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Philippines Keeping U.S. Economic Ties; S. Korea: Kim Jong-Un Fears Assassination; Naked Trump Statue Goes on Auction Block; "World Sport" Report. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired October 21, 2016 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[01:00:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, a presidential campaign already in the gutter goes lower. Donald Trump rips Hillary Clinton at a charity event, with his rival sitting just a few feet away. The most intense fighting, yet, in the battle for Mosul. CNN takes you to the front line. And the outspoken President of the Philippines says, he's breaking up with the United States, but it may not be that easy. Hello, everybody, great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. We're into the second hour of NEWSROOM L.A.
After one of the most bitter and divisive presidential campaigns in memory, the Al Smith Charity Dinner in New York, was meant to be a moment of civility and fun between the two candidates, but not this year. On Thursday night, Donald Trump broke with decades of tradition, taking some tough shots at Hillary Clinton, and he was repeatedly booed.
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hillary is so corrupt. She got kicked off the Watergate Commission. How corrupt do you have to be to get kicked off the Watergate Commission? Pretty corrupt.
VAUSE: There were some lighter moments, but for the most part, the jokes were dark and they came with an edge.
TRUMP: You know, last night, I called Hillary a nasty woman, but this stuff is all relative. After listening to Hillary rattle on and on and on, I don't think so badly of Rosie O'Donnell any more.
HILLARY CLINTON, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Come to think of it, it's amazing I'm up here after Donald. I didn't think he'd be OK with a peaceful transition of power.
VAUSE: Joining me now, Eric Bauman, chairman or Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party and Mark Vafiades, he is Chairman of the L.A. County Republican Party. Guys, thank you for coming back for round two. Let's stay with the Al Smith Dinner. This -- you have say, this is a tradition. This is the elite of New York, there's white ties and gowns. You know, it's normally very congenial to say, you know, to say the least, but not this year. Donald Trump, you know, he went sort of into his partisan speech and the crowd booed him. So, listen to this moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Hillary believes that it's vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private. That's OK. I don't know who they are angry at, Hillary, you or I. For example, here she is tonight in public, pretending not to hate Catholics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: So, Mark, to you, has Donald Trump upended yet another political tradition in this country?
MARK VAFIADES, CHAIRMAN OF THE L.A. COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY: Well, I think again, both candidates upended this tradition. Hillary Clinton didn't, after hearing Donald Trump speak, all of a sudden, hit it, and changed what she had to say. She had a prepared speech. It was, you know, in our minds, just as - just as nasty as what Donald Trump said about her. So, we have to put the blame on both of them.
VAUSE: Eric, both equal today in here?
ERIC BAUMAN, VICE CHAIR OF THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY: You know, again, I'm going say, you know, her harshest line that she used was saying that Donald Trump translates from the original Russian off of his teleprompter. I mean, there's a quite comparison between that and what he just said.
VAUSE: He is (INAUDIBLE) even this is partisan. OK. There were - there were some funny moments there. You know, Donald Trump, he essentially threw Melania under the bus for a few laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Michelle Obama gives a speech and everyone loves it. It's fantastic. They think she's absolutely great. My wife, Melania, gives the exact same speech, and people get on her case.
VAUSE: It was funny, but again, you know, this was meant to be sort of self-deprecation. You know, making fun of your wife, doesn't cut it, though. Does it?
VAFIADES: Well, I hope she knew about it in advance, because she may not have been - don't want to go home tonight.
VAUSE: Eric, I mean, does self-deprecation seems to be there from Donald Trump, I mean, is this a man who's capable of doing that?
BAUMAN: But - hey, listen, this is a guy who can't step out of his own way. He's always going to be the center of everything he does, everything he talks about, everything he focuses on. And he can't ever say anything politely when he feels that the spotlight is there. His method of grabbing attention, is through vitriol.
[01:05:09] VAUSE: Okay. Well, look, this obviously -- this night came after a very bitter third and final presidential debate, the night before, the two candidates didn't even shake hands. At least tonight, I think they did shake hands at one point.
BAUMAN: At the end.
