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Isa Soares Tonight

Judge Pauses Alec Baldwin Involuntary Manslaughter Trial; Rescued Hostage Describes Months Of Captivity In Gaza; Defiant Biden To Visit Battlegrounds State Of Michigan; Biden Back on Campaign Trail As Pressure Mounts for Him to Step Aside; Devastation in Gaza City After Israeli Military Operation; Son of Asia's Richest Man Marries. 2-3p ET

Aired July 12, 2024 - 14:00:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, President Biden heads back out on the

campaign trail, trying to reassure voters and his party that he is the right man for the job. Then, devastation, destruction in Gaza city after a

major Israeli military operation there.

We'll have the latest on what's happening on the ground. Plus, an event like no other in India, famous faces from around the world arrive for the

wedding of Anant Ambani; the son of Asia's richest man, that story and much more just ahead. But first, this evening, U.S. President Joe Biden is

trying to move his campaign forward today, struggling to keep his re- election bid from going completely off the rails following a critical Washington news conference.

Reaction to Mr. Biden's performance, it appears to be somewhat mixed after a session that showcased some of the strengths on issues such as foreign

policy and the U.S. economy. But it also included awkward verbal gaffes like this one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look, I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be Vice President. I think she's not qualified to

be president. So, let's start there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: While the number of congressional Democrats you can see there on your screen calling on the President to end his candidacy, is now up to 18-

10, roughly this time yesterday on the show. One Democrat who has a role in Biden's re-election bid tells CNN, "we are doomed if he runs." Joining the

list of Biden defectors, powerful House Democrat Jim Himes. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): This needs to be resolved. I don't know, in the next five to seven days, because we just went ten days where the story was

not Donald Trump promising totalitarianism. It was, how is Joe Biden going to do in the big boy press conference?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: In the meantime, House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries met with the president privately last night. A source tells CNN, Jeffries did not

offer his endorsement. Former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have spoken privately, and they believe it's become

more difficult to beat Donald Trump since the CNN debate.

Neither is sure though what Democrats should do next. To Washington now for all these strands for you and CNN's Annie Grayer along with senior

reporter, Edward-Isaac Dovere joins us now. Edward, let me start with you first. I mean, this meeting between House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries

and President Biden, we know it happened last night.

Sources telling CNN that Jeffries didn't offer his endorsement, we don't know if the President asked for it. Just tell us what came out of that

meeting and how it's being interpreted.

EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, look, Hakeem Jeffries is an important place here as the leader of the Democrats in the House, more

and more of them coming out and saying that they don't want Joe Biden to continue in the race, he himself had said that he was supportive of Joe

Biden earlier in the week, but the meeting that he had with Joe Biden last night was as the leader of all these Democrats.

There are over 200 Democrats to say, this is where the caucus is. A lot of the people, even who have not spoken out publicly are people who are saying

to reporters like me and Annie and others, that they think Joe Biden should go too, they just haven't said it.

They've said it to Jeffries and he is -- he was in a place last night to try to convey that to Joe Biden of saying, this is where the level of

support is for you, not just among officials in your party, but people who are saying that they are representing the views of voters in their home

districts.

SOARES: And Annie, to you, I mean, the White House and the Biden campaign seems to be framing -- at least, yesterday's press conference as a success.

President Biden himself doesn't seem like he's going anywhere, he's made that abundantly clear, yet, they can't seem to turn the page on this.

Now, we're up to 18 defections. "New York Times" also reporting that donors are freezing their financial support. I mean, so, what are you hearing in

terms of the strategy, the message here from President Biden and his team, Annie..

ANNIE GRAYER, CNN REPORTER: Well, we're seeing the next steps of their strategy playing out in real time, because the President over the next two

days is going to be speaking with a number of key factions in the House Democratic caucus, from the Hispanic caucus to the big progressive group on

Capitol Hill to the members who represent the most battleground districts running in those competitive races this Fall.

[14:05:00]

So, lawmakers have been saying they want to hear directly from the President this whole week. They want to be able to ask him questions and

understand how he is interpreting all of the feedback that he's getting. And they want it directly from him, and they're finally getting that

opportunity after days of trying to speak directly to the President.

So, we're seeing the President for the first time really making his pitch directly to House Democrats. Many of whom are raising serious questions

about his candidacy.

SOARES: And Annie, as you were talking, I'm looking at my e-mails because really, Edward, as I'm saying this, I'm seeing Democrat Representative Mike

Levin of California has now become the 19th Democrat to call for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the race.

