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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Unsealed Document Sharpens Focus on Trump as Possible Subject of Federal Criminal Investigation; Federal Judge Won't Put on Hold Ruling Requiring Sen. Graham to Appear Before Georgia Grand Jury; Anti-Abortion Activists Working to Push Post-Roe Agenda; Apple Urges Users to Update Devices Now Due to Security Flaw. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired August 19, 2022 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:01]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: All right. Who is your favorite?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: OK, my favorite was Rustin -- I don't remember his last name but if we can get to it right now -- there it is.

BLACKWELL: OK.

CAMEROTA: Because this is more than a mullet, I feel. This is mullet meets Mohawk, you know?

BLACKWELL: So I think Nolan. Look at this. These are completely different haircuts. This is fantastic. Not even close.

CAMEROTA: OK. THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER starts right now.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Senator Lindsey Graham looks like he's next up on the witness list.

THE LEAD starts right now.

Crucial witness. Prosecutors in Georgia spelling out why they want the Republican lawmaker to appear before special grand jury as this latest case, investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 election takes a new turn.

And, power move. Russia threatening to take Europe's largest nuclear power plant off line, as it stands off with Ukraine fuels fear of a nuclear disaster.

Plus, Apple alert. The tech giant warns the security flaw could allow iPhones and iPads to get hacked. Which would you do right now to protect your devices?

Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

We start today with our politics lead and the six words sounding new alarms in Trump world. Documents unsealed by a federal judge related to that FBI raid at Mar-a-Lago include the phrase, willful retention of national defense information, willful retention of national defense information.

Legal experts tell CNN that phrase sharpens the focus on the former president as a possible subject of the Justice Department's criminal investigation.

In another Trump related investigation that went down in Georgia, a federal judge there just ruled that she will not put on hold the ruling that Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina must appear before that Fulton County, special grand jury next week. Prosecutors said in a final -- the testimony is crucial to the investigation to the Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the election in that state.

Graham has argued that his calls to Georgia election officials were entirely appropriate, as part of his role on the Senate Judiciary Committee and, he argued. Georgia Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, may feel quite differently, as he suggested in November 2020.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: He asked that the ballots could be matched back to the voters, and I got the sense it implied that you could throw those out -- look at the counties with the highest frequent err of signatures. So, that's the impression I got. But just an implication that look hard, and see how many ballots you could throw out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Look hard and see how many ballots you could throw out.

CNN's Jessica Schneider starts off our coverage today with a closer look at the new legal arguments that Trump allies are attempting to push to discredit these widening investigations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): New information revealed in documents related to the Mar-a-Lago search sharpening the focus on former President Trump as a possible subject of the criminal probe. The application for the search warrant unsealed Thursday reveals that among the crimes DOJ's investigating includes the willful retention of national defense information, language that could point to the rule of Trump who would have been authorized to possess national defense documents while in office, but not once he departed the White House and move to Mar-a-Lago.

ELIE HONIG, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: The papers don't specify Donald Trump in particular. You usually as a prosecutor don't specify a person, but we can sort of try to figure out what they mean by the word they did give us.

SCHNEIDER: Trump's former attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who's a target of another criminal probe out of Georgia investigating election fraud, he lashed out, defending the former president. RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER TRUMP LAWYER: And now, they want to make him

responsible for having taken documents that are classified and preserve them. Really, if you look at the Espionage Act, it's not really about taking the documents. It's about destroying or hiding them. Or you bring them to the enemy. It's not about taking them and putting them in a place that is roughly as safe as they were in the first place.

SCHNEIDER: Trump and his team continue to push publicly from releasing the full search warrant affidavit, which would have a lot more detail, but they did not file any motions to that effect in court. A source tells CNN that remains a possibility while Trump is continuing to hunt for additions to his legal team, including someone with experience in Florida.

ALINA HABBA, DONALD TRUMP'S LAWYER: One thing I did like today and I have to be positive about this. He said, if it's redacted too much I'm going to take it. And I'm going to redact it myself.

