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Laura Coates Live

Cheney Rallies with Harris; Laura Coates Interviews Gov. Wes Moore; Melania Trump Enters the Campaign; Laura Coates Interviews Survivors of Hurricane Helene; Florida and Texas in Play for Democrats? Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired October 03, 2024 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00]

VAN JONES, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: If the worst thing happening in Black America is that 20 years ago, somebody dressed up like Michael Jackson, Dr. King's dream has been realized, okay? We have a thousand more problems to worry about. It's not like -- look, if you dressed up like Black people to demean Black people, slavery, (INAUDIBLE) stuff, this guy literally just dressed up like a --

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: He's a Michael Jackson super fan.

JONES: Listen, guys, I love you. Can we leave this dude alone and worry about some folks who are actually trying to hurt Black people, not Michael Jackson fans?

PHILLIP: Look, he's running for Congress. There are a lot of serious issues. That is not one of them.

JONES: That ain't one of them.

PHILLIP: Everyone, thank you very much, and thank you for watching "NewsNight" State of the Race." Laura Coates is up right now.

LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: One of the biggest republican brands in politics is making the case for Kamala Harris. Will former Congressman Liz Cheney's pitch have an impact? Plus, we'll cut right through the noise about what actually is happening in storm- ravaged North Carolina. Hear it not from politicians, but from the people who are living through this disaster. And it was the revelation that took the political world by surprise. Now, Trump is weighing in on his wife's support for abortion rights. Tonight on "Laura Coates Live."

So, you know that phrase, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Well, tonight, one of Donald Trump's biggest critics is embracing that particular proverb. Former GOP Congresswoman Liz Cheney sharing a handshake and the campaign stage with Kamala Harris. And that's not all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZ CHENEY, FORMER WYOMING REPRESENTATIVE: There is not an ounce, not an ounce, of compassion in Donald Trump. He is petty, he is vindictive, and he is cruel. And Donald Trump is not fit to lead this good and great nation.

(APPLAUSE)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Anyone who has called for -- I quote -- "termination" of the Constitution of the United States, as Donald Trump has, must never again stand behind the seal of the President of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Harris and Cheney making their case together in Ripon, Wisconsin. That was the very birthplace, by the way, of the Republican Party. They're hoping it's going to send a big message to conservatives, to independents, who may be wary of Trump, a green light to ditch him and go with Harris.

You know what? That green light seems to be growing a little bit brighter. Liz Cheney is not alone in republican support for Harris. The other company she's with? Her own father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, former Senator Jeff Flake, and just within the last day, former Trump aide Cassidy Hutchinson, who spent time inside Trump's White House.

Now, the Republicans for Harris Movement will get even bigger next week. Hutchinson will join Liz Cheney with two other former Trump officials, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sarah Matthews, to make their case against Trump in Pennsylvania. And look, many of these Republicans will tell you that they have very little in common with most of Harris's policies, but they say it's not about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASSIDY HUTCHINSON, FORMER AIDE TO WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF MARK MEADOWS: We might not see eye to eye on many policy issues, but I trust her to hold people accountable, I trust her to uphold our rule of law.

CHENEY: We may disagree on some things, but we are bound together by the one thing that matters to us as Americans more than any other, and that's our duty to our Constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Now, as for Trump, there's no love lost. He has reshaped the GOP in his own image, right? And he claims those who stand in his way are rhinos, not real Republicans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, Liz Cheney lost for Congress. She was terrible. Liz Cheney is a stupid war hawk. All she wants to do is shoot missiles at people. I really think it hurts. I think, frankly, if Kamala -- I think they hurt each other. I think they're so bad, both of them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: But one problem for Trump, tonight is not just the old guard of the grand old party thumbing their nose at him. The one and only Bruce Springsteen also breaking his silence and, once again, opposing Donald Trump.

[23:04:57]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SINGER: With full knowledge of my opinions, no more or less important than those of any of my fellow citizens, here's my answer: I'm supporting Kamala Harris for president and Tim Walz for vice president, and opposing Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. Donald Trump is the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Joining me now, former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh. He has endorsed Kamala Harris. Republican strategist for Axiom Strategies, Erin Perrine, and Democratic strategist Keith Boykin here as well. Thank you all for being me this evening.

