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U.S. House Committee Approves Bipartisan Bill To Ban TikTok; Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) Weighs In On The TikTok Ban And Gaza; U.S. Evacuates Non-Essential Personnel In Haiti; U.S. To Build Aid Pier To Gaza; Netanyahu To Defy President Biden's Red Line; President Biden Raises $10 Million After State Of The Union Address. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired March 10, 2024 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: Thanks for joining me in the "CNN Newsroom." I'm Erica Hill in New York. Ahead this week, a TikTok showdown between the lawmakers warning the popular social media app could compromise national security and the tens of millions of Americans who use TikTok every single day.

A bill headed to the House floor for a vote this week would force the sale of TikTok, or if its parent company doesn't sell, would then ban the app in the United States. And to further complicate matters, the two men vying to be the next president are now on opposite sides of this bill. CNN's Manu Raju is on Capitol Hill to run us through what we can expect ahead this week. Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: TikTok may be one of the most popular apps in the country, but it's possible it could be banned in the United States. That's if a new bill that is steaming through the House ultimately becomes law. That piece of legislation would force the Chinese firm ByteDance to sell it. If it doesn't sell TikTok, then the popular app would no longer be allowed in the United States.

This has wide support in the House, in fact, passing overwhelmingly 50 to 0 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee just last week. That is unusual. You rarely see that level of bipartisan support. And quickly after, the House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced it would be on the floor of the House this week. So, it could certainly pass.

Then it would go to the United States Senate, which would have to take up the bill, pass it, see if it passes the same version. Ultimately, see if it goes to the president's desk, and whether the president would sign the final version of that legislation into law, which the White House has indicated it does support this measure.

Now, that doesn't mean that TikTok isn't trying to stop this legislation. In fact, they are trying to kill it. That's what the top Republican who chairs the Energy and Commerce Committee told me on Friday, that our office is being flooded with phone calls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNKNOWN: Yes, we've been flooded with calls, record amounts of calls. Any member of the Energy and Commerce Committee that voted yesterday has been flooded. TikTok actually put up a notice where they blocked an individual to actually get on TikTok unless you called your member of Congress and told them not to vote for this legislation. But that's just an example of how they can manipulate data and influence Americans for their agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Now, the lawmakers are trying to force ByteDance to sell TikTok because they are worried, they say, about the Chinese government interfering in the popular social media app, taking data and the like on Americans' private information, and they're trying to stop them from doing that. TikTok has denied Chinese government interference in all of this, but that doesn't mean that it won't become law.

We'll see how quickly the Senate would take it up after the House is expected to pass it later this week. The president did say, though, if they pass the bill that's before the House, he will sign it. Erika?

HILL: Manu Raju with the latest for us. Manu, appreciate it. Thank you. And joining me now is Democratic Congressman from California, Ro Khanna, who serves on the House Oversight Committee and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

It's good to have you with us tonight, Congressman. So, when we look at this, I know you've said that you don't think TikTok should be banned. You do, however, support it being sold. So, what does that do in terms of your vote on this bill? Would you vote against it?

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Erika, I'm leaning to vote no. TikTok is a platform for 170 million Americans and many who are registering political dissent, both from the left and the right, calling for a better policy on Gaza, calling for affordable housing, saying members of Congress shouldn't trade stocks and get rid of money in politics. So, to squelch that voice and specifically to squelch the voice of young Americans, I think is just wrong.

HILL: So, you think it's wrong to squelch that? It's also part of the system of which, I mean, you're on TikTok, right? I was checking out your TikTok page earlier today. The president is now on TikTok, as we know. He said he would sign this bill, as Manu just talked about. There are plenty of lawmakers who are concerned and have raised concerns about the app, but also recognize its importance when it comes to reaching younger voters. How is that hypocrisy being squared in Washington at this point?

KHANNA: Well, I think that's why I'm not for a ban. I mean, I'm on the platform. I use the platform and I also listen to constituents who have views on that platform.

[17:05:00]

And a lot of times they're against the establishment. And I really think that's the core of the First Amendment to protect that expression. Now, I have a concern that our data should not be getting in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party or anyone. But the solution to that is to pass an Internet Bill of Rights, to pass data privacy protections.

By the way, our data is being manipulated not just by TikTok, but many other social media platforms who sell that information sometimes to data brokers that can get in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party. So, what you have here is a solution that people are rushing to that is overbroad and I believe would be struck down by the courts on First Amendment grounds and actually isn't targeting the problem of getting -- protecting people's data.

