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CNN NEWSROOM
Trump Suggests No Moderator for Debate; Ceasefire Goes into Effect in Syria; NFL Season Opening. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired September 12, 2016 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[09:31:20] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
Donald Trump heads to Baltimore this afternoon to speak to thousands of national guardsmen, but what Mr. Trump said on CNBC this morning piqued our interest. It was about the debate and a rigged system. This after critics slammed NBC's Matt Lauer for being too soft on Trump in a recent town hall.
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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think maybe we should have no moderator. Let Hillary and I just sit there and just debate because I think the system is being rigged so it's a very -- it's going to be a very unfair debate. And I can see it happening right now, because everyone's saying that he was soft on Trump. Well now the new person's going to try and be really hard on Trump just to show, you know, the establishment what he can do.
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COSTELLO: OK, so that new person will be NBC's Lester Holt.
Let's talk about this. With me now to discuss is CNN political commentator and "Daily Beast" columnist and Hillary Clinton supporter Sally Kohn, and CNN political commentator and former Reagan White House political director Jeffrey Lord.
Welcome to both of you.
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Happy Monday, Carol.
SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi.
COSTELLO: So, Jeffrey -- happy -- there's no such thing as a happy Monday, Jeffrey, I've told you that many times.
LORD: I know. You weren't right.
COSTELLO: I know. So, back to what Mr. Trump said on CNBC. Is he serious? He just wants to sit on stage with Hillary Clinton and chat?
LORD: Well, two things. Number one, that is how Lincoln and Douglas did it. And those were pretty remarkable debates. That's number one. I remember Newt Gingrich challenging Mitt Romney to one of these.
COSTELLO: I wish they could have been taped.
LORD: I'm sorry, what?
COSTELLO: I wish they could have been taped, but alas. But, no, go ahead.
LORD: Yes, exactly. I'm with you. I'm with you.
But, secondly, as to -- as to what Donald Trump said this morning, you know, I'm looking at a "Wall Street Journal" editorial this very morning which says in essence a version of what Donald Trump said, that liberal media watchdogs, in the words of "The Wall Street Journal," were going after Matt Lauer because of his treatment of Mrs. Clinton. And I'll read you this last sentence. "This is best understood as a collective warning to the moderators of the coming debates not to jeopardize their standing in polite progressive company by doing the same." That's in essence what Donald Trump is saying as well. So the argument clearly is out there.
COSTELLO: So, Sally, Lester Holt will moderate that first debate. Is it possible that he'll double down on Donald Trump since his colleague, Matt Lauer, supposedly went light on Mr. Trump?
KOHN: Well, I think if we're representing him as having been light on Trump, that's a mischaracterization. He was light on truth. That was the issue with Matt Lauer. He was not actually playing the role the moderator should in fact checking and holding the candidates accountable.
Look, you know, this is really important. A moderator isn't just a glorified time keeper who keeps an eye on the clock and blows the whistle. They're supposed to be a referee. And the simple fact here is that if one team constantly crosses the foul line, or more than the other team, then the job of the moderator is to call foul. Donald Trump has a record of not telling the truth over and over and over again according to fact checkers. He does not tell the truth three out of every four statements he asserts. So if the moderator points that out, he's not being biased, he's not being against Trump, he's being for the truth. And that's the job of a moderator.
COSTELLO: So, Jeffrey, do you agree that that's the job of a moderator, to make sure that both candidates are telling the truth?
LORD: No, I don't. No, I don't. I think it was Chris Wallace who said he's not going to see -- he's one of the moderators, that he's not going to sit there and be a fact checker. I think that's up to the American people. And the fact checkers that Sally cites, you know, some of these fact checking quote/unquote sites are basically liberal and they, you know, they have a bias going into it. So I really don't count them much as fact checkers as much as I do --
[09:35:12] COSTELLO: So who would -- who would be the ultimate checker in your mind, Jeffrey?
LORD: The American people. The American people. Let the candidates say "a," "b," or "z," and then the rest of us can debate it.
COSTELLO: So you think -- you think the American people -- where -- where would they look to find if the answer is true or not?
KOHN: But I --
LORD: Sure, because, Carol, I guarantee you that the moment that this debate is over, your show and all of CNN, and everywhere else in the media universe, is going to have people like Sally and I on to discuss and debate, and we'll all be out there debating it and we'll be doing man on the street interviews (INAUDIBLE). That's the way that --
KOHN: But, what -- what --
COSTELLO: And we, as journalists, will be doing our job in fact checking both candidates.
KOHN: But with all due respect --
COSTELLO: Go ahead, Sally.
KOHN: With all due respect, Jeffrey, you and I are paid for our opinions. We offer opinions. And you and I also massage the facts to make them fit our side or the other. So there does have to be, in the media, and in this election, some semblance of objectivity. And the fact is more American people will tune into that debate and won't --
LORD: But there isn't any.
