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Isa Soares Tonight
Trump Assassination Attempt Suspect Charged; Trump Blames Biden and Harris for Apparent Assassination Attempt; TikTok Battles U.S. Ban; Deadly Storms Hit Parts of Europe; Tito Jackson dies at Age 70. Suspect in Trump's Second Assassination Attempt Appears in Court; Trump Blames Biden and Harris for Fueling Political Violence; Legal Battle Over Potential TikTok Ban in the U.S. Goes Before Federal Appeals Court. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired September 16, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
RICHARD QUEST, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: This is ISA SOARES TONIGHT, I am Richard Quest in for Isa, and you're most welcome. The suspect gunman in
the apparent assassination attempt on former President Trump has now been charged with two gun counts. I'll have the details of that.
Donald Trump is blaming the incident on Vice President Harris and the President, saying they're fueling political violence. Meanwhile, President
Biden says the Secret Service needs more help to ensure safety, and has said, there's no place for political violence in America.
TikTok, TikTok is TikToking. The social media giant is now head-to-head with the U.S. government, as part of their appeal in federal appeals court.
The app on what's likely to happen. We'll discuss that in the course of this program. Let's start though with new information about the suspected
targeting of Donald Trump on Sunday in Florida.
I want to show you the body-cam footage -- here you are from the arrest of Ryan Routh as you can see him there. Now, according to officials, a Secret
Service agent spotted Routh with a rifle a few 100 feet from where the former President was playing golf at his golf course.
In the criminal complaint that's now been laid, the agents later found a loaded rifle, a variant of an AK-47, and we're going to get a press
conference from the Secret Service in a couple of hours, which we'll have more details. In court, Routh was charged with two federal gun counts, he
will remain in custody for now, and he'll make a further appearance in court next week.
A few moments ago, President Biden gave his assessment and spoke about the incident when he also said there's no place for political violence in
America.
We seem to have a momentary problem there. That was the President, and the President also said no place for political violence, he made it clear that
was an absolute -- and there was no question. And then he did say that we will look at the question of Secret Service and whether they have the
necessary resources to protect the former President.
Donald Trump is now blaming President Biden and Vice President Harris for the events in the attempted assassination, saying it was their rhetoric to
help fuel political violence directed towards him. Trump has called the President and Vice President the real threat when he was giving an
interview to "Fox News".
The former President accused them of using highly inflammatory language, something that he claims he doesn't do. CNN's Kristen Holmes is in West
Palm Beach. Kristen is with me now, gosh, it is very difficult to sort all this out, isn't it? I mean, on the one hand, you have the actual events of
the day yesterday, and now you have the President -- no, the former President claiming it's actually Biden-Harris that are the ones that are
being inflammatory. Please, sort it out.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's not much that is 100 percent able to be sorted out, particularly 50 days before an election,
because you're going to hear both sides claim that the other side has politically divisive language.
And we've already heard that Donald Trump is clearly approaching this very differently than he approached the first assassination attempt in Butler,
Pennsylvania, where afterwards, he called for unity. He didn't actually blame anyone.
[14:05:00]
He thanked the Secret Service, and he kept saying they needed to bring the country together, and that he was going to be the one to do it. Now, what
we have seen over time, specifically with that first assassination attempt is a kind of shift in the rhetoric from that pitch of unity to blaming
Biden and the Biden administration.
And now of course, Kamala Harris who's at the top of the Democratic ticket, today, he didn't even start with unity, he went, he went immediately to
blaming the Biden administration and Kamala Harris, who is now at the top of the Democratic ticket. So, unsurprising there that he is making this
political.
But one thing is clear, and we have heard this from law enforcement sources, from Secret Service to local law enforcement, that there is a very
heated discussion in this country right now, and it is a dangerous time that we are living in. And there is a lot of divisive rhetoric across the
internet, across different parties.
So, something that obviously we know exists. But now this of course, we are looking into what exactly happened with this appearance of a second
assassination attempt on Trump's golf course. And one of the things I want to note here is that any moment now, we do expect the acting director of
the Secret Service will be sitting down with former President Donald Trump, going through exactly what happened and likely having a conversation about
what's going to happen next.
Does this call for more increased security? How can they change the presence around Donald Trump? A reminder, he has had an increased security
apparatus --
QUEST: Right --
HOLMES: Since that first assassination attempt, but clear --
QUEST: Yes, so, I just wanted to just pop in there. On that -- and I want you to develop that thought if you please can. In the sense that they got
there and were able to sort of -- they saw it before, God forbid, anything happened. This was a successful operation at one level.
