Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

RNC Appoints New Official For African-American Outreach; NY Times Captures Uncensored Voices At Trump Rallies; Witnesses To Waterslide Accident Speak Out; U.S. Leads Medal Count At Rio Olympics. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired August 10, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:31:10] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: America at her best and at her worst is a melting pot, you cannot avoid that, and in order to become president, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will have to appeal to white and non-white voters. This is a specific concern for Trump and his campaign to try to expand the base beyond what he has right now.

So how are they going to do that? Well, maybe with his man's help. Ashley Bell has just been appointed national director of African- American Engagement and a senior strategist for the RNC. We should note the RNC hired him, not Trump. But, obviously, you're working for the RNC, the nominee is Trump. Good luck to you with your job, Ashley. It's good to have you on the show.

ASHLEY BELL, SENIOR STRATEGIST, RNC NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF AFRICAN- AMERICAN ENGAGEMENT: Thank you.

CUOMO: What do you think the pitch is to minority voters -- African- Americans, Latinos -- that Trump should be their man?

BELL: You know, all politics is local. At the end of the day when we look at the cities in America, the urban areas where there are many Democrats that run these cities -- there are no Republicans to blame -- and in these areas there's too many failing schools and there's not enough jobs. And we think people are primed for change in these urban areas.

We look at more rural areas. We think you see more social conservatives that are minorities who are looking for the Republican Party to offers solutions. And I think with the right messaging, talking about job creation, and talking about ending a failed criminal justice system -- I think this candidate and I think our party has a great chance.

CUOMO: So I get the argument that situations in urban communities, they have been stagnant in many cases.

BELL: Yes.

CUOMO: They've been under Democratic leadership during those periods of stagnation, so why don't you look at the other side? Is Trump the right change agent given all the controversy that he's spawned, especially with minorities?

BELL: You know, I think you look at this economic plan as a good point. He talks about entrepreneurship. Who are the number one entrepreneurs? A lot of -- you see big spikes in entrepreneurship in African-Americans. Why, because many, many times in many of these cities --

The 90's gave us a failed criminal justice system. We have many ex- felons who don't have any way of getting back into the system but to create their own job. And who gave us the 90's with the millions of many minorities that were incarcerated? That's a gift of the Clintons.

So, my prior role before joining this was advocating for a new criminal justice system that's fair for everybody and that is primarily to undo the 90's. So I think if you look at entrepreneurship, minorities benefit the most in making it easier to be a business owner and to have that gift of American entrepreneurship. That's whyI think Donald Trump's going to appeal to many of those people.

CUOMO: I hear the message. The question is going to come down in an election, though, largely to the messenger. As you know, right now current polls have Trump --

BELL: Right.

CUOMO: -- somewhere like what, 15 to 20 percent, 18 in this poll with non-white voters. Some suggest that he's going to get less than Mitt Romney did. That he's done so much damage with the Latino, the Hispanic community that he might not do as well. How flawed is your messenger when it comes to courting this group?

BELL: Look, we have work to do. It is work we're willing to do. You know, it starts with having a Republican Party, led by chairman Priebus, willing to do the investment to make sure we have people on the ground. What I'm excited about is seeing Donald Trump's campaign hire coalition directors in all these battleground states.

These are going to be people to make sure that we continue to press the message and put local messengers in these communities to deliver our message of freedom and opportunity. That's going to get this campaign local. That's going to give people options. We cannot afford to allow the Democratic Party to take the black vote for granted another cycle -- we can't afford it.

And a Republican Party wants to be a viable option. We want to create marketplaces of ideas where we can debate the ideas and not talk about the rhetoric and let each person decide which solution is best for their community.

CUOMO: So part of the proposition is going to be, I would suppose, convincing non-white voters that the RNC is a home for them. I want to play for you some really disgusting video, frankly, but it's instructive, from "The New York Times". You know, they had those reporters embedded in these different crowds at Trump rallies all over the country for months and months. Here's just a small sample of what they came up with.

[07:35:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RALLYGOERS: Build the wall! Build the wall! (Bleep) those dirty beaners. Build the wall! (Bleep) political correctness! Mexico is going to pay for it!

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Our president has divided this country so bad.

RALLYGOER: (Bleep) that (bleep).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Now, how do you explain to a non-white voter that that atmosphere that is often -- not once, not twice, not three times -- is often in play at Trump events -- that that's nothing for them to be worried about, this is your home?

BELL: You know, I've been in this race for a while monitoring like everybody else. In the beginning, in the Democratic primary, I was at plenty of rallies where I saw many frustrated, young, black voters, members of different movements upset at the Clintons because of the failed criminal justice policy of the 90's.

I heard a lot of them frustrated, saying a lot of awful things, but that's not a reflection of Hillary Clinton's campaign as much as it is the frustration of American. The frustration on both sides. Black and white are frustrated with the system. So you can't just look at that group and say that's a reflection of Donald Trump, it's a reflection of the frustration.

