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Report: "Why Trump Won" Airs Tonight On Cnn; Male Google Employee Writes Manifesto On Why Women Are Less Suited For Tech Jobs; Suspended Fox Host Vows To Clear Name. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 7, 2017 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:00] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: This isn't the south Bronx in the 1980s, this is Trumbull County, Ohio is 2017.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: C'mon, you got to stop this [bleep] baby. Come on.

ZAKARIA: This area was ground zero.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The American Dream is dead.

ZAKARIA: Of Trump's rustbelt rebellion. It's easy to see why.

TRUMP: We're losing our jobs. We're losing our factories.

ZAKARIA: The American heartland is becoming the new inner city.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: C'mon, man. Is she still breathing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, she's not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's not breathing again?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a powerful clip. What do you mean by the American heartland is the new inner city?

ZAKARIA: It's a great question at the heart of that segment. When we look at inner city, we often think why are there so many dysfunctions here? Why so many out of wedlock births, why do you have drugs, why do you have crime? And some would say it's culture, others would say it's race, it is black people.

But a lot of people said, you know what happened? The jobs went away. When the jobs go away, you start to see the social spiral downward. The fascinating thing about the American heartland is many of these jobs went away about a decade away. They held on, tried to make it all work. After a while when the jobs go away, what ends up happen is civic life goes away, the community starts splitting apart, families start breaking down. What you're experiencing in the American heartland are all the social pathologies. Out-of-wedlock birth, drug overuse, crime, family breakdown, and rampant joblessness. When you have that kind of social and economic decay, it looks the same whether you're in Harlem or rural Ohio.

BALDWIN: And the president or then candidate Trump's message really resonated clearly with these folks. We've watch "Why Trump Won" the special documentary here on CNN. Do not miss this. 9:00 eastern and pacific, only here on CNN. Fareed Zakaria, always a pleasure. Thank you very much.

Coming up next, the story that Google may not want you to Google. A software engineer writing an essay on why he believes women may be less suited to tech jobs than men. Women in tech are reacting. We'll talk to one next.

[15:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The ten-page memo written by a software engineer at Google is causing all kinds of waves when it comes to diversity in the workplace. This yet to be identified male employees claims women are less suited for tech jobs for biological and psychological reasons.

In his view, this what he writes. Training programs for women are highly politicized. Diversity alienated non-progressives, and the gender wage gap is just a myth. In this essay, the unnamed engineer writes this on genetic differences. Genetic differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership. We need to stop assuming that gender gap implies sexism.

So, let's talk about this. Laurie Segall, CNN's senior tech correspondent, and Ellen Petry Leanse, a former Apple and Google executive. Thank you for being with me. Ellen, 35-year-plus career in Silicon Valley. When you read this, were you just aghast and surprised? Or did you think, this is like so many people I worked with at Apple and Google?

ELLEN PETRY LEANSE, FORMER APPLE AND GOOGLE EXECUTIVE: I won't say it's like so many people I worked with at Apple and Google. I think it is the flavor of the entire industry. That doesn't mean I wasn't aghast and surprised. The word "assumptions" is very interesting. That is the word to me that flavors this entire memo. For an industry that prides itself a being data backed and on working with evidence, even working with science, this is a memo about assumptions, and I found nothing in that memo I could back with any sort of scientific understanding, evidence or data.

BALDWIN: What he was saying about biological or psychological abilities of women, I Googled it, and I couldn't find anything either. Go ahead.

[15:40:00] LEANSE: Psychological abilities is one thing, but remember psychological abilities are largely conditioned. They are things we learn from our society, from the examples, role models and assumptions that we are all exposed to as part of living everyday life, but psychological differences? Evidence based? Absolutely not. We have opinions on that, but this is a memo about opinion. The problem is this opinion is shaping more than our news, and shaping more than the anger and outrage that many people field. Not only women, but other underrepresented groups. Isn't it also shaping our products? By shaping or products, Brooke, isn't it also shaping the experience we all have in life and reality?

BALDWIN: All great questions. I'm also wondering, and Laurie you have all kind of great ins in Google in Mountainview. You made a couple calls, how is this being handled or responded to internally?

LAURIE SEGALL, CNN SENIOR TECH CORRESPONDENT: Someone said to me. I don't respect what he said, I respect his right to say it, but this source within Google said to me said it's jarring, and I think the conversation with so many people are frustrated, so many women too are frustrated by some of these conversations, to see something like this come out that has all these narratives that women have fought so hard again, you know, I do think that that can be very frustrating. I will say Google does take diversity seriously.

