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Hala Gorani Tonight
Emergency Response Efforts Under Way in Bahamas; Interview with Richard Newby, Lords M.P.; Carrie Lam Withdraws Extradition Bill; Hurricane Dorian Lashes Carolinas With Heavy Rain, Winds; Trump Defends Showing Altered Map Of Dorian's Trajectory; Johnson's Brother Resigns As M.P. And Cabinet Member; U.S. Presidential Candidates Discuss Climate Crisis. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired September 05, 2019 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:33] HALA GORANI, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London. I'm Hala Gorani.
Tonight:
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The terror that people went through for several days here, they really find themselves speechless to even describe
it to us. And yet when you look at the debris, you can understand what they're talking about. This is someone's living room.
GORANI: On the ground and in the air, CNN witnesses destruction across the Bahamas.
Also this hour, Boris Johnson says he'd rather be dead in a ditch than request an extension from the E.U. Find out what else he said when he
answered reporters' questions about the latest twists and turns on the road to Brexit.
Hurricane Dorian has weakened to a Category 2 storm, but its impact is being felt on the U.S. east coast right now. As you can see, there are
downed power lines from the high winds and heavy rains. More than 260,000 people are without power in Georgia, and in North and South Carolina.
But it is the Bahamas that bore the brunt of this storm. Dorian lingered over the island nation for days. This is just a small glimpse of the scale
of the destruction there.
This video in the Abaco Islands is from our Paula Newton and her team. From the air, as you can see in the footage, the scene is apocalyptic.
Homes under water, flattened infrastructure, kilometers of debris.
The prime minister says the killer storm caused "generational devastation." Twenty people have been -- died, that is the confirmed toll. But
unfortunately, it is expected to rise.
CNN's Paula Newton was the first broadcaster on the ground on one of the most badly affected islands. She brought us this update from there. .
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NEWTON: Everywhere you look on Abaco, on these islands, you see destruction everywhere, the terror that people went through for several
days here. They really find themselves speechless to even describe it to us. And yet when you look at the debris, you can understand what they're
talking about.
This is someone's living room. They describe couches, pieces of their ceiling, their roof, any of their appliances, any of their belongings,
coming at them as projectiles. They are talking about the force of wind that was like multiple tornadoes, touching down.
And you can see what's happened here. You've got everything, debris everywhere. This is, as people were wondering, when the storm was going to
end. Everyone here was fearing for their lives, wondering what would happen next. They were completely cut off from all communication. And
now, they're left with this destruction.
People are thankful for their lives, and yet they understand the horror of what they just went through will be with them for a long to come. Take a
listen.
SHERRIE ROBERTS, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: I'm from Tampa. Mary (ph) (INAUDIBLE), and I just want to let my family in the States know that we're
OK.
NEWTON: I'm so sorry.
ROBERTS: Thank (ph) God for life. It's not just us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it's everybody.
ROBERTS: Everybody's hurting. We're not any worse than anybody else. Everybody is hurting, and we thank God for life.
NEWTON: Abaco was all about living the island dream, the island paradise. And many people here now are wondering if they can ever come back. One
thing they do tell us is that Abaco will never be the same again.
As you can see, their lives are now strewn all over these islands. If they're lucky enough that they're safe and they're healthy, they say they
will try to rebuild, but they already know what a monumental task they have in front of them. Paula Newton, CNN, Man-O-War on the Abaco Islands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: And we are hoping to connect with an aid agency, trying to help people on the ground, affected by this terrible storm. We're going to
continue to, obviously, as you can imagine, comms, communications, phone lines, all of that is very affected by what happened with this storm.
So I want to bring you, in the meantime, more of that emotional conversation that Paula had on Abaco Island.
ROBERTS: Words can't describe it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you mind if (ph) I (ph) --
ROBERTS: I don't wish it on nobody. Nobody (ph) -- words can't describe it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you mind if I say something?
ROBERTS: There's --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My grandfather --
ROBERTS: They could never categorize this, never. It was like an atomic bomb --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My grandfather ran out in the middle --
[14:05:04]
ROBERTS: -- went off. It just --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My grandfather ran out in the middle of the hurricane. When -- because the roof of the house, water was leaking in. And he ran
out in the middle of the hurricane, about 220 (ph) gusts (ph) of winds (ph), he came out and he saved us. He had to go --
ROBERTS: To get up in the attic.
UNIDENTIFED MALE: -- he had to go underneath the house, get a ladder, and get (ph) shutters (ph) to put (ph) up inside of the middle of the house.
It was crazy. I don't know. I don't know how he made it out. Every one of us was screaming, telling him to come back inside. But I mean, if it
wasn't for him, the whole house probably would have gone down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: We're going to have more from the Bahamas later in the program, but we want to go now to one of the aid groups scrambling to get food and
medicine to survivors. Christy Delafield is the director of communications for the group Mercy Corps. Thanks for being with us. Are you able to get
aid through? What's the latest on your efforts to help people there?
CHRISTY DELAFIELD, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, MERCY CORPS: Hala, I think scrambling is just the right word. We're really concerned about the limited
access that we're experiencing. These islands have been completely cut off, and it is just an uphill battle. But we are working as quickly as we
can.
