is expected to climb even higher as night continues to grind on there in morocco. sam kiley joins us from morocco. i think perhaps you saw the ceiling above you giving way just a touch. how are things where you're at? >> reporter: well, jim, you put your finger on what everybody here is most afraid of here in the medina in the old city of marrakech. an environment that certainly not in living memory and for many people, not even in the history books has any recollection of being worried about an earthquake. here you have the direct results of it. it is the collapse of a roof, that blank space there is the night sky above it. you have a roof, a floor, two ceilings, all collapsed down on to the ground here where i'm standing. if you look at these buildings, we're in these very narrow streets, these very, very narrow streets. all of these buildings have enormous cracks down the side. the concern obviously is, if any of these cracks give way as a result of future tremors, then the death toll here in marrakech, which is at least 13, possibly higher, is certain to go up. elsewhere in the country, the scenes have been absolutely catastrophic, jim, with large numbers of villages particularly in the foot hills of the atlas mountains been totally destroyed. we've seen aerial pictures of entire villages being reduced to entire rubble. some of the outlying villages there have been burial ceremonies in the muslim tradition, getting people interred within 24 hours, almost before it's been possible to get relief to some of these villages. the communications systems, the roads such as they were have been cut or closed. entire villages have been hit by mass land slides or. they have slid down the sides of mountains. many of these only accessible by air. the king has announced three days of national mourning. the army and other services have been involved in getting the aircraft out to assess the scale of devastation in this country. and of course, the aftershocks are continuing, or have continued within the last 24 hours to shake the area, particularly in the atlas mountains. mercifully, only very slight aftershocks have been felt here in marrakech. if one were to strike, it is pretty clear this entire building could fold in on itself into the street. it is for that reason that a huge number of at least 30%, we are told, by a lot of hoteliers here, people in riyadh, the beautiful mini palaces here, they've all been evacuated. all the restaurants closed. many large numbers of ordinary mor moroccans sleeping outside. it will takele, many months if not years to bring back repair so they no longer pose a danger for the people who own and want to live in them. >> and you addressed in part the question that i was about to ask. we were looking at this video earlier on where it looks like you have scores of people living in the streets right now. and i'm just wondering, what is it that will be done for those folks? i imagine that is where international relief efforts are going to be sorely needed in the coming days. it sounds as though, we're looking at some of the images right now. those folks just sleeping on the streets. it sounds as though these people will be without housing for a very long period of time. >> reporter: it's not yet clear to the authorities, the scale, particularly in a city like marrakech of the people who will be permanently or semipermanently homeless. many people as a precaution are staying out of buildings, sleeping in the open. that might be the safest thing to do. the weather is not so bad so that's conceivable for a night or two. the authorities need to be able to supply water, get the water supplies going, and above all, make sure that these homes can be lived in. many, many millions of dollars have been spent over the last decades restoring this ancient city. that now has to start all over again. >> all right. sam kiley, they have a lot of work ahead of them there in morocco. we appreciate all the reporting you've done. and the last hour, i spoke with carmen moreno, a humanitarian worker vacationing there in morocco when the earthquake hit. here's with a she told me. >> i heard people screaming and the lights were all off inside the infrastructure of the airport and the building. and then very quickly, i saw again the images i experienced earlier this year. and i realized it was an earthquake. i didn't think it was this hard. this high magnitude. >> and learn how you can help victims. morocco earthquake at cnn.com/impact or you can text morocco to 707070. the people there desperately need your help. in the meantime, tonight all eyes are on iowa where several republican presidential hopefuls are campaigning. one of the biggest football showdowns is happening at the same time. of course you're seeing former president trump crossing paths with his gop rivals including governor ron desantis. a lot of fastbootball, a lot of this. >> reporter: the game is just ending. you can see the fans here, 60,000 of them coming out of stadium right now. yes, this is sport. it is what the entire state of iowa is focusing on. for the candidates running for president in this first of the nation caucus state, it is for them a political opportunity. as far as the response of what this crowd has been capable of and what we've heard throughout the day. i want you to take a quick listen as the former president, former president trump, exited the game. [ chanting ] >> reporter: you can their chanting. you can see the crowd. this is certainly an image that the trump campaign wants voters here in iowa to see. ahead of this moment. both trump and desantis, ron desantis, his nearest competitor were sitting inside the stadium. desantis sitting there. donald trump was next to, was sitting in a box. ahead of all of that, before they were inside the stadium, they were tailgating. donald trump stopped at a fraternity where there was a tailgating party. he flipped burgers and tossed the footballs into the crowd. desantis also tailgating but he made it a campaign opportunity by talking about the number of visits he's had in iowa. a total of eight. he also says he has been to more than half of iowa's 99 counties. take a listen. >> a lot of people are saying, because you're showing up, i'm supporting you. that's the way to do it. iowans don't want the campaign to be about the past or the candidates' issues. they want it to be about their future and the future of this country and that's