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Erin Burnett Outfront
Donald Trump Wins the Republican Nomination. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired July 19, 2016 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
[19:00:02] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pursuant to the announcement of the delegation and the rules of this convention, New Mexico, 24 votes, Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York!
(CHEERING)
Ninety five delegates with the following bound delegates, 89, Trump, six, Kasich.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Madam Secretary, New York, the Empire State and the home of Donald J. Trump passes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York passes. North Carolina, 72 delegates for the following-bound delegates, 29, Trump. Twenty seven, Cruz. Six, Rubio. One, Kasich. Nine, Carson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Madam Secretary, North Carolina, the land of the long-leafed pine. The land where the summer sun doth shine, where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great. North Carolina, home of the largest military installations in the world, North Carolina with the majestic Appalachian Mountains on our West and the beautiful Crystal Coast on our east.
North Carolina, one of the fastest-growing state economies under Governor Pat McCrory and the Republican-led general assembly proudly cast our 72 votes as follows. One, Dr. Ben Carson. Six, Senator Marco Rubio. Nine for Ohio Governor John Kasich. And the great conservative tradition of the old north state and the home of Billy Graham, we proudly cast 27 votes for Senator Ted Cruz.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: North Carolina is a party which was funded and founded by Blacks and Whites and one of the ports that most people don't know about this state is that 10 percent of all of the historically black colleges and universities are within this border. We proudly cast 29 votes for the next president of the United States, the honorable Donald John Trump.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pursuant to the announcement of the delegation and the rules of this convention, North Carolina, 29 votes, Trump. Twenty seven votes, Cruz. Six votes, Rubio. Nine votes, Kasich, and one vote, Carson.
North Dakota, 28 delegates.
(CHEERING)
JACK DALRYMPLE, NORTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR: Mr. Secretary, I am Jack Dalrymple, governor of the state of North Dakota, it is my honor to announce the vote of the delegates of North Dakota, the great state of North Dakota casts as the home of the current and five consecutive- year national FCS Football Champions.
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The North Dakota State University Bison, and at the same time the home of the National Hockey Champions, the University of North Dakota fighting hawks, and the only state in the United States last year to actually grow younger, casts one vote, Carson, six vote, Cruz, and 21 votes for the next president of the United States Donald J. Trump!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pursuant to the announcement of the delegation and the rules of this convention, North Dakota, 21 votes, Trump. One vote, Carson. Six votes, Cruz.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Northern Mariana Islands, nine delegates for the following bound delegates, nine, Trump.
RALPH DELEON GUERRERO TORRES, CNMI GOVERNOR: For the most Republican territory, the beautiful islands of the Northern Mariana Islands where the weather is 85 degrees all year round, traveling over 7,000 miles, I am Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres, governor of the CNMI. It is my great pleasure and honor being the first territory to endorse our next president of the United States, we cast our nine delegates to Donald J. Trump!
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[19:05:30] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pursuant to the announcement of the delegation and the rules of this convention, Northern Mariana Islands cast nine votes, Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ohio, 66 delegates.
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Welcome to Cleveland, the city of champions.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And welcome to Ohio, the host of the Republican National Convention. All right, guys, let's give it an O-H!
(CROWD CHANTING O-H) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: O-H!
(CROWD CHANTING O-H)
Ohio, the mother of president's proudly cast its six votes for Governor John Kasich!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pursuant to the announcement of the delegation and the rules of this convention, Ohio, 66 votes, Kasich.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oklahoma, 43 delegates for the following bound delegates. Thirteen, Trump.
PAM POLLARD, REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN, OKLAHOMA: Good evening. My name is Pam Pollard. I'm the chairman of the Republican Party for the great state of Oklahoma!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As the second home to Speaker Paul and Jena Ryan, Oklahoma is the heartland of America and the reddest state in the union. Oklahoma has a heritage of strong and conservative grassroots leadership electing Republicans to every Congressional and statewide office with super majorities in both state legislative chambers. Oklahoma is proud to produce and supply the energy and agriculture that fuels and feeds this country and the world, and this November, Oklahoma will take up the mantle once more and deliver all 77 counties to our Republican nominee. Oklahoma proudly casts 19 votes for Senator Ted Cruz and 24 votes for the next president of the United States Donald J. Trump!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pursuant to the announcement of the delegation and the rules of this convention, Oklahoma, 24 vote, Trump. Nineteen votes, Cruz.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oregon, 28 delegates for the following bound delegates, 18, Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman, Oregon!
