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IDESK
Police: Swimmers Fabricated Robbery Story; Two Swimmers Return To U.S. Amid "Robbery" Flap; U.S. Olympic Committee Apologizes For Swimmers; U.S. Swimmers Accused Of Vandalism; Ryan Lochte's Ascent To The Spotlight; Jamaica's Bolt Wins Gold In Men's 200M; Simone Biles: First Olympics Feels Amazing; Trump "Regrets" Some Campaign Rhetoric; Paul Manafort Resigns From Trump Campaign; Trump Arrives In Louisiana As Manafort Resigns; Ryan Lochte Issues Apology; Swimmer Remembers Own Flap At 1988 Games
Aired August 19, 2016 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00] ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead at the "International Desk." The latest on the American swimmers' trouble in Rio. Donald Trump talks
about his regrets. And we take you inside an overcrowded prison in the Philippines.
Hi there, welcome. I'm Robyn Curnow at the CNN center. Thanks for joining us.
And there's more clarity today with all several questions still over just what four U.S. swimmers did at a gas station in Rio. Brazilian police
insist Ryan Lochte and the others were not crime victims despite Lochte's claim that he was robbed at gunpoint. Well, Nick Paton Walsh joins me from
Rio with the latest developments.
You've been trying to get us through the twists and the turns of this drama. What can you tell us now?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, just for those of you who've been trying to make sense of this, the ramifications of
this bizarre all from a break on a highway near the Olympic venues on early Sunday morning. We know pretty much what the story is, it seems. There
was vandalism. Most people accept that that a poster torn off the wall hardly a major crime. And then some urinating that happened behind a gas
station building feet away from the actual toilet itself. All that's confusing.
Perhaps with that so, we can be now celebrating all night in 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday. But, the stories diverge when they leave that alley way where they
said to have urinated and try and get into one taxi, failed, and get into the second one. That is where the story seemed to split, that suggestions
by the swimmers still that they were in fact held at gunpoint and forced to hand over money. Brazilian police say, no, actually this was a
compensation agreement voluntarily entered into because these people have damaged property there.
The U.S. Olympic committee have tried to draw a line onto this and drive us right through between those story saying, well the swimmers could see
firearms on the security guards as they negotiated this deal so maybe they felt they were -- anyway, whatever it came down to, perception is obviously
slightly hampered at 6:00 a.m. after a nights in a nightclub here in Rio de Janeiro.
So, we may have -- gets the bottom of this about what at that particular time. But there's ramification to this of course. These two swimmers are
pulled off the plane, Mr. Bentz and Mr. Conger. They are now back in Miami. The one remaining swimmer here, James Feigen, well we just learned
is he's going to pay $10,800 to a Brazilian charity as part of a, kind of a, some sort of arrangement he came to with a judge in a courtroom after
police pushed the allegations of filing a false police report against him and Mr. Lochte towards the court.
That seems to draw a line under it. And I think the suggestion now is he should get his passport back. And I'm sure he'll be leaving pretty much as
soon as he can.
Well, Ryan Lochte, what of him? He left way before the search warrants even came out. That was scheduled, says his attorney. He still stuck by
his story. They still maintain that he thinks he was a victim of an armed robbery but he's being very quiet so far.
And he's putting a picture on his warped face up on Instagram yesterday, well, they all displayed it out. I think some would consider both
inactions at the gas station and the decision to only comment through distorting your face on Instagram does not necessarily realize the gravity
of the mess he's left behind him here in Rio.
But, you know, this is really, Robyn, at the end of the day, 10 minutes of drunken messing around in the back of a gas station, peeing in the wrong
place and here we are, four days, still talking about it with the image of the U.S. Olympic team dragged through the mud and the end of the Olympic
game has spoiled, frankly, at headlines taken over because of it, Robyn.
CURNOW: Yeah, I mean certainly drunken antics at 6:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning are not unusual. The fact is that the question is now why lie
about it, why conjure up a story, and then give a false statement to the police? And that question hasn't been answered, has it?
WALSH: Well, obviously, Mr. Lochte said he believes he was fully in his rights to say, you know, hang on a minute I had a gun held at me while I
handed over this money. So, just say, we'll come down to perception, I think, within that moments of that moments. And I think some of the people
in that moment even by their own representatives accept that they had been drinking. So that will always be a little fiddly.
There are out standing questions there. Well this is very sensitive for Brazilians. I mean, people here are killed as part of petty crime on a
regular basis. So, the idea that you might choose to use a false instance of an armed robbery as an alibi is disgusting to many Brazilians. And
that's something just cause the ferocity of the police reaction here too.
That what I say, we don't know the final truth, we may never know the final truth. But we also can now start to ask questions about what U.S.
officials knew, when did they become aware of the possible discrepancies between Mr. Lochte's account and maybe, according to Brazilian Police, his
account and those of the other swimmers and then also how that corresponded to reality and the CCTV footage.
You know there's a period of a number of days in which there was lack of clarity until we have to get the Brazilian court warrants for search and
seize are actually emerging. So, this has left really, I think, a nasty stain on most people's reputations who were involved to that.
[10:05:08] Certainly, the city of Rio, which is doing what it can to make this really good games successful is now being with this armed robbery
instance and with that all it would happened as one of the major headlines here, Robyn.
