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Erin Burnett Outfront

Mideast War Rages As Israel Marks A Year After October 7 Attacks; Trump Discusses Murderers, Migrants: "It's In Their Genes"; Explosive Category 5 Hurricane Packs 180MPH Winds, Eyes Florida. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired October 07, 2024 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:43]

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:

Live from Tel Aviv, the breaking news, under attack, nearly 200 projectiles fired at Israel today. Most missiles fired on Tel Aviv by militias since the early days of the war. This is Israeli versus say they are ready to strike Iran as early as tonight.

Plus, Elon Musk in a new interview with Tucker Carlson says he's, quote, "effed", if Harris is elected president.

And also breaking this hour, a monster once in a lifetime hurricane with winds now up to 180 miles an hour. We're going to take you inside the category five storm because there is no higher category that's headed straight for Florida.

Let's go OUTFRONT

And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett live from Tel Aviv.

OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, under attack in Israel. The Israeli military saying 190 projectiles have been fired at Israel today, many at the very city that we're standing in right now, the most missiles fired at Tel Aviv by Iranian backed militias since the very earliest days of this war, and air raid sirens blaring while we were on the air just a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: There, it's going up. Interceptors are going up. I don't know if you guys can see those. Those interceptors are going up right now behind us. One, two, three.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Different areas, three. These look like the high altitude for ballistic missiles.

BURNETT: There you go. Yeah.

ROBERTSON: So that was must have been very high, there's another.

BURNETT: They're still going off.

ROBERTSON: Yeah. Three, four.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: And that's right behind where we are now.

According to the Israeli military, those were just a few of the missiles fired here by Hezbollah which did claim responsibility, the third time on this somber October 7th anniversary that the sirens in Tel Aviv sounded. This is what it looked like earlier here the entire city lit up with warnings of incoming missiles -- missiles in the case of this series of alerts all over the area as you can see coming from Houthi militias in Yemen.

And this morning, Hamas rockets flying from Gaza, Israel today there striking Gaza as part of what they say as a major new front in northern Gaza.

Israel also striking Beirut where in this new video, you can see explosions lighting up tonight the night sky in Beirut, another night of terror and exhaustion in Beirut. The war ranging -- raging even as today was a somber and painful day here in Israel, one year since the Hamas terror attack when more than 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing Israel will continue to fight after the deadliest day in its history of the people taken hostage only about 150 have come home, many are known to be dead, 97 taken hostage that day are still in captivity. And tonight, we went to a memorial at what's called hostage square here in Tel Aviv where thousands of people gathered to pay their respects to grieve.

For the Israeli government, the main focus is war. Tens of thousands of Israeli forces are now on a new front line along the Lebanon border. Israeli defense forces say they're ready to go. Spokesperson for the IDF who will join me in just a moment says Israel's forces are in position and could strike Iran as early as tonight.

We have seen Israeli troops, they are energized on that northern front line. We saw no signs of fatigue. They want to win.

But tonight, after tens of thousands of dead in Gaza, now death in Lebanon and the horror of October 7th itself, mass missile attacks from Iran to Israel. And back again, there is absolutely no clear sense of what winning actually means.

Jim Sciutto joins me live here in Tel Aviv.

And, Jim, of course, in various places as we were at memorials across this city today, ballistic missiles and rockets coming from Iranian- backed militias, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis throughout this day.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yeah. You know, just as you were listing all the places that Israel is at war right now there, it may be hard for people to keep up with, but you have Gaza, you have Lebanon, you have strikes in Yemen. You have this contemplation now of the retaliation against Iran.

[19:05:03]

And, of course, Israel has struck in Syria and elsewhere.

But also, there -- there are multiple front lines inside this country, right? And we saw that today any memorial you or I or our team went to today, there were incoming rocket and missile warnings and incoming rocket and missile interceptions in the air above our heads. This is a multi-front conflict and everybody is feeling it, right? Everybody is feeling under threat.

BURNETT: Absolutely, and you know, what you're looking at there as I said, that was just a bit ago here while we were all here watching those. Those were interceptors which appear to be from the David Slings missile defense system which go way up higher for the ballistic missiles which can be fired by Hezbollah in that case and they did claim responsibility earlier from the Houthis, the Iron Dome which I just saw in the north firing. Obviously, we -- you know, we see here more with Gaza.

And all of this comes, Jim, is now you're looking at two o'clock in the morning, another night where now the IDF says, you know, very clear that they're ready to go --

SCIUTTO: Yeah.

