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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Vance: Trump Campaign Will Be In Michigan "Probably Every Week"; Harris, Trump In Battleground States With 33 Days Until Election; Rep. Hillary Scholten, (D-MI), Is Interviewed About Harris Campaign, Presidential Election; Axios: Rep. Slotkin Warns Harris "Underwater" In Michigan; Melania Trump Confirms Support For Abortion rights In New Video. Aired 5-6:00p ET

Aired October 03, 2024 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: -- publicly taking a political stand, one that puts her at direct odds with her husband. Plus, it's a battleground blitz today with both candidates rallying in states that will be crucial to winning in November. For Donald Trump, it's an event focused on inflation and rising prices. And for Harris, it's an unlikely duo. In the next hour, she'll be joined by Liz Cheney, the daughter of former Republican vice president Dick Cheney, the former number three in the Republican leadership in the House. You were taking a live look right here at the crowd starting to gather for Cheney's first appearance with Vice President Kamala Harris as she tries to convince Republicans and independents to turn their backs on Donald Trump.

I'm going to go straight to CNN's Kristen Holmes, who is at the side of Trump's rally in Saginaw, Michigan, and CNN's Eva McKend who is in Ripon, Wisconsin where Vice President Kamala Harris is campaigning.

So, Kristen, to kick it off to you first, what did the former president focus on in his rally today?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, that's actually a little bit more of a difficult question than you might think because his focus was all over the place. They had billed this as a speed on the economy. And sure, he touched on some of those policies, particularly no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security or overtime. But the speech really veered in multiple different directions. We heard him using some of his favorite catchphrases, calling Nancy Pelosi crazy, talking about how Gavin Newsom was crazy, saying Kamala Harris ruined California, and also talking about how Kamala Harris never worked at McDonald's, something that he has insisted on fixating on.

But the other thing that he really kept going back to was this conversation around the federal response to Hurricane Helene. And the reason why that's notable is because Donald Trump and his team have been really trying to connect Kamala Harris to the current administration. Not hard, she is the vice president. But in that response as well, he was saying that it was one of the worst responses that anyone has ever seen. Now, that is not the indication we have on the ground at all.

We have heard from a number of governors, from a number of state officials who say that, yes, it is still very bad, but we're not hearing any kind of trashing of the federal response in the way that Donald Trump spent so much time doing on the stage. And what's really notable is while he was speaking, the campaign put out this announcement that he'd be appearing tomorrow in Georgia looking at surveying damages with Governor Brian Kemp. This is incredibly important. The two of them have not been side by side in years. They have had an incredibly contentious relationship.

Now, this is a battleground state, and Donald Trump is going to appear next to him. We know Kemp has agreed to help Donald Trump in the state of Georgia after Donald Trump eventually -- essentially capitulated to him on Truth Social because so many conservatives had told him to stop attacking Brian Kemp because they needed his help in the state of Georgia. So perhaps that looking ahead tomorrow is why he was so fixated on this. That plus the idea that they want to connect Kamala Harris to this federal response. Again, different from what we're hearing on the ground so far in terms of that, particularly on a day where President Biden is on the ground there.

BROWN: All right, Eva, to bring you in to get the perspective from the Harris camp in a different battleground state, Wisconsin, where she'll be joined by former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney. Tell us about that.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pam, this is a message grounded in country over party. Liz Cheney will introduce the vice president and they will argue that this election, in their view, is about upholding the rule of law, democracy, respect for the constitution. And it is those issues that are fundamental. And even if Republicans, especially those with no appetite for supporting the former president and independent voters disagree with Harris on a whole host of policy issues, we know Cheney, of course, herself has a well-documented history of criticizing some of Harris policies, that what's most important this election are those fundamentals. And they're not only articulating this message here in Wisconsin, they are doing this aggressively over the next four days in battleground states across the country deploying Republican surrogates.

I can tell you from speaking to people here in Ripon, Wisconsin, this is known as the birthplace of the Republican Party, that the message sort of seems to be mixed here. You have some voters who are happy that the vice president is here, they are receptive to this. And then you have others who are glad that she's here as well but they say they are Republicans and they still plan to vote for the former president. Pam.

BROWN: All right, Eva McKenna, Wisconsin, Kristen Holmes of Michigan, thank you both.

