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CNN International: Trump to Rally in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan; Harris Has Full Day of Events in Crucial Pennsylvania; Lebanese Hospitals Under Threat as IDF Targets Hezbollah; International Community Keeping Tabs on Election; Candidates Wrap Up Campaigns with an Eye on Michigan; Legendary Music Producer Quincy Jones Dead at 91. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired November 04, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: Hi everyone. Welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Amara Walker. This is CNN Newsroom. Just ahead their final pitch Kamala Harris and Donald Trump prepare for a last campaign sprint before Tuesday's presidential election. Plus, angry flood survivors in Spain confront the country's King. We are live in Valencia with the details. And saying goodbye to a music legend like no other, Quincy Jones is dead at the age of 91.
After months of wild twists and turns, the U.S. presidential election is in its final day. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have a full day focused on the most important swing states. For Harris that means Pennsylvania, she will spend the entire day in the biggest of the battleground states, making stops in five different cities. Harris bringing her campaign to a close with a message of optimism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have momentum. It is on our side. Can you feel it? And we have the momentum because our campaign is tapping into the ambitions, the aspirations and the dreams of the American people, because we are optimistic and excited about what we can do together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WALKER: As for Donald Trump, he also has events planned in Pennsylvania today, but he will also be in North Carolina and Michigan. The former president using his final few hours to sow seeds of doubt about election fraud.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They want it. They are fighting so hard to steal this damn thing. Look at what's going on. Look at what's going on in your state every day, talking about extending hours and stuff. What -- whoever heard of this stuff? We should have one day voting and paper ballots.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WALKER: As they have shown for weeks the final polls over the weekend point to one of the tightest contests in U.S. election history. But the polling world was thrown for a loop with one very surprising result. The Iowa Poll, known for its uncanny accuracy in that state, finds Kamala Harris leading there by three points, although it is within the margin of error.
So there really is no clear leader there, but it is turning the state that was supposed to be safely in Trump's corner into potentially a toss-up. And if Harris is able to challenge Trump in Iowa, it probably bodes well for her chances in other Midwest swing states.
Sources tell CNN the poll was a gut punch to people inside the Trump campaign, and that Trump himself is fuming over it. Let's check in on both campaigns. We have CNN's Alayna Treene traveling with Donald Trump and Edward-Isaac Dovere tracking Kamala Harris. Alayna, let's start with you. What do you expect to hear from Former President Trump today as he is making his final pitch?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Oh well, Amara, happy election eve. Look, I think one big question is whether or not Donald Trump will actually deliver the closing argument and this closing pitch in the way that his campaign wants him to. But I know from my conversations with his team that they do want him to focus on a number of key things.
The priority, of course, is to really encourage his supporters to turn out and vote for them, to make sure that they don't get complacent, to make sure that they show up to the polls and that they show their support tomorrow.
Now, the other things that they really want him to focus on is that question of whether or not they feel that they were better off four years ago than they are today to talk about the economy, to talk about the border, specifically, the issues that we have been talking about Amara for several weeks and months now that they believe Donald Trump performs better on than Kamala Harris.
[08:05:00]
However, I will also say that we have not seen Donald Trump give that closing pitch in his series of rallies that he's held over the weekend. Really, a lot of what yesterday was focused on, and what a lot of media and others have picked up on, are some of the times that he had veered off script. At some point, he spent several minutes railing against a series of polls, including that Iowa Poll that shows Harris gaining ground on him.
He also talked about believing that he wishes he didn't left, or saying he shouldn't have left the White House in 2020. He also made one comment about when he was talking about the protective glass around him, and talking about his former assassination attempts that any attacker would have to shoot through the press to get to him, and that he didn't mind that.
So, look, that is exactly the type of rhetoric that his team does not want him using. And when I talked to some of Donald Trump's close allies, to people close to the former president, to some of his campaign officials, they acknowledge that they were exasperated. They are exhausted. And this is not the message that they think he needs to be delivering.
They saying, how hard is it for him to get up there and say, Kamala broke what is -- what is in this country? Kamala broke some of the key things that make this country great, and I will fix it. But instead, so much of the attention yesterday was on some of that really dark rhetoric.
Now one thing that I am still watching for today, because this is going to be, I think, a huge part of what we see once we start seeing the results coming in, is how Donald Trump is doing with the gender gap. We know that this has been a persistent struggle for him to try to close that gender gap with Harris.
