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Erin Burnett Outfront
GOP Rep: Prince Andrew Punishment "A Victory" For Epstein Victims; Trump Advisers Caught Off Guard By His Order For Nuke Testing; "Hell On Earth": New Video Shows Coastal Town Decimated By Strom. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired October 30, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:23]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Breaking news, a Republican calling for accountability in America after Prince Andrew is stripped of his prince title and evicted from
his royal home. The reason is clear, Jeffrey Epstein. When will the powerful men in America face justice?
Plus, breaking news, CNN learning that Trump's own advisers were caught off guard by his announcement that the U.S. would conduct nuclear tests.
And more breaking news this hour. CNN just now getting into some of the hardest hit areas in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa. We're going to show you that destruction firsthand for the first time. Let's go OUTFRONT.
Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT on this Thursday, the breaking news, a crown gone. Disgraced royal Prince Andrew tonight is just Andrew, no longer a prince, stripped of his most coveted title and evicted from his royal home just weeks after losing his other royal titles and honors. Perhaps it seemed that would be enough, but it wasn't the ultimate accountability was the word prince. And so much of this is rooted in allegations that Andrew forced sexual encounters with a teenager who was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, that teenager at the time.
Well, her name is Virginia Giuffre, and she wrote about the first time she met Andrew and what Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, told her. In part, she writes in her memoir, when we got home or when we get home, this is what Maxwell said to Virginia, you are to do for him what you do for Jeffrey. Back at the house, Maxwell and Epstein said good night and headed upstairs, signaling it was time that I take care of the prince.
In the years since, I've thought a lot about how he behaved. Now, Giuffre writes about this and says she was 17 at the time. She wrote the book before she died by suicide last April, and the details from Giuffre finally forcing King Charles's hand.
I mean, look at how he has been heckled in public.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HECKLER: How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein? Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew? Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: They don't even need to use the use the word "Epstein" to make it clear that's what this is about. A statement from Buckingham Palace does make it clear this is Epstein saying, quote, their majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse. Incredibly direct.
And Andrew, of course, is just one. He is one of many. He is one powerful man in Epstein's inner circle who is being held accountable. And in the U.S. -- well, who has paid the price for this?
Republican Congressman Tom Massie is standing up as he has day after day. He is standing up again. Of course, he's spearheading a bill to release all of the Epstein files. He came out after this news about Andrew tweeting, quote, "This is a victory for victims. However, it appears that rich and powerful men in the United States have immunities and privileges exceeding those of royalty in Britain. Speaker Johnson is avoiding a vote on releasing Epstein files by keeping the House in recess. It's not a hoax."
Now, why did he use that word hoax? He used that word very specifically because that's a word that Trump uses to talk about the Epstein files. And Massie is talking directly to President Trump and his allies, who are so quick to dismiss the allegations and call the Epstein files a hoax.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a Democrat hoax that never ends.
I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring.
I call it the Epstein hoax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Of course, it isn't a hoax. And in the U.K. now, there is no cries of hoax. But a lot of calls for Trump to answer questions. Of course, when Trump had that big state visit to the U.K. in September, it was unavoidable. The whole world was confronted with these images projected on to Windsor Castle.
And of course, it's very important to note that Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing. But he has been told by his DOJ that he is in the Epstein files. Epstein called Trump his closest friend and frankly, someone multiple guests on this program who know both men have confirmed were very close.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were best friends.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were best friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was his best friend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Alayna Treene begins our coverage live outside the White House.
[19:05:00]
And, Alayna, you know, when you look at this, you know, perhaps a couple of weeks ago when this happened, I remember when we were writing it actually in our intro, and I was thinking, why is there still Prince Andrew? I mean, if he's losing his title, isn't that the one to go away?
It wasn't at the time, but the outrage over that did not stop. And so now it is just Andrew, not prince. Trump, of course, knows Andrew well. They've been photographed together over the years, obviously.
And I know you've reached out to the White House about this. What are they saying?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: There's been no response yet. I did email them and ask a couple people if they had a statement, a response to Andrew the prince being stripped of his titles and nothing back from that on that.
And I will say it's not typical of them to weigh in on matters relating to Andrew specifically. Of course, when it relates to his association and ties to Epstein. But despite and I would say, the president has in the past noted that he doesn't know. He says he doesn't know Andrew. But despite that, he has been photographed with him on several occasions. One time was in 2019, when President Donald Trump went to United Kingdom for a state visit, where he met with the royals. Another time was all the way back in 2000, when Andrew was at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. He was photographed with both Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, who at the time was Trump's girlfriend.
But through all of this, I do think, and this is kind of the point you made about what Massie was saying on X, is that what's really interesting to me is we're not seeing the type of sweeping backlash and kind of swift accountability in the United Kingdom, as we have in the United States.
And don't get me wrong, I mean, clearly, there has been a ton of political backlash that the president has faced over this and his administration overall, with their handling of the files. But I remind you, you mentioned the presidents state visit just back in September. Right before that, the prime minister of the U.K., Keir Starmer, fired the British ambassador just days before Trump arrived because of his ties. Peter Mandelson's ties to Epstein.
