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Judge: Cosby To Be Classified "A Sexually Violent Predator"; Trump Touts "America First" Agenda at U.N.; Trump Gets Unexpected Laugh From Leaders at U.N.; CNN Poll: Democrats Lead with Female Likely Voters. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired September 25, 2018 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00] JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: First of all, that he will have to be a lifetime registrar of the offender list. Number two, that he will be required to take courses and also to seek help, whether he is in prison or if he is on the outside for this personality disorder. And number three, that the community is notified that a sexually violent predator, Bill Cosby is amongst them.

Now, when will we hear the sentence, the actual sentence? It's going to be in about an hour at 1:30. And we know exactly what the state and the defense wants the commonwealth. They are asking for state prison for Bill Cosby. They say there are geriatric facilities in every prison in the state. There is a medical unit, particularly at one that age should not hamper this.

They are asking for the maximum sentence of 10 years. The range, five to 10 years, meaning five years before he could ever go before a parole board, but they are also asking for a special consideration. They want Bill Cosby to have to take a psychological assessment in prison. Something he did not do, chose not to do after his conviction with the state.

He then wants a requirement that Bill Cosby must comply with the requirements from that assessment before he would ever be released again to the public. The defense saying, home confinement. That is what we want, he is 81 years old, he is blind. There is not a risk at this point that he will ever re-offend again.

John?

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: Jean, appreciate that live reporting outside the courthouse. Keep in touch as the sentencing continues.

Let's bring in our CNN Legal Analyst Areva Martin. Areva, when you hear that Bill Cosby now designated a sexually violent predator and then the hard-line taken by the state there in the prosecution in pushing for the penalty. Put that into legal significance for us.

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, it's very significant, John. We know all along that Cosby's team had been pursuing this argument that because of his age, because of his illness that he should not serve jail time. The prosecution has been pushing back, they've been saying, look, just because he's old, just because he's allegedly blind, he shouldn't get a pass. This shouldn't be celebrity just as we heard it described this.

They're saying these are very serious allegations. He was convicted on three very serious counts and he should not get a pass. He should serve the maximum prison time.

One thing that happened today, John that's really remarkable is Cosby did not take the witness stand and ask for forgiveness, he didn't express remorse, he did not apologize to Andrea Constand.

Now, his legal team made a strategic move. We know that they are appealing, they've already filed an appeal with respect to the trial and the convictions. So if some lawyers take the position that when you have an appeal pending that the defendant shouldn't take the stand, he shouldn't take the stand and issue an apology. We'll have to see if that move proves to be successful for Bill Cosby.

KING: Areva Martin, appreciate that. And again, Areva, we're watching as the sentencing continues. We'll bring it back to you if we get new developments. Areva, thanks.

When we come back, the president's big speech to the United Nations. He takes on his critics and at the beginning he gets a big laugh. But he wasn't joking.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:37:409] KING: Welcome back.

It's still America first. President Trump giving his second address to the United Nations General Assembly just a short time ago. The president telling a packed room of world leaders their own priority should be their own country. President Trump's priority he says will continue to be America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will never surrender America's sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable global bureaucracy. America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Now if you remember back one year ago, the headlines were all about the president going after Kim Jong-un berating him as "rocket man" you might remember on a suicide mission. The difference in the tone of the rhetoric between now and then are quite remarkable.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We support for many countries here today, we have engaged with North Korea to replace the specter of conflict with a bold and new push for peace. I would like to thank Chairman Kim for his courage and for the steps he has taken though much work remains to be done.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: On Iran, trade, globalization, an airing if you will of familiar arguments, in some cases, old grievances from the president. What was most significant in your view today?

OLIVIER KNOX, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, SIRIUSXM: For me, it was the idea that economic sanctions -- easing economic sanctions on North Korea will not happen until such time as the North Koreans denuclearize. There's been this argument between the two sides in what's called sequencing which is a fancy word that means who does what and when? Mike Pompeo had taken it off the table before but it's notable that the president of United States now says none of that will happen until we reach this very elusive final goal of denuclearization. That was the thing they released out for me on that dossier.

SAHIL KAPUR, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, BLOOMBERG: It's not a big catch 22 though, I mean, this -- I have not heard an answer from the White House or from anybody about how you resolve that paradox. North Korea is not going to want to denuclearize until sanctions are lifted, until they get am economic boost or something in return. And the United States says, they're not going to lift sanctions until that denuclearization happens. How do you break that stalemate?

KNOX: The question is to do there with the -- yes, you've known political sanctions, so for example North Korea wants some kind of a peace treaty of some kind of declaration that would formally end the Korean War.

[12:40:01] That would be the kind of concession that you could make as United States and get North Korea to move forward.

The problem is, North Koreans still want this to be a step by step, tit for tat kind of quick (INAUDIBLE) arrangement. And Mike Pompeo yesterday and the president today seem to be ruling that out. But (INAUDIBLE) I would look at political accommodations. I would look at things like a broader suspension of U.S.-South Korea combined exercises. That's the kind of thing I would look at.

