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Donald Trump Expresses Regret in Speech for His Words Possibly Causing Personal Pain; USA Olympic Swimmers Released after Being Held in Detention in Brazil; Source: U.S. Consulate Asked Police to Suppress Story. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired August 19, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Nothing specific, but he did express remorse for ones that caused, quote, "personal pain." Is this the pivot? Is this the turning point for the campaign? Remember, Trump has said that he wasn't going to pivot. CNN investigative correspondent Chris Frates live in Washington this morning with more. Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Poppy. You remember the ad campaign back in the '90s, the softer side of Sears, it helped put the struggling retailer back on track. Well, it appears Donald Trump whose campaign is facing its own struggles, may be facing his own version of that, showing voters a more contrite side.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've never been politically correct.

FRATES: Donald Trump, doing what he refused to do throughout his campaign -- expressing remorse for his controversial statements.

TRUMP: Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it.

FRATES: A complete 180 from the unapologetic tone his supporters have come to expect.

TRUMP: And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But one thing I can promise you this -- I will always tell you the truth.

FRATES: Trump delivering prepared remarks, speaking for the first time since his campaign overhaul, and veering away from the brash persona that could doom him in the general election.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I think we're going to sharpen the message and we're going 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.

FRATES: The Republican nominee not saying exactly what he regrets, but the remarks come after a firestorm of criticism for attacking the family of a slain Muslim-American soldier.

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

FRATES: And he has yet to apologize for attacking Republican senator John McCain, who spent five years as a POW in Vietnam.

TRUMP: He is not a war hero.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is a war hero.

TRUMP: He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, OK, I hate to tell you.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, (R) ARIZONA: There is a body of American heroes that I would like to see him retract that statement.

FRATES: Trump did express mild regret after re-tweeting an unflattering photo of Ted Cruz's wife Heidi next to his wife Melania, later telling the "New York Times," quote, "It was a mistake." Trump also using the opportunity to show support for flood victims in Louisiana.

TRUMP: When one state hurts, we all hurt. And we must all work together to lift each other up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRATES: Now, Trump and Pence arrive in Baton Rouge later today to tour the flood damage. The trip comes on the heels of a Baton Rouge advocate calling on President Obama to cut his vacation to Martha's Vineyard short, telling him "A hurting Louisiana needs you now." So we will see if Donald Trump and Mike Pence make a little political hay out of that. Alisyn, Poppy, back to you guys.

HARLOW: Political hay on a Friday morning. Thank you, Chris.

Let's discuss with our CNN political commentators Christine Quinn, vice chair of the New York state Democratic Party is with us, and Kayleigh McEnany, she supports Donald Trump. Thank you ladies, both, for being here. Kayleigh, you have called this the best speech you have ever heard from Donald Trump. I wonder what this was. Was this the Kellyanne Conway effect? Was this towing the line between Bannon and Conway because he didn't say exactly what he regrets? How should we read it?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it is Donald Trump just saying how he honestly feels. I think last night was a humanizing moment where he just spoke from the heart.

HARLOW: He has never before said I regret. So something happened.

MCENANY: Sure, because we have a lot of tough issues in this country, and I think that he prides himself being the tough candidate, the guy who doesn't back down. But I think he realized, maybe I need to be human and say, look, I made some mistakes. So I think this was the perfect speech. It was him speaking from the heart and it is what he needs to do from now until November.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: But something has changed. We have contrast video that we can play for you both from May when he was asked about his regrets to last night. So watch this, Christine.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: To look back and say, gee whiz, I wish I didn't do this or that, I don't think that's good. In a certain way I don't even think it's healthy.

Sometimes in the heat of debate, and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words, or you say the wrong thing. I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: So in May, he said he didn't even think it was healthy to have that kind of reflection. And then last night he said he regrets it. What do you think is happening there?

