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Laura Coates Live
Harris Faces Latino Voters in Town Hall; Hurricane Milton Ravages Florida; Biden Express Outrage as Trump Pushes Storm Lies; Trial Date Set for Diddy Sex Trafficking Case; Elon Musk Unveils His Robotaxi. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired October 10, 2024 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
BRIAN STELTER, AUTHOR, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT FOR VANITY FAIR: -- from the dialogue, Abby. And you know what your big present is? You get to be back tomorrow.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yeah.
STELTER: And the night after that.
PHILLIP: And I hope you'll join us.
STELTER: Or even more of these debates.
PHILLIP: It has been a really fun year.
STELTER: What have you learned?
PHILLIP: Well, I've learned that people should stop talking when I'm talking.
(LAUGHTER)
And I've also learned that it's good to have differences of opinion at the table because, sometimes, they surprise you, like we were a little surprised tonight.
STELTER: Yes.
PHILLIP: There were some -- there were some things happening here that were unexpected --
STELTER: Every night.
PHILLIP: -- and it happens almost every night.
STELTER: That's right.
PHILLIP: Everyone, thank you very much. We've got to go. Thanks for watching "NewsNight: State of the Race." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now. LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Brand new tonight, Kamala Harris faces Latino voters in a wide-ranging town hall. This says Barack Obama jumps into the campaign with an attack on Donald Trump and a message for Black men. Plus, hundreds of rescues all across Florida after Hurricane Milton tore through that state. We're live on the ground with damage you have to see to believe. And Diddy gets a trial date in his sex trafficking case, while prosecutors drop a pretty big hint. More charges could be coming.
All tonight on "Laura Coates Live."
(INAUDIBLE) Election Day and tonight, it sounds like Democrats are living the plot of the movie "Inside Out 2." The joy around the Kamala Harris campaign, well, it's meeting anxiety.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Don't listen to anxiety. She's using these horrible projections.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: In real life, the horrible projections are coming in the form of polls, polls that show the race nationally deadlocked. And it has been that way for a few weeks now, even after raising one billion, yes with a "B," one billion dollars.
There's new concern about the blue wall. I'm talking about Pennsylvania, in Michigan, in Wisconsin. Some recent polling suggested her advantage actually may be slimming even in Pennsylvania, and that Trump is going to be tough in both Michigan and Wisconsin.
So, Democrats, according to our reporting, are increasingly anxious about the election. They're concerned about how best to deploy resources, which groups to focus on, suburban women, men, young people. Who? Well, Harris has been focusing on all of the above as part of a big media blitz this very week. And tonight, it was Latino voters at a Univision town hall. She went to Trump for his lies over the federal hurricane response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- about what we have been doing over the last two weeks and what we are going to do going forward. Sadly, we have seen over the last two weeks, since Hurricane Helene and now in the immediate aftermath of Milton, where people are playing political games, suggesting that resources and support is only going to certain people based on a political agenda. And this is just not accurate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Harris is not alone in trying to help her party overcome the pre-election anxiety. She's getting a lot of help from nostalgia. In this case, he also happens to be the biggest name in the Democratic Party, Barack Obama. Former president speaking out tonight in Pittsburgh as he kicks off a campaign sprint of sorts for Harris. Now, aides say that Obama sees the election as an all-hands-on-deck kind of moment, and he made that pretty clear tonight by going after Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Donald Trump is a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago. You've got the tweets in all caps, the ranting and the raving about crazy conspiracy theories, the two-hour speeches, word salad, just -- you know, it's like Fidel Castro, just on and on.
Constant attempts to sell you stuff. Who does that? Selling you gold sneakers and $100,000 watch and -- and most recently, a Trump Bible. You know, he wants you to buy the word of God, Donald Trump edition. He got his name right there next to Matthew and Luke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: I want to bring in senior advisor to the Trump-Vance presidential campaign, Bryan Lanza. Also, here, CNN political commentators, Bakari Sellers and Kristen Soltis Anderson. Good to see all of you here tonight.
[23:04:58]
I'll begin with you, Bryan, because that's exactly where Obama was focusing on, someone that you, of course, worked for. The Harris campaign rolling out one of the biggest guns. Former President Barack Obama in Pennsylvania, battleground state tonight. He had this message, by the way, for voters who are nostalgic for Trump's economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: And some people think, wow, I don't know, I remember that economy when he first came in being pretty good. Yeah, it was pretty good, because it was my economy.
(APPLAUSE)
We had 75 straight months of job growth that I handed over to him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: How do you respond to that tonight?
BRYAN LANZA, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR TRUMP 2016 CAMPAIGN, SENIOR ADVISER FOR TRUMP 2024 CAMPAIGN: -- one where they had to work two jobs to make ends meet. I think that's what people remember about the Barack Obama economy.