I'm going to read out what he says. He wrote, "once again, our national metal must be forged in the crucible of history It is time to move forward

with a new leader together." I'm trying -- I mean, as we get to this 19 number here now, Edward, I mean, what are the conversations being had at,

you know, the corridors of power about the VP, right? Is she being considered? Is the support there? What are you hearing -- or, I might just

too far ahead here?

DOVERE: I don't think you're too far ahead of where a lot of people's minds. I do think it's important that 19 members of Congress has spoken

out, said they should go, but there are many more who said that they think that he should stay.

SOARES: Yes --

DOVERE: Again, there are more who haven't said anything except privately, where they've been very skeptical of Biden. But everyone who is being

practical and serious and realistic about what would happen if Joe Biden were not to be the nominee where he to step aside.

Sees that almost certainly it would be Kamala Harris who would be in the position there, and therefore, becomes a choice in the minds of people who

are really thinking this through. Do you want to go forward with Joe Biden, given what is clearly been a very bad period for him and his campaign and

his hopes of winning, or do you want to switch to Kamala Harris?

Now, look, until a couple of weeks ago, and a member of Congress pointed this out to me himself the other day, people were talking about how Kamala

Harris was a drag on the ticket. Maybe she should be switched out. And so, that is both a measure of how much things have changed for Joe Biden last

couple of weeks, but also how short the memories can be on this stuff.

Harris is someone who has had a lot of trouble as vice president. She has had a big upswing recently, people in the last year and even in the last

two or three months, have felt much better about the way that she has been handling the job and coming across.

But she always will -- and people who are very close to her have said this to me, they know that she will carry the burden of just how bad her first

couple of years on the job were no matter what happens. So, that stuck in people's minds and will be a factor if she becomes a nominee as will all of

the new scrutiny that would come to her and everything that she says and does if that's the way things go.

SOARES: Yes, I mean, 19 like you were saying out of why I think something like 200, it is significance that we are seeing this every day a

significant number of Democrats joining. But in the larger context, I think it's important to put that into context as you did so well there, Edward,

for our viewers.

But Annie, to you really, as this in this moment, because we -- it seems that President Biden can't shake this off. Where do we know where this

congressional caucus is, Latino caucus, the black caucus. Where do they stand on this? Because a support, I remember, had been there or has been

there in the last few days.

GRAYER: Right, the black caucus is home-based for Joe Biden. It's where his strongest supporters on Capitol Hill are, specifically Jim Clyburn, who

is a very senior member on Capitol Hill and in the black caucus, but it's important that we look -- that we don't look at it, treat any of these

groups as a monolith, right?

SOARES: Yes --

GRAYER: I mean, there's diversity in all of these groups that break down by age, by district, and we can't really say with any broad stroke that Joe

Biden has, you know, 100 percent support, we are seeing publicly more and more members trickle out their opposition to the president's.

And as Isaac is -- keeps mentioning, you know, what we're hearing behind the scenes is even -- an even greater panic than what is being presented

publicly. So, I think it's just important when we look at the support that Joe Biden has on the Hill, which as Isaac said is -- still outweighs those

calling for him to step aside.

We can't paint it with a broad brush. We have to understand that there are a lot of nuances and caveats here. And so, part of what these calls -- I

think the President is doing today is to kind of continue to try to shore up that support and make sure that these cracks that we're trying to see

don't lead to a dam breaking.

[14:10:00]

SOARES: Indeed, and that is -- that has been the fear all along. Annie, really appreciate it, Edward, I'm surprised -- Edward, as I'm surprised you

didn't roll your eyes when I called you Edward-Isaac, probably your parents called you that --

DOVERE: No --

SOARES: I shall call you Isaac from here on in.

(LAUGHTER)

SOARES: Appreciate it too, thank you very much. And the outcome, of course, of this November U.S. election will have a ripple effect, of

course, for years to come. The world is watching President Biden's every move, and as well as every slip-up. Prior to calling his running mate, Vice

President Trump, Mr. Biden also mistakenly introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as President Putin. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President

Putin --

(APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: President Putin, he can beat President Putin -- President Zelenskyy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: Corrected himself. Well, far away from that NATO Summit, Donald Trump greeted Mister -- greeted Putin's really greater European ally there,

and he's seen here smiling next to Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban. All of this happening as we are just days away from the Republican National

Convention.

Alayna Treene joins us now from our Washington D.C. Bureau. Alayna, as Democrats, as we've just been discussing here at the top of the show,

continue of course, to bicker over whether President Biden should step aside. We're now at 19 lawmakers in the last five minutes. What is Mr.

