Return to Transcripts main page

WOLF

Dems Knock Trump, Make Case for Clinton; Interview with Libertarian President, Vice President Nominees; Chelsea in Spotlight at DNC Tonight. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired July 28, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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


[13:30:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: There you see the former president standing up and applauding.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: It goes to your first question. By the way, Thomas Jefferson. I keep thinking, Thomas Jefferson? There might be one or two.

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST & CNN HOST, THE DAVID GREGORY SHOW PODCAST: Pretty qualified.

ZELENY: He was pretty qualified, too.

I thought last night was the single most effective night I've seen in a convention for either party since Bill Clinton's acceptance speech in 1992. The reason is not only because the quality of the speeches were so high, but it was because the message discipline was so precise. Each time they identified a weakness they said was there in Donald Trump, they identified an offsetting strength in Hillary Clinton. They described him as pessimistic, her as optimistic. Him as looking out for himself, her as looking out for other people. Him as unqualified, her as prepared. You go down the list. The book end of that remark was all of the commentary that Trump simply was uniquely unqualified to be president. They really I think presented a very powerful thing. The one thing that was missing and has been missing throughout this convention is a clear economic message, particularly the blue collar voters who feel they're being left behind both economically and culturally. I think that may be the biggest single piece Hillary Clintons that to fill in tonight.

BLITZER: Susan, will we hear that from Hillary Clinton tonight?

SUSAN PAGE, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, USA TODAY: She's struggled with doing that. There's a calculated risk with Democrats being quite so sunny. We know a majority of the Americans think the country is headed into a wrong direction. The degree to which they don't seem to acknowledge the anxiety a lot of Americans feel, that also can be a problem.

ZELENY: Obama had kind of a qualified optimism, because he described America, not as a city on a hill, but a work in progress, a more perfect union. Very much what I think they've done well is identify the Democratic Party over these first few nights with the changing face of America, celebrating the diversity of America. But what they haven't done is connected with the economic struggles many are still feeling.

BLITZER: Lots at stake for Hillary Clinton tonight when she delivers her acceptance speech.

Guys, thanks very much.

Coming up, crashing the party. The Libertarians descend on Philadelphia telling Democrats there is another option. How Gary Johnson and Bill Weld are courting voters still feeling the Bern, even though Hillary Clinton is the nominee. There they are, the Libertarian nominees. They'll join us live when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:3y:38] BLITZER: Hillary Clinton takes the stage tonight to accept her party's nomination. She's looking to make her case, among others, to the Bernie Sanders holdouts and Independents. Independents like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who threw his support behind Hillary Clinton last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Tonight, as an Independent, I am asking you to join with me, not out of party loyalty, but out of love of country, and together --

(CHEERING)

BLOOMBERG: -- and together, let's elect a sane, competent person with international experience --

(CHEERING)

BLOOMBERG: -- a unifier who is mature enough to reach out for advice, to build consensus, and to recognize that we all have something to contribute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now is the Libertarian Party ticket, the presidential candidate, the former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, and the vice presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor William Weld.

Thanks for joining us.

Michael Bloomberg seems to be reaching out not only to Independents but Libertarians when he made that statement. What is your reaction?

GARY JOHNSON, (L), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He could make that same speech for Bill Weld or Gary Johnson. Good speech. Good speech. That's what we're looking to reach out to, also.

BLITZER: He says, Michael Bloomberg, says, "The country needs a sane, competent person," suggesting Donald Trump is not sane or competent. Do you agree with him on that? JOHNSON: Well, I certainly have my differences with Donald Trump.

Let me just put this scenario out there. Either Trump or Clinton get elected, Republicans are not going to get along with Democrats, Democrats are not going to get along with Republicans. It's going to be more polarized than ever. How about a couple of guys in the middle, the big six-lane highway down the middle reaching out to both sides, telling them to come together and let's address the problems this country is facing.

BLITZER: Governor Weld, do you think Donald Trump is sane?

