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Poll: Trump & Carson Surge, Clinton Losing Ground; Thousands Flee Deadly California Wildfires; Migrant Boat Capsizes, Killing Dozens Off Greece; European Leaders Vow to Target Smugglers; Fiorina: 'I Will Challenge Entertainer Trump at Debate.' Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired September 14, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is where the big night will take place a couple nights away from now. And we, of course, are all counting down here in Simi Valley.

[07:00:07] Meanwhile, that new national poll out from the "Washington Post" and ABC News shows that Donald Trump is still in the lead, and he's posting his biggest number yet.

Take a look at that poll. We can put it up on the screen. You see that Trump is leading with 33 percent. Ben Carson, in second place, is 13 points behind him. The rest of the field is in the single digits with Jeb Bush 25 points behind the leader.

One more thing I want to mention about that poll is that Scott Walker has lost the most ground since July. He's not even up on the screen there in the top five. He was in second place in this same poll at 13 percent. He's now down to just 2 percent.

Meanwhile, a new CNN/ORC poll shows that several issues have risen in importance since the last presidential election cycle. Those issues are gun control, abortion and illegal immigration. And that shift could certainly shape voters' choice for their party's nominee in both parties.

One more interesting set of numbers I want to show you from that ABC/"Washington Post" poll, and that shows that the number of Republicans who want an outsider candidate, the number is stunning.

Look at that. It's 60 percent of Republicans say that an outsider status is more important to them, to their vote for the nominee than experience. That could show why Donald Trump, one of the biggest outsiders, is leading and Ben Carson coming up second.

I should mention, of course, the stage here is set. The podiums are up. The candidates are getting ready. As you guys know, the last debate had 24 million viewers. So this is a huge opportunity for the candidates to make a strong impression with voters that could give them a boost in the polls. And of course, we'll all be watching -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: We sure will. Thanks so much, Athena.

So Hillary Clinton's numbers slipping below 50 percent. This is according to a new "Washington Post"/ABC News poll. She leads the Democratic field still at 42 percent, but her support does keep eroding. Bernie Sanders has 24 percent. Vice President Biden, who as you know still has not made up his mind whether he'll run, has 21 percent.

And when asked if they approve of the way Clinton is handling questions about her use of personal e-mail, a majority of Americans, 55 percent, say they disapprove. An almost identical percentage, 54 percent, say they believe she has tried to cover up the facts.

CUOMO: One of two major wildfires burning in northern California has now turned deadly. It is the Valley Fire. And it's destroyed more than 400 homes, forcing thousands out. We have CNN's Dan Simon live in the fire zone in Middletown, California.

Dan, what's the situation?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Chris, I'll tell you what. This is absolutely unbelievable. And you can see why.

This fire just incinerated everything. This neighborhood has been flattened. Just look what it did to this minivan. This gives you an appreciation of how hot this fire got. This is what a four-year drought in California can look like.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON (voice-over): A state of emergency in place across four California counties this morning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have to come right now.

SIMON: The massive Valley wildfire spreading rapidly, killing at least one person in its path.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These fires are burning in all directions. The plume of smoke is creating its own weather, and so they're very unpredictable.

SIMON: The raging flames burning over 50,000 acres, 100 miles west of Sacramento. The fire so hot it melted the window pane right out of this car. Four of the nearly 1,500 firefighters battling the flames suffered burn injuries by the fast-moving blaze.

MIKE LOPEZ, PRESIDENT, CAL FIRE: The firefighters, they're -- I'm sure they're emotionally drained, physically drained after being stuck in a situation where, you know, your life's on the line.

SIMON: Just 70 miles east of Sacramento, another wildfire has grown to more than 65,000 acres, threatening over 6,000 structures. Officials forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I slept here in the parking lot of Wal-Mart in my car.

SIMON: Together the fires have already destroyed more than 500 homes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These houses are burning up. It's awful.

LISA CANCHOIA, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: I'm really scared. I'm very, very worried about if we even have a home to go to anymore.

SIMON: Here at the Napa Valley County Fairgrounds...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my new home.

SIMON: ... nearly 1,000 evacuees pitch tents, nervously awaiting the fate of their homes.

SHANNON EDCOCK, MIDDLETOWN, CALIFORNIA, RESIDENT: My house was completely destroyed. It is flat to the ground. We lost everything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON: And this fire is still at zero percent containment. Officials have called this a fuel-driven fire, because there is so much of it. The good news, Michaela, is that it is slowing down a bit. So hopefully crews can begin making a little bit of progress.

[07:05:06] PEREIRA: Yes. Hopefully, they can make some headway. Meanwhile, our hearts go out to those families that are dealing with such massive, massive loss. Dan, thanks for that look. We'll talk with you again shortly.

