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Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump Steps Up Personal Insults: Harris "Cognitively Challenged"; Now: Israel Launches "Limited Ground Operation" In Lebanon; Helene Death Toll Rises To 128, More Than 600 Missing. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired September 30, 2024 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:46]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Trump's attacks on Harris taking a darker turn tonight as Walz and Vance are set to debate hours from now. New reporting putting from both camps on how the two candidates are preparing.
And 600 people missing from Hurricane Helene right now. More than 100 confirmed dead. That is not in those 600.
One of the deadliest storms in 50 years wiping out towns, leaving unbelievable destruction in America in its wake. And we're going to take you live to the ground while reporters were able to get in.
Plus, Fareed Zakaria up on Iran, vowing revenge against the United States and Israel. Is Hezbollah really on its last legs?
Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett on this Monday.
OUTFRONT tonight, cognitively challenged. The race for the White House, hitting yet another new low tonight as for tonight, it's a new low. Trump lobbying these words on Harris, hours after calling her mentally impaired and mentally disabled.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Joe Biden became mentally impaired, said but lying, Kamala Harris honestly, I believe she was born that way. There's something wrong Kamala and I just don't know what it is, but there is definitely something missing and you know what? Everybody knows it.
If you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Well, hopefully all Americans can agree that this sort of rhetoric is beneath what politicians should be saying, as GOP Senate candidate Larry Hogan put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY HOGAN (R), MARYLAND SENATE CANDIDATE: And I think that's insulting not only to the vice president, but to people that actually do have mental disabilities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The truth is, though, of course, that Trump has long gone low when it comes to the topic of intelligence.
In fact, the topic of intelligence is one he cares a lot about. In fact, he returns to it again and again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: He's a deranged, dumb guy. He's a dumb son of a (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
He's one of the dumbest human beings ever.
He's foolish man. He's foolish fool.
Just stupid person, very stupid.
Very low IQ.
Really a low IQ.
One of the dumbest people I've ever met.
The dumbest person in the Senate.
The dumbest president we've ever had.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So like I said, I mean, that's a -- it's a recurring thing. Though, the words you heard there aren't quite the same as mentally impaired, a mentally disabled. Those are new for Trump, and the words come as his campaign is under pressure tonight. J.D. Vance tonight, arriving with his family in New York.
You see that video there. The only vice presidential debate will take place in New York tomorrow night. Tim Walz is actually expected to arrive tomorrow. So, coming in on the day of.
Moments ago, we got our first look at the debate stage. And today, Trump is setting expectations high for Vance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think J.D. is going to do great. He's a very smart guy. He's done a great job. People like him a lot. And he's against tampon Tim. I think -- who I don't think should have ever been chosen. He's not qualified.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Well, obviously, not qualified is quite tame compared to cognitive cognitively challenged. I'm sorry, mentally disabled. Trump, apparently trying to raise the bar for Walz.
Everyone is here with me now. I want to begin with our reporter, Isaac Dovere.
Just start with you on some of the new reporting, Isaac, that I know you're getting on what Walz is doing to prepare for tomorrow night because I just mentioned your reporting. He's actually coming in tomorrow, not getting the night of rest in New York, maybe wants to be in his own bed. I mean, tonight, coming in tomorrow, J.D. Vance is in New York with his family.
What are you hearing?
ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, the Walz campaign apparatus has been locked in debate prep in Michigan for the last couple of days. They've had mock debates, have had Pete Buttigieg in there playing J.D. Vance. He showed up in a red tie to be sort of in character, did not grow out the beard.
But one of the things that they are working on is how Walz will look on camera. He's been very concerned about this debate from the moment that he was in the vetting interview with Kamala Harris back in August. He said, I'm not a good debate, just so you know, and he has continued to be nervous about this as I reported, over the weekend.
But they are trying to say to him, think about how you look on camera when you're not answering the question, the reactions that you had.
[19:05:06]
Of course, go back to the Harris debate when she kept going like this, all of those reactions were big part of what it was and you think about Biden's reactions to Trump in their June debate. One of the problems that Biden had as he often looked like he was surprised are not really paying attention in his answers. Another thing that they're working on, Erin, I can tell you is that there has been a lot of focus on Walz's record as governor, which has been attacked for some of the positions, especially socially liberal things that he's done, laws that he signed in.
He will be talking a lot about things that he's done, things that he did in Congress. For example, voting for the Affordable Care Act, voting to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," what she said is one of the most important votes he ever took, or the work he did in the Veterans Affairs Committee. So that's where were going to see some of this as well as the focus on health care.
BURNETT: Of course, Congressman Rose, you know, it's -- the stakes are both higher and lower. I mean, the VP is not going to be setting policy for the administration, but nonetheless, both of these VP candidates have gotten an incredible amount of focus given the unprecedented nature of this race.
MAX ROSE, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Sure. And, look, the stakes are high. I mean, this is presidential politics, but I think it's been one thing that's been missing from the conversation here, which is just the degree to which Governor Walz is actually uniquely suited for this medium in this current age of presidential politics.
