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CNN NEWSROOM

Emergency Right Now On The American Gulf Coast From Louisiana To Florida; President Donald Trump Briefly Answering Some Questions Tonight With A Group Of Reporters On The White House Lawn; Vice President Mike Pence Was In Las Vegas Today To Honor The Victims Of Last Weekend's Massacre; President Taking His Attack From The Media To A New Level. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired October 7, 2017 - 19:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:15] ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: You are on the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York.

Our breaking news, a state of emergency right now on the American gulf coast from Louisiana to Florida, making landfall this hour, the fast- moving hurricane called Nate. It's packing sustained winds of over 90 miles per hour right now. Governors and emergency officials along the coast made it very clear to people today get to higher ground for your safety.

We are live in the places where this storm is hitting. But first meteorologist Tom Sater watching the radar and newest data.

Tom, has hurricane Nate officially made landfall?

TOM SATER, MAS METEOROLOGIST: It hasn't made landfall yet. And looks like maybe 20 miles from Plaquemines Parish. But I'm not sure if Plaquemines Parish is going to have landfall. It's hard to detect where the eye is with a satellite, but I'll show you with radar.

Interesting to note here. It still 90 miles per hour sustained winds. That's a strong category one. Doubtful it could make it to two. I mean, we are running out of time and space. It only needs another six miles per hour up to 96 total to be a category two. But a lot of dry air is trying to infiltrate the system, which is good news. We want to see this break down quickly. But if you notice right in the center, you will see a little burst of purple here. That is telling us it's trying to strengthen somewhat. That's a batch of heavy activity near the center.

Here is the eye. And again, it's kind of hard to see because we do not have much in the way of rainfall to the west of the center or to the southwest. So that's good news, too. We don't want the heavy amounts of rain. And because this is a fast-moving system, one, they just do not like to move this fast because they can't rapidly intensify. And when they move this fast, it keeps your rain totals to a minimum. So that's some good news. But we are about I would say maybe 15, 20 miles from Plaquemines Parish. It looks like it will miss a landfall there because you need the eye to be pretty much halfway over land, but it does look like from bay St. Louis to gulf port, to Boluxi. This is our problem spot. This is where we going to have a landfall. But it is still a good maybe three hours away.

We are getting a pretty good surge of moisture now moving in with the storm surge. That is only going to increase as the hours go on. Red is our hurricane warning. We have lost some hurricane watches now. Thank goodness for parts of western Louisiana. We lost the tropical storm watch up in metro Atlanta. But there is still going to be some downed trees, there is no doubt about it. You take this wind speed at 90 miles per hour and couple that with its movement at 23 miles per hour. So wind and wind gusts could be an issue with power outages.

It even picks up in speed by tomorrow night. It is going to be north of Birmingham, sliding very quickly across middle Tennessee and then off to the northeast. This could cause some more than just flight delays. I mean, more of a nuisance with some pretty strong winds. But the rain totals look good to keep them on the minimal side. In fact, Pensacola, another maybe four inches, four and a half over four- in-a-half in Mobile. But overall, we are not seeing anything like we would if this was a slow-moving storm.

The biggest element I think the biggest problem will be the surge. Obviously, but most of the wind from the core is going to be east ward. So that's where you start to see the waves of surge move into the coastline up into all the inlets and the canals. High tide, and it is interesting to note, these are central times, Mobile almost 1:00 a.m. in the morning, Pensacola at 12:19. These high tides could be an issue if the storm system slows down. If it meets the center of the storm at high tide. But if the center already moves inland and then you have high tide, it is not going to be a big concern.

The winds are going to be a little bit of an issue. We are starting to see some forecast gusts over 50 miles per hour, 60, 70, even 80. But coming up in the next half hour, Ana, I want to really get more into detail of all the communities on the coast. Look at the storm surge and what really is going to be expected if it's one to three feet, six to nine or over nine feet. And we will dive into that more in the next 30 minutes.

CABRERA: OK. We will look forward to that. And very important information obviously that storm surge, we know, what kind of damage it can do and the lives that have been lost in the past.

Tom Sater, thank you for that update.

