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Isa Soares Tonight
Harris and Trump Compete for Latino Voters; Final Day of BRICS Summit; Putin: Middle East on Brink of Full-Scale War; Turkey Blames Members Kurdish Militant Group for Attack in Ankara; McDonald's USA Gives Update on Tainted Burger Ingredients; 2024 Sakharov Prize Goes to Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. Trump and Harris Hit Swing States in an Effort to Pick Up Last-Minute Votes; World Leaders Brace for a Potential Second Trump Term; CNN Investigates Terrifying Claims that Israel is Forcing Palestinians to Act As Human Shields in Gaza. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired October 24, 2024 - 14:00 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, too close to call, Kamala Harris and
Donald Trump hit the critical swing states in an effort to pick up last- minute votes. The latest for you from the campaign trail. Also this hour, world leaders brace for a potential second Trump term.
We speak to Lithuania's Foreign Minister on what they could mean -- could mean for the war in Ukraine as well as the Middle East. And CNN
investigates terrifying claims that Israel is forcing Palestinians to act as human shields in Gaza. That report coming to you shortly.
But first tonight, 12 days and counting until the U.S. election day unlike any other. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are stepping up attacks on one
another as both look for an edge in a presidential race. The polls indicate can end up being among the closest in American history.
Harris is in Georgia today for a star-studded rally where she will be joined by former President Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen and actor Samuel
L. Jackson, among others. And a former President is out west today for rallies in Arizona and Nevada. Earlier, he fired back at his former Chief
of Staff for calling him a fascist.
In a "New York Times" interview, Trump labeled four-star General John Kelly, a total degenerate in an online post. Just days before the election,
voters remain split in those critical swing states. In a new CNN poll of polls, have a look at this, there's really no clear leader among likely
voters in Pennsylvania, which is considered the most important battleground state of all.
Let's dive deeper then into the race with our Stephen Collinson, Kristen Holmes. And Stephen, let me start with you, let's start with this town-
hall, CNN town-hall because Vice President Harris is facing a bit of criticism for being vague, sometimes evasive. It takes me to what I saw in
the "New York Times", they said, quote, "voters ask direct questions, Harris gave circular answers." What is the Harris campaign saying as to how
they fed in terms of -- and the strategy going forward here.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think the Harris campaign is happy that it went ahead. She had hoped --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: To have a debate with former President Trump last night, but Trump didn't show up. Harris is basically saying that that's because he's
exhausted from the heat of the campaign trail, and therefore, he's not fit to be President. You know, I don't think we're going to get better answers
from Kamala Harris on key issues like how she's going to immediately bring food prices down, make rent more affordable.
We're now into the stage of the campaign where it's about getting all those last voters out, and it's pretty clear that she's sharpening her message
into one that is saying that Donald Trump is a fascist, he's a dictator in- waiting, he'd be a danger for the United States and the world, and that is how she's going to play her last card.
SOARES: Yes, and I wonder then, what are we expecting to see today? Because we've mentioned star-studded turnout today. Talk us through what
we're likely to see, Stephen, here.
COLLINSON: We're going to see former President Barack Obama appear with Kamala Harris in Georgia. This is pretty fascinating because it's not just
Harris' campaign that is on the line and the fate of the White House. To a great extent, it's also Obama's legacy, 16 years since he first ran for
office, he remains the Democratic Party's most talented orator.
And he, in many ways has made a better case for Harris than she has made in her own right over the last three months since but she topped the ticket.
Bruce Springsteen is also going to be there, he's a fixture of Democratic campaigns. It's all about getting a big crowd, recreating some joy Harris
had at the start of her campaign and getting people out to the polls.
SOARES: And Kristen, to you, I think Donald Trump is focusing on the west coast today. What are we likely to see today?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He's going to be in Arizona and then later in Las Vegas --
SOARES: Yes --
HOLMES: In Arizona, you can expect him to be talking about immigration. This is still an issue that he values very much. We know that the voters
care about that, all the polling indicates that, and Donald Trump believes it's one of his strongest issues, even though his team has told him to
focus also on the economy.
[14:05:00]
Donald Trump has continued on this dark rhetoric, particularly around immigration. One thing to keep in mind is that the former President
believes it's this kind of rhetoric, particularly around immigration that helped to get him to the White House in 2016, he believes that it could
help get him to the White House again in 2024.
SOARES: And on the -- I mean, I wonder then, Kristen, what you've heard in terms of reaction from the Trump camp regarding Kamala Harris of that CNN
town-hall, because she did go after him, calling him dangerous and unfit for office. Of course, those coming on the heels of comments by his former
Chief of Staff. How did Trump react to those comments yesterday at the town-hall?