KOHN: Hand on a second, and they won't watch the commentary or read the analysis after the fact. And to Chris Wallace as an example, look, that one Fox News debate was fabulous where they had the Republican candidates on the stage and they used their own words and their own video clips to hold them accountable for things they've said before. Look, if as he did in the NBC -- in the NBC forum, if Donald Trump says, I was against the Iraq War all along, and the American people hear him say that, they have -- they don't -- or many do not have the grounds to know whether that's a factual statement or not. It is -- it is a patently untrue statement. He has flip-flopped on this support for the Iraq War, period.
LORD: Well, I stopped --
KOHN: You can't argue it. You can't debate it. That's a fact. And the American people have the right to know the facts when it comes to both candidates. I don't -- I can't even believe we're debating this as something that's good for democracy.
LORD: Sally, (INAUDIBLE), well, I -- well, I --
COSTELLO: And wouldn't -- wouldn't you, Jeffrey -- Jeffrey, let me ask you this.
LORD: Well, I --
COSTELLO: Would -- would you want Chris Wallace to fact check Hillary Clinton?
LORD: No. No. I would see this as the point. And if I -- if I may speak up for my, you know, admittedly I'm biased here, my CNN colleague, our CNN colleague Anderson Cooper, he does a fabulous job with these debates. But the fact of the matter is, I can tell you now that the moment that debate with Anderson is off the air, there are going to be people out there picking apart the way he did this. That's just the nature of the beast. That's part of American democracy. And I think we should all just relax, chill out and let it happen and go on from there.
COSTELLO: Does that mean -- does that mean Mr. Trump is wrong and there should be a moderator, Jeffrey?
LORD: No, no, no, I think he's got a great suggestion about this. I really do. I -- I think that would be a fascinating thing to see he and Hillary Clinton sit there and the only person else on stage is a time keeper.
COSTELLO: It could be -- it could be fascinating or it could be like a really bad Thanksgiving dinner.
LORD: Roller derby debate style.
COSTELLO: I have to leave it --
KOHN: So filled with unchecked lies and misrepresentations. But, you know, hey, why expect more.
LORD: Sally -- Sally, Carol will be there to fact check the next day.
COSTELLO: I will be. Thanks to both of you, Sally Kohn, Jeffrey Lord.
Be sure to join Wolf Blitzer as he interviews Mike Pence, Mr. Trump's running mate, live in "The Situation Room," that is 5:00 p.m. Eastern today on CNN.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a cease-fire in Syria hours away, yet air strikes continue. Will a U.S. brokered deal bring a real truce to the region?
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[09:42:37] COSTELLO: Airstrikes continue in Syria ahead of the U.S./Russia brokered cease-fire. The nationwide truce is set to go into effect at sundown just a few hours from now. But President Bashar al Assad's regime continues to pummel rebel strongholds. A human rights group says more than 200 people have been killed over the weekend. This as al Assad tours an area once held by rebels, saying he promises to, quote, "retake all land from terrorists."
CNN's senior international correspondent Arwa Damon is -- joins us lives from a city along the Turkish-Syrian border.
Hi, Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
And the tragic reality has been that, historically speaking, whenever a cease-fire, a cessation of hostilities has been expected, we have seen an intensification in bombardment. And, in fact, the deadliest of the attacks happened over the weekend in Idlib province, where people were just out at the market. They were shopping for Eid holidays, that is the Muslim holiday that began, in fact, today when the market was bombed. Sixty people were killed there. Other attacks happening throughout the country, with most of the casualties being on the rebel side, but some of them happening on the regime side as well.
And it's important, also, Carol, to talk about the fact that this cease-fire is not just significant because of the humanitarian access it is meant to be allowing to enter areas that are under siege, but also because, for the better part of the last five years, people have been living under his kind of bombardment at the mercy of the randomness of this kind of violence without any break. So even if this cease-fire only holds for a short period of time, and there's not a lot of confidence it is going to be long-lasting, at the very least it may allow people a brief psychological break from all it is that they have been going through. But it is such a dire and desperate situation.
And, of course, there are no guarantees at this stage because a large number of rebel groups, this alliance that operates mostly in northern Syria, they say that they are very skeptical about the terms of this agreement because, in their perspective, Carol, they feel as if it will ultimately end up giving the regime the battlefield advantage.
[09:45:01] COSTELLO: All right, Arwa Damon reporting live from the Syrian/Turkish border. Thank you.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, an arsonist allegedly targets a Florida mosque. The same mosque attended by the Pulse Nightclub shooter.
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COSTELLO: Florida investigators say an arsonist started a fire at the mosque once attended by the Pulse Nightclub shooter. It happened earlier this morning just a few minutes after the 15th anniversary of 9/11 came to a close. Police say they have a video taken from inside the mosque that may show how the fire was started. CNN's Boris Sanchez live in Miami with more.
Good morning.
[09:50:02] BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Carol.
