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Obama Admin "Regret" Syrian Military Deaths; Pentagon: Coalition Airstrike Possibly Hit Syrian Troops; Soon: Clinton, Obama Attend Black Caucus Dinner; Trump: Disarm Clinton's Guards ... "See What Happens"; Trump Finally Admits Obama Was Born In U.S.; Trump Unveils His Economic Proposals. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired September 17, 2016 - 19:00   ET

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


ANNOUNCER: This is CNN BREAKING NEWS.

[19:00:12] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Poppy Harlow, joining you in New York tonight, and we begin with breaking news on CNN with truly global implications: military actions in Syria, furious reaction in Russia, the United Nations Security Council scrambling right now for an emergency meeting at this hour, and what triggered it all, an American-led military airstrike that may have been a mistake. This hour we take you live to Moscow, to the United Nations, and to the Pentagon for every angle of this breaking story, and how its impact will have a ripple effect across the globe.

Relations between the United States and Russia already delicate now, much more so, first, I take you to the Pentagon and our correspondent, Barbara Starr. Barbara, tell us the reporting on this after we know that dozens of Syrian troops are dead from an airstrike that appears to have been a mistake by the United States. What are military officials telling you?

[19:01:16] BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDNET: Well, Poppy, good evening. Events are moving very rapidly this evening as you say in several world capitals. Now, just a short time ago, we received the statement from a senior administration official about this event, this U.S. airstrike that killed a number of Syrian government troops in Eastern Syria earlier today. The U.S. administration saying, and let me quote in full, "The United States has relayed our regret through the Russian Federation for the unintentional loss of lives of Syrian forces fighting ISIL. The U.S. will continue to pursue compliance with the cessation of hostilities as we continue military action against ISIL and Al-Qaeda." So let's - if we could leave that statement up for a moment for our viewers, let's look at the two parts of it. First, the U.S. did conduct an airstrike earlier today in Eastern Syria. And about 25 minutes into the series of airstrikes, they got a call from the Russians saying, "Stop it, you are hitting Syrian forces."

The U.S. withdrew, no more airstrikes in that area. But now, the - as bad as that is, the additional impact of this is, what will this mean for the cessation of hostilities? This, of course, is the agreement that Secretary of State John Kerry is trying to get to the finish line with the Syrian government and the Russian government, to try and cease hostilities in Western Syria, if you will, near Aleppo, to stop the bombing and killing of civilians and get aid into there. But with this event, today, in Eastern Syria, that may prove to be very difficult. The very agreement itself could be hanging in the balance tonight. We do not know how the Russians and the Syrian regime will react further to all of this, very difficult situation. The U.S. military is pointing out that in their view, they want people to understand, it is a mistake. They do not target Syrian forces. They are targeting and fighting ISIS. That there is no authorization for the U.S. military to hit the Syrian forces. That U.S. is not at war -

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

STARR: -- with the Syrian government or the Syrian forces. But nonetheless, really a dreadful incident today, a mistake, in the view of the U.S. in which dozens of Syrian forces were killed and injured.

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

STARR: Poppy.

HARLOW: So, Barbara, also as our viewers are watching this, as you're seeing footage - previously shot footage of the area Deir ez-Zor in the Eastern part of Syria. This is the area that was targeted. This is not footage of the actual airstrike today. Barbara, a spokeswoman for Russian's foreign ministry has come out and categorized this as the White House defending ISIS. Your thoughts?

STARR: Well, this may well be the message point that Moscow wants to put out. Obviously, I think it is safe to say the administration, the Pentagon, the U.S. military could not disagree more strongly. Deir ez-Zor and our team in Syria knows much more about all of these. Deir ez-Zor, that where this all happened, is a very complexed piece of ground. ISIS has been there. The regime has been there. The regime holds a very small bit of territory there. ISIS has constantly pressing at them, and the regime has been -- the regime forces have sort of been hanging on, if you will, in this area of Eastern Syria. So, you know, the Russians could have the message point, if you will, that the U.S. may -- must be trying to support ISIS and push this -- the last of the Syrian forces out of there and therefore launched that strike today.

I think it is very safe to say the reaction of the U.S. military is absolutely not that, again, the U.S. is targeting ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Syria. They are not at war with the Syrian forces. The U.S. is not at war with Syria. And this appears to be a terrible mistake. Perhaps the really key question tonight is, "How on earth did this happen?" The question will be, "Did the U.S. pilots hit the targets they were aiming at and it's simply was bad intelligence? It was Syrian forces, not ISIS there." So, did they hit the target they were aiming at, and it proved to be bad intel, or did those bombs somehow hit...

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

STARR: ...a different target, not the target the intelligence was pointing to and hit... HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

STARR: ...something else and proved to be Syrian forces.

