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Hillary Clinton First Woman To Lead Major Party; Bill Clinton Shares His Love Story With Hillary; Obama And Biden To Speak Tonight; DNC Speakers Try To Humanize Hillary Clinton; "Mothers Of The Movement" Back Clinton; 9/11 Survivors And Responders Speak Of Clinton's Support; Madeline Albright Makes Case For Hillary Clinton; FBI Investigating Russian Hack Of DNC Emails. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired July 27, 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] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Let's start working on the answers. Question to day is how does that go over, how does he deliver as the spouse. He used this word last night "Change maker," you're going to hear a lot of it. Is that the compelling case for Hillary Clinton, did it work? Those are the questions. Let's start working on the answers.

We have CNN's Michelle Kosinski live inside the Convention Hall. History or her-story, whatever you want to call it, it was a big night.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, and this was Hillary Clinton's night to make that history, but Bill Clinton also made history in the role of her husband. I mean let's face it, whenever Hillary Clinton is parodied, she's always the political machine, right, devoid of human emotion.

I mean sometimes she's even participated in that joke. But Bill Clinton wanted to present her as Hillary Clinton the woman whom he's known since law school, Hillary Clinton the devoted mother, the person who spent much of her life trying to help other people. And he did this in the form of stories that spanned virtually her entire life, starting with the moment that they met.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: In the spring of 1971, I met a girl.

KOSINSKI: And that's how it began. Bill Clinton's speech and his lifelong admiration for Hillary.

On her night, that has shaped American history, sealing the Democratic nomination. Sanders supporters still passionate about their candidate but amid the walkouts and upset, he called for it to end, just as she did for Barack Obama in 2008.

BERNIE SANDERS, (D) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States.

KOSINSKI: But Bill Clinton's job here was to take everyone back, way back to how they first met.

BILL CLINTON: She walked the whole length of the library, came up to me, and said, look, if you're going to keep staring at me -- and now I'm staring back -- we at least ought to know each other's name. I'm Hillary Rodham. Who are you?

KOSINSKI: With humor and moments, the emotion seen in the eyes of daughter Chelsea, Clinton spoke of their life together, the three times he had to ask Hillary to marry him.

BILL CLINTON: But I said, "Do you remember that house you like?" She said "Yeah," I said, "While you were gone, I bought it. So you have to marry me now." The third time was the charm.

KOSINSKI: This address it was far different from how we've seen him on the trail, when at times he's tangled with protesters.

BILL CLINTON: You are defending the people who killed the lives you say matter.

KOSINSKI: This centered on the things about Hillary Clinton's life that many may have forgotten and the heat.

CROWD: This is what democracy looks like.

KOSINSKI: The controversy.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I should have used two different e-mail accounts. And I've said that that was a mistake, I'm sorry.

KOSINSKI: The endless battles ...

DONALD TRUMP(R) PRESEDENTIAL NOMINEE: Lying, crooked Hillary.

KOSINSKI: ... of this campaign season like no other. Bill Clinton, whose favorability rating is generally higher than his wife's, came to remind them.

BILL CLINTON: And she is still the best darn change maker I have ever known.

KOSINSKI: Telling the crowd it was Hillary who inspired him to public service, Hillary who encouraged him to run for office again after he was voted out as governor, but he also told the story of Hillary the determined mother, the working moth, who kept fighting to do things her own mother could have only dreamed.

BILL CLINTON: This woman has never been satisfied with the status quo in anything.

KOSINSKI: And then he took on the contrast between Clinton the candidate and her opponent Donald Trump, who's gone after both Clintons.

BILL CLINTON: How did this swear with the things that you heard at the Republican convention? What's the difference in what I told you and what they said? How do you square it? You can't. One is real the other is made up. Good for you. Because earlier today you nominated the real woman.

KOSINSKI: Her response to it all came at the end via satellite from New York.

HILLARY CLINTON: If there are any little girls out there who stayed up late to watch, let me just say, I may become the first woman president, but one of you is next.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: And tonight, of course, we will hear President Obama. Will he mention terror? Will he keep this all positive? Will he say the name Donald Trump? Remember, this will be the 12th anniversary of when he really presented himself on a national stage at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Alisyn and Chris.