But is it realistic to put the sorts of cordon around the former President that he would have had if it had been -- if he was the current President,
or is that something they just going to have to get on and do now?
HOLMES: Well, that's one of the big questions, Richard. I mean, one of the things to keep in mind here is that yes, there was an advanced team on the
ground that saw this rifle and was able to stop a potential attack. Again this appearance of another assassination attempt, and yes, they are
celebrating the fact that Secret Service engaged.
Remember, one of the biggest things that we saw in Butler was they were angry Secret Service didn't engage with the gunman before shots were fired.
That was not the case here. But as you noted, there are a lot of complications with the fact that he is not a sitting President, he doesn't
have the built-in apparatus.
For example, we know that there are golf courses like it's in -- excuse me, Andrews Air Force Base outside of D.C., that are completely locked down.
Donald Trump doesn't go to those golf courses, he goes to his own courses. He is not a sitting President, he doesn't likely have access to those
various courses.
So, how exactly does that work? Does he change his entire life? Does he change his hobbies? Does he only operate in areas that are quote, "hard
areas" like Mar-a-Lago that are completely secure, locked down, or is he still able to travel? Now, again, the campaign says it's business as usual.
He's going to be an all of his events this week in both Michigan and Washington D.C. as well as in Uniondale, New York.
But the Secret Service might have other plans or other at least conversations that they need to have to figure out if they're able to keep
him safe.
QUEST: Grateful for that. Thank you very much. Obviously, at the moment, there's more to talk about with -- certainly, there are allegations
concerning the President, then we'll come back to you. Thank you. New details on -- been coming to us about this apparent attempt for the latest
on the investigation.
CNN's Carlos Suarez joins us from West Palm Beach. Very early days, Carlos, in both the investigation and the legal part of it. But we do have two
charges which I imagine are holding charges.
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Richard. So, we're told that the 58-year-old could be facing additional charges because as you
mentioned, the two gun-related charges that prosecutors went after him for was all in an effort to keep him detained as they continue their
investigation.
Now, according to the criminal complaint that was released earlier this afternoon, we now know that Ryan Routh's cellphone data shows that he may
have been -- he may have spent nearly 12 hours in the area where the Secret Service agent spotted him along the perimeter of the golf course where the
former President was playing on Sunday afternoon.
So, we're talking about from about 1:59 in the morning until about 1:31 in the afternoon on Sunday. That of course, begs the question exactly how
Routh knew that the former President would be coming to the golf course, considering that it was not a part of his public schedule.
Now, several bags were also found at the scene including an SKS-styled rifle and another plastic bag that we're told contained some food. We also
got our first look today at some body-camera video showing the moments that the 58-year-old was arrested about an hour north of where we are in Martin
County, Florida.
[14:10:00]
The Sheriff's office there was able to pull him over to the side, they took him into custody, and then according to this affidavit, they went on to ask
him after this vehicle stop -- if -- Routh, then knew why he was being pulled over, why he was being stopped. And according to the court document,
he responded in the affirmative.
He seemed to know very well exactly why he was being pulled over and being taken into custody. Authorities went on to note that the license plate that
was on the car that he was driving had been reported stolen. And so, Routh is expected back in court on Monday for a detention hearing, and then he is
scheduled to be arraigned on September 30th.
All of these new details we're getting, Richard, just a few hours before a 4 O'clock news conference where the Palm Beach Sheriff's office tells me
that the Secret Service --
QUEST: OK, so --
SUAREZ: As well as the FBI --
QUEST: Let me jump in here --
SUAREZ: Will be briefing us.
QUEST: Right. Let me jump in here because --
SUAREZ: Yes --
QUEST: We will be taking that news conference live when it happens at 4:00 p.m. But just following on from what you've just been saying, this was
extremely good detective work on all accounts. Firstly, they spotted him and they engaged, secondly, a witness got the number plate, thirdly, a
massive police operation to find this car when it was on the highway.
All-in-all, I mean, if we accept, Carlos, that something went wrong and that he got close, everything else seems to have gone pretty much as it
should.
SUAREZ: Yes, those are the sentiments that were shared by the sheriff here in Palm Beach. He said that the fact that the 58-year-old wasn't able to
fire off a single shot in the direction of the former President is a testament to the fact that the Secret Service responded so quickly right
after they spotted part of this rifle through a fence.
But you know, that aside, of course, the question now, the attention becomes exactly, how did this man know that the former President was going
to be at this golf course. Again, it was not on his public schedule, in fact, we're told he decided to come golfing here on Sunday like late in the
day.
