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Hilary Unleashes Severe Flooding In Baja California, Mexico; San Bernardino County Under Evacuation Order; Officials: 78 Percent Of Fire Area Now Searched In Maui Fire. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired August 20, 2023 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:06]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and we continue to follow breaking news: Tropical Storm Hilary has made landfall in Baja California, Mexico, and is starting to batter Southern California.

New video from Mexico showing just how bad the flooding is. The intense rainfall turning what appears to be a neighborhood into a rushing river. At least one person died in the storm according to Mexican officials. Hilary is expected to hit the US later on today with what officials are calling life-threatening flooding.

In Los Angeles, already feeling the effects, a flash flood warning is in effect for areas north of the city and that includes over 700,000 people; and in Pasadena, Palmdale and Santa Clarita.

Last hour, I spoke to La mayor, Karen Bass and Fire chief, Kristin Crowley. They say the city is prepared for this unprecedented weather event.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR KAREN BASS (D) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Fortunately, our preparation which has taken place over the last few days is in full effect. And as you can see, it is every department impacting the city, impacting the storm and so we are monitoring the impact all around the city.

KRISTIN CROWLEY, LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT: Be prepared, stay informed, and if possible, as the storm is coming and has hit us, stay home.

We want to minimize the risk to our community and let our first responders do our jobs and deal with emergencies that are at hand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And further south in San Diego, Hilary has forced airlines to cancel more than 200 flights there and you can see the rain beginning to fall as the storm approaches.

CNN meteorologist, Jennifer Gray is tracking the storm.

Jennifer, where is the storm right now?

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it's still in Baja California, you know, it just made landfall about an hour ago, but it is moving at 25 miles per hour, which is pretty good forward speed, which means the rain is going to get in and get out; however, we are going to see catastrophic or potentially catastrophic conditions because of the heavy rainfall.

We could see several years' worth of rain in just about a 24-hour time period. So 65 mile per hour winds, gusts of 85. This is going to still be a tropical storm as it enter Southern California and then on into Nevada by the time we get into early Monday morning.

But you can see 50 miles per hour across San Diego, Los Angeles, but the rain is really what's going to grab headlines with this system. You can see from the radar, we are seeing very heavy rain. That flash flood warning has actually been extended to include Los Angeles, that's new, just in the last couple of minutes.

We're seeing rainfall amounts of half an inch to an inch an hour, which is significant across this corner of the country where we're not able to absorb the rainfall like we are east of the Rockies. We could get several inches of rain in one thunderstorm east of the Rockies and it not be that big of a deal.

When you get this much rain in a short amount of time across this region, you are going to have huge consequences. We're going to see pictures like we saw you just showed in Mexico. We could see similar situations across Southern California because of all of the rain in the next 24 hours.

We could see widespread amounts of two to four inches, but Fred, we are talking about the potential for 10 to 12 inches for some isolated locations. That's going to have major impacts across this region.

WHITFIELD: That is huge in such a short amount of time.

Jennifer Gray, thanks so much.

GRAY: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right, so major streets in Mission Valley, a section of San Diego that's known for flooding now close to traffic ahead of the storm, but city officials are concerned that locals are ignoring the signs and they're driving around them.

Mayor Todd Gloria tweeted a plea for residents to keep the roads clear for first responders and for city crews.

CNN senior national correspondent, Kyung Lah joins me live now from San Diego. We know you've got -- you're in a location where the barricades are up.

[15:05:09]

Is anyone bold enough or crazy enough to be driving around them there? KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I saw six or seven cars drive right through these barricades, even though the signs are up clearly saying that this is a flood zone and the roads are indeed closed.

What we're seeing right now and part of the issue, Fredricka, is that this is -- you know, it is significant rain. This is very surprising for August, but it still feels a little light. And this is an area as you look further down that way, you see that car driving right through, this is an area known for flooding.

This is where cars get stuck all the time in San Diego, because people drive through these barricades. And the concern here in Southern California is that with people so unused to this type of weather, especially in the summertime, that they're going to ignore these warnings.

That's why you're hearing the mayor of San Diego saying look, city parks are closed, beaches are closed. The Navy has already moved 10 ships out further to sea concerned about what is happening as this tropical storm approaches, worried about any impact on the US Navy.

