Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Americans Freed in Russia Prisoner Swap; A U.S. Teacher and a Ballerina Still Jailed in Russia; Iran and its Proxies Vow Retaliation, Fears of Wider War. Three Americans Freed In Prisoner Swap Return To U.S.; How The "Divine Nine" Are Helping Shape The Election; Eight Russians Freed From Western Custody In Prisoner Swap. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired August 02, 2024 - 02:00   ET

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

[02:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. We are following breaking news this hour. A dramatic and emotional scene playing out in just the past few hours outside of Washington. Three Americans held in Russia are now back in the U.S. as part of the biggest prisoner exchange since the Cold War.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined a crowd at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where they first welcomed home Marine veteran Paul Whelan. He spent the past six years in a Russian prison. Also returning were journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, who were among 16 people set free by Moscow. Negotiators had been working on the deal in secret for more than a year. It involved 24 people in total, in cooperation from seven countries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: What did you have to say to the three Americans and their family members, sir?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Welcome home and beyond that. Anyone who's lost family or worried about whether their family would come home, whatever the circumstance was, has to understand the extreme, and you've heard me say it before, my dad used to say family is the beginning, the middle, and the end. And it really is. It's about who we are. It's about who we are as a country.

UNKNOWN: What is your message tonight to Vladimir Putin?

BIDEN: Stop.

UNKNOWN: What's your message to the American people?

BIDEN: There's nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Remember who the hell we are. We're the United States of America. United States of America. We put back together relationships with countries we haven't had before. We rebuilt NATO. We rebuilt the circumstances allowing this to happen. That's why it happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: We have more now from CNN's Alex Marquardt.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: An extraordinary moment as a small private jet carrying the three Americans freed from Russian custody touched down at a military base just outside Washington, D.C. First down the steps was Paul Whelan, held by Russia for almost six years, then greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris before being reunited with his sister Elizabeth.

Then, Evan Gershkovich, the "Wall Street Journal" reporter, who like Whelan, had been convicted of espionage by Russia and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Finally, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kermasheva, whose two daughters and husband rushed across the tarmac to hug her, an emotional moment for all on a truly historic day that saw 24 prisoners in total exchanged, seven different countries involved.

President Biden spoke with reporters at Joint Base Andrews and emphasized the partnerships with other countries that made this moment happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I asked them to do some things that were against their immediate self-interest and really very difficult for them to do, particularly Germany and Slovenia. Slovenia came in at the last minute and I tell you what, the Chancellor was incredible. He was incredible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: To accomplish the deal, the United States had to convince Germany to free a Russian assassin and other European countries to release Russian spies that they had caught. The U.S. sent three Russian prisoners back to Russia and Moscow, in turn, released 16 prisoners, including the three Americans, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is a U.S. resident.

The three Americans are flying on to Texas for medical and psychological evaluations and treatment at a military facility near San Antonio. But the essence of the moment was summed up by Evan Gershkovich, who walked over to talk with reporters, including his "Wall Street Journal" colleagues, and said simply, I'm home. Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.

BRUNHUBER: A top U.S. national security official says relations with Russia remain in a very difficult place despite the prisoner swap. Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted the newly freed prisoners in Moscow. The release of convicted assassin Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed in Germany, was critical in getting Putin to agree to the deal. Seven others were returned to Moscow, including Russians convicted of espionage in Slovenia and cyber-crimes here in the U.S.

[02:04:58]

The elaborate exchange took place, for the most part, at the airport in Turkey's capital city, Ankara. At one point, there were seven planes on the tarmac from Russia, Poland, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and the U.S. CNN's Nada Bashir is live this hour in London. So, Nada, for President Biden, as we heard, one of the first points he made was the importance of allies.

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, absolutely. This exchange deal has come about after months and months of painstaking negotiations and close coordination with a number of international partners and allies. That has been highlighted now on numerous occasions by President Biden. And we are learning more about the details of actually what went into securing this deal.

We know, of course, that President Biden, during his address to the American people just over a week ago, in which he announced that he was dropping out of the presidential race, he said during that address that securing the release of wrongfully detained Americans continued to be a priority for his administration, that he would continue to work around the clock to secure this. And now we are learning that at the time of this call, he was aware that a deal could well be imminent.

