CHRIS CUOMO (HOST): Let me ask you this. The veep stakes,you going to help me out here this morning? I can't believe that Donald Trump is ever uncertain about what he wants in any situation. So is this a deal where he knows who he wants and you guys are pushing back against him to want somebody else? Or, got mixed minds here? 

SAM CLOVIS: I think there may be some, you know -- everybody has their favorites in the veep stakes. I think -- and everybody gets the opportunity to make an input. And once your input is made, you leave it to the boss to decide. And I think that we're all eagerly anticipating his decision, and I'm excited. I think whoever it comes out to be is going to add to the campaign, is going to add to our ticket. And I think this is a fascinating experience. I also think that, you know, think about what we're talking about right now. Every outlet, every cable outlet, every news outlet in America is talking about this very issue today. So we're gaining earned media from this. 

CUOMO: I know. You're playing me, Sam. You're playing me on this.

CLOVIS: Well, I'll tell you what, Chris, you know, you got to take a lick. We're a spartan outfit and we run a spartan campaign. So we got to get it where we can. 

CUOMO: All right. Well, it's working. I hate it, but it's working. I hate that you're stringing me out, but it's working for you. Let me ask you something about something that's decidedly more serious. The situation that's going on in Dallas, two beats on that. The first one is Trump says I'm squarely behind the police. You would hope that everybody is squarely behind the police. And you would hope that everybody is squarely behind the police, but that's not the question. The question is, how do you balance the interest of humanity here between securing the respect for your police and also securing the rights of the people that they do police. Why would he pick a side in this? 

CLOVIS: I don't think he's necessarily picking a side. I think what he's looking at is offering up support for the people in blue around this country. I think that this is very much an important part of this. I don't think there's any question -- I know Mr. Trump. There's no question in his mind that he thinks about these issues that took place in Baton Rouge and St. Paul as absolutely tragic and uncalled for and unnecessary violence and confrontation, but I think that he has been a strong supporter of the law enforcement people in this country for a long time. I want to add one thing, Chris. And I think it's very important here. This whole issue, I've heard some talk today on your show and other shows this morning that I think it's very important, and this is where we have to start. One, these are local issues. These have to be dealt with at the local community level, and if we spent more time building community, I think we would have a much better and much more secure operation in that aspect. The other part of it is there has to be some form of standardization across our policing in this country. And I'm normally not one ever to go that far, but I think because of my own experiences working in homeland security and working with law enforcement across this country for the past 15 years, this is one of those things that I think is very important and we probably ought to address it.

CUOMO: Well, look, there's no question about it. But the local is often affected by the national. This is certainly something we see that spreads across the country in a way that it's more than just a local issue. But I take your point to where change starts. But it's also about the tone he sets as the leader, all right. That's why I ask you about taking a side. I also want to ask you about his claim that he has heard of people calling for moments of silence for the murderer. Where is he getting that, Sam? We are trying to find any proof of that anywhere, and if there is no proof, what we worry about is that it is once again him calling on an image that is a very dangerous image for his own, I guess, perceived sense of momentum in a situation. Kind of like the 9/11 celebrations that he believes he saw, you know. Now he says he hears people calling for a moment of silence for a murderer. Have you heard that, Sam? 

CLOVIS: Well, I have seen it reported that we have seen some very interesting moments in dealing with this tragedy -- 

CUOMO: Calling for a moment of silence? 

CLOVIS: Well, it depends on the context, I guess, Chris and frankly, I've had my nose buried in other issues. I'm not dodging your question --

CUOMO: Sam, you're dodging it. You're doing it artfully, but you're dodging it. Context, my eye. Either you've seen that they were calling for a moment of silence or you haven't. 

CLOVIS: I personally have not. I've seen moments where I've seen in some of these demonstrations, I've seen there's a reverence paid to the shooter that is really startling. I think that is -- when you have a person who purposefully and with intent murders five police officers, that's terrible, and I don't think you should celebrate that in any way, shape or form. 

CUOMO: No question about it.

CLOVIS: And we have unfortunately seen that type of thing take place. I think that's very much a tragic issue. 

CUOMO: I know. We both know what matters here. In the worst of situations, people often are at their worst, but we demand from our leaders they be at their best. 

Related:

TPM: Trump Claims He’s Seen Calls For Moment Of Silence For Dallas Shooter

Previously:

On CNN, Trump Surrogate Defends Trump's Conspiracy Theory Push: “It's Politics”

Carl Bernstein: Trump Has “Made Monkeys Out Of” The Media By Getting “More Free Air Time ... Than Any Candidate In History”

Jon Favreau: Trump “Parrots” “Conspiracy Theories That Are In Right-Wing Media” To Get Media Attention