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Biden Makes Closing Pitch on Campaign Trail; 19 Dead After Airplane Crashes into Lake Victoria; Today, World Series Championship Parade for Houston Astros. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired November 07, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:30:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Election Day tomorrow. Of course, many millions have already voted. President Biden hitting the campaign trail one last time today, stumping for gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore in Maryland. First Lady Jill Biden also on the campaign trail, she is expected to speak at an event for Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton in Virginia, one of three tight races for Democrats there in Virginia.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: CNN White House Correspondent M.J. Lee joining us now. So, the first couple out there on the trail with a closing message. What are those closing messages?

M.J. LEE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We saw the president busy out of the campaign trail over the weekend and then he is going to be closing out the campaign season by going to Maryland later today.

In his closing message, we not surprisingly heard the president sort of trying to sell his agenda, the Democratic Party's legislative accomplishments and continuing to try and to draw that contrast between Democrats and Republicans.

One key theme that has really emerged, of course, in the final days is the theme of election integrity. We saw him make that major speech last week in Washington, D.C. near Capitol Hill. And in the final days, as we've seen him campaigning for these various Democratic candidates, they are candidates that are running against Republican election deniers and skeptics, whether it is Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania and Lee Zeldin in New York over the weekend, where later tonight, Dan Cox in Maryland. And over the weekend, we heard the president again talking about the fact that he believes democracy is at stake tomorrow night. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: These deniers not only are trying to deny your right to vote, they're trying to deny your right to have your vote counted. No, I'm not joking. I'm not joking. With these election deniers, there are only two outcomes for any election. Either they win or they were cheated. (END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Now campaigning in Maryland later tonight, that is an effort by Democrats for the president to sort of end things on the bright spot. They feel very confident that Wes Moore is going to be able to win in the gubernatorial race. So, this is a state where they believe the governor's mansion will go from red to blue.

But I think Maryland could end up being one bright spot on a night when Democrats could potentially not have very many bright spots. That is, of course, a concern for Democrats. And we are about to see tomorrow whether the strategy of not focusing entirely on the issue of the economy and inflation, which, as we have talked about so much, remains the top concern for voters, whether Democrats might end up paying any kind of political price for that. Guys?

HILL: Yes. There has certainly been a lot of criticism. We'll see if it is well-founded. M.J. Lee, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis focusing on his gubernatorial race right now. Former President Trump, though, taking a swipe at the governor's 2024 ambitions.

SCIUTTO: CNN Reporter Steve Contorno on the trail in St. Petersburg, Florida. Steve, what did Trump have to say? And I wonder if there's been any reaction from the Florida governor as well.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Jim, well if you thought we were going to wait until after 2022 election was over for Trump to take shot at Ron DeSantis, well, guess again. Saturday in Pennsylvania, we saw the former presidents hold a rally where we reasserted that he intends to consider running for president again. And in that remark, he put a poll up on top of the screen where he suggested that he is far ahead of the rest of the GOP field going into a potential 2024 primary, including Governor Ron DeSantis, who he gave a new nickname to. Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: We're winning big, big, big in the Republican Party for the nomination like nobody has ever seen before. Let's say, there it is, Trump at 71. Ron DeSanctimonious at 10 percent, Mike Pence at 7 -- Mike is doing better than I thought.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CONTORNO: And yesterday, both candidates were actually in Florida. But, separately, we saw Trump in Miami with a bunch of Republican candidates and officials here, including Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Rick Scott. DeSantis was on the other side of the state holding his own events, and, no, Jim, he did not respond to Ron DeSanctimonious. He has stuck to the script he has been using for the last few weeks, talking about his campaign for re-election.

But fact that these two guys were holding events on completely opposite ends of Florida just days into ahead of the election just shows how much this rivalry is seeping into the public in the weeks leading up to the election. And we've seen Trump trash DeSantis on social media. We've seen DeSantis endorse a candidate who is outspokenly anti-Trump.

[10:35:04]

And all of this is taking place in a state where Republicans are actually hoping to do very well on Election Day. They're leaning Democrats in early voting. Their turnout has been very strong. And they're hoping for a big night on election night. But, Jim, we're already seeing this division in the party starting to tear at people just days before the 2022 election.

HILL: Yes, buckle up. Days before 2022 but, oh, then '24 is coming at us. Steve Contorno, I appreciate it, thank you.

SCIUTTO: It will start minutes after the ballots are counted.

Joining me now to talk about the midterms, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield. Kate, thanks so much for taking the time this morning.

KATE BEDINGFIELD, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Thanks for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, first, midterm elections traditionally not friendly to incumbents. I know the White House has its own polling here. Is the Biden administration preparing for losses tomorrow?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, look, Jim, you're right, historically. First midterm for a president can be challenging. But, look, across the board, what we're seeing is enormous popularity for the Biden agenda, the things that he's been able to accomplish, including lowering prescription drug costs, lowering energy bills, making the single biggest investment in tackling climate change that we've made in the history of the United States. We see that the things that President Biden has been able to accomplish in the first two years, almost two years of his term, is historically popular.

