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Democratic Party Reeling Before Start of Convention; DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Will Not Preside Over Convention; Fallout After Massive WikiLeaks E-Mail Dump That Made Public Nearly 20,000 E-Mails Sent by DNC Staffers. Aired from 3-4p ET
Aired July 24, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:08] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello -- hello again everyone. Thank you so much for joining me here in Philadelphia. We're outside the CNN Grill for now. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and we're just steps away from the Wells Fargo Center which will be the heart and soul of the DNC officially starting tomorrow.
Meantime, we start with this breaking news. The Democratic Party is reeling just 24 hours before the start of its convention here in Philly. DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz will not preside over the conventions and her major appearances have now been scrapped. In fact, CNN has learned that she is in a meeting right now about her future with the DNC. A top Democrat going so far as to tell CNN that she is been quarantined.
Ohio Congresswoman Marcia Fudge will take the reins gaveling its session in and out. The fallout coming after that massive WikiLeaks e-mail dump that made public nearly 20,000 e-mails sent by DNC staffers. Many of them appear to show staffers working against the Bernie Sanders campaign, that of course reinforcing claims made by the Sanders camp during the primary that there was no impartiality.
I want to bring in CNN politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson. So Stephen, a big changed just hours before the start of the convention. So what kind of impact is this having on the Democratic Party right now?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICAL SENIOR REPORTER: You're right, Fred. The Democrats are really reeling (ph) is definitely involved the situation they want to go how going into their convention. They won't basking (ph) really in this successful unveiling of Hillary Clinton's vice presidential pick, Tim Kaine, and this is just distractive from this, from that, and it's also distracting from the desire of the Democrats to make it real contrast with Donald Trump's convention last week which was somewhat chaotic at time. There was a lot of disunity in this court and this isn't the impression the Democrats want to put across on the first day or the evening of the first day, Fred.
WHITFIELD: And Stephen, I wonder how much of distraction it will be? I mean I had a chance to look at the Wells Fargo Center inside where you are where you're still putting the finishing touches, building some of the sets, you know, working with the lighting. It's a very glossy look. It looks very presidential with the stars, you know, in circle formation and the gold paneling sometimes changing to blue paneling.
Is there a feeling that this will kind of take the glisten the shine of what is being planned here?
COLLINSON: I think, Fred, there's a lot of pressure to get this over very quickly. We still have a plagiarism issue overshadow Donald Trump's convention for the first two days last week. I think there's a lot of pressure on Debbie Wasserman Schultz to perhaps look at what's best for the party rather than to see what's best for her at this point.
In the end I think its Hillary Clinton's party now. It's her convention. In the end is going to come down to a tough call from Hillary Clinton and it's a tough call to make it. She wants Debbie Wasserman Schultz to go so it's not to be a destruction for all she's helped to get to the nomination. She's been sort of a loyal soldier.
One of the issues of these e-mails is perhaps the DNC and the Debbie Wasserman Schultz is too loyal to Hillary Clinton not to Bernie Sanders. So its Bernie Sanders supports will have it.
So, I think there's a lot of pressure to get this out of the way very quickly perhaps before the convention opens tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: All right, Stephen Collinson thank you so much inside the Wells Fargo Center just steps away from we are right now.
All right, so Bernie Sanders who called for Debbie Wasserman Schultz's resignation months ago responded to the e-mail controversy this morning on State of the Union.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT: Well, I think it's outrageous, but it is not a great shock to me. I think, as I said, it's what we talked about six months ago. I mean, there's no question to my mind and I think no question to any objective observer's mind that the DNC was supporting Hillary Clinton, was in opposition to our campaign. So I'm not quite shock by this. And that is why many, many months ago.
I made it clear that I thought Debbie Wasserman Schultz should resign, should step down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: I want to talk more about this with CNN politics executive editor Mark Preston, CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, CNN political commentator Peter Beinart, CNN political commentator and Trump supporter Scottie Nell Hughes, and CNN political commentator and Sander supporter Bill Press.
All right. Good to see all of you. Yeah, I will take a deep breath on that one. Bill, you first, how much of a distraction is this given listen to Stephen's last words. He talked about the loyalty that has been established for a very long time between Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Hillary Clinton. How does Clinton's campaign not be jaded, not be bruised by this?
BILL PRESS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'm not sure I can say this on television but I'm pretty pissed right now. I'm pissed off, first of all, as a Sander supporter.
[15:05:00] I think this whole thing proves the point that Bernie was making during the primary that the system was rigged against him, it was rigged from the top, it was rigged to get it some by Debbie Wasserman Schultz with the debates, with the B.S. of -- I won't say that, with the B.S. about the data and now with these e-mails.
So, as Bernie Sanders supporter, as a Democrat, I'm pissed because we had everything going for us coming into this campaign, a great primary, a wonderful event up in Portsmouth New Hampshire. The great rollout of Tim Kaine and -- disappointed of this so I'm might have been but still it really works, it was beautiful. Coming to (inaudible) the unity, unity, unity and then this, you know, turned in the fishbowl, punch bowl here, right? It's got -- the party is got to get this behind us as possible to.