And so that is the preparation, the question will be, will people heed those warnings? Because we've seen a lot of car accidents. This is an area that has the San Diego river. It is typical that this will rise. People here in this region who live in condominiums and apartments say that they expect that this will crest and basically take over the roadway.

So what the city officials here are saying is to heed the warnings that we're seeing from the Weather Service. The Weather Service says that there is now a 40 percent possible chance of a tornado warning, so that is a concern by city officials here.

Again, that is just possible, but as this rain intensifies throughout the day, Fredricka, concern about the impacts and whether people are taking this stuff seriously.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, Kyung Lah, you and crew, watch out for the rain, the wind, and now we know we've got to watch out for the cars, too, who were speeding around those barricades. Be careful.

All right, thank you so much.

All right, the San Bernardino County sheriff has issued an evacuation order for at least six communities in that area. Let's bring in CNN correspondent, Josh Campbell, who joins me live now from the Redlands in San Bernardino County, inside a shelter area where people will find refuge, but what else is happening?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, we're actually seeing the preparation at play here for the American Red Cross. We're used to seeing volunteers at crisis scenes but the preparations began days in advance as the storm was churning north headed here towards San Bernardino. And so behind me, you see these are volunteers. These are people who not only live in the area who are preparing themselves, but also volunteer their own time to provide food or to provide water, to provide shelter.

This makeshift Disaster Relief Center is a high school cafeteria here in Redlands, California.

Now some of the other services that they're providing are mental health services. There are services for the elderly who are here as well. There are also animal services. San Bernardino County has sent numerous animal control officers here, and the reason is, they don't want people to hesitate if you have to evacuate to worry about your pet.

I mean for so many of us, our pets are like members of our family. I couldn't imagine you know having to leave my pup, Pico behind if I had to evacuate and so they don't want residents to have to pause for a second and think well, I'm not going to evacuate because I can't take my animal. They are ready.

They actually have outside livestock trailers for those who have larger animals such as horses, and so a full host of services that are here that are ready in case residents find themselves in a situation where they have to evacuate.

Now, I've been talking with some of the folks that were here including one person who had to evacuate last night. We saw numerous evacuation orders here in San Bernardino County in advance of possible flooding.

Take a listen to her, talking really about how great this American Red Cross team is here and the services they're providing. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYDIA, EVACUATED SAN BERNARDINO RESIDENT: I've been real comfortable. I slept through the night. Of course, it was, I guess calm. I don't know. I didn't hear or see anything.

But -- and everybody has been so good, and so helpful.

CAMPBELL: Have you -- I mean, what went through your mind when you heard there's a hurricane coming here?

LYDIA: Oh my gosh. As it is, I was nervous of stormy weather. And then I can't believe some reports that I was seeing. Frightening and unreal, because I've never seen or heard like this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now, this is one of several of these disaster centers that are being set up across Southern California. Where I am here, San Bernardino County, it is the largest county geographically in the nation.

It spans here from East Los Angeles all the way to the Nevada border, to the Arizona border. A lot of ground for disaster relief experts to cover to provide these kinds of services, but they're doing just that. We are literally in the calm before the storm. We're waiting for those bands to come. They expect heavy flooding and they tell us they're ready -- Fred.

[15:10:06]

WHITFIELD: Okay. Very good. Josh Campbell, thanks so much.

All right, let's bring in the mayor of Avalon, California, Anni Marshall.

Mayor Marshall, you're joining us from Santa Catalina Island, which is about 22 miles off the coast there. So what proportion of your residential population there has decided to stay there on Catalina Island with you?

MAYOR ANNI MARSHALL, AVALON, CALIFORNIA: I would say a hundred percent.

WHITFIELD: Really?

MARSHALL: Yes.

WHITFIELD: And so a hundred percent. All of you feel very safe that that's the right place to be right now with this storm barreling through Southern California?

MARSHALL: Well, yes. We are very well prepared for this storm. All of our safety services are in place. And we have had storms before, this isn't new. And now that it's a tropical storm.

WHITFIELD: That's new.

MARSHALL: Yes, that doesn't make us feel quite as afraid even though we're so prepared for this.

WHITFIELD: Oh, okay. Well, then talk to me about your preparedness. Why are you feeling so confident?

MARSHALL: Well, again, we've been through this before. So Southern California Edison is our utility company, and they are located on the coast. So they have put up K-rails and sandbags and things like that to ensure that it doesn't get into the plant, but they're feeling pretty comfortable with everything being a little downgraded that there should -- they should be able to take the surge that comes.

