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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Trump, Clinton Holding Dueling NC Rallies; Interview with Kellyanne Conway; Melania Trump Campaigns Solo In PA; David Duke, KKK Support Donald Trump; Campaign Statement: Trump Denounces Hate In Any Form. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired November 03, 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: Good evening. Thanks for joining us.

Tonight, Melania Trump makes a speech, her first since the convention, which she outlines a signature for her. She calls for action against a tone, a tenor and a pattern of online behavior that she says is mean and harmful and serious enough to raise in the campaign trail just five days from the election.

It also happens to be perhaps the one thing her husband is most often accused of doing. What she said today, where she said it, part of her appeal to suburban women voters? The question is, will it work? I'll talk to Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway about all of it.

First, Jim Acosta on the candidate's day so far. He joins us from Selma, North Carolina, where Donald Trump is about to speak.

So, what's Trump expected to say?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. Donald Trump just walked out on the stage here in Selma, North Carolina, in this critical battleground state that just might make or break his candidacy.

But we have been told by Trump campaign official, when he gets going here, he'll be talking about national security, defense, foreign policy issues and we'll be talking about his proposals to build up the nation's navy and air force. He also has behind him on stage several Medal of Honor recipients, other distinguished veterans of the armed services.

But, Anderson, the other thing that's worth noting and we've been noting this, is the un-Trump-like message discipline that we've seen over the last several days. Yes, he's hitting Hillary Clinton hard, he's going after the president of the United States somewhat. But he's avoided that that incendiary rhetoric that's thrown the campaign off course from time to time, Anderson.

COOPER: Also today, Melania Trump as we said out on campaign trail. For those who didn't see it, talk about her message to voters. ACOSTA: Yes, it was a message about her immigrant roots, but she also

spent part of her speech in Pennsylvania earlier today talking about social media and how she feels like people on social media need to set the right example for young people out there. Here's more of what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: I do worry about all of our children. As we know, now, social media is center piece of our lives. As adults, many of us are able to handle mean words, even lies. Children and teenagers can be fragile. They are hurt when they are made fun of or made to feel less in looks or intelligence. Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough, especially to children and teenagers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, one thing Melania Trump did not mention in that speech is that her husband, the candidate, has gone after his enemies on Twitter at all hours of the night. Just to give you some examples, we have to put on screen. The time he referred to the former Miss Universe Alicia Machado saying she had a sex tape when she did not. When he referred to Ted Cruz at one point during the campaign saying that he was threatening to spill the beans about his wife and then, of course, all of those Twitter attacks on the FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly.

Anderson, for all of that to be ignored and overlooked he truly would have to delete his account -- Anderson.

COOPER: Jim Acosta, Jim, thanks very much.

We should note, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Pharrell have just taken the stage in Raleigh.

Joining us now is Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway.

Kellyanne, good to have you on the program.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Hi, Anderson.

COOPER: Mrs. Trump out on the trail today, every time I've interviewed her, I found her to be poised speaker, effective at delivering her message. I think she does a very good job talk about her husband, showing a side maybe a lot of voters haven't seen.

First of all, do you plan -- will we be seeing more of her between now and Tuesday?

CONWAY: Well, this was really a very important day for her out on the stump. This was her idea to go out there in suburban Philadelphia. I was proud to work on the speech and to accompany her today to suburban Philadelphia, and, you know, she's very supportive of her husband's candidacy. And she would be very supportive of his presidency, and I think the voters see that. But, you know, she's got a very important job at home raising their 10-year-old son Baron, I think Melania is no different in millions of the American women always trying to find the extra time for the homework, for the soccer practices and like, Anderson. And I just was very happy that people got to hear about her immigrant roots, her love of America, the fact she came to work and live in America.

But in her own words, that just wasn't enough, she wanted to be an American. And she waited ten years to go through the process, Visa, green cards, work her way to the legal process and ten years later, became an American citizen and gave us a little bit of a preview what she might do as first lady, and certainly, the man Donald Trump whom she's known and loved for 18 years.

COOPER: So, do you think we'll see her again? And do you wish she had, you know, spent earlier? Certainly, in appealing to women perhaps and others, Melania Trump, I mean, is a fine surrogate.

[20:05:03] CONWAY: I mean, I'm thrilled that Ivanka Trump is out there. Melania Trump, Lara and Vanessa Trump, Tiffany Trump is keeping her campaign schedule these days and certainly the boys. Let's not leave them out, just because of their gender, Don and Eric.

You know, we've got these super surrogates who are his family members and I think they tell a story about their father, in this case her husband, that is very different about his character and his policy prescriptions, the sacrifice they have all made that I talk so frequently about to run in the first place.

But I also because his older, his adult children are involved in his business. They also know him as a boss and as a mentor. Those are important messages and they are really all dotting the maps. Everybody was in so-called swing state and yesterday campaigning. And I think Melania Trump's message really, Anderson, whether it's giving you an interview a couple of weeks ago which I thought was phenomenal and today's speech to these women, I feel like those excerpts should be responsibly played again and again.

Contrast Melania Trump to bill Clinton who's basically on the stump every day and says things like Obamacare is the craziest things he's ever seen -- we certainly agree with that -- goes off message quite a bit.

I really appreciate that Melania Trump does not call attention to herself and is there to support her husband and their son behind the scenes mostly. And everybody should feel comfortable as the messenger for their particular message and you saw her today I think in a way that --

COOPER: OK.

CONWAY: That really helps her husband among women and other others. You know, I just have to say, I contrast it to, you know, every time we see these super surrogates, Pharrell, Bernie Sanders, a rapper here, a current or former president there for Hillary Clinton, it somehow makes her seem small and underwhelming that she's propped with all these other people.

This was supporting role today by Melania Trump, whereas Hillary Clinton is being -- she's out there being supported by people far more popular than she is.

