Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

ISIS Fighters Fleeing into Syria; 44 Killed in Attack on Pakistani Police Academy; France Begins Clearing Calais Migrant Camp; Clinton Leads Trump in New Poll; U.S. Veterans Ordered to Repay Bonuses; Video Suggests Trump Flip-Flop on Immigration; Millennials in Florida Talk Politics. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired October 25, 2016 - 00:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:00:10] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.

Ahead this hour --

Advancing on ISIS terrorists set toxic fires as coalition forces push within kilometers of Mosul.

A siege at the police training academy in Quetta, Pakistan is over. Dozens are dead.

Plus, a new CNN poll shows Hillary Clinton up five points. Donald Trump calls those numbers phony and claims he's winning.

Hello and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Isha Sesay.

NEWSROOM L.A. starts right now.

The Mosul offensive is now in its second week and an Iraqi tribal leader says ISIS fighters are on the run. He says hundreds are crossing into Syria as Iraqi-led coalition forces push towards the city. But the militants who stayed behind are putting up intense resistance. There's fierce fighting taking place in Bashiqa which is on a key ISIS supply route. Coalition forces say they're advancing faster than predicted but the worst fighting is expected when they enter Mosul.

Well, south of the city the skies are dark, the air heavy with toxic fumes. ISIS fighters set fire to a sulfur factory before fleeing to thwart Iraqi troops. And it's made breathing extremely painful for people living and working in the area.

Senior international correspondent Arwa Damon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It could almost be waves (inaudible) against a shoreline on another planet; neon streams catching the light. But this hauntingly beautiful scenery is toxic. The yellow rock formations are raw sulfur, crumbling and melting under intense heat. It may look volcanic but this is manmade.

(on camera): When ISIS withdrew from the sulfur factory, they placed explosives inside what was a massive mountain of sulfur, as well as placing explosives over an expanse of around four-and-a-half kilometers of this factory sending toxic, poisonous fumes into the air.

(voice over): Hundreds of people in the area had to seek medical attention for trouble breathing, burning eyes and choking. Hospitals ran out of oxygen.

(on camera): I have no idea of how the vast majority of these workers out here are able to deal with the smell and the burning in one's eyes without having proper protection. These people actually don't have gas masks on but they are working tirelessly to try to bring this under control.

(voice over): Across this other-worldly landscape there are bulldozers, firefighters trying to stifle the flames with loads of dirt. This is a battlefield that has no rules or boundaries.

(on camera): And this is just one of the many ways that ISIS are trying to use whatever it possibly can to try to not only impede the advance of the security forces toward Mosul but also in doing so cause maximum damage and maximum impact on the civilian population.

(on camera): If this is a sign of the lengths ISIS will go to out here it's terrifying to think what it plans for Mosul itself.

Arwa Damon, CNN -- Mushaq (ph), Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Terrifying, indeed.

CNN military analyst, Lieutenant Colonel Rick Francona joins us now. Colonel Francona -- always good to have you with us.

So the Mosul offensive began over a week ago. How surprised are you by the rate of progress being made by the Iraqi-led coalition forces and the territorial gains they've achieved?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I think it's going pretty much according to schedule. They knew this was going to be slow going. They knew that the ISIS fighters have had two and a half years to prepare the battlefield. They've set up a network of tunnels, bunkers. And as Arwa said they are blowing up any of these factories that can produce toxic fumes.

We are also going to see IEDs, booby traps. And this is before we even get to the city, as you pointed out. They are within five kilometers -- or eight kilometers of the city. We're not even near the limits yet. Once we get into the city then you're going to see even more intense fighting as ISIS slugs it out inside that rabbit warren of the old city.

SESAY: So let's talk about the fighting inside the city once they breach the perimeter of Mosul. What will that look like? Are we talking about street to street, hand to hand combat? What do you anticipate?

[00:05:05] FRANCONA: Well, of course, ISIS is going to try to slow them down as best they can and then channel them into predetermined routes by using minefields and obstacles and IEDs.

They want to force the Iraqis to go where they want and those, of course, routes will be all booby-trapped and predetermined. They'll have snipers set up. So it's going to be very, very difficult. The Iraqis are going to have to go very slowly just like they did in Ramadi and Fallujah, house by house, street by street. This is going to be very difficult.

