Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump To Face Off In What Many Are Calling The Most Important Presidential Debate Of All Time. Police Cam Footage From Arrest Of NFL Star Tyreek Hill Released To Public. New Details Emerge About The Suspect In The Georgia High School Shooting. Ukraine Drops 140 Drone Bombs On Moscow Overnight. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired September 10, 2024 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

RANDY MANNER, U.S. ARMY MAJOR GENERAL (RET.): Commander in Chief that does not value our service to our country, and quite frankly, calls us, again, suckers and losers.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: Really quickly, why do you think, I was looking back, in the past elections, Donald Trump has had strong support from veterans. In 2020, he had 54% of veteran support nationally, according to a CNN poll, more than Joe Biden. Why do you think that is then, given the message that you're trying to send?

MANNER: There's a couple things. Number one is, is that I believe Trump himself is actually alienating the military. When I first joined the military in the mid '70s, it is my, I mean, I don't have data to back it up, but I have a gut check that perhaps it was 70% conservative and the rest would be independent and liberal.

And I will tell you that in my opinion, it's now probably 60% liberal and 40% conservative. Certain, and the reason why I say this is our values in the military are to treat others with dignity and respect. Trump does not treat people with dignity and respect.

Anybody who opposes him, he calls them names, he degrades them, including, by the way, his previous Vice President and also Mark Esper, who was in my unit before 9/11, and also General Milley. And this is just a sad indictment of Trump that he is alienating members of the military to include senior officers.

BOLDUAN: A key conversation to be having as this campaign continues. Major General Randy Manner, thank you. A new hour of CNN News Central starts now.

(MUSIC)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: Counting down to the first time Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will ever meet, maybe the last time. New details on their different plans for the big debate. New this morning, the mother of the suspected Georgia school shooter speaking out about the tragedy, which she says she told the school the morning it happened. And strong winds and excessive heat warnings stoking raging wildfires. I'm John Berman with Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN News Central.

(MUSIC)

SARA SIDNER, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: There is no debate about this. This is a huge day in American politics. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will debate one another tonight and the rest of the world will be watching. But Americans mostly, it's just hours away from this historic presidential debate. Inside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.

It's a face off The New York Times figures will be, quote, one of the highest stakes 90 minutes in American politics in generations. This morning, we're learning new details on the new lines of attack Trump is planning to say. This as team Harris is right now readying 1,300 debate watch parties across all 50 states. Let's get right out to Eva McKend, who is at the debate site for us this morning. What can you tell us this morning about preps that are underway?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, part of the strategy seems to be to get under the former president's skin to lean into some of these perceived insecurities. And they're doing this with a new ad featuring President Obama where they needle Trump for being obsessed with crowd sizes.

And this is part of a broader argument that the Harris campaign is trying to make, that Trump is principally concerned about his own issues, his own grievances, while the Vice President is concerned about the issues confronting everyday Americans and. Take a look at this ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Here's a 78 year old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDID: Oh, she had a big crowd. Oh, the crowd.

OBAMA: This weird obsession with crowd sizes. It just goes on and on and on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCKEND: And Sara, you know, this is going to be airing here in Philadelphia as well as in West Palm Beach and on Fox News. So, they are very deliberately trying to ensure that Trump sees this. But listen, the Vice President is also going to be tasked with outlining her policy vision for America. Many Americans are still getting to know her.

SIDNER: And that is one of the things that she will have to contend with on that debate stage. Eva McKend, thank you so much there for us. Outside of the arena where it will happen, she will be in the room where it happens. We will be at home watching it with everybody else.

BERMAN: Indeed, the room where it happens. Where I actually think was in Philadelphia, literally in the (inaudible). All right. New this morning, perhaps anticipating Harris leaning into a role as a prosecutor, the Trump campaign released a list of 47 former prosecutors who they say are endorsing Donald Trump. Seeing as Alayna Treene is in Philadelphia. Alayna, what else does the Trump team have planned?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, just to speak to that letter, John, I think it's clear, you know, kind of previewing that Donald Trump is going to try and attack Harris's record as a prosecutor.

[09:05:00]

I know that that's going to be one of the lines of attacks he tries to sneak in there tonight while on the debate stage. But other lines of attack.

Look, the Trump campaign held a call yesterday with reporters. It included Jason Miller, a senior adviser, but also Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman who has recently endorsed Donald Trump, is working with his campaign and is helping him prepare specifically for this debate, as well as Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz. And they walk through a couple of attacks that they plan to have Donald Trump focus on.

