Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Trump Rally Outside Pittsburgh Turns Vulgar; At least 7 Dead In Gangway Collapse On Sapelo Island, Georgia; Cuba's Power Grid Failed Again As Hurricane Oscar Nears; Lawmakers To Briefed On Leaked U.S. Intelligence Documents; Early Voting Underway In Storm-Ravaged North Carolina; Herd Of Elephants Takes New York City Streets. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired October 20, 2024 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:56]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jessica Dean in New York.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have 16 days left to convince voters they're the right choice to lead America for the next four years. And polling shows this race is historically close.

The candidates are hitting the campaign trail hard, trading barbs, sometimes personal attacks, as they look to pick up the support they each need to pull ahead of the race. This entire election likely to come down to just a handful of key battleground states. And that's where Harris, Trump, and their running mates have been today, where they and their surrogates will be laser-focused over the next two weeks.

Joining us now CNN political commentator Maria Cardona and Republican strategist Pete Seat.

Thanks so much to both of you for being here.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thanks, Jessica. Good to be here.

PETE SEAT, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Of course.

DEAN: Yes. Yes. Trump's aide says he is now making his closing pitch to voters. That's how they framed last night, the coming days as well, and then last night he certainly veered off-script, cursing about his opponent and telling a story about Arnold Palmer's genitals. We can listen to a bit here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Arnold Palmer was all man. And I say that in all due respect to women. And I love women. When he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there, they said, oh, my god. That's unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP) DEAN: "The New York Times" headline today, "At a Pennsylvania Rally, Trump Descends to a New Level of Vulgarity."

Pete, I just want to start with you first. Biden faced a lot of pressure, a lot of criticism, a lot of speculation before dropping out of the race regarding his ability to campaign coherently, for him to be able to do what he needs to do at his age. There was a lot of concern about his mental fitness for office.

Why are Republicans not concerned about this with Donald Trump?

SEAT: Well, when it comes to this moment at the Latrobe, Pennsylvania, rally last night, let's remember that at the Democratic National Convention, it was former president Barack Obama who stood on that stage and made a crude gesture with his hands related to Donald Trump's anatomy. Everyone cracked up. They thought it was hilarious. Clips ran on a loop, and I don't recall, and I checked before we went on air seeing a single headline about Barack Obama doing that.

But all the focus is on Trump doing it. And what they were both doing is playing to their audience. Obama was playing to the audience in the United Center at the Convention, Trump is playing to the audience of rally-goers who eat that stuff up.

DEAN: And Maria, Harris is going more directly after Trump's fitness for office in her remarks. This race, though, remains a dead heat. It's anybody's race at this point. She's trying to make that case. How does she break through with that message?

CARDONA: I think she is breaking through with that message, Jessica, because, you know, even though Pete wants to compare Barack Obama's speech at the convention with Donald Trump's, you know, dissension into dementia at frankly not just last night's rally, but every single one of his rallies, he's becoming that much more demented. He's unraveling before our eyes. He's more unhinged than he ever has been. He makes absolutely zero roe sense.

If you want to take that comment, Pete, and compare it to what Barack Obama said, that is not the only thing that is worrisome about what Donald Trump said, though let's take into consideration what Arnold Palmer's daughter said. She was disgusted by it. She said her father would be disgusted by it. And it really shows that this is not a man who is fit for office.

And the other things that he has said, frankly, are much more concerning talking about seeking the military, the American military on Americans in our own country, and so I think what the Kamala Harris campaign is doing in terms of strategy is really smart because she is underscoring that all of these things that Donald Trump is closing with, his closing argument, makes zero sense.

[18:05:22]

They are highly unhinged. They are dangerous, and they prove just how unfit Donald Trump is to be elected the leader of the free world. And she's not the only one who is saying it. You have hundreds of Republicans who are with her in this. So many of the people who served alongside Donald Trump in the Oval Office as his advisers, including National Security advisers, including decorated generals in our own military are also saying that this man is a huge danger to the country. So I think it's going to be a very effective closing argument for her.

