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Donald Trump Criticized for Comments on Family of Fallen U.S. Muslim Soldier; New Polls Show Bounce for Hillary Clinton after Convention; Donald Trump's Narrow Path to 270. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired August 02, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: When you look at the four way, she's besting Donald Trump by eight points, 45 percent to 37 percent.

So let's compare bounce to bounce. As we were saying, Hillary Clinton got that seven-point bounce out of Philadelphia. Compare that to Donald Trump. He got a six-point bounce out of his convention in Cleveland. That's pretty comparable. But, unfortunately for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton's convention came last. So the big question is, can she maintain this new elevated level of support, or will this too be just a bounce and the ball will eventually come down?

One clue that's look towards independents in that four-way race. This is where the four-way race really matters right now. Hillary Clinton is besting Donald Trump 37 percent to 33 percent, Johnson at 16 percent, and Stein at eight percent. Look at that number there for Gary Johnson, the libertarian candidate, that's where he's pulling support right now, just a four-point spread among independents because of Johnson's presence.

And then one of the big goals of the convention, party unity. Take a look at how Democrats reacted. They said after their convention, 44 percent of them say they're unit, 40 percent say they've divided still, but they'll be united come November, and only 14 percent say divided now and will not unite. Compare that to what Republicans are saying after their conventions -- 20 percent say they're united in the GOP, 46 percent of Republicans believe they will be united by November, and 31 percent, nearly a third, guys, say that they are divided and will not unite. That's Republicans saying that about your own party at this stage of the race. This is a big to-do item on Donald Trump's list.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: David, thank you very much for breaking down all of those numbers for us. We'll analyze them in more depth soon.

Donald Trump warning his supporters that he fears a rigged election in November as he faces a bitter backlash over that feud with the Muslim family of a fallen soldier. CNN's Phil Mattingly joins us with more on that. Hi, Phil.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Alisyn. Well, the backlash, it's been fierce and the backlash has been driven by the Republican Party. Top Republican officials both publicly and privately essentially saying, let it go. But as we've seen over the course of the last 14 months, when Donald Trump feels like attacked, he's going to swing back. He's made very clear that on this issue specifically it is no different from any other. He is going to fight back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He made a deal with the devil. She's the devil. He made a deal with the devil.

MATTINGLY: Donald Trump ramping up his personal attacks on Hillary Clinton while characterizing Bernie Sanders for supporting the Democratic nominee.

TRUMP: She picked a vice presidential candidate who is like the opposite of him.

MATTINGLY: And suggesting that if he loses in November, it's because --

TRUMP: I'm afraid the election's going to be rigged.

MATTINGLY: All as the ongoing feud between Trump and the parents of a slain U.S. soldier, Captain Humayun Khan, escalates.

TRUMP: I have great honor and great feeling for his son, Mr. Khan's son. But as far as I'm concerned he's a hero.

KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN U.S. SOLDIER: You can attack Muslims, you can attack judges, and nobody can question your caliber, your lack of empathy? And you want to be commander in chief?

TRUMP: I was very viciously attacked, as you know. When you have radical Islamic terrorists probably all over the place, we're allowing them to come in by the thousands and thousands. And I think that's what bothered Mr. Khan more than anything else.

KHAN: He says, oh, I am being severely attacked, harshly attacked. Well, this is political season. You're a candidate for an office. And I have same rights as you do.

MATTINGLY: The dispute rocking the GOP, dozens of Republican leaders forced to come out in support of the Khans.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: We want to honor the families of those who have served and those who have sacrificed, all of us.

MATTINGLY: Trump's campaign bombarding their supporters on Capitol Hill with e-mails, urging them to back his position, but instead getting the cold shoulder.

REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN, (R) TENNESSEE: Our gold star families deserve our full and total support.

MATTINGLY: Emotions running high. At a rally for Trump's running mate Mike Pence, a woman whose son is in the Air Force booed for bringing up the issue. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump has disrespected our nation's armed forces

and veterans, and his disrespect for Mr. Khan and his family is just an example of that. Will there ever be a point in time when you're able to look Trump in the eye and tell him enough is enough?

