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Erin Burnett Outfront
Ryan Praises Trump, Stops Short of Endorsement; Clinton Slams Trump Over His Shift on Muslim Ban; Trump Campaign Disavows Former Butler Who Wants Obama Killed; Trump's Former Butler Posts Obama Death Threat; Trump, Clinton Supporters Court Big Donors in Vegas; Ivanka Trump Defends Her Father, Calls Him "Honest". Aired 7-8p ET
Aired May 12, 2016 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:11] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT next. New details on Donald Trump's meetings with top Republicans today. What happened? Who's warming up to Trump and who is not.
Plus, Donald Trump's former butler calling for President Obama to be killed. The Trump campaign responding tonight. And Ivanka Trump speaking out today defending her father. Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, Donald Trump flying high. Trump and Paul Ryan meeting today. The verdict, no endorsement yet, but Ryan says Trump is a, quote, "genuine and warm person."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: He's bringing new voters that we've never had for decades. That's a positive thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Trump's motorcade dodging reporters and protesters as he arrived on Capitol Hill entering through a back door. The presumptive nominee meeting with top Republicans in the end, Trump and Ryan, no endorsement but they did issue a joint statement which read in part, "The United States cannot afford another four years of the Obama White House, which is what Hillary Clinton represents. That's why it's critical that Republicans unite."
And in another big victory for Trump today, a senator who once called him a xenophobic bigot complimenting the presumptive nominee and talking about him. Senator Lindsey Graham I kid you not, a fierce Trump opponent to say the least, speaking with Trump by phone and then calling the conversation cordial and pleasant.
Jim Acosta begins our coverage OUTFRONT at the capitol tonight. And Jim, no endorsement but does the Trump campaign feel that this was a big win today?
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Erin, they do. Donald Trump is all but declaring victory after his performance on Capitol Hill earlier today. But as you said, he left Washington without that critical endorsement of House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Republicans are openly saying that Trump needs to tone down his act. We did hear that earlier today. But at least many of them are using the same word, unity.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CROWD CHANTING STOP THE HATE! STOP THE HATE!)
ACOSTA: It was as expected a circus as Donald Trump came to Washington in search of a GOP big tent large enough to hold his renegade campaign and the party establishment he hopes to win over.
RYAN: I thought he has a very good personality. He's a very warm and genuine person.
ACOSTA: First up Paul Ryan who is still holding back his endorsement of Trump. But as he hinted, perhaps not for long.
RYAN: I think this is going in a positive direction and I think this is the first very encouraging meeting. But again in 45 minutes you don't litigate all of the processes and all of the issues and the principals that we are talking about.
ACOSTA: Trump shied away from the media scrums but tweeted great day in D.C. with Speaker Ryan and Republican leadership. Things working out really well. But kumbayah on the capitol, it was not. While aides say their meeting was not heated, Ryan indicated they remain split on critical issues.
RYAN: There are policy disputes we will have, there's no two ways about it.
ACOSTA: When Trump ventured to the Senate side of the capitol, there were more reasons for optimism but also some disagreements. Trump tweeted that his meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was great. But Texas Senator John Cornyn told reporters he confronted Trump on his rhetoric about immigration.
SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R), TEXAS: There is a way to talk about these issues that people don't find offensive but get still make the point that we're all for secured borders.
ACOSTA: All day long, Democrats eager to take back control of Congress were out to exploit the GOP's divisions. Pro-immigration group even delivered taco balls to members of Congress to mock Trump's Cinco de Mayo tweet about his love for Mexican food and Hispanics. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid went further.
SEN. HARRY REID (D), MINORITY LEADER: Since the Republican leader is all in for Donald Trump, you can only assume he approves Trump's calling immigrants rapists and murderers. Since Senator has so McConnell enthusiastically embrace Trump. We can only assume he agrees with Trump's view that women are dogs and pigs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Now putting aside those words from Harry Reid, the Trump campaign is feeling better about their position in Washington in this Capitol Hill primary after today. Ryan's endorsement, I was told by one aide, was never expected today. And another official said they believe that endorsement will come in time, adding that Ryan is not expected to jump on board right away as he has a lot of members to appease. And Erin, one other meeting we should point out that Donald Trump held earlier today, that was with former Secretary of State James Baker who served under the Bush administration. Could that be the beginning of Donald Trump trying to make inroads with the Bush family? That might be a tall order but it could be the beginning -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Jim Acosta.
And now, I want to get to Dana Bash, she is also outfront in Washington. And Dana, you know, I alluded to, all right, I mentioned it briefly, I mean, perhaps the biggest surprise of the day, Lindsey Graham complimenting Donald Trump?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Not only complimenting him, Erin, talking on the phone with him for 15 minutes. You know, I joked with him when he endorsed Ted Cruz during the primaries, not exactly a fan of Ted Cruz, that I thought I was going to see pigs flying behind him down the street. Well, now kind of waiting for hell to freeze over, now the fact that the two of them actually spoke. Because it was just last week right here on CNN, Lindsey Graham came on with me and said that he would not vote for Donald Trump, not vote for anybody on the ballot.
