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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Trump's Pitch To Women: "I Am Your Protector" & "You Will No Longer Be Thinking About Abortion"; Diddy Accuser Says Pain From Assault Is A "Cycle Of Suffering"; NYT: GOP Rep. Gave Jobs To His Lover & His Fiancee's Daughter. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired September 24, 2024 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Also, it could still see some time at 115 in the water before it actually does make landfall and there'll be winds in Georgia of 70 miles per hour bringing down trees, bringing down powerlines, and significant damage going on there.
Also, with very heavy rainfall, surge could be 15 feet. A lot of homes aren't built that high. And then storm surge still will push that water on up toward Apalachicola. This is kind of like a big Catcher's Mitt. I was right there. You were on your way over to Pensacola. I was in Saint Marks for Hurricane Ivan. Ivan, the water came up 15 feet.
And then, we're talking about this, how much rainfall could come down. 10 inches, everywhere. That's purple.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: Wow.
MYERS: Anderson, this could be a flood-maker, a saltwater flood-maker, and obviously wind damage-maker as well.
COOPER: Yes. Chad Myers, thank you. We'll continue to follow.
The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now. I'll see you, tomorrow.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Straight from THE SOURCE tonight.
Trump and Harris couldn't be closer, in brand-new CNN polling, but not on the number one issue that matters to voters.
Also, there's new reaction, tonight, after Trump told women, quote, "I am your protector," while a Republican candidate for Senate asked why women over 50 even care about abortion.
And the latest, tonight, on the new sexual assault claims against Sean "Diddy" Combs. His latest accuser, in a tearful press conference, today, says that she was drugged, raped and filmed.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
We are now officially six weeks away from Election Day. And you know you're getting close, when you hear this.
(MUSIC)
COLLINS: Don't you just kind of love that sound? Adds the excitement, and also the very real anxiety, out there, among some, as the latest numbers tonight are confirming that this race is a true cliffhanger.
Brand-new CNN reporting, tonight, shows a virtual tie between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump. There's no clear leader, in this race. And the results of this nationwide survey of likely voters is well within the margin of error. Look at these numbers. Harris, 48. Trump, 47.
Voters are telling us that far and away, the most important issue to them is the economy. 41 percent say that -- say that as their number one issue, while 21 percent believe it's protecting democracy. And then immigration and reproductive rights.
As for who voters trust more to handle their biggest concern. Right now, Trump is leading Harris by a 11 points at 50 percent to 39 percent. Trump contrasted his economic plans with his opponent's, out on the campaign trail, today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: If Kamala Harris gets four more years, she will de-industrialize the United States and destroy our country.
Under Kamala Harris, we lost 24,000 manufacturing jobs, last month. 24,000. We're going to turn that around so fast.
This horrific nightmare for American workers ends the day I take the oath of office.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I should note. Trump's own record on manufacturing, from when he was in office, is quite mixed. We're going to look at that tonight.
But this is all coming as the Vice President is set to outline more of her economic vision, when she's in Pennsylvania, tomorrow.
And joining me now is Kentucky's Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, who is a surrogate for the Harris campaign.
It's great to have you here.
Governor, we heard from Donald Trump, today, talking about his economic policies that he would implement, if he wins a second term. Vice President Harris is set to lay out her agenda, tomorrow.
And this comes, as these new CNN numbers that are out today, show likely voters trust him more than they do her, on the economy, 50 percent to 39 percent. Why do you think that is? GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): Well, people don't always remember the recent past. Donald Trump left the American economy in shambles. Yes, it was during a pandemic. But it grew very, very difficult, especially near the end.
His economic policy, which includes tariffs, he started to implement. And what we saw were other countries putting their own tariffs on products, including Kentucky Bourbon. The policies of Donald Trump in the economy certainly hurt my state, and would hurt them again if implemented again.
But I think you see his policy being all about how he feels, on a certain day, and what country he's going to put a tariff on.
Her policies are about us. They're about a middle-class tax cut. They're about affordable housing. They're about the families in Kentucky and across the United States of America.
COLLINS: Yes, but -- and she's called Trump's tariffs, a Trump sales tax, trying to -- tax, trying to get him that way, something that your own home state Senator Mitch McConnell criticized today.
But on her, we've seen voters want to know about -- more about her. So, what does she need to say specifically, in Pennsylvania tomorrow, to change that number?
BESHEAR: Well, first of all, it's going to be a close race, regardless, and we knew that.
But she is generating the type of energy, where I believe that she is going to win. I think she just needs to keep talking, about how she cares about the American people, and how she's going to move us forward.
[21:05:00]
Donald Trump will talk for an hour and a half, or an hour, and he'll talk mainly, about his grievances.
She's out there talking about not just not going back, but how we move forward. And sometimes, it takes a while of telling your plan over and over, of middle-class tax cuts, of affordable housing.
She is the first presidential candidate, that I can remember in my lifetime, to address affordable housing. And it's something that my state and every state is dealing with right now. I think that's something that people are going to hear and respond to.
