Return to Transcripts main page
Erin Burnett Outfront
Obama's Half Brother to Join Trump at Final Debate; Some Women Standing By Trump Despite Allegations, Lewd Tape; Trump Alleges Voter Fraud in Multiple Cities; Interview with Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma; People Magazine: Six Friends Back Trump Accuser's Claim. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired October 18, 2016 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:10] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT next, the breaking news. The final face-off. Donald Trump has a surprise guest in tomorrow's debate. His last name? Obama.
Plus, the President tells Trump to stop whining as the top Republican says, this election is not rigged. He's my guest OUTFRONT tonight.
And Donald Trump, Jr. on tape joking about a mass shooting, Arabs and overweight people. Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news. Face-off. The final presidential debate kicking off in hours, 24 from now in Las Vegas. It could be Donald Trump's last chance to close the gap, vote to the top of the polls with Hillary Clinton. The stakes for round three could not be higher. CNN learning tonight that Donald Trump is pulling out all the stops. His campaign confirming moments ago that Trump will be joined by a surprise guest at the debate. President Obama's Kenyan born half-brother Malik.
He's an American citizen. He is a Trump supporters. He's going to be there. Donald Trump's guest tomorrow night. Hillary Clinton as you see here arriving in Las Vegas this evening after spending days off the trail behind closed doors prepping for this crucial debate. Donald Trump is actually in the air as we speak also arriving in Vegas tonight any moment for this historic showdown. Tens of millions watching. Everything is on the line for Trump. As the latest polls show the race and even the reddest of red states, Texas is now neck and neck tonight. Unlike his opponent, Trump spent on the trail this week with the false schedule and today, he went after Hillary Clinton raising questions about her health.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: In her rallies, very few people show up. When she has the energy to go to the event. Which isn't often. She's doing debate prep. Sort of funny. She's been doing this for 30 years. Now she has to do debate prep for five days. You know what the debate prep is? It's resting. It's lying down going to sleep.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And you're looking at the stage for tomorrow's debate in Las Vegas. And we are now 20 days away from Election Day.
Sunlen Serfaty is OUTFRONT at the debate side in Las Vegas tonight. Sunlen, Trump is trying to -- this is his big chance. His guest list alone. President Obama's name, at least the Obama last name is now on there.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. And I think this is certainly showing some big signs that Donald Trump does intend to keep up his provocative debate theatric style that we've seen in past debates as you said inviting President Obama's half-brother who is a Trump supporter to be there sitting in the audience. Trump also inviting Pat Smith who is the mother of a Benghazi victim to also be in the audience.
This is the last and final chance for Donald Trump to really define his candidacy, make the case for why he should win the White House. But tonight he still seemed fixated on needling Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: Tomorrow night is going to be interesting. Now, she's home sleeping and I'm working. So that is the way it is going to be in the White House too. She'd be sleeping. I'd be working.
SERFATY (voice-over): Donald Trump taunting Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail today. Seeming to ignore the sky high pressure mounting around him.
TRUMP: I do. I look so forward to the next one in Las Vegas.
SERFATY: The GOP nominee will step out on stage Wednesday night at the critical moment for his campaign, facing a flood of new accusations of sexual misconduct coming from numerous women. Trump's wife Melania in a pre-debate interview with Anderson Cooper looking to cushion the blow as her husband heads into this final face-off with Clinton.
MELANIA TRUMP, WIFE OF DONALD TRUMP: I believe my husband.
SERFATY: Advising her husband to not get swept up in the latest controversy.
MELANIA TRUMP: I always say to him, be you, be yourself. Be calm. Be focused. Stay on the issues. Because American people, they -- they want to hear what -- what you will do for them.
SERFATY: Before Trump a grab bag of low-hanging fruit. To stay on message against Clinton. Like the daily drip of e-mail revelations by WikiLeaks. Which he's already telegraphed he intends to capitalize on.
TRUMP: This is a criminal act and it is incredible that they can do this and get away with it.
SERFATY: Trump unlikely Clintons hasn't taken a break from campaigning to prep for the debate. TRUMP: She's doing debate prep. She did so much debate prep.
SERFATY: Keeping up a relatively full campaign schedule. A point of contrast that has already turned into a flash point between the campaigns.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, DONALD TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER: He's not taking five days off the trail like she is. And that is her personal choice. And his scarcity is her strategy.
JENNIFER PALMIERI, HILLARY CLINTON'S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: You don't like to have to take a lot of time off the trail to do that but we've found that that is very worthwhile.