COOPER: You talked about, Melania Trump talking about her roots, about wanting to come to America, the privilege of being an American, as you know, she also talked about how children and teenagers are hurt when they are in her words made fun of or made to feel less in looks or intelligence, adding the culture has gotten too mean, too rough. I don't think -- I don't know of anybody who would really disagree with that. She said the same thing to me a couple of weeks ago when I talked to her.

Back then and even today, the reaction from a number of people, mostly her critics, is that her husband is part of the problem. We all know he's made fun of people's looks, of people's intelligence. Jake Tapper asked this question earlier of a surrogate and I think it's the right question to ask. If it's not OK for kids to do this, why is it OK for adults, for Donald Trump?

CONWAY: Well, it's really not okay for anyone to do it with malicious intent. But, you know, I hate to break it to the political class or even the media, but most of what's on Twitter is not about politics or journalism. There's a whole big worldwide social media culture, landscape out there, Anderson. And I think what Melania Trump was talking about today is a cultural fact, not a political or journalistic fact.

COOPER: Right. But your candidate, he is the guy on Twitter at 3:00 a.m., tweeting out this stuff talking --

(CROSSTALK)

CONWAY: Sorry. I'm sorry for the delay and it sounded like I interrupted you, Anderson. I didn't mean to.

Look, do you see any -- do you see what's written about you or me routinely. I get the F-word every night. I get from journalists frankly. There is one who -- you know, very washed up one frankly can't stop tweeting at me, curse words. My children have to see that. You know, we have to have really broad shoulders, I get it, and I'm just one person.

But the fact is that it is -- I appreciate the fact that as a first lady, Melania Trump has committed herself to trying to do something about the negativity that naturally tends to what otherwise she identified as the positive tool. Communications and social media can be a force for positivity.

But I appreciate -- you know, we always have people saying we're going to work for women and children. We have actually a Democratic presidential nominee who says she's going to fight for women and children. That's terrific. But where has she been? Why has she --

(CROSSTALK) COOPER: You know, the question is does about this start at home? I mean, isn't the problem at her own dinner table?

CONWAY: No, it's not in her dinner table. The fact that her husband is running for president and defends himself sometimes or tweets things out. Look at all of these tweets. What about his tweet about --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Talking about Carly Fiorina's face wasn't a counterattack. That was -- that was just an attack.

CONWAY: I'm sorry?

COOPER: Talking about Carly Fiorina's face was not a counterattack, counterpunch. That was just mean.

CONWAY: And he went on in national stage in front of tens of millions of people I would presume and said she has a beautiful face, that she's a beautiful woman. And I mean, I'm frankly very proud that Carly Fiorina is part of this Republican Party and a very member of it.

But, you know, again, we're always -- we constantly, when it comes to Donald Trump, cherry picking certain tweets or certain things that he said and not looking -- go look at his entire Twitter feed. Go look at the crowds at his rallies. Go look at his message. Go see what he's saying.

COOPER: I know, it's full of this stuff though.

[20:10:00] CONWAY: Yes -- it's full of a lot of things. But again I think you're under -- I think we're doing a disservice to the platform that Melania -- one of the platforms she would want to have as first lady to the full measure of all her comments today.

And also, Anderson, I mean, if you want to look at negativity, look no further than Hillary Clinton campaign. They are not even pretending to go high or to go medium anymore. It's the complete politics of the personal destruction. They're all out there attacking Donald Trump. There's no aspirational uplifting message for women, children and anyone else. It's all tear him down, try to wait out the clock, try to run out the clock ahead of not one but two FBI investigations now.

I mean, why aren't people talking about her getting off the Democratic ticket? Why aren't people asking Democrats, are you actually going to continue to endorse her and stand with her? She's under a cloud of corruption, all of these investigations might follow her right into the White House.

And I think, look, the haters are out today for Melania Trump because she did a phenomenal job and she is the picture of elegance and grace and intelligence and wit, and it was really a great day for our campaign to have her there, to have Karen Pence, the first lady of Indiana, Mike Pence's wife introduce Melania Trump. People got a little window into their future in the first lady and the future vice president's wife.

And I'm just going to say, you know, you can contrast that to Hillary Clinton on stump who's all negative all the time now. I don't know why that is. But it's not the Democratic Party I grew up in and I don't think it would have been very gripping to the single mom who raised me to hear Hillary Clinton just slam her Republican opponent all day long.

And I'm just happy that Melania Trump went out there today and gave her message to men and women. She spoke -- she was in Pennsylvania but she spoke to all Americans.

COOPER: And I know there is a lot of Trump supporters who would like to see her out more and probably a lot of Democrats who would be scared to see her out more out on the trail.

So, Kellyanne Conway, good to talk to you. Thank you very much.

CONWAY: Thank you, Anderson.

COOPER: I want to bring in the panel.

I want to bring in the panel, "INSIDE POLITICS" anchor John King, CNN senior political commentator, "Axe Files" podcaster and former top Obama adviser, David Axelrod, CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash, CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger.

Also bracketing our screen, Clinton supporters Maria Cardona and Bakari Sellers. And in between, Trump supporters Jeffrey Lord and Jack Kingston.

We like to mix up the scene. Jeffrey is a former Reagan White House political director. Jack is a senior Trump adviser and former U.S. congressman. Bakari is a former South Carolina state legislator. Maria was a senior adviser to 2008 Clinton campaign.

And, Anderson, well, I'm all out of breath.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: John King, I mean, Melania Trump, every time she speaks, has been very effective and I think there's probably a lot of Trump supporters who would have like to have seen her out weeks ago.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think without a question. And where she is is quite critical. Chester County, Pennsylvania, is one of the outer counties. But the suburbs around this three-collared counties, Berks County, Montgomery County, Delaware County, then you get to Chester County. If Republicans are going to win Pennsylvania, has to win those counties. The last Republican to win those suburbs, Georgia H.W. Bush.