CUOMO: OK, Michelle. Thanks so much.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: For all of that. Let's discuss it now and this historic moment as well as Bill Clinton's big speech with our CNN panel.

[07:05:01] We have political commentator and Time Warner Cable Political Anchor Errol Louis, CNN Political Analyst and Washington Bureau Chief of "The Daily Beast, Jackie Kucinich and CNN Political Analyst and Senior Editor of "The Atlantic," Ron Brownstein. Great to have all of you here at the CNN Grill hope you're well said already.

Jackie, let's take one moment and talk about the historic nature of what happened last night. Regardless of whether or not she wins, she's already won a victory in that she's the first female nominee. And she seems when she spoke out to the little girls out there, you know, we've heard that theme before here, that this is history making.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, I thought what there was a great moment where one of the oldest delegates, who's over a 100 years old, I think, she got to read her state's -- her votes. And that's also -- it is for young girls who are going to grow up knowing that a woman could get this high in terms that if she becomes president, but also for these women who have pushed for the movement, have been a part of the movement. This is a real moment and you felt that emotion in the room and you saw the emotion particularly from the older generation, who will not take this for granted.

CUOMO: So let's take a second beat on it, Ron.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah.

CUOMO: It's history because it's the first woman of a major party. How did they do last night in saying it is the right woman to be the first woman?

BROWNSTEIN: One thing I was thinking, I wonder what Senators Gillibrand and Klobuchar thought when she said the next woman president might be a young girl today. They may have a different view about whether we have to wait for a young girl to grow up to be the next woman president.

Look I mean I think last night was about six words. She cares about people like you. And that is the core of what they were trying to do, you know, Hillary Clinton faces, as you pointed out, elevated numbers on questioning her honesty and integrity. On the day that Bill Clinton was re-elected in 1996, 54 percent of the voters said they did not consider him honest and trustworthy.

CUOMO: Is they keep saying banking on that history too much?

BROWNSTEIN: No

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: I think it was truly Bill, Bill it was not Hillary.

BROWNSTEIN: No, and they weren't as bad. And what was really different though Chris is that people believed to a greater extent about Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton that she was in this for the right -- that he was in this for the right reason. That he cared about people like them and he wanted to make their life better.

Part of Hillary Clinton's problem, I think, in this campaign is that people have only known her in powerful positions from behind the doors of limos. First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State. And there's a question about whether she can relate and understand and have solutions for the problems that average people face. And last night, while there was no great moment like Michelle Obama's riveting speech on Monday night, there was message discipline in trying to show all the different aspects of her life that she does understand the problems ordinary people face and she has empathy, compassion, and as important, solutions and the knowledge of how to implement them.

CAMEROTA: So Errol, Bill Clinton was trying to make the case that she is genuine, she is the real McCoy. So let's listen to a moment of his speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON: The real one has earned the loyalty, the respected, and the fervent support of people who have worked with her in every stage of her life, including leaders around the world who know her to be able, straight forward, and completely trustworthy. The real one calls you when you're sick, when your kid's in trouble, or when there's a death in the family. The real one repeatedly drew praise from prominent Republicans when she was Senator and Secretary of State. Earlier today you nominated the real woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Errol, what did you think of that refrain, the real one?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, it reminded me actually of days of covering her when she was a freshman senator representing New York. And she really was a different kind of a person. This is before, you know, the bomb arises and the bodyguards and so forth. This is her, this sort of being a lawmaker. Very approachable, especially outside of New York City, if you could sort of catch her on the road when she's in the small towns and really make up of geographically at least so much of New York.

And I thought it was interesting because I thought I knew a lot about her biography. But for him to sort of go through step by step, what's one thing that stood out for me was that she took a year from Yale law school to go and do more of the advocacy work, the nonprofit work that she had done. And, you know, we all know people who do that. You don't have to do that, you know, I mean there's no money at that point. There's no election to win. There's no glory to be had by it.

It really, I think, spoke to what I had seen when she was a freshman lawmaker for New York that, you know, she went above and beyond and is genuinely interested in this stuff. We usually write it off as always a wonky stuff. She likes to talk policy and she really does, so I thought that was effective that's the message he wanted to convey, didn't set the world on fire, didn't set the room on fire, but an important addition to the biography.

