Show: MTP DAILY Date: October 12, 2016 Guest: Bob Ehrlich, Cornell Belcher, Eliana Johnson, Nathan Gonzales, Bill Weld, Mick Cornett, Mitch Landrieu
ANDREA MITCHELL, MSNBC HOST: And welcome to MTP DAILY. I`m Andrea Mitchell in New York in for Chuck Todd.
Election Day is 27 days away and the Trump tailspin continues. It`s been more than 24 hours since the Republican nominee boasted that the shackles were off and the war within the GOP is far from over. As Trump holds nothing back, his supporters` rhetoric is also becoming increasingly volatile.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me personally, if Hillary Clinton gets in, I myself -- I`m ready for a revolution because we can`t have her in.
GOV. MIKE PENCE (R-IN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Yeah. Don`t say that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I`m just --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think people are going to rise up because we`re tired of taking it as it is. But we`re in this out. We`re all Second Amendment pros. And she is not going to give it to us.
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MITCHELL: And remember, Trump himself has been laying the ground work for this since the early days of his primary, calling the system rigged and even encouraging supporters to monitor polling places.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The system, folks, is rigged. It`s a rigged, disgusting, dirty system. It`s a dirty system. It`s a rigged system. It`s a totally rigged system. The elections are rigged. It`s a totally rigged system. The only way we can lose, in my opinion, I really mean this, Pennsylvania, is if cheating goes on. This is a rigged, rigged system.
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MITCHELL: In fact, at his rally today, Trump reminded his supporters that he was the first one to call the system rigged in the aftermath of Louisiana primary. Talk like this leaves many to worry about the implications of what is beginning to look like an inevitable Trump loss on Election Day.
So let`s bring in my colleague, Hallie Jackson, who has been reporting on all this. She is covering the Trump campaign for us in Panama City, Florida. Hallie, there is a cause and effect relationship between his rhetoric since the primaries and now what we are seeing, what you`re seeing out there from his supporters.
HALLIE JACKSON, NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And what we hear from supporters, Andrea, and I don`t want to overstate it here. Listen, when you talk to people at rallies increasingly, especially over the last week or so, as Donald Trump has again started to ramp up some of this rhetoric, particularly in places like Pennsylvania, about concerns about voter fraud, concern this could be a rigged election, you do hear that reflected back at you from some folks.
You ask what do they mean about a political revolution or some sort of revolt after November 8, if Donald Trump were to lose. And you get a variety of answers. Some people do reference the Second Amendment. Others talk about maybe splitting off and starting their own party. These are supporters remember.
There is no sense that there is any organization within the Trump campaign to do that at this point. But it does seem to be also -- I talked to people. I spoke with one woman in Panama City here who said, hey, what happens at the election, she says, is God`s will.
I don`t want Trump to lose. But if he does, I believe that that is part of God`s greater plan. She is concerned about what that would mean for the country since she is a Donald Trump supporter. She is not a Hillary Clinton fan.
MITCHELL: And it wasn`t in Pennsylvania. I believe it was in Scranton, some place out Western Pennsylvania or in Central Pennsylvania where he first began talking about it being rigged and the possibility of something happening on Election Day.
JACKSON: Yeah.
MITCHELL: And there are no data to back that up, no record of voting fraud.
JACKSON: Right.
MITCHELL: And that led a lot of minority communities to believe that they were going to be facing intimidation, that there would be vigilantes on Election Day.
JACKSON: And Trump has called for people to go on and be what he calls election observers, if you will, to go to polling places to monitor, to make sure that everything goes off as it`s supposed to. And you`re right. It is something that we hear about especially when he is in Pennsylvania.
He refers to, for example, the Philadelphia suburbs, areas in Philadelphia. But the data, the numbers show and studies have been done that it`s virtually non-existent to say it yet that there is voter fraud in the way that he discusses it or the way that he implies that there could be some.
MITCHELL: And, Hallie, finally, when you`re out there on the campaign, do you think he really believes that this strategy of going against Speaker Ryan, of creating a Civil War, if you will, in the Republican Party, that that is going to help him expand the base in those very suburbs around Philadelphia that you know so well where suburban Republican voters are making their decisions?
JACKSON: I think the campaign believes that this will rally his base. This will mobilize his base of support that is already in place, that this speaks to his message that he has been pushing over the last 16 months here of the establishment, the status quo, versus this agent of change. The people who back him want to sort of throw a grenade into the mix.
And they believe he is the candidate to do so. So when he attacks Republicans, when he attacks people like Paul Ryan, John McCain and folks that have been a part of the sort of D.C. culture for a while, his campaign believes that that is going to be effective in pulling out the base.