Trump doing?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, I'll tell you, for one, he's relishing all of the criticism and the chaos that's happening within the Democratic

Party. Donald Trump and his team have very deliberately tried to keep Joe Biden and all the hand-wringing that's happening over whether -- the

questions over whether he's fit to serve for another four years.

They want that to be the story. Although, of course, it's going to change starting Monday when we go to the Republican National Convention, and it

will begin to be the Trump. So -- but for now, they've really wanted to highlight that. We saw that play out last night during Biden's press

conference, you saw many of Donald Trump's senior advisors, many of his top surrogates in real time critiquing and mocking at times Joe Biden over his

slip-ups during that speech.

And so, they are trying to put a focus on this as much as possible. However, at the same time, according to my conversations with Donald

Trump's top advisors and those close to the former President, they also want Joe Biden to continue to be the nominee. There's a lot of uncertainty

over what would happen for Donald Trump's own campaign if Biden were to ultimately decide to step aside and allow someone else to become his

successor.

And so, as much as they're openly critiquing Joe Biden and relishing some of the attention and criticism surrounding him right now, they also want to

make sure that he is still the nominee ahead of November. And part of that again, is because they've spent millions of dollars on advertising, on

modeling, on data, all trained specifically on Joe Biden. And so, there really is questions over what that would mean if there was another

candidate.

SOARES: Yes, indeed, important context, and you know, and as divisions continue of course, in the Democratic Party, Alayna, you know, some have

been calling for unity that seemed to surround Trump in the Republican Party. We've heard from Republican -- from Adam Kinzinger, who had an

interesting thought on this unity discussion. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM KINZINGER, FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Now, I want to point out a huge difference between him and Donald Trump, between the Democrats and the

Republican Party. I hear so many Democrats complaining about this discussion that's going on and -- oh, we have to show the kind of unity

Republicans show and we're showing this division.

It's bullcrap. The Republicans are not showing unity. It's a cult, and everybody that used to speak out against the dear leader in the Republican

Party has been excommunicated or kicked out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: What would Republicans then make of that? What has been the reaction to those comments?

TREENE: Well, Kinzinger is one of those Republicans who has faced backlash and was ultimately kicked out of Congress --

SOARES: Yes --

TREENE: Because of his critiques of the former President. I mean, look, many Republicans, I think he does have a point in the sense of that, a lot

of Republicans, some of their bowing down to Trump is because of political survivability. But at the same time, this is the man that they have at the

top of the ticket, and we've seen the party broadly line up behind him.

I think one great example is Senator Marco Rubio. He is someone who, of course, back in 2016, was a political foe of Donald Trump. They were

challengers for the 2016 Republican nomination, famously, Donald Trump continuously called him "Little Marco" and tried to mock him in that sense.

Now, Marco Rubio is one of the leading contenders to become Donald Trump's running mate and his potential vice presidential nominee for the Fall. And

so, I think that is just one perfect example of how things have changed, how we've heard many people who have been very critical of Donald Trump in

the past, including his handling of the January 6th, 2021 Capitol attack, have changed their tune and are lining up behind him.

[14:15:00]

And I do think next week, you're going to see that type of quote, unquote, "unity", that Kinzinger was referring to at the convention. You're going to

see Donald Trump's fiercest allies and defenders, members of his family, high profile Republicans, celebrities, all of them rolling out the red

carpet for the former President in Milwaukee.

SOARES: And I know you'll be keeping an eye on that busy day for you on Monday. Alayna, great to see you, thank you very much. Well, top Biden

campaign officials believe the path to victory runs through battleground states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, which is where the

President will be tonight.

For more analysis, I want to bring in CNN senior political analyst and senior editor for "The Atlantic", Ron Brownstein. Ron, great to see you.

There is so much for us to get through.

RON BROWNSTEIN, SENIOR EDITOR, THE ATLANTIC: Yes --

SOARES: What a busy week it has been. Look, let me start where I started off the show in this meeting between President Biden and House Democratic

Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, according -- I'm sure you've seen CNN reporting saying that Jeffries did not offer Biden his endorsement.

What is your read, just, you know, on this just to start off with?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, look, Democrats are deeply split. I mean, it is remarkable to think about how deep this fissure runs in the party. I think

the elected officials are pretty closely split. The growing number concerned that Biden is not on a path -- the debate, he cannot recover from

the debate, and that he will drag down the ticket.

