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CNN Electoral Map; October Jobs Report; Presidential Race Bill Clinton and Melania Trump Speak. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired November 4, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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


[14:00:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I remember it. I'm sure so many of you do as well.

That's it for me. Thanks very much for watching. The news continues right now right here on CNN.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me. You're watching CNN.

Four days. Four days from the all-important presidential election and the road to 270 just got a tad more bumpy. Let me show you the map and explain why. So this is our - obviously our CNN electoral map and it shows Hillary Clinton dipping below the number of electoral votes necessary to win the White House. Right, that's why we keep harping on 270. That's what they need to win.

She does still hold an advantage, you see the numbers here, over Donald Trump. And CNN's new national poll of polls today shows Clinton with just a four-point lead as both Clinton and Trump are scrambling for the votes with - along with their surrogates in this final stretch and weekend before the elections.

So let's begin the hour with Mark Preston, our CNN Politics executive editor.

Tell me, now that we've looked at the map and the numbers, what's changed?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well, Brooke, let's talk about these dramatic developments right now. Let's first start with the state of Maine. There are four electoral votes in the state of Maine, but the way that they apportion their electoral votes, there's one hanging out there. We have now taken that one and we are giving it to Donald Trump. That is actually already in the 180 that we have tallied over there.

But in addition to that, we have taken the battleground state of Utah and its six electoral votes and we have changed that, Brooke, now, we have changed Utah to Donald Trump. So 186 right now. That has now gone Republican. We go out to the state of Ohio as well, a state that Donald Trump has been doing will, the battleground state, we have now switched that to lean Republican as well. Trump is now up to 204 electoral votes. And then, look at the state of New Hampshire right now, that has lean

Democrat. We have decided now to put that into the battleground column. And that's where we get to 268 electoral votes for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump at 204.

Now, Brooke, all Hillary Clinton has to do is win one of these yellow states and she still becomes president. But let's, for argument's sake right now, look at how Donald Trump would become president. Let us give him Florida for the argument, sake of this argument. Let us give him North Carolina for the sake of this argument. Let us go out to Arizona, give him Arizona for the sake of the argument. And you know what, let's go in and give him Nevada as well. Look, he still comes up short at 265. Hillary Clinton, of course, is at 268.

So what does it come down to? Well, let's go back up to the northeast, to this battleground state of New Hampshire. Let us give that to Donald Trump right now. That gets him to 269 electoral votes. Not enough for the 270.

Except, let's go out to the state of Nebraska. Nebraska is very much like Maine in how it apportions its electoral votes. Right now, one of those electoral votes is up for grabs and we have decided now to give that to Donald Trump. And when you do that, when you do plus one, that gets you 270, Brooke.

BALDWIN: There you go. The possibilities for each. Mark, thank you.

So factor this in now to who you might still vote for. Breaking news today on the economy. The final jobs report here before Election Day. And 161,000 jobs were added in the month of October and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.9 percent.

So, Alison Kosik is joining me now.

Positive news, I suppose, if you are a Democrat.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN MONEY CORRESPONDENT: It certainly is. This was a solid report, Brooke, when you look at the jobs report for October. You look at the unemployment rate falling from 5 percent to 4.9 percent. As you said, 161,000 jobs added to the economy in October.

But the headline really for this report, the way I see it, is the acceleration in wage growth. Wages grew 2.8 percent over the past year. So that means for many Americans, they're seeing bigger paychecks. That's something that can make voters feel good about the economy.

Meantime, Donald Trump putting out a statement calling this jobs report disastrous. I'm finding it a little hard to find anything in this report disastrous.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Well, what about also the - what Citigroup is saying about how if Donald Trump were to be elected president, that stocks would drop. Why are they saying that? KOSIK: OK, so Citi put out a note to its - to its clients saying that

if Donald Trump wins the election on Tuesday, that the next day they're predicting a 3 percent to 5 percent drop in the S&P 500. So that is an immediate drop. It's predicting, though - if Clinton wins, it wouldn't move stocks significantly, anything to mention there.

So in its note it said that it believes investors would be surprised by a Trump victory. This despite the fact that as you're showing, the polls are growing more narrow.

Why would this reaction happen in the stock market? Well, for a couple of reasons. That would be Trump and Clinton. Trump, as investors see as too much of a wildcard. Clinton is more predictable. And the market certainly doesn't like instability and unpredictability and that is what Trump represents.

