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Isa Soares Tonight
Secretary Blinking in the Middle East Pushing for Ceasefire; Election Officials in Swing States Fighting Misinformation; Early Voting Underway in Parts of U.S.; U.S. and Israel Warn Against Travelling to Sri Lanka; North Korean Troops in Russia; Putin Meets with President Pezeshkian; American Airlines Gets $50M Fine. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired October 23, 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]
ERICA HILL, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Thanks so much for joining me this hour, I'm Erica Hill in for Isa Soares. Tonight, with the U.S. election
looming, Donald Trump's former Chief of Staff John Kelly says the former President fits the definition of a fascist, will rule like a dictator if he
is back in office.
This as Kamala Harris seizes on that political moment, warning the respected staff members Mr. Trump hired before will no longer be the
guardrails in a second Trump presidency. Plus, the U.S. Defense Secretary confirming North Korea has deployed troops to Russia calling the move very
serious. What more we are learning ahead.
We do begin though this hour with breaking news out of Turkey where the Interior Minister says a state-run aviation company was targeted in a
deadly terror attack near the capital of Ankara.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(EXPLOSION)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: This video you're watching, social media video which has been geo- located by CNN shows the moment a large explosion rocked the headquarters of Turkish aerospace industries. You can also hear the sound of gunfire in
that video, at least four people were killed in the attack, another 14 wounded according to Turkey's Interior Minister, who also says two
attackers, a man and a woman were killed by Turkish security forces.
At this hour, the motive behind that attack remains unclear. Salma Abdelaziz is following the latest developments for us from London. So,
motive still unclear, but what more do you know about this attack, Salma?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN REPORTER: There are two very significant things about this attack, Erica, that are telltale signs of why it may have occurred.
The first is the location. This is an airspace -- aerospace rather, a company that is state-owned, is on the outskirts of Ankara. You could see
in that social media video that you played earlier, just how massive that complex is, where hundreds of people work in this company, provides
aeroplanes, provides military equipment, provides drones to Turkey's military.
It also serves private contractors as well, easing many ways a representation of Turkey's Defense Ministry. In fact, one analyst we were
speaking to earlier today called it the crown jewel of Turkey's defense industry. So, a strike on this feels very much like a strike on the very
heart of Turkey's government and its armed troops.
The second thing to notice here is the timing of this attack. Just yesterday, an ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to extend an
olive branch to the PKK, the Kurdistan workers party. That could have potentially opened the door to negotiations that would resolve a decades-
long conflict that's claimed many lives.
So, the fact that a terror attack happens just 24 hours after this gesture is absolutely raising questions. You also have to remember that, yes,
Turkey is no stranger to terror attacks, but the country hasn't seen anything like this for years. So, absolutely, this is sending fears across
the country, it is sending shockwaves across the country.
Turkey's Defense Minister has been indicating or pointing the finger at the PKK, although not specifying that they are behind this attack, and the
investigation is already underway. But I do want to read you the words of President Erdogan, who called the attack, said the attack targeted the
survival of our country and the peace of our nation.
HILL: Well, certainly, a story that will continue to develop. Salma, I really appreciate the update and all of those important as you noted.
Salma, thank you. Here in the United States, U.S. presidential campaign appears to be taking on a decidedly darker tone in the closing days of the
race, some stunning accusations about Donald Trump today from his former chief of staff.
Retired four-star General John Kelly telling "The New York Times", the former President, quote, "fits the general definition of a fascist." Kelly
joins a growing list of former aides sounding the alarm about a second Trump presidency.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JOHN KELLY, FORMER WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Certainly, former President is in the far-right area, he's certainly an authoritarian, admires people
who are dictators, he has said that.
[14:05:00]
So, he certainly falls into the general definition of a fascist, for sure. And I think this issue of using the military on to go after American
citizens is one of those things I think is a very bad thing, even to say it's for political purposes to get elected, I think it's a very bad thing,
let alone actually doing it. He's certainly the only President that has all but rejected what America is all about, and what makes America, America, in
terms of our constitution.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HILL: Democrats are seizing, not just on those comments, but on new claims made in "The Atlantic" that Trump told "AT", he needed the kind of generals
like Hitler had. The Trump campaign is denying that he made the remark. Just last hour, Kamala Harris addressing the accusations against the former
President from his former chief of staff.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: So, yesterday, we learned that Donald Trump's former
chief of staff John Kelly; a retired four-star General confirmed that while Donald Trump was president, he said he wanted generals like Adolf Hitler
had.
Donald Trump said that because he does not want a military that is loyal to the United States constitution, he wants a military that is loyal to him.