And remember Isha -- this is four times larger than any city they have tried to liberate. So I think we are in for a long, slow battle. The Iraqis know this. They planned for it. And I know the Iraqis want to do this on their own. They want to do it without the Kurdish fighters. But I think that they're probably going to need some help from the Kurds. The Kurds have proved themselves to be the absolute best fighters that they have.

SESAY: They may want do this on their own but, Colonel Francona airstrikes seem to being key to the success we've seen today. But Iraqi and Kurdish forces don't appear entirely satisfied on that front. They are asking for more air strikes. Would that be the right thing to do in your view bearing in mind the concerns about civilians still being trapped in Mosul?

FRANCONA: Yes, that's going to be the big problem. Collateral damage is, of course, the bane of air power in these congested areas. So as they get closer into the city, once they penetrate the city, they're going to have to have to use less and less air power only when they are absolutely sure they're not going to kill a bunch of civilians. So it's going to get even less effective.

I know there are some complaints now but if you look at what's happening, air power is keeping them bottled up in the city. The Iraqis have made a decision not to close off that western escape from the city. So we're going to see more ISIS fighters try to go out there. That's where the air power can be effective, out there on that western flank.

SESAY: We also saw ISIS launch these attacks on Kirkuk Friday and Sunday in an attempt, one would assume, to draw resources and draw the attention of the Iraqi-led coalition forces. It brings up the question of whether the coalition as it is composed right now, whether it can exist on simultaneous fronts, if you will, and make progress.

FRANCONA: Yes. That's a really good point. You know, we talked before, before they launched the operation and we were looking at the original plan was to encircle the city, also to wipe out that Hawija pocket before they mounted the assault on Mosul. But for whatever reason, maybe a political decision, they decided to go ahead and still have that residual force of ISIS fighters just southwest of Kirkuk. It was from that area that they were able to launch that diversionary attack on Kirkuk.

And that's what it was. It was a diversion trying to slow them down, break the momentum, draw their forces off. And I think it was fairly effective. I really question why the Iraqis didn't close that off first. But for whatever reason, now we're involved in the assault on Mosul.

SESAY: Colonel Francona -- always good to speak to you. Appreciate the insight and perspective. Thank you.

FRANCONA: Sure.

SESAY: Now at least 44 people were killed when militants attacked a police training academy in western Pakistan. Gunmen burst into barracks where hundreds of cadets were sleeping and began shooting. Two of the militants blew themselves up. When it was finally over several hours later more than 100 people had been wounded.

Our Sophia Saifi has the latest from Islamabad. Sophia, one would expect a police training academy to be pretty well protected. Yet the attackers were able to make it on the ground. What more can you tell us about what happened here?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Isha -- we know that this took place late night on Monday night at around 9:30 in the evening. It's winter so it was quite dark. This took place on a road called Sarayab Road (ph) in Quetta which is in the suburb of the city. It's quite a large compound, you know.

Like you said, it's got 700 cadets in there. And we were told the media was told by the Home Minister of Balochistan Province where Quetta is situated that these three militants, they just stormed in and shot the policeman who was on the watchtower right at the entrance and they just went in. They're throwing crackers and then started their attack, started their siege immediately which was then when security forces came in, sealed off the area and continued the operation that went into the early hours of this Tuesday morning -- Isha.

SESAY: Sophia -- do we know who carried out the attack? Have there been any claims of responsibility?

SAIFI: So far, no. There have been no claims of responsibility. And it's surprising because with such attacks there is usually an -- if not immediate -- a swift response, a swift claim of responsibility for such attacks. This is now with the death toll and the number of people injured looking to be one of the biggest attacks, one of the deadliest attacks in the country this year.

And it was, in fact, in Quetta where the other deadliest attack took place just two months ago in a hospital. So you are seeing hospitals and schools and now a hospital where young cadets between the ages of around 20 to 30 were fast asleep and militants have gone in and attacked.

[00:10:10] But in a place like Quetta, in a city like Quetta and a province like Balochistan where there are many militant groups operating it's surprising that there hasn't been any claim of responsibility yet.

