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CNN This Morning
Mark Robinson Denies Reports of Disturbing Posts; IDF Investigating Soldiers For Throwing Bodies Off Roof; Heat Flares Across Central U.S., Cool Down Expected Next Week. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired September 20, 2024 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:36]
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Friday, September 20th.
Right now on CNN THIS MORNING:
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MARK ROBINSON (R), NOMINEE FOR NORTH CAROLINA GOVERNOR: This is not us. These are not our words.
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HUNT: The full denial. A GOP candidate for North Carolina governor refusing to drop out of the race after shocking racist remarks surface.
Plus, this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unsurprisingly, Iran is now trying to tilt the election in Kamala's favor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Election interference? Iran stealing information from the Trump campaign. What's the end game?
And this --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want to see any party escalate this conflict, period.
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HUNT: A stark warning. Hezbollah threatens a crushing response as Israel shifts their focus.
(MUSIC) HUNT: All right, 5:00 a.m. here in Washington. A live look at Capitol Hill on this Friday morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.
We begin with the fallout from shocking details about North Carolina's Republican candidate for governor coming to light. A new CNN KFILE report tracked down the internet history of current Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson and found he wrote inflammatory posts on a porn site message board more than a decade ago. Some of the messages include Robinson calling himself, quote, a black Nazi, end quote.
Other posts praised slavery or ridiculed Martin Luther King Jr. as a, quote, commie bastard.
Robinson denied the story, even when CNN laid out the details leading to this discovery.
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ANDREW KACZYNSKI, CNN'S KFILE SENIOR EDITOR: How do you explain all of the matching details on this profile? The profile on Nude Africa lists your full name as Mark Robinson. The email listed on the account is an email that you used -- you have used elsewhere on the Internet, including with your photo. You have used that name "minisoldr" on multiple social media accounts, including Twitter, Pinterest, Black Planet, and YouTube.
How can you deny with all of these matching details that this is you?
ROBINSON: Look, I'm not going to get into a minutia of how somebody manufactured this all these salacious tabloid lies. But I can tell you this, there's been over $1 million spent on me through A.I. by billionaire son who's bound and determined to destroy me. The things that people can do with the Internet now is incredible.
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HUNT: Robinson's denial hasn't done much to ease concerns of some Republican allies on Capitol Hill, some of whom are calling for him to drop out of the race.
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REP. RALPH NORMNA (R-SC): Pretty sad to go this far along and then to the people who supported him, all the money that he's raised. And I think he needs to drop out today.
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I definitely want to read what the allegations are and the comments on it. I myself can't support anyone, if that all turns out to be true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Dropping out isn't likely to be a viable option anymore. That deadline to do that lapsed a few hours ago, at midnight.
And these revelations also, of course, matter because of the presidential election. The Harris campaign has quickly worked to tie Trump to Robinson, sending out this picture with the caption, "Best friends," Donald Trump has long endorsed Robinson for governor, who spoke highly of him during campaign stops in North Carolina over the past several months.
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TRUMP: He's been an unbelievable lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson.
This is Martin Luther King on steroids.
I think you're better than Martin Luther King. I think you are Martin Luther King times two.
Mark Robinson is out there. He's fighting. He's fighting. He's a great one.
I want to thank a very good man and he's in there fighting. He's fighting and we know he's a fighter. The next governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: And joining us now to talk about all that, Kevin Frey, Washington correspondent for Spectrum News, New York 1.
And, Kevin, good morning. Wonderful to see you.
So, look, Republicans already have a lot of concerns about Mark Robinson because of some of the things he said about women, about the LGBTQ+ community and others. But this is next level. What's next for him?
KEVIN FREY, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, SPECTRUM NEWS NY1: Well, he's not going anywhere by all indications. And the North Carolina Republican Party basically sent out a statement last night backing him up, bashing Kamala Harris, bashing this is a political hit job, but look, I mean, now, Republicans have to grapple with what exactly the path forward looks like.
This is a state that Trump won only by a little more than a percentage point the last go around.
[05:05:07]
And so it was already seen as kind of ripe for the picking for Harris this go around.
HUNT: So, Kevin, Larry Sabato, who runs the crystal ball, he calls it, which ranks racist move. He posted this after this broke: The crystal ball has just had an emergency session and then the fastest rating change in our history. We are moving NC Gov from lean D to likely D, which -- you know, this is something that when I talk to sources, Bakari Sellers will sit on this set and talk about it endlessly, both on air and in the breaks, that this race at the, at the top of the state ticket --
FREY: Yeah.
HUNT: -- for the gubernatorial race is so far gone --
FREY: Yeah.
