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CNN International: Israel, Hamas Under Pressure To Resume Ceasefire-Hostage Talks; Iraqi Teen Detained After Foiled Taylor Swift Concert Terror Plot; Harris And Walz Swing Through Battleground States; Pres. Biden Will Appear With Kamala Harris Next Thursday; Trump Returns To The Campaign Trail; Lestile Tebogo Makes History For Botswana With 200M Gold. Aired 8-9a ET
Aired August 09, 2024 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
KATE BOLDUAN, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": During the pandemic. CNN's Jacqueline Howard has much more on this. She's joining us now. So, Jacqueline, what more are you learning?
JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: Yeah, Kate. Well, this report from the CDC looked at nine common childhood vaccinations. And they specifically looked among children born between 1994 and 2023. And that's where they found that these routine childhood vaccinations, like the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, or like the polio virus vaccine, these will have prevented, like you said, more than 500 million illnesses, about 32 million hospitalizations, and more than 1 million deaths. This is --
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is the CNN Newsroom. Just ahead, the U.S. is urging Israel and Hamas to resume talks on a ceasefire and hostage deal. As fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East grow, we'll be live in Tel Aviv for update. And hitting the trail, both U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be making their pitches to voters today, fewer than 90 days until the presidential election. And Ukrainian twin sisters are competing together at the Olympics to honor the memory of their fellow athletes killed in the Russian invasion.
And we begin with new pressure on Israel and Hamas to return to talks, aimed at a ceasefire in Gaza and freeing the remaining Israeli hostages. Mediators are making a renewed push to bring the warring parties to the negotiating table that's planned for next week. Israel says it will send a delegation to talks planned for either Cairo or Doha. There's no word from Hamas.
The U.S., Qatar, and Egypt say, they may present what they're calling a final bridging proposal. This comes as fears of an imminent Iranian and Hezbollah attack on Israel threatens to escalate the conflict into a wider war. I want to bring in now CNN's Clarissa Ward live for us from Tel Aviv. So, how will the change in Hamas political leadership potentially affect the talks, if it does move forward? CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you mentioned, Fredricka, Hamas has yet to respond to that call from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt to gather in Doha next Thursday, August 15, for what they call a final ceasefire plan. And while we're calling it a call to attend, it's really more of a demand. It is unusual. We haven't seen this level of urgency, with all three of these nations coming together, essentially issuing an ultimatum to Israel and Hamas saying, this is it, guys. You need to come. You need to be here. We need to hash this out.
They're also saying that while gaps remain, they do think those gaps are bridgeable. But Fredricka, I would just say, from people that I've been speaking to in the region, there's a lot of skepticism. There is a lot of ground that would need to be covered between the two. As you pointed out, the fact that Yahya Sinwar is officially the political head now of Hamas does say something about where they're at vis-a -vis the diplomatic track.
So, there are concerns that while this is a very well-intentioned effort to try to avert a retaliatory attack from Iran or Hezbollah by basically giving Iran an exit ramp or an off-ramp that it will be very difficult, even with this level of urgency, to corral both sides, and get them to hash out an agreement that would finally get over the hump of these several stumbling blocks that really have been persistent for months now, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: You mentioned off-ramp. Would an agreement present an opportunity for such a thing for Iran, some retaliatory threats?
WARD: Well, I think it's difficult to say it's speculative, but people who have been reading the tea leaves and analysts who watch Iran closely say that there's certainly been -- certain things that they have said, which have lent some credence to this idea that potentially that could give them something they could sell domestically in Iran as a win. OK, we're willing to forgive our need or forgo our need for vengeance, because we have managed to secure, finally, a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Hezbollah is sort of the wild card in all of this.
Hassan Nasrallah has indicated that they could act unilaterally or in tandem with Iran and its proxies, and certainly, intelligence officials in the region have been saying more and more that they expect Hezbollah to act on its own. Would they be swayed by this last call for talks next Thursday in Doha, remains to be seen. I would say, here, there is still a state of high alert, people waiting, watching, and anticipating that that strike could still go forward, despite these diplomatic efforts, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: All right. Clarissa Ward, keep us posted. Thank you so much.
[08:05:00]
All right, on to Vienna now, an 18-year-old Iraqi national is now the latest person to be detained in connection to be detained in connection to the alleged terror plot targeting a Taylor Swift concert. The suspect reportedly comes from the same circle as the main suspect, a 19-year-old ISIS sympathizer, that authorities say, was radicalized online. Another suspect, just 17 years old. Investigators say they were plotting a suicide attack using explosives and weapons at the now canceled shows originally scheduled for this week. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following this developing story for us from Vienna. And while Selma, the -- you know, Swifty fans are very sad behind you, they look really excited to all be gathering.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a really extraordinary community spirit here. And I do want to walk you around. I'm just going to explain to you this is an alleyway called Corneliusgasse, but these Swifty fans have taken after a song where Taylor Swift references Cornelia Street, and they've made this their camp, if you will. So, just follow me.
