Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

Candidates Discuss Economy, Government Surveillance; Hunt for MH370 Wreckage Expands; MH370 Families Remain Frustrated; Highlights from GOP Debate; Taiwan Bracing For Powerful Typhoon; Credibility of U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report Questioned; Jon Stewart Signs Off "The Daily Show". Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 6, 2015 - 02:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[02:00:15] CHRIS WALLACE, DEBATE MODERATOR: Raise your hand now if you won't make that pledge tonight.

(CHEERING)

(BOOING)

WALLACE: Mr. Trump?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump does not rule out an Independent run for the U.S. presidency. More on the first Republican presidential debate next.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Also ahead this hour, Malaysian officials say more plane debris has washed up on Reunion Island. Authorities are looking to confirm if it belongs to the long-lost MH370.

HOWELL: And Jon Stewart has left "The Daily Show."

ALLEN: And America is sad about that, I think, for the most part.

HOWELL: Funny guy.

ALLEN: We want to welcome our viewers from the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN. I'm Natalie Allen.

HOWELL: And I'm George Howell.

ALLEN: U.S. presidential hopeful, Donald Trump, says he will not rule out an Independent bid for the White House if he doesn't get the Republican Party's nomination. That's how the first debate featuring the top-10 Republican candidates began.

HOWELL: And the moderators quizzed Mr. Trump about his controversial comments on illegal immigration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: This was not a subject that was on anybody's mind until I brought it up at my announcement. And I said, Mexico ascending. Except the reporters, because they are a very dishonest lot, generally speaking, in the world of politics --

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: -- they didn't cover my statement they way I said it. The fact is, since then, many killings, murders, crime, drugs pouring across the border, our money going out and the drugs coming in. I said, we need to build a wall and it has to be built quickly. And I don't mind having a big beautiful door in that wall so that people can come into this country legally.

But we need, Jeb, to build a wall. We need to keep illegals out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: And there was a moment where the former Florida Governor Jeb Bush admitted that the U.S.-led invasion in Iraq under his brother's presidency was a mistake. But he said that the bigger problem is the way the Obama administration handled the situation in that region since then. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: Knowing what we know now, with faulty intelligence and not having security be the first priority when we invaded, it was a mistake. I wouldn't have gone in.

Here's the lesson that we should take from this, which relates to the whole subject. Barack Obama became president and he abandoned Iraq. He left. And when he left, al Qaeda was done for. ISIS was created because of the void that we left. And that void now exists as a caliphate the size of Indiana. To honor the people that died, we need to stop the Iran agreement, for sure, because the Iranian mullahs have their blood on their hands. And we need to take out ISIS with every tool at our disposal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: One of the more heated moments came as Chris Christie and Rand Paul talked about government surveillance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's completely ridiculous answer, I want to collect more records from terrorists but less records from other people. How are you supposed to know, Megyn?

SEN. RAND PAUL, (R), KENTUCKY & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Use the Fourth Amendment.

CHRISTIE: How are you supposed to -- no, I'll tell you how you --

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: Get a warrant.

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: Get a judge to sign the warrant.

MEGYN KELLY, DEBATE MODERATOR: Wait. Wait.

Governor Christie, make your point.

CHRISTIE: Senator, when you sit in the subcommittee blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that.

(SHOUTING)

CHRISTIE: When you're responsible for protecting the lives of the American people, what you need do is make sure --

(CROSSTALK)

CHRISTIE: -- is to make sure you use the system the way it is supposed to work.

PAUL: Here is the problem, Governor. Here is the problem, Governor. You fundamentally misunderstand the Bill of Rights. Every time you did a case, you got a warrant from a judge. I'm talking about searches without warrants, indiscriminately, of all-Americans' records. And that's what I fought to end. I don't trust President Obama with our records. I know you gave him a big hug. And if you want to give him a big hug, go ahead.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The fighting words were flying.

Let's bring in CNN political reporter, Eric Bradner, who is live in Cleveland.

Eric, good to have you here.

From what you've heard today and folks who are there who watched it, what are people saying about who the winners were and who were the losers?

