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Trump Campaign Chairman Quits; Trump Remarks in Michigan; Trump To African-Americans: "What Do You Have To Lose?". Aired 5-6p ET
Aired August 19, 2016 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, minus Manafort. Donald Trump's campaign chairman resigns. Is Paul Manafort really leaving voluntarily, or was he pushed out? And will his departure change the campaign's direction?
Trump's "regret." The candidate, who never admits mistakes, smiles his way through an extremely rare -- and scripted -- apology. But it isn't clear what he's sorry for, when he didn't use the right words and who he caused personal pain. We're awaiting a new Trump speech and perhaps a fuller explanation.
Leaked excuse. Newly-revealed detail from her confidential FBI interview, Hillary Clinton says former Secretary of State Colin Powell recommended she use a private e-mail account. Powell doesn't remember the conversation. What else will we learn from those classified notes that the FBI gave Congress?
And all apologies. Despite apologizing for his part in the scandal involving vandalism at a Brazilian gas station, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte will be suspended from competition by USA swimming.
Wolf Blitzer is off. I'm Brianna Keilar. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
KEILAR: Breaking news, standing by for a Donald Trump speech at a rally in Michigan. Teleprompters are set up, but will he stick to the script, stay on message, especially on a day when his campaign has been rocked by another major departure? Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, resigned this morning, and that news broke shortly before Trump visited the flooding disaster zone in Louisiana.
He did not answer questions about Manafort's departure or get specific about what he was expressing regret for during a surprising speech last night. Trump said he was, quote, "just here to help," and he needled President Obama for staying on vacation. The White House now says the president will visit Louisiana on Tuesday.
And for her part, Hillary Clinton phoned the Louisiana governor for an update on the flooding and sent out a pleaded to help the disaster victims.
Clinton's campaign is keeping quiet about new reports that she told the FBI that Colin Powell, former secretary of state, recommended she use private e-mail at the State Department.
Trump supporter and Republican Congresswoman Marcia Blackburn will take our questions tonight. Our correspondents, analysts and guests are standing by with full coverage. And as we await the start of Donald Trump's Michigan speech, let's get the very latest on today's resignation of campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is following this. Tell us about this, Sunlen.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, it is very clear that Paul Manafort, he has largely already been sidelined within the campaign after the staff shake-up earlier in the week. We have, of course, seen Trump over the course of his campaign try to pivot, try to hit the reset button so many times, but these changes in particular, taken as a whole, represent the clearest sign yet that Trump understands he needs to get his campaign back on track.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY (voice-over): A major casualty of the Trump campaign's latest reset. Campaign chairman Paul Manafort is out.
ERIC TRUMP JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: I think my father didn't want to be distracted by whatever things that Paul was dealing with.
SERFATY: Sources tell CNN Manafort, who was facing increasing scrutiny over his lobbying sties to Ukraine and Russia, told Trump he was becoming a distraction and wanted it to end.
COREY LEWANDOWSKI, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it's fair to say the last three or four weeks of this campaign have not gone well. Poll numbers indicated that. The campaign has missed opportunities to go after Hillary when they shouldn't have. And what I want to see by winning is the campaign back on message.
SERFATY: Faced with dipping poll numbers, the campaign is ushering in and empowering new blood on the campaign this week, dispatching Trump and his running mate to the flood zone in Louisiana.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see you, Mr. Trump.
TRUMP: What happens here is incredible. Nobody understands how bad it is. It's really incredible. I'm just here to help.
SERFATY: To show a flash of presidential leadership on the ground. He set up a clear contrast with President Obama, who has not yet visited the devastated sight.
TRUMP: The president says he doesn't want to go. He's trying to get out of a golf game.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard he was trying to stay under par while we're underwater.
TRUMP: He'll never get under par.
SERFATY: The White House announced this afternoon President Obama will visit Baton Rouge next week.
And in another uncharacteristic move, Trump, in prepared remarks, broke with his typically aggressive style on the stump Thursday night.
