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Hala Gorani Tonight
Trump Finally Admits Obama Was Born In U.S.; Michelle Obama Campaigning For Clinton; Trump Acknowledges Obama Born In U.S.; CNN Inside Aleppo Amid A Tense Truce; Russia's Political Drama; Russia's Elections: Why They Matter To All Of Us; Trump: Putin A Better Leader Than Obama; Documentary Includes Rarely Seen Footage. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired September 16, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
HANNAH VAUGHAN JONES, CNN INTERNATIONAL GUEST ANCHOR: Hello. Good evening to you. I'm Hannah Vaughan Jones standing in for Hala Gorani. Live from
CNN London and this is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, took to the podium today to make a rare admission that he was wrong. Well, sort of, saying today
for the first time that President Barack Obama, was, indeed, born in the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: President Barack Obama was born in the United States, period. Now we all want to get back to making
America strong and great again. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Well, it is a big admission coming from the man who once lead the so called "birther movement" that accused President Obama of being born
outside of the United States. Now, Mr. Trump is backing away from it, and trying to place the responsibility for those claims firmly on the shoulders
of his rival, Hillary Clinton, falsely claiming that she started the birther movement.
The Democrat's response to Donald Trump's latest comments have been explosive, the interim chair of the DNC says Trump must apologize directly
to President Obama, and Hillary Clinton had this to say at an event in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Barack Obama was born in America, plain and simple, and Donald Trump owes him and the American
people an apology. We know who Donald is, for five years he led the birther movement to de-legitimatize our first black president. His
campaign was founded on this outrageous lie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Our own Tom Foreman went over Trump's comments line by line earlier, listen to what he found.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Think about this half minute statement that he said this morning and the basic claim to it that the birther issue
was first raised by Hillary Clinton's '08 campaign. That's the first part of his statement there.
Well, here is the problem with that. While there were people who supported Hillary Clinton back in `08 who were nibbling at this issue, it was quickly
picked up by Republicans and there is no evidence Hillary Clinton or her team ever pushed the birther story. There is simply none out there to back
this as much as people may wish it would be.
Here is the second part of his claim. In 2011, Mr. Trump was finally able to bring this ugly incident to his conclusion by successfully compelling
President Obama to release his birth certificate. That's what his campaign said Thursday. He echoed it in that short statement today saying he put an
end to it.
Here is the problem that is 2011. In 2008, President Obama released his certification of live birth, and then in 2011, President Obama released his
long-form birth certificate, and yet, it wasn't over specifically because Mr. Trump would not let it be over.
This is what he said earlier this year in January, who knows about Obama, who knows, who knows, who cares right now. I have my own theory on Obama.
I will write another book and it will do very successfully.
The bottom line is he said two things this morning trying to clear this controversy. Both of which were false.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: We will have plenty more on this birther movement and who started it, coming up in a short moment. But for now, First Lady Michelle Obama is
out on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton. She is in the state of Virginia at the moment.
[15:05:01]She's talking right now so just let's listen in to what she has to say.
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Hey.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: How are you guys doing? Wow. Thank you, guys. Look at you. Oh, my goodness.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Oh, my goodness.
Well, let's get started here.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: You guys have been standing up for a while, right?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: So let's start talking about some stuff.
First of all, let me just say, I am thrilled to be here today to support the next president and vice president of the United States, Hillary Clinton
and Tim Kaine.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Yes.
I have to do a few thank-yous before we go in.
I want to thank Henry for that wonderful introduction, for sharing his story. I want to thank all the members of Congress who are here today,
Representatives Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, and I also want to recognize our outstanding DNC chair, Donna Brazile.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: I hear she lit it up.
And I want to thank Charity (ph) for her fabulous remarks.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And, of course, I have to recognize another great first lady, Virginia right here, Dorothy McAuliffe, who is here.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: So glad that she could join us.
And, of course, all of you, our students of George Mason University.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
[15:05:02]
OBAMA: Look at you all. Whew!
Now, whew! Let me say, it is so hard to believe that it is less than two months to Election Day and that my family is almost at the end of our time
at the White House.
Yes, it is almost time. And let me say -- I have to say...
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
OBAMA: No. No.
AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years!
OBAMA: Let me say this.
You have me and Barack working on your behalf for the rest of our lives, so no need to worry.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We are going to be here.
