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Politicizing Military Service In The 2024 Race; Vedant Patel, State Dept. Principal Deputy Spokesman, Discusses Israeli PM Saying "There's Not A Deal In The Making" On Ceasefire; Hunter Biden Offers To Change Plea Deal To Avoid Tax Trial; Media Outlets Push To Unseal Murdoch Family Feud Case. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 05, 2024 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE, (R-OH) & VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a person who wants the United States army to be a about gender inclusion, ridiculous diversity politics, instead of about serving your country and uniting together as Americans to serve on the same team and defend your nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Let's go through this. Military recruitment numbers have dipped. That's true.

The number of eligible 18- to -24-year-olds, the group the military most often draws from, shrank from 2017 to 2022, largely because they were disqualified for obesity, drug use and poor performance on aptitude testing.

And military recruiting has also taken a hit as the economy has done better, and people find job opportunities outside the armed forces.

When we look specifically at the Army, which is the biggest service branch and has had the biggest problems meeting it's recruiting goals, the issue is not with female recruits.

Male recruitment has fallen 35 percent since 2013, while women have held steady, meaning they now account for a larger percentage of enlistees, according to military.com.

Vance's insinuation that women in the military are a problem is a talking point that some conservatives have been wearing out for years. Like Tucker Carlson, who memorably said this in 2021.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, FORMER FOX NEWS HOST: So we've got new hairstyles and maternity flight suits. Pregnant women are going to fight our wars. It's a mockery of the U.S. military.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KEILAR: Carlson has since departed from FOX, but not from his opinion on this matter.

This is what he said just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: We're sending women to go fight our wars. That -- first of all, that's not that's not a liberation movement. That's a kind of slavery. And it's totally wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Again, women in the military are not a problem. Military leaders will tell you they're essential. Without women, there would be a readiness issue.

In the Army, women account for a steady supply of enlistees. And they're increasingly represented in the Officer Corps. West Point, the Army Service Academy, had four Rhodes Scholars in 2022, all women.

The military is not a casual profession. It's a tough path, especially for women. They face the same challenges that men do, and then some.

They're more likely to be sexually assaulted, for instance. And we've seen them experienced sexism even at the highest levels.

When President Biden entered the White House, he promoted two women to elite four-star commands after their promotions have been delayed beyond the 2020 election by top Pentagon officials in the Trump administration out of fear that President Trump would scuttle their nominations simply because they were women, according to ""The New York Times."

An actual case of gender exclusion, as Vance lambastes a candidate who he says focuses too much on gender inclusion, and who he rails against for hailing from a family that does not serve in the military.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: And of course, it's not her family that's going to be fighting that war. It's going to be working- and middle-class kids across the states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

So if you're a person thinking about joining the military, you're probably not going to want to sign up if Kamala Harris is the potential commander-in-chief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Vance conveniently ignores that Donald Trump's family has no apparent plans to serve in the military either.

The people on these tickets with military service are Harris' running mate, Tim Walz, who spent 24 years in the National Guard, and Vance himself, who spent four years in the Marines. And like all servicemembers, swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to obey orders from the president, whoever that president may be.

Even if they're vice president, he's a veteran who should know better.

[14:33:44]

We'll be right back.

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[14:38:19]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing back hard against any notion that a Gaza ceasefire deal is close to being completed.

This comes after a senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday that negotiators are basically 90 percent of the way there while acknowledging that there are sticking points.

Netanyahu says that is simply not the case. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJMAIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Hamas is not there with a deal. There's not a deal in the making, unfortunately.

(CROSSTALK)

NETANYAHU: That still hasn't happened. They want to reconstitute their terror kingdom. And its -- unfortunately, it's not close. But we'll do everything we can to get them to the point where they do make a deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We have a lot of questions.

And joining us now is principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, Vedant Patel.

Vedant, thank you so much for being with us.

What do you make of the discrepancy here between what we're hearing from U.S. officials and what we're hearing from Netanyahu? Does it seem that the U.S. may be misinterpreting his position in the negotiations?

VEDANT PATEL, PRINCIPAL DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT: Boris, so good to be with you. And thanks so much for having me.

Look, Secretary Blinken was in the region just a number of weeks ago where he announced that the government of Israel, including the prime minister, agreed to the bridging proposal that President Biden laid out earlier this year. And that, of course, continues to be the case. And the imperative also continues to be on Hamas to get to yes. And our irreplaceable partners in Qatar and Egypt continue to be doing that work around the clock.