And, look, as you well know, I'm standing here in the White House lawn, so the Hatch Act prevents me from talking about politics in a lot of depth, but what I will say he has been out, the vice president has been out, the cabinet has been out making the case.

SCIUTTO: Individually, you're right, that those individual elements of the agenda poll well. But taken together, the president's overall approval rating down to the low 40s, you see economic issues, Republicans rated ahead of Democrats by large margins on economic issues. And you have criticism from inside your own party, that the party did not push the economic message from Sanders, Tim Ryan, et cetera. Do you agree?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, there are a couple of things I would note here. Because, first of all, you note the president's approval rating and actually it tracks with where President Obama, President Clinton and President Reagan was at this time. And then, secondly, I would say -- SCIUTTO: All lost a lot of seats in the midterms.

BEDINGFIELD: -- elections and -- but, look, what I would say is elections are a choice, right? They are a choice. And so what the president has done has gone out and made the case that what Republicans have put forward is a vision that will provide tax breaks to the wealthiest corporations, it will make prescription drug costs go up, it will take away your right to privacy, your right choose, and it will reverse the progress that we've made on things like meaningful gun reform legislation, which the president was able to work with Congress to get done.

So, there is a very clear choice here, a very stark choice. The president has been out making the case. And what we see is that Americans have a choice between taking -- continuing to take the country forward or taking the country backward, which, frankly, is what the Republican agenda will do.

SCIUTTO: Now, I know that an issue such as inflation, which is at the top of many voters' minds, has many global influences, including the war in Ukraine, the global oil markets. But the fact is voters hold those in power responsible. And the steps taken so far by the president have not moved whether it be gas prices but also other prices as well. What would the president's solution be if he were to maintain power in Congress? What would he do to change, to the address the continuing rise in prices?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, in fact, the steps he's taken have brought gas prices down. Gas prices are down --

SCIUTTO: Not inflation.

BEDINGFIELD: -- about $1.20 from where they were at their peak this summer. And that's in part because he took action to release barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. He has said that oil supply has to meet demand and we have to work to bring prices down. He's been focused on that.

He's also focused on bringing prices down across the board. It's why he got the Inflation Reduction Act passed. It brings down prescription drug costs. It brings down -- it puts a cap on insulin. The way he thinks about it is a family that is sitting around at their dining room table working through their budget, he is working to bring down costs where he can. So that where he's able to lower costs, they're able to put money toward things that they need. And that is exactly what the Inflation Reduction Act did. The president is going to continue to focus on that moving forward.

SCIUTTO: If Republicans take one or both houses of Congress, where does the president's agenda go?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, look, it is a little premature to say that. Let's let voters vote. Again, I'm standing here on the White House lawn so I'm limited in what I could say.

In terms of the president's agenda, I would say, look at what he has prioritized over the course of the first two years. He has done everything that he can do to help working families. He's going to continue to do that. He's gotten a -- the most significant gun reform legislation, piece of legislation passed, this passed in the 30 years. We've got a significant bill to increase manufacturing here in the United States, the Chips and Science Act, which puts us on stronger footing competing with China and has helped contribute to the creation of 700,000 manufacturing jobs, up above the number of manufacturing jobs we had before the pandemic.

[10:40:09]

So, if you're thinking about, if you're wondering what the president is going to do moving forward, look at what he's accomplished so far. You can see his priority is working families, creating jobs, giving them breathing room, and that is what he'll do moving forward.

SCIUTTO: Another topic, if I can, and that relates to Russia. The Wall Street Journal reporting today that the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, had direct contact with his Russian counterparts regarding the threat of escalation in Ukraine, specifically the threat of nuclear escalation. And I wonder, did the U.S. receive any assurances from Moscow that Russia would not use nuclear weapons?

BEDINGFIELD: Well, look, I'm not going to comment on any reporting about private conversations that may or may not have happened. What I can say is that the president's directive from the beginning of this conflict has been nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. We have been consistently -- we've provided security assistance. We've provided humanitarian assistance. We will continue to do that. That is what National Security Adviser Sullivan's trip this past week to Kyiv was about.

And, look, the other thing I would say is there is one party to can end this war, that is Russia, that's Putin. They can end this war at any time, and that is what they should do.

SCIUTTO: Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, thanks so much for joining us.

BEDINGFIELD: Thanks for having me, Jim. I appreciate it.

HILL: And deadly plane crash in a lake in Tanzania, dozens of survivors pulled from the water. What we've learn in the moments just before that plane went down, next.

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[10:45:00]

SCIUTTO: New just this morning, a subtropical storm currently churning in the Atlantic Ocean expected now to be a category one hurricane before it reaches Florida, and that is later in week. The National Hurricane Center says the storm named Nicole will reach land late Wednesday into Thursday morning. HILL: Hurricane or storm surge watches have now been issued for most of the Florida east coast as well as parts of Georgia and South Carolina. The last hurricane to strike anywhere in the U.S. in the month of November, that was Hurricane Kate in 1985.

