Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Polls Show Tight Races Before Election; Obama One of Clinton's Most Powerful Surrogates; Iraq Forces Now Fighting Inside Mosul; Chinese Group Buys Dick Clark Productions; Turkish Authorities Detained 11 Members of Pro Kurdish Opposition Party; British Court Puts Brakes on Brexit Ruling; Russia Media Paints Dire Picture of U.S. Election. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired November 04, 2016 - 02:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:00:09] JOHN VAUSE: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.

Ahead this hour --

(HEADLINES)

VAUSE: Hello, everybody. Great to have you with us. I'm John Vause. We're now in the third hour of NEWSROOM L.A.

The U.S. presidential election is days away and those swing states are becoming more important. A new poll shows Donald Trump ahead in two of them, Arizona and Texas. A statistical dead heat with Hillary Clinton in Georgia. On Thursday, the candidates and their surrogates made their pitches to North Carolina voters. That state with 15 electoral votes is emerging as a need-to-win. Clinton holds a small but steady lead there. Trump and Clinton brushed past each other on the tarmac at the state's capitol. You can see their planes near each other at the airport but nothing happened.

38 states allow early voting, and as of Thursday, 30 million people had cast their ballots according to a data company CNN partnered with to receive detailed information about early voting. About half of those votes were cast eight battleground states. Democrats lead in Colorado, North Carolina and Nevada. Republicans have the edge in Arizona, Ohio, Florida and Utah.

In one of his North Carolina speeches, Trump pledged to help the military. More than 100,000 active-duty servicemembers are based there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The military families of North Carolina have shed their blood and poured out their hearts for our country. If given the honor of serving as your president, it will be my solemn duty to ensure the following, all men and women in uniform will have the supplies to support the equipment, the medical care and the resources they need to get the job properly done.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In that same speech, he said Hillary Clinton cannot be trusted to protect the United States and is unfit to be president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We know Hillary can't be trusted. We've learned that with America's security. Look at her e-mail situation. Can we trust her with our security?

(SHOUTING)

TRUMP: She is disqualified for running for president of the United States. She's disqualified.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: No Democrat has brought more voters to the polls in North Carolina than President Barack Obama.

Phil Mattingly has more on using Mr. Obama as one of Clinton's most powerful surrogates.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is great to be here.

MATTINGLY: It's the 53,000-square-mile roadblock to Donald Trump's White House dreams.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, North Carolina.

(CHEERING)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Thank you, North Carolina. Wow.

(CHEERING)

MATTINGLY: Hillary Clinton and her top surrogates flooding North Carolina, a state that could effectively clinch the race on November 8th. But it's far from a sure thing. A purple state that went to Democrats in 2008 and back to the Republicans in 2012 remains exceedingly close.

The latest CNN poll of polls in the Tar Heel State puts Clinton ahead by just four points.

CLINTON: This morning, in Florida, Donald stood on a stage and said, and I quote, "I'm honored to have the greatest temperament that anyone's ever had." (LAUGHTER)

Now he knows we can see and hear him, right?

MATTINGLY: For Clinton and her campaign, as polls tighten, it's a moment to focus on the clearest path to victory. And shift the race back into a referendum on Trump.

CLINTON: At another rally yesterday, actually said out loud to himself, stay on point, Donald, stay on point.

(LAUGHTER)

His campaign probably put that in the Teleprompters.

MATTINGLY: A message magnified by the campaign's latest TV ad, which features what advisers say has been one of their most effective weapons, Trump in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I'd look her right in that fat, ugly face of hers.

He's a war hero because he was captured.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: This all coming as Clinton maintains a four-point head national in the latest CNN poll of polls, an advantage, but one that has been unquestionably shrinking. Something underscoring the Clinton campaign's increasingly targeted efforts to turn the Obama coalition into the Clinton coalition.

To help make it happen, President Obama is making his case for Clinton today in Florida.

OBAMA: She doesn't whine or complain or blame others or suggest everything is rigged when things aren't going her way. She just works harder. She just comes back better.

