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The Situation Room
Trump's Saddam Praise; FBI Director to Face Congress; Clinton Changing the Subject?; Feds Investigate Police Shooting as New Video Emerges; Donald Trump Holding Rally in Ohio. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired July 06, 2016 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:22]
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now: Called to testify. The FBI director will face members of Congress tomorrow morning about a stunning rebuke of Hillary Clinton's e-mail practices and the decision not to recommend criminal charges. This hour, I will ask the Republican in charge of the hearing what he hopes to accomplish.
Changing the subject. Hillary Clinton is staying silent about the results of the investigation for a second day. She's choosing instead to trash Donald Trump's business record. Can she continue to ignore the e-mail uproar?
Attack and praise. Donald Trump is firing back at Clinton and seizing on the FBI's findings. Is his message being overshadowed by his surprising rant about Hussein, giving kudos to the Iraq dictator for killing terrorists?
And deadly encounter. Another video surfaces of an African-American man shot and killed by police while pinned to the ground. Tonight, new details on the case in Baton Rouge, as federal authorities take over the investigation.
We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
We're following breaking news tonight. Another video surfaces of a fatal police video in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the Justice Department opens a civil rights investigation. A 37-year-old African- American was repeatedly shot while pinned to the ground outside a convenience store. The new video obtained by CNN raises serious questions about whether Alton Sterling threatened police with a gun.
Also this hour, new backlash over the FBI investigation of Hillary Clinton's e-mails. The FBI director, James Comey, will testify before a House committee tomorrow about the decision not to recommend criminal charges. There's still no public comment from Hillary Clinton about the FBI probe or its finding that she was extremely careless in handling classified information.
Clinton went to Atlantic City today to showcase Donald Trump's failed casino and multiple bankruptcies.
Also tonight, Donald Trump is defending his business record and narrowing his vice presidential search. He's campaigning with potential V.P. choice Newt Gingrich, while another contender, Senator Bob Corker, has taken himself out of running.
Our correspondents and analysts, they are also standing by with full coverage of the day's top stories.
Up first, let's go to our senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny. He's in Atlantic City with more on the e-mail controversy.
Jeff, Hillary Clinton, she seems determined to try to move on.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, she is trying to press ahead to define and discredit Donald Trump. Today's installment came right here in Atlantic City, where she's trying to draw that narrative of a string of bankrupt businesses that he's had over the years.
But as she was raising those questions, Republican on Capitol Hill have questions of their own. They will be asking them tomorrow about the private e-mail server when the FBI director returns to Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY (voice-over): Hillary Clinton is trying to keep a laser focus on Donald Trump.
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump says he's qualified to be president because of his business record.
ZELENY: Visiting Atlantic City today, she hoped to spotlight the fallout from a string of his bankrupt businesses.
CLINTON: What he did here in Atlantic City is exactly what he will do if he wins in November.
ZELENY: But her trip was overshadowed by fallout of her own over the FBI investigation into her handling of classified e-mails. House Republicans are calling FBI Director James Comey to Capitol Hill on Thursday, asking why he recommended no charges be filed against Clinton, despite saying she was extremely careless with how she handled some of the nation's top secrets on her personal e-mail server.
REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: We have seen nothing but stonewalling and dishonesty from Secretary Clinton on this issue. And that means there's a lot more questions that need to be answered.
ZELENY: Speaker Paul Ryan said Clinton and her advisers should not be allowed classified briefings during the campaign.
RYAN: Given how she so recklessly handled classified information.
ZELENY: Republican Jason Chaffetz, who chairs the Oversight Committee, called the FBI recommendation surprising and confusing. He said: "The fact pattern presented by Director Comey makes clear Secretary Clinton violated the law."
Trump also seizing on Clinton's e-mail issues, but Republicans in Congress suddenly feeling less helpless in the campaign, finding a fresh way to take on Clinton. A senior Clinton adviser tells CNN the campaign welcomes the hearing, noting Democrats will also be able to question Comey about why he recommended no criminal charges.
[18:05:00]
While Clinton ignored the controversy for a second straight day on the campaign trail, her previous explanations are now drawing new scrutiny.
CLINTON: There is no classified material.
JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: Even if information is not marked classified in an e-mail, participants who know or should know that the subject matter is classified are still obligated to protect it.
ZELENY: He said eight chains of e-mail contained top-secret information, the most sensitive classification.
On the boardwalk today, Clinton was fixated only on Trump, standing beneath the blazing sun, just to show the shadows of the failed Trump Plaza.
CLINTON: Donald Trump once predicted it will be the biggest hit yet. Now it's abandoned. You can just make out the word Trump where it used to be written in flashy lights. He had the letters taken down a few years ago, but his presence remains.
ZELENY: Trump pushed back, defending his investment on the Jersey Shore.
He tweeted: "I made a lot of money in Atlantic City and left seven years ago. Great timing, as all know. Pols made big mistakes. Now many bankruptcies."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ZELENY: Now, just a short time ago, Wolf, the attorney general has released statement saying she will accept the recommendation from the director of the FBI.
