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CNN NEWSROOM

Did RNC Tell Trump "Tone It Down"; George W. Bush Charged a Veterans Charity $100,000 to Speak; A Look at the Killer Ted Bundy. Aired 2:30-3p Et

Aired July 9, 2015 - 14:30   ET

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


[14:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I want you to explain to me how an image like this resonates with so many people.

DIANA TREPKOV, CERTIFIED FORENSIC ARTIST: Oh, yeah. The eyes. The eyes are the mirror of the soul and they tell you everything about a person. So in every police sketch, drawing, facial reconstruction, it's those eyes. So her eyes would be correct in proportion, and you can tell she's a gentle, soft girl. The eyes tell everything about people. So it's important when those eyes are correct and everything else just falls into order, and now there is a face to the unknown. And it stays in my heart like it does with a lot of people. And with CNN and everyone getting together, I'm sure she'll be identified real soon.

BALDWIN: I hope so.

Diana Trepkov, thank you so much.

TREPKOV: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up next here on CNN, did the chair of the Republican National Committee ask Donald Trump to tone it down? Trump says, no way. You know what, CNN just spoke with Trump and we'll discuss those comments and play that audio after this quick break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP GROUP: People love me. And you know what, I've been very successful. Everybody loves me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:35:21] BALDWIN: Well, one thing you could say about Donald Trump, he doesn't back down from a fight, as we saw in his free- wheeling, no-holds-barred interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: When I look at Rick Perry, he talks about the border. He did a terrible job at the border. He was governor of Texas. He could have done a much better job. He did a terrible job. So we have a binding contract and Univision goes to the press and says

we're going to terminate. The problem is they terminated before their IPO. How stupid is that. The head of Univision, frankly, should be fired.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, A.C. 360: Why do you think Hillary Clinton is not talking?

TRUMP: She has a lot to hide. She doesn't want to talk to the press. Look, she was the worst secretary of state in the history of the United States.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: OK, you're not a baby. You're not a baby.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: -- coming in are causing tremendous problems in terms of crime, murder, rape.

People love me. And you know what, I have been very successful. Everybody loves me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: All right. And then there is this. According to "The Washington Post," RNC chairman, Reince Priebus, supposedly told Trump to tone it down when it comes to immigration, worried the comments could hurt the Republican Party. And after that, Trump tweeted this, quote, "Totally false reporting on my call with Reince Priebus. He called me, 10 minutes, said I hit a nerve, doing well, end."

Let's talk more about this with Jeremy Diamond, our CNN political reporter, who got off the phone with Trump after said tweet. We have former Reagan White House political director, Jeffrey Lord.

Wonderful to have you both on.

What a day.

Jeremy Diamond, let me begin with you.

You talked to Donald Trump. We have audio of the call. This is after the tweet. He was saying, hey, no big deal, you just touched a nerve. What did he say to you?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: He was giving a completely different narrative than what earlier reports said. He was basically talking about this as a congratulatory call saying that Reince Priebus called him to talk about how well he is doing in the polls and to really just say, wow, I've never said anything like that. That's what Trump told me. But we can see more in this clip.

BALDWIN: OK. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP (voice-over): It was a very nice call. It was really more of a congratulatory call. He saw how well we went to number one in various polls. He talked about how well we're doing and how we have literally not seen anything like this. And it was a very nice call. It lasted for probably 10 minutes, maybe a couple minutes more than that. And that was the end of the call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND: Yeah. So as you can see there, I mean, he said congratulatory call so many times. He said it was a really short and brief call and he insisted that even though Reince Priebus did tell him to tone it down overall, it wasn't specifically about the immigration comments. But he did say that the immigration stuff came up. He said he brought it up, actually.

BALDWIN: So if overall Reince Priebus did in fact tell him to tone it down, did he say that he would?

DIAMOND: He does not look like he's going to back down at all from his comments. He continues to insist that his comments are being mi misrepresented, essentially. It's clear that he's sticking to his comments. He's saying that the Mexicans -- in particular, he's saying the government of Mexico is sending its criminals over here and he doesn't look like he's going to change from that tone at all.

BALDWIN: Jeffrey Lord, do you think Donald Trump should tone it down?

JEFFREY LORD, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AMERICAN SPECTATOR (voice-over): No. I think Donald Trump should go on being Donald Trump. This is why he's getting such a response out there in the countryside. It reminds me in some ways I used to work for Ronald Reagan and he got the same reaction. People were saying it would be too extreme. President Ford said it would be too extreme to be elected for president. When you lay your cards on the table and speak frankly, you really do touch a nerve and I think people are responding to it. So I don't think he's going to tone it down. I think he's going to continue to be himself.

