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Don Lemon Tonight

Rescue Operations Underway In The Wake Of Hurricane Michael's Devastation; "Washington Post" Reports Turkish Officials Have Video, Proof That Journalist Was Murdered; Kanye West's Oval Office Rant; Trump Holds Bizarre Oval Office Meeting with Kanye West; Devastating and Deadly Hurricane Michael Aftermath; Sources: Trump Lawyers Preparing Answers to Mueller Questions. Aired 11-12a ET

Aired October 11, 2018 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon, the Florida Panhandle is devastated tonight in the wake of hurricane Michael, the storm still threatening the southeast. Six people are dead across three states. Entire communities obliterated. Rescue mission are under way tonight as authorities struggle to restore power and basic infrastructure.

More than a million people are in the dark in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. So let's get right to the storm zone now. We have been showing you all these aerial image from Mexico beach. CNN's Miguel Marquez is on the ground there for us tonight. He joins us with an update. Miguel, you're at what's being described as ground zero of this devastation. What are you seeing?

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is ground zero. It is literally like a giant bomb went off, leveled this town, wiped it almost off the face of the earth. And for 20 or 30 miles out, it is just devastation. This was a light pole. It is shorn off completely, cleanly. This was part of a house that was probably down here. All the house in this area all around us, they're scrubbed down to the foundation.

This is what we see through town for the most part as we were going through town. All of that debris that was a house that is now up against a house that is remaining. There are some apartment buildings, some condos that are in large pieces, but for the most part, they are hugely damaged. The roofs are off. There are boats in the street. It's a wreck. It's going to be a very long time and a very hard hill for Mexico beach to climb. I've heard from people from all over the place who know this place who love this little town and they cannot believe how badly it has been damaged.

LEMON: So, Miguel, I've got to ask you this, because you have name of people who survived the hurricane and they want to get the message out to their family that they are OK. Give us some names.

MARQUEZ: A lot of people rode it out here. And we are starting to hear from them. Some cell service is starting to come back, I would say. We've met a bunch of people today who were desperate for their relatives to know that they were OK. Robin Retdloff, her family is in Michigan, she wants them to know she is OK. Dawn Vickers had a big family, three dog, they're all OK. Robert Brock, his family is in Florida. Is he OK. David Siebert, his mother evacuated.

He said she was more sensible than I was. I wish I could get to her now, she is in Mobile, Alabama. He wants her to know that he is OK. And Annette Cofield and her 92-year-old mother, they were taken out of here on an ambulance a little earlier today, they are OK, safe and sound. We've talked to people across the area here who they're either trying to get word out, looking for somebody. Some people are getting in, but it is very, very few, Don.

LEMON: You're doing a real service, Miguel, thank you for that. How hard was it to get to where you're reporting from tonight?

MARQUEZ: It was a three or four-hour trip. Parts of it, the road were completely covered by trees. You had to go alongside the road in very sort of muddy fields to get through it. It was not easy. Some of the other road like 98 along the ocean are open, but the big chunks of 98 here in Mexico beach are just gone. They've been washed out completely where you can't get around. You have to go back into the neighborhood and sneak around to get back on to 98, but it is an absolute mess. Don?

LEMON: We're looking at some of the image, Miguel. But where you are, what's around you? Is that a flattened hope behind you?

MARQUEZ: This is probably the debris from home that were nearer the ocean. We're about a block from the ocean here. So, all that debris came this way. There are a couple structures standing there. But for the most part, everything's been wiped away. Most of the home look a lot like this. There are large debris piles but we can't show you right now, because it's too dark but completely blocking the road. You have to through driveways and around shop to get up and down 98. It is an absolute mess.

It just -- it is shocking that anyone that was in this town survived. And they've had no report of any injury or any deaths at this point in Mexico beach. And it's not clear how many stayed. There's about 165 member of search and rescue from both Florida and Louisiana who are trying to get through home here, but it is difficult. They are trying to start with those that they knew that somebody was there, but sometimes they get to that address and there's nothing left. They had to piece together where is that person who said that they were staying, Don.

LEMON: Miguel Marquez. Miguel, thank you very much. Please be safe out there.

