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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Two More Women Accuse Trump of Sexual Assault; More Trump Accusers Speak Out; Actress On Trump Tape Talks To AC360; Melania Trump Threatens To Sue People Magazine; Trump: I Don't Like To Settle Lawsuits; 2nd Graders Weigh In On Presidential Election. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired October 14, 2016 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[21:00:00] JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... thinking unwanted sexual advances.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: They have no witnesses, there's nobody around, they just come out, some are doing it for probably a little fame. They get some free fame. It's a total setup.
CARROLL: "The Washington Post" publishing another alleged incident today, involving Kristin Anderson, who says Trump reached under her skirt and groped her at a crowded New York nightclub in the early 1990s.
KRISTIN ANDERSON, TRUMP ACCUSER: The person on my right, who unbeknownst to me at that time was Donald Trump put their hands up my skirt. He did touch my vagina through my underwear, absolutely.
CARROLL: Trump today calling Anderson's claim false.
TRUMP: One came out recently, where I was sitting alone in some club. I really don't sit alone that much. Honestly, folks, I don't think I sit alone -- I go into a -- I was sitting alone by myself, like this. And then I went, wa, to somebody. I just heard this one. It's like unbelievable.
CARROLL: As Trump pushes back against the accusations, his running mate says the campaign will soon be providing proof.
MICHAEL PENCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENT NOMINEE: Well, just stay tuned. I know that there's more information that's going to be coming out that will back his claim that this is all categorically false.
CARROLL: Mike Pence also responding to First Lady Michelle Obama's emotional speech Thursday rebuking Trump's sexually aggressive comments about women caught on a hot mike during a 2005 taping for "Access Hollywood".
MICHELLE OBAMA, U.S. FIRST LADY: This was not just a lewd conversation. This wasn't just locker room banter. This was a powerful individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior and actually bragging about kissing and groping women.
CARROLL: The Indiana governor today is saying the first lady's message was off-base.
PENCE: Look, I have a lot of respect for the first lady and the job that she's done to the American people over the last seven and a half years, but I don't understand the basis of her claim. He's categorically denied these latest unsubstantiated allegations.
CARROLL: Another one of Trump's accusers, Jessica Leeds, telling CNN's Anderson Cooper that Trump groped her while they were sitting next to one another on a flight nearly 30 years ago.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Did he actually kiss you?
JESSICA LEEDS, TRUMP ACCUSER: Yeah. Yeah.
COOPER: On the face? On the lips?
LEEDS: All -- wherever he could find a landing spot, yes. His hands were everywhere.
CARROLL: Trump responding today, suggesting Leeds was not attractive enough to interest him.
TRUMP: Oh, I was with Donald Trump in 1980. I was sitting with him on an airplane. And he went after me on the plane. Yeah, I'm going to go after -- believe me, she would not be my first choice that I can tell you.
CARROLL: As the Trump campaign reels from accusations of sexual assault, his eldest son drawing attention for comments he made in 2013, suggesting women who cannot handle sexual harassment should find another job.
DONALD TRUMP, JR., TRUMP'S ELDEST SON: If you can't handle some of the basic stuff that's become a problem in the workplace yet, like ...
UNIDENTIFED MALE: Right right.
D. TRUMP, JR.: Like you should go, you know, maybe teach kindergarten. I think it's a respectable position.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Jason Carroll joins us now from Greensboro, North Carolina. Jason, the amazing thing about what Donald Trump said today about Jessica Leeds is Jessica Leeds predicted he would go after her looks. In fact, she said that to me night. And it's one of the reasons she put forward photographs of herself back from the late '70s, so people could see the way she looked then, because she knew or she, you know, she worried and believed Donald Trump would attack her for her looks.
Donald Trump just wrapped a rally in the last hour. What did he say about these allegations? CARROLL: Well, a couple of things, Anderson. I mean you remember, Donald Trump was the one who said no one respects women, he said, more than he does. But when he was talking about his accusers, as you said, he did just that. He talked about their looks, he talked about a number of things. What he didn't do, I think, is what some folks want him to do, was to stay on message.
And in fact, at one point, Anderson, there was a man who shouted, "Stay on the issues. Stay on the issues." And then later, Kellyanne Conway, his campaign manager, tweeted, that was me shouting that.
Of course, it wasn't. We actually saw the man who shouted that. It was an African-American man who identified himself as a Trump supporter.
But it's very clear there are those within the Trump camp that want to see him focus on the issues and stay on message. But it's very obvious that Donald Trump thinks this is part of his message. Anderson?
