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New Day Saturday
Trump Touts "Best Economy in History of our Country"; Obama Accuses Trump of Constant Fear Mongering; Obama and Trump Square Off in Midterm Election; Military Leaders Slam Trump for Politicizing Migrant Issue; Two Dead in Yoga Studio Shooting; Alec Baldwin Charged with Assault in New York; Two Killed, Four Wounded, Gunman Also Found Dead; Florida Gov Candidate Suspends Campaign After Shooting; Republicans Vow to Protect Those With Pre-Existing Conditions; Texas Republican at Odds with Trump Facing Uphill Battle; Rabbi Myers Goes Back to Synagogue One Week After Shooting; Rabbi Myers: I'm Not Scared, I'm Angry. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired November 03, 2018 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alec Baldwin was just arrested for punching somebody out during a parking dispute.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES: I wish him luck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is New Day Weekend with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.
CHRISTI PAUL, CNN HOST, NEW DAY WEEKEND: 8 o'clock on the death this Saturday morning and so grateful for you company. It is final weekend before midterms.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST, NEW DAY WEEKEND: Yes, it is.
PAUL: On Tuesday's, big names on both sides spanning out across the country.
BLACKWELL: President Trump is holding two rallies today, one in Montana, the other in Florida, he's reminding his core supporters of the economy, it's doing well, his Supreme Court picks and he's warning them that a Democratic Blue Wave will bring a crime wave,
PAUL: On the Democrat side, Former President Barack Obama calling his successor, a compulsive liar who's leaving a trail of broken promises. CNN White House reporter Sarah Westwood live for us. What do we know is on the President's sights today?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Christi, President Trump has those rallies in Montana and Florida today and he's been increasingly focused on immigration. He's been highlighting the progress of that caravan of Central American migrants heading to the U.S. boarder, threatening to cancel birthright citizenship and this as he just got very good economic news. He learned as did all of us yesterday that the U.S. economy added
250,000 jobs in October, holding the unemployment rate at 3.7% which of course is the lowest it's been in 49 years and there are many Republican who wish that the President was spending more time talking about the economy.
They're not sure that this divisive immigration rhetoric helps them in these moderate suburban districts where Republicans are struggling and they're not sure it's a good idea to draw attention to the fact that there are so many divisions within the Republican party about how to approach immigration reform.
But even so the President last night was acknowledging that his solid economic record is not as juicy a campaign talking point as issues like immigration. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They all say speak about the economy, speak about the economy. Well, we have the greatest economy in the history of our country. But sometimes it's not as exciting to talk about the economy, right? Because we have a lot of other things to talk about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WESTWOOD: That was the President speaking in West Virginia and just hours earlier, former President Obama was on the campaign trail stumping in Florida for Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Andrew Gillum. Obama has been back on the political scene trying to draw a contrast between what Democrats are selling and the inflammatory rhetoric we've seeing from Trump administration and from Republicans across the country.
Obama has accused his successor of trying to use division demagoguery to motivate voters to get to the polls. Take a listen to what Obama had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FMR PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES: In the closing weeks of this election we have seen repeated attempts to divide us with rhetoric designed to make us angry and make us fearful.
It's designed to exploit our history of racial and ethnic and religious divisions that pits us against one another. To make us believe that order will somehow be restored if it just weren't for those folks who don't look like we look or don't love like we love or pray like we do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WESTWOOD: Seven more rallies left on his schedule between now and election day. They're all in states where he's trying to help Republicans in state wide races, either defend a seat in Georgia in Tennessee or pick off Democratic incumbent like in Montana or Missouri. Also places he'll visit between now and election day. At the same time Obama and other prominent Democrats are also all out
on the trail trying to preserve these hopes of a Blue Wave as polls show many of these races, Victor and Christi tightening into toss ups as we head into the final days before voters cast their ballots.
BLACKWELL: All right, Sarah Westwood for us this morning. Sarah, thank you very much.
