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Isa Soares Tonight
U.K. Braces for More Far-Right Rallies; Foreign Ministers from Islamic Nations Gather; Russia Accuses Ukraine of Unprecedented Incursion; Harris and Walz to Hold Wisconsin Rally; Senator J. D. Vance in Wisconsin; Russia Says Ukraine Crossed Border and Launched Massive Attack; River Seine Water Quality Issue for Olympics in Paris; Simone Biles Talks Speaks to CNN; NASA Gives Update on Starliner Crew in Space. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 07, 2024 - 14:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, police are bracing for more than a 100
protests across the U.K. this hour as far right misinformation fuels violent riots leading to hundreds of arrests. We have the very latest for
you.
Plus, tensions in the Middle East remain on a knife-edge as Foreign Ministers from dozens of Islamic nations are gathered in Jeddah. We'll be
live in the region with the very latest. And Russia accuses Ukraine of a ground incursion in the Kursk region.
Such an attack could put large pressure of course, on the Kremlin. We have all the details for you this hour. But, first, tonight, from an
extraordinary meeting in Jeddah to behind-the-scenes diplomacy in Washington, high-stakes talks are underway that could determine whether a
simmering conflict in the Middle East escalate into a full-scale regional war.
Foreign Ministers from dozens of Islamic nations are gathered in Jeddah at the request of Iran. It has threatened retaliation against Israel after the
assassination of a Hamas leader, if you remember, on Iranian soil. Iran's proxies are also threatening action.
Hezbollah says it's keeping Israel waiting as quote, "part of the punishment". The U.S. is calling on all sides to de-escalate. Iran's new
President spoke by phone today with French President Emmanuel Macron, saying, if the West really wants to prevent a wider war, it must stop
selling arms to Israel and force it to accept a ceasefire in Gaza.
Meantime, a statement by Egypt is raising eyebrows. It has instructed all of its airlines to avoid flying over Tehran overnight for a specific three-
hour period. Let's get all the angles for you to digest, there's a lot for us to go through. Our Nic Robertson is in Jeddah, Jeremy Diamond for us,
joins us tonight as well in Tel Aviv.
Let's start with you first, Nic, we are hearing as you just said from Egypt instructing airline carriers to avoid Tehran tonight. Egypt, I believe is
part of this Organization of Islamic Nations, I'm not sure if they're there, their Foreign Ministers are there. But what are you hearing from
your contacts on the ground there?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: So, this thrust that's emerging, and you've got a sense of it from Emmanuel Macron speaking with
the Iranian President, obviously, separate to the meeting that's been going on here, but the narratives are the same, that if there is a possibility of
a ceasefire in Gaza, then that provides Iran with a face-saving way out of retaliating against Israel for its accusation that they struck and killed
Ismail Haniyeh inside of Tehran.
That's something they want to respond for all that, something they said they'll respond for. But if there was a ceasefire deal in the offering,
then they would be able to say, look, hold on a minute, we value the -- our sovereignty, our territorial integrity. But we also value Palestinian's
lives so much better to go for that ceasefire.
Well, that's not something that if you will, there was an answer for the meeting here today. The meeting here today which lasted about four hours,
there was strong and joint condemnation for Israel, criticizing Israel for killing Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Israel has not said that it did it, but
that's what everyone believes.
And also for violating Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also united criticism of Israel for the deaths of so many Palestinians in
Gaza. I asked the Palestinian permanent representative to the U.N., who was the Palestinian representative in the meeting here, I asked him, did the
meeting here lower the tensions and the risk of escalation at the moment?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIYAD MANSOUR, PERMANENT OBSERVER OF PALESTINE TO THE UNITED NATIONS: The region does not need escalation. What the region needs is a ceasefire. What
the region needs to address --
ROBERTSON: And that depends on Prime Minister Netanyahu --
MANSOUR: The legitimate rights -- I have a feeling that President -- Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to drag President Biden into a war with Iran.
[14:05:00]
And I think that we all should learn the lessons of being dragged into war in Iraq in the past under false -- you know, assumptions. What we need is
peace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: And the question at the moment is that peace going to hold? Is the Iranian acting Foreign Minister on his way back to Tehran now, already,
is he satisfied with it? What has got here with the hard-liners in Tehran be satisfied? And of course, when Egypt announces there's no time, there's
no fly for a certain period of time over Tehran, that raises eyebrows because they were around the table, they will have read the -- you know,
the Iranian response to what they heard in the meeting today.
I think the assessment more broadly is, there is still a window of opportunity here, but it's going to require the United States, definitely
France, maybe the U.K., others maybe, to put pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. That's the de-escalation process that
the meeting here was talking about, this emerging narrative. But it's not clear that the real traction for it is there yet.
