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Special Counsel Says, Trump Resorted to Crimes to Stay in Office; Western North Carolina Food Bank Launches Critical Donation, Distribution Effort; Asheville Animal Rescue Needs Fosterers After Shelter Destroyed. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired October 03, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Today, President Biden is heading to Florida and Georgia to see Helene's devastation firsthand. That visit comes as the Homeland Security secretary gives this dire warning.

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ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting. We do not have the funds. FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.

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ACOSTA: You heard that right. We are also getting this exclusive new video of Asheville, North Carolina. Power lines and equipment still scattered everywhere. Houses crushed by trees as power poles dangerously lay across lines. Coming up, I'll speak with people in charge of a food bank and an animal shelter who are still helping their communities even as they recover.

Good morning. You are live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

But we begin this morning with new evidence from special counsel Jack Smith's office. The unsealed brief weighing in at more than 165 pages provides perhaps the clearest picture yet of Smith's 2020 election case against former President Donald Trump and comes less than five weeks before Election Day. Trump is already sounding off on the new filing. More on that in a moment.

But let's go straight to CNN's Zach Cohen. Zach, a lot to unpack, 165 pages, what does it tell us?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Jim. Jack Smith is really laying out why he believes Donald Trump should still face criminal charges even after the U.S. Supreme Court granted him limited immunity for those actions deemed under his official duties as president, right? But Jack Smith is arguing here that Trump attempts to overturn the 2020 election, that those all -- he carried those out under a personal and a private capacity that he was acting as a candidate, not as president.

And Jack Smith lays out some additional evidence here and some evidence we hadn't seen before in sort of making this case, this post- Supreme Court ruling case. And some of that evidence deals with Donald Trump's communications and interactions with then-Vice President Mike Pence. We obviously know Mike Pence is a key part of these charges against Donald Trump. And Jack Smith again alleges that Trump tried to pressure Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election and goes into what Donald Trump allegedly was trying to do on January 6th when he sent that now infamous tweet, right, saying Mike Pence did not have the courage to overturn the results.

Jack Smith writes, quote, it was at that point alone watching news in real time and with knowledge that rioters had breached the Capitol building that the defendant issued the 2:24 P.M. tweet attacking Pence for refusing the defendant's entreaties to join the conspiracy and help overturn the results of the election. It goes on to cite a witness who told prosecutors that when Trump was informed that Mike Pence was being evacuated from the Capitol, his response was, quote, so what?

So, that sort of gives you a sense of the tone of this. of the allegations in this new filing. It also goes through some additional evidence and what witnesses told prosecutors during the course of this investigation as well. It refers to an interview or a conversation between Steve Bannon, somebody we've identified as Steve Bannon, and Donald Trump one day before the January 6th riot. And shortly before Donald Trump tweeted the, be there and be wild tweet as well.

And then it also gets into how Donald Trump was communicating directly with Republican legislators at these various states that the Trump team was targeting as they tried to overturn the election results. In one witness interview, it talks about an interaction with Governor Ducey of Arizona. Governor Ducey asked Donald Trump directly to provide proof of the widespread voter fraud that he was alleging and he says, quote, but the defendant never did. So, that's another key part of the allegations. Jack Smith is making that Trump knew he lost the election and tried to overturn the results.

ACOSTA: And where does it go from here? It sounds as though the Trump team, the Trump legal team will have a chance to respond to some of this, but they're going to have to do it quickly.

COHEN : Yes, well, they're actually waiting for asking for more time to respond, saying they need additional pages to adequately respond to Jack Smith's filing here. But, ultimately, we're seeing Donald Trump respond publicly. He's expressing outrage at the Justice Department, even though Judge Chutkan is the one who decided that this could be unsealed now.

ACOSTA: All right, fascinating developments. Zach Cohen, thank you very much.

Let's discuss now with Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas. He was an impeachment manager in the House investigating Trump's actions surrounding January 6th. Congressman, good to see you, as always.

I guess your reaction to Trump saying, so what, in this filing when an aide told him that then-Vice President Pence was being rushed out of the Capitol as the writers were storming the building.