(CHEERING)
The land of unrivalled natural beauty, snowy mountain peaks, majestic river valleys, serene high deserts, the great American pinot noir, Tillamook cheese and hazel nuts, home of the great Congressman Greg Walden --
(CHEERING)
And the reigning major league soccer champions, the Portland timbers, home of track town USA and the place where Nike made ducks and beavers cool, ground zero in the fight against Democrat corruption from disgraced ex-Governor John Kitzhaber all of the way to crooked Hillary, the great state of Oregon is proud to cast pursuant to our rules, five votes for Senator Ted Cruz. Twenty three votes for the next president of the United States, Donald J. Trump.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pursuant to the announcement of the delegation and the rules of this convention, Oregon, 23 vote, Trump. Five votes, Cruz.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pennsylvania, 71 delegates for the following bound delegates. Seventeen, Trump.
ROB GLEASON, CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF PENNSYLVANIA: Madam Secretary, I am Rob Gleason, chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania, the keystone state, the home of the Stanley Cup champions, Pittsburgh Penguins. Pennsylvania defers to the great state of New York and my friend Chairman Ed Cox.
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[19:10:34] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New York, 95 delegates with the following bound delegate, 89, Trump. Six, Kasich.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Madam Secretary, New York, the empire state proud to be the home of Donald J. Trump and proud that we were the first state to cast the majority of our primary votes for Donald Trump, proud that he won 61 of our 62 counties and more than 60 percent of the vote, and we are proud that we have as one of our delegates Donald J. Trump, Jr.!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
DONALD TRUMP, JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: Thank you very much, Ed. Thank you to my family, Eric, Ivanka, Vanessa, Laura, Tiffany, everyone here. All of our supporters in the great state of New York, even in the places that aren't so conservative, we've had such incredible support, you won't believe it. We'll going to put New York into play this time around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
I have the incredible honor of not only being a part of the ride that's been this election process and to watch as a small fly on the wall what my father has done in creating this movement because it's not a campaign anymore, it's a movement. Speaking to real Americans, giving them a voice again and it is my honor to be able to throw Donald Trump over the top in the delegate count tonight with 89 delegates and another six for John Kasich.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
Congratulations, dad! We love you!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: It's official now. It's official now. Donald Trump is the Republican presidential nominee. No longer the presumptive nominee. It's official, he is the Republican nominee for president of the United States, you just heard his son bring him over the top and that magic vote 1,237. He is over 1,237. He captured the nomination.
Let's go to Dana Bash. Dana, you are right there with the children of Donald Trump.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I'm right here with the children and right next to Ivanka. Ivanka, you're getting emotional. Can you tell me how you feel right now?
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: It's unbelievable. It's surreal. I'm so proud of my father. I'm so proud. We all are.
BASH: Did you ever think that you would be right here nominating your father for President of the United States? Did you ever think it would come to this?
ERIC TRUMP, SON OF DONALD TRUMP: It's amazing. He's the ultimate outsider and he did it. We are so proud of him. And I've never underestimated my father. I've never underestimated him, or our family.
BASH: Tiffany, you're going to speak tonight.
TIFFANY TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: Yes, I'm speaking. So honored and the crowd sounds pretty excited for everything going on. So, we'll see how it goes.
BASH: We look forward to your speech.
Don, Jr., we are live on CNN right now. That was quite a moment you were able to nominate your father for president of the United States. I see that you're taking a deep breath.
TRUMP, JR.: You know, it doesn't get bigger than that, Dana. I mean, one of the most surreal moments of my life other than the birth of my children. I mean, I've watched him work so hard on this and speak to so many real people who were just feeling left out and left in the dark here in New York and all over the country, and to be able to do that is, you know, just historic. It's awesome.
BASH: I have to say I'm not so sure people can see, but you're tearing up right now.
TRUMP, JR.: You know, it's pretty real. So, I get to speak later on today so I have to get my composure back together. It's a surreal moment. And it's a real movement, as I said in there. It's not a campaign. It never was. We're not politicians and he's a real person who has gotten stuff done and has a real record of success and accomplishment and he wants to bring that to this country and he's going to do that. Everyone talks about it in theory. He's actually done these things.
BASH: Let's talk about how your dad is feeling? Have you talked to him before coming out here?
TRUMP, JR.: Yes.
BASH: Before you were doing what you just said.
TRUMP, JR.: I've been running around a little bit like crazy days. So I haven't had a chance to catch up with him all that much. We've had a crazy day. I get to speak tonight, but I'm sure I'll be hearing from him and my phone will be ringing in a few minutes, and it's just awesome. I couldn't be happier to be a part of this.
