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Taylor Swift Concerts Canceled Over Alleged Terror Plot; Interview With Dearborn, Michigan, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud; Donald Trump Set to Hold News Conference. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired August 08, 2024 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:50]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: The 2024 race heats up.

One hour from now, Donald Trump is expected to speak at Mar-a-Lago, while criticism grows of Vice President Kamala Harris for not speaking to reporters herself.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And alarming new details about the terror plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert. A raid turns up knives, machetes, chemical explosives, and detonators. The plot also appears to fit a worrying trend, ISIS targeting teens for recruitment online.

And a group of veterans say they have been ignored, despite promises from the government. And some of them area dying before they get the help they need.

We are following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

DEAN: Two presidential campaigns, two different strategies.

Let's begin with former President Donald Trump, who's expected to speak at Mar-a-Lago in about an hour. He made the announcement this morning on TRUTH Social, writing that he will be -- quote -- "doing a general news conference."

The Trump campaign has been pressuring Vice President Kamala Harris to answer more questions from reporters. She's not held a press conference since elevating to the top of the Democratic ticket.

We're also watching as Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, push ahead on their battleground blitz. They are set to speak in Detroit very soon.

And CNN's Arlette Saenz is live on the trail in Detroit.

Arlette, the Trump team has ramped up its attack on both Harris and Walz. Is there any indication she will be taking questions from reporters today?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jess, there are no scheduled plans for her to take questions from reporters today, but we will see whether there will be an opportunity to potentially lob questions here.

She is about to appear in just the coming hours with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at a local UAW union hall. This is part of the campaign's push to reach out to working-class voters and specifically rank-and-file union members.

The Harris campaign has earned the endorsement of the UAW leadership, as well as other leaders of major unions across the country, but there has been some concern about efforts by former President Donald Trump to also try to appeal himself to rank-and-file members. That is an area where Harris will have some work to do as she is heading into this November election.

Now, while they are making this appeal to union members directly here today, the Harris campaign and specifically Governor Tim Walz are navigating some fresh rounds of attack from the Republicans, specifically Senator J.D. Vance. Vance has tried to accuse Walz of ducking serving in Iraq when he had retired -- then he had left the Army National Guard to run for Congress in 2005.

It really highlights the latest effort by the Trump campaign to try to define a relatively unknown governor. Now, Walz had served in the Army National Guard for 24 years. He retired two months before his unit received those orders to deploy.

And so we will see if there's any way that he might respond to this over the course of the coming days. But I will say that, even as the Republicans are leveling these fresh attacks against Walz over his military service, I took some time and spoke to some voters, union members here at this event.

Three told me that they had heard nothing about these attacks on his military service, another woman telling me that she basically thinks it's nonsense. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS MARDEGIAN, UAW LOCAL 900: I think that's such a -- it doesn't even make sense to me. The man has been in the National Guard in service of this country for over 20 years or so. How can anybody be that stupid to say that because he didn't go to Iraq?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: So we will see whether any of these attacks that Vance has been lobbying towards Walz will land and sink in with voters' psyches in the coming weeks and months.

But it's very clear that both the Harris campaign is trying to elevate and use or push Walz' military record as a way to appeal to some types of voters, while the Vance side and Trump side are trying to define Walz on their own terms, part of the dance everyone is playing as there are now two contenders on the Democratic ticket preparing to face off against Trump in November.

[13:05:19] DEAN: All right, Arlette Saenz with the latest reporting from Detroit, thank you so much.

Let's go now to CNN's Kristen Holmes, who's live in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Kristen, we're about to hear from the former president in about an hour. At this point, we haven't heard from him in a while. He's been pretty quiet lately in terms of speaking on camera. Are you -- what are you hearing about what he might be talking about today?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes Jessica.

And I think that's probably why he called this last-minute -- quote, unquote -- "press conference." And I say that because, yes, we are told that he is going to take questions, but it's still unclear if that's definitely going to happen. We are in a room where we have access to the former president, so we are within shouting distance.

But he has billed events as press conferences in the past, only to have them be him delivering remarks. And you mentioned the fact that we just have not seen him in public. The campaign will push back on that. They will say he has done a number of interviews. He has sat down for podcasts. He has sat down for streaming interviews. He has been on FOX News.

But in terms of actual events, when you see the split screen, you can see Kamala Harris and now Tim Walz really crisscrossing these battleground states, while Donald Trump himself has been nowhere to be seen publicly. He has his first rally in about a week tomorrow in Montana, not clearly a swing state.