MITCHELL: Hallie Jackson on the trail in Panama City, Florida. Thank you so much. And let`s bring in my guest, Former Maryland Governor and Trump supporter, Bob Ehrlich. Governor, thank you very much.
BOB EHRLICH, FORMER MARYLAND GOVERNOR: Andrea, how are you doing?
MITCHELL: Well, I`m doing great.
EHRLICH: My pleasure.
MITCHELL: The question is how is the Trump campaign doing? What do you think of his strategy of criticizing John McCain and Paul Ryan and the others?
EHRLICH: There is a little I can add to what we just heard from the report from the field. This is classic Trump. This is the movement, not the party. He has been agitating against the leadership, the Washington establishment, the status quo, people who have held power, people that didn`t take on President Obama to the extent he wanted to or the base wants to.
Since they won, this is really taking up a notch clearly but it`s no different strategy than you`ve seen from day one. It propelled him to the most votes a Republican has ever received, as you know, throughout the primaries. The issue you`re raising, which is a great question, is can you carry that over to general Election Day?
Now, by the way, I keep hearing this focus on Republicans and that`s accurate and fair. But it`s also working class Democrats in Michigan, in Wisconsin, in Pennsylvania, in Virginia, in North Carolina. These folks have been Trump voters, Trump supporters in the polls to this extent to this date. Let`s see where they are on Election Day as well.
It`s not just Republicans. It`s Republicans and Democrats. It`s middle class, lower middle class, working class Americans who have felt the angst, who are frustrated, who are angry as a result of 1% growth which, in my view, has been really the issue that has propelled Trump from day one.
MITCHELL: And, in fact, you`re absolutely right. That is his path to victory through the rough belt to get those working class people who have not seen wage gains, who are frustrated, who are angry about trade. What we`re not seeing, though, is aside from Ohio and Iowa we`re not seeing this groundswell as we saw in the polling.
And the polling could all be wrong. And it could be that there is a secret or a hidden Trump vote of people who are not willing to say that they are voting for Trump. But we are not seeing that certainly in Pennsylvania where every poll seems to indicate a double-digit lead now for the Democrats.
EHRLICH: Well, I generally believe in polls. Scientific polls are accurate. But what you`ve seen, obviously, is the short-term result of the video and the considerable damage inflicted on the campaign. Prior to the -- go back and take a look at the polls prior to the video. Pennsylvania, all these swing states were closing, were within the margin of errors, some were tied, and not just Ohio and Iowa, but also Florida.
So, in my view, regardless of whether you like this strategy or not, we`ll see obviously in a few weeks. It`s been the tape, the short-term damage with regard to the tape that has caused this now disparity in the polls. Hallie can come back. It`s all get out to vote. It`s doing very well in the third debate.
And it`s also going back to issues. At some point, Andrea, issues have to count. At some point, the issues of charter schools and growth and opportunity and this 1% growth that has caused all this angst and $20 trillion in debt and immigration reform and all this has to count. I would hope the third debate would be about more issues and less about all this personal stuff from both sides.
MITCHELL: Well, Governor, whether Donald Trump and his small circle of advisers, according to all the reporting, who decided on this nuclear option of going personal and bringing those women who say that they were victimized by Bill Clinton and then, again, in some cases, by Hillary Clinton, bringing them to the debate hall and confronting them that way. How does that respond to the voters who are concerned about their job and trade?
EHRLICH: Well, in my view, what -- no, you`re right. And both sides have been on -- as you know, both sides have been going deep on this. And Bill Clinton`s affairs are not relevant in this campaign. Hillary Clinton`s actions with regard to that woman, I think, are more fair.
Obviously, people can make their own determinations. But both sides have gone. As you know, with WikiLeaks, every day we see how people really feel about the candidates, sort of about strategies and Bernie and all that in the primary, what they did to Bernie to make sure he lost.
So, I just -- listen, I`m a traditional, as you know me for many years. At some point, the issues have to count. I`m a 12-year-old. I`m a 17-year-old. And the American public deserve to -- I know salacious sells and sex and all this ugly stuff sells and you have to report it. It`s news. Got it.
But, at some point -- I care about charter schools and criminal justice reform and $20 trillion in debt and real growth. And, at some point, I want to hear that clash of ideas. I don`t care if it gets ugly. That`s what campaigns are all about.
MITCHELL: Well, what would you say to Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon and David Bossie and the others who have been advising Donald Trump to go personal and go up against Bill Clinton about his past?
EHRLICH: Well, both -- as I said, Bill Clinton`s past is not relevant, in my view. Hillary Clinton`s actions with regard to women, how she treated women and the war room and all that stuff, I think, is more relevant. Okay. And what he said, the tape, was obviously apologize, but it was terrible.
