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Hala Gorani Tonight
Clinton Moves From Spectator To Keynote Speaker; Hillary Clinton To Accept Nomination Tonight; Merkel: Terror Attacks "A Big Test For Us"; Syrian Media: Army Surrounds Aleppo; Syria's Al-Nusra Front Splits From Al Qaeda; More Than 100 Russians Banned From Games; More Than 100 Russians Banned From Games; Democrats Slam Trump's Vision Of America; Trump: Encouraging Russian Hack Was "Sarcastic"; Hillary Clinton Prepares To Accept Nomination. Aired 3-3:30p ET
Aired July 28, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Hala Gorani. We're live from the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, and
this is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
The stage is set, the sound checks are ongoing, and the pressure is on. A little bit earlier we heard Katy Perry rehearsing. After days of rousing
endorsements, Hillary Clinton is ready to step into the spotlight for the biggest speech of her career so far.
She will formally accept the Democratic nomination for president at the party convention this evening, but her words will not be meant for the
delegates alone, of course. Clinton has to convince the nation that she can deliver on demands for change.
That she is a break from the past even though she is very close to Barack Obama, was the secretary of state after all. There is some deep skepticism
in the polls about her trustworthiness. Clinton's daughter, Chelsea, will be introducing her this evening and offer a very personal endorsement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHELSEA CLINTON, HILLARY CLINTON'S DAUGHTER: I just -- I think my heart is burst. I am a mom, and as proud as I am of my mom, this election is about
my children. I couldn't imagine a better president for them, I couldn't imagine a better grandmother for them either. Standing there, thinking
about my children, looking at my mom, I think it's going to be overwhelming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, for more on the big night, I'm joined by Kristina Schake. She is the deputy director of communications for the Hillary Clinton
campaign.
So I mentioned the trust gap there, trustworthiness, 68 percent of Americans in a recent CNN/ORC poll said, "We don't think she's
trustworthy." What does she need to do in the speech this evening to change those numbers?
KRISTINA SCHAKE, DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, HILLARY FOR AMERICA: Well, you know, all week you've had people from Michelle Obama to President
Obama to everyday Americans stand up to talk about the Hillary that they know.
They've been talking about the work that she's done her entire life. I mean, this is a woman who began as a children's advocate. People got up
there on the stage and talked about the real difference that she's made in American children's lives and their lives, really personal testimonials.
Tonight, she's going to get up there and say it in her own words. She's going to talk to people about her values, what she's fought for, and her
real plans, what she will do as president.
GORANI: We know she's passionate about policy, strong on proposals, and she likes to detail those proposals. However, where she is perhaps weaker
is on communicating to the American people who she is as a human being, her personality. Her husband is such a natural orator and she herself says
she's not a natural politician. How can she change that?
SCHAKE: Well, you know, she herself has said that she's naturally not as talented as her husband is or President Obama is. She does what Hillary
Clinton does, you get in there, work your heart out, listen to people, and share with people your ideas. That's how she approaches these things.
Tonight will be an extraordinary night for her. She's going to be the first woman ever to accept the nomination to be president of the United
States. She's going to tell her story and she's going to share with Americans what she would do as president.
GORANI: History, of course, was already made when we heard the number of pledged delegates she needed to take her over the top, et cetera. Tonight,
she'll formally accept the nomination.
But she has a real challenge, which there is such an antiestablishment environment in the United States right now. She was the secretary of state
for Barack Obama. She was a two-term senator for New York.
She was the first lady of the United States. There's no more establishment figure in America today than Hillary Clinton. So how does she at the same
time say, I'm a break with the past, when she has that kind of background?
SCHAKE: Well, you know, President Clinton himself, in his very personal, very emotional testimony to his wife on Tuesday night, addressed this.
What he said is since he met her way back in 1971, she has been a change maker.
She has been the person fighting at the forefront of the fights for progressive issues of our time, for standing up for vulnerable children,
for fighting for equal pay for women.
And so, you know, that means that she's suffered a lot of attacks for that over time, but, you know, she's really a change maker. She's somebody who
really fights for people and really delivers.
[15:05:00]GORANI: We'll see if that resonates with voters, there is that contradiction of having served for many, many years, and also saying I'm
going to break with the past. I'm going to bring change and fight for the rights of ordinary Americans.
SCHAKE: You know what I was going to say about that is, I think what Americans really want are results. They want to really see a difference in
their lives. You know, President Obama has been such an extraordinary president for this country.
He has made so much progress, 20 million Americans have health insurance now because of his leadership. Under his presidency, 15 million American
jobs were created. We need somebody, American families, she's campaigned all over this country and people have told her, they want more, they want
results.
GORANI: Donald Trump has support from people who don't see the economic picture that way at all, who say they've been left behind, who say
globalization has hurt them. Those are also the people that Hillary Clinton needs to convince, because they're not wrong, there are numbers
that prove that many Americans, with inequality becoming wider in this country have suffered.