They're trying to take it seriously, there are training groups for all sorts of management. I mean, there are diversity programs to teach young girls how to code. All sorts of diversity programs, but something is dropping off, because there's a stat, you know, the diversity report just they're trying to take it seriously, there are training groups for all sorts of management. I mean, there are diversity programs to teach young girls how to code.

All sorts of diversity programs, but something is dropping off, because there's a stat, you know, the diversity report just came out, 69 percent of the male employees are men, white employees make up 56 percent of the total workforce, knowing women within all these big tech companies, there's frustration. I just interviewed six women who talked about sexual harassment in technology. We seem like the tip of the iceberg. For whatever reason now, people are saying this isn't OK and they're speaking out again it.

BALDWIN: Ellen, I was reading deeper. He also lists what he calls nondiscriminatory ways to reduce the gender gap. Examples, making software engineering culture center culture more collaborative and allowing for more work/life balance. Should gender differences come into play when making these kinds of, I don't know, decisions or addressing these issue, do you think?

LEANSE: I would say that inclusion definitely comes into play. Inclusion doesn't mean gender differences, culture differences, identity and ability differences, it simply implies that all people have an equal chance to contribute their intelligence, training and talent to solving problems. A work/life balance is an important thing for all people. We know through cognitive studies in neuroscience that people are meant to do more than work, and work/life balance actually supports and leads to more creativity, more innovation, and really more productive ability at the end of the day.

But I think what Laurie said also touching, Brooke, on the point of what any underrepresented group in Silicon Valley is working against in this mainstream culture and these assumptions there is one way to do this. It's based on people who have already done it historically in the past for a variety of cultural and social issues. Those times need to end. The products we are using don't represent the needs and reality of much of populations using them. When you bring all these minority populations together, we are a majority, I know we can do much better than we're doing now.

BALDWIN: Just to see the number on the screen 69 percent, that graphic just up just for all of us to digest. As Laurie said 69 percent male employees of the total work force, I came across this 2014 media posting from engineer Tracy Chow, who looked into it, representing roughly 12 percent, but said the number may even be lower, because she said companies tend to muddle the figures. At the end of the day, Laurie Segall, what is being done?

SEGALL: I think the conversation has started. There are those diversity programs.

[15:45:00] I think there's also enough frustration that people don't want company lines anymore. The head of diversity at Google did come out and speak against this memo, but when you talk to women inside these companies, it's just not enough. The problem is still there. I think the diversity programs will change it and conversations like this, and having some of the stuff come to the forefront. I think there's a memo this leaked, people are angry and they want people to know despite the company lines, this though still exists, and we should keep fighting and talking about it, hoping to make it a safer place full of diverse people.

BALDWIN: And he has every right to write it, absolutely, but good on these women and men to having these conversations as a result. Lauri Segall, and Ellen Leanse, thank you both so much.

Thank you, coming up next, Fox News has suspended another high-profile host at yet another sexual harassment investigation, here what Eric Bolling is accused of and how he is responding.

[15:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: More HR troubles for Fox News, host Eric Bolling has suspended by the network as the investigation complains that he sent lewd photos to female coworkers. His profile has been scrubbed from the company's social media. He took to Twitter and said, overwhelmed by all the support I received. Thank you. I look forward to clearing my name asap. Let me bring in CNN Money senior media reporter, Oliver Darcy. What exactly are the allegations here?

OLIVER DARCY, CNN MONEY SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: Huffington Post reported on Friday that Eric Bolling a few years ago had apparently sent lewd text messages to some of his female colleagues and it had been kind of rumored around, one reporter from "The Daily Beast," noted that he had chased the story around for a while, but no one had actually reported this until Friday. And now he's been suspended from Fox News as they investigate.

BALDWIN: OK. On a Facebook page, this one accuser, Caroline Heldman said, my only surprise is that it took so long for people to come forward about Bolling's behavior Which has been wildly inappropriate for years. In fact, some of his

behavior happened on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we have the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party, we have the civil rights movement and the Montgomery bus boycott. This is part of America's fabric. I am happy to see it playing out in Wisconsin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The senator from Wisconsin, one of the senators thinks this is illegal. Eric?

ERIC BOLLING, SUSPENDED FOX NEWS HOST: I'm shocked the great Dr. "McHottie" said it's the most American thing you can do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Dr. "McHottie?"