I think what's important to remember is this: No matter how good of a salesman or how big of a hero is Barack Obama is to the Democratic Party, he can't sell crap. And the last three and a half years of economic policy from the Biden-Harris administration has been crap for the middle class. His bankrupt to the middle class is extended. He has forced them to take credits to pay for school supplies.
There's no amount of selling, there's no amount of charm, there's no amount of charisma that can change the fact that Barack Obama cannot paint a pretty picture of what the American people have experienced over the last three years compared to what they experienced under President Trump. He can try to change it, he can try to lie, he can try to do whatever he can, but people look at their pocketbooks and they're nostalgic when they have more money.
COATES: Bakari, how do you see it? Is it crap or is it truth?
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: -- and I think even Bryan knows that every economic indicator you have today shows that the economy is actually doing extremely well. I mean, whether or not you've been looking at inflation, the rate of inflation today is lower than what it was during Donald Trump's tenure.
There's no economic indicator that Bryan or Donald Trump -- Donald Trump can't stay on message. So, let me not even mention him. But Bryan or anyone else around the Trump campaign orbit can actually point to -- that shows that the economy was better under Trump than it is today.
But the problem is, and this is what people point to, whether or not voters are feeling that, and that is a different -- that is a different question, and the pain that voters are going through. And we have to recall what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris inherited coming off of COVID, record job losses under Donald Trump, et cetera, the economy under Donald Trump in tatters.
It's not -- it's not a new story when a Republican passed off an economy to a Democrat, as we've seen, but it is on the upswing. And Kamala Harris has to continue to push that message. She has to continue to meet voters where they are.
And just to point, one quick point about Barack Obama, look, we have Barack Obama. We're sending out Hillary Clinton, we're sending out Bill Clinton, we're sending out Al Gore. There's literally no one, no one who has run for president or vice president of the United States outside of Sarah Palin that wants to stand beside Donald Trump. And that's indicative of the man that he is.
And so, you can lampoon, you can say whatever you want, but this race is really going to come down to not vibes but character. And Donald Trump doesn't have the character that denotes anyone wanting to be in his space. That's why he doesn't have anybody standing with him.
COATES: Well, Kristen, to Bakari's point, of course, you do have Nikki Haley and some others who have come forward recently. But your point is well taken, Bakari, about the balance of what's happening on the Democrats' side versus the Republicans.
I want to tune into this emotional moment, though, Kristen, that happened at the Univision town hall. Vice President Harris was responding to a woman whose mother was never granted citizenship and died, she says, because her mother could not get the health care that she desperately needed. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I know what it is like to have a hardworking mother who loves you and to lose that, but I know that her spirit is alive. I know her spirit is alive. And will you tell me her name and let's speak her name?
UNKNOWN: Maria Dolores -- sorry, Maria Dolores Figueroa.
HARRIS: Maria Dolores?
UNKNOWN: Mm-hmm.
HARRIS: Okay, we speak her name, okay?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: She went on to say, Kristen, that she passed the bipartisan immigration bill. Is that the message that Latino voters are looking for?
KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: Well, I think that moment is a very touching moment. I think it was very lovely to see that connection there on stage. I do, however, still think that when you look at the polls and you ask voters who you trust more on the issue of immigration, Donald Trump still does have an advantage there.
And I think for the last number of years, there has been sort of a miscalculation on the part of many Democratic strategists, assuming, oh, Donald Trump, and he's tough on the border, tough on immigration, message won't resonate. And we've seen it, especially with Latino men. He has been doing a little bit better.
[23:09:59]
So, I do think that immigration is an issue that is still a potential weak spot for Harris in this election, and that's why the -- if you go into battleground states right now, you'll see plenty of ads of her talking about how she stopped on the border, talking about how she's going to be somebody that's going to put more border patrol agents out there. He recognizes that that's really where the public is at of many of those questions.
COATES: Well, from Latino men to --
SELLERS: Laura --
COATES: Go ahead, Bakari.
SELLERS: Yeah, I think we just --
COATES: By the way, that was not my question to go to you. I was going to have a different transition. But I wasn't saying two black men. I mean, Bakari, we're all clear on that, right? SELLERS: Yeah.
COATES: Okay, I had a different question for you, but you spoke up, go ahead.
(LAUGHTER)
SELLERS: I just think we missed the moment, like that's not a -- that's not a -- that's not a policy question. I know that the young lady asked a question that was rooted in policy, but it's something so much more. And I think when voters look at it, I think when Hispanic voters look at it, when that woman is -- she's, you know, someone who has relatives who are Hispanic men, but when people look at it, they look for a level of empathy.