SERFATY: Trump did hunkered down this weekend and Monday for debate prep huddling at one of his golf resorts in New Jersey and in Trump Tower with his small inner circle of Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani, RNC Chair Reince Priebus and Chris Christie. But has kept up his atypical prep style shunning full-fledged mock debates.
[19:05:18] CONWAY: The same team has been involved from the very beginning and Mr. Trump very much enjoys doing the jousting back and forth strutting enough on the issues.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY: And the topics for tomorrow night's debate have already been announced. They will be debt and entitlements, immigration, the economy, the Supreme Court, foreign hot spots and fitness to be president. And it is that last one, fitness to be president that has really dominated so many of the debates in the past Erin and certainly is context in so much of the discussion for Donald Trump going into this one as well.
BURNETT: So, of course appropriately a broad topic under which anything can fit which is good for the moderator.
Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT in Las Vegas as well. And Jeff, Clinton not visible today. Prepping for the debate. You've been talking to the campaign. What are they saying about how her prep is going? And what more does she need to prep for?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Erin, she arrived here just a short time ago with a fleet of advisors flying with her across the country on her plan and they immediately went into more debate practice. So I asked a couple of her advisors who have been advising politicians for a debate sessions for a long time. Why so much more practice needed for this third debate? They said frankly that there is so much more information out there now.
Donald Trump has changed a bit, you know, since the first debate and the second debate. Much more of a scorched earth-like strategy. So Hillary Clinton is preparing for all of that. But something simply have not come up yet. Immigration is the first among them. She -- I'm told is prepared to go aggressively after that wall he's talked so much about and popping some holes into some of his strategy here. So, one of the reasons she's practicing so much. A, it worked for her the first time but B, there is still a lot of ground to cover here. Because frankly so many things have changed since even the second debate only ten days or so ago.
BURNETT: All right. Jeff, thank you.
And OUTFRONT now David Gergen who served as advisor for four presidents. Jackie Kucinich, the Washington Bureau chief for the Daily Beast. Patrick Healy, political correspondent for The New York Times. And presidential historian Tim Naftali.
You know, David, Trump saying Clinton is doing too much debate prep. Well, actually that's not what he's really saying, he's saying that she's sleeping, she's resting, right, instead of studying. But he's been doing rally after rally. Is there any more she could be prepping for at this point? Is this time well spent for five days off the trail now for her?
DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: Five days seems like a lot. And I mentioned she is resting. She's got a grinding three weeks ahead and I'm sure she's preparing for that. But I think it is raising questions when you get up to five days. What is really going on here? What we do know is that Donald Trump ought to be taking time off the trail. This is the third debate he's going into nothing Hillary's favor. He's not been able to pull this out. He's had no strategy.
In the last debate, you know, fatally in my judgment when he answered Anderson Cooper's question, have you ever done any of these things you bragged about to Billy Bush? He said no, I've never done anything. He would have been so much better of saying, I did a lot of things in my early life when I was a celebrity that I regret but now I'm a changed man, period, in that sentence. Instead, he invited all of these women to come forward. That was a really dumb mistake on his part. He would not have made that mistake, had he practiced. So, there is a lot to be said for taking the day or two off to prepare.
BURNETT: And Jackie, you know, since the last debate. Multiple women have come forward.
JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: Yes.
BURNETT: Multiple women. Okay? That is going to come up in some way, shape or form tomorrow with either Hillary Clinton will certainly bring it up. How is he going defend that? Now that you have women coming out and saying. So far on the trail, it's been pretty much very personal comments about these women.
KUCINICH: I mean, he's going to deny it and you are probably going to hear a lot. Maybe without the personal insults but if the other debates are a guy, Donald Trump says a lot of what he says in his stump speech and on the trail during debates. So I imagine he categorically denies it. Says it is some kind of conspiracy with the media and tries to get away with that. And we'll see if Chris Wallace lets him do it. BURNETT: That is going to be a big question here. And Tim, also you
have -- you have the guest list. OK? Malik. Trump is inviting Malik Obama. President Obama's half-brother. How significant will that be? Of course you have Mark Cuban coming again on the Clinton side. Trump's nemesis. So, what is the significance of Malik Obama? Because by the way Obama is not running, just to remind everyone.
(LAUGHTER)
TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Look, Julian Assange couldn't come. And I think if you see some of these -- if you think of Trump as a TV promoter and guest stars, he's running out of good guest stars. And he wants to create sensation. I mean, obviously he's not going to upset Hillary Clinton by having Malik Obama there. But he -- he's used to building an audience. And he wants to build an audience. I mean, to get back to David's point is really important.