Don't forget, in the last two presidential elections, 2016 and 2020, only one senator out of 69 races won a state that voted the other way for

president. So, the elected officials are split. I think the political professionals, the strategists, the pollsters predominantly believe he has

to leave the race and the party would have a better chance with Kamala Harris.

But people who do grassroots politics, some of the key constituency groups that are doing door-knocking and canvassing, they believe that it can be --

that Biden can recover, I think is the dominant view there. So, there's a division between kind of the two branches of Democratic, you know, kind of

political thinking.

And then the national polling has been sort of after being quite bad in the days immediately after the debate, is kind of reverting back to where it

was in the pre-debate period with, you know, kind of an even or even a slight lead for Biden nationally now in the swing states, he's struggling.

So, you know, when you add all of it up, I think on balance, more people want him to go than stay, but it is an incredibly closely-divided split

that is leaving the party paralyzed.

SOARES: Yes, and in the last few minutes, we've had another lawmaker call for him --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes --

SOARES: To step aside. Michael Levin of California, so, we're now at 19 --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes --

SOARES: But you know what we had been reporting in the last few days, and I wonder if you can offer some insight here on is, the congressional black

caucus and the congressional of Latino caucuses, well, from what I understand, backing Biden, is still backing Biden. I know that's not a

monolith, but I think it's important to say that's where we understand the support has been.

What are you hearing? I mean, do you know if this is still the case, and where do they stand, you know, on Kamala Harris? I know you've been writing

about this --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes --

SOARES: For "The Atlantic", talk to this.

BROWNSTEIN: Right, so, I mean, I think that, you know, the majority of the black and Hispanic caucus would want Biden to stay in, not many of them

are in truly competitive districts which may influence their thinking. There's also a tendency to rally around, you know, leaders when they are

attacked in this -- in this way.

It's not uniform as you were talking about with Isaac in the previous segment. And you know, the Harris -- the Harris alternative, I think is

getting more attention among Democrats, not only because of the possibility that Biden would step aside, but also because after the debate, more

voters, I think pretty clearly are concerned about whether he could finish a second term even if he gets re-elected.

So, either way, they have to bolster her image, and I do think that at least, among the political professionals, the strategists and pollsters in

the Democratic Party, while there are many who doubt that she is a better bet than Biden, on balance, I think more and more of them are kind of open

to the idea of moving to her in part because you just simply shuffle the deck, you create different contrasts.

She's younger than Trump. Trump is suddenly the old guy who has lost a step. She has the potential to help them with what has been the biggest

problem Biden is facing, the erosion in the support among younger non-white voters, particularly men since 2020. So, either way, whether Harris stays

as the number two or whether she replaces Biden, which I think by the way is what would happen if he steps aside.

I think the Democrats realize they need to fill in the image of her because Republicans are going to go after her starting next week. And I think that

the experience of a lot of Democrats who are looking at this is that voters really don't really have a strong impression of her one way or the other.

[14:20:00]

SOARES: Yes, and Republicans have been going after her for some time as you have written about --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes --

SOARES: In "The Atlantic". But look, we heard President Biden say yesterday, you know, it's all about the polling, he's keeping an eye on the

polling, and we have new polls, we've had new polls pretty much all this week. We've got new poll --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes --

SOARES: NPR-Marist poll, I just want to show this to our viewers, where the President, Ron, is leading Donald Trump. But only -- I mean, only ever-

so slightly. I spoke -- and you were talking about this division that we're seeing, and I spoke yesterday on the show to a pollster, and she told me

that there's an elite conversation that's happening in Washington.

There's immediate conversation, and there's a conversation with voters that's completely different and that hasn't really changed since the

debate. I want to -- you to have a listen to what some of the voters are saying. Have a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I fully appreciate him. I think he was wonderful as our president. I just don't think he can manage for four more years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that experience counts, and it's just like with age, you mellow with time, the older you get, more knowledgeable you

are. I think he's very knowledgeable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Deep down, I would like to see some of the younger stars in the Democratic Party, and have Joe gracefully hand over the baton

to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: And these voices are interesting. We've been hearing from you know, from voters in the last several days because the pollster was also

saying to me that despite all these concerns, right? That we've just heard today, we heard them yesterday, that they would still pick Biden over

Trump. Does that then say to you that Biden struggle as being exaggerated?

BROWNSTEIN: No, I mean, I think -- I think there is a difference between the elite conversation and the grassroots conversation, but there's not a

complete difference.

