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The Lead with Jake Tapper

NTSB: Plane Hit Van Carrying 7 People After Leaving Runway; Trump Goes After Canada; CNN Provides Update on Hurricane Lowell. Witkoff: "Confident" Of "Good Resolution" From Ukraine, Russia Talks; Trump Suggests Renaming New Mexico "New America"; Cuban Influencer Shares Tips On How To Survive Blackouts. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired September 07, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[16:59:44]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Brand new details just in on the deadly crash of an Amazon cargo plane. "The Lead" starts right now.

A fiery crash landing killing five people. What went wrong as the Amazon jet came in for a landing? NTSB teams are on the scene and just gave their initial assessment. Plus, President Trump goes after Canada, throwing new insults online, even putting a fake U.S. flag over the Canadian map, and what is to come in a matter of hours will only escalate the trade war between the two countries. And drama outside the White House. Why a construction worker had to be rushed to the hospital.

All right, welcome to "The Lead." I'm John Berman, in for Jake Tapper on this Labor Day. We start with breaking news in our "National Lead," the plane crash at Miami International Airport that killed at least five people and injured five more. Now, moments ago, the National Transportation Safety Board gave an update. We learned the Amazon cargo plane had two crew members and after the plane overran the runway, it hit a cleaning company van that was carrying seven people on airport grounds, and then continued to hit a Toyota Corolla outside the airport.

The NTSB did not say who exactly are among the dead and injured. Responders previously said the pilots were removed from the plane and were being treated, but their condition is unclear. This is video of the crash itself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN (voice-over): Oh (bleep). Oh, my (bleep) God. Oh (bleep). Oh, my (bleep).

BERMAN: Even before the plane reached the end of the runway, it was still going nearly 130 miles per hour. It smashed the concrete barriers designed to keep cars out of the secure area, then headed straight for a four-lane road. It stopped just shy of a parking lot that was filled with dozens of cars. By that point, the plane was on fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: We're going to get right to CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean who joins us now by phone. He is in Miami. Pete, you were in that briefing with the NTSB. That's the first time we've heard from them in this level of detail. What stood out to you?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Well, the big headline from NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy is that this was utter devastation. It's how she described the scene after the NTSB along with a team of about two dozen investigators toured the site today of this Amazon Air Boeing 767 with its tail in the air. It careened off the runway, according to the public source data, at about 130 miles an hour with incredible force, then traveled about 1,700 feet before coming to rest in a parking lot inhabited by Tesla Cybercabs.

In that trail of devastation, you mentioned the Econoline van, the white van, that NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said was essentially destroyed by the nose of this airplane as it came through the perimeter road on the interior of the fence of the airport, then through the fence, then through four lanes of road, Northwest 67th Avenue, then ultimately stopping. She said that this is truly a tragedy and this is something that's known officially as a runway excursion.

I asked NTSB Chair Homendy if these happen with too much regularity because there have been an unprecedented four saves by the engineered material arresting system that we've been talking about so much today that could have potentially changed the outcome here, a bed of crushable cement at the end of a runway designed to prevent this. She said the NTSB has investigated 3,000 runway excursions since 2008, and she said simply one is too many.

So much more for the NTSB to dig into here. And right now, the NTSB is preparing to put the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder from this plane. Thankfully, it sounds like they are intact, onboard a 722 flight from Miami back to D.C. to the NTSB recorder's lab where they'll begin dissecting the material that is in those two recorders. What's really critical here is for NTSB investigators to hear the interplay between the two pilots onboard. Did they realize that they were coming in too fast? Did they realize that there may have been a chance to save this and abort the landing?

We only get one side of a conversation, essentially, from the air traffic control audio that's out there in the public space. What else is in the public space is all of this video, and the NTSB is asking those who have maybe seen this crash to send it to witness at ntsb.gov because that gives them more clues. Right now, though, the focus is on the perishable evidence, all of the material, the forensic evidence that is at the scene.

And the NTSB chair essentially describes it as chaotic. There is fuel on the scene. There are crews defueling the airplane, taking fuel out of the airplane so it can be safer for investigators to do their work. And sadly, this is still a recovery mission, they say, so it's possible that the death toll theoretically goes up as they continue to get their hands around this. [17:05:05]

First responders still on the scene right now.