HILL: So, you say it's overbroad. It does have, though, as Manu just highlighted, as we've seen, overwhelming bipartisan support here. Yet I was struck by now you have the former president who at one point had pushed for a TikTok ban. Donald Trump is now saying he doesn't want to see it banned. Given the amount of support right now, do you see that stance from the former president perhaps impacting any of your Republican colleagues? And do you think it would influence them to back away from this bill like we saw with immigration?

KHANNA: My sense is either Donald Trump or people on his team are saying this because they know that many voters under 45 are on this app and they don't want to antagonize a large part of America's young folks who are active. But I've heard today people saying, let's slow down. Someone who I have great respect for is going to be the next senator from California, Adam Schiff, was on one of the Sunday shows saying he has First Amendment concerns and he's a very pragmatic, centrist person.

So, I think as people realize the First Amendment issues at stake, they may reconsider. And certainly, the Senate, I am not convinced, is going to pass this. There's going to be a lot of debate before this gets to the president's desk.

HILL: Let's turn to Israel now, if we could. You have been critical of the administration. The president was asked this weekend about his potential red lines. Take a listen to that moment, if you would.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I'm never going to leave Israel. The defense of Israel is still critical. So, there's no red line. I'm going to cut off all weapons so they don't have the Iron Dome to protect them. They don't have -- but there's red lines that if he crosses and they continue -- cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: What do you make of that answer from the president? Is he perhaps trying to have it both ways there?

KHANNA: Well, look, I support and have always supported the U.S.- Israel relationship. I have voted for funding for Iron Dome weapons that would protect Israel from an attack from Iran or Hezbollah. But Haaretz reported that we have had over 100 shipments of weapons since October 7th to Israel not getting congressional approval.

These aren't the Iron Dome that the president knows the vast majority of Congress supports. These are offensive missiles that are being used by Netanyahu and extreme right-wing government to kill women and children, to kill over 30,000 Palestinians, many of them not Hamas, and to hit at certain times food convoys that are preventing aid from getting there.

So, my hope is that the president can be very clear to say no offensive weapons. And I hope someone will ask him that question saying, okay, we understand why Israel needs Iron Dome and defensive weapons, but will you commit to saying that until Netanyahu stops this killing and continues to defy you, that you're not going to ship offensive weapons?

HILL: As we watch this, and given the question was about a red line, I'm curious for you, if you were asked that question, what would be your red line? And what would the consequences -- what should the consequences be if in fact it's crossed?

KHANNA: Well, I would say that Netanyahu and the extreme right-wing government would get no offensive precision missiles from the United States until there is a permanent ceasefire release of hostages. And I would say that Israel needs to make sure that they're allowing the trucks to bring food in to people in Gaza, 500,000 are starving, and you're forcing your ally who has supported you to go set up a seaport that's going to take 60 days to get aid in, when the common-sense solution is just to allow the trucks to bring in that aid.

So, I would take a much harder line on Bibi, and people need to recognize that Bibi Netanyahu is way to the right of Donald Trump. I mean, he's got people in his cabinet who want to annex Gaza. He's got people who want to expand settlements. And I just think there needs to be an awareness of how extreme he is.

HILL: You said earlier today you want to see the president do something bold, call for a permanent ceasefire. What do you think the chances are of that happening?

KHANNA: Well, I think he is getting there. I mean, he and the vice president have used the word ceasefire. A ceasefire has to be with the release of all hostages.

[17:10:01]

And I think we can get that deal. But the disagreement has been that Bibi Netanyahu is insistent on six weeks. Hamas is saying, well, we don't want after Ramadan Bibi to start killing Palestinians again. I think if the president said to William Burns and the CIA, who is negotiating for us that it's got to be a permanent ceasefire, but conditional on the release of all hostages, we can get that done. And that would be good for the hostages. It would be good to end this war. And I hope that that's the direction the administration is moving in.

HILL: There is -- we have talked so much about what President Biden is hearing from Americans in this country, the pushback, specifically if U.S. black voters, Arab-American voters in particular, there are a number of them who say they cannot vote for Joe Biden again because of the war, how they've seen him handle it. And we saw those uncommitted voters, right, in Michigan's primary just about two weeks ago, I believe it was something around 13 percent. How damaging do you think the president's handling of this war could in fact be come November?

