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Trump To Unveil Accounting Of His Veterans' Fundraiser; Interview with Sen. Ron Johnson; Does Donald Trump have a woman problem?. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired May 27, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:31:00] ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Donald Trump says a full accounting on his veterans' fundraiser -- remember, when he skipped the debate back in January -- will be revealed on Monday, Memorial Day. His campaign boasting that $6 million was raised even though no one could account for the exact amount or the groups in line to receive it.

CNN's Drew Griffin has been following this money and he joins us live now with the latest -- Drew.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT: Yes, Ana, Donald Trump actually called me last night after we've been harassing his campaign for months now to find out where the money is going and coming from.

And he said the reason there's been a delay is because some of the big donors actually forgot that they donated to his cause. He said we had to go out and remind them, and he says now that they have the checks in they're going to be able to distribute that money and give an accounting for all that money on Monday, Memorial Day. That's what he told me.

And he also said that, you know, he continues to complain about the press coverage of this, saying he's the only guy -- like he said on Tuesday -- the only guy that does something good and gets criticized for it. Take a listen to his speech on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Think of it -- you're me. You're out, you're making a speech. You say, I have an idea, let's raise money for the vets. And all of a sudden it boomerangs and more and more are coming in, and friends of mine start calling and we raise all of this money -- more than $5 million. I think it's more than $5.5 million. And we raise all of this money and then you get bad press.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: He told me last night it is going to be very close to the $6 million figure, Ana.

CABRERA: And, of course, he also said he donated $1 million himself. Did he?

[07:35:00] GRIFFIN: You know what? He actually did, and he did it and gave it to a pretty good cause. It's the Marine & Law Enforcement Foundation. They give money to kids of fallen officers and fallen Marines. We confirmed with that charity it's $1 million. It is in the bank and it is from Donald Trump.

CABRERA: All right, putting his money where his mouth is. Drew Griffin, thank you for joining us -- Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: OK, Ana. Here to discuss this and so much more with the veterans, Wisconsin senator, Ron Johnson. He is chairman of the Senate Committee of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He's also holding a hearing next week on all of the issues plaguing the V.A. Senator, thanks so much for being here.

SEN. RON JOHNSON, (R) WISCONSIN, CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Are you satisfied now? So, Donald Trump has raised, he says, close to $6 million for the veterans. Are you satisfied, case closed, it's gone to the right places?

JOHNSON: If the only thing he did was donate $1 million to the cause that's pretty good, isn't it? So, maybe he didn't meet the $6 million. I've certainly been involved in enough charities where sometimes it is a little difficult to college the pledges. So, listen, wonderful intention. If he doesn't get the full $6 million, even $1 million is pretty generous, isn't it?

CAMEROTA: We should applaud him.

JOHNSON: And, very helpful.

CAMEROTA: Yes, absolutely. We should applaud him for raising that money now that it does seem like it's going to hit the figure. I mean, the question for journalists was, was he overinflating it, but it sounds like he's going to hit that figure.

JOHNSON: He's going to try. You know, it was a good attempt. I mean, Donald Trump definitely knows how to market and he did it for a good cause.

CAMEROTA: You're going to be holding a hearing next week on the continuing problems that plague the V.A., particularly one in your home state of Wisconsin -- Tomah, Wisconsin. There's a medical center there. They refer to it as "Candy Land" because so many narcotic painkillers have been handed out there seemingly without any kind of judicious oversight. What's going on there?

JOHNSON: Well, the first time I heard about it was when the news media reported it in January 2015, and because I'd just become chairman of Homeland Security I could immediately start my own investigation. And because of our investigation the doctor known as "Candy Man" and his nurse practitioner are gone. We've actually held them accountable.

So has the executive director and the inspector general. I would say that the acting inspector general who had been captured by the agency had buried all these reports thatdidn't allow the public to understand what was happening. So, it was known. They were calling this doctor "Candy Man" as far back as 2004 and nobody had done anything about it.

CAMEROTA: And, by the way, 33 unexpected deaths -- deaths that basically shouldn't have happened, possibly because of this over- prescription. How weren't people aware of this?

JOHNSON: It was buried. It just never came to light of day. We're going to hold a hearing. We've got about a 350-page report that just lays it all out. Those 350 pages are kind of hard to go through in a couple of seconds here. But it was just time after time when people raised the issue with members of the V.A., or the Department of Justice, or the FBI, or the DEA, people just didn't do anything about it.