PAUL: CNN Political Analyst Amie Parnes with us now, Senior Political Correspondent for The Hill and CNN Legal Analyst Page Pate, Criminal Defense Attorney. Thank you both for being here. I want to listen real quickly to something else that President Obama said in that rally.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: If you believe in the American constitution, you got to know that no one person can decide who is an American citizen and who's not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: So, Page, we know that President cannot change the constitution with an Executive order but some people might be wondering what can he do?
PAGE PATE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, Christi, that's a great question, I think, we're going to see all this play out. I mean, we've heard the President say, I don't think there should be birthright citizenship in this country. So, I'm going to change that by Executive order.
Now, reality is you can't do that, you can't write an Executive order and amend the constitution. And the 14th amendment is very clear that someone in this country and subject to this country's jurisdiction is a citizen of the United States. So, if he wants to do that, if he wants to enter that Executive order, then it's going to be challenged in court and eventually it may make its way to the Supreme court and I'm confident, even with this Supreme court, they will say that's unconstitutional.
PAUL: And what kind of a timeline are we looking at there?
PATE: Well, that could take a long time if it plays it way out from a District court to a court of appeals all the way to the Supreme court. But I can't imagine that anyone would fry to enforce that executive order while that challenge is pending. I'm certain we'll see it play out just like the travel ban did where we had a District court say, wait, stop, we're going to evaluate this Executive order first before you start changing the constitution.
PAUL: Amie do you the sense that a lot of this talk reflects what we heard about the travel ban?
AMIE PARNES, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE HILL: Yes, and it's coming at a time where he's making - President Trump is making his final pitch to voters. He thinks that this is the issue, we just heard him talk about this. I mean, he could be talking more about the economy and the success story and yesterday and the jobs numbers.
But he's choosing to do this. He's choosing to talk about immigration because he knows this is his version of getting out the vote. He knows that if he talks about this, is going to incense anger. This is going to drive out his base and I think that's exactly how that's playing out.
PAUL: Is there a sense though, Amie, that if he talked about -- I mean the economy is a big deal for a lot of people. He has a lot to take credit for. Even Errol Louis, one of our analysts earlier said, yes, he and the Republicans deserve some credit for what we're seeing. 250,000 jobs that were added in October, wages are up 3.1%, unemployment is down 3.7%.
Those are some really important numbers. Why would that not get people to the polls?
WESTWOOD: You would think that it would and I think a lot of Republicans that I've spoken to at least are actually - they want this stuff, they want him to talk more about it. They think that having a more uplifting message to give voters, a reason to go, not just to vote against something but I think that President Trump knows that these issues are why he got elected and that's why he's falling back on them.
Particularly immigration, he knows that base loves that issue. He sees that we can talk about the caravan and how that's coming in these images and that will also help out his case. So, I think that's why he's doing that and relying on that tactic.
PAUL: Yes, and that caravan is not particularly close, we should point out even at this point here. I wanted to ask you, Page, about something that Lieutenant General Mark Hertling talked about. He received a note from a General who is higher ranking than he is. He did not name that General. But he wanted to read part of the letter he received regarding what is happening at the border, right now. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK HERTLING, LIEUTENANT GENERAL (RETD), UNITED STATES: He said everything the President's doing is to distract, divide and generate fear and discount anyone who disagrees with his daily agenda. We've gone from a nation of hopefulness with an instinct to cooperate the force that you and I were involved in, Mark to one where we're a nation of fear and an instinct to suppress disagreement.
I think that sums it very succinctly that other departments within the Government had been divided by the President's rhetoric and now he's pulling in this institution of the military and it's caused and seeded a great deal of distrust.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: Great deal of distrust. Does President Trump use military force at the border to fight constitutional limits, Page Pate? PATE: Well, it certainly has legal limits. In this country since the late 1800s we've had a law that prohibits anyone from trying to use the military to enforce domestic law. They can't act like the police so if the President's going to send, 10,000 - 15,000 troops to the boarder and they interact with these asylum seekers, they gather them up, they put them into certain places, they try to detain them, that is unlawful under our current federal code.
And in fact, it's not just a policy, a rule or regulation, it's a criminal law. So, the President here is asking the military, potentially, depends on what they do down there, but potentially asking the military to break the law. And that's simply, it's unprecedented and unbelievable.
