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Isa Soares Tonight
U.S. Voters Cast Ballots In Elections That Could Signal Future Of U.S. Politics; Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney Dies At Age 84; Zelenskyy Visits Frontlines Troops Amid Fierce Battles In Eastern Ukraine; Unfolding Scandal In Israel; Zelenskyy Wants Ukraine To Join E.U. Before 2030; Fighting Focused On Strategic Town Of Pokrovsk. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired November 04, 2025 - 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, Americans go to the polls in the first
major test of Donald Trump's second term as President. We're live from the key races in New York and Virginia. Then former U.S. Vice President Dick
Cheney dies at the age of 84.
We will explore his complicated international legacy as a chief architect of the war on terror. Plus, Ukraine's President visits the frontlines amid
fierce battles in the east. We have the very latest for you on that. But first, this hour, Americans are at the polls in the first major referendum
of President Donald Trump's second term.
New York, New Jersey, Virginia, California, all key areas we are tracking for you tonight. And we begin with the mayoral race heard really around the
world. Democratic nominees Zohran Mamdani leading double digits in most polls. President Trump, who has long complained about the progressive
Democrat now urging New Yorkers to vote for former Governor Andrew Cuomo over Republican hopeful Curtis Sliwa.
Voters in New Jersey and Virginia will choose their next governor. Early voting in both races far exceeding totals from four years ago. And then in
California, Governor Gavin Newsom's restricting ballot is also on the ballot. This move, a direct response to Republican redistricting efforts in
other states. And if it passes, Democrats could get five more seats in Congress. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Prop 50 is not about drawing lines on a map. It is about holding the line to what makes us who we are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Meanwhile, President Trump is accusing -- you can see there, the redistricting measure of being unconstitutional, and said all mail in
ballots in California are under review without providing any evidence for his allegations. The White House also says it's looking into an executive
order on elections to ensure there can't be, quote, "blatant fraud".
We should also note the Justice Department is sending federal monitors to New Jersey and California, both, by the way, Democratic states. Critics
warn it could be used as an attempt to undermine the results. And our team of course, is hearing directly from the voters. Jason Carroll joins us live
from New York.
Brian Todd live from Aldie in Virginia. Jason, let me go to you. Voters in New York picking a new mayor, and one in particular is creating a lot of
buzz, not just there in New York, but also on this side of the pond. He's very charismatic, very engaging. Just talk us through the options here.
JASON CARROLL, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, we've been hearing from voters all morning long, and what we've really been seeing is
this contrast between the candidate with experience versus the candidate who, as you described with the charisma, with the fresh ideas, Zohran
Mamdani.
You know, Mamdani is really resonated with a lot of New Yorkers, especially young New Yorkers. He's talked about affordability, more affordable
housing, more affordable healthcare, more affordable transportation, making some of the city buses free. Andrew Cuomo for his part, really also talking
about affordability, but also talking about public safety.
A very important issue in a city like New York City, and also, of course, about experience, not only experience governing, but also experience in
dealing with President Trump. But I want you to hear it from the people who we spoke to. Take a listen to some of the voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLORY MISSAN, MAMDANI VOTER: I love his ideas for education, for housing, for busing, all his -- all of his concepts and his feeling for humanity.
DEWAYNE JACKSON, CUOMO VOTER: I decided to vote for Andrew Cuomo because he has a lot of experience, he's been the governor of New York, and he -- and
I feel like we don't want our city to go in a direction that's not, you know -- you know, important for businesses as well as our regular, everyday
New Yorkers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Mamdani leading in all of the polling that we've seen. And in terms of voter turnout, we've seen record turnout, not just here in the
Upper West Side where we are at this polling place, but throughout the city, polls close here in New York at 9 O'clock.
[14:05:00]
SOARES: Jason, do you stay with us? Let me go to Brian, to you in Virginia. And voters there -- of course, and we just set it up, are selecting a new
governor. And this is a state -- just for our viewers right around the world, that has seen many government workers kind of impacted by the
government shutdown. How much of that do you think, Brian, will weigh in on voters' minds?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isa, it's weighing a lot on voters' minds. We've talked -- we've talked to several government workers or people who
have relatives who are government workers, and they say that the shutdown is a huge factor in driving them out to the -- to the vote today.
This is one of the most energetic precincts in all of Loudoun County, which in and of itself is a very energetic and vibrant county for votes, because
the county has just grown exponentially in population over the past several years. We're going to go inside and show you the polling place in -- right
now, and then we're going to come out and talk to a voter in just a second.