(BOOS)

MIKE PENCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's all right. Folks, that's what freedom looks like and sound like. I want to honor your son's service to the country and your family's service to the country, I truly do, ma'am.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Deft handling of a really sensitive issue there by Governor Pence, but also an example that this is starting to resonate on the campaign trail. I think that's the issue you hear about from Republicans that they're most concerned about going forward. When Donald Trump wins is when Donald Trump is talking, really, guys, about the economy, about jobs, issues like that. Where Donald Trump loses is when he's talking about issues like this. They would like him to move on. Donald Trump has made clear, if he's attacked, he's going to swing back. It's no different than what we've seen over that last 14 months, guys.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Mike Pence handling it differently though. Phil Mattingly, thanks so much.

Warren Buffett challenging Donald Trump to release his tax returns. The billionaire who is siding the Hillary Clinton just unloaded on Donald Trump, suggesting he's hiding something in those returns. CNN senior Washington Jeff Zeleny is live in a pouring rain Omaha with more. Good morning, Jeff.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. It is windy and rainy here in Omaha, but last night Donald Trump was the subject of a blistering attack by Warren Buffett. Warren Buffett is soft spoken, generally speaking. He is known not to weigh in much on politics. But last night he weighed in more than we've ever heard before. It's the latest in a string of billionaire businessmen here who is making the case that Donald Trump's business savvy should not be a reason he's elected and sent to the White House. You get the sense the Clinton campaign is trying to get under Donald Trump's skin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!

ZELENY: Hillary Clinton arm and arm on the campaign trail with billionaire Warren Buffett. The 85-year-old Oracle of Omaha unleashing a scathing attack on Donald Trump.

WARREN BUFFETT: I've really never known another businessman that brags about his bankruptcies. To tell you the truth, why not? It's his claim to stardom. I don't know anybody else that's had six bankruptcies, but there he is. ZELENY: Buffett condemning Trump for refusing to release his tax

returns.

BUFFETT: He said it several times. He said he can't release it because he's under audit. Now, I've got news for him. I'm under audit too.

(LAUGHTER)

BUFFETT: I would be delighted to meet him any place, any time between now and election. I'll bring my tax return. He could bring his tax return. Nobody's going to arrest us.

ZELENY: The billionaire investor forcefully rebuking Trump's attacks on the Muslim parents of a soldier slain in Iraq.

BUFFETT: How in the world can you stand up to a couple of parents who have lost a son and talk about sacrificing because you were building a bunch of buildings? I asked Donald Trump, have you no sense of decency, sir?

ZELENY: Buffett is the latest in a string of billionaire businessmen to speak out against Trump, part of Clinton's strategy to discredit his record. Last week at the Democratic convention, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg questioning Trump's competency.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: I'm a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.

ZELENY: And Saturday billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban in his hometown of Pittsburgh calling Trump crazy.

MARK CUBAN: Leadership is not yelling and screaming and intimidating, right? Yes, she knows.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: There's another reason for the Clinton campaign to have a bounce in their step today, Alisyn. A few moments ago the campaign announced that they had raised $90 million in their month of July, their biggest fundraising month ever. In the 24-hour period between the time when she accepted the nomination until the next day last week they raised $8.7 million online. For Hillary Clinton, that's Bernie Sanders kind of money, a lot of donations coming in from small donors who have never contributed before. Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: They have to feel good about that, Jeff, thanks so much. So Hillary Clinton, as we've been saying, retaking the lead over Donald Trump in this new CNN national poll with a seven-point convention bounce. She now leads Trump by nine points in a head to head matchup.

Joining us to talk about this and so much more is Kellyanne Conway, the senior adviser and pollster for the Trump campaign, and Brad Woodhouse, president of Correct the Record, a pro-Clinton Political Action Committee. Great to have both of you here this morning. So the headline of the poll is that she got a bigger bounce than

Donald Trump and she is now leading him. I know, Kellyanne, you've done a deeper dive into the behind the story of the poll. What do you see?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN POLLSTER: There are so many fascinating things in your CNN poll, Alisyn, that aren't getting as much coverage. For example, 49 percent of those surveyed by CNN said that the Democrats spent too much time attacking the Republicans at their convention last week. I mean, Hillary Clinton herself mentioned Donald Trump dozens of times.

