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African American Voter Turnout Lower than Past Two Election Cycles; Man Captured in Shooting Deaths of Two Cops; Iraqi Forces at Mosul's Doorstep; Cubs Win Game Six of the World Series. Aired 10:30- 11a ET.

Aired November 2, 2016 - 10:30   ET

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN: All right, let's talk a little politics now. More than 24 million Americans have already cast their ballot for president. But a dip in African American voters across the battleground states could prove worrisome for Hillary Clinton. That's why President Obama is on a tear right now. He will campaign for Clinton in Raleigh, Miami, Jacksonville, Fayetteville, Charlotte, and Orlando. And this morning, he spoke to popular African American radio host Tom Joiner to lay out the stakes for the Black community.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BARACK OBAMA: The Latino vote is up. Overall vote is up. But the African American vote right now is not as solid as it needs to be. You know what, I need everybody to understand that everything we've done is dependent on me being able to pass the baton to somebody who believes in the same things I believe in. And so if you really care about my presidency and what we've accomplished, then you are going to go and vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right, so let's talk about this. With me now is Nikole Hannah-Jones, a staff writer for the "New York Times Magazine"; Jennifer Carroll, former Florida lieutenant governor and a Donald Trump supporter; and Angela Rye, CNN Political Commentator and Former Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus. Welcome to all of you.

ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Thank you Carol.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. I want to focus on North Carolina first, because the NAACP in that state filed a lawsuit Monday over Black voter suppression. A federal appeals court accused republicans of an almost surgical assault on Black turnout. According to the New York Times, Black voters had only one polling place to cast a ballot in Gilford County, North Carolina. In 2012, there were 16 locations. So Jennifer, is Mr. Trump right? Is the election rigged?

JENNIFER CARROLL, FORMER FLORIDA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: Well, during election times we always have some irregularities in the voting process and this is nothing new this election cycle. But when you talked about the voter suppression, I would like every Black voter to turn out and vote. Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, would be appalled at the voter turnout that we have seen in recent times with Black voters. There's a lot stake. Much for our communities, economics, education, safety and security, so Black voters need to be a part of the process that's going to bring about a change and a difference for their community.

COSTELLO: So, Angela, is it a problem with vote suppression or is it enthusiasm among Black voters that's the problem?

RYE: I think you have a combined effect, Carol. There are some folks who aren't enthusiastic and even less enthusiastic after they've heard Donald Trump at rallies talking about he needs poll watchers, from his rallies, and we know what kind of folks end up going to Donald Trump rallies sometimes in places like Saint Louis, in Chicago, in Philadelphia. That is effectively voter intimidation. It's so interesting to hear the former lieutenant governor talk about Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey and Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman. I'm sure they would be woefully ashamed of what Florida has done to felons in disenfranchising their votes. I'm sure they would be horribly ashamed at the fact that Donald Trump was at a rally in Sanford, Florida, and talked about Black people getting shot going to get a loaf of bread outside of their homes, Carol, and of course we know that Sanford, Florida is the same place where this vigilante, George Zimmerman, shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Black people are issue voters. We want to be mobilized and motivated by the issues. We've seen Black voters and take over attorneys - states attorneys who had not prosecuted police officers for police brutality, excessive force, and killing Black people. Those are the kinds of things we need to be talking about during this election and not quoting Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas in this shameful way.

COSTELLO: I want to go back to this issue of voter intimidation because there's a headline on Politico this morning and this is the headline: It says, "White Nationalists Plot Election Day Show of Force." In an excerpt from the article, "The Oath Keepers, a group of former law enforcement and military members that often shows up in public heavily armed is advising members to go undercover and conduct intelligence gathering at polling places and Donald Trump ally Roger Stone is organizing his on exit polling, aiming to monitor thousands of precincts across the country." I'm going to ask you about that in a second, Jennifer, but I wanted to ask Nikole, do you believe that sort of thing will happen?

NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES, STAFF WRITER NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: I think it's possible I don't think that that's what's effecting votes. And I actually would like to correct one thing about Black voting patterns. We know in 2008 and 2012, Black Americans actually voted at the highest rate of any group of voters, in particularly Black women. But I think we shouldn't say that Black - that Black people - that our ancestors would be disappointed at voting patterns. Black people have voted at very high rates. I think it's understandable that following the election of the first black president, you don't have those same historic rates, but we also know that we're likely seeing some of the results of the different voter ID laws and other tactics that have occurred in the last few years. [10:35:07]

COSTELLO: So what's happening in North Carolina is a real concern in your mind?

HANNAH-JONES: I think that when you look at the loss of voter precincts and places that people can vote, I think that you're clearly going to see an impact on that.

COSTELLO: So, Jennifer, I did want to ask you about this Politico article. Do you really believe that this group called the Oath Keepers will show up at polling places and they'll be gathering intelligence and is Roger Stone really going to send people out en masse to polling stations?

CARROLL: I have no idea about that. People can say one thing and do something else. But I do want to make the correction that of recent times in a primary election and as general election, we are seeing lower voter turnout of African Americans. And that is concerning because of the '08 and the '12 elections, we had such a mass turnout and an involvement in Black being involved in a political process. And that's just (--)

COSTELLO: But, Jennifer, might this sort of thing be a reason why?

CARROLL: Well, I think it's the enthusiasm for both candidates. People are not as enthused with Hillary Clinton with her past record of 20, 30 years of not really supporting African Americans and their issues; looking at her calling Blacks super predators and supporting incarceration of Black males more so than White males; looking at her support for White immigrants over Black immigrants. I'm an immigrant. She doesn't talk about the Haitian immigrants, the Caribbean immigrants, the African immigrants, and supporting their numbers in the amount of drone(ph) numbers that she's talking about the Syrian refugees. And these are people that she's called never-do-well, professional never-do-wells who are those type of immigrants. And these people come into our country and create business. Their cultures enhance the economics in our communities. So I don't see where she's supported school choice for our parents to have an opportunity to extract their kids from failing schools to have a better choice. And so therefore the economy and the jobs and the safety and security for our Black communities have been failing throughout the years

RYE: Carol.

COSTELLO: Angela, Angela (--)

RYE: I have to respond to something. Lieutenant Governor, with all due respect, I'm just trying to figure out where this Black support that you're talking about was when Stand Your Ground was taking Black people out? Where were you for Marissa Alexander? Where were you for Trayvon Martin? It is so interesting to me that now all of a sudden you are a Black militant, former Lieutenant Governor, and you have a horrible record at defending People of Color. I am very interested to see something different from you than beside this - in this lip service that you are giving to us right now.

CARROLL: Well, it's not lip service because I chaired the task force with Samuel Brown in the state of Florida and the Marissa Alexander and the Trayvon Martin cases were two separate incidents with regard to (INAUDIBLE). Also, as a state representative, I supported and sponsored legislation for Black citizen's growth and development in the state of Florida. I supported funding the historical Black colleges at a time when they were on a veto block. I supported for having Black malic force(ph) programs that teach Black males how it would be in a college environment to encourage them to go to college.

COSTELLO: OK.

CARROLL: I supported funding (--)

COSTELLO: I want to bring it back to the election for just a second.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I'm going to direct this question here because Nikole has written a very interesting article, actually, in the New York Times Magazine about how some of the things that Donald Trump says does resonate within the Black community.

HANNAH-JONES: I think that we often don't like the messenger, but clearly when Donald Trump is criticizing democratic leadership in terms of Black racial disparities, I think that that is something that a lot of Black Americans have talked about for a long time. This feeling that because republican candidates seem opposed to civil rights, they're forced to vote for democrats but oftentimes democrats take Black Americans for granted.

