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Don Lemon Tonight
Trump Comments about Women from 2005 Video Examined; Trump Campaign Team Meeting on How to Address Issue; Trump to Release Video Apology. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired October 07, 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] JOHN BERMAN, CNN: -- Martha Raddatz of ABC News this Sunday in St. Louis. Our CNN coverage begins all afternoon. CNN Tonight with Don Lemon starts now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.
DON LEMON, CNN TONIGHT SHOW HOST: Our breaking news, the monster political storm rocking Donald Trump's campaign.
This is CNN Tonight. I'm Don Lemon.
For a candidate who is struggling with female voters, a candidate whose second debate again Hillary Clinton is in just two days. The news could hardly be worse.
Donald Trump caught on tape bragging about being able to forcibly grope women because he's, quote, a "star." His language, raw, and obscene. Just imagine anybody, much less a presidential candidate, talking this way about your mother, your wife, your daughter or you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And when you're a star they let do you it. You can do anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever you want.
TRUMP: Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That is just one moment from a tape published today by the Washington Post. Extraordinary audio from 2005. Donald Trump in a lewd conversation with Billy Bush who was then an Access Hollywood host. The language throughout obscene and repugnant, but it's important for to you hear it for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She used to be great. She's still very beautiful.
TRUMP: I'm moved on her actually. You know she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her and I failed. I'll admit it. I did try and I (muted) her. She was married. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's huge news.
TRUMP: No, no, Nancy. No, this was -- and I moved on her very heavily. In fact, I took her out furniture shopping. She wanted to get some furniture. I said, I'll show you where they have some nice furniture. I took her out furniture. I moved on her like a bitch but I couldn't get there, and she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her. She's now got the big phony tits and everything. She's totally changed her look.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sheesh, your girl's hot shit in the purple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, whoa. Yes!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Donald has scored. Whoa, my man!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait you got to look at me.
TRUMP: Look at you. You are pussy. Maybe it's a different one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It better not be the publicist. No, it's her -- it's...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Yes, that's her with the gold. I belter 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. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever you want.
TRUMP: You can grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, those legs, all I can see is the legs.
TRUMP: Oh, it looks good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, shorty.
TRUMP: Nice legs, huh?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the way, honey. Oh, that's good. Go ahead.
TRUMP: It's always good if you don't fall out of the bus like Ford. Gerald ford, remember?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down below. Pull the handle.
TRUMP: Hello. How are you? Hi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Mr. Trump. How are you?
TRUMP: Nice seeing you. Terrific. Terrific.
ARIANNE ZUCKER, ACTRESS & MODEL: Nice to meet you.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: You know Billy Bush?
BILLY BUSH, RADIO HOST: Nice to see you. How are you doing, Arianne?
ZUCKER: I'm 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 because he just got off the bus.
ZUCKER: Would you like a little hug, darling?
TRUMP: OK. Absolutely. Melania said this was OK. Here we go.
BUSH: How about a little hug for the Bushy? I just got off the bus.
ZUCKER: Bushy, Bushy.
BUSH: Here we go. Excellent. Well, you've got a nice co-star here.
ZUCKER: Yes, absolutely.
TRUMP: Come on, Billy, don't be shy.
BUSH: As soon as a beautiful woman shows up, he just, he takes off. This always happens.
TRUMP: Get out of here, Billy.
ZUCKER: I'm sorry, come here.
BUSH: Let the little guy in here, come on.
ZUCKER: Yes, let the little guy in. How do you feel now? Better?
BUSH: It's hard to walk next to a guy like this. Yes, you get in the middle. There we go.
TRUMP: Good. That's better.
BUSH: Now, if you had to choose honestly between one of us, me or the Donald?
TRUMP: No, no, that's tough competition.
BUSH: Seriously, if you had to take one of us as a date.
ZUCKER: I'd have to take the Fifth on that one.
BUSH: Really?
ZUCKER: Yes, I'll take both.
TRUMP: Which way?
ZUCKER: Make a right. Here we go.
TRUMP: Good-bye.
BUSH: Here we go. I'm going to leave you here.
TRUMP: OK.
BUSH: Give me my microphone.
TRUMP: OK. You're going -- oh, you're finished?
BUSH: You're my man.
TRUMP: Good.
BUSH: I'm going to go do our show.
ZUCKER: You want to reset? OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Donald Trump issuing a statement saying quote, "This was -- he said this was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course, not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended." Unquote.
And then Speaker Paul Ryan putting out this statement, he says, quote, "I'm sickened by what I heard today. Women are to be championed and revered, not objectified. I hope Mr. Trump treats this situation with the seriousness it deserves and works to demonstrate to the country that he has greater respect for women than this clip suggests. In the meantime, he is no longer attending tomorrow's event in Wisconsin."
Donald Trump says he'll be too busy with debate prep and will send Mike Pence in his place.