DEAN: And Pete, Harris' 60th birthday is today. She is a generation younger than Trump, 18 years younger than Trump. She's casting herself as a new generation of leadership, which I know, of course Republicans have been trying to say, look, she is the Biden-Harris administration. She's not turning the page. Her whole argument is I am turning the page. This is a fresh start. And she has been able to capture some of that enthusiasm.

How does Trump rebut her argument that she is turning the page, that she is moving forward?

SEAT: Well, she might claim that she's turning the generational page, but both her, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump are baby boomers. And I'm going to get on my soap box here for a second, and if I had my way boomers would be barred from seeking or serving in office. They've done enough damage to this nation.

DEAN: But, Pete, hold on. I just want to point out, though.

SEAT: And I think --

DEAN: Really quickly that the Trump would be the oldest person elected president. So it is some age stuff there.

SEAT: That's fine, but they're still part of the same generation. There's still a shared mentality throughout the generation, as I see it. And I've been talking about this for over a decade, having written a book on it, is that the establishment is not ideological, it is generational. And if we truly want to turn the page, we wouldn't be doing it with either of these candidates. But the way he makes the case is, if you are unhappy with the Biden-Harris administration, you will therefore be unhappy with a Harri-Walz administration.

And if her closing argument is just to go at Donald Trump and attack him, that tells me that the focus groups, the polling, everything her campaign is doing shows that positive messaging on Kamala Harris is not working. It's not gaining traction. And the only thing they have left is to revert to the Joe Biden presidential campaign messaging, which was all anti-Donald Trump and didn't work for him and likely will not work for her.

DEAN: And Maria, government -- we're watching the Harris campaign to this weekend, especially. She's been at black churches. She's very much zeroed in on that part of the demographic right now, of her coalition right now.

I want to play a clip of what Governor Wes Moore of Maryland said about her support with black voters. Here's a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. WES MOORE (D), MARYLAND: Everything natural skepticism that I think a lot of black voters have and not necessarily about the vice president, and not about Democratic Party, it's about the pace of progress in America, is that the pace of progress in America has not been even, and it has not been fair. And that's why I think this past week for the opportunity agenda for black men that the vice president released was so important because it is detailed policy positions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Do you think that she can make up the ground that you know, it is softened? She's still winning that demographic, but it has softened.

CARDONA: Absolutely she can make up that ground, Jessica, and Governor Moore is right. African-Americans are skeptical about the equity, about the same opportunities that might be available in this country for them versus white people, which is why I think what she is offering is going to be so attractive especially to those black men who seem to be the ones who are not completely decided to support her.

But I think in the end they will because they will see a sharp contrast between a candidate who is offering very specific policy positions that will help them get ahead economically, will help them start businesses, will help them in terms of their health care and the equity of the diseases that black men suffered disproportionately. They will help black families get ahead and will help with generational wealth, versus Donald Trump who only sees black, brown, any communities that look different than what he looks like as second- class citizens.

[18:10:16]

And his policies have proven it. I mean, let's just talk about the Central Park Five. I mean, the racism and the xenophobia that comes out of Donald Trump's mouth I think underscores the fact that so many communities are vulnerable and that Donald Trump is not going to be the candidate that's going to wake up every day fighting for them. There's only one person that Donald Trump wakes up every day fighting for, and that is himself.

And the closing argument for Kamala Harris is not just that Donald Trump is unfit, unserious, unhinged, and completely dangerous, but that she is going to be the one that's going to be fighting for middle-class families, working-class families, black Americans, Latino Americans, women, young people, LGBTQ, older people, frankly, everyone who understands that this is a great country when we all work together.

And she promises to be the president for everyone, not just the people who voted for her, and you have Donald Trump coming out and insulting large swaths of voters every time he opens his mouth. That's a contrast that I think is going to help her win this election on November 5th.

DEAN: And Pete, last question to you, just still on that point, though. How does Trump prevent that from happening? Prevent her from really shoring up that voting population and that support?