But let me just tell you, this time is really bittersweet for me. It is a time of real transition for me and Barack and our girls. My husband is
going to need a new job.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: I'm going to have to find a job. We are going to be moving to a new home, so we will have to pack. We have to get the old house cleaned up
so we can get our security deposit back.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: But, in all seriousness, this is not just a time of transition for my family, but for our entire country, as we decide who the next president
will be.
And transitions like this can be difficult. They involve a lot of uncertainty. And we saw that in 2008, when Barack was first elected. I
don't know if you -- you many of you were old enough to remember.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: Do you remember?
But, back then, people had all kinds of questions about what kind of president Barack would be, things like, does he understand us? Will he
protect us?
And then, of course, there were those who questioned and continue to question for the past eight years up through this very day whether my
husband was even born in this country.
(BOOING)
OBAMA: Well, during his time in office, I think Barack has answered those questions with the example he set by going high when they go low.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And he has answered those questions with the progress that we have achieved together, progress like bringing health care to 20 million people.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Creating 15 million private sector jobs, helping millions of young people like all of you afford college, expanding LGBT rights and marriage
equality.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: So, marriage equality is now the law of the land.
And we just learned that last year, the typical household income rose by $2,800, which -- which, by the way, is the largest one-year jump on record.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And 3.5 million people were lifted out of poverty. That is the biggest one-year decrease in poverty in nearly 50 years.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: You hear me?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: All right.
But, even after all of this progress, it is understandable that folks are feeling a little uncertain as we face the next transition. So the question
is for all of you and all of us, for the nation, is, how do we sort through all of the negativity and the name-calling in this election and choose the
right person to lead our country forward?
Well, as someone who has seen the presidency up close and personal, here is what I have learned about this job. First and foremost, this job is hard.
OK, this is the highest-stakes, most 24/7 job you can possibly imagine. The issues that cross a president's desk are never easy, none of them.
They're never black and white.
I mean, just think about the crises this president has faced these last eight years. In his first term alone, Barack had to rescue our economy
from the worst crisis since the Great Depression. He had to make the call to take out Osama bin Laden.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: He had to work to stop millions of gallons of oil that were gushing into our Gulf Coast. He had to respond to devastating natural disasters
like Hurricane Sandy and so much more.
[15:10:07]
So, when it comes to the qualifications we should demand in a president, to start with, we need someone who is going to take this job seriously,
someone who will study and prepare, so that they understand the issues better than anyone else on their team.
And we need someone, not with just judgment, but with superb judgment in their own right, because a president can hire the best advisers on Earth.
But let me tell you, five advisers will give five different opinions. And the president and the president alone is always the one to make the final
call, believe me.
We also need someone who is study and measured, because when you're making life-or-death, war-or-peace decisions, a president can't just pop off.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Finally, we need someone who is compassionate, someone who is unifying, someone who will be a role model for our kids, someone who is not
just in this for themselves, but for the good of this country.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: See, at the end of the day, as I have said before, the presidency doesn't change who you are. It reveals who you are.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And the same thing is true of a presidential campaign.
So, if a candidate is erratic and threatening, if a candidate traffics in prejudice, fears, and lies on the trail, if a candidate has no clear plans
to implement their goals, if they disrespect their fellow citizens, including folks who made extraordinary sacrifices for our country, let me
tell you, that is who they are.
That is the kind of president they will be. Trust me, a candidate is not going to suddenly change once they get into office. Just the opposite, in
fact, because the minute that individual takes that oath, they are under the hottest, harshest light there is.
And there is no way to hide who they really are. And at that point, it is too late. They're the leader of the world's largest economy, the commander
in chief of the most powerful military force on Earth.
With every word they utter, they can start wars, crash markets, change the course of this planet. So, who in this election is truly ready for this
job?
AUDIENCE: Hillary!
OBAMA: Who do we pick?
Well, for me, I'm just saying, it is excruciatingly clear that there is only one person in this election we can trust with those responsibilities,
only one person with the qualifications and the temperament for that job.
And that is our friend Hillary Clinton.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We know that Hillary is the right person because we have seen her character and commitment, not just on the trail, but over the course of her
entire life.
We have seen her dedication to public service, how, after law school, she chose to be an advocate for kids with disabilities. She fought for
children's health care as first lady, for quality child care as a senator. And when she didn't win the presidency in 2008, she didn't throw in the
towel.
She once again answered the call to serve, keeping us safe as our secretary of state.