Right now, we're really solidly in the search-and-rescue phase, and it's so important that those lifesaving efforts take place. My team is going to be
getting on a plane tomorrow, taking out solar lanterns, working to have a more deep understanding of what's needed.
And we really think that what's going to be next is making sure that people have clean water, have enough food, understanding what the shelter needs
are. The list goes on and on.
GORANI: How many -- I mean, are -- first of all, I -- you're able to fly planes and land planes now, where they need to be and need to go?
DELAFIELD: A really limited number. On Grand Bahama, there is one airport that is -- well, there's -- let's be -- it's an airstrip that can handle
two planes at once, that's it. So it's really just very slow. And then on Abaco, we also have just one spot in Treasure Cay, where we can get in
maybe one plane at a time.
And so bringing in supplies, the amount -- the quantities that are needed, is going to be a real challenge. But we're working as --
GORANI: Yes.
DELAFIELD: -- quickly as we can.
GORANI: Because the people who are on those islands, obviously, they still -- many of them don't have electricity, communications are down as well.
They just need the basics now, just to survive, day to day, right?
DELAFIELD: Absolutely. And that's why we're working with these boxes of solar lanterns. They have chargers, USB chargers for people's cell phones,
so they can begin to try to get outreach to emergency services, maybe contact their loved ones.
So many people still just haven't even been in contact with their families. I've spoken to people here who say, you know, "I have 18 members of my
family that I haven't -- I have no idea if they're OK, I have no idea what's happening to them." It's an emotional journey that people are on,
as you've seen from these videos.
GORANI: And what are -- what is your biggest challenge now? Is it transport? Is it actually getting to the people who need you?
DELAFIELD: Definitely. Transport is a huge challenge. I also -- I'm just really concerned about clean water. On Abaco --
GORANI: Yes.
DELAFIELD: -- almost everyone was getting their water supplies from wells, and that groundwater has been completely contaminated. So it's all
salinated water now. We're working with local authorities that are trying to bring in large-scale desalination equipment, and we'll be providing
perhaps Jerrycans or other kind of supplies so that people can carry water back and forth to their homes.
But the scale here is just massive. I mean, we're talking about maybe 70,000 people who are affected across --
GORANI: Whoa.
DELAFIELD: -- these two islands.
GORANI: Seventy thousand people who need help? But it's going to be short-term help in the next few days. And then it'll be long-term help
because you need to rebuild, you need to -- if the water supply, as you said, is compromised, then you need some infrastructure work to happen.
DELAFIELD: Oh, absolutely. I mean, a response like this, there are two phases. There's this emergency phase, in which we're really just trying to
get people what they need to survive in the moment. But then there's the long-term rebuilding.
And Mercy Corps has two team members who have joined us here from Puerto Rico, and they know firsthand what that's like. And they are solidly in
that reconstruction phase in their own island, and they've come here to help the people of the Bahamas and bring that experience.
And that's what we're looking at is, how do we support the long-term recovery and growth? Help for today, meeting the urgent needs of today,
but then also rebuilding for the long term. It's going to --
GORANI: All right, yes.
DELAFIELD: -- be quite a long journey.
GORANI: Yes. And we wish you the best in your efforts at Mercy Corps and all the other organizations trying to help. Christie Delafield, thanks so
much for joining us.
DELAFIELD: Thank you.
GORANI: We want to show you some live pictures now from the southern United States, which is getting pelted by Hurricane Dorian right now. It's
a weaker storm now, but this is Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, it's high tide there right now. That is making the storm surge from Dorian even
higher and more dangerous.
[14:10:07]
It's so hazardous that emergency response services are suspended in some areas, and residents have been advised to stay sheltered. We'll take you
back, live to South Carolina, in just a few minutes.
Let's update you on the political crisis in this country. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, says the best way to unite the country is to get
Brexit done, and he knows a thing or two about disunity.
Over the past day or so, he has lost pretty much every vote in the House of Commons since he's been prime minister. His own brother has stepped down
as M.P. At a police event today, Mr. Johnson was asked if he could promise not to seek more time to sever from the E.U. Listen to his answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN: Yes --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And -- sorry.
B. JOHNSON: -- we (ph) can.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And would you rather --
B. JOHNSON: I'd rather -- I'd rather be dead in a ditch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So you would resign first, prime minister, rather than go and ask for that delay?
B. JOHNSON: I -- look, I just don't -- I really -- it costs a billion pounds a month. It achieves absolutely nothing. What on earth is the
point of further delay? I think it's totally, totally pointless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: Well, looming over all of this is the possibility that people in Britain could be going back to the polls soon. CNN's Hadas Gold is in
Wakefield, where Mr. Johnson spoke a short time ago.
So the prime minister is saying he'd rather be dead in a ditch than ask the E.U. for an extension. He may not have a choice, though, right?
HADAS GOLD, CNN REPORTER: He may not have a choice. And, Hala, I think it's interesting that he didn't actually respond when asked whether he
would actually resign. I guess if you're dead, you can't really resign from the prime minister post. But notably, he did not say specifically he
would resign if, for whatever reason, he had to get an extension.
I do think that the speech at the police academy, though we don't have a general election date yet, it might as well be called "campaign day number
one." But it was not as, I guess, spicy of a campaign speech as you might expect from Boris Johnson. We were seeing reports that he was going to
come out attacking Jeremy Corbyn, calling him cowardly.