COLLINS: I mean, she's got six weeks, from today. Do you think she can do that?
BESHEAR: Absolutely.
COLLINS: I want you to listen to part of what Trump said recently, when he was asked for specifics for his plan. I mean, we have not gotten details, really, from either of them, too detailed on what their plans are, economically, even though that's the number one concern for voters. Listen to what Trump had to say recently about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARYL ATTKISSON, EMMY AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR: What are the specific mechanics of how prices come down? You know, the steps that would be taken in a second term for you?
TRUMP: So first of all, she can't do an interview.
They're going to destroy lives. They're going to destroy the -- what they have done to this country. And especially in the sense of allowing millions and millions of people come in. Because that's something. You know, we can fix the gasoline situation and we can fix the, anything.
ATTKISSON: Do prices come down magically because it's not them?
TRUMP: They come down with energy and they come down with interest rates. We're going to get, as I told you, we're going to get energy down by 50 percent in 12 months. We're going to have it. It's going to be a major smash on energy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I mean, that was a word salad from him. But voters trust that guy more than they do your candidate, right now.
BESHEAR: Well, more voters need to see that. Because the question, where how are you going to bring prices down? And his answer is, Because she's bad in interviews.
I've heard some of the criticism of the Vice President. But when those questions are asked, she at least outlines a broad plan. I get that there are more questions about specifics. But it's a real answer that has real policies that she can pursue.
Donald--
COLLINS: But do you want to see her go into the specifics?
BESHEAR: Well Donald Trump's answer to everything is just elect me and it will work out.
There is no comparison, between the two of them, about who is putting out real ideas, and who is simply running, to address grievances, from years ago.
COLLINS: You mentioned how close this race is. I mean, the numbers out today, from CNN, a national poll among likely voters, 48 percent Harris, 47 percent Trump.
If those numbers are accurate, and this race was held tomorrow, do you think Trump would win? BESHEAR: I don't. I believe that whichever side has the energy, especially near the end, is the one that ends up winning. It's the turnout that you see on the ground.
And while Donald Trump's energy is flat.
There is so much momentum behind the Vice President. You see that in terms of volunteers. You see that in terms of fundraising. You see that in terms of how people are excited at the events that she is at, and excited to support her. Energy is so critical, especially in the last six weeks of an election.
COLLINS: Well, and obviously abortion is something else that that your party is counting on. You ran on abortion, as an issue, not something we would typically see a Democrat do, in a red state, like Kentucky.
BESHEAR: Yes.
COLLINS: But it was something that you made a priority of yours.
And Donald Trump has been talking about this issue out on the campaign trail. Listen to what he had to say to women, last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Because I am your protector. I want to be your protector. As President, I have to be your protector. I hope you don't make too much of it. I hope the fake news doesn't go, Oh, he wants to be their protector. Well, I am. As president, I have to be your protector.
You will no longer be thinking about abortion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Is that what you think women -- how women will feel after the election that they won't be thinking about abortion anymore, if he wins?
BESHEAR: No. Of course, they'll be thinking about it.
Donald Trump's handpicked Supreme Court tore a constitutional right away from my mom, my wife, my daughter, and half this country. It's left, in states like mine, with the most draconian laws on the books, 10-, 12-year-old girls impregnated through rape, with no options.
He keeps saying it's a beautiful thing to leave this to the states. Not in my state. What it's done is, is couples that have wanted to have kids, so badly, but have a non-viable pregnancy, if it's not going to ultimately kill the woman? She's got to carry it to term, just to listen to her child die. 85 percent of Kentuckians disagree with that. It's far too extreme.
COLLINS: You talk about extreme, and we hear how your party talks about what would happen, if Trump is reelected.
But you have a lot of people in your state, who are Trump supporters. I mean, you know these voters very well, just as well as you know your own voters. Some of them may be Trump-Beshear voters.
[21:10:00]
So, when you look at numbers that say 47 percent of registered voters would feel afraid if Trump won, and 45 percent would feel afraid if she won? What does that say to you about how they view her? Why do you think they're afraid? 45 percent of registered voters are worried about a Harris win?
BESHEAR: Well, because Donald Trump and his campaign, uses fear. That's the number one thing they push. Fear. And also, trying to appeal to anger and to discontent, to turn one neighbor against another.
My faith tells me we're supposed to love our neighbor as ourself. And that parable, The Good Samaritan says, Everyone is your neighbor. And so, I think what we've got to do, after this election, is turn down the temperature. We might not always agree with our neighbor. But we want them to do well, and we really want their kids to have more opportunity.
Everything doesn't have to be a partisan clash. We shouldn't have to pick sides and everything, from the car we drive, to the beer we drink. Yes, beer became political, somehow, over the last couple of years.
I believe the Vice President can get us there. I believe that looking forward means we can leave the divisive politics of the past behind us. And I hope for that, because I'm raising a 15- and a 14-year-old, I want them to grow up in a world, and vote in a world, where politics isn't as divided and nasty, as we see it right now.
COLLINS: Do you think Harris needs a second debate?