TRUMP: Sometimes, in the heat of debate, and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don't choose the right words, or you say the wrong thing. I have done that.
SERFATY: Stopping short of a specific apology, but expressing blanket remorse for some of his controversial comments.
TRUMP: And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain.
SERFATY: With just 81 days until the election, it's not the Trump we're used to hearing.
TRUMP: I don't regret anything. It was a retweet. It wasn't me.
[17:05:02] No, I don't regret it at all.
I don't regret anything.
DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: So do you regret saying that?
TRUMP: I don't -- you know, I like not to regret anything.
SERFATY: Clinton spokesman Nick Morrell issuing a warning over Twitter to Democrats that Trump's new strategy could work, saying, quote, "It's not inconceivable he gets away with this. We all need to do our part to make sure he doesn't. Unreal."
Team Trump is also finally debuting its first TV ad of the general election campaign, getting back to the core Donald Trump original campaign message.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Hillary Clinton's America, the system stays rigged against Americans. Syrian refugees flood in. Illegal immigrants convicted of committing crimes get to stay.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY: And the Trump campaign spend over $4 million on that ad. I t will run in four battleground states, the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida. Virginia was anticipated to be the fifth battleground state in this ad buy. But it is now not part of that plan.
The Clinton campaign today quickly seizing on this ad, especially as it relates to this new perceived strategy of Trump's, a Clinton campaign spokesman tweeting, quote, "In case you thought for a split second Trump was genuine about feeling regret, he is back to demonizing immigrants again in his new ad today" -- Brianna
KEILAR: Sunlen, thank you so much for that reporting. We do have breaking news: Donald Trump is speaking to reporters here
in Lansing, Michigan. He's actually talking about Louisiana. Let's listen.
TRUMP: We mourn for the lives lost, and we pledge our help, comfort, and support to every last person in need. To the people of Louisiana, we are with you, and we will always be with you.
In my vision, I saw not only the suffering of our people but also their strength, courage, and really unbeatable spirit. Their spirit will overcome. We have a lot to overcome in our country, especially the fact that our jobs are being taken away from us and going to other lands, and we're not going to allow it to happen, and especially, it's happening right here in Michigan.
It is an amazing spirit that we will need to rebuild our country. It is that strength that we're going to need to create a new our children so much deserve. In this new -- thank you, thank you very much. In this new future, millions of workers on the sidelines will be returned to the work force. And if I'm not elected president, that will never happen, believe me.
They're talking to you, they're playing you, but believe me, you know the answer. And I have to say that I've been talking about Michigan and the car industry and how your businesses and plans have been ripped out of your land, and I've been doing it for four years to the people of Michigan. Other people started talking about it last week. They're not going to do anything about it.
Crumbling roads, bridges, and airports will be replaced with the infrastructure our country needs and deserves. Families trapped in welfare will be provided with jobs and opportunity. Children stuck in failing government schools will be able to attend the school of their choice. Government will become lean, effective, responsible, and honest.
Our border will be protected; and our children will be safe. Very, very safe. And we will build the wall, don't worry about it. We will build the wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Build the wall!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Build the wall!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Build the wall!
[17:10:00] TRUMP: Law and order will be restored, and the poorest places in our country will know safety and peace again. American values and cultures will be cherished -- and I mean cherished -- and celebrated once again.
But to achieve this new American future, we must break free from the bitter failures of the past and reject the same insiders telling us the same old lies over and over and over again.
No group in America has been more harmed by Hillary Clinton's policies than African-Americans, no group. No group. If Hillary Clinton's goal was to inflict pain on the African-American community, she could not have done a better job. It's a disgrace.
Tonight I'm asking for the vote of every single African-American citizen in this country who wants to see a better future.
The inner cities of our country have been run by the Democratic Party for more than 50 years. Their policies have produced only poverty, joblessness, failing schools, and broken homes. It's time to hold Democratic politicians accountable for what they have done to these communities. At what point do we say enough? At what point do we say enough? It's time to hold failed leaders accountable for their results, not just their empty words, over and over again.