ERIC BRADNER, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, it just took seconds for this to become the Donald Trump show. I mean, he was right off the bat threatening to run as an Independent and throwing personal insults at Rosie O'Donnell. A lot of debate revolved around him. The front- runner in the GOP race and biggest presence in the room. Now, voters learned a lot about Donald Trump tonight, about his past political affiliations. Having donated to Hillary Clinton and having supported universal health care in the past. And it remains to be seen how that will play. But there's no question Trump supporters were not turned off. At least the ones I've run into here in Cleveland in parties and the room. We are not turned off by his style that they've come to expect from him. But others did well too. John Kasich, the hometown hero, the Ohio governor in his home state. Got the biggest cheers from the beginning of the debate, through some of his better movements, through the end. Marco Rubio showed talent, defusing what could have been rough areas, through Donald Trump and policies showing command. And you heard Chris Christie and Rand Paul get across the points they wanted to get across. Who won that exchange is sort of in the eye of the beholder.

[02:01:04] HOWELL: For viewers who watched this debate, was this debate more about policy or was it more about just standing out and getting some sort of recognition or, you know, getting noticed by these potential voters?

BRADNER: There are 10 people on the stage, right? 10 people in two hours. It is hard to have a substantive policy discussion and Donald Trump had about 11 minutes of talking time. That was the longest of anyone. So candidates weren't really able to get into too many weeds on policy. It was more about creating a moment. Something that people will remember. That will stick in their minds. Say, oh, yeah, that's why I want to support that candidate. And there were some, like Mike Huckabee, who didn't have any real standout moments until the very end where he was able to sort of parlay a joke that sounded like it would hit Donald Trump but into an attack on Hillary Clinton. So it's about creating that moment. That's what voters will take away from this debate.

HOWELL: A lot of people will be waiting for the next couple of debates. Hopefully, you'll hear more policy. But as you mentioned, these moments where they are, you know, trying it make an impression on the voters.

Eric Bradner, thank you so much for your reporting there in Cleveland.

ALLEN: Joining us is director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, Larry Sabato.

Larry, you've been watching this debate. Thank you for joining us, first of all.

We saw fireworks there but not a whole lot in this debate. How would you characterize the jibs, the jabs, and the Jebs in this first Republican debate?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: I think the most memorable moment, what will be remembered for at least a month, until the CNN debate, is the very first question and answer delivered to Donald Trump and delivered from Donald Trump about whether or not he would run as an Independent.

ALLEN: And he answered he would.

SABATO: He refused to rule it out. Yes. He lost the crowd right there. He lost the crowd. He never got the crowd back. Maybe he never had the crowd to begin with. But from that moment on, this was a hostile environment for Donald Trump.

ALLEN: Right. He was booed by the crowd when he reiterated that stance. And later was asked and questioned because he had some views that aren't hard-line conservative views, when did he become a Republican. So he was challenged a little bit about whether or not he is solidly the candidate that could represent the conservative base.

SABATO: Natalie, we thought that there would be a lot of fist to cuffs before tramp and the other candidates. There really wasn't. What we did it, the pace is the main bout would be between Donald Trump and the FOX moderators. That's what defined this debate. They went after him hard.

ALLEN: Right. He was questioned about derogatory comments he made about women in the past. And he used that answer the way he answered other things. He made no excuses that he's not politically correct. And interesting, the only time really that Hillary Clinton was mentioned in this debate is that he invited her to his wedding and she came. It wasn't Donald Trump's night to shine. It wasn't the Donald Trump show at all for this debate. What about Jeb Bush? Or any other candidates? We saw the exchange between Governor Christie and Rand Paul there. Did anyone else do anything to set themselves apart from the pack?

SABATO: I think the three strongest performances were by, first of all, Governor John Kasich, who had a tremendous advantage. He had home-field advantage. And clearly he had a lot of supporters packed in that hall, because it's Cleveland, it's Ohio, it's his state. He came across looking good. And he needed that because he squeaked into the debate in the tenth position.

Second, I would say Marco Rubio did well. Most of his answers were crisp and articulate. And I think that he connected with the viewers.

And third would be Scott Walker. He gave some predictable answers but they're answers that have sold with the Republican base.