He has never pivoted to substance, in all these debates, you know the one good thing he says in terms of impact is he says for 30 years, she was in public life and she didn't fix it. Now we could argue whether it is a fair attack but at least it is about, me. I'm an outsider. She doesn't fix things. He never says what he would do. And if he's not prepping, it means he's not going to be ready to do that. Once again it is going to be spectacle. That's it.
[19:10:19] BURNETT: And one thing that we expect that will come up tomorrow night Patrick is going to be the latest developments in the Clinton e-mail scandal. And by that, I am actually not talking about WikiLeaks although that won't come out. I am talking about the private server. And in this he says it is worse than Watergate. Here he is today. If this gives us a hint of what we'll see, here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The most corrupt person ever to run for president.
(AUDIENCE BOOS)
You heard about the newly released FBI documents. They reveal just how corrupt she is and it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: He's referring to an FBI employee who says he was asked to change an e-mail marked classified on the server to unclassified. State Department at the time was reviewing what e-mails were going to be put out and they're saying, there could have been even another employee says maybe even a quid pro quo offered by the State Department. You do this and we'll do that. FBI did not change that classification but this is what he's referring to. Can he make some hay here?
PATRICK HEALY, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: It is going to be hard for Donald Trump to make a high impact two minute answer on this without a teleprompter. He is a wandering, wandering talker -- (CROSSTALK)
HEALY: Exactly. Just to summarize in a way that like has actual impact that can move the dial. What Trump has been doing sort of over and over again is throwing out red meat to his base. Inviting Malik Obama. That is simply, you know, a dog whistle or something. Louder than a dog whistle about going back to birtherism. Suggesting Watergate --
BURNETT: Malik Obama is an American citizen but your point was born in Kenya --
HEALY: He's born in Kenya. No, exactly. You know, invoking things like Watergate that sounds like scandal and being able to have it sort of resonate. The problem is that the number of undecided voters is getting smaller and smaller and smaller.
BURNETT: And people are voting.
HEALY: And the people are voting and this is really his chance to, to try to make him like a final argument for his temperament. And if he's just sort of going back to the idea of we should put her in jail, you know, this is Watergate all over again. You know, he is maybe energizing Republicans. This is undecided voters, it is a tough call.
BURNETT: All right. Thanks to all. Next, we're standing by for Donald Trump. He's about to arrive in Las Vegas for tomorrow's debate. Hillary Clinton there. This is President Obama tells Donald Trump he needs to stop whining.
Plus, devoted Trump supporters. These women, you met them before, months ago. Well, we went back and spoke to them and they say nothing will keep them from voting Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I literally get on my knees and I pray that Trump will become the president of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And why this particular answer from Melania Trump has the internet buzzing tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIA TRUMP: He was lead on like, like egged on, from the host to say dirty and bad stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:16:33] BURNETT: Tonight, Ivanka Trump breaking her silence, speaking out for the first time about Donald Trump's lewd comments on an "Access Hollywood" videotape. She tells the magazine fast company in part, quote, "My father's comments were clearly inappropriate and offensive and I'm glad that he acknowledged this fact with an immediate apology to my family and the American people." But what do women think about the tape and allegations of sexual misconduct? Well, I want you to know we spoke to a group of female Trump supporters months ago.
Martin Savidge went to spoke to them. He went back and spoke to them after this tape and these allegations. He is OUTFRONT now. I want to warn you that his report contains graphic language.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Let me ask for a show of hands how many of you still support Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really do in my heart of hearts feel that he is a good man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has a plan for our country that is in line with the way I want to see our country go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel I can believe everything he says.
SAVIDGE: What about when he says things like this about kissing and grabbing women.
TRUMP: And when you are a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.
BILLY BUSH, FORMER "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" HOST: Whatever you want.
TRUMP: Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was kind of like the braggadocios that men do when they are together talking about their conquests.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has spent the 30 years of his life surrounded by beautiful women. He's an alpha male. He's bound to have said a few off color things.
SAVIDGE: Can you imagine your husband saying those words?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He would never say those words.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Melania Trump breaking her silence speaking to Anderson Cooper said, she too was taken aback by her husband's words.
MELANIA TRUMP: I was surprised because that is not the man that I know. And as you can see from the tape, the cameras were not on. It was only a mic. And I wonder if they even knew that the mic was on. Because they were kind of a boy talk.
SAVIDGE: And what about the women who have come forward accusing Trump of everything from unwanted contact to sexual assault.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have no proof. Who has the proof? Show us the proof. There is none.
SAVIDGE (on camera): You do not buy them or believe them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- happening three weeks before the election. When -- I mean why didn't they come out before?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's organized.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- backing Hillary.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): We spoke to the same group of Trump supporters during the primaries when Trump was leading most polls amongst fellow Republicans. Several months later their support hasn't wavered. And when I keep pushing. Rose Lee says enough already.