He wants a military who will be loyal to him personally. One that will obey his orders even when he tells them to break the law or abandon their oath
to the constitution of the United States.
In just the past week, Donald Trump has repeatedly called his fellow Americans the enemy from within. And even said that he would use the
United States military to go after American citizens. And let's be clear about who he considers to be the enemy from within. Anyone who refuses to
bend a knee or dares to criticize him, would qualify in his mind as the enemy within, like judges, like journalists, like non-partisan election
officials.
It is deeply troubling and incredibly dangerous that Donald Trump would invoke Adolf Hitler, the man who is responsible for the deaths of 6 million
Jews and hundreds of thousands of Americans. All of this is further evidence for the American people of who Donald Trump really is.
This is a window into who Donald Trump really is. From the people who know him best, from the people who worked with him side-by-side in the Oval
office and in the situation room. And it is clear from John Kelly's words that Donald Trump is someone who I quote, "certainly falls into the general
definition of fascists", who in fact vow to be a dictator on day one, and vow to use the military as his personal militia to carry out his personal
and political vendettas.
Donald Trump is increasingly unhinged and unstable. And in a second term, people like John Kelly would not be there to be the guardrails against his
propensities and his actions. Those who once tried to stop him from pursuing his worst impulses would no longer be there, and no longer be
there to rein him in.
So, the bottom line is this. We know what Donald Trump wants. He wants unchecked power. The question in 13 days will be, what do the American
people want?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: So, the full comments there from the Vice President. She, of course, is set to take part in a CNN town-hall tonight in Pennsylvania. CNN chief
national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny joining me now with a preview, more of what we can expect. It will be interesting to see how this figures
in, of course, in terms of questions in this town-hall. What more are we expecting tonight in terms of the discussion, and who is going to be in the
audience?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Erica, it certainly will be. I mean, Vice President Harris has been using former
President Donald Trump's own words quite literally at rally after rally, trying to make her case, trying to shake voters attention a bit or remind
them of his chaotic presidency in her view, and the solidus reporting about the former President's reported comments on generals.
Now, you heard her talking there earlier in Washington, that of course, really fits into that argument. But in this audience tonight, behind me
here in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, there will be undecided and persuadable voters, and they really are the sliver of
voters that both campaigns are trying to reach in the closing days of this race.
[14:10:00]
So, yes, more than a million Pennsylvania voters have already cast their ballots early, but certainly many have not. And the Harris campaign as well
as the Trump campaign believes that people can still be persuaded, not necessarily who to support, but also whether they are going to vote at all.
There is exhaustion among voters and the electorate about this very expensive and divisive race. So, that is one of the challenges for these
campaigns as well, convincing people to actually vote. But she'll be taking questions, and it's really an attempt to also to fill in some of the gaps
that some voters may have about her.
She, of course, is a newer candidate, much newer on the national scene than the former President. So, that is one of the challenges hanging over, but
you can bet the former President's words will certainly be part of her message. She sort of weaves them into virtually every answer in every
campaign speech we've seen her give, Erica.
HILL: Yes, I am certainly noticing that myself more and more, especially in these final days of the campaign --
ZELENY: Right --
HILL: Also in some ways, a shift back to what we're hearing from President Biden when he was the candidate, these threats, these warnings of what a
second Trump presidency would mean. It's also fascinating, Jeff, I think that we're at this point where there are still a number of Americans, a
number of voters who say, I don't know enough about Kamala Harris.
ZELENY: It is interesting. I mean, you would think that certainly if you live in a battleground state, there are so many, I mean, tens of millions
of dollars worth in advertising for and against. But you know, she is -- did not have the ability even though she was Vice President, she ran for
that during the pandemic.
So, she was not out as much over the last three-and-a-half years in office. She has been traveling the country, but she still is seen as someone who is
a newer, so, this is something that will fill in some of the gaps. We were with her earlier this week in Michigan, and you do run into voters who want
to hear more from her, who are not quite ready to sign on the dotted line, if you will.
But we're also learning, Erica, that she will be giving a speech next Tuesday night, a week before election day on the National Mall in
Washington. Certainly, a high profile speech to give her closing argument to America before they finally vote here. So, trying to fill in some of
those gaps and also trying to keep disqualifying Donald Trump. The question is, his supporters she knows are locked in, the question is, are hers?
HILL: Yes, it's a great question. We will be watching for that result to come. Jeff Zeleny, appreciate it, my friend, thank you. Well, on the heels
of these comments from some of former President Trump's top aides, we're also hearing from a number of other aides who are reacting to them
following the allegations, their one-time boss fit the definition of a fascist.
