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Report: Clinton Reaches Out to Romney Donors; Turkey Takes Fight to Syria as Biden Visits Ankara; U.S. Men Who Thwart Paris Train Attack Write Book; Clinton, Trump Share a Media Strategy -- Avoid it. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 24, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Mitt Romney donors to her team as well, so let's talk to Ryan Williams who is former spokesman for Governor Romney, Governors both Romney and Sununu. And also John Stubbs who is the founder of R4C16, a group of Republicans supporting Clinton. He was also the former senior adviser to George W. Bush during his administration.

So gentlemen wonderful having both of you on and Ryan let me just ask you first, I understand you saw Romney just two weeks ago at a fundraiser in New Hampshire for Kelly Ayotte. And we know that he has become quite outspoken on his thoughts on Trump. He would never write Hillary Clinton a check, would he?

RYAN WILLIAMS, FORMER SPOKESPERSON FOR GOVERNORS ROMNEY AND SUNUNU:

No, I don't think so. Governor Romney's made it very clear he does not like Hillary Clinton, does not think she'd be a good president. Doesn't think Trump would be either. I think the governor's focus is now on helping down-ballot races, candidates running for senate, for governor, for congress, helping them get them elected and reelected this fall. I am not sure what he will do in the general election.

BALDWIN: But, what about his donors?

WILLIAMS: Well, I think there are some donors that are supporting Clinton. People like Meg Whitman and others. I think that's a small number. But I think that a lot of some of the big donors are unhappy with Trump right now. They're probably just going to stay out of it in general but some are so appalled by what Trump has done I think they'll go with Clinton. I don't think you will find too many of them, but there will be a handful.

BALDWIN: John, fair to call you an unhappy Republican this voting cycle?

JOHN STUBBS, FOUNDER OF R4C16, REPUBLICANS SUPPORTING CLINTON: I think like many Republicans, millions, frankly, around the country, who cannot support Mr. Trump, there is a bit of this feeling of being lost in the wilderness. Many of the people that we talk to and that have reached out to us over the last few weeks are going through this journey of how they could potentially vote for Secretary Clinton. That's a unique place for many of these Republicans. BALDWIN: It is interesting you use the word "journey" like this is

some sort of deep-seated sort of psychological arc in which you've finally arrived at this place. You've now co-founded this group. Since we don't have a Trump supporter, let me just say this. You have Mr. -- you have Kellyanne Conway, who is loved and respected by many Republicans, she's campaign manager.

He has talked about regrets in the last week. He says he is now really working to woo both African-American and Hispanic voters. Softening his stance on immigration. Is there anything that I'm saying that might change your mind, John?

STUBBS: No, absolutely not. I think Trump has demonstrated throughout the course of this campaign cycle, throughout the course of his life that he does not have the temperament, the patience or the judgment to be president of the United States. It's clear that Secretary Clinton is a better option.

I cannot agree more with the previous comment that Republicans I think who are going to raise money for Secretary Clinton are few and far between. What we are instructing people to do in the conversations that we are having about how to support down-ballot senators and representatives who are currently at risk. If Republicans really want to get engaged in this election, "The New York Times" has it at 60% chance now the Republicans will lose the senate.

It is time for Republicans to rally around strong leaders that we have in the senate, Senator Rob Portman, Marco Rubio, Kelly Ayotte, Senator McCain many others who are going to be more critical than ever in a Clinton administration, if that's what we are looking at in November 2016.

BALDWIN: Final question, Ryan. You mentioned Meg Whitman a second ago. How many Meg Whitmans -- a dear friend of governor Romney's. How many Meg Whitmans do you think will say, "I'm with her."

WILLIAMS: I think a few will but I think the vast majority will stay on the sidelines and focus on down-ballot races. This is a problem of Trump's own making. He didn't reach out to the donors after he became the presumptive nominee, and certainly hasn't acted like a presidential candidate who deserves their support.

They'll probably sit it out and see what happens and hopefully we can direct their resources down ballot to save our majorities in the house and senate.

BALDWIN: Do you think it is a smart tactic, that Trump didn't reach out after the fact, that now the Clinton campaign is reaching out to the Romney donors. Smart? Strategy-wise?

WILLIAMS: Yes. I think it is very start. They might get some dollars out of it, if not nothing else it is a good news story every time a major Romney donors flips to them. Just shows Trump has not consolidated the base of his own party and he is having a hard time in this race.

BALDWIN: Ryan Williams and John Stubbs, thank you both.

Coming up next Iraqi forces are advancing on the key city of Mosul in what is expected to be a fierce battle to take it back from ISIS hands. But the fighting is also expected to send a wave of new refugees into already-overwhelmed camps. More of Arwa Damon's reporting coming up.

[15:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Vice President Joe Biden is in Turkey today just as the NATO ally takes its fight against ISIS across the border in to northern Syria. Turkish tanks rolled in today to clear the terror group from a Syrian border town but there is also battling Kurdish fighters who are U.S. allies in the fight against ISIS in Syria.