HOLMES: Well, Trump has just commented in general about her on the town- hall, saying it was one of her most poor performances unsurprisingly, attacking Kamala Harris herself. I think when you look at the larger
comments, these are things -- these are names that Donald Trump has been called quite a bit by a number of Democrats, by a number of leaders.
And whether or not they believe this impacts the campaign at this point, they don't. They have heard John Kelly on the record actually speaking just
with our own Jake Tapper, confirming details about comments, negative comments Donald Trump has made about veterans in the past. These stories
have been out there.
So, whether or not this impacts the campaign as a whole, they don't believe that it does, but of course, whether or not more people begin to come out
of the wood-work from the administration, saying they also heard similar comments, so now, we'll wait and see how that impacts Donald Trump.
But John Kelly has been known to speak out against Donald Trump for the last several years since he left the White House. So, it was unsurprising
to them to hear these kind of remarks from him on the record.
SOARES: Kristen Holmes and Stephen Collinson, thank you to you both. Well, as Republicans in the U.S., including many of Donald Trump's former aides
are warning about the threat of a second Trump term. International world leaders are watching and they're waiting, of course, to see who they'll be
dealing with in the Oval Office come January.
Some European countries, and this is all videos you can see, including France, Germany and the U.K. already planning how they would navigate four
more years of Donald Trump, and the European Union is reportedly gearing up for a significant trade war if Trump were to return to office.
Two major concerns for Europe on how Donald Trump would approach the war in Ukraine and what his re-election could do to America's role in NATO.
Gabrielius Landsbergis is Foreign Minister of Lithuania and he joins me now from the capital, Vilnius. Foreign Minister, welcome to the show, great to
have you here.
I'm not sure whether you heard our reporters talking about the U.S. election, 12 days to go. We are, I think it's fair to say in kind of final
frenzy days of this election campaign. And if the polls are correct, as we just showed, it's going to be a very close one. President Biden, I'm not
sure if you saw, speaking just last week, I think he was in Berlin.
He said, and I'm going to quote him here, "every international meeting I attend, they pull me aside, one leader after the other quietly and say,
Joe, he can't win, my democracy is at stake." Are these conversations, Foreign Minister, are they being had? Is there a nervousness in Europe
about a second Trump presidency?
GABRIELIUS LANDSBERGIS, FOREIGN MINISTER, LITHUANIA: Well, I wouldn't be asked specific as well, President Biden mentioned that, but I can tell you
that there's definitely nervousness. The countries are nervous about the whole election, how it will end. What kind of transit of power we are going
to see in Washington.
So, a lot of questions and then policy-wise, obviously, it doesn't matter which administration will win or would win, a lot of questions remain. You
know, would United States look more inwards after the election? You know, despite there -- you know, whether it's right or left administration being
formed.
So, yes, indeed, a lot of questions, a lot of nervousness, and I would say that a lot of countries are looking what's still -- we can do in Europe in
order to strengthen our position for whatever might come.
SOARES: And what can -- what can Europe do then to Trump-proof, be it your own country, Trump-proof Europe, Trump-proof NATO. What is being done?
LANDSBERGIS: Look, I'll be honest with you. The way that Europe sees United States is that more and more our greatest ally, our greatest
security and defense ally is looking inwards, and it fell from both sides of the aisle. So, I wouldn't say that it's -- you know, I wouldn't use the
words that you are using, you know, about singling out one -- you know, one candidate currently.
But the question is, how Europe should -- what Europe should do in order to be better prepared for this tendency in --
SOARES: Yes --
LANDSBERGIS: The United States. And since we have the greatest upheaval, that the greatest change or political change that Europe has seen since the
second World War. Really, you know, it also provides a lot of -- a lot of nervousness.
[14:10:00]
You know, can Ukraine be betrayed? That's basically a question.
SOARES: And I'm not singling out Trump for no particular reason as you know. He -- you and I have discussed him in previous discussion on previous
shows where he has wavered as you well know, Foreign Minister, on his support for Ukraine, he has declined to say whether he wants Ukraine to win
the war of course, and described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as I'm quoting, as a salesman, we should never have let that war start.
And I want to play what the former President Trump, candidate Trump, what he said just yesterday, have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Those cities are gone, they're gone, and we continue to give billions of dollars to a man who
refuses to make a deal, Zelenskyy. There was no deal that he could have made that wouldn't have been better than the situation you have right now.
You have a country that has been obliterated, not possible to be rebuilt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, what are your thoughts on this? I mean, should President Zelenskyy be making a deal with Putin at this stage?