And there's no one -- none of -- listen, there's no -- none of the four of us who believe that Donald Trump is capable of having that moment. Nobody. Bryan, who loves Trump, doesn't believe he's capable of having that moment. It's just not in his belly wick. It's not something he's capable of doing. That level of empathy will go a long way in resonating with voters today versus what the chaos was of Donald Trump.
And I think that as much as we want to talk about immigration policy, because it's a huge issue, you've seen the Harris campaign pivot and talk about immigration in ways that they didn't necessarily talk about it before. This moment was a moment of empathy and it's the moment that's going to stand out on the campaign, and it is going to show a clear contrast between the two candidates.
COATES: Bryan, can you imagine that moment with Donald Trump?
LANZA: Yeah. Listen, I've had that moment of empathy with Donald Trump. I mean, my father -- I'm not going to get into personal details, but Donald Trump has displayed moments of empathy for people. He has certainly displayed moments of empathy for the families of Afghanistan who died under President Biden with their failures there. He has expressed moments of empathy for soldiers who died under his watch when he had to go, you know, and meet them -- and meet them at the military bases. He has explained empathy for families who've lost, you know, precious family members to illegal aliens who shouldn't be in this country.
So, listen, I think we all get comfortable insulting President Trump and we all feel good about it, but you sort of lose those moments that actually do exist. You know, there has been plenty of moments of empathy during Donald Trump's administration. We just choose to ignore it because it's easier to insult him. But when you do that, you sort of lose connective tissue. And Bakari is right, that connective tissue matters.
And so, when he's having that connective moment with people and you have other people saying those things don't exist, you've lost those people forever because they experienced empathy from President Trump and people are seeing it, and it has an impact. COATES: Bryan, I don't actually hear Bakari, and he can speak for himself on this issue, relishing at an insult. I hear about the comparison and contrasting between what is the consistent message of either compassion or empathy that can be undermined by comments that are wholly void of that. When you're talking about migrants who are legally in this country and being accused of horrific things, I think that's the balance people are trying to strike.
But I want to go back to the former president of the United States, if we can, because Obama is taking Black men to task for hesitation over supporting Harris during an unannounced stop today in Pittsburgh.
I'll read for you one of the things he said. He says, part of it makes me think that you just aren't feeling the idea of having a woman as president. He says that Trump is -- going to Trump is not acceptable.
I wonder, Bakari, from your perspective, will this message resonate with Black men? One, do you think that he has his thump appropriately on the polls as to why some are reluctant to support Harris?
SELLERS: So, there are a few things. The first thing is that I don't want people to feel as if Black men -- poll after poll after poll, minus those people who oversample, but poll after poll after poll shows that Kamala Harris is doing extremely well with African-American voters, you know, 80% to 85%, to 10% or 12%
You have a few out -- you have a few outliers who want to show somehow that Donald Trump is performing at 20% with African-Americans. I mean, if you believe that, then I'll just sell you the Yankees tomorrow.
The thing about this that is most important is that Barack Obama's message tonight alone is not enough. It is a good message. It's one that we talk about often in private, but it's not enough.
And I think what you'll see from the campaign in upcoming days is actually tangible policy solutions directed towards African-American men, a policy agenda that reflects Kamala Harris actually listening to African-American men, talking about things like health care, talking about things like Black men in the classroom or access to capital. Those are things that they want to hear.
[23:15:00]
Black men want to be heard. And neither party for a long period of time has been doing a good job of talking to Black men.
I don't have any concern that Black men are going to jump ship in some large numbers and vote for somebody who them and their father were fined by the Department of Labor for refusing to rent to African- Americans. I don't have any belief that they're going to vote for somebody who took out a four-page ad calling for the lynching and execution of the Central Park Five. I don't -- I don't -- I'm not -- you know, I'm not convinced that Donald Trump has any type of salvo for African-American men, but they may choose the couch.
And Kamala Harris, combined with the message of Barack Obama, putting something tangible out there, can fix that problem.
COATES: I see you responding, Bryan, but I do want to quickly get Kristen in as our pollster here. Do the polls, are they consistent with the absence of concern that Bakari has expressed?
SOLTIS-ANDERSON: So, I think that there is some concern that the Harris campaign should have. I agree that it's unlikely that Donald Trump is winning Black men, but certainly, Donald Trump doesn't have to win Black men, just do better than expectations.
Well, Barack Obama is an unbelievably talented political communicator. I would not claim to have my finger on the pulse of African-American men as a voter group more than Barack Obama.
I do think that message is a little curious. It's hard to persuade a group of voters to do what you want them to do by telling them you think that there's something going on that they believe that is bad and, therefore, they should stop believing it.
I jus -- something about that message strikes me as a little bit odd. And the fact that he has gone out there with it, does to me suggest it's not just me or just us pollsters out here who are seeing this, it must be something that the Harris campaign is seeing, too.
