Return to Transcripts main page
First Move with Julia Chatterley
IDF Chief Warns Of Possible Ground Incursion Into Lebanon; IDF Struck 2,000 Targets In Lebanon; Two Drones Fired On Southern Port Of Eilat; U.N. Security Council Meets To Discuss Lebanon And Israel; Hurricane Helen Moves Past Mexico And To Cuba; China Test Fires ICBM; Zelenskyy Warns UNGA Of Russia Attacking Nuclear Power Plants; Zelenskyy To Present "Victory Plan" On Thursday; Trump And Harris On Their Economic Plans; WTO Releases Annual Report; Two Giant Pandas From China To Hong Kong. Aired 6- 7p ET
Aired September 25, 2024 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:02]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: And today, this morning, he graduated from Georgetown University's Paralegal Program. C.J. has dreams of helping other
people that have experienced the injustice of our legal system. We're so proud Of C.J. at this show. I can't even explain it in words. Our deepest
congratulations to C.J., his family, and the wonderful people at Georgetown who have that wonderful program. 13 people graduated from that program
today.
The news continues on CNN with Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room. I'll see you tomorrow.
ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: 1:00 in the morning in Tel Aviv, 6:00 a.m. in Hong Kong, and 6:00 p.m. here in New York. I'm Zain Asher in for my
colleague Julia Chatterley. And wherever you are in the world, this is your "First Move."
All right. A warm welcome to "First Move" for all of you. And here is today's need to know. The Israeli military suggests it is preparing for a
possible ground incursion into Lebanon. U.S. President Biden says that an all-out war is possible. And Hurricane Helen moves past Mexico and Cuba and
could strike the U.S. as a Category 4 storm. China fires an intercontinental ballistic missile in the first public test in decades. And
Hong Kong gets ready to receive two giant pandas from China. All that, and a lot more, coming up here on "First Move."
But first, we begin the Middle East and the looming prospect of a widening conflict. U.S. President Biden expressed his fears on Wednesday, but says
there's still time for a diplomatic solution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: An all-out war is possible, but I think there's also the opportunity, or still in play, to have a settlement that could
fundamentally change the whole region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The Israeli military says it has struck 2,000 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the past three days. You're looking at rescuers searching for
survivors in the rubble of an Israeli strike north of Beirut. The chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces telling his soldiers to prepare for a
possible ground incursion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN HERZI HALEVI, IDF CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF (through translator): You can hear the planes here. We are attacking all day. Both to prepare the
ground for the possibility of your entry, but also to continue striking Hezbollah.
Today, Hezbollah expanded its firing range, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: The United Nations estimates that more than 90,000 people in Lebanon have been displaced by Israeli strikes. Thousands are crossing into Syria,
and the U.N. warns many are leaving without any kind of plan.
Meantime, air raid sirens have been sounding in Israel. The Israeli government shared this footage, reportedly showing a drone hitting the
Southern Port City of Eilat. Nic Robertson joins us live now. From Tel Aviv. So, Nic, let's talk about the reports that the IDF may indeed be
preparing for a possible ground incursion into Lebanon. Just explain to us what awaits them if this is indeed the case? What awaits them on the other
side of that border? And can this strategy, this idea of escalating in order to de-escalate, can it actually work? Give us your take.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, I mean what awaits them across the border are a lot of tiny mountain top Mountain Valley
villages, Lebanese villages that in many of them the IDF says they've been turned into sort of small Hezbollah strongholds, houses with rockets and
perhaps booby traps prepared.
So, that's what the troops are aware of that they may face if they go in. And what the IDF Is saying that it's trying to do at the moment by these
strikes and it said today the strikes inside of Lebanon, 70 of those strikes, they say, were based on trying to sort of get intelligence hubs of
Hezbollah so that Hezbollah doesn't know what's coming, can't gather information, can't act effectively.
So, if those troops go across, they were maybe find a military response, but not as coordinated and as joined up. But it's Hezbollah this morning
that started on the front foot doing something it hadn't done before.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Close to a million people woken by the sound of Hezbollah's escalation. Its first ballistic missile, capable of carrying
hundreds of pounds of explosives, intercepted just north of Tel Aviv. Hezbollah said it was targeting Mossad, Israel's intelligence headquarters.
Its deepest strike into Israel yet.
