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CNN NEWSROOM

Live Coverage from the Site of Tonight's Vice Presidential Debate; Former Virginia Senator Gives His Take on the Debate; Longwood Republicans and Democrats Weigh in on Tonight's Debate; Hurricane Matthew Makes its Way Towards Florida. Aired 10:30-11a ET.

Aired October 4, 2016 - 10:30   ET

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


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[10:30:00] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN HOST: Good morning. I'm Carol Costello live from Farmville, Virginia, the site of tonight's vice presidential debate. Thanks so much for joining me this morning. My next guest knows all about the high-pressure, high-stakes world of political debates, including what it's like to face off against Tim Kaine. His name is George Allen. Like Tim Kaine, he's a former Virginia governor and a senator and four years ago he and Kaine went head-to-head in a battle to be Virginia's next senator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ALLEN, FORMER VIRGINIA SENATOR: I think it is very wrong to be using the 200 men and women - 200 thousand men and women in Virginia whose jobs are threatened by the sequestration deal that I opposed and Tim has said in debates is the right thing to do. They should never be used as a political bargaining chip to raise taxes.

TIM KAINE, VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: George, you just started your answer by saying that I'm trying to hold the military hostage to raise taxes.

ALLEN: No, I said the 200 thousand men and women here (--) military.

KAINE: You and I are both fathers and this one is very personal to me.

ALLEN: I talked about the men and women working.

UNKNOWN MALE: Let Tim answer.

KAINE: I have a son who has just started a career in the military. I'm not going to do things that will hurt the troops or hurt defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Kaine would go on to win that particular election. George Allen joins me now from Washington. Welcome, sir.

ALLEN: Good morning, Carol. You're lucky to be in Farmville. That brings back memories. COSTELLO: I am. Oh it's - I mean it's gorgeous here and the university is great and the students have been great, yes. Senator Allen, when we showed that clip of you debating Governor Kaine, did it take you back? What went through your mind?

ALLEN: Well, Tim Kaine is a very skillful and articulate debater and he's very good. I think Governor Pence can match him. What reminded me of that, it was at Virginia Tech and here you're going to be in Farmville, Virginia, and at Virginia Tech I commended Tim Kaine for his efforts as Governor after the terrible tragedy of April 16th and the shootings there on that campus. Where you are right now is a place where when I was a senator about ten years ago, I led what's called a Civil Rights pilgrimage with the faith and the politics pilgrimage to understand what happened there in Farmville many, many years ago where they shut down the schools rather than integrate and the very poignant hardships that people had to struggle through and families separated and children, some sent all the way to Iowa to get an education. And those schools were shut down in Prince Edward County for five years. I think that's going to come up somehow, someway in this debate. And Tim will bring it up and he'll probably bring it up - it's not just a home field advantage, but it'll fit into a narrative that he'll talk about as a civil rights attorney, what his father-in-law did, and how our country needs to be together rather than divisive.

[10:35:16] COSTELLO: Exactly, so as you know Donald Trump is having a problem with minority voters, especially African American voters, and Tim Kaine will most definitely bring that up. How should Mike Pence respond?

ALLEN: Well, I thin Mike Pence should respond that our aspirations in American are for everyone regardless of their race, their ethnicity, their religious beliefs, or their sexual orientation, ought to have an equal opportunity to compete and succeed in America and how his ideas and that of his candidacy with Mr. Trump are to make America's tax code more competitive internationally rather than the worst in the world and look at how we can reduce some of these very onerous excessive burdensome regulations on small businesses and also how we can unleash the blessings of our American energy resources to also create more jobs, make our country more competitive, and provide more opportunities for all Americans. And so I think that's the way that he could make all those principles relevant today and for our future.

COSTELLO: I'd like to focus a little bit on Mr. Trump because it seems to me from all I have read, yes Aylay(ph) he will definitely be the focus of tonight's debate even though it's the VP debate, but do you strongly support Donald Trump? Do you tepidly support him? How would you characterize your support for the republican candidate?

ALLEN: I would answer this(ph). Well, Carol, I was originally for Marco Rubio and campaigned all throughout Virginia for Marco Rubio. Once you get down to - and Donald Trump won the nomination, that's who the voters voted for in republican primaries and it's a choice. I do have some reservations with Mr. Trump, but comparing him to Hillary Clinton who's a liberal, whose policies I think would be very harmful for our country, I look at the ideas and issues that the Trump-Pence campaign are advocating on tax reform and rethinking some of all this red tape that's so much of a burden on businesses and especially small businesses. I like his energy policies, whereas Tim Kaine who switched his position on off-shore drilling off Virginia and is for cap-and-trade and all that.

COSTELLO: So will you vote for Mr. Trump?