And especially as we've seen that early data, early voting data, shows that women are outpacing men in turnout, and that is a big problem for the Trump campaign. So, I might be looking for particularly if he tries to give a specific message to court those women in these final hours Amara.
WALKER: All right. Alayna Treene, thank you. Let's turn it over to Isaac now. And Isaac, I mean, Kamala Harris is spending her last day before Election Day in Pennsylvania. That just shows how crucial the campaign sees the state to be.
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah look, for Kamala Harris, if she wins Pennsylvania, it is a very big step toward winning the presidential election, given the electoral votes and given how narrow it would make the path for Donald Trump to be able to win otherwise.
So it is, as we see from the polls, tight, very, very tight going into the Election Day here. And she's going to be all over the state. There are three big rallies in Scranton, in Allentown and tonight, at 11:00 p.m. in Philadelphia, but also some other stops where she's going to be meeting with voters and trying to just be blanketing the state so that every voter who is making up their minds about who to vote for, and of course, even whether to vote in this last 24, 36 hours here, can see her.
And they hope get a feeling from her that she's trying to give off, that she is sorry. The real new page, that she is turning America to a very different kind of forward looking, optimistic sense, versus Donald Trump. That made a big deal last night under the fact that Kamala Harris, for the first time since becoming the candidate, did not mention Donald Trump's name at her rally last night in East Lansing. That's what we're going to be getting a lot of in theme over the course of today from Harris as she looks to close this out.
WALKER: We're finally just hours away from Election Day. Can you believe we all made it? CNN's Alayna Treene and Edward-Isaac Dovere great to have you both this morning. Thank you so much. Well, it would be an understatement to say this year's presidential campaign has been unusual. This election season has seen a series of unexpected curve balls. In case you missed any of them Jason Carroll looks back at some of the highlights and low lights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was just a few days ago when Former President Donald Trump got in the cab of a garbage truck bearing his name while campaigning in Wisconsin.
TRUMP: How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden.
CARROLL (voice-over): The latest eyebrow raising photo op in a campaign that has been full of unexpected moments and race altering developments.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: The jury in the Donald Trump hush money cover up case has reached a verdict.
CARROLL (voice-over): May 30th, 2024 the day Donald Trump made history after becoming the first former president to be convicted of a felony.
TRUMP: The real verdict is going to be November 5th, by the people.
CARROLL (voice-over): As stunning as the day was, then came this night in June, the first 2024 debate between President Joe Biden and his Republican rival.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: With the COVID, excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with.
[08:10:00]
CARROLL (voice-over): Questions raised about whether the 81-year-old had the fitness to serve a second term.
JOHN KING, CNN HOST: There is a deep, a wide and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party.
CARROLL (voice-over): Amid all the uncertainty, a near tragedy during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president had just survived an assassination attempt. A bullet grazed his ear. Days later, the GOP nominee would receive a hero's welcome at the Republican National Convention. Meanwhile, the calls for Biden to step aside reach fever pitch.
BIDEN: So, I decided the best way forward is the pass the torch to the new generation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Breaking news and it is historic. President Joe Biden dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
CARROLL (voice-over): Biden endorsed his Vice President, Kamala Harris, who quickly gathered the support of the party and made history as the first woman of color to become a major party nominee. HARRIS: I accept your nomination to be President of the United States of America.
CARROLL (voice-over): This new presidential race continued to see contentious moments like this one where Harris railed against Trump's rhetoric.
HARRIS: He talked about locking people up because they disagree with him. This is a democracy.
CARROLL (voice-over): And the unusual would continue even by this campaign cycle standards.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say it, you know it, you feel it. These guys are creepy and yes, just weird as hell.
CARROLL (voice-over): Take the repeated racist lies about patient immigrants in Ohio.
TRUMP: They're eating the dogs the people that came in, they're eating the cats.
CARROLL (voice-over): Democrats trying to energize voters with star power saw Former President Barack Obama rapping to Eminem's lose yourself during a rally for Harris.
BARACK OBAMA, 44TH U.S. PRESIDENT: I'm nervous, but on the surface, I look calm and running.
CARROLL (voice-over): Some head scratching over this musical moment when Donald Trump stopped questions at his town hall outside Philadelphia.
