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Isa Soares Tonight
Princess of Wales Completes Chemotherapy; Trump, Harris Prepare for First Debate; Apple Reveals A.I. iPhone. Aired 14-15:00p ET
Aired September 09, 2024 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, the Princess of Wales reveals she's
completed her chemotherapy treatment for cancer. We'll have details on her recovery and when she's likely to return to public duties.
Plus, there's just one day to go until Donald Trump and Kamala Harris come face-to-face at their first debate. So, how are the candidates preparing
and what are voters clearly wanting to hear? Then it's glow time for Apple as the tech giant reveal its first generative A.I. iPhone.
We'll dive into its best features and tell you when customers will be able to get their hands on it. But first, let's -- short time ago in the last
hour or so, we heard that Catherine, Princess of Wales, shared an update about her cancer treatment, and it's very good news, have a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CATHERINE MIDDLETON, PRINCESS OF WALES: Life as you know it can change in an instant, and we've had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and
road unknown. The cancer journey is complex, scary, and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings
you face-to-face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you've never considered before, and with that a new perspective on everything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just moving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That was actually lovely. Well, Catherine goes on to say, she has completed her chemotherapy. The Princess of Wales has largely been out of
the public eye while undergoing treatment, as you know. Her last public appearance was July at Wimbledon tennis.
A source telling us, King Charles and Queen Camilla have welcomed the announcement as wonderful news. It is wonderful news. Joining us now is
royal historian Kate Williams, a well-known face here on the show. Kate, it's so lovely, lovely to see you and such wonderful news, of course.
And you know, I watched the whole three minutes of this, and it was very emotive, very intimate in a way that we haven't seen that side of them
before. Talk us through what stood out to you from what we heard.
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Yes, it's exactly, Isa. I mean, this is just unprecedented in terms of the vulnerability, the openness. Kate is
talking from the heart and she was saying with these incredibly moving statements, saying how hard it's been for them as a family, how the cancer
journey is scary and painful, and that she's still on a healing journey.
She's still taking things every day as they come, and how going through what she's been through has -- she's been confronting her vulnerabilities.
It's been really tough, and you know, to think that this contrast between this beautiful, touching video of her family together, the contrast between
what we saw when she told us she had cancer in early March, she gave that - - the video, she was sitting alone on a bench, and it was just so sad.
And this is full of hope, and as she says, she's got a long way to go, but still, there is this real -- you know, appreciation for an expectation and
excitement for the future.
SOARES: Yes, and she talks about -- I love the fact that she narrates it, right? It's her voice. I think that's so intimate, so personal. I think
that will touch chord -- a chord with so many people, even those who haven't -- you know, haven't dealt with cancer or they know someone who
has, I think that would be incredibly powerful.
But she said -- she talked about the complexity of having cancer. I want to play a little clip and we can talk about it afterwards. Have a look at
this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIDDLETON: Though I finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long, and I must continue to take each day as it comes. I am
however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.
Despite who that's gone before, I enter this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: New sense of appreciation of life, that is really beautiful. Do we know in terms of a schedule what engagement she will be going to, which one
she'll be attending?
[14:05:00]
WILLIAMS: Well, as you say, we haven't seen her much this year. We saw her trooping the color in early Summer, we saw her in Wimbledon in July, and
otherwise, she has been focusing on healing. And what we understand from Kensington Palace is that, going to see her in the weeks, months to come
and a few local engagements.
We would definitely expect to see her in early November for Remembrance Sunday in the Cenotaph, and she's very much hoping to be there for her
beloved carol service in December, but otherwise, we can't know. And the palace has said that it could be counted at the last minute, you know, Kate
still is, her focus as she says is on healing.
So, we -- I don't think we'll expect to see her in a full schedule of engagements until well into next year. I think that at the moment, we're
just not going to know, and it's all about the advice of doctors.
SOARES: Absolutely, and be real thrilled, of course, with the news. Kate, appreciate it, thank you very much. Well, one day before a pivotal first
debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the race for the White House remains too close to call. But latest CNN poll of polls, have a look at
this, shows Harris at 49 percent to Trump's 47 percent, but that's within the margin of error.
The two candidates are taking very different approaches that you'd expect to the debate in Philadelphia. A source tells CNN, part of Harris' plan is
to introduce her to undecided voters. Meantime, Donald Trump is threatening to jail election workers and vowing to pardon those convicted of rioting at
the U.S. Capitol on January the 6th.
