Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
Syrian Ceasefire Holding, Aims to Let Aid into Besieged Cities; Why the Road to Peace in Syria Has Been So Rocky; N. Korea Nuclear Tests Put World on Edge; Clinton Diagnosed with Pneumonia Friday; Conspiracy theories on Clinton's Health; Clinton Diagnosis Fueling Transparency Debate. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired September 13, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:14] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.
ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour --
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: Hello, everybody. Great to have you with us. Welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm John Vause.
SESAY: And I'm Isha Sesay. NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.
For the first time in months there is a respite from the fighting and bombing in Syria. A frail ceasefire is in the first day and appears to be holding barely despite reports of a number of attacks by Syrian jets and tanks in and around Aleppo.
VAUSE: The deal was brokered by the United States and Russia. They hope to get relief to Aleppo and other cities which have not seen any aid for months. After seven days, the United States and Russia will look to target ISIS.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the deal is not perfect but better than nothing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The U.S.-Russia plan is designed to advance the process of trying to reduce the violence so we can get people to a table where they don't just point to the bombs dropping on them, which prevents them from negotiating, or prevents the food and medicine from being delivered, which prevents them from negotiating. This is the best thing we could think of.
We believe that this is the only realistic, possible solution to this conflict, ultimately a political outcome. I urge all of the parties to support it because it may be the last chance that one has to save a united Syria.
(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: Jomana Karadsheh joins us from Amman, Jordan.
Jomana, what are the details of what appears, I guess, to be the violation of the ceasefire, these reports we are hearing the regime carried out a number of attacks in the past 14 hours or so?
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, yesterday evening, John, a few hours after the cessation of hostilities began in Syria, we spoke to a monitoring group and some activists in rebel-held eastern Aleppo. There have been reports of some violations taking place, and prior to the se sags going in to effect there was a reported air strike in Idlib. So reports of sporadic violence at this point, John. I don't think it is enough at this point to say whether the ceasefire is holding or if these are serious violations. We will have to give it a few hours to see what happens. We heard from the Syrian military through the state news agency saying that the cessation of hostilities has gone in to effect. The truce they say will be imposed until the 18th of September, but they say they reserve the right to decisively respond to any attacks by what they describe as the armed groups and to use any of their fire power. At the same time, John, we are hearing from moderate opposition groups. They seem to be acceptable this, probably with pressure from the United States and other allies that back it but they say they have a lot of reservations about the deal. We will have to wait and see what happens in the coming hours -- John?
VAUSE: What's the time frame for moving aid in to cities like Aleppo when deciding which aid groups go in, what they take in, who's making these decisions?
KARADSHEH: Of course, we have heard this from the United Nations, John, for weeks saying they have trucks ready. They are packed with medical aid, food, all sorts of supplies that are desperately needed in besieged areas. Of course the focus has been on Aleppo where we have seen more than 300,000 people in the rebel-held part of the city living under constant bombardment. They are running out of food supply and fuels. We are hearing they are low on fuel. This is what is needed for hospitals to run generators for the field hospitals. They don't want to send their trucks, people in to harm's way before they see some pause in the violence. I think everyone is giving it this 48 hours to see the truce is holding, of course, critical when it comes to Aleppo. There is a main route in to Aleppo that is supposed to be under the agreement turned in to a demilitarized area so the aid can flow in. This is a very contested area. We will have to wait and see. I'm sure aid agencies are waiting to see because they need to get the desperately needed aid into besieged areas around Damascus and Aleppo -- John?
[02:05:34] VAUSE: Jomana, thank you. Jomana Karadsheh, in Amman, Jordan. Jomana, thank you.
SESAY: Well, this is the second attempt by the U.S. and Russia this year to bring a halt to Syria's civil war.
VAUSE: Many Syrians are not sure how long the break in the violence will last. Nima Elbagir looks at why the road to peace has been so rocky.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What do you need for a successful ceasefire? Sadly, there's no wave of the magic wand, but in essence, you need three factors to be present. You need trust, which is in scarce supply in Syria right now. You need a clear delineation of areas of control by the armed groups. And you also need leverage to enforce the ceasefire.
In terms of delineation, the situation on the ground is extraordinarily confused and you have a number of strange bedfellows sharing front lines but that complicates things when you have international actors like the U.S. and Russia seeking to work together to try to target those actors on the ground they have identified as hostile, mainly ISIS.
