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Trump Tries to Capitalize on Biden's "Garbage" Gaffe; Puerto Rican Singer Withdraws Support for Trump; Saudi Foreign Minister Speaks to CNN; At Least 95 Dead After Deadly Flash Floods in Spain; Hearing Over $1M Giveaway Gets Underway Without Musk. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired October 31, 2024 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, welcome back to, what is this, special edition of Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson broadcasting from the
Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, where I've just sat down with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia here.
It's a stark message about the chances of normalization with Israel and how the Kingdom is thinking about the U.S. election. It's 5 p.m. here Riyadh.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And it is 9 a.m. here in New York. I'm Erica Hill, where it seems everyone is thinking about the U.S. election. Just five days
now until Election Day. And of course, while a number of measures and offices are on the ballot there, it is President of the United States, that
race that is getting the most attention.
Good to have all of our viewers with us here in the United States and around the world. Becky, I know we're going to have much more from you and
that very important interview that you had with the Foreign Minister just ahead.
We do begin this hour, though, with the election here in the United States with just five days to go now. The race remains deadlocked. And frankly,
who could win is really coming down to which campaign manages to not alienate voters. So many votes are key here.
And as it stands now, each side really trying to capitalize on their opponent's missteps. The word of the week may be garbage here in the United
States. It all began with a comic so-called comedian making a comment on Sunday night at a rally for Donald Trump, where he called the island of
Puerto Rico a, quote, "floating island of garbage."
Outraging Latinos, but frankly, many Americans across the board on both sides of the aisle. It also was seen as a bit of an energizing move for the
Harris campaign as they leaned in looking for more support.
And then came Tuesday night when Joe Biden seemed to hand that gift right back to the Trump camp when he appeared to call Trump supporters garbage
during an online campaign event before trying to clarify that his remark was referring to just a single supporter, the person who had made that
comment on stage Sunday night.
Harris quickly distanced herself from Biden's comments Wednesday morning. Trump leaning in here, donning an orange safety vest and riding into a
campaign event in a garbage truck.
So what is the impact now on votes in the final days of the election? Look, we know how tight this race is. If you look specifically at the so-called
blue wall states, you can see Harris is a slight lead over Trump in two of those three critical blue wall states. But as you know, Pennsylvania is
really getting a lion's share of the attention here. And they appear tied at this point.
We know that the reality is this race in 2024 could come down to a few thousand votes in any of these states, just as it has in the last two
presidential elections.
So here to help break down where things stand, Stephen Collinson, joining me from Washington. Steve Contorno is in St. Petersburg, Florida. And
Elizabeth Wagmeister also with us this hour from Los Angeles.
So, Stephen, first of all, based on where we stand today, what we have seen is the Harris campaign, right, really trying to lean in here to the outrage
that came out of that event Sunday night, releasing a new Spanish language ad, taking him specifically at the Trump campaign, disparaging comments
toward Latin Americans and specifically, of course, Puerto Ricans. It gives a sense.
Has anything shifted in these days? Because we know how important every vote is.
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, there was quite a lot of anecdotal evidence that the remarks by the comedian about Puerto
Rico had really put the Trump campaign in a bind. One of the reasons is that Hispanic voters are a bloc which normally votes by majority to
Democrat. But Trump has seen a quite strong push into this bloc.
If he's to win the election, one of the reasons will be that he was able to eat into Democratic majorities there. This is important, not just in the
western and southern swing states, places like Arizona and Nevada.
In Pennsylvania, that key state you were talking about in the Lehigh Valley, one of the key areas of that state where Democrats normally win,
but Trump is hoping to eat into those Democratic majorities.
There are 35,000 or so Puerto Rican voters specifically. So that story, which was running for three days, was potentially damaging to Trump, which
is one reason I think that the Trump campaign was very happy to see President Biden's comments, which kind of drowned out a lot of the talk
about that rally on Sunday night.
HILL: Truly. And Steve, the Trump campaign, in fact, really leaning in there. I will point out also conveniently forgetting the number of times
that Donald Trump has referred to Harris supporters as scum or even absolute garbage, leaning into those Biden comments.
STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: They really are. They're getting a lot of mileage out of those comments. And I mean that quite literally. Donald
Trump yesterday put the -- show up in a garbage truck in Wisconsin to hammer home that message and really lean into Joe Biden's remarks.
Take a look at what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: How do you like my garbage truck? This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe
Biden. I just wanted to let you know that 250 million people, that's what I think the real number is for making America great again. 250 million, the
real number. They don't think in terms of garbage, OK? They don't use terms like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:05:15]
CONTORNO: The question is, can Donald Trump's campaign use this to generate some enthusiasm behind his campaign from his supporters and even
potentially drive a wedge in some of those remaining undecided voters?
