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Sources: Trump's Behavior Frustrating Aides & Backers; Emirates Jet Crashes After Landing in Dubai; Comrade of Fallen American Hero Speaks Out. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired August 03, 2016 - 07:00   ET

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

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. Chris is off this morning. John Berman joins me. Great to have you.

[07:00:04] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: ... here in studio. There is trouble in the Trump campaign. Sources tell CNN that top aides, including Trump's campaign manager, are increasingly frustrated by the Republican nominee's behavior, picking battles they say take him off message.

Not only has Trump spent days feuding with the father of a Muslim- American soldier killed in Iraq, now Trump has ignited a new feud within his own party, refusing to back the House speaker, Paul Ryan, and Senator John McCain in their primary fights.

Meanwhile, prominent Republicans saying they will not vote for Donald Trump. At least one new one overnight saying she will vote for Hillary Clinton.

Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Manu Raju, live in Washington.

Good morning, Manu.

MANU RAJU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

Just two weeks ago, Republicans left their nominating convention saying that they were more united than ever in their plans to defeat Hillary Clinton this fall. But we've seen is when Donald Trump lurches from controversy, one controversy after another, his party keeps their distance from their own nominee.

So it turns out that the unity that was projected in Cleveland was simply papering over deep-seated divisions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: I don't regret anything. I said nice things about the son.

RAJU (voice-over): Republican leaders and Donald Trump's own campaign staff frustrated with their candidate. Sources tell CNN even Trump's campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is upset with Trump. The tipping point: Trump openly challenging the parents of slain Muslim soldier Captain Humayun Khan. KHAN: This person is not fit for the office he's seeking.

RAJU: Trump refusing to drop his fight with the Gold-Star family, despite the urging of senior staff, and failing to stay on message and attacking Hillary Clinton.

TRUMP: I was hit very hard from the stage, and you know, it's just one of those things. No, I don't regret anything.

RAJU: This as Trump refuses to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan in his Republican primary, telling "The Washington Post," "I'm just not quite there yet. I'm not quite there yet." Trump thumbing his nose at Ryan's delayed decision to endorse him back in May.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I'm just not ready to do that at this point. I'm not there right now.

RAJU: Trump also declining to back former GOP nominee Arizona Senator John McCain, who is in a tough re-election battle: "I've always felt that he should have done a much better job for the vets."

Trump's tension with McCain has been brewing ever since Trump criticized the war hero for being captured in Vietnam. McCain telling me back in May, he wants Trump to apologize to POWs.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: When he said, "I don't like people who were captured," then there's a great -- there's a body of American heroes that I'd like to see him retract that statement.

RAJU: The avalanche of Trump's controversial statements prompting several prominent Republicans to break from their party and back Hillary Clinton.

President Obama used the weight of the office to slam Trump at a news conference with the foreign leader at the White House.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The Republican nominee is unfit to serve as president.

RAJU: And blasting Republicans for standing by their nominee.

OBAMA: If you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that what he has said is unacceptable, why are you still endorsing him? This isn't a situation where you have an episodic gaffe. This is daily. And weekly, where they are distancing themselves from statements he's making.

RAJU: Trump firing back.

TRUMP: Well, he's a terrible president. He'll probably go down as the worst president in the history of our country. He's been a total disaster.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAJU: Now, just this morning, Trump tweeted there is, quote, "a great unity" inside his campaign, saying perhaps more than ever before, but that's simply not the case down-ballot, for instance in Arizona, where John McCain is battling a difficult re-election race. He'll have to actually navigate those forces of Trump in a general election, where Latino voters are just upset at Donald Trump.

But Trump's loyal supporters will be critical for John McCain. So it just goes to show you, John and Alisyn, that this infighting is bound to distract from the Republican efforts to keep control of Congress and win back the White House.

BERMAN: All right. Manu Raju for us in Washington. Thank you very much.

Let us talk about this more. Joining us, CNN political commentator and former campaign manager for Donald Trump, Corey Lewandowski. We should note, he's still receiving severance from the Trump campaign.

Also, CNN political commentator and vice chair of the New York state Democratic Party, Christine Quinn. Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump says there is great unity within the Trump campaign. Perhaps greater unity than ever. Really?

