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Hala Gorani Tonight
Clinton Stakes Couldn't Be Higher In Close Election; Clinton To Speak Soon At Rally In North Carolina; CNN Crew Is Inside Government-Held Aleppo; Russia Accused Of Meddling In U.S. Politics; Colin Powell's Blunt Opinions Out In Hacked Emails; Philippines Witness Describes Brutal Killings; Trump Reveals Medical Info On Dr. Oz Show; Clinton Returns To The Campaign Trail; Trump Makes Major Changes To His Tax Plan
Aired September 15, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, CNN INTERNATIONAL GUEST ANCHOR: Hello there. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones standing for Hala Gorani live from CNN London. And
this is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
So Hillary Clinton is back in action today saying she is excited to return to the campaign trail after being sidelined by pneumonia. The U.S.
Democratic presidential candidate has just arrived in North Carolina where she will address supporters in Greensboro. We'll bring you her remarks
live just as soon as she begin speaking at that rally.
Clinton chatted briefly with reporters on board of her plane before taking off from New York. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hey, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
CLINTON: Welcome back to stronger together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you doing?
CLINTON: I'm doing great, thank you so much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: She certainly has some catching up to do not only for lost time, but also for lost ground in the polls. Take a look at this national poll
released today by CBS News and the "New York Times," Clinton's early lead has evaporated and the race is now a dead heat. She is tied with Donald
Trump at 42 percent in a four-way race.
Clinton has also spoke with CNN's Don Lemon earlier about the polls that show her trailing in several key swing states.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON (via telephone): I hope everybody who is questioning takes this really seriously and get out there and work and vote because we have to
decide what kind of country we are going to be. Are we going to make our economy work for everybody or just those at the top?
Are we going to bring people together or demonize those who don't look like us or don't practice the same religion, and rip our country apart? Are we
going to work with our allies to keep us safe or are we going to put a loose cannon in charge who would risk everything? So the choice is clear
that stakes couldn't be higher.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Don Lemon joins us now to take about his interview with Clinton. Don, good to talk to you. So she is back and she will have to hit the
ground running if she is going to turn around those polls, how did she seem to you?
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, quite frankly, if you listen to her voice, she sounded much stronger, if you look at the video of her, she looks much
better, and I think, you know, even she will admit, and she did during the interview, that she should have taken her doctor's advice earlier and
stayed home.
And had she done that we may not have had the video of her at the 9/11 event, that awful video that I'm sure she regrets and he campaign as well.
But she sounded fine, strong, and looks strong. So we'll see when she gets up in front of the crowd, what else happens today.
JONES: I don't think anyone could deny that she has not had the greatest week, at least on the campaign trail, she's already said that she regrets
the "basket of deplorables" comment. But do you think she's really going to regret now not being more open about her medical diagnosis with the
public?
LEMON: Well, I think she's already said that she and the campaign handled it -- they could have handled it better, and she said she was going to
speak to her staff about it.
But you know, the whole of "basket of deplorables," I think the one thing that she sort of walked back was a part that she said well half of his
supporters can be placed in a "basket of deplorables."
She is not backing off of, you know, Trump as she said during my interview with her on -- you know that you played, that Donald Trump is running a
deplorable campaign and she has criticized him about that.
So she is not backing away from that word, or for the fact that she believes he is running a deplorable campaign. She is just regretting that.
She said that she really put so many people into that basket so to speak.
JONES: And we're expecting to hear from her in North Carolina coming up this hour. What do you think she is going to focus on? Is she going to
tackle Donald Trump directly in his talk about tax today or will she focus on something else?
LEMON: I think she will and I think she is very anxious at, you know, having spoken to or heard from some of her people after the interview that
we did, that she wants to talk more policy.
She wants to deal with policy a bit more, but she will continue to go on and to hit Donald Trump especially on transparency, especially on what she
is going to say is his, you know, closeness to the kremlin and to Vladimir Putin.
So you can look for her to discuss that as well as other issues that she thinks are important to the people of North Carolina.
JONES: Don, always great to talk to you. Don Lemon, thanks very much indeed.
LEMON: Thank you very much, always a pleasure.
JONES: Donald Trump himself is also on the campaign trail today pushing his plan to revitalize the U.S. economy. He is calling for a $4.4 trillion
tax cut and reduced government regulations saying those steps would boost growth and create millions of jobs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Under our plan, the economy will average 3.5 percent growth and create a total of 25 million new jobs. You
can visit our web site, look at the math. It works. It will be accomplished through a complete overhaul of our tax, regulatory, energy,
and trade policies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Trump talked a lot about taxes today, but he still hasn't released his own tax returns defying decades of tradition for presidential nominees.