BASH: You're speaking tonight. Any preview?
TRUMP, JR.: We'll see. We'll see. It's going to be fun. It's going to be interesting. It's going to be impassioned, I had to talk about my father a little bit. But also, still talk about the severity of the situation we're in as a country because too many times I've seen the fluffy, you know, joking about the father thing and we're just not in that situation. I would love to be able to deliver that speech, but we're not there.
BASH: Now, you talked about the fact that you're not from a family of politicians and you have been in the public eye because of who your father is pretty much all your life, but still, this is different kind of moment. Could you ever have imagined this moment happening right now?
TRUMP, JR.: Not before he announced last, you know, June. The second he announced if there was one thing I've learned about my father, and one thing I know about my father is never bet against him when he puts his mind to something. He just gets it done. He gets things done. That's what he's done his whole career. You can't be the guy he is. You can't do what he's done without being able to do that. And it's one of a kind.
[19:15:48] BASH: And as you sit here looking around at all of these signs and you're kind of in the moment, can you reflect us for a second on what this year has been like for the Trump family?
TRUMP, JR.: Listen, it's been tough. It's been brutal and a lot of work. I mean, you know, we by the fact got involved because we believe in his message. You know, meaning, my siblings, myself, and the whole family. You know, we want him to do what's right for this country because we know he can do that. We want this country to be better for our kids than we received it and that's not the way we're going, Dana. The politicians have ruined this country. They've done it time and time again. What's going to change? What's different from this batch from the last? He can do that, he can make those changes. I mean, he's going to do a phenomenal job.
BASH: Thank you very much. Congratulations.
TRUMP, JR.: I really appreciate it. BASH: And good luck tonight. Good luck tonight. And back to you,
Erin. I know you're picking up our coverage.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Thank you so much, Dana. We are, of course, right now here at this convention. You hear the celebration going on. Donald Trump now the official nominee for president of the United States for the Republican Party. Welcome to our viewers around the world. A very big moment for the delegates here, the state of New York, all of Donald Trump's children together standing with that delegation and Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump, Jr., giving the formal number to put his father over the top 1237.
I am here with my panel, Maeve Reston, David Gergen, Gloria Borger, David Chalian, Jeffrey Lord, Andy Dean, Gloria Borger and Bakari Sellers.
David --
All right. Ana Navarro --
(LAUGHTER)
A big moment here, though. All of the children together and it was Donald Trump, Jr., to put his father over the top with the formal delegate count.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: This may be the most traditional moment that we've seen in the Trump campaign. They did this storybook fashion and it deserves it. It's that kind of really big moment. This is history, and this is something that nobody anticipated a year and a month ago when this got started. And when all the costumers you -- away and the day and the day out of the campaigning, that moment of having his family there who was so committed to him on the floor, put him over the top, this is the most unlikely nominee that we've seen in modern times and here now he gets to celebrate a moment that is truly his. It's an enormous accomplishment and this is what the conventions are about, is now turning and saying this accomplishment's done and now I have to tell the country what I'm going to do and make my for the next few months.
BURNETT: And Gloria, you saw the emotions, with those children. All of them there with the group hug and the three older children hugging each other. Tiffany joining in. But a very emotional moment, you heard Dana saying, I know not everyone can see it --
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Right.
BURNETT: But you have tears in your eyes to Donald Trump, Jr.
BORGER: I'm not surprised because not only are these children involved in this campaign, they're running this campaign. They are more involved in a campaign than any other family I have ever seen, and not so much being out there on the stump and talking about their father and giving testimony about his character which is what you will going to hear from Don Jr., tonight, but they are out there campaigning, doing nuts and bolts political stuff because, as you know, Donald Trump likes to keep it small and the people in that small circle who are closest to him are the people that Dana just interviewed. So a lot of people, a lot of people got this wrong.
BURNETT: You were one of the early supporters of Donald Trump and Andy, you have been since the beginning, as well. You just heard Donald Trump, Jr. say a year ago before he made his announcement I never would have thought this day could come. How does this moment feel to you?
JEFFREY LORD, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Yes. It's pretty special, I have to say. I really think it's momentous because he was so badly underestimated by so many people who really thought they knew exactly what was going on and in my view were totally out of touch with the grassroots of the Republican Party and the conservative movement and Donald was able to touch into it. He touched a nerve here and really ignite this movement. So, I mean, I saw him as a seriously accomplished person, a very successful businessman who felt passionately about his country and wanted to do something and he's going to do it, and everybody really didn't think he could.