CNN reporter teams and cameras and weather experts are working all along the hurricane zone. Right now, CNN's Rosa Flores in New Orleans, Meteorologist Derek Van Dam in gulf port, Mississippi and CNN Ed Lavandera in Mobile, Alabama.

So Rosa, a curfew goes in effect soon there in New Orleans. We know the city want people indoors when the full force of this storm hits. Are people following this order?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, we are seeing the sights and sounds of people following that curfew because I'm standing in the French quarter. And normally, if you ever been to New Orleans, you know that there are many sights, sounds and smells that you experience here. We are not experiencing any of that right now because as you mentioned, that curfew expected to kick in in about an hour and the mayor of this city, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, asking people to shelter in place, asking them not to panic but to prepare, saying and advising that this could be our rain event, a wind event and also a surge event.

Now, what you are seeing is probably a wedding. We have seen many of those today here in New Orleans. But I want to show you around a bit because you will see the signs that people are heeding the warning. I'm standing on the sidewalk by a cafe (INAUDIBLE). That's closed. You can see that the businesses behind me are closed as well. And you can see from these iconic New Orleans balcony that don't have any patio furniture, that's another one of the recommendation. People are being ask to remove the patio furniture so it doesn't become flying debris. And then of course behind that, iconic Jackson square is closed ahead of the hurricane.

But Ana, we have been talking about the potential storm surge. That's why mandatory evacuations have been issued for areas east, Far East of the Orleans Parish and also along other parts of the Louisiana gulf course. We are talking about areas like Grand Aisle, lower portions of Plaquemines Parish. A lot of those areas are below sea level. So that's why authorities are asking people to evacuate because those areas are outside of the levy protection.

And, Ana, again, authorities here and officials asking people not to panic but to prepare. And you can see around me, we are not getting any rain. We saw some short bands earlier today. But it's best to prepare rather than not prepare in a situation where a hurricane is headed your way.

[19:06:40] CABRERA: Always better safe than sorry.

Rosa Flores in New Orleans. We will check back with you.

Meantime, Derek Van Dam, you moved over to gulf port. What are conditions like now there where you are and what are you seeing as far as giving your meteorology expertise what's going to happen as the night wares on there.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: You know, Ana, we talk about the feeder bands that come in as the outer edges of hurricane Nate. And often those feeder bands have a lot of wind and a lot of rain associated with them that can even spin up thunderstorms with tornadoes. Obviously, we are in between the feeder bands. The bulk of the heaviest rain and the strongest winds are right compact with this very small hurricane. In relative speak terms, hurricane Nate is a relatively small hurricane in comparison to Camille and to Katrina. But remember, Katrina is the benchmark hurricane that everybody within this community from gulf port to Biloxi to New Orleans bases and compares the hurricanes to. But remember, that's not exactly fair because each hurricane has its own set of threats, its own set of characteristics. This one, for instance, asymmetrical. What does that mean? All the wind is piled up on the eastern side of the eye wall, the eye wall that's trying to form.

So, depending on where this eye makes landfall, it is again a game of miles here for hurricane Nate. If you are on the eastern side of that particular storm, of this particular storm, that's where you're going to see the strongest winds and the highest surge. If you're on the western side of the storm, the direction will be coming offshore and you might not have the storm surge and you might not have strong of winds either. So it really is a game of miles here.

You are looking behind me at one of the many piers or jetties that was destroyed within hurricane Katrina back in 2005 but now rebuilt. There are numbers of these. Waves here aren't so bad but the only reason is because we have the gulf port harbor just to my right. That's actually helping protect some of the stronger waves from battering this particular area. Curfews have been set up. They started at 7:00 p.m. and running through 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. And 12 of the casinos in and around the Harrison county coastline have been evacuated, including the entire CNN crew that was staying at one of the hotel casinos just towards the Biloxi area.

This is a dangerous storm. Don't let your guard down just because we're kind of splitting hairs here between a category one and category two. Doesn't mean the storm isn't dangerous and you should also just heed the warnings. If you are asked to evacuate, it's time to do so. That window of opportunity is closing very quickly, Ana.

