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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Top Clinton Aide Dumps Sexting Husband; Trump on Abedin-Weiner Split: Clinton Careless & Negligent; Trump Surrogate Tweets Cartoon of Clinton in Blackface; Spike Lee On Chicago Violence; Trump To Unveil Immigration Plan Wednesday Night. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired August 29, 2016 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:00: 11] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And good evening. Thanks for joining us.

We begin tonight at the intersection of the personal and the political. It's a place where public figures and pain that by all right should be closely held and deeply private coexist out in the open. It's a place where former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner has been plenty times before, a place where he has dragged his wife, Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton's closest aide, again and again. And now, yet, one more time.

Who can forget the first time Weiner went before the cameras, his wife standing next to him, as he confessed to sending explicit text messages to other women. This time, the third time was simply too much. Not only could she not stand beside him, she now says she cannot stand to be married to him any longer.

And now, her private pain and his private problem have been drawn not just into the public square, but also the political arena.

Miguel Marquez begins our coverage and joins us now.

So, this is the third time -- I mean, it's unbelievable that Anthony Weiner has sent explicit messages to another woman. What do we know about this latest exchange?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is only in "The New York post" and a relationship they say started in 2015, January 2015, until recently, saying that he met her on Twitter, had this exchange with her overall this time.

The picture that they put on their front page, though, that is the one that got everyone's attention. That's what gives it the ick factor, saying that at one point during a racy conversation, late at night, he says, someone just climbed into his bed, sends her the picture of himself clad only in his underwear with his sleeping child right next to him. And the rest, as they say, is history -- Anderson.

COOPER: You know, one of the things Anthony Weiner always said about the people he had these texting relationships with is that he never actually met them, there was no physical contact. I mean, do we know how they started talking or, if in this case, they ever met?

MARQUEZ: Clearly, this is another case of his social media Achilles heel. It was Twitter, where he met this woman at one point.

COOPER: I'm not sure his heel is the problem. I'm sorry. Go ahead.

MARQUEZ: Among other body parts.

Met her on Twitter at some point ago, they started exchanging direct messages. At one point during the article, in the article, in "The New York Post", he says, "Oops, I thought I sent that publicly," harkening back to 2011, when he was sending a direct message to a 21- year-old woman, sexually explicit direct message. He ended up sending a sexually explicit message to the entire world over Twitter. Antony Weiner has deleted again his Twitter account -- Anderson.

COOPER: And later today, Huma Abedin announced her separation. What did she say specifically?

MARQUEZ: She released a statement saying that she has decided, along with Anthony Weiner, to separate from her husband. "Anthony and I remain devoted to doing what's best for our son, who is the light of our life. During this difficult time, I ask for respect for our privacy."

Clearly, a deeply humiliating situation that has risen to presidential political levels now.

COOPER: Yes, we'll turn to that next. Miguel Marquez, thanks.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny who has more on the impact this obviously is having on Huma Abedin.

So, when Huma Abedin, do we know when she actually found out about all this or how she found out?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, I'm told she learned about this over the weekend. Here in the Hamptons, where she was with Anthony Weiner and their son, Jordan. They were spending a bit of time here, a respite during this busy campaign season. Hillary Clinton, of course, is out here in the Hamptons, raising a lot of money.

It was a working trip for them. I'm told she found out about it over the weekend and saw that photograph and when she did, she was furious and sickened, I am told, by two people close to Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner. And he stayed out here for a time and then left, I am told, this morning.

But she was, of course, knew that he has had these issues, but thought that he would not create this type of a spectacle during the middle of a presidential campaign, but that is, in fact, what he did. Now, they had been estranged, I'm told. As it's been described by some friends, have been heading down a path toward possibly separating.

But he did not want to be a distraction for this campaign. She knew what that would bring. Until this, of course, made it untenable for her and, in fact, he caused that distraction today.

COOPER: Jeff Zeleny -- Jeff, thank you.

As we said at the top of the program, this has been dragged into the political vortex. Donald Trump is talking about it, tweeting about it.

CNN's Jim Acosta is working that angle, joins us now.

So, understand, Trump released a statement linking this to Hillary Clinton. What did you say?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Anderson. Donald Trump has had plenty to say about Anthony Weiner in the past. He's called the former congressman a pervert and more of it today. Trump, as you said, did release statement that tries to connect the Weiner story to the GOP nominee's line of attack that Hillary Clinton has been careless in handling classified information, as in her emails scandal.

In a statement, Trump says, quote, we put this up on screen, "Hillary Clinton was careless and negligent in allowing Weiner to have such close proximity to such close proximity to highly classified information. Who knows what he learned and who he told. It is possible that our country," the statement goes on to say, "and its security have been greatly compromised by this."

