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One World with Zain Asher
Biden Says He's Up For The Job As Calls Grow For Him To Drop Out Of The Race; Kenya's Police Chief Resigns On Friday After Weeks Of Anti- Government Protests That Killed Dozens; U.S. And Western Officials Say The Plot To Kill The CEO Of Rheinmetall Was Discovered By U.S. Intelligence Earlier This Year; More Than One Million Residents In Texas Remain Without Power Amid A Heat Wave; People Wanting To Lose Weight Now Turn To Compounded Drugs; Lavish Wedding Of The Year Happens In India; Serena Williams Along Sister Venus And Actress Quinta Brunson Take A Shot At NFL Player Harrison Butker At Espy's. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired July 12, 2024 - 12:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[12:00:25]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Joe Biden says he's up for the job as calls grow for him to drop out of the race. "ONE WORLD" starts right now. Biden's
big moment outshone by the gaffes heard across the globe. Behind closed doors, even his closest allies are getting concerned.
Also ahead, inside the Russian plot to kill a German CEO. Why the Kremlin might have wanted him dead. And later, how do you get Priyanka Chopra, Nick
Jonas and Kim Kardashian in the same place at the same time? Well, he'd throw a very, very expensive wedding. The son of Asia's richest man is
tying the knot.
Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "ONE WORLD". Joe Biden's high stakes news conference Thursday
evening can be summed up like this. One hour, 19 questions, two big mistakes and zero real answers as to whether Biden will remain in the race
for president.
Biden's performance was neither a rousing success nor an unmitigated disaster. And it showcased his ability to speak expansively about the
economy and foreign affairs. But there were a pair of notable flubs, one right before the conference. And one is he answered his very first question
that caused gasps and concerns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And now, I want to hand it over to the president of Ukraine who has as much courage as he has
determination. Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin. President Putin. He's going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy. Look, I wouldn't have
picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, but I think she's not qualified to be president. So, let's start there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We've learned that Biden met Thursday night with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to discuss the mood of congressional
Democrats. And there are certainly many Democrats who say that the party needs to stick with Biden, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM CLYBURN, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: Let Joe Biden continue to make his own decisions about his future. He's earned that right and I am going to give
him that much respect. If he decides to change his mind later on, then we will respond to that. We have until the 19th of August to open our
convention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN has learned that Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have been talking about Biden's chances and they are both quite concerned. But though
they are talking, neither is sure what to do next. Meanwhile, the ranks of Democrats calling for Biden to pull out of the race seems to grow daily. It
now includes prominent Congressman Jim Himes, who says the uncertainty from Biden is keeping Democrats from attacking Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT 4TH DISTRICT): This needs to be resolved, I don't know, in the next five to seven days. Because we just went ten days where
the story was not Donald Trump promising totalitarianism. It was how is Joe Biden going to do in the big boy press conference?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We'll have extensive coverage of all of this. Let's start with CNN's Kayla Tausche at the White House and our U.S. national affairs
correspondent, Jeff Zeleny. Kayla, let's start with you. We know the White House and his team, the president's team, felt good after last night's
press conference.
Though that didn't stop some of the defections that continue to come, as you heard from high-ranking officials like Jim Himes. And also concerns now
we're hearing from our own Annie Grayer that Biden will hold a call with Congressional Hispanic Caucus today, as well. What's the mood like now?
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the mood is one of still a lot of uncertainty, Bianna. We know that the White House felt
good after the press conference. But the Democrats who were watching it to see if it spelled anything for Biden's political future said it wasn't good
enough.
The president's team, both at the White House and the campaign, said that he exhibited some personality. He went into depth on foreign policy. And he
also prosecuted, in their view, the case against their opponent.
But he had a fairly high bar to clear, especially considering so many Democrats had already made up their mind based on what they saw in the
debate stage. And the worries that an event like that would happen again soon. Just because it didn't happen last night, in their view, doesn't mean
that it couldn't happen again.
The questions now are how Biden can recover. He said last night in the press conference that he knows that he needs to allay fears about his
health to voters. And that's why he's hitting the trail. He's going to Michigan today, a critical battleground state that his campaign says is
required if he is going to have a path to 270 electoral votes.
