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Wolf

Trump: "I'm Not to Blame if GOP Loses House in Midterms; Biden: Age is Relevant in 2020 Presidential Race; Trump Rails Against Fed for Raising Interest Rates; Bob Graham: U.S. Protecting Saudis for 2 Decades; Supreme Court Chief Justice Speaks Out; Trump Warns Country as Immigration Caravan Heads to U.S. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired October 17, 2018 - 13:30   ET

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


[13:30:00] KAROUN DEMIRJIAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You certainly see a lot of motivation driving these growing bank accounts. But as we saw in past cycles, it doesn't buy you elections. The Georgia Democrats outspent the Republican candidate, and they didn't win. And what President Trump tried to do in his own election, and as you were saying a minute ago, he might not be saying I like Congress but I like the president, because you can run for the middle in the midterm elections don't necessarily see the same turnout as in presidential years. You just have to make sure that your people really come out and cast votes for Republicans up and down the ballot.

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: You look at some of the anomalies, you look at the issue of family separations at the border and you look at polling, and you see soft support for Democrats, who are Hispanic supporters, and that's hardly a monolith, and that's the kind of question that you -- we simply don't media attention. You look at all the media attention on Beto O'Rourke in Texas and, yet, he's fading in the polls. Had to go on the attack last night against Ted Cruz. We still have to be skeptical in all our cautions and predictions.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Before you know it, the race for the White House is going to be off and running.

Take a look at this. The former Vice President Joe Biden, who likely will run, told a crowd in Michigan that he believes it's, "A totally legitimate issue to raise in the elections, namely his age."

If Biden were to run and win, he would be 78 by the time of the swearing in ceremony. Other possible contenders would be well into their 70s. Bernie Sanders would be 79. Michael Bloomberg would be 78, John Kerry would be 77. Elizabeth Warren would be 71. Meantime, if President Trump wins re-election, and he's sworn in on January 20, 2021, to a second term, he would,74 years old, surpassing Ronald Reagan as the oldest person to take the presidential oath of office. Reagan was 73 at the time.

How much is a factor of age, right now, for these Democratic presidential contenders?

GREGORY: There's two ways to look at it. One thought I had is that smart political people always told me elections were about the future. Was Trump really about the future either in things have changed in a difficult kind of political moment. I do think for Democrats, I think Joe Biden represents a kind of refuge because they want to fight the last war and say oh, yes, he's a guy that could have beat Donald Trump better than Hillary Clinton could have. I feel like that's a safe haven for them at this point, in part, because they don't know who's going to be raised out of their field.

DEMIRJIAN: There's nobody that's really fashioned themselves as enough of a foil to President Trump that they could actually challenge President Trump or actually would. But Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, they don't have an overwhelming coalition of Democrats that they're the guaranteed shoe in. And the Democratic Party has not really had that since Obama and Hillary Clinton waiting in the wings.

BLITZER: Something else the president said. He gave another interview with FOX Business, and he railed against the Federal Reserve and the new chairman, Jerome Powell. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My biggest threat is the Fed because the Fed is raising rates too fast. And it's independent, or I don't speak to them. But I'm not happy with what he's doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: It's pretty extraordinary for the president to be railing against the Federal Reserve.

DEMIRJIAN: Yes, traditionally, you don't really do that because it's supposed to be an independent entity, but the president has also railed against the judicial branch who are critical of his opinion as well. So that's not really unique. It's interesting that the president is saying that because he has good economic number to present himself to the country and he's not focusing on hymn as much as you any he might. And he's focusing on the mentality out there and what is changing his ability to do business with a national economy.

GREGORY: Quickly, it's a specious argument, and it happens over and over again. And I find it really interesting. The president is who runs the Fed, but is independent, still likes to cast himself as an outsider, who's a captive to Washington, not driving it. He's a captive. So he's saying, oh, this is crazy what they're doing at the Fed, it's a threat to me. He's campaigning against the Fed. He installed the Fed chairman. And he's campaigning like he's still Donald Trump over in Trump Tower still, private citizen. There's some political magic in that potentially, even though it's a specious argument when --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: People tell him, historically, don't do it, but he does stuff.

