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Trump Still Attacking Haitian Migrants in Springfield, Ohio; Tropical Storm Helene Nearing Hurricane Strength; New Show Examines the Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired September 25, 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]
JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: -- heads up on the Gulf Coast, but the storm is already having an impact on Mexico. We're tracking it all next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Former President Donald Trump is still attacking Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You have to move the people back to the country from which they came. You have to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Springfield has been hit with dozens of threats since Trump and his running mate J. D. Vance spread lies there that Haitians in that community are eating their pets. They are not. A reminder, these migrants are in the U.S. legally, but now, they are living in fear and Trump is not backing down.
[10:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Do you think Springfield will ever be the same? I don't think -- the fact is, and I'll say it now, you have to get them the hell out. You have to get them out. I'm sorry. To get them out. Can't have it. Can't have it. They've destroyed it.
CROWD: Send them back. Send them back. Send them back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: That was a crowd in Pennsylvania chanting send them back about the Legal Haitian migrants in Springfield on Monday. Let's bring in Republican strategist for Axiom Strategies, Erine Perrine, and Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky. Erine, let me start with you first. What's your reaction to those chants of send them back? You used to work for Trump. You remember a lot of these chants at some of these rallies. I mean, it seems he's bringing this up almost on a daily basis and spreading the same lies about these migrants on a daily basis. It's almost like his campaign these days is on a foundation of horse manure when it comes to this issue. Why does he keep doubling down?
ERINE PERRINE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, FORMER DIRECTOR OF PRESS COMMUNICATION, TRUMP 2020 CAMPAIGN: Donald Trump always doubles down. He never backs down. This has always been his strategy. Those chants are inappropriate. And Donald Trump is really missing the opportunity here, and so are Republicans.
If you want to talk about immigration, and specifically, if you want to talk about the executive action taken versus the legislative work that would need to be done to fix the immigration system, let's have that serious policy conversation, because what he's referencing when they're talking about -- and to your point, Jim, that these Haitian migrants are here legally is through executive action. If you want to have that conversation, let's do it because Kamala and Democrats aren't having in depth policy conversations, especially on immigration at this point.
The times that Republicans are not focused and strong on the message regarding immigration and economy is a lost moment in messaging. The American people are screaming loudly about what they care about, about what are the issues that they are going to be voting on in November. It's the economy and it's immigration. Let's stay focused and let's stay on message.
Jim, I feel like I say this every time I'm on a show with you. If we stay on message on these things, Republicans can win November.
ACOSTA: You know, but, Erine, it is a tight race. And you know, depending on the poll you look at, it's a tight race right now. And, Julie, I mean, how much would you like to see the vice president engage on this? Speak out on it more? Would you like to see her do that? What do you think?
JULIE ROGINSKY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND FOUNDER, LIFT OUR VOICES: Well, she has spoken at and I want to say that she has spoken on policy. She fully supported the Lankford bill, a very conservative Republican senator from Oklahoma who put forward a bill, a bipartisan bill, that Donald Trump tanked. So, we wouldn't have a lot of these immigration issues if Donald Trump had not said to his party, by the way, the bill that you worked so very hard on to have a global immigration reform system, I want to put that aside because it's not good for me electorally. I'd rather grandstand do what I'm going to do.
And demonizing people who, by the way, came here legally. And that's the part that really offends me. These Haitians not only came here legally, but were invited to Springfield because Springfield was losing population and they needed somebody to work in their factories and sustain their economy. And these Haitians are doing that every single day, legally, and that's why they're there.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has absolutely no concern for the economy of the people of Ohio. Senator Vance, who represents Ohio, has no concern for their economy or their wellbeing. All they want to do is demonize these people.
And by the way, why the Haitians? Why not, I don't know, Slovenians who might have come here also legally? Because they're black, right? Because they're black. Let's call this what this is. This is a racial appeal. It's not even a dog whistle, it's a loud bullhorn to racially exploit people who have done nothing more than come to Springfield to help out the economy of a city that was in decline from a population loss.
ACOSTA: Yes, I mean -- Erine, I mean, straight up is he's just being racist, right?
PERRINE: I'm not going to play into that whatsoever here. But let's be honest, the Lankford bill, the American people don't care about that. They still believe that Donald Trump is stronger on immigration. So, Democrats keep using that, and it is a complete fallacy that that would have been a global change to the immigration system in the United States.
At best, it put limits on how many illegal immigrants could enter the United States every day. And let's remember under the Biden Harris administration, that doesn't include all of the people that they are flying in to the United States as well. That would not have solved the immigration problem here in the United States.
ACOSTA: But he's also spinning -- Erine, he's also --
PERRINE: The number of --
ACOSTA: Yes.
PERRINE: -- measures on both sides to be able to address this. No, but I'm not going to allow the fallacy that somehow that would have been a global change to the immigration system, because that's not true.
ACOSTA: Well, you know, he's also spinning this fantasy about migrant gangs in Colorado, saying that they're taking over real estate with weapons. Let's listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Aurora, Colorado, you saw that, where Venezuelan gangs are taking over real estate. They've become real estate developers. How nice.