SEAT: Economy, economy, economy. And we have seen that in polling. We've heard that from black voters, from Latino voters. There is a growing resentment that there's an expectation that because their parents and grandparents have voted up and down the ticket for Democrats for generations that they should, too. And so I think what Governor Moore missed in what he said, he said natural skepticism, he omitted of Democrats.

That's what the skepticism is about because of that growing resentment and why so many more black voters and Latino voters have been turning to and taking a look at Donald Trump.

DEAN: All right, Maria Cardona and Pete Seat, we will leave it there, but thank you so much. We appreciate both of you.

CARDONA: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: And this week, Vice President Harris will join CNN for a town hall. It is live from Philadelphia. Our own Anderson Cooper will moderate that conversation. Of course it's happening less than two weeks before election day. It's happening Wednesday night at 9:00 on CNN. It will also stream on Max.

When we come back, Georgia authorities are urgently working to find out why a ferry dock collapsed during a cultural festival, killing at least seven people and injuring another six. Also millions in Cuba without power for the third day in a row now as the country's aging power grid hits failure after failure, all while a hurricane approaches that island.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:17:48]

DEAN: Officials in Georgia are investigating what caused a ferry dock to collapse killing seven people. That incident happened Saturday off the coast of Georgia on Sapelo Island where crowds had gathered for a celebration of the island's Gullah-Geechee community.

CNN's Rafael Romo is joining us now.

Rafael, it's just a terrible story. What more can you tell us about it?

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, very, very sad indeed, Jessica, and it's still very early in the investigation, but there are several things officials are focusing on, including why the gangway had a catastrophic failure, weather the increased number of people might have been a factor and the age of the gangway itself.

CNN has obtained video of the dock leading to the gangway that shows how the whole structure collapsed. You see the ferry in the background, the same one guests were trying to get to when the tragic collapse happened. We later see people by the shore trying to rescue those who had fallen into the water.

What we know, Jessica, is that the gangway collapsed shortly before 4:00 in the afternoon on Saturday as crowds gathered on Sapelo Island for a celebration of the Gullah Geechee community of black slave descendants. According to Walter Rabon, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the gangway that led from the dock to the ferry collapsed when about 40 people were on it.

Commissioner Rabon said there was a significant increase in the number of people visiting on Saturday, although he doesn't yet know if that was a factor in the gangway's collapse. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALTER RABON, COMMISSIONER, GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES: Typically less than 100. Yesterday, I'm told we had around 700 people on the island that resulted in us offering additional ferry rocks with both of our ferries, the K-T Underwood and Annmarie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: At least 20 people ended up in the water and tragically seven died, including Charles Houston, who served as a chaplain for the DNR. He was also a City of Plains volunteer firefighter and worked with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations previously. Officials also said there are three other people in critical condition.

President Biden also reacted to the news saying that he and the first lady are heartbroken to learn about the ferry dock walkway collapse on Georgia's Sapelo Island. What should have been a joyous celebration of Gullah-Geechee culture and history instead turned into tragedy and devastation, the president said.

[18:20:06]

Sapelo Island is a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, accessible only by boat. Many of our viewers know that it's home to about 70 full-time residents and most of them are descendants from slaves who worked on plantations -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right, Rafael Romo. Thanks so much.

Tonight, Cuba is facing a growing power crisis. Just moments ago, our CNN correspondent, Patrick Oppmann, on the ground there reported the power grid has collapsed again for the fourth time in days. That leaves the island's 10 million people without electricity or running water, and all of that is being compounded by this, a fast approaching hurricane.

Patrick is live in Havana for us.

Patrick, this sounds like a very dire situation.

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It couldn't get any worse it seems. You know, this afternoon we got power briefly back where I am right now, our office in Havana. It's the first time since power went out on Friday, so, you know, cause for a celebration, but it was all to short-lived and it really is kind of a punch in the stomach when the power goes out. And then you realized once, you know, you can establish communications again and find out what's going on that it was not just here, not just our office, but the entire island, an island of 10 million people.

And this is the fourth time now that you've seen a total collapse of the power grid. For many people, they've not have power come back at all. They've been now four days without power, which is very concerning because of course people's food starts to spoil. That's a real issue in Cuba because it's so hard for many people to get enough food on a regular day. When there's no power, that means there's no pumps to bring water to people's homes.