I mean, first of all, the boss has spoken, right? And I think it's interesting to think about he didn't just say he's endorsing, he is actively opposing at this point another ticket as well.

Joe, you've been going to battleground states talking to Republicans to make the case for the Harris-Walz ticket. Do you think that Liz Cheney is the right or good messenger or will her backing even make a difference?

JOE WALSH, PODCAST HOST, FORMER ILLINOIS REPRESENTATIVE: Oh, Laura, it's a huge help. But, again, some context here. It feels like 20 years ago. But about two months ago, we had an initial Republicans for Harris Zoom call. And that was only two months ago. And we had 80 to 90,000 Republicans on that call. And here we are two months later, some 500 to 600 former Republican members of Congress, national security people, people who worked in Trump's administration, all supporting Kamala Harris.

I'm glad that Liz Cheney is on board. I'm looking in the camera directly at you, Mitt Romney. Get off your butt, Mitt Romney, and endorse Kamala Harris. But Laura, this is -- this is already in motion. I've been in every single battleground state. I'm in Georgia right now.

I did an event with Geoff Duncan here in Atlanta, and we had an enthusiastic crowd of Republicans who support Kamala Harris. I don't think the pollsters are measuring this. I think there are a lot of Republicans I've heard in every battleground state I've been in who've come up to me and said, Joe, I'm going to support her. I can't say it publicly, but I'm going to support her. There's a groundswell out there, Laura.

COATES: Well, Erin, I want to play another clip because former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, she had a lot more to say. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHENEY: Donald Trump was willing to sacrifice our Capitol to allow law enforcement officers to be beaten and brutalized in his name. I don't care if you are a Democrat or a Republican or an independent. That is depravity, and we must never become numb to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Erin, is the Trump campaign hoping that people are becoming numb to it? Is that -- is that the strategy right now?

ERIN PERRINE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, AXIOM STRATEGIES: I don't think it's an overt strategy, but I think it's baked into the polling at this point. It is an interesting tactic to bring Liz Cheney to Wisconsin. And I point that out because it's an open primary.

Now, we're in the general election there, but in the primary, you saw that Nikki Haley pulled about 12% of the republican primary in Wisconsin. That was 76,000 voters. Chris Christie got 1.6%. That was about 9,000 voters. When you look at those numbers, those are moveable margins for Kamala Harris in Wisconsin, which is a very purple state, especially in presidential cycle years.

So, while this is a bit more of what we would call in politics a persuasion event, they're trying to deliver the message that they believe Donald Trump is a threat to democracy.

What this should be is a get out the vote event for them. They should be now trying to turn the message into the movement, getting voters now to the polls and considering that persuadable block that does exist in Wisconsin from what we saw in the primary. There is a possibility in a critical battleground state like Wisconsin that this could move a few votes and with margins this close. That matters in this election.

COATES: That's interesting to think, whether they will then go for Harris or will they stay home. This is part of the concern that both campaigns are having, how to move those voters who are unsatisfied right now.

Keith, let me turn to you because, frankly, Harris is expressing gratitude for former Vice President Dick Cheney's support along with his daughter. He, by the way, was a long-time boogie man for Democrats in the wake of the Iraq War as but one example. So how is all this going to sit with some progressives?

KEITH BOYKIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, FORMER CLINTON WHITE HOUSE AIDE, AUTHOR: Well, I think that everyone understands that what she's doing is she's got to get those independent voters, those undecided voters, even perhaps those Republican voters who may not want to vote for Donald Trump but don't feel like they have a candidate. And so, the 76,000 voters that Erin mentioned are exactly the voters that Kamala Harris might want to reach.

[23:10:02]

Remember, going back to 2016, Donald Trump won Wisconsin by just 22,000 votes. So, 76,000 votes are far more than what she would need to be able to get over that margin, assuming we had something similar to those numbers in that election.

But it reflects, I think, just how much the Republican Party has changed. It's not just Liz Cheney and Dick Cheney, but look at where Vice President Pence is. He hasn't endorsed his own running mate, his former running mate. Look at where the former attorney general, the former secretary of state, the former defense secretary, the former national security advisor. All these Republican officials, top officials who worked with Donald Trump, all of them have unilaterally condemned Donald Trump, even if they haven't gone out and endorsed Kamala Harris in each case.