COOPER: Jason Carroll. Jason, thanks for the reporting. As we said, the number of accusers has been growing all week since that video of Trump at Billy Bush leaked out last Friday. More on all of it now from CNN's Ed Lavendera.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The first of eight accusers publically came forward Wednesday night of this week. Mindy McGillivray was one of them. For her, it was the presidential debate in St. Louis that prompted her to speak out. McGillivray couldn't believe what she just heard.
[21:05:00] MINDY MCGILLIVRAY, TRUMP ACCUSER: We hear Anderson Cooper ask him, like, a number of times, you know, "Is this something that you did? Did you grope women? Did you kiss them?" And he just adamantly says no. I jumped off of my couch and I was like, "You're a liar."
LAVANDERA: Summer Zervos came forward just today. She once appeared as a contestant on Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice." after she was kicked off the show, Zervos was in talks with Trump about working for his company. He asked to meet her at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
SUMMER ZERVOS, FORMER APPRENTICE CONTESTANT: He came to me and started kissing me open mouthed as he was pulling me towards him. I tried to push him away. I pushed his chest to put space between us and I said, "Come on man, get real." He repeating my words back to me, "Get Real", as he began thrusting his genitals.
ANDERSON: I was very young.
LAVANDERA: In the early 1990s, Kristin Anderson was an aspiring model in New York, according to the "Washington Post," Anderson had never met or seen Donald Trump in person, until he sat down next to her one night in a Manhattan dance club. ANDERSON: The person on my right, who unbeknownst to me at that time, was Donald Trump, put their hands up my skirt. He did touch my vagina through my underwear.
LAVANDERA: Temple Taggart is a former Miss Utah. She says without her consent Trump kissed her on the lips immediately after meeting her in 1997. Rachel Crooks told "The New York Times" that Trump kissed her inappropriately as well in 2005. Natasha Stoynoff, a writer for "People" Magazine, says that trump forcibly kissed her and pinned her down while on a reporting assignment at Trump's mar-a-lago estate in Florida. And Jessica Leeds says Trump grabbed her breasts and put his hands up her skirt on a plane in the early 1980s.
Donald Trump, again, Friday, denied all of the allegations against him and described it all as a political smear campaign.
TRUMP: I don't know who these people are. I look on television, I think it's a disgusting thing.
LAVANDERA: Which is exactly how Mindy McGillivray says Trump treated her one night backstage after a Ray Charles concert at the mar-a-lago estate. McGillivray was there with a friend, waiting to get her picture taken with the singer when she said Trump grabbed her from behind.
MCGILLIVRAY: And he didn't give me a second glance. He knew what he did. I know he knew what he did. I could tell by looking at his smug face, he knew exactly what he did. And I told her, "Donald just grabbed my ass." And he was like, "What do you it? I was like, I was silent, you know, I don't want to do anything."
She says she regrets not confronting the billionaire right on the spot and despite Trump's insistence that he treats women with respect, all of the women who'd come forward say Trump treated them like objects that he could have his way with.
LAVANDERA: What would you tell Donald Trump today?
MCGILLIVRAY: You're a sick, sick person. And if you don't acknowledge it, then maybe he's just a helpless old man who needs to step down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Ed, was she surprised at the amount of other women who are now coming forward?
LAVANDERA: I think she has been. And I think it's important to point out for viewers now, so many of these women have now come forward. When Mindy came forward, it was actually one of the first ones that did, and she said she did when she first reached out to a reporter at a local newspaper here in Florida, that she had no idea that other people had come forward and that the women in "The New York Times" article were coming forward. So she thought she was kind of going out on a limb by herself.
COOPER: All right. Ed Lavendera, thanks very much.
Seven days ago, television viewers had the not especially uplifting experience of seeing our next guest through the eyes of Trump and Billy Bush. And our next guest had the experience of meeting them not knowing that Bush and Trump had just been in an ugly accurate phrase sizing her up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILLY BUSH: You, those legs, all I can see is the legs.
TRUMP: Oh, it looks good.
BUSH: Come on, shorty.
TRUMP: Oh, nice legs, huh.
BUSH: Get out of the way, honey. Oh, that's good legs. Go ahead.
TRUMP: It's always good if you don't fall out of the bus. Like Ford, Gerald Ford, remember?
BUSH: Down below. Pull the handle.
TRUMP: Hello, how are you? Hi.
ARIANNE ZUCKER, ACTRESS: Hi, Mr. Trump, how are you?
TRUMP: Nice seeing you. Terrific.
ZUCKER: Nice to meet you.
TRUMP: Terrific. You know, Billy Bush.
ZUCKER: How are you?
BUSH: Hello, nice to see you. How are you doing, Arianne?
ZUCKER: Doing very well. Thank you. Are you ready to be a soap star?
TRUMP: We're ready. Let's go. Make me a soap star.
BUSH: How about a little hug for the Donald? He just got out of the bus.
