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Trump To Address Nation On Afghanistan; Trump To Hold Phoenix Rally Despite Fears Of Violence; North Korea Warns U.S. Of Merciless Strike; Mystery Attack In Havana; Liberty University Grad Returning Diplomas To Protest Falwell; Comedian Jerry Lewis Dead At 91; Americans Gears Up For Total Eclipse. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 20, 2017 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: At some points that shadow, that 70-mile wide shadow of the moon crossing the U.S. were raising about 4,500 miles an hour. It will slow down at certain points as it catches, as the sun catches up to the moon but it's going to be packed that path of totally will be, were all those millions people are packing into see that two minutes or so, two and a half minutes or so of totally of the corona and the moon completely blocking the sun.

The last time we had a coast to coast total eclipse like this in the U.S. 1918. The first world war was just winding down and Woodrow Wilson was the president. Jim.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. You were in high school then I think as I remember but I saw -- I'm sharing because I -- about 20 years ago I saw full eclipse. I was living in Asia at the time and it's eerie, it sort of other worldly you get this kind a light that seems sort of end of days not quite night time but certainly not day time. It's pretty remarkable.

MARQUEZ: It is an incredible moment. I saw one in Mexico many years ago standing on a pyramid, on a indigenous pyramid there. There were drums, the people get so excited. It is absolutely bizarre. The birds start to quiet down. The animals start to act like it's going to be night time. The stars come out in the middle of the day. It is amazing and millions of people are going to be watching it. It's going to be cool.

SCIUTTO: Well, you're lucky to be there right in the middle of the path. We're certainly be watching you from there. Miguel Marquez up there in Portland, Oregon. He's one of many reporters in cruise we have spread throughout the country to catch this really, really once in a lifetime events.

Thanks for watching so much this afternoon. I'm Jim Sciutto. Be sure to stick around with CNN as we prepare to hear from the President tomorrow night at 9:00 Eastern Time expecting a decision on Afghan troop levels right here on CNN. You can watch it but for now CNN Newsroom continues with Ana Cabrera.

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: Hello. You are in the CNN Newsroom. Thank you for joining me. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. We begin with a major announcement from the White House tomorrow night at 9:00, President Trump will address the nation and the troops to reveal a new strategy in Afghanistan.

Now, this major address comes as brand new polling reveals the President is under water in some key states that propelled in to the White House in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan

Take a look. His approval rating doesn't even top 36 percent. This is according to a new survey taken after the Charlottesville, the violence there.

Hoping to boost support, the President is holding a campaign-style rally in Phoenix, Arizona, this Tuesday, even though local officials are warning against it. The city's mayor has asking the President to cancel this event out of fear it could lead to violence and at least one lawmaker agrees.

Congressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona tells "The Washington Post", "I absolutely think it's inappropriate to be holding a political rally a few days after an innocent woman was mowed down by a neo-Nazi. It's throwing tinder on to an ongoing fire.

CNN's Boris Sanchez is at Bridgewater, New Jersey near the Trump golf resort where the President is spending the weekend. And Boris, let's start with this big address tomorrow night, what can you tell us about the deliberations leading out to this big decision on Afghanistan?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is actually something that the president tweeted about yesterday. He was eluding some important decisions that were made in a meeting with top military brass at Camp David on Friday and he included in that tweet that are decision have been made on Afghanistan.

This is something that the White House had been working on for several months, very different options on the table here. Everything from surge in troops something that Senator John McCain of Arizona supported to a complete withdrawal or even potentially as former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon argued for, shifting of responsibilities to private companies or mercenaries, so to speak.

Beyond all of that, Secretary of Defense James Mattis was asked earlier today what the decision ultimately was on Afghanistan. He decided not to step on the president choice and let him explain the decision for himself. Here's more from Secretary Mattis.

All right. Looks like we don't have that sound on it but he essentially said that he wanted the president to explain the decision himself. Interestingly, he also noted that this wasn't just a strategy in Afghanistan but this was a full South Asia strategy to put this decision into context.

Ana, this is the longest war in American history dating back to fall of 2001. You recall that in 2014, President Obama declared an end all combat operation there. Fast forward to February of this year when the commander of troops in Afghanistan John Nicholson said that the United States and Afghan troops that essentially reached a stalemate with the Taliban. So it will be interesting to see how President Trump now moved forward from this. Again, the longest war in American history.

