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Will Trump Shake-Up Help Or Hurt Campaign?; Two U.S. Swimmers Prevented From Leaving Rio; 13 Dead In Historic Louisiana Floods. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired August 18, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00] KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: They should think about recasting the Supreme Court in Hillary's likeness. They should think about even higher taxes and more regulations than the 600 we've gotten from President Obama, Obamacare, plus singer payer, whatever that would mean.

And a president in Hillary Clinton who said, in her own words at the convention where we were together, Alisyn, that ISIS is our quote -- they're our "determined enemies". That's not a very muscular robust way to audition for commander in chief.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Well, Kellyanne Conway, thank you for all of your time --

CONWAY: Thank you for having me, CNN, appreciate it.

CAMEROTA: -- this morning. We appreciate you being here and we will be watching very closely --

CONWAY: Great.

CAMEROTA: -- what happens now in the Trump campaign moving forward.

CONWAY: We'll see you soon, thank you.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much. Let's get over to Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: All right, there she is, Kellyanne Conway, Trump's new campaign manager, talking about the plan for the next 82 days. Issues, issues, issues, says Conway. So, are we going to see a different Trump on the campaign trail today? Our panel weighs in.

[07:30:55] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:10] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONWAY: So I think we're going to sharpen the message and we're going to make sure Donald Trump is comfortable about being in his own skin, that he doesn't lose that authenticity that you simply can't buy and a pollster can't give you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: You just heard from Trump's campaign manager, the newly-minted Kellyanne Conway. So, is this going to be real change, does this help, is this the key? Let's discuss with our panel, CNN political director David Chalian and "CNN POLITICS" executive editor Mark Preston. We also have CNN political analyst and Washington bureau chief for "The Daily Beast", Jackie Kucinich.

Kellyanne Conway, we all know her and have known her for a while, smooth. You ask her about the terrible things that "Brietbart" puts up, she transitions easily into something else that she doesn't like without invective, without hostility. Can her candidate be those things?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, that's always going to be the question. There's only so much staff can do and then it really is up to the candidate, but what a skilled messenger for Donald Trump. I mean, I think that was very clear from Alisyn's interview.

Let's take a small moment in the interview just as an example. Michael Cohen and how he answered a question about the polls yesterday that you played, that moment with Brianna Keilar, versus how she answered it. It sort of was just we are a little bit behind and that's the fuel right now that we're riding to make sure that we come back. What a more solid and honest assessment of the state of the race.

CAMEROTA: Mark, what about what she said of what she believes her goal is now for Donald Trump, and that is to let Trump be Trump and to let the candidate start having fun again, basically, she said. That he likes being at those big rallies. He gets his fuel from that. What do you think of that plan?

MARK PRESTON, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "CNN POLITICS": Well, here's the biggest strength, I think, that Kellyanne brings. She is a skilled operator who is well-respected for the many years that she's been in battle in political campaigns. At the same time, she understands that she can't go to a candidate and try to impose everything that she believes upon that candidate.

If she can make the candidate, in this case Donald Trump, comfortable with himself he's going to be more likely to take her advice when they're talking about policy positions or, perhaps in Donald Trump's case, not talking about anything at all.

One of her roles -- her biggest role is going to be on the airplane. It's going to be traveling with Donald Trump and to try to keep him in line. And look, if you were just turning in to the campaign today and you were watching Kellyanne Conway right now and this was the first real taste you had of Donald Trump, you would have a different opinion of Donald Trump than if you had been following all along.

CUOMO: Yes, except she ain't running. Jackie Kucinich, if you look at the list of people who we see now are certainly in the mix -- Roger Stone was kicked out. A lot of people thought that was subterfuge that he's always remained an adviser. Roger Ailes, as an adviser, not a formal campaign -- but they had a huge war, he and Trump.

Kellyanne Conway was working for Cruz, was one of the people who would come to you and say when are you going to start checking this guy and all the crazy things that he says? Interesting that now those people are around him.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, WASHINGTON POST BUREAU CHIEF, "THE DAILY BEAST": Kellyanne is very, very good but I don't know that anyone can make Trump into a sort of polished, policy-laden candidate at this point, particularly because of the other people around him, as you point out.