CUOMO: Jackie, is it a fundamental, this idea of let's get away from who people think she is at her worst and define her by what she's done? Is there a chance that this plays to what the opposition is trying to do to her?

[07:10:00] One of the big things that comes out of Trump when he's not calling her some insult, is what has she done anyway with all these big jobs that she's had, what does she actually done? They're actually putting meat on the bones here and can that reverse the onus to, well, what have you done other than make money? You know, is that what they're going forward here?

KUCINICH: Well, I mean yes, they are trying, this whole convention is trying to contrast with the Republican convention and the message they were sending. I think that's why it's very positive. Where the Republican convention was kind of gloomy perhaps, we'll get a little bit more into I guess the gloom when you get into more of the national security discussion. But yeah, they're trying to not only humanize her, and I know we've been throwing that word around a lot, but it's also to contrast her and show that she has experience and show that she has had all these roles and she has made a difference. Change agent, which is what Bill Clinton said.

CAMEROTA: Ron, the titans of the Democratic Party are here and have turned out. Michelle Obama's speech, Bill Clinton, arguably the most popular Democrat, Bernie Sanders speaking tonight, President Obama, Vice President Biden. That was not the case ...

BROWNSTEIN: The contrast is unbelievable.

CAMEROTA: The contrast is unbelievable. But I guess do voters care?

BROWNSTEIN: Right. CAMEROTA: We know Donald Trump got a bump from his convention, as candidates often do -- usually do. So does, you know, the media is interested in that contrast. Do voters care about it?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, it's interesting I think in the modern convention, the speech -- the acceptance speech by the nominee is more than half of the total effect probably something like two-thirds. It matters more than everything else combined, but it is still remarkable in that at the Republic convention, you simply did not see current elected Republican officials making a personal case for Donald Trump.

The closest that Paul Ryan or Mitch McConnell or Scott Walker could say was, yes, he agrees with Republican ideas, he will sign our bills. They did not describe him as, you know, in personal terms as someone they would be proud to be president the way that Ryan described Mike Pence.

Here you have a big contrast. You have all of these big guns coming out. Now, how much does that help in the end? As I said I think the nomination matters more, but the validation is going to be important. And by the way, Michael Bloomberg tonight, part of the effort to create what the Democrats call a permission structure for conservative-leaning independents and moderate Republicans to say, yes, I usually vote Republican, but this might be a bridge too far with Donald Trump.

CAMEROTA: But the Conservatives don't see Mike Bloomberg as their voice.

BROWNSTEIN: In fact no, right of center independents, it's not hard for Republicans -- Donald Trump is going to win 90 percent of Republicans. The issue really is that he's underperforming with his college educated white voters who tend to vote mostly Republican, especially the man, and someone like Michael Bloomberg, that's where he can be helpful.

CUOMO: And the contrasting dynamic is Trump's problem with real conservatives is they may not come out at all. Her problem with real progressives is that they may not come out as much as they had before.

(CROSSTALK)

CUOMO: Thank you very much, very helpful, very helpful. Last night we saw something that was intentional back-to-back speeches designed to introduce you to the Hillary Clinton that you don't know. How she's reached out to people in need, most notable a plea from mothers who lost children to gun violence and police encounters.

CNN's Manu Raju has more on what we heard last night and its impact. Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, this is all part of that effort to sort of reintroduce Hillary Clinton to the American voters, a difficult task given how well known she is and having that almost universal name I.D. but what Democrats tried to do last night is offer speaker after speaker to give a different perspective of Hillary Clinton, to show someone who is responsive to people going through tragic circumstances and also is very sympathetic to people in tough times.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENEVA REED-VEAL, MOTHER OF SANDRA BLAND: She knows that when a young black life is cut short, it's not just a loss. It's a personal loss. It's a national loss. What a blessing tonight to be standing here so that Sandy can still speak through her mama.

RAJU: The mothers of the movement uniting to endorse Hillary Clinton on the national stage. Nine mothers showing strength in numbers after losing their sons and daughters to gun violence and racial injustice. Each of them, recalling details of a private meeting they had with Clinton after their lives changed forever.