[14:05:14] Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK, Alison, thank you.

KOSIK: You got it.

BALDWIN: Let's jump off of what Alison just went through as far as these numbers for the economy, especially heading into Election Day.

Let me bring in my panel. Nia-Malika Henderson is a CNN senior political reporter. Doug Heye is a CNN political commentator and Republican strategist and former RNC communications director, and Dana Bash is our CNN chief political correspondent.

So, great to have all of you.

And, Nia, let me just begin with you on what Alison just reported. You know, between the news from Citi on how they say that the stocks drop - it goes down if Trump is elected to the positive news on the job front, the wage growth. You know, if you still haven't voted yet, how much will voters care and who will this help most going into the polls?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, I think this is an election all based on how people feel, right? Do they feel good about their lives? Do they feel good about their high mortgage payments? Do they feel good about the fact that in many ways they haven't necessarily seen a raise from their jobs? Do they feel good about the direction of the country?

BALDWIN: A lot of people don't.

HENDERSON: Exactly. Exactly.

BALDWIN: A lot of people don't, despite the numbers.

HENDERSON: Exactly. And the - yes, and that's where I think Donald Trump is really resonating with so many voters, and that's one of the reason why it's so close because there is a sense among a pretty broad swath of the country that things haven't really gotten better. That America should be doing better. If America's the greatest country in the world, then why are you having to work two or three jobs? Or why are the school systems where they are?

And that has been, obviously, Trump's line of attack against the status quo. And, of course, Hillary Clinton is arguing something very different, right? It's a little bit more nuanced. It's sort of Obama plus. It's, we're not where we should be but we're certainly better than where we were eight years ago.

And, one of the things that's interesting, if you flash back to 2012, the big conversation that Romney was having in the lead-up to Election Day was about the unemployment rate was at 8 percent, right? It finally dipped to about 7.8 percent or so and that was supposed to be, you know, horrible that the unemployment rate was that high. And now, of course, you fast forward and it's at 5 percent. But, again, it's based on how people feel and some people aren't feeling so great.

BALDWIN: It's a great point. It's a great point, and that may be part of the reason why, Dana Bash, you know, folks feel frustrated and they think Donald Trump could help, you know, boost the economy, boost job number. But what else? I mean when you look at - you know, Mark just ran through the map. You have, you know, all these signs that help Trump. You have Maine's second congressional district now leaning Republican. Ohio, leaning Republican. Utah, leaning Republican. And New Hampshire now considered a battleground. What do you think that is about?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, there's something that is kind of ineffable at this point of a campaign and this is momentum. And there is no question that the momentum is on Donald Trump's side right now. It just is. And I think the fact that these states are changing and CNN's electoral map, that you're seeing the polls tightening in other states, that is what this is all about. And that is something that Republicans concede Mitt Romney did not have four years ago. He didn't have the momentum on his side.

Now the poll, people looking back, just by comparison, they will say that the polls were worse for Barack Obama than they are for Hillary Clinton right now. And we know what happened there, he won over 300 electoral votes. But, again, it's not just about the numbers even though both campaigns are using modeling and looking at data and voter by voter going, trying to figure out who has voted, who hasn't voted, what they need to do to get that person out to the polls. That's happening as we speak. There's just something else about that feeling that - and Donald Trump has that on his side right now. He just does.

BALDWIN: Let me jump to North Carolina and turn to my tar heel, love the tie.

DOUG HEYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you.

BALDWIN: So, you know, you grew up in Winston-Salem. You've worked on three Senate campaigns in the state of North Carolina. It's a must win for Donald Trump. And I was curious, you know, we haven't talked enough about the bathroom law, right, the discriminatory bathroom law in the state of North Carolina and I'm wondering, you know, because the gubernatorial race is one we really should also be watching. Who do you think is most riled up by, say, the bathroom law, who could help or hurt the top of the ticket?

HEYE: Yes, I think what we see in North Carolina, it's a very unique situation where there's an up-ballot motivation for Democrats between the bathroom bill and also all the voting rights bills that -

BALDWIN: Talk about that.

HEYE: That state assembly has passed. But what we've seen reality so far in the early is that while white Democrats have turned out a little bit more in the past, African-American turnout is down in the state by about 8 percent, and Republicans have really shown up. So where we thought that there might be a Democratic balance, so far Republicans, whether you're talking Donald Trump, my old boss Richard Burr, or even Patrick McCrory are in a better position than I think people would have anticipated three, four weeks ago.

