Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.N. Suspends Aid to Syria After Convoy Bombed; Donald Trump Calls for Suspending Some Immigration; Prosecutors Say Chris Christie New About Bridgegate; New Polls Show Clinton and Trump Virtually Tied. Aired 9:30-10a Et

Aired September 20, 2016 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:01] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Syria is, well, it's like hell. There's no other way to put it. And, again, the better angels in that country have paid a heavy price.

This is the United Nations aid convoy. It was bombed as it tried to deliver food, blankets and medicine to Syrians caught in the cross fire. Look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The red house of the Syrian (inaudible). This is the red house of the Syrian (inaudible). Around this house was more than 20 vehicles, 20 trucks full of food. Full of food and cover and medicine and (inaudible) and blankets. Today is the 19th of September of 2016.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Killed in that attack, Omar Baraka. He was the head of the Syrian Red Crescent; that is the Arab equivalent of the American Red Cross. He was one of the few trying to help 78,000 starving Syrians trapped in war. Who's to blame? The U.S. believes Syrian forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad or the Russians. The Syrian army this morning is denying all responsibility.

The topic of Syrian refugees in the United States has sparked a new controversy for Donald Trump's campaign after his son, Donald Trump Jr., tweeted this photo. It compares refugees, Syrian refugees, who are fleeing to the United States to a bowl of poisoned Skittles, and calls on voters to, "end the politically correct agenda that doesn't put America first." The tweet also bears the official Trump/Pence logo.

Trump Jr.'s image sparking a firestorm including this response from John Favro, a former speech writer for President Obama. It features the now viral photo of Omran, a young boy whose family home was destroyed by an Aleppo airstrike with the words, "Hey, Donald Trump Jr., this is one of the millions of children you compared to a poisoned Skittle today."

Jeff Zeleny is here with more on that, along with Julian Zelizer. He's a Princeton Professor and Historian, and Author of "The Fierce Urgency of Now." So, Jeff, first to you. This tweet by Donald Trump Jr., it bore the logo of the Trump/Pence campaign; but was his tweet okayed by the campaign?

JEFF ZELENY, SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Unclear if it was okayed by the campaign, but he, of course, is really one of the campaign's top surrogates, top spokesmen. He's out there constantly campaigning for his father. It was the latest in a string of controversies that Donald Trump, Jr. has had. A week or so ago we were talking about the gas chamber. He tweeted something on that. A lot of republicans wincing at this. He of course says it's just a P.C. and we can't be politically correct.

But the owner of the Skittles company, the Mars Company tweeted this, let's look at this if we have it. It says, "Skittles are a candy. Refugees are people. It's an inappropriate analogy. We respectfully refrain from further comment, as that could be misinterpreted as marketing here."

I do not think Donald Trump Jr. will be continuing to talk about this today. It's just simply in poor taste.

COSTELLO: But, Julian, his intent was clear; right? He's playing into this fear of immigrants coming into the United States, no matter who they are?

JULIAN ZELIZER, PROFESSOR AND HISTORIAN, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, via satellite: Yes; I mean, the comment, even if it's receiving a backlash, does fit in to the kinds of statements that have been made, from day one, in Donald Trump's campaign. Immigration and stopping immigration has been at the heart of his argument. He has connected this to national security repeatedly, and so while the comparison to candy might cause more problems than they expected, the basic argument about the danger posed by refugees, by immigrants, is really at the heart of the campaign. So I'm not convinced this is a mistake, but certainly the message is something we've heard over and over again.

COSTELLO: And it's hard to not notice, Jeff, that Donald Trump again brought up the idea of profiling immigrants. I mean, yesterday he was upset that news people used the term "racial profiling" but he was on "The O'Reilly Factor" last night and Donald Trump clearly meant racial profiling when he said profiling.

ZELENY: He did. The whole issue of strength and security now front and center once again in this presidential campaign. We saw Donald Trump as trying to project strength here, but this whole terror investigation in New York and New Jersey has allowed Donald Trump to talk again about his immigration plan. When he was in Florida yesterday campaigning, this is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We should temporarily suspend immigration entirely from regions where safe and adequate screening cannot occur. No one has a right to immigrate to this country. It is the job of a responsible government to admit only those who expect to succeed and flourish here, and really be proud of what they've done and where they came from and they have to love our country. They have to love us!

[Applause]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:35:02] ZELENY: And you can see from the applause there, at least at his rally in Fort Myers, Florida, that does resonate with a lot of people. So he has an audience for this message. The question here is, is that audience enough to win an election on. He is, -- we say doubling down a lot, I think even more on that on this immigration argument and using this latest investigation here as another way to do it.

COSTELLO: Well, that well could be, Julian, because the polls are tightening, right, especially in battleground states. There's a new "New York Times" poll out shows him just -- there's just one percentage point between Trump and Hillary Clinton. So why not double down on his message, it seems to be working? Hillary Clinton's message, you know, we need a steady hand, is not really resonating, at least with Trump supporters.

