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EARLY START

Donald Turning Up the Rhetorical Heat on Hillary Clinton; Hillary Clinton Appears on Jimmy Kimmel. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired August 23, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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


[05:00:02] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: And President Obama getting set to head to Louisiana to survey the damage from devastating floods, we'll tell you what else to expect from the President's trip.

Good morning everyone it's exactly 5:00 a.m. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Boris Sanchez, thanks so much for having me, Christine.

It's Tuesday, August 23rd and we start with Donald Trump. He is turning up the rhetorical heat on Hillary Clinton calling the Democratic nominee corrupt slamming what he described as Hillary Clinton's criminality and calling for a special prosecutor to probe links between the state department under her leadership and the Clinton Foundation. Trump again demanded that the foundation be shut down.

In a speech last night in Akron, Ohio, Trump also targeted Clinton on immigration. The attack coming just hours after his own planned speech on the subject was abruptly postponed. CNN's Sara Murray has more from Ohio.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning, Boris and Christine. This was supposed to be the week Donald Trump was talking about immigration. But instead He is on the trail using his time to hammer Hillary Clinton. He accused her in Akron, Ohio of pay for play and called up for a special prosecutor to look at the ties between with the Clinton Foundation and state department.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Pay the Clinton Foundation huge sums of money and throw in some big speaking fees for Bill Clinton and you got to play. The amounts involved, the favors done, and the significant number of times it was done require an expedited investigation by a special prosecutor immediately, immediately, immediately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: Now not only was this red media as Republican bait, but it's of course an overture to independent voters who might wonder whether Hillary Clinton really is trustworthy. Now, of course all of this comes as there is a fervor around Donald Trump about whether he might be moderating his stance on immigration. He now has his Hispanic advisory council and his campaign manager suggested that the deportation force he once called for may not come to fruition. But in Akron, Ohio there was no sign of moderation. He vowed to build that wall along the southern border with Mexico and called for extreme vetting for immigrants coming to the country.

As for the immigration speech he was planning on giving later this week in Colorado, the campaign has scrapped that. He'll be back on the trail today but in the very red state of Texas. Back to you guys.

ROMANS: All right, Sara. Thank you.

As for Trump's planned immigration speech he had then set for Thursday, a campaign source now tells CNN it is off the schedule at least for this week. The source says the campaign wants more time to fine tune Trump's immigration policy and the language of that speech. Trump then said on Monday saying that he is not flip-flopping on immigration, this despite his campaign manager suggesting a day earlier that it's "to be determined" if Trump will still with his call for deportation force. For now, Trump saying only that he'll come up with a firm but fair process for deportation.

SANCHEZ: We have plenty to get to this morning. Joining us to talk about all of political action, Senior Media Correspondent Brian Stelter, the host of CNN's "Reliable Sources" and from Washington, CNN politics reporter Eugene Scott, good morning to you both.

ROMANS: Hi, guys.

SANCHEZ: We have to start with Hillary Clinton's visit to Jimmy Kimmel last night. She had not been in the public eye for a couple days, fundraising out on the West Coast. She comes on to Jimmy Kimmel with a lot of questions specifically about her health as something that's been playing out a lot. Here's her response to claims that she is unhealthy for office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST "JIMMY KIMMEL SHOW": Are you in good health?

HILLARY CLITON, US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, this has become one of their themes, you know, you take my pulse while I'm talking to you.

KIMMEL: OK.

CLINTON: So, make sure I'm alive.

KIMMEL: Oh, my God. There's nothing there.

CLINTON: There's nothing there. What did I say?

Back in October, the National Enquirer said I would be dead in six months.

KIMMEL: Oh, wow, oh. CLINTON: So with every breath I take, I feel like it's a ...

KIMMEL: You have a new lease on life.

CLINTON: Yeah, a new lease on life. I don't know why they are saying this. I think on the one hand it is part of the wacky strategy. Just say all these crazy things and maybe you can get some people to believe you. On the other hand, it just absolutely makes no sense. And I don't go around questioning Donald Trump's health. I mean, as far as I can tell, he is as healthy as a horse.