I'm sorry, this is not an Oxford Union debate. This statistics, the facts, this and that, they are secondary to the trust building exercise that is any --
BURNETT: So, it's not a Yale Law School debate? I mean --
ROSE: No, it's not. And so I actually think J.D. Vance is going in there with this unique disadvantage because he what he is best at our esoteric 90 minute podcast, where he can engage in some niche academic discourse.
What Governor Walz is very good at is speaking directly to the American people in clear, plain-spoken manner that addresses their actual kitchen table issues.
BURNETT: Well, I hear you Shermichael.
ROSE: And so I'm excited for you.
BURNETT: I'm going to let Margaret, first, though.
MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I just want to say, I mean, case in point, this is not a policy election. The major thing we remember from the first debate, they're eating the cats. They're eating the dogs. Not a policy point, right?
So I do think -- I do think you're right. I actually think the contrast will not -- I mean, I suspect that J.D. who is incredibly polished at delivering on television and delivering an argument and litigating an argument, and we can all expect what he will do, Senator Vance, in terms of trying to cast Walz as the perfect pairing for the San Francisco left-wing progressive, liberal that Kamala is, I think the best thing Walz could do is just be himself because the contrast of him as an ordinary guy --
BURNETT: Yeah.
HOOVER: -- reveals itself in the unplanned moments of the debate. And I think the contrast between sort of a trolling, impish senator who is a bomb thrower versus sort of a older more statesman-like governor of a state I think could -- there will probably be a breakthrough moment where that contrast to Drake and Walton --
BURNETT: And, of course, Vance is 20 years younger. I mean, when we talk about the ages and Harris is 20 years later younger than Trump.
Shermichael, Margaret brought up dogs, so I just will say you know, its like I laugh, but then I'm like, I don't think anybody's happy that we're here in some sense, remember the cats. But now we're talking dogs because Walz and his dog Scout sat down for an interview. These are the types of interview Walz is done, right? He's talked about gutters, he's done things that have really reached out to people that haven't been this sort of in-depth policy interview.
So he did an interview with the creator of We Rate Dogs, which is a social media account. And this is real, this happened. And let me play a clip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INTERVIEWER: Do you think having Scout has made you a better leader in some ways?
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think it starts, I think having a having a dog or pets makes you a better human he counts on me, he's loyal. He gives unconditional love, and I think because of that, that just sense of empathy that you'd like to see an all leaders. You hope you have it already, but it certainly gets magnified. He's counting on you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. So, Shermichael, is that -- if that Waltz shows up, right, that is just -- that's about a human connection, right? That's not policy. That's nothing. That's about a human connection and love for something anyone can create, can connect to.
Is that going to be a problem for J.D. Vance if that -- if that's the Walz who shows up tomorrow?
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, look, I take Max's point. People like governor Walz, his popularity is pretty great. But at the end of the day, we're not voting for like the vice president of our senior high school class or our of our college class. We're voting for someone who could potentially have to step in and serve as president if something happens to the president. We're voting for someone one who's going to be given a portfolio by the president to handle some very serious and important issues to the interests of this country.
I don't necessarily need to like you, I want to know if you can do the darn job and can you do it well and can you produce results?
[19:10:05]
And when Governor Walz has asked very serious questions about well, what is the Harris-Walz, a plan, a position to tackle Ukraine and the Russian issue, is the governor aware of the Donbas region in Ukraine? What's the strategy there? Is the governor capable of talking about what an effective strategy should be to tackling issues with China or the issues with Israel and Hamas and now Iran?
I'm not exactly sure, but I would hope American people would, despite whatever personal affection they may have for the governor, would be serious about these issues. What were voting for serious people here and liking someone only gets you so far. BURNETT: I'm going to say, okay, this is totally it no political way
at all. But congressman rose, it does seem to me that generally these kinds of contests are, are actually all about popularity now, I mean, not always, but often, its about who do you want to have a beer with? Who do you like, who you connect?
ROSE: Absolutely. I mean, presidential elections have to a certain degree always been about vibes. And this is odd because it's very rare when you have a Republican strategist waxing poetically about how likable the other side is. So this is a difficult situation for J.D. Vance.
But there's another challenge that J.D. Vance has, which is that he has only spent one to two years in government and prior to that, he was a fake venture capitalist and an author and TV -- I'm not -- he wasn't even a TV personality. I'm not sure exactly what he did but he has very limited credentials to actually be the president United States.
So, this notion that he will be --
BURNETT: Well, I mean, Barack Obama. I mean, I mean, you know, we could play this game on, what people's resumes are. But he's also VP.
ROSE: I don't think we we've seen someone with this limited government experience other than, of course, Donald Trump, and we see how that worked out.
So the idea that somehow J.D. Vance will be able to go on the offensive about expertise in the public sector is completely false. He will be on the defensive when it comes to --
BURNETT: Who has the harder bar -- higher bar, Margaret?
HOOVER: I think -- I think -- I think Governor Walz. Both of them have to do no harm because Trump has such a low ceiling and high floor. I think J.D. Vance, if you were to have an abysmal performance, would -- would not hurt Donald Trump as much as Walz's miserable performance would hurt Kamala.