COREY LEWANDOWSKI, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I think every campaign has highs and lows.

BERMAN: What's this?

LEWANDOWSKI: Look, you know what this is?

BERMAN: Is this a high?

LEWANDOWSKI: No, this is -- this is Hillary Clinton getting a good bounce out of the Democratic convention, and the latest poll numbers, which are not going to be a true indication of where the race stands right now has some people concerned that she has a bigger bounce than maybe what people perceived she was going to get. And I think what you see is a week ago when Donald Trump finished his convention, he had a nice bounce coming out.

[07:05:14] So let's look -- fast forward a week and see where it is. This is not time to press the panic button. People right now understand that this is the doldrums of August, and the media wants to write a story that may not be there.

BERMAN: But Corey, CNN overnight, you know, Dana Bash, John King, these are good reporters, heard from good sources overnight that there are people within the campaign who are incredibly frustrated, feel like they are wasting their time, are the words they used. That doesn't sound like perhaps greater unity than ever.

I don't think that's the case. Look, I've been part of that team. I know what the people are like on that team. I hired a lot of those people on the team. They will do anything. They get up every day with one sole mission, which is to get Donald Trump elected president of the United States. That's what their job is. That's what they want to do. They're there because they want to be there, because they fundamentally want to change Washington.

CAMEROTA: You don't think any of them are frustrated that they think their candidate has been a little undisciplined in terms of picking fights with people within the GOP?

LEWANDOWSKI: You know what I think? I think you have people, the media, who say this is not the way to run a conventional campaign. He's not a conventional candidate. What has worked for him is driving the media narrative, and there are some people who have been involved in campaigns in the past who don't understand that yet.

CAMEROTA: Paul Manafort?

LEWANDOWSKI: Paul understands that. Paul understands Donald Trump because he's been there a long time. But there are new people coming into the fold who don't understand that.

Look, Donald Trump speaks for Donald Trump. People who want to backtrack on what Donald Trump is saying, that's not the way this campaign has been. That's not the way the campaign should be. Donald Trump is the best messenger for this campaign. He knows precisely what he wants to say. He's the one who's driving that narrative.

CHRISTINE QUINN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I agree. Donald Trump knows -- seems to know in any given second what he wants to say. And it's almost always an attack on a person or a group of people. Mexicans, a Mexican -- judge of Mexican origin, Muslims, women, the list goes on and on.

And yes, Corey is right. Donald Trump is driving the media narrative. Honestly, and it -- you know, right, it seems to be into the ground for his own campaign. Out of the DNC, he created and then every time you thought he was going to let it go, kept the story going around the Khans.

I mean, we've had this debate. Clearly, we had it the other day. You know, but whether he should have said anything, whether he's being inhumane and nasty, let's set the humanity of it aside. Strategically, it's not a good story for him.

But yet, he, in my opinion, is so temperamentally unqualified to be president, it's shown in this. He just keeps driving it, keeps driving it, keeps driving it. And I don't understand that. I'm not unhappy that he can't control himself as a Hillary supporter, but just as an observer of politics, of course, his staff is frustrated.

I'm not saying they're walking out the door. I'm not saying they're disloyal people. But you would be not in touch with reality if you had set up a Monday and a Tuesday and a Wednesday and a Sunday and a Saturday of issues focus. And he blows it up and blows it up and blows it up.

BERMAN: Corey, just one last question about this. Is it a failure within the campaign, or who is responsible for keeping -- look, if there were leaks like this when you were the campaign manager, you would have gone nuts. You would not have been happy if there had been staffers on that campaign talking to CNN overnight, telling us that they feel like they're wasting their time.

Whose responsibility was in the campaign now? Is it to make sure that these staffers feel like their job is worth something?

LEWANDOWSKI: Look, I think that the campaign has responded and said there's no truth to these allegations, is what the response has been from the communication shop. Jason Miller put out a tweet that said there's no merit to this whatsoever.

I think, look, this campaign is very focused on one singular thing, which is defeating Hillary Clinton. I think every person at this campaign who is part of this team is waking up every day saying, "What can we do to talk about her failures? What can we do to talk about the FBI's investigation? What can we do to talk about the differences between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on trade, on immigration, on every issue?"

