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Protests Take Over Israel after Hostage Killings; Trump Promises IVF Covered by Government or Insurance. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired September 02, 2024 - 06:00   ET

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

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR/CORRESPONDENT: It is Monday, September 2. Right now on CNN THIS MORNING.

[06:00:34]

Thousands of Israelis flooding the streets, angry at their government after six hostages were found murdered in Gaza, including one American.

Plus, President Biden and Vice President Harris headed to the Situation Room, working furiously to get the negotiations back on track.

And this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.

So, I'll be voting no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Donald Trump's abortion flip-flop. In just 24 hours, he said he'd vote yes and no on Florida's six-week abortion ban.

And shifting from candidate to surrogate. Today, President Biden returns to the campaign trail for the first time since dropping out of the race.

It is 6 a.m. here in New York.

This is a live look at New York City on this Labor Day. Good morning, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean, in for Kasie Hunt. It is great to be with you.

We're going to start off this hour in Israel, where massive protests filling the streets, and a general strike is bringing the country to a standstill.

Anger and outrage spilling into the streets after six hostages who were taken by Hamas terrorists on October 7 were found dead by Israeli forces in Gaza over the weekend. Among the dead is an Israeli-American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Israeli officials saying the hostages were killed just days earlier as the IDF forces moved in on Hamas positions.

Israel's prime minister condemned Hamas for the killings and said he's working to bring the hostages home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Whoever murders hostages does not want a deal. For our part, we will not relent. The government of Israel is committed, and I am personally committed to continue striving towards a deal that will return all of our hostages and ensure our security and our existence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: But the prime minister's words not enough to calm protests, and a general strike is now happening nationwide. Protesters are calling on Israel's government to agree to a deal which would bring more than 100 hostages who are still in Hamas custody back home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EFRAT MACHIKAWA, NIECE OF 80-YEAR-OLD HOSTAGE, GADI MOSES: We are crying out for international assistance and for people within our government, and especially our prime minister, who is really making a very dark legacy of what he does, to stop and get that ceasefire, and get them home.

MOSHE LAVI, BROTHER-IN-LAW KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS: We've already achieved so many military achievements in dismantling Hamas and military capabilities. So, what we want to see is that we prioritize them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is joining us now from London.

Salma, it seemed like over the past few weeks, certainly, there was increased hope for a ceasefire deal, that perhaps it was close. Where do things stand now? And what are we seeing play out inside Israel?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think if you speak to the people on the streets today -- and I do believe we have live images to show you -- there is just this very palpable sense of frustration and heartbreak.

There is a feeling that maybe nothing can be done unless we put Prime Minister Netanyahu's feet to the fire. That's exactly what's happening today.

Labor unions have called for a nationwide strike. The stated goal here is to shut down the economy until Prime Minister Netanyahu agrees to a deal.

And we're going to take a listen to how the head of the country's largest labor union put his call to action.

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ARNON BAR-DAVID, ISRAEL'S HISTADRUT LABOR UNION LEADER (through translator): I call on the people of Israel to take to the streets this evening, tomorrow. Leave the workplaces. I call on all economic organizations in the state of Israel, everyone to join the strike.

Tomorrow, we must shout the cry of our beloved country. We must raise the cry of our hostages, our displaced, our dead. The state of Israel must be returned to normal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: A very impassioned plea there. And I think it's the details around the killing of these six hostages that has really fueled and motivated the anger here.

It's the fact that Israeli troops were just a short distance away, essentially, when these six hostages were killed at close range. It's the fact that three of these six hostages should have been released if a deal would have been reached.

[06:05:00]

It's the fact that the Israeli-American hostage you mentioned, of course, one of the faces, really, of this movement. His family, only a couple of weeks ago, was standing at the DNC saying, bring them home.

Now you might ask me, Prime Minister Netanyahu, listening to those streets, listening to those chants happening right now, while the structural issues remain the same. His cabinet, his far-right government is against this hostage deal. In fact, some ministers have even said they would resign if he agreed to any ceasefire deal.

Only one voice has come out against -- or for, rather, this hostage deal: Yoav Gallant, who's calling this government's failings a moral disgrace.

DEAN: Salma Abdelaziz, thank you so much for that reporting. We appreciate it.