But, Anderson, there is no evidence that Anthony Weiner, by being married to Huma Abedin, had any access to any classified information. Weiner was in close proximity to his wife. But there's no proof he had any access to any intelligence, Anderson. This is another attempt by the Trump campaign to talk about Hillary Clinton's e-mail scandal. They're going to do that every chance they get, even when it comes to talking about Anthony Weiner -- Anderson.

COOPER: Yes, Jim Acosta, thanks for the reporting.

I want to bring in our panel, Democrat and former Congressional Black Caucus executive director, Angela Rye, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, CNN political analyst and "New York Times" presidential campaign correspondent Patrick Healy, also Trump supporter, Scottie Nell Hughes, and Clinton supporter and national spokesperson for MoveOn.org, Karine Jean-Pierre who once worked for Congressman Weiner for several months back in 2007-2008.

First of all, Patrick, let me start off with you. I mean, do you think this will have an impact on the actual election?

PATRICK HEALY, THE NEW YORK TIMES: For a lot of voters, it sort of brings back ugly memories, tawdry memories about Bill and Hillary Clinton and some of the choices that Hillary Clinton made back then. It just sort of the dog days of summer and this is I think what people are going to talk about.

But there's also the shadow that is now yet again on Huma Abedin. I mean, she has been kind of at the center of the discussions and investigation around State Department e-mails. She's involved in some of the back and forth between the Clinton Family foundation, and also the State Department, donors.

COOPER: Right. She seems to be kind of point person that Doug Band from the foundation would contact saying, you know, crown prince of Bahrain would like to meet with Secretary Clinton, sort of the go- between.

HEALY: Right, would like to have a meeting. I mean, you have this aide who is both Hillary Clinton's most loyal, longest serving aide, who has now become a flash point within the campaign.

You know, the Clinton campaign said that Mrs. Clinton has only offered support to Huma Abedin, that they spoke Sunday, that Huma learned about this and fairly quickly said to Anthony, you know, I'm separating from you. He knew that Huma's statement was coming this morning as he left the Hamptons and drove back to New York.

So, there's an effort to sort of contain this in hopes that it all kind of washes out with debate prep and dog days but we'll see.

COOPER: Corey, do you believe it actually does have an impact on the election? Do you think voters care?

COREY LEWANDOWSKI, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Look, I think at the end of the day, voters are going to vote on Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. What we see right now is that for the last five weeks, Hillary Clinton has thrown everything she can at Donald Trump. And the polls have tightened to a point where now coming into Labor Day, and Donald Trump is winning in key battleground states, where there's Florida, tied in Ohio, very competitive in Pennsylvania. So, that's what the voters are looking at.

Moreover, Huma Abedin -- and Pat is exactly right on this -- she has been at the center of attention as it relates to the State Department pay-to-play scandal, as it relates to the Clinton Foundation. It wasn't just the crowned prince but multiple people who said I would like to be seated at the vice president's table for dinner. Guess what happened. Seated the vice president's table for a dinner because I'm the head of the Rockefeller Foundation and I give the Clinton foundation between $10 million and $25 million.

She clearly has the secretary's ear, and clearly a distraction and this does not help the Clinton campaign at all.

COOPER: Angela?

ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: A couple of things. One is like my stomach is like literally in knots right now, Patrick, from what you said and also, Corey, to your point.

I reject the idea of blaming any spouse for the infidelity of another spouse, for the bad judgment of a spouse. To tie Huma to what Bill Clinton did and his infidelity in the '80s and '90s and arguably before is just unfortunate. Huma is a brilliant woman who is Secretary Clinton's right hand for a reason. I completely understand what you're saying about the e-mails. But I think that has nothing to do with the very, very poor judgment of Anthony Weiner.

It is so unfortunate. I can't imagine what she's going through personally. I just would like to see us, even when it's a political panel, remember that we're talking about human beings. Somebody's child is involved in this. And this doesn't have anything to do with how well she is serving Hillary Clinton on the campaign. I just think it's unfortunate to, frankly, blame the victim.

HEALY: I think part of what's coming up, though, is we're four weeks away now from a debate where Donald Trump has said if Hillary Clinton starts coming after his character, he's going to do sort of everything possible to remind people about choices and decisions that Bill and Hillary Clinton made in terms of their own marriage and their own personal life.

[20:l0:03] And I think you know, as well as I do, this is not what Hillary Clinton's campaign wants to talk about. It's not about --

RYE: Absolutely.

HEALY: It's not about blaming this spouse or that spouse or holding Huma Abedin accountable for Anthony's behavior. She is not only incredibly smart but also does a great deal for Hillary Clinton. I mean, I think the issue is, what does the campaign want to be talking about, and it's not this. And the reality is --

RYE: No question.