CABRERA: And the worst thing people can do is underestimate and then the worst case scenario ends up happening and people are, you know, left in a terrible situation, obviously.

Ed Lavandera is in Mobile.

Ed, did the large numbers of people there leave town ahead of this hurricane? Or what kind of measures are you seeing to prepare for this very serious storm?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think the best way to characterize what we have seen throughout the day here on the gulf coast is a relax aid approach to this particular hurricane. That could be just from what we have been talking about, just the fact that this storm is not as big physically as some of the other hurricanes we talked about lot over the last course month and a half.

Here in Mobile, Alabama, we are expecting to be on the eastern edge of the hurricane, perhaps seeing some of the fiercest winds that this storm brings. We have seen a steady amount of rain here for about the last hour. The wind gusts have been rather minimal at best. So, those winds really haven't been picking up here in the area where we're at here in Mobile, Alabama.

That storm surge you can see here, we are on the edge of Mobile bay. You can see, though, as the water goes from my right to left here, that's going south to north. So you can already get the sense that as this hurricane and this storm pushes north, that it's pushing the water here in the bay and that is what is going to create that storm surge and depending on where you are, those flooding situations will be of great concern.

And Ana, another thing to point out as well is that, you know, these storms, as they hit in darkness also creates another layer of problems especially given the relaxed approach that we have seen many people from New Orleans to Mobile here earlier today and we have not seen -- we haven't seen that many people boarding up homes or businesses and that sort of thing. So that relaxed approach, you get hurricane here in the middle of night if people kind of feel brave to kind of venture out, that's when you start creating problems. So obviously those recommendations and those urges for people to stay in place, no need to be out on the streets unless it's a dire emergency, but they're really urging people to be cautious as these winds pick up here in the darkness it becomes much more treacherous situation - Ana.

[19:11:29] CABRERA: We hope all off you will stay safe.

Thank you all for giving us that update.

Joining us now live from New Orleans, retired U.S. army lieutenant general Russell Honore who you will recall commanded the emergency response to hurricane Katrina.

General Honore, we see a lot of people out on the street there behind you. We talked to some folks earlier in the French quarter partying saying they have no intention of going anywhere. How concerned are you at this moment that people may not be taking this storm seriously?

LT. GEN. RUSSELL HONORE (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Well, I think they will start responding when those 30, 40, 50 miles-an-hour winds might come in with whipping rain. You will see the streets clear, but people are responding to what they see and many of them are not listening to the news, trust me. But, when those rain bands come in, the ones that do predicted to come in, you will see the streets clear quickly.

At this point in time, I think the officials in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and Florida have been good on their messaging as well as prepositioning National Guard ready to go get people that's in trouble. The mandatory evacuations have been very clear and by most part people have adhered to that.

At risk is some people in low-lying areas. As you look at the right front of this storm -- and that part where the lake dumps into the river system -- gulf system, that is the most dangerous, east part of New Orleans that normally flood when we have high tides like we have now and thunderstorms. So we got a lot of work to do because this storm still has a vote and they can trick you. They are not necessarily going to do what the weather man says.

CABRERA: And we know just a couple of months ago back in August there was flooding in New Orleans. They had issues with their pump systems. And at this point, there are still a number of pumps that aren't working correctly. Are you worried about that?

HONORE: I think they have made a lot of progress since then, the core engineers with prime power units, the mayor put a task force together, the governor re-enforced this. They have come a long way in bringing those -- 106 and 121. And Jefferson Parish they have 99 percent operational their pumps.

So, at this point for what we see as a potential, I don't think that's going to be the problem. But any time in this city we have heavy rainfall, Ana, the streets flood and the pumps have to pump them out. And the capability of those pumps are based on number of inches per hour. And the people here are very familiar with this. The good news is the French quarters along the sliver along the river. So you shouldn't see much flooding here. And that's where majority of the people visiting and the ones that are in town for the events.

CABRERA: That is good news. It also, we're told, it is going to be a fast-moving storm at this point. The past few weeks, however, have really hindered our just resources because of so many hurricanes, Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico and now this is about to hit the gulf coast. Have the lessons learned from Katrina been applied to these storms to your satisfaction?

