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Isa Soares Tonight
Bezos Defends Non-Endorsement; Flood of Subscriber Cancellations for Washington Post; Some Washington Post's Editorial Board Steps Down; Almost 100 People Dead in Devastating Strike in Gaza; UNRWA Banned to Work in Israel; Israeli Strike Kills at Least 60 in East Lebanon; Hezbollah Names Naim Qassem as New Leader; Swift Themed Class Teenager Suspect Charges with New Terrorism Charges; Trump and Harris Teams Gear Up for Historical Legal Fights; Harris and Trump Neck and Neck in Arizona; Harris Targets Latino Voters in Arizona; U.S. Airlines Required to Automatically Refund Customers for Delayed and Canceled Flights. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired October 29, 2024 - 14:30 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, Kamala Harris set to deliver the closing
argument of that presidential campaign, and she'll do so at the same place where Donald Trump rallied his supporters on January the 6th, leading, of
course, to the Capitol insurrection.
For his part, Trump is heading to swing state, Pennsylvania, where he could face the fury of Puerto Rican voters following this racist remarks at a
rally of his. And a closer look at the Arab-American vote. How disillusionment of America's role in the war in Gaza could shift
traditional voting rights. That conversation coming up for you.
But first tonight, it is full speed ahead for both candidates with one week left in a race to the White House that has been one of the most
unpredictable, I think it's fair to say in U.S. history. Fresh CNN polling, we have this to show you released just a short time ago shows that Kamala
Harris and Donald Trump remain pretty much in a virtual tie in the critical battlegrounds of Nevada as well as Arizona.
Both states have a sizable number, important to say of Latino voters. Later today, the Vice President is scheduled to give her closing argument. That's
where advisors say she'll try to strike a balance between the dangers of a second Trump term, and her vision for the country moving forward.
Harris will speak at The Ellipse in Washington where Donald Trump rallied supporters just before the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Have a
listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There is a huge contrast in this election, and I'd
ask us to just imagine the Oval Office in three months, OK, so just picture it in your head. So, either it's Donald Trump sitting in there --
(BOOING)
HARRIS: Stewing over his enemies' list, or me with your help working for you, checking off my to-do list.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, earlier, the former President spoke at Mar-a-Lago where he defended Sunday's controversial rally in New York. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There's never been an event so beautiful. It was like a love fest, an absolute love fest, and it
was my honor to be involved, and hopefully -- you know, they started to say, well, in 1939, the Nazis used Madison Square Garden. So, we're going
to fight like hell for the next seven days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's just clarify it, it was a love fest for him because he did not directly address that. There -- the slew of vulgar, sexist, dark
and racist remarks at the rally including one speaker who called Puerto Rico, of course, as we mentioned, we did cover it on the show yesterday, a
floating island of garbage. He did fire back at Harris, accusing her of trying to distract voters from her record on immigration.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She's going out and only criticizing, talking about Hitler and Nazi and -- because her record is horrible. Her borders are the worst in the
history of the world, there's never been a border in the world like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak joins us now. And Kevin, we just outlined there for our viewers both candidates clearly
focusing on their closing message here, vastly different messages, important to point out. Let's just focus on Kamala Harris, she's going to
be in Washington today speaking -- location, that's very much steep in symbolism, right? Kevin, just tell us what we can expect to hear from her
speech in terms of the tone and the message here.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, the words that her advisors are using to describe this speech are hopeful, optimistic
pragmatic, which I don't think are necessarily the themes that we originally thought when we heard that she was going to be delivering this
closing argument speech on The Ellipse, on the very site that Donald Trump rallied his supporters on January 6th before they marched to the Capitol to
stage that insurrection.
And certainly, she does want to point out the threats she thinks that he poses to democracy, the chaos she says that he would sow, if he is returned
to the Oval Office. But this is not going to be, you know, treaties on democracy. It's not going to be her dissertation on the state of the
republic.
[14:05:00]
Her advisors really do want this to be an address that would outline how she views her role as President if she were to be elected. And to that
point, the state they chose, it's symbolic because that's where Donald Trump staged January 6th. But it's also symbolic because it's right in
front of the White House.
When she speaks tonight, you will see the South Portico over her shoulders. It's only 500 yards from the Oval Office and she does very much want
undecided voters to be able to visualize her in that role. And that's what her advisors at the end of the day really hoped this speech is able to do,
is to talk to some of what they call these conflicted voters, people who may not like what they're hearing from Donald Trump on the campaign trail.
Might be turned off by some of his rhetoric, but also aren't necessarily sold on Kamala Harris, who have some questions about what she stands for.
Have some questions about just who she is as a person, they really do this -- view this moment as their last sort of opportunity to introduce her at
this extraordinary truncated campaign that she has been running.