HEALY: -- a lot of real people, for whatever reason, had a lot to think about during that time.

COOPER: Right. I mean, Scottie, back to -- any time either campaign is talking about issues like this or a story like this, it takes them off their message. You know, Hillary Clinton's campaign would rather the focus be on Donald Trump seemingly unclear or changing or not changing what his immigration policy is. That's the story I think they would rather this rather be.

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Or even last week, Steve Bannon, bringing up an issue from 20 years ago with this divorce. This is kind of almost like, once again, karma comes back and bites you because now we're looking at the families and relationships of some of our staffers.

I think the security issue is that Huma Abedin has been around Hillary Clinton since '96. She was hired as an intern. She's one of her closest confidantes.

And we know Anthony Weiner has a problem besides just being a dog. He absolutely has a weakness. And we don't know necessarily what sort of things could he ever be taken advantage of in the future. We don't necessarily have any evidence of that in the past. If he was allowed to be close to her in the future, could that weakness be taken advantage of in a security clearance that Huma Abedin would obviously have if Hillary Clinton was president of the United States.

COOPER: Karine, is there any truth to a concern about a security clearance?

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, MOVEON.ORG: No. I think there is no truth to this at all. There's no evidence to this being connected to the campaign or anything confidential at all that was connected to, you know, what she was doing at the States Department at all.

Look, once again, this is conspiracy theory, a part of the long list of conspiracy theory that Donald Trump likes to peddle out. So, there's no basis for this. There is no truth at all, as we just heard from the report on this.

And so I think, look, this is a personal issue. This is a personal issue. I feel for Huma Abedin. I have a toddler myself. Being in that situation has to be daunting and just disappointing. So, at the end of day, it's very sad. We should move on. This is part of the conspiracy theory.

HUGHES: Move on after last week we were debating Steve Bannon's personal life that his wife even came back and said it's not a big deal. We settled in internally. I think it's interesting that we now --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: One at a time. Let her finish.

HUGHES: Steve -- I think they both serve the same roles. Strongest confidants right now. If you're going to bring up Steve Bannon's past, then we have to bring up --

JEAN-PIERRE: The difference with Steve Bannon is that he is the CEO of the Trump campaign right now. He is running things, right?

HUGHES: You don't think that she has a --

JEAN-PIERRE: Not only that, it's -- I mean, that's like apples and oranges. I mean, Steve Bannon was -- he was running a blog, an alt- right hat is the dumpster file for misogyny for bigotry, for racism --

(CROSSTALK)

LEWANDOWSKI: This is a massive distraction for the Clinton campaign that has for the last five week, you know, talked about how great their poll numbers have been out of a successful convention for them. And what they see now in a four-way race, this race is much closer than they ever anticipated. Donald Trump is going on TV in nine priority states where the campaign is going to focus and the Clintons are very afraid. This is not what they want to be talking about today.

COOPER: Let me ask you about a tweet he sent out. He says, "I think both candidates, Crooked Hillary and myself should release detailed medical records. I have no problem doing so. Hillary?"

Does it surprise you he's focusing on Clinton's health? I mean, obviously, it's sort of made reference to, saying she doesn't have the stamina? Other surrogates have said, you know, Rudy Giuliani said, go online, look at images of her. She has a problem.

But is it wise for him to focus on this issue rather than immigration? I mean, why now?

LEWANDOWSKI: I think you're talking about the fitness of the next president of the United States. He is willing to put his record up.

I know Mr. Trump very well. I travelled with him 18 months. He is an absolute machine. He bangs in 18-hour days like you go get a glass of water. It's amazing what he has been able to accomplish and that's what has seen his level of success in the business world and now at the presidential level.

COOPER: But he is doing this after time -- I mean, there have been a number, you know, we've been reporting on his kind of odd doctor's note which turns out was written in a matter of minutes.

LEWANDOWSKI: So, what's the hesitation on the Clinton campaign? Donald Trump saying I'm willing to put out all my medical records. Are you willing to do the same? So, if there is a medical condition -- I'm not saying there is -- but if there is a medical convention, those medical records will indicate that. We'll have a better understanding of what those Coke bottle glasses were for.

(CROSSTALK)

HEALY: That's a little unfair. Hillary Clinton has put out much more information --

LEWANDOWSKI: We're asking for all the records.

HEALY: -- than what Donald Trump has. I think it sort of galls her, this idea that she needs to be called on the carpet by Donald Trump, who has put out a four-paragraph statement, you know, to say, oh, I need -- she needs to be, you know, putting out more disclosure.

[20:15:04] But, Anderson, the health issue for Mr. Trump and also the word "bigot" from Mr. Trump, it's all about sort of taking attention off the immigration. I mean, that's really been a problem. And the degree to which he can focus the base on these talking points has payoff.