His son, Donald Trump Jr. says that's because releasing 12,000 pages of returns would detract from his father's political message. Trump himself
has said he is not releasing them because a government audit is underway.
Well, on the transparency front, the Trump has shared new medical information as both he and Clinton face more calls for transparency about
their health. Trump's highly publicized interview with the celebrity TV doctor aired today.
Dr. Mehmet Oz went over a one page summary of Trump's recent physical exam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. MEHMET OZ, HOST, "THE DR. OZ SHOW": Your BMI is high, close to 30, the barrier for most people, your doctors or your family ever give you a hard
time about your weight?
TRUMP: Yes, I think I could lose a little weight. I have always been a little bit this way. I have always been this way, I think if I had one
thing I would like to lose weight. It's tough because of the way I live, but I would like to be able to drop 15 or 20 pounds, that would be good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: OK so a busy day in U.S. politics, lots to discuss. Lest bring in CNN political analyst, John Avlon. He is the editor-in-chief of "The Daily
Beast." John, great to talk to you.
Let's talk about Clinton to start off with then, she is obviously back, and her absence, she's had the cavalry out in force with her husband, Bill
Clinton, President Obama as well.
But that hasn't stop Donald Trump from stealing all the limelight not least with that Dr. Oz interview there. What does she have to do today to turn
things around?
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, I mean, she is coming off of the worst week of her campaign by far because the collapse at Ground
Zero really seemed to validate a lot of the conspiracy theories have been pushed out about her health.
She needs to show that she's vigorous. She's back in charge and engaged on the campaign trail, and really start taking and playing offense again.
You know, whenever you start playing defensive in politics, it means you're losing. And Donald Trump is coming to the campaign trail with much more
message discipline than he's ever had before during this campaign.
So Hillary Clinton has to take the momentum, realize and reinforce her supporters that this election is not a done deal and use that to energize
as well and quiet any concerns about her own vigor on the campaign trail.
JONES: John, standby for us if we can, and we're also joined by CNN's political commentator, Maria Cardona. She is a Hillary Clinton supporter.
Maria, thank you very much for joining this discussion for us.
So much is being made, I supposed, of this recuperation period. Who's made the most of it? Has it been Donald Trump with his media exposure or
Hillary Clinton herself giving her a chance to fine tune some of her campaign? What do you think she is going to come up with today?
MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think the most important thing is that she did take a couple days to rest up. She looked incredible
when she came out earlier to talk to the media. She looked rested and you know, for somebody whose priority it is to soldier on even when she feels
sick, I think that is something that men and women around the world that have to face their responsibilities and can't ignore what they have to do
on a day today basis.
I think they can relate to her wanting to continue to move through this and push through this. And so today, I think that what she is going to do is
come out, ready to go, and continuing to talk to voters about what she will do for them, what she will do to improve their personal economy, the
country's economy, and keep the nation safe.
And I think importantly to continue to make the contrast between what she has done in public service, her experience, her steadiness, her temperament
to be commander-in-chief versus Trump who has said some of the most offensive things to American voters of all shapes, sizes, and stripes.
And who will be a -- you know, to quote a very well respected Republican, a national disgrace and an international pariah, and somebody who will be
very dangerous with the nuclear codes in his hands.
GORANI: OK, John, let's go back to you and talk about Trump's day as we await to hear what Hillary Clinton has to say. Donald Trump himself has
been talking a lot about the economy and about his tax policy as well. It's a new policy. He says it's very bold in its nature as well. When he
gives more substance to a policy, does it all stack up?
AVLON: So yes, he unveiled a new tax policy today at the New York Economic Club, and it's very much heavy on tax cuts and tax simplification, which
she says will really stimulate economic growth.
That work when Reagan did it in the early 1980's. It didn't work when George W. Bush and Dick Cheney tried in the last decade. What is really
significant I think is that he is sidestepping entirely the kind of cost cuts that come with entitlement reform.
That has been sacrosanct conservative policy that's united all the district tribes in the Republican Party up to this point, but it's unpopular
particularly with the conservative populous base.
So Donald Trump is sidestepping that kind of deficit reduction, and just promising the tax cut goodies. You know, when you start promising
guaranteed 3.5 percent growth, you know, people that usually do that are Politburos.
It's not something that you can really promise on the campaign trail with credibility, but at least there is a glimmer of policy, which has been
noticeably absent to date.
JONES: OK, we have to leave it there for now. We will be speaking to a Trump supporter later on in the program so get balance as well on what he
and his supporters are saying about the campaign for them. In the meantime, Maria Cardona and John Avlon, thank you so much for your
analysis.
We move along now to the situation in Syria. Inching closer to aid for Aleppo. The fragile truth in that country has been extended by a further
48 hours.