And they say this speech, they liken it to a closing argument in a courtroom. You know, she's a former prosecutor. They say she's been laying
out the evidence over the last several months to the jury, in this case to the undecided voters in those seven battleground states who will decide
this election.
And this is the moment to tie all of those threads together and really make her case to the American people. And so, there is a balance. She's trying
to strike an equilibrium here. She's talking to talk about democracy. She's going to try and warn about the presidency that Donald Trump would take
over if he were to be returned to the White House.
But she also wants to provide the contrast, and that at the end of the day is the challenge I think for Harris in this closing stretch of the campaign
is to try and find that balance that works for voters. Because certainly, there are plenty of undecided people in these states who don't necessarily
know what she's going to do, but also don't necessarily want to see what Donald Trump would do if he was to return to the White House.
And I think in her advisors' minds, this is her chance to really lay out those stakes and bring it home to people in the week before the election.
SOARES: And do we have a sense, Kevin, at how large this is -- the crowds are going to be here? And speak to the security. Do we have any sense of
this? What are you hearing?
LIPTAK: Yes, well, I was just down at The Ellipse a couple of hours ago, so, I can tell you the security is very tight. They've constructed a new
perimeter around the entire park. It's temporary fencing about 10 feet high. It's black, it's -- oh, yes, you see it there, it's unscalable in
their hopes. Of course, security has been a major issue on the campaign trail this year with the two assassination attempts against Donald Trump.
According to the National Park Service which grants permits for these kinds of events, they're expecting 40,000 people on The Ellipse. If that's true,
that would be the biggest event at the space since the January 6th rally that Donald Trump headlined back in 2021. It remains to be seen whether or
not that will actually be the crowd count, but that would be the biggest campaign rally that Kamala Harris has had this entire campaign season.
Of course, the enclosed space is just part of where this is, outside of that is the National Mall writ large, and they have also permitted areas of
that space as well for her -- for her crowds and for her supporters. So, they're expecting a major crowd here in Washington for this speech.
SOARES: And no doubt, Mr. Trump who wants to focus and compare crowd sizes, which he --
LIPTAK: Yes --
SOARES: Often does, right, Kevin? Kevin, appreciate it, good to see you --
LIPTAK: Yes --
SOARES: My friend, thank you very much. Well, that is the view from the Vice President's side, I want to focus now on Steve Contorno, who is
following the Trump campaign for us. Steve, good to see you. I heard his speech earlier today, his rally, his press conference -- I wouldn't call it
a press conference because he actually took no questions from the press.
But speak to what we heard from here today, because there was no comment from him besides saying it was a love fest for him. About those remarks
that you and I spoke about against -- the racist remarks against Puerto Ricans. No apology. Just talk us through what he said because there are
plenty of false claims too on immigration.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Yes, he was actually asked about those remarks at his rally by "ABC" ahead of this event at Mar-a-Lago, and he
distanced himself from it without actually even acknowledging it or apologizing it, just saying he didn't hear the remarks from the comedian
Tony Hinchcliffe, and saying, quote, "I don't know him, someone put him up".
Yes, his campaign put that individual up there as well as many other allies and friends of the former President during that Madison Square Garden
rally. But look, the purpose of today was to pre-empt the speech that Vice President Harris is going to deliver that Kevin just laid out for you, and
Donald Trump was hoping to see some of the spotlight earlier in the day, sort of put his own twist on the events and give his own state of the race
and the stakes going into the election.
[14:10:00]
Now that we are just one week away, there was nothing too surprising that he said today, it was mostly a re-airing of his campaign rhetoric that we
have heard from him so far, lots of discussion about his top priority, which is immigration and the border. He did say for the first time that he
intends to seize assets from migrant gangs and give that to the victims of migrant crime.
So, that is sort of a new policy that he has rolled out here as he continues to push out these policies down the stretch. However, as you
said, he did not address the elephant in the room, which is what had transpired at his rally in Madison Square Garden, only to say that it was
quote, "a love fest" --
SOARES: Yes --
CONTORNO: And as you said, a love fest for one person, Donald Trump.
SOARES: Indeed. And look, that elephant in the room may follow him all the way to Pennsylvania, right? Because that's where he's going to be, and we
know there's a significant percentage of Puerto Rican voters there, many, Steve, as you well know, who are furious about those racist and demeaning
comments.
And this is something I imagined that the Trump campaign does not want to be talking about seven days before election. So, what are you hearing from
the Trump campaign about how the messaging here -- has he -- as he goes to Pennsylvania?
CONTORNO: Internally, there's a lot of concern about what happened on Sunday and the immediate blowback that they have received, especially
within the Latino community and the Puerto Rican community, that they do not want to get Bad Bunny, the Puerto Rican pop-star off the sidelines and
telling his 45 million supporters that he intends to support Vice President Harris.