Let me read you the statement, Wolf.
It says: "Late this afternoon, I met with the FBI director James Comey, and career prosecutors and agents who conducted the investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton's use of a personal e-mail system. I received and accepted their unanimous recommendation that the thorough, years-long investigation be closed and no charges be brought."
Wolf, no surprise here. She already said she would accept this recommendation, but by the attorney general saying this, this puts at least one close on it, but tomorrow on Capitol Hill, House Republicans have so many more questions
And, Wolf, one final political note, that Bernie Sanders-Hillary Clinton first joint meeting, it may be coming next Tuesday in New Hampshire. Early talks are under way from both sides to have a joint appearance next week. These details are still being worked out. But I'm told that could happen as early as next week, Wolf.
But, tomorrow, all eyes on Capitol Hill -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And didn't Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama eight years ago have their first big event in New Hampshire as well? You remember that, right?
ZELENY: I do, Wolf. It was in the small town of Unity, New Hampshire, a very, very small town, picked for a symbolic reason for the word unity.
But you have to wonder if the time for exact unity has passed a bit. She's already been out with Elizabeth Warren. Yesterday, of course, she was out with the president. On Friday, Hillary Clinton will be out with the vice president. Bernie Sanders hardly getting top billing here, but they are eager to get him on their side.
And one concession that was made. The Clinton campaign agreed today to that essential free college plan that Bernie Sanders has been talking about for so long. The Clinton campaign has been giving some as well here. But they are eager to unify this party and start taking on Donald Trump -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Getting back, Jeff, to the statement that was just released by the attorney general, Loretta Lynch, no charges will be brought against any individuals within the scope of the investigation, because, yesterday, we heard from FBI Director James Comey he was recommending no charges be brought against Hillary Clinton, but now she seems to be going one step further. None of Hillary Clinton's aides apparently will be charged as well, right?
ZELENY: Which is important, because some of those top aides from the State Department, Jake Sullivan, Huma Abedin, of course, a longtime adviser, are key advisers in the presidential campaign as well, Wolf.
That is absolutely significant going forward here. Speaker Paul Ryan said earlier today that he believes the campaign should not get classified briefings. Those will automatically happen once she becomes the formal nominee after the controversy in Philadelphia later this month here.
But just because Speaker Ryan says so, that does not mean anything at all here. She will get the classified briefings. It's key that her aides will not be charged as well there. That's one thing that she was holding out hope for, Wolf.
BLITZER: Donald Trump, once he's the official Republican presidential nominee, he will get daily intelligence briefings as well. The exact same information they provide to the Democratic nominee will be provided to the Republican nominee. That's the tradition once the conventions are over.
Once again, the headline right now, Loretta Lynch, the attorney general, she has accepted the recommendations of her FBI director that no charges be filed against Hillary Clinton or anyone else involved in this year-long investigation. The statement also says, Jeff, it was a unanimous recommendation of these career professionals who conducted this investigation.
This is a pretty significant statement from the attorney general.
ZELENY: It's certainly is a significant statement.
But I think it's just sort of amplifying what the director of the FBI said yesterday, when he said these career prosecutors, including himself, who of course is a Republican and served in the last Republican administration, that he reviewed this, he said the credibility of the FBI is on the line here.
[18:10:08]
She certainly was just accepting his recommendation, as she said she would. Wolf, legally speaking, this is over. That's a relief for the campaign. But politically speaking, it's not over at all. Those harsh words from the FBI director yesterday which we will hear again tomorrow on Capitol Hill are going to reverberate and cause political issues.
I have talked to several top Democrats aligned with the campaign and supportive of the campaign who say they were taken aback by this. They just assumed that there were not classified e-mails in there. And in fact there were. Wolf, politically, this is not over at all. But legally speaking, it is over. And that's certainly important -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jeff Zeleny with the latest news, breaking some important news for us. Thank you very much.
Let's bring in our political experts right now, get reaction.
Our senior political correspondent, Brianna Keilar, is with us, our CNN correspondent Sunlen Serfaty, our CNN political director David Chalian, and our senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Very significant statement, Jeffrey, from attorney general of the United States.
Let me read it once again for our viewers to digest.
"Late this afternoon, I met with the FBI director James Comey, and career prosecutors and agents who conducted the investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton's use of a personal e-mail system. I received and accepted their unanimous recommendation that the thorough, years-long investigation be closed and no charges be brought."
Legal, from the legal standpoint, it ends it. JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Absolutely.
And I think it's also very significant that James Comey is the one who really led the charge in this direction. This is going to be widely perceived as a Comey decision, not a Loretta Lynch decision, which I think is fortunate for Hillary Clinton, because there were a lot of ties, including the now infamous airport tarmac meeting between Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton.
But it was Bill Comey -- it was Director Comey, not Loretta Lynch, who really made the decision here. He has a lot more credibility on Capitol Hill, especially with Republicans. They may try to attack him, but he's going to be a difficult target tomorrow.
