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Sixteen Days Until Election Day; Trump Campaign Admits They're Trailing; Clinton Campaign Responds to WikiLeaks E-mails; AT&T to Buy Time Warner for $85 Billion; Latest on Palm Springs Crash; Kurdish Peshmerga Battle Against ISIS; The Undecided Voters. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired October 23, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:00:00] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again. Thank you so much for joining me, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is enjoying a wave of strong poll numbers with election less than 16 days away. Clinton is campaigning in the battleground state of North Carolina today. A new ABC News national poll of likely votes shows Clinton leading Trump by 12 points. CNN's poll of polls trend has shown Clinton on a steady rise in the past two months. The latest CNN polling average puts Clinton ahead by 9 points. The Trump camp admitting that they are trailing.

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KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: We are behind. We were behind 1, 3, 4 points in some of these swing states that Mitt Romney lost to President Obama. Chuck, our advantage is that Donald Trump is just going to continue to take the case directly to the people. He doesn't expect to cut through the noise or the silence and the way we're treated by some.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The candidates and their surrogates are hitting several battleground states today as the final push to Election Day nears. Let's begin with CNN's Senior Washington Correspondent Joe Johns, joining is the phone. He's boarding the Clinton campaign bus, leaving that rally in North Carolina.

So, how did the crowd receive her, Joe?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, actually we're still walking to the bus. It's a little confusing out here. It was obviously a pro-Hillary Clinton crowd at Saint Augustine's University in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was the second of two stops for her. Among the first one was an African-American church over in Durham.

Some of the interesting things I think that came out of this among other things, Hillary Clinton hitting once again hitting Donald Trump very hard on the issue of his reserving his right not to accept this outcome of this November's election. She talked about that one more time. I think we have some sound of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said something and this is important. He said something that no presidential nominee has ever said, Democrat or Republican, nobody. Nobody has ever said this. He refused to say that he would respect the results of this election, and that is a threat to democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: The bottom line on this swing through North Carolina for Hillary Clinton this weekend, it just shows you where we are in this historic election and the importance of North Carolina. It's one of those states that Donald Trump is generally assumed to have to win and Hillary Clinton is certainly trying to make him work very hard for it.

The campaign has another stop in Charlotte, and that's later this evening. So that's where we're headed now, Fred, on our way on the bus and then to the airport.

WHITFIELD: all right. Joe Johns talking and walking there, about to find his way back on the Clinton campaign bus, thank you so much from Raleigh and then, later on, from Charlotte. Appreciate it, all right.

So while Hillary Clinton is focused on North Carolina, Donald Trump is going on a full out blitz in Florida where the candidates are virtually neck and neck there. A recent poll has Clinton leading Trump by just 4 points there.

I want to bring in Hillary Clinton supporter Tharon Johnson and Donald Trump supporter Paris Dennard. All right, good to see both of you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, Tharon, you first, this morning senior advisor for the Trump campaign Kellyanne Conway acknowledging the advantages that Clinton has. Listen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONWAY: We are behind. She has some advantages like $66 million in ad buys just in the month of September, thereby doubling her ad buys from August. Most of those ads are negative against Donald Trump, classic politics and personal destruction, cesspool kind of ads. And that she has tremendous advantages.

She has former president happens to be her husband, campaigning for her, the current president and the first lady, vice president, much more popular than she can hope to be. And -- but she seen as the incumbent, so aren't managed going in, we were behind 1, 3, 4 points in some of these swing states that Mitt Romney lost to President Obama.

Chuck, our advantage is that Donald Trump is just going to continue to take the case directly to the people. He doesn't expect to be able to cut through the noise or the silence and the way we're treated by some.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. So, Tharon, how do you assess Kellyanne's comments?

THARON JOHNSON, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: Well, I have two responses. I think first response, Fred, is listen, she's looking at the same polls that the Hillary Clinton campaign is looking at and even the poll that you just guys just showed that she has a 12-point lead.

