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Tillerson: my commitment to the president is strong; Trump en route to Las Vegas this hour; Trump to meet with survivors and law enforcement; Tillerson: I reaffirm my commitment to this role; Facebook ads under scrutiny in Russia probe; Tillerson: my commitment to the president is strong; British prime minister May's speech plague by problems. Aired at 11:25-12p ET

Aired October 04, 2017 - 11:25   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:25:00] BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. You are watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson -- excuse me, in Abu Dhabi.

A little over 20 minutes ago, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held what was in Trump's news conference starting by saying there are some news

reports that I want to address.

He said my commitment today to President Trump in this office is as strong as it was the day I was offered the job. There has never been a

consideration on my mind to leave administration, he said.

That despite report his close friend and associates are saying otherwise, what he avoided was a question about whether or not he called the U.S.

president a moron, first reported by NBC and match by CNN in the past hour or so, simply saying he is not going to deal with quote, petty staff like

that.

All of this significant, enough of that, that Rex Tillerson is not a man to address the press much less the secretary of state who takes questions from

the press. While the U.S. president, he says, hr is smart.

Well, Tillerson's comments came just before his boss touches down in Nevada and where we going now, with more details emerging that the gunman who

killed 58 people in Las Vegas. Investigators are releasing new details and new video from the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: This police body cam video shows the horrific attack coming forward in front of first responders, authorities now say the gun fire

lasted up to 11 minutes, leaving those 58 people dead at a music festival.

Well this video shows the hotel suite where the shooter was hold up. He had stockpiled weapons there and even set up cameras inside and outside the

room, apparently to watch for approaching threats.

And President Donald Trump is on his way to Las Vegas this hour to meet with survivors and more important officials are after his condolences.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That was a very sad thing. We're going to pay our respect and to see the police who have done really a

fantastic job in a very short time and yet, they are learning a lot more and that will be announced at the appropriate time. It's a very, very sad

day for me personally. Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: We will get you more from CNN's Alexander Marquardt who is live in Las Vegas. Donald Trump touches down in a little over an hour, and he

will be as anyone else to learn. I'm not sure how far. Alex, can you hear us? Can you hear me, Alex?

Let's get back to Alex when he gets his earpiece in. Lots more ahead this hour including more analysis of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's

comments just moments ago taking this show freight back after this.

[11:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: All right, 33 minutes past seven in Abu Dhabi, I'm Becky Anderson, this is Connect the World, top stories for you this hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The U.S. secretary of state says he is fully committed to President Donald Trump, Rex Tillerson just delivered a statement after

media reported of a deep risk between him and Donald Trump.

The report claims Tillerson in angry about being undermined and earlier this year, he dismissed Mr. Trump is a moron. Mr. Trump has already

tweeted that the country has owe an apology for that media report.

Well, the U.S. President Donald Trump is due to arrive in Las Vegas next hour. He will meet with survivors of the worst massacre in modern U.S.

history, as well as law enforcement officials.

Police still trying to determine why a retired accountant open fire on a music festival from his high-rise hotel room, killing 58 people. Let's get

more now from CNN's Alexander Marquardt who is live for you in Las Vegas. Alexander.

ALEXANDER MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Becky. Well, we are learning a lot more about how this attack went down, but very little about

why it went down.

A little more information from the law enforcement officials here from the sheriff's office talking about the timeline, we now know that starting at

10:08 p.m. on Sunday night when there was about first hail of bullets started raining down on that concert, that sustained fire lasted around 9

to 11 minutes.

And we listen to the video, it sounds like -- it sounds like automatic gunfire, now automatic weapons are illegal here in the U.S. for the most

part, but what exists is a workaround, and the reason that it sounded like automatic fire was because of the 23 weapons that Stephen Paddock had in

his room.

[11:35:00] We know that he had 12 of what are called bumps stocks and those are essentially stocks that you can replace that go up, that are solid when

you're holding a semiautomatic weapon that can essentially then turn it into an automatic weapon.

We have now seen photos that have initially published by The Daily Mail that show the huge arsenal that's that Paddock had up in that hotel room on

the 32nd floor.

We've also learned -- sorry. Becky, we have also learned from the sheriff's office that Paddock had installed cameras inside and outside that

hotel room at least three of them. They were not meant to broadcast live or anything like that.

We do believe that they are meant to transmit, meaning that he could monitor anybody who is coming up to the suite and we believe that they were

effectively -- that they worked because one security guard approached the hotel room, he was shot through the door by Paddock in the leg.