BERMAN: So many new details out of this briefing. Pete, great to have you there inside that room. Stick around for a moment, if you will. I want to bring in Mary Schiavo, former inspector general at the Department of Transportation. Mary, the NTSB says they were able to recover the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. Pete just reported that. They're on a plane back to D.C. How long will it take to get information from them, and what would you hone in on as being the most important?

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: Well, they'll be able to download the information provided there's no damage and there shouldn't be to the data on the black boxes, and they will download them literally overnight. They will have it.

Now, on the cockpit voice recording, they never release to the public the actual voices, the actual sounds of the pilot and what's in the cockpit. That's considered privacy protected, but they will release a transcript, so they'll have to prepare that from what's on the CVR.

On the flight data recorder, it's computer data, so it has to be interpreted, but they are going to obviously be working very quickly, and I think we will have it in a couple. The NTSB people will have information about what's on it tomorrow. The public will probably see it in a, you know, couple days or a few days.

BERMAN: Pretty quickly. Pete, you reported this is still an active scene, a recovery scene. What are some of the unanswered questions, Pete, that you have right now?

MUNTEAN (voice-over): I think the big questions that I have right now are obviously what is in the voice and data recorder. Was it fully captured? Were the conversations all there? Because we have seen in previous incidents that, essentially, the tape has run out on the voice recorder and making it harder for investigators to do their work, leaving essentially a huge piece of evidence on the table.

The other big question is whether or not there could have been changes here to the approach path by the pilots. The data from Flightradar24, and I think we have this graphic, shows that the plane essentially came in at a sort of steeper angle because it ballooned up past the normal glide path, the steady descent, which pilots know as a stabilized approach and may have potentially made what's called an unstable approach.

So, were the errors made early before the pilots could fully correct them and did they make a choice, which could potentially be on the voice recorder, to go around too late? Why be so committed to a landing if it was flawed from the start? This is clearly a case of an attempted landing that could have gone so much better, that ended in tragedy. BERMAN: So, Mary, Pete was reporting that the Miami International Airport does not have the arrestor beds, the pad of crushable material at the end of the runway that stop an aircraft or can from overrunning. I only learned about the existence of these a few weeks ago when Pete did a look at some of these around the country. They are at many big airports. How much of a difference do you think that might have made here?

SCHIAVO: Oh, a huge difference. These are lifesaving. They're on 122 runways, give or take, in 70 airports. And the FAA, right on their website, documents at least 400 or almost 500 people that are alive today because of these arrestor beds. They start at JFK in 1996.

And the chairman did not waste any time. One of the first things she said is they will be looking at the airport, about the AMAS, the arrestor bed system. They're going to look at the airfield, the weather, the piloting, the plane, the airline.

And then she said one more thing, and this is really important, in connection with the arrestor beds. She says she's also going to look at, or they are, the NTSB, is also going to look at the performance of the FAA. What people don't realize, in NTSB accidents, the FAA has cited, at least in three-fourths of the accidents, as not having performed as they should have.

And here, I think, she will be looking at the FAA's guidelines. If you have a thousand feet at the end of the runway, they say it's enough, you don't need arrestor beds. I think we can expect that that will be deemed inadequate because she noted this plane went 1,500 feet, 1,700 feet beyond the end of the runway. So, the FAA's performance will come under investigation in this accident as well.

BERMAN: That is a notable thing to look for as we get more information. So, Pete, how unusual is it, at this point, that we don't have more details on who was killed or injured here, including, specifically, the pilots?

MUNTEAN (voice-over): We know that the injured went, at least some of them, to a level one trauma center, and they had critical injuries. We also know that some of them went to a nearby emergency department with fewer injuries. The NTSB, its role is specifically transportation, safety, and investigating to make things better.

[17:10:00]

And so, they typically do not release any information about the injured or the dead. It's just not necessarily in their purview. That's for a medical examiner to do.

I do want to mention one more thing about EMAS because you mentioned the story that I did not long ago showing that system an unprecedented number of saves it has made recently, four saves in the last year, three private jets, one commercial jet. A United Express flight landing in Roanoke, Virginia in a rainstorm similar to this landed long, spoke to a passenger on board who said, we got past the halfway point, I've made this approach before. I'm on this flight all the time, and I thought, hmm, that's probably not right. And he said, we sailed past the halfway point. And you remember that EMAS was there. The plane suddenly stopped using the property of resistive drag, essentially to pull the plane to a quick stop.