And my next guest was able to pave a path for Democrats in her West Michigan congressional race, flipping several longtime Republican leaning areas blue there. Joining us now, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten. Thank you, Congresswoman, for your time. So Trump's running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, highlighted how important your district is. Let's take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Look, we're going to be here every week, probably me or President Trump, until the election because this is such an important part of our state.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:05:04]

BROWN: Presence matter. So where is the Harris campaign when it comes to appealing to your constituents?

REP. HILLARY SCHOLTEN (D-MI): Well, you know, they're very popular. They're doing really well here in West Michigan. We're just incredibly proud of the work that we have done here to get the Harris campaign out and get their message out here. They've been showing up.

I apologize. There was a little bit of an echo back towards me. I hope I'm coming through loud and clear to you.

BROWN: You are. You are. Yes.

SCHOLTEN: OK. Fantastic. So, you know, they're -- they've been showing up. Particularly when we're talking about reproductive rights, the Harris campaign, and even in her role as vice president, she's been showing up. She did her reproductive rights tour. One of the first stops was right here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They know how much voters in our district matter to them.

And I think you can tell why the Trump and Vance team are showing up here so much, too. You know, this is no longer a Republican stronghold. They have to show up here. They're losing voters in West Michigan because their toxic extremist policies are not resonating with West Michigan voters.

BROWN: So you say they're not resonating with West Michigan voters. But I want to talk about this video clip that was attained by Axios. It's with Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin warning the donors that internal polling was showing Harris is, quote, "underwater" in your battleground state. Do you agree with your colleague's warning?

SCHOLTEN: You know, I can only speak to really what's happening in my part of the district. And, you know, I can't speak for, you know, what my colleague is saying in her Senate race. But I can tell you the voters here, who we're talking to, who we're connecting with, they're excited for what the Harris campaign is having to offer. Again, when she came here to talk about reproductive rights and how they're still here, they're still under attack here in Michigan, when her motorcade was driving through town, we had people lining the streets, coming out, moms with their daughters saying, thank you for standing up for us. You know, people know what's at stake here. It was just two years ago that our reproductive rights were hanging in the ballot. You know, Kamala Harris took action. She showed up here and talked about how she'd protect them. And Donald Trump took a different kind of action.

He bragged about his role in overturning Roe versus Wade. This is an issue where it's never been more important to look at the record. We are seeing an incredible amount of whitewashing. You were talking about Melania Trump earlier, you know, trying to say that she supports abortion rights. Now, while one, Melania Trump isn't running for president, and two, you know, she can't erase what her husband has done in the past and what we know he'll do in the future given another chance.

And you know, frankly, we're seeing this with a lot of other Republicans as well. And journalists are not in a position to really even deal with the level of lies that we are seeing from the Republican Party. We've just -- we've never seen people completely lie about, you know, what they've done and what they will do. But we have a record number of women who are dying every single day because their rights have been stripped away.

BROWN: Let me just jump in. And journalists, you know, I think, have done a pretty good job of doing their jobs, fact checking, bringing to light what needs to be brought to light. But I want to ask you about this Associated Press story today that's quoting Democratic congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who represents an area outside Detroit. And she said -- it says, "Dingell and others have said Harris is still relatively new to many voters and that she needs to make her plans clearer to voters. The congresswoman also said Harris needed to counter efforts by Republicans to paint her as an out of touch with Michigan voter workers. The state at play today?

No one is winning this state right now."

And so I hear you talking about reproductive rights and how that's really resonating with some voters there in western Michigan. But what about on the other issues --

SCHOLTEN: Yes.

BROWN: -- that maybe Michigan workers care about? Is she doing enough to get to them?

SCHOLTEN: Well, you know, I think that she is, right? I mean, she's showing up. She's talking about the economy. She's talking about her plans for small business. I serve on the House Small Business Committee. It's something that is incredibly important to us here in West Michigan, making sure that all entrepreneurs have a way to move their business forward.

You know, I hear her message, especially her economic message, really resonating with a lot of families. And certainly, you know, we've still got 33 days to go until the election, and voters are making their decisions right now. So we hope they continue to show up. She's going to be here in Michigan tomorrow doing just that, talking to folks in Flint.

This is a battleground, make no mistake. But we're out here. We're doing everything we can. And I see in my community people who remember the painful policies of Donald Trump where we lost 9,000 auto jobs, right? That still lives fresh in people's memories.

[17:10:10]

He closed -- he promised not to close a single plant, nine closed, right? These are the failed economic policies of Donald Trump. And we know that Kamala Harris is offering something new and she's got the record to prove it.