COOPER: A quick note on the state polling Corey just mentioned. We do a quick check of the Real Clear Politics averages in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Just the record, it shows Secretary Clinton up by 2.7 points in Florida, plus eight in Pennsylvania, Mrs. Clinton up nearly four in Ohio.

We got a lot more to talk about in the next two hours, including a Trump surrogates. Well, what a lot of people believe is racially incendiary tweet we're just hearing about.

Also, Chicago's soaring murder rate, Donald Trump's response to it, his question to African-American voters, what do you have to lose by voting for him. Plus, director Spike Lee's take on it all.

Later, we'll have more on Huma Abedin, her role in the Clinton campaign, as well her uncomfortable place in the spotlight. And also, we'll talk to some doctors of what could possibly be going on in the mind of Anthony Weiner for doing this yet again.

More when we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Donald Trump continues to take some heat at the way he's trying to win the African-American vote. He asks, what do you have to lose? Saying to African-Americans that they have no jobs or good schools. He has tweeted recently about the tragedy of Dwyane Wade's cousin being shot and killed over the weekend.

[20:20:06] Now, there's breaking news from one of Trump's surrogates, an African-American Pastor Mark Burns, who spoke at the convention, who's defending a controversial tweet he sent out. Here's what he posted, a cartoon of Hillary Clinton in black face holding an anti- police sign and saying, quote, "I ain't no ways tired of pandering to African-Americans."

Mark Burns wrote, "Black Americans, thank you for your votes and letting me use you again. See you again in four years."

Burn is defending the tweet. Saying today on MSNBC, quote, "We're not playing the political PC game to make you feel good."

Joining me now, two of our CNN political commentators, "New York Times" op-ed columnist Charles Blow, and Trump supporter, Jeffrey Lord.

So, Charles, is this -- is this offensive? Is this over the line? Pastor Burns stands by it and says, "African-Americans, we need to make Democrats fight for our vote. We need to make them fight for us. We need to make them do what they say they're going to do."

CHARLES BLOW, NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED COLUMNIST: Right. The last part of that, this idea of having a competition for your vote and if both parties are actually going to compete for it, that's great.

This particular tweet, I don't know how you defend that part of it, right? And I think his surrogates are having this problem over and over again, even within the last 24 hours, including Donald Trump himself. Not only did he make the tweet about Dwyane Wade, which is not within the last 24 hours, but within the last 24 hours, Rudy Giuliani has taken a swipe at Beyonce and basically saying that, you know, at the VMAs -- it's bizarre. She's not even part of this. The women, the mothers of the slain young men she had on the stage, that he had saved more black lives than all of them and Beyonce.

And you had the pastor doing this and Trump saying about Colin Kaepernick, I think I have said his name correctly, that he should find a country where he feels more, you know, at home or better about.

COOPER: Football player who refuses to stand up during the national anthem.

BLOW: I don't understand. If your message -- if you know that you're going to go and speak directly in front of a black audience, I do not understand why you would step on your own message and take shots at the black community, you and your surrogates, leading up to that. I think it defeats what could have come off as a positive.

COOPER: Jeffrey Lord, I mean, is this a mistake for the Trump campaign for this pastor?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: First of all, Anderson, on behalf of Charles and myself, I want to say how disappointed we are that we don't get to talk about sex on your show. With all the stuff with Anthony Weiner.

COOPER: Well, we have two hours. So, who knows what do you think both?

(LAUGHTER)

LORD: Seriously, though, I think what it's about time for -- Charles speaks out on these issues very well for a long time from a leftist perspective. I think it is more than past time to have a serious discussion about this in a presidential campaign. That's what Donald Trump is about. This is why he's going to be going into black communities. This is why he's addressing these issues. This is why you get the kind of tweet you got today.

COOPER: Right. But I guess the question is, though, does the way this message was written -- I mean, the black face, the imagery, does it step on the larger, important point that Donald Trump --

LORD: No.

COOPER: No?

LORD: No. Anderson, in all candor, it's something that we'll chew around for a little bit and will vanish. The larger message is whatever Donald Trump does or does not say in the course of the campaign to Americans who happen to be black, as I describe it.

I just think it's very much time for Republicans to get back to the Lincoln legacy here, what I call the Lincoln/Reagan/Jack Kemp legacy. To borrow from one of my liberal heroes as a kid, Robert Kennedy, and to directly go in to the community and just say some things are just not acceptable, like this latest murder in Chicago, and discuss candidly why.

