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Erin Burnett Outfront
Terrorists Launch Deadly Attack on McDonald's in Munich; Police: Manhunt on For Three Gunmen in Munich Terror Attack; Awaiting Clinton Announcement on VP Pick; Awaiting Clinton Announcement on VP Pick Tonight; Donald Trump Revives Feud with Ted Cruz. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired July 22, 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. The breaking news. A terror attack in a busy mall in Germany. Tonight, a massive manhunt on for the gunman. Who is behind it?
Plus, gunmen also opening fire to McDonald's near that mall. A witness says children were intentionally targeted.
And Hillary Clinton set to reveal her VP very soon. Who will it be? Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening, and welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news.
A manhunt for terrorists at this hour. A shooting rampage at a McDonald's in Munich. Nine dead, at least ten wounded. Police tonight frantically searching for three shooters, Special Forces from around Germany are now converging on Munich. Witnesses say, gun fire also broke out at an adjacent mall. We have disturbing cell phone video capturing some of the deadly scene. What you are about to see is graphic.
(GUNSHOTS)
One shooter purportedly coming out from that McDonald's opening fire on innocent pedestrians. A witness telling CNN the shooter may have targeted children. That McDonald's is just across the street from that shopping mall which is the biggest in the city of Munich. Heavily armed police are now scouring the city, its mass transit system was shut down. It is still shutdown. Residents urged to shelter in place, locked inside their homes as this massive manhunt continues. German police say it looks like a terror attack. President Obama has been briefed offering his condolences and American support to Germany.
Erin McLaughlin joins me on the phone, she is in Munich tonight. And Erin, what you're now witnessing is a massive manhunt.
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. The situation here in Munich is certainly tense. That manhunt for up to three suspects still under way. A short while I was at the Munich Airport and the situation there was calm. Flights landing as normal, but I know there are very few taxis available and that's because authorities have warned taxi drivers to stay off roads because potential passengers may be suspects. I'm now trying to make my way to the scene where this all happened at Olympia Mall, but the highways were once shutdown leading to some airport have been reopened but there is a heavy police presence there.
Authorities have deployed the SWAT team as well as federal police -- police have been stopping cars on the highways and checking I.D.s. We also understand that enhanced police patrol have been deployed to the Austrian-German border, as well. Authorities here say that the situation is clear that this looks like a terrorist attack, but it's important to emphasize here that the motives of these suspects currently are unknown. A telephone number for missing persons has been established to support victims' families. They are urging people to await accurate information and avoid exchanging unsubstantial rumor on social media as they struggle to get the situation under control and the city calm -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Erin McLaughlin, thank you very much, on the ground as we said in Munich.
Brian Todd is OUTFRONT. And Brian, you got a chance to speak to witnesses to this horrific attack. One women you spoke to was actually inside the McDonald's when the shooting began. What did she tell you?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, this woman who we only want to call Loretta. That's her first name. We want to call her, this that for her safety tonight says, she saw the man come out of the bathroom at a McDonald's across the street from that mall. She says, he was only a couple of inches away from him, when she came out and his back was turned to her or she says she might be dead right now. Loretta told us her eight-year-old son saw the man load his gun inside the bathroom, he then came out he says and started firing on children. She also gave an account of what the man said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hear this Allahu Akbar. Allahu Akbar. I know this because I am Muslim, too. I hear this, and I only crying, screaming and take my children and go out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Now, that does that mean this man is an Islamic terrorist? Maybe not. There was a verbal exchange with the man who matches the description of the shooter which was posted on social media tonight. The exchange recorded on two cellphones, captures an intense conversation which ends in gun fire. In that conversation the shooter does not espouse jihadist ideology, he insults Turks and claims to be German.
He speaks in a Southern German accent. The suspect seems to have a disturbed mental state. So, Erin, right now it is not clear at this hour what his motive might have been, whether he might have been espousing Islamic ideology or not. It is very unclear at this moment and of course, we do not have a suspect in custody or confirmed dead. They are looking into the possibility tonight that one of the people who was killed might be a shooter.
