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North Carolina Governor: 81 People Still Unaccounted for After Hurricane Helene; Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Holding Campaign Event in Pennsylvania with Republican Supporters; Kamala Harris Interviewed by Charlamagne tha God and Scheduled for Interview with FOX News; Donald Trump Answers Questions by "Bloomberg" about His Plan for Tariffs on Foreign Goods. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired October 16, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But many others are going to say now it's going to start. I'm rehabilitated too. Why can't I get out?
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: That is the knock-on effect. We will see what happens with this case. There is a lot of interest in it. Jean Casarez, always a pleasure, thank you so much.
A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, happening today, Kamala Harris unveils a new speech on patriotism.
Donald Trump clarifies who he means by the enemy from within, and it's exactly who his Republican allies have been trying to spin that he was not talking about.
Suspicious and intimidating text messages to college students discouraging them from voting.
And after six long years away, the Victoria's Secret fashion show makes a return to the runway. This is me not looking. I'm John Berman with my eyes closed along with Sara Sidner and Kate Bolduan, and this is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: When it comes to final three weeks of this campaign, there is only one certainty. If you blink, you will miss something. Town hall meetings, combative sit-downs over economic policy, defensive pushback over appealing to black men voters, and record breaking early vote turnout in a battleground state. That was just yesterday.
Today for Kamala Harris, a big event in battleground Pennsylvania with a ton of Republicans supporting her, her team dubbing it a push for patriotism. And also going where she's never gone before, a sit-down interview with FOX News.
Donald Trump is headed to another town hall, this time directed at Latino voters. He's also clarifying, as John was just talking about, who he really considers the enemy from within, which he says he'd consider using the military against.
Joining us right now, CNN political director David Chalian. So David, where do we even begin -- once David pops up -- where do we even begin, David. Harris teaming up with Republicans in Pennsylvania, Trump reaching out to Latino voters with a Univision town hall, what do these moves speak to in your mind in terms of where the campaigns are focused, or maybe what they think they need from voters?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, that's it, Kate, right? It's like their to-do list are being played out in front of us. We're not seeing these two candidates just sort of crisscross battleground states with big generic rallies across in this final push here. We're actually seeing them address all the potential vulnerabilities that they have day in and day out in this very targeted, segmented audiences kind of approach.
And you saw yesterday Trump going and talking to a town hall full of female voters, knowing that he has to shore up female support. You saw Kamala Harris talking to Charlamagne tha God and dealing with black voters and specifically black men. Today, also, as you noted, when Kamala Harris goes to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, it's one of those four collar counties that we talk about the border Philadelphia, those Philly suburbs that are so critical for especially Democratic candidates. That is where they need to run up the vote if they are going to win the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She's going there to where George Washington crossed the Delaware to make this its argument about country over party and patriotism, like you say, this on the heels of what Donald Trump was still referring to January 6th yesterday as a day of peace and love.
She'll be joined by Adam Kinzinger and other Republicans. It's sort of Republican day for Kamala Harris. She is very much today focused on bringing over some voters, whether independent or Republican leaning independent, Trump resistant Republicans into the fold. And the Harris campaign sees that as a critical component of what they need to get across the finish line on Election Day.
BOLDUAN: And then, as I said, if you blink, you'll miss something with how fast and furious everything moves in this campaign. So I want your takeaways on what we saw just yesterday. Donald Trump's town hall with women, with women in Georgia, abortion was a big topic, many other issues came up as well. Kamala Harris sitting down with radio host Charlamagne tha God in Detroit. What are the big takeaways that you see that people should remember today?
CHALIAN: Well, first of all, the Harris campaign, as you know, Kate, is extraordinarily focused on a daily contrast with Trump. You know, they had not been putting out David Plouffe, the senior adviser from the Obama days, who is now responsible for building the strategy to get to 270 electoral votes. But he did a couple of interviews with "Pod Save America" and "New York Magazine" certainly, and you can hear where they are turning their attention, which is they want to draw a contrast with Trump every day. It's why Harris wanted that second debate that she's not getting with him so badly.