[18:05:00]
JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: One of the key areas that we've been trying to prevent escalation is between Israel and
Hezbollah up along that border with Lebanon. So, obviously we woke up this morning to these reports deeply concerning.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): The IDF quickly destroying the Hezbollah launcher. The missile itself, which caused no casualties taken out by Israel's fast
high altitude David Sling Interceptor. Other shorter-range Hezbollah missiles falling closer to the Lebanese border. Two men injured in this
house, one seriously.
Across the border in Lebanon, Israel continuing its pressure on Hezbollah. Overnight, airstrikes hitting a suspected Hezbollah ammo dump. Bombing
continuing Wednesday. Dozens of people killed, among them civilians. Hundreds dead already this week. Tens of thousands of Lebanese on the move,
trying to get out of harm's way. Israel warning them to stay away from their homes until it gives them the all clear.
This, as Israeli commanders consider their coming moves, at the northern border, the strongest signal yet. Israel readying to deploy troops into
Lebanon.
MAJOR GENERAL ORI GORDIN, IDF COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE NORTHER COMMAND (through translator): We need to change the security situation and we must
be fully prepared for maneuvers and action.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Their ability for action enhanced late Wednesday. The IDF calling up two reserve brigades, a few thousand additional troops.
KIRBY: If you start to see ground forces moving, you know, then it definitely takes the fighting up a notch and we're trying to prevent
exactly that outcome.
ROBERTSON (voice-over): No decision yet if or when troops will cross the Lebanon. If it happens, that too another escalation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (on camera): You know, on another escalation this evening in many ways, Iran-backed Iraqi militia claimed they were responsible for firing
those two drones towards a lot in the south of Israel, one of them, the IDF said was intercepted, the other one hit the ground. The IDF saying that two
people were lightly injured.
When that came down President Macron of France in New York at the UNGA, where there is the best hope for diplomacy, he is saying an end to the
escalation. He said he's sending his foreign minister to Beirut tomorrow and we're expecting him to meet with President Biden as well today, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Nic Robertson, live for us there. Thank you so much. All right. The U.N. Security Council is meeting this hour to discuss the
conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. We're expecting speakers from the United States, Lebanon, Israel, and Iran, among others. World leaders are
publicly condemning the escalating attack.
Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron, who called on both sides to stop. The U.S. meantime is looking to
broker a ceasefire.
Richard Roth joins us live now from the U.N. So, we know that the U.N. Security Council right now is meeting to discuss the situation in Lebanon.
I'm being told these are live pictures of that Security Council meeting happening right now. Just walk us through what options are on the table or
likely on the table in terms of creating some kind of off ramp here, Richard.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Well, the real work is going on behind the scenes. Three different officials tell CNN that the
United States, plus France, is working feverishly to try to get the framework for some type of peace, truce between Hezbollah and Israel for
that to be agreed to.
Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, has been shuttling back and forth. He was already probably going to do that due to the nature of this
United Nations general high-level week. The U.N. secretary general is the briefer. He's telling the 15 council countries and a few others there what
the state of play is. He began, his first words were, Lebanon is hell. Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon, he said. Lebanon is on the brink. He's
explaining various violations of Security Council resolutions with the exchange of fire. It usually tries to be a balanced approach. Sometimes
that's a little bit harder.
We know that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is coming to New York tomorrow and he'll speak Friday morning. It's hard to see a framework being
worked out, but maybe that's what Israel wants before the prime minister addresses the General Assembly Hall with one of his textbook presentations.
A very good orator, Netanyahu. So, that's what we're seeing right now.
The U.S., the full council, everyone will speak. There's not going to be an agreement announced after this meeting. Zain.
[18:10:00]
ASHER: All right. Richard Roth live for us there, thank you so much. OK. Be prepared, those are the words of Florida's governor as Hurricane Helene
gains strength and moves across the Gulf of Mexico. In Cuba, 50 people are without power. Forecasters warn is likely to become a monster Category 4
hurricane that will impact a large part of the Southeastern United States. And mandatory evacuation orders are in place for parts of 15 Florida
counties.
CNN's Patrick Oppmann has the latest From Havana. So, winds were, at least, earlier lashing Cuba before this hurricane headed to Florida. Just explain
to us what people experience today in Havana and the rest of Cuba, of course, where you are.
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. It doesn't look so bad now, does it? But throughout the day here, we had very powerful winds and
rains across western and even Central Cuba. And as you mentioned, 50,000 people in the province, that's the absolute west -- of the south in Pinar
del Rio, are without power.