[19:05:28] He would probably write somebody in, because he just doesn't think that he's got the temperament to be president, doesn't think he's got the experience or the conservative credentials. Well, you know, the e-mail which his office sent out which we have I would have thought it was hacked or something had our Ted Baier (ph) our colleague not actually spoken to Lindsey Graham in the hallway and gotten it from his actual lips that the two of them did have a conversation. But in this e-mail he says that again they had a 15- minute Conversation. He congratulated Trump.
But not just that, he said that they talked a lot about foreign policy, which of course is Lindsey Graham's wheelhouse, one of the main reasons why he wanted to run for president. He is very hawkish, unlike Donald Trump. And he actually says in this statement, Lindsey Graham, that he gave Trump his assessment of the fight against ISIS and that he believes that Donald Trump asked him good questions. So you want evidence of the thaw among Republicans when it comes to Donald Trump and reality setting in, the shock wearing off, that's it.
BURNETT: Oh, that is it. I mean, for him to say good question. It is a stunning development, I mean, for sure. All right, Dana, thank you very much.
I mean, truly when you consider what Lindsey Graham has said about Donald Trump.
OUTFRONT now Republican Congressman Reid Ribble of Wisconsin. He sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman, you said you'd never vote for Trump. You said, quote, "We actually need a grown up, not a three-year-old in the White House." You just heard what Lindsey Graham had to say. One of the most pestiferous (ph) haters of Donald Trump. Did you change your mind today?
REP. REID RIBBLE (R), FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: Well, you know, I think that Donald Trump is trying as hard as he can to unify as many people as he can in the Republican Party. He's got a lot of work to do with many of us in part because his language has been so incendiary and in many cases just flat out childish. That I think he's got some work to do. And I can say certainly he's not going to be able to get me or get me to be able to support him because of it. I don't know that he's got the right temperament to be the most powerful politician in the world.
BURNETT: So, I mean, I'm trying to get a sense of how definitive you're being, I mean, because obviously today, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, right? The former House Speaker John Boehner coming out, right? And supporting Trump. Speaker Ryan clearly making progress. And I mentioned Lindsey Graham. So, I guess the bottom-line question is, is there anything, Congressman, that would get you to support Donald Trump? Anything at this point. Are you a definitive no under any circumstances?
RIBBLE: I'm a definitive no under any circumstances, Erin. And the reason being is that this country has got major problems that are going to require the entire country pulling together. And when you have approached this entire campaign cycle with a slash and burn attitude and really in many cases a childish attitude -- I mean, stop and think. It was little Marco. It was I don't like her face about Carly Fiorina. It was lying Ted and now it's crooked Hillary. These are the language of an 8th grade bully. And he's got to move beyond this and show that he can be an adult. And quite frankly, if he was going to do that, he would have done it already.
BURNETT: So, what are you going to do? Because right now it looks like your choices in November are Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. And if you don't vote for Trump you're effectively voting for Clinton.
RIBBLE: No, no. I would disagree with you, Erin. First of all, I don't know that it's going to be Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has been on a tear here the last month and a half. Maybe that's not decided or maybe it is. I don't know. But I reject wholeheartedly that a vote not for Trump is automatically a vote for Secretary Clinton. There are going to be a number of other candidates on the ballot including --
BURNETT: So, would you consider Bernie Sanders? Are you like one of the many in this country who appear to be choosing between the Trump and Sanders?
RIBBLE: No. I'm saying to you that I wouldn't support Sanders, I wouldn't support Hillary and I wouldn't support Donald Trump. I might take a look at the libertarian candidate or the constitution party candidate. I'm in this uncomfortable position much like Senator Ben Sasse says that we're going to have to look at down ballot possibilities because I believe that these other three candidates that are still in the major party races have disqualified themselves for different reasons by the way.
BURNETT: So, but the whole conversation today was about unity, right? And I understand, you know, you're being very clear about where you stand. But if you don't vote for Donald Trump, if you vote for somebody else and you don't vote at all, there are others who will go out and vote for the Democrat. There are people who say by standing back something like you as an elected official, you are making a big statement. You are possibly handing the election to Democrats. Are you okay with that?
[19:10:02] RIBBLE: Well, I'm OK with my own decision. I think every single American has to make the decision that they have. For me, I have deeply held views and it's quite for me a position of personal conviction. I think the idea that you're going to build walls -- and I'm not talking about the wall between Mexico that Donald Trump talks about. I'm talking about walls between people and ideas. The more incendiary you get the more the walls go up and people get defensive and you can't move the country forward with that type of tone and rhetoric. And you are not going to be able to undo those walls, because they have been so personal. The insults that he's applied have been so personal that you're never going to unify the country. And that's my big quandary that I have with Mr. Trump.