The Syrian news agency, Task, the Syrian forces have begun withdrawing from the key roads. The Russian Defense Ministry flew a drone over rebel held
neighborhoods in Eastern Aleppo to monitor the ceasefire and look for any violations.
Our Frederick Pleitgen is in Western Aleppo, which is controlled by forces loyal to the Syrian regime. Fred, just bring us up to speed about the
situation on the ground. What aid is getting in, what is being stopped, and why?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far there is no aid getting into the eastern part of Aleppo and the reason for
that is that the trucks from the U.N. are actually still stuck at the border between Turkey and Syria.
So it is still a negotiating game, a waiting game for the United Nation. However, it is correct that there are do seem to be preparations underway
to try and get that aid in through a certain road here in Aleppo.
It's called Costello Road. I was actually at it earlier today, and what the Russians are saying is that the Syrian forces have started withdrawing
from there.
But of course, there is still other hurdles that need to be overcome like for instance, guarantees of safe passage for these convoys, also
permissions from the Syrian government as well.
Nevertheless, with the ceasefire going, Hannah, I can tell you many people are simply happy to have some calm from all the fighting that's been taking
place. Here is what we saw today in Aleppo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): More than five years of civil war have scarred large parts of Aleppo. Neighborhood like this one controlled by the
government in ruins. Now finally with the cease fire, some respite and seemingly little things become special.
For the first time in months, the 9-year-old Abdul Matid and his friends can go out and collect firewood for their families. We need this wood to
cook dinner because we have nothing else, he says.
The Shihan (ph) neighborhood was right on the frontline until recently. Rebels shelled this district from a nearby hill laying waste to many of the
buildings.
Meanwhile, government forces used air power to bomb the opposition areas. Amid the destruction, families continue to live in the ruins.
Ahmed Yasgif (ph) has been here for three years and stayed even after the rebels fired makeshift rockets into the flat next door blowing away the
walls separating the two apartments.
It was very dangerous, he says, and we were too afraid to go out because there was a sniper covering the street and we could not even go into the
living room.
Now he stays here with his wife and eight children. The kids trying to rest in the badly damaged flat. By all accounts, the situation is even
worse in the rebel held parts of Aleppo. Russia and the U.S. trying to ensure safe passage for U.N. aide into the besiege areas.
(on camera): If the agreement holds and Syrian forces withdraw from this area, then this road, the Costello Road, will be the main entrance way for
aid into Eastern Aleppo. This is the road that the U.N. trucks are going to use.
(voice-over): The ceasefire has brought much needed calm for the residents of this once so beautiful and now so battered city. While many
of them cherish the calm, few are convince that it can truly last.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: And of course, Hannah, the U.N. is saying they want all of this to happen as fast as possible to try and get those aid trucks in there.
They hope to be able to bring some of them in tomorrow, but it really is unclear if it will be the case, and I have covered eight convoys like this
in the past.
And I can tell you there are always big hold ups. It's always very difficult to put any timeframe on when that aid is going to get there. But
again, for the folks here on the ground, in both sides of Aleppo, simply having that calm is worth very much to them -- Hannah.
JONES: Fred, always good to talk to you. Fred Pleitgen there is in Western Aleppo. Stay safe and we'll talk to you again soon. Thank you.
Still ahead on the program, what it is like to survive a barrel bomb through the eyes of one little girl in Aleppo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: (Speaking in foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): This is their story, forever bonded together. For the last four years, Mohammed has been part of a volunteer
emergency response unit in Aleppo.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in foreign language).
UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: (Speaking in foreign language).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: We will have CNN Arwa Damon's gut wrenching report of tragedy and heroism in the middle of this civil war.
But first coming up on the program, mounting allegations against Russian hackers. We'll have reaction from Moscow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Welcome back. There is growing backlash against Russia over allegations of increasing hacking activities. Medical records of 25 more
top international athletes have been leaked from the World Anti-Doping Agency.
It's president, Craig Reedie, tells CNN a Russian based group did it in retaliation after WADA banned 118 Russian athletes from the Rio Olympic
Games. Reedie warns the hackers are not doing their country any favors.
And as our Matthew Chance reports now from Moscow, this is not the only accusation against Russian hackers.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Hannah, allegations of Russian hacking have emerged as a major concern, not just
for the World Anti-Doping Agency with the release of even more private medical records of top athletes.
But also in the U.S. presidential election, Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, a persistent critic of Russia has again expressed her concern that
Russia may be trying to influence the election even undermine the U.S. political system by releasing those e-mails hacked from the Democratic
Party server.
The e-mails cast the Democrats in a negative light, may have even helped the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. Trump has, of course, praised the
Russian president, Vladimir Putin as a strong leader.