BLITZER: From the standpoint of charges, it's over with, legal charges, David Chalian, but from the standpoint of politics, it's by no means over?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: No. It's going to be with us all the way through November. There's no around that for Hillary Clinton at this point.
And, quite frankly, it's already taken a pound of flesh in politics terms out of her abilities to answer this question about trust, honesty. These are issues that she, herself, has acknowledged she has problems with. Listen, tomorrow not only will Republicans try to sort of press Comey on why no charges, how can you have this scathing attack on what she did, but no charges, but you're also going to have the Democrats, tomorrow, start to begin, because they're going to get to ask questions too, to try to provide some cover for Hillary Clinton and put into context from their perspective some of the questions that remains.
None of that will solve the issue that Hillary Clinton is still going to have to speak about this at some point. She hasn't done so yet.
BLITZER: She will at some point. Presumably, she's waiting until after this hearing.
James Comey, the FBI director, will testify tomorrow before this House committee. He will be asked some pretty serious, pretty tough questions. Presumably, after that at some point, she is going to have to meet with a reporter or reporters and start answering some of these questions.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Without a doubt. She's been deflecting questions on the campaign trial when yelled in a rope line situation, a more informal situation out on the campaign trail.
But very clearly the Clinton campaign understands they are going to have to put her out in some sort of formal interview process where she can point by point start to deflect some of these questions in a formal way, start to answer some of the questions and pivot to move on. That's what they're hoping for.
BLITZER: What are you hearing, Brianna?
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: The thing is for Hillary Clinton, though, she can't really change -- I don't think we will hear some entirely different way she's addressing this, because the original sin of her e-mail controversy was that it was a move that avoided transparency.
When people are asking why isn't she more transparent about this, she can't be and it's of her own creation. Right? She made this move and she said from the jump that this was about convenience. She's going to stick to that. She's going to say that this was a mistake. She's going to say that if she had it to do over, she would have done it differently. The strategy is going to be contrition.
She also struggles with that at times. But we have seen recently that she is trying to explain herself more. She's trying to go, really just to greater lengths to do that. Maybe you will see more of that. But I don't think her explanation will be a whole bunch different than we have seen.
BLITZER: Jeffrey, explain from a legal standpoint, because you keep hearing now Hillary Clinton's critics, Republicans, saying she should have been charged of what's called gross negligence.
[18:15:05]
TOOBIN: Right.
BLITZER: The FBI director himself said she was extremely careless in handling sensitive classified information during her four years as secretary of state.
What's the difference between extremely careless and gross negligence?
TOOBIN: It's very hard to define the difference. The short answer is gross negligence is worse.
But these are distinctions, frankly, that even lawyers have a hard time understanding. I think the more important point that Director Comey made was that if you look at all the circumstances and if you look at the history of prosecutions under this statute, he said in effect that the only cases that had been brought under this law were situations when an individual intended to violate the law, not gross negligence cases, cases where people knew something was classified, gave it to people who were unauthorized to receive it.
Also, he said that the classic case of prosecution here involves people who made false statements, who tried to cover up the fact that they were involved in wrongdoing. That's what happened in the David Petraeus case. David Petraeus initially lied to the FBI, which is a very different situation from Hillary Clinton's position. That's really...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Does it make any difference if you made false statements to the FBI? That's clearly illegal, but David Petraeus, the then CIA director, did, talking about his particular case, as opposed to issuing false statements to the American public?
TOOBIN: As a legal matter, it's a huge difference. There's no criminal penalty for lying to the American public. Can you imagine how full the prisons would be of politicians?
(LAUGHTER)
TOOBIN: But it is a crime to lie to the FBI, as Martha Stewart learned and many others who lied to the FBI and went to jail.
BLITZER: Don't lie to the FBI. That's a bottom line.
All right, guys, stand by.
We're continuing to follow the breaking news.
Also the breaking news that Jeff Zeleny reporting, as early as next week, there might be that joint appearance, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, of all places. Much more coming up right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:21:37]
BLITZER: We're back with our political team. The breaking news we're following, the attorney general of the United States, Loretta Lynch, has just announced she's accepted the FBI's findings in the investigation of Hillary Clinton's e-mail, and Hillary Clinton or any of her aides who were involved in this investigation, none of them will be charged, none of them will face any criminal charges.
We're going to have much more from the breaking news coming up.
But We're also getting new information on Donald Trump what he's up to right now.
Our national correspondent, Jason Carroll, is here in Washington.
Jason, Trump is trying to keep the heat on Clinton over the e-mail scandal.
JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he certainly is. Expect him to capitalize on that breaking news that you talked about. Expect him also to trump up and hear more about those e-mails at the Trump rally later on today in Ohio. Trump speaking out on that issue and his fund-raising efforts. He's feeling encouraged about the millions of dollars he's raised for his campaign just this past month.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL (voice-over): Donald Trump is stepping up his fund-raising efforts, announcing today his campaign and partnership with the RNC hauled in $51 million for the last week of May through June. It's an improvement from the $3.1 million Trump raised in May, but still short of the $68 million brought in by Hillary Clinton last month.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She will be such a lousy president, folks.
