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Today, Trump To Be Deposed In Defamation Lawsuit; Pelosi: I Don't Regret Saying I Wanted To Punch Trump On 1/6; Doctor: Fetterman Has "No Work Restrictions" & Health Is Improving; Strange GOP Bedfellows Unite For Senate, State Control; New York Opens New Facility To Help With Migrant Influx; NASA's Webb Telescope Reveals Stunning, Star-Filled Image. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired October 19, 2022 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[14:30:33]
ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Former President Donald Trump is expected to answer questions today under oath as part of a defamation lawsuit.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: E. Jean Carroll, a former magazine columnist, sued Trump in 2019 after he accused her of lying. Carroll has claimed, in the mid '90s, Trump cornered her in a department store dressing room and raped her.
CNN's Kara Scannell joins you now.
This case has been in limbo for a little while now. Do we know anything about what's going on so far?
KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No. This is all taking place behind closed doors today. We've been asking the question. We are not getting any answers or any readouts on how this is going.
But it's finally been this moment. It's been a long time coming. And last week, a federal judge had pushed this along because Trump had wanted to delay the deposition because there's some issues that are out on appeal.
And the judge said, look, you know, this has been going on for a long time. He said Trump used many delay tactics and he said he cannot let him, he should not let him run out the clock.
One of the big factors is that both Trump and Carroll, in their 70s, and so are other witnesses. The judge is saying time is of the essence. It was originally set to be brought in 2019.
One of the questions today is, what will Trump say? Carroll had her deposition on Friday. And the judge, you know, as I said, he's trying to move this along. He set a trial date in this for February.
He is pushing this to go forward. And if it does go to trial, then we will see this testimony in-person. These depositions are kind of a preview to that. Interesting wrinkle here is, again, that appeals court decision. If
they resolve it in favor of Trump, then this lawsuit is likely to go away.
But that doesn't mean it's the end of this sorry because E. Jean Carroll has said she's going to sue Trump under a new New York State law that goes into effect next month.
That law allows survivors of sexual assault to sue, in a civil context, those that have allegedly attacked them, even if it's years after the encounter. She has already indicated she's going to do that.
The judge in this case is saying the depositions taken today and last Friday are critical for that new case going forward.
HILL: Wow. So they may be used at some point no matter what, we will wait for some of that readout,
Kara, appreciate it. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: Thanks, Kara.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney says the House Select Committee will issue a subpoena to former President Donald Trump shortly.
HILL: Cheney spoke at the Harvard Institute of Politics and didn't go into detail about what the panel will do if Trump doesn't comply. But did said they will, quote, "take the steps they need to take."
She also said the committee felt the American people deserved to hear directly from the president.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she does not regret threatening to punch Donald Trump on September 6th. In fact, she's doubling down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I'm going to punch him out.
(CROSSTALK)
PELOSI: I've been waiting for this for trespassing on the capitol grounds. I'm going to punch him out and I'm going to gone to jail. And I would be happy.
PELOSI: I said I was going to punch him, I was going to jail and I would have bene happy to do so --
UNIDENTIFIED CORRESPONDENT: Would you have done it?
PELOSI: -- for our country.
He wouldn't have had the courage to come to the Hill. He is all talk.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BLACKWELL: That comment about punching Trump on January 6th if he came do the capitol, that was part of the footage shot by her daughter, a documentary filmmaker.
[14:33:44]
HILL: Traditional conservatives and Trump-aligned candidates are putting aside their difference to make up some ground in several key states. We will take a closer look at this new-found unity. Up next.
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[14:38:30]
HILL: Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee, John Fetterman, released a new letter from his doctor today, which comes as he's been facing questions about his health since suffering a stroke back in May, including some skepticism from his Republican opponent, Mehmet Oz.
BLACKWELL: CNN's Dan Merica joins us with details.
The report says that Fetterman's health is improving and that he has, quote, "no work restrictions." What else did it say?
DAN MERICA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: What we're learning is that it's pretty clear that John Fetterman is on the right track when it comes to getting his health in order after that May stroke that he admitted at the time was nearly fatal.
This came, this letter from his doctor, Clifford Chen, came after an appointment that Fetterman had in mid-October with the doctor.
And really, what the letter represents is that Fetterman has been making improvements but he also has lingering issues that frankly the candidate has been frank about.
Here is what Clifford Chen wrote in the letter:
"Occasional words he will miss, which seems like he doesn't hear the word but is actually not processed properly. His hearing of sound such as music is not affected."
"His communication is significantly improved compared to his first visit, assisted by speech therapy, which he has attended on a regular basis since the stroke."
I can attest, as someone who has covered him throughout this year, that when John Fetterman returned to the campaign trail two months after his stroke, his speech was markedly worse than it is now.
You've seen an increase of events that he has done, a number of interviews that he has done.
His campaign has also extra addressed the stroke more forcefully. He put a campaign ad out a couple of days ago seeking to humanize the impacts of the stroke. [14:40:00]
And obviously, this is all leading up to that critical debate that John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz will have next week in this key race.