BROWN: All right, Congresswoman Scholten --

SCHOLTEN: You know, and I do just want to say, you know what --

BROWN: Go ahead.

SCHOLTEN: I do just want to say I think it is really important. You know, abortion rights is an economic issue. I'm sitting here at my kitchen table and I can tell you there is no more important economic decision than whether when and how to start a family. And right now, you know, we have people who are willing to say, well, Donald Trump says he won't support a nationwide abortion ban, but they're not willing to look back at the record. You know, my Republican opponent, they're saying, well, he said he won't support a nationwide abortion ban.

But yet he's been endorsed by groups who support just that. You know, no one is willing to sort of report on that and to say, well, hey, wait a second. You know, the record really speaks for itself. These Republicans across Michigan, they didn't have to take these endorsements, but they did. Why?

BROWN: OK. Congresswoman Hilary Scholten, thank you for coming on the show and sharing your perspective. We appreciate it.

SCHOLTEN: Thank you so much.

BROWN: And let's discuss with our panel. So, Paul, you heard we asked Congresswoman Scholten about the claim by fellow Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell that people in Detroit and elsewhere still don't know Harris well enough. Do you buy that? What do you think about that?

PAUL BEGALA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, I think Debbie's exactly right. She always is in Michigan. She's an old friend of mine, so I'm a little biased. But yes, they need to get to know her. She -- now they know everything about Trump.

And he won't fall, but he won't rise. He trades in a very, very narrow band. But something's happened in Michigan. It's been impressive. Hillary lost Michigan by 10,704 votes.

And when Lavora Barnes, another friend of mine, became state party chair, she said, I'm going to knock on every one of those 10,704 doors. Michigan went for Biden by 154,000 votes. And then it just went for Gretchen Whitmer by 469,000 votes. Something's happening there. And you know what it is?

In my party, the women are in charge. It's Hillary, it's Debbie Dingell, Lavora Barnes, the state party chair, there's no better state chair in this country, Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nestle, the secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, they're getting it done. Now, I think Debbie is exactly right, this thing is not over at all. It's a complete toss up, but there's really only two ways to run, unopposed or scared, and I'm terrified.

BROWN: So, Tia, how important is Michigan?

TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL- CONSTITUTION: I mean, all the battleground states we know are going to be close. I mean, I think that's just the name of the game. So anyone who wants to see a lot of separation for either candidate at this juncture is just not going to happen in those hotly contested states. I do think Michigan has specific problems for Harris with, you know, the uncommitted voters that are still concerned about the war in Israel, Hamas conflict. We also know that Black voters and Latino voters are a concern in any of the battleground states.

So there's still work to do. I think Harris is doing everything she can and she's doing a lot of different types of outreach, but it's still going to be closed.

BROWN: The bottom of --

KRISTEN SOLTIS-ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's notable, by the way. So I've asked in some of my research an open ended question. Thousand registered voters tell me what is a policy position that Kamala Harris holds? And an awful lot of people cannot answer that question. And when they do, about a quarter of them, which is the biggest response, say she's pro-choice.

Her position on abortion is the one that voters know the most about. I thought it was notable that in your interview with Congresswoman Scholten that she kept going back to that topic. That's the one where Democrats think that is the same safest terrain for us. But I do think there is -- if I was a Democratic strategist, I might wonder at the expense of talking about what other issues, because there were very few people in our survey who said, I know where Kamala Harris stands on the economy, I know what she wants to do to help my family. And I do think that in a state like Michigan, just betting it all on, we're going to win because voters are going to not want to go to a pro-life candidate, it's a gamble.

MIKE DUBKE, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR: What was the last time we had a presidential candidate who you couldn't answer the question, what are they going to do on day one? I mean, this is, to your point, I don't know that people know what a President Harris would do on day one. She's been all over the map. And I'm not just talking the flip flops. She's been all over the place. And I think that matters to people. And to Paul's point, on the introduction, she really does need to introduce herself and it's -- I don't think she's -- I don't think she's completing that task at the moment. Especially in that argument.

BROWN: But Paul, you've made the argument. The policy doesn't matter with this election. It's not going to decide the election, I should say.

BEGALA: There's two kind of voters. There's think voters and feel voters. All the think voters have made up their minds. They have, they either like Trump or they hate Trump and Kamala inherits all those who hate Trump and that's more than half the country. So she should win just based on that.