KIMMEL: Well, his doctor said he had the best health examination he has ever seen in a human being.

CLINTON: Yeah, I saw that.

KIMMEL: Can you open this jar of pickles? This has not been tampered with. Is this ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Now Eugene, I wanted to ask you. This approach using humor to try to diffuse these claims that she's unfit for office is probably a very intelligent one. How does it play with independent voters? The very few that may still be undecided.

EUGENE SCOTT, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: I think the mention of the National Enquirer was a flag to independent voters.

[05:05:01] The National Enquirer is a publication that most people would consider questionable that Donald Trump has spoken positively of. If you recall he referenced the publication when he was talking about allegations regarding the father of Ted Cruz. And so, I think Hillary Clinton wants to highlight that the sourcing for these concerns isn't the strongest and hopefully she thinks the independent voters will hear that.

ROMANS: Brian I'm going to play another little pieces down here from what Jimmy Kimmel last night and Hillary Clinton talking about the debate prep with Donald Trump who what it's like to prepare for a debate with Donald Trump. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMMEL: How do you prepare for a debate with Donald Trump?

CLINTON: Oh, I'm here to ask for your help.

KIMMEL: I might be able to fill in for him.

CLINTON: Well ...

KIMMEL: And you prepare for the debate so ...

CLINTON: No, you have to prepare. But I watched a lot of his debates during the primaries and he insulted all of his opponents. He insulted all of the moderators. He insulted, no I guess 80% of the American people and rest of the world. And so, how do you prepare for that? I think on the one hand it's a serious chance for Americans to tune in and if they haven't made up their minds to try to make up their minds. So I want to take it seriously. I want to talk about what I think we can do and how important it is. But you've got to be prepared for like wacky stuff that comes at you. And I am drawing on my experience in elementary school.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: She used the word, Brian wacky again about Trump and his strategies from the Trump camp.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: There is a point she is trying to make again and again on cam and I think she'll make it again and again throughout August and September and October which is that the Republicans are throwing wacky stuff at her. She referred to an alternative universe and alternative reality where they believe she is from. This has echoes of the vast right wing conspiracy talk from the '90s. David Brock, one of her former agitators now her ally was quoted there a day (ph) saying, now it's a right wing conglomerate but to have a great part of one of your campaign and Roger Ailes advising -- excuse me, the head of Breibart running Donald Trump's campaign and Roger Ailes advising Trump.

She could really think it's smart for her to be pointing out what she believes is wacky behaviour from the Repiblicans, but it's notable that she is now acknowledging, she's starting a debate prep. Trump also started debate prep over the weekend, he had a debate prep meeting. He's not saying who is playing Clinton in his meetings. We're really curios to see who's playing Trump in rehearse.

ROMANS: Yeah.

SANCHEZ: That's a good question.

Speaking of Trump, we have to ask about this new approach that he's seeming to have this more inclusive approach where he is trying to bring more minorities into the Republican party. Here's some from a rally in Akron, Ohio last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Our government has totally failed our African-American friends, our Hispanic friends and the people of our country period. The Democrats have failed completely in the inner cities. You can go to war zones in countries that we're fighting and it's safer than living in some of our inner cities that are run by the Democrats. What the hell do you have to lose? Give me a chance. I'll straighten it out. I'll straighten it out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Now, Christine you just brought up a good point as that sound bite was playing in the background. There isn't a single person of color in that image. Eugene, how much of this messaging is meant for minorities to come over to the GOP and how much of it is meant for, again those people in the middle that maybe or hesitant to go Trump's way because they feel he is bigoted and this is just perhaps a damage control or trying to shift his image and a seeming perhaps more tolerant.

SCOTT: Those are very important points. I mean, I guess there are some degree of improvement that speech was in Akron which actually has a larger black and Hispanic population than the two communities he spoke to last week about hoping to attract Black voters.