You can see they've ran in chalk all over the ground. You can see so many of Taylor Swift lyrics here. And what you're going to hear over and over again from all of the Swifties here is that they wanted to create a safe space to come together. Yes, it was shocking. Yes, it is terrifying to imagine that a terror attack could have potentially killed and named these fans, but they do not want that to stop them from coming together and celebrating.
Just keep following me here. Is it OK if I show your bracelets? Is that OK? All of these bracelets that you're seeing everywhere, and one of the things that you can walk up to any of these Swifties and ask is, would you like to change bracelets with me? And with that one simple phrase, Fredricka, you have made a stranger your friend. And that's really the goal here. Just keep following me, because it is amazing.
The costumes as well that you might see behind me here, more people drawing chalk, spontaneously break into songs at some point. So, a really extraordinary atmosphere. People here, of course, from all over the world, all walks of life -- excuse me, and they say they're going to continue doing this because the concerts were supposed to be held for three days, many people were booked here through the weekend, and these types of organic events are really popping up all over Vienna. So, yes, the concerts are canceled, but the songs of Taylor Swift and her fans are filling the Capitol.
WHITFIELD: Wow. Well, a lot of people spent a whole lot of money to be there. Is it the case if they're going to get refunds, at least, as it pertains to the concert tickets?
ABDELAZIZ: Yes, they have been promised refunds. But you do have to remember, people spent money on other things, of course, Fredricka, their hotels, their travels. You know, of course, many people were already booked. This was only canceled just hours before the first concert was set to take place. But I think that many of the fans here we've been speaking to have found joy and comfort, and maybe some strength, and being able to come together. If I could just walk you a little bit more, since you ask me another question here, they're literally hanging their bracelets on these trees. And just coming together in whatever way they can, so yes, there is hope that they will get to see Taylor Swift at another opportunity, at another time, that they may get their money back. But the experience that some people are getting here, they say, is very healing, creating that safe space for them.
WHITFIELD: What a happy crowd. You know, sad circumstances, but what a happy crowd. And I think I hear them singing. What are they singing?
ABDELAZIZ: Yes. At any point, they'll break out into song. It is actually so organic, Fredricka. I have no power over it.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, maybe when the camera, you know, goes quiet, you'll sing too. Salma Abdelaziz, thanks so much. All right. Back in the U.S., the Harris campaign is calling Donald Trump's news conference a public meltdown. She and her running mate, Tim Walz, continue their swing through battle ground states. Later today, they'll hold a rally in Phoenix, then on Saturday, one in Las Vegas. We've also learned that President Biden and Vice President Harris will appear together next week. It will be their first formal joint appearance since Mr. Biden dropped out of the race. Let's get the details now from CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere in Washington. Good to see you. All right. So, what do we know about the occasion to bring Biden, Harris together in a formal setting.
EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, this is something that they've been working on since Biden dropped out of the race and immediately endorsed Harris. And it seems like now it is coming together. It will be in Maryland and outside of DC, in -- on Thursday of next week. It's not going to be putting them in a battleground state, but it will be making easy for them both to get to and have that shot of them together. The formal passing of the torch on the campaign trail that they so far have only had by phone, and by statement, and by email, and all those things. But now, it will be the two of them together actually campaigning.
WHITFIELD: All right. Donald Trump, he seems a little frustrated. That was a very long press conference yesterday, where he was mostly ranting, but he also decided to make some digs at Harris for not doing a major interview yet.
[08:10:00]
Any response from the Harris campaign? And whether that's, you know, a concern of theirs at all?
DOVERE: Hey, look, this is something that the Harris campaign is going to have to figure out what they do in response to. And Harris herself discussed this yesterday, when she was asked in Detroit, as she was getting on her plane to fly to her next stop. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's been a lot of questions about when you're going to sit down for your first interview since being the nominee. Do you have any update on that?
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I've talked to my team. I want us to get an interview scheduled before the end of the month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOVERE: That's, of course, Fredricka, not a firm answer. She's talked to her team. It will be maybe by the end of the month. We'll see what happens.
WHITFIELD: All right. Edward-Isaac Dovere. Sorry about that, Edward.
DOVERE: No problem.
WHITFIELD: I know your name well. I think it's just a little early for me. All right. Thank you so much. All right. In just a few hours, Donald Trump will be back on the campaign trail. His goal, reclaim some of the momentum lost to Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Tim Walz. Trump went on the attack during a news conference at Mar-a- Lago on Thursday. He repeatedly called Vice President Harris, quote, barely competent, and made a string of false claims about Walz. Meantime, Trump and Harris have agreed to a debate on ABC on September 10.