CURNOW: Indeed, thanks so much Nick Paton Walsh as always. Thanks for joining us here on the "I-Desk."
Now, we haven't seen or heard from Ryan Lochte as Nick was saying since his claims on NBC that he was robbed at gunpoint. But you can see plenty of
him in the newspapers and social media, that's for sure.
This is today's "New York Post" cover with the headline, "The Ugly American." Lochte has had a long successful career dotted by some mild
run-ins with the law.
Now, Miguel Marques looks at the man at the center of this Olympic-sized controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN LOCHTE, U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER: Hi, I'm Ryan Lochte.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Twelve time Olympic medalist including six gold. He holds world records in 200 meter and 400 meter individual
medleys. A four-time Olympian bursting into stardom after winning five of his 12 medals in the 2012 London games.
LOCHTE: I'm not the one to really get sentimental, to get all teary-eyed, but when that national anthem was being played and our flag was being
raised, I just remember all those hours that I -- all that hard work and dedication that I put into the sport is like finally paying off and like my
dreams are coming true.
MARQUEZ: Lochte's dreams built on a foundation of swimming and charisma.
LOCHTE: Being called one of the sexiest men alive is definitely an honor.
MARQUEZ: Runner-up in "People" magazine's sexiest man in 2012. Lochte, his millions of social media followers, bad boy antics and boyish charm put
him squarely in the public eye.
LOCHTE: Lochte for president. Yeah.
MARQUEZ: The much hyped reality show, "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" sank after eight episodes in 2013. His clothing line also never took off and
his acting played mainly on his public persona.
LOCHTE: Another old guy wanted to buy my shirt. Old guys are so funny.
MARQUEZ: In "30 Rock" he played himself.
LOCHTE: My character on "30 Rock" is the sex idiot. I get to play myself. I get to play just Ryan Lochte. So, it's not too much acting that I have
to do. So that's pretty good.
MARQUEZ: His swimming career starting when he was eight, named NCAA All- American 24 times at University of Florida and a seven-time SEC champ. He also had run-ins there that echo today. In 2005, two incidents reported by
university police, one for trespassing, the second time for urinating in public. In 2010, two years after graduating, university police cited
Lochte for disorderly conduct, fighting in public.
LOCHTE: I could be having the worst day of my life, but as soon as I step foot in that water everything just disappears.
MARQUEZ: Sponsorships by Ralph Lauren, Speedo and Airweave, now at stake over the years, those in many other adding up to millions of dollars.
Lochte says he wants to compete in Tokyo 2020 but this incident could end the career of a guy known for cutting up. Remember the American flag mouth
grill in 2012 and of course that blondish, greenish, bluish hair this year.
LOCHTE: When you think about America, you think about hotdogs. Guess what? Ryan Lochte's got his own hotdog.
MARQUEZ: But has the 32-year-old with a killer backstroke finally bit off more than he can chew? A night out drinking, partying and trouble-making
could topple an athlete otherwise on top of the world.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: It's the Olympics. Let's not forget the competition that is going on in Rio. And one of today's biggest highlights came on the track at the
Olympic Stadium. Jamaica, Usain Bolt won the men's 200 meters for his second gold medal of the games. If Bolt and his teammates can win a relay
race tonight, he would have completed a historic triple-triple. That would be three gold medals in each of the last three last Olympic Games. Despite
his easy victory Thursday, Bolt seemed disappointed. He said he should have run faster.
And during these games first-time U.S. Olympian Simone Biles charmed the world. She dominated in the gymnastics competitions. And she's taking
home four gold medals and a bronze. Well, Biles spoke with CNN a short time ago about her experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMONE BILES, U.S. OLYMPIC GYMNAST: Well it feels amazing and it's very rewarding and we feel so accomplished. And I think it's just what we
didn't practice, so we're all very proud.
CURNOW: What about -- and many people were expecting that gold medal but - - in the beam, but you got a bronze. Were you disappointed with that at all?
BILES: I can't say that I was disappointed in the bronze that I received because anyone in the world would love to have bronze at the Olympic Games.
But I was just only disappointed in the skill that I did. But the rest of the routine, I can't be mad about because the rest of the routine was very
good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:10:10] CURNOW: Well later on in the newscast, more Olympians, in fact, the inspiring story of an Olympic rower. South African Lawrence Britton is
a silver medalist just 18 months after beating cancer. It's an amazing story. I'll talk to him in about 30 minutes time. So stay with us.
In the race for the White House, does a new executive team mean a new Donald Trump? The candidate broke with his aggressive style on the stump
Thursday night even expressing regret over comments he's made. Chris Frates has a story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've never been politically correct.
CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump doing what he refused to do throughout his campaign, expressing remorse for his controversial
statements.
TRUMP: Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I
have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it.
FRATES: A completely 180 from the unapologetic tone his supporters have come to expect.
TRUMP: And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues. But
one thing I can promise you this. I will always tell you the truth.
FRATES: Trump delivering prepared remarks speaking for the first time since his campaign overhaul and veering away from the brash persona that
could doom him in the general election.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I think we're going to sharpen the message. And we're going to make sure Donald Trump is comfortable
about being in his own skin that he doesn't lose that authenticity, that you simply can't buy and a pollster can't give you.
