Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

Attorney General Objected To FBI's Clinton Email Letter; FBI Reviewing Newly Found Emails Related To Clinton Case; New Texas Poll Has Trump Lead Within Margin of Error; Tyra Banks Campaigning for Clinton; Protests at the Dakota Access Oil Pipeline. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired October 29, 2016 - 12:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:00:11] DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The FBI, after discovering new e-mail, is reopening their investigation into Hillary Clinton. They are reopening the case into her criminal and illegal conduct.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is incumbent upon the FBI to tell us what they are talking about. I think people a long time ago made up their minds about the e-mails.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello again, everyone. Thank you for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All right, breaking news in the renewed Hillary Clinton e-mail scandal. FBI Director James Comey went above his superiors to make that bombshell announcement that the FBI discovered new e-mails possibly linked to Clinton's private server and will now review the investigation.

CNN is learning that Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates objected to Comey sending that letter to U.S. Congress. We'll talk about the politics and the potential fall out of this development in just a moment.

But before this news broke, Clinton was enjoying a lead in most national polls. This CNN poll of polls shows her at five points ahead of Donald Trump. The candidates and their surrogates are canvassing battleground states today.

Trump speaks to voters in Colorado soon and we'll bring that to you live as it happens. So these new details about who these e-mails where from and where they were found, the e-mails being examine are part of a sexting investigations into Anthony Weiner, who is the estranged husband of Clinton's long-time aide, Huma Abedin.

Let's bring CNN investigations correspondent, Chris Frates for more on this. So Chris, what more can you tell us about Comey's decision and how it came about? CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred, we are learning more from our own CNN justice correspondent, Evan Perez. He's reporting that Attorney General Loretta Lynch objected to and was angered by FBI Director Comey's decision to send this letter to Congress outlining how he's handling this newly recovered e-mails.

Now in that letter, Comey wrote this. He said, "In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear pertinent to the investigation."

He went on to say, "The FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these e-mails to determine whether they contain classified information as well as assess their importance to our investigation."

Now, in that letter, Comey said the FBI cannot assess whether or not this material is significant or if it will be significant. He said he cannot predict how long it will take for the bureau to complete its work, looking at these e-mails.

In fact, yesterday, Comey defended his decision to alert lawmakers to this investigation when he sent a letter to FBI employees. In that letter he acknowledged, yes, it's unusual for the bureau to discuss ongoing investigations.

But in this particular case he felt an obligation to do so largely because he's testified repeatedly about the probe in front of Congress.

Now, both the Trump and Clinton campaigns have called on Comey to release the information that they have before the election. But, there's a lot of documents to review.

It's likely that review, this probe, will continue past the election. That decision to essentially let people know there's a new review puts Clinton's e-mail controversy back in the spotlight.

We have ten days before this election. Fred, it could really reshape the race. We are going to have to wait and see if that changes the dynamics, if that changes the polling numbers that you were just talking about -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Frates, thank you much. Let's talk more about this now with Lanny Davis, former White House special counsel for the Clinton administration. Lanny, good to see you. What is your reaction to this and on this rather non-detailed letter that was sent to Congress?

LANNY DAVIS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPECIAL COUNSEL, CLINTON ADMINISTRATION: Well, my reaction, the words non-detailed is an understatement. I ask every voter watching this program, have you learned from Director Comey or Donald Trump one single fact about Hillary Clinton's misuse of e-mails?

[12:05:02]Much less Donald Trump saying it shows criminal conduct. This is the same Trump that said Ted Cruz's father was involved in the JFK assassination.

Now Director Comey is an FBI director in charge of investigating facts. He has no right to express an opinion. He has no right to report to Congress. His boss is the attorney general and the American people expect him to act ethically.

WHITFIELD: So he did not have an obligation to at least inform members of Congress that they would be reviewing this material?

DAVIS: Of course, not. He is not running for Congress. He doesn't report to Congress. He is an FBI director who has to allow, as Mr. Bittman said before this interview, he has to allow prosecutors to make that decision.

But what did the letter say, as you just heard from Chris Frates, and what did you in introducing me? The possibility without knowing anything is significant. There is nothing to report because there isn't a single fact. In fact, he hasn't even seen any e-mails so what is there to report?

WHITFIELD: He admits to that in that statement. So then in your view, what is behind Comey's feeling, you know, of obligation that was carried out here?