Take a listen to some of what they've been telling CNN just in the last few hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK ESPER, FORMER U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: John Kelly did something, he looked it up in a dictionary, and if you -- if you look it up, I think
everybody should ask yourself, does he fall into those categories? And it's hard to say that he doesn't when you kind of look at those terms.
JOHN BOLTON, FORMER U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: The Trump campaign are saying about John Kelly, you can take what John says to the bank. I am
absolutely convinced, I didn't hear many, probably most of these statements myself. But if John says that Donald Trump said them, I believe it
implicitly.
SARAH MATTHEWS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think everyone at this table would agree that he's a good and honorable man. But he saw
firsthand, up-close and personal, what kind of leader that Donald Trump was. And now two weeks before the election, he's seeing the writing on the
wall and he's afraid that we are heading toward re-electing Donald Trump and putting him back in power. So, I think him speaking out is really
powerful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Donald Trump, for his part is in Georgia today, that is where we find my colleague, Alayna Treene, who is covering the former President's
campaign. They're outside Atlanta and the campaign pushing back against a number of these comments.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: That's exactly right. We have seen a series of top Trump campaign advisors as well as other former White House
officials who had served in Trump's administration, but are still very close to the campaign. Now, people like Mark Meadows and Kash Patel are
also issuing very critical statements of John Kelly and trying to debunk what he had told "The New York Times".
But I do want to put some of this in context, Erica, because I covered the White House when Donald Trump was there, I was there when John Kelly was
serving as his White House chief of staff. I know Kelly pretty well from that, and I think it's important to remember that, he of course, was a
former four-star General, his son also served and died in combat.
We know that or at least, I know that. You know, U.S. -- the structure of power in the U.S., but also around the world is something that he cares
about deeply. I actually found it striking in some of the recordings that "The New York Times" had published, that he recounted one moment where he
said that he told Donald Trump, I don't serve you. I serve the constitution.
[14:15:00]
And how he didn't think that Donald Trump grasped that. But I think to take a step back, you know, the timing of these comments is obviously very
important to keep in mind. This is not even two weeks now before election day that John Kelly is coming out and saying this publicly.
I know from my reporting that he has made similar critical comments of Donald Trump privately, but for him to do this so close to the election is
obviously a striking moment. And as you heard, you played some other former White House officials who were telling CNN and responding to these
comments.
We've also heard other former very high profile, I should say, administration officials kind of trying to sound the alarm on Donald Trump
as well. We've heard from John Bolton, but also Jim Mattis, Mark Milley, Bill Barr, a lot of people who worked very closely with Donald Trump,
trying to argue that maybe they don't believe that he is fit to serve once again.
But you know, to put the reporting aside, I also think to look beyond that, it's important to keep in mind with Donald Trump himself has said while on
the campaign. I think there's no question that he wants to significantly expand the power of the executive branch. What kind of power he would have
if he was elected once again?
He's talked about wanting people to pledge utmost loyalty to him. He talked about wanting to use the military to round up migrants in this country and
deport them. He often touts his relationships, he says great relationships with people, authoritarian leaders like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. He
calls them tough guys.
We actually heard some of that rhetoric from Trump just last night when he was campaigning in North Carolina. So, I think all of that together is
important to keep in mind in the context of these comments from Kelly. And of course, again, noting that they are coming just 13 days before election
day. Erica?
HILL: Yes, the timing is certainly interesting. Alayna, appreciate it. Thank you. Also joining me, Thomas Gift is director of the Center on U.S.
Politics at University College London. Thomas, good to have you back today. I do want to pick up on that, the timing because as Alayna pointed out, and
I've -- you know, we've heard this from a number of other colleagues as well.
This is not entirely new in terms of these comments from General Kelly. What is new is these are the most public comments to date. The fact that we
have the audio, the fact that it is happening now, two weeks out from the election. Do you believe these will have a real impact on the race?
THOMAS GIFT, DIRECTOR, CENTER ON U.S. POLITICS, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON: Well, it's great to be with you, Erica, thanks so much for having me. I
don't think that they will have a big impact, and the reason is that there's absolutely no shock value with Trump anymore. John Kelly is just
the latest list in a long line of public servants and former Trump associates who have called him a challenge to democracy.
We've heard Mark Milley denounced Trump as a fascist to the core. Jim Mattis said that Trump represents a threat to the constitution. The thing
about Trump is that he's open about his aims. He said that Article 2 grants him the right to do whatever he wants as President, he's rhapsodized about
my generals and my military in a possessive -- you know, recall Trump even proposed having a North Korea-style parade.
