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Clinton and Trump Make Closing Arguments in Battleground States; ISIS Releases Audio Message Allegedly from Leader; Chicago Cubs Win World Series; South Korea's President Could be Investigated by Prosecutors; Obama Breaks Silence on Controversial FBI Decision; Calls Growing for South African President to Resign. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired November 03, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Unqualified or unhinged. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump make their closing arguments in a slew of increasingly competitive battleground states.

Message from the top, the illusive leader of ISIS makes a rare address to his followers in Mosul.

And the curse broken. The Chicago Cubs win the World Series after a century plus of heart break, defeating Cleveland in extra innings.

Hello and welcome to our viewers all across the globe. I'm Rosemary Church. And this is CNN Newsroom.

Just six days left in the U.S. presidential election and CNN's latest poll show just how tight the race for the White House is in crucial states. Donald Trump is leading in Arizona and has shifted his standing in Nevada.

And Hillary Clinton has a small lead in Florida and Pennsylvania. The candidates are fighting for every last vote trying to win over voters in these battleground states.

Trump stumped in Florida on Wednesday, reminding himself to stay on message and taking shots at his opponent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What a great crowd. We got to be nice and cool. Nice and cool. All right. Stay on point, Donald. Stay on point. No side tracks, Donald. Nice and easy, nice. Because I've been watching Hillary the last few days, she's totally unhinged. We don't want any of that.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: In Arizona, Hillary Clinton called on supporters to reject Donald Trump's message as they go to the polls to vote. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He has shown us who he is, now we have to decide who we are. And right now across the country people are doing just that -- they are rejecting his dark and divisive vision.

We know that America is big hearted, not small minded. We want to lift people up, not tear each other down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Clinton got help from pretty influential supporter, U.S. President Barack Obama who told North Carolina voters they have the power to decide who wins this election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: Keep in mind, North Carolin, all of the progress that we've made over the last eight years, all the progress we hope to make over the next eight years, all of that goes out the window if we don't win this election. And we don't win this election, potentially, if we don't win North Carolina.

So, I hate to put a lot of pressure on you, but the fate of the republic rests on your shoulders. The fate of the world is teetering and you, North Carolina, are going to have to make sure that we push it in the right direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Let's discuss this with our panel. Angela Rye is a CNN political commentator and former executive director for the Congressional Black Caucus. Brian Robinson is a republican strategist and former assistant chief of staff for communications Georgia Governor Nathan Deal, and Greg Blustein is a political reporter for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Thanks to all of you for joining us. All right. There is a lot to cover, of course. I want to start with you, Angela.

ANGELA RYE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes.

CHURCH: President Obama made a passionate appeal in North Carolina on Wednesday saying he needs Hillary Clinton in the White House to protect his legacy. How much does that resonate, do you think, with voters, especially African-Americans who are not voting in the same numbers this time around in places like North Carolina and Florida?

RYE: Well, I think we have to acknowledge that Barack Obama's legacy, Barack Obama's appeal far supersedes just black voters. I think that his recent appeal to what Hillary Clinton has experienced relative to sexism in this particular race has been phenomenal.

He has resonated with people in a brand new way, even me, Rosemary, I can acknowledge myself, I normally think that some of the experiences that I've had are due to race. And I've learned from this entire race that this is actually something where sexism may have been at play as well.

We know that Hillary Clinton has experienced that from the primary and especially up to this day. The president has made a particular appeal to North Carolina because of the voter suppression measures that were put into place and signed into law by Governor McCrory.

[03:05:03] This is unique and while we are talking about why black voters aren't turning out necessarily at the same rates, we still have a couple of days left and certainly things can change.

But I think we also would be remissive if we did not acknowledge the fact that voter suppression measures have been put in place. And that has definitely turned people away.

But I would say as someone who is a black person in this country, black people America are resilient. And when you count us out, that's when you count us wrong.

CHURCH: Right. OK, So, Brian, I want to go to you next. Because I want to talk about the tightening in these key poll states. And what we are seeing here, is it a matter of Trump supporters coming home or republican voters coming home to Trump eventually in this home stretch, or is he actually going beyond, beyond that do you think? And appealing to others?

BRIAN ROBINSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think there's revulsion with Clinton at this point in time. And he's benefitting from that. There been many republicans have been on the fence about Donald Trump because he is on many ways outside of the traditional mold of what republicans believe in.