LUCIA MCBATH, MOTHER OF JORDAN DAVIS: Hillary Clinton isn't afraid to say that black lives matter. She isn't afraid to sit at a table with grieving mothers and bear the full force of our anguish. She doesn't build walls around her heart.

RAJU: Framing Clinton as a criminal justice reformer.

SYBRINA FULTON, MOTHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN: This isn't about being politically correct. This is about saving our children.

That's why we're here tonight with Hillary Clinton.

(SINGING)

[07:15:09] RAJU: First responders and this 9/11 survivor talking about Clinton's personal commitment after the attacks.

LAUREN MANNING, 9/11 SURVIVOR: Hillary showed up. She walked into my hospital room, and she took my bandaged hand into her own, for years she visited, called, and continues to check in because Hillary cares. When I needed her, she was there, she was there for me, and that's why I'm with her.

RAJU: California senator Barbara boxer opening up about Clinton as a devoted family member and friend of more than 20 years.

SEN. BARBARA BOXER, (D) CALIFORNIA: I know her as the loving aunt who helped plan my grandson's birthday parties when he was just a little toddler and I saw her rush over after a busy day at the state department to cheer him on at his high school football games.

RAJU: A night of testimonials aimed at humanizing the Democratic nominee, and quelling the tensions from Bernie Sanders supporters on the second day of the convention.

SANDERS: Look, they worked hard. We're going to show a little class and let them be frustrated for awhile. It's OK. They're all going to end up voting for Hillary. You think any of these guys are going to walk in and vote for Trump?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now, this comes in sharp contrast at the Republican convention where Donald Trump tried to show him -- sees himself as someone who has the law and order of candidate that something that he emphasized last night in an interview and also on Twitter this morning where he tweeted this. He said "The Democratic convention has paid zero respect to the great police and law enforcement professionals of our Country." no recognition, sad. Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Manu, thank you for all of that reporting. Well, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, she's making this foreign policy case for Hillary Clinton while she's here at the DNC. So, should the Democrats be talking more about ISIS while they're here? We will speak with Madam Secretary Albright, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:21:19] CUOMO: Former secretary of state Madeleine Albright slamming Donald Trump, making the case for Hillary Clinton at last night's Democratic convention. Here's a taste.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Donald trump also has a strange admiration for dictators. Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin. When asked about Putin, Donald Trump said, and I quote, in terms of leadership, he's getting an "A" the truth is that a Trump victory in November would be a gift to Vladimir Putin, and given what we've learned about the Russia's recent actions, Putin is eager to see Trump win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Madam Secretary joins us now. It is good to have you on "New Day" as always.

ALBRIGHT: Great to be with you.

CUOMO: Before we discuss you're dropping the hammer on Trump last night, let's talk about the positive aspect of last night. History was made no matter your partisan stripe. You, the first female Secretary of State for the United States, what did last night mean to you?

ALBRIGHT: I think it was truly amazing to have a woman now nominated for the highest office in the land. We're going to make history, and I just was so exciting. We've thought about it for a long time, but to actually have it happen and to have Bernie Sanders be the one that said to let's have a unanimous convention. So, it was great, it's coming together.

CAMEROTA: We saw all the people and there were some people who were crying obviously in the arena there. And it's in -- the point has been made that for older women, it's even sort of more significant than younger women who might take this for granted and think that women can be president. But for people who have knocked down doors and been trail blazers, it was a moment. ALBRIGHT: It truly was. And I think we have to really savor it and realize also when she's elected, she'll be in office in 2020, the 100th anniversary of when women got the vote. And so, it's just perfect.

CUOMO: And now, you're talking about the perspective of history on this and rightly so, you're wearing white for a reason as well. Gerry Ferraro, may she rest in peace. You're holding a benefit of memorial for her and her significance in this march toward progress as well.

ALBRIGHT: Now, and that also -- I was in San Francisco in 1984 when she was nominated. And so -- and I traveled with her when she was campaigning and we're giving a luncheon in her honor today because she was just a great friend and a great Democratic woman.

CAMEROTA: OK, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of what voters and listeners of this convention are getting out it. Do you think that voters are hearing enough specifics about how Hillary Clinton would tackle foreign policy, particularly fighting ISIS?