what i represent. >> reporter: so while people here are certainly excited about the sports and the spectacle of it all, the politics of it all, what they tell us is that it is really the game that was really the focus for them today. >> absolutely. and when you're around the former president and around the crowds, are people bringing up all these indictments that he's dealing with? what are they saying? >> reporter: no. you know, it doesn't matter what forum we seem to be in. it is, they are really listening to what president trump says. they believe what he has said. they believe all of his side but they don't talk about necessarily the details, the finer details of these indictments. whether you're at the trump rally or an event like this. >> all right. kyung lah on the campaign trail for us. let's discuss further with ron brownstein. ron, let me start with you. can i just ask you a little bit to react to what kyung lah was saying a few moments ago. here we are, four indictments, trump is in iowa, people are channelling usa. she's not hearing a lot of talk about the indictments and so on. does this go to what john edwards used to talk about two americans, we're in two universes, two worlds. what is going on? >> in the republican electorate within the confines of the primary, donald trump has succeeded in convincing the vast majority of republican voters to see the indictments the way he wants them to see it, an attack on them through him. the deep state, liberal elites, they are trying to marginalize and silence you and they are doing it by going after me. that's an extension of his core message from the time he came down the escalator in 2015. there are all these forces in society that are trying to marginalize you. white conservative christian, and i am your champion, and he says i am your retribution. that has proven a powerful argument within the republican context. you know, there are yellow and even red lights out there in terms of how the broader electorate is responding to that. not necessarily a silver bullet that eliminates all other problems that joe biden faces by any means. those are real and i think becoming more visible as the months go on. but the outside of the republican electorate, there are signs that voters are in fact more concerned about this than the people you saw chanting as he left the stadium today. >> what about this conventional bus wisdom that the indictments have not, people could say, there is exhibit a. could this change once we see this play out in a courtroom? we've seen sketches of donald trump. we've seen a mug shot. we haven't seen the evidence laid out in court. we haven't seen prosecutors make the case against donald trump. might public attitudes and even inside the republican party change somewhat once they have a chance to hear this evidence? >> i agree with ron. yes, i do think that ultimately, when we see potentially ours, days on end, not just if trump's case in georgia actually stays in a georgia courthouse and doesn't move to federal and he's on television in front of everyone. but also, when we see the cases of his other co-defendants. evidence will start coming out as soon as those cases begin. as soon as the trials begin. and i do think that it will have an impact on him among the general electorate. i've talked to independent voters in states like arizona and republicans who don't support someone like trump in states like arizona, but had thought about potentially going back to the party this time around. and those indictments, his entire message around january 6th and around the election being rigged and continuing to be rigged, it does not welcome them back into the party. so it makes it very difficult to see how trump or even a ron desantis could add voters to the party if they continue to subscribe to this message of elections are rigged, as well as that the justice department is weaponized, and the justice department is going after republicans because they don't agree with them. >> ron, last night in south dakota, trump was saying to his supporters, we'll have to fight like hell. he's using language very similar to what he said on january 6th that got him into hot water. and when we go to trial here down in fulton county, if he's sitting in a courtroom and wants to take the witness stand and so on, what does that do to the conventional wisdom that these indictments aren't hurting him and that sort of thing? >> well, like i said, i think there is evidence that the indictments are hurting him in the universe of voters outside the republican electorate. it does not, however, that cost to trump does not eliminate the significant hesitation we are seeing in polling about providing joe biden another term. so to some extent, trump's weakness is masked by biden's weakness and vice versa, and they are even in the polls. for the republicans running against them, the time frame is what matters here. donald trump has as big a lead in the national polling as any primary candidate has ever had. it is hard to see a scenario where they could, any of the other candidates could truly challenge him unless they can break through, probably in iowa, maybe iowa or new hampshire. most likely iowa itself and change the narrative among republican voters that he's a virtually inevitable nominee. it is to me unlikely that the indictments will do that work for them. they are going to have to find a way to make a stronger case against trump than they would be willing to make. if they keep on the path that they are, i think even televised courtroom events will not shake his hold on the republican nomination. >> and this week, shifting gears a little bit, senator marco rubio warned that the house republican push for impeachment of the president could be dangerous. let's listen. >> it's turned into a political weapon. once you do that, you can expect the other side will do the same. before you know that, we're peru and impeaching every president. so these are extraordinary measures and deeply damages the country. >> what are the chances that the house republican conference listens to marco rubio there? >> they're probably not going to listen to senator rubio or any of the other senators that are saying that the republican senators, which there are a number of them saying they don't support this. because they have said this week before the house comes back, a number of republican senators have said, where's the evidence? and even