And later on today, Trump will campaign in Bozeman, Montana. It will be his first rally since last weekend. When asked on Thursday about his seemingly light campaign schedule, Trump said it was a stupid question. CNN's Daniel Strauss joins us now live from Washington with more on all this. All right. So, Montana, not exactly a battleground state. So, why is he going there?
DANIEL STRAUSS, CNN REPORTER: No. And it's really unusual at this point in the cycle. This is a state that former President Trump is extremely likely to win by a wide margin. And yet, there are questions about whether -- why he's devoting any time there, much less one of his only appearances in the last little while. I think we've got audio of him answering a question about that. Can we kick that?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why haven't you been campaigning this week?
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because I'm leading by a lot, and because I'm letting their convention go through, and I am campaigning a lot. I'm doing tremendous amounts of taping here. We have commercials that are at a level I don't think that anybody has ever done before. I'm speaking to you on phones. I'm speaking to radio. I'm speaking to television. Televisions coming over here. Excuse me, what are we doing right now?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STRAUSS: Yeah. And so --
WHITFIELD: A little agitate.
STRAUSS: Yeah. And it's a perhaps convoluted answer, but it falls --
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
STRAUSS: -- in line with a number of decisions that the Trump campaign has made lately, from picking JD Vance as a running mate, and now this. You have to remember that there is a contested Senate race in Montana, and this is the race to watch. If you are the Trump campaign before Biden dropped out of this race, you are starting to be concerned about whether there is a Senate majority that can help you pass your legislative agenda. And that seems to be what this trip was really about, boosting down ticket candidates under the assumption that Trump was going to skate to the White House. Now, we're in a very different situation now that Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee. And so, spending time in Montana, maybe doing a few fundraisers, it does not make as much sense as it did before.
WHITFIELD: OK? And let's talk about this September 10 debate date with Kamala Harris. It was a date that was set when it was Biden, who was the Democratic nominee. So, what will be the same or even different here?
STRAUSS: I mean, the same is going to be that it's going to be the two --
WHITFIELD: The date.
STRAUSS: Yeah, it's going to be the debate, and the two candidates.
WHITFIELD: Yeah.
STRAUSS: But it's -- the larger differences are the dynamics of this race. Right now, in the -- in the -- right now, this is a level of momentum that the Trump campaign does not want. Harris and Democrats are starting to see the needle move more in their direction, and that's a shift from two months ago, even three weeks ago, when increasingly it looked like Donald Trump was going to be the next President of the United States. So now, Trump will be in the hot seat to change the dynamic, to change the narrative, and to move that momentum away from Harris and to him. That's a major thing to watch in this debate.
And the larger question here, though, is that if Harris wants to do more debates, remember, the Democrats, the Biden-Harris ticket agreed to this other debate. And the Trump campaign had been saying anytime, anywhere. Now, they want to do two more debates, which is not something you do if you are confident in how -- in the course of this election, you need those moments, those viral moments in a debate, to change the narrative. And that might be what the Trump campaign is thinking here.
[08:15:00]
WHITFIELD: Fascinating. All right. Daniel Strauss, thanks so much.
STRAUSS: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come. It wasn't to be for American sprinter Noah Lyles, as he is upstaged in Paris by Botswana and a fellow U.S. sprinter. And after training in war-torn Ukraine, the country's synchronized swimming team prepares to compete in Paris and honor fallen athletes. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's go to Paris. And U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles was bested last night by Botswana's Letsile Tebogo. In the highly anticipated men's 200-meter sprint, Tebago ran a blistering race, clocking a new African record to claim Botswana's first Olympic gold. American Kenny Bednarek, he took silver, and race-favorite Lyles took bronze, with news emerging that he was suffering from COVID.
The U.S. is on top of the Olympic medal board, but slightly they're tied with China, with 30 golds, but the U.S. is ahead in overall medals. Today, it's jam-packed with 34 gold medals up for grabs and breaking -- making -- breakdancing that is, making its Olympic debut. To bring us up to speed, CNN World Sport's Amanda Davies is in Paris. I cannot wait to see the whole breakdancing. I mean --
AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yeah.
WHITFIELD: -- this is something else.
DAVIES: And I have to say, you're not going to be the first. We've all been doing it. It is officially at the Olympics, known as Breaking.
WHITFIELD: Yeah. I got to get used to that. (CROSSTALK)
DAVIES: -- we might. We might be showing our age a little bit.
WHITFIELD: Breaking down. OK.
DAVIES: But I mean, what we've got to come over the next couple of days as a lot to live up to after what we saw, particularly on Thursday night here in Paris. So, we'll start with what happened at the track and field stadium. And it definitely wasn't how it was meant to go for Noah Lyles being wheeled off the track in a wheelchair, after finishing in bronze, and then revealing, as you rightly mentioned, that he tested positive for COVID.