And just a few days ahead of this call, he had spoken with the prime minister of Slovenia. This call has been described by one official as the final puzzle piece, so to speak, in trying to secure this exchange agreement. That call centered around a Russian detainee held in custody in Slovenia. And, of course, President Biden has been very clear there has been close coordination not only with Slovenia, but with counterparts in Poland, in Germany, in Norway, in Turkey.

So there has been a lot when it comes to international efforts there. And, of course, we saw the logistical coordination, of course, in this exchange deal, as we have seen in the past with the Turkish government as well.

And according to the White House, President Biden, in fact, called the leaders of those nations yesterday afternoon to give his personal thanks to those leaders for their support and involvement in this exchange agreement. Again, a huge international effort, President Biden describing this as a feat of diplomacy.

BRUNHUBER: Now, Nada, we heard a little bit about the prisoners that Russia got in exchange here. So explain to us what was in this for Putin.

BASHIR: Well, we know that Russia has been seeking the release of a number of its detainees held in foreign nations. And, actually, this has raised questions, raised concerns as to whether or not this exchange deal could, in fact, bolster Russia, whether this would be seen as a bargaining chip.

And the rhetoric that we have heard in the past with such exchange agreements is whether or not this would encourage adversaries like Russia to wrongfully detain American nationals in order to secure particular goals, including the release of their own, of course, prisoners held in foreign detention.

So, of course, that is a key point of concern. That was actually a question pressed to President Joe Biden yesterday. He said that this has been an issue for some time now. This is something they have long been aware of. But this, of course, does not negate the importance of securing the release of Americans detained abroad. Take a listen to what President Biden had to say yesterday ahead of their return to the United States, focusing again on the importance of those international allies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Today is a powerful example of why it's vital to have friends in this world, friends you can trust, work with and depend upon, especially on matters of great consequence and sensitivity like this. Our alliances make our people safer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASHIR: In a separate remark, President Biden also went on to say that while the U.S. is aware of the potential risks and concerns when it comes to adversaries like Russia, the potential use of these detentions as bargaining chips, that the U.S. would be continuing to work to do its utmost to ensure the protection of American nationals when abroad. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate that. Nada Bashir in London. Thank you so much.

A former U.S. Marine, Trevor Reed, was released during another major prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022. So here he is addressing criticism of Thursday's swap earlier on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREVOR REED, U.S. MARINE FREED FROM RUSSIA: I don't think anyone wants to see hardened criminals, you know, released from American prisons, especially if the victims of those crimes have been, you know, Americans or the United States in some way. But I think it's important to remember that the first priority of the United States should be to get American citizen's home.

And I think that the Biden administration has shown that they've made that a priority. I think another priority that the United States needs to have is that it needs to impose costs on countries, on governments that force the United States into these situations.

[02:10:02]

The argument that, oh, well, you shouldn't let these guys go to get Americans back is, frankly, pretty ridiculous. Every president that we have in the United States pardons dozens to hundreds of Americans who have been convicted in U.S. courts, and they release them without the United States receiving anything in exchange. And to release a few Russian criminals to get innocent Americans home, I think, is absolutely worth it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, Reid also had some advice for the newly freed Americans. He's urging them to take it slow as they readjust to civilian life. But at least two detained Americans stayed behind as others went home. They include Ksenia Karelina, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen arrested earlier this year while visiting her grandparents. She's on trial in Russia for allegedly donating about $50 to a Ukrainian charity.

And teacher Mark Fogel, who's serving a 14-year sentence on drug charges for bringing cannabis to Russia. His family says the drug was recommended by a doctor to treat severe spinal pain. Family members were hoping all along that Fogel would be included in this swap, but his sister told CNN's Erin Burnett earlier they found out through Fogel himself that he wasn't. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNE FOGEL, SISTER OF MARC FOGEL: The last 36 hours have been gut- wrenching. We knew that something was going on yesterday from the news feeds, and we started calling our senators and the ambassadors that we knew and the State Department, and we really hoped that they were going to get Mark on the plane. We knew that it was going to be happening very quickly, but Mark called me yesterday morning, and when I realized that he was in Rybinsk, I knew that things were not going well.

I feel like we've been kind of collectively stabbed in the back. Mark is, you know, they've asked for his humanitarian release, but of course Russia does not release on humanitarian grounds and has had no history of ever doing that, and they're not really liking us very well anyway. So it's kind of an insult to injury that he still has not been designated as wrongfully detained.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: And, you know, you and I have spoken about that over these years, and, you know, you've been pleading with the Biden administration because those words matter. There's a formal designation, wrongfully detained. It's official, and it's an important first step in terms of any kind of a release or a negotiation. You know, they used the words today when talking about him, but that formal designation has not happened. Why not? Have they said anything to you, Anne, as to why?