HONORE: In the preparation. But remember, in the storm, a hurricane, Ana, we always lose the first quarter. That means the storm when it hit landfall, it's going to destroy stuff. The search and rescue and the response where we get our grades and the recovery. As is in the case in Puerto Rico know, we responded but we're having trouble recovering and that is a long road with only a few of the pods open.

As is the case in Louisiana I think they are well prepared for this storm in Mississippi and Alabama. But it is still our nation has a lot of resources. And on the main land, it's difficult but it's doable. When you are on Puerto Rico which is about six days ship travel from the east coast, five to six days, you have to plan ahead and you have to have your task force ready to maneuver on that storm just like Florida did maneuver on Irma. The folks down here have maneuvered on this storm. And they don't have much time left. This thing is knocking on the door.

[19:15:52] CABRERA: All right. So those who are watching, you heard the message. You heard the warnings. Do not take any chances.

General Honore, thank you. And we will be tracking hurricane Nate throughout this hour, so stay with us for that.

Also ahead this hour, the President speaks out on health care, North Korea and the scandal now surrounding a well-known Hollywood producer. Details on what he said straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:20:22] CABRERA: President Donald Trump briefly answering some questions tonight with a group of reporters on the White House lawn. The President talking everything from health care to North Korea. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, if we could make a deal at least on a temporary basis because Obamacare is exploding, it's gone. The premiums are through the roof. You see what's happening. So if we could make a temporary deal because ultimately we are going to have it factor the states. We are going to block grand factor the states. But if we made a temporary deal, I think it would be a great thing for people. But it's really up to them. Obamacare is a disaster. But numbers are out. It's exploding like I said it would. So basically if we could do a one-year deal or two-year deal, as a temporary measure, you will have block granding ultimately to the states which is what the Republicans want. That really is a repeal and replace.

(INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: Nothing to clarify.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: Well, you will figure that out pretty soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: Very good relationship. I have a very good relationship. That was fake news. That was fake news by NBC, sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: I have known Harvey Weinstein for a long time. I'm not at all surprised to see it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: John Kelly is one of the best people I have ever worked with. He is doing an incredible job. And he told me for the last two months he loves it more than anything he has ever done. He is a military man, but he loves doing this, which is chief of staff, more than anything he's ever done. He's doing a great job. He will be here in my opinion for the entire seven remaining years.

(INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: No, no. He likes secretary Tillerson, so do I. We have a very good relationship. We disagree on a couple of things. Sometimes I would like him to be a little tougher, but other than that, we have a very good relationship.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: Well, he says they were. That's locker room. That's locker room, yes. Go ahead.

(INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: We are going to see what happens. We are going to see what happens. So now I'm going to the really great state, the state I love of North Carolina. And I'll see you later. Go home and rest. What?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: You are going to see very soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: White House reporters Kaitlan Collins joins us now live from Greensboro, North Carolina where the President is attending a campaign fundraiser tonight. That's where he was headed as he was boarding air force one and answered those questions.

So Kaitlan, it was a little bit hard to hear what people were asking. We could hear his answers. So, let's talk about what he said regarding North Korea because he was tweeting about North Korea and the crisis earlier today. He didn't exactly clear up his earlier tweets with those comments.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: No, he didn't. So he is continuing to fuel these questions and raise some eyebrows with these very cryptic remarks that the President has been making lately. He was asked just there on the south lawn what is the one thing that he believes will work in North Korea. And instead of specifying, he just told the reporter that they're going to figure it out pretty soon.

Now, that question was asked because of a tweet that the President had made just shortly before then where he lamented what he believes are decades of failed policy in North Korea, saying, Presidents and their administrations have been talking to North Korea for 25 years. Agreements made in massive amounts of money paid hasn't worked. Agreements violated before the ink was dry making fools of U.S. negotiators. Sorry. But only one thing will work.

So we still don't know what that one thing is that the President is referencing there, even though he was asked about it on the south lawn. And when I asked the press secretary Sarah Sanders to clarify, she didn't add anything further but confirmed they still maintain that all options are on the table.