SOARES: Yes, and especially with the naming of Yahya Sinwar yesterday, right? For Hamas, that does raise eyebrows in terms of timing, of course,
on any sort of ceasefire. And Jeremy, to you in Haifa, apologies, I said that you are in Tel Aviv, I do know you do travel around, so apologies for
that.
But how is Israel then reading this meeting in Jeddah? Is there a reason perhaps as Nic was pointing out to believe that escalation can be avoided,
that diplomacy perhaps can make Iran re-calculate its actions here?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's no question that Israeli officials were closely watching that meeting in Jeddah like we all are. But
as of now, the Israeli officials I've spoken to have no clear indications yet, that there is a path to de-escalation.
What is instead being suggested to me about the fact that we are now a week removed from the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, and Hamas has yet to
carry out its vow to retaliate. Is the fact that Iran is playing psychological warfare games with the Israeli public. That is, of course,
one interpretation.
And another interpretation could be that they are working to ready their proxies in the region, that they are making plans for the possibility of a
broader regional war, or that they are looking for that diplomatic off-ramp that Nic was just talking about.
I also think that something else that needs to be considered is the fact that Hezbollah has also vowed to carry out retaliation, not just for the
killing of Ismail Haniyeh, but also for the killing of one of its most senior military commanders, Fuad Shukr, which happened just hours before
the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.
And there is also the increasing possibility that Hezbollah could act alone without necessarily a firm green-light or a firm know from Iran itself. And
so, certainly, that is something that Israeli officials are watching for as well.
In the meantime, as they play this waiting game, what we are hearing from Israeli officials are projections of strength, including today from the
Israeli military's top General, General Herzi Halevi, saying that Israel is prepared for all scenarios, and stressing in particular, the ability of the
Israeli military and its Air Force in particular to quickly switch from a defensive scenario to an offensive scenario in any place in the Middle
East, including Lebanon, but also perhaps further away.
SOARES: Jeremy Diamond and Nic Robertson, thank you to you both. I know you'll keep us abreast of any developments in the region. Thank you. Well,
here in the U.K., more than 100 far-right groups are gathering across the country in what could be a repeat of scenes like these from the weekend.
Far-right demonstrators are planning to target asylum centers and immigration lawyers in towns and cities nationwide. Police say more than
6,000 riot officers are on standby to respond to unrest. Racist, as well as Islamophobic violence escalated after the killing of three young girls in
Southport, if you remember, last week, triggering a barrage of false claims online that wrongly identified the suspected killer as an illegal
immigrant.
Investigators say the attacker was in fact born in Welsh capital of Cardiff in the U.K. Anti-racism and anti-fascist groups are organizing counter
protests. Let's get the very latest, Clare Sebastian is in London, Nada Bashir is in Sheffield in northern England, both of course, tracking the
unrest unfolding in parts of the U.K. Nada, just set the scene for us. Where are you? What are you seeing?
NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: Well, Isa, we're in Sheffield in northern England, and I'd say the scene here has calmed down somewhat. There is a
significant police presence around the city center here in anticipation of what could be and what has been called for, riots later this evening in and
around the city center.
[14:10:00]
This morning, we did see a small group of protesters sympathetic to those far-right riots and views that we have seen spreading across the country
over the last week. But they were certainly outnumbered by a counter- protest under the banner of refugees welcome.
Many telling us that they were coming to the city center to take a stand against those far-right views, and to show that the city is welcome to
immigration, to refugees, and that this is a diverse city as many have been doing up and down the country. Take a listen to what one protester told us
earlier this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Want to come out and show that there's more of us than there are of them, and just to show that the weight of the uncertainty in
Sheffield is that, we don't want to be boiling anti-immigrant people to think that they represent the people here. People in Sheffield don't stand
for that.
We're not here to cause trouble. We're just here to show there's -- you know, Sheffield is a welcoming city. Sheffield is a non-racist city, and we
want to show that that's where we stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASHIR: And not too far from here is the town of Rotherham where we were earlier in the week. Over the weekend, a hotel reportedly housing asylum
seekers where they were sheltering was targeted by far-right rioters. We saw huge crowds there smashing windows, threatening the hotel staff and
asylum seekers taking shelter in this hotel.
At one point, they attempted to torch the building and as a result, what we have seen is a real ramping up of law enforcement across cities in northern
England and indeed in the capital where Clare is. There is a significant amount of pressure in the government to quell -- on the government to quell
these riots --
SOARES: Yes --
BASHIR: To put a stop to these far-right movements that we have seen, and of course, as we know already, at least 400 people have been arrested,
around a 100 are said to have been charged so far. And tonight, we are expecting to see a huge presence by police and special security forces
across the country in anticipation of potential riots.