I mean, he really does because Kamala is not defined yet to most people. And by the way, I mean, we do this every day. Most people aren't tuned in yet, folks.
BURNETT: Right, yeah.
HOOVER: And so I think a really terrible performance on behalf of Governor Walz would -- would help Kamala issue to finds herself and presents herself to the American people. I think the stakes are higher. So, Isaac, I want to go back to what I played a few moments ago was Trump calling Harris cognitively challenged on social media, which is just the latest in what he said in the past few days about her intelligence.
Here are a few examples.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Joe Biden became mentally impaired. Kamala was born that way. She was born that aw3y. And if you think about it, only a mentally disabled person could have allowed this to happen to our country.
There's something wrong with Kamala and I just don't know what his but there is definitely something missing.
She is a stupid person, stupid person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, Isaac from your reporting and the Harris campaign do they plan to respond to these attacks? Do they think that they are landing on fertile ground in any way? Or are they going to ignore it?
DOVERE: They are largely going to ignore it, if not completely. The way that they have responded officially is by saying Trump going into these attacks shows that he's got nothing else to offer to voters. They also one of her spokesman said earlier today, it's part of Trumps insult comedy tour.
But beyond that, when they really talk about how while this might affect voters to the extent that does he say, look, this is the kind of rhetoric and that kind of behavior out of Trump that even Republican voters tend to say they hate. And especially when you're looking at those voters who are people who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and for Joe Biden in 2020. And who are undecided now, with especially among women to hear him saying she's stupid, she's mentally impaired, this is a turnoff and it's the sort of thing that they hope will, if anything, just get be another thing in the bloodstream to turn voters against him.
BURNETT: Shermichael, what do you say when you -- I mean, Nikki Haley said the same thing, you know, sort of stop -- stop with this, right? That we just heard -- got former Governor Hogan say, Senate candidate from Maryland.
What -- what do you -- how do you respond to this? And is there any world in which you say, okay, as a Republican, I'm okay with Trump saying this sort of thing?
SINGLETON: Really strategically, the question becomes, if you are not performing as well as you need what a certain percent of the population, especially a critical group of the population --
BURNETT: As in women.
SINGLETON: As in women, what should a candidate do to change those dynamics? Now, the former president has a very, very slight advantage with white women, but the vice president has improved the point of margins of President Biden.
[19:15:07]
So, if you're seeing some real competition there, and I'm looking at a place like Pennsylvania where some of those suburban women are going to be fundamental to whomever for ultimately wins as state, then, my advice for the former president is, is this the best critique of the vice president and the policies thus far are the policies if she were to win, that will move some of those voters to your side. I think the answer is probably no.
On the flip side though, Erin, if I could say quickly, we've also seen the gender gap with the vice president and men. And so the question if I'm strategist on the Democratic side, what is my -- my articulation of issues that are of importance to a man, particularly working class men of color, that may move that needle a little bit forward as well.
So, I'm seeing a fascinating gender dynamics here for both candidates.
BURNETT: No, absolutely. But Margaret, is there anyone around him was telling him not to stop doing this? I mean, I know he doesn't listen, but is anyone even bothering to tell him?
HOOVER: Yeah. Yeah, of course, they have -- they're very smart strategists around him. He's just not listening to them all. In fact, to sort of sideline the original sat and the new, the new, the old, new guys or back like Corey Levandowski. And I would just say no, Democrats has won women, white women since Bill Clinton but this, this is a year where I'm looking at white women to see how, where, they go because you have a woman at the top of the ticket and you have abortion as one of the top three issues across the country. And it's on the ballot in every state.
And so, this -- this could be a year where it were that breaks the other way.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all very much. We appreciate it.
And we do have breaking news. Israeli forces, we are learning, are moving into Lebanon. We're going to go live to Israel.
And next, the biblical devastation, the words we're hearing. Millions without food water, and power in the wake of Hurricane Helene, possibly the deadliest storm in the United States since Katrina. We're live on the ground.
And the Trump ad that even made a strong Harris backer do a double- take
(BEGIN VIDEO LICP)
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD, RADIO HOST: I don't want my taxpayer dollars going to that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I definitely see that she did --
CHARLAMAGNE THAT GOD: That ad was effective.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:21:32]
BURNETT: The breaking news at this moment, Israel launching a ground operation in Lebanon. The military just announcing it's conducting raids against Hezbollah along Lebanon, southern border.
I want to go straight to Jeremy Diamond, who's in northern Israel, along that border with Lebanon.
And, Jeremy, obviously, you know, you're there, you're in your vest. This is a major escalation that we're seeing. What do you understand is happening right now?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: No question about it, Erin. For months now, we have wondered whether this conflict between Israel and Hezbollah might escalate into an all-out war. Whether we might one day see is Israeli troops crossing into the sovereign country of Lebanon. And indeed tonight, that is what we are seeing, Israeli ground troops supported by artillery, which you've just heard, right as I was saying that in the background being fired from here in northern Israel, a couple of miles away from the border order and heading straight for Lebanon, which is behind me behind those hills, there.