The reason he's our nominee is because people are frustrated because they don't want another insider, another secretary of the status quo. They want someone different to come into Washington and change it. And the only way we're going to end that frustration is to take a different course, and it's not going back to the 90's.

CUOMO: So, Ashley Bell, your task will be not just to convince of what is obvious, which is we want something new or different -- that's always the story in politics -- but that it is something that is better, especially for non-white voters. Good luck with the job. Thank you for being on NEW DAY.

BELL: Thank you, sir.

CUOMO: Look forward to having you back.

BELL: See you soon.

CUOMO: All right, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Let's turn now to this tragedy in Kansas. Up next, we will talk to two people who were there when a young boy died after plunging down a waterslide. We'll hear what they saw, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:10] KEILAR: The Kansas water park where a 10-year-old boy died on a waterslide is set to reopen today but the slide where the accident happened will remain closed. Police are blaming Caleb Schwab's death on a neck injury but they're still investigating what exactly caused it.

And joining us now are two people who witnessed this deadly accident. We have Jess Sanford with us and Melanie Gocke. They had actually ridden this waterslide, the Verruckt, earlier in the day. Jess and Melanie, thank you both for being with us. There are a lot of details we don't know so I want to ask you what you saw. You were sitting near the slide when this happened. What happened?

MELANIE GOCKE, WITNESSED WATERSLIDE ACCIDENT: I saw most of what happened. I didn't see all of it but I heard the noise, and I looked over immediately and I saw his broken neck and him sliding down the slide leaving a blood trail.

KEILAR: Was he -- he was behind the raft that goes down the slide?

GOCKE: Yes.

JESS SANFORD, WITNESSED WATERSLIDE ACCIDENT: Yes, the raft went before him.

KEILAR: So, Jess, tell me what you saw?

SANFORD: I didn't -- I was facing kind of the other way but I turned around when I heard like a noise that didn't sound like it was supposed to come from that kind of ride. And then that's when I turned around and I kind of -- I didn't really like understand what was going on, so I only kind of saw Caleb slide down like the last half of the slide and then I saw the blood, and then we both kind of stood up.

GOCKE: And --

KEILAR: And -- sorry, go on.

GOCKE: We saw his friend screaming and crying about it.

SANFORD: His friend was screaming for help and then I think that's when staff members and medics and stuff starting running.

KEILAR: How quickly did that happen? How quickly was the response and that they got to him, and was there any attempt to try to revive him?

SANFORD: I don't think there was.

GOCKE: No, nobody went to try to revive him. One of the people that was at the waterpark went up to the slide to see if he was OK and I guess they saw that he wasn't. The medics immediately went to the other two people on the ride. SANFORD: I think they just kind of realized that he was dead and so they didn't -- I don't think they tried to revive him.

KEILAR: You don't -- are you sure that they didn't go to him? They weren't checking his vital signs or anything? They seemed to think that he had passed away?

SANFORD: People weren't up close to him or anything.

KEILAR: OK, now you both had ridden this slide earlier in the day, right?

SANFORD: Yes.

KEILAR: And what did you notice? Had you ridden it before then, and what did you notice when you were riding the slide?

GOCKE: I noticed that there was Velcro seatbelts keeping you in and I realized -- before it went down I tried to wiggle out of it to see if they were safe and I got out of the straps pretty easily. And before the ride went I strapped myself back in, of course, and they weren't very secure.

SANFORD: Yes, we kind of got up there and then it was just kind of surprising to see that it was only Velcro straps.

KEILAR: And where -- show me. Where were the straps? Was it your arms, was it your waist, where?

SANFORD: There was one that connected from the top of your shoulder over to kind of a bottom one, and they Velcroed together like that, and then two Velcroed over your waist.

KEILAR: OK, and so you were able -- when you tried, Melanie, to sort of shimmy out of it was it just to see if the Velcro would come unstuck? Is that what it was?

GOCKE: Yes, I wanted to see how secure it was because it didn't look very secure to me.

KEILAR: And what was the -- were there signs that said you need to be this tall, you need to weigh this much? And I'm sure there were some small kids. Obviously, Caleb was a smaller child, but was there -- did there seem to be attention paid to that by the person -- or you tell me if there was a person there at the top of the slide.

[07:45:00] GOCKE: Yes, the -- there was only just that you had to be 54 inches to ride the slide. And there was a lifeguard at the top and my little sister rode the ride with us, who is the same size and age as Caleb, and she just buckled everybody else in like normal.

SANFORD: They don't really like look into it, I guess, if you pass the height limit. It's just like it doesn't matter how close you are as long as you pass it.