So, we heard, for example, that Joe talked about, well, why hasn't Mitt Romney said anything? Well, Mitt Romney's silence says a lot, too, because the fact that he hasn't endorsed Donald Trump, even though I think it's an act of cowardice in some ways, the fact that he hasn't endorsed Donald Trump is reflection of the fact that he does not support this.

And the party of Ronald Reagan, the party of Mitt Romney, the party of John McCain, all those former Republican presidential nominees is now dead. It has become the cult --

COATES: Yeah.

BOYKIN: -- of Donald Trump.

COATES: Well, you know, Erin, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson, a self-described Trump loyalist until January 6, has also joined the Harris endorsement train. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUTCHINSON: The quality of her character is what I'm voting for. We might not see eye to eye on many policy issues, but I trust her to hold people accountable, I trust her to uphold our rule of law, and I trust her as a figure that I would be proud of my children looked at.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Character, trust, pride. I mean, so many insiders who worked for supporting the Trump administration have turned against him and have now expressed different qualities other than policy as specific reasons to vote for a candidate. What does that tell you about the former president? PERRINE: What it tells me is that Cassidy and these other Republicans are reflective of the approximately 20% of the Republican Party electorate in the primary that were looking for a different direction of the party. Unlike the Democrats, the Republicans did have an open primary process. There were other candidates up, and the party decided to double down on Donald Trump. So, there are still Republicans that remain stalwart within the party who are now -- probably now considered more of a persuadable moving block.

But the Trump team isn't necessarily looking at that 20% as they're coming into this home stretch. They're looking at what you would call like a zero for four-voter, voters who have not been active, a low propensity, low turnout, but Republican curious voter to try and get that margin up to make for where there may be softening in other portions of the party.

COATES: Sounds like there is movement that could happen. Joe, let me turn to you because, very quickly before we go, look Joe, the boss, Bruce Springsteen endorsing Harris tonight from a diner, calling Trump the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime. Is there any value in this endorsement among that movable part of the electorate?

WALSH: Yes. And I think, Laura, it's what you just said, it's what he said. There's huge movement there. It's this notion that Trump -- Laura, this is unprecedented. We've never been in a moment like this where so much of one of our two major political parties has said, we can't support our own nominee. It's because of what the boss said. He's dangerous. He is a threat to democracy. That's what binds all of us, all of us Republicans for Harris.

COATES: Everyone, thank you so much for weighing in. There's 30, what, two days to go now. Hop skipping a jump to the decision. Thank you so much for joining.

Look, as Donald Trump claims that Democrats are withholding aid to Republican areas and storm-ravaged states, there's a new report out tonight that claims that Trump himself did the very same thing. The story, next.

And later, Melania Trump breaks her silence over the "I don't care. Do you, jacket?" scandal. What she's now revealing as she suddenly starts to enter the campaign.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COATES: Administration's response to Hurricane Helene's catastrophic destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: People are dying in North Carolina. They're dying all over those five, six states. They're dying, and they're getting no help from our federal government because they have no money, because their money has been spent on people that should not be in our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Trump claiming that the federal government ran out of disaster aid because it's spending too much money on migrants. But according to the Homeland Security Department, nearly 5,000 federal government personnel have been deployed to the areas that have been hardest hit. Nearly nine million meals have been delivered, and more than 7.5 million liters of water shipped. And Republican governors have gone out of their way to praise the administration's response to the disaster.

To be clear, people absolutely still need help in the Southeast. They're desperate for food, for water, for power. Many are struggling to escape towns that have been wiped off the map by Helene's historic flash flooding. And more than 200 people have died, making Helene the deadliest hurricane to hit America since Hurricane Katrina.

But Trump is going out of his way to make false claims that people are getting no help from the government, which is not true, and he's using migrants as a kind of political cudgel.

With me now, Governor Wes Moore, a Democrat from Maryland. He has sent Maryland National Guard members to North Carolina to try to help with the recovery. Governor, thank you so much for being with us. I know you are very busy, and we always appreciate your time. As I've mentioned, governor, you have coordinated with federal government on disasters.