DAVIS: A very, very poor judgment outside the boundaries of the law and ethics. He should be investigated for an ethical violation for revealing a non-fact in a public letter to Congress when he is an investigator reporting to prosecutors.

And secondly, I ask for due process and fairness, even applicable to Hillary Clinton. Is there a single voter watching, who has heard a single fact, aside from Donald Trump's reckless charges without any facts and his audiences yelling, "lock her up." You heard one fact --

WHITFIELD: Possibly bigger than Watergate.

DAVIS: You just said possibly. Watergate was a criminally proven obstruction of justice. You have an FBI director who found no illegal conduct by Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump criticized him for that.

Now an FBI director sends a letter with no facts, says he doesn't even know whether it's significant, hasn't even read a single e-mail.

There isn't one viewer watching with a sense of fairness that will allow this non-fact, this innuendo and the reckless Donald Trump again charging his Republican opponents, now it's Hillary Clinton with labels. Not one voter will be influenced by this, in my opinion.

WHITFIELD: So what in your view would have been at stake if Comey would not have publicized it in this matter to wait until after the election? Wouldn't people be accusing him of suppressing information?

DAVIS: Suppressing what information? There are no facts. There are e-mails he hasn't looked at yet? He's not required to tell us all what he's doing. What is he doing right now? Is he holding a press conference and disclosing all these e-mails, which Hillary Clinton has asked to be disclosed?

WHITFIELD: Do you think he should?

DAVIS: Of course, he should. Hillary Clinton is challenging a man who wrote to Congress rather than looking to the attorney general or looking at the rules of professional conduct that an investigator doesn't release investigatory information without an indictment, without due process and let me repeat, without a single fact. He said he doesn't even know whether there's any significance, yet he still did this.

WHITFIELD: There are thousands of e-mails. Is it your view that he has enough personnel to review these thousands of e-mails before Election Day in which to give, in detail, what is the content of these e-mails?

DAVIS: How about 24 hours, he could release all those e-mails. He could call in a couple hundred people. Most of these e-mails read in news reports have been reviewed. They are duplications.

Let's bring in 200 people to bail James Comey out of doing an unethical and possibly illegal act. It's illegal to disclose investigatory information in the course of investigation if you are an investigator like the FBI.

We can get all this out in the next two days. Where are all the Republicans demanding disclosure of these e-mails? I'm calling out congressional Republicans today, support Hillary Clinton's call for disclosure.

Tell Director Comey to take the weekend off and start reading those e- mails and put them out publicly. I challenge Donald Trump to go on television and challenge Director Comey. I'll be on CNN and every other show.

I challenge Director Comey to call in every FBI agent and get these e- mails out tomorrow morning. The American people haven't heard a single fact to change their mind about Hillary Clinton other than innuendo. That's what happened in the McCarthy era.

[12:10:01]We should have learned that innuendo and CNN should have learned that innuendo is not the same as fact, and there are no fact. I challenge anyone to contradict my statement that the Comey letter has no facts. He said the opposite. He doesn't even know whether there's anything significant.

WHITFIELD: OK, everyone awaiting more details, for sure. All right, Lanny Davis, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it from Washington.

DAVIS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime, while the Clinton campaign is on the defensive here, the Trump campaign is on the attack with Donald Trump using his favorite weapon, Twitter. Details on that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Donald Trump is having a field day with the news that the FBI will review more e-mails possibly related to Hillary Clinton's private server. He tweeted this morning, "I'm in Colorado. Big day planned. Nothing could be as big as yesterday."

Let's talk about how this will impact the race. I'm joined by CNN political commentator and Clinton supporter, Angela Rye, and Trump supporter and co-chair of Women Vote Trump, Amy Kramer. Good to see both of you.

OK, so Angela, you first. Because it really does put Clinton and her camp on the defensive, especially since we don't have a lot of detail from Comey. But, how does Hillary Clinton try to maintain that lead?

ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think she has to say truly the facts. We have no idea what is in there. These are not her e- mails, necessarily. They could be duplicate. There are so many questions out there and I think that's why it's interesting that FBI Director Comey chose to take this route.

It is a very big letter even to his own team. He sent a letter saying I want to get in front of this just in case because there is not a whole lot of information. I don't know what's going to happen.

So, I think she has to continue to say, we don't know what this is, we know what they found already. I was completely innocent. There's not enough to move forward and press charges, we have an election to win November 8.

