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Debate Showdown: Trump Versus Fiorina; Schroeder One Of First Women To Run For President; What To Watch For In Tonight's Debate; HP To Slash Up To 30,000 Jobs. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired September 16, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have such respect for women. I cherish women. I'm going to take such good care of women's health care issues. You won't even believe it, but I'm surging with women.

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ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump says he is surging with women. Disparaging comments about one woman in particular have set the stage for what could be tonight's most explosive exchange or at least one of them. That is the showdown between Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina.

Let's bring in former Democratic Colorado Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder, who is one of the first women in U.S. history to seek her party's presidential nomination. Good morning, Congresswoman.

PATRICIA SCHROEDER (D), FORMER COLORADO REPRESENTATIVE: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: You are the perfect person for us to talk to tonight because you were a trailblazer. I mean, you decided to get into this all boys club long before other people did and you went down that road and realized how hard and challenging it is. Here we are again tonight. If you were Carly Fiorina on the stage tonight, what would you say to Donald Trump?

SCHROEDER: Well, first of all I think I would have been very disappointed in him. I thought there was a teachable moment when they went after his hair. They used to always go after women's hair but never men's. I thought maybe he's going to be different.

Apparently not, not as he comes on with this whole face thing and I think I'd have a little fun with him. I think I'd say to him, you know, if my face is so disturbing you, I want this debate to be fair and I'm more than happy to kind of block it if that would help you at all. In other words, I would kind of play with him a little bit.

CAMEROTA: That would be fun to see. So you would put your hand up over your face to keep you from looking at Donald Trump and from him looking at you and I mean, what is the right level of engagement here?

Is she supposed to make light of this and say all of this in jest or is she supposed to say Donald Trump, you are objectifying women in this day and age, that's not allowed.

SCHROEDER: I don't think you want to be angry. You want to be playful. I want this debate to be fair and I understand my face really disturbs you. If that's going to interrupt or cause some kind of a problem, I don't want to be hearing after the debate that I would have been much better in the debate if I hadn't had to look at her face. I just want to help you if that would help. Don't want to use that as an excuse.

CAMEROTA: I mean, is it too childish for her to say, Donald Trump, you're no looker either? Are we just devolving too much in a school yard tit for tat if she takes that tactic? Is she supposed to take the high road and rise above this and not, you know, even sort of dignify his comments?

SCHROEDER: I think so. I think you pretty much either have to be playful with it and just move on if you can. You know, you look at him and he kind of reminds me of so many men who -- I think you can tell how much lettuce a guy has by the type of tomato he's with.

Somebody needs to remind him this is not a beauty pageant. This is about substance. I don't think she wants to get into beauty thing.

[07:35:07] It's just like you don't want to distract him too much. You want it to be fair and move on and do your substance.

CAMEROTA: You went down this road in 1987. Are you struck by how much has changed since then or how little?

SCHROEDER: Well, how little. I honestly thought that we would have women running really in almost all the presidential races from then on and we haven't. It's been a very, very slow progress. And when you look at even the Senate, we still only have 20 women senators.

We have very few women governors and mayors. I must say, I'm rather disappointed. When I first got to Congress, I asked the library of Congress, how long will it be until half of the Congress is female? They said probably over 400 years. I was furious. Now I'm going to think maybe they're right.

CAMEROTA: My gosh, that is a striking number that you were quoted. So the conventional wisdom on Donald Trump is that this has all been fun and games over the summer and maybe it will last through the fall. But at some point, he might flame out.

That's what pundits at least traditionally believe might happen. What do you think the end game is for Donald Trump? Can you imagine him becoming the party's nominee?

SCHROEDER: Well, first of all, I think I'm like most Americans and I can't believe the end game is still like -- I don't know, 14, 15 months away. Will we live through all of this drama? And I don't know that he can keep that drama up.

I think at some point -- I mean, tonight I believe you'll be talking about foreign policy. It will be interesting to hear what kind of need he puts on the bones he's put out there or the things he's talked about.

People are going to -- as we get fewer and fewer candidates, people will focus more intently. Then you begin to wonder, is this the person you want in your living room every night explaining disasters or whatever will happen in the world or why we have to do "x" or "y."

Is that really what it is? I think Americans will start to have that more serious look at everybody probably about nine months from now.

CAMEROTA: Yes, great point. Former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder, great to talk to you this morning, thanks so much for your insight.