But what happens when you have more mainstream opposition in those same territorial footprints? You need the mainstream opposition to agree to give up some territorial hold and withdrawal. That's not something any armed group, anywhere in the world is particularly comfortable.
In order to enforce that's where the leverage comes in. But given how many years the conflict in Syria has been allowed to roll on with so little sense of any peace coming over the horizon, leverage isn't something anyone in the international community has established.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Nima Elbagir there.
All right. Away from Syria for a moment and the U.S. flew two B-1 bombers over South Korea's air space in a show of force against North Korea. Officials from both countries say they will cooperate with the U.N. Security Council on new sanctions against Pyongyang for its repeated nuclear tests.
CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SHOUTING)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kim Jong-Un's largest nuclear weapons test ever may be followed by another test of another nuclear device, according to U.S. and South Korean officials. An unprecedented action by the regime, it would be the sixth test overall and the third this year.
South Korea is getting ready for the worse-case scenario says its defense minister.
The more than 28,000 U.S. troops on the peninsula remain, as always, on high alert. The Pentagon promises an umbrella of protection, including American nuclear weapons.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The United States remains committed to the defense of the ROK against the North Korean threat with all aspects of conventional and nuclear capabilities.
STARR: U.S. B-1 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons and other U.S. and South Korean aircraft are expected to fly over the Korean peninsula as soon as Tuesday in a symbolic show of force according to U.S. officials.
(GUNFIRE)
STARR: But for now, a U.S. military response seems unlikely because Kim appears unwilling to back off and no one knows how he might respond.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The risk and the cost in this case is that they could retaliate in nuclear terms, which would be disastrous or conventional terms which would be as dangerous in terms of the thousands of artillery tubes on the border.
STARR: Last week's test may have been a game changer. U.S. officials believe it's likely the regime did test a nuclear warhead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now they seem to have made smaller, more powerful warheads and their statement suggests they have come near to perfecting a design they can now mass produce.
[02:10:01] STARR: Kim may now have several critical components, a miniaturized warhead that can be put on a missile. Hard to track submarine and road mobile launchers for those missiles and missiles powered by solid fuel that allows for little warning time of a launch. All of this giving Kim Jong-Un exactly what he wants, to demonstrate to the world he has nuclear weapons capability that can survive a first strike by the U.S.
(on camera): No one really knows what Kim Jong-Un is thinking but there's speculation among U.S. officials he might be trying to put all of the nuclear pieces in to place before a new president comes in to office, believing he will have a strengthened hand come January.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: North Korea faces new sanctions. Right now, though, there's a more urgent crisis. The Red Cross believes 140,000 people are in desperate need of help after destructive flooding two weeks ago.
SESAY: Pyongyang confirms 133 people have been killed and 395 people are missing. 24,000 homes have been completely destroyed. The Red Cross says restricted access to affected areas means the full scale of the disaster has yet to emerge.
VAUSE: When we come back, the Clinton campaign offers some answers, which raises more questions. We will have more on the calls for greater transparency. SESAY: And even as the former Ku Klux Klan leader proudly
supports Trump, the Republican candidate slams Clinton for calling a number of his supporters deplorables. That's ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(SPORTS REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:15:41] SESAY: Transparency is becoming a focal point in the U.S. presidential race. Hillary Clinton became ill on Sunday, stumbling as she left the 9/11 ceremony. That led to all sorts of questions about her health.
SESAY: The Democratic nominee said she did not reveal her pneumonia diagnosis right away because she didn't think it was a big deal, and she spoke with Anderson Cooper.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (voice-over): I'm feeling so much better. Obviously, I should have gotten some rest sooner. I probably would have been better off if I had just pulled down my schedule on Friday, but like a lot of people I thought I could power through it and that didn't work out well.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, A.C. 360: Let me ask you, your husband said tonight in an interview with Charlie Rose, he said, quote, "Rarely, on more than one occasion over the last many, many years, the same things have happened to her" -- meaning you -- "when she got severely dehydrated."
Can you say how many times over the course of five years you have been dehydrated and gotten dizzy? I know you passed out in 2012 and hit your head, which led to the concussion. How many times has this happened?
CLINTON: I think only twice that I can recall. It is something that has occurred a few times over the course of my life. I'm aware of it and usually can avoid it.