And so, authorities still have to answer for the fact that this man, it appears, spent nearly 12 hours out here. You know, if you look at that
photo from the criminal complaint, it seems pretty clear that he had food with him, he had a camera with him, he had this rifle with him.
And so, he -- it seems like he was out here for a good amount of time, and he seemed to be -- he seemed to know where to be.
QUEST: Carlos, grateful, thank you. As you hear more and certainly when we get that news conference, we will be back with you, I'm grateful. I told
you a second ago that President Biden has been speaking about the incident, and indeed saying the question have no place for political violence in the
United States. Listen to the President.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Before I begin, I want to make a quick reference and the attempted assassination against our former
President in Florida yesterday, I commend the Secret Service for the expert in handling the situation and the former President is protected from harm
and subject is -- and as the suspect is in custody.
And acting head of the Secret Service is in Florida today assessing what happened in determining whether any further adjustments need to be made to
ensure the safety of our former President. Let me just say, there is no -- and I mean this in the bottom of my heart, those you know me, many of you
do, no place in a political violence -- for political violence in America, none, zero, never.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: I've always condemned political violence, and I always will in America. In America, we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot
box, not at the end of a gun. America has suffered too many times at the tragedy of an assassin's bullet. It solves nothing and just tears the
country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now, both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are pressing ahead with their scheduled events. The Vice President is attending a union meeting in
Washington where sources say she does not plan to address the incident in a political manner. She's already condemned the apparent attempt on Donald
Trump's life, saying, all Americans must do their part to ensure it does not lead to more political violence.
And President Biden, as you've just heard, said he is relieved that Mr. Trump was not harmed, repeating that there's no place for political
violence. Eva McKend is in Washington at the moment. One and the same time, Eva, difficult because the -- you know, the line they have to take or want
to take on political violence is absolutely clear-cut. No question at all.
No place absolutely. But then it gets murky as to the role that Donald Trump plays in stoking political hate. And that's the tricky path for them.
[14:15:00]
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Now, Richard, there is no indication whatsoever that the campaign wants to view this through a
political lens. A campaign adviser telling CNN, this is not a political moment. The Vice President referring to this entire episode as deeply
disturbing. But this of course is something difficult for any campaign to navigate.
They, in this campaign, have made a very forceful argument against the former President, Trump argues that it is this rhetoric that is leading to
these repeated assassination attempts on his life. But listen, they believe that they have a strong argument to make, and they argue in part that the
former President is a threat to democracy as evidenced by January 6th.
They continued to make that argument after the first assassination attempt, and I think that they'll continue to do so even though the politics here
are very difficult.
QUEST: Right, but Eva, if Donald Trump is de facto saying, no, Mr. President, you're responsible and you, Kamala Harris, you're responsible,
you're the one that has whipped up the political hate against me to the point where people. Don't they have to answer that. If only so they don't
get tarred by the same brush.
MCKEND: What we have seen them do historically, is just reject those claims and say there is no evidence of this, and then stay the course with
the arguments that they have made for the duration of the campaign. It's not an easy thing to do. But they're just not giving Trump any leeway here.
QUEST: Interesting, you watch carefully, and the moment there's more to report on this, please, come back and tell us about it. Thank you. Eva
McKend in Washington. This second assassination attempt means more scrutiny for the Secret Service. Joining me to discuss this on the security is the
retired FBI special agent Bobby Chacon. Bobby, good to see you, sir, I'm grateful to you, thank you. And -- all right --
BOBBY CHACON, FORMER LEADER, FBI DIVE TEAM: Thank you --
QUEST: Let's just -- let's just get right to this. Donald Trump does not have a full Secret Service detail. He does not have that level of security
that you would get if you're a seeking President, for a good reason, he's not. Is there much more that the Secret Service -- assuming money is not
the problem now, should and could do.
CHACON: Well, I think yes, but I think -- I don't think there was a failure in this particular situation in Florida. I think the system worked
the way it should. They had advance people. They're there to see if there are people ahead of him. They spotted somebody ahead of them, they took
action and it was successful.
You can't stop, you can't be 100 percent certain you can stop people from trying to do this. You can do everything you can to make sure those
attempts are not successful. That's what happened here. Someone tried to shoot Trump, the Secret Service made sure they weren't successful --
QUEST: Right --
CHACON: That's what you do.
QUEST: All right --
CHACON: There's nothing you can do to make 100 percent sure people won't try to do this.
QUEST: OK, let me -- let me push you, is there more they could do or should have done or will do to prevent it from getting ever closer. By
this, we're talking about cutting off access to the -- you know, securing the golf course. In other words, making sure the gunman could not have got
that close.
