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Iran's Missile Attack on Israel Fuels Fears of Wider Regional War; Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) Spar Over Immigration, Border, Guns at V.P. Debate; Helene is Second-Deadliest Mainland U.S. Hurricane in Past 50 Years. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired October 02, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Israeli Prime Minister vowing to retaliate, saying Iran will pay as it launched its largest attack ever against Israel. The question now, what will payback look like, when will it happen, and what role will the United States play?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: No more debates left. We've got new reporting on what changed after the vice presidential debate and who helped their ticket the most.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And today, wiped off the map. President Biden will travel to storm ravaged North Carolina and South Carolina, where some towns have been washed away. The death toll rising in thousands cut off from accessing food, power and clean water.

I'm Sarah Sidner with Kate Bolduan and John Berman. Erin Burnett is joining our team. She's live in Tel Aviv. This is CNN News Central.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to all from all of us. I'm Erin Burnett live in Tel Aviv. And we do have major breaking news here this morning. Iran says it is, quote, absolutely not interested in a broader war as Israel vows retaliation against Iran's largest missile attack ever against Israel. And the huge question today is what will that response be and when will it happen? How imminent could this be? And what role will the United States play?

The White House and President Biden are now in constant communication with Israeli counterparts, senior administration officials, saying the U.S. does not believe Israel has made a determination on how to respond, but it could include strikes on nuclear targets or other targets in Iran.

We have breaking overnight though. Already new airstrikes on Beirut from Israel and forces saying ongoing strikes against Iranian-backed Hezbollah targets are now continuing in the north here, as we're also learning, the IDF has deployed a new division of troops on Lebanon's southern border with new calls for more people from Lebanon to evacuate from villages.

And Jeremy Diamond is live with me here in Tel Aviv. You know, Jeremy, even just the scale of in this moment that we're in, what is Israel going to do? When are they going to do it? It is going to be something. It is going to be something significant. We just don't know.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, without a doubt, and this is an extremely precarious moment in this region. I mean, just think of all of the things that we have had happened over the course of the last year, where you're approaching the anniversary of October 7th. We have seen these moments over the course of the last year where it seems like this conflict between Israel and Hamas could explode into a wider regional war.

Israel is now very much at war with Hezbollah to the north in Lebanon, as its troops move deeper into Lebanon. The Israeli military adding more troops there. And now, of course, as we have seen Israel strike the head of Hamas in the capital of Iran, we have seen them take out Hassan Nasrallah, and now Iran carrying out this ballistic missile attack, which they say is in retaliation for those killings.

And now the question is, following this attack, which was mostly intercepted by Israel's air defense, but we have seen so many videos of this attack striking air bases in Southern Israel. We have seen multiple explosions there. I visited several sites. And now the question, of course, is how will Israel respond. And they are certainly under enormous pressure to do so. And how they calibrate it will be critical to seeing how this plays out.

BURNETT: And the Iranian targeting, I mean, just today, earlier, over near where Shin Bet is, right, that you could see holes in the ground, right? Not exactly hitting the target that they say they wanted to hit, but close and in a way that we haven't seen before. I mean, do you from your sources, Jeremy, it seems that there's this sort of palpable pressure to do something and do something fast? Because they want to do it and they don't want us all of a sudden have to succumb to international pressure. What are you hearing about that?

DIAMOND: No doubt about it. And I think the United States is probably going to give Israel some leeway here to respond. I mean, we have seen the U.S. put pressure on Israel to calibrate its responses in the past. We have seen them, tell them to hold off on certain things. This is a moment where I think the United States recognizes that Israel must do something.

But at the same time, I think one of the interesting pieces of messaging that we're hearing both from Israel as well as from the United States is this notion that Iran's attack was not all that successful. We heard President Biden say yesterday, saying that this was a largely ineffective attack.

[07:05:03]

The national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, giving the same messaging.

BURNETT: And is that a fig leaf to have them not respond or --

DIAMOND: Exactly. Maybe that's intended to say, look, it wasn't that successful. You don't need to go through with an overwhelming response. But a lot of analysts are saying now that Iran has taken it to a new level. And so will Israel take it to the next level? Which is to say, will it strike Iran's nuclear facilities, for example, try and set that nuclear program back?

That is very much being considered right now by the Israeli Security Cabinet, which convened last night. I expect that there will be more consultations in the coming days. There's not a sense that Israel is going to respond immediately but it certainly will respond and at a time and place of its choosing, as we heard from the Israeli military's chief of staff yesterday, and similar comments from the prime minister as well.

BURNETT: Right. And as Jeremy's talking, potentially striking nuclear sites, energy sites. Also, of course, former spokesperson for the IDF, Jonathan Conricus, had suggested that they could even be striking leadership within the Iranian government in Tehran, which everyone can understand, of course, would be a game changer in its own right.

So, this morning, this is what President Biden is waking up to, saying that the United States is fully supportive of Israel and is actively discussing what a response to Iran will look like and what role the U.S. will play.

