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New Day Saturday
Trump Slams Accusers, Calls Himself "Victim"; Trump Calls Assault Accusations "Lies And Smears"; Clinton Now Preparing For Final Debate; Trump Claims Rigged Election; Clinton Campaign Deal With More E-mail Leaks; Record Water Levels Threatening More North Carolina Towns. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired October 15, 2016 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: -- 8:00 p.m. Eastern on our sister station, HLN. There is a lot that we need to break down for you this morning.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get to it right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am a victim of one of the great political smear campaigns in the history of our country.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Two more women say Donald Trump made inappropriate sexual advances toward them.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Disturbing stories keep coming.
TRUMP: These allegations are 100 percent false. They're made up. They never happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first of eight accusers publicly came forward Wednesday night.
TRUMP: Believe me, she would not be my first choice, that, I can tell you.
CLINTON: This is who Donald Trump really is.
TRUMP: This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Clinton corruption. I like it better without the teleprompter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL: Nice to wake up on a Saturday morning. Don't have to go to work. Don't know what that's like, but we're happy to with you obviously. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. It's so good to be with you. Donald Trump slamming the media. He just tweeted again, the election is, quote, "rigged by the media pushing false and unsubstantiated charges." Also saying outright lies.
He's also firing back at women accusing him of sexual assault tweeting earlier, "100 percent fabricated and made up charges put strongly by the media and the Clinton campaign may poison the minds of the American voter. Fix." Here's what he said yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I am a victim of one of the great political smear campaigns in the history of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Latest allegations come from Summer Zervos, a former "Apprentice" contestant and Kristin Anderson, a photographer and former model. Now Trump calls Anderson's accusations nonsense and false and released this statement about Zervos.
Quote, "I vaguely remember Miss Zervos as one of the many contestants on "The Apprentice" over years. To be clear, I never met her at a hotel or greeted her inappropriately a decade ago. That is not who I am as a person and it is not how I've conducted my life.
In fact Miss Zervos continued to contact me for help, emailing my office on April 14th of this year asking that I visit her restaurant in California. Beyond that the media is now creating a theater of absurdity that threatens to tear our democratic process apart and poison the minds of the American people."
BLACKWELL: CNN's Jessica Schneider has been following the story of these new accusers -- Jessica.
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christi and Victor, all of these women say these were uninvited instances of groping and kissing and all of these women including the two latest to come forward they say they are doing it because of Donald Trump's own comments in that "Access Hollywood" tape followed by his denial in Sunday's debate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Summer Zervos was a contestant on "The Apprentice" season five in 2006, but after getting the boot from Donald Trump in the first episode --
TRUMP: You know what, Summer, you're fired.
SCHNEIDER: Zervos turned to Trump to guide her career.
SUMMER ZERVOS, TRUMP ACCUSER: Even after I was fired, I continued to see him as a possible mentor and a potential employer.
SCHNEIDER: She said she met with Trump twice in 2007, first in his office in New York.
ZERVOS: When I arrived, he kissed me on the lips. I was surprised that felt that perhaps it was just a form of greeting.
SCHNEIDER: Trump asked for her number and they planned to meet up the next time he was in L.A. Zervos says the family members and friends she told about the kiss suggested she ignore it.
ZERVOS: I spoke at length with my loved ones and they came to the conclusion that this was undoubtedly some form of greeting and that I should not take it as anything other than that.
SCHNEIDER: So when Trump called her a few days later, she agreed to meet with him at the Beverly Hills Hotel. When she arrived she said the security guard led her inside Trump's room.
ZERVOS: I stood up and he came to me and started kissing me open mouthed as he was pulling me towards him. I walked away and I sat down in a chair. He was on a love seat across from me and I made an attempt at conversation.
He then asked me to sit next to him. I complied. He then grabbed my shoulder and began kissing me again very aggressively and placed his hand on my breast. I pulled back and walked to another part of the room.
SCHNEIDER: Zervos said she resisted while the aggression continued.
ZERVOS: I pushed his chest and put space between us, and I said, come on, man, get real. He repeated my words back to me, get real as he began thrusting his genitals.
SCHNEIDER: Zervos says the sexual advances eventually stopped. She had dinner with him and then left the hotel. She said she was eventually offered a job at Trump's golf course near L.A, but she turned it down and the salary was half of what she expected.
[08:05:06]She hasn't talked to Trump since though she said she reached out on April of this year to give him a chance to explain his behavior. She never heard back. With a flood of allegations, Zervos says she felt compelled to speak out.
ZERVOS: You do not have the right to treat women as sexual objects just because you are a star.
SCHNEIDER: In a statement today, Trump said, "To be clear, I never met her at a hotel or greeted her inappropriately a decade ago." He continued, "That is not who I am as a person and it is not how I've conducted my life. Kristin Anderson telling "The Washington Post" she, too, was groped by Trump at a nightclub in New York in the early 1990s.