So, Pennsylvania has been blue since then. Jeffrey knows it well because of that. But he'll also do her a disservice I think in some ways in the sense that she's very poised. She's a great surrogate. She should be out there. But at the convention she had somebody on the staff plagiarize the

speech and undermined her and I'm sorry and God bless Kellyanne for being a loyal campaign manager. But it is, of course, inevitable that if she gives a speech that says we should be respectful on social media and we should treat each other with kindness and compassion that we're going to play Donald Trump's own words and go through his own Twitter feed.

COOPER: Right. It's inevitable to have that comparison.

KING: Her argument today was with her husband. Sorry.

COOPER: David?

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it would have been an effective tactic to say as my first gesture in this cause, I'm going to take my husband's iPhone away.

But look, let's talk the politics of this. I know that Kellyanne said it was Melania's idea to go to this location. This was chosen by campaign strategists for a reason. Donald Trump has to win Pennsylvania or breakthrough in some other big, blue state. Pennsylvania was thought to be the one where he could earlier in the campaign season. He has an enormous problem with women and in one poll recently in the last couple of days trailing by 20 points in Pennsylvania.

And the point of this was to tell women who are looking at a barrage of ads of his own words that really he's not what you see. He's not the way he appears to be. And that was the sole function of this speech.

COOPER: I mean, Kellyanne Conway going critical of Hillary Clinton in her words going negative and going low. I mean, as we talked a lot last night, Donald Trump doing a good job stay on message and not making mistakes these days. Hillary Clinton is running a different campaign in these final days. You know, there isn't a higher message. It is very much attacking Donald Trump's character. This is essentially answering that.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: It is answering that, and what they are saying is, you know, we're making our positive closing argument. They are not necessarily because they are on the attack against Hillary Clinton. They've got a clear message, which is e- mails, e-mails, e-mails. You can't trust her, playing into that whole storyline.

But what was interesting about what Kellyanne said to you was she said you are cherry-picking Donald Trump's words. And that is exactly what advertisements do.

[20:15:02] What negative ads do. They, of course, cherry pick words. And she's making that argument against the negative ads and she's saying don't do that in criticizing Melania Trump.

I think we know what they discuss at the dinner table, which is she doesn't like him tweeting. She has said that to you I believe. And I think she wishes he would -- he would stop. And I do believe she feels strongly about it. And that this is a way that they deflect --

COOPER: It's also --

BORGER: -- for suburban women.

COOPER: Donald Trump is the candidate who has used Twitter more effectively and more often than any other presidential candidate in history.

BORGER: Right. Yes, yes.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, absolutely. He has used Twitter in a way that, you know, even -- you know, rewind the technology, than I think you would probably concede that the Obama campaign used technology in 2008 and that was revolutionary.

But when you look at where Melania went today. Obviously, you are right. The whole reason she gave her speech and where she went was because these collared counties around Philadelphia are so critical. This particular county, Chester County, Mitt Romney actually won, the only one that he won by just a hair and they are trying to sort of change that and make it so it others.

But the others, interestingly I've been talking to Republican officials in those counties over the past couple days, particularly today ahead of her speech. And they said that the big drop in his poll numbers in that area in and around the "Access Hollywood" tape, they have come back. So, I think that this was also a way to have someone like Melania kind of bring it home. And because we're so close to the election, make sure that people who are thinking about voting for Donald Trump but they are not so sure actually get to the polls.

BORGER: It was a very different spousal speech though. This wasn't a kind of speech that Michelle Obama would give about her husband. It was about what she would do if she was first lady. The kind of issues she would take.

She did -- she was a bit of a character witness for her husband. But spouses very often, particularly at this point on the campaign trail are much more personal about their husbands and one thing we've noticed about the family is that they have difficult telling sort of personal stories about Donald Trump. And I think that would have been quite effective if Melania had done some more of that.

COOPER: It is also tough for someone who doesn't have the experience.

BORGER: Absolutely.

COOPER: Michelle Obama is -- to compare anybody as the speech maker and a Michelle Obama.

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: A lot of spouses at this point have given, many, many, speeches.

BORGER: And have been on the trail.

COOPER: We're going to take a break. We're going to go to the other side of the table, te partisans, right after the break.

A lot more ahead with candidates and surrogates and running mates all running around tonight, including Hillary Clinton speaking soon in Raleigh, North Carolina. Right now, Bernie Sanders on stage right now, part of the Clinton campaign's effort to keep their blue wall of states from developing any new cracks.

New polling as well tonight. John King crunching the numbers.

And later, more on Melania Trump's speech and the voters she's trying to reach in eastern Pennsylvania.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:21:18] SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: And let us be very clear, a $7.25 federal minimum wage is a starvation wage. Let's be clear.

COOPER: Bernie Sanders out campaigning for Hillary Clinton tonight at the Clinton rally unfolding in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bernie Sanders warming up the crowd. This is Secretary Clinton's second event in the Tar Heel State.

CNN's Phil Mattingly is there for us tonight.

Phil, Clinton, Trump, their surrogates, they've been flooding the zone obviously, what are advisors telling you about the state of play there?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The thing you hear over and over from top Clinton advisers, really top Democrats all over the place, if we execute, we can win this state. But there have been a number of red flags recently, at least the type of things that give Democrats discomfort, and most notably, it was in the early African-American vote.

Now, a couple of things have changed from 2012 when you look at why it might be dropping a little bit. First and foremost, President Obama not on the top of the ticket. There's also been some changes in where polling places, when people can actually vote, that might be contributing to it as well.

But the Clinton campaign is trying to attack this head on, Anderson. All day today, Hillary Clinton and her campaign at their rallies have been hitting on this issue, reaching out to African American voters. Pharrell Williams and Hillary Clinton, while they will also be talking on this stage in a little bit, hit a historically black university, North Carolina Central, before that. This is all focused on turning out this vote.