SCHROEDER: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Be sure to tune in tonight for the first of two debates beginning here at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. The main event with the 11 candidates on stage starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Tonight's debate moderator "THE LEAD's" Jake Tapper and chief political correspondent, Dana Bash, will be asking questions.

And what about radio show host Hugh Hewitt. What can we expect from all of them? We will preview tonight's debate when we come back. We are live from the Reagan Library here in Simi Valley, California.

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[07:42:17]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "THE LEAD": We want debate, about policy, about politics, about leadership, about the different things they bring, the different things they have said about to each other.

HUGH HEWITT, HOST, "THE HUGH HEWITT SHOW": I'm not out to get everybody. I don't think Dana is either. I want to hear the differences between these candidates on key issues of national security and domestic policy.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Our goal is to have almost entirely a debate entirely of interaction between the candidates. That's what the Republican voters out there deserve.

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MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: That was a look at what we could expect tonight from CNN debate moderator, Jake Tapper, as well as our Dana Bash, and conservative radio host, Hugh Hewitt, who will also be asking questions.

Here for a little more insight, CNN media correspondent and "RELIABLE SOURCES" host, Bryan Stelter. We'll talk about the let the debate be a debate thing in a minute.

But for the benefit of our viewers, give us a little bit of insight on what each of the moderator and the other two that will be joining with questions, what they each bring to the table.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: You think about Jake Tapper, you think about someone who is respected by all sides. Republicans tend to be distrustful of the media, a lot of skepticism about the mainstream media.

I think Tapper is someone who's recognized as being fair to all sides. He has a lot of fans among conservatives and Republicans, as well as liberals and Democrats. That's something relatively rare in our fractured media age.

It's something that will help him on stage if one of the candidates does go after moderator. Tapper will be able to use the respect and trust he's built up over years in response.

PEREIRA: Dana is an insider, been covering the hill for a long time. She has great expertise and she'll have some pointed questions for them on policy matters. And then of course, Hugh Hewitt, we saw last time around, how things, in terms of how he kind of threw off Donald Trump, not last time around but in the last coming weeks.

I want to pivot to last time around. That's where my mind went. Megyn Kelly and the Donald Trump, that seems to be the one story line out of the debate more than anything else. Do you think that will happen again tonight? Do you think there's the potential that are?

STELTER: I asked Hugh Hewitt that last night. He doesn't think the candidates will direct their fire at the questioners. He thinks the candidates will have plenty to discuss among themselves. I'm not so sure I agree.

I think at some point we'll hear one of the candidates challenge the questioners. It makes it into a much more interesting but distracting sort of situation. I'm not sure Trump benefitted from his long fights with Megyn Kelly.

PEREIRA: No.

STELTER: Often times viewers see through it and I hope viewers see through it as a destruction rather than the candidates doing what they should be doing, which is talking about policy and talking to each other.

PEREIRA: We in the news certainly ate it up because it gave us a lot of headlines to discuss.

STELTER: For sure. With Trump and Kelly, it had broader issues about how Trump treats will. There was insider analysis that was gain from it.

[05:45:08] But I would say for the most part when we see a politician beating up on the press or an individual questioner, they're usually trying to distract from the more important issues.

PEREIRA: In those unguarded moments we do learn more about the candidate on foreign policy. There's been criticism about the lack of foreign policy from Donald Trump. Do you think that there will be more pointed questions that way, especially given that these are two CNN questioners? And do you think they'll be perceived as gotcha questions by Trump.

STELTERS: There will be pointed questions but in an attempt to get people to talk to each other. That's what will look differently remember that split screen moment in the Fox debate, Rand Paul and Chris Christie on each side sparring with each other.

We'll see that much more often tonight on these CNN debates that will be the signature feature of the debates. That is CNN's plan. There are 13 cameras in the room. They're there to capture every possible moment.

PEREIRA: Jake has been pointed about that. He wants to make it a debate of a debate. It's a smaller venue. It's not a big volumous arena. That will play to the strength of our questioners.

STELTER: I think it will. I was there the last time CNN had a debate at the Reagan Library. We built the stage higher. It's eye level with the plane, Air Force One. Visually it creates a spectacular image.

This will most likely be the highest rated event in CNN's history. It's strange we know that ahead of time. Usually people turn to cable news when bad things happen. This we expected ahead of time. Fox's debate had 25 million viewers.