The kremlin of course has categorically denied any involvement either in the e-mail hacks from the Democratic Party or in the release of that data
stolen from WADA, the anti-doping agency.
The allegations, it says, are anti-Russian and have no basis in truth, no hard evidence, but there is plenty of circumstantial evidence of a Russian
link that list all of those targeted from the Clinton campaign to the World Anti-Doping Agency have been critical of Russian policy. Back to you,
Hannah.
JONES: Matthew Chance, thank you.
And now we move on to another high profile hack. Some of Colin Powell's unfiltered opinions of the presidential candidates are now public. The
former U.S. secretary of state's private e-mails were hacked and they touched on a wide range of topics. Elise Labott has all the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COLIN POWELL, FORMER U.S SECRETARY OF STATE: We want to see the debates, at least one debate.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: He's been pretty quiet during the presidential campaign, but privately, former secretary of state,
Colin Powell. is not holding back about the candidates.
In the e-mails hacked from his account and posted to the site, DC Leaks, Powell describes Donald Trump as a, quote, "national disgrace and
international pariah." An aid to Powell confirmed to CNN that the e-mails are real.
The retired four-star general and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff slams what he calls a racist crusade by Trump over President Obama's birth
certificate lampooning this prediction --
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At the end of four years, I guarantee you that I will get other 95 percent of the African-American
vote. I promise you.
LABOTT: A schizso fantasy saying Trump takes us for idiots, but Powell is also lukewarm about Hillary Clinton writing a friend in 2015, "Everything
Hillary Rodham Clinton touches, she kind of crews up with hubris, I'd rather not have to vote her although she's a friend, I respect," Powell
said, criticizing Clinton's calling unbridled ambition and calling her greedy and not transformational.
He added an off-collar insult about her marriage to Bill Clinton. Powell also resented being dragged into Clinton's e-mail scandal after the FBI
revealed Clinton cited his advice as justification for her private server.
Powell, according to one e-mail to a friend told Clinton staff three times not to try that gambit and through a mini-tantrum at a Hampton's party to
get their attention.
In an interview with CNN last month, Clinton was on damage control.
CLINTON: He was incredibly gracious and helpful after I was nominated and before I took the job.
LABOTT: But Powell dismissed the Republican fire storm against the Clinton over the 2012 attacks in Benghazi at a stupid witch hunt that we didn't
absolve her or Ambassador Chris Steven, who was killed in the attack.
In an e-mail to his successor, Condoleezza Rice, he writes, "Basic fault falls on a courageous ambassador adding blame also rest on his leaders in
Washington and yes, HRC." Rice responded, "Completely agree."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LABOTT: These leaks came from DC Leaks on the same day a hacker by the alias "Gucifer 2.0" released more information from the Democratic National
Committee. Experts have pointed to Russian state elements as actors behind those DNC links. No word yet on any ties to the hacking of Powell's
account.
JONES: Elise Labott reporting there for us.
Now a genuinely shocking allegation we are going to tell you about now. A sitting president has been accused of killing a Justice Department official
with a machine gun during his time as local mayor.
A government witness in the Philippines says controversial leader, Rodrigo Duterte, also ordered hit men to take part in brutal killings. Mr.
Duterte's office denies the claims, which were made before a Senate committee. CNN's Alexandra Field has the details.
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He has been living in hiding, afraid for his life, and now he is speaking out. A government witness testifying
against Philippines' president, Rodrigo Duterte says he worked as a hit man for the president back when Duterte was mayor of Davao.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD (voice-over): Edgar Matabato said he killed 50 people between 1988 and 2013 on Duterte's orders. Matabato claims to be a former member of the
Davao death squad, a 300-person group, which he says killed drug pushers, rapists, and thieves every day.
During his testimony, Matabato said Duterte had also ordered the group to attack mosques and kill Muslims, retribution for the 1993 bombing of the
Davao Cathedral.
In gruesome detail Matabato described their killing methods saying they mutilated the bodies of their victims, cutting them up and dumbing them on
the side of the road, wrapping them in masking tape sometimes to avoid identification and even feeding one body to a crocodile.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We throw them out to the sea. We cut open the body. Sometimes we put sand or sometimes hollow blocks.
FIELD: More than 1,000 people were killed in Davao by death squads during Duterte's terms as mayor from 1988 to 2013 according to Matabato. Duterte
didn't address Matabato's allegations during a public event where he spoke after a hearing, but his spokesman responded to reporters' questions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think the president is capable of giving such directive?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't think he is capable of giving a directive like that.
FIELD: He is also noting that the government's Human Rights Commission investigative reports of extrajudicial in Davao but never brought charges
against Duterte. Matabato says he is risking his life to testify.