SESAY: We shall watch and see what happens in the hours ahead. Sophia Saifi, we appreciate it. Thank you so much for joining us with the very latest.

Now Syrian forces are again attacking rebel positions in and around eastern Aleppo.

The renewed offensive comes after a temporary ceasefire expired Sunday. State media reports the Syrian army has retaken parts of a military college southwest of the city. Also a large number of rebel fighters affiliated with al Qaeda were killed in the operation.

Now France is clearing a migrant camp in Calais known as "the jungle" and will begin dismantling it on Tuesday.

CNN's Melissa Bell tells us what lies ahead for the people leaving the camp and those determined to stay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Long before daybreak the line began to form. Hundreds of migrants, mainly from Eritrea and Sudan ready for a fresh start.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope I see a new life better than the jungle.

BELL: their dream had long been of the U.K. It was a dream they had to leave behind as they left the jungle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They closed the way. We don't have anywhere. We must stay here in France because the way is closed and they will finish the camp. We don't have way.

BELL: Instead those who lined up today were put on buses to Normandy, Brittany and Aquitaine -- not what they'd wanted but all they felt they were likely to get.

(on camera): The resignation of those who left the camp today is matched only by the defiance of the very many who decided to stay put. The jungle looks like much as it did before the evacuation began. The difference is the tension in the air and that is the tone being set this evening by those who are determined not to give up on their dream of making it to the United Kingdom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going U.K. U.K. my family. France no good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need go here.

BELL: You don't want to go to France?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I don't like France.

BELL (voice over): The French authorities say there is no choice and the police presence here has grown more visible every day.

(on camera): Many of those who decided to stay inside the jungle and defy the order to evacuate are the Afghan migrants. Tomorrow comes the real test of their resolve when the French authorities move on to the second phase of this evacuation with the dismantling of the jungle itself.

Melissa Bell, CNN -- Calais.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Well after what's been a long, bruising campaign full of surprises there are now just 14 days, count them, 14 days left until the U.S. presidential election.

A new CNN/ORC poll has just been released. It shows Democrat Hillary Clinton leads Republican Donald Trump by five points among likely voters. Clinton is expanding her support among younger people, minorities and women. But there are some bright spots for Trump.

John King takes a closer look now at the poll numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF U.S. CORRESPONDENT: Two weeks out our new CNN/ORC poll shows a tighter race than most other national polls but still advantage to Hillary Clinton heading into the stretch. You see it right here.

Among likely voters, those likely to vote in November 8 or vote early, Hillary Clinton 49 percent, Donald Trump 44 percent, the third party candidates dropping a bit as we get closer to Election Day. That's fairly typical. Again, a five-point lead for Clinton nationally as we head into the stretch.

Let's take a look at why. Number one, Republicans tend to win among male voters. Donald Trump is winning but not by a lot -- 48 percent to 45 percent.

Hillary Clinton wants to be the first woman president of the United States -- a big gender gap among women voters, 53 percent to 41 percent, a 12-point advantage here, much bigger than Trump's advantage here. That helps Secretary Clinton heading into the stretch.

Also throughout this race, we have consistently seen this education gap that persists to the end. Among white voters with a college degree, Mitt Romney won them four years ago, white voters with a college degree -- Hillary Clinton with an 11-point advantage over Donald Trump. That's a big deal especially in some of the key battleground states.

Among white voters with no college degree -- that is the foundation of Donald Trump's support. You see that lopsided 30-point advantage for Donald Trump among white voters without a college degree.

Now we don't just ask who you're going to vote for, we ask why. If you go through the issues you see something that's pretty striking. One reason Donald Trump is still in this race, it's a hard climb, but still in this race is because he leads when voters are asked which candidate do you trust more to handle the economy?

But on other issues, narrowly on terrorism, narrowly on immigration, but then look at this. What has Hillary Clinton said in this campaign -- Donald Trump is unfit, temperamentally unfit, to be president of the United States. She has a 29-point advantage when voters are asked who has the best temperament to be president.

[00:15:10] A 15-point advantage when voters are asked who would make the best commander-in-chief. These are the key attributes for Secretary Clinton going on into the stretch.