CARROLL: The presumptive nominee also stepping up his attacks against Clinton over her use of private e-mail servers while serving as secretary of state and the decision by the FBI director not to recommend charges against her.
TRUMP: We now know that she lied to the country when she said she did not send classified information on her server. She lied.
CARROLL: But FBI Director James Comey did say Clinton and her aides were "extremely careless" with the handling of classified information, fueling Trump's argument against the political establishment.
TRUMP: Today is the best evidence ever that we have seen that our system is absolutely, totally rigged.
CARROLL: The Republican National Committee helping Trump make the case against Clinton.
CLINTON: I did not send or receive any information that was marked classified at the time.
COMEY: In 2014, 110 e-mails in 52 e-mail chains have been determined by the owning agency to contain classified information.
CARROLL: Trump also seizing on a "New York Times" story citing Democrats close to Clinton who suggested the presumptive Democratic nominee might keep Attorney General Loretta Lynch, whose office is overseeing the FBI's investigation, in her administration.
TRUMP: I actually found it hard to believe she'd say this. But she said today that we may consider the attorney general to go forward. That's like a bribe, isn't it? Isn't that sort of a bribe?
CARROLL: All this as Trump is facing criticism for controversial comments praising former dictator Saddam Hussein.
TRUMP: Saddam Hussein was a bad guy. Right? He was a bad guy. Really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists.
CARROLL: Trump making the case that he has better judgment on foreign policy than Clinton.
TRUMP: She's unleashed ISIS across the Middle East with her bad decisions and her bad judgment. And she's going to do nothing about it because she's a weak, weak person.
CARROLL: Trump's next stop on the campaign trail, the battleground state of Ohio, where he will be campaigning with former House Speaker and vice presidential contender Newt Gingrich. The field of V.P. candidates appearing to narrow. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, once viewed as a contender, has not received vetting documents from the Trump campaign. [18:25:15]
And today Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, also seen as a finalist, withdrew his name from consideration.
SEN. BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: I'm more policy-focused person. It's a different kind of thing to be a candidate, if you will, for vice president. And I just think that people like me are better suited for other kinds of things.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: Trump says he's looking at 10 candidates for his V.P., including two generals.
As for Corker, he says he would be open to being secretary of state in a Trump administration. He also says, Wolf, that he's on tap to be one of the speakers at the GOP Convention.
BLITZER: Jason Carroll reporting for us, thanks very much.
Let's get back to our political panel.
Brianna, the news that Jeff Zeleny is reporting, it is very significant political news, that Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, they may finally have a joint appearance, maybe as early as next week in New Hampshire. It's not set in stone, he says. It's still could be up in the air.
But if that happens, that's significant for Hillary Clinton, because she really needs that Bernie Sanders base if she can beat Donald trump.
KEILAR: She does need it.
It's unclear, though, if a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters, the sort of Bernie-or-bust folks, are going to go along with him towards her. He said today -- and you interviewed him, Wolf. He didn't endorse Secretary Clinton. And that was significant.
So, the fact that we're learning that they will be meeting, it's tacitly an endorsement at least. So, that's very important. But, at the same time, you have Elizabeth Warren, who I think has brought along some of these more liberal Democrats that had gone for Bernie Sanders instead of Hillary Clinton.
And Bernie Sanders, I think, has maybe lost out a little bit on that role. It's not to say that he's important. He is. But there are some people who are for Bernie Sanders who swear that they are never going to vote for Clinton. And, quite frankly, the Clinton campaign will tell you they aren't expecting those people to come over, and they may not need them. They can rely on other voters to give her the support she needs.
BLITZER: Bernie Sanders, Sunlen, told me today he will do everything he possibly can do to prevent Donald Trump from becoming the next president of the United States.
SERFATY: That's right. And that's what he's been saying for a while.
And I thought it was particular poignant today when he said that to you, Wolf, because there is all this attention around will he, will he not endorse Clinton, are they meeting, and going forward to the convention? That's stopping way shy of giving his full-throated endorsement of Clinton, something that everyone has big questions about.
I think that's something that he will continue the drumbeat to going into the convention, trying to get as much as he wants out of the party platform, trying to push Clinton into accepting more of what he wants.
BLITZER: All right, everybody, stand by for a moment.
Newt Gingrich is now, we're told, on the stage in Cincinnati. He has a joint event with Donald Trump in Cincinnati, Ohio, a key battleground state, as we all know. We're going to listen to Newt Gingrich. We will listen to Donald Trump a little bit.
Stand by, much more coming up.
Also coming up, the newest video after a fatal police shooting of an African-American man in Louisiana. What does it reveal about the confrontation, whether police were targeted with a gun? Stand by. We will share that with you as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're standing by to hear from Donald Trump at a joint rally with the former House speaker, Newt Gingrich. We'll bring you that, the latest developments as they come in. Stand by for that.