And we didn't get that as much. He was much more staid, he was much more subtle. It might be because of what happened with his brother. He was
asked repeatedly by the press about the fact that his own brother resigned, partly as a result of some of his actions. But one little bit -- piece of
news we did get from his speech, was that he would advocate for an even earlier general election.
And what I found really interesting, is the way that he was sort of phrasing it as almost a second referendum. There's been a lot of talk of
people want a second referendum, they want another say on what should happen with Brexit.
And in essence, he was pretty much saying a general election is the way for people to make their voice heard, whether they want to get out on October
31st, do or die, the way Boris Johnson has said, or whether they're willing to make it delayed, like Jeremy Corbyn wants.
And I spent the day here, speaking to voters in this Labour stronghold. This has been a Labour stronghold since the 1930s. And whether they were
Labour or Conservative, any other party, whether they were Leave or Remain, I was struck by how many of them actually do want a general election. They
see it as a possible clean slate, a possible new way forward.
But the numbers, when you look at the polling, it's hard to see any sort of which way it would definitely go. It seems as though, with the general
election, it might just bring us back to square one and a hung parliament.
GORANI: Hadas Gold, thanks very much.
We're not out of this mess yet. How is this all going to shake out for Boris Johnson and Brexit? CNN's Bianca Nobilo is here to help sort it all
out.
So he's lost every vote in the Commons. And today, we see him deliver this speech with this kind of mise-en-scene behind him, with all the police
officers behind him. I mean, it looked like a campaign event, almost like an American-style campaign event, which I thought was interesting, with all
these police officers.
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is. Well (ph), we have seen the Americanization of British politics, over the last few decades, and Boris
Johnson is symptomatic of that because he is more of a celebrity politician who leads with his personality.
As for the event itself, really since Boris Johnson started campaigning to be leader of the party, he was in election mode. Because knowing the very
slim majority that he had, now doesn't --
GORANI: Yes.
NOBILO: -- he knew that an election would be in his sights in the near future. So we haven't really seen him in any other state.
Today, as Hadas was saying, a little bit more subdued. Frankly, it would have been inappropriate for him to be a lot more explicit about the
campaign elements, given that he was surrounded by people who are keeping the streets of London -- the streets of Britain safe, in Wakefield.
But we did get a glimpse into what his campaign rhetoric is going to be. It is going to be, A, about the surrender bill, Jeremy Corbyn ceding all
power to the European Union --
GORANI: Right.
NOBILO: -- it will also be, he kept repeating the figure of one billion, one billion pounds going to the E.U. every month, that will obviously be a
key part of this rhetoric. And the other being the fact that parliament, the establishment --
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: Yes.
NOBILO: -- the populist tone, is trying to thwart the democratic result of the initial referendum. I see those three things as being key to this
campaign.
GORANI: Right. And by the way, some of those strategies, blaming the elites and the establishment that he's very much a part of, is something
that we've seen in other elections. The one billion pound figure, is that factually correct?
[14:15:06]
NOBILO: Well, Hala, I mean, going into what -- how correct the figures have -- that are spouted (ph) about --
GORANI: Because we know during the campaign --
NOBILO: Exactly.
GORANI: -- he was -- he was playing fast and loose with the facts.
NOBILO: Yes, he promised 350 million, going back into the NHS and the United Kingdom. That's a figure that has been challenged from all sides
over the last couple of years. It's almost impossible to say because it would depend on how --
GORANI: Right.
NOBILO: -- the economy's doing outside of Brexit.
GORANI: And usually it's a figure that doesn't take into account what the U.K. gets back in terms of support from the E.U.
Now, you know you're in trouble, I guess, or you should feel like you're in trouble -- I know I would -- if your own siblings jumped ship. Jo Johnson,
Boris Johnson's brother, resigned. And he was asked about this resignation, and this is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JO JOHNSON, FORMER BRITISH CONSERVATIVE M.P.: I haven't got any further comment to say, other than it's been an honor to be M.P. for Orpington, and
a minister under three governments. But it's time to move on and I've got to get to work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think your brother's wrecking the party, Mr. Johnson?
J. JOHNSON: Sorry, I beg your pardon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you completely at odds with your brother, Mr. Johnson?
J. JOHNSON: Right (ph). See you, thanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GORANI: There you go. Well, he's wearing a helmet, which is good. Safety first. This can't be good for the prime minister. I mean --
(CROSSTALK)
NOBILO: No. This --
(CROSSTALK)
GORANI: The optics of this --
NOBILO: -- yes.
GORANI: -- regardless of how much it really impacts his day-to-day dealings with his party, the optics of this are terrible.
NOBILO: Without a doubt. This is his worst day as prime minister, I think. We can both see that. The fact that it's his brother does matter.
It cuts through to the electorate en masse.
Often, these issues that we talk about, the amendment to the amendment, they're quite archaic.
GORANI: Yes.
NOBILO: But the idea of somebody's own brother resigning from their government, also he used to sit in cabinet, it is a big deal.
GORANI: Yes.
NOBILO: We should remind ourselves that Jo Johnson did actually resign under Theresa May as well because he didn't like her Brexit strategy, he's
a supporter of a second referendum. So clearly, there's a big disagreement there with Boris Johnson, the family as well. Famously, the Johnson family
all have very different views on politics, so that kind of robust disagreement is normal for them.