BALDWIN: Listen, he's definitely been touching a nerve. I was reading some polls. Yesterday, as I was talking to Anderson, who did this interview, he places number two, right behind Jeb Bush in these polls. But at the same time, there are fears among some Republicans that he could be this liability, right? Especially when it comes to the Latino vote, given everything we've been saying, 49 percent over a decade. How does that not concern you, Jeffrey?

[14:40:06] LORD: Well, I think one of the problems here is, how do you address the Latino community? Do you address them as they are, which is to say, fellow Americans and address them as, you know, equals and fellow citizens or do you address them by patronizing them? And I think that --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: I'm pretty sure by addressing Mexican immigrants as rapists is not the way to win over the hearts and minds of Latino voters.

LORD: I don't think he's saying that about Mexican immigrants. He's saying illegal immigrants -- I mean, he's attaching the phase illegal here. That's the gist of what he's trying to say. That's the huge issue here. Ann Coulter has a whole book on this. That part of the immigration issue has touched a real nerve. And is about illegal immigrants as this shooting in California emphasizes.

BALDWIN: I understand that. That's great Ann Coulter has written a book. But I'm still not sure -- but let me put it to you, Jeremy Diamond, that the language that he's using, why do think he's doing so well in the polls, given the fact he's offended so many people?

DIAMOND: I was in New Hampshire and people love that he's a straight talker. He's stealing Chris Christie thunder in that regard.

With regard to the Latino voters, he still said today in the interview I had with him today, he thinks he's going to become the Republican nominee and win the Latino vote. Why? He says that's because he can create more jobs. He said Jeb Bush can't create jobs, Hillary Clinton can't create jobs and he thinks that's what will ultimately work. But it's clear that his comments have touched a nerve. Every other Republican in the field, pretty much with the exception of Ted Cruz, is criticizing him, saying that he doesn't represent the Republican Party and it's causing a big problem in the party right now.

BALDWIN: I should back up a second and say that CNN has reached out to our RNC chair, Reince Priebus, to come on multiple shows, including my own, and he has not. Shawn Spicer will be on with Erin at 7:00 p.m. tonight to see how they'll respond to this back and forth.

Last question to you, Jeffrey, on the issue that Trump could be emerging as the face of the Republican Party, should he?

LORD: Sure. Sure. I mean, I think he represents the grassroots of the Republican Party. So I think in that sense-- I'm not in the endorsing business but, yet, I absolutely think that he has enormous support and that's the way the party works.

BALDWIN: OK. I'm going to let you get that.

Gentlemen, Jeffrey Lord and Jeffrey Diamond, thank you very much.

Coming up next, $100,000, that was former President George Bush's fee to speak at this charity, only the charity was for wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here the response from one Marine who served on the board of the charity, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:47:10] BALDWIN: Two former commanders-in-chief, President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, both will be sharing the same stage tonight in Dallas to speak to presidential leadership scholars, a program that they actually launched together. But it's a different speaking engagement President George Bush spoke at three years ago that is drawing some criticism today. A report indicates President Bush charged $100,000 to speak at this fundraiser for Helping a Hero. It's a nonprofit which provides homes for wounded veterans. Helping a Hero responded to this controversy, that being that they paid anything to this president. On their Facebook page, "We are proud that President Bush attended the 2012 Helping a Hero gala. His presence helped us raise an unprecedented amount of funds to build specially adapted homes for wounded heroes."

Joining me now, combat veteran, Eddie Wright.

Sergeant Wright, thank you for your service and thank you for joining me.

SGT. EDDIE WRIGHT, COMBAT VETERAN: Thank you, Brooke, for having me on.

BALDWIN: I want to get your reaction to the president's speaking fee in a moment. But on a personal note with you, being on the former board member of Helping a Hero, you served our country, I understand you lost both of your hands in Fallujah. Can you tell me what happened?

WRIGHT: Yes, I can, Brooke. I was serving with first reconnaissance battalion back in 2004, on a movement from one part of the city to another. We found ourselves in a complex ambush and I was pinned down by machine gunfire with the rest of my company and particularly my vehicle because of our position as the lead vehicle in the movement. And during the course of the ambush, I was struck by a rocket- propelled grenade, which severed my hands immediately and damaged my leg quite a bit as well.

BALDWIN: Well, you have also come home and served on the board of Helping a Hero. I understand the cost associated with bringing in someone to speak, especially someone as high profile as President Bush. He spoke at an event that paid him $100,000 and I have read that you have perceived that as a slap in the face. Can you tell me why?

