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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Israel Marks A Year Since October 7 As Multi-Front War Rages; Hurricane Milton Takes Aim At Florida. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired October 07, 2024 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:12]

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(MUSIC)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: A category five hurricane is headed for Florida's West Coast.

THE LEAD starts right now.

Breaking news: Hurricane Milton's intensity has exploded. It's gone from a tropical storm to a powerful category five hurricane in less than 24 hours, and right on the heels of the deadly Hurricane Helene. From a new storm track to evacuation orders, we're covering everything you need to know.

Plus, a Republican effort pushed by Donald Trump Jr. to cut ties with one of the federal government's biggest contractors. How criticism of Trump from J.D. Vance before he became Trump's running mate, led to this effort in retribution.

But first, one year since the deadly October 7 terrorist attacks. Somber ceremonies around the globe, painful screams interrupting a moment of silence at the Nova festival memorial. We're standing by to see a commemoration from Vice President Kamala Harris.

(MUSIC)

TAPPER: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

And we're going to start in Israel. It's been one year since the October 7 massacre, the single deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. Twelve hundred Israelis were ambushed and murdered by Hamas terrorists. We heard horrifying accounts of rape and torture, 250 additional individuals were taken captive, including babies, roughly 100 Hamas hostages remain unaccounted for.

Today, families of hostages held signs with the faces of their loved ones they stood outside the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Listen to former hostage Aviva Siegel speak about her husband who remains in captivity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AVIVA SIEGEL, FORMER HOSTAGE: And I know that he's going to come home like a skeleton, but I just so badly want back, unfinished up worrying about him and knowing exactly where he is and worrying about all the hostages. A year is too much. It's just too much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Earlier today, sirens wailed in Tel Aviv, a reminder of the ongoing horror, this war that continues and is intensifying on multiple fronts as Israel seeks to wipe out terrorist threats posed by Iran's proxy groups surrounding them, 12 months on more than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza according to the Hamas-run health ministry, which does not distinguish between innocent civilian deaths and those of Hamas terrorists.

Remember, Gaza officials do not distinguish between those two. During his recent speech at the United Nations, Netanyahu said Israel has killed more or captured more than half of Hamas's 40,000 fighters.

Now Israel's military has also started a new offensive in northern Gaza where they think Hamas is attempting to regroup.

To the north of Israel, Israel is attempting to dismantle Hezbollah also considered a terrorist group by the U.S. government. Hundreds in Lebanon have already been killed, according to Lebanese officials who also do not distinguish between the innocence civilians who have been killed and the members of Hezbollah, striking similar scenes today from CNN affiliates.

Let's go to Vice President Kamala Harris right now who is speaking at the memorial.

Forty-six of our fellow Americans were killed in this brutal terrorist attack, including a singer from Missouri who died shielding her son from bullets, an academic and peace activist who studied in Seattle and who was the grandson of Holocaust survivors, and a dancer from California who was killed alongside her fiance while attending the Nova Music Festival.

I am devastated by the pain and loss that occurred on October 7, and Doug and I pray for the family and loved ones of all of those who were lost, and may their memories be a blessing.

Today, I know many Jews will be reciting and reflecting on the Jewish prayer for mourning, the Kaddish. The words of the prayer are not about death; it is a prayer about our enduring belief in God, even in our darkest moments. So, as we reflect on the horrors of October 7, let us please be reminded that we cannot lose faith.

[16:05:10]

The Jewish philosopher Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, and I quote, "Religion begins with a consciousness that something is asked of us." So, in this moment, on the one-year commemoration of October 7, what it -- what is asked of us? What is asked of us?

First and foremost, I believe that we must never forget. I will never forget October 7, and the world must never forget.

What is asked of us: We must work to ensure nothing like the horrors of October 7 can ever happen again. And on this solemn day, I will restate my pledge to always ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and that I will always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and around the world.

What is asked of us: We must reunite the hostages held in Gaza with their families, and I will never stop fighting for the release of all the hostages, including the American citizens, living and deceased: Omer, Edan, Sagui, Keith, Judi, Gadi, and Itay.

What is asked of us: We must uphold the commitment to repair the world, an idea that has been passed on throughout generations of the Jewish people and across many faiths. And to that end, we must work to relieve the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians in Gaza who have experienced so much pain and loss over the year.