[08:05:00] CHRISTINE QUINN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The polls are plummeting. I mean, they're just dropping, dropping, dropping. And they're dropping because the message Donald Trump has been sending throughout this whole campaign, the primary and now into the general, is one of divisiveness, attacking people, attacking immigrants, attacking a Mexican-American judge, attacking women, Gold Star families, it goes on and on. And what has happened is Americans have responded, saying that's not who we're about. And he is now late in the game trying to change.

CAMEROTA: Yes, but not that late in the game. It is still before Labor Day. Do you worry as a Democrat, Christine, that if he changes and has this more sort of even-keeled, moderate tone, are you worried as a Democrat that his polls numbers will reverse and go up.

QUINN: Whenever I'm involved in a campaign, I'm worried. You are a supposed to be worried. If you're not worried you're not paying attention, as they say, so I am always worried. But I'm not particularly worried about this, you know, what -- I don't know the number, umpteenth alleged pivot we're seeing here, because, one, I don't believe that Donald Trump is going to be able to stay in this space. He has proven that over and over again. We've talked about this is the pivot so many times, it can't hold. And he comes back to that nasty, divisive message that really is clear to American he is unfit to be president.

HARLOW: Looking at the poll numbers, Kellyanne Conway very candidly said in Alisyn's interview this week this gives the fire in our belly. Us being behind makes us fight even more.

I want to pull up for our viewers a number of things that perhaps he was referring to last night when he talked about having regrets. He didn't specify, but let's go through these things. Saying President Obama and Hillary Clinton founded ISIS, calling for a Second Amendment action against Clinton in that speech, about you know, Second Amendment folks could take action. Calling -- suggesting harassment victims should find another career.

He claimed that he saw a video that we've never seen of the Iran payment in change for hostages. He talked about the mother of that fallen American soldier, the Gold Star family, saying she wasn't allowed to speak. And also, he has talked multiple times, Kayleigh, about the presidential election possibly being rigged, and that's the only way he would lose. Given those things, you called last night his best speech, would the best, best speech be if today, tomorrow, he comes out and says I'm sorry to the Khan family?

MCENANY: No, I think last night he was very clear. If he caused anyone pain at any point, that is what he was specifically apologizing for. The reason I said it was one of the greatest speech is the contrast couldn't have been more stark. We've seen the Democrats be caught up in deception for three weeks on end. Hillary Clinton on her emails saying she turned over all work-related e-mails, 44 new ones came out last week. Her saying the FBI director corroborated her story, which he in fact did not. And yesterday you had the hostage situation where basically the administration had to come out and say yes, this was ransom, even though we told you it wasn't.

HARLOW: They called it leverage. They say it's different. I hear you.

MCENANY: So three weeks of deception. For Donald Trump to stare into the camera and say promise you this, I will always be truthful to you to the American people, the contrast was stark. And American voters will respond to humility and they will respond truth.

QUINN: Look, there is always going to be this issue raised about Hillary's e-mails, but let's be clear, Donald Trump did look into the camera and say I'll be honest, and then misrepresented things in his speech. And they may not be the biggest things, but he said he is self-financing campaign. He's not. He used statistics during the speech which are at best misleading, at worst dishonest.

HARLOW: He has a factual error in his new ad this morning about illegal immigration.

CAMEROTA: In the new ad, he says that under Hillary Clinton's plan that illegal immigrants who commit a crime here can stay. That's not true.

But I do want to talk about the e-mails, because there a development this morning that is pretty fascinating. There's this "New York Times" report reported by Joe Conason, who said, something has leaked, shockingly, from the FBI delivery --

HARLOW: Who thought that would happen?

CAMEROTA: -- report to Congress, the notes to congress. And one of the things is there was this dinner party at Madeleine Albright's house. She is of course the former secretary of state, and she went around the roomed and asked people if they had any advice for incoming secretary of state Hillary Clinton. And Colin Powell said yes, use a private e-mail system. He told her, according to Hillary Clinton. Does that -- he didn't say a private server. Of course that's different. But he said do as I did, and use private e-mail. Does that change any of this equation, Christine?

