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Democratic Stars Urge Party To Unite Behind Clinton; Sanders Urges Supports To Back Clinton; Michelle Obama Makes Impassioned Pitch For Clinton, Knocks Trump Without Mentioning By Name; Roll Call Vote Today To Officially Nominate Hillary Clinton; DNC Apologizes To Sanders Over Leaked E-mails. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired July 26, 2016 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Coming after dramatic day, hearing and endorsement some felt was a little bit ambivalent. We'll talk about that ...

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Why are you looking at me?

CAMEROTA: No, I'm just previewing what might be coming up. But he did declare that she must be our next president all this coming after a dramatic day of turmoil for the Democratic Party. So we have it all covered for you.

Let's begin with Manu Raju, he is live inside the convention hall. Good morning, Manu.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Good morning Alisyn, now emotions were so raw, passions were so high and yesterday the Sanders' campaign called the Clinton campaign in the afternoon to talk about a way to stop these protest from happening, particularly here in the convention hall that could disrupt the proceedings.

Now we didn't see that really be successful. There were shouts, there were chants, there were speakers who had to try to speak back, push back against those protest, but Michelle Obama didn't have to worry about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, U.S. FIRST LADY: Don't let anyone ever tell you that this country isn't great.

RAJU: 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 headliners, including Hillary's Democratic rival, Senator Bernie Sanders.

BERNIE SANDER, (D) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.

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

SANDERS: 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 disappointing 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 an interrupted speeches with loud anti-Clinton boos, despite efforts by Clinton and Sanders officials to quiet the outburst.

These protest drawing an unscripted rebuke from Sanders' supporter and comedian Sarah Silverman.

SARAH SILVERMAN, BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORTER: To the Bernie or bust people, you're being ridiculous.

RAJU: But they 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 would 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 the partisan politics, to knock Donald Trump, without mentioning him by name.

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

RAJU: Handedly talking about the lessons she has tried to instill in their daughters.

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

RAJU: And criticizing Trump's rhetoric.

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:05:15] RAJU: Now later this afternoon this convention has gone as she formally nominate Hillary Clinton to become the Democratic Party's candidate for president. Now, that's going to give the Sanders' supporters an opportunity to try to disrupt the proceedings if they want to and watch for the Clinton campaign and the Sanders campaign to try to work in tandem to prevent that.

Now afterwards the convention program will start speaker after speaker are going to be talking about Hillary Clinton's life story, including Bill Clinton. They're going to talk about what their call in the "Fights of her life." And Chris and Alisyn is all part of -- effort to soften her image and reverse those sliding poll numbers.

CUOMO: All right, Manu, thank you very much. Let's discuss the impact in the road ahead. Two big speeches, this is the big second night.

Errol Louis CNN Political Commentator and Political Anchor of Time Warner Cable News got him, David Gregory, CNN Political Analyst and host of the David Gregory show Podcast got him too, Mark Preston, CNN Politics Executive Editor, he has no choice.

It's good to have all three of you here. So, Sarah Silverman goes up there and says you guys are being ridiculous to the Bernie supporters. Is that the pivot point that sets up today's roll call vote and it will all go smoothly from here?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't know about smoothly. Smoothly is probably not in the cards. But I think there was a pivot point. Frankly, I thought it was more with Michelle Obama who really kind of silenced a lot of the chanting. I mean I don't know how much -- how closely people were following this but there really was a pattern when somebody said something really strongly in favor of Hillary Clinton, that's when you'd hear the Bernie chants or the boos. And a lot of it was coming from the California delegation and they happen to be sitting near and they was pretty loud.

CUOMO: But not from ...

LOUIS: Oh, no. And the New York delegation was of course, trying to counter them and it was kind of interesting.

But -- so, you know, they don't stop them. Then they're not going to stop. They made that clear on social media. When everything was over and most people had left the arena, I'm talking about at midnight, they were downstairs chanting in the hallways. There are some people who are dead-enders. And it's very, very important to them that everybody know that up to the end they weren't going to say anything nice about Hillary Clinton.

CAMEROTA: David, could Bernie Sanders have done more to quiet, to quell their frustration?

DAVID GREGORY, HOST, THE DAVID GREGORY SHOW PODCAST: Well, I think he could've done more for instance in his speech if he didn't spend so much time talking about how awful things have been for the past seven and a half years under President Obama. I mean I think that critics can seize on that.