You know, it's pretty typical after you have a storm pass through. But of course, it could be days before power is restored to them. And where I am
in old Havana, part of the city that has many old buildings, the danger is as things begin to dry out that some of these buildings can buckle and
collapse. You know, it happens after a heavy rainstorm, much less a hurricane.
So, you know, one point today, actually the Yucatan Peninsula and where I am being hit at the same time by this storm. You know, the distance of
about 400 kilometers. It just gives you an idea of how wide this storm is. Really, an unusually wide hurricane.
And the danger is now as it goes into the Gulf of Mexico, rich, rich fuel, all that warm water, historically warm water that has been hit by climate
change that is just like gasoline for a hurricane like this one. So, it will increase in power and the forecasters now saying it could arrive on
the West Coast of Florida as a very powerful Category 4 hurricane, that really gives you pause when you know how much damage and destruction that
kind of strong can cause the kind of storm surge that will bring houses will be lost.
People will not be able to shelter in place as they have done, you know, often in storms past without any incident. They really need to seek higher
ground, get to shelters and finish up -- finish making their plans.
Surely for Cuba where you already have an economic crisis, causing so much misery across this island, you know, this doesn't help, but at least people
feel that the worst of this storm was not felt here. Certainly, Florida is not going to get that lucky as this storm, you know, now looks to make a
bullseye on the West Coast of Florida. And people there are being told to get ready because they only have about a day left before the worst of the
storm arrives there.
ASHER: Patrick Oppmann, live for us there in Havana. Thank you so much. OK. Let's bring in Chad Myers. So, Chad, as Patrick was just saying there,
listen, there are storm surge warnings for the Florida Keys as well. I mean, this could bring unprecedented damage, life-threatening floods,
right, over the next 36 hours. Walk us through that.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Saltwater floods from the ocean and also freshwater floods from the rain. There will be 12 inches of rainfall in the
mountains of North Carolina and also into parts of Georgia. That will cause significant flash flooding with runoff, possibly even mudslides.
The storm now is an 85-mile per hour storm and it's getting stronger. It's in very warm water. And it's expected to get to be a Category 4. Hurricane
watches and warnings all the way across the area here. Hurricane warnings all the way up even to Macon, Georgia. That means there will be hurricane
conditions hundreds of miles away from landfall because this storm is still going to have so much momentum.
Temperatures in the water are in the middle 80s, 32, 33 degrees. And then, here's where it's going, into this catcher's mitt in the northern part of
Florida. It's going to catch all that water and that's what's going to cause this 20-foot possible storm surge. That's more than, what, six meters
of storm surge and many homes aren't that high.
So, here we go. This is what we're looking at, 15 to 20 feet of storm surge. This is the saltwater inundation going up the estuaries, going up
the rivers and the streams. We are going to see tropical storm force winds over the entire State of Florida. But to the north, that's where the
hurricane force will be and Category 4 hurricane force winds will also be.
There, you see it, west of Tampa, but Tampa, you're going to get 75 miles per hour without a doubt. Even Orlando, you're going to get 70, all the way
up to Tallahassee, you could get gusts to a hundred miles per hour. And that's Tallahassee, Florida, a big, big city with big trees, and many of
those are not going to have a chance. And so, the power lines will not either.
Even wind up to 70 miles per hour in a place in North Carolina, we'll call it Asheville, even close to that in Charlotte. These are major metropolitan
areas that are going to lose power. Millions, millions of customers are going to lose power with this storm with 110 to 130 mile per hour winds
pushing onshore.
[18:15:00]
It's going to come in so fast, Zain, that it's not going to have that time where we say, oh, it's over land. It's going to die. Yes, but if it's
moving at 40 kilometers per hour, if it's 25 miles, 26 miles per hour, it'll be moving to the north, it's not going to have time to die. By the
time it gets all the way up here into the more populated areas of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and all the way back even toward Knoxville
and Nashville, there will be places in that purple area there, that is about 350 to 400 millimeters of rainfall.
So, you look at it, you look at 12 an inch, at least a foot of rain coming down in the next two and a half days, that is going to cause significant
problems, both freshwater, saltwater, wind damage. And this is going to be one, I believe, for the record books for many people, not for everyone.
We've had bigger storms in other places, but for the areas that it's going to hit, like Tallahassee, Valdosta, Macon, even Savannah, this will be the
biggest storm we've seen many, many years.
ASHER: Yes. 42 million people in Florida, in Alabama, in Georgia, as you point out, under hurricane warnings. It's going to be a big one. Chad Myers
live for us there. Thank you so much.