And he said he wants his subordinates to be obedient to him like Kim Jong- un's subordinates are, cower and sit at attention to him. So, this is Trump and voters haven't been convinced yet that this is a problem. I really just
don't think that they're going to be convinced now.
HILL: To that point, is it surprising to you at all that the Harris campaign is really drilling down here, right? And going all in on this idea
of Donald Trump being a threat, that a second Trump administration is a threat to the country, is a threat to democracy, given that there is to
your point, no real shock value left with Donald Trump.
GIFT: Well, I think it's a mistake. I mean, I understand why this is a compelling argument, and I'm convinced by it. But I don't think a lot of
moderates and Trump Republicans are. You know, if you look at the data, about 50 percent to 60 percent of Americans say that democracy is at risk,
but only 3 percent of Americans say that it's the most important problem in this election cycle.
And so, I think that Kamala Harris would be better served to shift the attention to policy, to talk about healthcare, to talk about immigration,
to talk about the economy. That's where votes ultimately will be captured. I mean, you can certainly understand why she wants to use this rhetoric. It
was a big part of Joe Biden's slogan nearing while he was running.
That was put on ice for a little bit after the Trump assassination attempt, but it seems like, you know, Harris is going at it again. I think
reasonable minds can disagree with -- about this, but I really just don't think it's the smartest political strategy which is two weeks up until the
election.
HILL: To that point, what are you expecting at a CNN town-hall tonight? This is happening just outside of Philadelphia. In terms of what she needs
to do tonight for those voters who may still be available to come over to her side, although it's hard to believe there's anybody at this point who
is truly undecided. What does she need to do? What do you think she can do in this event?
GIFT: Well, I completely agree with you that I think there's a small and vanishing number of truly swing voters. If voters haven't made up their
minds yet, I think that they're probably just unlikely to vote, that they find both candidates unacceptable.
[14:20:00]
You know, if she's going to reach that small handful of voters who still are open to her, think she's got to do two things. One is she needs to make
this election a referendum on Trump. But at the same time, she has to articulate a positive sort of agenda as to what she represents. The one
thing that I haven't heard from Kamala Harris is what she's going to do in the first 100 days.
She's talked about, you know, her economic policy with subsidies to new homeowners, to tax credits, tax cuts for middle-income Americans. But I
don't know what she would put at the top of her list, and we know it's more than likely that she's going to face sort of an opposition Congress or at
least split government.
And so, what can she do in that context? She needs to be realistic, and she needs to be specific, at least I think to really capture some of these
votes.
HILL: It'll be interesting to see if we get any of that. I also just wanted to get your take. So, an attorney for Donald Trump has now filed a
complaint with the Federal Election Commission here in the United States this week because really over a LinkedIn post that members of the U.K.'s
Labor Party were coming to four different states in the U.S., about 100 of them, basically to stump for Kamala Harris.
Now, it's important to point out according to U.S. election law, that's OK as long as they're volunteering. They can't be compensated in any way. The
campaign is saying that this is -- this is not Kosher, and that they shouldn't be doing this. But they're not offering up any evidence.
I'm just curious, when you look at this, and the fact that this is coming up, do you think this alone could have an impact on the election here?
GIFT: Well, probably not. I mean, this is an issue over here in the U.K. I don't think what Labor officials are doing is illegal as you just stated.
These are volunteers campaigning in a private unofficial capacity. According to Labor activist, you know, they've spent less than $1,000 each
in helping the Harris campaign, which is below the maximum limit allowed by the Federal Election Commission.
So, I think any petition by the Trump campaign for the FEC to intervene won't lead anywhere. And as a result, I think that this kind of issue is
just going to get lost in the fog. I do think though, that, you know, there's a reasonable case to be made that this violates political norms.
You know, norms are just unwritten rules of conduct that are mostly, but not always followed.
I think skeptics are going to say that this isn't entirely unprecedented. And I think that that's right, but it's not common. I think the fact that
it's become a story is evidence of that, but still I think that this is kind of a low-level issue that probably won't impact the campaigns.
HILL: Thomas Gift, always great to have your insight. Thank you.
GIFT: Thanks, Erica.
HILL: Still to come here tonight, the U.S. elections -- well, officials are now presenting what they say is proof against some new claims of voter
fraud. The scramble to ensure the election in 2024 remain secure just ahead. Plus, the U.S. Secretary of State is in Saudi Arabia hoping to build
support for a Gaza ceasefire and also redoubling efforts to secure what he calls a strategic price.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
HILL: Israel is expanding airstrikes in Lebanon as it escalates the war on Hezbollah, targeting the center of historic southern port city of Tyre.
This is of course, a major tourist destination. It's UNESCO world heritage site. Ahead of that bombing, Israel warned residents to evacuate. It also
said it has killed three Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon over the past 48 hours.
