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CNN This Morning

Celebrating Labor Day in Korea; Yaakov Katz is Interviewed about Protests and Strikes in Israel; Biden and Harris Campaign in Pennsylvania. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired September 02, 2024 - 06:30   ET

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

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[06:30:55]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: Scattered storms and colder weather in parts of the U.S. could put a damper on some Labor Day plans.

Let's go down to meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

How's it looking out there?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: OK, but there are also some perfect places as well. So, we've got to take the good with the bad, right?

So, if you're looking for a perfect Monday Labor Day extended holiday weekend forecast weather, you've got to travel to the northeast or you have to be located in the northeast or the Midwest. The places for thunderstorms today, Miami, central Texas, and a few pop-up thunderstorms across the interior west.

But the bigger story here is the below average temperatures that are dominating much of the eastern two-thirds of the country. This is going to continue right into the first parts of the workweek as everyone returns home from Labor Day weekend. Blow average temperatures for places like New York City, the nation's capital, all the way to Atlanta as well, staying below average temperatures should be near 80 degrees for New York City. It will top in the middle to upper 70s.

Here's a look at the forecast for many of the locations along the East Coast. Things are looking pretty, pretty temperate. And over the West Coast, the same cannot be said because we're starting to warm things up. A big September heat wave will lead to red flag fire conditions across parts of Idaho, into Montana, into Utah. The chance of showers and thunderstorms that could produce another two to four inches exists across central Texas today. That could bring a potential of some localized flooding as well.

Otherwise, not too bad for your Monday. Enjoy.

Jessica.

DEAN: All right, Derek Van Dam, thanks so much. We appreciate it. VAN DAM: OK.

DEAN: American families living in the Army's largest U.S. base in South Korea may be far from home this holiday weekend, but as CNN's Mike Valerio shows us, the base has a way of bringing the states to them.

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MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's where rock concerts roar and where families find new homes in Korea. Like the Cook family, trading their lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, for Camp Humphreys, South Korea. It's the Army's busiest airfield in Asia, and the biggest US. military base overseas. Camp Humphreys is about 60 miles away from North Korea driving distance from the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, the DMZ, which divides the Korean peninsula.

More than 40,000 people call Camp Humphreys home, including the Cooks. They have not one but two sets of twins. The youngest, just eight months old. They came here because of Sergeant Terry Cook, an Army IT specialist here to support the critical U.S. South Korea military alliance.

TYRESE COOK, MILITARY SPOUSE: We met in Cincinnati, Ohio.

VALERIO (voice over): But in dad mode with his wife Re (ph), he says it's all about supporting his parental platoon.

SGT. TERRY COOK, U.S. ARMY: I just really like to, you know, spend as much time with - the max amount of time with this whole unit I got here.

VALERIO: I just like how you look right now. You are literally super dad.

VALERIO (voice over): Camp Humphreys hosts the only U.S. Army division which is partially made up of South Korean soldiers. But the goal for families here is to immerse in Korean culture, which is especially important for Re, since she lived in Germany as a kid when her dad was a sergeant in the Army.

TYRESE COOK: Being able to provide my children with the same cultural experiences that I was given as a child is just extremely important to me as a mother.

VALERIO (voice over): But for those looking for a slice of America, there's plenty. Texas Roadhouse, the on base golf course, and one of the biggest Fourth of July celebrations on this side of the world.

There's also the feeling of belonging. Jubilation after years in the Army, finally becoming American citizens. Non-commissioned officer NCO Sergeant Vanessa Ramo was born in the Philippines, supported here at her naturalization ceremony by her platoon.

STAFF SGT. VANESSA RAMO, U.S. ARMY: I didn't expect it to be here, honestly. It's - it's great to do it overseas somewhere, especially in Korea. I love Korea.

VALERIO (voice over): A slice of America, inextricably part of the Korean tapestry. And for its newest residence, hardly far from home.

Mike Valerio, CNN, Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

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DEAN: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, a new role for President Biden.

[06:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I promise I'll be the best volunteer Harris and Walz's camp (ph) have ever seen.

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DEAN: How the commander in chief plans to become the campaigner in chief.

Plus, massive protests and a potentially crippling strike in Israel after the killing of six hostages in Gaza.

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AVIVA SIEGEL: Knowing that Keith and hostages are still there going what - going through what I went through is cruel.

[06:40:03]

It's just so cruel. So, I do not want to lose my hope. And I want to hope that in a couple of days something will change because it has to change. It should have changed months ago. It's too cruel that we all know what they're going through and just leaving them there.