BURNETT: -- when they get that order to strike back at Iran.

SCIUTTO: And I and whether or not there is approval or buy in from the U.S., right, I mean, there's been an effort -- I've heard this from U.S. officials to -- and from Israeli officials -- to get on the same page, right, as to what is the -- you know, from the U.S. side, what's proportional, what prevents this from being a broader war that has other potential consequences around the world, economic and otherwise.

But also that that, of course, satisfies Israel's need not just to retaliate and establish deterrence -- reestablish deterrence but also to really weaken Iran, right? I mean, that seem to be the goal. You constantly hear this phrase the head of the octopus, right?

But it's not clear that the two sides will get on the same stage. It is clear to me that if they don't. Israel will move forward as it sees fit.

BURNETT: Yes, yes, it certainly seems that way and I think there's questions even among many in the U.S. military command about who they would tell and when and if because they know no matter what they do ultimately, the U.S. will back them on dealing with the consequences.

SCIUTTO: To defend for sure.

BURNETT: Absolutely.

All right. Well, Jim Sciutto, thank you very much. As we are live here in Tel Aviv tonight.

OUTFRONT now, the Israeli Defense Forces spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner.

And, Colonel, I appreciate your time tonight. I know that Israel is -- has still not responded to Iran's massive ballistic missile attack. Is the IDF ready to strike tonight if you get the order?

LT. COL. PETER LERNER, IDF SPOKESMAN: The government will instruct the IDF, and we will act accordingly. Our role is to place on the table the scenarios, the options that the government can make and the government will instruct us, accordingly. The message has been very clear from all levels of government and defense establishment that 181 ballistic missiles is unacceptable. I would add that one ballistic missile is unacceptable.

So Israel is preparing itself and when the government gives us the instructions, we will operate.

BURNETT: Of course, there was a ballistic missile fired today from Yemen, which was intercepted, you know? And we obviously, you know, hear explosions even now. The Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the October 7th attack last year though, Colonel, set Israel back 70 years. What's your response to him?

LERNER: So the Islamic Republic of Iran tried with all its might to create a ring of proxies around Israel. All of those proxies are being defeated every single day. So I would say to Iran to watch very, very cautiously. I think that their attempt to try and distance themselves and try and perhaps through this way safeguard themselves is was has been very, very careless.

The IDF is fighting against all of these enemies and decapitating them and making them pay, and not permitting them to try and conduct the nefarious intentions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

BURNETT: Colonel Lerner, Barak Ravid of "Axios" reported just a bit ago that Yahya Sinwar, the chief of Hamas, has resurfaced. There had been reports that he had been silent and perhaps was dead, that he has now been -- has resurfaced.

What do you know about his condition tonight, sir?

LERNER: So I don't know what Barak Ravid has been reporting. We know that Yahya Sinwar, the arch terrorist, the mastermind and architect of the October 7th attack is responsible and must be held accountable for his actions. First of all, we need to bring home the remaining 101 hostages, but yeah, as we've said, Sinwar is a dead man walking and I -- I would very much urge him to release the hostages and that Hamas should surrender. This is a year that has been going on far too long and the reality needs to change for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

[19:10:04]

BURNETT: Colonel, many of the families of the hostages that we saw today are angry and they're angry at the Israeli government. Many of them believe that it is a choice that the government has made to fight the war in Gaza to now fight a war in Lebanon, to fight a broadening war when the government could have focused on bringing their family members home.

Ninety-seven people who were taken hostage on October 7th are still in Gaza, 101 hostages there still in total. We understand 36 of them are already dead, but there have been reports that that number could be as many as 50.

Do you know the latest on this horrific number right now?

LERNER: Erin, I think the most important thing is to bring them home. The most important thing is to create the conditions to bring home the hostages. We've watched throughout the day on CNN and elsewhere the pain that the families of the hostages are going through.

We feel as the IDF that our mission is yet to be accomplished precisely because there are 101 remaining in the hands and clutches of Hamas. Many of them are -- we understand -- are alive and some of them are indeed have been -- have been pronounced dead.

So they need to come home. We need to do everything we can to bring them home. It's our obligation as the military. It's our responsibility also to Israeli society that is the ethos of the IDF that we don't leave people behind.

BURNETT: Colonel Peter Lerner with the IDF, thanks so much for your time tonight. We appreciate it.

LERNER: Good evening. Good day.

