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New Day

Hillary Clinton Votes in Chappaqua, New York; Interview with Donald Trump Jr. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired November 08, 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] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: She is expected to vote any minute. We cannot exaggerate how much is at stake. Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Phil Mattingly live there in Raleigh, North Carolina. All eyes on that state to be sure.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No question about it. A true tossup, one, if you talk to the advisors in both campaigns, they say we don't really know how it's going to go. But that's exactly why you saw Donald Trump here many times, that's exactly why you saw Hillary Clinton here last night. As you see right now I think on screen, Hillary Clinton actually voting right now. Let's go ahead and take a look at that.

CUOMO: Inside of the polling station, a lot of well-wishing. Not allowed to politic on the inside. Can't try to affect any of the voters.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: But you can hug people, obviously. Obviously as we try to read the tea leaves here, I'm looking at neutral leather she's chosen for outer wear.

CUOMO: Those are two words I have never put together and I don't understand.

CAMEROTA: They don't often go together.

CUOMO: But this is a big day. It's more than just a moment in this election. This is the most important vote that Hillary Clinton has ever cast in her life. I'm sure who she's voting for is obvious, but this moment is a step in history that we are going to experience today.

CAMEROTA: Of course you can argue that no vote is that important in New York since it's pretty clear how that state generally goes. However, she is exercising her right to vote. And you saw her there with former president Bill Clinton and all the people who have gone in to vote and weren't necessarily expecting --

CUOMO: The new reality. Everybody is a cameraman. You know what we have been hearing anecdotally, the lines in New York in and around New York City have been long this morning, and that is unusual. People know what this state means or doesn't mean. It does show the level of anticipation or enthusiasm we're seeing in the electorate.

CAMEROTA: I think we've seen that everywhere. We've looked at Virginia. We've looked at North Carolina. Every polling place that we have gone to, at least that our reporters are at this morning and showing us have had lines snaked out of the building and down the block and longer than anybody can remember.

CUOMO: You know, Chappaqua is in Westchester. It's interesting. Plenty of Republicans up there. Probably plenty of Trump voters. Tough scene to walk into.

CAMEROTA: Look at this. I'm sure that if Trump walked in he would get the same sort of response. It's a celebrity sighting. Some people walk in and they're so excited to be a part of this historic moment where you're watching Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton vote. Nobody's leaving there right now to rush to work.

CUOMO: Mostly because they can't. They're all clogged up there.

All right, so we're sitting here watching what's going on here for Hillary Clinton, a very big day for her and her family. But you know what, an equally big day for the Trump family. And guess who's with us right now on set? Donald Trump Jr., the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. He's been working on his father's campaign. And I'll tell you what, made a good name for yourself in the process.

DONALD TRUMP JR, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Thank you. It's been an amazing process. It's been an honor to be able to be a part of it.

CAMEROTA: How are you feeling today?

TRUMP: I don't know. I've been on caffeine and adrenaline for the last two months.

(LAUGHTER)

CAMEROTA: I bet you have.

TRUMP: At this point you're almost numb to the process. But, no, listen, it feels good. When I've gone places, yesterday I spent most of the day in Michigan of all places. Man, I can't believe the amount of warmth. People who have been so disaffected by the process and by politics in general for a long time. It's excited to see them, how excited they are for the potential for real change from outside of the political sphere.

CUOMO: Not easy for you. The family has an emotional connection that is different than any other kind of surrogate. Your family is blessed. You guys are smart. You know how to work in business and you've really set yourselves well on the trail, but not easy --

TRUMP: You know it well too.

CUOMO: It's one thing if the media comes after somebody and you're the surrogate, you're like, oh, that's part of the game. Not when he's your father. What have you learned about your father in this process? TRUMP: I've known so much about him. But I've seen his fortitude,

just to keep fighting, to never stop. You're watching him do six events a day, six different states. I always knew he had that. I always knew his work ethic was unparalleled, but I think the process has changed him so much. Also, when you see those people who have lost their jobs, whose American dream has been outsourced to China, when you see that emotion and they come up to him with that last look of hope, it's incredible. It's hard not to -- you wouldn't be human if it didn't change you. So it's changed me. It's changed my siblings, and it's certainly changed him because he's been seeing that for 18 months. It's amazing.

CAMEROTA: People say that he has become sort of the vessel for that anger, for the people, all the passion that you see out there, he personifies it or he certainly tapped into it.

TRUMP: Yes.

[08:05:07] CAMEROTA: So what -- I want to ask you the same question that we asked of Hillary Clinton's side. What happens tomorrow? What happens tomorrow whether -- let's say that your father wins. What does he do to reach out to Democrats and Hillary Clinton supporters and Hillary Clinton herself to bring the country together after all of the divisiveness?

TRUMP: I think he keeps doing a lot of what he's been doing. He's been going into places that no Republican has gone for a long time. He's been going into inner cities and speaking to people there. He's been going to states that are blue states and spent a lot of time there because he knows that you have to be president for all Americans. That's why he's doing this.