Meantime, in Beirut, crews there still searching for victims two days after an Israeli strike near a major public hospital. The man you see in this
video here with a red jacket, lost his wife and five children in that attack. So far, just three of their bodies have been found. Meantime, in
Gaza, the U.N. is warning thousands of people stranded in the Jabalya Refugee Camp are now entirely without water.
He says rescue teams have been denied access for a fifth straight day. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the region on a tour where he is
pushing again for a ceasefire in Gaza, while also promoting what he calls an incredible opportunity for the region. A path that would normalize
Israel's ties with Saudi Arabia.
Blinken meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and other officials earlier today in Riyadh. And while he is touting what he calls Israel's military
success in Gaza, Palestinians in the north are offering up what they have been living through, horrific accounts of forced expulsions, widespread
hunger and thirst, men being rounded up and detained.
One woman saying, quote, "we are being exterminated". Paula Hancocks has more now, and I do want to warn you, her report contains some disturbing
images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hundreds stand in the midst of what looks like a post-apocalyptic world. Civilians
being evacuated from Jabalya Refugee Camp in northern Gaza by the Israeli military after being trapped for days without food or water. Perpetual
expulsion of desperate civilians.
United Nations human rights office warns the population in northern Gaza may be destroyed through quote, "death and displacement". U.N. teams on the
ground claimed forceful transfers of people. Israel says Hamas is regrouping and rebuilding in the area which it is fighting to prevent.
The wasteland illustrates the intensity of the military force being used. "There was bombardment every minute, explosions every second, gunfire",
this woman says, "we never experienced such fear and horror, it was one of the darkest nights we ever lived through." Remarkable that the hells
civilians have lived through for more than a year could still get worse.
The reality increasingly resembles the so-called general's plan. A proposal to force civilians out of northern Gaza and block aid going in. Sources say
the Israeli cabinet declined to adopt the plan earlier this month. But U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken felt the need to ask Israel's Prime
Minister about it this week.
Dr. Hassan Abu Saffia(ph) runs the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north, which he says is now surrounded by the Israeli military and under constant
shelling. He says they ran out of blood and medication on Monday, calling the constant stream of injured a massacre. "The medical staff are few", he
says, "and the volume of injury is high.
We have had to implement a difficult triage system. We have to let some die, so some can live." He films the children's ICU himself to show the
impossibility of evacuating despite IDF orders. "This boy arrived with burns covering more than 70 percent of his body", he says. Israel says 47
humanitarian aid trucks entered northern Gaza within a 24-hour period this week.
Gaza's Health Ministry says no medical supplies or food have entered the area for 18 days, claiming aid is being diverted to central Gaza. U.N. aid
workers cannot find food, water or medical care according to the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Adding the smell of death is
everywhere as bodies are left lying on the roads or under the rubble.
Gazan health officials say more than 770 have been killed in the more than two-week Israeli campaign. No breakdown of militants versus civilians. But
the innocent are among the hardest-hit in this never-ending war.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
HANCOCKS: This young boy, Adam, was pulled alive, but injured from the rubble last week. The man who saved him says his greatest pain was when he
heard his parents did not survive. Paula Hancocks, CNN, Abu Dhabi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: I also want to bring in now my colleague Jeremy Diamond joining me from Tel Aviv. Paula laying out some of the situation
there in Gaza. We know Secretary Blinken in the region pushing once again for a ceasefire in Gaza. Also, Jeremy, urging Israel to seize on what he's
calling this incredible opportunity in terms of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia. How is Israel responding?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the secretary of state's 11th visit to the region since this war broke out just over a
year ago. And once again, he appears to be leaving relatively empty handed. And that's because when we heard from the secretary of state yesterday with
Netanyahu, and we then saw the readouts from both sides, they were quite stark in terms of the differences.
As Netanyahu is talking about Iran, talking about the fight against Hamas in Gaza, offering maybe a little bit of lip service to this notion of the
Sinwar's killing representing an opportunity to end the war going forward, but really not going quite as far as what the United States would like to
see. And that speaks to the disconnect that clearly exists between these two sides.
Even as Blinken talked about this important opportunity in the wake of Sinwar's killing to bring the war to an end, Netanyahu basically just
talked about the fact that Sinwar's killing is, quote, "likely to have a positive influence on returning the hostages and achieving the goals of the
war." Not exactly a ringing endorsement about getting right back to the negotiating table.