PAUL: And Amie from that letter that Lieutenant General Hertling, it sounds like they have a lot of discomfort in terms of what's happening at the border. The military and the President have to work in concert. What is your reaction to that letter?
PARNES: Yes, I think it's invoking a lot of the same emotion I think, from a lot of people inside and within the administration that they're saying, they're there as a logistical support, they're not there to be the police, they're not there to police the border.
And so, I think a lot of people are kind of falling back on that and saying, this is kind of beyond the pale and doing - forcing our troops to do something that they're uncomfortable with doing.
PAUL: All righty, Amie Parnes and Page Pate, always grateful to have you both here. Thank you.
BLACKWELL: Well, it is a critical election with a lot at stake, the balance of power in Congress. 36 Governor's races, thousands of local elections and it's only three days away.
We'll bring you all the key races with up to the minute results. Our special live coverage starts on election night at 5:00 Eastern.
PAUL: There's some breaking news overnight. Yoga Class or members of that class fought back reportedly when a man started shooting inside their studio.
Two people have died. He then took his own life. We have details for you.
BLACKWELL: Plus "Saturday Night Live" actor, Alec Baldwin was arrested and charged with assault and harassment. This is in New York, we'll tell you what happened.
PAUL: And a teacher is in police custody. Look at this, an all-out brawl with a student inside a High School classroom. The incident as you see caught on camera. We'll show you more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Well, "Saturday Night Live" actor Alec Baldwin, arrested and charged with assault and harassment. New York Police say he allegedly punched a man in the face following a dispute over a parking spot.
BLACKWELL: Now Baldwin denies punching anyone, calls the situation, egregiously misstated. The alleged victim was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition. Here's CNN Correspondent Polo Sandoval with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLO SANDOVOL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Actor Alec Baldwin stayed quiet as he walked out of a New York City Police precinct, Friday. The actor largely known for his recurring SNL portrayal of President Trump was charged with assault and harassment.
The NYPD alleging, Baldwin punched a 49-year-old man during a fight over a parking spot. This isn't the first time Baldwin find himself in trouble with the law or making headlines. In 2014, Baldwin was arrested for bike riding on the wrong side of the road.
The short-tempered actor has also been seen getting into scuffles with paparazzi. Back in 2007, Baldwin was heard on a voice-mail recording yelling insults at then wife Kim Basinger and their daughter.
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: You are a rude, thoughtless little pig. I don't give a dam that you're 12 years old or 11 years old or that you're a child.
SANDOVAL: Baldwin's behavior has attracted criticism from conservatives. On Twitter, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee took a sarcastic jab at Baldwin. The President's son Don Jr. calling Baldwin, a piece of garbage. Earlier this year, the President called Baldwin's impersonation of him, terrible and agony inducing.
This time though more measured response from the White House South Lawn.
TRUMP: Who was arrested?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alec Baldwin. He punched somebody out during a parking dispute.
TRUMP: I wish him luck.
SANDOVAL: Friday evening Baldwin took to Twitter, denying the allegation, calling them false. The actor wrote, I realize it has become a sport to tag people with as many negative charges and defaming allegations as possible for the purpose of click bait entertainment.
Fortunately, no matter how reverberating the echoes, it doesn't make the statements true. Polo Sandoval, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: And also, police say members of a yoga class fought back when a gunman went in and started shooting at a hot Yoga studio.
This was in Tallahassee, Florida, six people were shot and two of them died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL DELEO, CHIEF, TALLAHASSEE POLICE: There are indications that several people inside fought back and tried to not only save themselves but other people which is a testament to their courage. Other people who don't just turn and run but the strength of our community and the spirit of those people while trying to help and save and protect others.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Police say, the shooter died of a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound and believe he acted alone. They don't know allegedly why he did this. Tallahassee Mayor, Andrew Gillum who is a Democratic nominee for Governor there in Florida, he tweeted no act of gun violence is acceptable, and he says, he will suspend his campaign because of this shooting.
PAUL: Well the midterm elections are affecting the future of health care in the United States or they will. There's a key issue protecting people with pre-existing conditions that is on a lot of people's minds.
