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Israel's Divided Response to Iranian Attack; Trump's Legal Challenges in New York Trial; Economic Updates: China's First Quarter GDP Exceeds Expectations; Modi Seeking Unprecedented Third Term; Pro- Gaza Protest Ties Up Traffic on Golden Gate Bridge. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired April 16, 2024 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, I'm John Vause, ahead here on CNN Newsroom.

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LT. GEN. HERZI HALEVI, CHIEF OF STAFF, ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES: Iran will face the consequences for its actions.

VAUSE: But how and when? Israel's war cabinet is still divided over a response to the first ever direct attack by Iran on the Jewish state.

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I can't go to my son's graduation or that I can't go to the United States Supreme Court.

VAUSE: Ah, the defendant in a New York criminal trial complains about the rules which apply to equally to anyone and everyone. And a haymaker to the head, how political differences are resolved in Georgia's parliament.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Israel is under growing international pressure to show restraint in how it responds to Iran's weekend attack. Hundreds of missiles and drones fired directly at Israel from inside Iran, an escalation without precedent in their long-running proxy war. Right now, the Israeli war cabinet appears to be divided over what comes next.

A meeting on Monday, the second time in as many days, ended without any announcement. According to an Israeli official, both diplomatic and military options are on the table. At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is urging the world to stand united against what he calls Iranian aggression, which he said was a threat to Israel, the entire Middle East, as well as world peace.

In Tehran, a senior military adviser has warned there will be no restraint if any enemy crosses so-called red lines. The weekend drone and missile strike, according to Iran, was necessary and proportionate, an act of self-defence. Part of the difficult calculation for Israel in its response to that attack is the risk of further escalation by Iran. Still, the head of Israel's military warns it's not a matter of if, but when.

(BEGIN VIDE CLIP)

HALEVI: We are closely assessing the situation. We remain at our highest level of readiness. Iran will face the consequences for its actions. We will choose our response accordingly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The last direct attack on Israel was 33 years ago, when 42 Scud missiles were fired from Iraq's Saddam Hussein, many aimed directly at Tel Aviv. While the only victim from Iran's direct strike appears to be a seven-year-old girl, many in Israel fear these direct attacks, if left unanswered, will be the new normal. More now from CNN's international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPILOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): In heated debate, Israel's war cabinet facing their toughest decision since October 7th. How to respond to Iran's unprecedented air assault over the weekend. Differences over how and when, not if, dividing them, looking to allies for help.

BENNY GANTZ, ISRAELI WAR CABINET MINISTER (through translator): Faced with the threat of Iran, we will build a regional coalition and exact a price from Iran in a way and at a time that suits us.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): At stake, escalation of already inflamed tensions, even regional war. The U.S. urging restraint and recusing itself from retaliation.

ANTONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We have been coordinating a diplomatic response to seek to prevent escalation.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): According to Israeli officials, Iran launched more than 350 drones, cruise and ballistic missiles late Saturday, early Sunday, 60 tons of explosives, most intercepted by Israel and allies. In a paradigm shift of decades of proxy shadow war with Israel, Iran claiming it has established deterrence following Israel's deadly attacks on its Damascus consulate two weeks ago, and warning Israel and the U.S. against retaliation.

NASSER KANAANI, IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): Instead of making accusations, the Western countries should appreciate the Islamic Republic of Iran's restraint and responsible actions towards stability and safety in the region.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Even Israel's putative ally, Jordan, which helped bring down some Iranian missiles Sunday, is wary of Israel's next move. AYMAN SAFADI, JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: The Israeli prime minister has always wanted to invoke some sort of confrontation with Iran. Now, as the international pressure on Israel to stop the aggression in Gaza continues, invoking a fight with Iran is something that we believe he thinks could dilute that pressure.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): In Gaza, after months of mounting international pressure, Israel appearing to delay plans for an offensive in the densely populated southern city of Rafah, and established aid deliveries directly into the malnourished north.

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For now, how hard to hit back at Iran and not blow-up relations with allies dominating Israel's political agenda.

ROBERTSON: And then perhaps the strongest indication that the clock is ticking down to a decision. Israel's army chief of staff Herzi Halevi told troops that they are thinking ahead and there will be a response to Iran's attack. Nic Robertson, CNN, Jerusalem.