SCIUTTO: We've seen these headlines over the weekend but funeral services have now begun for victims of a plane crash in Tanzania.

HILL: 19 people we are killed when that commercial flight crashed into Lake Victoria. Officials say the plane plunged into the lake just as it was preparing to land.

CNN's Larry Madowo joining us now live. So, do we know, Larry, what caused that crash?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erica, we don't know for sure but bad weather has been blamed by the authorities and the airline. They say the weather changed suddenly from the moment it left Tanzania's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. And in the two hours it was airborne, the weather changed suddenly, the rain was coming down heavily, there was downdraft, some thunderstorms as well.

And we know the most dangerous time of flight are the takeoff and landing, and this aircraft attempted to land it the first time. It had to circle around. And then second time it came in to try and land, this is what we believe now happened, that it appeared to have -- didn't make it to the runway and landed in the water.

Now, the runway is just about 400 feet away from where the lake ends. So what is the likelihood -- what's the likely thing that happened here is that this aircraft hits the lake in a shallow enough position that people essentially are rained to the aircraft and began to pull people out, but it was taking in water at the same time.

So, one of the fears is that many who died, the 19 people who were killed in this accident, didn't die from the impact of the crash landing, they died because they drowned, because the emergency services, the rescue didn't happen fast enough and many of the who were rescued were rescued not by the emergency services from the airport but by local fishermen, residents who saw what happened, rushed there in their boats and canoes and pulled as many people as possible from it.

An investigation is underway, so we will know for sure. But this aircraft was not old. It had only been in operation for 12 years. And Precision Airline is an airline that operates across East Africa. It has got a decent safety record. The captain in charge of the aircraft had been flying with the airline for 20 years, very well-experienced. So, it is unlikely that pilot error is to blame but we can't say for sure until that investigation is complete. Erica and Jim?

HILL: Yes, absolutely, so many families impacted. Larry, I appreciate it. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well another story we're following this morning, in just a few hours, the Astros will celebrate winning their second World Series title in six years. We're going to have details on their parade. It is going to go through downtown Houston. That is just ahead.

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HILL: The countdown is on, not to the elections, people, to the championship parade for the city of Houston, going through downtown to celebrate the Astros' second World Series championship.

SCIUTTO: Well, kids can go too. Several school districts in the area have canceled classes for the day to let students and staff enjoy the celebration.

CNN Sports Anchor Coy Wire has more on this. Coy, are they celebrating the championship or your birthday? I just want to be clear about what --

HILL: It is Coy's birthday.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: You're putting me out there like that. I can't wait to get home to my birthday cake with my four and two-year-old daughters. It is going to be lovely.

But, hey, a celebration for Houston fans. There are going to be approximately a million people packing the streets to honor the Astros' win, a three-mile stretch of downtown Houston is what is going to be rocking. It is at 1:00 P.M. Eastern today. And it is the Astros' second World Series crown. Last one coming in 2017 when nearly a million people were on hand.

What a moment, though, Jim and Erica. It is going to be for Houston's 73-year-old manager Dusty Baker. He took over two years ago to help the team recover from a massive signs stealing scandal. This is his first World Series title as a manager after 25 years. He could not contain his excitement after the win. Watch this sweet moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUSTY BAKER, HOUSTON ASTROS MANAGER: How about them Astros.

And this is the greatest bunch of guys. They told me in spring training that they were going to win.

[10:55:01]

Now, what's next? Party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: Injecting that Dusty Baker energy right into our veins. Maybe no one is going to be celebrating more though than 71-year-old Houston super fan Mattress Mack. Watch this.

The famous Houston furniture store owner won $75 million for the $10 million in bets he made on the Astros at the start of the season. He says all that money is going to go back to the customers. They can bring their receipts. He's going to pay for their furniture, so incredible scenes, indeed.

SCIUTTO: That is quite a bet, quite a bet to win. Well, congratulations to them and their fans and happy birthday to you, Coy Wire.

WIRE: Thank you, lovely people.

HILL: Happy birthday, Coy. Have a great day.

New this morning, The Oscars bringing back the host, and it is a familiar face.

SCIUTTO: Maybe not the one you were thinking about. But ABC in-house (ph) Jimmy Kimmel will host the awards show next year. It will be his third time. He also had the gig in 2017-2018 before the format went to no host back in August. You may remember, Chris Rock told a crowd that he was asked to host The Oscars after he was infamously slapped on stage by Will Smith but he declined that offer.

HILL: There we go.

Thanks to all you for joining us on this Monday as we kick off the final stretch here to Election Day. I'm Erica Hill.

SCIUTTO: Jim Sciutto. Nice to be with you, Erica.

At This Hour with Kate Bolduan starts right after this a quick break.

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