[12:05:01]
That he must win Michigan, he must win Wisconsin, and he must win Pennsylvania. That is the path and the only one that they see, according to
a memo that they laid out. But these defections keep coming. And they expect that there will be a drip of continued defections, whether it's
steady, whether a dam breaks. And there are many more over the weekend, remains to be seen.
But they're prepared for either scenario. And having conversation with the president's staff about who they need to call, what channels they need to
work, and what the next hour looks like, much less the next day. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: And it's really notable, Jeff, that the president isn't just trying to go to some of his most vulnerable districts and states that he
has to win. But it's trying to convince his own party members, who many of them start the sentence by saying, I love Joe Biden, he was a great
president -- but. So, that leads us to some new reporting you have about the president's meeting after that press conference with Minority House
Leader Hakeem Jeffries. What more are you learning?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: We are learning after the press conference that Kayla was talking about where she
was covering that Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House leader, met privately with President Biden. That was announced this morning. But we are
learning a little bit more details of that meeting.
And it's clear in that meeting, I'm told, that Hakeem Jeffries spoke very bluntly. That was the word from a person familiar with the meeting, very
bluntly with the president about the views of his caucus, about the concern that we have seen as the days have gone along this week, about the concerns
of their own electability members in difficult campaigns, but also just about the fact that this campaign has become about Joe Biden, not about
Donald Trump.
So, in that meeting, we are told that there was no endorsement offered by Hakeem Jeffries. And in his statement this morning was very clear. He said,
yes, I met with the president. Yes, we had a clear eyed and candid conversation, but did not say what many Democratic leaders have said, that
it's the president's decision.
So, clearly, there is not an endorsement offered. And one was not given. And that via phone call that the president is going to have later today
with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, also interesting. Clearly, another sign he is trying to shore up some key coalition groups.
But the bottom line to all of this is we end now more than two weeks of discussion. It's been two weeks and a day since the CNN debate. Joe Biden
is still in a moment of crisis in his party. There is almost like a primary is underway that was, you know, long ago settled about who would be the
nominee.
So, heading into this weekend, there are many, many questions that really have not been resolved among Democrats. Again, though, the decision is
President Biden's and his family's. And he has said he is going to fight through this. But there are more and more Democrats who are questioning the
wisdom of that. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, I mean, that that is the key point. Many are delicately saying the decision is with Joe Biden. But the thing is, Joe Biden has
already made the decision. And he has said time and time again that he is not going anywhere.
ZELENY: Right.
GOLODRYGA: Will be a very challenging, difficult few days ahead and weeks, perhaps, as we continue to follow this story. Jeff Zeleny in Washington,
Kayla Tausche at the White House. Thank you both.
ZELENY: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, that news conference, along with President Biden's overall performance at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., didn't just
have the attention of U.S. politicians and voters. Of course, it was a global event. And that's largely because whoever sits in the Oval Office
has a profound impact on the rest of the world.
At one point, President Biden told reporters that foreign leaders he'd met at the NATO summit hadn't expressed concern over his fitness for office.
Instead, they voiced concern over the prospects of a second Trump term. Britain's new prime minister, Keir Starmer, has been speaking to CNN about
his private talk with Biden.
In an exclusive interview, he told our Jake Tapper, quote, "It's for the American people to decide who they want to be their next president." And
then he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: If you were to witness a concerning development, would you say something?
KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Yes, of course. But I mean, I -- yesterday, I spent 45 minutes with the president. We'd spoken on the phone,
as you can imagine. But this was an opportunity to discuss a number of issues. We were billed for 45 minutes. We probably went on for the best
part of an hour, covered a lot of ground. And he was in good form.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Right now, I want to bring in CNN International diplomatic editor Nic Robertson live from London. A successful summit on the one hand,
Nic, reaffirming the connection and unity and the strength of the alliance, which has only grown under President Biden, but obviously a lot of concern
about what happens next, what happens to this pivotal U.S. election in just four months.