We're going to hear from a Democratic and a Republican on that.
BLACKWELL: Plus, Pittsburgh is working to heal, one week after worst anti-Semitic attack in history. Here what Jewish leaders are telling their congregants to do, to move forward.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Few minutes past the hour. Right now, thank you for sharing your time with us. I'm Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Good to be with you. Health care is a focus, central focus at the midterm elections on Tuesday. Democrats say Republicans will end protections for people with pre-existing conditions. President Trump and endangered Republicans vowed to keep the protections even as they continue to take some pretty major hits or swipes at least at Obamacare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And we actually had Obamacare killed except for one Republican vote and any Democrat, one Democrat and we would have had it obliterated and you would have great health care.
OBAMA: It's bad enough spending eight years trying to take away people's health care and then in the final days, try to act like you're Mother Teresa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: Well, joining us now to talk about health care and the midterm elections, we have CNN contributors Zeke Emanuel, Former Obama White House Health Care Policy Advisor and CNN Political Commentator Jack Kingston, Former Senior Advisor to the Trump campaign and Former Republican Congressman from Georgia.
Gentlemen, welcome back and I want to start with you, Congressman. The President tweeted this, Republicans will totally protect people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats will not. Vote Republican. What's the evidence that Republicans will totally protect people with pre- existing conditions?
JACK KINGSTON, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND FORMER CONGRESSMAN (R), GEORGIA: Well, it's the Bill Cassidy Bill, it's a Bill John McCain actually offered in 2008 and it's a Bill that Zeke will remember Barack Obama mentioned in 2009.
He said, I'm going to borrow the pre-existing portion of the McCain Bill. Republicans have always been supportive of patient centered health care Bill. This is a -- this is a fear tactic that the Democrats always employ and I think it tries to get the emphasis off the fact that when they say Medicare for all, it's going to bankrupt Medicare in eight years.
BLACKWELL: And we're going to talk about Medicare for all in a moment.
KINGSTON: They need to have a distraction.
BLACKWELL: But you said 2008-2009. Let's talk about 2017 and what Republicans voted for and the impact on people with pre-existing conditions. Let's walk through it here. House Republicans voted for the American Health care Act, that May 4th, 2017.
Now, you'll remember Republican didn't wait for the CBO score from the Congressional Budget Office. Three weeks later when that score came out, this was a portion of what the CBO found as it relates to those wavers that would have been extended to states not to cover central health benefits.
Let's put it up. The CBO determined over time, less healthy individuals, including those with pre-existing conditions or newly acquired medical conditions would be unable to purchase comprehensive coverage with premiums close to those under current law and might not be able to purchase coverage at all.
217 House Republicans voted for it, dozens of Senate Republicans supported the Senate counterpart. If they voted for it then, that would have jeopardized health care for people with pre-existing conditions.
KINGSTON: Well, remember, what that's saying is, pre-existing condition coverage would be there. It's that the premium might not be where it is now. But remember this--
BLACKWELL: If they can't afford it, then it's not coverage.
ZEKE EMANUEL, FORMER OBAMA WHITE HOUSE HEALTHCARE POLICY ADVISOR AND CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Can I say something? This is the whole point. They're not going to say, you don't insure people. They're going to say, insurance companies, charge them whatever you want and that actually is what the President had said - has made his Department of health and human services giving states wavers to allow insurance companies to charge people with pre-existing conditions.
Tens of thousands of dollars for their insurance. That makes it unaffordable and what the Affordable Care Act did was to say you cannot charge people based on their health, you have to charge everyone the same thing so that people who say, have cancer or heart disease or liver disease can get health insurance.
If you don't say, you charge everyone the same, then you get a situation where people who've had diseases cannot actually afford the premium. In theory they can get insurance, in practice they can't.
KINGSTON: OK, Zeke, remember this. Great filibuster but let me just point out that under ACA, your Obamacare, the quasi-socialized medicine, insurance company values have gone up 111%. I bet you personally and I'm not accusing you, I mean, in a generic sense, you probably do have some health care insurance stocks. It's sky rocketed. That is the money made from Obamacare.