But this comes as a series of cryptic remarks the President has made lately at the White House this week as he met with senior military leaders. The President unprompted said that the meeting could be the calm before the storm. Now, during that photo opportunity where he made that remark, he was asked what storm he was talking about. Didn't clarify at the time. And he was just asked about it again there on the south lawn and he said he had nothing to clarify. So, it's not clear if the strategy that he's referring to in North Korea is what could be the calm before the storm. He's not really saying there. But what is clear, Ana, is that the President enjoys leaving people guessing.

[19:25:26] CABRERA: Indeed. Suspense is the name of his game oftentimes.

The President also answering some questions about this rift between him and secretary of state Rex Tillerson. That, too, has been an issue that's emerged and has grown in terms of speculation as to the fate of the secretary of state this week. Anything new to unpack there, Kaitlan? COLLINS: Yes, that's right. Things are at an all-time high between

these men after the reports surfaced this week that Tillerson had called the President a moron over the summer. But when he was asked about him just there, he said that they have a good relationship, that the chief of staff John Kelly likes Tillerson. He did acknowledge that they have some disagreements and that he would like him to be tougher. He didn't say where. But he said that they have a good relationship.

We have seen some of those disagreements play out in the public eye, like when Tillerson distanced himself from the President's remarks about there being fine people on both sides of the violence in Charlottesville. And then more recently after Tillerson told reporters that he had an open line of communication in North Korea, the President swiftly got on twitter and said that Tillerson shouldn't waste his time by trying to talk to North Korea.

So despite those disagreements, the President at least publicly is saying that he has a good relationship with his secretary of state.

CABRERA: All right, Kaitlan Collins, thank you very much.

Hurricane Nate barrels towards the U.S. gulf coast. The latest on how strong the storm is and where it is here in the CNN NEWSROOM when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:31:28] CABRERA: It's a hurricane emergency again this weekend. This time the people living on the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are all watching the potential destruction arrival, the destructive arrival of hurricane Nate. We are watching this storm as it gets close to landfall now.

CNN severe weather centers Tom Sater is joining us.

So Tom, you talked about the storm surge being a big concern the last time we touched base with you. Fill us in a little bit more.

SATER: Well, I think that's the greatest threat right now from this storm. This is no Katrina. This is no Irma. It is no Maria. It's a category one. I doubt is going to make it to category two status.

And really New Orleans, the only issue they may have in Lake Pontchartrain. Now, they are trying to break the system down which is great news. It's fast speed. It keeps it from intensifying. It's about maybe 15 miles from Plaquemines parish. Looks like it may miss a landfall there but had toward base St. Louis.

But let's break this down because it's hard to see where the eye is on satellite imagery but you can start to see it on the radar. The good news, really, for New Orleans is on the west side the winds are weak. There is not much rainfall with this. Most of the activity is going to be east of that center. That is bay St. Louis. That's gulf port.

So let's talk about the surge because that's really important. First let's break it down, look at the topography and look at the shoreline. Our big issue I think with New Orleans is going to be like Pontchartrain because once the storm center moves to the east here at Plaquemines parish, we are going to find the winds coming in and out of the north.

This is where the levies were breached during Katrina, several of them. That's why we had some evacuations in St. Bernard's parish as well and some other areas such as Plaquemines. But again, when those winds come up, that surge could be three to six feet. They did have a test on the levies in 2012 when Isaac moved in and they seemed to hold off. But if you spread off and towards the east, from bay St. Louis, winds are going to surge this water. Walls of it into bay St. Louis, gulf port, this is the area that was pretty much destroyed by Katrina.

As we continue to move to the east, (INAUDIBLE) is going to have some issues with the storm surge. Even though there are some barrier islands here as well and then you slide toward, of course Mobile bay. That is going to be an issue.

Let's talk about how much we are talking about as far as the surge. There are some areas that's very passable to the border of Alabama we could see seven to even 11 feet. The waves of water that continue to move in should be just after high tide. Now, high tide right now is occurring in Plaquemines parish. That's on the mouth of the Mississippi. So this means something when you have water this high.

