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CNN International: Trump, Biden to Square Off in First 2024 Presidential Debate; New Security Concerns as Israel-Hezbollah Tension Grows; 100 Million Plus Under Heat Alerts Across Midwest and Northeast; Vietnam Relishes Its Role Among the Superpowers. Aired 4- 4:30a ET
Aired June 21, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President and former president come face to face for the first debate of the 2024 campaign.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You're the worst president America has ever had.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've done more than you've done in 47 years, Joe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Judge Cannon continues to indulge the defendant in just about every request.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her handling of the criminal case has raised eyebrows.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A full blown war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Lebanese militant group could overwhelm Israel's air defenses in the north.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The best way to unlock the possibility of a resolution along the Israel Lebanese border would be achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and a warm welcome to our viewers joining us in the United States and around the world. I'm Eleni Giokos. It is Friday, June 21st, 12 noon here in Dubai, 4 a.m. in Atlanta. Were in less than a week right here on CNN. U.S. President Joe Biden will square off with former President Donald Trump in their first debates of the 2024 election cycle. But while the faces may be the same, many of the issues are not. Details now from CNN's Jeff Zeleny.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The historic rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is anything but a rerun. A vastly different set of issues are driving this race as the president and former president come face to face for the first debate of the 2024 campaign, four years since they shared a stage --
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You're the worst president America has ever had. Come on.
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In 47 months, I've done more than you've done in 47 years, Joe.
ZELENY (voice-over): -- feels like an upside down lifetime ago, back when the coronavirus pandemic was raging.
TRUMP: You have to understand it. If you look, I mean, I have a mask right here. I put a mask on it. You know when I think I need it.
BIDEN: This is his economy. He shut down.
ZELENY (voice-over): In the Biden Trump sequel, an entirely new fight has been brewing on the campaign trail.
TRUMP: We could end up in World War III with this person. He's the worst president ever.
ZELENY (voice-over): And in TV ads --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family.
ZELENY (voice-over): -- that offers a window into the new issues and fresh lines of attack. A reminder of just how much the country, the world and yes, they have changed. From an insurrection and all its fallout to a new fight on abortion rights in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe versus Wade. To Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a war in the Middle East, to the very stark question of America's role in the world.
Yet the economy, inflation and immigration are still at the center of it all. Trump's record was at the heart of their last debates, even as he sought to deflect.
TRUMP: If he gets in, you will have a depression, the likes of which you've never seen. Your 401ks will go to hell and it'll be a very, very sad day for this country.
ZELENY (voice-over): While those warnings didn't come to pass, Biden's record is now under the microscope, complicating his effort to make it a referendum on Trump.
TRUMP: The fact is that everything he's saying so far is simply a lie. I'm not here to call out his lies. Everybody knows he's a liar.
ZELENY (voice-over): And America's oldest presidential candidates are even older. Trump 78 Biden 81 with age and fitness for office now a central issue in the race.
Public opinion for presidents can be punishing. Biden's favorability has fallen 11 points since 2020 with nearly six in 10 Americans holding an unfavorable view. Perceptions of Trump have changed less with more than half still seeing him in an unfavorable light. Televised debates have long been a storied part of presidential campaigns with history making moments for candidates.
RONALD REAGAN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There you go again.
ZELENY (voice-over): Yet this showdown is without parallel. The nation's 45th and 46 presidents still seeking to define one another in the earliest general election debate in memory, an old duel being fought on new ground.
ZELENY: And it will be an extraordinary site, a sitting president facing a former president. It simply has never happened in a televised debate in American history. Of course, the last debate was all about Trump's record. Now this one is likely to be about Biden's record.
Of course, both candidates are still trying to draw that contrast with one another. One thing is clear, this is the earliest debate in presidential campaign history.
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The question is, will this define the race for the months to come?
Jeff Zeleny, CNN Washington.
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GIOKOS: Well, you can tune in to see the CNN presidential debate right here on CNN coming up on Thursday, June 27th at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and will be replayed the debate in its entirety a few different times on June 28th and you can watch it at 7:00 a.m. In London and that is two in the afternoon in Hong Kong or 12 hours later at seven in the evening in London or 10:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi.
Well, a U.S. federal appeals court has rejected a bid by Steve Bannon to delay the start of his prison sentence. The former Trump adviser is scheduled to report to a low security prison camp in Connecticut on July 1st. A jury convicted Bannon for contempt of Congress nearly two years ago after he failed to comply with a subpoena for testimony.
