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Democratic Stars Urge Party to Unite Behind Clinton; Michelle Obama Electrifies Convention with Rousing Speech; Sanders Urges Supporters to Back Clinton; Elizabeth Warren Blasts Trump for His Wall. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired July 26, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Biggest stars trying to deliver the city to Hillary Clinton. How would they handle the Wiki discord on day one? First lady Michelle Obama seems to be the one getting the best response from last night. She was pounding on the notion of who her daughters will look up to as president.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And then Clinton's one-time rival, Bernie Sanders, delivering a full-throated endorsement, appealing to his supporters to back Hillary Clinton declaring she must be our next president. All of this as a dramatic day of turmoil outside and inside the convention hall came to a close. We have all of this covered.

Let's start with Manu Raju. Inside the convention hall. Break it down for us, Manu.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Good morning Alisyn, now at 3:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, the Sanders campaign urgently reached out to the Clinton campaign worried that some of their supporters may actually try to disrupt the proceedings here in this convention hall. I'm told they discussed tactics and strategy and started to quell those protests. It didn't quite work. People were shouted down. There were chants, there were protests. But that all temporarily stopped when Michelle Obama took the stage.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great.

RAJU (voice-over): Michelle Obama bringing down the house on night one of the Democratic convention.

OBAMA: This right now, is the greatest country on earth.

RAJU: the first lady leading a powerful list of headlines, including Hillary's Democratic rival, Senator Bernie Sanders.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.

RAJU: After a hard-fought primary, Sanders welcomed to the stage amid deafening cheers in a three-minute standing ovation. Before delivering a full-throated endorsement of his former rival in the most important political moment of the night.

SANDER: Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president and I am proud to stand with her tonight.

RAJU: Sanders emphasizing the stakes of this election.

SANDERS: If you think you can sit it out, take a moment to think about the Supreme Court Justices that Donald Trump would nominate.

RAJU: While comforting disappointed supporters, many getting emotional during his remarks.

SANDERS: We have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution, our revolution, continues.

RAJU: The speeches aimed at uniting a party still simmering over the primary fight. The division on display throughout the day both inside and outside the convention hall. As Sanders delegates shouted in favor of their nominee. And interrupted speeches with loud anti- Clinton boos despite efforts by Clinton and Sanders officials to quiet the outbursts. These protests drawing an unscripted rebuke from Sanders supporter and comedian, Sarah Silverman.

SARAH SILVERMAN, COMEDIAN: To the Bernie or bust people, you are being ridiculous.

RAJU: But the discord quieting as Michelle Obama took the stage.

OBAMA: In this election, I'm with her.

RAJU: The first lady casting the presidential race as a decision about who'd create the best future for America's children while delivering resounding praise for her husband's former rival.

OBAMA: In this election, there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility. Only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be president of the United States and that is our friend Hillary Clinton.

RAJU: Mrs. Obama choking up while touching on the historical significance of Clinton's nomination.

OBAMA: Because of Hillary Clinton, my daughters and all our sons and daughters, now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.

RAJU: And highlighting the challenges overcome throughout history that brought her to the stage.

OBAMA: Generations of people who felt the lash of bondage, the shame of servitude, the sting of segregation, but who kept on striving and hoping and doing what needed to be done so that today I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.

RAJU: The first lady making an unusual foray in partisan politics. To knock Donald Trump without mentioning him by name.

OBAMA: The issue the president faces are not black and white and cannot be boiled down to 140 characters. When you have the nuclear codes at your fingertips and military in your command, you can't make snap decisions. You can't have a thin skin or a tendency to lash out.

RAJU: Candidly talking about the lessons she has tried to instill in her daughters.

OBAMA: We urge them to ignore those who question their father's citizenship or faith.

[05:05:03] RAJU: And criticizing Trump's rhetoric.

OBAMA: We insist that the hateful language they hear from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country. Our motto is when they go low, we go high.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAJU: Now long this peace accord lasts, is really an open question. Before Bill Clinton speaks tonight there will be a roll call vote here on the floor those giving Sanders supporters a chance to voice their concerns over the fact that Hillary Clinton will get the nomination tonight. I'm told the Sanders campaign and Clinton campaign have merged operations to quell those protests. But whether that works, Chris and Alisyn, is an open question.

CAMEROTA: Manu, thank you.

CUOMO: Let's question the quelling. Let's begin with what happened last night, whether it worked or not. To discuss is CNN's political analyst and host of the "David Gregory Show Podcast," Mr. David Gregory. CNN Politics Editor, Juana Summers, and CNN Correspondent, Phil Mattingly.

Who stood out? Did they get it done? Are the Democrats where they need to be going into day two?