And indeed tonight, the Israeli military is confirming that they are carrying out this ground operation. They are characterizing it as, quote, limited localized, and targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence against Hezbollah targets along the border.
I've been told that these operations are concentrated on Lebanese villages close to the border, where these really military has gathered intelligence and belief that there are indeed Hezbollah targets there.
Now, I've reported earlier today that the Israeli military had already begun carrying out special operations in recent days to gather intelligence in preparation for this ground defensive. And tonight what the Israeli military it is confirming is that of force of its troops is indeed crossing into Lebanon supported by artillery fire, supported by the air force, and is indeed carrying out this ground operation.
They want to characterize this, of course, as a limited ground operation that was the understanding that Israeli officials reached with the White House making clear that it would remain limited.
But of course, once you have troops going from one country into another country, there is no telling where this can go from here, Erin, and certainly with Israeli troops now, going into Lebanon, going after for Hezbollah on the ground, following the major escalations that we have watched over the course of the last two weeks with the enormous increase in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon and eastern Lebanon in the Lebanese capital of Beirut, the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, I think its very clear right now that this conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has indeed escalated into war -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. So, Jeremy, let me just ask you though. I know we just heard that artillery as you were speaking. Have you -- have you seen any explosions are heard anything else or I mean how are you able to sort of feel the difference where you are and just a note to everybody. I mean they're doing this obviously in the early hours of the morning, it's almost 2:30 in the morning along that Israeli- Lebanon border.
DIAMOND: Yeah, when we arrived here in northern Israel, just a couple of miles from the border, several hours ago, people here told us that this was the first night that they had heard a consistent and frequent artillery fire coming from this area going into Lebanon. At the time, it wasn't clear to us whether that was preparations for a ground operation or the beginnings of that operation itself.
But now that we've learned that this operation actually began a few hours ago in addition to the sounds, we have actually been able to see some of the explosions happening over the hill right behind me, which is Lebanon, indeed there as you were hearing yet another artillery round and going over.
[19:25:01]
We have seen some of those explosions happening inside of Lebanon. We also saw flares earlier today, and we are hearing the whir a helicopter in the distance. All of these of course, signs of the multiple ways in which the Israeli military is carrying out this operation from the air, from the ground, and with support, of course, from armored and artillery forces of being held further back. We have also seen, of course, an array of tanks and armored personnel vehicles along the side of a highway heading north towards the Lebanese border as that artillery fire continues in the distance.
We don't -- we aren't able to see those explosions right now, but there is a bit of light behind that hill which tells us that there are either flares or explosions happening behind there, which is of course, inside of Lebanon -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. So, let me Jeremy, just to understand here, because obviously this is a crucial moment and they're trying to describe this as limited that they're going to do something specific, right? That the opposite of some mass, all the tanks are parading over of that mass buildup. That of course we all saw. So visibly along the Gaza border.
But as you point out, this opens the door to who knows factor once you start having soldiers in, is there any sense of -- to the point you were making -- who is going in? How many are going in? Are they staying in, or is all of this really not known at this hour?
DIAMOND: Well, we can glean a couple of things from this statement and from the information that I've gathered from speaking to sources. And one of those things is that first of all, the, special operations had already been happening in the days before this.
And when the Israeli military has coming out and saying and ground operation has begun in the last few hours. They are no longer just talking about special operator ration. They're talking about something more significant. Now, I was cautioned by some sources that this is not a very large force going into Lebanon, but they wouldn't say exactly how many forces there are. And as I've said before, they are incentivized continue to characterize this as limited as targeted, as small.
And I would also note that when Israel began its ground operation in Gaza, which, of course, we've now seen Israeli troops pour throughout the Gaza strip invading the entire strip effectively, at the time, they also characterize that as a limited ground operation that was slowly, slowly expanding. And of course, it ultimately expanded into an all-out invasion.
I'm not suggesting that's going to be the case here with Lebanon. We don't know how deep this is going to go. Some former generals who I've spoken to suggested that Israel should perhaps capture eight miles of territory into Lebanon to remove the threat of anti-tank guided missiles from the area of northern Israel where some 60,000 residents have been evacuated.
It's not clear if Israel is going to go that deep yet, but again, we will see, I expect that we will see in the coming days, has this operation will likely expand it will go deeper into southern Lebanon.
The question of course, is how deep and for how long will troops be there and whether or not they could get bogged down in a fight against Hezbollah.
BURNETT: All right. Of course, Lebanon is a sovereign country.
All right, thank you very much, Jeremy Diamond. We're going to be going back to you, of course, as you get more information, and depending on what you hear and see there. As we heard that outgoing artillery fire from Israel into Lebanon behind Jeremy over these past few moments, Fareed Zakaria joins me now, host of "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS".
Fareed, you hear Jeremy's reporting that there -- this is obviously goes beyond the special operations forces which have been operating over that border, that this is bigger, but the Israelis are describing it as limited and not as an invasion.
What do you think is actually happening here?
FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, "FAREDED ZAKARIA GPS": I think what the Israelis are doing is implementing a strategy that they have long planned and held in advance. They have for a long time thought very seriously about what to do, about the threat they face from Hezbollah, the constant rocket fire, the way in which Hezbollah has been able to drive out maybe 100,000 -- 150,000 Israelis from their homes in northern Israel.
And the plan was to do something like this, which was to begin with that lightning communication strike, the cell phones and pagers exploding, then artillery and aerial bombardment that would essentially tried to destroy a whole bunch of the weapons caches and target mid-level leadership and then go on and target the high-level leadership.
But to complete the job, they do have to go in to get out those weapons caches. Hezbollah has its own network of tunnels, much like Hamas. They have to do all of that.
So far, Israel was always deterred from doing this because of the fear of Hezbollah retaliation, Iranian retaliation, the retaliation of the axis of resistance that Iran had always talked about.
But what they've done is they've pressed forward, taking the risk and they have proved that that axis of resistance and Iran is more of a paper tiger.
[19:30:02]
BURNETT: So let me just ask you, you know, obviously, and what they did even on the pagers, we understand, hacking into odometer of Hezbollah leaders, cars, and possibly even into their smart TVs to hear their voices. I mean, the level of intelligence involved is truly incredible to contemplate but yet, as Jeremy said, once you actually have soldiers and human beings going over the border, you get into a, you don't know what's going to happen from there.
How confident are they that they know what's going to happen from here, that there's limited ground operation remains that way as opposed to something which appears very clear that they don't want and maybe couldn't even take on, which would be a full-scale invasion or some kind of an occupation.
ZAKARIA: Yeah, it's very risky, but look, they faced a problem which was that Hezbollah raining rockets on them. They were trying to figure out what to do and they took this calculated gamble that the Iranians were going to be at the end of the day more cautious, that the Houthis were going to be more cautious, that Hezbollah would not be able to quickly retaliate. And so far, that has proven right.
I think what you are seeing is that Israel is the superpower militarily of the Middle East today. And it is able to strike at will in a way that it's very hard to retaliate.
You raise, Erin, the crucial issue. It's one thing to be able to get rid of bad guys. It's another to figure out what to do with the space, the land. That's what we discovered after Saddam Hussein, after Moammar Gadhafi, after the Taliban. It's what Israel is discovery in Gaza after they got rid of the initial -- the initial ground invasion.
So, there, you're right, and I would -- I would hope they understand that the best thing would be a quick mop-up operation and then withdraw back. But it's always very hard because once -- once you break it, you buy it as Colin Powell famously said, about Iraq.
BURNETT: And what about Iran? Do they strike?
ZAKARIA: So I had the Iranian president on before the Nasrallah attack and spent about an hour with him. We showed most of what the -- most of it on the show. He didn't strike me as a man who wanted to retaliate. He was striking about how Hezbollah has very limited options. It has very limited weaponry. Israel is so much more powerful.
He talked about when I asked him, pressing message, what would you do? He said, well, we have to convene a meeting of Islamic countries to condemn this. That doesn't sound like the man who is ready, readying for military strike.
I think Iran is also on the ropes there. They don't have as many options as you might think, and this president is trying to in some way find a way out, get some of these sanctions reduced. Now, the crucial question in Iran has always, does the president actually have power?
BURNETT: Yeah.
ZAKARIA: Or are the Revolutionary Guard, the hard liners, the mullahs -- do they have more power? They're going to be war assertive. Is there some red line that hasn't been crossed yet that could trigger something?
I doubt it because Israel can counterpunch harder than any punch I can send it their way.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Fareed, thank you very much. I appreciate it as we cover this breaking development of Israeli troops crossing the border into Lebanon around 2:30 local time on this Tuesday morning, as it is there, Monday night here, Eastern Time.
And our Jeremy Diamond's going check back in with us as depending what he sees and hears over these next few moments here.
Meantime, next, the incredible biblical devastation and the United States. Hurricane Helene, the deadliest storm since Hurricane Katrina. We've got 128 now confirmed dead, more than 600 missing. We have been told the number of dead will rise.
Plus, what can we expect from J.D. Vance at the V.P. debate against Tim Walz tomorrow. His former close friend and law school classmate says, quote, he's going to be nasty. She'll tell you why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:38:05]
BURNETT: Tonight, more than 600 are still missing after Hurricane Helene, that skyrocketing number set to make it the deadliest since Katrina, already 128 people have been confirmed dead across six states. And then there the additional 600 still unaccounted for. You're looking at what is left of an entire town in North Carolina, unrecognizable. A city official there calling it biblical in terms of the devastation.
Asheville, North Carolina, is practically wiped off the map and the full scope of the devastation there is still not clear at all at this hour. Rafael Romo is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVE TIMKO, STORM VICTIM'S FATHER: With some coffee in here.
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Surrounded by destruction without electricity, this freshly brewed cup of coffee is a small luxury for Sarah Timko.
D. TIMKO: I asked my daughter, are you okay? I just texted her and she sent me back these horrifying pictures. I mean, it looked like Armageddon.
ROMO: That's when Dave Timko decided to travel hundreds of miles to come to the rescue of his daughter and her family, bringing food, water, gas, and supplies.