[02:05:12] MATTINGLY: Joining Clinton on the trail tonight in North Carolina, Bernie Sanders, and musician, Pharrell Williams, a clear play for two crucial elements of a Clinton victory, Millennials and the African-American vote.

And it's the African-American vote here in North Carolina that caused jitters inside of the Democratic Party. Here's why. You can compare the early vote numbers in 2016 to 2012 and there is a significant drop off. But Democrats and Clinton advisors say there's a good reason for that. First and foremost, President Obama is not at the top of the ticket. But also there have been a lot of changes in voting laws, reducing the amount of time and the amount of places that certain African-Americans can vote. Instead, Clinton advisers are pointing to the recent numbers, saying there's been an uptick, and an uptick in the Clinton campaign. Obviously, this rally and rallies tonight, we've seen throughout the day trying to close the gap and put Hillary Clinton over the top on Election Day.

Phil Mattingly, CNN, Raleigh, North Carolina.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Three of Trump's children were also on the campaign trail. On Thursday, Ivanka had two stops in New Hampshire. Son Eric gave a radio interview in Colorado. He said the white supremacists supporting his father should be shot in the head. Donald Trump Jr made four stops in Wisconsin. His youngest daughter, Tiffany, was not out stumping. And no sign of 10-year-old Baron either.

Meantime, Melania hit the campaign trail for the first time since the Republican National Convention. She was in the swing state of Pennsylvania trying to broaden her husband's appeal to voters.

Details from Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SHOUTING)

MELANIA TRUMP, WIFE OF DONALD TRUMP: We love you, too.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Melania Trump is reluctantly stepping back onto the campaign stage.

MELANIA TRUMP: He certainly knows how to shake things up, doesn't he?

(LAUGHTER)

TODD: Her speech in Philadelphia suburbs focusing on her love of adoptive country. She promised to help women who she said have suffered economically.

MELANIA TRUMP: With opportunity, women will advance and achieve. But some women have been left behind. I see that. We cannot call ourselves a fully developed or advanced nation when 50 percent of our women live in poverty.

TODD: She didn't address the accusations of sexual misconduct leveled at Donald Trump.

(on camera): She did not vouch for her husband's personal character with women. Did this do anything to close the electoral gap with voters?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is important we heard from Melania Trump. We haven't heard from her since the convention. She did not offer the endorsement of Donald Trump's treatment of women, which is a big issue in the campaign.

TODD: It's the first speech she's given on the trail since that disastrous night at the Republican convention when Mrs. Trump was shown to have plagiarized from Michelle. Obama's speech.

MELANIA TRUMP: The only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.

Melania Trump went back into the shadows after that, covered by her previous declaration that her priority was to care for their 10-year- old son, Baron. And then "Access Hollywood" tape and accusations from at least 10 different women that Trump made inappropriate sexual advances towards them, allegations Trump has denied and which forced Melania to defend him in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper.

MELANIA TRUMP: I believe my husband. This was organized by the opposition.

TODD: Perhaps, most ironic, some say, is that Melania Trump, who at the time suggested unhappiness with her husband's use of Twitter to insult others, said as firs lady she would work to combat cyberbullying.

MELANIA TRUMP: Our culture has gotten too mean and too rough.

We have to find a better way to talk to each other, to disagree with each other, to respect each other.

TODD (on camera); Before the speech, CNN asked Trump campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, if Melania Trump would reference her husband's Twitter wars, which Melania has chastised him about in the past. Conway said, since Melania Trump had already done that, we know how she feels about it. She said Mrs. Trump would not talk about her husband's Twitter exchanges.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: We have this just in to CNN. There's been an explosion in southeastern Turkey, injuring least six people. The state news agency is reporting it went off near a police station. The cause is unknown but it happened after authorities detained 11 members of a pro Kurdish opposition party. One politician was arrested in the city. We will bring you more information as soon as we get it.

Iraqi forces are trying to liberate eastern Mosul from ISIS control. Iraqi commander says they started to clear three neighborhoods. The Iraqi army entered the city on Thursday for the first time in more than two years.

