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Reporting Indicates Republican Candidate for Governor in North Carolina Mark Robinson Called Himself a "Black Nazi"; Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Discusses Reproductive Rights with Oprah Winfrey.KY Sheriff Accused of Killing Judge Inside His Own Chambers; Mayor: "Huge Message of Peace" if Trump Doesn't Visit Springfield. Aired 8-8:30a ET.

Aired September 20, 2024 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: -- potentially Donald Trump as far as the case would be. The other thing they're looking into is the possibility of a foreign nexus. What was this man doing when he was in Ukraine. He's also written a book in the past saying to Iran, apparently, in his self-published book, you are free to assassinate Trump. All of this is going to be part of a continuing investigation. And Routh, we will say, is not cooperating at this time alright.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much for that update.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Damning report the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina calling himself a black Nazi. That's the reporting uncovered by CNN's KFile. What that candidate is saying today and what it could mean for Trump's chances in that battleground state.

Also, we have new details about a tragic killing, a judge killed inside his chambers. The sheriff now behind bars, charged with first- degree murder.

And escalation. After back-to-back operations targeting Hezbollah terrorists with exploding devices, Israel destroys 100 rocket launchers overnight.

Sara is out today. I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, hide the kids, or at least cover their ears. We've got new fallout this morning after the shocking revelations uncovered about a candidate for governor in one of the most crucial swing states, all from CNN's KFile, about the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina Mark Robinson. KFile reports that Robinson posted on a porn site messaging board starting in 2008, described himself as quote, "a black nazi", and calling for slavery to be reinstated. Now that's in addition to lewd, incredibly explicit and graphic posts.

Robinson has denied making these posts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GOV. MARK ROBINSON, (R) NORTH CAROLINA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not going to get into the minutiae of how somebody manufactured these salacious tabloid lives. But I can tell you this. There's been over $1 million spent on me through A.I. by a billionaire's son who is bound and determined to destroy me. The things that people can do with the Internet now is incredible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Robinson is a close ally of Donald Trump and has made numerous campaign appearances with him. The former president has called Robinson, quote, "Martin Luther King on steroids."

CNN's Jeff Zeleny joins us now with the latest on the fallout here. Jeff?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John, good morning.

There are 16 reasons this story and this race matters nationally. Those of course, are the 16 electoral votes in the battleground state of North Carolina. And this governor's race is reverberating throughout that campaign, there is no doubt.

Former President Donald Trump will be going to North Carolina tomorrow to campaign. We will see if he mentions this or appears alongside the lieutenant governor. That is unlikely. But look, the reality of this is this was already a very challenging race for Republicans, but North Carolina is emerging in the late chapter here of this presidential campaign as one of the closest swing states, and here is why. It was the narrowest margin of victory for Donald Trump in 2020, just 74,000 votes were separating he and Joe Biden.

Now, Republicans are worried that this is going to sort of hurt the entire slate of candidates. The Republican senator in the state, Thom Tillis, made this very clear in a tweet last night. Let's take a look at that. He said "It was a very tough day. We must stay focused on the races we can win. We have to make sure President Trump wins North Carolina." And he goes on to say he is worried about that, to support others candidates. "If Harris takes North Carolina," he says, "she can take the White House. We can't let that happen."

So look, the fallout from this is slightly unclear. North Carolina has a history of splitting the ticket. The Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, he won in 2016 and 2020, and Donald Trump also won those years. So we don't know the fallout of this, but Republicans are worried that Mark Robinson and all of the baggage he has brought to this certainly it will hurt their ticket, John.

BERMAN: Those comments from Thom Tillis, those are the sounds of being cut loose by your state party. ZELENY: He didn't mention Robinson in that, right.

BERMAN: Right, by officials, and we'll wait to see what we hear from Trump directly on that.

In the meantime, look, Vice President Harris is focused on North Carolina. She's also focusing now on Georgia with a message on reproductive rights.

ZELENY: She is John. She was scheduled to be in Wisconsin today. Of course, she was in Michigan last evening, and she still will be. But she's making a detour to Georgia to talk about reproductive rights. It's really been one of the anthems of her candidacy. But she's going to specifically weigh in on this a case of a 28-year-old woman in Georgia who died a couple of years ago after the states restrictive abortion law.

[08:05:02]

And the vice president talked about this in very emotional terms last night in her appearance with Oprah Winfrey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHANETTE WILLIAMS, MOTHER OF AMBER THURMAN: I wanted to go through in silence. But I realized that it was selfish. I want you all to know Amber was not a statistic.