As far as Jeb Bush is concerned, I would give him a gentleman's "C," which is enough to pass. And I think that's all he wanted. He wanted to survive. He's going to let his $119 million speak for him. And that's far more money than any other candidate has. He will outspend everybody by a mile.

[02:10:48] ALLEN: The director of University of Virginia Center for Politics, Larry Sabato. Nice to see you.

SABATO: Thanks, Natalie.

HOWELL: Earlier, Anderson Cooper spoke with Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, to get her opinion on tonight's debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, (D), FLORIDA & CHAIRWOMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: For me, the winner of tonight's debate was the eventual Democratic nominee. Because I think they will ultimately good on to become president of the United States when we have a general election in which the contrast is very clear. Our nominee will be for working families and helping people reach the middle class. And they will continue to double down on the extremism that we saw tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: You can see the first debate between the Democratic presidential candidates, a much smaller stage than tonight, including Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders right there. It'll be here on CNN.

HOWELL: That will be on Thursday, October 13th, in Nevada. CNN's first Republican debate will be Wednesday, September 16th, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in the state of California.

ALLEN: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Up next, Malaysia says more items resembling plane parts surfaced on Reunion Island. Could they be from the missing flight MH370?

HOWELL: Plus, hear why some passengers' families say they are outraged over the way Malaysian officials handled this investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:16:02] ALLEN: Welcome back. Now we want to turn to the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370. Malaysia's transport minister said items resembling plane parts have washed up on Reunion Island.

HOWELL: But none of the other countries involved in the search have confirmed this. The items will be tested by the same international team that is examining a wing part that was found just last week on the island.

Meanwhile, the hunt for wreckage is expanding with France now saying it will deploy aircraft and ships off the coast of Reunion Island.

ALLEN: Crews on nearby islands are also on the lookout.

CNN's Erin McLaughlin is covering the search from Mauritius.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These Coast Guardsmen knows the odds are against them. After all, they don't even quite know what they're looking for. Their mission, find anything that resembles plane debris.

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: It is very difficult to undertake a search for a small object from the air.

MCLAUGHLIN: Up here, you get the idea there's a lot to search. The water is vast and the coast expansive.

(on camera): We're really hugging the coastline, flying very slowly to help with that visual search.

(voice-over): The team scans the crystal blue waters off Mauritius, just over 100 miles from where they found the MH370 flaperon.

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: We are hopeful because the reports from Reunion has been very promising.

MCLAUGHLIN: They're on the lookout for anything white or shiny, anything roughly the flaperon size that the radar might miss.

(on camera): Did you spot anything?

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: Yes.

MCLAUGHLIN (on camera): The captain just told me they see a white object waters but they can't find it again. So they called it into the operations room to send out a boat to investigate.

(voice-over): Another look around and still no signs of the object. The captain veers the plane back to base. But a glimmer of hope there's something out there, more clues to solving this mystery.

Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Mauritius.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Beautiful area of the world for such a grim task.

CNN is covering this developing story from many spots around the world. Our Asia Pacific editor, Andrew Stevens, is in Kuala Lumpur, covering the investigation. And Will Ripley is in Beijing, getting reaction from the families who continue to be so angered.

Let's begin with you, Andrew.

The investigation and what Malaysian officials are saying so far.

ANDREW STEVENS, CNN ASIA PACIFIC EDITOR: This has been quite controversial, Natalie, as you know. Malaysians saying that new debris had been spotted but we didn't get any response from France or Reunion.

I interviewed the Malaysian transport minister. I spoke to him just about an hour ago. And I began by asking him and just this little sharp clip we have exactly what debris they have found and why they think it's so important to this ongoing investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIOW TIONG LAI, MALAYSIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER: We found debris. And this debris is all aircraft materials, window pane materials, cushion materials. So once by collect it, we hand it over to the military police. STEVENS: Are you sure this is aircraft grade material? How do you

know?