VAUSE: Right at the end. And of course, the big take away from the debate last night, was Donald Trump refusing to commit to the outcome of the election. He actually made light of that today at one of his rallies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Ladies and gentlemen, I want to make a major announcement today. I would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supporters and to all of the people of the United States, that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election, if I win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: He gets a lot of laughs when the crowd is on his side. It's a friendly crowd. But Mark, there is a lot of reporting after the debate that many republicans believe that, because Donald Trump didn't turn - didn't essentially turned his campaign around on that third debate, they're now heading towards electoral oblivion.
VAFIADES: Well, you know, first of all, he did make light of that later in the day. He did say that he would accept whatever the outcome is on the election. This is a strategy he's using. It's a good strategy. Basically, he's strengthening his support with his base. There, you know, there are a lot within his base that are suspicious of what's going on. And think that maybe there are certain aspects of the system that's rigged, and this just strengthens his hand with them.
VAUSE: Eric.
BAUMAN: I think - I think he's been on the decline for the last three weeks. Hillary Clinton is now ahead in every Battleground State, save for one. She is ahead anywhere from 6 to 11 points in every national poll. And what has happened is, he has taken not one step to expand his base. All he keeps doing is going back and talking to the same core segment of people, and there are not enough republicans to win a national election and there are not enough democrats to win a national election. You can only do that by bringing in independent voters who make by some counts, make up 40 percent or more of the electorate.
VAUSE: OK. And with that in mind, President Barack Obama was actually out on the campaign trail. He's been campaigning a lot for Hillary Clinton, he seems to enjoy it. He took issue with Donald Trump's comments earlier in the day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That is not a joking matter. No, no, no. I want everybody to pay attention here. That is dangerous, because when you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people's minds about the legitimacy of our elections, that undermines our democracy. Then you're doing the work of our adversaries for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Eric, is Obama becoming more and more incensed by Donald Trump as we get closer to the Election Day?
BAUMAN: Well, you know, I think he is. And, you know, generally Barack Obama's a very decent and even-keeled man. And if you watch him, you can see him getting progressively more and more irritated with the thoughtless and sometimes quite frankly, dangerous language that Trump uses. This is - this is the first time we've ever had a presidential candidate in history, essentially reject the core tenets of democracy.
VAFIADES: Again, this is the first time in my memory, where a president is actively campaigning against one of the candidates and what he's doing is, he's taking this minor issues and he's diverting attention away from some of the major issues that Hillary Clinton is facing, such as all these information is coming out from WikiLeaks. I mean, there's some really damaging information coming out and this is diverting away from that, towards these insignificant issues.
VAUSE: Very quickly, the First Lady, she's on the campaign trail of doing for Hillary Clinton, what Hillary Clinton seems to struggle to do it for herself, explaining why people should vote for her. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA: Hillary knows that our country is powerful and vibrant and strong, big enough to have a place for all of us. And that each of us is a precious part of the great American story. Hillary believes in equality, inclusion, liberty and justice for all that each of us should have that chance to fulfill our potential and build our shared future. That is Hillary's vision for America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And she's in Arizona, a republican state which Clinton is five points up.
VAFIADES: Uh-hmm. Well, again, you know, Hillary Clinton isn't the best campaigner and Michelle Obama seems to be doing a little better than Hillary, at making the case as you've mentioned. So --
[01:09:55] BAUMAN: And hopefully, she'll be like the last Democratic First Lady and go to the United States senate or maybe be the next president in eight years. She's a brilliant woman.
VAUSE: She is the star of the campaign.
VAFIADES: I can see that she's setting herself up for that.
VAUSE: Right.
VAFIADES: I wouldn't be surprised. VAUSE: And they could turn Arizona which would be a shock.
BAUMAN: And, you know, maybe Hillary Clinton will appoint her to a cabinet position.
VAFIADES: That's funny.
VAUSE: OK, we'll leave it at that. Thank you, guys, appreciate it. The battle for Mosul is moving quickly. Iraqi-led Special Forces are moving closer to the city and they've recaptured a hundred square kilometers of territory from ISIS, along the way. Thursday was day four of this offensive. The coalition saw the most intense fighting yet. Iraqi military officials say, those forces killed at least 200 ISIS fighters and liberated the crucial town of Bartella, a huge territorial win. Arwa Damon is on the front lines and reports on what coalition forces are facing, as they move closer to Mosul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Attack helicopters swoop overhead and fire. A truck bomb is detonated by forces on the ground. That's what's left of it. 25-year-old Corporal Mohammad Alyazer says, as we push forward. His Humvee has been hit so many times, he can barely see through the bullet-proof glass. "When we finished liberating Mosul, I'm going to ask for my sweetheart's hand in marriage," he tells us. Alyazer dreams of the future, but now has to focus on surviving the present. A bulldozer barricades side roads to defend against one of the biggest ongoing threats, suicide car bombers.