CHACON: I think so. I think you're right. I think they do -- lessons learned from each event. I think at the Pennsylvania which I think was a
failure, I think they learned things, here, they pushed the security perimeter out a little more, maybe they do it a little more, maybe they
introduce more technology like more drones.
I heard they had a drone up, but I don't know why a drone would have flown that fence line and seen those plates hanging there from the inside of the
course. So, I think that they'll apply more technology, more manpower. They will push out that security perimeter a little bit more.
But look, we're in a very tight race. These people -- these candidates want to be out among the people, that's our system, they're shaking hands and
kissing babies, and they want to be out there pressing the flesh as it were, and trying to get votes from the common people in America, from the
working people.
And so, I think that that's what they want to do, and it's very difficult to do that and stay 100 percent safe. So, it really presents the challenges
of the Secret Service. Every venue is different. I think they did a good job here, I didn't think they did a good job in Pennsylvania, but overall,
they protect a lot of people 24/7, and they do a very good job.
QUEST: Do you think they are effectively now treating Donald Trump's security as if he's still President or Vice President?
CHACON: Well, I think they need to, now that -- now, we have a verified second attempt on his life, I think that we haven't had that with other
candidates previously. So, I think that they need to now almost make him as if he were the sitting President, not that he's going to get elected, but
because of these two attempts on his life, I think that they need to really kind of -- we look at that and say, maybe we need to just stop this up. It
would only be for the next 10 or 12 weeks until the election.
QUEST: Let me take you into some very deep water if I may. This idea that -- either side, I'm not asking you to take politics -- party political
point on it, but then either side has raised the political theater and temperature of hatred to the level that is now unsustainable without -- I
mean, eventually, if you put enough pressure into the pressure cooker, it will explode.
[14:20:00]
CHACON: Yes, and they always come out with these statements, you know, in the hours after one of these events, and saying we're going to ratchet it
down, we should not do this and we hate the violence. And then we go right back to hearing the rhetoric again within hours or days of one of these
events.
And it goes right -- I don't know what to do to stop it. Neither party seems to want to stop it, both parties seem to want to exploit it to their
own benefit. And you have people out there who -- like this shooter, appears to be unstable and has the means to carry out one of these attacks.
And you know, I wouldn't --
QUEST: Yes --
CHACON: Be surprised if another attempt happened.
QUEST: I'm grateful, Bobby, for you joining us, giving insights, thank you, sir. ISA SOARES TONIGHT without Isa Soares. Ukrainian President
Zelenskyy is condemning political violence and will discuss that and we'll have live coverage continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has condemned the violence following the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. As we're getting more
details about the suspect's staunch support of Ukraine's war effort. Ryan Routh here being apprehended on Sunday, has criticized President Trump for
some years.
It can be seen on his social media postings in his self-published book on Russia's war in Ukraine. In 2022, Routh said he was willing to die in the
fight on the social media platform X. But Zelenskyy writes he's glad Donald Trump is safe and unharmed, and says political violence has no place
anywhere in the world.
CNN's Clare Sebastian is with me. Clare, so, this is an interesting and somewhat difficult to sort of follow through. Strand the Ukraine aspect to
it. Where does it come in?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, it seems to have been, Richard, pretty big part of his recent history, and something that potentially plays
in to his sort of quite public frustration with U.S. leadership and Trump in particular. We know we've managed to piece together through quite a lot
of evidence actually, his self-published book, social media posts, quite a lot of media interviews that he did specifically on Ukraine, that he
actually traveled to Ukraine.
[14:25:00]
We think in the early months of the war, the first evidence of him there is around April of 2022, and he has tried a lot of things to try and help, it
seems to have been almost an obsession for him to try to help Ukraine in the fight, but he never seemed to actually succeed in doing it. He first
wanted to join the fight to volunteer, but according to his book, he was told he was too old, 56 back then and had no military experience.
So, then, he turned his hand to trying to recruit international volunteers. He set up a sort of makeshift recruiting center on Ukraine's Maidan Square.
But again, according to his book, that was eventually taken down by police. He even tried to recruit Afghan volunteer fighters fleeing the Taliban from
various countries, which was a notion that according to one U.S. citizen working for Ukraine's International legion, was so ill-conceived to have
been almost a security risk.
And Ukraine's own military has tried to distance itself from him, both offices that coordinate foreign volunteers, saying that he had nothing to
do with them despite his claims to the contrary. One even saying that his ideas were quote, "delusional". But as I said, this seems to play into his
frustrations with U.S. leadership. Take a listen to this clip from his interview in 2022 with "Newsweek Romania".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN WESLEY ROUTH, SUSPECT IN DONALD TRUMP'S SECOND ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: I've been dealing with Russia for my entire life. You know, we had one
period where it was OK. But now he let it slip back into the terrorism. So, it's just the world needs to respond.
