E-mails Haunt Clinton as Clinton/Colin Powell E-mails Released; Clinton Responds to RNC Chair's Tweet
BERMAN: 14 hours of presidential politics, things keep on coming. Our panel is joining us, CNN political commentator and Hillary Clinton supporter, Hilary Rosen; Republican political commentator and Donald Trump supporter, Paris Dennard; and Alice Stewart is here, the former communications director for Ted Cruz as he ran for president. Hilary Rosen, last segment, we heard about Hillary Clinton and the e- mails. We heard some sound last night from the forum. Still fascinates me she spent so much time re-litigating in great detail what was printed and not printed on the e-mails in terms of what was marked classified and not marked classified. When the FBI director flatly said, she should have known she was sending and receiving classified e-mails. It seems to me when she tries to re-litigate the issue of what markings were on what papers, that isn't the level of candor in some cases that I think people want to hear on this issue.</s>HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, first, I think everybody would agree that there was far too much discussion last night about the e-mails in a way, because people wanted to hear more from Hillary Clinton about what she will do as commander-in-chief. I think Matt Lauer did a disservice by letting so much conversation about the emails. Her response on that, I don't think she's re- litigating it. She's apologized. She's said numerous times it was a mistake. What she was doing was showing some respect for this audience, a new audience of veterans who care about national security, who care about these issues, to give them the respect, to try and explain herself in terms of her treatment of classified information. And what she said was true, John, it wasn't a falsehood. They were not marked at the top. The FBI director has said that, you know, et cetera.</s>ROSEN: So, you know, it has been talked about over and over again. But I do think her attempt last night to explain herself wasn't about re-litigating, it was about trying to show some respect.</s>KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Paris, I'm sure you want to respond.</s>PARIS DENNARD, REPUBLICAN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: At the end of the day, this comes down to judgment. Secretary Clinton should have known better. She's been in the public service, in high-profile positions for decades. She should know what classified, things mean, whether it was at the top, at the bottom or in the middle. And why it's important for the American people, especially the audience, to Hilary's point, to hear about the e-mails is because the issue is her judgment on national security and fighting terrorism. The root of this e-mail controversy stems from Benghazi. So we have to keep that in context. She should know better --</s>BERMAN: No, no, no, no, the way it came before Congress was because of the Benghazi investigation. That wasn't why --</s>DENNARD: That's true.</s>BERMAN: That wasn't why -- it was after the fact she made the decision to have the private server.</s>DENNARD: That's correct. I was referring to what -- the Hill inquiries and investigations there. But --</s>ROSEN: Which showed nothing, demonstrated nothing.</s>BOLDUAN: Go ahead.</s>DENNARD: The FBI director stands in stark contrast to that opinion. And the American people stand in stark contrast to that opinion. That's why the issue about the e-mails and her candor and her re- litigating is important, because we have to get to the bottom of it. It speaks to her judgment and is she capable of leading. She has an ad out about that says it takes one call about judgment, one issue. Well, her judgment, her character, as relates to her time as secretary of state, on Egypt, Syria, and all of the other countries in the Middle East where she failed us. We have to talk about this issue. It's going to be an issue all the way until November.</s>BOLDUAN: Paris, your candidate --</s>BOLDUAN: Hold on, Hilary. I do want to ask you, get your take, Alice, on this, involving the Republican committee. The chairman of the committee, Reince Priebus, is taking heat this morning after sending out a tweet last night criticizing Hillary Clinton for not smiling. "Hillary Clinton was angry and defensive the entire time, no smile and uncomfortable, upset she was caught wrongly sending our secrets." The "no smile" bit, that's what everyone is pouncing on, saying it smacks of sexism. Other people said, "Smile more, why isn't she smiling," they have been hit with this very same criticism throughout the campaign. No one's talking about Donald Trump smiling. This morning, Hillary Clinton was asked about it.</s>CLINTON: I don't take my advice and I don't take anything seriously that comes from the RNC. We were talking about serious issues last night. I know the difference between what we have to do to fix the V.A., what we have to do to take the fight to ISIS, then just making political happy talk.</s>BOLDUAN: Alice, do you take any issue, after everything that was talked night, that's what Reince Priebus wanted to tweet about, not smiling?</s>ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think if you look at the full tweet, you understand what he was trying to say, look, surely this was a serious topic and it deserves serious composure by those involved in the forum. But the Democrats are pouncing on the smile part of the text because they don't want to talk about the part of the text where he says she wrongly sent our secrets. That is the takeaway from the tweet. Is that she, as Paris said, showed a complete lack of judgment when it compares to the use of --</s>BOLDUAN: Alice, we're not talking about --</s>BERMAN: Alice, the smile thing though, that may all be true. As a communications expert, was about the smile there, because it would distract from those points you wanted to make?</s>STEWART: In hindsight, if he wanted to focus on the real issue, which is wrongly sending the secrets, he could have left that out. But I don't think for the Democrats and Hillary supporters to pounce on the fact and claim that it's sexist, I think that's completely inappropriate. I think a lot of times comments are made about Hillary Clinton that is the go-to line to say it's sexist, in order to distract from the real issue. I think what Reince was trying to show --</s>BOLDUAN: We did not find the tweet from Reince Priebus anywhere on his feed about anywhere else smiling.</s>BERMAN: Ever.</s>BOLDUAN: Talking about any smiling.</s>STEWART: Well, I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill. I think the focus of that tweet is about sending secrets through he e- mail server. I think too much is being made out of that part of the tweet. When clearly the message is what was really the takeaway from the night is that she is still, still, trying to explain why she exposed classified information through her private e-mail server and that's going to be an issue that will continue to dog her as we get through the next 60 days. That's the focus and that's the real issue. Democrats can distract about --</s>BOLDUAN: Hillary?</s>ROSEN: Look at me. I'm smiling. That's how silly I think this conversation is in a way. When Hillary Clinton is in the Oval Office making the hard decisions about the deployment of American soldiers, I do not want her smiling. I want her thoughtful. And I don't want her being made a fool like the way Donald Trump did last night.</s>BERMAN: All right, guys.</s>BOLDUAN: All right, for the record, we did check the tape. They both smiled when they came on stage, not many smiles after that.</s>DENNARD: Let's all smile right now.</s>BOLDUAN: I'm smiling on the inside very often, Paris, on the inside.</s>BERMAN: We're going to smile as we go to break. Thanks so much, guys. Coming up next, a stunning question, really sending shockwaves throughout this political race right now. We're not talking about a Democrat. We're not talking about a Republican candidate for president. We're talking about the Libertarian candidate for president, what he said, what he asked, and what is now being said about it.