QUINN: I've said before this was in many ways not a new practice. We've seen other secretaries of state have private e-mails, et cetera. That may be one of those dinner parties where you were standing at the door, do I feel like going, do I not feel like going. And maybe now you're like, why did I go. But this does kind of reinforce what we have been saying. The basis of this practice is not something new.

CAMEROTA: But we've established this, a private server in your home is different than using your gmail, your hotmail account.

HARLOW: This isn't dial up. He was sending a few e-mails at best. It's different.

[08:10:00] QUINN: Takeout might have been better is all I'm going to say.

CAMEROTA: OK, so do you think that this changes the equation at all?

MCENANY: Not at all, because Donald Trump is running against Washington insiders, and it doesn't matter if you have an "R" or "D" behind your name, Republican or Democrat. If you were doing something irresponsible that imperils national security, you should be punished for that, including Hillary Clinton, who imperiled national security secrets like we've never seen.

QUINN: Let's be clear, she said this practice is one she shouldn't have done. She regrets it. I don't know her exact words. But let's be clear, because I think the facts do matter, and we've seen the facts misrepresented a lot by the Trump campaign. No one has said, no one, not the FBI director, no one, that she imperiled national security.

MCENANY: But the FBI director said she was, quote, "extremely careless," and that she should have known better with classified information.

QUINN: And she said she shouldn't have done this practice, but to say she put national security at risk is --

MCENANY: She actually --

(CROSSTALK)

MCENANY: So Congress got the FBI interviews, and FBI notes rather from Hillary Clinton's interview. It was heavily redacted, because not even Congress, the members of this committee, had the security clearances to read these emails. These were big secrets, potentially CIA asset name, and they were on a private server that the FBI director admitted hackers, hostile countries could have had access to the server.

CAMEROTA: But we don't know if they did. QUINN: I just want to say, they got the notes and they were redacted as is appropriate, but then referenced that the e-mails were redacted. So we don't know. We've not seen what Congress got to. It implies that because there are redactions in it, the e-mails were, and that's a conclusion is not a true set of facts chl. And let's not forget this Trump campaign pile of out facts which is Pulitzer prize winning fact-checking journalist has said 70 percent of the facts put out by the Trump campaign are mostly false or pants on fire lies. That's an astounding number, 70 percent put out by a Pulitzer --

CAMEROTA: It's higher, but she also has had some pants on fire. Ladies, thank you.

HARLOW: Thank you, both. Important conversation.

New this morning, two team USA swimmers now back on American soil landing in Miami this morning. Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz arrived there in the last hour, both Olympians caught up in that international scandal, touched off by teammate Ryan Lochte's tale of getting robbed at gunpoint, and Rio police now saying his story is a lie. Reuters is reporting that the fourth teammate Jimmy Feigen will pay an $11,000 fine as a charitable donation to settle his part of the dispute. Our senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh live for us in Rio this morning with the latest. Nick?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That cash payment does go through, you're probably going to see Jimmy Feigen getting his passport back to leave the country. That will mean none of the four still here in Brazil. And I think then people are going to try and draw a line under all of this. There are questions being asked about who knew what when, how these massively differing versions of events were out there. It took two, three days for a judge to issue search and seizure warrants to bring that to a head.

We're actually hearing from police source as early as Monday, consular officials were aware of some of these issues here, and perhaps everyone felt best thing to do was to try and keep it quiet. That didn't happen. Ryan Lochte gave his dramatic account to NBC, and now we are dealing with these four days of remarkable international headlines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH: This morning, swimmers Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger arriving back in the U.S. after Brazilian police claim they admitted Ryan Lochte's story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio was not true. The U.S. Olympic Committee apologizing for the actions of four team USA swimmers, saying in a statement, "the behavior of these athletes is not acceptable, nor does it represent the values of team USA. We apologize to our hosts in Rio and the people of Brazil for this distracting ordeal." Brazilian police say the athletes were not robbed and that they are not victims. Police say they were held by security at this gas station after urinating in the back alley and vandalizing a bathroom.