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VAUSE: Mark Dubowitz is the CEO of the nonpartisan Think Tank Foundation for Defense of Democracy. He's with us this hour from Washington. Mark just came back from three weeks in Israel, meeting with the Israeli prime minister and others are Iran specifically. So, it's good to have you with us.

MARK DUBOWITZ, CEO, FOUNDATION FOR DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY: Thanks, John, for having me. Appreciate it.

VAUSE: Okay, so the Israelis were publicly thanking their allies on Monday, U.S., Britain, France, Jordan and others, all of them working together to neutralize this attack by Iran. Here's the Israeli army's chief of staff. Listen to this.

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HALEVI: Operation Iron Shield proved the strength of our ironclad cooperation. I want to thank all our international partners who stood up to Iran's aggression. Iran's attack has created new opportunities for cooperation in the Middle East.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Even from the prime minister's office, this tweet, Israel deeply appreciates the support of the United States, Britain, France and others in thwarting the Iranian attack against Israel. So how crucial was that support? What would have been the outcome here in terms of lives lost and infrastructure damaged if that allied action had not taken place?

DUBOWITZ: Well, John, actually, most of the missiles and drones were actually shot down by the Israeli Air Force or intercepted by the Israeli air defense systems. That's not taking away anything from the United States or from the U.K. or France or any of our Arab allies, who certainly played a useful role. But, you know, I think General Halevi, the IDF chief of staff and Prime Minister Netanyahu are making this point of appreciation for diplomatic and political reasons, because I think they understand there's a real opportunity to build a regional coalition against the Iranians and for future attacks that can be thwarted internationally.

VAUSE: It also seems to show Israel has support amongst the international community, regardless of what's happening behind the scenes with relations between Washington and Jerusalem. Publicly and in a very public way, there is support there.

DUBOWITZ: Yeah, I think that's exactly right. And I think it's very important because, obviously, Israel's been under tremendous heat recently because of the war in Gaza. So, I think it's important to refocus, refocus on the sort of head of the octopus, which is the supreme leader of Iran and the regime in Iran, and really underscore that Israel is not isolated. Israel is not alone. And Israel is part of a broad regional coalition. All of these countries understand the threat from Iran.

VAUSE: I want you to listen to Iran's foreign minister. He seemed to be trying a little spin here about what happened. Here he is.

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KANAANI (through translator): Our advice to all the supporters of the Zionist regime is to appreciate the value of Iran's responsible and proportionate action instead of choosing inappropriate words about Iran.

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VAUSE: Seems there's some unhappiness among Iran and its allies right now. But would you classify this attack by Iran a failure or a success?

DUBOWITZ: No, I think it was a partial success. I mean, look, they fired over 350 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones with the explicit purpose of trying to kill Israelis. In that respect, it was a failure. Unfortunately, there's one young Israeli Bedouin Muslim girl, seven years old, who suffered severe injuries. But I don't think that they achieved their goal of massive casualties. I do, however, think they've created a new normal. I mean, they've now fired these missiles and drones from Iranian territory. This is a direct attack against Israel.

It's the first time in the 4 years that they've been attacking Israel that they didn't go through proxies, didn't go indirect, but went direct. And I think they want to create a new normal. They actually said it explicitly. The regime said, we will now attack Israel directly from Iranian soil with the full might of the Iranian regime. So, in that respect, they created a new normal. And the response from the United States and other allies to Israel is stand down. Don't deescalate. I think that's music to the ears of the Iranian supreme leader. VAUSE: Well, with that in mind, here is a short sampling of what the

allies, those allies which defended Israel, are now telling Israel. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KIRBY, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: What we want to see is de- escalation of the tensions. We don't want to see a wider war.

DAVID CAMERON, BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: We are urging them as friends to think with head as well as heart, to be smart as well as tough.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: Now is the time to defuse and de-escalate. Now is the time for maximum restraint.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Allies and friends, I should say. We don't know what Israel is planning, but a diplomatic response seems to be political suicide for Prime Minister Netanyahu. But how far is he willing to go and maybe risk alienating some of the countries which helped defend Israel??