SOARES: Nada, stay with us. Let me go to Clare in London, and Clare, like Nada was saying, you know, we are expecting to see a large mobilization of
police officers, I can see some already behind you. Just talk us through the scene behind you. What's happening?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, to be clear, what we're seeing behind me is a counter protests. These are anti-racism groups, the
banners are saying things like smash fascism and racism. This is a protest, a demonstration that was organized to start around now.
There was also far-right groups on the internet, far-right shots spreading a call to come out to this address just over here behind me, you can see
it's been boarded up, but this is actually an immigration office solicitors found that essentially provides immigration services, asylum application,
student visas, business relocations, all those kinds of things.
And they were on a list, essentially, that was published online where far- right groups weren't expected to turn out at some point in the next hour. I can tell you we haven't seen any sign of that as of yet. So far, it's just
these counter-protesters who are also seeing people from local Muslim and Asian communities come out.
They've been telling us that they simply want to come out and show their numbers and show that they're here to protect their communities. But as
Nada was saying, the police presence is intense. They basically put barriers around this whole area. There's more people gathered over there,
they've sort of separated out.
These people, the Metropolitan police has said that in addition to the thousands of officers already on duty, they've made another 1,300 or so
public order officers available to join. They are making it very clear, not only through the sentences that we've already seen today, but through the
rhetoric that we're hearing from officials that any offenses, any breaking of the law will be cracked down-on extremely hard.
SOARES: And Clare, just broaden it out slightly for us. I mean, who exactly is organizing these far-right riots? Who is behind this, who's
feeding this?
SEBASTIAN: So, this is really the sort of crux of the issue here, Isa, because we're not seeing any sort of central organization here. This is a
sort of desperate group of social media channels where we see in some cases the likes of Tommy Robinson(ph), who is in some ways the de facto leader,
but not at the moment in the U.K., fanning these sort of far-right ideas.
But it's sort of taken on a life of its own. The list that we saw published today of these immigration offices and solicitors offices, they spread
across multiple channels. It's quite hard to track down the original post there.
[14:15:00]
And I think that's what sets this moment apart from previous far-right protests that we've seen. This is a very decentralized force, but right
now, the big question is, would this police presence that we've seen with the sentencing that's happened, which a judge today said was designed to
serve as a deterrent, will we see the same kind of far-right presence that we've seen in the days leading up to this.
SOARES: Yes, the protesting voice against that is Clare, loud and clear too on what this -- where they stand. Clare Sebastian, Nada Bashir there
for us in Sheffield, thank you, ladies, as soon as there are any more developments, please, bring them to us.
Well, joining me now is Humza Yousaf; a former first Minister of Scotland, a member of Scottish parliament from Glasgow parliament. Humza, welcome to
the show. I mean, we are expecting as both our correspondents were outlining there, potentially more riots throughout the country today. I
mean, this is not only absolutely appalling, but that terrifying and can imagine for so many. Why is this happening now and what's fueling this?
HUMZA YOUSAF, POLITICIAN & FORMER SCOTTISH FIRST MINISTER: Look, first of all, let me say you're absolutely right to use the word rioters. I've taken
real exception to some in the media who have called what we've witnessed over the last few days, protests, they're not. Mosques have been attacked,
black and Asian people have been targeted with violence, and we've heard the most vile Islamophobia that I've ever witnessed in my life that's being
said on the streets of the U.K.
This is -- these are race riots. These are pogroms against Muslims and people of color. What's fueling it? Well, this has not happened in a
vacuum. We've had years, if not decades of the far-right rhetoric against immigrants, against Muslims that has been adopted by our political -- by
our politicians, has become mainstreamed in our political discourse.
So, as opposed to confronting the far-right, what we've had is politician after politician. Certainly, in the U.K., government, party after party
adopt that language, dehumanize migrants. And there's been many examples of that. We now have, in fact, just after the general election, a number of
members of the parliament, you have a history, in fact, amid 11 after making anti-immigrant remarks.
And then of course, we had that terrible tragedy, the killing of three beautiful souls, young children in Southport. And of course, we know that
misinformation and disinformation was allowed to run rampant. In fact, was amplified on some social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter.
And of course, the owner of that particular social media platform himself, Elon Musk, playing a hand and amplifying that disinformation as well,
because we know that the individual who's been charged with these terrible murders is not a Muslim refugee as the disinformation suggested initially.
In fact, he was born in the U.K. --
SOARES: Yes --
YOUSAF: And of course, run a selfless -- was once a quiet boy with no links to Islam.
SOARES: Let's talk about misinformation because that's such an important part of the story as our correspondent was saying that's really much, also
fanning the flames of these riots really across the U.K. You mentioned Elon Musk, a force, of course, we'll get him in just a moment.