And the setting for today is serendipitous, and that he is going to the heart of the Puerto Rican community in the most critical battleground
state, which is Pennsylvania. And he actually intended already to have a lineup that was going to attempt to speak to the Latino and Puerto Rican
community there.
The shadow senator for Puerto Rico, Zoraida Buxo; she is the elected representative, she doesn't get a vote in the Senate, but she does get to
represent Puerto Rico's issues and lobby on behalf of Puerto Rico to the Senate. She was going to -- she was always intending to be at this rally to
speak at this event, and now obviously, that comes much higher urgency, given what transpired on Sunday.
And I think you're going to see more in his -- in his speech as well as in the pre-programming that is speaking directly to any sort of undecided
Latino and Puerto Rican voters. One thing to point out is that unlike other Hispanic Latino and Spanish-speaking voters, Puerto Ricans vote -- tend to
vote at a much lower rate historically than Venezuelans or Mexican- Americans or other Latino groups.
And so, one thing for both sides trying to go into this closing stretch is trying to inch up that number just a bit to help them win these very tight
battlegrounds.
SOARES: Yes, and I was just looking at Bad Bunny's message that you were mentioning there to his 45.6 million followers, where the word garbage, and
then the attacks, really telling who he is backing and that's Kamala Harris. Very telling indeed, thanks very much, Steve, appreciate it.
Now, federal investigators in the U.S. state of Washington and Oregon are looking for the person who set ballot drop boxes on fire. Fire suppressant
and a Portland drop-box saved many of the ballots, but hundreds were destroyed in a ballot box fire in Vancouver in Washington.
And the attacks come as federal officials raised the alarm about extremists looking to disrupt the election. Covering this story for us is our Natasha
Chen who joins us from L.A., California. So, Natasha, I mean, I saw that one official called it an incident, an attack on democracy. Just give us a
sense of what you are herning(ph) -- hearing from officials here, any suspects at this stage?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, this is very disturbing to the election officials that are monitoring this, having to deal with the
fallout, having to really look at those damaged ballots and see if they can identify any people's names on them. Right now, they are asking anyone who
might have dropped off their ballot at that Vancouver, Washington location over the weekend to please request a replacement ballot, because right now,
not only were they damaged, but when they were trying to put out the fire, there was heavy rain falling.
So, now those ballots are wet as well. It's going to take a while to sift through those hundreds of ballots. Luckily in Portland, at that incident,
only three ballots were damaged, more than 400 were protected because of fire suppressants that were installed in the ballot box. You're seeing
there a picture of the suspect vehicle, a dark or black Volvo S60 from 2001 and 2004, we did talk to the Clark County auditor in Washington State who
said this was absolutely reprehensible, that he has not seen anything like this in more than 20 years of being in that office.
[14:15:00]
That we also talked to the vice president of a company called Laserfab, who makes a lot of these ballot drop boxes, works very closely with election
officials to make them as tamper-proof as possible. Their company made the ballot box that was attacked in Portland, Oregon, but not in the Washington
state locations. Here he is talking about how this moment felt to him as somebody who tried very hard to make it difficult to tamper with.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY OLSON, VICE PRESIDENT, LASERFAB: And you know, the real disheartening thing is seeing these people come under attack, because they
-- you know, they live their lives dedicated to making our elections process free and fair. And that troubles me more than, you know -- yes, a
box can be replaced, you know, hopefully they can track down the people who put the ballots and things like that. But it's the -- you know, it's the
people's side of the thing that distresses me more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHEN: And now in Clark County, Washington, we're hearing the election staff there are putting observers at each of their 22 drop boxes to monitor
and call 9-1-1 any time they see suspicious activity. We're hearing that law enforcement are ramping up their patrols around drop boxes. And to keep
in mind why these drop boxes are such a vulnerable target here, especially in Oregon and Washington states, is because those two states, primarily are
vote by mail.
That means every voter receives a ballot in the mail at home, and the vast majority drop them off or mail them back in -- for example, in the Portland
and Seattle areas, less than 1 percent of voters actually vote in-person. So, you can tell just how much these drop-boxes are used. This is
definitely something federal officials are also keeping an eye on.
CNN obtained a bulletin released by the Department of Homeland Security in September, talking about how they are concerned about domestic extremists
who potentially would like to meddle with the elections process, and saying that ballot drop boxes can be a quote, "attractive target", Isa.
SOARES: Very worrying indeed, Natasha Chen, appreciate it, thank you very much for important context from you there. And still to come tonight, we'll
take a look at how a key group of voters could tip the scale in U.S. elections, especially as the war in Gaza rages on. And then later this
hour, UNICEF warns many more children will die in Gaza after Israel ban the U.N. agency that provides a critical lifeline to the Palestinian people.
