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Don Lemon Tonight

84 Million Watched First Presidential Debate; CNN/ORC Poll Give Clinton the Win; Clinton Taking Trump to Ask over Treatment of Women; Former Israeli President Shimon Peres Has Died. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired September 27, 2016 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:00] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: I'll see you again tomorrow night. CNN TONIGHT with Don Lemon starts now.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Eighty four million people can't be wrong. The first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, must-see TV but did it change anybody's mind? Did it change your mind?

This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.

Hillary Clinton couldn't be happier with her performance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Did anybody see tt debate last night?

(CROWD CHEERING)

Oh, yes! One down, two to go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Was she happy? I couldn't tell. Debate viewers in the latest CNN/ORC poll giving Clinton the win, though it's important to note that sample was more democratic than the average CNN poll. Donald Trump sees things differently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Last night was very exciting and almost every single poll had us winning the debate against crooked Hillary Clinton, big league, big league.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: There is so much to discuss. So let's get right now to CNN's Gloria Borger, Mark Preston, and Dana Bash. Good evening. You guys had a long night.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. LEMON: An early morning and long day today. So, Donald Trump -- hello to all of you. Gloria, Trump spoke about the debate just a short time ago, this is in Florida. He came out swinging. Let's listen and we'll discuss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: For 90 minutes I watched her very carefully, and I was also holding back. I didn't want to do anything to embarrass her. But I watched her and she was stuck in the past for 90 minutes on issue after issue, Hillary Clinton defended the terrible status quo while I laid out our plan, all of us together, to bring jobs, security and prosperity back to the American people.

(CROWD CHEERING)

LEMON: So, Gloria, he says he didn't want to embarrass Hillary Clinton but the overwhelming consensus is that Hillary Clinton won that debate. Do you think?

BORGER: No.

LEMON: Why not?

BORGER: I do not. Our poll, taken afterwards, which we understand was weighted towards democrats to a certain degree, had him -- and it was a scientific -- it was a real poll. Had Hillary Clinton winning by about a two-to-one margin. And I think that if we deconstruct this debate what we see is that he did well in the first 20 to 30 minutes where he talked about issues on which he's on firm ground, which is Hillary Clinton's reversal on trade, for example, saying, what have you done for the last 30 years.

But then as the debate moved on and he had opportunities to go after her she kept swinging for the fences there on issues like taxes, for example, and transparency, which he didn't fight back on, on the birther issue, on women. And so, I think she did very well for herself last night.

LEMON: Do you agree with that?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Yes, absolutely. And I will say very quickly, if you look at the preparation for each -- and it's easy for us to say, she was more prepared than he was. Clearly that was.

But just stop and think about it. If you watched that debate last night, he went in and he was all over the place. She was very tempered and she paced it all out. At certain points she dropped another nugget in.

Towards the end, of course, you know, it was his attack on the beauty queen. But it was all paced out strategically. That is somebody who went in ready forbear.

LEMON: Let's talk about preparation and performance, right, because, you know, you've been reporting on this a lot. He has been sort of making fun of her saying she is off the campaign trail, you know, she is preparing and he has not. Do you think this is going to change the next time?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I can tell you that his allies certainly hope it will change next time, big time. Because it's not so much that he didn't prepare. He did prepare in his own way. He prepared more than he's ever prepared before according to some I have talked to.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Not in a traditional sense, right?

BASH: Certainly not in a traditional sense. Didn't do the mock debate, didn't have a stand-in, didn't have somebody asking a question as if he was Lester Holt. Didn't do any of that, which Hillary Clinton did.

And you know, it's almost, as I have been thinking about it and have been processing it over the past 24 hours, it's almost like he went in to do kind of improve and she went in to perform like Hamilton or, you know, something that was written in a very intricate way.

And for him that works. He can do improve when he is in front of 25,000 people and he is feeding off the crowd, but not in this situation. It's completely different.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: It wasn't a big of a surprise.

BASH: That he didn't -- my biggest surprise is that he didn't have the foresight to understand that the people telling him he needed to study the lines that they were giving him, to get ready for the pivots as they call them, meaning when she comes at him with all of the bait that she threw at him to not take it, that he didn't use it.

[22:05:06] And it's -- according to -- I talked to some people who -- you know, who like him and are his advisors who say that it's just not who he is. He just -- he couldn't do it but they hope that now that he's gotten past this first experience, he knows how it actually feels, that he's going to be different.