Let's get more on all these threats for you. We're joined by CNN politics senior reporter, Stephen Collinson and Kevin Liptak; CNN senior White House
reporter. Kevin, good to see you, same to you, Stephen. Let me start with you, Kevin, I mean, do we know how they're preparing these nominees,
preparing for tomorrow? Just talk us through that, because this is their first to face -- meet ever.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, it's the first time they've ever been in the same room at close range. You know, Harris was in
some of Donald Trump's State of the Union speeches, but that's about as close proximity is they've ever been. And I think it's a moment that
they're thinking about a lot, taking very seriously.
And it is a study in contrast in how they're both preparing for this, Kamala Harris has been kind of hunkered down in Pittsburgh for a couple of
days. That's in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, of course. And she has had this key group of advisors around her. She's participating
in these mock debates.
She has a stand-in for Donald Trump. His name is Philippe Reines, and he actually played Donald Trump in mock debates with Hillary Clinton back in
2016. And he really kind of gets into the part he puts on the red tie, the ill-fitting suits, so, he really does sort of embody the character for
Kamala Harris in these debate prep moments.
And according to her advisors, the strategy is to really try and keep cool amid what they expect will be an onslaught of insults and lies. She talked
about that this morning in a radio interview. But also trying to look for ways to get under Donald Trump's skin, to try and provoke him and try and
get him to demonstrate what so many American samples they don't like about him, which is his attitude.
And for Donald Trump's part, he doesn't like to say that he's in debate prep, his team doesn't like the word, preparation. In reality, he is
talking about the debate with his advisors. They are what they call policy sessions. He's actually brought it on a new phase as well, the former
Hawaii Congressman Tulsi Gabbard, who actually shared a debate stage with Kamala Harris when they were both running for the Democratic nomination
back in 2019.
So, she has some experience, she did land some punches against Kamala Harris back then. And so, it is a study in contrast, but I think both of
these teams are looking at this debate is quite a critical moment, because at the end of today, it is the only debate --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: That's currently on the schedule. It could be their only opportunity to really show themselves to the American people in this
format.
SOARES: Yes, and look, Stephen, I know it's just one poll, but it matches, I think from what I can remember, what we have been seeing to date in terms
of other polls, that there's no clear winner. Does that surprise you at this stage? What stands out to you from the latest polls that we have seen
-- we've been seeing?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: I think we saw a great surge of support for the Vice President when President Biden stepped down
from the race. I think she brought along a lot of disaffected Democrats, Democrat-leaning independents, who were enthusiastic about this new ticket.
I think she pleased a lot of people in the Democratic coalition for example, black voters, women voters, and she got more enthusiasm from those
groups. But I think this debate is important because I think you can make an argument that her surge has only brought into the neck-and-neck race
that we all believed that this election would probably come down to.
And history shows and the mathematics of the U.S. electoral system, the electoral college say that a Democrat probably has to be 3 or 4 points up
in the popular vote if they can be assured of an electoral college win. So, Harris has a lot of work to do. I think the positive thing for her is that
polls are showing that up to about 25 percent, 26 percent of Americans think they need to know more about her, they could be open therefore to
voting for her.
[14:10:00]
So, I think she has room to grow. But this therefore is a --
SOARES: Yes --
COLLINSON: Very important night.
SOARES: Yes, on that, Kevin, I mean, nearly of what? A third of voters said they need to know more, to hear more about the Vice President. How do
we know that she's going to tackle this and what she focus on, she focus on policy, is it character?
LIPTAK: Well, I think if she has a single goal in this debate, is to introduce herself, and she has been relatively vague on some of her
policies. She has started laying them out piece by piece over the last couple of weeks. And actually just today, her campaign put a policy page on
its website, that had been something that they had been criticized for, for not having that on their website.
One of the key areas I think she's going to want to do and it's going to be a balance for her is try and demonstrate where she'll break from President
Biden, who of course, is the President she has been serving for the last four years. Obviously, some of President Biden's policies, particularly
when it comes to the economy haven't necessarily resonated with the American people and with the American voter.
And so, it will be on her to sort of explain what she would do differently from President Biden if she were to become President. But at the end of the
day, her team really does view her as the underdog in this debate. They point out, one, she has not debated in quite a long time, and two, no
candidate in American history has more experience in these general election debates --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: Than Donald Trump. This will be his seventh general election debate because he's been the Republican nominee for the last three cycles.
And so, they do think that they have some -- their work cut out for them certainly on Tuesday night, and I think --
SOARES: Yes --
LIPTAK: Part of that is just going to be explaining who she is and what she would do.