You know, they have likened this gaffe by Biden to Obama in 2008 comments about, you know, Republicans clinging to their religion and their guns or -
- or Hillary Clinton's basket of deplorables gaffe from 2016. The difference in both those cases is those remarks came from the candidates
themselves. While these came from Joe Biden, who is a very gaffe prone politician and has been excused for many inarticulate phrasing over the
years. And therefore it's a little bit tougher to tie it directly to Harris, who has already distanced herself from those remarks.
HILL: Although we see those efforts continue. Meantime, in terms of the fallout, you know, Stephen, touch on this a little bit, Elizabeth, but we -
- what we saw very quickly in the wake of those comments on Sunday night at the Trump rally was that a lot of Latino, Latin superstars, well-known
celebrities quickly came out and were very clear where they stand. And Donald Trump even losing some support over those comments.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, those comments really activated a big portion of Hollywood. Immediately you had Jennifer
Lopez, Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny, all taking to social media either to denounce Trump or to support Harris.
Now, Bad Bunny in particular, he is one of the biggest stars on the planet. And I have been hearing for months from a source close to the campaign that
he was really at the top of their celebrity wish list for an endorsement, particularly because they know that he can reach young male Latino voters,
which is an area where we know that Trump has excelled.
Now, Nicky Jam, who is another Latin artist, he is a reggaeton superstar. He had actually initially endorsed former President Trump last month in
September. He appeared on stage with him at a rally in Las Vegas wearing his red MAGA hat. Yesterday, he said that he is withdrawing his endorsement
from Trump. Let's take a look at what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICKY JAM, REGGAETON ARTIST (through translator): The reason I supported Donald Trump was because I thought he was the best for the economy in the
United States, where a lot of Latinos live, myself included, a lot of immigrants who are suffering because of the economy. Never in my life did I
think that one month later there would be a comedian who would criticize my country and speak poorly of my country. And for that, I withdraw my support
of Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WAGMEISTER: Now, for those who may say, why does this matter? Do celebrity endorsements matter? Well, this does matter because Nicky Jam, who you just
saw there, has over 40 million followers on Instagram, who he now just told, I no longer support Trump.
Now, Jennifer Lopez, who has over 250 million followers on Instagram, she will be joining Harris tonight at a rally. So that is obviously a huge sign
of A-list support coming after Beyonce joined Harris this past weekend.
I do have to tell you, though, that even though Hollywood historically always aligns with the Democratic candidate, so this is not a huge surprise
that Harris is getting all of this Hollywood support, there are more celebrities than ever who are aligning themselves with former President
Trump.
Maybe not the same level of celebrity, but you have Dr. Phil. Last night we had football legend Brett Favre join him on stage back in Green Bay,
Wisconsin. You had Buzz Aldrin, the astronaut, who gave his support to Trump yesterday.
But yesterday we also had Arnold Schwarzenegger, who of course formally was the Republican governor in California, saying I'm with Harris and I choose
country over party.
HILL: Yeah, it has been fascinating to see the way this has all played out, especially with those big-name endorsements.
Steve, when we look at efforts to contain some of the damage, certainly earlier in the week, for the Trump campaign specifically, how are they
changing, if at all, the approach to reach out to Latino voters, especially in some of these key battleground states?
CONTORNO: Yeah, he will be going to two states with a large Latino population today when he goes to Nevada and Arizona. He also will actually
go to New Mexico, which is another state that has a large Latino population that has been somewhat outside of the battleground map, but they're trying
to build this air of inevitability that he is able to expand the map in this moment.
And look, Donald Trump's campaign has been hyper-focused on a specific type of Latino voter. It is young men, and that's exactly who he's trying to get
in the black community as well, and as well as among white supporters.
[10:10:01]
So his campaign, his outreach, has been specifically tailored to those individuals, which is what makes -- what's transpired over the last few
days so damaging, because it cuts right at the heart of those efforts. However, you know, Donald Trump has often been able to disparage large
segments of the population. He has been able to say very mean and negative things about subgroups in the past, including Puerto Ricans. And we have
not seen a giant lurch away from him by those groups as a result of those kinds of comments in the past.
In fact, there are some examples of groups like Puerto Ricans who -- you know, he disparaged Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, and there was a lot
of questions about his response there. There's polling that shows they actually voted for him in higher numbers in 2020 than they did in 2016.
