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Pope to Deliver Historic Address to Congress; Stampede Kills More Than 300 at Hajj Pilgrimage Near Mecca; Storm to Pound East Coast; Huckabee Questions Obama's Christianity. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired September 24, 2015 - 06:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPE FRANCIS, LEADER OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: Good morning.

[05:58:42] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pope Francis set to speak before Congress in just hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Papa Francisco. Papa Francisco.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some on the right will like what he says. Some on the left will like other things that he says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm very concerned that a religious leader, the head of the church, is being recognized as a head of state.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight hundred and eighteen tons of concrete block.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Security for the Pope's visit is a top concern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirty-seven miles of barriers and fencing.

WILLIAM BRATTON, NYPD COMMISSIONER: In addition to protecting the Pope, we'll be protecting the crowds also.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People fall un-in-love with me. Certainly, that can happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is boycotting FOX News.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think this is divorce. I think it might be a momentary separation.

TRUMP: I am so tired of this politically correct crap.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Thursday, September 24, 6 a.m. in the east. Alisyn and Mick are in New York. And we are at the U.S. Capitol building. Pope Francis will once again make history. He will be the first

pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress.

One advisor calls today's speech the big one of the Holy Father's D.C. visit.

Now, if his comments at the White House about immigrants, climate change, specifically, global warming, poverty are any indication, it may leave some Republicans squirming, but his words may also put Democrats in an awkward position.

Here's the big question: will someone come back at the Pope?

Let's begin our comprehensive coverage with CNN's chief national security correspondent, Jim Sciutto, joining me now.

Good morning, Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris.

We've talked a lot about the Pope's character, right? Mild- mannered, politically deft, humble. But today is really a day he takes the gloves off, at least rhetorically. He's going to be diving into some of the most divisive political issues here, particularly during a presidential race: immigration, abortion, religious freedom.

We've talked a lot about how a third of the members of the Congress are Catholic. But certainly, this message for all faiths, certainly both parties and really a message, today, for all Americans and delivered, crucially, in English.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): This morning, Pope Francis making another historic stop on his whirlwind U.S. tour, this time speaking before Congress on Capitol Hill, a first for any Pope.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: And there's one thing we know about this pope. He's not afraid to take on the status quo. Or not afraid to say what he really thinks.

SCIUTTO: House Speaker John Boehner and Vice President Joe Biden, two of the most prominent Catholics in Washington, will be seated right behind the Pope, who may touch on divisive political topics such as same-sex marriage, abortion, even the Iran deal.

At the White House Wednesday, a preview of sorts as the pontiff tackled immigration.

POPE FRANCIS: As the son of an immigrant family, I am happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely lived (ph) by such families.

SCIUTTO: He also spoke out strongly on climate change. POPE FRANCIS: Climate change is a problem which can no longer be

left to future generations. When it comes to the climate (ph) of our common home, we are living at a critical moment of history.

REV. EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: For him, these are issues of the gospel, because they affect people, especially the poor. And he sees himself as a man on the side of poor.

SCIUTTO: In keeping with his style, the Pope has decided to forego a lunch with members of Congress. Instead, after his address, he will go to Catholic Charities where he'll meet with some 200 homeless.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: The Pope will arrive on the Hill about 9 a.m. He'll begin his address at about 10 a.m.

But really, Chris, almost as quickly as he can, he'll be leaving the surroundings, the confines from the Capitol to go meet with homeless people. That is this pope. He's most comfortable when he's connecting with real people, people in need. And this is a pope of gestures. That has a message, as well. Because this is the message he has for the church. It's a message that he has for Catholics but really citizens of the world, and certainly both parties of Congress. Get out there, help people. There are people in need.

CUOMO: He's going to talk politics, but he is no politician. He calls himself a missionary of mercy. And that's why he wants to be around those who need us the most.

Jimmy, thank you very much.

Very big day for us as journalists but also as Catholics. Prominent Catholics from both sides of the aisle, including Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner, who's the one who gave this invitation to the Pope, they're going to greet Pope Francis when he arrives.

What else can we expect from this very significant event? CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny, live on the east front of the Capitol, awaiting Pope Francis's arrival -- Jeff.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris.