It's one of the ways that ISIS was mounting its weapons, firing at troops as they were coming down.
We're with the counterterrorism division's special forces. The men are tired. They have been fighting nonstop, since ISIS swept through Iraq, more than two years ago. But morale is high. They've reached the town of Bartella, just 20 kilometers from Mosul. The forces have been pounding this area. This is the front line and being this close to the fighting, one can't help but to think, but to wonder about the fate of the civilians who potentially might be trapped inside. Thankfully, it seems, there are none. The vast majority fled this peaceful Christian enclave two years ago. That's when we were last here, just after ISIS captured Mosul, when Youssef and his friend tried to pretend that everything was normal. When 22-year-old Marianna swore, that she would stay even if she was the only one left and when Father Benham Lalu's church, was a tranquil sanctuary. This shattered community, this shattered country has already suffered so much. Staff Sergeant Derhan, doesn't tell his wife and four children, he's at the front. He does not call them to say good-bye before heading into the fight.
What would you tell your wife and children if you could call them now? I asked. "God willing, I will return home, when we have liberated all of Iraq's land," he responds. But liberating the land, is only the first part of the battle. Arwa Damon, CNN, Bartella, Iraq.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Syria warns it will take out Turkish warplanes which violate its air space. That blunt message came after a Turkish airstrike on U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters near Aleppo. Kurdish militia say their fighters were advancing on ISIS militants when they came under fire from Turkish planes. In rebelled-held Eastern Aleppo, the U.N. says the sick and wounded are being moved out after Russian, Syrian government and opposition forces agreed to a temporary pause in the fighting. The evacuees are being transferred to either opposition- controlled Idlib or government-controlled Western Aleppo. The heart- breaking sight of shell shock young boy, being pulled from Aleppo's rubble has become one of the enduring images of this brutal civil war, but now, Syria's president says, that image was faked. During an interview with Swiss media, a reporter showed Bashar al Assad the photo and asked if he had anything to say to the boy's family. Instead of answering the question, Mr. Assad disputed the one day reported story of Umran Daqnes, and even that he was rescued back in August.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[01:14:53] BASHAR AL-ASSAD, PRESIDENT OF SYRIA: I want you to go back after my interview and go to the internet to see the same picture, the same child, with his sister, both were rescued by what they called them in the West, White Helmets (INAUDIBLE) I'm going to send you those two pictures and they are on the internet, just to know - just to see that this is a forged picture and not a real one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: There are many eyewitness accounts of the boy's rescue after an airstrike, including the photo journalist who took this images, Omran's parents survived the strike but his older brother later died.
Still to come here on NEWSROOM L.A., breaking up is hard to do. The Philippine's President says he wants to split from the United States. Plus, some lessons in debate, body language as well as - just where are those trigger points to Donald Trump?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: The Climate Prediction Center in conjunction with NOAA, have revealed their winter outlook for the months of December to February, and if you like the mild winters, well, you're going to enjoy this forecast for the deep south of the United States. Above average temperatures from Southern California right through the southeast, including Atlanta, Georgia. In terms of precipitation, we have above average chances of above average seasonal outlook, at least for the upper Midwest and specifically the great lakes and into parts of Montana and Idaho. If you're looking for below average precipitation, we continue with a weak La Nina trend for the deep southeast, and unfortunately, we continue with our drought conditions for that area, as well as the southwest including Southern California. Now, nationally, throughout the United States for today, the start of the early weekend, we have a cold front that is sagging south and is bringing a shot of cool autumn weather from the great lakes all the way southward into Georgia. Also, an area of low pressure associated without bringing chances of rain for places like New York City, Boston, as well as the nation's capital. Look at the temperatures today for the big apple, 22 degrees, Atlanta feeling the chill at 19, 12 for Chicago, 24 for Denver and a steamy 30 degrees expected in Los Angeles.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. And welcome back, everybody. Most who watched Wednesday's Presidential Debate, thought Hillary Clinton won, at least according to our CNN/ORC poll. But the candidates' body language might actually say a lot more like this moment right here. It was at the end of the debate, you can see Donald Trump ripping a page from a notepad, look at that face. Here's CNN'S Gary Tuchman.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[01:20:04] GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And just like the last debate, they did not shake hands when it started. What does that tell you about what we're going to see for the next 90 minutes?