But Nigel Farage, of course, the reform U.K. leader, he posted a video on X, I think it was on Monday, asking whether truth has been hidden. I think
he -- it was being withheld, pardon me, regarding the person behind -- the teenager behind that brutal killing of those three young girls.
We've also seen comments like you said, quite rightly, Humza, about -- from Elon Musk, who has -- I think it's important to point out here, 193 million
followers on X, a multibillionaire social media boss, who has waded into this. We're showing one of the tweets, saying "civil war is inevitable".
I mean, they're not on the streets, but they are -- they're not on the streets rioting, but they are -- they do have responsibility. Do they not
to this? So, what can be done?
YOUSAF: They are instigators and they -- in a world that is full of -- full of Islamophobes, full of those who will indulge in anti-immigrant
rhetoric. Nigel Farage is the very cheerleader. He has, of course, in the past said that Muslims are a fifth column in the U.K., waiting to kill
people in the U.K. He has said that migrants are coming here to take us over.
He started the general election campaign by saying many Muslims do not share British values. If there is a dog-whistle to be blown, then Nigel
Farage will always be --
SOARES: Right --
YOUSAF: At the very front of the queue. As for Elon Musk, he is one of -- I would suggest, one of the most dangerous men on the planet. He uses his
billions, he is unaccountable to anyone to amplify far-right white supremacist ideology.
[14:20:00]
He has, as you have rightly said, suggested, I think instinct -- is hoping for civil war in some parts of Europe, including in the U.K. And instead of
using X as the platform for good and using his enormous wealth for good, he is using it, I think for the most wicked, evil possible.
And in terms of regulation, let me say, this is something that the Prime Minister Keir Starmer will now have to think seriously about --
SOARES: Yes --
YOUSAF: What more needs to be done. We need to have better regulation to ensure that we don't have the kind of disinformation that has run rampant
in the last week. That'd be allowed to do so in the future with such devastating consequences.
SOARES: That is crucial. Another aspect of this, and I'm hoping you can expand for our audience around the world is, is the conversation across the
country, I wonder what you say to those -- to those, Humza, who have a serious concern and legitimate concern about immigration and asylum.
How does the country have this nuance conversation about immigration, about asylum seekers you think?
YOUSAF: Well, look, we managed to have it in Scotland, I think with some nuance. Now, Scotland isn't perfect. I'm not pretending that we don't have
racism or Islamophobia here. Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of it for many years. But in the last survey that came out, in terms of public
attitudes, the view of migration in Scotland had increased positively.
Now, the reason for that is not down to the political party that I belong to, but for 25 years since we've had a Scottish parliament, all of the
politicians, all of the political parties have spoken very positively about the benefits of migration, because ultimately, although, of course, nobody
ever wants uncontrolled migration.
Migration to the United Kingdom has been good. It's contributed to our economy, has contributed to our society, to our culture, to academia,
goodness, it's even contributed, dare I say, to our cuisine. So, the contribution of migrants has been very positive indeed.
But what politicians have done is because of their failures over successive years. What they've done is blamed the other, blamed the migrant.
SOARES: Yes --
YOUSAF: If I take just one example of that, if I may, housing is one of the biggest issues. A number of people you'll hear say incorrectly,
inaccurately, that I can't get a house because asylum seeker will get a house ahead of me. That is just a myth. But also the problem with housing
is that the U.K. government over so many decades has not built enough social housing.
SOARES: Yes --
YOUSAF: In 1979, 6.5 million council houses, there's now just over 2 million council houses. They sold off the council house stock. So, look,
what Keir Starmer could do, and I'll end on this point, that --
SOARES: Yes --
YOUSAF: Keir Starmer could and should do, the Prime Minister is that he should use this opportunity to reset the narrative of migration to say yes,
we're acknowledge legitimate concerns, let's talk about those. Let's talk about the solutions, but let's also not blame the other for the problems
I'm afraid of politicians over the last few decades. Migrants have contributed and frankly, we need them.
Otherwise, our economy --
SOARES: Indeed --
YOUSAF: And our public services will collapse in the future.
SOARES: Indeed, and we have mentioned, is it -- and just for our viewers right around the world, and you know, you are Scottish, you were the
leaders -- you were the leader of Scottish government, you are Muslim, I believe, your family, you have family in Gaza.
On a personal level here, Humza, I mean, how the last week has been for you and your families, especially when you're putting into light what we are
seeing, not just in the U.K., but also across Europe, the rise of the far- right?