So far no other witnesses have corroborated his claims made to a Senate committee that's investigating the alleged killings as part of the
president's war on drugs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FIELD: The president has publicly called for police and even civilians to kill drug pushers if they are threatened. More than 1,100 people have been
killed in police operations since Duterte's term started in July. Another 2,035 deaths are currently under investigation according to the national
police chief. In Hongkong, Alexandra Field, CNN.
GORANI: Despite the controversy surrounding Mr. Duterte internationally, he does enjoy strong support back home. He recently got 91 percent
approval rating in the Philippines, and a lot of his support stems from his much publicized war on drugs.
Eid's celebrations in Bangladesh have had very unexpected consequences. The streets of the capital, Dhaka, have become awash with blood. Muslims
mark the holiday by sacrificing animals.
The local media says some people did so in the streets, and the problem is that it happened at a time of torrential rains that flooded those streets
creating a river of blood.
And we're going to be getting back to U.S. politics next. Trump reveals some information about his health. We'll be attacking to our chief medical
correspondent next.
All this, of course, as Clinton makes her debut back on the campaign trail after a pneumonia diagnosis. We'll bring you her remarks as soon as she
begin speaking at this rally in North Carolina.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Hello. Welcome back to the program. Let's bring you an update on the headlines this hour. Hillary Clinton is back on the campaign trail
after a break to deal with a mild case of pneumonia. The Democratic presidential candidate spoke to reporters on board her plane and says she
was feeling great. Clinton will appear at a rally in North Carolina that begins shortly, live pictures are seen there.
The United Nations is blaming the Syrian government for holding up aid deliveries to embattled civilians in Aleppo. Twenty trucks are loaded with
food and supplies, but they are unable to move until Damascus assures safe passage.
Local officials say Typhoon Meranti has washed away and 800-year-old bridge in the Fujian Province in China. The typhoon struck there earlier on
Thursday after wreaking havoc in Taiwan. At least one person was killed there. And the winds in China are still very strong. A large inflatable
moon pulled away from an art installation and ran amok down the streets of Xiamen (ph).
We're finally learning more about the health of the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump. The candidate himself appeared on the American TV
show, Dr. Oz, on Wednesday with a letter from his personal physician in his pocket.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If elected at age 70, you'll be the oldest person to ever enter the oval office. Why do you think you have the stamina for the
job?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes, just about the same age as Ronald Reagan and Hillary is a year behind me. I would say just based on
my life, I mean, I have -- I feel as good today as I did when I was 30. And you mentioned golf because I have been a good golfer over the years.
I've won a lot of club championships and things and that's a good mentality because to win a club championship you have to be very strong up here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Let's get more now on the significance of the candidate's health in this election battle. CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta
is in New York. And Sanjay, I understand, you have letters from Donald Trump's doctor. What kind of information can you glean from them?
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: These are one-page letters, Hannah, that sort of give a summary of the candidate's health. It's not a
medical records per se, but it's the personal doctor's sort of interpretation of the records and a summary.
It gives you an idea of what is being presented. It is very short, first of all, just a couple of paragraphs. It gives results from the blood
testing.
In the case of Mr. Trump here, there is a lot of focus on heart, the heart tests that have done, EKGs, echocardiogram, CAT scans, and as Dr. Oz put
it, who himself is a heart surgeon, they are basically what you would expect for someone of his age.
I do want to point out quickly, Hannah, that there was a letter from the same doctor about a year ago. The letter you just saw was very objective.
The letter from a year ago had a more colorful language there.
I can tell you that it ended with if elected, Mr. Trump would unequivocally be the healthiest president ever. Obviously that is not something a doctor
could know, and I think part of the reason a new letter was released was to provide more data and less hyperbole.
But nevertheless, Hannah, despite that it is a short letter, but there are no red flags in there as far as Mr. Trump's health.
JONES: Why is it that we're so obsessed by presidential candidates and their health at the moment? Is it because we are dealing with two people
who are in their late 60s, early 70s or is it because we simply under estimated how physically tough the role of president is today?
GUPTA: Yes, it's a good question. I think part of it is the age of these two candidates here. They would be the oldest people to hold office if
they get elected. I think they have also made issues of the health by these candidates.
They've talked about it in various speeches. At times, Mr. Trump criticizing or calling on the health of Secretary Clinton. So it's come up
for that reason as well.
It's interesting in the United States, there is no particular requirement for the health of the candidates and the president. There is no particular
requirement for disclosures.
I could tell you, Hanna, I've been covering these sorts of stories for a long time now and over the years I have made my own list as far as what I
think is important for the candidates in terms of what a doctor looks for, for their health.