Let's bring in CNN White House Correspondent Arlette Saenz. And, Arlette, I mean, this is the crucial question for the world and for Iran and for those who are worried about a much broader conflagration that could -- you know, people talking about their fear of a World War III-type scenario. It is the U.S. response that could determine that. What are you hearing?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, certainly senior administration officials here at the White House are working around the clock trying to determine what the next response will be after Iran's missile attack against Israel.

President Biden yesterday said that his team is in constant communication, constant contact, trying to ascertain what the appropriate response is will be. A senior U.S. Official telling us last night that the U.S. does not believe Israel has made that final decision about how to respond.

But even as the U.S. is saying that Iran's attack was defeated and ineffective, they have made very clear that there will be repercussions for Iran at this moment. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: This is a significant escalation by Iran. We have made clear that there will be consequences, severe consequences for this attack, and we will work with Israel to make that the case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, a senior U.S. official said that at some point Israel will need to come to the U.S. with details of what they would like their response to be. And at that point, the U.S. will be trying to ascertain and potentially shape any decision. One big question going forward is what kind of influence America might have on this final decision-making process as the U.S. is keen to prevent an all out war in the Middle East. And then there is the question, if Israel does respond, which people do expect, how exactly and what exactly the U. S would do to support that response.

So, a lot of big questions for President Biden this morning as they are waking up to yet another very highly tense moment in the Middle East. He also said that he does plan to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at some point. We don't know when that would happen, but he said in that call that he would be conveying his message about the next steps he thinks they could take.

BURNETT: All right. Arlette, thank you very much.

And, Sara, I know, you know, you have spent so much time covering this story here on the ground. It is something now, though, when you come by in that area of Shin Bet and you do see those craters in the ground that they're rushing to fill and the blown out cars in places that we just haven't seen them before to understand how this conflict has yet again moved to a new level.

SIDNER: Yes, the escalation is very clear. And now everyone wait to see what happens next. Erin Burnett, thank you so much for being out there. I know you've also spent a great deal of time there watching this war, worrying about whether it will be a wider one. I appreciate you. We'll talk to you in just a few minutes.

Ahead, a night of Midwest nice at the V.P. debate, but who do voters think is better for America and what's next after what was likely the final debate of this election cycle?

And roads to nowhere, a clear visual of the destruction and why President Biden will be surveying the storm damage in North Carolina from the air. The latest situation as rescues continue all these days after Hurricane Helene hit.

And a stunning new slew of allegations against Sean Diddy Combs. More than a hundred men and women have come forward against Diddy, what they're saying and what their plans are.

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[07:10:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You've got to stop the bleeding. You've got to re implement Donald Trump's border policies, build the wall, re implement deportations.

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Donald Trump had four years. He had four years to do this and he promised you, America, how easy it would be. I'll build you a big, beautiful wall and Mexico will pay for it. Less than 2 percent of that wall got built and Mexico didn't pay a dime.

VANCE: The idea that we can magically wave a wand and take guns out of the hands of bad guys, it just doesn't fit with recent experience.

WALZ: No one's trying to scaremonger and say we're taking your guns, but I ask all of you out there, do you want your schools hardened to look like a fort? Is that what we have to go?

Sometimes it just is the guns. It's just the guns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, that was the vice presidential debate, perhaps the very last debate of this election.

[07:15:05]

This morning, assessing what changed and what's next.

We are joined by the pride of Exeter, Nebraska, CNN Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny, up late watching.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

BERMAN: Big moment.

ZELENY: It was a big moment. Look, I mean, it was a moment of civility. We hear the cliche Midwest nice, Minnesota nice. It actually was that, but boy, J.D. Vance wins points on debating style throughout the debate on answer after answer. He did something Donald Trump did not. He prosecuted the case against Vice President Kamala Harris again and again, saying, I agree with that, but why hasn't she done it?

It really seemed like a different era, a pre Trump era, if you will, but, of course, this is still very much a Trump era, the top of the ticket. And it was that moment at the very end of the debate where Governor Walz finally found his footing after 90 minutes or so, and he talked directly about January 6th and seemed to rattle J.D. Vance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALZ: I would just ask that. Did he lose the 2020 election?

VANCE: Tim, I'm focused on the future. Did Kamala Harris censor Americans from speaking their mind in the wake of the 2020 COVID situation?

WALZ: That is a damning -- that is a damning non-answer.

VANCE: It's a damning non answer for you to not talk about censorship. Obviously, Donald Trump and I think that there were problems in 2020. We've talked about it. I'm happy to talk about it further.

WALZ: I'm pretty shocked by this. He lost the election. This is not a debate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: Look, a damning non answer, and Mr. Walz may know about that because he had several non answers too. But on this issue, on something that Americans are so, fixated on and focused on, it's so visceral. That was probably the takeaway. The Harris campaign was already saying they were going to run ads on that moment to talk about that, but it was at the very end of the debate. The question was the audience still there for it? If not, they'll see it again.

BERMAN: Yes. Everyone I think sat up on their chairs or their couches when that moment happened. And I am very curious to see how Donald Trump responds to the world saying that J.D. Vance is better at prosecuting the case for Donald Trump than Donald Trump. I mean, I like that so much.

Abortion was a big issue in this debate.

ZELENY: It certainly was. I mean, and this was something that has been a really defining issue of this campaign.