NICK MORGAN, BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT: It's going to be an angry debate, and this time, it's calculated. Last time, you could have put it down to accident, the layout of the room, some tension in the air at the moment. But this time, they had plenty of time to decide to shake hands, and they didn't.
TUCHMAN: There was an exchange during the debate, Nick, where you say, just in one second, you could tell a lot about what Donald Trump was saying even if the sound was turned down. So let's play that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: Because he'd rather have a puppet as president (INAUDIBLE) say.
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No puppet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: All right. So, there you see this face, and what does that face in that split second tell you?
MORGAN: As you say, that went by so fast and yet freezing it like that, you can see the disgust and anger in the face. So he really didn't like that puppet comment.
TUCHMAN: And he was disgusted and angry, but does that work against him or work for him?
MORGAN: This is Trump being consistent, consistently angry.
TUCHMAN: Hillary Clinton did something that we haven't seen much of in other debates. It was notable in this debate, it was her looking down a lot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: The Russian government has engaged in espionage against Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: I think she's uncomfortable here. I think this is a tell for Hillary. She normally makes very good eye contact with the audience, with the questioner. In this case, she's looking down because she's a little uncertain of what she's talking about.
TUCHMAN: Interesting moment in the debate, when the moderator said something funny, and we have different reactions from both of the candidates. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: There is almost no issue that separates the two of you more than the issue of immigration. Actually, there are a lot of issues that separate the two of you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: So you have her, not only smiling but laughing. You have him, looking down and looking very serious. What does it tell you?
MORGAN: Hillary's reaction is a more human one. She's laughing in response to the humor, that's what we'd expect from an ordinary person. Trump's response is consistent with his overall anger. It never changes, it never varies.
TUCHMAN: We talked about this a lot during debates and presentations, but it was very present during this debate last night, the water sip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: Espionage against our people is the life and the health of the mother. They have four million American citizen children, competition and Asia, you said, increasing jobs. We've got to do more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TUCHMAN: What does that tell a body language expert?
MORGAN: Both people are going to be nervous, they are going to get the adrenaline coursing through their system. One of the effects of adrenaline is dry mouth. And Donald gave in to that and sipped plenty of water in an effort to alleviate that symptom.
TUCHMAN: Something we haven't talked about in any of these body language segments during this debate season, but what's very interesting I noticed last night, let's call it, the microphone adjustments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CLINTON: When we talk about the Supreme Court - united a decision that has - but there's no doubt that I respect the Second Amendment -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: He's nervous. This is a fidget, this is consistent with his other behavior, and I want to show you one of the key moments of the debate, something that everyone is talking about today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS WALLACE, MODERATOR OF THE DEBATE: Are you saying you're not prepared to -
TRUMP: What I'm saying is that I will tell you at the time, I'll keep you in suspense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: He's absolutely sincere. His face, in fact, opened up, his eyebrows went up, so he's happy to make this pronouncement. He is being absolutely genuine, he intends to keep us in suspense.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining me now here in Los Angeles, Judy Ho, a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist. Judy, thank you for coming in.
JUDY HO, CLINICAL AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: Thank you.
VAUSE: There are these reports that Hillary Clinton and her team prepared for these debates by using psychologists, essentially to look at Donald Trump, and to work out where his trigger points might be. So, with that in mind, is it possible from a distance to work out, I guess, the best way to needle Donald Trump, to find out his weak spots? I mean, also, keep in mind that he did appear in 11 debates during the Republican Primaries.
HO: Absolutely. There was tons of evidences that psychologists can draw from him. What we can do as psychologist is analyze people's behaviors and their body language combined with what they're saying. When you have both the verbal and the nonverbals, you can really put together a picture of what people's personality traits might be and how they're able to act in other future situations.