[22:04:59] Let's discuss now. CNN's Brian Stelter is here, Jim Acosta also here, Gloria Borger, Mark Preston, Dana Bash, and David Chalian.
Jim, I'm going to start with you. You have been following the Trump campaign on the trail from day one in the final stretch now, this is a huge bombshell. It drops today. What are you hearing from inside the Trump campaign?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, it's hard to imagine how Donald Trump recovers from all of this. He has been Teflon; he has defied gravity throughout the course of this campaign. Starting from the very beginning when he described Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals, when he called John McCain not a war hero because he was captured, and the list goes and on.
But this episode, this video where he was caught on tape making these obscene and lewd comments about women, it just -- it feels like this is it. And I talked to a senior Trump advisor earlier this evening, who said, you know, it's pretty tough, for Donald Trump to survive something like this.
I think what happened with Paul Ryan and Donald Trump, this event they were supposed to have tomorrow, together in Wisconsin, the fact that is no longer happening or that Paul Ryan is going to be there, but Donald Trump is not. I talked to a well-placed GOP source who said that Paul Ryan basically asked Donald Trump not to come tomorrow.
I think that underlines and magnifies just how bad this has gotten. These are very serious times for Donald Trump. He says he's going to be in debate prep tomorrow, but he's going to have to do more than prepare for this debate.
He has to prepare to make some kind of statement to the country about how deeply sorry he is for offending women in this fashion, or I think that's it, it's over.
LEMON: Yes. Dana, you have been getting information all night from your sources. What are you hear something.
DANA BASH, CNN'S CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's still anticipation about to Jim's point what Donald Trump will do. It is, you know, 10.06 on the East Coast, but there are still lots of reporters outside of Trump Tower.
More importantly, there are lots of Trump aides inside Trump Tower, presumably still with him trying to figure out how to respond to this crisis and whether to do so tonight. All indications had been earlier, Don, that we would hear from Donald Trump in some way, shape, or form this evening, but it is getting pretty late.
So if he does so, presumably, it would have to be pretty quickly. Then the question is, he doesn't say anything tonight, will he say something tomorrow, while he is going to be huddled in debate prep with Chris Christie, Reince Priebus, who will be no doubt working with him incredibly hard to try to find ways to address this in the debate.
It is still really hard to believe though, that the first time he's going to address this, aside from that two-sentence statement, is in front of tens of millions of people.
LEMON: At the debate.
BASH: Oppose -- sitting across from his female opponent for president. It's just hard to wrap your mind about that, and people who are close to him, I know are trying to convince him of that, and trying to figure out the best way to avoid that.
LEMON: Gloria, I have to and you, how much does an apology really matter right now? Is this, you know, we used to say too little too late. Is this too much too late? GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, he did one version
of it earlier, which was not an apology. It was sorry if I offended anyone and I thought it was kind of locker room banter and then said nothing worse than anything Bill Clinton has ever said.
I think for his supporters, I think he owes them an apology and because there are people who are sticking with him and I think something more heartfelt as Kayleigh McEnany was saying earlier on our air, she would appreciate, would be -- would make his supporters happier.
In the larger term, I don't know whether it would make that much of a difference to undecided voters, to women voters, because, you know, there's pattern here.
It was a week and a half ago we were talking about Alicia Machado. There is something that this tape goes beyond. It goes beyond the kind of calling women names, to this question of predatory behavior.
LEMON: Yes.
BORGER: And I think that it's a tipping point for a lot of republicans who are coming out and criticizing Trump's language, but still not saying that they're going to change their mind and refuse to endorse him.
And I think that's kind of a tipping point here, and then the republicans I've been communicating with tonight, there's a lot of conversation about that. Like what good would it do? He can't drop out or if he dropped out, what would happen? I mean, there are all these kinds of, you know, conversations going on.
[22:10:00] LEMON: Gloria, let me read -- and I would just, you know, go around the horn here and get everyone's opinion. Let's read some of this. This is a statement from RNC chair. This is Reince Priebus.
BORGER: Right.
LEMON: He said, "No woman should ever be described in these terms or talked about in this manner ever."
Also I have one from Senator John McCain just releasing statement saying, "There are no excuses for Donald Trump's offensive and demeaning comments. No woman should ever be victimized by this kind of inappropriate behavior. He alone bears the burden of his conduct and alone should suffer the consequences."
And there are other statements. But I want to -- I want to -- let me bring in David Chalian quickly. To Gloria's point, a lot of people are coming out and saying, hey, you know, his statements are reprehensible, either they are saying I can't vote him, but none of them are saying, you know, completely denouncing him. He still has support at many levels here, David.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Which is why, Don, that this is a twofold bombshell. BASH: Right.
CHALIAN: There is the bombshell of the Trump campaign and now how they have to deal with it to be able to try and move beyond it to get through these final 30 days of the campaign and try to turn this thing around.
There's also the bombshell inside the Republican Party about what they are doing with this nominee, who could very well start bringing down folks underneath the ticket.