Let's break it down even more than for you and show you what the surge will be for certain areas. Colors of yellow. That's three to six feet. When you get into orange, that's six to nine. When I show you red, that's above nine feet. So again, here is Biloxi of all the canals. You will start to see a lot of -- some of the areas of big concern. But again, even when you go into around Mobile bay, it surges well to the north. Now, this is a good, maybe three, six, even nine.

But let's go back to the beginning a little more. Here is Plaquemines parish which I think may miss their landfall. Most of the activity is going to be when the wind is coming to the north, much likely Pontchartrain. These areas that were red a little while ago talking about over nine feet are now below nine feet. So that's good news.

We will fast forward and we will go up a little further. Here is bay St. Louis. When the surge comes in, those winds from the south, Ana, are going to really create possibilities in red here of overnight. So that is a concern. Bay St. Louis all along the coastline to gulf port as well into around Biloxi as we mentioned. Of all the canals and of all the inlets.

So surge I think is our big, big issue here. Not so much winds until you are east of the storm center. Once again, isolated tornadoes. We had a few of them. We had a few tornado warnings. The center still looks like it will make landfall as a category one right around 10:00 p.m. A lot of the high tides seem to want to be after midnight. So that could be an issue in some areas. But again, as the bands move in, that is the concern as we watch the surge move into this area. So again, everywhere east of New Orleans. Now, I don't want to say

you are in the clear, New Orleans, but things are looking a little bit better for you. Again, not as much rain, not as much wind. In fact, barely gail winds west of the center.

So there is some good news here. And I think a lot has to do with the fast pace this storm system has been taking, just can intensify. But again, the biggest threat will be surge. By tomorrow at this time, it's going to be almost into Tennessee. So it's a fast-moving storm and there will be some delays. I should mention, Pensacola's airport is closed and most likely will be all day tomorrow. But we will be talking about this in the days ahead possibly downing some trees and sporadic power outages all the way through the Tennessee valley especially up the spine of the Appalachians -- Ana.

[19:36:02] CABRERA: And you say 10:00 p.m. is maybe when landfall will happen, Tom. But does that mean the storm surge will start to happen before that, though?

SATER: It's starting to move in now. In fact, we have seen a pretty good surge already that was moving in towards parts of the bay areas, bay St. Louis we saw pretty good rains. So again, as it gets closer, it's up welling a water that kind of throws it in towards the coast. And that will be the big concern closer to landfall.

CABRERA: All right. Thank you so much. Great information. Tom Sater, we appreciate it. New details tonight.

Meantime on a clue left behind by the Las Vegas gunman. Still ahead new information just into CNN on something found inside his hotel suite.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:40:53] CABRERA: Vice President Mike Pence was in Las Vegas today to honor the victims of last weekend's massacre. And while he was there, he and his wife Karen stopped at a makeshift memorial, 58 crosses lined up along the strip each carrying the name of someone who died. The paused at each one before laying down a single rose.

Now, Pence's visit is just one step in the healing process. Another would be learning why, why a man chose to open fire on a crowd of 22,000 people.

CNN's Stephanie Elam is in Las Vegas following the investigation.

And Stephanie, you have new information for us about that note the killer left in his hotel room.

ELAM: Right. And Ana, we had known that it just had numbers on it. Well, a law enforcement official telling CNN now that they believe these numbers were calculations about the trajectory about the distance from his 32nd window down to that concert venue. More indication that he was measuring out and definitely targeting that concert venue. We are just learning that, about that. But that's one key thing we are learning about. Still, despite knowing this, we don't know what the motive is for the shooter, this 64-year-old man to target this concert venue to do this at all or the reason why he may have been planning for this overall. And that has been really, really frustrating for so many of the law enforcement officials. Normally they can figure out the motive, at this point it's still unclear, Ana.

CABRERA: Meantime, you sat down with a man who helped rush gunshot victims to the hospital. We are learning of all these heroes in this story. What did he share with you?

ELAM: That's the one thing to come out of this entire sad event, Ana, is to see so many people in a split second showed who they are. This one cab driver is just one of them. Take a listen to his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (voice-over): Fireworks, that's what cab driver Winifredo Maquindang thought he heard as he waited to pick up a fair at Mandalay bay Sunday. With bullets still flying, Maquindang drove across the street to help.