But because we have not heard from him publicly, that is likely why he is called this press conference. We are told he's going to talk about a -- quote, unquote -- "wide-ranging number of issues." We will see what that looks like, but I'm imagining your typical kind of rally speech with a lot of Donald Trump rants and riffs as he goes through at this event today.

Again, we will be here to try to ask questions. Now, while I have been here in Palm Beach, I have been meeting with campaign officials, with senior advisers asking them what they think about how this race has shifted with Kamala Harris and now Tim Walz at the top of the ticket.

They are projecting a level of optimism. They are acknowledging that she is still in a boost, that this is still a honeymoon period for Kamala Harris, but they point to the fact that she is inextricably linked to Biden's policies, particularly the policies that Donald Trump polls ahead of Biden on and now Harris, immigration, crime, inflation.

And they say, once this honeymoon period is over, once this enthusiasm dies down, that those issues will be on the table again. But talking to those same advisers, they do acknowledge that this has lasted a little bit longer than they would have liked. But a lot has happened since we have last seen Donald Trump out there in public. We have a lot of questions for him.

DEAN: All right, Kristen Holmes, we will talk to you later in these hours. Thank you so much for that reporting -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Vice President Harris is navigating the complex dynamics of the Israeli war against Hamas as the party's presumptive nominee. At a Michigan rally, hecklers interrupted her, shouting pro-Palestinian messages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I'm speaking.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The founders of a group that is vowed to vote uncommitted in the election to protest the war in Gaza met with Harris after the rally last night, and they told CNN the vice president was receptive.

They said -- quote -- "It feels fruitful. We're hopeful that she will engage substantively with our request for an arms embargo to stop sending bombs to kill people we love."

But Harris' national security adviser said this morning that she -- quote -- "does not support an arms embargo on Israel, but will keep working to protect civilians in Gaza."

Joining me now is Abdullah Hammoud. He is the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, which is home to a large Arab American and Muslim community.

Mayor, thank you so much for being with us.

In the primaries, of course, an overwhelming number of Dearborn's voters chose uncommitted. It was 57 percent that voted uncommitted, rather than vote for Joe Biden. First, I want to get your reaction to the vice president's response to those hecklers last night.

ABDULLAH HAMMOUD (D), MAYOR OF DEARBORN, MICHIGAN: Yes, I would have advised the vice president differently.

I think what you have is people who are hurting, people who feel dehumanized. And I think, in that moment, there could have been an opportunity to recognize the disenfranchisement that many voters not only in Michigan, but across this country, feel as it pertains to the genocide that's unfolding in Gaza.

And what I'm hopeful for, though, is the opportunity to have constructive dialogue. We have seen Vice President Harris have some tough rhetoric following her private meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And what we would like to see is that tough rhetoric paired with tough policy.

KEILAR: How would you describe how she responded?

HAMMOUD: You know, for me, I wasn't on the ground. (OFF-MIKE) I think it makes people feel more dehumanized and less seen.

[13:10:05]

But, again, I think what's most important here is to center the policy. Rhetoric only takes you so far, as we have seen with President Biden. And what we really want to see is, what is the policy conversation that we can have? How can we chart a new course on what's unfolding in Gaza?

Because that is what is centered for so many Americans across this country. You want to find a pathway to end the killing of innocent men, women and children. And that is the value and principle that we're leading with.

KEILAR: The leaders of the uncommitted national movement who met with Harris last night, they want her to support an arms embargo on Israel. They said that she was open to what she was asking, but then pretty quickly her national security adviser firmly rebutted that she would think of an arms embargo against Israel this morning.

Is that the only -- then you're talking about policy, is that the only way to change the minds of so many of those more than 100,000 Michigan uncommitted voters?

HAMMOUD: (AUDIO GAP) arms embargo against Israel (AUDIO GAP). That is the only means, we believe, to actually bring Benjamin Netanyahu (INAUDIBLE) up and his cabinet of warm criminals to actually achieve a permanent cease-fire.

And from a policy perspective, based on what I'm hearing on the ground from thought leaders across this country, as well as from my constituents, they want assurances. And an offensive arms embargo is one of those assurances that we believe has to be enacted in order for us to get to a just Palestinian state.

The reality is, we can no longer go back to the status quo. It no longer exists. We have to find a pathway forward in order to ensure that the Palestinians have the right to self-determination. And that includes a just Palestinian state.

KEILAR: Without that, would you vote for Harris?