I think the two statements you read are pretty telling. John McCain, I think went a little bit further there saying that the burden is his, and he is going to have to suffer the consequences. A clear indication that there will be consequences, whereas, Reince Priebus left himself open I think to continued questions that he's going to have to answer.
Which is, OK if your nominee has a history of saying something like this and you've just described this as completely unacceptable, what does that say about your support for this nominee?
And so, that is the extra step that the Reince Priebuses of the world, the Paul Ryan's of the world, those folks that have actually locked arms from the republican establishment saying...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: What about...
CHALIAN: ... nominee now we're going forward, they're going to have to answer the questions, as well.
LEMON: What about the Utah governor, though? The Utah governor just tweeting out tonight, Gary Aber saying, "Donald Trump's statements are beyond offensive and despicable. While I cannot vote for Hillary Clinton," Mark Preston, he says, "I will not vote for Trump." Again, not supporting Hillary Clinton, but will not vote for Trump. What does he do?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well, let's just look at this really from 50,000 feet downwards, right? The bottom line is that most people -- or I just say many people in the Republican Party never wanted Donald Trump as their nominee. Yes, he did win the primary. Yes, he got a record number of votes, but for the totality of the Republican Party he's had problems with it.
He's unable to get the support of establishment-type republicans who have been around for a long time. And all the phone calls I've had tonight with activists and leaders in states such as Florida, and Iowa, in New Hampshire, in South Carolina, they all said the same thing to me, are you surprised? We all knew about this.
It's disgusting, it's terrible, but we've always known about this. But then a couple of them said to me, I'm still voting for him. And I said, but why? I mean, if you're so disgusted by this, they said it comes down to the Supreme Court for me. It comes down to the Supreme Court.
There's going to be one, two, three picks perhaps on the Supreme Court in the next term. And for them, they see that as a greater good that they need to deal with.
But make no mistake about it at this point, Donald Trump's campaign, I think, is literally coming to an end in the sense that he has caused so much havoc, so many ways for the Republican Party, he has inflicted so many wounds upon himself, is that this is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
When you are talking about it's OK to sexually assault a woman, it not just about women voters, it's about fathers, it's about sons, right?
LEMON: Yes.
BASH: Exactly.
PRESTON: It's about -- it's about the fact that you have a daughter, I mean, it's at this point where Donald Trump right now, I don't know how he turns it around.
LEMON: Listen, everyone, Jeb Bush coming out, Mitt Romney, John Kasich, all coming out, you know, saying basically what you're saying, Mark, like you know, hitting on married women, you know, saying I have daughters, I have grandchildren, I have nieces. I don't understand this.
And also, I wonder why those establishments, these are some of the responses from those people the representatives that I put off. But I wonder why republicans feel that he's going to appoint the people that he says he's going to appoint.
We'll discuss that -- let's discuss that in the next block. But I want to go to Brian Stelter right now, because the news is the tape.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
LEMON: This is happening because of the tape.
STELTER: Right.
LEMON: What do we know, Brian, about how this came to light?
STELTER: This was unearthed in the access Hollywood archives this week. The producers went and found it. They were working on their own story about this, Don, but then somehow it got leaked to the Washington Post. One theory about why it was leaked is that NBC's access Hollywood was not going to air it until at least next week, after the debate.
So, perhaps someone inside NBC wanted this to be seen before the debate. We don't know that for sure but that's one main theory inside the network. They are embarrassed by this leak; they are embarrassed by Billy Bush. [22:15:00] But do you know who I feel sorry for, Don? I feel sorry for
the women that were being talked about on this tape. The women like Nancy O'Dell, who Donald Trump was talking about.
And most of all, I feel sorry for the parents who are watching. The parents who are there to explain for their 10-year-old boy, or their 10-year-old girl today what these words mean? I don't know about you, Don, but my parents tried to shield me from the kinds of words that we've been hearing from this tape today.
You can't shield them when it's a presidential nominee, in the same way, you couldn't shield them when Bill Clinton was engaging in sex acts in the White House. That was a...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: There was no excuse for it. I don't understand...
STELTER: This is kind of similar.
LEMON: I don't understand what the excuse is, the Bill Clinton excuse. First of all, if you think Bill Clinton is such a terrible person, why you playing golf with him? Why are you using Bill Clinton as an excuse because he paid heavy price for what he did and there is no excuse for what Bill Clinton did, you know, even -- you know, democrats have said that. So, I don't understand the Bill Clinton excuse here.
STELTER: It's revealing that Trump tried to go that right away in his statement, that he said he apologizes if anyone is offended. He is not committed, he did not said anything tonight.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Can we talk about those words. The b-word was in there, right. The p-word is in there, and then talking about women, you know, in that way, talking about breasts and so on and so forth. There's so much that is offensive to women in this particular tape.
STELTER: And too many men, and normally we wouldn't air these tapes.
LEMON: Yes.
STELTER: But when it's a presidential nominee, we have to. Even the New York Times tonight, printing these words. Because when it's someone like Trump you have to publish it.