CAMEROTA: Which is not what Mr. Trump is talking about every day.

QUINN: And what can we do to get Donald Trump -- to stop having every thought he says come out his mouth? What can we do to stop having Donald Trump attack Gold-Star families? And the truth is, nothing. Donald Trump is about Donald Trump, not the American people.

CAMEROTA: Does he take advice from people around him when they say stop talking about the Khan family and start talking about Hillary Clinton?

LEWANDOWSKI: Look, of course he takes advice. He takes advice from people all around, whether it's national security issues of homeland security issues or it's immigration policy, or it's issues like this. There's a core group of people that he meets with on a regular basis. Some of those are his family. Some of those are key advisers. Some of those are elected officials. He talks to every day to talk about issues.

At the end of the day, Donald Trump is the person who has driven this campaign and driven the narrative and has been very, very successful in doing so.

[07:10:01] So what are we talking about today again? Donald Trump. What did we talk about yesterday? Donald Trump. What are we going to talk about tomorrow? Donald Trump. This network covers Donald Trump, because Donald Trump drives ratings.

BERMAN: And what we know is that the American people...

CAMEROTA: Presidential. Well, he is the presidential candidate.

LEWANDOWSKI: But you're not covering him in the same nature that you are Hillary Clinton. This is much bigger.

QUINN: Well, bigger isn't always better. And we -- the station, in my opinion, thank God, no credit to humanity, has not had to cover Hillary Clinton attacking a Gold-Star mother. They've not had to call -- cover her questioning a woman's faith and whether that faith renders her unable to give honor to her son, because that's not true.

CAMEROTA: We do cover Hillary Clinton all day long. I hear you.

QUINN: She knows that Russia annexed Crimea, so we haven't had to do on TV a deep dive into the Ukraine and what Hillary Clinton knows about it, because she knows what happened.

BERMAN: Let's talk about -- Corey, a moment ago you said that everything that Donald Trump is doing or should be doing gets to the issue of what can we do to defeat Hillary Clinton. What, then, does refusing to endorse Paul Ryan do in helping to defeat Hillary Clinton?

LEWANDOWSKI: Look, let's look at the congressional approval ratings in Washington, D.C. You know what they are? Ten percent. Ten percent of the American people think that Congress is doing a good job. Sixty-one percent think they're doing a bad job. Right? There is a fundamental problem taking place in Washington, D.C., right now. The system is broken.

No. 1, Paul Ryan hasn't asked for Donald Trump's endorsement.

CAMEROTA: But he endorsed him.

LEWANDOWSKI: That's right.

CAMEROTA: Shouldn't Donald Trump return the favor?

LEWANDOWSKI: It's not -- it's not the way the business works. And what Donald Trump says is I'm just not there yet. Right? There's another week before that primary takes place.

The issue is, Donald Trump and Paul Ryan have fundamental differences on some major issues. When it comes to immigration reform, that's a major difference between the two candidates. And I think Donald Trump has held true to his positions about immigration reform and Paul Ryan is on the opposite side. He's more of an open-border individual.

So look, I think before Trump is going to make that endorsement, they need to continue to have those discussions and find the issues that they're going to agree on.

It's curious, because Donald Trump had Paul Ryan open the convention. If he is someone he so disagrees with, if Donald Trump wants to have nothing to do with Congress, why did he have Paul Ryan open the convention? It doesn't make sense. It's pivot and spin to whatever mistake Donald Trump has made recently.

If he didn't ever want Paul Ryan or any of the congressional Republican's support, why did he go to Washington? Why did he meet with them? Why did he apparently try to woo them months ago? It doesn't make any sense what you're saying, because the prior facts don't support it, and it's just about how to dig out of the tantrum of the moment that Donald Trump has, which proves he is not temperamentally qualified to be president.

BERMAN: I have heard you speak of the loyalty of Donald Trump. He has personal loyalty to you. This is something you're proud of and you note as one of his endearing qualities.

What kind of loyalty is he showing to Paul Ryan? Paul Ryan, who stood up for him at the convention. Paul Ryan, who moved toward Donald Trump, you know, in the month before the convention.