One, I think Bernie Sanders is owed an apology by the party, and two, Debbie Wasserman Schultz has to go today, not tomorrow, day, she cannot preside over this. She won't but she can even be here as far as I'm concern. She's got to go. And Hillary Clinton has to make that decision.
WHITFIELD: What do you mean she has to make that decision?
PRESS: Well it's her party. She's in-charge. She's the candidate. She's the nominee.
WHITFIELD: Hillary Clinton has to be the one to say Debbie Wasserman Schultz out (ph)?
PRESS: It's not going to happen unless Hillary Clinton says yes she's got to go. You know, President Obama tried to fire Debbie Wasserman Schultz a couple years ago. Didn't happen. So now is the time. The time was before this but today is a time between now and 6:00.
WHITFIELD: So Peter, this is -- Bill saying this is a reflection potentially on Hillary Clinton as well and listen and if you read the L.A. Times article which talked about the secrecy, you know, in getting Tim Kaine and she together. I mean just the meticulous detail to make that happen and now you got something like this upstaging what was a very protected campaign about the selection of the vice presidents and how to rollout this convention with some real focus?
PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. I think we're going to learn something about Hillary Clinton today. What we're going to learn if she does not have a problem firing people.
PRESS: Good.
BEINART: One of the, you know, if you learn -- read the history of the 1990 ...
WHITFIELD: But loyalty. We heard that one loyalty.
BEINART: No, no, no, no. She's loyal to people who are loyal to her.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Right.
BEINART: One of the things you see you, if you read the biographies about the Clinton, the White House in the 90's, Bill Clinton had a lot of trouble finding people. Hillary Clinton had did not have trouble firing people. I think she will take Debbie Wasserman Schultz's head handed on a platter to Bernie Sanders. And the problem to Bernie Sanders had is unlike Ted Cruz. He's already given away his best card. He's already said he's going to endorse.
So, if Bernie Sanders gets up on Monday night ...
WHITFIELD: So you can't have a Trump group at the moment ...
BEINART: Right. They inoculated against it. So if Bernie Sanders gets up there and gives a speech that people like, a speech of unity and that's Monday night then the convention go on from there. If he does it, if he somehow doesn't play ball then we're in a whole different ball game.
WHITFIELD: Maria?
MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: So I'm going to say something also that normally wouldn't say on television. Bill, this whole thing just sucks. It really does for Democrats, you know, on both sides for the for the Hillary Clinton campaign, for the DNC, for the Bernie Sanders people. Those e-mails were completely inexcusable. But I will say people need to understand that those were never meant to be public. People have ...
WHITFIELD: That doesn't make it OK?
CARDONA: No. I'm not saying it makes it OK. But what I am saying is that people have their preferences. I assure you there were people inside the DNC who wanted Bernie to win. That doesn't make it OK, right? But what I will say is that this is clearly something that Debbie is dealing, the Hillary Clinton campaign is dealing with.
Debbie has been somebody who has worked very, very hard for this party and she is going to reflect on that. And I believe it at the end of the day like every other Democrat who is here including Bernie Sanders the goal needs to be to beat Donald Trump and if she believes that this is going to overshadow all of the great things that we have planned for this week I think she's going to do the right thing.
WHITFIELD: So Mark, so two things that, you know, A, Ms. Fudge, Congresswoman Fudge, is she able to kind of step into this, you know, with ease? And then is there a feeling that, you know, Hillary Clinton will try to in some way distance herself from what may have an organizational flaw as opposed reflection on she and her campaign and her relationship with Wasserman Schultz?
PRESTON: Well let me first say, as everybody knows in my reputation I have very clean language. I never use hassle words. That is very well known in Washington and throughout.
OK, a couple of things. I mean let's just explain what the DNC is because a lot of our viewers it can be very confusing what it is. It is a national organization, a structural organization that tries to keep things together. It's not a presidential campaign. But what it does is it puts the rules in place for the players to play ...
CARDONA: Yeah.
PRESTON: ... in many ways, it is a referee. What we have seen, we have seen a tipping of the skills in this election for one candidate. Timing is very interesting, had this timing coming out. Seven, eight, nine months ago it would be a different conversation right now when Hillary Clinton would have a lot more to explain. Hillary Clinton is out of time right now where she had the Democratic Party entirely behind her even though likes Bill Press wants to be there. There will be unity here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
PRESTON: The bigger issue, OK?
[15:10:01] The bigger issue is the chairwoman right now of the committee can she survive, I don't think anybody believe that she can survive as Peter said, Hillary Clinton was asked to leave, she won't do it, somebody will do it for her. Marcia Fudge, this is your big moment. The Ohio congresswoman is try to come in gaveling ...
WHITFIELD: Ohio incredibly important state.
CARDONA: Can I ...