BURNETT: Let me ask you then about the speaker. Obviously the speaker is someone who has spoken with conviction and was very upset with some of the things Donald Trump has said including his proposed began on Muslim immigration. But now Speaker Ryan is coming back around. Here is actually something Donald Trump said about Paul Ryan recently.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Paul Ryan, I don't know him well, but I'm sure I'm going to get alone great with him. And if I don't, he's going to have to pay a big price, okay?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: You just called Donald Trump the equivalent of an 8th grade bully just a moment ago in this interview. What do you think about Paul Ryan that he's actually now being friendly with and moving down the path to endorsing someone who was spoken about him like we just heard?
RIBBLE: Well, I think Paul is in a really difficult spot. He's in a very important position as speaker of the house. And he wants to give the nominee as much opportunity as he can to pull the party together. And Paul has both a moral quandary with Mr. Trump with some of the language that he's used about banning an anti-religion coming into the country, his language about women. That's bothered the speaker and he's said that publicly. But he's also got some disagreements on Trump on policy. I think the media that they had today was to take those initial steps to get a rid of each other, so Mr. Trump can rid him, and he could have a rid of Donald Trump to see is there a path forward here to pull the party together and find some way of winning in the fall. BURNETT: All right. Well, Congressman, thank you very much.
Obviously clear no matter what happens there, you will not be on that Trump train.
Thank you, sir.
OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump's long time butler posting on social media that he wants President Obama to be killed and explaining exactly how. It is a stunning thing. We have a special report on exactly what happened, how the campaign is responding tonight. And one of Trump's signature issues, self-funding his campaign. Now though, that's all changing. He wants your money. Inside the donor wars. Special report from those rich donors.
And after calling for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, Trump is now saying, this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We have a serious problem. It's a temporary ban. It hasn't been called for yet, nobody has done it. This is just a suggestion until we find out what's going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Just a suggestion? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:16:20] BURNETT: Tonight, Hillary Clinton's campaign pouncing as Donald Trump appears to be backing away from one of his most controversial proposals. The likely GOP nominee now saying his plan to ban Muslims from the United States is just a, quote, "suggestion." That of course is very different from what he said about six months ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.
We have a serious problem. It's a temporary ban. It hasn't been called for yet. Nobody's done it. This is just a suggestion until we find out what's going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: OUTFRONT now, the former senior foreign policy advisor to Mitt Romney and top advisor to Paul Ryan during the 2012 campaign Dan Senor. Also senior advisor to the Donald Trump campaign Barry Bennett and the executive editor of CNN Politics Mark Preston.
Dan, you have said Trump's Muslim ban is quote-unquote, "crazy," a view you share with many top Republicans including Paul Ryan. But it seems you're walking back a bit. Now it was a very definitive clearly. Now, it's a quote-unquote, "suggestion." Does this make you reconsider?
DAN SENOR, FORMER SENIOR FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER TO MITT ROMNEY: No. Because one thing we know about Donald Trump, I mean, I remember Rick Perry early in the primary process gave a very powerful speech in which he talked about Donald Trump being a cancer on the Republican Party, a cancer on the conservative movement. And it's not just his policy positions. It's his general approach to dealing with people. But it's his misogynist attacks against women, whether his embrace of racial and racism, racist attacks, whether it's him mocking people with physical disabilities.
If you look to policy issues he's danced around on and moved around on just about every issues. So, I think people and policies are just pieces on a chess board for him. If it's useful for him to use a piece, he uses it. If it's useful for him to discard it, he'll discard it. At this particular moment that's the case with the Muslim ban. I have no confidence that he will not revert back, because there's no principle or conviction guiding his policies, it's just sort of whimsical opportunism. And that's an indictment of Rick Perry by the way. And huge swaths of the Republican establishment -- that they could once call someone a cancer on our party, and not only on board. They want to be his vice president.
BURNETT: Now Rick Perry did say he would take --
BARRY BENNETT, SENIOR ADVISER, DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN: It is. Because he realized he was wrong.
SENOR: Did he say that?
BENNETT: I didn't ask him. (INAUDIBLE)
SENOR: No, no, hold on, hold on! You're saying Donald Trump thought the Muslim ban was wrong?
BENNETT: No, no, no. Rick Perry --
(CROSSTALK)
-- when he called it against him.
SENOR: OK. Well, I -- if you listen to his explanation from why he believed Donald Trump, if you listen -- if you read the entirety of what Rick Perry laid out as his indictment of Donald Trump --
BENNETT: Uh-hm.
SENOR: -- there's nothing we've learned about Donald Trump in the last few months since Perry gave that speech that has changed.
BENNETT: Rick Perry took it back.