LEMON: Yes.
STELTER: And by the way, Don, one more thought, there's probably more tapes.
LEMON: Yes.
STELTER: And that's the other issue here. LEMON: Yes. Listen, I -- that is a big question. Are there more
tapes, and more -- because I actually spoke to someone in Access Hollywood that is there's so much on the editing room floor like this, in the archives that could come out, is this what people are saying around the -- the dinner table?
Let's look at this. This is Wolf Blitzer earlier with Corey Lewandowski.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY LEWANDOWSKI, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I think what this comes down to, and this is not a surprise. It is clearly this is not how women should be spoken about. But, you know, we're not choosing the Sunday school teacher here. And I want to be very clear about this. And what we know about Donald Trump, this is 12 years ago, this audio tape.
You know, this private conversation obviously is troubling, but we want a lead who are is going to lead America and, you know, is that rough sometimes? It is. Is this defensible? Absolutely not. But what I do know is he's still the person that's going to lead our country forward and we should be thinking about what that true leadership looked like with the rest of the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, at one point he said, Gloria this is how people talk around the dinner table. I've never heard anybody speak like that around the dinner table.
NORGER: Not at my dinner table.
LEMON: Yes.
BORGER: I'll tell you that. No. Look, you can't belittle what Donald Trump -- or minimize what Donald Trump said in that tape, and you know different people are going to hear it different obviously.
But, women are going to hear it one way, I think, and you know, I think this is -- you know, this is the discussion right now. This evening among republicans, and maybe at the dinner table.
I mean, I was talking to one republican strategist earlier, who heard this in the car with her daughter, listening to it on the radio, or in satellite radio, and call that humiliating and said I can't -- I can't even describe to you what that was like. This is someone from the Republican Party.
LEMON: Yes.
BASH: And Don, can I just add to that?
LEMON: Yes.
BASH: What we have on the bottom of our screen which is obviously completely correct. It says, Trump on video making vulgar comments about women. The reason why this is striking such a nerve across all genders or both genders I should say, is because -- or all genders is because the comments are just part of it. It's what he said.
BORGER: Right.
BASH: And to me, still all of these statements by republican leaders tonight, out of all of them, the one that I think was most striking and telling was by Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the highest ranking elected republican in Congress.
LEMON: We have it. Let's put it up.
BASH: OK.
LEMON: Yes. There we have it. She says, "It's never appropriate to condone unwanted sexual advances or violence against women. Mr. Trump must realize that it has no place in public or in private conversations today or in the past."
BASH: Exactly. Unwanted sexual advances or violence against women.
BORGER: Right.
LEMON: Dana.
BASH: It's not just about comments, it's about suggesting actions that are not just untoward, but illegal.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: And it get some...
LEMON: Dana, I've got -- I've got to get to a break.
BORGER: OK.
LEMON: I'm going to bring you back and we're going to continue on with this panel. I know people brush -- some people are brushing this off saying this is locker room conversation.
That may indeed, it may happen in a locker room, but most people in those locker rooms are not running to be the leader of the free world. What makes republicans think that using comments like this, that someone is going to stand up for women's rights? We're going to discuss that coming up.
[22:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. So we're back with my panel now. Let's continue the conversation. Mark Preston, you know, you references the Supreme Court and all of that. What makes republicans think that he is actually going to, you know, stand by women's rights nominate the right people for the Supreme Court, when he's flip-flopped on so many things and when you hear what he actually says on this tape about women? PRESTON: Well, a couple things. One is he's actually submitted lists
of names of jurors that he would put on the Supreme Court, and they feel comfortable that he will turn to those names.
But secondly, I think that a lot of people think that Donald Trump doesn't care about the Supreme Court, meaning since he has no vested interest in it personally, specifically when it comes to abortion rights because as you said he's flip-flopped on that, they think that he'll put somebody on the court that they trust.
What they will say, as well, is they know that Hillary Clinton will put people on the court, that they do not want to see on the court, and that causes them great, great fear.
Having said that, Don, I still don't think there are enough republicans in social conservative republicans who are going to look to these comments and say you know what, I'm going to come up for Donald Trump. There's nothing exciting them now to come out for Donald Trump.
Again, this is just another straw on the back of the camel that's breaking at this time in his campaign.
[22:24:57] LEMON: Yes. Hey, David, I want to ask you this, there -- you know, people are coming out. Rob Engstrom said, "Trump should step down immediately tonight," yielding to Governor Pence as a GOP nominee.
There's talk about -- sorry, he's with the chamber of commerce, and there's talk that Donald Trump should step down and how Donald Trump would do it if republicans would want to remove him. Is that even a possibility at this point?
CHALIAN: I think it's -- I think we're not yer there at all. And I think it's hard to think through that. Listen, I think as we look at this, Don, we really have to separate some things out. A lot of the comments that we're discussing tonight are coming from establishment types who are really been -- they've been in the never-Trump camp for quite some time.