What is asked of us: We must continue to see light amidst the darkness. As the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said, "A people that can walk through the valley of the shadow of death and still rejoice is a people that cannot be defeated by any force or fear."

That is why today we plant a pomegranate tree, which, in Judaism, is a symbol of hope and righteousness. So, for years to come, this pomegranate tree will stand here, spreading its roots and growing stronger, to remind future vice presidents of the United States, their families, and all who pass through these grounds not only of the horror of October 7th but the strength and the endurance of the Jewish people.

It will remind us all not to abandon the goal of peace, dignity, and security for all. And it will remind us all to always have faith.

Thank you. And I will now turn it over to the second gentleman, my husband, Doug.

DOUG EMHOFF, SECOND GENTLEMAN: Thank you.

So, we're gathered here today on what was the deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust. I am still filled with pain and despair. This is an incredibly challenging day for Jews around the world myself included.

October 7 hit as hard as a community. We are still hurting and today feels just as raw as it did one year ago. What happened on October 7th is seared into our souls. I can't stop thinking about the hostages and their families and all of those we've lost over the past year.

Earlier today, I attended AJC's National October 7 Memorial Commemoration at Sixth and I, and I recited a prayer for peace, that we all see the day soon when this war and bloodshed come to an end. As the first Jewish spouse of an American president or vice president, I'd take this role very seriously.

[16:10:04]

Kamala is the one who encouraged me to use my platform I have to fight against antisemitism and hate. She's also the person who encouraged me to lean into my Jewish faith. When we first moved into this residence, we affixed a mezuzah on the doorpost with our family present. Now, as we prepare to leave a legacy of our time here, we plant this pomegranate tree to honor this solemn day. And for the families who will come after us to enjoy.

This is the first tree we planted since we moved in here. And it'll be the first fruit tree ever planted by as second family at the residence.

Kamala and I are proud to continue a tradition with this symbolic meaning for every family that's lived here. And who will both here. It is especially meaningful to me that this property will now always commemorate the pain of the Jewish people, as well as resilience and hope of the Jewish people. May the memories of those we lost be a blessing. Thank you.

TAPPER: That's Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, planting a pomegranate tree. I believe that they are at the Naval Observatory where the vice presidents residence is in Washington, D.C.

Let's bring in CNN's Erin Burnett and Nic Robertson in Tel Aviv.

Erin, obviously, a notable moment for Israel as well as for the United States. What is it like on the ground there in Israel? What are you hearing from Israelis?

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST, "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT": Well, you know, in the past few days, of course, you know, we've been up on the front lines where you have the troops, you know, raring to go and ready to fight and you don't sense fatigue. You sense that they are ready for another front. They are ready to win.

But here today, Joe -- Jake, just incredibly somber and I know Nic will talk about being at the Negev Desert, at the Nova music festival site today. But tears and sadness, and I think also important in the context of talking about loss, obviously, the profound loss for Israelis, the profoundly boss over the past year, so many, tens of thousands who have been killed.

But right now at this moment, as we speak in the darkness, suffering in those tunnels, their hostages alive. There are still hostages alive, 97 when people taken one year ago today. A third to a half of them may be dead. Others are alive, their families here just miles away from them so close and yet they may never see them again.

And they may -- they may, they may already be dead, they may die as this conflict continues and that is the deep, profound sadness of this moment, Jake, but certainly both Nic and I saw two day.

TAPPER: And, Nic, America's connection to this war cannot be -- cannot be ignored. I mean, a number of those slaughtered on October 7 were American and number of those taken hostage, including still today's six living, six hostages thought to be living as well as the bodies of still others are being held in Gaza. What stuck out to you from the vice presidents remarks?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: You know, I think there was some echoes in there of what we've heard us say before, that sort of slightly differentiates her position where President Biden and its in the past when she spoke about this, you know, that ironclad support for Israel.

But talking referencing really the other side and saying that, you know, it's how you use that support and what struck me, what she said today was about this issue of what can we do -- what can we do for the other side was her message.

Sort of sounds like the sirens going off there.

BURNETT: And the sirens are going off now, yeah.

ROBERTSON: The sirens are going off here, Jake.

BURNETT: Uh-huh.