Both those stories after this short break. You are watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Well, over the last couple of weeks here on the show, we have been looking into key groups of voters who could tip the scales in the U.S.
election. We've looked at the mail vote, we've looked at the Latino vote. Tonight, we take a closer look at the Arab-American vote. The Arab-American
community. This weekend, presidential candidate Donald Trump invited on stage, as you can see there, several Muslim leaders at a campaign rally in
Michigan.
It is a key swing state with a large Arab-American community. Now, he hopes to win the votes of those who are angry over the current U.S. policy on
Israel and Gaza. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Muslim and Arab voters in Michigan, and you know, they're going to be the -- they could turn the election one way or the other.
BELAL ALZUHAIRI, IMAM: We as Muslims stand with President Trump because he promises peace, he promises peace, not war!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, on Monday, Kamala Harris also campaigned in Michigan, and she and the Biden administration have, as you all know often face criticism
for their handling of the war in Gaza. Harris had promised to put an end to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: On the subject of Gaza, hey guys, I hear you on the subject of Gaza. We all want this war to end as soon as possible and get the hostages
out!
(CHEERS)
(APPLAUSE)
HARRIS: And I will do everything in my power to make it so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Senator Bernie Sanders, one of the most prominent anti-war voices called on people who want to see an end to the war in Gaza to vote
for Harris. This is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): Let me be clear. We will have in my view, a much better chance on changing U.S. policy with Kamala than with Trump, who
is extremely close to Netanyahu and sees him as a like-minded, right-wing extremist ally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, joining me now is Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib; he's a senior Resident Fellow at The Atlantic Council and a Middle East writer and
analyst from Gaza. Ahmed, good to have you back on the show. Let me just pick up with what we've just heard shorter slot from Bernie Sanders because
he goes on to say, he says he gets asked the same question over and over again, and that is the people -- Arab-Americans disagree with Kamala's
position on Gaza.
So, how can I vote for her? I wonder if that's something -- a question that you've heard that you -- conversations that you've had from those in the
Arab-American community.
AHMED FOUAD ALKHATIB, RESIDENT SENIOR FELLOW, THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL: Well, thanks again for having me. What I hear consistently is the sense of
frustration that beyond some slogans and nice-sounding words, the Arab- American and Muslim-American and Palestinian-American communities have generally been frustrated on the one hand with a lack of progress on
pushing for a ceasefire and a hostage deal.
They feel frustrated that the United States under the Biden administration, which has offered so much support to the Israeli government has failed to
exercise due leverage over the Israeli government to push for an expedited end of the war. Hamas is in fact weakened, but they feel that this is going
to be an ongoing conflict and the United States is doing nothing to stop it.
On the other hand, we've seen this, what I would personally label as a nefarious exploitation of this frustration by former President Trump, who
has been pushing for, on the one hand Israel to do what it needs to finish Hamas off, on the other hand, claiming that he would bring the war to a
rapid end, playing both sides effectively.
SOARES: So, let's explore both of those arguments and those cases you just put down on some of the questions that you are hearing from many in the
community. I wonder then with those arguments, do Arab-American voters then punish Harris because as you just laid out, you know, the U.S. policy
towards the war in Gaza and Lebanon -- or do they endure Donald Trump?
I mean, which way do they vote? Or do they vote for neither and they go for a third -- you know, a third party like Jill Stein?
ALKHATIB: A really key point to keep in mind is that the Arab and Muslim and Palestinian-American communities are not monolithic.
SOARES: Yes --
ALKHATIB: There are strains and there's diversity of thought and belief and political orientation. And there are many who are worried about the
economy. They're worried about the border security. They're worried about domestic issues just like any other constituency in the United States, even
though the conflict in the Middle East has been front and center in the consideration of many, particularly those in Michigan.
[14:25:00]
While there are -- there is a loud minority that has been threatening to vote for Trump or to at least sit this one out and cast a protest vote for
Jill Stein. There are many people who are maybe less vocal that I talk to all the time who realized that a Harris administration, as far has a
greater likelihood to bring the war to an end, to push for a meaningful and a just resolution, or at least get the United States behind some meaningful
resolution to the Israel and Palestine conflict.
Then Mr. Trump would -- who is supporting David Friedman, who is openly calling for David Friedman, been the former ambassador to Israel, U.S.
ambassador to Israel, who's openly calling for Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Who has indirectly endorsed settlements in Gaza.
So, I think there are many people behind the scenes who realize the gravity of the situation, even though we do see a loud majority or minority rather,
who are upset with the Harris-Biden team.
SOARES: So, I know there's a -- you know, this voting group like so many not monolithic, and it's hard to get a sense of which way they will vote. I
hear you -- I just wonder, Ahmed, in many ways whether you feel that people will be sitting this one out. You know, is this going to be a vote for the
couch rather than for anyone else or the -- why aren't -- the reason why I asked you on this.