[12:15:03]WHITFIELD: So Amy, right now, Donald Trump is using it to his advantage. But what if, in the next 24-48 hours, if indeed Comey and the FBI reveal more that separates Hillary Clinton from these newly discovered e-mails?

AMY KREMER, CO-CHAIR, WOMEN VOTE TRUMP: Well, I don't think any of us should be interfering in the investigation. Obviously there's something there. The FBI doesn't just look. There has to be something there for them to get involved in it. So I think they need to do their job and he owed to it Congress to let them know what is going on.

Because he testified in front of them, under oath, the people deserve an answer, end of story. She was responsible for top secret information. Hillary Clinton is responsible for being in this position right now. If she released 33,000 e-mails and put it out in the beginning we wouldn't be going through this right now --

WHITFIELD: It's unclear whether that these e-mails they found in the laptop of Huma Abedin and her conversation with her husband whether it implicated Hillary Clinton. Particularly, if it does not, does this backfire for Donald Trump, who will appear to have been opportunistic?

KREMER: No. I mean he's running a campaign. I expect both camps to be political. That's what we are in is a political campaign. Look, she came out yesterday and lied again and said the letter was sent only to the Republicans, which is absolutely a false statement. Your own reporter said it went to the Democrats. It went to both. Why did she make that statement?

RYE: I think you may be overblowing that a little bit and I'm saying that as a former Hill staffer. What FBI Director Comey did is he addressed the letter to all of the relevant chairs of the committee.

The Senate and the House are both controlled by the Republicans, so the letter was addressed to the Republican committee chairmen, however it was probably CC to the ranking members of the committee.

I think it's overblown. We can continue to play this game, but here is the bigger lie and t bigger challenge. Donald Trump is saying maybe this system isn't rigged at all.

Either it's rigged or it isn't. Now because it looks like we are going to make sure we dotted our Is and crossed our Ts.

WHITFIELD: In fact, this is Donald Trump. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The system is rigged when she's allowed to run because she has done many criminal acts. She's not allowed to run. She's not allowed to be running in this election. The FBI rolled over and the Department of Justice rolled over.

The system is rigged. What I just announced, previously, it might not be as rigged as I thought. Right? Right? The FBI -- I think they are going to right the ship, folks. I think they are going to right the ship. They are going to save their eat reputation by doing so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, Amy, why is it the system is not rigged if it's advantage Trump?

KREMER: When Trump is talking about it being rigged, he's talking about a number of things. He's talking about the media bias, voter fraud. There are a number of things he's talking about.

Many people think that the FBI has become not the department that it once was because it has been politicized. That's unfortunate. If you can't trust the FBI, who can you trust?

What Trump is saying is he hopes, just like I hope and I'm sure everybody hopes, the FBI is not politicized. They are doing the right thing. We can't assume and Trump can't that there is something there, you can't assume there's not something there.

We need to let them do their investigation and let it play out and I'm sure they will come and tell us what's going on.

WHITFIELD: Angela? RYE: So a couple things, when you mentioned voter fraud, in Iowa yesterday, there was an incident of voter fraud from the Republicans. I'm not finished. We are well aware it happens. More often than not, when there is a small opportunity fraud occurs, it is on the Republican side.

KREMER: Go to heritage.org.

WHITFIELD: It's already been solidified it's not happening. Continue your point?

RYE: Ridiculous, we should stop doing that. The other important point, I agree with you on this, if you can't trust the FBI, who can you trust? You sound like a lot of Black Lives Matter protesters. Law enforcement has a treacherous relationship with the black community and people of color.

For the first time, you are seeing we are not always on the receiving end of the target. The reality is, I can't assume.

[12:20:02]Based on what evidence is dictated that Hillary Clinton, there's no there there. This is a nothing burger. I'm not finished. Let me finish.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: All right. What we will possibly learn this week is what is behind, in further detail what is behind this FBI investigation. We may not learn it. We may not. Thanks so much, Ladies. Appreciate that.

All right, coming up, Joe Biden speaks out on the e-mail controversy and his honest opinion of Anthony Weiner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Oh, God. Anthony Weiner --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Vice President Joe Biden say he is not a big fan of disgraced congressman, Anthony Weiner. His comments coming after the FBI's investigation of newly found e-mails possibly related to Hillary Clinton's private server.