It's something that they said this couple could not have seen the birth of their grandchild. It's something that is a lifesaver. And the NTSB has pointed to time and time again as a recommendation. It can only make recommendations. The FAA implements the regulations.

BERMAN: The recommendations that seem worth listening to. Mary Schiavo, thank you so much for being with us. Pete, great reporting on the ground. Thank you for being with us.

Still ahead on "The Lead," a man accused of trying to attack Amy Acton, Ohio's Democratic candidate for governor, at a county fair. Police say the man had two guns and brass knuckles. We're going to hear from a witness who saw the alleged attack up close. Plus, Canada's prime minister once again pushing back on U.S. tariffs today, calling them unjustified and unprovoked. Hear how that country plans for retaliation could go well beyond a trade war. That's next.

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[17:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: In our "World Lead," at 12.01 a.m., technically tomorrow morning, Canada's retaliatory tariffs are set to take effect. Northern U.S. states they rely on Canada for exports, they will be hit hard, and supply chains for dairy, seafood, farm equipment, electronics, paper goods, notably steel and aluminum, will all be disrupted.

The president has had all kinds of wild social media posts, including -- quote -- "Canada's dollar imbalance with the U.S. is unacceptable. It has been that way for years, but no longer. President DJT." The president also posted an image of a U.S. flag covering Canada and Greenland. And then there was one of him hovering over Prime Minister Mark Carney, both in hockey gear with the text, "get up, governor."

With us now is Ottawa City councilor and Deputy Mayor Tim Tierney. Thank you so much for being with us. Prime Minister Mark Carney says there are no talks currently scheduled between the U.S. and Canada. Are you or Canadians prepared for life to get more expensive?

TIM TIERNEY, DEPUTY MAYOR OF OTTAWA, PRESIDENT OF FEDERATION OF CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES: Yes, thanks a lot for having me on today, John. I actually wear a couple of different hats. One, I'm actually the president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. So, I represent over 2,200 municipalities across the country. So, I hear from coast to coast to coast the concern.

But you're quite right in the lead up to this. This really affects residents on both sides of the border. Michigan is going to get hit in the auto sector, dollar for dollar. Ohio, of course, we've got steel. Wisconsin, Midwest, agriculture and the potash industry. New York, tourism. And, of course, Texas with the energy and the chemicals.

It really serves nobody except punishing the constituents on both sides of the border by going ahead with this trade and tariff war that's taking place right now.

BERMAN: This is what U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said about why talks fell apart a few weeks ago. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIESON GREER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: Yeah, we tried to touch on all the things that matter to them, give them a better deal on autos, on steel, on aluminum, on lumber. They looked the steel square in the face and after a few days decided to walk it back. We don't know all of the reasons why. Maybe it was politics. It doesn't seem to make a lot of economic sense for them, but that's what happened. And the future of it, well, it depends on Canada. They're the ones that walked away and announced a suspension in talks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So, Jamieson Greer says Canada walked away. How do Canadians see it?

TIERNEY: Well, I think, clearly, we've witnessed over the last little while a bit of a name game taking place. First of all, I'll make it very clear, it's Lake Ontario. But at the same time, there's a lot of things that have been taking place that are just distractions because we all know, at the end of the day, when you have $4 a gallon in gasoline down in the United States, seven percent interest rates, we have to get to a solution. We went in in good faith and at the last minute, the carpet was yanked out from under us.

Certainly, our prime minister has made it very clear, we're always open to real discussions. But that hasn't taken place. And, unfortunately, we're in a position we are right now. Maybe in the 11th hour, wiser minds can come together.

But right now, my focus, along with even American politicians -- look, I was talking to Van Johnson from Savannah, Georgia, great mayor by the way, and he loves Canadians. He understands the impacts. Kevin Kramer, the president of the National League of Cities from Illinois, is also very concerned. The local governments feel it first. You'll feel it first. And we want to make sure that we're going to be the governing body that will ensure that we get everyone together on the same page.