WILLIAM WELD, (L), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I understand what Bloomberg is saying. I don't think he was describing Donald Trump. Further, to what Gary was saying, we represent a mix of policy views that neither party stands for. We're fiscally responsible. We can prove that. We both cut budgets and tamed the budgets in our states and balanced them. We're about as inclusive and tolerant and open minded socially as you can be. I don't think that describes the Republican Party these days. So we offer you fiscally responsible, socially liberal and inclusive, and nobody else really does.

BLITZER: Do you think it's realistic the two of you will be elected president and vice president?

JOHNSON: Yes.

BLITZER: You do believe that?

JOHNSON: Yes. Neither of us would be doing it if that opportunity didn't exist. Of course, that's getting to 15 percent in the polls. We have a campaign starting, 15 percent by the 15th.

BLITZER: The 15 percent is critically important because in order to appear in those three presidential debates, one vice presidential debate, you have to be at 15 percent in a series of five polls going into their decision. Is that right?

JOHNSON: That's right. I saw last week where they're projecting an audience bigger for the first presidential debate than the Super Bowl. No way that you have a chance of winning without being in that Super Bowl.

[13:40:05] WELD: That 15 percent figure has been historically true, Wolf. Gary has been calling 12 percent and 13 percent, so we're not far away. I would say there's a national interest in having us in the debates because we represent a view that neither major party does. In fact, my villain this year is the duopoly, the two-party monopoly. And the Republicans and Democrats seem to exist for the primary purpose of killing each other and having gridlock in Washington.

BLITZER: You agree if you don't get into those presidential and vice presidential debates, the chances are slim?

JOHNSON: Yes, slim.

BLITZER: That is critical right now. JOHNSON: Critical.

BLITZER: You've got to get to that 15 percent. If you get to the 15 percent, is it realistic to think -- you think you can win, but get 270 Electoral College votes in November?

JOHNSON: It becomes possible. It becomes possible. Anything can happen if that is the case. Bill stated these policy positions. Look, a third leg of the school would be the military interventions this country has been embarked on that we're going to argue have had the unintended consequence of making things worse, not better. And we're not isolationist. Donald Trump is isolationist. We're not non- interventionists.

WELD: We're also the only free-trade ticket still out there.

BLITZER: Do you support the Trans-Pacific Partnership?

WELD: We support TPP. We support NAFTA. I can remember being in the White House with Bill Clinton --

BLITZER: You just alienated potentially a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters.

WELD: I understand that. We made a vow to each other to tell the truth. But I remember working on NAFTA with President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich to round up the votes.

BLITZER: You like NAFTA?

WELD: I do. I do. I like free trade.

JOHNSON: As my governor -- my pledge to New Mexico as governor was, look, I'm going to sign on to anything that makes these things better. None of these trade agreements are exactly like you'd want to see them, but do they make things better in the case of the Trans-Pacific Partnership? Yeah. It's more towards free trade.

Another misunderstood conception is that free trade is on the other end of crony capitalism. I think we've come to associate crony capitalism and free trade as a needle pointing in the same action when they're genuinely opposite.

BLITZER: I had an exchange with Mitt Romney on June 10th out in Utah. We spoke about the two of you. Let me play the clip and then we'll discuss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And this third party Libertarian candidate, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, would you consider supporting him?

MITT ROMNEY, (R), FORMER MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR & FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I'm going to look at what he has to say. His running mate, Bill Weld, is someone I respect enormously.

BLITZER: Former Republican governor of Massachusetts.

ROMNEY: Exactly. He was a fine governor, fine friend, a supporter of mine both in 2008 and 2012. If Bill Weld were at the top of the ticket, it would be very easy for me to vote for Bill Weld for president. So I'll get to know Gary Johnson better and see if he's someone I could end up voting for. That's something which I'll evaluate over the coming weeks and month.

BLITZER: So you're not ruling out that possibility?

ROMNEY: I'm not ruling that out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Has he reached out to you, Governor Johnson?

JOHNSON: Well, I'll let Bill talk about it. But we have a mutual admiration society when it comes to Bill Weld beyond my wildest --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: But have you spoken to Mitt Romney since he made those widely publicized remarks?

JOHNSON: Yes, we have.

