[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer and it's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. Terror near Times Square. A man detonating a bomb strapped to his body inside of New York's busiest transportation hubs. New information just in about who the suspect is and why he attacked. Plus, election eve in one of the most controversial Senate races in America. And now, former President Obama telling voters in Alabama to reject Roy Moore. And as several of President Trump's accusers speak out again, one high-profile member of the administration breaking from the White House line about their credibility. Lots going on but let's begin with the breaking news, the explosion near Times Square in New York City. As for a motive, the source said the suspect told investigators that recent Israeli actions in Gaza are the reason he carried out this morning's attack. Mayor Bill De Blasio was blunt in calling it terrorism.
[Bill De Blasio , Mayor, New York:] This was an attempted terrorist attack. Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals. Thank God our first responders were there so quickly to address the situation and to make sure people were safe.
[Blitzer:] The explosion happened during the morning rush hour at one of the busiest transit hubs in New York, the Port Authority bus terminal. The explosion was caught on surveillance tape. Commuters are seen walking through a hallway when a burst of smoke erupts. Authorities say a man detonated a homemade device that strapped to his body. The suspect was injured, is now in police custody. Three other people suffered minor injuries. Let's go to our National Correspondent Jason Carroll. He's on the scene in New York with the very latest. Jason, what have we learned about the attacker and the possible motive?
[Jason Carroll, Cnn National Correspondent:] Well, here's the headline, Wolf. The attacker, identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah from Brooklyn, New York. Apparently, he is talking to investigators and so far has yielded some information about the motive behind the attack. Apparently, he had investigators that he was very upset about the Israeli attacks going on in Gaza. That, of course, to the president recognizing Israel as the capital and the unrest there. Apparently, the suspect very upset about that. Came down here to Port Authority with that with that low-tech device. That's how it was described by investigators. That low-tech device attached to himself, detonated below. Again, a 27-year-old suspect from Brooklyn. As best as we can tell, apparently, in 2015 up until 2015, he had a license to drive a car service here in the city. And, apparently, he also told investigators, Wolf, that he made this device at work. That's what he said. So, apparently, the suspect, he was in serious condition. The headline here, is speaking to investigators and is yielding, at least so far, some information about his motive Wolf.
[Blitzer:] That device that was used, police, as you point out, Jason, they say was low tech. What more do we know about it?
[Carroll:] Right. And that's the way investigators are describing it, Wolf, low tech. It was some sort of a pipe bomb that was strapped to his body. He used Velcro. He also used zip ties to detonate the device. The device detonated right below just about from where I'm standing at 42nd and eighth, below ground in a walkway between where I'm standing and a walkway that leads to Times Square. One MTA worker who was downstairs working in her booth when it all happened with the when the device detanated, she basically said she heard a loud noise and immediately started running and left everything behind so she could get away. You could imagine with thousands upon thousands of people who take and use the subway system every day, what it was like under that brief moment of panic as people heard the explosion and to try to get out of harm's way. Obviously, investigators are saying this is something that could have been worse. You heard them describe it as an attempted terrorist attack and possibly the reason for that is because, according to investigators, the device prematurely exploded or partially detonated. So, perhaps, that's why they're calling it an attempted terrorist attack Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Jason Carroll in New York on the scene for us. Thank you very much. The New York governor, Andrew Cuomo, says New Yorkers will move forward together, but the city remains a target for terrorists. Governor Cuomo is joining us now live. Governor, thanks so much for joining us.
[Gov. Andrew Cuomo , New York:] Thanks for having me, Wolf. Good to be with you.
[Blitzer:] All right, let's talk a little bit about the investigation. I know you're well briefed. What more, first of all, can you tell us about the suspect, his background, any ties to terror groups, information along those lines?
[Cuomo:] Well, the our information this far and again it's premature, as you've mentioned several times because the investigation is ongoing. But it was a person who was living in New York for several years, driving a car service, a cab. Was disgruntled. Apparently, went to the Internet and downloaded information as to how to make a homemade bomb. Detonated it in an area that could have done extensive damage. The Port Authority is there. It's 42nd Street. It's a main passage between Seventh and Eight Avenue. Fortunately for us, the bomb partially detonated. It was not a sophisticated device. It was a homemade device. He did detonate it but it did not fully have the effect that he was hoping for. The explosive chemical did ignite. It was in a pipe, but the pipe itself did not explode. So, he wound up hurting himself, several others in the vicinity, not serious. More from the noise, a concussion of the explosion. There was no structural damage within the tunnel itself. And the MTA personnel and the Port Authority police were right there. They were on site. And this is, from my point of view this is one of the my worst nightmares, right, is a terrorist attack in a subway system, a place of high density, by a person who is not really part of a sophisticated network. These lone wolfs that we're seeing more and more of. We saw it a couple of months ago in October on the west side of Manhattan where a person drove a truck on the west side and ran over people. It's basically the same M.O. They're not people who come from overseas. They live here. They're disgruntled. They go to the Internet. They find out how to download a device that can hurt and maim. And they implement it themselves on a low-tech basis. But it's very troubling, Wolf. If these were more sophisticated devices, it could have been much more damaging. New York is a target. New York is a place of high density. So, it is one of the ongoing challenges that we face.