This is about going -- I mean, bringing on Steve Bannon, who is sort of the smash-mouth provocateur at the top of the campaign -- that seems more indicative of where this campaign is going. We're going back to the primaries. We're going back to those bare-knuckle fights. And, you know, Mark's absolutely right. If you tuned in today and saw Kellyanne you would have a completely different impression of this campaign. The problem is that the product that she's selling is going to get up and when he is doing those free-flowing rallies it's where he gets himself in trouble.

CAMEROTA: "Brietbart", where Steve Bannon has been at the helm, it specializes in sort of inflammatory, flame-throwing headlines. I bounced a few off of Kellyanne to see if she was comfortable with them, particularly the things that denigrate women in the headlines. Here's her response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONWAY: The man is a brilliant tactician and he has a long history of, I think, girding for combat and being unafraid. I'll tell you what -- I'll tell you what Donald Trump needs. He needs people who are like him, in this sense. You have to be unapologetically, unflinchingly unafraid of Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton and all that Clinton campaign means because we feel -- we feel like we're up against a major machine here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: So, in other words, she was saying hey, he's a streetfighter, about Steve Bannon, who heads up "Brietbart" and she said he likes to win and that's what we need.

CHALIAN: Yes, listen, I thought that was one of her really stronger answers because it shows -- you know, we're talking about yes, she said that he wants to get back to policy and what have you, but she knows and she said there, what he needs around him also are people that will let him be the brawler he wants to be.

[07:40:00] And by the way, I don't think there's a Republican in the country that would hear that and not rally around that notion to be unafraid to go after Hillary Clinton every single day -- at the convention, when we see it on the campaign trail. This is the unifying principle for all Republicans, those who have been reluctant to come to Trump, those that are with Trump. Is Hillary Clinton the enemy? That's the organizing principle.

CUOMO: But, exactly when did Donald Trump become this pacifist who put his fist down and took some kinder, gentler way in this election? I can't think of one episode of this. Just because the guy's on a Teleprompter? We talk about him being on a Teleprompter like he shaved his head and came out in a dress, you know?

PRESTON: Crooked Hillary, right? I mean, clearly he's been attacking Hillary but the attacks haven't really landed as he would like because he has created so much chaos around his campaign, himself, that he hasn't been able to put the focus on Hillary Clinton or has his campaign. So, to your point, he has been attacking, but can Bannon, can Kellyanne Conway, can Roger Ailes, can Roger Stone -- can they get him to focus more on two or three, perhaps four, issues to try to take Hillary down?

CAMEROTA: Jackie, what's your prediction now that there's been this shake-up in the campaign and Kellyanne is at the helm. What do you think we're going to see in the next couple of weeks?

KUCINICH: I really do think we're going to see more of the same Trump, I really do. But, you know, David and Mark are right in that if they can hone his message into going after Hillary Clinton he'll be in better shape. That said, it really -- he's the one who gets off message. He is the one who goes on these other tangents so they just need to figure out a way for him to focus, and we'll see in the next coming weeks if he can do it.

CUOMO: Kellyanne said it was going to be about positive issues going forward that makes lives better for people. We'll see if that's what it is. I think Jackie blew an opportunity. If I asked you what's your prediction going forward --

KUCINICH: Ouch.

CUOMO: -- wouldn't you have gone with Clubber Lang's? What did he say when they asked him what his prediction is? Do you remember what he said? Pain. They asked Clubber Lang about the prediction for the fight with Rocky.

All right, another story that we're following this morning, Olympic news but not of the Olympic variety. U.S. swimmers pulled off their flight home. Inconsistencies emerge, say Brazilian authorities, about their claims of being robbed at gunpoint. When are they going to get to come home? We have the latest live from Rio, next.

[07:42:15] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:40] CAMEROTA: Two Olympic swimmers removed from their flight to the U.S. by Brazilian police so that they could be questioned about the alleged robbery at gunpoint that you've heard so much about. There are inconsistencies emerging in their accounts. Ryan Lochte is now apparently changing some of his story.

So let's discuss this with CNN sports correspondent Coy Wire and CNN sports analyst Christine Brennan. Christine, I know that you've been reporting on this. What's the latest thinking on whether or not this was a real robbery? CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: It's a great question. I think the thing we have to say, first of all, is we have no idea what occurred in the earlymorning hours on Sunday here in Rio. Journalistically, we cannot know. I think we're going to get the answer, as always. These stories do have a way of coming out in the end.