Look at what the Democratic Party has done to the city, as an example, and there are many others, of Detroit. Forty percent of Detroit's residents, 40 percent, live in poverty. Half of all Detroit residents do not work and cannot work and can't get a job. Detroit tops the list of most dangerous cities in terms of violent crime, No. 1.
This is the legacy of the Democratic politicians who have run this city. This is the result of the policy agenda embraced by crooked Hillary Clinton. Thirty-three-thousand e-mails gone.
The only way to change results is to change leadership. We can never fix our problems by relying on the same politicians who created our problems in the first place. A new future requires brand-new leadership.
Look at how much African-American communities are suffering under Democratic control. To those I say the following: What do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump? What do you have to lose?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump! Trump!
TRUMP: I say it again: what do you have to lose? What do you have to lose? You're living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs. Fifty-eight percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?
And at the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get over 95 percent of the African-American vote, I promise you. Because I will produce. I will produce for the inner cities, and I will produce for the African-Americans.
And the Democrats, the Democrats will not produce, and all they have done is taken advantage of your vote. That is all they have done. And once the election is over, they go back to their palaces in Washington. And you know what? They do nothing for you. Just remember.
So you have nothing to lose. One thing we know for sure is that if you keep voting for the same people, you will keep getting the same, exactly the same result.
My administration will go to work for you as no one has ever done before. We will work. We will bring back jobs. We will work.
By contrast, the one thing every item in Hillary Clinton's agenda has in common is that it takes jobs and opportunities away from African- American workers. It takes jobs away from all workers, because your companies are leaving Michigan. Your companies are leaving every state in our union. They're going to Mexico; they're going everywhere but here.
Hillary Clinton supports open borders, which means many things, but it means people pour in and they take your jobs. Whether you like it or don't like it, they take your jobs.
A fierce opposition to school choice. You need choice. You have to get your children into good schools. You do that through competition. You need choice.
Her plan to massively raise taxes on small business and everyone, $1.3 trillion tax increase, whereas I'm cutting taxes very substantially for business and for the middle class.
Her tremendous opposition to American energy. The opposition is fierce. And her record of giving our jobs away to many, many other countries.
America must reject the bigotry of Hillary Clinton, who sees communities of color only as votes, not as human beings worthy of a better future. Hillary Clinton would rather provide a job to a refugee from overseas than to give that job to unemployed African- American youth in cities like Detroit who have become refugees in their own country.
It's time to get our country back to work. And that includes an all- out effort to help young African-Americans get the good-paying jobs that they deserve.
Hillary Clinton's plan would bring in an estimated 620,000 refugees in her first term at a life-time benefit cost of some $400 billion to our country, according to the Senate immigration subcommittee. Hillary Clinton wants to be America's Angela Merkel.
By the way, for the price of supporting one refugee in the United States, we could support 12 in a safe zone in the Middle East or, let's say, Syria.
[17:20:15] The improved refugee screening standards I have proposed will save countless billions of dollars. It's called extreme vetting. Extreme vetting. We will invest a portion of the money saved in a jobs program for inner-city youth.
The African-American community has given so much to this country. They fought and died in every war since the revolution. They've lifted up the conscience of our nation in the long march towards civil rights. They've sacrificed so much for the national good. Yet nearly four in ten African-American children still live in
poverty, and 58 percent, as I said, of young African-Americans are not working. They cannot find a job.
We must do better as a country. I refuse to believe that the future must be like the past. It won't be. Our future is going to be a great future for everyone. For everyone.
In a Trump administration, all workers of all colors will get priority for jobs in their own country, which is about time. I want higher wages for African-Americans, for Hispanic-Americans, and for all Americans. We want higher wages.
Many, many, workers in our country are making substantially less money today in real wages than they made 18 years ago. They're working two jobs instead of one. They're working much harder as they get older, and it's supposed to be the opposite. We're going to stop it. We're going to create great jobs, and we're going to get the wages up.
