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Israeli Military Says, 52-Year-Old Hostage, Father of 11 Rescued; Congressional Task Force Visits Site of Trump Shooting; Live or Muted? Harris, Trump Campaigns Spar Over Debate Mics. Aired 10- 10:30a ET

Aired August 27, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, you are live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

We begin this hour with breaking news out of the Middle East. Israel's military says it has rescued a hostage held in Gaza since the Hamas terror attacks on October 7th of last year. This man, a father of 11, had spent the last 326 days as a prisoner. There he is in the hospital a short time ago, reuniting with his brother.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is following this breaking news for us. He's live in Tel Aviv. Jeremy, what can you tell us? What's the latest? It's a remarkable story, and the details are just coming in.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Without a doubt, Jim. And we are only just starting to get some of the details, but they are indeed remarkable. The Israeli military, its special forces, carrying out an operation in Southern Gaza, rescuing this man, Kaid Farhan Al-Qadi, a- 52-year-old father of 11 from a tunnel in southern Gaza. This is the first time that the Israeli military has successfully rescued a hostage alive from a tunnel beneath the Gaza Strip. It is the fourth rescue operation in the Gaza Strip that has successfully returned hostages alive, and he is the eighth hostage to be returned by Israeli military operations coming back to Israel alive.

This operation was carried out by the Israeli military equivalent of the Navy SEALS, known as Shayetet 13, alongside several other Israeli military brigades and intelligence gathered by Israel's Shin Bet, the domestic intelligence service. He was then taken by helicopter to Soroka Medical Center. That is a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba. He is in stable medical condition, we are told, and is getting medical checks as we speak.

Several of his family members have been able to see him already, have been able to hug him after 326 days of captivity, 326 days of absolute anguish for them and uncertainty as they didn't know whether or not he was actually alive and whether he would ultimately return to Israel alive.

Now, the hostage and family forum is noting the fact that his recovery is, quote, nothing short of miraculous, but they do also underscore this critical point, and that is to say that the majority of hostages who have been released so far alive from Gaza and those who could be released in the future happen through negotiated settlements. And so they note that while that Israeli military operations alone cannot free all of the remaining 104 hostages who were taken captive on October 7th and remain captive in Gaza, that will have to happen through a deal. Jim?

ACOSTA: All right. Jeremy Diamond, keep us posted on any new developments. We'll take them. Thanks so much.

Let's discuss now with Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz. He is on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

Obviously, some very dramatic news coming out of Israel. What's your reaction to this? What can you tell us?

REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ (D-FL): Well, thanks, Jim. Obviously it's great news for the family. It's great news for the state of Israel. Obviously, Israel is continuing to show that if they have actionable intelligence, they will go and get their hostages. But obviously, it reminds us how many families are still waiting for Sinwar to release the remaining of the hostages.

And so, you know, it's great that Israel has the capability to do that if they have actionable intelligence to go and get hostages. But we have to eventually get to a deal and get Sinwar, put the pressure on Sinwar to release the remainder of the hostages.

ACOSTA: And, Congressman, I mean, to that point is enough being done, you know, on all sides? What are your thoughts on where that process stands right now?

MOSKOWITZ: Well, Jim, I mean, look, it doesn't appear to me that we've made dramatic progress. It doesn't mean that there aren't negotiations going on and that we're not getting closer, right, but we just don't know how close.

ACOSTA: Yeah.

MOSKOWITZ: It's not clear to anybody whether Sinwar is interested in a deal at all.

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And it doesn't appear to me that pressure has worked, whether it's international pressure or local pressure. In fact, it just appears to me all the pressure continues to be on Israel.

Sinwar is a single individual who's now the both political and military head of Hamas who can end this war and the suffering of the Palestinian people, get to a ceasefire and return the hostages. It's all up to him. This idea that it's up to Israel, it's just not accurate. Israel can't agree to allow Hamas to remain as the government power. And if that is what Sinwar wants, where he remains in charge, then I don't know that we're ever going to get going to get to a deal, which is why Israel is continuing when they have actual intelligence to go and rescue the hostages, which show Israel is focused on getting the hostages back. But we also can't give in to Sinwar.

And so we need international pressure on the Hamas leader to end this war and the suffering of the Palestinian people and release the hostages.

ACOSTA: And I do want to switch gears because I know you're a part of the task force investigating last month's attempted assassination of former President Trump. Yesterday, you and some of the other lawmakers, I believe we're in Butler, Pennsylvania, touring the site of the shooting. Can you tell us about that visit? What stood out to you? What can you tell us?