Look, he is a movement candidate and idealistic candidate who has really hardcore followers. And I think that what's important for the Clinton team is they try to get to say 90 percent of those you know Sanders' supporters to be with them in the fall. Think they're probably on their way to doing that.

The people who have come here who have, you know, braved the heat and are hardcore delegates and really dedicated to the cause, I mean they're creating something of a ruckus. And I think that Sarah Silverman moment had that, you know, spill out. But I don't think it affects the overall but I do think that Clinton team has to worry about this populism, how much of the progressive wing of the party is becoming on a progressive heart of the party. That's something they're going to have to keep a close eye on.

CUOMO: How close do you think they are to having an answer? The feeling like they know what their message is that defeats the other side?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well, I mean look, I mean as far as that goes, let's assume she wins in November, governing for the next four years for her will be difficult in the sense that she will continue to be pushed to the left.

Now will the Clinton campaign over the next couple months be able to bring the Bernie folks in. I think so and, you know, as David said, the folks in the hall were just I mean they're Bernie people. Like -- and they are going to believe Bernie, but in the end, I just -- they're not going to vote for Trump. I mean it's a different flavor of populism. And they have two different messages. But I do think that the Clinton campaign had a very, very fine line to walk last night and I think they did a pretty good job of it allowing the chanting to go on. I do think that the Sanders campaign probably did what they could do. And look, we'll see what happens over the next couple of days but I'll tell what this isn't. This isn't what we saw in Cleveland with Ted Cruz.

GREGORY: Yeah and if I could just say I mean, you had this unity but then you had Michelle Obama offering a transcendent note. She was able to offer testimony for Hillary Clinton about being a positive role model for parents, about her commitment to service. Also in a very classy and saddled way doing a hard takedown on Donald Trump, so she really was able to transcend that and speak to so much of the new America which is part of this Democratic coalition.

CAMEROTA: And let's take a moment Errol to talk about Michelle Obama's political evolution. I mean remember all the heat she took in 2008 when she said this is the first time in my adult life I've been proud of my country. And then last I should say don't let anybody tell you this isn't a great country. She has learned and evolved with the message as well.

[07:10:06] LOUIS: I think that it reflects basically the seven years of her life that she has spent in this very unique vintage point, seeing world leaders, seeing the country change, seeing political forces sort of turn on her husband and sort of attacking almost of his idealism, not to despite it. And so, she's I think in really sort of trying to raise herself to a higher level. And be worthy of the dam that she occupy.

She, if you listen to it, she says that all the time. We have to be worthy of what has been given us to. And she says that both about herself and her husband and the power that they wield. But she also says that about the country and about the movement that they've tried to lead.

CUOMO: It's also a window into her perspective now. 2008, she's the insurgent. You know, she's judging what's going on in the country as wrong because she is the one who is able to fix it. You know, that was the campaign's message. Now they're responsible for the state of play in the world and she is defending a proposition as opposed to attacking it. How does that translate into what were going to see in the selection going forward?

PRESTON: Oh, I mean this is going to be very, very ugly. It will be interesting to see how Michelle Obama plays in this campaign because her message last night right on, it transcended so many different economic levels and race level. It was just across the board.

For me, you know, there was take a ways for everybody, you know, in that speech. For me, it was when she was talking about how she watched her two little girls get into these SUVs into drive away and her comment was what are we doing? What have we done? And, you know, for being a parent myself, you know, with two young kids. I'm usually the one in the car who is going away and leaving them. And I'm thinking myself, oh my, what have I done when you leave them. I just think that Michelle Obama can be so effective for Hillary Clinton if she continues to do what she did last night.

CAMEROTA: She also, David, talked about the historic moment of Hillary Clinton being the first possibly ...

GREGORY: Yeah.

CAMEROTA: The first female President and what that means for all of our children.

GREGORY: I think that's big. You know, I mean, she said that, look, Hillary Clinton has made it possible for her daughters and for sons as well to take for granted that a woman could become president. And yet we all know as parents, especially, you know, I've got an 11-year-old girl, it's not automatic. And, you know, this is an important moment. My daughter asked me all the time when is this going to happen?

CAMEROTA: Yes, was it a little premature frankly, that Michelle Obama said, now kids can take for granted that a woman can be a president, not exactly.

GREGORY: Well, right. But I think her point was that Hillary Clinton on the world stage has made it seem like, yes. I mean, of course it's distinctly possible. But I thought she injected an historical note in a way that was more contemporary that could reach a younger generation. Others have done it speaking to an older generation of women. I just -- I thought it was quite effective.