KRISTIN ANDERSON, ACCUSES DONALD TRUMP OF GROPING HER: The person on my right to unbeknownst to me at that time was Donald Trump put their hands up my skirt. He did touch my (inaudible) through my underwear, absolutely.
Pushed the hand away and I got up and I turned around and I see these eyebrows, very distinct eyebrows of Donald Trump, and I got up and I moved. And I continued to talk with my friends. They said, oh, that's Donald Trump. I was like, eww, he's gross. He just put his hand up my skirt. SCHNEIDER: CNN has not verified either of these claims. The Trump campaign responding to Kristin Anderson's allegations with this. "This is a total fabrication it did not happen. It is illogical and nonsensical to think Donald Trump was alone in a nightclub in Manhattan and that the alleged incident and recognition of Mr. Trump went unnoticed by both the women involved and anyone else in this crowded venue."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCHNEIDER: Both women claimed they told their friends in the hours and minutes after these alleged assaults. As for Summer Zervos she said she also told her parents. I reached out to her father tonight, but he tells he cannot talk about this. As for Summer Zervos, she says she is a Republican and she is speaking out so she can sleep at night -- Victor and Christi.
PAUL: Jessica, thank you. The Trump campaign released this statement reportedly from Summer Zervos' cousin. His name is John Barry. Here's what it says, "I am completely shocked and bewildered by my cousin, Summer Zervos, and her press conference today. Ever since she was on "The Apprentice" she has had nothing but glowing things to say about Mr. Trump that was until Summer invited Mr. Trump to her restaurant during the primary and he said no.
I think Summer wishes she can still be on reality TV and in an effort to get that back she's saying all of these negative things about Mr. Trump." Again, these are things that were said by Mr. Barry.
CNN reached out to Zervos' attorney, Gloria Allred. This is their response. "John Barry is a huge Trump supporter. He was employed at Summer's family restaurant until several months ago when his employment ended. Since then he has expressed hostility and ill will towards Summer."
BLACKWELL: So let's bring in CNN Chris Frates joining us from Washington. What else is the Trump campaign saying?
CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: It's more bad news for Trump. These two women came forward yesterday alleging Trump had groped them. That brings number of women who have publicly accused Trump of sexual harassment or sexual assault to seven.
Now Hillary Clinton for her part has mostly steered clear of the allegations against Trump largely for fear of pulling the spotlight away from a campaign that's pretty troubled right now, but she did weigh in last night at a fundraiser in Seattle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: The whole world has heard Donald Trump brags about mistreating women and the disturbing stories keep coming. This is who Donald Trump really is. We know that. Now we have to demonstrate who we are. America is better than this.
(END VIDEO CLIP) FRATES: Now Kristin Anderson told "The Washington Post" in a story published yesterday that Trump slid his hand up her mini skirt and touched her privates at a New York City nightclub back in the '90s.
And former "Apprentice" star, Summer Zervos said Trump grabbed her breast and kissed her over dinner when she had dinner with Trump at a hotel in 2007.
Now Trump is dismissing all these allegations as lies. In fact, he seemed to mock two of his other accusers as too unattractive to even draw his attention and he painted himself as a victim of an enormous smear campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: These allegations are 100 percent false as everybody, I think you know. These claims, by reason truth logic common sense are made without supporting witnesses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRATES: Now the allegations have knocked Trump off track, off message since this news broke last week. But in a statement last night, Trump says he plans to address the nation in a much more personal way. He wants to talk about his vision for the country. Obviously wanting to move past all these allegations -- Victor.
[08:10:01]BLACKWELL: All right, Christ Frates, thanks so much.
PAUL: Stephen Collinson, CNN Politics senior reporter joining us now. So Stephen, we heard what the plan is that he wants to talk more policy. How much more of that might we hear as we are now four days away from the final debate?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Right, Christi. Well, everything we know about Donald Trump is he may say he wants to talk about policy, but once he's attacked he hits back twice as hard and that's what we've seen in the last few days in Donald Trump's rallies as he's responded to these allegations.
The question is, is that the most sort of advisable political strategy. Trump said yesterday that during one of his rallies that his advisors have told him look don't talk about this, talk about your message, talk about trade, talk about being a change agent because those are the issues that will shape the election.
But Donald Trump said, you know, when I'm punched, I punch back twice as hard. So the question is going into the debate later this week, is Donald Trump is going try to address this in a formal speech, perhaps, a sit down interview with somebody to try to get it off the table?