BURNETT: All right. Brian Todd, thank you very much. Lynn Stein works at that mall, she was inside when the shooting happened and obviously this story now developing. Lynn, you witnessed this. You are now dealing with a manhunt in a shutdown city. I know it's terrifying and shocking to you. Can you tell us what you heard?
LYNN STEIN, SHOOTING WITNESS (on the phone): Um, what I witnessed myself or what I heard of the people around?
BURNETT: What did you witness yourself when you heard shots?
STEIN: Yes, I was in the mall and I was working but I took a little break to go and buy something for myself. So I was in the store and talking to this lady that were selling things and suddenly there were shots fired. We just heard the noise and we didn't identify it right away. And then people started running outside. And there were several shots, maybe six or seven, and I just ran. So, I ran as well, and just ran outside and, you know, waiting for what was going to happen or what was happening so people were screaming and were very confused and everyone was standing around and not knowing what to do and everyone was just running.
So I waited there, and I tried to call my coworker but she didn't pick the phone so I didn't whether she was safe or not. I waited a couple of minutes. And I heard gun fire -- which to me it sounded like it came from a parking garage that was next to the mall, but it could have also been from behind the parking garage and that would be around the place where the McDonald's was, so maybe that was that, you know? And when that happened I went back inside to check on my coworker. And when I walked in, I saw like the stores, you know, some stores were closed down and evacuated. Others, there were still people inside.
I talked to them, and I said are you okay? Do you know anything? They're like, no, we don't know. Like, should we close down? Like yes, please, close down your shop and leave immediately.
BURNETT: Yes.
STEIN: So I keep walking and then this man that's walking with me, he turned around and kind was running and he said he's downstairs, he's downstairs and we have two floors and I was upstairs. So, he said he's downstairs. So, I ran to what was my store. On the way I saw someone lying on the ground maybe dead or definitely injured and a woman was over him and she was crying and she was trying CPR. I was at the store. My coworker wasn't there, and I think there were more shots at this point of time, so I just grabbed my stuff, and I ran outside and that was where the police was and they told us to leave the area and you know, all that.
BURNETT: And I know --
STEIN: That was pretty --
BURNETT: You went back inside, Lynn, to try to obviously she said to help your co-worker and look for your coworker. Have you -- have you located that person? Do you know that they're okay and what else did you hear happened inside that shooting?
STEIN: Yes. I got in touch with her later, and she said she was hiding out in a storage place inside the mall with some other people, but she didn't tell me a lot of things. Just basically it was the same things that happened to me, like she saw people running and screaming and she just ran, as well. She also told me that she went back to the store to close it after a couple of minutes, and then went to hide, I think. That's basically what she told me, but the problem with her apparently her phone shutdown. So me and my boss have tried to reach her later and we couldn't reach her.
BURNETT: Right.
STEIN: So, we didn't know what was going on. But like later somebody saw her board a bus, so she seems to be okay.
BURNETT: All right. Lynn, we appreciate your taking the time and telling us a bit of what you heard and saw and thank goodness you're okay.
I mean, Paul Cruickshank is our terrorism analyst. Colonel Cedric Leighton is a former member of the Joint Chief of Staff, he knows the area of Munich well. Chris Swecker is a former assistant director for the Criminal Investigative Division at the FBI, and Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell sits on the House Intelligence Committee.
I want to start with you, Congressman. Because I know you've been brief on this. The President's been briefed on this attack. What have you learned that you can tell us?
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D), HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Very little right now, Erin, but we are grieving for our friends in Germany and for whatever reason this terror attack was carried out. Again we see that Europe is in a new era of terrorism right now and we're reminded that when people who have evil hearts have access to very dangerous weapons this is what happens.
[19:10:06] BURNETT: And let me ask you, Chris, what do you think happened here? Obviously, when you hear this one of the things that stands out is this was a McDonald's. This is an American brand, this is a western brand. This is a brand that stands for the epitome of the West and now that could just be coincidence and it could be something else.
CHRIS SWECKER, FORMER ASSISTANT FBI DIRECTOR: Yes, unfortunately, Erin, we live in a time when the presumption that it's a terrorist attack when you see a mass, you know, crowded place like a shopping mall and mass casualty, shoulder weapons and someone that's obviously had some type of training or practice and has practice with a weapon. So, the presumption is that it's a terrorist attack. We don't have the facts, unusual after, what, eight, ten hours now, we really don't have much to go on.