EMANUEL: Sir, the fact--
BLACKWELL: Excuse me. Nobody can hear anyone if you keep - Jack, finish your point in five to ten seconds then we need Zeke to respond.
EMANUEL: That gives you your--
KINGSTON: When you charge somebody - have sky rocketed.
EMANUEL: Can I answer your question?
KINGSTON: I'm still waiting for the $2500 premium which Barack Obama promised me.
BLACKWELL: Jack, thank you. Zeke, go ahead and respond.
EMANUEL: So actually, what I would like to point out is you can't both say, it's socialized medicine and the insurance companies are doing well. The insurance companies are private companies. What Obamacare did is to create a marketplace that was regulated and insurance companies, private companies offered insurance, sent people to private doctors, private hospitals.
That is not socialized medicine. That is a canard and a lie that you keep perpetuating.
BLACKWELL: Zeke, let me ask you this. Jack, hold on. Zeke, let me ask you this. We heard just Jack mention Senator Bill Cassidy who's also a doctor. Republican Senator, he wrote an opinion piece for CNN.com.
And he says this, "The reason Democrats are claiming otherwise as it relates to Republican protecting pre-existing condition coverage and trying to rewrite history is simple, they're trying ng to protect the status quo created by Obamacare and set the stage for a single payer health care system." Is that the goal here to just ride this right into Medicare for all? Is that what the next - if the Democrats get control are going to try
to push?
EMANUEL: The only reason that Medicare for all is on the agenda is because Republicans keep trying to take away Obamacare. If matter of fact, if you talk to many Republicans who are moderate in Washington D.C., they actually Obamacare to succeed because they don't want the alternative, which is Medicare for all.
If Obamacare fails, there's no other policy. That's what the Republicans keep doing and they keep trying to torpedo a free market system, which is Obamacare, allowing insurance companies to compete. They keep trying to torpedo that system.
BLACKWELL: All right, Jack.
KINGSTON: Insurance companies have made a windfall in profits under Obamacare. It set up an oligopoly. That's why I called it and still believe it's quasi-socialized medicine. The President promised a $2500 premium decrease for family. Instead everybody got at least a $2500 - he promised a decrease, we all got increases under it.
Medicare for all is going to bankrupt Medicare. I have an elderly mother and I don't want her Medicare to go bankrupt but that's what the Democrats are going to do with Medicare and by the way you said--
EMANUEL: We are talking about - Jack, Jack, give me a second.
KINGSTON: - it's the alternative to Medicare. Let me say this.
BLACKWELL: Zeke, hold on, Zeke, I'm going to come right back to you. And Jack, finish your point, please.
KINGSTON: There's a lot of alternatives to Obamacare. Zeke just said the alternative is Medicare for all, that's not true at all. I believe 50 different states may want to be incubators to do 50 different things.
BLACKWELL: Yes, they may want to be incubators but Jack, the point of the ACHA, the American Health care Act was to give them these wavers where they did not have to cover those basic essential coverages and then allow insurance companies to charge whatever they want which the CBO found that some people, 23 million, over ten years, additional people would not have coverage and many people with pre-existing conditions would not be able to afford it. Zeke, go ahead. Finish up your point.
EMANUEL: What we're debating here is the continuation of Obamacare, not Medicare for all. That is the issue and the Republicans have consistently tried to repeal it. Many people of the House voted 70 different ways to repeal Obamacare.
Obamacare is an exchange where insurance companies compete and people get private insurance with private services by doctors.
KINGSTON: It's quasi-socialized medicine. EMANUEL: You can say that over and over again and -- Jack, are you
going to give me a chance to finish?
KINGSTON: Listen, between the doctor and the patient, you put insurance companies and you bureaucrats.
BLACKWELL: All right.
EMANUEL: Jack, Jack.
KINGSTON: We want the patients and the doctors to control their own health care.
BLACKWELL: Jack, what happened to repeal and replace? What happened to that line from 2016. We don't hear that in 2018.