KEILAR: Did you -- when you rode down the slide does it stay adhered to the track pretty well when you went down or is there sort of a jostling or a bumping or ever where the slide catches a little bit of air?

SANFORD: When we went, you didn't get airborne, but --

GOCKE: When my dad and my sister rode the ride right after us they said they got airborne.

KEILAR: At what part of the ride because we know that with Caleb it was the sort of -- he'd gone down the first slide and then there's another -- there's sort of another hill that the slide goes over.

SANFORD: Yes, when you come up the second hill, that's when.

KEILAR: That's when they went airborne? That's right, Melanie?

GOCKE: Yes.

KEILAR: That's when they went? That's when they said they got airborne? And we know now that the park's back open today. This slide is not open. What do you think should be done and how do you think this is being handled?

SANFORD: I think they definitely need to fix the straps on the ride because you'd think for something that's supposed to be known for being like the tallest slide in the world they'd have a little bit more secure straps than Velcro.

KEILAR: Yes.

SANFORD: I think they definitely need to figure that out before they open back up the slide.

GOCKE: I think they need to fix like the jostling around because your neck gets pretty shaken around like really good and you hit your head a lot.

SANFORD: They tell you to keep your head against the seat and even then my neck was kind of all over the place.

GOCKE: Yes, your neck -- her neck hurt after she rode down the ride.

SANFORD: Yes.

KEILAR: Jess and Melanie -- and it will be a -- I think it will be surprising if it even does reopen, we will see. But, thank you so much, Jess and Melanie. We really appreciate --

SANFORD: Yes.

KEILAR: -- you being with us and telling us about your experience -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Brianna, thank you very much. Let's turn now to the other big story of the morning, the Olympics. A strong night for Team USA. Huge expectations and huge delivery. We have the big winners and why the U.S. gymnastics women's team is being called historic. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:51:30] KEILAR: Let's talk Olympics. This is all about the gold for Team USA as Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky each swim to victory and the women's gymnastics team crushes the competition. CNN sports anchor Coy Wire has it all covered live in Rio. This was a night and a day, Coy, that I am jealous of you for being there to witness.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Brianna, I'm not taking this for granted, trust me. This is incredible being here and watching the U.S. women's gymnastics team who picked up the world competition and dropped it right on its head, earning that gold in bold fashion, adding to what is becoming a runaway train of medals here for the U.S.

Let's check that medal count for you here on NEW DAY. Twenty-six total medals in all for the U.S., leading the way. China's in second with 17, Japan in third with 14. The Russians, in the wake of that doping drama, have 12.

But we have to talk about Brianna's sweethearts, the American U.S. gymnastics team. Simone Biles winning by a jaw-dropping margin, leading the way there proving without a doubt that they are the best gymnastics team in the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Taking their place in Olympic history, the U.S. women's gymnastics team securing team gold. Simone Biles catapulting her team to victory. She's now, arguably, the best female gymnast in U.S. history. Team captain Aly Raisman captivating the audience with a flawless floor performance. Young Laurie Hernandez dazzling on the beam. Madison Kocian and Gabby Douglas boasting two of the highest scores of the night on the uneven bars.

U.S. GYMNASTICS TEAM MEMBERS: We are the "Final Five".

WIRE: These incredible ladies revealing their team name to the world. It will be the last time a five-member gymnastics team will ever perform at the Olympics.

Michael Phelps adding two more golds to his collection. He now has a whopping 21 in his Olympic career. The world's most decorated Olympian clinching two victories Tuesday night, first in the men's 200-meter butterfly, winning it for a third time in his career, dominantly reclaiming the number one spot after losing to rival South African swimmer Chad le Clos in 2012.A short time later with his second gold of the night, the U.S. men's team cruising to their fourth consecutive gold medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.

It was also another big night for 19-year-old superstar Katie Ledecky, triumphant in the women's 200-meter freestyle, landing her a second gold medal here in Rio. Ledecky has never lost an individual final at a major international competition.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KEILAR: Now we have CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan joining us now with Coy Wire. And, you know, I wonder, Christine, as we look at that amazing performance by Michael Phelps, do you think this is his most important moment of the games -- this shot at redemption that he -- that he just seized?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Absolutely, Brianna. The 200 butterfly is his baby. It's the one event that he has been in, in all five of his Olympics. As a 15-year-old, he finished fifth in 2000 in Sydney. So it's the one he wanted to win the most and get back, of course, after losing it so closely in 2012.

Also, the most amazing thing, I think, of the night was the 70 minutes that Michael Phelps had. He had -- a 31-year-old guy and he's going against some teenagers and 20-somethings, he had that swim and then he had to come back and anchor the U.S. relay. And at the end of it, Brianna, he sat down on those blocks and looked like an old man. The kids were jumping up and down. He sat there slumped over. He was spent. It had been a fabulous 90 -- or 70 minutes, but it was over and he was done.