TRUMP: Let's not do any more questions. Let's just listen to music.
CARROLL (voice-over): Instead, Trump stood and swayed to a playlist for some 30 minutes.
TRUMP: So, play YMCA, go ahead. Let's go nice and loud.
CARROLL (voice-over): In the final stretch this Trump rally at Manhattan's Madison Square Garden marked by vulgar and more racist rhetoric.
TONY HINCHCLIFFE, COMEDIAN: I'm like, I don't know if you guys know this, but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah, I think it's called Puerto Rico.
CARROLL (voice-over): Trump said he didn't know the comedian and made no apologies for what was said.
TRUMP: Nobody gets along better with Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican people than me.
CARROLL (voice-over): In the final days of the campaign, Harris pledged to try and put an end to the divisiveness. HARRIS: We have been consumed with too much division, chaos and mutual distrust, and it can be easy then, to forget a simple truth. It doesn't have to be this way.
CARROLL (voice-over): Election Day now less than 48 hours away for an anxious electorate weary of a presidential campaign cycle unlike any other, it cannot come soon enough. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAE)
WALKER: And election cycle unlike any other that is right. CNN's Political Director David Chalian is joining us now. David, good morning to you. It's the eve of Election Day.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Good morning.
WALKER: What is the one big thing, the one big difference that you have been seeing between the candidates, their campaigns one day out.
CHALIAN: Well, they -- the big thing that you're seeing right now Amara is how differently they are closing out their arguments in tenor, in tone, in content. They just are taking very different approaches to this final push of trying to reach voters who haven't yet decided, and get voters who haven't yet voted out to vote.
Donald Trump sticking with his personal grievances, his dark rhetoric infused with this notion of violence, talking about shooting through the press yesterday to reach him, a would-be assassin would have to do and that would be OK with him if they had to shoot through the press. This coming on the heels of his comments about rifles pointing at Liz Cheney's face.
Whereas Kamala Harris, in her closing Michigan rally last night in East Lansing, Michigan didn't even mention Donald Trump's name, and is trying to close out with a much more sort of positive, inclusive vision of turning the page, giving the country a fresh start, plotting a new way forward, as she says. So, they -- very different styles in the close that doesn't suggest one is going to be more effective than the other. We know this is a toss-up race, but the clear contrast is fully on display.
WALKER: And the states that the candidates choose to spend their last day before Election Day says a lot, right? So where are they going to be? And why is it significant?
[08:15:00]
CHALIAN: As you know, this is a battle to 270 electoral votes, and you got to put the right states together to get there, and you are right. The schedule on the final day tells us a lot. Donald Trump is going back to North Carolina for the third day in a row in this final stretch.
North Carolina is the only one of the seven battleground states that he actually won in 2020. It was as narrow as margin of victory, but it was a red state in 2020 and no way did anyone in the Trump campaign thing even a month ago, that this campaign would close with him needing to go to -- North Carolina three days in a row. That shows they're trying to shore up and work hard to keep that in the red column. That's one thing.
The other thing is, note, Pennsylvania is the biggest electoral prize, 19 electoral votes of the seven battleground states. Both Trump and Harris will be doing multiple stops in Pennsylvania today, some in the same city. They'll both be in Pittsburgh at some point today. They'll both be in reading Pennsylvania, a smaller city in Pennsylvania.
But one that has a critical Latino population, Puerto Rican population, clearly, Donald Trump still trying to do clean up there and see if he can press forward with some advantages, he or some progress he's made with Latino voters. And Harris there clearly to try to stop that progress that perhaps Donald Trump has made, and really rally the Democratic forces there to see if she can actually push back on some of Trump's gains.
WALKER: You were talking about their contrast in closing messages, and Trump has been escalating continually talking about these false claims of fraud. Obviously, it seems that he and his campaign is setting the groundwork to challenge the results of the election in the event that he loses.
CHALIAN: Yeah, listen, every candidate can go to court after an election and follow the procedures to challenge the results of an election. But you are right, Donald Trump is falsely claiming fraudulent activity, which has been debunked and is not true in certain counties in Pennsylvania, for instance.
And it is clearly aimed at seeding the ground, and it's really dangerous because it sets false expectations for his supporters that if indeed, he does come up short in this election, that they will claim that it was because it was stolen, even though there may not necessarily be any proof of that and that's a dangerous game. You don't have to take my word for it. We've seen it as a dangerous game. Just look back to January 6th, 2021, Amara.