We are on the east front of the Capitol, as you said. Just to give you a sense of perspective here, we are between the Capitol building and the Supreme Court. You can see right behind me here, this is the House of Representatives. This is where Pope Francis will crazy that joint meeting of Congress. The first time ever a pope will do this.

He'll arrive in about three hours. He will be greeted right here by Speaker John Boehner, who did extend that invitation to the Pope really more than a year ago. He'll also be greeted by Vice President Joe Biden, the first Catholic U.S. vice president.

Interesting, in that room today, in this House of Representative chambers, more than 30 percent of members of Congress are actually Catholic. Six of nine Supreme Court justices are Catholic. And four of those justices will be on hand for the address today.

As we said, there is definitely some discomfort from some Republicans who think the Pope is going to be too tough on them, on climate change, on the environment. Some Democrats are a little nervous about his message on abortion.

But Speaker John Boehner, he's urging all of his members to listen with an open heart. He said this is not a day for politics. And so many members of Congress I have spoken to about this, Chris, they say that the Pope's teachings do not necessarily fit into today's liberal box or conservative box.

So they're going to be listening to him as though it was a State of the Union address. There will be applause. There will be some members standing up. It is going to be not a raucous setting but inside this House of Representative chambers, it is going to be a moment to listen to him speak.

But there is going to be a lot of activity out here in about three hours when that papal Fiat drives up through the capital here; and he's met by Speaker John Boehner and Vice President Joe Biden -- Chris.

[06:05:10] CUOMO: Well, Jeff, there's no question that, for the Pope and for the Catholic Church, issues like being a steward of humanity and of the environment and poverty and tolerance are a part of the catechism, part of the teaching. But make no mistake: we both know this is definitely about politics today.

So let's bring back Jim Sciutto. And bring in senior political reporter Manu Raju and CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash. It's good to have you all here.

Dana, I'll start with you. Is it even an issue what Republicans and maybe even Democrats might say in response to the Pope that would create a hostility or attention? Do you believe that's a possibility that someone could come at the Pope?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: During the actual speech?

CUOMO: No, not like throwing tomatoes.

To this environment, that wouldn't be -- out of bounds. Yes.

CUOMO: Like afterwards, like you have a Chris Christie moment, not just saying that he's not infallible when it comes to politics, where they're like, "Ah, he should be quiet." He shouldn't tell -- do you think anybody would be that bold?

BASH: Yes. Afterwards? Afterwards? Sure, of course. I think that there definitely are members of Congress who have no qualms about saying that they disagree with what he said and that he should, you know, stick to religion and not delve into politics as he has.

I cannot imagine a situation where there is not an overwhelming sense of, you know, happiness and of respect during the actual speech. I mean, everybody to a person should understand that this is historic and welcoming.

CUOMO: And also, tone is so big in politics, right, Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

CUOMO: So the content of this global warming, right there, full stop, you have a division in Congress. People who believe that. It's not 50/50. But you have those who say it's just not true, but tone is everything.

RAJU: Yes, it is.

CUOMO: And what we hear from those who are close to Pope Francis in preparation for this. As we saw yesterday, it's not just what he says; it's how he says it. He's coming from a positive place, a good place. That's going to matter, right?

RAJU: And I think the members will respond respectfully. It's actually interesting that the leadership on both sides have told the members not to express their appreciation or their disapproval of his remarks in any sort of way that would present.

They sort of told their members don't stand up and cheer like the State of the Union address. Try to act respectfully. But of course, this is a pretty partisan place, so we'll see if members actually abide by that.

But I do agree with Dana. I mean, I don't think you'll see members actually express their disapproval during the speech. But afterwards, you'll probably hear a lot of Republicans speak skeptically, particularly about his message on global warming.

CUOMO: All right. Now we have the politics of it. Very important. But the practicality's even more important. Jimmy, what do you know in terms of -- D.C. is all about security. They know how to do this. But there are some special considerations here. We saw them yesterday. It's a very fluid situation. How do you feel about it today?

SCIUTTO: They've described it as inauguration of the State of the Union all wrapped up into one. This is, as you know, a secure town by its nature. But I've never seen it like this.

BASH: Never.