A lot of people use gas to cook with and they're not getting the gas now from the gas lines so that is just, you know, a domino effect of problems. So when you drive around Havana you see people sitting outside their homes because it is so hot. People waiting in longer and longer lines for food and water, the few places. There's not really desperation just yet but there have been some protests at night where people go outside their homes and beat on pots and pans to show the government here how upset they are over the situation.

The government that blames U.S. economic sanctions but, you know, some of these power plants, we were hearing today, are older than I am, and have not really been maintained over the years that the workers have had to make the pieces themselves to repair some of the things that break and then often Cuba relies on donations of oil from countries like Venezuela and Russia, donations that are just not coming with the same frequency as they had before.

So it is a perfect storm of problems. And of course (INAUDIBLE) our lights going to be back on and whether they're going to be back on and stay on. And really no one on this island at this moment has the answer.

DEAN: All right. Patrick Oppmann with the very latest from Havana. Thank you very much for that reporting.

Tonight, a U.S. intelligence leak about Israel's war plan is further straining the already tenuous relationship between the two countries. When we come back, we're talking with former Defense Secretary William Cohen about the impact of that leak and Israel's retaliation against Iran. More on that.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:27:47]

DEAN: It is 6:27 here in New York City on a beautiful fall night. 16 days until this country votes in its presidential elections.

We're so glad you're here with us. New tonight, Israel is stepping up military strikes in Gaza and

Lebanon. We have new video coming into CNN that shows the bombardment has already begun.

This is Beirut where airstrikes hit southern suburbs a short time ago. The IDF issued evacuation orders for the neighborhood shortly before those strikes, announcing it would be targeting Hezbollah financial sites.

Now, this comes as lawmakers back here on Capitol Hill are to be briefed on the leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence on Israel's plan to attack Iran. House Speaker Mike Johnson telling CNN earlier today the leaked document is, quote, "very concerning."

Joining us now is William Cohen, former secretary of Defense under President Clinton and CEO of the Cohen Group.

Secretary, thanks so much for being here.

WILLIAM COHEN, FORMER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE UNDER PRESIDENT CLINTON: Happy to be here, Jessica. Thank you.

DEAN: Let's just start first generally with how serious you think this intelligence leak is and what kind of impact it could have on the U.S.-Israel relationship?

COHEN: Well, we don't know if it's a leak or hack. That will be determined. But either way, it's not so much the substance as I understand it of what has been leaked. But rather the fact that a leak took place or the hack took place. That is very unnerving certainly to the Israelis. They will call into question our, quote, "reliability" in terms of protecting that information. But we should also point out that's our information involved as well.

We are sharing intelligence with the Israelis and so when you breached that relationship, it works to the disadvantage of the Israelis but also to our advantage because we have troops in the region. We need to have prior notice in terms of what the Israelis are planning and what angle of attack, where they're going to attack so we can protect our troops in the response as well. So the breach is serious, what was revealed is not so substantive. But we don't want to see it repeated and we don't know who has access to it, who might want to repeat it again.

[18:30:01]

DEAN: Right. And that brings me to this question. A former Israeli intelligence official told CNN, their quote was leaks don't just happen, and that someone has broken U.S. law by revealing these secrets.

What do you think an investigation looks like? What's at stake? Because I hear you when you're saying it's not so much what was leaked, it's that, or what was breached, the information is probably the better word, but that it happened at all. COHEN: Well, the first thing that will be done will be the FBI will be

called in. All of the intelligence agency will have to cooperate, certainly our collection of intelligence, those who had access to this information will be investigated.

It takes time. It's an unlikely to be resolved soon and that's the danger in all of this. The Israelis may want to hold back and say, we're not going to share our, quote, "attack plans." And let's be clear about this. The Israelis intend to continue to attack Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. The Iranian component, at least the attack upon Iran, is yet to come and President Biden and Vice President Harris have urged that the Israelis do not strike at oil facilities, do not go after nuclear facilities, because there's a fear that if they do that, the price of oil will skyrocket overnight.