He is different than the average republican on issue after issue after issue. But some of those folks are coming home because they don't want four more years of scandal, four more years of criminal conspiracies and hiding e-mails from congressional investigators. You know, they are tired of it.

There's Clinton fatigue, there's scandal fatigue and I think Trump is benefitting from that wildly. His base is also much more energetic than hers. And that's been a big benefit for him, as well.

His most loyal supporters are much more fervent than Clinton's most loyal supporters. And that's going to benefit him in the polls. When you look in certain states that are at swing states like North Carolina, you see traditional democrat constituencies, such as African-Americans turning out in significantly lower levels than they did four years ago for president Obama.

That's because there's no excitement. There's no exuberation on the democrat side for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump is a flawed candidate. The problem for Hillary Clinton is that Americans see her as equally flawed. Today, in polls they are saying they find Donald Trump more trustworthy than Hillary Clinton. That is a damming poll number for Hillary Clinton. CHURCH: Right. And Greg, I want to go to you, because the latest

polling does suggest that Trump's lead is solidifying in some of the traditional states like Georgia and Arizona. Is he expanding the electoral map for him so far, finding perhaps new paths to those 270 votes that he needs? Are you seeing that?

GREG BLUESTEIN, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes. I mean, he is certainly trying to. I mean, look, a week ago we were talking about Georgia, Texas flipping to the blue column. Right now there's no -- there's no real talk about that.

Hillary Clinton is still trying to flip Arizona and she was there on Wednesday. But aside from Arizona she's really going back to her core states. She's defending Wisconsin, Michigan, they are spending more in Colorado on air there.

And Donald Trump is trying to test her defenses there. Mike Pence and Donald Trump have been really trying to expand the battleground that by going to Michigan State that hasn't gone democrat in decades; they might go to Wisconsin to try to flip that state. And if he can flip any one of those two states and holds, you know, North Carolina and Florida, its real trouble for Hillary Clinton.

CHURCH: All right. Angela, I want to go back to you. Because the president is asking men whether sexism is keeping them from supporting Clinton. Here's what he said Monday. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I want every man out there who is voting to kind of look inside yourself and ask yourself, if you're having problems with this stuff, how much of it is, you know, that we're just not used to it.

When a guy is ambitious and in the public arena and working hard, well, that's OK. But when a woman does it is suddenly why is she doing that? I'm just being honest. I want you to think about it because she is so much better qualified than the other guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And Angela, it is interesting, isn't it, men appear more reluctant to vote for Clinton. That's what the numbers seem to be showing us. What role do you think sexism is playing here?

RYE: I think there's a huge role, Rosemary. And I talked a little bit about this earlier. One of the things that stand out to me are also women voters. And I'm not talking about college-educated white women voters, I'm talking about high school educated or below educated white women voters.

I will never forget, there is a package CNN did going to a Trump rally and a woman talked about not wanting to have Hillary Clinton have access to nuclear weapons because of hormones.

So, this isn't sexism that is only on behalf of men, it also takes place with women. I think one of the other things that we haven't talked about as much is what is the real reason why Evangelicals are sticking Trump who is morally abhorrent, right?

[03:10:03] This -- the reason is because many Evangelicals are taught that women can't be the head of a household. They can't be the head of a business, they can't be the head of a church. So we know they can't be the head of a country.

I think that is something else that's a phenomenon that we're not talking that much about but it is really important because there is no other reason. I know they are saying things like, oh, well, Jesus forgives Donald Trump. Well, then Jesus should also forgive Bill Clinton and especially forgive Hillary Clinton for transgressions that are not her own, right. So, there are some instance -- instance -- interesting phenomenon that we're not talking about.

CHURCH: Yes. It is a very interesting part of this election for sure. I want to thank the panel. We will come back to you later in the program. Stick around.

All right. For the first time in nearly a year, ISIS is releasing an audio message it claims to be from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group's leader. CNN cannot independently verify the recording in which he reportedly calls on suicide fighters to destroy the cities of the unbelievers. And even as Iraqi forces come within 200 meters of Mosul in Iraq, he says, he is confident of an ISIS victory there.

