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Congressional Republicans Meet Behind Closed Doors; Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is Interviewed about Israel; Blinken to Speak before Heading to Israel. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 11, 2023 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Of action. You see that crib overturned there. And again, that included babies, brutally massacred. This video is from that village. You can see that crib, of course. Officials could not confirm just how many people ended up being killed there. But for those who have survived there is anguish, there is terror, there is concern and confusion.

This is Ashkelon, Israel, where Erin Burnett has been reporting all morning and rockets have been fired into that city. A firefighter is handing a drink to a child there after a rocket attack. You can see the distress on his face and those around him.

Children are also among the hostages that have been taken by Hamas. One mother has told CNN she was on the phone with her two children the moment they were taken, and she has not heard from them since.

And this is in Gaza after an Israeli strike. You are seeing one of the medical teams, ambulances, running a child into the back of an ambulance. The child clearly has been injured, potentially killed. There is so much damage there, it is almost unrecognizable.

Also in Gaza, you see a man holding the body of a child there. That child killed, covered there, from an Israeli strike. A last embrace before he had to bury that child.

Palestinians are saying that at least 260 children have now been killed in Gaza. They say 22 entire families have been killed.

We will be back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:36:08]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, happening now, congressional Republicans are about to gather behind closed doors. The goal is to determine who they will back to be speaker of the House. Whether they achieve that goal, totally unclear. The only two announced candidates are Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is telling colleagues not to nominate him again, but he does seem to be playing a little coy at the same time.

CNN's Lauren Fox up on Capitol Hill for all of this. How is this going to play out?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I wish that there was a clear answer right now, John. The honest answer is that we do not know right now how this is going to play out. There's a couple of variables at play right now. One of them is whether or not Republicans adopt a rules change in how they elect a speaker behind closed doors.

Right now what you need to be the confirmed nominee to be speaker and head to the floor is a simple majority of the conference. That's around 111 votes. But it's likely that they could move to try and change the rules. That would be the first order of business so that you'd have to lock down 217 Republicans in that room before you go to the floor.

Of course, what they are trying to avoid is a messy floor fight that we saw back in January to elect Speaker Kevin McCarthy in those 15 rounds. The question is whether that rule passes because that could certainly change the dynamics both in the room and whether or not we see a speaker candidate emerge by the end of the day.

Now, we don't know how many rounds this could go. The first few rounds of actual voting on the speaker candidates, those are done by secret ballot. Obviously, that means that members don't have to talk about who they're supporting. Some members have already publicly said who they're backing, but you just don't have a great gasp of where the votes stand until members get in that room, until we can talk to them afterward, and until we can see whether or not that rules change passes.

It's just important to point out to viewers back home, though, that without a House speaker nothing can be done to support Israel. They cannot pass a resolution simply saying that they back Israel, that the U.S. is a key ally of Israel. They also cannot provide critical funding that may be necessary, something that the administration is looking at sending a supplemental request up to Capitol Hill for. So, that just gives you a sense of the gravity of this situation as it affects the geopolitical status around the world.

John.

BERMAN: Yes, to be clear, if they raise the threshold to 217, they may never get out of that room.

And, Lauren, supporters of Jim Jordan, predominantly, are the ones who are calling to raise that threshold because they want to keep the squabbles perhaps private, not necessarily on the House floor. But there's another way of looking at it. There are supporters of Steve Scalise who say the Jordan people are pushing that because Scalise actually, they say, has more than half of the Republican conference. Any way to know for sure?

FOX: Well, I think that that's why you're seeing this frustration. There are a lot of Scalise allies who argue this is really akin to trying to change the rules in the middle of the game and this is how we've elected speakers time after time. This is actually how Kevin McCarthy got the nomination and everyone was fine going to the floor and having a messy fight then, why not now? So, obviously, we're going to see in just a short period of time whether or not House Republicans, a majority of them, support that rules change or not.

John.

BERMAN: All right, Lauren Fox, on Capitol Hill, keep us posted, please.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we are also going to get back to Israel and we're keeping a close eye, we're going to show you the very latest pictures we have coming in, this is from Gaza, as the bombardment continues. Air strikes from Israel into Gaza as they're trying to root out the infrastructure, the military infrastructure of Hamas and take out Hamas terrorists. Gaza reporting now the only power station in Gaza says that they are out of power.

[09:40:02]

Some have generators. There's only so long that that fuel will last in Gaza. What does that mean in the days ahead?

We also have fresh reporting that the United States is in talks with Israel and other partners in the region, like Egypt, to try and help Americans and other civilians get out of Gaza. A key question of how to do that ahead of a potential ground incursion. That we'll discuss ahead.

And the very latest, the IDF saying 300,000 reservists have been called up and are, quote, "ready to execute the mission."

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: This morning, the IDF says at least 1,200 people have been killed in Israel.