VAUSE: OK. So, with that in mind, throughout these debates, Clinton did manage to get under Donald Trump's skin. And each time he was needled he seemed to take the bait, like, she would - I think in each debate she raised the issue that Donald Trump was given a loan by his father to start his company.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: In the 1980s, I was working to reform the schools in Arkansas. He was borrowing $14 million from his father to start his businesses. [01:24:55] TRUMP: I built a massive company - a great company, some
of the greatest assets anywhere in the world, worth many, many billions of dollars, I started with a one million dollar loan, I agree with that, it's a one million dollar loan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Is that something which, you know, psychologist may have pointed out as being a raw nerve and why?
HO: Absolutely. You know, I think that when you look at Trump in his overall career, he's somebody who projects a lot of confidence. Some people might say that he's overly confident. And so, what that suggests was that he may have some narcissistic tendencies, so when people have those tendencies, you have a real need to defend yourself. Defend your honor, defend your reputation because sometimes narcissism comes from a really insecure place. And so, what Clinton is doing here is making sure she's provoking him at every corner, so he will have to come up and defend himself. And then in effect, end up looking like he's trying very desperately to recover that reputation.
VAUSE: And while he's doing that, he's not talking about the issues, he's defending himself.
HO: Exactly.
VAUSE: OK. In the second debate, one of the highlights, if you get to the lowlights if you're a republican, was when Hillary Clinton raised former Miss Universe, Alicia Machado. This was that moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: One of the worst things he said was about a woman in a beauty contests. He loves beauty contests, supporting them and hanging around them, and he called this woman Miss Piggy, then he called her Miss Housekeeping because she was Latina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Not only did he react to it during that debate but he kept bringing it up for days and days and days afterwards, so what does that say about Donald Trump's personality in that he couldn't let that go?
HO: Well, you know, he is actually a very meticulous person from some levels, even though he's kind of big picture and seems really brash, when something gets stuck in his head, he perseverates, he can't let it go until it is resolved to his satisfaction. And so, I think he kept wanting to go after it and wanting to clear it up what he meant, and in effect, just made him look like, you know, he really had something to hide and something to talk about. And so, I think really she succeeded there, because she kept getting at something that he felt uncomfortable about and had to keep coming back to repair it.
VAUSE: And then, just in the last couple of hours, we've had this Al Smith Charity dinner in New York. Usually, the candidates get up there, they're quite self-deprecating and it's funny and quite warm and friendly, it wasn't tonight, he's quite mean-spirited at times. And Donald Trump -- there was no self-deprecation there. I mean, he came close to when he sort of threw Melania under the bus.
HO: Yeah, yeah.
VAUSE: Again, why couldn't he, sort of, have this one moment where he, sort of, make fun of himself?
HO: I know, it's interesting because self-deprecating humor is something that endears people to that person, and so, it's a way for people to really starts to like somebody, like their character, people do vote on that. Trump really missed an opportunity here, and I think it's because he's somebody who -- when he has a problem, he looks at other people to try to explain those problems, he looks at external matters, external factors that don't have to do with himself. And so even in a moment like this, when he could really actually get some voters perhaps, right, and get people to like him, he really couldn't go there.
VAUSE: Get those negatives down maybe a little bit. Right?
HO: No, no, absolutely not, because he's at this place where, you know, he can - he can't even think of himself as a cause for any of the problems that he has, and so he really looks outside for that.
VAUSE: Interesting, Judy, thank you so much. Interesting stuff.
HO: Thanks, John. Nice to see you.
VAUSE: Good to see you. We'll take a short break. When we come back, North Korea's leader is apparently a little nervous these days. We'll tell you why and his defectors says Kim Jong-un has every reason to fear for his safety.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:31:47] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause, with the headlines this hour.
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: The Philippine trade minister says his country will maintain its economic ties with the U.S. after all. It walks back comments by the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RODRIGO DUTERTE, PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT: Your honors, in this venue, I announce my separation from the United States --
(APPLAUSE)
DUTERTE: -- both in military, not maybe social, but in military, economics also. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Matt Rivers joins us live from Beijing.
And, Matt, we're now hearing from U.S. officials.
MATT RIVERS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: That's exactly right. John, he made these statements during this state visit here to China. He is still here during the day today and President Duterte is expected to go back to Manila this evening.