Our Michael Holmes joins us now live from Irbil, southeast of Mosul. So, Michael, al-Baghdadi confident of an ISIS victory in Mosul, but that's by no means a certainly. Not looking good in actual fact for ISIS at this point. Talk to us about what the ISIS leader had to say in all on that audio.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Rosemary. Yes, you say we're not independently verifying it as yet. But U.S. officials I can say - say that their initial but not final analysis, that is their wording, is that this recording is indeed legitimate. It is the first of al- Baghdadi since 2015, late 2015.

A direct call we hear to his adherence to fight on in Mosul. Maintain that territory and of course territory means the caliphate. When the territory goes, the caliphate goes. Now in part of the tape he says, quote, "Holding your ground in honor is a thousand times better than retreating in disgrace." A real rallying call there. And also, hugely sectarian note in this, as well. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATED): God's enemies from the Jews, Christians, Atheists, Shiites, Apostates and all the world infidels have dedicated their media, money, army and munitions to fight Muslim and Jihadists in the state of Nineveh after they witness to become one of the bases of Islam and one of its minarets under the caliphate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Yes, and he calls in other parts of this tape a unity among Jihadi ranks and also for strikes against Turkey, specifically. Now Turkey, of course, involved in the fight ISIS. What's interesting about that reference is that it does suggest that the tape is recent given Turkey's statements and movements of forces in recent weeks. So, it gives an indication of when this might have been made, Rosemary?

CHURCH: And Michael, you have been spending some time with General Steven Townsend over the Mosul dam. What all did you learn in the time you spent with him?

HOLMES: Yes, we did what they call a battlefield circulation. We went to a staging area and we also went to Mosul dam, as well. Also Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, top U.S. general in the country. We flew in Blackhawks to visit advisers, U.S. advisers and he also consulted with Iraqi and Kurdish commanders in the field.

Now during the day out, we covered a range of topics with him, including the pursuit of ISIS leaders and the battle for Mosul.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: High above the battlefield the senior U.S. commander in Iraq is briefed on progress made so far by Iraq and Kurdish force. He is on one of his regular tours to visit troops advising and assisting Iraqi commanders.

And on the ground, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend tells us they are doing, so far, exactly what they said they'd do.

STEPHEN TOWNSEND, U.S. ARMY: Their plan, the way they designed it is unfolding pretty much as they planned, predicted it would.

HOLMES: Back in the U.S. the offensive has become part of the presidential campaign. Donald Trump saying the operation is poorly planned and bogged down. A disaster in his words. The general not addressing Trump specifically disagrees with the assertion.

TOWNSEND: I don't see any evidence that it's bogged down at all. I don't know. Whoever is saying that is I don't know where they are getting it. I don't see that.

HOLMES: Also rejection that the assault plans were too widely telegraphed.

[03:14:55] TOWNSEND: It's just really hard to move 40,000 troops in to position from, you know, middle of Iraq to northern Iraq and maintain complete secrecy. It's almost next to impossible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now this is one of three so-called staging areas where Iraqi troops would preposition and these Americans would advise them on tactics going forward. Then the Iraqi would head to the front.

But Lieutenant General Townsend, these four races are part boosting troop morale part tactical and conferring with Iraqi commanders. He says the next phase inside Mosul will be tough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOWNSEND: For any army fighting in a city is more challenging, especially in a major city like Mosul. It would be hard for our army. So, it's going to be tough. I think it's going to get tougher before it gets easier.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Whether the ISIS leadership is still inside of Mosul or not, he says they will never be safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOWNSEND: I don't really know where they're at. Every time we find one, we kill them. So, if I knew where they were, the senior leaders were, they would be dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Next stop, Mosul dam, visiting U.S. army corps of engineers, working with Italian and Iraqi engineers to stabilize a dam once held by ISIS and which has major structural issues. ISIS still just 15 kilometers away.

This battle is far from over and another in Syria yet to come and when it does, the general says, the U.S. role will continue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOWNSEND: I think we'll do whatever we need to do to defeat ISIL in Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And that advice and assist role, Rosemary, is in existence in Syria. But when I asked the general about whether that would include what we see here in Iraq and that is artillery and mortar support on the ground, as well. He basically said we're going to do what it takes. So, that remains to be seen. Rosemary?