So, that doesn't change the political calculus. Jeb Bush slamming Donald Trump is not -- is not something new because of these latest comments. What we need to be looking for in terms of assessing the political impact on Trump's candidacy, is where is he going to add a single vote at this point.
So, Mark made a good point. He may actually depress enthusiasm among the supporters, though it's clear he's not losing any core supporters right now, but where is he adding a single vote?
But just remember, Don, we were coming into this debate with Donald Trump already on defense, already on the ropes after a disastrous 10 days of a bad debate and Alicia Machado.
BORGER: Right.
PRESTON: Yes.
CHALIAN: He had to come back and this was going to be his proving ground and now, this just rips the floor out from underneath him. So we -- paying attention so much to the establishment republicans who are the never-Trump folks, they were never with him.
But watch if anyone else is coming around to him, because it's hard to imagine how a voter now comes around to him.
LEMON: Jim Acosta -- I'm sorry, Gloria.
ACOSTA: Yes.
LEMON: I'll get you in -- but Jim, I want to ask you, how does he focus now? I mean, less than 48 hours of the debate that Anderson is going to be moderating, how does he focus -- you know, because this is -- this is a huge issue. I'm sure it's a distraction, his people are talking to him about it.
(CROSSTALK)
ACOSTA: Absolutely.
LEMON: And he not only has to deal with this, he's got to deal with the debate coming up. How does he focus?
ACOSTA: Yes, I think if he does not get this out of the way before the beginning of this debate on Sunday he's going to have to come out with some kind of statement at the onset of that debate explaining himself and apologizing.
And, Don, it's interesting, I think at this point of the campaign, the only thing that might be able to save Donald Trump and maybe there's no saving him at this point, at least give him the chance to finish this out and some kind of respectable way, is for Donald Trump to do the most un-Donald Trump thing imaginable, and that is to offer a real, sincere apology, something we have not seen throughout the course of this campaign.
Initially, when we got the statement from Donald Trump earlier today that had the words "I apologize" in it, we all thought, wow, this is news. Donald Trump has never used the words "I apologize" before, but it's couched in this, you know, half-hearted way and hang on Bill Clinton...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Yes.
ACOSTA: ... and Ford that it's not really an apology, he has to do something that he's never done before.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: The private conversation that took place many years ago, Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course not even close. I apologize if someone was offended.
And Gloria, but here's what I have to say, Gloria. So, I come from a family of women, single mom, all sisters. I look at the faces of the surrogates o television and their faces say one thing and their words say another, one betrays the other.
How do women-- how do -- how do they make excuses or -- I shouldn't say that. I take that back. How do they defend this, Gloria?
BORGER: Well, you know, I was -- I was listening closely tonight, particularly to Kayleigh McEnany who is on our air a lot defending Donald Trump. And she was clearly upset at what she said, and so was Scottie Hughes. I mean, they were both really upset about it.
I think that -- that the way they believe that a heart-felt apology would be good, and would be enough, and for Trump supporters that might be enough. But the problem that Donald Trump has is, not only is there history here, as there was with the birther movement by the way, that you couldn't erase history with one sentence for the birther movement.
There is a history here of name-calling Alicia Machado, et cetera, et cetera. And the other problem he has as David was talking about is that he has to add supporters. And they were -- I was talking to a republican strategist, who was pro-Trump late today, and he said to me, look, we've been bleeding independence, we were trying to get up there a little bit with married suburban women, and they feel they had some opportunity there, and he felt that this onslaught would kill all of that.
So, apology or no apology, people see enough of this and they start deciding and it's hard to undecided, you know, a month out from the election.
LEMON: So, Dana, I want you to respond, but let -- before you respond let me put up these numbers. This is a Quinnipiac poll, because Gloria mentioned the independence here, about how he's losing independents.
[22:30:05] So, Trump was leading with them in their September poll, 42 to 35 percent, but today's poll Clinton is now leading 46 to 32 percent. It's potentially a big problem.
BASH: No question about it. Independents were a place he was seeing a slide in his numbers, and Hillary Clinton was saying a little bit more enthusiasm in hers because of the last debate, and more importantly, Donald Trump's reaction, the way he attacked Miss Universe for a week afterwards.
But on that point, Don, the frame with which you asked that question is so important when you said "I am the son of a single mother and I have sister." You are a man like many, many others across the country, sitting at home, thinking the same thing.
It's not just about women, it's about anybody who is related to a woman or cares about a woman. Let me just give you one quick example of how this is real1y hitting a nerve. I got an unsolicited e-mail from a man named Terry Gainer, who is the
former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. Now he worked during -- he was there during the democratic majority, but he still is not a political Gus. He is a law enforcement guy. And he said he wanted me to use on the record that he sees this as appalling because he is a father of accomplished daughters.
He is a grandfather of granddaughters, and he doesn't know how anybody can explain it to them. That I think tells you everything you need to know and how this is transcending politics and it hits a nerve throughout the country.
