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Florida Begins Recovery Process In Wake Of Hurricane Devastation; Obama Gives Sharpest Rebuke Yet Of Trump At Pittsburgh Rally. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired October 11, 2024 - 11:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[11:01:03]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. You're live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Pamela Brown in Washington. And this morning, rescues are ongoing, and the overwhelming process of rebuilding is underway as people across Florida grapple with Milton's deadly devastation.

This right here is Siesta Key, where the hurricane made landfall, the historic storm mingled homes and inundated neighborhoods with floodwater. Tornadoes also ripped through parts of the state, carving paths of destruction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never have I experienced --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- damage or the amount of tornadoes that came through this area.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the most frightening thing I've ever lived through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And water rescues are ongoing. First responders have already rescued approximately 1,000 people. This stunning video shows a Coast Guard helicopter saving a man. Look at this found clinging to a cooler 30 miles off Florida's Gulf Coast. Terrifying.

There have been at least 16 deaths resulting from the storm, and more than 2 million people across Florida still without power today. Isabel Rosales joins us now. Isabel, you have been in areas this morning where rescues are still happening. What are you seeing?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, good morning. Yes, I'm in Valrico. That's the southern part of Hillsborough County, and the scene is surreal. You might be wondering, where am I? Because it looks dry. It looks like a beautiful home. But let me show you something, you see that, if you peek through -- peek through the windows right there, that is the floodwaters from the Alafia River, just a mile away, that has completely put this neighborhood, this community, underwater.

You can peek at it from right here in the front door, too, just how high the flood water levels are. This is something this community has never seen before. I've spoken with a couple of neighbors here, blindsided by how quickly the waters rose. We've been hearing from officials that this is what people can anticipate even after Milton has passed. So what are we doing here?

We just caught up with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on this airboat, and they brought the homeowners here who are packing up what they've got. This is Ralph and Tina. Ralph --

RALPH, HURRICANE SURVIVOR: Yes.

ROSALES: Can you walk us through what happened? What you're doing right now?

RALPH: Well, I'm just trying to get the clothes that I have that I can get, all the clothes I can possibly grab. We left last night at 10:30 with three foot of water outside. So my daughter says it was going to come up even higher. So we walked back and forth. We parked the cars earlier up the hill, so her and I carried everything back and forth, and by the time we were done, it raised another eight inches, so it was anywhere from hip to chest deep the time we got done.

ROSALES: You can't stay here.

RALPH: No, no, no, no, and -- and you see it, my generator's underwater. We have a septic system. It's underwater. It won't -- it won't work for months. It's saturated. So and -- and when you get water in here, everything is just going to buckle.

ROSALES: How are you doing?

RALPH: Right now? I'm OK. Surely, probably not. But we have our health and my family. So I feel for everybody has been through the same thing, really do, I do. I never expect to happen to me. Nobody, nobody expects it to happen to them. So just get through it. You get through it, you know? It's like everybody says it's material things. OK, it is. It still doesn't make it any better. Doesn't make it any better, so.

ROSALES: Ralph, you're grabbing what you can right now with your wife, important stuff, clothing, probably some memories too. Do you know -- do you know where you're going to sleep tonight?

RALPH: Oh yes, my dad, we went there last night at midnight. And he's -- he's off of 60. He's up the other part of Valrico, high and dry, which is nice, but we can't live in there forever, you know? It's -- it's a retirement community, which is, you know, it's fine. But I got to think of long term, you know, we all have to go to work still. And that's -- that's a little bit too far to go to work, but it's what we got.

[11:05:21]

ROSALES: And you thought, you know, once Milton passed, you guys were good.

RALPH: Yes. I had -- I had minor damage, minor. We had some, you know, leaves and branches, stuff like that but no trees, which I was surprised. Trees all around me were down. This -- this just come upon us too fast. You know, yesterday I'm fixing around the house, and then late afternoon, you've got 18 inches of water, and by the time you go to bed, you've got three foot of water. So you don't know, you don't know, you know, no, it's not a surge. This is water from a reservoir, or -- or from, you know, other developments, you know.