But as you mentioned, there certainly are some voters who are leading towards Donald Trump, but who are -- who have not been comfortable with how he's talked about issues related to Black and Hispanic people. And him making this appeal which is factual in many ways. Many Black and brown voters are deeply frustrated with the Democratic party and believe that the party has not done the best job in advancing issues and concerns with them. Bringing those issues to the forefront will help perhaps Donald Trump attract voters who've been uncomfortable with him because of the language, but are hoping that he's going to make a change in the near future and how he talks about the issues.

SANCHEZ: All right, Selter I got to ask you about e-mails quickly because on the front page of every newspaper this morning, (inaudible) say he know deadline a new trail of e-mails. Hillary Clinton sort of joked about it last night on Jimmy Kimmel, but it's kind of no joking matter. I mean, the e-mails, the e-mail headlines, the dribs and drabs continue.

[05:09:58] STELTER: Yeah, I thought the jokes on Kimmel about the e- mail sort of fell flat. So he's trying to say that her e-mails are boring. But clearly, many people disagree. Even on the front page of New York Times this morning the headline is more questions about e- mail use shadow Clinton. You know, it's the middle of August, this e- mail story is something that has been going on for where it feels like years and yet there is a drip, drip, drip element to it because they're can either be new either discoveries of new troves of e-mails or the disclosure is from them. It is the most valuable or most effective talking point Trump has against her right now when it comes to her time as secretary of state.

SANCHEZ: We still have so many questions to ask, fortunately Brian and Eugene we have you for the next half hour. We thank you for being up early for us and we'll see you at 5:30.

ROMANS: I know. Get a cup of coffee. Come back in a few minutes, all right?

Let's talk about money here. Economists think Hillary Clinton would be bet for US business. Donald Trump not even the second best choice in this new survey of more than 400 economists. It shows 55% picked Clinton as their top choice for economic policy. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is second with 15%. Donald Trump follows in with 14%. Another 15% just say they don't know.

These results another sign of how Trump is struggling to connect with the business community despite touting his own record as a business titan. He's pushed to restrict trade, he's pushed to restrict immigration, they're the opposite of what most economists say of the US should do to boost growth. Sixty-one percent say the US needs to allow more immigration. That was also the top issue among respondents, and 65% says US has to be more open to free trade, another interesting development in this survey. Most of the economists say overall uncertainty during this election cycle is holding back US growth. That's something interesting.

SANCHEZ: Definitely. You also mentioned earlier today when we were in the break, Hillary Clinton is expected to announce some economic policy.

ROMANS: Yeah. Maybe a new economic policy today for small business owners, a standard deduction so we can see their -- Hillary Clinton's team starting to flush out some of those details trying to show how she would very specifically try to help business.

SANCHEZ: President Obama just hours away from a trip down the flood- ravaged Louisiana, but is this trip coming too late? We have a preview from Baton Rouge, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:16:15] ROMANS: Welcome back. President Obama will get a close up look at the devastation when he visits flood-ravaged Baton Rouge, Louisiana this morning. Now the President took some criticism for not cutting his summer vacation short to go there sooner. The situation in the state is dire, more than 3,000 people remain in shelters in Baton Rouge alone. More than 25,000 flood insurance claims have now been filed, $55 million in homeowner's assistance funds already approved.

We get more this morning from CNN's Polo Sandoval.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN REPORTER: Hi Boris and Christine. These are the scenes that await President Obama as he prepares to tour the devastation for himself in Southern Louisiana. You are able to see these piles of debris that continue to grow at this hour. Residents have been gutting the inside of their homes, getting rid of any and all furniture and appliances that were damaged. Of course not to mention some of the construction material would actually made up the interior of their homes.

The President's visit obviously is going to be highly watched here. The President himself have been criticized by local newspapers and some residents for not having cut his vacation short last week to actually visit the flooding as it was happening. Of course local governor here did actually throw the president a lifeline saying that it would have taken tremendous amounts of resources to be able to prepare for a presidential visit when rescues were actually happening.

