[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] Trump is voicing a growing number of grievances about their first showdown. How will his uneven performance impact his campaign? Tax and defense. Donald Trump tries to deflect questions about his tax returns, but says not paying taxes is good business and would make him smart. But even some supporters say Trump doesn't have a good answer on questions about his returns. Will he yield to growing pressure and release them? Racist behavior. Hillary Clinton accuses Donald Trump of having and I'm quoting now "a long record of engaging in racist behavior." But Trump misses a chance to change perceptions about his campaign and, instead, defends controversial police practices and abruptly shuts down a conversation about birtherism. How can he increase his weak support among minorities? And urgent protection 18 states now ask the federal government for help preventing cyber-attacks on their voting systems, following a series of online assaults. While Hillary Clinton points a finger at Russia, Donald Trump says other could be to blame. Is the Kremlin trying to sway the presidential election? We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in THE SITUATION ROOM. We're following a new chapter in the race for the White House opened by the historic first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Both campaigns are now back in full swing mode, but striking markedly different tones, Clinton, the debate winner according to our CNNORC poll, is taking a victory lap and taking new swipes at Donald Trump, who appeared thrown off by some of her debate attacks. Tonight, Trump is voicing complaints about the debate, including what he calls hostile questions and a microphone he claims was defective. We're standing by to hear from Trump in a rally that is about get to under way in Melbourne, Florida. We're also following new concerns about cyber-attacks disrupting the presidential election. The Department of Homeland Security says 18 states are now asking for help securing their voting systems from potential online assaults, something that has already happened in both Illinois and Arizona. We're covering all of that, much more this hour with our guests, including the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Congressman Adam Schiff. And our correspondents and our expert analysts are also standing by. Let's begin with our senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. He's over at Trump headquarters in New York City. Jim, Trump has a lot to say today about that debate.
[Jim Acosta, Cnn Senior White House Correspondent:] That's right, Wolf. And the Trump campaign is offering evidence that they say shows Donald Trump won last night's debate. Donald Trump tweeted earlier this afternoon that he has raised $13 million in the last 24 hours. But when it comes to last night's performance, Donald Trump is pointing fingers everywhere but at himself.
[Acosta:] The day after his fiery debate with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump is declaring victory with a triumphant tweet, "The number one trend on Twitter right now is #TrumpWon. Thank you."
[Donald Trump , Presidential Candidate:] It was a fascinating period of time. And I think we did very well.
[Acosta:] But he is also making excuses, blaming a bad microphone and more for getting in the way of his message.
[Trump:] I don't want to believe in conspiracy theories, of course, but it was much lower than hers. And it was crackling. And she didn't have that problem. That was, to me, a bad problem, because you have a bum mic, a mic, it's not exactly good.
[Acosta:] Coming off a night of delivering her prepared one-liners, Clinton had a zinger for that too.
[Hillary Clinton , Presidential Candidate:] Anybody who complains about the microphone is not having a good night.
[Acosta:] Trump, like many of his supporters the morning after, also complained about moderator Lester Holt.
[Trump:] I give him a C, C-plus. I thought he was OK. I thought he was fine. He was nothing outstanding. I thought he gave me very unfair questions at the end.
[Acosta:] Problem is, Trump...
[Trump:] I thought honestly, I thought he did a great job.
[Acosta:] ... and his own campaign manager praised Holt right after the debate.
[Kellyanne Conway, Trump Campaign Manager:] I thought Lester Holt did a great job as the moderator under tough circumstances.
[Acosta:] But Trump had his share of tough moments as Clinton repeatedly baited her opponent.
[H. Clinton:] Just join the debate by saying more crazy things.
[Acosta:] On his refusal to release his tax returns.
[H. Clinton:] The only years that anybody has ever seen were a couple of years when he had to turn them over to state authorities when he was trying to get a casino license, and they showed he didn't pay any federal income tax.
[Trump:] That makes me smart.
[Acosta:] Clinton returned to the issue today in North Carolina.
[H. Clinton:] And I got to that point where I said, well, maybe he's paid zero. He said that makes him smart. Now, if not paying taxes makes him smart, what does that make all the rest of us?
[Acosta:] On Iraq, Trump falsely insisted once again he opposed the war before it with began.
[H. Clinton:] Donald supported the invasion of Iraq.
[Trump:] Wrong.
[H. Clinton:] That has absolutely been proved.
[Trump:] Wrong.
[Acosta:] The Trump campaign is offering different explanations for the GOP contender's past claim that climate change is a hoax created by the Chinese government to hurt U.S. factories, with his campaign manager saying one thing.
[Conway:] He believes that climate change is naturally occurring.
[Acosta:] And his running mate saying another.
[Gov. Mike Pence , Vice Presidential Candidate:] Well, look, there is no question that the activities that take place in this country and in countries around the world have some impact on the environment and some impact on climate.