His attorneys are expected to ask the Supreme Court to intervene. Bannon is also facing criminal charges in New York for a fraud scheme to raise money for a U.S. Mexico border wall.
In the Middle East. Each passing day brings new fears that the war in Gaza may not be Israel's only major concern. U.S. officials tell CNN they're worried that Israel's Iron Dome air defense system could be overwhelmed in a full scale war with Hezbollah. Attacks from the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran have been on the rise over the past few months and Israel has responded with airstrikes. U.S. officials say Israel plans to shift resource from Gaza to the
north and land and air incursion into Lebanon is increasingly likely. Israel has evacuated about 60,000 people who live along its northern border, and more than 90,000 people have fled their homes in southern Lebanon.
More now from CNN's Natasha Bertrand.
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NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: CNN is learning that U.S. officials have serious concerns that in the event of a full blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group could overwhelm Israel's air defenses in the north, including Israel's much vaunted Iron Dome air defense system.
Those fears have only intensified as Israel has increasingly indicated to U.S. officials that it is preparing for a land and air incursion into Lebanon to try to push Hezbollah back from the Israel Lebanon border.
Israeli officials have actually told the U.S. that they're planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against Hezbollah.
And one U.S. official said the U.S. is preparing for the worst. Telling CNN quote: The fact that we have managed to even hold the front for this long has been a miracle.
Despite the Israeli signaling that they're preparing for a possible offensive, though they have been surprised by the sophistication of some of Hezbollah's recent strikes, and they continue to worry about the fact that Hezbollah has been stockpiling precision guided munitions and missiles from Iran for years, as many as 150,000 of them, according to IDF estimates.
Now the U.S. is scrambling at this point to try to deescalate the tensions at the border. But Israeli officials have signaled that they are determined to create this buffer zone and push Hezbollah back so that Israelis can return to their homes in the north.
The U.S. is trying to do that diplomatically. But as one senior administration official said, quote, we're entering a very dangerous period. Something could start with little warning.
Natasha Bertrand, CNN in Washington.
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GIOKOS: Well, the top U.S. diplomat is making it clear the Biden administration wants a diplomatic solution between Israel and Hezbollah.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with two top Israeli envoys in Washington on Thursday. U.S. officials have not said whether they would support an Israeli incursion into Lebanon, but they continue to stress the need for a ceasefire in Gaza.
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MATTHEW MILLER, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: The best way to unlock the possibility of a resolution along the Israel Lebanese border would be achieving a ceasefire in Gaza. And we continue to actively pursue a ceasefire in Gaza primarily for to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza and secure the return of hostages. But a very important side effect we assess would be making it much easier to achieve a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution along the Israel Lebanon border.
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GIOKOS: I want to bring in CNN's Nada Bashir following developments from London for us. Nada great to see you. Israel has approved operation plans for a potential offensive in Lebanon.
We know tensions are rising. We've just heard that, you know, in some way, getting a ceasefire in Gaza is going to help de escalate anything we see between Israel and Hezbollah. But what is happening on the diplomatic front that will help reduce hostilities?
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NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We know that the U.S. has been engaging in talks on both sides, calling for an end to hostilities between the Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon and Israel. These talks have been ongoing for some time. As you mentioned, Secretary Blinken met with Israeli officials on Thursday, again calling for a de-escalation there.
Unclear whether the U.S. has committed any sort of support at this stage for any kind of Israeli offensive on Lebanese territory. But there are certainly mounting concerns over the potential for this to escalate and for this to drag across the region, not just in Lebanon. As you mentioned, this is tied very closely to the situation in Gaza.
The message that we have been hearing from Hezbollah officials for months now is that their actions, their targeting of Israeli territory comes in direct response to what is happening in Gaza, that there cannot be an end to violence on the Lebanese-Israel border until there is a ceasefire in Gaza. So they are very directly linked in the eyes of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
But, of course, the potential for an air and land incursion, a deeper air and land incursion, by the Israeli military in Lebanon has stoked concerns amongst members of the international community.
This is a very different situation to Gaza. And while we have heard from the past, from Israeli military officials, saying that they could, in their words, copy and paste what we're seeing in Gaza, in Lebanon, this would have significant regional implications.
And as you mentioned, Eleni, we have heard from U.S. officials saying that they are concerned that Hezbollah could overwhelm Israel's air defense systems. Hezbollah is a very different organization to Hamas. This is not the same situation politically and militarily, far more sophisticated, with a much stronger military arsenal. So certainly concerns there around the potential for this to escalate.