Meanwhile, a desperate situation unfolding in Europe, the migrant crisis escalating overnight. At least 34 people were killed when a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Greece. The death toll, we're told, includes many children.

We have this growing international crisis covered the way only CNN can. We begin with CNN's Ivan Watson, live at the Greece/Macedonia border -- Ivan.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Michaela, that's right.

This is a train, the next leg of the journey for many migrants and refugees, a crowded train that they're boarding that will take them across Macedonia to Serbia. So this is the next step really on the migrant trail.

Many of these people saying they want to go to Germany or perhaps to Sweden.

And almost everybody that I've talked to say that they originally took one of these smuggler's dinghies, one of these inflatable rubber boats across the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the islands of Greece. There are thousands of people making that dangerous crossing every day.

And that's where disaster struck early in the morning on Sunday when a boat capsized. Thirty-four people on board, out of more than 100 passengers, drowned. Among them, 15 children and the Greek Coast Guard say four of those children were infants. Now I've asked people again and again, "Did you take that journey,"

especially to parents: "Why did you bring your children on board if this terrible accident could happen?"

Some of the refugees from Syria, well, they say, "Our children would be dead in Syria anyways. We have to take this journey."

The people that I've been talking to here, they are a mix. Some of them -- most of them -- are Syrian refugees. But you also have Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis. It really is a mixed crowd of people on the move -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Ivan, that is just a terrible choice for any parent to have to make: dying in Syria versus this treacherous journey. Thanks so much for reporting on it.

Meanwhile, European Union officials meeting in Brussels today to consider nation-by-nation quotas in an effort to absorb hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees that we're seeing. This as Germany institutes temporary border controls to stem the flow, but Germany's vice chancellor says the country could take in a million refugees.

CNN's Hala Gorani is live in Brussels with that part of the story.

Good morning, Hala.

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Alisyn.

As we see that human tragedy unfolding across Europe, it is here in this building in Brussels that high-level interior ministers and justice ministers are discussing this idea of mandatory quotas, where migrants and refugees who make it to Europe will be distributed equitably.

Of course, there is a lot of resistance, namely from countries like Hungary. Other central European countries, as well, are saying they don't want to sign up. They don't want the E.U. to force upon them any migrants or refugees they're not willing to take.

You mentioned these border controls. This is crucial, Alisyn. Because Germany instituting border controls on its border with Austria; Austria tightening its borders with Hungary. Slovakia, as well, tightening its borders. Austria is sending troops to its border, as well, in order to facilitate and manage this refugee crisis.

This is essentially suspending the passport-free zone here in the European Union. It's an important and significant move.

And at the same time, the E.U. is saying it is ready to implement phase two of stopping smuggler boats in the high seas, boarding boats -- which would mean boarding boats and diverting vessels, as well, used by smugglers. And it is starting to take on a bit of a military operation air here as the continent struggles to struggle to take in this massive influx.

CAMEROTA: All right. Thank you so much for all of that background. We'll be watching today.

Back here at home, let's get to this week's CNN Republican debate. It's Wednesday night. And one of the candidates who will be on the main stage is Carly Fiorina. She just won the straw poll at the National Federation of Republican Women's Convention over the weekend. But how will she do against the other ten candidates, including of course, Donald Trump?

Joining us is Sarah Isgur Flores. She's the deputy campaign manager for Carly Fiorina for president.

Sara, good morning. Thanks for being here.

SARAH ISGUR FLORES, DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MANAGER, CARLY FIORINA FOR PRESIDENT: Good morning. Thanks for having me.

CAMEROTA: We heard Carly Fiorina say over the weekend on the campaign trail that she is going to, quote, "take on the entertainer." She was referring to Donald Trump. What is her strategy to take on Trump?

FLORES: I think you've seen how she's handled it in the last few weeks. I've enjoyed some of her lines, in particular, this past week. So I think you'll see more of the same. Donald Trump is very entertaining, but Carly is a deeply substantive person, informed on the issues. And I think you'll see that highlighted this week.

CAMEROTA: But I mean, is she preparing some zingers and one-liners if he spews out some insults?

FLORES: I don't know about preparing one-liners. But, you know, she's prepared for anything that happens, whether it's policy or maybe the less substantive things that come her way.

[07:10:07] CAMEROTA: There's a new poll that I want to show you, because it talks about Donald Trump's effect on the Republican Party, particularly with Latino voters. This is just out in the past hour. It's an NBC Marist poll.