SCIUTTO: I mean, the level of security when you go to whole streets are closed. They talk about they had a $15 million budget just for fences, right? To keep people back, these bike rack fences to keep people back. And of course, people are bursting at the seams, because they want to get closer to this guy.

It's a particular challenge for this guy because of his personality. He does not like to stand at a distance from his people. And you saw that yesterday when he was doing that little loop around the White House. He was in his Popemobile. You could almost feel him wanting to reach out. That's a challenge, and they want to -- they want to allow him to be himself. No, not just here, but as he goes to New York.

But one thought occurred to me as Jeff Zeleny was speaking, is that you know, when the papal Fiat arrives -- that sounds like some sort of decision from on high, but his car. You know?

CUOMO: The best product placement maybe ever...

BASH: Right.

CUOMO: ... is that Fiat. I can't wait until the story comes out about how many they sold after the Pope came. Because people are like, "I want that."

So you know, there's this presumption that global warming, boy, that's going to get the Republicans. So a big-shot Democrat I see yesterday says that to me yesterday. I said, "How are you going to feel when the Pope looks you in the eye and says, 'You have a duty, the natural right to protect the unborn'? How's that going to feel?"

What do you think hurts more politically, global warming or protect children?

BASH: Well, I think -- I think now Democrats and Republicans each have something to kind of feel a punch in the gut on when it comes to the Pope.

But the difference now is that Democrats, especially those who are Catholic, they're used to feeling like that. They're used to having an issue with the Pope politically on abortion and, more recently, on gay rights.

So, that is something that, you know, they kind of had to deal with. So if you heard from Democrats for years, "Well, we love the Pope were it comes to religion. We're going to differ (ph) on politics." Now, it's the Republicans turn to do this, which I really think is interesting.

But one other point that I want to make, which I think is fascinating, that the House speaker who is not only Catholic, he grew up going to mass every day. He's one of 12. His parents owned a bar and sent all 12 of them to Catholic school.

[06:10:07] He's been asking for the Pope. This is the third Pope he's asked to come here. And he finally, after 20 years, along with Nancy Pelosi, also a Catholic, got him to come.

CUOMO: Why? Just because he's a Catholic? What does he think the significance is? BASH: Well, I think it's because he's a Catholic. But also

because he's said for him personally, and he has said personally it's incredibly significant. But because he believes that he is somebody who can kind of get the country's spiritual house in order in a way that, you know, really no one else on the planet can.

So watching that, especially with John Boehner who really doesn't tend to get excited about things. And just seeing the way that they've may have come out with all kinds of videos and explanations. And he wrote kind of an essay online about what this means. It's been fascinating to see.

CUOMO: One of the decoding things, Manu, will be privatization in the Pope's message. Yesterday he was very heavy on global warming. Why? Well, our thought is that that is where he agrees. And he's not here to breed division, right? So if he agrees with Obama on that, President Obama, it makes sense that that would be a big inflexion point on him.

But it stands to reason that's probably not the most important thing to the Pope. So when he's here today, if you had to stack it, priorities wise, what do you think the list of issues are?

RAJU: It's very interesting, because he's done different things to show that he has different priorities. Like yesterday, in addition to talking about global warming, he met with the Little Sisters of the Poor, of course, who launched that Obamacare lawsuit against the birth control mandate, sort of showing that he's with them on that issue.

So it will be interesting to see the different things that he picks out that may aggravate both sides on certain issues but not try to go out and really poke people in the eye. You know, that goes back to the interesting thing, you talked about tone. So we'll see how he does it.

CUOMO: Do you think the big ticket is tolerance? Or do you think that the big ticket is how money, how capitalism, how, you know, the stewardship of finance is done by those in power?

RAJU: I think it's probably the former. It's hard to see him come here and realize, if he's going to criticize capitalism, he's not going to many find allies, even on the Democratic side.

CUOMO: Do you think he wants allies? Do you think he cares?

RAJU: I think he does, to some extent. He wants to be received well. I mean, he doesn't -- of course, he wants to send his messages. But he also realizes that he's in a place where, you know, this is a very historic moment. It's the first time a pope has ever addressed a joint session of Congress. He wants to be remembered pretty warmly here. So I'll be really surprised if he says something that would really alienate most of the crowd.