ROBERTSON: But what can we do for the other side, she said, what can we do? And it was ease the suffering and pain of the Palestinians. And she talked about seeing the light in the dark and it's not just perhaps a reference to the terror tunnels that a light in the darkness, which is an end to all of their -- so I got that sense that she was talking about reaching out via the other side. That was that message of maybe some reconciliation?

BURNETT: Yes. And, you know, Jake, you can hear obviously, sirens probably in the background where we are. This would be the third time today and we've heard them even in Tel Aviv, you know, you sort of, you can see just a blanketing of the area of warnings that were incoming ballistic missiles. I said from Yemen earlier those were intercepted.

ROBERTSON: Drones, a couple of drones as well.

BURNETT: And drones, and Nic and I have seen those just off the coast when there has been interceptions, obviously, right now, this is just where we are and what well see there. Let's go --

[16:15:02]

ROBERTSON: Yeah, that's interceptors.

BURNETT: Interceptors are going up. I don't know if you guys can see those, those interceptors going up right now behind us.

ROBERTSON: One, two --

BURNETT: One, two, three.

ROBERTSON: Three. These are the high altitude for ballistic missiles, these felt like --

BURNETT: Four. But they're not intercepting anything.

ROBERTSON: Yeah, these felt like David's sling I think.

BURNETT: David's sling for the longer ballistic missile.

ROBERTSON: So these could be ballistic missiles incoming.

BURNETT: Uh-huh.

ROBERTSON: And if they're on the north of the city. That tells us that probably coming in from -- from Lebanon.

BURNETT: From Lebanon.

ROBERTSON: From what we can see from here right now, I think I heard some intercepts there, some explosions.

BURNETT: I heard some explosions, but I didn't see anything, looked like it had contact.

ROBERTSON: No.

BURNETT: But it's hard to tell right now, Jake, honestly, from what we see, but at least for interceptors going up.

TAPPER: Yeah, it's a good reminder --

ROBERTSON: Maybe a sound of a fighter jet.

TAPPER: A point I tried to make and I know that you guys make all the time, which is -- oh, he would just heard a big boom. Israel remains under attack, that was from Gaza, from Lebanon, from Yemen. It's not that they're not trying to kill as many Israelis in civilian population centers as they can. It's just that the Israeli interceptors are preventing them from doing so.

BURNETT: Right. I mean, those interceptors and those booms, Jake, that you're hearing, we presume were intercepts of what those missiles were, and earlier today was another intercepts. So they are intercepting them and they are these. Nic was saying, look like David's sling interceptors for more ballistic missiles, but also earlier today, a ballistic missile they said perhaps from Yemen.

ROBERTSON: Yeah. So I mean the capital here being attacked on, on two sides today, as you said, the interceptors what saves the population, doesn't say them obviously from running for shelters we heard the sirens there and you can be sure that everyone in this city in anyone who might have been out at a -- at a gathering to remember October 7, that you have to understand that the reason that Hamas fired five of their longer range missiles today out of Gaza, reaching into, reaching close to Tel Aviv, the reason the Houthis that it from Yemen, the reason it appears Hezbollah has done it from the north is because it's October 7 and this is them signaling.

BURNETT: Yes. And also there was a palpable feeling. Jake, and there is a palpable feeling of Israel needs to strike and strike hard and strike harder. I'm not saying it's universal, but it's palpable and you hear it from individuals. You hear it from its not just a military three of it says that. There was a feeling from them that perhaps that strike from Israel could happen tonight, certainly a worry in Iran when they had had, you know, temporary no-fly-zone, they reopened their airspace, but that -- you know, keeping it this high, the pressure at some point its got to break and they're waiting for that next strike.

ROBERTSON: And I think as well that's sort of to what the vice president was saying. Kamala Karris, that this idea about thinking about the other side, because I found speaking to people today there are very much locked in their own tragedies some their own pain and the own suffering. And because they're feeling their own so much, they can feel the other side and of course, that's where a reconciliation lies.

BURNETT: Right and empathy that is, that -- of course, there's so little of with so much pain everywhere, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Nic, thanks so much. And, Erin, we'll see you tonight, "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT". That's at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, only here on CNN, Erin will be live from Tel Aviv.

