Minutes ago she pulled no punches at a Campaign Event if another battleground state, that being North Carolina. A new poll there now shows she is in a statistical dead heat. Look at those numbers. With donald trump. Now clinton today slammed trumps performance at that Commander In Chief Forum last evening, especially his praise of russian president Vladimir Putin. Its hard to forget what trump did last night. It was a test and he failed it. He trashtalked about americas generals, saying that theyve been reduced to rubble. Even i was shocked by this and i didnt know much could shock me coming out of his mouth anymore. He praised russia strong man, Vladimir Putin. Even taking the astonishing step of suggesting he prefers the russian president to our american president. That is not just unpatriotic, its not just insulting to the office and the man who holds the office. It is scary it is dangerous it actually suggests he will let putin do what putin wants, and even make excuses for him. What would Ronald Reagan say . This is a time to put country over party. I would be saying that even if i were not running against him. We have never been threatened as much by a single candidate running for president as we have been in this election. Let me turn now to our cnn senior washington correspondent, jeff zeleny, who was there and asked Secretary Clinton one of those key questions today. First to you, your reaction to her meeting reporter types such as yourself, not actually even in the middle of the plane, but there she was, podium, bona fide News Conference. It was, again, brooke, the third time this week. Clearly it is a different moment of the campaign. Hillary clinton wanting to really respond and rebut everything donald trump says, particularly this week on the moment of national security. The issue of national security. It is front and center in this race. It is a key question of judgment between the two candidates here. Hillary clinton went first in the Forum Last Night because they flipped a coin. So it is one of the reasons she held a News Conference in new york before flying here to North Carolina and really reemphasizing some of those things. But those words about Vladimir Putin, so strong, brooke, clearly giving a sense of patriotism over Political Party here, once again invoking a republican Ronald Reagan really trying to get at the hearts and minds of some republicans who may be skeptical or still questioning donald trump. Well revisit when he said about putin with my panel in a second. I want to hone in on your question, your excellent question to her, saying at the forum before a crowd of active duty veterans that she would not send Ground Forces in to syria or iraq. Here she was last night. You said unequivocally last night that you would not put troops into iraq ever again. Isnt, a, that ignoring some Ground Forces who are there, and, b, boxing yourself in should your military commanders, if elected, advise that you in fact need to do that . Well, jeff, first of all, ive said that before. Ive said it on numerous occasions. I believe it. I think putting a big contingent of american Ground Troops on the ground in iraq and syria would not be in the best interests of the fight against isis and other terrorist groups. In fact, i think it would fulfill one of their dearest wishes, which is to drag the United States back into a ground war in that region. There she was earlier today as you were asking her to respond to what she said last night. How did you perceive the answer . Do you think she was walking back on her position at all . Did she give herself wiggle room, jeff . I think she gave herself a bit of wiggle room. Im not sure walking back as much as expanding on what she said last night. I was struck by three words she said in her answer there. Not a big contingent of Ground Troops. Yes, there are Special Forces already on the ground there and she certainly did not rule those out but talked more about air power and other things there. So i think her answer last night was a bit of authority hand. I think today she was expounding on that a bit. Every time she talks about the iraq war and iraq policy right now, i still think that shes stung a bit by her what she views now as misguided decision all those years ago to vote for the invasion in iraq. That always hangs over every sort of iraq answer she makes. But it is also part of her experience. Thats what she is arguing donald trump simply does not have. She talks so much about how she was on the Armed Services committee in the Situation Room for the capture and killing of osama bin laden. All of that is to draw distinctions between what donald trump was doing at the time. She has asked about that as well, jeff zeleny. Thank you so much. Again, great question. Meantime, journalists, pundits, social media, lot of folks today ripping nbc today show host matt lauer over how he moderated that clinton trump Commander In Chief Forum. So now cnn is actually learning whats being said behind the scenes today at nbc. So lets go straight to brian stelter, our senior media correspondent, loe correspondent, host of reliable sources, who is in the know. What are they saying . Lot of frustration behind the scenes at nbc, just as there was on social media during this forum. Partly, it is the candidates faults. If they had been willing to sit there for hours and