D. TIMKO: Buildings down, houses washed away, I'm like, oh, my God, my daughters in the middle of this, and she's seven-and-a-half months pregnant.
SARAH TIMKO, STORM VICTIM & ASHEVILLE, NC RESIDENT: The baby is going to be here at about eight weeks and it's my first. So it's exciting. I also don't want him to come early because we are not prepared.
ROMO: The Asheville, North Carolina resident and her family were among the hundreds of thousands of people left without power here in devastated western North Carolina, with major disaster declaration in 25 counties, emergency crews say they are overwhelmed not only by the amount of people in need of help, but also because they're unable to reach many of them.
Cut off communities, destroyed roads and broken bridges like this one here in Swannanoa are making the job of first responders and search and rescue teams very difficult here in western North Carolina.
[19:40:03]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't really know my neighbors that well actually, until two days ago.
ROMO: In this Asheville neighborhood, people decided they couldn't wait for help to arrive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They've given us water, fuel, food.
ROMO: They organized themselves to clear their street that was covered in mud and debris.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we've all chipped in. We've all worked together. It's been really special.
ROMO: Most people in the areas devastated by the storm have no power, water, or cell service. At least 126 have been killed in six states, more than 50 in North Carolina alone, and hundreds remain unaccounted for.
As residents line up for necessities, FEMA is using helicopters to deliver supplies.
Sarah Timko says she was not prepared for this kind of unexpected disaster.
What was your reaction when he said honey, I'm going your way and I'm bringing supplies?
S. TIMKO: I was like, that's my dad. That's him. He's always there for me.
D. TIMKO: This is my first grandchild, her first child. You know, that's a very delicate time, right?
ROMO: In the worst of times, the best in people is making a big difference.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: Rafael, I know we've talked about the 600 currently missing. We've been told the death toll will go up. So many people they have not even been able to get in contact with.
How do people there feel about the state and federal response? I mean, what were seeing in North Carolina, it's something that nobody expected or really had much warning about.
ROMO: Yeah, that's a very good point there and we have certainly heard criticism the people wondering whether the state and then federal governments have done enough, soon enough.
But yes, it's very important to put this disaster context. We're talking about Helene, which is a hurricane that's already among the 50 deadliest hurricanes in the last 50 years. Over the weekend, the Governor Roy Cooper said that in this part of North Carolina, the western part of North Carolina, people got anywhere between 10 and 29 inches of rain.
And just look at what's behind me, the many roads and bridges are impassable. Earlier, state officials said that the number is more than 300. So when you look at everything that's happened here, Erin, you begin to understand that something like this had never happened here before, and that's why it's getting very different to take the -- to take help to those who needed, Erin.
BURNETT: Yeah, yeah. And as you can see, the darkness behind you, so many there waiting and still having not established contact and we just don't know what the death toll truly is. Already, the deadliest storm since Katrina.
Rafael, thank you so very much.
And next, Trumps new strategy as the election gets closer, will that move the needle with the voters he needs the most. We're talking the culture wars.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My mother was a brilliant, five foot tall brown woman with an accent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And also, we are monitoring the breaking news out of Israel, which has launched a ground operation into Lebanon overnight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:47:25]
BURNETT: Tonight, the new Trump strategy. New reporting tonight on how Trump is playing into the culture wars on transgender rights in the final weeks of the campaign. This is an issue that the campaign thinks will move the needle with some voters. Trump's campaign has spent millions on a new ad, pushing comments that Harris made in 2019 that were first surfaced and reported on by our KFILE.
That was where she supported access to gender transition surgery for detained migrants paid for by taxpayers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AD ANNOUNCER: Kamala supports taxpayer funded sex changes for prisoners.
HARRIS: Surgery --
INTERVIEWER: For prisoners?
HARRIS: -- for prisoners. Every transgender, inmate in the prison system would have access.
AD ANNOUNCER: It's hard to believe, but it's true. Even the liberal media was shocked Kamala supports taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners and illegal aliens.
HARRIS: Every transgender inmate would have access.
AD ANNOUNCER: Kamala's for they/them. President Trump is for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Marc Caputo is OUTFRONT now.
Marc, obviously, you've been talking to your many sources in the inner circle of the Trump campaign and the Trump world. Harris's team says this is not a policy as she is proposing are running on in this election. They obviously can't dispute that that is what she said her stance was. Obviously, it's very clear.
You report, though that Trump world sees a big opening here and that that ad is airing in seven battleground states right now. Do they have dated that makes them think this will work?
MARC CAPUTO, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE BULWARK: I think when you look at the polling, it generally shows that while Americans have, on the whole, the majority, the plurality, no problems with adults being transgender. They start to disfavor transgender surgeries for minors, transgender athletes in women's sports, and taxpayer or insurance subsidies for transgender surgeries. And this hits that latter point.
And unlike all the other issues, this is one where the Trump campaign and the polling at least sees a clear advantage and that's what campaigns do. Now, this is a very fraught topic, actually.
BURNETT: Yes.