And of course, we're seeing what's happening in Gaza and in Lebanon as the Israeli military is not taking its foot off the gas, but instead,
intensifying it strikes in those areas. And in Northern Gaza, we're watching, as Paula so deftly described in that report, the fact that the
humanitarian situation is just rapidly deteriorating amid strikes, amid a lack of aid that is actually getting in, and that was another major focus
of Secretary Blinken's meeting with Netanyahu, making clear that while Israel has taken steps -- some steps in the view of U.S. officials, to
allow more -- to fix some of these issues with humanitarian aid getting into Gaza, into Northern Gaza in particular, that the U.S. needs to see
much, much more being done, and that was clearly a message that was transmitted.
Today, the secretary of state was in Saudi Arabia, meeting with the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and there, he was talking not only about
what's happening now in Gaza, also talking about, of course, these notions of regional stability as Israel prepares to carry out a strike against Iran
and retaliation for that ballistic missile barrage a few weeks ago, but also, of course, talking about the day after the war in Gaza.
And while we don't know when that will be based off of, you know, that meeting I was just talking about with Netanyahu, the Saudis could certainly
play a major role in rebuilding Gaza in terms of financing in particular. And so, clearly, there is an eye to long-term as well, even as the
secretary of state is also trying to drive home these short-term immediate necessity issues.
But again, very little in terms of actual concrete deliverables emerging from this trip so far, which tends to be the case when Blinken has come to
this region. Erica.
HILL: Yes, certainly. As you mentioned, the 11th effort and similar outcomes each time. Jeremy, appreciate it. Thank you.
In the United States, it is officially crunch time when it comes to the upcoming election. Early voting, of course, in full swing in a number of
states. And already officials are being forced to push back against claims of fraud and manipulation. Those details just ahead.
Plus, North Korean troops, including special forces, undergoing training in Russia. What it could mean.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
HILL: With early voting underway in parts of the U.S., some elections officials are already pushing back on claims of mischief and fraud at the
ballot box. Some Republicans are alleging, without proof, that machines are flipping votes and also alleging there has been widespread fraud with mail-
in ballots. Well, amid claims of issues with voter rolls, a review of the millions of registered voters in Georgia found just 20 non-citizens were
registered to vote, which really underscores just how rare that issue is.
CNN National Security Reporter Zachary Cohen joining me now from our bureau in Washington, D.C. The fact that there is already so much of this coming,
so many allegations and we are still two weeks out from official Election Day.
ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Erica, we're really seeing election officials fighting misinformation in real-time and trying
to use facts to combat this really wave of baseless claims coming from Republican allies of Donald Trump. And in a lot of cases, Donald Trump
himself, and you mentioned the what we saw from the secretary of state's office down in Georgia saying that their review of Trump's millions of
voter rolls in their state found only 20 non-citizens were registered to vote and only nine of those 20 out of 8.2 million actually voted and those
were purged.
But look, we've seen this play out before back after the 2020 election that facts and the effort to push back against misinformation, the results are a
little bit mixed, right? Donald Trump has -- and his allies have used baseless claims to really convince a lot of voters and a lot of people that
will again be voting in this election that there is widespread fraud when they've really produced zero evidence to back that up.
And there's other areas that they're also looking at pushing this kind of misinformation, and we saw it simply with the idea that it will take longer
than Election Day to count all the ballots. That's something we've heard repeatedly from election officials across several battleground states
trying to proactively remind voters that the race may not be called on Election Day. Take a listen to what Georgia Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger said about this very issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD RAFFENSPERGER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE: All early votes and all early accepted ballots, they all will have to have their results reported
by 8:00 p.m. That's 70 maybe even 75 percent of all the vote will be reported no later than 8:00 p.m. on election night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Won't take seven days to tabulate votes as he said?
RAFFENSPERGER: Absolutely not. What we will be waiting for is the overseas ballots that come in no later than Friday. And so, those will then be the
final numbers. And we'll just see if that makes the difference in the total vote totals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: So, even Secretary Raffensperger making very clear that all those votes may not be counted on Election Day has prompted calls from some on
the far-right that he should even be jailed for suggesting that and really baselessly claiming that this indicates the election is rigged when it
really does not.
And other areas that we're seeing people look at is this claim that voting machines are flipping votes in some sort of a way. That's something that
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a congresswoman from Georgia and a staunch Trump ally, has publicly floated in recent days. That drew a specific response
from another election official in Georgia, Gabe Sterling. Listen to what he had to say about the claim about vote flipping in Georgia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABRIEL STERLING, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE: There is zero evidence of a machine flipping an individual's vote.
Are there elderly people whose hands shake and they probably hit the wrong button slightly and they didn't review their ballot properly before they
printed it? That's the main situation we have seen.
