county. the presiding judge there says all hearings and trials in his courtroom can be live stream and televised. that also applying his co-defendants. joining us now, former republican congressman, adam. i want to get to the latest news and donald trump's legal trouble but we're about four and a half months from the iowa caucuses. trump is out to this massive lead. a brand-new wall street poll shows trump is the top pick with 59%, 59% of republican voters supporting the rest of the field is way behind him. what do you make of that? >> here's the interesting thing, jim. when donald trump was charged with this stuff, if people, because even the rest of the people in the polls not named donald trump, generally have the trust of the gop base. had all those people come together and said this is not our party. this is not okay. as chris christie said, we can't normalize this. i think you'd be seeing a very different number. instead, what you see is the vast majority of donald trump's opponents say this is a witch hunt. this is a politically motivated attack. so if the people you trust are saying that, you're going to believe it because why would you believe otherwise? the people you trust are saying it's politically motivated, and you're going to rally behind the guy that's being attacked. that's what's happening here. it's the shame of not having courage and running for office. it's the shame of leaders too scared to tell the truth. we're going to see a republican party with donald trump as the nominee it sounds like. >> could president biden be in trouble? if trump is the nominee? he's running about even with president biden in this latest "wall street journal" poll. >> well, look, this is my message to democrats. don't take this for granted. like, i think donald trump will be the easiest to beat of probably any other candidate running. so i guess from a tactical perspective, i can understand that. but there is a chance donald trump could win. i said in 2016 literally the night before the election, there's no way donald trump's going to win. after the election, i kind of woke up saying there's no way donald trump actually won. i think that's the danger we have right now. which is why i've been saying we have to have this what i call kind of an uncomfortable alliance between the left and the few sane on the right to defend democracy. frankly, probably support democrats in 2024 instead of donald trump. it's a real risk out there and i think the polls that show donald trump is tied, i'd take that very seriously. >> and let's talk about president biden. he's in florida today to tour storm damage. i'm sure you noticed this. he was not greeted by florida's governor, ron desantis. he did get praise from senator rick scott. here's how he reacted to that. >> no, i'm not disappointed. he may have had other reasons but he did help us plan this. he sat with fema and decided where we should go. where would be the least disruption. i'm very pleased. a guy who we don't agree very much at all. distinguished former governor and senior senator. he came, talked to me and to you all about what an incredible job the federal government was doing. i found that reassuring. and so i think we can pull all this together. i really do. >> congressman, what do you make of that? is this really a snub from ron desantis? looks like one. and what do you make of the president brushing that off? what's your reaction to that? >> so you knew the former president pretty well. you covered him a lot. let me just say this. i could never imagine him giving a speech like that and said well, it's not a big deal. maybe he had something else going on. rick scott's here. joe biden is being a grown up. the thing i hope happens is we can see joe biden in this case and say that's how a president should act. we all have political differences. that's one of the things that annoys me is when people say we have political differences. no two people in this country agree on everything but when we have to put things like a hurricane comes in, you have to put those differences and the politics aside. obviously, desantis isn't capable of doing that. thankfully, rick scott was able to do that and thankfully joe biden is able to do that. i hope we don't normalize this petty politics. particularly when president biden is going to have to sign the checks desantis is going to be begging for. >> yeah. let's talk about this case in georgia. i just have to ask you because you were on the january 6th committee. are you looking forward to watching donald trump's trial in fulton county streamed live or carried live on places like cnn if and when that happens? >> well, i kind of am and -- so there's part of me that's a little worried. it's like o.j. simpson trial vibes and dividing the country more, but i think when you put the evidence in front of the people, when you can describe the evidence in more than just the charging document, which was pretty damning in and of itself, and when you show this trial happening, i think that this could possibly break the fever in the gop. when you actually see this stuff presented. now, maybe i'm being overly optimistic. i fully understand that. but it was part of like the whole january 6th committee. one of the things i was doing for it