KHANNA: I think it's the one risk to his reelection. Erica, look, today I was in Harlem speaking at St. Luke Church, a church -- an AME church in the heart of Harlem. And this was an issue on the vote -- minds of so many of the churchgoers. By the way, not just young voters, but voters in their 50s and 60s saying there's been too much suffering there. There needs to be a permanent cease. The AME church has called for a permanent ceasefire.

So, I believe this base of young voters, voters of color, progressives and many Jewish-Americans is at risk if we don't have a change in policy. And we don't want to lose this election because of Benjamin Netanyahu. You can be for the U.S.-Israel relationship as I am, admiring people like Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin and recognize that Benjamin Netanyahu is an extreme right-wing force who is causing a lot of destruction.

HILL: Congressman Ro Khanna, I appreciate your time tonight. Thank you.

KHANNA: Thank you.

HILL: Still to come here, the U.S. military airlifts non-essential personnel from the embassy in Haiti's capital as gang violence threatens to topple its government. You're in the "CNN Newsroom."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:16:50]

HILL: Tonight, a developing story out of Haiti where the German and E.U. missions say they have evacuated diplomatic staff from Port-au- Prince due to growing gang violence in the capital. We're also learning President Biden approved the airlift operation to get non- essential personnel out of the U.S. embassy there.

A spokesperson telling CNN President Biden is, quote, "deeply concerned about the situation on the ground in Haiti." And all of this comes, of course, as gang leaders have been threatening civil war if the prime minister does not step down. Haiti is now under a state of emergency until early next month.

CNN's Patrick Oppmann is live right now in Havana, Cuba, monitoring the situation in the region. So, violence in Port-au-Prince really out of control. Is there a sense, Patrick, of how much longer until this city is completely under siege?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, that is really the fear that you could have something like the National Palace or the airport in Port-au-Prince actually taken over by gangs, which would be very symbolic and also just show how they control the city and the country. According to the U.N., the majority of this country is under gang

control of some kind. And that's why we saw, you know, overnight, this very dramatic mission, a helicopter flown in under cover of darkness and non-essential U.S. diplomats pulled out of the country. And as well, additional security, U.S. Marines taken to Haiti to help guard the embassy and the remaining U.S. diplomats.

It's gotten that dangerous that security needed to be increased. Other aid missions, other embassies also pulling their staff out. There are certainly not enough helicopters to get out. Everybody wants to leave at this point.

You know, for the Haitians caught in the crossfire, the thousands, the tens of thousands perhaps, of Haitians caught in the crossfire, there is no chance of being evacuated. Many have had to flee from their homes, don't have any food. Aid agencies are not able to bring in the food because of the danger, because of the gang checkpoints. And it's been over a week since Ariel Henry has been prevented -- we believe he's in Puerto Rico at the moment -- prevented from returning to his country because the airport is closed.

No word on him or what his plans are, if he will move ahead with the transitional government and elections, as both the U.S. and other political parties in Haiti are demanding.

HILL: Yeah, Patrick, really appreciate the update. Thank you. Turning our attention now to Gaza, where more than two million people are in desperate need of food and water. And the pressure only amplified ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. The president of Cyprus has a ship carrying aid, is expected to leave the country soon. This, of course, comes as the U.S. and other allied countries are working to establish a maritime corridor between Cyprus and Gaza.

Right now, the U.S. military says the first equipment needed to establish, a floating pier to facilitate that aid delivery into Gaza. It is on its way. CNN's Scott McLean has been following these developments for us from Istanbul. So, Scott, Ramadan, of course, almost here. There was some hope that there would be some sort of a ceasefire before it began. Is there still some hope left in these waning hours at this point?

[17:20:05]

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's pretty dim at this stage, Erica. President Biden had said yesterday that there was still a chance that a deal could be reached, pointing to the fact that the CIA director was in Israel talking to the head of Mossad. But the problem is that the Israelis and Hamas are not actually talking to each other.

Hamas left Cairo, where the last round of talks was held. They left on Thursday. And the Israelis were never there at all, because they say that Hamas has not responded to its latest demands, which include some pretty basic stuff, like a list of hostages, which ones are alive and which ones are dead, something the Hamas says that they cannot provide. Hamas is also pretty firm in their position, saying that there cannot

be a deal unless there is a permanent ceasefire and unless all Israeli troops are withdrawn from Gaza. Both of these things are going to be pretty difficult for Israel to agree to. They insist that the war will continue after hostages and prisoners are exchanged. And they also say that the day after this war actually ends, that IDF troops will have full reign to go wherever they want inside of Gaza.