[14:40:00]
There's literally zero, and I'm saying this to certain Congress people in the state, zero evidence of machine flipping votes, and that claim was
alive through 2020 and it's a lie now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COHEN: So, Gabe Sterling making the point that we're seeing a lot of the same recycled claims that we heard back in 2020 again as early voting is
kicking off not only in Georgia but in states across the country. And it's one in -- election officials in Arizona and Michigan and Pennsylvania are
all trying to push back against in real-time. But as we know from history, that is an immense challenge for these election officials when there's a
large portion of this country that already believes these to be true, despite the lack of evidence.
HILL: Yes, they are determined to believe things despite the lack of evidence, despite the facts showing the exact opposite. You could really
hear the frustration in his voice there as he called out, quote, "certain Congress people." Zach, appreciate it. Thank you.
Still ahead here tonight, the U.S. confirming North Korean troops are undergoing training in Russia. So, just what could that mean for the war in
Ukraine?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: Both the U.S. and Israel issuing security alerts, warning of a potential terror attack in Sri Lanka. The U.S. embassy says it has received
credible information that the Arugam Bay area could actually be the target of a terror attack, and it's now urging citizens to avoid that area until
further notice. Israel, for its part, advising its citizens to leave the area immediately. Neither of the alerts goes into more specific detail
about the nature of the potential attack.
The U.S. is also now publicly confirming a move by North Korea that has had western allies on edge. Speaking to reporters in Rome, U.S. Secretary of
Defense Austin Lloyd said the U.S. is seeing evidence of North Korean troops in Russia. Exactly what they are doing there remains unclear.
A senior administration official, though, telling CNN thousands of North Korean troops recently arrived in eastern Russia and that they're
undergoing training. The move itself, fueling concerns they may participate in Russia's war in Ukraine. That, of course, would mark a major escalation
in the conflict.
U.S. National Security Spokesperson John Kirby just a short time ago saying if that is the case, he believes it signals Russia is weak and desperate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER: If North Korean soldiers do enter into combat, this development would demonstrate
Russia's growing desperation in its war against Ukraine. Russia is suffering extraordinary casualties on the battlefield every single day. But
President Putin appears intent on continuing this war.
[14:45:00]
If Russia is indeed forced to turn to North Korea for manpower, this would be a sign of weakness not strength on the part of the Kremlin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Oren Liebermann joining us now with more from the Pentagon. It does raise a lot of questions, though, and understandable concerns, Oren.
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Of course, John Kirby there who spoke just a short time ago said they are now seeing evidence and
assessing that North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia by ship to bases in Eastern Russia to receive training here. The question, of course, is
what are they going to do?
South Korea and Ukraine have said openly and publicly that they're there to fight on behalf of Russia against Ukraine. Now, the U.S. hasn't gone that
far, but it certainly sees that as a very real possibility of what North Korean troops are doing training in Russia. And that, in and of itself, has
far-reaching consequences.
As we just heard from Kirby there, first, it is an indication of the number of casualties that Russia is suffering every day. That number at about
1,200 a day of killed and wounded. It indicates that Russian President Vladimir Putin needs, essentially, more fodder of people and soldiers to
throw into a horrible and very brutal war. And that, it seems, he may try to pull from North Korea.
But it also means that that the conflict that had been in Ukraine would spread in terms of its implications. South Korea has said they might
reevaluate what military assistance they're willing to give Ukraine if North Korean troops do, in fact, fight on behalf of the Russian military.
So, that's also something the U.S. is watching very closely here. And of course, to see if the number of troops from North Korea increases going
into Russia.
One of the other questions that Kirby was asked a short time ago is, what does North Korea get in exchange for providing troops to Russia? Whatever
the reason may be. And that is where the U.S. is still trying to assess what this exchange looks like, and if there is indeed an exchange. North
Korea has obviously pushed forward with both its nuclear program and its satellite programs, some successes, some failures there, but Russia could
certainly provide them very critical assistance, very advanced assistance to push North Korea ahead in both nuclear and satellite and other areas as
well, if that's what Russia chooses to do, and if that's effectively the quid pro quo here.
That's something the U.S. wouldn't say definitively, but that's also where they're looking very closely to get a better sense of what's at stake here
aside from just a major conflict in Ukraine and trying to see if that's where North Korean troops will be headed in the near future.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. Oren, appreciate it. Thank you. Well, all of this unfolding as Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting the annual summit
of major emerging economies known as BRICS in southwestern Russia. Putin today meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, as well as -- he,
of course, one of several global heavyweights in attendance, as well as the president of China and the prime minister of India.