LEMON: Do you...

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: What surprised me was that he took the bait so easily.

LEMON: Yes.

PRESTON: Right.

BORGER: It was the proverbial sort of sleeping bear, right, and you just poke him and, you know, your father loaned you $14 million, you know, you didn't get started on your own and you poke him on birther, you poke him on real estate, or you -- and I think that he took the bait, and rather than pivoting as Dana said, he just went down these rabbit holes that were quite unproductive even on women.

LEMON: This reminds me and we'll get to that because you know, Alicia Machado was just on. Alicia Machado. I want to talk about the sort of disconnect that we're seeing here, right, because if you -- you know, when you talk to -- this reminds me of a 2012 debate between Mitt Romney and President Obama, where the Clinton -- the Obama people knew right away that he didn't do well.

BORGER: Yes.

PRESTON: Right.

LEMON: Do you think that the Trump people know in their heart of hearts...

BORGER: Yes.

LEMON: ... that he didn't do well?

PRESTON: Who are the Trump people though? Who -- are you talking about those who are trying to get him elected or those who support him?

LEMON: Well, make the distinction.

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: That's a great -- that's a great point.

PRESTON: Those who support him think that he can walk on water.

BASH: Great point.

PRESTON: And you know, the metaphor is, you know, he's the second coming of Jesus Christ, right? I mean, that's what they think. Those who -- although they would never say this publicly and they'll say it's not true, those who are trying to get him elected were tearing out their hair and saying why is he not following the script? Why is he falling into a trap? She should be the one falling into his trap.

And you what he did, is that you saw that at the beginning he started OK. He started out OK. But initially he isn't really good. It was fine.

BORGER: Great, you know. Started very well.

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: Started very well.

PRESTON: But he started -- right. But he started spiraling out of control. Do you know what that is? That's when you get in your own head and you realize that you did not prepare and what are you going to do and you just start throwing.

LEMON: I watched it twice. I watched it twice. I watched it with the sound up. I watched -- yes.

BORGER: God, don't you have a life?

LEMON: I did. I did. I know, I was up. I had to write an editorial that's why I was up. And then I watch today with the sound down and I have my own assessment about, you know, who won.

BASH: And?

LEMON: And if you watch with the sound down...

BORGER: Yes?

LEMON: ... if you watch it a sound down, Hillary Clinton won.

BASH: Yes.

LEMON: You just look at facial expression.

BASH: Because she's smiling.

LEMON: She's smiling. If you watch today with the sound up as a person who you know is not -- listen, I'm not for either of them, but a person if you're not sort of an insider, if you're politico, you may say Donald Trump scored some real-people points but on policy, there was a clear winner. She was very prepared. People will say that she was rehearsed. I talked to some people she was rehearsed. But in rehearse do they mean that she was prepared?

PRESTON: Right.

BORGER: Did she make an emotional kind of question?

LEMON: Right.

BORGER: It's the question. And that remains unanswered because shouldn't you make an emotional connection to young people.

LEMON: Yes.

BORGER: That's a lot of that has been spoken about today. They didn't talk about income inequality.

LEMON: Yes.

BORGER: They didn't talk about helping the middle class. So, what kind of connection -- she scored points and did really well in this debates, how just positive it will be is really an open question.

BASH: And the sound down thing is really, really interesting. Because debate experts, television debate experts, presidential TV debate experts will tell you that is the key thing to do.

BORGER: Right.

BASH: It was no accident that she was smiling and trying to look natural and comfortable, because you want to have that visual.

BORGER: Sure.

BASH: That will connect with people in a way that you look the part despite or in spite of what you're saying -- what's coming out of your mouth.

LEMON: As far as preparation, here's what the president said. He said and he tweeted this, "I couldn't be more proud of Hillary Clinton." He spoke about earlier in the radio saying basically the same thing, "Her vision and command during last night's debate showed that she was ready to be our next POTUS."

So, that's to be expected. And I don't know if he would have said anything differently had she had a, you know, not-so-good performance, but clearly he was behind her and was happy to make this...

BORGER: Sure.

LEMON: Yes.

PRESTON: Right.

BORGER: Well, he's a fan.

LEMON: So, what's next then out of this debate for Donald Trump? Can he -- does he have the discipline to go in and rehearse the traditional way and look at the tape with the sound up and the sound down and make any...