But it is very damaging, and does show us, Hala, what a couple of Conservative lawmakers have been saying over the last few days, that the
party, which used to be a fairly broad church of opinion --
GORANI: Yes.
NOBILO: -- is just become narrower and narrower. And what we see from his resignation, is the fact that he felt that his views simply weren't
compatible with the direction that the party was going in.
GORANI: And that's the accusation we heard from the Tory rebels as well, who are saying this -- some of them saying, it's (ph) become a narrow
faction.
NOBILO: Yes.
GORANI: And, Bianca, we'll be speaking to you in the coming hours, of course, and days, with more on this. Thank you very much.
Well, it's been a long couple of days for parliament members. It's far from over. In fact, Richard Newby tweeted this photo of himself, with a
shaving kit and a change of clothing and a duvet. He geared up to camp out at the House of Lords as they were considering that bill to block a no-deal
Brexit.
TEXT: Dick Newby: Arriving in Lords with duvet, change of clothes and shaving kit. Could take us a while to see off 86 wrecking amendments on
timetable motion today/tomorrow.
GORANI: He managed to break away, and he joins me now. Lord Newby, thanks for being with us. Your reaction, first off, to the resignation of the
prime minister's brother, Jo Johnson?
RICHARD NEWBY, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MEMBER, BRITISH HOUSE OF LORDS: Well, I think it's a big blow to Boris. He knows that Jo doesn't agree with him on
Brexit. But the way that Jo put it, that he had to choose between loyalty to his family and doing what he thought was best for Britain, suggests very
strongly that he thinks that what his brother's doing simply isn't in the national interest. And to say that of your brother is a pretty grim thing,
I think, and damaging.
GORANI: Yes. Damaging politically, you think? Because Boris Johnson obviously is going to bet it all on a general election here, hoping he'll
get a firm, clear mandate from the voters. Does a resignation like this do significant political damage to the prime minister?
NEWBY: I think it does a bit of political damage. As you know, with politicians, it's very rare when their reputation begins to slide, that you
can say there was just one thing that did it. But he's had a very bad week. He's lost every vote in the Commons, and now he's lost his brother.
The joke is that he doesn't even have a majority in his own family. And when people start joking --
GORANI: Yes.
NEWBY: -- about prime ministers and politicians like that, it's not a good thing, is it?
GORANI: Yes. You tweeted that picture of yourself, you packed your shaving kit and the duvet, et cetera, because you were expecting a long
night. So this bill, this law, now: Are you concerned, if there's an election before October 31st and Boris Johnson is brought back to power,
that he will simply find a way to reverse it? And so that any general election should happen after October 31st.
NEWBY: No, I agree with that very strongly. I think that Boris Johnson has said that he won't implement this law, which means that if he did call
an election next week -- which incidentally I don't think he'll succeed in doing -- and there was an outcome before the end of October, he would just
reverse this law, which he could do legitimately if he won a majority.
GORANI: Yes.
[14:20:00]
NEWBY: And we would be leaving the E.U. without a deal. And that's simply not the majority view, not just the people in the House of Commons, but in
the country as a whole.
GORANI: So what do you think should happen, in your country, now, to bring it back together, to resolve this political crisis, so that there's a
functioning -- functional government in place that can just, you know, find a way to solve this Brexit conundrum? What needs to happen?
NEWBY: Well, we have been saying for a long time, that because this whole process was started through a referendum of all the people, and because the
years have passed, it's become clear, there's a lot of the facts or so- called facts that were raised during that referendum campaign, have proved to be false.
That -- you should put the options back to the people. It's quite clear, that this House of Commons cannot find a majority for any way forward. If
you have an election, as I think you were saying just a bit earlier, there's no guarantee that it will be any different, and you may well find
that no party has a majority. And so there'd be more, potentially, instability.
GORANI: Yes.
NEWBY: The way to lance the boil of this issue is to put it back to people and say, "Look, this is what is now on offer. This is the option you have
as, again, staying on the terms that you know and understand."
We believe that if such an offer was put to the British people, they'd vote to remain. That's what all the polling shows, and what the polling's shown
for a long time. So we say, give it back to the people and let them resolve it. They started this, let them finish it.
GORANI: Well, the polling also indicated that Remain would win in 2016, so I think people have just been a little bit more questioning of polling
numbers.
One last question to you, Lord Newby. When Boris Johnson says he'd rather be dead in a ditch than go back to the E.U., do you think he's saying there
that he will not obey the law that parliament passed?
NEWBY: Well, he's said that several times now. Unfortunately for him, if he's not prepared to do it, the only thing that can happen is that someone
else has got to do it. The law remains the law despite what Boris wants. So he's going to have to step aside if he wants this country to continue
following the rule of law.
And if he doesn't want to follow the rule of law, we do have courts and they will enforce it. But he's going to have to step aside or follow the
rule of law, simple choice, his choice.
GORANI: Richard Newby, thanks so much for joining us. We really appreciate your time on CNN.
