Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Explosive Start to First GOP Presidential Debate; Chuck Schumer to Vote Against Iran Nuclear Deal; Carly Fiorina Shines in 'Happy Hour' Debate. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired August 07, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:04] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN: To the wee hours this morning. You know, one candidate getting strong reviews wasn't actually even on the main stage with those top ten. It was Carly Fiorina scoring huge points for her performance at the happy hour debate for the lower- ranked candidates. So how could this first debate shape up the rest of the race?

Let's begin our comprehensive debate coverage this hour with CNN chief congressional correspondent, Dana Bash, live in Cleveland.

Dana, Good morning.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. That is just one of the many ways this debate was like nothing we have ever seen before.

I believe that my phone is still lighting up with tweets from Donald Trump going after the moderators in this debate, because he was not happy with how it went or what they said about it afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump!

BASH (voice-over): Right out of the gate, Donald Trump's presence made this a very different Republican debate. A question about a pledge not to run as an independent.

BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Raise your hand now, if you won't make that pledge tonight. Mr. Trump?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I cannot say, I have to respect the person that, if it's not me, the person that wins. If I do win -- and I'm leading by quite a bit -- that's what I want to do. I can totally make that pledge. If I'm the nominee, I will pledge I will not run as an independent.

BASH: As the GOP crowd booed, Rand Paul, whose outsider status tumbled thanks to Trump, couldn't wait to pounce.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here's what's wrong. He buys and sells politicians of all stripes. He's already -- look, he's already hedging his bet on the Clintons. OK?

BASH: Though Trump later lashed out at Paul...

TRUMP: I don't think you heard me. You're having a hard time tonight.

BASH: ... most of his ire was aimed not at a competitor but the FOX moderator.

MEGYN KELLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account...

TRUMP: Only Rosie O'Donnell.

I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I've been -- I've been challenged by so many people. And I don't, frankly, have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time, either.

And honestly, Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me, but I wouldn't do that.

BASH: But the biggest fireworks flew over Trump's head between Chris Christie and Rand Paul over personal liberties versus security.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When you're sitting in the subcommittee just blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that.

PAUL: I don't trust President Obama with our records. I know you gave him a big hug. And if you want to give him a big hug again, go right ahead.

CHRISTIE: And you know -- you know, Senator Paul? Senator Paul, the hugs that I remember are the hugs that I gave to the families who lost their people on September 11.

BASH: And all GOP establishment eyes were on Jeb Bush, to see if he showed fire in the belly, often lacking in his performances.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe that the great majority of people coming here illegally have no other option. They want to provide for their family. But we need to control our border. And there should be a path to earn legal status for those that are here, not amnesty. Earned legal status.

BASH: Bush's former protege, Marco Rubio, showed off his talent for rhetorical flair.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think God has blessed us. He's blessed the Republican Party with some very good candidates. The Democrats can't even find one.

BASH: And Ohio governor, John Kasich, had this memorable moment.

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just went to a wedding of a friend of mine who happens to be gay. Because somebody doesn't think the way I do doesn't mean that I can't care about them or can't love them. So, if one of my daughters happened to be that, of course, I would love them and I would accept them.

BASH: These candidates know a key test for many GOP voters is who can best take on Hillary Clinton.

GOV. SCOTT WALKER (R-WI), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For the cyber- attack with Russia the other day, it's sad to think right now, but probably the Russian and Chinese government know more about Hillary Clinton's e-mail server than do the members of the United States Congress. And that has put our national security at risk.

BASH: But the standout moments against Clinton didn't happen at this debate, but hours earlier with the undercards.

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hillary Clinton lies about Benghazi. She lies about e-mails. She is still defending Planned Parenthood, and she is still her party's front-runner.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And Carly Fiorina was clearly the breakout star from that early happy hour debate. And we know that, actually, with some data. Google actually now tracks the searches, real time. And she was searched more than anybody else, even for a brief moment, Chris, more than Donald Trump, which is a lot more than any of these candidates can say, at least have been able to for a very long time.

[07:05:02] CUOMO: That's saying something.

BERMAN: For a moment. It didn't last. But for a moment.

CUOMO: Trump's not going to like it. He's going to say those numbers are fudged, Dana.