SCHNEIDER: Since the search, threats against FBI agents have reached unprecedented levels, a source tells CNN. That's why a House oversight panel is calling on social media companies to take the media action, and identify the number of threats made on their platforms since August 8th, the date of the search.

[16:05:08]

The demand comes in a letter to social media companies, including Meta, Twitter and TikTok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER (on camera): And when it comes to that affidavit, prosecutors now have less than one week to submit proposed reductions to the judge so he can decide what might be released publicly. It will likely be a tall task for the DOJ that has repeatedly said, any proposed reductions would be so extensive it would make the affidavit devoid of content -- Jake.

TAPPER: Jessica Schneider, thank you so much.

White House officials have privately expressed deep concern over the classified materials taken to Mar-a-Lago, including some documents that are meant to be viewed only in secure government facilities.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins has these new details for us today.

Kaitlan, what are Biden administration officials telling you?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Jake, well, these officials are not really saying much publicly, as you've noticed in recent, days they've been pretty tightlipped about the search of Mar-a-Lago over here at the White House, but what we are learning is that they're actually quite concerned about the idea that all this classified information was taken to the former president's private residence, kept and most of it in a basement level room, a storage facility where it has been for the last several months as a National Archives and Justice Department is trying to get its hands on it.

As these developments and new details have emerged, including when they took from Mar-a-Lago with these FBI agents being there last week, there's become more and more concern inside the White House about the idea of this classified information being there. Including some of it, so secure that you are only supposed to viewed in a secure government facilities, so when we heard officials say they don't know exactly what was taken there, they only see the inventory list that we've seen from this unsealed search warrant that was released by a judge just a week ago, is they do have a number one concern which is really that potentially this classified information being there and out of the hands of intelligence officials who currently work here or inside a secure facility is that it could reveal sources and methods that the U.S. intelligence community uses to get its information, potentially revealing those sources or the message and preventing them from being able to use them, going forward.

And it's been a real concern so -- for the intelligence community has had a conversation with justice department officials, congressional intelligence committees about these concerns that they have. Jake. And another thing is there is a diplomatic aspect to this because if you look at that inventory listed also mentioned that there were three pages of information about the French president, including in with the FBI took from Trump's resort. That's raised questions, of course, of what exactly that could be. We should note that the French embassy has not commented on that matter.

TAPPER: And, Kaitlan, Republicans who support Trump on Capitol Hill are really up in arms about this, that raid at Mar-a-Lago. Let's remind our viewers what Congressman Mike Turner of Ohio, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, told us yesterday about Republicans skepticism of both President Biden and Attorney General Garland. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): In order for them to have credibility, because they already have an unbelievable level of bias, this is President Biden's political rival, perhaps even his political opponent, certainly his past political opponent.

TAPPER: But you don't have any evidence that Biden is involved in this in any way.

TURNER: We don't know, because Attorney General Garland hasn't told -- it would be interesting question if you'd ask Garland whether or not he detail the White House. I'm not seen him asked that question or answer it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: What does the White House saying about the suggestion Congressman Turner is making there that this is a political vendetta led by President Biden and Attorney General Garland? COLLINS: Well, the first thing I should say is that Attorney General Garland has not answered any questions on this matter. He held that rare press conference last week and said he cannot take questions on this. He needs to remain silent for the sake of the investigation beyond what he revealed about them pursuing the release of the search warrant itself.

The White House on the other hand has been clear saying President Biden did not know about this in advance. They said he found out four media reports on Twitter and cable television when the search was first reported. So, they're very strongly pushing back on the idea that this has any political motivation behind it. They said that the Justice Department on its own is doing its own investigation independently and they've highlighted that, Jake.

They've also noted that it was a federal court that approve a search warrant at Trump's house and that was based upon required finding of probable cause. It means it was not just Garland himself signing up on this. He personally signed off on it, but it was a court that said they did believe there was a reason for FBI agents to go to Mar-a-Lago and look and retrieve these documents. It's not just Biden and Garland basically making this decision, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much.