COOPER: But is -- I mean, Charles, even on the way Donald Trump discussed the killing in Chicago of Dwyane Wade's cousin, I mean, it was, I think, his third tweet where he expresses condolences about it, misspelled Dwayne's name in the initial tweet. Does that -- I mean, I'm not going to say does it surprise you, but it does seem -- to you, it seems he continues to step on his message?

BLOW: Not only step on the message. The message itself is flawed and problematic. There is a distinct whiff of a white savior syndrome here, because the message itself is an unremittingly bleached, desolate, view of black America and that he, the savior, is the only person who can save you, black people, from your misery.

Because he has offered not -- no kind of redeeming vision of what black culture has brought to America, what it means to be black in America, what the contributions are, you know, what the positives about culture can be. I mean, I think that you do have to balance, when you're trying to reach out to someone, you have to say I appreciate you.

[20:25:01] And that's why I want you. I don't want you because you have nowhere else to go and you are trapped in a corner and I am your only savior.

COOPER: I want to read you the tweet, actually, that you sent out. Let's see. Where is that? It says, "What the hell does that have to do with you, bigot," talking about the Dwayne Wade tweet, "are you having a mild stroke? Black people hate you."

BLOW: Yes.

COOPER: You think black people --

BLOW: I do.

COOPER: -- hate Donald Trump?

BLOW: I do. I believe that -- I think it is well grounded because all kind of bigotry, all insensitivities are cousins. Once you decide that you are going to make a hierarchy of humanity, however you're going to make it. You're going to say some people are better and some people are less, whether they be Mexican immigrants, whether they be Muslims, whether they be women, people who are handicapped. Once you start to make it okay within you, the character of you says that that is okay, then that means that you make it possible for yourself to make other people less than.

I think that black people, more than anybody else in this country, or at least just as much as anyone else in this country, understands the intersectionality of bigotry, hate and discrimination. And we know that once you have decided you are going to have some bigotry, some kind of look down on somebody else, then you can do it to us. And you have done it to us. And I think that black people are very, very weary of this man. I believe that is why he is so low in the polls among black people.

COOPER: Jeffrey, to you, why is he so low in the polls among black people?

LORD: Because I think this stereotype about Republicans is out there.

Let me just say to some degree I agree with Charles except, of course, I think that's the problem with the American left. To me, the political formula for the American left from the moment Thomas Jefferson allied himself in forming the Democratic Party with slave owners, all the way up to today with Hillary Clinton's approach to super predators and all of this kind of thing, is basically a political equation. Racism plus progressivism equals political power, equals a win.

And so, they construct these hierarchies and go into these communities and say, I can be your savior. You know, I can give you the way out. You've got to depend on me.

And I just think that that is wrong. They've been doing it now for 200 some-odd years.

COOPER: And you don't hear --

LORD: There's Tim Kaine the other day talking about the Ku Klux Klan. The Ku Klux Klan exists because it was the military arm of the Democratic Party. I mean, all these things have historical roots.

COOPER: OK.

BLOW: Right. And I know that Jeffrey knows enough about history to know that what he is saying is false, right?

He knows that the period the last 100 years changed all of that. You won't walk into any room 100 years ago, black people that could vote or not, were kind of wedded to the Republican Party because it was the Party of Lincoln.

And over the course of 100 years, great new book about this called "The Loneliness of the Black Republican," about a professor at Harvard, great new book explains how this shift happened. It started with the New Deal and black people realizing that there was an economic interest and also there was a symbolism, there was an outreach to black people with Eleanor Roosevelt and reaching out to black individuals, symbolic things.

But it marched all the way up through the Southern Strategy. And when the Republican Party essentially said to black people, "We no longer want you, although you have been with us forever. We want the people who hate you."

And that was the major shift from black people being with the Democratic Party -- I mean, Republican Party moving over to the Democratic Party. And that w the major shift from the white segregationists moving out of the Democratic Party and into the Republican Party.

Jeffrey knows that. So, the fact that Jeff would say for the last 200 years and basically skip over that history doesn't do service to journalism. It does a disservice to the viewers here. You know better than to say that, Jeffrey. You know that history and you left it out.

LORD: No. Charles, I'm not skipping over any of that. First of all, in terms of skipping out, you know, when you went to the Democratic Party website for their national convention in 2008 when they nominated Barack Obama, they stopped in 1848 and picked up again in the early 20th century, pretending like they were all for civil rights.

I'm not skipping a thing here. What I'm saying is that the political formula of using race to fuel political power is what is done today. If this were not true, why does black and everything is as you say, why does Black Lives Matter even exist? There would be no need for it. Why the NAACP? Why all of these things?

As you just said for 100 years, from your point of view, it's been done differently. So, why isn't this all vanished?

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: I want Charles to respond.

LORD: Because of people who don't want it to vanish.