[15:05:00] I think that she is admitting that they have done a very poor job of really getting the numbers that they need in the key battleground states like Florida, Ohio. And if you even look at where Hillary Clinton is today, I mean, his is the state that President Obama won in 2008 and that's North Carolina. But she's able to go there today, Fred, because she has a sizable lead and predominantly ultimately, a battleground states.

Now, the second thing that really struck me about her comments was that, she talked about how President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Biden and her running mate are all across the country campaigning for her. Well guess what? If Donald Trump did not, you know, launch his campaign to really, you know, tear apart the Republican Party, then you'll have other Republican surrogates out there campaigning for him like you have all these Democratic surrogates campaigning for Hillary Clinton.

I think that his campaign manager, senior advisor know that the writings on the wall. This campaign is over. You know, Donald Trump has blew this chance to try to be the president of the United States.

I think Hillary Clinton has done a really good job coming out of the debates. She's been on message discipline. And the thing that really struck me also is at a time when you saw her on the stage today, standing with mothers of the movement, Fred. These are mothers who lost their sons and daughters to, you know, white police officers and officers all across the country, many of these victims were unarmed.

And then what we saw yesterday in Gettysburg for all places from Donald Trump was that he was accusing, I mean, basically attacking his accusers and threatening to sue them. To me that's the two different visions for both campaigns.

WHITFIELD: So, Paris, you know, what's your response to Tharon that, you know, it's Donald Trump's own doing that he doesn't have, you know, the leadership of GOP, recognizable names, you know, stumping for him, this while 5 million people have already cast their vote and numbers are pointing so far in Clinton's favor. So how does Donald Trump either change the narrative, turn things around or get greater appeal, perhaps even buy some recognizable GOP players.

PARIS DENNARD, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: I mean, just like secretary Clinton said in the last debate. "OK, that was a lot (ph)." So let me just ... WHITFIELD: You didn't shake the shoulders that way.

DENNARD: I think, you know, shake his shoulders. Let's me get back -- let's get down to it, Fred. At the end of the day, Kellyanne Conway, Kellyanne, the campaign manager, did something that was -- what she should do. She laid out the facts to the American people.

The writing is on the wall, and the writing that's on the wall is that, this is going to be a tight election. It's going to go down to the wire. There's no blow out. There's not going to be a huge blow out for Secretary Clinton. And I don't think there's going to be huge blow out for Mr. Trump. And you still get the ...

WHITFIELD: And you still feel that even though your heard Kellyanne Conway, who said, you know, we are behind. It was an admission of sorts, right?

DENNARD: Yes, you're right. But I think it's ...

WHITFIELD: Not even sorts it was.

DENNARD: It's an admission that we are behind. But we have ground to make up. And the question is, after all the things that gone on with respect to the way the media, I think a lot of other surrogates on the other side have really attacked Mr. Trump. He still only a few points behind.

If Secretary Clinton was such a strong candidate, have such, you know, on ground's well support, energy, enthusiasm around her campaign. She will be doing a whole heck of a lot better, but she's not. And at the end of the day, the American people going to have to decide into his point that he raised earlier.

What Mr. Trump also did at Gettysburg yesterday was lay out a plan for his first 100 days which is an important substantive plan that laid out certainty that he's going to do which is very important leading into this last few days and up until the election because the American people want to hear more substance. They want to hear things that are -- that he's going to do and is looking forward, not back ward. And that's the important thing, he's going to drain the swamp and he's going to do it.

WHITFIELD: And, well, and speaking of such, you know, in that looking forward he's talking about cleaning out the swamp and, you know, quoting him now referring to veteran lawmakers on Capitol Hill and term limits, et cetera. But this morning on State of the Union, Tapper asked Kellyanne Conway, in fact about Trump's comments on that. Listen to what was said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Let's talk about Mr. Trump's call to drain the swamp. One of the things that he wants to do is to amend the constitution so one that can only serve six years in the House, six years in the Senate. And Donald Trump's running mate current governor former member of the House Mike Pence. He served 12 years in the House. When Mike Pence was leading t fight against the Wall Street bailout in his 8th year, was he part of the swamp?