EMANUEL: The Republicans have never had a replacement--
BLACKWELL: Zeke, let him answer the question. What happened to repeal and place? We're not hearing that from the President. We're hearing we're going to protect pre-exiting condition coverage.
KINGSTON: We were one vote short in the Senate, which is why Bill Cassidy and Mitch McConnell and Lamar Alexander have all said, we're going to replace it and we're going to keep pre-existing conditions and it's too bad that in an election year, Democrats without a platform, the only thing they can do is scare seniors.
BLACKWELL: All right.
EMANUEL: So, one of the things the Republicans--
BLACKWELL: We got to wrap it, ten seconds, Zeke, ten seconds.
EMANUEL: One of the things is how are you going to protect pre- existing conditions? They have no plan. They simply repeat the phrase and then they repeat the socialized medicine which has no basis in reality.
KINGSTON: (Inaudible) (2:24) Bill Cassidy legislation.
BLACKWELL: Zeke Emanuel, Jack Kingston, thank you both. Thank you both. Christi.
PAUL: So, we're talking about a Texas Republican Congressman who disagrees with many of President Trump's immigration policies and that is making for - things have been dicey, let's say for Will Hurd. He represents a majority Hispanic district along the Mexican border and he's running for reelection. along the Mexican border. Here's Ed Lavandera.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: If you live in the 23rd congressional district of Texas you probably prefer life served up scenic and slow. It's a massive district that sits on roughly 800 miles of the Texas- Mexico border. And stretched from San Antonio to the edge of El Paso.
It's about the size of Georgia with less than a million people. For weeks an endless cycle of campaign ads have jammed the air waves, from incumbent Republican Congressman Will Hurd and the Democratic challenger, Gina Ortiz Jones. A recent New York Times poll shows Hurd with a comfortable lead.
But in the last few weeks of the campaign, the National Republican Congressional Committee suddenly dropped $600,000 into the race and President Trump isn't doing Hurd any favors in this majority Hispanic district by describing the migrant caravan as invaders and threatening to do away with birthright citizenship.
ALFONSO PONCHO NEVAREZ, (D) TEXAS STATE HOUSE: I'd find a rock to hide under and stay under.
LAVANDERA: You think Will should hide under a rock?
NEVAREZ: If I were him, I'd do that.
LAVANDERA: Poncho Nevarez is a Democratic state representative from Eagle Pass. We talked about the race from his porch overlooking the Rio Grande into Mexico. He considers Will Hurd a friend and says, the Congressman is hoping to run out the clock on this election.
So, when Congressman Hurd hears the things that President Trump is saying, what do you think he's going to do?
NEVAREZ: I'm sure he's cringing. You know and if you know Will, he's is a decent dude. He's a good dude. And there is no doubt about that and I mean, I can't speak for the guy but I'm sure that he doesn't like it.
LAVANDERA: We found Congressman Hurd greeting voters outside this polling location on the town of Uvalde.
What do you say to that voter who says, I want to vote for you but you're in the President's party and the way he talks about these things just rubs me the wrong way?
WILL HURD, U.S. REPRESENATIVE (R), TEXAS: Look, I think people know that I'm going to agree when I agree and disagree when I disagree. I'm the only person in this race, in my race that has proven an ability to work across the aisle and also stand up to both parties.
LAVANDERA: In Washington, Hurd has carved out an image as a moderate who occasionally breaks from President Trump and the Republican party. He doesn't support the border wall and the Former CIA officer has said Trump is being manipulated by Russia.
GINA ORTIZ JONES: U.S. REPRESENATIVE (D), TEXAS: Hi, I'm Gina.
LAVANDERA: Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones is an Iraq war veteran and Former Air Force Intelligence Officer. She likes to say, Hurd's image is someone who stands up to Trump is overblown and that he's best consumed as a silent film. JONES: You can't be outraged on CNN and complicit in Congress, that is
not how this works. So unfortunately, Will says one thing in the district, votes a completely different way in Washington.
LAVANDERA: Lupe Ruiz lives in the border town of Eagle Pass. She says she hasn't voted since 2008 but plans to vote for Ortiz Jones because of President Trump's cruel rhetoric.