I want to bring in now Gerald George, task force leader of Indiana Task Force 1. He leads a group of 16 rescuers and he joins us on the phone from Panama City, Florida. Thank you for joining us Mr. George, we appreciate it. What are you seeing out there?

[23:05:14] GERALD GEORGE, TASK FORCE LEADER, INDIANA TASK FORCE 1: Well, we rolled into town this morning and obviously, there's a lot of devastation from the wind damage and a lot of tree down, power line down and a lot of homes and business have been partially destroyed or totally destroyed.

LEMON: Rescue efforts, are you having to rescue any people?

GEORGE: We went out today to do primary searches after teams did hasty searches and basically went door to door just checking on people that either didn't -- either stayed at home or maybe had even kind of went back home now and made sure they're OK. We had one gentleman that was 89 years old that rode the storm out, but we had to call an ambulance for him and have him transported. But, really as far as no real high water issue or anything like that, just a lot of destruction from the high wind damage that came through here.

LEMON: Are you continuing that through the night or do you stop at sundown? Because at some point it's probably not safe for you, as well.

GEORGE: Correct. Yes. We stop at sundown. We went a little past to finish the mission we had tonight, we're staying at the Panama City mall here at the parking lot and set up base camp here with tents and stuff and getting guy bedded down for the night and getting ready for tomorrow to see what that brings.

LEMON: But no electricity, right?

GEORGE: No electricity. We bring our own tents and generator and stuff like that to be self-sufficient for 72 hours or so.

LEMON: As you're looking around out there, are surprised by the number of people who stayed? Are you seeing many?

GEORGE: Yes, there's a lot of people, a lot of traffic around. I can't tell who stayed or who already actually came back since the storm happened when we rolled in this morning. There was a long line of people trying to get back in. So, when we came in and stopped at a restaurant, we see people that said they've left to get out. Sounds like there's quite a few people who did leave and again, I think that may be some of the reason we're not seeing as many people hurt and things like that because a lot of people probably did leave and now they're trying to get back in to check out their homes and stuff.

LEMON: Listen, I would imagine that you guys haven't had a chance to see a lot of this. You may not be able to answer the next question. But how long do you think you are there for, are you there for a duration? Can you even gauge?

GEORGE: We've been assigned as a resource to the state of Florida. So, we're right now in Panama City and will work here till they don't need us anymore and then we'll probably be here and staging for whatever they may be need, Mexico beach, any of those area. We've got other teams that are headed to that area now. As far as the federal resource teams heading down there to assist with the state resources. We've got two teams going to Mexico beach right now.

LEMON: Gerald George, task force leader from the Indiana taskforce, you're doing god's work out there, Task Force One, I should say. You are doing god's work out there. Thank you so much.

GEORGE: Appreciate it, thank you very much.

LEMON: Yes. Rescue and recovery mission continue across the southeast. We also have breaking news tonight in the shocking story of a missing journalist. That is Jamal Khashoggi, "The Washington Post" is reporting Turkey says they have recordings proving he was killed inside the Saudi consulate.

[23:10:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: So here's the breaking news tonight. The Turkish government has told the U.S. they have video and audio proving Saudi dissident and U.S. journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. That is according to Washington Post and earlier today, the President vowed to investigate what happened to Khashoggi, but he seemed to draw a red line on how far we would go to punish the Saudis if they were found responsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Will Jamal Khashoggi's case affect the way you deal with MBS?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have to see what happens. A lot of work is being done on that. And we are going to have to see what happens. I don't like stopping massive amount of money that is being poured into our country. I know they're talking about different kinds of sanction, but they're spending $110 billion on military equipment and on things that create jobs like jobs and others for this country. I don't like the concept of stopping an investment of $110 billion into the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Phil Mudd is here as well as Juliette Kayyem. Good evening. What do you make of that comment, Phil?

PHILIP MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: I mean, the President's not the first person to say that. Let's be clear. If you look at American history and my generation, if you look at relationship with everybody from the Haitian, to the Filipinos, to the Egyptian, the Americans like to make money. And if there's a dictator who would both provide security in an environment and also buy billions of dollars of American weapons, the President is in a proud history of American who's said we will sacrifice democracy and human rights even if it means saying it's OK to murder an oppositionist, if it means a relationship with a foreign leader and security and weapons sales. He is part of a long history, Don.