So you look at our new poll number -- closer than many other national polls. Anything in there that changes this, the map that matters most, the race to 270, Hillary Clinton still has a lopsided edge. Nothing in our poll would change this map. Donald Trump needs to get closer still, not only nationally but change a lot of the state data to make a race of this into the stretch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Carlos Watson is here with me now. He's the editor in chief of the daily digital magazine "Ozy". It's so good to have you with us.

CARLOS WATSON, "OZY": Good to be with you.

SESAY: So Carlos -- I hate to put you in the unenviable position of trying to become a Trump whisperer, so to speak.

WATSON: Sure.

SESAY: But we have all these polls out which, you know, each of them -- almost all of them, I should say -- point to Hillary Clinton being in the ascendance.

WATSON: Yes.

SESAY: Donald Trump, however, sees it differently. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I believe we are actually winning. Now the press -- I believe we're actually winning. If you read the "New York Times" and if you read some of these phony papers -- these are phony, disgusting, dishonest papers -- but if you read this stuff it's like what are we doing? What are we wasting time for? The truth is I think we're winning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: You're in the hot seat. Please make some sense out of that?

WATSON: You know what, anyone who has competed this long, 15 plus months, has to maintain in front of supporters that it's close. But the reality is that Hillary Clinton is up in almost every poll. The CNN poll frankly may be a little bit conservative and she could be on track, Isha, and this is a big statement, to post the first double- digit victory we have seen for a president in the last 30 years. We haven't seen anyone win by double digits since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Not W, not President Obama, not Bill Clinton.

SESAY: He may have to spin it that way but are his supporters buying it?

WATSON: You know what, to his credit, they are still showing up in enthusiastic numbers. You still hear a number of them say that it's the love of Trump, some 60 percent say it's love of Trump, 40 percent say they're opposed to Hillary. So, you know, a little bit better than the other.

But I don't know. I don't know when you look at the early voting if that is holding up. In a couple of states, the early voting looks good for him but by and large in the dozen or so states that have begun, it doesn't look good for him.

SESAY: But it all feeds into, you know, dismissing the processes and the institutions that have kind of guided elections in this country and it also feeds into this war with the media that he's having.

WATSON: Very much so. But, you know, to be fair to him he would point to Brexit and you with a little British in your background, remember that very few people thought that Brexit would pass and, of course, it did. And so that's the one hope that so many of them hold out on.

And so consequently does he pick a fight with the media, the same media that arguably gave him $2 billion worth of free coverage?

SESAY: Some would say $3 billion.

WATSON: $3 billion and helped him best a number of very talented primary opponents, sure. But it will be interesting whether he maintains that over the final two weeks.

Because in talking to candidates like Michael Dukakis who ran in 1988, it was pretty clear about a month ago that he was going to lose. It was very hard for him to get up every day and show up and campaign in full swing when you know that the likelihood that you're going to close that gap is small.

Isha, remember the biggest closing of a gap we've seen in the final month is a five-point gap and that was in 2000 when Al Gore came from five points down to catch W.

SESAY: Yes. Well, some of us are saying there's wind in her sails, if you would, with Hillary Clinton is down to the surrogates she has out there. She has some high profile and high powered surrogates. Take a listen to Elizabeth Warren as she gleefully took the stage earlier on, on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), MASSACHUSETTS: He thinks that because he has a mouthful of Tic-Tacs that he can force himself on any woman within groping distance. I've got news for you, Donald Trump -- women have had it with guys like you. And on November 8th, we nasty women are going to march our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: I don't think since Janet Jackson have we used "nasty" so often in every day in conversation.

WATSON: Janet Jackson, Senator Warren -- I mean look, there's no two ways about it. When we look back on this election, if Hillary Clinton does win and become the 45th commander-in-chief, one of the four or five MVP awards you have to give was to Elizabeth Warren.

And why do I say that. Immediately after Trump clearly closed the nomination and Hillary did as well the most forceful Democrat to really take it to Trump and use his kind of, if you will, playground tactics was Elizabeth Warren.

[00:20:00] And it wasn't until she did -- because remember Marco Rubio really didn't do it until too late; Ted Cruz the same thing and so an important role. But the question for everyone is, post-election if Hillary does win -- will Senator Warren be a key ally?

SESAY: Yes.