My photojournalist Manny(ph) is navigating the door, sorry, Manny(ph). Here is what's really at stake here. What's really interesting -- this is going
to make history, no matter what. Abigail Spanberger or Winsome Earle-Sears is going to become the first female governor in Virginia's history tonight.
Also, Ghazala Hashmi, if she wins the race for lieutenant governor, she's the Democrat, she will be the first Muslim to be elected to statewide
office in Virginia. So, a lot going on historically and otherwise with the vote today. This is kind of how it all works. Everybody checks in here and
then you get your paper ballot there over at that desk.
Everything is done on paper. You fill in your paper ballot in one of these booths, and they have it kind of closed off for privacy there. And then you
feed it into that machine right there, which is called a counter. Now, only the voters can handle their own paper ballots. There's an election official
there to help them if the counters somehow kicks it out for some kind of an anomaly.
But the voters themselves are basically empowered and in charge of their own paper ballot. Let's go back outside for a second here, Manny(ph), I'm
going to hold the door for you as you back out -- hi, ma'am, thank you very much, we appreciate it. OK, we're going to talk to a voter here, Muneeb
Syed.
Muneeb is an interesting case here because he's figuring out, he's -- whether he wants to split his vote between Democrats and Republicans. And
so, what are you looking at, Muneeb? What's kind of driving your decision to go one way or the other?
MUNEEB SYED, VIRGINIA VOTER: Well, one of them would be Jay Jones. I saw a lot of negative political ads about him, and I am not sure if I should or
can get myself to vote for him. I tend to lean, in the middle in general. I feel like I'm a centrist. That's who I identify as. And I always look at
all the candidates and not just single ballot any time I vote.
But that's one of them that I'm split on. I just talked to Umair Butt(ph), he was over here canvassing, and he talked about how he's going to try to
bury power lines, things like that, which resonate with me because I was -- grew up in Loudoun County, and I'm seeing how like, you know, these data
centers are taking over things like that.
TODD: A lot of data centers here in Loudoun County for people who don't know that, right?
SYED: Yes, it's like I think that's the capital of the world for data center --
TODD: It is --
SYED: So, that's a big thing. Another one is car tax. If I'm not wrong, I think out of the 50 states, Virginia is the highest or if not one of the
highest. So that is one thing that I also -- I'm not a fan of giving every year -over-year, so, we have operated as a budget-surplus state under Glenn
Youngkin. And that is something that I'm on the fence about too. So, I'm really -- just like out here --
TODD: Oh, wow --
SYED: Looking at my --
TODD: A lot for you to go over --
SYED: Exactly, and just considering --
TODD: All right --
SYED: Like what I -- what do I want to prioritize and who I want to vote?
TODD: OK, well --
SYED: Yes --
TODD: Good luck, Muneeb, we're going to let you get to it, I know you want to get to your vote, thanks for talking to us --
SYED: Yes, appreciate --
TODD: We really appreciate it, OK, thank you. So, you see how Muneeb is kind of navigating these votes? I want to explain a little bit what he said
quickly about Jay Jones. Jay Jones is the Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Virginia. He talked about the Jay Jones, the ads against Jay
Jones.
Jay Jones was caught up in a texting scandal. He sent some texts about three years ago in 2022, fantasizing about the violent death of a political
rival. He's admitted to it. He has apologized for it. He is a Democrat, but it has really led to a backlash, and Republicans have pounced on Jay Jones,
saying he's not fit to hold the office of Attorney General because of those texts, because of all of that scandal.
Abigail Spanberger, the candidate for governor, she has endorsed Jay Jones, she has condemned the text, but even under a lot of pressure, she has not
withdrawn her endorsement for Jay Jones. So, when he talks about Jay Jones, that's a big deal in this race in Virginia. Isa?
SOARES: Really good to hear Muneeb and really weighing up his options there and which way he will go. Some insight into what voters are thinking today.
Thank you very much, Brian, Jason Carroll for us in New York, thank you to you gentlemen. Well, drama in Washington, casting a dark shadow over
today's U.S. elections.
Negotiations may be starting to gain momentum on Capitol Hill, but so far, it doesn't appear any solution is in sight. As we barrel toward the longest
government shutdown in history, Speaker Mike Johnson still refusing to call the House back into session.
[14:10:00]
Many anxious Americans are either working without a paycheck or going without critical food aid needed to survive. And President Trump now says
he will not start SNAP benefits even after two federal judges said freezing the payments is unlawful. But the White House says it will. And earlier,
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the President's call to end the Senate filibuster. Have a listen to what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think the President has been very realistic and strong in his position on the filibuster. He's been
very vocal about it. I just spoke to him about it, he feels really strongly about this. Republicans need to play tough and they need to play smart.