And we have heard from the Lebanese government as well. While these confrontations are directly between Hezbollah in the south and the Israeli military, the Lebanese government has said that it would not stand idly by if Israel threatens to push Lebanon into an all-out war. So certainly concerns on all fronts there.
GIOKOS: Absolutely. And of course, this escalating to a wider war, it really comes to what the end goal in Gaza is going to be. And that has been very debated.
Is there alignment on what the potential outcomes should and could be?
BASHIR: Well, look, Eleni, we continue to hear mixed messages from Israeli officials. Of course, within Prime Minister Netanyahu's own cabinet, there are various views on what that end goal should look like. We know that Netanyahu is facing mounting pressure from more right-wing elements of his cabinet who are calling for Hamas to be completely eradicated, for this war to continue until that goal is met.
We know, of course, that Netanyahu met with the family members of some hostages held captive in Gaza, including the family members of hostages who have been killed while in captivity in Gaza. He said that there can be no end to the war in Gaza until all hostages are returned. Of course, that is one of the key elements of ongoing ceasefire negotiations and peace proposals currently on the table.
We have heard other messages, though, from Israeli officials, including an Israeli government spokesperson who has said that the prerequisite for the end of the war being defeating Hamas militarily and also their governing capabilities, but that this does not necessarily mean that all Hamas militants are killed.
We have also heard from the chief military spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, for the Israeli military, saying that Hamas is not just a matter of militants on the ground, but it is an ideology as well, that that cannot be entirely defeated.
And, of course, on the international front, we have heard from the Biden administration saying that the current U.S. assessment is that Hamas has, as an organization, been downgraded to a point where they cannot carry out an attack such as the attack that we saw on October 7. Again, that is a key message there from the White House, pushing Israel to come to some sort of peace agreement sooner rather than later.
GIOKOS: All right, Nada Bashir, thank you so much for that analysis. Great to see you.
Well, Israel's military says it has eliminated two people described as terrorists who posed a threat to its forces in central and northern Gaza. To the south, video shows severe damage caused weeks ago at the Rafah crossing passenger terminal on the Gaza side of the border with Egypt. No aid has passed through the crossing since early May. Meanwhile, the Pentagon says more than 600 metric tons of aid has been transferred into Gaza through that temporary pier, which was re-anchored off the coast on Wednesday.
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MAJ. GEN. PAT RYDER, PENTAGON SPOKESPERSON: To reiterate that while it's always been our intention for the pier to be a temporary solution, as part of the broader international effort to surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza to meet the urgent needs of the Palestinian people, we have not established an end date for this mission as of now.
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GIOKOS: Meanwhile, extreme heat is making its mark across much of the United States.
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More than 100 million Americans in the northeast and southwest will be under heat advisories, watches and warnings through the weekend, the National Weather Service says. Many across the Midwest have already gotten a taste of the unseasonably hot temperatures.
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JEWEL MANLEY, OHIO RESIDENT: It feels muggy and hot and crazy, overwhelming, but it is what it is.
SHELIA STRAUB, OHIO RESIDENT: Staying cool is a process this week. I think eating a lot of ice cream, taking lots of showers and being grateful for air conditioning. We are so blessed to have it. So stay hydrated and be well out there.
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GIOKOS: Good advice there. And in New England, several daily high temperature records were set again on Thursday with cities in New Hampshire, Connecticut and Maine nearing the triple digits, well above the typical monthly average of around 80 degrees. Temperatures are expected to cool off a bit in northern New England today, but the rest of the northeast is in for a doozy as the dangerous heat wave shifts to New York, down to the mid-Atlantic states.
On top of the sweltering temperatures, large portions of the Midwest and northeast are also forecast to have air quality deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to data from airnow.gov. The heat worsens several types of air pollution, including ozone pollution, which impacts the lungs and making it hard to breathe when levels are elevated.
And they're cleaning up on the Texas coast after tropical storm Alberto, the first named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, made landfall in Mexico Thursday morning. It brought gusty winds and three foot storm surges to some coastal areas of southern Texas.
Now, the storm is diminishing as it moves inland, but meteorologists warn that life-threatening flooding and mudslides are still possible in parts of northeastern Mexico.
Ukraine may have shorter wait times to receive advanced U.S. air defenses. Still ahead, Kyiv moves up on the U.S. priority list to receive weapons like these.
Plus, bamboo diplomacy on display as Vladimir Putin visits Vietnam's capital. How Hanoi sees its role in dealing with the world's superpowers. That is coming up next.