And some of the stuff we`ve seen from the other side and the leaks and the cybersecurity and all this stuff on dishonesty. For her, the truth appears to be just one option among many on most days. Put all that aside. Let`s just get down to -- I hope the moderator.
I hope Chris Wallace just gets down to it and says forget it. We`re actually going to talk substance. And, by the way, not just substance, second, third, fourth level thinking that the American public has a right to expect from a leader of the free world.
MITCHELL: Amen. Governor Ehrlich, thank you very much.
EHRLICH: How about that?
MITCHELL: How about that? Old fashioned debates where we talk about issues. Thank you very much.
EHRLICH: My pleasure.
MITCHELL: And let`s bring in my panel. Cornell Belcher is a Democratic Pollster, author of a new book "A Black Man in The White House" Barack Obama and the triggering of America`s racial aversion crisis, which hits bookshelves next week; Eliana Johnson, Washington Editor of National Review; and Nathan Gonzales, Political Editor of The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report. Welcome, all. Cornell, your reactions to Governor Ehrlich?
CORNELL BELCHER, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: Well, as a real head-scratcher and for Governor Ehrlich to -- and, look, and I get it. As a spokesperson, you want to muddy the waters when you can`t -- as a strategy you want to muddy the waters when you can`t win.
So this whole ideal that is equal on both sides of not being factual in the personal tax when you know that that`s not the truth. And when you look at the fact checkers have -- every organization does a fact checking now. And, listen, I`ve been close on who is being more factual.
And the very idea that Donald Trump is out there in this country right now at rallies talking about voter fraud and how this election is going to be stolen from them despite the fact that he is losing, it`s a real head- scratcher because Governor Ehrlich is a smart guy.
And just, at some point, Republicans have to stand up and say no. We can`t put party above country. This guy is out there rallying up anger about the election that he is going to lose. And clearly his strategy is not about a strategy for winning November.
The Trump strategy right now is post-November. He is trying to win post- November and taking on Ryan and McConnell and establishment Republicans. This is about post-November, not about November.
MITCHELL: Eliana, what does that mean about the future of the Republican Party?
ELIANA JOHNSON, NATIONAL REVIEW WASHINGTON EDITOR: Look, I really think that to call what Trump is doing a strategy is a generous term. I think his attacks on fellow Republicans, if it was a strategy, he`d be trying to unite the Republican Party. It just stems from a lack of self-discipline and self-control that puts his campaign advisers in the uncomfortable position of having to go out and defend him.
But I think, post-November, look, you see his fellow Republicans trying to salvage Congressional majorities and looking to the 1996 model of redirecting resources to House and Senate campaigns. The difference between 1996 and today is that Bob Dole in 1996 didn`t say if you redirect resources, I`m going to start attacking my fellow Republicans and telling voters not to vote for them or to vote against them.
There is sort of a separate Trump vote that he can turn against some Congressional Republicans. And so I think what you see between now and November is Republicans trying to grapple with that. But post-November, I think, discussions about how Republicans in ideas really can cobble together a governing majority that is capable of winning the presidency, I think, those discussions that are going to take place after November.
MITCHELL: Nathan, does Speaker Ryan run the risk of being blamed by a large wing of his party and certainly the grassroots if Donald Trump loses for not being a vocal supporter?
NATHAN GONZALES, THE ROTHENBERG & GONZALES POLITICAL REPORT EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: I`m not sure what size of wing it is within the Republican Party, but he`s going to get blamed. I mean the rift between Paul Ryan and members of the House Freedom Caucus that didn`t just pop up because of the conference call on Monday.
This is something that`s been going on even before Ryan was Speaker, going back to when John Boehner was Speaker. So this is just more fuel to the fire. It gives those most conservative members of the Republican conference something else to go on.
And Republican incumbents down the ballot are in a very tough position because they need -- in order to get reelected they need both Trump supporters and they need people who are offended by Donald Trump. It`s a coalition. And in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey, they asked what should Republican candidates do in response to Donald Trump the 2005 tape being released?
And 67% of Republicans said that the Republican candidates should still support Donald Trump. And so you see these incumbents where, I think, many of their heart is to go against and denounce Trump but they have this part of their supporters who are saying no, stick with him until the bitter end. And that`s one of the chief points of attention in this election.
MITCHELL: And what President Obama was doing on the trail last night in Greensboro, North Carolina and Hillary Clinton in Colorado, they are trying to hang that around the Republicans. They are trying to say you can`t just say you`re standing back from Donald Trump now. You let him be creative. You supported him as he run through the primaries or turned a blind eye.