I mean, but let's focus on the -- let's focus then Ahmed, on the policies, right? When it -- the foreign policies, one relates to the war in Gaza.
What have you heard? Let's start off from Kamala Harris because she has asked for a ceasefire in Gaza, she says she supports a two-state solution.
What more have you heard from her as to how she would bring about an end to this war?
ALKHATIB: And I should clarify that, I'm personally in favor of -- as somebody who has skin in the game, who's lost a lot of family members in
Gaza, who wants to see this war come to a swift end. I -- very much so, I'm of the belief that Miss Harris, has a far greater likelihood of bringing
this war to an end.
I think the jury is still out as to the tactical steps that she would take initially, but her framing, what she has been saying has been in fact,
positive, has been in fact promising and optimistic for many in the Arab and Palestinian community. Myself included, some have pushed for a partial
arms embargo on Israel, something that she has not supported and it seems highly unlikely she'll support.
Others have called for U.S. support of international mandate if you will, as part of a transitional period to basically open Gaza up to allow a
multilateral approach with U.S. support to go in there, administer humanitarian aid and reconstruct the Gaza Strip. It remains to be seen what
the actual policy steps are. Some on her team, Mr. Philip Gordon, I think has spearheaded some of the back-end negotiations between Israel and the
Palestinians using Qatari and Egyptian negotiators.
So, there's really nothing there beyond her words, but I will say that, that is --
SOARES: Yes --
ALKHATIB: Far more than we've heard from Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump has on the one hand, promised Netanyahu to do anything to support him to -- with
anything he needs. On the other hand, he's courting Arabs and Muslims, claiming that he would bring this war to a rapid end without saying how?
SOARES: Yes, there hasn't been much policy on the Trump side when it comes to the war in Gaza. But appreciate your analysis as always, Ahmed, good to
see you, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. Thank you.
ALKHATIB: Thank you.
SOARES: And Jeff Bezos is facing backlash after breaking a decade's long tradition. Will his decision not to allow the paper to endorse a
presidential candidate become the new norm? We'll take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Welcome back, everyone. Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos says he made the right decision, his words, by not
allowing the paper to endorse a U.S. presidential candidate for the first time in almost four decades. His decision is -- decision to block the
planned endorsement, I should say, of Kamala Harris triggered the resignation of three members of the paper's editorial board and a flood of
subscriber cancellations.
In a rare op-ed, Bezos wrote, presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election. What they actually do is create a perception of
bias and non-independence. Ending them is the principal decision and it's the right one.
Let's get more now from CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter. Brian, good to see you, great to have you on the show.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Thank you.
SOARES: Let's start off then with what we just heard and with that main argument that he just made, that newspapers shouldn't make political
endorsements because endorsements create a perception of bias. How is that argument being received in the United States?
STELTER: Well, I've talked to The Washington Post staffers who are not impressed and not convinced by Bezos' argument, and we know the subscriber
cancellation steps have continued into today. So, if Bezos was trying to stop the bleeding, he has not exactly succeeded in doing so.
This case about The Washington Post, it's a microcosm for what is happening all across America as CEOs and business leaders and other leaders of other
institutions try to reckon with a possible second Trump term. And it is so striking to see some of the reactions, especially from Washington Post
subscribers who believe, who perceive, that Bezos is trying to appease Trump, trying to curry favor with the former and possibly future president.
Bezos is saying that's not the case, he's doing this for other reasons, but I noticed he only mentioned Trump by name one time in the open letter
yesterday. He didn't mention Kamala Harris at all. He's trying to stay out of the political arena. And so, are other big tech billionaires like Mark
Zuckerberg, the head of Meta. You know, they're trying for neutrality. They're striving to stay out of it. But by doing so, they're raising
concerns that they're actually, by trying to stay out of it, putting a thumb on the scale against democracy. At least that's what you're hearing
in the comments from Washington Post readers as they cancel, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, indeed, and I'm seeing that all over X as people just cancel their subscription. That's very, very clear.
STELTER: Right.
SOARES: And, Brian, I mean, the irony in all of this especially from us watching on this side of the pond, is that, you know, when you value your
journalists' integrity and work, you know, not speaking out against a candidate that calls the press the enemy of the people, I mean, that kind
of It's a slap in the face, I'm guessing, for many journalists.
Just speak to more the internal debate within Washington Post. Because I saw David Hoffman, who of course has resigned. He said, we face a terrible,
terrible choice. I believe a looming autocracy. I don't want to be silent about it. I don't want the Post to be silent about it. And the fact that
we're not going to endorse is a degree of silence I cannot stand.
STELTER: And here's another person who resigned, Molly Roberts, who said, Trump is not yet a dictator, but the quieter we are, the closer he comes.