[14:39:59]

I can say that everyone across this administration, from the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the national security adviser, are squarely focused on getting a deal across the finish line.

It is the single best and most important that can happen to ensure that Israel has the security it needs but also alleviate the unbearable suffering that the Palestinian people have been having to deal with since the horrific October 7th terrorist attacks.

SANCHEZ: While the -- you put out the idea that the U.S. has committed to a deal at every facet of the administration. The prime minister in Israel is being accused of purposefully tanking a deal with Hamas, making last-minute demands.

Do you believe that Netanyahu has been negotiating in good faith?

PATEL: Look, I'm certainly not going to negotiate in public. But what I can reiterate is what you heard clearly from the president and the secretary of state, which is that the government of Israel, including the prime minister, have committed to the bridging proposal that was laid out by the president.

And of course, continuing work as necessary to talking about some of the specific technical and implementing details as it relates to that. And that work will continue.

SANCHEZ: It sounds like there's confidence within the administration that he means what he says about striking a deal.

So I'm wondering, how critical, in your eyes, is it for Netanyahu to have that IDF presence in the Philadelphi Corridor? Is the U.S. position that removing Israeli troops is a non-starter?

PATEL: So, look, I am -- it will just be deeply unhelpful to the process to negotiate in public.

SANCHEZ: Sure.

PATEL: What I can say is that the United States is committed to Israel's security. And of course, there are legitimate security concerns for Israel stemming from Gaza.

And when we talk about the future of the Gaza Strip, ensuring that it is no longer a springboard for terrorism on the Israeli people is tantamount.

And that is why the single best thing that can happen is a ceasefire deal. And that's what we're focused on. But beyond that, I'm just not going to negotiate in public. SANCHEZ: I totally understand it and I respect it.

I am curious how you can approach this situation when you have accusations that neither side is really wanting to make a deal.

Because, for Hamas, Barak Ravid recently reported that they also added last-minute demands, including increasing the release the number of certain prisoners that they want released.

And we also had the recent execution of hostages. So does it seem from your view that a deal is still actually possible? And what happens if it doesn't come to fruition?

PATEL: Well, the tragic murder of these hostages is just hurting -- a horrific reminder of why we need to get the ceasefire done. And that's something that the United States is going to continue to be focused on.

We are certainly never going to turn our back on this. And we're eager to keep working to get this across the finish line. We continue to believe that it is possible.

But, look, you've heard colleagues of mine across the administration say that this process, it's negotiation, and it's not only going to require Hamas to get to yes, but it's also going to require some flexibility on behalf of the government of Israel.

And that is process that is ongoing and one that's going to continue. And beyond that, it's one that the United States is deeply engaged on.

SANCHEZ: I'm also curious, Vedant, what message you might have for the families of American hostages. Because an administration official bluntly told CNN that a unilateral deal to return those hostages is unrealistic.

We understand that they had approached the Biden administration on getting some kind of unilateral deal outside of any deal between Israel and Hamas. What would you say to those families?

PATEL: Look, Boris, the -- these family members are dealing with an unbearable heartache and pain that neither you nor I could possibly even fathom.

So what I would say is that the United States has committed to doing everything we can to ensure that all of the remaining hostages can return home and can be reunited with their loved ones.

And the best and single path forward to that is a ceasefire deal, one that is in the spirit of the contours laid out by President Biden earlier this year, that bridge bridging proposal that the government of Israel and the prime minister have agreed to.

And one that we are continuing to work around the clock to get across the finish line with Hamas getting to a yes. But also working on some of the more specific implementing and technical pieces. SANCHEZ: Vedant Patel, we have to leave the conversation there. Appreciate you joining us and look forward to expanding the conversation in the future.

PATEL: Thanks for having me.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

[14:45:00]

Still ahead, a secret succession battle brewing over the Murdoch media empire. Why lawyers are trying to keep it hush-hush as a group of media outlets, including CNN, we should point out, is fighting to make it public.

We'll be right back.

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SANCHEZ: Happening now, Hunter Biden back in court attempting to change his plea to avoid trial in his federal tax evasion case out of California.

His lawyers announced the offer in court earlier today, moments before jury selection was set to begin. Prosecutors were quick to push back.

Let's take you now live outside the courthouse in L.A. with CNN's Evan Perez.