BESHEAR: I believe that the Vice President won that debate going away. I don't think there's any way, after she won by that much, that the former President is going to agree to another one.
COLLINS: So, you think there won't be another debate among the presidential candidates?
BESHEAR: Well, unless Donald Trump overrules his people, which have to be telling him there's no way you should go in again.
Because, I mean, just not only her performance, but his. Taking the bait, getting into grievances, not talking about things like policy, but instead about crowd size. It was a really bad debate for him. And again, there were some questions that it didn't appear that he even could answer.
COLLINS: Well, and obviously it could be quite helpful for her, I would imagine, two weeks out before the election, given voters want to know more about her.
The vice presidential debate will be a week from today. It's going to be Governor Tim Walz against Senator J.D. Vance. What do you -- what would you do if you were debating J.D. Vance, one week from today?
BESHEAR: Well, Tim Walz is a great friend, a great governor, and he's going to be an amazing Vice President of the United States. Tim Walz is such a good person. And putting him next to J.D. Vance on stage, he's already going to start ahead.
J.D. Vance insults everyone. He insults adults without children. He insults people with cats. He just -- it's like always, there's this air of superiority, and the American people don't like that.
Tim Walz is the opposite. Tim Walz was a lunchroom monitor that, you know, as the assistant football coach that's out there, and as my friend, I can tell you, he is as genuine as anybody in politics.
Tim's just got to be himself, and let J.D. Vance be himself.
COLLINS: Governor Beshear, thank you for being yourself, and for joining us, tonight.
BESHEAR: Thank you very much.
COLLINS: Great to have you on set.
Up next. A Republican, who is running for Senate in Ohio, says he was just joking for comments that he made, about abortion, and how women over 50 feel about the matter.
Also tonight, a closer look at Donald Trump's recent McDonald's fixation. He's now joking about working there, as he accuses Vice President Harris of lying about doing so.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm going to work the French fry job for about a half an hour.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: I want to see how it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Some breaking news for you tonight, as the Trump campaign just now says that he was briefed today, by U.S. intelligence officials, on threats from Iran to assassinate him.
The Trump campaign said in a quote, real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him, and described this as an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States.
Now, I should note some important context here, because this comes after I recently reported that intelligence officials have briefed the Trump campaign, senior officials within the Trump campaign, just about two weeks ago, on Iran's efforts to escalate attacks on him, and those around him.
I do want to be clear tonight that, right now, there is no evidence that either of the attempts on his life, the one in Butler, Pennsylvania, or in Palm Beach, Florida, had to do with Iran.
It's an important story. We'll keep you updated on that.
Also, on the political front, tonight, there's a Republican candidate for national office, who is now facing scrutiny, over comments that he made about women. We've heard a lot of what Senator J.D. Vance calls childless cat ladies. And now, tonight, there's Ohio Senate candidate, Bernie Moreno, talking about women over 50 during a recent town hall.
Now, in the tape I'm about to show you, Moreno's Democratic opponent, that's Senator Sherrod Brown, he's seizing on these comments, on this clip, putting out a video of his own that shows a woman reacting to what Moreno said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE MORENO, (R) OHIO SENATE NOMINEE: Sadly, by the way, there's a lot of suburban women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes.
MORENO: A lot of suburban women that are like, Listen, abortion's it. If I can't have an abortion in this country whenever I want, I will vote for anybody else.
OK. It's a little crazy, by the way, but -- especially for women that are like past 50, I'm thinking to myself--
(LAUGHTER)
MORENO: --I don't think that's an issue for you.
(LAUGHTER)
MORENO: Oh, thank God my wife didn't hear that one.
[21:20:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, I don't even know what to say, like, honestly. And I'm, you know, a mother, a daughter, a sister. I have a granddaughter. Of course it matters to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Now, a spokesman for Moreno is responding, and saying the comment that you heard him make there was a, quote, tongue-in-cheek joke about how Democrats treat women voters.
But this is all coming as Democrats, and Vice President Kamala Harris, are campaigning heavily on abortion rights, nationwide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think we should eliminate the filibuster for Roe.
51 votes would be what we need to actually put back in law the protections for reproductive freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Perspective now, from my panel of political experts.
And Aisha, I just first, what's your response to what the Moreno campaign is saying? Essentially that everyone's taking that too seriously and it's just a joke.
AISHA MILLS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, look, this is what always happens, is that Republicans flub. People find out about it. It goes viral. They look ridiculous. And then, they say, Oh, it was the Democrats' fault, I was just saying it was the Democrats' fault. I mean, no one's buying that anymore.
I mean, here's what we saw on display, is that, for whatever reason, they think that it's a winning strategy, to insult and disrespect more than half of the population, no matter what age she might be. And I just don't understand why, strategically, that feels like the right thing to do, no matter what you believe, to just insult women.
And the fact that they have mothers and sisters and daughters, right, and still, have such a disregard for women, is just mind-boggling to me. I don't know how they think they're going to win that way.
And let's all be reminded that 57 percent of women rejected Donald Trump, which is why he lost.