BURNETT: And let me ask you Paul, obviously, there is a massive manhunt right now. They don't know how many attackers they were. They're using the plural, they have Special Forces now coming in from across Germany, coming in to Munich and the city is completely shut down. How dangerous is this manhunt right now and how many are we looking for?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: They're looking Erin at whether there are additional suspects and they don't know that. In fact, the attacker may have just been acting alone or may already be dead and that's one hypothesis that they're looking into right now. This video has emerged and we'll be playing a little bit later of the gunman on the roof where he's ranting and raving. It was seen by standers by, and he appears to be significantly mentally disturbed frankly and talks about how he's in treatment.
So, this may not end up being a terrorist attack at all. It may end up being the terribly disturbed actions of somebody with severe mental health issues and we just don't know whether there are more gunmen on the loose. German authorities clearly not taken any chances and they've sent in the commandos to try to figure out if they can find anybody in the city, but this may, in fact, already be over.
BURNETT: Well, and of course, we don't know. Colonel Leighton as Paul said, there may be just one shooter or maybe three. They said they were looking as many as three. Obviously they've been hunting now across Munich for several hours. How far could shooters have gotten? You know, this is reminiscent to many watching of what happened in Boston when a city was completely shut down as they searched for the Tsarnaev brothers.
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Absolutely, Erin. And one of the big thing of this is, you know, like Boston, Munich has been shut down just like you described. They probably could have gotten, in seven, eight hours they can go very far. I mean, theoretically they could have gone through Austria and made it all of the way to Italy or the Czech Republic. I think it is unlikely that they did that, but it is certainly theoretically possible and it doesn't take long, you know, without any road blocks to get very far in Europe especially on the Audubon.
BURNETT: And Congressman Swalwell, what do you make of the fact and obviously again, we just don't know motive at this point. But the fact that it stands out to many Americans who happened to be watching that this happened in a McDonald's?
SWALWELL: That's right. You have a Western restaurant, and the soft target. You have children being targeted. It is terrorism and we'll get to the bottom and what name it was carried out in. But right now certainly we're seeing that successful acts like this whether it's Orlando, San Bernardino or Dallas, they inspire others who may be deranged or have their own issues to want to go out or carry out these attacks. So, whether it was ISIS directed or inspired attack or something else certainly the spree of mass shootings across Europe in the United States may be fueling others to take up arms and carry out something vicious like this.
BURNETT: All right. Well, all of you are staying with me. Next, the breaking news, our coverage continues of the terror attack
and a new video that we have of that attacker on the rooftop. We'll going to play that for you to try to get some sense of what happened in this senseless and evil act.
Plus, Hillary Clinton about to reveal her VP. Our latest reporting on who it will be and whether we can find out imminently.
And Ivanka Trump selling her convention look. Yes. Her dress now sold out at Macys. She went out on Twitter saying you could buy it. Is that okay?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:18:05] BURNETT: Breaking news, a massive manhunt now under way. Police say three attackers on the loose after opening fire at a shopping mall in Munich. At least nine are dead. Officials saying it looks like a terror attack. Those are the words of a German officials. One shooter appears to be videotaped opening fire outside a McDonald's across from the mall. So, there was a senior at the McDonald's and then against pedestrians in the mall in this video as you are seeing. The city right now in Munich under virtual lockdown.
People have been urged to stay home and they are desperately in a manhunt, as we said searching possibly for as many as three attackers. This comes as Europe is on high alert for the attacks. We have the attacks in Nice, the attacks in Paris. There was an attempted attack on a train in Germany just this week.
Evan Perez is OUTFRONT. And Evan, U.S. officials were predicting a summer of terror in Europe and we have seen in just the past week some horrifying acts.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTIC CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. It was going to be definitely a high alert there across Europe from Spain, and Italy to Germany and France and of course, in Brussels where we have seen so much terrorist activity in the past year, but really, what is been surprising is how much time passed this summer before we saw any of these, events. Now it seems we're seeing a lot of it, first in Nice and now this event today.