Our Harbor Department has closed the harbor, so no new boats are coming in, and all the boats that are here are owned by locals, pretty much, plus county boats and that kind of thing, so they are all very well secured.

Our Fire Department is just ready for whatever may happen. And you know, they're available. If there are medical calls, they're able to get to all the locations to pick up any medical calls they might have.

The Sheriff's Department is in full force and they will do what needs to be done as things arise.

WHITFIELD: Okay. Well, Mayor, so I haven't been as fortunate, you know as many to be on Catalina Island. I've only heard beautiful things about it, but I do understand that it's hilly and there are only a few ways to get there, a ferry or perhaps even helicopters.

So this possible storm surge, is it a hilly area where you feel like people will be able to get to higher ground?

MARSHALL: Well, we're not really going to have flooding. So there's really not -- if the surge comes straight into the harbor and to town, in our Front Street of town, the stores there have sandbags.

We're not imagining tsunami type waves coming into our harbor that people have to escape to higher ground.

WHITFIELD: Okay. Well, I love your optimism and you all have a plan. So, it sounds like you're feeling very confident despite what tropical storm Hilary threatens to do.

Mayor Anni Marshall there on Santa Catalina Island, thank you so much. All the best.

MARSHALL: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And we'll continue to watch Tropical Storm Hilary roll in. California is bracing for potentially catastrophic flooding in many parts. We'll bring you the latest.

Plus, more than a thousand people are still believed to be missing in Hawaii as President Biden prepares to visit the scorched island of Maui tomorrow. The latest on recovery efforts straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:15:00]

WHITFIELD: Officials in Maui say more than three-quarters of the fire area has now been searched, but almost all of the 114 confirmed victims remain unidentified, a process that could take months or even years.

On top of that, Hawaii governor, Josh Green says over a thousand more residents are still unaccounted for.

CNN's Bill Weir has been reporting on the damage there on Maui for over a week now. He is joining us.

So Bill, what can you tell us about these continued search operations?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're almost two weeks from this tragedy, Fred and the fact that there's 1,050 souls still officially listed as missing or unaccounted for tells you so much about the psychological toll.

There are families who know that their children are gone. This is a mental health crisis here on Maui as well and so there are mental health first responders like a sweet woman I met named Jazzy Wong, a former therapist who worked at San Quentin Prison, who moved to the islands years ago for peace and solitude and now is dealing with tragic circumstances you cannot fathom. Here's our conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: You've gone to the shelters, I understand. And then you were at the Four Seasons Hotel helping people here.

JAZZY WONG, MENTAL HEALTH THERAPIST, LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER: Yeah, so the first couple days I was at my high school at one of the first shelters that opened up in town here. And then I went to War Memorial where the main shelter is, where the most people have been and the most kind of services have been, walk around the shelter and check in with people and see how they're doing.

And one example was we met a couple over in Honokawai Beach Park who had lost both their kids in the fire, and we created this prayer circle of like about 50 people -- volunteers and people at the park -- we just prayed for this couple and for this family and it was like so heartbreaking to see that level of despair and loss. Like not on the news and not on the other side of the island, but with us you know.

[15:20:08]

So we've just all been holding on to a lot whether we were in the fire, we escaped it, or whether we're on the other side of the island, we just -- we feel the immensity of this trauma from this.

So this is where I come in, and whatever I can be of support.

WEIR: That is so hugely valuable. I mean, that's the thing, we think about the physical burns, but you're treating wounds that people are going to wrestle with for a long time.

WONG: And I feel like that's the thing like, this is not just this week and the coming weeks. It is years and generations to come, of really grieving and healing from trauma and growing from that place.

And those buildings, and that town will get rebuilt, but where we really need to do the work is like here in our hearts, with everyone that's been impacted, which is everybody on this island.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEIR: Fred, by this time, tomorrow, President Biden and the First Lady will have surveyed the damage, spoken to first responders and survivors, and there are a lot of questions for the federal response here on so many levels.

Maui is still hurting so acutely -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

Bill, did you get a sense from people that, you know, there are folks who may want to ask or make a request directly to the president. Every now and then, you know, when he goes to a disaster zone, there might be an opportunity where he talks to, you know, ordinary folks. Is there anyone who has expressed to you that they have a willingness or, you know, an urgency about wanting to do that?