Earlier, the Russian leader declaring a new multipolar world order is being formed and saying dozens of nations want to join the bloc.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): It would be wrong to ignore the unprecedented interest of countries of the Global South and
East to strengthen contacts with BRICS. In one way or another, more than 30 countries have already expressed this desire to join. At the same time,
it's necessary to keep balance and to avoid reducing BRICS efficiency.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Kremlin observer say Putin is using the summit to show he is not isolated despite western sanctions over his invasion of Ukraine.
Still ahead tonight, I felt like luggage. America's largest airline is hit with a record breaking fine after being found to have repeatedly mistreated
disabled passengers. More of those details, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:00]
HILL: America's largest airline slapped with a record $50 million fine after it was found to have repeatedly violated the rights of disabled
passengers. A U.S. government investigation found over a four-year period American Airlines made numerous serious violations of rules which are set
to protect passengers who use wheelchairs.
CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean joins me now. Pete, some of these details are just really troubling.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erica, you know, this big fine for American Airlines is a huge win for disabilities rights advocates
because for so many years, these wheelchair complaints were not taken all that seriously. Sort of a sad truth here.
But Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says that era is now over. This is the TikTok that really thrust this issue back into the spotlight. It's
from last November. And it shows American Airlines' baggage handlers dropping a wheelchair down the chute of a jetway. The Department of
Transportation says this is only one of the thousands of cases that had uncovered between 2019 and 2023. There's the video now, where American
Airlines mishandled wheelchairs. This was in Miami.
The probe also found that American failed to provide adequate assistance to disabled passengers. One powerful quote here from a passenger in a
wheelchair who told investigators, American Airlines treated her like cargo.
The punishment for all this is the largest fine of its type. American is now required to pay $25 million to the U.S. Treasury. Penalty also mandates
that American make a $25 million investment in its own technology and training so this does not keep happening.
Now, American insists it's already spent seven times that much this year on trying to curb this problem. And its rating when it comes to handling
wheelchairs and scooters has gone up 20 percent in the last two years. But even still, the airline is making a huge apology saying, quote, "Despite
these improvements, there are instances where the service the airline provides is disrupted, untimely, or results in harm to the passenger or
their equipment. American takes all these complaints and claims seriously and works hard to remediate them."
That apology might be the first of many from major airlines. The Department of Transportation says all carriers should now consider themselves on
notice saying, quote, "These problems are not unique to American Airlines and allegations of wheelchair mishandling and inadequate wheelchair
assistance are far too common."
DOT has similar investigations and -- similar violations at other U.S. airlines. Bottom line here, from Secretary Pete Buttigieg, this story is
only just beginning and this penalty sets a huge precedent, 25 times larger than the biggest previous DOT fine for something like this. Buttigieg says
this makes it clear that airlines cannot consider this doing just the cost of business. Erica.
HILL: Yes, I'm also -- Pete, did I hear you correctly? They said they spent seven times? So, they've already spent $175 million over two years
and they've only seen a 20 percent improvement?
MUNTEAN: $175 million in the span of one year, but they say they've seen a 20 percent improvement in the span of two years. But it's really
significant. You know, airlines have been getting these claims over and over again. American is one of the worst offenders, although, we will see
how this comes down on other airlines too. American Airlines is not in a vacuum here. Essentially, the entire industry being put on notice, Erica.
HILL: Yes. Fascinating that you need to spend that much money to learn I guess how to behave properly and how to treat people and how to treat
wheelchairs. Pete, it is something. Thank you.
McDonald's says its food is safe to eat on the heels of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to its quarter pounder hamburgers. So, far, 49 cases have
been reported across 10 U.S. states. At least one death. Ten people needed to go to the hospital. Look at how widespread that is.
[14:55:00]
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control also issued a food safety alert. Officials suspect the onions on those burgers could actually be the source
of the contamination. For its part, McDonald's says it is moving quickly to prevent an additional spread.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE ERLINGER, PRESIDENT, MCDONALD'S USA: We've taken steps to proactively remove slivered onions, which are used in quarter pounders from restaurants
in select states. We also made the decision to temporarily remove the quarter pounder from restaurants in select states. It's important to note
that the majority of states and the majority of menu items are not affected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Officials have said they do expect there to be more reports of illness in the coming days. Well, it is being called one of the largest
treasures found in Poland in recent years, and whoever found it could be facing jail time.
Polish police are now investigating how more than a hundred bronze age artifacts popped up outside a historical association. The collection
itself, full of spearheads, necklaces, and shields, they date back thousands of years. Police say whoever unearthed these items could be
looking at up to eight years in prison, that crime, finding a treasure without permission.
Thanks for joining me tonight. I'm Erica Hill. Be sure to stay with CNN. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
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