[08:05:01] So in all her answers to Charlemagne tha God, yes, she was working the African American vote and targeting black men. But in almost every answer she said, and now let's compare it to where Trump is. And so having them out and about daily is something that they welcome in terms of trying to draw the contrast. And they are seizing on his, whatever headline he makes in the day, right? So whether its enemy from within, as we'll discuss, they then seize on that and drive that home in their daily message. She's trying to be far more responsive and aggressive in going after her opponent on a daily basis.
BOLDUAN: Real quick. I mean, we can say both campaigns are going to have plenty of money to finish out these three weeks. But the fundraising numbers that have come in are really eye-popping, from the big numbers that billionaires are putting up to support Donald Trump that we've just learned to also the joint fundraising numbers that we've seen between the Harris campaign and the Democratic Party. It is eye-popping, David.
CHALIAN: Yes, there's no doubt about it. We knew this campaign would be the most expensive campaign. It's proving to be. It's also just fascinating to see specific billionaires, right? Whether its Miriam Adelson, the casino magnate, pouring in $100 million into the effort to get Donald Trump elected. Elon Musk, who had promised $45 million a month in Trump allied groups to fund. He's not quite there yet, but he is up to $75 million, nothing to sneeze at. Dick Uihlein $49 million. So these are individual wealthy Americans who are clearly putting it on the line.
And we see, you mentioned the joint fundraising committee for Harris. She's not without her rich friends, too. Laurene Powell Jobs, Melinda French Gates, these are people who have maxed out in the million dollar range under the rules of the joint fundraising committee, more contributing directly to Harris and the DNC, their victory fund, rather than the unlimited contributions you can give to these super PACs, outside ally groups.
BOLDUAN: Campaign finance reform --
CHALIAN: Nobody is going to be short of funding to take their argument through.
BOLDUAN: Exactly. Yes. It's great to see you, David. Thank you.
Sara?
SIDNER: And now to some of those arguments, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris taking questions on their plans for the economy. Kamala Harris took questions from listeners during her audio town hall with Charlemagne tha God, while Trump clashed with Bloomberg's editor in chief over Trump's promise of tariffs during an economic forum in Chicago. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are we sending money to other countries when we definitely need in our own country, for homeless housing, resources for whatever. That is my determining factor if I vote for Kamala or not.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: So what do you say to that?
HARRIS: We can do it all, and we do. So first of all, I maintain very strongly America should never pull ourselves away from our responsibility as a world leader. And that is in the best interest of our national security and each one of us as Americans and our standing in the world.
That being said, we also have an obligation to American citizens, obviously, and people who are here to meet their everyday needs and challenges, which is why, for example, we have done the work in the last four years of bringing down the cost of prescription medications.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have America at the moment has $3 trillion worth of imports. You're going to add tariffs to every single one of them. That is going to push up the costs for all those people who want to buy foreign goods now. That is just simple mathematics, President Trump.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's not. Yes, it is, but not the way you've figured. I was always very good at mathematics. Let me tell you, you're saying $3 trillion. Those companies --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's $3 trillion worth of imports.
TRUMP: And they don't have to pay. And the higher the tariff, the more likely it is to have them come into the --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The higher the tariff, the more you're going to put on the value of those goods, the higher people are going to pay in shops.
TRUMP: Ready? Ready? The higher the tariff, the more likely it is that the company will come into the United States and build a factory in the United States so it doesn't have to pay the tariff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Some of the arguments. Joining me now to discuss, former DNC vice chair and New York assemblymen Michael Blake, and conservative radio host Shelley Wynter. Thank you both for being here. The economy is the number one issue --
SHELLEY WYNTER, HOST, WSB RADIO'S SHELLEY WYNTER SHOW: Thank you for having me.
SIDNER: -- poll after poll, after poll -- it's great to have you here. First to you, Michael. What did you make of what you heard from both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on some of the economic questions asked there?
MICHAEL BLAKE, FORMER WHITE HOUSE AIDE FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA: You have someone who is actually ready to be president and someone who doesn't know how to count. So you have in Vice President Harris laying out a very clear proposal that would help businesses, help people, help with cost of living. In particular you look at going from $5,000, $50,000, that's a game changer for small business. Versus Donald Trump, who in his continual record of being bankrupt and not knowing what to do is actually trying to tell Americans that tariffs will not lead to higher costs.
