'Totally deteriorating': Trump 'desperate' to find new voters as he backtracks abortion comments

BUS TOUR ROLLS OUT NEXT WEEK AND WE SEE MRS. WALZ AS A PART OF THE EFFORT. >> GOOD TO HAVE YOU. JOINING US NOW, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS. ASHLEY ETIENNE, WHEN DONALD TRUMP IS SAYING THAT HE WOULD POTENTIALLY NOT VOTE OR NOT VOTE FOR A SIX-WEEK BAN IN FLORIDA, IT'S PUTTING A LOT OF PRO LIFE GROUPS IN A WEIRD POSITION. THEY'RE ANGRY WITH HIM, AND NBCNEWS.COM, AND SAHIL KAPUR COMPILED A TON OF REPORTING ON THIS. THE HEAD OF THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY PRO LIFE AMERICA GROUP CALLED TRUMP ON THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO A SOURCE WITH KNOWLEDGE, AND TOLD HER SHE DIDN'T LIKE THIS. TRUMP DIDN'T STATE A POSITION ON THE AMENDMENT, IN HIS HOME STATE'S BALLOT THIS FALL. YOU ALSO HAVE ANOTHER EVANGELICAL THEOLOGIAN SAYING THAT DONALD TRUMP'S CRITICISM OF FLORIDA ABORTION RESTRICTIONS AND ITS CALL FOR GOVERNMENT FUNDING ON IVF, AND HIS RECENT STATEMENT ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS SEEM CALCULATED TO ALIENATE PRO LIFE VOTERS, ERIC ERICKSON SAYING IF HE LOSES THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO COST HIM THE VICTORY, WHAT'S GOING TO COST HIM THE WHITE HOUSE. I COULD GO ON. THERE ARE MORE. WHY, I KNOW YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT, BUT WHY DO YOU THINK DONALD TRUMP IS TRYING TO MODERATE ON THIS ISSUE? >> LISTEN, I'M A DEMOCRAT THAT'S INCREDIBLY GLEEFUL AT THIS MOMENT. DONALD TRUMP'S TOTALLY DETERIORATING, I MEAN, HE'S DESPERATE TO FIND NEW VOTERS. HE REALIZES THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN A WINNER FOR DEMOCRATS OVER THE LAST TWO CYCLES SINCE HE REVERSED ROE V. WADE. AND, I MEAN, HE BRAGGED ABOUT DOING THAT. THIS, AGAIN, THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A WINNING ISSUE FOR DEMOCRATS. THIS IS WHY VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS AND GOVERNOR WALZ ARE GOING TO BE BARN STORMING THE COUNTRY, KICKING OFF THEIR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS TOUR IN PALM BEACH, WHICH I JUST FIND INCREDIBLY TRUMP-ESQUE. NEEDLING HIM IN HIS OWN BACKYARD. IT ALSO SUGGESTS FLORIDA IS IN PLACE. THIS IS AN ISSUE WHERE HE'S TRYING TO REVERSE HIMSELF, HE REALIZES SUCH A LOSER FOR HIS PARTY. BUT I DON'T THINK HE CAN. I MEAN, THE REALITY IS WOMEN WILL NOT BE FOOLED BY THIS SORT OF FAKE CHANGE OF HEART BY THE FORMER PRESIDENT. >> WHAT ABOUT HIS PROPOSAL TO MAKE IVF PAID FOR BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF FAMILIES WOULD REALLY LIKE. IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE, PRIVATE INSURANCE WILL PAY FOR A COUPLE OF ROUNDS OF IT, BUT THAT'S IT. >> I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD BELIEVE DONALD TRUMP'S WORD. HE ALSO SAID MEXICO WAS GOING TO PAY FOR THE WALL, HE WAS GOING TO LOWER HEALTH CARE COSTS, HE DID NONE OF THAT. HE WAS GOING TO REVERSE OBAMACARE, WHICH HE DID NOT DO AT ALL. STILL HASN'T COME UP WITH A HEALTH CARE PLAN. THE REALITY IS THIS SHOULD SETTLE THE HEARTS OF REPUBLICANS. DONALD TRUMP IS NOT SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. THIS IS PANDERING AT IT WORST. I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO BE FOOLED BY THE PRESIDENT OR WHO BELIEVES HE'S SINCERE ABOUT DOING WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO. AGAIN, HE HAS A HABIT A HISTORY OF FAILING TO MAKE GOOD ON HIS PROMISES. >> WE SAW KAMALA HARRIS AND GOVERNOR TIM WALZ SIT DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH CNN'S DANA BASH YESTERDAY, AND THEY GOT INTO POLICY A LITTLE BIT. BUT THERE HAS BEEN THIS CRITICISM OUT THERE THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH. SHE'S ONLY BEEN ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL FOR A FEW WEEKS. JUST GOT NOMINATED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. SHE ALSO IS PART OF AN ADMINISTRATION WHOSE POLICY IS PRETTY CLEAR. IS IT YOUR SENSE THAT VOTERS REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE STANDS? >> NO, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS EVEN AN ISSUE IN THE MINDS OF MOST VOTERS. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE SHE IS IN THE POLLS, SHE'S SURGING IN THE POLLS. BUT ALSO THE METRICS BY WHICH YOU MEASURE THE STRENGTH OF AN ELECTION OR A CANDIDACY RIGHT NOW IS BASED ON THE MONEY. SHE'S GOT $540 MILLION IN THE BANK, 200,000 VOLUNTEERS. THAT'S THE MEASURE OF THE STRENGTH OF A CANDIDACY, AND IT'S ALSO THE MEASURE OF MOMENTUM. SHE'S GOT MOMENTUM BEHIND HER. I THINK THIS IS A WASHINGTON, D.C., INSIDE THE BELTWAY KIND OF CONTROVERSY THAT'S REALLY BEING STOKED BY REPUBLICANS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE ELSE TO ATTACK KAMALA HARRIS ON, AND NOTHING THEY HAVE ATTACKED HER ON SO FAR IS LANDING. SHE ROLLED OUT AN ENTIRE ECONOMIC AGENDA, MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO, VERY DETAILED, TALKING ABOUT INCREASING AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING, OF AFFORDABILITY OF HOUSING, GOING AFTER PRICE GOUGING TO LOWER THE COST FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES, PUT MORE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS. SHE TALKED ABOUT THEIR HISTORY OF REALLY GOING AFTER CORPORATE GREED. I'M NOT SURE -- I FEEL LIKE THIS IS JUST A REACH ON THE PART OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND ANY OTHER THING TO LAND ON THE VICE PRESIDENT. >> SHE GOT INTO DETAILS ON HOUSING AND TALKED ABOUT GETTING RID OF ZONING RESTRICTIONS AND GIVING MORE MONEY TO DEVELOPERS TO JUICE THE NUMBER OF HOUSES THAT ARE BUILT, AND A $6,000 CHILD TAX CREDIT FOR THE FIRST YEAR THAT YOU HAVE A BABY, INCLUDING MORE TAX CREDITS DURING THE DURATION OF THEIR CHILDHOOD. THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE MEAT ON THE BONE FOR THOSE POLICY. THE PRICE GOUGING ONE, NOT A LOT OF INDICATION OF HOW SHE WOULD ACTUALLY GET THAT ONE DONE BECAUSE THE DEFINITION OF PRICE GOUGING CAN VARY. I DO WANT TO ASK YOU, THOUGH, ABOUT THE DEBATES, AND THERE IS STILL THIS, YOU KNOW, BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHETHER THE MICS WILL BE MUTED DURING THE DURATION OF THE DEBATE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD ASKED FOR. THEY GOT FOR THE FIRST DEBATE. KAMALA HARRIS DOESN'T WANT IT. IF SHE'S NOT ABLE TO GET HER WAY WITH THAT, TO MAKE THE MIC'S TURNED ON FOR THE DURATION OF THE DEBATE, DO YOU THINK SHE CAN STILL EFFECTIVELY SHOW THAT DONALD TRUMP OR STILL EFFECTIVELY GET UNDER HIS SKIN THE WAY THE CAMPAIGN WANTS TO? >> ABSOLUTELY, I MEAN, SHE'S A FORMER PROSECUTOR WHO, AS I CONTINUOUSLY SAY ON TELEVISION, MY EXPERIENCE WITH HER IS THAT SHE SUFFERS NO FOOL. SO I THINK WHAT SHE'S PROBABLY PREPPING TO DO IS FIGURE OUT HOW TO STRATEGICALLY NEEDLE DONALD TRUMP, HOW TO GET UNDER HIS SKIN. THERE'S ONE OTHER THING. I KNOW THERE'S NOTHING THAT UNHINGES DONALD TRUMP MORE THAN A STRONG, POWERFUL WOMAN CHALLENGING HIM. I USED TO BE SPEAKER PELOSI'S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, AND I REMEMBER THOSE YEARS WHERE SHE STOOD UP TO HIM, AND HE TOTALLY CRUMBLED, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THIS DEBATE. EITHER MICS ON OR OFF, HE'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE DONALD TRUMP. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE CAMPAIGN WANTS, BUT I THINK WHAT SHE'S GOING TO TRY TO DO IS STRATEGICALLY NEEDLE HIM TO GET UNDER HIS SKIN AND MAKE HIM ACTUALLY UNRAVEL. >> IS IT AN ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE THAT SHE'S NEVER MET HIM? >> I DON'T THINK EITHER MATTERS BUT I THINK IT COULD BE AN ADVANTAGE THAT SHE'S NOT MET HIM. BUT HERE'S THE THING, WE KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. YOU DON'T HAVE TO MEET HIM TO KNOW HIM, RIGHT, SO WE KNOW HIM TO BE A VERY SMALL, PETTY, SIMPLE-MINDED INDIVIDUAL WHO COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. ONLY CARES ABOUT HIMSELF, AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S DEMONSTRATED. I THINK THE SPLIT SCREEN WITH HIM ON ONE SIDE, HER ON THE OTHER, HIM LOOKING SMALL, ANGRY, LIKE YESTERDAY, AND HER LOOKING LIKE THE VERY PROMISE OF AMERICA IS GOING TO REALLY RESONATE WITH PEOPLE, AND IT'S GOING TO TELL THE SPIRE STORY. DONALD TRUMP HAS PROVEN AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CAN SAY IT BETTER THAN I AM, HE CAN'T HELP HIMSELF BUT BE DONALD TRUMP, THAT'S GOING WORK TO HER ADVANTAGE. WHETHER SHE'S MET HIM OR NOT, IT'S NOT GOING TO MATTER MUCH. >> I WAS TALKING TO AMY WALTER OF THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT YESTERDAY, LOOKING AT THE POLLING NOW,