[19:17:30] BURNETT:
14:20
Tonight, Donald Trump praising his performance in the latest Republican debate for president. But the Trump squared off against seven rivals for 2016 looked and sounded very different than the Trump who draws many thousands at campaign rallies across the nation.
Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over):
Call it a tale of two Trumps. Last night, voters saw a softer, gentler Donald Trump. Perhaps a bit more respectful and serious. His post-debate recap offering something rare. A compliment.
TRUMP:
I thought the moderators were elegant. I thought the questions were really, really on point.
ZELENY:
And even print praise for his rivals. Even poking fun at himself.
TRUMP:
I don't think anybody did poorly, really. I really don't. I mean -- normally I should say like, they were all terrible, everybody. Right?
ZELENY:
Those remarks in stark contrast to months of relentless personal attacks on all of his rivals. Jeb Bush --
TRUMP:
Bush is not going to get us to the promise land, folks, I tell you. This guy -- I don't want to say he's a stiff because that's too rude.
ZELENY:
Marco Rubio --
TRUMP:
Rubio, I've never seen a young guy sweat that much. No, I've never seen -- he's drinking water, water, water. I never saw anything like this with him with the water.
ZELENY:
And Lindsey Graham.
TRUMP:
Zero, zero. Do you know who we have that has a zero? Lindsey Graham.
ZELENY:
Even going after Ben Carson, a man he once said was too nice to attack.
TRUMP:
If you try and hit your mother over the head with a hammer, your poll numbers go up.
ZELENY:
Hillary Clinton has her own view of Trump style.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE:
I think he's having the time of his life, you know, being up on that stage, saying whatever he wants to say.
ZELENY:
And Clinton may be on to something. The stage may be the dividing line between the two Trumps. But is one of those Trumps presidential. Something that he all but acknowledged his two personas earlier today.
TRUMP:
Yes. Well, I think maybe I have to do that, you know. Maybe that's the way I'm supposed to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE:
Is that debates only or on the campaign stage?
TRUMP:
No, it's not doing speeches. Because I think people would be very disappointed if I was that way. But I think during a speech, it's different.
We have losers. We have people that don't have it. We have people that are morally corrupt. We have people that are selling this country down the drain.
ZELENY:
So while there may be a tale of two Trumps, it's pretty clear which role he likes better and we're likely to see him sharpening those edges once again as he draws distinction with his rivals in campaigns more aggressively. But he did tell us today that tone is important and he added one thing. Maybe I'm learning something -- Erin.
BURNETT:
Hmm. It is that. It's a bit more of a humble side of him perhaps that is winning some over.
OUTFRONT now, Katrina Pierson, the national spokesperson for the Trump campaign. And our political commentator S.E. Cupp.
All right. S.E., so you know, there's Donald making his case for why there's a tale of two Trumps sees a different strategy in the debates than he does in the campaign trail. Is it working, though? You say it was a nonfactor in the debate.
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR:
Yes. I think he would -- well, he might not acknowledge but I think most people would acknowledge that the debate is not where he does his best work. I think, you know, it's inarguable that when you watch him at the town halls, there's a lot more energy, he's a lot more effective. He swings harder and it's easier to land punches against people who are not physically in the room. And I think when he tried to land punches at last night's debate against Kasich, certainly against Carly Fiorina, they fell really flat and turned some people off and on policy, whether it was immigration or Putin, I think most of the other candidates got the better of him on those issues.
BURNETT:
Katrina?
KATRINA PIERSON, TRUMP CAMPAIGN NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON:
Well, look, I think that Donald Trump is just Donald Trump. He is the same person every time, though he's a little more calm in these debates but he really didn't lose anybody. If you liked Donald Trump before last night, you liked him after last night. And even though -- and S.E. wants to call them punches. And he wasn't throwing punches, he wasn't attacking anybody. There were perfect opportunities for him to do that and he passed, Erin.