CNN's Michael Holmes has more now from northern Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[02:10:20] MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For the first time in more than two years, Iraqi forces are inside Mosul, pushing into a neighborhood on the eastern edge of the city on Thursday, fighting block by block, meeting fierce resistance from ISIS militants, including sniper fire and car bombs being used to hamper the advance. The military said its forces with trying to open a corridor for civilians, but it was unclear whether the ferocity of the battle would allow that to happen.

In another area on the eastern edge of the city, however, civilians were getting out of areas after enduring nights of fighting. They told of watching ISIS fighters plant road-side bombs in their yards and placing snipers on their rooftops.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): There are families under siege and under fire. The children have not eaten for two days. The children have not eaten for two days.

HOLMES: Thursday they walked for hours in their hundreds, men, women, and children, Iraqi forces meeting them and screening them, several taken away for suspected ISIS membership after locals pointed them out to troops. The stories of ISIS brutality, endless.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): They killed many people and kidnapped those whom they suspected of anything. Even the people who have done nothing were taken and we have no idea what happened to them.

HOLMES: The others passed her, in this camp, a United Nations-run facility like so many set up around Mosul, in an anticipation of perhaps tens of thousands of displaced people as the fight for the city goes on.

(EXPLOSION)

HOLMES: To the West of Mosul, Shia-led paramilitaries managed to cut the main road between Mosul and the Syria border, severing a vital exit route for anyone trying to flee to Syria, particularly ISIS fighters.

(on camera): ISIS has had two years to prepare its defenses in Mosul. And while the fight to retake the city has officially begun, it will be a long and bloody one and a terrifying ordeal for the civilians still trapped inside.

Michael Holmes, CNN, northern Irbil, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: A man arrested in Berlin may have been given the go ahead by ISIS to carry out an attack in Germany. The 17-year-old was arrested on Wednesday. Authorities say he is suspected of receiving instructions from an ISIS operative in Syria. The man had been living in Germany since last year. The country is on high alert after ISIS claimed to have inspired two attacks there during the summer.

Next here on CNN, developing news out of South Korea. A tearful president caught in a political scandal, apologizing again, and promising to take further action this time.

Also, a legendary name in U.S. television has a new owner. We will tell you who bought Dick Clark Productions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:17:10] VAUSE: Almost 800 migrants have been rescued from the Mediterranean but hundreds of others are feared dead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two rubber dinghies packed with migrants, totaling over 300 in all, at least 300 people, have succumb to in the waves. At least 240 migrants and refugee seekers have drowned. There were attempts to rescue them but tragically most people seemed to have died, including infants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: More than 330,000 people have crossed the sea so far this year.

In rural South Carolina, a missing woman has been found chained up inside of a shipping container. Deputies were serving a search warrant when one of them heard a noise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK WRIGHT, SHERIFF, SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: A missing person from Anderson City was in a container chained up like a dog. We found her alive. And it's tragic that this person was being treated like that. By god's grace, she's alive to tell you the truth.

We are trying to make sure we don't have a serial killer on our hands. This could be what we have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Deputies said she had been kept in the container for two months. Her boyfriend, who vanished in August, is still missing. Deputies arrested Todd Culler, a registered sex offender. They say he is not cooperating with investigators.

South Korea's leader, Park Geun-hye, says she will cooperate with investigators in a corruption scandal, which is engulfing her administration. The president's friends was arrested and charged Thursday with abuse of power and attempted fraud for meddling in state affairs.

Let's go live to Paula Hancocks in Seoul who's been following this story for us.

Paula, under the constitution, the president cannot be prosecuted while in office, but that does not mean she cannot be severely impacted and her administration damaged by this scandal.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Look at her approval rating. It is 5 percent at the moment. That is the lowest of any South Korean president in history. It shows what the public thinks of what is happening at this point. We heard many people on the streets of Seoul calling for her resignation. A big protest planned for Saturday that the organizers are hoping to get 100,000 people on the streets, all calling on her to step down. And many experts I've spoken to said she lost a certain amount of credibility and the trust of the public at this point. She will be hoping what she did today will go some way to repairing that lack of trust. She did apologize and say she was willing to cooperate with this investigation. At this point, it is not clear if that is enough to try to quell some of the anger we're seeing in South Korea -- John?