FRATES: The Republican nominee not saying exactly what he regrets but his remarks come after a firestorm of criticism for attacking the family of a
slain Muslim-American soldier.
TRUMP: I don't regret anything. I said nice things about his son.
FRATES: And he is yet to apologize for attacking Republican Senator John McCain who spent five years as a POW in Vietnam.
TRUMP: He's not a war hero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's a war hero.
TRUMP: He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured, OK? I hate to tell you.
JOHN MCCAIN, U.S. SENATOR: There's a body of American heroes that I'd like to see him retract that statement.
FRATES: Trump did express mild regret after tweeting an unflattering photo of Ted Cruz's wife, Heidi, next to his wife Melania. Later, telling the
New York Times "It was a mistake."
Trump also using the opportunity to show support for flood victims in Louisiana.
TRUMP: When one state hurts, we all hurt. And we must all work together to lift each other up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CURNOW: And we're getting more information about a shake-up inside the Trump campaign. It continues. This is breaking news.
Let's hand you over to my colleagues in Washington in New York to continue debating this issue.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: To get us where we are today and in particular his work guiding us through the delegate and convention process. Paul is a
true professional and I wish him the greatest success. And that was signed Donald J. Trump.
An interesting to note if you're someone that -- that we're hearing from our sources is that Manafort was concerned he was becoming a distraction.
There were a couple of different news reports, of course, this week further broadening his involvement with different issues in Ukraine.
What is it specifically, or what have you been hearing in terms of political circles if watch Donald Trump's plane, I believe, making its way
into Baton Rouge here, something that you're hearing about that concern of Paul Manafort being a distraction? Because with 81 days to go now, the
last thing any campaign need is another distraction, Sunlen.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right. And I think that this is a very clear admission from the Trump campaign that
they were not on the right trajectory, and that this is kind of a recalibration of their strategy.
You know, as you mentioned, there were, of course, questions and criticisms about Paul Manafort's ties to lobbying abroad. But, it seems that the
biggest nail in the coffin really here was his -- within the campaign.
It appears that he had been pushed back on Donald Trump trying to make those so-called presidential pivots. And it seems that Donald Trump felt a
little shackled in sort of his command or his request for the candidate to shape up and do things the way that doesn't come naturally to him.
In that statement that you read by Donald Trump campaign, I thought it was notable that they kind of specifically pointed out that Paul Manafort was
at the beginning, specifically brought in to be this convention guru, with this guys who could help lead their delegate strategy when then it was
thought that there would be a contested convention going into Cleveland in August.
[10:15:16] And then he kind of took on a bigger role within the campaign after Corey Lewandowski was out as campaign manager. He was not elevated
to campaign manager, then, which was notable, but certainly had significant influence in the campaign. Seem that at -- in the course of the last few
weeks and certainly over the plunging of his poll numbers in the last few weeks that he was trying to push the candidate, Donald Trump, to a place
that he clearly did not want to be, Erica.
HILL: CNN Political Director David Chalian is also with us at this point. And David, give me just a second, I just want to point out to the folks
watching, of course, that is Donald Trump's plane arriving in Baton Rouge. He's joining Mike Pence on the ground. It's interesting timing, David,
that we are seeing Donald Trump's plane arrive.
So, there he is. He's going to be on the ground with his running mate. We know the governor of Louisiana has said, "Look, you may be better off
waiting a little bit. I don't want this to just be just a photo op." And yet, those optics could go a long, long way with voters.
And as that image is coming at us, David Chalian, we're learning that now Paul Manafort is stepping down because he doesn't want to be a distraction.
Are the two somehow canceling each other out here?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: No, I don't know that they're canceling each other out. You know, there's no shortage of news coming
from the Trump campaign this week.
Let's deal with Manafort first. I see the plane is coming to a rest shortly and we can then talk about the Baton Rouge visit. But, Erica, I
think, you know, Manafort was clearly demoted in this process. I know earlier in the week, when the campaign shake-up happened, Kellyanne Conway
was talking about how they were the core four people, and that this was just an expansion and adding too. But, Paul Manafort was clearly sidelined
in this process even though he had retained that title of chairman.
And as you noted, these stories that have come out all week long about his work in Ukraine, his Russian ties, that clearly was starting to become a
distraction as our sources tell Dana Bash, Paul Manafort said to Donald Trump, "I don't want to be a distraction."
So, when you -- he was becoming a distraction or at least he thought so, according to our sources. And that he had been sidelined getting out of
the way completely clearly made the most sense here.
I do think what you're seeing, though, when you see Donald Trump last night trying out a change in tone, talking about regrets, when you see his new
campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, out on shows, doing interviews day in and day out now and talking about the path forward here, when you see a
commitment in bringing on Steve Bannon to really taking the fight in a brawler kind of way to Hillary Clinton every day, you are seeing the
emergence here of what seems to be a new team and perhaps a new strategy for these final 80 days in the campaign.
And I think this trip to Baton Rouge is part of that. I think it is showing sort of flexibility, a nimbleness, if you will, that this clearly
was going on, this devastation in Louisiana. And Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence coming together on the campaign trail to go and see
it for themselves, get a briefing on this, express their sympathy to the residents down there in Louisiana. Both to contrast to the fact that, of
course, President Obama is on vacation and has not made this visit. We know the Democratic governor there, of course, said that's not needed.