FERNANDO VELOSO, CHIEF OF CIVIL POLICE (via translator): The athletes was really disturbed somehow. He was actually very, kind of angry. So they had the use of a weapon to control probably one of them. The answer, yes.

WALSH: The surveillance video shows one of the athletes bending over, seeming to pull up his pants before an attendant appears. They then leave the alley, attempt to get into a taxi, but it is not theirs. Once in the correct car, an armed security guard approaches, demanding that they stay until police arrive. They're later seen sitting on the curb, hands in the air, with Lochte standing and appearing to take something out of his pocket. The athletes were told they had to pay for the damage they caused.

VELOSO: They had their money almost like to pay for the damage that they caused and leave the place before the police could arrive.

[08:15:04] WALSH (voice-over): Ryan Lochte is back in the U.S., remaining silent after Brazilian officials say his account was fabricated.

RYAN LOCHTE, U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER: We got pulled over, in our taxi, and these guys came out with a badge, a police badge. They pulled us over, they pulled out their guns.

WALSH: But Lochte's attorney is backing up his client's claim, saying, "A gun was pointed at the swimmers, and they were forced to get out of the cab and give up their money. No matter what country you are in, that is robbery and robbery is a serious crime.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH: So where do we go from here? Well, we're probably going to see Mr. Feigen leaving the country in the hours ahead, I would have thought if that charity payment goes through, the U.S. Olympic Committee trying to draw a line on this. They're weaving their way between the armed robbery story, still espoused by the swimmers and Brazilian police saying this was basically compensation payment.

The line they're taking, the security guards, compensation underway. had their firearms on display. Everything I think wants them embarrassing period out of the way. We've had an international overshadowing the end of the Olympic Games because of an unsanctioned toilet stop on the way home after night of partying -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: When you put it that way, t really brings it altogether. Nick, thanks so much.

So it is fair to say that was not the kind of splash the Team USA was hoping to make in Rio. Could the career of those swimmers be over? We'll discuss the consequences of this, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:20:09] HARLOW: OK, we're getting a little breaking news here about the swimming story that happened in Rio. A source telling CNN that the U.S. consulate in Rio and Brazilian police knew back on Monday that the robbery involving Ryan Lochte and three U.S. swimmers never happened. But the consulate allegedly asked officials to suppress that story.

Meanwhile, Lochte is sticking by his story for the moment.

So, let's bring in Christine Brennan. She's been on this story all week.

We also want to bring sports agent and founder of DLE Sports Agency Group, Doug Eldridge, to talk about the consequences on these swimmers' careers.

So, Christine, I don't know if you just heard that breaking news that we just had, that the U.S. consulate and Brazilian police did know about the fact that there was no armed robbery days ago. But I guess trying to spare everyone here embarrassment, sort of suppressed the story.

What do you know about the timeline?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: What I know is, of course, Ryan Lochte's mom first spoke and then Ryan Lochte did to NBC. This was on Sunday.

Think about it. If they had not said what they said, we would have never known anything, unless somebody got ahold of the gas station video, which would be almost hard to believe that the security tape made it. So, that's number one.

I was reporting this all week as well. Never able to obviously, I want to be as sound as possible with "USA Today" and CNN. Never ever be able to break the news until we all were yesterday in terms of the actual events that took place.

But there is no doubt, think we can safely say there were stories swirling around from the get go and questions, and I think those are things, again, journalistically, we need to ask those questions of officials, the U.S. consulate, U.S. Olympic Committee, what did they, when did they know it, to think of how this has exploded.

And if it could have been contained early on -- well, we can only think what might have been in terms of athletes who got no attention this week, especially in the U.S., because of this story. What they would have gotten instead if the story had been tamped down or never heard of it.