[17:05:15] CABRERA: And sadly we continue to lose American lives there just this week in fact.

Boris, I want to turn and ask you about Phoenix and this upcoming rally. Is there any sign the White House may be heating some of these warning from the officials there?

SANCHEZ: No sign yet, Ana. A lot of this criticism against the president follows last Tuesdays off the rails press conference. So the president received a lot of harsh criticism for.

You mentioned the mayor of Phoenix asking the president to delay this event. Other not going quit as far but asking the president to have a more inclusive tone in his message including Ohio governor and former presidential candidate John Kasich, he was on State of the Union with Jake Tapper earlier today. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), OHIO: You're going to go to Phoenix and make a speech fine. That's your right. You can go there. He's got free speech just like the rest of us have it. But when you go, try to use that as an opportunity to say something that's going to bring people together.

You might recall when he delivered that speech to the Congress, the day after the people on CNN said well tonight Donald Trump became president. He has it within him if he can maintain discipline. He has it within him I think to overcome this and move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So all eyes will be on the president not only tomorrow night at 9:00 when he delivers that address detail in the plan forward for Afghanistan but also on Tuesday night when he holds a rally in Phoenix, Ana.

CABRERA: All right. Boris Sanchez in Bridgewater, New Jersey for us. Thank you.

Now I was actually in Phoenix little over a year ago, last June here reporter for CNN when then candidate Trump held a rally there. And I want to show you one of the reasons officials might be concern about a motions boiling over.

This was what Trump the candidate arrived to last year. A giant inflatable likeness of him wearing a KKK robe. Again, this was last year, his visit Tuesday comes exactly one week after he doubled down on that initial Charlottesville comment drawing a moral equivalency between white copremesis and counter protesters. With us to discuss White House correspondent for the Washington Examiner Sarah Westwood, CNN political commentator and Democratic Strategist Maria Cardona and CNN political commentator and KABC talk radio host John Phillips.

Sarah, what is the political calculation to go forward with this rally despite the safety concerns?

SARAH WESTWOOD, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, WASHINGTON EXAMINER: Well, for President Trump rallies have typically been away for him to regain control of his message at times when he feels like it starting to spin out of control now a certainly one of those times. President Trump has the opportunity to trumpet his accomplishments. He often feels like the media unfairly doesn't cover what his administration has been able to achieve and in the case of this potential Sheriff Joe Arpaio pardon the White House may be taking a calculated risk that whatever blow back it gets from pardoning Sheriff Joe Arpaio that can't possibly be as bad as the backlowish over Charlottesville.

So that might explain at least the timing Arpaio pardon. It doesn't necessarily have to be now. The sheriff hasn't even been sentenced yet. So, all of these may be a calculated risk from the White House to get out of the hole that they dug with the Charlottesville and to move on to something else.

CABRERA: Of course that pardoning has been for out there. Let's not confirm at this point. The White House doesn't said that's going to happened for sure although there is some anticipation that may be part of this rally.

John, take a look at the new NBC/Marist poll. This was taking after Charlottesville. And it finds up the majority of voters in tricky state the president won simply don't approve of the job his doing. I wan to play for you want Republican Tim Scott said. President Trump needs to do next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: We need our president to sit down with folks who have a personal experience, a deep connection to the horror and the pain of this country's proactive racial history.

If the president wants to have a better understanding and appreciation for what he should do next he needs to hear something from folks who have gone through this painful history. Without that personal connection to the painful past, it will be hard for him to regain that moral authority from my perspective.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So John, as the large and personal campaign start a rally with his base really what the president needs to do next. Why not go visit one on one with the Americans who aren't his base but are still part of the fabric of this country that he now represents.

JOHN PHILLIPS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think going to Arizona is a great idea for the president as those polls indicate that you just referenced. His had a rough week and he goes into this campaign rallies and just lights up the room like a Christmas tree.

[17:10:02] And there is one thing that we learned from the President Obama administration and particularly with the battle over healthcare where he passed healthcare with nothing but Democratic votes, zero Republican votes.

And that is this. The political calculation of success in a deeply divided America is to make sure that your team sticks with you. And the fact that he is underwater now in states that he won in the November election means he needs to pull the base back together.