But his rhetoric is making waves and the U.S. is definitely taking notice. We heard from an embassy spokesperson in the Philippines and she said we have seen this troubling rhetoric that is at odds with the warm relationship that exists between the Filipino and American people and the record of important cooperation between our two governments. And they say that embassy officials will be meeting with Philippine counterparts and they have yet to hear from the Philippine government on what Duterte's remarks on separation mean.
There is a lot of uncertainty here. And the reason why, is President Duterte in the past has made outlandish comments that his ministers have had to walk back. We have seen that so far today economically speaking. I spoke to the secretary of trade for the Philippines and he said when it comes to economics he said he has no plans to separate his country from the United States. He said he is here in China to make sure they are balancing their foreign policy. That's what he said the president meant. That is certainly not what the president said.
When it comes to the military, there are immense implications if the Philippines were to separate from the United States. This is a treaty ally of the United States. There is a mutual defense obligation. The U.S. military has a rotating presence in the Philippines. All of that could upset the balance of power in the South China Sea.
So even though you might hear his ministers and secretaries in the coming days say he didn't mean what he said or his comments were misconstrued, it has implications based on face value.
[01:35:25] VAUSE: Matt, thank you very much for the latest details. Matt Rivers live in Beijing.
South Korea intelligence believes that Kim Jong-Un is living in fear of assassination. In Seoul, the defense minister has already said there is an elite team ready to take out the North Korean leader if there is an imminent nuclear attack from the North.
Paula Hancocks reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Is Kim Jong-Un an assassination target? South Korea wants you to think he is. The defense minister says an elite team is on standby to take him out if there is a nuclear threat. The intelligence agency backing him up this week telling lawmakers that they believe Kim Jong-Un is worried about his personal safety, changing venues and schedules at short notice. Claims we cannot independently confirm.
But some question whether South Korea could even get close to the North Korean leader.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think there is any other leader protected like Kim Jong-Un is. If you were to assassinate Kim Jong-Un, Seoul would be completely destroyed, and undoubtedly North Korea would lose that war, but you are just flaying with fire.
HANCOCKS: This man believes that the threat to Kim Jong-Un is closer to home.
The son-in-law of a former prime minister of North Korea he has contacts with some of the elites still in Pyongyang despite defecting two decades ago.
"Since Kim Jong-Un keeps killing many of the high class, they don't trust him. There is a possibility someone could assassinate him to save their own life, not an organized plan but a very real chance of an impulsive assassination."
He met a member of the elite who still lives in North Korea who confirmed the threat of an inside job is creditable.
Since Kim Jong-Un executed his own uncle in 2013, a number of defectors say elites feel for their own safety. Further high-profile executions just reaffirm that mistrust.
(on camera); There have been a number of elite defections since Kim Jong-Un took power at the end of 2011, including one a couple of months ago, a senior diplomat stationed in the united kingdom, which would suggest those closest to the North Korean leader still do feel serious fear about falling from favor.
South Korean intelligence officials estimate that, so far this year, Kim Jong-Un has ordered the public execution of 64 people.
Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Next on NEWSROOM L.A., it was seen in a number of American cities. Now a satirical sculpture of naked Donald is going on the block.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:40:22] VAUSE: We have this just in to CNN, reports that a 6.6 magnitude earthquake has hit western Japan. The country's meteorological agency says there's no immediate tsunami risk and no reports of damage as well. The epicenter is in Torri Prefecture (ph). The quake hit just over six kilometers deep. We'll bring you more information as soon as we get it. If you saw it, it's hard to forget, it and it's about to go on the
auction block. A foam sculpture of a naked Donald Trump will be sold in Los Angeles. The life-size caricature is one of many that suddenly appeared all of a sudden in a number of U.S. cities in the last few weeks.
Martin Nolan is the executive director of Julien's Auctions. He joins us now to talk about the sale.
OK, so, how much do you expect to get for naked Donald and who is likely to buy it?
MARTIN NOLAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Or as some people call it if the emperor has no parts of the anatomy.
VAUSE: Yes. This is basic cable.
NOLAN: Exactly. Some people want to rename it Nasty Hombres. We estimate $10,000 to $20,000. We have several bidders placing bids online. The auction in Los Angeles is on Saturday, this Saturday coming, October 22nd. I think it should sell for significantly more than the estimates of $10,000 or $20,000.
VAUSE: Is it just anti-Donald Trump supporters who are interested in into buying this?
NOLAN: It's hard to know who is bidding. People all over the world --
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Russia, perhaps?
