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New National Poll: Clinton Leads Trump By 13 Points; Rep. Dingell On Clinton's Record; Trump's Tax Plan: Cuts Across The Board; All Eyes On Today's Women's Gymnastics Team Final; Will Phelps Win Gold In The Men's 200M Butterfly?. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired August 09, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

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[07:31:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Another new first in this election. We just got word that 50 former national security officials, all Republicans, signed onto this open letter saying that Donald Trump would be "the most reckless president". This, as Clinton builds on her lead over Trump by 13 points in a new national poll.

Let's discuss the implications with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. She's a Democrat from Michigan who has endorsed Hillary Clinton. So obviously, a letter like this is good news. However, we just had one of the gentlemen on, a professor named Aaron Friedberg from Princeton, who signed onto this. And he said look, we think Trump is the wrong choice. It doesn't mean that Hillary Clinton is the right choice.

Donald Trump doubles down on that by saying everything that's going on in the world that isn't good has Hillary Clinton's name on it. What's your defense, Congresswoman?

REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D), MICHIGAN: Well, first of all, Donald Trump's favorite thing is to use rhetoric that someone attacks Hillary Clinton. But, you know, I was sort of stunned when I looked at those signatures on that letter. They're people that I deeply respect.

I can be a Democrat but I believe in working across the aisle. But you've got former Homeland Security people like Michael Chertoff, and Tom Ridge is one of the most conservative people that I know. I respect him but he's very conservative. And Hayden, who's the former head of the CIA. That is a very impressive list of national security advisers.

Hillary Clinton is a serious, thoughtful former Secretary of State. As several people have said, there's no one more experienced than Hillary Clinton. President Obama said this in his Democratic speech -- ready to take this job. And when you've got a list of those kind of people saying a candidate's not ready that is very serious, Chris.

CUOMO: Let me ask you to answer a question that we hear often here. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State as you mentioned, senator from New York. Can you name her biggest single achievement in public office?

DINGELL: Well, you know, I've worked with her forever. Now, that didn't come out right, but I got know her. We are both working spouses when we were working on children's issues. You know, when you look at what she's done for children in this country over the decades -- we have a children's health insurance program because of Hillary Clinton because she doesn't give up. She digs into the policy and she knows where we've got to focus.

But there's so many other issues, quite frankly. When she did become a United States senator, I'll tell you what. We're in Michigan. She's coming to Michigan, Trump was in Michigan yesterday. She rolled up her sleeves and dug into who the auto industry was.

When we were in crisis in 2008 -- by the way, not a partisan -- it was a partisan issue, but it happened after George Bush. It was something that our economy, at the time, for many reasons, caused. She said how do I help this industry and she supported a bailout which -- or shoring up the industry. And Donald Trump has been clear that he wouldn't have done that. When he talked about the jobs yesterday and what was -- what was here, if he had been president those jobs wouldn't be here.

CUOMO: What about as Secretary of State? What do you think her biggest foreign policy achievement was?

[07:35:00] DINGELL: You know, she was a good secretary -- she was an outstanding Secretary of State. She worked on issues from one side of the world to the other. She got on that plane and she brought people together. And in the Mid-East, that's one of the most volatile regions of the country. I know it because I'm living in Dearborn, Michigan which has the largest population of Muslims. There are difficult times but she has the trust and respect of the leaders of those countries.

CUOMO: Do you think it's problematic that when -- what's the main argument here that's going on? ISIS is scarier than ever. What's going on in the Middle East seems just as unstable as ever. Russia seems more formidable than ever. And all of these things took root, you could argue, during when Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. How do you defend that proposition?

DINGELL: Well, first of all, I don't think -- they began before then and they've been building. You know, by the way, I find it really disturbing when a presidential candidate encourages a foreign government like Russia to interfere in our elections. That's probably the thing that's disturbed me the most about this entire election.