[10:05:05]

Does this give you any doubt that he would try this again?

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): No. I mean, I think it just underscores how dangerous Donald Trump was on January 6th and before that, and how dangerous he would be if he's elected president again.

The stakes are very high in this case, because if Donald Trump gets away with what he did, inciting a mob to mob the Capitol, to go after legislators, to tear the place up, to try to overthrow the election and not allow it to be certified, if he gets away with it, then it makes it more likely that a future president, including perhaps Donald Trump, will do it again. So, it's a danger to our democracy, and I hope that Jack Smith is successful in his case.

ACOSTA: And Trump is responding to the unsealing of these documents, calling it, quote, election interference. Let's listen to what he had to say.

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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: They rigged the election. I didn't rig the election. They rigged the election.

They should have never allowed the information to come before the public. But they did that because they want to hurt you with the election.

Now, it's pure election interference.

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ACOSTA: Yes, Congressman, I mean, your reaction to Trump saying they rigged the election. I mean, he was in power, his administration was in power when the election happened, and states like Georgia and Arizona had Republican governors at that time. What is he talking about?

CASTRO: Well, he often accuses people of doing exactly what he himself is doing. So, when he reaches out to the governor of Georgia, or the governor of Arizona, and asks them to change the election results with no proof or evidence that there was anything wrong with how the election was conducted and then accuses the other side of rigging the election, he's -- you know, obviously we've seen this man lie again and again. But his lives are getting more dangerous. He's getting less coherent and more chaotic and more desperate as we get closer to the November election. ACOSTA: And, Congressman, I do want to ask you about Hurricane Helene and the secretary of Homeland Security giving this warning about FEMA funding. We played it earlier. Let's listen to it one more time.

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MAYORKAS: We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting. We do not have the funds, FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.

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ACOSTA: Congressman, I mean, I know your state of Texas has been hit by some devastating hurricanes over the last several years. I mean, what does the administration need to do, what does Congress need to do to make sure FEMA has the money it needs? I mean, that's a pretty stark warning from Mayorkas.

CASTRO: Well, first, we should do everything that we need to do to take care of those folks that were affected. Those are just -- to see the footage of that is just devastating floods, people's lives ruined, their property ruined. So, we should do whatever we need to do to take care of them. If that means, first, making sure that every type of fund within FEMA or within DHS that can be transferred temporarily there to serve the immediate needs, we should do it.

Secondly, if Congress has to come back for a week or for a few days to make sure that we can appropriate money so that they're taken care of, then that's what we ought to do.

ACOSTA: I do want to talk to you about the Middle East, Israel's ambassador to the U.N. telling CNN that Iran should expect a very strong, painful response for those missiles being fired at Israel. I know you sit on the Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees. Is this regional war that people have been worried about? Is it here? What's your sense of it right now?

CASTRO: It's obviously a very dangerous situation, a situation on the brink of larger regional conflict. This was a big concern for many of us. After October 7th, I think everybody understood that Israel, of course, would respond to the very tragic attack by Hamas. But we also understood that there was a chance that if Israel also affected civilians, folks who were innocent of having anything to do with what Hamas did, that there might be a reaction from Iran or others. And bear in mind, they've already funded terrorist attacks against Israel over the years.

And so this whole thing has been spiraling out of control, unfortunately. And there have been opportunities for ceasefires. President Biden has pushed very hard. I know secretary -- I'm sorry, CIA Director Burns has pushed very hard, Secretary of State Blinken as well. There's been resistance at times from both Hamas leadership and also from Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, who's very personal freedom, being able to stay a free man, could be at stake if he's no longer prime minister. And so it's a very tense situation. I'm hoping that Israel will show restraint right now. I think everybody is glad that Israel's defensive systems and the assistance from the United States were able to prevent mass casualty because of those strikes by Iran and Israel.

[10:10:09]

So I think everybody is grateful that civilian harm was minimized but I want to make sure that the root cause of what has stirred all of this up the situation in Gaza, that there is a ceasefire and that the hostages, the Israeli hostages are returned to their families, which those families have been asking for for a long time and that there is a larger ceasefire and a lasting peace.