PRESTON: And incredibly important state but also -- let me just say this one last point. We're talking a lot about Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Forget about those two right now. It's really about the Democratic Party as a whole about the liberal activists that are marching in the streets of Philadelphia right now who feel like the party ...
WHITFIELD: Oh really, are saying I told you so.
PRESTON: Who feel like the parties left them behind where that's true or not and that's where there needs to be healing together. We talk about the Republican Party that is disarray, in my view (ph) it is a major disarray. The Democratic Party has its own structural policy.
WHITFIELD: So this is the problem but then there's the what's behind this because, you know, you got Hillary Clinton's campaign manager who is saying this way orchestrated by the Russians and Donald Trump, you know, to serve in his is favors. So how does Donald Trump either remain silent on this or perhaps use this as ammunition again and I told you so moment what's likely to happen here?
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think you have to look at it. And Mark said it's not just about Hillary Clinton. There's a bigger picture because there's more things revealed about this in these e-mails that just it was already tilted towards Hillary. You're talking about collaboration with members of the media that didn't look good. You're talking about some very hateful comments that were made and it's not just coming from Debbie Wasserman Schultz. This is an entire staff that exchanged these e-mails. So even if they get rid of Debbie Wasserman Schultz that does not solve the problem.
And so while Mr. Trump we don't know yet how he's going to respond besides just the Twitter that we have right now, he might let you guys handled within your own house right now the Democrats. But I guarantee this is going to be continued to live out each e-mail is going to continue to play out, and just kind of show exactly how -- and you said it right, this is not to be meant to be public, Maria, and that's -- the Democrats avoid been very good about keeping any infighting very private and away from -- unlike the Republicans where we need to work on that.
The question is this just opens up the door the can of worms and how much Pandora's box are you going to see Republicans continue to use and utilize.
WHITFIELD: Bill?
PRESS: I know the Trump campaign is celebrating that this is going to continue through November.
CARDONA: Yeah.
PRESS: Let me tell you, these stories can be behind us tomorrow. This is today's story.
WHITFIELD: Agreed.
PRESS: It's worth talking about today.
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
HUGHES: Somebody's comments are really mean. They're very anti- semitic, they're very hateful ...
PRESS: I don't care this is Russians or the Japanese who did it the fact is ...
HUGHES: They were there. They read the e-mails.
PRESS: This party comes into the convention united is going to go out to the convention united, unlike Cleveland, once this problem is fixed and it will be fixed today.
CARDONA: Trump has to room to speak about anti-semitic and meme comments, so let's just put it down ...
HUGHES: There's a big different between a meme and saying connecting being Jewish and Atheist (ph). There's a big difference between comments about building a wall and a Jewish judge then it literally says mop up some more taco bowl engagement. Big difference in those (inaudible) comments. CARDONA: I can hand it a whole file of things that Donald Trump had said that are completely ...
HUGHES: So they don't have DNC attached to it.
BEINART: I think the basic problem is it's a little bit like when the McCain campaign thought that by choosing Sarah Palin they could win Hillary Clinton voters, although there is some overlap on trade between the Sanders folks and the Trump's, the gap is so massive on everything else. The moral philosophy is so vast that most Sanders' people are so repulsed by Donald Trump.
CARDONA: Yeah.
BEINART: But even though they're not enthusiastic about Hillary Clinton and not enthusiastic about Tim Kaine, the prospect of a Trump presidency will lead them to unity.
HUGHES: There were 13 million have voted for him, 85 percent or 45 and under, we don't need them to come support Donald Trump ...
(CROSSTALK)
BEINART: They load, load Donald Trump.
CARDONA: Can I make one other comment because I do think this is incredibly important moving forward. We need to underscore and highlight that however this gets resolved and it absolutely needs get resolved and the Sanders' people have every reason to be pissed off about this.
But we cannot let people think that the system, that the whole voting, that the primaries and the caucuses were not legitimate. Hillary Clinton won't fair and square, and that needs to be said over and over. Regardless of what people believe the DNC did or didn't do in terms of, you know, putting their finger on the scale over here and over there. The rules were set. The DNC did not vote.
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
CARDONA: The voter vote it.
WHITFIELD: Because the issue of unity or lack there of ...
CARDONA: Sure.
WHITFIELD: ... still in ...
CARDONA: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: ...one because whether they may have been ...
CARDONA: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: ... appealing or consensus going into...
CARDONA: There's no question about that, Fred.
WHITFIELD: This e-mail dump make it seem ...
CARDONA: Yes.
WHITFIELD: ... that is not.
CARDONA: And that's what we need to go with.
PRESTON: So three big three surprises, OK, because I know that like we could talk about this all. Big surprise, Cleveland didn't burn down. I predicted OK. The protest didn't happen. Tim Kane hit it up to the park. We all thought that he's going to be able to do it.
CARDONA: Fabulous.
PRESTON: And quite frankly, the Democratic convention isn't going to be boring because wow it started off the really, really controversial.