Dana, stay with us. Let's bring in CNN political commentator and political anchor at New York One, Mr. Errol Louis; and CNN political analyst and editor-in-chief at "The Daily Beast," John Avlon.

While we're talking about Mr. Trump, thanks to Dana, let's play a little mash-up of his moments last night. Then we'll talk about the resonance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY: You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account...

TRUMP: Only Rosie O'Donnell.

Our leaders are stupid. Our politicians are stupid.

With Hillary Clinton, I said, "Be at my wedding," and she came to my wedding.

I don't frankly have time for total political correctness. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be talking about illegal

immigration, Chris. You wouldn't even be talking about it.

I don't think you heard me. You're having a hard time tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: So, fellows, give me the up and down on it.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, he's not running for president as much as he's running for lead star in the Truman -- in the Trump show. And that -- that surreal sort of "I'm not going to prepare. I'm just going to go out and say whatever comes to mind in that moment" can be very effective in terms of turning the crowd on his side. And a lot of those tough questions, he flipped the dynamic in the room. But it didn't do him any long-term favors, and he didn't make a serious case that he could actually be president of the United States, not even a little bit.

BERMAN: Let me take the flip side here. Let me play what is widely considered to be, by many, his worst moment in the debate, when he took on Megyn Kelly. So let's play the bad, and then I want to talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: What I say is what I say. And honestly, Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me, but I wouldn't do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So my question is this. Look, Donald has risen to the top based on his support among the "pissed-off caucus." I don't know if I can say that, but I am right now.

LOUIS: You just did.

BERMAN: Now Errol...

LOUIS: What you say is what you say.

BERMAN: ... did he lose a single vote in the "pissed-off caucus" last night by anything he said on that stage? I submit maybe not.

LOUIS: No, no. Probably not. On the other hand, you know, he may -- actually, you know what? He may have lost some. Because he was being asked about sexist comments that he'd made or that -- comments that could be interpreted as incredibly sexist.

His response is to sort of adopt a bullying tone and act like a sexist jerk with the well-liked moderator of the debate, Megyn Kelly. So I don't think he did himself any good there.

Because there are times to be blunt. And to be blunt about immigration, because it's a national emergency, is one thing. To be blunt, and rude and bullying towards a woman on issues of sexism, I think, is pretty far off the mark. It doesn't advance him politically at all.

AVLON: Yes. We don't want our presidential candidates to sound like Paulie Walnuts from "The Sopranos." And that's what Trump does. But when he doubles down the next day, you know, and he's calling Megyn Kelly a "bimbo," quote, on Twitter, I mean, that's totally tone-deaf; it's totally wrong.

CUOMO: He's retweeting a tweet that calls her a bimbo.

AVLON: Fair enough.

CUOMO: You're just trying to say (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

AVLON: I appreciate that. But you know.

CUOMO: Look, let's make the point by comparison. OK. That's how Donald dealt with what he didn't like in the form of a question. Governor Kasich was also asked something that had a little bit of a stylistic snark to it. He dealt with it very differently. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY: You defended your Medicaid expansion by invoking God, saying to skeptics that, when they arrive in heaven, St. Peter isn't going to ask them how small they've kept government, but what they have done for the poor. Why should Republican voters, who generally want to shrink government, believe that you won't use your St. Peter rationale to expand every government program?

KASICH: Well, first of all -- first of all, Megyn, you should know that President Reagan expanded Medicaid three or four times.

Secondly, I had an opportunity to bring resources back to Iowa to do what? To treat the mentally ill. Ten thousand of them sit in our prisons. It costs $22,500 a year to keep them in prison. I'd rather get them their medication so they could lead a decent life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Very different way of going at it. How does this compare and contrast?

AVLON: Look, it's nice to see someone carrying the mantle of compassionate conservatism. Kasich won re-election by almost 20 points in the ultimate swing state. And to see him defiantly make a case that it's a conservative virtue to care about the poor, especially if you want to carry the mantle of evangelicals, that's a refreshing contrast to the rest of the team. And I thought he pulled it off very well.

CUOMO: Also being bigger than somebody else in the situation. Does that matter? LOUIS: You speak from the heart. You try to bring people together.

This is what professional politicians do. This is where, you know, the contrast with Trump is really quite striking. Trump hasn't needed to do that. And so he didn't. He doesn't, and he won't. And Kasich -- Kasich needed to do it. He had a couple of near-death experiences electorally in recent years, and he has figured out how to do this. And that's what you want in a politician.