So we can't really -- we don't really know what ultimately will happen as a result of what's transpired on Sunday, but certainly they've created
headwinds for themselves in some of these key battlegrounds.
HILL: Yeah. Stephen, I also want to ask you about some comments from former President Bill Clinton campaigning in Michigan yesterday, of course for the
Harris-Walz tickets. He spoke at length about the situation in the Middle East, specifically calling the war in Gaza the hardest issue in Michigan.
Part of what he had to say, certainly getting a lot of attention this morning and raising some questions about the messaging, I want to play at
least one moment for our viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON (D), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I think part of it is that Hamas did not care about a homeland for the Palestinians. They wanted to kill
Israelis and make Israel uninhabitable. Well, I got news for them. They were there first. Before there was -- their faith existed, they were there.
In the time of King David and the southernmost tribes had Judea and Samaria.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Stephen, the messaging on what is happening in Israel and in Gaza has been a challenge for the Harris campaign. They're trying really hard not to
alienate specifically Arab American voters. It remains a challenge today.
COLLINSON: It certainly does, and those comments weren't particularly helpful to Harris, although in other parts of that speech the former
president criticized the Netanyahu government. But it shows how such an intricate issue can be a bit of a minefield, if you like, politically in
the campaign trail.
What was really interesting is that the Harris campaign has enlisted Bernie Sanders, the progressive Vermont senator who basically did a video and
said, I understand why a lot of people are thinking about not voting for Harris because of the Middle East situation and their living in Michigan.
Sanders argued that you'll get a far worse situation if you support the Palestinians. If Donald Trump, a key ally of the Netanyahu government is
elected, then you will do, if Harris is there, even though he faults a lot of the administration's policies on the Middle East. I think the problem
here is that this is not necessarily a pragmatic decision that people are taking.
For many of those voters, the scenes of civilian deaths in Gaza, that's an existential issue. It makes this a one-issue election. And that is
something that the Harris campaign has tried very hard to fight against. But in the end, very much like the Middle East situation itself, there is
no real answer to this politically at this point.
HILL: Yeah, it is true. Stephen Collinson, Steve Contorno, Elizabeth Wagmeister, really appreciate you all joining us this hour. Thank you.
Still to come here, more U.S. politics. I promise there will be more. Don't worry. But, Becky, I know you have a lot as well.
ANDERSON: That's absolutely we have. But that was absolutely fascinating. Thank you, Erica.
Much more from here in Riyadh with more of my extensive conversation with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister. His thoughts on the unrelenting violence
that we are seeing in Gaza and Lebanon.
And what he and his ministry are trying -- doing to prevent those conflicts, turning into an even wider regional crisis, and try and bring
peace. It's worth noting that we were speaking here at the Future Investment Initiative Conference, a gathering of decision-makers tasked
with making real-world impact that will make people's lives better.
Well, this is all part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and the Foreign Minister's global remit is very specifically and unapologetically focused
on these ambitious domestic goals. That's how Saudi Arabia is taking center stage in this region and in an increasingly multipolar world order.
That is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:17:08]
ANDERSON: Well, it is a very busy day for U.S. diplomats hoping to make inroads in stopping the fighting in the Middle East. In the waning months
of the Biden administration, can they succeed where so many similar efforts have failed?
Well, the Lebanese Prime Minister sounding hopeful. He says a deal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that would end strikes like this
could be days or even hours away.
The Israeli military says it hit command and control centers and other, quote, "terrorist infrastructure" in Baalbek on Wednesday after warning
residents there to leave.
And there are also ongoing talks on a possible proposal for a ceasefire, albeit temporarily in Gaza. Hamas, though, we are just hearing saying that
it won't accept any deal that doesn't lead to a permanent peace.
Well, CNN's Jeremy Diamond is back with us from Tel Aviv.
Let's just get our viewers exactly what we are hearing. Is this Hamas saying it is killing any hope of a ceasefire at this point, albeit a
temporary one?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly what it is indicating is that Hamas has not changed its negotiating position. Despite
the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the killing of so many other senior Hamas leaders, the ongoing fighting and death and destruction inside
of Gaza, the worsening humanitarian situation there, Hamas is still sticking to its bottom-line position, which is that on the one hand, any
kind of release of hostages, any kind of ceasefire agreement must, in their view, lead to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the end of the
war.
And they are also saying that what is currently offered, quote, "is partial and insufficient and does not meet Hamas's demands." That's according to
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas' political bureau.