[07:55:00] KEILAR: Yes, he --

CUOMO: He's got all those bruises on him from that cupping they're doing.

KEILAR: Yes.

CUOMO: You know, all that suction stuff they're doing to increase his blood flow. Hey, Coy, top athlete yourself -- you've proved it so many ways. You know, Coy was like a big star both ways in college. As an athlete, what blows you away about what you're seeing in the pool and on those gymnastics apparatuses?

WIRE: Well, I think, and we'll get to something that you mentioned earlier, Chris, but it's specifically to Phelps. You know, the great ones, they have ability but then, as Christine's mentioned, the sustainability. What you do in overtime every single day to keep that consistency at a high level. Absolutely phenomenal what he has been able to do.

And then you look at someone else like Katie Ledecky, who is also dominating in the pool at her young age. Already four medals in her young career stacking up as they go. And I talked to her coach just last week and he said that her focus, her discipline is so straight. We're talking about a girl -- she told me she doesn't even have her driver's license yet a 19 years old because she's that focused about her training and about her craft.

You're seeing why and hearing why these athletes are elite and the best in the world and in those two, specifically, the best we have ever seen doing what they do. Katie Ledecky, I love the quote. She said last night she fully exerted herself in that race. She said it was the first time I ever felt like I was going to puke in the pool.

KEILAR: Oh goodness, that would have been an Olympic moment, too, you wouldn't forget. But one that you really can't forget is the Biles. We have to show this. (Video playing) This is the move on the floor program by Simone Biles. Unbelievable pass here in tumbling where she lands facing outwards. This is something nobody does -- unbelievable.

And, Christine, I think there wasn't a lot of suspense for Team USA when it came to who's going to win the all-around but that shouldn't take away from what their amazing achievement was by just blowing away all the competition.

BRENNAN: Oh, you're absolutely right. I mean, Americans love winning and I think Americans love dominance. There's nothing wrong with that. And so the fact that this team basically had it won the moment they entered the arena and ended up winning by more than eight points -- which, that is -- that is a whole, what, the length of the pool for Katie Ledecky.

WIRE: It was a blowout.

BRENNAN: Right, because this is a score where a tenth of a point could decide first, second, or third and they were -- they just were so dominant. And, you know, what I thought was cool about this, guys, is that here we've been talking about this team over and over. There's only one thing they could've done yesterday afternoon and evening, was screw up, and they didn't screw up. They did exactly what they had to do at the moment they had to do it. It is so rare to see that in sports where you have your best moment at the biggest moment of your life -- the most important time of your life.

CUOMO: Yes. You know what, that's true, yes.

WIRE: You know what I like them, guys, is --

CUOMO: Go ahead, Coy.

WIRE: The thing I like about them is that just a few days ago before the finals they were in the Olympic Village. They were laughing, they were joking. Laughing so hard during a team meal that their manager came over to them and said guys, this is the Olympics, you need to focus. Well, they go out and slay it. What I love about that is that it shows that they're loose, they're relaxed, they're confident. They're enjoying this moment and it's showing up in a major, major way.

CUOMO: To deliver with the weight of expectations on your shoulders, not easy, and to do it in epic fashion makes you a great one, and now we have five of them.

KEILAR: So fantastic. Soon to be four, but the "Final Five", what a performance, so great.

CUOMO: Thank you, you great people, yourselves. You know, you are our CNN Olympic coverers of this Olympic action.

KEILAR: They have the best gig.

CUOMO: Thank you very much. WIRE: Seventeenth Olympics for this girl. Seventeenth Olympics.

BRENNAN: I started when I was in kindergarten.

KEILAR: Oh my goodness, Christine.

WIRE: Incredible.

CUOMO: Yes, I know. It's weird, she's only 26 years old. What have you been doing the rest of your life, Brennan? Get some diversity and activity.

BRENNAN: Just trying to hang out with him.

WIRE: I'm learning by osmosis. This is my first and I am in good, good company.

KEILAR: You certainly are. Coy Wire, Christine Brennan, thank you guys so much.

CUOMO: Coy's learning from the best there, that's for sure.

KEILAR: He sure is, yes.

CUOMO: A lot of news this morning. A huge question in the election. Did Donald Trump know what he was saying when he seemed to incite action against Hillary Clinton? Let's get to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Hillary wants to abolish the Second Amendment. Nothing you can do, folks, although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

TRUMP: That was more than a speed bump.

GOV. MIKE PENCE (R-IN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You know, Donald Trump is urging people to act in a manner consistent with their convictions.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: That stuff sells, but it doesn't stick.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Team USA is on fire.

WIRE: Michael Phelps adding two more golds to his collection. Katie Ledecky, triumphant, landing her a second gold medal.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR: That U.S. women's gymnastics team crushing the competition.