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT now, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, the former army commanding general for Europe.

And, General, I appreciate your time. You know, you heard Colonel Lerner there and it's obviously here and now the early hours of October 8th saying the IDF is ready whenever they get the order to strike. What do you expect Israel will do, General?

MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Outlining what their requirements are, Erin. They're facing a three-front war. We've talked about this multiple times. They will continue their offensive into Lebanon because they have to. They keep being continue to -- continue to be attacked by Hezbollah out of that country.

They will continue their strikes in Gaza because they haven't completed that action yet. Their deterrence -- I mean, I heard -- I heard the word deterrence used a little while ago. I would say that Israel is more interested in escalation -- escalation dominance.

Can they strike inside of Iran and not have this thing escalate to the point where it will be harmful to Israel? So they are going to continue to attack in the north and in Gaza. They are going to attack and establish retribution against the 181 ballistic missiles that were fired the other night. The targets they will hit will be interesting to watch. There's a list of them but I'm not sure when they will attack. I would almost suggest that they have started their offensive

operation against Iran in a more covert way. You know, there will be explosions, there will be a kinetic attack but there have been other things happening as well.

BURNETT: That's -- that's right, and, of course, it's hard to piece it all together.

You know as I mentioned, you know, here in Tel Aviv, you got the October 7th and just the somber grief of it and those hostages just 40 miles away, their families don't know whether they're dead or alive. And yet on that day, one of the busiest days in terms of missile attacks on Tel Aviv by Iranian back militia since the very earliest days of the war general.

So, you know, what does that say to you when you think of the fact that third of Gaza is leveled -- tens of thousands of people are dead there, and yet today, there were sirens here. Hamas fired on Tel Aviv. We had ballistic missiles just about an hour and a half or two hours ago come in from Hezbollah and in the late afternoon, there were ballistic missiles intercepted coming from the Houthis in Yemen.

What does it say that after a year, all of that capability is still there?

HERTLING: Well, it's been thwarted to a degree, Erin, but it's still going to happen and interestingly enough, I was surprised by the launches of additional misses -- additional missiles, rockets primarily out of Gaza.

But the extent of what has been launched by Lebanon, you mentioned earlier, it was 190 today and that seems to be the highest number in the last couple of months, but they've averaged anywhere from 30 to 150 a day. They have been hit but in having fought terrorist organizations, they want to show they're still on the battlefield, no matter how much they are depleted, no matter how much they have deteriorated and are in a dysfunctional state.

So you will continue to see rockets being launched out of Lebanon and you'll continue to see Iran trying to control those proxies as you said and Jim Sciutto reported earlier, there were launches from Yemen as well.

[19:15:02]

That continues.

So all of these fighting forces that represent Iran forward, they're going to continue to launch missiles because that's what they can do until the last one is destroyed.

BURNETT: All right. General Hertling, thank you very much. I appreciate your time in the early hours now here in Tel Aviv of October 8th, a new year beginning and we await this possible strike.

And next, former President Trump going after migrants and their genetics.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe this, it's in their genes. And we've got a lot of bad genes in our country right now.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BURNETT: Plus, the breaking news live pictures of a mass exodus in the state of Florida, as one of the most powerful hurricanes in history closes in on the state. Winds now 180 miles an hour. Tonight, we've got new video from inside the storm's eye.

And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis not taking Harris's calls about the storm. He said she didn't know she called. She's accusing him of playing games, politics, out of the storm.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:20:35]

BURNETT: New tonight, Donald Trump linking undocumented immigrants to murderers saying, they have bad genes.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TRUMP: She has no clue. How about allowing people to come through an open border, 13,000 of which were murderers. Many of them murdered far more than one person and they're now happily living in the United States. You know, now a murderer, I believe this, it's in their genes. And we got bad a lot of bad genes in our country right now.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BURNETT: As our fact checker Daniel Dale has pointed out, the 13,000 number includes murderers who came in while Trump was a president. Some of them are also in prison still. It also includes people who came in murderers as other former presidents were in the office, including Obama and Bush. So Obama, Bush, Trump, Biden -- all of it -- and context does matter. Trump does not say this in a vacuum. He says it in the context of comments about migrants that we've heard again and again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Nobody has any idea where these people are coming from. It's poisoning the blood of our country. It's so bad and people are coming in with disease. People are coming in with every possible thing that you can have.