HARLOW: Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon for us tonight. Barbara, thank you very much. Again, the headline now, the Obama administration in the last few moments saying that they regret that Syrian forces were struck. Let's bring in Michael Weiss. He is a co- author of the book, "ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror." He's also a senior editor for The Daily Beast. And knows his region and has fight extraordinary well. Just talk about the complexity. Barbara Starr said, "How did this happen?" It could lead -

[19:06:20] MICHAEL WEISS, SENIOR EDITOR AT THE DAILY BEAST: Uh-hmm.

HARLOW: -- to, you know, a few scenarios, but clearly, the wrong people were hit and killed. We're talking about 83 deaths, at least a 120 troops injured according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Walk me to the complexity of the situation and number of players on the ground when we're talking about the Eastern part of Syria.

WEISS: Okay. Well, in Deir ez-Zor is particularly complicated. This was the site of where a U.S. trained rebel force tried to conduct a very daring and full hearty raid into the lion's den of ISIS territory several months ago. And these guys are completely routed. There was no U.S. air support. As Barbara mentioned, the Assad Regime has a very dwindling presence there. ISIS has taken over increasingly more and more terrain in Deir ez-Zor. This is a kind of the linchpin region along with Raqqa by which they connect --

HARLOW: Right.

WEISS: -- their Caliphate to Iraq.

HARLOW: So, it would make sense that the coalition forces would be striking ISIS.

WEISS: Absolutely. And in fact, what's ironic about this is, what probably happened, and again, this is a little too soon to say for sure, but if ISIS was present, and we know that they were close to Syrian...

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

WEISS: ...regime forces, because ended up taking opportunistically some of the terrain that receded after those forces --

HARLOW: Right.

WEISS: -- that were killed by the Americans. It meant that the U.S. was effectively providing close air support to the Assad Regime...

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

WEISS: -- which is something that both Damascus and Moscow have said that they want to see happen.

HARLOW: But one thing that Colonel Rick Francona told me earlier this evening, is that the marking - the aerial marking, what you see from the air of the --

WEISS: Uh-hmm.

HARLOW: -- formation of the troops of Syrian forces is very different --

WEISS: Yeah.

HARLOW: -- from ISIS forces.

WEISS: That's true. Although, we don't - we still don't know. I mean, the regime is coming out and saying these were they Syrian Arab army soldiers. It could well be the case that they were Syrian Arab army soldiers intersperse with a consortium of different militia groups --

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

WEISS: -- that has been trained up by Assad and by the --

HARLOW: Okay.

WEISS: -- Iranians to do the heavy lifting.

HARLOW: So, let's talk about why Russia's -- the spokesman for the Russia's foreign ministry came out, and I'm quoting here, "We are reaching a really terrifying conclusion for the whole world --

WEISS: Uh-hmm.

HARLOW: -- that the White House is defending the Islamic State."

WEISS: Yeah.

HARLOW: And they have called an emergency meeting of the security council of the United Nations, which will begin in half an hour. Why is Russia saying this? What do they have to gain?

WEISS: Never let a good crisis go to waste, Poppy, especially when you're the Russian government or the Syrian government. The Syrian government said the same thing. This shows that the U.S. is backing ISIS. But however, if the U.S. will only coordinate with us more closely and talk to us and we can bomb ISIS together, they can continue with this war in Syria. The goal from the beginning, and this is the reason for Russia's intervention a year ago, was to draw the United States into the Iranian-Russian and Syrian regime orbit. Make this not about regime change, make this not about supporting the Free Syrian Army in the opposition or even facilitating some kind of political transition, but a strictly counterterrorism policy. And what we have seen happen over the course of the last year is the Obama administration has crept suddenly closer to that position.

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

WEISS: The statements (inaudible) probably released tonight, was one of the most contrite and the solicited statements they've ever said. They don't - they don't say that kind of thing when for instance the coalition accidentally bombs Syrian civilians as they did in Membidge a few weeks ago. They don't offer - Barbara tweeted something rather breathtaking and extraordinary to my mind, which is that a senior Obama administration official said, "We're considering paying compensation --

HARLOW: Yeah.

WEISS: -- to the families of this - the Syrian Regime according to Untied States government, its army is responsible for the worst crimes against humanities and atrocities in the country.

HARLOW: Yeah, but the United States needs --

WEISS: Is not at war.

HARLOW: -- the Assad regime, it's not at war with --

WEISS: Right.

HARLOW: (INAUDIBLE) forces and needs them, it needs Russia to defeat ISIS.

WEISS: Well, I mean, the Russians and the Syrian regime haven't fought ISIS as much as they'd like to let on. This is according --

HARLOW: Correct.

WEISS: -- to the Pentagon and the State Department as well. An independent surveys that have shown that the majority of the fighting that Assad and Putin have campaigned in Syria has been against the Syrian opposition and civilians. Russia in fact has killed more Syrian civilians than ISIS since --

HARLOW: Right,

WEISS: -- since its campaign began.

HARLOW: Right. And the U.S. has pointed to Russia saying, you're backing up the Assad Regime.

WEISS: Right.

HARLOW: You're supporting this and then --

WEISS: And you are actually...

HARLOW: -- doing everything you can to fight ISIS.