CHURCH: All right. Some great reporting from you, Michael Holmes, there live in Irbil, Iraq just at 10.17 in the morning. Many thanks to you, Michael and do take care of yourself.

We'll take a break here but just ahead the curse is lifted. The Chicago Cubs and their fans are finally celebrating after 108 very long years. We're back in a moment with that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: The Chicago Cubs are finally the champions of Major League Baseball after 108 years.

(BEGIN VOICE CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the next big is from his team is a swing and a slow (Inaudible) here comes Brian won the first and the Cubs have won the World Series!

(END VOICE CLIP)

[03:20:06] CHURCH: They did it with the 10 inning victory over the Cleveland Indians in game seven of the World Series! The final score was 8-7. Cleveland tied the game with his two-run home in the eighth. The score was 6 to 6 after nine innings.

Then a brief rain delay added to the drama of this epic game. Chicago was facing elimination after Saturday's game four. They had to win the last three games of the series and that's exactly what they did.

Well, CNN's Brynn Gingras is in Chicago where the party has not stopped. This is amazing, isn't it? After 108 years these people incredible fans have stuck by the Cubs. And how long will this party go for do you think?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know, Rosemary, I don't really think it's going to end. We're seeing earlier I think a lot of sick calls are going in some work tomorrow and probably even the next day. Because while the police are at this point sort of disbursing everybody and trying to get them away from Wrigley Field here in Chicago, for the most part the streets are still packed.

As you sort of walk away from the field and even just heading into downtown Chicago. People are just so excited. At one point I saw a girl literally get on her knees and just start screaming. Didn't say anything. She was just start screaming, just sheer excitement.

And you know what, I talked to one guy, and this is why it's so big for this city. I talked to one guy and he said, you know, he used to watch baseball games with his dad. He knows those memories. His father passed away a year and a half ago and this just brings it back. He said it just made a grown man cry.

And that's why it is so big for the city. I mean, it's a generational thing. There are fathers and sons, and daughters and mothers who just get together and watch these games together and now they all can celebrate together.

But I do want you to listen to some of the reaction we have heard from fans tonight. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fifty one years I've been here waiting. A die- hard Cub fan from the south side. It hasn't been easy but the Cubs are awesome and the supporters, the fans didn't give up on us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: And that's why it's so exciting because it's more than just a sports story. It is just a huge a heart-warming story for this city. Just to be able to get together and really just have a sheer, again, excitement about this win. And in the way that they won, Rosemary, as you have already said, it was just an incredible game. CHURCH: Yes. These are truly loyal fans, aren't they? And you know,

just for our international audience it is 2.22 in the morning there in Chicago. The party continues.

Just very quickly, for the benefit of our international audience, who may not understand just how significant this is, if you could just wrap that very shortly, just explain to people living in Europe why this is so important for people living in Chicago particularly.

GINGRAS: Yes, absolutely. I mean, there is so much behind it. Again, 108 years they haven't had a win. They were the longest losing streak in baseball until last night. And there was all of these curses that were talked about and of course there's just so much behind it.

And again, as I mentioned before, it is a generation thing. When, you know, when you sit there and you think of American past time and baseball, this is what people love to do together.

And all you want is for your team to win and to wait 108 years it's possible there is not a single person who, you know, has witnessed the last win, who's alive at this point. So, I mean, it's just an incredible to see and everyone is so excited for their own personal reasons, Rosemary.

CHURCH: Yes. And certainly not just Chicago. Those all of excitement here in Atlanta in the newsroom, I can tell you for sure. Brynn Gingras, thank you so much for wrapping it all for us. We appreciate it. You can go and party now. Many thanks.

Well, we all know the internet loves a good conspiracy theory and CNN's Dan Merica noted that in December of last year Hillary Clinton predicted wins for both herself and the Cubs in 2016.

Note the response to that tweet from a fake Donald Trump account suggesting that Hillary rigged the World Series.

And how's this for a prediction, in 1993, someone named Michael Lee put this caption with his yearbook photo. Chicago Cubs 2016 world champions. You heard it here first. You are probably seeing it all over social media.

Well, South Korea's new prime minister nominee says the president could be investigated by prosecutors over an influence peddling scandal. Park Geun-hye reshuffled her cabinet Wednesday as she faces calls for her resignation.

A former aide and long-time friend are accused of using their connections with the president for personal gain. She has apologized but her approval rating has plunged as a result.