[19:20:16] BURNETT: Of course, the roll call continues, what you're hearing now, and they're finishing the remainder of the states. He is obviously over the 1237 but that is what you're hearing. You heard, Andy, David refer to this as a storybook moment. Does it feel that way to you?
ANDY DEAN, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, I think first, I feel lucky and grateful to be here. I mean, we're watching history in the making. If we take a step back and look at American politics, it hasn't been since 1952 that the American public had nominated a non- politician to be a major party candidate, and that was Dwight Eisenhower who of course went on to win two terms and I think Donald Trump when he announced a year and a month ago was at the bottom of the polls and he worked himself out of that.
I really believe just by out working and out communicating the rest of the field of 16 and this is the guy that goes to bed at midnight and wakes up at 4:00 a.m. He was, you know, in the media more than anybody else and he was traveling to two or three different states every day. And I really feel that the amount of hard work that he put into it is something that is often overlooked and that this was not given to him and he earned the 14,998,000 votes that he got and I feel lucky to be a part of this.
BURNETT: All right. Well, you all going to be staying with us through this as the night begins and that big moment here, as everyone digest, that moment Donald Trump now the official Republican nominee for president of the United States. Our breaking news coverage continues. We will going to take a brief break and we'll be right back here from Cleveland.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:26:03] BURNETT: And we are back. You're hearing celebrations right now. The state of Texas continuing with the roll call for Donald Trump and his nomination for president. Now, of course the former nominee for president of the United States for the Republican Party, in that very emotional moment with his children from the state of New York. I'm here with the panel. As we see this final states finished, he's over the top list, he's over the top but people watching this at home. You see people clustering around those microphones on these final announcements, and there is a reason for that.
MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: So you see all of the guys that are on the floor in the white and green hats. So, those are the whips who are the Trump and RNC forces who are keeping any possible anti-Trump revolt in line. Really at this point there's nothing that they can do, but what the whips are worried about and what team Trump is worried about is kind of a last-gasp effort particularly by the state of Washington to get up there and shout for a roll call vote, to have their voices heard and for people trying to protect Trump are crowding around the microphone so their voices won't be heard. A very sophisticated whip operation that's happening all across the floor and they've been out there all night.
BURNETT: State of Washington, they're worried about a last-ditch -- basically just something to try to embarrass him. He's got it here. He's got it. We've had the big emotional moment.
CHALIAN: Donald Trump, everyone hear me now, Donald Trump is the Republican nominee for president. Throw out the word presumptive, you don't have to worry about --
BURNETT: Exactly.
CHALIAN: It's over. And on Thursday night he's going to give a speech accepting that nomination --
BURNETT: Right.
CHALIAN: -- and painting the path forward. And, you know, the one bit of business we still have to do tonight is also nominate the vice presidential choice, Mike Pence and we'll see they usually do that by acclimation vote.
BURNETT: Right.
CHALIAN: But no matter what other states try to do here in this next few minutes, it totally doesn't matter.
BURNETT: And David, and that when he says that, I mean, this really is still about that emotional moment of the children putting their father over the top. The children who are so crucial in this campaign, making that final announcement and he is the nominee.
DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: And Gloria made the point that one of the few times we've seen the family play such an important role. You have to go back to the Kennedy family I think to really see such a campaign, but what is very striking tonight is out of this old- fashioned tradition of the Roll call, and the high-tech world, we can dismiss it and just add machine, but they wanted to do it the old- fashioned way.
But in an old fashioned way, we are opening a brand new chapter in the American politics. This man, we've never had a candidate like this win the nomination of a major political party. He's a total outsider. Unlike President Eisenhower, he has not held public office but he was recruited by both parties to run for president. In this case, we've basically staged a hostile takeover.
BURNETT: Recruited by no one!
GERGEN: And he left this party very uncertain about his future. We just heard today that George W. Bush has been musing that he may kind of be the last Republican president because the history, I mean, the future may change so much. We just don't know now. This is the first sentence of that next new chapter.
BURNETT: And it is a new chapter and it was a very significant moment that we just witnessed here, I mean, a moment in history, we all saw it on the day we learn that George W. Bush said he's worried that he's maybe the last Republican president. Obviously Donald Trump in that moment wants to change that, but you hear that, I think.
ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think I hope he's wrong. I hope that when this is over at some point I don't know whether we're talking November. I don't know whether we're talking four years from now. I don't know whether we're talking eight years from now. I don't know if we'll going to do it with Trump or without Trump, but I hope that at some point the Republican Party reconstructs, reunites and comes out a stronger and better party than what we are right now. Right now we are a party in crisis. We are not united.