That being said, I do think one caveat applies here, and that is the notion that Hamas is quite in disarray at the moment, and it's, you know, very
difficult to know exactly who speaks for the entirety of the organization. Certainly, we've been told that Ghazi Hamad's brother, Mohammed Sinwar, is
now the key decision-maker inside the Gaza Strip. We know that Khalil al- Hayya, who has been the key negotiator, the key intermediary with the Qataris, for example, he is continuing to lead those negotiations.
And, look, we know that talks are still ongoing, and certainly that is in and of itself a positive sign after two months of very clear deadlock. But
this latest statement from Hamas certainly indicates that these latest efforts to kind of shake things up, offer up a different type of framework,
something shorter term, something that won't necessarily lead to the end of the war, that for now, at least, Hamas is saying no to that.
[10:20:08]
Now, as it relates to the ceasefire talks in Lebanon, we are seeing more optimism, more indications of progress. Beyond those comments from the
caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon, we also have seen today a flurry of U.S. diplomatic activity. The CIA Director Bill Burns is in Egypt. Amos
Hochstein and Brett McGurk, two top advisers to President Biden on this issue, are in Israel today, meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister, the
Defense Minister, and other top Israeli officials. And there has been a leaked document indicating that there is quite a bit on paper already.
The question now is whether or not Hezbollah will agree to these terms, of course, and whether or not the Israelis will get enough of the kind of
enforcement mechanisms that they are demanding as it relates to enforcing Resolution 1701, which led to the end of the 2006 war between Israel and
Hezbollah.
You know, one thing that an Israeli official made clear to me is that for now, at least, any negotiations over a ceasefire in Lebanon will continue,
quote, "under fire." And that is certainly what we have seen in recent days amid a flurry of very intense Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, including
yesterday in the city of Baalbek, where 19 people were killed.
Becky.
ANDERSON: And we're just looking at images from Tyre as you speak.
Jeremy, thank you for that.
Well, for more than a year, governments in this region, and I am in Riyadh today in the Gulf, have been consumed with the war in Gaza and dealing with
its fallout. And, of course, on top of that now dealing with the potential spillover from the ratcheting up of these conflicts with the Lebanon file
as well.
Many, including Saudi Arabia, have been calling for a ceasefire, very specifically for Gaza, and pushing, of course, for one with Lebanon now.
They want to bring this cycle of violence to an end.
Well, earlier I asked the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, what he makes of suggestions that his countries and others in the Gulf
could have done more to prevent the current situation, for example, in Gaza. I also pressed him on whether his country would even consider
normalizing relations with Israel, absent of a concrete plan for Palestinian statehood.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAISAL BIN FARHAN AL SAUD, SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER: I will say, on the Kingdom's part, we have been anything but ambiguous. We have been quite
categorical. We called, in the instance of Gaza, for instance, for a ceasefire from the very beginning.
We were very clear that even with the horrors of October 7th, that an overreaction by Israel was extremely dangerous. And we have seen the
reality that Israel's reaction and its continuing military assault in Gaza has led to a humanitarian catastrophe that has not only impacted the
citizens of Gaza, that has not only resulted in tens of thousands of civilian -- of unjustifiable civilian deaths, it's also really put a huge
question mark on the international systems of rules and governance, on the legitimacy of international humanitarian law, international law, and its
applicability in ways that have been really ununiform.
And we've -- and we've said that from the beginning, so we have been very unambiguous about it. And --
(APPLAUSE)
AL SAUD: -- we will continue to engage. We engaged from the beginning as well on trying to find pathways out of the conflict. You know, we have the
group, the Arab League OIC Contact Group, but we also had a group of Arab states that had engaged with the United States and others to try and find
ways to reach a potential ceasefire, supporting of course the efforts of the U.S., Qatar and Egypt and others.
So ambiguity is not what we in the Kingdom practice. We practice a very clear foreign policy based on clear guiding principles, but also of course
from a prospect of not being drawn into confrontation in any way.
ANDERSON: You have described Israel's assault on Gaza as genocide. And you've talked about Israel having to face consequences. What do you mean
very specifically by that?
AL SAUD: I mean, if we look at just what's happening now in northern Gaza, where we have a complete blockade of any access for humanitarian goods, as
coupled with a continuing military assault, without any real pathways for civilians to find shelter or to find safe zones, that can only be described
as a form of genocide. It is certainly against humanitarian law, international humanitarian law.
[10:25:01]
And that is feeding a continuing cycle of violence, because this level of destruction, this level of really devaluing of human lives, of the lives of
ordinary Palestinians, will feed a cycle that is against everybody's interest. And that's why we are trying to focus, even in this very
difficult time, on a better future. And that's why we have focused on the issue of a two-state solution, of building a Palestinian state.