So all told this entire episode lasted an hour and 12 minutes before the SWAT teams burst in and found Paddock who had died from a self-inflicted

gun wound. Becky.

ANDERSON: Donald Trump touches down in Vegas in little over an hour and he will be of course as he get -- as anyone else to find out why, we are

learning more about what happened and how. But it's that question of why, isn't it? What's the motive in all of these?

MARQUARDT: Well, Becky, we -- we don't really know, that is the huge question we have a lot of details coming out almost hourly about how this

went down, but why we certainly don't know, the authorities have been speaking to the people who are closest with Paddock.

His brother said, he had absolutely no clue that anything was wrong. He said it was like an asteroid hitting the earth. There are no political or

terror affiliations that we know of that would lead him to do something like this.

No real history of mental illness, no criminal past, but the big X factor is going to be Paddock's girlfriend. Her name is Marilou Danley. She is

62-years-old and she is -- she is questioned.

She is being questioned today by American authority. She was out of the country when the attack took place. She was in the Philippines. The

authorities here are saying that she is a person of interest.

She flew back from the Philippines and is now in L.A. being interviewed by the FBI. We understand that some Las Vegas detectives will also be

speaking with her. She is the best hope for law enforcement to get some sort of sense as to what drove Paddock to commit this -- this horrible

crime. Becky.

ANDERSON: You're reporting out of Las Vegas about -- just about now before Donald Trump touches down there. Thank you. Let's get you back to a

developing story.

Now, the U.S. secretary of state says he is fully committed to President Donald Trump. Rex Tillerson just delivered a statement after report of a

deep risk between himself and Donald Trump. The report claims Tillerson is angry about being undermined and earlier this year, he dismissed Mr. Trump

as a moron.

Well, Mr. Trump is already twitted that the country has owed an apology for that report writing that the NBC News story has just been totally refuted

by Secretary Tillerson and Vice President Pence. So it is fake news. They should issue an apology to America!

I point out because he always end with an exclamation mark. Let's get more then on Rex Tillerson's statement. We're joined now by John Kirby, former

State Department spokesman. John, you are better served given your background to answer this question than anybody perhaps. What was that all

about?

JOHN KIRBY, CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: Becky, I think that that was much more about Donald Trump than it was about Rex Tillerson. I think

you know they were mindful that this is a president that consumes news voraciously, particularly cable news.

And that they felt like they needed to get out quickly to address this little brushfire before became a forest fire and prompted some sort of

action by President Trump.

So I feel like -- you know, they felt like they had to get out in front of this. What was interesting though, Becky, was and you saw the president,

you know, saying he's just been refuted by Secretary Tillerson and not quite exactly.

I mean, at no time did Rex Tillerson say I never called the president a moron. So it's difficult to say that I think with any certainty that the

story has been completely refuted.

ANDERSON: Rex Tillerson saying that he is fully committed to both President Trump -- Donald Trump and what comes to mind is about protest too

much, are you determined that he is fully committed, given what I just heard?

KIRBY: I think -- I think I am from the people I have talked to at the State Department, I think he's fully committed to the agenda.

[11:40:00] I think he is fully committed to preserving the national security interests than to advancing the foreign policy goals of this

administration.

I don't know and I have heard nothing, and certainly today, that convinces me that he is personally committed to Donald Trump as individual. It is no

secret that he has had clashes with the White House over personnel staffing and resourcing, that kind of thing.

So I think -- I think he is still committed to the job. At least that's what appears to be but I think the jury's out about how much he's actually

committed to the president himself as an individual.

ANDERSON: I think our viewers deserve to -- to know that this is man, our secretary of state who doesn't do an awful lot with the press, does he?

And he certainly -- it's very rare that he -- they answer questions off the cuff for journalists out there. so significant, correct?

KIRBY: Absolutely. I mean this is a guy and he shared in this pursuit by Secretary of Defense Mattis who also doesn't do a lot of talking to the

press. They both realized that going out there being an in the media environment too much is absolutely not healthy for them in their jobs and

the institutions that they are trying to run.

So they keep it generally low profile. So again, for Rex Tillerson to come out like this for a purposeful statement for one reason to come out and

refute a story and take questions, yeah, that's a big deal for him because he doesn't even go out there and talk to the press on issues and on days

when you would think the secretary of state would be out there.

Again, this is much more statement about Donald Trump, the president and his volcanic nature, than I think it is about Rex Tillerson.

ANDERSON: John, it was a pleasure, appreciate it, thank you.

KIRBY: Thanks, Becky.

