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Erin Burnett Outfront
Awaiting Trump Rally in Must-Win Ohio; Melania Trump Issues Statement, Demands Retraction and Apology; Michelle Obama Slams Trump for Bragging About Sexual Assault; Polls Show Trump's Path to the White House Narrowing. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired October 13, 2016 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:05] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT next, breaking news. Donald Trump live this hour fighting back, ranting, calling the sexual assault allegations outright lies. Can he recover?
Plus, Ivanka Trump on the campaign trail today, can she defend her father? And more Trump on tape tonight. His words now coming back to haunt him. You will hear the tapes. Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening, I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news. Trump on fire. Donald Trump with a long, angry tirade firing back, ranting against charges of sexual assault blaming everyone from the Clintons to the media, to the accusers themselves.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: These vicious claims, about me with inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false. These claims are all fabricated. They're pure fiction. And they're outright lies. These events never, ever happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: In the last 24 hours four more women have come forward with damning accounts of Trump groping them. Forcing himself on them. One of them Jessica Leeds says Trump fondled and kissed her against her will during a flight in the 1980s. She is speaking out to CNN tonight and was asked whether anyone else witnessed the incident.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA LEEDS, TOLD NYT DONALD TRUMP TOUCHED HER INAPPROPRIATELY: The guy in the seat across the aisle could see. And I kept thinking well maybe the stewardess is going to come and he'll stop. But she never came.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think how long that went on for?
LEEDS: Not real long, no, no. I would say it was just about, what, 15 minutes. That's long enough.
COOPER: That's a long time.
LEEDS: Yes. COOPER: Did he actually kiss you?
LEEDS: Yes. Yes.
COOPER: On the face? On the lips?
LEEDS: Wherever he could find a landing spot, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Brand new evidence of just how damaging the allegations and the "Access Hollywood" tape have been for Trump, a new national poll from FOX News shows Clinton holding a seven point lead among likely voters. That is a sharp increase for her in just one week. Now, Donald Trump is speaking live as I said at this hour. We're going to be monitoring that. It is a must-win state of Ohio where he is speaking.
Sara Murray is OUTFRONT. She is at that rally. She is in Cincinnati. And Sara, Trump, I mean, it is fair to say ranting. Angry is not a strong enough word about these allegations. Do you expect him to talk about this again tonight? He spent a lot of time on it today.
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, that's what we're waiting to see when he takes the stage here. And just in a few minutes, we have seen Donald Trump clearly very agitated by these allegations. Very upset about it. Though he has been vehemently denying that he has ever sexually assaulted anyone. And we're seeing Donald Trump really do what Donald Trump does, which involves hitting back. Even at the women who are making these accusations. He even suggests at one of his earlier events today that one of the women wasn't even attractive enough to be worth his time.
Now obviously Erin, and this all at very difficult time for the Trump campaign. He's been struggling in the policy and as he's been campaigning across Ohio. There's at least one bright spot that he's been looking at and that is a new NBC News Wall Street Journal Marist poll. It's shows Donald Trump at 42 percent right here in the Buckeye State compared to Hillary Clinton's 41 percent. Now, Donald Trump of course sees that as a one point lead. And it is. But it is also within the margin of error. So, we're very tight race right here in Ohio -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Sara. And let's go to Manu Raju, he is in Wisconsin tonight in Madison following the House Speaker Paul Ryan.
And Manu, you have been talking to your sources on The Hill. Obviously now, you have got four more women. Right? The numbers have been going up. They are telling you, not the women but the leaders of the GOP, that this is causing panic.
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And it is not just one groping allegation or another. It is a sum total of events that is causing this alarm within Republican circles. And it is the national polling. When Republican officials are telling me that they cannot see Donald Trump afford to lose this race from anywhere from seven, eight, nine, 10 or 11 points. If he does that will be cause for a possible Democratic wave. That means that possibly the Senate can flip which we've been expecting is a possibility for a while. But also the house.
Thirty seats, Democrats need to pick up in order to take back the House. And that is the alarm that Paul Ryan has been sounding behind the scenes and publicly as well. But yesterday on a conference call, I'm told by a donor on this conference call with his top fundraisers, he said that the House could certainly flip because of Donald Trump standings. Which is why that Paul Ryan now is trying to rile up support from different groups, including here at the University of Wisconsin tomorrow where he'll actually be talking to young Republicans trying to urge them to get involved in this process. A lot of concerns coming from Republican circles here. And one fun fact about the University of Wisconsin, Erin, this is also my Alma Mater -- Erin.