But now the feel voters, people who criticize Kamala, it's all vibe, that's what these folks want. Now, she's got to put more meat on the bones to create a vibe about being for middle class economics. You heard Hillary Scholten in that interview, she didn't just talk about abortion. She talked about small business. Harris has a plan, a big -- $50,000, so we have a $5,000 tax break now if you start a small business, she wants to take it to $50,000.

[17:15:15]

She has a plan to help first time homebuyers, $25,000. She's got plenty of policy, but she's got to make sure that the vibe is, in addition, being pro-choice, to be pro-middle class. And she talks about that, well, this is why Trump is so freaked out about her having worked at McDonald's, because that signals that she's a middle class kid who came up the all American way. Trump was chauffeured by a limo --

BROWN: Trump is still --

BEGALA: -- to his elite private academy as a kid.

BROWN: But he's still ahead of the economy.

BEGALA: He don't know nothing about that.

BROWN: And I do want to get to this --

DUBKE: Can we fact check McDonalds? Because I'm not sure that -- it haven't been fact checked.

BROWN: It has been. Are we really going there?

DUBKE: Yes. I just want (ph) all the fact check. I just -- on this -- what the congresswoman said in that interview, she brought it back to, again, to Kristen's point, she brought it back to abortion. She said, I'm sitting at the kitchen table and the one economic issue that we can't forget, she really wanted to get that point out at the end of the interview.

BROWN: Right. But you also -- I mean, look, and it is true, like you said, they know that reproductive rights is the thing that drives home -- drives it home for those voters that they need. But when it comes to the economy, when it comes to issues like immigration, Donald Trump is still ahead. And I want to circle back to our discussion that we had in the last hour about border crossings under Biden Harris. It's important.

So went back and looked at CBP data. There were 8,622,559 encounters at the border to date under Biden Harris. Encounters could mean multiple times with the same person. It could mean someone also trying to cross legally but turned around because they just didn't meet the requirements.

DUBKE: And how many getaways?

BEGALA: Right.

BROWN: And -- but they did have, Biden-Harris has had -- those are the facts, Biden-Harris has had a record number of illegal crossings. So I do want to note that.

DUBKE: Yes.

BROWN: But it's important when you look at the polls and how much these issues matter to voters.

ANDERSON: And I think that's why if you go to a battleground state, turn on the T.V. to watch the Buffalo Bills play this weekend --

BROWN: Yes.

ANDERSON: -- pointing out his --

DUBKE: Thank you.

ANDERSON: -- you're going to see ads about the border. And whether it is a Trump hair -- Trump campaign ad saying she's weak on the border or it's going to be b roll of Kamala Harris saying, I'm going to be the one that's actually going to shut down, there is a lot of focus on this issue, especially in key battlegrounds states.

BEGALA: But his lead is shrinking on the economy and on immigration. If I work for Trump, I'd be panicked because he's not going to win on charm and vibe, OK? He's going to win if he does on abortion -- I mean, on immigration and economy. And his lead is shrinking on that. They ought to be worried.

BROWN: Thank you all so much. Appreciate it.

Melania Trump stepped back into the spotlight today, taking a position one of the biggest issues in the upcoming election. But her position puts her at odds with her husband. That's next, along with a look at a brand new CNN documentary focusing on the former first lady and those who held the role before her. Plus, shocking new accusations against one of the most celebrated country stars, Garth Brooks, accused of sexual assault and battery acclaims in a brand new lawsuit up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:21:51]

BROWN: It is a message that you've heard time and time again from Democrats, women should have individual rights, but the messenger this time is surprising.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELANIA TRUMP, FORMER FIRST LADY: Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth. Individual freedom. What does my body, my choice really mean?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Of course, the irony here is that her husband, former President Trump, and the current Republican nominee is who appointed three justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade and routinely takes credit for that. With me now is host of the source, our very own Kaitlan Collins.

So Kaitlan, she's been largely absent from this campaign, and then she comes out with this message that undercuts her husband's stance on the issue. What do you think about all of this?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS": Yes, Pamela, I'm having a little bit of trouble hearing you. But on this front, you're right to say that she's not often on the campaign trail. We don't usually see her, we haven't ever really seen her in a huge presence since 2016 on the campaign trail. But in this way, seeing her come out now, I don't think it's lost on anyone that her husband is just over 30 days out from an election where the issue that his campaign and his party has struggled on the most is abortion. And it's been something that they have been dealing with, the fallout of that, the party overall trying to soften its image while still saying some of those Republicans who are running that they are opposed to an abortion -- into abortion rights.