SCIUTTO: You know, on that issue of tolerance, not just for the poor and different groups, refugees from Europe, this kind of thing, points that he's hit on. But we've heard that there's going to be a gentle scolding to members of Congress to talk to the other party. You know, imagine that in this city.

SCIUTTO: He said it to the bishops yesterday, you know, that just because you're getting opposition doesn't mean you respond in kind.

Although I will give you one little bit of pushback on this. Is that his significant phrase is "hacienedo un lio," making a ruckus. He likes to get in and do a little social disturbance of things that are controversial. So we'll see how it plays out today.

BASH: And the one thing I will add is that John Boehner has said that the only thing he knows is that the Pope will speak in English and will not use a teleprompter. They know nothing else about the content of the speech.

RAJU: I think we'll know that John Boehner will probably cry, though.

BASH: A lot. I said if you're doing a John Boehner drinking game with the crying, 10:06, you're drunk.

CUOMO: Always good when the Pope is speaking.

All right. We're going to have much more of Francis's visit ahead. CNN is going to bring you special coverage, of course, of the actual address to Congress. It begins at 9 a.m. Eastern.

And NEW DAY is going to be live at the United Nations tomorrow, another big moment for Pope Francis as he gives an address at the General Assembly.

Alisyn, back to you.

CAMEROTA: OK, Chris. Great work. We'll check back in with you. But we do have some other stories to tell you about, including this breaking news, just terrible this morning out of Saudi Arabia. More than 300 people killed and hundreds hurt during this stampede at the Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca.

CNN's Becky Anderson is live in Abu Dhabi for us with all the breaking details. What happened, Becky?

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is the latest that we're hearing from the Saudi civil defense, that 310 people are dead and 450 are wounded.

This a massive rescue and recovery effort now under way in the city of Mina. Authorities tell us 4,000 rescue personnel have been deployed, along with more than 200 ambulances to help out. The hospitals in the region of Mina now receiving dozens of patients.

Mina is a huge settlement of more than 100,000 tents. This is temporary accommodation for visiting pilgrims. And to just set some context for this, a reminder of the enormous numbers of people involved in this pilgrimage, at least two million, some say upwards of 3 million, expected to attend this year, and that doubles the population of Mecca.

And in the past, Hajj has been blighted by stampedes and crushes, the worst back in 1990, when almost 1,500 people died in a crush in a tunnel leading to Mina.

Today is the ritual of the stoning of the devil, where people throw pebbles at a wall. That symbolizing their rejection of evil. And this particular day of Hajj has seen several tragedies. The most recent was almost a decade ago, 350 people killed on a bridge which is notorious for bottlenecks. And that did prompt a tightening of security, because of course, there are massive logistical and safety concerns for Saudi authorities who are hosting these millions who descend on Mecca -- Michaela.

[06:15:30] PEREIRA: They're going to have to look at what went wrong here to lead to such a high death toll. All right, Becky, thank you. Watch that for us.

Some more breaking news for you out of the Middle East, in Yemen. At least 29 people killed, dozens more injured after a bombing at a packed mosque in the capital of Sanaa. Worshippers had been attending services for the holy Muslim day of Eid-al-Adha when the blast occurred. No group has claimed responsibility for that attack.

CAMEROTA: Back here at home, this morning Donald Trump remains the Republican frontrunner, but his lead is slipping slightly, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. The numbers show Trump at 25 percent. That's down from 28 percent, while Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina's numbers on the rise.

This as Trump announces he's boycotting FOX News for treating him unfairly, he says. Trump also lashing out at his rivals, calling on Rand Paul to exit the race. And calling Hillary Clinton, quote, "shrill," he claims her claim is coming down like a really sick rocket. We'll break all this down ahead.

So how will Trump respond to everything that's happened this morning? Well, we'll find out when he joins us live on NEW DAY at 7 a.m. Eastern. What questions would you like to ask him? You can tweet us using the hashtag #TrumponCNN.

PEREIRA: What is a sick rocket is what I'd like to know.

CAMEROTA: I'll ask.

PEREIRA: We've got to show you a really horrifying situation. Devastating explosion and fire rocking a neighborhood in Columbia, Maryland, last night. Look at this. The blast was so powerful that it destroyed at least six homes.