Hillary Clinton is a throwback to an ugly past where politicians preyed on our poor citizens while selling them out for personal gain. Promises, promises, all talk, no action. All talk, no action politicians. They talk, talk, talk. You vote them in with great fanfare, and then they do nothing.
With Trump, that's not going to happen. Believe me.
We must turn the page on yesterday. Only a change in leadership will produce a change in outcomes, and we can't take, as a country, four more years of Obama. And that's what you get with Hillary Clinton but probably worse.
In this new American future, American workers will always come first. America first, always comes first. America first. Always come first. This will include a complete revitalization of the Michigan manufacturing sector.
Now, you have to understand: the Michigan manufacturing sector is a disaster. It is a disaster. Look at your notes, look at your stats, look at what's happening to your state. You're losing your business. It's like taking candy away from a baby, and many people in this audience right now that think you have jobs, you're going to find out very soon that your company is leaving for Mexico or some other place, and you're not going to have your job very long.
And if Trump gets in, those days are over, folks. Those days are over. We will be bringing back our jobs to Michigan.
There will be a very big price to pay for those companies that want to leave our land, go someplace else, manufacture their goods, and sell them back with no retribution. It won't happen; there will be consequences. It won't happen. It will not happen.
Michigan lost more than one in four of its manufacturing jobs since NAFTA. As you know, NAFTA, one of the worst trade bills in history, maybe -- maybe the worst trade bill ever signed in the history of the world, not only in our country. It's emptied out Michigan; it's emptied out New England. It's emptied out New York state. It's emptied out so many of our great companies. They leave and they fire. We end up with devastation. We end up with unemployment. We end up with nothing.
[17:25:32] The bill was signed by Bill Clinton. It was supported by Hillary Clinton. Right here in this community, you've lost one in seven manufacturing jobs since Bill Clinton put China into the World Trade Organization, another Hillary Clinton-backed deal. She backs all the deals. And by the way, she will be backing the Transpacific Partnership, TPP, if she is elected. Just mark your words, just remember, you know it's going to happen, she considered it the gold standard. All of a sudden, when she heard me talking about it, she said, "I can't win this one," so she went against it. She'll go back immediately. And you saw that when the governor of Virginia, who's her friend, said that was going to happen.
Detroit lost more than one in three manufacturing jobs following the NAFTA and WTO agreements that were supported very strongly by my opponent. No industry has been hurt more by Hillary Clinton's policies than the automobile industry, or as we call it, the car industry. It has been a total disaster.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, before NAFTA went into effect, there were 285,000 auto workers in Michigan. Now that number is down to only 160,000, and it's going to be a lot lower because if you look at plants being built right now in Mexico, you can kiss these jobs goodbye, but not me.
In 2014, General Motors announced plans to double its investments in Mexico by 2018. Not good.
In April 2016, the Ford Motor Company announced plans to invest another 1.6 billion constructing an auto plant in Mexico. Mexico will become the car capital of the world very, very quickly; and Michigan is going to end up with empty buildings all over the place, unless you elect Donald Trump president, in which case it's not going to happen.
The same month, Fiat Chrysler announced 1,300 layoffs. The list goes on and on.
We will turn it around. We will turn it around fast. We will meet with these companies, and we will say it will not be easy for you to move your plant to Mexico. To sell your cars through what will be a very strong border, and for you not to pay tax on those cars coming in, OK?
And when we tell them that there will be a substantial tax on the cars that they make in Mexico and other places, No. 1, they're not going to move in the first place, and No. 2, if they do, our country is going to make one heck of a lot of money.
But to save your jobs and to do all of the things that I'm talking about, we have to win on November 8.
The destruction that NAFTA started will be finished off if the Transpacific Partnership is approved. It will be almost -- nothing is as bad as NAFTA, but it will be almost as bad. We know from Hillary's closest friend, she is planning to ram through TPP if she's elected. She called it, as I said, the gold standard.
Its passage would be a disaster for Michigan, in particular, for the car industry in particular, for the people of Michigan. I won't let it happen.