And we've seen how severely restricted it's been since the three Supreme Court justices that former President Trump put on the Supreme Court, how that has changed the entire landscape since Roe versus Wade was overturned. And Melania Trump actually goes even further than she does in this video in her book, according to excerpts from The Guardian, where she talks about justifying women who want an abortion for whatever reason that they are seeking one. It also talks about why women sometimes need to get them later on in their pregnancies, talking about fetal abnormalities and whatnot.

But I will say it's not clear that this is strategic in any way because she's not often someone who coordinates everything with her husband. It wasn't even entirely clear to a lot of people on the Trump campaign that Melania Trump was writing a book. So the idea that she took that step here, it's not clear that it's coordinated with the campaign, but it certainly could help to soften that image as voters are going to the polls.

BROWN: And I want to know, you're actually taking a look at the role of the first lady in this new episode of the whole story airing Sunday. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please welcome Stephanie Grisham.

COLLINS (voice-over): By 2024, Melania's chief of staff, a self- proclaimed former Trump true believer, described her breaking point with the first lady.

STEPHANIE GRISHAM, FORMER MELANIA TRUMP'S CHIEF OF STAFF: On January 6 I asked Melania if we could at least tweet that while peaceful protest is the right of every American, there's no place for lawlessness or violence. She replied with one word, no. I became the first senior staffer to resign that day.

[17:25:00]

I remember that day really well because I was at the White House. Later we would realize what she was doing was having a rug photograph, a rug that she had redesigned for the diplomatic room. That's what she did on January 6.

COLLINS: That morning as --

GRISHAM: That day.

COLLINS: -- her husband was delivering the speech on the Ellipse and his rioters were attacking the Capitol.

GRISHAM: She was doing a photo shoot. And I think at that point, people could really understand who Melania Trump wants much more aligned with her husband's politics than people thought.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: So interesting, especially in light of this video she just released today. What else did you learn about Melania Trump in these sit downs?

COLLINS: Well, also, Pam, in light of your reporting today about her seeking this six figure fee, $250,000, to do an interview with CNN, which obviously CNN declined to do the -- we don't pay for interviews here as part of reporting. But the fact that she asked that were hoping to sit down with her as part of this documentary, because what we're really taking a look at is whoever it is that wins the election, we are going to have an unusual figure in that role as the first spouse, whether it's Melania Trump returning to that position, because we saw how fundamentally she changed it the last time that she was in there. It's an ill-defined role. It's not paid. Obviously, that person is not elected.

But there are often high expectations for every former first lady that has come before Melania Trump. And I actually spoke with experts who study the trajectory of first ladies who thought that she actually did a lot for first ladies in the sense of she did not conform to what the stereotypical norms and that job looks like. And so it actually frees up future first spouses who come into this role. And obviously, if Kamala Harris wins this election, Doug Emhoff would be the first guy to ever occupy that role. You go to the first ladies exhibit at the Smithsonian, and it's filled with their inaugural gowns and what they wore, and the idea that it could be a tux in there in the future.

We took a really interesting look at this, and I think people will find the documentary to be pretty fascinating.

BROWN: It's so true that what you point out in terms of her bucking sort of the norm, traditions, practices, I mean, you mentioned that what we're reporting, that her publisher asked for this $250,000 for an interview that we asked for, we didn't sign it, they're claiming now it was a mistake and that she doesn't know about it, but it's the exact same amount that she's gotten, for example, at a political fundraiser speaking this year, $250,000. That same amount is just another example of her sort of doing things in a very untraditional, sort of unorthodox way, right?

COLLINS: Yes. And this is something where, when you look at first ladies in totality, it's kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't position. If you're too involved, you're criticized. Hillary Clinton would be able to speak well to that. If you're not very involved and you're not very public facing, you're also criticized, which Melania Trump often was.

There was a lot of time we would not see her when she was in the east wing at the White House in terms of doing public events. And so, I think that is what speaks to the role. And when Dr. Jill Biden came into that position and she wanted to still teach, you know, Melania Trump had kind of changed some of the norms of this. And so we take a really deep dive into what that role looked like the last time she occupied it and what it could look like the next time, which is really interesting in terms of whether or not she lives at the White House, if she's there to plan state dinners. And so, it is a fascinating look at a role that even as a White House reporter, the east wing is often overlooked, which it shouldn't because that person often has an immense amount of influence on the West Wing, and certainly Melania Trump does when it comes to Donald Trump.