SENOR: So, so --
BENNETT: Your answer is that Rick Perry is just a bad person. SENOR: I'm actually saying Donald Trump had a theory about this race.
And one of the theories about this race was that professional Republicans were actually opportunistic, you know, who would actually cave and fold with the least bit of pressure, the least bit of opportunity.
BURNETT: Which is what you're saying they're all now doing?
SENOR: Exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: Are you saying that about the guy you used to work for, Paul Ryan?
SENOR: He hasn't endorsed him.
BURNETT: OK. But he's going down that path, Dan.
SENOR: He hasn't endorsed him. Look, I think Paul Ryan is in a very difficult position. No, no, no. There are three outcomes that could have happened today. All right? Outcome one is he could have come out of that meeting, Trump and Ryan could have come out of that meeting, and Ryan could have said, ignore what I said last week, I've been reassured, I'm endorsing him. Scenario number two, could have been no way in hell. My position stands, I'm never endorsing him. Well, you got scenario number three, which is we've got to see.
You know, we had a good constructed meeting, it was the first discussion. And we're going to go --
BURNETT: OK. But that's not what I'm hearing. You say --
SENOR: It's effectively saying Donald Trump's on trial.
BURNETT: OK.
SENOR: Let me say this, this was so unprecedented about this moment. I mean, just take today that the Trump organization thinks it is good news that the most senior elected Republican in the country comes out of a 45-minute meeting with him and still can't endorse him. Not to say he won't, but that there's still so much apprehension.
BURNETT: Barry, that is not the way you see it, that is not the way you see it. Nor is it the way most people see it. Be honest. Most people see it as a good day for Donald Trump.
SENOR: I agree. I think we lower the standard for Donald Trump including the media.
BENNETT: The speaker admitted and Mr. Trump admitted that they'd only met once or twice before for about 30 seconds. They sat down today for the first time for 45 minutes. They started getting to know each other. What the speaker said after the meeting was quite positive. What Mr. Trump said after the meeting was quite positive. I mean, this is crazy. I mean, I don't understand. I mean, of course it's his proposal and he calls it a suggestion and suddenly that's a mortal sin. All proposals are suggestions. Congress enacts the laws.
[19:21:15] BURNETT: But is it Mark, is that a shift though? I mean, Donald Trump --
SENOR: Are you saying that when he proposed the ban on Muslims it wasn't actually a real policy prescription?
BENNETT: I'm saying there's no difference about the proposal and the suggestion --
SENOR: So, is building the wall with Mexico, is that his suggestion?
BENNETT: That's his intention.
SENOR: Is that a suggestion?
BENNETT: Can he build it without Congress's approval? No. So he has to persuade Congress to do it.
SENOR: So, we can now caveat on every policy prescription as it's just a suggestion?
BENNETT: You've been around Washington long enough that it takes Congress to go along. All he can do is try to persuade to go along with it. You know that as well as I do.
SENOR: I do but typically --
BENNETT: No, please. I mean, this is ridiculous. I mean, you are looking desperately for a reason not to vote for him.
SENOR: My favorite line honestly of this campaign may have been just been articulated by you. This words matter stuff is ridiculous. Don't take him at his word. Don't take him at his word.
BENNETT: Oh my gosh! He's not a conservative, all this stuff, it's ridiculous. He got more votes in the Republican primary than anybody in the history of politics.
SENOR: Do you think he's a conservative?
BENNETT: But he's not going to have your vote?
BURNETT: Barry, let me ask you though.
BENNETT: I do think he's a conservative. I think there are all different kinds of conservatives. I think a lot of conservatives that you think are good conservatives, I don't think are good conservatives because they don't believe in a social causes that I believe in.
SENOR: Does Donald Trump?
BENNETT: I think he does, yes.
SENOR: You think he does?
BENNETT: I think he does. I don't have any more --
SENOR: -- confidence enough?
BENNETT: You can see into his heart and head?
SENOR: No, I'm asking you. You've dealt with him.
BENNETT: I've told you. I believe in him. You don't because you think you see into his head.
SENOR: No, no, no, I don't see anything. I don't see anything. I just see a guy who constantly --
BENNETT: Hold on. Hold on.
(CROSSTALK)
SENOR: No, no. I have no insight into this man in terms of what's inside his head obviously. All I can see is him bouncing around on just about every issue.
BURNETT: So, Barry can I ask you a question? OK. Hold on. Let me ask you a question. How much does it worry you that Dan will sit here and say what he's saying? That Representative Ribble just said what he said. He said under no circumstances in anyway will he ever vote for Donald Trump. These are people who have always mattered in this party saying, no.