FOGEL: No. And after multiple documents signed by Mark, by our family, they will not give us any adequate answers as to why he has not been designated as Brittney was. I mean, their cases are nearly identical.

BURNETT: Brittney Griner.

FOGEL: Same court, different sentences. Both were sentenced to the maximum. One of the most frustrating times of my life, to not be heard or taken seriously. We don't have the NBA, and we don't have "The Wall Street Journal" backing us. And so we've been -- Mark has been largely ignored, and he needs the designation because he needs real medical treatment. He's fallen multiple times. It's very cold where he is, and there's lots of ice, and things are just not going well for him.

He spent the last month in a hospital where there are no doctors, but he's given multitudes of injections and not having any clear understanding of what they're giving him or why. And you can imagine how terrifying that would be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: A senior U.S. official says the White House tried to include Fogel in the swap, but it wasn't successful. The official also said the administration will keep redoubling its efforts to get him out of prison.

[02:14:56]

Key militant leaders assassinated and now growing threats of retaliation against Israel. We have the latest on the turmoil in the Middle East coming up. Please stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: The Israeli military says it's on high alert and ready for a range of scenarios after the high-profile killings of several powerful militant leaders. Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah are all vowing retaliation, and Hezbollah says their response could be coordinated.

On Thursday, Israel said it took out one of the reported masterminds of the October 7th terror attacks, Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif.

[02:20:00]

The Israeli military says he was killed in a strike carried out in southern Gaza last month, but they weren't sure about that until this week when they received new intelligence on his death. Now these images provided by the Israel Defense Forces shows the strike on Khan Yunis. It hit a designated humanitarian zone, killing at least 90 Palestinians. Footage from the displacement camp showed bodies in the streets. The IDF called it a precise targeted strike on a compound where Deif was staying.

Meanwhile, new information is emerging about the assassination of the political leader of Hamas. A source familiar with the matter now says Ismail Haniyeh wasn't killed by a rocket strike as previously reported by Iran and Hamas, but rather by a hidden bomb. He'll be buried in Doha later today. CNN's Jeremy Diamond reports.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Two months before Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh traveled to the Iranian capital, a bomb was planted in the guest house where he would eventually be staying. That bomb was planted two months before Ismail Haniyeh arrived in the Iranian capital, and it was only once it was clear that Haniyeh was inside that guest house in his bedroom that that bomb was remotely detonated, killing not only Haniyeh but his bodyguard as well, and marking not only a remarkable clandestine operation, but also a stunning security failure for the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the IRGC, which was in charge of securing this guest house where Haniyeh was staying.

Now, Haniyeh was known to be staying in this guest house previously, which appears to be how this bomb was planted in the right location and ultimately how he was killed. Now, Israeli officials have neither confirmed nor denied Israel's involvement in this, but I am told by the same source familiar with the matter that Israeli officials briefed U.S. officials only after this assassination actually took place on the details of this operation.

Iran and Hamas, of course, have made clear that they believe that Israel was behind this assassination. Initially, they said that it was a rocket that took out Hamas's political leader, but this operation speaks to a far more complex, far more clandestine operation and a stunning breach of security for Iranian officials.

In the wake of this, Iran is vowing retaliation. It is not clear what form that retaliation will take or when it will happen, but it is, of course, just the latest in a string of events that have put this region increasingly on edge, increasingly on the brink of potentially an all-out regional war.

Hezbollah has also vowed to retaliate for the killing of its senior most military commander, Fuad Shukr, which happened just hours before this assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. This string of killings is what the Israeli prime minister has described as crushing blows to Israel's enemies.

It is certainly adding to a picture of tactical successes, at least, for the Israeli government, for the Israeli military, but it is also putting this region increasingly on edge and putting Israel and its citizens increasingly in the crosshairs of Iran and its proxies. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Haifa, Israel.

BRUNHUBER: And Gregg Carlstrom is the Middle East correspondent for "The Economist" and the author of "How Long Will Israel Survive the Threat from Within." He's with us from Dubai. Good to see you. Thank you so much for being here with us. So, the string of killings by Israel, as our reporter just said, putting Israel in the crosshairs of Iran and its proxies, I mean, even more so. So let's start there with Iran. What kind of retaliation do you expect to come from Iran?