I hear the president ruled out easing economic sanctions today. I don't know about the other --

KING: Other ways around. It's interesting that the president of the United States, the leader of the free world is the terminology you often use for any president of the United States, standing before the United Nations, this is the ultimate globalist gathering so there are skeptics to begin with. We know the president stands alone on issues like trade or largely alone on issues like trade, issues like climate. The Europeans don't like his strong views against Iran and pulling out of the nuclear agreement right now.

This, at the very top of the speech. The president of the United States, laughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. America's -- so true.

Didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That's not going to sit well with him.

ANNIE KARNI, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, POLITICO: No. And I think that was probably the lasting memorable moment out of the speech. He was literally laughed at on the world stage. He's used to speaking to audiences that are rally audiences, where it's a friendly crowd and he dealt with it -- he handled it well in the moment, but I think this could have repercussions. This is -- it cuts Trump personally and we might see him lash out in other ways on other issues and on Twitter. But to be laughed at in front of the world stage I think will be the most memorable take away from the speech.

JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: And he had said so many times that, you know, previously before he came on the scene, we were laughed at and the United States was such a laughingstock. And the justification for so many of the anti- globalism policies that we've seen him implement or try to implement or about has been that we were being laughed at before, we've been taken advantage of. Now we're, you know, we're taking things into our own hands and we're not being laughed at anymore. And in fact they were laughing and as Annie points out, this is not an audience that's used to this kind of bluster from him which his supporters in the United States certainly are.

But I think we already have seen that it's having repercussions. I wouldn't be surprised if that was a big part of the reason that he was so vicious in that clip you played earlier about the Kavanaugh situation. Because he really doesn't like to be in the position where people are ridiculing him.

KAPUR: They may or may not be connected, but the president has now re-tweeted multiple comments from his allies who are praising his U.N. speech.

KING: His allies. When you get to the -- the president has familiar grievances on the world stage, what has changed and what is it just that he dislike to talk about more the broken record.

KNOX: Well, (INAUDIBLE) the change on North Korea is pretty dramatic change. He's now sort of re-shaping Iran policy a little bit on the fly saying, you know, that despite their requests, he's turned out offers to meet with the Rouhani, the Iranian president. The Iranian say, you know, they're asking for meeting with the Americans last year eight times. But that's being reshaped now. He talked a lot about the sanctions that are coming into play on Iran which will be important to see in early November.

But it's interesting that some of the most dramatic stuff that upsets that audience isn't new. When he talks about re-shaping American foreign (INAUDIBLE) and talked about (INAUDIBLE) America's friends, that was last year. We were not really sure we've seen any steps on that.

When he talks about comparing back America's contributions to U.N. peace keeping expenses, that's not particularly new. So some of these things that sound dramatic in the moment unless there's a follow- through, I wonder (INAUDIBLE) that audience is now like, well, wait, we heard this.

KING: They're just -- maybe that's part of the laughter is they don't see the follow-through from him but we shall see and we'll track that one.

Up next for us, six weeks until Election Day with the latest shift in key races say about Republican odds of keeping the Ho

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[12:48:11] KING: The midterm election is six weeks from today. Some brand new CNN rankings releasing right now show the House battlefield. The fight for control of the House of Representatives shifting more in favor of the Democrats.

These are our brand new rankings. Look across the top, solid Republican seats, likely Republican seats, lean Republican seats. A big pull of toss ups. That's the yellow and gold. Solid Democrat, likely, and lean.

Now, those numbers can be confusing, just look at the top. This is where we are now, shows the Democrats in play. Here's where we were just a month ago. So Republicans have lose, look at the solid here, look at the lean here, the likely states you're seeing. Now, down in both counts.

More seats moving from the red or light red towards the blue. Look back at the beginning of the year. A 175 solid Republican seats at the beginning of the year with our new rankings, 153. So you sense what's happened.

Since January now happening again now as we get closer to the election. The climate moving toward the Democrats, making it more likely more seats is in play to take back the House. So what's moving right now? All of these Republican seats moving toward the Democrats. One, two, three, four, from toss up to lean Democrat.

Illinois, six from lean Republican to toss up. Again, improving the battlefield with more prospects, more pieces of the basket where Democrats can pick up the 23 they need to win.

Also moving left, one, two, three, four, all Republican-held seats from likely to lean in these cases from solid to likely there. In our new rankings, only one seat, Florida 27 goes from lean Democrat to toss up. So the climate is improving for the Democrats which is one reason you have the president on the campaign trail saying do not be complacent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: The new platform of the Democrat Party is radical socialism and open borders. A vote for any Democrat this November -- you got to get out and vote. I know you're complacent.

[12:50:01] Whoever is in the White House loses the midterm.

You lose the midterm, we're going to go through nothing but fights. We're going to be fighting to keep what you have. They're going want to take it away.