(CROSSTALK)

PRESTON: Honestly, no.

BORGER: I don't -- yes.

PRESTON: I don't think so, right? Is that...

BORGER: Look, he's 70 years old. He's always been at the top of the heap. It's very hard to get him to say, you know, you've got to strategize this way or that way. He's been doing it one way his whole life. And I think when he's attacked, he fights back.

LEMON: Yes.

BORGER: And that's what we saw today in all his appearances. It was like the old Donald Trump from the primaries, right?

PRESTON: He was uncorked today.

LEMON: Yes.

BORGER: And he was doing what he did. [22:10:00] LEMON: I'm being told there's some breaking news. I don't

have my phone with me so I can't read the e-mails, so I just have to read off the prompter. They're saying Warner endorsement. Mark, do you have some...

(CROSSTALK)

PRESTON: Right. Yes. So, Senator John Warner, who retired from the Senate a few years back, a republican from Virginia is going to endorse Hillary Clinton tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock in Alexandria. Why is this important? It is that John Warner served as the Navy Secretary for two years. He also served 30 years in the Senate, was at the top of the perch of the Senate Arms Services committee.

He is very well beloved within the military community. He is very well liked by the generals. They trust him. He protected them on Capitol Hill. Virginia is a state that Hillary Clinton was supposed to have in her pocket, however, you know, it was slipping a little bit. Because, you know, Tim Kaine was on it.

John Warner in some ways gives him some help. This is followed now by the Arizona republic, which has never endorsed a democrat over republican. The Arizona republican, a very conservative State of Arizona is endorsing Hillary Clinton.

And let me just read you things just very, very quickly. "Clinton has the temperament and experience to be president. Donald Trump does not. Her flaws pale in comparison, which isn't the greatest thing, but I mean, it's still there. And whose hand do you want on the nuclear button?"

This is an editorial that they've written, whose hand do you want on the nuclear button? So, Donald Trump comes off that debate last night a lot of questions still...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Does this make a difference, the Warner endorsement and the Arizona newspaper endorsement, does that make a difference to the people who are actually going to go out and vote, does it makes a difference in the battleground states?

BASH: I'm not sure about the newspaper, frankly, but someone like John Warner, I mean, he -- for people who are looking for a stamp of approval from an old-school person who did it the old way, meaning he reached across the aisle, he tried to get things done, he put parties second, and he is about as establishment as it gets.

PRESTON: But conservative. He was a conservative so he certainly not...

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: But conservative, no question.

BORGER: And popular. And popular, yes. LEMON: And very popular.

BORGER: Yes.

LEMON: Among the establishment.

BORGER: Well, yes, and...

PRESTON: And maybe he's not conservative.

LEMON: Donald Trump is an outsider.

BORGER: In that kind battleground state, somebody like Warner might have some impact. I don't know, endorsements this year, who knows what they mean.

(CROSSTALK)

PRESTON: I just think it's a narrative.

BORGER: But it didn't hurt Hillary.

PRESTON: I think it's narrative.

BORGER: Yes, totally.

PRESTON: And you know, some people don't want to say I'm going to endorse, I'm going to vote for somebody because of that endorsement.

BORGER: Right.

PRESTON: But it just feeds into the narrative and the discussion points.

LEMON: Thank you, great discussion. I appreciate it. Good to see all of you.

BASH: Thank you.

BORGER: Thanks.

LEMON: When we come right back, he called her Miss Piggy, he called her Miss housekeeping, wait until what former Ms. Universe Alicia Machado says about Donald Trump.

[22:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hillary Clinton taking Donald Trump to task during the debate, over his past treatment of women, specifically calling him out for things he said about the former Ms. Universe Alicia Machado.

I want to talk about it now with CNN political commentator, Scottie Nell Hughes, a Trump supporter, and political contributor Hilary Rosen, who is supporting Hillary Clinton.

Good evening to both you. Thanks for joining us. Hilary, I want to play the clip from last night, where Hillary Clinton brings up Alicia Machado who became Ms. Universe when she was 19 years old. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: And one of the worst things he said, was about a woman in a beauty contest. He loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them, and he called this woman Miss Piggy, then he called her Ms. Housekeeping because she was Latina. Donald, she has a name.

TRUMP: Where did you find -- where did you find this?

CLINTON: Her name is Alicia Machado and she has become a U.S. citizen and you can bet she's going to vote this November.