[19:05:06] BURNETT: All right, Manu. Thank you very much. And we're now -- when you look at the number of women who have come forward here. Ten women say Trump sexually assaulted them in some way. Who are they?
Jessica Schneider is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the denial that's opening the flood gates.
COOPER: You bragged that you have sexually assaulted women. Do you understand that?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: No I didn't say that at all. I don't think you understood what was said. This is locker room talk.
COOPER: Have you ever done those things --
TRUMP: And women have respect for me. And I will tell you, no I have not.
SCHNEIDER: Jessica Leeds says Trump is lying. She tells the "New York Times" she spent decades suppressing the memory of Trump fondling her onboard a flight to New York in the 1980s when she was upgraded to first class.
LEEDS: I sat down next to a young man and he introduced himself as Donald Trump. It was a real shock when all of a sudden, his hands were all over me. He started encroaching on my space. He was like an octopus. It was like he had six arms. He was all over the place.
SCHNEIDER: Leeds said she ran back to coach. Another woman Rachel Crooks tells The Times, Trump assaulted her when she was 22, when she was standing next to him inside Trump Tower in 2005. She said she introduced herself. They shook hands but then Trump began kissing her on the cheeks. And then she says he kissed me directly on the mouth. CNN has not verified these claims.
TRUMP: These vicious claims, about me, of inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false.
SCHNEIDER: Donald Trump digging in, repeatedly discrediting these claims. Even attacking the People Magazine reporter Natasha Stoynoff who wrote this about her experience interviewing Trump and his wife Melania in 2005. "We walked into that room alone. And Trump shut the door behind us. I turned around and within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat." Stoynoff saying, Trump smiled and leaned forward. "You know we're going to have an affair, don't you?" He declared. "We're going to have an affair. I'm telling you."
TRUMP: You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don't think so.
SCHNEIDER: But women keep coming forward. One telling the Palm Beach post, Trump grabbed her at an event in Mar-A-Lago in 2003. "This was a pretty good nudge, more of a grab. It was pretty close to the center of my butt. I was startled. I jumped." Mindy McGillivray says, she told family and friends but didn't report it to authorities. She told the Palm Beach post, she realizes she may be scrutinized for coming forward now. Especially since she has a long list of traffic arrests and a misdemeanor conviction for DUI and child neglect.
Former Miss Utah Temple Taggart says she was with her father at the Miss USA pageant in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1997 when Donald Trump he kissed her.
TEMPLE TAGGART, FORMER MISS UTAH: He turned to me and embraced me and gave me a kiss on the lips. And I remember being shocked.
SCHNEIDER: Erin Burnett recounted her friend's story right after this tape was released.
TRUMP: I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her.
SCHNEIDER: Burnett says that her friend told her this.
BURNETT: "She said the Tic Tacs, that's exactly what Trump did to me. Trump took Tic Tacs suggesting I take them also. He then leaned in, catching me off guard and kissed me almost on the lips."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: Trump's team calling these allegations politically motivated and politically timed. Trump's lawyers also sent a letter to the "New York Times" demanding a retraction, and an apology and threatening a lawsuit. But Trump's team says that it is -- I'm sorry -- the "New York Times" said it is not backing down. It is not issuing a retraction. And its executive editor even saying that this story constitutes public service journalism -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Jessica. And OUTFRONT now, the Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for the Trump Organization Jill Martin. She's worked for Donald Trump for six years.
And Jill, you and I once spoke about a story actually in the "New York Times." Women and Donald Trump. Let me give you a chance just to respond. You have heard these women. One of them saying he grabbed her genitals, her breasts. Another saying when his wife briefly left that interview, this is the People Magazine reporter, within seconds he pushed her against the wall. Forced his tongue down her throat. Trump calling these women and others, there are ten now, quote, "horrible, horrible liars." Are you a hundred percent certain that every single one of these women are horrible liar?
JILL MARTIN, VICE PRESIDENT AND ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Look, I'm not going to attack or criticize the women. But what I do know is, I believe Donald when he says that and I believe them because I know him and I know his character. And I've seen him around women. Thousands of women that have worked for him including myself and he's treated us with nothing but respect and appropriately. And he's always been someone who none of us would ever imagine he would do something like this. It is just completely inconsistent with his character and our own personal experiences. So, because of that, I believe him when he says he didn't do anything inappropriate with women.
[19:10:03] BURNETT: So, when he said today in response to the allegation from the People Magazine Reporter that he assaulted her too. Let me just play for you exactly what he said about her specific story. Here he is, Jill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Take a look. You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don't think so. I don't think so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: When he said "look at her," is that problematic? Is that how you deny insulting someone? Sort of implying -- I don't know what he was implying but it sort of it could be taken to imply she wasn't good looking enough for him do that to her.