WEIR: Oh, they would love it. They would love nothing more to talk story, as they say, in Hawaii, with the president who is known as a consoler-in-chief, but a few days after the fire has said "no comment" when asked about what was going on here.

So there's a lot of emotional trust building that has to happen as well, but so many questions, not only about what's happening right now, but the future of this place -- water rights, land rights -- the decisions that led up to this disaster need to be reversed if it's going to come back at all.

And so yes, and we're going to meet some just in a few minutes.

WHITFIELD: Yes, that land rights issue, that is huge, and a gigantic worry for so many Hawaiians.

All right, Bill Weir there on Maui, thank you so much. Look forward to your other conversations with people there.

All right, President Biden is set to depart for Hawaii, to Maui tomorrow. Let's talk about the expectations. Joining me right now, State senator, Angus McKelvey.

Senator, good to see you.

ANGUS MCKELVEY (D), HAWAII STATE SENATOR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: What are you anticipating and hoping in the president's visit?

MCKELVEY: Well, I'm hoping that the focus will remain on the families. That is the most important thing. At this point, I don't know if I'm being invited to this visit.

So I've communicated the fact that, be that as it may, it's important that the focus remains on the families, the loss that they've suffered is immense, beyond measure, they need to be consoled by -- they need to know that the federal government is not only going to -- I'm sorry.

WHITFIELD: No, I'm sorry, go ahead.

MCKELVEY: Well, I said, you know, the federal government is going to be there to stand behind them and let the town build, you know, and be the decision makers of the future destiny of Lahaina, but that the federal government, the president are behind the people of Lahaina and that he can console the families who are in a credible state of grief that is still unfathomable to many of them.

WHITFIELD: And your district includes Lahaina, and what is it people are sharing with you about their concerns about how involved they will be? I mean, if there's any certainty that they can get, whether it be for the president of the United States or the governor, or whomever to give them assurances that they will be directly involved in any kind of rebuilding recovery efforts, this, while they are still grieving their losses, and wanting some answers as to how this happened in the first place.

MCKELVEY: Yes, I mean, a presidential support at that level would be, you know, incredibly important. I want to thank the governor for trying to amend the emergency proclamation to prohibit property sales in the Lahaina region on a temporary basis.

The community is very concerned that rumors are running around about pension funds and billionaires buying up huge swathes of Lahaina and turning it into something that doesn't resemble the town that slowly and carefully evolved with so many cultures over 200 years.

We have a great group of citizens in Lahaina who work with each other. They're all the heads of major groups of Lahaina and I think it has to be some kind of official empowerment to make sure that the citizens, the groups they represent in the community, we all work together. They will be the gatekeepers and empowered to ensure that the decisions and resources that come to Lahaina are requested and needed by the local community.

[15:20:10]

And what the local community needs, and this has been missing in the beginning of this, their needs are being answered and resources are being directed to what they need, not what has perhaps been decided elsewhere.

WHITFIELD: And while you praise the governor for prohibiting any kind of property sales. You heard our Bill Weir talking earlier about people that he has spoken to and they're very concerned about property rights.

What are your concerns about property rights that so many residents, survivors are expressing this while they are still looking for missing loved ones?

MCKELVEY: Yes, I think that, again, of the fear and concerns of outside entities coming in and purchasing. The other fear is that the federal government could, in essence, make a declaration or a takeover, if you will -- I mean, that is not the proper word -- but it could be federalized, and then all of a sudden, the properties of people in the community could potentially be up in the air.

These are all the concerns and then you have the overall historical issues that your reporter touched upon, that were occurring already with Lahaina and West Maui. The native Hawaiian people trying to be able to continue to live and be in the community. This is the first capital of Hawaii. And yet, you know, so it's very important.

Plus, we had an affordable housing issue, which is why the structure count doesn't reflect the amount of people who have been displaced and are now homeless. We need to ensure that we right that wrong of the lack of affordable housing and the other things we need to do is look at mortgage abatement, because many people are going to be unable to afford them, both the houses they lost, plus people who lost income from the economic collapse, and we need to also look at strong measures to protect renters from evictions as what happened during COVID.

WHITFIELD: Oh, so important.

Hawaii's state senator, Angus McKelvey, glad you could be with us. Thank you so much.

MCKELVEY: Thank you so much, and again, Aloha, Mahalo from the community for sharing in our grief and struggle and we really appreciate your coverage. It means the world to us that our story is getting out there. So thank you.