COSTELLO: So maybe, Angela, the things that Donald Trump says about the African American community and the things that he says about democrats not really being very helpful within those communities doesn't mean that African Americans will vote for Trump, but may mean that they're not as enthusiastic to go out and vote for Hillary Clinton either.

RYE: I think that's certainly the case, Carol. I think you do have an issue of enthusiasm, but I think more of that issue now is what we're seeing. We're seeing an FBI that hasn't been particularly fair in the last couple of days. We are seeing the fact that voter suppression is alive and well even after Shelby V. Holder. We're seeing the fact that people don't want us to turn out in the numbers that we did in 2008 and 2012. And Black - actually Black voter participation even in 2012 went down a little bit from 2008. Those are the issues facing us. We're just trying to live and thrive in this country, and that is why I challenge the Lieutenant Governor the way that I did. Black people are trying to fight for the right to live, not just earn wages, not just get support for their business, not just have better and stronger schools, but just the right to life; just the right to life. That's a bit issue. That's a bit issue and they have to believe - we have to believe in the system and right now that's been challenged. [10:40:04]

COSTELLO: So, Jennifer, last word because it doesn't appear that Donald Trump is inspiring many African Americans to go to the polls for him, although we don't know that yet because election day has not arrived, but your final thoughts. CARROLL: Right. It could be an assumption, but at least he's trying and he's making an appeal and he's the only republican presidential candidate in my lifetime to make a direct appeal to the African American voters and address their issues and make a statement that he will work with the African American communities to fix the issues that have been impeding them for so many years. And I give him props for that.

COSTELLO: All right. Thanks so much for all of you being here. We're working on breaking news out of Iowa. We don't have it quite yet, which is why I was a little distracted, so thank you Nikole Hannah-Jones, Jennifer Carroll, and Angela Rye. Thanks so much.

Actually, we've got that. We're learning that the search for the suspect who police say ambushed and killed two police officers overnight is now over. On the phone with me now is Sergeant Paul - you're going to have to tell me how to pronounce your last name, sir.

SERGEANT PAUL PARIZEK, DES MOINES POLICE DEPARTMENT: It's Parizek.

COSTELLO: Thank you and I apologize. You're the public information officer for the Des Moines Police Department, so give us the latest. Is this man in custody?

PARIZEK: Yes, we've got the person we identified as the suspect in custody right now.

COSTELLO: Where did you find him?

PARIZEK: He was located in a neighboring county, just west of Polk County which is where Des Moines is located. It was Dallas County.

COSTELLO: Was he in his truck?

PARIZEK: We have not located his vehicle just yet. The details are still kind of filtering in from the officers over there, but it looks like he was on foot on a road.

COSTELLO: So he was running down the road when he was captured.

PARIZEK: I don't know if he was running, but he was on foot on a roadway when he was captured.

COSTELLO: Got you. So did it appear that anyone was helping him?

PARIZEK: He was alone when he was taken into custody.

COSTELLO: And then how did you come to find him?

PARIZEK: We don't have those details just yet. He was located in Dallas County by officers over there. We don't know how they did that, but we know they did that. So this just happened.

COSTELLO: So, was he armed?

PARIZEK: At the time of his arrest? COSTELLO: Yes.

PARIZEK: We don't have that information just yet.

COSTELLO: Is there anything (--)

PARIZEK: It just happened.

COSTELLO: It just happened. And we do appreciate your being on so quickly with us. Is there any more information on why this man was allegedly involved with these two police officer's deaths?

PARIZEK: We don't really know. I mean, if you're talking about motive, that's probably something that we won't determine until the end of this investigation. And that's if we are able to determine exactly what the motive for this happen was(ph). As far as the leads that came in early on that led him to us identifying Mr. Greene as the person that we were interested in talking to about this, we can't really discuss those details at this time.

COSTELLO: Yes, because I was just going to ask you if this man was known to you and what led you to this man as a suspect.

PARIZEK: Hello?