[Blitzer:] Do you know if he had any direct links to any terror groups, whether ISIS or any other terror groups or was simply inspired by these various terror groups?
[Cuomo:] Yes, this far the investigation is ongoing. But I would use your word which is inspired. I would say influenced. I don't like the connotation of the word, inspired. But influenced by these groups. Angry for whatever reason, situation of life, the international situation, whatever it is. And it's just all too easy now to go to the Internet and download a quick tutorial on how to help people. One of the questions the Internet companies are going to have to deal, Wolf. That's a sensitive question but a question that I would pose to them is, these Internet service provider companies, they have what they call machine learning tools, right? When you're on the Web, they know where you're going because they then target the advertising to you and to your tastes. What do they do when they know a person is going to a Web site that says, this is how you make a bomb? This is how you hurt people in a terrorist attack. And we all like to feel free and anonymous on the Web. I don't know that we actually are. But it's a question that we're going to have to deal with as a society going forward. Because these last two instances from New York, both of them went on the Web, downloaded information. They must have been looking at a number of these types of Web sites. And that's where they're getting their information. You know, that's where it's spreading from. I'll tell you quickly. I met Shimon Perez, one of the great human beings on the planet that. I met him when I was in my 20s. And we were in Israel and he said, Israel now has these frequency of terrorist attacks because of our proximity. One day, the terrorists will figure out how to cross. And then, America will have the same attacks because the enemy is democracy. The Internet, Wolf, is the bridge across the ocean. And I think that's what we're seeing more and more.
[Blitzer:] And very quickly, Governor, that we've been reporting that he may have been angered by Israel's attacks against Palestinian targets in Gaza. There were earlier reports that he was saying something as the incident was going down involving support for ISIS. So, what, if anything, can you share with our viewers on that?
[Cuomo:] You know, there have been a number of reports on why he was angry, Wolf. I don't put a lot of stock in any of them yet. The investigation's ongoing. But I also don't think it matters. I mean, he was angry. He could have been angry because of the economy, because of his job, because of our political positions. You're going to have angry people. You're going to have angry people in New York. There's no doubt about it. We have to start to look at their access to this kind of information that takes a cabdriver who's angry and allows them to download a tutorial on how to build a bomb. Now, it was a low-tech unsophisticated device. But God forbid it was more so sophisticated. You could do significant damage in a very short period of time. Without a network, without anyone coming into this country. That's going to be the ongoing challenge for New York and for cities and states all across this country.
[Blitzer:] And you're absolutely right, there are lots of Web sites out there, including Al Qaeda and the Arabian Peninsula. They used to have an article, "How to Build a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom." That was very, very, unfortunately, well known. Governor Andrew Cuomo, thanks so much for joining us.
[Cuomo:] Thanks for having me, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Let's get some more perspective now from CNN Counterterrorism Analyst Phil Mudd who's with me here in the studio. So, what are the main things investigators, Phil, are now looking for?
[Philip Mudd, Cnn Counterterrosim Analyst:] You can't, especially in these hours after the event, assume that he acted alone. The first reaction, looking at that this from the outside, and especially given the lack of sophistication of the device, is that he probably did, but probably isn't good enough. So, you're going to talk to him. You're also going to look at interviews with things like friends, family, people who might have lived in the same building complex, look at his social media access. It's going to take a while to figure out whether he acted alone. The second question is whether there is something to learn from this. The governor was just talking about online activity among people who are radicalized. Is there something to learn about how he was radicalized online, for example, if he was, and whether we can prevent that kind of stuff.
[Blitzer:] Does it look like it was very not sophisticated, clearly. Does it look like he deliberately pulled the trigger when he did or it went off accidentally? It could have been a whole lot worse.
[Mudd:] It could have been a whole lot worse. It looks like he tried to detonate a device. The initial comments we've heard from New York, as you were talking about earlier, suggest that he might have talked to investigators and said that one of the triggers was the President Trump's announcement on moving the embassy to Jerusalem. If he did so, we might have a clue about why the device was so unsophisticated. Was he sitting there for months, deciding that he was angry and he wanted to act? Or did he have a trigger last week and said, let me build whatever bomb I can, a really unsophisticated device, and go down into the bus station. That's what we saw today.
[Blitzer:] And so, he's alive, the suspect.
[Mudd:] Yes.
[Blitzer:] He'll be questioned, I assume, at great length.