WHITFIELD: Mahalo. And a lot of people want to help in whatever way they can.

And if you are looking for some direction in which to do so, go to cnn.com/impact to help Hawaii wildfire survivors.

All right, coming up, Southern California residents are being urged to stay inside as a potentially catastrophic storm that has already unleashed on parts of Mexico barrels into the state of California. The latest forecast, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:32:09]

WHITFIELD: All right, back to our top story. Tropical Storm Hilary bearing down on Southern California after making landfall in Baja California, Mexico last hour. Officials warned it could bring life- threatening flooding.

And right now, a flash flood warning is in effect for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, impacting more than nine million people.

Hilary also causing a travel headache further south in San Diego. Several roads are now closed ahead of the storm; and in the air, more than 100 flights originating from San Diego International Airport have been canceled.

Hilary made landfall in Baja, California, Mexico last hour, and the flooding that it has brought to the peninsula has already killed at least one person.

CNN David Shortell is tracking the storm from Mexico City.

David, what more are you hearing?

DAVID SHORTELL, CNN REPORTER: Yes, Fred, some really powerful images coming out of the state of Baja California in Northwest Mexico, where Hilary did make landfall about an hour ago in the small town of San Quentin. This is a small town on the coast about four-fifths of the way up this peninsula that runs all the way up to California, so residents they're feeling the full weight of this storm.

Sixty-five-mile-an-hour winds, severe storm surge as the wind just blows in that ocean water. Now, of course the whole area, the entire peninsula of the Mexican states of Sonora and Sinaloa have been experiencing devastating conditions for several hours now.

There was that death in the small coastal town of Santa Rosalia. This was a man who is caught in his car as the roads there were really turned into rivers and swept his car away. That town has seen four inches of rain at least today so far, about four times the daily average in August. And several people have been rescued, according to local authorities there.

But as this storm continues to move quickly, a lot more of Mexico is in its path. It is going to move through Ensenada, that's Mexico's most important wine-producing region with tourists coming not only from the entirety of Mexico, but from the US, crossing the southern border down to this this beautiful wine region.

And then of course you have Tijuana, this important waystation for migrants, very hilly there, mudslides are a very real threat. So authorities there on close watch as this tropical storm makes its way through Tijuana and several hours to hit California -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, folks are going to have to we heed those warnings for sure.

David Shortell, thanks so much.

Right now to Palm Springs about a hundred miles east of Los Angeles, three main roads there are now closed ahead of Hilary and the mayor there is pleading with residents to stay inside.

CNN's Stephanie Elam is live for us there in Palm Springs where you're outside, where there are barricades and I wonder if people are driving around them like we saw in Kyung Lah's live shot there in San Diego.

[15:35:00]

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They're not messing around here in Palm Springs, they are not doing that, Fred.

In fact, we have two police officers here who can make sure that people don't do that, but they have it completely blocked off and I asked if it was at all possible to get through this barricade, and I was told no.

And the reason being is that they've seen this road wash out with water washing across it, as high up is where this barricade is.

This road leads you out to Interstate 10, so it's a big entrance into Palm Springs, but they have it closed off for that reason. They've seen the water getting high enough that it will move a car and that is why they are not playing around here. They don't want people to come out here and drive on these roads. So, these roads closed off here, and they have seen people turn around and moving away. What we are seeing here though, with this now tropical storm making its way into California is very rare and it is something that climate change is playing into, as we talk to the people who track this kind of weather. They're saying the intensification, how quickly it built up the storm, and then also the amount of water that's going to come from it, all because we're seeing that warmer water, that is what's impacting here and that is why they're asking people to just stay home because this is going to be an amazing amount of water in a very short time -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right, anywhere between two to four inches, some predictions upwards of 10 inches in other areas that is being predicted between a 24 and 36-hour period. That's a lot of rain, a whole year's worth of rain in a couple of days.

All right, Stephanie Elam, thanks so much.

Still ahead, Donald Trump is not expected to be at the first GOP debate this week, but he is still planning to be in the spotlight. We'll explain, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:51]

WHITFIELD: All right, the race for the GOP presidential nomination will heat up this week with the first debate of the primary season.

At least eight candidates will be onstage in Milwaukee on Wednesday for the faceoff. Asa Hutchinson is the latest to say he has hit the donor requirements and he'll be there.