Those e-mails were found on devices belonging to top Clinton aide, Huma Abedin and her husband, Anthony Weiner. Biden talked with CNN's Michael Smerconish about the new e-mail developments and why he believes the issue is being blown out of proportion.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST, "SMERCONISH": Thank you for this privilege.

[12:25:03]BIDEN: I'm happy to be with you, really.

SMERCONISH: You know, I have to ask you about FBI Director Comey and this letter. He says that new e-mails appear pertinent to the investigation of Secretary Clinton's private servers. How concern, are you about the impact this is going to have on the election?

BIDEN: Look, you know that the FBI works for the administration. I'm not allowed to comment at all. I know nothing about it. I just found out today. I know that Hillary was told she has a press conference to release the e-mails. I think the quicker they release the emails for the public to see them better off and I have confidence in Hillary.

SMERCONISH: You are the former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. You are an attorney, Syracuse law school, smart guy. The language of this perplexes me. He says the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant and I cannot predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work. Did he just put thumb on the scale? Dianne Feinstein is saying he played right into Donald Trump's hands?

BIDEN: I'm not going to comment. Look, that's the same language he used before.

SMERCONISH: But then why write the letter?

BIDEN: Well, because -- I don't know why. I can't read his mind. Look, I found him to be a straight guy. He's been -- he's a tough guy. He's a Republican, but he's always been straight. I'm confident that, you know, this will turn out fine.

SMERCONISH: What worries me, Mr. Vice President, is that folks are going to go to the polls or have already gone to the polls and they don't know what to make of this. They are in the dark. What should happen now?

BIDEN: I think Hillary, if she said what I'm told she said she is correct. Release the e-mails for the whole world to see. They will continue their investigation. To the best of my knowledge, it won't prejudice the investigation. But that's the stilted language the agency always uses. It doesn't mean anything. So, it's unfortunate.

SMERCONISH: I would be remiss if I didn't note that if she had released all the e-mails from the get go, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

BIDEN: Well, that's true. I don't know where these e-mails came from.

SMERCONISH: Apparently, Anthony Weiner.

BIDEN: Oh, God. Anthony Weiner, I should not comment on Anthony Weiner. I'm not a big fan. I wasn't before he got in trouble, so I shouldn't comment on Anthony Weiner.

SMERCONISH: If Americans go to the polls and there's an open question as to whether she's under investigation, wouldn't that mean there's an open question as to whether or not she faces punishment down the road?

BIDEN: I guess technically, but I can't believe that -- the answer is I just think this is -- these things have been blown out of proportion. The easiest way to do it is just release the e-mails.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We'll have so much more of Vice President Biden's interview with CNN's Michael Smerconish next hour. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:31:16] WHITFIELD: Hello, again and thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

All right, we have new details in the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation. FBI director, James Comey, went above his superiors to make that bombshell announcement that the FBI would review its investigation into Hillary Clinton's private server.

CNN, now learning that Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates objected to Comey sending that letter to Congress.

With just 10 days until the election, Clinton is demanding the FBI immediately release the full and complete facts of the review. We do know that the newly found e-mails being examined are part of the sex thing investigation into Anthony Weiner, former congressman who is the estranged husband of Clinton's long-time aide, Huma Abedin.

So, Comey's decision to review the e-mails is also throwing the spotlight squarely on him and garnering him praise and criticism. Given that, what do we know about the FBI's top man? Here is CNN Gary Tuchman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNINDETIFIED MALE: I, state your name.

JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: I, James B. Comey.

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: James Comey became the seventh director of the FBI in 2013, in the beginning of President Obama's second term.

UNINDETIFIED MALE: So help me God.

COMEY: So help me God.

UNINDETIFIED MALE: Congratulations Mr. Director.

COMEY: Yeah.

TUCHMAN: But years before that, he became the number two at the Justice Department under President George W. Bush and was a registered Republican. Although now he says he's "Not registered any longer."

But, in the past, he donated to both the Mitt Romney campaign in 2012 and to the John McCain campaign in 2008. He also served as a council in the White Water Committee back in 1996. But his reputation for bipartisan fairness has long been well known.

UNINDETIFIED MALE: Bob Muller and Mr. Jim Comey.

TUCHMAN: When Comey took over the FBI director spot from Bob Muller, this is what Muller had to say.

BOB MULLER, OUTGOING FBI DIRECTOR: I have had that opportunity to work with Jim for a number of years in the Department of Justice. And I have found him to be a man of honesty, dedication and integrity.