[10:40:00]
No, they're taking over real estate, and they have weapons that even our military hasn't seen. Who's giving them these weapons? But Aurora is a mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: Yes, I mean, Julie, I mean, those claims have also been debunked. The mayor of Aurora has said that this is not true, even after he was involved in spinning that tall tale to begin with. But why -- you know, what can the Harris campaign do to rebut this stuff, or do they just let Trump have it and just tell lie after lie on this issue?
ROGINSKY: I mean, listen, he sounds unhinged, and who is he appealing to except the MAGA base that's already supporting him. I mean, do really normal people out there think that people from Haiti are eating the dogs and the cats of the people of Springfield? I don't think so, right?
Ultimately, what this comes down to is the fact that there are not enough Republicans out there who know better, who refuse to condemn this kind of behavior. They know better. But yet, for some reason, because Donald Trump is like the almighty cult leader, they refuse to say what the truth of the matter is. From J. D. Vance, who represents Ohio -- listen, you have people like Mike DeWine, to his credit, the conservative governor of Ohio, who came out and said, this is a bunch of nonsense.
ACOSTA: Yes.
ROGINSKY: And yet, where is J. D. Vance? Where is Mitch McConnell? Where are the leaders of the Republican Party to say, you know what, this has gone too far? This has gone too far in demonizing people in this country who are here legally, and we're not going to sustain this kind of xenophobic, racist behavior. If you're not going to call this out as racism, then I'm sorry. What are you doing here? What else is there to do but to say that this man does not represent the values of this Republican Party, but Republicans will not do that. And I think that's a crying shame for a party that once used to stand up to this kind of behavior.
ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, Erine, he has a track record. I mean, obviously, and it goes back years going back to when he launched his campaign, talking about migrants coming across the border describing them as rapists and murderers and so on. And during this campaign, he's been saying that immigrants are poisoning the blood of this country. I mean, why not just call that out as hateful rhetoric?
PERRINE: I don't think that's appropriate language. You're not going to get me. I don't think that's appropriate language. I think there are better ways to message on immigration in the United States. I've said that before, but let's talk about where Kamala is on immigration. There are videos of her saying no deportations. You've got Tim Walz talking about the fact that he -- if there's a 25-foot wall, they'd build a 30-foot wall.
They wanted to decriminalize border crossings in the United States. They wanted to provide free health care to illegal immigrants, when in the United States, the American people are struggling to keep up with cost of health care on their own citizens.
So, if we want to talk about who's right and who's wrong on immigration, we better start holding Democrats' feet to the fire because they don't believe in the sovereignty of the United States if they believe in open borders.
ROGINSKY: I don't --
ACOSTA: Go ahead, Julie.
ROGINSKY: Sorry. I don't see how they believe in open borders when, again, they have said that they support the Lankford bill, which does not provide for open borders. You don't want to talk about that.
PERRINE: They wanted to decriminalize --
ROGINSKY: You don't want to talk -- listen.
PERRINE: What are you talking about?
ROGINSKY: There is a bill on the table that Kamala Harris said as president she would sign. It is on the table, and it would have passed --
PERRINE: And it would not address all of the issues when it comes to immigration in the United States.
ROGINSKY: Wait a second. So, you're basically saying the perfect --
PERRINE: It still allows for illegal immigrants to enter the United States every single day.
ROGINSKY: So, the perfect has to be the enemy of the good, right? A bipartisan bill, sponsored by a Republican conservative --
PERRINE: It's not a good bill. Just because --
ROGINSKY: Wait a second.
ACOSTA: I got to jump in because --
ROGINSKY: Let's not do anything.
ACOSTA: I got to jump because we have go to a break. But, I mean, Erine, I mean, the former president did call up to his Republican counterparts up on Capitol Hill and kill that legislation. I mean, he did. I mean, and James Lankford is one of the most conservative members of Congress and it was a very tough bill.
PERRINE: And Republicans is (INAUDIBLE), and they did.
ACOSTA: Yes. Right.
PERRINE: So --
ACOSTA: But Trump did kill that bill. I mean, he did. He killed it.
PERRINE: Republicans ultimately make their choice and they have.
ACOSTA: Yes. All right. Well, guys, we'll do it another time. Thanks a lot, appreciate it. Erine and Julie, thanks for your time.
I want to take a moment to drill down on the issue of crime in this country. It's a topic that you hear constantly from Former President Trump and his running mate, Senator J. D. Vance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I'm talking to my constituents and I'm hearing terrible things about what's going on in Springfield and Kamala Harris' open border policies have caused these problems.
Murders are up by 81 percent because of what Kamala Harris has allowed to happen to this small community. I'm going to keep on talking about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: But here are the facts. Local and state officials have not attributed an increase in murder from those years to immigrants. The Republican top prosecutor in Springfield County says in his 21 years with that office, they have not had any murders involving the Haitian community. And if you actually dig into the murder stats in Springfield, there were more murders there under Trump's presidency than during Obama's or Biden's. And then, there's this repeated claim about crime across the country.