CAPUTO: It's very emotional. The advocates point out, look, most people aren't talking about this. This is not a top issue. The economy, immigration is, abortion is.
The Trump campaign counters that, well, yes, that might be the case. The reality is, while this is not a top issue for people, this is an issue that lots of people talk about and people have strong emotions over.
BURNETT: All right. So you pointed out that Trumps ad actually came up on the very popular radio show, the Breakfast Club, which is hosted by Charlamagne Tha God. Obviously, Charlamagne's been on this show many times. And he does support Harris, but which is important context because I want to play what he just said about the Trump ad.
[19:50:07]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: When you hear a narrator say Kamala's supported taxpayer funded sex changes for prisoners, that one line out of -- I know -- I don't want my taxpayer dollars going to that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I definitely see that she did that.
CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD: That was affective. I don't think I would've paid commercial no attention if it was any other time. But you're watching football, and you just might use, what the hell, in between the commercials, they give you this?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, okay, Charlamagne's, you know, just responding there emotionally. What -- what -- so what voters do they think this hurts Harris most with?
CAPUTO: A variety, obviously, African-American men, that you just quoted played the tape of, suburban -- suburban women and also just a passel of other swing voters, soft Democrats, Republicans who want to stay home. Obviously, this really stirs up social conservatives and Trump's had a little bit of a problem with his base in some quarters because of his mixed messaging on abortion. This is a way to reel them back.
BURNETT: All right. Marc, I appreciate you and your reporting as always. Thank you.
And I want to go now to Sofia Nelson, J.D. Vance's former Yale Law school classmate and close friend for a decade.
Many of our viewers, Sofia, remember you from the last time when you were on talking about your long friendship with J.D. Vance and his wife. Now, you have also been a vocal defender of trans rights. And when we last spoke, you share that Vance had supported you when you had your own gender affirming surgery, he brought the baked goods as you recovered. This was in 2012.
So what's your reaction when you hear Mark's reporting that Trump and Vance are going all in on this issue and obviously you could see for yourself and ad like that, was airing during football yesterday.
SOFIA NELSON, JD VANCE'S FORMER YALE CLASSMATE AND FRIEND: Thanks for having me back, Erin.
I have two reactions to this strategy. First and foremost, Kamala Harris is a lifelong prosecutor. She was attorney general of California. She understands the law deeply and she understood that the United States Supreme Court made clear that to deny medically necessary care to incarcerated people is unconstitutional and violates the Eighth Amendment. And she, when she was answering that question, she was aware of Ninth Circuit precedent, which covers the state of California, I'm sure, that that extends to providing the medically necessary gender affirming care.
So I suppose she could have said, no, we should violate the law and not do this, but that doesn't strike me as the kind of person that she is and the lawyer that she is. But more importantly, Erin, this is just not an issue that affects everyday people. I don't go around asking people what medication there on what surgeries they have had because like Tim Walz, I know how to mind my own damn business, and I don't think that whether I've had surgery or whether someone else has surgery is important to everyday Americans.
This election is about freedom. It's about privacy and it's about everyday economic issues, kitchen table issues, and that's -- this is just a distraction. It's another way of dividing us. It's another way of spewing in hate and fear and to distract from the important economic issues like which side is pro-union? Which side is going to help Americans afford their first home with down payment assistance?
BURNETT: So, as we're getting ready tomorrow night to see the debate, right? We're going to see Tim Walz and J.D. Vance. And I guess, you know, look, they're not -- they're not running for president, they're running for vice president. But it is a test for how Americans connect with them and what they hear policy, but also connection.
And that's why I want to ask you in the context of how well you knew J.D. Vance. You had shared a message that he sent with a sent with us -- and he sent to you in 2016? He apologized for describing you in his book, "Hillbilly Elegy", as an extremely progressive lesbian that was a quote in the book.
So in this message that you shared, he writes, you, he calls you Sofs, says nickname and he says, I recognize now, but this may not accurately reflect how you think of yourself. And for that, I'm really sorry. I hope you recognize that the description came from a place of ignorance. When I first started writing years ago, I hope you're not offended, but if you are, I'm sorry. Love you, JD.
That obviously is a very different person in terms of these issues and perspective than we all hear now. I wonder, Sofia, when you look at it now and you're getting ready to watch him tomorrow night, who do you think the real J.D. Vance is?
NELSON: Yeah. Could the real J.D. Vance please stand up?
I don't think anybody knows, right? We've had many different iterations of J.D. Vance. He's a chameleon. He's a fraud, and he's out for power and wealth and I think that shows that's why he is wildly unpopular, because the American people value authenticity and this is -- I think actually ties its into the trans rights issue, Erin, because what I'm seeking and what all trans people are seeking is the right to live their authentic lives, to be their authentic selves.
And that makes you happier and it makes you less angry. And I think it might be easier for J.D. Vance to order donuts without looking weird, if he could be his authentic self.
[19:55:02]
And it might -- he might have a thing or two to learn from trans peoples, I'm saying.
BURNETT: So, you know, one of the people that we understand is helping him prepare is another very talented lawyer.
You all were a group of very talented young lawyers going through law school friends. It's his wife, Usha. You know her well. You were at their wedding.