LANDSBERGIS: Well, look, the only thing that both sides of the Atlantic, you know, Europe and United States need to do right now is to commit to
Ukraine's victory. And this is also one of the points that we have discussed in the past as well, that there is no other way to make NATO
stronger, to make Europe stronger, to stabilize, you know, what is seen from, you know, global partners a decline of the West.
If we want to stop it, we have to help Ukraine to win this war, and you know, honestly, there's no clear commitment, no clear commitment as to, you
know, how to put Ukraine in the strongest possible situation. So, this is truly, you know, one of the most worrying things currently that if nobody
would commit, or the biggest allies that, you know, that have supported Ukraine so far, that they would not commit to the victory of Ukraine.
Well, then we are talking about rather bad scenarios and not just -- not just for Ukraine. You know, you know, you can calculate my country in, but
you know, I see the whole picture really, you know, becoming rather bleak if we kind of go forward direction, which would, you know, as I've said
previously, which would basically mean that the possibility of capitulation of Ukraine. You know, without our help, without our commitment, that would
be -- that would be that.
SOARES: And I'm glad you framed it that way because, you know, it's beyond Ukraine as you and I have discussed, right? It's so many other countries in
Europe and what this can mean going forward. And important to point out just, you know, with this war has been going on for three years, but you
know, what we are seeing -- and there is growing Intelligence, and we are seeing this, that North Korea has been readying itself for more direct role
in Russia's war in Ukraine.
The United States, Ukraine, South Korea all saying the North Korean troops have been dispatched as you well know, Foreign Minister to Russia. What is
your -- what is your take on this? What would North Korean troops in Ukraine to fight alongside Russia. What would this mean for the conflict?
LANDSBERGIS: Well, it is an escalation. It is -- you know, I could call it a major escalation in the war. And also what we are seeing is a very clear
axis of countries, an alliance of sorts, you know, would take Iran, take Belarus, North Korea, China, all of them helping and assisting Russia in
this -- in this, in this war effort. So, it tells you that it's no longer regional, it's no longer just European, it is a global conflict and it
affects everybody.
And honestly, when you see North Korea breaking all the U.N. resolutions and Russia helping it break all the U.N. resolutions that Russia actually
voted them in the past. Bringing in North Korean, North Korean troops, that means that they are no longer worried about any repercussions. That it's
-- they have zero regard of what we might even do.
So, I think if we want to stop it, we have means. We definitely have means, and I think that if ever was there a better time now to --
SOARES: Yes --
LANDSBERGIS: Allow Ukrainians to hit the targets in Russia, what they have been asking for --
SOARES: Yes --
LANDSBERGIS: Quite a while.
SOARES: Let's talk about those memes. I mean, just for our viewers in the last 45 minutes, we heard that -- with -- from the Ukrainian military
Intelligence service, basically announcing, confirming that the first North Korean troops were spotted and their military operations in Russia's Kursk
region.
[14:15:00]
So, that speaks to the alarming nature of this moment. But what then are the means for Europe? Because I remember the beginning of the year, and you
and I, I believe spoke about this, an idea proposal that was put forward, that was floated by French President Emmanuel Macron, right? To putting
boots on the ground.
He got a lot of stick for that. I remember that clearly. Should Europe, then, Foreign Minister, be revisiting the idea of deploying troops to
Ukraine? I mean, what are your thoughts on this?
LANDSBERGIS: Well, I'm really hopeful that this idea is still on the table because the concept behind it, the way that President Macron framed it is
that nothing should be off the table, that basically, we cannot allow Ukraine to lose, Putin has to lose, and therefore, all means that would
help Ukraine could -- should be thought off.
And one of those things, you know, and he clearly said it that if Russians break the front and if they approach or does so, they might find French
troops there. And yes, it raised a lot of nervousness in a lot of capitals. One of them was Moscow. And I think that was a good sign that this is the
right strategy to think of.
And clearly now, when we see North Korean engagement in Ukraine, I think that it's very worth revisiting this idea. There were a number of countries
who actually supported this French idea. But then it was French election obviously, new government took a while to form, so, I'm really hopeful
that, you know, with government in place, the President, French President is still, you know, leading this idea forward, that this could be
revisited, the countries could be brought back to the table to think about how to help Ukraine better.
SOARES: Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, always great to get your insight, thank you Foreign Minister, good to see you.
LANDSBERGIS: Thank you so much. Thank you.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, survivors call it a massacre, an Israeli strike hits a school sheltering families in Gaza, and children are
among the dead. We have that story for you. And then Palestinian civilians say, Israel's military used them as human shields in Gaza. Now, an Israeli
soldier gives his own chilling account. That exclusive report, it's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: After weeks of stalled talks, efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal could resume within days. Israel says the director of the
Mossad will travel to Doha on Sunday along with the CIA chief. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been pushing for a new round of talks
after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.