ALLEN: Yes. I'm going to vote for the businessman who I think has the best ideas to move America forward and grow our economy and provide more job opportunities.

COSTELLLO: Despite the possibility that Mr. Trump has not paid income taxes for 18 years?

ALLEN: Well, if you're going to look at every - yes, he'll have to explain that, but no one has said that what he has done is illegal. Maybe he had a bad year and you carry forward losses and people mostly, I think, are going to care about their own tax returns. And it's clear that the Clinton-Kaine campaign wants to increases taxes. And I think Governor Pence should point out how Tim Kaine when he was governor tried to increases taxes on people earning as little as $17,000.00.

COSTELLO: How can - Senator, how can Donald Trump explain this almost billion dollar loss in a single year when you say he's a great businessman. That's a lot of money to lose.

ALLEN: Yes, he'll have to explain it. It's all I can do to figure out my own taxes, much less figure out his and what depreciation or tax credits or whatever may be in there, and if it's legal, it's legal. Now the thing that ought to be done is talk about how we ought to have a more fair, more simple, and more competitive tax code for individuals as well as for businesses.

COSTELLO: And I feel like I must as you about the things that Donald Trump has said about the former Ms. Universe, Alicia Machado, doubling down on her weight issues and saying other things derogatory toward women. Did that enter into your decision about whether you would vote for Donald Trump as well?

ALLEN: Those are some of the reservations I have, Carol. I think it's not only wrong to do it, I think it's a distraction. People don't care about judges, they don't care about Trump University, they don't care about Ms. Universe of 20 years ago. What they care about is how we're going to move our country forward. How are we going to make our country a land of opportunity for all? And what are your specific positive constructive ideas to get America competing to win again? And I would hope that this debate and future discussions will be focused on that and not Tweets on irrelevant distractive issues.

COSTELLO: All right. Former Virginia Governor, George Allen, thank you so much for being with me this morning. Still to come in THE NEWSROOM: Students will be front and center for tonight's showdown. Up next, I'm joined by two young leaders here at the University to get their take on tonight's historic debate.

[10:40:07] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Students here at Longwood University are said to have packed tonight's debate crowd. According to new student polling when it comes to voters under the age of 35, 60 percent would pick Clinton in a two-way match up with Trump and of course there is a lot of interest in Gary Johnson as well. Right with me now is Joseph Hyman, he's the president of the college democrats here at Longwood University, and Malina Foldesi, she's the president of the college republicans at Longwood. Welcome to both of you.

MALINA FOLDESI, PRESIDENT, COLLEGE REPUBLICANS OF LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY: Thank you for having us.

COSTELLO: OK. So Malina, you saw the numbers there. Most young voters seem to be going Hillary Clinton's way. Why do you think that is?

[10:45:03] FOLDESI: I'm not exactly sure why they seem to be going Hillary Clinton's way. They're graduating into an economy that she's helped, unable to find jobs, so in my opinion I would be a little bit angry at this administration and sick of the liberal policies we had the last eight years and ready for four more years of something new.

COSTELLO: So, I'll give you your chance to weigh in on your candidate, who seems to be doing well, but really national polls show that young people really aren't so into Hillary Clinton either. A lot of young people are looking toward a third party candidate.

JOSEPH HYMAN, PRESIDENT, COLLEGE DEMOCRATS OF LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY: Right, I think a lot of that has been because there's been so much mudslinging among the presidential candidates. I think when you delve into the policies of Hillary Clinton, you understand - you start to understand that her policies benefit young people much more. She's looking into things like affordable college for students and healthcare, things like that. Things that affect us daily and we're tired of the mudslinging. We want to hear about the issues. And once we start hearing about the issues, Hillary Clinton I think will gain much more traction.

COSTELLO: Do you really think the mudslinging is going to stop?

FOLDESI: In tonight's debate I hope it stops. These two tonight seemed a little - seem to be a little bit more classy; however, I do (--)

COSTELLO: Now, wait a minute when you say you think it's going to be a little more classy?

FOLDESI: Than - than our - the two vice presidential candidates, in my opinion, and I think Joe's opinion as well, are a little bit more classy. We're both hoping that they'll focus more so on policy tonight versus the personal attacks.

COSTELLO: Do you kind of wish that these two were running for president rather than the other two? HYMAN: I wouldn't say necessarily that I wish they were running for president than the other two; however, I wish that the majority of the media would focus more on the issues with the other two rather than their personal attacks and whatnot. And they seem to do that more with the vice presidential candidates and that's what we have to see tonight.

COSTELLO: Well, many members of the media would say that's because Donald Trump is good at throwing these zingers out and they never seem to end, so do you wish that he would just be more classy?