WEISS: Exactly. And so doing you are facilitating the rise of ISIS indirectly.

HARLOW: So, now what? That's the question, right?

WEISS: I suspect what will happen is, you know, there'll be this pantomime at the U.N. By the way, eclipsing the fact that the U.N. panel just concluded yesterday, and this was reported in Reuters that the regime was using chlorine gas bombs. Right? This is one of the most damning indictments of chemical weapons used since Assad supposedly got rid of his chemical weapons. What's going to happen is there's going to be a dance at the U.N. security council, and this is perfectly time for the general assembly. And then I think that - and I think that Washington will come out and say, "Look, we're so sorry, we don't want this to disturb the frankly already failed ceasefire and this so-called joint intelligence command that's going to be set up in Jordan to coordinate our air campaign." This makes it all the more pressing for the need for something like that.

HARLOW: The problem is - look, the ceasefire already delicate, six days long, it's in the west. It's in Aleppo.

WEISS: Yeah.

HARLOW: But the point being, the people there that need the aid, still aren't getting it --

WEISS: Correct.

HARLOW: -- despite the ceasefire. This makes it even worse.

WEISS: That's right.

HARLOW: Michael Weiss, thank you very much.

WEISS: Sure.

HARLOW: I do want to get to the United Nations now. We have our senior United Nations correspondent, Richard Roth with us. Richard, this emergency meeting of the security council begins at 7:30 Eastern time in just about 20 minutes. Michael Weiss, you heard called it sort of a dance, if you will. What will we see tonight?

[19:11:22] RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I don't even know if it's going to be as exciting as a dance, but it will all take place behind closed doors. So the anger of Russia may be seen with its ambassador, speaking to the press perhaps before or after. We know that U.S. ambassador Samantha Power will speak to the press which is rare before the session. Look, they mentioned and others have said, the U.S. will want to -- and I think Russia, too, would want to keep this agreement if they can. In fact, Russia will want to score political points certainly for now and for going ahead. And as we mentioned, it's the general assembly week, the big week. President Putin is not here. The big party for the general assembly was last year, but Syria was going to be one of the main topics here. On Wednesday, there was going to be a ministerial meeting. I think they all thought that they could wrap up Syria and show some momentum going forward. You also have a big migrant refugee summit with President Obama speaking through Monday and Tuesday. And that was to provide some more funding, commitment, to provide some momentum there. So, should this get out of hand, and this disagreement between these two powers that imperils a few other things. I think they'll try to keep it together, we'll take the temperature when they come out of the room, here --

HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

ROTH: -- in a few hours. Poppy.

HARLOW: Alright. And do let us know what we hear from the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Powers, you said, sort of, unprecedented that she'll be making remarks before the meeting. Richard Roth of the United Nations tonight. Thank you very much. Much more on this BREAKING NEWS ahead. Stay with us, we'll be right back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[19:14:56] HARLOW: In less than one hour, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will attend a Congressional Black Caucus dinner in our nation's capital. The president will deliver his seventh and final keynote address at this annual event. CNN special coverage of the Congressional Black Caucus dinner begins with our Don Lemon right here at 8:00p.m Eastern. Before that, let's bring in senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny.

Look Jeff, this is obviously a very important moment for the president, his last and final set of remarks at this annual dinner. At the close of his presidency, what does this mean to him tonight, particularly amid the - you know, controversy of this week with Trump and the birtherism comments. And so many people seeing that as, sort of, an effort to delegitimize the first black president. Tie it all together for us.

[19:15:45] JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, this has been such a historic presidency, certainly in terms of the first African-American President to be elected here. And in President Obana's - Obama's waning months here of his time in office, it is so striking that we are still having this debate in the country, that is such a moment in this presidential campaign. We, of course, heard Donald Trump say yesterday, that yes, he finally will finally will acknowledge that President Obama was indeed born in the United States, was born in Hawaii, but that, of course, did not put an end to this. In fact, it revived this discussion, which had largely gone dormant. But, Poppy, I think it is an interesting moment to sort of reflect on the last eight years here, and it is something that African-American voters and many other voters, supporters of the president have well in their mind, fresh in their mind here, as they go into the next election cycle here. Donald Trump has sort of awakened the sleeping giant, if you will, in terms of questioning and delegitimizing this president. That's what he has done in the view of many of President Obama's supporters. So, I am told that the president is likely to address this briefly tonight. HARLOW: Uh-hmm.

ZELENY: -- as he talks about his accomplishments and other thing here. But he - the - at this moment of the campaign, Hillary Clinton has struggled to recreate the enthusiasm of the Obama coalition.

HARLOW: Right.

ZELENY: I think Donald Trump did that for her yesterday by making this comments here in Washington.

HARLOW: And we'll see what President says tonight and Hillary Clinton as well, who will be there with him. Special coverage of the Black Caucus dinner tonight in just a little bit, 8pm with Don Lemon. Jeff, thank you so much.