LEMON: Juliette, what signal does it saying that he is not sure about taking arms deal off the table? What signal does that send to the Saudis?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I mean, you know, I think it's not a welcome mat, but I think the Saudis are happy and I would suggest that the Saudis are not surprised. We are here at this moment, because no other Saudi leader and they have all been totalitarians and kings, would have ever thought of taking a U.S. national who works for a national newspaper and kill him in the Turkish embassy.

[23:15:00] We are here, because the distinction between the U.S. interest and the Trump and Kushner financial interest is unclear to us and therefore, unclear to the Saudis. I mean, we are here at this moment, because we don't have a Saudi ambassador or Saudi U.S. relations are run by the son-in-law who has been razzle and dazzled by a dynamic and good looking new leader, but who everyone in national security has been weary and skeptical of.

I mean, we're here at this moment not because of Donald Trump's bad luck or hard choices, but because for the last two years, whether as Phil said it's Russia or the Chinese taking the head of Interpol or now what's happened with Saudi Arabia, we are here, because for the last two years, we have essentially said we won't do anything and so it's a choice, the challenge that Donald Trump has is -- was created because of a foreign policy for the last two years. And it's worth remembering that. No other Saudi leader would have done this.

LEMON: So, let's get to the story, OK? The nuts and bolt of it because Phil, if audio and video of Khashoggi's murder exist, that would be shocking and definitive proof that the Saudis are behind this.

MUDD: It would be, but you better show me the money. I mean, when I heard the comments about audio and video today, I not only want to see the audio and video, in the old intel world where I worked I don't trust anybody, I don't trust my mom and dad. I want to see the audio and video. I want to see how you acquired it. I want to do technical tests to make sure you didn't fake it.

I think the most significant story here, Don, is if you get that audio and video, the President as we saw in that clip that you just played is going to be skeptical about it. The congressional committee that deal with intelligence are going to look at it, as well. And regardless of what the President did, they are going to say things like should we sanction Saudis, should we take away these weapons deals? Should we prevent their ability to travel the United States and use the United States financial institution? There are a lot of implication here, Don.

LEMON: So, the video of him going into the consulate that is not enough for you?

MUDD: No, not unless I see the fiscal evidence of it. I'm not saying it didn't happen. I'm saying if I'm dealing with a foreign intelligence service, I don't want to just see the video. I want to see all the technical stuff, I want to see the raw video. I don't trust anybody. I suspect what happened was the Saudis murdered him. I don't doubt it. But there's a big difference between what I think and what I know. I don't know anything until I see the evidence.

LEMON: Juliette, the President also seemed to suggest the U.S. didn't have a responsibility to warn Khashoggi if it turned out that they had evidence of Saudis were planning something, because Khashoggi wasn't a U.S. citizen. Is that how it works?

KAYYEM: No, actually, it's a distinction, he was a U.S. National so in other words, the law and it's complicated talks in terms of a U.S. person and the responsibility to a U.S. person, because immigration status actually shouldn't matter, but from the Saudis' perspective, he is writing for a United States newspaper, having a global audience criticizing the new leadership and the royal family.

So it shouldn't matter what his exact immigration status is. What matter is that he worked for a U.S. Newspaper or was a columnist for them and that he was critical from his perch working for a U.S. Newspaper of the Saudis? So that distinction means nothing. Look, I mean, we all -- there are lots of people who represent United States interest who don't have or are not U.S. Citizen. Right? So you don't kill those people. You don't allow them to be killed.

So that is a distinction, he is trying to get out of it in terms of his legal responsibility let alone his moral responsibility. The Saudis knew exactly what they were doing when they did it and they knew exactly that we were the nation that would be faced with this dilemma, right? The Turks aren't. So that is -- it's bogus. It's just bogus.

LEMON: Guys, I want you to listen to this is -- this exchange is from the state department. It's remarkable. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the name of the ambassador in Turkey right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have that in front of me right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the name of the ambassador in Saudi Arabia right now?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see what you're getting at. OK. We are confident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't have an ambassador at either place, right? In Riyadh he has been nominated to be the ambassador to Yemen. Is it correct that you do not have ambassador in place in either Ankara or Riyadh?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But we have diplomatic staffs, senior diplomatic officials.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So the fact that we don't have an ambassador in either Saudi Arabia or Turkey, does that affect our ability to handle the situation? First Juliette.