You know, why world leaders are not sending military is beyond me. We're going to have to elect new leaders the next go-round, that have a backbone
and that -- you know, have the fortitude to say, hey, we're not going to tolerate this type of behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: So, he felt that this conflict -- and he said so in this very interview, was very black and white, good versus evil. And he couldn't
understand why western leaders were not doing more, were not sending in their military. There are still gaps, Richard, in what we know about his
Ukraine connection, how he funded himself there, what exactly he meant, if anything by that comment about how he'd been dealing with Russia for his
whole life.
But this is very public. There's a lot of evidence as I said as to -- as to his sort of obsession with Ukrainians. So, it's certainly a sort of a part
of his recent story and one that authorities are suddenly going to be looking at.
QUEST: Clare, I'm grateful. Clare Sebastian in London tonight. As you and I continue this evening, could it be time up for TikTok? The social media
company is fighting for its survival in a U.S. court.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Isa Soares Tonight. I'm Richard Quest.
Let me update you with the latest developments on the alleged assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The suspect is 58-year-old Ryan Routh, who owns a
small construction business in Hawaii. Records show he has an extensive criminal history in North Carolina. And according to law enforcement
officials, he pointed an SKS style rifle in from the tree line not far from where Former President Trump was playing golf in Florida.
This is the body cam footage of the arrest. You see -- here you go, you see him over there. And they grab him, and they take him away.
Routh made his first appearance in court a few hours ago. There he was charged with two federal gun counts. So, now, of course, the big question.
The effect it's likely to have on a presidential race that was already extremely tight.
The Democratic strategist, Julie Roginsky, is with me. The co-founder of the nonprofit workers' rights group Lift Our Voices. And the Republican
strategist, Rina Shah, a former senior presidential campaign adviser.
Both of you, you can take it as read. All right. You can take it as read that you both will say there is no place for political violence in America.
That you both agree with the president, the vice president, and everybody else involved in this.
So, please feel -- I've said it for you. But I want to start with you, with Rina Shah. The -- Rina Shah, this statement of Donald Trump that he's
blaming or says large of this is blaming towards President Trump and Vice President Harris, is that helpful at this time?
RINA SHAH, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: To be completely frank, Trump loves that he can point the finger at Biden and Harris in this moment. He loves that
they are the occupants of the White House, so that he looks strong when these guns have been pointed at him, he can cry victim even more.
And so, when you start the fire, you ought to be ready, if you're a cop, to be taking responsibility for that said fire. Trump has shown, despite
putting on many fires over the years and not putting them out, of course, they can be incapable, unable, and unwilling to accept any responsibility
for the moment. Why we're here?
There's a causal relation to the uptick in political violence and extremism we have seen over the past eight years, and Trump's violent rhetoric, which
began with his talk of shooting people on Fifth Avenue.
QUEST: You know, you, I was making that very point in the office earlier today, that if you pour enough gasoline on flames, eventually they will get
going. But for you, Julie, the issue is, how do you respond? When you -- if you don't want to respond in kind, what does Kamala Harris do when Donald
Trump is basically saying, I got nearly shot because of you?
JULIE ROGINSKY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: You ignore it because it's nonsense. I mean --
QUEST: How can you? How -- if you ignore it, are you not giving oxygen to it?
ROGINSKY: Why would you give oxygen to such a ludicrous point is to say that the reason he got shot at is because Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have
said that we need to protect democracy? I mean, really, that caused this lunatic to shoot at Donald Trump? That's insane.
I mean, is Donald Trump going to take credit for the fact that there are schools being shut down, that the entire town of Springfield, Ohio is being
shut down because he and J. D. Vance have been absolutely pouring gasoline on the fire and coming up with blatant lies? About the fact that there are
dogs and cats being eaten by people who are here illegally?
So, look, I mean, the reality is you don't pay attention to the ravings of a guy who wants to politicize his own assassination attempt, right? This
would have been the time for Donald Trump to come down -- come out and say, look, what happened to me is awful and we need to come forward together as
a nation and talk about ways to turn down the temperature. He didn't do that. He turned it right around and tried to blame something that some
crazy wacko did, and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with absolutely no evidence whatsoever.
[14:35:00]
QUEST: Rina, on this question of how you respond, the rest of the Republican Party sort of, I see no evil, I hear no evil, I don't -- sails
majestically on regardless. Where's their blame in all of this?