Is this the kind of loyalty that Republican officials can expect from Donald Trump going forward?

Look, I think if you remember when Paul Ryan originally spoke on this network, it took him a month from the time he said, "I'm still thinking about it. I'm not there yet, before he endorsed Donald Trump."

CAMEROTA: So is this payback?

LEWANDOWSKI: No, Donald Trump was the presumptive Republican nominee at that time. And what Paul Ryan, the speaker, heard from his rank- and-file membership that said it's time to get behind the Republican nominee, who is going to be the next president of the United States. It's time to endorse him.

Paul Ryan felt that pressure from his own internal caucus. That's the difference. And Paul Ryan came out and supported Donald Trump significantly earlier. He didn't have to wait an additional month from the time he said that. That's OK.

But look, this campaign, particularly through the primary process, did not court endorsements from Washington, D.C. And if endorsements mattered from Washington, D.C., Jeb Bush would be the Republican nominee, because he had more endorsements than anybody else. The difference is he spent $150 million on three delegates.

CAMEROTA: Hold on. Corey, one more question, because you're the head of the New Hampshire delegation. What's going on with Donald Trump and Senator Kelly Ayotte? He's not supporting her. In fact, he's critical of her, a fellow Republican.

LEWANDOWSKI: I think what he said about Kelly Ayotte is, "Look, you need a leader who's going to be strong." The people of New Hampshire have been very good to Donald Trump. He's gotten to know them well. He dominated the Republican primary up there by 20 points in a 16- person field.

And look, he's going to do very well in New Hampshire. That's going to be a state that is going to be critical to get to 200...

CAMEROTA: With or without Senator Ayotte, and he doesn't need to support her.

LEWANDOWSKI: Look, it's not a matter of who he needs to support.

QUINN: Is she weak? He said she needs a strong senator, so is she weak? Is that the -- what's he saying? Is she weak?

LEWANDOWSKI: It's not a matter of who he's supporting, who he's not supporting. The American people are supporting Donald Trump. That's what's going to matter on election day.

QUINN: Then why does he keep telling us? If it doesn't matter, he shouldn't talk about it.

CAMEROTA: Take it to the green room. Guys, thank you very much. Great to get both of your perspective.

BERMAN: On the subject of freedom of speech, a quick programming note. Join us tonight for a live CNN town hall with the Libertarian ticket. Anderson Cooper talking to Gary Johnson and William Weld about the alternative that they say they present to this race. That's tonight at 9 p.m., only here on CNN.

CAMEROTA: All right. We do have some breaking news we want to update you on. This is an Emirates jumbo jet. It crashes after landing at Dubai International Airport. You can see all the aftermath. There was a huge fireball that exploded on the runway. And it has sent debris flying.

We want to get right now to CNN's Isa Suarez. She's live in London with all the breaking details.

What have you learned, Isa?

ISA SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn.

This is a Boeing -- an Emirates Boeing 777 300, making its way from south India to Dubai International airport. According to Emirates, what they're calling an accident upon landing. We still do not know what exactly that may mean. But we know thankfully the people on board, 282 passengers and 18 crew, Alisyn, they are safe. They're all accounted for. They're safe. All have been evacuated. No reports of injuries.

Those traveling will know that, within international regulations, Alisyn, everyone has to be evacuated within 90 seconds. That is even they have only half the doors operable. It seems that that may have happened here. In terms of what may have happened, if we look at those images on our air, it looks like this could have been an incident after landing. Why did that happen?

Well, it could have been an obstacle on the runway. Maybe the runway was slippery. Or maybe the way the plane landed, that's still -- we're still not sure. Some are suggesting perhaps the landing gear didn't work properly. But what we can see in these images is the plane crumpled on its belly, a tower of fire, and then an explosion.

So it could have been a very normal landing, and then something clearly went wrong. For the time being, we know that flights for the international airport have been suspended, and they will investigate.

CAMEROTA: So thank you very much for that update. We will check back in with you.

BERMAN: A lot of news here this morning. Of course, he is the fallen Muslim-American soldier whose family is at the center now of a feud with Donald Trump. Who was Captain Humayun Khan? We're going to be joined by a friend and fellow soldier who was there the day he died to share her memories of this hero.