And the Trump base loved Sheriff Joe Arpaio. So they go to Arizona and they give him a pardon and to have a fantastic rally that's carried on television I think would be a great shot an arm for President Trump.

CABRERA: And yet John is that going to unite the people in this country who are hurting?

PHILLIPS: Well, it's going to unite his base and if those poll numbers are accurate that means that he is losing some people who voted for him in the November election. He needs to pull those people back in and this rally will help him do that.

CABRERA: Maria, do you agree?

MARIA CARDONA CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, absolutely not. I mean, I do agree that it will agnate his base and that is certainly what he does for what he needs.

But I think it is a -- it's a calculated risk to go there but I think its stupidity on his part right now. But here's the problem, Ana, he doesn't care.

I agree with Governor Kasich and I agree with Senator Scott that it would be smart for this president to try to seek beyond his base and unite Americans, unite all of those communities who have been fearful from the day that he step into the Oval Office and with good reason.

African-American, Muslims, Latinos, the LGBT community but guess what? This president doesn't care about them. He has been very clear even from the campaign that he does not care about communities of color. He does not care about the people who do not go to his rally. That is why he is going to Phoenix because it is like a security blanket for him.

He is underwater right now. Not just nationally but in the three mid western states that actually gave him the presidency. He is at record law approval ratings. The generic congressional ballot Democrats are leading by 10 points nationally and more in this three midwestern states.

He knows that. He is in trouble. This is a president in crisis. He lacks moral leadership. He has demonstrated moral decay and he is doing nothing to convince that the majority of Americans who did not want him to be in the White House that he still wants to be their president as well as those come to his rallies.

CABRERA: Sarah, why do you think he is losing support among those states and the voters and the states that not voted for him and the rest about?

WESTWOOD: I think when you look into the frustrations that members of his base who spoke into the media have expressed it usually does not have to do with his inflammatory tweets. It doesn't have to do whatever controversy is preoccupying Washington. But people are frustrated that Trump agenda is not getting done. He's not making any progress on the border wall. Obviously, the attempt to repeal Obamacare failed spectacularly. They're not making progress on the travel ban which got tight up in the courts. Everything that President Trump promised has been stopped by his own party, by Democrats by his own inability to focus on his message.

And because of that, he has slowly steadily loss support among his base. You haven't seen as many sharp drops when this controversy is pop up but you have seen it decline gradually as voters. His own voters become convince that may be the Republican agenda is not going to get done as quickly as he promised to them.

CABRERA: Sarah Westwood, Maria Cardona and John Phillips, thanks to all of you. We appreciate it this weekend.

Coming up more fiery rhetoric from North Korea in directly at the U.S. We'll tell you what the regime is threatening now.

And President Trump said to announce a new strategy in Afghanistan tomorrow, what Americas path for could be after 60 years of war. We'll discuss live in the CNN Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:18:18] CABRERA: More saber rattling from Kim Jong-un's regime in North Korea. Today, the official government newspaper warning the U.S. of a "merciless strike" just one day before joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea begun.

Now, these are annual drills that have been going on for years but the tension of course could not be higher on the Korean Peninsula with President Trump's fire and fury comment over North Korea's nuclear program and North Korea even threatening the U.S. territory of Guam last week.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis says the joint drills are purely defensive in nature.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JAMES MATTIS, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: We have a very transparent of what we're doing just to avoid miscalculation. North Korea knows this is a fully defensive for whatever they may say for public consumption. They know this is a defensive exercises that going on now for decades, I mean the name has changed over the years but it's the same exercise has been going on. So, it's calculated to not allow for miscalculation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Our Kyung Lah is joining us now from Tokyo where the people of Japan are paying are paying close attentions to this rhetoric coming out of North Korea. What is the reaction there Kyung?

KYUNG LAH, CNN, SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana there's concern. I mean, this as you point out is an annual event but it's also something that usually triggers the North Korean cycle all over again. So as if on cue, North Korea in advance of this drills starting and they did start just about 15 minutes ago over the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea did released a statement Ana, state-run newspapers, the Rodong Sinmun and here's one small section of that statement. The statement reading "The Trump group's declaration of the reckless nuclear war exercises against the DPRK is a reckless behavior driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war."

