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Clinton Super PAC Releases New TV Ad; Donald Trump Taking Heat on Social Media; Donald Trump Campaign Signals Possible Change to Immigration Policy; Vice Presidential Candidate Mike Pence Discusses Trump Campaign Tactics. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired August 22, 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] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump's campaign signaling a possible softening of his controversial position on the forced deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They will go out. They will come back. Some will come back, the best, through a process. They have to come back legally.

SERFATY: Trump's hardline stance a signature issue of his campaign since the beginning. Now, his new campaign manager indicating that policy is not set in stone.

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let me play something from what Mr. Trump has said previously. Listen to what he said back in November.

TRUMP: We're going to have a deportation force and you're going to do it humanely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are they going to get ripped out of their homes, how?

TRUMP: They're going back from where they came. If they came from a certain country, they're going to be brought back to their country. That's the way it's supposed to be.

BASH: Will the plan include a deportation force, the kind that he just, you just heard in that sound bite and talked about during the Republican primaries?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: To be determined.

SERFATY: Key Trump surrogate Senator Jeff Sessions confirming that Trump is wrestling with the issue after a meeting with Hispanic advisors on Saturday ahead of a big policy speech later this week.

SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, (R) ALABAMA: He listened to a lot of people. I don't think he made any commitments. He is thinking that through. I think that's the right thing.

SERFATY: This potential shift coming as Trump attempts to broaden his appeal among African-American voters.

TRUMP: I've asked the African-American community to honor me with their vote.

You are living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?

SERFATY: Polls show his is way behind with his key voting bloc following a string of controversial comments about minorities.

TRUMP: They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they are rapists.

Look at my African-American over here.

This is judge is of Mexican heritage. I'm building a wall, OK, I'm building a wall.

SERFATY: Trump's now more muted, scripted style reserved for policy, not for his opponent Hillary Clinton.

TRUMP: She will never be able to fix the ISIS problem that her policies created. For one thing, she doesn't have the strength or the stamina.

SERFATY: All this, as Trump and his surrogates continue to race unsubstantiated questions about Hillary Clinton's health.

RUDY GIULIANI, (R) FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Go online and put down "Hillary Clinton illness" and take a look at the videos for yourself.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: And again, those claims about Hillary Clinton's health are unsubstantiated. The Clinton campaign says she is in excellent health and called those questions otherwise, quote, "deranged conspiracy theories." Meantime, coming off the broader Trump campaign shakeup we did see last week, sources tell CNN a top strategist from the RNC, Sean Spicer, will now be doing some work out of the Trump campaign headquarters, a move to coordinate activity with the RNC. John and Alisyn?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we do want to talk about Sean Spicer's role coming up. Sunlen, thank you very much for all of that.

So Donald Trump's running mate Mike Pence getting the message out there in the battleground states. The Indiana governor did just that at the Iowa state fair this weekend, and we went there and spoke to him about the campaign and some of the controversies dogging Team Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: Let's start with some of the latest headlines. On Friday night, Donald Trump was in Michigan, as you know, and he was making an appeal to African-American voters.

MIKE PENCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sure.

CAMEROTA: And he used some language and messaging that some people have taken umbrage with. I'll read some of it to you. He said "You're living in poverty. Your schools are no good` you have no jobs. You have 58 percent youth unemployment. What the hell do you have to lose?" That was an appeal to vote for the Trump/Pence ticket. What do you think of that message?

PENCE: It was such an honor for me and privilege to be with Donald Trump earlier in the day as we toured neighborhoods devastated by the flood anything Baton Rouge. I saw this broad shouldered leader and his profound compassion for the hurting families in Louisiana. And I think that message and other messages all proceed from the fact that Donald Trump and I both believe we can do better for every American. We can get the economy moving again.

CAMEROTA: But specifically for the inner city, are there things you can say to black voters right now that are living there that -- how they would get jobs that currently aren't available to them?

PENCE: I think by promoting something different than what Hillary Clinton is advocating, which is more taxes, more regulation, more Obamacare. We're going to lift the fortunes of job creators all across America. The reality is that the majority of jobs that are always created in this country are created by small business owners. But Hillary Clinton's plan to raise taxes, Hillary Clinton's plan to increase regulations is going to continue to stifle growth in this economy like we've seen for the last seven-and-a-half years.

[08:05:09] CAMEROTA: So in terms of the language he used on Friday night, you were OK with it, the "you're living in poverty, you have no jobs, what the hell do you have to lose?" You were OK with it being that blunt of a message?

PENCE: Well, look, Donald Trump is not an experienced politician who carefully selects his words. He speaks right from his heart and right from his mind. What you heard this week is a leader who is determined to make America great for everyone in this country. And I think you're going to continue to see this campaign in the days and weeks ahead speak directly to Americans in every community about what our plan to make America great again is going to mean for them and their families.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about some of the changes that have been happening in the campaign. Paul Manafort out, Steve Bannon now the CEO, Kellyanne Conway now the campaign manager. What do you think of those changes?