TRUMP: OK. Absolutely.
ZUCKER: You're not going to get a hug darling.
TRUMP: Melania said this was OK.
BUSH: How about a little hug for Bushy? I just got off the bus?
ZUCKER: Bushy?
BUSH: Here we go, excellent. Well, you've got a nice co-star here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Arianne Zucker was on "Days of Our Lives" then and she's an actress. She's on the show now. She joins us tonight.
When did you first hear about the tape?
ZUCKER: Well, let me just start by saying, when I first heard about this tape, I mean I did this in 2005, and we all know it's been going. And I had absolutely no idea.
[21:10:00] COOPER: Right.
ZUCKER: Absolutely none.
COOPER: Right, because was said on ...
ZUCKER: I know that's been a question. It's very unsure if I knew and, you know ...
COOPER: ... because everything was said on the bus before ...
ZUCKER: Before, right. So when I did find out, I found out Friday before it was released, my manager actually called and said, "Hey, did you give him a tour or something ...
COOPER: 11 years ago?
ZUCKER: ... for Donald Trump? Yeah, right. I can barely remember yesterday.
COOPER: Right.
ZUCKER: But -- and I said, sure. And slowly, but surely, it all started to come out. And at first, I found it just sort of interesting. But I didn't think it would be such a huge, monumental issue.
COOPER: Did you see the tape right away or ...
ZUCKER: No, I saw -- I read the transcript first.
COOPER: You read a transcript?
ZUCKER: Yes.
COOPER: Did -- does it have the same impact ...
ZUCKER: It doesn't.
COOPER: ... when it's written?
ZUCKER: ... because you almost think it's rather silly, you know, pretty -- I'm a pretty confident, strong woman. And, you know, I modeled when I was younger. I've seen a lot of things and been in a lot of situations, and I was like, that's really not a big deal to me. Until you see the video and go, well, that son of a rip.
COOPER: So when you'd already read the transcript when you actually saw the video, but when you saw the video, you had a very different reaction.
ZUCKER: It was -- I think I just was more taken aback. And my boyfriend and I sat down for lunch and said, "Well, let's see what happens." And of course, we were watching CNN and we'd flip back and forth and see what was going on and how it was being received. And I think we just, you know, squeeze update and just watched for about an hour and ...
COOPER: That's got to be sort of surreal?
ZUCKER: It was very surreal. And I didn't even know if I had a reaction for a while. We were just sort of sitting. And you know that's -- if you've ever fallen down and lost, you know, been winded, it almost felt like that kind of feeling, more of a, "I can't really believe this is happening."
COOPER: It's been now exactly a week since it was released. I want to play the first part where they're talking in the bus before they've met you. And just get your sense of a week later, hearing what you think. Let's play that.
ZUCKER: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Yeah, that's her with the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know, I'm automatically attracted to beautiful -- I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
BUSH: Whatever you want.
TRUMP: Grab them by the pussy. I can do anything.
BUSH: You, those legs, all I can see is the legs.
TRUMP: Oh, it looks good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Hearing it a week later, what do you think?
ZUCKER: It's not appropriate behavior. It's not -- especially when you're in a work environment. Maybe, if you want to consider it locker talk, locker room talk, whatever he said ...
COOPER: Do you consider it ...
ZUCKER: ... but it's ...
COOPER: ... just locker room talk? ZUCKER: No. No. My brother, who is so close to me, would never speak about someone like that. He's five and a half years older than I am and he's always been very protective of me. And the paternity, you know, years and years ago and you don't speak about it that way. And he was always very protective of me.
And so, you know, being raised sort of around his guy friends and just know -- to me, and being around my father, just -- I've never heard that kind of talk before if you want to consider that locker room talk. No.
COOPER: For me, one of the strangest things, beyond what was said in that clip, and even before, but then when they get off the bus and actually meet you and to see them interacting with you, knowing -- I kept watching it, thinking, you have no idea what they have just said about you, and -- but they both know what they've been talking about, and so to watch their interaction with you, with the knowledge of what they have said, that you have no idea about, I don't know, for me that really struck me.
And just to remind our viewers, I just want to play that part, because I do think it's a critical moment for a number of reasons. But let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Hello, how are you? Hi.
ARIANNE ZUCKER, ACTRESS: Hi, Mr. Trump, how are you?
TRUMP: Nice seeing you. Terrific.
ZUCKER: Nice to meet you.
TRUMP: Terrific. You know, Billy Bush.
ZUCKER: How are you?
BUSH: Hello, nice to see you. How are you doing, Arianne?
ZUCKER: Doing very well. Thank you. Are you ready to be a soap star?
TRUMP: We're ready. Let's go. Make me a soap star.
BUSH: How about a little hug for the Donald? He just got out of the bus.