TUCHMAN: Comey gained the degree of fame for his role in one of the most dramatic incidents during George W. Bush's tenure in the White House. Comey's boss Attorney General John Ashcroft was gravely ill in the hospital. Two of President Bush's top aides rushed there to try to get Ashcroft to endorse a warrantless age dropping program.

Comey was acting Attorney General while Ashcroft was in the hospital and when he found out about the plan, he rushed to the hospital and stopped it.

COMEY: I was very upset. I was angry. I thought I just witnessed an effort to take advantage of a very sick man.

TUCHMAN: The Age Dropping Program was not endorsed. As a Federal Prosecutor, Comey, dealt with the Khobar Towers terrorist bombing case, following the attack 20 years ago, at a U.S. military facility in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 service members. He prosecuted members of the Mafia.

COMEY: We are here this afternoon to announce the unsealing of three separate indictments against 14 alleged members and associates of the Gambino Crime Family.

TUCHMAN: And he prosecuted America's domestic diva.

COMEY: Martha Stewart is being prosecuted not because of who she is, but because of what she did.

TUCHMAN: Back in July, Donald Trump tweeted the system is rigged after Comey's statement regarding Hillary Clinton.

COMEY: We are expressing to justice our view that no charges are appropriate in this case.

TUCHMAN: But, today, as this news continues to develop, Trump said this. DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It might not be as rigged as I thought, right? Right? The FBI -- I think they're going to right the ship, folks. I think they are going to right the ship.

TUCHMAN: Gary Tuchman, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:35:01] WHITFIELD: All right, still to come, celebrities endorsing Hillary Clinton are also campaigning for her. And we'll be speaking with super model and T.V. host Tyra Banks, Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR BLOOM, CTO AND CO-FOUNDER OF FOXTROT: We were both working a lot of hours. We'd come home at night to empty fridges and thought that there was a really simple way to solve that problem.

MICHAEL LAVITOLA, CTO AND CO-FOUNDER OF FOXTROT: I'm Michael Lavitola.

BLOOM: I'm Taylor Bloom.

BLOOM/LAVITOLA: And this is Foxtrot.

BLOOM: There is a live delivery service hazards. I can bring you your dinner tonight or do your week of grocery shopping. What we want to do is kind of fill in all other situations. So, it's Friday night and you're having a dinner party and you run out of some great wine and cheese. We can get that to you really fast.

LAVITOLA: We have everything from craft beer and nice wines to meets for grilling out. And everything to go ahead we have some fresh prepared foods. The app is simple to use. Fill your cart with what item do you want. I will shop in less than 60 minutes.

RYAN MCGINLEY, CUSTOMER: I don't have to go to the store and spend 20 minutes trying to find something that is really good. Especially in Chicago, it is really cold in the winter. I've a delivery service which can get me everything. I need to get through the day.

LAVITOLA: What customers like about us is we essentially put all their favorite things in one store, in one app and get it to them really, really fast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:39:58] WHITFIELD: All right. Texas has been as reliable red state as there is. It has been 40 years since this state voted for a Democrat for President. But things could be different this time around. A poll released this week shows Trump with a three point lead right now within the polls margin of error.

CNN's Ed Lavandera met with voters in Texas to find out if the state could turn from red to blue. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: For as long as anyone can remember scouring the Piney Woods of East Texas for a Democrat has been a little like hunting for big foot. They say it's out there in this conservative Republican region, but it's an elusive creature, which brings us to this courthouse in this small town of Gilmer.

LAUREN PARISH, DISTRICT JUDGE: Disassociated myself with the Republican Party.

LAVANDERA: Judge Lauren Parish is an elected Republican judge. But she said, she won't be voting for Donald Trump. She says his treatment of women and endless string of insulting positions drove her away from her party's nominee.

PARISH: It seemed like everyday or every week there was another position that he would take that conflicted with the beliefs and values that have been instilled in me by my church and my family growing up.

LAVANDERA: Judge Parish predicts this will probably get her voted out of office when she's up re-election in two years. It's hard to quantify, but there are a growing number of Texas Republicans turning their backs on Trump even President George H.W. Bush is reportedly voting for Hillary Clinton just like Joseph Kopser.

JOSEPH KOPSER, CLINON SUPPORTER: If Ronald Reagan and John Lennon had a kid, I'd be their son.

LAVANDERA: At a taco joint in Houston, Kopser shared how he self- described Reagan, Republican, west point graduate army veteran who served in Iraq turned high tech entrepreneur sees Trump as a dangerous choice.