GREGG CARLSTROM, MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT, THE ECONOMIST: Well, if I said I knew exactly what it would be, I'd be lying to you. But I think there will be some sort of direct response to this. I think typically the Iranians, for many, many years now, have preferred to work through their proxies. That was the whole point of setting up this network of regional proxies.

But I think given not just who was assassinated here, not just that it was the leader of Hamas, but that he was killed on Iranian soil hours after attending the inauguration of a new Iranian president, that was calibrated, I think, to be as humiliating for the Iranians as possible and it's something that is going to force them into a direct response against Israel.

Now, whether that is a large response, sort of on the order of what we saw in April, when they fired hundreds of missiles and drones, or whether it is something smaller and more symbolic, I think that we have to wait and see.

BRUNHUBER: Do you expect it to spiral even beyond Iran's closest proxies, maybe involve other groups in completely different countries, Pakistan, for instance?

[02:24:57]

CARLSTROM: Well, we've seen groups across the region, as you say, the closest proxies already getting involved, not just Hamas, but Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, groups in Iraq and Syria. It's something else the Iranians have done over the years, and then there was concern about this back in April when they were planning how to retaliate for that strike on their embassy compound in Damascus that killed several high-ranking Iranian generals.

There was some talk, there was some concern that Iran might sort of lash out in kind by attacking an Israeli embassy somewhere in Europe, perhaps, or somewhere else around the world. That is also something that they have tried to do at various points over the years. So it's not just their proxies, as you say, in the Middle East or in the Arab world that they could activate, but they could also seek to retaliate elsewhere as well.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and then beyond that, I mean, Israel -- Iran, rather, has accused the U.S. of being complicit in these killings. So how likely is it, do you think, that part of the response could include an attack on U.S. forces?

CARLSTROM: And that is why the Biden administration came out so quickly after Haniyeh's assassination to say that it wasn't involved, that it wasn't briefed on this, to try and make it very clear to the Iranians that there was no American role and therefore there should be no retaliation against America. There's been, for the past few months, sort of an undeclared, not truce, but de-escalation between America and Iran.

You had in the early months after October 7th regular, dozens and dozens of Iranian-sponsored attacks on American military positions around the Middle East. That has calmed down in recent months, and I think the Iranians, if they are looking to attack Israel directly here, they're not going to want to, I think, simultaneously pick a fight with the United States.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, and the U.S., of course, trying to de-escalate things, also being involved in the negotiations, but it seems as though it's always been sort of one step forward, two steps back. Haniyeh, of course, one of the chief negotiators for Hamas, so with Israel killing him, what does that mean for the ceasefire and hostage- release negotiations?

CARLSTROM: It's not helpful. As Joe Biden said a few hours ago, it's certainly not helpful. It means the ceasefire talks temporarily are going to be suspended. That's predictable when you kill your opposite number in ceasefire negotiations. Those talks are not immediately going to go forward, and Hamas also has to decide who is going to, at least on an interim basis, take over as leader.

So I think the talks will halt, and having Haniyeh killed, someone who was a proponent for a ceasefire could empower the wing of the organization led by Yehya Sinwar, the group's leader in Gaza, who has been very opposed to a ceasefire for months now. But I think in the long run there still is a possibility for a deal. I think Hamas still has an interest in a deal. Most people in Gaza are exhausted after 10 months of war, and they're desperate for some kind of ceasefire.

The real question, as it's been for many months now, is whether Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel is willing to agree to a deal. He has done everything he could since November to sabotage any renewed ceasefire, and he continues to do that to this day.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, all of this a huge setback for so many civilians caught in the middle of this. Gregg Carlstrom, I really appreciate your expertise. Thanks so much.

Three U.S. citizens are now back on American soil after a historic prisoner swap between the U.S., Russia, and other countries. Coming up, the tearful reunion, and what's next for the returnees. That's all coming up. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:33:40]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's so much at stake right now in our country and this upcoming election, including what it has which approach to understanding America's strength. This is an example of the strength of American leadership and bringing nations together to deliver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: So Vice President Kamala Harris there speaking with reporters as she welcomed three Americans freed from Russian prisons back to the U.S. on the releases part of the biggest prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia since the end of the Cold War.

Marine veteran Paul Whelan was first off the plane. He received from his sister, Elizabeth, and President Biden gave him the American flag pin from his lapel.