GONZALES: Right. I mean so Democratic message is that Republicans are complicit in this, right, that they are responsible for it. But I think the narrative -- coming into this election, we saw a lack of ticket splitting, the trend going and fewer ticket splitters.
But I think because Donald Trump is such a unique political character, most voters don`t automatically think of him as the Head of the Republican Party. So it`s been -- I think the burden of proof has been on Democrats to couple every Republican candidate with Trump. And the recent tape and the second debate just gives Democrats another opportunity with that in the news to do that.
BELCHER: Andrea, can I jump in on Nathan`s point real quickly? Because what he is hitting on here is really a problem for some Republican. And you take a state like New Hampshire where you have a large swath of independent voters, right, and not a lot of ticket splitting.
And what the Republican incumbent senator there has been struggling with is, quite frankly, those independent voters breaking against Donald Trump and not splitting. And it was interesting that she`s come out and started distancing herself from him recently because, at some point, you do have to sort of have your own brand.
Because if she is tied to Donald Trump with those independent voters -- and I think you`ll see this in a lot of senate cases -- if she is tied to Donald Trump with those independent voters, they are not going to split their ticket. And she is going to lose there in New Hampshire. And I think a lot of Republican senators are looking at that.
MITCHELL: Well, and, in fact, Cornell, to your very point, if the Democrats do preserve this double-digit lead in Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey, who was ahead of McGinty who is not a strong Democratic candidate, Pat Toomey is going to go down because it would be very difficult for a Republican senator in Pennsylvania to withstand that kind of a wave.
BELCHER: I think, to Nathan`s point, there is two battles going on here. There is one for the general election and there is one for post-election in November with the Republicans and their base. I don`t think you can win them both. I think, at some point, Republican senators are going to say, you know what, I can`t win these both. And I`m going to have to try to win the broader audience for general election.
MITCHELL: Eliana, what`s happening behind the scenes? Is the Republican Party withholding money from Donald Trump or did they need him to raise whatever money they are going to have for the ground game? What is the push-pull there for someone like Reince Priebus right now?
JOHNSON: Right. Look, Donald Trump has never raised money and he has always delegated everything to the Republican National Committee. And what you`re seeing, I think, is a shifting of resources to the down-ballot, redirecting to the Senate campaign.
And the question is, I think, and remains to be seen, there are these split ticket voters. For example, in New Hampshire, the voter who is going to vote for Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket but is also going to vote for Kelly Ayotte.
Now the question for Priebus, I think, is does the RNC focus on bringing out those voters or does it focus on the Trump voters who are voting for Donald Trump but we don`t know what they are going to do down-ballot.
I think there`s going to be enormous pressure on Chairman Priebus to cut ties with the Trump campaign. I don`t think there are any Republicans who believe he has a shot at winning the presidential election and to focus resources down-ballot on people who are going to vote for Hillary Clinton but who very might well vote for a Republican Senate candidate.
MITCHELL: And to your point because I`m -- at least a couple of major donors have e-mailed that they want out, that they are going to withhold their money because of that video in particular. Cornell, Eliana and Nathan, stay with us.
Coming up here, as Al Gore and the Clinton campaign push third-party voters to reflect on election consequences, we`ll talk to Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee, Bill Weld. He joins me next live. And next, the buzz surrounding the beehive state. Why Utah could be up for grabs on November 8? Utah? Stay tuned. You`re watching MTP DAILY.
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MITCHELL: And a new poll caught our eye this morning from battleground Utah. That`s right, battleground Utah. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are now tied in Utah of all places, each with 26% of the vote. Independent candidate, Evan McMullin, trails closely behind with 22%.
He is, of course, a graduate of Utah`s Brigham Young University. And Libertarian Gary Johnson is fourth with 14%. Four candidates in double- digits. Utah has not gone Democratic since 1964 when Lyndon Johnson defeated Barry Goldwater in a landslide.
Republicans won the state by double-digits in each subsequent election. Trump`s lack of popularity with Mormons is putting the beehive state up for grabs. The Clinton campaign launched a Mormons for Hillary web video yesterday hoping to pick up some of their support.
After the break, we will talk to the running mate of one of the candidates polling in double-digits in Utah, Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee, Governor Bill Weld.
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MITCHELL: And resetting the clock a little bit, it is not unfair to say that the last week has been very hard on Donald Trump`s chances to win the presidency. Lewd comments made by Trump back in 2005 became public on Friday. Sunday night, he said Hillary Clinton would be jailed under his presidency during a debate most say he lost.
And this week, he`s picked fights with Republican leaders. Trump now trailing Clinton by nine points in our latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll compared to a six-point deficit in mid-September. Support from Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, has remained unchanged over this period with 9% support.