COLLINS: Well, and it's interesting. Because it's not just Democrats, like Sherrod Brown. Obviously, he wants to take advantage of this, because it's six weeks out from the election, and they believe it's an issue that works from them.
Nikki Haley, T.W., is also responding to this, tonight. She posted and asked if Moreno is, quote, "Trying to lose the election," and she called his comments tone-deaf, which I think matters in the context of for a long time, she's been saying her party has a problem, your party, with attracting women, suburban women voters in.
T.W. ARRIGHI, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: No, absolutely. And I think this is a great example of a politician trying to do way too much.
I think you hit the nail on the head. Women over 50 are still mothers, daughters, friends, sisters. These issues matter.
But I think the issue he was trying to go to is -- and I know many women like this, who are one-issue voters, who are, fully believe that abortion is an absolute right, and that's, you can't tell them otherwise. I know also a lot of women, working in Republican politics, who are one-issue voters, who believe that abortion is murder. Both of those sides of the conversation have chosen their side.
Bernie Moreno, I think if you listen to the extended clip, was trying to say that the community that he is trying to speak to, are those who are persuadable, those who are looking at a broad swath of issues. And Sherrod Brown, running in a red state, what has become a red state, or more red, is on the wrong side of issues that matter to a lot of Ohioans.
COLLINS: Well, and this is something that -- it's not even just for how people feel about abortion.
This issue has kind of crossed party lines, where we've seen every time a constitutional amendment about abortion has been on a ballot, even in more red-leaning states, Astead, it has been successful. Point in case. Ohio, just a few months ago, not that long ago, last year, where an amendment passed there.
So, I wonder, in the context of that, how Ohio voters are listening to this. Because this is a really important race, when it comes to determining which party controls the Senate.
ASTEAD HERNDON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Absolutely. I mean, Republicans are not without evidence that this issue matters for a lot of the people, I would say, men and women alike.
I mean, they have seen consistently, over the last couple years, they have lost. Whenever -- whenever this has been put to people, that consistently back abortion rights, in place like Ohio. Think about Nebraska. Think about the Arizona abortion referendum that will be there in November.
And even more importantly, it's provided Democrats an offensive issue, truly take the focus away from things they don't want to be talking about, things about immigration, or even more 50-50 things, like the economy.
But Republicans have a tact problem on this issue, which I think is what Nikki Haley is also trying to get out. Even if they want to make the argument, the kind that T.W. is making here, they haven't put themselves in spaces, really, to talk to women about this issue, in a way that comes at it from a -- from a really full humanity angle.
And frankly, that's because the most prominent members of their party, be it Donald Trump, be it J.D. Vance , have put themselves in this kind of masculinity bubble. I don't think it's a -- I don't think -- I don't understand what they're trying to do here, in terms of lack of strategy, to your point. What they're trying to do is really signal to people, who like berating women, who they're signaling to a kind of male caucus that they have been trying to really coalesce.
Now, Republicans are trying to make up their gender gap, on the other side. But what we know is that women vote more consistently than men, and that the historic gender gap that they see, right now, cuts across racial lines.
[21:25:00]
So, suburban women of the past has just been characterized as just White or mother or suburban van mom. We -- that looks differently now. And in states like Georgia, in states like Wisconsin, even when you get out to the West, that's the parts where Republicans have significantly been struggling.
COLLINS: OK. So, if you're Sherrod Brown, and given everything you just laid out there, and you're six weeks away from your election, and Bernie Moreno, your opponent, makes this comment? I mean, what do the next six weeks look like for him? Because Bernie Moreno doesn't want to be talking about abortion, I imagine, in the next six weeks.
MILLS: I mean, here's the thing is that, people say a lot of things that you just have to let ride. I think Kamala Harris does a great job at this.
Bernie Moreno has already said what he had to say. Sherrod Brown needs to just keep it on loop. Keep it on loop. Let him speak for himself. And I think the voters will continue to hear that.
Ohio has already proven that they don't want any parts of an abortion ban. They don't want to have conversations that are suggesting that women are less than. And I think that having that be part of the mainstream narrative is not something that Democrats need to do. I think that Republicans are doing it enough on their own.
COLLINS: Well, on all this, T.W., I do want to get your take. Because Trump is praising Joe Manchin, tonight, which is not something he has always done, after Manchin was critical for what we heard Harris say there, that she does support eliminating the Senate filibuster, that roadblock essentially, to codify Roe versus Wade back into law, should she win, should Democrats take control of the Senate.
ARRIGHI: Yes.
COLLINS: I mean, it's notable, given Trump himself pressured Republican leaders, when he was president, to gut the filibuster. They rebuffed his calls and said no--
ARRIGHI: Yes.
COLLINS: --because Mitch McConnell doesn't think it's a good idea.
ARRIGHI: Yes, well, first -- two pieces of information.
First of all, Kamala Harris has also advocated for getting rid of the filibuster, to pass the Green New Deal. So that, to me, doesn't hold a ton of water.