Next was "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich detained for just over a year. So you can see ran to hug his mother and father after speaking with president and vice president.

Also returning to the U.S. Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, her daughters were in tears as they and their father rushed to embrace her.

One of the most powerful moments was this having Gershkovich walking over to greet his "Wall Street Journal" colleagues on the tarmac telling him, telling them, quote, I'm home.

CNN's Kylie Atwood reports on White House efforts to bring the three Americans home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are Americans, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva, after being handed over to the United States by Russia in historic prisoner swap in Turkey.

[02:35:05]

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon. This is a very good afternoon.

ATWOOD: It's the biggest prisoner swaps since the Cold War, involving 24 people being held in seven different countries. The U.S. Germany, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, and Russia.

Paul Whelan had been held for 2,043 days, the longest of all the released Americans. The former marine was arrested in 2018 on espionage charges, something Whelan and the U.S. government has vehemently denied.

JAKE SULLIVAN, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Today -- excuse me -- today was very good day.

ATWOOD: Whelan spoke to CNN's Jennifer Hansler, a number of times from inside a Russian prison over the years.

PAUL WHELAN, AMERICAN FREED FROM RUSSIA: It's extremely odd, maybe, is the best word, to turn 54 in a Russian prison.

ATWOOD: David Whelan reacting to his brother's release in a statement. Quote: It's vital that he be given agency over his life again, something the Kremlin took away for so many years.

"Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich was the first American journalist to be arrested on spying charges in Russia since the cold war. And just three weeks ago, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison after his arrest in 2023.

ALMAR LATOUR, PUBLISHER, WALL STREET JOURNAL: We've all worked toward this day for so long, each in our own way, and it's -- it's wonderful to see it come together like this.

ATWOOD: Kurmasheva is also on her way home. The Russian American reporter working for a U.S. government funded news outlet was sentenced to more than six years in prison for failing to register as a foreign agent.

All three appearing in a photo together on the plane in Turkey.

BIDEN: The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy, and friendship.

ATWOOD: The released Americans speaking with their relieved families and President Biden on the phone in the Oval Office. Russia also releasing several prominent political prisoners, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition leader and a U.S. permanent resident.

BIDEN: Russian authorities arrested them, convicted them in show trials, and sentenced them long prison terms.

ATWOOD: In order to make the deal happen, President Biden personally lobbied German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to release Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov, in the exchange with Russia.

Krasikov is a former colonel in the Russian security service, serving a life sentence in Germany for murdering a former Chechen fighter in broad daylight in Berlin in 2019, the Kremlin has pushed to get Krasikov back to Russia, even pushing to have him released in 2022.

But the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison in February setback negotiations since the German government wanted Navalny in exchange for Krasikov.

SULLIVAN: On the very day that he died, I saw Evan's parents and I told them that the president was determined to get this done even in light of that tragic news.

ATWOOD: Two weeks ago, Russia finally agreed to the deal. Years of intense efforts finally paying off.

Now this massive prisoner swap is incredibly joyful for the families of the Americans who have been released from Russia but for the families of Americans who are still detained in Russia, it has been an emotional, incredibly challenging time for them.

One of those families is the family of Marc Fogel. He is an American serving a 14-year prison sentence in Russia, facing charges of smuggling drugs. His family says, however, that he was carrying marijuana into the country for medical purposes.

And they came out with a statement after the news of this prisoner swap and the fact that he wasn't included in it saying, quote, Marc is not rich, a celebrity, or connected to powerful patrons. All he has is his family. This glaring injustice and indifference are unacceptable. It's wrong, unfair and not the America we know and love.

Essentially making the case that there's been a double standard applied to different Americans who have been detained in Russia.

We should note, however, that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan did mention Marc Fogel's name when talking about ongoing efforts to bring home Americans detained around the world.

Kylie Atwood, CNN, the State Department. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: "The Wall Street Journal" says, Gershkovich had one final request for Russia's president just before his release. In the paperwork yet to fill out to request his clemency, Gershkovich asked Vladimir Putin for an interview.

Well, back home, this is how his colleagues reacted to the news of his release.

You can see "The Journal's" newsroom exploded in cheers and champagne bottles are popped after the announcement on Thursday. The paper's publisher spoke to CNN earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LATOU: Not too long ago, at about six months ago, we were standing in that very spot that you're showing right now and we were talking about the one-year anniversary of his detention.