BROWN: Yes, that's really important perspective. Kaitlan Collins, thank you. Looking forward to watching this. Everyone, be sure to tune in an all new episode of "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper." One whole hour, one whole story. Air Sunday at 08:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

As Israel plans its response to Iran's missile attack, brand new blasts in Beirut just in the last few minutes. And a warning today that one specific action could rock not just the Middle East, but the world economy. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Topping our World Lead as the world awaits Israel's response to Iran's largest ever missile barrage, Israel continues to drop bombs in Lebanon in its effort to dismantle Iran- backed Hezbollah. Right here you're looking at pictures from moments ago in Beirut. Massive explosion and -- and gleams of smoke as you see filling the sky after a day of heavy and deadly Israeli airstrikes.

And earlier today, a rare Israeli strike in central Beirut that killed at least nine people. The Lebanese health ministry says Israel struck a Hezbollah linked health center. And in another strike, Israel says it took out Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters in Beirut. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh is in Beirut and Jeremy Diamond and Tel Aviv. Jomana, to start with you, what are you hearing about these latest blasts?

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, in the last hour or so, Pam, we've heard and seen these strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, really huge strikes that were witnessed by our team here. It's unclear what the target of those strikes were, but a short time before that happened, just under 30 minutes, really before these strikes. We saw these posts on X by the Arabic language spokesperson for the IDF, warning people in one part, one area of the southern suburbs to evacuate the area, saying that they will be striking Hezbollah targets there.

This is an area, Burj El Barajneh, where you have a Palestinian refugee camp where a lot of migrant workers were living. We have seen an exodus of civilians from the southern suburbs in recent days as these airstrikes have intensified. But you still do have civilians there, people who have really nowhere to go in the city and who've decided to stay in their homes because they have nowhere to go. And we've heard from so many people saying that these evacuation orders posted on X late at night, not many people would be seeing that pound.

[17:35:13]

BROWN: And yet, Jeremy, to bring you in, Israel insists the operation in Lebanon is limited. But as you just heard Jomana, you know, lay out there, the situation on the ground suggests otherwise. What are you learning?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. And -- and it suggests otherwise in multiple different ways. First of all, the pace and the intensity of these strikes hitting the Lebanese capital itself, those are quite unprecedented in terms of the numbers of strikes that we have seen in Beirut, in terms of Israeli operations in Lebanon for decades now.

And in addition to that, of course, we now have quite a significant ground operation that is picking up steam in southern Lebanon. Initially described by the Israeli military as limited, targeted raids, we're now talking about two full divisions that have been activated and are participating in this operation. That could be some 20,000 soldiers. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are all in Lebanon, but that they are involved in this operation.

We know of at least two axes of advance by the Israeli military, one in the northeastern part of -- of a -- a corner of southern Lebanon, the other just slightly further to the west where multiple clashes have now been reported. And in addition to that, of course, the Israeli military has now reported nine deaths of Israeli soldiers in the fighting so far. And that is particularly significant because the Israeli public is so sensitive to the deaths of Israeli soldiers. And nine deaths so early in this campaign could have a significant psychological impact not only on the troops fighting on the ground, but also, of course, on the Israeli public.

BROWN: Certainly. And Jomana is also showing us destruction across Beirut from earlier today with Israeli strikes to blame for killing more than 1,000 people. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARADSHEH: We are in the heart of Beirut just hours after a rare Israeli strike. And the fear and anxiety here is palpable. It's the first time an Israeli strike hits the center of the city since all-out war between Lebanon and Israel in 2006. Even then, strikes like this were rare. This is the second time this week that we've seen attacks outside the southern suburbs, Hezbollah's seat of power.

The target appears to have been a Hezbollah affiliated health authority office in a residential area and several medics were killed. This happened in the middle of the city in the middle of the night with no prior warning. A terrifying development for the people of Beirut. Even here outside the American University, in this cultural and commercial neighborhood, people say they no longer feel safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're getting scarier because it feels like by the day things are escalating and we don't really know what area is safe anymore. I feel like in Gaza it started the same way and then it escalated.

KARADSHEH: It escalated. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. So you always worry like, will it keep on going? Will the west speak out? Or are we just another country in the Middle East?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the thing like the -- the unknown. We don't know how long this is going to stay, this war, how long is it going to extend? Is it going to be just limited to the south or is it going to be all over Lebanon?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are now literally paralyzed. We cannot do anything. We have to stay at home. And everything is deteriorating. Our futures are literally, we have a blank idea about our futures. We don't know what will happen next.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KARADSHEH: And, Pam, throughout the day and into the night right now, the early hours here Friday, we are continuing to see strike after strike focused again on the southern suburbs of Beirut. We really lost count of how many strikes we have here witnessed and heard. You know, Israel says it is going after Hezbollah sites, Hezbollah targets. But a lot of people, as you heard in that report from people on the street, they feel that their country is being turned into another Gaza.