They don't want to Obama coalition. They don't think they are going to reach the numbers, but the Clinton coalition does include a strong African American vote. If they did that, they have a very good chance in the state, Anderson.

COOPER: And Clinton has shifted away from any talk of the FBI, right?

MATTINGLY: Yes, that is exactly right. Look, the first three or four days after that letter was sent to Capitol Hill, her campaign advisors were holding conference calls on it, talking about it repeatedly, attacking Jim Comey, attacking the FBI. Hillary Clinton bringing it up repeatedly at her rallies.

No more. There's a pretty good reason why. One, her advisers say, look, we think this issue fired up our organizers, fired up our advocates, but it is not exactly the message you want to be closing out the campaign with. Instead, you want to be closing out the campaign talking about Donald Trump, like this from Hillary Clinton. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is someone who at another rally yesterday actually said out loud to himself -- stay on point, Donald, stay on point.

His campaign probably put that in the teleprompter. Stay on point, Donald. Stay on point.

You know, we have seen it other and over again. We know his true self.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Mocking Donald Trump there a little bit, the closing argument very clear. This is a referendum on Donald Trump and that's not somebody you want in the White House. We'll have to wait and see over the next five days if that is a message that works -- Anderson.

COOPER: Phil Mattingly, Phil, thanks.

Let's talk about why Hillary Clinton is where she and is Donald Trump as well. John King is back to break it down, a batch of polling by the numbers.

So, the national polls show a small Clinton lead. What about the important states? What's new?

KING: More volatility out there, Anderson. The new numbers say.

Let's start with the poll out of New Hampshire, has the Trump campaign thinking New Hampshire is back in play. Look at this, Hillary Clinton is having consistent lead throughout the general election, but a Boston Globe poll conducted by Suffolk University, 42-42 among likely voters in the state of New Hampshire.

We know that the president is going back there. Donald Trump is going back there twice in the final days in the state of New Hampshire. I want to go out west for a minute. We've been thinking the whole

campaign could the never Trump conservative challenger Evan McMullin win the state of Utah? One poll had him near the top but now we're seeing, just like we've seen in Arizona, conservative consolidation. Donald Trump, that's not healthy for the Republican nominee at 37. Mitt Romney got 73 percent four years ago. But at least Trump now leading in Utah, 37 percent to 31 percent. Evan McMullin now down to 24 percent here.

So, again, you are seeing conservative consolidation. That is two pieces of good news for Trump, Utah and New Hampshire. Maybe Congressman Kingston can talk to us a little bit later.

[20:25:02] You look at the state of Georgia, though, a traditionally a ruby red state. A dead heat there in Georgia. The Clinton campaign working the early voting there. They don't think they can win it, but they look at numbers like and they think maybe we got a shot.

COOPER: So, for all the talk of Trump momentum, he does need to crack what Democrats call the blue wall to have a realistic chance of winning. Is he doing that?

KING: He has not cracked it. He's banging on the door, but he's not cracked it.

Let me show you what we're talking about. If you don't know what the term means, Democrats use this term "the blue wall" -- 18 states plus the District of Columbia that they have won since 1992. Six state presidential elections, everything blue on this map, the Democrats have won.

The significance of that is that means they start at 242. It takes 270 to win. The Democrats essentially start with 242. They are almost to the finish line.

Has Donald Trump cracked any of this? Not yet. Notably, New Hampshire is not part of the blue wall. George W. Bush won it one of his campaigns. So, it doesn't go back to 1992.

Let's look at the big three states Trump hopes to crack, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Here's Clinton's lead in the latest poll and let's look at them.

Here's Michigan 2012. Back here to 2012. You see 2012, Obama won it by nine points. She's up seven points.

Let go next there to Wisconsin, Obama won it seven points, she's up six points. Let me bring the map back over so I can get the Pennsylvania. Bring this down a little bit.

There was a five point race. She has a five point lead. So, there is no evidence Donald Trump has cracked the wall. He's knocking, he's closer than he was 10 days, two weeks ago, but he hasn't broken through yet.

COOPER: So, on the path to 270, where do things stand? KING: Let's switch map and take a look at that. Again, if you look

at where we are now, officially, we have in the CNN count, Clinton 272, Donald Trump 179.

But let's do a little math there. Let's say for the sake of argument, we haven't done this officially yet, let's bring New Hampshire back into the toss up category. There we go, let's bring it take to the tossup category.

Now, let's take it into account. Trump winning in Arizona in our poll yesterday, now Trump winning in Utah. Trump now leading in Ohio. If you do that, she's at 268, he's at 214. That is why Florida and North Carolina, Anderson, are so important.

If you get into a race like this, these are the two big prizes. Florida and North Carolina, Trump needs both. Hillary Clinton needs one. That is why you see the big tete-a-tete in North Carolina tonight, you're going to see it in Florida as well. These other states will come into play, but we're going to be doing a lot of Florida and North Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, for the next three, four days.

COOPER: I think even the magic wall is getting tired of this election, John.

KING: Florida, North Carolina, Florida, North Carolina.

COOPER: John, thanks very much. John is going to rejoin the panel.

Congressman, let's talk about Georgia. I mean, are you as a Trump supporter, are you concerned about those numbers?

JACK KINGSTON, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: I'm not concerned about those numbers. In fact yesterday in the CNN green room, I talked to one of the consultants with the Isaacson campaign who just came out of the field, and they were testing Trump and Isakson. We have a lead, not as much as Johnny Isakson has, we the Trump team. But we feel good about it.

And I was talking to David earlier --

COOPER: So, you don't think that is close.

KINGSTON: I don't. And I'd say, the proof of that, if it was, Hillary Clinton would be down there. Bill Clinton would be down there. They are not sending any of their -- I don't see any of the super surrogates coming down.