I'm also very curious to see that Hillary Clinton's trustworthy and honesty number went from 30 percent to a whopping 34 percent. So she failed to move the needle on what is clearly one of her greatest liabilities, that people just think she lies, and I think she didn't help herself this week in pushing back against James Comey.

And then finally, when you compare her to the last five Democratic nominees according to your own CNN poll, she has 49 percent of the people saying they're more likely to vote for her based on her convention speech. That's below even Michael Dukakis, Al Gore, John Kerry, all of whom lost.

CAMEROTA: OK, Brad, what is your response to everything Kellyanne has dug up there.

[08:10:01] BRAD WOODHOUSE, PRESIDENT, CORRECT THE RECORD: I mean, gosh, I guess if you dig through you can find a couple of nuggets in a pile of poo. If you look at -- I mean, if you look at this poll, she is now leading almost on every issue category. She's leading on terrorism, she's leading on foreign policy, on the economy.

CONWAY: Not honesty.

WOODHOUSE: She's leading on the issues that people are going to vote on. And incidentally, the Gallup poll, which is another poll that came out yesterday, showed that Donald Trump got the least out of his convention of any nominee ever since Gallup has been polling.

Alisyn, let me say this, we feel good about these polls. But this is, as I think David Chalian said in the previous segment, this is maybe the high watermark for right now because it's a bounce after the convention. We're going to fight for every vote.

CAMEROTA: OK, so let's talk think about untrustworthy number because it is interesting what's happened. Is Hillary Clinton honest and trustworthy? In the newest CNN poll, it says only 34 percent say yes, 64 percent say no. And Brad and Kellyanne, it could be connected to the ongoing questions about her e-mail. She was asked about it again this weekend by Chris Wallace on FOX. And she had a different take on Director Comey's findings than some of the American public. So let me play this moment for you about how she interpreted it and then what happened with Jim Comey testifying. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Director Comey said that my answers were truthful and what I've said is consistent with what I've told the American people.

REP. TREY GOWDY, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: Secretary Clinton said all work related e-mails were returned to the state department. Was that true?

JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: No. We found work related emaisl, thousands that were not returned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK, Brad, the "Washington Post" fact checker gave that -- her response there to Chris Wallace four Pinocchios, that she was not accurately representing what Jim Comey found and the FBI. How do you explain that?

WOODHOUSE: Look, we are really dancing on the end of a linguistic pin here. I mean, there is a difference here between what he says she should have known about 110 e-mails and between what she says she actually felt or believed. She believed that these 110 e-mails that were referenced in the "Washington Post" fact checker that were e- mailed to her by 300 different people at the State Department, she believed that they were not classified. They weren't marked as classified, Alisyn. And Director Comey says that she should have known. But she is honest with respect to what she believed at the time. This is actually in some ways a matter of opinion. The FBI is looking back a year later.

CONWAY: The statute doesn't care about her opinion. The statute is a non-intent statute. It's if you were careless and reckless, two words that FBI Director Comey used to describe her. I'm just surprised they still want to re-litigate this a month later after she was not prosecuted.

CAMEROTA: What should she have said?

CONWAY: What she should have said is "I'm sorry for causing my problems." She doesn't really say the words "I'm sorry" very often. "I'm sorry for causing any problems and this is something I would never do again." You have to stop denying the truths that are out there. Many responsible print reporters have reported, Alisyn, that there were at least six lies, six inconsistencies. For example, another one, she said I used a single device. FBI Director Comey said there were six devices. Nothing was marked classified. Yes, there were. And I think the more that her apologists keep this alive, you're not going to see that honest and trustworthy number creep up very much, and that matter.

Let me tell you something, you talk about qualifications for president -- integrity is a qualification for president in the United States.