But clear frontrunner, Donald Trump says he will skip Wednesday's debate. CNN's Poll of Poll shows Trump currently 40 points ahead of Ron DeSantis, his nearest competitor. The rest of the field is in the single digits.

Joining me right now to discuss this week's GOP debate is Charlie Dent. He is a former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania. Also with me is Shermichael Singleton, a Republican strategist.

Good to see both of you, gentlemen.

CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi, Fred.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Hi, Fred. Good to be with you.

WHITFIELD: All right, so Charlie, you first. What kind of impact do you think Trump's absence will make?

DENT: Well, first, I think Donald Trump is really taking a very presumptuous position. In other words, he's presuming he's going to be the nominee, I don't think that's a very good look for any candidate just to assume they're going to be the nominee before a vote has been cast. So the real question is, what will these candidates do? Who will frontally and directly attack Donald Trump? We know Chris Christie will, Asa Hutchinson probably will, Ron DeSantis has indicated that he is going to go after Ramaswamy who appears to have some momentum. I think this guy is going to be like a shooting star, you know, he'll flame out at some point, but he might be an interesting thing for primary voters in the short term. So there'll be some attacks on Ramaswamy.

Curious to see how much these guys go after each other. They're going to fight for second place, so they're going to eat on DeSantis and Ramaswamy and ignore Trump. These are the questions that I have right now, but I suspect Christie is the guy to watch though, because I think he's the one who is going to really make some noise.

WHITFIELD: So Shermichael, do you agree with Charlie that it's a mistake for Trump to skip the debate? I mean, he is going to be a little busy this week, you know, or do you think that he is also presuming to have such a sizable lead that he can't afford to miss this debate?

SINGLETON: Yes, I mean, I think he can afford to miss the debate, Fred. Remember, this isn't the first time that Donald Trump has skipped the debate. He did this before on one or two different occasions, and then eventually he showed up and didn't miss any additional debate.

So I suspect he'll skip this one; and the others to follow, I believe he'll be present. But with that said, Fred, if you look at this recent CBS poll that came out, Republican voters do not want to see the other candidates going after Trump. So that is a significant portion of Chris Christie's strategy. I would think it's a mistake.

They want to hear from the other candidates, what their plans are, what distinguishes them from everyone else, and why should they consider them as a potential candidate, but going after Trump and Trump alone, I think would be a terrible mistake.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, listen to what happened over the weekend, Ron DeSantis taking this rare jab at Trump supporters. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A movement can't be about the personality of one individual. If you're not rooted in principle, if all we are is listless vessels that are just supposed to follow, you know, whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, that's not going to be a durable movement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Charlie, was that a big mistake for him?

DENT: It was a bad word choice, but I think I have to maybe disagree with Shermichael on this point. Look, these candidates have to take down the frontrunner, that is Donald Trump. They are not going to win by saying kind things about him, that he's a victim, that it is the deep state that's after him, that these prosecutors are all mean. That is political malpractice.

I've run for office many times, I've helped many candidates, and they have to attack the guy who is in front, they have to take him down. Ignoring him is not going to work, then they are just playing for second place. Why even run if you're not going to go after the guy who's in the lead?

I mean, I feel very strongly about this and that is part of the reason why these candidates are stuck in single digits because they really aren't explaining the fact that Donald Trump is too great a risk.

He has been indicted four times, 91 counts. He will be a disastrous candidate in a general election head-to-head with Joe Biden.

I know the voters in those polls are saying, they want -- they think he can be Biden. Well, he didn't last time. Why do they think he can do it this time?

[15:45:05]

WHITFIELD: So then Charlie, you should be talking to, you know, DeSantis' super PAC, right? Because I mean, according to that memo that he leaked, you know, that was the recommendation to defend Trump on stage, but then go after Vivek Ramaswamy.

So Shermichael, what are you thinking about that? I mean, is that a big mistake? I mean, a lot of Republicans are very upset about the fact that there was this memo. But in terms of that strategy, I mean, do you agree with Charlie that this is politics. This is the race. If you want to come out on top, everyone is fair game in which to criticize or try to undermine on stage.

SINGLETON: No, I don't disagree with the congressman and I think he's right, but I think to focus your entire ire, if you will, on that stage on Trump wouldn't be a mistake.