CONWAY: Well, he was definitely living in the swamp but in the case Mike Pence, he's been a friend of mine for many years. I can tell you. Those were dark days for him because he was up against Republican president. Also voting against no child left behind, voting against tarp and the medicare part D, very difficult to do that against a member of your own party when he's president.

But Mike Pence and people like him paid that principle's commitment to the people of Indiana's 6th Congressional District at that time. And he in fact held his promises. We don't see that from everyone. And you know that ...

TAPPER: What I'm saying -- but your -- but the proposal would bar somebody like Mike Pence from serving more than six years and at times like you think that's exactly the kind of person who should be in Congress.

[15:10:00] CONWAY: And Mike Pence would agree would agree with Donald Trump on that, that when you're there for too long, you need that fresh blood and new perspective. I wish there were more members like Mike Pence.

WHITFIELD: All right, so Tharon, you first. What's your interpretation of this? Was it meant that Donald Trump was, I guess, also be inferring that Mike Pence's tenure falls into that same swamp thing?

JOHNSON: That's exactly what it was. I mean, he's basically criticizing his own running mate. I mean, a running mate who spent 12 years in a Congress, you know, was one of the most divisive members of Congress. I mean, let's not forget, this guy was the sole person who led a crusade to try to de-fund Planned Parenthood.

As my friend Paris said, listen, before Donald Trump attempted to make a very presidential statesman like policy speech, he spent the first 15 minutes attacking his accusers. And so, when he raised comments about how we should enforce term limits. Listen, term limits are left up to the voters. That's why most members in the House and Senate have elections two and six years. If someone is not effective then members in their member in their district will vote them out.

And then, let me respond to this really comical comment about draining the swamp. I mean, it's very -- so laughable to me because, you know, if you really look at it, you drain that swamp, what you will find at the bottom of that swamp would be Donald Trump. I mean -- and you would see that to the side of him would be his play book and his campaign are showing you how not to run a campaign where you're trying to become president of the United States.

WHITFIELD: All right, Paris, real quick a response to that.

DENNARD: Look, at the end of the day the American people do not have a good feeling about the direction of the Congress. They have very, very low approval ratings. So Mr. Trump talks about draining the swamp, he's talking about getting rid of the toxicity that's here in Washington, D.C., the gridlock. The things that are not being done to get this country back to what needs to be, to make America great gain. So he wants to do that.

And we all or I can say this, yes, Governor Pence should be the vice president. We don't want him in Congress. We don't want him as governor. We want him to be vice president of United States. And that's how we're going to look forward.

WHITFIELD: All right. Paris Dennard, Tharon Johnson, we'll have you back. How about that?

DENNARD: Deal.

WHITFIELD: Just look at the clock, all right. You could stay a little bit.

Coming up, Hillary Clinton's campaign responds to the WikiLeaks claim that she made a pay to play deal with Morocco while secretary of state. Their response and the possible impact, next.

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[15:15:50] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. So a new batch of hacked e-mails released by WikiLeaks show Hillary Clinton's team debating how she should handle her growing e-mail controversy back in 2015, and even considered advising her the crack a joke about it at the gala dinner. CNN's Athena Jones has more on this latest reported leak, all right.

So Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook defending the Clinton Foundation against any pay to play accusations. He addressed these questions over a, you know, a hacked e-mail, didn't he?

ATHENA JONES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORESPONDENT: He did. That's right on State of the Union earlier today. This was a several e-mail exchanges that have come out in these WikiLeaks releases discussing a $12 million donation that the king of Morocco promised to the Clinton Foundation. If Hillary Clinton by then the former secretary of state would appear in a Clinton Foundation event that was set to take place in Morocco.

Now, Clinton's critics including Donald Trump have said this is evidence of a pay to play scheme, money for access. The Clinton campaign says it wasn't. Take a listen to her campaign manager defending her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: We're learning that the king of Morocco wanted to contribute $12 million to the Clinton Foundation last year but he only wanted to do if he could get a face-to-face meeting with Hillary Clinton. I mean, doesn't this feed into the one of concern that voters have about the Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation?