[08:10:07]
The fundamental concern that people have right now is cost of living. He is saying it out of his mouth. Believe him in what he is saying. He has no plan, he has no vision, and you're just listening and watching him display it.
SIDNER: Shelley, what did you make of the comments there, particularly because I know your listeners listen to you from a conservative mindset. What did you make of that?
WYNTER: Well, my listeners on 955 WSB Radio in Atlanta understood what he meant, because they can do math, unlike my Democrat friends. The point is tariffs are used as a tool. And the tool, as he said, the tool is to bring American manufacturing back to American -- to America. So that's what the tariff is used for. The tariff is almost used as a threat, if you continue to manufacture overseas, which costs us jobs, then we're going to place a tariff on your products and services. So we want you to bring that manufacturing home.
What you did do very -- I don't know if it was done on purpose or if it was done for time, what was interesting is you cut off the crowd's response. That was a room full of businesspeople. That wasn't just a town hall of regular citizens. And they clapped at Donald Trump's answer because as businesspeople they understood what the point was that was being made.
But now let's go over to Vice President Harris's non-answer to a very specific question. No, you cannot do everything. You cannot take care of American citizens who are living under bridges, veterans who are living under bridges, families who are homeless, you cannot take care of them and continue to send hundreds of billions of dollars to Ukraine, to Israel. We're getting ready to put boots on the ground in Israel, 100 boots on the ground in Israel, to Taiwan, and all these places around the world, and take care of American citizens, and give reparations, and give $50,000 to every business that wants it.
And now you went from a $25,000 housing credit tax credit to last night, she told Charlamagne tha God, it's going to be $25,000 down payment assistance. So right there I've got to ask, what is it? Am I getting 25 stacks for assistance or am I getting a $25,000 tax credit? What is it?
And it's par for the course for this campaign. Throw everything out, say what needs to be said, and hopefully it sticks. And apparently none of it is sticking.
SIDNER: And to be fair, during that economic forum, the same thing was said of Donald Trump by the editor in chief of "Bloomberg."
I want to move on to what Donald Trump has said about an issue near and dear to both of your hearts, the issue of black Americans and Latino voters. Kamala Harris has been doing interviews on black media. Trump, though, is overperforming in polling with both groups compared to pass Republicans. Here is what he said when he was campaigning in Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Any African American or Hispanic, and you know how well I'm doing there, that votes for Kamala, you've got to have your head examined, because they are really screwing you. They are really screwing you.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It is Kamala, for the record, but he is denigrating voters for making a choice that he does not like. Shelley, to you. What does he achieve with this?
WYNTER: Wait, first of all, how is he denigrating voters?
SIDNER: He's saying that they are being, for lack of a better word, screwed.
WYNTER: Taken advantage of. They're being taken advantage of. They are paying higher pricing. They are working class, the ones that he's talking about, working class, lower middle-class, they're paying more for food, they're paying more for gas, and they're been taken advantage of.
SIDNER: But Shelley, he also --
WYNTER: And over the course of 30 years --
SIDNER: He also said that they that they had to have their head examined. That is not something that is a compliment.
WYNTER: Obama just told me the same thing. Obama just told me the same thing. I'm not black -- women telling me I'm not really. He inferred him. He implied them. He certainly did, even threatened us with you're lucky Michelle is not here.
I mean, come on. Let's not make things up. Let's be honest here, and let's really be clear what's being said. If you're an African American man -- look, let me boil this election down in the African American community to a very simple reference to the great Malcolm X. This race is between house African Americans and field African Americans. And the field African Americans going for Donald Trump.
SIDNER: Wow.
WYNTER: I'm talking about your man who -- I'm talking about your men who build, your men who put things together, your men who work with their hands, your men who do things, not the man who push paper or the men who are connected to power and want to continue to be connected to power.
[08:15:00]
SIDNER: Are you denigrating African American men who are professionals, who work in White collar jobs? Is that what I'm hearing from you? Or --
WYNTER: No, there you go. You're going to work again. What I am doing in contrast --
BLAKE: I am just trying to understand, is Shelley the house one or the field on. I'm just trying to understand that part.