SCHAKE: You know, that's absolutely right. That's why she says so many Americans -- our country has come back from the great recession, but so
many Americans aren't feeling it yet and that's why she has made creating American jobs the central target of what she would do as president.
I think what people really want are results. What they're going to see and what they've seen this week in the Democratic convention is, this is a
candidate who has always delivered. She never stops fighting until she makes real progress.
GORANI: One word, will she mention Donald Trump by name?
SCHAKE: She is definitely going to make a contrast to Donald Trump. She's working on her speech right now. She's finishing it, but she's definitely
going to draw a contrast of her vision of what this country can be versus what we saw in Cleveland last week, which was really dark and divisive.
GORANI: Kristina Schake, thanks very much. The deputy director of communications for Hillary Clinton for joining us.
President Barack Obama says he's ready to pass the baton to Clinton, telling delegates last night, let's finish this journey. Mr. Obama gave an
electrifying speech cast off by this dramatic moment the crown went wild when Clinton made a surprise and joined them on stage.
She embrace the president. They were rivals in '08. The moment was full of symbolism and for Democrats, full of hope for the future as well. The
first black president in American history working to pave the way for the first female in the White House.
Let's listen now to some of the highlights of President Obama's speech.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I can say with confidence there has never been a man or woman, not me, not bill, nobody,
more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America.
There's Donald Trump. Don't boo. Vote. The Donald is not really a plans guy. He's not really a facts guy either. He calls himself a business guy,
which is true.
But I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women who have achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits and unpaid workers
and people feeling like they got cheated.
America is already great. America is already strong. I came to realize that her unbelievable work ethic wasn't for praise, it wasn't for
attention. She was in this for everyone who needs a champion.
I understand that after all these years she has never forgotten just who she's fighting for. You have to get in the arena with her because
democracy isn't a spectator sport. America isn't about "yes, he will." It's about "yes, we can." And we're going to carry Hillary to victory this
fall because that's what the moment demands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, every big Democratic star, every establishment figure is basically lining up to speak here. Of course, the president of the United
States was the big centerpiece speech yesterday.
Antonio Villaragosa is one of today's speakers, a former mayor of Los Angeles, and was national co-chair of Hillary Clinton's presidential
campaign back in 2008. Thanks, sir, for being with us. First of all, what are you going to tell supporters, delegates, and the American people?
ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, FORMER MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES: Well, I'll wait until I tell them. But I'm going to focus on one issue, and that issue is the
issue of the 11 million undocumented, the mass deportation of 11 million people.
No candidate for either party in our history has ever proposed to terrorize a community, divide families, and deport 11 million people, which estimates
are will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, cost to half a trillion dollars.
GORANI: Is this even feasible, I mean, practically? What's going to be your message?
[15:10:06]VILLARAIGOSA: It's not feasible, it's not practical, but it is Donald Trump.
GORANI: Let's talk a little bit though about some of the, sort of, destructions from this convention. First of all, the DNC e-mail leaks, you
yourself said that people who were upset with what they read in those e- mails had, quote, "every right to be upset."
VILLARAIGOSA: That's exactly right. They have every right to be upset, and if there are others, we should make sure everybody who is a part of
that is accountable because there's no place for that kind of activity from our party. We expect that a race where people can engage, take one another
on, without interference and without that kind of meddling.
GORANI: But you understand Bernie Sanders supporters saying here's proof in e-mails leaked online that party officials and Hillary Clinton staffers
were basically colluding.
VILLARAIGOSA: They weren't Hillary Clinton staffers. It was essentially people from the DNC, primarily and the campaign wasn't a part of it. But
look --
GORANI: They were discussing strategies to defeat Bernie Sanders.
VILLARAIGOSA: You mentioned the protests, you mentioned the fact that there's been some divisiveness, if you will. I've been at these
conventions since 1984. I haven't been to one where there wasn't some of that. There will probably be some of that tonight.
But, you know, most of the polls that I've seen, upwards, close to 90 percent of the Bernie Sanders supporters will support Hillary Clinton.
We've got to do our work to get them out to vote.
Tonight, Hillary Clinton's going to have to show that softer side that Bill Clinton talked about, that I think that Chelsea will speak of, the human
side of her, if you will.
But as President Obama said very, very well last night, when you've been in the arena for what, almost four decades, they're going to have a lot to say
about you.
GORANI: Do you think it's -- I think this is a fair question. Do you think it's setting her up --
VILLARAIGOSA: Why would you ask an unfair question?
GORANI: That's a good point. Why say she needs to show her softer side? In the end, she is who she is. It's not something you learn, you can't
take classes to become Bill Clinton. In a way, having this expectation that she constantly has to show a softer side, if she doesn't, she's
considered --
VILLARAIGOSA: She doesn't have to show that she's ready and willing. She's proven leadership, she's there. There's a lot of people that don't
know that side of Hillary Clinton. I hear all the time that she's not warm. I know Hillary Clinton. She's a warm human being.