And so it's very interesting to see how these two things are playing out across the sea.
BURNETT: Yeah, absolutely. And of course, when there will be accountability in the U.S. and I guess, I suppose at this point, given what's going on in Congress, we have to say if there will be accountability, not just when. Thank you so much, Alayna.
And Tara Palmeri and Richard Quest are OUTFRONT.
Richard, obviously, this is huge news where you are, right? Prince Andrew no longer Prince Andrew. And it's obviously really important in the United States in Washington, around the U.S. as well, because of the crucial questions, why is this happening in London when there is no movement here in the United States, which was where Epstein lived and the center of his life and his inner circle?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: There are two aspects to it. First of all, the increasing pressure that was put to bear. Don't forget, the king has done this own very, very late in the day. But that's because the waters of danger are lapping around the monarchy, and he had to be seen to do something, not just let Andrew lose his voluntarily, lose his titles. He had to be seen.
And that's why I've got the statement here. His majesty initiated a formal process. Well, you've got to go back to 1919. So around about there, before you see that happening again.
And the other reason is the stench, the stench of entitlement that he was living in this house. And you just don't look, I live both in the U.K. and the U.S. at the moment in the U.S., there is nothing like that sort of groundswell of outrage that there has been here in the U.K. about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as he now is, and that does not yet exist in the U.S.
When it does, I suspect there will be movement.
BURNETT: Yes. And Tara, that's the question. So, Thomas Massie is -- read what he posted on social media, and he says, "This is a victory for victims. However, it appears that rich and powerful men in the United States have immunities and privileges exceeding those of royalty in Britain," an obvious and yet excruciating point to make, Tara.
So, what is the difference here?
TARA PALMERI, HOST, "THE TARA PALMERI SHOW": You know, I don't know. I mean, perhaps the fact that it's more expensive to that the royals cost more for the U.S. tax, the U.K. taxpayers.
But, in the United States, our public officials, they are elected they are responsible to the people that they represent. And, you know, it is up to them to be transparent. And when the people are asking for the Epstein files, they should have to respond to it. I mean, the U.K. ambassador to the U.S. had to step down from his position based on a few emails that show that they were friends. We know that the president of the United States was very close friends with Jeffrey Epstein.
How close of an association is going to cause people to react? And I do think there is a groundswell here, Richard.
[19:10:01]
I just think that people aren't paying attention. I think that an entire party is deciding not to pay attention because they're following the president. And -- but if you listen to just everyday people, they want to know more.
BURNETT: So, you know, in this question of whether it's a matter of if or when. And I think that's really still a question here, Richard, right? Thomas Massie, he stands up there, pounds the table every day, right. And you know, but what was it that actually is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, then in the case of Andrew.
QUEST: I think it was two things. It was, first of all, a picture that came out at the weekend, which showed, it showed Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein and Harvey Weinstein all attending a birthday party at Royal Lodge, the very house that Andrews been living in for the last -- 30 odd years, 20 odd years, and not paying any rent.
And then there's this statement, which you which you read, "Their majesties wish to make clear their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of all forms of abuse. In the case of the U.S., you have not had from those involved. You have not had that same sort of phraseology. And in fact, if you go back to what the president has said about, Giuffre, he was talking about how annoyed he was with Epstein for stealing his staff from the massage parlor and from the spa.
BURNETT: Yeah.
QUEST: That is not the same thing as accountability for things that took place, which, of course, and eventually it is the money that gets you, by the way, when people find out that somebody is living free, somebody has done something wrong, somebody gained pecuniary advantage. That's the bit that will eventually --
BURNETT: I mean, it's amazing. And the president called it a Democratic hoax. Of course, were talking about rape and abuse of underage girls, pedophilia. It's not a hoax.
Tara, it wouldn't be happening if it weren't for Virginia Giuffre and not and frankly, if it weren't for her new book, because people knew about her and Prince Andrew, and he had been in some ways held accountable, but not in terms of the titles in his lifestyle or any of that. And her family, obviously is saying that she brought down a British prince. It appears to be true.
You knew her very well. And she did mention Prince Andrew in the book, and she named him and she gave new details, which is why we are where we are tonight with Prince Andrew.
But what she didn't do in the book, Tara was name people in the United States who could be implicated. Right? She -- maybe you could figure some of them out. She didn't put them all in. We know there are many. Why not?
PALMERI: You know, I've thought about that because I know she's been trafficked to as many as three dozen men. She's shown me the list of the men that she was trafficked to. Some of them are people in public life in America.
And I think that there's fear of, probably the publishers were worried about dealing with defamation. She likely couldn't ensure the publishers, and they didn't want to insure her. And that is a sad state in America right now where, people are afraid to tell the truth.
Andrew Lownie has a book called "Entitled" about Prince Andrew. It's a bestseller in the U.K. It details his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein because he mentioned Epstein's relationship with Melania. It's not published in the U.S.
There -- there is so much more to this story than she even could publish. Heartbreaking. But it will come out. I know that. I believe it.