Today, he wrapped up a Middle East tour with meetings in Qatar. The Qatari Prime Minister says his government was re-engaged with Hamas after Sinwar's
death, pledging to pressure all sides to reach a deal. I want to bring in Jennifer Hansler at the State Department for more. And Jennifer, just talk
us through this new push, and who they're negotiating with now that Sinwar has been killed here?
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, Isa, that is a great question because there are still questions about who the ultimate
decision-maker is in Hamas after the death of Yahya Sinwar. We heard from a Hamas political bureau official earlier today that they have not yet
decided on a new leader.
But we know the negotiators from Israel, from the United States and from Qatar will be convening this weekend to try to resume those efforts to try
to get a ceasefire and hostage deal on the table. Now, Secretary Blinken said earlier today that it still remains to be seen if Hamas is going to
engage in this process.
But he said that they hope to have an answer to that question in the coming days. He also said now is an incredible opportunity to move these efforts
forward, because he again blamed Sinwar for being the main impediment to the efforts that have been stalled for about two months at this point.
He said that this could be an opportunity to move forward the deal that had been on the table earlier this year. Now, of course, we should point out
that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also put up a number of roadblocks to that deal, and the other big question here, Isa, is the impact of the
U.S. election.
There is little expectation that anything could possibly move forward in the less than two weeks until that major test is held here in the United
States, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, indeed, so critical what the election, just 12 days. Let's go back, Secretary Blinken in Riyadh, because he kind of pointedly said that
the kingdom would play, Jennifer, a larger role in this post-war Middle East. This, of course, as the U.S. kind of nervously eye Saudi Arabia's
improving relations, I should say, with Iran. How does this -- the U.S. view these warming of relations between these two?
HANSLER: Well, I think they're watching very carefully on those burgeoning relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Of course, that reconnaissance of
those deals, it was brokered by China, not the United States we should recall. And there are also reports that Saudi and Iran have held joint
Naval exercises recently in the Sea of Oman.
And of course, that is likely to raise alarm bells here in the United States, given that Iran is backing the Houthis in Yemen who have been
carrying out a number of attacks on Naval assets throughout the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in there, Isa.
SOARES: Jennifer Hansler there at the State Department, appreciate it, thanks, Jen. Well, each day that passes with no ceasefire deal, more lives
are lost from these wars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Israeli strikes triggered that massive fireball in southern Beirut on Wednesday, at least, one person was killed. Lebanon's national news
agency says six buildings were destroyed in what it calls the most violent strikes in the area since the war began. Hezbollah also escalating its
attacks, Israel says dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon today injuring at least, four people in Nahariyya.
And in Gaza, witnesses are giving horrific accounts of what they call a massacre at a refugee camp. And we want to warn you the next video we're
about to show you is disturbing. Hospital officials say an Israeli strike on a school sheltering families killed at least, 17 people, mostly
children and the elderly.
One man says he saw body parts scattered and people running while they were on fire. Israel says it struck, quote, "Hamas terrorists", but survivors
tell a very different story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We were standing in the street and we heard a strike. We came out and we were among the first to come out, and
by God, not a single man or children and women, all of them cut up into pieces, no one was complete, they were all cut up. Arms and legs separate.
A crime against children, that's all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And now, still in Gaza, we've got correspondent Jeremy Diamond has been investigating claims that Israel is forcing Palestinians to act as
human shields in Gaza to avoid putting its troops in harm's way. This is his exclusive report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They walked through the rubble at gunpoint into potentially booby-trapped buildings and down dark
in tunnels.
[14:25:00]
Some were teenagers like 17-year-old Mohammed(ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DIAMOND: Others like Abu Ali Yasin(ph) were grandparents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DIAMOND: These five Palestinians, all civilians, say the Israeli military detained them and used them as human shields in Gaza.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
DIAMOND: Now, for the first time on camera, an Israeli soldier is coming forward with his own account, describing how his infantry unit used two
Palestinians as human shields.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We told them to enter the building before us, if there are any booby-traps, they would explode and not us.
DIAMOND: We've blurred his face and changed his voice because he risks reprisals for speaking out. Breaking the silence, a watch-dog group which
verifies soldiers testimonials provided photographs and facilitated the interview. The soldier says a 16-year-old boy and 20-year-old man were
brought to his unit this Spring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their hands were tied behind their back, and they had a cloth over their eyes.
DIAMOND: The instructions from the Intelligence officer who delivered them were clear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me to take them, in the next attack, use them as a human shield. He told me that they have a connection to Hamas.
