER: David, I mean this has been an untraditional campaign so far. I mean, it's, you know, I was thinking about it last night. It feels exhausting already, you know, and we're only, you know, we're still more than a month away from the convention, let alone, you know, that the scorching heat of the general election.

DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I must agree with you. If you think about the rhetoric that was used by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump here, but Hillary in the last week against Trump in that speech, and then Trump, what he is saying about her. Normally that rhetoric escalates, it's just hard to see how high it can go. We've already hit the roof in terms of escalation, we can't call people any worse than being a fraud.

[20:40:18] You know, and basically crooked than what they've already called it. So I do think, Anderson, this is going to have a -- it just seems like a long stretch ahead, is exciting as a primaries have been, this could be a rather long stretch. But I also think though is that, to go back to earlier conversation, moving -- there's a transition that comes, experience tells us a transition it comes between running in primaries and running in general election.

We've moved into the general election period and it's here that you really need a professional team on the field. You need something that's very complete. And I think Hillary Clinton's team is completely outplayed the Donald Trump team over the last three weeks. The Wall Street Journal editorial today pointed out, if you look at Trump's communication team, it's kind of handful, two, three people in there. The Clinton team, have -- the people have over 20 on the staff at the central headquarters doing this.

And look at the difference. Here Hillary Clinton is giving two very effective speeches back to back here in the last couple of weeks and Donald Trump has been stumbling all around with his communications. It's starting to show up and starting to hurt Trump. He's a remarkable figure, and you have to give him a lot of credit for what he's done, but you can't put Tom Brady out in the field in the Super Bowl alone and expect him to win. He's got to have a team around him.

COOPER: Up next, to David's point earlier, I want to get more on the panel's thoughts on the Democratic endgame and late reporting on how it might play out. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:45:40] COOPER: And Bernie Sanders is back home in Vermont, arriving late today in Burlington, but heading down to Washington tomorrow to meet with President Obama. Now, remember, he is vowing to stay in the race, and the president is expected to endorse Hillary Clinton shortly, possibly this week. On top of that, the final, final, final primary we promise takes place in Washington on Tuesday after which some expect Senator Sanders to end his campaign.

So, if real estate is all about location and politics -- presidential politics, and all about timing, seasoned with a coperto of diplomacy. Joe Johns tonight covering all the angles, all the intrigue, he joins us now.

What are Senator Sanders' plans for the next several weeks? Does he have events scheduled?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: We do know he has the events scheduled tomorrow, 7:00 eastern time in the evening in Washington, D.C. and that is a rally. Keeping with this vow to continue pushing forward. On the other hand, we also know Senator Sanders is laying off staff. And that has already started, we're told.

So, the question is what is he doing and what does he want. We expect that some of that could come out in meetings tomorrow with both the president of the United States as well as Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid. We're also told that this campaign is going to continue reaching out to superdelegates, so it all seems to be a work in progress. What's clear, Anderson, from establishment Democrats they're saying Sanders should be treated with grace and dignity, allowed to exit on his own terms, a question what are those terms and what requirements, if any, he would have in order to get his endorsement of Hillary Clinton, Anderson.

COOPER: And Hillary Clinton gave a bunch of interviews today, an interview there we'll play that again in the next hour. What are her next moves?

JOHNS: A bunch of next moves. Probably the most important thing is she has -- now started the paperwork on a new agreement for fundraising with the Democratic National Committee. That's important because in previous mailers from the Hillary Clinton campaign, there's been a suggestion that they have not gotten the boost in fund-raising they expected they would get when Trump became the nominee. So that's the first thing. There's also going to be a focus on the battleground states, including Ohio and Pennsylvania next week, and they're working on a new speech of course focusing on Donald Trump and his financial and economic issues. So, a full plate there, probably though the most important thing is trying to unify the party that, too, is a work in progress, Anderson.

COOPER: All Joe, thanks a lot. More now on what Senator Sanders may be thinking, including one report he says he is anything but serene at the moment.

Back with the panel. Jonathan Tasini, Van Jones, John Jay LaValle, Christine Quinn, David Gergen, and Gloria Borger. Jonathan according to this politico piece, which I asked Senator Clinton about, Sanders feels, "range against Clinton", is "filled with a resentment". Do you think it's important or impossible for him to get past that?

JONATHAN TASINI, BERNIE SANDERS' SURROGATE: I don't know how to react to the article, Anderson, there's so much gossip that floats around, it is hard to take it seriously. And I ...

COOPER: Most -- because of those quotes by the way came from allegedly according to Politico people on the Sanders campaign.

TASINI: Look, I'm sure there's some tension and bitterness as you -- quite remember, there was the same tension between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in 2008. Primaries are intense conflicts in some way, there's a lot of rhetoric. But, you know, Bernie Sanders are really born up die, he's been in politics for a very long time. And I want to just -- and to this point, I think what we are forgetting is and I traveled since Bernie started the campaign, to many, many cities, small town, thousands of miles, seeing thousands of these people that are involved in this political movement.

And one reason Bernie wants to continue this campaign, and many of us who's supporting him, I'm going to be at the rally tomorrow in D.C., is that we really do believe in this political movement that's going to continue to grow way past the convention, way past this election. And every time we have a primary, every time we have a caucus, we are electing new leaders, 1,700 probably 8 -- maybe 1,800 but probably around 1,700 delegates, Sanders delegates bit at the convention, all those people then go home and they are the nerve endings, they are the political movement that's going to continue to grow. And that's very much what he's passionate about.

[20:49:59] COOPER: Christine, on the reality is that Sanders won 23 at the caucuses and primaries and there a lot of his supporters who say look, he should keep on fighting until the convention, he should try to fight for superdelegates. How should Clinton handle that as a Clinton supporter?