ROSALIE WRIGHT, TRUMP SUPPORTER: OK. So maybe it bothered me but not to the point that I think some of the media would like it to because we're still voting for Trump.
SAVIDGE (on camera): We move onto the conspiracy theory of media bias. Do you believe that we are working for Hillary Clinton that there is actually some deal struck?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I believe there are deals struck. Benghazi and e-mails, why are we not addressing that? That to me should be front and center.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): They see all the focus on Trump's faults as a distraction from important issues. Such as future Supreme Court nomination, immigration, religious freedom. And for them the stakes couldn't be higher.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me, it is the battle between good and evil. I think Hillary is evil. I think Trump is good. Is he perfect? No.
SAVIDGE: This good and evil thing is something they believe absolutely. They describe themselves as warriors for Trump that almost nothing can change.
(on camera): You literally do pray for him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I literally get on my knees and I pray that Trump will become the president of this United States. Yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: By the way, I pointed out that there are a lot of Democrats who would probably agree with that whole evil and good thing as far as what's at stake, they would disagree though on who the evil on this in the equation. Of course many Democrats say it was Donald Trump.
Also as to the debate that is coming out tomorrow night, I said, well, what would you like to see and hear from Donald Trump? The women say exactly as he did in debate number two. They thought he was right on message. They believe he carries that through with debate number three. And they believe he'll be president of the United States. And their prayers will be answered -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Martin, thank you.
And OUTFRONT now, Donald Trump's supporter Kayleigh McEnany joins me along with the former communications director with Ted Cruz, Amanda Carpenter. David Gergen, Jackie Kucinich also back with me.
Jackie, you know, you just heard one of this women say, Krystal, she gets on her knees and she prays that Donald Trump will be president of the United States. This is not just idol support. That is a deep, deep belief and these women are standing by him.
[19:21:23] KUCINICH: I think that is why you see that his support, where it's stayed, it hasn't wavered. Our Patricia Murphy -- Patricia Murphy went down to North Carolina and found the same thing with women that are supporting Trump. They are not going anywhere and part of it is also because they dislike Hillary Clinton so vehemently. And so what is the alternative? If you, you know, you like Donald Trump, you are not okay with what he said but is it going to make you flip all the way over? It just isn't.
BURNETT: Kayleigh, what do you make of this? One of these women says, she feels like she can believe everything Trump says. And then of course, but he's the one who said he grabs women. So I guess presumably she doesn't believe that specific or I mean, is there anything that would make these women turn from Trump? Or at this point absolutely not.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: I know a lot of women like this myself. My family does the same thing. They pray that Donald Trump does become president and the reason is, you know, not that we support his language. Of course no one supports that but we realize the stakes. We realize that the hobby lobby decision, the right to not force companies to buy contraception. That was a five-four decision. The Heller decision. The right to hold a handgun.
That was a five-four decision. The immigration decision recently. A four-four decision. The stakes are exceedingly high. Not just for the next four years before the next life time. And then you look across the aisle and you see Hillary Clinton and this horrible FBI report that, you know, the State Department offered a quid pro quo in the words of one FBI senior official to the FBI and exchange for exculpating Hillary Clinton. So you see the stakes on the Supreme Court and what's on the other side and the stakes are too high and Donald Trump is the only answer.
BURNETT: So, the only women issues are how he treats or talks about half the population does not matter to some of those women. But the question is, what about the undecided women? Right? He's 19 points behind in the most recent poll with women.
AMANDA CARPENTER, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR SENATOR TED CRUZ: Yes.
BURNETT: He's got to get more women on board.
CARPENTER: Yes. This is an election where the Republicans gender gap with Democrats threatens to turn into a huge gender canyon. Certainly women on that tape are remaining supportive of Trump. And Hillary Clinton is the biggest factor in this because they are hard core Republican voters who believe that Hillary Clinton poses a huge --
BURNETT: They call her evil.
CARPENTER: Yes. They think she's evil in the hierarchy of crimes against humanity, someone that could kill American women in military theater is worse than someone who has open, you know, sexual assault fantasies. That's how they're thinking. I've talked to these women. I know these women. They may have put that succinctly. But can that grow the party? That is going to be a long-term problem for Republican men if they can't figure out a way to heal the problems that Donald Trump has caused among female voters broadly this election.
BURNETT: David, you also have this belief that the media is behind these women coming forward. You heard them orchestrated that there's some sort of a deal. I can tell you for a fact that it is not true. For the accusers that I have spoken to, personally one of them came four months before the tape, the other one I know personally. But this is a conspiracy theory that a lot of people believe.