They're poisoning the blood of our country. They're letting horrible people into our country. They're poisoning -- they're poisoning our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BURNETT: And Trump has long been obsessed with genetics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: A lot of it's about the genes, isn't it? Don't you believe? The racehorse theory, you think we're so different?

You know, I believe in the racehorse theory. Fast horses produce fast horses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Aisha Mills and David Urban are both OUTFRONT now.

So, Aisha, let me just begin with you -- with your reactions to what Donald Trump has just said today about the murderers coming into the country and genes.

AISHA MILLS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Listen, this isn't the first time we've heard this kind of talk from Donald Trump and it reeks of authoritarianism and it also harkens back to a time of Hitler, who used the same exact language that Donald Trump is now quoting to talk about the people who he thinks are poisoning the blood of the nation.

You know all of this smells like an affinity towards eugenics which really should give us all pause because when we remember the last person -- the last awful authoritarian dictator who believed in eugenics it was someone who really uh wanted to exterminate an entire people because they thought that they didn't have good genes, and because they were trying to create a certain type of race. Donald Trump has him -- has himself said that his parents, his father raised him to believe that they were superior to others because they had good genes.

Now, what does that mean? The way he's talking about it is he wants to purge the immigrants, right? He wants to get rid of all of the immigrants and has said that he would do some pretty nasty harmful things to them because they don't have good genes.

I don't think that this is just rhetoric. I think that we need to take this --

DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, come on.

MILLS: -- seriously and understand where his inspiration comes from.

And today of all days, it is just really savage that this is who he's quoting and that he's quoting Hitler.

URBAN: Come on, Erin, I i don't want to swear --

(CROSSTALK)

BURNETT: David, I mean is this rhetoric, say you believe in the racehorse theory about bloodlines? URBAN: Listen, listen -- Erin, listen, I'm not going to sit here and

put up with this. I will -- I am a very good guest normally but, Aisha, for you to compare Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler on 10/7 is just shameful.

Number one, what he was talking about are murderers, people who came into this country and murdered Americans, okay? So let's not mince -- let's not try to string together a bunch of quotes that weren't -- it weren't put together there different points in time to try to make it look like something he didn't say.

He was talking about 26,000 people, rapists and murderers in this country, and he said in my opinion and it's not just Donald Trump's opinion, there are scientific studies out there about nature or nurture about murderers, whether they have some sort of genetic predisposition to murder people and he's talking about the people who murdered Americans, not eugenics not some made BS, Aisha. So, listen, I'm sorry that Donald Trump feels like standing up for people who may have been murdered by immigrants and want to deport illegal immigrants who are here criminal, violent, aliens who want to kick them out of our country to protect Americans, but that's okay in my case.

He's not talking about eugenics. He's not -- to compare him with Adolf Hitler today is I find it particularly offensive.

[19:25:03]

MILLS: Listen, we can fact check this all -- all day long.

URBAN: So just stop, so just stop.

(CROSSTALK)

MILLS: David's hot -- David's hot air is not going to rewrite the history of the words that Donald Trump himself has used. This is fact.

URBAN: Aisha, read the words he used today.

MILLS: He has long talked about genetics. Well, I'm talking about the history of everything he's ever said. So you can have short-term memory, David, for the sake of going into an election and like doing Donald Trump's bidding, but this as an American --

(CROSSTALK)

URBAN: Aisha, let's talk about Kamala Harris's short term memory.

MILLS: -- makes me really concern. As a Black lesbian who Donald Trump doesn't believe has genes as good as his, as he going to attempt to exterminate me when he gets elected.

URBAN: Really? Why do you believe that, Aisha? Why do you believe that?

MILLS: Because he's damn near said it, that's why, David. That's why.

URBAN: Because --

(CROSSTALK0

MILLS: Okay, and I'm not going to be lectured by some white man who has no idea what he's talking about, and is trying to rewrite history here.

URBAN: Aisha, shame on you, Aisha. Erin --

MILLS: I am afraid as an American of a Donald Trump presidency and his actual quotes on why --

URBAN: Shame on you, Aisha.

MILLS: -- because I take him seriously, and I think that he believes what he says and that is why he is a danger and a threat to America.

URBAN: Erin, Erin, I -- you can't have a rational discuss talking about topics.

(CROSSTALK)

BURNETT: All right. Let me just say I appreciate -- OK, I appreciate both of you, I know it's obviously getting heated. I think -- I think what people appreciate about both of you is you mean what you say and you say what you mean. You're both very genuine people. So I just want to -- let me just turn the conversation here to an interview that Elon Musk gave that we're just out now, okay?