BENNETT: There are -- we've never got 100 percent of Republicans to agree to anything, right? That's the one thing great about our party. I mean, I think even Mitt Romney got 93 percent of Republican votes in the last election. It's a different segment of the electorate this time. You lnow, this time it's the conservative intelligencia. That is like a not -- for Trump and they're going to be never ever Trump and they're going to vote for the libertarian or the constitutional party or some other candidate --
BURNETT: What you're saying here Mark though, this is actually a beautiful moment because this is the heart and soul of what the problem is right now --
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Right now as we sit here, this is the Republican Party right now in the state of the Republican Party. Gentlemen, right? I mean, you're on opposite sides of your Republican presumptive Republican nominee. Here's an interesting thing and a weird way to look at this. Donald Trump's unpredictability, right? Is what scares Republicans the most, OK? Those who are concerned about him as the nominee. Now, you might not agree but that is what it is. However, it is that same unpredictability, his willingness to pivot or to change his position is what is going to allow him to bring in these Republicans who are concerned about his unpredictability which is an amazing --
SENOR: I think people, to include would say that Donald Trump has attracted all these new voters to the Republican Party. Isn't this what we've always wanted? Conservatives, you should feel it, you should belief this is what we've always wanted, which is true, we have. But conservatives joined the Republican Party not because they're party loyalists, not because it it's like bloods versus crips. Or you know, skin versus shirts. Conservatives joins the Republican Party because there was a home for conservative ideas and conservative policies there. So, there's nothing Donald Trump's record including what he's been saying the last couple weeks that gives conservatives, many conservatives any confidence that his Republican Party is the Republican Party of conservative ideas.
BURNETT: All right. Pause for a moment. You're going to be back with us.
And next, the Secret Service investigating Donald Trump's former butler tonight because he has suggested President Obama should be killed. He went into great detail. The Trump campaign responding late tonight. That breaking news. The story next. And Ivanka Trump today in aware of public appearance, her new message about her father ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:29:10] BURNETT: Breaking news at this hour the Trump campaign disavowing the presumptive nominee's former butler who says, he wants President Obama to be killed. This is a man who worked for Donald Trump for nearly three decades and in a Facebook post, you see him there with Mr. Trump. Anthony Senecal wrote in part, quote, "Obama should have been taken out by our military and shot as an enemy agent in his first term." He then continue to say, actually that wasn't how he should be killed, he got into more detail.
Jeremy Diamond is OUTFRONT. And Jeremy, you actually spoke to Anthony Senecal today. That former butler. He doubled down on his comments telling you that the President should be hanged?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: That's right. Yes. I spoke with Anthony Senecal today. You know, he said that the last time he saw Donald Trump was about a month ago. And then yesterday on Facebook he wrote this Facebook post where he essentially calls for President Obama to be killed. I reached him today and he immediately confirmed that he wrote the post, but he had one quick clarification and that was the way in which he said President Barack Obama should be killed.
[19:30:11] And this is the quote he said to me, "I'd prefer he'd be hung from the portico of the White House or as I call it the White Mosque." He continues, "Does it sound like I'm nuts? Because I'm not. I've just gotten fed up with him." And that was just one of the comments that Senecal said that are raising some eyebrows today.
You know, he also referred to Muslims repeatedly as muzzies in his conversation with me.
Of course, the Trump campaign is now coming out and disavowing, which is pretty notably, given the Trump campaign's past of hesitating in terms of disavowing certain hate groups and hateful comments from their supporters -- Erin. ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Jeremy, thank you very much.
Incredible having that opportunity for that, quote/unquote, "clarification".
OUTFRONT now, Hillary Clinton supporter Maria Cardona. Her firm currently does work for a pro-Clinton super PAC. Barry Bennett is back with me, along with Mark Preston.
Barry, you were shaking your head along with everyone else. Anthony Senecal wasn't just a butler. He was Trump's in-house historian. He worked for him for nearly 30 years. According to "The New York Times", when he tried to retire back in 2009, Trump personally intervened, got him to stay on longer. He knew him well.
BARRY BENNETT, SENIOR POLITICAL ADVISER, DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN: Yes. He hasn't worked for him in a couple of years. But as soon as they found out about it, Mr. Trump wanted to completely disavow himself of any of this. He has nothing to do with the campaign, nothing to do with the Trump organization today. He did used to work there. He was a trusted person for a while. But what he said was disgusting and we completely disavow it.
BURNETT: Is that enough, Maria?
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, clearly, I'm glad to hear that he did it immediately and he didn't hesitate, which I think is what people were worried about back with the KKK group, et cetera. So, I don't think this will be an issue.
But I do think it will remind voters of all of the other hateful comments that Trump has made and will sort of put it in that bucket of this is not somebody who either understands what America looks like today, is going to go after those voters that a Republican candidate will need to get to the White House, additional demographics, women, minorities, Hispanics, African-Americans, et cetera. So, I think it comes at an inopportune for them. But I'm glad he disavowed it.