[18:33:13] But first, we're following breaking news. Another video has emerged of a deadly police shooting of an African-American man while he was pinned to the ground. Tonight, the U.S. Justice Department is investigating. The mayor of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is urging angry protestors to remain peaceful.
CNN's Nick Valencia is on the ground for us in Baton Rouge right now. Nick, what are you learning?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, activists who have seen the various angles of what happened to 37-year-old Alton Sterling have already made up their minds. They're calling this the murder of a black man at the hands of two white police officers.
The family of Sterling has called for the resignation of the city's police chief and mayor. And other protestors say more demonstrations are planned for later this evening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's got a gun! VALENCIA (voice-over): New video obtained by CNN reveals even more from the fatal police shooting now being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice. The video, shot by Stop the Killing Inc., adds a new perspective to earlier cell-phone video showing two officers tackling 37-year-old Alton Sterling outside the Triple-S Food Mart in Baton Rouge.
They pin him down, and someone calls out that they see a gun. Soon after, the officer shoots Sterling multiple times, killing him.
Alton Sterling's teen son stood at his mother's side today.
QUINYETTA MCMILLAN, MOTHER OF ALTON STERLING'S SON: He had to watch this as this was played all over the outlets.
VALENCIA: Inconsolable as community leaders called for justice.
MICHAEL MCCLANAHAN, PRESIDENT, BATON ROUGE NAACP: What we're going to do today is root out the 1 percent of bad police officers that go around becoming the judge, the jury and the executioner.
VALENCIA: Residents say Sterling was well-known in the community, often selling CDs outside the store.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a good person. What? For what?
[18:35:02] VALENCIA: The officers on scene that night had seven years' combined service on the force and are now on administrative leave. An anonymous 911 call may offer clues as to why they approached Sterling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's selling CDs on the corner. Gun in his pocket. He pulled a gun on a complainant and told him he couldn't be around there.
VALENCIA: Local officials, including the chief of police, the governor and the major, addressed the fatal shooting ahead of possible protests this evening.
KIP HOLDEN (D), MAYOR OF BATON ROUGE: We believe that justice will be served. It's not like we need to be handheld and spoon-fed when it comes down to doing what's right.
VALENCIA: Sterling's family lawyer says police quickly confiscated surveillance video from the convenience store owner.
EDMOND JORDAN, FAMILY ATTORNEY: Mr. Abdul said that they had him in his car and did not present him with a search warrant but went in and took his system.
VALENCIA: As for the officers' body cameras, both were dislodged during the confrontation.
LT. JOHNNY DUNHAM, BATON ROUGE POLICE: That footage may not be as good as we'd hope for. During the altercation, the body cameras did become dislodged. But they stayed on and active in recording at that time.
VALENCIA: The chief of police says no stone will be left unturned, while Sterling's loved ones vow to hold officials to that promise.
MCMILLAN: I, for one, will not rest or not allow him to be swept in the dirt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA: Here, outside the Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters, if things look quiet, it's because they are. We have heard nothing from the police department since they handed over their investigation to the U.S. Department of Justice -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Nick Valencia in Baton Rouge for us. We'll stay on top of this story.
Right now, I want to go to Cincinnati, Ohio. There's Donald Trump. He's speaking out on this second day after the FBI's very, very sharp criticism of Hillary Clinton's handling of e-mails. Let's listen in.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: She made so many false statements. Is she going to be brought before Congress or something? Is something going to happen? Is something going to happen? Because it's a disgrace.
Hillary Clinton claimed that the reason for her illegal use of a private, insecure e-mail -- she claimed this -- was that it was more convenient to use just one device. The fact is, the FBI director said Hillary used several different servers, even though she said it was one, and numerous mobile devices to send and read e-mails.
In other words, Hillary's secret e-mail server existed for the reason we all know: to keep her e-mails from ever being read by the public; had nothing to do with just wanting to use one device. OK. We understand that. But that's not what she said. She said something very different under oath. She said something very different to everybody.
Now, by the way, and how about the 33,000 e-mails that were wiped out? Thirty-three thousand! How can you do 33,000 e-mails? And it was wiped out, all right.
In her testimony to Congress, Hillary Clinton said she turned all of her related e-mails. Right? She said that. I saw that. The FBI director said Hillary failed to turn over several thousand work- related e-mails, including e-mails that were classified. Right?
Rigged system, folks. Remember, I used to say it. I'm the one that brought the word up. Now everybody's using it. Bernie Sanders is rightfully using it. Because honestly, what they did with him was not good. Not good.
Now we have false statement No. 3. And there are many. I just don't want to bore you with too many of these, because you know, one of those things. In her testimony to Congress, Hillary Clinton said, "There was nothing more classified on my e-mails either sent or received." Right? She said that. I heard it; you heard it. We all heard it.
The FBI director said Hillary had sent or received more than 100 e- mails with classified information, including e-mails with confidential, secret and top-secret information. Right? That's what they said. But she didn't say that.