CUOMO: But how does that set up against what they're dealing with on the opposition? You know, that look at the news today. You know, what's happening in Paris right now. You know, a priest in Normandy being killed by some guys and you have what's happened in North Africa. That's the world, cops are getting killed, there's violence, there's anger. That's what you're up against. How do they win?

LOUIS: Well, I mean, it depends on where the mood of the electorate is. I mean, what we heard in Cleveland of course, where there was this portion of gloom and doom and, you know, sort of impending disaster that only one man can solve. I mean that literally was what the message was. I don't think it squares with the facts. I don't think it squares with most people's experience. You know, they were talking in Cleveland about how bad the economy is while the Dallas is hitting new record high.

CUOMO: But how do you make that case without seeming tone deaf to those who struggle?

LOUIS: Well, I mean, being attentive and, you know, sort of calling their names. I mean, this is a style. We've heard this, you know, already in a whole bunch of speeches, we'll hear in a whole bunch more. I talked to Mrs. Jones from such and such a place. And she's scared for some servicing overseas. We're going to hear a lot of that kind of thing. To try and make sure that the Democrats remain the party of empathy which is sort of an area they've always tried to claim. CAMEROTA: Panel, thank you very much, great to have you here.

CUOMO: All right, another big name that was at the convention last night. We will rise was the phrase that came out of new Jersey's, Senator Cory Booker's mouth last night, the crowd went wild. He's going to talk about what he was trying to get done and where he thinks his party is on day two.

[07:14:08] CAMEROTA: Does Bernie Sanders support of Hillary Clinton now, after last night mean that his supporters will follow soon? Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar gives us her take, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Whether you voted for me or you voted for Barack. The time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. Barack Obama is my candidate and he must be our President.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: That was then Senator Hillary Clinton throwing her support behind her then competitor, Barack Obama after a hard fought primary fight in 2008. So now, let's look at what happened last night. This is the moment that Bernie Sanders spoke and Hillary Clinton and her supporters were waiting for.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: It is no secret that Hillary Clinton and I disagree on a number of issues. But that is what democracy is about. Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president, and I am proud to stand with her tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: All right, so is the Democratic Party any more united today? Let's discuss as Democratic chairperson of the senate, Democratic steering and outreach committee and Hillary Clinton supporter Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Senator, great to have you here.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR, (D) MINESOTA: Well, thanks Alisyn, it's great to be on.

CAMEROTTA: Did Bernie Sanders go far enough?

KLOBUCHAR: Oh, he did. He, I think he mentioned Secretary of State Clinton's name, 15 times. I was actually struck by that over and over. He talked about issue by issue. How she understood that we needed to overturn Citizens United to get the big money out of politics. How she would do something on college loans, make it easier for kids to get by in this country, do something on climate change. I mean, it was really clear that this wasn't just one of these throw her name at the beginning and the end, which some politicians do. [07:20:05] He throughout the speech saw his purpose of saying, "Supporters, I know this was a disappointment that I didn't make it. But, it's time to support Hillary Clinton."I thought it was actually quite powerful in that way

CAMEROTA: Because "The New York Times" described what was happening yesterday out on the streets and then on the floor, I mean I'm not, you know, in the hall, the convention hall as bedlam in terms of Bernie Sanders ...

KLOBUCHAR: It's always bedlam.

CAMEROTA: I mean but in terms of Bernie Sanders' supporters who were not going gently into the good night.

KLOBUCHAR: Now that is -- there were clearly a lot of -- especially when the convention opened up and the issues related to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, so there was a lot of things going on, that is true. But when you got in that room and Michelle Obama took the stage and basically talked about our country and why we love our country and her kids playing out on the front lawn with their dog in a White House that was built by slaves and that sense of history hit not just African-American families it was really a message to all moms and dads, this is a great country and let's respect it.

And the thing that I think astounded people was just her full-throated endorsement for Hillary Clinton. How she went through without mentioning Donald Trump's name but this indictment of the fact that you don't want to put someone in an office who is thin skinned, who will lash out, who in fact you want to put someone who's going to buckle down and get to work and that's why she endorsed Hillary Clinton. And I thought it was a beautiful speech.

CAMEROTA: But a lot of people this morning are saying that it was a show stopper. Did she steal the show? I mean so ...

KLOBUCHAR: Honestly?

CAMEROTA: ... supposed to be on Bernie Sanders.