TRUMP: Oh, really. OK. Good. Let me just tell you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Hilary, you think this was a really key moment. Why is that?

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well -- and I wish you'd played sort of what he said in response, because he not only doesn't apologize for that. He goes on to attack again Rosie O'Donnell, who, by the way, in case people don't realize, the reason that Donald Trump hates Rosie O'Donnell, and is so abusive towards her is because she actually criticized him many years ago for how he treated the women at the Ms. Universe contest.

That's what this feud was originally about. So, you know, his sort of boorish behavior, you know, I want to talk about why Donald Trump is bad for women on the Supreme Court. I want to -- you know, he wants to roll back reproductive freedoms. He wants to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, which equalizes healthcare for women.

He wants to take away the notion of equal pay for equal work. He doesn't give his own employees paid family leave. Those are really the policy issues that women and families want to be focused on this campaign.

LEMON: OK.

ROSEN: But what Donald Trump is doing every single time we want to talk about policy is he renews his boorish behavior, he insults and attacks yet another woman for being female.

LEMON: OK.

ROSEN: For how they look.

LEMON: I want to stick with this because this specifically this part about Alicia Machado.

ROSEN: But that's the point.

LEMON: Yes.

ROSEN: Is that we end up sort of talking about what people think are silly gossip issues because he still does it.

LEMON: That's fine, but I think I want to let Scottie respond to that. Scottie, what do you think?

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There are so many things that was actually wrong with all due respect, Hilary. I mean, the reason why Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump they were in a fight in 2006, Donald Trump stood by Miss USA Tara Conner, when they heard Donald criticize them for that thing he should just have let taken away her crown and not stood by her and rehab (Ph). And Rosie went after him called him basically a snake-oil salesman. That's what started the feud because he stood by a woman.

LEMON: OK. Alicia Machado.

HUGHES: OK. Alicia Machado. Well, that's the same thing. In this case right here when she was hired -- or she won a crown, she was given a job, and she unfortunately decided to gain weight with a part of that job, and in response, they wanted to take away her away her crown. And it has been documented that he thought for her to keep her crown and she went to him and said "can you help me? Will you get me a trainer?"

LEMON: Are those comments OK though by saying that this one likes to eat?

HUGHES: Well, let me say this. A recent study just came out that a woman who carries a little weight around her actually lives longer than the man who mentions it to her.

LEMON: His comments particularly.

HUGHES: So, I don't. Well, it's on her (Ph).

(CROSSTALK)

ROSEN: Scottie, come on. This is so beneath you to defend this.

HUGEHS: I don't suggest any man to mention weight on this side. But this was his -- this was -- it was a specific role. He might not have phrased it the right way, but at that time, he brought people in to encourage her at her request to help her with her weight issue.

LEMON: Yes. OK. Now let's to...

(CROSSTALK)

ROSEN: It is so beneath you to defend this, Scottie, and Alicia Machado just did an interview with Anderson Cooper, that said it was repeated abuse, that he repeatedly humiliated her. She was 19 years old. That was...

(CROSSTALK)

[22:20:05] LEMON: Let's listen -- let's listen to part of the interview from Anderson. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALICIA MACHADO, FORMER MISS UNIVERSE: That is the -- the story that I need to share for my community.

COOPER: When you said...

(CROSSTALK)

MACHADO: We can't accept -- we can accept more insults for my Latin community, no more. No more insults for the women.

COOPER: You said that he had called you...

MACHADO: I know very well Mr. Trump.

COOPER: You said that he called you Miss Piggy.

MACHADO: And I can see the same person that I met 20 years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Miss Piggy, she, you know, this one likes to eat and then went on to call her, according to her, Ms. Housekeeping. Are those appropriate remarks, Scottie?

HUGHES: Absolutely not. But last night I was insulted Hillary Clinton in her talking about Donald Trump being -- wanting to be...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: The specific comments about it.

HUGHES: But these are specific comments.

LEMON: Yes.

HUGHES: About Donald Trump wanting -- always being around beautiful women in pageants, and kind of throwing it to the wayside like that was an insult of him actually appreciating. Forty women have been given scholarships at one pageant since Mr. Trump has taken it on. He actually appreciates and respects women.

So, one out of 40 he had a problem with and this is the first one he's came with.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But again, the specific comments that Hillary Clinton talk...