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Trump Embraces the Weave as Harris Defends Scripted Style; Sources Say, Israel's Plan to Respond to Iran's Attack is Ready; Police Video Shows Officers Repeatedly Punching, Tasing Disabled Man. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired October 16, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Happening now, a tale of two campaigns, Kamala Harris, about to hold a major event with more than 100 Republicans in what she calls a push for patriotism, as Donald Trump now clarifies who he means by, quote, the enemy from within.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning, Israel's retaliation plan against Iran, we're told, is now ready. Fear of an all-out war grows.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And new this morning, police seen punching and tasing a deaf man with cerebral palsy, then charging him with two felonies. Well, now there's an investigation into that violent arrest underway.

I'm Kate Bolduan with Sara Sidner and John Berman. This is CNN News Central.

BERMAN: Happening now, an erratic endgame. That is from The Washington Post this morning describing a 12-hour string of events that saw Donald Trump dodge questions on contacts with Vladimir Putin, say that January 6th was about love and peace, it was not, declare himself the quote, father of IVF, he is not, and made clear that when he is talking about the enemy from within, remember, he said he would use the military against the enemy from within, when he's talking about the enemy from within, he absolutely means his elected political rivals. This despite the fact that his Republican allies have come on this show and others and said, oh no, that's not what he means. He says it is.

And we are just getting word this morning that the Harris campaign is making new plans to focus on all this.

Let's get right to CNN's Alayna Treene with the latest from the Trump campaign. Good morning, Alayna.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Good morning, John. So, yes, all of a lot of these comments came last night when Donald Trump did a Fox News town hall. It was before an all-female audience. Of course, this comes as Donald Trump and his advisers are really trying to court women voters, particularly as we see the widening gender gap, and many female and women voters saying that they support Vice President Kamala Harris.

Now, when I talked to Donald Trump's senior advisers, they tell me that they recognize a lot of women are turned off by Trump, the man himself, by his rhetoric. However, they do think that they could make inroads with women when it comes to the issues.

However, Donald Trump last night painted a very dark picture of the country. And he also used rhetoric that I think, you know, is not in line with that strategy. I want to point out one striking moment because it does get to that comment over the weekend when he said, the greatest threat to the United States is not our foreign adversaries but the enemy from within.

As you mentioned, John, a lot of people over the weekend have tried -- or in recent days, have really tried to defend Donald Trump's comments, argue that maybe he was talking about rioters, talking about protesters, wanting to send the military, which is something Donald Trump said, to deal with this problem. Trump, though, made very clear that he was talking about his political opponents.

I want to read for you just some of that quote because he said, it's quote, it is the enemy from within and they're very dangerous. We have China, we have Russia. We have all these countries. If you have a smart president, they can all be handled. The more difficult are, you know, the Pelosis, these people, they're so sick and they're so evil. So, of course, he's making very clear. He mentioned the Pelosis as a direct example. He's making clear he's not just talking about rioters and protesters, but his political opponents.

Another very striking moment from yesterday was when Donald Trump was at the Chicago Economic Club. He was being interviewed by Bloomberg News, and he refused once again to commit to a peaceful transfer of power after this election. He also really downplayed what happened on January 6th, 2021. I want you to take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: People were angry. People were there. And I'll tell you what, they never show that. The primary scene in Washington was hundreds of thousands, the largest group of people I've ever spoken before and I've spoken with, and it was love and peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:05:06]

TREENE: So, as you could hear there, John falsely claiming once again that there was a peaceful transfer of power back in 2021. But all of this comes as we've really seen Donald Trump ramping up this dark language in the final stretch before November 5th.

BERMAN: There also weren't hundreds of thousands of people there. That's also a lie.

Alayna, new fundraising numbers came out overnight showing some really rich people putting a big ton of money behind Donald Trump.

TREENE: No, that's exactly right. I mean, he is getting a last- minute, in the 11th hour major cash infusion from his billionaire backers. I want to walk through some of the numbers that we've seen. So, Elon Musk, of course, one of his most high-profile surrogates right now, he gave $75 million to the super PAC that he had launched over the summer. We know Miriam Adelson, another huge Trump supporter and donor, she gave $95 million. Of course, you know, another massive number. And then we know that David Uihlein, he's a Midwestern shipping magnate, he gave $49 million to a pro-Trump super PAC as well, known as the restoration pack.