I'm just trying to understand, we have someone who is spitting --
WYNTER: I'm trying to say I am --
BLAKE: I am just trying to understand the one spitting talking points right now, are you the house Negro or the field Negro that you're referring to? So I just want to make sure, your question was about denigrating Black people.
WYNTER: I am going to --
BLAKE: That literally was your question.
You have a Republican fool who is talking right now about --
WYNTER: And I answered it. I answered it.
BLAKE: You literally just said that Black men -- you just -- you actually just said, this is an election about house or field. This is the nonsense that we are listening to right now by those that are supporting Donald Trump.
WYNTER: No, that's not what I said, sir.
BLAKE: That is actually what you just you.
WYNTER: That's not what I said.
BLAKE: There's -- clearly, you must be -- you must be in your own talk --
WYNTER: I said the field is quite strong.
BLAKE: I'm not sure what kind of radio show you have that you can't listen to your own thing.
WYNTER: I said the field workers are for Trump.
BLAKE: So you actually just said -- again, do you understand.
WYNTER: That's clearly what I said.
BLAKE: You sound absurd and silly. WYNTER: No, I do understand, sir. I do understand.
BLAKE: And so let's actually talk about the substance of your question.
WYNTER: No.
BLAKE: The substance of the question was around denigrating.
WYNTER: The substance of what I said is very clear.
BLAKE: The substance of the question was denigrating Black and Latino communities.
WYNTER: Sir, the substance of what I said is -- sir, sir, sir. The substance of what I said is very clear.
BLAKE: My name is Michael. My name is Michael. My name is Michael.
WYNTER: Let me finish and not cut me off.
BLAKE: And we thank you that.
So the point here --
WYNTER: All right, my brother, all right, my brother.
BLAKE: The question that was raised around denigrating Black and Latino communities.
WYNTER: All right my brother, let me answer the question.
BLAKE: The concerning part --
WYNTER: Are you going to let me raise -- are you going to let me answer the question?
SIDNER: Hold on a second --
BLAKE: The concerning part --
WYNTER: Are you going to let me answer the question?
SIDNER: Shelley, you made a point --
WYNTER: Shelley has filibustered the point.
SIDNER -- saying that -- you made a point saying that you believe that it is --
WYNTER: The point I am making ma'am -- Sara --
SIDNER: Go ahead.
WYNTER: Sara, the point I'm making is this, the men who get up -- the men who get up every day and make things happen with their hands, they build things. they're plumbers, they're electricians, they're working for Amazon -- these men who are coaching seven and under football, not because their son or daughter plays, but because they want to keep brothers off the streets, and they're volunteering their time.
SIDNER: Okay, what is your point?
WYNTER: These men -- these men are going for Trump, these men. And I used an analogy made famous by the great Malcolm X, so if you're saying that I'm denigrating anybody, then you must assume that he was denigrating somebody. So don't even throw that word out there again, my brother.
SIDNER: Okay, so, Michael to you.
WYNTER: The fact of the matter is, whatever that you're seeing in the Black community --
SIDNER: Shelley Wynter, we thank you.
WYNTER: So I am not denigrating anybody.
SIDNER: Michael, to you.
BLAKE: We have heard the filibuster now.
WYNTER: Thank you.
BLAKE: So the point yesterday --
WYNTER: I answered the question.
BLAKE: When Vice President Harris was in Detroit with Charlamagne to God, we're talking about Detroit versus everybody. So the reference that was just made, he's essentially communicating that the people in Detroit and Milwaukee and Philly that are doing work, manufacturing jobs, putting in for their communities, are going to vote for Donald Trump, a man who has no policy, no support, who called for the death penalty on Black men and has repeatedly been against us.
So let's be abundantly clear, you have a choice. You can follow the rhetoric of someone who is literally calling you a house or field Black man, or you can follow the Black woman who was a DA, an AG, a United States senator, a vice president, an HBCU alum, a sorority sister who is actually helping Black people.
This is the decision you have in 20 days --
WYNTER: How?
BLAKE: To follow people like Shelley who is saying this rhetoric we've heard.