[15:40:00] ISIS's most significant stronghold outside Syria is in Mosul where the Iraqi army has concentrated its efforts to drive out this terror group. But the human toll on a nearby refugee camp is catastrophic. Our senior international correspondent Arwa Damon tells their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The desert winds whip across the field. The heat is thick, suffocating, and the sand sticks to everything. Children's matted hair is shades lighter than it should be, their faces caked in dirt nearly impossible to clean even if there was water.

Inside this tent is a mother and her baby who we met a short while ago is one of the cases that's really struggling here. Baby Almat is 9 months old. He has diarrhea, is dehydrated and listless. His mother tells us. The only drinking water they have from a well is making everyone sick.

It's been more than a month since they got here after walking for hours. This woman clutches a photo of her dead son killed by ISIS two years ago for being in the Iraqi special forces.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (translation): He's dead and they took everything. They left me and Ronna. This is the martyr's daughter.

DAMON: People are thirsty, unbearable especially for the children in this heat. Food is lentils and beans twice a day. There have been promises that international organizations were coming. The Iraqi government would be helping. But this attempt to preposition shelter and humanitarian aid is providing no relief.

As the front lines move toward Mosul, people are making a run for their lives along different points. This group, three sisters-in-law and other male relatives, saw the opportunity when the Kurdish Peshmerga pushed forward.

There are very, very few details that they are willing to disclose publicly because of the shear risk involved with their family members who are still inside. But there is a potentially very joyous moment here because two of these women were pregnant when ISIS arrived when their husbands had to flee and very shortly their littlest children are about to meet their fathers for the first time.

They don't want us to follow them to film that.

But making it does not mean an end to the hardships people continue to endure.

ELISABETH KOEK, NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL: We are not able to provide them with the kind of services they need because we simply don't have the land.

DAMON: There is the issue of funding. $284 million was allocated during a flash appeal last month but the money has not yet been released. Already established camps have exceeded their maximum capacity. This Debaga camp in Iraqi Kurdistan has mushroomed to five times the size it was in May. Even with the expansions under construction in Debaga, it is barely enough for the current backlog and the offensive has not yet begun in Mosul itself.

KOEK: We have a rough estimate. It can be anywhere between 1 million and up to 1.5 million people coming out of the corridor from Mosul. So we are incredibly concerned and trying our best to deal with what might be the humanitarian catastrophe of the century.

DAMON: A catastrophe because we know this is coming. And preparing for the humanitarian disaster in the making should be as big a priority as preparing for the battle itself. Arwa Damon, CNN, Iraq.

BALDWIN: Arwa, thank you. We'll have more from her tomorrow.

Next, I will be joined live by 2 of those 3 American heroes who stopped a terrorist on a train from Amsterdam to Paris. Remember this? One year later, their new book about that harrowing day has just been released. They will join me live next.

[15:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Three Americans who just wanted to have a little fun in Europe became instant heroes when they stopped a terror attack on a train bound for Paris. Long-time friends Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alex Scarlatos were just three guys on vacation when gunshot erupted on their train. They took on a heavily armed attacker and helped stop a massacre.

President Obama ultimately honored these men and they have now written a book recounting on what happened on that train. Anthony Sadler and Spencer Stone join me now. Alec isn't here, right, because he is in sniper school?

ANTHONY ADLER, PARIS ATTACK HERO: He's in sniper school right now.

BALDWIN: So good for him. He is with us in spirit. Nice to meet you all.

SPENCER STONE, PARIS ATTACK HERO: Nice to meet you. BALDWIN: I've read so much about you both. None of you all had

really spent time in Europe. You think you are going off for this mega vacation. And then suddenly you're on this train. First of all, you go back to what? Middle school?

ADLER: About 12 years old.

BALDWIN: You're on a train. You two are napping. Alec yells, "get him." right?

ADLER: Train employee sprinted by us. That commotion kind of woke us up. Once awake we naturally turned to see what he was sprinting away from. We see a gunman enter the car with an AK-47. Alec yelled "get him." And within seconds Spencer is up and running at him already.

BALDWIN: I know you have told this story a million times, you are unfazed when you describe this man with an AK. But do you still feel it? Do you feel the fear?

STONE: It's been a while. It definitely comes into our mind at least once a day. That was one of the questions I asked another doctor I work with. I said when am I going to stop thinking about it. And he said in the first year you'll think about it every day.

Because he was a medic in Vietnam. He's seen and done a lot. He said eventually it will start to fade out of your memory but it will definitely be something that's always stuck with you.

[15:50:00] BALDWIN: Once this sort of happens, you see the AK-47. He's got box cutters and you guys get cut up.

ADLER: Spencer got cut twice on his neck.

BALDWIN: Then what happened?

ADLER: He basically secured -- we beat him up a little bit. Spencer was able to secure the choke hold and he eventually passed out. Then the fourth passenger, Chris Norman came up with neckties and he helped us hog tie him. After that it was pretty much neutralized.