So, the hopes are not looking good. We just heard from the Hamas head, Ismail Haniyeh, who gave a televised address. He says that he is still open to talks. He is pointing the fingers at Israel, though. And he also says that no hostages will be released until there is a deal.

And you mentioned, Erica, that the Israelis had threatened that there would be a ground incursion into Rafah by Ramadan, into Ramadan, if there was no hostages released. That has not happened. And so, this is where we're at. There's no imminent signs on the ground that there's any kind of incursion coming.

Israel has warned, or had promised, excuse me, that they would evacuate people prior to the more than one million people sheltering there. And of course, plenty of countries in the international community and even some of Israel's closest allies have warned that any kind of military operation in Rafah and the moving of that many people in a place where there is simply nowhere for them to go would be a humanitarian catastrophe on top of the one, we're seeing there already.

HILL: In terms of that humanitarian catastrophe, earlier today we learned that the U.S. and Jordan had dropped more than, I believe it's 11,000 meals into Gaza. The civil defense there, though, says the drops are actually leading to injuries and casualties on the ground. Is there a sense that the airdrops are going to start to be reassessed over those concerns?

MCLEAN: So, the critics would say that, look, the airdrops are a pretty good photo op, but their effectiveness on the ground isn't all that great. Of course, the advantage of them is that they bypass the usual checks that that most aid coming into Gaza has to go through. On the other hand, obviously, there's a danger to people on the ground. And of course, it's survival of the fittest in terms of who actually is getting --

HILL: I think we may have just lost Scott there. I am also just getting some information in here that we do want to share with you. Scott was just talking about, you know, what could happen when it comes to Rafah and that President Biden had said this weekend in an interview just yesterday that going into Rafah, Israel going into Rafah, would be a red line in his view.

Well, in an interview with "Politico," Netanyahu just saying, the prime minister, Netanyahu, just saying that he would vow to defy that red line. And he says, and I'm quoting here, that he will go there. We're not going to leave, saying that his red line was October 7th and doesn't want that to happen again. So, we'll continue to follow those developments as well. Meantime, as we turn back to politics, a major fundraising haul for

President Biden, $10 million in 24 hours, setting a record on the heels of that State of the Union address. What could it mean? Stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:28:23]

HILL: A major fundraising haul for President Biden's re-election campaign on the heels of his State of the Union address. His campaign says this record $10 million in the 24 hours after Thursday night's speech. And fresh off that fiery address, the president is now in full re-election mode.

On Saturday, Biden and former President Trump trading jabs at dueling rallies in Georgia. For Biden's camp, this also kicks off a month-long cross-country tour that will stop in several swing states. CNN White House reporter Priscilla Alvarez joining us now.

So, Priscilla, you were actually at that event where President Biden was in Atlanta yesterday. The challenge, of course, is keeping that momentum going from Thursday night. What is the talk surrounding that push?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, it really boils down to making sure that voters understand what is at stake in this election. And the Biden campaign says that it's protecting democracy. That has been one of the defining themes since the president launched his re-election campaign and it is clearly front and center.

The president yesterday, in his remarks, kicking off with that theme, essentially talking about former President Donald Trump's coziness with authoritarian regimes and using that to draw a stark contrast between the between President Biden and his Republican rival.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: My lifetime has taught me to embrace the future of freedom and democracy. And Trump and I have a very different value set, if it isn't obvious already. Mine is based on core values of the defined America. And the rest of the world looks at us that way. Decency, honesty, fairness, equality.

[17:30:00]

But we all know Donald Trump sees a different America, an American story of resentment, revenge and retribution. That's not me. That's not you.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, I spoke to voters before and after the president's remarks and protecting democracy is something that did resonate with them. They were concerned about what would happen if former President Donald Trump were to take a second term in office.

But there was also a list of other priorities that they had, including reproductive rights, student loan debt relief, and lowering health care costs, all of which the president talked about and talked about forcefully in his remarks. But the challenge is going to be keeping voters energized and enthusiastic in a rematch that is the same rematch that they saw in 2020.

And so, the president is going to be hitting the road and hitting those battleground states to relay his message and also hitting the airwaves. They're spending millions of dollars on ads on television and digital to try to reach voters across platforms and also on the road as the president goes to all of these states.