[23:19:58]

We know the infamous now bridge collapse in Baltimore which, of course, comes to mind in your navigation of it. What do you think about Trump saying that the government is spending more money on migrants than storm victims?

GOV. WES MOORE (D-MD): It's really unfortunate and it's really dangerous because we have people who are still very much in need right now. We've got brave first responders. I mean, as you mentioned, we have people who we sent from the state of Maryland who are down in North Carolina right now risking their lives to save others. We're watching how people are coordinating. And it doesn't matter if you're in a Democratic state or a Republican state, people are looking out for Americans. This is what we do during times of crisis.

But what we're hearing from Donald Trump is instead of talking about looking out for Americans, he is pointing fingers -- pointing fingers, and he's lying about what is and is not being done. And this is really -- this is really dangerous because this is a person who is trying to be the next president of the United States and, actually, the example that he needs to show is how as a country do we rally together, do we take care of each other, do we leave no one behind, instead of basically turning around and turning us against one another, especially in a time of crisis. And so, I think what he is doing right now, he is just continuing to show why he is so unfit and why he is so unready to take on this job, particularly at a time when we have so many big issues that serious people are actually trying to address.

COATES: Politico is reporting tonight that Trump hesitated to give disaster relief at least three times to areas he considered to be politically-hostile. That includes the 2018 California wildfires. A Trump aide says that he had to pull voting results, had to pull voting results to show Trump these are people who voted for you. The Trump campaign says -- quote -- "None of this is true and is nothing more than a fabricated story from someone's demented imagination." But what does that say to you about Trump's response to disasters?

MOORE: You know, it shows me that in times of real crisis, what Americans are looking for is leadership, and what they're looking for is someone who is not going to ask questions about your political affiliation. They're simply going to ask questions about, is this someone in need?

And think about it, in the past 48 hours, we've now heard stories about Donald Trump, about siphoning off aid, depending on political affiliation and how people voted. In the past 48 hours, we've heard stories about how we've heard Donald Trump say that Vice President Harris was born mentally impaired.

That in the past 48 hours, we heard Donald Trump say that that individuals who were suffering from traumatic brain injuries, which is really the signature -- the signature damage and the signature injury that we've seen from veterans like myself, from the war of Afghanistan, and also like other veterans of the war of Iraq, that he said that for people suffering from traumatic brain injuries, that it was nothing more than headaches. This is -- this is the past 48 hours.

And so, my point is we cannot go back to that chaos. We cannot go back to that time when people had to question everything that was coming out of the White House and every word that was coming out of the Oval Office and assuming that it wasn't true.

COATES: You and I have spoken in the past, governor, about the road to recovery and prosperity in the economy and relying on members of the community to get the communities to that level. You have seen the conversation around Springfield, Ohio where migrants are being described in the most ridiculous ways, lies being told about them. And these are legal migrants with temporary protected status that even the local leaders have said have contributed to the growth of the economy in a place like Springfield, Ohio.

Well, yesterday, Donald Trump vowed to revoke the legal temporary protected status of Haitian migrants living there and then deport them. Maryland, your state, is home to about 16,000 people of Haitian descent, according to the census. What do you say to those comments and those in your community?

MOORE: I would say, in the state of Maryland, that hate will find no oxygen here. That the immigrant community is a strong, vibrant community in our state. They're responsible for about 20% of our labor -- labor workforce participation. That we have immigrants to this country who have come and done remarkable things in the state of Maryland.

And frankly, I'm the child of an immigrant. I'm a child of a woman, of an immigrant single mother, who came to this country from Jamaica and found and contributed to a state that welcomed her, and now, her son is the 63rd governor of the state of Maryland. That our immigrant population are contributing in remarkable ways, and we want them to know that their support and their leadership and, frankly, their love, is going to be welcomed here.

[23:24:51]

And I think it's important to notice that many of the people who are pushing back against the comments that Donald Trump made, they're not Democrats, they're Republicans, because people understand that true patriotism means understanding that this country is going to be not just big enough, but this country needs everyone's aspirations to be fulfilled.