BERMAN: So, in the vein of coming with props, which I see you did, on a little bit of a lighter note, Canadians, too, are trying their hands at renaming things. Late last month, Ottawa City Council voted unanimously to rename a residential street called Trump Avenue. And some suggestions for the new name include Obama Avenue, Gulf of Mexico Avenue or even Taco Avenue, which is a reference to the acronym Trump Always Chickens Out. Am I missing any suggestions here? How long would it take to rename the street?

[17:19:58]

TIERNEY: Well, first of all, last time during Trump one, when the president was Trump the first time, they actually went to a bit of a public site within the street and it tied at 50-50 because there was a lot of concerns. I think people wanted to change the name, but you have to change your deeds, you have to change all those different things.

Now, based on some of the latest name games, I can assure you, even though we've made direction, it's probably going to be a few months. And the local district councilor, Riley Brockington, is taking in all the names right now. I think it's going to have a name that represents New York, like all the neighboring streets. It will be a great name. We've heard Mary Trump. We've heard a few others for sure. But all these name games don't serve the public. I think what serves the public is getting something put together and not punishing constituents on both sides of the border.

BERMAN: You said maybe there will be something that comes through at the 11th hour. It is practically the 11th hour, just a few hours from now. Ottawa Deputy Mayor Tim Tierney, we do appreciate you being with us. Thanks so much for joining us.

Breaking news this hour, a brand-new update on Hurricane Lowell as this dangerous system inches ever closer to Hawaii. And California Governor Gavin Newsom, why he is across the country in South Carolina these days and weighing in on whether it has anything to do with his possible plans for 2028. Here's a hint. Yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Breaking news in the "National League." A brand-new forecast this hour on Hurricane Lowell as it closes in on the Hawaiian Islands. In some areas, Lowell could drop up to 14 inches of rain and create dangerous surf and heavy mudslides. I want to get right to CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam who is tracking this. Derek?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: John, the hurricane hunters have been collecting critical data to help us fine tune the exact forecast path of Hurricane Lowell. This is what it looked like from their cockpit. You can see clear into the blue sky overhead. That's obviously the eyewall with the stadium effect.

But the data that they collect here, it is so important because this is now a game of miles. We've seen this shifting further east, and that, of course, puts more population and more islands across Hawaii at risk for direct and indirect impacts.

Now, this has had a lot of fuel to work with. We, of course, have our historically strong El Nino event that is still building through the coming months, and that means it's got a lot of warm water to work with. In fact, this storm has plenty of juice to work with as it reaches its final approach into the western portions of Hawaii, and that is why we believe this will maintain hurricane strength as it scrapes by overnight and into the day tomorrow.

But this storm is a formidable hurricane, and with it, as it moves northward, it'll see an expanding wind field. This is important because as it extends over 150 miles from the center of the storm, that puts tropical storm force winds and potentially hurricane force gusts at risk for places like the Kauai County area, even into Oahu where we have seen tropical storm warnings hoisted for that location.

Now, of course, the other threat here is the extremely heavy rainfall that could total over a foot in some locations, especially the higher terrain of Kauai County, isolated 16 inches possible across that area. Of course, that water rushes down the hillsides towards the communities below.

On top of that, we've got this storm coming in from the south, so it's helping drive up significant swell, coastal erosion, localized coastal inundation possible, especially on those south-facing shores. That's another threat we'll keep a close eye on for Kauai County. John, back to you.

BERMAN: All right, Derek Van Dam, could be a long night. Thank you very much. So, an incredible scene today after punishing strikes on Ukraine. This is the aftermath of Russian drones hitting a tobacco factory. How this attack directly countered what we had heard from Team Trump in the region just hours earlier.

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[17:32:33]

BERMAN: In our World Lead, Russia and Ukraine back at it today, trading strikes. This morning, Russian drones hit a British-American tobacco factory in northern Ukraine, sparking a huge fire, which you can see there. This was just hours after a visit from two high-profile Americans, U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and the President's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Both left the region after meeting with President Putin in Moscow Saturday and President Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday.