But what we know is the story has changed a little bit, Alisyn. Not a lot, but Ryan Lochte has made some big changes in his story. Are there more changes to come? And I ask that as a question because we, of course, have no idea. The fact that we have that video of them coming into the Village, Coy, you know that --

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. (Video playing)

BRENNAN: -- with their belongings, looking quite casual, throw that into the mix if they'd just been robbed at gunpoint and you have the mess and the crazy situation that we are now living in, in Rio.

WIRE: And you mentioned some of the discrepancies. First, you have James Feigen saying that one man had a gun who was posing as an officer, unmarked. Had badges but they were not officers, they were posing as them. While Ryan Lochte said there were several men with guns. Also, one said that they were at a gas station or another implied that they had left the gas station. Those things are uncertain so those were a couple of the discrepancies that are being spoken of.

The other thing that some here are saying is why would, in that video that has arisen from "The Daily Mail" -- why would they be wearing their watch? Why would they have their cell phones? Two of the prime targets in an incident like this that happen in the streets of Rio every day. So those are some of the questions that still remain here by Brazilian authorities.

CUOMO: So what is the farthest reach of any speculation you've heard, Christine? Is this about whether it happened at all or is this about whether what actually happened that led to some type of bad situation?

BRENNAN: Well, Chris, again, as you know, journalistically we've survived all these years by not dealing in speculation but I will say that I have had sources that have questioned the entire thing, yes. That doesn't mean that that is accurate. That means it's an evolving and developing story and we're on it.

What I think also we're seeing here is the worst nightmare for the U.S. Olympic Committee come true. Now, you might also say worst nightmare for Brazil if it all is true. If a gun was to Ryan Lochte's head, as he says there was -- although again, that story's changing a bit -- that's just horrible. It's a horrible image visual for these Games when we've talked so much going into these Games about the problems and crime, et cetera.

But the flipside is you have two U.S. swimmers on a plane, getting hauled off a plane and questioned. They've been released now. But that, again, is something that the U.S. Olympic Committee trying to just kind of -- kind of low key everything at any Olympic Games. That's the worst thing they wanted to have happen.

CAMEROTA: Coy, we were just watching that surveillance video of the guys returning to the Olympic Village the early morning after they had been out the night, allegedly, of the armed robbery. What does this video tell us? I mean, why is this video the thing that's calling the story into question?

WIRE: I think it shows the significance and prominence of this occurrence. At first, it was maybe some ruffled feathers and people had their eye on it, but now it's clear that this is serious stuff. There were search and seizure warrants issued and you have these athletes, big-time athletes, who are now being prevented from leaving this country. And you're talking --

CAMEROTA: But, I mean -- good point -- I mean, but just --

WIRE: -- at the heart of this all a 12-time Olympian.

CAMEROTA: But you're saying just because in the video they don't look upset. In the video they don't look as though they were just victims of a violent crime. Is that what the problem is?

WIRE: Oh, in the video, yes. When they returned it was just before the hour of 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning and that was something that the judge here in Rio said. That their physical and psychological integrities seemed unharmed is basically what she said, and that was something that caught their attention. Why they wanted to look deeper into this issue. They were laughing and joking around, says the judge, something that wouldn't lead you to believe that something traumatic had just happened to them.

[07:50:00] That as Ryan Lochte, at first said, a gun was pointed to his head but then he told NBC's Matt Lauer that well, it wasn't at his head. So these are the types of questions that keep arising here and have Brazilian authorities wanting to dig deeper into this because it's not painting a good picture for their city if there are unmarked officers roaming these streets and holding people at gunpoint.

CUOMO: Somebody looks bad, the only question right now is who? So we'll figure that out with your help. Coy, Christine, thank you very much, appreciate it.

CAMEROTA: And in that video it's hard to say because they don't look like they're laughing and joking around, nor do they look --

CUOMO: The only thing that you get from the video that is a relevant point is if you were robbed at gunpoint --

CAMEROTA: Right.

CUOMO: -- why do you still have valuables?

CAMEROTA: Right. That is a good question so obviously we will stay on that throughout the program. Flood waters, meanwhile, are starting to recede in part of southern Louisiana but relief workers say they have not seen anything this bad since superstorm Sandy. I'm stumbling over that word -- superstorm Sandy. And look at the aftermath of the flooding here in Louisiana. So this region needs our help and attention and we'll talk about that when we come right back.