That's how the President feels.
And we know that Democrats, when they -- if they are ever given a chance at power again in this city, they will absolutely take away the filibuster
from the United States Senate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more on this. Alayna Treene is tracking all of this for us live from Washington. Alayna, good to see you. Well, talk about the
shutdown in just a moment. But, you know, let's first talk about the election that we just heard from Jason Carroll and Brian Todd, who was in
Virginia. It's not, of course, a nationwide election, though we will provide us, and of course, the American people with some sort of insight on
how Americans are feeling about President Trump's presidency.
What has the White House -- what we heard from the White House so far about the races today, because President Trump has certainly been weighing in on
Truth Social.
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Oh, absolutely. And look, it is a big deal because this is really, Isa, the first time we're going to be hearing from
voters at all. As you mentioned, it's not a national election, but it's the first time we're really hearing from voters since the election last year,
which of course, President Donald Trump won the general election for the White House.
And so, it's a big moment, and a lot of people are going to be looking to this because particularly, you're seeing very different types of races,
even though they are state races, local races, you're having them in Virginia, in New Jersey, New York City, California, all of these different
states can give you a bit of a picture.
And in many times, a lot of people vote in these different elections, even if it's not President Donald Trump in on the ballot. How they're feeling
about him and the policies that this administration has enacted since he took office in January, you know, particularly when it comes to the
economy, immigration, cost of living, all of those things weighing on people as they go to the polls.
And so, in many ways, people are looking at this as a potential barometer, and it will help, I think, shape some ideas of strategy as they look ahead
to another election a year from now, which is the midterm elections, of course, in November 2026. But look, as for what the President has been
saying, Isa, he's definitely been weighing in, particularly, paying close attention to that mayoral race in New York City.
Of course, New York City is the President's home. His home city where he grew up, he has had a lot of projects there, and he's been very -- you
know, weighing in, in a way that some people were surprised by, because I - - remind you that there are three people in this race in New York in that mayoral race.
There's Andrew Cuomo, he was running as a Democrat, he lost that primary to Zohran Mamdani. And so, now he's running as an independent. There's Curtis
Sliwa, he is the Republican in this race, and then Zohran Mamdani, the Democrat. The President came out in a very strong way. Stronger words than
he's used yet. Last night saying that people should go out and vote for Cuomo.
Again, there is still a Republican in this race, but part of that has actually been interpreted by a lot of people as almost a gift to Mamdani
the Democrat running, who is going to be arguing, you know -- he's been arguing for weeks, I should say, actually, that the President has wanted
Cuomo to win. His argument is that Sliwa doesn't have a chance.
Cuomo is better of Mamdani and him to win the race. All to say, he's weighed in on that. We've heard him weighing in, in Virginia and New Jersey
as well, rallying for Republicans. We should note as well, he has not endorsed though, the Republican in Virginia, either, who is running for
governor, Winsome Earle-Sears.
So, it's very interesting to see how the President is putting his thumb on the scale. I can tell you from covering this man for several years,
including during his first term, he often wants to put his weight behind candidates, make these types of endorsements if he thinks that it will help
them win. When it doesn't, though, when he thinks they might have a chance of losing --
SOARES: Yes --
TREENE: He normally doesn't come out and give them their support.
SOARES: And very briefly here, Alayna, I mean, you -- we were -- we were hearing from Brian Todd, who was saying that the shutdown really playing
heavily on voters in Virginia. If Republicans face a bit of a bruising in these elections, are we likely to see some sort of strategy shift from
President Trump here when it comes to the government shutdown now in its 35th day?
TREENE: It's hard to say. I mean, look, a lot of the times, particularly White Houses don't pay as much attention to these local and different state
elections. We'll see if this could have an impact. But I will say, particularly when it comes to the shutdown, that is a marker that many
people in this -- in this building behind me, but also on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue on Capitol Hill, a lot of people are paying close
attention to whether that could have an impact on how voters weigh in today on who should be winning these races.
[14:15:00]
So, we'll see. I will say some lawmakers are hoping that having the elections behind them will create an easier path for negotiations that
perhaps, you know, Democratic and Republican lawmakers were worried that getting involved in this, and in these negotiations could have affected the
election, potentially having that behind them could help reopen communications between those sides. Hard to say. They are very much still
at a stalemate over the key issues, though, so, we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, both sides still doubling down, great to see you, Alayna, thank you very much --
TREENE: Thank you --
SOARES: Indeed. Now powerful and polarizing. That's how many today are describing former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, who died Monday at the
age of 84. Flags are at half staff now at the White House in honor of Cheney. President Donald Trump has yet to comment on his death. Cheney's
legacy -- well, it's a complicated one.