CNN's Kylie Atwood joins us now. Kylie, first of all, welcome back. Second, Witkoff said he was confident a good resolution was going to come from these talks. And then hours later, these attacks happened. I don't think that's the resolution he was looking for.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Obviously not a signal that the Russians took these talks necessarily seriously that they have deterred them from continuing their assault on Ukraine, John. But it is noteworthy that these talks have taken place. They have effectively been on ice for the last six months. Since the Iran war began, the Trump administration focused on military and diplomatic talks in the Middle East and really putting the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the back burner.

And the administration is noteworthy in such that they're going about this in a different way. Not only did they travel to Moscow, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, the President's top two envoys, but they also traveled to Ukraine. This is the first time that they have both visited Ukraine since this Trump administration has begun. And that's noteworthy because they went to Moscow multiple times, creating, of course, the perception that there was favoritism towards Moscow.

Obviously they're trying to set the table in a new way now. Also inviting some Europeans to meet them in Kyiv. The national security advisors from Germany, France and the U.K. meeting them. The Europeans had previously been critical that they had been left out of some of these discussions about the future of Europe, which obviously is their continent.

It is noteworthy as well, though, that Jared Kushner was asked if the Trump administration would be willing to put more pressure on Russia if there were no breakthroughs. I want you to listen to how he answered that question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JARED KUSHNER, FORMER TRUMP SENIOR ADVISER: We were sitting before with Germany, right, which was a former, you know, enemy of the U.S. And so there's no such thing, you know, in the world as, you know, forever, enemies or forever allies. And so, you know, we have to start with the first principles idea of what the best outcome could be and what benefits all people.

You know, President Trump comes from the business world, which in the business world, you think about things in the context of win-win, you know, how do you create opportunities for both sides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:35:04]

ATWOOD: Kushner, they're not taking the opportunity to say there would be more pressure on Russia if they didn't effectively engage here. Obviously, creating the perception they're giving Russia a pass. Some in the Trump administration might say that they're trying to create room for diplomacy. They're looking forward to a trilateral summit, but no details on when that actually might happen between Russia, Ukraine and the United States. John?

BERMAN: Kylie Atwood, for us, thank you very much.

With us now, CNN national security analyst, Alex Plitsas. So, Alex, look, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff leave in, you know, a few hours and then the missiles are flying back and forth again. What message does that send?

ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: The message is a reflection of the fact that Putin still thinks that he can win this war and he's told his army to double down. And that was after the CIA director visited at the request of President Trump to deliver a very stern warning to the Russians that their casualty figures are far larger than they're willing to admit and that this war is not going to end well for them. But apparently it was read as a sign of weakness. And so while Putin relented and agreed to a couple of days or at least a day of ceasefire to allow the travel to take place, as you noted, that didn't last very long. And that is a very telling sign of what comes next.

BERMAN: Jared Kushner talking about a win-win situation as a possible deal for Ukraine and Russia. A lot of analysts online took some issue with that, saying, how can you give Russia a win that doesn't infringe on Ukraine's territorial rights and sovereignty?

PLITSAS: I mean, the sound bites that came out of Kyiv and Moscow from this trip, I'm sorry, were nothing short of embarrassing for the United States. And we're absolutely abhorrent. You know, the idea that we should give in to Vladimir Putin's aspirations as part of this is absurd. The man's troops have killed hundreds of thousands across Ukraine with documented heinous war crimes, including raping and pillaging and hundreds of thousands dead. And his aspirations would take the rest of the country.

So while there's a recognition that there may have to be some territorial swaps, the language that's used in diplomacy is important. And the language that was used about what fond memories they would have of negotiations in Moscow, followed by the idea that Vladimir Putin's aspirations are valid to be taken into account is absolutely absurd. I was actually pretty disgusted with what I heard. It's the first time I've used that type of language to describe this, but this was embarrassing.

BERMAN: How important is the winter as this looming threat hanging over this? How much more urgent does that make these talks?

PLITSAS: It's important for a few reasons. So Putin's strategy, as it's been for the last couple of years, has been to target Ukrainian energy infrastructure and civilian infrastructure purposefully, because the winters are bitterly cold in Ukraine for those who haven't been. And it's now going to be incredibly difficult for civilians to get through that because they won't have heat. And that's what he's doing.

So it's effectively trying to use kinetic strikes against civilian targets to put pressure on the civilians, to pressure their own government to end the war. I mean, that is by definition terrorism when you look at the motivated violence against civilians. And so I'll call it like I see it. So this is a strategy he's pursuing. And that's, you know, on top of the strikes against apartment buildings and the rest of the civilian targets that have been struck over the last couple of years.