BURNETT: OK. This, though, is not the first time Trump, you raised it, had an issue with white supremacists, that type of comments, as we know, Mark. The KKK, white nationalist super PAC had done some robocalls for Trump, in which they said, let me quote, the robocall said, "We don't need Muslims. We need smart educated white people who will assimilate to our culture. Vote Trump."
I asked Trump about this in an interview and here's exactly how he answered.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Mr. Trump, when you hear that does that shock you? Do you denounce that?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nothing in this country shocks me. I would disavow it. But nothing in this country shocks me. People are angry. They're angry at what's going on. They're angry at the border. They're angry at the crime.
So, I would disavow that. But people -- I will tell you, people are extremely angry.
BURNETT: People are extremely angry. But to be clear, when he says we need smart well-educated white people to assimilate to our culture, vote Trump, you're saying you disavow that?
TRUMP: Well, you just heard me. I said it. How many times do you want me to say it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: You now have someone close to him posting these horrific things on Facebook. I mean, there's no other word to describe it.
The campaign is coming out and using the word disavow, which is obviously the same word Trump used to me. It's very clear there was a conversation about that, from my interpretation of it. But is that enough that the campaign come out? Is it smart or not smart of him to not personally say anything?
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Just a couple of things, one is this is a situation in a campaign when an outside force is now going to control your message perhaps for the next 12 hours, maybe for the next 24 hours. Second thing is, I'm not quite sure Donald Trump, when these past incidents occurred really paid attention to what was said.
That may sound like a defense of Donald Trump and I don't mean to defend him or to attack him, but I really don't think that Donald Trump listens intently enough to know what is really going on. That's why clearly in that interview, when you said it to him over and over and over again, he kind of listened to half of it and spun it about how people are angry.
I just think -- listen, it was smart for him at this point to disavow him immediately and to cut him loose. I'm sure when he's out in his next press briefing or what have you, he'll be asked about it and cut this guy loose.
BURNETT: Right.
Barry?
BENNETT: Yes, I mean, I think in the past -- and I will take part of the blame myself. Because we didn't get it to him fast enough. I mean, we can't monitor the world's Twitter feeds. We're a pretty small organization compared to presidential races at this point. We're getting a lot bigger, but we need to do a better job of finding things fast and getting it to him fast so he can respond as fast as he can.
Now, you know, this is completely disgusting.
BURNETT: You're talking about Antony Senecal, the butler. BENNETT: You know, I come from -- I have a mixed race family. That
makes me sick.
BURNETT: The robocall?
BENNETT: The sin that we committed was not acting fast enough and we should have done faster and we will.
[19:35:04] CARDONA: But these stories keep coming out. There was a story two days ago about a delegate in California that was elected, a Donald Trump delegate that was a white supremacist, a white nationalist.
Today, I thought it was very interesting. Paul Ryan's press conference, he had a line in there where it said -- he talked about the possible unity, where he said, yes, Donald Trump is bringing in all of these new voters. But he's clearly worried about not subtracting voters.
That spoke volumes to me because that is exactly what Donald Trump is doing, he is subtracting millions of voters, the kind of voters that in 2012, the RNC put out a whole report they needed more of. And he's doing the opposite.
BURNETT: He says the reason he's hesitated is he doesn't want to alienate any possible voters, no matter who they might be.
BENNETT: I would argue it's not a hesitation. It's an organizational flaw on our part not to get to him fast enough. No party has a market on hate. You can look at my Twitter feed and find plenty of hate for people who are not going to vote for Donald Trump.
And the American public is boiling over this stuff. I mean, you know, it's kid of sickening. I would warn my kids to read what people tweet me. But, as society, we've got to get better, we've got to get beyond this. As a campaign, we have to react much faster.
BURNETT: As a bottom line, are people going to buy this?
PRESTON: I think so. And just to put a cap on it, again, Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee. He's running for president. You've got to be out in front of this. Otherwise, is going to be a question of, are you accepting of it, are you fostering it, are you allowing it to happen?
BURNETT: All right. Thanks to all.
And tonight, the fight on for campaign cash, Trump and Clinton sending their teams to court donors. At an event for the biggest names and big money, they're making their case directly to the people who are going to fund the eventually winner.
Phil Mattingly is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The war is on. Here in Las Vegas behind closed doors, a crucial fight for big money. It's one of the biggest gatherings in the financial world, with more than a thousand potential donors, all with deep pockets.
Sprinkled with star power from sports legends like Kobe Bryant and Hollywood stars like Will Smith and Ron Howard. Millionaires and billionaires picking their sides and how they see their roles in each campaign.
T. BOONE PICKENS, HEDGER FUND & ENERGY MAGNATE: It would be helping with over people. Of course it would be money and I would contribute to his campaign.
MATTINGLY: Billionaire energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens pledging his cash.