TRUMP: OK. Absolutely.
ZUCKER: You're not going to get a hug darling.
TRUMP: Melania said this was OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ZUCKER: I would, you know, now, of course, watching it, if my daughter was in the house when that was airing, she -- I think she'd probably be upset, you know, she's been to work with me and she sees how appropriate behavior is and, yeah, it's -- you wonder, wow, you know, that's just not OK. It's not OK.
COOPER: And the whole thing, sort of encouraging a hug from you, given what ...
[21:15:01] ZUCKER: Yeah.
COOPER: ... they've just been talking about, just, personally for me, that sort of struck me.
ZUCKER: Because I will tell you, the day for me was amazing. You know, I felt honored to be hosting this little tour, you know, where "Days of Our Lives" have been around now for almost 52 years, I think that's right. And you think, these are great cross-promotions, this is great business, these are great relationships to build for our network.
And so for me, I -- it was really a wonderful opportunity and a wonderful day. So that's what I took away from the day. I can't, you know, lie about that. It was really wonderful. And then you watch the tape and, you know, "Ah, again, for me, I feel -- because I've grown up in situations like this, and I've had my -- I have my own life story, as well, but everything that I've learned up until this point, I've grown to really push it off and be -- not really care about it, if you will.
And just -- because there are men like that in higher power and in positions that will, you know, maybe make a flyby statement -- not quite like that, but I've definitely been in that type of situation before, when I was young. And you just go, "What? Great, thank you, or you're welcome," you know, it's easy to sort of walk away from.
But when you -- when I realized, and it was very much like I put in my statement, when I understand the magnitude of those statements made behind closed doors, not just about me, and not every woman has gone through what I've gone through to get into the place where I am, where I'm fine, it's not OK.
And I feel like I needed to at least say to my family, most importantly, and I've had a lot of fans that have been stressing the fact that -- "Are you OK? Are you doing well? Are you hurt? Are you -- and of course, things -- when people say things, behind their back, they're hurtful. And -- but, you know, we find a way to stand up and be strong. And I think, you know, for my family, it hurts probably more than for me.
COOPER: When we come back, Arianne Zucker and I talk about the role she's had this week in getting other women to come forward and tell their stories.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [21:20:51] COOPER: Before the break, actress Arianne Zucker spoke about what she and her family have been going through this last week, since the release of that heard Billy Bush and Donald Trump. You heard her say that it hurts to see it, that it felt like a body blow, at one point, that it almost literally knocked the wind out of her.
In part two of our conversation, she and I talked about some of the good she thinks the tape has done when it comes to encouraging others to share their stories. Take a look.
You have a 16-year-old, a 6-year-old daughter. Do they know about this? Have they heard?
ZUCKER: Yes, my 16-year-old stepson, as we call him, he's not mine, but I just had a conversation with him yesterday about, you're such a wonderful young man, and, you know, I walked him sort of through the steps of what was going on and they talked about it at school, so it was brought up.
And, you know, he just was interested in how things were going for me and, you know, I said, "The thing that bothers me the most is how -- what your reaction would be to this. And i just want you to know, as someone who lives with you, is that you're an amazing young man. I don't ever want this to affect the way you think about women or who you are as a young man growing up in today's society.
And you know, he's a charming kid and he got it, I think, you know. Sure if he has any questions, he'll ask.
And my daughter, I haven't really defined what's happened, if I don't have to. I'm not going to.
COOPER: Right.
ZUCKER: She's only six. But with cameras and things, are kind of following you outside of grocery stores, you know, I'll remind her to always stand tall, no matter what anybody says about you. Whether they're little boys or little girls, you know, stay strong and always know who you are as a woman and a young woman, I say, you're a young lady. And you're a beautiful -- you have a beautiful soul, and never let anyone take that away from you.
And that's what I've had to learn to do as I've grown up in the entertainment business.
COOPER: You know, something like this, becoming visible, has ripple effects that one can't even predict.
ZUCKER: Right.
COOPER: As you know, a number of people now have come forward. And there's a woman named Kristin Anderson who's now come forward to "The Washington Post." and one of the things that sort sparked her deciding to tell what she says happened to her was seeing the tape and in particular, that interaction we just showed.
I just want to show a little bit of what she told "The Washington Post".
ZUCKER: OK.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I watched this woman, who could have been me, it could have been anyone, walk in and shake his hand. And that was just nauseating, because she has no idea what she's walking into. And what could possibly happen to her.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
COOPER: It's interesting that, you know, so many people see it and it has effect in ways you can never predict.
ZUCKER: I remember coming into this, the entertainment business, and being an actor, I always believed that I have a -- I felt I have a responsibility as being somewhat of a name to be a mentor. And if anything, i hope, I can bring some -- shed some sort of light on this for these women. And if they're coming out, I'm glad they're coming out because it's one step forward to healing.