We have to come together in a bipartisan way, not a partisan way. National security -- I think that's one of the things that's bothering me the most. I'm seasoned enough to know that when it comes to national security we have got to be unified as Americans, not as partisans, and it's going to continue to be a very serious issue in this country. And I want you to think about who you want leading us with a steady hand on these foreign relation issues. And the fact that 50 Republicans would say they don't trust Donald Trump is something that makes me shiver.

CUOMO: Well, something's going his way though, right, because not only is he close in a lot of battleground states but we now hear that he's raising a lot of money, catching up to the Clinton campaign. We hear that an email went out from the Clinton campaign manager saying hey, double down on your efforts. This guy could out-fundraise us. Is he catching up to you? What are you seeing?

DINGELL: I take him very seriously. As you know, I'm one of the people that have said that this race is going to be competitive until Election Day. I think what bothers me about Donald Trump is that he's playing to fear and hatred. He's trying to divide us. And there are people that are frustrated and just want to shake up the status quo but they don't realize shaking up the status quo, they've got to live with it the day after the election.

I think that this election is going to come down to who votes on Election Day and both sides have got to make sure that their voters turn out at the polls. So, I think this is going to be a competitive race until the election day, I really do.

CUOMO: Congresswoman, appreciate your perspective, as always, on NEW DAY.

DINGELL: Good to see you, Chris, thanks.

CUOMO: Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump giving specifics on his tax plan. Who will see their taxes cut and will it work? We will separate fact from fiction, next.

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[07:41:45] CUOMO: It is time for CNN MONEY now. CNN MONEY correspondent Alison Kosik is in the MONEY Center with details on Trump's new tax plan. Vet away.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Chris, the cornerstones of Donald Trump's new tax plan are lower rates and a simpler tax code. So there would be three tax brackets, depending on what your income is, at 12, 25 and 33 percent. And currently there are seven brackets, the highest of which is 39.6 percent.

Now, Trump initially proposed dropping that top rate to 25 percent but non-partisan groups said it would add trillions of dollars to the national debt. Now, Trump didn't give specifics on income levels for those tax brackets but he does say the poorest Americans wouldn't pay any taxes. The plan is similar to the one House Speaker Paul Ryan proposed last month.

Now, businesses would also see a big tax cut. The current top rate if 35 percent. That's among the highest of any developed nation. Trump would cut that down to 15 percent, and as the campaign puts it, for everyone from freelancers to Fortune 500 companies -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Alison, thank you.

And we want to know if Donald Trump's economic plan mathematically adds up. I want to discuss now with Ali Velshi. He is a global affairs and economic analyst. And Joe Borelli. He is co-chair of Donald Trump's New York campaign and he's councilman of the 51st District of New York City.

I want to ask you first, Ali, because I know that you actually take issue with some of the math here when we're looking at the specifics. Yes, three tax brackets, as you heard Alison say. We don't know exactly what the breakdown is on income level but, of course, when you have an economic plan there is money going in and there is money going out and you think this does not add up.

ALI VELSHI, GLOBAL AFFAIRS & ECONOMIC ANALYST: Right, right. So there are three parts to it whenever you look at an economic plan and this is the part that worries me. When you look back to the sequester, you look back to the government shutdown of 2016, this is because the Obama administration wanted to raise taxes and increase expenditures. And the only way to get that through Congress -- to get the tax increased through Congress was to simultaneously cut expenditures, which is why we had the sequester and the subsequent government shutdown.

So the idea that a Congress would permit -- this particular type of Congress would permit tax decreases -- the top income tax level in America is 39.6 percent. To allow taxes to go down to a maximum of 25 percent and allow for Donald Trump's increases is preposterous. Now, if he doesn't get anything else -- he gets his expenditure increases and his tax decreases, we'll have a budgetary hole of about $9 trillion extra.

And Donald Trump says we'll take care of that with economic growth because people will pay less taxes, they'll feel great about the economy, companies will employ people. That is classic sort of trickle down economics which actually hasn't worked over the last 10 or 15 years. So it doesn't -- to be able to suggest that growth makes up for overspending or under-taxing is sort of preposterous and remarkably risky.

KEILAR: Joe, respond to that.