[09:45:03]

Palestinian officials say more than 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza. The death toll rising as the first shipment of U.S. weapons arrives in Israel. The Israel defense forces say the ammunition is, quote, "designed for significant blows."

And the shipment comes after President Biden called the Hamas attack an act of shear evil.

With us now is Florida Governor, and presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis who joins us from his campaign headquarters.

Governor, after President Biden's speech yesterday, Michael Oren, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, said, quote, "President Biden's speech was the most passionately pro-Israel in history. The president stood for square behind the Jewish state and the Jewish people and unequivocally against terror and anti-Semitism and pledged the power of the U.S. to our defense. Our people will always remember and cherish this speech and the man who delivered it."

So, what more, or different, would you have said than what President Biden said? That comment, by the way, came from a man formerly known as Bibi's man in Washington.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL) AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, look, I think that that - I think that - that those words were appreciated. I think, you know, he was missing in action over the weekend. They didn't even wake him up on Saturday. And then he called the lid (ph) Monday when we had Americans that were reported killed.

But here's, I think, what's important, John, let's have unanimity between both parties all across this country that we're going to stand with Israel, not just today, not just tomorrow, but in the weeks and months ahead. I think there's going to end up being pressure -- you already have the United Nations, they put out a tweet, the human rights council, saying that they're concerned about people in Palestine and other areas who may have been killed. They wouldn't even use the word Israel. There's going to probably be media attention placed on Israel blaming them. So, if both the administration, the Congress and the country can unite, I think that's going to be a good thing.

I'm concerned when I see demonstrations in major cities that are celebrating what Hamas did, the decapitation of babies, you're executing elderly people. This is barbarism. And so the more unanimity we have, the better.

I would also ask the president to consider reversing his policies on the southern border. We are vulnerable. When you have all these military-age men coming in, do you think that our enemies have not been looking at that weakness? We know people from Iran have come. We know people from Russia have come. We know China and other parts of the Middle East. That is not good for the security of this country.

BERMAN: The -

DESANTIS: Israel probably has the strongest border security in the world and yet this happened to them.

BERMAN: We'll get to the boarder in just a second, Governor.

There are 20 Americans who could be hostage right now in Gaza. If you were commander in chief today, what would you be doing to bring them home?

DESANTIS: We would use all available resources to rescue Americans. This is our job and our duty as the president of the United States. And we would do that and we would work very closely with the Israelis to get that job done. BERMAN: President Biden has called for quick and rapid aid to Israel.

Some Democrats want to see that tied to Ukraine aid in the House. Some Republicans want to see it tied to border security. What would you say to an Israeli mother of a baby who was killed in a kibbutz? How would you explain to her that aid to her should be tied to anything else?

DESANTIS: Well, first of all, I think that's the typical Congress and it's -- Congress has been in disarray. They haven't been producing. And I think they need to get their act together.

John, this is personal for us here in Florida. We have the second largest Israeli-American population in the country. We've been a magnet, since I've been governor, for Orthodox Jews. I was just in south Florida at a synagogue announcing that we're going to be expanding state-based Iran sanctions because money going into that regime, unfortunately, is turned around and used to facilitate terrorism. And there's people in the congregation down there, there's people all throughout Florida who have lost friends, who have lost family members, who have friends or family that are missing and still unaccounted for.

So, the emotions are very raw, but I think the resolve of being able to cut through the clutter and just being able to bring justice to this situation, this is probably the darkest hour in Israel's modern history, and that's saying something because they've faced a lot of attacks. They --

BERMAN: So, are you calling then - are you calling then for a clean aid bill for Israel? Just aid to Israel?

DESANTIS: So -- so what I would just simply do is, you want to help Israel? Let's just do it and don't try to leverage other things.

BERMAN: OK.

DESANTIS: But that's how Congress operates.

BERMAN: Understood.

DESANTIS: I'll let them do that.

BERMAN: Understood.

DESANTIS: But I think we've had a long-standing security relationship with Israel. We've said that we would be there. And this is an hour that calls for - for strong support.

BERMAN: I want - you were just talking about Florida.

[09:50:01]

I want to talk about anti-Semitism in the United States and around the world. There was a peculiar statement from American white supremacist Nick Fuentes over the weekend who said that Israel's intelligence failure, he called it, is, quote, "a little suspicious in light of how the Likud government will benefit politically from this crisis, both domestically and internationally." What do you say to a statement like that?

DESANTIS: That is totally outrageous. You know, this garbage out there, you hear things people are saying that the babies really somehow weren't killed, that this is all just manufactured. I understand there's conspiracy theories that can go on, but we've got to put that garbage aside and we've got to stand with Israel. And, yes, we have to condemn the anti-Semitism that has motivated these attacks and that has motivated attacks around the world.