Now, we still don't know, there's still no indication yet that this is an Islamic terrorist attack a whether or not there's some other group and a right-wing group that might be behind it. But it is certainly something that has the attention of law enforcement here in the United States and intelligence officials because they've been picking up so much chatter about the possibility and about the intent of an attack in Germany in particular this summer.
There was a lot of concern that not only the return of some of these foreign fighters who are coming back from Syria and Iraq, but also that the possibility that ISIS has hidden some of its operatives among the big flow of refugees that have now taken -- made Germany their home, Erin. But at this point we are still waiting to hear from the German authorities what the cause of this attack might be.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Evan Perez.
My panel is back with me, and you know, Paul, you know, this week, a teenager inspired by ISIS stabbed passengers on a German. A terrifying story. People just on a train. One that didn't get a lot of coverage around the world in part because we were talking about the convention in Cleveland. But then we had the attacks in France, we have the attacks in Belgium. The attacks in Nice. When you put all of this together, what do you make of this? They called for attacks across Europe and whoever is committing these attacks, that is what we're seeing.
CRUIKSHANK: Well, that is exactly what we've seen in recent weeks and months in Europe, a whole spate of attacks and ISIS-directed ISIS- inspired attacks and lists of attempted attacks. This week in the UK and Norfolk, just to the north of London, there was an apparent attempted hostage attack on a British serviceman at an Air Base. He managed to get away and looking into whether there were terrorism ties in that case, as well. But I can tell you the context here in Germany is of intelligence services more and more worried about the threat of ISIS-directed attacks against Germany, ISIS-inspired attacks against Germany.
They've received intelligence that ISIS has been trying to recruit their German fighters to send them back to Germany to launch attacks and they found it more difficult to persuade the Germans or the French or Belgians to do that. But there have been more than 800 Germans who travelled to Syria and Iraq. Many of them joining ISIS for about a third of that number back in the country. So, it gives you the idea of the possibility that ISIS has in terms of targeting Germany. Also very recent intelligence on ISIS operatives reaching out directly to people inside Germany and there are followers to try to get them to launch attacks because they're losing ground in Syria, Iraq and Libya and they want to change the conversation.
BURNETT: So, Colonel Leighton, I want to show you the video that Paul had mentioned. The video of the person believed to be one of the shooters yelling on a rooftop in Munich this evening. You have listened to the actual video which of course is in German. What did you hear, Colonel? What did it tell you?
LEIGHTON: Well, there were a lot of obscenities there and it went back and forth but basically the person that is possibly the shooter was somebody who was speaking with a Southern German accent and it is an accent that is not normally picked up by people who are refugees living in Germany or even people who have been assimilated for some time in Germany. It is native to the Munich and the Southern Bavaria area and it is very clear to me that this was, you know, somebody, if that was the shooter, of somebody who was not related or affiliated with ISIS in this case.
BURNETT: And Congressman, when you put this in context of what we're finding out in the United States today, three Florida residents charged with conspiring and attempting to support ISIS, one of them actually in the airport supposedly getting on a plane to go over and to join ISIS. That was just today. People don't hear about that because they weren't able to stage an attack or pull an attack off, but yet they were on the path. How worried are you right now?
[19:23:16] SWALWELL: I'm most worried about an ISIS-directed attack in the United States, and it's really the work of the FBI and our border protection that keeps them from coming from the battlefield in Syria and Iraq to come over here. So it's those last-points departure like London, like Munich that have direct flights to the United States. If they make it over here, there are so many weapons that are available and recipes for how to take household items like the Boston marathon bombing to carry out an attack.
So, we have to fight the inspired attacks and really do the work abroad. But Erin, I'll just say, the instability in Turkey cannot come at a worst time, they are a lynchpin and protecting us from fighters transiting from Western Europe down to the battlefield and if Turkey is not a faithful partner in this, we are much more vulnerable.
BURNETT: Chris?
SWECKER: Yes. This is something that's viral in a very sick sort of way. Deliberate strategy on the part of ISIS to cast their seeds out there with that sick ideology and they know the odds are with them. They know there are a sufficient number of people out there that will going to latch onto it. And it only takes a few as we witnessed in Orlando and other places where one person can inflict mass casualties with a shoulder weapon, and some body armor and enough rounds of ammunition. So, we're in an era where nothing really is off limits, there's nothing out of bounds for this type of ideology. We've got a real challenge, the FBI has got a real challenge, thousand investigations, not enough agents I think to cover the ground that they need to cover.