SOARES: Yes --

BROWNSTEIN: It's clear in polling, there are a lot of Democratic voters who are concerned both about whether Biden can win, but also on the

underlying issue about whether he can do the job for four more years. Don't forget in the op-ed that George Clooney wrote, he didn't only say that he

was worried about him winning, he was worried about whether the man he saw can really do this job. The issue isn't whether Democratic core, democratic

voters are going --

SOARES: Yes --

BROWNSTEIN: To vote against Donald Trump. I mean, there is an anti-MAGA coalition in the country that is very substantial, but it probably by

itself is not big enough to win those swing states, in particular Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, that he almost certainly has to win in order

to get back to 270 electoral college votes.

He's got to win a few points among voters who are not really engaged in this ideological fight about whether Trump is a threat to democracy or

their rights, and are really voting on who they think can make their life better over the next four years.

And the people who are concerned about Biden is not worried or are not worried ultimately about big defection among Democrats. They're worried

that a ceiling is now too low to win in those three states, particularly, you know, which are looming larger because the four Sun-Belt swing states

of North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada, and maybe a little better for him, Arizona, have all drifted largely out of reach, leaving him or --

SOARES: Yes --

BROWNSTEIN: Or he's got to sweep those three. So, you know, I think the Democratic voters are as divided as the Democratic elected officials and

the Democratic professionals. But I do think there is a lot of sense that the trajectory they're on is one that's going to fall short in the end, and

that there is at least an opportunity if you shuffle the deck to create a different dynamic that may be tougher for Trump.

SOARES: Very quickly then, do you think he's going to step aside, Ron? I mean, I'm seeing "New York Times" saying the donors, Democratic donors are

planning to hold back some roughly $90 million pledged if he remains in the race --

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

SOARES: What is your -- what is your -- what do you think -- how do you think it's going to work out?

BROWNSTEIN: You know, I think -- I think it is impossible to predict. If I --

SOARES: Yes --

BROWNSTEIN: Absolutely had to predict, I think in the end he would -- why would you do it before the Republican Convention, and let them tee off on

Harris for a week, why not let them spend a few days going after you with arguments that will become instantly irrelevant, you know, whenever he

makes a decision.

I think on balance, he will probably do that. But it is by far -- it's far from a short thing, it is a close call on the party, it's a close call on

the polls, and there is still doubt about among Harris, even as there is excitement about the prospect of shaking up the deck.

SOARES: Fascinating days ahead, Ron Brownstein, always great to get your insight. I appreciate it, thanks, Ron.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

SOARES: And still to come tonight, the trial of actor Alec Baldwin has been caused by the judge. We'll have a live report to explain really why

that is. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:00]

SOARES: Just moments ago, jury deliberations got underway in the federal corruption trial of high-profile U.S. Senator from New Jersey Bob Menendez

and two co-defendants face more than a dozen conspiracy as well as bribe- related charges.

The Democratic senator is accused of accepting gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, and other bribes in exchange for his

political influence. Menendez has pleaded not guilty. Alec Baldwin's involuntary manslaughter trial has been paused, by the judge.

The move comes after attorneys for the actor requested that charges against him thrown out. The defense says, prosecutors do not share relevant

evidence with them, which violates evidence rules. The jury has been dismissed for the day while the judge considers this motion.

Let's get the very latest on this from Los Angeles with a new twist. Of course, Elizabeth Wagmeister joins me now. Elizabeth, so talk us through

what has happened today and what led to this, and why the jury being sent home?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN REPORTER: This is a big twist in this case. So, this was the latest attempt from Baldwin's team to toss this case out. But

in this new motion to dismiss, which was discussed when court got into session this morning, his attorneys are saying that the prosecution has

withheld evidence relating to bullets.

They say that this is critical evidence. Let's take a look at some of the sparring between the attorneys from the courtroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're talking about a prosecution that didn't preserve those bullets, that didn't collect them at all. They didn't turn them over.

This is critical evidence in the case that was never disclosed to us. This case should be dismissed, your honor. This is over and over and over and

over again. And, your honor, you've given them a fair chance.

KARI MORRISSEY, PROSECUTOR: Your honor, there have been absolutely no violations of our obligations as prosecutors. Everything that has occurred

in this regard, everything that these defense attorneys knew well before today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WAGMEISTER: Now, there has been quite a few fireworks between both sides, really for the past three years since this saga began. But what Baldwin's

defense is saying is that why weren't these new bullets turned over to the FBI if it could give us some indication of where that live ammunition came

from.

Remember, the question since this all began has always been why was there live ammunition on that set? And how did it get there? That question has

never been answered. And now Baldwin's defense is saying, they are finding out this information late in the game, and they believe that it can help

resolve that question.