So he gave an interview with Tucker Carlson when he was at that weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania, you know, that obviously where Trump was shot and Elon and Trump were on the stage together and Musk talked about how he's all in on Trump. I just wanted to play it for you -- there are some expletives in here but let me play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, TALK SHOW HOST: If he loses, man, what --

(LAUGHTER)

ELON MUSK, TESLA CEO: I'm --

CARLSON: You're (EXPLETIVE DELETED), dude.

MUSK: If he loses, I'm (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(LAUGHTER)

CARLSON: It does seem that way. You can't just be like -- you can't just be like --

MUSK: Yeah, I'm like -- how -- how long do you think my prison sentence is going to be, you think? Will I see my children? I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Aisha, can I just ask you, you know, when you look at Musk, Tesla's, rockets, getting people off the International Space Station, Starlink, providing Internet service now for people in incredibly hard-hit areas by Hurricane Helene, and soon it will be the case with Milton. Do you think Harris would ever hold it against Musk that he supports Trump so, so strongly that he would give an interview and say things like that?

MILLS: Kamala Harris hasn't said or done anything that would lead me to believe that she is vindictive or would ever use the power of her office to go after people who didn't agree with her in the way that Donald Trump declares that he would do. I also just wonder what exactly is Elon betting on, right, because he realizes that he's making a bet and that if this bet goes south he might be in big trouble.

So I think that we should all completely distrust him and it begs the question what exactly is he banking on with Donald Trump.

BURNETT: David, final word.

URBAN: Yeah, listen, Aisha, I'm very sorry that you think that I am homophobic and racist and misogynistic because you clearly don't know me.

And final word on Elon, listen, I take -- I think Elon's in there, you know, with -- with his heart and soul campaigning hard and -- and I don't think Kamala Harris is going to come after him kick him out of the country. I think he's just -- he was kind of saying that light- heartedly joking. I don't think she's got ill intent for Elon Musk if she wins.

BURNETT: All right. Well, I'll take it on that note of agreement. Obviously, I know this was a difficult conversation. Thank you both very much.

And next, incredible new images just coming in from inside that monster category 5 hurricane now racing towards Florida, and I say it's a category 5 only because there are not categories higher than that, right? You hit a certain speed and then you know could be fired in an hour and we would still call it. That storm is 180 miles an hour right now, as officials plead with everyone to get out now, we're going to take you to the ground next.

Plus, Harris calling Trump out for lying about hurricane relief efforts. Will it help him win in North Carolina.

Plus, our conversation with a hostage family tonight that I promise you're going to want to see.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:33:15]

BURNETT: Breaking news, category 5 hurricane Milton barreling toward Florida at this hour. It is now one of the top strongest hurricanes ever recorded and the explosion in strength has been stupendous. Winds now 180 miles an hour and the speed at which the hurricane intensified is truly stupendous. It went from a tropical storm to a record- breaking category 5 in 24 hours. That is an incredible thing.

Hurricane hunters have just flown straight into Milton to try to collect critical data for forecasters. You can see winds shaking the plane when these Ospreys fly in, absolutely terrifying and to imagine a people do that. They do that to try to keep everyone else safe.

And let's show you the live pictures of the gridlock on Florida roads right now as their mandatory evacuations underway and you can see look at that just people trying to get out and taking every minute they can to get out. The storm targeting the most densely populated areas of Florida, including Tampa, where officials warn it could be the worst storm that they have seen in more than 100 years.

Chad Myers is OUTFRONT from the CNN weather center. So, Chad, what are you expecting?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I mean, I'm looking back 102 years from the last major hurricane that hit Tampa. I'm thinking about the population density then compared to what it is now.

I mean, it just -- it's -- it's mind-blowing. It's staggering how many people are in the way of this.

It's 180 mile per hour storm right around the center of the eye. This is a storm that just blew up in intensity and there's how tiny the eye is right now. This will be a major impact to the west coast of Florida. Whether we're talking about a category if it dies a little bit or continues to be category the surge will still be horrendous.

Remember, Katrina went from a five to a three but you we still had 26 feet of surge in Bay St. Louis even at the category 3/4.

[19:35:02]

So the surge is still going to be there because it's already building that surge right now.

But as you mentioned from 50 to 175 an hour at 180. But this is a hurricane that will make landfall along the west coast. I still need you to watch out Naples. I still need you to watch all the way up to Cedar Key because that's how far away we still are, really more than hours from the most significant impact.