CAMEROTA: It's not just, obviously, at that medical center in Tomah. The V.A. hospitals, as we've said, have been in crisis after crisis. "The Wall Street Journal", just this week, reporting that thousands -- that the Department of Veterans Administration's declared thousands of vets dead who were not dead, and canceled their benefits. I mean, it just seems as though it's rife with problems. Who do you blame?

JOHNSON: Alisyn, we have got to honor the promises to the finest among us. We have to do that, and the problem is trying to do that in a bureaucratic system. Let's face it, the V.A. health care system is a single payer, government-run, bureaucratic system and, yet, that's unfortunately what a lot of people want to impose on all of us.

I would suggest we not do that. The best way to handle this, literally, is give veterans more choice, allow them access to private health care. We have this "Veterans Choice Program". The V.A. is not administering it properly. We kind of set up this pilot program. We've got to figure out how to do that better because we have to honor those promises.

CAMEROTA: So, you blame this single-payer system and bureaucracy more than any particular person or any sort of incompetence going on there?

JOHNSON: Can you point to a bureaucracy that works well? As efficiently as the private sector where you have free market competition, pretty well guarantee the lowest possible price, the best possible quality, the best possible level of customer service.

I came from the private sector. I was in manufacturing. I would have loved to have been a monopolist, but because I wasn't my price was lower, my quality was higher, as was my customer service. Wouldn't that be good for a health care system?

CAMEROTA: V.A. secretary Robert McDonald, should he go?

JOHNSON: He's has some troubling comments.

CAMEROTA: He said that the line -- he sort of equated the long lines to get care at the V.A. hospitals with the long lines at Disneyworld. His point was at the end of the day, once you get what you're there for, it works. JOHNSON: So, we've had Gen. Shinseki, we've had McDonald. I think these are good men trying to honor those promises but they're trying to deal with this massive bureaucracy. Are we going to start -- kind of start realizing that it's more the bureaucracy than necessarily particularly something they had?

CAMEROTA: So he can stay, in your mind?

JOHNSON: Yes, it's an enormous challenge. I don't envy him his task, trying to corral in this bureaucracy which, again, I believe the solution should be allowing our veterans to access private health care as much as possible. Start making that transition to have the V.A. health care system really focus on the truly service-related injuries.

[07:40:00] They can be centers of excellence for those things like missing limbs -- those specific deals -- those specific injuries -- but let our veterans access private health care.

CAMEROTA: Donald Trump -- you say you support him but you don't endorse him. What's the difference?

JOHNSON: I intend to support our nominee.

CAMEROTA: Why not endorse him?

JOHNSON: What we need to do is we need to concentrate on the areas of agreement. Growing our economy, allowing it realize its full potential, reducing the regulatory burden, securing our borders. It's an enormous problem -- our lack of secured borders.

CAMEROTA: He talks about all those things.

JOHNSON: I know, that's what I'm saying. So, what I will do is I will be concentrating on the areas of agreement to build our economy, to build our military, to defeat ISIS, to secure our borders. And I think if we do that -- if we concentrate on those areas of agreement that unifies us as a party, I think we'll be in pretty good shape in November.

CAMEROTA: So, are you going to endorse him?

JOHNSON: I will do everything I can to support achieving those goals.

CAMEROTA: Why not endorse him? Why are you making that distinction?

JOHNSON: I'm going to support those goals.

CAMEROTA: OK, Sen. Ron Johnson, thanks so much for being on NEW DAY. Great to talk to you.

JOHNSON: Have a great morning.

CAMEROTA: You, too. Let's get over to Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: All right, good answer there at the end. So, we've been seeing these horrible twisters and storms wrecking parts of the country, people fleeing for their lives. But not everyone. Some run into the storm -- storm chasers. We're going to talk to two stormchasers about being at the heart of the storm. Why they do it and what they know about what's coming.

[07:41:50]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:15] CABRERA: It has been a week of severe weather -- a long week, especially for those who live across the Midwest and Central Plains. Folks there dealing with torrential rain, flooding, storms that have spawned numerous tornadoes, and storm chasers are putting themselves right in the path.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOICE OF VAL CASTOR, SENIOR STORM TRACKER, "KWTV NEWS 9": We have another tornado that just touched down, David, with the other wall cloud. This is straight north of us three-quarters of a mile. Oh my gosh. Oh, there's a house over there. Pan left, Amy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Oh my goodness. That's the voice of "KWTV NEWS" senior storm tracker Val Castor, tracking a twister alongside his wife Amy, who's also a storm tracker for the station, and they both join us now.

When we look at those pictures you can't help but kind of get goosebumps. It's scary, it's emotional, it's everything to us, but you're so close. Val, just how close did you get to some of these tornadoes? I know you said you saw like 15, in that one day of storm tracking, alone?