The Libertarian ticket is running against Clinton and Trump but they do not view the other candidates as equal evils. Here is Vice Presidential candidate, Bill Weld, on this program at the end of last month.
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BILL WELD, LIBERTARIAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think he is just in the wrong place trying to be President of the United States. And that`s not a secret. I said that to Chris Matthews on MSNBC two nights ago. I do not view those other two candidates the same way. I think very highly of Mrs. Clinton. I think she is very well qualified.
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MITCHELL: In that interview, Governor Weld also said that he did not want his campaign to increase the odds of a Trump presidency, but he thought it was premature to think of Gary Johnson as a spoiler.
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WELD: But I think they are whistling past the graveyard if they don`t think Mr. Trump has a chance to win this whole thing. It`s an irrational year.
CHUCK TODD, MSNBC HOST: No. I understand that. And if you thought you were playing a role in that, what would that mean for you?
WELD: Oh no, that would be a very bad thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MITCHELL: Joining me now is the Libertarian Vice Presidential nominee, Bill Weld. Governor, thank you very much for joining us. It`s good to see you.
WELD: Thank you, Andrea.
MITCHELL: Have you come any closer to a decision on whether or not you think you and Gary Johnson be helping to elect Donald Trump? And if so, what would you do?
WELD: Well, this week`s events have been very informative. I think that -- I have the feeling that the ties that bind Mr. Trump to his moderate Republican supporters maybe loosed by the events of the last week. And I`m an old duck hunter. I like to go hunting where the ducks are. We`re looking for votes. I think maybe poaching some of those soft Trump Republican votes would be the place to go now.
MITCHELL: Do you think you have a chance to beat Hillary Clinton?
WELD: That`s a long put. She is doing very well. But if we become catnip in the national dialogue in the weeks leading up to the election, it`s possible that we could be at 20%, 25% in the month of October. And if we are, I think, we`re dangerous. Because, as a pair of two term Republican governors who did well in blue states, I think, we`ve got a winning message if people focused on it.
MITCHELL: Well, that could be a spoiler alert. I was in Florida late yesterday with Al Gore campaigning for the first time with Hillary Clinton. And this was his message to those students in Miami Dade College who may not be old enough to really remember 2000, but he certainly does. Let`s watch.
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AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Here`s my point. I don`t want you to be in a position years from now where you welcome Hillary Clinton and say actually you did win. It just wasn`t close enough to make sure that all the votes were counted or whatever. Elections have consequences. Your vote counts. Your vote has consequences.
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MITCHELL: And he said that he was Example A of that fact. What do you do to avoid becoming, even Gary Johnson, the Ralph Nader of 2016?
WELD: I would just say this is a year when voters have to think for themselves and shouldn`t necessarily take it from the Rs and the Ds in Washington. But you have to vote for me because otherwise the other guy might win. That`s not really very substantive.
Gary and I have a good platform of having been fiscally conservative and we`re socially inclusive. And that`s different from both the other parties. The voters have a right to see that choice to be fiscally conservative and socially liberal. That doesn`t describe either of the other parties.
MITCHELL: You have a fiscal plan but your running mate, the top of your ticket, Gary Johnson, in an interview with me just a week or so ago, said that he doesn`t think he needed to know the names of foreign leaders because the politicians who have known were to dot the i`s and cross the t`s have started all kinds of wars and led to people being killed, our men and women in the services. So he said he doesn`t really need to know about foreign affairs. Is that a great argument for becoming Commander-in-Chief?
WELD: No. I think Gary was probably expressing frustration at a series of pop quizzes. He actually was more authoritative on what to do in Syria before the Aleppo moment than any of the other candidates. And I think he called it about right. There is too many different rebel groups there. And it`s a terribly confused situation.
MITCHELL: But do you think your ticket would be doing better if he weren`t so flipped about foreign policy?
WELD: Well, we`ve had a lot of conversations about foreign policy over the past several months. And I, Andrea, as you know, travel a lot. I`m a member of Societies of Former World Leaders. And I`ve always been sort of in favor of constructive engagement around the world. And Gary has influenced me on criminal justice reform. I think I had some influence in discussions with him about the approach to international affairs.
MITCHELL: And what will you do going forward as these -- 27 days now till Election Day? Where is your best shot?
WELD: Well, we`re gonna -- we`re gonna hassle for votes. That`s what you do in election. We believe in our ticket. We believe in ourselves. And what I was saying a moment ago is that Trump behaving like a wild man. I mean, I just can`t imagine that people want a human tornado sitting in the oval office.