CARDNA: Tim Kaine (foreign language), Scottie.
WHITFIELD: All right. It's not figuratively and literally we're all drenched, aren't we now? Compared to the beginning of the segment?
CARDONA: Yes.
WHITFIELD: We are, OK. Very good. That's right. All right, thanks so much gang. Mark Preston, Peter Beinart, Bill Press, Scottie Nell Hughes, Mark Preston, Maria Cardona, I think I said your name first.
PRESTON: I'm worth white.
[15:15:05] WHITFIELD: Bingo. Boom. All right, very good you all. Appreciate it. Be sure to watch CNN for full coverage of the Democratic National Convention live from Philadelphia beginning Monday afternoon at 4:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Also ahead I'll speak with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. He's a DNC honorary chairman. We'll discuss the last minute chaos and how will this could setback the party's effort to unify behind Hillary Clinton.
Also we're learning new details from Munich about the 18-year-old who carried out a horrific rampage including where he got a gun using that attack. All that straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield n Philadelphia. Gorgeous view of downtown Philly or should I call it center city. That's what they like to call it here. And now we're outside the CNN Grill just in the shadows of the Wells Fargo Center.
All right, so it's not just Hillary Clinton and the Democrats that have a lot riding on the successful convention. The city of brotherly loved and the entire state of Pennsylvania have high hopes for the next four days as the nation spotlight focuses here and the Democratic convention.
[15:20:03] Joining me right now to discuss all of this is Tom Wolf, the governor of Pennsylvania. Governor, good to see you. Thanks so much for hosting.
GOV. TOM WOLF, (D), STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA: Thank you. It's great to be here. Thank you for being here.
WHITFIELD: Thank you. So, you went to bed last night probably feeling super that this is going off, you know, without a hitch and then you wake up this morning and you hear about this e-mail dump. And now the Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz kind of a hot water, what's you're feeling about that? What was a message of unity now heading into the DNC?
WOLF: OK, first of all. Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. So that's first thing. Second thins is this is who we are as Democrats we talk we argue but we're coming out of this convention united behind Hillary that was the invention come in. She won his contest fair and square and we're going to leave a united party especially given what happened in Cleveland last week. This is what America needs. Hillary is going to win the United States. She's going to be the next president. And I'm very happy about that.
WHITFIELD: And as a hosting state you're also an honorary chair, correct?
WOLF: Yes.
WHITFIELD: OK. So when you know that the backdrop which is so beautiful in the skyline and you know nestled into Center City there are a number of supporters of Bernie Sanders who are using this an opportunity to protest saying that they do believe the system is rigged. How do you see that casting of shadow on what's taking place here?
WOLF: I don't, frankly, she is casting much of the shadow. I think it's democracy at its best. People are arguing but day by day more and more people are coming around to the understanding that Hillary won this fair and square. And she is going to be the nominee. I think she's going to be the next president. She's going to take to Pennsylvania. And I think we need to unite around. I think we will.
WHITFIELD: What it is about Philadelphia? What a history of conventions Republican and Democratic conventions very, very long history.
WOLF: Long history. Actually going way back and in fact, going back to the very beginning.
WHITFIELD: Right.
WOLF: I mean, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and as you said many, many conventions. This is where America was invented. And this is where it's been reinvented. We are going to be reinvented once again. And a new set of policies relevant to the needs and challenges of United States right now. We're going to come out of this convention. We're all going to unite behind our leader, Hillary Clinton.
WHITFIELD: Lot has been said about security, because of the climate of events abroad and even nationally. I mean, this is a secret service reinforced, you know, safety zone here and of course other local jurisdictions are also reinforcing, you know, security, you know, outside of the of the perimeter here of this convention. What is your feeling about how people should feel as they arrive into Philadelphia see the presence of secret service Philadelphia P.D. et cetera, what do they need to know?
WOLF: I want people to feel welcome and safe and -- so, the state of Pennsylvania Commonwealth has done -- we have state police, the National Guard, the emergency management agency, our homeland security folks, Department of Transportation, all working together to make sure this is a safe and good experience for people coming here. The city of Philadelphia has their safety folks who've been working really hard as you point out the feds, the secret service, the FBI, everybody is working together to make sure this is as advertised places welcome but also very safe.
WHITFIELD: I personally felt very reassured when I saw I downtown police officers in groups of four and sometimes five. And I wondered too if that was a particular approach or method because we're talking about an event that brings in so many people as opposed to usually seeing, you know, two officers, or officers working in pairs. In large private we're seeing officers working in kind of small groups.
WOLF: Yeah, I don't know. You have to ask Mayor Kenney that as to why they're doing that. But again I think everybody have talked to the mayor, the folks from the federal level and certainly we at the state level. We're trying to make this is the kind -- the kind of experience that makes people want to come back after this is over.
WHITFIELD: What's the memory you want made at this DNC?
WOLF: This is the Democratic Party that did what we need to do to make sure that America really is everything it can be.
WHITFIELD: Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, thanks so much for your time.