WALKER: All right. David Chalian, it's great to have you as always, it's going to be a historic night next few days, no matter what the outcome is going to be.
CHALIAN: Yeah.
WALKER: All the best to you and your team.
CHALIAN: Happy election eve.
WALKER: Happy election eve, thanks so much, David. All right, still to come, a fight to the finish. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump make a last-minute dash to get out their closing messages with a focus on the all-important battleground states. Much more of our election coverage is still ahead this hour. But first, the King of Spain is booed during a visit to Valencia as anger grows over the government's slow response to the deadly floods that have killed more than 200 people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:20:00]
WALKER: Anger boiled over among survivors of Spain's deadly floods as they booed and threw eggs at the country's King and Queen during a visit to Valencia. Residents are growing increasingly frustrated, accusing the government of a slow and uncoordinated response to the disaster. Atika Shubert has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The waters have receded, but the scene remains apocalyptic. A week after the first torrential rain, some normality is returning, barely. Across Valencia, first responders and countless volunteers continue the search for the dozens still missing fear to be stuck beneath the mud in flooded garages or warehouses where access is difficult.
The delay in aid has angered many in Valencia. Those frustrations erupted on Sunday when King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the badly affected suburb of Paiporta. Asesino, they shouted, murderer. King Felipe and Queen Leticia stayed to face people's anger. Prime Minister Sanchez did not, whisked away by security. Hearing the stories of the many here who lost literally everything, and the criticism of those who believe the government failed them.
It can't be like this; this young man tells the King they knew about the storm ended nothing. Through rain and mud, they listened to the horror and pleas for food and water and power. We only ask for help this woman says. We're not asking for anything else. Help has been arriving, often in the form of young volunteers, shocked to find they were the first to arrive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yesterday we was in one of the buildings. We don't know why the police, why the military? They don't go in. So --
SHUBERT: There were no police, no military there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No police, no one was there.
SHUBERT (voice-over): Specialized equipment is finally coming through, days late. Power and water has been mostly restored to affected areas, but for people in Valencia, it's too little, too slow and too late.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: And that was Atika Shubert reporting from Valencia. In Indonesia, at least six people are dead after a volcano erupted on the Island of Flores. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki sent thick ash spewing thousands of meters into the air. The scalding ash rained down on a nearby village, burning down several homes, including a convent of Catholic nuns. It is Indonesia's second volcanic eruption in as many weeks.
In Israel, police have arrested a top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the aide is accused of leaking classified information to foreign media. Opposition leaders say the intelligence was faked and part of a ruse to thwart a possible Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. Now at issue, allegations that the PM's office promoted to foreign media a claim that Hamas was planning on smuggling hostages out of Gaza over the Egyptian border.
The Prime Minister's Office downplayed the possibility that the leak impacted negotiations with Hamas. Despite claiming to target Hezbollah Israel's recent attacks in Lebanon have also damaged the country's hospitals, even forcing some to shut down that is, according to health officials. A CNN investigation discovered the Israeli military has dropped bombs within a lethal range of at least 19 hospitals. CNN's Senior Investigations Writer Tamara Qiblawi has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TAMARA QIBLAWI, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIONS WRITER (voice-over): A ball of fire lights up the night sky. Seconds later, loud booms reverberate through Lebanon's capital, one of many explosions rocking Beirut southern suburbs nearly every night for the past month. In Lebanon's largest public hospitals, glass shatters and there's panic as an Israeli bomb hits the vicinity. ER Nurse Mohammad Fouani was there when that explosion came without warning.
MOHAMMAD FOUANI, NURSE, RAFIK HARIRI UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: When the explosion happened, the ground shook and I fell over my patient. We have been through a lot, but this event was the worst thing we ever experienced.
[08:25:00]
QIBLAWI (voice-over): In the day, the horrors come to light meters away from the hospital, the epicenter of the Israeli strike. A desperate scramble to dig men, women and children out of the rubble. This is Hezbollah's seat of power, a major flash point in Israel's bombing campaign. But this is also home to some 1 million people, most of whom are now displaced.
Israeli strikes across the country have damaged 34 hospitals, according to health authorities, eight of these have been forced to close. Now, while the majority of these hospitals weren't directly hit, they were inside a blast radius known as a kill zone.