So he doesn't have to address this directly during the debate or is he going into this debate and as we saw in the last debate on Sunday when he vehemently addressed the "Access Hollywood" video, you know, made the debate all about Donald Trump and that's the question a lot of people have because it doesn't seem to be the best political strategy. PAUL: Stephen, who behind-the-scenes in his camp might he might be taking some directives from as they shift him back on the policy talk?
COLLINSON: It's a good question. I think at this point, you have to say that Donald Trump is following his own instincts. There are people like Kellyanne Conway, his campaign manager, who came aboard a few months ago and appeared to get Donald Trump back on track.
You know, get him to talk about policy, get him to talk from a teleprompter. In recent days, it just seems that Donald Trump has decided look, I'm going to do this my way. It almost seems like an admission that, OK, if I'm going to lose, I'm going to go down with my most loyal supporters.
I was with Donald Trump this week at a few of his rallies and I can say that, you know, there's no way any of Donald Trump's loyal base of supporters are going to desert him over this. The question is what happens to other more moderate Republicans.
We've seen fluctuations in his polls in recent weeks is because more moderate Republicans are sort of getting on and off the Trump train wondering whether they can actually go and support him.
That doesn't take into account the people he really needs if he's going win this election, moderate voters, suburban educated women, white voters in places like Philadelphia, Colorado, Florida.
So, you know, Donald Trump is facing a huge task here. No modern candidate has faced this kind of avalanche of allegations so close to the election. His route to the White House was already closing before this, but now it's closing even more.
PAUL: But real quickly, I mean, let's point out there are a lot of people who absolutely refuse to vote for Hillary Clinton as well and she's dealing with her own challenges with all the Wikileaks and hacked emails.
In fact her Josh Swerin (ph), her campaign spokesman, said, we are still not confirming whether or not any of the Wikileaks documents are authentic and are therefore not commenting on their content.
The thing is, Stephen, I mean, surely they would know by now what is authentic and what is not. Does their silence hurt them on this?
COLLINSON: I think it suits them not to address that question or give the impression this is all a Russian plot. One of the down sides for Donald Trump in his strategy of addressing the allegation about him it's completely drowned out this daily drip, drip release of Wikileaks documents, which could have hurt Hillary Clinton and put the focus back on the fact that many people see her as dishonest and not transparent.
So I think the Clinton campaign is quite happy to step back, let Donald Trump take the stage because it's taking the spotlight away from things that can damage her in the run up to the last debate and in the last three weeks of the election. PAUL: At least until Wednesday night and this final debate when the spotlight will be surely be on both of them. Stephen Collinson, appreciate seeing you this morning. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: So with less than a month, 24 days, you know, we know how many days are left here. What should we expect from the Trump campaign next? Our political panel will weigh in.
PAUL: As the focus remains on accusations against Donald Trump, we do want to take a look what Hillary Clinton is doing behind-the-scenes and the Wikileaks challenge she has.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: All right, less than a month until Election Day, Donald Trump is on the attack trying to disprove or discredit each of the eight women now accusing him of sexual assault.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It is a phony deal. I have no idea who these women are. I have no idea. When you look at that horrible woman last night you think I don't think so. Believe me she would not be my first choice that I can tell you.
Now suddenly after many, many years, phony accusers come out less than a month before one of the most important elections in the history of our country. What came out recently were, I was sitting alone in some club. I really don't sit alone that much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: All right, let's bring in Matt Schlapp, Donald Trump campaign surrogate, Robert Zimmermann, Democratic strategist and Hillary Clinton supporter. Good morning, Gentlemen.
Matt, let me start with you with what we saw last night, that was during the afternoon, but there was another rally last night in which Donald Trump put the teleprompter to the side, he says, I like it better without the teleprompter although his advisors are saying focus on your plan for the economy, for jobs, for national security. Is this what we saw in that video what we'll see in the next couple of weeks from Donald Trump?
MATT SCHLAPP, TRUMP SURROGATE: I don't know, Victor, but I do know this, I think if you look what voters are worried about, I think their biggest concern and 70 percent of them think this country is on the wrong track is that our economy does not offer the type of job opportunities nor salary increases over the last 15 years, the take home pay -- let me just finish.
This problem of Islamic terrorism and fact that Washington is broken. So I agree with you, I think if he focuses on those issues I think he connects to these voters who think the country is on the wrong track and I think that's where -- that's his chance to win the race. BLACKWELL: But, Matt, I want to get to Robert in just a second, but I think it's important to discuss where some of the Trump supporters and the Clinton supporters were before we heard from these accusers of Donald Trump.
Let me take you back to December, December 30th, the first time that Donald Trump started talking in this race during the primary about the Clintons marriage. This is what you said about that then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHLAPP: You know, she loves her husband, but clearly her husband has done some things that are just horrible. I mean, you know, we're going hear all about it.
[08:20:03]Because let me tell you one thing. Donald Trump has proven in politics that he will go places and talk about things in a very clear manner that other politicians tend to shy away.