LAI: This is from the technical side, from Malaysian, and they train in these areas. So they can define whether it is material, so we trust in the expert and it is so verify whether it is MH370.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEVENS: They aren't saying this is part of MH370. This demands further investigation, Natalie. They have their own team in Reunion working with the local authorities. And the minister also showed me after, and after our interview, a confidential report sent to him by his team on Reunion. I looked at pictures of this debris. We can't show you them because it is confidential. But two pictures, I saw, one, a loose bowl almost, of the aluminum. And also bright blue material on the rocky beach there, some bright blue material, which again they say that is material from a seat cover. They do say it is aircraft grade material but that's the most likely source of it. They have people on the ground. They say they are trying to get information as they can verify it out as quickly as possible.

[02:21:08] ALLEN: I know the families hope it is factual when they do release information.

Andrew Stevens for us there in Kuala Lumpur, thank you.

George?

HOWELL: Many of the passengers on MH370 were from China. CNN's Will Ripley joins us live from Beijing with reaction from their families, regarding the investigation latest developments.

Will, good to have you with us.

Even with the news that a piece of the Palestinian has been found. There is still outrage from victims' families. Explain why.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, because they don't feel it has been proven, George, that it is a piece of the plane. The reason for that has a lot of that has to do with the difference in the message earlier from the Malaysian prime minister and then from the French prosecutor, who spoke within an hour of each other. The prime minister saying it was conclusively confirmed to be MH370 but then the French prime minister saying they don't have confirmation, they're not 100 percent sure yet. So a lot of the families here in China, and elsewhere, are reading this as the Malaysian investigators are trying to force this issue to a close. They are trying to say, look, this is the plane -- (AUDIO PROBLEM) -- just two weeks after MH370 vanished last year. It's created a lot of outrage here because families feel that Malaysia is not fully invested in figuring out exactly what happened. That's why you see them angrily protesting yesterday and today outside of the Malaysia airlines office. They also marched off to the Malaysian embassy demanding to meet with officials, who have not met with them today. They feel they are being stonewalled. Some sadly are still holding on to hope that their loved ones are alive -- George?

ALLEN: And, Will, touching on that point, Natalie and I were just talking about this, trying to put ourselves in the shoes of these families, if it was a loved one. And something like this happens. You would want to know where is that loved one. What happened? That is really what these families are dealing with. Just not knowing and not having that ability to have any sense of closure.

RIPLEY: And they have that uncertainty for more than 515 days. They have seen false leads evaporate. They have been told that their loved ones are gone but provided with no proof. The plane is still missing. The people on the plane are still missing. Even if this debris is announced to be from MH370, there still might be some who are not entirely convinced. Some family members asking, how do we know for sure that everyone was on board when the plane crashed? How do we know it didn't last somewhere first? These things go through someone's mind when they lost someone they love. When they desperately want that person back and don't have proof that they're gone. There's a lot of compelling evidence that they didn't survive and that the plane crashed. But these families want proof and they still don't have it, which means they still don't have closure.

ALLEN: Very difficult situation for these families who, as investigators look at these pieces of, you know, other pieces, as the Malaysian transport minister says, of evidence, they just want proof.

Will Ripley, thank you so much for your reporting there. We'll stay in touch with you.

ALLEN: Hopefully, that proof will come sooner rather than later.

HOWELL: Yeah.

ALLEN: We have more highlights from the Republican presidential debate in a moment, including the tough questions for Donald Trump.

HOWELL: Plus, Republicans at the bottom of the polls took part in a happy hour debate before the main event. Coming up, find out which candidates stole the show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:28:07] HOWELL: Here in the United States and around the world. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Good to have you with us. I'm George Howell.

ALLEN: I'm Natalie Allen.

Here are our top stories.

Republican front runner, Donald Trump, was center stage as the party's leading presidential candidates met face-to-face for their first debate. The billionaire took shots at President Obama, Hillary Clinton and Comedian Rosie O'Donnell, and refused to rule out a possible third-party candidacy. For that, he was booed by many in the audience. HOWELL: France says it will deploy ships and air craft and troops to

Reunion Island in the coming days, all to hunt for possible MH370 wreckage. Malaysia says more plane parts have washed up. But keep in mind, no other country confirmed that. The items will be tested by the same team that is examining a wing part, that as you will remember, was found last week on the island.

ALLEN: New York Senator Chuck Schumer says he will vote against the nuclear deal with Iran. Schumer made the announcement Thursday night after what he called deep study and careful thought. And in a 1600- word statement, he says he opposes the agreement because he believes Iran will not change.

