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Springfield Mayor Claims Emergency Powers Due to Safety Concerns; Election Officials Receive Suspicious Packages in 20 Plus States; CNN Uncovers Racist and Sexist Comments by Mark Robinson; In- person Early Voting Now Underway in MN, SD, and VA; Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Placed on Injured Reserve List. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired September 20, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

DENISE WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT, NAACP SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: -- keep saying these false allegations. It has been said over and over and over again, that we have no evidence of this. But let me just say right here that if that was going on, I would have received complaints for sure. I have no record, no indication that this is going on, sir.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm just curious, from your standpoint, how is the community doing with all of these violent threats, you know, the police officers that have had to stand outside of schools and supermarkets and so on? What has this done to your community?

WILLIAMS: Oh, my goodness. I can't tell you the uneasiness, the climate in the air. Everyone is worried. We're worried about sending our kids to school. And I have to tell you, I have a 15-year-old that's at the high school. I have a six-year-old that's at the elementary school. And my six-year-old is saying, Mama, I'm scared to go to school. I'm scared. And I have to do what I have to do to reassure him that it's going to be OK. But I got to say, deep down inside of me I don't want him to go.

But my daughter, you know, she's also been encouraging to continue to -- they went to school today. So, so far, so good. But I plan on having a real serious talk with both of my grandsons this weekend.

ACOSTA: Well, I'm sorry that they're going through that, and all these kids are going through that.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

ACOSTA: And I'm sure you saw the Vivek Ramaswamy, who is one of the big Trump supporters out there. He had a town hall in Springfield last night. He apparently steered clear from the lies about the dogs and the cats, but he was talking about immigration. Let's listen to that and we'll have a conversation about it after we play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIVEK RAMASWAMY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't even blame the 12,000 to 20,000 -- most of them, certainly, I don't blame most of them, the Haitian migrants who were brought here by unconscionable means. I blame federal policies responsible for what's going on in this city.

PHIL PLUMMER (R), OHIO STATE HOUSE: We let the media grab the story about the ducks and the geese and the dogs and the cats. That's not the story. The story is what this is costing you guys, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yes. At the end of that, that was an Ohio state representative, Phil Plummer there. But, you know, I do want to ask you, what do you make of the attacks on the Haitian migrants in the community, the way they have been scapegoated like this, from what we've heard from person after person who've been on this program, they've enriched the community there in Springfield.

WILLIAMS: Jim, let me say something. These guys are educated. They're doctors. They're teachers. I'm telling you, these are -- this group that has come in, this -- into our community have been welcomed by many. However, they feeling uncomfortable. They scared. They can't believe that they're being attacked like this by our government. And they can't believe it, but we also cannot believe it.

So, they are very concerned. They are worried. They are scared. And these are family-oriented people. And let me say this, they really came into the community. They were embraced by some, and they felt comfortable. Now, they are afraid for their lives. And they are afraid of getting deported.

What kind of false narratives keep on stirring up in our city? This has got to stop. I mean, it's turning our city upside down.

ACOSTA: And, Denise, what about the criticism, I guess, from some of these Republican leaders who are saying that because the Haitian migrants are there that they're using up a lot of public resources, government resources? What's your response to that when they make that claim?

WILLIAMS: My response to that is everybody is using the -- that cannot afford groceries, just like normal people, they -- we have assistance for them. I haven't heard anybody that is non-Haitian that has been denied services because it has been taken up by the Haitian community. I haven't heard that claim. And I spoke to government officials here, that hasn't happened.

You know, yes, we need more money. Yes, we are short of funding. We are short. The grocery stores is short, but this is all growing pains. And the government -- the higher government is making it worse.

ACOSTA: And I have to assume --

WILLIAMS: These are so --

ACOSTA: Yes, and I have to say --

WILLIAMS: Go ahead, sir.

[10:35:00] ACOSTA: Well, I was going to say, I have to assume a lot of state and local resources are being used to respond to these bomb threats.

WILLIAMS: Absolutely.

ACOSTA: Yes.

WILLIAMS: It is tearing up our financial situation here. We are waking -- awakened every day to bomb threats, to -- in the schools. Now, the worst that's unnerving is when we hear about bomb threats in our schools. I mean, all of it is unnerving. But when you have babies into the school system and you hear about bomb threats, we're going to panic. So, it has caused nothing but panic here in our city.

ACOSTA: Well, Denise, I hope things get better there soon. And we appreciate you talking to us about all of this and giving us your perspective. Thank you so much.