DIAMOND: For two days, his unit followed those orders. This haunting photo captures the scene, the silhouette of a Palestinian man flanked by two
soldiers ordering him forward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we went to the attack, before they enter a building, we took the cloth off so they could see. In my company, one of
the soldiers knew Arabic, he just shouted in Arabic, open the door, walk to this building or the other.
DIAMOND (on camera): You're using them because you think this building might be booby traps?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, my soldiers didn't like that at all, and they refused to do this anymore.
DIAMOND (voice-over): The soldiers decided to take their concerns to their senior commander, telling him they believe they were violating
international law.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The commander told this fellow, a simple soldier doesn't need to think about international law.
DIAMOND (on camera): He didn't say, you guys shouldn't be doing this, this shouldn't be happening.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, he said that we need to do this. He said that our lives are more important.
DIAMOND: So, he didn't just tell you, don't worry about it, he said, keep doing it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Eventually, the commander relented, telling his soldiers they could release the two Palestinians.
(on camera): Suddenly you're allowed to release --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it made it sure to us that they are not terrorists.
DIAMOND (voice-over): In a statement, the Israeli military said the IDF's directives and guidelines strictly prohibit the use of detained Gaza
civilians for military operations. The relevant protocols and instructions are routinely clarified to soldiers in the field during the conflict. But
the Israeli military's use of human shields in Gaza appears to have been widespread.
So common it even had a name, mosquito protocol. Both Israeli and international law banned the use of civilians in combat. Israel also
accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. There is ample evidence for it. Tunnels dug beneath homes and rockets fired from residential
neighborhoods.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, it's more painful with my own army. Hamas is a terrorist organization. The IDF shouldn't use terrorist organization
practices.
DIAMOND (on camera): And so when you hear, you know, spokespeople for the Israeli military, Israeli government official saying, you know, the Israeli
military is the most moral army in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's -- of course, I don't believe that.
DIAMOND (voice-over): Dr. Yahya Alkayali(ph), who worked at Al-Shifa Hospital knows that all too well, months after he says Israeli soldiers
forced him to risk his life, he cannot shake this terrifying experience.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A soldier asked me to come. He was talking to me through English, he told me, I will kill you if you didn't enter there. I
was thinking that I will be killed or die within minutes.
DIAMOND: His brush with death and the day he feared he would never again see his family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And that is Jeremy Diamond reporting there. And still to come tonight, just 12 days out from the U.S. election, we continue our deep dive
into key voter groups focusing on how the Latino vote could shape the ballot. We have the discussion on that after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. With just 12 days until the U.S. presidential election, we have been taking a closer look at some of the key
voting groups here on the show.
Today, we are focusing on the Latino vote. In an interview with Telemundo Noticias, which aired on Wednesday night, Vice President Kamala Harris has
made what could be her final pitch to the country's 36 million eligible Latino voters, many of whom have typically backed the Democrats in previous
elections. The Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, is hoping to win over more of the vote, especially among Latino men who feel discontent
with the economy.
And a recent survey from The New York Times and Siena College backs this up. Have a look at this. Showing how he's leading. 56 percent to 37 percent
among Latino likely voters. But there is a gender split. Harris runs roughly even among men, more than 30 points ahead with women.
And my colleague John King spoke with Latino voters, one of the battleground states, and that is Nevada. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROGELIO REGALADO, NEVADA VOTER: I see people on social media, Hispanics sharing that post that I'm not with her. I'm like --
RAFAEL CERROS JR., NEVADA VOTER: You know, a lot of people are calling me -- or I mean, you know, calling us, Latinos, you know, talking about voting
for Trump.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So, where does that come from? Is it they think he'll make the economy better?
CERROS JR.: Yes, that's exactly what it is.
ZOLLA SANCHEZ, NEVADA VOTER: She's going to win Nevada, definitely.
KING: Why do you say that?
SANCHEZ: Hispanics have made a difference in a lot of elections, and I can see it right now.
ANTONIO MUNOZ, NEVADA VOTER: I have friends that were Democrats, that have turned the page, and they feel that the country's not going in the right
direction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Very insightful. Joining me now live from New York is Paola Ramos. She's the author of "Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far-Right and What
It Means for America" book, which explores the increase in far-right sentiment among Latino voters, how this demographic can shape U.S.
politics. Paola, welcome to the show. Great to have you here.
I want to start by saying that I think it's important -- I mean, I personally don't believe that there is such a thing as a monolithic voting
group here, a voting bloc. But explain really what we just heard, that little clip we heard, why we are starting to see some Latino voters turning
to Trump? Why -- some 40 percent or so? How is he chipping away at that?
