On Monday's GMA, ABC's George Stephanopoulos hounded Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway on James Conway announcing that the FBI would not change its findings on the Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal. The Clinton Foundation donor wondered, "Do you accept [Comey's] finding now?" Stephanopoulos also played up that Comey "said that no reasonable prosecutor would bring the case, and the investigation is closed now." By contrast, just minutes earlier, the anchor tossed softballs at Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook: "You've also seen a real surge in the Latino vote in Florida; and...Nevada. Have they delivered those states to Hillary?" [video below]
Stephanopoulos first asked Mook, "I know you welcomed that news from James Comey yesterday, but did it come too late?" The Clinton surrogate answered, in part, "We were glad, obviously, that this was resolved. I don't understand why he couldn't have just looked into the matter and resolved it, and — and not created such a ruckus in the campaign." The ABC journalist followed up by highlighting that there's "a real surge in the Latino vote in Florida; and also, in the State of Nevada." He asked, "Have they delivered those states to Hillary Clinton?"
The anchor kept up the kid glove treatment for the remainder of the interview:
GEORGE STEPHANOUPOULOS: Donald Trump is really taking aim at your blue firewall — those states of Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Michigan — any of those states in danger?
ROBBY MOOK, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, HILLARY CLINTON FOR AMERICA: Well, George, I think he needed to get those into play much earlier. I'm not concerned that he's spending so much time there at the end, because he didn't build a ground game....We have an apparatus in place to turn out our vote; and I don't think Donald Trump dashing around to these states at the last hour is going to do what's needed to get his supporters out.
STEPHANOUPOULOS: Final question: what was the key moment in this campaign for you?
MOOK: You know, the convention and those debates were the — the big opportunity for Hillary to speak directly to the voters in an unfiltered way. Every time she had the opportunity to do that — to make her case — and particularly, when voters got the see her up against Donald Trump, she did best....
Stephanopoulos led his interview of Conway with his "do you accept his finding now...and do you admit not that Mr. Trump was wrong" question. Conway replied by underlining that she was "just so dismayed that the Democrats attacked Jim Comey so viciously a week ago. And now, he's a hero again." The ABC journalist interrupted his guest mid-answer and pointed out, "But you all were attacking him before that."
The Trump campaign manager continued by summarizing Director Comey's July 2016 congressional testimony on the Clinton investigation: "She should not have set up...this illegal private e-mail server. She lied about the number of devices she had. She said one. Jim Comey, under oath, said multiple — turns out, about thirteen. She lied about having classified information. And I just think that's why her honesty and trustworthy numbers have never really budged." Stephanopoulos again interrupted and asked, "But he also said that no reasonable prosecutor would bring the case, and the investigation is closed now. Do you accept that?"
Later in the segment, the anchor asked for Conway's reaction to Mook's boasts about the early vote in Florida. He also played up that Trump has to "find a way to pick off one of those blue states that has gone to Democrats traditionally — and you're going to Minnesota; you're going to Michigan; you're going to Pennsylvania. All the public polls there show that Donald Trump has never been in the lead." Stephanopoulos ended the interview with a softer question: "And if Donald Trump wins tomorrow night, what is going to be the moment that put him over the top?"
The full transcripts of George Stephanopoulos's interviews of Robby Mook and Kellyanne Conway on the November 7, 2016 edition of ABC's Good Morning America:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's talk to the campaign managers now, starting with Robby Mook for the Clinton campaign. Robbie, thank you for joining us this morning. I know you welcomed that news from James Comey yesterday, but did it come too late?
ROBBY MOOK, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, HILLARY CLINTON FOR AMERICA: Well, George, it was bizarre that he sent that first letter saying that he had some information. We were glad, obviously, that this was resolved. I don't understand why he couldn't have just looked into the matter and resolved it, and — and not created such a ruckus in the campaign. But we're just glad that in these — in this last day, Hillary can get back out on the road, celebrate the historic turnout that we've seen across the country, and talk about the vision she has for our country. We're actually releasing a special two-minute advertisement tonight that will be airing this evening, and she's going to make her closing case directly to the voters.
STEPHANOUPOULOS: Our poll has a four-point race right now — Hillary Clinton up by about four points. Is that where you see the race?
MOOK: You know, at this point, we're just focused on turning out the voters — not really paying too much attention to the polls. But what I am paying very close attention to are those early voting numbers; and we saw — we saw just eye-popping turnout in Florida over the last two days — particularly, in our strongholds in southern Florida, North Carolina, and elsewhere. So, we're very encouraged; we're feeling very positive; but we want to make sure everybody has a chance to participate in what will be a very historic election.
STEPHANOUPOULOS: You talk about that early vote. You've also seen a real surge in the Latino vote in Florida; and also, in the State of Nevada. Have they delivered those states to Hillary Clinton?