FOLDESI: I wish that the both of them would be more classy. I think there's some important things to talk about between the two that can be talked about without throwing mud. For example, obviously, Trump's taxes, Hillary Clinton's Benghazi issue, things like that, that definitely need to be talked about but that can be talked about without throwing mud.

COSTELLO: Why do you think that the political discourse is so coarse at this moment in time?

HYMAN: You know, I think a lot of it has to do with the stagnation in our government. I think that when we have gridlock in Congress, people get frustrated because we don't see a lot getting done on either side and when you have that for years and years and years, you stop seeing progress. And one way or the other, people are going to get frustrated and start to push back.

COSTELLO: So, are you guys going to be voting for the first time this year?

FOLDESI: Yes. First presidential election, yes.

COSTELLO: So this is your very first presidential election and it's (--)

FOLDESI: (INAUDIBLE)

COSTELLO: I know. And it's like no election ever. You'll just have to believe me, it's not.

FOLDESI: It's going to go down in history that's for sure.

COSTELLO: It sure is. So how do you think that will form your political opinions going forward?

FOLDESI: This election?

COSTELLO: Yes.

FOLDESI: I think that my opinions are pretty firm, regardless of what the republican candidate or the democrat candidate is saying, my opinions are going to remain the same no matter what they say. I always say, I'm Christian first, conservative second, republican third, in that order. So mine are going to stay the same regardless. COSTELLO: But as far as your perception of who runs to be president

of the United States, do you think it's the best that America has to offer?

FOLDESI: No, not at all.

COSTELLO: What do you think?

HYMAN: I think that especially looking forward to my political future and my voting future, I'm going to look for candidates that don't do the mudslinging that get down to the issues and really talk about what's going on with the American people. This election - or this election, I think, is a turning point in the American political system - especially where millennials who are often written off, they say that we don't vote, they say that we don't participate. I think that this election is going to change that. And voting is a habit, so if the majority of our generation participates in this election, I think it's going to be a lifelong habit that they'll continue in the future.

FOLDESI: I hope so.

COSTELLO: So, are you interested in entering political life?

HYMAN: Yes, ma'am. I look hopefully in the future to join the state legislature or national legislature.

COSTELLO: How about you, Malina?

FOLDESI: Yes I do as well and we both talked about it and we both plan to do a couple bipartisan things once we're elected.

COSTELLO: Get out, really?

FOLDESI: Yes, we have some good plans.

HYMAN: We actually planned a student debate that we had on campus where we had over 400 students in attendance along with the politics club that helped and, you know, working together we've shown that republicans and democrats who disagree on almost everything, between me and her at least, can work together and actually get things done.

FOLDESI: And a few of these interviews (--)

COSTELLO: That makes me so happy to hear and I'm sure that my viewers feel the same way. So carry on the good fight. I like hearing that.

FOLDESI: Thank you.

COSTELLO: And thank you both for joining me this morning.

HYMAN: Thank you very much.

FOLDESI: Thank you very much.

[10:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: Hurricane Matthew now hitting Haiti with winds over 100 miles per hour. Let's head to Atlanta and meteorologist Chad Myers, good morning.

CHAD MYERS, METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. Yes, really the southwest corner there of Haiti, right there, just smashed this morning with storms surged with wind and with flooding, 145 miles per hour. Now the eye is gone now, which means and tells me that the storm has lost intensity because of its interaction with land. Also the Hurricane Hunter just flew through this storm and found 125 miles per hour not 145 any longer. Now it still could gain more strength up here in the Bahamas and become a category four again, but I believe the 11 o'clock advisory will probably remove that category four from it. Here's where we were earlier today. This storm, a significant storm, smashing on land at 145, gusts to 175. I don't even think I can imagine what 175 mile per hour gusts feel s like. Still moving to the north at 9 miles per hour and it's now south of the tip of Cuba by - at about 125 miles or so. Moving at 10 miles per hour, that's still an eight to ten hour, maybe 12 hour drive away before you finally get there. It is still right now a category four. The 11 o'clock advisory will update that for you and we'll get back to that as soon as we have those numbers.

[10:55:16] There is the storm smashing into Haiti this morning, eventually across into Cuba, and 145. But this, even if it's dying, could still possibly be 125 in the Bahamas, likely somewhere closer up here into the Cape Hatteras or maybe even to the Cape Canaveral area as a category two or three. Taking a look at Cape Canaveral, 120 miles per hour. That is Thursday night into Friday morning. That is a significant storm. Carol, look at the cone though, because it is possible that this makes landfall south Florida. It's also possible, the new model is saying so, somewhere up into the Carolinas as a major hurricane. We'll keep watching.

COSTELLO: Yes, and they are preparing in Florida right now. Chad Myers , many thanks. And thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Balduan after a break.

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