HUNT: -- that it's giving Kamala Harris a much better shot of winning at the presidential level.
There are some people who are convinced that this is going to make, you know, change the deal for them. I'm not convinced yet. I mean, I think its still very close to the presidential level, but it really is putting it in play for Harris in a way that it wasn't before.
FREY: Yeah. I mean, look, North Carolina is a purple state with a red hue and if you look at its history, the voters, there are more than happy to split their tickets. They've had a lot of Democratic governors and a lot of Republican senators. But at the same time, the question is, could this have an anchoring effect on Trumps chances in this state?
The idea of reverse coattails is not really necessarily always proven out to be a thing that actually happens where, for example, a lower -- person lower on the ballot might lift the presidential ticket. Democrats are certainly hoping that would happen when Biden was atop the ticket in some of those key battleground states where the senators were doing well.
But could this maybe have the reverse implications of making people maybe sit out and not want to vote because they're so turned off that by Mark Robinson that, eh, I'm just not going to participate. That could help Harris, too.
HUNT: Yeah. I mean, the reality is it is, you know, we have some recent polling. I think this is a Quinnipiac poll that we have among likely voters in North Carolina that shows Harris up. I would say most people I talk to don't think that's actually where this race in North Carolina stands. It's really very might even.
But she has put it in a play, in a way that Biden did not when he was at the top of the ticket, partly because she's energizing African American voters, Black voters.
FREY: Yeah. I mean, this state, the last time it went for a Democrat was 2008 with Barack Obama atop the ticket. The hope is from the Harris's point of view is that she can galvanize the Black support, galvanized Black women in that state in a way that Biden was not able to and perhaps tip this over the edge. But by all indications, it's a razor edge sort of race.
HUNT: For sure.
All right. Kevin Frey for us this morning, Kevin, thanks for starting us off. I appreciate it.
FREY: No problem.
HUNT: All right. Coming up next here on CNN THIS MORNING, foreign adversaries trying to make their influence known, stealing information from the Trump campaign. How that could impact the November election.
And after two apparent assassination attempts, Congress is demanding more protection for Donald Trump.
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REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: He's the most threatened person on the planet. He has to have the protection that he needs, and we're going to make sure that happens moments.
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[05:12:29]
HUNT: All right. New information just in to CNN, the Israel -- the Israel Defense Forces are investigating claims that soldiers are throwing bodies off of roof in the West Bank. The incident was filmed. CNN cannot confirm firm whether the bodies that were thrown over the building were dead although the bodies are motionless and a pure lifeless.
Joining me now with more is CNN international anchor, Max Foster.
Max, what are we learning here?
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is disturbing videos, so be prepared for what you're about to see. It was filmed near Jenin in the West Bank, as we understand it, it was witnessed by "Associated Press" reporter and another journalist. And as you say, we haven't confirmed whether these bodies were dead, but you can see there a body getting caught on some wires, the soldiers up there on the roof. And then loosening the body from the wire so it can go down.
We also see a second body on the roof that'll be coming up a soldier picking up the persons hands and other its feet and you'll see them toss it over the edge there and finally, there is another one where they kick a third body off the side of the building.
So lots of witnesses to this, lots of videos from different angles. We're pretty sure this obviously happened. And the IDF isn't denying it, but they do say this is a serious incident but does not coincide with IDF values, and the expectations from IDF soldiers. That's what the military told us in a statement.
The incident is under review, Kasie. Yeah.
HUNT: Max, very, very difficult to watch all of that. And, of course, this against the backdrop of fears of escalation of
wider conflict in the region as well. In the wake of the attacks that Israel's not taking responsibility for, the attacks where those devices were exploding across Lebanon but clearly this is a tinderbox on so many levels.
FOSTER: Everything, every instant adds to that tinderbox, doesn't it? So we had those explosions across two days within Lebanon. We now have a lot of cross-border activity as well. That's been ramped up. The Israeli saying they're taking out weapon positions, Hezbollah weapon positions. They don't appear to be in built up areas, but certainly things are escalating all the time and its huge amount of concern, and it is very complex as we all know in the background is this peace process as well.
Some developments there as we understand it from the Israeli side. But we'll wait to see how that plays out. Because so many influential people in the region feel the one way you can help ease tensions, the most is by getting to some sort of peace agreement between what's happening between Hamas and Israelis in Gaza.
HUNT: Yeah. Max Foster for us this morning -- Max, thank you very much for that report. I appreciate it.
All right. Still to come here on CNN this morning, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, neck-and-neck in Georgia.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really just three weeks to start voting early and it's just too late in the cycle.
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HUNT: Just weeks from the election, officials considering several changes to election procedures.