CHRISTINE QUINN, CLINTON SUPPORTER: Well, look, I think Senator Sanders should keep fighting, he should keep fighting for the issues and the causes and the communities that he's raised so strongly and eloquently in this primary campaign, and I think that's what we are going to see happen.

You know, people need time having lost an election, myself, you need time. You can't, you know, jump right from that moment into necessarily standing there hugging the person you lost to. You need time and I think it's appropriate for all of us with great respect to give that time to Senator Sanders, and I think Jonathan is right. Senator Sanders deserves a ton of credit for electrifying younger voters in a way we haven't seen in a long time.

COOPER: Yeah.

QUINN: And we want to make sure those young people become part of our party and part of activism towards a progressive America.

COOPER: John, the Clinton campaign said today that Clinton is expected to make a Trump focused economic speech later this month. Trump really didn't respond in kind or rigid right away to her foreign policy speech, wasn't much of a foreign policy speech, it was really an attack on Donald Trump's, what he had said about foreign policy. I mean, yes he plans to hit the Clintons in a speech on Monday, does he need though do it differently this time and also to try respond right away to her attacks on his economic policy?

JOHN JAY LAVALLE, TRUMP SURROGATE: Well, one could say she was responding to his speech, but, you know, Anderson, let's talk about the Clinton coronation. Bernie Sanders should be upset. From the start, this is been the Clinton coronation. This is an open seat for the president of the United States of America. There was 17 Republican candidates, I don't even know he can name three Democrats that were running. And tomorrow, but the fact, the vice president who polls better than everyone was told do stand down, tomorrow the president of the United States is going to tell Bernie Sanders to fall in line. You know, the reality is ...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Who told the vice president to stand down?

LAVALLE: Well, why wasn't he running? I would like to know that, he's polling best, what didn't decided not to run. So I would be ...

COOPER: You don't think it was he who chose to run -- not to run?

LAVALLE: Perhaps but I'm going to lean towards the fact that he was told this is going to Hillary Clinton. I mean of all of the prominent Democrats in the United States that serve at the federal level, governors, it none of them decided to get in. That's kind of odd to me. This was a Clinton coronation ...

COOPER: And Van?

LAVALLE: ... that's why ...

COOPER: Well let me -- let me ...

LAVALLE: ... I'm upset with her candidacy right now, and the blank stand, the independents, those voters are not going to identify with that. The commonality ...

COOPER: Well let me ask Van about that, Van, I mean as a Democrat, wasn't this a Clinton coronation?

JONES: Well, listen, first of all nobody is going to tell Joe Biden what to do. The reality -- let's just -- I mean this all of these conspiracy did it somehow, you know, Hillary Clinton has these magical powers, as you can prevent people from doing things they would otherwise do. What are you talking about? Joe Biden looked down the long barrel of a tough campaign, he saw that Hillary Clinton had performed incredibly well in front of that hearing, that she was that -- she performed well going forward on hitting all these marks. He said he doesn't want to do it. That's fine.

Here's the reality of what's going on. Bernie Sanders has done something historic, extraordinary. He ran to the left of Dennis Kucinich who got like 2, or 3, or 4 percent. And he is the last guy standing with 46 percent of delegates marching into Philadelphia. That's extraordinary. Now, it's going to take him a moment to digest how far he came and how also how far that he still fell short. But the idea that there's some kind of a coronation, these conspiracy theories don't help anyone.

COOPER: I got to quick break, but we'll have more from the panel just ahead. Eight years after coming close to falling short, Hillary Clinton and the history she made, next marking milestones for women, including those who paved the way. We'll be right back.

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[20:57:37] COOPER: Now as we do reporting Bernie Sanders has vowed to keep campaigning for votes, even after a night of disappointing losses, including California. Now that said, there's no denying that history was made last night. Arms outstretched, Hillary Clinton claimed victory as the presumptive Democratic nominee, the first woman to mark out milestone. She secured enough delegates to clinch the nomination before winning four states yesterday, which she waited until last night to celebrate publicly. Now whatever your politics are, the reality is Secretary Clinton has come closer to the White House than any woman who's tried. Incoming eight years after tried and failed.

Randi Kaye, now takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE: Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you it's got about 18 million cracks in it.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton conceding the Democratic race for the White House to then Senator Barack Obama. It was June 2008. Eight years later, Mrs. Clinton is closer than ever to returning to the White House. This time as president.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: She's the first woman to be the presumptive nominee of a major party in our nation's 240 year history.

KAYE: Hillary Clinton found her political inspiration as a young girl, after she reportedly discovered Congresswoman Margaret Chase Smith in Life Magazine. Smith went on to be the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket. It was 1964.

MARGARET CHASE SMITH, FORMER MEMBER OF U.S. SENATE: There are those who make the contention that no woman should ever dare to aspire to the White House. That this is a man's world, and that it should be kept that way.

KAYE: Margaret Chase Smith in the end removed herself from the ballot at the Republican National Convention. Years later in 1972, Democrat Shirley Anita Chisholm became the first African-American woman to run for president. She only received about 150 delegates.

Democrat Carol Moseley Braun ran for president in 2004, Bill Clinton had appointed her U.S. ambassador to New Zealand back in 1999. She was also an attorney and one term U.S. senator, but her bid for the White House failed, having been among 10 Democrats vying for the nomination that year.

MICHELE BACHMANN, FORMER UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE: God bless you.

KAYE: Republican Michele Bachmann from Minnesota threw her hat in the race in 2012, only to withdraw after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses. Bachmann was the first Republican woman from Minnesota elected to Congress.

[21:00:03] In 2016, it was Carly Fiorina's turn, former Hewlett- Packard CEO, often sparred with opponent Donald Trump.

CARLY FIORINA, (R) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You ran up mountains of debt, as well as losses.