AUDIENCE: Yes!
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: According to the Economic Policy Institute, the United States trade deficit with the proposed TPP member countries cost over one million manufacturing jobs in our country in 2015. By far the biggest losses occurred in motor vehicles and parks, which lost nearly 740,000 -- think of that -- 740,000 manufacturing jobs. Michigan ranks first for jobs lost as a share of state workforce due to trade deficit with TPP members.
Just imagine how many more automobile jobs will be lost if Hillary gets her wish and approves TPP. It will not be pretty. That's why I have announced that we will withdrawal from the deal before that deal can ever, ever, ever happen.
(APPLAUSE)
I have have previously laid out a detailed seven-point plan for trade reform, available on my website. It includes strong protections against currency manipulation from countries like China and tariffs against any nation that cheats by unfairly subsidizing their goods, of which many of them do.
(APPLAUSE)
My plan also includes a total renegotiation of NAFTA so our jobs can come back.
(APPLAUSE)
And if we can't make a much, much better deal than we have right now, we will walk.
(APPLAUSE)
I'm not in any way, shape or form an isolationist. I don't believe in it, but we have to make great deals for our country. We're losing in our whole trade negotiation with oil (ph) countries over $800 billion a year. That's our trade deficit. Who negotiates these deals? We want great trade deals and we will have them.
(APPLAUSE) But we want trade deals that work for America, that create jobs and wealth for our country, that work for the American worker.
(APPLAUSE) We want to shrink our almost $800 billion trade deficit. We don't want to expand it, and it's been expanding for years. For years and years. You look at the charts -- up, up, up, up, up. And I say to myself so often, why don't they do something about it? And the reason is we have political hacks as our negotiators.
We have politicians as our negotiators. We have politicians that are controlled like Hillary Clinton by her donors, her special interests and her lobbyists and they won't let her do what's right for our workers and for our country.
We want to be leading the world in production, exports and manufacturing. We want jobs to leave from other countries and come into our country for a change.
(APPLAUSE)
Another major issue in this race is foreign policy. Hillary Clinton has made one bad foreign policy decision after another. Beginning with the support for going to war in Iraq, and I opposed it so strongly.
Nobody cared. I was a civilian, but I opposed it. I said you will have a total destabilization of the Middle East. It was such common sense and look what happened. Her tenure as secretary of State may be regarded as the most disastrous in United States history.
TRUMP: But she is totally without remorse. Her failed decisions as secretary of State unleashed ISIS onto the world.
(AUDIENCE BOOS)
But has she ever apologized for the death and destruction she has caused? No.
AUDIENCE: No!
TRUMP: Look at the world before and after she became Secretary of State. Pre-Hillary in the early 2009s, Iraq was seeing a reduction in violence. Libya was somewhat stable. Syria was under control. The group we now know today, ISIS, was close to being extinguished. Iran was being choked by sanctions.
Now, take a look at what we have. Fast forward to the present time.
After Hillary, here is what it looks like. Iraq is in total chaos. Syria is in the midst of a disastrous civil war. A refugee crisis now threatens Europe and the United States, where we're taking in thousands and thousands and thousands of people. ISIS has been unleashed unto the entire world.
Iran, the world's top state sponsor of terrorism has been put on the path to nuclear weapons, was given $400 million in ransom payment cash, where they just yesterday caught Obama in yet another lie.
(AUDIENCE BOOS) Very much like -- you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan, Obamacare -- a total disaster. It will be repealed. It will be replaced.
(APPLAUSE)
Hillary Clinton is a legacy of death, destruction, and terrorism. America deserves a better legacy.
AUDIENCE: Yes!
TRUMP: All of you deserve a much, much, better future.
AUDIENCE: Yes!
TRUMP: I am the change agent. I am the change agent.
(APPLAUSE)
AUDIENCE: Trump! Trump! Trump!
TRUMP: I am your messenger. And I said it many times, I'm nothing more than your messenger. It's a message of strong defense, common sense, take care of our vets, great education, get rid of Common Core, great health care, get rid of Obamacare, save our Second Amendment.