And that was really highlighted by a question to the president yesterday from an international correspondent who basically asked the president if he
offered any advice as to what he would tell these world leaders if Donald Trump was reelected, given his harsh statements and criticism about NATO's
future.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DIOLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, and this is, you know, an ongoing concern for all these leaders that they may have
to deal with a United States president. That -- that does not align his country with -- with their national interests.
That's what -- that's what NATO does at the moment, you know, aligns the national interests of all 32 members to be, you know, as they call it, the
world's largest, strongest and most enduring military alliance, a defensive military alliance. And under a Republican, particularly if it were Donald
Trump, it's a very real concern that that wouldn't hold the same.
But, you know, the way that countries always deal with this is that is to look to their own national interests. And they'll also recognize that, you
know, it could perhaps only be a four-year presidency before somebody else came in. And, you know, that is something that countries will work towards.
And the sort of language you heard there from Keir Starmer talking to Jake Tapper is very much typical of the language we've been hearing from leaders
at the NATO summit.
They're not going to outrightly come out and criticize Donald Trump or criticize, you know, President Biden's mental acuity at the moment. Why?
Because they know their long term national interests lie with working whoever comes to the White House. And that's what we heard from Keir
Starmer. And that's what we've heard from other leaders as well.
GOLODRYGA: All right, Nic Robertson, thank you. Well, let's now discuss what comes next for Biden. Joining us is CNN political commentator Bakari
Sellers, an attorney and former South Carolina state representative. And Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas who ran for the Republican
nomination against Donald Trump.
Welcome both of you. So, Bakari, let's start with you. Listen, barring what we saw at the debate, I'm assuming last night would have just been seen as
a typical performance from President Biden. And the party wouldn't be at this crisis moment where it is right now. But, of course, everyone can't
unsee what happened that night at the debate. And this has really dominated the news headlines now for two weeks.
And until somebody budges, it appears it's going to only continue to dominate. Did the president, in your view, I would imagine your answer is
no, given what we've seen just in the fallout since last night. And in reaction to that press conference, did he allay most of the concerns, in
your view, that you may have had?
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, the answer is actually yes. It's not no by any stretch. I mean, the way we even frame this
discussion is weird. I mean, we focus on the fact that he misnamed two individuals.
But he had an hour and 19-minute press conference where you saw the depth of policy and foreign policy expertise, where he was talking about the
possible deal with Israel and Hamas, where he talked about with great depth Ukraine and Russia. And here we are talking about two names that he
flubbed.
I just think that's irresponsible, particularly when the contrast is Joe Biden hosting Victor Orban at Mar-a-Lago or Donald Trump, excuse me, Donald
Trump hosting Victor Orban at Mar-a-Lago, or Donald Trump even saying in a rally he didn't know what NATO was until he became President of the United
States.
And so, I think that we have to accurately display the contrast when we when we hone in on him saying Vice President Trump or making a mistake
about a name. But we don't talk about the depth or the fact that he mentioned that Hamas actually accepted the framework of a deal. And so did
Israel that have global ramifications. Then we're not doing our voters any justice. And that's the conversation we need to be having.
GOLODRYGA: Governor Hutchinson, what do you say in response to what we just heard from Bakari Sellers? Are these two men, are these two candidates
held at different levels and expectations?
ASA HUTCHINSON, FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: No, I don't think so. I think, you know, you have a critique of Donald Trump with his court cases, with
his so many allegations, with his craziness. So, there's a scrutiny on him. But he's obviously laying very quiet right now and low as this fracturing
of the Democratic Party takes place.
And the debate about Joe Biden -- in terms of the debate itself, I don't disagree that he performed well in terms of substance. He had a couple of
gaffes. We ought to be a little forgiving. We all misplaced names. But the biggest question to me is, how can you perform that way before the White
House press corps? But in the debate two weeks ago, he was so weak and disoriented.
[12:15:03]
And the only thing I can say is that Donald Trump intimidates him more than the White House press corps. And -- but there was a big difference. And the
fact is that they're going to go into the fall campaign either with a weakened candidate and regardless what happens, he's going to be a weakened
candidate because of this, because it's not going to go away.
Or secondly, they take a risk and go a different direction. You're going to see Donald Trump probably not put off as long as he can, naming his V.P.,
because he does not want to change the story from what we see right now about the debate and the weakened Joe Biden.