So, this is a ton of money. And, of course, this is something that the Trump campaign is obviously welcoming. They have been worried about trying to catch up with Democrats, really good fundraising numbers in this final stretch. But it's very clear he is going to have the money to do what he needs to do in these final 20 days. John?

BERMAN: Alayna Treene, thank you very much for that report, pocket change for some of these people. Sara?

SIDNER: A big day today for Kamala Harris in battleground Pennsylvania. New this morning, CNN has learned Harris will be joined by more than 100 Republicans backing her candidacy in a bipartisan effort to call for putting country over party, as the Democratic nominee speaks at a campaign event in Bucks County, where she will dial in on her message on uniting the country and upholding the Constitution, while at the same time, reminding voters of Donald Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.

CNN's Eva McKend is with us now. Talk us through this strategy.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, we'll continue to see Harris lean into this patriotic message in an appeal to Republican voters. The vice president plans to bash Trump for previously calling for the termination of the Constitution. She'll also warn of the threat a second Trump term poses in her view and slam her rival for his comment the U.S. military should handle the enemy from within.

And at this point, you know, we have a good sense of what this campaign argument sounds like. She aimed to draw a contrast with the former president in a conversation with Charlamagne tha God. take a listen to the exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: It's two very different visions. One mind that is about taking us forward and progress and investing in the American people, investing in their ambitions, dealing with their challenges. And the other, Donald Trump, is about taking us backward.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, HOST, THE BREAKFAST CLUB: The other is about fascism. Why can't we just say it?

HARRIS: Yes, we can say that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: And, Sara, she'll be joined at today's event by Republican former Congressman Adam Kingsinger, former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and several other former Trump aides.

The event will take place in Washington, D.C. Crossing at a location close to where George Washington and troops crossed the Delaware River in 1776. That, of course, a turning point in the American Revolution.

Now, in terms of her week ahead, we will see the vice president head to Wisconsin after Pennsylvania, then Michigan and then she'll end the week in Georgia. Sara?

SIDNER: Eva McKend, thank you so much for that reporting this morning. I appreciate it. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Donald Trump sits down for an interview at the Chicago Economic Club, and it quickly turned combative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You got to be able to finish a thought, because it's very important. You know, this is big stuff we're talking about. You can't go that quickly. So, let me just tell you, so I said, no, I'm just telling you basic -- it's called the weave. It's all these different things happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And a source says Israel's plan is ready. What we know about how the country is planning to retaliate against Iran for its attack, the new reporting on that is ahead.

And forget the catwalk, Prada's ready for a moonwalk. NASA unveils the fanciest of fancy spacesuits for the Artemis mission to the moon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

BOLDUAN: Breaking news this morning. Israel now says that its plan to respond to Iran's unprecedented missile attack from earlier this month is ready. That is from a source familiar with the matter to CNN. This is as Israel says that it is now reviewing a letter from the Biden administration that is demanding that the country improve the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

CNN's Nada Bashir has much more on this. She's joining us now. Good morning, Nada.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kate. We are learning more details around Israel's potential response, this, of course, coming from sources after much deliberation by the Israeli cabinet. We don't have any firm details just yet on what that response could look like or when it could take place, but what we do know, according to sources, is that Israeli officials have provided assurances, reportedly, to their U.S. counterparts that Israel would not be targeting Iran's nuclear or oil facilities, but rather will be focusing on targeting military assets.

[07:15:13]

However, it is important to know that we have since received statements from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office clarifying that while the Israeli government is indeed taking into consideration the U.S. position, we know that Biden has been opposed to Israel targeting the nuclear and oil facilities in Iran, the decision ultimately will be based on Israel's own national interest. It remains to be seen whether Israel will be heeding warnings from President Biden.

Of course, this comes as the Biden administration mounts pressure on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. We've seen, of course, since the early months of this year, the amount of aid dropping significantly to below 50 percent just in September, the lowest amounts of aid recorded coming in over the last. So, it is a desperate situation.