So -- and, you know, the same way with Arizona. I was talking to Congressman John Shadegg yesterday and he said, let me put it this way for Arizona. Every third vehicle is a pickup truck with an NRA bumper sticker on it. We hear all the time from outsider that Arizona is going to go -- going to flip, but it is not going to happen.

So I feel very good about those two. But I think hat -- you know, we have to have those in the game. We have to win Florida. We have to win North Carolina. We're to feeling good about Ohio.

Now, as you know, the two swing counties in Pennsylvania, North Hampton County and Luzerne County, are polling shows that there's a 2- point difference there. So, in Pennsylvania, those are the bellwether counties. We're getting closer in Pennsylvania, which is in Melania was down there.

COOPER: Maria, are you concerned about the blue state flipping red?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I am not. And I think for the primary reason she's still in very good shape. I mean, that fact we're even talking about Georgia, that on John King's map that Georgia is up there, that Utah is up there, that Arizona is up there, I think is indicative that she still has a strong position from electoral standpoint.

I also think and I was going mentioned this last night, but a lot of these polls are missing Latino support for Hillary Clinton because the polling (AUDIO GAP) callers. If you don't do polling with bilingual callers, you're going to lose a lot if not most of the Hispanic support in a lot f these states. Even Pennsylvania which has 4.5 percent Hispanic voters. North Carolina 3.4 percent. That could be the margin.

COOPER: You're essentially making the same argument with different voters. But that the Trump campaign is making that there are hidden voters out there.

CARDONA: Yes, and let me include more in the hidden vote. A survey yesterday by William & Mary by early voters in Florida. We don't know if it's right. But it said that 28 percent of GOP voters actually went for Hillary Clinton.

So I actually think there are two hidden -- kinds of hidden voters for Hillary Clinton. It is the folks who don't show up on likely voter models because they haven't voted before.

[20:30:02] New immigrants, newly registered Hispanics, newly registered millenials. And then you have Republicans who, to pollsters, and frankly to their friends, don't want to admit that they are going to vote for Hillary Clinton.

COOPER: Jeff, do you worry about these hidden voters on the Democratic side?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No.

COOPER: Because you've been Trumpeting, the no pun intended ...

LORD: Right.

COOPER: ... hidden voters on the Trump side.

LORD: I really think, Anderson. I mean if you remember there was about a week ago that we were sitting here digesting more or less the sort of common assumption ... COOPER: I have no memory beyond today. Honestly, it all blends together.

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You say whatever you want.

LORD: In 18 ...

AXELROD: You're old now.

(CROSSTALK)

LORD: Well in 1884 -- no. What we have -- we were talking about the inevitability of Hillary Clinton. That in essence it was all over. And now here we are. And we're talking within a few points give or take.

I can tell you that tomorrow in Pennsylvania Donald Trump himself will be there at the giant arena in Hershey. I thought myself that they had abandoned Pennsylvania a week or so ago. And now there he was in Valley Forge which is suburban Philadelphia. There she is today in suburban Philadelphia. And he is there in central Pennsylvania tomorrow, an arena that holds 10,000 people, I mean I guarantee you that place will be sold out plus.

So, I really do think that they're doing very, very well here and I think they have got momentum. And quite obviously, the story here, the FBI and all that has given some people thoughts out there.

COOPER: Bakari?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: One of the important aspects about Pennsylvania is that you don't have early voting. You have absentee voting but not the early voting process. And so the reason that Hillary Clinton is going to Michigan is because they don't have early voting. So you actually have to get your voters to the polls. The reason that you're having this amazing rally on Monday night, where you have all the rock stars, you have Hillary Clinton, you have Bill Clinton, you have Barack and Michelle Obama in Philadelphia the night before the election is because you actually have to get those voters to the polls.

The fact is we can go up and down and all around but the dynamics of this race have stayed the same from the beginning. Donald Trump has not led in a poll in Wisconsin. He has not led in a poll in Michigan. He has not led in a poll in Pennsylvania. He has not led in a poll in Colorado. And I mean, we can go up and down. But the dynamics of this race simply have not changed. And Hillary Clinton, if she can -- if she maintains the blue wall ...

COOPER: Right.

SELLERS: ... then ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's done.

JOHN KING, CNN INSIDE POLITICS ANCHOR: But the dynamics have ...

SELLERS: But you got -- you can have ...

COOPER: John?

KING: The dynamics have changed. You are right, but she -- excuse me she still has an advantage. But it's late but Donald Trump has had the consolidation of the Republican Party. Donald Trump has had the consolidation of conservatives. He's now in a position, he's in the hunt whereas last week he was not in the hunt. That doesn't mean -- you're right ...

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: We got to take a break. We're going talk more. Before we go to break though, David Axelrod is a huge Chicago Cubs fan.

LORD: Yes.

COOPER: Congratulations David.

AXELROD: Thank you.

COOPER: And the irony of all ironies is we were looking around to try to find a Chicago Cubs hat.

AXELROD: I should have brought mine.

COOPER: I am the only person who actually ...

AXELROD: Oh.

COOPER: This is my only baseball hat and I've been wearing this for like six months so here is my Chicago Cubs hat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.

AXELROD: All right.

COOPER: I of course ...

CARDONA: Is it signed?

COOPER: Being an egotistical anchor I thought it was C for Cooper.

LORD: There you go.

COOPER: All right.

AXELROD: Going to buy you a Billy goat.

COOPER: All right, a lot to talk about ahead. More on Melania Trump speech today in Pennsylvania, her solo appearance on the trail. A lot more ahead from the trail. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [20:36:26] DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There goes your country. And supports sanctuary cities like in San Francisco, where Kate Steinle, the great beautiful wonderful person. Kate Steinle was murdered by an illegal immigrant who had been deported perhaps more than five times.