[23:20:03] KAYYEM: So, technically, look the heads of these embassy and the consulate will be empowered to do what they need to do on a day to day basis. I think the reporter's point though is very important, because what it did mean is that there is no Trump official, no political official who represent the Trump administration in these country.

And I think what the suggestion should be is then who is in charge. What we've seen with Saudi Arabia is that none of that stuff is being played out of the embassy or the consulate, it is being played out of the White House by the Middle East czar, who is Jared Kushner.

Jared Kushner has personal financial dealing with the Saudi Arabia as does Donald Trump. The Washington Post reporting tonight that the uptick in Saudi spending on Trump properties has increased in the last year. So the fact that we don't have an ambassador doesn't matter to the Saudis, because they have Jared. And I think Jared Kushner has a lot of the explaining to do of why he at best, at best got played.

LEMON: And last word to you, Phil, but they're probably not going to negotiate with some figurehead. They want to go straight to the horse's mouth meaning the administration or someone they know.

MUDD: Absolutely right. I mean, my first job out of government, 2010, 2011, I was working for the Saudi government. They understand power and they understand two things, Juliette nailed it. There is no ambassador. The ambassador is Jared Kushner.

Number two, the administration has dealt with other dictators including the North Korean who are involved in the murder Otto Warmbier of an American citizen. And so they're sitting this, saying I can deal with a White House that will acknowledge the murder of citizen as long as it has to do with Donald Trump's furthering of his diplomatic ends. They got this played. They've won. They will win.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, Phil. Thank you, Juliette. I appreciate your time.

So, all of this is going on, Kanye in the Oval Office.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANYE WEST, HIP-HOP STAR: There was something about when I put this hat on and it made me feel like superman. You made a superman that is my favorite superhero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Stay right here. You want to see what's next.

[03:25:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: All right. So Kanye West meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office today and the whole thing was just playing embarrassing. Kanye casually dropping an f bomb and going off on a 10-minute rant, all live on national television. Here's some of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WEST: All we really have is today. We just have today. Over and

over and over again the eternal return, the hero's journey. And Trump is on his hero's journey right now. I don't answer question in simple sound bites. You are tasting a fine wine. It has a multiple notes to it. Would you build a trap door that if you mess up and you accidentally something happens you fall and end up next to the Unabomber?

There was something about when I put this hat on, it made me feel like superman. You mad a superman. That is my favorite super hero. So, when I said I like Trump to like someone that is liberal, they'll say oh, but he is racist. You think racism can control me? Oh, that won't stop me that is an invisible wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Yes, that was the Oval Office. And here to discuss is Charles Blow and Steve Cortes.

Gentlemen, good evening to you. Thank you so much for joining us. Charles, hundreds of thousands of people along the gulf coast suffering. President Trump and Kanye that was a spectacle. What is you honest take on this?

CHARLES BLOW, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Stunt the shows. Stunt the shows. They call it a stunt queen. These are both guy who like that thing. Right? And on a very serious note, what Donald Trump keeps showing us over and over and over again is that he cares not one iota about the issue surrounding black people. Because if he cared, all of his interaction would not be with these kind of unstable eccentric characters. They would be with people who actually understand those policy, people who sometimes disagree with him. And he would invite the press in like every one of these situation, he invites the press in.

Those pastor that we don't know where their church are, all those pastor around the table, invite the press in, Kanye -- nobody had to come into that meeting. The President have not to come in there. He control access to the Oval Office. Come on, we want to see Kanye, do Kanye.

LEMON: Yes. Well, Steve, I've got to ask you. Because I just - honestly under what circumstances did anyone at the White House think that this meeting was a good idea on today of all days?

STEVE CORTES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, Don, you said this meeting was embarrassing. I think quite frankly what's embarrassing is the con essential that you've shown to Kanye West, someone who I think is a brave and an independent figure, a creative genius. Does he speak in a different vernacular? Of course, he does.

Like a lot of artist, it's a vernacular, I don't necessarily always understand, but I do understand that he is a great thinker. And for you and a lot of your guests to dismiss him as a quote, "token negro" and to question his mental stability when you are not doctors and you haven't examined him, I think is really unfortunate. It's an example unfortunately that is all too common on the left which is liberal when a minority doesn't tow the party line.