He was an architect of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a war he justified with, if you remember, faulty Intelligence. But he still enjoyed support among
Republicans, helping to get his daughter Liz elected to Congress, and that support collapsed, however, after January the 6th. Cheney chose country
over party, branding President Trump a coward and calling him the greatest ever threat to the republic.
Well, in a statement, former President George W. Bush called Cheney a decent and honorable man, and said history will remember him as among the
finest public servants of his generation. Well, love him or loathe him, Dick Cheney was undeniably a political giant. Our Wolf Blitzer has more now
on Cheney's enormous impact across different decades, as well as administrations.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE WALKER BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Gradually, I realized that the person who was best qualified to be my vice presidential
nominee was working by my side.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): For most of his adult life, Richard Bruce Cheney was the ultimate Washington insider.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter --
RICHARD BRUCE CHENEY, FORMER LATE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The duties of the office on which I am about to enter.
BLITZER: Named as George Bush's running mate in 2000, Dick Cheney quickly forged a public identity as a no nonsense, disciplined gatekeeper, a
powerful politician to whom and through whom access and influence flowed. But his appearance at the very highest levels of government was by no means
his first time in the national spotlight.
He began his public service career in the Nixon administration, working in several White House jobs dealing with the economy. After President Nixon
resigned because of Watergate, Cheney worked for the new President, Gerald Ford, eventually becoming his chief of staff. When that 29-month presidency
ended, Cheney returned to the land he loved, to his home in Wyoming.
But it was a very short stay. Elected as the state's only member of the House of Representatives, Cheney returned to the capitol and served for a
decade in Congress. He was in the Republican leadership hierarchy when the first President Bush chose him to be his Secretary of Defense.
R. CHENEY: Faithfully discharge the duties of the office --
BLITZER: In charge of the Pentagon, Cheney was almost instantly engaged in two of the American military's largest and most complicated operations
since the end of the Vietnam war. First, he led the removal of Panama's Manuel Noriega from power, and then Operation Desert Storm. The American
and allied response after the invasion of Kuwait by Saddam Hussein.
R. CHENEY: We have in effect destroyed most of the Iraqi army. We have taken out most of the infrastructure. The lights are out in Baghdad.
BLITZER: His experience and steadfastness were of critical importance, and those traits were not unnoticed. Out of government for the first time in
years during the Clinton administration, Cheney became head of the giant oil services company Halliburton. It was a job that kept him steeped in
defense and foreign policy, and a role that later became a lightning rod for his critics.
By the time his old boss's son secured the Republican presidential nomination, Cheney's health was a major concern, three mild heart attacks
and a quadruple bypass before he was 50. Doctors gave him a green light, but shortly after the 2000 election, he suffered another mild heart attack.
R. CHENEY: I've got a doctor that follows me around 24 hours a day, that comes with the job as vice president.
BLITZER: Cheney quickly became a target for Bush administration critics, especially for convening oil and energy industry representatives to a White
House meeting, and then declining to make public any contents of the sessions. And later, after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, he became at
times invisible to the public.
Only a few people knew where he was for much of the time. But behind the scenes, Cheney was a driving force behind some of the biggest controversies
of the Bush administration, including the second war against Saddam Hussein's Iraq. In 2007, I asked him about mistakes made and concerns among
some Republicans that the war had damaged the Bush administration's credibility.
[14:20:00]
R. CHENEY: Wolf, I simply don't accept the premise of your question. I just think it's hogwash.
BLITZER: Cheney's health problems returned after he left office for a time, drastically altering his appearance. Another heart attack in 2010 prompted
doctors to implant a battery-operated device to help his heart pump blood. His health seemed to stabilize after a 2012 heart transplant at the age of
71, Cheney largely disappeared from public life until emerging at the site of the January 6th insurrection, one year after it happened.
During a moment of silence on the House floor, Cheney accompanied his daughter, Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney, also a member of the select
committee that investigated the attack. He was warmly greeted by the House Speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi.
R. CHENEY: In our nation's 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.
BLITZER: Later that year, Cheney tried to help his daughter's struggling primary campaign after she came under fire from former President Trump and
his devoted supporters over her work on the January 6th Committee.
R. CHENEY: He is a coward. A real man wouldn't lie to his supporters.
BLITZER: When Trump ran for President again in 2024 against Vice President Kamala Harris, Cheney joined his daughter in endorsing the Democratic
nominee.