Joining us now to discuss, Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. He's on the January 6 Select House Committee.

Congressman, I want to start with what you just heard from your colleague, Congressman Mike Turner, suggesting that the Mar-a-Lago search may have been driven by Garland and Biden, because of the political vendettas.

[16:10:05]

He acknowledges he does not have any knowledge evidence to that fact, but says there are questions that need to be answered. There's the top Republican of the House intelligence committee, and what's your response?

REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): Yeah. It's always been interesting to me, Jake, because, you know, these people that you worked with for a long time come out with these theories that you're just like, where did they come from? I mean, you're very serious person.

Look, here's what I think happens in a lot of cases. I think this is the FBI situation with the Republicans. You have a lot of members, Donald Trump is a liar, know he's insane. So, they stayed kind of quiet but they're a little crosswise with their base because they're not defending Donald Trump hard enough. Then you get this issue, like the FBI, and they see that is their outlet where they could fight hard for Trump and make their base happy. I think that's what you're seeing with all these members.

The problem is, it's really dangerous. I mean, our party was outraged when President Obama had said at one point, it was a professor that the police came to his house. He said the police acted stupidly. He said that before knowing all the details. Our party was outraged.

Now, just a few short years later, we're leveling accusations that the FBI is somehow in on some deep state plot to take Trump down. And I've got to ask you, Jake, if Trump is so tough, Jake, if he is so good at everything he does, how has he been such a victim of the deep state so many times? Because he's not, because he uses victimization as his way out.

It's really frustrating and sad to see my party having gone down such a dark path.

TAPPER: Congressman Turner also told me he wants the affidavit behind the Mar-a-Lago search released. The Justice Department has until Thursday to tell the judge how much of that document they need to be redacted.

What is your take on this? Is there a danger that by withholding too much information that could undermine public faith in the Justice Department even further?

KINZINGER: Yeah, it's a unique moment, right? There's -- by the way, though, I think no matter what comes that it's probably not going to change peoples minds because there's a number of folks that say, I know Donald Trump is lying. I just don't care anymore. I'm just all in with Trump. He could lie all he wants.

But I do think in the interest, kind of national security of domestic politics, transparency is good, but let's keep in mind, from what I've heard, based on the report of a source, there's some stuff that is still classified he cannot even say what it is. If that's the case, we need to make sure we are not revealing that even in an affidavit, we want to make sure we are not putting anybody's life at risk. We also want to make sure that if we are redacting things, we are not doing it in a way that people could use that it is a conspiracy as well.

But we live in a moment where we just have to have accountability from the law, because people are going to have their own theories all the time, no matter what it is. There are people that are going to follow Donald Trump into the swamp, because they just love him so much.

TAPPER: Today, the House Oversight Committee asked social media companies to take, quote, immediate action to address the surge of violent threats being made against law enforcement ever since that Mar-a-Lago search. To what degree do you blame not only Donald Trump, but some of the Republican colleagues who have attacked the FBI in defense of Trump? I mean, criticism of law enforcement is one thing, but suggesting that the FBI should be defended, suggesting revealing the names of individual FBI agents, et cetera, that is a different step.

KINZINGER: It really is. Keep in mind, there's people all over the place know that think the FBI is this deep state conspiracy. FBI agents are going to work. They're kissing their families goodbye in the morning. They're doing their job. They're coming home. Many of these agents are Republicans. Not that that matters. But it goes to show that again this is all about supporting Donald Trump. It doesn't matter who gets hurt. It doesn't matter. He doesn't care who gets in his way and who gets hurt, because when you are such a deep narcissist at that level, you don't care about the damage.