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I'm not sure where they need to be. I mean, I think this was a pretty raucous day on day one. But I do think Michelle Obama, the first lady, stole the show last night. It was her night. I don't think anybody was really close. I think she captured a couple of things. I think framing the choice around who's really going to influence our children. I think she did it with elegance. She did it with grace and a lot of punch that we don't normally see from a first lady. Taking on Donald Trump about his use of Twitter. The fact he led the birther movement. Reminding the country without a filter of the media to say this is the guy who doesn't believe the President of the United States was born in America. Pointing out how ridiculous that charge is.

The totality of the speech offered not only contrast but a kind of testimony for Hillary Clinton's commitment to service that maybe only her husband, the former president, can deliver other than Michelle Obama. I thought it was quite good. CAMEROTA: So, Michelle Obama is getting much of the attention this morning. And it is interesting to contrast it to 2008. Juana, when you remember, Conservative media went after her for the statements for the first time in my adult life I'm proud of my country. It took a long time to sort of live that down that she had said that. But last night, it was -- I couldn't help but hear echoes of that where she talked about how proud she was last night.

JUANA SUMMERS, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Absolutely, and I think the contrast of 2008, not just the remarks that you talk about, but also of the primary at large that makes the speech so powerful. You think back to the bitter 2008 Democratic primary. Michelle Obama then talking about some of what she viewed as brutal attacks from the Clinton camp on her husband. And now she's given what I think is so far the most forceful embrace of Hillary Clinton. And she's also tied her husband's legacy as President, to Hillary Clinton. Reprising comments from Hillary Clinton's speech and when she talked about the highest glass ceiling. Talking about the realities of what it's like to raise two black young women in the White House. And then linking those struggles together in a way that I think resonated in that room specifically. Whether you are a Bernie Sanders supporter or someone whether has been with Hillary Clinton the entire time.

CUOMO: Juana point out an important context, in that room, Phil, just to throw cold water on this. I think it speaks to something when the first lady, a non-elected, winds up stealing the show the first night. This is supposed to be about Bernie Sanders. This was supposed to about him going out there and saying something to his people that would make them stop all the chanting that we heard. And they're obvious. They're obvious and understandable upset with the WikiLeaks. That did not happen last night. That's why we're talking about the first lady. So what's the net effect.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think it's interesting, I think when you talk to the Clinton campaign officials, they were cognizant of what Sanders was going to say last night. They working very closely behind the scenes with his team right now, particularly on this rollcall vote that's coming up today.

So they fell OK about things. I think there were moments during the Sanders speech yesterday where you thought, well doesn't seem like a full-throated embrace. And then towards the end, he seemed to get himself there and make the pitch for it. I think the most common influence yesterday on what had occurred was actually Michelle Obama. If you go in the lead-up to all of the speakers to Michelle Obama, there was booing, there was chanting. There were segments of the crowd that had major problems with it. That stopped cold when Michelle Obama started to speak.

I spoke to one Clinton official yesterday who said, you know, the tipping point of this convention or least of yesterday, but possibly the entire convention, may have not been Bernie Sanders at all. It may have been Michelle Obama's speech. On a micro level, maybe that actually becomes kind of the most important moment of Michelle Obama speech. GREGORY: A couple of things can be true at once. She, the first

lady, I think was able to transcend some of the chaos both in the hall and what we saw play out in Philadelphia yesterday. As someone who -- and you are right -- who could offer the kind of testimony about the historic nature of Clinton's candidacy as well as her commitment to service.

But I do think Democrats, first of all, if we are going to scrutinize the Republicans for the Ted Cruz moment. There was not something as bad as that, but there is disunity here. But I think Democrats and Hillary Clinton ought to be very careful about what is bubbling. This populism in the Democratic Party. They better watch it very closely before it really spills over.

[05:10:00] CAMEROTA: What does that mean? In other words, that is bubbling. What should they do while watching it?

GREGORY: I think Hillary Clinton has done as much as she can do. She has moved as far left as she can and still be credible. And many will question how credible that is. Embracing so much of what he's already stood for. The reality is just how noisy the room was. Whether it was "Black Lives Matters" protesters, or people who felt betrayed by Elizabeth Warren. That kind of selling out for party unity. There's a lot of people who are not on board. There are these libertarian candidates could be a destination for the millennial voters who are not caught up in the stranglehold that the Clinton's have over Democratic Party.

CUOMO: Well, the crux of this is going to be, in terms of what do they do? The Democrats have to figure out who can be their super motivated base to off-set the blue collar wave of passion, anger, but also enthusiasm that the Republicans have moving. Juana, who could that group be?

SUMMERS: I think some of these independents that you're seeing have actually lifted Donald Trump for that fertile territory. If you look at the latest CNN polling, Donald Trump's rise largely attributed to 43 percent of independents who say they're interested in that campaign. That's really fertile ground to me. Because we still are a long way from election day. Those are people who are possible flips for the Clinton campaign that they can get on board. But I think there is a question of authenticity here as David noted. She cannot move too much further left, to get those people in. She's got to find some surrogates who can effectively --

CUOMO: Is that what they want? What does that group want?

