"newsroom" with carol costello starts right now. hi, i'm live from the wells fargo center, site of the democratic national convention in philadelphia, pennsylvania. good morning, everyone, i'm carol costello. thank you for joining me. the final day gets underway in just hours from now, the most important speech of hillary clinton's career. chelsea clinton will speak and set the stanl fge and hillary clinton has quite an act to follow. >> thank you so much, everybody. >> president obama brought down the house with a high energy speech, optimism and the dangers of fear mongering. it sounded reagan-esque. one of his drop the mike moments, ronald reagan's america

to donald trump's darker themes. >> ronald reagan called america a shining city on a hill. donald trump calls it a divided crime scene that only he can fix. he is just offering slogans. and he is offering fear. >> let's begin this hour with michelle s michelle kusinski. good morning. >> reporter: there was a lot in there. his challenge was, since we heard sop ma many of these conc, how do you make that new and sound different. how do you make it resonate. how do you top your own speech that was delivered 12 years to the day before this one. president obama just may have done it. this was a speech full of emotion, at a time when america is so full of emotion. this may be the first time we're really hearing the goodbye from president obama. almost him saying yes, i'm

really leaving. now here is what i need you to do for me. and here is why. you could almost see the weight of this moment and of america's choice on president obama's face. as he tried to connect presents with past with future. >> while this nation has been tested by war and recession, and all manner of challenges, i stand before you again tonight, after almost two terms as your president, to tell you i am more optimistic about the future of america. >> reporter: optimism, the speech the president delivered with an almost constant smile, as he ripped into republicans, laying out a stark contrast. >> what we heard in cleveland last week wasn't particularly republican. it sure wasn't conservative. what we heard was a deeply

pessimistic version, where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. there were no serious solutions to pressing problems. just the fanning of resentment, and blame and anger and hate. that is not the america i know. the america i know is full of courage, and optimism, and the america i know is generous. >> reporter: this time, president obama didn't hold back. yes, saying the name. >> and then withere is donald trump. don't boo. vote. the donald is not really a plans guy. he is not really a facts guy either. the choice isn't even close. there has never been a man or a

wom woman, not me, not bill, nobody, more qualified than hillary clinton to serve as president of the united states of america. we're not a fragile people. we're not a frightful people. our power doesn't come from some self-declared savior, promising he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. we don't look to be ruled. and the american dream is something no wall will ever contain. . >> reporter: making the point that unity will work. >> we need to be as vocal and as organized and as persistent as bernie sanders supporters have been during this election. >> reporter: he urged this crowd to vote, and for gun control advocates to be as vocal as the gun lobby. becoming emotional, as he started to tell stories of american struggle, compassion

and perseverance. >> i'll tell you what has picked me back up every single time. it has been you. the american people. it is the painting i keep in my private office. a big eyed green owl, with blue wings. it was made by a seven-year-old girl who was taken from us in newto new -- newtown. time and again, you have picked me up. i hope sometimes i picked you up too. and tonight, i ask you to do for hillary clinton what you did for me. i'm asking you to join me, to reject cynicism and reject fear. and to summon what is best in us to let hillary clinton have the next president of the united states and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation.

thank you for this incredible journey. let's keep it going. god bless you. god bless the united states of america. >> reporter: president obama did very gently, very gingerly talk about the problems people have with hillary clinton, but the way he said it, yes, she has her critics, but that's what happens when you put yourself out there and try to effect change and that's what happens when you you've been under the microscope. you heard him say it shouldn't be close between these two candidates. but it is close. and we all know that. obviously there are many people out there not so ready to embrace the image of hillary clinton that president obama is putting out there. carol. >> all right, michelle reporting live from the convention floor. thanks so much. let's talk about that and more. cnn political analyst and editor and chief john avalon is here,

clinton supporter, hillaary ros, scottie nell hughes, and dick gregory. it was well received, even by eric erickson, who tweeted out, quote, the gop offered a vision of doom, despair and division. tonight, the president, i think divides us offers optimism. i hate this year. from eric erickson. i guess the big question, hillary remains, does it resonate with those who aren't so optimistic? >> look, in so many ways, mission accomplished already so th week. the key thing the campaign had to do coming into the convention was create a better sunnier

alternative. president obama has been in office for almost eight years and people need to believe that things are better. that we came in in 2008, in a very dark time and things have gotten sunnier. not for everyone. i thought the president was really articulate saying it is not perfect. there is more to do, but the way to succeed in doing more is not to talk about our miserable it is, but to give people hope. to get people into the -- >> david, what struck me as i was listening to his speech, he sounded like the hope and change candidate. but i couldn't help but hear sarah palin's words, how is this hopy, changy thing going for you president obama? >> there were three big things. one, he is making the argument is tl there is more to do. he has presided over a time of deeper division. but he is making the argument that politics is tough democracy is tough. there is more work to do.

that's why he is passing the baton to hillary clinton. he is on the ballot. there is a danger that it was almost too optimistic and not speaking to the same type of people that donald trump is speaking to. indeed, joe biden has the ability to speak to. people feeling totally dis a fek -- disaffected.he separated donald trump from the rest of the republican party and created -- held him up as an outlier, outsider, deliberate strategy, i think, by the democrats. so a lot of work last night. a lot of different audiences he was trying to hit. >> so john, the big hug between president obama and hillary clinton, it seemed genuine. there are many in this country who think that hillary clinton is just going to be the third term for president obama. here is the weird thing about that. so president obama's approval ratings are above 50%. but 68% of the country think --

68% of voters think the country is going in the wrong direction. is there a danger in becoming too close to president obama? >> i don't think so in this circumstance. i mean, first of all, you've seen his numbers go up. particularly compared to the alternative, whether it is donald trump or hillary clinton. he is deeply popular among the democratic base, but you're seeing him get more popular among moderates. this is an important point. donald trump is such a clear contrast to what president obama offers, and what i think hillary clinton offers, that he and she benefit deeply by comparison. the reality to some extent, she is running for both president obama's third term and bill clinton's third term, is something that is less toxic and less burdensome than it would be typically if it was just another candidate running against as opposed to somebody who is sort of trying to present a prince of darkness in america. >> i guess where i was going with that, like these numbers, like, they don't make sense to me, right? is it possible that people really like president obama, but they don't so much like his