Because dictators don't have to order the press to publish cooperatively, if it wishes to go on publishing at all. The press knows, and it censors
itself.
[14:35:00]
That is the wider -- that's the broader concern here, that media and media outlets, big and small, might try to behave the way Trump wants, in order
to avoid punishment. And think about, you know, the way this is looking, Harris today came out and said it's disappointing that papers like The
Washington Post and L.A. Times are not endorsing her. Consider just how normalized this behavior has become that, you know, CEOs assume Donald
Trump will punish his enemies and reward his friends if he gets back in office. There's -- there are no such assumptions being made about Harris,
you know?
Bezos didn't have to worry that if he doesn't endorse Harris, he's going to -- she's going to be on -- she's going to win the election and then punish
him somehow or seek retribution, you know? This is only going in one direction. It's going in Trump's direction. So, the asymmetry of this
election comes through loudly and clearly in this controversy.
SOARES: And I just want to play a little clip from Washington Post TikToker, who perceived it this moment. I think this is great, right? It
says a lot. Have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE JORGENSON, SENIOR VIDEO REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Don't publish it.
Why not?
So, as you may know, I'm a billionaire.
Yes.
And many of us billionaires own multiple companies.
Yes, we know. You own The Washington Post.
And Blue Origin, which happens to have billions of dollars in cloud computing contracts with the federal government.
So, you're worried about retribution if Trump wins.
I didn't say that. But many experts have pointed to that. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: But yes, we said there's no quid pro quo. Just speak very briefly here to the timing of this, right? We're a week away from U.S. election,
why leave it so late?
STELTER: And good for The Post in publishing that. They've been covering this controversy aggressively. The newsroom deserves credit for that. But
timing is everything. Bezos is probably right to end presidential endorsements. It does cause a lot of appearance of bias. But to do it on
the eve of the election, that's what's opened up the criticism. And that's why, according to NPR, a quarter million subscribers have cancelled. By the
way, The Post not denying that figure, that's an extraordinary subscriber loss for any newsroom.
SOARES: And hence why we saw that op-ed, right, overnight speaks, of course, to the loss. Brian, great to see you as always. Thank you.
STELTER: Thanks. Thank you.
SOARES: And still ahead right here on the show, one strike leaves nearly 100 people dead in Northern Gaza. With no emergency rescue services,
survivors are using their bare hands to try to pull the people out alive. We have the very latest for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Survivors of an Israeli strike in Northern Gaza are describing a horrific scene, as people use their bare hands to dig for anyone still
alive under piles of crushed concrete. Gaza's health ministry says that at least 93 people were killed in Beit Lahiya, including 25 children.
Witnesses say the strike hit a building sheltering displaced families. Neighbors used blankets to cover some bodies, taking them away on donkey
carts.
Gaza's civil defense says it's being forced to stop all rescue operations in Northern Gaza because of Israel's assault. And the humanitarian crisis
may not only -- it may only, in fact, get worse after Israel's parliament voted to ban the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA will no longer
be able to work in Israel or even communicate with Israeli authorities.
[14:40:00]
That effectively means it cannot continue critical operations in Gaza or the West Bank. A UNICEF spokesperson warns many more children in Gaza could
die as a result.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES ELDER, UNICEF SPOKESPERSON: If UNRWA is unable to operate, it'd likely see the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza. UNICEF would
become effectively unable to distribute lifesaving supplies, here I'm talking vaccines, I'm talking winter clothes, I'm talking hygiene kits,
health kits, water. So, a decision such of this suddenly means that a new way has been found to kill children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's bring in Jeremy Diamond in Tel Aviv for more. And, Jeremy, let's start, first of all, with this strike in Northern Gaza. What more are
you learning?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is one of the most devastating strikes that we have seen in Gaza in quite some time, and more
than 90 people have been killed in this strike, according to Palestinian health officials, as well as the hospital in the area. But many more bodies
are still believed to be under the rubble.
And in addition to just the number of casualties, of which 25 were children, according to that Palestinian ministry of health, it's also about
the process of trying to save those who survived and trying to recover the bodies who are beneath the rubble. And all of that is being affected by the
dire humanitarian situation in Northern Gaza.
The lack of heavy machinery of the Palestinian civil defense to be able to get to this area, because of the Israeli military blocking access, the lack
of ambulances in the area, requiring donkey carts to be used instead to drag out the bodies from the rubble.
And we are also seeing that those who were injured and arrived at Kamal Adwan hospital, one of the few remaining hospitals in Northern Gaza are
also, of course, facing difficulties because of the lack of medical supplies, because of the fact that the majority of the health care workers
at that hospital were detained in a recent Israeli military raid.
Now, in terms of the why, why did the Israeli military strike this building where some 200 people were apparently living? And we just got a response
from the IDF spokesman, David Avram (ph), speaking to our Matthew Chance, who said that this area in Beit Lahiya was meant to be evacuated, but that
they did not intend to collapse this building in this strike.