SUMMERS: What is --?

CUOMO: That this group that's potential to flip from one side to the other? Do we know what they want these independents?

SUMMERS: I don't think we have a clear enough picture and we have not done enough studying on what those people do want.

GREGORY: But I also think this kind of new America versus old America. That coalition, that ascended coalition of young people minorities that I think was reflected on the stage last night. They just need then to turn out in really big numbers. And I just don't I think that's a given. I don't think you can say that is a given right now.

MATTINGLY: But if you want a surrogate who could actually start to address that. I think if you talk to the Clinton campaign officials, they actually think Michelle Obama and obviously, the President of the United States are two people who can do it in states like North Carolina. In places like Ohio, when you need cities like Cincinnati and Columbus to turned out, urban area to turn out in major ways like they did for president Obama in both 2008 and somewhat shockingly in 2012. Those are the surrogates they want to send into those places in the country to try to boost that turnout and keep the coalition.

GREGORY: North Carolina is really interesting. That could become a swing state. These sunbelt states, as well as Nevada, as well as Colorado, Arizona may be a little bit of a dream. But there are states where the demographics are such and there's even some talk about Georgia, again, could also be a stretch. Where you could have the President, you can have Michelle Obama. You can have former President Clinton.

That's quite a team that can go out there and really get out the vote, really get out that coalition. And again, this is where the contrast with Trump becomes so important. And I think that's where it's kind of fallen a little bit for Sanders saying, look, Trump is not acceptable. I don't think all of his supporters are thinking that is enough at this point.

CAMEROTA: All right, we want to talk more about Bernie Sanders. Stand by, panel, if you would. You just heard some of Bernie Sanders highly anticipated endorsement of Hillary Clinton. How did it go over with his supporters? Our political panel examines that next.

[05:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Welcome back to NEW DAY. Let's play the moment last night that Hillary Clinton and her supporters were waiting for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Based on her ideas and her leadership, Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: All right, that is a little taste of Bernie's speech. We'll play you more, but let's discuss with the political panel. We have political analyst and host of the David Gregory Show Podcast, David Gregory, CNN Politics Editor, Juana Summers and CNN Political Commentator and Senior Political Contributor for the "Daily Caller" Matt Lewis.

Matt, what was your impression from the right side of the aisle of Bernie Sanders endorsement of Hillary Clinton. Was it enthusiastic enough for his supporters?

MATT LEWIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it was as good as Sanders could do. To the degree that he can tell his supporters to get in line. I think if you are Hillary Clinton, that is exactly what you want. And so compare that to the Republican convention. The Republicans are going through a messy public divorce right now. The Democrats are bickering and fighting, but then they get their act together and go out in public and put on the best front. It's sort of for the sake of the kids, let's get our act together. They have a great show last night. Let's see if they can keep it.

CUOMO: Juana, can you take the other side of that? I've certainly seen Bernie Sanders be a hell of a lot more passionate about what's important to him than he was last night.

SUMMERS: Well, of course. He did the thing, he came out and said that without question the evidence shows Hillary Clinton is the best person to win in November. That said, as I looked through the prepared text of his speech, watching his speech last night, he didn't talk much about hey, you should go out and vote for Hillary Clinton. This didn't come off to me as full-throated.

That is because Sanders is in a delicate position. He has to not alienate his supporters. Figure out how to make sure that to be an ally to the Clinton campaign and DNC and making sure there are no protests or uprisings on the floors that would distract away from floor business and from Hillary Clinton claiming her party's nomination. While at the same time remaining true to himself. He is in this awkward position of now endorsing and standing behind somebody that he spent the last some odd months contrasting as inauthentic and not prepared to lead that's he's bashed on every issue.

CAMEROTA: Yes, that's a tough one. How do you think he did?

GREGORY: I thought he was fine. I think there was a little bit of like was earlier in the day. Well, this is the real world. Unfortunately, we've got to fall in line. Which is hardly a ringing endorsement.

[05:20:03] I think he has fallen in line, himself, you know, as a Senator who understands he can be very powerful in the Democratic Senate if it come to that. He can run the budget committee.

I don't think his followers are there. And I was thinking kind of through a longer arc of disappointments that progressives have had with President Obama. Whether it's on single payer health or even America's projection of power overseas where he was hawkish as it turned out in the use of drones and things like that. So I think there is progressive disappointment. As you listen to the party last night, it is not just the progressive wing of the party. It is the progressive core of the Democratic Party. And when Hillary Clinton is branding herself as a progressive who can get things done, I don't think that is in the tradition of who she's been. She's much more centrist. Certainly on foreign policy she is. I think that what Sanders represents this kind of tepid support for her is something that's indicative of something larger. Some of the noise in the hall is real in terms of some of the disunity.