She couldn't be as passionate about kids and the underrepresented, the poor, the locked out, as she has her entire life, if she wasn't warm and
passionate. But, you know, some people don't know that part of her. So I think it would be important for her to show it. I agree with you, she
shouldn't have to show it.
GORANI: Right.
VILLARAIGOSA: But we live in this world where so many people just see something on TV and they develop some kind of notion or expectation about
it.
GORANI: Now, going into November, and up you're very much a Hillary Clinton supporter, what could go wrong? What's your biggest concern in
terms of what could derail this for Hillary Clinton?
VILLARAIGOSA: Well, I think what could derail it obviously is that we don't take this election for granted, that we don't do what President Obama
has done on two election cycles now, use every means necessary to get out the vote, really communicate with those voters and get them out.
It's all going to be about turnout and we have invested in that turnout machine now for a year and a half that she's been a candidate. We've got
people all across the state, particularly in the swing states.
And we're going to have to work hard. I think something else that can happen, look, I think historically, somebody as angry and mean as Donald
Trump gets a bit of an advantage when ISIS commits an act of terror somewhere in the world.
It shouldn't be, but certainly that kind of thing he's taken advantage of. And of course, he's put himself in the middle of it by saying I told you
so. Everything is about Donald Trump.
So my hope -- of course, another thing that could happen is he could keep on opening his mouth. He talks a lot about the border. Whenever you go to
another country, people sometimes get the runs. He has the runs of the mouth, Montezuma's revenge, he'll say anything or do anything to get
elected.
GORANI: All right, thanks for that colorful image.
VILLARAIGOSA: It is very colorful, huh?
GORANI: The former mayor of L.A., thanks very much for joining us, a Hillary Clinton supporter.
Still to come, Angela Merkel is not backing down. The German leader says her nation will continue to take in refugees as her country continues to be
rattled by attacks. We are live in Berlin for that story.
[15:15:10]Plus a humanitarian disaster in the making, rebel-held parts of Aleppo now cut off by the Syrian army, civilians once again suffering and
trapped, when we come back.
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GORANI: Investigators in France have identified the second terrorist in the murder of a priest inside a church in Normandy. Like his accomplice,
the teenage attacker was on a list of radicalized individuals and considered a threat.
We are also learning today that the other attacker was deported by Turkey last year. He was actually flagged by terror profilers as he tried to
enter Istanbul.
At the time of the church slaying, he was under a house arrest and was wearing remarkably an electronic monitoring device.
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel is refusing to back down from her government's refugee policy. That's after a string of attacks in her
country.
Germany has been rocked by four attacks in the past two weeks, three of which authorities say were carried out by asylum seekers or refugees
inspired by extremism. Mrs. Merkel says the attackers want to divide Germans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through interpreter): We are now being tested. We're tested in the way we live. Our understanding of freedom and
security is being tested. Again and again, we have to balance those values.
What the terrorists want is for us to lose our view of what is important to us. They want to divide our unity, our cooperation. They want to harm our
life and our openness, and also they want to prevent our openness to welcome people. They spread hate between cultures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen was at that media conference with the German chancellor and had an opportunity to ask
his own question. Fred, what did the chancellor tell you?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Hala, Angela Merkel was certainly under a lot of pressure. One of the
things that you could see that showed that was the fact that in order to hold this press conference in the first place she did cut short her holiday
that she was on.
Simply because so many Germans at this point are quite concerned about the security situation here in this country. You could really feel that at
this press conference, where Angela Merkel went out of her way to say that she understands these concerns.
And also some of the criticism that she's been receiving for that open door refugee policy that of course went into place last year. But at the same
time, she also said that Germany could not lose track, could not lose sight of those values and needed to continue taking people in.
Now one of the things that I asked Angela Merkel was how concerned she was about the stability here in this country and whether she was concerned that
another attack could hurt that stability. Here is what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN (through translator): How worried are you about internal security and stability? Because by its mere nature, these terror attacks intend to
destabilize.
[15:20:05]We had a rather bad week, but had the attacks been more severe, how worried are you about the destabilizing effects in the region?
MERKEL (through translator): The events caused a lot of uncertainty that people doubt and that people are scared. This is quite clear. But anxiety
and fear can't advise us for political decisions.
And I will do everything possible to prevent that we have such attacks. And we all know what happened. I do not want to say this is really bad.
It is not that bad, but it's about uncertainty.
When I see somebody can, I recognize something or not. So that means the state needs to make sure to get confidence back. And this is what we work
at.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN: Not surprisingly, Hala, the chancellor also condemned the attacks that took place here in Germany. One of the things she said was
that people who come here and she have shelter in Germany, for them to be carrying out attacks like that, being ISIS-inspired, makes a mockery of the
country that takes them in. But of course, Germans now want action and on that point she was fairly vague in this press conference -- Hala.