SOARES: Yes, introduction for so many Americans of who she is, of course, that's going to be important. And Stephen, Trump meanwhile is refusing to
accept the results of last election. He is pledging, it seems to prosecute political enemies if he's re-elected. He's now saying even that he'd pardon
those involved in January 6th.
I want to play this for our viewers, and we can talk after this. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And the people that tried to --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My question is on those rioters who assaulted officers --
TRUMP: Excuse me. You have to ask --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you pardon those people?
TRUMP: What's going to happen -- oh, absolutely, I would if they're innocent --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You would pardon those --
TRUMP: If they're innocent, I would pardon them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They've been convicted.
TRUMP: By the way, the Supreme Court just under -- well, they were convicted by a very tough system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, last time you and I spoke, you said it really depends, Stephen, who kind of -- what type -- what kind of Trump shows up on the
day. You know, he is pretty bombastic. What do you think we'll see more of this sort of tone and how much do you think that plays into Kamala Harris'
argument that Kevin was talking about, that there -- he is a threat to democracy here?
COLLINSON: I think that Trump will do everything he can not to behave like that in a television debate watched by potentially 50 million people.
During the debate with Biden, he was quite restrained, actually. So, he does have the ability to do it for short periods.
But I think what that clip shows and the remarks by the former President over the weekend underscores something that has really faded a little in
the excitement over the Harris candidate. And this is the argument that Trump would represent a great and grave threat to not just the American
electoral system, but the judicial system as well if he becomes President.
That is not necessarily the top concern of voters who are more concerned with the economy and immigration and security issues. But that is something
that Harris has tried to stress as well. She says that he's a very unserious man who poses an extremely serious threat, and any sort of
movement in that direction on Tuesday night, I think risks on behalf of Trump playing into tactics.
SOARES: Yes, Stephen Collinson, Kevin Liptak, thank you to you both. Thank you. We'll have much more on this in about 20 minutes, and of course, the
presidential race, we'll be joined by Larry Sabato; the Director of University of Virginia's Center for Politics. That's roughly 20 minutes
time.
Now, Syrian state media reports Israeli airstrikes have killed more than a dozen people in northwest Syria. Israel didn't immediately comment on the
attack, but a local residence says the target with the facility alleged to have made chemical weapons in the past. Meantime, Israel says it will
reopen the Allenby King Hussein border crossing and two other routes for Jordan, but just for passengers, this after three Israeli civilian
employees were shot and killed at the crossing between the West Bank and Jordan on Sunday.
The Jordanian truck driver who opened fire was killed. Our Nic Robertson is following the developments, he joins us now from northern Israel. And Nic,
any sense on that point as to when Israel will reopen the border crossing? Do we have any more clarity?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The clarity we have at the moment is that the border crossing at the Allenby Bridge will open
tomorrow. But as you said, for foot passengers only, now, it's not for Israelis, it's for Jordanians and other nationals to cross over to and from
Jordan into the West Bank and then almost into Israel as they desire.
[14:15:00]
But there are some caveats here. It's a border crossing where a lot of trucks have been coming across, bringing humanitarian aid for Gaza. Now, it
won't be open for those trucks to pass through. There are two other border crossings. One further north and one in the south a lot.
Those border crossings we understand will be open for passengers, and they will be open for trucks. However, we also understand that there will be
increased security and scrutiny of what's on board those trucks. There's already a high level, as you can imagine, a high level of security of
anything that's coming across from Jordan to Israel and then goes on to Gaza.
So, now we're expecting in effect, the journey for trucks taking aid and other goods into Israel and into the West Bank, not only to take longer,
but also essentially, to sort of experience more difficulties at the border. So, the picture is one that slowly getting better for foot
passengers. But for trucks, there are clearly going to be some delays ahead, but previously the delays were shorter.
SOARES: Yes, and the challenges of course, that presents for those who need that critical aid in Gaza as we've been hearing from humanitarian aid
organizations on the show. And Nic, with regard to the Israeli airstrike on the Syrian facility, do we know any more about why it was targeted? What
officials are saying in Syria?
ROBERTSON: We don't. I mean, the Syrian officials are being not fully transparent it appears about the site itself. We do know that it was a
military scientific research institute. As you say back in 2017, it was believed to be potentially making components for chemical weapons, and
indeed, some countries put sanctions on some of the officials who worked at that site.