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DUBOWITZ: Look, we have to remember, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin defied Ronald Reagan to take out Saddam Hussein's nuclear reactor in 1981. And Prime Minister Ehud Olmert defied George W. Bush and took out Syria's nuclear reactor. I think Israeli Prime Ministers understand that at the end of the day, their responsibility is to defend their country and their people. And when there are regimes that are going to use the worst kinds of weapons against their people, it's not good to be popular in the West. It's much better to be alive in the East.

VAUSE: Good point to finish on. Mark, thanks so much for being with us. Really appreciate your thoughts and your insights.

DUBOWITZ: Thanks for having me, John.

VAUSE: Well, despite multiple appeals based on very dubious legal arguments for delay or dismissal, despite all the venom and vitriol directed at the judge and court workers, Donald Trump's hush money payments to a porn star trial is now underway in New York. Jury selection began Monday. And as is required by law, the first ever former president to face trial on criminal charges was there. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee has been charged with 34 felonies for falsifying business records related to a 2016 payment to Stormy Daniels, a former adult film star.

On this first day, jury selection was slow going. None were chosen, with dozens of potential jurors sent home after admitting they could not be fair and impartial. CNN's Kara Scannell has more details on day one. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: This thing is either solved or I'm not happy. Nothing like this has ever happened before. It's never been anything like it.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): Donald Trump speaking out on a day that saw 96 potential jurors pass through magnetometers to enter the courtroom with Trump. They were sworn in and questioning began. A few minutes later, at least 50 prospective jurors were excused because they told the judge they could not be fair and impartial. Of those who remained, three questioned by the judge listed the New York Times and CNN as their sources of news. None said they had read any books by Michael Cohen or Trump, and none of them said they worked or volunteered for any pro-Trump or anti-Trump groups. Just nine members of today's jury pool were questioned and not dismissed by the time court adjourned.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says the former president attempted to cover up payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election, trying to stop her from speaking out about the alleged affair with Trump. Judge Juan Marchand started the day by denying a motion from Trump's lawyers to recuse himself.

As attorneys debated, Judge Juan Marchand said he would not allow the infamous Access Hollywood tape to be shown or video of Trump's deposition in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit that found him liable for defamation. Karen McDougal, a model who says she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and was paid $150,000 to keep quiet about it, will be allowed to testify. Attorneys also argued about how much the jury can be told about Michael Cohen's crimes.

MICHAEL COHEN, DONALD TRUMP'S FORMER ATTORNEY: I did it at the direction of, in concert with, and for the benefit of Donald J. Trump.

SCANNELL (voice-over): The credibility of Trump's former fixer, who admitted he orchestrated the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, will be one of the most fought over elements of the case. Trump, for his part, entered very few words into the court record. He could sometimes be seen leaning back in his chair with his arms folded, and his eyes appeared to be closed for several minutes. When he was introduced as the defendant, Trump turned around and gave the potential jurors a tight-lipped smirk.

Once jury selection began, Trump was active, at times conferring with his lawyer and holding the questionnaire up to read as the judge questioned jurors. Prosecutors also asked the judge to fine Trump for social media posts attacking witnesses involved in the case, saying he violated a gag order. The judge scheduled a hearing for next week to settle that matter. The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks. It may be the only case against Trump to face a jury before the 2024 election. The presumptive Republican nominee complaining about the judge as he walked out of the courtroom.

TRUMP: The judge, of course, is not going to allow us. He's a very conflicted judge, and he's not going to allow us to go to that. He won't allow me to leave here for a half a day, go to D.C., and go before in the United States Supreme Court because he thinks he's superior. SCANNELL: The judge denied Trump's request to skip the trial next week so he could attend oral arguments in Washington, D.C., when the U.S. Supreme Court will hear his arguments that he should be protected by presidential immunity in the federal case in Washington. On Tuesday, all parties will be back in court, and the judge will continue to question the jurors until they have 12 jurors and six alternates. Kara Scannell, CNN, New York.

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VAUSE: Norm Eisen is a CNN legal analyst. He served as special counsel in the first of two impeachment trials of former President Donald Trump. He was the ethics czar in the Obama White House as well. Ambassador Eisen, welcome back. Good to see you.

NORMAN EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Thank you, John. Nice to be with you.