LIZ CHENEY, ATTORNEY & FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Dick Cheney will be voting for Kamala Harris.
BLITZER: American politicians have no shortage of critics, and Dick Cheney was no exception. But there were just as many, perhaps more, who saw him as
a resolute, disciplined loyalist who wound up becoming one of the most influential and powerful vice presidents in American history.
R. CHENEY: The most important thing that any vice president needs to know is to understand what it is the president he works for wants him to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Certainly, powerful and polarizing. Let's stay with this. From the U.S. war in Iraq to the war on terror, Dick Cheney was a central figure and
his influence was felt far beyond America's borders. And that's what we want to focus on. Our Stephen Collinson joins me now. And Stephen, I want
to focus, if we could just for a moment on the Middle East because, of course, like we said, he was the chief architect of the war on terror.
You write in your article, latest articles cnn.com, I'm just going to read it out, "Cheney was in the White House with the President out of town on
the crisp, clear morning of September 11th, 2001, in the split second of horror when a second hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center in New York,
he said he became a changed man."
And we certainly saw the change, didn't we, firsthand, the war in Afghanistan or Iraq, and then the warnings, of course, about the weapons of
mass destruction. How did he look back on this time as vice president? And did he express any regrets at all?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: No, he didn't express any regrets. In fact, he said he -- if he had the chance, he would do
everything all over again, that includes the invasion of Iraq, which many people now regard as one of the great foreign policy disasters of American
history. The holding of terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay Prison, where nearly a quarter of a century after September 11th, there remain a handful
of suspected al Qaeda operatives.
Some of them are awaiting trial, it's never happened. And, of course, Cheney was fully supported of the enhanced interrogation techniques, as
they were euphemistically known in the United States, which critics called torture. Methods like waterboarding on terror suspects. So, Cheney was
unrepentant.
After September 11th, if you think about it now, it looks like it feels a long time ago. But back then, it felt like there were a great deal of
threats coming from the United States. America had been attacked on the homeland for the first time since Pearl Harbor. People were very frightened
and Cheney was almost radicalized, I think, by that attack and all the threat Intelligence that he would read as the vice president.
And people at that time were thinking, well, if al Qaeda had had a nuclear weapon on September 11th, it would have been so much worse. And that framed
a lot of the thinking, wishful thinking, I think that was in the minds of Cheney and Bush and other top officials as they looked at the Intelligence
about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction programs, which didn't actually exist and led the United States into a war on false pretenses.
SOARES: Yes, polarizing figure indeed. Great to see you, Stephen, thank you very much indeed. And still to come tonight, one of China's most popular
fashion companies is looking to open its Paris store, but there's protesting and a controversy over sex dolls. We'll explain next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: Well, there is outrage and protests in France as Shein; the Chinese Ultra fast fashion store looks to launch its very first brick-and-mortar
store in Paris on Wednesday. The controversy is about Shein's selling sex dolls on its e-commerce site. France's anti-fraud office accused the
fashion platform of selling sex dolls with a child-like appearance.
The company says they have been pulled after France threatened to cut off Shein's access to the market. A Paris bureau chief, Saskya Vandoorne, has
more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SASKYA VANDOONE, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): Shein is opening its first physical location in Paris, and it's turned this iconic department
store into ground zero for a revolt.
(voice-over): Police stood guard outside BHV on Tuesday as the city braces for the store's Wednesday opening.
(CHANTING)
VANDOOME: Among the crowd, designers and brand owners gathered to protest. One even told us she came to buy back her own products.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm a brand that value the (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE) the made in France, the respect of people that make the product I
sell. And this is not at all respected by Shein, so, it's not possible for me.
VANDOOME: Shein, the Chinese online retailer, has built a global empire selling ultra cheap clothing.
(on camera): Shein's new shop is on the sixth floor of Paris' historic BHV, just behind me. But in a city that prides itself on sustainability, on
craftsmanship, the backlash has been intense, with protests, strikes and boycotts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's an affront to Parisians, to independent shop owners in the area who respect social and environmental
norms, who pay taxes in France.
VANDOOME (voice-over): Activists stood topless outside BHV on Monday along with other protesters. Several French fashion brands have already pulled
their products from BHV in protest. Disneyland Paris canceled its Christmas pop-up and holiday window displays, telling AFP, the conditions weren't
right for things to proceed smoothly.
BHV's owners say the partnership will bring in younger shoppers and support the wider retail ecosystem. This opening was already off to a bad start.
France threatened to block Shein's access to the market after anti-fraud officials said it was selling sex dolls with a child-like appearance. Shein
said it removed those items immediately and has now banned all sex doll- type products.