WOODHOUSE: Alisyn, first of all, let's be clear. Donald Trump's honest and trustworthy numbers are worse in almost every single poll than Hillary Clinton's. That's number one. Number two, she has apologized repeatedly for this. As Kellyanne has said she should say, she has said repeatedly she would not do it again. And this is in stark contrast, Alisyn. Donald Trump has never apologized for anything.

CONWAY: That's not true.

CAMEROTA: "I'm sorry" is not favorite response either.

CONWAY: What's the big story today, Donald Trump should release his tax returns? Where are the 33,000 e-mails, many of which included national security information? Where they all yoga moves and recipes that she said why she needed a private email? People don't believe you, Brad.

CAMEROTA: Kelly, the other big story is the ongoing feud with Khizr Khan and now these gold star moms releasing this letter asking Donald Trump to apologize to families of the fallen, but he's not likely to do that either.

CONWAY: All me to add my voice to the millions I believe that have expressed their condolences to the Khan family and to exalt their son as the war hero that he is. And he gave the ultimate sacrifice, his life, for his country. And I appreciate that and honor that.

Donald Trump also called Sergeant Khan a war hero. Mike Pence called him a war hero as recently as 12 hours ago in a rally out west. So, we're very emotional about the loss of their son.

CAMEROTA: But Donald Trump hasn't said it with quite the eloquence that you just said it.

CONWAY: Well, I think -- I can't imagine there -- I hope there's not a single American that doesn't share their grief and feel their pain. By the way, I would never want to be in their shoes.

But I also want to say Pat Smith's grief should not have been diminished. She is the Benghazi mom.

CAMEROTA: CNN ran it. CNN covered it. FOX News did not cover it.

CONWAY: And the content analysis out today is that she -- the Khans have received 50 times more coverage than Pat Smith. I just want to say I think all grieving parents matter and I think all military deaths are the same.

CAMEROTA: Kellyanne, Brad, thank you very much for being on this morning with your take on all of this.

Let's get over to John.

BERMAN: All right. Thanks so much, Alisyn.

Donald Trump may be a bit down in our new national poll, but this race not even close to being over. What is Donald Trump path to 270 electoral votes? He has a path. We're going to look at the battleground states that could decide his fate. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Ninety-eight days from Election Day, all eyes on the road to 270. That is how many electoral votes you need to be president more importantly for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump need to be president.

[08:20:00] There could be several roadblocks really for each of them, particularly Donald Trump with a narrow path to 270.

Joining us now to discuss, CNN political director, David Chalian.

Mr. Chalian, thank you so much for being with us.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: When we're talking about the road to 270, this election almost more than any other, we focus right now on three states. We're looking at Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.

CHALIAN: Right. Well, just like you rob banks because that's where the money is, this is where you go for electoral votes. These are big prizes. You got 29 electoral votes in Florida, 20 in Pennsylvania, 18 in Ohio.

So, anyone would look immediately there to get a big treasure trove of states, and of electoral votes. And that is what Donald Trump is doing. That's where super PACs in support of his candidacy are up on the air advertising. There is going to be a lot of focus there.

So, there's no doubt that would be almost the quickest path. If he could flip those states -- now remember Barack Obama won all three of those in two elections. And Pennsylvania has been in the blue Democratic column since 1988.

BERMAN: A lot of Democrats in Pennsylvania. Well, first of all, it's been invoked for a few election cycles, to say Pennsylvania is not really a swing state. Despite the fact that both campaigns generally compete there, it really is fairly solidly blue.

Strategists I talked to in Pennsylvania say this time Pennsylvania is different. Why?

CHALIAN: Well, because of the white working class vote, because of that rust belt strategy and appeal that Donald Trump is putting in play and because of struggle with white working class voters. That is why Pennsylvania is in play. It becomes a real bit of political calculus.

The Clinton campaign, in order to keep it in the Democratic column, really has to turn out that vote of the African-Americans in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the sort of urban centers on either side of the state, get some of those suburban voters on her side in the color counties around Philadelphia, because everything in between and especially surrounding Pittsburgh in the West, that should be real rich Trump country.