PAOLA RAMOS, AUTHOR, "DEFECTORS": Yes, look, I think there's many factors and help explain that. I think the economic anxiety is a very real one. We
saw that already in 2020. We saw that in 2022. But I think the biggest difference now compared to 2016 and 2020 is that the Trump campaign has
understood that their anti-immigrant message, which is the core of sort of Trumpism, that that message doesn't just resonate with white voters,
they're finding out that it also resonates with Latino voters.
[14:35:00]
And I think that's you, right? That's why you see Trump campaign sort of using that message, not just in Miami Dade County, but also in Arizona and
also in Nevada. And I think what the polls are sort of pointing to is this fact that a majority of Latinos, including foreign born Latinos, are simply
not insulted when Donald Trump sort of talks in that -- with such vile rhetoric around immigrants, right, because they sort of see a difference
between themselves, a sort of Latino Americans and immigrants. And I think that's kind of the difference here.
SOARES: OK. Break that down because you know, what we've been hearing, and you've delved into this, is that repeatedly diminishing immigrants, calling
them rapists, drug traffickers, murderers. And previously said -- I mean, just the quote, "poisoning the blood of America."
I mean, explain to viewers around the world why Latinos, many of course whose parents emigrated from autocratic countries, would back this kind of
MAGA xenophobia here.
RAMOS: Yes. So, I think, look, 20, 30 years ago, we are talking about a Latino community who was really centered around the immigrant story, right?
What we had in common, the sort of solidarity, the allegiance that we had was this origin immigrant story. And now, we're looking at a Latino
community that has completely evolved, right? Third generation Latinos are the fastest growing segment within the community. So, what does that mean?
That means that the majority of us are U.S. born, we're under the age of 50, who predominantly speak English and perhaps we feel more aligned with
sort of these American roots than we do with the immigrant roots.
But then, there's another added factor that I think is really interesting and maybe less palpable, and it's this idea that there is a growing segment
of Latinos that I think are scared of the idea that mainstream America, or, for lack of a better word, White America will always see them as a sort of
perpetual foreigners, right? And there's a lot of evidence to show that, right? How discrimination against Latinos really increases when America
sees them lumped into sort of immigrants.
So, I think that's part of these forces that are happening, where a growing group of Latinos wants to sort of prove their belonging in sort of Trump's
anti-immigrant rhetoric. And I think it's -- they're really opening the door for many Latinos to be welcomed in that sort of anti-immigrant
rhetoric. And I think that's a powerful strategy.
SOARES: Speaking of strategy, and I wonder if you could break that down for us, Paola, is that, you know, do some of these grievances that Trump
has been tapping into, does this speak more to Latino men, Latino women? Just tell us in terms of the conversations that you've had across the
United States.
RAMOS: I think it's so interesting. I think you pointed it out perfectly at the beginning. We're definitely seeing a gender gap, right? I think it's
an obvious one. The vice president is really mobilizing Latina voters. We saw this in 2022, where for the first-time ever, Latinas pointed to
immigration as one of their top voting issues, that had never happened.
And you see the way that even Latina Catholics, Latina evangelicals, conservative Latinas are able to, for the first-time ever, really humanize
the issue of abortion. And then, on the other side, what I'm really noticing is the way that the Trump campaign is using -- is really leaning
into these transphobic ads and this sort of transphobic messaging. You see it in Nevada. You see it in Arizona. They're spending millions of dollars
using this sort of transphobic ads in Spanish language.
And I think what that points to is sort of creating a sense of discomfort among some Latino men that are sort of, discomforted at the idea of gender
norms changing, sort of sexual norms changing, the idea of women sort of in power. And I think that's really, really working.
SOARES: So, patriarchy losing away, chipping away at that. Is that it?
RAMOS: That's part of it, right?
SOARES: Yes.
RAMOS: I think the -- A, I think the image of a black woman in power, unfortunately, is still sort of, evokes a sort of discomfort amongst some
Latino men. I think the idea of pushing images of trans people, and not only that, when you look at the images of black Haitians eating pets, we're
all -- we're talking about the same strategy there, that's anger, it's resentment, and it's disgust. And they're sort of using that and tapping
into certain Spanish speaking communities using that same structure, anger, resentment, disgust.
SOARES: You worked, Paola, with Hillary Clinton's campaign. You know more than anyone kind of the importance of this voting bloc. How do you think --
how would you say the Democrats have fared? And do you think their message here is resonating this time around?
RAMOS: Look, I think they're way more nuanced now than they were in 2016 when I was working for Hillary Clinton and Obama. I think they've
understood that to talk to Latino voters, you don't just have to talk about immigration or talk in Spanish. You can be nuanced. They're doing that.