And let me tell you, Hillary has the resilience that it takes to do this job, because, when she gets knocked down, she doesn't complain or cry foul.
No, she gets right back up and she comes back stronger for the people who need her the most.
And here is what is also true. And I want you all to think about this. Hillary is one of the few people on this entire planet, and clearly the
only person in this race, who has any idea what this job entails, who has seen it from every angle -- hear me -- the staggering stakes, the brutal
hours, the overwhelming stresses.
And here is the thing. She still wants to take it on, see, because she believes that she has an obligation to use her talents to help as many
people as possible. That is why she is running.
[15:15:10]
Now, let me tell you, that is what dedication looks like. That is what love of country looks like.
So, when I hear folks saying that they don't feel inspired in this election, well, let me tell you, I disagree. I am inspired, because, for
eight years, I have the privilege to see what it takes to actually do this job.
And here is what I absolutely know for sure. Listen to this. Right now, we have an opportunity to elect one of the most qualified people who has
ever endeavored to become president.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Hillary -- Hillary has been a lawyer, a law professor, first lady of Arkansas, first lady of the United States, a U.S. senator, secretary of
state. Do you hear me?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: See, that's why I'm inspired by Hillary.
I'm inspired by her persistence and her consistency, by her heart and her guts. And I'm inspired by her lifelong record of public service. No one
in our lifetime has ever had as much experience and exposure to the presidency, not Barack, not Bill, as he would say, nobody.
And, yes, she happens to be a woman.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: So, we can not afford to squander this opportunity, particularly given the alternative, because here is what we know, that being president
isn't anything like reality TV.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: It is not about sending insulting tweets or making fiery speeches. It is about whether or not the candidate can handle the awesome
responsibility of leading the country.
So, George Mason, Virginia, as you prepare to make this decision, I urge you, I beg of you to ignore the chatter and the noise and ask yourselves,
which candidate really has the experience, the maturity and demeanor to handle the job I just described to you?
Which candidate's words and actions speak to the future we want for our country and the values we share, values like inclusion and opportunity,
service and sacrifice for others?
Your answers to these questions on Election Day will determine who sits in the Oval Office after Barack Obama. And let's be clear. Elections aren't
just about who votes, but who doesn't vote.
And that is especially true for young people like all of you. In fact, in 2012, voters under the age of 30 provided the margin of victory for Barack
in four key battleground states, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida and right here in Virginia.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Right here.
Without those votes, Barack would have lost those states and he definitely would have lost that election, period, end of story. So, for any of you
who might be thinking that, my vote doesn't really matter, that one person can't really make a difference in this election, I want you to consider
this.
Back in 2012, Barack won Virginia by about 150,000 votes. Now that may sound like a lot, but when you break that down, the difference between
winning and losing this state was only 31 votes per precinct, 31 votes.
He won Ohio. The difference there was...
(SHOUTING)
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: In Ohio, the difference there was just nine votes per precinct.
Do you hear me? In Florida, the difference was six votes per precinct. Take that in for a moment. Take that in. Those are real numbers. That's
how elections, especially the presidential election, are won and loss, on a handful of votes.
So, there are plenty of states where each of you could swing an entire precinct and win this election for Hillary Clinton just by getting
yourselves, your friends, and your few family members registered and out to vote.
[15:20:05]
But it is going to take work.
Yes, we can.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: It is going to take work. It is going to take work.
AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can!
OBAMA: We can do this. We can and we must.
But here is the thing. It is not enough to just come to a rally. It isn't. It is not enough to just get a few selfies.
(LAUGHTER)
OBAMA: It is not enough to just get angry and just speak out. We also have to work and make that change and take action. And that starts with
electing folks who will stand with you and fight with you.
And that is why you need to get yourself and everyone you know registered to vote today. And we have got volunteers here. I want you all -- if
you're not registered, I want you to find them. Before you leave, find them and get registered before you leave this building.
And then we need you to roll up your sleeves and get to work making calls, knocking on doors, thinking about those handful of votes that you could
carry and get people out on Election Day.
Again, you can sign up to volunteer with any of the staff who are here. So, get it done, right, George Mason?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Work your hearts out. And as you're working your heart out for Hillary, if you start to feel tired or discouraged by all the negativity in
this election, if you want to just hide under the bed and come out when it is all over, I want you to remember what is at stake.
