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Hurricane Milton Now a Cat 4; Trump Falsely Claims $1 Stolen from FEMA; One Year Without Their Loved One; Harris Responds to GOP's Childless Attacks; New Forecast on Hurricane Milton. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired October 07, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: -- continues to push a whirlwind of lies, doubling down on debunked claims about the Biden administration's response. And here's just one example.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank so they could give it to their illegal immigrants. They want to have vote for them.

We're missing a billion dollars. They gave them to the migrants that came in. And now, we don't have the money. We'll do it. But when they don't have the money to take care of, that's why they're giving you lousy treatment in North Carolina in particular.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And joining me now to fact check this senior reporter for CNN, Daniel Dale, our fact checker. Danny, I mean, there are actually too many lies about this to do in this segment, but let's take these as many as we can, one at a time. What about this false claim?

DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: So, this was a double lie. This was a two for one. So, first of all, there is no Biden administration illegal scheme to illegally register undocumented people to vote in this election. Non-citizen voting is a felony. It's rare. There's no conspiracy here.

And then, this bigger claim. So, there is no basis for saying that money was stolen from FEMA, money is missing. Let me give you the facts here. So, there are two separate pots of money we're talking about, each of them specifically appropriated by Congress for a specific purpose.

So, there's more than $35 billion in disaster relief money that was appropriated to FEMA disaster relief in this fiscal year. And then there was a much smaller pot of money, about $650 million that Congress said, we're going to give to Customs and Border Protection to shelter and support migrants, and we're going to have Customs and Border Protection transfer that money to FEMA to administer the program, because they have experience administering grant programs.

Again, two separate pots. There is no reason, no basis for saying that there's some sort of hanky-panky, some sort of theft here. Just not happening.

ACOSTA: Yes. And we had a FEMA official on earlier who said they have the resources right now to deal with Helene. So, they have the money. They have it.

DALE: They have it.

ACOSTA: And Trump is also falsely claiming this about North Carolina residents who lost everything in the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They're offering them 750 to people whose homes have been washed away. We give foreign countries hundreds of billions of dollars and we're handing North Carolina $750.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Yes, what's going on with the $750 then?

DALE: So, this is nonsense again. So, the $750 Jim, that is immediate upfront assistance that survivors of the hurricane can access quickly for emergency needs, making sure they have food for them and their families, that they have water, that they have baby formula, emergency supplies. But in addition to that, survivors are eligible to apply for various additional forms of aid that can total in a thousand or tons of thousands. So, temporary housing assistance, medical and dental assistance, even the home repair assistance can itself total up to $42,500.

And just one more point, Jim, since he's comparing, you know, aid to North Carolina victims to Ukraine aid, government to government aid, like the federal government is providing $100 million this weekend to the North Carolina Department of Transportation to quickly repair roads and bridges. So, there's personal assistance plus billions more federal government to state and local government.

ACOSTA: Yes. And I mean, we're doing this a rapid-fire fashion, but later on in the program, we're going to also play some sound from Trump where he's just says FEMA is not even there.

DALE: Yes.

ACOSTA: That the federal government is not even there. I mean, these are verifiable things that people should know. These are just -- these comments that he's making are just not true.

DALE: They're not, they're not. It's absolute nonsense.

ACOSTA: All right. And if you want to follow more of Daniel's reporting, you can find it on cnn.com. Daniel, thank you as always. Appreciate it so much. DALE: Doming up one year later, the Israeli hostages are still not home. Up next, I'll speak with the family of Edan Alexander on what they want to see happen on this somber day. Stay with us for that. Coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

ACOSTA: Today marks one year since the deadly Hamas terror attacks in Israel. Video from the Nova music festival site this morning shows families and friends mourning the people who were killed or taken hostage on that terrible day. Right now, a year later, nearly a hundred people remain missing, including seven Americans.

The parents of one hostage. Join me now. They're back on the program. They've been with us before. Yael and Adi Alexander's son, Edan, was kidnapped by Hamas while he was serving as a volunteer for the Israeli Defense Forces.

And, Yael and Adi, thank you so much again for being with us. My heart breaks every time we speak about this, and I guess if you could tell us when is the last time you got an update on your son? What are your reflections on this day? You know, our hearts are really with you in this moment. What can you tell us?

YAEL ALEXANDER, SON EDAN KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: Good morning. Thank you for having us. It's really tough, you know, to wake up to the morning that one year ago, it was the last time that I heard Edan's voice. Knowing that, it's heartbreaking for us. You know, we live in deep sadness. It's very tough.