was because i think history had to set the record straight. there were too many conspiracy theories out there and i think our committee did that. i think this trial will do the same. and it will make it very awkward for those members of the house, members of the senate, anybody in the gop defending donald trump when this evidence is being put out there. so i'm supporting it being live streamed. i like it. i have a little concern but i'll be watching for sure. >> what did you think of georgia's republican governor, brian kemp, saying to his fellow state republicans, we're not going to go after fani willis? >> the bottom line is that in the state of georgia as long as i'm governor, we're going to follow the law in the institution. regardless of who it helps or harms politically. in georgia, we will not be engaging in political theatre that only inflames emotions of the momente moment. >> yeah, what are you thought on that? >> i thought it was a very powerful statement. there's something in the water in georgia for georgia republicans with the exception of like marjorie taylor greene where they stand up for the rule of law. you think of brad raffensperger standing up to the pressure of donald trump to just go find 11,380 votes. and you look at governor kemp. you can disagree with his policies but what he said is we're not going to play this game of lying to people, conspiracy theory, firing the prosecutors. he's gotten widely praised and he deserves it. we need more republicans, jim, to do the same thing. to stand up and say we defend the constitution. >> and he hasn't paid a price. note to other republican party leaders in other parts of the country. you can do this, too. you know, congressman, i want to ask you about these sentences. that came down on members of the proud boys for their roles on january 6th. ethan, 18 years. that's the tie for the longer handed down of the cases so far. job biggs, 17 years. zachary, 15 years. dominic pizzola, 15 years. they could have gotten more. those are big sentences and in some of these cases, sounds like the defendants are expressing remorse. maybe it's crocodile tears. >> they're totally appropriate. we have laws. we have to protect democracy, jim. it's the hardest form of government. i used to think it was the hardest because you have to have trust, law. you have to enforce that law. these people paid a price. these weren't people that bumbled into the capitol on accident and kind of pushed in there. they went in intentionally. they led the way and there's a cost to that. are they sorry? maybe. maybe not. i don't know. if they are sorry, i'm glad. but you know, a lot of people are sorry after they commit a crime but that doesn't mitigate the time they serve in prison. so i think this is a lesson and look, it's these kind of charges that present, are prevented future things like what happened on january 6th from happening again. >> just finally very quickly just to follow up to that. did it take too long? that's one question this i just churn over sometimes. did it take too long for these cases to get to this point? take too long for these trump cases to get to this point. and i know you have to have a fair process and prosecutors have to do their jobs and due diligence and so on and so does our justice system but it just, isn't there something to be said for all of this just took too long? >> it did. i full wy agree. some of that was you had a few courtrooms and a lot of defendants. i think the doj started too late on the donald trump issue. that said, we are where we are now. and i feel confident the january 6th committee actually spawned that larger investigation which is what we're seeing the fruits of today. break the law, you're going to have to pay the price. doesn't matter who you are, what party you are or if you've ever been president of the united states or not. >> congressman, thanks very much for your time. >> you bet. still ahead, the debate over donald trump and the 14th amendment. we've been hearing from legal scholars over the last couple of weeks who suggest they could disqualify the former president from running. we'll speak to someone who argues it's not going to work. plus, tributes and memories to jimmy buffett. how the florida keys shaped his life and music. we'll talk about that in just a few minutes. stay with us. you're live in the "cncnn newsroom." i know what it's like to perform through pain. if you're like me, one of the millions suffering from pain caused by migraine nurtecdt may help. it's the only medication that can treat a mraine when it strikes and prevent . treat and prevent, all one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. we're in this together. talk to a doctor about nurtec odt. we, the moms who have lost our children to social media harms. we, we, we have had... enough. our politicians have failed. working for lobbyists, not us. we need your voice to pass the kids online safety act this fall. join us. join us. join us. join us. ♪ let's lead the way. hi, i'm stacey, and i've lost 60 pounds on golo. (guitar music) i decided to try golo when i had an international flight coming up and i realized i couldn't fly being the size that i was. my sister-in-law tried golo and had lost 50 pounds, so i thought i'd give golo