LEMON: Thank you, panel. Brian, sorry I didn't get you more. But Brian will be back...
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: We'll be back.
MACDONALD: ... in our next hour to talk about the tale of the tape and how this is playing out in media as well. So, thank you, panel. I appreciate it.
When we come right back, the campaign in crisis mode. Donald Trump's team is responding to the fallout from his comments.
[22:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: This is our breaking news tonight, Donald Trump's campaign is in turmoil over vulgar comments about women caught on tape.
The New York Times Nicholas Kristof reports what may be an even more disturbing story, and he joins me now by phone. Nick, thank you so much.
Let's talk about your column that you posted tonight detailing an account of a woman claiming that she was groped by Donald Trump at his Mar-A-Lago estate in 1993. What are allegations here?
NICHOLAS KRISTOF, NEW YORK TIMES COLUMNIST: So, essentially this was a couple from Florida who had a small business and they wanted to partner with Donald Trump and they were really excited. He offered them a vision of growing their business and they were kind of thrilled and they allege that he stiffed them for payment.
But maybe more important that he persistently went after the woman who was the long-time girlfriend of the -- of the other business partner and, you know, she describes their initial encounter as he name- dropped continuously when he wasn't groping me. And it kind of went down from there.
He took them to their Mar-A-Lago estate. He offered her a tour and then she says that she -- that he -- that Trump pulled her into Ivanka's bedroom.
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Let me read your comments verbatim. Here's what you say. "You describe him pulling her, Jill Harth her name, into Ivanka's bedroom and he says, "I was admiring the declaration. The next thing I know, he's pushing me against the wall and his hands all over me with his hands all over me, Harth told me, he was trying to kiss me. I was freaking out. Harth says she was desperately protesting and finally managed to run out of the room and find the group again, she and -- I think it's Houraney...
KRISTOF: Houraney.
LEMON: ... Houraney left rather stayed the night as they had intended." So, what other events that she detail there?
KRISTOF: You know, it goes on from there. I mean, she describes being in a very -- in a very awkward position because in the one hand she was horrified but this attention. On the other hand, she desperately wanted to get this business deal with Trump, so she -- she didn't go to the police, she tried to remain cordial with him, and it continued.
He kept inviting her for business meetings and then she -- as she recounts it, he would say, oh, I'm tired, I need to lie down, come with me, and he'd pull her into his bedroom and then he would -- you know, he would jump her, essentially.
And at one point, she says that as a defense mechanism, she threw up, as kind of the only thing she was able to do it to kind of send him off.
LEMON: Yes.
KRISTOF: And you know, she doesn't assert he was violent. She says she was scared of -- that she might be raped and she describes it as a -- one incident at least as an attempted rape, but she doesn't assert that he was, you know, beating her or something, but he does -- she does say that she was -- he was twice her weight, he was pinning her against the wall and trying to kiss her and just kind of wouldn't take no.
LEMON: And you -- you said -- and this is a quote, you said "Trump strongly denies these improprieties; he has denied this all along." There was a lawsuit, and a settlement associated with these claims. So what happened legally?
KRISTOF: So, there was a breach of contract lawsuit over their allegations that he stiffed them as a business matter and she had separately filed a sexual harassment and an attempted rape lawsuit and as a condition of her settling the business lawsuit, she dropped the sexual harassment suit and Trump did make a payment, which I understand was a little bit more than $100,00 to settle the breach of contract lawsuit.
LEMON: Did she report this to the police, Nick?
KRISTOF: No, she did not, and she explains that both that it was -- it was kind of a different time in the -- in the 1990s, that there was more of a sense then, that powerful men could get away with things like this. And if women were more intimidated to speak up and that beyond that
she was trying desperately to get a business deal and she saw her future in terms of making this deal with Trump work. And so she was trying to walk this very, very fine balance, that I think probably resonates frankly, with a lot of women between trying to you know, navigate her way through the business world and not be groped and yet, not offend a potential benefactor.
[22:40:03] LEMON: Hey, Nicholas, did she -- did she later date Donald Trump in this? So, why would she, you know, do that given these allegations?
KRISTOF: So -- so, after they settled this lawsuit, then he continued to pursue her to some degree. She ended up divorcing her husband and she says at that point Trump called her out and encourage her to come, and you know, let him console her. And she that, you know, I said if this, if somebody you allege that is attempted rape, then why on earth would you go out with him?
And she says it was a combination of feeling flattered of it being a very vulnerable time in her life and frankly, she has just lost her job and was thinking well, maybe this guy actually can help me get ahead in the business world.
And so they dated -- this is 1998, so this is five years after their -- after the earlier issues. They dated in 1998 in the summer and then she says that she -- that she just found him unsupportive, she had just lost her brother, she was going through this wrenching divorce and instead of offering her emotional support, she says he, without asking her, made an appointment for her to get a boob job from a Miami doctor, it was I think kind of the last straw.