(LAUGHTER) All right, thank you.

GREGORY: You're welcome.

[13:35:06] BLITZER: He led the investigation into Saudi Arabia's involvement in 9/11. And up next, former Senator Bob Graham explains why he says the U.S. government has been protecting the Saudi kingdom for nearly two decades.

And a candid conversation with Chief Justice John Roberts. He talks about his new colleague, Justice Brett Kavanagh, and the court's mission to stay independent.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:40:02] TRUMP: If you look at Saudi Arabia, they're an ally and they're a tremendous purchaser of not only military equipment, but other things. When I went there, they committed to purchase $450 billion worth of things and $110 billion worth of military. Those are the biggest orders in the history of this country, probably in the history of the world. I don't think there's ever been any order for $450 billion.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: President Trump earlier showing full confidence in Saudi Arabia, defending Saudi leaders in the face of outrage over the disappearance of "Washington Post" contributor, Jamal Khashoggi.

Joining us now from Florida, the former U.S. Senator Bob Graham. He's a former chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who led the investigation into Saudi involvement in 9/11.

Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

BOB GRAHAM, (D), FORMER SENATOR: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: Do you think it's conceivable the Saudi government could have ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi at the highest levels of the government, whether it be the crown prince or the king?

GRAHAM: I think it would only happen at the highest levels. Saudi Arabia is a very controlled authoritarian state. No individual citizen, no matter how powerful, would have taken on the responsibility of killing a person who had such international visibility.

BLITZER: So when the president throws out the notion of rogue killers, what do you say?

GRAHAM: I think that, from what I know -- and I know just what you know, Wolf, and the other listeners to this program -- is that there's a strong scent of suspicion that the Saudi monarchy was responsible for killing the journalist. If that is proven to be the case, it will be a very serious incident, and will require the United States to stand up for its values of human rights and dignity, and institute strong as possible sanctions.

BLITZER: You've been pushing hard for the entire 9/11 report, the U.S. government's 9/11 investigated report to be made public as far back as 2003. Some of it still is classified. I want to play this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: I am calling upon the members of the Senate Intelligence Committee to take the action that they are authorized to take, which is to recommend to the full Senate that all or a portion of the currently classified information be made available to the American people. There's compelling evidence that a foreign government provided direct support through officials and agents of that government to some of the September 11 hijackers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That's what you said back in 2003. So what lessons from that investigation would be important now to remember with the current situation with Saudi Arabia?

GRAHAM: There's a price to be paid by subservience to another country and we are paying that price now and have paid it at several critical times over the past, now, 17 years. I think what we should do is demand of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia that it release all the information that it has and then put maximum pressure on our government to release ours and let us have the people of this country and of the world determine who is responsible for 9/11.

BLITZER: Do you think the Saudis could do a fair and responsible investigation of what happened at their consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, to Jamal Khashoggi?

GRAHAM: I say the first persons who have responsibility and the opportunity to get to the truth should be the Turks themselves. This did happen in their territory and to one of their citizens. If we are not satisfied with that investigation is not adequate, because he is a resident if not a citizen of our country, then we should undertake to determine the facts of the case.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: I was just going to say, Jamal Khashoggi, not an American, but a Turkish citizen, although engaged to a Turkish woman. That's why he was at the Saudi consulate at Istanbul, trying to get formal documentation for a divorced to allow him to get remarried. You're right, he's not a U.S. citizen, though his children are U.S. citizens and he was a formal resident of the United States.

How much is at stake right now, Senator, in U.S./Saudi relations with this current issue?

[13:45:01] GRAHAM: It's very high, but it's been very high since 9/11 when the first suspicions came that it was Saudi Arabia not Iraq or some other country which was responsible for 9/11. But this is the time to bring this matter to a head and find out who was responsible and what sanctions should be imposed.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens in the coming days.