We need to turn now to the breaking news in the United States about Hurricane Milton. It's a powerful category five storm. We're going to get the latest track. Plus, I'm going to speak with the head of FEMA as that agency already taxed from Hurricane Helene lines up yet another storm response plan. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Breaking at our national lead right now, Hurricane Milton exploding in strength from a tropical storm to a category five hurricane in less than 24 hours. Milton is the strongest storm to occur anywhere on the planet this year, and seems to be taking aim at Florida's west coast. About three and a half million people are under evacuation orders and Milton is coming just 10 days after deadly Hurricane Helene, the second deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland in 50 years.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers is with me. Chad, Milton has been gaining force fast. What is the path right now?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still very close to the west coast of Florida in 48 to 60 hours. This is really going to be the problem. This storm, people, is different. This is not Andrew. It's stronger. This is not Michael. It's stronger. This is going to have more surge than Ian. This is a big event for a very populated area, 175 miles per hour right now.

We know that because hurricane hunters flew through this eye at category five strength and found 175. They also found birds inside the eye flying around because they're trapped in there. But this thing went from a 50-mile-per-hour storm yesterday morning to 175. And it's likely still getting stronger.

We don't have a plane in it right now, but the hurricane warnings go all the way or at least very close to the east coast of Florida because the hurricane winds will be all the way across the state. We're going to lose millions of people with power. We're going to lose a few homes for sure.

My goal here is to try to limit the number of deaths, Jake, because this is the biggest event Florida has seen. This is an event that people have not witnessed in their lifetime.

TAPPER: The National Hurricane Center is categorizing Milton as extreme, rapid intensification. That's a whole other category of intensity. Explain that for folks.

MYERS: Yes. So when a storm gets an eye, it begins to breathe. The air goes up in the eye wall, goes down in the eye itself, and that's the breathing process of a hurricane. Many times it's kind of sheered apart. We talk about the sheer all the time. Other winds got in the way. No other wind got in the way of this storm. The last time a storm, a category three or higher, hit this area was in 1921.

So it's going to rain. It's going to rain hard. We are going to lose islands. We're going to have cuts across islands. There will be so significant damage that we've not seen it with this type of population density. And I know what happened to Ian and I know what happened to Charlie because I was there with Anderson Cooper. I know what happened to Francis and Jean, and Ivan. But this is an entirely different set of circumstances here when you talk about a storm that goes from 50 to 175 because of very warm water that's in the Gulf -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Chad Meyers, hope lots of people just listen to you. Thanks so much.

The head of FEMA is standing by. How her agency plans to respond to this hurricane on top of Helene's aftermath. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:30:00]

TAPPER: And we're back with our breaking news about Hurricane Milton, the strongest storm on the planet this year. It appears to be right now headed towards Florida's heavily populated west coast, and Milton is threatening to be the storm that meteorologists have been fearing for decades.

I want to bring in Deanne Criswell. She's the administrator of FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has been working around the clock to try to help victims of the last Hurricane Helene.

Deanne, thanks for joining us.

Administrative Criswell, so first Hurricane Helene, now, Milton. How is FEMA preparing for another potentially catastrophic storm? And do you have enough funds?

DEANNE CRISWELL, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: Yes, Hurricane Milton is certainly going to be a historic event here in Florida. As we continue the initial response and recovery from Hurricane Helene, we do have staff on the ground that are prepared to pivot and help support this response, but we're moving more resources in. We're moving additional search and rescue resources in. We're moving health assessment teams in.

We're moving the Army Corps of Engineers in. We're also moving management teams, and I'm here in Tampa right now and I have a team embedded with the mayor's team so we can have that open line of communication to quickly employ people as soon as they're needed.

TAPPER: What do Floridians in the storm's path on the Western coast of Florida need to know right now?

CRISWELL: They need to get out. They absolutely need to listen to their local officials and evacuate. I was just with the police chief, the fire chief and the mayor. They need to be leaving now if they're in one of the evacuation zones that they've designated. People should not focus just on the cone. They need to focus on the storm surge that is going to cover a wider area and they need to get to safety.

And this doesn't mean you have to go far. You just need to get to higher ground outside of that, that surge threat until the storm passes.

TAPPER: There were a lot of remote areas extremely hard to get to that were hit by Helene, particularly in the mountainous one-road areas of Western North Carolina. Have you and authorities, FEMA, North Carolina, have you reached all of the areas affected?