HAMMOUD: Again, I think, based on what I'm hearing from my constituents on the ground, and I take my lead from them, there has to be assurances on how we actually move forward and course-correct on this issue.

We have seen with President Biden talks of cease-fire now for several months that have not led to any outcome. And so we have to do something differently. And we believe the only way to do so is to lead with international law or ask in force for Vice President Harris, a prosecutor, to uphold international law.

This has now been litigated by the ICJ. We have seen the U.K. suspend arms sales. And so I think we can follow their lead in upholding international law in order for us to take a step forward and chart a new course on what's happening across the Middle East.

KEILAR: Talking to some Democratic operatives, I think there may be a calculation that, if the option is Harris versus Trump and Trump's policy on Israel, that voters right now who oppose the Biden/Harris approach to Israel are still going to hold their nose and vote for them.

What do you say to that sentiment?

HAMMOUD: I think that (AUDIO GAP) And the majority of them have been women and children. And this is an unprecedented situation that (AUDIO GAP).

And what people want to do is, they want to be inspired with a hopeful message to come out and vote this November. That's what brings people in. If you recall, in 2016, Trump won with less than -- by less than 11,000 votes. He did not win because people came out and (AUDIO GAP) vote for Donald Trump.

He won because 80,000 people in the state of Michigan skipped the top of the ballot and they refused to vote for any presidential candidate. And that apathy -- that apathy has the likelihood of (AUDIO GAP) this country.

And so, from my perspective and the perspective of many, we would like values and principles to lead. And I think we should all be able to agree that international law should be upheld, and we should do everything within our power to end the killing of all innocent men, women and children.

KEILAR: Mayor, I certainly appreciate you being on. I am so sorry. We have been having some audio issues and we have been doing our best to hear what you were saying, but I'm afraid we're going to have to leave the interview there.

We do hope to have you on again soon, because, obviously, this is a very important topic. Your city is very important. Michigan is certainly very important in this election. Mayor Hammoud, we appreciate you being with us. Thank you.

And ahead this hour on CNN NEWS CENTRAL: police revealing one of the teenagers suspected of plotting a terror attack at a Taylor Swift concert had a job at the venue. We will have more on the investigation.

Plus, what a difference a few days makes, new jobless numbers fueling market optimism after an ugly Monday, and we're following Wall Street.

And the government promised to help them, but thousands of military veterans exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune over decades have reportedly died before ever getting a response. [13:15:00]

These stories and more all coming up this hour on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: New details into CNN about the alleged terror plot that forced Taylor Swift's concerts to be canceled in Vienna, Austria. The suspect's are all teenagers.

Police found chemicals, explosives and more at the home of one of the suspect's.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is joining us with details on this.

Nick, what are you learning?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's extraordinary how the three people either arrested or questioned by police here are all teenagers.

The 19-year-old is really a prime suspect here, pictured shockingly by investigators holding a knife at one of the press conferences. They found chemical precursors for a bomb detonator, 21,000 euros in fake cash at his home and also, troublingly, a police blue flashing light, which they say that he may have planned to put on a car to get himself and his explosives into the crowds around the Taylor Swift venue in Vienna, where, over the next three nights, she was playing to packed- out crowds of 65,000.

[13:20:22]

They expected tens of thousands to be hanging around the venue for kind of a free overheard concert, and it was there they felt that he was going to detonate his bomb and use his knives to attack in what they're calling a suicide attack.

A 17-year-old also questioned possibly for involvement in the plot here, police say he'd recently broken up with his girlfriend. That's a little snapshot of the kind of mentality investigators are having to look into, that of teenagers. And a 15-year-old too also questioned by police. All three are Austrian-born.

And I think it's, frankly, shocking how we see how close to fruition this plot appears to have been. The 17-year-old had indeed, it seems, got a job at the concert venue itself. And that may have been part of his role in all of this. The 19-year-old declaring to his fellow employees a few weeks ago that he was going to quit and plan -- quote -- "something big."

He'd allegedly changed his appearance as well too, having pledged allegiance to ISIS online just days earlier, so a lot that investigators have revealed here, but the most shocking fact, frankly, is the age of the people being investigated here.

I should point out to you across Europe over the last nine months, Brianna, according to one study we have been looking at, nearly two- thirds of those arrested or involved in ISIS plots have been teenagers, many swept up by France ahead of the Olympics, a real concern here about what online radicalization is doing to the younger that ISIS reach out to and also a concern too perhaps that we may be seeing more of a directed plot, the idea of somebody who's not in a Western country, somewhere else, trying to encourage and give advice to people carrying out an attack.