(APPLAUSE)
Which is under tremendous siege right now.
Hillary Clinton is the defender of the status quo or what we have. While our country lost badly under Hillary Clinton, she cashed in big time. Our country was losing. Our people were losing, but she is cashing in.
Bill Clinton's speaking fees surged while Hillary was Secretary of State. He was paid almost $50 million for speeches during her tenure, an increase in 44 percent over the previous four years.
By the way, things came out today that blow everything away today. Then there was all of the money funneled into the Clinton Foundation from foreign governments and corporations. It was pay for play.
(AUDIENCE BOOS)
Yet, Hillary Clinton, who is indifferent to the suffering she has caused, has no remorse at all. She offers no apologies. No apologies for unleashing ISIS. No apologies for her open borders. No apologies for lying about her e-mails or about Benghazi.
(AUDIENCE BOOS)
The only way to learn the full depth of her public corruption is to read the 33,000 e-mails that she deleted.
AUDIENCE: Yes! TRUMP: And the only way to get justice in this rigged system is to show up and vote on November 8th and vote big, big, big.
(APPLAUSE)
And I will bring your jobs back. So are you ready to vote?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: And what about your future? Is it going to be great, good, or terrible?
AUDIENCE: Great!
TRUMP: Great. So if you're ready to vote for honest government and the honest government that you deserve, a Trump administration will end the corruption and restore integrity to government service. Remember, I'm funding my campaign, I'm spending tremendous amounts of money on running for office.
I'm raising money for the Republican Party and the Republican National Committee, which I think is doing a very good job, but I'll tell you more about that on November 8th. I'll let you know if they do a good job or if they do not such a good job. But I think they're going to do a great job.
No one will be above the law in a Trump administration. The State Department will work for the country, not for Hillary Clinton's donors.
(APPLAUSE)
And I will work for you and I will work for no one else. I will work for you. I will never lie to you. I will never put any other interests before you and I will never, ever stop fighting for you. Never.
(APPLAUSE)
The government will work for the people again. That means we are only going to admit individuals into our country who support our values and we're not going to issue visas where (inaudible) screening (ph) controls take place. We are going to make sure that we have total screening, and without it, we cannot continue to have our government run like this. We will also seek to join in partnership with any nation that wishes to join us in defeating and destroying ISIS.
(APPLAUSE)
At home, taxes will go down, especially for -- look, I mean, it's going to go down for a lot of people, for business they're going down, businesses are going to flourish, they're going to come pouring back. But taxes will go down, especially for middle-income Americans.
(APPLAUSE)
And small business rates will be lowered to 15 percent so we can put millions of new jobs into our poorest neighborhoods.
(APPLAUSE)
As I said, Obamacare will be repealed and replaced. Voters, not special interests, will be in charge finally. We are going to bring our country together again. We have a divided country. It's totally divided. The era of division will be replaced with a future of unity, total unity. We will love each other. We will have one county. Everybody will work together.
(APPLAUSE)
We are going to do it by emphasizing what we all have in common as Americans. It's time to break with the failures of the past and to fight for every last child in this country to have the better future they deserve.
(APPLAUSE)
In my administration, every American will be treated equally, protected equally and honored equally. We will reject bigotry and hatred and oppression in all of its forms and seek a new future built on our common culture and values as one American people.
(APPLAUSE)
This is the change I am promising to all of you; an honest government with low taxes, a thriving economy and a just society for each and every American. It's time to vote for a new American future.
(APPLAUSE)
Together, we will make America wealthy again, we will make America united again, we will make America proud again, we will make America safe again and we will make America great again. God bless you.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you. Thank you very much, Michigan. Thank you.
[17:45:07]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Donald trump wrapping up his speech there in Diamond Dale, Michigan. I want to bring in my panel. I have Olivia Nuzzi, Jackie Kucinich, David Chalian with me here as well.
