Interview With Texas Congressman Michael Burgess; Top ISIS Leader Reportedly Killed.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news: ISIS deputy killed. The U.S. put a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head. Now the terror group says its top spokesman is dead. Did American forces take him out? We're getting new information this hour. Baby steps. As Donald Trump prepares to give his big speech on immigration, his son tells CNN that his father is not softening his hard-line views, but he acknowledges a mass deportation would not happen right away. Will the GOP nominee make his policy clear tomorrow? Secret notes. CNN has learned that the FBI is now getting ready to release new information on what Hillary Clinton said about her e-mails behind closed doors. Will it ease or escalate the controversy as Clinton prepares for her first debate with Donald Trump? And tampering by Putin? The top Senate Democrat is now warning that Russia may try on manipulate the results of the November elections. He is asking the FBI to investigate, as new breaches of voter databases add to the urgency. We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in</s>THE SITUATION ROOM. ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.</s>BLITZER: Breaking news tonight: the highest-profile killing of an ISIS leader yet. The terror group is vowing revenge after announcing the death of Muhammad al-Adnani in Syria. A senior U.S. defense official confirms that coalition conducted an airstrike in the area targeting a senior ISIS leader. Al-Adnani was the most public face of ISIS and at the top of America's kill list. Also breaking, on the eve of Donald Trump's big immigration speech, his son now tells CNN that his father isn't softening on anything. Donald Trump Jr. says the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants remains part of the plan, but he suggests, it may be implemented in baby steps. Tonight, the FBI may be just hours away from releasing a report on its investigation of Hillary Clinton's e-mails, explaining why no charges were recommended. Law enforcement officials tell CNN that secret notes about Clinton's FBI interview will also be made public as soon as tomorrow. Just over two months until Election Day, a new warning about the possibility of tampering by Vladimir Putin's government in the U.S. presidential vote. Senate Minority Leader Harry is now asking the FBI to investigate, saying the Kremlin may seek to falsify election results. A top Donald Trump surrogate in Congress, Representative Michael Burgess, is standing by, along with our correspondents and analysts, as we bring you full coverage of the day's top stories. Up first, let's go to our national security correspondent, Jim Sciutto, with more on the ISIS announcement that its top spokesman is dead. Jim, what are you learning?</s>JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, today, ISIS took the rare step of confirming the death of a senior leader. A short time later, several defense officials tell me that the U.S. conducted an airstrike against a senior ISIS leader. This is the area of Al-Bab in Syria and that the U.S. now is working to confirm they hit their target.</s>SCIUTTO (voice-over): Sheik Abu Muhammad al-Adnani has been one of the public and threatening leaders of ISIS, chief spokesman and involved with its unit plotting terror against the West, now reported dead by the terror group. The ISIS statement appearing online saying Adnani "was martyred while surveying the operations to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo." ISIS offering no other proof, and Western officials have not confirmed his death. Still, a senior U.S. defense official says a coalition airstrike Tuesday targeted a senior ISIS leader near Aleppo. But the official won't that they were targeting Adnani. The U.S. has offered a $5 million reward for his death or capture. Adnani is widely believed to be involved in inspiring and directing attacks in the West, like those that have terrorized Europe recently. Thought to be a successor to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, he also brought in foreign fighters to the battles in Syria and Iraq. The top U.S. general fighting ISIS says ISIS' leadership may be losing its influence, as evidenced in a recent battle.</s>GEN. JOSEPH VOTEL, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: And some of what we saw in the Manbij fight was direction from Baghdadi to his fighters to fight to the death. Obviously, they didn't. They didn't follow his direction, which may be an indication of the state of ISIL, at least in some cases here.</s>SCIUTTO: Adnani's official title was spokesman, and he did advertise some of its most brutal acts of violence, beheadings, et cetera, but he was also an operational leader who was leading and directing terror attacks against the West, as well as recruiting foreign fighters. If his death is confirmed by the U.S., he would be difficult for the group, Wolf, to effectively replace.</s>BLITZER: Jim Sciutto reporting, thank you. We're also following breaking news in the U.S. presidential race, as Donald Trump's son now tells CNN his father isn't softening his position on immigration. Other surrogates are veering from the campaign's message, though, tonight. Let's bring in our senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. He has got more on the Trump campaign -- Jim.</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Donald Trump is finding he has plenty of competition these days when it comes to ill-advised comments. His own surrogates and staffers are creating even more headaches for the campaign.</s>REV. MARK BURNS, HARVEST PRAISE AND WORSHIP CENTER: Hello, Florida.</s>ACOSTA (voice-over): He's not quite seeking forgiveness, but one of Donald Trump's top surrogates, Pastor Mark Burns, apologized in an interview on CNN after tweeting this cartoon of Hillary Clinton in blackface, an image that is offensive to African-Americans.