The other part of that equation is that Donald Trump also opposes an abortion ban. He supports mandated IVF coverage. He stripped -- pressured the Republican Party to strip out of the platform, abortion language. We can't understate how big that is. And I think nobody, I think in this country, really believes that Donald Trump is an anti-abortion zealot. They think he's pro- conservative justices. But no one thinks he's an anti-abortion zealot.
The fact of the matter is these questions are going to come down to broader swaths of issues, in the states where they have these referendums and laws, closer to people.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg's original argument, pre Roe v. Wade, Let the people decide. Don't make it a lightning strike issue. All 50 states will have referendums or laws passed that are responsive to the people--
MILLS: But the people are already deciding--
ARRIGHI: --and that will be everlasting.
MILLS: --and the people are saying, I want--
ARRIGHI: In time.
MILLS: --I want to have abortion, right?
ARRIGHI: It is right.
MILLS: And we're talking about Kentucky. We're talking about Kansas.
ARRIGHI: Yes, right.
MILLS: We're not just talking about liberal California, here.
ARRIGHI: And what stood about that is it's not nine unelected people in robes in Washington. It is the people.
HERNDON: I totally think that Donald Trump has created separation from his party on this issue. But the truth of the matter is, and one -- something that Kamala Harris says over and over, the reason this has been thrown into flux, is the conservative justices Donald Trump put on the court.
I can say, when I talk to folks, even folks who are sympathetic to Donald Trump, they still associate him with the loss of that Roe v. -- with the loss of Roe v. Wade. And so, I think he's playing defense on the issue, better than other Republicans are, because he recognized from debating, just frankly, how unpopular the place where the evangelical wing of the party really is on this, the kind of give no holds barred, full abortion ban front.
But the reality is, whether it be Project 2025, or whatever, or whatever Democrats are going to try to say, the ecosystem of Donald Trump remains a conservative one that is anti-abortion, and that's what Democrats are going to try to point to.
COLLINS: Yes, and he didn't answer at the debate if he would veto a national abortion ban.
MILLS: Yes.
COLLINS: Great to have you all here. Thank you for that.
Up next. We're getting new details tonight, and you're going to want to hear this, on the detention center, where Sean "Diddy" Combs is being held. One of his celebrity roommates, who is being held there with him.
This is all coming as a new woman, tonight, is accusing the music mogul of drugging and assaulting her, in 2001, and filming it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THALIA GRAVES, ACCUSES DIDDY OF SEXUAL ASSAULT: I'm glad that he is locked up, but that's a temporary feeling of relief.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, the disgraced music mogul, Sean "Diddy" Combs, is now facing new claims of sexual assault, in a new lawsuit that was filed just days after federal officials arrested him, for racketeering and sex trafficking.
Thalia Graves is accusing Combs and his bodyguard of drugging and violently raping her, in 2001, even filming the attack. Graves says she was 25-years-old at the time, and that she passed out after Combs had offered her a glass of wine. When she awoke, she was naked, and had her hands bound, and she alleges that Combs and his bodyguard, Joseph Sherman, brutally attacked her.
Now, when she was speaking alongside her attorney, today, Graves said that she's still reeling from that episode, in 2001, the pain of that assault, especially after she learned, last year, that the video of it was shown to other people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAVES: The combination of physical and emotional pain has created a cycle of suffering from which it is so hard to break free.
It's a pain that reaches into your very core of who you are, and leaving emotional scars that may never fully heal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Joining me tonight, CNN Legal Analyst, Joey Jackson.
[21:35:00]
And Joey. I should note. We've reached out to Combs' camp, to the bodyguard's camp. His bodyguard denied this, her account, to The New York Times. But when you look at her allegations, and the criminal case that's ongoing against him, which talked about a pattern that they said went on for decades, and also talked about other people around him who assisted him in what they're accusing him of.
JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes.
COLLINS: What do you make of this lawsuit?
JACKSON: Yes, it's pretty difficult to read, Kaitlan. What I make of it? The allegations and the specifics that are in this complaint are hard to talk about anywhere, much less television, with respect to the nature of his conduct, and what is alleged that he actually did.
Now, in a civil lawsuit, what happens is, of course, there are allegations that need to be proven. The issue he has is, this is the 11th, Kaitlan, a 11th lawsuit, and people are alleging things that are very similar in nature.
Couple of things have come up about this. The first is why it's federal. I'll tell you. There's no federal claims. They're based on New York City claims. Not to get inside baseball. But what New York City did, very progressively, is they said, Look, if you were sexually assaulted or abused, that we're going to extend the statute of limitations for a two-year period, OK, and started in 2023, ends in 2025 in March. And so, that's why she's included, even though these are in 2001.
The other issue, obviously, that comes up with this in terms of proof in the merits, is well, how is it sustainable? Well, she's alleging that there's this videotape that is out there that resurfaced in November of 2023, and that videotape would memorialize or otherwise show exactly what occurred. So, if true, there's a world of problems here. And then, you have to think about how the Feds may look to use this, in his federal prosecution as well.