A gas company employee apparently suffered burns and injuries. A second victim was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Obviously, fire officials are investigating the cause of that explosion. We'll update you when we can.

CAMEROTA: OK. Well, there is a slow-moving storm to tell you about. It's expected to be a super soaker, as they call it...

PEREIRA: Let's get out the galoshes.

CAMEROTA: Please do. For parts of the East Coast. It's going to happen through the weekend. So where will it hit? Let's get to meteorologist Chad Myers for a look at the new fall forecast, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Wow. Yes, I'm afraid North Carolina beaches may not be the place to spend your money this weekend, unless you want to go surfing. There will be big high surf, but there will also be significant rip currents there, guys, so keep that in mind.

Look at this. Look at the southeast, because it's going to stay cloudy and rainy. Atlanta is going to get to 73 today. New York is going to be 81. So much, much warmer in the north because you'll see sunshine. The southeast doesn't see any sunshine. In fact, the southeast doesn't see sunshine for the entire weekend. That's why it's going to stay cooler and wet. And we will see spots across North Carolina, part of the Piedmont, maybe, with 4 to 6 inches of rainfall. We'll watch that.

That will not be great for leaf peeping, but the good news, we don't have a lot yet of color here across parts of the southeast. The color is in the northeast. And we expect that all the way through September. Early October, we will begin to see the leaves come down from Vermont and New Hampshire. But if you're going to do some leaf peeping, the Colorado Rockies, the northern parts of the upper part of Michigan and also, the New England states look good this weekend -- guys.

PEREIRA: All right. I love that you're doing the leaf-peeping forecast for us. Eighty-one degrees. I think Pope Francis will like that when he arrives here in New York City. All right.

Another Republican candidate in hot water for making comments about religion. This time, Mike Huckabee, challenging President Obama's Christianity. We'll tell you what he said, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[06:23:11] TRUMP: Maybe something happens, maybe people fall un- in-love with me. Certainly that can happen. I don't think it will. I think we have a tremendous base. We have people that want to make America great again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Well, that was Republican front-runner Donald Trump, saying he's not worried about losing support. Though a brand-new Quinnipiac national poll shows his lead shrinking slightly as his rivals rise.

Joining us to discuss all this is CNN political reporter Sara Murray. She was at Trump's campaign event in South Carolina Wednesday. And CNN political commentator and political anchor for New York One, Errol Louis. Great to have both of you.

Errol, let me start with you. Let's bring up this Quinnipiac poll. It is fresh out this hour. And it shows what's happened since August. These are the first post-debate numbers.

Donald Trump was at 28 percent in August. After the debate, he's at 25 percent. Meanwhile, every other one of his rivals, the four beneath him -- Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio -- have risen since the debate. Tell us what you see, Errol?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, what I see is what some of the strategists have told me right from the beginning, which is that Donald Trump has a high floor and a low ceiling. Meaning he's got a substantial amount of support.

But you know, keep in mind, 7 1/2 out of 10 Republicans tell the pollsters they don't want Donald Trump. And so they're starting to look around and start to shop, and they're starting to make some choices. Some are going to Fiorina, and some are going to Rubio.

So it's not that Trump is doing worse but Trump is not doing better. And that's, I think, an important sort of distinction to make. He's got to figure out how to broaden his base. Yes, he has a base. Yes, he has an important base. Yes, he has sort of an interesting personality, and he's in control of the debate right now. But that's going to sort of have a little less luster on it every single day between now and primary season.

CAMEROTA: Sara, you saw some interesting things on the campaign trail yesterday, particularly in Charleston. And I think you described him as being on the war path. What did you see?

[06:25:00] SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was kind of an interesting Donald Trump that we got yesterday, and I think part of that is because he's now facing his first challenges. As other people are rising in the polls, he's dipping a little bit.

But look, the first Charleston event was a much sparser crowd than we're used to. Even though it was an event at the South Carolina African-American Chamber of Commerce, it was still a predominantly white crowd.