MARTIN: Well, I don't think that is what he was saying at all. And I think it's pretty clear from the statement itself, he says look at her words. He's saying look at the entire picture. Look at the story. Look at what she's saying. It is unbelievable what she's saying. So he's trying to defend himself like he should. If you are accused of things such as this. You would defend yourself as well. And he's telling America to look at this whole story and look at what's really going on and judge for yourself. And when I look at this I judge him based on the character I know him to have and it is inconsistent with her story.
BURNETT: So, Jill, I understand that. And that is the capacity in which you know him. Which is fair. But in your role, of course as one of the chief counsels of the Trump organization, if ten women came forward to you saying these stories that were all very consistent about the same man, would you take them seriously? Would you investigate them? What would you do if you found out that indeed that man had did those things?
MARTIN: Of course any time there is a situation such as this we would take it very seriously and we would investigate it. Now, the interesting thing here is people are coming forward, sometimes decades later. That automatically gives me a reason to think twice about whether there is credibility to what these women are saying or not. If something happens to you, you should definitely bring it forward. And in our company we encourage people -- everyone, if there is anything that's inappropriate to always come forward.
BURNETT: So, yes --
MARTIN: And in my experience in the past six years that experience nothing like this has come forward about Mr. Trump. Now, I will say even today reporters are going after former employees, current employees, digging them up on social media to try to get them to say something about, negative about Mr. Trump. They are not asking them what was your experience. They are asking them, did Mr. Trump do anything inappropriate? Is there anything you can think of? Is there anyone you can think off that might say something inappropriate because we want to talk to them? Now, I don't think that is really fair journalism.
BURNETT: So, let me take each of your points though just to respond so people understand. You are right some of these events did happen of course in the case of the woman on the airplane. That was three decades. Others of them are much more recent. A woman I know is in 2010. But what is significant about these stories is that there are people that these individuals spoke to at the time that this happened, that they said that this happened and of course that they are saying it came out because of the tape, itself.
That the tape of him saying these things and then him being asked about it in the debate. So, that is why they are saying it came out now just to make sure everyone understands as you of course know, Jill. But I do want to ask you about that tape. And just ask you as Jill Martin, not even necessarily in your capacity as general counsel for Donald Trump. Let me just play a brief clip from that tape one more time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: 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 are a star they let you do it. You can do anything.
BILLY BUSH, FORMER "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" HOST: Whatever you want.
TRUMP: Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Jill, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about this today. And I want to play it for because I think it is important for you to hear what happens to her voice at the end of this. Here she is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, US FIRST LADY: A candidate for the president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women. And I have to tell you that I -- I can't stop thinking about this. It has shaken me to my core in a way that I couldn't have predicted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Jill, when you heard that tape, how did you personally feel? When you heard your boss talking about grabbing women by the p-word.
MARTIN: Of course, you know, I thought it was not appropriate commentary from him and he's apologized for that. And I think I've accepted his apology and others have as well. We know it wasn't the appropriate thing to say but people oftentimes say things in private that they wouldn't want to be made public. And, you know, it's again, not really representative of who he is and he knows that and he's made that very clear and he's made clear that this is not who he is and how he will act going forward.
BURNETT: So, have you talked to him about these accusations? Have you had a chance to discuss them with him?
MARTIN: No. I haven't talked to him about these accusations specifically and nor do I feel that there is a need to. I've heard what he has to say about it and I've heard what has been said to the other side and I know what my personal experience is and the experience that many other women in our company have had and I think that is enough for me to know that what's been said is not true.
[19:10:08] BURNETT: All right. Jill, thank you very much. I appreciate your time.
MARTIN: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, despite mounting allegations, Trump's most loyal supporters are standing by their man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd rather have a guy in there that likes women than a cheat and a liar and a thief.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus, was Trump sending anti-Semitic messages during his rally today? We're going to explain exactly what he said.
And the Twitter storm over Bob Dylan's surprising Nobel Prize.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:18:55] BURNETT: Breaking news. We're waiting for Donald Trump to take the stage in a rally in Cincinnati tonight. This comes as Trump's running mate Mike Pence just spoke and for the first time addressed the growing number of women who are accusing Trump of sexual assault.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MIKE PENCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: As the media spends so much time on unsubstantiated allegations against my running mate, allegations that he has categorically denied, they denied the hard evidence or any coverage of the hard evidence of nothing less than the corruption and the deceit of the Clintons and the Clinton machine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And tonight, despite the damning claims against Trump, his supporters are not giving up on their nominee. Ed Lavandera went to talk to them OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Trump faithful are standing by their man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd rather have a guy in there that likes women than a cheat and a liar and a thief who's going to rob the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- with all of these issues about women. They didn't care about anything but Clinton was assaulting women and he was assaulted to a point that it went to court and Hillary was covering up for him and intimidating these women.
