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First-Time Voters React to Election. Muslim Gold Star Dad Campaigns for Clinton; Dow Jumps After Clinton Cleared. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired November 7, 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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[09:30:46] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. Thank you so much for joining me from beautiful, gorgeous Washington, D.C. I'm Carol Costello.

Cynicism defines election 2016 but do all voters share a dark vision of America? I wanted to know, so we're going to talk to first-time voters to get their take on this race.

Adryanna Andreus is here. She's a senior at Howard University and a Clinton supporter. Tom Crean joins me. He's a freshman at George Washington University who supports Trump. And Robert Wines is a freshman at American University who is voting for third party candidate Evan McMullin.

Welcome to all of you. I'm so glad you're here.

TOM CREAN, MEMBER, GEORGE WASHINGTON COLLEGE REPUBLICANS: thank you for having us.

COSTELLO: Because this is really -- you guys are 18. Adriana, you're 20.

ADRIANA ANDRES: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK. So a lot of people wonder, will this election, since it's been so divisive, I mean, do you feel cynical already at the age of 18?

CREAN: You know -- you know, Carol, I think it has been divisive, but when the election results do come in, I think we, as a nation, are going to move past it. We have a robust design for our government that really prevents any one person from really destroying the government. So I feel like people giving dooms day predictions are a little out there because we are going to come together at the end of the day as Americans.

COSTELLO: Because, you know, a lot of people don't think that.

ROBERT WINES, MEMBER, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE REPUBLICANS: Well, I completely agree with Tom and what he said there basically because what we -- what everybody's forgetting is we do have a House, we have a Senate, that no matter who gets elected president, there's always a way to have a check on them. And what I think everybody's also forgetting is the fact that -- and especially in regards to conservatives, to maintain conservative values, it has to be done mostly in the House and the Senate in this election.

COSTELLO: So -- so, Adriyanna, the name calling that's been going on, on both sides, right?

ANDREUS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Does that -- I don't know, does that color your impression of politics and the way things should be run in this country?

ANDREUS: Yes, definitely. As someone whose family came from Haiti, so my family's come from immigrants, I'm going to have to disagree with the two gentlemen on the side. I think this country is going to be divisive because you're seeing this hatred, this misogyny, this white privilege come up in American and in politics. And you're seeing this person who is so gung hoe on making it divisive, sending people back, separating families. So I think it's very like troubling to hear people say they don't see that happening if Donald Trump becomes elected or even Hillary Clinton. This country has a lot of battles that we saw come into play and we're going to need a fix on those where we have --

COSTELLO: So the checks and balances thing doesn't quite work with you?

ANDREUS: No, it does not.

COSTELLO: So what would you say to Adryanna?

CREAN: You know, I think Trump really does get a bad rap. I personally voted for Trump as my first ever vote. I think -- I think he does get a bad rap because he is a movement of the people. Like the establishment has been against him from the beginning. And I think that's kind of a uniquely American campaign in a way because we as a country, against the odds, beat Great Britain, the most powerful --

COSTELLO: But how would you explain to Adryanna --

CREAN: How --

COSTELLO: Trump's remarks about Hispanics, his remarks about organizations like Black Lives Matter?

CREAN: Yes. Yes. I think a lot of it is taken out of context. Like Trump, I do believe, is a compassionate and intelligent man and a lot of it is taken out of context and manipulated by his political envies, which are many. So --

COSTELLO: So do you agree with that because you're also a Republican but you're voting for Evan McMullin.

WINES: Well, what it came down to here is, I looked at both candidates and I venture to say that they're equally as divisive because when you look at Donald Trump, he has definitely said a lot of questionable things. But at the same time, when you look at Hillary Clinton, it's just going to be the same failed policies that we've seen in the Obama administration. It's going to be the fact that she's going to expand Obamacare to the point where it's going to be unsustainable. And it's only going to make it worse in the long run. So I couldn't find myself voting for either candidate who I think is going to do bad things for America on both sides of the aisle. So that's why I found myself voting for Evan McMullin.

COSTELLO: See, this is making me feel like there's a big split even among young people.

ANDREUS: There is a huge split I would say among us, yes.

[09:35:01] COSTELLO: You do?

ANDREUS: But I think one thing we all can agree on is that as young people or millennials, we looked at the issues. We're not swayed by, you know, the celebrity of it all. We actually cared about the issues and the policies. And that's one thing I think that's great about our generation is that we're understanding that politics isn't just a game, it's our lives.