HILL: Priscilla, I appreciate it. Thank you.

Joining us now to discuss, CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. So, Ron, um, you know, I want to talk about the economy and get there in a second, but let's just pick up where Priscilla left off there, right?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah.

BROWNSTEIN: So, you see the president really pushing this message of protecting democracy, which is important. And as Priscilla said, she spoke with voters before and after. They get that. Is it a winning message, though, in 2024?

BROWNSTEIN: If he's going to win, I think rights and democracy are -- is going to be the message that gets him over the top. I mean, he is trailing substantially, as we'll talk about in a minute, on questions of who can better handle the economy.

And probably the best he can do is narrow that gap. I suspect that on Election Day, more people are going to go into the voting booth believing that Donald Trump is better for managing the economy than Joe Biden, really, no matter what happens over the next eight months.

And if Biden is going to win, it's going to because -- it's going to be because some of those voters who think Trump is better on the economy still won't vote for him because they view him as a threat to their rights on abortion and other issues, to their values, and to democracy itself. So, yes, I think that is absolutely central for Biden and Democrats this year, as it was in 2022.

HILL: In terms of the economy, there is this new polling, this new ABC News-IPSOS poll that finds 49% say that Americans believe the former president did handle the economy favorably when he was in office. Look at the number, though, for Joe Biden. It's at just 37%.

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.

HILL: You know, what I've heard from a number of folks is the issue here is Joe Biden hasn't found a way to connect. Right? We talk all about low unemployment. The economy is actually doing well. But until people feel it, as we know, it kind of doesn't matter. BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.

HILL: Where is he missing the narrative on that or how is he missing it, I guess, is the question.

BROWN: Well, you know, I think it's not only narrative. I mean, you know, for average workers, their inflation adjusted wages are still lower than when Biden took office, and he is being hurt by the cumulative weight of inflation, particularly on essentials like groceries and rent.

You know, inflation has come down, but things still cost about 20% more than when he came into office. And for voters at the median income or below, that is a big weight that Biden is carrying.

I really look at this economic debate that's developing as a contrast between agenda and lived experience. You know, Biden laid out a very populist economic plan in his State of the Union and is continuing to tout it in these appearances that Priscilla noted.

And there is substantial support in polling for a lot of the ideas that he's talking about. Medicare negotiating lower prices on prescription drugs, cap capping out of pocket expenses for drugs for all adults, raising taxes on the rich and corporations and using the money to fund a resumed child tax credit, universal pre-care and enhanced subsidies for health care. All of that polls very well.

The problem Biden is facing is that most Americans at this point feel that they did better themselves in the economy under Trump than they have under Biden. And what that does, I think, Jessica, is it creates a potential dynamic in which voters, even if Biden convinces voters that Trump's agenda primarily benefits the rich, they may not mind that as much as the Democrats are hoping if they think that they also did better under those policies than they are doing under Biden.

HILL: It's so -- it's fascinating. I was also really struck by the flack that -- that Biden got from some fellow Democrats. He used the word "illegal" during the State of the Union as opposed to undocumented. Yesterday, he said he regretted that choice of words, that he should have said undocumented.

The fact that this has been such a dust up over the last couple of days, what does that tell you about the fractures that still remain within the party as it tries to be the Big Ten party that is all things to all people?

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, I mean, that language, I think, was just a reflection. Joe Biden is 81 years old. He has been in politics for 50 years. For most of his career, that terminology was how people in both parties described people, undocumented migrants.

[17:35:02]

And so, to some extent, it was just that. But I think it also reflects the anxiety among immigrant advocates about where things are going on this policy. I mean, there's no -- there's no question that Biden is looking to reposition himself on the immigration issue. The deal that he accepted with Senate Republicans at the House, then killed at Trump's behest, you know, basically did not have much at all on the democratic side of the ledger.

Usually, Democrats in the past, in 2013, 2006, have accepted tougher enforcement and on the other side of the ledger have received some pathway to citizenship for people who are here, you know, people undocumented, particularly dreamers. There was none of that. And he was willing to do that. And he may yet be on the brink of announcing some unilateral actions in the next, you know, few days or weeks, advocates think.

So, you know, I think it reflects the broader anxiety. But I think it also your point, in terms of the fracture in the coalition, most Democrats at this point are taking, as well as not to mention independents and Republicans, are taking -- are supporting harder line policies on immigration than they did when Trump was in office.