Benghazi also. Hillary said, fact No. 4 -- these are all lies. We say lie, lie, lie, lie. Lie. Dirty, rotten liar. Right? Hillary said her private server -- that's what it is. And you know, I'll tell you something, folks. I'll tell you something. You know when it's going to be said straight? In November, you're going to get out and vote.
Because when you look at terrorism, when you look at her decisions, when you look at the fact that she has got such bad decision-making ability, when you look at what's gone on during Obama's years.
[18:40:15] Look at what's going on with radical Islamic terrorism. We have a president -- and her -- except that I sort of shamed her into it, OK, just like I shamed her into not approving TPP. But if she ever wants, she'd approve that so fast. And that will do to you worse than what NAFTA did to you. OK?
But she has got bad judgment. And you know who said that? Bernie Sanders. That Hillary Clinton has bad judgment. And No. 1, it's illegal what she did here, but it's also bad judgment.
What did she do it for? She knows why. Most of the people here know why. False statement No. 4. Hillary said her private server was secure with numerous safeguards. They had no security breaches. No security breaches. Now they're saying everybody, you know -- does anybody have her information, you know?
You know what's interesting? I've always heard that once an e-mail gets sent, it's always out. You can never really -- you can really never wipe it out. I don't think anybody's looked too hard. Because when you wipe out 30,000 e-mails. I hear 33,000, actually. I hear two numbers: 30 and 33. Pick your choice. What difference?
When you wipe out 30,000 e-mails. Thirty thousand. Now, I've always heard that if you, like, are in litigation, everything else, there's no way of really expunging those e-mails. You can't get rid of them. They're always with you if you have the right people looking. There are probably a couple of super geniuses in this room that probably would know exactly how to find those 30,000 e-mails. I don't think they looked too hard. Does that make sense to anybody? I've always heard you just can't get rid of them. OK.
The FBI director said it is possible that hostile actors gained access to Hillary's personal e-mail account and said she used her secure -- and think of this. She used her insecure e-mail account and the e- mail while traveling abroad in territory of sophisticated -- and these are highly-sophisticated -- adversaries. Right? The FBI director also said hackers successfully breached the e-mail
accounts of Hillary's friends. OK? They breached it. Her friends. Some friends. Our enemies likely have a blackmail file on her, which actually should disqualify her for even running for office, right? You know, what do you think about it.
And then, in her testimony to Congress, Hillary Clinton said her attorneys conducted a rigorous review of her e-mails and said they went through every single e-mail.
But the fact is -- fact -- the FBI director said the lawyers doing the sorting for Secretary Clinton in 2014 did not individually read the content of all of her e-mails before destroying them. What's going on, folks? What's going on? I mean, it's -- it's very sad. You know, it's very sad. More. More. It's more. But you know, we have a crooked system. We have a rigged system. We have a dishonest press.
Let me tell you, I was in North Carolina last night. I have to say, because I just love doing it. Thank you. I love you, too, man. It's a guy, but I love him. I love him. I love everybody here. I don't care. I don't care.
We have a rigged system. We have a crooked system. I mean, we have a crooked system. But I was in -- talk about the press, OK? I love talking about how dishonest they are. If you're a Republican, you're a conservative. And I've heard it for years, but I had no idea. And when I was running and bing, bing, bing, knocking out one after another, right? Am I doing a good job for you folks? So I'm knocking out one after another. So when I'm out -- when I'm out running, and it was bad. I thought it was unfair. But you know, they had 17 people that basically they didn't like too much. Me, they liked the least by far. By far. And they'd hit you. But now it's all toward me.
And I watch and I say things like there's a guy on "Meet the Press" called Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd. Does anybody ever? The guy was dying on "Meet the Press" a year ago, year and a half ago. A while ago. He was done. Nobody watching "Meet the Press." In fact, they were talking about taking him off, everything else. Never treated me fairly.
And then what happened was he called me, and he wanted me to do an interview. And I did it. And it was one of the highest rated interviews in the head of -- you know, in the history of "Meet the Press."
[18:45:05] But these are disloyal people. So, after about two days, he forgot about it. And then, he did a little bit more and I did -- "Meet the Press" is fine right now. I'm not going to do anymore interviews with him, because I watched him.
So, I watched like yesterday. And I made the statement, something to the effect, I was talking about terrorism. And I said Saddam Hussein is a bad man. You heard this. Right, right? You heard this. He's a bad man. They wanted me to talk less. I spoke for 106 minutes. Long time. Long time, without notes, without paper, without anything standing up in front of four or five networks. I said last night -- I'm not reading and no teleprompters. I do like teleprompters actually. It's a lot easier. Let somebody come up and do what I do, right? I'd have about 12 people instead of 7,000 people. I said, very simple, I said Saddam Hussein is a bad man, bad guy. I said it three or four times. Really bad. I know what they're going to do.