[14:10:09] BALDWIN: So you - it could, with that swell of Republicans, could turn that way come Tuesday if all indicators, you know, materialize by Tuesday evening?

HEYE: Yes, given the way that North Carolina has kind of been changing under the radar, it's very similar to Virginia now except, you know, little pockets that add up to a northern Virginia, suburban areas of Raleigh, Carey (ph), North Carolina is a good example. Suburban areas of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, all add up to be one northern Virginia, but we haven't really noticed it. It should be Hillary Clinton's to win, but what we've seen with the early voting shows that it's neck in neck and probably will be on Election Day. It was the second closest in 2008 and 2012.

BALDWIN: We saw, what was it - I think it was Pharrell who was with Hillary Clinton in I want to say - I can't remember the town in North Carolina last night. You know, we had the president in Chapel Hill. Donald Trump has been in North Carolina.

So, Nia, here's my question, and I mentioned Pharrell because we know, you know, Jay-z and Jay Cole (ph) and Beyonce, no Beyonce, we don't know.

HENDERSON: Stevie Wonder. We don't of Beyonce. We'll see.

BALDWIN: Stevie Wonder, you know, all these people, Katy Perry, all showing up for Hillary Clinton. But my question is, does star power really translate to votes?

HENDERSON: You know, they certainly hope it translates to people coming out to a specific place and that place in some of these instances are close to polling places. And then you get those people there and then they go off to the polls.

BASH: Exactly.

HENDERSON: I mean that is the strategy there.

I want to get back to North Carolina. Doug, I hate your tie and I hate your school, but, you know, I mean that's fine. But, I will say -

BALDWIN: Go Tar Heels.

HENDERSON: I am hearing from Democrats in North Carolina very worried about what they're seeing in terms of a tick down, in terms of the support among whites in North Carolina post-FBI decision. They are seeing some softening of that support. And we know Obama lost in 2012 really because he didn't do well enough with the white vote. He only got about 31 percent, as opposed to 35 percent in 2008 and it didn't matter. I mean African-Americans showed up in record numbers. They had the highest turnout in North Carolina of every state in the country, it was 80 percent in terms of the percentage of black registered voters who showed out and most of them, obviously, voted for Obama. So I - Doug, you're exactly right, I think Democrats are very worried by what they're seeing and seeing real fallout, I think, from that FBI investigation.

HEYE: And -

BALDWIN: Yes.

HEYE: And Hillary Clinton did something very smart when she brought Pharrell with her. They made an unplanned, unannounced stop at North Carolina Central University with Pharrell. There are 11 HBCUs, historically black colleges and universities in the state.

HENDERSON: Yes.

BALDWIN: Yes.

HEYE: Those were absolute turnout machines for Obama in 2008 and 2012. Hillary Clinton needs them to do the same thing this time.

BALDWIN: OK. What about Chris Christie? Chris Christie, you know, on the flip side, on the Trump side. We know that he's heading up the transition team. We know he's returning to the campaign trail tomorrow, Dana, in New Hampshire, amid the fact that, you know, it's just crossed today that two of his former allies were just convicted in the bridgegate trial. Is that a smart move for the Trump campaign to have the governor out tomorrow?

BASH: Is it a smart move? I don't - I think that if we've seen from the history of Donald Trump whether it was when Corey Lewandowski was the campaign manager and he was in trouble, Donald Trump stuck by him and that not going to be any different with Chris Christie, especially with Chris Christie, because Chris Christie supported and endorsed Donald Trump well before anybody else did and got a lot of heat from it as - for it, I should say, as you know.

Having said that, you know, New Hampshire is a very targeted place. Chris Christie practically lived there during the primaries when he was running for president. (INAUDIBLE) -

BALDWIN: Now dubbed a battleground on our electoral map.

BASH: Exactly and there's a lot of good will for him there. Having said that, I think - I think it's more a question of what this

is going to mean for Chris Christie at this point than Donald Trump -

BALDWIN: OK.

BASH: Given that already you're seeing the Democrats who run the New Jersey statehouse questioning whether he was truthful with them and their investigation of bridgegate. And so that could open up a whole other line of just not attack but legal - you know, legal - going after him legally, maybe even going as far as impeachment proceedings. And this is pretty clear. I just got an e-mail from one of the Democratic leaders who was involved in that investigation making it pretty clear that that's something that might open up.