a try. i didn't expect the results i got on golo. i was hopeful, but i did not expect it to be like this. golo just makes sense. this plan works. (announcer) change your life at golo.com. that's golo.com. ♪ ("drumroll" by lónis, little league ) ♪ ( ♪ ♪ ) ♪ this just in ♪ ♪ got the keys to what you want and what you need ♪ ♪ something new something sweet ♪ ♪ moving to a different beat ♪ ♪ okay now (what?) ♪ ♪ can i get a (get a) drumroll? (what?) ♪ ♪ can i get a drumroll drumroll? (what?) ♪ ♪ can i get a can i get a drumroll please (oohh) ♪ ♪ that's nice (yahh) ♪ ( ♪ ♪ ) ♪ ya, can i get a drumroll, can i get a drum- ♪ ♪ that's nice ♪ sleep more deeply. and wake up rejuvenated. with purple's new mattresses fall asleep 20% faster have less aches and pains and sleep uninterrupted. right now save up to $900 off mattresses sets during purple's labor day sale. visit purple.com or a store near you my brain. so i choose new neuriva ultra. unlike some others, it supports 7 brain health indicators, including mental alertness from one serving. to help keep me sharp. try new neuriva ultra. think bigger. [stomach growling] it's nothing... sounds like something. ♪when you have nausea, heartburn, indigestion♪ ♪upset stomach, diarrhea♪ pepto bismol coats and soothes for fast relief when you need it most. it's easy to get lost in investment research. introducing j.p. morgan personal advisors. hey david. connect with an advisor to create your personalized plan. let's find the right investments for your goals okay, great. j.p. morgan wealth management. prosecutors say those charged in the fulton county case have connections to an alleged voting system breach in another part of the state. it was more than 200 miles away in the heavily republican area of coffee county. trump got nearly 70% of the vote there. we found out some locals say they're not surprised by the accusations. >> this is where it all went down. this is where it all went down. this other door is where they had camera footage and reference to the voter breach. >> it's blowing my mind that something this important has happened in our little county. >> you walk inside of voting registration with no mask on and they just give you the votes. they just give them to you. why? that shows you right there it ain't just started. always been just like that. >> in the georgia indictment of donald trump and others, prosecutors allege what might sound like a whacky, unprecedented scheme. that rural coffee county election officials allowed trump associates to access voter data, but some locals say the allegations are right in line with the history of voter suppression. are you surprised it happened? >> not at all. >> among those mug shots, the city commissioner saw familiar faces. fellow coffee county locals she tangled with in past elections. >> olivia pearson is up to her normal handing out hamburgers and hot dogs. >> she's been a voting rights activist in douglas for years. >> all kinds of things happen in coffee county just to get people to come vote. yeah. it's not really good situation down here. >> georgia allows disabled or ill lite illiterate people to get help voting. they investigated complaints that pearson assisted ineligible people and began calling voters she had helped. >> she signed on the back she assisted you and i was wanting to know, it's not marked why and i was wondering why you needed assistance. >> cause i can't read. illiterate. >> the state didn't charge her but local prosecutors charged her with two felonies saying she helped other voters who were ineligible. she was found not guilty in 2018. >> you would think it was murder, robbery. something that really does some damage to our community. but i was trying to help somebody who wanted the right to vote. >> i don't know. >> then while helping a woman vote in 2020, pearson asked about the buttons on a voting machine. she says misty hampton, the former elections supervisor now under indictment with trump, began yelling at her. >> she just began hollering at the top of her lungs, that's what they got in trouble for last time! punching or touching buttons. ing something to that effect. it struck a nerve with me because i was on trial fighting for my life for something i was not guilty of. so i did raise my voice at that time. and i said to her, you are lying then, you're lying now. >> in a deposition, hampton said she spoke in a normal voice and that pearson was being disruptive. she left to pick up another voter and when she returned, police stopped her outside the polling place saying she had been banned. >> what happened? >> and i got arrested. i was put in handcuffs. >> in handcuffs. >> never been arrested before. i didn't know, you know, it's so tight like that. >> just to hear someone treated like they're a violent criminal. >> exactly. especially being an elected official. i stand up for what i believe is right and some people have a problem with people when you speak out. >> at the time, she had been driving yolanda williams, who agreed to talk if we didn't show her face. >> i was scared and fearful and i was just like telling her i didn't want to go back up there to vote and i won't go back and vote because of everything that's going on. i didn't understand why they called this crooked coffee, but