policies because they feel uncomfortable with the economy? >> you know, at the end of bill clinton's term, he had around 60% approval rating. what's fascinating, they didn't approve of him personally but they approved of his policy. you may be seeing the reverse with president obama. that's 68% number, at any point in american history there is no point where we've said collectively we've reached the mountain top. there are moments we've crested because of brief moments of national unity. there even is when things look great, a deep sort of skepticism about where we are and where we could be. so i think the wrong direction number can get overstated on the state of the nation as opposed to where we might be. >> scottie, next question for you. frank bruny wrote an op ed. he said president obama speech

made donald trump look tiny. let's start with the donald trump part. he said that, you know, president obama soaring, his optimism looked donald trump look like a small man. >> it is interesting. the american people felt like they were part of a divorced couple. you had one parent when you were with them, the fun parent, everything is great sunshine, roses. we'll give you the world, toy story. then you have the other parent, no you have to race -- he has been in office eight years. how about you present what have you accomplished. as your point, 70% of americans feel like we're on the wrong track. we've seen median incomes, all the numbers are backing -- >> no. >> no, you're looking at 35% more on food stamps, labor participation rate is -- >> but you're -- >> they've fallen out. 6.8, we can go through all of

the numbers. they saw increases in their insurance. only one in ten american families say they're not financially struggling right now. you can paint the idea of sunshine and rose, and i find if it is such a great time, why are they trying to sell hillary clinton as change if it is so rosie. >> this is not about a perfect place. just look. we realize, we have real problems. that's why joe biden's speech was important, speaking fiery. >> there is no middle class. >> this is we're going. this whole week has been about softening the turf, right, giving hillary clinton the chance for a fair entry. because there has been a sense of negative ratings, personal ratings for her. you had people say she is personally trustworthy, help me in my life. i've worked with her and see her make good decisions. she is my long time spouse who never failed me. then president obama saying you

know what, let's be optimistic. hillary clinton's job tonight is to tell people what she is going to do for them for their families. >> holding the curtain -- >> let me just say, the idea that somehow hillary clinton is going to say, oh, yeah, let's just rest on our laurels, no, what she is going to say is, you can trust me to keep going, and you cannot trust donald trump to do any of the things that those american families need. >> but most american family don't want to keep going with this. every time they open their paycheck, they're making less and paying more to the government, and to the health care. it is called reality. reality is what the majority of -- >> it is not reality. >> let's let david. >> what we know on jktivlbjectie bet that hillary clinton is making is the legacy of barack obama. she is betting on a coalition of voters that obama has delivered in hopefully she can deliver it

as well. i think the reality is and one of the reasons why democrats are worried is that there is lots of ways they think they should be running away with the race, but clinton advisors are saying yes, they expect a bump, but the lead could be three to five points. it shows you it will be a tighter race, because of the structure of the electorate and because of her own personal baggage. she has a huge challenge tonight. number one, she is preceded by tremendous speakers, and big figures in american politics. and because it is very hard to get a second shot to reintroduce yourself when you've been in the public eye for so long, i think it is hillary is right. it is a big opportunity here, because what she can offer that trump has not yet offered is a more substantive direction. she has got to get over that, the personal and trustworthy -- >> the same column, he said there were such great speakers, and she comes right after president obama, and that may diminish her. >> you know what, she has a job to do.

she knows that. i think she is going to deliver. and in the contrast, we've had -- we're going to have hillary be positive, have herb specific how she'll help american families. one of the most under discussed speeches i thought, but long-term potentially super effective, was mike bloomberg. he is somebody who knows donald trump well. has traveled in the same business circles with him and said this is not the guy to help american families. so hillary clinton, both giving that positive alternative, with credible spokes people saying it is a bad -- >> the election is won by who colle connects with swing voters in swing states. to david and scottie's point, you know, one of the anxieties that people feel is outside of any candidate's control, which is the steady drum beat of terror attacks we're seeing in close allies like france. that serves to ratchet up people's anxiety in the sense of

being unsettled. now leon panettas and others started to address that, but that's beyond any candidate's ability to spin. they're in the backdrop. what hillary clinton needs to do is as a former secretary of state, i have specific solutions that can solve this problem. fear and bluster are not in fact a plan we're going to talk about that in the next block. want to thank my panel. we're going to continue the conversation. still to come in the "newsroom," you just heard it, president obama not the only one launching attacks at donald trump. blasting trump as a loose cannon, unworthy of the white house, we'll talk about that next.

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when they were in a place like this? they'd be carried out on a stretcher, folks. and you can tell them to go f--- themselves! i could stand in the middle of 5th avenue and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters, okay? it's like incredible. when mexico sends its people, they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. you know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever... you gotta see this guy - ahh, i don't know what i said, ahh. "i don't remember." he's going like, "i don't remember!" our children and grandchildren will look back at this time... ...at the choices we are about to make. the goals we will strive for. the principles we will live by. and we need to make sure that they can be proud of us. i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message.

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it all comes down to this. the final night of the democratic national convention, today's theme, stronger together. chelsea clinton speaking tonight in primetime introducing her mother as she accepts the democratic nomination. democrats rallied to the call, skewering the billionaire nominee as a dangerous demagogue and bully racist. manu raju is following that part of the story. hi, manu. >> reporter: hey, carol. remember this convention didn't start off the way that democrats wanted. there was the leaked wikileaks email that turned the democratic upsite down and prompted the resignation of the choir woman, anger from the sanders supporters, upset with the way the party was treating their candidate. but the party started to fall in line as the phoning focus shift

donald trump. >> he has no clue about what makes america great. actually, he has no clue, period. >> the democratic party unleashing, launching their most blistering attacks to date. >> you cannot believe one word that comes out of donald trump's mouth. >> in and unstable world, we cannot afford unstable leadership. >> i am a new yorker, and i know a con when i see one. >> reporter: the high profile stars, and independent billionaire businessman, michael bloomberg, to deliver a withering multitiered attacked. >> how can there be pleasure in saying you're fired. >> reporter: vice-president biden, using his blue collar background to question trump's dedication to the working class. >> he is trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. give me a break. that's a bunch of malarkey.