YOUSAF: Absolutely. I just wrote a column just last month, actually, we are seeing the rise of the far-right across Europe, and in fact, across the
West. I'm afraid also --
SOARES: Yes --
YOUSAF: And other parts of the West including the United States. And that is driven largely by anti-Muslim, but also anti-immigrant rhetoric. Hell,
the last week felt it. It felt frankly bloody horrendous. I mean, I am as you just said a moment ago, I am Scottish as they come. I was born in
Scotland, raised in Scotland.
Just welcomed my third daughter, you can probably see her call right behind me just knocking --
SOARES: Congratulations --
YOUSAF: The front door -- to this world. I don't want to leave Scotland. I was the leader of the Scottish government for over a year, leader of the
Scottish National Party. I'm as Scottish as they come. But in the last week, I have genuine doubts about whether or not my children will be safe
in the United Kingdom.
How can I say otherwise when black and Asian people have been targeted with violence. When Mosques have been attacked, when the most vile Islamophobia
has been chanted on our streets. And I don't have any other home. This is the only home I have.
So, I have to say every Muslim I know in the United Kingdom, and I suspect this is true across many parts of Europe too. They are questioning whether
or not the future for their children is in the United Kingdom, and whether they can be safe here or not.
[14:25:00]
SOARES: That is sad and terrifying as well to hear. Humza, appreciate it, congratulations to you and your partner of the --
YOUSAF: Thank you --
SOARES: Birth of your daughter. Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. Thank you very much --
YOUSAF: Thank you --
SOARES: Humza. And still to come on the show tonight, the new U.S. Democratic presidential ticket hits the campaign trail in the battleground
state of Wisconsin, following the debut, of course, of Tim Walz, we'll go there live next. Plus, Russia is accusing Ukraine of a new cross-border
attack. Nick Paton Walsh will have the very latest for us, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, 90 days if you're counting, that's how long the brand new Democratic U.S. presidential ticket has to win over American voters.
You're looking at live pictures in Wisconsin as you can see there, where any moment, Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz will
hold a rally.
It is the start, of course, of a week-long campaign towards battleground states, including a visit to Michigan later today. Walz was greeted by an
enthusiastic crowd when he was introduced as Harris' VP on Tuesday in Philadelphia. The former high school teacher and football coach leaned into
his every man-appeal and Midwestern roots. And he took very little time really attacking his Republican opponents. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIM WALZ, U.S. DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Donald Trump sees the world a little differently than us.
(BOOING)
WALZ: First of all, he doesn't know the first thing about service. He doesn't have time for it because he's too busy serving himself. Violent
crime was up under Donald Trump, that's not even counting the crimes he committed.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That's some good jokes as well. CNN Politics senior reporter Stephen Collinson is with us from Washington. Stephen, good to see you. We
are expecting, we said, to hear from both Harris and Walz, of course, in Wisconsin -- we're just showing viewers there live pictures.
So, apologies if I have to interrupt. But you know, here, they start really their battleground blitz, and it's going to be quite significant. Ninety
days until election, what's the message they need to lead with? What issues and you think they need to press here?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think they really need to press the economic issue because that is the most important one to a lot
of voters across that swathe of battleground states. It's significant where they are today. Wisconsin was won by President Joe Biden in 2020 and
President Trump won it in 2016.
[14:30:00]
It's one of three key states. Pennsylvania, where the vice president and the new vice presidential nominee were last night. And Michigan, where
they're going later today. I think the key to the election could well be in those three states. That's why they've started there. And I think for many
reasons, that's why the vice president made the selection she did.
Tim Walz is this archetypal Midwestern figure, the football coach, the high school teacher. He is a middle-class white man. And of course, that leavens
a little bit the historic potential of Harris at the top of the ticket, who would be the first black woman president and the first Indian American
president.
So, he's certainly appealing, I think, to that demographic, the white male demographic, which is a key factor in Midwestern politics in the next three
months.
SOARES: Yes, and in the last 24 hours or so, we have seen their chemistry in action. In your latest piece for cnn.com, you write, Kamala Harris and
Tim Walz want to make America joyful again. That was your first line in your piece. But then you went on to say, running in campaign rooted in
hopefulness and good cheer at a time when many Americans feel demoralized and tired could backfire. You talk economics. What else? What do Americans
want to hear from them?
COLLINSON: It's very interesting that there's now a very stark comparison between the two parties' presidential tickets. Trump is selling a dystopian
vision of a nation in the grip of crime, massive immigration, a country that's falling apart and needs a strong man to fix it.
Hitherto, the Biden campaign has been talking a lot about democracy under threat. And it's not exactly the most optimistic image either. There are
real throwbacks, I think, between now what we're seeing from the Harris campaign, the pivot in the last few weeks to a much more optimistic, hope
fueled message. And it does remind me a lot of the Obama campaign in 2008.