And still to come tonight, Hong Kong's Carrie Lam speaks out again about extraditions to mainland China. But is anyone -- are the protestors --
listening anymore? We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:07]
GORANI: Well, the Hong Kong protests are expected to continue despite the withdrawal of controversial legislation that would have allowed extradition
to mainland China. Our Anna Coren reports that Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam is sticking by that decision, even though it is not impressing
the protestors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hong Kong's embattled chief executive, Carrie Lam, fronted the media, a day after announcing that she would
finally withdraw her highly contentious extradition bill that has plunged the city into three months of protests and its worst political crisis.
Sixty-two-year-old Lam reiterated her decision to give into the protestors' key demand to formally withdraw the bill, saying she hoped this concession
would be a step towards initiating dialogue with protestors to try and find a solution.
CARRIE LAM, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HONG KONG: The bill will be withdrawn. There will be no debate and no voting.
COREN: The withdrawal of the bill, which would have allowed for extradition to mainland China, is only one of five demands by the
protestors. The other demands include an independent inquiry into police brutality, the rioting claim to be revoked, for those arrested to be
released, and for universal suffrage to be granted.
Many protestors say Lam's announcement is too little, too late, that all demands must be met and that this move will not stop the demonstrations or
quell the violence that has increased in recent weeks, where hardline protestors have hurled bricks and petrol bombs at police, setting
barricades on fire, while police have fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons at demonstrators.
More than 1,100 people have so far been arrested. Many have been charged with rioting, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' jail.
Some commentators believe the decision to withdraw the bill is an attempt by Beijing to defuse the crisis before the 1st of October National Day
celebrations, marking the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
But with demonstrations planned for the coming days and weeks, the protests in Hong Kong are unlikely to end any time soon. Anna Coren, CNN, Hong
Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Still to come, Hurricane Dorian is now hitting parts of the southeastern United States, sparking tornadoes, floods and power outages.
We're live in South Carolina.
And as North and South Carolina face Hurricane Dorian, President Trump is focused on another U.S. state that is not in this storm's path: the
Sharpiegate saga is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:07]
GORANI: Right now, hurricane Dorian continues to batter the Southern United States, lashing north and South Carolina with heavy winds and rain and even
tornadoes. We'll have much more on that in a moment.
First, though, back to the Bahamas. A CNN crew has just fed in this video showing the utter devastation there. Dorian is blamed for killing at least
20 people in the Bahamas, and that toll is certain to rise. An international rescue effort is under way to try to reach survivors and
those who are critically wounded. More than 100 people have been rescued so far.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann is in Freeport, the main city on Grand Bahama Island. It's a disaster zone right now. He tells us the storm's winds and flood
waters leveled nearly everything in their path and turned the island's airport inside out. Patrick?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on-camera): Desperate Bahamians waiting still after so many days for assistance, appear to have
to wait even longer now as the relief effort to the island of Grand Abaco appears to have stalled. Yesterday, Wednesday, we heard planes and
helicopters flying overhead all day long.
So far today, on Thursday, we've yet to hear or see any aircraft coming to this island. We can only hope they are in areas, the areas with the most
desperate need to the east of us. The east tip of the island. We hear there are many homes, they're still under water and rescue efforts to save
and find anyone who still might be hanging on to life who rode out the storm in their home. One of the hundreds of homes along that part of the
island that flooded.
So the frustration right now, for many Bahamians, and for us, is to look out the beautiful waters behind us and not see any boats at all, any help
on the horizon. And that is because the Bahamian government has said that they need to make sure that the debris field around the island will not
cause boats to run into problems, to crash into debris. And that until they can conduct an assessment of the waters, see where the debris actually
is and the U.S. Navy and coast guard are helping them conduct that assessment. Until that can happen, boats cannot come in here.
As well, we got to the airport on Wednesday and found disaster sight. There was no one in charge here. We walked in because most of the fences
had collapsed around the airport. There's no one doing any work at the airport. One terminal was completely destroyed. The other terminals had
spent days under water, under the storm surge that had come from miles away and flooded the airport and runway for days. The runway was left with a
debris field on top of it. Pieces of metal, pieces of concrete that were preventing any plane from landing.
Following our reporting on the airport, by coincidence or perhaps not, we were told by residents that a team of people of workers showed up to clear
the debris from the runway, and it is now clear of that debris. The airport, though, is still not open. And there is no word at this point
when the airport will reopen, when a vital lifeline to the outside world will be re-established and when Bahamians who waited on this island, who
suffered now for several days in the wake of hurricane Dorian will finally get some help.
Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Freeport, the Bahamas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Thank you, Patrick.
Now to the U.S. Southeast. Hurricane Dorian is still powerful category 2. He's hitting South Carolina hard, sparking power outages and evacuations.
We've been seeing dramatic images of that.
Brian Todd is in Charleston, South Carolina, with more. And I can see it's still very much raining hard where you are.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Hala, still pretty dangerous period we're in. We're through the tail end of high tide. But it's the triple
whammy here. It's high tide, the driving rain, plus storm surge that is affecting this area and flooding several roads around here.
What we're told by the mayor's office is they have 110 road closures in and around the Charleston area, much of them are due to flooding. You have 50
traffic lights out, and about 164, they say, trees down.