The spokesman said that the Israeli military was targeting a suspected terrorist that they saw in the area and that they are going to investigate
what happened. Isa.
SOARES: Jeremy, appreciate it. Thank you very much.
Now, authorities in Lebanon are reporting some of the deadliest strikes there since the Israel-Hezbollah war escalated last month. The health
ministry says at least 60 people were killed in repeated Israeli attacks on cities and towns in Eastern Lebanon. One regional governor says most of the
casualties were women and children. And the strikes come as Hezbollah announced a new leader to replace Hassan Nasrallah. As Salma Abdelaziz now
reports. It didn't take long for Israel to respond.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hezbollah has a new leader. Naim Qassem has been appointed the group's new secretary general, a
role he was already fulfilling, acting as the interim chief after his predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, was assassinated by Israel in late
September.
The killing of Nasrallah, a man seen to embody the Lebanese Shia movement, struck a huge blow and left a vacuum inside a group that had already lost
much of its leadership as a result of months of Israeli assassinations.
But soon after Nasrallah's death, Qassem issued a defiant statement, urging Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon or face Hezbollah's wrath.
NAIM QASSEM, HEZBOLLAH LEADER (through translator): We are not speaking from a position of weakness. If the Israelis don't want a ceasefire, we
will continue to fight.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Qassem was considered Hezbollah's number two, serving as deputy secretary general, meaning second in command of the
organization since 1991. He is one of the group's founding members. Helping to establish it in the early 1980s.
Nasrallah's cousin, Hashem Safieddine, was previously viewed as the favorite to take the helm of the Iran linked Hezbollah, but he died in an
Israeli strike on Beirut shortly after his relative. Since the killing of his predecessor, Qassem has made three televised speeches, speaking in
formal Arabic rather than the colloquial dialogue that gave his predecessor charisma.
Israel says he won't last long and issued this apparent threat. His tenure in this position may be the shortest in the history of this terrorist
organization if he follows the footsteps of his predecessors, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, the Israeli government's official Arabic
account on X posted.
[14:45:00]
His appointment to lead Hezbollah, now meant to demonstrate the group can reconstitute and recover, even as it fights for its survival.
Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, a teenager charged with a fatal stabbing at a Taylor Swift themed dance class now faces terrorism charges. Back in July, if you
remember, three young girls died during the knife attack in Southport in England. Another eight children were injured. Police say the new charges
stem from a search of his home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERENA KENNEDY, MERSEYSIDE CHIEF CONSTABLE: The additional charges are, number one, production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to
Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974. And charge number two, possessing information, namely a PDF file entitled Military Studies in the
Jihad Against the Tyrants, the Al-Qaeda training manual, of a kind that is likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of
terrorism.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: The 18-year-old suspect will appear in court tomorrow. Then his trial is scheduled to begin in January. Of course, stay across the story
for you.
And still to come tonight, another key group of voters who could hold the key to victory. We'll take you to one of the crucial swing states to see
what Hispanic voters are saying about the candidates. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: With one week to go before the contentious U.S. presidential election, new CNN behind the scenes reporting shows how both the Trump and
Harris legal teams are gearing up for potential historic legal fights. Both camps have spent years laying the groundwork for possible courtroom battles
to come, and that includes recruiting lawyers in every U.S. state.
Our Chief Legal Affairs Correspondent Paula Reid joins us from Washington, D.C. with more. Paula, so just talk us through what you have learned.
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It's fascinating. Both teams have been preparing for years for election litigation around the 2024
presidential race. In speaking with multiple sources on both sides there's clearly a consensus on the Republican side that they just can't have a
repeat of what happened in 2020, when they embarrassingly lost 61 of the 62 lawsuits that they were involved in. They had lawyers who were sanctioned,
even criminally charged.
[14:50:00]
So, a source familiar with their strategy this time around said their number one priority was recruiting top lawyers and also convincing the
candidate, which they have, that he needed to spend money not just on TV ads, but also on good lawyers. And they needed to resolve questions before
the election.
Now, on the Democratic side, they have really assembled a powerhouse team, including former White House Counsel Dana Remus, two former solicitor
generals, Election Expert Marc Elias and President Biden's personal lawyer, Bob Bauer.
Now, Dana Remus told me that their whole strategy, their mantra, is prepare, prepare, prepare. And that preparation includes things like having
this network of lawyers, lawyers in each state. So, if there's an issue, they can reach out to them, file something quickly.
They've also war gamed through different scenarios. Both sides have done this. For example, on the Republican side, they've even war gamed what
happens if there's a natural disaster. So, they saw what happened in Florida and North Carolina earlier this year, and they said, oh, we
prepared for that. We're ready. Democrats have also compiled thousands of pages of draft pleadings. So, if something happens, they can go and file
those suits.