BERMAN: So at the top of the polls, along with Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, has been Scott Walker. I want to play what is considered his best moment from last night. I'm going to giveth, and then I'm going to taketh away. So let's look at Scott Walker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:10:07] WALKER: Let's be clear: we should be talking about Hillary Clinton on that last subject, because everywhere in the world that Hillary Clinton touched is more messed up today than before she and the president...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. Well, he had a good clip about the e-mails also. The Russians know more about her e-mails than Congress. But the point is this: where was Scott Walker last night? On a stage with 10 candidates with big resumes, you have to prove why me, not him? Did he do that at all?

AVLON: No. He faded away. For a guy who's right in that sort of, you know, the top three candidates in most polls, he really faded into the woodwork last night. He didn't have the charisma. He had one good one-liner, which he's clearly rehearsed. But he faded away. Cruz underperformed expectations. And even Mike Huckabee, who's got the most presidential debate experience on the stage, you know, veered from bizarre to clever one-liners but didn't distinguish himself.

LOUIS: This is why, even in local races, people who are perceived as ahead don't want to share a stage with just anybody. Because you can, in fact, get shown up by them.

I think -- I think Jeb Bush had the same problem, which is that if you're supposed to have all this money, and all of this experience and all of this sort of political lead that you're sitting on top of, well, how come Marco Rubio is doing as well as you, if not better? Other people are making points.

CUOMO: All right. Good point.

Dana, I know you're standing outside. Sorry about that. Jeb Bush, his big question is...

BASH: It's all right. The weather's nice.

CUOMO: His big question is, what are you going to do about your family? That's something that is really plaguing him, because he didn't answer it effectively early on. Here's how he handled it last night. Let's get your take.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I'm going to have to earn this. Maybe the barrier, the bar is even higher for me. That's fine. I've got a record in Florida. I'm proud of my dad, and I'm certainly proud of my brother. In Florida they call me Jeb, because I earned it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: And they also call him Veto Corleone, he said. But Dana, how do you think that worked tactically? He was kind of stepping away from the name, as a way of explaining the name.

BASH: You know, I think it's the best he can do. He has made it very clear that he is not comfortable stepping away from the name. He's not comfortable throwing his family under the bus in any way, shape or form.

But he also knows that tactically, politically, it's something he has to do, if he has to have any chance of getting elected.

So his main goal, in talking to his advisers going into the debate, was to make clear that he's not just another Bush. He is Jeb Bush, with very specific credentials, with a very specific conservative record. I'm not entirely sure that came through with all of the noise on the stage, but his performance was -- was energetic at the beginning. But I think he sort of had his moments but didn't shine, necessarily.

BERMAN: Dana, you were in the spin room. You've had a chance to talk to the campaigns. Sometimes you get a feel for who is not so happy about their performance. Anyone a little bit glum this morning?

BASH: That's a good question. You know, I think that they're so -- all so, you know, kind of programmed to be on in the spin room -- it is called the spin room, after all -- that, you know, you kind of didn't get that sense immediately.

But one thing I actually do want to do play for you is something that obviously struck all of us from the moments the debate started. Was the moment with Donald Trump not promising to run as a Republican candidate.

I actually had a chance to talk to the Republican Party chair about that, who actually gave Donald Trump some cover. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, RNC: I think it's premature. I mean, I've got a pretty good feeling about where he's at on this. And I think tonight, I don't think he was ready to raise his hand. I'm dealing with the presidency of the United States. I think he's getting in a pretty good place, and that proves what I'm saying. Which is if I'm not nervous about it, I don't think anyone else should.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Or is he powerless over it?

BERMAN: I don't know. That's a lot of cover; that's not a little cover.

CUOMO: Right.

BASH: Exactly. And I have to say, there's something going on. Because now, in the past week talking to both Reince Priebus and Donald Trump, they're saying very nice things about one another. I actually asked Priebus if there's some kind of double secret probation conversation going on that nobody knows about between the two of them. He kind of deflected but, you know, it's definitely worth some digging from all of us.

CUOMO: I think Trump put it right last night. You know, he's like, "Look, I'm not going to give up my leverage." He has the leverage.

BERMAN: Donald Trump likes Donald Trump. Likes where he is right now.