[17:20:15] The statement goes on to say that, if there is any sort of sign of a "preventative war" that North Korea would respond.

So, this statement is quiet alarming especially given the fact that this drill is starting today and it's going to go on for 10 days. But, also Ana, something to keep in mind, this is fairly typical rhetoric from North Korea. This particular threat is yes, directed at the United States, yes, names President Trump but isn't as specific as that last Guam threat. Ana.

CABRERA: Kyung any sign that North Korea is readying another ballistic missile test or even a nuclear test of some sort?

LAH: You know, that's something that everyone here is watching for because we just talked about the rhetoric. The rhetoric is, you know, a lot of hot air from North Korea oftentimes. It's flowery, it's an, you know, it's very big. But, as far as what is happening on the ground that will be the real measure of whether or not the situation here is getting worse or it is getting better.

Last year, after the military drills took place, North Korea did launch a ballistic missile from its submarine. They also had its fifth and largest nuclear test shortly after the drills ended. So, that is what all of the military experts are watching for. There are no explicit signs yet though that something is eminent.

CABRERA: All right, Kyung Lah for us in Japan, thank you. North Korea taking a lot of the U.S. military tension right now but we learned today that President Trump has made a major decision regarding Afghanistan and U.S. strategy there. What that decision is, we expect to find out tomorrow night when the President addresses the nation at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. The U.S. Defense Secretary said today President Trump wants the details to come straight from him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTIS: I was not willing to make significant troop lifts until we made certainly knew what was the strategy, what was the commitment going in. In that regard, the President has made a decision. As he said, he wants to be the one to announce it to the American people. So, I'll stand silent until then -- until that point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Our global affairs correspondent Elise Labott is here to help pick all this apart. Elise, confirmation there from the defense secretary a decision has been made but no words just yet on exactly what the decision is. What do we know about the options that the president was contemplating?

ELISE LABOTT, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, and Ana, you saw the President tweet after that big meeting on Friday with his top national security advisors including Secretary Mattis that a decision has been made. Now, the options run the gamut. If you remember back in February, the commander of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General Nicholson had asked for a few thousand troops.

Now, the options run anything from a full withdrawal to that small Mattis bump and troops. We're talking maybe 3,000 to 5,000. Two of proposals that's been floated by the former CEO of Blackwater Erik Prince to use mercenaries or private contractors which I think is unlikely to fly. But, I think what we're talking about is probably a Mattis bump in troops that doesn't really see him a strategic change. And pretty much what we're seeing in Afghanistan right now but just a little bit extra to help the Afghan National Army break what General Nicholson had called the (INAUDIBLE) with the Taliban.

CABRERA: One person not in the room when President Trump made that decision on Afghanistan in Friday was Steve Bannon. He is out of the picture. So, what do you think that means from what happens in Afghanistan and really bigger picture the direction of this President takes foreign policy?

LABOTT: Well, Steve Bannon was a proponent of that proposal by Erik Prince to use mercenaries or private contractors that I think that the U.S. military was a little load to have something like that happens. And that's -- because Steve Bannon was really an opponent of a very strong American engagement overseas.

He was more of a nationalist. He didn't believe in that many U.S. troop or other types of commitments abroad. And I think what you've seen is people like General McMaster, like the Defense Secretary Mattis, like Secretary of State Tillerson and who have more of a global view. They're called globalist but I, you know, by some people on the White House and by Trump supporters, I would say they're people that are more in favor of a strong U.S. engagement and strong U.S. leadership around the world. I think you may see a little bit of more emphasis on that.

CABRERA: Also when I ask you about the comments made by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week and the wake of Charlottesville, here is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REX TILLERSON, SECRETARY OF STATE: We do honor, protect and defend freedom of speech, First Amendment rights. It's what sets us apart from every other government regime in the world and allowing people the right of expression. These are good things. But we do not honor nor do we promote or accept hate speech in any form. And those who embrace it poison our public discourse and they damage the very country that they claim to love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:25:19] CABRERA: So, unlike the President, he was direct and condemning hate speech, the people who embrace it and he went on to say, he has made a priority to increase diversity in the state department. You cover the state department day in and day out. How revealing were those comments?