GORANI: All right, Fred Pleitgen there, thanks very much for the latest from Berlin and that news conference by Angela Merkel.
Well, on days when you think it couldn't get any worse for the people of Aleppo, sadly it often does. Syria and Russia, though, are now telling
people in the besieged city that help is on the way because there are many, many are trapped in the rebel-held east.
They are hungry, facing serious food and water shortages. Three relief corridors are being set up to get a much needed aid to civilians and also
to help them get them out of the city.
The U.N. is warning of a potential humanitarian disaster because the Syrian army, backed by Russia, has cut off supply routes to neighborhoods under
rebel control.
Let's go now to Clarissa Ward following developments from London. She was in Aleppo just a few months ago and has been behind these rebel lines, seen
this destruction firsthand.
First let me ask you about this promise by the regime in Russia, you wouldn't blame rebel-held parts of Aleppo for not believing them, but they
are now saying we will let food and health in? Is it going to get in anytime soon?
CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the big question, Hala. They've said that they will form humanitarian
corridors, allow for food and aid to get inside, but we've seen this movie before, in several situations across Syria.
And typically what seems to happen is that after much "he said/she said" with each side blaming each other, there seems to be a stalemate, and very
rarely does that food actually and that aid actually get into the hardest- hit areas and to the people who need it the most.
Certainly for the people who are living in this part of Aleppo, who have been, you know, under constant, constant bombardment, not just for months
but for years now, I think it's fair to say they're highly suspicious about the regime's promise to set up these humanitarian corridors.
The regime has also said they are having an amnesty essentially, anyone can come and surrender their weapons and turn themselves in to forces and not
be punished.
But again, we've seen this over and over in the past and if history is anything to go by, a lot of those men end up herded on to buses and never
seen again.
So the U.N. is definitely extremely worried about the situation. As many as 300,000 civilians in that area, Hala, and food supplies expected to run
out in the next couple of weeks. So this is a serious humanitarian crisis.
GORANI: All right, they're certainly trying to choke off that part of Aleppo. And in other news out of Syria, al Qaeda Syrian affiliate, Al
Nusra is announcing a split away from al Qaeda. What's that about?
WARD: Yes, this has been sometime in coming, Hala. It's an interesting one. The first thing that Al Julani said in his speech making this
announcement was to thank the al Qaeda leader, (inaudible) Al-Zuwahari (ph) and then he quoted Osama Bin Laden.
So I certainly think it's fair to say that this doesn't look like a major shift in the core (inaudible) jihadist ideology of this group.
Certainly the reaction from the State Department, other diplomats around in the region, has been this doesn't necessarily mean that there's going to be
a major shift.
But I have been speaking to a senior leader with the group and it's clear that they're trying to telegraph something to the west particularly and the
U.S.
They're trying to say that they are rational actors, that they have no intention of carrying out attacks beyond their base in Syria, and they're
also trying to signal to other Islamist groups in Syria that they can put the needs of the Syrian people above their own agenda.
[15:25:07]Now it remains to be seen, only time will tell what that actually means if indeed it means anything at all -- Hala.
GORANI: All right. Interesting rebranding, anyway. Thanks very much, Clarissa Ward, our senior international correspondent live from London with
the latest on what's going on in Syria.
This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Coming up, Barack Obama was not the only speaker hammering Donald Trump last night, from Biden all the way to
Bloomberg. We'll analyze what others were saying and what to expect this evening, the final night in Philadelphia.
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GORANI: Welcome back. It is Hillary Clinton's big night. Just hours from now, she will formally accept the nomination for her party for president of
the United States. President Barack Obama gave a very strong endorsement of Clinton last night, as expected, saying, and you see them there
appearing onstage together, that he is ready to pass the baton.
Also in our top stories, Chancellor Angela Merkel says Germany's open door policy for refugees will not change. She was very clear, but it will be
more strict in deporting asylum seekers who are rejected. Her comments come after four terrorist attacks in two weeks, three of which appear to
have been carried out by asylum seekers.
Also this hour, Pope Francis is on day two of his trip to Poland. He's celebrating World Youth Day. He held a mass in front of tens of thousands
of young Catholics in the southern part of that country. Earlier, the 79- year-old pope missed a step on the altar and actually fell to the ground. You see it there. He was helped up by his aides and did not appear hurt.
What is left of Russia's Olympic team is about to arrive in Rio. Their plane is due to touchdown later this hour, on board a tiny fraction of what
was originally a 387 strong team. More than a hundred Russian athletes have been banned completely from the games for doping. Many of those about
to arrive are still waiting to hear if they will be allowed to compete.
Let's go live to Rio. Shasta Darlington is live for us there. Shasta, first, when will he -- and I see you're at the airport, we're expecting
that group of Russian athletes to arrive any minute now. When will we know how many will be able to compete in the games?