[03:25:04] Well, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is once again thumbing his nose at the United States after reports of an armed sale that may have been blocked.

Reuters reported the U.S. State Department stopped the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippine police over concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines controversial war on drugs. The State Department isn't commenting. Mr. Duterte suggested he may turn to Russia or China for the guns instead.

Well, police in the U.S. state of Iowa have arrested a man they say ambushed and killed two of their own. The victims joined a growing list of officers killed in the line of duty.

Rosa Flores has more on what happened.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Two Iowa police officers, one in Des Moines and the other in nearby Urbandale, both apparently ambushed, shot and killed while on duty and in their police vehicles.

Now this man is in custody. Forty-six-year-old Scott Michael Greene, arrested by police on a rural road and just hours after the killing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL PARIZEK, DES MOINES POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICER: These officers were ambushed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: The nightmare started overnight at about 1.06 a.m., with a call of shots fired. When police arrived on scene, they found Urbandale Officer Justin Martin shot inside his police car. Investigators say there's no evidence to indicate there was any interaction between the police officer and the suspect, that the officer was killed in cold blood.

Twenty minutes later another officer found just a couple of miles away. Des Moines Sergeant Anthony Beminio gunned down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARIZEK: He was transported to Methodist hospital where he died shortly after that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the only thing I know, how to help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: The community shocked and emotional over the loss. One resident delivering water and food to a patrol officer.

The killings which come just months after two high-profile deadly surprise attacks against police in Texas and Louisiana bring the number of police officers fatally shot in the U.S. and Puerto Rico more than 50 this year alone. The highest since 2011 when 73 were shot and killed according to the national law enforcement officer's memorial fund.

Presidential candidates responding to the news quickly. The Clinton camp cancelling an event in Des Moines, and Trump taking to Twitter saying, he is praying for the families of the officers.

Police scour Greene's house for evidence as they investigate a motive, which is not determined yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PARIZEK: There's a clear danger if you are a police officer. These guys were gunned down sitting in their car doing nothing wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Rosa Flores, CNN, Urbandale, Iowa.

CHURCH: Barack Obama breaks his silence on the controversial decision by FBI director James Comey. The president's response just ahead.

[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Warm welcome back to our viewers all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. I want to update you now on the main stories we are following this hour.

A train crash in Pakistan has killed at least 17 people and injured dozens more. It happened Thursday morning near a railway station in Karachi. The prime minister released a statement saying those responsible for the crash must be punished.

The race for the White House is tightening in the final days of the U.S. presidential election. New CNN/ORC polls show Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump in the key battlegrounds of Florida and Pennsylvania. Trump leads Clinton in Arizona and Nevada.

The FBI is not supposed to get involved in politics, but the department is caught up in a growing controversy tied with investigations of Hillary Clinton. As justice correspondent Pamela Brown explains, it is unprecedented.

(START VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Tonight, President Obama breaking his silence on FBI Director James Comey's explosive letter to congress, suggesting Comey spoke prematurely.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I do think that there is a norm that when there are investigations, we don't operate on innuendo, we don't operate on incomplete information, we don't operate on leaks.

BROWN: Obama's comments come as the department finds itself mired further in controversy. A stolen Clinton campaign e-mail released today by WikiLeaks appears to show a top DOJ official in a possible conflict of interest.

The department's chief lobbyist from Capitol Hill, Peter Kadzik, apparently using his personal account to tell Clinton campaign Chair John Podesta about a congressional hearing, writing in part that the department was quote, likely to get questions on state department e- mails. Kadzik also appears to tip Podesta off about a freedom of information court filing related to Clinton's e-mails. Donald Trump pounced on the release today accusing the Clinton campaign and the Department of Justice of collusion.

TRUMP: Now today in a newly released e-mail through WikiLeaks again, we learned that Kadzik was feeding information about the investigation into the Clinton campaign.

BROWN: Today's WikiLeaks release is another black eye for the department in the lead up to the election. CNN has learned over the past 15 months, the FBI and DOJ have been fighting over matters relating to Hillary Clinton, not just the handling of the e-mail probe but also the investigation into the Clinton Foundation.

RON HOSKO, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: The bureaucracy cannot uncommonly lead to friction and that friction is sometimes it feels like you're slowing me down for a purpose and maybe that purpose is your politics.