The choice that you make on November 8 will determine whether you can afford college tuition. It will determine whether you can keep your health
care when you graduate. On November 8, you will decide whether we have a president who believes in science and will fight climate change or not.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: You will decide whether we have a president who will honor our proud history as a nation of immigrants or not.
You will decide whether we have a president who thinks that women deserve the right to make their own choices about their bodies and their health or
not.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And here is the thing. At a time when incomes are rising by thousands of dollars, when millions of people are being lifted out of
poverty, ask yourselves, is now really the time to fundamentally change direction, when we're making so much progress?
AUDIENCE: No!
OBAMA: I mean, do we really want to go back to the way that things were before Barack was president...
AUDIENCE: No!
OBAMA: ... a time of economic crisis, stagnant wages, when we were losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month?
OBAMA: Or do you want a president who will keep moving this country forward?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Well, that is what is at stake. So we can't afford to be tired or turned off, not now, because while this might feel like a time of
uncertainty and division, I have never felt more hopeful about the future of this great nation.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Let me tell you, I feel this way because for the past eight years, I have had the great honor of traveling from one end of this country to the
other.
And let me tell you, I have met just some of the most amazing people, people from every conceivable -- and Ellen.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: But people from every conceivable background and walk of life.
And time and again, I have seen proof of what Barack Obama and I have believed in our hearts. That we, as Americans, we are fundamentally good
folks and we all truly want the same thing. I mean, that is the thing. We're not that different.
Time and again, Barack and I have met people who disagree with everything we have ever said, but they still welcome us into their community. They
keep their minds open, willing to listen. And while we might not always change each other's minds, we always walk away reminded that we're really
not that different.
Folks in this country are working long hours to send their kids to college, just like my mom and dad did for me. They're helping raise their
grandkids, just like Barack's grandparents did for him.
[15:25:05]
They're teaching their kids the exact same values that Barack and I are trying to teach our girls, that you work hard for what you want in life and
you don't take shortcuts, that you treat people with respect, even if they look or think differently from you, that when someone is struggling, you
don't turn away, and you certainly don't take advantage.
No, you imagine walking a mile in their shoes. And you do what you can to help, because that is what we do in America.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: We live in a country where a girl like me from the South Side of Chicago, whose great-great-grandfather was a slave, can go to some of the
finest universities on Earth.
We live in a country where biracial kid from Hawaii named Barack Obama, the son of a single mother, can become president.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: A country that has always been a beacon for people who have come to our shores and poured their hopes and their prayers and their backbreaking
hard work into making this country what it is today. That is what makes America great. Don't ever forget it.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: And here is the thing. I know in my heart that we deserve a president who can see those truths in us, a president who believes that
each of us is part of the American story and we're always stronger together.
We deserve a president who can bring out what is best in us, our kindness and decency, our courage and determination, so we can keep on perfecting
our union and passing down those blessings of liberty to our children.
Let me tell you this. I have never been more confident that Hillary Clinton will be that president.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: So, here is what I'm pledging. From now until November, I'm going to work as hard as I can to make sure that Hillary and Tim Kaine win this
election.
I need your help to do that as well. Are you with me?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: I can't hear you. Are you with me?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: You are going to roll up your sleeves?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: You have to get to work, make it happen. Virginia will make the difference in this election.
Are you ready, Virginia?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: Thank you all. God bless.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
JONES: The first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama there addressing the crowds in Virginia. She's out on the campaign trail for
Hillary Clinton, of course.
You might remember that back in the time when her husband, Barack Obama was running for the presidency himself, she was called the closer then. Let's
see if she can do the same for Clinton in this election as well.
She was urging people to vote, to get out to vote, to register to vote as well, and interestingly she said the presidency doesn't change you, it
reveals who you are instead.
That is interesting largely because, of course, we have been talking about the birther movement, and the origins of it. Just today, Donald Trump
finally admitted that Barack Obama was born in the United States.
Interesting to wonder whether Michelle Obama was really saying that Donald Trump has just revealed who he really is today. Let's talk more about this
today. CNN's political analyst, Jackie Kucinich, joins me now from Washington. Jackie, do you think Donald Trump has revealed who he really
is today.
JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: He certainly changed his mind today, I guess, on the birth issue. But it was two truths and a lie
basically today. He did finally admit that President Obama was, of course, born in the United States, he also said that this was something that was
originated in Hillary Clinton's campaign, which is not true.