LAVANDERA: In the last day at least four women have come forward claiming Donald Trump grope them or kissed them against their will. But at this Trump campaign rally in West Palm Beach Florida, his supporters question the motivations of the women making the accusations.
ROSA CASTILLO, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: If somebody touch me in the wrong way, I Rosa Castillo will stand up and speak and say what I have to say and -- happen. I would not wait twenty years when the man is running for president and use that against the man. Why you did not report it back in the day? Why? Because you being paid now? The corruption pay you good money for you come out now and say this?
TRUMP: And so now, we address the slander and libels that was just last night thrown at me by the Clinton machine.
LAVANDERA: Trump is in full attack mode, whether it's his opponent, the media or his accusers.
TRUMP: These people are horrible people. They are horrible, horrible liars and interestingly, it happens to appear 26 days before our very important election. Isn't that way amazing?
LAVANDERA: Trump accused the Hillary Clinton campaign of pushing these stories of sexual misconduct.
TRUMP: These vicious claims about me of inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false.
(CROWD CHEERING)
And the Clintons know it. And they know it very well. These claims are all fabricated. They are pure fiction and they are outright lies.
LAVANDERA: Fact or fiction these supporters don't care about the allegations against Trump. They want to focus on the Clintons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get rid of her. She's garbage. She's a cheat. She's a liar --
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA: End Erin, Donald Trump also said today in Florida that they have substantial evidence to prove that these accusers are lying and that that information would be released at the appropriate time. That wasn't done today but all of the people that we spoke with at the rally here today in Florida standing by Donald Trump unfazed by these latest accusations -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Ed, thank you very much.
OUTFRONT now, our panel Scottie Nell Hughes, a Donald Trump supporter. Lisa Bloom, the attorney for Jill Harth who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Donald Trump. Abby Phillip, a reporter for the Washington Post and Mark Preston, the executive editor for CNN Politics.
I just want to start here with the breaking news. I don't know if you all had a chance because it literally is just crossing into my e-mail right now. Melania Trump has just come out with a statement, a demand for a retraction and an apology specifically related to the People Magazine reporter. She's the one who told the story of how she was interviewing Trump and Melania together. Melania left and then Donald Trump accosted her within seconds said they would have had an affair. Stuck his tongue down her throat. Later was in a massage room waiting for her when she came in there.
[19:23:13] That's part of the account. It ends with her saying that she bumped into Melania on Fifth Avenue. And this statement says that that is not true. It says, at the time in question, Mrs. Trump would not even have recognized Ms. Stoynoff, that's the People Magazine reporter if they had encountered one another on the street and saying, your publication of this false statement is actionable and gives rise to claims of damages.
So they are taking issue, Mark Preston with three things. Saying the reporter never bumped into Melania Trump outside Trump Tower after the incident happened. That the little exchange was reported in the magazine between Melania and this reporter where she sort of gave the little baby baron a squeeze on the foot never happened. But what I find fascinating Mark Preston is it doesn't dispute any of the actual events that were sexual assault.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well because how can Melania Trump say that they occurred. They didn't occur when she wasn't there. I mean, look at, here is the problem right now for Donald Trump. This is the second time we've seen his wife have to put a statement out in less than a week defending her husband against charges of in this case sexual misconduct on Saturday afternoon on the basis that he was a good man and that he didn't mean anything by the comments that we heard on that "Access Hollywood" tape.
When we see Donald Trump out there on the campaign having to open up all of his rallies trying to defend himself from multiple allegations, it just shows you that his whole campaign right now is in absolute tail spin. I don't know how he's going convince people that, A, he didn't do it, and that B, that he has the fortitude to be the president of the United States in this final 26 days. It's very, very difficult.
BURNETT: And Scottie, what is your response to this? Because Melania Trump here is questioning one aspect of this story that she personally would have knowledge of. She doesn't question the sexual assault itself in this particular letter. And this is not a statement saying, I support my husband or I stand by my husband. It is not anything even remotely close to that.
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well I think Mark is correct. She only addressed the issues that concerned her. Her previous statement this week did say that she believes all these allegations are false and that she's standing by her husband. And the words said were not the man that she had been able to do.
BURNETT: Talking about the tapes.
NELL HUGHES: Once again --
BURNETT: Talking about the tapes.
NELL HUGHES: Once again --
BURNETT: Right. Nothing about any of these allegations, specific women that have come forward.