ZELIZER: Right; I mean, this isn't an issue that has brought him a lot of support. It's been one area where he's been remarkably consistent. So it's not surprising to go back to this. The thing is on polls he is not decisively beating her on national security, in fact, she's often ahead in the polls or it's pretty even. So the risk is obviously that he uses the kind of rhetoric and engages in the kind of demeanor that makes people worry can he actually be the commander in chief on national security issues? So that's the balance I think Trump needs to think about.

COSTELLO: And one other interesting note, Jeff. There was a Facebook post by Kathleen Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's daughter. She says that George H. W. Bush told her that he was going to vote for Hillary Clinton; is that true?

ZELENY: So interesting. She was visiting him in Kennebunkport, Maine, yesterday and she posted this online. We saw this online; so I reached out to President Bush's spokesman last night and he did not deny it. He said that President Bush's vote is a secret. He will make that vote in 50 days. He confirmed that they met and, again, did not deny it. Left it at that.

She said that's what he told her in that private meeting. We know the Bushes, of course, really, across the board have said they won't vote for Donald Trump, and this is George H. W. Bush. If not saying it publicly at least, not minding that this word is getting out there.

That's a big deal. Imagine, you know, the patriarch of that family saying that to a Kennedy.

Jeff Zeleny, Julian Zelizer, thanks to both of you.

Still to come on the NEWSROOM, a blockbuster revelation on the first day of the so-called "Bridgegate" trial in New Jersey. What prosecutors say Governor Chris Christie knew about the bridge lane closures.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:41:57] COSTELLO: A major revelation on the first day of the so- called "Bridgegate" trial. Prosecutors now say New Jersey Governor Chris Christie not only knew about the lane closures at the George Washington Bridge, he knew about them as they were happening, snarling traffic for days. CNN's Phil Mattingly is here to tell us what that could mean for the Trump campaign. Good morning.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. First and foremost, this was a surprise. We knew the defense team of the two defendants, who were top Christie advisors, were going to try to Chris Christie into this. We knew that they were going to say he knew all along. What we didn't know is that in the opening statement of this trial, the prosecution team would do the same exact thing, saying that Chris Christie knew on Day Three of the Four-Day lane closures that the closures were actually occurring.

Now it's worth pointing out, Carol, that Chris Christie has long said he had no idea. He found out about this through media reports and it's something he reiterated to Jake Tapper this weekend. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ): I've been investigated by three different entities, two of them led by partisan Democrats, who, you know, have all found that I had no knowledge of this incident and no involvement in it. So I would have no problem if called to testify, by either side, but the fact is that I won't because I really don't have any knowledge of this incident at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Now, Carol, a key question is if Christie knew about it, why hasn't he been charged? Why hasn't he, at least been publicly, been labeled a co-conspirator? The prosecutors didn't have an answer to that, saying they want to focus instead on the two defendants.

But, Carol, as you note, this has broader implications than just this trial. Chris Christie is a top surrogate, a very clear senior level advisor to Donald Trump. He's also running Donald Trump's transition team. Now we reached out to a number of Trump advisors yesterday asking, okay, what happens here?

In a normal campaign this would be a huge issue; has to go, right? Absolutely not. Trump advisors saying that he is not going anywhere. Donald Trump thinks very highly of Chris Christie. Chris Christie was one of the first major people to endorse Donald Trump, and as I noted, they talk very regularly. Talk on the phone constantly.

Loyalty matters to Donald Trump. He's not going anywhere. The bigger question becomes should Donald Trump win, Chris Christie has always been potentially in line for a cabinet position. As one of Trump's advisors said, loyalty matters to Donald Trump. Probably not as much to a Senate that would have to confirm him.

COSTELLO: Well, as this "Bridgegate" thing goes on and on and more comes out about what Chris Christie knew or didn't, what could happen to Governor Christie, anything?

MATTINGLY: Well, I think the big question is, Christie has constantly said he's no longer a target, isn't a target for prosecutors. The question becomes, is he -- they haven't stated publicly that he's not a target. Chris Christie has stated that. He said he never knew anything at all. This is going to be a very interesting trial to watch, exactly because of that.

COSTELLO: All right; Phil, thanks so much.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump virtually tied in the state of Florida; how the ground game is becoming even more crucial.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:49:09] COSTELLO: The refugee crisis has been a driving issue this election season, and President Obama is expected to make it the focus of his final address to the United Nations. That's actually what you're looking at now, the entrance to the United Nations. The President expected to deliver his remarks any moment now. Of course when President Obama begins speaking before the General Assembly, we'll take you right back to the United Nations, live.

In the key battleground state of Florida, a new poll shows Clinton and Trump virtually tied. Clinton is leading Trump 41-percent to 40- percent, well within the margin of error. CNN's Boris Sanchez has a look at where voters stand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A state that could make all the difference on the electoral map come election night, is also one of the hardest to predict. Florida and its 29 electoral votes, yet again a toss-up in 2016, [09:50:01] with voters divided on the issues and the candidates.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump was not my first, second or third choice but he is now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump is a racist. He discriminated against people with disability and I have a son that has a disability and for me he's cuckoo.