COLLINS: Yes, that's a -- that's the really, the big question for me, tonight, is how this could factor in. Because her attorney, Gloria Allred, today, declined to say whether or not she'd spoken to investigators.
And this is all coming. Last week, we talked a lot about would Diddy be released on bail? He ultimately was not. He is still in Brooklyn, at the detention facility there.
And today, we've learned that he's basically in this dorm-style room, and the person he's sharing a living space with is Sam Bankman-Fried. And I was just -- you know, of course, he's the former FTX CEO accused of fraud.
And just looking at that, as your -- what are these conditions like, in a dorm-style unit, in Brooklyn?
JACKSON: Yes, so just to be clear, Kaitlan, dorm-style or otherwise, right? Jail and detention is jail and detention. And when you have a situation, where they are persons of means? And you mentioned one, right, who was accused of fraud, and was convicted. Having millions and millions of dollars? And of course, Diddy having millions? It's not your normal home life.
And so, as a result of that, there are conditions that you have to follow. There's certain meals that you get that may not be -- you're not accustomed to. There's bedtime rules. There's visitation rules. And so, it's problematic.
I think, from a victim's perspective, they're like, hey, climbing a river, right? My view, according to the victims, is that this is what occurred, and this is you're getting your just desserts.
So, you can call it what you will. You can call it federal, as opposed to city or state. But jail is jail, and it's not a pleasant place to be.
COLLINS: Yes, doesn't sound like it.
Joey Jackson, thank you.
JACKSON: Of course. Thanks, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Up next. Another New York Republican congressman, tonight, is caught in the middle of a scandal. It's not George Santos, this time. But actually, it's one of the colleagues, who led the push to get him out. We'll tell you the story, next.
[21:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: There is one headline, tonight, that will make you ask, what are the chances of that? I certainly did. Because today, the case that is involving the attempted second assassination of former President Donald Trump, was assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon.
Yes, the Judge Cannon that we are all so familiar with now, the federal judge who presided over, and ultimately threw out the criminal classified documents case that the Justice Department brought against Donald Trump.
Today, it was randomly assigned, she was, to this high-profile case as well.
This is coming, as what we saw today happening in court, where federal prosecutors formally charged Ryan Routh, with trying to assassinate Trump when he was at his Florida golf course, earlier this month. That is in addition to those initial gun charges they were holding him on.
Routh is expected to go before Judge Cannon, for the first time, on Monday. We'll keep you updated on that.
Also tonight, a headline that seems a little bit more believable. A Republican congressman, from New York, finds himself in the hot seat, in terms of a brewing scandal, once again, and also in terms of hanging on to his place in Congress.
And he's not outright denying the allegations that were first reported by The New York Times, that he gave part-time jobs, in his district office, to both his alleged lover, as The New York Times puts it, and to his fiancee's daughter. That is a possible violation of House ethics rules.
And tonight, Congressman Anthony D'Esposito is one of the most vulnerable Republicans in this entire election. He's calling The New York Times reporting, a hit piece, and says that he has upheld "The highest ethical standards of personal conduct."
But with the race for the House so close, a scandal on Long Island is not what Republicans want or need, at this time.
And you might recall, D'Esposito was actually one of the most vocal critics, of George Santos, for his unethical conduct.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ANTHONY D'ESPOSITO (R-NY): Santos tried to exploit every aspect of his candidacy, for personal financial gain. Who has used his position of public trust to personally benefit himself from day one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:45:00]
COLLINS: Joining me now.
CNN's Harry Enten.
And the Co-Author of POLITICO's New York Playbook, Emily Ngo.
Great to have you both here.
Emily, you actually have new reporting, because you're hearing from the D'Esposito campaign on these allegations that he put someone he was having an affair with, while he was engaged, on his payroll. What are they telling you?
EMILY NGO, POLITICAL REPORTER, POLITICO NEW YORK, CO-AUTHOR, POLITICO'S NEW YORK PLAYBOOK: Exactly. They're saying and they're denying, for the first time, that he was in a relationship with this woman, while she was on his payroll. And I don't find that to be an outright denial of the fact that he had an affair, which was a bit of an open secret, nor a denial that he employed people.
We do have reporting also from Newsday that sort of examined payroll records, and just saw the web of patronage that is afoot in GOP- dominated Nassau County.
And these individuals that are mentioned, in The New York Times reporting, that we hear about now are just cogs in this patronage mill. And D'Esposito himself has benefited from that. Members of his family were employed in local government, when he himself was serving as a City Council member for Hempstead.
So, he believes he can weather this. He believes everything he's done is above board. And that's what he's telling reporters on Capitol Hill, and telling us as well.
COLLINS: Yes, well, it's just so fresh off of what happened with George Santos. I think New York Republicans are still reeling from that, Harry.
And looking at this. D'Esposito is one of the most endangered Republicans, come November. And this is -- these are several seats, the House Republicans are desperately trying to hang on to. Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, or other ones, because they want to retain the House majority.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL DATA REPORTER: Yes, it's exactly right. I'll say, D'Esposito feels a little bit like the lady doth protest too much, at least when it came to George Santos.