GOLODRYGA: And Bakari, I mean, you had members of Congress now, I believe it's 18 members of Congress and one senator that have publicly called for
the president to abandon his reelection bid, Jim Himes being the highest ranking last night. And clearly that statement was ready to go. He just
waited to send it until after that press conference ended. And he even himself said that it had nothing to do with that press conference.
Basically, that ship had sailed and he had seen enough similar scenarios to see that there wasn't a possibility or an opportunity for a victory in his
view for President Biden down the road. We just are reporting from our own Jeff Zeleny that Hakeem Jeffries did not offer his support and endorsement
when he spoke with the president last night when he could have.
I mean, the fact that you have the president who has clearly dug in his heels and yet Democrats continuing down the path of this drip, drip every
single day, another speaks out publicly. Where does this all end in your view? How long can this go on?
SELLERS: Again, the framing of the question is --
GOLODRYGA: But I'm just stating the facts. But I'm just stating the facts.
SELLERS: But you're not. The facts are that he has support of over 200 members of the House Democratic caucus. The fact is he has support of over
50 members of the United States Senate. I mean, you talked about 18 individuals who came out and said something. That is a small fraction. You
mentioned one United States senator. That is a small fraction.
And what I would appreciate for individuals to do who are having this discussion is to get outside of the beltway and actually talk to voters.
There was a new poll that came out just this morning that relayed the fact that this is a tied race. I was at Essence Fest last weekend and more
people were talking about Project 2025 in the Supreme Court than talking about Biden's age.
Once we begin to get out in the streets and have these conversations and not these lofty conversations between George Clooney and whatever op-ed he
wants to write about or not highlighting the fact that a fraction of the House Democratic caucus, a small fraction of the House Democratic caucus,
when we don't talk about the fact that the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus relayed his support, that the chairman of the Congressional
Hispanic caucus relayed his support.
And so, those are the facts in context. It's not highlighting those small numbers. It's actually highlighting the broad base of support and the 14
million people who nominated this guy to be president. I actually agree with everything Governor Hutchinson said. Democrats created this circular
firing squad and the drip, drip, is embarrassing us and is causing us irreparable harm. Governor Hutchinson is right.
GOLODRYGA: I mean, I think the point made by the number that have come forward now is that that is expected to only grow and not stop at just 18
and one senator. I think that is what is of concern now and the fact that you have people like Jim Clyburn and Nancy Pelosi saying comments like it
is up to President Biden for him to decide as opposed to just it's him because he's already decided. I mean, that's where the disconnect is,
Bakari, that the president has said I've already decided and yet they continue to say it's up to him to decide.
But Governor, let me bring up that poll that Bakari mentioned because Ron Klain, who is the former chief of staff to President Biden and a close
advisor and advised him leading up to the debate, as well, tweeted about this new NPR-Marist poll, which finds that Biden leads Trump 50 percent to
48 percent in a head-to-head matchup. That's a national poll.
Of course, it doesn't represent the statistical differences and that is within the margin of error, as well. But the fact that at least in this
poll, the current president, given all of the concerns and how much he's been weakened over the last two weeks, is ahead of Donald Trump. Is that
not alarming for Republicans?
HUTCHINSON: Well, I think there is a legitimate question as to why Donald Trump didn't get a bigger boost out of Joe Biden's failed debate
performance. Now, you cite that one poll that shows Biden marginally ahead. There's about a half a dozen other national polls of great credibility that
shows Trump did strengthen himself and Biden weakened himself after the debate.
[12:20:07]
And so, we'll see where those polls go. But it is a fair point that any other perhaps Republican would have soared much higher with a weakened Joe
Biden. Donald Trump has got a ceiling and it's because he has not reached out to independents effectively, and he has not totally unified the party,
still distancing Nikki Haley.
And so, he's got his own challenges. I think that's the reason he has not moved up more. We're in the situation that Donald Trump is probably the
only one Joe Biden has a chance of winning. And Donald Trump is glad that Joe Biden is on the other side because they're both weakened candidates.