I'm going to show you one of those and what makes this such a dangerous situation. Coming over to this street here and then zooming past me, you
can see that tree down over there. There are power lines. That one tree down there hit a power line and is leaning against it. It's also pulled
that power pole just beyond it over to the side a little bit. So that is kind of teetering. That is a scene that's kind of repeated on street after
street after street. And that is what makes it a very dangerous situation here.
Lots of power outages also. Thousands of people without power throughout South Carolina as the streets continue to be flooded. And as we're getting
toward the end of high tide, something we have to look out for.
[14:35:00]
I'll see if we can point down this street as well. These streets are near the Ashley River. You've got the convergence of two rivers and the
Charleston Harbor here. And all these streets are so low to the river. They're basically at the level of the river. So any normal rain storm is
going to flood some of these streets but, of course, this is not normal. Look at what we're getting. We're just getting another burst of wind and
rain here.
And when you're out in this, Hala, you've always got -- I've always got to be looking around, because there's debris flying around and these power
lines could go at any second. So you've got to kind of keep your distance and watch out for them. Always be cognizant of everything around you.
We just got word also from the state transportation office, they had more than 400,000, I believe 440,000 people evacuating from South Carolina for
this storm. That is more than half of the people who are under mandatory evacuation orders. So roughly half the population that was under mandatory
evacuation orders got out. That's a telling sign because they have now been hit by three major hurricanes over the past three years. They've been
impacted by, at least, parts of those hurricanes over the past three years. You have hurricane Matthew in 2016, hurricane Irma in 2017, now, this one.
And an official from the mayor's office told me also, that doesn't even include what he called a thousand year flood event in 2015. So if you'll
combine all of those, you've got four major storms hitting just the Charleston area in four years. I don't think these people can take much
more, Hala.
GORANI: All right. And when those who've evacuated, I imagine where you are, a lot of those homes are empty and it's probably very scary because
even if you are in your home, the idea a tree could fall on it is also terrifying. Those who have evacuated, when can they come back to their
homes?
TODD: It's a good question, Hala. They are not ready to lift the evacuation orders yet in South Carolina. There are some evacuation orders
that have been lifted in Georgia, just the south of here where it hit. So we're going to see -- you're thinking maybe in the next 24 hours, they'll
start to open up some roads and let people back toward their homes. But they've got to really asses how bad the flooding is on streets like this.
And so a lot of people who do elect to stay and I've seen this refrain in hurricane after hurricane, almost no matter where you go, the reason they
choose to stay is because of those evacuations. Sometimes they have to go so far away. It's hard for them to get back because of these conditions.
Streets closed. Roads closed. You can't get back to your home. They're reluctant to go that far away. They're worried about what is going to be -
- what kind of damage their homes sustained, whether they can deal with that damage. So they elect to stay.
Also, some people, frankly, are worried that, you know, the criminal element is going to descend on some place. We had a sheriff in Florida
tell us that he's very cognizant because it's happened before. When people evacuate, either some people who stay are among the criminal element. They
target their homes for burglary, or they come back in with the evacuees and try to blend in and target homes that they know have been evacuated. So
that's a factor as well.
GORANI: Yes. That would definitely add to people's misery. Thanks very much, Brian Todd.
By the way, if you'd like to help the people who are affected by this, specifically in the Bahamas, we've curated a selection of NGOs who are
working to help hurricane Dorian victims. You can go to cnn.com/impact.
As the Carolinas confront Dorian and as the Bahamas reels from the storm, the U.S. president, Donald Trump, has been concerned with a state that is
not even in Dorian's path. He continues to insist that he was not wrong when he said, incorrectly, that Alabama could get hit by the hurricane.
More now from CNN's Joe Johns.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Trump quadrupling down.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But that was the original chart. And you see it was going to hit not only Florida but Georgia. It
could have -- it was going toward the gulf. That was what we -- what was originally projected. And it took a right turn.
JOHNS: Again, falsely claiming Alabama was in the path of hurricane Dorian when he said so on Sunday.
TRUMP: It may get a little piece of a great place. It's called Alabama. And Alabama could even be in for, and at least some very strong winds and
something more than that. It could have been.
JOHNS: The president showing reporters in the oval office an altered map Wednesday with a black line crudely extending the cone of the hurricane
track to include Alabama. But a similar map released last week did not include the mark. It's a crime to alter official government weather
forecasts.
The president initially made the claim about Alabama on Twitter Sunday morning. But it was debunked by the National Weather Service Office in
Birmingham, just 20 minutes later. Reassuring Alabama will not see any impacts from Dorian. We repeat. No impacts from hurricane Dorian will be
felt across Alabama.
[14:40:01]
Sources tell CNN there was a discussion about the early models of the storm before Wednesday's briefing and that a White House official in the room
drew on the map to show that hurricane Dorian could have been much worse. A source familiar with the Oval Office briefing would not deny the
president drew the black sharpie line in the map. However, the president later denied knowledge of the alteration.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That map that you showed us today, looked like it almost had like a Sharpie.
TRUMP: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.
JOHNS: Afterward, the president tweeting this map to try to bolster his argument. But that image is dated August 28th, before the forecast became
clearer and four days before the president's initial tweet. In small print at the bottom, a disclaimer reads NHC advisories and county emergency
management statements supersede this product.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Joe Johns reporting there on Sharpiegate.