now i understand. >> why do you think it happened? >> because of the race. >> hampton and former county republican party chair kathy lathem are accused of -- voter data. both have not responded to cnn's request for comment. do you see a connection between what happened to you and this big push after the 2020 election to dispute the vote totals in usually majority black cities like atlanta, detroit, and so on? >> of course. there's a certain amount of power and control when you're in certain offices. some people will do whatever it takes to maintain it and if it takes voter intimidation to do it, some people are willing to intimidate people. >> the election commission initially denied surveillance footage of the breach existed. so far, there's been no local investigation into what happened. hampton resigned in february 2021 for falsifying time sheets. christine is the new elections supervisor. >> the day that they voted me in to this particular position, the first thing our chairman said was who gets behind the counter. i was like nobody. >> now she says the public needs reassurance that the elections are secure. >> you know this has always been a really small town and people have always been pretty close knit. regardless of party or anything like that. we were all from coffee county and this has divided people in a sense. it's like that across the country. nos not just near. >> even among trump voters, there was an openness to holding people accountable. >> i mean, if they had, i'm 100% against it. do i like trump? i wouldn't want him sitting at the table with me at this moment, no. but, yeah, i think he had a past and i think right now that he is being, i don't know. maybe he should be held up. >> what do you say to black people in coffee county who say well actually i have faced discrimination here and there's a whole history of trying to keep black people from voting and it's not the '60s anymore, but it's not perfect. >> personally, that's crossing. >> why? >> they got the same right to vote i do. you know. they're in the military now. i mean, you know. side by side. >> yeah. there's no segregation to talk about. >> now some people are in denial. especially around here because they're friends with the folk from coffee county that's involved. i know you're innocent until proven guilty but that video speaks volumes. i hope it sheds more light. i hope those people in coffee county who were pointing their finger at me can really see now, you know. it was a bigger picture. >> ellie reiff, cnn, douglas, georgia. it's 5:00 somewhere including here in the east coast. still ahead, the mayor of key west joins us to remember the mayor of margaritaville. jimmy buffett. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." awh, use pririceline. they have package deals no one else e has. [son inflates] we can do it! ♪go to your happy price♪ ♪priceleline♪ the day you get your clearchoice dental implants makes every day... a "let's dig in" day... m ...a "chow down" day... a "take a big bite" day... a "perfectly delicious" day... - mm. [ chuckles ] - ...a "love my new teeth" day. because your clearchoice day is the day everything is back on the menu. a clearchoice day changes every day. schedule a free consultation. every day, more dog people are deciding it's time for a fresh approach to pet food. developed with vets. made from real meat and veggies. portioned for your dog. and delivered right to your door. it's smarter, healthier pet food. (dad) we got our subaru forester wilderness to discover all of the places that make us feel something more. (vo) subaru is the national park foundation's largest corporate donor, helping expand access for all. we always had questions. who do we belong to? who are our ancestors? i know we have them. oh my god, here it is. when i found that immigration record on ancestry®, it was amazing. everything was there. the u.s. was in dire need of nurses during world war ii. tía amalia as a nurse in el salvador decided to answer that call. it's a lot of excitement finding something new. i feel like a time traveler. claudia starts calling me. it's a party every time. ♪ zblnc this week, we've learned officials are wondering whether donald trump can be disqualified in 2024. section three says that a public official is not eligible to assume public office if they engaged in insurrection or given aid or comfort to enemies thereof. in a new piece, david frum is calling this theory a fantasy and warning the only way to defeat him is through the ballot box and he joins me now. david, i don't have to explain to you, folks like the judge, lawrence tribe from harvard. there's some pretty high powered legal minds advancing this theory. you say it's not dwgoing to wor. your thoughts. >> i admire the judge. i took tribe's class in law school but we need to think not like lawyers but like political people. and say what would happen if you tried this in real life outside the lab. that section of the 14th amendment has been frozen in time for 150 years. nobody's tried to defrost it and use it. you try it now and there are all kinds of questions that were not there in the 1860s when it was written that will have real life c consequences. the amendment doesn't tell us who's supposed to enforce it. at