So, it's clear they are all prepared. And if this comes down to a handful of votes that they think could be claimed through litigation, I think we
could expect lawsuits to last for weeks, maybe even months.
SOARES: Again, an important context as well. Just 30 percent of register voters think that Trump will accept the results of the election and concede
if he loses, that is, of course, according to a CNN poll results that released just yesterday, in fact. Paula, appreciate it. Thank you very much
indeed.
Well, in the critical battleground State of Arizona, the latest polls show Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are neck and neck. Harris and the running
mate -- and his running man -- her running mate, Tim Walz, will hold a Get Out the Vote rally there, and that's expected to take place on Thursday.
The Democratic nominees have been trying to pick up crucial support, of course, from Latino voters, among others. Our John King looks at how that
effort is going.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Knock, knock.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Crunch time in the battlegrounds.
MEG: Nice to meet you. My name's Meg. I'm with LUCHA, Living United for a Change in Arizona.
KING (voice-over): One handout promotes the Arizona Ballot Initiative expanding abortion rights. The other promotes Kamala Harris and Democratic
candidates for the Senate and the House.
MEG: Do you think that your voice has power in this election?
KING (voice-over): LUCHA canvassers are at 600,000 door knocks and counting. They encourage early voting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know where your polling location is?
KING (voice-over): Many of the targeted homes are Latinos who are registered but don't always vote.
KING: What's the most common question you get at a door knock about the vice president?
CLAUDIO RODRIGUEZ, ARIZONA VOTER: The most common question we get at a door knock is, why Kamala? Why Kamala? And my answer to that is like,
first, she's not a felon. One, she's a strong woman. And as a Latino man, we like strong women. And we don't like weak men.
KING (voice-over): Claudio Rodriguez volunteers for LUCHA and also runs a community farm and food bank. He is upbeat about Harris' chances here, says
encouraging younger voters to turn out is one big need in this final week.
RODRIGUEZ: You do get the folks who are like -- kind of like feel hopeless, but then you got to bring them back in. You get folks who say
like, voting doesn't matter. My vote doesn't matter. And to my response to that is like, whether you believe it matters or not, it still exists. It's
like, why not participate in it? Put your voice in there. You're a little two cents.
KING (voice-over): Tucson is in deep blue Pima County. Biden's giant 2020 edge here was critical to winning the state by just 10,000 votes.
TAMARA VARGA, ARIZONA VOTER: Mickey is one of our biggest sellers.
KING (voice-over): Tamara Varga is a lifelong Republican who came to Tucson 30 years ago from San Diego. She thought she lived in a blue pocket
of a red state.
KING: Did it surprise you in 2020 when Biden won Arizona? Just barely.
VARGA: Absolutely surprised me. I was not expecting that.
KING (voice-over): Varga owns two candy shops and two food trucks. So, she can provide jobs for individuals with special needs, including her sons.
She says housing and other costs of living are up. Her gut says Trump is stronger this time.
VARGA: I feel that Trump's ahead, but I felt that way in 2020 as well. So, it's hard to say, you know. I feel that I have had more friends that are
open to Trump and are flipping to a Trump vote.
KING: And the local friends who are doing that, do they cite a reason?
VARGA: The border and the economy. Yes, people are having a hard time putting food on their table and gas in their cars, and it's really
affecting them. So, I think that they now think about their vote and how it will affect their household.
KING: There's no doubt voter anxiety over the cost of living and the immigration issue gives the former president a chance to flip Arizona back
to red and win its 11 electoral votes. But Trump's rhetoric and that of his allies sometimes lands wrong and offends two critical voting groups here,
moderates in the fast-growing suburbs and Latino voters.
John King, CNN, Phoenix.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: Well, U.S. airlines are now required to give passengers an automatic refund if their flight is significantly delayed or even canceled.
The final federal rule requiring airlines to dole out refunds, not vouchers, took effect just a few hours ago. It is a major change and comes
less than a month before what could be a huge holiday travel season, of course, in the United States.
What we don't know is how much the delay is, maybe we can try and get clarification. How long does the delay have to be in order to get that full
refund? Well, we'll look into that.
And finally, a curator at a museum in New York City has discovered an unknown waltz written by none other than Frederic Chopin. It is the first
time that a new piece of work by the Polish composer has been uncovered in nearly a hundred years. And curators found the ink and the paper used in
the small manuscript found at the Morgan Library and Museum match those that Chopin normally used.
They also believe that the manuscript is so small, there could have been a gift to someone raising new questions about the private life, of course, of
one of the world's greatest most renowned composers.
And that does it for us tonight. Do stay right here, Newsroom is up next. I'll be back with Quest Means Business in about an hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