I think where it's getting interesting, and perhaps there's this big question of whether or not the sort of more moderate, conservative approach
on immigration that the Vice President is really stepping into, whether that approach will work in battleground states like Nevada and Arizona,
where immigration is deeply personal, where there's a lot of mixed status families. And just even in a state like Arizona, Joe Biden just won that
state by 1 percent.
[14:40:00]
So, I think there's this idea that in the long-term, being more moderate on immigration will take them far, but I do wonder if it'll work in a
battleground state like Arizona, where I think Latinos are aching for that promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform, right? Latinos, they're
really fundamentally threatened by the idea of mass deportations, and I'm not so sure that they're leaning into that because of fear.
SOARES: And we saw Kamala Harris focusing on the Latino vote. I think she did an interview with Telemundo yesterday. I want to play, Paola, a little
clip from that. We can talk after that. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: This election and how Latinos vote can help pave the pathway
for the solutions. Donald Trump is not going to push for a pathway for citizenship. He did not in the past, he will not in the future.
We know Donald Trump and how he talks about immigration. And so, let -- I cannot emphasize more strongly, the Latino vote in this election is very
important. And I know well enough that the people that we are talking about believe in our country, love our country, are dedicated to its growth, its
prosperity, and the opportunity that everyone should have to dignity and the ability to be treated with respect. And that is not Donald Trump's
future. Donald Trump is trying to take us backward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Does that -- Paola, does that resonate with voters? Just explain what matters to the majority of Latino voters. I would assume economy is
number one, like majority of U.S. voters. But give a sense of that.
RAMOS: It does. Of course, the economy is number one, but I do think -- it's very subtle, but I do think the language that she's using is powerful,
right? We've been spending over a year with the Trump campaign that has been completely dehumanizing immigrants and to suddenly hear the vice
president just saying something as simple as, you know, Latinos are equal, right. they deserve dignity, they deserve respect, they are part of the
heart of the sort of, you know, future of America, I know it sounds really simple, but that's really important because Latinos have not really been
hearing that for a long time.
But I do still think there's one fundamental question. This is a vice president that has been leading with border security instead of
comprehensive immigration reform. And I think that -- it remains to be known whether that will sort of work.
Now, should she have flipped the script? Because let's remember, that in 2020, Joe Biden precisely wins by really distancing himself from Donald
Trump's cruelty at the border, right? He really, really wins the last couple of weeks of 2020 when he reminds America of families being separated
at the border. And he gets, you know, white Americans in Ohio and in Virginia to really recall and visualize what that meant, I'm not so sure
that they're doing that now.
SOARES: Let's turn to Former President Trump, because this happened this week in Miami. I want to play it. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a war between the left and the right. This is a war between good and evil. So, we can't combat that. We can't fight
that in the natural. We need spiritual weapons to fight it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, you're looking at Latino voters really laying their hands and praying with Trump. You've spent, Paola, quite a bit of time, you focus on
this with Latino evangelicals, which is a subgroup that most Americans have been paying attention to, from what I understand. Just explain to us what
is so important to this subgroup coming into this election cycle here.
RAMOS: Look, let's remember, Latino Evangelicals are the fastest growing group of Evangelicals in the United States. And I think what the Trump
campaign, Republicans, and the Christian right has understood is that they have to mobilize them in order to win. And so, that's why you've seen in
the last two years Republicans and people from the Trump campaign really stepping into these churches, which have traditionally been safe spaces for
Latinos and really sort of merging MAGA and faith. And that's really effective.
But let's remember, we're seeing Trump right there in Miami Dade County, right? A county that is very used to Republicans manipulating the essence
of words. And Miami Dade County, there's a lot of people that believe that Democrats on communistas (ph), right? That good and evil, that evil means
Democrats. And so, I think that sort of adds to the dynamic of a Miami Dade County that, for the last 20 years, is used and has been exposed to a lot
of mis and disinformation.
And one more thing, right, when you cast sort of this fight around good versus evil, that's -- again, that's really powerful. That works. And I
think we're about to see a President Donald Trump that, maybe for the first-time in 20 years, will be the first Republican to win the Latino vote
in the State of Florida.
SOARES: And on that, very briefly, because we are running out of time, Paola, what is your sense? I mean, first of all, what has surprised you the
most from speaking to so many Latinos across the United States? And do you -- who do you think has got it in the bag at this stage?
[14:45:00]
RAMOS: Look, I think two stories will be true at the same time. I think the vice president will win the Latino vote. I think she will
overwhelmingly win it, as Democrats have done. And I also believe that Donald Trump will continue to make inroads, but we will see whether those
inroads he made in 2020, whether that is an anomaly or whether that really speaks to the beginning of a greater shift.