BROWN: Sources say that Clinton Foundation probe has been on a slow boil because top DOJ officials don't believe the allegations of criminal activity among donors are substantive enough to issue warrants or subpoenas.

But the FBI agents working the case see the road block as political, raising tension among officials from DOJ, FBI headquarters, and FBI field offices.

CNN reached out to the Clinton campaign as well as the Department of Justice to get response to the e-mail that came out today showing the exchange between Podesta and the top DOJ official. Both declined to comment. Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:35:00] CHURCH: So let's go back to our panel. Angela Rye, Brian Robinson, and Greg Bluestein. So Brian, I want to start with you. The president seemed to fault his own FBI director didn't he when it came to this announcement of a new line of inquiry into Clinton's e-mail server. Let's just listen to what he had to say.

(START VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: I do think that there is a norm that when there are investigations, we don't operate on innuendo, we don't operate on incomplete information, we don't operate on leaks. We operate based on concrete decisions that are made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: So, Brian, back to you. How do you think that will play with undecided voters particularly?

ROBINSON: I don't think they care. I don't think they see him as a legitimate source for information on this issue. Just this week his own press secretary was saying that James Comey is a man of integrity.

That we're not going to second guess him. That we're not gonna get involved and have commentary on this. That's what sounded like to me, was the White House weighing in. We already know that justice department tried to step in to stop this from moving forward because of the election. James Comey did what he had to do.

CHURCH: Do you think it is appropriate to make an announcement like that so close to an election? It does break with protocol, doesn't it?

ROBINSON: Hillary Clinton could have stopped this forever ago if she had just released all of the e-mails that she had. But they didn't. There are still many thousands missing. Where are they? Americans have questions about it. That's why a majority today trust Donald Trump more than they trust her.

CHURCH: All right. Angela, I want you to weigh in. What are your thoughts on this?

RYE: Sure. A few things. I think it is interesting that Brian thinks that the president of the United States, our commander in chief, should defer to the press secretary about when to comment on an FBI director that frankly works for him and the country.

So, I think the president had to say something. Unfortunately, just like in Eric Holder's opinion piece in the "Washington Post" on Sunday, just like the letter that was sent out from Department of Justice officials from the past and the present, past deputy attorney generals, Eric Holder and Alberto Gonzales.

All of these folks who said that Director Comey broke with protocol. He also did not defer to his boss. He reports to the attorney general. That's the structure. I think it is important for the international viewers to know that. This is someone who basically went rogue. That doesn't mean that he is not a man of integrity. He is a man of integrity that made a disastrous mistake. And it does have consequences.

They do have an unwritten rule at the DOJ that says they will not interfere with elections and that is what this was. Even if there was negligence interference at its best, it was interference nonetheless.

And to make matters worse, the FBI vault account, which has pretty much been inactive since October of 2015, they tweeted out material about a Clinton Foundation investigation which really ended up being about a pardon. This same week, just two days after, Director Comey sent this letter to Capitol Hill to republican chairman. That is a huge problem. I think the FBI has some answering to do.

CHURCH: All right. Greg, to you, Donald Trump of course has been hammering Clinton on what's coming up. The latest out of WikiLeaks and also this latest FBI announcement. I want to listen, for a moment, what Trump had to say in Florida on Wednesday.

(START VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: She is the crooked one. There is no question. Crooked Hillary Clinton. You know, that term has really stuck. Everyone has called her -- has anyone seen crooked Hillary Clinton today? That's going to be a great term for a president, right? Boy, oh, boy, what a mess.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: That's from a man with record disapproval numbers himself, right? Whoever wins this election, how are they going to govern?

BLUESTEIN: I don't think there is going to be a coming together like we saw in 2008. There won't be a sense of unity. Already republicans are trying their best to sort of deny Hillary Clinton any mandate. They are going to try to pitch this as a referendum on Donald Trump and not a victory for her if she does win.

You are hearing many republicans say that a vote for Hillary is a vote for an indictment. There will be four years of investigation. I doubt there is gonna be a sort of warm, happy, glowing feeling after this election.

CHURCH: And we will end on that happy, glowing note. Angela Rye, Brian Robinson, and Greg Bluestein. Thank you to all three of you for joining our panel discussion. We appreciate it.