MOOK: Well, I think, if Secretary Clinton does win this election, and we — we expect her to do so — it will, in part, be because of enormous turnout in the Latino community; but also, the Asian-American community. There's really a Clinton coalition that is formed of women, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and — and we're really seeing them turn out at very record levels.
STEPHANOUPOULOS: Donald Trump is really taking aim at your blue firewall — those states of Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Michigan — any of those states in danger?
MOOK: Well, George, I think he needed to get those into play much earlier. I'm not concerned that he's spending so much time there at the end, because he didn't build a ground game.
Just this weekend, our — our team knocked on 7.2 million doors; made 8.1 million phone calls. We have an apparatus in place to turn out our vote; and I — I don't think Donald Trump dashing around to these states at the last hour is going to — is going to do what's needed to get his supporters out.
STEPHANOUPOULOS: Final question: what was the key moment in this campaign for you?
MOOK: You know, the convention and those debates were the — the big opportunity for Hillary to speak directly to the voters in an unfiltered way. Every time she had the opportunity to do that — to make her case — and particularly, when voters got the see her up against Donald Trump, she did best. So, those were — those were our best moments — both just in terms of the — the vibe out there; but also, in the polling. And — and that's why she's going to be a great president. When she's in action, she does a great job.
STEPHANOUPOULOS: Robby Mook, thanks very much.
MOOK: Thanks, George.
Now, let's get the view from the Trump campaign. Kellyanne Conway is here. Welcome back to GMA. So that big announcement from Mr. Comey yesterday — do you accept his finding now; and do you admit now that Mr. Trump was wrong when he said, 'We can be sure that what's in those e-mails is absolutely devastating'?
KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Well, this is the current FBI investigation, and I'm just so dismayed that the Democrats attacked Jim Comey so viciously a week ago. And now, he's a hero again—
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you all were attacking him before that.
CONWAY: Well, before that, he came out on July 5; and July 7, George, under oath, and said, gee, Hillary Clinton was reckless and careless. She should not have set up this illegal server — this illegal private e-mail server. She lied about the number of devices she — she had. She said one. Jim Comey, under oath, said multiple — turns out, about thirteen. She lied about having classified information. And I just think that's why her honesty and trustworthy numbers have never really budged—
STEPHANOPOULOS: But he also said that no reasonable prosecutor would bring the case, and the investigation is closed now. Do you accept that?
CONWAY: I do accept that, but I also believe that it doesn't help Hillary Clinton that we're still talking about the e-mails. We're talking about what's in the WikiLeaks. She, I would think, would rather be on a more positive message. But I'm also struck by that. I'm struck by, in the closing days, Mr. Trump is out there — five, six states a day; yesterday and today — making an argument about what's next after ObamaCare — making an argument about how to make us more prosperous and safe — giving a more uplifting, visionary closing argument. Hillary Clinton is spending literally tens of millions of dollars on negative ads.
STEPHANOPOULOS: We — we heard Robby Mook just say they're encouraged by that early vote in Florida, especially among Latinos — your reaction?
CONWAY: So we get an early vote, absentee ballot report every day — including in Florida. We're very encouraged as to where Mr. Trump is in Florida, Ohio, Iowa, North Carolina, Colorado — as compared to Governor [Mitt] Romney at this point in 2012. We and the RNC invested millions of dollars in the absentee ballot and early voting program; and we're starting to see those dividends. Republicans, traditionally, George, have a very strong day-of vote; and we anticipate that in — particularly, in places like Florida and North Carolina — and we're prepared for that.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You mentioned all those states you have to win. You also have to find a way to pick off one of those blue states that has gone to Democrats traditionally — and you're going to Minnesota; you're going to Michigan; you're going to Pennsylvania. All the public polls there show that Donald Trump has never been in the lead.
CONWAY: Well, Michigan is tied. It's something we've seen in our internal data for a while; and there was a public poll just this week showing them tied up at about 45 percent a piece — same thing in Pennsylvania. And so, we're very encouraged by the fact that Hillary Clinton is nowhere near the 52, 53 percent in these states that President Obama got twice. Nothing's going to change between today and tomorrow to help her win back those undecided voters.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And if Donald Trump wins tomorrow night, what is going to be the moment that put him over the top?
CONWAY: It would be one of the upper Midwest states — like a Michigan, or a Wisconsin, Minnesota — and/or one of those Rocky Mountain states. So we've had our eye for a while on bringing back these states that have voted Republican in the non-presidential years, and that are — where the poll numbers have been tightening; and we've, at least, been able to be semi-competitive on the air and on the ground with the Clinton campaign.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Kellyanne Conway, thanks very much.
CONWAY: Thank you, George.