PENCE: I think there are always -- there is always a time as you approach Labor Day where campaigns, you know, evolve and change and have additions. And I expect that to continue to be evidence of a campaign that on a roll.

CAMEROTA: What would you say was the problem with Paul Manafort's leadership?

PENCE: I think Paul Manafort made a decision to step down just so there wouldn't be any distractions in the campaign.

CAMEROTA: Steve Bannon, now at the top of your campaign, he is known as a street fighter. He is known as a flame thrower. He was the head of the far right website Breitbart. Are you comfortable with his messaging?

PENCE: I'm comfortable with the team Donald Trump is building around him. Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, who is making history, by the way, as the first woman in the history of the Republican Party to lead a major national campaign and someone who I've known for years.

The key to Donald Trump's success in business I think is also going to continue to be a key for his extraordinary success in his campaign. And that is bringing the right men and women around him, putting the right combination together. That's exactly what a great CEO does and that's what Donald Trump is doing in this campaign.

CAMEROTA: In terms of Steve Bannon, he is controversial. Let me read you some of the headlines in Breitbart lately. "Big trans hate machine targets Curt Schilling." That is in reference to the transgender community. "There is no hiring bias against women in technology. They just suck at interviews." "Birth control makes women unattractive and crazy." You get the picture. Are you comfortable with that signed of flame throwing or incendiary messaging?

PENCE: Donald Trump is bringing around him a team of people, and Steve and Kellyanne and all those that have been a part of this team for a long period of time that I think is delivering a message that is resonating with millions of Americans.

CAMEROTA: Even --

PENCE: Look, Donald Trump is the name on the ticket. I'm honored to be on the ticket with him.

CAMEROTA: OK, issues. You have supported free trade your entire professional and public life. You have said trade, free trade means jobs.

PENCE: It does.

CAMEROTA: Trade means security. You supported TPP. You supported CAFTA. Donald Trump has said about those things that the U.S. is being taken to the cleaners by these trade deals. Which one of you is right?

PENCE: Donald Trump is right. And Donald Trump and I both support free trade. But the time has come, whether it be with NAFTA or all of these multinational agreements like the TPP that America take a step back and ask whether or not these trade deals are working for the American worker. CAMEROTA: But you supported these deals. You supported every single

free trade deal in 12 years you were in Congress. Were you wrong during that time?

PENCE: No. When NAFTA was signed by President Bill Clinton, there was a provision in that legislation that it was to be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure it was working for the American worker. We've actually never done that.

CAMEROTA: Do you think it is not working?

PENCE: All -- well, I think we need to ask that question. I think the time has come for us to reopen NAFTA and renegotiate it with a president who has proven himself to be one of the most skilled business leaders and negotiators in the world.

CAMEROTA: So you regret some of your support for some of the free- trade agreements that you were part of?

PENCE: No, Alisyn, honestly, you can be for free trade and also be for the American worker and for American jobs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Sudden nuance in the trade position of committee free trader Mike Pence. A lot more to discuss coming up on that. We'll have Corey Lewandowski and a Democratic strategist here to discuss that in a bit.

CAMEROTA: We'll debate more on those topics.

BERMAN: All right, light a candle, the Olympics are over. The United States won the most medals by far, but the victory is tarnished a bit by controversy as swimmer Ryan Lochte finally mostly, sort of apologized and kind of sort of came clean. CNN sports anchor Coy Wire live in Brazil with the latest. Good morning, Coy.

[08:10:05] COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. The people of Rio have left a big impression on me. They're kind, they're caring. I've spoken to a lot of them over the past few weeks and I think they were genuinely hurt by all the negative coverage their city received ahead of the games. Certainly there are problems here, but there's a lot of good, too.

So last night after an overall successful and exciting Olympic Games, it was an absolute celebration at the closing ceremony. Brazil, they won the most medals in their nation's Olympic history. Soccer is like religion here, and Brazil won their first ever Olympic gold, so it was a huge samba party last night, guys. All was right. Simone Biles, the four time gold winning superstar, carrying the American flag for the United States. She took the Olympic stage by storm, gathering fans all around the world, and including fans right here in Rio. Some of the other athletes at the closing ceremony wanted to get their photos taken with her, got selfies with her. So what a wonderful representative for the USA. Now, about the USA. Dominating here in Rio as John mentioned, and

hoops was the last gold medal up for grabs in these games. So it was only fitting that the U.S. men's team claimed it with authority, serving up Serbia with a 30 point beat down, earning their third straight Olympic gold.