But here in purple, everyone will see 110 or greater. From here in red, everyone will see a hurricane, hurricane force winds. There will be millions of people without power. The surge from the last storm we just had Helene in Tampa was about six or seven feet. This surge, Erin, is going to be 10 to 15 feet.

If you had a foot of water in your house last time, you may have six to 10 feet of water in your house this time because it is so much worse than what Helene did there to Florida. There's your storm 102 years ago in Tampa. I don't know, millions had -- had to be 95 percent less people in the way of that storm compared to where we are right now, Erin.

BURNETT: I mean, it is just incredible.

All right. So, Chad let me just ask you, you know, when you look at the speed of the storm, all right? We only have a system for storms that goes to a certain number. So, right, once you go over that threshold, it doesn't matter how fast the winds are, it's still going to be the top category.

So can you just put in perspective and I know it may slow down a bit, which would not affect in so many crucial ways how devastating it is. But what does 180 miles mean when you even contemplate such a storm striking the coastline?

MYERS: No. You would have not a roof left and in fact, because of the surge, you're not going to have buildings on those coastal barrier islands. They're going to be gone. I mean, I don't know where yet, I don't know if it's going to be south or going to be north, but there will be homes overwashed and into the bay on the other side. That's absolutely going to happen.

Then you have the winds that are going to knock things down. I don't think they'll be 180. I think maybe we be 130, 140, but that's still a tremendous amount of force on your home. That's why they're telling people if you are in these areas here, especially in the water prone sections A and B, you need to leave now, get out so that if we need to evacuate everybody else, there's still time for them too.

BURNETT: Yeah. All right. Chad, thank you very much.

I want to go to Mike Boylan now, veteran storm chaser, runs the popular hurricane tracking website Mike's Weather Page, more than a million followers and he joins me now from Clearwater, Tampa area of Florida.

And I -- Mike, I know your audio is good even if we lose your shot, I want viewers to know we can hear you. So I know you're surrounded by debris now from Hurricane Helene. You've got Milton coming, winds topping 180 miles an hour, even if it strikes at slightly weaker speeds than that.

What stands out to you right now the most about a storm that is strengthened from a tropical storm to 180 miles an hour in a day?

MIKE BOYLAND, STORM CHASER, MIKE'S WEATHER PAGE: Yeah, it's -- it's unprecedented. I mean, it's record setting pressure is under 900 millibar now (AUDIO GAP) stands out for me is the direction coming west to east. That's very rare hitting almost the same spot that was just less than two weeks ago.

And you know, my hometown here in Oldsmar, every street is lined up and we just lost darkness but it's -- it's like a war zone and street after street after street is just everything -- it's they're going to get double the surge they got with Helene (AUDIO GAP). BURNETT: Mike, I'm having a little trouble hearing you. I'm going to ask another question, I'll see if I can hear you answer. So if I interrupt you, it's because I can't fully hear you.

But, you know, how much of what we're seeing from what you see living there and having gone through so many storms in your lifetime and professionally how much of this is just a terrible storm, unprecedented in some ways, how much of it do you believe is directly related to climate change?

BOYLAN: -- but I do know the water temperatures is everything. I mean, these water temperatures are some of the hottest we've seen in over 10, 15 years. Below the surface water temperatures, ocean heat content, that's a big part of the fuel for hurricanes and that is one of the major (AUDIO GAP) storms in the Gulf of Mexico and they just explosive.

We saw last year, I was on your show with Lee, luckily, that one didn't affect anybody, but the power that these things is (AUDIO GAP) definitely part of this (AUDIO GAP)/

BURNETT: Mike, I'm going to thank you here because I'm having -- I'm having trouble hearing you. I think I got the main part about what you said it's the warmest temperatures that you've seen in 15 years and deep down below the water as well. But thank you very much, looking at that incredibly small eye, giving this storm such incredible power from the center, 180 miles an hour right now for sustained winds.

[19:40:07]

And next, Vice President Kamala Harris taking on Trump for peddling lies about the government's response to the hurricane devastation of Helene.

And you're going to see Yoni Asher and his family, you've met him before. We've been talking to him since this night one year ago, a night of incredible tragedy. His wife and daughters were released and tonight you'll see something from them very special.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris accusing Trump of pushing disinformation and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis of playing politics as the southeast prepares for its second massive record- breaking hurricane in two weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a lot of mis- and disinformation being pushed out there by the former president.