Coming up next, new controversy for Donald Trump, the Clinton campaign accusing him of trying to incite violence after he says at a rally, to disarm Clinton's bodyguards and "See what happens". I will speak with both sides to debate it next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[19:20:55] HARLOW: Donald Trump will spend his Sunday in debate prep, this according to a campaign official. The day of practice comes after Trump campaign today in Houston, Texas. And while he stayed on message today, talking about immigration and illegal immigration, there is a lot of buzz around something he said last night at a rally. A comment that some see as a call for violence against his opponent Hillary Clinton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that her bodyguards should drop all weapons. They should disarm, right? Right? I think they should disarm, immediately. What do you think? Yes? Yes. Yeah. Take their guns away. She doesn't want guns, take their -- let's see what happens to her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: A quick reaction from both sides and dig in to the latest polls as well. With me now, CNN political commentators Maria Cardona and Scottie Nell Hughes. Maria is a democratic strategist and a Hilary Clinton supporter, and Scottie Nell supports Donald Trump. Thank you both for being here. And those -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

HARLOW: -- those words, Scottie Nell, that he used and what he added to them is, "Take their guns away," talking about her Secret Service agents, "and let's see what happens to her." And so, several law enforcement officials tell our Evan Perez. Their concern with that, is that it could lead to Secret Service members, law enforcement getting shot or killed in the line of duty to protect her. Do you wish even as a Trump supporter, that he would have used different words? It would have avoided that remark altogether?

[19:22:25] SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, definitely better words could have been chosen, but that was the -- the message is exactly what he wanted to say. It was a hypocrisy right now of Hillary Clinton, whether you're talking about the 10-foot walls that are around her personal family compound, yet she doesn't want to secure our nation's compound or our boarders, or you want to talk about her saying that, Donald Trump is what is he hiding, when she's the one that's been using hammers and BleachBit to delete things and erase them. So, this is just to point out to start the show, once again the conversation, that the world hypocrisy of the Hilary Clinton camp of this day as I do not as I actually live.

HARLOW: How does that relate to what he said about guns? I mean, I'll read the whole quote, "I think her bodyguard should drop all weapons, disarm immediately, take their guns away, let's see what happens to her. Take their guns away it'll be very dangerous." Why say that?

HUGHES: Well, because if she had to live like everyday citizens like you and I, she would not be so quick if you are in those kind of threating situations to take away your guns, or be so quick to -- she would probably be clinging to the -- her gun - a gun and a Bible, too, but she's not. She's the former first lady.

HARLOW: She - but she just never - she is in favor of more gun control, but she has never talked about as Trump said, gutting - or getting rid of the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms. That's the distinction.

HUGHES: Well -- but we can debate on whether or not because anything - any sort of attack under the Second Amendment, whether it'd be (INAUDIBLE) last time I checked, Poppy, criminals don't go for background checks, they don't care about background checks. And you look in the cities that have the toughest gun control laws like Chicago, like L.A. You look at these cities, they're the ones who got some of the highest gun crime. So, it depends on any sort of restriction that usually only restricts the good guys and usually, it's the bad guy. The only way to beat them is to have a good guy when they're done.

HARLOW: Maria, Scottie is talking about also the intention. She's like the intention of the statement, right? She said, "I would have chosen different words." When you read this as a Clinton supporter, do you read it as a direct incitement of violence or do you --

[19:24:13] MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely.

HARLOW: -- believe that he was making a different point?

CARDONA: He knew exactly what he was doing, Poppy, which is why this man is so vile and so unfit to lead. This is not the first time this has happened. He did it before when he talked about if Hillary Clinton is elected and she chooses Supreme Court judges, will that would be too late, except for maybe the Second Amendment people. Maybe they could do something about it. He knows exactly what his doing with these. Would I would have been calling dog whistles, but they have be gone -- become outright megaphones. He knows that there are people out there in the hinterlands of his world of supporters who hate Hilary so much and who's - who -- when they hear this kind of talk from him, could absolutely lead to violence. And in fact, it has led to violence. He has talked about punching people at his rallies, people have been hurt at his rallies, Latinos have been attacked on the street from Trump supporters, people -

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: People, wait a minute. Hold on.

HUGES: Maria, let's just -

CARDONA: Hey, let me finish -- who believe that they are undocumented immigrants when they are in fact here legally.

HARLOW: But you need to ground that statement. You need to -

(CROSSTALK)

CARDONA: So, let's not kid ourselves that Donald trump was exact -

HARLOW: -- ground that statement.

CARDONA: -- doing exactly what he was doing.

HARLOW: Let's ground that statement in fact, though. What you said, I believe, is that what he had said has led to violence directly. What specific incident are you talking about?

CARDONA: At his rallies, that people have been punched out of his rallies. There was a 69-year-old woman with an oxygen tank that was punched at one of his rallies, just last week, Poppy. I mean, I have a list.

HARLOW: But are you pointing to a specific - a specific comment that he made. And I am well - I'm well aware that, you know, many people have been calling him for a long time to condemn the violence more than he has.