ANDERSON: Well it is a busy day -- it's a busy hour, as we learn new details about the investigation into whether Russia was involved in the

U.S. presidential election.

Sources tell CNN that Russia linked Facebook ads -- adverts specifically targeted two states that were crucial to Donald Trump's victory. CNN Chief

National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto with this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM SCIUTTO, CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Tonight investigators are reviewing thousands of Russian bought Facebook ads as part of the

Congressional probe into Moscow's wide-ranging social media campaign to influence the U.S. presidential election.

An estimated 10 million people in the U.S., according to Facebook, saw at least one of the 3,000 political ads bought by accounts linked to the

Kremlin. Cost for that access, just $100,000 over the course of two years.

And Facebook's data suggests that money bought Russia influence well beyond the election and may continue to this day, with more than half of the ads

viewed after voters cast their ballots in November. How did Russia target its audience of millions?

Moscow set up websites in Facebook pages that focused on controversial issues, such as race relations and illegal immigration and also used a

Facebook tool to send specific ads to voters who had visited those sites.

This according to The Washington Post report, citing sources familiar with the investigation, Congress is now under pressure to release those ads to

the public.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Will you release them publicly?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. We don't release documents provided to the investigative committee.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Tonight, new details are emerging from another set of documents being reviewed by investigators. E-mails from former Trump

campaign chairman Paul Manafort appear to show that Manafort used his position to garner favor with Russian billionaire and Putin ally, Oleg

Vladimirovich Deripaska, who Manafort was deeply indebted to.

This according to excerpts released by The Atlantic, just weeks after being hired by Trump, Manafort writes on April 11, 2016, quote, I assume you've

shown our friends my media coverage, right?

Konstantin Kilimnik, a Ukraine-based former business associate of Manafort, responds, quote, absolutely, every article. Manafort then asks, how do we

use this to get whole? Has OBD operation seen? The initials OBD referring to Deripaska, according to The Atlantic, citing a source close to Manafort.

Still, there is no evidence, according to The Atlantic, that Deripaska met with Manafort last year or was aware of Manafort's attempts to reach him.

These e-mails are under scrutiny as investigators continue to look into whether the Trump campaign had ties to Russia. But Congressional

investigators are complaining they are not getting everything they need.

Just last week the Senate Judiciary Committee sent this letter to the CIA, asking for, quote, access to the same materials that have been made

available to the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, telling reporters, we were

turned down.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:45:00] ANDERSON: Well, CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju has been following development as you all expect from Washington

joining us now.

As we wait on news from Capitol Hill, from investigators who could have tell as the general public, what they have learned about Russia's

interference and what happens next. Now ahead of that and that is expected in around 45 minutes time. What are your sources telling you?

RAJU: Well, look these two leaders have been going into this issue about possible Russia campaign collusion with the Trump campaign and the question

is whether or not they have come to any sort of conclusion, about whether or not the new Trump associates were involved in any way in the efforts by

Russia to meddle in the elections.

They have gone through the scores of documents that have had briefed by the intelligence community. They have interviewed some key figures, including

Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman.

They met with the fired FBI Director James Comey among other witnesses, the question today is whether they can reveal anything publicly to get to that

key question about whether or not there was any conspiracy.

Or any coordination between Trump campaign officials and the Russians as part of this effort as well as were learning new details to about other

efforts among Russia to meddle the elections, including a new ads that were given to the committee roughly 3,000 or so Facebook ads that suggest that

Russia was trying to so division in the country, the time of the elections.

Now we are learning, Becky, that two of those states that were provided of those Facebook ads were Michigan and Wisconsin, two states critical to

President Trump's victory last November.

ANDERSON: Appreciate it, Manu, and we'll be on that news as and when we get a schedule for about half bath 8:00, Abu Dhabi time. You can see, that

will be 5:30 London time, and you'll work it out wherever you are watching in the world. All right, we'll take a break. What are we going to do

next?

We're taking a break. I think we're taking a break. All right, after this break, we'll get more analysis of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's

comment which were just in the past half hour or so, more analysis.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Hello, I'm Becky Anderson, this is Connect the World. If you are just joining us, you are very welcome. To our developing story this

hour, the U.S. secretary of state says he is fully committed to President Donald Trump.

Rex Tillerson, delivered a statement about a half hour ago after a report of a deep rift between himself and the U.S. president. Report claims

Tillerson is angry about being under mind and then earlier this year, he dismissed Mr. Trump as a moron.