[19:45:01]

It's extraordinarily irresponsible. You know, moments of crisis, if nothing else, should really be the moment that anyone who calls themselves a leader says they're going to put politics aside and put the people first.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: It comes as DeSantis has not taken Harris's calls about the hurricane after he declined to appear with President Biden last week when he visited Florida.

And tonight, FEMA has what they are calling a rumor response page on its website. It's trying to battle conspiracy theories.

Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: Kamala spent all her FEMA money, billions of dollars on housing for illegal migrants. Many of whom should not be in our country.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In the turbulent wake of Hurricane Helene, the truth is being buried by a fresh storm of falsehoods from former President Donald Trump.

TRUMP: No helicopters, no rescue. It's just what's -- what's happened there is very bad. They're offering them $750 to people whose homes have been washed away.

FOREMAN: And one by one, those lies are being exposed.

Was FEMA money meant for such disasters spent to house undocumented immigrants? No. Are helicopters and rescuers missing an action in the flood zone? No. And only a few hundred for survivors who lost their homes? FEMA itself addressed that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a rumor out there that FEMA is only providing survivors with $750. This is not true.

FOREMAN: Trump's Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in, too, noting that $750 is just for immediate needs, food, baby formula, emergency supplies.

HARRIS: FEMA is also providing tens of thousands more dollars for folks to help them be able to deal with home repair, to be able to cover a deductible when and if they have insurance and also hotel cost.

FOREMAN: Amid fears the false information might discourage storm victims from accessing real help, Republican and Democratic governors are praising the federal response, with South Carolina GOP Governor Henry McMaster calling it --

GOV. HENRY MCMASTER (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: It's been superb.

FOREMAN: Superb. But Trump and his team are showing no inclination to accept that reality.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Why is he spreading misinformation in a crisis like that? And does that concern you about your fellow North Carolinians?

FOREMAN: With Trump and Harris locked in a close race in that stricken state, co-chair of the Republican National Committee Lara Trump is toeing her father-in-law's line, saying that's what they're hearing from people.

LARA TRUMP, RNC CO-CHAIR: Why is it that right now, the citizens in western North Carolina are screaming for help and it's having to come from local citizens?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: Certainly, a recovery like this is difficult and certainly a lot of local citizens are help helping. But so are state agencies, so are federal agencies, it's absolutely clear and it puts a lie to what appears to be team Trump trying to somehow make hay out of this tragedy -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Tom, thank you very much.

And let's go to Harry Enten to go beyond the numbers here as Tom was just laying this out.

So, Harry, you know, there -- there seems to be a reason that Trump's been laser focused on North Carolina right now, and seeing the hurricane recovery efforts is a way to win over voters. What is it?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yeah, I mean, look, Erin, the bottom line is this North Carolina is one of the most consistently tight races, going back to 2008, we're talking about the tightest margin. So you look last time around, right, decided by just about a percentage points. When you're talking about western North Carolina, you see a lot of red on your map right here, basically outside of Asheville, there's basically no Democratic territories.

And this is held consistent through the years. You go back to 2016, same thing going on, another close race within five points, you go back to 2012, same thing. Look at this, a point race a lot of red on your map, and you go back the last time a Democratic won there Barack Obama won it by just a point and again a lot of red going on there. No state besides Florida has been as consistently close going back to 2008 than North Carolina has been, Erin.

BURNETT: All right. So how close is North Carolina right now? And I know it's -- it is so hard to tell, but how would you try to answer that question, Harry?

ENTEN: Yeah. I mean, look, we can just go as far as the polls can tell us and you what you see here, Erin, it's just a very tight match. "Washington Post", last poll, Trump by two, Quinnipiac, Trump by one, CNN's last poll a tie.

But the bottom line is, in the great state of North Carolina, no clear leader. This race is again razor tight which again fits with history of razor tight races in North Carolina.

BURNETT: All right. Harry, thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BURNETT: And next, you met him here OUTFRONT a year ago today. His wife and young daughters kidnapped. Tonight, I speak to Yoni Asher again, this time with his family by his side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:52:36]

BURNETT: Tonight as we are here in Tel Aviv in the early hours of the morning, waiting on a possible strike against Iran, watching hours ago, missiles coming in from Hezbollah, no one knows how many hostages are dead or alive, many will never come home and their families are living in a daily agony. And for those who have come home, it is complicated.