COSTELLO: So that said, what advice would you give to older voters when you sit around the dinner table and listen to your parents talk about politics, or you're out and about and you hear some old people, you know, talking about politics, what advice would you give them? What do you want to say to them?

ANDREUS: I would say that no candidate is entitled to our vote. They have to work for it. And it's something that we are making known now because it's what affect us in the future, right? We're voting for someone who's going to care about us for the next four years. All three of us are in college. So we understand what's going on with our student loan, our student debt, when we're going to graduate, what jobs are we going to get, how much are we going to get paid for it. And so we're making decisions based on our lives and ourselves and not on anyone else.

COSTELLO: So what advice would you have for --

CREAN: Well, my advice would be to not take -- not discount young people's political opinions because that -- that too often happens. We're the largest voting block now as millennials. And we want to be heard. So I feel like the advice I'd give to the older generation is definitely hear where millennials are going, what we're thinking, and hear us out.

COSTELLO: So, Robert?

WINES: In regards to everybody's vote, I'd venture to say that everybody needs to vote their conscience. And that's essentially what I did at the end of the day.

COSTELLO: But what makes -- what makes you angry when you're listening to the older generation talk about politics? What bugs you about it? WINES: What really bugs me is the fact that a lot of times I feel that

the millennial vote is completely ignored, even though we're the biggest voting bloc in this election. So -- and on top of that, I think there's essentially a view of ignorance in regards to millennials simply because of the new generation, a lot of the new technology that a lot of the older generation is not used to.

So what I think is, people just have to be more accepting to millennials, but at the same time I also think that millennials also have to be more accepting of traditional values that were -- that are greatly found in the older generations.

COSTELLO: Hmm, I'm trying to figure out what you -- what you mean by that. Do you know what he means by that, Adryanna?

ANDREUS: I don't. When I think of traditional values, I think of a system of systematic oppression, racism. So I can't really resonate with that. Someone whose family, like I said before, came from Haiti for freedom and having being able to experience that, I don't think traditionals -- or tradition, sorry, are the best way to look at it. And that's why I think I'm voting for Hillary Clinton because -- there's always this negative connotation of progressives, but I see it someone moving forward, understanding the issues, the problems and working towards a better solution.

COSTELLO: All right, I have to leave it there. Adryanna Andreus, Tom Crean, Robert Wines, thanks to all of you for joining me this morning.

ANDREUS: Thank you.

WINES: Thank you.

COSTELLO: And I'm so happy you're voting and I'm so happy you're so well informed. That's awesome.

All right, I want to take a look at the Dow right now It's jumping more than 200 points after the FBI cleared Hillary Clinton in the latest e-mail investigation.

We'll be right back with much more in the NEWSROOM.

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[09:42:27] COSTELLO: He has been one of the most effective messengers for Hillary Clinton during this campaign. Khizr Khan, the Muslim father of a soldier killed during the Iraq War, his takedown of Donald Trump at the Democratic convention gaining even more traction when Mr. Trump returned fire, sparking a back and forth that lasted several days. And now Khan is hammering home his message for Clinton right before Election Day.

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KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN MUSLIM-AMERICAN SOLDIER: Today I have a few questions for Donald Trump. Donald Trump, would my son, Captain Humayun Khan, have a place in your America? Would Muslims have a place in your America? Would Latinos have a place in your America? Would African-Americans have a place in your America, Donald Trump? Would anyone who isn't like you have a place in your America, Donald Trump? Well, thankfully, Mr. Trump, this isn't your America.

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COSTELLO: Joining me now from Boston, Khizr Khan.

Welcome, Mr. Khan.

KHIZR KHAN, FATHER OF FALLEN MUSLIM-AMERICAN SOLDIER: Hello.

COSTELLO: Hello and thank you for being here.

Your speech in New Hampshire last night, you seem moved by the positive reaction from the crowd. What was that like?

KHAN: It was really a reaffirmation of our journey and our belief that this nation, this country, is of good people. At the bottom of all of this debate and political process, this nation is of good people with good values and that is why you saw the reaction of the crowd when I reminded all of us what wonderful values we have enshrined in our Constitution and what is at stake in this election.

COSTELLO: You have been so deep into this election now. I wonder how you would characterize it.

KHAN: I said it last night and I'll repeat, this election has been divisive. This election, because of Donald Trump's rhetoric, had been excluding others, excluding minorities, division between communities, hateful un-American rhetoric that has no place, has never been like this in the history of this country and never will again ever happen because the good people of this country have made up their mind.