GERGEN: They do. And I think we have recognized one thing, Erin. It is actually true there's no conspiracy, there's nobody sat down at NBC and CNN and everybody else and plotted all of these out. It is true that a lot of us who are privileged live in a community of like-minded people. And I think that we reinforce each other's believes. And I think that we should not be disrespectful of people who think, wait a minute, I am outside of that circle and you guys are not thinking very much about me.
So there is a community. And with regard to these women, as much trouble as I now have with Trump, I have a lot of respect for the people who are following him. These women have legitimate concerns, legitimate grievances and we ought to respect them. At the same time they do not speak for American women more generally. So, we have since the September 26 first debate, is a vast falling off of support for Trump especially among women.
He went into that first debate neck and neck. He comes out now he's seven points back. That is largely because he's been fighting against women's rights for the last two weeks. He started by attacking, you know, Miss Universe. There's this other women, he spent the last two weeks on this crazy trend.
BURNETT: Right.
GERGEN: He should get off --
BURNETT: And a quick final word to you, Jackie. Harry Reid coming out obviously, top Democrat, saying, Donald Trump maybe what he did is -- but it's kind of a sickness. Does that actually help or hurt Donald Trump? When you have Harry Reid who's come out with unfounded things before. Coming out and comments on this?
KUCINICH: I think Harry Reid just sort of solidifies both sides. If you like Harry Reid, you cheer Harry Reid. If you don't you Harry Reid, you harken back to the Romney days. I don't think he really moves any needles.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all. And next, Donald Trump in the air just moments away from touching down in Las Vegas for tomorrow night's all-important debate.
Plus, Trump today ramping up his rigged election conspiracy theory. As one top Republican says, knock it off. He's my guest tonight.
And much like his father, Donald Trump, Jr.'s words are now coming back to haunt him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By the way, you can't, you can't even make fat jokes now without, like, there is a whole segment of people that like that's almost the worst one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:30:06] BURNETT: Tonight, President Obama slamming Donald Trump for saying the election is rigged, calling Trump's charges unprecedented and irresponsible.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If whenever things are going badly for you and you lose, you start blaming somebody else? Then you don't have what it takes to be in this job. There is no evidence that that has happened in the past, or that there are instances in which that will happen this time. And so, I'd advise Mr. Trump stop whining and try and make his case for votes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Trump is stepping up his warning tonight, though, alleging there is voter fraud in multiple cities.
Jason Carroll is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump is escalating his talk that the election is being rigged against him.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is an election about truth. And you are not going to get it from the dishonest media.
CARROLL: The GOP nominee is blaming the media for playing a role in the rigging process by reporting on sexual misconduct allegations against the GOP nominee, which he continues to assert are all false.
TRUMP: They have rigged it from the beginning by telling totally false stories, most recently about phony allegations where I have been under constant attack.
CARROLL: All as Trump digs in his heels, charging without evidence that there is a conspiracy to undermine the electoral process by allowing dead people and undocumented immigrants to cast ballots.
TRUMP: People that have died ten years ago are still voting. Illegal immigrants are voting. I mean, where are the street smarts of some of these politicians? They don't have any is right. So many cities are corrupt and voter fraud is very, very common.
CARROLL: Some of Trump's fellow Republicans are strongly revoking his unfounded claims, including former primary opponent Marco Rubio.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: There's no evidence behind any of this. And so, this should not continue to be said.
CARROLL: As the campaign enters its final weeks, Trump looking to go back on offense against Hillary Clinton by seizing on her latest e- mail controversy after newly released documents by the FBI raise questions as to whether a State Department official sought to have the bureau declassify the contents of an e-mail from Clinton's private server.
TRUMP: This is worse than Watergate.
CARROLL: While he takes aim at Clinton, Trump is still feuding with House Speaker Paul Ryan, suggesting the top Republican in Congress is not defending Trump because he has his eyes on the White House in 2020.
TRUMP: Maybe he wants to run in four years. Or maybe he doesn't know how to win.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: So, Erin, despite a number of GOP leaders who want Trump to sort of move off this unfounded claim that the electoral system is somehow rigged, Trump continues to push it when he's out here on the campaign. And when he was here, he named three cities that people should look out for. He said Chicago, Philadelphia and St. Louis, although provided no evidence suggesting why people should look out for those cities.
He continued also, Erin, to lash out at the media saying the media has been, quote, "lying, cheating and stealing". And he went on to stay that at this point, he feels as though the media is worse than Hillary Clinton -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Jason Carroll, thank you.