CUOMO: I think objectively you have to say it is all real. You used the right word. Fine.

GREGORY: They pulled it together.

CUOMO: If you move it too much, it reveals a vulnerable skull. That is what Elizabeth Warren represented last night, Matt, was a huge trajectory.

LEWIS: This was set up to be a disaster though. Last night was a huge success when you consider the trajectory we were on.

CUOMO: Although, with deference to your perspective on this, that's what you wanted. But I'll tell you what, there was tremendous pushback. Because were at the convention, right. You're walking through and you are at the place. You are seeing them. Many of the Democrats were like, why are you making WikiLeaks something that goes so beyond the content of the actual e-mails? You are making it seem like those e-mails say, here's what we did to stop Bernie. Here is what we are going to do to stop Bernie. That is not how they felt about it.

So I think that it was looking a little bit better for them going into it. Although obviously, outwardly, it brought up the stink that everyone is thinking on the floor. That is why Warren was so important. She, too, last night, didn't seem like she rose to the occasion. It seemed like more of the same old, same old. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Last week, Donald Trump spoke for more than an hour on the biggest stage he's ever had. But other than talking about building a stupid wall, which will never get built. Other than that wall, did you hear any actual ideas? Did you hear one solid proposal from Trump for increasing incomes or improving your kids' education or creating even one single good paying job? Look, let's face it, Donald Trump has no real plans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Now the truest thing she said there, David, is that the wall isn't getting built if Congress doesn't want it built, obviously. Which was an interesting little nod to the political reality. How effective is that?

GREGORY: Well first of all, it is a stupid wall. I haven't run across anybody conservative or Democrat who thinks the wall is a good idea. I also thought some of Warren, I was just thing, she wasn't as strong as she could be. I thought she actually played it just right. She has a lot of detractors. But nobody is better at dropping the hammer on Trump than she is. This was a primetime audience. This was not a political rally per se. I thought she modulated her tone pretty well. She is the most progressive supporter for Hillary Clinton. More important than Bernie Sanders.

CUOMO: Why?

GREGORY: I think her support is deeper and wider than Sanders is among progressives. I think she can offer better testimony for Hillary Clinton than he can or even is willing to do. I thought she played that pretty well.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about that. When you have Elizabeth Warren up there and Michelle Obama and you have Bernie Sanders. Even if they are not as giving as enthusiastic a speech with as much gusto as we heard before. Where else do progressives go this election? They have to work their way around to her.

SUMMERS: That's the toughest part. They have to find their way to get to her, whether or not they vote for say a Gary Johnson or a Jill Stein. The odds of them winning in a general are very, very slim. That is just the political reality. But something I heard, Alisyn, from Bernie Sanders supporters that I've been talking to, both last night as well as they resent the fact they feel they are being told to be obligated to come out in support for Hillary Clinton. They feel their vote is something that needs to be earned. And they just feel like despite the testimonies that we heard from a number of powerful and very popular Democrats to the progressive core, they don't feel like she earned it yet. They are not there yet.

CUOMO: A lot of the chitter chat, I agree with you Juana, is that one, the Sanders people are still wearing their stuff. They're still holding their signs and they're still hanging out together.

CAMEROTA: They are wearing stuff if they are wearing clothes.

CUOMO: You were hanging out in a different place.

CAMEROTA: I was walking up to our hotel and I saw some that I felt they could wear more clothes.

CUOMO: Where you were at that time we need to leave for a commercial break.

[05:25:00] CAMEROTA: It was after dinner.

CUOMO: Of course it was. The idea of a progressive finding their way to, as Juana correctly describes it, that is not a good formula for a passion voter, right. Which is your progressive. Which is the blue collar vote you are cultivating on the Republican side. You can't have them finding their way. They got to want it in a big way, right, Matt?

LEWIS: Yes, I think both parties have this problem. We always talk about the left versus the right. But really right now we're defined by the insiders versus the outsiders. And so I think Donald Trump could have actually done a better job of wooing and courting Bernie Sanders. He's very schizophrenic. He's says a good thing, come vote for me and then he attacks Bernie.

CUOMO: And they were mentioning that. Him calling Bernie Sanders pathetic was a mistake. Lewis: He needs to get on message and woo them. You can't attack

Bernie and get his voters.

Panel, thank you very much. We will rely on you throughout the program.

CUOMO: Another big name last night that was certainly supposed to help with the group that we're outlining here, so important to the Democrats, was New Jersey Senator Cory Booker. He was very passionate up there, last night. We will talk to him about what I thinks is the key to unifying his party and what's his best case for Clinton.

CAMEROTA: OK, so opening night at the Democratic convention. One speaker after another did target Donald Trump. Were their attacks on him effective? Our political panel takes that on next.