So, we`re gonna make that case to the moderate republicans who are still with Trump, but I have to think that they`re soft -- they`re soft Trump voters. And that`s one place I`m gonna be going the next four weeks.
MITCHELL: Bill Weld, thank you very much. Good luck out there on the campaign trail. Thanks for being with us today. And still ahead, the candidates are mapping out their plans for repairing the nation`s infrastructure on top of the leaders of U.S. congress and mayors to find out which plan they think will be left in the right direction. Stay tuned.
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MITCHELL: And more MTP DAILY just ahead, but first, Deirdre Bosa has the CNBC Market Wrap.
DEIRDRE BOSA, TECHNOLOGY REPORTER, CNBC: Thanks, Andrea. The Dow rose 15 points today, the S&P was up 2, and the Nasdaq slid 7 points. Well Fargo announced today its chairman and CEO, John Stumpf, is retiring effective immediately. Tim Sloan takes over as CEO. This comes as the bank sales tactic scandal continues to rock the firm. Toyota is recalling 340,000 Prius gas and electric hybrid cars to fix a parking brake issue. The recall involves the Prius 2016 and 2017 models. And that`s it from CNBC, first in business worldwide.
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MITCHELL: Late last year, congress passed its first big highway bill in decade. But presidential candidates have their own proposals for how to fix the nation`s crumbling infrastructure. Hillary Clinton proposes a 5-year $275 billion plan paid for by a build America bonds program and the creation of a national infrastructure bank. Donald Trump said that`s not enough.
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DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PARTY NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT OF U.S.: We are going to rebuild our infrastructure. Because without infra -- and by the way her numbers is a fraction of what we`re talking about. I would say at least double her numbers and -- and you`re gonna really need more than that. We have bridges that are falling down. People, investors, people would put money into the fund. The citizens would put money into the fund, and we will rebuild our infrastructure with that fund.
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MITCHELL: His plan would clock in at a half trillion dollars. Representatives from both campaigns are gonna be detailing their plans for the nation`s mayors. The president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors join me now, Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City and Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans. Mister mayors, welcome, thank you so much. Mayor Cornett, first of all, how would Donald Trump pay for this plan? Do you have any concerns that he would bust the budget?
MICK CORNETT, MAYOR OF OKLAHOMA CITY: Well, I have no idea. He hasn`t been clear on how he would fund it. It`s nice to get both candidates` attention to this need which is really a ticking time bomb in America. But as important as the dollar amounts are, Andrea, we need to know that this money is gonna go directly to cities. So we`re gonna be able to put it to use.
In previous administrations and in previous efforts on infrastructure, the money has gone through states and it never seems to find its way to the nation`s cities.
MITCHELL: Mayor Landrieu, what about the fact that Hillary Clinton is not even proposing as much for the urban areas as Donald Trump, the republican?
MITCH LANDRIEU, MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS: Well, as Mick said, first of all, the mayors of America are bipartisan group of mayors. And one of the things that we are in total agreement on is the need for infrastructure spending because we know that it`s gonna create jobs and is gonna help us secure America. And as Mick said, you know, the devil is in the details.
One of the things that the Clinton campaign has done, I think all the mayors in America would agree, is have a detailed plan about how that money actually gets down to the ground fast. We`re heartened that Mr. Trump wants to spend more money.
I think the mayors of America would agree that we have a massive deficit in the infrastructure plan in America and we need more, but more particularly because they actually get it done. We need to know what the mechanism is going to be, how it`s gonna get to the mayors directly, so how we can get it in the ground more quickly, and we`re hoping to hear from both candidates tomorrow.
As Mick said, we`ve gotten a fairly detailed plan from the Clinton campaign. We are still waiting to hear that from the Trump campaign. We are very hopeful that we get it so that we can talk to them about it.
MITCHELL: Mayor Cornett, what about the way that Donald Trump talks about the cities, the urban areas? Most recently, listen to what he had to say about the cities in Sunday`s night debate.
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TRUMP: You look at the violence that is taking place in the inner cities of Chicago. You take a look at Washington, D.C. We have an increase in murder within our cities. The biggest in 45 years. We have a divided nation because people like her and believe me, she has tremendous hate in her heart.
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MITCHELL: So, Mayor Cornett, is that an accurate distribution of the cities?
CORNETT: Well, Mr. Trump is in a partisan election, so he views the role differently than Mitch and I who are are trying to lead our cities in a bipartisan or nonpartisan manner. But if Mr. Trump is trying to associate urban poverty with longstanding urban policies that democrats have favored, I don`t think that`s out of line. I think what we are doing is broken, and it`s not getting any better under the current administration. And if the policies don`t change, I don`t see it getting any better under a Clinton administration.