KLOBUCHAR: Yeah, she did but that didn't mean that his speech wasn't also electrifying and I also thought, you know, wasn't like the Hillary people left. The place was full. Everyone showed respect for Bernie. I stayed till the very end. I think it was really important to have both Bernie and Hillary supporters there uniting. And he did great job, so it's just that Michelle's speech is one of those memorable speeches that you don't hear often at conventions where it was so personal yet powerful at the same time, the point she should for me.

My favorite part, when she said when they go low, we go high. That was basically a message to all of us that don't necessarily want to engage in some of the rhetoric we're hearing from the other side and the angry tweets that instead we want to talk policy, want to talk a vision for the future, want to make a comparison but don't we don't want to go down in the sewer. CAMEROTA: You said that everybody, their showed respect.

KLOBUCHAR: Not exactly. I mean there was that moment when Sarah Silverman who was a Bernie supporter and she got up to the podium and she was trying to sort of stretch and buy time for Paul Simon to come out to sing, but they were ruckus, the crowd is so much so that he she had to chastise them and say you're being ridiculous.

CAMEROTA: What do you think of that?

KLOBUCHAR: That is not a word that politicians or leaders usually use when you have an -- all of us have had this happen. You have a crowd or someone in a crowd who is mad at you, you don't really usually call them ridiculous.

Now she is a comedian and a fantastic one, but she wasn't the elected leader up there. If you noticed that Frank and my colleague did not really engage in calling them ridiculous. So, it was a moment, but I think what's important is then you move on to Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren and Michelle Obama. The mood changed in that hall. There's absolutely no doubt about it.

CAMEROTA: I mean, I guess the point is do you think that the Bernie Sanders' supporters who are so ardent are going to come around to Hillary Clinton because, you know, Donald Trump is also trying to boo them.

KLOBUCHAR: When you look at the difference between them. When I think of the Bernie Sanders' supporters in my state, they care first of a lot about free college, helping kids go to college. Trump had Trump University. They care about climate change and the environment around them. He said in a tweet that it was a hoax created by the Chinese. They care about low income and middle income people. He said he wanted to bet on the housing crisis. Those people are not going to be running over to Donald Trump. They will be supporting Hillary Clinton.

CAMEROTA: What are we expecting tonight?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, I think it's going to be a great night. I will be speaking. I know you're looking forward ...

CAMEROTA: I am.

KLOBUCHAR: I mean that is ...

CAMEROTA: Your alarm is everywhere.

KLOBUCHAR: I'm actually in the 9:00 p.m. hour on human trafficking and secretary's work with regard to going after sex trafficking, she was way on that issue from the beginning. How girls and women should lead. You're going to be hearing from Bill Clinton tonight which is always the stem-winder.

And I think it's going to be another focus on the work she has done and really starting now to tell her stories. Today is the beginning of these next few days. Where you'll hear about Hillary Clinton and her vision for the future and I'm also looking forward to my good friend Tim Kaine talking tomorrow night.

CAMEROTA: There you go, Senator Klobuchar, thanks so much for being on New Day. Great to see you.

KLOBUCHAR: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Well, fighting for children and families that will be the theme as you heard tonight at the convention, but what does it mean to the mayors of America's big cities?

[07:24:43] Up next, we have New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio and Baltimore Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to join us about the issues that they're trying to tackle and how that's reflected here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: The theme of tonight's convention, a life time of fighting for children and families. Several mothers of black men killed by guns will address the convention tonight to decry gun violence.

Joining us now is New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. He has endorsed Hillary Clinton of course, and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings- Blake, she is also the DNC's secretary and gaveled in the proceedings in place of Debbie Wasserman Schultz. I saw a jiff of it, of you dropping the hammer. How did it feel, Mayor? You're a jiff.

MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE, DNC SECRETARY: Yeah, it was an awesome opportunity. I've been coming to the convention since New York in '92. That was my first convention with my dad. So to be able to gavel it in was -- it gives me goosebumps just talking about it.

CAMEROTA: And what about the behind the scenes chaos of the Debbie Wasserman Schultz exit and all of the DNC leaks. How did that play out behind the scenes?

RAWLINGS-BLAKE: It was an interesting day a lot -- it was a roller coaster. But I think it turned out for the best. We want to focus on moving forward and making sure that Hillary Clinton gets elected and that Trumps everything.

[07:30:03] CUOMO: Trumps everything. Well done, well done. Fixing, fixing is a big part of politics. OK, you had the problem with the WikiLeaks the party put out a statements to Sanders supporters. You signed a set ...

CAMEROTA: An apology right?