CARDONA: He's never condemned it in any realistic way. And Poppy, I could give you a list of comments that he has made to insight. When in fact he said at one of his rallies, "Just punch that guy. I will pay the legal bills." I mean -

HUGHES: OK.

HARLOW: Maria, let me -

CARDONA: -- this stuff is documented, so he knows exactly what he's doing when he says these vile things. HARLOW: Let me move - let move on to another really important topic, guys, because at 8p.m. tonight, The Congressional Black Caucus dinner will begin. The President will speak there, and Jeff Zeleny said he's hearing from his sources that the president will likely briefly address the birtherism controversy comments from Donald Trump, Scottie Nell. Finally, after five years of trafficking in what is a lie. Donald Trump came out yesterday and said two sentences saying "The president was born in the United States." But he used it over five years as a real driver into running for the presidency, and all he said finally after his campaign had come out and said, "He does not -- he does believe the president was born in the United States," he set it up with a - basically, a press conference about his hotel, and veterans supporting him, and those two sentences. Should he have done more on this point?

HUGHES: Sorry, Poppy, I respectfully have to disagree. His campaign is not built on the birther issue. That is completely false. His campaign is built on making America great again.

HARLOW: So just you know that's not what I said.

HUGHES: But it was - it was said -

HARLOW: It is what - it is when he started saying this in 2011, it was a big drive -

HUGHES: That is not what propelled him into politics. It was not. And then, that's narrative that I just - I can agree with a lot of things. I don't agree with that narrative. He's been in politics. He attended several RNCs before then. He's been involved with Republicans and Democratic senators and congressmen for decades now. We've shown that, we've had conversations about that. So, it was not the birther issue that propelled his campaign or propelled him into the presidency. That's not at all.

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: It kept him in the political discussion among people who did not support or like President Obama. Many say that it really deal -- with an attempt to delegitimize the first black president. And then after five years of this controversy back and forth, he comes out in two sentences.

HUGHES: Well, but we could -

HARLOW: Is that the right way to address it?

HUGHES: But wait. Wait. You know what, they wanted him to say that Barack Obama was born in America. He exercised his constitutional right to question if a person is eligible to run for president, just like you can, just like I can, just like Maria can. We can question anybody, he also had the same questions about Ted Cruz. And you have seen in the past for John Kasich.

HARLOW: Ted Cruz? That is - HUGHES: -- all right to do. That was - well, he questioned whether or not can a Canadian candidates could run here or not, what natural citizen is, that is our right to do. You might not like how he did it, or how aggressive he did it. But that is his right as a citizen. And that is something the Republicans like to do. We like to abide by rights and respected them.

HARLOW: Scottie, why do think - so, 2008, President Obama put out basically this short form birth certificate, right? And then -- and then he presented his full birth certificate, and then even after that -- even after that, Donald Trump questioned whether it was fake or not, said he had investigators in Hawaii, and you won't believe what they found. What do you think his intention was Scottie Nell?

HUGHES: To have the conversation it.

HARLOW: Why? To what end?

HUGHES: (INAUDIBLE) to what end? At that point, was he running for president? Do you actually know?

HARLOW: No, but --

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: -- I do not believe Barack Obama -

HARLOW: -- the President of the United States.

HUGHES: Well, but did you ever hear him say, "I do not believe Barack Obama was born here." It was always a, "Well, maybe." It was a conversation starter that he had and led on that.

HARLOW: But why? It was not a conversation started.

HUGHES: He never specifically said I do not.

HARLOW: He said a lot more than that.

HUGHES: Well, either way, the issue is done. And the few - and the Clinton campaign wants to continue that to be the topic because that's the only way they feel like - it's like causing this racial tension, this racial divide, just like they wanted to divide millennials, they wanted to sit there and segregate everybody else, that's how they're going to motivate people to the polls. And that they're saying - they've been losing a lot of these different demographics they've tried to target. You're going to see this continue to be the only conversation that they have to distract them from policy that they didn't want to talk.

HARLOW: Maria Cardona -- Maria Cardona, are you saying the Clinton campaign is being divisive in this? Your take.

CARDONA: Give me a break. Give me a break. It is my take. The birther issue, like you said Poppy, you were right on. This has been a huge driver of the supporters of Trumps campaign. That, and immigration, I think, are the two highest drivers of Trump's support. And so, for him to continue to fuel this, he said this just two days ago. He wasn't willing to say that the President of the United States was born in this country. And by the way, he did not start it or Hillary Clinton did not start it, so he lied yet again. And he didn't finish it, because you know what, there was never a question. The press conference that he gave yesterday, Poppy, or that he gave when he talked about the same, that he wanted to finish this, would be a kin to him having a press conference to declare that the earth is round. That is how ridiculous the birtherism issue has been.

HARLOW: I have to leave it there.

CARDONA: It's a conspiracy theory and we cannot elect the conspiracy theorist in chief.

