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New Day
Recount Underway In Razor-Thin Florida Senate And Governor Races; CNN Reality Check: Trump Properties Received $3.2 Million During Midterms; At Least 31 Killed And More Than 200 Missing As Wildfires Ravage California. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired November 12, 2018 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00] DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST, NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES, AUTHOR, "THE PERFECT WEAPON": -- shut down some older facilities and building plenty of new ones. And you haven't heard a word about this from the administration.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: David Sanger, a very interesting read this morning. I commend everyone to go look at it as soon as they can.
Susan Glasser, our thanks to you as well -- Alisyn.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK, John.
Florida is recounting elections again. So will this be any different than the long saga of the 2000 presidential election? We discuss.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAMEROTA: The Democratic candidate for Florida governor, Andrew Gillum, has withdrawn his concession as contentious statewide recount gets underway. There are now lawsuits and accusations of foul play.
So joining us are former Ohio Secretary of State and conservative columnist Ken Blackwell, and the former U.S. attorney in South Florida, Kendall Coffey. Gentlemen, great to have you both with us.
Mr. Blackwell, you claimed last week -- you said Democrats in Florida are quote "manufacturing votes." Do you stand by that accusation?
KEN BLACKWELL (R), FORMER OHIO SECRETARY OF STATE, CONSERVATIVE COLUMNIST: I stand by the accusation because look, there is a history of chronic malfeasance. There has been lapses in transparency and missed deadlines.
[07:35:05] And as a consequence, there are 93,000 votes that materialized. And with the lack of transparency --
CAMEROTA: Where are you getting that number? I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Blackwell. I just want to stop for one second and fact-check.
We can't find what that number's based on. Where are you getting the number of 93,000? BLACKWELL: Well, the number's -- the number's -- the number's based on what was -- at 30 minutes after the polls closed, the number was 634,000 votes.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: It materialized over the next 24 hours to increase by 93 -- excuse me, 83,000 votes --
CAMEROTA: And are those overseas military --
BLACKWELL: -- to 714,000.
CAMEROTA: Are those overseas military ballots and absentee votes?
BLACKWELL: No, these are -- these -- no, they're not.
CAMEROTA: How do you know?
BLACKWELL: So, the reality -- the reality is, is that the rules say that those votes, they should be tabulated --
CAMEROTA: Yes, all votes should be tabulated.
BLACKWELL: -- and we should know the number.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: So, right -- all legally-cast votes should be tabulated. That's why we have rules and regulations. There's a history of ballot --
CAMEROTA: And that's what's happening in this recount.
BLACKWELL: -- destruction.
There's a -- ma'am -- ma'am -- there is a history of ballot destruction. This has been litigated. There -- she has admitted that she has done ballot destruction before.
CAMEROTA: That's different than manufacturing votes. Listen, I --
BLACKWELL: There has, in fact, been a chronic history --
CAMEROTA: -- hear -- what you're saying is --
BLACKWELL: No, no.
CAMEROTA: -- that there's all sorts of things that have been problems in the past, but that's different than manufacturing votes this time.
BLACKWELL: Yes. Like I said -- as I said, that there is a concern that there has been lapses in transparency. And when you have a lapse in transparency what you have is a rise in suspicion.
CAMEROTA: Understood. BLACKWELL: There is a consistent -- there's a consistent undercutting of public confidence and trust --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: -- in this bipartisan system.
CAMEROTA: Understood.
BLACKWELL: And when you tell people that they can't see the process you raise the suspicion that something nefarious --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: -- is happening.
CAMEROTA: Transparency -- a lack of transparency is --
BLACKWELL: Wouldn't you agree?
CAMEROTA: Of course, lack of transparency is bad. But the 93,000 manufactured votes --
BLACKWELL: Right, that --
CAMEROTA: -- feels like a stretch.
But let me bring in Mr. Coffey. Mr. Coffey -- well, hold --
BLACKWELL: Well, it feels like a stretch to you, but that's why the courts have decided that one, she was wrong in the lapse in transparency.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: And we, in fact, need to put eyeballs and light on the --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: -- situation.
CAMEROTA: And --
BLACKWELL: And I can tell you --
CAMEROTA: -- ergo a recount.
BLACKWELL: Look, if it -- if it's -- if it's chronic malfeasance --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: -- versus manufacturing and -- a vote, then that will come out in the wash. But the way it --
CAMEROTA: Yes, agreed. I want to get in Mr. Coffey.
BLACKWELL -- comes out --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: -- is that we, in fact -- we are -- we are now within -- we're not within the margin of litigation, which I think that's what --
CAMEROTA: We are within the margin of litigation.