That event last night in Philadelphia, which I was at, was the most energy I've seen in a Democratic event since 2008. You certainly didn't see that
with Hillary Clinton, for example, in 2016. And then, we had the COVID campaign in 2020. So, that is the trine of -- the transformational vibe, I
think, that the Harris campaign is now trying to conjure.
The question is whether that's a good fit for a country that has endured a lot over the last eight years. Perhaps everyone is ready to move on from
the darkness of the Trump era and what followed the pandemic and everything else. But if it's wrong, it could be it could be a mistake and we'll see --
SOARES: Let me interrupt Stephen. Stephen, let me interrupt. Apologies. I want to listen to J. D. Vance, who's obviously holding -- is also holding a
rally in Wisconsin. Let's listen in.
SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The presumptive nominee of the Democrat Party for 17 days and refuses to take a
single question from the American media. Now, it's well known, of course, that President Trump and I will go anywhere, we'll answer any question
because we respect the American people enough to actually ask them for their vote, rather than sit in front of a teleprompter, read scripted
lines, and run away from every reporter and every actual citizen who's going to decide this election. I think it's a scandal and I think the vice
president should be ashamed of herself.
So, hopefully our reporters out there in the audience will start doing their job a little bit and going and demanding that Kamala Harris actually
answer to the American people. And what should she answer for? And I guess an important thing to point out here before I kick it over to you guys for
some questions.
Well, one thing she should answer for, we're in a great American manufacturing facility here, and I appreciate you all showing up and
standing behind me. But one thing we know is that you cannot manufacture in this country unless you have access to low-cost power. And we happen to be
sitting on the Saudi Arabia of natural gas in this country. We happen to have unlimited oil and gas resources right here in the United States of
America. And yet, Kamala Harris would rather get energy from tin pot dictators in Iran and Russia than from American citizens and American
workers.
And not only is that driving up the cost of power for hardworking American families, it's also making it harder and harder to manufacture right here
in the United States of America. And I'm one of these guys who believes that it's important that we make more things right here in the USA. We
ought to make more of our own pharmaceuticals. We ought to make more of our own manufactured goods. We ought to make more of our own food. We have to
be self-sufficient as a people. And if we're not self-sufficient, then it's going to allow the communist Chinese to run all over us. And that's exactly
what they've been doing under the Harris administration.
The other thing that Kamala Harris ought to answer for is this terrible crisis at the American Southern border. She has been the border czar for
three and a half years and Americans have suffered because of it. I know this community has been affected by it. I know I've seen the consequences
of it personally, but the fentanyl that the Mexican drug cartels are bringing into our country, it is killing Americans by the bushels, and it
is unnecessary. It is happening because of failed public policy.
[14:35:00]
I talked to somebody just yesterday, actually, two kids, a 19-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl. And their mom and dad had died of a fentanyl
overdose just five years prior when they were 10 and 14 years old, these two kids were orphaned. And they're incredible kids. And I told him I was
rooting for them. And I just -- I can't believe that our leadership has let what has happened to these children happen. It's not necessary. There's no
American that wants the Mexican drug cartels to take advantage of our country and make billions of dollars selling drugs into our communities.
And these kids suffered because of it.
You have a little girl who's bounced around four foster homes in just the past four years because of the poison that took her parents from her. And
you ask yourselves, why are we doing this? Why are we letting this stuff come into our country? I know very personally the pain of addiction. Some
of you saw my RNC remarks, but, you know, my mom struggled with addiction for pretty much my entire life. And she's been clean and sober for nearly
10 years now, and that's an incredible blessing for my family and incredible blessing for my kids to be able to get to know their
grandmother.
But I really believe that if the poison that Kamala Harris is letting come across the border in 2024 was coming across the border 15 years ago or 12
years ago, I would have never got that second chance with my mom and we would have never had the opportunity to see her build a wonderful
relationship with her three grandchildren.
And if this campaign of Donald Trump's and mine is about anything, it's about preserving the American dream, and the American dream is sometimes a
thing of second chances. We want moms and dads to recover from addiction and get another chance with their kids. We want kids who come from a poor
family to be able to stand here and run for vice president of the United States because it's the greatest country in the world, and we are proud of
it, and it provides incredible bounty and incredible opportunity to our people.
We want kids who grew up in low-income families to be able to walk outside and walk down the street without being afraid of a violent crime because
violent crime has skyrocketed under the Harris administration. We want police officers to be able to do their job and maybe receive a thank you
from their federal government and not a federal government that makes their job more and more difficult.
And in all these areas, we have a country that's going in the wrong direction thanks to Kamala Harris. And I think that it's important to say
we could be doing so much better. And not just that we could be doing so much better, we were doing so much better when Donald J. Trump was
president of the United States.