the time it was written, it was obvious. the union army. but now, today, who would enforce it? the secretaries of state of the many states and that means that republican secretaries of state, once this thing is defrosted, out of time, would be able to say we don't think so in so is a good enough american to be to be on the ballot. we are going to take all our enemies off the ballot. people need to think about the next step beyond the immediate step. >> so you don't think donald trump meets the criteria of section three of the 14th amendment. you believe he qualifies to be president but doesn't meet the criteria laid out in this section of the constitution. >> it's not that. that section of the constitution actually doesn't specify criteria because it all seems so obvious when that amendment was written in 1866. there were no questions. the questions are all new. what i'm saying is you reanimate this frozen entity and now you bring it back to life, it's not going to be used one time. it's going to be used again and again. you saw how the state of tennessee, republican majority, tried to throw three democratic congressmen, sorry, members of the legislature, out of the legislature, then to force new elections. well, maybe they would declare them enemies of the united states and try to prevent them from ever running from office again. you need to think beyond trump to understand you take this thing out of the freezer, it's going to live forever. >> david, you know, there's this new, i wanted to ask you about this new "wall street journal" poll that shows donald trump way out in front of this republican field. in a neck and neck match-up with joe biden at this point. your thoughts on that poll and do you see any scenario where trump is not the nominee at this point? i think that's part of the reason why we have legal scholars look aing at the 14th amendment. it looks like he's going to get this nomination. >> to preserve his presidential term, refused to accept an election. broke a peaceful transfer of power. i get it. it's terrifying that donald trump could run again and it's terrifying many of our fellow citizens will support him and seems to be neck and neck. i understand the wish for some kind of cheat code to get out of this video game but the only exit, i'm sorry, we're all going to have to dig deep and fight this one more time because there is no easy exit. >> and how does that happen, do you think? >> it happens, everyone watching this podcast, sorry, this broadcast, needs to be registered. you need to get your friends registered. you need to talk to people about the urgency of the threat to democracy ot united states. what it means that a president, not some far away place, but in this country, tried to overthrow an election, the constitution, to extend his term and there's no magic solution. there is only the will of the citizenry so register, to be active, to be committed, to be serious. to fight for your rights, your democracy. >> and david, just finally. just to push back a little bit on what you're saying. you said a couple of times trump tried to carry out a coup, tried to overthrow a democracy. doesn't that mean he meets the criteria in the 14th amendment? i know it could open up a constitutional pandora's box, but if he meets section three, why not have secretaries of state test this? >> okay. because it will go into the courts. in 1866, when people talked about rebellion and insurrection, there are dozens of presidential orders. there was no in between about it. there was lots of law. the confederacy was a rebellion and insurrection so you didn't have to go to court to say are they insurrectionists. they had been branded by such by multiple presidential orders. today, you'd have to do all of that from zero. so some would dgo to court. and who put the secretaries of state in charge? then the union army was au occupying the south and you had taken an oath to the united states, the army would stop you. we don't have that system today. we don't have a definition and means of execution and if we try to invent both on the fly, we're going to discover it doesn't stop with trump. the 14th amendment is not just about the presidency. it mentions senators, house representatives, state officials. this has gotten very wide ranged and people need to be aware of what they're unleashing. >> all right, i think we're going to have to continue this conversation. i'd like to get you on with somebody who thinks this could work and have you both talk about it but great piece in the atlantic. thanks for your time. good to see you. >> thank you. bye bye. still ahead, the mayor of key west joins us to remember jimmy buffett. how life and the keys influenced his music. how resident there plan to pay tribute to him. the mayor is going to fill us in on what they're going to do to remember him this weekend. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." the all-new tempur-pedic breeze makes sleep feel cool. so, no more sweating all night... ...or blasting the air conditioning. because the tempur-breeze feels up to 10° cooooler, all night long. for a limited d time, save up to $700 on select tempur-pedic adjustable mattress sets. detect this: living with hiv, i learned that i can stay undetectable with fewer medicines. that's why i switched to dovato. dovato is a complete hiv treatment for some adults. no other complete hiv pill uses fewer medicines to help keep you undetectable than dovato. detect this: most hiv pills contain 3 or 4 medicines. dovato is as effective with just 2. if you have hepatitis b, don't stop dovato without talking to your doctor. don't take dovato if you're allergic to its ingredients or taking dofetilide. this can cause serious or life-threatening side effects. if you have a rash or allergic reaction symptoms, stop dovato and get medical help right away. serious or life-threatening lactic acid buildup and liver problems can occur. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems or if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or considering pregnancy. dovato may harm an unborn baby. most common side effects are headache, nausea, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and anxiety. detect this: i stay undetectable with fewer medicines. ask your doctor about switching to dovato. our ears connect us to the moments that matter. give them the nutrients they need with lipo. it's formulated with ingredients clinically shown to protect your ears from dizziness, ear ringing, and even hearing loss. never miss a moment with lipo flavonoid. jimmy buffett passed away. he was 76 years old. his family says jimmy passed way way peacefully on the night of september 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs. he was best known for his breezy hits and barefoot performances. ♪ on my front porch swing smell of shrimp ♪ ♪ and the mayor of key west, florida, terry johnston, joins us now. mayor, great to see you. i guess your reaction to the death of jimmy buffett. it's so sad that he's passed away but i know how much he meant to so many people there in key west. what are your thoughts there this evening? >> well, it was a shock, jim. i heard about it this morning at the 5:00 news and my phone hasn't stopped ringing since then. jimmy buffett had a profound effect on key west and the florida keys. he projected our lifestyle to people from around the world. live and let live. a laid back atmosphere. sand and sun and flip-flops. we were very sad to hear about his passing. >> yeah. and you know, it's 5:00 somewhere and of course it's in the 5:00 hour right now on this program and i'm just wondering how are folks going to be remembering jimmy buffett? looks like you're going to have something taking place tomorrow. it's 5:00 in key west. in honor of jimmy buffett, sunday, september 53rd, at 5:00 p.m. just the way it should happen. >> exactly. that was organized by our local rum distributor, paul, who is putting together this procession in order to benefit our bahama village music program, which i think jimmy would be very happy. >> and what are some of the si sights and sounds around key west? i suppose you're running into people. hearing from folks remembering jimmy buffett. what's it like around town? because we know key west was so special, had such a special place in jimmy's heart and he kind of personified that key west lifestyle. key west spirit of hanging out in your flip-flops, cracking open a cold one and so on. >> everyone is deeply saddened by his passing, jim. i've talked to many people on the streets. gotten a lot of phone calls. right now from city hall, all you can hear is jimmy buffett music playing. he made a lot of friends in key west and the florida keys. he had a recording studio in our waterfront area for years and years. kind of an uneventful building where he recorded a lot of music. so it's, it's been a shock to the community. we are very, very grateful, however, that jimmy's been coming here since the '70s and has had such an impact on our island. >> yeah. and he was an incredible business man, too. he had those margaritaville hotels and restaurants and had a footprint there in key west as well. i mean, that is something you can't forget about when you talk about jimmy as well, right? >> no, exactly. he had an incredible business mind. in fact, as you talk about margaritaville, one of the things jimmy would do is hear on the coconut telegraph that he was somewhere in key west then all of a sudden, he would pop up in margaritaville and play a two to three-hour impromptu concert. he was an incredible gentleman. i also want to mention another side of jimmy that many people don't realize is he was an incredible environmentalist. he was very concerned about the manatees in the state of florida and also, the florida everglades and our ecosystem. i just thank him for using his voice in order to protect those types of things in the florida keys. >> yeah. it's so true. and that was the side of jimmy that a lot of people didn't know about. the other thing i have to mention and maybe you can speak to this as well. i had a chance to meet jimmy buffett in cuba back in 2016. we were talking to our padraig ottoman, our havana correspondent in the last hour and we were both reflecting on how personable and approachable he was. even though he was this icon. even though he had this huge business empire, he was just like a guy at the bar drinking his margarita. or just you know, just a great guy. >> yeah, and he engrained himself in the city of key west. he would be walking down the streets. people would have sightings of him and he would always stop and have a conversation. he was never too busy to say hello to the locals and to the visitors in key west. just an incredible human being who we will all miss. >> we're all going to misjs jimmy. 