Put down your coffee or you might spit it out. The crowd started chanting "Mongolia" last night as the nation's wrestling coaches started disputing that they thought it was a bad call. One stripped down to his underwear, starting lying down on the mat, another one took off his shirt. They started throwing their clothing at the judges in protest. Friends, do not try this at work today when something does not go your way.

All right, to the biggest distraction of this year's games, Ryan Lochte, after issuing a written apology for the gas station incident, which then became an international incident, last week, Lochte talked to NBC's Matt Lauer, which aired Saturday night, and Lochte admitted to not telling the truth about that incident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT LAUER, NBC CORRESPONDENT: As you said, at some point after you refused to sit down, the security guard put the gun to your forehead and cocked it.

RYAN LOCHTE, OLYMPIAN: That didn't happen. That didn't happen. That's why -- I over-exaggerated that part.

LAUER: Why did you do that?

LOCHTE: I don't know why. You know, it was still hours after the incident happened. I was still intoxicated. I was still under that influence. And I'm not making me being intoxicated like an excuse. I'm not doing that at all. I mean, it was my fault.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: That was certainly a low light for team USA, but the highlight, as John showed us earlier, the 121 medals overall, blowing out the competition in Rio. Alisyn, the first of, South American Olympic games were a success.

CAMEROTA: There you go, Coy. Thanks so much for bringing us the highlights from there. You've been down there the whole time.

On a related story, there's now a grim warning about the Zika virus from the director of the National Institutes of Health. He said he would not be surprised if the virus spreads to other gulf coast states since it is rapidly moving across Miami-Dade County. And of course with the deadly flood this week in Louisiana and with all of the standing water, the chances of the virus showing up in that state have gone up dramatically.

BERMAN: All right, an incredible rescue after a boat capsized in a central Florida lake. Fellow boaters pulled two adults and a small child to safety, but another infant was nowhere to be found. Police jumped in the lake, tracked the girl's cries for an hour before finding the 23-month-old pocket in an air pocket underneath the boat. They say the outcome could have been very, very different if she had not been wearing a life vest.

CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh. That's an incredible story. Thank God for that outcome.

Former secretary of state Colin Powell refutes Hillary Clinton's claim that it was he who recommended using a private e-mail account. We'll discuss that development, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The pro Hillary Clinton super PAC "Priorities USA" has just released a brand new ad this morning, slamming Donald Trump for his past statements. Watch a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You got to see this guy. I don't know what I said. I don't remember. He is going I don't remember.

Putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing. I don't want to sound too much like a chauvinist. He is a war hero because he was captured.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Joining me now is Guy Cecil, the co-chair and chief strategy for Priorities USA which produced those ads. Guy, thanks so much for being with us this morning.

Let me ask you about something Kellyanne Conway just said. She is the new campaign manager for Donald Trump. She said that when the history is written about this campaign, people will look back at this past two weeks and ask why the Clinton campaign and its supporters like you didn't put Trump away.

She is essentially saying you took your foot off the gas these last two weeks. There was an article in the "New York Times" about how Hillary Clinton would govern her couple of months in office, looking perhaps too much ahead.

Your advertisement is big, I mean, with that ad going up, but you're not advertising in Colorado, Virginia, and I think the super PAC not also advertising in Pennsylvania. Are you taking too much for granted right now?

GUY CECIL, FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEMOCRATIC SENATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE: Absolutely not. The fact of the matter is we are currently up in seven states. We go up in two additional states on the 20th. We're advertising in North Carolina, which is a state that Mitt Romney actually won in the last election. I don't think anybody can say we're taking our foot off the pedal. There is a lot at stake. We expect this election to go all the way until Election Day and we are going to make sure that we are providing voters with the truth about Donald Trump until every vote is cast.

BERMAN: No public events for Hillary Clinton yesterday. No public events for Hillary Clinton today. She is out fundraising. Should she be out publicly campaigning right now? I know you don't work for the campaign. Your advice would be?

CECIL: I think they should have a mix of events. Right now, the focus had been on fundraising because frankly most voters aren't paying a lot of attention to the election in August. Kids have been out of school. Folks are getting ready for the first day school. So I think that the balance between fundraising and public events has been exactly right.

BERMAN: All right, let me ask you about something that came out overnight in "People" magazine. "People" magazine caught up with Colin Powell at an event out New Hampton this weekend.

[08:20:03]As you know, the Clinton campaign and Hillary Clinton has suggested that she got the idea for having a private e-mail server at the State Department from Colin Powell, who she says told her at a dinner party that she should use a private e-mail server as secretary of state, and also, later wrote her a memo.

Colin Powell says he doesn't remember it coming up with a dinner party, and he says this to "People" magazine this weekend about the e- mail memo.

He says her people, meaning Hillary Clinton's people have been trying to pin it on me. The truth, is she was using the private e-mail server for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did.

How does that appear to you? Does it appear that Colin Powell is refuting what Hillary Clinton has said that she got the idea from Colin Powell?