CRISWELL: So we are in the communities across Western North Carolina. I have been with Governor Cooper for the last week and understanding and talking to the local officials about where their needs are, which is why we've surged in more resources. And they are going from the pods to people's doorsteps to make sure that they have the food and supplies.

We are going to continue, Jake, to have that level of presence and sustain that operation because we also know that there are going to be a long time before the water and the powers restored. We're going to have to continue bringing these resources in to everybody that's been impacted, especially in these more remote areas that have limited access.

TAPPER: But have all of the remote areas been reached?

CRISWELL: At this point, we have teams that are in every county that has been impacted. We've been working with the state to make sure we have not missed anybody. As I was with Governor Cooper this morning, we're getting positive news about progress being made. But we don't want to stop. We do want to make sure we have reached everybody. And so we're tracking that and we're going to make sure that we continue to support the governor as long as he's needed.

TAPPER: I want to address the many rumors surrounding FEMA and the response to the storm. Former president Trump claimed FEMA has been running out of funds because the Biden administration diverted those funds to, quote, "illegal migrants" coming into the country. That's not true. Another one is that FEMA is only giving out $750 to each family that that's the extent of what American families are going to get even while foreign aid goes to places like Lebanon and Ukraine. What's your response to these rumors, these attacks?

CRISWELL: Yes. Well, Jake, I'm glad that you brought it up because, one. it's just categorically false. We have been there supporting Governor Cooper and everybody across Western North Carolina. We had teams on the ground before the storm made landfall in Western North Carolina, and we are continuing to support.

Our funding has not been impacted by any of those other needs across, you know, the federal government. It's dedicated to us. And I can assure you that no funding has been taken from the disaster relief funds.

TAPPER: FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell, thank you so much. Best of luck to you.

As Hurricane Milton gets closer, I want to talk more about the misinformation being spread about FEMA and about storm recovery. Misinformation amplified by former president Donald Trump. That's next.

[16:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: In our 2024 LEAD, two campaign rallies over the weekend in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, former president Donald Trump falsely suggested that there is meager assistance for the Americans who lost everything but their lives from Hurricane Helene, that they were not being offered much by the federal government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They send hundreds of billions of dollars to foreign nations. And you know what they're giving our people? 750 bucks. They're offering them $750 to people whose homes had been washed away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: That would be shocking if it were true, that that's all that the federal government was offering these disaster victims. But it's not.

On a page called Hurricane Helene Rumor Response, FEMA called the claim false, describing that as just one form of assistance to help people cover essential items like food and water and other emergency supplies in the short term.

[16:40:03]

FEMA goes on to highlight how those victims of this disaster can also apply for temporary housing and personal property, and home repair costs.

That is not the only false claim that Donald Trump is spreading. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They've given over a billion dollars to illegal migrants that came in and now they have no money for North Carolina, for Georgia, for South Carolina, and Alabama, Tennessee and Florida.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: North Carolian Senator Thom Tillis, a Trump-backing Republican, pushed back on that claim yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): We can have a discussion about the failure of this administration's border policies and the billions of dollars it's costing. But right now, not yet is it affecting the flow of resources to western North Carolina.

MARGARET BRENNAN, CBS NEWS HOST: It is not a factor to be clear, okay.

TILLIS: Not at this time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: There's also this claim that Trump posted on Truth Social saying that he doesn't, quote, like the reports that I'm getting about the federal government and the Democrat governor of the state of North Carolina going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas, unquote.

It's not exactly clear what reports Mr. Trump is referring to but you should take a listen to what a Republican governor in a neighboring state had to say about the treatment that South Carolina, a ruby red state, is getting. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: What has been the ongoing kind of federal assistance for South Carolina?

GOV. HENRY MCMASTER (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: It's -- it's been superb. We -- we're getting -- getting assistance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: There's also this statement from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, another Republican, thanking President Biden for his, quote, support and continued coordination to provide assistance to Virginians in need, unquote.

These statements -- these false statements are having an impact on the very people who have been impacted by this deadly and financially devastating storm. Just asked North Carolina State Senator Kevin Corbin who posted on Facebook last Thursday, quote: Will you all help stop this conspiracy theory junk that is floating all over Facebook and the internet about the floods in western North Carolina. Example, FEMA is stealing money from donations. I just talked to one senator that has had 15 calls today about why we don't stop fill in the blank. Ninety-eight percent chance it's not true and if it is a problem someone is aware and on it, unquote.