It's arguably, undoubtedly the most important Senate debate that these two folks will have, but also arguably the most important Senate debate in the entire country next week.
Now, obviously, Dr. Oz as we've documented before has used this stroke and Fetterman's recovery to kind of question his health, question his fitness for the job.
John Fetterman in response to this letter put out kind of took issue with that saying, "Unfortunately for Dr. Oz, I'm ready to serve and continue to get better every single day."
This is a race that has been tightening over the last few months. Over the summer, John Fetterman had a larger lead. We've seen in recent polls this is a close race between Fetterman and Oz and that debate should be key.
BLACKWELL: Just a few days away. And it's good to read that the lieutenant governor's health is improving.
Dan Merica with the reporting. Thank you, Dan.
Let's take to you Tucson today. Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate, Kari Lake, is holding a campaign event there and right next to her Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.
The signs of GOP unity also on display in New Hampshire where Republicans there are facing an uphill battle in a high-stakes Senate race.
HILL: Now traditional conservatives and Trump-aligned candidates are setting aside their difference because they all have a bigger prize in mind.
CNN's chief political analyst, Gloria Border, goes inside the political battlefield.
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GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST (voice-over): New Hampshire, home to the first presidential primaries.
(CHEERING)
BORGER: And now --
DON BOLDUC, (R) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE: Get me in the Senate.
BORGER: -- home to a crucial Senate race attracting voters with fiercely held views. RANDY BROWNING, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: I mean, who doesn't want to make America great?
BORGER: That's the goal, of course. But watching Republicans try to unify this election season is like watching a bunch of arranged marriages.
In New Hampshire, between a more conventional and successful incumbent governor, with a Senate candidate calling for a new breed of party outsiders.
(on camera): So what would you call yourselves?
BOLDUC: We're patriots. Right? We're a new ilk of the Republican Party.
BORGER (voice-over): That's retired Brigadier General Don Bolduc, who served 10 tours in Afghanistan, and narrowly won a PAC primary as a border-protecting, an election-denying conservative once opposed by the Republican establishment.
BOLDUC: The establishment has become the problem and people want a solution to that.
BORGER: So what exactly is the Republican problem?
VINCENT SERVELLO, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: They're not audacious enough. They're not aggressive enough.
BILL BORDEAUX, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Trump was like a hand grenade thrown into the Republican Party. Love them or hate them.
BORGER (on camera): Right.
BORDEAUX: He definitely changed things up.
BORGER (voice-over): Bolduc was not endorsed by Trump. He's an underdog in this race against former governor and one-term senator, Democrat Maggie Hassan.
She's talking a lot about abortion politics. He's talking a lot about the economy and immigration.
BOLDUC: Will you vote and support the southern border? Yes, baby.
BORGER: And he's getting a lot of money from a political action committee aligned with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the ultimate insider and not a Bolduc favorite.
(on camera): Has PAC has given you $23 million?
BOLDUC: Well, thank you very much.
BORGER (voice-over): And yet, the self-proclaimed change candidate seems unchanged.
BOLDUC: I want leadership to change in the United States Senate.
BORGER (on camera): Leadership, but --
BOLDUC: I want it to change.
BORGER (voice-over): Bolduc is among a large chorus of Republican right-wing warriors who now find themselves welcoming both money and newfound support from the very party pool buzz they once dismissed.
BOLDUC (voice-over): He's a Chinese communist sympathizer.
BORGER: That was about the popular Governor Chris Sununu, seeking his fourth term who had no kind of words for Bolduc.
GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH) (on camera): Kind of a conspiracy theorist type candidate.
BORGER: But post-primary an embrace and a nod from the governor.
SUNUNU: He's an amazing individual with this background, this war hero background that just wants to stand up and serve.
BORGER: And now needs to reach out beyond his conservative base.
BRAD TODD, GOP STRATEGIST: New Hampshire is an ordinary state. There's more Independents than there are members of either party in New Hampshire. So go as the attendance goes, so goes New Hampshire.
BORGER: And so a Bolduc switch on the legitimacy of the 2020 election from this.
BOLDUC (on camera): So, I signed a letter with 120 other generals and admirals saying that Trump won the election and dammit, I stand by my words.
(CHEERING)
BORGER: To this.
(on camera): So you believe the election was not stolen?
BOLDUC: Not stolen, but irregularities and fraud.
BORGER (voice-over): The state Republican Party chairman says it's all for the greater good.
STEPHEN STEPANEK, CHAIRMAN, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY: If we are going to change the direction of this country, you have to support our entire Republican ticket. Because if you don't, the Democrats win and the direction of the country doesn't change.
BORGER: Unity at all costs, not only in New Hampshire --
(CHEERING)
BORGER: -- consider Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's support for election-denier, Kari Lake.
[14:45:02]
GOV. GLENN YOUNGKIN (R-VA): The Republican Party has to be a party where we are not shunning people. What Arizona deserves is a Republican governor.
BORGER: Bolduc's supporter Paul Grant hopes the harmony lasts.