Plus, a government shutdown looms yet again. What House Speaker Mike Johnson might do next after the first attempt to fund the government failed this week?
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[05:20:34]
HUNT: All right. By 5:20 a.m. here on the East Coast.
Here's your morning roundup.
The House working to put forward a bill that would mandate both candidates for president receive the same level of Secret Service protection as the sitting president. This comes as bipartisan concern rises over the safety of the candidates after two apparent attempts on Donald Trump's life. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise telling reporters they hope to bring legislation to the floor this week. A Kentucky sheriff charged with first-degree murder in a death of a judge. Police say the sheriff shot the judge inside the judge's chambers after an argument. The sheriff turned himself in.
Georgia's state election board is considering a slate of changes to election processes, just weeks before the November election. The board is debating 11 rule changes, including requiring hand counting of ballots for every day of advanced voting.
Georgia's Republican secretary of state says it's too late to make a change now.
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BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: We're too close to the election, we're 50 days out before we have our election. In fact, we're really just three weeks before we start early voting and it's just too late in the cycle.
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HUNT: A meeting on the changes set to happen in just a few hours. If approved, they'd go into effect on October 14. Early voting begins the next day.
All right. Time now for weather. Still feels like summer in parts of the U.S. But a cooldown maybe on the way and there could be trouble brewing in the tropics.
Let's get straight to our meteorologist, the weatherman, Derek Van Dam.
Derek, good morning.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Oh, good morning, Kasie. Happy Friday, by the way.
HUNT: Happy Friday.
VAN DAM: I think if you're anything like me. Yes. That's right. And if you're anything like me, you've been lulled into this false set of autumn. We call it fake fall, at least here in the Deep South, its been relatively pleasant the past couple of weeks where we can kiss that goodbye this weekend.
So don't put away the summer clothes just yet because the above average temperatures will be the big story for much of the eastern half of the country. We're talking about over 100 million people above average and that is just going to continue until next week. So I will be the bearer of good news because the heat will come to an end as we head into early parts of next week.
But in the meantime, we've got to deal with this, temperatures in the lower and middle 90s. That's just downright boiling across Dallas and Houston. So we're calling this near record warmth. You can see a record temperatures in Oklahoma City, it will be 100 degrees today, will top 98. So were flirting with those daytime highs.
But here's the good news. The big cool-down comes into early parts of next week and will welcome it. And well say goodbye and good riddance to the heat. So, Dallas is just an example of that. And along the East Coast, you'll be feeling the good temperatures as well.
Just want to give you a heads-up. We're still monitoring that tropical developments across the gulf. But again, this is a next week issue. I will keep close eye on that for you, Kasie.
HUNT: All right. Derek Van Dam for us this morning -- Derek, so grateful to have you. Thank you so much.
VAN DAM: All right.
HUNT: All right. Coming up next here on CNN this morning, Chinese hackers targeting U.S. infrastructure. Why the FBI says there's no stopping it.
Plus, dozens of disturbing comments surface about that candidate for governor in North Carolina. How might it impact the presidential race?
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NORMAN: I think he needs to drop out.
GREENE: I myself can't support anyone if that all turns out to be true.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Read what he wrote, you know he said that.
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[05:28:32]
HUNT: All right, 5:28 a.m. on the East Coast. A live look at New York City on this Friday morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. I made it to Friday. It's great to have you with us.
U.S. intelligence officials warning that Iran has emerged as one of the most aggressive foreign powers trying to influence this year's presidential election. The latest example coming to light earlier this week, law enforcement officials revealing that Iranian hackers sent stolen information from Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Two people associated with what was Joe Biden's campaign over the summer. There's no indication that Biden's staff ever replied. A campaign official telling CNN the material wasn't used.
Still, Trump taking the opportunity to baselessly claim that Kamala Harris's campaign was, quote, illegally spying, end quote. He wrote this on Truth Social: Will Kamala resign in disgrace from politics? Will the communist left pick a new candidate to replace her?
Iran isn't the only threat. FBI Director Christopher Wray says the attacks are only going to get more complicated.
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CHRIS WRAY, FBI DIRECTROR: The threat is only going to get more severe, more complex, more challenging as adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran turn increasingly to A.I., to infiltrate our networks and steal our information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: All right. Joining us now, "Washington Post" columnist Josh Rogin.
Josh, good morning to you. Always wonderful to have you on the show.
Can you kind of dig into for us, into what we learned this week and how it's different from efforts we've seen in the past
JOSH ROGIN, COLUMNIST, WASHINGTON POST: Sure. Well, you know, for the Iranian part of it, I think this is actually.