And OUTFRONT now, Republican Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma. He's the deputy majority whip and a supporter of Donald Trump. Congressman Cole, good to have you on the show again.
Donald Trump raising new allegations tonight. We just heard them. The election is rigged against them. He's been saying this again and again. There is no evidence of this. He says there is large scale voter fraud going on.
Do you agree with him?
REP. TOM COLE (R), OKLAHOMA: Well, if he wants to make the point that the medias uneven in scrutiny and unfair, I do agree with that.
If he wants to make the point that a lot of the elites in the country have mobilized against him to an unprecedented degree, I agree with that as well.
If you're talking about the actual election process, I don't agree. Frankly, I've been involved in elections my whole life. I was involved in the 2000 presidential elections as chief of staff of the Republican National Committee in probably the most disputed outcome in the long time.
But there's never any evidence of voter fraud. There were mechanical malfunctions. I'm not going to naive enough to tell you that it never occurs. But it doesn't occur on a scale vast enough to change the outcome of a presidential election.
So, this system broadly renders the opinion of the American people. It's done so consistently for literally hundreds of years. I think it will do it again in three weeks.
BURNETT: And Trump's words though, Congressman, of course, have impact for some of his supporters. You know, he's been constantly saying the election is rigged. I mean, he says it again and again and again, you know that.
We talked to some of them yesterday at one of his rallies about what would happen if Hillary Clinton won. And here is what two of them said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
DAN BOWMAN, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I feel like Hillary needs to be taken out. If she gets into government, I'll do everything in my power to take her out of power.
REPORTER: Is that a physical threat?
BOWMAN: I don't know, is it?
DEBBIE HOYT, TRUMP SUPPORTER: There will be a civil war. And I don't know.
REPORTER: Do you think it will come to that?
HOYT: Absolutely. You don't understand the passion in this country. I'm just one voice. There's a lot of people like me.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
BURNETT: Congressman, are you worried when you hear words like those?
COLE: I am. And I'm worried any time somebody delegitimizes the election process. Look, the majority of secretaries of state in the United States who are responsible for this are Republicans. And, obviously, Mr. Trump was very successful in Republican primaries. Nobody tried to manipulate the results there.
I think the same thing will be true in the general election. Look, we've got a very intense, hard fought campaign. It's highly negative. It's highly charged. I get that.
But at the end of the day, the people at the precincts are usually volunteers. They are your friends and neighbors. I don't know a single secretary of state in the United States, Republican or Democrat, that does not do everything possible to make sure the election is open, fair and transparent.
And again, I say it as a guy that used to be secretary of state. I know these folks. The last people in the world that want to see anything go wrong with the election is a secretary of state or the respective state or the chief election official in these states.
BURNETT: So, look, you are being pretty clear and adamant here, that the system is not rigged when it comes to the electoral process itself. You also just heard Trump talk about Paul Ryan, Speaker Ryan, a man you know very well. He said Paul Ryan may want Trump lose so that Ryan will be able to run for the White House next time around, and then he went on to say maybe Paul Ryan doesn't know how to win.
You have worked with Paul Ryan for years. What is your response to Donald Trump on that?
COLE: Well, frankly, he doesn't know Paul. And the reality is Paul didn't want to be speaker. So, the idea that he'd be maneuvering to be president right now strikes me as farfetched.
Look, he's a person of absolute moral integrity. He's the thought leader in the Republican Party. He's a first class person in every way. He's led with distinction in the House of Representatives.
He's not trying to undermine anything. What he's trying to do is save the Republican majority in the House. That's his job honestly. That's his number one job. I think he'll pull that off in three weeks.
BURNETT: Congressman, just because, you know, you are saying here Donald Trump's wrong on Paul Ryan, he's wrong on the electoral process being rigged. You called his comments on the "Access Hollywood" tape, disgusting, crude and vile. Yet you are still technically supporting him.
You know, John McCain, Rob Portman, Jason Chaffetz, they've all said no way. They just can't do it anymore. What makes --
(CROSSTALK)
COLE: Well, I'm not going to be -- first of all, the alternative. I'm not going to be for someone who systematically lied to the American people as Secretary Clinton has about her server and about her own actions with regard to that server, who casually put the country at risk for her personal and political convenience, who presided over a series of foreign policy disasters, who if she win says I'm going to raise taxes, expand the size of government and increase regulations. That to me is a pretty unacceptable alternative.
BURNETT: Right. Well, Congressman, thank you. Appreciate your time.
COLE: Hey, thank you.
BURNETT: And next, we're standing by for Donald Trump. He's about to arrive in Las Vegas any moment now for this crucial final debate. Everything on the line for him.