hours an hours, matt lauer could have asked more questions. But it did seem like a lack of questions and lack of followups from the producers. The biggest chr eges eges egest the lack of followup and the lack of fact checking. Specifically when trump said he was opposed to the iraq war at the start of the invasion in 2003. As others and clinton pointed out correctly, trump never publicly said he was opposed to the war before it began. He started sayings that after the invasion what happened when it became increasingly popular to say you were against the war. So thats one example of the criticism. Well have a bigger chat about that later but we wanted to hear directly from you as you have heard directly from nbc. A tough job but he is definitely under fire today. Brian, thank you. Definitely. One politician got a lot of praise from donald trump at that forum. That being, as we just mentioned, russian president Vladimir Putin. Trump said putin was a stronger leader than the president of the United States. Then hours later on a visit to laos, President Obama, he hit back. If he says great things about me, im going to say great things about him. Ive already said he is really very much of a leader. I mean you can say, oeshths, isnoh, isnt he is terrible thing. The man has very strong control over our country. Now it is a very different system and i dont hap happen to li like that system. I dont think the guys qualified to be president of the United States. And every time he speaks, that opinion is confirmed. And i think the most important thing for the public and the press is to just listen to what he says and follow up and ask questions about what appear to be either contradictory or uninformed or outright wacky ideas. Let me bring in cnn political commentator van jones who supports Hillary Clinton. Navy s. E. A. L. , former navy s. E. A. L. And trump supporter carl higby is with us. Chris kohenis and betty mccoy. Lieutenant governor, beginning with russia, just pointing a few things out, facts about russia. Russias not an ally of the United States. They lock up reporters. They dont treat the Gay Community very well. Did you think that is a smart idea of trump to say what he did . Well, trump actually made it very clear that he disagreed with the russian system of government. It does not share our values. We believe in an open, free society. He was simply paying tribute to putins strength of leadership. Let me point out what i thought was the most shocking moment last night which is when mrs. Clinton addressed a member of the audience and said that she took quite seriously thats her quote betsy, the question was on trump. I promise well get to Hillary Clinton fair and square in just a moment. But on putin, on trump, was there anything wrong with what mr. Trump said . Not about putin. After all, remember that it was mrs. Clinton who coyly, fawningly tried to present Vladimir Putin with a Red Reset Button forgive me, betsy. Forgive me. Somebodys cued in to my ear so i cant actually hear you. Control room, can Somebody Hop Out . Sorry, betsy. Continue. Mr. Is clinton is the one that coyly, who tried to reset Vladimir Putin with a Red Reset Button and failed. Trump just very cleverly avoided insulting Vladimir Putin because whether he becomes president , donald trump will have to negotiate with Vladimir Putin. He insults every other person on earth. He insults his fellow republicans. He insults paul ryan. He insults Hillary Clinton. He insults every american. He insults the president of his own country, but then he praises this other dictator who is a horrible man . He made it clear he did not agree with the russian system. Why is it smart for him to insult americans, to insult our generals, our political leaders, and praise putin . It is completely ridiculous. It is unacceptable. This man is showing him accept to are completely too many Heads Of State are throwing around reckless insults. Head of the philippines. The president of mexico. I think it is good to avoid that. Tell donald trump that. You are a leader in new york. Why are you creating an exception . The only human on earth there are 7 billion people donald trump insults and youve excepted this one human being. Carl, i want to hear from you as a former navy s. E. A. L. , as the veteran on the panel, on the point about the generals. At the Forum Last Night, trump essentially said we would consult with our military generals on a plan to ultimately defeat and destroy isis. But then he said this. I think under the leadership of barack obama and Hillary Clinton, the generals have been reduced to rubble. They have been reduced to a point where it is embarrassing for our country. You have a force of 30,000, or so, people. Nobody really knows. But probably 30,000 people. And i can just see the great, as an example, general George Patton spinning in his grave. All right, carl. Reduced to rubble. I know Hillary Clinton says he was trash talking the generals. As a veteran, how do you interpret that . I interpret it very clearly. Our general corps has been reduced to rubble. Barack obama and Hillary Clinton have gotten rid of or pushed aside every general that tells them the way it is. What donald trump said after his new intelligence briefing had he said barack obama is not listening to the generals. We cant allow this. We have to listen to our generals