So, on the social media side of things, I hate to use the term we need to have a conversation, because it sounds like you are kicking the can down the road, but we really, as a country, have to come to a conclusion of what social media is and isn't responsible for. I'm all for the First Amendment. When I am not for's insurrection type, violent type speech, being promoted, passed on in these medium, that could lead to a really destabilized situation.

I re-tweeted some guy that had posted a bunch of TikTok videos of folks with their gun saying it's time to take down the government. I'm going after the FBI. It's all over TikTok. It's always amazing to me to see these 50, 60 year old man on TikTok.

But those are the kinds of things we have to discuss, like that can't be allowed anymore in this country.

[16:15:01]

TAPPER: I want to turn to another investigation, the work that you're doing as part of the January 6th Select Committee. You've been going back and forth with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about some matters. I want to focus on what he said about his interview with the January 6 committee. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: They were chasing witches, right? This was -- this was a far field wandering interview. I spoke the truth to them.

I can tell you the details, Laura. They were looking for discussions about the 25th Amendment, discussions that I never seriously undertook with any of my counterparts. They were looking to build a storyline, the conclusion of which was already written.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: What do you think?

KINZINGER: Well, obviously I can't reveal what he talked about, let me say this about Mike. He and I were friends. We worked together in Congress. He was as hawkish as I am. Very much a believer of what America stood for, went off to the administration. Did a good job at CIA. Became secretary of state, and basically did all of Trump's bidding.

He, you know, wrote the deal with the Taliban, for god sakes. And then he's trying to pin this all on Biden. Look, I blame Joe Biden for what happened in Afghanistan. I also blame Mike Pompeo. You don't have to pick a side here. They're all to blame.

And he's trying to run for president. Let's be clear. He wants to run for president, he knows that he cannot go after Trump in running for president. He's hoping Trump doesn't run and he can use that lane, he's trying to walk a tightrope.

That is somebody without a moral center. He had a moral center. So, I don't know what happened when he went off to the administration, but I guess power is very attractive to some people, as they always say. Power corrupts.

In this case, it's sad to see my friend gone the way he's gone. If you could just tell the truth, I know he did some heroic things within the administration, to prevent disaster. But he's trying to pick the Trump side because he thinks he can be president that way.

TAPPER: Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, thank you so much for your time today. Appreciate it.

KINZINGER: You bet, Jake.

TAPPER: Next a day of reckoning, a terroristic captured the world's attention with gruesome beheadings and torturous attacks.

Plus, inside a conservative movement, how the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade reversal has emboldened those looking to modernize laws in their view, and how bad habits could raise your risk of dying from cancer.

Coming up, the new evidence that backs up with so many of you already fear.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:21:16]

TAPPER: Topping our world lead, judgment day for a terrorist whose vicious killings millions of Americans shocked the world and put global leaders on notice that ISIS was a force to be reckoned with.

Elshafee El Sheikh was part of the ISIS cell of former British nationals called the beatles by their American hostages. They kidnapped and killed journalists and aid workers, including four Americans, between 2012 and 2015. Three men were beheaded and a woman Kayla Mueller was raped repeatedly, tortured and later killed.

CNN's Kylie Atwood joins us now.

Kylie, one of those hostages was of course was James Foley, a widely respected freelance American journalist who worked with "The NewsHour", CBS, among others. His family spoke after El Sheikh was given eight life sentences today. How are they responding?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. So, his mother Diane Foley welcomed the sentence. But, of course, this isn't an easy day for her, Jake. Today also marks the eighth anniversary to the day that Jim Foley was murdered, beheaded by ISIS in Syria.

So, this is a really tough day for her. She called this a hollow victory because there has been some justice served, but, of course, her son was killed at the hands of these terrorists. Listen to what she said however about there being some justice served.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANE FOLEY, SON JAMES FOLEY MURDERED BY ISIS: Let the sentencing make clear to all who dare to kidnap, torture, or kill any American citizen abroad. The U.S. justice will find you wherever you are. And that our government will hold you accountable for your crimes against our citizens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: We also heard from Kayla Mueller's mother and father, and what they said today was that the U.S. government needs to act quickly when there are other Americans who are detained abroad. That was their message. Of course, Kayla Mueller was an aid worker who was killed at the hands of ISIS when she was in Syria as well.