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Hala, this has been coming out on a case-by-case basis, ever since the IOC basically threw it down to
the federations. Each federation has been making their own decision on their own time, and we really don't have any way to easily predict that.
What we know is there about 70 Russian athletes on this flight. The airport is pretty packed with journalists right now. And as you mentioned,
some of them are in flight and may find out when they land or shortly after they land, that they actually can't compete, so tensions are running pretty
high.
At this point, we understand that about a third of them have been allowed to compete. So this will continue to get more and more information, but
again, this is an evolving situation.
And it's interesting, because obviously there are also journalists waiting at the Athletes Village. So things could change even between here and the
Athletes Village, which as we know, has had its own problems and that's where a lot of the Brazilian press has been focused lately -- Hala.
HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Shasta Darlington at Rio de Janeiro Airport there waiting for those Russian athletes, some of whom might be
very disappointed if they learn they will not be allowed to compete. Thanks very much.
Well, Barack Obama was undoubtedly the star of the show last night. But he wasn't the only one on stage. Speakers lined up to back Hillary Clinton
and pummeled Donald Trump. Here is a selection.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: How can there be pleasure in saying "you're fired"? He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class?
Give me a break. That's a bunch of malarkey.
TIM KAINE, U.S. DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It's going to great, believe me, we're going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it, believe
me. We're going to destroy ISIS so fast, believe me. There's nothing suspicious in my tax returns, believe me.
MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: Trump says he wants to run the nation like he's running his business? God help us. I'm a New Yorker and
I know a con when I see one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Donald Trump responded to President Obama's speech and what was said here at the Democratic National Convention in typical Donald Trump
fashion, with a tweet.
He said, "Our country does not feel, quote, "great already" to the millions of wonderful people living in poverty, the violence, and despair."
Let's bring in CNN political commentator, Ryan Lizza and also the Washington correspondent for "The New Yorker." We're also joined by CNN
political analyst, Ron Brownstein and senior editor at "The Atlantic." Thanks very much.
So Ryan, I'll start with you. Direct attacks against Donald Trump, naming him over and over and over again. Clearly they made the decision that
strategically this was going to work. Will it?
RYAN LIZZA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, they're getting higher ratings than Cleveland did. If Hillary Clinton does not get a significant
bounce out of this convention, despite the hiccups and wrinkles with some of the Bernie supporters, with the level of speeches they've had from
Hillary Clinton -- excuse me, from Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Biden, Kaine, these have been, you know, strategically surgical strikes against
Donald Trump.
It's been a relatively flawless convention. And if she doesn't get a big bounce out of this convention, she's never going to get a bounce, and Trump
is in very good shape. It's been a good week for them strategically in their messaging against him.
GORANI: But we'll have to see what the polls reveal, although we can't attach everything to every poll, they've sometimes been very inaccurate.
It's been like the Oscars over the last few days, Meryl Streep, A-listers everywhere you look, Katy Perry is performing.
And Sheila E is performing right now, a sound check, I'm told. There you have it. If after this, as Ryan said, there's no significant -- we're
talking, what, eight nine, ten points. That's the hope, bounce.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That might be a little much. Look, I think this has been a very successful convention. I've covered
every convention since '84. Last night was the single best night for either party since bill Clinton' acceptance speech in 1992. Not only
because of the quality of the speeches.
I thought Kaine was the weak link. They made him too folksy. He saw the mayor of Richmond, not Mayberry. But Michael Bloomberg essentially talking
to independents, saying I get that she's not perfect.
I don't agree with her on every issue, I'm not saying she's an unflawed candidate, but when you look at the contrast and comparison, the choice is
really no choice.
Joe Biden, the first speaker -- I think the weakest link of this has been they have not really talked to the white working class voters who are
feeling economically strained.
There's been much more of a celebration of diversity, the changing face of America, the social milestones that are represented by Barack Obama and
Hillary Clinton. He was the first one to try to connect with those voters.
LIZZA: They had a sort of good messenger for every Trump kind of negative they were trying to repair with Hillary Clinton. Independents, you don't
like Hillary Clinton and you're reluctantly supporting Donald Trump? I'll give you Michael Bloomberg, he's just like you.
[15:35:01]OK, people who think Hillary has an honesty problem? I'll give you tim kaine, the most honest guy in Washington. Working class, Joe
Biden.
BROWNSTEIN: One of the things I thought was extremely effective was that every Trump weakness was book ended with a Clinton strength. They said
he's pessimistic, she's optimistic. He has no plan. She has a plan. He is unprepared. She is the most qualified ever.
He is out for himself, it's a con, as Bloomberg said. She has spent her life working for you. The biggest gamble they're taking, Hala, is they're
not trying to directly rebut the trust.
They're saying is you can trust her to fight on the things that you care about, which is a little different.
GORANI: But in the end she's going to have to be the one to basically wrap this whole thing up in a neat, nice bow. This is her opportunity --
BROWNSTEIN: Pretty high bar.