That includes the U.S. troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, her record on the U.S. border, as well as her voting record and specifically some of her tie breaking votes as the President of the Senate or as Vice President. I want you to take a listen to what Jason Miller said.

(BEGIN AUDIOTAPE)

JASON MILLER, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISER: She owns every failure of the Harris-Biden administration. You can't talk about turning the page when you're the one who created our current nightmare. You just can't, you can't prepare for President Trump. There's just no way to do it. Imagine, like a boxer trying to prepare for Floyd Mayweather or Muhammad Ali. You just, you don't know what angle they're going to come at you with. You don't know what style of contrast that they're going to deliver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TREENE: So, a few things there, John. One is that, of course, they are trying to tie Kamala Harris to Joe Biden and specifically the policies beneath that have been done under the Biden administration. But also, you heard him saying that Donald Trump is unpredictable. Now, that is something that, you know, I know that they're also trying to reconcile behind the scenes and make him a little bit more predictable from the campaign's point of view.

That means, you know, working with him to really stay on message on the issues they want him to be talking about. That includes immigration, crime, the economy, all areas where they believe Donald Trump polls better than Harris. But they're also, when I talked to many of his allies, more concerned less about his answers on the substance and more about his tone and temperament. We know that Donald Trump tends to get aggressive in his attacks. He

veers into personal attacks despite being advised against that by his team. They are really trying to keep him on message tonight to not have him fall for any of the Harris, you know, setups to make him get under his skin. That's definitely going to be something I think we'll be watching for tonight and whether or not Donald Trump can show that kind of at restraint. John?

BERMAN: Alayna Treene in Philadelphia. Nice to see you this morning. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Thank you. Joining us right now is CNN senior political commentator and former senior adviser to President Obama, David Axelrod. What are you thinking about as we're heading into this big night? What do you think about?

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I thought it was kind of funny that Jason Miller, first of all, you usually try and downplay expectations for your candidate. He's turned this guy into Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather. And I think if I'm the Harris campaign, I'm thinking, go ahead and knock yourself out, because that's what Trump tends to do sometimes.

He's very good at this. He's been, this will be his seventh. Nobody's ever done more. And he had 14 years on television before that. He knows how to command a stage. And the question for Harris is, her main mission is to talk to the American people, share where she wants to lead the country, share a little more of how her background, not just as Vice President, but her entire career, points to the things that she's committed to, and not let Trump dictate the terms of the debate with his antics.

She's going to need to push him back. She's probably got a few lines in her pocket, but it's going to be interesting. You know, she's been just a mix of all my sports metaphors. She's kind of been hitting off a tee for the last six weeks. She's done great, but largely in speech and rally settings.

Now, the pitches are going to come high and hard and curve balls and, you know, she's been prepping rigorously, I'm told, probably been exposed to what she's -- what they expect her to see. And we'll see what happens when 75 million people are watching.

BOLDUAN: Yes, NBD, no big deal. I spoke to a senior advisor to Trump's campaign last hour, and she leaned into a couple things kind of looking ahead to tonight. One, I asked if she agreed with Nikki Haley that it hurts Donald Trump with all types of women voters, Democrat and Republican women voters, when he calls Kamala Harris dumb. She responded, you have to call a spade a spade, called her incompetent, and then also said this. Let me play this for you, David.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIELLE ALVAREZ, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISER: I absolutely think that she is incapable of doing the job that she is auditioning for. I believe that Americans know that she is incapable of doing the job that she is auditioning for because she is currently in the White House and failing. Inflation is higher than it has been since before she took office. Housing is unaffordable, the southern border is open. We are in wars abroad. She is an absolute failure, and she is dangerously liberal. And that is what we will prove tonight.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[09:10:00]

BOLDUAN: And we've heard this in the reporting, treating her like the incumbent, saying, if you haven't fixed the problems in the last three and a half years, you know, it's on you. How do you -- How can she successfully respond to this?

AXELROD: Listen, you know, I think this is really an interesting question, because Vice Presidents, I mean, I served in the White House. Vice Presidents don't make policy. They're in the room for sure. Their voices are heard, but they don't make the decisions. They don't set the policy. You don't hear these guys talking much about the Pence years in the White House.

BOLDUAN: That's true.