A fair few questions being asked about his participation in the race, but he was wearing a mask when he was in the communal areas. He said only his team knew he didn't want to give his rivals an advantage. But it was 21-year-old Letsile Tebogo from Botswana, who took advantage, as you rightly said. He is somebody who was brought up by his mom -- a single mom, who sadly passed away suddenly in May. He was wearing her birthday on his spikes. It was an incredibly emotional moment for him, as he became Africa's first Olympic sprint champion, setting a new African record along the way.
[08:20:00]
Botswana has been declared a public holiday there today. But I was fortunate enough to catch up with him just within the last hour, and he talked me through what has been an emotional 24 hours, I think it's fair to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LETSILE TEBOGO, MEN'S 200M GOLD MEDALIST: I feel energized. I feel born again. I feel everything is just all new to me, even though we didn't have some rest last night, because I think I went to sleep around 04:00 AM. It was more of an emotional day yesterday. I didn't show it to the camera. I didn't show it to the people. But when I -- immediately, when I got into my room, I started to become emotional. And then, just saw what I've been through and made it into the global stage was the biggest achievement ever.
DAVIES (on-camera): You've spoken about the importance of your mom and how tough it has been for you since her passing in May. I know you paid tribute to her with your spikes last night.
TEBOGO: Yeah, I did pay tribute to her last night with the spikes. And it meant a lot for me because I knew that I had to carry her with me, because she's been the backbone of me since day one. She's been there through thick and thin that I went through. So, I had to carry with me. And even though we're not sure if we're going to matter, but I just had to -- even on the -- on the 100-meter final, this was the same spike that I wore.
DAVIES (on-camera): What do you think she would have said to you last night?
TEBOGO: Me knowing her, she would, she -- she -- she wouldn't say a word. So, we'll just cry it out. And then, we'll just talk it when we get home, when the dust has settled.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIES: Yeah. Super special to be speaking to Letsile Tebogo. He's actually already been back on track this morning, unexpectedly, taking part in the 4x400 relay for Botswana --
WHITEFIELD: Wow. Of course.
DAVIES: -- making it through in a pretty record easy time. But it was a -- it was a great night, ultimately, for the U.S., last night. We got those three gold medals in terms of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone --
WHITEFIELD: Yeah.
DAVIES: -- in the 400 hurdles. The 110 hurdle with Grant, Woodhall and the long jumper as well. So, plenty for Team USA to celebrate.
WHITFIELD: Oh, certainly. It was -- it was a really extraordinary night. All right. Amanda Davis, thank you so much. Can't wait for more. We're just soaking it all in. Only a few days left of all this fabulous competition. Thank you. All right. So, the Olympics is filled with stories of perseverance and determination, but athletes from Ukraine have faced unimaginable obstacles.
They are training in a warzone, where many of their fellow competitors have died. Despite this adversity, the country has landed 10 medals so far, including three gold. And there could be more to come. Twin sisters from Ukraine have endured untold danger to train for the Olympics in artistic swimming. And now, they're aiming to honor fallen Ukrainian athletes, when they compete in Paris. Here's CNN's Fred Pleitgen.
(BEING VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It takes a Russian missile only about half a minute to strike Kharkiv in northeast Ukraine. Survival is tough here. Now, imagine training for the Olympics under near constant fire. Twins Maryna and Vladyslava Aleksiyiva are on Ukraine's synchronized or artistic swimming team.
VLADYSLAVA ALEKSIYIVA, UKRAINIAN SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER: There were many bad instances in Kharkiv. There is constant shelling. Almost every day, there is some explosion, both during the day and during the night.
MARYNA ALEKSIYIVA, UKRAINIAN SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER: And sometimes, the air alarm doesn't happen in time?
ALEKSIYIVA: Yes. First, the missile hits. And then, the air alarm sounds.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The pool facility, scarred by two and a half years of war. The windows blown out, temporarily sealed with plastic sheets. The practice sessions often interrupted by air-raid alerts. The athletes evacuated to the bomb shelter.
V. ALEKSIYIVA: Yes, it is hit very often. We had to jump out the pool in our wet suits and run to the shelter.
M. ALEKSIYIVA: We stressed a lot, and our training had to be interrupted.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Kharkiv is only about 25 miles from the Russian border. Moscow's forces have repeatedly tried and failed to invade the city. But the toll on the civilian population has been immense. Scores killed and wounded by Russian strikes. Maryna and Vladyslava say just getting to practice means risking their lives.
M. ALEKSIYIVA: One day, we were on our way to the training, and there was an explosion there. You're not able to think in that moment what to do.
V. ALEKSIYIVA: Where to go? We were too afraid to go on to our training, so we turned back home.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But the twins say going to the games in Paris, competing for their nation under siege is a calling so great, they're willing to brave the onslaught they see, hear, and feel every day, and which impacts their preparation so much.