[11:50:00] Mr. Trump has already tweeted that the country has owe an apology for that reporting writing NBC News stories just been totally

refuted by secretary Tillerson and Vice President Pence is what he tweeted, it is fake news.

They should issue an apology to America. Well, senior U.S. diplomatic correspondent Michelle Kosinski is at the State Department, and unlikely,

they will get that apology -- he will get apology, just as they stand by the story, correct?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When the president is tweeting that something is fake news by now -- I mean, what does that even mean anymore.

Does anyone believe that is true, what the president is tweeting.

I think you know, that has become a whole blurry place of its own. But Tillerson was given a chance in that press conference or whatever you want

to call it. It's hastily arranged, surprised statement here at the State Department about a news story.

I mean, I can't remember when I last saw something like this happened. I mean because -- you know ask yourself, isn't that then -- if you don't like

a news story, you are then doing a press conference about it, just highlighting all of the details that are in there.

And when he frames this as a way to refute that story, the only thing that he pulled out specifically and said was untrue was that the vice president

had allegedly persuaded Secretary of State Tillerson to stay on and not resign.

Well, Tillerson says he had never considered resigning. He is just as committed now to doing his job as he was when he started. But he didn't

say anything about that moron comment and he was asking out anything else, you'd like to refute about that article, he didn't get in to any other

details.

When he was asked specifically about that comment, he called it petty and said he didn't want to address those petty things, he doesn't know. He

said why people in Washington talk about those things.

That was weird on a number of levels, but he clearly wanted to put out there his commitment to talk about the good things that he feels the Trump

administration is doing and the goals that they have ahead list the instances, the teamwork that he could think of.

But I think, you walk away from this wondering just how much collaboration there was with the White House on this and you know, was he pressured to

make this statement. He said that he hadn't talked to the president about it, that that was about as far as we heard along those lines. Becky.

ANDERSON: Michelle Kosinski on one of the stories of the hour. Michelle, thank you. And to the U.K. now, another story of the hour, British Prime

Minister Theresa May earlier had her big moment at what is known as the conservative party conference.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: But it didn't go as planned. This is May interrupted by an audience member, lost her voice and the stage behind her was quite

literally falling apart. And this all comes says, a new fuel over the always controversial, it seems a foreign secretary Boris Johnson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Let's bring in CNN's Bianca Nobilo for more on all of these. As far as -- as far as the sort of optics on this when today, they were great

and what do we get out of it? This is May gets to this conservative party conference.

She is on the back for a number of issues, not at least the fact that she call a snap election back earlier year, when she really didn't need to.

And it went fair shape, so what do we get out of this today?

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN PRODUCER: It was a disaster, Becky. He twisted all the things that have gone wrong and her throat was actually croaky and she kept

coughing. So the (Inaudible) had to her throat sweet to help sooth it, to get through the speech.

It has been a really tricky week with prime minister with terribly recede media appearance starting on her birthday on Sunday and this was really the

chaotic climax but all of that, this really could be receive two ways.

In fact to the speech was so badly, it could mean that some people feel that humanized that shown her more vulnerable side because it was

difficult.

She even joked about it afterwards and that might make people want her more. Some people have been speaking through here that said she shows

great fortitude and grit. So it could go to positive direction.

However, if people interpreted more in a negative way and they pity her because it was quite a disastrous performance. And all the journalists and

politicians I was speaking to said it was sort of agonizing to watch and it really was.

Then any leaders that pity is really going to have problems with authority and she's already got enough of those especially going into this next round

of Brexit negotiations too, Becky. So we just keep an eye on all the papers on the U.K. tomorrow morning, see how they are receiving this and

how the voters are responding.

[11:55:00] ANDERSON: Bianca is outside one of everybody damned and dungy (ph), conservative party conference today certainly one bit of a damned and

dungy (ph) day it seems for the U.K. prime minister. All right, thank you, Bianca.

I'm Becky Anderson, just before we wrapped it, just want to get you up to date on the story of the hour, just about an hour ago, U.S. Secretary of

State Rex Tillerson held what was in impromptu news conference starting by saying there is some news reports that he wanted to address.

He went on to say, his commitment today to President Trump and his office is as strong as it was the day he was offered the job. There has never

been a consideration in his mind he said to leave the administration.

He said that despite reports of course, that close friend and associate have been saying otherwise, he avoided the question about whether he call

the president a moron.

That was first reported by NBC matched by CNN in the past hour simply saying he is not going to deal with petty stuff like that. I'm Becky

Anderson, that was Connect the World from the team here, it's very good evening. Same time tomorrow.

END