And, it's a very scary thing to talk about. It's very uncomfortable. And you can tell I'm stuttering, because I'm pretty sure almost every woman from the age of 13 until however old they are now has had something happen to them. And that is just not right.
COOPER: That's -- I think men do not understand that. I mean the fact that so many women -- pretty much every woman I know have had to deal with this on some level is stunning to me.
ZUCKER: And what's crazy is, there are so many good men. I mean, I feel that there are more good men in this world than there are not. It's just that, unfortunately, they not are the ones that we end up running into.
[21:25:00] And, you know, I have an amazing father, like I said before, an amazing brother, an amazing boyfriend, and it's -- to me -- and I was listening to Michelle Obama's speech the other day, who is, to me, I'm very inspired by her speech yesterday, which, you know, helped me kind of sit here with you today, and remind myself -- it's scary. It's scary to come out and talk about it. Because you don't know what the ripple effect will be. But for me, I only hope that I could be part of the light.
You know, I want to move forward now from this and say, "What do we do now, ladies? Men? Everybody? Where's the balance of men and women together. We can start to change the situation. And last Friday is when it started. And I think the future for my daughter will be much brighter because of the situation is now being talked about.
COOPER: When we come back I asked Arianne Zucker whether she wants an apology from Donald Trump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: It's been quite a week since that videotape from 2005 came out. It has also, obviously, been a punishing and painful week for all the women@n who have seen that tape and been moved to come forward and tell their own stories of alleged encounters with Donald Trump. And as you've been hearing, it's been a week that leaves a deep on Ms. Zucker, who's in the 2005 video. I asked her if she feels that Donald Trump owes her some kind of contrition for what she and her family has been through.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Do you want an apology from Donald Trump, from Billy Bush? I mean, is that something that is -- that would be important to you? I assume you have not received ...
ZUCKER: No, I haven't. I haven't. And I was reminded earlier about important, you know, family is. And I don't particularly need one, you know, when you read people and you see how they are and, you know, I just have to expect myself to be a good person. I've worked on it very hard in my life. And I have also spoken poorly about people when I was younger.
COOPER: Sure.
ZUCKER: And I had to walk up to them and apologize. And it takes a lot. And I think, you know, my family and my friends and my fans probably deserve the apology because, you know, they are the ones that's have been so supportive in this.
And I think -- but if you don't mean it, don't say it. It's a very simple principle. I try to teach my daughter, if she does something maybe in the house or she accidentally broke something and said, I didn't do it. And I say, "OK. Honey, I would like you to apologize, but if you don't mean it, I don't want you to say it. I want it to come from your heart, I want you to know.
COOPER: Did you think, I mean Donald Trump now, as he gave an initial apology when he said, you know, if anybody was offended, you know, I apologize. Blamed, you know, talked about Bill Clinton doing worse or saying worse things to him on a golf course. Then later on, came forward with a more direct apology. What do you make of that?
ZUCKER: If your "sorry" has a "but" at the end of it, it's not an apology, to me. And that's my personal opinion. But a very simple "I'm sorry", I think goes a lot longer than if you add something to the end of it. Unless you're saying, I'm sorry for doing this to you, OK. Period. But not, sorry, but, I never believe that that's a true apology. I still think there's an excuse in there.
COOPER: So in terms of what can come out of this, you're hoping some sort of change?
ZUCKER: Yes, and I ...
COOPER: Some sort of understanding? ZUCKER: Before this ever happened, you know, I started a nonprofit
organization with my brother. And it's run and it's called Arrow Heart Adventure Camps. And we work with young teens and part of my goal is building the strength and this confidence in young boys and young girls. That's what I -- I just want to keep doing what I'm doing and not have that changed.
And if this, for the bigger picture, does something more and adds to that, then that is a blessing for me, because I'll continue to do what I've been doing. I'll continue to work as an actress. I'll continue to run my nonprofit. I'll continue to play sidewalk chalk games with my daughter. And none of that is going to change who I am. In fact, I think this has made me better. It's humbled me even more as a woman and made my reality very clear for me and what's important and that is family, friends, and honesty.
COOPER: A number of women have come forward to say -- expressing what they say happened to them. Donald Trump, today, reacted to it yesterday, but he spoke about it more again today and I just want to play soundbite of what he said and not about you, but about some of the other people who have come forward and what they have said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Say, oh, I was with Donald Trump in1980. I was sitting with him on an airplane. And he went after me on the plane. Yeah, I'm going to go after you. Believe me, she would not be my first choice that I can tell you.