MITCHELL: Mayor Landrieu, what about you?
LANDRIEU: First of all, let`s again concentrate on the facts and I think Mick said it appropriately. First of all, we are a bipartisan organization and so the facts are really important. There are 18,000 cities in America, 1300 of them have 30,000 people or more, and cities in America have 85% of the people in America that live there.
We house the greatest research institutions and colleges. We do the most sport and cultural events. Actually, most of the people in America go to work in cities and now hubs of entrepreneurship and great things are happening across America. When Mr. Trump picks one or two cities and then paints with a broad brush, it`s not an accurate depiction. So there are great things going on all over the place.
There is a robust discussion that mayors of America want to have with our friends in the federal government about what policies work, what policies don`t work. But it really is not the picture that he paints. What we need is a mayor that a president that`s gonna see us as a partner. We need a president that understands that the role of cities in America is gonna be vital for America`s future, and we`re looking to hear that from both of these candidates tomorrow.
MITCHELL: There is a national conversation for all of the wrong reasons because of the clashes between police and civilians about the role of law enforcement, the role of minority communities, and where they intersect. In your cities as well as in other cities around the country, what are you hearing from these candidates? First you, Mayor Cornett, about that issue.
CORNETT: Well, we`re hearing them that they acknowledge the problem, but the reality is, if we are going to have more deescalation training, it`s gonna take more officers on the ground. If we are going to use more community policing strategy, it`s going to take more officers on the ground. And I don`t know that inner city America wants to hear that we are putting more officers on the ground. It`s a tough issue.
I think in general, we ought to have some sort of policy with the federal government where dollars can go into cities, where they can work on these types of strategies, but put them into place with their own strategies and not necessarily make it with more police officers, with strategies that can get to the softer side of policing.
There is no question there is a breakdown in the relationship between people that live in inner city neighborhoods and our police forces. And I think we are all working to try and bridge that gap, but right now it still exists.
MITCHELL: I know -- go ahead.
LANDRIEU: I just checked that what we`re seeing is you have people in America that -- that -- that feel unsafe. Not with standing the fact that crime has been reduced by 50 percent since 1996, 70 percent of Americans think crime still is going up. What has been clear from Boston to Orlando to some of the incidences between police and individuals is that a lot of people feel alienated.
If we are going to secure America even though policing is somewhat of a local issue, it`s certainly not only a local issue. I think that what we are seeing going on around the country indicates that the federal government has a real role in making sure that our streets are safe and secure and that people feel connected to the community.
And so the mayors of America are going to focus on two things. The security and peace of our cities, and also created jobs through infrastructure. That`s what we really want to talk to the candidates about tomorrow, to hopefully give them a sense of what it really looks like and feels like on the ground, to come up with a real result and not just rhetoric, not just broad brushes, but a way to put America back to work and make more safe.
MITCHELL: I know you`re here in a non-partisan or bipartisan way as the Conference of Mayors, but Mayor Cornett, what about your decision as a republican? Are you going to endorse Donald Trump?
CORNETT: I have not endorsed Donald Trump or any other candidate in this race. MITCHELL: And don`t you normally endorse a nominee?
CORNETT: Yeah, normally I have. This is an unusual case with a candidate who has said some outrageous things, and I have just as open minded as I have remained. I have just not seen a way of endorsing the strategies that he is using in this campaign. I don`t think they are helpful for America.
MITCHELL: Does that "Access Hollywood" tape make things worse in your mind?
CORNETT: I don`t know but it could get worse. I just think it`s not inclusive. You know, we have inclusive cities. We want everybody to feel welcome. The republican party has issues with that, and Mr. Trump has not helped in that regard.
MITCHELL: Thank you very much. Thank you for your candor. Mayor Cornett, Mayor Landrieu, thank you both. And coming up, the leaks continue. What we are learning from the latest release of Clinton campaign e-mails that have been hacked. Stay tuned.
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MITCHELL: My colleague Chuck Todd is known for asking the tough questions. But last night, he was the one with all the answers. "Jeopardy" featured a category about "Meet the Press," and Chuck joined the contestants on the show`s storied history. Host Alex Trebek may have clued us in on his Sunday morning routine.
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ALEX TREBEK, AMERICAN TELEVISION PERSONALITY: Thanks of course to Chuck Todd, the host of "Meet the Press." A great place to spend Sunday morning.
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MITCHELL: And we agree. We`ll be right back.