COATES: Oh, we are smack dab in the middle of a little bit odd when it comes to this entire political cycle. Stand by, everyone. We're coming back to all of you. I want to get your insight further.
But, up next, rescuers are fanning out across Florida after Hurricane Milton triggers catastrophic flooding and massive tornadoes of all things. We'll go live to where the storm made landfall and the site of those deadly tornadoes.
Plus, President Biden's message to Donald Trump for spreading lies about the federal hurricane response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Get a life, man. Help these people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: The scale of Hurricane Milton's impact on Florida, it's still coming into view nearly 24 hours after landfall. At least 15 people have died. And that number could rise as crews continue to search through wreckage. Nearly 1,000 were rescued across the day from flooded and also cut off neighborhoods. And at this very hour, nearly 2.6 million people remain in the dark without any power. The storm spared very few and it impacted both coasts of Florida.
Now, in Florida's east side, a tornado outbreak ravaged St. Lucie County. And the extent of that damage, it's still being assessed. An extremely rare and powerful EF3 tornado struck Palm Beach Gardens. That's 140-miles-per-hour winds we're talking about. It was the strongest recorded tornado produced by a tropical system in Florida since 1995.
On Florida's Gulf Coast, widespread flooding, significant storm surge in many parts. In Punta Gorda, for example, the water hit nearly 14 feet. The surge was so strong that it literally tossed boats around. I mean, just look at this. There's a sailboat sitting in someone's front yard.
Well, CNN is live tonight on Florida's east and west coast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Randi Kaye is in Siesta Key, where Milton made landfall. Our Brian Todd is in tornado-ravaged Fort Pierce. We begin with you here, Brian. You're in one of the hardest-hit areas. What have you been seeing today?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Laura, here in St. Lucie County, officials are trying to get their arms around the kind of carnage that they're dealing with here, and this is a scene, a part of that carnage. This is an 18-wheel truck that just got picked up and slammed on its side by a tornado. These trucks weigh about 18 tons when they're empty, about 40 tons when they're full. Take a look at this wreck and just imagine the kind of power and the force it took to get this truck in this state.
Meanwhile, I spoke to Keith Pearson, the sheriff of St. Lucie County, a short time ago. He's got some updated numbers for us. At least six people were killed in a neighborhood not far from here. It's called the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village neighborhood of Modular Homes for people who are 55 years and older. Six people dead in that neighborhood, more than 50 injured, he said, and they are still trying to find some people who are missing and unaccounted for. They're still doing search and rescue efforts, which he talked to me about a short time ago. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEITH PEARSON, SHERIFF, ST. LUCIE COUNTY: This is a 55 and older community that's modular homes, that multiple tornadoes came through and just destroyed. I mean, it lifted up modular homes and tossed it like it was garbage, like it was nothing. This whole area is just devastated. This area is just leveled.
We don't -- there's no front doors. You know, as you see the debris here, this is what -- this is what first responders are going through. They're sorting through that. They're yelling. They're looking for signs of life. And then once we have signs of life, we have to figure out how are we going to get that stuff off of them to get to them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: And to give you an idea about the speed with which these tornadoes just came through here, according to CNN's analysis of National Weather Service warnings, there were about nine tornadoes that plowed through St. Lucie County yesterday.
[23:25:02]
Three of them came through in the span of 25 minutes, Laura. So, it was carnage, it was terror, and it all happened so quickly for these people.
COATES: Three in 25 minutes. I mean, this is unbelievable, to see what's happening. Let me go to Randi Kaye here because you were right where Hurricane Milton made landfall. Randi, what's happening on the ground right now where you are?
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Laura, we are here on Siesta Key where Milton made landfall. And most of the people did evacuate. Most of the homeowners did leave before the storm because they had experienced Hurricane Helene here just a couple of weeks ago.
But when they do get back, they are going to come here to a mess. I can show you a little bit of what we've been seeing. This homeowner, we understand, these are their trees that are down in the front yard. From Helene, there weren't any trees that fell here on Siesta Key. So, the winds from Hurricane Milton brought those trees down. And then you have this flower pot that's here at the planter, that's here in front of the gate. That certainly wasn't there beforehand.
And let me just take you across the street here. There is, of course, standing water throughout Siesta Key. But on this house here, we understand that the resident had just moved here a month ago from Texas, and then they experienced Hurricane Helene a couple weeks ago, and their front windows got blown out from Hurricane Milton just yesterday.
And now, all of this debris that's in their yard, that was all stacked up very nicely here at the curb after Helene. And this is what Milton did to it. It threw mattresses airborne, made them airborne. They're out in the lawn there. There are suitcases scattered around. There are personal photos. There's a television on the ground. Again, all of this was here from Helene and stacked up.