LEMON: By the way, the person who said that comment that the "token negro" is a conservative. But go on.

CORTES: Not in my mind she is not a conservative. But let me else tell you this, more to the point which I think is really --

LEMON: She didn't call him a token Negro. She said all of a sudden now he is the token Negro for the Trump administration.

CORTES: Right. Talking about him, right. Now, to Charles's point about does this president care about minorities, let me tell you my personal experience with him in that very same Oval Office without cameras present. All he wanted to know about from me is, what can I do for the Hispanic community, what can we do for growth in your community.

I said, well, one thing you can do right now, let's send a tweet and then let's talk about more long-term things that we can do about the community, so he absolutely cares whether the camera is on or off.

But Kanye West is a person who speaks from the heart. You call it a rant. You always say this in your (INAUDIBLE). You editorialize. It's not a rant to me. As a matter of fact, it was inspirational. I don't find him unstable. I find him creative. I find him inspiring.

In that room, had you three people, an amazing artist, an amazing athlete, and an amazing builder, all saying what can we do in the political process to make the prosperity and security of America broader into minority communities. That's a great thing for this country. Jim Brown, Kanye West, Donald Trump are visionaries. They are great men trying to help this country.

LEMON: I just don't -- I don't have -- I just don't have the energy tonight because there's so much in there. Come on.

BLOW: Let me put out a little bit --

CORTES: There is so much because that is how much this president is doing --

LEMON: I'm not even going to -- go ahead.

BLOW: Right. So, you remember when Barack Obama was quoting Jay-Z and Michelle Obama said if she wanted to be like somebody, she wanted to be like Beyonce, they searched through every lyric they had and try to tell us how we were not geniuses, we were not honorable people, we were horrible people.

LEMON: Yes.

BLOW: Rappers have rapper lyric. Kanye has rapper lyric.

LEMON: Can I --

BLOW: Now all of a sudden, he is the paragon of moral virtue and he's a genius.

LEMON: Yes.

BLOW: I'm not saying we should be condoning (ph) any rapper. I'm saying these conservative do this thing, right? If liberals like him, if President Obama likes him, that is the spawn of Satan. When common performed at the White House, they literally went through every one of Common songs to find lyrics that they found offensive and said this is why Obama should not have this man at the White House.

CORTES: Charles, that's not fair with me.

BLOW: And now all of a sudden --

CORTES: I'll tell you why --

BLOW: -- he's a genius flip.

LEMON: Hang on, let him finish.

BLOW: Kanye hasn't had a genius record since graduation in 2007, and you can check me on that. I like Kanye. He put out good music. Make your music, brother. And also, don't say that we are saying that Kanye has a mental problem. Kanye --

(CROSSTALK)

BLOW: -- telling us that Kanye has a mental problem. That's why I don't want to talk about Kanye. It wasn't Kanye's problem he was in the Oval Office.

CORTES: No, you said it was an unstable rant and it was not in my view at all.

LEMON: You weren't watching television.

CORTES: But look, here's --

LEMON: You weren't watching television because -- and I don't understand --

CORTES: I watched every minute of it.

LEMON: -- how is -- how is watching someone with sense, with eyes and with ears and talking about the mental issues that they are confirming and addressing themselves, how is that people have been saying it's disparaging? How is that disparaging?

How can you take the stigma off mental health and mental issue if you pretend that you can't talk about it or that they don't exist when he's telling you I have them and I'm not taking my medication?

CORTES: No, you didn't say that he has had issues. He certainly has addressed that as well he should.

LEMON: He has them now. Has. He says has. CORTES: You said today -- you said -- you said earlier today that this was a minstrel show. I mean, could you possibly be any more condescending to this man?

LEMON: I'm just telling the truth.

CORTES: By the way --

LEMON: I'm not being condescending to this man. It's not --

CORTES: -- genius? Incredibly --

LEMON: I'm not being condescending to him. I'm telling the truth. If you ask --

CORTES: Yes, you are.