And so, coming up with a long-term policy where we can actually work together to achieve our country's greatest dreams and not separating us is, I think, the direction that both Democrats and Republicans want to go in at this moment.

COATES: Governor Wes Moore, always a pleasure. Thank you so much.

MOORE: Thank you, thank you.

COATES: Melania Trump making quite a splash with the campaign in her new memoir, breaking with her husband on abortion and revealing details about the one policy she says she got him to back down from. Now, Trump has a response to all of this tonight, and so does his former aide, Omarosa. She's my guest, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: Individual freedom. What does 'my body, my choice' really mean?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Well, call it Melania Trump's October surprise. The former first lady doubling down on her abortion stance after "The Guardian" obtained a copy of her new book where she defends the right to an abortion. The book, "Melania," comes out next week. But her abortion stance is making headlines to the political world, especially since her husband has taken credit for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped to overturn Roe v. Wade. Now, that led to speculation that he may have been caught off guard by his wife's position on abortion. Well, tonight, Donald Trump says he knew and supports it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We spoke about it. And I said, you have to write what you believe. I'm not going to tell you what to do. You have to write what you believe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Here to discuss, former senior advisor to Donald Trump, Omarosa Manigault Newman. Omarosa is also the author of "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House." Omarosa, thank you for being here this evening. I'm calling it --

OMAROSA MANIGAULT NEWMAN, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO DONALD TRUMP, AUTHOR: Good evening, Laura.

COATES: -- an October surprise. He says he knew about it. Why do you think Melania Trump waited until now to talk about her stance on abortion?

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: First of all, Laura, thank you so much for having me. That commercial was just so bizarre. I mean, this is a woman who has been absent from the campaign trail with Donald Trump. I mean, she was there for the announcement. She made a little of an appearance at the convention.

You are not going to convince me that this is not Melania Trump trying to impact the campaign in some way. I mean, women's bodies are on the ballot, and she's leveraging her position to push book sales. I'm not convinced that the two of them are not coordinating this particular effort.

COATES: Well, if they are coordinating, let's say they are, how does this benefit the Trump campaign if it shows some sort of an inconsistency between what he is saying he has done to overturn Roe v. Wade and her position?

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well, Laura, we already know that abortion is a very huge issue for voters and, in fact, may have cost the Republicans some seats during the midterms. We know that abortion could cost him the White House. And so, by her coming out and saying that she supports a woman's choice, it may, in some way, in their thinking only, benefit him by saying that he has someone in the corner that can pull him back from his most extreme positions.

But I am here to tell you that Donald Trump listens to no one, not even Melania Trump. And so, if that is their strategy, then I'm not certain that it is going to have any impact on those moderate voters that they're trying to appeal to. COATES: You know, abortion, obviously, reproductive rights, one issue, very importantly, on the ballot. Another huge one is immigration, Omarosa. And in her book --

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Uh-hmm.

COATES: -- Melania Trump details how she forced her husband to stop separating migrant children from their parents, telling her husband it has to end. And she writes, according to "The Guardian," "Occasional political disagreements between me and my husband were part of our relationship, but I believed in addressing them privately rather than publicly challenging him."

How influential is she really behind the scenes, and do you think she really had any impact whatsoever on Trump's approach to immigration policy?

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well, let's just remember that she had an opportunity to really impact his thinking and his views when, in fact, she went down with Donald on a visit to the US-Mexico border, particularly when he was, in fact, separating mothers from their children.

And she decided to make a statement through her fashion. She wore a jacket that said, "I don't care. Do you?" So, if she was behind the scenes saying, Donald, you need to stop this, but publicly saying that she didn't care, it's really not adding up for me. I'm not convinced that she was somehow pulling him back.

There were other instances that she should have spoken up, and she didn't, particularly January 6th, might have been a moment where she could have pulled back his worst instincts, where she could have spoken up about issues that were important to Americans, but she remained silent. And I just don't think she cared.

COATES: Interestingly enough, she addresses that very fashion statement and she says it was a message aimed at the media.

[23:35:02]

Now, of course, "New York Times" reported previously that it was directed at Ivanka Trump due to a rift. But I take your point. The timing of it, the choice, people can interpret it the way they'd like. But on another point of reference here, Omarosa, I think it's fascinating this is all coming down right now because with the exception of an occasional, and I do mean occasional speaking event, Melania Trump has been really absent from the campaign trail. Is this --

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Yes.