ROBBY MOOK, HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Well, I'm glad you asked that question for that reason. It was known for a long for a time that the Clinton Foundation's conference was held in Morocco. It's been known for a long time that Secretary Clinton chose not to attend that conference. So there isn't anything new here.

TAPPER: But Bill and Chelsea did?

MOOK: They did, but Secretary Clinton chose not to. And as you pointed out, this was an illegally stolen e-mail put out there by the Russians because they want the campaign to be about this. They want this sort of questions to be raised rather than talking about the real issues.

TAPPER: Well, this is a real issue. I mean, pay to play, if people don't like the idea of money going to the Clinton Foundation in exchange for access to the then former secretary of state. I mean, you can understand why that would trouble people?

MOOK: Absolutely, and it's not true. Again, I'm glad you raised the question because people should understand that never took place, Secretary Clinton always met the highest ethical standards when she was secretary of state, when she was United States Senator. There were systems put in place to prevent exactly what you're talking about. And again, the Russians illegally stole these e-mails. They're selectively dumping them out. I can't even verify whether the actual content in them is real. But this is the conversation they want us to have versus how Hillary is going to create jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: So there you have it. The Clinton's campaign manager saying that this is -- there was nothing to see here. Trump of course saying that this is evidence that Clinton was quote corrupt. But in the end, ultimately there was a Clinton Foundation conference in Morocco while Bill and Chelsea Clinton went to the event. Hillary Clinton did not go.

This just among many, many thousands of e-mails that WikiLeaks that has released and they're planning to release more. We're still waiting to see if they released any e-mails that proved to be deeply damaging, the kind of things that will hurt her in the polls in the waning days of this race, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones, thank you so much. Appreciate that.

All right, straight ahead, AT&T and Time Warner, parent company of CNN, make a deal. One that Donald Trump is against and says wouldn't fly if he becomes president. Coming up, what you need to know about the acquisition and the scrutiny the deal faces.

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[15:23:15] WHITFIELD: All right. There's a huge shake up happening in the U.S. media landscape, and it could affect what we all watch and how we watch it. AT&T has agreed to buy Time Warner for $85 billion. Time Warner is the umbrella company for CNN and also HBO, the Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Studios among others. Last year AT&T bought satellite provider, DIRECTV, and has been looking to add to the content. CNNMoney Reporter Cristina Alesci joining me now.

So let's start with what this deal could potentially mean for everybody out there watching, right. The media consumer is this going to change anyone's service or how much they pay for it?

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's definitely the big question for consumers. And in the short term, bill shouldn't change, service shouldn't change. But in the longer term, look, this is about getting consumers what they want. That's what the two companies are saying. They're saying consumers want to view more video on mobile and we're, going to give it to them. And this is the perfect combination in order to move forward and do that.

And to be honest with you, Fredricka, what do we hear the most about from millennials? They don't want to pay for these big bloody cable packages for channels they don't watch, right? So here is an opportunity possibly to get some bundles on mobile that are little bit more customizable and include maybe the channels that you watch more often and exclude the ones that you don't.

And, also, the executives are saying, "Look, we want to make more mobile content. We want to make more mobile friendly content. And with the studio like Warner Bros. as part of this deal, you can see that happening as well. So that's the positive obviously, there here as well.

[15:24:57] WHITFIELD: So in just the last hours Reuters is now reporting that the Clinton campaign says, this deal raises some questions to what degree?

ALESCI: So listen, at the end of the day, regulators and lawmakers have to examine this deal, and they have to make sure that consumers aren't hurt at all, right? That is the chief concern. Does this in any way present a negative for consumers where you had two large companies coming together?

And there is a real risk here, right. The government has blocked other big deals before. And on the lawmaker front, today, we had the members of the senate subcommittee on antitrust come out. And we have a statement from them that says, "You know, we've carefully examined the consolidation and the cable and video content industries to ensure that it does not harm consumers. An acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T would potentially raise significant antitrust issues, which the subcommittee would carefully examine."