WRIGHT: Well, yes, I can, Brooke. And with President Bush down there helping us raise money, what I don't agree with, however, the fact that he accepted $100,000 payment, which they describe as a discounted honorary item. I understand that he's in great demand but as commander-in-chief you've got to put some things in priority and ultimately you are commander-in-chief and we expect our leaders to lead from the front and I see it as a bad judgment call. I would never ask my Marines that I served with or that I ordered to go into a house, for example, that they would be injured. I wouldn't ask them to pay me to come raise money for them to help them out. And, you know, that's just one thing I may disagree with about President Bush's actions with this organization but bigger than that and beyond that is the fact that veterans, in general, around the country are being exploited and monetized and objectified by these nonprofit organizations operating under the guise of caring. And in my case and in the case of other veterans, the organization helpingahero.org and the chairman and founder, Meredith Eiler (ph), have contributed greatly to adding stress and taking advantage of us and causing many hardships and not just my story but many other veterans can testify to that.

[14:51:13] BALDWIN: I'm sorry that it's happening to you all. I'm glad you're speaking up and out about it. With regard to the president, you know, you mentioned this discounted speech and, you're right, apparently it cut his fee for this group to speak down from $250,000 down to $100,000 and not to mention the head of the group said that he did help raise record funds for several years. Does that, in your mind, account for something for the president?

WRIGHT: Well, it's great that just his name by itself was able to raise money for the organization and his presence. But what I disagree with -- and I know a lot of people justify the actions of paying the president, you know, with the fact that they were able to raise a certain dollar amount of money but that's a moot point. The point here is that a leader should not charge to speak on behalf of the men that he sent into combat at any level, let alone the commander-in-chief. And I don't mean to bash President Bush. I've met him before. I personally like the man. I may not agree with everything that went down during his presidency but my job is to be a Marine and I love that job and consider it an honor to have served under him as commander-in-chief.

BALDWIN: It's an honor to speak with you.

Sgt. Eddie Wright, thank you so much.

WRIGHT: Brooke, thank you so much and thank you for having me. And I hope this brings to light the problems that us veterans down here in Texas are having, that frankly are due to the fact that people want to exploit us for their own financial gain and perhaps political gain. I don't know.

BALDWIN: It's unacceptable.

WRIGHT: In particular, this organization. Yes, ma'am.

BALDWIN: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:56:23] BALDWIN: Tonight, CNN's special "The Seventies" follows the crimes and cults and killers that shook the decade. The hippy followers of Charles Manson occupied one end of the serial killer nightmare. On the other end was this was this handsome, preppy looking, former aide to the governor of Washington, the clean cut, smooth-talking Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious killer of the 20th century. He confessed to killing more than 30 women and girls but was suspected in as many as 150 deaths from Seattle to Miami.

Steven Michaud wrote two books on Bundy, spent hundreds of hours interviewing him on death row.

Stephen, welcome.

STEPHEN MICHAUD, AUTHOR: Good to see you.

BALDWIN: What was the most chilling thing Ted Bundy shared with you?

MICHAUD: The most chilling part of it was the complete lack of appropriate concern about what he had done. I was not prepared for a sociopath and I wasn't prepared for somebody who, in Ted's case, was quite proud of what he had done. There was no guilt or remorse, just wonderful memories.

BALDWIN: Can you remind us how he lured all of these women?

MICHAUD: Well, Ted had several dinner approaches. The most common one was to pretend that he was somehow injured. He would walk down dark streets using crutches or various medical devices to look like he was in need. He might often carry books across a college campus. And someone would come along, a young woman, and she would say, oh, can I help you? He looked completely innocent, like he needed help. Ted would say, yes, I would. And then she would follow him to his car where he had some kind of club parked behind one of the rear wheels. And as she reached down to open the door, he would club her over the head, throw her in the front seat and take off.

BALDWIN: Gives me the chills to think about that. You know, on the surface --

MICHAUD: Yeah.

BALDWIN: -- as we show his picture here, he did appear to be this clean-cut man. But by the time he got to Florida and Tallahassee for his final crime -- that was when he attacked the four sorority girls, killing 12-year-old Kimberly Leach (ph) -- he was sort of this animal unhinged. Did he tell you about that spree?

MICHAUD: Well, Ted did not discuss his cases with me in the first person. He talked in the third person. It was the way I was able to get him to first open up about what he had done. And --

BALDWIN: Interesting.

MICHAUD: Yeah. Well, it was, because, in brief, one of the things I noticed about Ted was that he really was a child. He wasn't just boyish. he actually was emotionally a kid. And the only way to get him to open up was to try to move him away from the confessional eye and talk about himself in the third person, which is what he did.

To your former question, Ted was widely thought to have never gone quite so crazy as he did that night in the sorority house where he bit at and clubbed his victims. But he later disclosed to his psychiatrist, actually the day before he was executed, that he had run amuck like that in the past but these crimes had never been discovered.

[15:00:02] BALDWIN: Oh. Ted Bundy.

Stephen Michaud --

MICHAUD: Yeah.

BALDWIN: -- thank you so much for your perspective. I can't imagine spending all of the hours that you did.

Make sure you watch "Killers, Cults and Crime" tonight on "The Seventies," 9:00 Eastern and Pacific, right here on CNN.