[02:40:02]

At that moment, there was a silence. There were different kinds of tears. There's so much pent-up emotion and that was clearly on display in the newsroom that you're showing right now, but also in Washington, folks gathered, and it was just an emotional, very meaningful moment before for everyone who has contributed so much. And that newsroom has just given everything, just carrying Evan's message every day reporting on it. But also promoting and putting a spotlight on his cause.

We had the pleasure of also putting forth Evan's case to some of the participants internationally the importance that the important role that they played in this whole saga. And so, we are deeply grateful to both the administration and numerous foreign governments, in particular the German government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers here in the United States, Canada, and CNN Max, much more ahead.

For our international viewers, "WORLD SPORT" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[02:45:42]

BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump is doubling down on his attacks against Vice President Kamala Harris's racial identity.

Have a look here, he posted this photo of her wearing a sari on social media, writing that her love of her Indian heritage is, quote, very much appreciated. It comes after his false claims that Harris, quote, happened to turn black a few years ago.

Her mother, of course, was Indian and her father is Jamaican.

Harris went to a historically Black university and as a member of the first Black sorority. Some of her fellow members and other groups in the so-called Divine Nine are already backing her bid for the presidency.

CNN's Rene Marsh reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one.

RENE MARSH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A picture of political power. These are members of the so called Divine Nine.

(SINGING)

MARSH: Nine historically black fraternities and sororities formed more than a century ago when black people couldn't join white organizations. The Divine Nine has been a force in movements from civil rights to voting rights and they say their political strength will make history once again this election.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Day one, Kamala Harris kicks off with an army. Look at just this force in this room.

MARSH: Kamala Harris joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 1986 at Howard University, making her one of the 2.5 million members of the Divine Nine. CNN sat down with a room full of Divine Nine members speaking in their own capacity and not on behalf of their organizations. They're aware of their potential political influence this election, and they're excited to wield it.

ARLEAN LELAND, HARRIS SUPPORTER: Two-point-five million strong. Now look at how we can reach out to our families, our friends, our churches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are the Girl Scout leaders. We are the Boy Scout leaders. We represent every facet of black America.

JOCELYN ROUTE, HARRIS SUPPORTER: We are credible messengers. We have been in the communities. We have been working with these subpopulations and they trust us.

(CHEERING)

MARSH: Harris and her campaign understands the value of this built in political infrastructure and they're leaning into it.

In July alone, Vice President Harris has spoken at the national conventions for three Divine Nine sororities. Harris is poised to leverage this voting block at a level we haven't seen from a presidential nominee before.

JENNIFER STEWART, HARRIS SUPPORTER: We're not waiting for someone else to tell us what to do and how to do it. We're creating our own playbook.

MARSH: What is this going to look like in practical terms?

LELAND: After church on Sunday, we're going downstairs to the fellowship hall and register people that aren't voting. And for those seniors that can't stroll to the polls, we're going downstairs and we're going to get them an absentee ballot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Knocking on doors, phone calls, text banking.

MARSH: This coalition is politically sophisticated, digging into strategy for battleground states like Pennsylvania.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We really need turnout in Philadelphia and we needed in certain pockets.

MARSH: And sharpening the message to motivate voters.

WES BELLAMY, HARRIS SUPPROTER: When we say things like democracy is on the line, I think low propensity voters, they don't know what that means. So we have to have very, very simple talking points.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We also have white male counterparts that we also need to educate on how overly qualified this candidate is.

MARSH: What I hear you saying is that the reach of the Divine Nine will not be limited to the black community.

CROWD: That's right.

MARSH: They believe this political moment will make history for America and the Divine Nine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What people are going to walk away with is that our organizations are a force to be reckoned with.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARSH (on camera): Well, I spoke with several of those individuals in the piece there after Donald Trump's comments here at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention here in Chicago, where I am. And the consensus was they found the comments to be disrespectful, particularly they say to Black women. They say those comments simply super charge their motivation to get Kamala Harris elected as president.

Rene Marsh, CNN, Chicago.

BRUNHUBER: U.S. stock prices are down after rising for months on hopes of an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve. But after Fed Chair Jerome Powell hinted on Wednesday that the cut could come in September, well, it seems traders are worried that it might arrive too late to stop a labor market slowdown.

[02:50:02]

The Dow was down 600 points on Thursday. The S&P 500 off nearly 1.4 percent. The Nasdaq composite slumped sharply by 2.3 percent.