KAMALA HARRIS, (D) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm just so sorry. And the courage that you all have shown is extraordinary.

Is she on death's door before you actually decide to give her help?

(APPLAUSE)

HARRIS: Is that's what we're saying?

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Yes, that you've got to prove you're on death's door.

HARRIS: Like, literally a doctor or a nurse has to say she might die any minute, better give her now care, because otherwise I might go to prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So this, of course, is an issue that is weighing heavily on this presidential campaign, the first presidential campaign in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe versus Wade. So Vice President Harris clearly believes this is a message and an issue she wants to speak forcefully on. She'll be doing that today in Georgia before returning her campaigning back to Wisconsin tonight, John.

BERMAN: Jeff Zeleny, great to see you this morning. Thanks so much. Kate? BOLDUAN: Let's talk about both of these important aspects of what's

going on in the presidential race right now. Joining us is CNN political commentator, former White House communications director under Donald Trump, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, and former White House spokesperson under George W. Bush, Pete Seat.

Let's start with what we've heard, what's happening in North Carolina right now. First, Alyssa, as a communications specialist, what would you tell Donald Trump to say today when it comes to Mark Robinson and everything that's come out?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Listen, the deadline has passed for him to get off the ballot. This is who the Republican Party is stuck with. Now, if this were a normal politician and not Donald Trump, I'd say disavow him. It's worth it. It's better to lose the governor's mansion in North Carolina than risk hurting yourself, frankly, more in North Carolina, a neck-and-neck battleground state where Mark Robinson is a drag on the ticket, but also because it's the right thing to do.

But listen, this is a character, Mark Robinson, who we've known for some time, has engaged in holocaust denialism, antisemitic rhetoric. He had a long record and was vetted, and the GOP and Trump world decided to go with him. So this is, honestly, just the most predictable outcome, and it's just indicative of Trump world the Trump era where they'd rather go with who the base loves the most than the actual electable candidate who doesn't have these salacious things following him.

BOLDUAN: I want to play what some Republicans are already saying in reacting to this reporting about Mark Robinson, let me play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RALPH NORMAN, (R-SC): It's pretty sad to get this far along, and then to the people who supported him, all the money that he's raised. And I think he needs to drop out today.

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, (R-GA): I definitely want to read what the allegations are and the comments on it. I myself can't support anyone if that all turns out to be true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Those comments all made yesterday, Ralph Norman saying he should drop out today, and as Alyssa was making a point, there was a reason why Ralph Norman was saying he should drop out today, meaning yesterday, because now he's on the ballot. What do you think will happen as this settles in further among elected Republicans?

PETE SEAT, VICE PRESIDENT, BOSE PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP: As Alyssa pointed out, we've known for a long time that the lieutenant governor of North Carolina is radioactive. And now that has just expanded beyond what it already was in a problem. But I don't think this is going to have a huge impact if any impact at

all on the presidential election. I'll say what Nate Silver said on "THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" yesterday, which is we rarely see reverse coattails. You see the top of the ticket, which in this case is the presidential race, can have a trickle-down effect below the ballot, on down-ballot below them. But it's very rare for the reverse to occur.

So I don't think that voters are going to take it out on Donald Trump. They're extremely loyal to Donald Trump, Republican voters are, and they're not going to be upset over this latest revelation and vote against him because of it.

BOLDUAN: Antjuan, what do you think? I mean, just some of the simple facts, right. If this is a governor's race. He's long controversial. Thats been established. He's down by lots against the Democratic nominee for governor. The state has a history of voters splitting the ticket. What do you think?

ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRACY STRATEGIST: Well, we, as Democrats have an opportunity and an obligation to earn every vote. And we must take North Carolina race by race, from the presidency to the precinct. It just so happened candidate quality still matters in a place like North Carolina and in a country like America.

[08:10:02]

And sadly enough, those of us who do politics for a living, or do campaigns, one of the first things you do is what we call opposition research. And the fact that this candidate was able to sail through the Republican preference primary, if you will, make his way to the top of the ticket at the state-level, and no one raised a red flag about this says everything, I think, about the modern day Republican Party.

And I'll just say, look, we have 99 problems in the Democratic Party, but Mark Robinson ain't one, borrowing words from that modern-day hip- hop philosopher Jay-Z. And so I think Josh Stein, I think the north gone Democratic Party, and I think Democrats in the state must stay focused on the task at it, and that's winning up and down the ballot.