>> trump says he wants to run the nation like he is running his business. god help us. >> reporter: former defense secretary, leon panetta, taking on his foreign policy. >> he says he gets his foreign policy experience from watching tv and running the miss universe pageant. if only it were funny, but it is deadly serious. >> reporter: and condemning trump's challenge to russia, to hack hillary clinton's e-mails. >> russia, you're listening, i hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. >> it is in kconceivable to me that any presidential candidate would be that irresponsible. >> tim kaine stepping into the attack dog role, mocking the republican opponent. >> he has a way of saying the same two words every time he

makes his biggest, hugest, promises. believe me. it is going to be great. believe me. >> reporter: while painting trump as untrustworthy, his refusal to release his tax returns as proof. >> what are you hiding? >> reporter: the virginia senator also extending an olive branch to republicans dis disenchanted their nominee. >> we've got a home for you right here in the democratic party. >> reporter: an effort, echoed by bloomberg, who went off script to question his mental clarity. >> as an independent, i'm asking you to join with me. together, let's select a sane, competent person. >> reporter: now, donald trump's campaign firmly pushed back against all of those attacks, sending out a statement saying last night that democrats only offered more rewards for the

rich, powerful, well connected and more angry smieping attacks against all decent americans who want change for their family. donald trump trying to seize that mantle of change, being the outsider candidate, battling the political establishment, carol. >> all right, manu raju, reporting live. still to come in the "newsroom," just joking about his calls to russia to get to hacking. what donald trump is now saying about his suggestion to russia to find those clinton e-mails. you've wished upon it all year, and now it's finally here. the mercedes-benz summer event is back, with incredible offers on the mercedes-benz you've always longed for. but hurry, these shooting stars fly by fast. lease the gle350 for $579 a month at your local mercedes-benz dealer. mercedes-benz. the best or nothing.

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i am a first responder tor and i'emergencies 24 hours a day, everyday of the year. my children and my family are on my mind when i'm working all the time. my neighbors are here, my friends and family live here, so it's important for me to respond as quickly as possible and get the power back on. it's an amazing feeling turning those lights back on. be informed about outages in your area. sign up for outage alerts at pge.com/outagealerts. together, we're building a better california. double duty this morning, the nominee trying to explain himself, after he seemingly called for russia to hack his opponent, hillary clinton, and then redirect the conversation to the investigation into clinton's use of a personal email server. >> and when i'm being sarcastic with something, first of all --

>> you're being sarcastic. >> of course, but you have 33,000 e-mails deleted, and the real problem is what was said on the e-mails from the democratic national committee. >> all right, so let's talk about this. our panel is back with us. john after la-- avalon hilary rosen and scottie nell hughes. if he was joking, what's wrong with that in. >> it's possible he was joking, although he didn't sound it and he tweeted it after he said it and didn't say he was joking. but guess what, it is not funny. it is not funny to suggest that the russian state should hack an american's e-mail, and by the way, we know that the russian state already, you know, did infiltrate the democrat particular national committee. instead of doing what other responsible leaders to say, when i'm president, i'm going to do everything kane i can to make s security is put in place and we

have things to protect americans, he is making jokes about hurting americans. not funny. >> not funny, well, mike pence, scottie, mike pence released a press release, and in the press release, he urged that russia be punished for hacking into the dnc, while trump joked, or i don't know, was he joking? >> the official statement, but -- let's point this out here. >> he said that russia should be punished. while trump said to rush sharsi bring it on. >> but it is funny, responsible, responsibility in this whole situation, mr. trump accomplished what he wanted to do. my turn. my turn. mr. trump actually did what he wanted to do yesterday. he reminded people that she broke the law. she sat there, time and time again, she had a private server. that is what, talk about responsibility. you have bill right now in the senate and the house will take it up, to revoke her security clearance, because she is not

able and unfit to handle top secrets because of what her actions were. >> mike pence had -- >> it reminded everybody that she broke the law. knowingly broke the law and told time and time again, do not do this and she did it. mr. trump won on this subject. it reminded the american people they cannot trust her. >> look, donald trump -- we all know that politicians, when we talk about their strategy, what they say in public, it is more an issue of impulse. donald trump has impulse control in this regard. he is a great entertainer. and he, i think, plays up a lot of his ability to be controversial and to deflect and distract. but it is not about strategy. it is about the schtict. everything is deadly serious. we're calling on russia to hack your political opponent. >> that's not what he did. in your opinion, if that's the way you want to spin it. >> of course that's my opinion. >> that's how you want to spin it.

>> they were yoga. i thought these were were yoga and wedding e-mails, if they didn't matter. >> scottie -- >> the point is, it was a private server. >> stop for just a second. because i want to get into the careless issue. if donald trump is accusing hillary clinton of being careless, could you argue that he is also being careless by making these remarks that voters don't understand whether it is a squo joke or not -- >> mike pence, his vice-presidential candidate won't even defend -- not a single republican -- >> came out on the trump campaign, they're the ones that put the statement out -- >> they were face palming when they heard this. you know this. >> i his verbiage, but keet the is -- >> it is. but the president's words, the presses of the united states words do matter. he has a huge platform. everyone listens to the

president of the united states. >> he did not say hack. did he not encourage to hack. he said to find them. we've proven they have hacked. the dnc have told several times before you've been hacked. the 11,000 voicemails that were released by wikileaks, those are just incriminating, and more to come. why does hillary care. >> simply no response here -- >> no response. >> that it is okay not to stand up, if you want to be the leader of the free world and take a question like that seriously. i'm sorry, there is no response any where -- >> can i interrupt, because i want to ask michelle, do we have the original trump bite from the presser ready to go? okay, so they're working to get it and we'll continue to talk about that. i want to play it again, so that viewers can listen to it and decide for themselves whether mr. trump was being sarcastic or joking. >> the e-mails that are is

amming -- >> scottie, here is the standard for folks at home to try to figure out if they were spinning. would they be singing a different tune from the candidate from the other party said it? and that's the problem. if hillary clinton called on russia to hack donald trump, you would be screaming. >> but they don't -- they magically delete -- >> hillary clinton apologized. >> donald trump might have said this morning, you know, what that was dumb. sorry. instead, he was saying i was just kidding, when it is not funny to joke about national security like that. >> he did not encourage to hack. >> and putting americans at risk. >> let's stop once again, we have the bite ready. this is how donald trump said that thing about russia, and the press conference yesterday. so you decide for yourself, whether you think he was being sarcastic or joking. take it away. >> russia, if you're listening,

i hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. >> now, scottie, when you hear that, as a voter, could you determine whether donald trump was joking or being sarcastic? >> but the fact that you're saying he told them to go hack into it is ludicrous. i hope you're -- >> was he being sarcastic -- >> he is not saying go hack into. >> was he being sarcastic or joking. >> i think he could be taken as s sarcasm. >> no smile, he took off his jacket. >> where are the 33,000 e-mails. that's the question. not about whether or not -- >> scottie has a difficult job right now, to be fair. >> to be honest. >> but you know, when you heard that, that was not what -- it didn't seem to be a good idea on the part of the candidate. but you know, you've got to defend what your guy does. the problem is, your guy it

talking off-the-cuff. counter programming the convention and did it effectively until he said something indefensible, and you can correctly point out that the server was a disaster, and a dumb decision, but it has nothing do with donald trump did. >> by the way, there are more people looking for 33,000 e-mails that were before. he did accomplish his goal. >> so they're saying if there are broke hackers out there. >> now we're trying to -- they were -- what difference does it make. >> we're talking round and round, aren't we. >> i've got to leave it there. thanks to all of you. still to come in the "newsroom," joe biden gets fired up. did he fire up the middle class for hillary clinton?