ACOSTA: All right, Congressman Joaquin Castro, we covered a lot of ground this morning. I really appreciate the time. Thanks so much.

CASTRO: Good to be with you.

ACOSTA: All right, coming up rushing to get aid to communities left cut off by Hurricane Helene. How one food bank in Asheville is getting basic necessities to people there despite dealing with their own losses, that's coming up.

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[10:15:00]

ACOSTA: Right now, cleanup and recovery efforts are underway across the southeast. One week after a lean tore through that part of the country. Here's where things stand now state by state. Of course, Helene moves through the gulf may landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. The death toll in Florida standing now at 19 while at least 21,000 customers are still without power. The state is reporting $777 million in insured losses. People are still trying to comprehend the sheer amount of destruction.

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DYLAN HUBBARD, CO-OWNER, HUBBAR'S MARINA: It's hard to put into words. It's unimaginable what's happened to so many people in our area. So many folks have lost their car, lost their home, lost their boats. Some people have lost everything.

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ACOSTA: Helene moved into Georgia, of course, inundating that state with rain and destroying scores of buildings. 25 people were killed. And this morning, 249,000 customers are still without power. President Biden will be in one of the hardest hit areas, Valdosta, later today to see the damage for himself.

Helene, of course, moved into the Carolinas and Tennessee as an intense tropical storm ravaging everything in its path. In South Carolina, 39 people were killed and 377,000 customers are still without power. But it's Western North Carolina that was hit especially hard.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to hit the pool right here. Holy.

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ACOSTA: You can see the power of the storm on display right there. A mountain community saw walls of water washing away homes and roads while flooding entire towns. This morning, at least 95 people are dead across the state, more than 301,000 customers have no electricity at this hour. Communication, of course, we've been saying all week has been spotty. Many don't have running water, and the idea of recovery still long in the distance for those just trying to survive.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the not knowing what's happening around you. It's not knowing if help is coming.

This is an issue of life. This is elderly people that are dying. These are children that don't have what they need.

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ACOSTA: Also devastated in the aftermath of Helene, the warehouse for MANNA FoodBank in Asheville, North Carolina, but they are back to doing what they do best, helping those who need it most. This is MANNA back in action, accepting donations and handing out supplies.

The CEO of that food bank, Claire Neal, joins us now. Claire, thank you so much for joining us. And I know you've been through a lot. Your community has been through a lot. But maybe you can lay out for us what is needed in Western North Carolina right now. What do you need right now?

CLAIRE NEAL, CEO, MANNA FOODBANK: Thank you so much for having us on and thank you for bringing attention to what's happening in our region. Our hearts are just with our community right now. We are seeing so many people who are deeply impacted by this storm. And so many of us are without water, without power, without electricity cell service, there are still so many folks we can't get in touch with to know how they're doing.

So right now, we're really focused on making sure that people have the essentials that they have, shelf stable food, that they have water, they have diapers, they have things to feed their families and take care of themselves right now.

ACOSTA: And what items do you need the most? I mean, I suppose it might be water, but maybe you can lay it out for us. What do you need the most right now?

NEAL: Yes. Well, water is right up there at the very top of the list. That is an essential need for everyone. The shelf stables food is very important because, of course, people don't have electricity. They don't have access to their refrigerators and so they need food that they can eat easily, that's ready to eat. And they need those essentials, like baby formula and diapers, so that they can make sure that their kids are taken care of. So, we're seeing the community really come together to help support each other right now.

ACOSTA: And how has the response been in your view? I mean, you deal with these kinds of, I mean, not this scope of a disaster, but, I mean, you deal with people in need all the time. What's the response been like from the government? Is enough being done. What can you tell us?

NEAL: Well, I will say I am so incredibly proud of this community. I'm proud of our folks at MANNA. People have come together in unprecedented ways to support their neighbors. I've always loved Western North Carolina because this is a community that takes care of each other, that cares about each other, and we saw that in spades.

[10:20:05]

We see neighbors checking on neighbors, whole neighborhoods coming together, to feed each other. And then we've seen a huge effort with feeding America, feeding the Carolinas and all of our partners really trying to make sure that we've got resources in the region so that we can get those out to the folks who need them the most. So, we're really grateful for everybody who has participated in and reached out to help.