HARLOW: Maria Cardona, Scottie Nell Hughes, obviously a lot to talk about. You will both be back, but we have a lot of BREAKING NEWS this hour especially with Syria. I have to get to that.

CARDONA: Thanks, Poppy.

HARLOW: Also on the economy, a lot of head on that. Clearly, the economy is not working for everyone. But is it really time for a total change, to throw in the towel and change things? The man who is - talk about the success he has had in business as a billionaire, says he is the one who can save us and the U.S. economy. Do we need saving? We'll debate it next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[19:34:29] HARLOW: Upbeat news on the economy this week. Median household income rose more than five percent last year. It's the first time that's happened since 2007, so before the great recession. Nearly 10 million jobs have been created since President Obama took office in 2009. And stock market is more than doubled. We waited (INAUDIBLE) up as well. It's not all rosy, though, economic growth has been pretty anemic. Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump narrowing in on exactly that in his economic speech here in New York on Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Over the next 10 years, our economic team estimates that under our plan, the economy will average 3.5 percent growth and create a total of 25 million new jobs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right, I want to take you now to the United Nations. U.S ambassador to the UN Samantha Powers speaking about the situation in Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA POWERS, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: -- believed to be an ISIL target. We halted the attack when we were informed by Russia that is was possible that we were striking Syrian regime military personnel and vehicles. We are investigating the incidents. If we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel, that was not our intention, and we, of course, regret the loss of life. This said, even by Russia's standards, tonight stunts, a stunt replete with moralism and grandstanding, is uniquely cynical and hypocritical. Since 2011, the Assad regime has been intentionally striking civilian targets with horrifying, predictable regularity. They have besieged civilian areas, prevented lifesaving humanitarian aid from reaching people who are starving to death, and dying of illnesses that could be treated with basic medicine, which is ripped out of trucks and pocketed by Syrian regime forces.

The Syrian government has patented the practice of double tap strikes. Hitting a civilian target, waiting for heroically brave individuals to run into collapsing building, burning buildings, and then striking again, so they can hit the rescue personnel. The regime has routinely used chemical weapons against its own people. It has tortured tens of thousands of people in its prisons, which now double as torture chambers. And indeed in those prisons, it documents systematically what it's doing to the people in its custody. Serial numbers, written notes carefully documenting the torture of the people with such savagery, meticulous detail, and yet, in the face of none of this atrocities has Russia expressed outrage nor has it demanded investigations, nor has it ever called for a Saturday night emergency consultation in the Security Council or a Monday day or a Tuesday day, or a Wednesday day, Thursday, Friday day, Saturday, Sunday. You name it, If it's a day of the week, they have never called an emergency consultation on any of these practices. These are some of the most systematic atrocities that we have seen in a generation, and not only are they not interested in seeing these crimes investigated, they have used their veto on the Security Council to block meaningful actions, even though this is the most obvious threat to international peace and security that we've seen in a very long time.

And a year ago, at the UN general assembly, Russia decided to join the Assad regime, escalating the conflict and perhaps worst of all, it's self-adapting some of the regime's worst practices, hitting hospitals, hitting refugee camps, hitting markets, without a single public expression of remorse. Seriously? And they're calling this emergency meeting, really? Now, because of a single airstrike, a strike that if it struck regime forces did so in error, a strike that we have swiftly acknowledge and committed to investigating - again, none of which the Assad regime or Russia have done in their airstrikes on innocent civilians. Now, of all times, Russia calls the entire UN Security Council to convene urgently, so that it can stand up here and express outrage. Imagine how often this council would be meeting if we were to gather every time the regime or Russia struck a hospital, or a school or a bread line.

Imagine if we gathered every time they blocked vital aid from reaching children who are eating leaves. Leaves, so that they do not starve to death, or who blocked medicine from reaching people who are dying every single day because they are forced to drink foul water, and because they have no antibiotics. There is so much to be justifiably outrage by in Syria. So much civilian suffering. Civilian suffering that could be prevented, lives that could be saved if only the real perpetrators were made to stop. So, if we could, this Saturday night, and every day and night henceforth, if we could focus our outrage on that, that would be appropriate.

We are also trying to focus on the present and the future. On the desperate need for peace in Syria. And let me just state for the record, that we believe that Russia should in fact be convening an emergency meeting this evening. An emergency meeting with the Assad regime, which is bombing in defiance of the cessation of hostilities, which is continuing its practice of death by a thousand paper cuts, in starving Syria's civilians. The regime has to stop bombing those who have sign up for the cessation of hostilities. And Russia has to deliver the Assad regime as in the course of the negotiations, it assured us it would. Russia is not delivering on its ends of the deal that we spent months negotiating in extremely technical detail. The United States is extremely serious about making this agreement work. In the last 36 hours, Secretary Kerry has spoken with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, the four ministers of Turkey, of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, of course, he has spoken also with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov including today. And Secretary Kerry told Foreign Minister Lavrov, that the regime is bombing groups who are partied to the cessation of hostilities.