The one thing that keep us hopeful and strengthening us that people that rescue on November release told us that they saw Edan on October 7 in tunnels, in Hamas tunnels, and he was looking strong. He was looking fine and they didn't hurt him. He was sitting there very calm. He was trying to encourage people to say to them, you all civilians, don't worry, we will get out very fast. He was holding children. He was talking with teenagers, saying to them, I'm American. I live in Jersey. My mom here in Tel Aviv with me. He was telling them a lot of stuff about him and it keep us strong to know that Edan was strong.

[10:40:00]

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And I mean, when I look at the photos that we're showing he's just so young, you know, and yet, he was showing so much bravery in that moment. You have to hope that that's what's getting him through this.

Y. ALEXANDER: I really hope so. Listen, Edan is full of life, loving the good life. He is very funny. He is very friendly. So, all of this testimonial that came to us, I wasn't surprised that Edan touched so many people with his kindness and heart. And yes, this is Edan.

ACOSTA: And Adi, what is the message to Prime Minister Netanyahu, to the terrorists? What is the message that that these human beings, that we have to do something about saving these human beings, people like Edan?

ADI ALEXANDER, SON EDAN KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: So, the main message is that every day without the ceasefire deal that secures the release of the hostages and humanitarian aid into Gaza put everybody else around the -- this region in a greater risk. Now, we already know that Hamas is willing to kill. And every delay makes that reality more likely.

ACOSTA: And what gives you hope at this point?

A. ALEXANDER: At this point, we're really hopeful because Edan is a strong kid. He's a former swimmer. He was in a good spirit when he was taken down to the tunnels. We hope that they are being held with others so they can comfort each other and lean on each other. And we will not stop fighting for him.

Y. ALEXANDER: Everyone needs to understand we are urging to do this deal fast. This is human life. This is humanitarian crisis. Who thought a year after my son still is going to be in Gaza, in tunnels without any human rights, you know? We thought, at first, it's going to take weeks, maybe month, maybe after Christmas, you know, this was our timeline. And now, after a year and we are still in this fight for his life, it's unbelievable.

ACOSTA: Yes. It needs to stop. Edan and the other hostages need to come home. And if we could just show his picture one more time again. He is -- he's such -- look at the brightness of this young man. That's what I keep coming back to, Yael. He just looks like such a bright, handsome young man. And we just want to see him come home.

Y. ALEXANDER: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Yes.

A. ALEXANDER: Sure. Thank you.

ACOSTA: Yael and Adi, thank you so much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

ACOSTA: All right. 29 days until Election Day and Vice President Kamala Harris is firing back at her critics. In a recent interview, she was asked about Republicans attacking her for not having biological children of her own, including this recent slam from Arkansas' Republican governor and the former White House press secretary under Donald Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS (R-AR): My kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn't have anything keeping her humble.

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: I don't think she understands that there are a whole lot of women out here who, one, are not aspiring to be humble. Family comes in many forms. And I think that increasingly, you know, all of us understand that, you know, this is not the 1950s anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: With us now to discuss it and political commentator and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and former White House spokesman for President George W. Bush Pete Seat. Maria, let me start with you first. You're here with me in the studio. I mean, how do you think Harris handled that?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I think she handled it beautifully, because she's absolutely right. You know, for all of history, women have been kept humble. So, if you are ambitious, if you want to do some great things in your life, then you're welcome to do that. That's number one.

Number two, the governor of Arkansas should be ashamed of herself because she is trying to shame women who don't have naturally born children. And that is just -- it's not just tone deaf, it's insulting and it's offensive to so many women and families who are in nontraditional families today in this country.

ACOSTA: And Harris is doing a media blitz all this week. She's going to be on Howard Stern. She was on this podcast. She's on 60 Minutes tonight. Did she need to do this sooner, get more aggressive with these media appearances sooner?

CARDONA: No, I think she's doing it at the exact right time. Let's remember the contracted nature and the timeline of this campaign, she hasn't been the nominee for a year, right. She's only been the nominee for a couple of months. And what was her priority? Her priority was to introduce herself and to have conversations with voters. That's exactly what she has been doing since day one.

ACOSTA: And, Pete, over the weekend, I do want to talk about Former President Trump. He went back to Butler, Pennsylvania, where that first attempt on his life happened over the summer. His son, Eric and his running mate, J. D. Vance, were suggesting that Democrats somehow were responsible for this attempt. Let's listen to this.

[10:50:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC TRUMP, SON OF DONALD TRUMP: They tried to bankrupt us. They came after us. And then, guys, they tried to kill him. They tried to kill him. And it's because the Democratic Party, they can't do anything right.

SEN. JD VANCE (R-OH), REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: With all the hatred they have spewed at President Trump, it was only a matter of time before somebody tried to kill him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Pete, isn't that just hogwash? PETE SEAT, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND VICE PRESIDENT, BOSE PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP: Absolutely, it is hogwash, and I wish they would not have said it. What happened is a result of the fact that we don't respect one another as human beings. The fact that we are obsessed with our perpetual rightness. No one can realize that maybe we have things wrong and our biases, whether they be political, geographic, or whatever, are not always accurate.