LABOTT: Ana, I've been covering Secretary Tillerson since he started and I have to say that was one of the strongest and most extraordinary set of remarks he has made. You've seen he's kind of been a little bit more of an introvert. But, you know, in what the Secretary Tillerson has been doing over the last six months or so, is trying to kind of reform and, you know, redesign the state department.

And the aides tell me that while he had been doing that, he has been, you know, kind of taking a long look and thinking about what should America represent overseas? What should America look like overseas? It should look like the U.S. diplomat should look like the face of America, which is diverse, which does believe in freedom and freedom of speech.

And so, it kind of that, you know, what happen in Charlottesville kind of dovetailed with what Secretary Tillerson has been, you know, trying to determine what the mission of the state department should be. And I think that was his answer to Charlottesville. That no, this is not a nation of hatred, this is not a nation of bigotry.

We are a nation that promotes freedom, free speech and we want to represent that overseas was what he was speaking in those remarks to student and interns and I think it was very revealing about what he thinks the U.S. is and what it should represent to countries around the world.

CABRERA: I thought that was really interest to see him stay. He wants at least one minority candidate too to be part of all of these openings that they're looking to fill.

LABOTT: Including the ambassadors.

CABRERA: Exactly.

LABOTT: Including the ambassadors, yes.

CABRERA: Elise Labott, thank you. We'll talk to you soon later this hour of the next hour.

American officials also with news today out of Cuba, remember that mysterious sonic weapon attack there. Well, it turns out a number of U.S. and Canadian diplomats that were injured maybe growing. Some of them very seriously injured. Today, we're learning more people were attack and initially thought it's believe the high-tech weapon was used to blast sounds that human ears just can't pick up but are capable of causing medical problems.

Live to Havana and CNN correspondent there Patrick Oppmann. Patrick, what are details you've learned?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ana, well, they list of diplomats is growing, and of course, it's in back up. What is the sonic weapon? It is a device that emits a frequency that you can always hear but it can make you noxious, it can give you headaches, it can even cause hearing loss.

And as we've learned over the last few weeks, American diplomats and Canadian diplomats were subjected to some kind of attack using a sonic weapon here. And what we've learned today is the number of those diplomats is growing about twice as many diplomats as we had initially thought. So, 10 U.S. diplomats and family members we are told by two senior U.S. officials were affected in about five Canadians and some of their family members were also affected.

We're also getting a better idea of when this took place on the U.S. side. It began in November where we're told and went on into the spring. The Canadian diplomats were attacked in June. So, why is this important? It would have taken place out during the time the Cuban authorities were made aware of this five U.S. and said they were investigating.

So, the attacks were told continue on even though the U.S. and Canadians had complained to the Cubans. Most of these attacks were told were not audible but some were untold that it was similar to hearing a loud insect buzzing or metal have been drive across floor and that these diplomats, if they left, the room or parts of their house where they're experiencing this symptoms for the symptoms stopped almost immediately.

Some of the attacks which were happened where the diplomats were at home, asleep in their bed, laid at night. So, very disconcerting new details but what we don't know is still and when investigators don't know is who was behind the attacks, the exact weapon used. So, while we were getting new details, a lot of the mystery here continues. A lot of the investigators still don't know about a very, very unusual case.

CABRERA: Very scary. Patrick Oppmann, thank you for that report. Coming up, Liberty University Alumni are threatening to return their diplomats after the University President called Trump's remarks on Charlottesville "bold and truthful". You'll here how he's now clarifying that statement next to the CNN Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:34:10] CABRERA: Some former students of Liberty University are sending their diplomas back as part of a group protest to University of President Jerry Falwell Jr. and his continued support of President Trump. In a letter, the graduates slammed Falwell for backing the President even after he blamed many sides for the violence about white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia last weekend.

Falwell twitted this, "Finally a leader in White House jobs returning, North Korea backing down, bold truthful statement about Charlottesville tragedy, so proud of Donald Trump." And a day later, he attempted to clarify by tweeting, "The truth as stated by Donald Trump is that violent white supremacists, Nazi, KKK and similar hate groups are pure evil and un-American." and then, today, third clarification.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY FALWELL, LIBERTY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: The bold and truthful statements I was referring to were his willingness to call evil and terrorism by its name, to identify the groups, the Nazis, the KKK, the white supremacists. And that's something a leader should do. And I admire him for that.