BURNETT: All right. Well, I appreciate all of you taking the time tonight as we continue to cover this breaking story and that manhunt going on right now in Munich, unclear right now who carried out that terror attack as we get those headlines and have that Erin McLaughlin on the ground. We're going to bring that to you.
And Donald Trump speaking out about the Munich terror attack and that is ahead.
And we are awaiting Hillary Clinton's VP pick. We expect she will name a name tonight via social media. Who will it be? Will we find out this hour? We shall see. The biggest decision she has yet made this political campaign. This could be the crucial night. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:29:19] BURNETT: And the breaking news, we are awaiting Hillary Clinton's announcement of who her running mate will be for 2016. A name will likely be released via social media tonight. It could happen at any moment. We are awaiting this. Clinton's campaign was expected to reveal her running mate this afternoon. But the Clinton campaign found itself deliberating how to proceed how to proceed after the apparent terror attack in Munich. Our own Brianna Keilar reports the campaign was concerned about a
situation where Clinton announcing her running mate would compete with a terror attack. Clinton though did hammer Donald Trump moments ago at a rally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Last night Donald told us I am your voice.
(CROWD BOOING)
[19:30:05] Well, I don't think he speaks for most Americans, do you? He doesn't speak for anyone who thinks our country should be standing together, not splintering apart.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Brianna Keilar is OUTFRONT.
And, Brianna, what are you hearing from the campaign about the timing for this VP announcement? Obviously, the terror attack in Munich changed their thought.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly put it in flux for sure, Erin. The campaign is not saying anything about this timing specifically, certainly not publicly. It's really anyone's guess at this point, but we had heard that this could come out in the form of a text or a tweet or perhaps an e-mail to supporters.
So, we're waiting to see if that happened. Some have thought, as you mentioned that this could happen earlier today. Well, it certainly did not. But it does have to happen soon because tomorrow is -- and this is still on the schedule, Hillary Clinton's first joint appearance with her running mate and, of course, the convention starts on Monday. So this is really something that she needs to try to deal with, and also try to shift the conversation away from Donald Trump an GOP convention.
BURNETT: And at this hour, Brianna, the front-runner, the front- runners. What do you see who it could be for this VP spot?
KEILAR: There are front-runners, but I will spend my time talking about the front-runner because I think everyone will be floored if it's not Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. And I know some people will look at that pick and say there's not a whole lot of pizzazz there, but for Hillary Clinton, if she's trying to compensate against one of her weaknesses against Donald Trump right now, that doesn't seem to be with the Hispanic community seems to be with white males and Rust Belt voters, Pennsylvania, Ohio.
And Tim Kaine, a white male is someone who might and is also a moderate and is someone who can help her with that and he has something she's emphasized a lot which is the ability to govern. He's got a very long resume from not only be the governor of Virginia and he was the mayor of Richmond. He is now the senator for Virginia, who was also the head of the Democratic National Committee, and he also speaks Spanish.
So, if Hillary Clinton is going to disappoint some of her Hispanic supporters who have helped propel her into the position that she's in, he is someone who certainly will speak about issues that matter to them in Spanish and I think the campaign thinks that's something that can help.
I will just say quickly, Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary also seen as another front-runner. Cory Booker, New Jersey senator seen as a front-runner and the New Jersey secretary Tom Perez also mentioned, but everyone thinks it will be Tim Kaine at this point.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Brianna.
And now, the Democratic mayor for Philadelphia Michael Nutter, he is a Hillary Clinton supporter, along with Bakari Sellers, former adviser to four presidents, including Reagan and Clinton, David Gergen, and Donald Trump supporter, Kayleigh McEnany.
David Gergen, let me start with you. This is a crucial announcement for Hillary Clinton as it was for Donald Trump a week ago. He delayed his announcement because of the terror attack in Nice, and now we have this horrific terror attack in Munich happening tonight.
How important is it for her to get this right? She does need to do this tonight, really.