Plus, a "People" magazine writer says Trump sexually assaulted her, pinning her to the wall, forcing his tongue down her throat. Her story coming up.
And like father like son. Donald Trump Jr. on tape today talking about sexual harassment in the work place.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: If you can't handle some of the basic stuff that's become a problem in the workforce today, like, you don't belong in the workforce.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.
TRUMP: Like you should go, you know, maybe teach kindergarten.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:42:45] BURNETT: Tonight, Donald Trump sending his children to the crucial battleground states, including Nevada, where Donald Trump Jr. was speaking today. And Trump's sons have found themselves at the center of their own controversies in this campaign.
Kyung Lah is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump's children, the softer side of the Trump brand.
DONALD TRUMP, JR.: For my fair, impossible is just the starting point. LAH: Admired even by Hillary Clinton as she acknowledged in the last
presidential debates.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I respect his children. His children are incredibly able and devoted. And I think that says a lot about Donald.
LAH: Potent surrogates, the sons often dispatched to defend and echo their father to the campaign.
ERIC TRUMP, SON OF DONALD TRUMP: People want the country back.
DONALD TRUMP: They're good kids.
LAH: But Trump's sons have also inherited the shoot-from the hip style of their father. An examination of radio interviews by CNN's KFILE shows Donald Trump Jr. has mocked Arabic names, children and beauty pageants, and in January 2012 appearance on "Opie & Anthony", moaned about not being able to make fun of obese people.
DONALD TRUMP, JR.: You can't even make fat jokes now. There is a whole segment of people like, that's almost the worst one like, it is easier to do a racial thing than it is a fat one. Everyone knows they're fat and they get really offended.
LAH: Acceptance of bad behavior amongst men echoed just last week by Trump's other son, Eric Trump. In a radio interview, he defended his father's 2005 hot mic comments on "Access Hollywood."
ERIC TRUMP: That conversation, it was locker room banter. I mean, that's really what it was. It was two, you know, alpha guys in a thing. And, by the way, it is totally unacceptable and he has apologized for it.
LAH: But Donald Trump Jr. in a 2013 radio interview says, what is acceptable? There are some places women don't belong.
DONALD TRUMP, JR.: If you have a guy's place, you have a guy's place, you know, like --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
DONALD TRUMP, JR.: I don't know, I have a hard time letting go of it. Maybe I'm not going to have a choice.
LAH: In the interview on the "Opie & Anthony" show first published by "BuzzFeed", Trump Jr. then talks about sexual harassment in the workforce.
DONALD TRUMP, JR.: If you can't handle some of the basic stuff that's become a problem in the workforce, like, you don't belong in the workforce.
[19:45:02] Like you should go maybe teach kindergarten.
LAH: You may recall Trump Jr. also tweeted this picture, comparing Syrian refugees to Skittles. Unapologetic then and is now, candidly saying reporters digging up past comments distract from the issues.
DONALD TRUMP, JR.: We're not a country where everything has to be in a safe space. That's not what built this country. That's not what makes this country great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAH: So, does anything that the son say make a difference here? Well, it is their father running for president. Not them. What it does do, Erin, it does continue this narrative of Trump versus these women -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Kyung, thank you.
And next, we're awaiting Donald Trump's rival. The candidate about to land in Las Vegas for the biggest event of this campaign so far.
Plus, a people magazine writer accuses Trump of sexual assault. Her mentor, her confidant, the first she called when it happened talks to us, talks about why it was a secret she kept for all these years.
And Jeanne Moos with how the Internet has exploded after Melania Trump said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIA TRUMP, WIFE OF DONALD TRUMP: He was led on, like egged on, from the host to say dirty and bad stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:50:05] BURNETT: New tonight, the former "People" magazine reporter who accused Donald Trump of assaulting her at his Mar-a-Lago estate is fighting back, slamming Trump after he has repeatedly called her a liar. Tonight, six colleagues and close friends of Natasha Stoynoff are coming forward to verify her story that Trump pinned her against a wall and in her words, stuck his tongue down her throat. That was just beginning.
Paul McLaughlin is Natasha Stoynoff's former journalism professor.
And, Paul, I appreciate your being with me because you are one of the calls Natasha made when this happened a decade ago. She called you after this incident as she was writing this cover story for "People". How did it impact her?
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, I think we can imagine how difficult it would be for a young woman to have gone down to Florida to do what she thought was this wonderful story about Donald Trump and his wife expecting a baby, him becoming a father again. He was someone who often requested her to do stories for "People" magazine. She had an ongoing relationship with him.
And suddenly, it turned this other direction. And I think a lot of women watching know what happens when a business or professional relationship suddenly takes this turn.