What happened yesterday was that I just was incredibly committed to being at the memorial. As a Senator on 9/11, this is incredibly personal to me. I could feel how hot and humid it was. I felt overheated. I decided I needed to leave. As soon as I got in the air conditioned van, I cooled off and got some water and very quickly I felt better.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Clinton's Republican rival, Donald Trump, was unusually restrained in his reaction to the weekend's events.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (voice-over): I hope she gets well soon. I don't know what's going on. Like you, I just see what I see. The coughing fit was a week ago. I assume that was pneumonia also. I would think it would have been. Something's going on. I hope she gets well and gets back on the trail and we'll be seeing her at the debate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: There was a lot of concern about Hillary Clinton's health on conservative radio today.
(CROSSTALK)
SESAY: I'm sure there was.
VAUSE: Very ill, raising concerns. Hope she gets well.
SESAY: Great feeling for her.
VAUSE: Very sincere.
But in the past Donald Trump has brought up some debunked rumors about Hillary Clinton's health.
SESAY: Randi Kaye reports on the wide range of theories Clinton opponents have put out over the years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLINTON: I was very --
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's moments like these right wing groups are pouncing on to push the narrative to show Mrs. Clinton's health is failing. This is Clinton at a muffin shop in June reacting to reporters peppering her with questions. When critics suggested Clinton had a seizure, one A.P. reporter who was there set the record straight writing, "Clinton responded with an exaggerated motion, shaking her head vigorously for a few seconds. After the exchange, she took a few more photos, exited the shop and greeted supporters outside."
CLINTON: Thank you, everybody.
KAYE: Conspiracy theorists are cook up just about every condition for her. Brain damage? Check. Parkinsons? Check. Autism? Check. Even syphilis. None based on fact.
But that hasn't stopped Donald Trump from fuelling the speculation.
TRUMP: Importantly, she also lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS. KAYE: The physical stamina, he said, suggesting she's too frail for
the Oval Office. It's a popular theme among even mainstream conservatives, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump advisor.
RUDY GIULIANI, (R), FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Go online and put down "Clinton illness" and look at the videos yourself.
KAYE: Clinton's team, meanwhile suggesting Trump is parroting lies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hear re-hashed conspiracy theories.
KAYE: Rumors about the former secretary of state's health began in 2012 after she had a bad fall and suffered a concussion. She admitted in interviews she experienced double division and dizziness but said repeatedly she felt great.
Her husband, Bill Clinton, echoed that while slamming those fuelling the conspiracies.
[02:20:15] BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First they said she faked her concussion and now they say she is auditioning for a part on "The Walking Dead."
(LAUGHTER)
She works out every week. She's strong. She's doing great.
KAYE: Doing great is not how conspiracy theorists see it, and they see proof in images like this, a Secret Service agent appearing to hold her up at a rally and her falling as she boarded a plane. They suggest it points to her being sick. Conspiracy theorists are also obsessed with Clinton's cough on the campaign trail, her constant use of pillows during interviews, and her long bathroom break during the ABC debate.
CLINTON: Sorry.
KAYE: Even her hearty laugh is an indication, they suggest, of a brain issue.
(LAUGHTER)
KAYE: All of this, despite a letter released in July last year from Clinton's internist of 15 years. The doctor described Clinton as healthy, listing her medical conditions as hypothyroidism and seasonal pollen allergies. The doctor ending the letter saying, "Clinton is in excellent physical condition and fit to be president of the United States."
Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Now there are calls for both candidates release more medical records to satisfy voter concerns.
VAUSE: Also concerns and maybe independent doctors to examine the presidential candidates.
We spoke to a family physician, Michael Lewis, about Clinton's health.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. MICHAEL LEWIS, FAMILY PRACTICE PHYSICIAN: My thoughts about what's going on is that when I see different pieces of a puzzle, I like to think they are all belonging to one puzzle. I don't mean to speculate and I don't mean to be a conspiracy theorist, however, when we see cough, since the Benghazi hearings, and we see chronic dehydration, we see multiple blood clots or hypercoaguable states, I tend to think something maybe going on deeper than pneumonia. Hopefully, not, but my due diligence as a physician would be to think of the worst things and then rule them out. Hopefully, her medical team is offering that to her.
SESAY: Dr. Lewis, both campaigns, the Trump and Clinton campaign have announced in the coming days they will be releasing more information about the health of the candidates. As you talk about puzzles and you talk about trying to build a picture of Hillary Clinton's health, what will you be looking for when that information comes out?