Is the way President Trump is talking about immigration making you want to go out and vote again?
LUPE RUIZ, TEXAS VOTER: Yes, in a way yes, it is. Because there's like a lot of racist there for me. That's what I see, the way he talks.
LAVANDERA: Roseanne Gonzales is life-long Republican and Trump supporter. She worries his tone is alienating much needed voters in this district.
ROSEANNE GONZALES, TEXAS VOTER: A harder stance is a good thing. I don't think the way that President Trump is saying it is relating well. But I think that his message that he wants to get across is good, just not the way that he's sending it.
LAVANDERA: Ed Lavandera, CNN, Uvalde County, Texas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: And we want to take you to Pittsburgh this morning as they try to heal that community there after the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history. Our Alisyn Camerota is there as well. She got rare access to Jewish leaders and Allison, I know they were talking to you about what to do next.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN REPORTER: Absolutely Christi because it has been exactly one week since that gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue. So, coming up you'll hear new revelations about what happened that horrible morning and what Rabbi Jeff Myers plans to tell the world today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Well, one week ago, today, yes, one week ago, 11 people were murdered at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. It was the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history and I know it was hard for you to sit back and watch what was going on that day.
BLACKWELL: Yes, it certainly was for the country. CNN's Alisyn Camerota is in Pittsburg and she got rare access to Jewish leaders and to attend a private Shabbat service and dinner last night. Alisyn, good morning to you and we understand that there is this show up effort across the country but there in Pittsburgh, what's planned for this morning?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Okay, good morning, Victor and Christi. About one hour from now, will be the very first Shabbat service of the Tree of Life synagogue since that gunman came in and opened fire, killing 11 beloved members of their community exactly one week ago.
So, this morning, they expect about a thousand people to crowd these suburban streets of Squirrel Hill from all different denominations to show up and to show their solidarity here to the Tree of Life members.
And the man tasked with bringing this community together is Rabbi Jeffrey Myers. We have gotten to know Rabbi Jeffrey Meyers during the course of this past painful week. So, he invited us here to Squirrel Hill to his home. He wanted us to see his community, he wanted us to see the scene of the crime and to see the place of healing.
RABBI JEFFREY MYERS, TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE: These just showed up. We didn't put them here. They just showed up.
CAMEROTA: They just organically showed up and these are the names of the victims.
MYERS: These are all the names of the victims and it just showed up. And this is just to say the out pouring of love from countless people. I'm floored by the love. I don't know where the tents came from. These weren't here yesterday.
The rain is coming in. Somebody brought in tents. This is amazing.
CAMEROTA: To shelter all of these stars.
MYERS: This was not done by the synagogue. We didn't do this. The community did this and I'm just amazed.
CAMEROTA: And so, what is it like for you to walk around here just six days after you ran for your life from this building?
MYERS: It was painful. It still is. It's painful. I mean I know, it's part of the grieving process but I'm a witness, I'm a victim and I'm a survivor and I'm also a pastor but I'm also a human and I stand here and I'm in pain.
CAMEROTA: Are you scared when you see this building? Do you feel--
MYERS: No, I'm not scared, I'm angry. How dare you defile our holy space? What made you think you could ever do that? How would you feel if someone did that to your mother's house of worship? How would you feel? And those are questions he's going to have to deal with.
CAMEROTA: Do you sense anxiety and fear from the community?
MYERS: Yes, they're afraid.
CAMEROTA: They're afraid, this is going to happen again?
MYERS: Yes.
CAMEROTA: You know, you've been so stoical on National TV and you have given your message of love and to tone down the hate, but I just wonder, do you have moments where you break down or are you still on adrenalin?
MYERS: I'll give a perfect example. It was at the funeral today, it was the last one and we were in Rodef. I appreciate the fact that outside Rodef, there's a side there with a contemplative garden. I just sat down and cried like a baby. I couldn't stop.
I thought the procession was waiting for me. I couldn't stop. It just came out, I couldn't stop because I haven't held it in me, nonstop but this was the last funeral and every time I do one, particularly for me because I'm almost can't (ph) when I chant a memorial prayer, it takes a piece of my soul away and I have no more left to give. My tank's empty.