COOPER: I want Charles to respond and then we have to go.

[20:30:10] BLOW: Right. So, the thing that you're leaving out of that equation is you're assuming that issues around black progress, or lack thereof has everything to do with political parties and leaving out of that equation the affects of white supremacy, systematic racism. And that actually has no party, right? And so you can't banish that until you ...

LORD: I'm glad you said that.

BLOW: ... I'm sorry, I let you finish, Jeffrey. You can't banish the problem until you get to the root. What we're doing now is trying to address the leaves on the tree. It is the root of the problem of blacks in America unless you believe in racism, unless you believe that there is something fundamentally wrong, deficient about blackness, then you have to believe that there is something wrong with the structures around blackness that have suppressed it.

COOPER: We got to go, we don't have time, but I would like to continue this another time. Jeffrey Lord, thank you. Charles Blow as well.

Coming up, Director Spike Lee joins me with his take on violence in Chicago and Donald Trump's attempt to appeal to black voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPIKE LEE, FILM DIRECTOR: I laugh because I don't think he's a good person. I don't think he has a good heart. And I don't think he cares about anybody but himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:35:14] COOPER: By the way, the -- information we just got is that that pastor sent out that tweet of Hillary Clinton with the black face has now gone online, making an apology. We'll show you some of that in just a few minutes. A fifth grader shot in the back, still in the hospital after several operations. His mother says he is still in pain, a man shot and killed on a basketball court. A young mother as we mentioned Nykea Aldridge, pushing a stroller, shot and killed by stray gunfire. The "Chicago Tribune" which has been telling these sad stories day after day, reports that the city has seen more shootings that dooms and homicide this year than New York and Los Angeles combined.

Filmmaker Spike Lee has directed a movie about it "Chi-Raq". And as we talked about before the break, Donald Trump is taking heat from making a political point out of it. His first tweet yesterday about Nykea Aldridge cause something even uproar, "Dwayne Wade's cousin was shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I've been saying. African-Americans will vote Trump."

Only later on the third tweet did he tweet condolences. Now the end of the day though, and the end of this terrible month, stories about so much more than presidential politics. I spoke more about it earlier tonight with "Chi-raq" director, Spike Lee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: When you hear more about the number of deaths, as we give the number of shootings, I mean everyone is focusing on, you know, Dwyane Wade's cousin.

LEE: Right.

COOPER: Nykea Aldridge.

LEE: At this with today, this is going to be the most deadly August in 20 years in the history of Chicago. 20 years. We're not even done with it, I mean we got more couple ...

COOPER: When you hear that, what do you think? I mean.

LEE: My heart is broken. And I think that somebody needs to come in from outside Chicago. And make of a special polls position -- give him some power. I let General Honore.

COOPER: Russel Honore?

LEE: Yes.

COOPER: Did such a good job during Katrina.

LEE: He -- if they gave him the power to do what needs to be done, I think the general would make a great, great difference in the city of Chicago.

COOPER: Why is Chicago different than what we're seeing in New York City or other cities? I mean there's generations of gang violence there.

LEE: I think there's a whole bunch of things.

COOPER: Gangs coming from other states.

LEE: Chicago is the biggest segregated city in America. It's been a gangster town since way back to Al Capone. I mean we could do -- you could do 20-part series of what is -- what of all the things coming together.

COOPER: Chicago, as you said, is incredibly segregated and I mean there -- the south side of Chicago is another world from the downtown Chicago that a lot of course.

LEE: I mean is -- we said this in "Chi-Raq" as Sam Jackson's character to say, is a tale of two cities. Downtown Chicago is hot. South side, west side, it's like you're in a different part of the earth. And it's the same city.

COOPER: But when you hear politicians talking about it, I mean do ...

LEE: Which politicians are you talking about?

COOPER: Well, I mean ...

LEE: The name them. Name them.

COOPER: Well, Donald Trump, I mean tweeting out in the wake of this, "Dwayne Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I've been saying, African-Americans will vote for Trump."

I think on his third tweet, he expressed, you know, condolences.

LEE: Yea, but then he got his name wrong.

COOPER: Spelled his name wrong. Right.

LEE: But, look, we can't get caught up on what he is saying. I mean is this what happens in Chicago is way bigger than Donald Trump I think just doing to capitalize on it. And for the third -- to wait for -- he should be giving condolences to the Wade family from the first tweet. To me, that just shows where his heart is.

COOPER: When you hear, you know, Donald Trump says he's reaching out to African-Americans, he says what the hell have you got to lose?

LEE: How long we got in this segment?

COOPER: Your school, he says your schools, you know, are terrible. You get shot in the street. Your youth are unemployed, over 50 percent. You know, what the hell have you got to lose? When you hear that as a black man in America, what do you think?