One came out recently, where I was sitting alone in some club. I really don't sit alone that much, honestly, folks. I don't think I sit alone that much. Honestly, folks, . I was sitting alone by myself. Like this. And then I went, wa, to somebody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZUCKER: Well, I hadn't seen that yet, so, yeah, it's -- I hate to get too much into, you know, the political campaign, but I think just as a person or an individual, it feels very dismissive. But I can see why he's dismissive. But not to take even into the slightest consideration that this woman is hurting. But I don't think I see that that matters.
COOPER: It was interesting, the woman, Jessica Leeds, who I actually interviewed yesterday, and when I talked to her, she ...
ZUCKER: I saw that. I saw that one.
[21:35:00] COOPER: ... said that she knew in coming forward that Donald Trump would make fun of the way she looked because she's 73 or 74 years old now. And so that's one of the reasons she wanted people to see pictures of her back then because she knew Donald Trump would say, or she believed Donald Trump would say something about, "Well, there's no way I would have, you know, touched a woman like her."
ZUCKER: I always think, be careful what you say Donald Trump, anybody, just be careful what you say, because the repercussions will come back, eventually whether it's tomorrow, whether if it's 25 years from now, eventually it will come back in some way, shape, or form. And I think that's probably coming out now. And you can't avoid behavior like that for long.
COOPER: Thank you very much for talking to us.
ZUCKER: Thank you, Anderson. I appreciate being here. Thank you
COOPER: And just ahead, this cannot have been an easy week for Melania Trump. She hasn't responded publicly to her husband's accusers, though she is threatening to sue "People" Magazine. More on that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:40:07] COOPER: As we've said over the past seven days, at least eight women have accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting them, among them former "People" Magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff who says Trump forcibly kissed her while she was on assignment at Trump's resort, mar-a-lago in 2005. "People" published her account of the alleged assault earlier this week. And now Melania Trump is threatening to sue the magazine. She's is also demanding an apology and a retraction.
Beyond that, Mrs. Trump has not responded publicly to any of the accusations, with more tonight, Brian Todd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Right now I am being viciously attacked with lies and smears. It's a phony deal. I have no idea who these women are.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the accusations pile up, the most important woman in Donald Trump's inner circle has stayed silent and has been largely absent from the campaign trail since her ill-fated speech at the Republican convention.
MELANIA TRUMP, WIFE OF DONALD TRUMP: My parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life.
TODD: Melania Trump made it clear early in the campaign that she would focus much of her time raising their son, Barron. But she did issue a statement the morning after the access Hollywood tape came out. Saying quote "The words my husband used are unacceptable and offensive to me. This does not represent the man I know."
Through her lawyers, Mrs. Trump also sent a letter to the writer and editor of a "People" Magazine. She is threatened to sue them, not over the riders allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her but over a passage which claimed falsely according to Melania Trump that the writer once casually Mrs. Trump on the street.
LYNN SWEET, BUREAU CHIEF, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Well, it's nitpicking and it's not part of the larger issue. TODD: How does Melania Trump really feel about all of the allegations? Why hasn't she come out and spoken at any length about them to cameras?
M. TRUMP: We love you too.
TODD: The campaign isn't commenting. Mrs. Trump does have examples to follow.
SWEET: Usually, in campaigns wives are used to be validaters of their husband, to be a voice to talk about their husband. Wives in campaigns or spouses in general in campaigns are often used to tell the public about a side of the candidate that they otherwise would not know.
TODD: A role immortalized by Hillary Clinton in a 1992 60 minutes interview after Jennifer Flowers said she had a long-running affair with Bill Clinton.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not sitting here as some little woman standing by my man like Jammie Wyneth. I'm sitting here because I love him and I respect him and I honor what he's been through and what we've been through together. And, you know, if that's not enough for people, then heck, don't vote for him.
TODD: But so far, none of that from Melania Trump. It's been left to her husband.
D.TRUMP: And by the way, we're stronger today than we ever were before which is right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: "The New York Times" reports that Donald Trump and his advisers have considered a joint television interview that he and Melania Trump would give to a major network. But "The Times" says after a statement from the "Access Hollywood" anchor who Trump talked about in that initial tape and after excerpts from his interviews with Howard Stern came out, campaign officials nixed that idea. The Trump campaign would not comment on that or give us any comment for this story. Anderson?
COOPER: All right Brian, thanks very much. Donald Trump obviously, has a long history of filing lawsuits or trending of lawsuits. He's also known for saying that he doesn't believe in settling them.
D. TRUMP: You know, most people settle. I don't like settling.
I'll win the Trump university case. I could settle that case. I could have settled it. I just choose not to. In fact, when I ran, they said, "Why don't you settle up that case?" I don't want to settle up the case because you know what because I'm a man of principle."