That would be a diversion of resources.
But nonetheless, this is a clear contrast with President Obama and a clear opportunity for Donald Trump to reach out to voters in a sympathetic
fashion. Those two things are pretty powerful messages to get out there in a week where you're trying to set forth a new course.
HILL: David Gergen, I know you said we do, and I think, most would agree, we do need to wait and see what happens. Last night was one thing, last
night's speech was one thing. But if you add up everything we've seen in the last 36 hours, it's fascinating as we hear Kellyanne Conway talk about
how she's going to let Donald Trump be Trump. You don't want to mess with the person that they have.
And yet, at least from the outside, there is clearly a lot of activity happening behind the scenes. And he appears to be listening. How
important are all of these, these moments that we're seeing, these optics we're seeing, these photo op as you put them together moving forward?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: And they would be very, very important I think, if they continue. We've been to this story before.
We've been to this well before. When he's told people, I'm going to change. I can guarantee it, Republican leaders have been repeatedly told
that, and then three days later he comes out with one of these really explosive statements.
So, I just think we have to be -- we have to be a little skeptical here about that there's some dramatic transformation taking place until we
actually see it and see proof over time. You know, if there's a softer, you know, more presidential side of Donald Trump that has not emerged in
the campaign that these guys can bring out, his new team can bring out, more power to them. You know, they could put him back into much stronger
contention.
[10:20:16] But three days from now, he, you know, in all kind of remark explodes someone, something. We're all going to say, well that was really
damn short-lived, a lot of pivot. So, I just think we have to be a little careful here.
I do think that what he's got is he's got some very smart people who are good, tactical people around him. They're very good at tactics. But, we
also have to remember where they came from. When you got the guy who runs Breitbart coming in, which is ultraconservative, you know, it's just hard
to believe that the Donald Trump is suddenly going to start reaching out to all the moderates who have been uncomfortable with him. And all college
educated white women, you know, he needs as voters.
HILL: And to you point too, we heard him say earlier this week in an interview, "Listen, I am who I am. I'm not going to change. This is who
you get."
GERGEN: Yeah, exactly.
HILL: So to your point, well be interesting to see.
I want to bring in Dana Bash who's with us on the phone now. Dana, I know you have some reporting to share with us.
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erica. You know, the statement that the Trump campaign put out was pretty basic and bland and I
think, kind of perfunctory in terms of Donald Trump thanking Paul Manafort for his service. But I'm told that as part of Manafort's resignation he
made clear personally to Donald Trump that he recognized that Manafort said to him that he was becoming a distraction.
As we know, and as CNN has been reporting, a lot of stories over the past week -- two weeks, about Manafort's business ties to Russia, what he did
with the Ukraine and so on and so forth. And the fact that that has still been going on, certainly, and I think, Manafort understood did not help for
a candidate, as you all were talking about, who wants to at least try to turn the corner. And a candidate who himself has his own distractions, if
you will, had been on a weekly sometimes daily basis. The last thing he needs is somebody who's been a senior level or was at a senior level to add
to that.
But, as I say that and as I report this to you, I think, you know, it goes without saying that the fact is Paul Manafort was pushed out at the
beginning of the week. So, it is not a big, big surprise that being pushed out, plus being the subject of some unwanted news stories, the combination
of that made it pretty unsustainable for Manafort.
HILL: Sorry, Dana, I missed just the last part of what you said. But I know you were pointing out the fact that it's pretty clear Paul Manafort
was pushed out.
As we look at the changes that we've seen over the week. And Sunlen, I'm going to put you on the spot here, so I apologize in advance, if you don't
have this information. But I'm wondering if there are any more rumblings about further changes to come behind the scenes there with the Trump-Pence
campaign?
I don't know if we still have -- we may not -- or even David Chalian, you may have even heard that as well. And again, just sort of -- I understand
this is -- I may be putting you guys on the spot. I don't mean to put you in a difficult position. But I just wondering if there may be anymore
rumblings that we're hearing in terms of further shakeout behind the scenes that could be coming to the Trump-Pence campaign?
CHALIAN: The team will continue to expand. Kellyanne Conway has been talking about that especially in the key battleground states. But, I don't
think there are rumblings of a -- there's not much more of the old leadership to shake-up and move out and bring in.
So, there's a new leadership team in place there. And as Dana was saying, it's not terribly surprising that Manafort would end up leaving the
campaign after clearly being sidelined earlier in the week. So, now it sort of seems that the shake-up, if you will, that we reported on Wednesday
is now complete.
HILL: Now complete as we move into the next phase. As we talk about for people who are just joining us. We're of course talking about the news
that Paul Manafort has resigned saying to our Dana Bash reporting that he had told the campaign he was concerned he was becoming a distraction.
We've been talking about, too, just the changes that we've seen in Donald Trump in just the last, I would say, 36 hours or so, maybe not even. There
was the speech last night given on teleprompter where he talked about the fact that he has said some things that he regrets, that even mentioned the
fact that some them may have caused some personal pain for people. He's not specific about which comments or people he was referring to but
rephrasing that saying that he would be truthful.