(on camera): All of this comes as France moves ahead with a proposed law to crack down on ultra fast fashion, one that could restrict advertising and
sales for platforms like Shein.
(voice-over): Still, millions of shoppers keep buying, and some welcome the new store at a time when budgets are tight.
[14:30:04]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): When you know the financial situation of families in France, you can understand that some people turn
to these kinds of brands, because when you have five children, you can't afford to clothe. I mean, you earn minimum wage or even barely more, and
every night you struggle to make ends meet and have food in the fridge.
VANDOORNE (voice-over): And this is just the start. SHEIN plans to roll out five more permanent stores in regional cities later this month.
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Saskya for that report. And still to come tonight, an uproar in Israel over a leaked video that appears to show soldiers
assaulting a Palestinian detainee. We'll see how the outrage isn't about the abuse itself. We'll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: A highly disturbing video that appears to show Israeli soldiers sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee is at the center of a scandal
rocking Israel. That outrage isn't focused on the alleged abuse, but instead, the video was leaked. Israel's top military lawyer resigned just
days ago, acknowledging she approved the video's release. Now, she's under arrest as the government investigates the leak as a criminal matter.
Five soldiers have been indicted for the alleged abuse last year at the notorious Sde Teiman military prison. They say they did nothing wrong.
Their arrest set off an uproar, with some right-wing government members even joining protests and riots outside the facility.
[14:35:00]
Israeli whistleblowers working Sde Teiman have described beatings and abuse there to CNN. The U.N., meanwhile says at least 75 Palestinian detainees
have died in Israeli custody since the war in Gaza began.
Well, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls the leaked video an enormous reputational blow, describing it as the worst PR disaster in
Israel's history.
Our Jeremy Diamond walks us through the footage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was just over a year ago that this extraordinary video surfaced of Israeli soldiers allegedly
sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee at Israel's notorious Sde Teiman prison. Following that, we saw several Israeli soldiers who were arrested
for their role in the alleged abuse, and this video that surfaced showing that moment.
You can see several Israeli soldiers picking one Palestinian detainee from among dozens who were kneeling and blindfolded at that Sde Teiman prison.
Three soldiers then line up, putting their shields up, which blocks what's happening from the view of the cameras. But you can see one Israeli soldier
standing behind the detainee, and that's the moment when this Palestinian detainee was allegedly sodomized by these soldiers.
The video at the time was leaked to Israel's Channel 12 News, and now it's that military advocate general who was responsible for investigating this
case, who's taken responsibility for having authorized the leak of that video. She resigned as a result of it, and she's now been detained on
suspicion of charges such as breach of public trust and over her role in leaking this video.
This is a moment that has rocked Israeli politics and society, but not because of the suspected abuse of this Palestinian detainee, but rather it
is the backlash against Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi for investigating this case in the first place, for leaking this video. And now, we are seeing the kind
of full right-wing backlash in full effect.
The Israeli prime minister over the weekend said the leak of this video was perhaps the worst PR disaster in Israel's history. And what's so notable
about this is that Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, despite having carried out this investigation in particular, where we have several soldiers who are now set
to go on trial for this, she has not carried out a large number of investigations into suspected abuses or alleged war crimes carried out by
Israeli soldiers over the course of the war in Gaza.
But it seems that the one moment when she did choose to carry out a very thorough investigation that actually resulted in soldiers being arrested is
the moment that she felt the full force of the backlash in Israeli society. And it does raise broader questions about the levels of accountability or
lack thereof that exist within Israeli society, but within the Israeli military in particular over the Israeli military's willingness to
investigate itself for suspected abuses or suspected war crimes.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And let's stay with this. Let me bring in Gideon Levy, a columnist for the Israeli newspaper Haras, a well-known face here on the show.
Gideon, great to have you back on the show. Let me just pick up where Jeremy Diamond, you heard him there, where he left off. And it seems that
this scandal is rocking Israel, not because of its content, of course, Palestinian detainees being abused and assaulted, but because of its
source, and that is the lawyer. Does that surprise you? Just help us make sense of this.
GIDEON LEVY, COLUMNIST, HAARETZ AND FORMER ADVISER TO SHIMON PERES: No, it doesn't surprise me. And it's so typical to Israel, which turns -- or
Israeli propaganda, at least, which turns the night into day and day into night, which is living with total denial with the main issues and always
focusing on artificial issues. And that's the best example, maybe.
Let's put some order, Isa. Two -- this legal adviser, this chief lawyer of the army legitimized for two years now all the crimes of Israel in Gaza,
one by one. Almost no soldier was brought to justice for anything. And we shouldn't name now all the crimes in Gaza on a daily basis.