When you settle cases, everybody keeps suing you. Does that make sense? When they have to go through a case, it takes years and years. Like this case has been going on for four or five years. When they have to go through the pain of really going through a case and really if I don't get sued very often, the reason I don't is they say, "Oh, Trump will never settle."
They like to go to the settlers. I don't want to settle cases when we're right. I don't believe in it. And when you start settling cases, you know what happens? Everybody sues you because you get known as a settler. One thing about me, I am not known as a settler.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Tim O'Brien, author of "Trump Nation: the Art of Being the Donald" was sued by Trump who claimed the book libeled him by low balling his net worth. The suit dragged on for years before the case was eventually dismissed. Trump appealed the decision and he lost.
Tim O'Brien joins me now. I mean Trump clearly has a pattern of threatening litigation, I mean, do his threats -- is there a follow- through?
TIMOTHY O'BRIEN, AUTHOR OF TRUMP NATION: THE ART OF BEING THE DONALD: There rarely is, Anderson. You know, he's been doing this for 40 years. He threatens to sue business partners, business competitors, the government, politicians, the media. And more often than not, he never even files any paper. You know, he learned this from Roy Cohn. You know, Roy was sort of his great mentor in using litigation ...
COOPER: Roy Cohn was a legendarily nasty piece of work.
O'BRIEN: Yes, and he was -- and Donald's lawyer until he died in I think early '90s.
[21:45:01] And Donald really learned this art of using the threat of litigation to get your way. It's been an effective tool for him sometimes.
COOPER: Because, obviously, people don't want to get into litigation. A lot of people don't have access to lawyers like Donald Trump does. So they're ...
O'BRIEN: Correct.
COOPER: ... they're scared.
O'BRIEN: And they don't have the money he has to litigate.
COOPER: Right, he could drag something out in a lawsuit for years and years and years.
O'BRIEN: It's a rounding error for him. But for other people, it's actually real money. It's also fascinating, because we heard this -- we haven't heard it so much lately in the campaign, but early on in the campaign, part of his stump speeches would seem very least in many public appearance. He wants to talk about how we never settle lawsuits. That if you settle lawsuits, that it will only brings on more lawsuits. And he would so brag about this. But the truth is, I mean he settles lawsuits with some regularity.
O'BRIEN: Indeed, he does. In our case, I think he wanted to settle on two different occasions. It's just -- as in everything he said you can't -- says, you can take him at face value about these things.
COOPER: That's the whole mythology of him, I don't settle, I'm a tough guy.
O'BRIEN: Correct.
COOPER: But the truth is, I do settle, because it makes sense. It's a sensible business strategy to settle
O'BRIEN: It is.
COOPER: In the run-up to the suit against you ...
O'BRIEN: Yeah.
COOPER: ... I think you've said that Donald Trump tried to intimidate you?
O'BRIEN: Well, he -- you know, I didn't at that time, you know, I was doing a series of book readings and his attorney showed up at one of the book readings and came up and said, you know, I'm a writer too, wink, wink, and they had people in the audience who stood up and asked leading questions like, "Aren't you out to write a book that's really going to damage Donald Trump?"
COOPER: They would actually send people to cooperate ...
O'BRIEN: Yeah, yeah, there was in there, there was a couple of people plotted in the audience. And I guess if I would have been a little shrewder at that time, I would have said, "No, of course not, he's going to be president someday." But I'm, you know, that didn't happened then. But he taped one of the book readings. And, you know, to be fair, all's fair in love and war fair. They were contemplating a lawsuit. I think they were entitled to be as aggressive with me as they wanted to. I was ...
COOPER: It's common for attorneys to hire private detectives, follow people gather evidence.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it is. And I think that's part of the rules of the game. And I was fortunate enough to be with institutions, both my book publisher and "The New York Times" that have the resources that once, you know, he engaged, we were able to fight back. That's not the case with less well-heeled the defendants.
COOPER: Tim O'Brien, thanks for being on.
O'BRIEN: Thanks, Anderson.
COOPER: Up next, second graders weigh in on the battle for the white house. They have some advice for the Donald Trump and for Hillary Clinton. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:50:59] COOPER: After another extraordinary week in the presidential race we're going to take a break from the vitreal of vulgarities and trying to take you to a geo-rated space. A second grade classroom in a different view of politics.
Here's Gary Tuchman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the Calhoun School in New York City, right across central park from Donald Trump's home in Trump tower. And 33 miles from Hillary Clinton's home in the New York City, suburb of Capicua. And these are seven of the second graders of Calhoun.
Thanks for having us here. What are the names of the people running are for president?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
TUCHMAN: And which one is -- which one is the Republican, which one is the Democrat?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump is the Republican and Hillary Clinton is the Democrat.