CNN's prior record was the NAFTA debate, Al Gore and Ross Perot debating NAFTA back in 1993 on "LARRY KING LIVE," 16 million viewers. This is mostly likely going to top that. It's a real advantage to any of the candidate to have a great night. It's a real disadvantage to the candidates that have a bad night, right?

PEREIRA: That's true.

STELTER: They're in front of so many more eye balls than any prior primary debate.

PEREIRA: We'll see what happens and we know that we'll probably be discussing the ratings in the coming days with you, the man in the media, Brian Stelter. Thank you.

Make sure you tune in, tonight for the first of two debates. It will start at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. The main event kicks off with 11 candidates at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. Chris and Alisyn, you guys are ready to go.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there's no question that the stakes are higher this time but you know what? The rules are different as well. When we come back, we'll tell you how Jake will control the game tonight. There are ways and methods that will make you get more out of it. We'll tell you about it, next.

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[07:51:45]

PEREIRA: Welcome back. Our complete coverage of CNN's Republican debates will continue in a bit.

But first more job cuts here hearing at the Hewlett Packard. Time for CNN Money, chief business correspondent, Christine Romans in the Money Center with that. That's concerning, how many cuts?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. A lot of them, Hewlett-Packard is slashing 25,000 to 30,000 jobs, 10 percent of its workforce. HP is breaking into two companies. HP Enterprise is the fast growing software. HP, Inc. will focus on PCs and printers. The CEO says the cuts are necessary to stay competitive. Add to those 55,000 job cuts since Whitman took over in 2011.

Michaela after years of only being able to like Facebook posts, Facebook is finally working on a dislike button. Users have been demanding this. I know it sounds dangerous, right, to dislike something.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg was worried at first too, but now he says he realizes people just want to express sometimes sympathy about unpleasant news. Sometimes you don't want to like something that's negative.

PEREIRA: But you know how we miss social media, the social media users. I wonder that's going to go. All right, Christine, thank you.

No detail of the presidential race is immune from becoming a punch line and that includes tonight. CNN debate in case you were sleep. Let's give you some of the late night singers. Are you guys ready?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tomorrow night's second GOP debate will take place at the Reagan Presidential Library. So in behalf of librarians everywhere, let me just say, shhh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've read that Jeb Bush has seen a drop in campaign donations lately. He's been forced to take commercial flights to campaign events. It got weird when the airline said they lost Jeb's baggage and he was like you lost my brother.

Bernie Sanders, that's right. The reason that he is concerned about what he called war tuck coming from the Republicans, yes, war tuck or as Dick Cheney calls it phone sex.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Texas yesterday, Donald Trump told an adoring crowd we are killing it. We are really killing it. Yes, of course, he was talking about the Republican Party.

PEREIRA: All right, guys, who gets the laugh win this time?

CAMEROTA: I like the phone sex one.

PEREIRA: Did you notice the round of applause for Bernie Sanders from the Fallon audience there.

CUOMO: Yes, well, that's his group. I mean, he is doing very well with young leftist and there are a lot in that crowd for sure. No Colbert.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much, Michaela, for the levity. We love that.

All right, so in just a matter of hours, Republican presidential hopefuls will battle it out in the CNN debate. So how are they preparing today? Much more of our coverage live from the Reagan Presidential Library when we come right back.

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CAMEROTA: The long wait is over. It is debate day.

TRUMP: I have been doing this 30 years. I feel really good about the debate.

BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If my strategy is going to change at all, it's going to be to tell the truth.

CARLY FIORINA (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't worry much about what Donald Trump says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will make sure everybody in this country is a fake conservative.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If somebody comes at me, bam, I'll come back at them.

TRUMP: I am fighting very nice people. They will never be able to do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's deciding the most important political office in the world.

BIDEN: This will pass. The Trump and that stuff you are hearing on the other team, we always, always, always, always overcome it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The stakes could not be higher in tonight's debate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: There is nobody in there now, but there is going to be a lot of people in there come tonight. Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, September 16th, 8:00 in the east, 5:00 here in California. Mich is in New York.

Alisyn and I are coming live from the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley because this is the place 15 Republicans gearing up for two debates on CNN. The GOP race will be different after tonight.

This is about survival for many of the people who will be on the stage. How do they break out of single digits? Many are indicating they'll do it by taking on Donald Trump. Easy to say, tough to do.