However, we did see a visit from GOP candidate Donald Trump on the ground not too long ago when he actually toured some of the devastation for himself and even left behind a donation there, both material and monetary. In the meantime, the Hillary Clinton campaign also weighing in saying the former secretary of state will actually visit Louisiana when that time comes when this campaign is no longer a hindrance for these relief efforts and these rebuilding efforts to continue at this hour.

I can tell you after speaking to people here, they certainly have high hopes of the President's visit will cast a new light on the situation on the ground here. It is far from over. People still on that very long journey to recovery.

SANCHEZ: Polo, thank you.

Another legal set back for the White House and transgender rights advocates. A federal judge in Texas issuing a nationwide injunction blocking the Obama administration's school bathroom guidelines. The order was requested by 13 states and comes just days before classes are scheduled to start. The Supreme Court is widely expected to have the final say in the matter.

Ryan Lochte losing more than just his credibility in the wake of his made-up story about an armed robbery in Rio, the sponsors that are no longer at his side. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:11] SANCHEZ: Some dramatic new video showing Iraqi police stripping an explosive belt off the waist of a would-be child bomber for ISIS. The video aired by Kurdish TV shows the officers in Kirkuk carefully cutting the belt off this boy. He is believed to be 15 years old. Authorities think he came to Kirkuk from the ISIS stronghold in Mosul. The boy's arrest comes just one day after a deadly suicide bombing at a wedding in Turkey. The president of Turkey claimed that the attacker was between 12 and 14 years old. Though other Turkish officials are now backing off the claim that the attacker was a young boy.

ROMANS: North Korea threatening to launch a nuclear attack now that the US and South Korea are conducting joint military exercises off the Korean peninsula. Officials in Pyongyang warning the slightest sign of aggression will be met with a preemptive strike. The annual drill involves 25,000 US troops and comes amid growing concerns of the Pentagon about North Korea's nuclear readiness.

SANCHEZ: Wisconsin's attorney general says two body cam videos of the fatal police shooting of a black man in Milwaukee will not be released until the investigation is complete. Twenty-three year-old Sylville Smith's death earlier this month sparked violent protest leading Milwaukee's mayor to impose a curfew for teenagers. The city though was now lifting that curfew saying that it is no longer needed.

ROMANS: A new Stanford University policy bans hard liquor and shots from all the campus parties opened to undergrads. The new rule is coming months after former university swimmer, Brock Turner was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman outside the fraternity. Turner blamed his actions on Stanford's party culture. Critics say the new policy of the public relation stunt, it's a tone- deaf response to growing concerns about sexual assault. SANCHEZ: Ryan Lochte's days as a commercial pitch man appeared to be over.

[05:24:59] Speedo, Ralph Lauren, and two other major companies announcing that they are ending or not renewing relationships with the disgraced American Olympic swimmer. This comes after Lochte's bogus claim about being robbed at gun point in Rio. He's now admitting that he over exaggerated that story. I thought they would have dumped him for that grey hair.

ROMANS: Blue, was it blue? I thought it was blue hair.

SANCHEZ: Greyish?

ROMANS: I don't know.

SANCHEZ: Donald Trump playing into Hillary Clinton he's demanding a special prosecutor examine her foundation. He is calling Clinton out on immigration and her treatment of African-Americans. More and all of that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Donald Trump calling for a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton. He says he wants to know more about ties between her time at the state department and her family's charitable foundation. And his attacks on Clinton didn't stop there.

[05:29:56] ROMANS: Another 15,000 e-mails, another document from Hillary Clinton set to go public and it could happen just weeks before the election. What Clinton is saying to Jimmy Kimmel about it and what does the pickle jar have to do with anything?

SANCHEZ: And President Obama heads to Louisiana today to survey the damage from devastating floods. We have a preview of the President's trip from Baton Rouge