Yes, officials have yet to release that video to the public right now. They say the footage itself is not in great shape, so they're working with a lab to enhance it to then put it out to the public.
From what we understand, what you can see on it is someone approach the mosque and then suddenly there's a bright flash and that person begins to flee. Obviously this came on the heels of the 15th anniversary of September 11th. It also comes during a Muslim holiday. The holiday of Eid. A lot of -- there were actually prayers scheduled for 9:00 a.m. this morning at the Fort Pierce Islamic Center. Fortunately, no one was inside the mosque when the attack happened. Officials say they don't want to speculate on exactly why it happened because the facts aren't in. Obviously it's not hard to speculate on a day like today.
I should also tell you, this is a very controversial mosque going back several years. Omar Mateen wasn't the only terrorist who attended this mosque. A man by the name of the Moner Mohammad Abu Salha was actually visiting that mosque and then eventually traveled to Syria and took part in a suicide bombing. And, of course, when the Orlando incident unfolded, the mosque was the target of a series of threats, including an incident of assault where a hate crime took place. A person was later convicted for that.
So, obviously, it's a very controversial place. For people that we've talked to going back to the incident in Orlando, we hear that it is a peaceful mosque. One that is a part of the community and not one that breeds hate. But, obviously, a lot of suspicion and question as to why someone would carry out this attack. As soon as we get that video, Carol, we will put it out so officials have at least the possibility of someone calling in a lead so they can find who carried out this attack.
COSTELLO: All right, we'll check back. Boris Sanchez reporting live. Thanks so much.
Checking some other stories for you.
Jury selection begins for a second time in a Georgia hot car death case. Ross Harris is charged with murdering his 22 month old son by leaving him in a sweltering car back in June of 2014. After nearly three weeks of jury selection, in April and May, a judge decided the pool of jurors had too many strong opinions about the defendant. The trial has now moved more than 270 miles from the scene of the crime in an attempt to seat an impartial jury.
A school bus crashes at the Denver International Airport killing the driver. At least 18 people were taken to the hospital, two remain in critical condition. According to our affiliate, KCNC, the bus was carrying a high school football team returning from an out-of-state game. The cause of the crash still under investigation.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, patriotism and protests kick off the NFL season.
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[09:56:58] COSTELLO: The NFL's opening Sunday kicks off, well, with a little bit of controversy. In honor of 9/11, fans heard taped messages from President Obama and the former president, George W. Bush.
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GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Especially their children, whose lives have come to embody America's resilience and hopefulness, our compassion and our light.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's up to all of us to carry forward their legacy. Whenever confronted by cowards who seek to destroy, America chooses to be strong and build a better future.
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COSTELLO: The national anthem played and the protests continued. Some players kneeling, others raising their fists or locking arms. Coy Wire has more for us.
Good morning.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: Good morning, Carol.
Already a lot of attention on the national anthem with Colin Kaepernick's protests of racial injustice and police brutality. And yesterday being the 15th anniversary of 9/11, a big question was who and how many would join Kaepernick in his call for change. The game in Seattle saw both the Seahawks and the Dolphins taking stances before the game. For Seattle, all 53 players locking arms in a show of solidarity, while on the other sideline, Dolphins Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster and three of his teammates take a knee during the anthem. Kansas City Chiefs also standing arm in arm with cornerback Marcus Peters there off to the right of your screen raising a fist at the end of the line. Patriots players Devin McCourty and Martellus Bennett waited until after the anthem to raise their fists, while Danny Amendola helped hold the giant American flag on the field before New England's matchup with the Cardinals.
Of course, all eyes will be on 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick before tonight's home opener against the Rams. Earlier this morning on NBC's "Today" show, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says that while it's important to show respect for our country, it's also each individual players' rights to protest.
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MATT LAUER, NBC'S "TODAY" SHOW: Are you proud of Colin Kaepernick for taking this stand?
ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: Listen, I support our players speaking out on issues that they think need to be changed in our society. We don't live in a perfect society, Matt. Our players have strong views about things. So I support our players speaking out against that. But that's what the focus should be on, the changes he wants to see in our society.
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WIRE: Kaepernick says he will continue to kneel for the anthem until, quote, "there's significant change."
Now, one thing to watch for tonight in the Monday night game is whether or not more of his teammates will join him this time around, Carol. One teammate knelt beside him the last time the 49ers played. COSTELLO: Oh, they take the field Monday night, don't they?
WIRE: Those new Los Angeles Rams, Carol. It should be a good one.
COSTELLO: Yes, it should. Coy Wire, thanks so much.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.
And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.
Health problems force Hillary Clinton to cancel campaign events and Donald Trump ups the ante by promising to reveal long-awaited details on his own health.
[09:59:58] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This week I took -- this last week I took a physical. And I'll be releasing when the numbers come in. Hopefully they're going to be good. I think they're going to be good. I feel great.