So, right now, the court is on a lunch break, but the jury has been dismissed.

[14:30:00]

They won't be back until Monday. Baldwin's attorneys and prosecutors, they're sorting this out. We'll see if the judge makes her ruling either on

if this case could be tossed entirely or if there'll be any modifications based on testimony or witnesses with this new development.

ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Elizabeth Wagmeister, I know you'll stay across it for us. Thank you very much, Elizabeth.

And still to come tonight, this is what's left of parts of Gaza City after a fierce offensive by Israeli forces. Civil defense officials say more than

a hundred bodies have been recovered so far. We'll bring you the very latest after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. It's been just over a month now since four Israeli hostages held by Hamas were rescued by the Israeli military.

The operation was one of the deadliest in the war. Health officials in Gaza say more than 200 Palestinians were killed. The hostages had been held in

Gaza for eight months.

And here you see Andreyi Kozlov's emotional reunion with his mother. In an interview with CNN's Bianna Golodryga, Kozlov detailed his months of

captivity and the psychological as well as physical torture that he endured. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDREYI KOZLOV, RUSSIAN-ISRAELI CITIZEN RESCUED FROM HAMAS CAPTIVITY: And you don't understand, like, what will happen, like, when we will go home.

[14:35:00]

And you ask them, like, what's going on outside. They told us some news that is going on between Gaza and Israel between the U.S.A. and Israel. And

during all these eight months as we had, like, waves of our mood like we have some good news. And after like nothing like the deal broken, something

bad happened like bomb shooting outside a lot of bombs.

And in the night you wake up like it was a lot of times in different places. You woke up -- you wake up and, like, because of the really big

bomb fall down like near to your place like 50 meters, maybe 100. It's like sound from hell.

You wake up. You have heartbreak. Like pulse maybe 200, I don't know. You have eyes like this and everybody woke up and we don't talk. Only one

thought that we have -- I had, like, probably everybody had. Maybe the next bomb will be our.

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR AND SR. GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: But obviously you were aware that there was now a war going on and these were the IDF

bombs that you were hearing that gave you heart palpitations.

Were you afraid you were going to die any one of those days?

KOZLOV: First three months is we were afraid of every bomb that we heard. Every time you started to hide in the corners of our room. And terrorists,

like, what are you afraid in Arabic, but we already understood that.

GOLODRYGA: The doctors, your mom, said that there was a lot of psychological warfare conducted and abuse. How often would you hear things

like that and how did it make you feel?

KOZLOV: Not from everybody but some of them, the last one, the last main bad guy who was with us at the last our place. He told us a lot like Israel

wants to kill us and we are a problem for Israel.

And they try to solve this problem like with the way of bomb that your family doesn't try to find you. And they told me, they said that your wife

is probably looking for somebody else.

GOLODRYGA: Did you ever believe it?

KOZLOV: I try not to believe in this. Like I was sure that my family is looking for me. I was sure that wife of Shlomi keep going and try to find

him.

I was sure that Israel doesn't want to kill us. But they told us this a lot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: Thanks Bianna Golodryga for that interview. I'm going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:41:15]

SOARES: You can see live pictures coming to us there from the United States to Joint Base Andrews there in Maryland. Any time now we're expected to see

President Joe Biden departing for a campaign event that we've been talking about on top of the show in Michigan of course is a key battleground state.

President, as you all know, has been trying to reassure voters and will continue to try to reassure voters of course as well as members of his own

party that he's up to the task of beating Donald Trump. It follows from that closely watched press conference last night where Mr. Biden pushed

back against calls for him to exit the presidential race.

It almost -- also while he was very strong on foreign policy, as we've played out for you, there were some mistakes some errors and verbal flubs

you can call it, but also some expansive takes on foreign policy and the economy. Into the few hours, we will see the president -- in a few minutes,

I should say, we should be able to see the president leaving to Michigan and really on the campaign as the calls for him to drop out of the race

grow even louder.

The top of the show, if you remember the last 42 minutes or so, we heard from a 19th lawmaker Mike Levin of California calling for the president to

step aside. But right now, any moment, we'll see the president on his way to the key battleground state of Virginia -- of Michigan, pardon me.

We are also expecting to see a private meeting today, 18 congressional democrats -- 19 congressional democrats have now asked him to end, but in

the meantime to move aside -- but in the meantime Biden, from what we understand, from our sources tell us, is preparing for a series of critical

meetings. Sources telling CNN he's set to meet virtually, we've been told, with the congressional Hispanic caucus today, as well as members of the

Asian Pacific-American caucus.