[10:25:09] One of the other things that stood out to me, David Gergen, as well, is we know, and David Chalian, we were talking about some of this
earlier that Donald Trump, of course, is reach out to a broader base in order to up his numbers as we move into November.
And David Gergen, we heard him reaching out specifically to African- American voters last night basically saying, look, the Democrats take you for granted. They've forgotten you. And then he said, "What have you got
to lose?"
In terms of an approach, it's a new one, David Gergen. But could it be effective to lay that case out for voters that they are being taken for
granted in certain areas of this country and that Donald Trump is worth a shot?
GERGEN: It's certainly worth a shot. Some of the rhetoric last night was reminiscent of what he said before about people being poor, of having more
of an opportunity in life. It was -- That was rhetoric that, you know, it often doesn't -- you don't often associate with the Republicans. And so, I
think it would be welcomed.
But I also think you have to put that against the fact that the people now running the campaign, you know, especially Mr. Bannon had had a reputation
of walking very close to the edge on racism.
So, how much of this is real and how much of it's a feint, I don't think we know. I think, that one another question about, and I love David Chalian's
view on this if he's still there, about in terms of the relationships at the top of the Trump campaign. Where do the children now fit into this?
Where does Ivanka fit into this and where does her husband Jared fit in? Are -- do they remain influential voices?
After all, they have been associated with the forces that didn't want to have their father turn somewhat presidential, to pivot. And we haven't
read their names as being influential in bringing in Bannon and promoting Kellyanne Conway. Where do they stand? I think that's an interesting
piece of this still to come out.
CHALIAN: It's an excellent question, David. It is indeed true that you know, Jared Kushner had come back. He and Ivanka were on vacation in
Croatia, came back to participate in the meeting on Tuesday at Trump Tower to sort of announce and set the new changes in place with the top
leadership.
So, I do think that there is no waning, there's no diminishment of influence of the children, of his .
GERGEN: But David, wouldn't you be surprised if Ivanka was recommending Bannon? They just seemed like oil and water to me.
CHALIAN: Yeah, I think we -- sometimes we have to be a little careful about over interpreting the staff changes. No doubt .
GERGEN: Oh, David.
CHALIAN: . Bannon and where he comes from and Breitbart and looking at that, I think, is a key component here. But so, too, is Kellyanne Conway
and she has a different approach.
So, I think, as we saw last night, I've been saying this throughout the week. I really think it's important we just keep watching the candidate.
As you're saying, David, does he continue down the path we saw last night? Is that a sustained new tone, new message? And if it is, that doesn't
necessarily match up exactly as if -- and Steve Bannon were the candidate himself.
So, we need to be a little careful about over interpreting the staff here. If the candidate himself seems to be determined to change course, I think
that's going to be, obviously, the much more key signal to watch.
HILL: It is an interesting point to bring up all that. I mean, that David Gergen brought up, and David Chalian that you followed up on there in terms
of the children. Because we had also heard that, you know, many in the past, Ivanka Trump had tried to get him to soften his language, to go out
and to say, well, you know, maybe I didn't really mean things this way, perhaps I should not have talked in that manner. Perhaps, I did not choose
the right words.
And I'm interested, too, just in your take, you know, as an analyst, David, and as you look at this, and as a former adviser, how influential Ivanka
has been to this point, someone like an Ivanka Trump, in terms of softening him with important groups, women among them, and how he may still need that
moving forward, David Gergen?
GERGEN: Well, Ivanka was extraordinary important in the early going. He obviously loves his daughter so much and he -- but he relied heavily on her
judgment through the early stages of his campaign. There had been some insiders who have said privately that he has not been listening to her as
much. We haven't seen as much of her on the campaign trail recently.
And I think it's a bit of a mystery right now about what exactly, where exactly she fits in to this. It does seem to me that her approach to
politics, what she believes in. She is this sophisticated woman from New York who is a, you know, a good corporate executive and wants and really
stands for, and has influence her father on woman issues, empowering woman and the child care for example.
[10:30:19] But it's just unimaginable to me that she would say, "Hey dad, I found this fellow Steve Bannon and you really want to go hire him and run
your campaign." It just doesn't seem to me to be the fit of who she is.
HILL: And that is part that's so perplexing. I want to bring back in General Magnus who, also, of course, is a Trump supporter. When you --
when we're parsing through these changes and bringing out points like both David and David just did in terms of someone like a Steve Bannon being
brought in, when we know that Donald Trump is working to expand the base of his support, did that concern you at all, as a Trump supporter, whether or
not this was the right move?
ROBERT MAGNUS, U.S. MARINE CORPS GENERAL (RET.): Well, I think like any good commander, Mr. Trump is going to evaluate his own performance as well
as the performance of his principal advisers. I think I would take a look at what we've seen in recent years. How often presidents have changed
chiefs of staff either because of a change of focus or, as you say, someone who is becoming distracting to the mission that the president had.
And certainly this president, our President Obama has mentioned the very famous historical book "Team of Rivals" and Lincoln went through a series
of campaign managers. They were called commanding generals until he found the one who fit with his philosophy. But most important was winning in the
mission. And I think that's exactly what Mr. Trump is doing is that he is shifting his mix, be shifting what I call a new approach to make sure that
his message is becoming clear and consistent and not just for the groups of people who are his core supporters, but to the middle of America and all of
America.