So how do you -- what role do you think she's playing? What advice do you think she's giving him?
NELSON: Well, I fought a lot about Usha in the wake of Laura Loomer's extremely racist attacks on vice president Harris for her racial background.
BURNETT: Right, the curry at the White House, smell, yes.
NELSON: Yes, and that call center. It's just horrific, degrading, dehumanizing comments. And what we have here is J.D. Vance and Donald Trump are bullies, their name-calling and there's nothing too low. Whether it's intellectual disability, someone's race, their sexual orientation, their -- nothing is off off-limits. They will name call about literally everything and that's because they're trying to divide us, to distract us from the issues that matter.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Sofia, I appreciate your time. I'm glad to see you again. Thank you.
NELSON: All right. Thank you for having me, Erin.
BURNETT: All right. And also tonight, Donald Trump is campaigning in Georgia. And, of course, which is still reeling from the disaster left by Hurricane Helene. He visited Valdosta saying his stop had nothing to do with politics and then said this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The vice president -- she's out some places campaigning looking for money. So they got to be -- they have to be -- there's nobody here. It's too big. This is a really bad one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Now, Trump, of course, lost Georgia by that razor thin margin in 2020. And the state is expected to be very close again. The Harris campaign tonight is seeing an opening with a specific group and Jeff Zeleny has tonight's "Voters OUTFRONT".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SONJUI KUMAR, SOUHT ASIANS FOR HARRIS: South Asians for Harris.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sonjui Kumar, and volunteers are calling a small, yet potentially powerful set of Georgia voters.
KUMAR: Our community is not that big. It's 4 percent of the state's population, but it's in some counties, its 122,000. It's 60,000. Its, you know, its enough to absolutely make a difference.
ZELENY: Asian-Americans are one of the fastest growing segments of the electorate. Here in Georgia, the voters are a critical piece of Kamala Harris's game plan in a razor thin race against Donald Trump.
KUMAR: There's a baked-in Republican red bent to the state, but it's -- it's been changing. It's been changing for the -- for many years now.
ZELENY: In Georgia, President Biden defeated Trump by 11,779 votes out of 5 million cast. That margin is smaller than the number of Asian-American voters surrounding Atlanta, ranging from Gwinnett County at more than 65,000 to Forsyth County at more than 14,000.
KANNAN UDAYARAJAN, FORSYTH COUNTY DEMOCRATS CHAIRPERSON: Four years have passed since then the demographics of the county has shifted considerably since then. ZELENY: Kannan Udayarajan leads the Democratic Party in Forsyth
County. He was driven to become politically active after Republican Senator David Purdue said this for years ago at a Trump rally.
DAVID PURDUE, FORMER U.S. SENATOR: With Kamala, or what Kamala or Kamala, Kamalamala, I don't know, whatever.
UDAYARAJAN: I saw some people rationalizing that mispronunciation, and I felt that there was a need to stand up, to speak up because we should not be normalizing this kind of behavior.
ZELENY: Forsyth is deep red, a county Trump carried by more than 30 points. But for the first time, Democrats are fielding candidates up and down the ballot, like Ashwin Ramaswami, who's running for a state house seat.
ASHWIN RAMASWAMI, POLITICIAN: It's not a question of if Georgia will become blue, it's a question of when.
ZELENY: Harris, who would be the first Black and South Asian woman elected president, is leaning into her Indian American roots.
HARRIS: My mother was a brilliant five foot tall brown woman with an accent.
ZELENY: James Woo, who helps registered Georgia voters across political lines, said Asian Americans here held for more than 20 national origins, each with their own view of politics. He said there may be less allegiance to a political party, yet backgrounds help inform votes.
JAMES WOO, ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE-ATLANTA: A lot of them are small business owners. They are working like seven days a week at mom and pop shops. So economy really impacts them directly.
ZELENY: From churches to businesses, to campaign signs, diversity of Atlanta suburbs come alive with the potential for Democrats and Republicans.
WOO: I've definitely seen Democratic Party to AAPI specific outreach events. From Trump campaign, I haven't seen as much.
ZELENY: A GOP Asian American community center that opened here in 2021 is now closed, replaced by an adult novelty store.
With early voting just two weeks away in Georgia. Both sides are investing millions here.
And the sheer math of it all shows that every vote really does count.
KUMAR: Honestly. I mean, everyone's familiar with the famous 11,000 whatever votes, you could not make a better point for every vote counts than in Georgia.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ZELENY: And that is certainly true. I mean, Erin, that margin hangs over this race, 11,779 votes. That's why, with one week left to go for voter registration, it's really fascinating what's happening in the Atlanta suburbs. We spent some time there this week and last week, the languages are so different for voter registration cards.
BURNETT: Every one of those cards. You've got Korean, Mandarin, Arabic vote.
ZELENY: For sure, so it is showing you really the changing face of Georgia here. So all eyes are on Georgia for the next five weeks.
BURNETT: Eleven thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine. Thank you very much, Jeff Zeleny.
And thanks to all of you as always.
"AC360" starts now.