TAPPER: Kylie, the Foley parents have made justice for detained or murdered Americans overseas. They've made it their life's work, rather admirably. Have they've been supporting other high-profile detainees that we've been focusing on recently such as Paul Whelan, or Brittney Griner who are being held by Russia?

ATWOOD: They provide a ton of support to these families. It's remarkable that Diane Foley is able to do this after the torture that she's been through with her son being killed at the hands of terrorists. But she's really able to provide emotional support to these families, and also strategic support to these families because what she said today outside that courtroom is that the reason that she even founded the Foley Foundation was that she believes that the U.S. government can do a better job on its effort to bring home these Americans who are wrongfully detained abroad.

TAPPER: Really just a remarkable person. Taking all that grief and turning it into altruism. Kylie Atwood, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

A 21-year-old says she's looking to modernize the antiabortion laws. CNN met up with her in Massachusetts where an emboldened conservative movement seems to be underway.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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TAPPER: In our national, reared abortion remains illegal in Michigan, after a judge earlier today rule to keep a very strict law on hold. The law was passed in 1931, well before Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. At the time, almost a century ago, the law allowed local prosecutors to charge abortion providers with felonies for performing the procedure.

In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade this June, Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, asked the state's Supreme Court to review and ultimately to block that 1931 law.

Any moment in Arizona, a court hearing will try to clear up confusion around that state's two conflicting abortion laws. On law bans abortion in all cases except when the mother's life is at risk. The other law bans the procedure after 15 weeks.

Since June, activists on both sides of this polarizing issue have been galvanized.

As CNN's Elle Reeve reports for us now, members of the anti-abortion movement in Boston, say the ruling is an opportunity to make a more conservative society.

[16:30:05]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH CUMBEE, COMMUNICATIONS AND RESEARCH ASST., MASSACHUSETTS FAMILY INSTITUTE: When I was 12, I was fundraising for a local pregnancy resource center, and during that time, I was watching videos of what abortion actually were. From that moment on, I knew that the rest of my life would be dedicated to working in the pro-life movement.

ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deborah Cumbee is 21 years old and has spent half her life and antiabortion politics. She is trained in activism at conservative think thinks.

CUMBEE: The first thing I texted my best friend was in all caps, Roe v. Wade is overturned, and she text back and it's like, it's about time. We are just absolutely ecstatic that the pro-life movement has been given its chance to modernize our laws.

REEVE: Cumbee is unusual, 74 percent of adults under 30 think abortion should be legal and most cases, but she embodies an effort and the antiabortion movement to present a more modern, women-friendly face. One still rooted in religion but with a pitch that makes claims on science.

CUMBEE: My faith imports me on how it should people but sciences would tells me that life begins at conception. I am not supposed to exist. I am a young woman who is a professional who is advocating for the life of children.

We are here to say, if you need to community to come alongside you and give you another option other than to take the life of your child and pay into an abortion industry that really wants to take your money and kill your child, we are here to tell you that you don't have to do that.

REEVE: Do you really think that abortion providers just want to take your money and kill your child? Do you think that's the motivation?

CUMBEE: It looks like to a lot of us that they are targeting disadvantaged women so that they can continue to have their practice and their stream of revenue coming. REEVE: So, is that a yes?

CUMBEE: Yeah.

REEVE: That Dobbs decision brings the fight to the states. At the Massachusetts Family Institute, Andrew Beckwith thinks his state is the front line in the culture war.

ANDREW BECKWITH, PRESIDENT, MASSACHUSETTS FAMILY INSITUTE: A child conceived in Massachusetts should at the same right to life and birth as a child conceived in Mississippi or Texas or Alabama.

REEVE: The infant mortality rate in Mississippi, which is a more pro- life state, is twice as high as it is in Massachusetts.