COSTELLO: What led you to this man as a suspect? We lost him. Oh, I'm so sorry. But the good news is is that this man, wanted in connection with the death of these two police officers in Iowa. One was killed ambush style in Des Moines. Another was killed ambush style in a town not very far away from Des Moines. And this man, Scott Michael Greene, was found in a neighboring county outside of his vehicle. We don't know if he ditched it or not, and it appears that no one was helping him, but hopefully we'll know more about this man and why these two officers were killed ambush style in the coming ours on CNN. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [10:45:00]

COSTELLO: Iraqi forces now at Mosul's doorstep. It's as close as the coalition backed troops have come in their push to recapture the city, the last major stronghold for ISIS in Iraq. Their advance, expected to trigger some of the fiercest fighting yet. Arwa Damon is embedded with Iraqi troops. She joins us now live with more.

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, we were just on that front line, around 600 feet from Mosul itself next to the Mosul TV antenna station. And this is what many people do actually consider to be its eastern most perimeter. The neighborhoods there were coming under some pretty intense mortar, rocket, and sniper fire by ISIS elements, believed to be inside Mosul itself. And on the road going up there the Iraqi counter terrorism units were regularly clearing IEDs. Intelligence about where they were buried was, in fact, on at least two occasions that we wouldn't have seen, given to them by the civilian population. And the particular town that they were moving through, the town of Gugjali, which is what they are currently in the process of clearing of the last ISIS elements and of explosives. The residents there did not flea ahead of the offensive and the Iraqi security forces pretty much told everyone to stay in place and take cover. Around 20,000 people were still there. We spoke to a number of them and the stories are just unbelievable. We spoke to one mother who said that ISIS enslaved her for not supporting them, raped her, and then she gave birth to a baby boy. And she says all she can do is pray he never finds out about his father. [10:50:00]

COSTELLO: Just horrible stories. So we'll wait to see if they can make it inside the city and get more of those poor people out. Arwa Damon, reporting live from inside Iraq this morning. Still to come in THE NEWSROOM: New Hampshire in the crosshairs. Clinton sending out her surrogates, while Trump hammers away on Clinton's email.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right, this news just in to CNN: President Obama making his first public comments about the FBI decision to announce its review of emails that could be tied to Hillary Clinton's private server. Here's what he said:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We don't operate on innuendo. We don't operate on incomplete information. We don't operate on leaks. We operate based on concrete decisions that are made. When this was investigated thoroughly the last time, the conclusion of the FBI, the conclusion of the justice department, the conclusion of repeated congressional investigations was that, you know, she had made some mistakes but that there wasn't anything there that was, you know, prosecutable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right, we'll have much more about what the President said about the FBI investigation on the next hour on CNN. All right, less than a week to go. The map says it all. Battleground states pave the way to the White House and the candidates know it; Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, along with their top surrogates, fanning out across the swing states today. Miguel Marquez has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Granite State republicans hammering away at Clinton's email issues.

UNKNOWN MALE: There's a concert of corruption that she's brought to the democratic party from top to bottom.

MARQUEZ (voice over): Democrat say the FBI's bombshell has only hardened support, turning out more volunteers for Clinton over the weekend.

MARQUEZ: And the voters you're hearing from, the people you're talking to, it doesn't(--)

UNKNOWN FEMALE: They're not asking about it either. MARQUEZ (voice over): New polling shows a tightening race; a fierce fight for New Hampshire's four electoral votes; Clinton still up by 7 points. But just a couple of weeks ago, she was up by 15. Tuesday, Clinton bringing in her biggest help, Bernie Sanders kicking off his nationwide tour for her with two stops in New Hampshire.

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS, SUPPORTING CLINTON: The differences between Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump are day and night. [10:55:01]

MARQUEZ (voice over): And last week, it was Senator Elizabeth Warren, a favorite among liberals, firing up women.

SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN: Well, I've got news for you, Donald Trump.