[02:20:20] VAUSE: There was also a bizarre moment when the president had to deny rumors she was part of a cult?

HANCOCKS: That's right. This is not something you expect the president of a country to say. She said she felt she had to say she was not a member of a cult. She said there's been rumors and speculation and also said that she had to deny there had been rituals in the palace. This is not something you would expect. It shows how bizarre the story is. The reason is the confidant that she allowed access to it was actually part of a religious group. Her father started that cult-like religious group in the '70s. He had started to mentor Park Geun-hye when she was in her 20s. This is a family that has a remarkable amount of influence over Park Geun-hye and in the past her family, as well. You can imagine the amount of rumor and speculation swirling around about this and it underlines how bizarre the story is -- John.

VAUSE: Yeah. Clearly it continues to grow. The outrage continues to spread.

Paula, thank you. Paula Hancocks live in South Korea.

An inquest has found no one is to blame in the death of cricketer, Phil Hughes. The south Australian was killed in a freak accident when the ball hit the 25-year-old in the head during a match. The inquiry said there was no malicious intent. Neither the baller nor anyone else is to blame for Hughes' tragic death.

A Chinese conglomerate is making a big push into the U.S. entertainment market. China's Dalian Wanda has announced the $1 billion purchase of Dick Clark Productions. The group owns Legendary Entertainment, which is behind hits like "Jurassic World" and it also owns the U.S. cinema chain AMC. Dick Clark Productions is known for award shows like "The Golden Globes" and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve."

For more on the details, let's go to Hong Kong, CNN Money's" Andrew Stevens.

So this is a major buy for Wanda and part of an aggressive push into Hollywood. ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA-PACIFIC EDITOR: It is an aggressive push, John, and it really started about four years ago when Wong Janlin (ph), the man behind Dalian Wanda, who is China's richest man -- and made the money in the property boom, the biggest private property developer in China. Four weeks ago he decided the group needed to diversify. Entertainment was in the way to go. He's been on an aggressive buying spree in to Hollywood. He's now got the world's biggest movie theater chain. Now he is going in to Dick Clark Productions. He's done a deal with Sony for distribution of films in China.

The strategy here, John, is he getting expertise to bring to China as much as anything. He sees China -- in fact, he said in a speech recently, he sees China becoming the world's biggest box office in the not too distant future. He has built a Hollywood-style mega complex in a Chinese city, which is making films. He's also got theme parks. He is trying to get away and very successfully, too, away from property in to a services industry and this is where Hollywood comes into play for him.

VAUSE: This deal, going back to the purchase of Dick Clark and other purchases being made, not without backlash, especially from U.S. lawmakers.

*: Absolutely. It is not just this sector. If you think what China has been doing aggressively, buying all sorts of assets in all parts of the world. There's been push back, particularly on industries that would be considered national security like, like energy production, in the U.K., for example. In Hollywood, the Hollywood move, 16 Congressmen put their names to a letter of concern to say that China should be given more scrutiny for its acquisitions in Hollywood.

It's not just Dalian Wanda. Alibaba has done a deal with Spielberg's operation.

The concern is that maybe China is using it as a back door way to promote Chinese propaganda. That's the word they used. Won Janlin (ph) addressed that question specifically in an interview I did with him a couple of months ago. This is what he said about the concern of U.S. lawmakers:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WON JANLIN (ph), CHAIRMAN, WAND GROUP (through translation): I think they are over worried. They have to take in to consideration the market demands. The come here to make money. The number of Hollywood productions shown here is very limited, but they account for more than half of the market. That's why I think it is more like Hollywood influencing China than the other way around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:25:24] STEVENS: Won Janlin (ph) says he is first a businessman and this is a strategic business decision to build up this entertainment operation. He's planning by 2018 to have two-thirds of the company's earnings coming from non property, from things like entertainment. And that what this strategy is all about.