LEMON: Wow. All right. Interesting. Nicholas Kristof, thank you very much. I appreciate that. And again, Donald Trump has denied these allegations.
I want to talk to -- bring in my panel now. Attorney Gloria Allred is a Clinton supporter, CNN political commentator, Scottie Nell Hughes, a Trump supporter, and political commentator Ana Navarro.
Panel, thank you very much. I want you to listen again to Donald Trump speaking to NBC's Billy Bush. This is 2005.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever you want.
TRUMP: You can grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: So, Gloria, you have that and then you have the story by Nicholas Kristof, which you just heard. What's your reaction?
GORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: And so much more, Don. Well, my reaction is that Donald Trump is say -- presents a real -- and present danger both to the image and to the status and also to the condition and to the rights of women.
This is not just about vulgar behavior. This is about harmful behavior. Don, if we're talking about sex harassment in the workplace, the courts would talk about is this severe or is it pervasive. Well, this is both severe and pervasive.
And as was pointed out earlier this is part of a pattern of conduct. We're talking about people on the "Apprentices -- on Apprentice", complaining that they allege that Mr. Trump was talking about their breast size.
We're talking about Ranchos Palos Verdes, the Trump golf course here in Southern California, where employees allege that they were not permitted to perhaps to serve food in the restaurant because they weren't attractive enough, they were in fear of being retaliated against.
This is very serious behavior, and anyone who decides to vote for Trump is condoning it.
LEMON: OK.
ALLRED: And anyone who tries to justify it, or excuse it, or explain it away, is making more of as statement about themselves than they are even about Donald Trump.
LEMON: OK. Well, let's ask because, Scottie, you're a supporter, and Scottie, I know that you're in a tough position tonight on these shows to have to come on and -- I don't know if you necessarily defend these remarks but do you support him as a candidate. So, why?
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't defend these remarks and I think all of the actions that are being alleged right now are horrible. And they are -- they're evil and should not be happening in the workplace or anywhere personally or professionally.
But I would have a lot more credibility with this these, Don, if they were brought out months instead of 32, 33 days before the election. This just shows how this is politically motivated. These information -- all of these stories, everything -- they didn't happen yesterday.
They didn't happen last week. These are stories that have been around, and just magically they're being used right now? I would put a lot more credibility in these women if they really were hurt, if they really were assaulted or they were really were as damaged by Donald Trump as they said if they would have gone to this prior -- months ago, weeks ago.
And right now, at this stage in the game, Republican Party... (CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Some of these things have -- some of these things were filed before and they just, you know, now...
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: And they're just magically coming out. I mean, this story have been out.
LEMON: Yes So, what about specifically -- what about specifically to the audiotape and the video of him on Access Hollywood?
HUGHES: Well, this is a video that Access Hollywood -- for them just to think that, you know, for us to just believe they've had this for 11 years and magically on Monday they came across it, I find that very hard to believe.
[22:44:59] I think this just shows the working between some media parts and the Hillary Clinton campaign. And I think your prior guests, your prior segment was right when they said this is all about disenfranchising. That shows just how scared the Hillary Clinton camp is right now about the people the turnout that's going to come out on Election Day.
LEMON: So, is the timing for you it's not -- it's not the actual -- it's not the actions or the alleged actions, it's the timing for you?
HUGHES: Well, like I said, I would put more credibility, you know, even in the stories you point, this woman was sexually -- supposedly sexually harassed, was actually thrown down, the story that goes along with it, horrible, deplorable things. However, she dated him afterwards for whatever reason, whatever excuse she gives.
ALLRED: Don?
HUGHES: ... why would this stuff not coming out months before. And republicans right now...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Hang on. Hang on, Gloria.
ALLRED: I can answer that.
LEMON: OK. Quickly, go ahead.
ALLRED: Let me just say this. I challenge Donald Trump to release all of his employees from their nondisclosure clauses, which many of them have been required to sign, and you will see an avalanche, a tsunami of women who were coming out with similar experiences that they will allege, about having been the victims of Donald Trump.
But -- and so I challenge to you do that. And by the way, there's no right time, there is no wrong time, it's always the right time to come out and -speak the truth if the women are speaking the truth, let them do it. And I think that Donald Trump should promise not to retaliate against them if they do.
HUGHES: But Gloria, isn't there a reason why we have something called a statute of limitations? Isn't there a reason why there is a timing on this? And you cannot negate the fact that here we are 30 days out from a very important presidential election that these stories are every day coming out and not to start doubting the credibility of some might be true.
But like I said, I would have had a lot more sympathy for them if this was not such a political move 30 something days before the election.
LEMON: Anan?
ALRED: Scotties, there is statute of limitations on the truth.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: On stories. On stories, though.
ALLRED: And that this is -- well, it is statute of limitations on stories.
HUGHES: Then why did they take him to court?
ALLRED: You know what?
HUGHES: Why did they take him to court?