COATES: -- new book her way of having some influence that actually campaigning in a traditional sense?

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: No, I think that it goes back to what Melania has always done. She has utilized symbols and fashion and this kind of passive aggressive gestures. Take it back at her husband. Let's not forget that he has spent the last year humiliating her, having to go through this hush money trial related to his relationship with Stormy Daniels.

I mean, this is her getting her licked back at Donald Trump, coming out and making statements that are clearly contradictory but, somehow, they think that this grift is going to impact voters.

And I just don't think that it will be enough. If she truly wanted to have some stance on women's rights, she would think about all of the clinics that have closed around the country, how Donald Trump has restricted women's access to reproductive services and care. I mean, Donald Trump has harmed women in so many different ways. And this, with this eerie video in the shadows with the strange music, is the way that she comes out. I think not. It's too little too late.

COATES: Well, we'll see, 32 or so days away. And, by the way, CNN --

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Thirty-two days.

COATES: -- requested an interview with the former first lady, and her publisher said it would cost $250,000. Now, the head of the publishing company says neither he nor Melania knew about this request. What do you make of it?

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well, you know, it's interesting because Melania Trump has a fee, and her fee is always around $200,000 to $250,000. So, I'm pretty certain that there was some communication between the publisher and Melania's camp. That's just how it works.

Melania Trump, either she didn't want to do the interview and she threw out this extreme number to just say that I tried but CNN wouldn't work with me, or she really thought that the folks at CNN would pay her to hear the same old same-o, unless she's announcing her divorce from Donald Trump, we really don't want to hear it, and not for $250,000.

COATES: I think you got to learn how to form an opinion, Omarosa. It's never quite clear to me how you feel about an issue.

(LAUGHTER)

I'm always left thinking, how does Omarosa feel about something? I'm glad you came. Thank you so much.

MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Thanks, Laura.

COATES: Still ahead tonight, James Carville's stern message to Democrats about the state of play in both Texas and also Florida. Plus, it's the hardest hit county in North Carolina. Look at these images. Nearly 100 people dead with dozens more missing. And the pictures don't even begin to capture just how catastrophic the damage is. A couple who barely survived will tell us exactly what it's like there right now and how they made their escape, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [23:40:00]

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COATES: A modern-day Pompeii. That's what people are describing Buncombe County, North Carolina, one of the hardest hit areas from Hurricane Helene. Now, just consider this, if you will. Out of the 106 people who died from Helene in the state, 72 were from that county alone. It includes the mountain town of Swannanoa, the place my next guests call home. And this is what they captured when the storm started rolling through, water rising so quickly that they barely, barely made it out alive.

Now their house, their community, is in total ruins. I mean, just look at the aftermath. Roads, homes, cars, all buried. And at this hour, the sheriff there says there are more than 200 people who remain unaccounted for. More than 200 people.

Joining me now is the couple who took these very videos, Joe Dancy and his partner, Jenna Shaw. Joe is in Swannanoa where they just got internet. Jenna, in Wilmington tonight. Joe, Jenna, thank you for being here. It's unbelievable to see what has happened. I want to begin with you, Joe, because the scene where you are, it looks catastrophic. Can you describe what it's like there right now?

JOE DANCY, HURRICANE HELENE SURVIVOR: It is. It's not anything that I know my home to be.

COATES: Is the town getting help from the government? What resources are you seeing come? Anything?

DANCY: Actually, quite a bit, no. Swannanoa, especially ever since I- 40 East has opened up, has been getting a ton of help and resources from such companies as beloved Asheville that has been sending everything they can our way to help rebuild and feed our people, and get power and gas and amenities to those that need it ever so desperately.

COATES: Jenna, we're looking at the images right now on the screen, and I know that you consider yourself lucky to be alive. Can you just share with us those moments when the water was coming in? And also, how did you escape?

JENNA SHAW, HURRICANE HELENE SURVIVOR: Yeah, so, I mean, I woke up at 6 a.m.