And it says is Trump helping or hurting the image of the Republican Party among Latinos? Thirteen percent say he's helping. Sixty-five percent believe he is hurting. What is Carly Fiorina going to do about that, the ripple effect of what Donald Trump has been saying actually hurts her and all of the opponents?

FLORES: I think we have to land conservative policies in people's lives. I think that what Carly is particularly effective at is talking about why those policies actually lift everyone up.

You know, liberal policies have trapped people in webs of dependence. They have hurt job creation, all of the things that we talk about so much. I think it's important to make that applicable to everyone. And, again, not just for entertainment value, but because this is serious; and it matters.

CAMEROTA: Let's look at the latest poll that shows where Carly Fiorina stands. This is the new ABC News/"Washington Post" poll. And it was out just at midnight. And it shows where everybody is. Basically, Donald Trump is at 34 percent. He's still running -- I thought it was 34 percent. But he's still running away with it. Ben Carson there at 18 percent, and then you see that Carly Fiorina is at 2 percent.

Now people have talked about her great surge. And she's made it to the main stage, but 2 percent is not that much of a surge.

FLORES: Well, Carly's still introducing herself to voters. That's really what Wednesday is about. Carly still has among the lowest name I.D. of any of the candidates running. She's obviously an outsider. She hasn't built up her name I.D., her donor base over years of being in Washington. So Wednesday is about getting her message out and introducing her.

As you saw from the straw poll, when Carly talks to voters, they're very excited about what she has to say. She ran away with that straw poll at the National Federation of Republican Women. And those are the activists, the grassroots conservatives from around the country who came together. So we're -- we're really enthusiastic about what he next few months holds.

CAMEROTA: I want to talk about one of the insults that Donald Trump has lodged against Carly Fiorina. It's not about her looks; this one is more substantive.

He says that she was not a very effective business manager, and he cites this Yale School of Management dean, senior associate dean named Jeffrey Sonnenfeld who has looked into her business record. And here is what Sonnenfeld writes about this, and I want to get your response.

He says, "Fiorina was not a rogue CEO plundering shareholder wealth but still was a failed CEO. It's interesting that in the decade after she was fired, she's never been offered to lead a major public company again. I am close to many Republican officials and impressed with the leadership accomplishment as well the character of several current primary candidates. She is not one of them."

How will she respond when he goes after her record at Hewlett-Packard, which was not stellar?

FLORES: Well, a few points on that. One, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is a long-time friend of the Clintons. So I think it's interesting that Donald Trump would cite him without noting that. He's really taking from the DNC talking points here.

But on the more substantive part of that, Carly was the head of a publicly traded company. Every 90 days she had to report out what was going on in the company, and she was held to account. Those numbers are public. You can go look them up.

The company doubled revenue; quadrupled growth; quadrupled the rate of innovation, I believe, as well. And so wouldn't it be interesting if politicians were held to the same account? If she had misled on those numbers, she could be held criminally liable. And I think that's why people are excited for someone from outside the

political class. She knows what accountability means. She knows what transparency means.

Yes, will people on the left try to distort her record, or entertainers, for entertainment value? You bet. She's ready for it. But it's really about being able to show that she's ready to change the status quo. And sometimes when you do that, you make enemies, like a Yale law professor.

CAMEROTA: One last poll that I think speaks to what you're talking about. This is, again, from the new "Washington Post"/ABC News poll. It talks about the anti-establishment feeling currently, right now, particularly among Republicans.

It asks first Democrats which do you prefer, experience or outsider status? Sixty-nine percent of Democrats prefer experience, but look at the Republicans. Among Republicans, only 36 percent say that what they're looking for really is experience; and what they're mostly looking for is that outsider status, 60 percent.

Of course, that's fine on the campaign trail, but once you get to Washington, you sort of have to follow Washington's rules. What does Carly Fiorina plan to do about that?

FLORES: I think that's exactly the problem. That's exactly what politicians tell us. That once you get to Washington you've got to follow Washington's rules. It's just not true.

Carly has extensive experience in foreign policy. She understands the economy. She understands technology. We don't need a politician again in Washington. They have failed over and over again. How long has our border been insecure? How long has the V.A. been failing our veterans?

[07:15:13] Politicians keep telling us that they know the answer. There's a lot of bluster and bumper-sticker rhetoric. But at the end of the day, nobody has come to Washington and actually challenge the status quo and really made the difference that everyone says election after election are the important issues. So I think voters, particularly on the Republican side, are ready for someone who's actually going to come and not play by Washington's rules.

CAMEROTA: Sarah Isgur Flores, we are all looking forward to Wednesday night. See you out there. Thanks so much for being on NEW DAY.

FLORES: You bet.