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DEAN: That's former hostage Aviva Siegel, moments ago on CNN THIS MORNING. Her husband, Keith, is still being held in Gaza by Hamas.

Tens of thousands of Israelis, meantime, protesting in the streets, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiate a ceasefire deal and bring Keith and the remaining hostages home. Israel believes 101 hostages remain in captivity, but fears 35 of them may be dead.

Let's bring in Israeli journalist and author and former editor in chief of "The Jerusalem Post," Yaakov Katz.

Great to have you here with us this morning. Good morning to you.

This has been just a really horrendous 24 hours in terms of the news coming about these six hostages. And now we're seeing these protests in Tel Aviv and across the country of Israel.

I know you've said the murder of the six hostages could have been prevented through political courage. Explain that to us.

YAAKOV KATZ, ISRAELI JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR: Well, I think, Jessica, if there's a day that we thought - and I think we didn't think there was any day that could possibly be as bad as October 7th was for the Israeli people, back when 1,200 Israelis were murdered in that Hamas massacre, 250 were taken hostage, yesterday was that day when we discovered and found out that six of those bodies that were discovered in - on Saturday in that Hamas terror dungeon were, in fact, those hostages we had all prayed for and yearned for and wished and hoped for that they would come home. And I think that really - what we have to ask ourselves is, how did Israel let these people down? They had been held in that tunnel and in Hamas captivity for 11 months. There had been rounds and rounds of negotiations. This was something that was tangible. We had the opportunity to potentially get to them. They were alive until just a few days ago, the autopsies tell us. How come we fail to get them?

And I think that there, it's a political question. Now, of course, it takes two to tango. Hamas also needed to agree to a deal. But we have our government, and that's who's responsible on the Israeli side.

DEAN: And how much of an impact do you think these protests, the labor strike, putting this all together, will have on pushing the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to potentially move closer toward a deal. There has been hang-ups on various details, including the Philadelphi Corridor and troops there and other details that he has been in a lot of arguments with his own cabinet, Yoav Gallant, about this.

KATZ: Yes.

DEAN: Do you think that these protests can move the needle at all?

KATZ: I'm skeptical, to be honest. I think if these protests - they should have been launched months ago. And I understand why they weren't, right. People wanted to give this - this process an opportunity, a chance. They wanted to give those rounds of talks a chance to succeed.

But now that six bodies have been pulled out of a tunnel, now we're going to launch protests? Now the labor union is going to strike. By the way, their strike is soon also coming to an end. They've been told by the court that they have to cut it short. So really, is this going to be the pressure that's going to push Netanyahu over the political edge to the point that he's going to be finally willing to risk the future of his coalition and make a deal that would bring back the remaining hostages? Let's remember, Jessica, there still are 100 people who are being held by Hamas. Some of them alive, and some of them sadly and tragically already dead. We owe it to these people to bring them back home to their families and to their country.

So, I'm not exactly sure that this is what's going to take it. And I think that we also can't diminish from real dilemma that Netanyahu and his government face, right? If Israel pulls out of Gaza, ends the war now, Hamas is still there. They would reconstitute themselves. They would again, in just a matter of time, be capable of another October 7th.

So, this is a very careful balancing act. I don't envy the prime minister. But I do think is that he did let down the people of Israel with what happened this past weekend.

DEAN: And there really has been this push and pull throughout this entire almost year now since October 7th between getting these hostages back and, in Netanyahu's world view, eliminating Hamas. And are those two things - can they be done at the same time, or do they pull in opposite directions?

KATZ: You hit the nail on the head, Jessica, because this is exactly the difficulty that Israel is facing. Hamas is not your regular adversary. It's not an enemy like a conventional army that you can defeat on the battlefield, take down their capabilities, remove and conquer their territory, and then you win.

[06:45:03]

Because even when Israel does that, aboveground, and it's been very successful in its battle against Hamas above ground, there's still all those hundreds of miles of tunnels below ground, underneath Gaza, where some of those hostages are being held.

So, you also have to be very careful. That's why it's also taken so long. Lots of people ask, why is it taking the Israeli army such a long time to defeat Hamas? Much smaller, much weaker in its capabilities. Largely also because of this very careful situation, and delicate situation that Israel's in. If it bombs different targets, what if there are hostages there? If it bombs a tunnel, what if there are hostages in there? So, it's had to move very slow. And I don't know that it's possible to achieve all of these goals, also defeat Hamas, remove it from being the ruler over Gaza, which would constitute a victory, and getting back the hostages. And I think that we might have to cut our losses where we can and decide what we are putting first as a nation. Is it the hostages or is it the continued degrading and elimination of Hamas, because it might not all be possible at the same time.