GORANI: -- if she doesn't knock this one out of the park after the setup here in Philadelphia, I mean, it could spell trouble, couldn't it?
LIZZA: Would you want to go onstage after three nights of what Ron is saying, since 1984, the best night, after Biden's speech, Michelle's
speech, Barack's speech? Going onstage tonight, this is not necessarily her strong suit, big set piece speeches.
I'm trying to think, you know, in her background like a big blowout speech she's given that is memorable and I'm struggling. So a high, high bar for
her.
GORANI: But how important historically, and you followed politics for so long, is that speech?
BROWNSTEIN: The speech historically has become more than half of the whole convention. Look at Donald Trump's convention, which was chaotic for three
days, and yet he reached his audience with his speech.
I really thought, doing a moderating panel with Patti Solis Doyle, her former chief of staff, who was a little concerned. She said Hillary
Clinton tends to speak -- treat big speeches like a state of the union.
Piling policy proposals one on another, and that is not what is called for here. I think she has two big missions continue the effort they began
Tuesday to humanize her.
But I think also the big missing piece to this convention has been a clear economic message, particularly to those who feel like they're being left
behind in the economy. That is a piece she has to fill in.
They have been very effective about identifying with the changing America and embodying that changing America, and portraying Trump as someone who is
anathema to that. But it they haven't really spoken to people who have been left behind economically.
GORANI: How do you do that when you're Hillary Clinton? Because on the one hand, her husband, Bill Clinton called her a change maker. He said she
hates the status quo. But you have somebody who is the very personification of the establishment, two terms as senator, secretary of
state, first lady for eight years, you can't get more establishment than that.
LIZZA: No, you can't and trying to extend to 12 years, an eight-year reign of the same party, very hard to win an election like that. I do think the
one missing ingredient, you are alluding to this, Ron, is a little more substance in policy.
There's been less here for a Democratic convention than I expected. I mean, Trump was the whole other direction. He had almost no policy in his
speech. As Patti Doyle was saying, Hillary Clinton does like to pile on the policy and so --
GORANI: Isn't that the last thing she needs to be doing now?
LIZZA: I think there's a vacuum to fill with the Republican side not coming out with a detailed agenda and the fact that their congressional
wing and their presidential candidate disagree on so many things that the Democrats have a chance here to say, they didn't -- they identified a few
big problems, but didn't tell you how they would fix them. Here's how we'll do it.
GORANI: I have a quick question regarding strategy here. Is the wrong strategy to say -- for her campaign to try to make her warmer and more
relatable when clearly -- especially when you compare her to Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Michelle Obama, perhaps focus more on the fact That had she
is a policy type of candidate. And not apologize for that.
BROWNSTEIN: President Bill Clinton tried to do that. They're trying to say you can trust her to fight for the things that matter to you because
that's what she has spent her life doing. That is different than saying you can parse every word she said about her e-mail. That's the gamble
they're making.
It will be interesting to see if they directly addresses the trust deficit, which is her biggest headwind with the electorate. It is worth noting that
on the day that Bill Clinton was reelected in 1996 by eight points, 54 percent of people in the exit poll said they did not consider him honest
and trustworthy.
And they voted for him anyway, enough of them, because they believed he was in politics to make their lives better. What this Clinton campaign
likewise believes is they have a better chance of convincing people of that than they do to change those trust numbers.
LIZZA: So basically voters don't trust either of these candidates right now. It's going to be an election about who you trust the least.
GORANI: All right, Ryan Lizza, Ron Brownstein, thank you so much to both of you. Don't forget you can check out our Facebook page,
facebook.com/halagoranicnn.
This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Donald Trump says he's never met the Russian president and said he was joking when he asked the kremlin for help against
Clinton. We'll speak to a diplomatic expert about that coming up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:42:36]
GORANI: It's already a party atmosphere here at the DNC in Philadelphia. We have bands warming up. We understand this is Sheila E's background
band. We even saw some really fun dancing there on the convention floor, people are getting in the mood.
We are expecting, of course, Hillary Clinton to formally accept the nomination for president today. Her rival, Donald Trump, says he was
being, quote, "sarcastic" when he encouraged Russia to hack into Hillary Clinton's e-mails to recover some of those deleted e-mails, there were
33,000 of them.
Now some experts called Trump's comments close to treason and disloyal to the United States. Trump now says he wasn't serious, it was a joke all
along. Here is how he explained it to Fox News earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And when I'm being sarcastic --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you being sarcastic?