[17:35:12] You know, he, President Trump is something that women had in national leadership and a long time. He's substance over form. So many of our politicians recent leaders and national leaders have been formed over substance. They tell people what they want to hear. They sugarcoat everything or they have sugarcoated everything. And I think the American people have gotten sort of a thin skin and I think they need to listen to the substance to what he said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So, back in January of 2016, Falwell became one of the earliest evangelical leaders to endorse Trump at that time when many conservative Christian leaders were expensing concern about the President then candidate Trump's multiple marriages and passive form for abortion rights.

In the meantime, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is standing by the President even it's hundreds of his former Yale classmates urge him to resign and protest over his Charlottesville remarks. Mnuchin who was a Jewish, member of the cabinet and was at that press conference when Trump shifted some of the blame away from neo-Nazis. He should have full thrown a defense of the President.

This weekend, he said "While I find it hard to believe I should have to defend myself on this or the President, I feel compelled to let you know that the President in no way shape or form believes that neo- Nazis and other hate group who endorse violence are equivalent to groups that demonstrate in peaceful and lawful ways."

Joining me now is Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Los Angeles, an institution that fights anti-semitism and other prejudice. He also performs the prayer of President's inauguration. Rabbi, thanks for spending time with us. Do you think the pressure being pout on Mnuchin and other Jewish members of Trump staff, is fair?

RABBI MARVIN HIER, FOUNDER OF THE SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER LOS ANGELES: Well, let me -- I don't know about that but I know, what my opinion is very, very clearly. I do not think the President did the right thing. The President first of all in his first statement should not have mention the stock market and jobs when you're facing the greatest tragedy that we have Nazis and the klan marching in the heartland of America's 75 years after the holocaust.

And so, I think he should never ever equated that with other demonstratives that was a very big mistake. And I think he knows it.

CABRERA: What would you do if you are a member of his staff right now? If you Steve Mnuchin or Gary Cohn or somebody else?

HIER: Well, I don't know the circumstance. I would criticize -- I think that if they should speak to their conscience, in other words, it's certainly, it was handled right. I don't think anybody will argue that, that when you get -- when the president of the United States comes out and this is the first time that he speaking about it. And he begins his conversation by telling us about jobs. And then addresses this and then makes the comparison but the demonstratives on the other side, they were both wrong. That is quiet preposterous.

CABRERA: I want to get your reaction to this exchange. The president had with CNN's Jim Acosta. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No doubt about it and you don't have any doubt about it --

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That Mr. President --

(Inaudible)

TRUMP: And, if you reported it accurately, you would --

ACOSTA: The neo-Nazis started it, sir. The neo-Nazis started this. They showed up in Charlottesville. They start -- they showed up in Charlottesville to protest the removal of that statute.

TRUMP: Excuse me, excuse me, (INAUDIBLE) and you had some very bad people in that group. But, you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides. You had people in that group, excuse me, excuse me.

ACOSTA: No, sir the Nazis, there are no fine people on the Nazis.

TRUMP: I saw the same pictures.

ACOSTA: There are no fine people on the Nazis.

TRUMP: You had people --

(END VIDEO CLIP) CABRERA: So, Rabbi, as you watch or hear those comments, what going through your mind?

HIER: Well, what's going through my mind is that human beings, all human beings are valuable (ph). You know, Ronald Reagan went to Bitburg and we criticized them for that. Bitburg was a cemetery who where the SS are buried.

President Trump should not have handled this the way he did. He should have been unequivocal. He made a mistake and let's hoped he learned from it.

CABRERA: What would learning from it look like?

HIER: Never repeating that again. If I would give him an advice, I would apologize for that and go forward. Look, we have a lot of issues in the world and we don't want to measure America 75 years after 400,000 GIs gave their lies to liberate Europe from Nazism to have them replay the Klan and Nazism in the heartland of America.

CABRERA: Well, I know hat he's planning to do going forward at this point. He is planning to have a campaign style rally in Arizona this week.

[17:40:00] And again, here was the scene last summer when then candidate Trump was greeted by protesters in this giant, inflatable mock of him wearing a KKK robe. I was on the ground reporting during this time.