BALDWIN: OK. I want to thank you all so much. Four days to go. Don't forget, it is Tuesday and we're going to be electing someone. Leading up to election night here in America, we will have every race, every result for you. Stay with CNN until the very last vote is cast.

Also ahead, one of Trump's most vocal supporters says your choice Tuesday comes down to a car wreck or a drunk driver. Hmm. Let's discuss that.

Also ahead, one day after Pharrell stumped for Hillary Clinton, it is Jay-z's turn tonight, but at one point hip-hop idolized the real estate mogul. Let's talk about how that has changed.

[14:15:07] And, chilling new revelations, officials are monitoring chatter of al Qaeda threats against three states the day before Election Day. We'll talk to the NYPD commissioner.

You're watching CNN's special live coverage. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In this final push ahead of Election Day, we are seeing the tip-top surrogates for each and every one of these candidate, including Donald Trump's wife, Melania Trump. She spoke to an enthusiastic and packed crowd in a Philadelphia suburb right around this time yesterday. I want to play a little bit of her message then we'll play what we just heard from the other candidate's better half, former President Bill Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough.

We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Yesterday, I never felt so bad for anybody in my life as I did for his wife going out giving a speech saying, oh, cyber bullying was a terrible thing. I thought, yes, especially if it's done at 3:00 in the morning against a former Miss Universe by a guy running for president. I mean, that none of this is real. You couldn't make it up. The problem is, we're laughing, but it isn't funny because people's lives are going to be changed by this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:20:38] BALDWIN: Let's bring there. Let me bring in Betsy McCaughey, former lieutenant governor of New York and a Donald Trump supporter. Also with us, Hilary Rosen, CNN political commentator and Hillary Clinton supporter.

Ladies, so great to have both of you back on.

And, lieutenant governor, let me just begin - let me begin with you.

You know, we listened to Melania in her entirety yesterday. A great speech. I mean English isn't her first language, so I give her full credit for that. But that said, you know, when she was saying, we're too mean and we're too rough in this society and she would want to improve that if she's first lady. And given what we have seen of her own husband, does the former president have a point?

BETSY MCCAUGHEY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, not really because the former president obviously can't defend his own wife. She's under investigation from the FBI. She's under investigation from the House -

BALDWIN: But we're talking about your candidate right now -

MCCAUGHEY: That's right.

BALDWIN: Then I promise we'll take turns.

MCCAUGHEY: Well, the reason I'm responding is that Bill Clinton's obvious strategy is to divert his - the attention of the nation from the really serious issue, which is that his wife, a presidential candidate, is under investigation by the FBI, by the House of Representatives. And, in addition, has -

BALDWIN: But, again, Donald Trump is what I was asking you about.

MCCAUGHEY: Yes.

BALDWIN: And we're talking about his wife who says, you know, the society has gotten too mean and too tough and too much bullying.

MCCAUGHEY: She did a wonderful job on that speech. Right.

BALDWIN: I'm just asking you, does the former president have a point?

MCCAUGHEY: Everyone in the nation - yes, everyone in the nation would agree that civility is the right way to go. But, unfortunately, voters on Tuesday have a choice. They can elect a candidate who is under investigation and has a chronic, life-long problem with failing to obey the law.

In fact, I'd like to call you attention to a report I have right here. Just one moment.

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: This is outrageous. Come on, Betsy.

MCCAUGHEY: That Hillary Clinton is even in legal hot water with the authorities in Chappaqua, New York, where she lives, because she started renovations on her house without getting the right permits.

ROSEN: Betsy -

MCCAUGHEY: In other words, the law is for the little people and she won't obey the law.

ROSEN: That's staggering.

MCCAUGHEY: That's the problem with Hillary Clinton.

ROSEN: That's completely staggering.

BALDWIN: I don't know - I don't know what you're talking about. Go ahead, Hilary.

ROSEN: Well, it's staggering coming from a Trump (INAUDIBLE) who Donald Trump has over 400 lawsuits against him right now for cheating in business, for not paying contractors, for not -

MCCAUGHEY: That's not violating the law.

ROSEN: Well, yes, it is.

MCCAUGHEY: No, those are civil suits. Civil suits.