And as you look at this list, I'll tell you that nothing is intended to be needlessly invasive or relentlessly embarrassing. You certainly want to
know about cognitive function, how it will be for four to eight years depending on how long the person is president.
Is there evidence of dementia? Are there physical limitations? Is there a terminal disease that could shorten the life of the candidate or require
advance care?
Is there a need for such things like sedating medications? Any kind of disorder that maybe incapacitating? You know, such as uncontrolled
epilepsy, for example.
So that gives you an idea, but again nothing intended to -- everything should be relevant when it comes to this. There is no requirement for
this. This is just sort of what doctors have asked for in terms of looking at the health of the candidates and it's a list that I have, I think, makes
the most sense.
JONES: Yes, and Sanjay, we started this conversation just talking about Donald Trump and his medical assessment, but this, of course, all came
about largely because Hillary Clinton has to take some time-out from the campaign trail because of her pneumonia diagnosis. She is now back. We
are expecting to see her shortly in North Carolina. Just three days out, is that a big enough chunk of time to recover from pnuemonia?
GUPTA: Well, it's -- there is no magic number here, Hannah. I think as Secretary Clinton would tell you that when she was first given the
diagnosis last Friday, she didn't disclose that diagnosis. She was trying to continue to do all of her events and things like that, soldiering on, as
she put it.
And that probably wasn't the right idea. It didn't work so well for her. We saw some pretty startling video of just how much difficulties she was
having back on Sunday of simply trying to walk inside a van.
I think that she certainly appears fine now. I have seen images of her now from the plane ride. You're looking at the images now from that -- when
she -- last Sunday when she is trying to get in a van, you just watch this, and again, if you have not seen it, it is a little tough to watch.
It is so startling. She is having such great difficulty getting in. Her doctor subsequently left another note, I think in part inspired by this,
trying to explain what was going on, that it was pneumonia and dehydration that really left her quite ill, but she recovered and you're going to see
that as you mentioned shortly.
The letter also talked about scans of her lungs, scans of her heart, which showed no evidence of heart disease, and even a scan of her brain earlier
this year, which was important because back in 2012 she had a significant brain injury. A CT scan now reveals no abnormalities. So that was
supposed to provide some comfort as well with regard to her health.
JONES: OK, great to talk to you as always, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. We will be hearing hopefully from Hillary Clinton, before this program ends at the top
of the hour. Thank you, Sanjay.
A big day for Donald Trump, he's laid out his plans to reform the economy in a speech in New York. We're going to break it all down now with CNN
political commentator and Trump supporter, Jeffrey Lord, who joins me now live from New York.
So Jeffrey, let's talk about the economy, what he had to say about taxes as well. It is bold and ambitious plan, he said, but when you add it all up
together, is it realistic?
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it is. I have to say, this is the eternal debate we have in this country. This plan is very much like
President Ronald Reagan's whom I worked for. As they called it in the day, "Reaganomics."
And a lot of the criticism of President Reagan is being heard now of Donald Trump. You know, that it can't work, that 4 percent economic growth is not
possible, all of those kind of things.
And pointer fact is I look at the statistics from the Joint Economic Committee of the House and the Senate, the average annual growth, for the
period 1983 to 1990 was 4.1 percent. So this is very much like President Reagan's --
JONES: Jeffrey, my apologies. I have to interrupt you because she is probably going to be talking about Donald Trump. She is live now. This is
Hillary Clinton in North Carolina, and we're going to take our viewers straight there to hear what she has to say.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It means so much to have her here, along with her wonderful daughter, Sarah
(ph), and her mother, Barbara. And the story she told is really one that motivates me every day because it is kids like Sarah (ph) that led me to politics in the first place, to try to make our country and our world better for them.
So to see Sarah (ph) grown up and thriving is very special. And your whole family support really means the world to me.
Thank you, Martha, Sarah (ph).
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I have to say its great to be back on the campaign trail.
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And as you may know, I recently had a cough that turned out to be pneumonia. I -- I tried to power through it, but even I had to admit that maybe a few days of rest would do me good.
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And I -- I'm not great at taking it easy, even under ordinary circumstances. But with just two months to go until Election Day...
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... sitting at home was pretty much the last place I wanted to be.
But it turns out, having a few days to myself was actually a gift. I talked with some old friends. I spent time with our very sweet dogs. I did some thinking.
You know, the campaign trail doesn't really encourage reflection. And it's important to sit with your thoughts every now and then. And that did help me reconnect with what this whole campaign is about. People like me, we're lucky. When I'm under the weather...
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Now, I -- I just want to have a conversation and other people can wave their arms and their signs. But I want you -- I want you to think with me for a minute about how I certainly feel lucky when I'm under the weather. I can afford to take a few days off; millions of Americans can't. They either go to work sick or they lose a paycheck, don't they?