</s>BURNS: Obviously, my message, I stand by, but the methodology, I do not. The message is simply this. I believe that the Democrat Party has been using the black vote, that black voting bloc. Never, ever we will allow her to step back into the office...</s>ACOSTA (voice-over): A popular warmup act at Donald Trump rallies, Pastor Mark Burns preaches with a booming voice and a passion for ripping into Hillary Clinton.</s>BURNS: And she don't belong in the White House. I'm going to still say she belongs in jail.</s>ACOSTA: The pastor is just the latest prominent campaign voice to create a distraction for Trump as he attempts to woo African-American voters. The Clinton campaign accused Burns of crossing the line.</s>JOEL BENENSON, HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN ADVISER: I think he surrenders the ability to discuss the issues. I think it's unfortunate. There is an unfortunate pattern here.</s>ACOSTA: Other top surrogates and staffers from the Trump campaign are coming under scrutiny as well. BuzzFeed discovered this audio of Trump campaign CEO Steve Bannon using a derogatory word for lesbians on a conservative radio show.</s>STEVE BANNON, TRUMP CAMPAIGN CEO: The women that would lead this country would be</s>ACOSTA: And the anti-Trump Keep America Great super PAC unearthed this 2013 video of Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway talking about women in the military. In this panel discussion, Conway argues that rape would not exist if women were as strong as men.</s>KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I want the best prepared military, regardless of gender. But I'll tell you, if physical fitness, if we were physiologically, not mentally, emotionally, professionally, equal to men, if we were physiologically as strong as men, rape would not exist. You would be able to defend yourself and fight him off.</s>ACOSTA: The Trump campaign claims it rejects extremist views, like those of former KKK leader and Louisiana Senate candidate David Duke, who placed a robo-call asking voters to back the GOP nominee.</s>DAVID DUKE, FORMER IMPERIAL WIZARD OF THE KU KLUX KLAN: Unless massive immigration is stopped now, we will be outnumbered and outvoted in our own nation.</s>ACOSTA: The campaign said in a statement: "There is no place for this in the Republican Party or our country." But Democrats counter that Trump's policies, like his plan for a great wall on the southern border, stir up racial tensions, even if one prominent conservative said he's not buying all of Trump's promises on immigration.</s>RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I can choose a path here to try to modify you, but I never took him seriously on this.</s>ACOSTA: Now, Donald Trump will be walking a tightrope in his upcoming immigration speech in Phoenix tomorrow night. Move too far to the right and he risks losing middle-class suburban voters and Latinos, who see Trump's rhetoric as too extreme on the issue, but any changes to Trump's immigration plans could erode support that he has in that conservative base that delivered him the nomination, Wolf. And we did check with the Trump campaign about Bannon and Conway's comments that you just heard in that piece. They have not responded -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right, Jim Acosta reporting, thank you. There's a lot of anticipation about what Donald Trump will say and not say in his immigration speech in Arizona tomorrow. His son, Donald Trump Jr., insists his father is standing firmly on his hard-line positions. Listen to what he told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview.</s>DONALD TRUMP JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: He wasn't softening on anything. He didn't change his stance on anything. What he did was and what he's done all along is, he's speaking with the people. He's not lecturing them like most of the politicians you see today. He's actually having a conversation. He basically surveyed the room and asked, hey, what are your thoughts on this? I want to take that, because I want to take into account what the people say, unlike our opponent who basically will take into account only those who contribute millions and millions of dollars to her campaign. He's actually obviously a conversation with the people of this country. The hardworking men and women who made this country great, he's giving them a voice. He asked an opinion. He didn't say, well, my policy has now changed. He didn't say that. Now, the media will run with it however they want. But that's not what actually happened and I was in the room.</s>ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: It did seem to some viewers, though, who we talked to that it seemed like he's polling the room, he's not quite sure what his own policy is.</s>TRUMP: He was asking for an opinion. His policy has been the same for the last six, seven, eight months.</s>COOPER: He still says deport. They all got to go?</s>TRUMP: That's been the same, correct. But again you have to start with baby steps. You have to let ICE do their job. You have to eliminate the sanctuary cities. You have to get rid of the criminals certainly first and foremost. You have to secure the border. These are commonsense things, Anderson.</s>BLITZER: You can hear a lot more from Donald Trump Jr. later tonight on "</s>A.C. 360" 8: 00 p.m. Eastern only here CNN. Let's talk a little bit about Donald Trump and his immigration policy with Congressman Michael Burgess of Texas. He is a Donald Trump supporter. Congressman, thanks very much for joining us.</s>REP. MICHAEL BURGESS (R), TEXAS: Thanks for having me on, Wolf. I appreciate it.</s>BLITZER: So you heard Donald Trump Jr. list several steps, baby steps, his words, baby steps Trump would take before addressing what happens to the undocumented people living here in the United States, maybe 11 million or so.</s>BURGESS: Yes.</s>BLITZER: Are you comfortable with Donald Trump postponing his answer to that question?