LEMON: -- African-American around the country, they will tell you the exact same thing. That's what's it looked like today, sadly. I'm saying this --

CORTES: You know, once again --

LEMON: -- not out of animus, hold on, not out of animus for Kanye West but because I feel sorry for him. And I think he needs to take care of himself. And I think --

CORTES: He doesn't need your pity.

LEMON: -- giving him the wrong advice --

CORTES: No.

LEMON: -- by allowing him to go out and do this.

CORTES: Look, these are the kind of tactics that you and the resistance, you and your anti-Trump folks like to employ.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: No, no, not you. Steve. Go ahead, Steve.

CORTES: You and your friends and your allies in the resistance. These are the kind of tactics --

LEMON: I'm not in the resistance.

CORTES: Minority --

LEMON: Please, Steve, I'm not part of the resistance. It's just because the truth is not on your side.

CORTES: You call Donald Trump a racist every night on your program.

LEMON: I didn't call him -- did you watch tonight? Did I call him one tonight?

CORTES: I'm not sure if you have yet. Just about every night.

LEMON: Don't make up things. You're making up things again. And if I called him that, I do it out of evidence.

CORTES: Just about every night. How about that?

LEMON: OK, no, I do it a lot. I do it when it is warranted.

CORTES: Look -- when we minorities dare to think for ourselves and we dare to leave liberal orthodoxy, what happens, we are immediately vilified and called Uncle Tom.

LEMON: Steve, speak for yourself. Steve, speak for yourself.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I'm not buying into that. I don't think it's fair. I don't care. I don't care if you call me those words because I think about the person who is saying it. So if Kanye West wants to be a conservative, that's his business. If Kanye West wants to support Donald Trump, that's his business. But have some sense about it.

[23:34:57] Don't go in the Oval Office and embarrass yourself by speaking about things that you have no idea about, talking about hydrogen aviation. You know the last time we talked about hydrogen aviation? It was the Hindenburg. You see what happened with that. So it's --

CORTES: He doesn't speak in a scripted lawyerly manner. I'll be the first to say that. He doesn't speak in a political manner. He speaks in vernacular. As I said --

LEMON: That's not a vernacular. That is not a vernacular.

CORTES: All creatives are like that. All creatives are different --

LEMON: You don't get it. You don't get it. How do you know it's a vernacular?

CORTES: I said I don't get all of it. I get a lot of it. I get the most important points, by the way. When he said that the MAGA hat was a Superman cape, I sure got that, because you know what Trump -- more than anything for this country is put confidence back into America. That is not just my opinion. Small business surveys, consumer confidence. This country is soaring with optimism. You will never know --

LEMON: Why didn't you ever say that -- you act like -- you act like --

CORTES: -- but this country is soaring with optimism.

LEMON: Steve, you act like the people on this television are only in studios in Washington and New York. I've lived in four red states. I grew up in a red state. I visit red states almost every week and my family lives in a red state. I was in a red state last week. I know what red state people are talking about.

I'm not stupid when it comes to that. I am here every night and I interview people from red states. So you speaking of condescension, you come on, you're condescending, you tell me what you think I think which you have no idea about --

CORTES: No, you tell us every night what you think --

LEMON: -- and then -- you have -- and then you watch something on television that is deeply disturbing and you try to pretend it's not happening because you want to capitalize on it politically.

What did you say back in the day when Common went to the White House? What did you say back in the day when he said George Bush didn't care about white people? What did you say back in the day when people were calling him the "N" word for interrupting Taylor Swift? Did you come to Kanye West's defense? I don't think so.

CORTES: Look, I have nothing to say about any of that. By the way, I'm not saying Kanye is infallible. He's not the lord go. He doesn't walk on water. I'm saying when I watched his speech today, I found it inspirational.

(CROSSTALK)

BLOW: That's not even true. That's not even true.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Did you find saying MF (ph) in the White House inspirational?

CORTES: No, I don't find it inspirational.

LEMON: OK, so you called him a genius. You said he's a genius. Let me give you this. Let me give you this. You said he's a genius. So, I wonder if you agree with this --

CORTES: Yes, he's a creative genius.

LEMON: OK, so he said, I say "F" to police. That's how I treat them. We buy our way out of jail. We can -- but we can't buy freedom. There's another one that said, I don't give an "F", I don't give an "F." But cops choking "N" word out of the media, we've had a protest and tear the city up. We are about to tear this whole place up pretty much. You think that's genius?