Lot's of Americans still don't even have insurance, or they do but it's too expensive for them to actually use. So they toss back some Tylenols, they chug orange juice and they hope that the cough or the virus goes away on its own.
Lots of working parents can't afford childcare, which in many states costs as much as college tuition.
For millions of moms and dads, if they get sick, there's no backup. They're on their own, aren't they?
That's the story for too many people still in America. When illness strikes or an accident happens, you feel you're on your own. You lose your job or can't afford college, you're on your own. If your aging parents starts needing more help and you don't know what to do, you're on your own.
Life events like these are catastrophic for some families, but mere bumps in the road for others.
I have met so many people living on a razor's edge, one illness away from losing their job, one paycheck away from losing their home. And that goes against everything we stand for as Americans. Because some things should not come down to luck. Some things should be within reach for everyone, no matter what.
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Like financial security, like affordable health care, like the peace of mind that comes with knowing that if something goes wrong, your family will be OK.
And above all, the knowledge that no matter what, your president is fighting for you and will always have your back.
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That right there, that's why I got into this race. I am running for everyone working hard to support their families, everyone who's been knocked down but gets back up.
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The factory workers on their feet all day and the nurses looking after patients all night. I'm running for young people, like so many of you here, who dream of changing our world for the better. And for all the parents and grandparents supporting those dreams, by dedicating every dollar they can spare for your education.
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I'm running -- I'm running for the LGBT teenager here in North Carolina, who sees your governor sign a bill legalizing discrimination and suddenly feels like a second-class citizen.
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And if anyone wonders what the costs of discrimination are, just ask the people and businesses of North Carolina. Look at what's happening with the NCAA and the ACC. This is where bigotry leads and we can't afford it -- not here, not anywhere else in America.
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I'm running for women like Janelle Turner (ph). Back in May of last year, Janelle (ph) was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through nearly six months of very tough treatments. Last October, she brought her eight year old daughter to one of our rallies in Iowa and they made a huge sign that read "13th chemo yesterday, three more, hear me roar."
Wouldn't you want to meet the woman behind that sign? Well, I sure did.
So we got talking and we stayed in touch. She keeps promising me she'll see me at the inauguration, and I tell her I'll keep working to get there, but she'd better be there too. I'm running for her and all the mothers and fathers trying to get and stay healthy so they can be there for their kids.
But perhaps most of all, I'm running for those kids.
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Standing up for children has been the work of my life. As a lawyer, with the Children's Defense Fund, as first lady in Arkansas, in the White House, as a senator, I have fought for kids housed in adult jails, kids who've been neglected and abused, kids who couldn't get health insurance because of preexisting conditions, kids with disabilities so they could go to school.
You heard today from someone I've known for a long time, now grown up and a lovely young woman, Anastasia Somoza. I learned from my family and my Methodist faith that we are each called to do all the good we can for all the people we can, for however long we can. And to me, that means making sure all our children have the chance to live up to their God-given potential.
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So when I meet a little girl in Nevada terrified that her parents are going to be deported, it hits me right in the gut. When I meet a little boy in Flint, Michigan who can't drink the water at home or in school because it's poisoned with lead, that gets me going. All I want to do is get to work making things better for them.
That's why I care so much about national security, too. I want to give our kids a safer world. To me, that means a world with strong allies, more friends, fewer enemies, and fewer nuclear weapons.
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It also means leading the fight against climate change so we can leave our kids a healthy planet.
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My opponent in this race disagrees with me on every one of these fronts. Just a few days ago, he said that if another country's troops taunted ours, not fired at them, but taunted them, just taunts, he responded -- he would respond by blowing them out of the water. He would start a war over that.
(BOOING)
That is just one more reason, my friends, why the stakes in this election are as high as any in our lifetimes.
You know, I've been involved in politics in one way or another for many years. It is not an easy business. It can get rough and I've built up some defenses. When it comes to public service, I'm better at the service part than the public part. But this is why I do it and this is who I'm in it for: to make life better for children and families, and that's what this race has always been about for me.
Well, now we're in the final stretch. There are just 54 days until Election Day. Just 54 days until the most consequential vote of our lifetime.
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And just a little more than a month until early voting starts here in North Carolina.
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Let's make these days count, particularly here, because you know what your governor and legislature tried to do, make it harder for young people to vote, harder for people of color, harder for people with disabilities, harder for the elderly. There can't be any more motivation than that, to make sure every young person, every person of color, every person with a disability, every older person turn out and vote!
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So in these final days, let's try to tune out all the chatter and the nonstop analysis that doesn't often have much to do with what the next president has to do, to create good jobs, to create opportunity, to make it possible for every young person to afford to go to college or get the skills that you need for the jobs of the future.