Senator Graham, thank you so much for joining us.

GRAHAM: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: And coming up, scare tactics in full force as one cable news host warns Americans to vote Republicans next month or be replaced by immigrants.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:10] BLITZER: The chief justice, John Roberts, speaking out for the first time since Brett Kavanaugh's controversial confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Without ever mentioning Kavanaugh by name, Roberts stressed the need for the court to be independent from political branches of government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE, U.S. SUPREME COURT: Before we go on to the bench to hear argument in a case and before we go into the conference room to discuss a case, we pause for a moment and shake each other's hands. It's a small thing perhaps, but it is a repeated reminder that, as our newest colleague put it, we do not sit on opposite sides of the aisle, we do not caucus in separate rooms, we do not serve one party or one interest, we serve one nation. And I want to assure all of you that we will continue to do that to the best of our abilities, whether times are calm or contentious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Our Supreme Court analyst, Joan Biskupic, is joining us right now.

Joan, why do you think he felt it necessary to speak out now?

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Two things are happening here, Wolf. One is a longstanding effort that the chief justice has had to describe the court as impartial, independent from the two political branches. That message became more urgent because of what happened during the Kavanaugh hearings.

But let me remind you what the chief has been doing for the past 13 years, since his own appointment. He has been trying to elevate the court over the two political branches. One, because he wants to show the independence. The other reason is that he's overseeing a court that is deeply divided, 5-4, five conservatives appointed by Republican presidents, versus four liberals appointed by four Democrats. He has a real interest in trying to say we're not like that. So he's been saying this since the Gorsuch hearings, stressed after the Gorsuch nomination back in 2017, he stressed this. But think of what he faced after the contentious hearings earlier this month with Brett Kavanaugh, where Brett Kavanaugh said, it's been a partisan smear what happened to me here. I think the chief wanted to come out forcibly right out of the box. He used four minutes right at the start of this appearance, to say we're not like them, you have to trust us, we are independent.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens.

BISKUPIC: Right.

BLITZER: Thanks very much, Joan, for that analysis.

Up next, a caravan reportedly filled with thousands of potential immigrants, many of them children, continuing its trek north, prompting President Trump to threaten multiple Central American countries. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:57:44] BLITZER: With only 20 days until the midterm elections, some scare tactics are in full force. The FOX News host, Laura Ingraham, issued this warning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX HOST: Of this, my friends, you can be sure -- your views on immigration will have zero impact and zero influence on a House dominated by Democrats, who want to replace you, the American voters, with newly amnestied citizens and an ever-increasing number of chain migrants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: This, as a migrant caravan leaves Honduras and heads to the U.S. border. The president threatened to withhold aid from the governments of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala if they did not stop this exodus.

Our CNN correspondent, Leyla Santiago, joins us now with details.

Leyla, have authorities tried to actually stop this caravan?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That will be a big question, exactly how much they will do to stop this caravan. Just in the last half hour, Mexico issued a statement in which they say they acknowledge the freedom for movement among people. But then they sort of laid out a list of requirements, what it will take for Mexico to allow these Hondurans, who are in Guatemala right now, to get into their country, to cross the Mexico/Guatemala border. So it's sort of a sign that they may be cooperating a little bit with President Trump to do something about this caravan. This caravan, that according to organizers, has anywhere between 3,000 to 4,000 people from Honduras, many who will tell you they are fleeing violence, threats against their children, deadly threats. But last week I was on the border, and many of the people, the migrants coming up with also talking about fleeing poverty. So while there's no way to really say that these organizations speak for every single migrant on that caravan, they are certainly making sure to point out the violence that they are fleeing from in Honduras with the hope of getting to the United States.

BLITZER: We're going to watch that caravan and see where it heads and how it's moving along every step of the way.

Leyla, thank you very much for that report. You're doing excellent work for all of us.

That's it for me. To our viewers, thanks very much for watching. I'll be back at 5 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

"NEWSROOM" with Brooke Baldwin starts right now.