BALDWIN: What was happening on train? Were people realizing what was happening?

STONE: People when it first started happening everyone was in shock. Even we were for a split second. Luckily we quickly snapped out of it. And they -- it just kind of got to the side a little bit. Mainly because there wasn't room for anyone else to do anything. It was already crowded with us three on the guy. But as soon as the guy was unconscious everyone else started to chip in.

Got ties and hog tied him. They were getting medical kits for us when we were working on Mark. Someone had hit the emergency stop of the train earlier and we got the train moving towards the next train station. So everyone kind of did their part and everyone kind of had a role. But initially everyone was in shock because obviously you are not thinking that is going to happen. BALDWIN: How has this changed, I don't know, situational awareness or how you perceive things since then. We've covered many terror attacks. I was in Nice when the man mowed over all those families for Bastille day in the summer, you had the attack at the airport in Istanbul. Is this something you think about truly?

ADLER: Funny enough we were actually in Europe in France for both of those attacks during that time. And I think it is something as Americans this day and age, we just have to be aware of your surroundings at all times.

STONE: Now days with all this stuff going on there is no designated battle zone. Every average citizen can step up any moment. Kind of be prepared and something just to think about take it into account. Don't let it rule your life, just keep moving forward. Just get prepared if something will happen and you have a plan.

BALDWIN: You never know when you are put in your shoes, if you sit there and cower or if you get up and act. You acted.

My last question is you met the President, Kobe, we were just talking about Clint Eastwood, before you guys came on, what has been the wildest piece of this unanticipated experience for you?

ADLER: Just doing all of these things. I am a huge Kobe Bryant fan so I enjoyed that a lot. He didn't have to give us as much of his time that he did and he just talked to us for hours just like a normal guy. Growing up watching him play basketball that was enough for me so that was pretty cool.

BALDWIN: What about you?

STONE: I mean the list goes like Kobe was the number one at the time, but thinking back on it the best thing was just being able to bring my family along for a lot of these experiences. When it first happened we were coming over on a plane to New York City, and I realized it was the first time we were on all the plane as a family, and that was just a really cool thing, We had gotten to do a lot of stuff. At the end of the day that's all you got.

BALDWIN: Your story is incredible. The book is "The 15-17 to Paris." Thank you so much. We appreciate it. Three American heroes. Coming up next, Hillary Clinton has not held a news conference this year. Donald hasn't talked to anyone but Fox in months.

Let's talk about what is behind this tight-lipped strategy for both campaigns coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:00] BALDWIN: The two candidates duking it out, seem to have one thing in common which is avoiding the media. With fewer than three months to go until election day Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are keeping their distance when it comes to answering questions from reporters. CNN's senior media correspondent Brain Stelter, Host of "Reliable Sources", joins me now. Brian, I know you have been counting the days for Hillary Clinton, and Trump. Why?

BRIAN STELTER. CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: I know that we are not the most popular people, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I really like you, Brian Stelter.

STELTER: And I like you too. And I wish the candidates like us more too. I think it is worth noticing in these dog days of August what the candidates aren't doing. They're busy raising money, rallying crowds, buying TV ads but they are not giving a lot of interviews. And that is sort of change from earlier in the year. We remember how accessible Donald Trump was for example, calling into morning shows and things like that. But lately, at least since July, Trump has not done any interviews except on Fox news.

Hillary Clinton is similar in some ways, she has done very few interviews this month and she has not had a full-blown bless conference since the end of December last year. So I am talking about 263 days. So I would suggest to you these candidates, we have been talking a lot about their health this week, they have a similar allergy. They have an allergy right now to press. And we will see if that changes in the weeks to come but there is the count up clock, actually a count up clock from the "Washington Post". I was wrong. It is 264 days. The days are blurring together but the point is both of these candidates are avoiding the press.

BALDWIN: 60 seconds, why? What is the response from the campaigns, when you say why aren't they talking?

STELTER: The Clinton campaign can sit on its lead right now. They are comfortable with the margins in the polls. They don't want to miss up a good thing. Politically it makes sense, but journalistically it doesn't. I know viewers at home have questions about the Clinton Foundation controversy and other stories involving the Clintons that she should address.

[16:00:00] And with regards to Donald Trump, journalists have hundreds of questions to ask about all sorts of topics including his recent outreach to minority groups. So it will be really curious to see if they will change their strategies in the weeks to come and open up and start to give more interviews.

I talked to Stewart Stevens, the Romney campaign manager in 2012, he said right now Trump is driving around in circles in a cul-de-sac by talking only on Fox News, he is only appealing to people that already bought his product. That is what interviews are all about trying to appeal to people who haven't yet decided to vote for you. So we'll see if Clinton and Trump do that in the weeks to come.

BALDWIN: We would take either of them at any point in time. Brian, thank you so much. Thank you all for being with me here, I Brooke Baldwin in New York.