[08:25:00]
V. ALEKSIYIVA: We will do everything in our power to represent our country at the Olympics in the best way possible. M. ALEKSIYIVA: This is a huge responsibility for all our athletes right now. In these Olympics, we are not only athletes, we also represent Ukraine.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): And they say they will represent all the Ukrainian athletes lost to Russia's brutal invasion, while voicing their anger at Russians allowed to compete in Paris, even though they'll be classified as individual neutral athletes.
V. ALEKSIYIVA: More than 500 athletes died during the war in Ukraine during this full-scale invasion, and they won't be able to represent their country anymore at the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, the Russian athletes are going and will represent their country, a terrorist state, at the Olympics.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Fred Pleitgen, CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And this just into CNN, at least, nine people are dead after a Russian air strike on a supermarket in eastern Ukraine. Authorities say they are trying to reach people trapped in the rubble. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted to social media that, quote, Russia will be held accountable for this terror, end quote.
Ahead in the CNN Newsroom, former President Donald Trump has been talking about a vexed problem for millions of Americans. We'll explain after this. Plus how Iranian operatives have allegedly ramped up their cyber activity to influence The U.S. presidential election. A live report straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Both presidential candidates are on the campaign trail today. Donald Trump will be in Montana, while Kamala Harris speaks in Phoenix. Both have now agreed to debate on September 10. And Trump says he's looking forward to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: She hasn't done an interview. She can't do an interview. She's barely competent. And she can't do an interview. But I look forward to the debates, because I think we have to set the record straight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:30:00]
WHITFIELD: All right. That's after he had earlier threatened to skip the ABC debate. Vice President Harris told reporters Thursday she welcomes the challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I'm glad that he's finally agreed to a debate on September 10. I'm looking forward to it, and hope he shows up. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you open to more debate?
HARRIS: I'm happy to have that conversation about an additional debate for after September 10.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. As the campaigns ramp up, the latest CNN Poll of Polls shows Harris and Trump locked in a tight race with no clear leader. They are tied at 49 percent in the head-to-head match-up. That's an average of the six most recent national polls, looking at registered or likely voters in the upcoming presidential election. They were all taken after Joe Biden announced his decision to drop out of the race. Joining me right now is Thomas Gift, the Director of the University College London Centre on U.S. Politics. Great to see you.
THOMAS GIFT, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, DIRECTOR, CENTRE ON U.S. POLITICS: Great to be with you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Let's begin with that debate that they are both now agreeing to, face-to-face, September 10. It was the date that was already set when it was Biden who would be the presumptive Democratic nominee. So, to whose advantage might this be?
GIFT: Well, I actually think that it's to Trump's advantage right now, simply because I think he's looking for something to turn around his campaign, a lot like Biden was trying to use the debate to flip the script. I think Trump is trying to do the same. He's trying to get some traction. I also think that he was quite fearful of Harris, essentially saying that he was scared to debate her. That wasn't playing well. Who actually is going to win that debate? I'm not exactly sure. I think the one interesting thing, though, is that Trump has really been downplaying expectations for Harris, which, again, is something that you tend to do the opposite of saying that she's not as smart as Biden and so on. So, I do wonder if he's going to change tax, as we get closer to the debate.
WHITFIELD: I wonder, does that kind of reveal his insecurities? That -- you know, he's doing what he often does, especially when it's a woman. He talks about their intelligence, you know, they're not ready, that they're incoherent, that they're not competent. I mean, what does that say about him?
GIFT: Yeah. No, I think you're right that Trump has a lot of insecurities. They manifest in lots of different ways. And one of the most pernicious is, just as you described. So, you know, typically, you would have candidates try to say good things about the other candidate, try to downplay your own expectations. But with Trump, it very much does seem to be the opposite. I think that he is fearful what this debate could actually mean. I think he was much more confident going into the debate against Biden. Harris is a little bit more of a wild card, not necessarily sure what to expect. You saw her back in 2020. Whenever she was running for President, engaged in several debates, but a lot has changed since then. So, I think it's very much up in the air. WHITFIELD: So, Trump has pointed out that he has not changed his campaign strategy, even though it's against a new opponent, Harris. Take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I haven't recalibrated strategy at all. It's the same policies. Open borders, weak on crime. She's -- I think she's worse than Biden, because he got forced into the position. She was there long before. She destroyed San Francisco.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: What are your thoughts on that?
GIFT: Well, I think the Trump campaign is finally starting to settle on a message against Harris, and that is that she is too far left and too progressive for most of the country. It is notable, though, that Trump says that he's not really changed his fundamental strategy from whenever he was running against Joe Biden. I really think that the Trump campaign was caught flat-footed for a week or two, these last few days, I mean, Harris and his -- her VP selection, Walz, they've really been surging, donations have been coming in. It's really changed the landscape of this campaign in a very significant way. And I was surprised that, you know, Trump didn't kind of just come out firing. He really let them sort of define the narrative for the last few weeks, and it's been to their advantage.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thomas Gift, great to see you. Thanks so much.