The presumptive nominee who once shunned Wall Street money now facing a stark reality, he must help raise as much as $1 billion for the bare knuckle general fight that looms. But not everyone where there is a clear Republican majority is sold.
RAY NOLTE, SKYBRIDGE CAPITAL MANAGING PARTNER: There's certainly some nervousness around some of the rhetoric we've heard and some of the policy positions that, you know, he's said without a lot of depth behind them.
MATTINGLY: Something that Hillary Clinton supporters see as an opening.
ROBERT WOLF, TOP FUNDRAISER FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA: There's a lot of one-liners that seem to be literally being magnified in the air waves. But I think when it comes to substance, Secretary Clinton is by far and away the one candidate that actually talks with real substance.
MATTINGLY: Robert Wolf was one of President Obama's top fund-raisers and liaisons to Wall Street, now an outside advisor to Clinton's campaign.
WOLF: When you ask people here why do you support Donald Trump for presidency, most of the answers are, it's either I'm a Republican or I don't like the secretary. Seldom is it because I think Donald Trump is the right person to be president.
MATTINGLY: Trump's team trying to close that gap, sending his top finance official, Steve Mnuchin, here for private meetings. Top supporter and former Senator Scott Brown also here talking to potential donors, all in an effort to give a critical impression to donors.
Trump's nascent finance operation is for real.
NOLTE: The growing sentiment, though, is he's going to put together a very strong team. He's going to surround himself with good people.
(END VIDEOTAPE) MATTINGLY: And, Erin, the reality is Hillary Clinton has had more than a year head start on Donald Trump. Trump's teams really just starting to build this apparatus over the last week and a half. But here talking to potential donors, their point is a lot like what you just heard from Nolte. They want to see who Donald Trump hires.
So far, they've been happy with the people he's brought on, Steve Mnuchin. A former top Goldman executive has been here meeting behind closed doors, but also the cofounder of the conference where I'm at right now, Anthony Scaramucci, a top donor to Scott Walker, to Jeb Bush, people who are obviously out of the race, he's now on Team Trump and he's been working behind the scenes repeatedly. It's a good friend to have considering it's his conference, Erin.
[19:40:02] BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Phil Mattingly.
And next, Donald Trump's uphill fight to win over women voters. Daughter Ivanka Trump today speaking out, a rare appearance. We have a special report for you.
And the former Vice President Dan Quayle breaking his silence on the presidential race. You won't believe what he had to say in this interview, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, Ivanka Trump speaking out, defending her father in a rare solo public appearance. But will it matter to voters?
Jessica Snider is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP: Has anybody ever heard of Ivanka? Huh? People love Ivanka.
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ivanka Trump is the model of calm, standing stoically by her father's side at rally after rally across the country. She is well-versed in battling away criticism about his tough talk.
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: With him, what you see is what you get even if you don't like his viewpoint on a certain topic.
SCHNEIDER: Taking the stage at the Forbes Women's Summit in New York City, she spoke about her own brand and her brash father.
IVANKA TRUMP: I think people respect the fact that he's bold enough to say what he's actually thinking.
[19:45:01] SCHNEIDER: Donald Trump has made disparaging comments about women.
DONALD TRUMP: You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.
SCHNEIDER: But the 34-year-old mother of three fervently stands by her dad.
IVANKA TRUMP: I have witnessed these incredible female role models that he's employed in the highest executive positions at the Trump Organization my entire life.
SCHNEIDER: She's the executive vice president of acquisitions and development at the Trump Organization. And her brothers tell Erin Burnett, she is a deal-maker like her father.
DONALD TRUMP, JR., EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Ivanka is very much like him in many ways, in sort of the meticulous nature of things.
SCHNEIDER: She also runs her own fashion company, the Ivanka Trump Collection. And her website prominently features the hashtag #womenwhowork.
IVANKA TRUMP: I don't think I've ever heard the expression, a man who works or a working man, yet when it's applied to women, there's a connotation. I believe that that will change by the time -- I'm hopeful that will change by the time my daughter's an adult.
SCHNEIDER: She's been in the spotlight her entire life.
IVANKA TRUMP: Today, we are covering the Washington Monument in gold mirrored glass.
DONALD TRUMP: Wow.
SCHNEIDER: And has even taken part in her own spoofs on "Saturday Night Live". Now with Donald Trump's presumptive nominee status, his oldest daughter's poise and polish is making some take a second look.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw someone who really loves her father.
SCHNEIDER: Even so the women we spoke to who listened to Ivanka were mixed on how she could shape the race.
DAYLE HADDON, NEW YORK CITY VOTER: She helps it. There's no question. She's an asset. Somebody said oh my God, she should be running for president.
FRAN HOUSER, NEW YORK CITY VOTER: She definitely got me thinking a little bit more. But at the end of the day, I think he's done and said too much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: So not everybody buying it. You can be a great surrogate but not the candidate himself.