Let us not whitewash this. Let me tell you, part of me tonight feels like my puppy died, but at the same time
[19:30:00] I recognize that this man achieved what most of us around this table need first to blame thought was absolutely impossible. He has won the nomination of the Republican Party.
I don't like the way he did it. I don't support him. I don't plan to vote for him under any circumstance, but I congratulate him, and I am awed by the pomp, the circumstance, the significance.
I remember what it meant to me to see my friend John McCain who I worked so hard for get nominated. I remember how emotional it was for me. Today is a day of significance. We're seeing democracy in action.
I don't like the result. I respect it, and I congratulate who worked for him. So, congratulations, guys.
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you, ma'am. Can we put you down as doubtful?
NAVARRO: You can put me down as having now gone through the seven stages of grief.
(LAUGHTER)
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Bakari, as she points out. The pomp and circumstance, it can base power, it can base democracy and action, it conveys a sense of unity in a way that, yes, this party does not have, but on the floor watching, you see that celebrating. That is what you see a bit more of.
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, tonight, it was a true slice of Americana. I mean, the roll call, I really felt like it was a real-life "House of Cards" moment and to have his family play search an emotional roll and be surrounded means everything, and if you take Donald Trump and the politics away from it, that's everybody's dreams who is in politics, to one day get your name called as the nominee of your respective party.
The fact of the matter is that now, today, the Republican Party is now the party of Donald Trump and the Republican Party has a severe issue because it has not grown the way it should in the last eight years. The question is whether or not Donald Trump can bring more people into the Republican Party because since he announced one year and a month ago, he's turned more people away from it. So, I am looking forward to see whether or not they can experience a coalition to bring more people.
NAVARRO: I agree with you, and I think we've seen it on the floor. We are still seeing it today. This is the convention of Donald Trump. You cannot argue with that. This is the nomination of Donald Trump, and you cannot argue with that.
And as much as Democrats portray it this way, this is not the party of Donald Trump. This is the party that is suffering --
BURNETT: But, Ana, he's your nominee. He's your nominee.
ANDY DEAN, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: I disagree with Ana, the party is not divided.
NAVARRO: Listen, half of the elected officials, most of those who are on the ballot statewide are not even here. Why do you think that is? So, you know, let's give the guy his moment, but let us not pretend that this party is right now one united force and that he is the face and voice of that party.
DEAN: I disagree, to Ana's point, the party elite, the party elite and the officials may be divided, but the actual people who vote in the Republican primary and if you look at the sheer number, we are talking about a 40 percent, 50 percent as far as election over election as to how many people turned out. Republican voters turned out in numbers that we have never seen ever and the American people are smart and I think as the next four months go until the next election, in November 8, we're going to see Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump on September 26th, that first debate, that people are going to make the choice. And so far, they've liked Donald.
LORD: One of the things that have happened here is that Ronald Reagan has moved the party away from the party establishment in 1980, and he handed it over to the establishment in 1988, and since that point, the Republican Party has been totally run by the old-fashioned GOP establishment, and I think Donald Trump is not certainly Ronald Reagan or will I compare him in some way, but he is like Ronald Reagan in the sense that he is an outsider here.
And the Republican P in the establishment hands became too much of a club. I mean, it was filled with lobbyists and consult apartments and all of this sort of thing who were basically in it to make a buck as opposed to listening to the grassroots of the party. That at this moment I think has stopped.
(CROSSTALK)
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: How many called Newt Gingrich in the Republican revolution in 1990 an establishment?
LORD: No, certainly not Newt. I mean, I think that was a continuation to a degree, but after Newt left -- I mean, I think this is one of the reasons why the Republicans lost control of the House in 2006 because they were so -- they were headed down this glide path and it's not a good one. This is why they kept nominating people, god bless him like Bob Dole and John McCain.
GERGEN: This party has continued to move to the right and it just hasn't been able to deliver.
LORD: Well, I mean --
GERGEN: This is a very strong conservative party now and Donald Trump came out of nowhere -- I don't know, from the right, left, center. Who know --
LORD: But with all respect to the Bushes whom I like and worked for 41, when you're doing things like No Child Left Behind, to just pick one example, that's not Reaganesque. That's what they used to call socialist.
GERGEN: But that was 25 years ago.
(CROSSTALK)
[19:35:02] LORD: I mean, the mindset -- the mindset is there, David, moving the party left in increments.
BURNETT: All right. We're going to take a brief break. We're going to take a brief bake and then, I promise, Gloria will be starting us off as we continue our breaking news coverage of this major moment in the history of the Republican Party. Donald Trump now the formal nominee for president.