So people are concerned about the cost of groceries and gasoline overnight, those prices will go up. So we're concerned about the global economy and the Israelis need to take that into account. And I'm sure they're doing that. I'm sure they're listening to President Biden saying, OK, here's --we know you're going to respond, you should respond, but try to calibrate it in a way that does not provoke either the spread of the war throughout the region or a tremendous increase in recessionary pressures and inflationary pressures around the world.

DEAN: And it sounds like your sense is that the Israeli government is taking this into account. I think over the last year, there have been moments where they have taken U.S. guidance, advice, demands into account and then there's been times where they've said very clearly, we're going to do whatever we believe is necessary to keep Israel safe.

COHEN: They're in a very tough spot. They're surrounded by countries that do not have their well-being in mind to say the least. And so our standards and what we might do, how we might attack another country, taking into account the potential for civilian casualties is quite different than what they have to contend with. Their existence is under threat. Ours since World War II has not been except for the Cold War and the possibility of a confrontation with the then Soviet Union.

So our standards may be very different than theirs, but we're asking them, please take into account the amount of innocent civilians you're killing because the sight of those innocent babies and children who have been killed and maimed is going to inflame world sentiment against you. The Israelis have to take that into account. I want them to take that into account. Even as they must defend themselves.

So it's a tough spot that they're in but I think that Benjamin Netanyahu, who I have known over the years, I think he will listen to prime -- to President Biden, who is a friend of his, a friend of Israel, to say that please take care. The killing of innocent civilians, the potential starvation of a million people now in Gaza, that's something that the world is not sit on the sidelines. I am concerned that the Soviets, the Russians, or the Chinese, and others have not stepped in to say, hey, wait a minute, we have a concern here about what's taking place. So I think the Israelis were taken into account. They need to punish

the Iranians for what they've done. They need to punish Hamas and Hezbollah for continuing to wage the assault upon their people. But they also have to take care that there are other interests involved, including that of the globe.

DEAN: And now we are several days past the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. And when that happened, when that was announced, we certainly heard from the U.S. side that they were hoping that this would be a moment where they could get that hostage and ceasefire deal, that those talks could get back on track, that perhaps this could be the moment. And now we are several days removed from that and I'm curious how you see that unfolding and how you read what's happened over the last several days.

COHEN: I don't think that will come about in the short term I think they will say a window of opportunity, but you need somebody to deal with. We don't know Hamas is going to put in place. We don't know who the Hezbollah is going to put in place now. I think we mislead or we misjudged the situation.

[18:35:02]

We think, well, if you just take out the leader, that's the end of it. It's not the way it works. It's almost like a whack-a-mole strategy we had over in Afghanistan and Iraq. Once you take out a certain leader, you think, well, it's over. It's not over. There will be a succession of people who also mean to try to kill as many Israelis as possible. So there's a window but I think that window has to include the release of hostages, that has to be providing for the humanitarian relief of those tens of thousands, if not a million of those Palestinian people who are suffering.

And there has to be a proposal at least accepted by the Israelis that there will be eventually a separate state for the Palestinians. Unless that takes place, I think the war will go on at different levels in the coming years. And that's the hard reality. Israel will never be fully safe without a Palestinian state living in peace with them. Palestinians will never have state unless they're willing to accept the existence of Israel.

We know the formula. The question is, are we willing to take the opportunity to try to seize the moment, to try and have a relationship with the Saudis, with the Emirates and others who want a relationship with Israel. That will provide real peace, but they can't do that unless the Israelis indicate they're prepared to provide something for the Palestinian people and that doesn't seem to be in the offing right now.

DEAN: And what is your sense of how the American election in 16 days is going to factor into this in the sense that, does it delay things, does it -- what is its impact?

COHEN: Well, foreign policy rarely has been on the agenda as we approach a presidential elections. It should be because what happens in the Middle East will have a direct impact upon our quality of life and our lives because Iran, by way of example, is likely to strike asymmetrically. That means going at the soft targets around the world, targeting Americans as well as those who support Israel in its quest to be secured.