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I think she does. She could wait until tomorrow so by then it will leak out. So, I think she needs to do it tonight and do it early.
You know, I would expect that if she's going to do it tonight, it will be the next half our or so. But the role of this has changed so much in the social media and you used to do it with someone standing alongside you, a surprise event when you roll up the curtain and there that person was. So, these announcements over Twitter is a little, for me, lacks the drama of what we've had before.
But I want to come back to this -- what's been interesting today that I think is striking is one more reason for going for a safe choice like Tim Kaine, and that's what he is, he's the safe choice, and the Democratic strategists are saying after hearing the Trump speech last night they think it's more important to go for the safe choice because they are thinking the speech may have helped him and they have a tough race ahead and they think it might better to go with the safe choice and, if you she went with Cory Booker, you would have a woman and an African-American on the same ticket, that's a daring choice, I happen to be a Cory Booker fan. But may be she wants in a very tight election, there were strategists saying let's play it safe.
BURNETT: An interesting thing there that Brianna was saying, she needs to get the white male. It's not usually a group we hear referred to and in a sense that's progress in this country, right? You talk about, when you talk about African-American men, now it's the white male, women.
[19:35:00] MICHAEL NUTTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Everyone wants to be wanted, Erin.
BURNETT: Right, everyone wants to be wanted. But it's interesting that that would be what she's going for and fight Donald Trump in the crucial Midwestern states where he is fighting for people who feel disadvantaged by free trade for those white males.
BURNETT: And obviously there are a lot of factors that go into picking the vice presidential candidate and is a person qualified to do the job? Will they be able to step in, what's their judgment? And you will be able to work with this person closely for at least four, possibly, eight years. And I think those are still the overriding factors, and then you add in the other components. But you want the most qualified person that you can work with closely and can step in if something would have happen.
BURNETT: So, there's the safe choice that may or may not excite some people and there are choices that could excite a lot of people and Elizabeth Warren is one of those choices and you said it is not her and there are some who hold out hope and Cory Booker, those two names can energize this ticket. These other names when you hear Senator Tim Kaine, who by far is the frontrunner, as Brianna reports, will he energize Hillary Clinton supporters?
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think so. I think names like Thomas Perez energize and he'll be the first Hispanic vice president that this country has ever seen. But to get to Tim Kaine, I think Tim Kaine does energize the African-American base and he was the mayor of Richmond and has a great relationship and great ties to the African-American community and he speaks fluent Spanish.
And after last night's speech where Donald Trump bastardized the immigrant community, I think that that will be profound especially if he's announced down in South Florida tomorrow, but we're waiting and seeing, but this is an amazing time. I'm in Philadelphia and the energy is crazy because everyone is awaiting this pick because it kicks off our week and it's our week to stand in the light and Tim Kaine is the person who I think -- I think it may end up being.
BURNETT: How intimidating is Tim Kaine to you when you look at him and speaks fluent Spanish and a white male and a group that Donald Trump does well with. A man who is very close with his religion and a man who is a Catholic and is this someone that would be tough to take, and Kaine would be an intimidating pick?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He certainly is the best of the picks that she's considering and no doubt about that, but there is a real surge as we've seen in this country of working class voters wanting to take their government back, and I'm not sure how Tim Kaine who was an avid supporter of NAFTA, an avid supporter of Trade Promotion Authority, which led the way to TPP, I'm not sure how that resonates, one, with the Bernie Sanders supporters, and two, with blue collar workers who really feel that trade has cost them their jobs and their livelihoods. So, I think she has problems there with Cory Booker, the same sort of
things and the Wall Street ties and he took in $2 million from that sector and more than any congressional candidates in that two-year period. And likewise with Tom Vilsack, the same sort of trade issues there. So, I think there are some vulnerabilities here.
BURNETT: All right. All of you are going to be staying -- yes, go ahead, David. Quickly.
GERGEN: I just wanted to add one point. The key here is how much Tim Kaine will do for the ticket in Virginia and that's why Bill Clinton is pushing him and that's why Barack Obama thinks highly of him. Crucial.