And Trump administration will cancel all ...

COOPER: Donald Trump speaking tonight in North Carolina. He and Hillary Clinton holding dueling rallies there this evening. As we said Melania Trump campaigned solo for the first time today in Pennsylvania. Her first turn in the spotlight since her speech at the Republican Convention which obviously did not exactly turn out the way she wanted to after the partial lines were taken from Michelle Obama.

Today, the speech was build as a -- what a Trump presidency would mean for women, children and families. The backdrop a crucial battleground state for Mrs. Trump's husband. Randi Kaye tonight, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At the Main Line Sports Center just outside Philadelphia, Melania Trump was the main event.

MELANIA TRUMP: I come here today to talk about my husband Donald and his deep love and respect for this country.

KAYE: Mrs. Donald Trump sharing both her husband's love of the United States and her own. She told the crowd she's always loved America even while growing up under communist rule in Slovenia.

M. TRUMP: We always knew about the incredible place called America. America was the word for freedom and opportunity. America meant if you could dream it you could become it.

KAYE: This was Melania's first speech since the plagiarism mess at the Republican Convention. And the campaign strategy is clear. Send her to the suburbs of Philadelphia to target white college educated women. Donald Trump can't win Pennsylvania without them. And they have gravitated to Hillary Clinton.

How does Melania Trump help him win that group?

JANET HASTINGS, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think she should have been out in front all along. I think that a lot of the women are going to Hillary just because she is a female and she's a horrible example of what a female should be.

KAYE: No question supporters here have a real affection for Melania.

Can you, as a woman, relate to her?

JEANIE SCIOLLA, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Oh without a doubt. That's why I'm here. She is like -- I cannot wait to see her and see personally what she's wearing.

LORETTA KURLICH: I like her a lot and I think she's quite a lady. She's an asset. She brings a lot of grace and class.

KAYE: This woman still isn't sold on Donald Trump. She came to see Melania speak hoping to be convinced.

What do you need to hear from Melania Trump to vote Trump?

NINA MCMENAMIN, UNDECIDED VOTER: I guess I want to hear something that makes me feel positive about putting Trump into the White House.

KAYE: What would that be?

MCMENAMIN: I don't, you know, to be honest, I'm open to anything. I just am not sure what his policies are yet.

KAYE: If Melania Trump can win over women like Nina McMenamin, she could turn out to be the closure her husband needs in this battleground state.

KURLICH: She knows him better than anyone. I can't think of any better representative for him than his own wife.

M. TRUMP: It would be my honor and privilege to serve this country.

I will be an advocate for women and for children.

RACHELLE BERGEY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think that she does try to bring out the softer side in him and I think that's a positive thing.

KAYE: Is it helping?

BERGEY: Yes, I think it is helping.

KAYE: Does she soften him?

SCIOLLA: Oh definitely, she softens him. She's so classy and sweet. Yes she does.

[20:40:04] KAYE: Classy and sweet but strong and confident too, her supporter say, someone they'd be proud to have their daughters look up to.

What kind of first lady do you think she'd be?

SCIOLLA: Oh my god, she would be amazing, she would be another Jackie Onassis Kennedy. Oh yes, without a doubt, without a doubt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And Randi joins me now from Philadelphia. It is really interesting how, you know, every time Melania Trump has spoken in whether it's interviews we've done together or speaking today, I mean, everybody seems to say the same thing which is they wish, Trump supporters, wish she had been out there or had been able to be out there much earlier.

KAYE: Absolutely, Anderson. I mean, they just think she's a real star on the campaign trail. And as far as all of it, that her husband has had to deal with, with the women who have come forward, the accusers and the "Access Hollywood" tape, they say that she's just handled that great with real class, with grace.

They love the fact that she has been open and honest with the American people. They commented on the interview that she gave to you talking about how Donald Trump had apologized to her and how she had forgiven him. They think that she isn't hiding anything and she's a real person. They really like that about her.

They also think she's going to be a great first lady. If Donald Trump is elected, they think that she will empower women. They think she's a smart woman and a smart business person and maybe even inspire women to start their own small businesses.

And really, Anderson, that's so important here in the State of Pennsylvania because as you know, the new CNN poll shows that Donald Trump is lagging 15 points behind Hillary Clinton among women in the State of Pennsylvania. So, if they don't fall in love with him, you can tell they certainly have a real affection for Melania Trump, Anderson.

COOPER: Yeah. Randi, thanks very much. A lot to discuss, here to do it, CNN political commentator and Trump supporter Kayleigh McEnany and Amanda Carpenter, CNN political commentator and former Communications Director for Senator Ted Cruz. Also back with us, Dana Bash and Gloria Borger.

It is interesting to hear, particularly that woman in the audience saying that she's looking for a reason to be able to support Donald Trump and Melania Trump helps her with that.

BASH: I thought that was so fascinating and quite telling, especially, since I was up in the Philly suburbs a few weeks ago and I was at an Ivanka Trump event. So these were rock solid Republicans.

And what I heard from them more than anything else, these are people who are just -- it was right after the "Access Hollywood" tape came out and they were still very much all in for Donald Trump, is that they just can't stand Hillary Clinton.

So, I don't know if that particular voter was one of those who just doesn't like Hillary Clinton and is looking for a reason to vote for Donald Trump. But that is a great example of why they sent Melania out there.

The other thing that struck me about Randi's piece is, you know, and if we don't like to talk about it because it seems superficial but it is a glamour factor. It is that she said this woman said, you know, she would be like the next Jackie O. People are fascinated by her. She is a fashion model. People, you know, like to look at her because she was paid to have people look at her. It's, you know, it's not a coincident.

BORGER: Well, and she hasn't been center stage in this campaign, but women have been thinking about her because after the videotape, everyone was thinking about Melania. What's her reaction going to be? And when she gave the interview view and she was very upfront, she said I'm an independent woman, I'm a big girl.