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hours from now, hillary clinton takes center stage and officially accepts the democratic nomination. no matter where you stand, politics will be historic, last night, the former mayor, michael bloomberg, tried to sell independence and joe biden tried to court the middle class. >> how can there be pleasure in saying you're fired. he is trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. give me a break. that's a bunch of malarkey. whatever he thinks, and i mean this from the bottom of my heart, i know i'm called middle class joe and that's not meant a compliment. it means you're not sophisticated. but i know why we're strong. i know why we have held together. i know why we are united. it is because there has always

been a growing middle class. this guy doesn't have a clue about the middle class. not a clue. >> with me now to talk about this, democratic congressman and house minority whip. >> good to be with you. >> joe biden fired up the crowd. >> and joe biden can do that. he gets fired up himself. i think frankly, joe biden from scranton, p.a., is a middle class guy, and he connects with the middle class. my granddaughter adores joe biden. and i think that he speaks the language of people who are striving, who are proud of their country, and want to take advantage. my phrase is, they want to make it america. i think joe biden speaks to them. it was effective last night. >> one line that particularly stood out to me. they call me middle class joe. i know what that means. it means i'm not sophisticated. i know what it means, right. why can't hillary clinton capture just an iota of the essence of that?

>> well, i think she'll capture an essence of that. i think frankly, the message yesterday was hillary clinton's whole life from teenager to today has been working on behalf of the middle class. now, hillary clinton's personality is hillary clinton's personality. when you're with her personally, she is delightful. >> everybody says that. but why -- >> it is a fact. >> why is she unable to project that when she speaks publicly? >> frankly, i -- maybe it is because i know her, therefore you know somebody and so the projection is you know what is there. i think she'll do that. but really, this is not about personality. this is not about how you project donald trump can be as bombastic as he wants. >> you say it is not about personality, but it really is. isn't it? >> i know what you mean, sure, yeah, you have to connect with people. >> right. they have to trust you to fight

for them. >> sure. >> they have to believe you're genuine. >> but they ought to look at the facts. that is what obama said last night. that's what kaine said last night of hillary clinton. that's what biden said. and that's what bloomberg said. the whole pitch was, look, hillary clinton has done this for over four decades. this is not a speech for her. this is her life. this is her commitment. and frankly, that ought to count for something that you just don't talk. you do. you do the walk. >> and okay. so i'm from middle america. i think politicians always go to the state of ohio, especially youngstown, ohio. i think obama went 14 times when he was running for office. youngstown is still having a problem. in that part of the country, you come, talk to us, but we're still hurting. >> i'm going to make the case that over the last 68 years, every time a democratic has been

president, america did better. when republicans were president, america did not do as well. i think what one of the things that the president did last night, we have to stop talking down america. that's what trump does. we have to stop talking down our military, the greatest military on the face of the earth. talking down our economy. our economy is better than any where in the world. it is still not good enough because we still have people anxious in ohio, in west virginia. he talked about coal miners. we have to be concerned about coal miners. we can talk about global warming, air pollution, but those are real people with real jobs with real anxiety. my view is, i'm a democratic, i believe democrats have spoken, i believe hillary clinton has spoken to that and i believe she'll make that message tonight and over the next three months. >> just my final question, because i do find this fascinating. so this idea of a blue collar billionaire, and how that seems

to resonate in a certain demographic in america, among those middle class blue collar workers. why do you suppose that is? >> i think perot resonated, because he said i'm not one of them. trump says i'm not one of them. and people are tired of them, meaning us, the elites, you know, who they think have not done the job for them. have forgotten about them and are in it for their -- themselves. >> is it because trump doesn't talk like a quote-unquote elitist? >> i think that's part of t he is course, sometimes ego centric, bragging, bully, a lot of bad words, and that's what kaine talked about in terms of responsibility. civility, treating one another as you would want them to treat

you. that's the antithisist of donald trump. we succeed and worship our god and go to the boys and girls club, and we help our communities. that's hillary clinton. donald trump is, you know, tear the barn down, and i think everything that he says on a daily basis proves that point. i frankly think the american public and the midwest earn values of which tim kaine talked are going to reject that ultimately. >> we'll see. representative steny hoyer, thank you. >> thank you. still to come in the "newsroom," the ratings are in. so which convention had more americans tuning insofar? we'll have the answer, next.

the dnc delivering big stars and big ratings. i'm not just talking about last night's ode to broadway. hollywood is coming out in full force. street, keys, cooper, basset, and the political powerhouse, biden, bill, bernie, and here's brian, cnn media correspondent brian steter is here with a word on the ratings. good morning. >> good morning, yes, we've been looking at how the dnc fared versus the rnc. because donald trump is known to be a ratings magnet. let me show you what's happening. the democrats are outrating the republicans simply because of the star power you mentioned.

night one of the rnc, 23 million viewers on the broadcast net works and cablers. night one of the dnc, 26 million. it was true on tuesday, 19 million versus 24 million for the democrats. we're seeing the same thing wednesday night. the numbers are just starting to come in. looks like it will be about the same. the democrats, about 15%, even 20% ahead in some cases of the republicans. this is interesting because donald trump said people would not tune into the democratic convention. this morning he says, don't watch hillary tonight. he had about 30 million viewers for his speech. keep in mind, ratings for the conventions are not always an indicator of who's going to win in november. that we know for sure. so we'll see how the polls do this weekend when we see the first indications of how clinton did at her convention, carol. >> all right, brian, thanks so much. the next hour of "cnn newsroom" after a break. beyond has a natural grain free pet food committed to truth on the label. when we say real meat is the first ingredient,

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we are live in philadelphia, pennsylvania, the site of the democratic national convention. good morning to you. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me. just hours from now, hillary clinton gives the most important speech of her career when she accepts the nomination for president capping off the democratic national convention. it will be a big, big night and her daughter chels yil ea will e one to introduce her. both are trying to step out from a large shadow cast last night.

