Christie "Prosecutes" Clinton In Mock Trial; Clinton To Announce VP Pick Late This Week; RNC Speakers Barely Address Economy Theme.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: We cannot make the chief law enforcement officer of the United States someone who has risked America's secrets and lied to the American people about it day, after day, after day. We didn't disqualify Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States, the facts of her life and career disqualify her.</s>ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: That was New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, blasting Hillary Clinton. We heard that a lot last night. That was his speech at the Republican Convention. Attacks on Clinton emerging as the common theme, though. She's mentioned more by speakers than even the nominee, Donald Trump, was. So, joining me now is Democratic senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown. He's endorsed Hillary Clinton and is on her short list for vice president. Senator, thanks so much for being here.</s>SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D), OHIO: Welcome to my city.</s>CAMEROTA: Your city's fabulous.</s>BROWN: I live six miles from here. The suit I'm wearing was made by union workers five miles from here, so --</s>CAMEROTA: Is that right?</s>BROWN: I'm thrilled you're in Cleveland, thank you.</s>CAMEROTA: I'm enjoying some good Cleveland food every night.</s>BROWN: This is a great city. It's coming back, it's doing well. Still lots of problems, of course, but having the convention here is a big, big deal for us. Thank you.</s>CAMEROTA: That's great. So what is it like to have the convention here and to hear all of Donald Trump's supporters? Basically, last night there were chants, in the convention hall, from his delegates and supporters of "lock her up, lock her up", referring to the candidate that you support, Hillary Clinton.</s>BROWN: Oh, it's -- I mean, I just watch -- watching the show, a couple of guests ago, talk about Lucifer and the -- I made a promise, as I said to you. I made a promise a week ago that I will not criticize the Republicans -- the Republican Party or Donald Trump while they're in Cleveland at this convention because I -- I mean, I'm not a host for this, per se, but it's in my city and I'm proud of that.</s>CAMEROTA: That's awfully gracious of you. I mean --</s>BROWN: But, I -- well, I -- gracious or not, I just think that I want to celebrate that they're here. There's plenty of time -- and I expect colleagues, of course, other Democrats to be critical but --</s>CAMEROTA: But as a supporter don't you need to speak out when you hear people saying things that you think are below the belt. I mean, I know that you want to extend the welcome mat to people in Cleveland, but isn't it incumbent upon you to say -- to correct them if you think that there's a --</s>BROWN: Sure, and I will defend -- I think that Hillary Clinton is -- when -- during the Ohio primary when I was with Bill Clinton in Akron, Ohio and Hillary was somewhere else in the state, and I introduced Bill but I said no offense, Mr. President, but Hillary Clinton's the most qualified person to run for president in my lifetime. And he agreed and applauded and the audience did, too. So, there's no question how qualified she is, I'm just not going to make the contrast with Trump this week. But, how qualified she is -- this is convention rhetoric, red meat rhetoric. The people you hear this year have the same angry look on their face as they did four years ago talking about Barack Obama, just different words. Many of the same people, much of the same tone, the same anger -- a lot of anger on the stage and that's too bad but there will be time to answer all that.</s>CAMEROTA: Well, there are some things that Gov. Chris Christie raised that maybe now is the time to answer. One of the things that he talked about was that as Secretary of State he doesn't believe that Hillary Clinton prepared adequately for life after Gaddafi in Libya and that some of the chaos that we've seen there and the violence should have been thought out.</s>BROWN: So, let's debate those issue without name calling. I mean, look at -- look at the debates -- the tone of the Democratic debates versus the Republican debates leading up to this. And I think you can have these debates about Benghazi, although the committee that analyzed this, spending millions of taxpayer dollars, you know -- you saw -- you saw Hillary stand up to those committees.</s>CAMEROTA: Sure, not just the Benghazi but, I mean, Libya.</s>BROWN: No, not just Benghazi, but Libya, and yes --</s>CAMEROTA: You know, I mean --</s>BROWN: We can debate those but let's look at her record as Secretary of State. She built the foundation for the Iran agreement, which any fair-minded people say will keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of the Iranians. Will keep that -- will stop that nuclear program for a much longer period of time. It was a terrific victory for Israel, for the Middle East, for our safety.Let's debate her as Secretary of State, but let's not call her names and have people shout out things that just aren't appropriate.</s>CAMEROTA: Is no one going to call Donald Trump any names next week in Philadelphia?</s>BROWN: Of course they are, of course they are. But, I, again, will make the contrast between her qualifications and his. But, you know, he went through a whole primary where they called each other names and attacked each other's families, and that seems to be -- Again, I'm drawing a line here because I don't want to be particularly critical this week when they're in my city, but that led to this kind of speech at the convention. I mean, when somebody that was a presidential candidate talking about Lucifer, and just being on this show. And I hear that rhetoric far too much and I know we'll hear it into November and it will be an angry campaign. But I wish we could talk about her record as Secretary of State compared to his business record. And talk to her employees and talk to some of his employees. I think those contrasts will be made and I think that Hillary Clinton lives on those.</s>CAMEROTA: We have learned that, as early as Friday, Hillary Clinton may be announcing her vice presidential pick. What have you heard?</s>BROWN: I've read those reports, the same ones you have, and I heard she's going to Florida and make the announcement with the vice president. I have no idea and I don't -- I don't -- I don't talk about this. I've not talked about this from the beginning.</s>CAMEROTA: I know you haven't, but are you interested in the job?</s>BROWN: I'm not talking about vice president no matter how you ask it, but Iappreciate your style and appreciate your persistence.</s>CAMEROTA: I hope you appreciate this next question on the same topic because we've heard that it has come down to two candidates. That's it's between Virginia senator, Tim Kaine and agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack. Who would you like to see her pick?</s>BROWN: I knew they -- nice try. First of all, we have heard, you have heard it from --</s>CAMEROTA: Our reporting. Our CNN reporting has it.</s>BROWN: I've watched --</s>CAMEROTA: This is more than idle gossip.</s>BROWN: OK.</s>CAMEROTA: This is CNN reporting.</s>BROWN: There is a chance that might be right, there is a chance it isn't. I don't know. I really don't know and I don't think that -- I know you don't know, I know I don't know. And I'm assuming that Tim Kaine and Sec. Vilsack don't know that either, but I don't know. I'm not avoiding, I just think it's proper -- it's improper for me to talk about it. And I know I'm saying I'm not going to criticize Republicans this week. I'm also not going to talk about the vice president. But have me back on Friday or Saturday and I will answer all your questions directly.</s>CAMEROTA: You've limited me to just talking Cleveland restaurants --</s>BROWN: OK, we can do that.</s>CAMEROTA: -- which is fantastic.</s>BROWN: We can talk -- here's what we can talk about. The last time a Republican convention was in my state was in this city in 1936 and the Republicans nominated Alf Landon, and he carried Maine and Vermont. I'm not predicting that their nominee this year will do that badly, but the outcome's going to be similar.</s>CAMEROTA: Senator Sherrod Brown, thanks so much --</s>BROWN: Thanks.</s>CAMEROTA: -- for being on NEW DAY. Great to have you here. Well, Donald Trump's children were, of course, in the national spotlight last night. Did they do a good job of humanizing their father in their speeches? We'll look at their role in his campaign, coming up.