In just hours, Israelis will bury one of those hostages, Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents spoke at the Democratic National Convention less than two weeks ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON POLIN, FATHER OF KILLED HOSTAGE: In an inflamed Middle East, we know the one thing that can most immediately release pressure and bring calm to the entire region, a deal that brings this diverse group of 109 hostages home and ends the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Over the weekend, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed grief and anger over the killing of the six hostages.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Well, my heart breaks for the family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. What we need now is an end to the war.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Heartbroken, devastated, mad. Jon and Rachel had done everything in their power to help their son be released.

SEN. TOM COTTON (R-AR): My heart goes out to all the families, especially Hersh Goldberg-Polin's family, our fellow American. There are other fellow Americans still to be accounted for.

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): These sons of (EXPLETIVE DELETED) who did this ought to be hunted down and brought to justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Later this morning, President Biden and Vice President Harris will head to the Situation Room to discuss where those ceasefire negotiations stand.

Joining me now, White House bureau chief for "The Washington Post," Toluse Olorunnipa; before -- former Biden White House director of message planning, Megan Hays; and former Tim Scott presidential campaign senior adviser, Matt Gorman. Good morning to all of you. Thanks so much for being here with us on this Labor Day.

Toluse, let's just start first with you. We're hearing reactions from lawmakers over the last several days. What are you taking away from what you're hearing from everyone?

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF, "THE WASHINGTON POST": This is a sea change moment.

This long-awaited ceasefire has been negotiated for a very long time. President Biden has been saying it's close for a very long time.

But now we see the death of an American, the death of five other hostages. And it's very clear that something has to change. It's part of the reason you see President Biden and Vice President Harris having this impromptu meeting at the Situation Room today. They are going to try to push both sides towards inching towards this ceasefire in a more significant way, in part because they don't want any more hostages to die, in part because they realize that this is a political headache. In part because they realize that having Americans die overseas is one of the most challenging things that a president or a vice president or a presidential candidate could face while in office.

And so, this is obviously a tragedy, but it's also a major political headache for the Biden White House. And so, they are scrambling, trying to figure out how to get this issue resolved as quickly as possible.

They are seeing these protests happening in Israel, and they know that there's a major groundswell under foot to try to get the Israeli government to move towards a ceasefire.

They know that there's a lot of anger at Hamas right now. They know that a ceasefire may be harder to get after the deaths of these hostages, but it's important to get something that would release the remaining hostages, including a number of Americans who, if those Americans are to be killed in the coming days, would make it much harder for Vice President Harris to say that she should be the commander in chief for another four years.

DEAN: And Meghan, it was -- it was interesting yesterday, because we heard from Biden and Harris on this.

But what we did not hear from them was any sort of pressure on external or public pressure on Netanyahu. Our reporting indicating that they are hoping that comes internally from Israelis to put the pressure on their leadership.

But to Toluse's point, what kind of political pressure are they under in this moment?

MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING: I think they've been under political pressure since this happened in October.

I think that they are still walking that fine line of Israel has the right to protect itself. But Hamas is a terrorist organization. And then we have a humanitarian crisis with the Palestinian people.

So, I think that they've been walking this fine line, but I think that this is reaching a tipping point. And I think that they, you know -- they released a statement a couple of weeks ago, saying there was framework in place and that there is a ceasefire that was imminent. And then it doesn't seem to ever cross the finish line.

So, there's no -- you know, it's been made clear that there's no reason that the ceasefire can't happen, that the framework is there and both parties just aren't agreeing to it.

[06:10:02]

So, I think that they are going to have to start putting more pressure on Netanyahu and as well as the Hamas leaders to -- to get this done. But they are under a tremendous amount of pressure to walk this fine line.

DEAN: Yes. And Matt, we heard from -- also from former President Trump this weekend and Vice President Harris. Harris noting she spoke to the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, writing she told them "As they mourn this terrible loss, they are not alone. Our nation mourns with them."

And then we had the statement from Trump, who wrote, "We grieve the senseless death of the Israeli hostages." He later added though, quote, "Make no mistake. This is because -- this happened because Comrade Kamala Harris and Crooked Joe Biden are poor leaders."

These are very different types of messages. MATT GORMAN, FORMER TIM SCOTT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISOR:

Yes, I mean, a couple of things, right? The choice really here isn't ceasefire or, you know -- the easiest way for this to stop is have Hamas stop killing the hostages.

I mean, that is the simplest way for this to happen. The choice isn't a ceasefire or Hamas to kill these people. I think that is kind of the false binary choice here, you know.

That's -- Hamas to stop killing hostages is the surest way for hostages to stop dying. That's No. 1.