HILL: We are going to continue to follow this event out of Baton Rouge. As you can see the motorcade making its way they're out of the airport.
Stay with us we're going to take short break as we continue to follow the developments this morning within the Trump campaign and on the ground
there. You're watching CNN. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:36:52] HILL: You are looking at pictures just moments ago, Donald Trump and Mike Pence making their way down from the plane. Donald Trump
arriving not long ago in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
And, so we'll be watching to see where he and his running mate are headed making there way out the airport not too long ago as they arrive there on
the ground, of course, where the flooding is devastating, to say the very least, it's been called the worst natural disaster since superstorm Sandy.
So, we'll continue to follow that for you this morning. See what's happening on the ground with Donald Trump.
Meantime, plenty of other things involving Donald Trump to talk about this morning. Still with us this morning, David Gergen, CNN senior political
analyst, as well as David Chalian, CNN political director. Sunlen Serfaty with us as well. Tara Setmayer, CNN political commentator, and Scottie
Nell Hughes, CNN political analyst and Trump supporter are also back with us. So good to have all of you here.
I want to get some take on what we're seeing. So this morning we have seen Donald Trump and Mike Pence make their way to Baton Rouge on the heels of a
speech last night which Donald Trump delivered saying he does have some regrets about things that he's said, telling supporters that they can
expect to hear him tell the truth. He was not specific on what he regretted. And then we're also seeing further movement within the
campaign. Paul Manafort resigning just this morning.
As a Republican strategist, Tara, I'm wondering your take on this. As we see, all of these moves together there are some swift action happening
behind the scenes one would imagine.
TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well sure. It was a 911-er. Anyone on that's run the campaign, has been involved in campaigns, and look
at the trends going on with Donald Trump's campaign and saw that it was a disaster. All of the polls in swing states show him losing double digits
in places like Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Pennsylvania, places that he needs to win.
So, it was clear that Paul Manafort was a dead man walking a few weeks ago. You know, post convention, the reports were coming out that there was
dissension, that Paul Manafort was frustrated with the candidate. And we can clearly see Donald Trump's behavior since then has been all over the
place and created this tsunami of -- he was hemorrhaging, actually, of support for him.
So, it was clear that shake-up needed to happen. But again, when you have this level of turmoil at this point in the campaign, it never bodes well
because these changes are stepping on Donald Trump's message.
Some would say that Donald Trump's speech this week were actually good for him and that's the kind of messaging that should -- that he should stay on.
But unfortunately, all these personnel changes, and this one's out, this one's not, we're talking about that instead of what he was trying to say in
his speeches.
So, maybe this is the final pivot. I don't know. We said this multiple times but it's never a good sign when you have to change the top of your
campaign structure three times in a few months, especially this close to the election.
HILL: In terms of stepping on message, David Gergen, there's also the very clear language that is being chosen. And of course that happens with
anything, politics business you name it. But, for the campaign, refers to this as an expansion not so much as a shake-up. Is that message getting
through, David Gergen?
GERGEN: No. It's a shake-up and everybody knows that. But I -- I actually have some disagreement with Tara in the sense that here he's got
this major dramatic reshuffling, and it's a third, and at that point you begin to think, wait a minute, this campaign is in terrible trouble and
heading for a disaster. And yet, even though that's the big story, he's getting a lot of attention to that one line or a couple lines in his speech
last night saying he had regrets. He's going to get a lot of attention for going to Louisiana.
[10:40:33] I think they've done a better job than one would have expected given the disarray that appeared to be occurring in that camp. They've
done a better job of getting themselves a little righted. And you're going to see stories in the next few days. You know, the Pew poll came out
yesterday and he was only five points back. Maybe after all of this, he's like the Rasputin of American politics. He never gets killed. He keeps
coming back. You know, who knows?
HILL: Only time will tell. As we know none of us can write the end of this story.
GERGEN: Yeah.
HILL: And you should definitely not try to, especially at this point.
And Scottie Nell Hughes, as I understand it, you have some further information about what is happening and how things are playing out?
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, on to David's point, I think it just shows that this whole entire time, from the very beginning,
it's all about Mr. Trump. It's not about who he surrounds himself of which, that's the winning message. It's actually about him and his
reflection on the people and how well his policies resonate.
And I think, today, what you're finding out this morning, I think, the Trump camp is very happy. I think, you know, Mr. Trump was a very much --
and praised Manafort after coming out of the campaign conventions. I mean, what he pulled, what Manafort was able to do at the RNC was incredible.
That with team had things going. There was very little contention especially compared to the Democrats.
And now, moving into this final phase, getting ready for the general election, the one issue that is always been said, time and time again, why
folks could not get involved with Mr. Trump is they didn't like it, how he actually delivered his message. They liked the message, they liked the
content, they just didn't like how he presented it.
And he brought in two people who are experts with -- well, when you're talking about Kellyanne Conway and you're talking about Steve Bannon, two
people that are experts and the best of the best, both in Republican and Democrat field. And now we've seen now in the reflection of the speeches
today, they're resonating. States like Nevada, Mr. Trump is actually neck and neck. With Indiana, he's up ahead a state that McCain lost back in
2008.