Of course, he's the governor, Governor Walz. He has signed a law in Minnesota. But it was J.D. Vance when he talked personally about someone he grew up with that really struck a chord with some voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: I grew up in a working class family in a neighborhood where I knew a lot of young women who had unplanned pregnancies and decided to terminate those pregnancies because they feel like they didn't have any other options. And, you know, one of them is actually very dear to me. And I know she's watching tonight and I love you. And she told me something a couple years ago that she felt like if she hadn't had that abortion that it would have destroyed her life because she was in an abusive relationship.

We've got to do so much better of a job at earning the American people's trust back on this issue where they frankly just don't trust us.

WALZ: The fact of the matter is how can we as a nation say that your life and your rights, as basic as the right to control your own body, is determined on geography?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, look, J.D. Vance, we're trying to soften the edges at the very least in the Trump campaign beyond abortion. They've been back and forth on would Trump sign or veto a national abortion ban. J.D. Vance got rapped for that. He said that he doesn't speak for the president. But last night, the president came out, former president Donald Trump, and said he would in fact veto it.

But, look, the bottom line to all of this, vice presidential debates have seldom mattered in all the races that we have covered. I don't think this one will either. So, certainly points for J.D. Vance, but, overall, probably awash and onward to the camp.

BERMAN: Yes, I was just going to say the curious thing, Jeff, is if tomorrow or the next day you and I are talking about this or anyone is talking about going to be a surprise at all. We'll see. Sometimes these things take some time to settle.

Jeff Zeleny, great to see you in person.

ZELENY: Great to see you.

BERMAN: Like the great thing about J.D. Vance and Tim Walz is they brought us together.

ZELENY: Thanks for having me.

BERMAN: All right. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Just to make sure to spite you, I'm going to make sure we're talking about this in two days, just to make sure.

Coming up for us, President Biden is headed to survey the storm damage and the devastation left by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Now, the second deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina, it's hard to believe.

And the new indictment against two former Louisville police officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor. We have details on the new allegations. We'll be right back.

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[07:20:00]

SIDNER: New this morning. Hurricane Helene has so far taken at least 162 lives across six states. It is the second deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland in 50 years. The search for those still missing is hitting a critical stage now. This is video taken by your CNN photographers here. Look at that. It's from Sugar Grove, North Carolina. Then look at this. This is a resident who captured the moment a wall of water and mud rushed down the mountainside at her parents 'home. knocking part of it off its foundation.

Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris are expected to survey some of the areas impacted by the storm. Biden expected to take an aerial tour of North Carolina and meet with first responders there.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is at the White House with more on this story. The devastation is just -- it's hard to understand. An aerial tour, though, will give him some sense of just how bad things are.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and I think that's why presidents go on these kind of trips, to really get a first hand sense of the extent of the destruction that you really can't get from photos. And the president will certainly be able to get that from the air when he tours around the Asheville area today.

[07:25:05]

And it was interesting, we heard from the Asheville mayor earlier this week who said that three out of the four highways into her town have been closed down. They didn't want to close the one remaining highway down to a motorcade. And for that reason, President Biden will be viewing this destruction from the air. And the destruction is extensive, people still trying to dig out from knee deep mud, people searching for bodies, looking for survivors, many people still without power, without cell service, without water. And that gets to the other point of President Biden's trip, is to really try and assess what the needs still are on the ground.

Certainly, the federal government has surged support to this area. FEMA says that there are 4,500 federal personnel on the ground in the whole hurricane impact area. They say that there's been more than 7 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water. But, certainly, the federal response will need to be more robust. And you do hear from people on the ground who say they do want to see more from the federal government when it comes to a response.

And so President Biden will hear directly from people at an operation center in Raleigh, get a briefing on how exactly the recovery efforts are going. He'll also meet with first responders and local officials.

At the end of the day, that really is sort of the advantage of this kind of trip. Of course, President Biden can get the governors of these states on the phone anytime he wants. He can get FEMA on the phone anytime he wants. It's a lot harder to hear from people directly on the ground who are directly impacted by these storms, and that is something that he will want to do today.

Of course, Vice President Harris also doing the same kind of thing in Georgia. Both of them say they will continue making these trips over the course of this week. As we heard from President Biden yesterday, people are scared to death. He says this is urgent, so very much wanting to demonstrate leadership, executive management skills at a very tense and sad moment for a lot of people on the ground.

SIDNER: You know, I was reading there, they're actually using mules in some places to get supplies to people because that's just how impassable these roads are.

Kevin Liptak, thank you so much for your reporting there for us from the White House. John?

BERMAN: All right. We've got new reporting just in Iran is vowing repercussions about any nation that came to Israel's aid in the missile attack. Iran just making their threat. The U.S. clearly played a major role in shooting down some of those missiles. So, what does that mean?

And the impact after what could be the final debate of this presidential cycle.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: First of all, Governor, I agree.

WALZ: Much of what the Senator said right there, I'm in agreement with him on this.

VANCE: I think that Governor Walz and I actually probably agree.

WALZ: I agree with a lot of what Senator Vance said about what's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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