BLITZER: How did that conversation go?

JOHNSON: Well, I think he's considering the possibility of doing this. Look --

BLITZER: Considering the possibility of doing what?

JOHNSON: Actually, endorsing the two of us.

BLITZER: Really?

JOHNSON: Yeah.

BLITZER: You know him a lot better. You were governor of Massachusetts.

WELD: He's thinking about it, Wolf. I don't want to press the point unless and until we get to 15 percent, because then I think the case for it is overwhelming. A couple of the Bushs have already come out in support of us. We're very hopeful that Governor Jeb Bush might see his way clear to supporting the ticket. But whether or not they do, we're creeping up on that figure that will get us in the debates. And I can almost guarantee you, if we get to 15, we're going to get to 20 percent. At that point, we're extremely dangerous as a ticket. Nobody can say we didn't change our states. We succeed Democratic governors and cleaned up the fiscal mess and we're socially tolerant.

BLITZER: Who are the two Bushs that have endorsed you?

WELD: Marvin Bush yesterday and Jonathan Bush of Boston is supporting us financially.

BLITZER: So you're encouraged --

WELD: He's all in, he says.

BLITZER: You think you realistically have a chance?

JOHNSON: Yes.

BLITZER: You're not just a spoiler?

JOHNSON: That might be kind of fun, but that's not my idea of --

BLITZER: If you don't get into the debates and don't have a chance. Who would you prefer, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? If you don't get in the debates.

JOHNSON: Well, since 1971, there's always been a Libertarian candidate, so I'd have to go with the Libertarian candidate, whoever that was.

BLITZER: That's you. You're the nominee.

And you are the nominee.

Governor and Governor --

WELD: Pleasure being with you.

BLITZER: -- thanks very much for joining us.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

BLITZER: Appreciate it very much.

She grew up in the spotlight, and tonight, she'll be center stage once again. Chelsea Clinton previews her mom's speech tonight.

Plus, what she had to say about Ivanka Trump and her father's personal attacks on her mother.

[13:45:04] Take a look. Live pictures coming in from the Democratic convention here in Philadelphia.

Much more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Welcome back. We're here in Philadelphia looking at live pictures from inside the Democratic National Convention.

Tonight, Chelsea Clinton will take the stage and introduce her mother.

As CNN's Sunlen Serfaty shows us, Chelsea Clinton has come a long way since her dad was in the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: From a shy teenager growing up in the glare of the political spotlight --

(CHANTING)

SERFATY: -- to hesitant campaigner in 2008, Chelsea Clinton is now fully embracing her pivotal role in her mother's path to the White House.

CHELSEA CLINTON, DAUGHTER OF HILLARY & BILL CLINTON: I couldn't image a better grandmother for my children than my mom, but I couldn't imagine a better president than my mother.

SERFATY: The 36-year-old mother of two will play a starring role tonight introducing her mother moments before she officially accepted the nomination.

CHELSEA CLINTON: Well, I hope to convey even just a small sense of why I am so proud and grateful to be her daughter.

[13:50:10] SERFATY: Aides to Chelsea tell CNN she's taking this speech more seriously than any speech she's given before, spending weeks writing it with her mother's speech writer and rehearsing it for her husband.

CHELSEA CLINTON: I'm going to talk as her daughter. I'm an only child so it is a unique position that I have. I just hope that people understand even a little more when I'm done than when I started about why I love her so much and admire her so much.

SERFATY: Tonight's speech, the latest sign that Chelsea's taking on a more visible role in the campaign.

CHELSEA CLINTON: I think this is the most important presidential election of my lifetime.

SERFATY: Having crisscrossed the country during the primaries.

CHELSEA CLINTON: What matters most to me now as a mom myself is that my mom has been fighting for, making progress on issues that really matter to me.

SERFATY: As she makes the case for her mother, she's also gone on the offensive.

CHELSEA CLINTON: I think it is important that all of us who don't feel like Mr. Trump's rhetoric of sexism and racism, Islamophobia and anti-immigrant, hatred and stance has no place in our country.

SERFATY: And challenging her friend, Ivanka Trump, to defend her father's positions.

IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: He will fight for equal pay for equal work. CHELSEA CLINTON: How would your father do that, given it's not

something he's spoken about. There are no policies on any of those fronts that you just mentioned on his website, not last week, not this week.

SERFATY: Even as she stays focused on her mother's campaign, questions persist about her own potential political future.

CHELSEA CLINTON: I understand why people ask me that question. My last name's Clinton. My dad was president, as you remember. My mom is running to be president.

SERFATY: Not shutting the door on that possibility.

CHELSEA CLINTON: I then would have to think, could I make a real difference here, is this something that I should do. But for now, I'm well represented and I love what I do.

SERFATY: Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Philadelphia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Joining us now, CNN commentator and Hillary Clinton supporter, Bakari Sellers.

A Lot of pressure on Chelsea Clinton tonight to deliver. You know her. What do you anticipate?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I had the opportunity to campaign with Chelsea in Hartford, Connecticut, a few months ago. She had so much of her dad in her, the way that she moved around the crowd, the way that she spoke to every single person in the room. She's giving the biggest speech of her life followed by her mother giving the biggest speech of her life. I think Chelsea's going to be emotional and I think that emotion is going to play out. We know she's grown up in the public eye, grown into just an unbelievable person, a mother, daughter. I know a lot of that will be on display tonight.

BLITZER: There's a lot of comparisons between her speech tonight and Ivanka Trump's speech last week. Ivanka Trump was impressive as well.

SELLERS: Ivanka Trump hit a homerun last week. Ivanka Trump had a goal in mind when she went out there. Her father does extremely, poorly with women. That's not the case with Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton. I think Chelsea can just go out and simply tell people who Hillary is as a mother and grandmother, humanize her. She'll be just fine. I think both of them, at the end of the day, will both have hit homeruns.

BLITZER: A lot of people were talking about that moment last night when President Obama finished speaking, and the surprise of the night, when Hillary Clinton actually walked out. You're smiling right now. When you saw that picture, she was beaming. She was --

SELLERS: That hug. BLITZER: -- so excited.

SELLERS: That hug that they gave. When they embraced, it was like she took a sigh. When you compare that to the chemistry we did or didn't see between Mike Pence and Donald Trump. What you may not know about Hillary Clinton in '08, I remember how visceral sometimes the disagreements could be between the two camps. But they generally have a respect and admiration for each other around dare I say a love for each other. I think this whole convention is coming together and Hillary Clinton is going to bat clean-up. It is time to bring these runners home.

BLITZER: People saw the first African-American president of the United States, maybe the first woman president of the United States. I'm sure you were thinking about that.

SELLERS: I was thinking about that. It's amazing. I was saying yesterday, I'm only 31 years old and I have the opportunity to see the first African-American president and possibly the first female president in my lifetime. That shows you as a country we have made a lot of progress. Even though we still have a ways to go, that moment -- even if you take away the politics from it, if you're Democrat or Republican, or Gary Johnson, you have to be able to say, that is what America is, and be proud of it.

BLITZER: You're going to be speaking from the convention floor later today as well. How did that happen? What are you going to say?

SELLERS: Well, the secretary reached out to me and asked me to play a role in the convention. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity. I'm going to be speaking tonight to more people that are in my hometown. My goal is just to make my parents proud. It should be fun. Make you proud, Wolf, of being a colleague. And, you know --

BLITZER: What's your message? Because you have to give the substance, very quickly, one sentence.

SELLERS: From protest to progress.

BLITZER: What does that mean?

[13:55:12] SELLERS: Showing we are rooted, our Democratic party is rooted in so much protest, civil rights protests, Harvey Milk. Now we have an opportunity to build on that and the successes we've seen based on those struggles in the past.

BLITZER: Good luck tonight. We'll be watching.

SELLERS: Thank you.

BLITZER: Are you nervous?

SELLERS: Not yet.

BLITZER: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

Thanks very much, Bakari Sellers.

That's it for me. I'll be back at 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room," and all night, we'll be bringing you the latest from the Democratic National Convention.

Our special coverage continues right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)