BECKWITH: That's a tragedy. Here in Massachusetts, we've got some of the best medical care. It is a shame we don't leverage that to promote the culture of life.

REEVE: Legal scholar Erika Bachiochi is trying to create a socially conservative feminism that rejects the sexual revolution.

ERIKA BACHIOCHI, DIRECTOR, THE WOLLSTONECRAFT PROJECT: When you sort of enable through abortion, what you think is consequence for a sex, you are really just putting the consequence on women. We have left a woman with the burdens of fertility and we have really let men off the hook. I think what we have seen, I mean, in the last 50 years is this epidemic of fatherlessness.

BECKWITH: We believe men should be responsible and be fathers and not use abortion as a kind of after the fact contraception or get out of jail free card.

REEVE: So, do you think banning abortion would make men more responsible as fathers?

BECKWITH: I think it should. We're going to have to help restore the culture to where fatherhood is valued. You will take it if something better than video games and Netflix.

REEVE: I just don't understand why I need to give something up so that man can be better people? Maybe you can develop policy --

BECKWITH: What do you see yourself is giving up?

REEVE: Why would a woman need to give up the right to an abortion so that man can eventually become better people? If you made policy to address man problem that address the man problem directly?

BECKWITH: I think you are coming at it from a different place conceptually even.

REEVE: The conceptual framework Bachiochi is working in imagines a less individualistic society, one that emphasizes the obligations people have to each other. Less abortion, more family leave. Is the goal to convince progressive women to accept restrictions on

abortion or is the goal to convince conservatives to create a more generous social welfare state?

BACHIOCHI: I'd say the goal is to probably both. The GOP has been really captured by libertarian forces for a long time, and they have not understood the ways in which some economic transitions, going all the way back to industrialization have really harmed especially the working classes and the poor.

REEVE: The pitch is like, okay, sacrifice your individual rights, if actually in your best interests.

You sacrifice your individual rights to an abortion, but we will still get all the good stuff. But the good stuff never comes.

BACHIOCHI: There is just a real shift I think happening in the GOP that I hope happens more and more towards understanding the responsibilities that the community as a whole has towards families.

CUMBEE: We would love to see more organizations instead of paying for women to get abortions. We would love to see them offer other alternatives like paid maternity leave and having flexible hours for the women to have children.

REEVE: I am wondering, are you as focused on convincing conservatives of the necessity for a broader, more generous welfare state?

CUMBEE: I mean, to be honest here in Massachusetts, all our time is taken by putting out the fires of pro-choice and anti-life policies. I want life to prevail if I am in the United States and in Massachusetts.

REEVE: Elle Reeve, CNN, Boston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: Our thanks to Elie Reid for that reporting.

Coming up next, the urgent warning from Apple. How easily hackers could take control of your iPhone and your iPad and what you can do right now to prevent it.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: In our health lead today, half -- half of cancer deaths around the world are linked to preventable causes. A new study published in the British medical journal "The Lancet" finds that smoking, drinking excessive alcohol and having a high body mass index are among the top risk factors.

[16:40:05]

The study says in 2019, preventable risk factors such as those accounted for 44.4 percent of all cancer deaths globally. That's 4,450,000 deaths that could have been prevented by simple changes in behavior, quitting smoking, cutting down on the booze and eating less. Although for some people, it is not so simple.

In the tech lead today, update your Apple products right now. Go to settings, go to general, and then hit software update. Settings, general, software update. Do it. Do it right now.

The tech giant says it has discovered a massive security flaw that could enable hackers to control your devices' operating system, accessing your messages, your location, even your camera and your microphone. Phones as far back as iPhone 6S and iPads are affected by this vulnerability.

Let's bring cyber security expert Dave Kennedy to discuss.

Dave, Apple says the flaw gives hackers the ability to, quote, execute arbitrary code which means, I think, correct me if I'm wrong, that hackers could get access to personal information such as photographs or bank accounts.