SHAH: They're all complicit. Any member of Congress, anybody sitting at the federal level that lacks the political desire or will to enact any kind
of sensible gun reform continues to have blood on their hands. I mean, we live in a nation, in a society where we have unfortunately grown numb to
the very fact that gun violence is baked in, not just into the public sphere in our political life, but it is baked into the minds of people who
believe that it's necessary.
Violent means are necessary to achieve a political outcome. That is growing. And when you're a political professional who wants to address
that, you realize it can't be addressed with one particular line of messaging. It needs a multi-pronged effect, and we need -- excuse me, it
needs a multi-pronged approach, and we need impact. We need impact driven statements, but we also need action to go hand in hand.
QUEST: So, let me ask, and this is a nasty question that I'm asking you, and it's distasteful to ask it, but I'm going to anyway. Let's start with
you, Julie. Does this have any effect on the way voters view either candidate, in the sense? Does it create a sympathy vote for Donald Trump?
Does it create an empathy vote for him?
ROGINSKY: I don't think so. People's views on Donald Trump are baked in, either you think he walks on water, in which case you think he just
survived an assassination attempt because he was sent here by God or whoever they think sent him here to lead the United States into the
promised land, or you really think that Donald Trump is off his rocker and nothing he's going to say or anything that can happen to him is going to
change your mind.
I don't believe for one moment that this is an election where undecided voters are going to, in some way, shape, or form, there are any left
anymore, decide this election. This is a turn election, which means that people who have made up their minds either are going to go to the polls or
they're going to stay home.
QUEST: Same question to you, Rina.
SHAH: Richard, there will be no sympathy boost this time. Folks are understanding that the very reality we operate in right now is that this
election comes down to trust. Who do you trust to make your life better in this next four years? And again, fully formed opinions are there, and
that's what both campaigns are kind of working up against as they try to appeal to this independently minded voter in some six or seven states.
Now, what that voter really wants is a priority of their problems, and for most folks, that's economic. So, this moment, unfortunately, that should be
really momentous and should change the course of this election will stay along being forgotten because we have these pressing problems that folks
understand nobody is addressing. We have this duopoly here that could be shattered, and yet, we don't have the leaders who have the political will
to do it.
We need more open prairies (ph) and yet, we don't see them. That's how we end up with extremist voices in office. That's how the GOP ended up with
Donald Trump as the nominee. Again, this moment is reprehensible, it's awful, but unfortunately, will be forgotten within a matter of days. We are
in this last final part of this election, where priorities and trust dictate everything.
QUEST: I'm grateful to you both. Thank you very much and thank you for your forthright views. Kind of you. Thank you.
Isa Soares Tonight. TikTok and the U.S. government are going head-to-head in a federal appeals court. The social media site is trying to stop the ban
that threatens its very existence in the U.S. The fate of the case could see the popular video showing up disappear from phones as soon as January.
If it doesn't want to be banned, then the parent company, ByteDance, has to sell it off.
U.S. fears TikTok's ties to China could allow Beijing access to data of 170 million users, including videos they've watched, liked, shared, and
searched for. ByteDance argues that the ban violates the First Amendment, U.S. social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are banned in China.
Clare Duffy is following the hearing. They only got 15 minutes to present an oral argument, but that doesn't really matter in a sense that there are,
you know, reams of files and volumes. And anyway, this is not a question of fact, is it? This is a question of law.
CLARE DUFFY, CNN BUSINESS WRITER: Well, yes, Richard, I mean, look. the hearing did end up stretching on for about two hours because these parties,
we heard from an attorney for TikTok, an attorney for TikTok creators, who have also challenged this ban, and an attorney for the U.S. government
defending the law. And they faced tough questioning from this panel of three judges for the D.C. Court of Appeals, especially, TikTok.
Frankly, TikTok's argument here has been that this law violates the First Amendment rights of the app and the app's 170 million U.S. users. And the
attorney for TikTok really hammered home on that point. Essentially, the argument here for TikTok is that the -- for government to restrict the
speech rights of one entity, it really needs strong justification. It needs to face strict scrutiny for doing that.
[14:40:00]
And basically, all we've heard from the U.S. government at this point is hypothetical concerns, that the Chinese government could one day
potentially seek to access the U.S. data of U.S. users from this app. But essentially, he said those hypothetical concerns are not enough to meet
that bar. But we did hear the judges in this case really sort of push back with their questioning here, questioning why this app -- or why this law, I
should say, would violate the First Amendment when, in fact, it would allow the U.S. app, TikTok, to continue operating, just not under Chinese
control.