HOWELL: The Republican presidential candidates certainly did not pull any punches in their debate.

ALLEN: We're off and running. Here is a look at some of the best jabs of the night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WALLACE, DEBATE MODERATOR: Is there anyone on the stage, and can I see hands, who is unwilling tonight to pledge your support to the eventual nominee of the Republican Party, and pledge to not run an Independent campaign against that person.

(BOOING)

WALLACE: Again, we are looking for you to raise your hand now, raise your hand now if you won't make that pledge tonight.

(BOOING)

(CHEERING)

WALLACE: Mr. Trump?

TRUMP: I cannot say I have to respect the person that, if it's not me, the person that wins. If I do win -- and I'm leading by quite a bit -- that's what I want to do. I can totally make that pledge, if I'm the nominee.

CHRISTIE: That's -- that's completely ridiculous answer, I want to collect more records from terrorists but less records from other people. How are you supposed to know, Megyn?

SEN. RAND PAUL, (R), KENTUCKY & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Use the Fourth Amendment.

CHRISTIE: How are you supposed to -- no, I'll tell you how you --

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: Get a warrant.

(CROSSTALK) PAUL: Get a judge to sign the warrant.

MEGYN KELLY, DEBATE MODERATOR: Wait. Wait.

Governor Christie, make your point.

CHRISTIE: Senator, you know, when you sit in the subcommittee blowing hot air about this, you can say things like that.

(SHOUTING)

CHRISTIE: When you're responsible for protecting the lives of the American people, then what you need do is to make sure that --

(CROSSTALK)

CHRISTIE: -- is to make sure that you use the system the way it is supposed to work.

PAUL: Here is the problem, Governor. Here is the problem, Governor.

KELLY: As president, would you bring back waterboarding?

DR. BEN CARSON, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & NEUROSURGEON: Thank you, Megyn, I wasn't sure I was going to get to talk again.

(LAUGHTER)

KELLY: We have a lot for you. Don't worry.

TRUMP: With Iran, we're making a deal. You would say, we want him. We want him. We want our prisoners. We want all these things. We don't get anything. We are giving them $150 billion plus. They are going to be -- I'll tell you what, if Iran was a stock, you folks should good out and buy it right now because you are quadruple. This, what is happening in Iran is a disgrace.

JOHN KASICH, (R), OHIO GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The court ruled and I said I will accept it. And guess what? I just went it a wedding of a friend of mine who happens to be gay. Because someone doesn't think the way I do --

(APPLAUSE)

KASICH: -- doesn't mean that I can't care about them or can't love them.

JEB BUSH, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR: I'm going to have to earn this. Maybe the barrier -- the bar is even higher for me. That's fine. I've got a record in Florida. I'm proud of my dad. And I'm certainly proud of my brother. In Florida, they call me Jeb, because I earned it.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R), FLORIDA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here is what the election better be about. This election better be the future, not the past. It better be about the issues our nation and world's facing today, not simply the issues we once faced. If our nominee, we will be the party of the future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: With us now to talk about the debate is Ron Brownstein, CNN senior political analyst.

Ron, good to have you with us.

So you got an opportunity to watch that debate. Who won and who do you think lost?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYSIS: Well, I think the debate was most interesting, less for what it said about any individual candidate, and more about what it revealed about the state of the race. Really, the entire top tier of the race, if you think of what the top tier was going into this debate, was Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker. And each of them in their own way showed their limitations. Donald Trump played to his audience but probably reinforced the doubts with his temperament among those voters who are skeptical of him. Jeb Bush really did nothing to combat the impression that he doesn't have enough energy and vision at this point in the race. And Scott Walker kind of faded into the curtains. You've really got to look at why no one has been able to seize control of this race. It's remarkably fluid and ill defined. And probably the strongest performances of the night were from candidates who are now in the second tier. Senator Marco Rubio and Governor John Kasich of Ohio probably had the best night. But I think the overall takeaway from this debate, George, is a reminder of why this Republican race has been more unsettled than probably any we have seen in many years.

HOWELL: There was certainly talk about immigration. There was also that dust-up over the NSA and surveillance between Rand Paul and Chris Christie. What did you think about what you heard there?