LEE: I laugh, because I don't think he's a good person. I don't think he has a good heart. And I don't think he cares about anybody but himself. And I think that he -- goes with the lowest common denominator. And ...

COOPER: Because to me, I mean the picture he's painting of black America is, I mean his painting with a very broad brush what life is like for everybody.

[20:39:57] LEE: There goes my black guy out there. I love him. I love him. My black guy. I mean like the one guy they probably paid to be there. Look, it's bigger than Donald Trump. And I think that people, I believed Americans are smarter, and go for this okey doke, you know. So that's all okey doke. And we have to be. And for him to say that he's the choice for not only black people. I don't even know how he expects to get any Hispanic.

COOPER: Well, you know, there is a belief that he's not, you know, he said he wants to be seen as reaching out to African-Americans mainly so that white Americans who maybe are on the fence about voting for him will feel oh well, you know, he's reaching out so it's ...

LEE: Hey, he can reach all he wants. That's not going to work. So -- in my opinion. And I think that he understands. I think he had some people around him are saying that if you don't have the African- American vote, if you don't have the Hispanic, Latino vote, if you don't have -- how are you going to win the numbers just don't add up.

COOPER: You were a Bernie supporter. Where are you -- I mean are you one of the Bernie supporters who are never Hillary Clinton or have you come around to Clinton?

LEE: Slowly.

COOPER: Slowly?

LEE: But, look, I'm not even -- I take that back. I think that in no way, shape or form can Donald Trump have the nuclear code numbers. For me, that's number one.

COOPER: That's what it boils down there?

LEE: I had a benefit for Obama at our house Sinai (ph), and I saw the thing.

COOPER: You saw the guy with the football?

LEE: That was one of the most scariest moments in my life.

COOPER: That made it real?

LEE: I mean, you hear about it.

COOPER: Right.

LEE: Hence, when you see that bad boy, it's like oh, god. And if he have those nuclear codes, and no matter where you move to -- we're talking about the entire planet.

COOPER: Spike Lee. Spike, thanks.

LEE: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COOPER: With that tip a little bit couple hours ago Spike should have come back in the 9:00 hour, we're going to get his take on the quarterback refusing to stand up during the national anthem, saying United States suppresses black people, and people of color.

Coming up next, the Anthony Weiner and a three-letter question, why. Talk to a psychologist about what could possibly be going on in his head. That's next.

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[20:46:38] COOPER: Former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner had already paid dearly the first time he was caught sending lewd messages to women online. He loss his job, his reputation to the big hit then he was caught again two years later while he was running for mayor, and lost that election.

Now it's happening again. The question, of course, is why? Why would he do this? Joining us now is psychologist Wendy Walsh, thanks for being with us, Wendy.

I mean, so this is the third time he's been caught in a very public way. Is it possible that he's unable to stop himself? And why would somebody do this when they know the stakes involved and they've been caught multiple times before?

WENDY WALSH, PSYCHOLOGIST CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHANNEL ISLANDS: Well, it certainly seems like he's unable to stop himself. It's a compulsive behavior, you know, we would call it a kind of hyper sexual behavior. And for whatever reason the rewards that he's getting and whether these rewards have to do -- or the needing and seeking of these rewards have to do with a chemical imbalance of his brain or psychological disorder, we don't know. But obviously, those rewards are greater than the punishments that he's been receiving.

COOPER: It's so interesting, because I mean he's not -- for all we know meeting up with these people. He's not actually having an actual relationship or any sort of physical contact with them. But, as you say, there's got to be some reward in it for him psychologically.

WALSH: Yes. I think online relationships can be equally gratifying, believe it or not, as real-life, physical relationships. They bring the same kind of pleasure centers, or they ignite the same pleasure centers, they bring neuro transmitters like dopamine and serotonin come into effect.

I mean, in a very slight easy way Anderson, it's the reason why people get addicted just to their cellphones, just for benign e-mails, because every once in a while we get a little excited when we see ...

COOPER: Right.

WALSH: ... an e-mail maybe about from our boss about a raise that gives us dopamine. So in the same way, he's being rewarded in this. And the consequences seem to not matter. COOPER: I mean the fact that we're talking is what -- I mean freaks people out so much and understandably, he said he sent and took a picture, you know, a of a sexual nature with his child next to him. I mean it's just ...

WALSH: Yeah.

COOPER: ... what -- again, leave your kid out of it, you know, I mean I just make no sense to me.

WALSH: I think this was the thing where he crossed the line with his wife. I was actually surprised because there's some research to show that when men do a lot of child care and carry babies and they're cuddling with babies, their testosterone goes down. So to commingle fatherhood and sexuality is, you know, kind of shocked a lot of people. And I worry for the child, of course, being depicted in that way.