[23:45:00]

The dog needed to go out. We let her out and it was fine. Some water was happening but -- I mean, really within 30 minutes, I noticed water was in the front yard, and then it basically just got in the house. And our biggest obstacle was that we have three cats, and we didn't have a way to get them out. I mean, within -- there was such a short amount of time between we need to get out of here and how do we get out of here because, basically, our road turned into the river and we couldn't get in our cars. How we got out was -- it was waist high and it was hitting our window. And I saw a bin. Joe's truck started floating away, and a bin with a lid rose up in the bed of his truck. And I told him he needed this one out and get it because that was the only way we could conceal all the cats safely and get them out. And he's super strong, he did, and somehow made it back. And we threw all the cats out.

We started out the window, and we got out. I mean, there was a period where we were screaming out the window for help. The National Guard tried to get to us, but they couldn't because the water was so fast. They turned around and left. I mean, they couldn't get to us, really. So, we just swam out and let the water take us down the street until the road elevated a little bit and we could stand for a second.

COATES: It's unimaginable to think of what has happened, and in the short amount of time that it did. Jenna, I mean, the loss of life is staggering. And we're hearing that there are still dozens of people across that county, your county, are missing. How are you even beginning to process that?

SHAW: I mean, it's hard. And I understand. I mean, I think it's super hard to understand if you weren't there, like why aren't people getting out, why didn't people get out, why didn't they leave? I mean, it's so early in the morning. And we didn't get -- I mean, we got alerts to evacuate by the time water was knee high in our house and it was rushing so fast.

I think it's really something that people need to grasp, like people couldn't leave, like there was nowhere to go. The water was going so fast, the cars were floating by. I mean, they had -- I don't know. It's hard, and I don't think I'm processing it. I still think I'm in a little bit of shock and adrenaline is still flowing. And I think I have -- you know, we all have a lot of long road of processing to go.

COATES: Joe, I know we have limited time. Is there anything left in your home that can be saved?

DANCY: Um, we were able to get some clothes out that, thanks to quite a few community members, they've helped us washed that. We were able to save a few plants, some records. But we lost just about everything we owned, and that included vehicles. But we have some important things, our lives, and we're forever and always going to be thankful for that.

COATES: Joe, Jenna, I'm struck by these images and the resilience. Thank you so much for being here. Stay safe.

SHAW: Thank you.

DANCY: Thank you.

COATES: Up next tonight, talk of Florida and Texas being in play for Democrats. Is it a pipe dream or could there be something there? I'll ask the one, the only James Carville.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [23:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Oh, it is so wonderful to be back in Nevada. Thank you all.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you. And happy Hispanic Heritage Month to everyone. Small businesses are the backbone of America's economy.

(APPLAUSE)

I know that. I know that. And Latino small business owners are the fastest growing segment of our economy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Kamala Harris in Vegas earlier this week trying to court Latino voters in Nevada, and for good reason. New polling from NBC and Telemundo is showing just how tight things have gotten with this once- reliably democratic voting bloc. Harris holds just a 14-point advantage over Trump. And if you compare that, that same polling to pre-election polling of Latino voters in the previous three presidential elections, Harris is lagging way behind.

Earlier in the week, I got to talk to Democratic strategist James Carville. He is the subject of the new CNN film "Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid," which premieres Saturday at 7 p.m. I started our conversation asking him about Harris's struggle with Latino voters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES CARVILLE, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, you know, first of all, different groups evolve over a period of time. And she's up. I looked at the polls. She's up 14. That's not the Election Day count, but there's no doubt that Republicans have made some inroads into the Latino vote.

But remember, we were supposed to blues in Nevada in 2022, and we did no such thing. And sometimes, we pay insufficient attention to election returns and too much attention to polls.

[23:54:57]

But there's no doubt that we're not going to rack up our customary large numbers that we used to do among Latino folks. It was a very fast-growing part of population. And, by the way, it's a very diverse part of the population. I mean, there are many, many -- I'm not sure how you qualify to be designated, but I know there's much diversity within the Latino or Hispanic community.

COATES: Certainly, I mean, any group that people look at and they hope to study will find shortly that they're not a monolith. And you're right, the ultimate polling --

CARVILLE: Right.