I will say that, while we talk about a two-state solution. The reality is the state of Israel exists, so now it's about establishing the state of
Palestine and ensuring that the Palestinians can reach a place where they receive their right to self-determination.
ANDERSON: In a speech on Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister made no mention of a need to end the war in Gaza, no talk of any, quote, "day-after plans,"
no mention of the Palestinians.
Now you have been, and just this week with the meeting here in Riyadh, hoping to get some concrete steps that would, as we say, create this
pathway to a Palestinian state or an independent Palestinian state. How concerned are you when you hear no mention of the Palestinians, nor any
mention of the day after by the current Israeli Prime Minister? What does that suggest to you? And when we talk about a pathway, what does that
specifically mean?
AL SAUD: I'm, of course, incredibly concerned because that tells me that there is a real lack of understanding of the strategic reality. We are here
in this region, we are stuck in this region, all of us, the Palestinians, everybody, and we're going to have to find a way to live with each other.
And we can only live with each other if we address the rights of the Palestinians, if we address the issues of injustice that the Palestinians
face right now, and that is going to have to be a serious discussion. If that's not going to happen, we are setting ourselves for a continuing cycle
of violence that serves no one except the extremists.
ANDERSON: Will a verbal commitment from Benjamin Netanyahu suffice? Were you to get on a sort of, you know, on a pathway that you felt was worth --
was worth sort of tabling for an independent state? And if not, what specific measures does Saudi need to see to move forward? And what is Saudi
Arabia's message to Benjamin Netanyahu? Is normalization with Israel at genuine risk should you not see this commitment from Israel?
AL SAUD: I would say certainly normalization with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not just at risk. It is off the table until we have a resolution
to Palestinian statehood.
But I would say more than that. I would say that it is not just the issue of normalization with the Kingdom that is at risk. I would say that the
security of the region as a whole is at risk if we do not address the rights of the Palestinians, if we do not find a way to a pathway that leads
us to a Palestinian state. Because that's the only way we can ensure that we can focus on the future, that we can focus on cooperation, that we can
focus on integration.
So I would hope that the leadership of Israel sees that it is not just the right thing to do, it is not just the moral thing to do, it is not just the
just thing to do, to give the Palestinians their rights and their state. It is also in the security and strategic interest of Israel to do so. And
that's, I think, up to them to decide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And I want to return to that renewed U.S. push by American officials for a ceasefire in Lebanon now. We were discussing this a little
bit earlier with Jeremy Diamond. Lebanon's Prime Minister even suggesting that he is optimistic at this point.
I asked the Foreign Minister whether he shared that optimism for an end to the conflict in Lebanon and whether or not Saudi Arabia is ready to re-
engage with Lebanon, especially with Hezbollah's military wing significantly degraded. We also talked about the Saudi-Iran relationship.
Nearly two years after that fragile truce was struck between the two erstwhile enemies.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL SAUD: I hope it's the case that we can see a ceasefire in the immediate hours, in the immediate short term. I am not sure that that's the case. I
don't have the details. You know, we are not part of the direct negotiations that are going on. We certainly support the effort that the
U.S. is undertaking to find a pathway to a ceasefire. I hope it comes to fruition.
[10:30:09]
It's the same for Gaza. We have had, unfortunately, many false starts, many pronouncements of a near deal for a ceasefire in Gaza, only to be
disappointed. And my understanding is that, you know, we have in most -- in most of those instances where the talks eventually collapsed, it has been,
because there have been new requirements or new demands added on the part of Israel.
ANDERSON: Are you prepared as the Kingdom to be better engaged going forward and significantly engaged in order to help Lebanon on the sort of
road to recovery with Hezbollah still involved in politics, if not as the sort of strategic militant group that it has been in the past?
AL SAUD: Yeah, I mean, from our perspective, it's up to the Lebanese, as I said. I'm not going to right now discuss what exactly the shape of Lebanon
should be because it's up to the Lebanese to decide. Whatever, you know, we see from that is going to inform our judgments as how much we can engage,
how much we can work with Lebanon, how much we can facilitate progress in areas.
ANDERSON: Do you see any signs that Iran is putting pressure on its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, to accept a truce? You have decent contacts now
with the Iranians. I'm just wondering what your sort of understanding is.
AL SAUD: I mean, I certainly hope that Iran, like us, is working towards regional de-escalation on all fronts, not just in Lebanon, and that's very
much the focus of our conversations, my conversations with my Iranian counterpart. What I hear from the Iranians is that they are indeed very
much keyed into the fact that a continuing of the cycle of escalation is not in their interest. I do hope that they are translating that into
actually practical steps.