WATSON: Or like we saw with Bobby Kennedy and LBJ in '64 will they go from friends to competitors over the succeeding four years? Don't know.

SESAY: Yes. And that is the question that people are already pondering.

WATSON: Already.

SESAY: What happens to this relationship?

Carlos, it's so good to have you with us. I know you are back next hour.

WATSON: Looking forward to it.

SESAY: We will keep the conversation going. And you can go practice your Janet Jackson "Nasty".

WATSON: I'll sing a little bit with you. If you want me to come back, do a little duet -- a little Isha, Carlos.

SESAY: We'll see what we can do.

WATSON: We can try. A little Sierra Leone, a little Miami -- I love it. We can do it.

SESAY: We're going to take a quick break now. From his mouth to voters' ears, CNN finds evidence that Donald Trump hasn't always taken a hard line on immigration.

And next, thousands of U.S. military veterans get unexpected collection notices from the government.

Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: Hello everyone.

Thousands of U.S. veterans who once put their lives on the line fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are locked in a struggle with their own government. It paid them bonuses to reenlist but Washington now says they have to give the money back.

CNN's Drew Griffin is looking into how this happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. military had a problem in 2006. It wasn't recruiting enough new enlistees so what it did, it threw money at the problem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: In 2006 the military desperately needed soldiers to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan but it was missing recruitment goals for new enlistees. So the Defense Department starting paying incentive to keep the soldiers it already had. Reenlist and you get not just money but loan forgiveness, other benefits. It was a good deal.

Thousands reenlisted. And now nearly 10,000 of them are being told that good deal was a crime. A federal investigation found enlistment officers committing fraud. On California the FBI went after Master Sergeant Toni Jaffe (ph) who pled guilty to submitting false and fictitious claims on behalf of her fellow California National Guard members. Her efforts added up to $15.2 million in illegal payouts and loan repayments to California Guardsmen.

Jaffe's gone to prison but inexplicably, the Department of Defense has gone after the soldiers to pay back their bonuses. Chris Van Meter served his country an extra six years and then was forced to pay back $46,000.

[00:24:57] CHRIS VAN METER, NATIONAL GUARD RESERVIST: You think it's a joke. It obviously was not a joke. And it's gut-wrenching because you have to figure out what you're going to do and how you're going to survive. I had a young family at the time. GRIFFIN: The California National Guard shares the frustration but says it does not have authority to waive the debts. California Congressman Adam Schiff today told CNN he has already written to the head of the California National Guard asking any attempts to reclaim soldiers' bonus money be stopped until he and Congress can work out a solution.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF, CALIFORNIA: I think it's outrageous that the National Guard soldiers are being asked to repay bonuses that they had every right to expect.

GRIFFIN: There is already a cry from many members of Congress including the two U.S. senators from California demanding there be an investigation and at least a temporary halt to having these soldiers pay back their money but this problem has been going on now for several years and so far, no solution.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Thanks to Drew Griffin for that report there.

Joining me now from San Antonio, Texas is former Army Sergeant First Class Robert Richmond. He's one of those veterans who received a letter recalling his reenlistment bonus. Thank you so much for joining us. How much was your bonus and when did you discover you had to pay it back?

SGT. FIRST CLASS ROBERT RICHMOND, U.S. ARMY: My bonus was originally given to me in November 2006. And in October of 2014 is when I was notified that I needed to turn in the bonus.

SESAY: And how much are we talking about here?

RICHMOND: I'm sorry. It was $15,000 bonus.

SESAY: Ok -- $15,000. You got the notice in October 2014. And as I understand it you have refused to repay it. Explain why.

RICHMOND: They sent me a letter stating that I received the bonus illegally against federal law and against National Guard policy and that I had to immediately return it or they would ruin my credit and turn me in to the Treasury Department for collection.

The first contact I had with them and I called them immediately and the more I gave it thought I realize I had a contract, a contract that you know, the statute of limitations was four years ago as far as I knew and there was no way that they were entitled to this money.

SESAY: Some of your fellow service members say they feel betrayed by the military higher ups and by the system. How does all this make you feel?

RICHMOND: I feel exactly the same way when I first received the letter. It was the way it was presented. It wasn't even hey, we did an audit and your name came up and we have a few questions for you, can you help us out. It was -- it seemed like an immediate accusal of guilt.