LEWIS: I think that's a great question. I think, looking at the whole picture, it's hard to do it from a distance. I haven't examined her. I haven't put a stethoscope on her. I haven't seen her laboratories and I haven't seen her up close. What we are getting, as individuals here, as voters and bystanders, are second and third- party, you know, results. So, I think and I hope, one, that she's OK. Two, I hope that her medical team is really doing their due diligence. And, three, I think -- I hope we are getting the truth, because it's an important time for us voters to know the truth and have transparency.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Donald Trump is using Hillary Clinton's words against her during his rallies. He called her out on Monday for comments she made about his supporters.
Sara Murray reports on how Trump is seizing this opportunity to slam Clinton while she's away from the campaign trail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The biggest gift of Donald Trump's presidential campaign may have arrived in a basket.
TRUMP: She called half of our supporters a basket of deplorables. She divides people in to baskets, as though they were objects, not human beings.
MURRAY: Trump seizing today on this comment from Hillary Clinton at a fund-raiser last week. CLINTON: To just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of
Trump's supporters in to what I call the basket of deplorables.
(LAUGHTER)
Right?
(LAUGHTER)
The racists, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islam phobic, you name it.
TRUMP: She and her wealthy donors all had a good laugh.
MURRAY: Today, the GOP nominee left to his supporters' defense.
TRUMP: Our support comes from every part of America and every walk of life, millions of working-class families, who just want a better future.
MURRAY: Now he is calling on Clinton to disavow her comments.
[02:25:12] TRUMP: If Hillary Clinton will not retract her comments in full, I don't see how she can credibly campaign any further.
MURRAY: While Clinton says she regrets lumping half of Trump's supporters together as deplorable, she also said she won't stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign. It's a debate her campaign says it's more than happy to have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We cannot treat Donald Trump as a normal presidential candidate. The idea that somebody is running a campaign that is engaging in this type of hate-filled demagoguery in 2016 is deplorable.
MURRAY: As for Trump, he does have a history of elevating some of his intolerant supporters. He retweeted to his 11 million followers racially charged images and comments from white supremacists with handles like WhiteGenocideTM.
After Clinton's latest comment, David Duke, a white nationalist who supports Trump, took to Twitter with this superhero-style image, touting himself as one of Trump's deplorables.
But even today, Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, declined to use that term to describe the former Ku Klux Klan leader.
MIKE PENCE, (R), INDIANA GOVERNOR & VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump has denounced David Duke repeatedly. We don't want his support or the support of people who think like him.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You call him a deplorable. You would call him a deplorable?
PENCE: No. I'm not in the name calling business.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: That was Sara Murray reporting there.
As Donald Trump was defending his supporters in North Carolina, a violent incident broke out in the stands.
VAUSE: You can see the hitting and shoving. Protesters do not appear to be injured. They were escorted out of the event. But the Trump supporter who hit him was allowed to stay.
Coming up next for viewers in Asia is "State of the Race," with Kate Baldwin.
SESAY: And for our viewers elsewhere, still to come on CNN NEWSROOM, a rescue boat carrying a group of refugee adds a new passenger. How a newborn is lending some rare hope to the crisis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:30:17] JOHN VAUSE: CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back here. The home stretch on CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Isha Sesay.
The headlines this hour --
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: A fragile ceasefire is in effect in Syria for the first time in months. It will allow humanitarian aid in to cities like Aleppo for the most part the truce appears to be holding. The next few days will be critical for the ceasefire.
SESAY: There are key challenges. One of the biggest, separating moderate Syrian rebels, who are supposed to be protected under the ceasefire, from jihadist fighters, who are not.
Jim Sciutto has more on the obstacles ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sunset in war-torn Syria, the official start of a tenuous ceasefire brokered by the U.S. and Russia.
(SHOUTING)
SCIUTTO: In the final hours before the deadline, air strikes by the Syrian air force rain down on northwestern Syria killing at least 90 people a rights group said.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, vowing defiantly to, quote, "Retake every piece of land from the terrorists."
JOHN KERRY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Good afternoon.
SCIUTTO: Today, Secretary of State John Kerry said the agreement is based on verification, not trust.
KERRY: Promises are one thing. Actions will define if this will come together.