DAVID KENNEDY, CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF HACKING EXPERT, BINARY DEFENSE SYSTEMS: Yeah. What this advisory means is that there are two exploits found in the wild, which means hackers were actively exploiting this vulnerability. They were actively hacking into phones, devices, Mac books. We don't know the full extent. But these two attacks allow full access to the devices which would allow to you listen to phone calls, conversations, enable cameras, listen, you know, pull text messages, pull emails, everything on your device. Security is removed from these.

TAPPER: It's like something out of a horror movie. What groups of individuals are these high level hackers like living focusing on?

KENNEDY: When you look at the sophistication levels of these types of hacks, they go for millions and millions of dollars on the black market. So it is not easily readily available to run-of-the-mill hackers. Normally we see these used heavily with private groups like the NSO Group out of Israel which has been known to build private exploits for government that's may not have the cyber capabilities. China obviously has very high levels of cyber capabilities, Russia and the United States.

And what Apple does is, you know, they -- when they identify these in the wild, they patch them. It means when these patches come out, all the hackers now know there are vulnerabilities and flaws in these locations so it is so urgent to do this. Now that the cat is out of the bag, it is not just these high end hackers that are probably going after DOD resources, researchers, high level government individuals. It is now that the mass public that is subject to these specific times of threats and that's why it is equally important to get these patches out right to everybody.

TAPPER: Yeah, I did the software update today. Go to settings, general, and then hit software update.

I have to say, I'm no tech expert. This seems like a pretty big window that Apple left open. How did that happen?

KENNEDY: These are complex laws when they occur. You have to look at how they impact all the other systems. Two specifically, the one called web kit impacts Safari. If you're browsing a website, your phone could be hacked. The second is what we called a kernel exploit, and these are much more complex in nature because it's kind of how the operating works.

The head honcho on the operating system, full access to the system itself. So these often require a lot of time to investigate, research and ensure the patches don't break anything else. Apple is usually pretty good. A breach statistic, we've only seen four other vulnerability that's were critical patches this is year. So, a total of six this year whereas micro soft has a lot more of those.

Apple usually does a pretty good job around security, around their devices. But as these come out, it is so important to patch these as quick as you can.

TAPPER: And we're also hearing concerns about the popular app TikTok. Forbes is recording that code embedded in the in app browser can read keystrokes by users. TikTok denies this is being used. How much of a concern is this given the broader security issues with the app which obviously comes from China?

KENNEDY: TikTok is definitely major app. I personally don't let my kids or family on it. At the same time, TikTok has been one of those things from a collection of data perspective that has been a major concern for the U.S. government, advisories out around the collection capabilities.

In the latest research, what they identified that it has the -- a lot of apps track where you go. It is an advertisement thing. Google tracks you, Facebook, all of these social media sites track where you're going, your spending habits, everything else. You're the product for a lot of these different types of programs.

In this case, it appears that what TikTok is allowing itself to do is actually capture all of your key strokes and everything you're typing.

[16:45:07]

So it definitely could be a major issue, a major security concern. Something we should be looking at.

TAPPER: It sounds like you're saying everybody should delete it.

KENNEDY: Not a fan of TikTok, not a fan of TikTok, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Dave Kennedy, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

Coming up next, one mother's pain and rage and why she says she needs to you hear her story. Take a minute. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: In our national lead today, grief, rage, feeling forgotten?

[16:50:04]

That's the cycle of emotions a mother said she is currently experiencing after losing two sons in less than a year. One son, a U.S. marine, died in a terrorist attack in Afghanistan last August during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. And just ten days ago, her other son took his own life after struggling to deal with his brother's life.

Now that devastated mom is speaking with CNN's Kyung Lah about her pain.

(BEGN VIDEOTAPE)

SHANA CHAPPELL, GOLD STAR MOTHER: I don't think any parent should have to bury their kid.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shana Chappell will, twice, in just one year. This was a year ago at the airport. Kabul was falling to the Taliban. Afghans fled in droves, and America was pulling out of its longest war.