[07:51:10] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:54:55] CUOMO: All right, back to Louisiana. The catastrophic flooding there has 40,000 homes damaged, at least 13 dead. President Obama signing a major disaster declaration. The Red Cross is mounting a massive relief operation in the flood-ravaged state.

Joining us now is CNN correspondent Rosa Flores who is on the ground in Louisiana, and meteorologist Chad Myers. Rosa, let me start with you. There is a good case that the people down there are begging for more attention. They're saying just because there was no hurricane doesn't mean that this isn't bad. And the concern right now is the extent and the duration that the flooding may last -- tell us.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, take a look behind me and you'll see the story that we're seeing right here, right now in southern Louisiana. You'll see mounds of stuff down the street. That's as people are trying to rebuild their homes and their lives. Take a look here. You'll see they're bringing out everything that was soaked inside their houses. This is just the first step.

And Chris, just to let you know, I've been with first responders going door-to-door as they look for people, to make sure that they're OK. And they tell me that this is a good sign because when they see mounds of stuff in front of homes that means that the homeowner is OK and that they're starting to rebuild their lives -- Chris.

CUOMO: They have to have an almost artificially low bar for OK because they're dealing with worst-case scenarios. Chad, let's get to this point because as horrible as this situation is for the families that are right behind Rosa --

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

CUOMO: -- they are in a better position than many because their homes are not still underwater.

MYERS: Correct.

CUOMO: So gives us a little sense of what extended water exposure means and how it came to that point.

MYERS: It means you're going to have to knock that house down if it's underwater for many, many days. Even five inches of water in drywall and sheetrock just wrecks it and then it's a complete rebuilt on the inside.

But what happened? How did this happen, Chris? Let's talk about the rainfall that happened Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There are spots over New York and New Jersey that maybe pick up two to three inches and you get some flooding. This is Louisiana and they picked up 20 to 25 inches of rainfall in 48 hours. That is the entire state of New Jersey covered up with 20 inches of rain. Any state will flood when it comes to that much rainfall. That's just how it happened.

But something else happens here. Why do they put cemeteries above ground in New Orleans? Not for looks -- because you can't build underground. You know what they call a basement in Louisiana? An indoor pool because the groundwater, the table water is so cold. You can dig down six inches and get water. So when you don't have any place for the water to go down, it's just going to go up. And you put 20 inches anywhere and it went up all weekend long.

And here's why it's taking so long. Look at a map of Louisiana. There's no typography, it's flat. So unlike West Virginia, where the water just runs into the river and goes down, it goes down very slowly. This is a lumbering, slow, slow flood. It's going to be with us still for many, many days, Chris.

CUOMO: I mean, you and I have both experienced the effect of typography there very acutely. There are lots of places, especially as you get down towards New Orleans where you'll be staring up at a levy and you will see a ship come by above your eye line because you're that far below the water level in that basin affect.

Let's go to some of those top pictures, Rosa, and you can give us a sense. You don't really feel it until you see just how many communities are still underwater. And a lot of them Rosa, we're told, are not used to getting flooding and that hurts the predictions of how long this will last, as well, because they just don't know how long it will take to drain those places.

FLORES: You know, Chris, I talked to multiple families who said that they didn't have flood insurance because they were told that they didn't need flood insurance. So as we look at these pictures you'll see that the water rose very, very quickly. I talked to some of those families. They tell us that they had to evacuate very quickly, sometimes overnight, because the water rose so quickly.

We talked to other people who we met at shelters, that they say that their neighbors started knocking on their doors to make sure that they got out safely. Again, because those waters rose just so quickly.

CUOMO: All right, Rosa, Chad, thank you very much. Look, we don't lightly tell you to pay attention to situations and think about helping, but as the people you just saw on that screen are telling you, and many of us here at CNN covering this story, this is going to last a long time and the needs are going to grow and they're going to be very profound. So if you want to help the people down there, if not today in the futureas you learn about more of the effects, go to cnn.com/impact.

All right, there is a lot of news. There's a big story out of the Olympics and it's not of the Olympic variety. Let's get to it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone, welcome to your new day. It's Thursday, August 18th, 8:00 in the East, and we do have breaking news for you because there's this international drama surrounding Team USA swimmers. Two of them taken off their return flight from Rio and told they cannot leave Brazil.

CUOMO: Police there want to question them about star swimmer Ryan Lochte and the night that they were actually robbed, allegedly.