SCHNEIDER: Right.
BURNETT: She also spoke today, you said, you were there, about her friendship with Chelsea Clinton, which, of course, is under great strain. SCHNEIDER: Exactly. She said there's no nuance about it, their friendship. She said they are both children very supportive of their parents. It will remain that way.
So, they will remain friends, but of course right now, both of them, they have a job to do, defend and support their parents.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Jessica, thank you very much, Jessica Schneider.
And OUTFRONT next, a possible Trump vice president candidate that Dan Quayle says don't count out yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: He says he doesn't want it.
DAN QUAYLE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT: You know, they all say that until the phone call comes in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:51:31] BURNETT: Tonight, former Vice President Dan Quayle breaking his silence on his party's presumptive nominee and the race for the White House.
Our Jamie Gangel sat down with him and he talked about Trump's rise to the top.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUAYLE: And the normal sorting out process, printing usually goes to the top, right? I didn't realize that Donald Trump was going to be the cream that got to the top. For somebody that has really no experience in politics, to be able to start of and win with a strong field and not even go to the convention is quite remarkable. It shows that he is a winner. He knows how to win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Jamie Gangel is here.
He is a winner. That's a word and phrasing Donald Trump loves, especially when it is winner and not loser. That is (INAUDIBLE), right?
But, look, this is a huge statement, Dan Quayle -- establishment, establishment, establishment.
GANGEL: Absolutely.
And what's interesting is he's never spoken to Trump. He was not lobbied to do this. He came to this conclusion on his own. He's breaking with other GOP establishment, they're not there, and he
thinks that Trump can win. He really does. And he wants Paul Ryan to get on board.
We did this interview before the meeting and he was already saying I think Paul Ryan's going to come around, I don't know if he knew something ahead of time, but he really feels the GOP has to unify around Trump.
BURNETT: Which is pretty stunning and to your point, not linked to the Trump campaign, never met Donald Trump, that would come out and say this. He also talked to you about Trump's V.P. pick, which is a crucial question and he gave some advice.
Here he is.
GANGEL: Right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUAYLE: He needs to probably have a younger person and somebody that has -- comes from the conservative wing of the party, if you will. One would be Marco Rubio from Florida.
GANGEL: He says he doesn't want to.
QUAYLE: They all say that. Let's wait and see.
John Kasich from Ohio.
GANGEL: He also says he doesn't want it.
QUAYLE: They all say that until the phone call comes in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GANGEL: Once they get the phone call, he thinks they'll change their mind.
BURNETT: Yes.
So, he also -- of course, when you keep in mind who Dan Quayle is, right, he is inextricably linked to the Bush family and the way the country sees him. H.W. Bush has not endorsed Donald Trump. George W. Bush not going to the campaign. Jeb Bush, I won't even go there, who you spent a lot of time talking to.
But how significant that Dan Quayle would do this given that the Bush family is so not on board with Donald Trump?
GANGEL: So, in the words of Dick Cheney, I think heads are exploding in the Bush family. They can't be happy about this. Look, some of their problem with Donald Trump has to do with Jeb Bush. This campaign got very personal.
But I really think that the Bushes do not think Donald Trump has the character or temperament to be president. And so, for Dan Quayle to come out for Trump, they can't be happy with.
A little footnote, in 1988, Donald Trump raised his hand and lobbied to be George H.W. Bush's vice president. Quayle does joke. He says he is glad he picked me instead of him. But Quayle says Trump has wanted this for a long time. Interesting.
BURNETT: Oh, it is interesting, that he would come out again and be so definitive, sort of coming out of nowhere, making this statement.
[19:55:06] Jamie, thank you very much.
GANGEL: Thank you.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next -- money, greed, and the president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Money, greed and the economy. I'm not talking about the 2016 presidential race, which is focus of tonight's new episode of the CNN series, "THE EIGHTIES". Here's a look. Join Ronald Reagan at the New York Stock Exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT: In the last five years, we've moved from malaise to hope, confidence and opportunity. The volume of shares traded hitting record highs, and more Americans than ever before participating in the market. We're bullish on the American economy.
CROWD: Ronnie, Ronnie, Ronnie!
GIL TROY, AUTHOR, MORNING IN AMERICA: When Reagan shows up at the stock exchange, they yell, "Ronnie, Ronnie", is a way of saying America is back. That was Ronald Reagan's genius. He was able to link economic faith with faith in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: "THE EIGHTIES" airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. You don't want to miss that.
Thank you so much as always for joining us. I'll see you back here tomorrow. Friday, finally.
"AC360" with Anderson Cooper begins right now.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening. Thanks for joining us.
Tonight, breaking news: late reaction from the Trump campaign to some deeply hateful remarks that his former butler is making, dangerous enough to get the Secret Service involved. That's ahead.
We begin, though, with Mr. Trump going to Washington.