Right. Still to come here on "First Move." China is flexing its military might in the Pacific by announcing an intercontinental missile test. What
it means for regional security and Beijing's relations with the west coming up.
Plus, Kamala Harris on the economy. The Democrat announcing new details of her economic plan in the battleground State of Pennsylvania. Will it
satisfy critics who say that she's been a bit too vague on economic issues?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back in today's Money Move. U.S. stocks took a breather from their record run on Wednesday with a Dow and S&P falling from
all-time highs. The NASDAQ finishing virtually flat. Stocks in the news include Boeing, whose shares fell more than 2 percent. A new FAA report
claims Boeing factory workers felt pressure was to prioritize speed over quality when building planes. More than 30,000 factory workers are in on
strike against Boeing after rejecting a proposed contract deal earlier this month.
[18:20:00]
And a mixed day in Asia, but the Shanghai Composite rallied for a second straight session after the Chinese Central Bank announced new stimulus
measures on Tuesday.
Staying in China, Beijing announced Wednesday that it successfully carried out ballistic missile test in the Pacific Ocean. It's the first time China
publicly announced an ICBM test in some four decades, and it comes amid growing Chinese military assertiveness in the Asia Pacific region. China
says it was part of routine training. It also said that it notified governments in the area in advance.
Bonny Lin joins us live now from Washington, D.C. She's a senior fellow for Asian Security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Bonny, thank you so much for being with us. So, this is of course, a region that is already tense because of Beijing's territorial claims and also its
rivalry with the U.S. What does this test teach us about China's long-range nuclear capabilities?
BONNY LIN, SENIOR FELLOW FOR ASIAN SECURITY, CSIS: Sure. Thank you for having me, Zain. I think before we get to what the test teaches, it's
probably important to clarify a couple of things. One is we still don't know what type of ICBM, what type of missile China fired. It was definitely
long-range, meaning that it could reach the United States, but we don't know if it was the most recent Dongfeng 41 or a Dongfeng 31.
But either one, as you mentioned, can carry nuclear weapons. It's just one can carry a lot more nuclear weapons and one can carry one type -- one
nuclear weapon. But we do know that, as you mentioned, this is not actually part of China's regular testing. It's not part of their regular military
plan. As you mentioned, this is the first occurrence in over 44 years. So, it's very abnormal and very significant.
From my perspective, China is clearly using this test to convey a number of messages. I would say the first message relates to how the missile flew the
trajectory of the missile. So, if you look at the missile, it was launched from Hainan, China's, I guess, equivalent of Florida, and then it flew in
between -- over the waters in between the Philippines and Taiwan. And then, it landed some almost 12,000 kilometers far -- further from that in the
Pacific, as you mentioned.
And that trajectory, I think, is meant, from China's perspective, to convey a number of signals, including to the Philippines, to Taiwan, and to the
United States. I'm happy to elaborate if you want to discuss any of the specific messages that China may have intended to convey.
ASHER: Well, speaking of messages, I mean, is it largely about deterrence or is there more to it than that?
LIN: I think it's a -- it's definitely largely deterrence, but it's also maybe particular given some of the recent developments in the region. So,
for example, with the Philippines, we know that China has been objecting to U.S. deployment of a mid-range missile system to Northern Philippines, the
typhoon missile system.
And the Chinese trajectory of its most recent ICBM test is quite close to in Northern Philippines. So, I think that's one message that China is
trying to convey to the Philippines and United States, please remove your missiles. And China's using a missile flight of its own to demonstrate
that.
Also, we know that in the past year or two that China's -- the PLA Rocket Force, the unit responsible for managing, as well as in this case, testing
China's missiles has been under a lot of internal pressure that has had corruption scandals and various other issues, including reporting in the
United States that some of its missiles were filled with water. I think that's false reporting, but lots of allegations of how incompetent it is.
So, it is in China's interest to also demonstrate its military capabilities to the United States and to the International Community at large.
ASHER: And typically, it does conduct these sorts of tests internally. So, I mean, what is this sort of change in approach supposed to convey as well?
LIN: That's a really great question. So, this is, of course, not the first ICBM test since 1980, but the first full range test that we've seen a
missile travel nearly 12,000 kilometers over water. So, that's been the first one since 1980.
So, I think by engaging in this test, China is trying to demonstrate its capabilities, but also, potentially what we need to watch moving forward
is, is this the beginning of trying to doing these tests much more regularly, both to advance his capabilities, but demonstrate its power?