But I want to go back to this Kamala Harris thing and calling it a media blitz. It might be a blitz, but it's not a media blitz. She is playing hide and seek with legitimate journalists. Where's the Jim Acosta, the Jake Tapper, the Wolf Blitzer? She's prioritizing Howard Stern and Stephen Colbert and this "Call Me Daddy," or "Call Her Daddy" podcast. She spent more time on that podcast than she has spent with real journalists, national journalists, cumulatively since becoming the nominee.

CARDONA: Wow.

ACOSTA: Pete, I love the shoutout, but she is on 60 Minutes tonight. I mean, she is on 60 Minutes.

CARDONA: Yes. Come on, Pete. That's ridiculous.

ACOSTA: They're not too shabby.

CARDONA: Just because she's not doing all --

SEAT: Well, it hasn't aired yet. We'll see how it goes for her.

CARDONA: -- of the interviews that you just mentioned -- just because she's not doing every single one of the interviews that you just mentioned, it doesn't mean that she's not doing traditional media. Like we were just talking about this, Jim, 60 Minutes is as traditional as you can get.

And by the way, where's Donald Trump? Donald Trump turned it down. Is he scared? Donald Trump turned down a second debate. Is he scared? Who's not answering questions now? So, it's ridiculous, this kind of slap at her. And I think it indicates nervousness, a little bit of desperation on behalf of the Trump campaign because they know she is getting to people who don't necessarily watch or listen to traditional media anymore. Call -- the "Call Her Daddy" podcast --

ACOSTA: I guess one question I have --

CARDONA: -- is the second most popular podcast in the world.

ACOSTA: Yes. But did she wait too long to get into this mode where she has to do a lot of interviews to respond to a lot of the lies out there that Trump has been peddling, especially about the storm, Pete. I do want to show some of this to our viewers. He's been pushing lies about the federal response to Hurricane Helene. Let's listen to this and talk about it on the other side. I mentioned this earlier with Daniel, but I did want to play it. Let's play this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It steals your wealth and abandons your family when the floods waters rise, those flood waters rise and they were gone. They haven't seen anybody from the federal government yet. The federal government isn't there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: They haven't seen anyone from the federal government yet. I mean, that is -- you know, one of the things I've heard from Trump supporters on this program and others is that, well, there's a kernel of truth, you know, and what are you saying? In this, the kernels left town. There's no kernel, Pete.

SEAT: Yes, there's no kernel of truth there. We should not be politicizing natural disasters. And we have another one. We have another hurricane that is coming down on Florida. And if I had my choice, Jim, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump would get in a room together, cut a video, talking about all the services that are available to Americans impacted by these natural disasters to make sure they can get back on their feet faster.

ACOSTA: Yes.

CARDONA: Yes. I don't think Kamala Harris needs to do that because she's been doing that as she talks to FEMA, as she talks to Americans, she's been doing exactly that. Donald Trump is the one who needs to do that. He needs to do it from the truthful --

ACOSTA: But one of the things that she did in this podcast that aired over the weekend where she was talking about Sarah Huckabee Sanders is that she's pushing back on other lies about when Trump says that people want to kill the baby and talk about abortion and so on.

My question, Maria, is whether she has just waited too long to confront and tackle these lies one by one. Should she have been more aggressive, do you think?

CARDONA: No, I think every time that she has the opportunity to push back on those lies, she does exactly that. And she does it with voters in addition to the platforms and the outlets that she's talking to now. And this whole FEMA issue, as you know, this is critical because you remember Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, he came down and he threw paper towels at Puerto Ricans. He lied about the death toll. He lied about his response. And so, this just underscores the hypocrisy and the complete and total unfitness of Donald Trump as president.

ACOSTA: All right. Maria and Pete, I'm sure we'll be talking about more of this in the days to come with another storm on the way. No doubt about it. All right. Thanks so much, guys. Really appreciate it.

CARDONA: Thanks, Jim.

ACOSTA: And, Pete, thanks for the shout out. That was very nice of you. Coming up, in just minutes, we'll get the latest track from the National Hurricane Center on Hurricane Milton is a big, powerful storm. Look at this right now. It could strengthen to a Category 5. It is turning into a real monster. We're going to have to keep our eyes on it. Stay with us for more on all of that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

ACOSTA: And thank you all for joining me this morning. I want to bring in my good friend Pamela Brown. Pamela, one of the things I'm worried about, I tell you, this Hurricane Milton, Category 4, could become a Category 5. It's projected to do that. This is just downright scary, I mean, just days after Helene.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. So many people are recovering from Helene, as you know --

[11:00:00]