CORTES: Of course not.

LEMON: OK. That's what you're defending.

CORTES: That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that I did watch all an -- it was roughly 20 minutes today. I found it inspirational. I found it actually to me at least a very reminiscent of the very conversation I was having with the president. I didn't throw around "F" bombs. I'm also not a creative genius. I spoke in a much more political manner and business-like matter with the president.

LEMON: When Kanye says something that you don't understand or agree with -- when Kanye says something that you don't understand or agree with, it's because he is a genius. But if I say something that you don't understand or agree with, then I am condescending.

CORTES: No, I understand what you are saying.

BLOW: Can we also just add that that this kind of police language was specifically what they attacked Common for.

LEMON: That's why I read it.

BLOW: The exact same thing they attacked Common for. Just go ahead.

LEMON: That's what the meeting was supposed to be about, but go on, Steve.

CORTES: Here's the thing, too. I think it's unfair to attack me saying that I'm being two-faced on this because I'm not.

LEMON: I'm not attacking you. I'm just responding to what you said about me. That's not an attack.

CORTES: OK. How about this though, when the president attacked Lebron James and called him dumb or essentially called him dumb, I don't use that word, but basically described him as dumb, I thought that was a mistake.

I thought that was really unfortunate. I think he's a genius too in his own way in business and athletics, maybe in education. Certainly a great heart in education. So I thought that was wrong.

It's interesting to me though that the very folks who immediately jumped on president's case for saying that against Lebron, which he should have never said, again, in my opinion. Those very same folks then are so quick to jump on Kanye and call him dumb.

Again, if they don't use that exact phrase, they're describing him that way. You laugh at him on your show when they said he's anti- intellectual, when they said he doesn't have a depth to discuss these issue. Are you kidding me? He doesn't have a depth? This man is a mogul.

LEMON: Who are you talking about, Lebron or Kanye? I lost you. Are you talking about Kanye?

CORTES: Now I'm talking about Kanye. Both of them.

[23:40:00] Let's be fair here.

LEMON: Are you talking about anti-intellectualism? Go read and do a Google search. Kanye has said himself that he does not read, OK? And that's what people -- when people say Kanye should read, they're talking about anti-intellectualism.

CORTES: Right. LEMON: He has admitted that he doesn't like to read. The same as this president has admitted that he doesn't read, as well. So if he's not going to read and he's not going to be up on the issues, then perhaps he should stand back before coming out and speaking with some authority.

CORTES: There's a lot of kind of smarts out there. It's not all scholarly smarts. It's not all academic. This president, by the way, if we want to talk about him, I wish I was as dumb as this president to have an Ivy League degree and be a self-made billionaire and be president of the United States.

BLOW: That's your aspiration.

(LAUGHTER)

CORTES: I wish I could be -- I wish I could lack the depth that Kanye West --

LEMON: If you had $432 million to start with, you may be that, as well. I got to go.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Thank you. We'll be right back.

[23:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: The Florida panhandle is in search and rescue mode in the wake of a devastating and deadly Hurricane Michael. Let's bring in now Commander Ray Slapkunas of the U.S. Coast Guard. He is in Pensacola tonight.

Commander, I really appreciate your time, because we know you're very busy. There's a lot to do there. You were on rescue mission last night until 2:00 a.m. on some of the hardest hit areas. Tell us about the mission.

RAY SLAPKUNAS, COMMANDER, U.S. COAST GUARD: Thank you, sir, for having me. Yesterday we took off from mobile around 5:00 p.m. and got to Panama City about 6:15 right before sunset. Got there, it was complete devastation. You saw trees were uprooted. They are snapped in half. Rooftops were ripped off of buildings or completely collapsed. Power lines everywhere.

Luckily the Search and Rescue Coordination Center, they have been taking in all the 911 calls and prioritize who needs assistance there. Basically, they prioritized those calls, they hand it out to us, and we go ahead and get out to these locations. It's a little difficult.

You've got a lat long (ph) and a street address. You lower the rescue swimmer down there. If you can imagine, the Cat 4 hurricane just wiped out, so you don't have any street sign, you don't have any numbers on the houses there. The swimmers are essentially going door to door, knocking on doors, kicking down doors, trying to find people in need. I want to thank all the local first responders out there, the local law enforcement. They were really great helping out our guys and patching up the patients, getting them, the assistance that we need so we could hoist them and take them to the local medical facilities.