NOLAN: We have been approached by people who wanted to buy it privately before it came to auction. We had interest from a museum in Mexico that may want to buy it, again privately, dismember it, and display it accordingly in the museum in Mexico.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
NOLAN: Exactly, yes.
VAUSE: All right. One thing -- correct me if I'm wrong, part of the proceeds of the sale --
NOLAN: Yes, are going to the National Immigration Forum.
VAUSE: Who decided that?
NOLAN: The group of artists that came together to commission Ginger to create this statue. This is not about the money but about the message. It's appropriate that the part will go to such a good organization.
VAUSE: There were a number of naked Donald Trumps, which sort of popped up all around the United States.
NOLAN: There were five.
VAUSE: There were five. Most were taken away, and destroyed, weren't they?
NOLAN: Destroyed, attacked, removed. This one in Los Angeles was rescued by a gallery in Hollywood. And, in fact, that group of artists will be at the auction on Saturday. They are happy this one has survived.
We have security on this all the time.
VAUSE: All the interest hasn't been so welcome for this.
NOLAN: Exactly. We have not so pleasant e-mails and challenging e- mails, phone calls, shame, shame, shame, phone calls on us. But generally it's humorous. People are amused and entertained. And this is the lighter side of what is not such a pleasant election process.
VAUSE: Very quickly, there is also a piece of pop art featuring Hillary Clinton.
NOLAN: Yes.
VAUSE: We had that but sort of cropped it because there could be kids watching.
NOLAN: Yes.
VAUSE: Are you expecting interest in that one?
NOLAN: Yeah. This is sort of like super imposed Hillary's face over Slick Ricky, the rapper. That particular art form that, people will know and recognize.
VAUSE: OK.
NOLAN: But, again, that is estimated at $10,000 to $15,000. Of course, she is the other candidate in this presidential race.
VAUSE: Selling a little less than the Donald.
NOLAN: It will be interesting to see who sells for highest amount. That could be a good indicator.
VAUSE: An indication of the election.
NOLAN: Exactly.
VAUSE: Thanks so much for coming in.
NOLAN: Thank you.
VAUSE: Good luck with the auction.
NOLAN: Thank you so much.
VAUSE: Thank you for watching. You've been with us on CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
"World sport" starts after the break.
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[01:45:02] PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Hi, there. Thanks for joining us.
Well, Arsenal fans probably didn't like it but Robin van Persie has made it clear that his return against former club Manchester United was, in his words, very special, like being back at home in fact. RVP scored almost 60 goals during his three-year stint at Old Trafford before heading to Turkey. Surely RVP wouldn't come back to bite the hand that once fed him. More on that later on.
First up, United with a first strike from Paul Pogba, his second of the night. He earlier bagged a penalty, his third since joining the club. And van Persie with the consolation after it all Jose Mourinho had this to say about those critical of Pogba's form.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSE MOURINHO, SOCCER PLAYER: He goes from the worst player in the Premier League to a great player in 48 hours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SNELL: Elsewhere in group "A," the Dutch team having won of their last home games in Europe. Now you can make it six. A win for them.
In other news, the bitter feud with certain sections of Inter Milan's fans are well documented. And while the Argentine's future at the club could be uncertain, long time, could the skipper unite the players and fans alike. One goal would settle this one. It would come from the hosts. A really nice finish. The superb goal. His first for the club. A brilliant technique. It ends 1-0, Inter Milan.
The other match, the Israeli champs going head to head with Sparta Prague. They were without a win in four European away fixtures. For any traveling Czech fans, the distance to get to this fixture, 2,700 kilometers. But worth the trip. 1-0, Sparta, the final score.
Former world number-one tennis player Rafael Nadal has pulled the plug on his season to focus on coming back strong next year. The 14-time grand slam champ has suffered a wrist problem that caused his withdrawal from the French Open in Paris. Rafael taking to Facebook, saying, "It's no secret I lived to the Olympics not fully recovered but the goal was to compete and win a medal for Spain and now I'm forced to stop and start preparing for the 2017 season."
It means the year ending world tour finale in England will be without Federer and Nadal for the first time in 15 years. Rafael is on the Spanish island right now where he's been overseeing the opening of his tennis academy, a cause dear to his heart, as CNN's Isa Soares reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rafael Nadal was born on Majorca, the Spanish island he calls home. He returns here every chance he gets.