And he also was saying that he put this issue to bed, which was also not true. When President Obama did release his birth certificate in 2011,
Donald Trump continued to tweet and talk about whether or not it was real for three years.
He has really fanned the flames and fed this conspiracy theory for many, many years. The fact that is popped up again is also Donald Trump.
Both of these campaigns are from the top down. They are very candidate centered. The staff doesn't have as much power as it may have in other
presidential and other campaigns in general.
But this comes from the top, this is Donald Trump, and now they're saying they want to move on. We'll have to wait and see if he somehow feels like
he needs to save face down the road because he is known to do that.
JONES: Yes, absolutely. We have to talk about Michelle Obama rallying the troops there and the crowds to get everyone out to vote in Virginia. What
we expect to be a key swing state, of course, in this election. How powerful of an ally is she for Clinton?
KUCINICH: So it is notable to even see a first lady for a sitting president go out and campaign for his replacement. You don't really see
that. It's extremely unusual.
And Michelle Obama also has the benefit of being extraordinarily popular in the United States. She really -- that is why you're seeing her on all of
these shows, appealing to millennials, women, minorities.
The American people really like this first lady. She can be a very positive ally. During the Democratic convention, her speech was top three,
if not the best speech at the convention. She has an ability to really breakthrough. She is very much an impressive order in her own right.
JONES: OK, Jackie, stand by for us, we'll have more U.S. politics coming up after this break. We'll be discussing more on Michelle Obama's speech,
and also the angry reaction to Trump's latest comments on the birther issue. Jackie, will be joining us again after this break along with a
Trump supporter.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: Welcome back. You're watching THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. We're getting all of the U.S. political run down at the moment. Of course, it's the
birther movement and that debate that is on top of our agenda today.
Donald Trump says that Barack Obama, the U.S. president, was indeed born in the United States. It's the first time he said it having been the leader
of the birther movement which doubted where the president was born for the last five years or so.
Let's talk to CNN's political analyst, Jackie Kucinich, who again joins me from Washington. We are also joined by a Trump supporter and political
commentator, Jeffrey Lord.
Jeffrey, I want to come to you first to talk about this. First of all to clear up this idea that Hillary Clinton or the Clinton campaign was somehow
the start of this birther movement chat, is that at all true?
KUCINICH: No, Jeffrey, this is sort of a -- Jeffrey, I think I'm talking, am I talking?
JONES: Jackie, in fairness I did go to Jeffrey first.
KUCINICH: I'm sorry, I heard Jackie. Sorry, Jeffrey.
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I heard Pattie Solis Doyle on with Wolf Blitzer an hour ago saying that yes, in fact, this came from what
she identified as a rogue worker in the Clinton campaign who was fired.
But the person did in fact for Hillary Clinton and we also know that according to Reggie Love, who was then Senator Obama's personal body man,
as they call it, that he writes in his memoirs of standing on the tarmac at Reagan Airport with then Senator Obama and Senator Clinton as two of them
got into an argument over the circulation of a picture that presented then Senator Obama as a Muslim.
He was garb in a Muslim outfit somewhere in Africa, and that the Clinton campaign was circulating this and Senator Obama was quite mad. Now that's
coming from the Obama campaign. So in point of fact, it is not false according to Patti Solis Doyle, it did start in the Clinton campaign, and
they fired somebody for it.
JONES: Jackie, your response to that?
KUCINICH: Well, I think this is something that fact checker after fact checker has debunked. There was evidence that there was things circulating
that this staffer was immediately -- I think what also Pattie Solis Doyle said that this person was fired immediately.
But the Clinton campaign never acted on any of this. There is no evidence that they made this part of their platform. Even there is another memo
that people cite, written by a Clinton strategist saying that it seemed to elude to this, but again the campaign didn't act on it. It is something
that keeps popping up over and over and over again, but there is no credence to it.
LORD: Hannah, if I may say one other thing here about this being racist. These are bogus accusations of racism and the very fact that they are being
raised, I think raises questions as to the motive of the people who are raising this.
I'm holding in my hand a "New York Times" column from February 28 of 2008 and the headlines is "McCain's Canal Zone birth prompts queries about
whether that rules him out."
The entire article is about whether John McCain, who is qualified to be president because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone. Whether a low
(inaudible) from Connecticut had been disqualified if he thought to run because he was born in Paris.