This is, well, there's a war definitely going on the front lines. He's also launched a war against the Ukrainian civilians that we're seeing through missiles and drones in Ukrainian cities across the country.

BERMAN: Very quickly, while this is going on, the President is also posting on social media about Iran. He put an image of Kharg Island being destroyed, a map of Iran reimagined in the shape of his own head, which is notable. How do Iran and other global leaders interpret this kind of behavior at this point from the President?

PLITSAS: So the Iranians have told me in conversations that I've had over the course of the last year since the conflict began, that they take the President's tweets and his Truth Social posts quite literally. That included when he said unconditional surrender during the 12-day war last summer in which it ended in conditional ceasefire, which is why they thought that their ballistic missiles were a new form of strategic deterrence, because they didn't allow us to achieve our objective, even though that was just a comment that was made.

In this case, it's being read as it should be as a stern warning. The President's patience is wearing thin. The economic pressure is still building on the Iranians. You know, food is up 200-300 percent in terms of inflation inside the country. Pressure is building, and Iran is striking back. And so in this case, he's letting them know if they strike instead of giving in, Kharg Island, which is where 90 percent of the oil moved through, is a potential target, and don't do anything dumb. That's the message to the Iranians from the President.

BERMAN: Alex Plitsas, it's great to see you this Labor Day. Thank you very much.

Coming up, President Trump nagging the state of New Mexico over its name, how state officials are pushing back.

[17:39:29]

Plus, the White House emergency that prompted rescue crews to be dispatched to the North Portico.

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BERMAN: An emergency today at the White House. A construction worker had to be rescued. D.C. Fire and EMS told CNN the person was working on the North Portico. Emergency crews were spotted there in helmets, climbing scaffolding to lower the worker to the ground. No word yet on what went wrong. President Trump has ordered repairs to the exterior White House columns. Sources say the Secret Service has long called for security upgrades to this area of the White House.

In our Politics Lead, first it was the Gulf of Mexico, then it was Lake Ontario. Now President Trump has set his sights on New Mexico, suggesting the state be renamed New America. He posted about it multiple times, including a video.

All right, my panel is with me now. Shermichael Singleton, look, President may -- people may look at this and say it's just a joke, but this is how the whole Lake Ontario thing began, with a posting that people thought was a joke here. I can't believe I have to say this. He doesn't actually have the constitutional ability to change the name of a state on his own. Congress has to do that.

[17:45:08]

But two months before the midterms, OK, of all the things on planet Earth, President Trump could be posting about, even spending 10 seconds thinking about, do Republicans want this to be at the top of the list?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, it certainly gives Democrats some ammunition to say that the White House isn't focused on kitchen table issues, the cost of living, affordability, which has really been a problem point for a lot of Republicans, as you know, Christine, and a lot of competitive races. But I expect, aside from this, I expect the President to focus a lot on a state like Texas. I think in some ways we've kind of conceded the House, Christine. I think that's why Hakeem Jeffries and Jared Kushner meeting occurred. This didn't happen by accident.

BERMAN: You've conceded the House?

SINGLETON: Oh, I think so. I think that happened because the White House is very aware of the same numbers that we're all looking at and debating here every single day on television, that the odds of us keeping it are just very, very slim. So you send in Jared Kushner to meet with Hakeem Jeffries, the incoming speaker, to try to avoid some of the impeachment talk that some Democrats are already beginning. That said, you cannot lose the Senate.

And I think it's why the President has said, I'm going to Washington State to campaign. We're spending more and more resources day by day in Texas, because you lose the Senate, then the President's history, his record, his agenda is completely over, and that's certainly not something he wants to be remembered for.

BERMAN: So, Christine, the President is suggesting some kind of equivalence here with things that have either been renamed or efforts to rename them. He was talking about the Washington Commanders, Columbus Day, things like that. The list does go on there. Is this the same thing?