GIFT: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been talking about inflation as well. He's been campaigning on a pledge to bring down prices if he wins in November. Trump held a news conference Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago residence, where he took aim at the Biden administration policies. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: And you wouldn't have had inflation. You wouldn't have had any inflation, because inflation was caused by their bad energy problems. Now, they've gone back to the Trump thing, because they need the votes. They -- you know, they -- I don't know if you know, they're drilling now, because they had to go back, because gasoline was going up to $7, $8, and $9 a barrel.
[08:35:00]
So, they said, we better do what Trump -- but the day after the election, if they won, you're going to have fuel prices go through the roof. Everybody's going to be forced to buy an electric car, which you're not going to do because they don't want that.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: Let's go live to New York, as CNN's Julia Chatterley is with us again. Good morning to you. All right. So, he is taking aim at the Biden administration, placing blame with the inflation. He says, you know, there are a lot of bad energy problems that he wants to associate with the Biden administration. So, is any of what he said Correct?
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: As always, with Trump, there's an element of some truth in what he says, but he's firing blanks as far as energy policy is concerned. And it's one of his arguments of how he'll bring inflation down if he wins the election. He's been saying for years that Biden would ruin the oil industry in the United States. Yet, the data shows actually, despite the focus on the shift to renewable energies, that the Biden administration clearly has oil and gas production in the United States is at record-highs. The profits of the energy companies is exactly the same. So, irrespective of policy, they're doing their business anyway.
It is true that gas prices are around 40 percent higher than when Trump was in office, which is clearly a painful spot, and he should be pointing that out. I'll try and help him out on that point. But we know the problem is, of course, Ukraine-Russia war, geopolitics in the Middle East, and a mismatch of supply and demand, the OPEC+, the big oil players also play a role in. So, some element in truth in the concern, but I don't see what difference he's going to make when he gets into power. And it's part of the problem, if he gets into power. And that's part of the challenge of the inflation issue that we're dealing with. It's just one piece of it.
WHITFIELD: He's also promising, if he were to be back in the White House, that he can end what he is calling the inflation nightmare.
CHATTERLEY: Good luck with that. Again, I can give him a better talking point. Prices have risen 20 percent since February of 2020. Talk about that statistic and how you plan to address that, because that's the cost-of-living crisis that Americans are facing on a daily basis, and is truly painful. I think economists agree that actually one of the big kickers we were recovering from the pandemic, a big rescue act, just shy of $2 trillion was signed by President Biden, and it didn't help inflation. The way that you tackle this, of course, is that you raise interest rates, and that's what the Federal Reserve has been doing.
Now, what the former President also said yesterday was that he'd like a say in what happens with interest rates. What politician in their right mind is going to say, look, we're raising interest rates to tackle inflation and cause people more pain. They just wouldn't do it. And that's why you keep your central bank separate from your government. And if you don't trust me, ask Argentina and ask Turkey, because they know what the interference looks like and what hyperinflation feels like. And we don't want that in the United States of America. I have to say it, Fred, there was a lot of non-sense spoken yesterday in that presser.
WHITFIELD: All right. Well, thanks for breaking it down. Julia Chatterley this morning. Appreciate it. All right. Microsoft says Iranian operatives are creating fake news websites in an effort to target U.S. voters and interfere in November's election. And it comes after U.S. intelligence revealed last month that Iran was using a covert social media campaign to undermine Donald Trump's candidacy, and to increase social discord in the U.S. CNN's Katie Bo Lillis is just following this story for us from Washington. Good morning to you, Katie. So, what is the messaging on these fake websites? And how are people going to be able to discern the real thing from the fake stuff?
KATIE BO LILLIS, CNN REPORTER: Yeah, Fred. So, what Microsoft has done here is really give us two concrete examples of how Iran is carrying out this covert influence campaign that that you mentioned, that the intelligence community has been tracking to try to -- to try to damage Donald Trump's campaign, and to try to sow social discord broadly. One of these fake news websites that Microsoft has revealed is targeting at more conservative-leaning voters, and one of them is targeting more Democratic-leaning voters.
One of them is calling, and I will quote here, is calling former President Donald Trump, an opioid-pilled elephant in the Maga China shop, and I quote, raving mad litigiosaur. Another of these fake Iran- backed websites is claiming to be, quote, the trusted source for conservative news in Savannah, Georgia, and is really focused on LGTBQ issues and gender reassignment.
Microsoft has also revealed that there has been an effort by Iranian- backed operatives to try to hack the email account of a senior campaign official, with an unnamed campaign. Now, CNN has reached out to the Harris campaign. They have said that Microsoft has not informed to them that they have been targeted in that way, that Trump campaign has not responded yet to request for comment from CNN. So, at this point, we don't know which campaign, or even if it is either of the two major presidential candidate campaigns that the Iranian government targeted here.