We'll be right back here from Cleveland.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: And we are back. Our live coverage first convention hall here in Cleveland, Ohio. Donald Trump now the nominee for president of the United States for
the Republican Party after the formal roll call from New York and his son Donald Trump, Jr., he will speak tonight. And he is the one that formally put him over the top. Donald Trump himself is going to speak again tonight, in another major break with protocol.
Jim Acosta, yet again, second night in a row, he is going to speak. What do you know about when and why and what?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. Donald Trump, the arrangements have already been made at Trump Tower here in New York City to address this convention once again. He did it in person last night with the help of the rock band Queen.
We don't think there is any band warming up in Trump Tower, but from what we understand it will be a live feed coming from Trump Tower into the audience, into the hall in Cleveland. He is scheduled as far as the latest planning to introduce the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and this will be a big moment. Obviously, this is a long time coming from Donald Trump. He waged that renegade outside our campaign. A lot of people in Washington, a lot of people there on the Potomac did not think this moment was going to come, and here it has come.
And so, the question becomes, as we were asking this question last night, does he say more than just simply in the case of last night introduce Melania Trump? Does he say more in the case tonight than introducing the Majority Leader Mitch McConnell? That is the big question.
I very quickly exchanged messages with Donald Trump, Jr., who you just saw put his father over the top in Cleveland. In his words, he said you never know. So, even inside the family, they know, Erin, sometimes things are unpredictable when Donald Trump starts talking.
BURNETT: They certainly are and, of course, after last night's grand entrance, it was hard to top that and he shocked everyone and we'll see what he does tonight.
But as you point out, Donald Trump himself will be speaking tonight, we anticipate from Trump Tower, but also his children as his family continues to speak every single night to try to give a personal side of their father, to humanize their father. Melania Trump spoke last night to try to do that, of course, controversy around that speech today.
Tonight, though, you have Donald Trump, Jr., who just put his father over the top, along with Tiffany Trump, both going to be speaking, his 22-year-old daughter.
Sunlen Serfaty is here with me on the floor of the convention.
And, Sunlen, those are going to be two very, very important speeches for Donald Trump.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They certainly are, Erin. These kids and along a large part in this campaign have had such a big role and particularly Don, Jr., who has been out on the campaign trail many times during this entire campaign and Tiffany Trump, this will be her first big speech tonight. Again, it just shows the significance in the weight that the Trump campaign is placing on the Trump kids.
BURNETT: And, Sunlen, do we have any sense of what -- obviously, the speeches, they've gone through them again and again and again, especially in light of last night's controversy. But any sense of what might be in them? Personal anecdotes about their father, and what he was like when they were children, and anything of that nature?
SERFATY: The big question is certainly, because there was some criticism coming from Melania Trump's speech that she didn't have those personal anecdotes that voters so often want to hold on to, and frankly the reason that you put family up there on the stage is to give a personal impression of the man behind the scenes that the public does not get to see.
It sounded like from what Don, Jr., said to Dana Bash moments ago, it sounded like he was hinted at the tone of his speech would be more serious in nature. He said, look, I would love to give the funny dad speech and I would h some time, but indicated that the times are too serious right now to engage in that.
It will be most interesting I think to hear from Tiffany Trump. She has been in school for much of the campaign and just graduated this past spring and really has not been heard very often on the campaign trail, just once or twice in interviews and CNN town halls. She's pretty soft-spoken, so it will be interesting to see what sort of anecdote she brings about her dad.
Of course, Donald Trump is a big family man. These children tonight he -- he stands to benefit from them, telling anecdotes so we'll see if they'll make up for what many said was lacking in Melania Trump's speech last night -- Erin.
BURNETT: Sunlen, thank you very much.
On that note, David Gergen, last night, you said you wanted those personal anecdotes from Melania and that was not what her speech was about. You heard Don Jr., speaking to Dana Bash and he did seem to indicate I would like to do that, but I'd like to talk about the future of the country.
So, are we going to get it from him? Are we going to get it from Tiffany? Do we need to get it?
GERGEN: Yes, we need to get it, and the Trump camp must regret that they didn't have a couple of anecdotes they could tell last night and they could have steered clear of the controversy that erupted thereafter.
But the overall impression I think will be positive for Donald Trump even though Melania Trump has emerged as a figure of controversy. I think she can still walk away with her dignity and she still left leaving a woman of strong values and the Trump camp staff really mishandled it badly today. That didn't help her at all, but what we haven't heard from is Donald Trump is this controversy and many tonight he could possibly just say something or what I thought about, and you guys may think this is crazy, but --
(LAUGHTER)
BURNETT: Go ahead, though.