SCIUTTO: The aim is limited, first to allow much-needed humanitarian aid to reach the devastated cities urn siege such as Aleppo. Only if the fighting stops a full seven days will the U.S. and Russia discuss cooperation in targeting ISIS and the al-Qaeda affiliate. In addition, under Russian pressure, Syria has agreed to suspend its air strikes.
SERGEI LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The Syrian government has been informed by us about these arrangements and it's ready to fulfill them.
KERRY: The next 48 hours are crucial, the first task of the deal's staying power. The fighters on the ground, including the U.S.-backed rebels of the Free Syrian Army, skepticism still rains.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): If it is a ceasefire like previous ones we won't Benefit it. There must be political motive that would harm the people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Our thanks to Jim Sciutto for that report.
In dangerous sea travel, there is no shortage of tragedy during the migrant crisis.
SESAY: But a newborn baby is offering a rare of hope in the middle of horrible conditions.
Our Isa Soares reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Some break in the high seas on the Mediterranean, not how you envision giving birth. But that's how little Newman came in though world, born in a Doctors Without Borders refugee vessel, rescued as his Nigerian mother made a dangerous journey from Libya.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were alerted to the fact that there were two rubber dinghies that needed to be rescued. We brought on 252 people, which concluded five pregnant women, who were very pregnant. At 6:30 this morning, I was alerted one of the women was in labor and by 7:00 we had a new member of our list of passengers.
SOARES: A dramatic entry reported on a plain piece of paper. No scales to weigh him. No ruler for height. Just longitude and latitude to mark his place of birth, born right here, straddling Libya and Malta.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don't know until the boat lands. I can't tell you his exact weight. He is a good weight and looks healthy and happy and at the end of the day that's all that matters.
SOARES: Newman is not the first to be born on the high seas. Last month, these twins were born on a rickety boat off the Libyan coast. They are now being looked after in Italy with their 23-year-old mother keeping a close eye on them.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 23,000 people have died in these waters so far. For once, a chance to give life rather than having it taken.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[02:35:18] VAUSE: What a start.
SESAY: Rare moments of hope.
VAUSE: A star-studded video is putting the pilot on the plight of refugees.
SESAY: Celebrities perform a poem listing items people have grabbed when they were forced to flee their homes. Here's part of the video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(GUNFIRE)
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Wallet.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Wallet.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Money.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Coins.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Pennies.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Torch.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Seeing more clearly out at sea.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Three bags.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Rucksack.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Truck.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yellow plastic bag.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yellow cards for refugees.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: A national I.D.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Army service record.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: An information booklet from the government.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Diploma, electronics.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Certificate from high school.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Passport if you have one.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Expensive one-way ticket.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Fake.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Flash drive laptop, phone.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Phone number, known number phone number.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Phone.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Phone.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Smartphone with Skype and Facetime.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Head phones.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Charger.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Charger.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Overseas adapter.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: House keys. House keys. House keys.
(EXPLOSION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SESAY: Really gets you.
VAUSE: It does.
It is based on a poem called "What They Took with Them." It was inspired by refugees.
SESAY: It was released on Facebook to promote the U.N.'s refugee agency with refugees campaign.
VAUSE: We will take a break. When we come back, the San Francisco 49ers played their season opener on Monday. All eyes were on the bench. We will see who joined Kaepernick in his protest during the national anthem.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:40:27] SESAY: Hello, everyone. Colin Kaepernick may be the backup quarterback for the 49ers, but he was front and center before the opener. He refused to stand for the national anthem as a protest against racial injustice in the United States. On Monday night's game, he took a knee once again.
VAUSE: Kaepernick's stance had spread across the NFL. Over the weekend, some players kneeled and others raised their fists, and players on a few teams locked arms on the sidelines.
SESAY: Earlier we are joined by former Green Beret and former NFL player, Nick Boyer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK BOYER, FORMER NFL PLAYER & FORMER GREEN BERET: I met with Colin and Eric, actually just I guess 10 days ago now, the night before their last pre-season game where the game before -- the two games before that, Colin had sat down on the Bench isolated from his team and he read that open letter that I wrote to him and he invited me down to have a discussion about everything. And he was looking for a more respectful way to demonstrate. Because he does have a big heart for our military and service members and he understands that most police officers are good people and do it the right way. But there are still these social injustices that he is recognizing. So he decided we kind of came to a middle ground where he would take a knee alongside his teammates.
SESAY: Did you help him come to that decision?