No sign of that necessarily here. Police, it seems, stopping the manhunt now with the three that they have got, but it appears to have got perilously close, arrests just hours before the concerts happened, causing them to be entirely called off. They simply, I don't think, knew at that stage how safe they could feel.

KEILAR: Yes, that is -- it's pretty amazing.

So she was scheduled to play five nights at London's Wembley Stadium -- or she is scheduled at Wembley Stadium next week for five nights. Are there any changes there?

WALSH: Not we have seen at this stage at all.

And I think the message you will hear from European officials across the remainder of Swift's tour is that obviously the terror threat in a place like London, where there have been multiple attacks over the past years, they feel that they have big events like this under control. The policing for this, sporting events, is something that they very much have a handle on.

And I think, frankly, to admit publicly that they are concerned that this may change the need for precautions here would suggest they're not doing everything they can every day. But I think certainly this will make people double-check everything that they have been thinking of, but there's no public sign at this stage that London authorities are changing their tack because of what we have seen in Vienna, a shocking incident indeed, particularly given the age of those involved -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, Nick, thank you for that report -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right, let's discuss this further we have seen in senior national security analyst and former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Juliette Kayyem.

Juliette, it's great to see you.

I'm sitting here listening to Nick's reporting. And it's just so striking, as he mentioned, that the suspects are 19, 17, 15 years old, radicalized by the Internet, Nick saying that two-thirds of those arrested were teenagers. What does all of this say to you?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, that ISIS is targeting receptive audiences who are going to be able to -- who are going to be responsive to what, in fact -- I apologize for that -- what, in fact, would be the issue here in terms of their receptivity to terrorism. And that comes with age. That comes with a need for a community, if they feel isolated, as youngish boys. And ISIS has gotten incredibly smart at sort of trying to appeal to that group. Then that group or the one two or three of them goes off and decides, what are we going to do in our country that's going to make a lot of noise?

So just compare this to ISIS 10 years ago. ISIS is trying to get a bunch of people to move from their countries to Syria or the Syrian area to do what -- to fight a war. Now they're exporting. And we're seeing that throughout Europe. We were worried about it for the Olympics, certainly worry about it in the United States.

And this is a -- these guys are young and they were moving forward very, very quickly. Their radicalization process was in no time. This was not a long radicalization process.

DEAN: And so how do authorities combat this? If it's happening in their home, online, and they're isolated, how do you combat something like that?

[13:25:08]

KAYYEM: Yes, it's going to be two things. And this Taylor Swift concert is really interesting.

So one is going to be sort of the offense, intelligence searching. That's clearly what the government did. They sort of decapitated a real threat. It seems like it was real. And then the other is going to be -- and that -- and we don't know what triggered them knowing.

They knew -- what we do know now is that they knew one of the suspects. That's the same suspect who was what we call the insider threat. He had a job with one of the planning groups that was helping with these concerts. That's a little -- that's very close, right? He's in the room. He probably has credentials, so he's able to have access.

So this was a good arrest, in the sense that this was a real threat. The other is, of course, defensive, which is, how are you going to prepare for these mega-events? Taylor Swift has concerts in areas. We know what happens at these concerts. You get supporters and fans surrounding them.

So public safety officials are going to have to look at these soft targets. In other words, outside the security zone -- this is starting to sound familiar for those who followed the Trump assassination attempt -- outside of the security zone begins your soft spots.

And, unfortunately, for so many Taylor Swift fans, those areas may be more regulated. They may be harder to access just to protect them, because it appears that these ISIS supporters were not trying to get inside the stadium, but wanted to do a lot of harm in the sort of soft areas outside of the security zone.

DEAN: Yes, where so many fans throughout the summer have been gathering to listen to her concerts outside of the stadium.

KAYYEM: Yes.

DEAN: And it's not lost, the irony of a tour that has brought a lot of joy to a lot of people, and a lot of women and girls, in particular, and to see this sort of terror potentially unfold.

KAYYEM: Yes.

DEAN: It's just -- it's scary, yes. All right.

KAYYEM: That's exactly -- and it's a target against America.

I mean, she's our symbol, right? This is -- and in the same way that the Olympics targets that we worry about are really a target against sort of world unity, this -- she is an American icon. And so I view this as a sort of focus on an American target.

DEAN: Yes, that's a very good point.

All right, Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

Up next: Former President Donald Trump says he will give a -- quote -- "general news conference" about a half-hour from now, as Vice President Kamala Harris faces calls to talk to the press.

That's next.

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