TRUMP: Of course, I'm being sarcastic, but you have 33,000 emails deleted. The real problem is what was said on those e-mails from the Democratic
National Committee. You take a look at what was said in those e-mails, it's disgraceful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: We're also hearing from the ghostwriter who co-authored Trump's 1987 memoir, "The Art Of The Deal." Tony Schwartz has come out as one of
Trump's harshest critic. He spoke to Chris Cuomo this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY SCHWARTZ, CO-AUTHOR, "THE ART OF THE DEAL": He is an unrepentant liar. He says things that aren't true. That's what I -- that's what I
experience him as. I invented the phrase in order to help him cover over the fact that he lied, "truthful hyperbole."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Let's take a closer look at those Trump comments, the implications as well for foreign policy and his relationship with Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
Former American Ambassador Christopher Hill joins me now. He is the author of "Outpost," a memoir of his long career in American diplomacy. He was
also the American ambassador to Iraq for many years.
So Ambassador, thanks for being with us. First of all, how did you react when you first heard Donald Trump appeal to hackers to help recover the
33,000 deleted Hillary Clinton e-mails?
CHRISTOPHER HILL, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: My reaction was there he goes again. This is someone drawing on a very shallow reservoir of
knowledge. He really frankly doesn't know what he's talking about. He has no concept of the context of these remarks.
No understanding really of the seriousness of this hacking problem that we're having all over the world, where governments are going into private
sector, looking for things. It's a very serious matter. Now he's trying to explain it away as a joke. I mean, this guy simply doesn't have a clue.
[15:45:12]GORANI: But do you believe it harms U.S. national security for even the candidate Donald Trump to say these things?
HILL: Absolutely. First of all, he's kind of letting the Russians off the hook to say this is something funny and something we should all be amused
by. It's not. I think overall he simply doesn't understand that it's a very serious matter.
You know, today we're talking about the Democratic National Committee. Tomorrow we could be talking about another Sony episode. Who knows? And
he simply doesn't understand the seriousness of it.
GORANI: But do you think he really doesn't understand? This is a man who has been in business for decades. He has businesses in the Arab world. He
has dealings in Europe. He has golf courses in Scotland. Is he really -- does he really not understand or does he know what the weight of this -- or
how far or how his words can affect the --
HILL: I'm not an expert on his businesses. I'm not sure his experiences with golf courses has given him any kind of understanding of what we're
talking about in the cyber warfare. This is really unknown territory. There's really not enough rules of the game.
I mean, no one knows whether North Koreans or Russians or Chinese, these are very serious matters. It's clear, it's quite evident that he sees a
chance to say something about Secretary Clinton's e-mails and he simply doesn't understand the context of it.
GORANI: What do you think a Donald Trump presidency, which is not unlikely, the polls are still very close, would mean for America and the
world?
HILL: Well, you know, I've been overseas a lot lately. And I think the uniform reaction around the world is of great concern about a Donald Trump
presidency. You know, what we need for the U.S. is kind of stability, wisdom, understanding of these issues, he gives us none of that. So I have
no doubt that a Donald Trump presidency would be, I'll use the word catastrophic.
GORANI: Catastrophic?
HILL: Yes.
GORANI: In what way do you think?
HILL: First of all, he has shown no sign that he knows how to hire people and put a good team around him. People he puts around him soon leave in
disgust. So I think first of all, he's not a team builder.
Secondly, he doesn't understand these issues. He's had a chance over the course of the year to really bone up on some of these questions and there's
really little sign that he does that. We're looking at someone who's going to be going on instincts the whole time.
And a lot of these problems are extremely serious, tough problems. You know, if you think ISIS is simply a matter of bad guys out there, it is,
but what about the people who support them? This is complex stuff.
GORANI: But for instance, when he appeals to his supporters, and he says - - and he has a very simple solution for ISIS, he says I'm going to bomb the "s" out of them and by the way also kill the terrorists' families.
Now his supporters hear that and say, yes, this is a simple solution, and it's one that I believe will work. He is reaching out and convincing a
very big portion of the electorate.
HILL: There is no question there are people who believe that, that killing the families of terrorists is the right way to go. I like to think the
majority of us understand that for the murder and war crime that it would represent.
So I think the issue is for those of us who understand what it would mean to really be quite clear and I really think this is a time of all hands on
deck. We all need to be very clear about what we're listening to.
GORANI: All right, Ambassador Christopher Hill, thanks very much for joining us. We really appreciate your time.
HILL: A pleasure.
GORANI: Here at the convention coming up, what does Hillary Clinton need to say in her speech tonight to convince the American people she is ready
to be president? I'll speak to a Democratic senator and one of her supporters. We'll be back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:50:34]
GORANI: Welcome back here at the Democratic National Convention. Support for Hillary Clinton comes in more than just cheers. It also comes in hats
and capes. That's Wisconsin, by the way, with the cheese hat.
Now she heard a long list of speakers touted her credentials last night. Now it is Hillary Clinton's turn to try to convince the American people,
especially those undecideds.
We're just a few hours away from her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. Let's get more from Ben Cardin, a Democratic senator
from Maryland, a Hillary Clinton supporter and the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Thanks, Senator, for being with us.