DEAN: Yaakov Katz, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it.

President Biden returning to the campaign trail and stumping for his vice president. Later today, the president joining Kamala Harris at an event marking Labor Day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It will be their first official campaign event together since Biden dropped out of the race in July. It's also going to kick off Biden's week-long tour of blue wall swing states, starting in Pennsylvania, before heading to Wisconsin and Michigan. Campaigning for his VP in critical states like Pennsylvania is something the president promised he would do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will we see you out on the campaign trail for Vice President Harris?

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yes. Yes, you will. I talk to her frequently. And I was talking to Governor Shapiro, who's a friend. We have to win Pennsylvania, my original home state. He and I are putting together a campaign touring Pennsylvania. I'm going to be campaigning in other states as well. And I'm going to do whatever and Kamala thinks I can do to help most.

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DEAN: All right, our panel is back with us.

Meghan, I know you traveled to Pennsylvania many, many times with President Biden. He went there a lot in 2020. It's a state that's going to be very important again.

How effective do you think he can be in convincing voters to turn out, especially in those blue wall states?

MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING: He's extremely effective with working class folks and people in Pennsylvania in particular. He - he has spent a lot of time there. I've been to Pittsburgh many times with him on Labor Day over the years, even when he was vice president. So, this is a place where he feels at home. I think that he'll get a warm reception there. I think this is one place where he can really help the campaign and really drum up votes with - with working class folks there.

DEAN: And, Matt, obviously Republicans, they would love to see all those states swing back to Trump. What kind of messaging do you think is most effective for him in those states in particular?

MATT GORMAN, FORMER TIM SCOTT PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: I mean, look, I love this visual. I think, you know, the Harris-Walz campaign has been trying to pretend that Kamala Harris has been sitting on her couch the last four years when she's been the vice president, presiding over a lot that she derives and that she criticizes. And I don't think you're going to see kind of Biden's ego be able to kind of separate -allow Kamala to separate herself from him a little bit.

So, I love the fact that they're tied together, whether in-person here, as we're seeing today, or even a little bit metaphorically, as the Trump campaign's been trying to do over these last couple weeks.

DEAN: And, Toluse, you know, this all comes because Biden stepped aside in this race and there were a variety of people pushing him to do so. But George Clooney, the actor, put that op-ed out, and that really did, you know, shake some things up. He's now commenting on this. He said earlier today to reporters in Italy, "the person who should be applauded is the president who did the most selfless thing that anyone's done since George Washington. And for someone to say, I think there's a better way forward, all the credit goes to him."

It just makes me circle back to the fact that this has just been a wild eight weeks. And the president himself now on the campaign trail, probably still kind of processing what all has happened.

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Absolutely. And he spent a lot of time with his family. He's been able to lick his wounds a little bit on vacation in California and Rehoboth Beach, and now he's ready to get back on the campaign trail for Kamala Harris, his vice president. I don't think there's a lot of bad blood between the president and Kamala Harris, but there is bad blood that remains between President Biden and some of the people who pushed him out of the race, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and figures like George Clooney, who were public at times with their insistence that he needed to make a decision about what he wanted to do, even after he had decided to stay in the race.

And so he is in a very precarious position where he needs to show up for the party, he needs to play the role of the elder statesman of the party, and he needs to do everything that is possible to help Kamala Harris win.

At the same time, he has to realize that he would - he wishes that he was the person that people were getting behind.

[06:50:05]

He wishes he was the leader of the Democratic Party as a presidential candidate going for their second term. But now he has to realize that he's going to be a one-term president and the legacy that he hopes to have in history is highly dependent on whether or not he can get his vice president into the White House. And as to become a winner of the 2024 race, if Donald Trump wins this race, he's going to take a sledgehammer to much of Biden's legacy.

And so as much as Biden may have some sore wounds from being pushed out of the leadership of the party, he realizes that it's in his own interests and it's in the interests of his party for him to do anything that Kamala Harris needs in order for that party to retain the White House.

And so that's what he's going to be doing. Labor Day is a key moment for him to do that, talking to union voters, talking about his record when it comes to supporting unions, supporting workers. I expect we'll see a lot of that in the state of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the weeks ahead.

DEAN: Yes All right. All right, well, stick with us. We're going to have more coming up next on CNN THIS MORNING. It's Labor Day and workers around the country are taking to the picket line as the presidential candidates vying for their votes.