We know from, for example, United States does this a lot more regularly. Like we do ICBM test longer-range over water a lot more regularly than
China. And it could be China trying to showcase an International Community that it wants to be like a great power like the United States. It wants to
flex its muscles.
ASHER: You mentioned the message, of course, of deterrence. You mentioned the message it's trying to convey to the Philippines. How are China's
neighbors responding to this?
LIN: I think not surprisingly. China's neighbors are quite some are surprised and some are quite worried. So, you mentioned some of the prior
notification. I believe there was a very short prior notification that China provided the United States, but from what I'm seeing, I don't think
China provided that notification to Japan.
[18:25:00]
I don't know if they would have provided it to the Philippines or other countries and it wouldn't be surprising if China didn't do so, because in -
- typically, China has been much more respectful and aware of U.S. military power and our capabilities, and China hasn't always been that respectful of
its neighbors as it engages in various operations, military activities in its periphery.
ASHER: All right. Bonny Lin, live for us there from the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. We appreciate you
being with us.
All right. Still to come, two presidential candidates, two economic plans, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump discussed their proposals for strengthening
the U.S. economy in speeches on Wednesday. Will it helped move the needle in one of the closest presidential races in U.S. history? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right. Welcome back to "First Move" with a look at more international headlines this hour. A deadly strain of mpox has been
detected in India's southern state of Kerala. Authorities say a man was diagnosed with the virus after recently travelling to Dubai. More than two
dozen people who came into contact with him are now in self-quarantine. The strain has also been found in several African nations as well as Sweden and
Thailand.
Los Angeles police have arrested an armed hijacker who took control of a public bus. The one-hour pursuit ended after police punctured the bus's
tires with a spike strip. One person on the bus was shot and died from their injuries. The driver and one passenger were rescued.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a stark warning to world leaders at the U.N. on Wednesday. He told the U.N. General Assembly that
Russia is considering a major escalation in its war in Ukraine, which includes attacks on nuclear power plants.
[18:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Recently, I received yet another alarming report from our intelligence. Now, Putin does seem to be planning
attacks on our nuclear power plants and the infrastructure aiming to disconnect the plants from the power grid with the help of satellites, by
the way, ladies and gentlemen, by the way, satellites of other countries Russia is getting images and detailed information about the infrastructure
of our nuclear power plants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: After his speech, Zelenskyy joined U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and E.U. leader Ursula von der Leyen and
others who announced a joint declaration in support of Ukraine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: For 944 days, Ukraine people have stood unwavering, unbroken, and unbowed. Today, we're launching a joint declaration of support for Ukraine,
recovery, and reconstruction to make it clear we stand with Ukraine, now and in the future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Zelenskyy is set to present his so-called victory plan to President Biden in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, and Biden is expected to announce a
new U.S. military aid to Ukraine as well.
Democratic Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris unveiled new details of her economic plan on Wednesday during a speech in the battleground State of
Pennsylvania. The speech comes amid criticisms that she has been slow to fill in the details of what she'd do for the economy of the country if
elected president.
Harris discussing her proposals for helping middle class families and boosting small business startups. She also says she's committed to helping
support industries that will help drive American innovation in the future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS (D), U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: I will recommit the nation to global leadership in the sectors
that will define the next century. We will invest in the future. In biomanufacturing and aerospace, remain dominant in A.I. and quantum
computing, blockchain, and other emerging technologies. Expand our lead in clean energy, innovation, and manufacturing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Harris has challenged Donald Trump also discussing his economic proposals during an event in North Carolina. He pledged to boost
manufacturing by offering tax cuts to U.S.-based companies and reiterated his support for tariffs. All this as a recently released CNN poll shows
Donald Trump easily beating Harris on the issue of the economy. 50 percent of likely voters polled say they trust him more on pocketbook issues versus
less than 40 percent for Kamala Harris.
Margaret Talev joins us live now. She's the director of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism, and Citizenship at Syracuse University, and she's a
senior contributor at Axios. Margaret, thank you so much for being with us.
So, roughly around five weeks until election day here in the U.S. A lot of voters have often said that they need more information on -- from Kamala
Harris in terms of specifics about what she would do for the U.S. economy. Did they get that from this speech?
MARGARET TALEV, SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR, AXIOS AND DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY, JOURNALISM AND CITIZENSHIP, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: Well, she's
certainly trying to redefine what the economy means and what the economy was and where it's going. So, I think, you know, we'll see. I mean,
everyone is -- including her team is watching these polls very closely there. The voters who still say that they're undecided tend to be torn over
a couple of issues on the social front.