I said but one thing he's good at, they said this last night. They wanted me to talk about Hillary for 106 or for like for hours -- I said, I went 15 minutes. It was a long time, talking about a read the whole thing -- I wrote the whole thing.
I mean, she's crooked Hillary. That's all you have to know. She's crooked as hell. No, but it's unbelievable.
So, but, listen, listen, listen. So, after a while we want to talk about terrorism, right? Because we'll beat Hillary. If we beat Hillary, what difference does it make? As she would say, what difference does it make? What difference does it make?
It makes a big difference. What difference does it make? Remember the famous statement green dress. OK, so, green dress. Yes. Green dress. She said green pants suit.
So, look, listen, so last night I said, it was an unbelievable crowd in North Carolina, standing ovations all over the place. But I said, "Bad guy Saddam Hussein. Bad guy." Then I said again, "Saddam Hussein is a bad guy, but he did one thing well. He killed terrorists." Right? It's OK. Just a quick statement.
What I wanted to emphasize because I know if I didn't emphasize and say I like Saddam Hussein. So, I said I think three times, bad, bad, bad. In fact, I started repeating myself. I said I don't like that people are going to say, is that guy OK?
So, what happened, what happened, I said it very strongly. Bad person. OK. Now it's over. And we talked about terrorism. We talked about trade. We talked about terminating Obamacare and replacing it with something great, which we're going to do.
(APPLAUSE)
We talked about getting rid of Common Core and bringing our education locally and taking it away from Washington. We talked about voters. We talked about building a wall, right?
We talked about our depleted military, right? We talked about our very depleted military.
Build wall. Don't worry, we're going to build a wall. Don't worry about it, OK? We're going to build a wall. It's going to be a real wall. Such a low ceiling. We go a lot higher than that. And every time they fight us on that wall, it gets ten feet higher, folks, believe me. Believe me. No, we're going to stop -- we're going to stop the drugs from coming in. Just in case -- just in case you didn't know. So, the border patrol agents, 16,500 border patrol agents endorse Donald Trump. They know what's going on. They know what's going on.
And they're job is much easier now than when they're with me, because when they're with me, they're going to be working hard. Right now, they just stand there and say they'll go on through. Hello. Go on through. Welcome to the country, right? We'll take care you have for the rest of your lives. So, it's a lot different.
And also, Sheriff Joe. We love Sheriff Joe. Sheriff Joe endorsed Donald right at the beginning. Right at the beginning.
So, we have a situation, right, where we go on and we continue to go on and we continue to make speeches, and we continue to waste time because the politicians aren't listening, right? They're not listening. I made a speech and this speech last night was good.
What happened? I wake up in the morning, and we had -- you had to see this crowd. This crowd was unbelievable, the energy.
[18:50:00] But all the crowds had -- I wake up, I turn on the television. "Donald Trump loves Saddam Hussein. He loves Saddam Hussein." And I was just asked a question by the "Cincinnati Inquirer". "Mr. Trump, is it true that you love Saddam Hussein?" Essentially, like, sort of that, you know? I said, "That's not what I said. That's not what I said."
So that's the narrative that goes around. I actually put a press release out, and now the people that saw it that was great, but they are liars. These are bad people. These are bad people.
And what I did say -- and what I did say is that he was good at one thing. He was really good at killing terrorists. He didn't wait around. Do you think they gave the terrorists trials that lasted 18 years? And then after 18 years, if they had the right lawyer, they'd erect a statue in honor of the terrorist, right? Not with Trump.
So I said, bad guy, really bad guy, but he was good at one thing. He killed terrorists. Next day, Donald Trump loves Saddam Hussein.
I don't love Saddam Hussein. I hate Saddam Hussein, but he was damn good at killing terrorists, and now terrorists, the people that want to be terrorist, they go into Iraq, and I said last night it's the Harvard. It's the Harvard University. It's the Harvard of terrorism. That's where you want to learn to be a terrorist, you go into Iraq. Before -- boom, you're a terrorist. Boom!
Look at the problems we have right now. We are a very unsafe nation. We're allowing people to pour into our country. We are allowing people to pour into our country. We have no idea who they are. These are people coming from the Middle East. We're taking in Syrian refugees. By the way, I have a bigger heart than anybody, and we'll work with
them, and I'll get other people to put up the money because we owe $19 trillion and now with the kind of budgets that get passed and we're going up to $21 trillion. We don't have the money, but I'll get the Gulf States to put up the money and we'll supervise it, and we will build wonderful -- as wonderful as it can be in Syria, safe havens. We'll build safe zones and we'll keep them there, we don want them here. We don't want them here.
(APPLAUSE)
They're moving people into Ohio that you people don't even know about. They're moving people into Ohio that very well this could be one of the great Trojan horses of all time. They're moving people into Ohio like nobody's ever seen in every state. And you don't know and your government officials don't know and nobody knows what the hell is happening to our country.
And we have a president that won't issue the words radical Islamic terrorism, and it's a real problem. It's a real problem! If you don't say what the problem is, you're never going to solve the problem, right?