BURNETT: All right. Well, I appreciate you, Tara, and also, Richard, thanks so much. I know obviously it's late there. So, thank you both so much.
Danielle Bensky is OUTFRONT. She is an Epstein survivor. She was first recruited back in 2004. At the time, she was 17, to give Epstein a massage at his townhouse on the upper east side where she was abused by him over the course of several months.
And, Danielle, I appreciate your choosing to talk about this now, to have to relive it in the context of coming out and talking about it.
When you saw this today, though, and I'm thinking about what it was like a couple of weeks ago when Prince Andrew was losing all these titles, but he wasn't losing prince. He wasn't losing prince. And tonight, he is just Andrew.
How did it feel when you saw that?
DANIELLE BENSKY, EPSTEIN SURVIVOR: Well, first, thank you for having me.
I think it was incredibly hopeful for survivors. And it's a glimmer of hope that we haven't seen, in a really long time, if ever. I think the only other time we've seen it is when Ghislaine was put behind bars.
And it's really just a living tribute to Virginia. And I definitely think that it's a moment about justice, right? While we're so happy that it's happened, I think we still need to look at the justice piece of this and make sure that justice is being served. But I do think that there's been a tiny little piece of it now that
we've seen justice for many young girls and women who have been trafficked and abused by Andrew.
[19:15:05]
I think we all feel so incredibly proud of Virginia. And just what a great way to honor her voice and what a force she was. She was the reason I came forward. And I know the reason why so many others have as well. And so, she just walked such a fearless path, and I just. I wish that she were alive to see this day.
BURNETT: You were there with some of the others who were abused by Epstein. But, you know, many of whom who spoke out because of Virginia in that closed door meeting at the Capitol with Speaker Johnson and members of the Oversight Committee last month.
And obviously, you have -- there are some Republicans, right? Nancy Mace, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, they are out there. They want these files released. Thomas Massie has put his entire career on the line for this, and he continues to do so tonight.
But they are on a -- still a pretty small island that we know publicly, of Republicans willing to do that. How does it feel that there's accountability in the U.K. for Prince Andrew, but not here in the U.S., where Epstein lived, spent most of his time and frankly, where the vast majority of the men we understand that maybe in these files may still live?
BENSKY: It's such a great question. And I think one that many of us ask all the time. I think first, government needs to be open for these things to be able to move forward. I feel a little bit like, you know, the names have been in the files, they are in the files, and government has this information. Right.
And so, I feel a lot of the time that survivors are being asked to come forward with all of this. And I just -- am feeling like, you know, they just need to do their jobs and find the names and just be able to just be as transparent as possible. You know, I think that accountability is such an incredible word. And I -- you know, I teach dance, I teach dancers all the time. Young kids. I have a son of my own.
And it's like we are basically just asking for the same things that we would ask from our children or from, you know, anybody that we teach, we're not asking for much. We're just asking for you to be held accountable for actions. That's it.
BURNETT: So true.
Danielle, thank you very much. We appreciate it.
BENSKY: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
BURNETT: It's good to see you. And next, we have breaking news with some major confusion here because
we are just learning that Trump's own advisers were blindsided when he claimed that the United States would start testing nuclear weapons again the first time in about 40 years. So, what does Trump mean? What happened there and what's going to happen?
And the hottest race of the country just days away. And our John King went to every New York borough to see what people have to say about the race for New York.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What -- are we going to live in fear and only do things in reaction to Trump for the rest of our lives, because then we're really (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Excuse, excuse my French.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And a newspaper thought it was getting a big scoop from former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. It turns out that they were talking to Bill de Blasio, but a different one. Both Bill de Blasios are here tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:22:46]
BURNETT: Breaking news, CNN is learning that Trump's own advisers were caught off guard when they saw his announcement that the United States would once again test nuclear weapons, something that has not been done in decades. And Trump himself, after saying this, refused to provide any details.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Any details around the testing, sir, like where, when?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It will be -- it'll be announced. You know, we have test sites. It'll be announced.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Okay. I mean, that's pretty vague with test sites. I mean, we're talking about testing nuclear weapons. Trump said that he'd -- use his words, instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis with China and Russia. That process will begin immediately.
Now, something is really, real off about this, okay? Because just on a very simple and basic fact, China and Russia have not conducted a nuclear weapons test. Anyone knows of since the late -- since the 1990s. And even the person that Trump has nominated to oversee America's nuclear arsenal is suggesting that he is not sure what Trump exactly meant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VICE ADM. RICHARD CORRELL, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND: I wouldn't presume that the presidents words meant nuclear testing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Which is, of course, confusing, because that is what Trump said that he has instructed the Department of War to start testing nuclear weapons.
Okay. Evelyn Farkas is OUTFRONT now, former deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Obama administration, and retired Army Major General Randy Manner.
And I appreciate both of you very much.
General Manner, obviously, understanding this is crucial for all Americans and for anyone who lives on this planet. You oversaw Americas policies for inspecting the nuclear weapons arsenal, for safeguarding the nuclear weapons arsenal.