CAMEROTA: Remember to tune in for the second Republican debate. It's hosted by CNN Wednesday night, 6 p.m. Eastern. The primetime event with 11 candidates on the stage is at 8 p.m. Eastern. And final preparations are underway at the Reagan Presidential Library. Look at how fast they're moving. This is in Simi Valley for this high-stakes debate -- Chris.

CUOMO: Kim Davis, you know the name. The famous, or infamous, Kentucky clerk is back to work today. Is she actually going to do her job and issue marriage licenses to everyone? And if she doesn't, then what? Here's a hint. It could be bad for Davis, and fast. Answers ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: New numbers show a reality for the GOP. Trump and Carson get over 50 percent of the vote combined, but heading into the big debate Wednesday, we now know what people think of the party. And it is a mixed message.

[07:20:11] Let's bring in this CNN political commentator, Geoffrey Lord, former White House political director for Ronald Reagan. Paul Begala, senior advisor to a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

Let's look at some numbers, Alisyn. What pops out for these two to opine upon?

CAMEROTA: You want to start with how Latinos are feeling about one of the frontrunners?

CUOMO: Um-hmm.

CAMEROTA: Let's do that. Let's show you, gentlemen, because this is interesting. This is the first time that we've heard -- you know, Donald Trump has said Latinos love him. But now there is some actual empirical evidence that we can look at. This is the new Marist/NBC poll number, just out an hour and a half ago. And among Latinos, very positive or somewhat positive, 13 percent; neutral, 12 percent; very negative or somewhat negative, Geoffrey, 70 percent. That seems like a problem.

GEOFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Alisyn, I would just challenge the premise about the Latino vote in general. I think it was Nate Cohen of "The New York Times" that did a detailed study of this and pointed out that the root for the GOP back to the White House is with white northern voters. Sure, it will help to do better among Hispanics, but if Mitt Romney had done that much better, he still wouldn't have been president.

CAMEROTA: You know what, Geoffrey, I like where you're going with this, because you've crunched the numbers, but I just want to challenge you about that.

LORD: He lost -- he lost -- he lost a lot of the Republican base, who simply didn't turn out to vote for him.

CAMEROTA: But hold on, Jeffrey, because we know that Latinos, they are expected to be eligible in 2016. There are 28 million Latinos. That's an 18 percent, expected to be eligible.

LORD: Where are they?

CAMEROTA: So that's 11 percent of voters nationwide. Are you saying that, among white working-class people who are responding to Trump, that that cancels out the Latino vote?

LORD: Yes. In 2016 I am saying that is doable.

And where are those Latino voters? Are they in California, for example? Which is unlikely to vote for any Republican nominee. Are they in Texas? Yes. The answer is they are in Texas, which is probably going to vote for any Republican nominee. So the question is which states? Arguably Florida would be the sort of tossup there, possibly Colorado. But yes, that is exactly what I'm saying.

CAMEROTA: OK, OK.

CUOMO: So Begala, how does Jeffrey Lord's representation that he is OK losing the Latino vote find your ears?

LORD: He'll think I'm crazy.

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Like sweet music. Maybe mariachi music. I just could not be happier. And I want all the Republicans to listen to Jeffrey and do what he says. Ignore Latinos. In fact, do what Mr. Trump says. Don't just ignore them, insult them.

You know, here's a technical thing. Cuomo, I've been in politics all my life, and you don't know anything about politics. When you tell voters you hate them, they don't like it.

CAMEROTA: But hold on, Paul.

BEGALA: They don't like it.

CAMEROTA: That's right, they don't like it. But talk about Jeffrey's numbers. If they -- if the Latinos are in California and Texas, does it matter that they don't like it and won't vote for Donald Trump?

BEGALA: Latinos are -- I hate to, like, give up the game here. But Latinos are significant voting blocs in Florida, which was the closest state in the last presidential election. Barack Obama won Florida by 0.9 percent. There are significant Latinos in other top ten closest states, including Nevada, Colorado. Even North Carolina and Virginia are increasing numbers of Latinos. And in Ohio, in Iowa. So go ahead and insult those voters. Go ahead and dismiss those voters.

LORD: It's not a question -- it's not a question of insulting them, Paul. It's simply a question of...

BEGALA: Not you, Geoffrey. You didn't insult them. Mr. Trump -- when Mr. Trump does. You have not, and I want to be careful. You've been, like, perfectly analytical.

CUOMO: All right. Stop being nice to each other. It makes me nervous.

BEGALA: But Mr. Trump insults them.