WOLF: Thanks Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: And all the best for a very exciting week ahead, yes?
WOLF: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much. All right, so, if Hillary Clinton is to win the White House she will need African-American voters to turn out for her as well, but is she taking those voters for granted and could Black Lives Matter and other movement groups disrupt this week's DNC in Philadelphia? We'll talk about all of that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [15:28:56] WHITFIELD: Welcome back, I'm Fredricka Whitfield, live in Philadelphia. You're looking at the CNN Grill. This is going to be a hop in place especially as the DNC officially gets underway tomorrow. Welcome to our set here.
All right, Black Lives Matter, the movement, the leaders say they are prepared to protest here in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention. DeRay McKesson told USA Today that he's not happy with how Hillary Clinton has dealt with issues of race in this campaign.
McKesson had met with both Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama. Joining me right now is Rashad Robinson, who also recently met with the President of the United States for a summit on policing. Robinson is the Executive Director of Color of Change. It's the nation's largest online civil rights organization. Good to see.
RASHAD ROBINSON, COLOR OF CHANGE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Good to see you as well.
WHITFIELD: S what was your meeting like with the president recently and how did that either set the tone of a sentiment toward the Hillary Clinton campaign as we head into the DNC?
ROBINSON: Well, there's a wide-ranging meeting for 4 hours with low enforcement officials, you know elected members from local government, governors and mayors. And the meeting really was focused on solutions, bringing people from various sides together to have a conversation around solutions.
[15:30:15] WHITFIELD: Solutions about how to help the relationship between the police community and particularly the black community?
ROBINSON: Absolutely and dealing and no -- and what are the solutions that we should be putting on the table to deal with this current challenge we're having in our communities. For us the Color of Change, we continue to put both solutions on the table, but really feel this is a time for action that there are things that the federal government can do, whether it's tying federal funds that they that move local government to how law enforcement organizations perform. Much the way it happens in education policy where black grants get either incentivize good behavior or get pulled back when bad behavior.
For us, we believe the time now is for accountability. We've had conversations. We've had dialogue and now we need action because without action will be in this place five 10, 15 years from now.
WHITFIELD: So if there were moments of encouragement or assurances coming from the Obama administration during those meetings. Is there a feeling if Hillary Clinton needs to win the White House that they will be a natural progression into a continuation of that conversation or even effort being made that you believe is being promised by the Obama administration as a result to this conversations?
ROBINSON: I'm in no position to take anything for granted. We as a movement recognize that we have to continue to apply the type of pressure, the type push, the type of challenge that's going to force those in power to have to do the right thing. But simply saying that because Hillary reclaims a Democrat or because the Democrats, you know, will have meetings and have conversation that we can rest on our laurels.
We recognize a color change that we got to do all we can to defeat Donald Trump. In our pack, we'll be doing that. At the same time though, we have to have the type accountability, the type of push, the type of work that incentivizes change because the Democrats have, at times also sat on their hands.
And as a movement, you know, I do think though at the same time, you know, President Obama moved into office back in 08', you know, with a yes we can as sort of movement, really fueled by young black folks. Young black folks outperformed all other groups and even back in 2012, Mitt Romney won the white youth vote.
So really when you think about the power of the young black vote to turnout this -- turnout this election, it's about action, not just about props.
WHITFIELD: And that is still very big and important and it's a major concern to get young people motivated. And as it pertains to the black community, when you have someone like Tim Kaine, who is now the running mate of Hillary Clinton many people described him as being having a very urban understanding, you know, mayor of rich men. He has attended an African-American church for 30 years. He married in that church. He is very much in step with insensitive to the black community. How much might that assist in Hillary Clinton becoming appealing to what you would say is, some very apathetic voters particularly among young people?
ROBINSON: Well, I mean, I think the biggest incentive for young black people is going to be Donald Trump. For folks who watched his convention speech, who watched the last week of what happened in Cleveland, I was there. I was in the convention center for part of it. I saw the ways in which our movement has been attacked. Young black people were attacked our issues not risk.
WHITFIELD: But then you hear a lot from a number of people in the black community who will say Hillary Clinton's track record, you know, is also a turnoff as it pertains to historically what is happened in respect to black men being jailed under policies that she at one time encourage.
ROBINSON: Yes. And it's ...
WHITFIELD: So, this is a very difficult choice is being made.
ROBINSON: And it's something -- it is a difficult choice and that we don't necessarily have a candidate who has been a champion on all of our issues the way we want. It is not difficult when you line up the two candidates up against each other. And so there has to be a political calculation made around what we have to do and at the same time, we need to not just focus on what happened at the top of the ticket, but in down ballot races all around the country. My organization is really contending in district attorney races all around the country ...
WHITFIELD: OK.
ROBINSON: ...recognizing that D.A.s and the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system.
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
ROBINSON: 70 percent of them run unopposed. We need to move more young black people into office, holding district attorney's accountable, mayors, governors. This is a much bigger thing ...