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, I thought Chris Christie was pretty energetic all night. But you know, that was sort of a dust-up between the candidates who are eight and nine in the polls. Rand Paul is in a position, again, speaking to his constituency, but I think having that issue highlighted shows why it's so difficult for him to grow. And I thought Christie was pretty good tonight as well. But he has fallen into a pretty deep hole with Republican voters over the last year, and it's hard to see him fully climbing out. I think this race after tonight, even though it was an enormously entertaining and well-done debate and strong credit to the moderators who ask very tough questions.

I think the race is more muddled after this debate than it was going in and I think it's just a reminder as I said of why this is so fluid. Marco Rubio kind of played the Gary Hart 1984 card in American politics, I'm the future, these other candidates are the past. That may have been the single best sound bite of the night. But John Kasich showed why Jeb Bush has to be looking over his shoulder. Kasich could be a very formidable competitor for the same kind of establishment center-right voters Bush needs. I thought Kasich was empathetic, he was relatable, he was energetic. He had many of the qualities that Bush simply did not show tonight, except in a few answers toward the end. I think Kasich sort of served notice he could be a factor at competing in the center-right constituencies but it was really kind of the Bush, Kasich, to some extent, Rubio lane. The other lane you have, you have Trump dominating the more populist blue- collar side of the party. And I thought he spoke to those people already who like him but nothing. He kind of showed he does not have a second act that is broader and more presidential. If anything he was kind of petulant and angry tonight in a way that, again, while some of his supporters may like, I think kind of puts -- reinforces the limits he may face in broadening his appeal broadly enough to contest the nomination.

[02:35:16] HOWELL: CNN's senior political analyst, Ron Brownstein.

Ron, thank you so much for your insights --

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you.

HOWELL: -- on this debate.

There's a lot of talk about the prime-time debate, but there was another debate. Seven Republican candidates that are trailing in the polls squared off in this second-tier debate before Thursday's main event. They discussed everything from terrorism to immigration, Iran and ISIS and the U.S. economy.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Even climate change came up in this debate.

Some analysts say one of the standouts in the so-called happy hour debate was former Hewlett-Packard CEO, Carly Fiorina. She's been getting a lot of praise for her performance. And she didn't hold back when asked about Democratic front runner, Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER CEO, HEWLETT- PACKARD: Hillary Clinton lies about Benghazi. She lies about e- mails. She is still defending Planned Parenthood and is still her party's front runner. 2016 will be a fight between conservatism and a Democrat party that is undermining the very character of this nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: There you have it from Carly.

And much more to come from these presidential candidates.

CNN will be hosting its first Republican debate on Wednesday, September 16th, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

HOWELL: That's right. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still ahead --

ALLEN: A powerful typhoon packing damaging wings and rain and heading for Taiwan and China. Derek will have that for you in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:39:54] ALLEN: Welcome back. Taiwan bracing for a powerful typhoon that is expected to make a direct hit.

HOWELL: Typhoon Soudelor has potential to cause major flood and landslides. And forecasters expect it to strengthen before making landfall early Saturday morning. Taiwan is in the bull's eye there.

HOWELL: And Derek Van Dam is tracking this for us -- Derek?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It looks like it will fall just south of Taiwan's most populated city, Taipei. But that doesn't mean that Taipei will feel a major chunk with heavy rain and strong winds. Some of the outer harbors on the island continue to brace themselves. All preparations should be done because outer lands are lashing the east coast. This is preparation efforts for boating and fishing industry. They have tied up, secured all of their boats as best as possible but this will make a direct hit over the central portions of Taiwan. Currently, 195 kilometer per hour sustained winds and this storm continues to strengthen. Continues to deepen. Can you see the track right over the central portions of Taiwan? Look at this. It makes a second land fall in southeast China. In a weaker state but none the less a storm. If you are in Taipei or anywhere on Taiwan watching us, we have deteriorating conditions. Between 3:00 and 6:00 local time. So they are still going to feel a formidable part of this. I want you to notice the topography across the island. This is known as central mountain range. As the storm passes over the island, we expect the northwest facing parts of the island chain to really get the brunt of some of the heaviest rain fall. We can experience anywhere between 500 to 700 millimeters of rain fall and the 24-hour period. Then it crosses over the island and the return flow brings it back on the southwest facing island part of the island that is the mountainous regions there. And that area could see the possibility of mudslides and landslides. This is the anatomy of a typhoon or hurricane. And the periphery of the eye, you see that warm rising convective air. And that bring the extreme thunderstorms and the intense, intense part of the typhoon and outer rain bans again also encompassing some of the stronger thunderstorm as well. And it is not only the possibility of heavy rain and strong winds, it is rough seas that could easily exceed 30 feet, some of the open ocean swells are enormous at this stage. And that means that the possibility of storm surge going forward for some of the coastal locations. Fortunately, the east coast of Taiwan is not as populated as the northern portions of the island, Taipei. Roughly seven million population. But the east coast is a little bit more sparsely populated. So that would be the only saving grace in this direct hit after typhoon.