You know, the rules of politics telling you avoid certain areas because you could get stuck. Donald Trump goes there, and he's going to go there with Bill Clinton.
He seems to get away with it because appreciate his candor. Let me tell you if you start talking about Bill Clinton and his moral decisions in his life, there is a lot of material.
BLACKWELL: So now you're recommending that Donald Trump focus on the issues that we're dealing with these accusers, but back then you said if you go there with Bill Clinton, there's a lot of material there.
SCHLAPP: There is.
BLACKWELL: Reconcile those for me.
SCHLAPP: Yes, I don't think there's anything inconsistent with what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that in order to win this race you have to connect on these key issues if you're Donald Trump.
If you're Hillary Clinton you have to make it about something else because she's not seen as a candidate of change she's seen as a candidate of the status quo.
As far as it comes to these questions of treatment of women and these moral questions as a Republican, as a Trump supporter, I can't believe that Hillary Clinton has the gall to go out on stage and judge all of us.
We're deplorable. We're irredeemable. As a Catholic, they referred to me as backwards in these e-mails that were just released over the last few days. Their moral judgment is repugnant when you consider the fact that Bill Clinton has been accused of --
BLACKWELL: You're characterizing what was found in those emails.
SCHLAPP: Victor, don't do that. Look -- BLACKWELL: Well, we can put the e-mail up.
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: I don't have the graphic, but we'll put it up.
SCHLAPP: Please put it up because I was called backward and I think it's offensive. I think that is a fair thing for me to bring up.
BLACKWELL: I hear you're offended. I wanted, of course, our viewers to hear what you said in December talking about marriages and what you're saying today. Robert to you --
SCHLAPP: No, no, Victor, I didn't say anything that's --
BLACKWELL: Excuse me.
SCHLAPP: I stand by everything I said before.
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, HILLARY CLINTON FUNDRAISER/SUPPORTER: That's the problem, Matt, you do stand by it. Let's be very clear, Matt. In fact the issue is not whether you're deplorable the issue is the positions that you're advocating are deplorable.
The idea that you can rationalize Donald Trump's conduct, the fact that he brags about being a predator, brags on Howard Stern show about walking on 18 and 19-year-old teenage girls, who are contestants of Miss Universe so he can check them out while they are dressing or undressing is in fact deplorable.
The idea that he defends himself by saying he wouldn't assault these women because they are not attractive. That's his defense. It shows that the issue, he doesn't have the character.
That's why 60 percent to 70 percent in most polls show the American people have decided he doesn't that have character, doesn't have the temperament or the leadership to be a president. Ultimately every election about the character and qualifications of an individual.
That's why Donald Trump can't talk about issues, Matt, because when he tries to talk about issues, he doesn't have the credibility to address them.
BLACKWELL: Hold on, Robert, let me ask you what many Republicans are saying that Clinton supporters now are so outraged by the way that Donald Trump is treating his accusers, they weren't this outraged when Hillary Clinton responded to Bill Clinton's accusers.
Put up on the screen the graphic from what Robert said, this was September of this year, the 29th, when asked about how you feel about Clinton's treatment of women in the 90s.
You said Hillary stood up for her husband. She stood up for her marriage and very frankly whenever Republicans have tried to attack her for that, they have absolutely gone down in flames. So when you are responding to questions about how Hillary Clinton treated women, you said that she was supporting her husband, standing up for him, but now you're outraged what Donald Trump is doing.
ZIMMERMANN: Exactly. In fact CNN's own Tom Foreman and Jeffrey Toobin pointed out as did "Politifact," which won the Pulitzer Prize in fact checking that the claim that Hillary Clinton attacked these individuals who were accusing Bill Clinton is, in fact, very thin and mostly false. Yes, she stood up --
SCHLAPP: Mostly. I like that mostly false.
ZIMMERMANN: -- because she stood up for her husband and she was outraged by many of the false attacks against him and against her family. Here's the point, Matt. While she stood up for her husband and her family nothing excuses the way Donald Trump is, in fact, there's no equivalency between that and the way Donald Trump brags about being a predator. In fact, the worst thing is the way the Republicans try to rationalize it.
BLACKWELL: Stay with us. We are going to take a break. Clinton versus Trump, this is the final showdown, the final time, face to face before the election. Coverage starts here Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. right here on CNN.
PAUL: More to discuss regarding the accusations against Donald Trump and also we're taking a look what Hillary Clinton is doing this weekend. Fallout from more hacked emails. Stay close.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:28:19]
PAUL: We are going to see a lot of Donald Trump today as he hits the campaign trail heading to New Hampshire and to Maine continuing to defend himself against the accusations swirling around him.