Still to come tonight, it's like a betrayal out of Shakespeare or House of Cards. Boris Johnson's own brother is jumping ship as the government sinks
further into turmoil. We'll talk with a biographer of the prime minister, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GORANI: Torn between family and country, that is the dilemma that Jo Johnson says he faced when the Conservative Party, Member of Parliament,
decided to quit Parliament.
But here's the thing. It's not just any MP. He's the prime minister own brother. The highest profile of those jumping ship. So Mr. Johnson has
already lost more than 20 Conservative Party members. But when it's family, it's obviously personal.
Sonia Pernell is a journalist who wrote "Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition," and she joins me now.
So how would Boris Johnson have taken this resignation by his own brother at a time when he's still reeling from all these House of Commons defeats?
SONIA PURNELL, AUTHOR, "JUST BORIS: A TALE OF A BLOND AMBITION: Listen, I think he would have taken this very, very badly. The Johnson clan, and
that's what they are, are very close. They grew up together. Their mother was often ill and not there. She was in the hospital. Their father wasn't
there sometimes. They had to fend for themselves. You know, you produce really, really kind of tight bonds during that time. There was a lot of
love there, but there's also a lot of competitiveness too.
But there's also this big division about Brexit. And Jo Johnson has, right from the start, said that he did not support it. He wanted the second
referendum. He didn't want us to go ahead with it. Boris Johnson decided to back the leave side, although a lot of us think that he doesn't really
believe it that he's a remainder at heart.
Anyway, imagine the tensions. You can imagine what happens at family gatherings. And then last night, when the Boris Johnson expelled over 20
of his own M.P.s from the party, I think that must have been the tipping point because this decision this morning was dramatic, out of the blue but,
oh, my goodness, incredibly powerful.
[14:45:02]
GORANI: And it's not just Jo Johnson, it's Rachel Johnson, Boris Johnson's sister, also politically at odds. I mean, this is just a remarkable family
in that sense alone where you have these really high-profile, you know, public figures who are really very much disagree to the point of appearing
to be, you know, to not put family first, of appearing to, in fact, stab in the back. I mean, Jo Johnson, from Boris Johnson's perspective, did
something perhaps that he finds unforgivable.
PURNELL: Well, it is interesting, isn't it? Because I mean, they have had the disagreements but they've been in private really. Rachel Johnson,
sure, she's joins another party to campaign against Brexit, but she was very careful not really to criticize her brother Boris.
Now, we have Jo Johnson saying he was torn between family loyalty, i.e., loyalty to Boris Johnson, and the national interest. So what he's saying
here, he's accusing his brother, the prime minister, of acting against the national interest. You know, that's quite a big thing to say about your
brother.
GORANI: What do you think is happening right now inside Boris Johnson's head? Because he came in all guns blazing, vowing that he was going to
pull the U.K. out of the E.U. come what may. And now, he's suffered defeat after defeat and then this humiliation with his brother leaving. What's
going on here, do you think, for him?
PURNELL: Absolutely. I mean, I think, you know, he is falling apart. I was talking to someone just now and comparing it to -- you know, you send
away for a really lovely box full of goodies and the box is so beautiful and then you open up the box and there's nothing inside. I think a lot of
people thought that Boris Johnson would be able to work miracles, somehow get Britain out of the Brexit conundrum.
But they discovered that he's human like the rest of us because there is no simple answer, whatever he says. And I tell you what. I think he's been
really hit by Jo Johnson's defection. He's been really hit by other splits in his family, splits in the country at large. He's called, you know, a
liar quite frequently now. People behind me are shouting Boris is a liar. He won't like that. And it's been showing up in his speeches. Normally,
known for making great speeches, they've been rambling quite in -- people have been saying, what on earth is going on? He's showing the strain big
time.
GORANI: Yes. What do you make of that? Because I noticed that, too. His first prime minister's questions, he's usually such a good speech giver and
debater. And here, he seemed wobbly and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition, appears to have the upper hand there. What did you make of
that, these speeches, just in the last few days?
PURNELL: Well, I mean, it's interesting. Because normally, Jeremy Corbyn is not considered a great performer in the House of Commons or a great
orator. And there he was landing punches against Boris Johnson here there and everywhere.
I think what we're seeing now is this lack of ideas. He has not come up with a solution. He says they're making great progress. There are no
negotiations to make progress on. I think that's rattled him. He doesn't really do serious. He was London mayor, of course, and he was great during
the London Olympics. They were fun and so was he.
But when we have riots in London, he was useless. He pretty much ran away and couldn't stop smirking. Well, now we have Brexit. It's the biggest
crisis we've had since the Second World War. He simply doesn't know what to do. He doesn't do serious, he doesn't do homework, he doesn't do ideas.
And so Jeremy Corbyn, previously, a poor performer, is now outshining him. I think Boris Johnson's fans are pretty astonished and, well, disappointed,
clearly.
GORANI: Sonia Purnell, the author of "Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition." Thanks so much for joining us on CNN.
More to come, including the world is heating up, and so is the discussion on climate change. Just ahead, what some U.S. presidential candidates have
to say about it. We'll be right back.
Also, U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is known for being outspoken. But when it comes to raising a ruckus, a member of his audience
offered real competition. That story as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:48]
GORANI: The strength and severity of hurricane Dorian has more people talking about the climate crisis. Ten U.S. democratic presidential
candidates discussed their plans for fighting climate change during a town hall hosted by CNN.