just like he said he would in his first 30 days. Let me just point out chris, you agree sx it. Do i agree . Yeah. I mean, please. Between listening to the Trump Surrogates and listening to trump last night, it is like living in an alternative universe. I mean the notion that somehow the greatest military thats ever existed has been reduced to rubble is just comical. But the part that i would say is the most frustrating, there is no more important job for the president of the United States than commander in chief. To listen to donald trump who has literally no knowledge or Policy Background or specifics on any issue. Nothing there is no details there ab and the part that i would say has pbeen frustrating to watch those interviews when he says, well keep the oil. Well, how are you going to keep the oil . Let me go to you, chris. We were talking how Hillary Clinton said about Ground Troops in both iraq and syria and that she would never do that if she were elected. P. S. , we do have ground toops in e troops in iraq. The question was wouldnt she then be boxing herself in by saying never if there are ultimately generals who advise her otherwise. Well, listen. I think shes made it very clear that the conditions under which she would put Ground Troops there are probably so high it is not realistic. Listen, the American People arent going to support it. I cannot imagine a situation where were going to go back in. I think it is fine for her to make that argument. Were going to have Special Forces in that region. Thats not going to change. Were going to have a certain contingent there, thats not going to change. But the idea that were going to reengage and pour in another 10,000, 20,000, 40,000, 50,000 troops is not a strategy. No one with a Policy Background are support that position. Sts very foolish and both barack obama and Hillary Clinton have done it in telling the world what they would do in a military situation. Macarthur didnt see when he was going to reenter the philippines. This is the second world war. This is not the second world war. We are in a war. Betsy, betsy, hang on. Trump has said for 16 months that he has had the secret plan to defeat and destroy isis. Does he have that . Its a secret. Trump has had a goal. Its a secret. No, hes had a goal and hell rely on the generals. He learned in the first intelligence briefing it is time to go out there. Hillary clintons been on the wrong side of any foreign conflict shes engaged in. When you say youre going to keep Special Forces there, you know what it takes to keep Special Forces there . We deploy 1 Special Force for 10 guys. Van, i want you to respond. Carl saying that Hillary Clinton has been on the wrong side of every conflict. Its just not true. I want to go back to Something Else that they are talking about. This idea that donald trump has some secret plan that hes going to somehow be able to fight isis and defeat isis and the problem that you have with that, first of all, is that it does not take seriously what our military is doing right now. It disrespects the fact that the military has rolled isis back by almost 50 , has liquidated the top onethird of leadership and it is still ongoing. There is no respect for the campaign thats led by our president. You praise putin and insult our president. You do have Special Forces on the ground right now sir who are risking their lives and being disrespected by this campaign. I wish we could just say has not. When has he said one kind word about the forces over there . I havent talked to one s. E. A. L. Thats over there fighting isis and is offended by donald trump. Hang on, betsy. I want to hear more from you. Let me ask you all to stick around. There is so much more to get through. Again we are waiting to hear from donald trump. Well take him live. But also trump revealing what shock him from the classified briefings hes been getting. Hillary clinton has responded to that. Well discuss. Also, did you hear what gary johnson said this morning . Gary johnson, as in the president ial nominee here, libertarian nominee, may get the award for the biggest gaffe of the election thus far. What he said when asked what he would do about the crisis in aleppo. As in, in syria. Well be right back. You know your heart loves megared omega3s. But did you know your eyes, your brain, and your joints really love them too . Introducing megared advanced 4in1. Just one softgel delivers mega support. Remember here at ally, nothing stops us from doing right by our customers. Whos with me . Im in. Im in. Im in. Im in. One, two, wait, wait. Wait wheres tina . Doing the hand thing . Yep we are all in for our customers. Ally. Do it right. Were back. Youre watching cnn. Im brooke baldwin. Former Secretary Of State colin powell is trying to explain why he gave Hillary Clinton a little advice on private email use. Just days after clinton was sworn in as Secretary Of State, powell said in a statement, i was not trying to influence her, but just to explain what i had done eight years earlier to begin the transformation of the State Departments information system. It goes on. I was not aware at the time of any requirement for private unclassified exchanges to be treated as official records. So theres that. Then you also now have Secretary Clinton trying to explain her use of the private email server. This is what she said at that Fo