ROSEN: Actually, he will - he could be found against law. He has a rape status conference with a judge coming up and the Trump University fraud trial coming up that's already been scheduled before a judge. So let's just stipulate that Donald Trump is no, you know, is no boy scout here.

Secondly, let's go back to the original point, which is, I do think that President Clinton is on to something when he says, look, it's very nice that Melania Trump is out there talking about what she might want to do as first lady, but what we cannot forget is, you know, "The New York Times" did this analysis last week of the 282 times that Donald Trump insulted somebody online or in a speech since he declared for president. Two hundred and eighty-two separate occasions where he has been abusive along the way that Melania Trump said people shouldn't be. So I do think civility's in order. I think it was an odd choice for a speech - for a potential first lady. There were so many other things she could have talked about. But to sort of bring attention back again to Donald Trump's behavior by giving that speech I think was just a strategic mistake.

MCCAUGHEY: Look, the fact is that Hillary Clinton -

BALDWIN: OK, let's move on. Let's move on. From - let's agree that we need civility and we especially need it come Tuesday.

MCCAUGHEY: Absolutely. BALDWIN: Let me move on, though, to what Mike Huckabee, you know, former Arkansas governor, Republican, big fan of Donald Trump, endorsed Donald Trump, this is what he actually just tweeted earlier today. I just want to point it out to everyone. He tweeted, "Trump may be a car wreck, but at least his car is pointed in the right direction. Hillary Clinton is a drunk driver going the wrong way on the freeway."

I don't know if I really like either of those metaphors, lieutenant governor. I mean that those are our choices. And he's calling his own candidate a car wreck.

MCCAUGHEY: Yes, I was at - I was at Fox this morning when he verbalized his feelings and he actually said it a little differently. Said, you know, he may have a fender bender here and there, but she is really driving the nation into a ditch. And that is very apt.

[14:25:04] Donald Trump has a very strong program to jump start the economy and to provide better jobs, more take-home pay for people all across this nation whereas Hillary Clinton has put forward a plan that's virtually a recession plan. She's going to raise corporate taxes and drive more companies out of this country. She's going to impose layers more of environmental regulation that will shut down coal miners, people in the fracking industry, very important in Pennsylvania, and in the natural gas industry. She has a plan to reduce jobs and lower take-home pay and that's what the Washington, D.C. Federal Reserve says, that raising corporate tax rates will result in lower wages and lower growth.

ROSEN: It - they did not -

BALDWIN: Should we - should it -

ROSEN: Sorry.

MCCAUGHEY: And we can -

ROSEN: That's just inaccurate. It's just inaccurate.

BALDWIN: Four days before the election, four days before the election, you know, you both are obviously partisan and lieutenant governor I would love to hear what you like about your candidate maybe instead of what you don't like about Hillary Clinton.

ROSEN: But there are facts here, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Hilary, you get the last word and then we've got to go.

MCCAUGHEY: I just told you what I like about -

ROSEN: Well, I would just say that everything that Betsy just said about Hillary Clinton's economic plan is not true. Indeed she does have a plan for more tax fairness, but it goes to rich individuals. No one who makes less than $250,000 a year would see any tax increase. On corporate taxes, she has a number of proposals to create incentives for corporations, for domestic manufacturing and wage equality. Something that we all said that we need. And for investing in energy and green jobs that do matter to the U.S. And most importantly, a program for education because we have opened jobs in this country, we don't have qualified people to fill them, getting folks education is critical.

BALDWIN: OK.

MCCAUGHEY: That's all about more big government. But the fact is, Hillary Clinton -

ROSEN: No, it's not --

MCCAUGHEY: Has crisscrossed this country saying she's going to raise corporate tax rates -

ROSEN: And, in fact -

BALDWIN: May the best candidate win on Tuesday, ladies.

MCCAUGHEY: And that will spoil our economy.

BALDWIN: Betsy and Hilary, thank you. Thank you very much.

ROSEN: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: May the best candidate win.

Coming up next, when politics and hip-hop collide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Introduce yourself again for me, sir.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm Barack Obama. I'm the U.S. Senate candidate from the state of Illinois.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And, you becoming a black Democratic senator, this is a big deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: From "Vote or Die" back in 2004 to tonight, Jay-z rallying for Hillary Clinton. My next guest says he remembers a time when rap artists aspired to be like Donald Trump. We'll discuss, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)