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LEGAL VIEW WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD

Candidates On Labor Day Campaign Blitz; Clinton Welcomes Press Aboard New Plane; Poll of Polls: Clinton Leads Trump By 5; "Blunt" Meeting With Putin; Obama Suggests He May Not Meet With Philippine Leader; 7 Million Still Under Threat From Storm; Storm Still Churning Off East Coast. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired September 5, 2016 - 12:00   ET

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


[12:00:00] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: That is tonight. But for now, thank you so much for joining us at this hour.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: LEGAL VIEW starts right now.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone, I'm Christine Romans in for Ashleigh Banfield. Welcome to LEGAL VIEW and welcome to the homestretch of the 2016 race for president, just 64 days separate Labor Day from Election Day. And that explains some labor-intensive campaign travels that aren't limited to the candidates themselves.

Today, Hillary Clinton gets some campaign help from Bill Clinton and Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, who can talk about labor and election in the very same breath like nobody else. They will be spread out across five state today.

Donald Trump meantime has his running mate, Mike Pence, by his side as he campaigns in the crucial swing state of Ohio. A short time ago, he sat down at a round table with labor leaders in the suburb of Cleveland.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- that he (drive) from (inaudible) to Mexico. And your manufacturing is it's incredible what's happening. And right now as we speak, they're negotiating deals to move out of Ohio and go down to Mexico. So it's going to be a two-way street.

And with me, it's going to be a one-way street for a while, I will be honest with you.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

ROMANS: Now, more proof that politics doesn't take a holiday my blue- ribbon panelist Labor Day, CNN Political Director David Chalian and Senior Political Correspondent Brianna Keilar joining me from Washington. CNN Correspondent Phil Mattingly and our Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger are here with me in New York. Welcome everybody. There are no holidays and there are no weekends between now and Election Day. So we're all working stiffs here. Brianna, Hillary Clinton getting back on the rally circuit with a brand new airplane. And she's sharing it with reporters. That's a first for her or trump. Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hey, guys.

REPORTERS: Hi.

CLINTON: Welcome to our big plane. it's so exciting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think?

CLINTON: I think it's pretty cool, don't you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I never feel very (inaudible) --

CLINTON: You're supposed to say yes. I am so happy to have all of you with me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you missed us?

CLINTON: I've been just waiting for this moment. No, really. And I will come back and talk to you more formally. But I want to welcome you on to the plane.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How is your Labor Day weekend?

CLINTON: It's good. It was really good, yes. We had a good time. The last moment of -- hello, Mark.

MARK: How are you (inaudible) --

CLINTON: I recognize your hat. How are you? I'm glad you are here.

Yes, the last moment before the mad dash, the next two months. So I hope you guys are ready.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you ready?

CLINTON: I'm ready. I'm more than ready. Are you ready, (Ro)? Has (Aronda) taking good care of you?

REPORTERS: Yes.

(ARON): They are lying.

CLINTON: (Aron) has been -- how long have you been working for me now?

(ARON): Two and a half years.

CLINTON: Two and a half years. He started right out of -- he was still -- you were still in college, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right out of can.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right out of can.

CLINTON: I know, I know. We're so happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Labor Day.

CLINTON: What?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Labor Day.

CLINTON: Happy Labor Day. I know. That's exactly right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you have a Labor Day message?

CLINTON: I like you, you're good. I definitely -- I definitely do. If you want more happy Labor Days, you know who to vote for. Thanks. I will come back later. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bye.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Thanks. I will come back later. I think maybe that means maybe there's going to be a more formal Q AND A. But to me, correct me if I'm wrong. You've been on the campaign. You've been in these planes before with candidates. That feels like kind of an awkward first date to me.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think there always is perhaps an element to that. And let's just be clear so the viewers know, there's still a separation between the press and the candidate. The candidate has some privacy up at the front of the plane.

I believe, you know, in some of these cases, you could even have the press entering through the back of the plane while the candidate enters through the front. I remember on Bernie Sanders' plane, you would actually walk by the senator.

And when I was on his plane, you know, he would just read his newspaper and sort of be doing his own things so even as you entered, there might not really be a chance there.

But, you know, as a journalist, this is something that is welcomed. Hillary Clinton declared her candidacy last April and for the last 16 months or so has traveled on a separate plane than the press.

A lot of times -- and look, we should mention as well, Donald Trump does that. But a lot of times, you know, you think back to Romney, 2012, he traveled on the same plane as his press.