But right now, all the momentum has shifted toward Donald Trump, despite that one poll that looks to me like being an outlier right now.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and we will definitely have a split screen next week of this ongoing internal tension within the Democratic caucus and party
playing out and then obviously the start of the Republican convention, as well. Bakari Sellers, Asa Hutchinson, thank you so much for your time.
SELLERS: Thank you.
HUTCHINSON: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: All right, you're watching "ONE WORLD". Just ahead for us, what the Israeli military is saying about its response to the October terror
attacks. Plus, the Kremlin dismisses a CNN report that Moscow tried to kill the CEO of a German weapons manufacturer. We'll bring you those shocking
details ahead.
Plus, people looking for an alternative to a popular weight loss drugs are turning to compounded drugs. They may be cheaper, but are they safe? Dr.
Sanjay Gupta explains the risks, just ahead on "ONE WORLD"
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[12:24:06]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): Kenya's police chief resigned on Friday after weeks of anti-government protests that killed dozens. Scores of people were
killed in police shootings that occurred during the June 25th protests. CNN team outside the Kenyan parliament on June 25th witnessed security forces
shooting at unarmed protesters, some of them who died on the spot.
The police chief's resignation comes after President Ruto fired nearly his entire cabinet on Thursday. Well, the Kremlin has dismissed CNN's reporting
on an alleged Russian plot to kill the CEO of a German weapons manufacturer, calling the report, quote, "fake".
[12:25:06]
According to five U.S. and Western officials, the plot to kill the CEO of Rheinmetall was discovered by U.S. intelligence earlier this year and was
part of a series of Russian plans to assassinate defense industry executives across Europe who were supporting Ukraine's war effort.
Rheinmetall produces artillery shells and military vehicles for Ukraine. CNN's Natasha Bertrand joins us now live for more. So, we hear the
Kremlin's response, despite the fact that there are numerous sources saying otherwise. What can you tell us about this plot?
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Bianna, so this was a very mature, advanced and pretty sophisticated plot, we're told,
by the Russians to try to assassinate this very important CEO of an arms manufacturer in Germany, an arms manufacturer that makes some of the most
important kinds of ammunition that the Ukrainians use on the battlefield and a manufacturer that was going to start setting up logistics and
manufacturing factories inside Ukraine itself to build, for example, armored vehicles.
So, a very clear and obvious target for the Kremlin, which has been trying to get Western defense companies to stay away from the Ukrainians,
according to U.S. and Western officials. And so, this was a plot that was much more advanced than other assassination plots that the U.S. and its
allies have caught wind of.
This is not the only potential, you know, industry executive who has been in danger over the last six months, we're told. But this one was very
mature, and it caused the U.S. to then alert the Germans to the fact that this was in the works.
German officials then moved quickly, and they put Armin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall, under increased security, and he is still inside that
security bubble, we're told, really just underscoring how far the Kremlin appears to be willing to go here to try to undermine support for Ukraine.
We were told by a senior NATO official just this week at the summit that they have seen evidence that the Russians, over the last six months, by
employing local actors across Europe and in the U.K., have been trying to engage in sabotage, everything ranging from arson to these kinds of
assassination plots.
And so, it is a huge concern right now, and the issue that NATO is grappling with, of course, is how to respond because it's not an armed
attack by the Russians on a NATO country or a European country. It kind of falls right below that threshold.
So, what they're doing now is they're just trying to coordinate their intelligence sharing, try to catch these acts of sabotage before they
actually are successful. But it's obviously something that the Russians are doing to really try to undermine public support for the Ukrainians trying
to intimidate, according to officials, U.S. and European allies
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, both frightening and brazen at the same time. Natasha Bertrand, thank you. We're also watching developments in the Middle East.