MOSKOWITZ: Well, everyone has read, obviously, that this building where the shooter was on the roof was close to the stage. But I got to be honest until you go there, Jim, you don't actually realize how close it was.

ACOSTAL Yeah.

MOSKOWITZ: Which makes it more outrageous, quite frankly, that he was able to get on that roof, that that roof was not within the perimeter.

And so for me, that was the most stark issue that I saw. And it leads me to believe that there were multitude of failures that day, not one specific fare. I mean, we were inches, obviously from an American catastrophe. So, the task force on a bipartisan basis is obviously going to examine all of the failures and figure out what corrective actions need to be taken so that something like that never happens again.

ACOSTA: And forgive me for asking something that maybe you can't answer. But were you given access to the roof? Were lawmakers able to get on top of the roof? Did you just get a look at it from down on the ground? Can you tell us about that? Because that seems to be, you know, really at the heart of this. You know, folks are just thinking that this is inexcusable that this area was left unguarded.

MOSKOWITZ: Yes. So, we were able to get on the roof. So, I went on the roof myself. We were also able to go inside the building where agents were inside that building. We were also able to walk from where the perimeter ended to this building to see how close it was.

There were some interesting things that we learned. One was the parking lot that is next to this building was closed off the cars, but it wasn't closed off the people. So, people just walked in, right, and were able to get up to this fence line where the perimeter was. I mean, you're talking that it's a clear shot to the stage both from the perimeter and from the elevated position of that stage.

I mean, it's just an outrageous failure by the Secret Service to have allowed this to not be in the perimeter or to not have it better guarded to keep people from the public. While we don't have direct evidence of it yet, Jim, I mean, it just appears to me there's no doubt that the shooter had known this facility had cased it maybe a day before, because he entered the roof on the farthest side of the building and then walked to the closest side of the structure closest to the stage. He had to know these buildings had the roof connecting. And the only way you can see that is from being on top.

And so while we have not been provided evidence that he's done that, he had to have known that he jumped on an air handler, and that's how we got on to the building.

ACOSTA: And as you know, former President Trump is resuming these outdoor rallies. You know, obviously, there are some who say that this is maybe not a safe thing to do given what took place last month. What are your thoughts on that? Should presidential campaigns have these outdoor rallies or is that just too dangerous?

MOSKOWITZ: That's an interesting question. Many of the task force members on a bipartisan basis were discussing what is the role between campaign, Democrat or Republican and Secret Service? Does Secret Service get to veto a specific site if they deem it too dangerous? And we don't believe that they have that authority and that's something that we could discuss for the future.

And so, yes, you know, we're looking at whether or not this site should have been picked at all. It's kind of a learning lesson for the future. But Secret Service says they've taken corrective actions. But we want to see those corrective actions. So, one of the things task members were talking about is accompanying the campaigns on the road to see these corrective actions in place, trust, but verify.

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And so there are a multitude of investigations going on, an inspector general, a special panel, Homeland Security, FBI, Secret Service, the task force in Congress and committees in the Senate. And so we got to get to an answer, and we got to tell the public information as soon as possible to stop these theories that are both, you know, on different sides of the spectrum that, one, it was an inside job or the other, that the whole thing was staged. And that's the agencies are not sharing information in real time.

ACOSTA: Well, I was going to ask you about that because there's just been a lot of rhetoric flying around about, you know, who the shooter was and what his motivations might have been. Have you gotten anywhere in terms of that?

MOSKOWITZ: No, we've not been provided that information. And I get why people are using their imagination, because it's so unimaginable that someone could get on a roof, have a clear line of shot to a former president so close to the stage. And sometimes, Jim, when we test these thick areas of government, like in my high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, in the shooting, we saw a multitude of failures that day that led to that horrific event at my high school. There wasn't one thing that went wrong. It was dozens of things that went wrong,

ACOSTA: Right.

MOSKOWITZ: I think the same thing is the case here. Dozens of things were wrong that day. But until we until something gets tested, you don't know how it's going to how it's going to fail. And so this failure is so unimaginable that people are saying, well, that's not possible without, you know, maybe it was this or maybe it was that. But that's why it's incumbent upon these agencies to share this information so that the vacuum doesn't get filled with misinformation.

ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Moskowitz, thank you very much for your time. We appreciate it. And keep us posted on any developments from that very important investigation. Thanks so much.