(APPLAUSE)
So I watched these media people, very dishonest people, and I watched that and then I also watched it, and I get the standing ovations and I think it was on all three. I think it was on FOX live, and FOX was actually very nice to me, I must say, but it was to FOX live.
It was on CNN live. CNN's terrible to me. Terrible.
(BOOS)
No, they're -- they're dishonest. Did you ever see it where they'll have, like, seven people have Jeffrey Lord. I love Jeffrey Lord, and I don't watch it anymore.
In life, when something is unpleasant, don't watch it. Turn something else, OK? That's what I do. I don't watch it anymore.
When people treat you unfairly, turn your back or go some place else or knock them on their ass, one or the other.
So -- I mean, CNN over the weekend, I'll give you an example. So one of my guys who is married to a Jewish woman, this is a very fine person, Dan Scavino, he put out a tweet talking about crooked Hillary Clinton and on the tweet was a star. A star, like, a star, and I said because when I looked at it I didn't think anything.
All of a sudden, it turned out to be in the minds of the press only because it could have been a sheriff star. It could have been a regular star. My boy comes home from school, Baron, he draws stars all over the place. I never said that's the Star of David, Baron, don't. So, it's a star. Have you all seen this? It's a star! And it
actually looks like a sheriff star and behind it they had money. Oh, but there's money behind it. Actually, they're racially profiling. They're profiling, not us, because why are they bringing this up? Why do they bring it up?
So -- anyway, so Dan is a wonderful guy. A really good guy. I didn't get angry at him. I said, Dan, that' a star. Don't worry about it. He said I'm so -- CNN, from morning until night, bigger than the FBI with Clinton who is crooked as a you know what, bigger than the FBI, all weekend long, CNN dishonest as hell, CNN morning to night I have tweets where they're saying CNN won't talk about anything, but the star. They say it's the Star of David, all right?
I have a son-in-law who is Jewish, Jared, who is a great guy. My daughter is Jewish. I have grandchildren who are Jewish, OK? And I love them. I love them. And these are great people.
Ivanka married a Jewish guy who's brilliant, who is wonderful, who's got a great heart. They have kids, beautiful kids, beautiful kids.
So, they took this star, it could have been a star for anything. To me it was just a star, but when I really looked it looked like a sheriff star, but CNN started this dialogue going it's the Star of David, and because it's the Star of David, Donald Trump has racist -- these people, are sick, folks. I'm telling you. They're sick. They're sick.
I'll tell you, some day, I'm going to tell you the real story of CNN, but I'm not going to tell it yet. But they're sick. I don't watch it. Don't watch it. You know what? Don't watch it anymore.
And I have to say, FOX is tough on me. Bill O'Reilly, a lot of these guys, but at least they're fair, you know? They're tough, but they're fair and MS -- nobody watches MSNBC so I can't tell you. Nobody watches it, but I think they're better, but I hear they're better than CNN, OK?
They call CNN, the Clinton news network. Clinton -- think of this -- think of it, seriously! So, the star which is a star, and not the Star of David, when they told me the Star of David, you have to be kidding. How sick are they?
Actually, they're the ones with the bad tendencies when they can think that way. They're the ones. Remember what I said, but there's money around the stars and therefore, you know what that represents.
These are sick people. They're bad people. They're bad people and what you do is don't watch CNN anymore. I don't watch it anymore. And they've done it. I like Anderson Cooper and I like a couple of people and mostly, it's just negative and they sit around the table. They talked badly about Donald Trump. What's to talk badly about?
You know, it's very interesting. We started off at 17 and here I am. You and me and look what we've done together, right? We've done together. What's so bad? What's so bad? What's so bad? (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
So we have unbelievably dishonest media, so think about that. You have the star, which is fine. You shouldn't have taken it down. They took the star down. I said too bad, you should have left it up. I would have rather defended it. Just leave it up. And no, that's not a star of David, that's just a star. It shows you about corrupt Hillary, corrupt Hillary, but she sent it out. That started the dialogue.
You know why? Because she wanted to get off the FBI. You know who got hurt worse by the FBI than anybody? Bernie Sanders because he was waiting for the FBI to make him the nominee, and it didn't work out!
And he's the other one, you know. He copied my language a little bit, but he was starting to say with the superdelegates that the system is rigged, and you know what's happening? They're doing polls -- I just saw a poll, 22 percent of the Bernie Sanders voters are coming to Trump. It's interesting. I don't know.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
I don't know. Who knows? Who knows?
And we're having a good time. Let me just tell you, the other thing I got criticized last night, I thought it was really one of the better speeches. You know, hey, do I give a good speech?
But I thought it was one of the better speeches. The place was packed. You know, they never show how many people.
Can you imagine if I ever had an empty place? It would be the biggest story in the news business. The place was packed, right?
Everybody was having a great time, considering the subject is no good because the subject is about our country and our country's in trouble. Between the debt, between the joblessness and let me tell you, with the phony 5 percent numbers you hear about unemployment, it's a phony number. It's a phony number.