NELL HUGHES: Because she already addressed it. Listen, this is going to happen every day. You might as well go on file 26 more names probably that's going to happen. The Clinton campaign and the minions in the media are going to continue to pour out because they don't want to discuss once again the issues. We're talking about hearsay. There is no hard proof proving that any of these women allegations are true.
This is complete mud-slinging and maybe if there was an ounce of truth to any of them, it looks a little bit bad when you're doing this 26 days before the allegations. You should have done this if you really were concerned about your safety and what it happened to you and about future victims not being assaulted, you should have done this with in time if it actually happening, not to --
BURNETT: Now, to be clear, to be clear, I just want to say that many of these women, the one I know saw the tape of Trump saying the thing about the Tic Tacs and it was so jarring for her because it happened to her that is why she spoke. Some of the other women are coming forward because when Anderson Cooper asked Donald Trump if he ever did the things that he is talking about in the tape, he categorically said no. So, they came out, they say because he lied directly in the debate.
Lisa Bloom, how many women are calling you? We talked about ten women in some capacity have come forward. Are you getting a lot of other calls?
LISA BLOOM, VICTIMS' RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Yes I am. And by the way my client Jill Hart did come out around the time that it happened to her she says back in 1997 --
BURNETT: Right.
BLOOM: -- perhaps her claim at least could be taken seriously. Yes I am getting calls from a lot of women who are absolutely terrified. I spent hours and hours every day over the last week talking to women who are terrified because Donald Trump is out there threatening to sue people. And slamming them publicly. And they know what they are in for and frankly I have to advise them of the good and the bad. Yes it is terrifying to come out publicly when you are just an ordinary person in a situation like this. It could also be very empowering to walk through the fire and tell your truth. But it is not something that most people can do. Even with a big mouth lawyer like me by their side. This is something that is really very scary for a lot of people.
BURNETT: So, Abby, how worried is Trump about this? Okay? He's slamming and saying, it is categorically untrue. These women are all saying he's liars. There is of course an irony in him saying, Bill Clinton's accusers should be heard but this women shouldn't be. Putting that aside, how worried is the campaign about this right now?
ABBY PHILLIP, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Just the fact that he had a speech scheduled today for 12:00 in which the entirety of it was devoted to this issue, it is clear sign that they are -- worried may not be the right word but infuriated is one way.
BURNETT: Infuriated. Yes.
PHILLIP: And consumed by it. I mean, this is consuming his campaign. And that in essence is actually the problem. I mean, Donald Trump needs to shut this down. He can't control other women come forward or not. But he has to shut it down. But he's not going to because it is personally going to him. He wants to fight back and that instinct is what is going to cause this to continue and continue.
BURNETT: The cycle to continue.
PHILLIP: It is a cycle.
BURNETT: Mark?
PRESTON: You know, just very quickly, you know, to what Scottie said. I think it is important to say, we haven't seen Melania Trump out there defending her husband since all of these allegations, these physical allegations and altercations taken place. She did come up with a statement after the tape was put out saying that she was repudiated by what he said. But we haven't heard her based all of these allegations from multiple women. I think that's an important point.
NELL HUGHES: Can I ask a question to this Mark though -- what could she say? You look at other people and including Mr. Trump who has come out and every single thing he has said, from his words, from his tone, other people part of his organization and they are ripped to shreds. Never have I heard somebody give them a compliment or that is, you know, that is good that they were honest or even in his apology. So what could Melania say in her last time that she came out and spoke, she was completely ripped to shreds. What could she say that --
BURNETT: This is plagiarism in a speech --
(CROSSTALK)
BLOOM: This is not about Melania Trump. I mean, Melania Trump shouldn't be responsible for Donald Trump's actions any more than Hillary Clinton should be responsible for Bill Clinton's actions --
(CROSSTALK)
-- conservative idea of personal accountability?
NELL HUGHES: Well, that's also called honesty and truth. And this is Pandora's Box because right now what we're saying is that women can come out and throw these things against anybody. Even against the people, within our own companies right now because there is no actual --
BLOOM: Yes. But most of them have corroborating witnesses from ten, twenty years ago. So were they all plotting twenty years ago that they told a friend because they knew that in 2015, 2016 Donald Trump was going to run for president? This could be a very long term conspiracy.
NELL HUGHES: Nothing was ever documented. It is not documented. In fact as many people that these women --
BLOOM: -- trial, a witness's testimony is evidence. What do you want? Videotapes? I mean, that is not how the real world works.