WINIFREDO MAQUINDANG, DROVE SHOOTING VICTIMS TO HOSPITAL: I said, my God. It is like a war zone. Everybody was screaming. Crying. People on the ground. I see a lot of wounds hit in the back and head.

ELAM: People crowded around him, banging on the car, begging for help.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a guy shot in the corner.

ELAM: So Maquindang jumped out and opened his doors, rescuing six people all of them shot.

What kind of wounds did you see?

MAQUINDANG: Really bad, the ones in the back and the neck. But I don't know if he is alive now. He's dying. He's dying while I'm driving.

ELAM: Maquindang rushed his wounded passengers to Sunrise hospital. Not knowing any of their names, he still has no idea if they are alive.

Does it weigh on you that you don't know what happened to them?

MAQUINDANG: Sometimes you cannot sleep thinking about what's going on. It take me, a toll on me.

ELAM: Like Maquindang, many other raced to the scene to help, transporting wounded who were also left wondering who came to their aid.

Rocky Palermo tells Erin Burnett how someone selflessly helped him after he was shot. ROCKY PALMERO, SHOOTING VICTIM: Someone stopped in the car. There

was already four people in the vehicle. There wasn't enough room for me. Somebody gave up their seat. They weren't injured. Someone gave up their seat for a complete stranger to go in there and take that seat. If it wasn't for all that happening, we wouldn't have been having this conversation at all.

ELAM: Another taxi driver, Cori Langdon was also at Mandalay when the mayhem began. People started jumping into her car.

CORI LANGDON, DROVE SHOOTING VICTIMS TO HOSPITAL: They said, go, go, just go, go. There's an active shooter. There's people dead everywhere. All these people started trying to get into my cab. And I think I had at least like five or six people in my car. And so I said, OK, nobody else. Nobody else.

ELAM: For Maquindang, there was no choice. He had to help.

[19:45:03] MAQUINDANG: I'm just a human being, you know. I need to help these people. I look around, there's nobody else.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: On top of this, Ana, this was Maquindang fourth day on the job. He had just moved to Las Vegas, so much so he didn't know where the hospital was. The woman who was shot in the shoulder who was in the front passenger seat, he asked her if she was OK, she looked up Google maps found where the closest hospital was, Sunrise Hospital, and he drove there and like 80 miles per hour to get them all there and still doesn't have any closure about who these people are and if they are OK.

CABRERA: But he did what he could and what an incredible gift he gave some of those folks. Such bravery by all people there.

Thank you, Stephanie Elam for that amazing story.

Moving to some new developments today, the President and his attacks on the media. Today he even spoke out about the sex scandal involving a prominent Hollywood producer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I have known Harvey Weinstein for a long time. I'm not at all surprised to see it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:50:36] CABRERA: It's no secret that President Trump doesn't exactly like the media. But this week, the President moved past his usual name calling to actually asking why the government isn't investigating news organizations.

Here's what he tweeted. Why isn't the Senate Intel committee looking into the fake news networks in our country to see why so much of our news is just made up? Fake!

For the President himself, as you know, has a history of not always sticking to facts. According to the "Washington Post" fact checker, President Trump has made more than 1,100 false or misleading claims in his first 232 days in office.

So let's talk. Joining us is CNN senior media correspondent and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES" Brian Stelter.

So Brian, do you see this as the President taking his attack from the media to a new level by calling on a congressional investigation?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: In some ways, he was just venting, flowing off steam. But I do think it was a new low because there was this suggestion of government interfering to over a sight. The idea there should be an investigation into newsrooms. That would be extraordinary. It would cause lawsuits among first amendment experts, it would cause a lot of problems.

It's not going to happen. I really do think he was just venting. We have seen him venting all week long about the so-called fake news. That is actually not fake. For example, the NBC story about Rex Tillerson. Those tensions are real. CNN reporters and other reporters of other outlets have all confirmed that the tensions with Tillerson and with Trump's chief of staff John Kelly are very real. You have been talking about that today.