This -- this area is not supposed to get this way. It's not supposed to. We're the last road supposedly the floods. But now it's beyond us, all the way to Lithia. So I -- I feel, like, I've -- I've always felt for the people closer to the -- the river. But now I really understand.

ROSALES: And sir, do you have insurance?

RALPH: Yes. And we have insurance. We have flood insurance. So, but it can be a long road, since everybody knows it too. It can be a long road, so.

ROSALES: Ralph, I'm so sorry for what your family's going through. And here's his wife right here, you know, getting together what she can, putting it in trash bags, their belongings, their memories, right here, and taking it out to right outside, a scene they should never be -- be seeing the flood levels insane. Here's an airboat, HCSO deputies helping them out, getting them what they can until they can figure out next steps.

And I'll leave you with this, Pamela, the sheriff, Chad Chronister, was telling me there's another concern for this area, and that's a nearby dam, a nearby dam that eventually the -- the levels of -- of the water going to get so high that they have to release it. And unfortunately, that would mean what we're seeing out here, for this community, is going to get even worse. Pamela?

BROWN: Wow. Yes, that's why the sheriff this morning, everyone look, the waters are going to continue to rise. And just the emotion from that man you just interviewed, I think just captures how so many residents there are feeling today in the aftermath of Milton, just not knowing their future, right? Not knowing how they're going to get back on their feet. As he said, he still has to work, not knowing where they're going to live, long term, it must be so frightening.

I quickly want to ask you, Isabel, a lot of us were really worried about those folks at the assisted living home. You were with yesterday. Do you have any update on how they're doing, where they were moved to a safe location?

ROSALES: Right, Pamela. So we've inquired of the Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue to get some answers about that. About those 135 residents of the assisted living facility, many of whom actually were bunkering down there in that area, thinking that they might be safe. They had never seen flooding to that scale. That was flash flooding from all the torrential rainfall.

We're waiting on an answer for that, as far as we know right now, is that they're at a nearby elementary school. They have blankets, they have food, they have water, they have medical care. But of course, the big question is, what are the next steps? They can't stay there forever.

BROWN: Yes, exactly. Isabel, you and your crew are doing tremendous work out there. Keep it up. Thank you.

ROSALES: Thanks.

BROWN: We are just over three weeks away from the presidential election, and the candidates are crisscrossing the country to try and sway undecided voters in battleground states, and also make sure voters get off the couch and go vote. Donald Trump heads to Colorado and Nevada today, where he'll focus on immigration and the economy.

Meanwhile, the Harris-Walz campaign is hoping the Democratic Party's heaviest hitter can close the deal for their nominee. Former President Barack Obama headlining campaign rally in Pennsylvania last night, and he delivered perhaps his most personal and fiery rebuke, yet his successor, Donald Trump.

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BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You have a guy who will just lie about it to score political points, and this has consequences, because people are afraid, and they've lost everything, and now they're trying to figure out, how do I apply for help. The idea of intentionally trying to deceive people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments. And my question is, when did that become OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Kristen Holmes is live in Aurora, Colorado. So we -- we hear Obama take direct aim at Trump. Do you expect Trump to address those comments today?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I certainly do, Pamela. I mean we know that the former President Donald Trump is not known for his thick skin, and if there's one person who definitely gets under his skin, it is former President Barack Obama. So I'd be surprised if we didn't hear some kind of reaction from Trump today, particularly, not necessarily on that line, but when Obama took credit for Trump's economy, saying it wasn't actually Trump's economy, if your life was better then it was because of his Barack Obama's economy, something that is likely to irk Donald Trump, as he has continued to try to promote this idea that the economy was better under him.

[11:10:19] Now you mentioned that these candidates are out here, crisscrossing, going to battleground states, which raises some questions as to why Donald Trump is here in Colorado, which is a solidly blue state. Of course, as you noted, he will be in Nevada later, which is considered a battleground state. But when it comes to Aurora Colorado, this has really been the epicenter of some of the disinformation around migrants that we have heard from Donald Trump over this campaign cycle.