Look, at the end of the day, the concern for regulators here is to make sure that the content that is part of this deal, which is a broad piece of content, right, is not exclusive just to AT&T's platforms. That you're not talking about, you know, locking up content and not making it available on other platforms to other distributors like Comcast, for example.

The executives of both companies say they have a high degree of confidence that this deal will pass master because at the end of the day, we're talking about two different companies. One is Time Warner, which creates content, AT&T distributes content. So, it's two different companies. It's not a monopolistic kind of scenario.

WHITFIELD: There we go, all right. Cristina Alesci, thank you so much, all right.

Of course, if you want anymore on this, visit cnnmoney.com.

And I'm back to politics. Donald Trump plays out of plan to jail immigrants who illegally cross the boarder multiple times. But, is his plan legal? And what would this do to our criminal justice system?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When somebody comes in, we send them out. They come back in. They go to prison quite a while. They come back. They come back again, they go five years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[15:30:19] WHITFIELD: All right. This is CNN NEWSROOM. Thank you so much for being with me, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. So, Donald Trump is releasing new details on his plan to tackle illegal immigration if he wins the election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: What has establishes is a two-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentences if people coming in illegally, for illegally reentering the United States after a previous deportation. And a five-year mandatory minimum for illegally reentering for those with felony convictions, multiple misdemeanor convictions or two or more prior deportations.

So, when somebody comes in, we send them out. They come back in, they go to prison for quite a while. They come back. They come back again, they go five years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Joining me now to discuss, CNN Legal Analyst, Danny Cevallos, also here CNN Opinion Writer Attorney and Immigration Analyst, Raul Reyes. Good to see both of you, all right.

So, Donald Trump's solution to impose mandatory minimum sentences, Danny, as president, if elected, is that something a president could do?

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It could be. I mean, you would have to have that as legislation passed by Congress. That's how we get these mandatory minimums. But, as a criminal defense attorney, I'm obviously a little bit biased, but I would say that mandatory minimums have not had that successful a run, certainly, in the drug context. And as it is, the average offender, I mean, it's a 10-year statutory maximum for illegal reentry as it is. But average offenders, they already served around 18 months give or take.

So, this two-year mandatory minimum he is advocating isn't that shocking. It maybe more a question of enforcement and that is the true power of president and the Department of Justice have. Not in enacting legislation, but in enforcing it.

WHITFIELD: All right. So, a questions about enforcing it potentially, and then, Raul, would this act as a potential deterrent? Meaning, it would discourage people from crossing the boarder?

RAUL REYES, CNN OPINION WRITER ATTORNEY AND IMMIGRATION ANALYST: Well, I'm not sure it would necessarily discourage people from entering the country because -- well, first of all, just remember, when we look at the broad picture, illegal immigration from Mexico is down. There are more Mexicans currently leaving the country than they are entering the country illegally. The border is more militarized than ever before. And the border apprehensions are down. I believe aren't that comment to population is down 9 percent from 2007. So that's the backdrop.

The way Donald Trump is choosing to look at things, he's viewing the situation as though we have an out of control border with thousands of people board across. That's his reality.

What he leaves out of the equation, what I think is very important to remember is the cost factor when we talk about having a legislative buy in.

It costs $160 day to keep someone, for instance, in immigration detention, which is it basically intended to be like a temporary prison situation. It costs about $31,000 to keep -- $31,000 a year to keep someone in prison for one year.

So, potentially, in the name of trying to deter illegal immigration, we're looking at thousands of dollars running up, you know, U.S. prison system. Whereas, what we have right now, we already have bans on people for example. Anyone who is undocumented who leaves the country now even with the intent to legalize their status or apply for a visa. It already triggers a ban on reentry which it can be between three years, 10 years or even permanently.

So, you have to remember when we look at this that Donald Trump's viewpoint does not necessarily line up with the reality of the situation on the boarder.

WHITFIELD: So, Danny, if, you know, we're also underscoring that, you know, the number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S. has gone down. And if that's the case, does that mean that the current laws are working sufficiently or at least addressing some of those issues that have become corner stones of Donald Trump's campaign? CEVALLOS: It may not be the issue of the laws themselves but its enforcement. I mean, enforcement is a function of two things. First, how interest is the executive branch in enforcing this and the agencies, and second, do they have the resources and the power to do so.