ROBINSON: Thank you.

BLUESTEIN: Thank you.

RYE: Thank you.

CHURCH: Both candidates are hitting the ground hard in Arizona State but typically leans republican. A new CNN/ORC poll shows Trump with a five-point lead over Clinton, 49 to 44 percent. The Arizona margins are making it a true battleground. Kyung Lah has more of it.

(START VIDEO CLIP)

[03:40:00] KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Early votes in Arizona. Now being counted in this glassed off secured room in Maricopa County. Every move web cast on multiple cameras to the public.

The votes boxed. Then sealed. Unofficial early vote totals from Arizona Secretary of State shows as of today registered republicans are outpacing democrats by six percentage points.

But in 2012 with one week to go, republicans had an even bigger lead, outpacing democrats by 10 percent. Mitt Romney won the state by nine points. This reliably red state now a battleground because of voters like Luz Gomez, a new U.S. citizen, a new democrat in Arizona.

LUZ GOMEZ, EARLY VOTER: With Trump, I don't trust him. I think he's more doing this for fun or just to be on T.V.

LAH: Millennials like Nicole Crook also voting blue.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you feel the state changing?

NICOLE CROOK, EARLY VOTER: I do. I feel a lot of the older people are being a little more liberal and the younger people are having more of a presence.

LAH: Across Arizona, early voting isn't just up its way up. More than half of all projected ballots have already been cast.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Julie Norwood, Chris, Sam Toeber.

LAH: In primarily republican Scottsdale, Arizona, early voters are waiting more than an hour.

CAROLYN JAGGER, SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA CLERK: This is the busiest. We've never seen early voting like we've seen this time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never.

JAGGER: Never.

LAH: Waiting to vote, Laura White, a life long republican, the face of a changing Arizona.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: May I ask who did you vote for president?

LAURA WHITE, EARLY VOTER: I'm a pretty registered republican and I pretty much voted democratic all the way across. I did. I think Donald Trump is corrupt. And I don't know any other word to say. He's part of the problem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've heard that about Hillary Clinton as well.

WHITE: Yes, we have.

LAH: Even with the latest Clinton e-mail controversy, it's not enough to flip her back to the GOP. The e-mails did affect republican Karl Owens who wrote in independent Evan McMullin for president. He is frankly disgusted with 2016.

KARL OWENS, EARLY VOTER: Trust factor with Hillary and Trump, where do I begin?

LAH: When you hear that Arizona is in play, that Arizona could go blue, what is your reaction?

ROBERT GRAHAM, ARIZONA'S REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN: My first reaction is makes you nervous.

LAH: It should. Robert Graham is Arizona's republican party chairman. He is watching the early vote numbers and the smaller GOP spread.

Are you concerned about that spread?

GRAHAM: I was a week and a half ago. Now, I'm not. We had to turn up the volume a little bit to make sure that we really execute on this great operational structure that we have statewide. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please vote for Donald J. Trump.

LAH: The state GOP now pulling out all the stops to get out their vote and seeing day by day growths in the numbers of registered republicans early voting like Blaine Erskine.

BLAINE ERSKINE, EARLY VOTER: I think it's gonna be close but I do think that it will stay red.

LAH: As far as Hillary Clinton being in Arizona.

GRAHAM: When they are not spending in other states, it gives us an opportunity to pick up those other states.

LAH: Are you saying she is wasting time and money?

GRAHAM: Absolutely. I would be happy to take her out to lunch and share with her all the reasons why she should probably go somewhere else.

LAH: Here's what Arizona's GOP chairman can't say. He does not know if those registered republicans in early voting are indeed voting for Donald Trump. He just knows that they are voting. Just like democrats don't know if those registered democrats are voting for Hillary Clinton.

What we can tell you is that everyone we spoke with across both parties and independents believe for the first time ever Arizona democrats are in the game. Kyung Lah, CNN, Tempe, Arizona.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: South Africa's president under pressure to leave office up next. What a new corruption, report says, and why the president is threatening legal action. Back in a moment.

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CHURCH: Calls are growing for South African President Jacob Zuma to resign. On Wednesday, officials released a damming corruption report. Police used water cannon and stun grenades to drive off protesters in downtown Pretoria. Mr. Zuma denies any wrongdoing. Our David McKenzie is live in Johannesburg and he joins us now. David, why are these allegations and the corruption reports so explosive?