</s>BURGESS: It's not a postponement. I think Donald Trump Jr. said this very directly in response to a question. Job one is securing the border. Does the United States have the fundamental right to define and defend its borders? I say yes. I believe Mr. Trump feels same way I do. Job one then is to secure that border. And, Wolf, let me tell you, it is not secure. I was down there three weeks ago. We talked two years ago about the problems of unaccompanied minors coming across the border. It is just as bad today as it was two years ago. The problem is it is not being covered by the media like it was two years ago.</s>BLITZER: Let's say the border is secure and he builds the wall, he builds a huge wall, if you will. What happens to the 11 million people who are here undocumented?</s>BURGESS: Well, first off, I actually don't accept the premise of 11 million. I don't know where that number comes from, Wolf. When I first ran for office in 2002, my very first editorial board interview with "The Dallas Morning News"," the question to me was, what are you going to do with the 11 million people who are in this country? Tell me that number is the same as it was 14 years ago, I just simply don't believe it.</s>BLITZER: All right, so whatever the number is, let's say it is five million or let's say it's 20 million, whatever the number is, what do you do with those people?</s>BURGESS: First thing you do is sure the border. Stop the hemorrhage. Stop the bleeding. Stop the damage from occurring. And then I actually respect Donald Trump for saying, I am then going to see what resources I have and what I have at my disposal to begin to enforce the law. And the other thing I respect him saying is that he is going to involve the United States Congress. Actually, under the Constitution, the House and the Senate play a large role in deciding immigration law and naturalization law. We have a president currently who wants to function as a ruler. Donald Trump feels that he ought to involve the legislative branch. I think that's a good thing. And I think that's a healthy thing.</s>BLITZER: So you think he should leave it vague, at least for now?</s>BURGESS: Well, he's not vague. He said he is going to secure the border. He said he is going to have interior enforcement. He said he's going to enforce E-Verify. And, yes, at some point, the -- first off, the worst of the worst will be picked up and deported. And then enforcement actions will occur. And, look, Wolf, Hillary Clinton two-and-a-half years ago on a CNN program, I believe, in response to Christiane Amanpour, said she would deport the unaccompanied alien children who are coming across the border. She was criticized for it. But I'll tell you, that first planeload of kids that went back to Central America, that really slowed the problem down in 2014. People actually need to see that the United States is serious about defining and defending its borders. I think that's a key step.</s>BLITZER: So people in Texas, your state -- and obviously this is a big issue in Texas, a lot of other states as well. Do you think they will be satisfied if Donald Trump does not specifically spell out his plan on what to do with these undocumented immigrants?</s>BURGESS: Well, look, he has spelled it out. He has said what his intention is.</s>BLITZER: No, he said he is going to build a wall, he's going to secure the border. But what about the impact on these people who are living here in the United States? Let's say they haven't commit any crimes. What is going to happen to them and their kids?</s>BURGESS: Well, fundamentally, there was -- they crossed the law when they came across the border illegally. And I wish people wouldn't do that. I think it is hurtful. I think it is hurtful to both countries involved when that occurs. I have never understood why President Vicente Fox in Mexico decided it was a good national strategy to export his young men back in 2005-2006. It made no sense then. It certainly makes no sense now. I do think Donald Trump is correct on this. Let us secure the border. Then he will see what he has. What resources does he have? What is the will of the legislative body? What tools will Congress give him as far as enforcement of the law is concerned? That's, I think, a reasonable step for a chief executive to take.</s>BLITZER: Would you support some sort of pathway to legal status, legal residence in the United States for these people?</s>BURGESS: I don't think you can have that as part of the discussion right now., number one, all the time that the border is unsecure. And we have seen this. President Obama has demonstrated this over and over again. You say you are going to loosen the procedure, the next thing you know, you get a surge of migrants coming across the border. And, Wolf, let me tell you, they're coming across at their peril. Three weeks ago, I saw two women and three young baby children on the banks of the Rio Grande in 106-degree heat, high humidity. They had no water. They didn't have proper shoes on their feet. If they hadn't been picked up by the Border Patrol, those would have been casualties. They were people who were deposited on the Texas side of the Rio Grande by coyotes, by human traffickers from Central America. That's the business model we have got to interrupt.</s>BLITZER: Congressman, you're there in Texas. You're close to Mexico. Do you agree with Donald Trump that he will build a wall and Mexico will pay for it?</s>BURGESS: Well, actually, Congress already funded under the Secure Fence Act in 2006 a good chunk of that. Now, what has happened to that appropriations since then, I can't actually identify for you. But -- and I will also tell you, there are portions of the wall that have already been built. But I think Donald Trump is serious. And I believe him in this. He will make border security a priority and he will do what it takes to ensure that that occurs. That's what I want to see.</s>BLITZER: Congressman Michael Burgess, I want you to stand by. We have more questions. We will resume the conversation right after this quick break.