BURNETT: There were witnesses. There were witnesses in these cases. Of course --
BLOOM: But why --
BURNETT: -- sexual assault as we all know is very complicated. I hit pause, all of you staying with me.
Next, we're standing by for Donald Trump about to speak live in Cincinnati as Ivanka Trump is back on the trail today. Our Dana Bash tried to catch up with her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Ivanka, what was your reaction when you heard your father's tape?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: A damning video of Donald Trump talking about Mike Tyson and rape.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, Michelle Obama tearing into Trump for his treatment of women without ever mentioning him by name. She slammed him in a scathing speech in New Hampshire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA, U.S. FIRST LADY: This was not just a lewd conversation. It wasn't just locker room banter. This was a powerfully individual speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior.
To dismiss this as every day locker room talk is an insult to decent men everywhere.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
The men that you and I know don't treat women this way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Will the Trump campaign be able to stop the bleeding with women voters?
Dana Bash is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASH (voice-over): Donald Trump gets the raucous crowds buzz his daughter's trip on the trail is speaking volumes. Ivanka Trump's whirlwind schedule is targeting the areas likely to determine whether her father becomes president, the suburbs of Philadelphia.
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: I wouldn't be able to go into the office every day if I didn't have a safe place to bring my child.
BASH: She played it very safe, fielding several of the same softballs that multiple events, like why she thinks her father would make a good president, then darting out, ignoring our attempts to ask questions.
[19:35:06] First, in Chester County.
(on camera): Ivanka, what was your reaction when you heard your father's tape?
(voice-over): And again later in Delaware County.
(on camera): Ivanka, can you answer a question?
(voice-over): She preaches to the choir, Pennsylvania women already all in on Donald Trump, despite lewd language caught on tape and the new multiple allegations of groping.
JESSICA CURTIS, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I'm voting for Donald Trump.
BASH (on camera): You sound a little reluctant when you say that. It's been a hard road.
MELISSA BRAITHWAITE, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: He wasn't saying what he does to women per se. I think he was just bragging.
BASH (voice-over): Team Trump is hoping local media coverage will help with the political reality not reflected inside these suburban Philly events. GOP officials privately tell us that Donald Trump's 2005 comments hurt him big time here, especially among women. A new poll shows Trump trailing Hillary Clinton by a whopping 43 percent among female voters, right here in the Philly suburbs.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The suburbs of Philadelphia, because we got to get that vote. We want to get that vote.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump is the changed candidate and the right person to get things done.
BASH: A group called "Women for Trump" is feverishly trying to do just that. Even those who are not thrilled with his behavior.
MARLENE FURGIUELE-MENTZER, MEMBER, WOMEN FOR TRUMP: I'm a feminist. And, of course, it bothered me. However the topics that are facing this country are far greater than the words on that tape.
BASH: On the suburban Philadelphia streets, some female Trump supporters say they are motivated by their opposition to Hillary Clinton.
COLLEN GREEN, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: I think she's a liar. I think she's a fraud. I think she covers up a lot of things.
BASH: But the owner of this yoga studio in Westchester, PA, says her female clients are now more likely to vote Hillary.
SUSAN SLUK, OWNER OF EAT, RAY, OM: I'm hearing a lot of women that are really starting to dig their heels in and feel empowered about themselves based upon what's happening in the campaign.
BASH: Even some who say she is hardly their first choice.
HANNAH COLLINS, PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: If it were any other Republican candidate, maybe I would, like try to write Bernie in, but it is just not the time for a protest vote.
BASH: Democrats at this Clinton phone bank say Trump is making their jobs easier.
DR. VAL ARKOOSH, COMMISSIONER OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA: A number of people have said to me that what was sort of an I'm going to hold my nose and vote for Secretary Clinton has now turned into steadfast support.
BASH: The question is whether Ivanka or any Trump can turn that around in under four weeks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BASH: And officials we talked to here on the ground, Erin, particularly Republicans, say that they are shocked at how many undecided voters there are still in their private polling. Voters that Donald Trump is going to have to turn around because it is hard to see the electoral map reaching that magic 270 at this point without turning this blue state of Pennsylvania red for him.
BURNETT: All right. Dana, thank you very much.
The panel is back with me. Hillary Clinton supporter Maria Cardona joins me as well. Her firm currently does work for a pro-Clinton super PAC.
Ivanka Trump has been would have been Donald Trump's most effective and touted supporters. You guys all know this. And she was out on the trail today. You know, she gave her big speech a week ago about child care. That's what she talked about in the convention. But today, she was on the trail.
In the midst of him ranting for almost his entire rally about these issues of assault, she did not talk about it. She didn't defend him. You heard Dana Bash trying to get her attention, asking her, she did not say anything. How damaging is her silence?