LEMON: The family you came across -- the family of nine people trapped in their bathroom in the center of their house, tell us more about that. How did you get them to safety again?

SLAPKUNAS: Yes, sir, we got there. Our swimmer went down there and he actually spoke to one of their neighbors. They said that there was a family of nine. They went to the center of the house to try to maximize their safety and there were six adults and three children trapped in a bathroom.

As you can imagine, they're completely out of it, scared. Our swimmer went down to calm them, explain the procedure. We hoisted them up via basket up into the helicopter. Our flight mech got them all organized. We took them to the hospital, Bay Medical, and we took two trips there.

The medical professionals were great. They are waiting for them, provided all the care. One of the lady had an injury. Part of the roof had collapsed and hit her on the head. They had a couple scrapes and bruises but we think they're fine today.

LEMON: All right. Commander Ray Slapkunas, thank you so much. Good luck. You're doing great work. Thank you.

SLAPKUNAS: Thank you, sir.

LEMON: Next, a CNN exclusive. After months of negotiations, President Trump's lawyers have found some middle ground with the special counsel in the Russia investigation. We're going to tell you what they've agreed to.

[23:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We have a CNN exclusive on the Russia investigation tonight. Sources say President Trump's attorneys are preparing answers to written questions from Robert Mueller's investigators. A major development after months and months of negotiations.

So let's discuss now. John Dean is here. John, good evening to you. Thanks for coming on. So, how exactly does this work, John? Will the lawyers' response tell the special counsel very much, you think?

JOHN DEAN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, they'll talk with their client and then they will phrase the responses, the normal practice to the interrogatory questions. It's quite remarkable, indeed, if this is accurate and that Mueller has agreed to written questions.

LEMON: I want you to listen. This is how the president responded today, John, when asked if he was willing to sit down with Mueller. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): It seems ridiculous that I'd have to do it when everyone says there's no collusion, but I'll do what's necessary to get it over with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: The president has said a number of times that he wants to sit down with Robert Mueller, while his lawyer Rudy Giuliani keeps saying that that won't happen. Is there a chance that they will have a face- to-face interview?

DEAN: I think it's very remote. His television lawyer, Rudy, is making one set of statements. His real lawyers who are working quietly behind the scenes and actually developing these responses and negotiating with the special counsel, I'm sure they don't want him to sit down either.

So I think it's very unlikely, and this is just a public stance, that he wants the public to think that he's more than willing. And so it would be because his lawyers don't think it's smart.

LEMON: So back in March, the special counsel raised the possibility of using a subpoena to compel Trump to testify. Do you think that could still happen?

DEAN: Well, it theoretically could. All we know is what we're being told by Trump's lawyers. That's obviously the source for this information. We're not getting it from the special counsel's office. And he may well decide in the end, I want to sit down and have a face- to-face with this man, and I don't want to settle for questions and answers in a written form. But we'll have to see. We don't know.

LEMON: You say that nothing is going to happen until after the election. Why do you think that?

DEAN: Well, there's a norm that has long been in place at the Department of Justice. It was back when I was at the Department of Justice. That you didn't do anything in the two months before an election or sometimes even in an election year that would in anyway influence an election.

[23:55:03] That's been I understand reduced to a written memorandum by Eric Holder where he suggested a 60-day limit, nothing happened that would influence an election local or on a national basis.

LEMON: Yes.

DEAN: So that presumably is the reason that Mueller would do nothing and is probably very quiet at this point. And I don't think we'll see anything public until after November 6th.

LEMON: I know it sounds like a strange question, but it's not, because you've spent a lot of time in the Oval Office. Before we leave, I want to ask you about this Kanye spectacle today. As someone who has worked in the White House and spent a lot of time there, what do you think?

DEAN: I was stunned. I listened to your prior segment and heard it, and I caught some of it earlier in the day. And that just kind of pure degrading of the office and the man who sits in the office. I really think it's most unfortunate.

LEMON: John Dean, thank you, sir. Have a good night.

DEAN: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Thanks for watching. Our coverage continues.

[24:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)