In one case, she decided that that's maybe too much. And that's the case of Sde Teiman, of this terrible, terrible behavior of the prisoners,
(INAUDIBLE), innocent or maybe not innocent, but someone who was not charged in anything, Palestinian helpless prisoner. And they did what
Jeremy just described.
[14:40:00]
The leaking of this video in order to shake Israeli society and to show them, look what our sons are doing in the military service. The leaking
became the crime and the torture and the barbaric behavior of the soldiers is totally forgotten. So, efficient, covering up the crime by inventing an
artificial marginal crime of leaking the video. And who is running it? Israeli media. I mean, Israeli media should be very happy about such
videos. That's our role as journalists.
And now, we stand in a really -- I don't know how to describe the situation in which the chief lawyer of the army who legitimized all the crimes
becomes now a victim because she -- first time maybe in her career, she fulfilled her job.
SOARES: Well, we want to talk about, like you said, the barbarity. Let's focus on that, because -- in particular, this facility, CNN, Gideon, spoke
to three whistleblowers who worked at this facility. This is what they told us back in May of 2024. I'm going to read it out. They paint a picture of a
facility where doctors sometimes amputated prisoners' limbs due to injuries sustained from constant handcuffing, of medical procedures sometimes
performed by underqualified medics, earning it a reputation for being a paradise for interns, and where the air is filled with the smell of
neglected wounds left to rot.
I mean, what, first of all, do we know about this notorious Israeli military prison? And was that investigated? To Jeremy's point, that
question -- raises questions of lack of accountability. Surely that should be one of the questions being asked.
LEVY: We don't know everything about Sde Teiman. I can just say with a lot of conviction that Guantanamo was a resort, a Caribbean resort, relatively
to what is happening in Sde Teiman. As Jeremy rightly mentioned, over 80 prisoners were killed or died in the prison in the last two years, most of
them either for hunger or from lack of medical treatment or from torture and violence. This passes in Israeli society.
I still remember days, Isa, in which one prisoner became a big scandal in Israeli society, and now over 80 prisoners being killed and nothing. The
issue -- or the only issue is, why was the video leaked? And you just mentioned -- I mean, Jeremy mentioned what Netanyahu said, that's maybe the
most outrageous thing.
This is the problem of Israel's propaganda or Israel's status in the world. The video made me think about what really happens in Sde Teiman as the
biggest enemy of Israel and not the video which just shows it. But, you know, we are living in crazy times here.
SOARES: Yes, and just for our viewers, what Netanyahu said -- called the leak an enormous reputational blow and said the worst PR disaster in
Israel's history, referring to the leak and not to the contents. Gideon, as always, great to see you. Appreciate your insight. Thank you very much.
We're going to take a short break. We'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he would like his country to join the European Union before 2030,
adding that it would be fair for it to get membership after the war with Russia ends. Mr. Zelenskyy travelled to the Donetsk region of eastern
Ukraine, where he met with troops defending those front lines.
Moscow and Kyiv are blaming each other over the deaths of two civilians on Monday in Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region. That is just here. And
the latest fighting is focused around the key town of Pokrovsk, that you and I have been discussing the last 24 hours. It's here. If Pokrovsk were
to fall, it would be the largest urban area to be taken by Russian forces since they seized Bakhmut back in May of 2023.
And the reason Russia so desperately wants this town, you ask? Well, it's a major junction for roads and rail lines, and occupying it will bring
Russian forces closer, of course, to larger cities like Kramatorsk or the industrial belt of Donetsk. But President Zelenskyy says the fight is not
over yet. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): The enemy has not been successful in Pokrovsk. In recent days, 26 to 30 percent of
all combat operations on the front line have taken place in Pokrovsk. Moreover, 50 percent of all guided bombs are being used in Pokrovsk. So,
you understand how difficult it is for our people.
In Pokrovsk, we told you that there are a couple hundred Russians. We estimate between 260 and 300 Russians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's continue on this. Joining me now is Tymofiy Mylovanov, a former economic minister of economic development and trade for Ukraine, and
the president of the Kyiv School of Economics. Great to see you in person as well, which is great. What a treat.
Let me pick up with what we heard from President Zelenskyy and really the battle that we have been seeing, Tymofiy, intensifying in Pokrovsk. What is
your understanding of how close that is? Because the Russians, just in the last 24 hours, pretty much claiming they are making huge gains on the
ground there.