5:00 tomorrow. if you happen to be in key west, they're going to have this. it's 5:00 in key west second line procession in honor of jimmy buffett. as sad as we are to see him go, you know, his passing away on labor day weekend to some extent makes a little sense in that a lot of folks are at the beach and they're probably enjoying a cold one and thinking about jimmy buffett. mayor johnston, thanks so much for your time. >> thanks so much and please make sure you wear your flip-flops tonight, okay? >> i will. i've got them handy. as well as a cold drink. thanks so much. appreciate it. >> you're welcome. speaking of florida, florida is known for its gators but seeing one that weighs 900 pounds is still a shocker. look at that monster right there. the alligator hunter who caught it joins us live, next. you're in the "cnn newsroom." >> i had fear like i never felt before in all honesty. the pepeople who live and work there. because you call these commmmunities home, and we do too. pnc bank. [announcer] if you're thinking about earning your degree online, snhu can help you get there. - i felt supported throughout the whole process, even from the first call. [graduate] my advisorsconst anguided me along the way. - it wasike i was talking to a friend, like someone that i had known for years. - the instructors were very helpful with everything that i was going through. [announcer] we'll be with you from day one to graduation to your dream job. ♪ it all starts the moment you find your program. [announcer] go to snhu.edu to get started. from pep in their step to shine in their coats, when people switch their dog's food to the farmer's dog, the effects can seem like magic. but there's no magic involved. (dog bark) it's just smarter, healthier pet food. it's amazing what real food can do. right now get a free footlong at subway. like the subway series menu. buy one footlong in the app, get one free. for freeee. that's what i'm talking about. order in the subway app today. get help reaching your goals with j.p. morgan wealth plan, a digital money coach in the chase mobile® app. use it to set and track your goals, big and small... and see how changes you make today... could help put them within reach. from your first big move to retiring poolside - and the other goals along the way. wealth plan can help get you there. ♪ j.p. morgan wealth management. (vo) antarctica... you have to experience it to truly appreciate the beauty, the wildlife, the sheer majesty. experience it with state-of-the-art expedition equipment and hands-on scientific research activities, all in exceptional viking comfort. we invite you to discover the world's seventh continent: antarctica. viking. exploring the world in comfort. here's why you should switch fo to duckduckgo on all your devie duckduckgo comes with a built-n engine like google, but it's pi and doesn't spy on your searchs and duckduckgo lets you browse like chrome, but it blocks cooi and creepy ads that follow youa from google and other companie. and there's no catch. it's fre. we make money from ads, but they don't follow you aroud join the millions of people taking back their privacy by downloading duckduckgo on all your devices today. there it is. new video showing the moment a team of gator hunters in florida made what's being called the catch of a lifetime. the three-man crew wrestling a massive 13-foot, 900-pound monster out of a lake in orlando. they say it could be the second biggest gator. alligator hunting is promoted as a way to manage the population. kevin, great to see you. and i got to ask you. that thing is real, right? >> it seems surreal, but yes, it is real. >> did you know he was out there were was this a complete surprise? >> no, that's the crazy thing about it. it was a complete surprise. we knew the area had potential but i had only been in the area once in my life about 15 years prior. >> i don't mean any offense but the alligator looks like he's bigger than the boat. what was going through your head when you saw him and you realized this was no ordinary alligator? >> that we needed to bigger boat. so i guide for a living, gator hunts year around. and i use bigger boats. i have a 16 feet airboat. 25 foot bay boat. those are a typical platform for gator hunting but on this trip, i was with two friends of mine and we wanted it to be special so we went old school. i've seen a lot of gators. i've guided close to 1,000 gator hunts and when this guy popped up, i felt stuff i've never felt before. really in awe as well as a sense of fear knowing if we did something really crazy, we could be in trouble. >> what was the battle like? was it a battle? >> it was a battle. you know, i've been in fights that were kind of wilder. this one was kind of just four and a half hour fight. actually about a three and a half hour fight, four and a half hours by the time we got it in the boat. started off slow. we spotted the gator two hours prior, hooking it. ended up getting a hook into it finally. the gator