So, when we came in here today, I could show you some video as we drove through the area just making our entrance to Siesta Key, this is what we saw all over the place. There were roads that were blocked, streets that you couldn't even get down, there was standing water everywhere. One woman told us she had fish from the storm surge in her backyard. There were trees down. We saw a tree that was more than 100 years old. We talked to the resident, the owner of that home, who was so upset to have lost such a beautiful tree. But incredibly, their home was still standing.
But I can tell you, Laura, talking to these people, they are frustrated, they are angry, they are in tears, they are tired of watching the weather. After this one, two punch, they don't know when they're going to get hit, if they're going to be spared. And this community is really somewhere where you see green parrots and dolphins, you don't normally see hurricanes, and they feel like they need a fortress in order to survive here now, Laura.
COATES: Unbelievable, just thinking about what they've gone through. Brian Todd, Randi Kaye on both coasts, thank you so much.
Up next, it's exactly what the people of Florida don't need right now. Absurd claims about being able to control the weather. Dangerous Trump-backed claims that FEMA won't be providing any help. Tonight, a warning from President Biden to the former president, Donald Trump.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: As millions of people recovered from hurricanes Milton and Helene, President Biden spoke directly to his predecessor, Donald Trump, and urged him to stop lying about the relief efforts. This is how Biden responded when asked how he would stop Trump from spreading misinformation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: Are you kidding me? Mr. President Trump, former President Trump, get a life, man. Help these people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Trump falsely claimed that FEMA is spending money on migrants, not disaster response. He has even said that FEMA has no employees to help storm victims. And today, Homeland Secretary -- Security Director -- excuse me -- Alejandro Mayorkas said those lies are not only demoralizing to aid workers, but it's also fueling threats against them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, SECRETARY, UNITED STATES HOMELAND SUCURITY: We are seeing horrific hate speech of all types propagated on online platforms. That deplorable speech has an impact on people's lives and it is also a motivating force for people to do harm. And it has got to stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: My panel is back with me now. Bakari, let me begin with you. What do you make of President Biden going directly after Trump for his lies on disaster recovery?
SELLERS: I mean, I think people who have any ounce of intellectual honesty will tell you that the lies that Donald Trump are perpetrating or is perpetrating, particularly in western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, has proven to be devastating. I mean, they're people who don't get the aid they need or deserve because they're listening to his lies.
It's like -- there has to become a point in time where Republicans of sound mind, and you actually see Republicans, I mean, Kane, I don't know if you guys watch wrestling, but he's one of the mayors in that area, conservative mayor in that area who comes out and says like, look, this has to stop.
I mean, people are attacking mayors of cities in that area because of their religion. I mean, it's beyond the pale. They're people who now -- and Marjorie Taylor Greene talking -- they're people who believe, who are in elected office, Marjorie Taylor Greene being one of them, that Democrats and or Jews or -- I don't know what she was referring to -- control hurricanes.
[23:34:55]
I mean, just the asinine nature of the dialogue when people are hurting, when people are without their homes, when people are dying, when people are stranded. And everyone, Tom Tillis, Lindsey Graham, my governor, Henry McMaster, have all said that the outreach has been what they need and timely.
COATES: Bryan, let me ask you about that because our fact-checker, Daniel Dale, this is not an abstract concept. He found that Trump made at least 40, 4-0 claims, false claims during his speech in Pennsylvania yesterday. Why? What does Trump gain by spreading that type of misinformation? What is the strategy here?
LANZA: Listen, I would say Donald Trump was president, so he's big. He supervised a crisis during hurricanes, so he knows what a good response is, and he knows what a poor response is. And he actually felt President Biden's response to Hurricane Helena was a poor response. And we heard it from people on the ground. We even heard it from the governor of Georgia, who said he had to reach out to the Biden administration to get the emergency declaration for the rest of his counties because they were delayed.
So, clearly there was a fault. Clearly, Biden is sensitive. His response is being compared to Katrina, which was a horrific response by the government. And he's sensitive to it. And then you have Kamala Harris who's trying to inject herself into the discussion. In Florida, picking a fight with Governor DeSantis, where she has no role whatsoever with her response and saying Governor DeSantis is not responsive to her. This job is not to be responsive to her, it's to be responsive to President Biden, which Joe Biden said is actually happening.
Listen, the guy, President Trump --
COATES: But Bryan, excuse me, before you finish that, excuse me.
LANZA: Go ahead.