PRESTON: Well, I don't know what she can say. She looks up to her father. She adores her father. I mean, that's clear. They are very, very tight at father and daughter.
I'm not sure what she could say on the campaign trail other than these are false. These are lies. This is now who my father is.
She did say though several months ago to CBS News that my father is not a groper. She made that clear when some other allegations had popped up. So, she has defended him in the past.
Her role in Pennsylvania was supposed to be very key, which is interesting, now that we see hem slipping in the polls. Pennsylvania is one of the states that he really needs to win. And she was expected to be quite a person to help him try to get these suburban women voters. But we see that he's losing women voters as well as male voters. BURNETT: Now, Scottie, I remember that moment. And it was -- it sort
of made you cringe do hear Ivanka Trump have to say my father is not a groper. She's been his top surrogate on women's issues. Here is how she described him I think perhaps best to Poppy Harlow here on CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVANKA TRUMP: He'd be amazing for women in this country. He would be incredible for women in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, Scottie, before she's been willing to say that, but now, nothing. That's the question. Why nothing now?
NELL HUGHESS: Because I think she's a very classy lady. These are still allegations. There is no actual proof any of these allegations have happened.
So why address them? Why give them more credibility?
[19:40:01] Why give them anymore coverage in the news? Why don't we actually address the issues?
And right now, you look at it. And Hillary -- and you look at Chelsea Clinton, who's not been harassed by reporters running down the hallway asking her about her father's 17 allegations. Some of those women have been settled, some of those court cases have been handled within there are proof in regards to Bill Clinton, but nobody is hounding Chelsea Clinton.
So, I think Ivanka is just saying, you know what, I'm not going to address this. This is not what women are caring about today. Plus, honestly, Erin, we know this is just how the Democrats have worked.
2008, they painted John McCain as a sexist. They said he was having affair with a lobbyist. And yet later on, no, we didn't really allege that.
And 2012, they made Mitt Romney out for putting his dog up on his roof and they made him to be putting women in binders and denying cancer treatment to patients.
BURNETT: OK.
HUGHES: This is a Democrat playbook. So, we're used to this.
BURNETT: Maria?
MARIA CARDONA, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: The reason what Ivanka is doing is necessary but not enough is because she's speaking to the choir. You know, we saw in Dana's report that she's not speaking to decided voters. And she's speaking in these very safe forums.
BURNETT: These are people who are voting for Donald Trump. CARDONA: These are people who are voting for Donald Trump. If she
was at rallies with real, undecided voters, of course, she would get these questions. Even in small groups of women, because yes, this is an issue.
It burns me when Trump supporters say, oh, but we have to get back to talking about the issues. When you have a candidate who's demeaned and degraded and clearly has -- from what we are hearing from these women, and yes they are allegations but they seem to be really racking it up, but he's acted like a sexual predator, this is 53 percent of the electorate that we're talking about.
So, when you have somebody who wants to be commander in chief, it is as an issue in terms of how you are going to treat women. And that's why Michelle Obama's speech was so phenomenal.
BURNETT: Abby, the FOX News poll today, Clinton beating Trump by 19 points with female voters, 51-32. Anything related to women is a core issue for him, because he cannot win with those numbers.
ABBY PHILLIP, THE WASHINGTON POST: Right. I mean, to Maria's point, it's half of the electorate. It's not like a niche group here. I mean, for Ivanka to come out and talk about this stuff I think would be I think quite extraordinary. She has to stay in her lane here.
BURNETT: Right.
PHILLIP: She needs to defend her father as a father figure as a businessman as she's done in the past talking about his hiring of women and promoting of women within the context of the business. But it would be really tricky for her to get kind of muddied up in the stuff about his behavior, when she wasn't present for it. She may not know anything about it.
And for her own business -- I mean, she's a businesswoman in her own right. I think Ivanka would be really hesitant to get her name tied up.
CARDONA: I also feel really bad for her, because we've seen in some of the reports she's been the focus of some of his ogling as well. How do you respond to that? It's impossible.
PHILLIP: She's in an impossible position.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks to all.
And next Donald Trump's own words coming back to haunt him. Like these.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: You had a young woman in his hotel room late in the evening at her own will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Why was he defending a convicted rapist in that case?
Plus, was Trump sending anti-Semitic messages during his rally today? All of that and the path to 270, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:47:09] BURNETT: Breaking news: Donald Trump about to take the stage at a rally in Cincinnati. It comes as he's fighting back against multiple allegations of sexual assault, he calls them totally absolutely false. But he also seemed to imply that one accuser wasn't attractive enough for him to pursue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: Take a look. You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don't think so. I don't think so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: This is not the first time Trump has dismissed alleged victims of assault.