There is still some separation; make no mistake about that. But there's definitely an opportunity, a bigger opportunity, if traveling on the same plane that the candidate can come back and gaggle. That goes two ways. If there is something they need to address, they can come back and quickly talk to the press about that. And then hopefully, it does give the press more access.

And that Hillary Clinton hasn't had a press conference which is that's the formal press conference, right since December, it's very welcome.

ROMANS: You know, Gloria, I want to ask you about Biden. Because Joe Biden is out there in his element in Pittsburgh rallying against 'People Like Trump' he says while praising the minimum wage. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Where does it come from? It comes from people who understand what it's like to look across the table in the bargaining room and know that the guy on the other side really doesn't respect you, know that there are so many people like Trump who look at us like we're not their equal. I'm sick of it. I've had it up to here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Sick of it, people like Trump. This feels sort of personal for Biden, doesn't it?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think it is. And don't forget, you know, he is a boy of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He's middle class Joe. He believes that he can speak to these voters that Donald Trump is speaking to and get them on board with Hillary Clinton.

And so I think he becomes the character witness for Hillary Clinton with the working class. And that's his role. And it's going to be his role in Pennsylvania. It's going to be his role in Ohio. It's going to be his role throughout the Rust Belt.

And I they he believes that he can make that connection and take on Donald Trump very directly on that issue, asking where has he been, where has he been, for example, on the minimum wage, et cetera, et cetera and that's going to be his role.

ROMANS: And he will say I feel your pain --

BORGER: Yes.

ROMANS: -- that working class voter. But I know how to fix it. The Democrats know how to fix it, not the Republicans.

Dave, I want to look at the latest poll of poll showing Clinton's lead half what it was a month ago but it (inaudible) to 12 from all those fund-raiser. So, how does she stand heading into these final 64 days? Particularly, in these states that Gloria just talking about where, you know, there's a working class voter who is, you know, who went for Trump.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. Listen, I think the state of this race is sort of back to where it was before the conventions, when she opened up a wider lead after having a good convention and Donald Trump was immersed in controversy over the Gold Star Family, the Khans. That sort of created more separation that we had seen on cycle.

Now, it's kind of returned to this slight advantage Hillary Clinton. But in talking to her campaign, I don't even think they take a ton of comfort in that word slight, Christine. I think they really do see this as going to be a close fought campaign all the way through the fall even though right now as you look state by state, she's got this slight edge. But, you know, nine weeks is a long time to make some movement.

ROMANS: It really is. And so many times over the past year, Trump has been underestimated. No question about that.

You know, Phil, I want to talk about the tax issue, you know. Trump's running mate now says he will release his tax. The whole word wants to see Mike Pence's tax, not.

But Mike Pence is going to release his tax return sometime this week. And Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton's running mate, keeping the pressure on Trump to do the same. Here's what Kaine said this morning, guys.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is now looking at us and saying, hey, guys, trust me. I'm not going to give you my tax returns like everybody has done. Even Richard Nixon produced his tax returns. If you can't meet the ethical standard of Richard Nixon, I mean, God help you, folks. God help you.

You wouldn't hire somebody for a summer job who wouldn't answer your questions in a job interview. And he wants you to hire him to be president of the United States? He thinks we're chumps.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: I wonder if Mike Pence, Governor Pence, assuaged concerns about Donald Trump's taxes by saying he will release them eventually when the IRS audits are over or if he just drew attention to it again?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He just drew attention to it again. Because that's no change than their position has been for the last couple of weeks and months. And look, if you talk to Trump's advisers, you recognize theirs a calculation here. His lawyers advised him according to the campaign not to release his taxes while under audit. But there's nothing illegal about releasing your tax under audit. If he wanted to do it, he could.

The question is, what's the political calculation if he does? What would people be able to see that maybe Donald Trump wouldn't want them to see related to charitable givings or perhaps his tax rate --

ROMANS: Or the lack of charitable givings.

MATTINGLY: Lack of charitable givings. Look, he's in real estate development. There's loopholes all over the place. ROMANS: Right.

MATTINGLY: The idea that his tax rate would be extremely low is also their associations he might have through his businesses. The calculation here is, is it worth giving people all of that to look into over the course of this campaign numerous possible stories to hit him on, a load of opposition research for the Clinton Campaign or is it worth just having Tim Kaine out on the campaign trail, every once in a while talking about this issue and assuming that voters don't care about it.

I think that's the calculations going on right now. And if you talk to his advisers, they're leaning a lot more towards no sense in releasing them right now, I think, if they're being honest.