TYMOFIY MYLOVANOV, PRESIDENT, KYIV SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND FORMER UKRAINIAN ECONOMY MINISTER: So, it is tough. What I hear from friends in the military
and elsewhere is that, indeed, the situation is critical there. The Russians inside the city, the numbers are not large, but it's extremely
difficult to fight them. Ukraine has deployed reinforcements, but it's a critical town. I mean, it has been destroyed, but it's a critical town
because it opens up a direction towards further of Ukraine.
SOARES: And, of course, you know, we have discussed this. We're now getting into the colder winter months. How does that kind of terrain, how does that
change, of course, the battlefield? Because what we've heard in kind of the negotiations, and this is something I've discussed with other experts, is
that Putin's playing for time here. He's playing for time and that he wants more territory. I think he was talking about wanting the Donbas, right?
Does that give him -- does -- the ground freezing over, does that give him an advantage here, you think?
MYLOVANOV: It depends. So, you know, it works both ways. It gives advantage to everyone who sees more. And so, the kill zones are easier to execute.
But at the same time, it's much more difficult to supply routes. So, it does give him an advantage in the sense that if he gets over out of
Pokrovsk, but I think it's going to be difficult for him to move during winter. And it's also going to be very, very difficult for Ukrainians to
defend, simply because winter is brutal.
SOARES: And as we've seen for many winters now gone. I want to tap into your economic expertise, because, you know, we have seen Ukrainians really
targeting quite heavily Russia's energy, as well as military infrastructure.
[14:50:00]
I think today -- I think the last overnight, I think Ukraine attacked by drone a LukOil facility, a LukOil refinery. And we've seen going after
refineries, pumping stations and pipelines. How effective has that been, you think, that strategy?
MYLOVANOV: What I hear from analysts and what I see in some of the data, including at the work done by us at the KSE, at the Kyiv School of
Economics, it matters. It creates shortages in some areas. It creates even favorable conditions for sort of denying of the Russian ability to execute
operations. So, that's closer to the frontline and throughout the country that does generate frictions.
So, that matters. That's like, you know, President Zelenskyy and others are saying these are real sanctions. Well, they're real sanctions, which are
financial, but they're also military. That matters a lot. That creates conditions. Is it a trigger for President Putin to come to the negotiation
table? I don't think so. I don't think it's a trigger, but it does generate the background conditions for if there is a trigger, he's much more willing
to talk.
SOARES: And Ukraine has also, and we've been reporting on this, seen, you know, its facilities being hit time -- repeatedly, right, time and time
again, energy. Just speak to how this winter, how different it will be to previous winters as Russians go after the same facility time and time
again, trying to weaken Ukraine, but also leave it very much in the dark and in the cold.
MYLOVANOV: So, that's true. They have been trying to do it since 2022. October 10th is usually often is a time where they attack, the bombings
pick up. But during this October, they have been able to do much more damage, or at least it feels that they have, because the number of drones,
the number of missiles, especially ballistic missiles, is much larger than before.
Now, I was worried that the morale would go down, but it looks like the system holds, the energy grid holds. I mean, we do have blackouts now, and
we have not had them for quite a while. So, that matters in real terms for people, you know, cold matters. But it looks also that Ukrainians have just
come back and resigned themselves to another difficult winter, but the morale is there.
SOARES: Tymofiy, great to see you. Thank you very much. Thanks for coming in. And we're going to take a short break, but we'll see you on the other
side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: Well, this year's People magazine's Sexiest Men Alive is wickedly handsome choice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIANA GRANDE, ACTRESS, "WICKED": Wait, are you a recently arrived student?
JONATHAN BAILEY, ACTOR, "WICKED": I am, yes.
GRANDE: Oh, I didn't know.
BAILEY: Oh, I'm not sure I'll last longer at this school than any of the others.
GRANDE: But I wasn't at any of your other schools.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: That is Jonathan Bailey, the star of "Wicked," "Bridgerton," and "Jurassic World Rebirth." This honor makes Bailey the first openly gay man
to earn the title. Bailey tells talk show host Jimmy Fallon it's the honor of a lifetime. Fans will have two magazine covers to choose from. Bailey
shot one solo cover on one with his dog, Benson. You know what? Just get both.
And finally, tonight, a big honor for a former Sexiest Man Alive. You may now call him Sir David Beckham. The former England football captain was
knighted on Tuesday by King Charles, and he was joined by his parents and wife, you can see there, fashion designer Victoria Beckham. Beckham was
recognized for his services to sport and charity. He said the honor was something he never anticipated. I think the music behind them is "Golden."
If you know it, you know it. You know what I'm talking about.
That does it for me for tonight. Do stay right here. "What We Know" with Max Foster is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