MOSKOWITZ: Thanks.

ACOSTA: All right, coming up, dueling campaign ads while Kamala Harris is focusing on the economy, Donald Trump is on the attack.

Plus, the wondering is over. They're putting their family feud aside. At least that's what we think at this point. Oasis is reuniting after a 15-year break. What's behind the Gallagher brothers' change of heart, that's coming up. Stay with us.

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ACOSTA: To debate or not to debate, that is the question this week. Former President Donald Trump is flip flopping and undermining his own campaign over the issue of microphones at ABC's upcoming debate. It's set for two weeks from now. The Harris campaign wants open mics, the Trump campaign does not. As for the candidate himself, it's hard to pin down exactly where he stands.

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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I am willing to debate, and I think we should do much more than one debate.

Let's do it with another network. I want to do it. I think ABC really should be shut out.

REPORTER: Would you want the microphones muted in the debate whenever you're not speaking?

TRUMP: We agreed to the same rules. I don't know. It doesn't matter to me. I'd rather have it probably on, but the agreement was that it would be the same as it was last time.

TRUMP: I shouldn't say this, because if there's a debate, it would be nice to surprise it with that one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: It's not lost on the Harris campaign that the former president does not have the cleanest track record on open mics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The radical left --

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Will you shut up, man?

TRUMP: Listen, who is on your list, Joe? Who's on your list?

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Gentlemen, I think we've ended this.

BIDEN: This is so unpresidential.

TRUMP: He's going to pack the court and he's not going to give a list.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: As this debate over the debate is heating up, Harris is hoping to make some inroads on an issue critical to voters, and that is lowering prices.

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KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: When I am elected president, I will make it a top priority to bring down costs. We should be doing everything we can to make it more affordable to buy a home.

Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a tax cut. I will help families letting you keep more of your hard earned money.

Donald Trump fights for billionaires and large corporations. I will fight to give money back to working and middle class Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: This new ad is part of a $150 ad blitz targeting battleground states. And joining us to talk about it is Republican Governor Doug Burgum's former presidential campaign spokesman Lance Trover and senior adviser for the Harris campaign and former mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Keisha, great to see you. Let me talk to you about this new ad. What are your thoughts? I mean, this is a little bit of a challenge for the Harris campaign. If you look at some of the polling, according to a CBS poll, 48 percent of Americans believe the price of food and groceries will go up if Harris wins, 37 percent think the same about Trump. This inflation issue is a sticking point. How do you think she should address it?

KEISHA LANCE BOTTOM, SENIOR ADVISER, HARRIS-WALZ CAMPAIGN: Well, she's talking about the issues that people are talking about in the hair salons and the barbershops. We know that the economy is a very important issue, and I think this is an opportunity for her to distinguish herself, perhaps in some ways from the Biden campaign. But what I most appreciate about this ad is when she talks about making home ownership affordable. That's not just for first time home buyers. We know that's important, but it's for parents like me who are ready for our kids to launch or and even in some cases where we are helping to take care of our aging, very active parents.

So, I think talking about lowering costs is something that impacts everyone. And I think this is a great opportunity for her to continue to hone in on those messages that people are talking about in their everyday lives.

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ACOSTA: And, Lance, this is an issue you want to talk about. This is a debate you want to have.

LANCE TROVER, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, DOUG BURGUM PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Yes, absolutely. I think the voters are going to be a tad confused here, because Kamala Harris has spent the last couple of years telling everybody Bidenomics is working. Everything is hunky dory. Bidenomics is working.

So, there's going to be some confusion, I think, from voters saying, well, if everything's going so well, why are you now telling us, oh, prices are up? Yes, prices are up 20 percent. So, it's good that there is a recognition from her that prices are going up. But I think the problem she's going to have from a political standpoint is that she has been part of this administration where prices have been soaring.

So, you saw it in the polling there. Almost 50 percent of the country thinks, oh, yes, prices are going to go up. Well, guess what, because prices have been going up while she and Joe Biden have been in office.

ACOSTA: Well, she deserved the chance to lay out what Harrisnomics is.

TROVER: Well, I mean, via T.V. ads. I mean, it would be nice to ask her some of these questions if she would do a television interview. It's something I'm going to keep hammering on, because I think these are important questions. If Bidenomics is working so well, then why do you even have to talk about it right now?