CUOMO: Let me ask you some other numbers, Geoffrey. All right. Let's start here with the government's top priority on illegal immigration should be. Forty-six percent, plan for them to become residents; 39, plan to stop them from getting in illegally; 14, deport immigrants in U.S. illegally. That shows priorities of all voters, not just Latinos. How important is it to your vote? Not Latinos, all voters, now 39 percent.

LORD: First -- first, the challenge here is to win the Republican nomination. And so those are not all Republican voters you're talking about there, right?

CUOMO: They are not all Republican voters. They are all voters.

LORD: OK. OK. So my point is, Donald Trump or anybody who's in this race right this minute needs to win the Republican nomination for president.

And to be perfectly candid, what Donald Trump is saying is exactly what Dwight Eisenhower actually did as president. We've talked about this before. And he won re-election after doing that, after all these deportations by a bigger margin than 1956 than he did in 1952. So there's nothing really unusual about this at all.

CUOMO: Right. But is that a good parallel, Jeffrey? Help me with the context on that. Because even if you want to say white men are going to win it for us, is that really a way to look at America today, through Dwight Eisenhower's eyes? Or do you have to see it as more multicultural, as more accepting of different people and priorities?

LORD: Sure, sure, sure. But what I'm saying is the experts I'm reading are saying that it is not decisive in 2016. And there they would disagree with our friend Paul.

CAMEROTA: OK, Paul?

LORD: I just -- I don't want to -- Napoleon said never interrupt your opponent when he's destroying himself. If the Republicans follow the Trump strategy, they will destroy their party. This is something I seek. So it's (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

[07:25:17] CAMEROTA: We have that. We can illustrate that in numbers, actually. Hold on. Hold on, Geoffrey.

LORD: Who's to say that campaigning on jobs isn't pro-Hispanic?

CAMEROTA: OK. We'll get to the issues in one second. Because this is the new NBC/Marist poll. And it says is Trump helping or hurting the image of the Republican Party? So we're not just talking about him as an individual.

LORD: Right.

CAMEROTA: We're talking about his effect on the whole party among Latinos: helping 13 percent, hurting 65 percent -- Geoffrey.

LORD: Right. I understand this. But we are -- we have already seen situations where Donald Trump has turned around his unfavorabilities by, what, as much as 50, 60 points in some cases? So there's plenty of reason to believe he can make a positive impression in the Latino community. We have a long, long way to go in this.

So I don't have any problem with his being able to make more progress here. I mean, Latinos are not from Mars. They want jobs. I mean, we've got, what, 93 million people out of the work force at this point.

CUOMO: Right. But Geoffrey, it says that you're insulting them...

LORD: They want jobs just like everybody else, and they don't have them.

CUOMO: Your spin on Donald Trump has been that his message is direct, and people like that because it's so refreshing. And yet, the numbers here show that, not to Latino ears, 70 percent of them find it insulting. Twenty-six percent believe it's just telling it like it is.

And I get what you're saying about the demographics and the strategy. But it seems to fly in the face of what the GOP wanted to do coming out of the Obama/Romney situation. You know they think they should have win that race. You know they think that it was about the culturation of expanding who the GOP is and who they respect. This seems to be the opposite of that.

LORD: Well, you know, Chris, I have to say, God bless the Republican establishment. But they follow that point of view, and they keep losing. They keep losing. They did it in 2012. They did it in 2008. I mean, heavens, you can keep on going back to Thomas C. Dewey. They follow this approach. They all think they're going to win, and they always lose. They said Ronald Reagan could never be elected. He was elected twice in a landslide.

BEGALA: Ronald Reagan...

LORD: They're wrong.

CAMEROTA: Quickly, Paul.

BEGALA: President Reagan got 37 percent of the Hispanic vote. He used to say Hispanics are Republicans. They just don't know it yet. He bragged about being for amnesty, and he called it amnesty. He said he was for amnesty. He got 37 percent of the Hispanic vote. George W. Bush got 40-44 percent. He won when Republicans -- why am I giving you guys good advice here? What am I, crazy? Keep attacking the Hispanic vote.

CAMEROTA: Wow. Cats are living with dogs right now.

(CROSSTALK)

LORD: ... cats.

CAMEROTA: Geoffrey, Paul, thank you, gentlemen. Thank you. We'll be talking to you before the debate.

PEREIRA: I think we saw Paul Begala come completely undone right there. That was amazing.

CUOMO: He looked like a Muppet. Waving around like that.

PEREIRA: He kind of did turn into a Muppet. Awesome. Well done, Paul.

Ahead here, we're going to have more on Donald Trump. We're going to speak with a Texas congressman on the border, who says Trump has it all wrong on immigration, all wrong on Latinos. We'll also ask him about the ongoing migrant crisis in Europe. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)