When you saw what Trump said and what's now happening afterwards, with the confusion and with his commentary on details of, we have test sites that will be announced. What do you hear?
MAJOR GENERAL RANDY MANNER, U.S. ARMY (RET.): I want to give a little bit larger perspective on the fact that there is no money for this congressionally approved whatsoever. I was at Fort Belvoir Medical Hospital this morning for an appointment, and I was astounded by because of the furloughed doctors, nurses and staff, how many dozens of military -- young military soldiers and airmen and their families and quite frankly, babies and small children who are waiting to see doctors because of the government shutdown.
[19:25:15]
And here he is announcing a testing program that could potentially cost hundreds of millions of dollars. I have been on the ground at those Nevada test sites from those many decades ago. And by the way, the Department of Energy is responsible for testing nuclear weapons, not the Department of Defense. So, unfortunately, the president doesn't understand how the process works.
Because there are no facilities. There are no facilities. There are no -- there's no testing equipment. There is -- there is no expertise. There are no people.
This will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. And quite frankly, years to be able to do it. It's not just like -- let's go ahead and set off a nuke. That is not how this works.
And the average -- and the American people have to understand and have full confidence that our nuclear weapons are safe, and that they will operate as needed when they are needed. So, this is just a ruse by the president.
BURNETT: Evelyn, they also should have full confidence that the commander in chief of the United States, who is in control of the nuclear arsenal, understands it fully. And all the details about what it is, who controls it, who tests it, where all of those things, which it appears there is a lack of clarity on, given that Trump's own team seems to be confused about what exactly he meant there, too.
EVELYN FARKAS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MCCAIN INSTITUTE: Yeah. Erin, I think you just made an advertisement for the Kathryn Bigelow movie "House of Dynamite" because there's a nuclear scenario when a president has to make a decision, and it really does come down to the president the way our system is built, which goes all the way back to Truman and the Second World War, he didn't want the military to decide about use of nuclear weapons. And so, it's the president that decides.
In this scenario, we have a president who I think he misspoke, Erin, I think he did not mean to say were going to do nuclear testing. We're not testing a nuclear weapon. We can test weapons that could carry a nuclear weapon, a nuclear bomb on them. And that's fine. And that's actually what the Russians said they were doing.
And I think that President Trump was responding to the Russians. And for that, I give him credit, because I think it's good to be tough with the Russians in the current context.
BURNETT: Right.
FARKAS: But he was -- he was misspeaking. And, you know, there's a snowball effect potentially. It's not just that it costs money --
BURNETT: Right.
FARKAS: -- and it's unnecessary because scientifically we don't need it, but all these other countries are going to think they can do it. And that's dangerous.
BURNETT: Right. And, General Manner, I know you think that is extremely dangerous to us because you're pointing out that the United States has a long history. And granted, there hasn't been tests of nuclear weapons in decades. Right. But that the United States has a complex arsenal, that it knows the details of. But countries like China, for example, have not been able to do the tests that would give them knowledge of the reliability of their own arsenal.
MANNER: I think it's important, again, to understand that there is no requirement, not by scientists, not by the military, not by the Department of Energy. This is something where it's not necessary.
Now, I do agree that the idea of delivery systems, whether that means dropping something without the nuclear weapon or putting it on a missile to test the missile with, again, no nuclear weapon. That is different. I do not believe that's what the president was saying. I think he was actually saying to be able to explode and nuclear weapon.
I disagree slightly, and I think we need to be -- this is again, whether it was misspeaking not understanding the process, which is extremely clear that he does not. It is something we all need to be very concerned about. And hopefully, this is not just a diversion from the fact that the government has shut down and impacting so many Americans and so many different ways.
BURNETT: What, Evelyn, could be the impact of the fact that it appears that the president is confused?
FARKAS: Yeah. I mean, I do have to -- I do have to kind of take what the general said and, you know, correct myself a little bit because I'm giving the president the benefit of the doubt. But it may be that he doesn't understand the implications of actually exploding a nuclear weapon and conducting a test. And so, he cavalierly, you know, says this.
And if that's the case, that is serious. I am concerned that he doesn't understand these distinctions because we need a president who does, and we need a president who doesn't say things off the cuff. I mean, he should have a talking point. And if he's not certain, I mean, we all know this. You know, you have --
BURNETT: You ask somebody.
FARKAS: You ask someone, you look at your notes. You say, we will test nuclear capable missiles just like Putin, you know, whatever. But you can't talk willy-nilly about breaking a three-decade voluntary moratorium that all the nine nuclear weapons countries abide by. You know, some of them are not declared.
But anyway, the big ones Russia, U.S. and China, we don't, we don't. And India, Pakistan, we don't conduct nuclear weapons tests anymore. It's a -- it's a -- it's a voluntary agreement. And that keeps the world safer. And it -- and it -- frankly, we don't spend as much money needlessly.
[19:30:03]
BURNETT: All right. Thank you both very much. I appreciate the conversation.
MANNER: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, the most closely watched race in the country. And our John King hit the streets, the taxis, the Ubers and the subways, going to every borough to see what New Yorkers have to say about Cuomo versus Mamdani and a little Sliwa in there.