In the meantime, Hillary Clinton has been quietly fundraising this weekend. She's taking a break from the campaign trail. CNN senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, has a look.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Christi, Hillary Clinton is hunkering down again this weekend with advisers preparing for her final debate with Donald Trump. That, of course, comes next Wednesday in Las Vegas.
But she's hitting the books doing the same types of preparation she was doing for the previous debates, but before leaving Seattle, Washington on Friday where she was raising money on a west coast fundraising swing, she also dropped by a campaign field office and talked to volunteers.
She talked about how she's taking no satisfaction from this election at all and she worries about these deep divisions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This election is incredibly painful. I take absolutely no satisfaction in what is happening on the other side with my opponent. I am -- I am not at all happy about that because it hurts our country.
It hurts our democracy. It sends terrible messages to so many people here at home and around the world. Damage is being done that we're going to have to repair. Divisions are being deepened that we're going to have to try to heal. So, our job doesn't end after this election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: By saying her job does not end after the election signifies that she is indeed looking ahead. But when you talk to her advisers, they tell me that she is in fact focusing on simply winning 270 electoral votes.
[08:30:04] But the reality here is they are preparing for a transition. They are looking forward. They know something different is happening in this race. But that only happens if she has a successful debate next week and she beats Donald Trump on November 8th -- Victor and Christi.
BLACKWELL: All right. Thank you very much, Jeff.
Hillary Clinton preparing for the next debate but there are also more hacked e-mails coming to light as result of the WikiLeaks release. We're going to talk about those in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: 8:33 is the time. Good to see you this morning. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to have you with us.
Let' reintroduce our political panel this morning. We got Matt Schlapp, Trump surrogate and former George W. Bush political director, and Robert Zimmerman, Democratic strategist and Clinton supporter.
I want to talk about these e-mails in just a moment. But there's a tweet out from Donald Trump I want to get your reaction to. And it's just a couple of minutes old. "Hillary Clinton should have been prosecuted and should be in jail. Instead she's running for president in what looks like a rigged election."
Reinforcing that what we've seen from Trump over several months now.
MATT SCHLAPP, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Right.
BLACKWELL: This suggestion that the voters' input doesn't matter here, that this is already decided. A rigged election.
SCHLAPP: Right. I think --
ROBERT ZIMMERMAN, CLINTON SUPPORTER: Look, here's the --
BLACKWELL: No, no, no. We'll go to Matt with this first. Let me get to Matt.
ZIMMERMAN: OK. I'm sorry.
(CROSSTALK)
SCHLAPP: I get to answer. This is great. Look, I think that what Donald Trump is talking about which is objectively true. There are people who have handled classified information in the way --
BLACKWELL: How is that objectively true?
SCHLAPP: Now, look, when I answer -- could I please answer without interrupting because Robert gets to answer?
[08:35:02] Let me answer and then you can ask me another question.
BLACKWELL: OK. Go ahead.
SCHLAPP: There are other people in this country who have handled classified information in the reckless manner in which Hillary Clinton has handled classified information and they are in jail. They are members of the military who are in jail. And there's no question there's a double standard for Hillary Clinton.
I served for the -- in the presidency of George W. Bush. There were dozens and dozens of my colleagues who faced legal troubles because of wrongdoing and in the Obama administration what we have seen is when his secretary of state got in trouble, his FBI and his DOJ for whatever reason has not treated her like they treated other citizens in the country for doing similar things.
ZIMMERMAN: Victor, may I respond?
BLACKWELL: Hold on. Hold on. All right.
SCHLAPP: And I think it's a fair statement to make that we should have equal justice under the law even for the Clintons.
BLACKWELL: Get to the last two words of this tweet, though. We've got time. Get to the last two words of this. Do you say this tweet is objectively true? Put it back up on the screen, guys, please.
SCHLAPP: Yes.
BLACKWELL: A rigged election. You say this is objectively true. But --
SCHLAPP: I was speaking -- I was speaking to the part about the fact that Hillary Clinton is not being held accountable. On the rigged election part --
BLACKWELL: Yes, speak to that now. SCHLAPP: I think his point -- I think his point is this, Victor,
which is you don't have to agree with it. But for a lot of us Republicans we saw Bill Clinton be accused of wrongdoing from women through a long stretch period of time, when it looked like he was going to win the New Hampshire primary. That was the first one. Hillary Clinton called bimbo eruption. And it went throughout his presidency. We all know the trail -- the disgusting trail on that.
ZIMMERMAN: Victor, can we talk about the election for a moment?
(CROSSTALK)
SCHLAPP: Can I finish? If I could just finish it would be great. When it comes to Donald Trump --
ZIMMERMAN: You're running the clock.
SCHLAPP: I'll be fast. When it comes to Donald Trump what has happened with literally days to go, a couple of weeks to go before the election right after the debate, right after the tape release, all of a sudden these women come out, right afterwards.