V. CASTOR: Yes, 15 tornadoes, and I would say that we were probably a quarter of a mile away from a couple of those, Ana.

CABRERA: Unbelievable. Amy, how do you protect yourself?

V. CASTOR: Well, you know, I mean basically we've been doing this for 25 years plus and we've kind of learned over the years how close we can get, how close is safe, and how close is not safe. So, we try to stay back just far enough to be safe, but get close enough to see it and see what's going on.

CABRERA: Amy, when you are so close to those tornadoes, just a quarter of a mile away, what is that experience like? Describe it for us.

AMY CASTOR, STORMTRACKER, "KWTV NEWS 9": Oh, it's really surreal. I mean, of course, we have so much to do. There's video to take and we have so many people that we're talking to all at once, it seems like. But, when you're in that moment and you look up and you see that right in front of you, it's just unbelievable. It really is.

CABRERA: I want to take a listen to some sound where you are recording and Val, you talk about two tornadoes merging into one. Let's listen and talk on the backside.

V. CASTOR: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

V. CASTOR: The two tornadoes are merging into one. It's just north of us, a quarter of a mile down the road to our north. One-quarter of a mile -- oh man, this is going to be a stronger, violent tornado. The chaser behind us is in the ditch backing up, trying to turn around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So Val, what was going through your mind there?

V. CASTOR: Well, first of all, over the years -- I mean, I've been chasing a lot of years and I have never seen anything quite as crazy as this. There was two wall clouds -- two mesos, if you will -- and we were splitting the difference. I mean, we were looking at one to the left and one to the right, just barely south of both of them. And so, both of those were producing tornadoes.

At one point, the right wall cloud had two on the ground while the left one had one, so three on the ground at the same time. And so, when I'm seeing that happening that storm was going north, initially, and all of a sudden it stopped and it just almost started digging a hole in this field off to our northwest.

And then, it started coming to the east. I mean, towards us. It crossed in front of us but this other wall cloud started taking over and pulling the other rotation, if you will, tornado right into it and they merged into one at that point.

CABRERA: How long was that tornado on the ground? Any estimate?

V. CASTOR: You know, we saw 15 tornadoes that day. We were doing a Facebook livestream at the time and we started it -- and we only get an hour and a half, you know on those streams and we filled that whole stream. So, an hour and a half of video right there.

CABRERA: I know there were some 100 tornadoes reported across the country this week, and in just one part of Kansas, alone, at least 28 homes and farmsteads were damaged. (Video playing) And we're watching your video.

You mentioned it's an hour and a half long so we scrolled through it. It's really quite amazing. You see some of the damage to homes, in the area where you were, near the end of your video. Amy, when you see that damage what do you think? How does that affect you?

A. CASTOR: Oh, it affects us greatly. I mean, our hearts just go out to those who are affected and that's what drives us to do what we do. Warning people of the storm that's coming their way is so important. But when we come upon a damaged scene it's just heartbreaking because there's just nothing you can do about it, and you just hope that everyone was OK. CABRERA: Amy and Val Castor, thank you so much for joining us this morning and sharing your video and insight with us. Good to see you.

A. CASTOR: Thanks for having us.

V. CASTOR: Thank you.

CABRERA: Stay safe because we know there are more storms in store -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: All right, Ana. Donald Trump has lashed out at plenty of women and people in the last 11 months, including three prominent politicians just this week. Next, we will ask two women who have dealt with Trump personally and they've had very different experiences. Listen to their stories.

[07:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:54:10] CAMEROTA: Does Donald Trump have a woman problem? Elizabeth Warren, Susana Martinez, and Hillary Clinton may answer that question one way. But let's talk to two women who have had personal dealings with Donald Trump.

Tyana Alvarado, she's a former "APPRENTICE" contestant, as well as attorney Elizabeth Beck, who's also here, who deposed Trump in 2011. Ladies, it's great to have you both here because you've had personal dealings with Donald Trump.

Tyana, I want to start with you because you've had a very -- you had a very interesting deal with him. You were a contestant in 2011. You say that you had a great experience with Donald Trump despite the fact that he didn't want you on the show and he fired you. So, let's start there. Why didn't he want you on the show?

TYANA ALVARADO, FORMER CONTESTANT ON "THE APPRENTICE": Wow, I'm so sorry, I can't see anything.

CAMEROTA: I know. It's hard via satellite. I feel your pain.