ALBRIGHT: I think that there are a lot of specifics, and we're going to be talking about them even more yesterday when I spoke, I did make very clear how she was fighting terrorism, understood the fact that in order to fight ISIS, that we have to have allies, have to work with them. We have to have Intel-sharing and we're going to be talking about that more and more. And I think that case will be made that she is the best prepared to deal with the national security issues.

CUOMO: And here's the pushback. The status quo is terrible. People fear terror as much or more than they ever have in the United States. And all of the boxes that they check about why they're afraid, Hillary Clinton could be held accountable.

ISIS is rise under her watch. You want to talk about Putin, she failed at the reset. This is the argument. Iran is such a big enemy. Well, you just gave them $150 billion. That was Clinton too. How does she make the case that she's the right one to fight a war that many will blame her for?

[07:24:52] ALBRIGHT: Well, the facts are wrong. I mean, frankly, ISIS rose out of the fact that the Iraq war opened up a space in which there was no structure. I do think also that what we have to do is figure out how to deal with the Russians instead of praising them and thinking that he deserves an "A". What Putin is doing is trying to disrupt the situation in Europe. Hillary has been arguing about that a great deal.

And I think that what has to be understood is the complexity of national security issues and not just operating on the fear factor. I think we cannot isolate ourselves from the world. What we have to do is work with our allies in order to deal with what is the threat and the very complex one of ISIS and terrorism.

CAMEROTA: So is that the Hillary Clinton doctrine as you understand it? More engagement with allies. ALBRIGHT: Well, there are numbers of things. What I admire about her is she is able to use every tool in the tool box. She knows how to do diplomacy, defense, because she's worked an awful lot when she was in arm services, and then with the defense department. And also development, understanding that countries need to deal with some of their employment issues so that the younger people the have something to do and democracy.

And so, she is -- she talks about it as smart power. And so, I think she knows how to use all the tools. And obviously having allies is a part of it. We cannot -- doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out you can't deal with nuclear terrorism or climate change or try to figure out how to improve the situation for people so that they don't turn to terrorism. So I think she's really good at that.

CUOMO: Now, a big negative that either directly or indirectly you're going to try to deal with at the convention is her trustworthiness. A big part of that is the e-mail scandal, as it's understood by many in this country.

You know Hillary Clinton very well. You know the operation of state affairs very well. Has Hillary Clinton ever explained to you why she used the server?

ALBRIGHT: Well, let me just say this. I've predated e-mail. And I think that she has explained many, many times that she made a mistake. And I think that the complications these days of getting information back and forth when I was there, we still have lame computers and people use cable traffic. And so, I think there is an eagerness to get information back and forth, but she said she made a mistake. I do trust her. I think she is somebody who cares deeply about this country and national security and uses her brain every day to try to solve problems. I think she'll be a great commander in chief.

CUOMO: Speaking of e-mails, obviously the Democratic national convention started with an -- another e-mail controversy. And that was these leaked e-mails that maligned Bernie Sanders coming out of the DNC. Is there any doubt in your mind that Vladimir Putin or Russia was behind hacking and leaking those?

ALBRIGHT: Well, the FBI is investigating, and it certainly seems that's what's gone on. They've -- from what I've read. I mean, they have been involved in the hacking. The timing of this is passing strange. And I do think, as I said earlier, I do think that a Trump victory is a gift to Vladimir Putin because what Putin is trying to do is disrupt Europe.

He would like to see the European Union disappear. He would like to see NATO undermined. And when Trump makes statements about, you know, is NATO useful, wouldn't we defend the Baltics, it's like on there is -- they're on the same page. And that so there's a lot of kind of circumstantial evidence, but I do think the FBI is investigating, and what I've read, it looks as though they have been very much involved.

CUOMO: Madam Secretary, as always, appreciate you making the case here on NEW DAY. CAMEROTA: So nice, to see you.

ALBRIGHT: Thanks. Always good to be with you.

CUOMO: That was a very hard grip that I just got there. Trying to send me a message.

CAMEROTA: I'm not surprised. The effort to humanize Hillary Clinton was on display last night. It shifted into high gear, but do Americans know her better today than they did yesterday? Why President Obama's speech tonight could be key with for what he's going to say. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)