That's not completely unusual. It is what political scientists call a thermostatic issue. When Republicans are in power, views tend to move left on immigration. When Democrats are in power, they tend to move right. But he is moving with it, and that is creating some anxiety in his coalition.

HILL: Ron Brownstein, always good to talk with you, my friend. Thank you.

Still to come here for the third time, this Grammy-nominated artist sold-out show has been cancelled because of a threat of protests related to the Israel-Hamas war. Matisyahu joins me live on CNN next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:41:22]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

HILL (voice-over): That, of course, is Grammy-nominated American Jewish singer Matisyahu performing his hit song "One Day."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: On Friday, his concert was abruptly cancelled in Chicago, citing threats of protests from pro-Palestinian groups. It is actually his third show of his current tour to be cancelled in the U.S. for that reason.

Matisyahu joins us now. It's good to have you with us. Can you tell me more about these threats? How specific were they and how concerned are you?

MATISYAHU, GRAMMY-NOMINATED SINGER AND SONGWRITER: Well, there haven't been any threats, which is why the whole thing is kind of like a little bit fishy. There have been three shows canceled for three different reasons, but all because of pressure put on the organizations that were putting on those shows, whether it was the venue or the promoter or, in this case, the city of Chicago.

There has been a pressure applied in certain circumstances, and someone is being told to shut down these shows. And in this particular case in Chicago, you know, it's like -- basically, seems like it was politically-motivated or came from that end because the venue itself, House of Blues, is owned by Live Nation.

And so, there was no issue from the venue. I mean, we -- the people at the venue didn't even have any idea that the show was being cancelled. It came from -- yeah, it came from up top.

And we spent hours and hours on the phone with different people, a good friend of mine, David Draiman, who's the lead singer for band Disturbed, who's from Chicago and knows the police department well, and everyone was basically pointing their fingers at someone else. But meanwhile, we were being told that we were not allowed to play.

HILL: And you -- you know, I noticed when you posted about this on social media, noting that the show was being cancelled, you were saying you couldn't really get an answer. I mean, how frustrating is that for you that you can't -- you are not being told directly, hey, here's the real issue and this is why we're shutting it down?

MATISYAHU: It's extremely frustrating for me and for my entire crew, like for my tour manager who thinks he's setting up the show and the venue isn't telling him, yeah, come set up the show. And meanwhile, we're getting calls saying the show's been called off. And what do we tell the fans?

And, you know, people are really, really hungry for a place right now where they can feel openly Jewish, you know, whether it's in Minneapolis or Chicago or Arizona, wherever it is. One thing about the shows is the fans come in, even if there's protesters, and it's safe. And when they're inside the building, they're allowed to be Jewish, they're allowed to feel free about wearing a yarmulke or whatever it is.

And not to say that the crowd is all Jewish, it's -- you know, maybe 50 or 40% Jewish, but it's a place where they can feel free to do it. And there's a joy that comes in the music. And, you know, the music is about peace, it's about love, but it's, you know, very much connected to what's going on right now. It's hard for me to separate between everything what's happening.

So -- but it's just a shame. The sad part for me is just that the fans don't get -- you know, there were 13, 1400 fans that, you know, plan to come to the show and have that experience and it's spiritual, and they got robbed from that because people are folding under pressure. And in a city like Chicago, a music city, creativity and art, it's sad to see the fabric, this fabric getting pulled apart, you know.

[17:45:00]

HILL: We played "One Day," which I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with as we came in from the break. It has been described as a piece anthem -- a piece anthem rather.

And I just want to put up some of the lyrics again for people in case they're not familiar with the song. "All my life, I've been waiting for, I've been praying for, for the people to say that we don't want to fight no more. There will be no more wars, our children will play." Do you believe that can happen in Gaza, that we can get to that place?

MATISYAHU: Well, you have -- I have to believe. Everyone has to believe. And whether or not it's going to come true or not, you know, we don't know what's going to be, but the whole idea, I think, of religion, which is a lot of this is connected to, and about God, is the idea that we have a vision of what we want, of what we want to create, of what we want this world to be, and if we lose sight of that vision, then there's no chance that we'll make any strides forward.

So, while I do -- do I believe that it's possible? I have to try to believe. We have to try to believe. We can't ignore what's happening and we can't not stand up for ourselves, you know, but we have to believe that peace is possible.