Let's look at this more closely. The bombing campaign focused on three areas, the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and the country's south which borders Israel. We analyzed over 240 Israeli air strikes in the first month of Israel's country wide offensive. Our team measured the potential reach of fragments from each one of these attacks. Experts call this a kill zone, a 340-meter radius around the target, where shrapnel can tear through buildings and people.
This calculation is based on the types of bombs we know Israel is using in Lebanon today. In the southern suburbs of Beirut, our analysis found that every single hospital was within the kill zone of an air strike, and health authorities say every single hospital has been damaged as a result. In the Beqaa Valley, two hospitals were found within these kill zones. In the south where whole villages have been flattened by Israel's bombardment, there were six. CNN was able to verify 19 hospitals that fell within these kill zones. Health authorities say a fifth of Lebanon's hospitals have been damaged. Many fear this is only the beginning, with dozens of Lebanese health and emergency workers killed in just a month according to the health ministry.
There are echoes of the apocalyptic situation that is still playing out for hospitals in Gaza. Dr. Thaer Ahmad is an American Doctor who was working in Gaza earlier this year. He's in Lebanon now, and he says he's getting flashbacks.
DR. THAER AHMAD, AMERICAN DOCTOR WORKING IN LEBANON: There are no red lines. There is no respect for international humanitarian law. We saw that in Gaza for the past 13 months, and we're seeing it in Lebanon. Are we heading in that same direction? Are we actually going to see this repeat itself?
QIBLAWI (voice-over): Responding to CNN's findings, the Israeli military said it operates in strict accordance with international law. It accused Hezbollah of being deeply embedded in civilian areas, deliberately close to medical facilities. Lebanon is no stranger to war, but its health workers say they've never been more vulnerable, and yet they say they feel they have no choice but to carry on Tamara Qiblawi, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: All right, still to come, starkly different messages. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump make their closing day pitches to American voters, one filled with optimism, the other with fear, which will resonate the most. Also ahead, what police are doing to increase security in the Nation's Capital and other states, as fears grow of possible unrest before and after Election Day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:30:00]
WALKER: In less than 24 hours, polls will begin opening on Election Day in the United States, and the last-minute sprint to the finish line will soon get underway. Kamala Harris will spend today crisscrossing Pennsylvania making her final pitch to voters. Donald Trump will also be in that must win state later, along with Michigan and North Carolina, two other critical battleground states.
Meanwhile, even though the ballots have not even been tallied, Trump is turning to his 2020 playbook and already laying the groundwork to dispute the election results once again. As we mentioned, the election is being closely watched around the world. We have Correspondents standing by in a number of countries to gage the international reaction to this remarkably tight race. Larry Madowo is in Nairobi. But first, let's get reaction from Marc Stewart in Beijing.
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Marc Stewart in Beijing. Here in China, the government is being very deliberate about not making any public statements about the election, though Beijing likely expects tension to remain high and may see pros and cons in the candidates.
For example, Former President Trump, while at times unpredictable, has been critical of alliances such as NATO at a time when China is trying to establish itself as the leader of a new world order. Vice President Harris may bring some continuity from the Biden Administration, focusing in on alliances and trying to control China's access to high tech.
Regardless, China will likely have to confront the issue of tariffs, as U.S. lawmakers demand a level playing field in the global marketplace. And as far as Chinese citizens, there is certainly curiosity. I get questions all the time, but people seem to be more concerned about their families and their struggles, as opposed to what's happening overseas.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Larry Madowo in Nairobi, where a lot of people here in Kenya and across Africa are watching the U.S. election with interest. They know that whoever sits in the White House has an impact even here in Africa.
And speaking to people even while I've been here on the street, a lot of them tell me they're like Donald Trump. They're like that he speaks his mind. They're aware of his more controversial comments, reportedly having called some African nations -- countries. They like that. They know where they stand with him.
And for many religious Africans as well, they're attracted to his opposition to abortion, to LGBT rights. Many Africans also know that Kamala Harris has Jamaican heritage, therefore her roots trace back to Africa. But they even know that she's been traveling in Africa's VP to Ghana, to Zambia and to Tanzania.
But there's just a certain attraction to Donald Trump, the myth of the successful businessman, and that is just another reason why they are more attracted to the candidacy Donald Trump, and they think you'll be a better president for Africa.