They may like reproductive freedom and that sort of thing, which she offers more, but they look back to the four years ago days, sort of pre-COVID,
that's what they remember about the Trump administration. They don't remember the throes of COVID. They remember the before times when they felt
that they had more money in their pocket. That's -- that is essentially what she needs to redefine. And that's (INAUDIBLE) argument, it's not just
an economy argument.
ASHER: Yes. I mean, that is the big question. I mean, she also needs to win back voters who blame Biden for the high cost of living. How does she do
that?
TALEV: It's pretty tough because, you know, you experience your pocketbook every day. When you go to the grocery store, food is more expensive. It's
interesting to note that the administration really has not -- and now, the Harris campaign really has not fleshed out that argument that inflation
sprang out of COVID, that if Former President Trump were the president right now, we would still be in an inflationary period.
I'm waiting to see how much they really test that message in the closing weeks of the campaign. They spent a lot of time, both Biden and then
Harris, trying to explain why the economy wasn't as bad as people felt. I think now there's a recognition and she's been testing it. They have to say
basically the famous Bill Clinton line, I feel your pain.
But beyond then, what are you going to do about it? How are you going to talk about it? What hope can you give people that their salaries will catch
up, that inflation will come down? That is the essence. These are highly psychological messages that she needs to lean into if she wants to gain
ground with those voters.
[18:35:00]
ASHER: Yes. And one of her core messages is, listen, you know, I am for the middle class. I'm for the ordinary American, whereas Former President Trump
is for millionaires and billionaires. The key question, though, is how does her economic message actually differ from what Joe Biden has been preaching
over the past four years?
TALEV: Yes. And that -- and what we see really, in terms of the breakdown is that the Republican Party has gained a tremendous amount of ground in
terms of kind of winning over the hearts and minds of a lot of white working-class voters and that working-class vote largely splits along
racial lines in this country.
So, part of Harris' messaging or tactic has been, and will continue to be talking to working-class voters of color, to women who are working-class
voters, they are likely -- more likely to go in her direction. It may be more difficult to find persuadable white male working-class voters, not to
say she's not going to try, but when you see how her messaging and her advertising is targeted it follows those contours.
ASHER: All right. Margaret Talev, the director of the Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship at Syracuse University. Margaret,
thank you so much for being with us.
All right. A Senate report has revealed new details about the moments right before a gunman hit Donald Trump in the ear during a rally in July. Team
Trump says he will return to the same venue in Butler, Pennsylvania for a rally in October.
And the Secret Service is under pressure to respond to multiple breaking stories about other possible incidents, as Paula Reid reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: Take a look at what happened --
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Stunning Secret Service failures around the first Trump assassination attempt
detailed in a newly released bipartisan Senate report, citing interviews with top Secret Service officials and local law enforcement who provided
security at the July rally. The report concludes failures were foreseeable and preventable and found that many of the problems identified remain
unaddressed by the Secret Service.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): There was nobody in charge on the ground in Pennsylvania.
REID (voice-over): Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal heads a committee that worked on the report. He says change needs to come from the top.
BLUMENTHAL: The buck definitely stops with the head of the agency, the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, has to take charge,
clean house, replace this leadership and provide full disclosure.
REID (voice-over): Among the failures highlighted in the report, failure to set up visual barriers, lack of a plan for how to secure the building where
the shooter took aim and general chaos of communications around the shooter's movements.
The United States Secret Service lead advanced planning agents could not answer questions about who specifically was responsible for determining the
perimeter and who approved the designation of the perimeter. And at least two documents the Secret Service created detailing security for the event
contained errors regarding the positions of the local counter snipers at the event.
Multiple officials, including acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, have acknowledged the issues that day.
RONALD ROWE, ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. SECRET SERVICE: It's important that we hold ourselves accountable for the failures of July 13th and that we use
the lessons learned to make sure that we do not have another failure like this again.
REID (voice-over): As criticism of the response that day has been aware area of bipartisan consensus.
SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): There were multiple failures of the Secret Service and that things have to be better. You know, we were -- the ink was not
even dry on the report until there was a second assassination attempt.
REID (voice-over): Even as Former President Trump continues to praise those responsible for his security.
TRUMP: I give Secret Service a hell of a lot of credit.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. Still to come, we'll hear from the first woman in charge of the WTO. I'll ask her thoughts on the U.S. presidential race and the
future of green energy as well. We'll have much more on that after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:40:00]
ASHER: Welcome back to "First Move." The U.N. is holding its General Assembly this week and global leaders are flocking to New York. The World
Trade Organization released its annual report ahead of the meeting. The WTO finding that trade has helped close the wealth gap between world economies.