HARLOW: It's a great point.

And, Doug, to you, I mean, the U.S. Olympic Committee coming out overnight and throwing these guys under the bus, and saying their behavior was not acceptable, it doesn't represent the values of Team USA. The police in Brazil have called on them to apologize, to all of the people, how it smeared the reputation.

You're an agent, if you're advising these guys, if they're your clients, who should they apologize to, how, and when?

DOUG ELDRIDGE, SPORTS AGENT: This is almost like untangling a pair of Apple earphones. It really is a mess in some regards.

Full disclosure, I've long been one of Christine's work as a sports journalist, although sometimes I disagree with her conclusions. Earlier she said that Ryan Lochte should receive a lifetime ban. I'm not the arbitrator to mete out that type of justice. Ultimately, Ryan might age out from Tokyo. I think he'll be 35 or 36 years old.

But when we look at some of the other young kids involved, the guys like Jack Conger, 21-years old, I think it's important that we take a moment and stop and recognize that sometimes we can look at the deed and the might of Superman so much, we forget the fallibility and frailty of Clark Kent.

My point being, this was very much a Clark Kent moment for these four young men. And the statement by the U.S. -- I don't know that it was necessarily throwing them under the bus as a rightful act. What is important, though, and Christine will agree, it is important that we not paint with brush.

HARLOW: But I hear you, but they vandalized, right, someone else's property, and then proceeded to -- at least Ryan Lochte apparently lie about it. My question, how should they apologize, and to whom?

ELDRIDGE: Well, it's a question that involves a number of parties. The USOC, USA swimming, the State Department, the consulate and Brazilian authorities, and as Christine alluded to, this has been something that's been going on for a while, behind closed doors as it should be.

Now, as an agent, I can't speak to international diplomatic relations going on between the U.S. and Brazil, and the legal work going on.

But what I can speak to is the sponsor and brand side. Ultimately, that's going to have an impact on all four. Brands, twofold, number one, performance. Two is perception. This how they do in the court, track or the pool.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Do they lose their sponsorship? Right. So, do you think they lose their sponsorship, Doug?

ELDRIDGE: It is certainly a possibility. Here is why I say that. I hope it is not the case, I hope it's not a case, but within the perception, the morality cause, broadly worded language if the athlete speaks, talks, comports them self in any manner that would negatively impact or reflect upon the brand. So given the scope and specter of the story, that's certainly a possibility.

[08:25:05] But it's incumbent upon these guys to stand in line with the USOC and take accountability steps moving forward, not only to claim accountability, but make right with the Brazilian people and make sure they stay on the path moving forward.

CAMEROTA: Yes. So, Christine, you've been saying all week you think Ryan Lochte is at least radioactive to sponsors now. What about these other three?

BRENNAN: Yes, and Doug, you make a great point. These are young men. They made a big mistake. As a human being, of course you feel sorry for them. I think everyone wishes they didn't do this. As a journalist, we move ahead. These three young guys, maybe in four years, they'll be back at the Olympic trials. I hope for them. I'm guessing they will. But their name also forever be associated with this story.

And Ryan Lochte, what sponsor would want to touch him right now. Again, where is the apology from Ryan Lochte, five days and counting, whoever is advising him, Doug, maybe you could help him out, because there should have been an apology. This story is just going on and it is not playing well, for Ryan Lochte, I've seen the reaction ands people are really incensed that these guys did.

Drunken, monkey craziness but look at what it all costs.

CAMEROTA: Christine, Doug -- Doug, I'm sorry, we're out of time. Thank you, guys. You both made great points. We appreciate your perspective.

BRENNAN: Thank you.

ELDRIDGE: Thank you guys.

CAMEROTA: All right, another big political story this morning. The Clinton Foundation, announcing that it will not take any more foreign or corporate donations if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency in November. Will this help her or does it actually raise more questions? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)