If they can win Virginia, Bill Clinton thinks even if Trump were to win Ohio and Florida, he still can't make it to the White House if the Democrats can take Virginia. Tim Kaine is very popular there along with the governor and with the other Democratic senator. That would be very strong in Virginia.
BURNETT: All right. We will take a brief break. All of you are going to be staying with me.
Hillary Clinton and her crucial announcement of the V.P. pick said to be imminent. So, will it be really Tim Kaine or are we in for a big surprise?
Donald Trump picking up his bitter battle with Ted Cruz. He's not going to let it die, saying even if Cruz endorses him, he won't accept it. Why won't he let this go?
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:42:54] BURNETT: Breaking news, Donald Trump responding to the terror attack in Munich. The campaign releasing a statement moments ago, which says in part, "The rise of terrorism threatens the way of life for all civilized people and we must do everything in our power to keep it from our shores." This comes as Trump says his Republican convention was one of the most successful conventions in history.
He also, though, today didn't do well so much on that. He got into some parting shots to Ted Cruz because Ted Cruz, of course, has refused to endorse Trump.
Sunlen Serfaty is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We had an amazing convention. That was one of the best.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The newly minted nominee, his running mate, and he freshly branded plane are trying to move forward. D. TRUMP: The party's just come together.
SERFATY: But 12 hours after delivering the most consequential and carefully tailored speech of his life, Donald Trump is looking backward.
D. TRUMP: I don't want his endorsement. Ted, stay home, relax, enjoy yourself.
SERFATY: Renewing an old fight.
D. TRUMP: Somebody got booed the hell out of the place by thousands and thousands of people.
SERFATY: Resurrecting not only his feud with Senator Ted cruise, but again, raising a baseless attack on Cruz's father.
D. TRUMP: All I did was point out the fact that on the cover of "The National Enquirer" there was a picture of him and crazy Lee Harvey Oswald having breakfast. Ted never denied that it was his father.
SERFATY: Trump's tirade is threatening to overshadow his triumphant moment and blunt the momentum coming off his convention.
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: Our next president, Donald J. Trump.
SERFATY: The nominee capped off the week delivering a more serious address.
D. TRUMP: I alone can fix it.
SERFATY: As he accepted the GOP nomination Thursday night in Cleveland.
D. TRUMP: Our convention occurs at a moment of crisis for our nation. The attacks on our police and the terrorism of our cities threaten our very way of life.
SERFATY: Painting a dark and ominous picture of a nation in chaos.
[19:45:01] D. TRUMP: The first task for our new administration will be to liberate our citizens from the crime and terrorism that threatens our communities.
SERFATY: That view drawing a quick rebuke from President Obama today.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This idea that America is somehow on the verge of collapse, this vision of violence and chaos everywhere doesn't really jibe with the experience of most people. Some of the fears that were expressed throughout the week just don't jibe with the facts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY: And as is typical the newly formed Donald Trump/Mike Pence ticket is set to hit the campaign trail on Monday. They will hold a few joint events. And, of course, Erin, that is day one of the Democratic Convention here in Philadelphia -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Sunlen, thank you very much.
I want to get to Jeff Zeleny.
Jeff Zeleny, we are here awaiting this vice presidential announcement which you believe could be coming imminently.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: It could be, Erin. It's coming very soon, I'm told by top Democrats familiar with this process. As we speak Hillary Clinton is talking to some of those potential contenders that we've been talking about so much over the last few weeks or so and she's on the phone now.
John Podesta, the campaign chairman, has been calling some as well, and sort of giving people a heads up. But this is why this was -- really has not been leaking out all day long because, frankly, they didn't know. The people in contention that have sat down one-on-one with the secretary in her home have not known the outcome of this.
All signs from all Democratic sides of Washington and beyond point to Tim Kaine, the Virginia senator, but everyone is not certain. Even Tim Kaine, he is at a fund-raiser tonight in New Port, Rhode Island. He likely knows more than the others because he's had more conversations should it be him with Clinton campaign officials. But she's making those calls right now. It's one of the reasons it is taking slightly longer here.
But the Clinton campaign was intent on getting this out tonight and remember they will be here. She'll be with her running mate introducing this person side by side here in Miami and that is for a reason, Erin. This state is so critical and so important of a battleground stat state. Senator Kaine, Tim Kaine speaks Spanish and he learned Spanish as a Jesuit missionary in Honduras in college. He speaks Spanish on the campaign trail. That is one of the most important clues, perhaps, as to who she is going to pick.