And you know, Trump was attacking everyone yesterday, whether it was Hillary Clinton, whether it was Marco Rubio, whether it was Rand Paul. It almost seemed like he was trying to sort of regain his footing and find his spot in the race again, even though he is the one leading the polls.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about something that Mike Huckabee, governor -- former governor of Arkansas, who's running for president, said yesterday, particularly about the Pope's visit. This is in light of the Pope's visit, and he talked about President Obama's faith. And he questioned it. So listen to this, Sara.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via phone): I'm also concerned about a guy that believes he's a Christian and pretends to be. And then says he is but then does things that makes it very difficult for people to practice their Christian faith.

I'm disappointed if a person says, "I'm a Christian." But you invite the Pope into your home, and then you invite a whole bunch of people who are at odds with the Catholic Church policy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Errol, I believe that he's referring to there the president invited the first openly gay U.S. Episcopal bishop. He invited some transgender activists. He invited an activist nun.

LOUIS: That's right.

CAMEROTA: What do you think about what Governor Huckabee is saying?

LOUIS: First of all, it's a reminder that Governor Huckabee is also Reverend Huckabee. He's a Baptist minister. And he's from a branch of Christianity that sort of takes seriously that there are some walls between different parts of the faith. That there are people who believe certain things, and that if you don't believe those things, he's not necessarily going to be all that welcoming to you.

CAMEROTA: What was the president trying to do in that? Sort of trying to reflect the American public or trying to prod the Pope? What was that?

LOUIS: Well, I don't know if he prodded the Pope. I mean, the Pope himself seems open to this. The Pope didn't, you know, sort of turn around and, you know, stalk out of the Oval Office or anything like that. The Pope, in fact, has been more open than most of his predecessors when it comes to embracing people.

Look, if you're the president of the United States or you're the Pope, there's a universalist kind of message. There's kind of a universalist approach-style belief system that you put out there even if you have a deep core faith that sort of takes you in a different direction.

Like Huckabee, again, not that kind of a leader and has never pretended not to be. I mean, you know, he's really being true to himself.

CAMEROTA: Sara, let's talk about another real lightning-rod issue that came up at one of the campaign spots where you were yesterday. And that is Donald Trump going back at the birther issue. Going back at -- you know, he demanded to see President Obama's birth certificate. But he says he wasn't the original one. It was Hillary Clinton. Let's listen to what he's said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: Hillary, who's become very shrill. You know the word

"shrill"? She's become shrill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: He also said that she was the original one, as you know. And she shot down -- she did an interview with Don Lemon yesterday where she said that this is absurd. Let me play you Hillary Clinton's response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via phone): First of all, it's totally untrue. And secondly, you know, the president and I have never had any kind of confrontation like that.

You know, this is such a bad example of what's wrong with, you know, instantaneous reactions and Americans getting all worked up. And people feeding prejudice and paranoia like Donald Trump. And obviously, all of us have to stand against it. And I have been blamed for nearly everything. That was a new one for me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Sara, it's amazing to see this come up again on the campaign trail. What was the response yesterday?

MURRAY: Yes, it's pretty incredible that we're still having this conversation.

Look, this is something that Donald Trump is not just bringing up out of the blue, you know, in terms of his own belief when he goes onstage.

For example, at the event with Tim Scott last night at the town hall meeting, it didn't come up.

But Donald Trump is still dodging what is a relatively easy question. We saw that when Stephen Colbert threw it to him. I mean, the president has been clear that he is a Christian. He is an American citizen. And Trump just still doesn't want to address that.

And I think that there's good reason for that, if you're Donald Trump. That's because our CNN poll shows more than half of his supporters don't believe that President Obama is a Christian. He seems to be kind of playing into that, but it is sort of incredible that we're still having this debate, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: By the way, I mean, people are trying to retrace the original birther comments back to Hillary Clinton. They've never been able to. Investigative journalists have done it. What they've found is that there were Clinton supporters back in 2008 who were talking about this. But it wasn't her campaign, and it wasn't Hillary Clinton.

But why isn't Donald Trump owning this? LOUIS: Well, I mean, for very much the reason Sara was

suggesting. I mean, you've got a base for whom this sort of talk is just catnip. They just love it. They want to hear it every day. They want to hear it on their -- on talk radio. They want to hear it from the candidates. They want to send it around on Facebook to all of their friends. They love to talk about this.