SOARES: Paola Ramos, appreciate it. Thanks, Paola.
RAMOS: Thank you.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, words of warning from Russia on the final day of the BRICS Summit. What Vladimir Putin had to say about the
conflict in Gaza as well as Lebanon.
And McDonald's USA gives an update on tainted burger ingredients linked to an E. coli outbreak. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: A show of unity and a stark warning on his final day hosting the BRICS Summit in Kazan. Russian president Vladimir Putin gave this warning
about the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The military actions that began a year ago in Gaza have now spread to Lebanon. Other
countries in the region have been affected, and the degree of confrontation between Israel and Iran has sharply increased. All this resembles a chain
reaction and puts the entire Middle East on the brink of a full-scale war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, it's the first-time the BRICS Plus group has met with key players like China, India, and Iran all in attendance. Discussions have
focused on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, though there have been no tangible plans to end either conflict.
And the BRICS Plus group represents 45 percent of the world's population, and this meeting of the wider group is a major symbolic win for Vladimir
Putin, as our Clare Sebastian now explains.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, for Russia, this photo is a win, a clear signal to the west that it has failed to isolate Russia and that
Russia is now at the center of a group representing around 45 percent of the world's population that can challenge U.S. dominance.
Well, Putin is flanked by the leaders of the world's two most populous countries, China and India, both helping prop up Russia's war by buying
large quantities of its oil and gas.
Now, Iran, over here, has an even more direct role in Russia's war, initially sending attack drones, and now the U.S. says ballistic missiles
to Russia. This is not a family without complications. India, for example, has a defense and security partnership with the U.S., and has urged Russia
to accelerate peace efforts in Ukraine.
[14:50:00]
Egypt receives over a billion dollars a year in U.S. military aid, and the UAE hosts a U.S. military base on its territory. And two of these
countries, Brazil and South Africa, are members of the International Criminal Court. So, Putin can't visit them without risking arrest. All
nuances that may complicate efforts to find consensus and grow this family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Clare Sebastian reporting there. All authorities in Turkey are blaming members of a Kurdish militant group for a deadly attack in Ankara.
And in response, Turkish forces struck targets in Northern Iraq and Syria.
The armed assailants died in Wednesday's attack on Turkey's state-run aerospace headquarters, the interior minister said at least five people
were killed and 22 others injured. A funeral was held on Thursday for one of the dead. The taxi driver was killed by the assailants and his body
hidden in the trunk of his vehicle after he picked them up at a taxi station.
Still to come tonight, the European Parliament announces the winners of this year's Sakharov Freedom of Thought Award. We'll tell you who they are
after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: An executive with the fast-food chain McDonald's has acknowledged there could be more cases of E. coli illnesses in the United States. The E.
coli outbreak has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 U.S. states and one death. No specific ingredient has been isolated as the source of the
contamination, but the Food and Drug Administration say slithered onions or beef patties or quarter pounder sandwiches are the likely culprits.
McDonald's said that the affected ingredients have been now likely worked itself through the supply chain. We'll stay across that story for you.
A new cello playing robot is making musical history. Have a look.
No, this is not it. Do we have the cello-playing robot? This is Maria Carino Machado, which is my next story. But why don't I tell you about the
cello? This happened in Malmo, Sweden and was the first performance of a cello being played by a robot alongside an orchestra. Researcher developed
the complex machine to play for a Swedish composer.
By using industrial robotic arms and 3D printed parts, it was able to play the music that was specifically written for it. We don't have the video,
but hopefully we'll get it to you. Have we got the video? No, we don't. So, you just have to take my word for it.
[14:55:00]
Let me show you the video that I was playing, which was of Maria Corina Machado, because the winners of the 2024 Sakharov Freedom of Thought Award
are Venezuela, as you can see, opposition leaders. The E.U. Parliament said Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia are being honored for
their, quote, "brave fight to restore freedom as well as democracy in Venezuela."
Machado played a key role, as you all know, in the July presidential election, where the opposition supporter -- supported former diplomat
Gonzalez. The U.S. has acknowledged Gonzalez as being the candidate who received the most votes. But authoritarian incumbent, Nicolas Maduro, was
declared the winner by the country's electoral authority, a body stacked with his allies, in fact, a body he pretty much runs. And as you well know,
Gonzalez is now in exile in Spain. We wish them both huge congratulations in their fight from freedom and democracy in Venezuela.
That does it for us for tonight. Thanks very much for your company. Do stay right here. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. I shall see you tomorrow.
Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