I actually think this is a great time. This is exactly when you want to start getting your momentum going all the way to Election Day and having
your engagement instead of having folks like they were in 2012 not wanting to have anything to do with elections by the time we got there.
HILL: Scottie, we hear a little bit of a contradiction in what you're saying. You're saying that this is not the changes at the top. That what
were saying is not a reflection of Kellyanne Conway being brought in, is not a reflection of someone sitting Donald Trump down and saying, listen,
here's we need to do, stick to that prompter, talk about the regrets. She said this is the Donald Trump people know in private, and this the man
there putting out.
But if it was Donald Trump all along, Scottie, why did it take so long? Why did it take the third shift for that to come out?
HUGHES: Because it's not necessarily that he's changed. He's always been the exact same way. It's putting people around you that are willing to be
a part of you and to be able to encourage you to be in Mr. -- the whole phrase has always been, "Let Trump, be Trump."
And at this time in the phase, the key is making sure that his voice, his policies are being put out there by the folks. He's never changed his
policies. He's never change his persona. We did see that line last night, which you're right, David, it had a great resonance. But that's how he's
always been. He's always been that person. He's just never necessarily had the messaging to get it out there, to show that he does have that kind
of compassion. He doesn't want to hurt folks.
And like we're seeking in Louisiana today, he wants to be in the community. He's actually there while Barrack Obama is playing golf. He's actually
taking it to the people because as he said last night, when one state hurts, we all hurt.
SETMAYER: That was a series of contradictions. So, either let Trump be Trump, which is what he's been doing up until now and then, or it's not --
that wasn't the real Donald Trump. And now, we're supposed to see the real Donald Trump? Which is it, I don't get it?
HUGHES: No.
SETMAYER: So he -- and he actually .
HUGHES: It's just saying all the way his .
SETMAYER: . change positions on a number of times. He's changes positions or he's been all over the map on everything. First, the wall was definite.
Then it was like, well maybe that's flexible. Then it was a ban on Muslims. Then it was like, well, maybe not, just temporary.
You know, I mean, he's done -- he's flip flopped on so many different things that we don't know. Will the real Donald Trump, please stand up. I
don't know. The American people have no idea who the guy is.
HUGHES: Tara .
SETMAYER: He's a con artists.
HUGHES: Tara, that is .
SETMAYER: This is what con artist do.
HUGHES: Tara, that is by your definition, Tara.
SETMAYER: No, we're talking about the polls definition.
HUGHES: And that is your definition.
SETMAYER: That's why he's losing.
HUGHES: The majority of American people .
SETMAYER: That's why he's losing.
HUGHES: Now, the majority of Americans are listening and they know exactly where Mr. Trump .
SETMAYER: They are?
HUGHES: You don't want to have.
SETMAYER: And what poll was that?
HUGHES: And that's OK.
SETMAYER: What -- where are the Americans?
HUGHES: Indiana right now. Full Indiana is waiting for his winning.
SETMAYER: Also red state.
HUGHES: Nevada, he's tied with Hillary Clinton. No Indiana, Barack Obama won in 2008.
SETMAYER: He's losing, and Indiana is not a red state, and is not a state that Obama .
HUGHES: I want to ask you very quickly, if you bring a major swing states that he needs to win.
HILL: Ladies, I'm going to stop you there now because we're getting tied on time.
SETMAYER: And we have 80 days.
[10:45:01] HILL: David Gergen, one last one for. As we look at a different Donald Trump, there is an important thing we have to talk about
here and that is that earlier this week he said I am who I am.
As recently as August 2nd, he said, "I don't have regrets. I don't regret anything." And now we're hearing different messaging. Is there a point
where that becomes dangerous, David Gergen?
GERGEN: Absolutely. Absolutely. Because if it just seems to be, you know, going with the flow and, you know, you say whatever is out there, you
become more the entertainer than the serious statesman.
And I do think he's got to be careful about sort of whatever pivoting now makes this being authentically Donald Trump. You know, we need to know who
is Donald Trump because we're not quite sure right now. And I think that it cannot come from his handlers. It has to come from him.
And I can tell you this, everybody's going to be -- a lot of people are going to be tuning in on that first debate to show -- to ask the question,
which Donald Trump is going to show up? And which Hillary Clinton is going to show up? It's really, really interesting.
HILL: David Gergen, Tara Setmayer, Scottie Nell Hughes, Sunlen Serfaty, appreciate all of you being with us on this, rather busy, Friday morning.
Still to come, his scandal has overshadowed this Olympics. And now Ryan Lochte breaking his silence. We have the brand new apology, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:40] HILL: So this just in, swimmer Ryan Lochte has issued an apology for the robbery scandal that has overshadowed the last several days
of the summer games.
I want to bring in now CNN's Martin Savidge who has more on that, and a lot of people have been waiting to hear from him. Martin?
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have, indeed. Yeah, we, among them. Hello, Erica.
Let me tell you, we've been staking out his home here in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the hopes that he was going to come out to make some
statement. He's decided not to do that using social media.