CHAPPELL: As far as I knew, they were evacuating people. I just thought he's doing his job. He's helping people and he'll be home in a few days.

LAH: Chappell's son, Marine Lance Kareem Nikoui, sent his mother pictures and video explaining how the Marines were helping outside the airport.

CHAPPELL: He said I'm dealing with a little boy. I was happy because Kareem is great with kids. Kids make him happy.

The morning of August 26th, I woke up. When I woke up, I woke up crying and I couldn't figure out why I was crying. I was very emotional. I was felt very emotional about Kareem.

And the first picture that came up was the picture of Abbey Gate and an explosion had happened. The first thing in my mind was the video. And in the background was Abbey Gate.

LAH: Her son's father was the first to know.

CHAPPELL: And he said Shanna, and as soon as he said, Shanna, I just started screaming, because I knew what he was going to tell me. He didn't even have to tell me. It's weird. He never even had to say it. I just knew.

LAH: Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, one of 13 flag draped caskets returned to Dover air force base. Then home to his family in Norco, California.

But months after the ceremonies faded, his older brother Dakota struggled to accept what had happened.

CHAPPELL: He would come to be with Kareem. And I would be like, Dakota, you can't be sleeping here.

LAH: Why was he sleeping here?

CHAPPELL: To be close to Kareem. He didn't want Kareem here alone. He would say it bothered him that Kareem was alone. As the one-year was approaching, he started expressing that, well, Kareem is really gone, he's not coming back, you know. He would cry.

I would just take it that we're all hurting, because we are all. And I didn't know he -- he gave no signs. I didn't know he was going to do that.

LAH: Sheriff's deputies would find 28-year-old Dakota's body just days before the one-year anniversary of his brother's death in Afghanistan.

CHAPPELL: It's a memorial in a place where he spent a lot of time with his brothers. That's the park that Dakota chose to take his life.

LAH: Do you blame Dakota's death on the war?

CHAPPELL: Yeah, I do. It is a pain that is so hard to deal with. You can't even understand it. It is like a pain you've never dealt with before. You can't even describe it. So I know what Dakota, the reality this month for some reason, there month the reality started setting in for him.

LAH: People who are watching this are wondering how are you able to talk about this?

CHAPPELL: I'm still in the shock phase. I keep saying, what I am a going to do when the shock phase wears off? How am I going to react to this? What will happen to me?

LAH: Shana Chappell wants you to hear her grief but also her rage. One year after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, she feels forgotten.

CHAPPELL: Because the withdrawal was a complete failure. It doesn't look good for the administration. So they wanted the disastrous pullout forgotten about. And they wanted the 13 that were killed to be forgotten about, mainly because they were so young. It could have been handled completely differently and those 13 kids could be here. They were treated like they were disposable and replaceable, and that's what really gets me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH (on camera): Adding financial insult to her pain, Chappell needs to raise the money to bury her son. Sometime in September, Jake, she started a GoFundMe account hoping to raise that money and the plan is to bury Dakota next to her son -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Kyung, we'll post the GoFundMe account on Twitter and people who have the money can help her with that. Thank you for that powerful report. If you or someone you know is struggling, and having suicidal thoughts

or depression, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, 988. There's help for you. There is love for you.

Coming up, Russia's threat with Europe's largest nuclear power plant caught in a stand-off between the Kremlin and Ukraine. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:59:24]

TAPPER: Welcome to THE LEAD this hour. The very first steps to recovery for one little leaguer who suffered life threatening injuries in the dorms of the Little League World Series just as his team takes its first step to the championship.

Plus, choppy water ahead as Arizona braces for the brunt of unprecedented water cuts due to the dropping Colorado River and climate crisis. Our earth matters series takes a look at the fight that is teeing up on the fairways and putting greens.

And leading this hour, the world is on edge about the unclear status about Europe's power complex, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.