And former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio comes face to face right here with the other real Bill de Blasio, the one who made headlines when he talked to "The Times of London".
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, a latch ditch -- a last ditch, sorry, effort to beat Zohran Mamdani with the hottest election in the country just days away. New York billionaire Bill Ackman, Ronald Lauder, William Lauder, Barry Diller and Dan Loeb have all made big donations to a special committee called Fix the City that supports independent candidate Andrew Cuomo.
[19:35:03]
This is according to reporting from CNBC.
Michael Bloomberg also giving Cuomo a last minute cash infusion. And non-New Yorkers getting in this, too, casino mogul Steve Wynn and Alice Walton, of course, of the Walmart family propping up Cuomo. It comes as our John King visited all five New York city boroughs to find out which way the actual voters are leaning.
He is OUTFRONT with this special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How are you today?
We're here to figure out who's going to win the mayor's race. That's why we're here.
Who's going to win? Cab drivers know everything, don't they know?
CAB DRIVER: No. Most of the people are -- say that the Indian guy.
KING: Mamdani.
CAB DRIVER: Yeah.
KING (voice-over): Brooklyn is critical to Mamdani's chances.
ALICE HENTY, NEW YORK VOTER: I believe in socialism. So for me, he's a beacon.
KING (voice-over): The liberal Bushwick neighborhood is home to Diego and filmmaker Alice Henty.
HENTY: Well, I think the country's just going really badly down the toilet. And I think Zohran is like the glimmer of hope for me and for everyone I know.
KING (voice-over): Not swayed by Trump's threat to slash federal aid if Mamdani wins.
HENTY: Nope.
KING: Too bad?
HENTY: No, I just think that's -- what? We're going to live in fear and only do things in reaction to Trump for the rest of our lives? Because then were really (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Excuse, excuse my French, but we got to stand up.
KING: I don't think that's French.
(LAUGHTER)
HENTY: It is in France.
KING: And in New York.
GIOVANNI LANZO, NEW YORK VOTER: It's pizza. It never fails.
KING (voice-over): Luigi's is in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, opened 52 years ago by Giovanni Lanzo's father.
LANZO: I'm tossed up still.
KING (voice-over): That's Brooklyn for undecided, but a clue here. Mamdani says he's changed his mind. But he did in the past call for defunding the police.
LANZO: Now, what am I going to do? I say get rid of them, and then when I need them, I'm going to call. Who? Superman. Clark Kent don't exist.
KING (voice-over): A taste test.
KING: Simple, excellence, sauce, mozzarella, a little basil. Lunch.
KING (voice-over): Off to Manhattan. Up the stairs. Way uptown.
KING: After most of the day in Brooklyn, this is evening in Manhattan. Manhattan is by far the wealthiest of the five boroughs. The median income here $106,000 a year. It's also the most educated. Sixty-five percent of Manhattan residents have at least four years of college, earning a bachelor's degree or higher.
KING (voice-over): Trivia night at The Gaf East draws a lively crowd.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So anyway, we have a few rules for trivia.
KING (voice-over): This table, all in for Mamdani.
KING: What do you think is the single most important issue for the next mayor of New York?
ANNA ST. CLAIR, NEW YORK VOTER: I definitely think it's affordability.
LAI LOPEZ, NEW YORK VOTER: To protect us from what's going on on the federal level.
KING (voice-over): Anna St. Clair works in public relations. Lai Lopez is a nurse, 29 and 40, young professionals who welcome Mamdani ideas others call socialist, unrealistic and worse.
LOPEZ: And everyone just calls him a communist. And, you know -- and I don't have reservations with him. I think he's fully capable.
ST. CLAIR: He has, like, new ideas that are like, different, like the grocery stores, which like, you know, something like that. Okay. Like, maybe that won't work out. But I think the idea that he's like, I have this new policy proposal or like the free buses is like inspiring.
KING (voice-over): Up with the sun on day two. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome aboard the Staten Island ferry.
KING (voice-over): On our way to the city's conservative outpost.
KING: We're starting our morning on the Staten Island ferry. Officially, Staten Island is Richmond County on the map, famous for these ferries. You see us here passing by the Statue of Liberty behind me, heading over to Staten Island. We started in Manhattan.
Staten Island is the least populous of New York's five boroughs. Still about 500,000 people. That's roughly the size of Oakland, California, or Raleigh, North Carolina. It is also unique among the five boroughs because Staten Island is majority white, about 56 percent of its residents are white.
And here's another unique Staten Island distinction. It is the only borough Donald Trump has ever won in his three runs for president, and Trump has won it all three times.
KING (voice-over): The island coffee shop is a Staten Island landmark.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I watch you every day. I watch you every day.
KING: Well, then you need to get something better to do.
Abelardo Alemin sees his vote as a message to Trump.
ABELARDO ALEMIN, NEW YORK VOTER: If Mamdani wins, I mean, it will be probably a relief, probably for our immigration immigrant community, you know, because it gives us hope.
KING (voice-over): Joe Rinaldo prefers a counter seat.