ROMANS: We're watching the Hillary Clinton's plane, by the way, landing here outside of Cleveland. You know, Bernie Sanders, Gloria, you know, he is stumping for Hillary today. But he made some comments over the weekend about the Clinton Foundation that almost gave more ammunition to Trump. How much does Hillary Clinton still need Bernie Sanders here?

BORGER: A lot. And what Bernie Sander said was that there has to be a separation between Hillary Clinton and the foundation and if she's elected, a complete separation.

ROMANS: Right.

BORGER: I think she needs Bernie Sanders a lot. I think she needs him to go to every college campus in America and and get out younger voters, younger African-American voters -- she is still not doing well with that demographic and Bernie Sanders is the one who can tell them what the binary choice is here and that they will be better off with Hillary Clinton. And she needs him.

ROMANS: I'm so lucky to have all of you guys around for the next 64 days. No vacations, everyone.

MATTINGLY: None.

ROMANS: We're going to feel awful seven days a week on Labor Day. Thanks, guys, Phil Mattingly, Brianna Keilar, Gloria Borger, David Chalian, thank you everybody. Nice to see you.

Just ahead, President Obama gets face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Conference in China, hear what he said about their meeting next. And be sure to tune in tonight starting at 8:00 P.M. for CNN's back to back special report and in-depth look at the life and times of a two major party candidates for president.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Live event we're watching here today. We're looking at live pictures right now of Hillary Clinton's plane just arrived in Cleveland as part of a Labor Day campaign blitz. Clinton and her most high-profile surrogates including her husband,

former President Bill Clinton, as well as Vice President Joe Biden will be campaigning across five states.

There is Tim Kaine, you can see heading up the steps. The door is open, going to go in and meet his boss to be. Well, his boss on the campaign trail. He hopes his boss to be in 64 days and counting until the election.

President Obama wrapping his final G20 meetings by what characterize as a blunt and candid face-to-face with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two leaders addressed a deal on ending the violence in Syria. The president was also asked if he thinks Russia is trying to influence the U.S. Election through hacking. Listen to his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, U.S. PRESIDENT: We're moving into a new era here where a number of countries have significant capacities. And frankly, we got more capacity than anybody both offensively and defensively. But our goal is not to suddenly in the cyber arena duplicate a cycle of escalation.

What we cannot do is have a situation in which suddenly this becomes the wild, wild west where countries that have significant cyber capacity start engaging in competition, unhealthy competition or conflict through these means.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Let's talk more about the President's trip with Nayyera Haq, she's a former White House Senior Director under the Obama administration and former State Department spokesman under Hillary Clinton. So nice to see you this morning.

And, you know, I listened to the President sort of tiptoeing around that issue of cyber security. This was an important discussion, no question. But the President was asked directly, you know, are the Russians interfering with the U.S. Election?

And he was very careful about how he responded. Your reaction.

NAYYERA HAQ, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SENIOR DIRECTOR: Well certainly a very diplomatic answer particularly in -- because in recent days, Putin himself has been asked the same question and has answered it a little bit more directly.

Now Putin said something very interesting when asked about how much his regime has been involved in cyber security and hacking in the United States, particularly in the DNC hacks and coordinating with WikiLeaks. And he said, well, that's not something we do at the state level, which really left wide open what other Russian entities are doing. And we've certainly seen a much deeper interest from Russia in this election than we have, I think, since the 1980s and the end of the cold war. ROMANS: Yes. And there's been a lot of discussion about even, you know, cyber activity and misinformation, disinformation campaign to try to undermine American democratic values and institutions.

I mean, you know, the President also says he and Putin had discussions about a cessation of hostilities in Syria. I want you to listen to this and then discuss any other side.

OBAMA: We have had some productive conversations about what a real cessation of hostilities would look like that would allow us both, the United States and Russia, to focus our attention on common enemies like ISIL and Nusra. But given the gaps of trust that exist and that's a tough negotiation.

ROMANS: Nayyera, is it feasible? I mean, how can he bridge that gap of trust with Russia in order to reach an agreement on Syria?

HAQ: There's a lot that fills that gap of trust. In particular, definitions of who we, United States, versus the Russians' called terrorists.

For example, the Russians are in Syria right now in support of the very regime that is bombing its civilians and cutting off humanitarian aid. Now, what the Russians will tell you is that well, they are helping fight the civil war and the terrorists there that often end up being the people of the United States wants to support, the moderates and the civilians themselves. So that's challenge number one. Who are we even fighting and are we on the same page?

The Russians are also engaged with Iran in the area. So it's a tough geopolitical puzzle. And unfortunately, it's getting to the point where I think all sides acknowledged that there really isn't a straight military solution to this. It will have to be a diplomatic solution which has been ongoing. Diplomacy is slow on the world stage.