PAUL GRANT, DON BOLDUC SUPPORTER: I think Republicans sometimes are immature when it comes to politics. And by that I mean, I don't agree with a lot of the policies or stances of the Democratic Party, but they play to win. They do this. They stick together.
BORGER: There's just one small problem on the horizon.
TODD: It'd be one thing to say the Republican Party is not just a big tent, it's a big tent with a bar fight.
BORGER: And it's not about to reach last call anytime soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: Gloria is with us now.
So with all of this unity, Gloria, I'm curious how is that playing with voters in some of these swing districts, especially, say, with what we saw from Bolduc there, that change, right --
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: -- no longer an election denier.
Although he is not fully on board. I did see there that he was claiming that there were irregularities and other fraud issues, we know pretty much is --
BORGER: Well, look, what he's trying to do is reach out to these Independent voters. In New Hampshire, they are about a third of the electorate if not more.
And Republicans I spoke with were just fine with it. They were saying to me, well, do you know what, he's done some research, you are allowed to change your mind, the very strong election deniers are not with him.
But who are they going to vote for? They have a Democrat he's running against.
I think the question is whether Independents are going to look at this and say, look, you are just pandering now. You're just doing this to get my vote. And maybe they would turn against him for that.
But as we've seen in all our polling recently that, you know, the question of election denying is not at the top of everyone's list. It's the economy. And Bolduc is talking about, you know, home heating prices this winter. He's talking about, you know, the price of gasoline at the pump. He's talking about inflation and immigration. So those seem to be the top issues, not election denying.
He changed. Clearly, a flip-flop. He changed because he wanted to bring in those more moderate voters.
HILL: Gloria, I mean, I don't think I've ever seen politicians pander so I don't know where that would come from.
(LAUGHTER)
HILL: Nice to see you, my friend. Thank you.
BORGER: Good to see you.
BLACKWELL: Thanks, Gloria.
New York City opens its first tent camp to manage the massive influx of migrants. We will take you there, next.
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[14:51:42]
HILL: A newly built facility to house migrants seeking asylum has officially opened today here in New York City. Mayor Eric Adams recently declared a state of emergency because of the migrants coming.
BLACKWELL: CNN's Athena Jones is at that facility on Randalls Island just off of Manhattan.
Athena, tell us what you are seeing there.
ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Victor and Erica. Well, this is an emergency response and relief center you see behind me. It's set to open today. It's set to house 500 single men. But it can be quickly expanded to house up to a thousand according to city officials.
We have been here since this morning. We've seen people trickling in. A lot of them appear to be workers, the kind of folks who will be greeting the asylum seekers as they arrive.
The city is not releasing any numbers on asylum seekers arriving at this location. And we haven't seen big buses or vans that we expected to see people arrive all at once. People will be coming one by one, and twos and threes.
This is a center that will offer wraparound services. So, medical services, food, recreation. There's television, free Wi-Fi, telephones to make international call, laundry and the like.
And 90 percent of the staff here is bilingual, so they'll be able to do a very good job of helping folks who only speak Spanish. And there's going to be an intake process. So when asylum seekers arrive here, they'll be tested for COVID-19. And if they test positive, they'll be in these trailers outside this main large tent to be isolated for as long as necessary.
If they are negative, they then have the opportunity to meet with a resettlement officer. That's someone who will help them figure out what their next destination will be, and how to get there. And so that's something that could take a few days.
Originally, at least as of last week, city officials were saying this location would house people temporarily up to 96 hours. And they're now saying this could take longer to place people So there won't be an official time limit for how long people stay here.
But this is one of the ways the city is dealing with this huge, unprecedented influx of migrants -- Victor, Erica?
HILL: Good to see ultimately how many people are there. And how long they actually stay.
Athena, appreciate it. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: President Biden is expected to speak a few moments from now on infrastructure investments. Of course, there are the questions about inflation, rising gas prices.
[14:54:08]
Will these announcements today be enough to ease some economic concerns, especially with voters already heading to the polls?
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BLACKWELL: This Webb Telescope is just showing off now.
(LAUGHTER)
BLACKWELL: Look at this.
HILL: I'm OK with it.
BLACKWELL: Towers of dust standing out against the background of baby stars.
HILL: Aww. Sweet baby stars. It almost looks like -- I have so many things it looks like. Number one, it's beautiful.
CNN's space and defense correspondent, Kristin Fisher, is with us.
This image, which Victor said they're just showing off, maybe. But I think to our benefit.
Other than it's beautiful, why do scientists love it? I'm guessing it's goes beyond the beauty. KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE & DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Erica, this is one
of the most hotly anticipated images to come from the Webb Space Telescope and it did not disappoint.
That is of the Pillars of Creation, which were made famous by the Hubble Space Telescope back in 1995. And now Webb has turned its lens towards it and given us this incredible view.
And right there on your screen is kind of a side-by-side comparison.
[14:59:52]
On the left, that's taken by the Hubble telescope. It's an optical telescope, so that's what it looks like, what our eyes would be able to see in space.
And on the right, is the Webb Space Telescope, an infrared telescope. It's able to peer into those clouds of interstellar gas and dust, which make up what appear to be those rock formations.