WHITFIELD: Right.
ROBINSON: ... than just the presidency ...
WHITFIELD: Right.
ROBINSON: ... but the work has to be done to not just have conversation, but put reaction.
WHITFIELD: OK. And real quick, yes or no, will there be demonstrations is as American as apple pie to have protest? I mean this is what democracy is all about. Just down the block Bernie Sanders supporters are demonstrating. Do you expect that there might be Black Lives Matter movement or Color of Change movement demonstrations?
ROBINSON: You're Color of Change is not going to be doing a protest, but I absolutely know that people will be raising their voices. Like you said, this is America as apple pie and if we're not pushing and contending in the system then we will get results that are not in our best interest.
[15:35:12] WHITFIELD: All right, Rashad Robinson thank you so much, Color of Change appreciated. Good to see you.
ROBINSON: Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: I appreciate it. All right in this breaking news now into CNN, we want to bring you a source with the Clinton campaign says, they respect Democratic Party Chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz to be gone by the end of the day. Another source for the Democrats saying, the president or someone close to him may need to get involved and call her because her position right now is that she was appointed by the president himself. But another source telling CNN that Wasserman Schultz believes "She can weather this."
So again, Debbie Wasserman Schultz is been meeting with members with the DNC about this big e-mail dump and the implication that the DNC that staffers including her were not impartial. We're going to have much more on this and the latest developments right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Hi, welcome back. This breaking news now into CNN, a source with the Clinton campaign says they expect Democratic Party chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz to be gone by the end of the day.
[15:40:03] Another source with the Democrats saying the President of the United States or someone close to him may need to get involved and call Debbie Wasserman Schultz because her position right now is that she was appointed by the president himself. But another source tells CNN that Wasserman Schultz believes "She can weather this."
Here with us is CNN's Politics Executive Editor, Mark Preston and CNN's Political Commentator, Peter Beinart and Democratic Strategist, Maria Cardona, as we have military coppers go, you know, choppers going over head. You know, of course, make sanitizing of the area ahead of the DNC tomorrow.
So Mark you first. All of these sources saying there's no way she can weather the storm even though she maybe digging in her heels, thinking that she could.
PRESTON: Right and look, this report is coming from Dana Bash and Jeff Zeleny who are very well sourced amongst the Democratic politics. You know, what did Jeff Zeleny has learned is that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is gone dark at this point. Meaning, she is not taking telephone calls or at least was up into a few moments ago was not.
It's interesting the fact that another source is telling us that they expect Barrack Obama might have to step in because he's actually the one who appointed her to the position now. Just for our viewers out there to understand this, Barrack Obama is the head of the Democratic Party, but when you're in a presidential year, the nominee effectively takes it over. So this is really Hillary Clinton's party right now, certainly as we are in this lame-duck year, but the story is moving incredibly quick. It is something that Democrats do not want to deal with. They had a great day yesterday with rollout of Tim Kaine, and today, it is now being modeled by this.
WHITFIELD: And talk about being really awkward because the relationship between Hillary Clinton and Debbie Wasserman Schultz is said to be described as a very loyal relationship, Peter. And so, if it is indeed the nominee Clinton he would have to do that, how does this sour the rollout of this convention for her?
BEINART: Well I think the point for them is to get this over with as quickly as possible. I think this is Mark was saying. They want this to be over. They want the people to be talking about something else by tomorrow night. And I think one of the hallmarks of the way Hillary Clinton has intended to operate going back to a time as First Lady, is that although she makes this mistakes, she tends to be quite decisive, a lot more decisive than her husband. I think that's were seeing now. They're going to take decisive action.
Hillary Clinton is loyal to people who are loyal to her. She feels like Debbie Wasserman Schultz has caused her problems at a very inopportune time. I will be very, very surprised if Debbie Wasserman Schultz was still the head of the DNC tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: So Maria, while this might be very awkward that kind of decision from Hillary Clinton could send a very strong message about the kind of president, the kind of leader she would be?
CARDONA: Sure, absolutely, but I would just caution everybody to take a step back. You know, all these conversations are happening. I don't want to predetermine what those conversations are going to end up being and what the decision is going to be at the end of the day.
But I will repeat that Debbie Wasserman Schultz is somebody who has been committed to this party for such a long time. She has worked very hard. She had put in a lot of reforms and she is completely committed to making sure the Democrats defeat Donald Trump at the end of the day. She is somebody who's incredibly loyal to Hillary and vice versa we saw the rollout of Tim Kaine. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was there. She introduced Hillary. And so that is a very close relationship.
But I think again, when all is said and done Democrats at all levels from the president on down understand that in order to defeat Donald Trump we need every Democrat on our side. And this e-mail, you know, issue, problem was at a completely inopportune time. It was the worst thing that could happen to the party when we need so many of our progressive brothers and sisters to be with us.
And so, whatever happens the message needs to be that this going to be a party good as unified. We're going to be listening to everybody. Everybody counts with us and we're going to move forward with the best decision. And, you know again, I'm not going to predetermine what that is going to be. We'll see.