VAUSE: Okay, so the twice-impeached, four-times-crimineally-indicted Republican presidential presumptive nominee seemed a little annoyed, perhaps irritated, by being treated like every other person facing criminal charges. Here's part of a rant from the defendant.

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TRUMP: We've got a real problem with this, Judge. We have a real problem with a lot of things having to do with this trial, including the DA, because you go right outside and people are being muffed and killed all day long. And I can't go to my son's graduation, or that I can't go to the United States Supreme Court. This is about election interference. That's all it's about. Thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Donald Trump seems to be sort of confused here how the different branches of the criminal justice system work. He also seems confused about where he is legally obliged to actually be. In your opinion, though, how much of this is being driven not just by politics, but by Trump's belief that he is above the law?

EISEN: John, I was in the courthouse today, and one of the most telling moments was when they were interviewing one of the first jurors to have the potential to serve on this. And in answer to one question, he said, I believe no one is above the law, not if you're a current president, a former president, or a plumber. And Donald Trump does not seem to grasp this fundamental reality that we're a nation of laws, not of men. Everyone is subject to the Constitution and laws. And if you're a criminal defendant, it doesn't matter what your resume says. You've got to be in court in the criminal case, not at the United States Supreme Court, not at family events. But facing justice and that's where Donald Trump finds himself. He doesn't like it too much, John.

VAUSE: Yeah, and you mentioned this. This is the start of jury selection. Under normal circumstances, that could be a lengthy process. This is anything but normal. So, what's your assessment on how long this could take before an impartial jury is actually seated?

EISEN: Well, it was slow today. We spent the morning arguing legal and evidentiary issues relating to the trial. In the afternoon, we started jury selection. But the judge has said he wants to speed it up. He's going to add extra days to the calendar if he has to. So, I think you're going to see a couple weeks of jury selection. And about two weeks from today, perhaps a little more than that, the jury will be seated. We'll have opening statements. There's also several days of Passover holiday that the judge is going to take off as a courtesy to lawyers or jurors who may have a holiday conflict. That'll slow things a bit.

VAUSE: The judge also ruled on the admissibility of that now infamous Access Hollywood tape. So, anyone who may have been in a deep coma at the end of 2016, here's a quick reminder.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.

BUSH: Whatever you want.

TRUMP: Grab them by the p*** (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In many ways, that ruling by the judge seemed like a split decision. The tape itself cannot be played to jurors. But prosecutors could quote from the transcript. So, explain why that ruling. And why prosecutors want to use it in the first place.

EISEN: John, under New York law, there's a case, Molino, that requires a balancing of the value of a piece of evidence. the proof that it offers against the unfair harm, the prejudice that it might do to a defendant. Here, the Access Hollywood tape is very important because the prosecutor's theory of the case is election interference. That Donald Trump kept information from voters by paying hush money at the end of the 2016 election in order to grasp power. By the way, that's a very similar theory to the 2020 election interference cases. So you need the tape to establish Donald Trump's situation, his desperation after that tape came out.

But if you play the actual sound, jurors might hold an unfair grudge against the former president. So, the judge says. I'll let you introduce the transcripts, the words, so you can establish the context, but not the tape, too prejudicial.

VAUSE: Well, despite Trump's other legal trials and issues, this criminal trial, we've got to remember, first time a former president has appeared in court on criminal charges. And according to reporting from Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, Mr. Trump appeared to nod off a few times, his mouth going slack and his head drooping onto his chest. The former president's lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, passed in notes for several minutes. Before Mr. Trump appeared to jolt awake and notice them. Very low energy, Donald Trump, I guess. [00:20:09]

In the grand scheme of things, not a huge deal, but in some ways it shows how Trump is lucky that cameras are not allowed in the courtroom.

EISEN: It is hot in those courtrooms. The air gets a little close. But Donald Trump ought to be on the edge of his seat because there's a powerful case against him and a substantial risk of conviction. And if so, you can't rule out the possibility of a jail term. He had better wake up, John.

VAUSE: It is a serious case. And Norm Eisen, as always, it is great to have you with us. Really appreciate it.

EISEN: Thanks.

VAUSE: Shares in the parent company of Donald Trump's Truth Social continue to plunge along with his net worth, down about $3 billion since Trump media went public less than three weeks ago. The company's stock prices tumbled about 60% from their high of almost $71. On Monday alone, they finished down more than 18%. But the company's stock prices have been down more than 18%. After announcing 21.5 million new shares would be up for sale, the company desperately needs cash flow, but the new issue will further devalue the stock price. Trump himself earns more than 57% of the company's shares.