COOPER: And she said, don't feel sorry for me ...

BORGER: Don't' feel sorry for me. I think a lot -- that resonated with a lot of women. She can take care of herself.

So, even though you haven't heard a lot from her, she's been a big part of this campaign in her absence. And so, people are curious, particularly, people who are looking for a hook to vote for him.

COOPER: Amanda, you're certainly have not been a Donald Trump fan, what you do make of her on the stump today?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, I think the Donald Trump's campaign has served her very poorly. On two occasions, she had a beautiful speech at the RNC. It was a great speech it's that it had a fatal flaw that contained plagiarized content from Michelle Obama's speech.

Today, she had a beautiful speech that showed to people she was more than just a pretty face. She worked hard to get ahead. She talks about the shared American values she had with her husband.

And then, it brought up a subject that her husband is very compromising. And you might as well just flush that speech down the toilet because everyone is reminded of the horrible things that Donald Trump has said to journalists, to women, to everyone online.

And so, I really questioned why the staff put her in that position, but also why are you introducing new content this late in the game. People aren't going to vote on what a first lady's agenda might be a week out from the election. So, it seems kind of desperate and I really questioned why the campaign put her in that position.

COOPER: Kayleigh, what about that? I mean, she had mentioned that, I think, in the interview that I did with her which was a couple of weeks ago, but this was the most she had clearly talked about it on a, you know, much bigger stage.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Yeah, unless -- with Van Jones who said in the last hour, look, we shouldn't use this moment and this opportunity to tear someone down who is trying to put forth something she cares about. And she's trying to put forth something positive that she wants to do for this country.

So, I don't think anyone should be tearing her down for something that she cares deeply about. I think what we saw was a strong independent confident woman who's an entrepreneur in her own right.

But today, what I think was very important is one, she talked about her immigrant story. And I think that relates to a lot of people, particularly Cuban voters, let's say, in the Miami area who immigrated in their own right. And to hear her story, I think they can feel with her on that level. [20:45:10] Not only that, when she talks about Barron and the types of conversations she has with her son, she says look, I realize my son is privileged but we have the same conversations you have with your children, about life, about sports. I think that really kind of soften Donald Trump that this is the family dynamic that goes on in their household and this one that goes on in households across the country.

COOPER: Gloria, you've raised the point that we haven't heard a lot of the speakers giving a lot of their personal anecdotes ...

BORGER: Right.

COOPER: ... about Donald Trump even if that going back to the convention I think to one person, you know, did business with him, talked about going to a boxing match with him and he was really nice to somebody who worked there at the boxing match. But, you know, it's not like in past conventions or in past - you've had the oldest friends of people out on the trail sort of giving the character references for.

BORGER: Right, or even children. I mean, what I think you saw from the adult children of Donald Trump is a relationship that revolved around his business. And they are his business partners. And trying to get them to tell personal stories about their father is really difficult. And I think with Melania, I mean, first ladies or would be first ladies very often talk about the other side of the person you don't see on the campaign trail.

BASH: Ann Romney was ...

BORGER: This is -- Ann Romney was probably the best at it. This is the man I know. This is why you should trust Mitt Romney with, you know, the nuclear code or whether he's going to send your kids into war. And this is the man that I've been married to for years.

That's not the kind of speech Melania is giving and that's not the kind of speeches we hear from his family. It's just different from what we're used to. Maybe it's because he hasn't been in politics his whole life. Maybe there are -- Ann Romney is a little bit more polished at it, her husband had been in elected office, but couldn't be more different from the Ann Romney model.

CARPENTER: Well, she hasn't had the practice. I mean ...

BORGER: Right.

BASH: Absolutely.

CARPENTER: ... so absent on the trail. It felt like this is the speech that you would normally see after he secured the nomination. This is our biography, this is my background. And she's still doing that with this late in the game.

And Donald Trump is in desperate need of high profile female surrogates. He doesn't have someone like Condoleezza Rice or Meg Whitman or even Kelly Ayotte who's willing to appear in public with them just earlier this week. She was saying, "I wouldn't trust my daughter in a room with Donald Trump."

He has a problem. The women in his life have been sorely missed and they've got to try to make up some ground to the best way they can and that's why you see this desperate last move push to get Melania Trump out there this week.

COOPER: Kayleigh, do you wish she had been out on the trail early? I mean, she has talked about this before to look -- her priority, obviously, is taking care of Barron and raising their son and being there for him, which is obviously, you know, the most important thing.

But as a Trump supporter, I've heard from a lot of people said they would have loved to, we just heard in that piece, they would have loved to have seen her out there because they think she is a very effective speaker.

MCENANY: Oh yes, I would have Melania Trump in multiple states every single day. I respect her being a mom and making that her priority. But as a political person, I've want to see her everywhere.

And I think it's important when we talk about, you know, the Trump children not humanizing Donald Trump or Melania. They have done that. I remember Donald Trump Jr. saying, "I remember riding the tractors with my father," or the various construction tools that he used to do, he used to use with his father out on the construction sites.

We saw Melania today say the first thing, "What I had in the common with my husband when we met was love for this country. I've seen him in our home get upset when he hears about factories closing." So we have heard that.

But I think we've heard something from the spouses, the spouse of Donald Trump and the children of Donald Trump that we don't hear a lot from others because these are folks who have achieved in their own right. Ivanka has achieved in her own right. She's created a company. So had Melania Trump.

These are very successful individuals who have really great ideas for this country. So, we see the humanizing part, but we also see people who have achieved getting their vision for this country as well.

BASH: But for his wife, it's not just a bout humanizing. It's about the woman who he sleeps next to every night explaining who he is.