And the more I researched it, I realized that the problem lay with the fact that leaders who didn't monitor their personnel and they became victims of a crime because they refused to do their job. And rather than take the victimization on themselves they passed the victimization on to the soldiers who signed the contracts in good faith, thinking they were legitimate contracts, fulfill those contracts.

SESAY: So Robert -- how do you go about fighting this? Talk to me about what you have done since 2014 and what the road ahead looks like for you now.

RICHMOND: Well, initially I asked what I was supposed to do and there seems to be a lot of confusion in the system they had for remedy. They gave you a packet of paper and you could do this route or that route. It was pretty confusing.

So one was I was supposed to request exception to policy but in doing so they had a form that required me to suggest that I received the payment erroneously. Well, I didn't feel that it was erroneous because I was promised in the contract.

When I did originally not do that, they told me I can no longer have that option and I have to file with the military board of corrections. Once I did that, after year of waiting they returned my letter and said you have to first ask for the exemption of policy and get a denial letter before we can help you. So now you have to resubmit the package and wait another year for us to consider relieving you of the debt.

SESAY: It all sounds so terribly, terribly confusing. Before I let you go, just share with our viewers what this has meant for your family, what it's meant for you, the impact of all of this as you deal with this legal battle.

RICHMOND: Yes, it was -- initially it was devastating. I hit bad times. I mean you know with the economy crashing everywhere, it is difficult for a lot of people. And like many, I was between jobs looking for work when I received this letter.

And I was appalled by it. But when I lost my job I had saved money and had good credit. So I tended on making some business deals and I had a loan ready to go.

[00:30:03] And when I went to get the loan -- I already invested half of my cash, and when I went to get the loan, the army had just placed on my credit reports that I hadn't paid this $15,000 debt that I owed to them. It devastated my financial ability and I ended up placing everything I had on credit cards and work on the project until I ran out of money and it left my family in dire needs. It really did.

SESAY: Well, our hearts go out to you and the other service members. This is a desperate, desperately awful situation to be in. And we're going to continue to check in with you and see how you get on.

Robert Richmond, we appreciate you joining us to tell us about your situation. Thank you.

RICHMOND: Can I add one thing?

SESAY: Yes, sure.

RICHMOND: May I add one thing?

SESAY: Of course.

RICHMOND: Yes. This is not just the California National Guard. This is happening to guard members in all of the states and people are ignoring that.

SESAY: That's right.

RICHMOND: It's not just California National Guard.

SESAY: Well, CNN is going to continue to follow the story and continue to ask the tough questions, sir.

Thank you for joining us.

RICHMOND: Thank you very much.

SESAY: You're welcome.

Time for a quick break.

Just ahead, CNN finds evidence that Donald Trump's tough immigration position is quite a shift from his recent past.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SESAY: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles, I'm Isha Sesay.

With just two weeks until the U.S. presidential election, a new "CNN/ORC poll" shows Democrat Hillary Clinton leads Republican Donald Trump by 5 points among likely voters. Clinton has expanded her edge among younger and minority voters. Trump has increased his support among whites without college degrees.

[00:35:00] Well, Donald Trump began his run for the U.S. presidency with a hard line position on immigration. Now there is new video uncovered by CNN's "KFile" that shows the Republican candidate had quite a different opinion just a few years earlier.

CNN's Kyung Lah has details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Isha, he has said it so many times, Donald Trump wants to deport undocumented immigrants but he didn't always feel that way.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We have some bad hombres here and we're going to get them out.

LAH: Deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants starting with the criminals, Donald Trump's central and defining issue in his campaign.

TRUMP: Build that wall. Build that wall. Build that wall.

LAH: The rallying cry at his events from the moment he kicked off his campaign with these words.

TRUMP: They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.

LAH: But just four years ago, CNN's "KFile" found that Trump actually said he didn't believe in deportation. June 2012, Donald Trump called into CNBC's "Squawk Box."

TRUMP: You have people in this country for 20 years. They've done a great job. They've done wonderfully. They've gone to school. They've gotten good marks. They are productive. Now we are supposed to send them out of the country, I don't believe in that, Michelle, and you understand that. I don't believe in a lot of the things that are being said.