Even though violence is down in many parts of Syria, the regime is acting against groups that want to be part of this peace process. Secretary Kerry made clear that the aide is now flowing, even though were assured again and again that permission will be forthcoming, even though UN trucks have been idling, filled with precious food as mothers can't feed their kids. So, Secretary Kerry shared all this with Foreign Minister Lavrov, but he didn't have to, because Russia is fighting alongside the Assad regime. Russia knows exactly what's happening in Syria. They know exactly which groups are terrorists and which groups are opposition groups who want to be part of a political transition and who wants a multi-confessional pluralistic Syrian society on the back-end. They know the difference. And so, why are we having this meeting tonight? It's a diversion from what is happening on the ground in Syria. When you don't like the facts, try to create attention somewhere else. It's the classic magician's sleight of hand. Get the world and the media to focus here, so they may be take their eye a little bit off what's happening over there.

What's happening over there is so important. It's jeopardizing something that gives the Syrian people a chance. So again, we encourage the Russian Federation to call emergency meetings with the Assad regime, and to deliver the Assad regime to this agreement that we so want to work. I want to make just one last point before I head in to the consultations. Russia has built itself as the world's defender against terrorism. And part of what it is alleging tonight is that somehow the United States is undermining the fight against ISIL. Indeed, the Russian spokesperson, I believe, came out and thought somehow we were complicit and even trying to protect ISIL. Really? American citizens have been beheaded by this group, we are leading a 67-country coalition to destroy this group. ISIL has lost 40 percent of its territory. This is serious for us. It is not a game. And that spokesperson, who suggested complicity, really should be embarrassed. We are trying to be serious about ensuring that Syrians can wake up in the morning, and imagine that they can actually also go to sleep at the end of the day, that there can be a political transition so this war ends, and everything that goes along with it.

Syria, the Syrian government, which also builds itself as the fighter against terrorist, allowed ISIL to grow, and grow, and grow. Who's busy hitting markets, and refugee camps, displaced camps, using chemical weapons that ISIL took root and prospered, right beside the Syrian regime. The best way to contribute to the fight against ISIL and against Al-Nusra, as Russia says it once, is to stop bombing civilians and opposition groups who have signed up to the Cessation of Hostilities, and deliver the Assad regime to implement what has been agreed. Assad antiques, his tactics, his strategy have been a gift to terrorists in Syria and well beyond, and these are terrorists who threaten us all, on that we agree. There is a better way forward, but Russia really needs to stop the cheap point scoring and the grandstanding, and the stunts, and focus on what matters, which is implementation of something that we negotiated in good faith with them, which has shown it can reduce violence and shown it can save lives, but it needs to be implemented. And a meeting like this, a stunt like this, isn't helping anybody. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ambassador, is there any (INAUDIBLE) with the Geneva deal given that there's no U.S.-Russian cooperations?

HARLOW: A very significant night tonight in the United States at the United Nations. I want to welcome my viewers in the U.S. and around the world. We have full team coverage. With me now, CNN Senior International Correspondent, Matthew Chance, and Senior United Nations Correspondent, Richard Roth live at UN for us tonight. A remarkable evening that has taken place here. Let me set the scene for you. Earlier this evening, we learned that U.S.-led coalition air forces airstrikes in Eastern Syria, in Deir Ezzor, struck Syria regime forces. That is what is believed, although the United States is still investigating. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says the death toll of that strike more than 80. So, Russia then proceeded to say that it was the United States and the White House supporting ISIS by making this strike against Syrian forces. They called an emergency meeting at the United Nations that is just beginning now, and the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power, just gave a lengthy statements responding to Russia's allegations, as she headed into that meeting. Richard Roth, to you, the significance of tonight when she said, if indeed it was the U.S. that struck Assad's Syrian forces, then that was not their intention. But she called what Russia has done in response, a stunt replete with moralism and grandstanding.

[19:49:21] RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I would say that this is the most forceful we've seen, the U.S. Ambassador, Samantha Power, in her nearly four years in office. Look, she has dueled quite often with her counterpart, Russia's Ambassador Churkin in public at times and privately, but never like this. And look, if Russia and the U.S. want to go forward with the agreement, whatever is said here, the agreement to try to get a pause and a truce and get aid in, it will happen. There's cooperation in the past with the military, however, you never know what will happen when you have targeting -- and maybe not targeting, but accidental hittings of Syrian soldiers supported by Russia. I'm sure Russian Ambassador Churkin was squirming in his seat in the private room, possibly with a television, watching Samantha Power outside speaking. The meeting probably started without her, but he has already told me on his way in, a half hour ago, he will speak at the same media position in front of the Security Council flag. So, you will get, "the other side," and I'm sure with -- replete with anger, yes. Samantha Power said Russia has pulled a stunt by having a Security Council emergency meeting, replete with moralism and grandstanding. Uniquely hypocritical and cynical, Samantha Power, as we heard, saying, "Where has Russia been when it's been concerned with thousands -- hundreds of thousands of deaths of civilians with the Bashar al-Assad regime backed by Moscow?" Poppy.