RAFAEL NADAL, PRO TENNIS PLAYER: Majorca is my life. It's where I have all the people I love, all the families, all the friends, everybody. The island is just amazing and I love the sea. I love the home and I feel I can find all the things, the only thing you cannot do here is ski on the snow, but the rest of the things, you have it.
SOARES: The 14-time grand-slam champion reached another milestone when he opened his own sports center and academy in his hometown. Joe McEnroe paid Nadal a visit for a private tour of the tennis academy.
[01:50:08] JOE MCENROE, PRO TENNIS PLAYER: I can't imagine growing up in Majorca and playing two minutes away from here, and you build an academy in your hometown, that is incredible.
NADAL: I don't know if it's going to last but the most important thing is to build the first one here.
(CHEERING)
NADAL: It's what I live, what I'm going to live and gives a chance to be really involved. I'm here every day now. So I can see. I can be close to the kids. I can be close to the coaches.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have an academy in New York. But this has hotels, schools, basketball courts, soccer fields, everything. This is great for Majorca and Rafael has to be proud of this.
NADAL: A lot of years dreaming of having something like this and finally that dream come true.
SOARES: On opening day, thousands were treated to an exhibition match. That was anything but ordinary. Four former number ones shared one court.
(CHEERING)
NADAL: It's something so special, especially here in my hometown of Majorca. I think the people enjoy it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNELL: To see more on the academy as well Andy Murray's homecoming to Scotland, do check out "Open Court's" latest episode on Saturday morning, 8:30 a.m. central European time.
The funeral of the Irish legend Anthony Foley will be held on Friday, just hours before the team he was coaching, Munster, faced Glasgow in the European champions cup. Just one illustration of the depths of mourning over Foley's sudden and unexpected death last weekend. This Smartphone video here shows people lining the streets to allow his hearse by as his body was flown back to Ireland. Foley, who was 42, died of heart and lung issues over night. The team was due to play but the game was postponed.
On Thursday, surrounded by family and close friends, the hearse carrying Anthony Foley arriving at the church where the funeral will be taking place later. The leading figures of Irish rugby will be in attendance to pay their respects. The coach had previously been the coach's longest-serving player, captaining them to European glory in 2006 and playing more than 60 times for Ireland.
CNN "World Sport" returns in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SNELL: We're back with a look ahead to the U.S. Grand Prix in Texas. There are four races left. Only Lewis Hamilton or Nico Rosberg can win the title. F-1 hasn't always been the easiest sale to U.S. audiences but when our Amanda Davis sat down with the circuit chairman, Bobby Epstein, he said he feels they are moving in the right direction.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[01:55:11] BOBBY EPSTEIN, FORMULA ONE CIRCUIT CHAIRMAN: I think we are on track or ahead of it, probably $3 billion of impact for the local economy. That's what we were hoping to see.
AMANDA DAVIS, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: I think it's fair to say last year wasn't the most successful, Austin Grand Prix. How did the storms and the weather affect everything?
EPSTEIN: I think it was the best race in years. But for the folks who came on site we learned what we could do. We had a 2500-year rain event, 25 inches of rain in a week. It's hard to plan for.
DAVIS: The fact that the title was clinched here last year, how big a boost was that?
EPSTEIN: I think it's just as important this year that it's so tight of a race. I think we have people coming not just to see someone crowned the winner but to see the competition that happens when you don't know the outcome.
DAVIS: And, Bobby, it has been, in the past, fairly critical of the development of F-1 in the United States. Whose fault has that been? Has that been F-1's fault or an American fault?
EPSTEIN: Most of the promoting is left up to the promoter. It's perfect for the American market. You have a two-hour race you can build into your schedule for the day. A lot of the American sports can take three hours or four hours and you don't know how long. For it to really grow, you need an American champion.
DAVIS: How do you get one of those?
EPSTEIN: We could offer Lewis citizenship.
(LAUGHTER)
It's going to be a few years. You have some promising young drivers coming up but it obviously takes some time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SNELL: A reminder the U.S. Grand Prix taking place this weekend in the Lone Star state of Texas.
Thank you so much for joining us. That will do it for this edition of "World Sport." Do stay with CNN.
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[02:00:09] VAUSE: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour --
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