BURNETT: And she was very emotional when she spoke to you after this happened. Correct?
MCLAUGHLIN: She was distraught as you can imagine. She was -- she was shocked. She was angry. She was upset. She was frightened.
She didn't know what do. And I was one of the people that she turned to and she wanted to know what I thought she should do.
BURNETT: So, on that front, you know, Donald Trump after Natasha has come forward, he has, you know, repudiated her accusations and one of his tweets said, "Why didn't the writer of the 12-year-old article in 'People' magazine mention the incident in her story? Because it did not happen, exclamation point." That's his tweet.
What was the reason? Why didn't she come out and tell her story when it happened?
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, the first thing is that he obviously doesn't understand how stories are written. Because you can't have a story about how wonderful and loving a couple they are and oh, by the way, while his wife was out of the room, he stuck his tongue down my throat and told me we're supposed to have an affair.
So, it's an either or, either she does that story which she was assigned or she tells the truth of what happened. What I said to her was, I don't think this is a matter for the police. It was interrupted by one of his staff before it get to a point where that might have been pertinent.
BURNETT: Right.
MCLAUGHLIN: And it is going to become a he said, she said and the he is Donald Trump and the she is a reporter for "People" magazine. I don't believe he would have said, you know what, honey, when you were out of the room changing clothes, yeah, I did hit on this person. I know we're about to have a baby.
Of course, he's not going to do that.
So, I thought he would accuse her of coming on to him and that would turn everything upside down.
BURNETT: And at that time there were not other allegations or accusations out there. So, she truly would have been alone in telling her story.
MCLAUGHLIN: Exactly.
BURNETT: Trump has down more than deny the claim. She's insulted her personally in the last week. Here he is at a rally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Take a look. You take a look. Look at her. Look at her words. You tell me what you think. I don't think so. I don't think so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: What's your reaction when you hear that?
MCLAUGHLIN: I'm disgusted. I think that a man who does what he did to Natasha and then turns around and says what he has said, I think that it takes what he did and adds another despicable level to it. I know what he told me was true. She wasn't in 2005 calling me in anticipation of doing something negative to him in 2016 during a presidential campaign. That's preposterous.
BURNETT: All right. Paul, thank you very much. We appreciate your time tonight.
MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you.
BURNETT: And we are standing by for Trump's arrival in Las Vegas at any moment. Jeanne Moos is next on why everyone is saying, "Billy Bush made me do it."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:57:46] BURNETT: Watch for this next story. The excuse that's lighting up the Internet, "Billy Bush made us do it."
Here is Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On SNL --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your beautiful, dutiful Melania.
MOOS: Melania Trump was portrayed as if she were ready to dump the Donald. But in real life, Melania didn't just stand by her man.
BILLY BUSH: How about a little hug to the Donald?
MOOS: She partially blamed Billy Bush for leading her husband on.
MELANIA TRUMP: Lead on, like egg on from the host to say dirty and bad stuff.
MOOS: But nobody had to egg on the Internet. Instantly a new hashtag was born -- #BillyBushMadeMeDoIt. As in when Trump cheated on his first wife with second, #BillyBushMadeMeDoIt. Or Ryan Lochte just changed his story, he now says #BillyBushMadeMeDoIt.
You know how Trump is always saying --
DONALD TRUMP: This whole election is being rigged.
MOOS: So, of course, someone tweeted, "Now we all know who's rigging this election. #BillyBushMadeMeDoIt."
Even noted Hillary supporter Cher got into the act. "How can Trump stand up to Putin if he couldn't stand up to Billy Bush?"
This four-year-old tweeted, "#billybushmademeputthispapertowelovermyhead."
Billy is being bush whacked. John Oliver show did a segment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At Billy Bush being creepy with everyone.
BILLY BUSH: How do you feel about your butt?
JENNIFER LOPEZ, ACTRESS/SINGER: Are you kidding me? You did not ask me that.
BUSH: I did.
MOOS: Now, they can add the 2005 bus scene.
BUSH: Let the little guy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, let's let the little guy in.
MOOS: Melania had a name for what her husband engaged in on that bus.
MELANIA TRUMP: Kind of boy talk. Boys talk.
MOOS: With a 59-year-old boy? Blame it on the 33-year-old. "President Trump, why did you nuke Brussels? #BillyBushMadeMeDoIt."
Though the Donald sure seems to be the alpha.
DONALD TRUMP: Come on, Billy, let's go.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --
DONALD TRUMP: That's better.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: And thanks for joining us.
Don't forget, you can watch OUTFRONT anytime anywhere, CNN Go.
"AC360" begins right now.