And so, yeah, I think that was the line that got crossed that finally made Huma say, I'm done.

COOPER: Does risk -- does the risk involved in all of this heighten the experience for people who do this? I mean the possibility of getting caught, the possibility of the stakes involved?

WALSH: Absolutely, Dr. Cooper. Yes. So the risk taking heightens the reward system. And, you know, most people with so-called -- I'll say this carefully -- sex addiction, because it's not in the DSM 5 at all.

You know, it's often co-morbid with another psychological disorder, maybe depression. Maybe this is a way to alleviate depression for him, narcissistic personality disorder, where the consequences don't matter because there's only one person in his world, right. So it's often co-morbid with that, compulsive sexual behavior is often co- morbid with other kinds of addiction.

[20:50:04] And early childhood sexual trauma.

COOPER: It's -- I mean it's depressing, it's fascinating. Wendy Walsh, appreciate you being with us. Thank you so much.

Just ahead, we'll have more on Huma Abedin and her path from college intern to vice chair of Hillary Clinton's campaign. She's remained one of Clinton's closest advisers even as her husband's scandals have caused her public humiliation.

There's also breaking news about Donald Trump's planned speech on immigration. When it's going to happen and where, we'll be right back.

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COOPER: We'll be talking about Hillary Clinton's long time aide Huma Abedin who announced today she's separating from her husband Anthony Weiner after his latest sexting scandal, this is the third in case you lost count. Abedin has worked for Clinton for decades, starting back in college. She's now vice chair of Clinton's presidential campaign. Her rise from intern to powerful adviser spanned some rough patches with her personal life becoming tabloid fodder.

Brian Todd takes a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUMA ABEDIN, CLINTON CAMPAIGN VICE CHAIRWOMAN: I'll be making out for the comments, thank you.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For someone who always seems to disdain the spotlight, Huma Abedin has repeatedly unwillingly been pushed into it.

KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I can only imagine how painful it must be for her. She has a child with Anthony Weiner. They are a family. And so I think this is a very personal thing that she's having to live out in a very public way, and I wouldn't wish this on anybody.

[20:55:02] TODD: Weiner's sexting scandals go back five years, when "Breitbart News" first published a racy photo of his underwear. He first said he was hacked, then admitted he lied. Then resigned from Congress.

Two years later, while Weiner was running for New York mayor, more explicit messages from him were revealed. He'd used the pseudonym Carlos Danger. From Abedin, an extraordinary show of support.

ABEDIN: I love him. I have forgiven him. I believe in him. And as we have said from the beginning, we are moving forward.

TODD: Around that time a documentary on Weiner's campaign was produced. At one point in the film, Abedin clearly looks agitated as Weiner apologizes to his staff.

ANTHONY WEINER, FORMER CONGRESSMAN OF NEW YORK: The level of guilt and pain that I feel, you know, I'm very sorry I put everyone in this position.

TODD: A campaign aide complains she's being harassed by the media. Abedin forcefully coaches her on optics.

ABEDIN: You look happy?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.

TODD: Seemingly a signature response from Huma Abedin, tidying up with an obsession for detail, no matter how damaging the crisis. Abedin has been doing that kind of work for Hillary Clinton since 1996. She was then student at George Washington University who applied for a White House internship. Abedin worked for Clinton in the Senate. She was known as the body woman when she was Clintons' traveling chief of staff at the State Department. Various accounts say Hillary Clinton considers Abedin a second daughter. Bill Clinton officiated at her wedding to Weiner.

Recently, e-mails obtained by the Conservative Group Judicial watch showed Abedin was often approached by Clinton Foundation staffers for donors' access to Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state. The e-mails show Abedin seemed to facilitate at least one meeting.

The clinton campaign denies wrongdoing but after 20 years by her side, has Huma Abedin become a liability for Hillary Clinton?

LARRY DAVIS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPECIAL COUNSEL: Huma is a great asset for Hillary Clinton, for everyone in the campaign because she's brilliant, she's dedicated and she's very loyal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: One former Clinton campaign aide says Hillary Clinton wouldn't get rid of Huma Abedin any sooner than she would get rid of Chelsea Clinton. Abedin isn't saying anything beyond her announcement of a separation tonight other than that she and Weiner are focused on doing what's best for their son. CNN reached out to Anthony Weiner for comments, we haven't heard back. Anderson?

COOPER: Thanks very much.

Much more ahead, when we continue in our next hour including breaking news from the Trump campaign. Donald Trump set a time and place to spell out the details in the immigration policy which has shifted, it seems repeatedly over the past week. Wednesday in Phoenix, we're told that how much clarity can we expect to get? We'll look that ahead.

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