Still to come here, a stabbing at a Sydney church caught on live stream during a sermon, followed by clashes outside the church. We'll have the very latest on the investigation into what happened. Also, China's first quarter GDP is out, beating expectations. A live report from Hong Kong with Kristie Lu Stout. All the details on that in a moment.

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VAUSE: Economic growth was stronger than expected in China's just released first quarter GDP numbers, up 5.3% compared to a year ago. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout joins us now from Hong Kong to break down the numbers. So, you know, there is good economic growth, and then there's not so good economic growth. You know, much of this growth is being driven in a big way by government spending on infrastructure. So, walk us through the data here, and what does it actually say about the strength of China's economy?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, John. Look, the data is out. China's GDP grew 5.3% in the first quarter compared to a year ago. This is stronger than expected, mainly thanks to growth in high- tech manufacturing, manufacturing of products like 3-D printers and EV charging stations. Look, the economy in China, China has been showing some signs of recovery, but there are still significant headwinds.

Louise Loo is the China economist at Oxford Economics, and she tells CNN this. Let's bring up the analysis for you. Quote, Economic momentum gained pace on a sequential basis in Q1, supported by broad manufacturing outperformance. Festivities boosted household spending. She's making reference to the Lunar New Year, and the feed-through of easy policy settings onto investments. However, stand-alone March activity indicators suggest weakness coming through post-Lunar New Year. Unquote.

Look, China has been struggling to mount a sustainable comeback from its long post-pandemic slump. Authorities, they've made some moves. They cut interest rates this year. They sped up government spending to support infrastructure investment. But it faces a slew of challenges, like weak consumer spending, like, pardon me, mounting local government debt, and of course, the ongoing property downturn, which is the major drag on China's economy.

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Earlier this year, remember, China set that bold growth target of around 5%. And President Xi Jinping, he called on the nation to unleash that new catchphrase, what he calls new productive forces. But to achieve 5% growth, and let's say Beijing has got to do more, it's got to roll out more measures to boost domestic demand and domestic confidence. John.

VAUUSE: Well, we also have the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is in China. What will be on his agenda ahead of that meeting with Xi Jinping?

STOUT: That's right. He is in China right now for a three-day visit. This is day two. He just spoke with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. And of course, he's going to be in China for a three-day visit. But according to Reuters, they're reporting that Xi says bilateral ties between Germany and China will develop as long as both sides respect each other and they seek a long-term strategic perspective. Now, on Monday, we know that the German Chancellor spoke to a group of students at Tongji University in Shanghai, and he pressed for open and fair market for Chinese cars.

A number of Western leaders are concerned about overcapacity, about hyper-manufacturing, about dumping of Chinese products. And he told the students, No overproduction. Copyrights have got to be respected. John, also, this was a curious moment. Scholz was also asked by a Chinese student whether he would have to smoke marijuana in Germany if he studied there. Because as of April this year, cannabis is legal in Germany. It's not legal in China. And the German Chancellor did respond to the student and said, quote, the answer is very simple. Don't smoke. I'll be 66 this year, and I've never smoked cannabis. So, advice there from the German Chancellor.

VAUSE: And never inhaled. Just, you know, none of it. Kristie Lu Stout.

STOUT: Good advice from John Vause.

VAUSE: Absolutely. Never inhaled. Thank you, Kristie. It's always great to see you. Thank you.

STOUT: Thank you. VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, the world's largest democracy heads to the polls this week. We'll show you the mood in the country ahead of a key vote.

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VAUSE: Welcome back, everyone. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm John VAUSE. Well, just days after a stabbing spree at a shopping mall in Sydney, police are investigating another stabbing attack in the city, this time at a church. The live stream of the sermon of the service was broadcast, and the attacker is seen approaching the lectern and stabbing the bishop as he was delivering a sermon. Both the bishop and the parishioner. The parish priest were injured but are expected to recover.

[00:30:10]

Parishioners were able to restrain the attacker until police arrived. They say he's 16 years old, and he is not on any terror watchlist. And that investigation is ongoing.