BOYER: Exactly. Yeah, we all -- the three of us sat in the lobby of the team hotel in San Diego and just hashed it out in plain view there. And it was pretty cool. But it was really cool to see that image spread versus sitting on the Bench alone. I just think it's more proactive, first of all. And it's also -- you know, alongside your teammates is the key there. You are still part of the unit even though you maybe think a little bit differently.
VAUSE: As a former Green Beret and former NFL player how you to explain to people that Kaepernick is not being disrespectful to the military?
BOYER: It's hard. There are a lot of people who don't agree with it. We fought for the right to people to disagree and have those opinions. But at the same time, this is what America is supposed to be about. You know what I mean? That's what is supposed to set us apart from the un-free world is those freedoms, that right for him to stand for or kneel for something that he truly believes in and what's important now I think is the action moving forward. And obviously the donating of the money is a huge step. But I would like to see him and all those taking a knee or raising a fist to get involved in the community on a grass roots level to be a part of the change they want to see.
SESAY: You know the NFL from the inside as a player. Are we witnessing a turning point in the league? Are we going to see more of this kind of stuff, NFL players speaking out on important social issues, because until now, they have been kind of reticent? We've seen it more in other sporting leagues. Have we reached a turning point here? BOYER: We are seeing in sporting leagues and in the entertainment
industry. I love it. Because at least in this country as far as football goes, those guys are the heroes of many young people. You know what I mean? And if it's something they are passionate about and if it's something that is not drawing attention to themselves but for a cause. Which this is and I met with him and kind of understood that. I wanted to feel that out. And I feel that he genuinely cares and wants to see change. I think this is something that will grow in the sporting world and I think there's a place for it.
VAUSE: You mentioned that Kaepernick is donating money to these charities the sales from the Jerseys. And the 49ers are donating $1 million as well. Say what you will about Kaepernick but there is positive change already happening because of this protest. That is undeniable right now.
BOYER: Absolutely. After I went down there I met with some of the 49ers organization and throughout this week before the Seahawks protest they did that unified they were all interlocking arms. I talked with their players and coaches as well. It was really cool to be in a position where they were reaching out to me to filter it through. How would veterans see it through your eyes? I love the organization is getting on board as well. I hope the fans in the stands do too. That's what it is all about. It's about that platform making a difference for the community and obviously the community getting involved in somehow racism will exist forever, unfortunately but we can do better. We can always do better. That's what his message really is about, I believe. I could be wrong. But --
(CROSSTALK)
[02:45:07] VAUSE: It seems like we are almost at a point where there is an acceptable protest for all sides that they can make the point and people are happy with it -- or --
(CROSSTALK)
BOYER: For the most part. I think the far extremes to both ends --
(CROSSTALK)
BOYER: -- will always be upset about it in some way.
VAUSE: It's expanding the middle.
BOYER: Exactly.
SESAY: Thank you so much.
BOYER: Thank you. I appreciate it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: Very interesting fellow.
VAUSE: Made some good points. He was the one coaching Kaepernick. SESAY: -- the new process.
VAUSE: A lot of people seem happier with.
SESAY: They do.
A quick break. Donald Trump, the politician, maybe impacting Donald Trump the businessman. We'll explain the fallout for his newest hotel just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: A big part of Donald Trump's appeal for many voters, his success in business, and much of that relates to the value of his name, the Trump brand. "Trump" appears on everything from ties to towers.
[02:50:00] SESAY: But that brand maybe suffering thanks to the incendiary campaign he is running.
Phil Mattingly looks at the impact on his newest project.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump is open for business on Pennsylvania Avenue -- Trump International Hotel, the 263-room, $200 million luxury establishment sitting on prime real estate, a few blocks from the White House.
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (voice-over): We are way ahead of schedule. The quality is even better than we thought. We are right on budget. It's been a great thing.
MATTINGLY: But an ongoing court battle raids another question, what effect has Trump's candidacy had on his business empire. Trump's campaign said his extensive portfolio has, quote, "continued to perform exceptionally well throughout his 15 months on the trail."
But there have been no shortage of headlines claiming the opposite. There's an August report from Data Scientists at the app company FourSquare to show 50 million users foot traffic at his properties dropped 17 percent over the course of the year. But the Trump organization says the portfolio is, quote, "exceeding all targets across a variety of metrics, including group bookings and reservations volume."