BROWN: All right. Jomana, Jeremy, thank you both for that very important reporting there on the ground.

[17:39:06]

Up next, the shocking new accusations against Garth Brooks. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: We are back with a new lawsuit accusing country music superstar Garth Brooks of sexual assault and battery. Let's go to CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister. Elizabeth, you obtained this lawsuit. What are the allegations? And is there any response from Garth Brooks?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Pam. So this lawsuit that was just filed comes from a Jane Roe, anonymous woman who claims that she was a former hairstylist and makeup artist for Garth Brooks and for his superstar wife, Trisha Yearwood. She says that these alleged incidents occurred in 2019 after she started working for Garth Brooks in 2017. But she had originally met him by starting to work for his wife in 1999.

She accuses him of rape in a hotel room in Los Angeles in 2019 where they were traveling for business. And she also says that she was shown lewd text messages from him, that he regularly exposed himself in front of her, that he regularly groped her. Now, again, these allegations all coming in a lawsuit.

Now, we have not heard back yet from representatives of Garth Brooks. I have reached out to his attorney and to his publicist. But Pam, here's where things get interesting. This morning I reported on anonymous filing from a celebrity plaintiff known as a John Doe. Now, we know that that is Garth Brooks. In that filing, he was trying to block this accuser from coming forward, denying her allegations and saying that they are untrue and lewd. So waiting to hear back, though, from his team with this lawsuit filed today.

[17:44:38]

BROWN: All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much. And up next, the doctor is in. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta is answering your most pressing questions in our on call segment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROWN: In our Health Lead, as President Jimmy Carter turned 100 this week, many of you submitted questions about living a long and healthy life. Jake got answers from CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta in our on call segment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Sanjay, good to have you back with us. So Terry from Ohio asks, how much does genetics versus environmental factors play in reaching 100 years of age?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is a really good question. And as you might guess, there's probabilities around this. There's not an exact number, but if you want to get as close to a number as possible, it's probably around 20 percent genetics and 80 percent lifestyle.

And the reason a lot of scientists quote those numbers is based on a study out of 2018. They looked at some data on some 400 million people around the globe, and that's sort of where they landed in terms of the overall impact on longevity, around 20 percent genetics.

To put a little bit of a finer point on it, Jake, when you look at the data, what you find is that lifestyle ends up being much more important in the first seven to eight decades of life. But in those last 10, 20 years, however long, genetics seem to take an outsized impact. That's what probably gives people exceptional longevity beyond the 70, 80 year range.

TAPPER: A lot of viewers, including Sylvester from Nigeria, simply wanted to know, what can we do to live longer? Sylvester asks, please, how can one maintain a healthy life and get to age 100?

[17:50:04]

GUPTA: Yes. You know, so Sylvester sort of asked two questions here. Live longer, but also live a healthier life. And the term you'll hear a lot, and I think it's an important distinction, is health span versus lifespan, not just the years of life, but the life in those years. And there's been some really interesting studies on this.

When I first started doing this sort of work 20 years ago, didn't have this kind of data. But if you look at the list of things now, in terms of things that can actually contribute to a healthier longer life, you can look at the list and everything from exercise and specifically weight resistance training, really being near the top of the list. And then, you know, not being addicted to substances, tobacco, managing stress. Number five, and these -- these are rank ordered here. Number five was actually eating a plant based diet.

So exercise, far more important when it comes to longevity than even diet, for example, getting a good night's sleep, having positive relationships, all those things matter. And if you want to dive into that data a little bit more, what you find is that after age 40, any one of those lifestyle habits that you just saw on the screen add anywhere from three and a half to four and a half years of life.

So if you add all of them, you could be adding 30 to 40 years of life potentially. So, you know, re -- really important to -- to think about that even as you get to that age. And I'll point out, Jake, take -- take a picture -- take a look at this picture here. This is my dad just turned 80 years old. He's there with my mom. They're at the gym doing weight resistance training, which I think has done a lot for them. They're still doing really, really great now, 80 years old.