Now, social media video after the strike last night appeared to show multiple secondary explosions. You can even hear the sound of what sounds
like missiles whizzing out of this site, even some coming sort of pretty close to the camera by the sounds of it. This seems to indicate that it was
potentially a weapons storage or production site.
Now, we do know in Lebanon that Israel has been hitting some of Hezbollah's deeply positioned up in the north of Lebanon, some of their weapons storage
facilities and the secondary explosions we've seen -- now, those look somewhat similar to the video that we saw coming out of Syria overnight.
So, that -- we know at the moment, 18 people are dead, 37 people are wounded, and Israel, as it always says about strikes in Syria, doesn't
comment on international media reports. They don't speak about what has happened in Syria, but clearly, the understanding in the region is that
this would have been Israeli strikes.
SOARES: Nic Robertson for us this evening, thanks very much, Nic. And still to come tonight, we are live in eastern Ukraine for you where morale
on the frontline is low. Ahead, why Ukrainian prisoners are joining the fight, plus, Apple fans have been waiting to find out how the new iPhone
will handle artificial intelligence.
The company's big launch event kicked off in the last hour. What we know so far, that is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Russia and Ukraine continue to trade aerial attacks over the weekend. The war is proving long, as well as
challenging for Ukrainians, and morale is waning, especially on the eastern front where Ukraine is desperately trying to stop Russia's advance, so much
so, they have turned to prisoners to try and beef up their forces.
Our Frederik Pleitgen is following this story and he joins us now from eastern Ukraine. And Fred, I remember only last week, we heard Ukraine's
commander, basically admitting to our Christiane Amanpour that morale was low, but there was initial pardon -- pardon me, but the Kursk operation
from where he said seemed to have lifted that have improved morale. Does that match with what you're seeing and what you've been hearing?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I would say to a certain extent, it has. I would say among the general population
certainly, give morale -- did lift morale quite a bit. However, if you look among the fighting forces in the frontlines, especially in the region that
we've been to, the sort of direction of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine.
It certainly is a pretty difficult fight there for the Ukrainian forces, and the biggest problem that we hear from units again and again is the lack
of manpower. There's some units who tell us that the ratio between Russian soldiers and Ukrainian soldiers is up to 1 to 10, obviously making it very
difficult for the Ukrainians to fight back.
And one of the things that Ukraine is now doing, is they are recruiting people out of jails and bringing them to the frontlines. And those
frontline troops coming out of the jails are actually having some effect. Here's what we learned.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Troops sweeping into a village on the eastern front. But these aren't career soldiers, they're ex-convicts who
volunteered from prison, got some basic training and were thrust into battle. Vitaly, 41 years old, ten years in jail for theft and violent
assault, now assaulting Vladimir Putin's army.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN: The ex-convicts are part of Ukraine's 59th Brigade, they're camped near the frontline rudimentary, but a lot better than jail. Our
conversations remain basic about survival or death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN: Many are dying here on both sides. The 59th Brigade gave us this video showing Russians fleeing a burning house as the ex-convicts attack.
But Vitaly admits, they are suffering casualties as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN: Their deal is simple, fight, survive and become free men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN: Company commander Oleksandr says his men perform some of the most dangerous assaults around here. Oleksandr was a jail warden, and many
of those here, his inmates. He recruited them and says the traits that put them in jail now keep them alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN: This unit is part of Ukraine's force defending the key logistic hub, Pokrovsk.
[14:25:00]
(on camera): Pokrovsk is now one of the main frontline towns in the war in Ukraine, as you can see, the streets here are virtually deserted, at the
same time, the Russians are hitting this place with really heavy ammunitions, everything from artillery shells to large rockets.
(voice-over): After major advances, the Russians are knocking on the door here, shells and rockets constantly impacting especially in the evenings.
And that's when the medics from the 68th Mountain Near Brigade start receiving most of the heavy casualties. They show us this video of a U.S.
supplied max pro armored vehicle hit by a Russian drone.
Two killed, four severely injured. Casualties Ukraine's military already badly outmanned cannot afford the medic who goes by the call sign barbarian
tells me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
PLEITGEN: And Russian drones are also lethal at night, so, we leave Pokrovsk as darkness falls, Ukrainian troops heading towards the front,
hoping to keep Putin's army away from this key city.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: And that was certainly some of the things that we witnessed there on the ground in Pokrovsk. You really had that constant thunder of
Russian artillery shells and Russian rockets landing in that area around Pokrovsk, and the sort of sense that we got on the ground there, Isa, is
that it seems as though the Ukrainians have actually stopped Russian advances towards the actual city of Pokrovsk.