GERGEN: I think he ought to think about doing is having Melania Trump introduce him on Thursday night and walk away into it and show the bravery it takes to do that and say I'm here and we're moving ahead.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: I don't know if that would upstage Ivanka.
BURNETT: Yes.
BORGER: Because Ivanka is supposed to introduce her father on Thursday.
GERGEN: After Melania, I would put her right back out there.
BURNETT: But what could we get tonight, Gloria, from Tiffany and Don, Jr.?
BORGER: One thing I learned on reporting on this family is the one thing they all say about their father is that his life is his work.
BURNETT: Yes.
BORGER: And their lives as children were going to the office. He'd call them up and say hey, come on over, I'm working, but it was on his turf, on his terms and I think Don, Jr., who now works with his father might talk about his father in terms of their work together and what work his father can then do for the country and how his father gets business done, and how he leads and how he finishes things that he starts. And I think that -- that is something that all of the children agree on and Don in particular, I think.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: This is what I think, it's not just that we get it from the family because it's interspersed into the program over the next several nights also are business associates.
[19:45:03] People who have worked for the Trump organization, people that have --
BURNETT: Trump Winery.
CHALIAN: Exactly. That's a perfect example.
So, it's not just up to the family that will flush out Trump's character and because his business is so central to who he is now, expect himself. I think we're going to get other pieces of that character from these other witnesses, as well.
MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: This convention has so far been so different, for example, than what we saw with Mitt Romney, where Ann Romney got out there and really humanized him in an amazing way that he really needed at that moment in the campaign. That's why all of the controversy over last night has put such a cloud over this because Donald Trump has a huge problem with, you know, married women who are not sure about his temperament.
And that's why we need these little anecdotes here tonight from tiffany, from Ivanka on Thursday. Those are going to be the most important messages potentially coming out of this convention.
BURNETT: So, and, Jeff, the question is, are they are they going to do that? Are they going to do that? Are they going to accomplish that?
LORD: Yes, I think they'll accomplish it. You know, one of the things I think we get too carried away with, not just at this convention, but any conventions, are these little moments, you know. How much do they --
BURNETT: Right now, I just want to interrupt you because Paul Ryan will take the stage for the formal announcement of the roll call of the states. Let's listen in to Speaker Ryan.
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), HOUSE SPEAKER: Hey, guys.
(APPLAUSE)
BURNETT: So, this is Speaker Paul Ryan, and as you can see, he's been greeting some people and some people he knows. He will be giving the formal announcement of results and the appointment of what they call the committee to escort as the formal pomp and circumstance of this convention continues tonight where it will be the family, the Trump family, as you saw, will be escorted and not exactly sure what he's waiting for, David Chalian. But, obviously, this is a very important moment because Speaker Ryan was expected to be here yesterday for the gaveling in for the announcement of ceremonies and he was not. Having him here is significant as the speaker of the House.
CHALIAN: One of the things we will see tonight in the program with Speaker Ryan that is interesting, Senator McConnell will be there, as well, and we are going to hear from senators, ten freshmen senators and it is so interesting that the ultimate outsider candidate wants to spend some of the major convention night ensconced around the Washington office-holders as a sign of unity that the party is indeed coming together.
BURNETT: Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, you've got them all here.
BORGER: He hasn't unified the Republican Party to the extent that Mitt Romney had, and Mitt Romney lost as we all recall, but he did have 93 percent of Republicans supporting him and Donald Trump right now has about two-thirds, I would say, of Republicans.
And so, this sort of rally around the establishment is a way to kind of let those voters who are persuadable Republicans know that, well, they're speaking at my convention. They may not have endorsed, but they're speaking at my convention.
BURNETT: Do, David, what's --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Let's listen to the speaker.
RYAN: Does any state wish to cast or change its vote?
Take place at his microphone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman --
RYAN: The gentleman seeks recognition.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To contest the vote that Alaska cast as was recorded by the secretary. It was misrecorded by the secretary. We cast 12 votes for Senator Ted Cruz, 11 votes for Donald Trump and five votes for Rubio. That was pursuant to the Alaska state of Alaska rules for our party, 100 percent of our delegation agrees that that is the proper vote.
[19:50:03] We were never notified of anything different by the RNC. We were never consulted. Our national committee people weren't consulted. Our attorney wasn't consulted. We were never told that you were going to miscount our votes tonight.