HILL: When you -- you know, to that point, as you see this humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, children dying of starvation and malnutrition, what do you think needs to change, whether it's in the conversation or what you're seeing happening, what's missing here?

MATISYAHU: Well, what needs to happen is the people of Palestine need to be freed from Hamas and organizations like it. And if that happens, then those Palestinians will get their aid. You know, the whole entire world wants to help the Palestinians right now, including Israel, you know, and that's this whole thing that needs to get changed, is this myth that Israel is the bad guy and all of this and that Hamas is somehow standing up for the Palestinian people because it's not true.

HILL: Matisyahu, really appreciate you joining us tonight. Thank you.

MATISYAHU: Thank you.

HILL: We'll be right back.

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[17:51:38]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Oh, the red carpet in full effect at this hour in Hollywood. Of course, in preparation, everybody is arriving now just ahead of the big night, the 96th Academy Awards tonight. So many remarkable films and performances. So, who will go home with gold?

For a preview, maybe a prediction or two, let's bring in legendary entertainment journalist Michael Musto. Great to have you with us today. So, I'm curious, before we get to -- before I get to all your picks, what is the one race that you're most interested in today? The category, I should say, not race. MICHAEL MUSTO, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: I would say Best Actress because it really is a horse race. Emma Stone, who has previously won for "La La Land," is a great contender for "Poor Things. He's a reanimated woman who doesn't know how to behave in society.

And then you have Lily Gladstone from Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon." She would be the first indigenous actor to win a competitive Oscar, and I think she's going to get it.

HILL: Okay. So, as we're watching for that one, there's also always the big question of, you know, Best Picture. There is a lot in the race this year. Break that one down for us.

MUSTO: Well, there are 10 nominees for Best Picture. I think "Oppenheimer" is obviously going to go all the way. It's going to sweep. Last year, "Everything Everywhere All at Once" swept. They won seven Oscars. I'm predicting "Oppenheimer" to go for eight or maybe even nine.

Christopher Nolan, the director and screenwriter, is up for picture, director and screen, screenplay, and that he's up to eight nominations now total for his career. He's going to win at least two of those three tonight.

HILL: I feel like --

MUSTO: It's just an old-school biopic.

HILL: Yeah.

MUSTO: It's sort of -- the Oscar loves biopics, and this one sort of has a relevance because it's about nuclear warfare and congressional hearings and misappropriation of information.

But the other movies are very formidable. I mean, "Zone of Interest" was my favorite, number one brilliant movie of the year. That's an international film about the holocaust. "Anatomy of a Fall" is another brilliant international film. And, of course, "Barbie" is up for Best Picture, and that practically single-handedly saved the movie industry because it was so hugely successful.

HILL: I was going to say, it's almost hard to talk "Oppenheimer" without talking about "Barbie," just because they were so connected over the summer, being totally different. Two incredible films, but so different. How much is "Barbie" still getting the attention at this point?

I mean, there's a lot of fun stuff leading up to the Oscars. There was that cute meme that a bunch of the cast, you know, America Ferreira was in with Jimmy Kimmel. As we move into the actual show tonight, though, they're not looking at the same list of nominations that an "Oppenheimer" is.

MUSTO: Well, I think they have eight nominations. It's doing pretty well.

HILL: Yeah.

MUSTO: It was a phenomenon. Like I say, it practically single-handedly saved the movie industry, and people found it as a double bill with "Oppenheimer," so it became "Barbenheimer." Two polar opposite movies, but people saw them together for the two differing experiences.

And it's one of those phenomena that's just going to leave a lasting impression on our culture. And it's partly because you go there dressed up. I didn't because I knew I couldn't compete with everybody else.

(LAUGHTER)

I just wore brown. But it just appeals to the kid in all of us and also --

HILL: Yeah.

MUSTO: -- the progressive in all of us because it has very progressive politics.

[17:55:00]

HILL: It does. It was interesting to see. I went to see it with my mother-in-law. And when we left, we stopped in the ladies' room, and there was just a line of young women. And you're right, everybody was in pink. It was really something.

Michael Musto, such a treat to have you with us tonight. We will be watching for the main event. Thank you.

MUSTO: Thank you.

HILL: We do want to return now, though, to our breaking news. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he plans to violate President Biden's red line to push into Rafah. What could that mean? Stay with us. You're on the "CNN Newsroom."

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