WALKER: All right, for more now on the international angle and what impact the U.S. election will have around the world, let's turn now to CNN Political and National Security Analyst David Sanger. He is joining me now from Washington. David, thank you so much for your time.
You wrote recently, David in "The New York Times" quote, should Mr. Trump prevail? It will almost certainly mark a return to an era of foreign policy decrees untethered to any policy process at a moment of maximum international peril. If you will David, remind us of that era when Trump was in office, and how he would, you know, make these policy decisions tweet them out based on impulse.
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That's right Amara, good morning. So just to remind people of the Trump era, because it's been a few years now that his aides feared nothing more than the weekends, because they knew that that was when he was largely alone.
He usually stayed in the White House. Foreign leaders figured this out and would call him like. The day that President Erdogan of Turkey called him and convinced him to go withdraw some American troops from Turkey.
[08:35:00]
I'm sorry, from Syria. And he just announced by tweet that he would do so. One day in 2020, in October, as he was running for president, the last time he announced that all American troops would be out of Afghanistan by Christmas. There was no military plan for that, and it set the British into a panic, because they relied on the U.S. for their transport in and out of Afghanistan. And this got walked back, of course, by his advisors. There's a long set of these stories.
And frequently, you know, his National Security Advisor, at the time, Robert O'Brien, would print out the tweets that he had over the weekend, the president issued over the weekend, hand them to his staff and say, run me a policy process that comes out at this conclusion, which, of course, is exactly the opposite of what a policy process is supposed to do. It's supposed to examine all the things that could go wrong.
WALKER: You know, we've heard Trump and Vance and -- you know, their surrogates -- you know say repeatedly that -- you know during the Trump Administration, there were no foreign wars during that time. But when it comes to Israel, David, and when you hear some of the things that Trump has said about his conversations with Netanyahu, reportedly, he told him -- you know just do what you have to do. Of course, his support for the war Netanyahu. Do you anticipate that the wars in the Mid East would escalate under another Trump presidency?
SANGER: Hard to know if they would escalate. Let's take the first part of what you examined. They're absolutely right. It was a more peaceful time globally during President Trump's time in office. The Trump advocates would tell you that that was because he had a peace through strength approach.
I'm not sure that that was necessarily the case. It is true that Ukraine was not invaded during the Trump presidency. But in the end, it was not President Biden who was responsible for invading Ukraine. If anything, it was, of course, Vladimir Putin.
On the Mideast it's a really interesting question. You're hearing a lot of people on the left in -- among the Democrats, say that they're having a hard time voting for Harris because they don't think that she has sufficiently stood up for the Palestinians, and that the administration has continued to ship weapons to the Israelis, even though the Israelis have ignored American warnings not to use them in dense civilian areas.
And I think that's a perfectly legitimate criticism of the Biden Administration. I think when the history of this past year is written, I think the question is going to be, did the U.S. use its leverage? We haven't seen anything from President Trump to suggest that he would use the leverage either.
In fact, if anything, he has said to Prime Minister Netanyahu, do what you need to do. He has characterized what Israel has done as a PR problem, but not a human rights problem.
WALKER: Then, under a Harris presidency, then what -- you know is the concern that it would just be more of the same -- you know where the war continues -- you know and the escalation continues as well in the Mideast?
SANGER: That is exactly the concern. And she has been extraordinarily careful not to separate herself from President Biden on Israel policy, on how to deal with Palestinians, except in some intonation of her phrases. But for example, there was a movement to try to have a Palestinian representative or an American Palestinian speak at the convention.
The Democratic Convention and the Harris team decided not to let that happen. That is still a bitter issue among those on the left. We don't really know how she would handle this, or she would handle it differently. She has not indicated it's been the real kryptonite of foreign policy for the Harris campaign, they just not wanted to touch it.
WALKER: Before we go let's talk about China quickly, David, because you mentioned in your piece that you know the most challenging problem in American national -- in American national security, is China, and it's a topic that neither campaign has really talked about.
[08:40:00]
SANGER: That's absolutely right. This is somewhat astounded me. The conversation about China has been almost entirely about Former President Trump's ideas about slapping 100 percent 200 percent 400 percent tariffs. China is a much more complex problem. It is the only power that could challenge the United States, militarily, economically, technologically over the next 30 or 40 years.