But some people, of course, are still being left behind. The economic calculus could change depending on who is in the White House come January.
All right. Let's bring in WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Ngozi, it's been a while. Thank you so much for joining us on the program.
NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: Good to see you, Zain.
ASHER: Good to see you. So, when it comes to the U.S. election, we've got about five weeks to go. You've got Donald Trump and Kamala Harris today
delivering really important economic speeches in an attempt to woo voters. As you know, they have very different visions on the U.S. economy. Donald
Trump threatening heavy, heavy tariffs on imports, also threatening a 200 percent tariff on John Deere tractors, for example, that are made in
Mexico.
Just as head of the World Trade Organization, give us your thoughts on the Trump strategy of using tariffs to instigate a manufacturing boom in the
U.S.
OKONJO-IWEALA: Well, thank you, Zain. First, as head of the World Trade Organization, we don't comment on the U.S. elections, and I'm not saying it
because I want to avoid your question. What I can say is that we wish the U.S. very well in the elections, and we have to focus on delivering the
priorities of the WTO no matter who wins.
What we would like to say is that we need to focus on policies that make sure that we keep an open, fair, and stable, and predictable world trading
system. Because 75 percent of world trading goods still goes on on WTO terms. So, we understand that nations have to look after their own
economies, but whatever can be done to avoid protectionist measures or measures that would fragment the world trading system, that's really what
we'll be focusing on and hoping that our members will support.
ASHER: OK. You cannot, of course, comment on the U.S. elections. I completely understand that. But hypothetically, when you have one candidate
really pushing for tariffs, what are the economic ramifications of that, of those sorts of protectionist measures, Ngozi?
OKONJO-IWEALA: Well, Zain, as I've said, we would like to make sure that protectionist measures are issued and we don't have a situation in which
world trade fragments is held back and there are barriers in the way because, as I said, a large percentage of world trade, 75 percent depends
on open free flow of trade.
And supply chains in the world today are quite complicated and depend on a large number of countries. So, businesses will tell you that they need this
open trade in order for things to work out well for their businesses.
[18:45:00]
So, in that regard, I hope at the WTO we can keep working with all our members to keep trade as open and as free as possible. We also need to
remember the lessons of the 1930s. I think that tariff wars or a situation in which there's a tit for tat retaliation on tariffs may lead to a
situation in which the world loses. So, I hope it will not come to that. We have to learn the lessons of the past. Global trade has lifted more than
1.5 billion people out of poverty.
Yes, it is true. There are parts of the world that didn't benefit. Developing countries didn't benefit as much as they should from integration
into the global system and there are poor regions in rich countries that also did not benefit. Any attempts to try and put supply chains in those
regions and manufacturing in a way that does not walk -- that does not go against WTO rules, we're very much in support.
Actually, we have a term for it at the WTO, it's called re-globalization. We are trying to encourage the decentralization of supply chains to poor
regions and rich countries that didn't benefit from integration and developing countries that didn't benefit. We think this is the way to build
resilience for the world by trying to bring those at the margin into the world trading system.
And you kill two birds with one stone, not only do you create jobs in those places and you include them, you're more inclusive at the same time as you
are building resilience,
ASHER: I want to talk about what's happening at the U.N. Obviously, geopolitics is hugely important every year, but especially this year.
You've got not only wars, ongoing wars in Ukraine and, of course, in Sudan, but you've also got the Middle East on the brink of an all-out war. Just
explain to us what sort of effect this kind of instability, right, when you could have a potential regional all-out war? What sort of effect that kind
of instability could have on the global economy, Ngozi?
OKONJO-IWEALA: Well, of course conflict makes for unpredictability and uncertainty, and that has an impact on the global economy because
businesses find it very difficult to make decisions. You also have the impact of conflict on trading routes, for instance, like we have on the Red
Sea. All of this, you know, raises the cost of doing business, the cost of doing trade and that also has an impact on the global economy.
So, one thing feeds into the other. So, having peace is very important to have trade, to have global growth. And global growth is also good for
peace. So, it's like a two-way feedback loop.
ASHER: And finally, just in terms of climate change. Obviously, this is the perennial sort of question that I'm sure that you get, but what are some of
the trade policies that governments could implement in order to help with climate change mitigation? Give us your take on that.