He has said repeatedly that Aurora is an area that is overrun by Venezuelan gain, something that we have heard an enormous amount of pushback from local officials on, including the governor of Colorado, who say that's just simply not true. But obviously he is using this as an opportunity to amplify this rhetoric about migrants. And as these local officials have -- there's been an enormous amount of backlash to Trump coming here today.

We also are following an event where local officials in Michigan were criticizing the former president after he was in Detroit yesterday and decided to criticize the city of Detroit. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We are a developing nation. We're a developing nation too. Just take a look at Detroit. Detroit's a developing -- Detroit's a developing area. Hell of a lot more than most places in China. I mean the whole country is going to be like you want to know the truth, it will be like Detroit. Our whole country will end up being like Detroit, if she's your president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the former president and his advisers believe that this fear based rhetoric, whether it be on the economy or on immigration, is working for the former president. If you look behind me, there are hundreds of people who are already here in line. We've obviously seen the polling out this morning that shows how razor thin those margins are. So perhaps this is working for the former president.

They believe it could help him win the White House in November. So there's no chance or at least, I'm told, there's no chance now of him backing away from any of this, again, fear based rhetoric. Instead, we expect him to double down on it in the final weeks ahead of November.

BROWN: All right. Kristen Holmes, thanks so much.

And ahead this hour, a face to face that underscores the true urgency of what's unfolding in the Middle East. Vladimir Putin shaking hands with the president of Iran for the first time. What this could mean for the wider conflict?

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[11:17:13]

BROWN: Last night in Pittsburgh, former President Obama also took a moment to speak directly to the men voting for Donald Trump.

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OBAMA: I -- I noticed this, especially with some men who seem to think Trump's behavior, the bullying and the putting people down is a sign of strength. Real strength is about working hard and carrying a heavy load without complaining. Real strength is about taking responsibility for your actions and telling the truth even when it's inconvenient.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Joining us now is Democratic strategist, Julie Roginsky, and Republican strategist, Katie Frost. Thanks for being here, Julie, to kick it off with you. So last night was the beginning of Obama's campaign blitz for the Harris-Walz ticket. How big of an impact could he have on those undecided voters? And -- and critically, what he was speaking to there those voters who may not be motivated to vote?

JULIE ROGINSKY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, look, Barack Obama was not just the most popular Democratic president in recent memory, but he's also the first African American president in our history. And so he's specifically speaking there to not just men, but specifically to African American male voters, who the Harris campaign is a little bit concerned about, in the sense that they may not be motivated enough to vote for her in the same numbers that they came out to vote for Barack Obama.

She needs those voters in places like Pittsburgh and places like Pennsylvania, which is Philadelphia, excuse me, and -- and Obama obviously was speaking to Pennsylvania African American voters specifically, but not just to Pennsylvania African American male voters. And so it's incredibly helpful to her if he's able to motivate that cohort to come out and vote, because if they come out and vote in the same numbers that they came out and voted for Obama, she's sure to win.

BROWN: So Katie, what do you think about that?

KATIE FROST, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I mean, they're obviously the Harris campaign is pulling out the most popular people they can find to campaign for her, because, as we saw in the primary in 2019, once again, she is struggling to connect with voters. And I agree with what you're saying earlier. You know, particularly African American males, they are trying to staunch the bleeding with that demographic, because President Trump is seeing real success there, particularly on the issue of the economy.

That is the top issue for many African American males and for many Americans, and that is an issue that President Trump absolutely dominates on, because he asked people the simple question, were you better off four years ago than you are now? And most people pay preferred the economy under President Trump than they do right now, with this crushing inflation we have under Biden-Harris administration. So I completely agree they're trying hard to win back those voters. BROWN: And Trump, of course, is struggling with -- with the female voters, right? He -- he -- he is doing well compared to Harris with men. But I want to know what you have to say, Julie, to, you know, what we heard from Katie that, look, the economy still appears to be a driving issue for a lot of voters, not the one issue that's going to decide this election, perhaps, but -- but really important. And she still lags behind the polls, although she is making up some ground in the latest New York Times poll, what do you say to that?