BLACKWELL: -- the Democrats wanted to try to push this to.
No, no, no, we're not.
CAMEROTA: Yes, we are. Yes, we are.
BLACKWELL: We're in a margin of recount.
CAMEROTA: OK, you're right -- you're right -- right.
BLACKWELL: We're in a margin of recount --
CAMEROTA: We're in a margin of recount.
BLACKWELL: -- not litigation.
CAMEROTA: Fine.
OK, Mr. Coffey --
BLACKWELL: Thank you. I think I'm right. I've done this for a long time.
CAMEROTA: You are right. You are right. I thought you meant recount -- yes.
Mr. Coffey, so --
KENDALL COFFEY, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, CHAIR, SOUTHERN DISTRICT CONFERENCE, FLORIDA FEDERAL JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION: Well, we've got a recount going forward pursuant to Republican-enacted recount procedures. And the manual recount, which is inevitable in two of three races, can be conducted with Republican-created guidelines for determining voters' intent.
The process is going forward. They are absolutely no manufactured votes. That's pure baloney.
We all know a lot of votes arrive by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. Those are supposed to be counted too. And, actually, Broward did get their voting totals in time on Saturday, so it's going forward.
There's no basis to discredit this recount process.
Give a little bit of credit to elections officials that are working all night, 24 hours, to try to get it done by very tight deadlines because we all know one thing -- this election is too close to call. And when it's too close to call, that's exactly why a recount is needed because right now, we don't really know who the winners are in these three races in Florida and they are very important elections.
CAMEROTA: Mr. Blackwell -- I mean, you've brought up the Broward County supervisor of elections, Brenda Snipes, and you say that she has a checkered past. I think that that is true. There have certainly been questionable acts by her in the past.
So why didn't Gov. Rick Scott get rid of her? She's been in place for 15 years.
BLACKWELL: Well look, at the end of the day, I think that's a very, very good question. She was locally elected. It's a very complicated system to get rid of a person.
He could have suspended her but because she as chosen by the electors of that -- her jurisdiction, I think he probably looked past it with a hope that things would be corrected.
[07:40:05] CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: But, 2016 produced more evidence of gross mismanagement --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BLACKWELL: -- and that is a -- that is a real concern to voters of all stripes.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
Mr. Coffey --
BLACKWELL: Confidence in the return is very important.
CAMEROTA: Oh, fundamental.
Mr. Coffey, you say that the margins are too close call or just extremely close, but the truth is that -- I mean, in the Ron DeSantis- Andrew Gillum one, Ron DeSantis, the Republican, is up by something like 33,000 votes. Usually, a recount doesn't find -- turn around those -- that outcome.
That seems -- it seems as though the Republicans have healthy leads here -- 33,000, and I think 12,000 in the other senatorial race. And so, Republicans -- I mean, from where I sit, look pretty confident. I mean, they could be pretty confident and say let the recount just proceed. We've got nothing to worry about.
COFFEY: Well, but you're looking at Republicans who instead of a calm, confident victory lap seem to have an angry anxiety about this and seem to feel they need to discredit the recount every way possible. That suggests to me that there is, indeed, merit. That they're concerned about how this is going to turn out.
And, of course, the Democratic lawyers are pointing out that recounts historically help Democratic candidates. There are plenty of things we don't know.
And at the end of the day, the legislative determination was that if something's .5 percent and you don't know how it's going to turn out, do a machine recount. And if it's .25 percent, the government of Florida -- the Republican-led government has said that is too close to call. You've got to have a 67-county manual recount.
So let's respect the process. Let's go forward and at the end of it count every vote and see what the real results are of this election.
CAMEROTA: On that note, Ken Blackwell, Kendall Coffey, thank you very much -- John.
BERMAN: All right.
So, are the Trump family's private companies profiting off of his presidency? A CNN "Reality Check," next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:45:45] BERMAN: A new report shows that Trump properties have raked in some big money from Republican political groups.
John Avlon has our "Reality Check" -- John.
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: That's right, John.
So look, a big weekend, a lot of news, but let's not lose sight of this. President Trump likes to say he's working for free. It's offered as evidence that he is selfless in his public service. But you may remember what he said during the campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My whole life, I've been greedy, greedy, greedy. I've grabbed all the money I could get. I'm so greedy. But now, I want to be greedy for the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: I want to be greedy for the United States.
So it was a bit surprising that the president didn't follow precedent and put his assets in a blind trust.
But this weekend, CNN reported that Trump properties brought in $3.2 million from political activities since the president took office, according to FEC documents.