JOE BORELLI, COUNCILMAN, CO-CHAIR, DONALD TRUMP NY CAMPAIGN, 51ST DISTRICT OF NYC COUNCIL: Well, I disagree. I think Ali's point kind of looks at the economy as a static modeling in today's numbers. I think some non-partisan groups like the Americans for Tax Reform and the Tax Foundation have also analyzed not Donald Trump's plan yet, but the House Republicans plan which this seems to be sort of based on.

[07:45:00] And they say the numbers actually are a $191 billion deficit to which they address with some new taxes on imports and some elimination of deductions. So, I don't think this is as pie in the sky as Ali's making it out to seem.

And I think the trickle-down economics has actually worked. We have a vice presidential candidate, Mike Pence, who actually used a lower corporate tax rate, lower income tax rate, and saw 150,000 new jobs in Indiana during the time he was governor. I think that's part and parcel to some of his work. KEILAR: Is that what Donald Trump is trying to do? Sort of take the Indiana model and fashion it on the nation, Ali, or do you see those being sort of two different things?

VELSHI: Yes, it just -- it sort of -- it does -- you know, the thing you have to understand is that growth, regardless of whether you're talking about America or anywhere else in the world -- GDP growth has precious little to do with what a president or an administration actually does. A state is very different from a country. If you're in a small country or a state, you can actually influence behavior because Indiana can bring down taxes and attract businesses and residents from neighboring states. A country -- it's much harder to that.

So when you look at the biggest economies in the world -- China, Europe, the United States -- they are massive economies that are having trouble stimulating growth, right? Donald Trump's not the first guy to think about this. I don't think for eight years President Obama has been saying I really like this low growth thing, I'm going to keep it going.

People try and do this, but in big countries you can't turn that ship around. Nobody controls their economy better than China does, and all China's economy has done for that last 10 years, is slip. Economic growth has slipped. So the fact is there are global economic headwinds that have substantially more to do with your GDP growth than your policies do, and that's something that's important to remember.

Presidents get too much blame and too much credit for the economy. So the fact that Donald Trump, in his speech, very specifically, Joe, said I can do this and it's going to easy shows that he lacks the sophistication to understand the one basic about economics in America, it's not easy.

KEILAR: Respond to that but also to "The New York Times" ed board which perhaps, not surprisingly, not on board with Donald Trump on this, saying he "...considers himself a businessman uniquely capable of improving the economy. But this list of misguided and risky proposals would reduce economic growth while showering the rich with tax breaks."

They're taking aim at his plan but as Ali is saying, maybe a plan coming from him isn't really going to do anything anyway. It's this idea -- the idea of saying oh, it's going to be easy and I can do it is not real.

BORELLI: Well, I think that we should ask Hillary Clinton why she's saying almost the exact same thing. Obviously, she has a different plan. As a matter of fact, her plan -- she stresses that she's not going to raise taxes on people making under $250,000. But when pressed on those issues by George Stephanopoulos, she admitted that she would, indeed, raise some regressive taxes and that's just a goal.

But I do take some issue with what Ali said. I think presidents are to blame. I think the record that Obama has given us is something that should be judged and this is why a lot of frustration has happened in America.

When Barack Obama was running in 2008, remember, he was also speaking about renegotiating NAFTA and some of the trade deals and some of the issues that Donald Trump is talking about. But he's had the last eight years and he hasn't renegotiated NAFTA. He's tried to give us this TPP which has been sort of universally rejected now by both campaigns, but he also spoke to the same issues.

KEILAR: Speak to this idea of some people saying that this plan, Joe, does not really help a lot of middle-class Americans. That this is for the wealthy.

BORELLI: That's fundamentally false because every single tax bracket, whether you make a -- what a higher earner makes to whether you make almost nothing --

KEILAR: But we don't know because he doesn't have the numbers on there.

BORELLI: Well, I --

KEILAR: How do we actually know that?

BORELLI: Well, I think he --

KEILAR: He doesn't say if you make this, you're in the 10 percent or if you make this, you're in the 25 percent.