[Acosta:] Now, getting back to those tax returns, Donald Trump did tell me last night in the spin room, Wolf, that he does pay federal income taxes, but he did not respond when I asked him, at what rate? What tax rate do you pay? He did not respond. Now, Rudy Giuliani was telling reporters that perhaps Trump should skip the next two debates. No word whether any of that is being considered inside the campaign, but I did talk on one Trump adviser who said he needs some work Wolf.
[Blitzer:] All right, Jim Acosta over at Trump Tower in New York, thank you. Hillary Clinton is back on the campaign trail riding her debate momentum. CNN's senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, is joining us. Jeff, Clinton is keeping up some of the same attacks she used against Trump in the debate.
[Jeff Zeleny, Cnn Senior Washington Correspondent:] She is indeed, Wolf, from those tax returns we just heard about to his business acumen, even to how he treated a Miss Universe contestant two decades ago. Hillary Clinton is trying to use his words and records against him. Now, one senior adviser told me today this is the best day of the campaign since winning the primary back in June. The smile on her face today seemed to indicate that was true.
[H. Clinton:] Did anybody see that debate last night?
[Zeleny:] There is a new spring in her step tonight.
[H. Clinton:] Oh, yes. One down, two to go.
[Zeleny:] Flying to a rally in North Carolina, Hillary Clinton reveling in the strong reviews from her first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump.
[H. Clinton:] You should know by now, when I set my mind on something, I keep going. I don't quit, whatever the static, whatever the incoming is, and that's what I will do for the American people.
[Zeleny:] The most watched debate in history, more than 80 million viewers on television alone, came just in time for Clinton. She is locked in a tight race with Trump nationally and on critical battlegrounds. On the campaign trail today, Clinton picked up where she left off on stage, from preparing for the debate and presidency.
[H. Clinton:] He made it very clear that he didn't prepare for that debate. I did prepare. And I will tell you something else I prepared for. I prepared to be president of the United States. And I think that's good.
[Zeleny:] To her charge that he has built his businesses by stiffing the little guy.
[H. Clinton:] Stiffing people, dishwashers, painters, plumbers, architects, glass installers, marble installers, drapery installers across America.
[Zeleny:] But it was this exchange about his treatment of women that is still reverberating.
[H. Clinton:] And one of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contest. He called this woman "Miss Piggy." Then he called her "Miss Housekeeping," because she was Latina. Donald, she has a name.
[Trump:] Where did you find this? Where did you find this?
[H. Clinton:] Her name is Alicia Machado.
[Trump:] Where did you find this?
[H. Clinton:] And she has become a U.S. citizen, and you can bet...
[Trump:] Oh, really?
[H. Clinton:] ... she's going to vote this November.
[Trump:] OK, good.
[Zeleny:] Alicia Machado, who grew up in Venezuela, won the Miss Universe Pageant in 1996, the Clinton campaign inviting her to join a conference call to talk about Trump.
[Alicia Machado, Former Miss Universe:] For me, these elections are like a bad dream, watching this guy again doing stupid things and stupid comments.
[Zeleny:] Two decades ago, Trump shamed her for gaining weight. Today, he made no apologies.
[Trump:] She gained a massive amount of weight, and it was it was a real problem.
[Zeleny:] Advisers to Clinton believe Trump's effort to win over independent and moderate women was set back by frequent outbursts and interruptions.
[Trump:] I do not say that. I do not say that.
[Zeleny:] A post-debate CNNORC poll shows 62 percent of viewers thought Clinton won the debate, while 27 percent said Trump did. Democrats spanned out across the country to pile on Trump, hoping to calm a sense of unease that has been sweeping across the party.
[Bill Clinton, Former President Of The United States:] Did she have a good debate or what?
[Zeleny:] From former President Bill Clinton in Ohio to running mate Tim Kaine.
[Sen. Tim Kaine , Vice Presidential Candidate:] What he really showed is just how rattled he was.
[Zeleny:] And in Pennsylvania, Vice President Joe Biden made the sharpest case of all.
[Joseph Biden, Vice President Of The United States:] I'll tell you what, if this choice isn't clear, I don't know. Oh, my lord.
[Zeleny:] But with 42 days to go, and the second debate less than two weeks away, Clinton made clear the fight was just beginning.
[H. Clinton:] This election is going to be close. They all are these days.
[Zeleny:] And, Wolf, we're getting word that President Obama is also going to be another Democrat adding his help as well, even more help. He has agreed to participate and star in television commercials the Clinton campaign will be airing in the final month of this race. They know that this is not a permanent dynamic. But, for today, at least, she will take it.
[Blitzer:] She certainly will. Jeff Zeleny, thank you. Let's get some more on all of this. The ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California, is joining us. Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.
[Rep. Adam Schiff , California:] You bet, Wolf. Good to be with you.