CUOMO: Everybody does. Right?

BERMAN: According to Donald Trump.

CUOMO: All right. Errol, John, Dana, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Now coming up, we're going to speak with who's being called the happy hour debate winner, Carly Fiorina. There she is. And in our next hour, we're going to talk to Senator Marco Rubio. How does he think he did? How does he think he's going to do going forward? And how does he answer the big hit he took last night about his position on abortion -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Both of those two huge interviews coming up this morning. Also this morning, a key President Obama ally rejecting the nuclear deal with Iran. New York Senator Chuck Schumer revealing he will vote against it. The decision by the influential Jewish Democrat is an enormous hurdle for the deal's passage in Congress.

[07:15:06] CNN's Sunlen Serfaty, live in Washington with the very latest on that.

Sunlen, good morning.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Brooke.

Well, this is a big blow for President Obama. Senator Schumer's support would have been key for the White House. But coming out against the deal, saying in a statement, quote, "I will vote to disapprove the agreement, not because I believe war is a viable or desirable option, nor to challenge the path of diplomacy. It is because I believe Iran will not change." Now this could pave the way for other undecided Democrats to go out in

-- and not support this deal, maybe even give them a little political cover. And certainly quickly after, we saw Representative Engle from New York, who had a one-on-one meeting with President Obama just this week. He came out against it.

The White House here, they need to hold onto a majority of Democrats to sustain a potential veto. So the White House here really down playing this move by Schumer, pointing to a string of Democrats this week -- Senator Shaheen, Senator Gillibrand just yesterday -- coming out to support the deal and suggesting that Schumer's announcement came only after support hit a threshold, where the White House felt secure it has the votes.

Now the president has been making the sale pitch to Congress, putting pressure on them. But he received some pushback from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who blasted the president for what he called a crass tone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATOR MAJORITY LEADER: The president strikes me, at least so far, as treating us like a political campaign. Demonize your opponents. Gin up the base. Get the Democrats all angry. And you know, rally around the president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: And the Senate will be in recess until the first part of September. That's when they'll come back and start debating this Iran deal. The president meanwhile, he leaves for a two-week vacation himself today for Martha's Vineyard where, Chris, officials here at the White House say he will continue to drum up support -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Someone we see has got his work cut out for him. That's for sure.

So presidential candidate Carly Fiorina putting on a strong performance last night, objectively. She is on NEW DAY. Why does she think she did well? And what does she think about the frontrunner, Donald Trump? She had some choice words for him last night. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:21:01] FIORINA: I don't know. I didn't get a phone call from Bill Clinton before I jumped in the race. Did any of you get a phone call from Bill Clinton? I didn't. Maybe it's because I hadn't given money to the foundation or donated to his wife's Senate campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina came out swinging at the so-called happy hour Republican debate. And by many accounts, she dominated the hour. She is now one of the GOP's most talked-about candidates without even stepping on that primetime stage. She joins me now this morning from Cleveland.

Carly, good morning.

FIORINA: Good morning, Brooke. How are you now?

BALDWIN: Wonderful, and you must be feeling pretty good yourself. I mean, you are one of the names everyone is talking about this morning. You came out and took on -- you know, you've taken on Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and the president.

According to Google, you were at one point the most Googled name last night, which is a good thing and a not-so-great thing. So let me begin there. Starting today, how do you really get your name out there?

FIORINA: Well, certainly, last night was a beginning. You know, as of 4 p.m. yesterday, only 40 percent of Republican voters had ever heard my name. I have the lowest name I.D. of anyone in the race because I'm not a professional politician and I'm not a celebrity.

And so I've worked really hard to meet as many people as possible, to take advantage of every opportunity that I'm given. And last night was a big opportunity for me.

And so I think it's fair to say that this morning a lot more people know who I am and that I'm running for president. A lot of people, clearly, if you look at Twitter, discovered last night for the first time that there's more than one woman running for president.

BALDWIN: You're it for Republicans this go around. And so let me stay on women. You have taken a swipe at Jeb Bush in his comments he made Tuesday with regard to why are, you know, we spending half a billion dollars on women's issues. So you took that on.

But let me ask you about women and Donald Trump. This is part of an exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLY: You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account...

TRUMP: Only Rosie O'Donnell.

KELLY: No, it wasn't. Your Twitter account...