But there are still areas around there where the Russians are still gaining ground, and certainly, it is a very difficult battle for those Ukrainian
forces, Isa.
SOARES: Yes, indeed, important report there from our Frederik Pleitgen in eastern Ukraine. Thank you very much, Fred. And still to come tonight, Pope
Francis continues his ambitious tour of Asia and the South Pacific, received as you can see there, joyous crowds in East Timor. Then --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: I am Stefano Pozzebon and I'm live in Bogota, Colombia, as the Venezuelan opposition tries to regroup after their
candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez traveled to Spain and claim political asylum over the weekend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: We'll have those stories and more in just a few moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:00]
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Welcome back, everyone. We are just about 30 or so hours away from what could be the most consequential moment
in the U.S. presidential election. Kamala Harris will take the stage in Philadelphia to debate Donald Trump for the first and possibly only time
before voters head to the polls in early November.
The race is in a virtual dead heat, as we told you at the top of the show. And the importance, of course, of a presidential debate is no longer up for
debate. A disastrous debate performance last June mark beginning of the end of President Biden's re-election campaign, if you remember, and pushed
Harris to the top of the ticket.
Well, let's get more on what we can expect today. What's at stake? Well, joining us is Larry Sabato, the director, University of Virginia Center for
Polities, also the editor of "A Return to Normalcy?: The 2020 Election that Almost Broke America." Well known face here on the show. Larry, great to
see you.
So, this -- as I was just saying to our viewers, this is the first time they're debating their first, it seems, face-to-face meeting. I couldn't
believe it when I was reading today. This is the first time they've actually met each other. And it comes as polls show a very tight lead. Are
you surprised at all by the tightness of this contest? I mean, she did gain momentum, but doesn't have a commanding edge. Does that surprise you at
all, Larry?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: No, because it was inevitable that her rise would run out of steam. We live in
a deeply polarized country where partisan identity is critical. And we just didn't know exactly when she would run out of steam, but campaigns never
work the way a candidate wants them to. You don't simply rise up without an eruption or for that matter, fall without an eruption.
So, the truth is she has gone from being relatively low, as was President Biden, to being tied with a former president who has a big energetic base.
Now, she's got a big energetic base and we'll go from here.
SOARES: And one of the polls -- and the polls that we mentioned, and I'm hoping my producing can bring it up as we speak, Larry, nearly a third of
voters say they need to hear more from the vice president, more about the vice president. How do you think she will do that? What are undecided
voters saying? What are they hoping to hear? What clarity are they looking for here?
SABATO: What she's hoping to do is to be able to fit enough issue positions in between the attacks she will have to make on Trump in response
to Trump's attacks on her. You know how our debates go. But it's critical she do that.
Trump doesn't need to do that. He has -- he was president for four years. He's been in our faces for, well, since 2015, when he first announced. It's
very different with him. But Kamala Harris is not surprisingly unknown, but she is unknown because we don't follow vice presidents.
SOARES: Yes, and then, in that case, given that it's such a tight race, it's neck-and-neck, how much do you think, Larry, that this debate could
tip the scales? I mean, what do you think would be the biggest challenge for Kamala Harris here?
SABATO: The biggest challenge will be not overreacting to the stabs that Trump will make at her in an attempt to get under her skin. She has to try
to get under his, which after all, has never been all that difficult.
So, I think that the two of them -- and particularly Harris, the two of them have to stick to substance and policy to the extent they can. But this
being an American debate and being one where Donald Trump is on the stage, anything can happen, it's bound to be substantially negative.
SOARES: Yes, I imagine so, if we go with previous debates that we have seen. And already, Larry, we have seen Harris say in an interview, I think
it was this morning, that she's preparing for attacks on being a woman and a woman of color. Have a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE: I think he's going to lie, and you know, he has a playbook that
he has used in the past, be it, you know, his attacks on President Obama or Hillary Clinton. So, we should expect that some of that might come out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: And I suppose it depends what kind of version of Trump shows up, right, whether it's the bombastic, Larry, version. So, just explain to us
on this side of the pond, you know, how these assaults, how these attacks, these derogatory comments that we have heard time and time again from
Trump, how have that has done little to his base, to his support?