AXELROD: And so, the question is how much Americans ascribe those policies to her. There's some indication in polling, you know, The Times poll suggested that this is an issue. But she does have to chart her own course and say, this is where I want to lead. This is my policy. And she can embrace those things that she feels were achievements and say, I was proud to help on those. But she shouldn't own them. She shouldn't own any of it, because she's not the one who's made these decisions.

BOLDUAN: And on, you were getting at this, this kind of perception among voters that we've seen in polling so far that they need to hear more, need to learn more about Harris. The numbers have shown it. It's never an either or. But if I could pose it as an either or, if it's an either or tonight, either she makes the case against Donald Trump or she makes the case for herself. Which one does it have to be?

AXELROD: Well, I think 80% for herself. I think she can use Trump as a foil because, remember, the thing they're trying to beat back is her as change him as the kind of embattled incumbent. She needs to at once display where she wants to lead, but also depict it as a change, not just from where we are today, but also from the Trump years.

He's been the dominant political figure for a decade. And there's a lot about his politics people don't like, about his approach that people don't like. She wants to -- She ought to say, if you're tired of this, let's turn the page. Let's build a better future together.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Tone. We talk about tone a lot. It's no small thing, though, when you're on the stage for 90 minutes, and the facial expressions and the reactions, we will see it together.

AXELROD: It's always easy to comment from the sidelines. It's tough when you're up there and you're the one having to execute. So, we'll see.

BOLDUAN: Exactly. But we will do our level best being Monday morning quarterbacks right after.

AXELROD: We always will, yes. That's the fun, isn't it?

BOLDUAN: Exactly, David. Thank you. It's great to see you. Sara?

SIDNER: Exactly, Kate. All right. This morning, new body cam footage of the moment police handcuffed Dolphins star Tyreek Hill, shoved him to the ground just hours before opening day kickoff. He was on his way to play in the game. And both House Republicans and Democrats issuing dueling documents on the deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. John Kirby joins us from the White House with his response to both of those reports. And disturbing false claims about Haitian migrants and pets being spread by the Trump campaign and Republican nominee for Vice President.

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:15:00]

SIDNER: All right. Police have now released the body camera video of officers detaining NFL star Tyreek Hill during a traffic stop, giving a clear picture of what happens moments before officers handcuffed the Miami Dolphins player and put him face down. You see there on the ground.

He was on his way, by the way, to the game. The video shows officers arguing with Hill over having his window down before dragging him out of the car, handcuffing him face down on the ground there. In an interview with our Kaitlan Collins, Hill said he was still shell shocked from that encounter.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TYREEK HILL, MIAMI DOLPHINS STAR WIDE RECEIVER: I'm not trying to cause a scene because, hey, if I let my window down, like people walking by, driving by, they're going to notice that it's me and they're going to start taking pictures. And I didn't want to create a scene at all.

Like, I just really wanted to get the ticket and then just go on about my way and then just, you know, just have a great Sunday. I guess the officers, they felt like I wasn't doing it on they timing, but I was. I was doing it. But you know, man, I'm still kind of shell shocked from it, man. Like, I'm embarrassed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: CNN's Carlos Suarez is live for us on the story in Miami. There are a lot of questions here. When you see what happened in that encounter, most officers don't necessarily handle a traffic violation this way. What happened, Carlos? CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Sara. And as a result, we know that an Internal Affairs investigation is already underway. But this morning, of course, we're not only hearing from Hill, but as you said, we're also getting a look at just how this encounter played out with police. The Miami Dade Police Department, they released nearly two hours of body camera video capturing that encounter between Hill and officers.

Now, you're about to see parts of that encounter that begin with an officer knocking on the driver's side window of Hill's sports car. Now, Hill, who was about to turn into the player's entrance at Hard Rock Stadium, well, he takes issue with the officer's actions, and well, as you're about to see, things go down from there, at one point a second Miami Dolphins player who had stopped to see what was going on, he's also handcuffed and later let go. Here now is part of that body camera video.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIAMI DADE POLICE OFFICER: Keep it down. Hey, keep your window down. Keep your window down. Keep your window down.

[09:20:00]

I'm going to get you out of the car. As a matter of fact, get out of the car. Get out of the car. Get out of the car. Get out. Get out. Get out. Get out. What part of down (sp?) don't (sp?) you understand (sp?)?

HILL: Hey, Drew. Hey, Drew. I'm getting arrested, dude. I'm getting arrested. Hold on, girl. I just had surgery on my knee.

MIAMI DADE POLICE OFFICER: You know who that is right?