DARCY: Clearly it seems --

BALDWIN: No. Not OK.

DARCY: It seems like he was joking but that doesn't necessarily mean it's OK, right? It seems like he was joking but that doesn't necessarily mean it's OK, right? I think that clip happened when Roger Ailes was still at Fox, and that may have been more acceptable back in Roger Ailes' era.

BALDWIN: What is Fox saying now?

DARCY: Fox is saying they're investigating whether or not he sent these messages. They're not commenting beyond that. Of course, Bolling is denying this vociferously. But it does sort of speak to the larger culture at Fox. You have Roger Ailes who was forced out over sexual allegations, you have Bill O'Reilly who was forced out. You have two others, you have Charles Payne at Fox Business and Eric Bolling on suspension as Fox investigates allegations.

BALDWIN: That's a list. Oliver Darcy, thank you so much.

Coming up next, Stephen Miller becomes the latest Trump team member to get a celebrity impersonator after stepping into the White House briefing room. Actor and comedian Pauly Shore joins us live to explain the backstory of this funny or die spoof.

[15:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: When they brought the lady of liberty to life with the power of ectoplasm, was that violating, in your opinion, the law of the land?

Comedian, former MTV vee jay, Pauly Shore the latest comedian to take on a member of the Trump administration impersonating Stephen Miller. You have Pauly Shore mocking this contentious exchange a couple days ago between Miller and our very own correspondent Jim Acosta from the White House briefing last week. Check it out. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: The statue of liberty says, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.

STEPHEN MILLER, SENIOR ADVISER TO TRUMP: The poem you're referring to is not part of the original statue of liberty, it was added later. The whole reason we put the statue of liberty here is to show the rest of the world here in America, we got some beautiful babes. And the other thing you might not know, Jim, she's not holding a book, she's holding an iPad. Look me directly in my forehead and tell me I'm not lying.

ACOSTA: This whole notion they have to learn English before they get into the United States.

MILLER: They already know English, Jim. They speak our language and they have left lady liberty to rot in ruin. There is nothing we can do about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Pauly Shore, I'm giggling a little bit.

[16:00:00] I've watched you for years on MTV. I never thought I would talk to you about impersonating Stephen Miller at the White House briefing. How did this come about?

PAULY SHORE, ACTOR AND COMEDIAN: A while ago people were hitting me up on Twitter that I looked like Anthony Weiner. So, that was like the first time. Finally, I did a skit with Anthony Weiner. Then recently Stephen Miller got on there and everybody was hitting me up saying I looked like Stephen Miller. They said, let's do this sketch. They literal did it last Thursday and put it up on Friday, and here we are.

BALDWIN: The whole becoming Stephen Miller, what was that whole process like? What were you focusing on? Did he have any habits you were emulating? How did you pull that off?

SHORE: It's pretty much one Jew face to another Jew face. I can say I'm Jewish, it's OK. He's got a Jew face, I've got a Jew face, we put them together.

BALDWIN: Let's move on from that. I think what made me laugh so much watching the clip is how you spliced in the different White House press pool faces and the reactions as you were, you know, cracking the jokes. How did you all figure that out?

SHORE: Well, that's pretty much all funny or die. They have a great team of people over there. As you know, they're probably one of the biggest comedy websites in the world run by Will Farrell and the team over there. They all just put it out, they got great editors, they directors and they just know comedy. I did what I do and they do what they do. BALDWIN: I have a minute left with you. So, there was -- we talked

about Anthony Weiner, now Stephen Miller. Who is next? Who are you eyeing?

SHORE: Richard Simmons.

BALDWIN: Where is Richard Simmons, by the way? Do we know?

SHORE: He's in the bayou somewhere. I don't know. I would like to do more Stephen Miller. I read recently in a tweet from Donald Trump that he's possibly going to be the next spokesperson in the -- you know, in the room there with all the press people. So hopefully if he keeps going there, then they want me to come back, I'll do it again.

BALDWIN: I think there is the whole Scaramucci job opening. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, I think, has that podium unlocked. There is the opening at the head of the com shop. You never know. We may see more, Pauly Shore, as Stephen Miller. What are you up to? Standup?

SHORE: Standup. I also have a new show on Crackle. I have a special on there called "Polytics" where I interview politicians. And a documentary of my life, I've been putting that together. I'm really excited about this clip that just came out called funny or die.

BALDWIN: Thank you for being with me.