ANDERSON: Well, let's talk about Iran. Are you confident that Israel's recent retaliatory strike on these selected military sites in Iran signals
the end of what has been this face-off that otherwise threatens to plunge this region into further chaos?
AL SAUD: Am I confident? I cannot be confident of anything that is in the control of other parties, other actors. But what I can say is that I have
made it clear to our Iranian counterparts that it is important that we avoid any further escalation.
My sense is that, at least on their side, that they realize the risks of escalation and would prefer to avoid it. But of course, they have their own
strategic calculations that they're going to have to take, and that means that it's not just up to one party to de-escalate. Really, the only way for
us to find a pathway to de-escalate all of what's going on in the region is for everybody to make a conscious decision that further escalation is
dangerous, is risky, is risky for all parties.
So that will also mean Israel will need to de-escalate. It will also mean that our partners in the international community will need to redouble
their efforts, that we focus on de-escalating all of these issues. And of course, front-loaded on all of that is the issue in Gaza. Without finding a
pathway to a ceasefire in Gaza, I think we continue to risk intended and unintended cycles of escalation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We will be right back with more news after this short break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:36:20]
HILL: Welcome back. I'm Erica Hill in New York.
Spain is currently in a three-day mourning period, following the flash flooding there that took the lives of 95 people. Valencia hit with up to 30
centimeters, about a foot of rain in just hours, making it the worst rainfall in 28 years. Rescue missions are ongoing.
They've been hindered, though, by some of the highways, which, as you can see from some of these pictures, there are areas that are just completely -
- roads, rather, that are completely unusable. Spain's president is warning the dangers are not over yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEDRO SANCHEZ, SPANISH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): To the citizens who live in the provinces of Valencia and also Castellon, please, the
damage continues, and please stay home. Don't leave. Stay home and heed the calls from all the emergency services. Heed all their requirements, all of
their recommendations, because now the most important is to save the largest number of lives possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: The Prime Minister there, obviously.
Pau Mosquera joining me now from Valencia, Spain, with more. So, there is concern there are still folks among the missing. It is tough to get to some
of these areas. Can you give us a sense of where things stand and also what we're hearing in terms of aid and support for these rescue missions?
PAU MOSQUERA, CNN SPAIN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erica, the situation is still dramatic here in Valencia, and that's why a lot of emergency personnel is
being deployed all around to try to help in this rescue mission to find all the people missing and trying to find maybe more victims, more corpses that
can be in these mud and water areas.
Right now, we are located in Utiel, a town that is located west of Valencia, and this is one of the most affected by the floodings. And
actually, you can see it by the image that is behind me. Let me show you, Erica.
Right now, you can see the floor paved by mud, by water, and you also can see the neighbors of this area trying to clean the entrance to their homes,
trying to remove all the furniture, all the appliances that are now useless after the flooding entered like a tsunami, as some neighbors described it
to us, as the water entered to the ground floor and then affected everything that was inside.
Now, about the aid, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has promised to try to help all the victims of this catastrophe, saying that the
government will do everything that is on their hands to help all those affected by this catastrophe.
Now, it is also important to say, Erica, that the regional government has already promised an aid package worth $270 million, which will be around
$6,500 per person affected, so they can start to rebuild their lives, to buy new furniture, and to reconstruct all the walls of these houses that
are very, very damaged, Erica.
HILL: Yeah, the damage is just -- these pictures are really extensive. The cars just picked up, moved all over. We see the damage to the buildings and
the roads.
Pau, really appreciate it. Thank you.
Elon Musk was due in court in Pennsylvania earlier this hour, but so far, no sign of the world's richest man. The district attorney had filed suit
against Musk, alleging his million-dollar-a-day giveaways to voters in swing states actually violate Pennsylvania state law.
The DOJ also warned him that they could violate federal law. Musk, meantime, is trying to move that lawsuit to federal court, which, of
course, would avert today's hearing.
[10:40:00]
All of this as election officials in key battleground states are desperately trying to fight back, as Musk, who, of course, is the owner of
X, uses his massive platform to spread conspiracy theories and misinformation.
National Security Correspondent Zach Cohen joining me now.
So we've got two fronts here, right? There is the court issue, in terms of these million-dollar-a-day giveaways, and then the very real, ongoing issue
of misinformation being pushed out.
ZACH COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yeah, two fronts, but one overlapping and consistent issue, and that is Elon Musk, obviously. The
court battle in Philadelphia today is over this attempt by Elon Musk to delay a hearing about that $1 million giveaway that prosecutors allege is
illegal and also an improper attempt to influence the 2024 presidential election. So right now they are hashing that out in court as to whether or
not the case should be moved to federal court.