[11:20:26]

ROGINSKY: She's certainly making up ground. And I want to just be clear that certainly he's not dominating on the economy compared to Kamala Harris and the way that Republicans would love to pretend that he is. And if you want to go back to what was happening four years ago, I'd -- I'd love to talk about that. I mean, the unemployment rate was through the roof compared to what it is now.

Our economy was in shambles. People were not working. Businesses were shuttered. So if you want to talk about what was going on in 2020, in the last year of Donald Trump's presidency, and compare that to what's happening with the economy today, the -- the hottest job market in ages, the hottest stock market in ages, wages rising compared to lowest unemployment.

Look, the economy is in good shape, and -- and inflation is coming down. So, you know, despite Republican talking points that consistently try to paint a completely false narrative, not just around the economy, but around everything, the fact the matter is, people are feeling what they're feeling and they're feeling the fact is, the economy is doing well, which is why you're seeing her draw neck and neck with Donald Trump on the economy, an issue that always benefits Republicans, but not this year.

BROWN: And Katie, I want to go to you on what we heard from Donald Trump slamming the city of Detroit while he was campaigning in Detroit. What kind of a strategy is this picking a fight with the Motor City so close to the election in a -- a critical swing state?

FROST: Yes. It may not be conventional, but of course, President Trump has never been conventional. But think about it. For many people, Detroit is a symbol, an enduring reminder of the Great Recession. Detroit once had a thriving economy, booming industry, and in many ways, it's now a shell of what it once was. The population is down to one-third of what it was in its heyday. So Americans have to ask themselves, do we want our communities to be like Detroit? Do we want the jobs to leave our city? Do we want the people to leave because there's no employment here? The economy's bad, crime goes up. Is that really what we want?

I mean, I sit on the planning commission for my city, and I can tell you, when we're looking at the places we want to emulate, Detroit is never on the list. So the people who he was speaking to weren't in that room, the people are saying, OK, you remember what Detroit was like. You see what it's like now. Is that what you want your community to be like? And it will happen under Harris presidency, because it's going to be bad for our economy.

BROWN: All right, Julie, I'm going to let you talk, but I first want to go to Kamala Harris in her response to Trump's Detroit comments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My opponent, Donald Trump, yet again has trashed another great American city when he was in Detroit, which is just a further piece of evidence on a very long list of why he is unfit to be president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And Tim Walz, her running mate, is also expected to address these comments today right outside of Detroit. What do you have to say about it, Julie?

ROGINSKY: You know, I'd love to talk about the issues, but I feel like I constantly have to fact check. The reality is that Detroit had population growth for the first time since the 1950s, wages are up. People are coming back to the city. Jobs are being created in Detroit. I mean people don't look at statistics on the Republican side when they lay these kinds of claims against places like Detroit, when they talk about the economy, when they talk about FEMA money going to undocumented immigrants. Time and time and time again, look at the statistics, and then let's have a debate about it.

But the reality is that Detroit is actually experiencing population growth and job growth and wage growth for the first time since the 1950s. It didn't happen under Donald Trump. It happened under the Harris-Biden administration, excuse me, Biden-Harris. And so why are we talking about things that are just not true? Let's have a debate about issues that we disagree on, but let's focus on the facts first and agree that the facts are the facts, and then let's have a debate about them.

BROWN: All right. Julie, Katie, thanks so much.

ROGINSKY: Thank you.

[11:24:16]

BROWN: Still ahead this hour, after the devastating back to back category from four hurricanes, what would it take to get climate change under control? That is quite a question, right? Why my next guest says it's time for the Department of Defense to step in.

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BROWN: Well, two catastrophic hurricanes in the last two weeks has further underscored the threat of climate change. Parts of Florida are reeling after both Hurricanes Milton and Helene rapidly intensified and made landfall in the Sunshine State. Climate scientists have no doubt that warming oceans are fueling these stronger storms.

But should climate change be treated as a threat to national security? Here's what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had to say about it a while ago.

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LLOYD AUSTIN, DEFENSE SECRETARY: We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential. A climate crisis does deserve to be called existential.

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[11:29:54]

BROWN: So that was three years ago. Has the U.S. prioritized the threat enough? We're going to dive into that question with our CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen. So Peter, great to have you on you write in a new piece out today treating climate change as a national.