It requires a sustained, deep U.S. approach. President Biden has taken some steps in this direction, building on things that were left from the Trump Administration. I think you have to give the Trump Administration credit for identifying the return of superpower conflict as the major challenge facing the United States.
But there has been no discussion of it during the campaign, including the biggest change in the geopolitical landscape, which has been the coming together of Russia and China in a somewhat combined partnership now, including North Korea and Iran, of course, over Ukraine and other issues. I can't think of a bigger challenge for the next president. It has gotten basically not one word during this campaign.
WALKER: That's really remarkable. I'm glad you point that out. Well, this will no doubt be a consequential election at home and around the world. David Sanger, good to have you as always. Thank you. Well across --
SANGER: Great.
WALKER: -- thank you. Across the U.S. police departments are increasing security for Election Day. In Washington D.C., workers put up additional fencing outside the White House and the official residence of Vice President Kamala Harris. Now the National Guard troops are on stand-by in several states, including Washington State and Oregon, where hundreds of ballots were damaged or destroyed after ballot drop boxes were set on fire.
Let's bring in CNN's Julia Vargas Jones, who is joining us now from Los Angeles. Julia, hello to you. Tell us more about the security measures that are being put in place across the country.
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Amara. So, officials are looking at two different factors here. One of them is those incidents that you mentioned of those ballots, about 500 ballots were damaged in those fires, three separate incidents. And look, officials there are saying that the person that they're looking for, still on the run, could potentially attack again.
Now in Washington State, the Governor there, Jay Inslee, called incidents already election related unrest. He said that having the National Guard there on stand-by, though, was, quote, a purely precautionary measure taken in response to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's nationwide warnings regarding threats to election infrastructure and other recent activities that have occurred in Southwestern Washington.
Of course, that is a nudge to that -- to those ballots being burned there. But in Oregon as well, we have the National Guard on stand-by. The Mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, said that there isn't a specific threat or warning in the city as of now, this is again a precautionary measure, but I want you to take a listen to what he said to his constituents.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED WHEELER, PORTLAND MAYOR: We will do everything possible to protect people's first amendment right to demonstrate peacefully, but we are also prepared to address anything that is related to criminal destruction or violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: And then in Nevada, Amara also 60 National Guard troops are on standby. But the Governor there also said this is something that they've done in the past. It is only to safeguard -- you know the utmost safety for Election Day tomorrow. But authorities are warning across the United States for people to just be on the lookout if you see something, say something -- you know their concern here is just to be prepared for potential unrest that could come after Election Day.
WALKER: Yeah, it's still remarkable to see security forces on high alert surrounding a U.S. election. Julia Vargas Jones, appreciate having you. Thank you. Still to come, the bid to mobilize the youth vote how supporters from both sides are urging a key demographic to make their voices heard. And he was a musical genius who transcended genres and trends. We remember the life and music of Quincy Jones, who has died at the age of 91
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[08:45:00]
WALKER: In the coming hours, Donald Trump will make his final pitch to voters in the key State of Michigan. It is also where he ended both of his previous campaigns, and a state Kamala Harris has also dedicated much attention to. John King went to meet supporters of both candidates in this battleground state.
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KING (voice-over): Michigan Republican Headquarters five days out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If President Trump can count on you and his support in this election?
KING (voice-over): A basement phone bank shift Ralph Brennan among the Michigan State students helping turn out the vote.
RALPH BRENNAN, CAMPUS COORDINATOR AT MICHIGAN TRUMP TEAM: I think there's a red wave coming, especially in Michigan, and I think people will be very surprised on how many people vote Republican this election.
KING (voice-over): Brennan is 21 a junior economics major from Ohio, but he registered in Michigan for his first vote for president.
BRENNAN: I was a sixth grader when Trump got elected in 16 and I watched him come to the White House. I watched the inauguration. I watched all the great things he did.
KING (voice-over): Trump struggled with young voters in 2016 and 2020. Brennan predicts better numbers this time, especially among young men, and especially after Robert F Kennedy Jr., ended his campaign and backed Trump.
BRENNAN: I've heard a lot of young guys say how much -- how important RFK was to their President Trump vote. You know, ever since Trump kind of brought RFK onto the team, onto the campaign, a lot of young -- men, voters really, really like that and kind of resonate with RFK and what he's done.