You know, when Donald Trump talks about a mandatory minimum, it's really amazing thing we do. For illegal reentry, we will jail someone. We'll put them in prison for a period of time after which, we will deport them. But that entire time, we're paying for them in prison.

So, when you think about it, Donald Trump is talking about getting rid of fraud and waste and everything. But if you mandatory minimum someone for 10 years, for example, in prison, you're paying for them. They would have been deported anyway. You just kept them longer.

WHITFIELD: Raul?

CEVALLOS: Well, exactly. So that goes back to the cost factor.

[15:35:59] And here is something else to think about. Donald Trump, as part of this immigration proposal which she outlined in Gettysburg, he has also talked about, for example, refusing visas to countries that do not want to take criminal deportees back.

And the prominent country in that group would be China. Right now, if we have someone who is convicted here and it's deported, China basically will not accept them so we're paying for their cost of incarceration anyway.

The fact is under a 2001 Supreme Court decision. I think it was Lithuanian national, the Zadvydas case. The U.S. government, if the country will not take them back within six months, after six months, the U.S. is obligated to release these prisoners.

So that's, again, not only we talk to legislative buying, we are potentially talking about changing the law as decided by the Supreme Court if Donald Trump is going to be trying to force China in some way, to send these -- to accept these deportees back or for the United States to keep them locked up here.

And way, again, looking at the broad picture, the outlines of Donald Trump's plan involved getting into a dispute with China, our number one trading partner, getting into a potential dispute with Mexico, with over paying for his wall. He's going back and forth about who's going to pay for it.

Over the weekend, he said that Mexico is now going to reimburse us, but then that evening in Ohio, he again said that Mexico is going to pay for that wall.

So there is some confusion about what his plan is. It's also important to remember that, basically, no matter whose polling you look at, CNN, New York Times, Washington Post, the American public does not favor the border wall as a solution to immigration, our immigration problems by about three to one margin. They favor legalization.

WHITFIELD: OK.

CEVALLOS: Some path to citizenship.

WHITFIELD: All right. Raul Reyes, Danny Cevallos, thank you so much gentlemen. Appreciate it.

REYES: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead, the fight to liberate Mosul from ISIS control, our live report next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ASH CARTER, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Well, that is the last major city and major objective. It does not complete the consolidation of Iraqi control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:34] WHITFIELD: And welcome back, a new details on a deadly bus crash near Palm Springs, California. The NTSB is sending a team to investigate the crash. It involves a tour bus and big rig trucks.

As many as 10 people were killed, 21 others taken to the hospital with injuries. A hospital got received 14 patients says five of them are in critical condition. Westbound interstate 10 is expected to remain closed for several more hours and we expect to get more details in a news conference scheduled for the next hour.

In Iraq right now, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are within five miles of Mosul after days of fighting to recapture the city from ISIS insurgents.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter made a surprise visit to Iraq this weekend and said, "So far, there had been no surprises in the offensive".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARTER: I'm encouraged by what I see so far. It is proceeding according to our plan. We've got tough fighting ahead and the U.S. will continue to play its part.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Mosul is the last ISIS stronghold in Iraq and there are growing concerns for the safety of some 1 million civilians caught right inside that city.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh shares in nearby Earlville. So, Nick, we just heard from Ash Carter, they're say that this is going as expected. But what is happening exactly today? NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's been unclear really what the pentagon's expectations or timetable have been. So, of course, Ash Carter will put a positive spin on it.

I have to say the territory we've seen, Peshmerga fighters often with U.S. Special Forces very much in the first convoy of armor helping them out in that fight. They've had slow going. They don't have to go around main population areas and then -- they may not debate a person of it say.

They have to push forward substantially through a lot of territory saying that one of their objectives say was declare about 100 square kilometers territory. This is the villages outlining very far from Mosul and the plains around that key city.

Many thought that the challenge would perhaps have been quite easy for the Peshmerga with a lot of coalition air power to achieve. It seems to have been slow. Today, they reported substantial progress.