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are explosive because, Rosemarie, they point the finger at the very top of the leadership here, Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa. Several key ministers, Jacob Zuma's son, and the powerful business family, that they say colluded with those parties to corrupt the state. Those are the allegations.

It includes lurid details of how allegedly the Gupta family in this case offered a bag of millions in cash to a politician to take up a ministerial post. Certainly these allegations have led to an outcry here. Some of them expected, some of them new, amongst the opposition, business leaders and of course civil society.

You have in the papers today in South Africa headlines like this, "dead president walking," but Jacob Zuma has certainly weathered scandals before. The question is what happens next? Rosemary?

CHURCH: That's what I wanted to ask you. That's because as you pointed out, President Zuma has resisted calls like this to resign before. How likely is it that he will be able to do that again?

MCKENZIE: Well, he will certainly try. That's the expectation. Jacob Zuma has some wiggle room. Because the report findings weren't binding in the sense that it says A, B, C, D is evidence of corruption. What does it call for is the calling of the commission of inquiry that the president himself, ironically, has to institute and must be from an independent judge.

Now, the president might have constitutional grounds to battle on the technicalities of that, which he has done before in similar cases, but there's also the political spirit as the legal one. If the ruling ANC feels that Jacob Zuma has become that much of a liability to their hold on power going into the next general election, they may find ways to throw him out.

But certainly, the next few months will be fascinating and potentially messy here in South Africa. I don't believe you are gonna see a short- term resolution to the scandal. Rosemary?

CHURCH: Certainly. We know, David, you will be watching very closely. David McKenzie joining us live from Johannesburg. It is at 9:49 in the morning there. Many thanks to you, David.

With recent Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton rallies, we set up a camera. Gave supporters written questions and then left them alone. Hear how they defend their candidates. That is next.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

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CHURCH: As you know, Donald Trump has repeatedly accused the media of being biased against him. So CNN decided to try an experiment. At rallies in North Carolina, we let supporters of Trump and Hillary Clinton defend their candidates without a journalist present. Our Anderson Cooper has more.

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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Format was simple, a microphone and two questions. Why are you supporting Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton? And why is it important that he or she win? We handed them a sheet of paper with questions and got out of the way. First stop outside of Donald Trump rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important for him to win because not only is he going to make the country great again but the other alternative, Hillary Clinton, is corrupt and she really shouldn't be running for president. She probably should be in jail.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is it important for him to win? We're killing far too many babies and he's against killing babies. That's one reason I will support him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is important for him to win because if he loses this election, our country is done. We'll never get it back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I support Donald Trump for president because America needs a boss. President Trump is going to fire people who don't do their jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If Hillary Clinton is elected, she will continue the same path we've been on for the past eight years. We are already circling the drain and I believe she will take us all the way down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Trump is going to change America not like Obama said he would. He's gonna actually change it and change it good. Obama changed it all right, and he changed it for the worst.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just got to get Donald Trump in there to make sure that we have a good supreme court, that we defend the second amendment, and that we make sure we don't have terrorists coming into the United States.

[03:55:00] ANDERSON: Next stop is Hillary Clinton rally in Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And the same two questions. Why are you supporting Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, and why is it important that he or she win?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm supporting Hillary Clinton for the president of the United States because I think it's important that we have a president that's going to support all of our families, all of our children, and every citizen of the United States and not make the country more divided than it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Truly she is the only and best choice. Not only do we have a lot of stuff on the line right now, jobs on the line, voting rights on the line, criminal justice reforms on the line, and Hillary Clinton is the only person that is going to make sure that we have a future.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need someone in the White House who knows what they're doing. Hillary is the best person between the two candidates to do that. She's qualified with all 30 years of experience and will be good for the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a feminist and believe she is too and it would be such ab honor to see a female in the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People of my generation and younger deserve a female role model who proves that anyone can be president.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's important that Hillary win for the integrity of our country, for our citizens, and to continue the progress of the Obama administration and for our reputation throughout the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We also think that there's no comparison between Hillary and republican nominee, a meg la maniac and has proved to be a complete nightmare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: All right. Different views there. I want to thank you for your company. More news after the break with our Max Foster in London. Have yourselves a great day.

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