[10:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: David Muir, when I say crime numbers are rising, he interrupts me, kept interrupting, and he said we have -- we have it by fact that crime numbers are going down. I said, anybody that thinks crime is going down is Syria's a brain problem
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Again, that is not true. According to new data from the FBI, overall violent crime dropped from 2022 to 2023. Murder and non- negligent manslaughter down 12 percent, the largest decline in decades. Those are the facts. Look them up. Be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: Tropical Storm Helene is nearing hurricane strength as the storm moves closer to Florida. This is new video from Cancun in Mexico, where heavy rain and gusty winds have been gripping the Yucatan Peninsula.
Back in Florida, meanwhile, mandatory evacuations are already in place for parts of at least 15 counties in the storm's path.
[10:50:00]
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave an update just a short time ago. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): We are going to have a significant impact from this storm. It's a tropical storm now, it is going to become a hurricane. And you still have time to prepare. Make sure that you're executing your plan. Make sure you have the essentials that you need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And we'll continue to follow Helene's path and bring you new updates as we get them. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ACOSTA: A startling new study is reigniting concerns about player safety in football. It finds more than one-third of former NFL players surveyed say they have symptoms of the degenerative brain disease, CTE. And while that disease can only be confirmed after death, that staggering number shows just how concerned players are about the safety of the game. One of the most notorious cases of CTE is getting a fresh look at a new series.
[10:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: "American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez" retells the tight end story from his troubled past to his rise to NFL stardom with the New England Patriots, two convicted murderer. Hernandez died by suicide in 2017 while serving a life sentence. Doctors later said his brain showed signs of unusually severe CTE.
Joining me now, the man behind the portrayal of this new series, Josh Rivera, Josh. Great to see you. Thanks for joining us. This is such an important issue. And I'm just wondering, you know, what's that been like for you portraying this character and seeing this issue out in the public?
JOSH RIVERA, ACTOR, "AMERICAN SPORTS STORY: AARON HERNANDEZ": Yes. I mean, it's been very interesting, particularly because, you know, we filmed this a while ago. It was about a year ago. And now, during the release, you know, there's -- the conversation is being sparked up again terms of, you know, health behind concussions and contact sports in general.
So, the timing of it is very interesting, how this conversation is getting reignited, especially when you consider that CTE wasn't really widely known about until the last two decades. It's quite a novel discovery. And yes, some pretty frightening statistics are coming out about it in people who play contact sports. So --
ACOSTA: Yes, a lot of parents are worried about it. And I do want to play a clip from the show and talk about it. Let's play a clip.
RIVERA: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me he saw you dancing on a park car.
RIVERA: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, apparently, you dented the roof. The owner wants to file charges.
RIVERA: I'm sorry. Yes, somebody was just playing 50 Cent just a little bit. And, you know, I like that song. So --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think that's funny? Do you think it's funny? I knocked your teeth out of your mouth.
RIVERA: It wasn't just me. It was a bunch of us. Well, you're the only one they see. You're bigger than everyone else. You're browner than everyone else, and they know you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Yes, Josh, I mean, what was it like playing this character and this progression that this character goes through, that Aaron Hernandez went through in, you know, dealing with this illness that he ended up developing?
RIVERA: Yes. So, I mean, that's -- I don't know if I'd call it a luxury. I guess it's an interesting thing to broach a dramatization like this because we get to chronologically tell the story from beginning to end, right? And with that, we get to have these through lines with all these emotional pieces that come together to create this outcome. Like, we get to bring the audience through this life from this, very closely in this perspective.
So, when you talk about CTE, sure, that's one component of it, but there are a lot of layers to this particular story. There's a whole bunch of components that go into this story. You talk about -- in the clip that you just showed, you know, there's this relationship to his father, this relationship to his masculinity and this self-image that's kind of, you know, over time gets more and more fractured when you introduce things like fame at an early age, lots of money at an early age, what that does to -- you know, think about what that does to a completely healthy individual. That's not even talking about the addition of CTE as well.
So, yes. I mean, it's -- there's a lot of very, very interesting questions that I got to ask myself while filming this project. I mean, something that I really like about acting is, you know, you just get to ask yourself questions about what you would do in a situation and this was full of them.
ACOSTA: Absolutely. Well, Josh, I mean, you brought life to an incredibly powerful story. Hopefully, it'll get a message across to folks out there that this is a major issue that people have to deal with that our sports world needs to deal with it. Josh Rivera, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it.
And new episodes of "American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez" will be airing on Tuesdays on FX, can be streamed on Hulu as well.
Thanks to everybody for joining me this morning. I do want to bring in my good friend, Pamela Brown, who is standing by Pam. I mean, I know you're a parent. I'm a parent. I mean, this issue of brain injuries in sports, in football. It's a frightening issue.
PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: It is a frightening issue. I was --
[11:00:00]