JOE RINALDO, NEW YORK VOTER: I've been all over the world. This is probably the best breakfast place in the world.
KING (voice-over): Rinaldo believes Sliwa was still has a chance to beat Mamdani, especially if voters accept his test for picking a mayor.
RINALDO: Twelve o'clock midnight, you're on a train. Three thugs get on the train. You want him with you on the other car, or do you want the Guardian Angels?
[19:40:00]
Tell me what you want. Tell me. Tell me the truth. You tell me the truth.
KING: I don't answer questions. I ask questions. Sorry.
RINALDO: If you love your daughter, you can't vote for Mamdani. You can't vote for him.
KING (voice-over): The coffee and service are great. The conversation crackling, but we have a lot more ground to cover. So back to the ferry and then a drive up the BQE.
Teitel Brothers is on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, an Italian grocery founded by a Jewish family 110 years ago.
KING: How's business?
KING (voice-over): Gil Teitel is a registered Republican, a Trump voter, maybe Cuomo for mayor if he thinks he can win. Teitel says Mamdani's math just doesn't add up.
GIL TEITEL, NEW YORK VOTER: He will raise real estate taxes. He will freeze rents. But then how do you go about paying real estate taxes?
KING (voice-over): Michael Teitel doesn't live in the city anymore, but his daughter does.
MICHAEL TEITEL, NEW YORK VOTER: She's 30 years old, the girl is 30.
KING (voice-over): And he worries about her safety. Michael's gift to a visitor, his signature Italian combo.
KING: That is spectacular. Well.
The Bronx is the poorest of New York's five boroughs. The median income here is about $50,000 a year. That is less than half of what it is in Manhattan. And while all of New York's boroughs are diverse, the Bronx has this distinction. It is the only borough of the five that is majority Latino.
KING (voice-over): This auto shop is busy. More Trump/Cuomo talk in the blue collar Bronx.
Jose Hernandez is a 47 year auto body veteran, also a Trump voter.
JOSE HERNANDEZ, NEW YORK VOTER: Mamdani, he talk too much. I don't believe it when the people talk too much. I promise too much, promise too much things.
KING (voice-over): Four down, one to go.
KING: This is Astoria in Queens. In terms of population, Queens ranks second among the five boroughs. It's right in the middle of the five when it comes to median income.
And Queens is the most diverse of the five boroughs, 28 percent Hispanic, 26 percent Asian, 23 percent white, 16 percent Black.
KING (voice-over): Mamdani is a fan of this Bangladeshi restaurant. So is Soleyman Abu.
KING: What's the biggest problem in the city or the biggest challenge?
SOLEYMAN ABU, NEW YORK VOTER: Oh, the crime and the rent control.
KING (voice-over): Abu favors Cuomo because of his experience. But Mamdani has a lot of fans here.
KING: Who's going to win the mayor's race?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mamdani.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mamdani.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mamdani.
KING: Are you sure about this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we hope so.
KING: Yeah. Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?
KING: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New, we need somebody new.
KING (voice-over): Five distinct boroughs, one giant choice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: Can I -- are you going to go on the food? This is amazing. I watching you eat. And, I mean, you know, you're -- I love -- I'm loving it.
Okay. In addition, so fascinating what all these individuals had to say. And just chuckling you know New York, right? Someone saying he talks too much, right? I mean, you get, these are New Yorkers.
But when it comes to enthusiasm, John, you talk to so many people, not just the ones here, right? So many more.
When you look at the enthusiasm that Mamdani supporters had compared to Cuomo or Sliwa supporters, what did you see?
KING: Not quite as enthusiastic as I was to eat that sandwich in the Bronx. But you do see, in the Mamdani supporters, some of them are canvasing. Some of the younger people. They're showing you the text. They're on TikTok, and they're on social media.
You see a lot more energy, a lot more positive, a lot more. I want to vote for my candidate.
We met a lot of Trump voters who are going to hold their nose and vote for Cuomo. On Staten Island, a lot of people who said they'd never voted for a Democrat, especially a Cuomo. Cuomo is like a curse word. You know this in New York among Republicans because of his dad and the family and everything.
But they say they might do it because they don't want Mamdani, because they think he's a socialist, or they think he doesn't have the experience or for whatever reason. But the Mamdani supporters are much more, I'm going to do this because I like this guy, and I like the new idea.
So, enthusiasm, energy matters in politics. And that is on Mamdani side, without a doubt.
BURNETT: Best food in the Bronx. All right. Thank you.
By the way, the only borough with a "the" in front of it. The only one with a "the". Its not the Queens. It's not the Manhattan. It's only the Bronx.
KING: Best sandwich I have ever had.
BURNETT: Thank you, John King.
And OUTFRONT next, a British newspaper thought it scored a major story by speaking to former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio about the New York election. And he had totally flipped on Mamdani, who he endorsed. He no longer liked him. This was big news.
But they didn't talk to the former New York city mayor. OUTFRONT next, will the real Bill de Blasio please stand up?