There's still heavy fighting being reported in Gaza, and we're getting word that the bodies of some 100 Palestinians have been found in and near Gaza
City. The Palestinian civil defense says this follows a partial withdrawal of the Israeli army from several neighborhoods in the area.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA (voice-over): You're looking at video now from a neighborhood in Gaza City where major battles have raged since an Israeli evacuation order
at the end of last month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The Israeli military, meantime, is admitting that it failed to protect civilians during the Hamas terror attacks on October 7th. That's
the finding of its inquiry into the attack on the Be'eri, Kibbutz, and southern Israel, the first in a series of investigations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL HAGARI, SPOKESPERSON, ISRAELI ARMY (through translator): The IDF failed in its mission to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be'eri. It is
painful and difficult for me to say this. The IDF was supposed to protect the residents of Kibbutz Be'eri, but unfortunately, we were not there for
long hours of fighting. For hours, the residents of Be'eri defended their families with their bodies while they were alone against the terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: At the same time, Prime Minister Netanyahu's own defense chief is calling for a state inquiry. The Israeli defense minister says that it
must, in his words, be objective and investigate all of us. This comes as Mr. Netanyahu's coalition government is already feeling the strain of
infighting.
Well, there are still 120 hostages, living and dead, held inside Gaza. Until last month, Andrey Kozlov was also a captive of Hamas. He spoke
exclusively to me about the terrible abuse he suffered during his months in captivity in the emotional reunion with his mother following his rescue by
Israeli forces last month.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: We all saw the video of when you were reunited with your mother at the hospital. As a mother, it brought tears to my eyes to see how you
fell down on your knees, hugging her.
[12:30:06]
Do you know how difficult I would imagine you do? Those eight months were for them.
ANDREY KOZLOV, RESCUED RUSSIAN-ISRAELI CITIZEN HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: I was so afraid not to see them.
GOLODRYGA: You thought you'd never see them again?
KOSLOV: I was afraid. I imagined how -- that my mother and father and brother will not hear the words, I love you, anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: And you can see my full interview with rescued hostage Andrey Kozlov later today on " AMANPOUR" at 1 P.M. Eastern, that is 6 P.M. in
London and 8 P.M. in Tel Aviv. We'll also air tonight at 8 P.M. Eastern in the U.S., that's 5 P.M. on the West Coast. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:34:47]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "ONE WORLD", I'm Bianna Golodryga. While the political world has been consumed with Joe Biden's future, Republicans have
been preparing for their party's convention. Starting Monday, thousands of Republican delegates will spend four days in the key swing state of
Wisconsin rallying around Donald Trump.
[12:35:02]
The biggest unanswered question for them is who Trump will pick to be his running mate. CNN has also learned that Donald Trump's wife, Melania, plans
to attend the convention. We don't know yet if she will speak on the stage during the event. Melania Trump has maintained an extremely low profile
throughout the campaign, only appearing alongside her husband twice publicly, thus far.
Time now for The Exchange. Joining me is CNN reporter Daniel Strauss. Daniel, given all of the chaos and drama that we're seeing unfolding about
President Biden's future within the Democratic Party, what can we expect to see from Republicans in response at the start of their convention next
week?
DANIEL STRAUSS, CNN REPORTER: I mean, a more orderly convention than we've seen in recent years among Republicans, and one that Republicans are taking
pains to produce this year to illustrate or televise that they are the party that has their stuff together, that they are more coordinated, more
organized, and more unified.
This has been a theme that the high command on the Trump campaign has been working on for the past few months in the rollout of the themes of the
campaign to arguments about who would be effective messengers and possible vice presidential candidates.
And even more recently, the rules on how the convention will go have been streamlined and fast-tracked so as not to produce any kind of opportunity
of dissent or chaos that voters could see and take away as a sign of party disunity.
GOLODRYGA: What do you make of the fact that Trump is now drawing out the timing in terms of when he does ultimately make the V.P. pick? Is this
something from your reporting that you're hearing he hasn't decided upon yet, or is it the surprise factor that he's just waiting to announce?
STRAUSS: There's a larger collective shrug from Republicans at all kinds of levels about who Trump has picked to be his V.P. this time. And that's
partially because Trump himself is indecisive about these things. He was indecisive until the last minute in 2016 and went back and forth before
finally settling on Mike Pence.
And here, his advisers really say that this is his decision, and even as they are keeping any sort of tells close to their chest, they do concede
that Trump himself is still deciding and will probably muddle between the various options until the final few moments when he has to announce.