So we're not going to necessarily see a coming off of this trip a new treaty or a new agreement that's going to change factors on the ground. But as least the two heads of state are having this face-to- face conversation. And we're hoping that that will move something forward.

ROMANS: And now, Nayyera, the President is on his way to Laos for another summit where he may or may not meet the new president of the Philippines. This is a man who warned President Obama not to mention his administration's controversial move of extrajudicial killings against alleged drug dealers, killings without due process. Here's what the president said about any kind of potential meeting.

OBAMA: Fighting Narco trafficking is tough. But we will always assert the need to have due process and to engage in that fight against drugs in a way that's consistent with basic international norms. And so undoubtedly, if and when we have a meeting but this is something that's going to be brought up.

ROMANS: Gosh, the Philippines is such an important ally and you have this new leader who's been openly harshly even sworn at and about President Obama. Should he meet with him? You know, what's the best case, worst case on this?

HAQ: This is what the President also called President Duterte, a very colorful character, which I think is another very diplomatic term for a foreign leader who has openly and, on the record, been cussing at you.

But it's interesting because part of world leaders meeting together is the projection of power for their own home country. And the president of the Philippines is not very popular for having disappeared about 2500 people in his country, where families don't know where these people are. And he has done it all under the umbrella of fighting drug trafficking.

So it's an important issue for the United States to coordinate with the Philippines. They have been an ally of ours since world war II. But the President has gone back to his team and asked them if this will be a productive meeting considering the attitude that the Philippine President has been projecting.

ROMANS: The president of the United States, his final G20 meeting as president, is almost juggling flaming chainsaws in the region at the same trying to sell the TPP back here, certainly, interesting times, Nayyera. Thank you so much for walking us through it. Nice to see you.

All right. Just ahead, tracking Hermine, seven million people under tropical storm watches warnings for this Labor Day. So what's the biggest threat and how could it affect your holidays? I got that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: This video from just moments ago, President Obama arriving in Laos. He is the first sitting U.S. President to visit the country. He is there to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or the ASEAN Summit.

Today, Obama suggested that an expected meeting with the controversial president of the Philippines maybe in jeopardy after the Philippine's President made a derogatory comment about President Obama.

Hermine is churning off the East Coast putting millions of people under tropical storm warnings for this holiday Monday, have a look at this video taken by a passenger on a cruise ship headed to Bermuda having through some pretty rough seas. There it is. Yes, rolling and churning there. Royal Caribbean cruise line says there's no danger to passengers on the ship.

Brynn Gingrss is with us this morning. She's coming here from Montauk, Long Island and meteorologist Jed Myers is in the CNN Weather Center. Let's start with you. Beautiful Montauk. That storm still hundreds of miles offshore but the threat of the storm surge and the rip currents is keeping most of those beaches close, isn't it? BRYNN GINGRAS, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Exactly. That's what Governor Andrew Cuomo insisted on because of those rip currents and they mean it when they say the beaches are closed. We have the barricades up right here, which doesn't even allow people to get on to the beach to take a picture of the waves. Even though I'm sure this girl really wants to.

But on top of that, double reinforcement because you got the lifeguards standing here as well, Christine. And they just shows you how dangerous these rip currents are, how serious they're taking them. As we look out at the ocean, you can see for yourself. I mean those waves are really crashing anywhere from 5 feet to 12 feet high.

And at some point, the waves do crash up on to the shore. So that's why really these guys are keeping everybody off. But you got to imagine, this is a surfer's dream. At one point, we talked to marine patrol and further down the coastline, they were actually having to take surfers out of the water because they were just too worried about their safety.

Another person was snapping pictures, if you can believe this, Christine, taking a selfie in these waves. And they said, no, get out of there. So it's a serious concern out here.

ROMANS: Yes. It looks like other concerns beside the rip currents, you know, you got people getting too close to the water too. But, you know, what about other risks there?

GINGRASS: At this point, I think we're looking at just beach erosion. Originally, were worried about some coastal flooding at least in this area. They're high tide. We are concerned that it was actually going to get into the street. But we're at about and actually little bit past high tide at this point. So it doesn't look like coastal flooding. That threat certainly has diminished a bit.

So right now, honestly, the biggest concern is the fact that it's the last day of the Labor Day weekend and you can't go in the beach and enjoy. So we're seeing a lot of people either going home a little earlier or even just coming out here and taking pictures and taking in the site of what is left off Hermine, Christine.