Brian Stelter is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the torrent of lewd, vulgar comments that surfaced in this 2005 video, those last five words "they let you do it" may be the most telling.
Summing up Donald Trump's well-documented words over almost a quarter of a century, dismissing stories of sexual assault and questioning or blaming the victim.
1992, after boxer Mike Tyson's rape conviction, Trump blamed the victim.
TRUMP: You have a young woman that was in his room, his hotel room, late in the evening, at her own will. It's to my extent that to a large extent, Mike Tyson was railroaded in this case.
STELTER: Trump also speaking to Howard Stern, charging in fact that Tyson was victimized by women.
TRUMP: He walks into a room and the women start grabbing him and grabbing his ass and grabbing anything else they can grab --
STELTER: More recently, Trump dismissed concerns about female teachers having sex with underage students.
TRUMP: Well, I don't think the male students have been hurt by it. I don't see a lot of damage done.
STELTER: Trump also appeared to blame women in the military, who are victims of sexual assault. In 2013, tweeting, "26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military. Only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?"
Trump did not back down when asked last month if he stood by those words.
TRUMP: Well, it is -- it is a correct tweet.
STELTER: And in July, when FOX News CEO Roger Ailes steps down in the wake of multiple charges of sexual harassment, Trump said this.
TRUMP: Some of the women that are complaining, I know how much he's helped them and now, all of a sudden, they're saying these horrible things about him.
STELTER: When asked what he would think if his daughter Ivanka were the victim of sexual harassment, Trump' answer was stunning, telling the reporter, I would like to think she would find another career or find another company if that was the case.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: That's pretty incredible. Now, Trump also getting criticism for something else he said today, Brian, and I want to play it for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Hillary Clinton meets in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty, in order to enrich these global financial powers, her special interest friends, and her donors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: That's incredibly strong language and some heard more.
STELTER: Yes, this is not normal and should not be acceptable. You know, for some listeners, Trump talked about international bankers and media and companies all conspiring against Americans.
[19:50:03] Well, first of all, it comes straight from alt right websites. But it also has echoes of anti-Semitic rhetoric from decades ago. When some people hear that, what you hear is 1930s Germany. And tonight, the Anti-Defamation League is speaking up about it. The CEO of the ADL saying in a tweet that they are concerned about the speech today, saying Team Trump should avoid rhetoric and tropes that have historically been used against Jews and still spur anti-Semitism.
He ends the tweet by saying, let's keep hate out of this campaign.
But that speech tonight, that was hate-filled. And we'll see what he says at the next rally.
BURNETT: Of course, they'll about to speak any moment. Brian, thank you.
And next, new polls out today, Ohio, North Carolina, crucial swing states. The twisting path to 270. Can Trump still do it? Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, Donald Trump about to speak in the swing state of Ohio. You can see there at that rally in Cincinnati, a new poll showing Trump with an edge on Clinton in the state, ahead by one point, within the margin of error. Multiple other polls, though, indicate that the video of Trump bragging about assaulting women is having an effect on voters.
Our political director David Chalian is OUTFRONT.
And, David, there are now a slew of new polls coming in that are in the most important states. And what are they showing in terms of the effect of this past week?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, Erin, you showed that Ohio polls. Take a look at North Carolina, that is another critical state. We've got a new poll that shows Hillary Clinton with a four- point lead, 45 to 41 percent.
And then to her blue wall of defense, take a look at this Pennsylvania poll. She got a nine-point lead here, 48 percent to 39 percent. That's a key bloc that she's trying to win. In Michigan, 42 percent to 31 percent, an eleven point lead. And in Wisconsin, she's got a seven-point lead, 44 percent to 37 percent. So, that Ohio poll is about the only welcome news Donald Trump has with the latest polls.
BURNETT: And what does all this mean, David, for his path to 270? Is it still possible?
CHALIAN: Listen, you see that we have four remaining battleground states here. So, let's give them all the Donald Trump, even though I just showed a North Carolina poll with Hillary Clinton leading, he's in the hunt in all of them, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, you mentioned, and Nevada. If he got all four of those, he's still shy of the 270 that he needs. That is why he's making such a play in Pennsylvania.
He's got to win some of that blue territory. But I just showed you, he's down nine points there.
BURNETT: All right. David Chalian, thank you very much.
And more on the breaking news tonight, Donald Trump speaking right now as you see it, in that stage in Cincinnati. He is fighting back against these allegations of sexual assault. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Thanks so much for joining us. Anderson starts now.