[14:35:00]
SABATO: Because his base decided, one way or the other, and why we could talk about forever, that he is the chosen one, chosen by God. If he isn't
God himself, to some of them. And so, whatever he says goes. Look at what's happened to the Republican Party. The -- only a handful of senior people
have come out against Trump or will put their chips down on the table and say they're voting for Kamala Harris. That doesn't mean they're for Trump,
it simply means they're afraid to challenge him. So, his base dominates almost every Republican primary and all of the key swing states.
SOARES: And I heard her team saying that she was an underdog. Do you agree with that? Is she an underdog going into this debate?
SABATO: I think it's very important that she portray herself as the underdog.
SOARES: Yes.
SABATO: When you're the underdog, you keep your base excited, upbeat, determined to come back, if they think you're behind two or three or five
points, they're going to work harder. If you're the front runner, particularly Democrats, have a tendency to sit back and have an extra
cocktail and tell each other what a great job they've done and it's over.
SOARES: Yes, patting themselves on the back. Look, let's talk about the former president. He's holding a one point -- I should say, one point lead
within the margin of error. But he's -- you know, he's a known entity. We've all known him. We've known him for years. So, what would be the
challenge for him? And do you think he'll do anything differently this time or do we -- do you expect more of the same here, Larry? Larry.
SABATO: He's being advised by his key people to do a few things differently, like not to go over the line in insults and attacks. But
Donald Trump is going to be Donald Trump. Donald Trump listens to no one but Donald Trump, because he has said to a number of associates over the
years, if you're so smart, how come I'm president and you aren't? So, with a candidate with that attitude, you can be sure that he's going to do what
he thinks is right.
SOARES: Such a modest man. Larry Sabato, great to see you. Always appreciate your insight. Thanks, Larry.
SABATO: Thanks, Isa.
SOARES: And tune in for special coverage of the ABC News Presidential Debate, simulcast here on CNN. We'll air this Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern
time. It will then replay the debate on Wednesday at 2:00 a.m. Eastern and that's 7:00 a.m. in London. So, make sure you watch. No excuse to miss
that.
You can watch it again then at 2:00 p.m. -- 7:00 p.m. in London, 10:00 p.m. in Abu Dhabi. That means that we won't be on air on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.
So, apologies for that, but you'll get to watch the debate if you haven't already.
Now, Venezuelan opposition figure, Edmundo Gonzalez, will no longer face terrorism charges. The country's attorney general says the case is now
closed because Gonzalez has left the country. Gonzalez is now seeking asylum in Spain. He said his departure from Venezuela came despite coercion
and threats that he will not be allowed to leave. Gonzalez had been charged, if you remember, with crimes associated with terrorism surrounded
the disputed election in July.
I want to bring in journalist Stefano Pozzebon, who joins us now from Bogota, Colombia. Stefano, I wonder how opposition supporters are reacting
to Edmundo Gonzalez's decision to seek asylum in Spain. What has been the reaction from them and also from the Maduro camp? They must be rubbing
their hands with glee here.
STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Oh, yes, the Maduro camp is celebrating, saying that the opposition challenge is all but dead. But it's honest to
say that the situation has precipitated these dramatically over the last 48 hours in Venezuela with the main champion of the opposition in their
electoral challenge in the game that started with that controversial election on the 28th of July, now out of the country, and the leader of the
opposition, Maria Corina Machado, remaining instead in Venezuela.
Edmundo Gonzalez said in a statement a couple of hours ago, he presented a letter to the Venezuelan people, thanking the support over the last few
weeks, but also giving the idea that he's stepping back from frontline politics and perhaps marking a distance from Corina Machado herself, who
instead, in Caracas, continues to show defiance and says that even though their paths have separated, Maria Corina and Edmundo are now on different
paths, the commitment remains the same. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER (through translator): If Edmundo leaving would make my situation more dangerous, I don't know.
Regardless, I've decided to remain in Venezuela and to continue my fight from within, while he does so from abroad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POZZEBON: Now, of course, the momentum behind the opposition protest has stalled, especially now that Edmundo Gonzalez has left the country. Maria
Corina is showing defiance. She called for a new protest in Madrid tomorrow, Tuesday, at 6:00 p.m. local time.
[14:40:00]
She says that no matter what, Edmundo Gonzalez is the president elect, and that the will of the Venezuelan people should be respected. And we should
note that these calls have been joined also by the likes of the United States, by the likes of the European Union, Canada put out a statement
today, all urging Venezuelan authorities to respect the will of the people.