ALLEN: We'll take it.

HOWELL: We'll take it, yeah.

Derek, thank you so much.

VAN DAM: Thanks.

HOWELL: U.S. lawmakers, they are looking into claims that this year's government report on human trafficking was manipulated for political reasons by diplomatic officials.

ALLEN: Critics say the Trafficking in Persons Report upgraded the status of Cuba, Malaysia and India, despite minimal progress from those governments to address trafficking more impressively.

The head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee grilled the U.S. State Department Undersecretary Sara Sewell Thursday and threatened to subpoena information from the department.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BOB CORKER, (R-TN), CHAIRMAN, SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: This is the possibly the most heartless, lacking-of-substance presentation I have ever seen about a serious topic. And I don't see how anybody could believe that there was integrity in this process.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: Democratic Senator Bob Menendez also criticized the Obama administration for inflating the standing of certain countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BOB MENENDEZ, (D), NEW JERSEY: I took to heart what Secretary Kerry said -- when he released the report -- he said, "We have to be true to the principle that, although money may be used for many things, we must never, ever allow a price tag to be attached to the heart and soul and freedom of a fellow human being."

Well, I don't know that we didn't pervert that lofty goal by a report that clearly, seems to me, has been politicized in a way that is not justifiable and cannot be justified.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[02:45:00] HOWELL: The State Department has denied any lack of credibility in the Trafficking in Persons Report.

ALLEN: A powerful car bomb has detonated in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing at least eight people.

HOWELL: The blast injured at least 100 more and the fatalities are expected to increase. The bomb struck a crowded residential area harming mostly civilians and destroying shops and houses.

ALLEN: Next here on CNN, it is the end of an era in American television.

HOWELL: That's right. Politicians he poked fun at may be breathing a sigh of relief as Jon Stewart end his reign as the host of "The Daily Show."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ALLEN: One of America's favorite comedians and political satirists has ended his daily routine. HOWELL: So many people are going to miss this guy. Jon Stewart

signed off his signature Comedy Central show Thursday night after more than 16 years at the helm.

Our senior media correspondent, Brian Stelter, has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Hey, there. Jon Stewart's moment of Zen has arrived. He taped more than 2,600 episodes of "The Daily Show" over the span of more than 16 years. But tonight was his finale. He taped it in his studio on the far west side of Manhattan, at the usual time and usual place, but in unusual circumstances.

[02:50:11] He had Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were here to perform. He had many of his past and present correspondents, like Stephen Colbert and Steve Correl, John Oliver. All of them delivering emotion, heartfelt stories and thanking him for helping boost or jumpstart their careers.

We also heard from some of Jon Stewart's foes over the years, like FOX News Channel's Bill O'Reilly, who sent over a videotape commemoration of the occasion. So did Hillary Clinton, Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Stewart's predecessor, Craig Killborn. It was a star star-stud episode, and one that Jon Stewart's fans wish was not happening at all. They'd like him to stay in the job.

But Stewart is, to choose one word, tired, or maybe even exhausted. The president of Comedy Central told me he has been ready to go for a while. No second thoughts. But she said Stewart isn't leaving television all together, not leaving the public eye all together. We will certainly see him on TV and in media in the future but definitely not on the "Daily Show."