ACOSTA: Keisha, let me go back to you. I do want to go back to this conversation about whether or not Donald Trump is going to do this debate. You heard, we were playing a little bit of the back and forth that he's been taking everybody through in the last couple of minutes there, you know, as to whether there's going to be a microphone muting or not during the upcoming debate on ABC. I mean, what have you what have you been thinking about with all of this? I mean, the Harris campaign should just sit back and I guess let this play out.

BOTTOMS: Who knows what Donald Trump is going to do on any given day? I don't know that Donald Trump knows what he's going to do, but I do know this. Donald Trump is afraid of Kamala Harris. And Kamala Harris is used to dealing with bullies, whether it be defendants in a courtroom as a prosecutor or whether it be as a senator. She's used to dealing with very skilled attorneys.

So, I do believe that Donald Trump should be very afraid to debate her. But I think the more opportunities people have to hear how chaotic Donald Trump is and how undisciplined he is, I think it bodes well for Kamala Harris.

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, Lance, you were saying that Kamala Harris should do a press conference or an interview. I mean, that's all well and good, but, I mean, shouldn't Donald Trump do a debate? He has been saying anytime, anywhere, you know?

TROVER: Yes. look, there's going to be a debate.

ACOSTA: Mic's on, mic's off. I mean, honestly, who cares at this point? If you're going to be president of the United States, who cares what the mic is doing? Just debate.

TROVER: We're in the debate over the debates, which, by the way, the Harris campaign said last week we were not having this debate anymore. They're the ones who raised the issue of the mic, if I read the news correctly. But, look, there will be a debate. There needs to be a debate, because this might be one of the few times, Jim, only people in the media and others are going to hear from Kamala Harris unscripted and not in front of a teleprompter.

So, if I'm the Trump campaign, I want there to be -- there needs to be a debate, and I think if you're a voter, there needs to be a debate, because I don't think -- look, I think there's a real strategy that they are employing here on the Harris side, and I understand it, to not do unscripted events that are not in front of a teleprompter. So, there has to be a debate. There will be a debate.

ACOSTA: But she's been vice president. I mean, she's done interviews. I mean, she's taken questions. What is -- I don't understand. What is this whole --

TROVER: Well, you're running for president of the United States.

ACOSTA: But, Lance, what is this whole thing that -- I mean, Keisha, I mean, you know, Kamala Harris. Well, I mean, she's done press conferences. She's done interviews. I mean, some of this, I think, is trying to stay on message, right, and something Trump has had, had some trouble with.

BOTTOMS: I believe this is only an insider conversation. Obviously, those in the media may want to see her doing the interview and insiders are talking about her sitting down to do an interview. But I can tell you, in the hundreds of people that I've talked to about this campaign, not one person has mentioned having a care about whether or not she sits down to do an interview.

And I do believe that will happen in due time, but what we have seen from Kamala Harris, what we saw during the convention last week was someone who's very much in command, someone who is ready to lead someone who's been leading. And I just want to remind people the Biden-Harris administration came in after a global pandemic, where the entire world was in chaos. So, Bidenomics have been working. Kamala Harris has taken that one step further to tell you what her plan will be. When she debates Donald Trump, she'll have an opportunity if he shows up to lay out even more of her plans and be able to take him head on. And the entire world will get a chance to see where they both stand.

ACOSTA: I do want to ask, Lance, Trump has talked about including, I guess, Elon Musk in his White House, so let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Elon and I have a great relationship. He's great. He is a totally unusual character. What he really would like to do is get involved in cutting some of the fat. And he does know how to do it.

He wants to be involved. Now, look, he's running big businesses and all that, so he can't really -- I don't think he'd be cabinet.

[10:25:03]

I'd put him in the cabinet, absolutely, but I don't know how he could do that with all the things he's got going.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: I mean, Lance, do you want to see a Trump administration with Elon Musk in the cabinet, RFK Jr. in the cabinet? Does that sound like a good idea?

TROVER: I think it's a prerogative of the president to choose who he wants in an administration. Look, he's an outsider. He brings an outside -- he's an outside thinker. That's why a lot of people, voters out there like him. I'm very skeptical that Elon Musk is going to be in the administration given his business things going on if they're in conflicts that might arise.

ACOSTA: He's a little busy. Yes, that's true. All right, Lance, Keisha Lance Bottoms, two Lances this morning in a way, but we appreciate it. Thanks so much, guys. Nice talking to both of you.

All right, coming up next new CNN reporting, the latest on some controversial election rules in a major battleground state. You're not going to want to miss this. It's coming up.

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