BORELLI: I think this is fairly reminiscent of the House GOP's proposal --

KEILAR: But he doesn't have those. Will we get those numbers, do you think?

BORELLI: I'm sure we will. I am sure we will. But I mean, in fairness, compare apples to apples. I go on Hillary Clinton's website just before we went on set here and I looked for any specificity in her plans. I don't see the level of specificity that we're demanding from Donald Trump in Hillary Clinton's plan, as well, but that's why I'm using this model of the House GOP model.

In the House GOP model you see almost every tax bracket come down significantly. Yes, for the rich. Yes, for the poor. And then you have things like the child tax care credit. Someone like me -- my wife is underemployed right now because we can't find adequate child care at an affordable price. Something like that is huge. Look, I'm a millennial, I am someone starting out in life. These things are important to me.

KEILAR: All right, Joe, thank you so much. Ali, thank you so much. I could talk to both of you about this for a very long time but we're going to leave it there.

BORELLI: Great.

KEILAR: Thank you -- Chris. CUOMO: Oh, not when we have the Olympics to talk about. The U.S. women's gymnastics team aiming for a team gold tonight. Will they repeat -- maybe even do better than London's Fierce Five, remember them? Also, you got Michael Phelps heading into the pool, the most decorated Olympian of all time. Is he going to get another gold? We'll give you the inside scoop, next.

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[07:53:45] CUOMO: All right, let's get it going, Keilar. USA, USA, USA. This is the night Team USA swimming -- the top of the medal stand, but will there be more? Lilly King, Ryan Murphy taking gold, setting Olympic records. Michael Phelps back in the pool. Let's look at the listings right now, the standings. The U.S. at the top, 19. Gold count very tight, though, obviously China tied. So tonight all eyes on the women's gymnastics team final.

Let's discuss with CNN's sports correspondent and former Atlanta Falcon and Buffalo Bill, I believe, Coy Wire. And CNN sports analyst, Christine Brennan. Can't find better-looking people in the business. So, heading into tonight, Christine, what are we looking for, what are the stakes?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Well, I'll tell you. You mentioned gymnastics and this American team qualified 10 points ahead, Chris, of its closest rival. This is a sport of tenths of points, and maybe one point -- 10 points. So they are dominant, they're expected to win. It would be a huge upset if the U.S. does not win the women's team gold.

And then back in the pool, Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps, two names everyone knows, going for gold. I think that Ledecky said hey, I've got more in the tank. I think she'll do it. I think Phelps looked pretty good. It's competitive in both cases, they're going to be close. Not those big Katie Ledecky victories, it's going to be close. But I have a feeling Phelps and Ledecky will both do it tonight in the pool.

[07:55:00] KEILAR: And Coy, as we are looking -- Christine said, if they don't win gold it's going to be a huge upset. You even have gymnasts from other countries like Russia saying USA's unbeatable at this point. They're really competing for second place. But what are you specifically looking for as we go into this team, all-around, for the women's gymnastics team?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORESPONDENT: Well, personally, I want to see Simone Biles. I mean, this girl is four foot, eight, and I mentioned yesterday with you guys the thing that makes her so dynamic is not just her raw athleticism, it's her mentality. She's not afraid of anything. She's doing things that other gymnasts are afraid to try because they fear it would be career-ending, so that's outstanding.

You know, that's the one person --I also -- I want to see Laurie Hernandez. She's a Mexican-American competing here for Team USA. They call her the human emoji. She's full of energy and life and it's one of the great things to watch when you're watching gymnastics is that passion and enthusiasm as well, Brianna.

CUOMO: So, how do they rate to that amazing team from the London Olympics that the U.S. had? What were their nicknames?

KEILAR: The Fierce Five.

CUOMO: The Fierce Five. How do they compare, Christine, and why -- or Coy? Either one of you take it.

BRENNAN: Well, we're both nodding our heads. They compare favorably, Chris. I think this is the best team ever. I think with Simone Biles -- I don't know what you think, Coy, but Simone Biles leading the way. Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, you've got the reigning Olympic all-around champ from four years ago back on this team.