I very much doubt whether that will come. The critics, it's not just the U.S. and Hollywood. There's been a push back against Chinese investments in many parts of the world now.

VAUSE: Their concern about Chinese propaganda is an odd one, given Hollywood has been a part of U.S. power for a long time.

Andrew, thank you. Andrew Stevens, live in Hong Kong.

"State of the Race" with Kate Bolduan is up next for viewers in Asia.

For everyone else, next on CNN NEWSROOM, L.A., there's a new wrinkle in the U.K.'s plan to leave the European Union. A British court issued a ruling that could slow the departure time line.

Also, the Russian media weighing in on the U.S. election and the picture isn't pretty.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:30:14] VAUSE: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

Time to check the headlines.

(HEADLINES)

VAUSE: Turkish authorities detained 11 members of the country's main pro-Kurdish party. The arrests were made during raids on Thursday night.

Will Ripley joins us live from Istanbul, Turkey.

Will, what is the official reason and unofficial reason for the detentions?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is an alarming development, John, for people fighting for the rights of Kurdish citizens here, while parliament is in session, not allowing them to do their jobs. The Turkish government says they are supporting what they call a terrorist organization, the PKK. Those who support the PKK will say freedom fighters fighting for rights and autonomy for Kurdish citizens but ever since the coup in July when the state of emergency was put in to place by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan giving him more power to bypass lawmakers you have seen this repeated pattern of -- certainly as far as Kurdish supporters they have been detained. That means heads of universities, public servants. Just over the weekend, 15 pro Kurdish media outlets were shut down. Editor-in-chief and more than 10 journalists were taken in to custody. Two pro-Kurdish mayors were detained. That was in a city that, just this morning, there was a bombing where at least six people were injured.

Now the detention of these members of the People's Democratic Party, the two leaders, the president and co-chair and least nine M.P.s, could trigger significant unrest in the country. That may be why social media is blocked right now. People are having a hard time accessing Twitter, What's App and other social media apps because the government doesn't want people to share information and gather and protest.

VAUSE: Will, thank you. Will Ripley, live in Istanbul.

Britain's high court has put the brake on Brexit. The court has ruled that Prime Minister Theresa May must go through parliament to get a vote on triggering Article 50. That means the U.K. Parliament will actually vote whether the process will begin. The government unsuccessfully argued it could use the royal prerogative to avoid consulting Parliament. The power was historically used by the queen but more recently has been used by cabinet. The government will appeal Thursday's ruling in the Supreme Court. That hearing may come next month.

Earlier, I spoke to James Astill, the Washington correspondent for "The Economist."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES ASTILL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE ECONOMIST: If the government argues the same case it failed to get approval for from the high court the Supreme Court is not going to smile on that argument. The high court's verdict on the government's case was dismissive. It was a humiliation for the government. I think if the government argues the same case that it has the right to invoke Article 50 to begin the process of Britain leaving the E.U. without parliament's say so, then it will get the same result.

VAUSE: OK, so let's assume that if this does go to parliament for a vote the lawmakers are more likely to opt for a softer Brexit. How is that different from a hard Brexit?

ASTILL: Well, I mean, the critical difference is -- we think because all of this is a moveable feat -- that it involves staying part of the customs union and the single market. So Britain would still enjoy many of the same trade terms that it does currently and it would still be -- have to subscribe to a lot of E.U. regulation but it would have less control over how it is handed down as a full member of the European Union.

[02:35:14]VAUSE: The governor of the Bank of England played down the impact of the court's decision. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK CARNEY, GOVERNOR, BANK OF ENGLAND: It is an example of the uncertainty that will characterize this process. As I said to the previous question, the negotiations themselves haven't even yet begun. There will be uncertainty and volatility around those negotiations as they proceed. And I would just view this as one of the symptoms or one example of that uncertainty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Would you say that is a massive understatement?