But, again, she's making those calls right now. We are told the announcement as well as social media -- Erin.
BURNETT: Text messages and social media, so going out, of course, widely.
Dana Bash and Gloria Borger also joining me.
Gloria, as you heard Jeff just reporting, is John Podesta, the campaign chairman, internal head of the vice presidential committee for Hillary Clinton who is actually making those calls right now.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, and we know who the favorite is as Brianna was saying earlier and as Jeff was saying and it's clearly Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, but this campaign sure knows how to keep a secret and do it in an organized fashion here, because nobody really knew because the call had not been made yet and that is why this has been delayed and complicated by the situation in Munich.
I think the big question we want to answer here when we get this decision is what kind of a choice is this? Is this really a governing choice for Hillary Clinton? That's what she's been talking about, somebody she's comfortable with and someone she believes can govern.
Don't forget, she was first lady, and she was there when Bill Clinton and Al Gore worked well together. She was also there when Bill Clinton and Al Gore sort of had a separation, and so she understands what it's like when it doesn't work out.
So, I think that's sort of key uppermost in her mind. Also, don't forget, Virginia is a very important state coming this fall.
BURNETT: All right. All of you are going to stay with me. We are awaiting and this could come any moment and there is a crucial announcement. There is a favorite and it has not leaked. Yet, we do not know for sure whether it will be Senator Kaine or whether she will surprise us and we will take a quick break as we await this announcement.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:53:15] BURNETT: Breaking news: Hillary Clinton about to reveal her VP pick. A source telling us the Clinton campaign has been calling the teams for the losing VP contenders. Those calls are going on right now. Some of those calls being made by the Clinton campaigner, John Podesta.
Brianna Keilar is OUTFRONT.
Brianna, what are you learning? This could come any moment.
KEILAR: It really, we do expect this to come any moment. This is the time step, calling folks who are not going to be the vice presidential pick and says who it is. We were understanding that this could happen with a tweet, that it could happen with a text, perhaps an e mail. So, we're waiting to see if that comes out in some sort of online forum, but I think everyone would be floored if it isn't Virginia Tim Kaine. He has been far and away the front-runner.
We've heard other names introduced here in recent days, but it seems like Hillary Clinton and those around her keep coming back to this pick of Virginia senator who has a lot of experience governing, may not certainly be the most exciting candidate to how liberals are going to feel about this, or Hispanic or African-American voters are going to feel about this, and Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton think this will be a solid choice. We're still waiting.
BURNETT: Dana Bash, Senator Kaine himself has called himself boring. He's proud of it and he's not necessarily a bad adjective to apply to his name in his view. But he has some very, very important attributes as we've talked about, that he speaks Spanish. Of course, this announcement is in Florida tomorrow and that's an indication and a leak of who it could be.
But also, of course, he is a white male. A demographic that Donald Trump does extremely well with.
[19:55:01] DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I was actually just reading his bio on his Senate website which says he's one of only 20 people in American history to have been a mayor, a governor and senator, and obviously, the question is to whether he would add vice presidential running mate or vice president to that impressive resume.
Look, I was going through some of the things that Hillary Clinton has said to give us clues about her decision making process. And one thing really struck me, she said she is afflicted with the responsibility gene, which means she first and foremost aside from the comfort factor wants to make sure that whomever she picks can do the job, can be vice president if she wins and if something were to happen to her.
And, you know, certainly there are a lot of qualified people in the Democratic Party and qualified people on her short list that we know about, but Tim Kaine has done it from the executive side and the legislative side and he was the chairman of the Democratic Party.
BURNETT: All right. Dana Bash, thank you very much.
As we await this breaking news and the calls going out to those who did not get the V.P. slot right now, and then, this big announcement going to be coming. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Thanks so much for joining us. And don't forget, you can watch OUTFRONT anytime, anywhere on CNN Go as we await that VP presidential announcement from Hillary Clinton.
We are getting ready to hand it over to "AC360" with that breaking news. They begin right now.