KOPSER: Donald Trump is not who he appears to be. Donald Trump is a great entertainer. Donald Trump is a great showman if you will, but Donald Trump doesn't really represent the views of so many millions of Americans.

LAVANDERA: Four years ago, Mitt Romney beat President Obama by 16 points here in Texas. In 2008, John McCain beat Obama by 11 points. It's not supposed to be close here, so when the latest poll came out showing Trump only leading Clinton by only three points. Well, that has Texas Democrats salivating that the idea that Texas of all places could turn blue. But the Texas Republican Party says that kind of wishful thinking is "Utter nonsense."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, I think we've got a choice between crude and corrupt.

LAVANDERA: These men shooting the breeze outside in East Texas antique store say they're picking crude. They say it's a weird election but see deep support for Trump in Texas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's weird about it is the guy who is doing really well is not a politician.

LAVANDERA: We found Jim Blair proudly sporting his "Make America great" hat even though polls show a close race in Texas. He predicts a Trump landslide on Election Day.

JIM BLAIR, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think there's a lot of people not telling you what they truly think and where they're going to vote or how they are going to vote. For some reason they are afraid to tell it.

LAVANDERA: If a Democrat wins Texas that might be just as shocking as finding big foot.

Ed Lavandera, CNN on the roads of East Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be right back with Clinton supporter, supermodel and T.V. host Tyra Banks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:47:05] WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

So the Clinton campaign is pressing forward, rolling out their celebrity supporters in these final days before the election. Vocal surrogate, Katy Perry tweeting this picture of herself dress as Hillary Clinton. And actor and comedian Will Ferrell will headline the series of events across in North Carolina today aimed at young voters. And add another huge name, supermodel, T.V. host and businesswoman Tyra Banks. There she is. She's campaigning for Hillary Clinton in Atlanta today and joining me now live from the campus of Spelman and Morehouse Colleges. Good to see you.

TYRA BANKS, SUPERMODEL AND T.V. HOST: Hello.

WHITFIELD: Hello. So Tyra, what is it about Hillary Clinton that appeals to you?

BANKS: So, I actually have a personal connection to Hillary Clinton. Eight years ago, I interviewed her on my talk show. I had a talk show. And the standard thing that you do when you have politicians come on your show is you give them the questions in advance.

Now, what shocked me in the most beautiful way is that Hillary did not want the questions. She rejected the questions even before they went to her campaign and to her team. And I was just like, "Oh, my gosh." And so I asked her, when she got to the set, before she was about to walk out, I was like, "Why did you do that?" And she said, "I just want to be real, I want to be raw, I don't need to be prepared, I am just ready for whatever you want to talk about. And I trust that I'm going to be able to rise to the occasion of whatever you say." So I was just like, "Oh, my gosh" and that as just not -- that's unheard of.

WHITFIELD: So, you like that. And what point did you say, "I'm on board, I'm willing to campaign on behalf of Hillary Clinton?"

BANKS: So this -- I've been of course watching this entire election just like everyone else has and have been very impassioned about all of it. But my passion had tend to be around the dinner table or around, you know, conversations with friends.

And as things are so close, I felt it was my duty, my responsibility to speak up and to support her in such a serious time right now. And so, here I am, I'm in Georgia. I am supporting everyone to go and vote early. So, I'm very excited that I voted early. I'm a California resident and I voted a couple of days ago and it's so empowering. Voting early is so, so important. If you think about November 8th and if you only focus on that day, you can imagine traffic. You can imagine so many things happen. Life happens. Things happen. So, to get out and vote early is really, really crucial. And actually, we're really looking at these early votes and hoping to win with early voting.

WHITFIELD: So then, what's it been like for you today? You're on Spelman's campus, Morehouse campus today. What's it been like today knowing about the e-mail, you know, questions coming up, again, investigation being reopened by the FBI? How, how does this make your job of campaigning for Hillary difficult?

[12:50:07] BANKS: Well, actually I'm not on the Morehouse and Spelman campuses just yet. I'm on my way there. I'm actually at the headquarters here in Georgia for Hillary. So I'm on my way to the campus yet. So I haven't been able to ...

WHITFIELD: So then you'll soon find out what is like on ...

BANKS: ... just yet.

WHITFIELD: Right on the campus.