George Romney, Mitt's father ran for president. He was born in Mexico, and they challenged Barry Goldwater because he was born in the territory of
Arizona, not the state of Arizona.
And lastly, President Chester Allan Arthur who was elected in 1880 as vice president became president the next year upon a presidential assassination
was accused in the day of being born in Canada, not in the United States.
JONES: OK, OK, so you're saying that it's not a racist comment, but certainly the Congressional Black Caucus would say it is racist, and at the
end of the day, you can't deny the fact that a seven-second statement, denouncing what he has talking about for the past five years, is simply not
enough. This isn't going to go away for Trump.
LORD: Of course, it's going to go away. This is a silly, dumb issue. Nobody here in Pennsylvania cares whether Barack Obama, who is outgoing,
leaving the White House, where he was born. They want to know about health care. They want to know about whether they have a job.
Those issues are important here, not where Barack Obama is born, and I certainly believe he was born in Hawaii, but there is nothing wrong with
challenging it as Democrats challenged this several times repeatedly over the last century.
JONES: OK, Jackie, do you think this is going away or does he need to apologize?
KUCINICH: This will probably go away eventually, but what this does it goes to character. And I know Jeffrey says it's not racist, but I think if
you talk to a lot of African-Americans, they would say it is a concerted effort to de-legitimatize the first African-American president and they
perceive it as racist.
So in terms of some of the outreach that Donald Trump has been trying to do to the African-American community, this just reminds them one of the
reasons they don't like him.
JONES: Jackie, just to stay with you for one more question, Clinton in the past has been accused of perhaps not making enough hay out of what Donald
Trump is digging a hole for himself over various scandals that we've seen over the course of this election campaign. What does she need to do now to
capitalize on this?
KUCINICH: You know, I'm not a strategist, so I'm not in the business of advising Hillary Clinton, but I would say she needs to talk about her own
message at this point. It is a clutter that is driving voters crazy. You don't want a situation where people are staying on either side because they
are just so sick of both of them. Because both of their negatives are so high at this point, maybe it would be good to just start talking about the
economy.
JONES: And Jeffrey, we have the debate just around the corner, the first one is a week away on Monday, Donald Trump has a lot to do now to try to
hope that doesn't come up, that this birther movement story doesn't come up in those debates.
LORD: Well, I'm sure someone will bring it up and I think he should attack it head on. It has been totally misrepresented by various parts of the
media and people with the political acts to gain who liked to stir racial animosity. That is why they do it.
[15:40:05]There is a racial animus here that they like to do this for political profit and it's wrong and I hope he addresses it if they ask.
JONES: Jeffrey, just one other thing to ask you, we've just learned that Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate, and Green Party nominee, Jill
Stein, will not be participating in the debates. What's your response to that?
JONES: I'm sorry Jeffrey to you first.
LORD: My response is that (inaudible) to the benefit of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, I mean, to the extent that they can make this a
two-way race instead of a three or four person race, like Ralph Nader did in 2000, attracting a few votes that denies one candidate or another, a
particular state, that is good for them.
JONES: And Jackie, your response to the fact that Johnson and Stein, will not be taking part in these TV debates?
KUCINICH: There are very clear rules, like if you want to get on a ride you have to be this tall, and they did not make 15 percent and the
Presidential Debate Commission had made it pretty that they weren't going to lower the bar for Jill Stein or for Gary Johnson.
JONES: It's been great to have you both on the program. Jeffrey Lord, Jackie Kucinich, thank you very much indeed.
Now Washington says it killed a very senior member of ISIS earlier this month. They targeted him with a drone strike near ISIS's self-proclaimed
capital, that's Raqqa. An American official tells CNN he had rare, direct access to the terror group's leader.
Staying with Syria, and it's been 100 hours and counting with the ceasefire now keeping the guns silent into a fifth day. Now the danger they still
haunt the people there, threats like hunger and sickness. Trucks full of food and medicine still can't get the green light to roll into the parts of
Syria that need it most.
Our Frederik Pleitgen is on the ground in the city of Aleppo and filed this report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Aleppo, this is what the ceasefire looks like. Government forces moving
around armored personnel carriers in a contested district. And often times, this is what the ceasefire sounds like.
Syrian Army personnel acknowledging they don't trust the truce. "We're sticking to the ceasefire," this pro-government fighter says, but the other
side is not. That's why I don't think the ceasefire will work.