BLACKWELL: Matt --
ZIMMERMAN: OK.
SCHLAPP: To a lot of Republicans that looks coordinated.
BLACKWELL: You're not --
SCHLAPP: It doesn't look spontaneous.
BLACKWELL: You're not getting to the point of what sounds like he's trying to delegitimize the --
(CROSSTALK)
SCHLAPP: Yes, I am. I answered your question.
ZIMMERMAN: Victor, can I get to the point?
SCHLAPP: No, I got to the -- I got to the answer.
BLACKWELL: OK. All right. We'll come back.
SCHLAPP: They think it's rigged by the way the fact that this was coordinated with Clinton --
BLACKWELL: All right.
SCHLAPP: With the Clinton political machine.
BLACKWELL: Robert?
ZIMMERMAN: OK. Let's be clear. This is what you call this, I guess, the seven stages of political failure or political grief. First, of course, you blame the media. Then you come up with all these wild conspiracies about your opponent. Then you, in fact, claim the system is fixed against you. Then of course as Matt just did you accuse the FBI director of treason. And in fact --
SCHLAPP: Oh, stop, Robert.
ZIMMERMAN: The American people see through this.
SCHLAPP: That's absurd.
ZIMMERMAN: They see -- I didn't talk over you. The American people see through this.
SCHLAPP: Well, I didn't lie.
ZIMMERMAN: They understand this is -- this is a failing campaign because now Donald Trump is ultimately now ending up or relying upon hacked e-mails from Vladimir Putin and Russia to justify his political existence. Let's be clear. The American people have a very fair sense, a very good sense of decency and a -- a very good sense of fairness. And when they see Donald Trump praise Vladimir Putin as a leader, endorse Vladimir Putin's agenda in the Middle East and for dismantling NATO.
BLACKWELL: All right.
ZIMMERMAN: And now in fact they see Vladimir Putin in turn release all sorts of what could be doctored e-mails, they're not authenticated, but clearly to try to help the Trump campaign.
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Hold on.
SCHLAPP: Hillary said they were not doctored.
ZIMMERMAN: Clearly try to help the Trump campaign.
BLACKWELL: All right. We can't all talk at the same time.
ZIMMERMAN: Yes, let me finish my point.
SCHLAPP: Can I speak to that, Victor?
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: Give him a chance to finish. And then we'll come back to you, Matt.
SCHLAPP: Wow.
ZIMMERMAN: OK. When you now see all of these e-mails released are doctored of hacked e-mails from Vladimir Putin that helped Donald Trump, the American people see through this. That's why it's not an issue. And in fact Donald Trump's candidacy is failing.
SCHLAPP: Can I speak --
BLACKWELL: All right. We should also say that there's been no claim from the campaign that these were doctored e-mails. They have not been authenticated. So let's be clear about what has been and has not been claimed about these e-mails.
Matt, very quickly. But I do want to get to WikiLeaks.
SCHLAPP: I just want to say specifically Hillary Clinton was asked a question about these e-mail releases and she specifically answered the question to Anderson Cooper and compared herself to honest Abe Lincoln. She never, during that answer, ever said that she questioned the veracity of the leaked e-mails.
ZIMMERMAN: Excuse me. The campaign --
SCHLAPP: So that answer --
ZIMMERMAN: That's incorrect, Matt.
SCHLAPP: That is not incorrect.
ZIMMERMAN: In fact, members of --
SCHLAPP: That happened on CNN.
(CROSSTALK)
BLACKWELL: I can't -- I can't have you both. Robert, we --
ZIMMERMAN: Members of the campaign staff said these e-mails, many of them do not look recognizable. And they're not -- they're not authenticated.
BLACKWELL: All right.
SCHLAPP: Hillary Clinton is the candidate and she answered the question.
BLACKWELL: We've got to take a break. We've got to take a break. We're going to do this one at a time after the break.
ZIMMERMAN: OK.
BLACKWELL: Stay with us. We'll talk with you in a moment.
SCHLAPP: Thank you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:42:48] BLACKWELL: All right. Let's welcome back our panel. Matt Schlapp, Trump surrogate and former George W. Bush political director, Robert Zimmerman, Democratic strategist and Clinton supporter.
Want to talk about the e-mails released from this hacking of John Podesta's e-mail account released by WikiLeaks. And you each characterized these e-mails and their veracity. I want to read for you what the Clinton spokesman is saying. Josh Schwerin says this, "We're still not confirming whether or not any of the WikiLeaks documents are authentic and are therefore not commenting on their content."