Let's talk about what really matters, and here's my promise to you. I'm going to close my campaign the way I began my career and the way I will serve as your president, should you give me that great honor. Focused on opportunities for kids and fairness for families.
Next week, I'll go to Philadelphia to talk about challenges facing our young people. In Florida to focus on building an economy that welcomes everyone's contributions, including people with disabilities. Then, I will be back here in North Carolina to meet with more working families.
From now until November 8, everywhere I go I'm going to talk about my ideas for our country. You know, my campaign has rolled out detailed plans in 38 different policy areas. Yes, somebody actually counted.
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Everything from reining in Wall Street to creating good-paying jobs to fighting Alzheimer's, support people with autism. You see, I have this old-fashioned notion that if you're running for president, you should say what you plan to do, how you're going to get it done and how you're going to pay for it.
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You can read it all on my website, hillaryclinton.com. We even put it in a new book called, you guessed it, "Stronger Together."
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Get a copy of it because it tells you everything Tim Kaine and I intend to do.
Now, like a lot of women, I have a tendency to overprepare. I sweat the details, whether we're talking about the exact level of lead in the water in Flint or how many North Carolina kids are in early enrichment programs or the precise interest rate on your student loans, right down to the decimal.
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Because you know what, it's not a detail if it's your kid, it's not a detail if it's your family, it's a big deal and it should be a big deal to your president.
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Now, I confess, I'll never be the showman my opponent is and that's OK with me.
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Just look at -- look at the show he put on with Dr. Oz today.
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But I am going to deliver for you and your family, just like I did for Sarah all those years ago with the children's health insurance program that gave her the chance to be the extraordinary young woman she is.
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And I'll tell you something else. People accuse me of all kinds of things. You' probably have seen that.
(LAUGHTER)
But nobody ever accuses me of quitting, and I will never give up, I'll never walk away no matter how tough the going gets. I'm actually asking Americans to hold me accountable for my ideas and hold my opponent accountable for his.
(APPLAUSE) We don't need a president who says the minimum wage is too high. We need a president who knows that Americans deserve a raise to get to a living wage.
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We don't need a president that wants to take away people's health coverage. We need a president who wants everyone to have quality, affordable health care.
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And we don't need a president who apparently thinks only married people deserve paid leave and only mothers ever stay home with the kids.
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We don't need someone who rushes out a half-baked plan just weeks before an election after decades of ignoring or putting down working moms. We need a president who has spent years fighting for these issues, who has a plan to support all families in all their various shapes.
Ask yourself which candidate you can count on to be on your side, respect your family, stand up and fight for you and your kids.
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That -- that is who you should vote for on November 8th, because as Michelle Obama said in her fabulous speech at the Democratic Convention...
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... when we go to the polls this November, the real choice isn't between Democrat or Republican. It's about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four years of their lives.
It's also about the kind of country we want to be and what we want to leave behind for future generations. People have to decide: Are we going to make our economy work for everyone or just those at the top? Are we going to bring people together or pit Americans against each other and rip our country apart?
Are we going to work with our allies to keep us safe? Or are we going to put a loose cannon in charge who would risk everything generations of Americans have worked so hard to build?
(BOOING) Now, I have a lot of confidence in the American people and in our country. My opponent keeps running us down saying we're weak, a disaster, an embarrassment. Every time he says things like that, I think about Janelle (ph) and her strength in the face of cancer, or Martha and Sarah (ph) in the face of their health challenges.
And that little boy in Flint who gets up every day and goes to school even though he can't drink the water.
See, my opponent has America all wrong. There's nothing we can't do when we come together as one nation, sets a goal, and pursues them.
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And the American Dream -- the American Dream is big enough for everyone to share in its promise.
So if you believe the minimum wage should be a living wage, that no one who works full time should have to raise their child in poverty, join us.
If you believe that every man, woman and child in America has the right to affordable health care and women should be free to make our own health decisions, join us.
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If you believe -- if you believe your working mother, wife, sister or daughter deserves equal pay, then join us.
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Get involved these last 55 days. Go to hillaryclinton.com or text JOIN, J-O-I-N, 247246. We need volunteers right here in North Carolina. We can't do this without you.
And remember, the presidential race isn't the only one this fall. We've got a lot of important statewide races. Let's come together and send Deborah Ross to represent the people in the Senate.
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Starting on October 20th, you can register and vote early at the same time at any one-stop early voting site in your county. So the heat is on. Spread the word. Tell your friends, your family, your neighbors. If you share our vision for America's future, come be part of helping us shape it.
We do not have a minute to lose. We have so many blessings.
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