So these stories are not going away, even if the President tries to scream fake to make them disappear.

CABRERA: He says they are fake if he doesn't like them it appears.

STELTER: I think it's becoming more and more clear that that's what he means when he says "fake news." So I think on one level, yes, we have to see through it, see what he is doing and move on. But on another level, it disturbing when you see any leader, any politician from any party saying there should be an investigation. And again, today he brought up the idea of equal time on late night TV shows.

CABRERA: Right. Let's out up that tweet, what he tweeted this morning. More and more people are suggesting that Republicans and me should be given equal time on TV when you look at the one sided coverage. What do you think he means by this?

STELTER: So on one level, again, he was just watching Fox and Friends, I think. He was watching a segments about how these a lot of late night shows that are all to get him. And that's true. There are a lot of late night comics that are anti-Trump that are criticizing him every single day and they are benefiting the ratings from it.

But on another level, he is suggesting this idea of equal time. It is actually a term in law used to exist, the idea that there used to be balance on the broadcast airways that Democrats get five minutes than Republican gets five minutes. Those equal time laws were actually raised decades ago. So I wonder when he said equal time --.

CABRERA: But we do make --.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: -- to do just that. But you also wonder if he is referring to positive and negative coverage from him.

STELTER: And then the way he sees positive or negative coverage, exactly right. Once again, he is just kind of flirting with the idea of government oversight of news coverage or in this case entertainment, late-night shows. I think it's mostly just venting but I think we should recognize he is increasingly frustrated with the coverage of the Russia investigations, with the coverage of the turmoil in his own White House. He takes it out sort of on the news media and on late-night comics via twitter. And by the way, I'm sure "SNL" will have something to say about that tonight.

CABRERA: And the President could come to talk on CNN any time. I know we have extended that offer to him.

STELTER: That's right. He is not really doing new interviews. He could do that at any time.

CABRERA: He goes to FOX News oftentimes.

STELTER: Yes.

CABRERA: I want to switch topics and talk about Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer. A number of women have come under - come forward accusing him of sexual harassment. The President actually spoke out about these accusations. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I have known Harvey Weinstein for a long time. I'm not at all surprised to see it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So there you heard the President really quickly say without hesitation, he is not surprised about these accusations yet when the accusations are pointed at him, he immediately said liars.

STELTER: Yes, we have heard from Republican leaders, the head of the RNC, trying to link the Harvey Weinstein allegations to the Democratic Party because he is a Democratic donor. It has been linked to Hillary Clinton because Clinton was receiving support from Weinstein. There is some hypocrisy when you see that from the Republican Party, from someone like President Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr. has been talking a lot about this on twitter today. Of course, it is one year to the day since the "Access Hollywood" tape was released first to "the Washing Post" and NBC. One year on the day since that tape came out. The President was asked about that via on CNN, Elizabeth Landers today at the White House. He said, what I was doing, that was just locker room talk.

[19:55:06] CABRERA: It is still called locker room talk. STELTER: So once again saying locker room talk. I think to be fair

about this whether we are talking about Bill O'Reilly or Roger Aisles of Fox News or weather talking about Harvey Weinstein, a media mogul in the film business. These allegations are disturbing whether they come from a guy who supports Republicans or supports the Democrats. Disturbing no matter what.

CABRERA: And to be fair, is this getting as much attention as the Bill O'Reilly sexual harassment allegations?

STELTER: I think there's one big difference and that is that bill O'Reilly is a worldwide household name because of his presence on Fox. Harry Weinstein, more behind the scenes. But he is a very well-known film executives. This was well-known among some women in Hollywood and that is disturbing. But these allegations weren't reported on earlier. Then again, it was "The New York Times" which has often derided by failing Trump and his fans that was able to get to the bottom of the story and they deserve a lot of credit for doing so.

STELTER: Brian, thanks for the conversation. We know you will have more of this discussion tomorrow on "RELIABLE SOURCES."

Don't forget to tune in 11:00 eastern here on CNN.

We are continuing to track hurricane Nate tonight. Stay with us for special coverage of that coming right up.

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