just stood its ground. he didn't run. usually, they'll swim away. you've got to fight them. we got three rods into it. especially four and five lines with ropes and hand lines and the gator never really took off. i think a gator this size is used to standing his ground. probably 60 to 90 years old and he's used to eating whatever messes with him. got no reason to run. ultimately about an hour into the fight, he swam under a bunch of trees and that's where we were for about two and a half more hours before he finally gave us the opportunity to get more lines in him that weren't caught in the tree limbs. we had four lines tangled up under trees and he came up three times during that fight which you have the footage of and he breathed and tbreaths of air net to the boat and it was intense. >> just an incredible specimen. i'm just wondering, how do you explain this to folks outside of florida watching this saying wait a minute, why not just leave him where he's at? how do people in florida control the gator population by doing what you do? >> it's a great question and the one i try to answer best it's the one that means the most to me. we're not out there to just kill animals. that's against everything in my soul as a true hunter. i'm a conservationist first. the state of florida has to manage population because without it, we have increased population with humans. you know what can happen if that happens so we try to take gators out of areas that are populated by humans or there may be that interaction. so the state gives out a certain number tags for every body of water. whether it's a lake or a river and they do that based on a certain, say there's x number of gators in the area. we want you to pull out this many in check. so they'll allocate a certain number of tags so that the population stays kind of somewhat under control. >> all right. captain kevin, what a fight. i mean, just incredible that you were able to catch an alligator of this size. i feel like maybe you do meet the definition of florida man, but in a good way. >> i'll take that as a compliment. it's an honor. it's humbling and we had you know all hands on deck. god was with us. kept us safe and he's going to be full body mounted on my wall for the rest of our lives. he'll be a true trophy that people can come check out and be inspired by. >> very good. thanks very much for your time. good talking to you. >> no problem. thank you. in the meantime, two big stories we're following. new polling in the 2024 race for the republican nomination, showing just how much a hold former president trump has on the republican party despite all of his legal problems. and the death of an american statesman. we remember the life of bill richardson. stay with us. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." how long have you been trarackig the value of our car? should we sell it? we hold... our low mileage is paying off. you think we should... hold... hoooold!!! hooold! now!!!! i'm on it. i' on it. already sold to carvana. go to carvanand track your car's value today. you love rich, delicious ice cream. but your stomach doesn't. that disagreement ends right now. lactaid ice cream is the creamy, real ice cream you love that will never mess with your stomach. lactaid ice cream. that's some bad luck brian. and i think i'm late on my car insurance. good thing the general gives you a break when you need it. yeah, with flexible payment options to keep you covered. so today is your lucky...day [crash] so today is your lucky...day for a great low rate, go with the general. purple mattresses exclusive gel flex grid draws away heat relieves pressure and instantly adapts. sleep better. live purple. right now save up to $900 off mattress sets during purple's labor day sale. visit purple.com or a store near you. my a1c was up here; now, it's down with rybelsus®. his a1c? it's down with rybelsus®. my doctor told me rybelsus® lowered a1c better than a leading branded pill and that people taking rybelsus® lost more weight. i got to my a1c goal and lost some weight too. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. need to get your a1c down? you may pay as little as $10 per prescription. my cpa told me i wouldn't qualify for the erc tax refund, so i called innovation refunds. their team of independent tax attorneys will work with your cpa to determine if your company is eligible. [whip sound] take the first step to see if your small business qualifies. when migraine strikes. are the tradeoffs of treating worth it? ubrelvy is another option. it quickly stops migraine in its tracks. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. allergic reactions to ubrelvy can happen. most common side effects were nausea and sleepiness. ask about ubrelvy. that's why comcast business de is launching theal. mobile made free event. with our business internet, new and existing customers can get one year of unlimited mobile for free. it's our best internet. powered by the next generation 10g network and with 99.9% reliability. plus one line of free mobile for an entire year. it's the mobile made free event-happening now. get started for just $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get one free line of unlimited mobile. comcast business, powering possibilities.