But I don't think that's high on the minds of the people right now. It should be because what takes place in the Middle East has a direct impact upon our lives as well, upon the lives of so many millions of people around the globe. I think the focus will be on domestic issues, but it's very hard to separate domestic issues out from foreign policy. We don't make that clear enough in our discussions publicly on this media or social media.

DEAN: Yes. It is often much more connected than we think it is.

Secretary Cohen, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

COHEN: Thank you, Jessica. Pleased to be on with you.

DEAN: Thank you.

Still ahead, early voting is now underway in North Carolina and election officials there are trumpeting high turnout, but many are going through hell and high water to vote after Hurricane Helene devastated so many towns and roads and infrastructure there. We're going to take you there next.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:42:40]

DEAN: Right now early voting is underway in North Carolina even though parts the state are in ruins still after Hurricane Helene.

CNN's Miguel Marquez shows us what voters are slogging through to make sure their voices count.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Only the toughest vehicles.

This is a good road we're on right now.

RUS ROBISON, NORTH CAROLINA STORM VICTIM: This is a good road. This is a really good road.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Can access some areas of storm ravaged North Carolina. Rus Robison has been helping out, doing anything and everything since day one.

ROBISON: Brush cutting, landslide clearing.

MARQUEZ: Immediate needs met. Now a big new need, figuring out how to vote in an area cut off by the most severe storm damage. ROBISON: Those that want to go, I'll 100 percent be able to get them

there to vote.

MARQUEZ: Right.

ROBISON: But there will be communities that probably some people don't get to vote that want to vote.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Water swept through Jeff Auletta's home on the Cane River in Yancey County.

JEFF AULETTA, NORTH CAROLINA STORM VICTIM: We would like to early vote if we can get in. We might need an all-terrain vehicle, but we will get in to vote.

MARQUEZ: Yancey is one of 25 North Carolina counties, plus Cherokee tribal areas, in the disaster zone, where election rules have changed. 1.3 million mostly conservative Tar Heel voters live there. With over 7.7 million registered voters statewide this year, every vote critical. It's a state Trump won in 2020 by just over 74,000 votes.

How will you actually vote?

AVIN LEDFORD, NORTH CAROLINA STORM VICTIM: I will go to one of the voting stations in town. I have a truck there so I can get in and out. It's a little difficult, but I can.

MARQUEZ: And nothing will keep you from voting?

BILL MERZ, NORTH CAROLINA STORM VICTIM: No, nothing.

MARQUEZ (voice-over): Bill and Diane Merz, huge supporters of Donald Trump, have concerns about voting nationwide. Here at home, they totally trust their vote will count.

B. MERZ: She's got an absentee ballot, but I'll probably go in and vote. If I have to, I'll go to town. I'll hitchhike if I have to.

MARQUEZ: With partisan anger still simmering over Trump's 2020 loss, new fears changes to election laws approved by the state's bipartisan election board, among other things allowing displaced voters to receive absentee ballots at a different address.

DIANE MERZ, NORTH CAROLINA STORM VICTIM: I'm concerned that these relaxing of some of the rules that they have is also going to invite, you know, fraud into the system. And I'm worried about the people just being able to vote.

[18:45:07]

MARQUEZ: The extreme storm claiming more than 230 lives so far here in North Carolina, around 80 are still missing. And now with winter coming, despite all the misery, something surprising.

This somehow gives you hope?

ROBISON: Absolutely.

MARQUEZ: For the country?

ROBISON: Absolutely. It's something that I worry about a lot, is if we could ever get together again as a country, as a people, you know, and get past this partisan divide. It definitely gives me hope that this encourages that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUEZ (on-camera): So after seeing the horrors that this storm has brought across such a large swath of North Carolina, we did not expect the positive vibes that we heard from Rus there at the end of that story. But we're hearing that everywhere. People coming together and really having a healing effect here in North Carolina. And they hope it's something bigger, that it starts to trend toward getting away from the politicization.