LAH: Trump was reacting as a business man to the Supreme Court ruling the day before striking down key parts of Arizona's tough immigration law.

TRUMP: The problem with the ruling yesterday is nobody knows what it means, nobody knows what effect it's going to have and it could have a very, very seriously negative impact on everything. It's total confusion. And what it will do is tremendous amounts of discrimination lawsuits will be brought in the courts.

LAH: What a difference four years makes.

TRUMP: Let me tell you, I'm going to force them right back into their country. They are murderers and some very bad people.

We have at least 11 million people in this country that came in illegally. They will go out.

You are going to have a deportation force. And you're going to do it humanely.

LAH: Trump has been vague about how he would handle undocumented immigrants living peacefully in the U.S., but remains clear about one thing, he would still deport them.

TRUMP: For those here illegally today, who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only. To return home and apply for re-entry like everybody else under the rules of the new legal immigration system.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign. We have not received a response as of yet. Trump has flipped on a number of different issues -- gun control, nuclear proliferation as well as the issue of abortion. But it is immigration that is so critical here because it is a central theme of his campaign.

Isha?

SESAY: Our thanks to Kyung Lah for that.

We're sticking with politics. Our Richard Quest is talking about it with voters in the sunshine state. Florida Millennials weigh in on their choice for president, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:41:40] SESAY: Hello, everyone.

So CNN's Richard Quest is traveling across the U.S. talking with voters about the upcoming election. In today's report, he visits Millennials at FAMU, Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University. They love tailgating and their school's football team.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's homecoming weekend at Florida A&M University and watching the college football team, the Rattlers, is a great way to bring alumni and current students together at this predominantly African-American University. FAMU has its known 9,500 students and plays a huge role in the advancement of the south's black community.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We change the lives of students immediately. We have so many kids who are first-generation students that when they leave here, the average levels of compensation is greater than that of the households that they'd left. So we've made a life changing event occur in four years.

QUEST: Any idea that these students have been so turned off by this year's bizarre election, they won't vote is far from reality.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To me, it's mandatory. You know, I feel like it's important for, you know, us young students or young adults to go out and support.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was always thinking about voting. It's very important for us young people to vote so we can have a voice.

QUEST: What do you think the biggest issue has been for people of your age in this election?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Failing to vote. That's an issue.

QUEST: What do you make of the election so far? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd have to say I'm disappointed, because I just turned 18. It's my first time to vote and it's just not what I expected it to be or like what I've seen in the previous election.

QUEST: Did you even think about Donald?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no, no, no.

QUEST: But the tailgate parties outside the stadium, there is plenty of opportunity to enjoy real southern food.

(on-camera): What on earth -- I can see that chicken --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Drunk chicken.

QUEST: Drunk chicken. What do you mean by drunk chicken.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's chicken on a beer. So he's drunk.

QUEST: The drunk chicken will have to wait and drink more. I'm trying to find Donald Trump supporters.

Could you ever bring yourself to vote for Donald Trump?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

QUEST: You sure you don't want to think about it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. I don't want to think about it.

QUEST: What do you make of the election?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do I make of the election? I got to vote for Hillary Clinton. I like her. She's a good girl.

QUEST: The very suggestion to these FAMU alumni that they might support Mr. Trump is rubbished.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really can't see a black African-American like myself voting for Donald Trump, no, I cannot.

QUEST: In an election full of rancor and spite, here, there's much to celebrate. For instance the school's homecoming king and queen and the award-winning marching band's performance at halftime.

For some of the freshmen students, this election is their first time to vote. Skeptical and cynical, they may be about politicians, but they are still excited to cast their first ballot.

[00:45:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it would be amazing to have a first woman president. I think I would honestly -- my heart would just (INAUDIBLE) because that's something that I got to see and got to contribute to.

QUEST: I'm not surprised I fail to find any Trump supporters here, even so I leave FAMU reinforced by having met students who are determined to vote, whatever the outcome on November the 8th.

Richard Quest, CNN, Tallahassee, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Those FAMU students really know how to party. Our Richard Quest is still out there on the road.

And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay. "World Sport" is up next. Then I'll be back with another hour of news from around the world. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)