Well, lawmakers in Georgia, the former Soviet republic, started throwing punches and fighting while debating a controversial bill on foreign agents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(BRAWLING AND SHOUTING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: A haymaker to the head. The bill being debated would require organizations that accept overseas funds to register as foreign agents or face fines.

Critics say it's similar to laws in Russia which are used to crack down on dissent. Hundreds in Georgia protested the bill outside Parliament Monday. They shut down the bill when it was first introduced more than a year ago.

But the Georgian Dream Party says the legislation is needed for transparency and to combat pseudo liberal values imposed by foreigners.

Lawmakers will continue to review this bill during a first reading later Tuesday.

India is gearing up for its upcoming general election. The world's biggest democracy exercising where nearly 1 billion people are eligible to vote. Polling will begin on Friday and unfold in seven phases, ending June 1.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a rare third consecutive term. Under Modi, India has become the fastest growing major economy but has also become increasingly polarized along religious lines.

Rahul Gandhi is the face of the Congress Party that has formed an alliance with other opposition leaders in an effort to stop another Modi term.

CNN's Will Ripley visits a key city in Northern India and reports on what's at stake for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Varanasi, an ancient city heaving with humanity. If India had a bible belt, this could be its capital. Religion woven into the fabric of life here, like the rickshaws, weaving in and out of traffic.

With the tang of turmeric, cumin and coriander from the Gola Dinanath spice market, hundreds of years old.

RIPLEY: I'm Will.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Here I meet a shopkeeper.

RIPLEY: Nice to meet you.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Akash Jaiswal, who's full of praise for India's popular prime minister, Narendra Modi.

RIPLEY: What makes them different from others?

AKASH JAISWAL, SHOPKEEPER: What he feels he has done.

RIPLEY: When you hear him speak, do you feel like he's speaking to you and your like?

JAISWAL: Because he is -- he speaks with his heart.

RIPLEY (voice-over): The heart of a very smart politician.

Modi was not born here. He chose to represent this Hindu spiritual center. Leading up to the elections, Modi inaugurated a temple dedicated to lord Ram, one of Hinduism's most revered deities, built on the site of a Muslim mosque demolished decades ago by Hindu hardliners.

NARENDRA MODI, INDIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Ram is India's faith. Ram is India's foundation. Ram is India's thought.

RIPLEY (voice-over): He's blurring the line between religion and politics, projecting himself as the head priest, the protector, the creator of a Hindu-first nation.

SABA NAQVI, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Narendra Modi does something which has not happened before in Indian politics among all our prime ministers. He willfully creates a cult of his own personality.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Many actually worship Modi himself, almost like a living god. But not every Hindu here is a believer. Vishrambhar Nath Mishra is head priest of a prominent local temple, and it sits alongside Hinduism's holiest river, the Ganges.

Every day he bathes in these heavily polluted holy waters.

He says the environment and also the political climate has drastically deteriorated during Modi's first decade in power. He's widely expected to win a third five-year term.

RIPLEY: Have you ever seen this city so divided, so polarized?

VISHRAMBHAR NATH MISHRA, HEAD PRIEST, SANKAT MOCHAN TEMPLE: This is what we call it. It is not the religious center. It is basically a spiritual center. So this unique fabric, fabric has a strained condition now. And we have a fear that this fabric will break.

RIPLEY (voice-over): That's what happened back in 2002, when Modi was chief minister of the Indian Western state of Gujarat. Religious riots there killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims.

And many say Modi is stoking the fires of religious tensions, empowering the Hindu majority and marginalizing the Muslim minority.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The first term that came to my mind was scary.

RIPLEY: Scared?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it's scary.

RIPLEY (voice-over): I sat down with Sana Sabah. She was celebrating the end of Ramadan with her family, all of them worrying if this is the end of a secular Indian government, and will it mean the end of their religious and civil rights?

SANA SABAH, RESIDENT: Where is the freedom of somebody just wearing a skullcap, minding his own business, buying mutton (ph) and whatever he wants to, and then heading home. And then dying on the way.

RIPLEY (voice-over): And there are other through things she worries about, like high youth unemployment, low wages, widespread poverty, not to mention corruption.

But polls still show Modi's popularity is pushing 80 percent.