HARLOW: We're talking about 400,000 Syrians that have been killed according to the United Nation in the Syrian conflict since 2011. That -

ROTH: Yes, Poppy, I see Ambassador Churkin. He's coming to the microphone now to speak to the media.

HARLOW: OK, we'll get to that in just a moment. I do want to go to our Matthew Chance. All right. As we wait for him to make his remarks, let's go to Matthew Chance in Moscow. Matthew Chance, you heard US Ambassador to the United Nation Samantha Power there, saying, that the spokeswoman for Russia who suggested that the complicity of the United States in support of ISIS, should be, "embarrassed." Have we seen Russian-U.S. relations this tense since the end of the Cold War?

[19:51:41] MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I mean, they've been going through a period of great tensions, but I think it's very interesting to hear the tone of this rhetoric coming from the United Nations Security Council tonight. Remember that in Syria, this is supposed to be an era or a moment where - that building trust, they're trying to get this truce off the ground, trying to bring it in to the bloodshed in that country. And these kinds of remarks, the remarks that come out of Russia as well, accusing the White House of defending ISIS, which is that line that came out from the Russian Foreign Ministry earlier. And the line just had (INAUDIBLE) between these countries (INAUDIBLE)

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: Matthew Chance, can we interrupt - let's - Matthew, let's listen in to Ambassador Churkin of Russia.

VITALY CHURKIN, RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: -- display of American heavy handedness, as we are witnessing today. As I was talking in the Security Council, sharing our analysis and frustration over the situation of Syria, Ambassador Power chose to talk to you. The only thing her deputy have to say, in response to my comments, was that the U.S. investigating - is investigating what has happened to Deir ez- Zor. As Ambassador Power walked in, first thing she said, she was not interested in what I -- what I have to say because what I was saying is a stunt. So, it's -- there's no point in my listening to Ambassador Powers, so I decided to leave the room, my delegation is there and to share my reflections with you. In fact, this is a very serious concern that we wanted and we did share today with the members of the Security Council, as you know, we convened with the consultations of the Security Council because the Unites States has bombed the Syrian Armed Forces in Deir ez-Zor. And Deir ez-Zor, of course, is one of the most important symbols of resistance against ISIL, because it has been besieged by ISIL for a very long time, for a couple of years. The Syrian Armed Forces suffered serious casualties, over 60 soldiers killed, over 100 soldiers injured and there is a threat of ISIL advancing on Deir ez-Zor. Fortunately, our air forces, Russian Air Forces, were able to come to the assistance of the Syrian Armed Forces, so we hope this tragedy of ISIL taking Deir ez-Zor is not going to happen.

Having conducted this airstrike, the United States has violated two of its commitments. One is the commitment to Cessation of Hostilities, which the United States undertook together with us in February, and which we reconfirmed just a few days ago. And the other is the commitment of the United States gave to the government of Syria, when the United States started its air campaign two years ago. The United States promised to the Syrian Government that, air -- their airstrikes are not going to affect the position of the Syrian Armed Forces. That did not put the United States fully in line with International Law because they did not receive the consent of the Syrian government. But the fact that the United States committed not to -- not to strike the positions of the Syrian government, created certain conditions for continued cooperation with the United States politically and on a number of practical aspects of the situation in Syria.

It is quite significant and frankly suspicious that the United States chose to conduct this particular airstrike at this time. Why would of -- all of a sudden the United States choose to help the Syrian Armed Forces defending Deir ez-Zor? After all, they did nothing when ISIL was advancing on Palmyra. ISIL made 100-mile march without being attacked by the coalition. All of a sudden, the United States decides to come to the assistance of the Syrian Armed Forces defending Deir ez-Zor. It is quite significant, and I would suggest not accidental that this happened just two days before the arrangements, Russian - American arrangement were supposed to come into force. The arrangements we have been negotiating with the United States for a long time. As you know, after lengths in negotiation on the 9th of December, Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary Kerry concluded an agreement on September 9, which actually put in force a number of agreements which they had negotiated over the period of the previous two months. For reasons we cannot fully understand, the United States does not -- did not agree to share with you, or even with the members of the Security Council. The text of those documents, but I'll read -

HARLOW: There you have it. We will continue to monitor what is happening tonight - a remarkable night at the United Nations. There you have Vitaly Ivanovich Churkin, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations calling it, "Suspicious that the U.S. carried out this airstrike in Syria, killing Syrian Regime Forces at this time." Calling the timing of it not accidental, responding to U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Samantha Power, calling Russia's response a stunt, and grandstanding.

Much, much more of this ahead and full coverage on cnn.com.

I would point you there straight ahead for us here tonight. President Obama and Hillary Clinton set to address the Congressional Black Caucus dinner, my colleague and friend, Don Lemon, anchors our special coverage of their remarks in just a moment.

I'm Poppy Harlow. Stay right here.