TUCHMAN: What do you think that a president needs to do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the president should make a law kids get to stay up before bedtime.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wahoo.
TUCHMAN: And eat sweets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And vote for Mason as president.
TUCHMAN: The Mason, you've been nominated as president. Do you want to see Mason as president?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, Mason, Mason, Mason.
TUCHMAN: What do you think Donald Trump for living?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He helps people to build buildings so he can make money.
TUCHMAN: Does he build the buildings? Does he outsource of a hard hat?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
TUCHMAN: No, but he makes a lot of money though right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
TUCHMAN: How much money do you think Donald Trump has? What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At least $1 million a day.
TUCHMAN: At least 1 million a day. What do you think?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $900.
TUCHMAN: 900 bucks. What do you think Hillary Clinton's job is? What if I told you that ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he job is to go on the "Ellen Show". I think.
TUCHMAN: That's what you think she does for a living?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yup, that I always watch it out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think, I think her husband was president already and she was already a first lady.
TUCHMAN: That's exactly right. Do you know what her husband's name is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bill Clinton.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: George Washington?
TUCHMAN: No, not George Washington. Bill Clinton's old, but he's not as old as George Washington, little man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bill Clinton?
TUCHMAN: Bill Clinton. Here's a video from the debate. I want you to see this.
CLINTON: Look, it's just not so true. And so please go to ...
D.TRUMP: Oh, you didn't delete them?
COOPER: Allow her to respond please.
CLINTON: Personals e-mails, not official ...
D. TRUMP: 33,000?
CLINTON: Not -- well we turned over-35,000. So, it was ...
D.TRUMP: Oh yes. What about the other 15,000?
COOPER: Allow -- please allow her to respond. She didn't talk while you talked.
TUCHMAN: What do you think when people talk over each other. Does that make it fun to watch the debate or not very much fun?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not very much fun.
TUCHMAN: So what would you say to them to interrupting each other?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just be like in school when you take turns things like that.
TUCHMAN: So you would say to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton to pretend like you're in second grade.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have advice to say to Donald Trump.
TUCHMAN: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do not say mean words about Hillary Clinton. She needs some respect, man. Give the lady a chance.
TUCHMAN: But let me ask you this. Don't you think she should be nice to him, too?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: Right? There's an expression, what's good for the goose is good for the grander. So what do you think, do you always read?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
TUCHMAN: So do you think that they should follow the example of second graders better?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: : Yeah.
TUCHMAN:: Yeah?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But if like, if you want kids to believe in you, you should show them a proper way how to talk to other people and give people turns so like little kids could be inspired.
TUCHMAN: I want to thank all of you for inviting us to Calhoun School.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: You're welcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Kind of makes me want to go back to second grade.
Up next, a diversion from the presidential race, thank goodness. Entry Bourdain on his super spicy hot trip to China. Excruciatingly painful burning peppers, that's how to describes it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:58:12] COOPER: Well, if you're looking to escape the presidential race for a little bit over the weekend, and frankly who isn't, I've got a suggestion, don't miss Anthony Bourdain, "Parts Unknown" on Sunday night in the new episode.
Anthony goes to China and sweats over the spicy cuisine in the region f China he went to. We recently sat down for meal together at Takashi in New York City. That talked about an adventure and samples of unique food for ourselves. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So Szechwan ...
ANTHONY BOURDAIN, PARTS UNKNOWN HOST: Yeah.
COOPER: ... I mean everyone knows Szechuan food, what did you do?
BOURDAIN: Well, I went right to Changyu, a place I've been before. It is probably have the spiciest food, I mean, generally speaking, Szechuanese food cuisine is -- well the two principle elements are ma and la.
COOPER: Ma and la?
BOURDAIN: Right, one of them refers to the supernova of excruciatingly painful burning Szechuan dried peppers, and the whole flame and set your hair on fire and the other is the Szechuan flower peppers, which have a floral often numbing confusing effect.
I don't know if sort of having the half weeks. It's got that same kind of, you know, imagine a naughty nurse with clamps and an ice cube kind of thing. I mean Regardless of whether you're in or better not, you go to Szechwan and you find things about to yourself that you really didn't know around with there. I love it.
COOPER: OK. Good.
BOURDAIN: That was a thymus gland.
COOPER: That was what?
BOURDAIN: Thymus gland.
COOPER: Thymus gland, where would that be?
BOURDAIN: I think it's somewhere around your neck.
COOPER: Glad, I didn't know before I ate it.
BOURDAIN: Sweet breads, I believe they call Ri devot. That's follow sometime in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[22:00:02] COOPER: You never know what you're going to get with that guy. Don't miss the new upset ao Anthony Bourdain "Parts Unknown" this Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. That does it for us. Thanks for watching. CNN's Tonight with Don Lemon starts now.