BEN CARDIN, U.S. SENATE DEMOCRAT: It's good to be with you. It's exciting here in the convention already.
GORANI: I know you're a big Hillary Clinton supporter. Can you explain for our international viewers the difference between Hillary Clinton's
foreign policy proposals, especially with regard to ISIS, a lot of people are worried about that, and Donald Trump?
CARDIN: Hillary Clinton strongly believes in working in coalitions, working with our partners, using universal values to advance our cause,
including fighting terrorist organizations.
Donald Trump, we're not sure, but he clearly wants to do it alone, is not interested in building coalitions, and is not concerned about values. I
think you couldn't have a more stark contrast between the two candidates.
GORANI: But Senator, I think people who listen to Hillary Clinton's proposals will say, well, she was secretary of state during the years when
ISIS got stronger, why should I now trust her to take care of this problem?
CARDIN: Well, I think the international community is stronger today. I think the fact that we've built these coalitions, that we have so many
countries that are willing to help us in fighting ISIS, and that we've joined together in sharing intelligence information. We know we have a
problem with extremist organizations. The best way to deal with it is to develop coalitions of partners.
GORANI: Can I ask you what your reaction is to what Donald Trump said about these leaked DNC e-mails, essentially appealing to Russian hackers to
find the 33,000 deleted Hillary Clinton e-mails? He now says it was a joke, but initially what's your reaction?
CARDIN: Well, it's just another example of his reckless and dangerous foreign policy goofs, things he's said wrong. The fact that he would say
that is ridiculous. He wants Russia to turn over U.S. information? That is absolutely outrageous. It's dangerous.
GORANI: Could we liken it to treason?
CARDIN: Well, I don't think that's going to be the issue. I think the issue is how people in America should react to it. Do you want that type
of person, a reckless and dangerous person to be your commander-in-chief? I hope the answer is no.
GORANI: He's still got a lot of support in polls after the Republican convention. He was ahead of Hillary Clinton nationally. A lot of people
support him in the United States. There is a real chance he might become president. What are the implications of a Donald Trump presidency in terms
of foreign policy?
CARDIN: Well, I think this is going to be an issue that will be articulated during the national campaign. Look, we're just starting. The
convention is just ending. We still have several months before our elections.
I think the American people will make their choice. I have confidence that they're going to want as a commander-in-chief someone who is responsible,
who has the experience, who knows how to work with other countries, who promotes American values. That's the key ingredient. I'm very confident
that the American voters are going to support Hillary Clinton.
GORANI: Ambassador Hill just minutes ago told me he believes that if Donald Trump is president of the United States, the implications
internationally would be, quote, "catastrophic," that's the word he used.
CARDIN: I hope we don't have to find out whether he's right or wrong. But look, it's clear, and I've been to a lot of visits with foreign
dignitaries, and they're very diplomatic in their initial response, but if you talk to them at a cocktail reception they're a lot more open and
honest.
GORANI: What do they say?
CARDIN: Well, clearly I think there is concern. You have concern who says, look, we should rethink NATO. That we need to do this alone. That
America doesn't need these partnerships, I mean, it troubles our partners.
GORANI: His supporters say, he didn't say we should rethink NATO. He is just saying that NATO members should pay their fair share.
CARDIN: Well, they should, and we have a policy for the 2 percent and we are moving towards those policies, and we've seen progress. But that's not
what he said. He said they're freeloaders, we need to rethink how we'll deal with our defense of Western Europe. His relationship with Putin
causes a lot of us concern.
GORANI: He says he doesn't know Putin, he's never met him.
CARDIN: Well, the way he talks about him, in many cases in glowing terms.
[15:55:05]Here is a guy who has been a real problem not only for people of his own country but for the global community.
GORANI: All right, and so you think because he speaks in glowing terms of leaders like Putin, he's said nice things about President Erdogan of Turkey
and his handling of the situation in his country after the coup, that should be a cause for concern?
CARDIN: I think it absolutely should. Very much, his statements are reckless and that you need a person as president who is going to judge what
he's saying, recognizing it represents the leader of the free world. And I think there's a great deal of concern that --
GORANI: He's going to be getting intelligence briefings soon.
CARDIN: Well, that's true and he is a candidate for president of the United States, he's entitled to those information. Look, what we're trying
to do is get everybody engaged in this campaign. We have a lot of Americans abroad, we want to make sure they participate. We need to
register and vote. So I urge them to go to votingabroad.org and get information about how you can participate.
GORANI: You can do it online and get your absentee ballot. Senator Ben Cardin, thanks very much for joining us on "international" here.
Finally, a touching moment here last night, a chorus of Broadway celebrities took to the stage of the DNC. They performed an emotional
version of "What The World Needs Now Is Love." They've recorded the track in tribute to the victims from the Orlando nightclub massacre in June.
Listen.
(VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: This has been THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Thanks for watching. I'm Hala Gorani. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