ASTILL: I think, yeah, he is clearly trying to write in more and more expectation of uncertainty and unpredictability into this process which is -- you know, taking Britain into virgin legal and constitutional terrain. No one has tried to leave the European Union before. The fact that the high court verdict today, you know, was on the most fundamental principle, whether parliament is sovereign to decide whether Britain can or should or under what circumstances leave the European Union. The most fundamental question, which was just settled by three judges, just shows how unpredictable and uncertain this process is.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And an aside, the markets are expecting a softer Brexit. The pound rose more than 1 percent after the high court's ruling. The currency had been taking since the referendum.

We'll take a short break. Back in a moment. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Protests erupted in Afghanistan after dozens of civilians were killed in air strikes in a military ground operation. Officials say at least 30 civilians and four Afghan soldiers died on Thursday. The U.S. says two American troops were killed while trying to clear a Taliban position. The NATO-led mission tweeted, "The U.S. conducted strikes to defend friendly forces." And also said claims of civilian casualties will be investigated.

Russia is taking an unusually close interest in the U.S. presidential election, with some media reports of potential bloodshed if Donald Trump loses.

Claire Sebastian reports now from Moscow.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The American dream is dead.

CLAIRE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is a premier for election night coverage on Russia's state-owned RT news channel, one featuring Trump and one of Clinton.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Every time I think of Trump, I get allergic.

SEBASTIAN: Nightmare visions. The premise, America is choosing the lesser of two evils.

This woman is a veteran RT journalist.

[02:40:06] UNIDENTIFIED RT JOURNALIST: There's a lot of election coverage out there and a lot of competition and I think this is RT's way of the trying to grab attention for sure. SEBASTIAN: RT's way of grabbing attention is echoed across Russian

state media.

UNIDENTIFIED RT JOURNALIST: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

SEBASTIAN: Since the early part of the campaign, the coverage seemed to root for Trump while focusing heavily on the scandal surrounding Clinton, several articles calling her a witch. As we get closer to Election Day, though, there's been a shift in tone.

Constantine von Egger (ph) is an anchor for TV Rain (ph), an independent TV channel in Russia.

CONSTANTINE VAN EGGER (ph), ANCHOR, TV RAIN (ph): Now, with the probably of Donald Trump winning has become less, the message of the Russian media shifted. It is less about Trump's possible victory, which may not happen, and about the deficiency of the American democracy.

DIMITY KEVINOV (ph): (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

SEBASTIAN: Enter Dimity Kevinov (ph), the man known by critics as Russia's chief propagandist. In his latest news roundup, he talks about the, quote, "Ukrainization" of the U.S. elections and how comparing it to the violent ousting of the Ukrainian president in 2014. He goes on to likens the American voting machines to Soviet air and water dispensers, about as low tech as it gets.

And this report from Russian news agency Pravda goes even further, forecasting bloodshed in the U.S. after the election, especially if Clinton wins.

UNIDENTIFIED RT CORRESPONDENT: -- turn into a military coup.

SEBASTIAN: Now he says RT's mission with this election is to cover the stories and angles neglected by mainstream Western media.

Her on-line platform is a major part of that.

UNIDENTIFIED RT CORRESPONDENT: The latest batch of e-mail WikiLeaks reveal a $120,000 gender pay gap at the Clinton Foundation.

SEBASTIAN (on camera): Wouldn't you spend an equal amount of time fact checking, criticizing, digging up things about the Russian leaders?

UNIDENTIFIED RT CORRESPONDENT: We are funded by the Russian government. Does it mean we can't criticize them? No. But are we going to spend 90 percent criticizing the Russian government? Of course not.

TRUMP: We use people that are soft and weak.

SEBASTIAN: RT does have one thing in common with its Western contemporaries, it is promising an election night to remember. Claire Sebastian, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Finally, Steven Seagal and Vladimir Putin have more in common than their manly good looks and martial arts. They are Russian citizens. The Russian president granted citizenship to the American actor. Seagal visited the country a few times, openly praising Putin, allowing for a bromance. Serbia also gave him citizenship earlier this year. Why not?

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

"WORLD SPORT" is up next. You are watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WORLD SPORT)