[00:35:06]

RIPLEY: Modi's own path from poverty to politics is part of his appeal for a lot of people here in India. His official biography says he's the middle son of a chaiwallah, a tea seller, a humble upbringing that he says helps him understand the problems plaguing everyday people.

RIPLEY (voice-over): Modi says his programs put more food on their tables, plus the government hands out cash and cooking gas. And they provided water and power and sanitation services.

Modi is also getting a lot of respect abroad. DILEEP PATEL, VARANASI BJP PRESIDENT (voice-over): Today, India is strong, capable, and self-reliant under the prime minister's leadership.

RIPLEY (voice-over): In Modi's India, majority rules. And he's expected to win a commanding majority of India's nearly 1 billion eligible voters, the biggest democratic election in the history three of mankind, making Modi one of the most popular and powerful leaders in the world. Even if some feel they may be left behind.

Will Ripley, CNN, Varanasi, India.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Still to come here on CNN, traffic on California's famous Golden Gate Bridge brought to a standstill by pro-Palestinian protesters. More details on that in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Police in California arrested 28 people on Monday after demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza, blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Despite what police call a very peaceful demonstration, the event backed up traffic for hours. It's one of many similar events across the U.S. on Monday.

CNN's Veronica Miracle has details.

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VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The people here were protesting what's happening in Gaza. Before arrests were made, there were individuals holding signs that said "Stop the world for Gaza."

The Golden Gate protest was one of five in major cities across the United States, all pro-Palestinian protests, though this one appeared to have a significant impact, probably the most, on traffic.

It started at 8:00 a.m. and didn't wrap up until about 12:30. Twenty- eight people were arrested, including six individuals who had chained themselves to each other and had stopped in front of parked cars that were also part of the protest.

But this wasn't the only one and the only impact here in the Bay Area. There was another protest in Oakland on the I-880, another major thoroughfare, where protesters there brought in barrels onto the roadway and chained themselves to those barrels.

Organizers, part of that protest, say they are part of a worldwide collective. They are seeking solidarity with Palestine. They also want to stop U.S. taxpayer dollars from going to Israel.

There were other cities also impacted, including Chicago, where at Ohare International Airport, there were travelers who had to walk their luggage into the airport, because an access road was blocked.

There were also protests in Miami and New York.

Veronica Miracle, CNN, San Francisco.

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VAUSE: A fourth global coral bleaching event has been declared by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the U.S.

Two scientific bodies say record ocean temperatures are driving this mass bleaching event. It could be possibly the worst in recorded history.

Research shows more than 54 percent of the world's coral reef areas have experienced bleaching in the past year.

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DEREK MANZELLO, U.S. NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION: Still not done with this event. And the number of reef areas around the planet that are experiencing bleaching level heat stress is growing each week.

So it's likely that in a few weeks' time, this event well officially be the most spatially extensive global coral bleaching event on record. And what that means is bleaching level heat stress will be experienced by more coral reef areas around the planet than has ever occurred before in -- on record.

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VAUSE: And to explain why bleaching is so dangerous and such great concern, when coral is exposed to high heat, it spits out algae, which lives within the tissue. Algae is crucial for the coral's survival.

If ocean temperatures do not return to some kind of normalcy, this could lead to mass coral death, as well as the collapse of food chains.

Well, she made college basketball history. Now she's the No. 1 pick for the professional ranks.

Caitlin Clark, selected by the Indiana Fever with the first pick in the WNBA draft on Monday. The Iowa Hawkeyes superstar is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball. Her on-the-court prowess sold out arenas across the country and sent TV ratings soaring.

Ticket prices to watch the Fever in the upcoming season more than doubled after Clark announced her intention to enter the WNBA draft.

Well, Chinese runners' victory in Beijing's half marathon on Sunday is now under investigation. Video appeared to show three African runners deliberately slowing down to let him cross the finish line first. Internet users who saw the clip demanded an investigation from race

organizers. And now the sports company which sponsors both the runner and the marathon says it's looking into what happened.

The race-winner has broken China's marathon record twice in the past two years. He did not address the controversial finish.

Whatever it takes.

I'm John Vause, back at the top of the hour with more CNN NEWSROOM. But first, WORLD SPORT starts after a short break. We'll see you soon.

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