But, first days of early voting, we are seeing massive crowds at all of the precincts that we've been to. State Board of Election saying they may be on target for a record turnout on early voting.

Back to you.

DEAN: Incredible. All right. Thanks so much.

Still ahead, elephants in the streets of New York. Why these life- sized sculptures are in the concrete jungle.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:51:06]

DEAN: New tonight, the Navy is declaring two of its aviators dead days after their aircraft crashed in Washington state. The Growler going down Tuesday during a training flight near Mt. Rainier, south of Seattle. It went down in a very remote, mountainous, wooded areas and it took search crews days to find the wreckage. The Navy has not identified the Zappers, that's the nickname for people in its Electronic Attack Squadron 130, and the Navy is investigating.

Flash flooding is still a threat in parts of New Mexico after the state got hit with nearly six inches of rain overnight. We know at least one person died, nearly 300 people had to be rescued after that severe flash flooding near Roswell. Police and first responders were overwhelmed with rescue calls from people trapped in their cars. They were stuck on roofs. As you can imagine, a lot of cars were swept away, widespread showers and storms are expected again tonight, a flash flood watch remains in effect through tomorrow. And those storms will also bring the risk of large hail and tornadoes.

A herd of elephants is getting ready to stampede the streets of New York City. Well, they're handmade life-sized elements actually. The art installation is touring the U.S. to raise money for conservation and each is modeled after a real living elephant from southern India. And each of them is for sale.

CNN's Bill Weir has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the south hills of India, a conservation success story stops through the tea fields. A couple of hundred elephants living in relative harmony with a quarter million humans. The densest concentration of wild pachyderms and people in the world.

RUTH GANESH, CO-FOUNDER, CO-EXISTENCE COLLECTIVE: They know all the elephants by name and personality. And they are the most incredible story. And if we could tell that story, we might be able to inspire a little bit more sort of close living with other animals as well.

WEIR: So Ruth and her fellow wildlife lovers decided to spread the message of co-existence in a way that turns heads. A 100-elephant migration across America. Each one a life-sized replica of a beloved individual, all handmade by the people who know their wild neighbors best.

TARSH THEKAEKARA, WILDLIFE RESEARCHER, CO-FOUNDER, REAL ELEPHANT COLLECTIVE: The thing they used to make fun before it, the indigenous people don't use furniture in their lives. But when we started making elephants, they're the experts. They know the elephants better than we know it. So it's an amazing sense of pride and their kind of position in society has changed. From being at the bottom rung manual laborers, they've become these very skilled artisans making these things that are traveling around the world.

WEIR: They hope to sell hundreds he used to raise millions for conservation efforts everywhere. And since their art supplies come from a toxic invader there's also a powerful message in the medium.

These are made out of an invasive tree or shrubs?

GANESH: Yes, they're made out of an invasive weed called lantana, which is the second most invasive plant in the entire world. And it's choking about 40 percent of India's forest right now. So we're trying to create an economy and demonstrate a use for it so it can be removed at scale.

WEIR (voice-over): Lantana can also be turned into a powerful weapon against climate pollution as something called bio-char, the ancient technique of reviving farm soil with charred plant, which also locks away planet warming pollution.

THEKAEKARA: Wide areas that have taken over by lantana. If we can convert all of that into carbon and put it back into the ground, it's usually exciting as a way of mitigating climate change as well. The idea is that if people are able to live with elephants, hopefully people at other places can live with other forms of life, like even in New York, can you better leave with birds? Can you have more greenery around you? All of these are very relevant questions everywhere in the world. WEIR: The coexistence parade heads next to Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles,

and maybe the world.

Bill Weir, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: Bill, thank you.

When we come back, what former president Trump said tonight as he just wrapped up a town hall in Pennsylvania. It's considered a must-win state for both candidates.

[18:55:02]

We'll take you there. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. And I'm Jessica Dean in New York.

Sixteen days and counting, the race for the White House now in its final sprint and poll show Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a dead heat. The two candidates hitting the campaign trail hard hoping to find an edge. This election will likely come down to these swing states. You see in yellow on the map.