[Camerota:] Conservative pundit and Donald Trump critic, Bill Kristol, says there will be an independent third-party candidate to challenge Donald Trump. So, who is this mystery candidate? Let's discuss this and so much more with staff writer for the "Weekly Standard", Michael Warren, and CNN political commentator and Trump supporter Kayleigh McEnany. Thanks to both of you for being here. Michael, let me start with you. Bill Kristol is your boss. Who is this third-party candidate?
[Michael Warren, Staff Writer, The Weekly Standard:] Well, I speak for myself. I don't speak for Bill. But so I don't know who that candidate is. I mean, there are a lot of potential options. But it's going to have to be somebody who understands why this fight is so important. When it's such a daunting fight, when you've really got everything seemingly going against you in terms of the institutional hurdles, the sort of expectations hurdles that that candidate would face, it's going to have to be someone who is willing to do it in the face of all those things and still understand, be able to communicate why they need a third choice, the American people need a third choice.
[Camerota:] Yes, and that is going to be a real challenge, which I why we probably is not seen anybody publically throw their hat in the ring. Here are the people who have said no thus far to overtures about become that third-party candidate. Governor Mitt Romney, obviously former candidate and he was of Massachusetts, Senator Ben Sass of Nebraska, Congressman Adam Kinzinger. So, I mean, Michael, I know you don't want to steal Bill Kristol's thunder and you may not know who it is.
[Warren:] I don't.
[Camerota:] OK. But I mean, do you think I guess my point is, is this pie in the sky or is somebody really going to emerge?
[Warren:] Well, I think somebody could emerge. I mean, it's a question of whether that person is willing to do it. And I think that we should emphasize that while the task is daunting it's not impossible. I mean, this is the craziest presidential election year that anybody seen in a really long time.
[Camerota:] Yes.
[Warren:] So anything could happen. You've got polls that show that Americans want a third choice, a third major choice because they don't like the idea of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton becoming president. They just need that choice. And it's going to have to be up to somebody to step up.
[Camerota:] OK. So, Kayleigh, so, half of the American public as he just said is open to a third-party candidate. The Trump campaign does not want this. Corey Lewandowski just called it a disaster if there were a third party person to get in. What's the problem?
[Kayleigh Mcenany, Cnn Political Commentator:] Look, it would be a disaster. Here's the thing: it's an outsider's election so it's not surprising the American people would want a third-party candidate. When you look to Republican voters, "The New York Times"CBS poll eleven days ago showed 80 percent of Republicans think that Republicans should consolidate around Donald Trump. So, this third-party candidate would be supporting a minority as used in the Republican Party. Not only that, they would essentially be sealing the way for Hillary Clinton. It would be a disaster. It would certainly make the path harder for a conservative to get into the White House. And I'm not sure why Mr. Kristol is okay with the idea of the Supreme Court being lost for a century, because that is what would happen if a third party candidate
[Camerota:] Because he says it doesn't represent the conservative wing of the party that he, Bill Kristol, has for so many decades.
[Mcenany:] But here's the thing, where was the movement to court a third-party candidate against Mitt Romney who laid the blueprint for Obamacare in Massachusetts or John McCain who was for cap and trade, against the Bush tax cuts? These were not the ideal conservative candidate but there was no similar movement. It's interesting now they want a third-party conservative candidate.
[Camerota:] Michael, it's interesting also that Donald Trump doesn't mind a third party candidate if it's Bernie Sanders. He has actually encouraged Bernie Sanders to become the third-party candidate because he knows that that would siphon votes off of Hillary Clinton. But, of course, there is another alternative, we just interviewed him here on NEW DAY. The libertarian candidate Gary Johnson talked about his motivation for getting into the race and he also talked about whether or not he is prepared for what Donald Trump would bring at him. So watch this moment.
[Cuomo:] Are you ready for Donald Trump once you're in this thing and he recognizes you to give you a big punch in the nose for calling him a racist?
[Gary Johnson, Liberatarian Presidential Candidate:] I think they've already started coming. So, you know, Donald
[Camerota:] I believe that was the old kiss-off that we just saw there. So, Michael, what about that? Do you think that Gary Johnson with his V.P. running mate now Bill Weld, what do you think they will do in the polls and beyond?
[Warren:] I don't know. I mean, I think that what you just saw there suggests that Gary Johnson may not have the broad appeal that a real third-party challenger to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would need.
[Camerota:] Why is that? Why giving the kiss-off to Donald Trump show he's not appeal?
[Warren:] Well, look, he was governor of new Mexico but he's a little kooky. He's got some kooky views. It's the Libertarian Party. It's not one of I think a sort of mainstream movement within American politics. I think that's the difference between somebody like Gary Johnson or somebody even like Bernie Sanders and a more sort of mainstream conservative candidate who could challenge Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. I think, you know, Kayleigh mentioned 80 percent of Republicans want to unite behind the candidate of Donald Trump. I think if they're given an option it's not going to be so clean so many of those Republicans didn't support Donald Trump. They're a little worried about the prospect of Hillary Clinton becoming president. They're a lot worried. But if the polls show that there is some fluidity in this race, you know, a third party candidate gets in and I think a lot of those Republicans might reconsider supporting Donald Trump for this third one.
[Camerota:] Kayleigh, Jerry Johnson was at 10 percent before he got into the race. What do you think the impact of he or any other third party person jumps in will be?
[Mcenany:] I put the Libertarian Party as categorically different than the efforts to court a third-party candidate, because here's a thing, they represent a viable ideology, they have political platform they're putting forward. It's a positive agenda. Whereas third party candidate is a negative agenda, they're about denying Donald Trump the nomination and sealing the path for Hillary Clinton. To me, that's categorically different than the Libertarian Party, which has a viable platform that differs in some ways from the Republican Party.
[Camerota:] Do you think Gary Johnson will have an impact?
[Mcenany:] I don't think so. I think, look, they will probably get roughly the same they've gotten in elections past, but I don't think it will be dismal to Donald Trump's prospects.
[Camerota:] Michael, Kayleigh, thanks so much. Great to get both of your perspectives on this.
[Warren:] Thanks.
[Camerota:] Chris?
[Cuomo:] All right. This story has people talking and it has emotions high. The gorilla everyone knows his name now, Harambe, this little boy finds his way into the enclosure. Gets dragged around by the gorilla. The gorilla gets killed. Well, how did they know what to do in this situation? We have another zookeeper who went through the same ordeal. That gorilla did not get killed. Why? What's the difference? What does he think of this situation? Answers ahead.