[08:40:00]
But generally, Fred, I think what this Microsoft report shows is this real proliferation of foreign adversaries, who are attempting to kind of take a page out of the Russian playbook from the 2016 election to use social media and the Internet to try to influence American public opinion, and potentially even change votes. We see not just Russia now, but also Iran and China as well, using similar tactics to try to influence American opinion, and to try to sow discord, amplify existing divisions inside American society.
Now, it's important to note here that Microsoft has emphasized that neither of these two websites that we've just been talking about gained any real traction, at least not yet. But that could change, with Microsoft officials describing this as Iran really laying the groundwork, using contentious issues to try to amplify division going into the 2024 election.
WHITFIELD: All right. Katie Bo Lillis, thanks so much.
LILLIS: Thank you. WHITFIELD: All right. Still to come. From tornadoes to water rescues, Debby causes destruction up and down the U.S. east coast, the latest on the storm that just won't quit. Straight ahead.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Haiti has been torn apart by gang violence for years. But earlier this year, the fighting and unrest escalated, causing a humanitarian crisis. And now, the weary population is hoping the deployment of Kenyan forces to try to tackle the violence will lead to peace. Larry Madowo traveled to the Haitian capital of Port- au-Prince.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gun battles rage on the street outside one of Haiti's biggest hospitals. Kenyan police here to help local forces take back the capital from the gangs. The first 400 officers from Nairobi quickly learning how volatile Port-au-Prince can be. Minutes earlier, CNN was touring what is left of the hospital after gangs trashed it. The country's Interim Prime Minister telling us, it was just reclaimed.
GARRY CONILLE, INTERIM PRIME MINISTER OF HAITI: There is no tactical or strategic value for the gangs taking over this. This is really just about completely discrediting the state.
MADOWO (on-camera): Is enough funding coming through for the multinational security support mission here?
CONILLE: Unfortunately, not enough, and not quickly enough. Now, we understand there are a lot of emergencies going on out there. And we understand there is, to a certain extent, some Haiti fatigue. The good news is that there is hope.
MADOWO (voice-over): Midway through the interview, shots ring out.
CONILLE: But this was new.
MADOWO (voice-over): The security detail springs into action.
MADOWO (on-camera): We've been told we have to leave now. We've had shots in the air. The gangs are getting close up. The prime minister and our team are rushed away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go. Go. Go. I got your microphone.
[08:45:00]
MADOWO (voice-over): The constant menace of gang violence dominating life here, even for the country's leader. As night falls, we head out on patrol with Kenya's elite police forces, who have been brought in to help turn things around.
MADOWO (on-camera): They're using four of these American-supplied MRAPs, or tactical vehicles. And we're going to patrol from the airport, which used to be under gang control until very recently, into the downtown area, which is still contested.
MADOWO (voice-over): CNN was granted exclusive access to film the Kenyan's leading an international security force that is expected to go to 2,500 officers from 12 countries, funded mainly by the United States. Haitian police lead the way as a convoy scan surrounding buildings for any suspicious activity.
MADOWO (on-camera): Oh.
MADOWO (voice-over): We soon come under fire. Dozens of bullets hit the vehicles.
MADOWO (on-camera): The officers are very casual about it. They're calling it rain. I guess they're used to it. Just we're hearing a few more from this side of the truck.
MADOWO (voice-over): Some of these men in Haiti say, they have fought Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists on the Kenya-Somalia border.
MADOWO (on-camera): Do you think you guys can bring peace here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a lot of confidence that we are going to win this battle.
MADOWO (voice-over): More guns shots as we turn back, but the police decide not to engage. Back at headquarters, the damage from the night becomes clear. With 85 percent of Port-au-Prince under gang control, civilians here are paying a heavy price. This is one of the few operational hospitals in the capital, located in the city's red zone, and surrounded by gang territory. 22-year-old Naftali Marti has brought her malnourished baby in for treatment. She was raped by a gang member, she tells me, and has had to flee her home because of the violence. The hospital lost half of its staff last year. Those remaining are determined not to give up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to fight back.
MADOWO (on-camera): You can't leave it for the gang members?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't leave it for the gang. Someone has to fight back. Someone has to stand up.
MADOWO (voice-over): With an estimated two million Haitians living in fear of being raped or killed in their homes, fighting back against the gangs is now an international effort. Haitian forces and their allies need resources, but leaders here tell us funding and equipment are not arriving fast enough.
GODFREY OTUNGE, COMMANDER, MULTINATIONAL SECURITY SUPPORT MISSION HAITI: It's a matter of support. If they can be given the equipment that they need, these are the brave and courageous people.
MADOWO (voice-over): Through it all, this weary nation still has high hopes for peace. Larry Madowo, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: Still to come. Will Parisians take a dip in the river Seine after the Olympics are over? The city is betting on it, but locals may have other ideas. And that's next.