And that is the big question here is who is controlling this U.S. app? Is it, as TikTok says, the U.S. version of the company, it stores data here.
It works with Oracle, which is the U.S. company to store U.S. user data on U.S. soil, or is it parent company ByteDance, which has these ties to
China? And that's really the big question here, who is controlling this app? And that's what judges are going to have to grapple with.
QUEST: And it's interesting because, I'm just reading what one of the judges, Ginsburg said, you know, this question of is this any different to
the law that prevents foreign ownership of television stations?
DUFFY: Exactly. And that's a thing that came up here. TikTok's arguing that this law could affect other online publishers, other platforms that
are owned by foreign entities. But the judges did push back and say, ownership by a foreign entity is very different from ownership by a foreign
adversary.
I do think we left this hearing today pretty unclear about how judges are going to rule here, but we're expecting a decision in the next few weeks
because whoever loses this case, one way or the other, we're expecting an appeal and they're going to want this to go to the Supreme Court before
that January 19th deadline by which TikTok either has to sell off from its Chinese parent company or face a ban.
QUEST: I'm grateful, as always, Clare Duffy. The former BBC News reader Huw Edwards has been handed a two-year suspended prison sentence. It
follows him pleading guilty in July to having indecent images of children on his mobile phone.
Huw Edwards was handed the six months in prison, but suspended sentence means he won't be incarcerated as long as he doesn't re-offend. The
magistrate in the case said Edwards' reputation was untattered. He was the BBC's highest paid journalist before he was suspended from the broadcast
and then later arrested. He was, however, kept on the BBC payroll during the suspension and the corporation has now asked him to repay that portion
of his salary between when he was arrested and charged.
Still to come, tonight, heavy rains and flooding are hitting parts of Europe. We'll have the latest on the impact of the deadly storms.
And in China, Shanghai is being slammed by one of the biggest typhoons in the city's history. Chad Myers will be with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
QUEST: At least 17 people have been killed after extremely heavy rain caused flooding in parts of Central and Eastern Europe. In some cities
they're dealing with at least a month's worth of rain in short order. The floods are some of the worst they've seen in decades. CNN's Max Foster
reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mud and misery everywhere. Shell-shocked residents in Romania say the floods came quickly, knocking
down walls, upending furniture and drowning livestock that couldn't escape the rushing waters.
DUMITREL SOTROCAN, ROMANIAN RESIDENT (through translator): Total damage. Dead chickens, all the geese everything, everything.
FOSTER (voice-over): In parts of rain-soaked Romania, residents are assessing the damage from Storm Boris which unleashed a month's worth of
rain in a span of a few days over central and eastern Europe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): We don't have food, water. Look over there, clothes. Look, the neighbor gave me a dress.
FOSTER (voice-over): And while cleanup is underway in some areas, it's still impossible in others where the waters not only haven't receded but
they're rising. Swift currents race through streets in one Polish town after a nearby river overflowed its banks making it too dangerous for some
residents to leave their houses. Firefighters tried to pump out water from a local hospital to keep it operational, but it may be a losing battle.
MARCIN REISCH, GLUCHOLAZY HOSPITAL NURSE (through translator): Everything is flooded, mainly the cellars where the surgical clinic in warehouses are.
Everyone is now trying to save what they can.
FOSTER (voice-over): In Austria, the Wien River is gushing with excess rain. And there's more expected for portions of Austria, Germany, and the
Czech Republic in the next few days, which could mean more work for the Czech armed forces, which have been using helicopters to evacuate people
from flood zones.
So far, emergency services say thousands of stranded people have had to be evacuated and significant flooding is expected to continue. Some Czech
residents use the break in the weather to try to count their losses. But with many of their homes, shops, and neighborhoods still engulfed in water,
it's feared the damage they can already see could be even worse when the water subsides.
Max Foster, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: In Shanghai, the city's been directly hit by the strongest typhoon the city's seen since 70 years, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning
Center. It's Typhoon Bebinca, which made landfall with winds of 130 kilometers equal to a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane. It's now moving across
greater Shanghai and that'll bring huge rains and strong winds into that part of Asia. Chad Myers is with us at the CNN Weather Center.
This is nasty and it's the amount of rain, particularly in a city the size of Shanghai.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. And think about some gusts around 150 kilometers per hour, that running through those tall buildings in those
wind tunnel effects. I mean, you know, you see it in New York City, but you think about the tightness of what Shanghai looks like and how that wind had
to get through there. And so, yes, even offshore, they had wind gusts 156, 167, just big gusts officially 130 at landfall.