The Biden administration has now warned that if Israel doesn't take action or implement measures within the next 30 days to allow more humanitarian aid to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Israel could be in violation of U.S. laws governing foreign assistance, essentially meaning that U.S. military aid to Israel could be in jeopardy

But, of course, it's important to note that we have seen multiple, countless U.S. warnings issued towards the Israeli government over the last year, from warnings not to go into Rafah, from warnings not to bomb Beirut, both of which we have, of course, seen.

But, frankly, we've also not seen any substantial action taken by the U.S. government. In fact, what we have seen while there has been some pauses perhaps in weapon shipments to Israel, we've also seen military assistance being increased over the last year, despite, of course, U.S. weapons being used in some attacks by the Israeli military, which have, of course, killed countless civilians.

So, again, remains to be seen whether those warnings from the Biden administration will actually be heeded by the Israeli government. Of course, all this as the situation in Gaza and particularly in Northern Gaza, which is still under siege by the Israeli military, continues to grow more desperate for civilians across the strip. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Yes, it does. Nada. very much. It's very good to see you. John?

BERMAN: All right. there is new body camera footage showing the moment two police officers punched and tased a deaf black man.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BERMAN: All right, new this morning. Newly released body camera footage shows two Phoenix police officers shouting orders to a deaf black man as he is lying face down on the ground. One officer repeatedly punched 34-year-old Tyron McAlpin. Another officer appeared to tase him.

Now, McAlpin is facing two counts of aggravated assault and one count of resisting arrest.

Let's get right to seeing as Josh Campbell for the latest on this. Josh, what's the explanation here? What are you learning?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. So this was from August. This all began when a man who was at a gas station told police that this individual, Tyron McAlpin, had assaulted him allegedly, had tried to take his bicycle and his cell phone. Now, that man then points across the street where McAlpin is then walking. And we'll show you that moment.

I think what is so notable here is just the sheer speed, which with all this escalated. You see the officers they're pulling next to him. The officer then, you know, barrels out. So, that moment you could see happens very, very quickly.

I want to show you now the vantage point from the officer's body worn camera. I'll warn our viewers. This is disturbing. The officer pulls alongside him, tells him to stop. And then this happens.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put your hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back. Hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Now, that camera footage shows that he was then used -- taser was used on him at least two times to try to get him into custody. Medics were called to assess him at the scene. He was taken to a local hospital as a precaution. The officers are also heard on camera describing injuries that they received.

Now, as you mentioned, McAlpin was charged with two counts of aggravated assault. The initial charge of theft that was later dropped. But, you know, the sheer speed with which all this transpired has led to this outcry from the community. It also comes as we've been reporting on the scathing DOJ report earlier this year saying that Phoenix Police had allegedly engaged in disproportionate use of force against minorities, including people with disabilities. Only later did the officers here actually learned that he was deaf and that he was suffering from cerebral palsy.

But this also raises the question, John, about training, or lack thereof. I want to play you what the officers described in court when they were asked about the type of training they received dealing with people with disabilities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Light training was people who are hard of --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Okay, can you tell me more about that?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was about seven years ago, I don't remember much of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you received any training in dealing with members of the public who have disabilities?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe briefly, but nothing that I recall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMPBELL: Briefly when it comes to the type of training. So, that obviously raising big issues there. Now, the local police union did issue a statement saying that this is not about race. They're telling people to wait before rushing to judgment based on video. They say in their view that this is about two officers and marked patrol units who were attacked, as they say.

And then, finally, it's worth pointing out that the Phoenix Police, they're conducting their own internal investigation. John, the local top prosecutor there in Maricopa County, she says she'll personally be reviewing this case.

BERMAN: All right, a lot of details there. Josh Campbell, thank you so much for that report. Sarah?

SIDNER: All right. Sean Diddy Combs wants names. His attorneys appeal for anonymous accusers to be unmasked before trial.

And Donald Trump threatens two tariff companies making cars outside of the United States 2,000 percent, the tense economic town hall that was held in Chicago.

[07:25:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You've been wrong about this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're trying to turn this -- you're trying to turn this.

TRUMP: You've been wrong about this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, you're trying to turn -- you're trying to turn this into debate.

TRUMP: It's not a debate. But you're wrong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:30:00]