Yoni Asher who you have met many times on this show tells me we are not the same. It was on this day one year ago when we first met Yoni, right before we got in a plane to come to Israel, before anyone knew what had truly happened. He was grief stricken and in shock in those moments. He had just seen his family online in this video. His wife Doron and two toddler daughters taken by Hamas. Found out later, Doron's mother was murdered She and her daughter saw it happen, her brother was murdered.

And since, Yoni and Doron and the girls were reunited 49 days later in a miracle for them that so many who are still not together can only dream of. Yoni and Doron have been trying to build back a life together. Doron telling me everything in her life has changed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DORON ASHER, FREED HOSTAGE: I have 50 days to think and I realize what important and I'm trying to --

BURNETT: To live that now?

Y. ASHER: Yeah, to live that, exactly, I'm trying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: We visited the family this weekend as Yoni prepared to leave for the first time since last October 7th. He and Doron said it was important for him to be away even on this first anniversary to speak to the U.N. on behalf of the hostages still captive, to make the world still care about them.

And on that day we were together, it was a peaceful scene as the girls played in a friend's pool.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YONI ASHER, WIFE & TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS FREED FROM HAMAS CAPTIVITY: It's different than before. Now, you appreciate every single second and even though it's hard sometimes, I think that life has changed forever. Like you mentioned, we went through hell. I was in a state that it's impossible to describe in words.

It's not -- it's almost like not being human. It's like being some kind of robot and suddenly get back to the regular life -- the family life -- seeing them going to the kindergarten, playing with their friends, you know they have so much strength, and even more than I have and they -- they are giving me inspiration and strength to continue because a child forces you to sing, to dance, to smile. You cannot sit at home um being sad when you have children.

BURNETT: You said but it can be hard. How -- how is it hard now?

Y. ASHER: It's hard at nights, it's hard because they are waking up every single night. Before October 7th, they were already sleeping the whole night through and we were enjoying our own long night without any disruptions. And now, we are getting up every night, every night. I have no one single night which I sleep the through the whole night because whether it's minutes long or minutes long or minutes long, I'm waking up in the middle of the night.

BURNETT: And it's nightmares they have.

Y. ASHER: Yeah, it can be nightmares, it can be night fears, it can be sometimes rage attacks during the day, overreacting to things, afraid of noises and this is things that we are not used to before October 7.

BURNETT: How is it for you and Doron trying to navigate being -- being a family again?

Y. ASHER: Well, it's difficult because we went through different experiences. Those experiences are so different, yet it was the same situation.

BURNETT: So searing for each of you, but not -- but not the same.

Y. ASHER: Yeah, it's the same situation, the same family, yet Doron went through completely different thing than I did, and it's like she came from another world and I came from another world. It was only 49 days, but it was long 49 days, so much has happened on those 49 days and changed.

So there is always the danger that we will be drift apart because eventually, we are parents of those girls and we need to somehow keep our closest for them. So this is a challenge.

BURNETT: Do you feel, Yoni, that now -- that you understand what they went through? Y. ASHER: It was difficult for me to even hear their testimonies, even hear them talk about the fact that they were kept on these terms, that they were hostages, that they were locked down.

Look, we were saved. We are not victims. We are winners because we survived.

And I will not raise my daughters as victims. I will not teach them to be hateful and to be revengeful. I want them to grow up to be peaceful and loving persons.

BURNETT: And now, you have this incredible thing. This incredible future for you and the girls in Doron. Can you tell me about it?

Y. ASHER: Well, actually when Doron was held hostage, I made a vow. I said to myself that if her life will be saved, I will agreed to give her what she wanted which was a third child and luckily, it happened and she is pregnant.

And I think it's kind of a victory for us as a family because they tried to destroy us and now, we are expanding.

BURNETT: When is the baby coming?

D. ASHER: And the beginning of February, yeah. And we are -- very exciting and the girls are very exciting. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl. Raz wants a brother, so --

BURNETT: Raz wants a brother.

D. ASHER: She said it's -- it's a boy for sure. It's kind -- my personal family victory or something like that and we're beginning a new life after the black and -- period. So, Aviv --

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

BURNETT: Does Aviv want a brother or a sister?

D. ASHER: She wants a brother.

Y. ASHER: She wants a brother.

BURNETT: She wants a brother, okay, okay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: Just a moment of simple brightness in an ongoing tragedy which has no end in sight tonight for so many.

Thanks so much for joining us.

"AC360" starts right now.