And that, when your candidate is Donald Trump and we know all of his baggage, you know, historical baggage and recent baggage and everything that's been out there on the campaign trail, that's a whole different level of, "This is the guy I know," that she has the opportunity to talk about, which she didn't today.

Now, I don't fault them for not doing that because as we said, she just hasn't had the experience because she decided not to do it all.

BORGER: I also think she hates it. COOPER: Right.

BORGER: I don't think she likes being out there on the campaign trail so I have to give her credit for doing it.

COOPER: Right, yeah.

BORGER: You really do.

COOPER: And no doubt. I think a lot of people no doubt in the campaign were probably trying to eagerly get her out there.

BORGER: Sure.

BASH: Absolutely.

BORGER: Sure.

COOPER: You know, it takes a lot of strength to say ...

BORGER: No question.

COOPER: ... look, no I'm staying home.

(OFF-MIC)

BORGER: Yeah.

COOPER: I want to thank everybody in the panel.

Coming up, Hillary Clinton says, Donald Trump spent the whole campaign offering dog whistles to his most hateful supporters. The KKK newspaper is supporting him. The Trump campaign quickly did announce that endorsement. Like or not, the campaign is getting support from some hateful places. Well, let's take a look at that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:53:26] COOPER: There's more breaking news tonight. Some commentators have been saying for months that Donald Trump has been promoting messages that resonate with hate groups. And now, Hillary Clinton is saying it on the campaign trail as well.

Here's what she said in -- at a rally in North Carolina earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: He has spent this entire campaign offering a dog whistle to his most hateful supporters. He re-tweets white supremacists and spreads racially tinged conspiracy theories. And you better believe he's being heard loudly and clearly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, Clinton went on to mention that the official newspaper of the KKK has expressed support for Donald Trump. It's true they put it on the front page. Now, in a statement, the Trump campaign called the publication "repulsive," their word, and said the GOP nominee denounces hate in any form.

Former KKK Leader David Duke is also a vocal Trump supporter, which has prompted a strong response from Trump's son, Eric. He was on a Denver radio show today and the host said, Duke, "Desperately needs a bullet in the head."

Here's how Eric Trump responded.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: If I said exactly what you said I'd get killed for it, but I think I'll say it anyway. The guy does deserve a bullet. I mean, these aren't good people. These are horrible people.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COOPER: Whether Donald Trump encourages this or not, the fact is his campaign is getting some support for some hateful places. CNN Senior Investigative Correspondent Drew Griffin tonight reports.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: He may disavow them all he likes, but Donald Trump's allure to racists is raring its ugly head in this final days of this contentious campaign.

[20:55:00] Last night, a mob scene in New Orleans, after the Former KKK leader and current U.S. Senate candidate squeaked into a debate on a black college campus. David Duke is one of Donald Trump's biggest and least-welcomed fans in Louisiana. Duke is barely getting 5 percent in the polls, but it was enough to get him on a debate stage and voice his admiration for Donald Trump.

DAVID DUKE, FORMER KKK LEADER: I will be Donald Trump's most loyal advocate, to make sure his nominees go to the Supreme Court.

GRIFFIN: Mark Potok with the Southern Poverty Law Center says racist groups of the past have gotten new life, like it or not, from Trump.

MARK POTOK, SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: I think some of the point- of-view of the radical right Donald Trump has been playing a careful little game of footsie with them since the very beginning of the campaign. I think they feel clearly that Trump is essentially on their side, if not precisely holding the same views.

GRIFFIN: It's been an ongoing problem for Trump, stumbling over questions and how to handle support from known racists.

TRUMP: Well, just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, OK. I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists.

So, I don't know. I mean, I don't know. Did he endorse me or what's going on? Because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so, you're asking me a question that I'm supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: But, I guess the question from the anti- defamation league is even if you don't know about their endorsement, there are these groups and individuals endorsing you. Would you just say unequivocally, you condemn them and you don't want their support?

TRUMP: Well, I have to look at the group.

GRIFFIN: Trump did eventually go on to disavow Duke, but he has been walking a thin line ever since.

TRUMP: We're going to watch Pennsylvania. Go down to certain areas and watch and study and make sure other people don't come in and vote five times.

GRIFFIN: His recent calls for poll watchers to protest against rigged elections has led to charges of racism because of the focus on inner city polling places. And his campaign has gotten support in the form of robocalls.

Last week, it was a robocall in Utah, which labeled a third party Trump opponent as a homosexual. Earlier this year, white nationalist robocalls went out in New Hampshire saying, vote for Trump to keep Muslims out and illegal immigrants deported.

Jared Taylor, who calls himself a white advocate told CNN, Donald Trump may not like him, but he likes what Trump says.

GRIFFIN: Do you think that Donald Trump wants your support?

JARED TAYLOR, AMERICAN RENAISSANCE: I don't know whether he wants it or not. I think he wants support from everyone. Whether or not he would agree with me is an entirely other matter. Remember, it is I who have been supporting Donald Trump, not Donald Trump who's supporting me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Drew, has Trump's candidacy actually given rise to these groups in numbers? Or are we just seeing a rise in the noise they're making?

GRIFFIN: You know, Anderson, the Southern Poverty Law Center really struggles with that question. These groups, alt-right, clan groups, hate groups, they are not one group and there's no indication that they're actually growing in numbers of people.

But what disturbs them, Anderson is that for whatever reason, Trump's campaign has given them an actual voice in the political dialogue of this election. They are able to voice their views, and even have some of those views accepted when just a few election cycles ago, they may have been shunned, Anderson.

COOPER: Drew Griffin. Drew, thanks very much.

Quick reminder, we are just five days from Election Day. We still have nonstop coverage right here on CNN. Be sure to join us for that.

And also, be sure to stay with us for another hour of "360." We'll take a look at what we can learn from early voting data and the latest poll numbers in the key battleground states. There's a reason both candidates campaigned in North Carolina today. We'll break it down, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)