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GIOKOS: Welcome back. Now, Moscow is reporting a barrage of Ukrainian drone attacks in occupied Crimea and southern Russia. Officials say a refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region was damaged overnight. At least one person was killed. Six other people were reported injured. Russia claims it destroyed more than 80 Ukrainian drones and six unmanned boats.
Now Kyiv has also moved to the top spot on Washington's priority list for receiving advanced air defenses. According to multiple U.S. sources, Ukraine will now be the first in line to receive the U.S.- made Patriot and ASAM interceptors, skipping other countries on the waiting list.
Now Russian President Vladimir Putin has wrapped up his visit to Vietnam with a parting shot at NATO. He accuses the military alliance of creating a threat for Russia and Asia, and he warned South Korea it would be a big mistake to supply weapons to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Vietnam is relishing its role on the world stage. CNN's Will Ripley reports.
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WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If not for the flags all over Hanoi, Vietnamese and Russian, you might not notice there's a state visit. These streets are always buzzy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin flying directly to Vietnam from North Korea, getting a more subdued welcome here. Not like that supersized socialist spectacle in Pyongyang.
Vietnam is also a socialist republic with a single-party system. That means we always travel with a government minder. But unlike isolated, impoverished North Korea, Vietnam is emerging as an economic powerhouse of Southeast Asia. In less than a year, Hanoi has welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden, China's President Xi Jinping, and now Putin, a pariah in the West, but not here. NGUYEN QUANG HUY, 12TH GRADE STUDENT (through translator): I feel excited because within a short term, all three leaders from the three superpowers visited Vietnam.
RIPLEY: Do you weigh either of them as, like, more important of a relationship, either Biden or Putin?
TRUONG NGUYEN XUAN TUNG, FOOD DELIVERY DRIVER (through translator): This is the diplomatic way of Vietnam. We call it bamboo diplomacy. We don't pick sides. We stay neutral.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Bamboo bends back and forth, he says. As he's talking, we notice a distinctive Russian limo rolling by.
RIPLEY: Right in the middle of our interview, Putin's motorcade just passed by. And, yes, people are just kind of patiently waiting. They're used to this sort of thing here in Hanoi.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Putin and Vietnam's President To Lam signing agreements on education, science, technology and energy.
LE THE MAU, RETIRED VIETNAMESE COLONEL: I know I've been in contact with Putin.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Retired Vietnamese Colonel Le The Mau was at a private event with Putin just before sitting down with us. He also speaks Russian and wrote two books about Putin.
RIPLEY: You were in the room with Vladimir Putin. Did he strike you as someone who is nervous about how few allies he has these days?
THE MAU (through translator): I felt Mr. Putin was completely comfortable. I felt he was completely unconcerned about the idea that he had no friends.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Vietnam's friendship with Russia goes back decades to Soviet support during the Vietnam War. Hanoi still buys about 80 percent of its weapons from Moscow. Landmarks built with Russia's help are everywhere, from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum to the Thang Long Bridge.
There's also a brand new bridge built by Japan. Tons of new construction, development and foreign investment. And this, the John McCain Memorial, honoring the late U.S. senator's time as a prisoner of war, symbolizing U.S.-Vietnam reconciliation and friendship.
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RIPLEY: Do you worry that Vietnam could alienate the United States, Japan, South Korea by hosting Putin?
THE MAU (through translator): That's not the case at all. Because as you know, Vietnam's foreign policy is to be friends with every country, regardless of their socio-political stance. Vietnam does not pick a side. RIPLEY (voice-over): A delicate balancing act in these polarized times. Vietnam partnering with Moscow, Beijing and Washington, testing the limits and flexibility of bamboo diplomacy.
Will Ripley, CNN, Hanoi.
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GIOKOS: South Korea has fired warning shots and aired warning broadcasts after several North Korean soldiers crossed the border. It's the second such incident this week and the third in a month.
Now this comes after the South Korean-based activist group Fighters for a Free North Korea sent 20 large balloons across the border. They carried thousands of propaganda leaflets, money and USB sticks that contained South Korean TV shows and music. The same South Korean activist group dispatched another batch of balloons two weeks ago that prompted Pyongyang to release more than 1,000 balloons carrying tons of trash across the border to South Korea.
After the break, a former FBI deputy director responding to threats made by a top Trump ally. We'll have more on that in just a bit.
And Africa's richest man has built one of the world's largest infrastructure projects, a $19 billion oil refinery that could change the way Nigeria refines its fuel.