OKONJO-IWEALA: Oh, we think that trade is a wonderful instrument and should be used in order to help us move to net zero by 2050. We see green trade as
one of the opportunities that we have today, a $1.9 trillion business and growing. And trade policies that try to lower barriers and lower tariffs on
green goods, I think, are good for the economy so that more countries, especially developing countries, can have access to the new technologies at
affordable costs. This is a problem we all have to solve together as a globe.
So, trade is very good for transferring technology from parts where it's made to parts where they're needed. So, open trade that is allows access to
affordable renewables, for instance, is something we very much support and we encourage governments to look at their tariff policies and make sure
that they do not have higher tariffs on renewables than they have on fossil fuel products, for instance, that occurs in certain tariff regimes in some
countries. So, this is one clever thing that governments could look at immediately to help spur green trade.
ASHER: All right. Director-general of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, always good to see you and good luck with your run for a
second term. Appreciate you being with us. We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
ASHER: For Asia-backed fans of Portuguese food, you don't need to fly to Europe to get a taste. You can get it in Macau. Marc Stewart has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (VOICE-OVER): Pedro Almeida moved to Macau from Portugal in 2015.
PEDRO ALMEIDA, EXECUTIVE CHEF, PORTUGUESE RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL CONCEPTS: I love cooking since I was a kid. Macau seems a bit Portuguese. So, I
decided to come to Macau and start to cook Portuguese traditional food.
STEWART (voice-over): The 31-year-old is the executive chef of Albergue 1601, one of a number of Portuguese restaurants in Macau. Founded in 2010,
his menu features an extensive list of traditional Portuguese classics, including the seafood rice. The secret to Albergue's appeal, authenticity,
he says.
ALMEIDA: The way we can be creative is to bring new dishes that never been in Macau.
STEWART (voice-over): There's no shortage of good Michelin starred restaurants here. But some restauranteurs here are doubling down on Macau's
Portuguese past. Observers like David Wong, a former food and beverage manager at a major hotel chain in Macau says this helps them to stand out
in a crowded competitive space.
DAVID WONG, CEO, F&B MATTERS: Some have been open 40 years, 30 years. So, that's standard test of time. Not many restaurants last that long, right?
And what is real in Macau, I guess, is with history of Portugal being there for 450 years, and you should really try Portuguese for seeing that.
STEWART (voice-over): Albergue 1601 is owned by a restaurant group in Macau that champions Portuguese gastronomy. Its newest venture, Casa Maquista,
pays homage to its Asian home, serving Macanese cuisine, an authentically local cuisine that blends Chinese and Portuguese with influences from
across Southeast Asia, India, and Africa.
ALMEIDA: The Macanese cuisine is a very old cuisine. What we have now is new equipment, new techniques that can make the better textures. We can
keep the meats more juicy. We can control the temperature, something that they couldn't do 500 years ago when Portuguese arrived to Macau.
STEWART (voice-over): And while most visitors to Macau don't come just to eat, according to Wong, he hopes that changes soon. Those who do will find
unique flavors from east and west, and no shortage of good local food.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Hong Kong will welcome two new giant pandas on Thursday. The five- year-old pair are a gift from Mainland China and will be greeted with a ceremony at Hong Kong International Airport. Kristie Lu Stout has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hong Kong is gearing up to welcome two new giant pandas and they will be treated like VIPs on arrival. Gifted by
the Chinese government, the five-year-old pandas are set to arrive midday on Thursday, ahead of China's National Day holiday.
[18:55:00]
There will be a welcome ceremony at the Hong Kong International Airport. An elite police motorcyclist will reportedly escort the pandas to their new
home. The pandas, named An An and Ke Ke, come from a conservation and research center in Chengdu. An An is male. Ke Ke is female. And they were
both born in June of 2019 and are in good health. Now, they are genetically unrelated, but said to have complementary personalities.
Now, when the pandas land in Hong Kong, they will go straight to their new home at Ocean Park, where they will undergo a 30-day quarantine before
spending another month adjusting to their new environment. The pandas will be treated as national treasures.
On Tuesday, Hong Kong's top leader, John Lee, thanked Beijing for the gift.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN LEE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, HONG KONG: I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude to the central government for its care and support for
Hong Kong for gifting two beloved and energetic giant pandas to Hong Kong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STOUT: Hong Kong will have a naming competition to come up with new names for the pandas, but the public won't get a chance to see them until mid-
December.
Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: All right. That's it for the show. Appreciate you joining us. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