ALLRED: Because a woman can suffer and not either have the ability to take them to court, or be in fear of somebody who's rich and powerful and famous and as Donald Trump characterizes himself as a star.
And what about not only our daughters who are listening to this. What about our sons? What kind of role model is this? Are our sons going to think that somehow it's OK to call women by the p-word, by the t-word, by the b-word? By every other word that he uses to denigrate women? And here he is...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: And that's -- that's not OK, Gloria. But, Scottie -- Scottie, hold on. That's not an allegation. We actually heard those words on tape. But I have to give -- I have to give Ana a chance. She's been sitting patiently. Ana, I know you were -- I don't know if you want to talk about your reaction when you first heard them. Or do you want to respond to what they were just saying now?
ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't want to respond to what they're talking about because I think a discussion and argument about the timing is frankly irrelevant, and I think that these women deserve more dignity than this.
It is like with the Bill Cosby case, who cares what the timing of the allegations are. What matters is that it happened. Right now what I want to focus on is what the Republican Party is going to do. And I want to tell you, look, I'm so happy that Paul Ryan did the
right thing and canceled that event with Donald Trump tomorrow. But I would say to my friend, Paul, whom I know, who I know is a good son, a good husband, a good father, a decent man who cares deeply about women, who is a respectful man, if you can't stand on a stage next to this man, how can you support him?
If you are sickened by his words, how you can support him? And I think that is the question that every republican who is condemning the words needs to ask themselves today. It is not enough to condemn his words. It is absolutely necessary to withdraw support. It is necessary to tell Donald Trump, Donald, you are fired.
We cannot run the risk that a misogynist, that a sexist, that say man who is boasting about sexual predatory behavior, be president of the United States. He is not fit to represent republican values, he is not fit to represent American values and this is way too serious for us not to take action and take action tonight.
I'm reading all of these condemnations by Ted Cruz and by others, folks, stop pontificating. Stop talking about what the right thing is, and do the right thing. Look at your conscience.
LEMON: OK.
NAVARRO: Look at your daughters today as they sleep, look at your wives, talk to them and ask yourself...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: Ana?
NAVARRO: ... how I do explain this to these children?
LEMON: Ana, Scottie, and Gloria, I have to take a break. We'll continue with the same panel right after this. We'll be right back.
[22:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right. We're back with our breaking news. Our panel is here. And I have to say that Donald Trump, we're getting news now has made a statement on videotape. We're going to bring that to you in moments as soon as we get it.
Again, Donald Trump making a statement on videotape about these controversial comments that he made back in 2005 to Access Hollywood. And we'll bring that to you, so stand by in just moments.
Back to my panel. Scottie, I have to ask you this. This is his -- Donald Trump's response. He says "This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course, not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended."
So, I've heard you and him and others say, you know, Bill Clinton. But Bill Clinton paid a heavy price for what he did. He's been impeached. There's no excuse for what Bill Clinton did and if he doesn't like Bill Clinton, why is he playing golf with Bill Clinton? Why even bring Bill Clinton into the conversation? What does that have to do with the price of tea?
HUGHES: Well, let me say this. I'm very glad that Donald Trump did release a video statement. I can't wait to see it. Glad he did that way instead of maybe releasing Twitter, tweets at 3 a.m. I'm very excited to see what this video actually has to show.
But the reason why he brought up Bill Clinton is there were 17 allegations of sexual misconduct towards women that Hillary went on to basically defame.
[22:55:01] She did everything she could to hurt them, to ruin their reputation, to demonize them amongst their...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: But he didn't say that. He said Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course. What does that have to do with...
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: And unfortunately, a lot of men have that. That's a lot of talking for a lot -- I think it's very hypocritical for...
(CROSSTALK)
LEMON: A lot of men are not running for president. Bill Clinton is not running for president.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: Well, I understand that. And this was from 11 years ago, too, when he was a celebrity, when he was not running for president. This just shows that he did not want to run.
But, you know, the key about all of this is yes, Donald Trump may be vulgar, but Hillary Clinton is a two-faced liar and it's because of the women that like myself, my daughters, my sons, the men and women in my families, the reason why I know why she can't be in the White House and why republicans are not doing any service right now by taking Donald Trump out. It would just give to what Hillary Clinton wants.
She's -- this just shows how scared she is that Donald Trump is actually possibly going to pose more of a threat and what she wants is Donald Trump to shoot -- to jump out because of a guaranteed win for her.
LEMON: Yes. We are awaiting that video statement from Donald Trump. We're going to bring it to you as soon as we get it. I want to thank my panel. Everyone, stand by. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: You're looking right now. This is Trump Tower in Manhattan, Donald Trump's campaign headquarters right on Fifth Avenue. We're awaiting a new video statement from the candidate tonight.
[23:00:01] This is CNN tonight. I'm Don Lemon.
It's all about this bombshell, Trump caught on tape on 2005, bragging to Billy Bush at that time a host of Access Hollywood about his treatment of women. His language, raw --