No. 2 is one of things I'm looking for, especially now as college students are coming back on campus. Weather is getting a little warmer. And we're approaching, obviously, not just you know, this terrible moment. But October 7, the one-year anniversary.

Do we see some more of those protests, riots, antisemitic demonstrations we saw in the spring, in the shadow of election day, while people are early voting? What does that do to the presidential campaign stateside, as well?

DEAN: And Toluse, I know you've done extensive reporting on -- on the administration and how they're trying to handle this. You have to think that they are quite cognizant of what Matt is just laying out, that the kids will be returning back to school. That protests could -- could flare up again.

And as you point out, this is really a turning point in a lot of ways.

OLORUNNIPA: For sure. There's obviously a lot of anger over the deaths of the hostages who were killed in recent days.

But the Biden administration is also focusing on the anger that we're seeing on the college campuses, that we're seeing in the Arab American community; anger about the humanitarian crisis that we've seen in the Palestinian territory and Gaza.

And that's part of the reason why the Biden administration has been trying to walk this fine line and saying that, yes, Israel needs to be able to defend itself. Yes, Hamas is a terrorist organization. Yes, we should try to get these hostages home as quickly as possible.

But also voicing some condemnation of the way Israel has prosecuted this war. The number of civilian casualties. You heard Kamala Harris talk about that over and over again, saying too many civilians have been killed.

And that's part of the reason that they are going to have to speak to not only the voters, who are really outraged by the terrorist activities of Hamas and the willingness to kill hostages after keeping them captive for more than -- for almost one year.

But also, people who are angry at how Israel has prosecuted this war. People who are angry at the number of people who have died as a result of the bombs that American -- America has supplied to Israel and the way that Israel has used those weapons.

And so, there is a very delicate political balancing act that both Kamala Harris and President Biden have to carry out over the coming days, realizing that not only do they have to handle this from a foreign policy perspective, but they have to really speak to their domestic audiences.

They have to also realize that Prime Minister Netanyahu faces domestic pressures of his own. And they have to navigate both of those political atmospheres in a way that would allow a ceasefire to be reached, because that's their ultimate goal. They realize that, if they are able to get a ceasefire, they will be able to put this issue on the backburner and not on the front burner -- front burner for the election in November.

DEAN: Yes. All right. Panel, stay stick around with us. Up next on CNN THIS MORNING, Donald Trump promised to cover the cost of IVF.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Your government will pay for, or require insurance companies to pay for, all costs associated with IVF fertility treatment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: This morning, some Republicans pouring cold water on that idea.

Plus, new polling numbers showing Kamala Harris didn't get a post- convention bump her team and Trump's campaign expected she might.

And Tim Walz juggling his duties as governor and a potential vice president. Today, he is back on the trail to court the labor vote, but yesterday, it was all about the Minnesota State Fair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: There's a lot of great state fairs in the country. This is the best one. And I say that, having tried pork chops in Iowa and other ones and started the day with pork chop and vanilla cake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[06:19:14]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRAHAM: I think he's just trying to -- to show his support for IVF treatments that -- you know, we've been accused, the party has, of being a bit against birth control. We're not.

We've been accused of being against IVF treatments. We're not.

(END VIDEO CLIP) DEAN: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham responding to Donald Trump's recent campaign pitch after Trump told supporters this last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And if I'm elected this November, for the first time ever, your government will pay for, or require insurance companies to pay for, all costs associated with IVF fertility treatment. We want more babies to be born in America. We want more babies. We need them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Trump's comments come as Democrats lean into the issue of reproductive rights and abortion access this election cycle, while Republicans have struggled to come up with effective messaging in this time period after Roe v. Wade was struck down.

Our panel is back with us.

Matt, it's interesting to see Trump kind of bob and weave through this abortion issue. He, of course, is the one that is -- probably says all the -- you know, multiple times that he killed Roe v. Wade.

But then we're seeing him try to thread the needle on this, just because politically, Republicans have struggled.

GORMAN: Yes, I mean, look, let's -- let's -- it's two different things, right?

IVF, virtually no Republican with any sort of power opposes IVF. And I think this reminds me of when Republicans ran for Senate in 2015 -- 2014, proposed over-the-counter birth control, like Cory Gardner and others, as a way to kind of short-circuit Democratic attacks on this. It's very, very similar to that; allows Republicans and, certainly, the Trump campaign to get an offense with this.