OK, so let's talk about this. Let's start at the beginning when we heard, David, that he was speaking to African-American voters. What did you see was his message and was it just African-American voters that he was trying to target here?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I think it was make this election the referendum about Hillary Clinton. That was the goal of the entire speech. Not a referendum on Donald Trump. He did make, you're right, a very direct plea to African-Americans, there is no doubt.
But I think we also have to know he is making a plea to voters more broadly to show himself as tolerant and open to want to court every vote possible so that it's not just that he's hoping to win African- American votes.
He's hoping to win white suburban votes who might have been reluctant to join his campaign because they thought maybe he was shunning certain voters. No. He's trying to show now that he's reaching out.
And I think that's an appeal not just to the direct move about the African-American votes he's reaching out to, but to a larger one --
JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "THE DAILY BEAST": But actions speak louder than words. He also just brought on a campaign chair that ran a website that has become a field day for outright, which is racist and all sorts of other ifs and so that's a problem.
He also back in March, a group of students in Georgia -- African- American students were lead, they did nothing wrong and they were led out of the rally, crying, because the candidate wanted them removed.
I think when you look at that, when you look at his actions, you can't just say African-American a bunch of times in a speech and consider that outreach to an entire community.
OLIVIA NUZZI, POLITICAL REPORTER, "THE DAILY BEAST": That is highly condescending that he thinks that he can say the word African-American a lot during a speech and all of a sudden it will change his luck. I mean, all of the signs, all the polling suggest that he has no chance in getting African-Americans to vote for him.
KEILAR: He said "what the hell do you have to lose?" That was the word that he was saying to black voters. What strikes me, Olivia, is you look where, he spoke here. This was Dimondale. If you know, he'd drive 5 minutes away and gone to Lancing, then he would have perhaps been speaking to a more diverse group.
We know from our producers who are there on the ground, this was almost entirely a white crowd and maybe not surprisingly because according to the census, Dimondale is 93 percent white.
So this is a pretty white place where he went to go and say this. We have seen this recently seen where he is trying to court African- American voters more and more. He is not going to African-American communities to do it.
NUZZI: It is like Jackie said, actions speak louder than words and I don't think his campaign is really prioritizing this and it shows in the polls.
KEILAR: So really it might be coming down to trying to attract voters in the middle of the political spectrum who have been a little uneasy about some of his language.
CHALIAN: There also needs to be a policy debate about this going forward. I mean, when he says what do you have to lose? I have no doubt that the Clinton campaign is prepared to answer that question.
I think that they are going to now want to engage. He's going to try to dig in to some of her base voters, one would imagine the Clinton campaign will welcome that fight on a policy prescription because it will get to -- what policies are each proposing that has the attention to attract the --
NUZZI: They will have a response and they know exactly what the country has to lose and I'm sure that they will come up with an ad or at least a press release answering that question.
KUCINICH: And even as he's trying to look more inclusive, he is talking about it at the cost of other groups. He was saying that immigrants are taking jobs. Talking about excluding them in order to include African-Americans. So even when he is trying to be inclusive, he is being exclusive.
KEILAR: All right, you guys standby. We're going to go to Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. She is a Donald Trump supporter. So you listen to the speech that he just gave in Dimondale, Michigan, and this was something different.
There was a lot of new things in this speech, but I do wonder as he tries to reach African-American voters, why is he in a place that is 93 percent white? Why doesn't he go 5 minutes down the road and talk to the community that he says he's talking to.
REPRESENTATIVE MARSHA BLACKBURN (R), TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, I'm not somebody that is involved in making the decisions of where someone goes, nor do I know where the facilities are that will accommodate the type of crowds that they are expecting.
I do know that that weighs into those decisions, Brianna. I think the speech itself was wide ranging and spoke to both the angst that a lot of Americans have, and then also it spoke to what are the hopes for a lot of Americans.
Getting this country back on the right track, dealing with the national security issues, addressing the jobs and economic security issues. Putting some focus on retirement security so that people can retire.
[17:50:09]Making certain that taxes are lower. Opening doors of opportunity for everybody. That is what people in my district are talking about and I got to tell you, I think he hit a lot of those notes today and did it very well.