ALVARADO: Oh, there we go. Technically, I think 15 of us, he didn't want, so I don't feel that special in not being wanted. But, I think at that time "The Apprentice" was a show and so he's producing a product and I didn't fit what, in his vision, an apprentice should be.

[07:55:00] CAMEROTA: OK, but somehow you managed to get on the show and what were your interactions like with him?

ALVARADO: You know, I know there's a lot of controversy around him regarding the way he treats women, and I don't feel that it's his -- I don't feel he's anti-woman. I just think he is a person that you need to earn his respect, whether you're a man or a woman.

And I know going into the show, I guess to better answer your question, I was more chosen by producers in the beginning versus him because I didn't fit what he wanted in an apprentice. I don't have the Ivy League schooling. I don't have the Yale-Harvard background or anything that he would normally want.

And as time passed on the show I earned his respect and his behavior toward me changed, and I could tell it was reflected in my prize as project manager and how he tried to help me after I was fired.

CAMEROTA: Yes, in fact, you say that he set up a job interview for you after you were fired, which is obviously a wonderful thing to do. OK, so is it fair to say that in conclusion, for you, that he -- once you earned his respect that it wasn't about you being a woman, that then you had a good relationship with him?

ALVARADO: Yes, and that's what I'm saying. I know coming into it, he didn't -- I feel bad saying he didn't want me there. He's never told me he didn't want me there. I'm just going by what I heard from producers, right?

CAMEROTA: OK.

ALVARADO: But, yes, I just -- I earned more respect for him knowing that I had earned his respect and the way that he treated me.

CAMEROTA: Yes, all right.

ALVARADO: And I was the cougar on my season and I always dressed provocatively, and I know that sets me up to be treated differently but he never disrespected me.

CAMEROTA: OK. Elizabeth, you had a different experience. You are an attorney. You did countless dealings with businessmen in real estate along the way. Tell us about your experience. You had a contentious experience with Donald Trump in which breastfeeding came up.

ELIZABETH BECK, ATTORNEY, DEPOSED TRUMP IN 2011: I did, and, you know, I have to say Tyana mentioned her pedigree, but I've got to say, as a graduate of Yale Law School, I don't think pedigree has anything to do with it because he certainly behaved in a very erratic manner with me, but --

CAMEROTA: Explain what happened. You were -- you and he had a contentious dealing and you wanted to break for lunch. What was happening?

BECK: We had agreed to a lunch. I was just doing my job, you know? So, it was a deposition and in a deposition the lawyer asks you questions under oath and you can't not answer.

CAMEROTA: What didn't he like about that?

BECK: I don't know, you know. Mr. Trump sitting there, he has to answer questions, can't not refuse to answer, and has to finish the process.

CAMEROTA: But was this because you were an attorney trying to get a deposition or because you were a woman? BECK: I don't know. But you know, what happened was we had agreed to a lunch break. Everybody in the room had agreed to a lunch break. This is not scary stuff, OK? We're just breaking for lunch. And his own lawyer, Mr. Herman Russomanno, OK? He's a former president of the Florida bar, highly regarded attorney in Miami.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BECK: His lawyer says I'd like to take a minute to use the restroom, and Trump turns to him and says --this is a deposition, OK? You don't have to take my word for it. Turns to him and says no, no, no bathroom break.

CAMEROTA: OK, well there you go.

BECK: And so --

CAMEROTA: That's an interesting point because he's treating the man the same way as he treated you when you said I need to take a break to go breastfeed.

BECK: Yes. So, he sits down and I have to break for lunch for medical reasons.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BECK: I didn't want to tell everyone --

CAMEROTA: Of course.

BECK: I didn't want to tell everybody what the reasons were. I managed to keep it a secret until then. But you know what? Now, everybody knows so I'll just tell you, right? I had to break for lunch to breast pump.

CAMEROTA: Yes, but -- and Donald Trump didn't like that. What did he say to you?

BECK: Well, he didn't know. He said no lunch. So I said no, I think we're breaking for lunch.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BECK: And, he said no lunch and I had to start creating records, so I said you know what? I'm just going to have to tell everybody what I need the lunch break for.

CAMEROTA: But at the end of this whole -- and, I mean, I know that he said that that was disgusting. But at the end of this whole thing did you think that you were being treated differently because you were a woman?

BECK: OK, you can hate women, but not exclusively women, OK? So, he -- I don't think -- I think there's many, many examples of Trump treating women in a very disrespectful manner. He treats a lot of people in a disrespectful manner. CAMEROTA: Yes, there you go.

BECK: OK? So --

CAMEROTA: I mean, that -- in fact,