>> thank you so much, everybody. >> president obama reaching out to the viewers and voters who are still undecided. the choice he says is striking. the power of optimism offered by hillary clinton. the politics of fear pedalled by donald trump. >> what we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. there were no serious solutions to pressing problems. just the fanning of resentment and blame. and anger and hate. and that is not the america i know. >> all right, let's go inside the convention hall to talk more about president obama's speech. cnn's michelle cosin zi is

following that. >> this was a big one for president obama. he himself kept talking about the speech leading up to last night that he had done this iconic speech in 2004, 12 years to the day of last night, so he was under pressure to top his own speech. he was speaking after michelle obama and bill clinton and joe biden. so he'd worked on this speech for weeks. and the white house was telling stories about how after he heard michelle obama's speech on monday night, he stayed up until 3:30 in the morning to hone it further and there were six drafts of this. last night, you could really see the crafting that went into this. not only just the speech but also the video that proceeded it. that highlights president obama's accomplishments. but also kind of laid the framework for presidential temperament and the demands of the job, the tough decisions that needed to be made, so you see how that sets up the contrast they're making between

obama, clinton and trump. here's some of the case he made for clinton. >> you may remember hillary and i were rivals for the democratic nomination. we battled for a year and a half. let me tell you it was tough. because hillary was tough. i was worn out. she was doing everything i was doing, but just like ginger roger, it was backwards in heels. no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits. that is the hillary i know. that's the hillary i've come to

admire. that's why i can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman, not me, not bill, nobody, more qualified than hillary clinton to serve as president of the united states of america. >> that's the crux of his argument right there that hillary understands the jobs, she's done it first hand, she's been there, she's been part of those tough decisions, that she is imminently qualified in contrast to donald trump. we heard president obama tackle him directly. naming him. actually at one point saying that he is dangerous to national security. listen. >> and then there's donald trump. [ audience booing ] don't boo.

vote. the donald is not really a plans guy. he's not really a facts guy either. he calls himself a business guy, which is true, but i have to say, i know plenty of business men and women who have achieved remarkable success without leaving a trail of lawsuits and unpaid workers and people feeling like they got cheated. >> it was an emotional speech. and that drew out so much emotion from this crowd. now hillary clinton tonight has to follow not only the people we mentioned before but now president obama as well. to see how she takes that baton from him will be interesting. we know she's going to highlight her personal story and her values. carol. >> all right, michelle kosinski reporting live for us this morning, thank you so much. for more on the speech last night and the speech to come, i'm joined by former michigan governor and senior adviser of the hillary clinton super pac correct the record jennifer granholm. columnist for the daily beast

patricia murray. and co-chair of women vote trump, amy kremer. thanks to all of you. jennifer, wow, democrats were talking about american exceptionalism. at time als i thought i was at republican convention. >> that's frustrating to hear you say that because the republicans i know have tried to claim that mantle but here last night you heard full-throated pro-american exceptionalism, patriotism. it just made us all so proud that patriotism and love of country can come in all shapes, size, colors, loves, and together that's what makes this exceptional. american exceptionalism is the fact we are stronger together. meaning all people. it was fabulous. >> so, amy, as you were listening to president obama speech's last night what went through your mind? >> he's one of the greatest

orators of all time. the only person who i think gave a better speech was michelle obama. but he is a great orator. you know, he's a likable guy, carol, i like him, i'm sure he's a fun guy to be around. i just don't like his policies. and i think that four more years of the status quo is not going to work. i think the dnc has a serious problem. they are trying to bridge hillary with obama to give us four more years but they talk about she's going to be the change agent. so there's a conflict there. and i think that the american people, the end of the day, are going to vote on what affects them personally. when you look at the economy and obamacare, those are issues that are front and center as well as our national security. >> i think, patricia, some voters listen to that speech and said, wow, that's really a sunny outlook and i'm not feeling quite so sunny. could it have been too optimistic, the tone last night? >> i don't think it was too

optimistic. i think it was very important after the democratic convention. i think republicans did leave an opening there. president obama said they see what is wrong with america, i see what is right with america. if we know anything about american voters of either party, they're fundamentally optimistic and they want to respond to a message that is hopeful. donald trump had a message that was very dark but said don't worry, i can fix it i'm the one who can fix it. and barack obama said no, that's not right, we can fix it. i think it was a very deft touch on his part. i think republicans left an opening for him. he said, you know, we have changed but we need to change more. let hillary clinton continue to be that change agent. >> you mentioned something president obama said, we have to fix our problems together. we have the moment he said that so let's listen. >> we're not a fragile people. we're not a frightful people. our power doesn't come from some

self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way. we don't look to be ruled. our power, our power comes from those immortal declarations first put to paper right here in philadelphia all those years ago. we hold these truths to be se - self-evident, that all men are created equal, that we, the people, can form a more perfect union, that's who we are. >> and i understand, jennifer, where the president is coming from, but i also think that americans want that towering figure that they can look to for guidance and many americans feel they don't have that. >> well, i do know that americans want to make sure their leader is steady for sure, and that they can trust their leader can keep them safe, i

think that is true. but what you've seen over the past, whatever, year, with donald trump, he is so unstable and unsteady and having somebody with such a thin skin with access to the largest military power in the globe is frightening. so i don't -- he's not the answer. i mean, the notion -- and i really appreciated what you were saying about americans believe that optimism trumps trump's fear and hope trump anger. and that side, fear and anger and pessimism, nobody wants to be affiliated with that. people want to believe that we are going and we're going -- we have problems but we're going to fix them and we're positive and we love this country. that's what was so perfect about this. >> i want you guys to stick around because we're going to talk about something else after manu raju because there were

plenty of other democrats on that stage. boy, did they bring -- i guess they brought the verdon many different ways. as everything from a homegrown demagogue to an immigrant-bashing carnival barker. >> yesterday was all about tearing down donald trump and propping up hillary clinton. they're trying to make the case that maybe you don't support hillary clinton, nearly 7 in 10 americans in that poll say they don't trust hillary clinton, but democrats are going to say, well, you probably trust her a little more than donald trump. speaker after speaking laid into donald trump saying he's not ready to be commander in chief. take a listen to what some of them said last night. >> think about everything you learned as a child. no matter where you were raised. how can there be pleasure in saying you're fired? he's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. give me a break. that's a bunch of malarkey.

>> donald trump says he gets his foreign policy experience from watching tv and running the miss universe pageant. if only, if only it were funny, but it is deadly serious. >> trump says he wants to run the nation like he's running his business. god help us. i'm a new yorker. and i know a con when i see one. >> when you want to know something about the character of somebody in public life, look to see if they have a passion that began long before they were in office. hillary has a passion for kids and families! donald trump has a passion too. it's himself!