KEILAR: What specifically is he proposing that's going to help African-American voters?
BLACKBURN: When you are talking about greater opportunity, whether it's through education or through jobs, jobs growth, bringing production back, looking at increasing U.S. jobs, getting that labor force participation rate up.
Opening those doors of opportunity for people to get back into the work force. Those are going to help everybody. That is what people want to see.
It's been so interesting to me this week being out in my district and talking to voters and talking to people who are employers in the district.
One of my counties was even having a jobs fair while I was there. They want to be able to see wages go up. They want to open some doors of opportunity.
KEILAR: Can I ask you just because I hear you --
BLACKBURN: -- bringing some businesses there.
KEILAR: Increasing jobs, all of these things that are positive. Those are more the results of specific policies. What is he specifically proposing that would lead to that result? What are the specifics? How is he going to get there? Not just the destination but what is the path to that that he's proposing?
BLACKBURN: Yes, Brianna, let's remember one thing. The federal government does not create jobs. The private sector creates jobs. He has spoken specifically to lowering the tax rates, to reducing federal regulation.
You go out and talk to somebody who has a manufacturing plant and they will tell you one of the biggest impediments they have are regulations coming out of federal government whether it's the Department of Labor, the EPA, OSHA, you name it. That is why you're not seeing jobs growth.
It is even indeed why some companies are saying, look, if we can't get a handle on this and reign in some of these federal agencies, I don't know if I can keep my doors open.
Now you fix that regulatory problem and that taxation problem, you allow and spur innovation, what are you going to see, job creation. You can take it to the bank. It's a formula that works every single time undisputed.
KEILAR: I want you to listen to something that Donald Trump said as he made this pitch just now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I say it again, what do you have to lose? What do you have to lose? You're living in poverty. Your schools are no good. You have no jobs. Fifty eight percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: OK, so you're listening to that. What do you have to lose? That's his line there. Is that enough and also what's he going to do in the Clinton campaign comes right back with an answer to that?
BLACKBURN: Well, I think that what he is speaking to there is the failed policies that you have seen with some of our nations large cities. Of course, there has been a lot written and talked about in the last year or so about these cities. Detroit itself going through bankruptcy.
Detroit where you're seeing the diminishment of the value of houses in that city. Detroit which has lost so many jobs and what he is saying, I believe, is it may not be the way I would have said it myself.
But he's saying, look, the way things have done, the status quo is not working. What you have seen from Democrat leadership and Democrat elected officials has not served these cities well.
KEILAR: But why not go to Detroit, Congresswoman? It's not very far from where he is? He could go to Detroit and talk about this. You know there are venues big enough.
BLACKBURN: I'm not involved --
KEILAR: Should he go to Detroit?
BLACKBURN: -- in where a campaign goes. I don't know how they are choosing the communities that they go into or the facilities they go into and it would be inappropriate for me to speak to that. I'm not part of that decision making team.
KEILAR: If you were giving a speech about women's issues, would you speak to a room of men?
BLACKBURN: I would prefer to speak to a group of women, but there are times I thought I probably should be speaking to a room full of men and telling them maybe what I've thought about decisions that they have made and where I think they could have done some things a little bit differently.
[17:55:06]KEILAR: All right, Congresswoman Blackburn, thank you so much for being with us here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We do appreciate it.
BLACKBURN: Sure. Good to be with you. Thank you.
KEILAR: Good to have you.
Coming up, a new report claims Hillary Clinton told the FBI that former Secretary of State Colin Powell suggested she use a private e- mail account. Does her excuse stand up to scrutiny?
Plus the latest on the apology from swimming superstar, Ryan Lochte. Was it sincere or is he still ducking responsibility for his role in the scandal looming over the Olympics?
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KEILAR: Happening now, a real reboot. Donald Trump working to stay on message in Michigan tonight just hours after his campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, calls it quits. We are learning more about this shake up and why Trump is suddenly expressing regret for some --