I was talking with some of those protesters who represent immigrant's rights groups obviously immigration and race issues are hot issues in this part of out country as well. This time around the Phoenix mayor is now expressing concern that if the president comes there after Charlottesville it could spark something that could become violent.

If the President goes forward with this, what message does that said?

HIER: Again let me say this. If the President would ask me what should he do in Phoenix, I would tell him, condemn the Nazis and the Klan and never mention the other demonstrators. Make it unequivocal, while the whole country is watching, they are not the same.

CABRERA: Rabbi Marvin Hier, thank you for your remarks. Thank you for your time tonight.

HIER: Thank you.

CABRERA: Coming up. Tomorrow millions of Americans would be able to see the first total solar eclipse visible across the county this century and we'll speak to one man who has a word of warning for those trying to catch a glimpse with the naked eye. You are live in the CNN Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:45:21] CABRERA: He was one of the pioneer of slapstick, pave in a way for physical comics for decades to come. Comedian actor and philanthropist Jerry Lewis died today. He was 91 years. Jerry Lewis rose a fame in the 1940s as member of the comedy duo, Martin and Lewis singer deemed Martin. He was also an honorary member of Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack. But Lewis is perhaps best known for tugging at the heartstrings of millions of Americans during his annual Labor Day telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and not fund raiser, slash, variety show ran for about 44 years and raised nearly $2.5 billion for the cost.

American television icon Dick Cavett, who knows Lewis personally is joining us now. Your relationship with Jerry Lewis goes back decades. When was the last time you saw him?

DICK CAVETT, FORMER HOST, "THE DICK CAVETT SHOW": The very last time was at the most recent Turner Classic movie festival and Jerry was down there to do a lecture. I had to leave but I went down to say hello to him before he went on. And he was bright and funny and delightful and seemed to be year for the long run. Well, it was for the long run.

CABRERA: Yes, 91 years old, amazing really.

CAVETT: I just wrote a tweet about him. A little late maybe but and just saying that I missed you man and you're not only fun to work with but you actually paid me the write for you proving that you really clear in the (INAUDIBLE). And we would often laugh together and talk together and I had great time with him.

Johny Carson said, and had this job, what can you write for Jerry Lewis? And I said well, you know, when he comes up we got his -- I wrote that.

CABRERA: Love it. I love it. And it's always hard to lose somebody you care about but we do celebrate his life today. Tell us more about his personality off camera?

CAVETT: Off camera, he was often quite serious and that would surprise and even of course disappoint me. Because kids would come up to him and say helot to him kind of before a way and they'd say, do something funny.

But he -- generally, he was a man with a serious side. He had an adequacies that he was kind of (INAUDIBLE) aware of him. One thing I remember once, I used the word that he didn't know in his office. And he took out a notebook and wrote it in his improve my vocabulary notebook. He would love to have a real education.

CABRERA: Now, younger audiences might not remember the movies, the sketches that made himself famous but present day comedians like Jim Carrey and Jimmy Kimmel. The certainly appreciate his legacy. They've described him as a genius.

How rare was Jerry was his gift.

CAVETT: I think they're right. I see it as a fact that in my earliest days, there were three gigantic explosions. Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and this sound corny but and when Jerry Lewis exploded into the world of comedy seeming to almost brush everything else aside. It was spectacular.

CABRERA: Well Dick Cavett, thanks for helping us remember a comedy great and somebody done so much for this country especially through his philanthropy work. Thanks again for being with us tonight.

CAVETT: You got it.

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[17:53:42] CABRERA: It's a rare opportunity for millions of Americans on Monday little over 24 hours now a total eclipse of the sun will be visible in the mainland U.S. for the first time since 1979. It has been 99 years since the solar eclipse cross the entire U.S. And 60 percent of Americans living in states that lie in the direct path of this eclipse planned to catch this historic event according to a CNN poll. About half of Americans nationwide plans to experience in some way.

Hopefully, they'll take proper safety precautions because joining me now is a man who knows and how to learn a lessons that hard way he is. Joining us from Portland, Oregon, Louis Tomososki was injured viewing a partial eclipse. Louis thanks for spending time with us. You were a teenager when you are hurt back in 1960s. Take us back and walk us through what happened.