COATES: I don't want to cut you off. It's hard to, um, give a -- one second. It's one thing to be critical of a policy or be critical of the way in which a particular objective is being carried out. It's another thing to provide misinformation to suggest that, for example, the $750 that FEMA is providing, that actually is noted as serious needs assistance, is all that they'll actually get, that they're giving money for migrants and ignoring victims. That's different than saying --
LANZA: People --
COATES: Hold on. I'll finish my point first. That's different than saying that you don't like the way that the response has been given. One is an opinion, the other is misinformation. Explain.
LANZA: Here's why it's not information, because when the government announced the first $750, they didn't announce any other aid coming. When they said, here's the $750 that's coming out for an immediate concern, they didn't say all these other programs were listed. So, when President Trump criticized and rightly so any president, any elected official criticized such a meager response, you know, then the Biden administration can't say, no, there's all these other things that are taking place.
I think timing matters. I think that's what the media does, is they take Trump's comments at one particular time where, you know, it's actually factual, and then it sorts of moves and say, aha, he's lying. Listen, when Trump criticized $750, there was real question. There was real question if that was coming in from the federal government.
SELLERS: No, it's not. This is not -- this is not -- this is not an honest dialogue. This isn't true.
LANZA: It's 100% true.
COATES: Okay --
LANZA: We can pull the tapes.
SELLERS: This isn't true, though, Bryan. Because you can't -- because in one -- in one sentence, Bryan, you can't say, you fundamentally can't say if we're going to be intellectually honest with the viewers. You can't say that he was president of the United States, and he knows what a response is to a hurricane. And so, if you know what a response is to a hurricane, then you fundamentally know the fact that $750 is not all you get.
What we were talking about at the time and what individuals were talking about is that immediate assistance for people who needed those supplies at that particular moment. If you were president of the United States and you had this grasp on what a response should be, as you stated, you can't sit here and play semantics, and all of a sudden say, you don't know any other programs exist.
The fact is, Donald Trump is not being helpful in this situation. He's fundamentally not. If you want to say it's Katrina, nobody's going to believe you. That's outlandish. If you want to say they could have done more at this particular time, point to it. Maybe we will respond better at that particular time.
But outright lying? That is something that is detrimental. And Donald Trump is a liar, and he has been lying on this fact for -- on this issue for a long period of time. And that's a problem. I mean, it's just a problem.
LANZA: And let me tell you what's detrimental. Detrimental was a response to Helena in some of these counties. People were on T.V. asking for help, feeling that the federal government was absent, while Kamala Harris was at a fundraiser in San Francisco and Joe Biden was on the beach.
So yeah, people in those areas were frustrated that they saw a horrible response from the president and the vice president. And at the time, they only felt they were getting $750, and Trump put a light on it and said, that is not how a response should be. You can have the criticism you want, but where was Biden and where was Harris? One was raising money and the other one was asleep.
COATES: I want to bring Kristen into this conversation because I do wonder how in a world where many people are consuming information through echo chambers, how this might play with voters. When you've got Trump saying one thing and you've got the facts saying another, where do the voters come in and how they assess it?
[23:40:03]
SOLTIS-ANDERSON: So, I think, ultimately, the way voters assess this is they look and they say, how did this response go? Was it successful or unsuccessful? In 2005, the response to Katrina was not considered successful, not in terms of messaging, but in terms of the actual response itself. And voters punished Republicans accordingly.
And then in 2012, the response to super storm Sandy was considered successful. Voters rewarded both Barack Obama and Chris Christie accordingly. Chris Christie got in trouble with some Republicans for having hugged Barack Obama during that moment. I think this is going to be judged much more on how does the response actually go.
What really troubles me about this misinformation is less that somebody has overblown their criticism of what the government is doing and more of these reports of people who are rejecting aid because they're worried that FEMA is a conspiracy coming to get them.
That's the sort of stuff that really does bother me because there is legitimate criticism that you can level against government agencies for what they're doing. But it's things where people are unwilling to accept help themselves because of things that they've been told. That's where I really just think we have gone way too far.
COATES: That was Vice President Kamala Harris's point to the FEMA director about people not receiving aid because they thought they'd have to repay it. This conversation happened just yesterday as well. Thank you, everyone, for the conversation.
Up next, Diddy all smiles in court today as a judge set a date for his blockbuster criminal trial. But could key evidence be actually be ruled out? And later, inside Elon Musk's vision for the future, the new taxi idea that he just unveiled.
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[23:45:00]
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COATES: Well, tonight, the trial date has been set in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering case of Sean "Diddy" Combs. He'll go on trial May 5th, 2025 barring, of course, any delays or potential deals. Diddy, as you know, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. And he appeared in court today wearing a tan buttoned-down shirt, khaki pants, and shackles around his ankles.
A reporter in court watched as Diddy blew kisses to his mother and waved at his sons. Prosecutors say the trial could last three weeks, but they also hinted at more charges against Diddy or maybe even others, saying that any superseding indictment could impact the length of the trial.