COATES: -- is the polling place. But the polls, as they stand right now, they do show an overall erosion of Latino voters that do identify as Democrats. I mean, less than half Latinos polled identified as Democrats. Now, they had a 40-point advantage just 12 years ago. How worried should Democrats be?

CARVILLE: Well, I mean, you don't like to lose ground with a growing and important demographic like that.

COATES: Uh-hmm.

CARVILLE: But I think what you can do is you can address issues that concern them. If you watch the tape where she was addressing Latino small businesses, I think there are things that you can do. I think that these tariffs that Trump is proposing would be devastating to the Latino community. I think that tax cuts for incomes over -- over $400,000 are potentially devastating for the Latino community.

And, you know, it tends to skew younger than other demographics. You know, I suspect it would be very receptive to some help home -- relief for home time -- home buyers the first time. I mean, there's a bunch of different tools that we have that we can broaden our appeal, but you can't take any demographic for granted anymore.

COATES: Well, you know, it's interesting you say that because you've got to run through the tape if you are a politician hoping to secure votes.

CARVILLE: Yeah.

COATES: People are very accustomed to people coming into neighborhoods and their communities around the election making all sorts of promises, and then the second the votes are cast and counted, they're nowhere to be seen. And so, people are hip to this particular game. And they've got to know, Republicans and Democrats, that if you're asking for a vote, you've got to actually support that and pursue it through that tape.

But one of those pursuits, James, has been with respect to Florida. I mean, Democrats looking to pick up a Senate seat there, trying to take out former governor, current senator, Rick Scott. The DNC is actually giving the state's Democratic Party a $400,000 cash infusion today alone. And the DNC chair even thinks that Florida, Florida might be in play for Harris. Do you buy that? Do you agree?

CARVILLE: Absolutely. But I was just in Florida. I'm very good friends with the Democratic Party chair in Florida, Nikki Fried. I met with our Senate candidate down there. Also, Texas is very much in play. Texas is tight.

COATES: Really?

CARVILLE: Get over it. You know, whether it ends up -- oh, yes. It's definitely -- I don't think Debbie (ph) is more than two down in Florida. Rick Scott is not popular at all.

Let me tell you something that's affecting Floridians in ways that you can't imagine, and that's the spike in home insurance rates. And that affects Latino communities vastly because they want to get in, they're entering the home market and buying houses, and people can't afford these insurance rates. It was a huge story on "60 Minutes."

So, there are a number of issues we have. But I promise you, they're putting $400,000 in there because I know their polling and they go, oh my, like, we could win this thing, and you could. And if you lose Montana, you're going to have to win Florida, Texas, and Nebraska. And I think people understand that.

COATES: Vice President Harris on the top of the ticket. Obviously, we know this summer has been crazy, and President Biden stepping down. Many would say that he was forced out. Many would look to you when saying that. I want to play a clip from the new CNN film, "Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid." Will you talk all about that?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARVILLE: I am very comfortable that I am saying publicly what people are saying to themselves. I have enough money. I have enough whatever. I could just shut the fuck up.

UNKNOWN: James is nothing if not consistent. He's consistent in his boldness, consistent in his willingness to say things that his allies might not want to hear. James is saying, the flames are coming out of the engine, the plane is going down, and we're all just watching it happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: But we're in the final sprint. Did you make the right decision speaking out so forcefully about Biden?

CARVILLE: Look, I did what I thought that I had to do. I thought about it. I gave it a lot of thought. And I just -- I don't look back. If I make decision, I'm going to live with it, and I know I had to live with this decision. I think -- I think it was the correct decision. I didn't like doing it.

[00:00:00]

I really like President Biden. I think he has been a good president, but I think the age issue was just an insomniac barrier that we were faced with, and I thought we had to deal with it.

COATES: James Carville, always a pleasure to hear your voice. Thank you so much.

CARVILLE: Thank you. Let's run through the tape, Laura. Run through the tape.

COATES: All the way. You guys sprint all the way full.

(LAUGHTER)

Make sure you tune in --

CARVILLE: There you go.

COATES: -- to CNN Film, "Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid." It premieres Saturday, October 5th at 7 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COATES: Hey, thanks for watching. "Anderson Cooper 360" is next.