We had somebody who was fighting for American manufacturing, American workers, and fighting for their jobs. We had somebody who was empowering
our police and making it easier for them to do their jobs. We had somebody who was stopping the flow of fentanyl and stopping the Mexican drug cartels
from taking advantage of our country. And we had somebody who was pursuing the kind of economic policies where you could build a life in your home
without having groceries become unaffordable, without having housing become unaffordable.
The most consistent complaint that I hear from people --
SOARES: What you've been listening there, that's Republic and vice presidential nominee J. D. Vance. They're speaking in Wisconsin. We are
waiting as well to hear from Kamala Harris as well as Tim Walz who is also holding an event. We're seeing dueling events in Wisconsin this hour. Of
course, we'll bring that to you.
But what we've heard him attacking, as you'd expect, Kamala Harris. Saying that she has to answer for crisis on America's border, for fentanyl prices
in United States, blaming her for failed public policy, not just her but also the current president. And it says the campaign that he has and that
Trump has is about preserving the American dream and second chances, then tapping into his story his biography the story of his mother and of
addiction, which is the base, of course, of "Hillbilly Elegy," the book, which then turned into a movie. So, that's J. D. Vance in Oakland,
Wisconsin.
We were showing you just a minute ago, if we can just get my producer to bring that up, this is the dueling rally we're waiting to see, also in
Wisconsin, from the vice president -- Democratic vice president, of course from Harris and Walz when that -- when they appear, when we hear from them,
of course, we will bring that to you.
In the meantime, we are going to take a short break. After this, Russia claims Ukraine has crossed its border and executed a major attack. We have
a live report on the very latest, next
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. The Russian government is accusing Ukraine of escalating the war Russia started with a new assault. Russia says
Ukrainian troops crossed the border into the Kursk region. You can see that on your map. Their troops launched what it deemed a massive attack.
Video from the area shows low flying aircraft and black smoke rising from burnt out vehicles. Russia says about 300 troops plus tanks and armored
vehicles hit Russian positions. Ukrainian authorities have not commented on these claims despite significant video evidence of the assault. A Russian
official says several thousand people have left the region in the past day.
Our Nick Paton Walsh joins me now for much more on this. So, Nick, what are you hearing from your contacts, from your sources about Ukraine and why it
did this?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ukraine is saying nothing about whether it was them or not. And that's sort
of conspicuous, really. You would expect some sort of commentary. Nothing at all. Although, there's no real other candidate for this at all. This is
a large military incursion from Ukraine into Russia.
In the past, we've seen often Russian citizens fighting for Ukraine. So, small bands of militants trying this kind of thing. This looks more like
something substantial. The Russians certainly say it's the crop proper Ukrainian military.
How far did they get? Well, pretty far indeed. Three, four miles, it seems, inside Russia. A town called Sudzha, it seems to have been predominantly
their target. The mayor of there saying that it's very tense inside there, that they're busy evacuating people. Signs, video of the streets
significantly damaged. And there appear to be other prongs in this offensive as well.
Even video suggesting a significant number, perhaps, of captured Russian servicemen. We can't verify it, but it appears to be in the correct area.
And that's what Ukrainian sources are claiming.
[14:45:00]
SOARES: And for so long, we've been talking about, you know, the 600-mile front line and how much pressure Ukrainians are under, of course, to push
back the Russians. So, with Ukrainians -- why would the Ukrainians -- just talk us through the strategy, why go this far, what are they trying to hit,
what is the thinking here?
WALSH: It's a bit early. So, we don't know the full picture, but the first obvious answer is, this now means that Vladimir Putin, who called this a
major provocation, said that the Ukrainians were firing indiscriminately on civilians, a bit rich, given Russia's been doing that for years, and now,
his forces say they've halted it, he's going to have to bring in reinforcements, already signs of that, from around Russia, to stop this
assault from spreading and becoming worse.
So, it puts the Russians on their back foot, catches them off guard, clearly. Bit of an embarrassment. And for Ukraine, certainly already, it's
a headline that isn't Ukraine is slowly losing, and Ukraine is waiting for weapons. So, some positive effect for Kyiv.
But there are some analysts suggesting there might be a wider play, potentially, here. Sudzha has a gas terminal on the border area between
Ukraine and Russia that is key for gas deliveries from Russia to Ukraine to Europe. They're still going on despite this war being in its third year.
And while there's been no change in transit at all today, according to the public records, we've seen this could be potentially part of Ukraine's game
plan here. Can they hold it? Can they influence its production? Unclear.
But we're certainly seeing here Ukraine trying something that looks pretty new, pretty different, has been significantly effective a day and
yesterday, just in terms of the sheer embarrassment of what they've managed to achieve. But there are also questions too, about the broader strategy.