[09:45:11] The enthusiasm that I have seen throughout my travel, throughout while I have been speaking to various civic and community organizations, the enthusiasm in support of Hillary Clinton and rejection of Donald Trump, you will be so pleased to know that the -- that the firm belief in the goodness of America prevails in this country.

COSTELLO: Well, but the polls -- the polls have tightened. It could be a close election. It's looking that way now if you look at the poll of polls, if you look at national polls. So, Donald Trump's message is resonating with a large part of the elected body in this country.

KHAN: Carol, we live in our democracy is two party system. And these numbers and these facts do reflect reality on the ground. But personally speaking, in my observation, and thereafter the enthusiasm in support of the good values, Hillary Clinton is the only candidate that embodies the positive values, the values that distinguish this community, this society, this country among the rest of the nations in the world. There is so much support for her that these results are going to be in her favor. I have -- I have observed with my own eyes. I have observed communities, sometimes those reactions are not reflected in the polls, but at personal level I am so enthusiastic, I'm so positive about the result in favor of Secretary Clinton.

COSTELLO: I did want to ask you about what's going on in Mosul right now. Donald Trump has called it a disaster. Our Arwa Damon has been in the middle of the battlefield. We're going to show that story in the next hour of NEWSROOM. I just wondered if you had time to pay attention to that and how you think that's going.

KHAN: Look, these are very serious matters of our armed forces. These are matters of defense. These candidates and especially temperamentally unsuitable candidate for presidency Donald Trump should not be commenting on these matters. These are very delicate matters of defense, matters for our armed forces and our leadership to handle instead of for political expediency this candidate continues to interfere and without realizing the delicacy of the matter of our armed forces are handling. So I leave that in the good hands of our military leaders. They have the interest of the country and the best of country in their mind and in their hearts. So I fully trust them but I don't trust Donald Trump and I will caution him again not to interfere with these delicate matters of our national security and our defense.

COSTELLO: What do you think that your son would say if he knew that you were so involved in the election on his behalf?

KHAN: Carol, I have repeated and I'll say that again, we -- he passed away in 2004. We mourn privately. We continue to grieve privately. We are private people. But enough is enough. When Donald Trump started his bigotry, started talking about banning Muslims, throwing out Hispanic Americans, disrespecting women, disrespecting our judges, somebody had to speak. We spoke on behalf of the children that were scared at that time. They would reach out to us and say, is this true that this will take place? Somebody had to spend some time in a citizen's life. There comes a time that your personal interest, your personal preference, your personal security takes back a stage interest of your country, interest of others. So if Captain Humayun Khan were standing right here next to me, he will applaud that we are speaking, our journey had been in the interest of others for the better of other and that is why we stand for the candidate Hillary Clinton because she is embodiment of those values. So Captain Humayun Khan will be very proud of us and will encourage us to continue to do that because in his life, till the last breathe, he spent that for the care of others.

[09:50:04] COSTELLO: All right, Khizr Khan, thank you so much for joining me this morning.

Coming up in the NEWSROOM, the FBI clears Hillary Clinton again, and the Dow clears 250 after the open. What's going on?

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COSTELLO: The Dow jumping more than 250 points after the FBI once again clears Hillary Clinton in that e-mail investigation. CNN business correspondent Alison Kosik has more.

Good morning. ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

You are watching a stock market that is expecting a Hillary Clinton win on Tuesday. This is a market that has been closely watching what's been happening in the news. I'm talking about the election. And we've been watching it play out in the stock market.

[09:55:07] You look at the past week, the markets have really been struggling as we've watched the polls between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton tighten. You saw the nervousness in those numbers on Wall Street. But then, in just a snap overnight when that news came out about the FBI clearing Hillary Clinton, we saw the futures jump and we knew when the opening bell rang this morning that we would see a huge rally as you're seeing right now. The Dow up 266 points.

Why is that? Well, Donald Trump, as far as wall Street sees it, represents disruption, he represents change. Those are things that make Wall Street feel uneasy. They look toward Hillary Clinton as sort of the continuity candidate and that is why you are seeing the rally this morning.

Interestingly enough, Macro Economic Advisors, a group of analysts, have predicted that if Hillary Clinton wins, we would see a 2 percent jump in the S&P 500 the day after the election. Well, Carol, it looks like that gift came a little early.

Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Alison Kosik reporting live.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM after a break.

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