WHITFIELD: Does that message of unity, does it become more underscored depending on what Bernie Sanders says, what Hillary Clinton says in there, even if -- I mean, aside from the Debbie Wasserman Schultz moment?
PRESTON: You know a couple of things. I think that this is actually a very big moment for Bernie Sanders. When he left the race, he left it and he got silence for awhile and Democrats were very upset by that. That void was filled by Elizabeth Warren.
Elizabeth Warren then went and got the progressive movement behind her. Bernie Sanders got sidelined after helping to really build it and caress it and what have you. Here's a moment for Bernie Sanders now to go on the stage at the Wells Fargo Center and say we need to unify. We need to get together and Bernie Sanders is going to put himself in a different place.
But I've got to tell you this, we talk about emotion in politics a lot, right, because it's interesting and it's fun and it is, but politics is a business. And to Peter's part right now, it is a business. Hillary Clinton cannot have this distraction. If you're going to win, you cannot have a distraction and that's why Debbie Wasserman Schultz, you know, who actually (ph) said has fought for democratic values and has done a lot of things.
CARDONA: That's right.
PRESTON: But in the end, you got a go. You got to go. [15:45:00] WHITFIELD: So is Hillary Clinton having a conversation with president Obama right now? No you do it, no you do it. I mean because if I do it then here's the message but If you do and here's the message.
BEINART: I suspected one way or the other. The message will get to Debbie Wasserman Schultz if she's going up against the president of the United States and the Democratic nominee. She's going to have to ultimately do what they...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The lot of stake.
BEINART: I think the larger issue is we are seeing structural changes in the Democratic Party as it moves to the left and in some ways Debbie Wasserman Schultz is out of touch with where the Democratic Party has gone. I think the legacy of the Sanders campaign is going to be the -- we're going to see people running the Democratic Party who are to the left of where Debbie Wasserman Schultz is, on a whole range of issues.
Remember she barely supported the Iran nuclear deal she almost came out against that. The tides are shifting ideologically in the party and that's part of I think what was easy outcome of this.
PRESTON: Hey Fred, just one thing.
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
PRESTON: Dana Bash is now reporting as well as Tim Kaine the vice presidential nominee is scheduled to have a call with House Democrats. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is an elected member of the House of Representatives. Now she is told that this call was scheduled to talk about the ticket anyway, but there is no doubt that this is going to come up ...
WHITFIELD: This is prominent.
PRESTON: ... on this call absolutely.
CARDONA: Can I just make one other point about Debbie and just again not just committed Democrat she is but she is a smart cookie. She has an election herself. And I am sure that the other thing that she's taking into consideration is that all of these e-mails are going to be used by her opponent.
So one of the things that she's going to want to do is to focus on her own election and make sure that she wins because that again is going to be helping the Democratic Party as a whole and at the end of the date that is her commitment.
WHITFIELD: All right, hold up there that now. Dana Bash broke the story with sources that she had said, Debbie Wasserman Schultz will be gone by the end of the day. She's with us now inside the center. Dana what more can you tell us?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well that is certainly the feeling among people in the Clinton and frankly and Obama camps that they believe that it is either up going to be up to her to make that decision or in the in the words of one source it will done for her. And, you know, the open question now is how it is going to go.
Now, I should say as Jeff Zeleny and our other colleagues have been reporting, she has made very, very clear up until now that she feels that she should stay, she has the right stay that she has done a very good job up against odds where there it is fundraising or anything else. Obviously, as we've been discussing these leaks and the e-mails and the content of the e-mails given where we are right now where I am at the convention that she was supposed to chair is a completely different, different thing.
Now, the other thing I want to tell you and I'm just texting with our colleague Jeff Zeleny who's actually down below. He's been doing some excellent reporting. He hasbeen told that something actually that I have been told as well that she has been saying privately. She wants to hear from the president or maybe a proxy for the president because he is the one who put her in the job.
President Obama is the one who put her, who ask her to serve as DNC chair, so that is the person that she wants to hear it from, again, whether it is from him directly or somebody who is delivering a message for him that it is time for her to go.
As you have been discussing with that with all of -- with my colleagues and Maria and everyone out there, this is obviously something that they realized is a very, very big problem that they want to try to fix big time before this is officially gambled in tomorrow.
WHITFIELD: And so Dana how much it is kind of heightening the buzz already a lot of excitement anticipation right there where you were people are still building the set, they've been on the stage doing mic checks, you know, working on the lighting and now you have this, this clearly influence the dialogue of all of the campaign folks who were there trying to you know, across every T that every eye to make sure this is a perfect convention how much of a distraction is this now?
BASH: It's a big distraction but it's only because of that is because the kind of delegates and the kind of the temperature you already hit -- had coming into this convention. Fred, I'm sure you have seen just as I have just a few hours that I've been here at my hotel and on the streets, there are not of Bernie Sanders supporters here who are carrying the sign still; wearing the pins, still hardcore Bernie Sanders people who are reminding those of us in the media and everyone else that he got 43 percent of the vote across the board, a total in the Democratic primaries and caucuses and they have a lot of power.