[14:50:00]

Evan, tell us about this plea offer.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there was a bit of a surprise this morning when we were here for jury selection, Boris, and what, instead, Hunter Biden's attorneys decided to do was to offer to change his plea to what's known as an Alford Plea.

Where he would maintain his innocence while also accepting whatever fate the judge -- whatever sentence the judge hands down. It's a way for him to avoid pleading guilty to these charges.

Now, as a reminder, he's facing three felony counts for tax evasion. He's also facing 36 misdemeanor counts for failing to file and pay his taxes on time.

And so we have about 120 jurors who showed up today for the beginning of jury selection.

And what Hunter Biden's attorneys are doing is saying that instead of going through with this trial, of course, which is a very expensive thing given the fact that Hunter Biden has already gone through one trial in Delaware where he was found guilty on gun charges, what they're trying to do is resolve this case in a way whereby he maintains his innocence.

But instead acknowledges that the government has more than enough evidence to likely convicted him.

So the proceeding, the court hearing is continuing in the courthouse behind me. We will see whether we are going to get to jury selection. Section is still ongoing behind me.

SANCHEZ: And, Evan, this kind of charge, this kind of plea, I should say, is exceedingly rare. What do you think goes into the calculus of deciding how this is going to move forward?

PEREZ: Right. This is exceedingly rare. The Justice Department has general policy against accepting these so-called Alford Pleas.

It's -- you know, the prosecutors inside have been pushing back, saying that it would to be an injustice for him to try to resolve this without admitting guilt to all these charges. And so what they are pushing for the judge to do is instead to reject it.

Now, what the judge has said right now is that he's not going to make a decision today on this. He's asking for the two sides to present their briefs, to make their arguments as to what he should do next.

But really, it is a very exceedingly rare thing for this to happen in federal court. And again, we could continue with jury selection in the meantime, while the judge makes a decision -- Boris?

SANCHEZ: Evan Perez, live for us in L.A., thank you so much.

Brianna?

KEILAR: A secret battle for control of one of the world's most powerful media empires. Rupert Murdoch's family locked in a legal fight over who will eventually take the reins of the family dynasty.

Now, major news outlets, including CNN, are pushing for the court to make it public.

CNN's Hadas Gold has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, in July, "The New York Times" reported that Rupert Murdoch wants to change what will happen to his company after he passes away.

There had been an irrevocable family trust that placed equal voting shares in the hands of his four eldest children.

But according to this "New York Times" report, Rupert Murdoch wants to change that and put more control in the hands of Lachlan. Lachlan, of course, is one of his sons, who is seen to be as more politically aligned with Rupert Murdoch.

And according to "The New York Times," in this filing to try and change the trust, Rupert Murdoch says that his companies will be in better hands with Lachlan Murdoch. A concern that the other children would change the sort of political leanings of these companies that include FOX News and the "Wall Street Journal."

But this has all been done incredibly secretly in Nevada courts. There has been absolutely no public access to anything that's going on. And now, a coalition of media companies, including CNN, are trying to change that.

CNN, along with lawyers for "The New York Times," Associated Press, Reuters, NPR and "The Washington Post" have jointly filed a petition to try and get these proceedings opened up.

Because until now, they weren't anywhere on the dockets on -- in this court in New York, didn't even know that it existed as a member of the public.

And in this filing, these media companies are saying that that is against the constitutional right to access.

They say, "Nevada courts are accountable to the public. And the public is entitled to know whether the trust at issue is being administered in accordance with the law.

"Certainly an entire matter cannot be sealed such that it's very existence is not a public record, even if all the parties to the litigation agree."

They also note that the succession, which, yes, a lot of this goes perfectly with the show succession, will actually affect many jobs. And it will also affect the landscape of -- of politics in the United States going forward.

Because of such great influence we see from platforms like FOX News or "The Wall Street Journal" or these other companies that Rupert Murdoch currently controls.

Now, there has been some progress in getting at least some more information about what this case will look like. There is now a docket that is publicly available on the Nevada court's Web site. It's called a Doe Trust case.

[14:55:09]

It doesn't give you any details on the names or anything like that. But it does show that there is supposed to be another day in court for this case on September 10th -- Brianna?

KEILAR: All right, Hadas Gold, thank you for that.

While the November election looms large over Trump's 2020 election interference case, Judge Chutkan says her court, quote, "is not concerned with the electoral schedule." What that can mean for a trial timeline, next.

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