MIAMI DADE POLICE OFFICER: Huh?

MIAMI DADE POLICE OFFICER: You know who that is? No?

MIAMI DADE POLICE OFFICER: It's one of the Dolphins star players.

MIAMI DADE POLICE OFFICER: Oh, yes?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SUAREZ: All right, so a police union rep here in South Florida said that Hill was only detained because he was not cooperative and that he was allowed to leave after being issued two tickets. Now, in response to all of this, the Miami Dolphins, who, by the way, they pay off duty Miami Dade Police Officers to provide security at the stadium, well, they released a statement that read in part, quote -- read in part, quote, rather, while we commend Miami Dade PD for taking the right and necessary action to quickly release this footage, we also urge them to equally take swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.

Sara, Hill said, rather, that things really could have ended differently if not for his celebrity status. Miami Dade's Police Director again said one of the officers that was involved in all of this has been placed on administrative duties pending the outcome of that Internal Affairs investigation. Sara?

SIDNER: And I know we also heard from the coach as well, who was really distraught and disturbed by what he saw happen to one of his players. Carlos Suarez, thank you so much for that live report there from Miami for us. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also, some new detail this morning out of Georgia. Georgia investigators have now released body camera footage from an encounter last year with the teenager accused in the deadly school shooting from last week. You see a video of it here. The video shows sheriff's deputies speaking with him alongside his father after being tipped off to concerning posts online. And also this morning, the suspect's mother is speaking out about her call with the school the morning of the shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARCEE GRAY, MOTHER OF GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER: The counselor said, well, I wanted to let you know that earlier this morning, one of Colt's teachers had sent me an email that said Colt had been making references to school shootings. Between my gut feelings, the text messages, and now this email, y'all need to go, like, run to the classroom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: CNN's Ryan Young is following this from for us live in Georgia. What's the latest you're picking up, Ryan?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So tough to hear all these details, these red flags that came out earlier. Something that we need to make absolutely clear, though. This interview comes from Jackson County, which is a neighboring county to Barrow County. So, it's two different counties here, and no one was ever arrested during this first interaction. But obviously, the FBI tipped off Jackson County investigators. They went to the house. They had a conversation with the suspected shooter's father and the suspected shooter. You can see how this plays out, and you can see how these red flags were going for quite some time. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLICE OFFICER: Did you say something about school shooting?

COLT GRAY, GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTER: Never. I just told them I don't know what. Maybe they misheard somebody else. I would never say that ever (sp?).

POLICE OFFICER: You never, ever said?

COLT GRAY: No, sir. I swear.

POLICE OFFICER: Do you -- Do you use Discord? COLT GRAY: Discord?

POLICE OFFICER: Yes, sir.

COLT GRAY: I used to. I don't have it anymore.

POLICE OFFICER: When was the last time you used it?

COLT GRAY: Like a few months ago.

POLICE OFFICER: I got to take each word, and I hope you're being honest with me. I'm not saying you're lying, but it's --

COLT GRAY: It's a serious thing.

POLICE OFFICER: It's not unusual for people to lie to police.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YOUNG: Kate, it's through our reporting that we figured out that after this interaction is when the father went out and bought the weapon that was apparently used in the school shooting. That's something that's been very troubling to so many people. But also, let's listen to one of the victim's father. His daughter's recovering in the hospital, and you can obviously understand how tough that is. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DOUG GRIFFITH, FATHER OF GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: A bullet went across her chest and through her arm, and then the other shot was through her wrist. She's still in pain. The shot through the wrist did a lot of damage. How it heals is just going to determine whether or not they need to do anything else or not. So, it's just -- it's going to be a slow healing process.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YOUNG: Kate, it's important, obviously, to talk about these red flags and obviously the investigation that's ongoing. But your heart breaks for these kids, especially those who are still in the hospital and still trying to figure out why they lost their friends and teachers that day during the shooting. That's the part that really sticks out to so many of us. The pain that this community continues to feel.

BOLDUAN: Yes. And the families that are suffering as their lives have been shattered, four lives lost in this. Thank you so much, Ryan. John?

[09:25:04]

BERMAN: Breaking overnight, more than 140 Ukrainian drones launched within Russia, attacking nine regions, including Moscow.

(MUSIC)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. Breaking overnight, a major Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow. Officials say at least one person was killed and three others injured in the attack. Video captured a large explosion at a high rise building.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE OF UKRAINE STRIKE INTO RUSSIA)

[09:30:10]