We've seen an awful a lot from eyewitnesses about artillery being used, (inaudible), bombers being used. In fact, one senior U.S. special saying one bomber came back with an empty bomb cargo. That's the level of fire power they have been using since the Peshmerga complaining. They weren't getting enough coalition and a support as caucus they're staying yes.

They expect a difficult fight ahead certainly. And one U.S. specialized both who is saying that they expect this to be a multi- month endeavor. This is going to be a long definite fight. No doubt of tool.

Today, they took a key village called, Vashika, that was meant to be a challenge. They say today, in fact, during the press conference, they learned news of that between President Barzani with the head of the Kurd say it and Ash Carter.

Obviously, a lot of symbolism here in the early days of the fight. The key question we have to ask is how long is it going to take and how many resources will be used in order to get towards the urban sprawl of Mosul. And most importantly, how clear will the land around that area are actually be for refugees to leave and for the Iraqi army to resupply themselves when they actually have a much more complicated fight of the City of Mosul itself, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And if then to lead Mosul were going to be liberated, is there much discussion about what the concerns are after that?

PATON WALSH: That's the enormously hard to answer question. Well, part of the many different fractions trying to accept an influence in this fight actually get a say over that population centered itself.

The official plan is the Iraqi army along with local police and what's referred to a city paramilitary forces both from the same ethnic group as much population inside of Mosul itself.

They are supposed to take control. It will be have a whole range of factions around the city who may want to part of the post-settlement. And then there's a broader question of given the territory divides in Iraqi whether or not the Kurds choose to fight other groups around them as well.

This could be messy, but still the larger issue of what actually happens to this fight from Mosul has yet to be decided. Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much reporting from near Earlville, Iraq.

All right. Straight ahead, traditionally, whoever wins Ohio, talking about the race to the White House, wins the presidential race. Well, coming up, one couple in that critical state explains why they are undecided and why Trump is doing well there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:45:01] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the great from the status quo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe a mentality of being American first and then worry about if you're Republican or Democrat. Let's be an American and get things fixed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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WHITFIELD: All right. With just over two weeks until the Election Day, the number of battleground states is growing. A poll show Hillary Clinton is within striking distance of taking Georgia, Texas and Utah.

She's actually five points ahead of Donald Trump in Arizona and it's also now a dead heat between the two candidates in Ohio, a crucial battleground state for the last two decades and with the role of undecided voters so pivotal.

CNN's Carol Costello went back to her roots near Columbus, Ohio and sat down with two voters who still are not sure who they will support on Election Day?

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CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is God's country, Carroll County Ohio, a proud patriotic community 70 miles west of Pittsburgh named after Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

It's a place where hard work is supposed to pay off where independence is prized. The Daniels embody that. They started a greenhouse business two years ago. It's not easy. And what they see on the political stage isn't reassuring.

[15:50:02] How would you characterize this election?

HEIDI DANIELS, UNDECIDED VOTER: Interesting is my catch to a word. COSTELLO: David?

DAVID DANIELS, UNDECIDED VOTER: Well, it's just a zoo. It's just seems kind of crazy

COSTELLO: I spent my high school years here in Minerva, Ohio, not far from the Daniels. It's about as rural as you can get. But take a look, isn't it gorgeous? I grew up riding horses and hunting. It's a decidedly conservative place. Then as I looked around, decidedly Trump.

Trump won the Republican primary and also got 700 more votes than Hillary Clinton did in her race. People aren't just supportive of Trump here. They show it. One reason? Fear.

But what do people really fear?

D.DANIELS: Economic collapse.

H. DANIELS: I think that's the biggest fear.

COSTELLO: If you look at the numbers though, the economy has gotten better for much of the country. Why don't people feel it here?

D. DANIELS: Without the oil boom and the pracking industry, people would have been hurting. That's brought money into the area. It would have been a lot more depressed economy without that happening.