Let me just add some specificity and nuance to the point that I'm trying to make here, but what we find, Fred, when you look at the cross tabulation of this data, is that Republican voters are clamoring to Donald Trump; voters who may at some point been hesitant to support him, maybe they were looking at someone else.

Many of these voters are now viewing these indictments as some form of a political attack against the former president. Anytime a Republican candidate attacks him or attacks the voters, Trump's numbers continue to go up. Just two months ago, Fred, he was around sixty, fifty-nine percent. Now he's at seventy percent with prospects of going even higher with likely GOP voters in terms of them supporting him.

And so I think if you're a candidate, you're looking at debating policy, you're looking at distinguishing yourself from the frontrunner, but you also have to realize, attacking him is going to be a terrible mistake here, Fred, and so if I were advising one of those candidates, I think after this first debate, I would have to face reality, do we stick in this thing in the race or do we completely drop out because the odds mathematically do not look very good for them.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll leave it there for now, gentlemen. Shermichael Singleton, Charlie Dent, great to see you.

DENT: Thanks, Fred.

SINGLETON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

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[15:51:32]

WHITFIELD: Former President Donald Trump now has just five days to turn himself in to the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. A source says he is expected to surrender this Thursday or Friday. He and 18 co- defendants are charged with plotting to subvert the 2020 election results in Georgia.

With me now to discuss the Georgia case is Jeffrey Jacobovitz. He is a criminal defense attorney and an adjunct law professor at American University. Great to see you.

JEFFREY JACOBOVITZ, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Good afternoon, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, so Trump faces 13 charges in this Georgia indictment, perhaps the biggest threat he faces is the racketeering or RICO charges. This is a law that was originally intended to fight organized crime and mobsters on a federal level. Georgia is one of more than 30 states that has its own RICO statute.

So how strong do you believe this case is, Georgia case, against the former president?

JACOBOVITZ: Well, Frederica, Fani Willis has brought 11 different RICO cases. She is very familiar with the statute. It appears to be a very strong case. There's a number of allegations and predicate acts as part of it and it encompasses the whole conspiracy, the whole January 6 conspiracy and what happened previous to that.

So if I were Donald Trump, I would take this matter very seriously. You see already that Mark Meadows is attempting to move his court, excuse me his case, to federal court, and I assume Donald Trump will do the same.

WHITFIELD: Right. Do you think the chances are good that Mark Meadows through his attorneys can make a salient argument that it needs to be on a federal court as opposed to being tried in Georgia?

JACOBOVITZ: No, I know. You know, first of all, the judge who was appointed was an Obama appointee, a very good judge and he has -- Mark Meadows has to show he was acting as a federal officer in his capacity as a federal officer.

An elector behavior really has nothing to do with what his duties were as a federal officer and there are two decisions already by two prominent DC federal judges about what constitutes immunity what doesn't constitute immunity and I think Mark Meadows' chances are very slim.

WHITFIELD: Additionally, there are 30 unindicted co-conspirators in the case, what will be the prosecutors likely approach? Might they be eager to offer them deals in exchange for their testimony?

JACOBOVITZ: Well, I think they're doing that already and I think these people, unindicted co-conspirators are cooperating and in a way, it's similar to the January 6 indictment where you have six unindicted co- conspirators, although those co-conspirators I believe, will be indicted for the most part unless they provide significant cooperation and we know who they are. Many of them are attorneys in Georgia.

People are being interviewed by the prosecutor right now, most likely, a lot of the media trying to figure out who they are, but from the looks of the indictment, which was very detailed, there's a lot of inside information that was provided to the Georgia DA and to Fani Willis and so, these are people who are right on the inside.

WHITFIELD: Yes, lots of detail, but of course details that still, the public has yet to learn about.

Jeffrey Jacobovitz, thanks so much.

JACOBOVITZ: Thank you very much.

[15:55:10]

WHITFIELD: All right, back to our top story, Tropical Storm Hilary slamming into Southern California over the next few hours and in moments, officials in San Diego County will be giving an update on the storm. We will take you there live.

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WHITFIELD: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin with breaking news. Millions of people across the southwestern US are on alert as Tropical Storm Hilary barrels their way. The storm made landfall in Baja California, Mexico earlier today.

And this was the scene on the Baja California peninsula this afternoon. Hilary's intense rainfall turning what appears to be a neighborhood into a rushing river. Mexican authorities say at least one person died in the storm. Hilary is expected to hit the US later on today.

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