CHRISTINE QUINN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, WIN: Look, first of all, I think if you polled the people in New Mexico, you would get zero who are concerned about their state's name. You'd be really high on gas prices, grocery prices, joblessness, et cetera. One of the things that has been raised is things like, you know, now being LGBT and Latinx. I think you can't compare his petty political maneuvers with people's desire to have agency over themselves and their community and define how they want to be identified. I think they are very, very different. Can anything become too much? Yes, but I think it's very different.

BERMAN: You know, both of you basically answered the same way the first time, which is the same thing that the New Mexico's governor said, clapping back at the President, posting in part, New Mexico's name isn't up for debate. It's been ours since before the United States existed. What is up for debate? Who's showing up for working families? It's easy, right?

SINGLETON: That's my point. This is what Democrats have got to pivot to every single time.

BERMAN: Do you blame them? SINGLETON: No, of course I don't blame them. Objectively speaking, as a strategist, I think if the economy was great, people were making enough money to put to the side for a rainy day, to put to the side to afford for college, which is going up and up for their children or emergency funds, then I don't think most people would really care about this, John. Because they would look at their bank accounts and say, well, I'm doing well.

If the President wants to build, Donald Trump, build everything you want to build. But when people are struggling and are looking at the tangibles, and the tangibles just don't seem realistic for the average person, then people start to focus a little bit more. And they begin to say, a little humor is OK every now and again.

But when I'm not certain if I can afford my rent or my mortgage next month, you've got to focus on those things. And so nothing against humor, but I would say Mr. President would less than two months, give or take, before midterms, let's put our focus back on the kitchen table because we want to protect our party and our majority as much as we possibly can.

QUINN: And given that reality, and given I don't have as much faith in Donald Trump's focus and ability to stay on message as you do, that's why I think the Senate is actually in play. And I think --

SINGLETON: Oh, no way, Christine.

QUINN: Absolutely. If you asked Democratic strategists six months ago, maybe even 10, certainly a year ago, we would have said yes, because why would you say no? But we really wouldn't have meant yes, right? Now, I absolutely think it's in play.

SINGLETON: But in fact, what pathway? I mean, you guys aren't going to win Maine. I don't think you guys are going to --

QUINN: I don't know if that's a fact. I don't know that's a fact.

SINGLETON: I don't think you guys are going to win Texas. I think once we start dumping in money in Texas, I think we win Texas.

BERMAN: I like this world where Shermichael's thinking he concedes the House, unilaterally decides Republicans have lost the House, but also unilaterally decides that Democrats can't win Maine or Texas.

SINGLETON: I don't think they're going to --

QUINN: I don't think that's true.

SINGLETON: -- because I'm looking at the pathway, right? And I'm looking at Texas. At the end of the day, the president won the state by, what, 14 points. We haven't really spent a lot of money on ads yet. Those numbers are going to change, I would argue, in Paxton's favor, Christine. You look at Michigan. I think Mike Rogers has an opportunity to make Michigan competitive with Jewish voters, black men. So that's up in arms and in Maine. QUINN: But the problem is the money that the President wants to spend in these places is to promote his record, not to promote the candidates. And right now, the President's record is not compelling to the American people because he has disregarded affordability crisis as a reality in people's lives. The economy is doing worse, not any better. Gas prices are through the roof, and we are now in another forever war. And in the Ukraine, which he said he could resolve in day one, there seems to be little resolution, notwithstanding the incredible suck-up of Steve Witkoff to Putin in that meeting.

[17:50:26]

SINGLETON: So I would agree with Christine that those ads shouldn't run in certain places. But I do believe in a place like Texas, where you look at some of the data, Republicans have been apprehensive. Some of the President's supporters don't appear to be engaged and excited about this race. An ad talking about Trump, reminding them of some of the things he's delivered, I think could help some of those folks turn out. I think it depends on the state and the race.

QUINN: What exactly has he delivered? What's that ad going to be? New names for lakes?

SINGLETON: For a lot of the President's supporters, they're going to look at immigration and say you've been highly successful there. That's been one of the number one issues that really motivates a lot of Trump Republicans and the base. I think cleaning up government, a lot of them would say, you may disagree, Christine, but we're talking about --

QUINN: He didn't clean up government. It's swampier than ever.

SINGLETON: But you have to remember, who are you targeting with the ads? And what do those voters expect? And pointing to those things mobilizes those voters, and I think they would see that as a win and a success of the President.