What are they trying to do and why are these resources potentially not being used in the Donbass region where Ukraine is really losing ground
slowly to Russia? And many Ukrainian commanders and observers are beginning to question that strategy and that resourcing, too.
SOARES: Nick, appreciate it. Thank you very much. And still to come tonight, river water quality continues to be an issue for the Olympics in
Paris. Now, one Olympian is speaking out about falling ill after swimming in the Seine. We'll have that story for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: And we have some breaking news to bring you. The Associated Press is reporting two people have been arrested in Austria, one of whom is
suspected of plotting, I should say, possible attacks on events in the Vienna area, including Taylor Swift concerts later this week.
An official said authorities were aware of preparations for a possible attack and that a 19-year-old suspect was focused on the concerts. The
official says the 19-year-old had pledged allegiance to ISIS. Authorities have raised security for Swift's concerts, of course, which begin on
Friday. So, the breaking news coming in to us, Associated Press reporting two people have been arrested in Austria, one of whom is suspected of
plotting possible attack on events in the Vienna, in Austria area, including Taylor Swift's concerts that are taking place later this week.
[14:50:00]
We'll stay on top of this breaking news story, of course, as any more developments, we will bring them to you.
I want to go to France now, to the Olympics. The water quality of the Seine has been an issue throughout the Games, as you all know, in Paris. Belgian
triathlete Claire Michel says blood tests show she did not contract E. coli after swimming in the river. However, she did get a virus and became ill
for days. Athletes were cleared to train in the Seine today, just one day after all sessions were cancelled due to poor water quality.
In other Olympic news, U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles continues his quest for gold today. He just competed in the men's 200-meter semifinals, coming
second to advance to the finals. This hours after of course capturing gold by a split second, if you remember that footage, what a footage it was, in
the 100-meter race.
Well, gymnast Simone Biles ends the Paris Olympics with three more gold medals and a silver. The Team USA superstar even wears a flashy GOAT
necklace, which I love, so she's not subtle about being called the greatest of all time. And why she should be subtle?
But after taking second in the floor exercise, she's heaping praise on her Brazilian rival, Rebeca Andrade. Biles spoke about her time in Paris with
CNN's Coy Wire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COY WIRE, CNN WORLD SPORT: Simone, you just seem like you are on another level of excitement, of gratitude for this moment this time around. Why
were these games so important to you?
SIMONE BILES, USA GYMNAST: Well, it was important to me because nobody forced me to be out there on that stage. I solely did it for myself and I'm
in a really good spot mentally and physically. So, doing this for just me and meant the world.
WIRE: And you overcame a lot to get here. We all know that. Did you feel any of those demons start to come creeping in the mind again? And if so,
how'd you deal with them?
BILES: Yes, I dealt with them in therapy. Obviously, you always have those thoughts coming in the back of your head, but just trying to stay as
positive as possible, going back to what I know, thinking about my therapy tactics and it worked.
WIRE: That's so important.
BILES: Yes.
WIRE: An iconic moment, the podium, bowing down to Rebeca there. Young girls out there today are getting torn apart left and right, torn down. How
important was it for you to show the world it's OK to adjust each other's crowns?
BILES: No, absolutely. I think it was really important for that moment. Obviously, it was just me and Jordan being me and Jordan, but I know it was
really special and it was very impactful for kids to see that. You win with grace, you lose with grace.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Very graceful gymnast indeed. And to another sensation now, some call her the robot because she can do just about anything on a skateboard,
including, of course, winning a gold medal. 14-year-old Arisa Trew became Australia's youngest Olympic champion ever when she clinched gold in the
women's final on Tuesday.
After winning gold, the record-breaking skater asked her parents just for one gift, not a new car or a new phone, but a pet duck, Truw says she wants
to take the duck on walks and of course to the skate park. Can't wait to see the video of that.
And still to come tonight, rumors swirl about the fate of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. We'll have more about two astronauts stuck on board.
That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: Well, two NASA astronauts are still waiting in space with no clear date for when they may return. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are on the
first crew test flight of Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The veteran space travelers have now been in space, get this, 63 days after what was supposed
to be only a weeklong mission.
The U.S. Space Agency says it's exploring contingency options to bring Williams and Wilmore back to Earth, including keeping the pair on the
International Space Station for another six months until February 2025. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that at some point we need to bring Butch and Suni home. While they're up there, we have extra crews, we have extra
hands, they can do a lot more work, but they're also using up more consumables, more supplies. So, we have to maintain that balance. And at
some point, we need to bring those folks home and get back to a normal crew size on the ISS.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Wow. Six months seems like a very long time indeed. We'll hope to have more on this story in tomorrow's show.
Thanks very much for your company. In the meantime, do stay right here. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. Have a good evening. I shall see you
tomorrow. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