So that is from the campaign. I want to first play for you something that we heard from Hillary Clinton about a really crucial part of the Obama coalition that she needs to hold together to win in the 24 days, Latino-Americans. This is what she said a couple of weeks ago at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Awards Dinner. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You're not intruders. You're our neighbors. Our colleagues. Our friends. Our families. You make our nation stronger, smarter, more creative. And I want you to know that I see you and I am with you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: All right. So then after that there was this -- a part of this hacking, there was an e-mail from John Podesta to Hillary Clinton, the subject line, "Needy Latinos and one easy call," listing people that Hillary Clinton should call. And it included former Governor Bill Richardson, former member of her husband's Cabinet. It says, "Richardson is still on TV a lot especially on Univision and Telemundo and notwithstanding the fact that he can be a," and we took the word out there, begins with a D, "It was worth getting him in a good place."
So at that event she speaks so highly of Latinos. Her campaign chairman considers these people on this list, "needy Latino," and uses that word to describe Bill Richardson. Reconcile those two for me, Robert.
ZIMMERMAN: OK. First of all, Victor, I have to say this quite sincerely the idea that we're even discussing e-mails that are not authenticated, e-mails that are hacked from Russia according to our intelligence officials and in fact the idea that this is driving the discussion I think is really very wrong and very dangerous.
[08:45:08] The bottom line is whatever the internal strategy that e- mail discusses about reaching out to certain individuals, I'm very proud of Hillary Clinton because she has articulated a vision for the country about bringing us together that is very sharp contrast to Donald Trump, and the racist hateful rhetoric that's defined his campaign. Comments that --
BLACKWELL: But, Robert, before you jump into the attacks. No, let me get the question out. Before you jump to the attack and you talk about the stark contrast.
ZIMMERMAN: Yes.
BLACKWELL: There's a stark contrast between what she said there at that event and what her campaign spokesman -- or campaign chairman is saying here about needy Latinos.
ZIMMERMAN: No, it's not. She's talking --
BLACKWELL: The subject line is not --
ZIMMERMAN: Excuse me. Excuse me.
BLACKWELL: The subject line is not you need to call these people, it's needy Latinos and this description of the former governor.
ZIMMERMAN: But you and I don't know if that subject line is legitimate or not. But the bigger point is that's an e-mail about calling a certain individual as opposed to the fact that she's articulating a message that is very sharply different. Even Donald Trump has been denounced for a racist behavior towards Hispanics by even the speaker of the House, Paul Ryan. So that's really -- that's really what this campaign is about. Defining the issues that separate the two individuals. Not these games --
SCHLAPP: Victor, may I answer?
ZIMMERMAN: Not these games -- not these games about e-mails that you and I don't know are legitimate or not.
BLACKWELL: So, Matt, before you answer, let me read Bill Richardson's response, statement to the "Albuquerque Journal." He writes this. "I do not care about any characterization of me made in an e-mail. I've worked with John Podesta for many years and am neither concerned or unhappy about this e-mail repartee. I fully respect John and recognize the difficult job he has." So that's from the former governor. And Matt, your response.
SCHLAPP: Well, first of all, if the standard in this election that we'll only talk about charges that are factual and have been authenticated that ought to work on every topic including the first 10 minutes of our conversation here today.
ZIMMERMAN: Exactly, Matt.
SCHLAPP: Second of all, in the debate -- in the debate Hillary Clinton was asked a question by Anderson Cooper about one of these released Wikis. And she never said that I questioned the authenticity. She answered the question about why she has both public and private positions and she justified it by saying she felt like honest Abe Lincoln did the same thing.
The fact is, is this. What these e-mails show was the release of her transcripts from her speeches which she should have released a long time ago and to these other e-mails, there's many troubling things.
Are you troubled at all, Robert, that the government of Qatar gave Bill Clinton a million dollars cash so that they could have a five- minute meeting with him to talk about redevelopment in Haiti?
ZIMMERMAN: That's completely false and it's been proven to be false.
SCHLAPP: That is not false.
BLACKWELL: All right.
SCHLAPP: It is -- this is -- Robert, the fact that this is --
BLACKWELL: We need to loop people in on what you're talking about, Matt. I'll let you finish your answer.
SCHLAPP: OK, let's --
BLACKWELL: But there was an e-mail that was sent.
SCHLAPP: Right.
BLACKWELL: That was on the occasion of the former president's birthday, there a million dollars that they wanted to give. The question was, and we have not gotten an answer, CNN obviously has been looking into this, was that money handed over, was it to the foundation, we're still investigating that. So I just -- that's part of the hacking.
SCHLAPP: Fair enough. Second --
BLACKWELL: Go ahead.
SCHLAPP: Second of all, she said that we can't properly vet the Syrian refugees. She said that when she thought that was in a private conversation giving a speech to a room. I think that's problematic. I don't like the fact --
ZIMMERMAN: First of all, that's also not correct, Matt.
SCHLAPP: Robert, if you could let me finish.