>> now, the question is whether or not these coordinated attacks can change the dynamic of this race. we've seen several polls saying voters trust donald trump more on national security issues and economic issues. so, carol, that's part of the effort to sow some doubt in the eyes of voters. after clinton speaks tonight, she and her running mate tim kaine will hit the road and go to ohio, pennsylvania, try to attract white working class voters who right now are overwhelmingly voting for donald trump. >> manu raju, thank you. still to come in the "newsroom," how will those punches land with voters? our panel will weigh in next. hey there. hi, i'm looking for a deal on an iphone... ...i was thinking, something along these lines. oh, okay. well, how about this?

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i don't see cake, i just see mess. it's like awful. it feels like i am not actually cleaning it up what's that make mommy do? (doorbell) what's that? swiffer wetjet. so much stuff coming up. this is amazing woah. wow. now i feel more like making a mess is part of growing up. stop cleaning. start swiffering. donald trump: i could stand in the middle of 5th avenue i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters, okay? and you can tell them to go f--- themselves! you know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever... you gotta see this guy. ahh, i don't know what i said, ahh. "i don't remember." he's going like "i don't remember!"

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known yes or has been less prepared to deal with our national security. >> we've had candidates before attempt to get elected by appealing to our fears. we do not scare easily. we never bow. we never bend. we never brake when confronted with crisis. no, we endoure, we overcome and we always, always move forward. >> all right, so let's talk about that and more, joined again by former michigan governor, jennifer granholm. columnist patricia murray. and co-chair of women vote trump amy kremer. there were a lot of putdowns of donald trump last night. there were so many putdowns of hillary clinton during the convention we didn't get to why we love trump. are democrats in danger of that? >> you've got a huge number of speakers to talk about her and to vouch for her and give a history of her background.

donald trump, he's such a target-rich environment in terms of having so much material to work with. plus, i do think that the fear of donald trump is palpable in that room but palpable in a lot of places. >> michael bloomberg was dissing donald trump to attract independents. let's listen a bit to what the former new york mayor had to say. >> whatever our disagreements may be, i've come here to say we must put them aside for the good of our country. and we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue. >> so amy, you heard what michael bloomberg called donald trump, a dangerous demagogue, he

called him a con man, he called him a bad businessman. an attempt by michael bloomberg to get independents to vote for hillary clinton. do you think it resonated? >> well, this is what i'll say, what the governor said about all these people up there vouching for hillary clinton. people make decisions based on the candidate themselves. not based on who says that they need to vote for hillary clinton. and i think this convention the build-up is more than what the candidate is going to be, quite honestly, carol. when you talk about safety and security of this nation, there's nothing that's demagoguing about what happened in benghazi. when four americans lost their lives. there's nothing that's demagoguing about when hillary clinton said on november 15th on cbs "face the nation" that she would increase the number of syrian refugees. allowing those syrian refugees to enter the united states. i mean, that's putting the safety and security of the american people at risk.

and putting these refugees above our national security. and not even to get into what was she thinking to put a server, a private server, with no security, that can be hacked by anyone? i mean, she put our national security at risk there. and the american people are not stupid. they understand these things, and they're paying attention to them. so anybody can sit up there and say whatever they want at these conventions but at the end of the day i think the american people are going to decide on who is going to be best for america and safety and security and jobs and the economy are what is driving this election. >> although, although there's another line of thought here, right, you know, these are two candidates that are unlikable by large portions of american voters. so one side has to paint the other as even more unlikable? is that sort of what happened last night too? >> i think if republicans made a mistake in the primary, they did not take donald trump seriously enough, his opponents didn't.

i think democrats understand that. that they have got to disqualify donald trump now. as a legitimate president. republicans didn't do that in the primary. when they were running against him. democrats need to do that. hillary clinton needs to make an affirmative case for himself because she has incredibly high unfavorable numbers. democrats can't count on this getting down to who -- which candidate do you dislike less because hillary clinton right now is losing that battle so they've got to get in there. they've mailde the case against donald trump. they set hillary clinton up to do this tonight. that's why her speech is so important. she has got to connect. she has a real problem connecting with many voters. many voters do not trust her. the stakes for her tonight are so enormous. and i think that's why so many people are going to be watching her. and democrats, i got to tell you, when i talked to democrats who are at this convention, they can't really wrap their head around the fact they might be tied or losing to donald trump right now. i hear a little bit of denial in

that room. well, the polls are close but they're not really that close. we're going to get a bounce. it's going to be fine. they just can't believe they would lose to donald trump. so i think this summer has been a clarifying moment for them that yes, this is close, but i think democrats need to get a lot more serious about selling hillary clinton and hillary clinton selling herself. >> and tonight that's actually going to start. it's been going on all convention but tonight particularly on policies related. one thing that all americans care about which is job creation in the united states. there are blocs associated with the specific plan she's put forward to be able to do that. and in contrast, donald trump, he just doesn't have anything, or the plans he does have, have been determined they would lose 3 million jobs by objective sources like moody's, so bottom line, tonight is issues that people really care about. people care about what is your strategy to be able to create jobs. in addition to the emotional stuff. the specifics on how she's -- >> but if they don't trust her, it doesn't matter what she says,

you know. >> wait a second, something's happening. my iep -- oh, so -- can we go to the floor of the convention and show folks what you're seeing? okay, let's go there right now. senator warren is touring the stage, walking around. we don't know exactly why she's doing that. it was kind of a cool picture. all right, i'm going to go to a break. we'll be back with much more in the "newsroom." i'm terrible at golf. he is. but i'd like to keep being terrible at golf for as long as i can. new patented ensure enlive has hmb plus 20 grams of protein to help rebuild muscle. for the strength and energy to do what you love. new ensure enlive. always be you.