This team is just stacked. It is just packed to the rafters with talent. I think it's the greatest U.S. team ever but check with us tomorrow because obviously they've got to do the deal. They've got to win the gold.

KEILAR: And Coy, we don't know what their name is yet, right? Aren't we going to find out? What do you think it should be?

WIRE: Yes, will it be "Fiercer Five"? I mean, we'll see. One thing that was a highlight from last night. Did you guys see Ryan Murphy, the Olympic swimmer -- 100-meter backstroke -- and he fulfills a prophecy from the age of eight years old. He goes out, he gets the gold medal for Team USA, he sets the Olympic record. No American had ever swam under 52 seconds in the event.

And here's what he said. He wrote a letter to his mom with a photo drawing of himself. He said, "I hope my swimming life continues and I become an Olympian when I grow up. I hope I will break the world records. I want to be the best swimmer in the world." And here we are, guys, 13 years later and Ryan Murphy wakes up one of the best swimmers in the world. Great story.

KEILAR: It said -- that postcard said "the end", right? Well, that was last night, the end.

CUOMO: I like it. I loved it for him because he got to do what the Olympics is all about. He did it in the moment that counted. He got the gold. I am nervous, though, about the girl's team tonight. So much expectation expected to win.

KEILAR: A lot of pressure.

CUOMO: I don't know. I think I hate -- I don't like when you go into it and everyone expects you to do well, you know? Hey, Christine, did you see the Michael Phelps stare down face? I actually believe he was just focused and he wasn't mad dogging --

KEILAR: I think he was really P.O.'d, that's what I think.

CUOMO: -- that guy, le Clos. Do you think he was mad dogging the guy or do you think he was just trying to stay focused? BRENNAN: No. No, no, he is just staying focused. He's focusing on no one else but himself.

CUOMO: Now, see?

BRENNAN: If there were 10,000 people in the arena or just by himself, that's so. When's he competing --

CUOMO: See? Brianna and Coy went the other way on me. And then Coy screwed up his face --

WIRE: I agree.

CUOMO: -- and looked at me and tried to intimidate me off the point, Christine, but I didn't bend, I didn't bend.

KEILAR: Oh, and Coy --

WIRE: Hey, I think we're seeing raw emotion. Yes, Brianna?

KEILAR: Coy, your hair looks fantastic today. Tell us about this.

CUOMO: You don't have any hair.

WIRE: Yes, I know. Christine and I were saying how I look I'm in one of the Beyonce videos. Hair's blowing in the breeze out here. We're truly enjoying it.

BRENNAN: He's a lucky guy, that's all I've got to say. But hey, behind us, no complaints.

KEILAR: Who gave you this haircut that we're seeing on Twitter?

CUOMO: Who shaved your head, brother?

WIRE: OK, so Ibasically -- every bald reporter's dream, I got it yesterday. I got my head shaved by five-time Olympian, U.S. water polo, Tony Azevedo. You've got to see in this right now. He shaves my head but the best part is I had a ketchup packet in my left hand there. I did the old dumb and dumber Jim Carey -- you know, where I pretend like he cut my head. And I go like this and you should have seen the look on his face.

Maybe we can show the video to you later on, live or something. But I'm going to have my head on a swivel all day because he's coming out for me, but a great time. This guy is fascinating. He grew up here in Rio, five-time Olympian, speaks three languages, includingPortuguese. He said that he and the U.S. water polo team are going out and they're going to shock the world.

KEILAR: That is hilarious. All right, Coy and Christine, thank you so much. I'll be giving Chris a haircut later after the show, of course.

CUOMO: I just got one. My birthday cut.

KEILAR: Happy birthday, by the way.

CUOMO: All right.

KEILAR: So, in just minutes we will be talking with the most decorated women's gymnast in U.S. history, Shannon Miller.

CUOMO: There's a lot of news from the election and from around the world, so let's get right to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fifty former GOP national security officials signing a letter to stop their party's nominee.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: She is the candidate of the past.