US Intelligence Officials Say Russians Hacked DNC; Trump Says Claims of Russian Involvement Merely a Distraction.
ROMANS: U.S. intelligence officials tell CNN there is little doubt the Russians hacked the Democratic National Committee e-mail system. Donald Trump insists those claims are a democratic distraction, a distraction by democrats. But he sure ignited a firestorm when he stood before reporters on Wednesday, stood before reporters and he challenged Russian hackers to find dirt on Hillary Clinton. Listen.</s>DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. Let's see if that happens.</s>ROMANS: If the Putin regime is behind the DNC breach, the White House says it can respond with, quote, "a full range of options." We want to go live to Moscow and bring in CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance. Good morning, Matthew.</s>MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine. That's right. Donald Trump really fueling that up roaring United States about the alleged involvement of Russian linked hackers to the hacking of those DNC files, calling, as we just heard from him for Russians to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing, linked to Hillary Clinton. You know, it's something that the Russians have react very coolly to -- reacted very coolly to. They've denied categorically, first of all, that they are linked at all with this hacking scandal. I spoke to the presidential spokesman last night, he said, look, Russia is a country we don't hack. And basically it's been dismissed as the usual fun of get fun and games in a U.S. election campaign. In other words, you often get it in U.S. election campaigns, lots of criticism, lots of bashing the Russia. And that's how the Russians are categorizing this at the moment. But of course, U.S. officials, as you mentioned, are saying there's plenty of evidence now pointing the finger of blame at Russian-linked hackers.</s>ROMANS: Just remarkable. All right. Matthew Chance, thank you so much for that, Matthew. Really, just remarkable when you think about it. Then you got a presidential candidate standing up there inviting -- inviting a foreign government to hack.</s>BERMAN: Well, that's exactly right. Matthew Chance says the Russians are saying it's the usual fun and games in politics. There are people here on both sides of the aisle saying anything, but the usually fun and games you see in politics. Let's bring our -- back our panel to discuss this. You know, we heard the word treason thrown around, calling on another intelligence service to come, spy and break into the U.S. government. You know, Leon Panetta said as much from the stage last night. Let's listen to that.</s>LEON PANETTA, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Donald Trump, who wants to be president of the United States, is asking one of our adversaries to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States of America to effect an election.</s>BERMAN: John Philips, Donald Trump supporter, you hear the criticism from Leon Panetta. You've heard it over the last 20 hours or so. How do you respond?</s>PHILLIPS: Well, Wolf Blitzer asked me what should Donald Trump do during the Democratic Party week. And I said he needs one of those callers like you put on a dog when they bark its absence so they stop barking. Anytime he wants to have a press conference, anytime he wants to tweet, he needs to call or to zap him because...</s>ROMANS: And you still want him to be your president, right?</s>RYE: Trump supporter.</s>ROGIN: He had endorsements up right there.</s>PHILLIPS: Lots of presidents haven't had self-control. You see them with Mr. President Taft did around the carbs. But look, this is something he shouldn't be doing. He was trying to take the story line which, let's be honest. The story line at this both conventions have been hijacked by unforeseen events that happened at the beginning of this convention with Debbie Wasserman Schultz. That's what he was trying to do was take the focus off of what was going on the convention hall and put the focus back on the e-mails. Now, he successfully did that, but you shouldn't joke around about espionage.</s>RYE: I don't know that it was a joke either. I know you're a foreign policy genius. Just give me one second.</s>BERMAN: Yes, genius.</s>RYE: The one thing that is fascinating to me is he has condemnation from really reputable people. One is Leon Panetta on that stage last night where there were millions of viewers, and the other two came from in through party both Speaker Ryan and you have his running mate as saying something very different. So, I don't know if it was a joke, but I really believe that he thinks...</s>PHILLIPS: Paul Manafort said it was a joke.</s>ROGIN: Yes.</s>RYE: Look, I don't believe Paul Manafort. He got on here and lied to Chris Cuomo and thought him just nailed.</s>ROGIN: Well, Paul Manafort who was a lobbyist for both forces (Ph) for a decade, but putting that to one side. Listen, Donald Trump is...</s>ROMANS: Do this.</s>ROGIN: Donald Trump is right. If the Russians released 30,000 e- mails, we would love it in the media, OK. Well, that's the journalistic term for that is smorgasbord, OK? So, let's -- so first of all, let's not pretend that we're anti-Russian leaks here, OK?</s>RYE: I am. I don't like them.</s>ROGIN: I'm pro-leak personally, all right</s>RYE: Watch out.</s>PHILLIPS: We just want tips for yoga because that's all important tips.</s>ROGIN: Well, that's the other thing. The 30,000 e-mails are deleted so we couldn't really be serious because they're gone so they can't be hack. Second of all, there were supposed to be all personal so there is not really national security issue here. What I'm getting at here is I think the Clinton campaign actually overplayed its hand, right? They have the upper hand on the foreign policy, they have imminently qualified former secretary of state versus someone who has no foreign policy experience. So, what do they do? They actually raised the alarm, they escalated and they put themselves in a position now where a lot of people who I talk to in both republicans and democrats are asking, OK, if you really believe that this is treason and the Russians are influencing the election, what are you going to do about it? What's the Obama administration going to do something about it? They're painting themselves to a corner. The truth is we are not going to do anything. There are no real responses plan. This kind of thing does happen all the time. It is what the Russians have been doing for 20 years. So, I think, you know, we have this weird situation where all of a sudden the democrats are the tough on Russian party and the Trump people are the -- oh, well, we should really engage the Putin party. That's a switch.</s>ROMANS: Yes.</s>ROGIN: But on the other hand...</s>ROMANS: It's Donald Trump.</s>ROGIN: Yes. But to John's point, you know, this is what Trump believes, all right? He's not out of line. He's telling you what he's going to do. He's being very clear about it.</s>PHILLIPS: And I think there's also an element. When FDR was president, he thought he could swoon, he thought he could charm Stalin and it didn't work out that way. I think a certain portion of Trump believes that he can swoon and he can bring Putin over.</s>ROGIN: But every president thinks they can do that. George W. Bush looked into Putin's eyes and saw the soul of the man and said, we can do business.</s>ROMANS: Mark, open an eyes to get in here.</s>PRESTON: Listen, here is the issue. OK. I mean, this is fun and interesting and bizarre that we're having this conversation that the Russians are now engaging and trying to score around, you know, with our presidential race here in the United States. The issue is - is it reckless, OK? And what Donald Trump did today is reckless. I mean, the bottom line is he's going to start getting security breaches.</s>ROGIN: Next week.</s>PRESTON: Right. So, the concern is, as certainly wants republicans is, will he take this information and mistakenly release some of it? Now I don't know if that -- you would know better than I do if this information is so top secret which I don't it is. I think it's more broad spectrum. But the fact is, Donald Trump did succeed in taking the day away from Hillary Clinton. She -- they won it back tonight or last night on the convention night. But Donald Trump is now going to have to own this going forward.</s>ROMANS: All right. Guys, stick with us. Early Start continues next.