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JOHN PODESTA, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: I think it is a reasonable assumption or at least a reasonable conclusion that Mr. Stone had advance warning at Trump campaign, had advanced warning about what was going to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP) MITCHELL: Strong words from the Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta last night on the plane coming back from Miami on the hacks of his personal e- mail and long time Trump ally, Roger Stone`s comments. And this of course brings us back to the Lid. The panel is back with me now. Cornell Belcher, Eliana Johnson, and Nathan Gonzales.
We`re talking about 50,000 plus pages or e-mails from are purported to be John Podesta`s private e-mail account going back 10 years. He refused to authenticated the campaign saying that the Russians who are believed by U.S. intelligence to be behind a lot of the hacking have been known to falsify e-mails after initially putting out some that are illegitimate, so they are not authenticating them.
We have not been able to independently confirm any of these. Some of them of course have been taken out of context. What is the damage here to all concerned? This basically, as Podesta was pointing out. These are stolen materials from his personal file if they are what they claim to be.
CORNELL BELCHER, PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AND STRATEGIES, DEMOCRATIC POLLISTER: I think the damage for me is really -- to our democracy in particular, I think we in the media, particularly you in the media, we have to be careful here because clearly, people are -- this is an illegal act, right? Clearly people are breaking into other people`s personal e-mails and putting them out there into the world to influence something, to get something to happen that they want to have happen.
So I think from an ethical standpoint, I think we in the media and the news organizations have to be careful about, you know, are we in fact the vehicle for people who are doing bad things to have things influenced the way they want to have them influenced. I don`t like the idea of even talking about e-mails that were taken, you know, whether they are from republican or democrat.
These are things that have been done illegally by people who are a sinister and trying get the American people to think or move a certain way. I don`t like talking about them at all.
MITCHELL: And in fact, Eliana, Donald Trump has been talking about it almost nonstop. According to Podesta, the coincidence of these, the first of these coming out on Friday, only within hours of that embarrassing "Access Hollywood" tape led the Clinton campaign to at least think that it was a pretty stunning coincidence and a diversion tactic let`s say by people supporting Donald Trump, whether it is the Russians, Wikileaks, Julian Assange or someone else.
But that said, Roger Stone did say back in August that Podesta would be the next person to be in the barrel. And in fact, that`s exactly what has come to pass. ELIANA JOHNSON, WRITER, NATIONAL REVIEW: Let me just say, you know, rightly or wrongly obtained, we simply don`t live in a world where e-mails or a disclosure like this is gonna be ignored. And I think it may be unfair to speculate about whether these documents are, you know, unauthorized, you made a point of saying that. There is no proof that Roger Stone has clued it with Wikileaks, so I don`t think it is fair to speculate about that.
But certainly, I think the Clinton campaign got extraordinarily lucky in the timing of the release of these e-mails because they`ve essentially been buried more or less in terms of the media coverage by the "Access Hollywood" tape that was released on Friday. In terms of what is actually in the e-mails though, I think they essentially show why people already don`t like Hillary Clinton.
They show her campaign aide struggling to find the rationale for her candidacy. They show an excessively cautious campaign, essentially strategizing over every single thing she does and her acting like the career politician that she is. And so I think they`ve gotten very lucky. They don`t show her in a particularly flattering light.
MITCHELL: If not for the "Access Hollywood" tape, this probably would have gotten a lot more press attention. Nathan is gonna point out Speaker Ryan statement about one of the purported e-mails, hacked stolen email that dealt with a number of the campaign officials trading suggestions about the Catholic vote.
And Paul Ryan`s statement said, the Clinton campaign sustained for the Catholic faith and Christian evangelicals staggering, catalyst for the creation of hospitals, orphanages and much of the university system across the world, to disparage the Catholic church as severely backwards is an insult to millions of people across the nation. That`s just part of his statement.
Jennifer Palmieri talking to the press today on the plane heading to Colorado said that she is Catholic and that`s not what was being said and suggesting that this was just a tactic. So I think this is going to continue. There are thousands and thousands of pages coming out everyday and continue to trail the Clinton campaign perhaps for the next 27 days.
NATHAN GONZALES, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER OF ROTHENBERG AND GONZALES POLITICAL: I think when it comes to -- I think we`re at a stage of this election and maybe a stage in our country where we tend to assume the worst about your political opponent. In this case with the e-mails, democrats are assuming that Donald Trump and his team are working with the Russians in order to do this and manipulate the election.
Republicans when they look at the context of the e-mails assume the worst about everything. And I just think from electoral perspective when we get to the end of this campaign and there is going to be a president, we are not going to look back and say that it was the Russian e-mails that decide it. There are so many other factors.
MITCHELL: We`ll have to leave it there, out of time. Cornell Belcher, Eliana Johnson, Nathan Gonzales, than you so much, and we`ll be right back.
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THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. END