So, the Trump Organization seems to be raking in the money from political groups closely aligned with the president, with the Trump Hotel in Washington leading the list.
Since 2017, the RNC spent $1.2 million at Trump properties with events at Trump's Florida golf club and, of course, Mar-a-Lago.
The president's reelection committee has spent more than $900,000 since the inauguration.
And rounding out the troika is the pro-Trump super PAC known as America First Action. They've spent over $300,000.
But there's a funny coincidence here. Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas casino magnate, was the Trump super PAC's biggest donor. In total, he spent more than $100 million on Republicans in these past midterms.
And just this past weekend, President Trump announced that he'd be giving the Medal of Freedom to Adelson's wife, Miriam, in a class that includes Elvis and Babe Ruth.
Again, total coincidence. Nothing to do with donor dollars. But I digress.
The point is that groups that are politically linked to the president have been spending lots of money at properties where some of the profit still rolls up for the president.
This shouldn't surprise us. We know that Trump's businesses brought in $3.7 million from political activity during his presidential campaign.
But, taxpayers may be a bit surprised where their money's going. According to NBC, President Trump has spent one-third of his presidency -- or more than 200 days -- at a Trump property. That translates to an estimated $20 million of your money on travel to Florida in the first 80 days of his presidency alone.
The Defense Department charged nearly $140,000 at Trump properties during the first eight months of the administration.
And then, there are foreign governments who may be trying to curry favor, like the Saudis, who spent at least $270,000 in the Trump Hotel in D.C. well before killing Jamal Khashoggi and trying to cover it up.
So why does all this matter? Well, Trump is facing a case about the Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution.
And earlier this month, a federal judge allowed discovery to go forward, writing in a decision, quote, "The president's ownership interest in the Trump International Hotel suggests he has received emoluments in violation of the constitution."
And neither Trump Organization nor the White House has responded to CNN's request for comments. But if you want to find out the truth you follow the money and there's evidence that Trump's private companies may be profiting off his presidency.
And that's your "Reality Check."
BERMAN: And look, this is the type of thing that a Democratic House and an oversight committee -- if Elijah Cummings wants to look into this -- if the Financial Committee wants to look into some of these things, it may now be an issue for the first time for the president, correct? AVLON: That's exactly right. There's the court case, there's what Congress can do. If you shake the magic eight ball I'm going to say it looks like they're going to look at this.
CAMEROTA: I mean -- and also, John, I just appreciate you reminding people of it. The news cycle is so crazy, we lose these threads, but there's also what voters can do if it bothers them. So, thank you.
BERMAN: Can I also just bring up one point -- the Medal of Freedom to Miriam Adelson?
AVLON: Yes.
BERMAN: You took issue with that and I think that's important to point out. Elvis Presley and Babe Ruth -- at last, someone is recognizing their contributions to our culture because Babe Ruth -- he's like unnoticed.
AVLON: He really -- you're just bitter he left the Red Sox. And if it was Ted Williams, you may be singing a different tune.
BERMAN: I sure -- the point -- what's the point?
AVLON: There is no point.
BERMAN: Oh. That is a reality check.
CAMEROTA: That -- there's your reality check.
BERMAN: All right. Thank you, John.
CAMEROTA: Thank you very much.
OK, so there's this desperate race to escape from the flames. Wait until you see this one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMBER TONEY, PARADISE, CALIFORNIA EVACUEE: Please -- please drive. Just please drive.
SUSAN MILLER, PARADISE, CALIFORNIA EVACUEE: I'm trying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh. We have much more on this mother and daughter's harrowing journey attempting to get away from the flames when NEW DAY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:54:05] CAMEROTA: The death toll has risen to 31 people in the raging wildfires in California. The Camp Fire burning in the North is the most destructive fire in history. It is currently tied for being the deadliest, as well.
Dozens of people are unaccounted for at this hour as the flames have leveled the entire town called Paradise.
CNN's Dan Simon is live there with more -- Dan.
DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hi, Alisyn.
This fire happening at a scale and level we've just -- we've just never seen before in the state of California. And we're still hearing some of the harrowing tales of people who evacuated.
Now, the main road that leaves to and from town is called Skyway. In fact, they call it Skyway into Paradise. And on Thursday it was filled with cars, bumper-to-bumper, with people frantically trying to leave town.
Now, two of the people on the road were a mother and daughter and you can hear just how terrified they were as the fire was ravaging everything around them.
[07:55:02] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONEY: It's OK, momma. Oh, God.
MILLER: Oh my God.