When you listen to folks on the ground in the community in North Carolina, where my mom is from, it sounds a lot like what we heard from officials in Springfield, Ohio, after Trump and Vance falsely claimed that Haitian migrants were eating their neighbors cats and dogs. Those same Republican officials in Ohio called the -- those claims a distraction from the real challenge which is an influx of legal migrants, straining resources such as schools and hospitals and housing, creating a situation that needs to be addressed, needs to be discussed.

But isn't eating people's pets, this same misinformation, these lies about FEMA also a distraction, hindering recovery efforts, taking away from the real problem, hundreds dead, dozens missing communities that will need to be rebuilt from the ground up and also legitimate questions about whether FEMA and the Biden administration responded as quickly and as efficiently as they should have. All these lies are not helping focus on the real questions.

Let's bring in our panel of political experts to weigh in.

So, today, North Carolina Senator Ted Budd was asked on Fox why he thinks residents of North Carolina are frustrated with FEMA's response. Here's part of his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED BUDD (R-NC): Whether it's money, a billion dollars that's been allocated for illegals that's not coming here to western North Carolina. So it's -- it's misallocated time, misallocated dollars and a lot of bureaucratic handwringing. (END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: What's interesting about this is that actually diverted money from disaster funds was Trump. In 2019, in the middle of hurricane season, he told Congress he was taking $271 million from the Department of Homeland Security programs, including $135 million from the disaster fund to pay for immigration detention space. That's from "The Washington Post" fact check, and all this. Biden did not do this.

Again, the immigration issue perfectly logical debate, topic. Everyone should talk about it. It's an important issue, but that's not what's going on here.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely, Jake, this is an utter disgrace. It is one of the issues, one -- just one of several that makes Donald Trump and J.D. Vance as president and vice president of the United States completely disqualifying. When you have leaders who are looking for the highest office in the land and they are purporting these lies, promulgating these lies that are actually putting people's lives in danger.

And I take this personally. I'm from Puerto Rico as you know. My family was there during Hurricane Maria. Donald Trump went down there, threw paper towels at the residence and he was also had the --

TAPPER: It was underhand, I should say. He was -- he wasn't trying to hurt them with the paper towels.

CARDONA: That's right.

But the political nature of this is insane because he had to be shown maps when the wildfires went to California, that there were actually Republican residents in those places where he had to give relief.

[16:45:00]

That's the only way that he got there.

TAPPER: What do you think? What do you make of this?

KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'm just glad that you highlighted the Republicans on the ground who have pushed back against this because it is -- it is tough these days for a Republican elected official to stand up and say no, I disagree with the president. No, I think he's wrong.

So I'm just glad that that you highlighted that there are folks on the ground who are telling a different story, seeing a different story, who acknowledge that it is worth talking about the ability -- we need to be able to prevent crises that can drain our country's resources, but this is not what's happening in North Carolina right now.

TAPPER: Yeah, and you -- you know, you just heard me press the FEMA administrator like have you reached everywhere. They don't know that they have yet. There are questions to ask here, but the idea that Biden is stopping release effort -- relief efforts because western North Carolina is Republican is just non -- it's conspiratorial nonsense and it divides us.

We'll bring you both back in a few minutes to talk about some other stuff.

We're standing by for a brand new update on Hurricane Milton, which intensified into a major category 5 hurricane. Plus, the other big story today, it's been one year since the October 7th Hamas terrorist massacre from the perspective of a family still living through the horror. We're going to talk a hostage family member next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: In our world lead, it was one year ago today that Hamas terrorists unleashed a massacre against Israel. Twelve hundred people were slaughtered, 250 others, including babies and the elderly were kidnapped and taken into Gaza as hostages.

Right now, about of them are still being held captive including these two little boys you're looking at Kfir Bibas, the youngest Israeli hostage who turned 1 in January and his brother Ariel who turned 5 in August.

[16:50:02]

Both of them, along with their parents Yarden and Shiri were kidnapped by Hamas from kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7th. Shiri's parents Margaret and Yosi Silberman were killed by the Hamas terrorists that day. Kibbutz Nir Oz is a commune of about 400 people. It was among the worst impacted by Hamas's deadly attack, with one in four residents of the kibbutz either murdered or kidnapped.