QUINN: I don't disagree that there is part of immigration that is going to be compelling to a MAGA base. But even Republicans are not happy with the way that ICE has gotten so out of control and that Americans have died and that we're no longer just arresting the worst of the worst anymore.

BERMAN: OK, I'm going to ask you one question. You each get one word answer to this. We have the Republican midterm convention this week. Literally, I don't want more than two words to answer this. Who's more excited about this Republican midterm convention, Democrats or Republicans? Christine?

QUINN: Democrats.

BERMAN: Shermichael?

SINGLETON: It depends on the race.

BERMAN: Shermichael's leaning. I think Christine's winning. You made my job so easy. Thanks. Come back here.

SINGLETON: We've been doing T.V. for so long together, John.

BERMAN: Great to listen to you. Great to see you this holiday weekend. Thank you very much.

QUINN: Absolutely.

BERMAN: So moments ago, President Trump, back on the ground in Washington, D.C. after his weekend in New Jersey, and he is traveling again this week. We just talked about it to Texas for the first ever Republican midterm convention. The big moments the party is really banking on, maybe betting on, and the moments that could be a dud.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:56:38]

BERMAN: In our World Lead, rolling blackouts are part of everyday life in Cuba that has inspired some online influencers to resort to unconventional methods to stay connected. One man's homemade creation is helping thousands across the island. CNN's Juan Carlos Lopez sat down with the inventor who hopes his social media stardom might help rebuild his country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through text translation): In Cuba, this is rich people's food and I'm going to show you why.

JUAN CARLOS LOPEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are Cuban influencers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through text translation): Well, we are going to clean.

LOPEZ (voice-over): In the middle of rolling blackouts that can last up to 23 hours per day, they still post their stories on platforms like Instagram. Not all live in Havana.

This is Caraballo, a small town about an hours' drive from the capital, and where Dayan Marrero, a 22-year-old computer science major, lives and creates content.

I was watching videos on Facebook one day, Dayan tells me. And retail groups here in Cuba, I came across someone who promoted an academy to learn how to create content, and at first, I thought it was a scam because you had to pay a fee. And I said, this is a scam.

But Dayan says it wasn't a scam after all, and he eventually ventured out on his own cell phone and a common cause. How to survive Cuba's energy crisis.

DAYAN MARRERO, MEDIA INFLUENCER (through translator): It's day six of 30 showing you technology-related things for Cuba. LOPEZ (voice-over): The reel took off on Instagram. It's a DIY on how to make antennas to capture the elusive cell phone signal. Getting close to 800,000 views. This is a handmade mobile base featured in Dayan's reel. It is becoming a common tool in rural homes in Cuba.

LOPEZ: What Dayan has done and what he's promoted on his social media platforms is the ability to build your own antenna, and then you have to go inside and put your phone next to that base to be able to have signal, and you'll see around the rooftops here, a lot of people are installing these antennas to be able to communicate with the outside world.

MARRERO (through text translation): This is the best thing that has come out for blackouts.

LOPEZ (voice-over): As he gained more followers, Dayan started promoting products in great demand during the sweltering Cuban summer.

MARRERO (through text translation): This has a massive 20,000 mAh battery, it lasts up to 60 hours.

LOPEZ (voice-over): Like these rechargeable fans, which he also uses to light himself while recording. It also allows him to receive a commission.

When you have 1,000 followers, you can apply for a sales program, Dayan says. Once you're accepted, when someone clicks and buys a product from my video, I make a commission of 3 to 5 percent. It depends on the products price, he tells me.

Dayan's next step is graduating from college, and to make it on TikTok. And unlike many on the island, he's not trying to leave. He wants to find work in his field and stay in Cuba.

Juan Carlos Lopez, CNN, Mayabeque Province, Cuba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: This is The Lead. I'm John Berman in for Jake Tapper. Welcome to Labor Day, the unofficial end to the summer and the start of the midterm blitz. President Trump finally getting involved. What we're learning about his plans for his $400 million war chest ahead of the Republican Trumpapalooza later this week.

[17:59:55]

Plus, a campaign trail scare in Ohio, where an armed man was arrested after pushing through a crowd toward the Democratic candidate for governor. The suspect taken down by highway patrol troopers. A man who witnessed the entire encounter joins us live ahead.