(Crying)
SIMON (voice-over): A mother and daughter desperately trying to escape the fast-moving inferno.
TONEY: Please, please drive. Just please drive.
MILLER: Oh, I'm trying.
SIMON: Behind the wheel is 59-year-old Susan Miller.
MILLER: I'll have nightmares for the rest of my life. This was a bucket list I never wanted of things I hoped to have never gone through.
TONEY: It's OK, momma.
MILLER: I'm so scared.
TONEY: It's OK. Just --
SIMON: Her daughter, Amber, just trying to keep her calm.
TONEY: I thought the windows were going to shatter because it was just so hot. How could God take a town away that's called Paradise?
MILLER: We thought the tires were going to melt. We thought the car was going to melt.
SIMON: The camera still rolling, you can see the moment when the skies become a little clearer and hear the relief in Amber's voice.
TONEY: We're just trying to escape Paradise. I think we might have.
SIMON: Her grandfather, a Korean War veteran, made a separate journey to safety.
JERRY, PARADISE, CALIFORNIA EVACUEE: I'm still in a shock, not really realizing how bad it is because I'm homeless at 82 years -- 82 -- and that makes it hard.
SIMON: While many abandoned their cars in the slow-moving traffic and got out on foot, Jerry, a former truck driver, used his well-honed skills to weave his way out.
JERRY: If the good lord got me here, I think he's going to take me a little bit further. That's all I can say.
SIMON: The most destructive wildfire in California history, the Camp Fire has destroyed more than 6,400 homes and claimed at least 29 lives.
The family doesn't know if they'll ever return to the town they loved.
SIMON (on camera): I know you're just trying to get through day-by- day, but what do you want people to know about your situation and what happened to Paradise?
TONEY: We're strong but some of us won't stay. It's just too hard.
MILLER: Where we had beautiful trees, it's now black. And it will take years for any of the pine trees to get even close to being what they were. That town was probably 180 years old and it's not there anymore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON: And this is the neighborhood where Susan and Amber lived, and you can see it's just entirely leveled. Like thousands of others, they are staying at hotels, just trying to figure out what's next.
Now, the good news is the containment number has gone up. But the bad news is we could be in this situation for quite some time. The weather remains dry so the threat persists.
John and Alisyn, we'll send it back to you.
BERMAN: Very high level of concern out there.
Dan Simon, terrific report. Thank you so much for telling us these stories. Those people very much in need.
CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh, and how terrifying it is to be in the car. And again, they had the presence of mind to tape on their phone -- as you say, to record it on their phone. But that horror --
BERMAN: Yes.
CAMEROTA: -- that you hear in their voice -- I mean, that mother said it will be something that I'll have nightmares about forever.
BERMAN: And, 200 people still missing right now in those fires. We're hoping that they just had to get out and maybe left their cell phones behind. They're somewhere where they haven't been able to be reached yet -- but 200 people still missing.
The devastating wildfire is just one of the two breaking stories we're following right now, so let's stay on it.
All right. Breaking this morning, post-election chaos in Florida. These are live pictures from Broward County, which is one of 67 Florida counties facing a Thursday, 3:00 p.m. deadline to complete a recount in three statewide races. As for that deadline, the Palm Beach County election supervisor says it's impossible for them to meet it.
Now, two of the races in Florida -- the governor's race and the race for Senate -- they're among the most closely watched in the country.
The current governor, Rick Scott, who is leading the Senate race -- follow the bouncing ball here -- has filed three election-related lawsuits. Scott alleges without giving evidence that his opponent, Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson, is trying to commit fraud in order to win the election.
Nelson says Scott's efforts are aimed at making sure every legal vote is not counted.
Joining us now is Florida Democratic Congressman Ted Deutch. His district covers parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us.
The Secretary of State's --
REP. TED DEUTCH (D), FLORIDA: My pleasure.
BERMAN: -- office says they have seen no evidence of fraud here. I think that is important to note as these lawsuits are being filed. The Secretary of State's own people say they see no evidence of fraud.
But let me ask you directly. As you see what has gone on in Broward County, do you feel as if the count has run smoothly there?
DEUTCH: Oh, listen, we need to make sure that the recount goes forward and goes forward smoothly. They've been working around the clock.
But what's important, John, is you're right. There is no evidence of fraud.
Here's what there is evidence of. There is evidence of eight years of Rick Scott as the governor of Florida trying to manipulate the outcome of elections.
He did it by making it harder to register voters. He did it by making the number of voting places during early vote -- by reducing the number of early voting locations. He did it by making sure that students couldn't vote --