some house republicans have admitted they don't have the evidence tying president biden to his son's business dealings and any wrongdoings there. right now it appears that speaker kevin mccarthy is going to head toward an impeachment inquiry vote. potentially because he has no choice, but also to try to get out of it. to show the rest of his conference, we may not have the votes to even start an inquiry, which i think is potentially the speaker's way of saying that we can't go down this path. >> ron, could an impeachment process going after joe biden help joe biden? >> i think it will hurt republicans. i'm not sure it will necessarily help joe biden. biden's issues are the persistence of discontent over inflation, and that three quarters of voters who are now consistently saying, including in the cnn poll that he's too old to carry out the duties of the presidency in a second term. for house republicans, sure. this is a problem. the best argument, in 2022, we were in an environment where that the majority of voters disapproved of biden's performance. three quarters or more described the economy in negative terms. those are usually the conditions for the rout. it was a lot less than that. many voters are unhappy with the way innings ever it is fg are considering the republican alternative too extreme. if they go down the route to impeachment without any support, not only for the 18 districts that biden carried but the next circle in districts that voted for trump by only narrow margins. not necessarily solving biden's problems but i think compounding their own problems. >> is this why republican strategists are privately tearing their hair out? as ron was saying, the president is in a vulnerable position. if they put trump up as the nominee, they have almost, i mean, they have a difficult time of exploiting that. >> i was talking to one republican strategist recently who said to me, if trump is convicted of even one of those crimes, they can kiss the house goodbye, which they probably maybe already will kiss it goodbye given the dynamic heading into 2024, but also their chances of the senate get worse of winning back the senate for republicans, and they certainly don'ted they would win the presidency if trump is convicted. >> right. we focus. so on the race for the white house, we don't talk about -- and this happens with donald trump almost every mid-term or congressional cycle. he weighs down the party. >> very quick, very quick, 75% of defendants say in polling donald trump should not be president again if he is convicted of a claim. so there's more out there that is now apparent in the way this is playing out. >> yeah. not good. thank you so much. really appreciate it as always. still ahead, east coast closely watching hurricane lee. an update on where the storm is headed. and a big night for american tennis star coco gauff. how she rallied to win her first career grand slam title. live at the u.s. open, you are and live in the cnn newsroom. okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition. together we provide nutrients to support immune, muscle, bone, and heart health. yaaay! woo hoo! ensure with 25 vitamins and minerals and ensure complete with 30 grams of protein. ♪ ♪ ("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 ♪ what if your entire day glided like dove men? it's made with a plant-based moisturizer and glides on without irritation. so you can glide through your entire day with confidence. ♪ feel the dove men glide. your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel- nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients- it really works. diabetes can serve up a lot of questions, like, "what is your glucose?" and "can you have more carbs?" before you decide... with the freestyle libre 2 system know your glucose level and where it's headed. no fingersticks needed. manage your diabetes with more confidence. and lower your a1c. the number one doctor prescribed cgm. freestyle libre 2. try it for free at freestylelibre.us (fisher investments) it's easy to think that all money managers are pretty much the same, but at fisher investments we're clearly different. (other money manager) different how? you sell high commission investment products, right? (fisher investments) nope. fisher avoids them. (other money manager) well, you must earn commissions on trades. (fisher investments) never at fisher investments. (other money manager) ok, then you probably sneak in some hidden and layered fees. (fisher investments) no. we structure our fees so we do better when clients do better. that might be why most of our clients come from other money managers. at fisher investments, we're clearly different. [it's the final game, folks. this one wins the series.] struck out with the cheap seats? important things aren't worth compromising. at farmers, we offer both quality insurance and great savings. (crowd cheers) here, take mine. (farmers mnemonic) we are keeping a close eye on hurricane lee. it is a dangerous category 3 storm but is there a threat to the u.s. or elsewhere? let's bring back jennifer gray with the latest. what do you think? >> we're still days away from really knowing at all what kind of impact this may have on the u.s. it is a major hurricane. we have winds at 115 miles an hour. gusts at 140. good news for the caribbean. it looks like they'll be spared by the storm. we will see some swells, some rip currents, things of that nature. this will be a monster category 4 potentially by monday, and slowing down considerably, so that's good news, too. it won't be over any land mass. this will take a sharp turn to the north. that won't happen until wednesday or so. and then determining when that happens is really going to give us a better picture of where it is going to go from here. once it takes that turn, it will really shoot north pretty much. if that happens sooner, it will stay much farther away from the u.s. west coast than if it were to travel to the west a little farther and then shoot to the north. right now, none of the models have it making landfall with the u.s. by wednesday, we'll see what the picture holds. we can see some rim currents, high seas across the eastern coast of the u.s. so lee is basically splitting this high and this low. there are several potential paths that it could go. where the computer models we were showing earlier are what we have right now. >> all right. thanks for staying on top of that. w