COSTELLO: Carroll County is eastern Ohio's most drilled region and oil and gas company leaks his land from the Daniels to pump natural gas. It supplements their income. But at the height of the shale boom, it made many farmers here millionaires. But oil prices tanked, reinforcing fears of government over regulation and a Middle East oil blood and Mr. Trump tapped in.

TRUMP: We're not going to let the EPA destroy our companies from natural gas and shale and all other things, not going let that happen.

COSTELLO: So when Donald Trump says he wants to make the United States energy independent, that really resonates here.

D.DANIELS: I can't imagine why any American wouldn't -- not want to resonate with any American? Why would we need to depend on anything? I'm not saying we need to be a closed society, but independence of your own destiny. Destiny is a pretty powerful thing.

COSTELLO: Hillary Clinton claimed during the second presidential debate that America is already energy independent. In fact, 3/4 of all oil consumed in the United States is produced domestically.

CLINTON: We are, for the first time ever, energy independent. We are not dependent upon the Middle East.

COSTELLO: What about Donald Trump do you think that resonates with voters here?

H. DANIELS: Knowing the folks, a lot of the folks that have those signs in their yards, is the break from the status quo.

D.DANIELS: Maybe mentality of being American first and then worry about if you're Republican or Democrat. Let's be an American and get things fixed.

COSTELLO: The Daniels are no different. They're undecided. And like many Americans, deeply troubled over their choices.

So are you guys definitely going to cast a vote for someone?

D. DANIELS: Absolutely. My opinion is, if you don't vote, shut up. You ain't got a right to complain. Lot of young men died for that right.

COSTELLO: So you will definitely vote for someone?

H. DANIELS: I will vote for someone. Who that is yet for me is to be determined.

COSTELLO: Do you think you might go all the way to the ballot box not knowing?

H. DANIELS: It's possible.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: Carol Costello reporting there. So the local paper, the Columbus Dispatch, has endorsed Hillary Clinton there. The paper has not backed the Democrat since it endorsed Woodrow Wilson 100 years ago in 1916. And just reminder, we are a less than 16 days away from Election Day, but already people are getting out to vote. More than 5.1 million voters have been cast across 35 states. And that includes more than 3 million in battleground states.

A CNN poll of polls showing Hillary Clinton has the lead with some voters still undecided, despite their stance on the issues, many voters had one message, vote.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I consider it an honor and a privilege and my pleasure to vote.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In everybody's vote is so crucial in this election. This is probably the most consequential election of my lifetime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't sit this election out. Go out and vote. Whether you do it early or you do it on November 8th, get out and vote.

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[15:58:11] WHITFIELD: All right, the 2016 election, the gift that keeps on giving. When it comes to late night laughs Saturday Night Live, once again skewering the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Spoofing their final presidential debate and the cast invited Tom Hanks to fill in as the moderator. Here's a clip.

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THOMAS JEFFREY "TOM" HANKS, AMERICAN ACTOR: Let's talk immigration. Mr. Trump, why are you immigration policies better than Secretary Clinton's?

TRUMP: Because she wants open borders and that is crazy. I mean, people are just pouring into this country from Mexico, and a lot of them are very bad hombres.

CLINTON: Bingo, bingo, I got bingo. Sorry. Sorry. I've been playing all year, and I have bad hombres, rapists, miss piggy, they're all living in hell and if she wasn't my daughter.

HANKS: Congratulations, Secretary Clinton. To Mr. Trump, please continue.

TRUMP: I have a fantastic relationship with Mexico, OK. I have personally met with the Mexican president. I forget his name. I think it was something like Mr. Guacamole. I'm sorry. Excuse me, Senior Guacamole. I also met his beautiful wife Dokita (ph) and their twin children, Chips and Salsa.

CLINTON: Chris, here is the truth, Donald said he was going to be tough on Mexico. But when he met with the president, he choked.

TRUMP: Wrong.

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WHITFIELD: All right, "SNL." All right, the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.

All right, hello, hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

[15:59:58] Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton is enjoying a wave of strong poll numbers with the election less than 16 days away.

Clinton campaign in the battleground state of the North Carolina today where poll show her and Trump still in a close race but nationally a different story.