Ultimately, though, prosecutors are alleging that Elon Musk is simply trying to delay this matter from being resolved until after the
presidential election, because until it is resolved, this $1 million giveaway can continue. So really framing this as an attempt by Elon Musk to
influence the election.
But separately, and also related, Elon Musk has for months and even as recently as this week continued to spread misinformation on X to his 200
million-plus X followers, but also X itself, the platform which Elon Musk obviously owns, has really become sort of a breeding ground of
misinformation related to the election.
We've heard from election officials in those seven battleground states, specifically all of them talking about how Elon Musk presents a unique
challenge because of this megaphone of misinformation that he has at his disposal and that Trump is using to build out his presidential campaign.
We've heard from state officials who have said that they've tried to appeal to Musk personally through intermediaries even. They've asked to pass
information to Musk, trying to get him to stop amplifying misinformation about the election. They've tried to fact-check him in real time on
Twitter. But ultimately that's been all for naught. Musk has resisted all of those attempts by election officials, those pleas from election
officials to stop pushing misinformation about the election and making their jobs much more difficult.
In fact, Musk has set up this -- what's called an election integrity community on X, where he's encouraging his followers this week to report
any irregularities that they observe with the 2024 election. Some of the theories that are being posted in that channel have already been debunked
by those same state officials whose outreach Musk previously rebuffed.
So this all happening all centering around Elon Musk, but obviously his Super PAC and his misinformation role in the campaign really tied directly
to Donald Trump, who himself obviously is -- amplifies misinformation on a regular basis and continues to claim that the election is already in the
process of being stolen without presenting any evidence to support that fact.
HILL: Yeah, and that is amplifying concerns, of course, for so many folks who are working these elections. And we should point out many of the poll
workers, volunteers. I should also note Elon Musk did not show up, but his lawyers were there. And I'm told that the hearing just wrapped.
Zach, appreciate it.
After the break, we're going to take you back to Riyadh. We have more from Becky's interview with the Saudi Foreign Minister, including a look at how
the Saudis view the election here in the U.S.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:45:16]
ANDERSON: Well, welcome back to Connect The World Live from Riyadh for you today and the Future Investment Initiative, where all week, high stakes
talk of investment and business has gone on against a backdrop, of course, of wider regional conflict. Of course, much discussion about how to
navigate uncertain times here, as well as an ever-present elephant in the room. What happens just days from now in the U.S. elections?
Well, in a wide-ranging interview earlier, I asked the Saudi Foreign Minister whether the kingdom favors either candidates. Spoiler alert, he
doesn't. And whether Riyadh still sees Washington as a reliable partner.
Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL SAUD: But the region is very different today than it was 20, 30, 40 years ago. The kingdom is very different than it was 20, 30 years ago, and
that means the dynamics are somewhat different. It doesn't mean that there is a change in the relationship per se, it just means that we are working
together very, very differently.
And it also means that we are playing a bigger role in our own national security interests. It also means that we are much more active in diverse
partnerships rather than focused on one partnership. All of that is a function of the growth that the kingdom has shown, that the kingdom has
seen.
The growing geostrategic relevance of the region is actually one of the kind of surprising things, perhaps, that some theorists might notice, that
although some years ago there was kind of this idea that our part of the world would decrease in geostrategic relevance, it's actually the opposite.
It has just gained, because we are not only continuing to be an important supplier of energy in the traditional energy forms and a source of energy
security, but we are also proving to be a critical hub for many of the future technologies, whether it's renewable energy, solar, et cetera, or
digital technologies, AI, data centers, not just because of the cheap energy that we can produce from renewables, but also because of our
geographic location, which means we are one of the best places for access.
So the relevance of our region and certainly of the kingdom has increased, and that has meant that we have had, because of our policy of putting our
interests first, which I think it would be odd if somebody didn't do that, focus on diversifying our partnerships as much as possible.
ANDERSON: Let's stick with this U.S. relationship and how it's developing, because you still don't have the defense deal, but these days this is a
defense plus-plus deal, which I think very much speaks to your point about, you know, the growth and power and opportunity that there is here.
Part of this bilateral deal is about a civil nuclear program, much of this is about trade, it's about Saudi investment in the U.S. and U.S. investment
here. That deal is not yet signed. We keep hearing that this deal is closed. Is the kingdom on a promise that a deal will be done before the end
of this administration?