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> we are live from philadelphia, pennsylvania. the site of the democratic national convention. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for joining me this morning. we're now just hours away from a speech no woman in america has ever made before. tonight, hillary clinton takes center stage at the dnc. formally accepting her party's nomination to be president of the united states. cnn's joe johns inside the convention hall with more on that. hi, joe. >> good morning, carol. we've gotten a bit of a treat here on the floor even at this early stage. a number of democrats senators have come out here for a walk-through. apparently some of them are going to be speaking tonight. if you take a look up there. among the louminaries on the

stage, senator warren of massachusetts, barbara boxer of california, maria cantwell of washington state. debbie stabenow of michigan. and some others i see back there as well. so just on the stage talking and expected to show up. hillary clinton expected to be introduced this evening by senator barbara mikulski of maryland. so we're not expecting, at least it's not likely right now, that we will see hillary clinton. there had been expectation earlier she might do a walk-through. the campaign tells us that's not likely. as far as the speech goes, we know it's still a work in progress. as they say. she's still working on that speech. it is expected to include, among other things, some bio graph call anecdotes, delving a bit into her personal life, which we know is sometimes hard for her. both she and her husband have been sort of against the notion of personal disclosures throughout their careers. we also expect her to delve into

her book the 1996 book "it takes a village" and move that all the way forward to the current campaign theme. one of the big questions is the extent to which she'll get into not only donald trump but her issues of trustworthiness which have dogged her on the campaign trail, carol, back to you. >> all right, joe johns, reporting live from the convention floor, thanks so much. actually, hillary clinton's daughter chelsea will introduce her mother right before her big speech. chelsea clinton was on the "today" show this morning and she talked a little bit about what she might say. >> well, i hope to convey even just a small sense of why i am so proud and grateful to be her daughter. why i'm grateful for the example she set for me as a mom, you know, i hope that people will just get a sense of why i'm so proud to be standing -- >> it's going to be a deeply personal speech. it's not a speech that will try to separate her from donald trump. >> no, i'm going to talk as her

daughter. i'm an only child so it's a unique position that i have and i just hope that people understand even a little more when i'm done then when i started about why i love her so much and admire her so much. >> so let's talk about hillary clinton's big speech tonight. with me now is michael geshg rs former speechwriter. michael walt, former speechwriter for president bill clinton. and david lit, former speechwriter for president obama. thank you for being with me. michael waldman, hillary clinton is still working on her speech, is she sitting at her table with all of her writers around her just working on credits? >> i know she's got a team of trusted folks who work with her. she's been very loyal to her campaign staff in this campaign. she's got a lot of outside friends and advisers. not as many as her husband had

weighing in, but i'm sure it's a bit of work in progress still. this is a big moment for her, as for any candidate. i'm sure she wanted to get it -- >> exactly right. okay, so david, we saw a bunch of women senators on the stage going through a walk-through. i would think hillary clinton is going to talk about history tonight as well, her own history. >> yes, i would think so. one of the things i thought has been really striking this convention is before hillary was nominated, it was almost like an afterthought, that she was the first woman to be nominated for president and all of a sudden it happened and history was made and i feel like yesterday and today people are realizing what that means and every time someone brings that up on the floor you hear huge cheers in a way that maybe people were taking for granted monday or six months ago. >> exactly. so michael gerson, you're a republican you're a speechwriter for george w. bush. hillary clinton wants to attract those moderate republicans to her side. what does she have to say to do that? >> well, i think she needs to

follow the example of president obama last night. he made the case that donald trump is an aberration from republican ideology and history. a lot of liberals argue that trump is the party. last night, president obama argued -- put him on an island, said this is different from the republicanism i knew growing up. i think that that's a very effective approach rather than, you know, an ideological combat. >> michael waldman, "usa today" wrote this speech for hillary clinton, their editorial board wrote it, and i'm paraphrasing here. they said hillary clinton should directly address her issues with trust with the american people and say, you know what, i know you don't trust me. i know a lot of you don't like me. here's why you should. she should face it head on. would that be a good idea? >> everybody wants to get on the

act. i don't know that she should do that. i think she should address people's skepticism about politics. i agree with what michael gerson said, there's a tremendous opportunity to speak to sort of the great middle. and one of the things that was remarkable by president obama's speech last night was he didn't always say lincoln, one of the great moments was he said teddy roosevelt, another great president, called her the woman in the arena. i just think it's not really true and it's not a standard that any other politician, especially not other men, accepting their nominations, have ever been asked to do. often candidates come in limping a bit. george h.w. bush did. lots of presidential candidates have come in and if they give a forceful speech that makes people think, you know, i can see this person as my president, the trust issues get washed away. >> so do you want to appear only strong and not recognize your vulnerabilities? >> well, i think the best way to

address those vulnerabilities is not to -- as michael was saying, not to talk about those vulnerabilities but prove how you speak and what you talk about that you're not necessarily the caricature that's been painted for you by the other party. that's why you see all these other speaks setting the table for her, saying the hillary you've heard about, that's not the real hillary. now she has an opportunity to show us all who is the real hillary and we get to see that tonight. >> so who is the real hillary. hillary is following some gifted speakers. joe biden's speech last night was powerful. president obama's speech, even some republicans, said it was a great speech. so how does hillary clinton follow that? >> well, she's always lived with comparisons to her husband who is one of the greatest politicians of all times. she does not fall in that category but she's going to have to define her own message. i completely agree this is a

matter of show, not tell. you can't go out there and say i'm honest and trustworthy. you have to tell stories that make you vulnerable, credible. transparent. she needs to show her deepest motivations. i think people are not certain about that. she has her own moment. this is the main stage. it's going to be, you know, a great speech in and of itself. and so i don't think the comparisons will be there. this is, you know, this is the main stage of american politics she's on. >> well, michael waltman, you don't think they'll be any comparisons? >> i think there will be comparisons but i think it will be a mistake and i don't expect her to raise the roof the way bill clinton and other convention speeches has. she's at her best in a debate or when she's giving an interview, when she's talking -- actually, she's at her best when she's on the defensive. >> well, she gave a very well-received convention speech in 1996. she gave a very well-received convention speech in 2008.

so it's a lot easier when you're not the candidate. even barack obama's speech last night was better than when he was accepting his own nomination. she needs to find a way to not try to rouse the crowd but talk to the people at home and make her case directly to them and it may not feel as, you know, cathartic in the room as last night did, but probably will be more effective. >> all right, thanks to all of you. michael gerson, michael waldman and david litt. still to come, trump says he was only joking when he asked russians to hack hillary clinton's e-mail but democrats say it's no laughing matter. when consultant josh atkins books at laquinta.com. he gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. so he knows exactly when he can settle in and think big. and when josh thinks big you know what he gives? i'll give you everything i've got and then some...

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donald trump is swatting down the theory claiming he

wasn't being serious when he asked russian hackers to uncover hillary clinton's missing e-mails. >> when i'm being sarcastic with something -- >> were you being sarcastic? >> of course i'm being sarcastic. you have 33,000 e-mails delete and the real problem is what was said on those e-mails from the democratic national committee. >> now, more for you. >> as someone who was responsible for protecting our nation from cyberattacks, it is inconceivable to me that any presidential candidate would be that irresponsible. >> former cia director panetta sounding the alarm bells. >> russia, if you're listening, i hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing.