With me now, Neama Rahmani, former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. Neama, this trial date is for seven months from now. His lawyers say they want the trial to go as quickly as possible. He has been denied bail twice. Did Diddy's defense team get what they wanted? Is this really what they do want?
NEAMA RAHMANI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, PRESIDENT OF WEST COAST TRIAL LAWYERS: I think it is, Laura. They want to trial that as quickly as possible for a couple reasons. Obviously, first, Diddy is in custody, so he's not a free man, even though they're on appeal to the Second Circuit. And the second reason is this case is going to be more about cross-examination than substantive witnesses that are put on.
And we know that because when the government asks for three weeks for their case (INAUDIBLE), the defense just asks for one, which means that they're going to focus on attacking the credibility of the victims and the witnesses.
COATES: Well, Diddy's lawyers have been accusing the government of leaking that disturbing video showing him assaulting and beating his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in a hotel back in 2016. Now, they're claiming it would prevent Diddy from getting a fair trial. Now, CNN exclusively obtained that video and had no comment. Prosecutors, though, dismissed the allegation and the Homeland Security Department declined to even comment.
So, will this effort to stop the video from being shown at trial even work? Would it be so highly prejudicial as to no longer be what they call probative in a case like this?
RAHMANI: Not at all, Laura. There is no chance that video is not coming into evidence. It's a RICO predicate act, and the prosecutor said that they hadn't even seen it until CNN aired it. COATES: Wait, what does that mean? RICO predicate act, for our audience. Break that down for us, Neama. A RICO predicate act. What do you mean?
RAHMANI: So, under RICO, the racketeering statute, you need two or more predicate acts within a 10-year period. And we've seen them allege the sex trafficking, the assault, the kidnapping. So, that falls within that 10-year window. It's 2016. So, it is an element of the case. And just because it's damaging doesn't mean it doesn't come in. And prosecutors have said that they hadn't even seen the video until CNN aired it in May.
So, even though it's damaging, and we know it's damaging, because let's not forget, from November when Cassie Ventura first filed a lawsuit to March when the raids happened, it was made the day after that video was aired, I believe that Diddy issued that apology. So, that's how powerful that video is, because we know that witnesses, defendants, lawyers, they can all lie but video doesn't lie.
COATES: Again, it's part of the allegations against him and these so- called freak-offs as well. It's the idea of an overall act and what you're talking about could be really important and germane in this case.
There's also new reporting that Diddy is spending most of his time in jail with lawyers. But, of course, his children have also visited him. And one source told CNN -- quote -- "He's doing fine, but it's hard for him. He's a family person and loves being a father." A family guy. We've heard this time and time again in many trials that I've done. A family guy. Is that how the defense is going to try to present him in light of all of these charges?
RAHMANI: That's going to be difficult. I think the defense will be that the sexual activity happened, but it was consensual, and that's what his lawyers are saying. The challenge there is, of course, if there is a superseding indictment, and these are just allegations made by civil lawyers and the lawsuits haven't been filed yet, but if we are talking about minors eventually, that consent goes out the window because adults can't consent.
But, you're right, Laura, jurors do like family support, and we're seeing it from Diddy's family members.
[23:50:02]
So, if and when this case goes to trial, and I fully expect it to go to trial because there's no deal that could possibly be had here, certainly not one Diddy would accept, I expect those family members to be sitting right behind Diddy in that courtroom.
COATES: Could be as early as May 5th of next year. Of course, Diddy and his team have denied any allegations of abuse or any of the minor- related allegations as well. We'll see how this all unfolds in the days to come. Neama Rahmani, thank you so much.
RAHMANI: Of course, Laura. Thanks for having me. COATES: New tonight, Elon Musk wants this to be your next taxi. No driver needed, fully autonomous. But isn't that for real this time? And would you trust getting in it? Kara Swisher joins me next.
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[23:54:57]
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ELON MUSK, CEO, TESLA MOTORS voice-over): What happens if you need a vehicle that is bigger than a Model Y? The -- the "Robovan." The "Robovan" is a -- this is -- we're going to make this. And it's going to look like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: That was Tesla CEO Elon Musk tonight appearing to take another step toward his long-promised dream of self-driving taxis. Now, take a closer look at this thing. He calls it the Robovan. Not a robo-van, but a Robovan, spelled the same. It's fully autonomous. It can carry up to 20 people and also transport goods. Now, the real estate? That's unknown.
Then there's the Cybercab. It has no steering wheels or pedals. It is fully self-driving. Musk says it will release that in 2027. But will it? In 2016, Musk said that self-driving cars were only two years away. A year later, he said six more months. In 2018, Musk said the cars would be two years away. In 2019, he said within the year. And now, it's here. Or is it?