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[07:21:24] CAMEROTA: The Khan family, of course, has been in the news a lot. And we've learned a lot about Khizr Khan and his wife. They're the couple who criticized Donald Trump at the Democratic convention last week.

But this morning, we're learning more about their heroic son, Captain Humayun Khan.

Joining us is Lacy Walker. She served as sergeant under Captain Khan's command in Iraq.

Sergeant, thanks so much for being here.

LACY WALKER, SERVED UNDER CAPTAIN KHAN: Thank you for having me.

CAMEROTA: We know how close you were to Captain Khan. Can you tell us how you developed a close friendship with him?

WALKER: It was pretty much impossible not to be close to Captain Khan. He was always there for everyone. So if you knew him, you were friends.

CAMEROTA: We don't -- we didn't know him, of course, but we've gotten to know him a little bit through his very proud parents, who have spoken of him, and these photos that we have, where you see him in his uniform and he looks so handsome and other shots of him even looking more casual. What can you tell us about him?

WALKER: He was an amazing leader. He was an amazing man. He was always there for everyone.

CAMEROTA: What was he like to work for?

WALKER: Oh, he was the best. If you worked for Captain Khan, then you knew you were taken care of. You knew that everything was going to be OK. You knew you were safe. And in all honesty, pretty much everyone at some point in time did work with or for Captain Khan.

CAMEROTA: I read that you said he was an incredible man to work for. He was easy to understand. His orders were concise and clear. You always knew what he wanted and that, if you had to work through lunch, he would make tuna fish sandwiches for all of you so that nobody went hungry, which of course, you appreciated. Can you tell us about the day that he was killed? Where were you?

WALKER: I was not on duty. I was in my conex (ph). And I heard -- heard, felt -- experienced the explosion and found out later that it was him that was killed.

CAMEROTA: How did you find out? WALKER: When I got up to the gate to fulfill my duty as a soldier, I

got up there and wanted to know how I could help, along with a group of other soldiers that were with me. And found out that it was one of the most respected people I've ever met in my life that was tragically killed that day.

CAMEROTA: I know that you were understandably devastated. We've heard a little bit about that story and about his heroism. What did he do that day to save the lives of his fellow soldiers?

WALKER: What did he do that day? I don't know. I was not there. But I know as the human being he was, as the soldier he was, every day he would always look out for us. He would always make sure that we were safe.

I -- I can't speak to the fact of what actually happened that morning. I don't know. I wasn't there.

CAMEROTA: But you just heard the blast and then you heard that your friend was lost.

[07:25:03] WALKER: Right. My superior, my friend. My -- he was a lot more than that to a lot of people. He was a comrade in arms, if you will. I don't really know if that's the right word.

CAMEROTA: I think so. And I know that you, to commemorate him, have gotten a tattoo. Can you tell us what it -- tell us what that says?

WALKER: It says "Unforgotten."

CAMEROTA: What does that mean to you?

WALKER: When we were getting ready to go to Iraq, he got the order saying that he was going to be going to force protection, and I was still working in shop office. I said, "Sir, you can't leave me. I can't do Iraq without you."

And he said, "I'm not going to leave you. You're fine. We're going to be there together. It's going to be the same thing. We're all going to be" -- there was a group of people, a group of soldiers that we were all together.

And after he passed away, after he tragically died, I had a dream that he came to me and I said, "Sir, you said you wouldn't leave me. You said I wouldn't have to do Iraq without you."

And he said, "I'm not -- I'm not gone. Just don't forget me. I'll always be here with you guys. Just don't forget me." And so I had the tattoo, "Unforgotten."

CAMEROTA: Sergeant Walker, that's a beautiful sentiment. Thank you for sharing that with us. And you are doing a lot to remember your friend and captain and to keep his spirit and memory alive by speaking out about him. Thank you for sharing all of that with us here.

WALKER: Thank you for having me and allowing me. CAMEROTA: Sergeant Lacy Walker, we appreciate it. Let's get over to

John.

BERMAN: Right. Thanks so much, Alisyn.

Donald Trump refusing to release his tax returns. Why doesn't he want them to go public? Up next, we're going to speak to two reporters who have dug in extensively to Trump's financial history.

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