GOLODRYGA: Given all of the tailwinds that the Trump team feels that they are on the receiving end of since we are spending so much time consumed on
the drama unfolding with regards to President Biden and his nomination in the future as their Democratic candidate here, I did want to flag a poll
that was just released today.
As it reiterates, as Governor Asa Hutchinson said earlier this hour, a real ceiling to Donald Trump's appeal, highlighting that he is indeed still a
flawed candidate. That's an NPR-Marist poll. It finds Biden actually leads Trump 50 percent to 48 percent in a head-to-head national matchup.
Obviously, that's within the margin of errors, and it's only one poll. But that shouldn't be something that the Trump team views as a positive at this
point.
STRAUSS: No, but the Trump team and the Biden team have both argued throughout this campaign that this election will be close. It will be close
even by modern standards, which means only a few points, and that it will come down to a few states, probably a few Midwestern states, possibly a few
Sunbelt states.
But this is not going to be one where there will be a landslide. And that's partially just because the electorate of the United States overall is very
dug in. I've had Democrats say to me that they would rather vote for a rusty nail than Donald Trump.
And the sentiment is the same on the other side. Whoever Republicans nominated, there is a large chunk of the electorate that would just vote
for the Republican nominee. So, this will really come down to a small sliver of the American public.
GOLODRYGA: And so, what will you be watching for? I mean, this clearly is Donald Trump's party. It's his platform. It'll be his policies. But there's
a lot of focus, specifically now from the Democrats and President Biden, we heard it last night, about the so-called Project 2025 that was written by
the Heritage Foundation.
That is a sort of conservative think tank. President Trump now, as he's done characteristically, saying he doesn't know much about this, he doesn't
know the people involved. Clearly, a lot of them were closely aligned not only to his previous administration, but also to his campaign, as well.
[12:40:03]
What more can we expect to hear on that front?
STRAUSS: It's interesting. There's been sort of a scramble, not quite a panic, among Republicans to distance themselves from Project 2025. And I've
heard that both behind the scenes among Hill chiefs of staff and among campaign operatives in the Trump orbit and outside that.
And it's a little strange because this project has been floating around on the periphery of the Trump campaign for a while. And only recently as
Democrats have started to focus on that and further link that to the Trump campaign have Trump and his advisers really worked to distance themselves.
And that's partially because a lot of what's in this Project 2025 platform is far more conservative than what President Trump wants to televise when
he runs for president. He wants to moderate himself or argue that his party is moderated on abortion, on same-sex marriage, a host of issues. And the
proposals in Project 2025 just don't argue that.
GOLODRYGA: All right, CNN reporter Daniel Strauss, thank you so much. We'll obviously be covering the Republican convention fully next week, as
well. Thanks so much for your reporting.
STRAUSS: Thanks.
GOLODRYGA: Well, still to come for us, fed up and hot. More than a million people in Texas are battling extreme heat without power for days now. We
have the latest from Houston just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:44:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Dozens of people in Nepal are missing after a landslide swept buses into a swollen river. The landslide happened in the Bagmati province,
west of Kathmandu. Reuters is responding, is reporting at least three passengers escaped by jumping off the buses before rocks and mud came down
the slopes.
Officials say search and rescue operations are called off for the day, but will pick back up first thing tomorrow. Nepal is currently in the middle of
its monsoon season, where landslides have killed more than 90 people since mid-June.
Back in the U.S. In Texas, more than one million residents remain without power amid a heat wave. Many Houston-area residents are struggling to
access fresh food, air conditioning, and even safe drinking water.
Officials say hundreds of thousands of residents might be in the dark until sometime next week. This, as the governor of Texas is calling for an
investigation into Houston's main utility over its response to Hurricane Beryl. CNN's Lucy Kafanov is in Houston, Texas, and filed this report a
short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Bianna, good morning. We are in front of the headquarters of CenterPoint Energy, the Houston utility that
is now at the center of a storm of anger over these widespread power outages as Houston residents now enter their fifth day, some of them
without power.
And that means no electricity and no gas. It means no lights, no refrigeration, no air conditioning. As temperatures continue to soar with
no relief in sight, people's patience tested by long gas lines, scarce food and water, as well as limited medical care.