The new host, Trevor Noah, takes over in September.

But tonight, was all about Jon. He even teared up at the end, and so did some of his fans as well.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: Oh, I guess so.

HOWELL: It's fair to say, I mean, Jon Stewart will be a very tough act it follow.

ALLEN: Yeah. What a unique show he had. And the young people of course think he is the news guy in the country.

HOWELL: Yeah.

ALLEN: But now that he called it quits, what kind of legacy is he leaving behind? HOWELL: Joining us now is Brian Steinberg. He is the senior TV

editor at "Variety."

Brian, good to have you with us.

How are you?

BRIAN STEINBERG, SENIOR TV EDITOR, VARIETY: Good.

HOWELL: So you were in the audience?

STEINBERG: Yes. I was in taping of the show. It was a live feed. I think Stewart spent a lot of time thanking supporters and staff. Not so much focused on himself and his comedy. A different kind of program. Not a topical program. More of a timeless program of people who have helped him out over the years.

HOWELL: Jon Stewart brought the news it a lot of people, specifically Millennials, who appreciated his take on news makers, world events. He will be missed by a lot of people.

STEINBERG: That's true. He was the kind of a guy that was a generation's Walter Cronkite or even Mr. Rogers, helping make sense of a lot of very confusing and flashy media issues and other things going on in the world. For some people, this was their daily newscast.

HOWELL: Who are the notable guests in that audience?

STEINBERG: Tonight, you will see almost every correspondent who has been on his show from John Oliver to Steve Correl to Trevor Noah, and even a couple politicians, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer. A very fun, very frenetic few segments where a lot of people make a lot of faces, a brief surfacing.

HOWELL: There is a great article right now on CNN.com, "Jon Stewart in His Own Words." I want to read one graph from it. He says, "I think of myself as a comedian who has the pleasure of writing jokes about things that I actually care about. And that's really it. I have great respect for people on the front lines and in the trenches trying to enact social change. But I'm far lazier than that," he says. "I'm a tiny neurotic man standing in the back of the room throwing tomatoes at the chalkboard."

Is that Jon Stewart?

STEINBERG: He is always self-effacing. But I with argue he has had a larger influence on today's media watchers. This is a guy who regularly poked back at news coverage and things that, you know, institutions like the press and government, asking people to think for themselves. You know, this guy who insisted that the average viewer could make more sense of something going on than perhaps the president.

ALLEN: You have reported on him for many, many years. Do you think Jon Stewart really made a difference? An impact in the news business. STEINBERG: I do. I think he holds people's feet to the fire. You

can ask anyone at FOX News. CNN, for example, probably well know, "Crossfire" show on this network. Jon Stewart went on the show and took it apart. I think the show was taken off the air a few months later. And the executive at the time cited his comments as one reason why the show had kind of finished its run for a while. This guy has influence on the way media thinks, the way things are perceived. He has kind of pushed back on a lot of institutions in this world.

HOWELL: He has strong voice that a lot of people followed for many, many years.

Brian Steinberg, senior TV editor at "Variety." Brian, thank you so much for your time.

STEINBERG: Thank you very much.

[02:55:] HOWELL: I lot of people would -- the news would happen. People would wait for Jon Stewart to give his take on it.

ALLEN: Oh yeah. He made fun of the news, including us, when warranted.

All right, now the really, really, really big story.

(LAUGHTER)

HOWELL: She loves this story.

ALLEN: I do. Jennifer Aniston, finally married. One of Hollywood's most famous couples finally had time to tie the knot. Jennifer Aniston and fellow actor, Justin Theroux, had a surprise wedding at their home in L.A. Wednesday. 70 friends and family, including Chelsea Handler and Howard Stern.

HOWELL: Congratulations to them. The couple got engaged in 2012. This is Theroux's first wedding and Aniston's second after divorcing Brad Pitt in 2005.

ALLEN: Hopefully, Brad and Angelina will (INAUDIBLE).

HOWELL: Sounds like a good thing to do.

(LAUGHTER)

ALLEN: All right, I'm Natalie Allen. Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM.

HOWELL: I'm George Howell. We'll be right back at the top of the hour with another hour of news.

You're watching CNN, the world's news leader.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)