I agree, it may not have impact, holistic impact on the presidential race. But if we do our job as Democrats it certainly could mean shifting the narrative about the extremism that's now hijacked the Republican Party.

BOLDUAN: As Jeff Zeleny points out, Donald Trump is headed to North Carolina tomorrow. Timing, man, it is often a lot when it comes to when it comes to politics. Let's see what happens.

Alyssa, let's talk about what else Jeff Zeleny and John Berman were talking about, the focus today for Kamala Harris. She is detouring, rerouting, going to Georgia to focus in on reproductive rights, to highlight, spotlight, especially these tragic deaths that have been reported by ProPublica. The mother of Amber Thurman was at that event, that streaming event with Oprah last night talking about what has happened to their family. The focus in on this, that is not -- that is not surprising. It is what Democrats have said they need to lean on because they know that voters care about it. What do you think about the impact of this new element of but as these deaths deemed preventable in Georgia?

GRIFFIN: Listen, I think it's potentially hugely impactful, and it's a smart place for Kamala Harris to play. Listen the debate around reproductive rights, Democrats have wisely framed it as something much more broader than simply access to abortion. Abortion is an issue that the country is pretty 50, 50-50 on related to just whether they support or don't. But this is much more about the full suite of reproductive rights, getting lifesaving care if you're somebody who is losing a pregnancy, access to IVF, access to birth control.

In this story, I don't know a woman left, right, or center that it doesn't break their heart, it doesn't resonate with them. And frankly, I don't know that I know a pro-life woman who thinks that you shouldn't get lifesaving care even if it requires an abortion, if it's going to protect the future fertility and life of the mother.

So these are the stories that plays so well with swing voters, with moderate Republicans and the people she needs to win. And it makes it less about the radioactive issue of on-demand aboard portion that sometimes isn't really what's going to motivate swing voters. It's much more the broader aspect of reproductive rights.

BOLDUAN: And here's the thing, Pete. We've seen Donald Trump has a real problem in talking about it. He struggles with talking about, one, his stance on abortion, reproductive rights, anything around it. He struggles, to say the least. What you saw, no matter your politics of how Kamala Harris handled that conversation, so different.

SEAT: Yes, well, I would say Republicans are challenged in talking about this issue right now because we have nothing to fight against. It's so much easier today to fight against things. And that's why abortion is an animating issue for Democrats, because in 2022 and now in 2024, they're fighting against the repeal of Roe v. Wade from the Supreme Court, which Republicans for 50 some years were fighting against Roe v. Wade itself and trying to get it repealed.

So Kamala Harris is smart to go there. This is a margin of error race. "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" came out with a poll this week. It shows that this race between Trump and Harris is a statistical tie in Georgia. And the issue of abortion is high on the list for young voters. And I also found interesting in that poll that black voters and young voters between 18 and 29 are the most likely to potentially change their mind. Very small percentage, about two or three percent, but those are the folks that Kamala Harris needs to reach. And this is the kind of issue that she can reach them on.

BOLDUAN: Yes, margin of error election, those kinds of numbers can matter. It's great to see you all. Thank you very much for coming in. John?

BERMAN: All right, this morning, a sheriff is charged with gunning down a district judge inside the judge's own chambers. Growing security concerns in Springfield, Ohio, the mayor claiming emergency powers after violent threats over those false claims that immigrants are eating people's pets.

And, quote, the reckoning will come. Hezbollah threatening a crushing response on Israel as Israel defense minister warns a new era of war is beginning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: A Kentucky sheriff is behind bars this morning, accused of shooting a judge multiple times inside his own chambers in the courthouse.

State police say that there had been some kind of argument between Letcher County Sheriff Shawn Stines, and the victim, District Court Judge Kevin Mullins.

CNN's Ryan Young is following this and he's joining us now. Ryan, what's the latest here?

[08:20:04]

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, we're still looking into the details, but even as you're reading that story, it's still somewhat unbelievable. We don't have any details about what the argument was about, and you can think about the panic that was set into this community because of this shooting.

This happened around three o'clock in the chambers and apparently, no one else was in the chambers when the judge and the sheriff got into some sort of heated argument that ended up with that sheriff apparently pulling his gun and opening fire on that judge.