ZIMMERMAN: That's another false statement.
SCHLAPP: You've been able to talk. I respect you. I'm on TV a lot with you. I will answer and then I will be quiet. Thirdly I think it's offensive that these e-mails demonstrate a breathtaking anti- Catholic bias when they call us extremely backwards. When they mock how we baptize our children. When they mock saints of the church. When they try to act like they --
(CROSSTALK)
ZIMMERMAN: That is once again a mischaracterization of the e-mail.
BLACKWELL: All right.
SCHLAPP: Robert, if I could finish. If they could have a coup inside the Catholic Church.
BLACKWELL: Quickly.
SCHLAPP: It's an amazingly bigoted statement to people of faith from a campaign whose only central theme is that we're all deplorable. BLACKWELL: You will certainly have time.
SCHLAPP: And we're all irredeemable.
BLACKWELL: All right, Matt.
SCHLAPP: And now we find out we're severely backwards. She's running on no issues.
BLACKWELL: All right, Matt. Robert, go ahead.
ZIMMERMAN: You know, first let me just say I much rather have Hillary Clinton quoting Abe Lincoln than watching in fact Donald Trump in fact channel Andrew Dice Clay in his commentary. I mean, that's the difference between the two individuals. And the kind of filth that we're seeing from the Trump campaign. The kind of misinformation Matt is putting out. The idea of --
SCHLAPP: Robert, now that's not fair. I'm not a liar.
BLACKWELL: Matt, please. Matt, hold on.
ZIMMERMAN: The idea that --
BLACKWELL: Robert, finish.
SCHLAPP: He called me a liar.
BLACKWELL: If we can talk one at a time, we'll wrap it up now.
SCHLAPP: But, Victor, I'm not calling Robert a liar.
BLACKWELL: Robert, you've got 30 seconds.
SCHLAPP: Let's not call each other liars.
BLACKWELL: Matt, please hold on. Robert, finish up and then we've got to go.
ZIMMERMAN: OK. Very simply the idea that we're looking to a man who brags about engaging in sexual assault, who brags about predatory behavior --
SCHLAPP: Is this Bill Clinton we're talking about --
BLACKWELL: All right. We've got to wrap it there.
ZIMMERMAN: Sorry, Victor, I've tried.
BLACKWELL: Matt, Robert, thank you very much.
Christi, I'll give it to you.
PAUL: All right. OK. We do have to talk about something else. You know, it's been weeks since Hurricane Matthew hit the East Coast and look at what they are still dealing with today. More flooding. Areas already that are mostly under water.
[08:50:04] We'll tell you what they are dealing with and how they're going to get out of this.
Also there's a new California startup company. It found a savvy way to deliver healthy food at timely manner with the help of an app. This week's "Start Small, Think Big" for you now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL (voice-over): San Francisco start-up Sprig is delivering healthy meals on demand.
NEERAJ BERRY, SPRIG CO-FOUNDER: We've created an app where every day you can scroll through a menu that changes daily, tap twice on your phone, and 20 minutes later, a hot, nutritious meal is delivered to your doorstep.
PAUL: So how do they deliver the food so fast? They use a math equation to predict how many people will order what food and when, which means the company sends out drivers before customers even use the app.
BERRY: When your order a meal from Sprig, your meal is already halfway to you.
PAUL: Neeraj Berry helped get the company off the ground in 2013.
BERRY: One of my co-founders and I have actually been best friends since we were 8 years old. As we started to get busier professionally, we had less and less time to cook. And so we decided to go out and solve that problem.
PAUL: Chefs prepare five lunch and five dinner options.
BERRY: We are open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, and on the weekends, we do brunch.
PAUL: The company expanded to Chicago and has plans to open up in other cities.
BERRY: We want to create a world in which eating well is not just easy, but it's also accessible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:55:09] PAUL: As our nation looks ahead to the election here a judge has extended voter registration and the deadline in 36 North Carolina counties and this is why. Entire towns believe it or not are still under water days after Hurricane Matthew hit the East Coast. Now it could be another two weeks before those water levels go down. And the flooding is also threatening more areas we should point out leaving residents watching and waiting to see what's going to happen here. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've evacuated like Tuesday, by now we're staying in our vehicle.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You're staying in your vehicle. What's that like?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It's bad. Because my mom, she's elderly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The worst up. Probably about 10 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: You just feel like -- you feel for these people who seem to be living in limbo. And for information on how you can help the victims of the North Carolina flooding and all victims of Hurricane Matthew, log on to our Web site CNN.com/impact, and thank you for thinking of them and for doing so.
BLACKWELL: And thank you for watching this morning. That's it for us. We'll see you back here at 10:00 Eastern for an hour of NEWSROOM.
PAUL: We will. But don't go anywhere because "SMERCONISH" is coming at you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