LOUIS TOMOSOSKI, INJURED EYE DURING PARTIAL ECLIPSE: Well, I was going to Marshall High School 1963. The science teacher said after school there's going to be an eclipse of the sun. And so, I thought I'd take a look at it walking home from school with best friend Roger Duval (ph). We'd both stopped and this was about 3:30 in the afternoon and looked up at the sun.

And it took about 20 seconds we look at it and saw the moon crossing into the face of the sun.

[17:55:05] And then, we quit looking at it and walk our mile home. You know, the next day there was little spots and then, it lasted for 50 some odd years now.

CABRERA: Oh my goodness.

TOMOSOSKI: Since that injury took place.

CABRERA: So it did hurt your eyes when you're looking at it or simply some of your vision just was blurry and spotty and that happen in so much later or you didn't even realize it at the time when you are looking that it was doing damage.

TOMOSOSKI: Yes. And the human eye, the outer surface of that human eye like when you poke your eye is very sensitive. The back of the eye, the retina has no pain sensors. And so when those raise are going in there they're burning a whole in the retina and you don't even know it.

CABRERA: That is just wild. So what can you see and what can't you see now all these years later?

TOMOSOSKI: You know, Roger and I were very lucky that we burn just one eye. The people that look with eye then switch over to the eye, they have spot in both eyes where they probably can't drive a car.

Roger and I would both eyes open can see perfectly normal. If we shut our good eye then we can't even read a book.

CABRERA: Wow, what do you want people to know before tomorrow's eclipse?

TOMOSOSKI: Well, I want them to be safe. Myself, I'm going to go out and enjoy the eclipse but I'm not looking at the sun with or without glasses. I'm going to enjoy just seeing the shadow coming and it getting dark.

Some of these glasses are on recall now. I've heard people breaking glass and spray painting it black and going to look through it.

CABRERA: Yes.

TOMASOSKI: It's not worth it with you eyes. You only get two eyes and they're very delicate instruments.

CABRERA: Yes. OK.

TOMOSOSKI: So they got to really be careful. I'm worried about the children, the glass slipping off of them. It's Tuesday morning going to be the big new story millions blinded by the solar eclipse. That's my worst fear.

CABRERA: Well, we certainly hope now you're helping to spread the word of the danger and hopefully people take these proper precautions. I know our daycare for our youngest is planning to keep the kids inside all day tomorrow because of that fear of what could happened.

Louis Tomososki, thanks for sharing your story with us.

TOMOSOSKI: Oh, thanks for spreading the word.

CABRERA: All right. Have a great weekend.

Now in this week's Fit Nation a transgender cyclist makes history. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta that has the story.

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JILLIAN BEARDEN, CYCLIST: Cycling has offered a sense of stability in my life. I work through every life situation on my bike.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Jillian Bearden is an elite cyclist but her ride hasn't been easy.

BEARDEN: I was born male as Jonathan Paul Bearden having this identity growing in your mind you struggle on a daily basis.

GUPTA: To cope, Jillian turn to cycling and begun competing in the male circuit but her struggle with her identity persisted.

BEARDEN: I was contemplating suicide. To want to kill yourself when you have children, when you have a wife, that's a hard decision to make. But that's how dark it is.

GUPTA: Jillian decided to tell her family and with their support, she began transitioning. Jillian work with officials at USA Cycling and after months of talks and hormonal testing, they granted her a license to race as a female.

BEARDEN: It was extremely emotional like I was finally on that women's team that I was always long for.

GUPTA: Now, she's about to compete in her first professional cycling race as a woman, the Colorado Classic.

BEARDEN: This race is important because I'll be the first transwoman athlete in the United States to race in the pro field.

GUPTA: The Colorado Classic is a two-day team cycling event that draw some of the top professional cyclist in the world.

BEARDEN: When you have 83 other riders hitting speed of 42 miles an hours, it's a crazy thing.

GUPTA: Jillian finished in time to qualify for the second race, a grueling 32-mile course in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Racers climb 3,600 feet uphill at an elevation already of almost 10,000 feet.

BEARDEN: It's going to be intense. It's going to be really hard but I'm just -- I'm really blessed to be able to participate in this.

GUPTA: The steep hills prove tough in Jillian fell behind the pack still she push through to the end. Out of 74 riders, Jillian came in 34.

BEARDEN: It felt amazing. I've won the race already. I'm alive. I am my true self and that's the best racer there is.

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