But yes, we had wind and we had rain. The rain has now moved inland, but the flooding really is just starting in some spots because the water -- it
moved fairly quickly, Richard. And so, we didn't have this stalling system that sat there and put down 200 millimeters of rain. It did put down some
wind though. There you see, 187 was the highest gust there just offshore one of the islands there. Just very, very close to Shanghai.
More things going on, it's the active time of year, the water's as warm as it's going to get, and yes, we have more storms on the horizon. In fact,
another one that will approach Shanghai again. The models are not picking this up and turning it into anything yet. But still, more rain, and even if
the winds 100 KPH, that's still going to be something when you already have damage and things that are a little bit, I don't know, broken already, you
know, whether it's a tree limb that's just not coming down but another 100- mile an hour wind, 100-kilometer per hour wind, that could actually break obviously still some more.
Another thing that's going on is another storm will hit Vietnam. So, this is just one after another, after another one storm after another. Here from
the Philippines, it comes in and gets just to the north of Da Nang, just south of Hanoi.
[14:50:00]
And we talked about a landfall just a week ago here. There's no place for the water to go. It is all going to wash up and wash out. This is going to
be another flood event if this storm gets any stronger than really just a tropical storm, Richard.
QUEST: Chad, I'm grateful. We're also watching other weather systems. Thank you for what's happening in Asia.
Let me update you on the severe weather in your State of North Carolina. There, there is life-threatening flooding along the coast, and it's a
system that could end up becoming a tropical storm in its own right. The area's been bounded by extreme rainfall, heavy winds. And according to the
U.S. National Weather Service, there's considerable flash flooding, and South Carolina's also facing tropical storm force winds.
Hundreds of inmates are missing after a flood destroyed a prison wall in Nigeria. The prisoners were being transferred to a different facility when
floodwaters brought down the walls. The Nigerian Correctional Service says it knows who's missing and has alerted the public. Nigeria has been dealing
with severe flooding for several weeks. At least 640,000 people have been displaced and more than a thousand people have been killed across West and
Central Africa.
In Portugal, it's deadly wildfires that are causing grave concern as they spread across Northern and Central Portugal. The authorities say at least
one person has been killed and 17 people injured, on top of the dozens of people who have now been evacuated from their homes. Portugal is now
seeking assistance from other E.U. nations. Spain and France have already sent aircraft to assist as hundreds of firefighters are battling the flames
on the ground.
You and I continue tonight, a chirpy feathered friend. We'll reveal what's special about the New Zealand Bird of the Year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Tito Jackson of the Jackson Five has died. His sons made the announcement saying, we are shocked, saddened, and heartbroken. Our father
was an incredible man. Tito Jackson was a singer and songwriter who was part of the iconic group that included the late Michael Jackson and he's
also brother to the singer Janet Jackson. The cause of death has not been released. He was 70 years old.
[14:55:00]
A record-breaking night at the Emmys on Sunday, especially for the historical series "Shogun," the first non-English language program to win
the Outstanding Drama category. The big twist saw the Max series, "Hacks," getting a surprise win for Best Comedy. Max and CNN are both part of Warner
Bros. Discovery.
And what award show is complete without an emotional moment? "Baby Reindeer's" Richard Gadd had a heartfelt message for the audience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD GADD, ACTOR AND WRITER, "BABY REINDEER": I don't know much about this life, I don't know why we're here, none of that, but I do know that
nothing lasts forever, and no matter how bad it gets, it always gets better. Yes. So, if you're struggling, keep going, and I promise you things
will be OK. Thank you so much for this award.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now, the WNBA star rookie Caitlin Clark broke the rookie scoring record on Sunday. It happened during the Indiana Fever's win over the
Dallas Wings, 110 to 109. Clark finished the game with a career high 35 points and now stands atop of the rookie leaderboard with 761 points this
season. It beats the previous record of 744 set by the Hall of Famer Seimone Augustus. Clark says breaking her record felt like a full circle
moment. Adding that Augustus was the first player she ever met at her first WNBA game.
And finally, a feathered animal, noisy and smelly. And now, it's been named New Zealand's bird of the year. The hoiho, otherwise known as the yellow-
eyed penguin, is the winner of the country's avian election. Only found on New Zealand's South and Chatham Islands. Its name, hoiho, means noise
shouter, in the Maori language. Conservationists hope the victory might prompt a revival of the endangered species, which is thought to be the
rarest penguin in the world. More than 50,000 people voted. It represents around 10 percent of New Zealand's population.
I'm grateful that you were with me tonight. Stay with CNN Newsroom with Jim Sciutto coming up next. I'll, of course, be in Quest Means Business in just
over an hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