But look, the bottom line is, Republicans need a net gain of four seats, in order to pick up the chamber.
And there are four Republican-held seats in the House -- in the State of New York, for the House of Representatives, two up in the Hudson Valley, one on Long Island, and one up in the Syracuse area, Williams, and which are endangered at this point, right? We're talking about seats that are rated either as toss-up or lean Democratic, seats that Joe Biden was able to win four years ago.
The bottom line is, last time around, in 2022, a good chunk of the Republican gains, in order to flip the House came from New York. If Democrats are going to flip the House, this time around, I wouldn't be surprised if a good chunk, if not the downright, outright majority, come from the State of New York.
COLLINS: I mean, but because of what happened in New York, the last time. I mean, they took down the Democratic Party Chair in this race--
ENTEN: Yes.
COLLINS: --these races. Mike Lawler beat him.
ENTEN: Maloney.
COLLINS: And so, when you look at that, I mean, there would be no House Speaker Mike Johnson, had the New York Republicans, not won in the last election. That's how close on a knife's edge this really is.
NGO: Absolutely. And that's why I think both parties, Republicans and Democrats, are looking so closely at New York, on Long Island, in the Hudson Valley, in the Syracuse area, like he's saying.
In the D'Esposito race against Laura Gillen, the former Hempstead Town Supervisor, is one of the three closest, in this state. We have Brandon Williams versus John Mannion in the Syracuse area. We have, as you noted, Marc Molinaro versus Josh Riley in the Hudson Valley. And Lawler and Mondaire Jones as well. The first three more competitive, in my opinion, and according to forecasters.
But this is how crucial these seats are. So, a scandal like this could move votes, could, if anything, invigorate Democrats, to come out and support Gillen. But it depends a lot on what the Gillen campaign does with this, what the DCCC does with this. Because so far, she's been keeping her head down, and campaigning.
COLLINS: Yes.
NGO: Not making a huge fuss about this.
COLLINS: Well, and all this matters so much, Harry.
Listen to what House Speaker Mike Johnson, said today, when he was asked about certifying the election vote in 2020 (ph).
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Of course, if we have a free, fair and safe election, we're going to follow the Constitution. Absolutely, yes, absolutely, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Sorry, that was in 20 -- this is what he was asked, what he would do in 2025.
ENTEN: Yes.
COLLINS: And I was looking at the numbers today, the dates. January 3rd is when the new Congress is seated. January 6th is when the election certification is set to happen, amid real questions about what Republicans would do, that day if Trump loses and it's close. I mean, this has real implications, not just for the House and some New York Republicans. It has implications for the whole country.
ENTEN: It absolutely does. It has implications about whether or not we're going to go through another gosh darn January 6. I think most Americans want to leave it in the past. But when you hear statements like that? That's kind of a very lukewarm statement, in my humble opinion. So, we'll see.
The ramifications of potentially a Democratic House, come January 6th, and then obviously going potentially into the presidency, right?
We were just talking, just before this segment. The House is so close at this time. It wouldn't surprise me if Donald Trump wins the presidency, and then you get a Democratic House and a Republican-held Senate, where they're currently favored to win back the Senate, it could be the only block that Democrats could hold, over Donald Trump, if he does, in fact, win the presidency.
COLLINS: Yes. And of course, last time, Democrats held the House, they impeached Donald Trump.
ENTEN: Yes, that did happen. I do recall that. COLLINS: Harry Enten. Emily Ngo. Thank you both for--
ENTEN: Thank you.
COLLINS: --for being here tonight.
[21:50:00]
Also tonight. It is a fast food war that is happening, bigger than Big Mac versus the Whopper. It's a question about the McDonald's vote, and why Trump is in such denial that Harris once worked there. We'll talk about that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: In the nine years, since he glided down that golden escalator, Donald Trump has had beef with just about everyone. But not quite like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Didn't work at McDonald's.
[21:55:00]
She never worked at McDonald's. But it was a big part of her resume. They went, and they went to the different places. Did she work here? Did she work here? Did she work here? She said, We don't know who the hell she is. Leave us alone. We're making hamburgers.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: As you can hear from that, the former President has seemed almost fixated on one part, of Vice President Harris' resume.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: In college, I worked at McDonald's to earn spending money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Harris has said previously she was on fries duty, and had to man the ice cream machine, when she was in college, in 1983, at Howard. That was during her summer break. That's according to a campaign official, who we asked about this.
But none of that information has stopped Trump, from repeatedly accusing the Vice President of lying about this. It's almost become an obsession, on the campaign trail.
Today, we were listening to Donald Trump, speak in Georgia. He went as far as to say that he's going to take up a job at the Golden Arches, himself, to see what it's like.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm going to McDonald's over the next two weeks, and I'm going to stand over the French fries because I want to see what her job really wasn't like.
She lied about McDonald's.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: It's not clear. But maybe it strikes such a chord. Trump has always been a big McDonald's customer himself. Of course, no one can forget the picture, in 2016, after he clinched the Republican nomination, and had a Big Mac and fries on his plane to celebrate.