[Mudd:] He will be but let's be careful here. You hear a lot of comments in these cases about investigators saying, this is what the individual said. I was inspired by ISIS. I was inspired by Al Qaeda. A couple questions there. Number one, is what's the emotional state of the person when they're going into that negotiation? And, number two, what's the backdrop around that statement? Do we see any indication of that in statements to his family? Do we see any indication of that in his online activity? So, there'll be comments about what he says to investigators. But I'd say hold off and let's see what the whole picture is.
[Blitzer:] I assume they're looking at his entire background, his social media presence.
[Mudd:] Yes.
[Blitzer:] 27-year-old of Bangladeshi decent, living in Brooklyn. He used to drive a cab. Apparently, he was doing something else. He built this very unsophisticated bomb where he works. They're going to learn, over the next 24-48 hours, a whole lot more.
[Mudd:] Oh, they already have. Think about the kinds of things you can pick up in the initial hours. You just mentioned he worked for a tax company. Those are interviews going on now. You ought to have an address now. Those are interviews at his apartment, his house going on now. You know who his family is. If you have a name, you might have an indication of what his cell phone number and what his e-mail address is. This information should be flowing in already. So, the data explosion that you get after the initial identification of the suspect is not happening today or tomorrow. It's already happening now in the moment.
[Blitzer:] And they'll be looking, of course, to see how he's lived in the United States.
[Mudd:] Yes.
[Blitzer:] When he came to United States. What his status was. And all of that.
[Mudd:] That's right.
[Blitzer:] I'm sure they're going to be learning a lot more over the
[Mudd:] Right.
[Blitzer:] next hours. Phil Mudd, thanks very, very much. Another major story we're following here today, Alabama's very high stakes' Senate election which takes place tomorrow. Both candidates are making one last final push for votes, pulling out all the stops with major political support. Former President Obama adding his voice to boost Democrat Doug Jones, recording a robo call urging voters to reject Republican Roy Moore. Moore is facing multiple accusations from women who say he sexually assaulted or pursued relationship from them when they were teenagers and he was already in his 30s. Moore has denied all the allegations. He has the full support of President Trump, who also recorded a robo call claiming progress will be stopped cold if people vote for Jones. And the president's former White House chief strategist, Steve Bannon, by the way, he'll be campaigning later this evening in Midland City, Alabama, together with Moore. Let's go to CNN's Kaitlan Collins. She's in nearby Dothan for us. Kaitlan, what more can you tell us about former President Obama now directly getting involved in supporting Doug Jones?
[Kaitlan Collins, Cnn White House Reporter:] Well, Wolf, we've seen this very aggressive effort on behalf of Democrats to try and counter President Trump's endorsement of Roy Moore in this race because not only did several Democratic lawmakers travel to the state this weekend to campaign on behalf of his opponent, Doug Jones, in the race, we've just received an e-mail from former Vice President Joe Biden sending out a fundraising e-mail, touting Doug Jones's leadership abilities. And then we also know that two Democratic officials have told my colleague, Jeff Zeleny, that former President Barack Obama has recorded a robo call on Doug Jones' behalf. Now, this comes at a time that President Trump has recorded a robo call on Roy Moore's behalf. So we've got these two dueling robo calls going out in the state today, 24 hours before voters go to the polls tomorrow. And in his call, we're told that President Obama says what a fighter Doug Jones is, that he's a fighter for progress and for equality and that he'll be there for voters when they come out to vote, telling them that this is too serious of an election for them to stay at home and not vote. Now, we're also told that the targeted audience for this call is going to be African-American voters. Because if Doug Jones wants to stand a chance in that election tomorrow, that's a demographic where he's really going to need to secure their support because it's quite unusual that a Democrat is even we're talking about this as a reasonable possibility that he will win that he could win this election in a deeply conservative state like Alabama that hasn't sent a Democrat to the Senate in almost 20 years. But this is a very unusual election anyways, Wolf, because on the other side of the aisle we've got Republican Senator Richard Shelby, the senior senator from the state of Alabama, telling Jake Tapper yesterday that he could not vote for his party's nominee in this race.
[Sen. Richard Shelby , Alabama:] Well, I'd rather see the Republican win, but I hope that Republican would be a write-in. I couldn't vote for Roy Moore. I didn't vote for Roy Moore.
[Collins:] Now, the Jones campaign has seized on those comments, also sending them out in a robo call to voter today and in digital ads. And this all comes as Roy Moore has been highlighted that he hasn't done any public events since last Tuesday, which is incredibly unusual in a high stakes election, a very close election, like this one. But you're right, we will see him at a rally tonight with the former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon in Dothan, Alabama. Wolf.
[Blitzer:] Kaitlan Collins on the scene for us in Alabama for us. Thank you so much, Kaitlan. As three of the president's accusers now unite and call for a congressional investigation, a growing list of Democratic senators going further, calling on the president to resign. Plus, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations breaking from the White House line on the accusations against President Trump. You're going to hear what Nikki Haley says about his accusers. And, just in, the president's former campaign chairman appearing in court over his indictment and house arrest. The judge's very stern warning to Paul Manafort. We have new information. Stay with us.