TAPPER: They look fantastic. But Sanjay, I have to say, every now and then, there's some report from, like, deep in a holler in Appalachia, and there's, like, a 100-year-old woman, and she's just smoking and drinking whiskey.

GUPTA: Nice.

TAPPER: Right. I mean, it's defying everything you just said.

GUPTA: No, I know. And obviously, there's going to be outliers. And we live in a probabilistic sort of nature here when it comes to these things. But for those people who live to 100, despite the beer and ice cream and soda and all that sort of stuff, they probably do have that genetic protection that really kicks in, again, near the end of their life and -- and offers them those extra years.

TAPPER: All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, so good to have you. Thank you.

GUPTA: You got it. Thank you, Jake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Well, poll after poll shows a stark gender gap in the upcoming presidential election.

Up next, CNN's Audie Cornish is sitting down with a high profile Trump supporter for his take on why young men are favoring the former president's message.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:56:44]

BROWN: In our 2024 lead, with just 33 days left and a neck and neck presidential race, both campaigns are fighting to win over those persuadable young male voters. To reach them, Trump and J.D. Vance have done these lengthy interviews with male podcasters and influencers.

Back in June, the former president even attended an Ultimate Fighting championship. In July, as you'll recall, former pro wrestler, Hulk Hogan, had a primetime spot at the Republican National Convention. CNN's Audie Cornish went to Florida to speak with an ultimate fighting champion and his support for Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN HOST, THE ASSIGNMENT WITH AUDIE CORNISH PODCAST (voice-over): Today, we're taking the assignment podcast to Coconut Creek, Florida, to get in a quick lesson in Octagon etiquette before a chat about politics with mixed martial arts legend Jorge Masvidal, one of the many outspoken Trump supporters in the UFC. He's trying to help the Republican nominee convince disaffected young men to consider voting Republican this fall. So what could this mean for the growing gender gap in U.S. politics? I'm Audie Cornish, and this is The Assignment on the road.

CORNISH: What was it that made you connect with Donald Trump in particular, or that particular brand of politics?

JORGE MASVIDAL, UFC CHAMPION AND TRUMP SUPPORTER: So when I saw that he was going to put his heart and soul into politics and actually fight for America, it was like the best thing ever. And then to see that he -- he kept a good amount of his promises and things that he, you know, like, if he was a prophet, he predicted, like, hey, we're going to have a border problem if we don't put this border up now. We have 20 million illegal immigrants. You know, the economy is, like, doing so bad. And I know they'll keep blaming him, biting the current administration on -- on Trump, like, oh, he met -- he handed us over a messed up economy. I don't know about you, but those a lot, way better off than those four years with Trump than anything now, you know.

CORNISH: And that -- that is the Trump argument and J.D. Vance were -- and that is what they talk about on the campaign trail. Do you think that there is something about the way they talk about issues that for other young men who are in the place you were, that is going to make them actually turn out.

MASVIDAL: Hundred percent.

CORNISH: What's different this year?

MASVIDAL: What's different this year is that hardworking men like myself, you know, there -- there's a lot of us. There's a lot of men that are just were -- were wired for that. We're going to wake up early and we're going to get to work. We're going to find a job. We're -- we're going to provide for our families, for our families back home. Whatever it is the case, we're going to provide for them. And now we have this, you know, we're going to work 12-hour, 14-hour shifts every day, you know, and then at the end of the week, I'm going to count up, see how much money I got. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. These same hardworking dogs are going to be like, no matter how many hours I put in now, I'm still coming up considerably short. Things are considerably more expensive.

I cannot even afford a one bedroom for me, my wife, my kid, and my mother. I don't understand. What am I doing wrong? I'm working more hours than I was five years ago. Like, crazy amount more. I have more side businesses. I'm -- I'm doing more things on the side, and I still can't make ends meet. I still can't get a loan at a decent rate. I still can't finance a car for -- for my mother or whatever it is. It -- it -- these are real life things, you know? Then you go to the grocery store, and it's like, everything is so much more expensive. It's crazy. Then you think you're going to get a break at the gas pump, no, you're not.

[18:00:05]

CORNISH (voice-over): If you want to hear more of this conversation on The Assignment Podcast, we're taking the show on the road to meet the people shaping the election in the weeks ahead. Find us online or wherever you get your podcasts. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And you can follow the show on X at TheLeadCNN. You can also follow me at PamelaBrownCNN. We'd love to hear from you. The news continues on CNN with Alex Marquardt in The Situation Room.