Plus, a new career for Taylor Swift? The singer now trying her hand at drawing up plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. That's next in the morning roundup.

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[06:55:44]

DEAN: Fifty-five minutes past the hour. And here is your morning roundup.

A fatal bus crash in Mississippi is now under federal investigation. Seven people died and dozens more were injured. Investigators saying that bus was traveling from Atlanta to Dallas when it veered off a highway and slammed into an embankment. A preliminary report on the crash is expected within the next 30 days.

A Chinese ship colliding with a ship from the Philippines in the South China Sea over the weekend. Both countries are trading blame here for who's at fault. The U.S. State Department condemned China for, quote, "deliberately colliding with the ship."

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PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: She's really interested in football, and she asks a lot of great questions. She's already drawn up plays. We might put one in.

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DEAN: That's Super Bowl winning Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes confirming Taylor Swift might be devising some plays for the Super Bowl champs. But Mahomes says as a girl dad, the best part of Swift dating tight end Travis Kelce is the wave of new female fans discovering the NFL.

Ten thousand hotel workers from Boston to Hawaii are now on strike this Labor day. They walked out early Sunday morning, disrupting operations at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott locations, impacting about 23,000 rooms on this busy travel weekend. The strike coming as both presidential campaigns are trying to appeal to union workers for votes. Tim Walz appearing at a Labor Day event celebrating unions later today. Kamala Harris appearing at two pro-labor events today in Detroit and Pittsburgh. Labor union leaders also playing a big role in this election with featured speaking spots at both party conventions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAWN FAIN, UAW PRESIDENT: She's a fighter for the working class. And Donald Trump is a scab.

In the words of the great American poet Nelly, it's getting hot in here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Our panel is back with us.

Matt, obviously, there's a big push to turn out these voters for both of these campaigns. If you look at the exit polls for the last two elections in 2016 and in 2020, Biden was able to get that number up to 56 percent to Clinton's 51 percent. Do you think - Donald Trump stayed steady at about 40 and 42 percent. What do you expect to see unfold this time with Kamala Harris on the ticket.

GORMAN: Well, it certainly - certainly more outreach from Republicans. I mean if you - if you told me ten years ago that a teamsters president would be speaking at a Republican Convention, my jaw would be on the floor. And I think that's been certainly one of the transformations of the Trump era in Republican politics is, you know, certainly more of an instance towards unions. I mean especially looked back - I worked on Mitt Romney's campaign, to how we kind of cultivate the union work vote to now.

I do think there is a large divide. Trump runs competitive with a lot of those union voters. There's a divided in a lot of respects between the leadership and also the membership, which tend to be - tend to be more sympathetic towards Trump.

DEAN: And, Toluse, is it just about keeping the margins down for Trump with Kamala Harris, with some of these voters?

OLORUNNIPA: Well, Trump definitely needs to shrink that gap between union families, between his share of the vote and the share of the vote going to Kamal Harris, in part because we've seen Republicans under Trump lose a lot of the suburban white collar vote. A lot of the people who are college educated have shifted from being rock ribbed conservative Republicans who might have voted for Ronald Reagan over low taxes, to saying that they can't stomach the idea of Donald Trump going back to the White House.

And so because Donald Trump has lost a lot of those Republicans, he has tried to replace them with working class voters, with union voters. And he's had some success at that. And that is very key in key states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and especially Michigan. But he does need to run up his numbers among people who don't have college degrees, in part because Republicans under Trump have lost the college - lost a lot of the people who do have college degrees. And so that's part of the divide and the political reorientation that we're seeing under the Trump era. And he does need to keep his margin down, while also not completely ceding ground on the college educated vote.

And so I do see him shifting some of his positions to try to keep his margins down and also win back some of the voters he had lost in 2020.

DEAN: Yes. And, Meghan, just to you. Joe Biden always prided himself on white-collar - or on blue-collar workers. Now the Harris campaign has Tim Walz.

[07:00:02]

Do you think that he will be part of the appeal to some of these voters?

HAYS: Yes, absolutely. And I think that's part of the reason Joe Biden's out on the campaign trail with them today on Labor Day, especially, I mean, he's been the most pro-union president in our lifetime. And I think that his policies, with the vice president, have really proven that. And so I think that this is their opportunity to go show the unions and workers what they have done for them. And I think Governor Walz just will fold right into that.

DEAN: All right, always a huge thanks to the panel for sticking around for the whole hour and getting up early. Thanks so much, guys. Happy Labor Day to you.

Thank you for joining us. I'm Jessica Dean. CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.