WILLIAMS: Thank you for having me, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Thank you. All right. In the meantime, coming up, election officials in at least 20 states have received suspicious packages, including in Virginia. The GOP chairman of that state will join me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

ACOSTA: Election officials in almost half the country have received suspicious packages over the past few days. This is based on the latest reporting by both CNN and the Associated Press. And our local affiliate station, WTVR, is also reporting of a, quote, "suspicious white substance" arriving in a package delivered to the Virginia Department of Elections just two days ago.

Joining me now to talk about this I chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, Richard Anderson. Mr. Anderson, thank you so much for being with us. We appreciate it. How concerned are you about election security in the Commonwealth of Virginia? I know voting is getting started in Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota, I believe just today, in-person and early voting.

RICHARD ANDERSON, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN PARTY OF VIRGINIA: Right. Virginia is one of the earliest voting starts in the country and we have a 45-day window. I feel very good about the process. I believe that we are prepared. It is going to be a safe and secure and transparent election.

We've taken a number of initiatives in Virginia to assure that. So, I feel very good about that as we move into this first day of a 45-day voting period.

ACOSTA: And what do you think? Does the word need to go out to people across Virginia and other states, for that matter, to respect election officials, let them do their job without a fear of being intimidated or attacked?

ANDERSON: That's correct. We in Virginia have had a vigorous training program for individuals who will be elections officials or poll watchers or have any presence at the polls at any time during the 45- day period, up to and including Election Day on November 5th. That's very important. It's the elections officials and the registrar's offices who are responsible for administering these programs.

One of the elements of our training that we do is the proper role of those who are election workers and observers. So, I have no concerns about that. And in those cases where somebody violates the rules of engagement, they will be removed.

ACOSTA: And I would be remiss, Mr. Chairman, if I didn't ask you about, you know, Donald Trump's track record on questioning election results. Does that have a role? Does that play a part in election officials being intimidated across the country and in places like Virginia? What do you think?

ANDERSON: Well, I can only speak to Virginia. Obviously, that's my jurisdiction. But I do not think that 2020 and looking in the rearview mirror will have no effect on this year's 2024 election. We have worked very hard, not just the State Republican Party, but also our Department of Elections and the elections officials in all 133 voting jurisdictions in Virginia. So, I do feel good about it.

ACOSTA: And I do want to ask you about North Carolina. I know it's just a neighboring state just to the south of Virginia, but you've got the situation there. The North Carolina gubernatorial candidate, Republican Mark Robinson, he's in a lot of hot water today. He's denying that he made a lot of these very volatile and controversial posts that are in the news today.

We've been asking a number of Republican leaders across the country what they think about all of this. Do you think he's good for your party? Should he step aside?

ANDERSON: Well, he's got a pretty good track record as lieutenant governor of North Carolina. Very popular. He, of course, is their nominee. To be quite honest with you, I'm not focused on North Carolina only because every degree of energy that I have is focused on Virginia, because we do have a fight here. We believe that Virginia is in play. And so, we are totally focused on Virginia. So, I will just let North Carolinians worry about North Carolina.

ACOSTA: The state though, I mean, Virginia is less in play now than it was when President Biden was the candidate. I mean, you do have some more work to, don't you, with Kamala Harris in this race now as the Democratic candidate?

ANDERSON: Yes, this is going to be a nail biter of an election in Virginia, but I see a pathway forward. And the reason I see that is because we have trained 8,000 volunteers working all across the state. We're going to deploy 5,000 poll watchers and 500 elections attorneys at various locations around the state. We've trained our people up earlier, as I said in the interview, and I just feel very good about it.

Governor Youngkin has really been deeply engaged in this effort and has issued Executive Orders 31 and 35, I believe they are, in order to define how all this works. So, I do feel very good about that.

ACOSTA: All right. Richard Anderson, the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, thank you very much for your time.

ANDERSON: All right. Thanks for having me.

[10:45:00]

ACOSTA: All right. Masks and gloves, bulletproof glass, panic buttons, those are just some of the security measures election officials are implementing as threats are escalating across the country. The Brennan Center for Justice reported in May that almost four in 10 election officials on the local level surveyed said they had been harassed, abused or threatened. That is not OK. These are people who are just doing their jobs, making sure your voices are heard, your votes are counted. American democracy should be protected and they are doing that vital work. We salute them. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He swings. It's a drive to the left. This ball is back. There it is. Number 50. The first player in --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Running into the record books, Los Angeles Dodgers' superstar Shohei Ohtani became the first major league baseball player to join the 50-50 club, getting at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Ohtani's history making performance, and it was one of the greatest games by a player of all time came against the Miami Marlins last night. He had notched his 50th stolen base of the season earlier in the game. The Dodgers won the game 20 to 4. If you're wondering why it was 20 to 4, in large part because of Shohei Ohtani, they're now guaranteed a spot in the playoffs.