For their part, rebels accused government forces of breaching the ceasefire. Despite the transgressions though, the U.N. says by and large,
the cessation of hostilities is working.
But many Aleppo residents are still suffering from the clashes that took place before it went into effect. At the hospital, a father and son lay
side by side, both wounded by rebel shelling that killed three of his brothers.
When the bombshell fell, I went to the ground, the boy says, and I was bleeding. I felt the shrapnel in my body. It happened last Friday, the
day the ceasefire was announced crashing Ahmed Jabr's faith that the cessation of hostilities might work.
Even after the ceasefire, I was here in the hospital, he says, and I saw wounded people still being brought here. And the calm remained strained.
Damascus saw heavy clashes on Friday around the rebel-held district of (inaudible).
(on camera): In the early morning hours of Friday, opposition and government forces exchange fire right here on the outskirts of Aleppo,
another sign of just how fragile the current ceasefire is. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Aleppo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:46:00]
JONES: Welcome back to THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. We've been talking a lot about America's election this hour. It's often labelled as being a little
too close to reality TV. In Russia, it's the opposite.
Many say things there feel a little too scripted, but when voters going to the polls this weekend picking new representatives (inaudible), the final
act may not be set just yet. Matthew Chance has our story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the kremlin controlled channel where most Russians get their news and
views. For the first time in years, the country's main opposition figures is a guest.
They were invited to debate upcoming parliamentary elections and to have an American flag planted in front of him by a pro kremlin candidate reminding
millions of viewers of Russia's opposition (inaudible). Even this exposure on state television is an opportunity.
MICHAIL KASYANOV, FORMER RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER: It is angering some people, but others are waking up. They're saying it is possible. It is
all under total control by Putin. It is possible here on the first channel, and they just started thinking that something could be changed in
the country.
CHANCE: These were scenes in 2011 after the last parliamentary elections in Russia amid allegations of rigged voting, crowds gathered in Moscow
chanting "down with Putin." Opposition activists say the kremlin is desperate to avoid repeat.
KASYANOV: The difference between this election process and the previous one is that it was so solve a dilemma. It is the first time they were
allowed to participate in elections and they think they should create a picture that elections are free and fair, in accordance with national
standards, and et cetera.
CHANCE: But that picture is not complete. Opposition figures like Kasyanov have complained of threats and harassment. Here he was recorded
being attacked with a pie in a restaurant, also a secretly filmed sex tape that was posted online, what critics says was a bid to discredit and
humiliate.
It gets more sinister too. Here Kasyanov is shown with another opposition figure in the crosshairs of sniper rifle. The video was posted by the
ahead of the Chechen Republic in Russia. He said it was a joke, but in a country where Kremlin critics are routinely murdered, no one is laughing.
CHANCE: How concerned are you? How frightened are you that something could happen to you?
KASYANOV: These days in my country, unfortunately, everyone should be scared, but it is other people, I'm being told I'm normal person, and that
I can expect something to happen with me and my family. But I have to continue this mission that we're coming to do.
CHANCE: And like him, hundreds of opposition candidates across Russia are taking that risk, despite the threat standing in these Russian elections
for a slim chance their opposition voices will be heard. Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: Russia is of course a very powerful country. So what happens there matters to nearly all others. Let's get into all this now with Jill
Dougherty, who joins us via Skype from Seattle in Washington State.
She is a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholar and a former CNN Moscow bureau chief. Jill, we have to talk about
these elections to start off with, what, realistically, can the opposition in Russia hope to achieve in these elections?
JILL DOUGHERTY, GLOBAL FELLOW, WOODROW WILSON INSTITUTE CENTER FOR SCHOLARS: Well, I think very little. For the reasons that Matthew just
outlined, they have almost no -- with the exception of that interesting moment for Kasyanov.
[15:50:08]But basically they are blacklisted from the national media. They do not have a lot of chances, and the opposition has been internally
divided for years. So that's a combination of factors. I'd say more of the government repression of those organizations.
JONES: Russia repeatedly being named in hacking allegations at the moment although the kremlin denies it. There are allegations ranging from Rio, to
the U.S. presidential election, as well. What could President Putin be hoping to gain out of this sort of activity?
DOUGHERTY: You know, I think information, any type of information, it is like a giant vacuum cleaner and many countries do this, but Russia does it
with extremely successful hackers. So they are getting information obviously on the Democratic Party, but apparently also about the Republican
Party.