BERMAN: Again the latest poll out of Pennsylvania has Hillary Clinton leading by nine. I don't think people in either campaign thinks the margin is that big. It's a lot closer than that, maybe a slight Clinton edge right there. That's the plus side for Trump where he may have more opportunity than past Republicans.

The minus side for him is maybe the Sun Belt, maybe a place like Florida could be tougher than it has been for Republicans in the past.

CHALIAN: Yes. This is also a demographic story, these Sun Belt states, Florida, I'll add to that, but Colorado, Nevada, these states are demographically looking like places where Hillary Clinton is doing well. And so, with a more diverse electorate, fewer white votes to be able to turn out, that bodes a potential problem for Donald Trump. It's not where the base of his coalition has been.

So, if Hillary Clinton can really put Florida off the map and early -- now, think about that. This is the battleground state. It was the state that divided the country in 2000. It has been fiercely competitive in every election since. If indeed the demographics go in he favor and especially early on in the fall, then that poses a real challenge to Donald Trump because he's got to scramble elsewhere for a large amount of electoral votes.

BERMAN: No, it take a mathematician the likes you of could, or a magician the likes of David Copperfield to make it work for Donald Trump with that floor.

Right now, the latest polling in Florida has Hillary Clinton up by seven points. But again, that's a little bit old. I think both candidates want something more recent there.

Without Florida, David, just toss out a couple of states in 30 seconds that Donald Trump would need to flip.

CHALIAN: It's all about the Upper Midwest and the Rust Belt. He really would need that Pennsylvania win. He would need to win that battle in Ohio. And then he would have to look to Michigan and Wisconsin, and try to flip those states that have been reliably blue in the last several cycles, though something competitive and really bring them over to his column.

If he could do that, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan, he gets to 270, assuming she wins everything else Barack Obama won.

BERMAN: Keep a close eye on where he goes because that will tell you where he believes he has a chance. David Chalian, great to have you with us. Thanks so much.

CHALIAN: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: OK, John.

Donald Trump not letting go. He's defiant in the face of backlash over his comments about the Khan family. Will his feud with this Gold Star family hurt his presidential bid or help? We'll explore that. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:28:27] DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Horrible things were said about me. I think it was frankly very tough. So all I did is respond and I will always respond.

KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN MUSLIM AMERICAN SOLDIER: You can attack minorities. You can attack Muslims. You can attack judges and nobody can question your caliber, your lack of empathy? And you want to be commander in chief?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: The back and forth continues between Trump and Gold Star father Khizr Khan.

Will this feud have a lasting effect on the race?

Here to discuss is comedian and radio host Dean Obeidallah, and Andre Bauer, the former lieutenant governor of South Carolina and a Trump supporter.

Gentlemen, great to have you here.

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, COMEDIAN AND RADIO HOST: Thanks.

CAMEROTA: What do you think --

DEAN BAUER, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: Good morning.

Dean, what do you make of the fact that this has gone on beyond the convention and neither side seems to be you know -- neither the Khans nor Trump seem to be stopping here?

OBEIDALLAH: I don't think Mr. Khan will. He's out here to honor his son. This is a Gold Star family.

They made a speech on Thursday. I loved the speech. The speech made it clear to Americans that Muslims can be patriotic. They serve this country, that their son died as a hero for this nation.

And, in fact, Muslims have served our nation since the Revolutionary War with George Washington. Peter Buckminster served with George Washington to today, 6,000 Muslims in the military.

To me, that was the message. Donald Trump attacked Mrs. Khan. There was no reason for it. He was asked twice by the media questions about the speech and his first comment was not "we should honor them or my condolences for the family. It was, why was she silent?

So, Donald Trump continued this on. And this is what you get. You go after a Gold Star family and I think brutally honest, I think Donald Trump thought he could bully this Muslim immigrant family, he's done it throughout the campaign, making Muslims and immigrants cornerstone of his scapegoating, and to be blunt, I thought he could get away with it too.