ACOSTA: Yes. I'm not surprised to hear that at all, Claire. I mean, I've been to that part of North Carolina and it's just a great part of the country and the people are just as nice as can be. So, it's no surprise to me that they're pulling together.

I guess when we've heard so many reflections from people as to what it has been like, experiencing all of this, what you're seeing when you just walk out of your home every day and take a look around. I mean, how can you describe it for the folks at home who aren't there, who haven't seen it with their own eyes?

NEAL: Speechless, honestly. It is so hard to describe. I have never experienced anything like this. You mentioned that our facility was destroyed. Walking to our facility to see was there anything that could be salvaged, the road no longer exists. The water ravaged the entire contents. There's no food. There's no computers. Everything is gone. You can't even really recognize the landscape the way it was. And right now, we're just seeing the areas that are accessible. There are so many areas that have been closed off where trees have fallen or roads have broken down where we can't get to folks. So, we're, I think, just scratching the surface in terms of the devastation that was caused by this storm.

ACOSTA: And how can people help if they want to help?

NEAL: Absolutely. Well, thank you so much for asking. We need people's help right now to build back, and I really appreciate that. The best way to help with MANNA FoodBank is to go to our website and donate. We can turn those donations into food for the community and make sure that we're out there supporting people.

(INAUDIBLE) and then for folks who are here who still need support, we're out at the WNC Farmers Market on Brevard Road doing free distributions. There are lots of distributions around the community. So, we encourage people to call 211, if they can, so they can connect with resources in their area.

But we just so appreciate everybody who has reached out and really wanted to help get us back on our feet as Western North Carolina.

ACOSTA: All right. Well, thanks for helping us get the word out and I hope that help comes in as soon as possible.

Claire Neal, thank you so much for your time. Best of luck. We're all thinking of you.

And coming up next, I'll speak to the head of Brother Wolf Animal Shelter in Asheville and how they were able to get animals to safety before their building was flooded. So, stay tuned for that.

We're also awaiting an update from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on recovery efforts there ahead of President Biden's visit later today. Stay tuned for all that, coming up.

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[10:25:00]

ACOSTA: Back to our coverage of Helene and this is Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in Asheville, North Carolina. Look at that cute little kitty right there. What's left of the shelter is not much. Workers say they're in shock after the shelter was destroyed by the storm. Now they're trying to pick up the pieces and find homes for their furry friends.

Joining us now is Leanne -- excuse me, Leah Craig Chumbley, the executive director of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. And who's that little fellow right there?

LEAH CRAIG CHUMBLEY, BROTHER WOLF ANIMAL RESCUE: I have Taz here and Smokey. They're bouncing around. You know, life is pretty good for them right now, and they're the lucky ones who got out ahead of the storm.

ACOSTA: And Leah, we were just talking a few moments ago about what happened to your shelter. I'm so sorry for all of that. It sounds as though it was just wiped out, but you were able to get the animals out. Is that correct?

CHUMBLEY: Yes. Luckily, we had our community show up in droves. We actually emptied our shelter of about 100 animals in just two hours. And that was just half a day before the storm hit. So, we have been now mobilizing to get 150 animals, all of our animals, out of this disaster area. We are just grief-stricken to see what happened to our shelter, to look at a building that has saved the lives of over 100,000 animals and to see it filled completely with water. It is devastating. And the thing we're holding on to is that animals like Taz are okay, but there're so many animals in our community that aren't.

ACOSTA: Well, I'm a big believer in your mission. I've got a rescue dog myself. His name is Duke. And so I'm a big believer in what you're doing there. I just -- my heart goes out to you and those -- all those little animals.

What's going to happen? I guess they're all staying with different people. Is that the deal? And I guess there's probably a need right now for some folks to come in and adopt these animals as soon as possible.

CHUMBLEY: We are getting all of our animals out of Asheville. We are staying strong here as a team to orchestrate continuing to save lives.

[10:30:01]

This community has relied on Brother Wolf for years to focus on Western North Carolina as a whole.