TRUMP: Thank you.

KELLY: For the record, it was well beyond Rosie O'Donnell.

TRUMP: Yes, I'm sure.

KELLY: You once told a contestant on "Celebrity Apprentice" it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. TRUMP: Honestly, Megyn, if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I've been

very nice to you, although I could probably maybe not be, based on the way you have treated me, but I wouldn't do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: By the way, Rosie O'Donnell responded to that, saying, "Try explaining that to your kids." My question to you, how do you respond to that and Donald Trump?

FIORINA: You know, I have said for some time that no one who claims to represent our party should ever be judgmental in tone or vitriolic or angry. I just think it's inappropriate to call people names, who's ever doing it. And I think all of those names are clearly inappropriate.

BALDWIN: So had you been on that stage last night, and I'm assuming perhaps you would have jumped in. What would you have said to him?

FIORINA: Well, you know, I wasn't on that stage last night. I was on a different stage, but I think...

BALDWIN: But if you were.

FIORINA: ... I think I would say what I just said to you. I would say what I have just said to you, which is, I think when we paint with a broad brush, when we hurl personal insults, when anyone attacks someone -- by the way, Donald Trump, sadly, isn't the only one that does it. I mean, honestly, President Obama, in his speech about Iran two days ago, compared Republicans to people in Iran chanting "death to America." That is equally inappropriate. It's painting with a broad brush. It's totally judgmental. It's vitriolic. It's unfair.

So, anytime people start calling other people names, it's unfair. It's uncalled-for. It does not help our political debate. Republicans and Democrats alike are guilty of it. And I think it has no place in our politics. Unfortunately, it happens all too often.

[07:25:19] BALDWIN: I want to get back to Iran in just a second, but staying on one of the other headlines from last night, the hand raise from Trump off the top, essentially not ruling out a third-party candidacy, your reaction to that?

FIORINA: Well, of course I'm disappointed, as I'm sure many Republicans are. If you're going to run as Republican, then presumably, you care about the party.

BALDWIN: Would you run, if this was an option for you, if you didn't get the nod from the Republicans for that nomination, would you consider a third-party ticket?

FIORINA: I would not.

BALDWIN: You would not.

Let's skip to Iran. You are a businesswoman. And from that perspective, you know in any kind of difficult negotiations, sometimes both sides have to leave something on the table. You're aware of this deal. We know of the news. We talk about the timing of Senator Chuck Schumer, you know, not saying he will not throw his support behind this deal. But I am wondering, because obviously, you and so many others have criticized it, what would the better deal be?

FIORINA: Oh, there's so many things that would have been a better deal. No. 1, a true inspections regime. I mean, honestly...

BALDWIN: Is that realistic, though?

FIORINA: We've now learned there's a secret -- of course, it's realistic. But you know what, Brooke? Here's the thing. If you're going to negotiate, you need to go into a negotiation knowing what your goals are and sticking to them.

President Obama was very clear about what his goals were in this negotiation. He caved on every single one. And one of the reasons he caved on every single one is another cardinal rule of negotiations, is no one is going to take you seriously unless you're prepared to walk away. We never walked away. We just sat at that table. And the longer we sat at that table, the more we gave away.

President Obama always presents the American people with a false choice: "It's what I believe or go to war." And once again, he did that two days ago.

One alternative to this very bad deal would have been a better deal. But on day one in the Oval Office, I will make two phone calls. One will be to Bibi Netanyahu, a man I've known a very long time, to tell him that we will stand with the state of Israel. The second will be to the supreme leader of Iran, who realistically might not take my phone call. But the message would be very clear, and the message is, "New deal: unless you open every nuclear and military facility to real anywhere, anytime inspections, we're going to make it as hard as possible for you to move money around the global financial system." We have to cut off the money flow.

BALDWIN: All right. Carly Fiorina this morning in Cleveland. Best of luck to you. Thank you so much for joining us on NEW DAY.

FIORINA: Thanks so much. Thanks for having me.

BALDWIN: And coming up next hour, we will hear from another Republican presidential candidate on that primetime stage last night: Senator Marco Rubio from Florida -- John Berman.

BERMAN: All right. Thanks, Brooke.

The big talk this morning: the Republican contenders. Who nailed it big during the debate? Who nailed it wrong? We'll take a closer look, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)