And tomorrow he'll hold calls with the new democrat coalition and the congressional progressive caucus. So, a lot going on calls continue to

grow. The question is, where do voters stand on this? How are they reacting to President Biden's news conference yesterday?

Our Gary Tuchman spoke with a group of senior in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Take a listen to what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We are in the battleground state of Michigan in the western part of the state. This is the Portage Senior

Center where seniors between the ages of 50 and 150 could come for exercise and fun. These ladies, we have seven ladies here, all of them like Joe

Biden. None of them are voting for Donald Trump. But we want to see how they feel about the problems that Biden has been having and how he thought

his new -- how they thought his news conference just went now.

Out of all seven of you, how many of you think it was better than you expected, this news conference? How many of you think it was better than

you expected it would be? One, two, three, four, five. How many of you think it was worse than you expected it would be? How many of you think it

was the same? So overall, it's a fairly positive review.

I know I was -- we were watching it together. They all just got out of exercise class so that's why they're dressed like that I told you I would

tell everybody that, but we were watching out together and when he confused the names of Trump and Harris and talking about vice presidents, you all

kind of gasped, but it got better, right? Is that what you do is that what you think?

Now four of you, one, two, three, four, all of you think that Biden should be staying in the race. You told me you think that he should pass the

torch. The two of you weren't decided. My question for you, you weren't decided before this happened if he should stay in the race.

[14:45:01]

How do you feel now after watching this news conference?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Relieved and I think he should stay in.

TUCHMAN: So your opinion has changed from not sure to he should stay?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Uh-hmm.

TUCHMAN: OK. And how about you? How do you feel? You weren't sure. How do you feel now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Same. I think he's the logical choice.

TUCHMAN: OK. Now you thought he should pass the torch. How do you feel right now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I still believe he should pass the torch.

TUCHMAN: And why do you say that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he conveyed more defensiveness versus confidence and I think we are really craving uh to be able to be confident

about the candidate that we carry into the November election.

TUCHMAN: How did you feel about this news conference just now? Did it give you more confidence? Enjoyed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have all the confidence that I did yesterday. So I just --

TUCHMAN: Were you confident yesterday?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because everybody has a bad day and I could see that he was sick. But for some reason, they decided to do what they were

going to do even though he was sick and I think that might have been a bad choice. And you just saw him when he's sick and when he's tired and those

sorts of things, but at the heart of it, he's a strong guy.

TUCHMAN: What do you think? Do you agree with that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I would agree with that. I think what came across was that of what he is. Joe Biden is very caring about people he's very

knowledgeable and experienced and he's not just out for himself, that he really cares about the country.

TUCHMAN: And there's no chance that you would be more confident with the Kamala Harris or your governor here, Whitmer, here in the state of

Michigan.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. Yes. I think Joe Biden did an excellent job.

TUCHMAN: During this news conference?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-hmm.

TUCHMAN: But was there any part of you before this that said I'm not so sure that I can still support him and I want another Democrat?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've always been confident in him.

TUCHMAN: Any of you going to be watching the Republican National Convention starts Monday? No hands going up. Democratic National Convention five weeks

after that? OK. Not all these people are Democrats, some are independents, but they all like Joe Biden and it's fair to say that none of you are going

to be switching to Donald Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: They've made that abundantly clear. Thanks to Gary Tuchman there.

Now Venezuelan migrants are hoping that a change in the country's leadership could allow them to come home. The country is preparing for

national elections later this month. Millions of people have fled the country since President Nicolas Maduro came to power. Now they're looking

to return and see their loved ones.

Stefano Pozzebon spoke with one woman who is now living in Colombia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST (voice-over): how do you build a home far away from your home? Sometimes, it's just a matter of finding the right people

to help. These migrants in Bogota are doing just that, working with a foundation that provides free classes and counseling to vulnerable

Venezuelans and Colombians alike.

Maria Alvarez arrived in Colombia seven years ago. She helped create the organization. Making a living as a manicurist is tough but Bogota has been

welcoming. Home, however, is still somewhere else.

She dreams that one day, her son will finally meet his grandparents in Venezuela. He has only seen them in photos. This month, millions of

Venezuelan migrants are sharing such dreams as their home country heads to the polls.

Authoritarian president Nicolas Maduro pledging to allow free and fair elections as he campaigns for re-election and the democratic opposition

uniting behind a single candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, a former diplomat who floated the idea of amnesty for former government officials who have been

accused of crimes against humanity.