>> trump laughing off claims russia hacked dnc computers to help him win the white house. >> it is so farfetched. it's so ridiculous. honestly, i wish i had that power. >> intelligence officials have little doubt russian military intelligence was behind the hack. even if they won't say it publicly. >> the russians hack our systems. not just government systems but private systems. but, you know, what the motives were in terms of the leaks, all that, i can't say directly. what i do know is that donald trump has repeatedly expressed at admiration for vladimir putin. >> i said putin has better leadership qualities than obama. i built an unbelievable company. >> his only connection, he said, a russian billionaire who bought his palm beach mansion, netting

trump a huge profit. he denied any dealings with vladimir putin but the russian leader has praised trump to cnn. >> translator: but there's one thing that i paid attention to and that i definitely welcome is that mr. trump said he's ready to restore full-fledged russian/american relations. >> now, whether russia is manipulating the u.s. election to help get trump elected is an open question, but even members of trump's own party are warning the kremlin to but out. calling him a global menace. and even running mate pence is warning of serious consequences if russia is found to be interfering in the election, carol. >> all right, elise labott, thank you. trump says it was a joke, but this isn't the first time he's changed his message.

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today donald trump is downplaying comments he made about urging russia to hack into

hillary clinton's e-mails. trump insists he was only being sarcastic. but this isn't exactly the first time trump has changed his message. >> donald j. trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. i'm looking now at -- people get so upset at the word muslim. and i'm okay with that because i'm talking territory instead of muslim. but taxes too high, wages too high, we're not going to be able to compete against the world. i hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is. >> the minimum wage has to go up. people are -- at least $10, but it has to go up. i think that states should really call the shots. >> we made a terrible mistake getting involved there in the first place. we made a mistake going into iraq. i've never said we made a mistake going into afghanistan. >> that question was about afghanistan --

>> okay, i never said that. okay, wouldn't matter. >> all right, so let's talk about this with cnn political analyst patrick healy. he's also a political correspondent for "the new york times." i'm also joined by jackie kucinich, cnn political analyst and washington bureau chief of the daily beast. welcome to both of you. >> thank you. >> let's start with trump saying on "fox & friends" this morning he was only being sarcastic. can't america take a joke. >> you know, he does this, as we saw, over and over between. it seems like when there's a backlash and when no republicans will even line up to defend him, it's a joke. he was clearly kidding. he does this over and over again. and seems to get away with it. i do wonder with the people who support him the most, if you're an independent just tuning in now and starting to look at all of this, if that's going to unnerve some of the people he's trying to reach as we go into the general election. >> well, maybe not the russian thing so much but let's pick out

the minimum wage. he's trying to get working class voters, right? so he said no, we can't raise the minimum wage. yesterday, he said maybe it should be a $10 minimum wage. maybe it should be left up by the states. and then he just left me confused about what exactly he meant. >> yeah, this reminds me of 2012 in the etch a sketch comment that was made about mitt romney. donald trump has taken these positions in the primary season like on the minimum wage that had sort of a very specific goal as he was trying to differentiate himself from, you know, the gang of 16 he was running against. now he's sort of moving into the general and he's just sort of shamelessly sort of throwing off these old positions and sort of going to the positions -- because people are telling him where he needs to be but something like what happened with russia, i mean, that's actually sort of a big deal for the clinton campaign because their focus right now, and you're going to see it tonight in the convention, is really

reaching out to kind of national security republicans who may have -- they don't care that much about social issues and they may have problems with hillary's likability. they really sort of believe he could be sort of a danger to the country when he makes comments like these. you saw the clinton campaign bounce yesterday on this. it wasn't so much because they thought swing voters would move but it's really about those national security republicans who just look at donald trump's comments and say the country can't afford this. >> the world stage, i mean, you can't make jokes like that, because the president of the united states has pull. he has pull all around the world. so you can't -- there are no take backs when you say stuff like that if he actually was president. >> you know, that confuses me because i'm always aware that, you know, i'm on television and i have this wonderful platform. i really do think about the things that i say and i know that my words perhaps have more import than they maybe should,

but i'm always aware of that. so surely he's aware of that. >> remember that he's a showman, remember that he's sort of a reality tv star who wants to entertain in the moment. make the point sometimes that he's just -- that is kind of, like, on his mind. i think that level of self-editing you're talking about and sort of responsibility for our words that when we go off camera we're going to be held to account for what we say, you would think that someone running for president would keep that front and center, but that's not how he works. he loves his rallies most of all where he can improvise and sort of say things that kind of just get people going. there isn't that sense of, like, okay, what do i say, and does it correspond to my five-point plan. he doesn't think like that. >> the place that might get him into trouble is the first debate with hillary clinton. because if you don't have what you truly believe is right for country implanted in your mind,

how can you effectively debate, you know, an opponent who's been down that road many, many times before? >> i think we saw a little bit of what he's going to do this morning on fox. he goes immediately to the e-mails. he goes immediately to her record. he turns it around and makes it about her. which is a very skillful thing to do. and if you don't have that background, if you haven't done your homework, there's nothing to make me believe at this point that that's not what he's going to do in these debates. that definitely has a shelf life. can't do it constantly. i think we're going to see a lot of that. >> the thing about the first debate isn't about trying to correspond to what his positions have been over the years, it's to make hillary clinton look as dishonest, unlikable as possible and trip her up and get those voters who don't want to live with her for the next four years. >> so the debates will be kind of an insult fest. >> yeah. >> i think you can bet on it.

>> i think we can bet on that one. patrick healy, jackie kucinich, thanks to both of you. thank you for joining me today. i'm carol costello. "at this hour" after a break. marcopolo! marco...! polo! marco...! polo! marco...! polo! marco...! sì? polo! marco...! polo! scusa? ma io sono marco polo, ma... marco...! playing "marco polo" with marco polo? surprising. ragazzini, io sono marco polo. sì, sono qui... what's not surprising? how much money amanda and keith saved by switching to geico. ahhh... polo. marco...! polo! fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. polo! but i keep it growing by making every dollar count. that's why i have the spark cash card from capital one. with it, i earn unlimited 2% cash back on all of my purchasing. and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means

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russia, if you're listening, i hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. >> it is inconceivable that any presidential candidate would be that irresponsible. >> this guy doesn't have a clue. >> i'm a new yorker. and i know a con when i see one. >> there has never been a man or a woman more