CNN's Chief Media Analyst, Brian Stelter, joins me now.
And Brian, obviously when you listen to as many Trump rallies, as I have, and his comments, you kind of know his roadmap, and where he's going, and where a question is, or what he's about to say.
The McDonald's thing has become a recurring theme.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST, AUTHOR, "NETWORK OF LIES": Yes, it has.
COLLINS: An obsession of his, since Harris became the nominee, that he's just accusing her of, of not telling the truth.
STELTER: Maybe because it does seem like a vulnerability, insofar as this is relatable for Harris.
I remember, the first time Harris put this in a campaign ad, about a month ago, and I immediately messaged. A Harris spokeswoman said, I did not know this fact about her.
It turns out she had shared it before. She had mentioned it before, while running in 2020 and then as Vice President. But I think, for many Americans, myself included, it was a new piece of information, and a very relatable one.
Did you have a first job in high school or college? My first job was swirling ice cream cones, across the street from McDonald's, and the McDonald's was the only place was open after work. Everyone has that kind of relatable first-job experience.
COLLINS: Yes, I had a million first jobs, it felt like. I worked at a doctor's office in high school. I had to file medical charts, like before they were in computers. Every time a patient would come in, I'd have to take the stack of charts, and then go back and file them alphabetically.
STELTER: Oh, geez.
COLLINS: And there were a lot of patients. But that was my first job. I did that when I was in high school.
STELTER: Everybody has that. But do you have any record you did it?
COLLINS: And I don't put it on my resume either.
STELTER: Here's the problem for Harris.
COLLINS: Just because not really relevant to my experience now.
STELTER: Right. That's the thing, right? Harris shared this. And then, a pro-Trump website started to talk about, Well, hey, is there evidence? Is there proof that she worked at McDonald's? There's no records. There's no receipts.
Now, I don't have any selfies, or receipts, from my time working at Jimmie Cone. You might not have any record of working at the doctor's office.
But this has been seized upon by Trump allies to say maybe she's making it up.
COLLINS: So, where did it come from?
STELTER: And I find that bewildering.
COLLINS: Where did it come from that she was making it up? Was this something that was started? I mean, is it able to even -- is it just online that people said it's not true, or?
STELTER: I think, a bunch of kind of pro-Trump commentators started this idea, not saying definitively that she made it up, just raising the question.
And I think we see this oftentimes, when it comes to Trump. Because of his record of fact-free claims, what his allies try to say is, Everybody else is making up stuff too, right? Everybody is a liar. So, it's not a big deal when he fibs.
I think that might be what's going on here with McDonald's. But now, as you said, it's a little bit of an obsession for him, to say he's going to go and work there. And I hope he does it. I think it's a brilliant idea, for Donald Trump to go and work the French fry machine. I will volunteer to come and help him on the hamburger line.
COLLINS: You know what I was thinking about of -- I mean, that would be quite an image, I mean. And I should note, you've brought props with us, here tonight. It is--
STELTER: Well, of course I did. As soon as I heard we're talking about McDonald's, I thought I had to go and get a Happy Meal.
COLLINS: OK. But this is actually really tempting for me, as someone who, like, has the diet of like a 16-year-old boy, like, I love fast food.
STELTER: There's nothing more American than McDonald's. That's the thing. COLLINS: You know what I was thinking about the -- listening to this today, is when you're someone like a reporter, and your job is to listen to Trump rallies and to his speeches that aren't--
STELTER: Right.
COLLINS: --a debate that 70 million people are watching? There are a lot of comments, like this one, where it's something that he does bring up repeatedly.
STELTER: Right.
COLLINS: I follow him on Truth Social. He brings it up repeatedly there.
But regular voters, people who are busy with their own jobs--
STELTER: Yes.
COLLINS: --may not be paying attention to this.
STELTER: I agree with you.
I was about to go take a sip.
I totally agree with you that there are moments of these rallies that should be more, you know, taken more seriously. Sometimes, because they're controversial. Other times, it's because they're strange and interesting and maybe surprising. They might go viral on TikTok. But they are also newsworthy.
[22:00:00]
When it comes to this, I just think to myself, if Kamala Harris was going to make up a job, would she really make up working at McDonald's? It just doesn't, to me, doesn't pass the smell test.
But as always, Trump is putting her on the defensive, by saying, Maybe she didn't work there at all. And I, again, I hope he goes and actually works there, and hangs out for a little bit. I think he would learn a lot.
COLLINS: She seems to follow the tack of just not responding to the attack--
(CROSSTALK)
STELTER: Do you want to know my McDonald's tack by the way?
COLLINS: Yes, I do.
STELTER: I go to -- I go -- every time with my kids, I get a Happy Meal for the adults. Because I find it's the perfect amount of food. So, just for everybody watching, that's my McDonald's tip.
COLLINS: I'm more of a Big Mac girl. STELTER: Oh.
COLLINS: Brian Stelter, thank you for that.
Thanks for joining us.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts right now.