BANKS: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: Then everywhere else then, what it's been like? I mean, are you having to make a different sell on behalf of Clinton in light of this reopening of the investigation?

BANKS: Yes. I actually don't think there's really anything new. And to quote Bernie Sanders, you know, I say, enough of the damn e-mails. We are here to unite to this country, to have hope and not to have hate. And that is why I'm here. So, enough of that. The conversation needs to be on how we are moving our country forward.

And the amazing thing is Hillary has said, you know, just release it all, like she wants to be transparent. She is like, you know, like she's like open. And so, you know, let's move away from that and let's focus on the future of this country. Let's focus on the issues.

WHITFIELD: So what's the primary audience that you were trying to reach on behalf of Hillary Clinton?

BANKS: I think, you know, when you are a public person, you know, everyone has a demographic. And so, you know, my demographic happens to be, particularly the youth, millennials, females, African- Americans, young women. So, I have -- it's interesting, I have what I call a demo dilemma because, you know, it's kind of young people as well as, you know, older people, women. But I think my focus today where I'm really, really trying to get is to really encourage millennials to vote and to vote early and to vote for Hillary.

WHITFIELD: Is it then particularly challenging because you hear from a lot of young voters, you hear from a lot of non-white voters who say they can't get past the, you know, super predator comments from Hillary Clinton. They can't get past the Bill Clinton's, you know, crime bill. And so, now, how do you really kind of placate, you know, those reservations among that demographic?

BANKS: Yes. So, Hillary Clinton is -- she is -- has such a passion for African-Americans. I mean, when it comes to the criminal system, when it comes to education. When it comes to grants for historical black colleges that she wants to give $25 billion. So, I think we need to focus now where we are today and not where we were.

WHITFIELD: Tyra Banks, thanks so much in Atlanta today.

BANKS: Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: All right, meantime, construction is now under way on the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Our work resumed on Friday. But just a day before, this was the scene. A police in riot gear facing off with protesters there, more than 140 people arrested just this week.

CNN's Sara Sidner is at the main protest camp in North Dakota. So Sara, what is the situation now?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're standing on Native American land here. And we know that there are dozens of people who have just made their way to what they call the front lines. And that is a bridge where police are on one side, the protesters on the other side. And so they've made their way there. And we have not seen that yesterday. But today, it's happening. And so tensions likely to rise again here. And despite, like you mentioned, is over the pipeline and over folks here trying to stop the pipeline. And they say look, we are water protectors, we're defenders of our own land but we're not just doing it just for us, we're doing it for the millions of other people that rely on the Missouri River for their water.

They are very concerned since this pipeline is going to be going through the Missouri River that there would potentially be a break or a breach and that is one of their main concerns and they don't want to see the pipeline going that way. And so have been trying to stop it for many months now. Things got pretty tense on Thursday with a 141 people who were arrested overnight. Since then, it has been pretty calm. But again, tensions rising again as protesters go to what they call the front line. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, thank you so much for that update. Sara Sidner, appreciate that.

[12:54:19] All right, coming up next hour, more on the FBI review of Huma Abedin's e-mails and also a brief history of October surprises.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, CNN is proud to announce the top ten CNN Heroes of 2016. And each honoree will receive a cash prize and a shot at the top honor with CNN Hero of the Year which will earn one of them an additional $100,000 for their cause. And you get to help decide who the winner will be. Here is CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Now that we've announced the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2016, I want to show you how you can help decide who should be CNN Hero of the Year and receive a $100,000 to help them continue their work. Just go to cnnheroes.com where you can learn more about each hero. And when you're ready, click vote over here then choose your favorite. Now confirm your selection using either your e-mail address or Facebook account and you're all set. And this year for the first time you can also vote through Facebook Messenger, and on Twitter. You can vote up to 10 times a day per method, every day through December 6th. Then rally your friends by sharing your vote on social media. We'll reveal the 2016 Hero of the Year live during the tenth annual CNN's Heroes and All-Star tribute Sunday, December 11th.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, meet all this year's top 10 heroes and vote every day at cnnheroes.com to help decide who should be our CNN Hero of the Year. All 10 will be honor at the 10th Annual CNN Heroes an All-Star Tribute. But only one will be named CNN Hero of the Year.

Join Anderson Cooper and special guest, co-host Kelly Ripa live, Sunday, December 11th. We've so much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM and it all starts right now.

[13:00:01] All right, this is the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And this breaking news we're following right now.