SANCHEZ: There are 4.6 million registered Democrats in Florida and about 4.4 million registered Republicans; a razor thin difference when you consider Florida's nearly 3 million unaffiliated voters. So both campaigns are throwing money at the middle, spending roughly $48 million on television ads since the start of the general election, according to ad tracker firm Cantor Media.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Hillary Clinton's America, the system stays rigged against Americans.

SANCHEZ: Hillary Clinton and her Super PACs have pummeled Donald Trump, outspending the Republican four times over.

Since early June, Clinton's team has spent $38.7 million on TV in the Sunshine State to Trump's $9.2 million. Despite the imbalance in spending, recent polls show Clinton and Trump are still in a tight race.

SUSAN MACMANUS, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR, USF: Flip a coin. It's now all about turnout, and it has been for some time. In Florida's last three elections, its two governor races and the 2012 presidential, the victor only won by 1-percent.

SANCHEZ: There are few areas that really illustrate why Florida is such a battleground better than the central part of the state. You've got retirement communities, like The Villages, which happens to be older, less diverse and a Trump stronghold.

And only about 45 miles away, you have the polar opposite, Orlando. It's much younger, much more ethnically diverse and it skews towards Hillary Clinton.

REBECCA, PHONE OPERATOR, DEMOCRATIC PARTY: This is Rebecca calling from the Florida Democratic Party. How are you?

SANCHEZ: To find an edge in Central Florida, home to nearly 40- percent of the state population, Clinton is investing heavily in an expanded ground game.

SIMONE WARD, STATE DIRECTOR, HILLARY FOR AMERICA: The phone operation, over several months, it just can't be matched. It is the ground game that will make the difference in the state with one- percent.

SANCHEZ: The Clinton camp is courting more than 1 million Puerto Ricans living in Florida, about half of them in the Orlando area.

WARD: She is talking to them about the things that matter to them, about economic stability, offering jobs.

SANCHEZ: The Trump campaign has been slow to build a ground game in Florida but thanks to a major boost from the RNC, officials say they expect to have several dozen offices up and running soon, along with more than

200 people on staff and several thousand volunteers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do have our offices open. There are 60 between the Republican National Committee, the party - the Republican Party of Florida, the other candidates and us. So there are plenty of places for volunteers to gather.

MIKE PENCE (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: America can be strong. America can stand tall again.

SANCHEZ: While Mike Pence energized Trump's base at The Villages on Saturday, state officials say their campaign is not focused on any specific demographic group. Their strategy is simply to get their candidates

and message in front of as many Floridians as they can.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We believe that if you meet him, you support him and you like him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And, Carol, it is crunch time. We're fewer than 50 days away from the election. Overseas ballots go out next week. Absentee ballots the first week of October and then early in-person voting begins on October 24th. The campaigns are well aware of that. They are here in the state this week. Yesterday, Donald Trump held an event in Naples. Tomorrow, Hillary Clinton is here in Orlando. Carol?

COSTELLO: All right; Boris Sanchez reporting live from Orlando this morning. Thank you. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, drivers in several state facing a fuel shortage. What's causing it and when will it end?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:58:03] COSTELLO: All right; we have a little bit of breaking news to share with you. I'm still digesting this. There was a notebook found on the alleged bomber in New York and New Jersey, and supposedly inside this notebook the alleged bomber mentions Anwar al-Awlaki. He's an Islamic cleric who was killed in a drone strike by American forces and he was the inspiration of quite a few terrorists, and alleged terrorists. Supposedly this man was mentioned in the notebook of this alleged New York city bomber. That would mean that maybe he would have allegiance to al Qaeda, not ISIS. We'll have much more on this at the top of the hour.

Now -- are we going to go to the United Nations? No, we're not. Okay, so there it is, the United Nations. President Obama is expected to address the General Assembly at any moment. We are awaiting his arrival. We've already seen the French President arrive. So that could come at any moment now. So if I interrupt things, it will be because President Obama is ready to speak.

All right; on to what's happening in the southeastern portion of the United States.

Some gas stations in the southeast running out of gas and others are getting creative to try to keep what they have. A pipeline spill, which triggered a fuel shortage for several states, has yet to be fixed. There's a state of emergency in six states. Now this gas station is in Augusta, Georgia. It's trying to ration its supply, telling drivers to only take $11 worth or about 5 gallons each.

To try to keep stations from gouging customers, Georgia's governor has signed an order to stabilize gas prices.

Next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now. And good morning, I'm Carol Costello, thank you so much for joining me. We begin this hour with breaking news on the New York and New Jersey bombings. Just minutes ago a law enforcement official confirmed details of a notebook found with the suspect. We now know it includes mention of Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni-American cleric who has been a source of inspiration for terrorist attacks.

CNN Justice Correspondent Evan Perez is working his sources and he joins us now with more. Hi, Evan.