You got to get out. You can't be complacent. It's fragile. You got to get out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: With us now, the host of the Pollsters podcast back with us. Democrat Margie Omero, Republican Kristen Soltis Anderson.

What is in that broader climate as we move seats from the red towards the blue? What is the single biggest factor in the broader climate that six weeks out says it is still tilting at least for the House toward the Democrats?

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: I think that the biggest single factor here is that the president's job approval numbers still stay pretty flat and the news right now is sort of dominated by stories that are not favorable to the president and Republicans. The stories about Judge Kavanaugh sort of reminding female voters if they had doubts about the Republican Party watching how this is handled will certainly play a role.

And frankly the best news that Republicans have is consistently economic news. And as long as that's buried in the headlines for Republican candidates to sort of rise and this positive wave you might from that.

MARGIE OMERO, DEMOCRATIC POLLSTER: You just want one reason? I mean, there are a variety of reasons. I mean, in addition to all the things that Kristen just said. You also have Republicans despite having control of all branches of government are unable to really get much done. That seems to really be able to help people.

The tax plan was their big accomplishment is not popular. Hasn't been popular since it was passed. It has become less popular. So I think that adds to that.

You also see just the sense of government dysfunction, overall toxicity. High bipartisanship. And then as people think, this is not really working.

KING: And so let's look at some potential pitfalls or issues. Six weeks to go and my question is, what can do you or can you do anything in six weeks to change it? A big advantage for the Democrats.

This is our poll, CNN poll. A choice for Congress among female likely voters. Democrats 60, Republicans 36. That's a recipe for a blowout. Six weeks. Can you change it? What's the key?

ANDERSON: So I think six weeks is still a long time in politics. I mean, just bear in mind how chaotic this week is and how chaotic every week leading up to it has been. And who knows what the next six weeks will hold.

So I wouldn't say that anything is a foregone conclusion at this point, but what I think Republicans need to do is remind those voters, do you feel more secure in terms of your family's safety, do you feel more secure from threats overseas. Do you feel more secure in terms of your financial situation?

If you feel more secure, I think that's a strong argument Republicans have both from trying to make the economic argument as well as the safety argument that could appeal to some of those voters.

KING: You're going to be you would answer that the rush to confirm Brett Kavanaugh helps you maintain those numbers.

OMERO: I mean, it certainly reminds folks which party really is having a hard time figuring out how to talk to women and about women. And this is just one more reminder. As if we needed more. I mean, in the summer Pew found that a majority of Americans feel Trump doesn't respect women. Just women broadly to -- for a majority to feel that the president doesn't respect a majority of the electorate is really quite stunning.

KING: And so let's look at the intensity issues. This NBC-Wall Street Journal. The interest by group. One of the good pieces, a better news for Republicans (INAUDIBLE) that their intensity does seem to be going up close to the election.

Look at this bar graph at the bottom. Independents and young voters. Traditionally in a midterm year less intensity about voting in a midterm year. Is that a problem for Democrats? Is there any recipe for a big blue wave out there? But some key ingredients are still not sure if they're going to show up.

Yes. I mean, still -- historically, Republicans have advantages in turnout in midterm elections and as -- you know, are you going find Republicans who feel that they need to go to the polls in order to defend and protect what they have. You know, I think that's still very much a possibility. I mean --

KING: How do you motivate the young people, the independents? If they're not motivated now, what are the Democrats doing wrong?

OMERO: Well, I think -- it's always about making sure people understand what's in it for them. Why this matters to them. What -- how the outcome of the election is going to impact their daily life.

ANDERSON: And I'd say, let's go back to the clip that we were just saw from the president at that rally. He was talking about not being complacent. And that's a bit of a shift in message from him.

Previously, you know, he was tweeting things like in red wave in all caps, the idea that, well, you know what they said, we weren't going to win last time and we were fine so we're going to b fine this time. I think pivoting away from no, no, no, the polls are all fake news, we're going to win to, no, this is serious, don't be complacent is a smart strategy on his part to remind his base that they really do need to vote. That the news that's bad for Republicans is not just fake news.

KING: Is the House done?

ANDERSON: I don't think anything is done. It's six weeks to go. I'm not putting -- drawing a line in the sand yet for anything.

OMERO: So if you -- so we are looking at national numbers, but in all of these races, people are making daily decisions. They do cable advertising or broadcast advertising or they are doing direct mail. How are they spending their time simply driving around the districts very tremendously?

[12:55:00] How they're negotiating with the talking to their (INAUDIBLE). I mean, all of these decisions really make or break different races.

KING: It sounds like both have six weeks of fun to go and come back at least once a week I hope.

Before we go, some news from the White House right now. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders just announcing the president will hold a press conference tomorrow, Wednesday, 5 p.m. Eastern Time to wrap up his trip to the United Nations. He also knows of course it's the day before the dramatic testimony in the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle.

Thanks for joining us today on the INSIDE POLITICS. Have a great day. Wolf starts after a quick break.

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