Let's get right to the one and only Kara Swisher, CNN contributor and host of the "On" and "Pivot" podcasts, as well as the author of "Burn Book." Kara, is this coming?
KARA SWISHER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah.
COATES: First of all, what is your assessment of the Cybercab and the -- I hate the pronunciation, but the Robovan?
SWISHER: Don't do it. I'm not going to call it the Robovan because it has never been --
COATES: All right, Robovan.
(LAUGHTER)
SWISHER: Look, it's a lovely toaster on wheels. I think it's lovely for a toaster on wheels. You know, there's already a version of this that Amazon has put out through the Zoox division. That has been riding the streets of San Francisco for years now. So, there is one on the road.
And actually, this thing looks like a train or I can't really tell what it's doing. But the Zoox actually spins. It's like a Dyson or a suitcase in an airport, so it turns around. It never has to turn -- it can turn around on these wheels. And, you know, they -- they're already deploying it, right? And so, that's the Amazon Zoox doing that.
With the Cybercab, there's already Waymo on the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix going to airports. I ride the Waymo every time I'm in San Francisco and for a long time now. They're working through all the kinks and have driven millions of miles.
And Elon has just been talking about it with cars that are -- he has also been talking about turning all the Teslas, like people who own Teslas, into a fleet of taxis. So, I would like to see him deploy something on the road. I'm very excited about autonomous vehicles. But he has been promising them forever while others have delivered.
And he keeps -- you know, this is typical of him. He makes a giant announcement, and then you see nothing. He's going to start a candy company. He has done a lot of amazing things. I think that's part of this. But in this case, there is stuff on the road right now that's working by Google and by Amazon and others.
COATES: But he's unveiling something. We see something today. You're saying that --
SWISHER: Sure.
COATES: -- this sort of prototype is not really anything that has any teeth behind it. It's just kind of a vision?
SWISHER: I bet that's the only Robovan in existence. I don't think it's going to be like -- there's got to be a lot. There are tons of Waymo. Waymo has been going for a long time. They are using Jaguars. And now, they've making deals with other car companies. And the Zoox has its own vehicle, but it does -- it does this, it carries people around.
And, you know, this idea, there will be -- Aurora is going to be doing autonomous buses. They're already doing trucks. They're deployed in Texas. This is a company run by the guy who started the Google -- the original Google effort, Chris Urmson. I just interviewed him this week.
So, there's a lot of activity. I'm excited for it to get on the road and for him to deliver it and to actually make a business out of it because -- there's also, and I'm leaving out China. They're coming up with these very inexpensive autonomous cars that they're putting already on to the roads. And that's critical for them to be on the roads because there's all kinds of mistakes. As you know, even Waymo Cruise gets in trouble, has gotten in trouble in San Francisco for stopping. You've got to get on the road.
And so, that's -- I'm curious how he's going to get on the road and pay for it and make money doing it given all these competitors. And then the robots, fine. Whatever. I'm sure all the tech folks will buy.
(LAUGHTER)
It's not money making. It's not -- I don't know.
COATES: Kara, Musk's new BFF, Donald Trump, he actually made some comments about self-driving cars today. Listen to this.
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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Do you like autonomous? Does anybody like an autonomous vehicle? Know what that is, right? When you see a car driving along. Some people do, I don't know. It's a little concerning to me, but the autonomous vehicles, we're going to stop from operating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: You think Musk can get him to change his mind?
SWISHER: I don't think he knew what he was talking about there. He sounded a little slurred, actually. But, you know, why would he say that? Obviously, he's just -- he was appealing to people in Detroit, I guess, voters, I suppose. I don't think it should change his mind or even think so once or twice. He was just given that and said it in order to appeal to voters. So, I don't know.
The autonomy is coming, everybody, whether you like it or not. And there's going to be lots of problems.
[23:59:55]
This week in my neighborhood in San Francisco, Tesla lost control because of the -- something happened with autopilot or the wheel and it drove into the -- my local bodega, right?
I mean, this is the kind of stuff that has to be worked out and made into businesses. And it's a slog. And it's very nice to have an event on a controlled sound stage in Hollywood, but it's another thing to get these things out. I think the Cybercab is a good-looking thing, but it only has two seats. What if you have four people? What if you -- you know what I mean? Like, I don't get -- I don't get the design of it in any way. So, we'll see. We'll see. Good luck. I hope -- I hope -- I hope he also does it along with all the others.
COATES: Well, there you go. Considering you think about getting those kinks out while you're actually on the road, but Kara Swisher, an important point nonetheless. Thank you so much. Nice to see you.
SWISHER: Thank you. Nice to see you.
COATES: Hey, thank you all for watching. Our coverage continues.
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