CAMEROTA: And so what do you say to your congregants who stay why? How does God let this happen?
MYERS: I don't believe God lets this stuff happen. Humans have a choice. And this person made this choice. To me God is the one I turn to when I have no strength to say God, give me strength to get through this and that's what I do every moment of every day, give me strength and somehow God does. I never thought I'd see the horror of this ever, ever.
CAMEROTA: Just show me here what stands out to you, show me when you come here to look at this outpouring of the community--
MYERS: It's the sheer immensity of love, it gives me hope because it reminds me there are so many good people and this gives me strength to say, hate will never win.
CAMEROTA: As for what Rabbi Myers plans to tell these thousands of people today, he explained it to us. He said that he does plan to talk about President Trump's visit. He said that there are so many people who don't understand why he would welcome President Trump here after President Trump's heated rhetoric.
And there are so many people who blame President Trump's heated rhetoric for acting as they told us quote, 'an accelerant' to the violence here and so what Rabbi Myers says that he plans to tell them is that the Bible teaches us to welcome the stranger and to offer the stranger food and water and comfort, whether that stranger is a refugee or the President of the United States.
And so Rabbi Myers says that he plans to just model that biblical behavior today for everyone. He plans to preach love, he plans to ask people to try to tamp down all of the hate and that's the message that he wants to get out to the world as he has all week and just on a personal note, he did invite us to this lovely Shabbat dinner last night where we got to see this close knit community up close for ourselves and it was so beautiful to see how Pittsburgh has come together.
There were a whole bunch of kids there, from babies to teenager whose say that they're big fans of "New Day" and they are Gabriella Sef (ph), Zef Adee (ph), Benji (ph), Izy (ph) and Ellen (ph) and they wanted to know if I would ever say their names on "New Day" and I said I thought that Christi and Victor might just let me do that.
So, thank you guys and I will see you after we go in for this Shabbat service.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL: We would never take that away from you. And I mean, how gracious he is to let us all into these moments, where we can all really learn what is left for these people and how to move forward. Alyson Camerota, great job. Thank you so much. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PAUL: Well, the balance of power could shift significantly, this Tuesday when voters head to the polls. Don't expect all the answers by Tuesday night though.
BLACKWELL: Yes, joining us now with his election night forecast, CNN Politics Senior Writer and Analyst Harry Enten. Harry, welcome back. Let's start with your predictions for the House and Senate. Where's it going?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER AND ANALYST: Sure, so for the House of Representatives, we believe Democrats will end up with 276 seats on election night. They only need 218. That of course is a net gain of 31 seats for them, they only need a net gain of 23. However, it's still possible for Republicans to maintain control. In their best-case scenario, they could do in fact do so.
On the other hand, of course, the arrow could go the other way and you could see Democrats doing significantly better than the House forecast currently has them doing. On the Senate on the other hand, it looks like Republicans won't only just maintain but in fact they could pick up a seat at 52. Of course, look, the margin of error is still there. We don't have the graphic but Democrats could in fact gain control of that body. It's just not a likely possibility at this time.
BLACKWELL: All right. Harry Enten, thanks so much.
ENTEN: Thank you.
BLACKWELL: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: All right, now to a disturbing scene inside a classroom at the Maywood Academy High School, this is in California. A teacher and a student embroiled in a brutal fist fight during class and the whole thing caught on cellphone camera.
PAUL: Yes, students in the class say their classmate was asked to leave because he wasn't dressed in proper uniform and that's when things got out of control. Apparently, the student refused to leave, shouted racial slurs at the teacher who's African-American, you see there and then threw a basketball at him. Students say that's what pushed the teacher over the edge. One student
told our affiliate KTLA, this was all a set up because everyone had their cell phones out ready to capture it.
BLACKWELL: Now the teacher was arrested, the student was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and the Los Angeles school district says, they're cooperating with sheriff's office. Detectives with the agency's Special Victims' Bureau are in investigating.
PAUL: So, we're going to see you again at 10:00 a.m.
BLACKWELL: "Smerconish" is next.