It's the most credible democratic challenge in a decade, but because more than seven million Venezuelans like Alvarez have fled the country under

Maduro, the upcoming month can make an impact all across the Americas.

POZZEBON: Colombia has welcomed more than two million Venezuelan migrants in recent years. Many here have found a new home, but for others, these

streets are just the beginning of a journey to the north.

POZZEBON (voice-over): Venezuelans were the second largest group of migrants reaching the U.S. southern border last year. Many arrived from

Colombia crossing the treacherous jungle to Panama in the Darien Gap and then upward through Central America, numbers some experts fear might

increase should Maduro stay in power.

LAURA DIB, VALENZUELA PROGRAM DIRECTOR, WOLA: There are two reasons why migration will increase. The first is political because it's related, I

mean.

[14:50:00]

And this is the interesting part about Venezuela is that you cannot disconnect the complex humanitarian emergency from the authoritarian nature

of the government. I think it's difficult to, you know, to put a number to it, but it could be more than one million, two million Venezuelans leaving

the country.

POZZEBON (voice-over): In Colombia, Alvarez is weighing her options. Her cousin crossed the Darien Gap last year, he now lives in the U.S. and she

dreams of reconnecting with him but she's afraid of the jungle trek with her young son. And abroad, she cannot vote. Their dream is to go back home.

If the government falls, millions will return, she says.

Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, Bogota.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SOARES: We're going to leave Venezuela, take it United States. You can see there, new pictures coming to us now, U.S. President Joe Biden, as you can

see there, preparing to depart for a campaign event that we talked to you about at the top of the show the show in Michigan.

Michigan, as you all know, is a state for him, a key state for him to be re-elected. It is a key battleground state and his departure comes just

minutes after, you know, the last 15 minutes I should say after a 19th congressional Democrat.

Mike Levin of California called for Mr. Biden to exit the race. He's had a private meeting, as you know, overnight with Democratic leader, Hakeem

Jeffries. Didn't seem to endorse him. Jeffries did not offer Biden his endorsement. Sources telling CNN and telling our Jeff Zeleny in that

meeting calls continue to grow, of course, and growing louder for him to step aside, but President Biden, as you well heard yesterday, says he's

staying put.

We heard strong policy, foreign policy responses from him yesterday and responding the economy as well. But there were some slip-ups as we brought

that to you.

We're going to take a short break. See you on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOARES: It's possibly the most lavish wedding of the year, kid you not. And finally after seven months of pre-wedding celebrations, the son of Asia's

richest man, Anant Ambani, is about to marry his girlfriend, Radhika Merchant. And while Indian weddings are a symbol of status, this goes to,

well, pretty much the next level.

[14:55:00]

Ambani's father is worth 122 billion dollars. Let's get the very latest here to find out really what is going on. Salma, tell us this is grand.

It's been going on for months now.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Seven months of pre-wedding events. In the pre-wedding events, just to give you an idea, this is before the

wedding, included a luxury cruise around Italy where Katy Perry was serenading the guests. You had Justin Bieber who was in town just a few

days ago, again, before the wedding to congratulate the couple.

You had just the A-listers of Hollywood, Bollywood and Silicon Valley flying in for this big bash in March where Rihanna made an exclusive

performance to Ivanka Trump and Bill Gates. So you can imagine the anticipation, the expectation for today is sky high.

SOARES: What are we expecting from this one? I mean how much more lavish can it be

ABDELAZIZ: We know that the arrivals have just happened. Kim Kardashian, Boris Johnson, Tony Blair, Prime Minister Modi himself are in attendance.

The venue now, that's what I really wanted to know, what have they done for the venue for the actual event? They've recreated a holy Indian city, an

entire city. They've hired hundreds of craftsmen, artisans, painters, chefs and they want to bring the sights, the sounds, the spirit of the city along

the Ganges river right to their guests.

It's a huge point of pride, right? The family has made a very insistent determination to really show off Indian culture. Every single person has to

arrive in Indian dress. It's an absolutely beautiful occasion. I know you described it as perhaps the most lavish wedding of the year, but they're

calling it the wedding of the century in India. I mean so much pomp and circumstance I think it would put a royal wedding here to shame.

SOARES: And we haven't even talked about what's on the menu. Can't wait. Very exciting news to see this wedding. Thank you very much, Salma.

Appreciate it. Appreciate it.

That does it for us for tonight. Thanks very much for your company. Do stay right here. "NEWSROOM" when Jim Sciutto is up next. Have a wonderful

weekend. We'll leave you with these images, of course, which are absolutely lavish.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:00:00]

END