Plus, brand new video from Jamaica just coming in to CNN showing unbelievable destruction here for the first time, were getting the images from Hurricane Melissa. We'll take you live to the ground in our Derek Van Dam.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:47:59]
BURNETT: Tonight, an OUTFRONT exclusive, Bill de Blasio, meet Bill de Blasio. They even both have the same facial hair. All right, let me explain. Let me explain what's going on here.
We first told you last night about how a "Times of London" reporter mistakenly reported that the former mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, who supports Zohran Mamdani, had flipped, really, and was having all these questions about Mamdani's policies like free buses childcare, rent freeze. But that Bill de Blasio never questioned all those things because the reporter actually was having a conversation with a different Bill de Blasio.
And now, the mystery is solved. We have solved it. "The Times of London" reporter actually emailed Bill de Blasio, a wine importer and former cybersecurity executive who lives on Long Island.
And the Long Island Bill de Blasio shared this email with us, addressed to Mr. De Blasio, not mayor, to Mr. De Blasio, which, of course, is his name. And it says in part, "I'm working on an article looking at Zohran Mamdani's policy plans and their estimated costs. I would greatly appreciate your insights on Mr. Mamdani's ambitious agenda, potential obstacles, and whether the sums add up.
So Bill de Blasio replied with what he really thinks, and the article was published under the headline, Zohran Mamdani ally, Bill de Blasio, says his policies don't add up. And there it became, oh, my gosh, he's flipping his endorsement.
Well, "The Times of London" did take the article down and apologize after the former mayor called it fabricated. And "The Times of London" also later told "The New York Times" it was misled. So both Bill de Blasio, they can both stand up. They are both here.
All right. It is great to have both of you with us. So, because I need to be clear. And the only difference between the two of you on your name is whether you capitalize the D or not.
Let's go this way, Bill from Long Island, let me start with you. And what? I mean, when all this story first happened, you're sitting there and an email pops up and you know that I just read part of, what went through your head when you first saw it?
[19:50:05]
BILL DEBLASIO, JR., MISIDENTIFIED AS FORMER MAYOR DE BLASIO: Well, it's not the -- it's not the first time this has happened. I've been confused with Mayor De Blasio for many years, going back to 2000 when he was working for Hillary -- on Hillary's campaign. So, I've been -- I've been used to this. It really amped up, obviously, when he was in office.
And, you know, people go searching, they send it to my name at Yahoo, my name at Gmail, my name at AOL. You know, they just go searching. I'm on emails with Obama and Trump and everybody, you know, they just try and find the right person.
And most of the time I ignore it. I used to ignore it. But you know, I have a little fun with it sometimes. And this gentleman reached out to me and asked me the questions. And obviously I know that ex-Mayor de Blasio is supporting, you know, Mamdani.
And so I -- you know, I just said, let's have a little fun with it. And I even put it on my Facebook. This happened last Friday, just so you know, it was -- I put it on my Facebook and I put the -- I actually put the email that you have a copy of.
And I said to all my friends, come on, lets, you know, should I answer this? And they're like, heck yeah, you have to answer that. So I answered it and I never thought it would get to that level.
Like, in other words, I thought somebody was going to fact check it somewhere along the line and call me out, you know, and just say, come on, this is this is rubbish. And the gentleman, listen, the reporter was very polite, very kind. You know, he -- and he -- and he -- and he asked me, so I wrote out a bunch of things that I thought would be interesting.
And then, a friend of mine and I, we ran it through ChatGPT a little bit, and it looked good, and I sent it back to him.
So I never thought anything of it. And then he answered and he said, is it okay if I use paragraphs two and three of your email? You know, in London Times article? So, I was like, sure, you know, and that's all I said. And I signed it. The spelling of my name properly, like I typed it, I typed Bill DeBlasio, you know, as the reply, I never said I was the mayor and I said, somebody's going to catch this.
And that was Friday. So I never heard a single thing back from the reporter after he asked permission. And all of a sudden, Tuesday night, my phone exploded. You know, they printed it. It went to press, you know, it's, you know, so, you know, you're in big trouble. I was like --
BURNETT: So, so, Mayor de Blasio, I mean, you know, what do you -- what do you think about all this? You know, last night when we were talking about this, before we knew about Bill DeBlasio you were saying there's something missing here that I don't fully get. You just got a lot more answers from Bill.
BILL DE BLASIO (D), FORMER NYC MAYOR: First of all, I'm upset that this guy is better looking than me. You know, this is a problem for me, okay?
But, look, I mean, it's funny on one level, Erin. But there's also, I agree with the other. Bill. How did no one check? How -- and by the way, wouldn't you think major, major publication. If suddenly I changed my mind, someone would say, why did you change your mind?
So, there is still something missing here. Why is it so easy for journalists to get it wrong? Never want to see his face. Never want to hear his voice. And then the editor should have said, excuse me, what the heck? It's like, show me the reason he changed his mind, which obviously wasn't there.
So, some -- this says, and we have to really be careful in the future about these kind of fakes, because I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of them.