WYNTER: How has she helped Black men?
BLAKE: We've heard his filibuster.
WYNTER: How has she helped Black people?
BLAKE: We could listen to Shelley --
SIDNER: Mr. Wynter, you've had your point. I am just trying to let both of you --
WYNTER: I'm sorry. My apologies.
BLAKE: Yes, well, we appreciate that. Thank you Sara. I appreciate that.
So like the reality is this, you have a scenario right now where you have on one side a Black woman who is saying, how do we help our communities to your earlier question, Sara around, how can you do both.
On one side, you have Vice President Harris who is articulating how we can help domestically and abroad. Donald Trump sent COVID tests to help Putin.
So while your Black family's house or field, referring to a Shelley is talking about --
WYNTER: That's misinformation, sir.
BLAKE -- were dying.
WYNTER: That's misinformation.
BLAKE: Were dying, were dying.
WYNTER: That's misinformation.
BLAKE: Because of Donald Trump's policies.
WYNTER: That's misinformation.
BLAKE: You know it is amazing --
WYNTER: It's misinformation.
BLAKE: We will focus here.
SIDNER: We are going to leave this here.
BLAKE: Absolutely.
SIDNER: Michael Blake, Shelley Wynter, thank you both for joining us at this point.
WYNTER: But so why don't you correct the misinformation?
SIDNER: Thank you for joining us.
BLAKE: Thank you. Have a good day for your great show.
WYNTER: Thank you.
BERMAN: All right, thank you very much, Sara, for that discussion.
This morning, 81 people still unaccounted for after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina and warning, do not vote, or you could go to prison. The new threatening text messages sent to voters in a key battleground state in an alleged plot to scare them away from the ballot box.
And if Cher is there, it must be big. The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show back after a six-year hiatus. I mean, if I could turn back time.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:24:51]
BERMAN: New this morning, 81 people in North Carolina still unaccounted for nearly three weeks after Hurricane Helene ripped through that state. Thousands of people without power this morning, still.
CNN's Ryan Young is here with the very latest -- Ryan.
[08:25:01]
RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John, just the numbers alone are still shocking. You're talking about three weeks later, the 81 people still unaccounted for.
But when you think about the death toll of 117 people, there are so many folks in North Carolina who are still dealing with the effects of the storm.
Just talking back and forth with people that we know, even people who work in the crew, some folks are just getting water back. There's still 13,000 people without power, and the surveys continue. There are 1,500 first responders still in the area, trying to help people recover.
And all of this, the governor says, is just the beginning of this massive recovery effort. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ROY COOPER (D-NC): It's beginning to get into the fall season, into the North Carolina Mountains, so we're working to make sure that people have blankets and coats and heaters and fuel, and working to change the supply chain, to make sure that we are dealing with those issues as well.
So it's really hard when you've lost your home and some people are staying with relatives. Some people are staying in hotels that FEMA has provided for them, but many of them are just trying to figure out what their next move is.
(END VIDEO CLIP) YOUNG: Yes, John, trying to figure out what's next. $99 million of
assistance has already gone out. But when you think about what the governor was indicating there, you're talking about in the mountains already cold. It's getting cold here in Atlanta, so you can only imagine what it's like in that cold area.
And then on top of the impact that those folks in North Carolina are experiencing, then you have the real concerns of where they can get water and power back on to several different areas.
Let's not forget our friends to the south who are dealing with Hurricane Milton in Tampa. There have been shortages when it comes to power and gas, and so they're hoping to get more gas into the Tampa Bay area in the next 24 hours or so.
But this recovery effort continues, and John, unless you have family who's impacted by this, a lot of times, these updates are slow when you think about there are massive amounts of areas that are still without power, where people are just hoping that the supply chain gets back up so that infrastructure improvements can be made.
This double hit of these two hurricanes back-to-back really have stressed a lot of people -- John.
BERMAN: Without question, there is still so much need.
Ryan Young, thank you so much for that report -- Kate.
YOUNG: Sure.
BOLDUAN: Good morning, a new federal investigation is underway into the scary close calls at some of the nation's busiest airports.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:30:00]