RYAN: The gentleman will suspend.
(INAUDIBLE)
RYAN: Is the gentleman requesting a poll of the delegation of Alaska?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I'm requesting a poll of the delegation of Alaska and that those votes be accurately recorded in this convention.
RYAN: The delegate has taken exception to the correctness of the vote for the delegation from Alaska. Accordingly, the convention staff will report to the delegation to supervise the poll.
(INAUDIBLE)
BURNETT: All right. David Chalian, what are we witnessing here?
CHALIAN: What we are witnessing is at the very beginning of the roll call vote when Alaska cast their ballot the recording secretary recorded it as all the delegates for Donald Trump and now, the Alaska delegation is saying that is not how the state rules go. Every state has to submit to the RNC a delegate selection plan that gets approved and they said that's not how our rules operate.
We had some -- Cruz got some, Trump got some and now they're trying to get that corrected.
BURNETT: All right. They want to split it between Trump and Cruz. All right. We will take a brief break here as they work that out and
we'll be right back as our coverage continues here with Speaker Ryan and the final count here in Cleveland.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:55:43] BURNETT: And we are here from the floor of the convention here in Cleveland waiting for the formal announcement of results from Speaker Paul Ryan. I am here with Dana Bash.
Dana, that was expected to be a quick thing. Obviously, now, checking for Alaska and they're playing the music and obviously we anticipate any moment, Paul Ryan will take that stage and formally announce the results.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. What's going on with Alaska now seems to be unclear right now if it's truly a parliamentarian issue or if it's more along the lines of a last gasp. But I was over the Alaska delegation, and there is a mix of who they support, but they get the deal.
One thing I will say is that given what is going on right now, what's going on right now and given what we thought might happen on the floor, all of the whips and the people who are in charge of keeping the delegations in line were all over the place trying to make sure, they were worried about Texas, they were worried about D.C. and other states, Utah, especially. It didn't happen.
BURNETT: Right. It didn't happen, and you were there at that moment when it went over the top with Donald Trump, Jr., and when you were talking to the children you interviewed them right afterward moments ago. Tears in their eyes. You actually saw the emotion.
What was it like?
BASH: It really was. I mean, it was the most human of moments. I say human, even though most people on the planet they never imagine doing what they just did, but they're very much people in the public eye. They're famous people, but this was as sort of intimate as you could possibly think of in that they especially Don Jr., was able to put his father over the top.
So, give him the votes needed to be the nominee officially, and, you know, there were a lot of people over there, a lot of cameras pushing and shoving, and you couldn't see, but they were very emotional trying to hold back their tears.
BURNETT: Along with Tiffany Trump. Our live coverage from the convention hall in Cleveland continues now with "A.C.360."
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Erin, Dana, thanks very much.
In this convention hall tonight, a climactic moment for the presidential campaign that once seemed improbable, to say the least. The Republicans officially making Donald Trump the nominee a short while ago. I'm Anderson Cooper and welcome to "AC360."
Republicans coming together here in Cleveland on the second night of their convention. Right now, the party is gearing up for a show of unity, Trump himself, the GOP nominee, will make an appearance tonight long distance from New York. He'll kick off the segment called, "We Stand United" showcasing GOP leaders in Washington who are rallying behind him.
Also on tap tonight, Trump's family in the spotlight again with prime time speeches by his oldest son, Donald, Jr., also his youngest daughter Tiffany. Trump camp is trying to move beyond a new distraction, allegations part of Melania's speech was plagiarized from Michelle Obama in the 2008 convention speech and overshadowed the largely positive reaction for Mrs. Trump last night.
Once again, we are watching the convention action unfold from the top of the double-decker studio and Wolf Blitzer is on the convention floor with more on what we can expect tonight -- Wolf.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Anderson, tonight Republicans will focus jobs and the economy with the theme, "Make America Work Again", but they're also planning a full-scale assault on Hillary Clinton's record and her character. Former prosecutors will play out the case against Hillary Clinton. Chief among them, the New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, the Trump opponent-turned-supporter who was passed over for the vice presidential slot.
Jake Tapper is with me right now.
What does the lineup signal, the lineup that Republicans have put together, Jake, for tonight?
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: They're going to be talking about jobs and the economy, trying to create jobs.
There is also an interesting subtext within this evening's speakers, members of Congress. Obviously, there's been a lot of tension between the Republican leadership on the Hill and Donald Trump, and yet you wouldn't know that by looking at the lineup. You have the Senate majority Leader Mitch McConnell. You have House Speaker Paul Ryan.