In the meantime, concussions and the safety of NFL players now thrown back into the spotlight. Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is on the injured reserve list after suffering yet another concussion at last week's game against the Buffalo Bills. The NFL network is reporting that he does not have plans to retire, but plans to meet with a concussion specialist. The Dolphins' head coach addressed Tagovailoa' future on the field.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MCDANIEL, HEAD COACH, MIAMI DOLPHINS: As far as to his career is concerned, I think it's of utmost priority of mine for Tua to speak on Tua's career. I'm just worried about the human being and where that's at day to day. And, you know, I think those -- I'll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Joining me now is former NFL player and neurosurgery fellow at Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital, Dr. Myron Rolle. Dr. Rolle, great to see you again. Thanks as always for joining us. Your thoughts on this decision by Tua to stay in the game. What do you think?

DR. MYRON ROLLE, NEUROSURGERY FELLOW AT JOHNS HOPKINS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Well, thanks for having me, Jim. Always good to talk to you. I think that the decision to not retire, not step away from the game right now is a little bit short sighted and -- but it doesn't surprise me, because as a former NFL player, as a former college football player, you know, I realized that football is so intertwined into your life. It's hard to disassociate yourself from doing something that you love, something that you've done your entire life.

And when you're sort of in the thick of it and your myopia is centered around being a leader on the team, you just got a big contract, you're one of the best players on the football field at all times, it's hard to separate yourself from it. But that's why neurologist and other people in his life can speak life into him. It's kind of give him the evidence-based data to make a proper informed decision for his future.

ACOSTA: And it's really up to the player to decide whether to retire. I mean, is that it? I mean, I suppose the team could say, you know what, we don't want you to go through this anymore? Is there anything that the league can do to stop these concussions, or, as you and I were just talking about a few moments ago, stop a player who just wants to keep going even when they're putting their long-term health at risk?

DR. ROLLE: Now, Jim, it's very difficult to stop a player from himself when he has been sort of just intertwined and tangled into this web of football. You know, even me, I stepped away from football after three years in the NFL, knew I had a career in medicine after, but it was hard for me to separate from that game because it informed my entire life, where I went, my friend groups, my social life, my sleep hygiene, all of these things.

I do think the NFL can do more by providing those sort of that independent voice, using their weight, their bully pulpit, which they use on other aspects of the game to really talk to Tua about his life now and his life into future and to allow him to make the best decision possible and to get his family and those who can really influence him and speak life into him to kind of get on the same page and allow him to transition from football into something that keeps them connected to the game, but keeps him away from the deleterious effects of what post-concussive syndrome, the sequelae of what concussions can do down the line. We all know it. It's proven. It's not something that's novel. We need to help protect him and preserve him, for sure.

ACOSTA: Yes, and I'm just wondering, I mean, in your mind, if he has another concussion that -- is that it? That should be it?

DR. ROLLE: Yes, absolutely. You know, we had a couple of years ago back-to-back and the fencing posturing that let me know that maybe something was wrong with the brainstem. We have this (INAUDIBLE) cerebral posturing, that's a really, really devastating blow, catastrophic blow to the brain. If you have another concussion, it's much easier to get the next one because you already had these three. You're raped. Your chance of getting it. Even a benign hit can lead to a concussion.

So, protection around him, education and awareness around him, activating some of NFL PA and concussion legacy foundation groups that work around TBI and concussions to help support players like Tua. This is a learning moment for all of us, but certainly for him. I think it should be a moment where he steps away and really takes a 30,000-foot view of what's going on and say, I have a future. I want to be a functional, productive citizen into the future. And this is the way I can do it by making the proper decision now.

[10:55:00]

ACOSTA: Yes, you're absolutely right. And we've seen what CTE has done to so many ex-NFL players. It can just have devastating consequences. We all wish the best for Tua. It is a great game and it's -- you're absolutely right, it is hard to give it up. But, Dr. Myron Rolle, thanks as always for your expertise. We appreciate it.

DR. ROLLE: Thanks for having me.

ACOSTA: All right. And thank you for joining us this morning. I'm Jim Acosta. Our next hour of Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer starts after a short break. Have a great weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:00]