So, to actually, you know, see in black and white with these e-mails what they all and of course Bernie Sanders said many times throughout the primary season that he suspected that the scale was tipped for Hillary Clinton. That is going to make the feeling on the floor and sort of the reluctant on the floor among many Bernie Sanders supporters to get behind Hillary Clinton even more intense unless this is obviously what the Clinton campaign and her advisors and people close to the president understand implicitly.
[15:50:24] WHITFIELD: All right, Dana, excellent reporting keep us posted also adding to the table here of the discussion. We've got Bill Press who stepped in, Bakari Sellers, Scottie Nell Hughes also stepped in. We're going to take a short break for now will talk much more about this right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back to Philadelphia live here breaking news into CNN. A source with the Clinton campaign says they expect Democratic Party Chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz to be gone by the end of the day. Another source with the Democrats saying the president of the United States or someone else close to him may need to get involved and then call her because her position right now is that she was appointed by the president himself. But another source tells CNN that Wasserman Schultz believes, "She can weather this."
Here with us now CNN politics executive editor Mark Preston, CNN political commentator Peter, no I think Peter's gone, no sorry. Hello Ron Brownstein, let me just disregard everything in front of you. Bill Press with me as well, Maria Cardona, Van Jones and Scottie Nell Hughes. How about that everybody?
OK we've got a full deck here. All right, Van you first because we're talking about Debbie Wasserman Schultz at least according to sources saying that she's waiting for the president you know him well how might he be handling this kind of moment or is indeed the party nominee who would be making that phone call?
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well that's all about my pay grade at this point. I'm going to stay out of that.
WHITFIELD: Hold on Mark has a new ...
PRESTON: I'm sorry it's just so, there's a statement that's just been put out from the Democratic let me just read it.
JONES: Sure.
[15:55:01] PRESTON: I've been privileged to serve as a DNC chair for 5 1/2 years helping to reelect President Obama and Vice President Biden strengthening our state party partnership in all 50 states leading a vigorous primary election this past year while preparing for the general election in representing millions of Democrats across the country. I couldn't be more excited that Democrats are nominating our first woman presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, a friend. I have always believed in no will be a great president. We've arrived here -- this is a long statement.
We have arrived here in Philadelphia -- let met jus try to get to the end here. I've been proud to serve as a first woman nominated by a sitting president as chair of the Democratic National Committee. I'm confident as a strong team in place will lead our party effectively through the elections will help elect our 45th president and she is buried in here somewhere. RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN National Political Correspondent: Why past tense in there?
PRESTON: Much to say -- OK here it is, here it is. As party chair this week I will open and close the convention and I will dress our delegates about the states involved in this election not only for Democrats but for all Americans. We have planned great unified convention this week I hope and expect the DNC team that has worked so hard to get us to this point we'll have the strong support of all the Democrats for making sure it's the best convention we've ever had.
My first priority was always been serving the people of 23rd District of Florida. I look forward to continuing to do that is the member of Congress in years to come as a mother of three amazing children and as a representative for the 2013 congressional district, I know that electing Hillary Clinton as our president is critical. I look forward to serving as a surrogate.
WHITFIELD: That does not say step down. That doesn't say - that does not say ...
(CROSSTALK)
PRESTON: I'm working on it, I'm working on it.
WHITFIELD: You keep reading. So Mark is ...
JONES: Somebody else ...
WHITFIELD: I mean, Bill, what are you interpreting that's far?
PRESS: That's far, I think she's making the wrong decision. I mean she's crazy.
WHITFIELD: No we don't know.
PRESS: I'm just - but I'm reading what I heard. We all heard the same time.
WHITFIELD: If you're not hearing shopping (ph) then you say crazy for thinking she can write I out.
PRESS: That's what I'm saying, yes.
WHITFIELD: But we don't that.
PRESS: And she said that she was going to do address open the convent close...
WHITFIELD: Open and close it.
PRESS: Open, close it and address the delegates. No. No.
JONES: I'm going to make it, I'm going to make a prediction. If she in fact chooses to go out and address this convening, a world record for booing will be set. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It going to be worse and the...
JONES: It will be - I mean that the Ted Cruz booing will look like a very, very small bleat compared to the massive overwhelming booing.
WHITFIELD: OK, hold that thought. We're going to talk more unless you can finalize this in 10 seconds.
PRESTON: I have gone to the end of the (inaudible). Going forward the best way for me to accomplish those goals is to step down as the party here at the end of this convention.
WHITFIELD: OK, hold on. And this is just a comma because we're going to take a short break. This is a comma we're going to come back and we're going to talk more about this now that we do know somewhere very in that statement was that statement of stepping down. All right, we'll be right back. Much more of the Newsroom right after this.