Still, when it comes to Trump's newest hotel, there's no question the billionaire's candidacy has caused problems, problems that led Trump to file lawsuits against two celebrity chefs, Jose Andres and Jeffrey Zakaria, who pulled out of deals to open restaurants at his location because of these comments.
TRUMP: They are bringing drugs. They are bringing crime. They are rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
MATTINGLY: Donald Trump, in a deposition, for the 150u9 reviewed by CNN said he hadn't put thought in the negative impact on his business empire those comments may have head.
But Zakaria said it was a choice he had to make, saying it was a threat to his reputation and financial future, but he noted there were, quote, "moralistic reasons," saying, "All of my employees are Mexicans or Hispanics, almost all of them. It is disgraceful."
The hotel will take a hit to its bottom line. It was unable to find a restaurant tour willing to step in for Zakaria. Trump's suit claims $5 million in lost revenues alone.
But for now, Trump has shown little concern about any potential business hits and he's taken to touting his new crown jewel amid the daily political battles.
TRUMP (voice-over): We built the largest luxury ballrooms, meeting rooms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They needed one of those.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: It's really going to be a great tribute to our country.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Going to be huge.
SESAY: You had to go there, didn't you?
A new theory swirling about Hillary Clinton and it has the Internet doubling over in laughter.
VAUSE: Inquiring minds want to know how Hillary Clinton recovered so quickly after falling ill during the 9/11 ceremony.
Jeanne Moos reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOSS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From being literally loaded into a van to a peppy rebound a couple of hours later --
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are you feeling better?
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, thank you very much.
MOOS: -- the speed of Hillary Clinton's recovery was too much for some.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was not Hillary. Huh-uh. Sorry. MOOS: Thus was born #Hillary'sbodydouble. They say she looked
slimmer and younger.
"Personal trainers hate her. She lost 30 pounds in two hours with one simple trick. The photo on the right is an old one."
Some found it odd she reappeared without her entourage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody is around her. Why not?
MOOS: The Secret Service was there, just hanging back.
The body double believers pointed out physical differences saying, "The real Hillary's index finger is longer than her body doubles."
Along with side by side photos, someone tweeted, "Now I understand the Stronger Together slogan."
CLINTON: We are stronger together.
MOOS: If Hil can't do it, her body double can.
A Hillary supporter joked, "She said she has two body doubles to explain differences in photos. One is named Angles and one named Lighting."
Other fans were stunned.
"Think I may have seriously under estimated human stupidity."
(on camera): Next thing you know Hillary supporters double down #Trump'sbodydouble.
(voice-over): The Donald was compared to everything from a cat to Cheetos, fried, orange and full of air.
There were plenty of references to "Week at Bernies" showing Hillary's team propping her up like the dead movie character.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, this way.
Read one tweet, "If she doesn't want to raise concern, she shouldn't dress like Bernie."
It is enough to make a candidate want to call in sick.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Madam Secretary, how are you feeling?
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN --
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What happened?
MOOS: -- New York.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What happened?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SESAY: This is what social media has given us.
VAUSE: It must be true. It's on the Internet. I read it. It is true, all of it. So are the lizard people.
SESAY: Do you have a body double?
VAUSE: Sure, he's outside. He will be working tomorrow.
(LAUGHTER)
[02:55:15] SESAY: The latest developments in the U.S. presidential race have provided plenty of fodder for the late-night talk show host.
VAUSE: Here's NBC's Seth Meyer speculating how Trump reacted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH MEYER, LATE-NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: Hillary Clinton left the ground zero memorial service early yesterday because she felt overheated. Said Trump, "Hey, if anyone is too hot, it is my daughter, Ivanka."
(LAUGHTER)
"It will have to be a lot hotter than yesterday."
(LAUGHTER)
Following the announcement that Hillary Clinton has pneumonia, Chuck Schumer said he was diagnosed with pneumonia a few weeks ago, and Joe Biden admitted he is suffering from disco fever.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
SESAY: Joe Travolta.
VAUSE: OK.
SESAY: Yeah. You have it there.
VAUSE: OK. You have been watching CNN NEWSROOM. And we were live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
SESAY: I'm Isha Sesay.
VAUSE: We'll be back tomorrow.
SESAY: We will be.
The news continues with Rosemary Church. Stay with us. After this short break, she'll take over.
VAUSE: We hope.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