However, the fact is that Maduro is staunchly in power, he is well comfortable in Miraflores, the presidential palace in Venezuela, in
Caracas, and instead, Maria Corina Machado is the one hiding, showing defiance, but actually, knowing that if she showed too much defiance, she
could be -- she could go to jail.
SOARES: Yes.
POZZEBON: It's a traumatic situation.
SOARES: Yes. And one that we have seen time and time again with Maduro, but yet, again, it leaves, you know, they're unable to dislodge Maduro,
which is what they were trying to do. I wonder though, with Gonzalez in Madrid, how effective, you know, he can be abroad and what the strategy is
here from Maria Corina Machado? Is she going to be more out there? Because that puts her a huge risk here, Stefano.
POZZEBON: Yes, exactly. We know that -- well, the government has not moved against Maria Corina directly. They moved against a few of her assistants
who are sheltering in the Argentinian embassy in Caracas. There were episodes over the weekend with security forces threatening to raid the
embassy to bring these people out in handcuffs. That hasn't happened with Maria Corina Machado. And she said today that she will remain in Venezuela.
Whether she can mount a credible challenge where so many of previous leaders have failed remains to be seen.
About Edmundo, we're hearing that he might be meeting the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, in the coming days. Tomorrow, the Congress in --
the parliament in Spain will discuss a law to move the government to -- not force, but like to push the government to formally declare Edmundo Gonzalez
as the electoral -- the -- as the president-elect of Venezuela with, of course, diplomatic consequences. We understand that the government has
granted the asylum to Edmundo Gonzalez, but he's not ready to make that step.
Edmundo Gonzalez is a former diplomat. He's used to work the phone. He's used to move around the corridors of powers and perhaps that's what Maria
Corina Machado said, he can be more effective abroad. That all remains to be seen, unfortunately. Isa.
SOARES: We shall see how the International Community reacts besides being in shock, of course, over the asylum, what charges, if anything, pressure
they put on Maduro and whether that may work. Stefano, always great to have you on the show. Thank you.
Still to come tonight, the iPhone makes the move to artificial intelligence. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest from Apple's annual
event.
And the Paralympics come to a close in Paris. We'll look at some of the best photos from the games. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Well, just a short while ago, Apple kicked off its biggest product launch event of the year. The company introduced the iPhone 16. The first
Apple smartphone built for generative artificial intelligence. Apple is hoping to get fans excited for its new Apple Intelligence A.I. system. The
company called the event its glowtime. At risk of being overshadowed by a new phone announcement from its Chinese rival Huawei earlier in the day.
I want to bring in Nick Wolny, Managing Editor at CNET, who joins us from Los Angeles. Nick, great to have you on the show. I understand the event
has just wrapped up. Just give us a sense of what stood out to you, because there's loads of redesigns, loads of new tweaks on old models. What stood
out in your view?
NICK WOLNY, MANAGING EDITOR, CNET: Well, yes, the iPhone 16 was announced about 45 minutes ago. So, hot off the presses. And what was pretty
impressive about the announcement is that it looks like the company has really taken its time with rolling out A.I. Incorporating Apple
Intelligence into a lot of the phone from a hardware perspective and actually creating a completely new Silicon chip in order to do that,
jumping over the A17 chips. So, they went from A16 straight up to A18 in order to build in a lot of those A.I. features.
We saw some demonstrations of Apple Intelligence being used for things like revision of text messages, revision of e-mails. We also saw the application
of A.I. in something called visual intelligence. And so, when you're using your camera, you're walking around, perhaps you want to take a photo of a
poster and add that event to your calendar, then you can do that in real- time through AI. You can also use the A.I. features in partnership with Siri. So, using Siri, using those voice commands more effectively.
This is very much Apple's playbook to sit on the sidelines for a moment and kind of see how everything shakes out regarding incorporating A.I., and
then coming in with something that is a little bit more UX focused, a little bit more consumer focused, so consumers can get increasingly excited
about A.I. and their day-to-day lives.
SOARES: And just for consumers, just explain it. And look, I'm not a very techie person. So, apologies in advance. So, if you get one of these phones
with the new A.I. aspect of it, what physically in terms of hardware, does it change, the A.I. tool? Can -- does it write e-mails? Does it -- what can
you do with it?
WOLNY: Yes, a lot of it's going to be built into just how you use your phone in your day-to-day. And we weren't able to facilitate this and a lot
of hardware up until now, because artificial intelligence uses up a lot of energy. It uses up a lot of power. And so, ultimately, you just have to
make the chips faster and better in order to facilitate a lot of these features.