AL SAUD: I mean, the bilateral agreements we are working on with the U.S. are actually multiple agreements. Some of them we can progress probably
quite quickly, and some of them we are working on, especially those related to trade, AI, et cetera, which are not tied to any other third parties,
let's say. Some of the more significant defense cooperation agreements are more complicated.
We would certainly welcome an opportunity to finish them before the current administration's term, but that's reliant on other factors outside of our
control.
And in the end, if we reach them, that's fine. If we don't, you know, we have a very, very strong working relationship with the U.S., even on
defense cooperation as it exists.
ANDERSON: Let me --
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: -- because we know that Washington wants normalization bolted onto any -- any sort of, you know, broad deal. Is that realistic at this
point, and are you prepared to walk away from some of this sort of bilateral deal content if you say you can't see normalization as an option
from the Saudi perspective at the moment?
AL SAUD: There's one element of the bilateral agreements that we're working on that is very much tied to normalization, and we've made very clear, the
Crown Prince in his speech to the Shura Council made very clear what would be required for the kingdom to establish diplomatic relations with Israel,
and absent that, we are quite happy to wait until the situation is amenable.
[10:50:15]
The other work streams are not that connected, and you know, and some of them are progressing quite quickly, and you know, we hope to see moving
forward.
ANDERSON: Just days to go before the U.S. election, I mean literally just hours to go now. Is it clear to you which candidate would be the best for
the Middle East in general, in particular for solving the Israel-Palestine conflict, and do you have a candidate that better understands the
opportunities afforded by Saudi Vision 2030, and who would Saudi prepare to work with?
AL SAUD: We are quite prepared to work with either administration or either candidate should they gain the trust of the American people. It's really up
to the American people to decide who is the next president. And we've done well historically with both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Obviously we've worked with President Trump before, so we know him and we find a way to work with him very well, but we also know obviously the team
that is currently working with the Biden administration, and you know, Vice President Harris is part of that team, and we've been able to build a very
strong working relationship. So we absolutely have no preference. They will certainly be different. Whether one or the other would be better, this is
not up to me to say.
ANDERSON: You haven't been in this business as long as you have not to be the consummate diplomat, and you absolutely are. Donald Trump claims only
he is capable of bringing peace to this region. Sir, yes or no, is he right?
AL SAUD: I certainly hope if the American people choose to elect him president that he brings peace to the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And with that, we will close it out from Riyadh. Don't go anywhere though. My colleague Erica Hill will be back with more after this
short break.
It's a very good evening from the team working with me here in Saudi Arabia.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: There it is. Dripping in a little bit of champagne, maybe some beer. The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating their win as world champions after
bringing it home in Game 5 of the World Series.
You see them there hoisting the trophy in the locker room, celebrating. I'm told the goggles are key here because the champagne can really hurt if it
gets in your eyes.
Game 5 was a little different until the 5th inning. The Yankees jumped to an early 5-0 lead, but then the roof kind of caved in for the Bronx
Bombers. Three errors by New York, some timely hits by L.A. Turned this all around for the West Coast team. Talk about a comeback for the Agers, Ages
rather. And there you have it. The Dodgers winning 7-6, taking home their 8th title. Big, big night for the Dodgers. Big parade coming tomorrow in
L.A., of course, after they were denied one because of COVID following their 2020 win.
Well, more than a billion people are celebrating Diwali, one of South Asia's biggest holidays, which symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and
light over darkness. The holiday is traditionally marked with rows of lights, fireworks, festive gatherings, prayer and, in the age of all modern
holidays, shopping spurges.
[10:55:07]
Here in the U.S., it is Halloween today. Costumes, candy and a healthy dose of haunted houses, including, we are learning, the nation's most famous
residence, at least according to former President George W. Bush's daughters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA PIERCE BUSH, DAUGHTER OF GEORGE W. BUSH: Dosing off, falling asleep and then all of a sudden there is 1920s jazz music coming out of the
fireplace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Piano.
BUSH: Piano.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Scares the hell out of us.
BUSH: You're not supposed to say that. Scares us, dreadfully. Dreadfully scares us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: So the White House Historical Association says, actually, ghostly sightings, not uncommon at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In fact, President
Reagan was known to speak of the supernatural goings on, reportedly telling dinner guests his dog Rex, who was happy everywhere else in the White
House, would bark frantically at the door of the Lincoln bedroom, refused to go in and his daughter and son-in-law reported seeing a ghostly figure
there on more than one occasion.
I leave you with that on this Halloween. I'm Erica Hill. Thanks for joining us for Connect the World today.
Stay tuned. Newsroom is up next, right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:00:00]
END