Our Jessica Dean has the highlights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Democrats presented their plans to combat the climate crisis in Wednesday's town hall
marathon. Elevating the issue, higher than ever before, in a presidential election.
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got to start choosing science over fantasy here.
DEAN: Front-runner, Joe Biden, saying it's up to the United States to lead the fight.
BIDEN: We should be in a position where we generate support around the rest of the world and those who don't do their part, don't participate,
then in fact, they face consequences.
DEAN: The former vice president making this promise to a 19-year-old voter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How can we trust you to put us, the future, over the wants of large corporations and wealthy individuals?
BIDEN: Because I've never done it. I've never made that choice. My whole career. Simple.
DEAN: In between explaining her many plans --
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've got plans. I've got a $2 trillion plan. I've got a $1 trillion plan.
DEAN: Senator Elizabeth Warren warning Democrats about getting distracted by conversations like regulating light bulbs. A reference to the Trump
administration's rolling back energy efficiency rules Wednesday.
WARREN: This is exactly what the fossil fuel industry hopes we're all talking about. They want to be able to stir up a lot of controversy around
your light bulbs, around your straws, and around your cheeseburgers. When 70 percent of the pollution, of the carbon that we're throwing into the air
comes from three industries.
DEAN: Bernie Sanders' response? A bit more concise.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Would you reinstate those requirements --
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No.
DEAN: Defending the price tag of his $16 trillion climate crisis plan, the Vermont senator arguing it's possible to also focus on other policies like
Medicare for All and free college.
SANDERS: I have the radical idea that a sane Congress can walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. We are fighting for the survival of the
planet earth. Our only planet. How is this not a major priority? It must be a major priority.
SANDERS: Although Jay Inslee dropped out of the presidential race, the Washington governor's ideas were still present from the mouths of his
former rivals.
JULIAN CASTRO (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I also want to give a shoutout to Governor Jay Inslee who did a fantastic job of bringing this issue to
the fore (ph) of this campaign.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Governor Inslee, I'm stealing your line. And he said, so Donald Trump says wind turbines cause
cancer and Jay Inslee famously and very -- with great humor said, no, they don't cause cancer. They cause jobs.
DEAN: Senator Kamala Harris also saying she's willing to take a stand against Senate Republicans refusing to pass the Green New Deal.
HARRIS: If they fail to act as president of the United States, I am prepared to get rid of the filibuster to pass a Green New Deal.
(APPLAUSE)
DEAN: Mayor Pete Buttigieg arguing battling the climate crisis will not be easy.
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG (D-IN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is the hardest thing we will have done, certainly in my lifetime, as a country. This is
on par with winning World War II. Perhaps even more challenging than that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: There you have it. The highlights.
With the U.S. presidential campaign picking up momentum, some traditions seem inevitable. Speeches will be made. Hands will be shaken and babies
will be kissed. But sometimes, having a baby at a campaign rally can be, what should we call it, a liability?
Our Jeanne Moos explains.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When candidates interact with babies, it usually makes you say, aw.
HARRIS: Yes, you got to basically say it.
MOOS: But sometimes, instead of inspiring aw, they inspire irritation.
SANDERS: If we could keep that down a little bit? OK, thanks.
MOOS: But babies don't take orders. Even from potential presidents.
This one kept fussing.
(BABY FUSSING)
MOOS: Babies are born with immunity to dirty looks. One day Bernie Sanders is kid friendly.
[14:55:00]
SANDERS: Oh, my goodness.
MOOS: The next day, he's literally waving them off.
Trevor Noah once tried to imagine Bernie as a baby.
TREVOR NOAH, SOUTH AFRICAN COMEDIAN: Has Bernie just looked like this his entire life? Yes. I bet when he was born, the doctor was like,
congratulations, Mrs. Sanders, it's a beautiful healthy old man. Well done.
MOOS: Bernie, evidently, doesn't believe in babying crybabies.
SANDERS: If we could keep that down a little bit.
MOOS: But he was almost nurturing compared to a certain someone.
TRUMP: You can get the baby out of here.
MOOS: Actually, the baby's mom was already headed out since then-candidate Trump had called attention to the crying a minute or two earlier.
TRUMP: Don't worry about that baby. I love babies, so. I love babies.
MOOS: Trump has gone so far as to sign a baby.
TRUMP: Look at that baby. So cute. Oh, give me that.
MOOS: Sometimes a crying baby can be a political asset. Back in 2012.
BIDEN: I don't blame that baby for crying. She just realized what it means if Romney gets elected.
MOOS: Now in 2019, Joe Biden still zeros in on the well-placed baby.
BIDEN: Pregnancy is no longer a pre-existing condition.
MOOS: Dad popped up for a selfie. Even when they grow up, this kid desperately wanted to hug the president. He flexed his hugging muscles,
went in for the kill but pulled back and fain nonchalance until finally, the politicians are hoping some of that cuteness rubs off on them.
Jeanne Moos, CNN.
HARRIS: He's just charming me.
MOOS: New York.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GORANI: Thanks for watching tonight. I'm Hala Gorani. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Just an hour away from the Closing Bell. Look at that 405 points --
END