So, let me just read you a portion of what Ryan Lochte has to say. And he says "I want to apologize for my behavior last weekend, for not being more
careful and candid in how I described the events of that early morning and for my role in taking the focus away from the many athletes fulfilling
their dreams of participating in the Olympics. I waited to share these thoughts until it was confirmed that the legal situation was addressed and
it was clear that my teammates would be arriving home safely."
This actually goes on for some three paragraphs. In part, he talks about how it was very fearful for him to be in a foreign country, and as he says,
with a gun pointed at him and someone demanding money. But then on top of that he says, essentially, this wouldn't have happened if he had acted more
responsibly.
So, it's an apology that has now been made by the Olympic athlete. There is, of course, a lot of focus that has been placed upon him not to mention
a lot of money and sponsorship on the line here. He wants to get it behind him and many people would like to see this behind them including, of
course, the host country as the Olympics continue. Erica.
HILL: Martin Savidge for us this morning outside of Ryan Lochte's home as he mentioned as we finally are getting some word from him as he weighs in
on the controversy and on the scandal. Martin, thank you.
I want to get reaction now from a former U.S. Olympian, swimmer Troy Dalbey. And this all may feel a little bit too familiar for him. Troy
Dalbey is the young man in the photo we're about to show you.
There he is, wearing glasses and two gold medals at the 1988 summer games in Seoul, South Korea. His remarkable achievement and all the work that
went into it though quickly overshadowed by an ill-conceived prank.
He was 19. He snatched a stone statue out of a hotel and then decided to take it to dinner with him in a group. That celebration ended when police
arrested him and a teammate. Troy Dalbey joins us now from Phoenix.
And Troy, we want to point out, ultimately no charges were filed. You were subjected to some pretty harsh criticism, I know, at the time. And that
was after a very public apology.
As you're watching all of this unfold, Troy, and as you're seeing and now reading the words that we have gotten from Ryan Lochte, what's your
reaction to this story and to everything we've seen in the past few days?
TROY DALBEY, TWO-TIME OLYMPIC SWIMMING GOLD MEDALIST: I think it's a step in the right direction for him to have apologized the way he did. I don't
necessarily agree with the fact he did it on social media. But, I think that it's a first step in helping the athletes that were involved in the
incident and in the public, in general, of putting this behind them.
I think that it's a shame that so many great things are happening every hour on the hour in Rio right now and that we're dedicating time that
should be put forward to promoting the athletes that are doing miraculous things in their particular endeavors than spending time on something like
this, which I don't really feel is nearly as newsworthy as the accomplishments that are occurring on the fields and in the diving pool, on
the wrestling mat, et cetera.
HILL: And I think you'd find a number of people who would agree with you on that. I do have to ask you though, you brought up the social media
aspect to it. And it's amazing how much things have changed from 1998, frankly, even 2008 in many ways, to today 2016 and the role that social
media does play in these stories and how quickly that we really hear about it and how quickly they stay in the headlines.
Do you think that that's going to work in the favor of or against this story continuing to dominate the news cycle? Could it be that, thanks to
social media in some ways, something else may trump this story and may move it out and that we may start to hear or see more of a focus on the
achievements?
DALBEY: I think that that's where the focus should be. You have -- as I said before, you have many athletes doing many great things every hour on
the hour as the games wrap up. And I would hope that you'd be able to spend that time focusing on the achievements of the athletes that are doing
good rather than those that stepped out of line and/or misrepresented facts that occurred on an evening of being out too late and drinking too much.
[10:55:32] HILL: One of the things that I know many people love, myself included, when it comes around to the Olympics, are these stories that we
hear about the athletes and everything it took for them to get to where they are. And oftentimes, what's even more amazing on top of that is how
young some of these folks are.
We put a lot of pressure on professional athletes and expect them to be role models in a certain way. As a former Olympian, did you feel that same
pressure? Did you feel sort of the weight of what it meant to be an Olympic athlete especially at the young age of 19? Did you understand what
came along with that?
DALBEY: I don't think that I had an appreciation for the responsibility that came with being an Olympian. I was only 19 years old when I made the
team. And I don't think that I was prepared psychologically for the responsibility of becoming an Olympic champion at that point in time.
HILL: You're a father now, as I understand it. And, you know, you've helped swimmers in the time since. I know it was a really rough road for
to you to get back in the initial couple of years afterwards. How much though has your experience become a teachable moment, not just for your own
children, but for those swimmers you've helped and coached along the way, and what is that message that you shared with them?
DALBEY: Yeah. Think before you act, would be my advice to younger Olympians that are attending their first games. I can tell you that the
incident that occurred 28 years ago, I wasn't thinking before I acted and I wish I had. It was a great lesson learned. It's something that I have
discussed with my children and look forward to further discussing after this afternoon. And I just -- I would hope that USA swimming puts forth a
greater effort to educate first-time Olympians on issues that occur when you're in a country that you're not familiar with, the cultural issues that
may arise and the language barriers that can occur.
HILL: Troy Dalbey, I know it may not always be your favorite topic of conversation, but you are a really important voice on this and for young
athletes. So we really appreciate you taking the time to join us this morning. Thank you.
DALBEY: Thank you for having me.
HILL: And thanks to all of you for being with us today. I'm Erica Hill in on this Friday for Carol Costello.
Up next, "At This Hour" with Berman and Bolduan after a break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