CECIL: No, I think all along Hillary Clinton has taken responsibility for the e-mail. She has said she regrets it. She apologizes for it. But it's also completely appropriate for the campaign to point out that Colin Powell himself had a personal e-mail.

That he wrote a memo to Hillary Clinton saying that it was helpful in his leadership of the State Department. You know, look, when folks ask if Hillary Clinton regrets her decision, she says yes.

When they ask her about details, she provides details in-depth what happened and then they ask why don't you just apologize? I think that she has handled it appropriately and correctly and the information from last night is really nothing new.

BERMAN: But when she says she got the idea from Colin Powell at a dinner party and he doesn't remember that. When he says the e-mail or the memo that he sent her about it came a year after she started using the private e-mail server, does that question the accuracy of her accounts, whether in fact it is honest?

CECIL: Well, I guess I would ask you if you remember everything from a dinner party that you attended from eight years ago. My guess is, probably not. And I think this a marked contrast. The reason we know this information is because Hillary Clinton has been transparent.

Meanwhile, she is running against someone that refuses to release his tax returns, refuses to explain exactly why he owes foreign banks hundreds of millions of dollars, and refuses to explain why his campaign was behind a Republican platform change that moved from a pro-Ukrainian position to pro-Russian position.

So I think transparency is fine as long as both sides are being held equally --

BERMAN: Guy, you're absolutely right. Donald Trump has not released his taxes and we've pressed the Trump campaign on it every chance we get and Donald Trump when he does come on this show. But back to what you said about remembering at a dinner party from eight months ago, are you suggesting just to be clear here --

CECIL: Eight years ago.

BERMAN: -- eight years ago. Are you suggesting that Hillary Clinton remembers it correctly, but Colin Powell doesn't? Is that what you're saying?

CECIL: Well, he didn't say it didn't happen. He just said he didn't recall whether it happened. But honestly, this is beside the point because Hillary has taken responsibility.

BERMAN: But if honesty is the issue. Guy, hang on. The polls show that the American people, more than 60 percent have issues with whether or not Hillary Clinton is honest and trustworthy. These stories are her accounts of it, the accuracy are an issue. Doesn't it matter if she gets the details right?

CECIL: Of course, it matters, and I think in this case she did. I trust Hillary when she says that Colin Powell talked to her about his e-mail, but at the end of the day, she continues to take responsibility.

So I think yes, Hillary Clinton has been trustworthy and honest about it, and she has taken responsibility. I think that's a marked contrast compared to what Donald Trump has done just over the past couple of weeks.

BERMAN: Last question. You got a lot of money in the bank to spend in the next two months. A lot more than the pro Trump super PACs. Besides the ads, what kind of programs do you have planned?

CECIL: We're also investing heavily online. We know that getting young people out to vote and supporting Hillary will be critical to this election. We're also investing for the first time as a super PAC on the ground in key states, making sure that we're turning out key constituencies, like African-Americans, Latinos. We are going to be announcing some other partnerships with -- this week with organizations in places like Florida. So we are as we move into that critical get out the vote early vote period, not only going to be advertising on broadcast television, but going to be making sure that we as priorities are doing everything we can to get out the vote in November.

BERMAN: Guy Cecil, Priorities USA, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it.

CECIL: Thanks for having me.

CAMEROTA: Well, Donald Trump trying to reach out to African-American voters. How did his message come across? We debate that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:28:26]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: What do you have to lose? Look, what do you have to lose? You're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed, what the hell do you have to lose?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Donald Trump taking heat on social media over that pitch to African-American voters. I had a chance to speak with his running mate, Governor Mike Pence, about that message.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR MIKE PENCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is not an experienced politician who carefully selects his words. He speaks from his right and his mind. What you heard this week is a leader who is determined to make America great for everyone in this country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: All right, joining us now is former Trump campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, still receiving severance from the Trump campaign. We also have CNN political -- he is a CNN political commentator. We also have Basil Smikel joining us. He is the executive director of the New York State Democratic Party. Gentlemen, great to see both of you.

Basil, what do you think of the "what have you got to lose" appeal to black voters?

BASIK SMIKLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NY STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY: That appeal, it was languid and insulting quite frankly to me as an African-American, and I think American people broadly should be insulted by -- CAMEROTA: Why?

SMIKLEY: Well, because where Hillary Clinton has worked most of her life for economic and social justice. I remember, I was in New York City in 1989, when Donald Trump took out $100,000 ads calling for the Central Park five young African-American teens, calling for the death penalty for them and the kind of racial hatred he promoted at that time.

He has done nothing. He hasn't gone to churches. He hasn't spoken to NAACP. He hasn't gone to the urban league even to the National Association of Black Journalists, all who have met recently. He hasn't done anything and made any inroads in communities of color.