How it's used and exploited is another issue. It seems to be attacking the Democrats, but any information can be valuable, blackmail, criticism.
And I have to say overall, one of the most important things is information designed to undermine any type of faith in the American elections and the
American system of democracy.
JONES: Now President Putin and Donald Trump have both been trading favors at each other over the last couple months, why? Who is the puppet and who
is the string in this relationship?
DOUGHERTY: You know, I would have to say that in my opinion, I would say that President Putin probably understands the stakes much better than
Donald Trump. Donald Trump is looking at this relationship and relationships with other countries as essentially business deals.
Let's do a deal, we can agree. He can very complimentary of the other person. President Putin has a lot more understanding of the different
level that's are involves, the standing of the United States, the standing of Russia, strategic issues, defense issues, and propaganda issues, quite
frankly. I think President Putin has a better bead on it than Mr. Trump.
JONES: Jill, always great to talk to you. Jill Dougherty, thank you very much indeed.
You're watching THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. Coming up, an eye-opening documentary for one of the most important chapters in modern music history. All of the
details coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JONES: They were four young men from Liverpool who went on to change popular culture as we knew it. (Inaudible) to thinking that after five
decades and fandom and fascination, everything that could have been said about the Beatles would have been.
But a documentary by Hollywood heavyweight, Ron Howard, is shedding surprising new light on the fab four. It hits U.S. theatres today and it
premiered on Thursday night here in London.
CNN's Paul Vercammen joins us live from L.A. with more on the revival of Beatlemania. Paul, what did we learn from this film about the fab four
that we didn't already know?
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A lot of things. One of them was that Ringo Star could never even hear his band mates in those big stadiums
shows, and one thing that we're learning is that the fab four are downright funny.
JONES: And also how involved?
VERCAMMEN: Ron Howard (inaudible) Academy Award nominee to write the documentary "Eight Days A Week" to tell the story of the Beatles early
years, recalling the movie saga directed by Howard.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We openly referred to Apollo 13. Since that you had guys bound together in a bubble and no one else could know that experience
but them. The reasonable courses, the press, and the fans, the globetrotting that was involved. Forcing them only to have really each
other.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four votes had to be carried for any idea to go through.
[15:55:06]VERCAMMEN (voice-over): The documentary focuses on the Beatles hectic touring years, five, six events every day, press conferences, photo
shoots, concerts. Ringo revealed during those stadium shows on stage, without monitors, he never clearly his band mates over shrieking fans and
crackly PA speakers. Ringo watch their feet to help keep time and somehow the fab four stayed in perfect mesmerizing harmony.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They played these songs, you know, two or three times over and over and over again every day all the time and it became more of a
show, a spectacle. Than a musical event I think from what they've told us that began to bottom, as you can imagine.
VERCAMMEN: The Beatles cut down all that tension with humor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they were just funny guys. They told jokes from each other. They were not writing material for the press, they were
trying to make each other laugh as a way to deal with the pressure.
VERCAMMEN: The Beatles dealt so well, their touring years rocked the world and aftershocks still being felt.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VERCAMMEN: And Hannah,the documentary goes wide in the U.K. and America today.
JONES: Paul, there are some celebrity cameos I believe in this film that you can tell us a bit more detail on. Tell us more.
VERCAMMEN: They're great fun, Malcolm Gladwell, Whoopee Goldberg, (inaudible) Weaver, among others. All of them telling about their
connection to the Beatles.
Elvis Costello who spent time in Liverpool and it really brings it together. Whoopee, for example, saw the Beatles as 12-year-old at Chase
Stadium. She didn't have two nickels to rub together, but she saw them and talked about their cultural impact.
And how she perceived them to completely cross color racial (inaudible). You ought to get out and see it, you had a tough week, it has been
challenging. You deserve it.
JONES: Just briefly, Ringo Star and Paul McCartney involved in this film?
VERCAMMEN: Yes, you might have seen those interviews with Ringo and Paul McCartney were taking straight from the documentary and they added a lot of
insights. They used John and George from some previous taped interviews, but they have fresh interviews with Ringo and Paul for the doc.
JONES: OK, well, the film is out now. We will all go and see it. No doubt. Paul Vercammen, great to talk to you, live there in L.A. for us,
thank you.
Thank you to you for watching as well. This has been THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