And it's actually good that you bring that up because, you know, when CNET did a survey of consumers last year about what it takes for them to upgrade
a smartphone, A.I. is pretty far down the list in terms of features that would make someone actually shell out more money.
The biggest features that people consistently look for are better cameras, better screens, and more storage. And we saw that again in our survey as
well. And so, Apple knows exactly what it's doing. The majority of the iPhone 16 rollout was about a new camera shutter button on the side, having
more storage, having faster battery life, longer battery. Who doesn't want that built into the device?
But they did tease quite a few of these Apple Intelligence features as well in a way that is consumer facing. And if you don't know anything about
A.I., then it's OK. You're going to be guided on a lot of that and we might see this end up becoming more mainstream as a result.
SOARES: OK. The important question I'm sure viewers will be screaming at the screen, as you and I are talking, Nick, how much would it cost?
WOLNY: Well, the good news is that the iPhone 16 came out at the same price point as what the iPhone 15 was last year. And so, that was another
move that we were pretty impressed by, actually, because so often you're seeing the A.I. tax across all of these different software and hardware
applications. Everyone's rushing to join that A.I. arms race. They're adding an A.I. feature. It's hard to walk down the street without getting
bombarded with an advertisement about a new fancy A.I. feature. But usually, that comes with some sort of additional hike in price. Again,
that's because so much more computing power is needed in order to provide A.I. powered services.
[14:50:00]
And so, when the price was debuted, you know, there were some -- there was some gasps. There were some surprises as a result of that. It's the same
price point. And for users who have an iPhone 12 or later, they can trade in that older device to get a credit towards one of these new iPhones 16s
that does have this built-in hardware that's going to facilitate more artificial intelligence.
SOARES: That is not a bad idea as well, as you could swap it out and traded it in. Nick Wolny, really appreciate it. Thank you very much.
WOLNY: Thank you.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, thousands line the streets in East Timor for a chance to see Pope Francis on his tour of the Catholic nation.
That is just ahead. Do stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Pope Francis has arrived in East Timor, marking the penultimate stop on his Asia Pacific tour. The small Southeastern Asian nation is a
Catholic stronghold, with officials preparing for hundreds of thousands to be in attendance throughout the visit. The pope is set to address recent
allegations of abuse within the East Timor clergy, as well as celebrate open-air mass with nearly half the nation's population. Our Vatican
correspondent, Christopher Lamb, has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Huge crowds turned out to greet Pope Francis on Monday as he arrived in East Timor for the third leg
of his Southeast Asia and Pacific tour. CNN is traveling with Francis and we saw crowds, sometimes 10 rows deep, who turned out to greet the pope as
he traveled through the capital of East Timor, Dili, on the Popemobile.
Now, East Timor is the second most Catholic nation after the Vatican City State. 97 percent of people identify as Catholics and the church plays a
huge role in the country. It played a critical role in its struggle for independence.
Nevertheless, the scourge of clerical sexual abuse hangs over this trip. Bishop Carlos Belo, a leading figure in the church, a Nobel Peace Prize
winner, was accused of sexually abusing minors and was sanctioned by the Vatican. Now, Pope Francis, when he met with leaders of East Timor, here in
Dili, addressed abuse, saying that the leaders must do everything they can to prevent it happening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE FRANCIS (through translator): We shall not forget those children and adolescents that have their dignity violated. This phenomenon is happening
across the world. In response, we are all called to do everything possible to prevent every kind of abuse and guarantee a peaceful growth for all
young people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:55:00]
LAMB: On Tuesday, Francis will celebrate an open-air mass here in the capital of East Timor. It's estimated that more than 700,000 people will
attend this event. That's more than half the population of the entire country.
This visit by Pope Francis to East Timor, a huge moment in the life of this young nation.
Christopher Lamb, CNN, Dili, East Timor.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And after 11 days of competition, the 2024 Paralympic Games have come to an end. And here are some of our favorite photos from Paris.
Remarkable flexibility and accuracy on display in the archery events. Swimming also provided some truly astonishing imagery, about 30 world
records were broken in the pool as athletes continue to push the boundaries. Overall, more than 4,000 athletes competed across 22 sports,
with China finishing first in the medal table ahead of Great Britain and the United States.
Organizers say the event set a new benchmark while calling on everybody to empower people with disabilities to excel in all areas of society. Truly
tremendous from all of them.
That does it for us for this evening. Do stay right here. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. And I'll be back in about an hour or so with Quest
Means Business.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