MARQUEZ (voice over): Since clinching the nomination,

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We love New Hampshire.

MARQUEZ (voice over): Trump has visited New Hampshire nine times.

PENCE: Hello, New Hampshire.

MARQUEZ (voice over): Pence, four. Hoping the email revelations could put the state in play, but...

ANDREW SMITH, UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE SURVEY CENTER: We still have only about - less than 80 percent of republicans saying that they're going to vote for Trump. He needs to have 90 percent plus of the republicans that are going to vote for(ph).

MARQUEZ (voice over): With more female than male voters here, Clinton running well ahead of Trump among women. Her campaign now targeting men as well.

UNKNOWN FEMALE: And what I've often heard men say is, "I have two daughters, and I want them to be able to grow up and have every advantage."

MARQUEZ (voice over): Both campaigns running full bore; 1.4 million door knocks and 1.3 million calls for republicans. Democrats counter at nearly 600,000 individual doors knocked and more than 2 million calls in this tiny state.

UNKNOWN MALE: It's the craziest I've ever seen.

MARQUEZ (voice over): This election, anything possible.

UNKNOWN MALE: The electoral college map has been a mess. I mean, you have Hillary going to red states, you have Trump going to blue states.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: So the question here in New Hampshire still is whether or not the email issue is having an effect. It's not entirely clear. The poll numbers that we see out of here right now, they were taken last Wednesday through Sunday. They only captured a couple of days. Pollsters say it will take a couple more days now before we know the full effect of it. We may just see this race becoming closer as they typically do this close to the election. Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Miguel Marquez, reporting live from Manchester, New Hampshire this morning. Still to come in THE NEWSROOM: History will be made on the ball field tonight for one team a decades long drought about to end; for the other a long winter is ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 1908 versus 1948, one of these World Series droughts ends tonight. The Cubs and Indians play game seven of the World Series, winner take all. Andy Scholes, live in Cleveland with THE BLEACHER REPORT. Good morning.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. It doesn't get any better than this; game seven of the World Series. The Cubs haven't won in 108 years; the Indians 58 years. The misery finally ends for one of these fan bases tonight. I'll tell you what, the Cubs had a great night last night, sucked the air out of Progressive Field right there in the first inning, already up 1-0. Addison Russell at the plate with two on, he hit the ball to right center field and the Indians have a big miss. No one catches the ball, it drops to the ground, two runs come into score. It is three to nothing. Then Russell comes back up to the plate in the top of the third with the bases loaded. That's a grand slam. He's the youngest player ever to hit a grand slam in the World Series, behind only Mickey Mantle. Russell had six RBIs in the game, tying a World Series record. The Cubs got a big win in game six. Nine to three in the fourth(ph). Tonight's winner-take-all game seven. The Indians: They've got the pitching edge tonight in terms of starters. Their ace boy Klubber will be on the mound. He's already won two games in the series. He'll be opposite the Cub's Kyle Hendricks. I'll tell you what, Carol, ticket prices for tonight's game, outrageous. To get in, the cheapest tickets, standing room only, going for about $1000.00 right now on the secondary market. And around the corner at the ticket office, hundreds of fans lined up right now trying to get last- second release by the Indians, trying to get the tickets for face value to see history inside the ballpark tonight. I'll tell you what, this could be Chicago's week, Carol. The Bears beat the Vikings on Monday night football, the Bulls are 3 and 0, and hey, maybe the Cubs win their first World Series in 108 years.

COSTELLO: No, they're going to get Klubbered tonight. And if they do (--)

SCHOLES: Klubbered.

COSTELLO: Then someone should erect a statue of Mr. Klubber and, then, like, genuflect in front of it.

SCHOLES: They might.

COSTELLO: Exactly. Andy Scholes, thanks so much.

SCHOLES: All right. COSTELLO: And thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "AT THIS HOUR" with Berman and Bolduan starts now.