Well, it was a monumental day for some of the biggest names at the Paris Games. Simone Biles, arguably the star attraction of these Olympics, proved yet again, why many call hurt the greatest of all time. Biles edged Brazil's Rebeca Andrade to win her sixth gold medal in the women's individual all-around final and all while teammates and defending Olympic champion in this event, Suni Lee took home the bronze.

American superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky made history again. Ledecky's silver medal in the women's four by 200 meters freestyle relay made her the most decorated U.S. Olympian of all time.

And Canadian teens swimming phenom, Summer McIntosh won her second gold medal of the week and sets in Olympic record in the 200 meter butterfly. China currently leads with the most gold medals, but the U.S. trails closely and is leading with the most medals overall.

The eighth Russians now walking free include a former FSB colonel convicted of murder, as well as several alleged or convicted spies and cyber criminals. This isn't the first time Vladimir Putin's biggest prize in a prisoner swap is someone with blood on his hands.

CNN's Brian Todd reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRRESPONDENT (voice-over): On a Moscow tarmac, exuberant greetings from Vladimir Putin for prisoners returning from abroad.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was asked bluntly today, is the Biden administration concerned that Russia gets a convicted murderer back in exchange for Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich and other Americans?

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: These are always incredibly hard decisions.

TODD: As part of the swap, Germany releases Vadim Krasikov, a 58- year-old former high ranking Russian intelligence operative who committed a brazen act of violence in a prominent park in Berlin in 2019.

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: He executed someone in broad daylight, caught doing it and that's why Germany didn't want to let him go.

TODD: Krasikov was serving a life sentence for killing a former Chechen fighter in that Berlin park. Putin made no secret of wanting Krasikov back.

In an interview with Tucker Carlson in February, Putin didn't mention Krasikov's name or the Chechens, but was glowing about what Krasikov did and insulted his victim. VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): That person, due to patriotic sentiments, eliminated a bandit in one of the European capitals.

DOZIER: For Putin, getting these men back is part of his pledge to his whole security apparatus, the people who are keeping him in power, that if you get taken doing a job for me, I will get you out.

TODD: Indeed, several Russian spies and hackers are among those released in this prisoner swap. But in the most prominent swaps over the past couple of years, Putin's biggest prizes are men with serious blood on their hands, Krasikov and Viktor Bout, nicknamed the Merchant of Death, a Russian arms dealer traded for American basketball star Brittney Griner in 2022, following Griner's imprisonment on cannabis charges.

DANIELLE GILBERT, EXPERT ON HOSTAGE POLICY, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY: There was a lot of concern that releasing someone like that was completely disproportionate, to release someone like that in exchange for an American basketball player on a trumped up drug charge.

TODD: Victor Bout cut a figure so legendary in the arms trafficking underworld that he's widely acknowledged as the inspiration for Nicolas Cage's character in the movie "Lord of War".

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The arms bazaar was open, guided missiles, unguided missiles, mortars, mines, armored personnel carriers, whole tank divisions.

TODD: Analysts say there was no weapon Viktor Bout wouldn't sell for the right price and to devastating effect.

DOUGLAS FARAH, CO-AUTHOR, "MERCHANT OF DEATH": If you look at the wars that were directly impacted by his weapons delivery. As you can see, they escalate directly in proportion to the amounts of weapons arriving. So, I would say certainly, you know, tens of thousands of people suffered if not hundreds of thousands of people because of the weapons he was able to deliver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): What is in store for Vadim Krasikov back in Russia, analysts say Vladimir Putin will likely make him into a hero and offer him opportunities that many others would not get.

The possibilities are almost endless. Last year, Viktor Bout entered Russian politics and he won a seat in a regional legislature.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

BRUNHUBER: Israel's military claims that one of al Jazeera's journalists killed in a strike in Gaza this week, work for Hamas and, quote, participated in the October 7th attack on Israel.

But al-Jazeera is pushing back, calling that accusation completely false. The networks as Israeli forces had already arrested 27-year-old reporter, Ismail Al-Ghoul, earlier this year, but eventually let him go, weakening the argument that he was a militant.

Israel's military didn't allege that he held a direct combat role with Hamas. They also didn't address the death of his cameraman.

[02:55:01]

Al-Jazeera says, both men were killed in Israeli airstrike on a refugee camp in northern Gaza on Wednesday.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more on our breaking news top of the hour. Please do stay with us.