[Blitzer:] All right, so Hillary Clinton clearly had a good night last night at the debate. But she clearly also did not deliver a knockout punch. Why?
[Schiff:] Well, I think it is hard to have a knockout punch in these kind of debates. Trump is a reality TV performer. That is his medium. I think actually the expectations for him were altogether too low, but, nonetheless, he didn't even meet those expectations. But, still, that is the environment in which he is the most comfortable. I think a knockout is hard to do. But I think the emotion from last night will be one that will help the secretary to go forward and will continue to be damaging to Donald Trump. And that is, he did not appear presidential. He didn't meet the threshold. He displayed, even as he was bragging about his temperament, really a lack of temperament, certainly a lack of grasp of the issues. And Secretary Clinton showed her command. And I think those impressions will stay, so not a knockout punch, but, nonetheless, I think that voter attitudes are going to start to begin to gel.
[Blitzer:] Did she move the needle with voters, especially those undecided voters in the key battleground states? Because before the debate, more people thought Trump was more honest and trustworthy. That CNNORC poll, who is more honest and trustworthy, Trump 50 percent, Hillary Clinton 35 percent. That's a big problem for her.
[Schiff:] It is a challenge. And I think that she did move the needle last night. We will see in the days to come what the effect or what kind of a bounce she might get from these polls. But I think that she came across very well. In fact, some of the favorite moments I had in the debate where when she was when she laughed, when she smiled at one particularly long and rather convoluted answer that Donald Trump gave, she said, boy, there's a lot packed into that and couldn't help but laugh. And I think people at home couldn't help but laugh with her. So, she really had a great presence. I think it was one of her best debate performances that I have seen, and she just needs to keep it up.
[Blitzer:] He is painting himself as the change candidate. He tweeted this. "Hillary has been failing for 30 years in not getting the job done. It will never change." He is painting her as the status quo. He could change things. He could get things better. About 70 percent of the American public, according to polls, think the country is moving in the wrong direction. How does she fix that image that she is status quo?
[Schiff:] I think it's a challenge for anyone who is running from the same party as the incumbent president, particularly a two-term president. But I think that Trump failed to make the case last night for a couple reasons. First, he failed to show that he would have done anything different. And a lot of the key issues, where had come out in favor of the war in Iraq initially, he could not distinguish himself on that. He couldn't distinguish himself on Libya because he had adopted largely the same position. On some of those key issues, he couldn't say that he had done something different, at least not credibly. And more than that, on the economic issues, he failed to point to anything I think that was persuasive to Americans that he would do differently going forward. The most he could say when he was asked, how do you bring jobs back, he goes, well, I wouldn't have lost them in the first place. But, of course, we're left to wonder, well, why is that is that and how would you have prevented that? The one thing I was surprised at, frankly, in the trade discussion was the secretary didn't bring out the fact that as much as he lambastes trade for outsourcing jobs, he's been guilty of outsourcing jobs in his own business. So, he has a lot of vulnerabilities. It is difficult, I think, with his background to make the case, even though he is a newcomer to the political arena. But he certainly didn't make it last night.
[Blitzer:] Trump largely left personal attacks out last night. But he foreshadowed what could come in round two. Listen to this.
[Question:] Anything that you wish you did differently?
[Trump:] No. I'm very happy that I was glad I was able to hold back on the indiscretions with respect to Bill Clinton, because I have a lot of respect for Chelsea Clinton, and I just didn't want to say what I was going to say.
[Question:] Which is?
[Trump:] Which is, I will tell you maybe at the next debate. We will see.
[Blitzer:] So, she clearly seemed to get under his skin. But will it be different, a different battle next time? Because you heard, he's threatened to hit her harder.
[Schiff:] Well, and this was classic Donald Trump, to go to the spin room after the debate and say, I was going to bring up these really kind of mudslinging things, but I didn't. But you know the mudslinging things I am talking about, so actually I am bringing them up, but I want credit for not explicitly bringing them up. That's sort of vintage Donald Trump. It's the same way that he handled the birther stuff, by saying, now, some people are saying, some people are suggesting. He loves to campaign by negative innuendo. But I think you're right, weapon I think we will see a different Donald Trump at the next debate. I think he will be far more aggressive, and I think he will be far more ugly. He will be throwing the kitchen sink at Secretary Clinton. But he is going to have to careful how he does it, because his biggest problem is, he doesn't know when to stop. He is guilty of terrible overreach. And he is very easily needled and put off. I think those comments at the beginning of the debate about how he got this $14 million, what he considered a small loan from his father, really unnerved him. And I think, throughout the course of the evening, he became increasingly rattled.
[Blitzer:] I need to you stay with us for a moment, Congressman. We're getting some breaking news on the FBI, getting information about yet another cyber-attack. Stay with us. We're going to update our viewers on that. We will discuss with you. We will be right back.