BURNETT: Yeah. And Bill from Long Island, I mean, what do you think about that? I mean, I know by the way, you both have met before, and at a Mets game, right. And I think, Bill, you went up and said, you know, showed your ID, said, we have the same name, and I know, I believe, at least from what you said about Mamdani, you probably weren't a supporter of his necessarily politically, right? But you got the same name. Why not go up to him?
But you know, you talk about these messages you've gotten for the mayor over all these years. A lot of them really horrible and nasty, right?
DEBLASIO: Yeah. Vicious. I'd say 98 percent of the correspondence I've received, and it's just absolutely brutal. Absolutely mean, nasty, angry people. I actually feel sorry for the mayor.
You know, it's just -- it's just -- people are just horrible. And they're telling me they wish I'd die. I'm the worst mayor ever. They hate me.
About 2 percent of it was people who needed help. And those people, I responded politely and respectfully to. And I just said, you know, here's a website, you know, for the city you can go to for help. You know, I actually felt bad for these people. They really needed help.
But in general, people are just brutal. And I -- and in the beginning I used to just delete them. And then after a while I used to respond to them, but they knew really quickly I wasn't the mayor. So after a while, what I did was I would respond, you know, and you have to kind of lure them in. You know, I'd kind of answer them seriously, like, oh, what are your concerns about, you know, snow days and why we open the schools yesterday and people would write paragraphs to me and id reply.
And each time I'd reply back and forth with them, I'd kind of get a little, a little nuttier, like a little crazier. And like the responses, like I'd throw some sentence in there was insane, you know? And like, eventually I'd say, why don't you go out there and shovel yourself? You know, I have better things to do than to talk to you.
(CROSSTALK)
DEBLASIO: And then eventually realize it wasn't the mayor.
BURNETT: Yeah. You have any idea?
DE BLASIO: No idea and no idea. And, you know, it's like --
BURNETT: Sorry.
DE BLASIO: I mean, first of all, thank you for acknowledging.
DEBLASIO: Twelve years.
BURNETT: He's your alter ego. Go shovel it yourself.
DE BLASIO: Shovel yourself. I had that, I had that feeling once in a while. I wanted to say it, but, thank you for saying because unfortunately, this is true with public servants all over the country trying to do their job and just this wave of hate that's been true in recent years, especially.
[19:55:04]
We got to get rid of it. We got to change it because it's not the way --
DEBLASIO: Brutal, especially during COVID.
DE BLASIO: Yeah.
BURNETT: Yeah, you got a lot and --
DEBLASIO: During COVID, especially when people were home. People at home have nothing to do during COVID --
BURNETT: Yeah, and saying horrible things.
But I just will say as we leave it there, yes, this segment is hopefully heartwarming and also funny, but I think also important two people who don't necessarily agree with each other politically, that you can have that sort of empathy and have that connection even amidst this. And if that comes out of this, that's a good thing.
And I appreciate both of you. Thanks so much.
DE BLASIO: Well, he's a wine importer. I want to go -- I want to go sample.
BURNETT: Bill de Blasio, you know what? You got his email.
DEBLASIO: Something good. Give me wine.
DE BLASIO: Something good has to come out of this.
(LAUGHTER)
BURNETT: All right. Thanks to you both.
DEBLASIO: Our wine is great, and I appreciate it. Thanks.
DE BLASIO: Thank you.
BURNETT: All right. And next, breaking news, brand new video. Just coming in here to us from some of the hardest hit areas in Jamaica. This is just coming from our Derek Van Dam on the ground. We'll take you there next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, gut wrenching new video just coming out of Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa.
Let's go straight to Derek Van Dam. He is OUTFRONT in Black River.
Derek, and you have been trying tirelessly to get into these decimated areas where you are. The town is completely gone. It's now basically a refugee camp, as you've been telling us. What have you seen?
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah, Erin. My team and I have made it to Black River and normally idyllic paradise, but has now turned into hell on earth. It is a humanitarian crisis that is unfolding here. The heat and humidity is just an added layer of complexity as people try to survive these moments. They have been through hell and back, not only riding out a storm that lasted over 24 hours, bringing a wall of water storm surge in excess of 15 feet, pummeling the coastline here, but also the catastrophic winds that brought so much devastation.
We crossed the Black River Bridge. Thats become more of a makeshift ad hoc meeting point for friends and relatives looking for contact with loved ones. There's no communication, no power within this area, and there are desperate pleas for food, water and international assistance. I've talked to so many people here on the ground, and I just want to give you an idea of what some of these local residents of Black River are dealing with right now. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VAN DAM: What's happened to your home?
BRITNEY SAMMS, HURRICANE MELISSA SURVIVOR: The storm, everything gone. So everything right now.
VAN DAM: What do you need most at this time?
SAMMS: A roof over our head, sir. Me and my mother and my grandmother. We don't know what are we going to do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAN DAM: Erin, it truly is a race against time. If we don't get aid into this area very quickly, there will be a humanitarian crisis that unfolds even further. They're desperate help for -- desperate need for international assistance, including food and medical supplies, as well. Erin.
BURNETT: Derek Van Dam, thank you so much for that crucial reporting.
And thanks so much to all of you for being here for it.
"AC360" starts now.