Joining us right now to talk about this incredibly difficult situation is Maurice Shnaider. He's the great uncle to Kfir and Ariel Bibas. Shiri is his niece. Her mother Margaret is Maurice's sister.

Maurice, first of all, words escape. I don't even know what to say. I am so sorry for the loss of your sister and your brother-in-law and for the pain you and your family continue to go through as you hope and wait for the day the Bibas family can come home.

How are you doing?

MAURICE SHNAIDER, HOSTAGES' RELATIVE: It is very hard to explain the feeling. You just show some pictures of the little kids and that suddenly, it's like getting a knife in your heart and how much sadness it brings to you.

And everything you said yes, it does not go away. It does not go away. Every minute, every second, every day, now is weeks months, a whole one year, how can we imagine that 300 -- over a year now that so many hostages have been have been held still by a terror organization? How is that possible? How the world has allowed it to happen?

Especially in my case when you're talking about a 5-year-old now and a 1-year-old now, and if you looking at the 1-year-old, he's live he's longer in captivity in a tunnel maybe probably most likely than he's lived in a free world.

So --

TAPPER: And it's hard to believe that a year later, Israel is not only still fighting Hamas in Gaza but also with other Iranian-backed terrorist groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen continue to fire upon Israel. Are you hopeful that Israel and the Prime Minister Netanyahu can get the hostages back home.

SHNAIDER: We never lose hope. Of course, we go in is their protest and they want him to release and to sign a deal. Of course, we want it to happen, you know? The -- what is more important?

I said it from the beginning when I first getting interviews and talking to people, that Israel is fighting three wars. It was back then in the beginning, May the first month to release the hostages, to defeat Hamas and to fight antisemitism.

Now instead of things getting better, they're getting worse, 366 days fighting not only Hamas but now Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, Iran, too, and where is this going to end? I mean, we have to realize that the purpose of Hamas to invade Israel wasn't just to get rid of -- to -- they wanted to get rid of Israel.

Hamas invaded Gaza. Hamas invaded Israel. There were no Israelis October 7th in Gaza, and their sole purpose is not to defend Gaza, not to put a -- not to act on their names, is just to give a bad name and to create the atmosphere that we have right now protest against Israel.

Everybody wants is against Israel, so many countries, and so many demonstrations in the streets and show -- especially so much antisemitism. Most of the people that even protest antisemitism, they're protesting and they say that they are doing it for Gaza, they don't even know what Gaza is, I say. They don't even come even point it in the map.

Their purpose is just to taking a free right because they antisemites and they want to take a free right to go -- to pretend that they are pro-Gazans. They care about the Palestinians.

TAPPER: Is there something that you think President Biden or any other American leader should be doing to help bring a ceasefire resolution that brings the hostages home, that brings your family home?

SHNAIDER: When I get into interviews like this, I call my family we're very connected together. We are help each other to -- our opinions. We are -- to say to what we all feel. So if I'm talking to you right now, have talked to people, to family members in Israel and I want to know what they feeling also because they may know more than I do and vice versa.

[16:55:09]

So what they feel especially in Israel is that -- and they have told me that the United States -- and not only the United States -- the government of the United States in general and all -- other countries in Europe, should have be put more pressure on Qatar because they host them, they finance them, same thing with Iran, to pressure Iran in a way that they will not -- they stop doing what they're doing and they're getting away with it.

They continue attacking Israel from every single direction and if we get rid of Hamas, that would be impossible. So they have to put the pressure on Qatar. Qatar is like not doing enough. Qatar -- why because the money comes from Qatar, not only to the -- so much money goes into the U.S. from Qatar, and that's why they want to be in good relation with Qatar, the U.S. wants to.

So that has to be put to an end and think about hostages, hostages. That is more important. It's not only my family. There are 101 left today as we know it, who knows? They're probably more and less, I mean, and more are going to be assassinated, executed --

TAPPER: Yeah.

SHNAIDER: -- if Israel is going to get close to defeat Hamas.

TAPPER: Maurice Shnaider joining us on I know a painful, painful day. Thank you so much and we hope how that your family members get home soon.

SHNAIDER: Thank you.

TAPPER: A brand new forecast for hurricane Milton is coming up next.

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