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WHITFIELD: All right. Take a look at this timelapse video that captured the rising flood waters and ice from a glacial dam that burst in Juneau, Alaska. A rush of water was unleashed by a melting glacier, which in turn caused a river to swell, and then sent water flowing into residential areas earlier in the week.
[08:50:00]
More than 100 homes were damaged. These kinds of disasters are becoming more common due to climate change. No injuries were reported, according to city officials.
Debby may no longer be a tropical storm, but the storm's deadly impacts are still being felt up and down the East Coast of the U.S. The remnants of Debby unleashed heavy rain overnight in South Carolina, prompting more than two dozen water rescues. You can see three children here being rescued from a Russian Creek in North Carolina. The Northeast is prepping now for Debby, as more than 35 million people are now under flood watches. Let's check in with CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa for the very latest on all this. Boy, Debby, give people a break already.
ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's been all week that we've been tracking this. Finally, the moisture starts to exit tonight, but leaving a trail of damage. Look at the flood waters across parts of North Carolina, Fayetteville, many roads closed from all of that heavy rain. Plus, we had some tornadoes that unfortunately took some lives in parts of North Carolina. You can see the wind damage there, some structures destroyed.
It is now post-tropical, meaning it's just losing the skeleton that it used to have when it was a hurricane, but it is still pumped with so much tropical moisture, still looking at a flood threat and a tornado threat. Wind gust in this are still up to 40 miles per hour, so still again could get some gusty winds. A tornado watch is in effect for over 25 million people until 2 o'clock this afternoon, includes places like Baltimore, and DC, Philly, and some of these suburbs here, of New York, parts of eastern Pennsylvania as well.
And that's because, as we have some of these what's left of outer bands of Debby, you have these little cells that can rotate. And we've been watching tornado warnings around the DC area, and then headed up into Pennsylvania from this band right here, where we just had a tornado warning. It pretty much in the DC metro. So, watching again for these little spin-ups that can continue, as we go through the day today.
Also watching some flash flooding concerns Washington, DC, right now with a considerable flood warning, meaning that they're worried about the damage. Parts of DC just got an inch to an inch and a half of rain in just 20 minutes. That's a lot of rain very quickly. And then, sometimes, you just doesn't have anywhere to go. You can see the flood warnings really even still in effect for parts of Charleston, as well as they still deal with a lot of the lingering effects of 10 to 20 inches of rain.
You can see Charleston there, and even parts of Wilmington taking on the brunt of the heavy rain in the Carolinas. Today, though, the flood watches stretch up to the Canadian border, upstate New York, even parts of Vermont and New Hampshire, as we're still looking at up to six inches of rain possible in some locations. So, the last of it continues to swirl up through New England, as we go through the day today, again, with some of that heavy rain, still looking at some totals, three to six inches possible. And again, a lot of this rain could squeeze out really quickly. So, that's what we are keeping an eye on. Behind this, we do have some development that is likely by the weekend. Fred?
WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. It is unrelenting. That's for sure. All right. Elisa Raffa, thank you so much. All right. The river Seine has certainly been a headache for Paris 2024 organizers. The city spent months cleaning it up so that it would be safe for athletes. Still, some fell ill, after last week's triathlon. Though it's not clear if the water quality was to blame. Despite that, organizers are hoping the river will be used for swimming long after the Olympics are over. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne reports, it may be a tough sell for residents.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOORNE, SENIOR PRODUCER, CNN (on-camera): This isn't the Seine. So, this is how South Parisians cool off in the summer.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): The Olympics promised to make the Seine clean and safe for swimmers, just like this canal.
VANDOORNE (on-camera): Would you swim in the Seine?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wouldn't drink a pint of it, but swim in it.
VANDOORNE (on-camera): I think I would take the risk.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): Parisians can swim in these canals, but the city is looking to open three new spots in the river Seine next year, a legacy of the Olympics.
VANDOORNE (on-camera): The canal comes from a different water source in the Seine.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): It dates back to Napoleon. And it was only open to swimming in 2017.
VANDOORNE (on-camera): But it's also tested daily for pollution and bacteria. The Seine is right there. Would you get in it if you could?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think so, because I'm afraid of getting sick.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Foreign Language)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not for me. Well, or maybe I need a suit, with a helmet and everything. But not with a swimming pool, not with a bathing suit. No, no, never.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[08:55:00]
WHITFIELD: Oh, it's gorgeous to look at, but I think I'll stay out of it too. All right. Two giant pandas made their first official public appearance at the San Diego Zoo, and made everybody just go, oh so cute. The pair are the first giant pandas to enter the U.S. in more than 20 years, as part of China's panda diplomacy program. Crowds lined up for a chance to see the pair on opening day.
Of course, they did. But if you want to see them in the coming months, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to make a reservation, and a ticket, $92 per person for a 60-minute tour, not cheap. But the pandas will be so happy to see you, and they will make you smile as well. All right. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Frederica Whitfield. Connect the World with Becky Anderson is up next.
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