BERMAN: Let me just ask you then, on Nick Fuentes for a second. He ate at Mar-a-Lago with Donald Trump in 2022. He's also said, among other things, I love Hitler. A guy like that, who spreads conspiracy theories, like the one you were just talking about, how do you feel about Republicans associating with him?

DESANTIS: Well, I reject all conspiracy theories of that nature. I think that we just have so much garbage in our society right now. I mean it broke my heart to see those demonstrators. It breaks my heart to see college students putting out praise of Hamas.

BERMAN: Should Republicans be eating with Nick Fuentes?

DESANTIS: All across the board. I mean I think we just have to - we just have to stand up together and do what's right.

And so, yes, look, I'm proud of what we've done in Florida. You know, we've signed major legislation to combat anti-Semitism. We've provided security assistance for our Jewish day schools and we've beefed up Holocaust education because it's important that we never forget.

BERMAN: OK.

DESANTIS: So, we've led by example here with our deeds.

BERMAN: Understood.

DESANTIS: And I think that's part of the reason why we have such a strong community here.

BERMAN: All right. You didn't answer my question on Nick Fuentes. Are you -- I'll move on if you're not going to give a direct answer? Are you going to give a direct answer to that?

DESANTIS: Honestly, I - you -- we're kind of garbled about Mar-a-Lago. I mean someone was saying something bad. Obviously, my record speaks for itself. I stand for what's right and I'll continue to do that.

BERMAN: I just want to know if Republicans should be - I just want to know if Republicans should be eating with Nick Fuentes?

DESANTIS: I would not do that.

BERMAN: OK. Thank you.

Last question. I'm from New England, so I get wind of what's on the "Howie Carr Show" up there. You were on "Howie Carr" yesterday talking about the speaker's race. And you gave a kind of endorsement to Jim Jordan. He direct -- Howie asked you if you would vote for Jim Jordan in the speaker's race. You basically said, I think so, yes.

So, why is Jim Jordan your guy in this vote that might happen in a few minutes?

DESANTIS: Well, so, look, I like both guys. I'm friends with both of them. I voted for Jim in the past, you know, when I was back there in my former days. But here's the thing. The important thing is, is to end the chaos and start delivering results. I mean what happens in Washington, all the drama, constant soap opera, but they're not delivering results for the American people. In Florida we do it just the opposite. We don't do any of the drama. We're not running a soap opera. We produce results, economic results with budget surpluses, paying down the debt, tax cuts, low crime rate. That's one of the reasons why our economy is ranked number one in America and why we lead the nation in net in migration.

So, focus on the American people. They're paying too much for everything. Our border's open. Don't worry about the palace intrigue and show the American people that you can actually govern effectively. And if Jim can do that, great. If Steve can do that, great. But they need to get their act together because people are watching.

BERMAN: Governor Ron DeSantis from Florida, great to have you on CNN NEWS CENTRAL. We look forward to having you come back on soon.

DESANTIS: We'll do it. Thank you.

BERMAN: All right.

Sara.

SIDNER: A strong interview, John. All right, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Israel today, but right now you are looking at live pictures of Gaza. As you see, huge plumes of smoke. There have been air strikes in the early morning hours there and we are watching incursions both on the southern border with Israel and on the northern border with Israel, the border with Lebanon. We will have more on all of this just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:58:19]

BOLDUAN: Welcome back.

The first shipment of advanced weapons from the United States has landed in Israel. Israel's defense minister actually put out this video early this morning showing a cargo plane being unloaded, clearly blurring out exactly what was being unloaded. However, at this moment, we do not know exactly what was included in this shipment. We asked the IDF spokesperson a little earlier this hour, did not provide more detail.

Later today there will be another show of support, more assistance headed to Israel in the form of Secretary of State Tony Blinken. He is headed there and we expect to hear remarks from him. He expects to speak to reporters before he departs.

Let's get over to the State Department. Alex Marquardt is standing by there for us.

Alex, this sends a big message that Tony Blinken is headed over there today in the middle of all of this. What are you expecting to hear from him?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: It does, Kate. This is Blinken essentially echoing what the president said yesterday, which is a full-throated defense of Israel and their right to defense themselves. This is a show of solidarity. We are expecting Blinken to leave today, to arrive tomorrow, to meet with all kinds of Israeli officials, to ask what more support they need.

This is not a diplomatic trip in the traditional sense. Tony Blinken is not looking to call for peace here. He's not going to be calling for a cease-fire. This is very much to show that the U.S. is in solidarity with Israel. The U.S. knows that a very harsh Israeli response against Hamas is coming. The U.S. -- Blinken will be there to say that he supports that response.

But at the same time there are major concerns about what Israel may be doing in terms of a possible incursion into Gaza, what that may mean for Palestinian civilians, what that may mean for the hostages who have been taken by Hamas.

[10:00:05]

We know from the State Department that there are at least 20, possibly more, Americans among the