KING (voice-over): In a dead heat race organization can be the difference. Halloween Spirit helps --
JADE GRAY, DIGITAL ORGANIZING MANAGER, PROGRESS MICHIGAN: Just cookies too.
KING (voice-over): -- treats as well.
GRAY: Will you fill out one of our pledges to vote things? KING (voice-over): Jade Gray is a progressive organizer, Former Co- President of the College Democrats here at the University of Michigan, back on campus to encourage early voting.
GRAY: We know that when we vote, we win, and quite frankly, we're getting a lot of people out to vote.
KING (voice-over): Gray's optimism is a big shift. This is our fourth Ann Arbor visit in a year. Back at the beginning, she was down about President Biden's prospects, and later, she was worried Vice President Harris would still lose too many young voters because of student anger over the Israel Hamas conflict.
GRAY: Have you guys voted yet? OK, yay, thanks.
KING (voice-over): But she is upbeat now, and credits a mix of constant organizing and a smarter approach from the Harris campaign.
GRAY: It was not just the candidate that switched, but it was really their whole approach to the campaign. And leaning into this idea that memes and internet culture is a -- you know a mode of communicating about politics has totally transformed this race, and I think will be -- you know one of the biggest reasons to one of the biggest things we should credit. I'm saying when, but if she wins.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: Wow, that was John King reporting. Always fascinating to hear from voters. Well, if you have listened to popular music over the last half century, you have likely heard a song composed or produced by Quincy Jones. After the break, we're going to look back at his amazing career and all the lives that he has touched.
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[08:50:00]
WALKER: The music industry has lost a trail blazing luminary Musician, Composer and Producer, Quincy Jones has died at the age of 91 at his home in Bel Air. He moved effortlessly from jazz to pop and other musical genres, producing Michael Jackson's blockbuster Thriller Album. He also wrote film scores and had collaborations with the industry's biggest and most sought-after stars. Our Sarah Sidner looks back at his illustrious life and career.
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SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the man behind some of music's most memorable hits, Quincy Jones was one of the most Grammy nominated artists of all time.
QUINCY JONES, ARTIST: When you do what it's love, it's not work.
SINDER (voice-over): Born Quincy Delight Jones Jr., on the south side of Chicago in 1933 Jones found his passion for music when his family moved to Seattle in the late 40s. Jones took a job with the Lionel Hampton band as its trumpet player. He worked steadily with musical greats like Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington and his friend Ray Charles.
JONES: We didn't think about money or fame ever.
SIDNER (voice-over): During the 60s, Jones began writing film scores for movies such as "The Pawn Broker in Cold Blood and in the Heat of the Night. He even crafted iconic themes for the TV shows Iron Side and Stanford and Son. The in-demand musician, even arranged and conducted his friend Frank Sinatra's second album with Count Basie. It might as well be swing. The 1964 album included Old Blue Eyes hit song, "Fly me to the moon".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have the best time. It's like being on another planet with him. Frank would say, kill. Live every day like it should last and one day you'll be right.
SIDNER (voice-over): Jones suffered two brain aneurysms in 1974 that nearly took his life. He recovered and went right back to work. He produced albums for Aretha Franklin, George Benson and Michael Jackson's first solo effort "Off the Wall" in 1979. Jones' successful collaboration with MJ also led to "Thriller" in 1982. It became the best-selling album of all time. The dynamic duo teamed up again in 1985 with "We Are the World".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like to think about the studios as a place that's real sacred you know, where magical things happen. Hopefully that's what great records are supposed to be about.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good night, Carroll (ph).
SIDNER (voice-over): He produced his first film "The Color Purple" in 1985. The drama earned 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Q, as his friends called him, seemed to always have a good idea. He created Quincy Jones Entertainment in 1990 the following year, he produced the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" TV Series starring rapper turned Actor Will Smith.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You never think of retiring, do you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never. When you retire, you travel and you do what you like to do, and I'm already doing it.
[08:55:00]
SIDNER (voice-over): In early 2013 "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" honored Q for his exemplary contributions to music.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To work with every major artist in the world in the last 60 years. It's a blessing, man, it is. You have to take the light part of your life, you know, wipe out the darkness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WALKER: What an incredibly impactful and prolific artist and talent. Thank you so much for being with me here on CNN Newsroom. I'm Amara Walker. "Connect the World" with Erica Hill is up next.
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