Now, of course, the courthouse was put in lockdown. Schools nearby were put in lockdown. This all happened in Letcher and when you listen to the State Trooper, you'll understand how tight knit of a community this is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT GAYHEART, KENTUCKY STATE POLICE TROOPER: We know that there was an argument between the two that led up, but what exactly transpired prior to the shots being fired are still things that we're trying to get answers to.

This community is small in nature, and we're all shook.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Yes. Judge Kevin Mullins was just 54. He is now dead. No discussion right now, Kate, in terms of what led up to this. Was it personal? Did they have some ongoing argument?

But all we know is around 3 o'clock yesterday, he walked into that judge's chambers. That argument was -- and there were several shots fired.

Still a head scratcher hoping that investigators give us some more information as they look into this case, but right now, the headline is just almost unbelievable -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: It absolutely sure is, much more to learn. Thank you so much, Ryan. I really appreciate your reporting.

Ahead for us, new polls showing a dead heat between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in battleground states. But what if those polls are off? What could that mean for this race? Harry Enten is taking a look.

And Springfield, Ohio on edge, as it faces continued threats over the false claims about immigrants from Haiti. The mayor now, claiming emergency powers to better protect the town, that mayor is our guest.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:26:08]

BERMAN: All right, breaking this morning, we are just seeing a brand new op-ed written by the Republican governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine and the title of it is, "I'm the Governor Of Ohio. I don't recognize the Springfield that Trump and Vance describe."

In it, he writes: "As a supporter of former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance, I am saddened by how they and others continue to repeat claims that lack evidence in disparage the legal migrants living in Springfield."

And the mayor of Springfield, Rob Rue joins us now.

Mr. Mayor, thanks so much for being with us. Again, I just read through this op-ed for the first time.

Governor DeWine actually sites you and your efforts in the city of Springfield, really for the last many years of your life, what do you think about what he's written this morning?

MAYOR ROB RUE, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: I read it this morning as well, and I thought I just -- it just reflects the support that Governor DeWine and his staff have given the city of Springfield.

I will say that our city manager and our team are working tirelessly. We are a council manager form of government. So, the five commissioners are the ones that are like the board or kind of overseers of that staff and the staff -- city manager and his staff are working phenomenally.

The police department working collaboratively together with other agencies. So, really kudos to their efforts to make every effort to keep peace and worked very well in our community.

BERMAN: You said about keeping peace, you've given yourself some emergency powers to help keep everyone safe. Why is that necessary? Safe from what?

RUE: So, if I can just clarify, that is a proclamation of emergency, so, the city can move in a way to secure our community, to secure contracts so we can move swiftly to, like you said, bring security and safety to the community.

It allows our staff to move in a way that needs to answer this kind of situation.

BERMAN: What does this mean -- protect yourself from what? What is the situation?

RUE: Just the threats, you know, up until today, the threats that we have been receiving, bomb threats, threats in our lives, things like that.

So, additional security contracts and things like that that we need to put in place are the reason for this proclamation of emergency.

We are not in a state of emergency, we are just able to function as one that needs to answer the risk.

BERMAN: You've talked about your seven-year-old son. What does he think about all this?

RUE: I think just like the other kids in our community, they're just wondering why this is happening, wonder why people are saying the things about our community in this way.

And so, just like any other parent like me, we find ourselves in an unusual space to have to answer questions like this from our kids.

BERMAN: Donald Trump, as you know, has said he plans to visit Springfield in the next two weeks. You have said if he were able to change plans, it would send a message of peace. What do you mean by that?

RUE: I think I've said several times in different interviews that just because of the climate of our community right now, it's a very "hot nature" right now.

And if he was -- if a presidential candidate was going to come and bring a message of coming together, trying to work through problems, talk about the real concerns why we're in the middle of this debate, immigration concerns and immigration reform, that would be great.

We would just like to see those words from any presidential candidate that came to our town. So my concern is what we've seen on the national stage, I really wouldn't want that repeated from our community, in our community.

BERMAN: I mean, obviously, you saw the messages from JD Vance, you saw Donald Trump repeat them on the debate stage, which was seen by some 67 million people. What were you thinking when you saw that?

RUE: Well, it was startling. I mean, you know, I chuckled just in like, we're all tired. But it was difficult to see. It was difficult to hear at that level.

We knew it would bring a lot of criticism into the community. And at what level, we didn't know, but we've all seen in the last two weeks what it's done.

[08:30:31]