And you're right. As we saw with abortion dating back to 2022, it is one of the best weapons Democrats have in the arsenal. So, the ability for Republicans to try and reduce the potency of that issue can really -- might be able to help pull back some suburbs in places like Georgia and North Carolina, Pennsylvania.

DEAN: And Meghan, the Harris campaign now has the person who has been the top messenger for the Biden administration on this issue. And it has really allowed the Harris campaign and Democrats to push this to the forefront again.

HAYS: Yes, I think that Democrats have found that this has been a winning issue. That was a winning issue in 2022. It stopped this alleged red wave that was coming.

So, I think that that -- you know, and they're hoping that will help now. I think that overwhelmingly, women have been voting in favor on the Democratic side on this, even independents.

And that's, you know -- again, that's where this election is going to be won, is with these independent voters, as Matt was saying.

And so, I think that they are going to play this and continue to push this issue of reproductive freedom until November, because I think that that is a winning strategy for them.

DEAN: And Toluse, we look at some of this polling on the gender gap that continues to grow ever larger between women and men in this country and who they are supporting.

If you look at female voters there, you see that Kamala Harris has a definitive lead with them. If you look at male voters, it's almost flip-flopped. And you see that -- that Donald Trump leads there.

Do you think it's reproductive rights at the core of this? What else is driving this gender gap?

OLORUNNIPA: Well, definitely on the male side, Donald Trump has been making a clear play for disaffected males. He's been going on podcasts, trying to recruit males to vote for him and to talk to young men, in particular, and minority men, as well.

But he also realizes that that's not going to be enough. And that's part of the reason you see him sort of shifting and trying to find a position on reproductive rights that would be less -- less of a way to push away women.

We have seen that when he said that he's proud that he helped overturn Roe v. Wade. That has driven women away from Republicans, driven them towards Kamala Harris. And we're also realizing that Trump has a history of pushing away women. He has a history of saying things that are negative towards women.

And I think it's one of the reasons it's going to be very important for him on the debate stage to showcase a demeanor that's not going to push away more women than he already has.

But he has tried to talk about reproductive rights, which is not the kind of language that you normally hear from a Republican. They realized they're looking at these same numbers, that this kind of gender gap, the fact that women vote at higher rates than men, it's not going to allow Trump to repeat what he did in 2016, which was keep the gender gap somewhat limited, even though he was facing a female candidate in Hillary Clinton. And he was able to win narrowly, even as he lost the popular vote against the first Democratic female nominee.

And so, he realizes that, if he wants to have a repeat of that, then he's going to need to shrink these -- this gender gap. He's going to need to win over more women, some who are skeptical of him.

That's part of the reason he's flip-flopping, because Republicans saw what happened in 2022. And they don't want a repeat of that.

And so, they're trying to find a position that would allow Trump to maintain his support on the right among conservatives, especially social conservatives on the issue of abortion, while also not driving away the women that he's going to need to win in key states. DEAN: All right. If you guys will please stick around, we're going to come back to you here in just a little bit.

For a deeper look at Donald Trump and Kamala Harris's positions on the key issues in this election, you can tune in tonight for a two-hour special edition of CNN's "THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER."

Our Abby Phillip looks back at Trump's presidency and his views on abortion prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: I'm -- I'm very pro-choice.

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: This is a businessman from New York, which is a pretty progressive city. He has always been more conservative than a lot of the people that he socialized with.

But abortion was not one of those issues.

[06:25:07]

One of the first things he did in 2011 when he was thinking about running for president, that cycle. And he went to go speak to CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference.

TRUMP: I'm pro-life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When he ran in 2016, he understood that overturning Roe v. Wade was a core conservative priority. So, he agreed to put a list of judges out before the election, who were conservative.

TRUMP: I am going to give a list of either five or ten judges that I will pick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To show, you may not trust me on this issue, but here's what I would do if I was president. I will guarantee that those are going to be the first judges that I put up for nomination if I win.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That tells me that, yes, I can trust you with my vote, because on the issues that matter most to me, I can tell that these people are going to hopefully rule as we would want them to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: For more on this two-hour special, watch "Fight for the White House" tonight, starting at 8 p.m. with Kamala Harris and 9 p.m. with Donald Trump. It's THE WHOLE STORY WITH ANDERSON COOPER.

So to come on CNN THIS MORNING, a nation in mourning. Israel mourning the loss of six hostages. The protests breaking out in response.

Plus, how Americans overseas are still managing to honor this holiday weekend, being so far from home.

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