In fact, the prolonged power outages have turned deadly. At least 10 lives have been lost. In Texas, two lost their lives from carbon monoxide
poisoning, and one person died because her oxygen machine ran out of battery.
With hospitals overwhelmed, the NRG Stadium Arena has now been converted into an emergency medical shelter center. And there's also locations
opening across the city, cooling centers, places where folks can charge their phones and get food because of the dire conditions here.
Now, CenterPoint, as I mentioned, facing the brunt of the anger. The Texas governor calling for an investigation into the company's handling of the
hurricane response. CenterPoint's V.P. of Operations, meanwhile, urging patience. Take a listen.
DARIN CAROLL, VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, CENTERPOINT: The other thing I want customers to know is even if you see yourself in that green on the
map, don't worry. We know you're out of power, and we are going to get to you.
KAFANOV: Now, the National Weather Service has issued yet another heat advisory for the greater Houston area today. CenterPoint says it expects
about 80 percent of their customers to have their power restored by the end of Sunday. But the big headline, Bianna, is that still leaves half a
million Texans to face the sweltering heat without power into early next week. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Unbelievable. A city that calls itself the energy capital of the world. So, many people still without power. Thanks to Lucy.
Well, popular drugs used for weight loss, like Mounjaro and Ozempic, can help shed unwanted pounds. But some people are turning to so-called
compounded drugs instead. They are alternatives to some of the big brand names. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains the benefits and potential risks of these
drugs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As more and more people look to drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound and
others to lose weight, some people are turning to what are known as compounded versions of these drugs. Now, these compounded versions can only
be made when the existing drugs are in shortage.
As a result though, these versions are often more widely available, and they can also be cheaper by hundreds of dollars every month as compared to
the brand name counterparts. Now, they may have similar or related ingredients as the brand names, but they are not carbon copies and they are
manufactured in different facilities. So, the question is, are there any risks to taking these drugs?
GUPTA: A couple things to keep in mind. There is no requirement for compounding pharmacies to provide safety and efficacy data. Now, that
doesn't mean that they can't necessarily be safe, but it does mean that it's hard to really track that.
Also, they do get these ingredients from FDA-approved wholesalers, but then do the compounding itself within the pharmacy. It's really these pens that
go into shortage. So, you know, this is a pen that you can actually dial up the dose and then inject yourself. It's pretty easy.
But these are actually hard to come by. There's 14 different unique parts in each of these pens. So, if you get a compounded drug, you're not going
to get one of these pens. You're going to get a syringe. You're going to get a needle. You got to drop the medication yourself and inject yourself,
which a lot of people can do.
But there is cause for potential error in something like that, which is another potential risk with these compounding pharmacies. So they can be a
valuable tool, but do your due diligence before taking those medications.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(12:51:27)
GOLODRYGA: Well, red carpet, glittering jewels, and a bevy of international stars. All on display at India's wedding of the year. Anant
Ambani, the son of Asia's richest man, is marrying his longtime girlfriend, pharmaceutical heiress Radhika Merchant, in an opulent ceremony. The
weekend's events capping months of lavish parties celebrating the couple. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz joins us with more. Really not holding back on the
pomp, the glitz, and who's who of celebrities as guests.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, so much pomp in circumstance. It would make a royal wedding here in the U.K. look a bit humble. We are
talking about seven months of warm-up festivities before the big day that included performances from Rihanna, a luxury cruise around Italy with Katy
Perry serenading you.
In fact, just a few days ago, Justin Bieber was in India to celebrate the couple. So, as you can imagine, the expectation for today's culmination of
those seven months of celebrations, the expectations were sky high. You said the Wedding of the Year. I think in India, some people are saying, the
Wedding of the Century.
I know Kim Kardashian was one of the most recent arrivals. There's a red carpet bringing in these A-listers. It's a who's who of Bollywood,
Hollywood, Silicon Valley, and the halls of power, really, from D.C. to London and beyond. Even Prime Minister Modi is supposed to be in attendance
tonight. The question is, what do they see once they go past that red carpet?
I was really curious to know what the actual reception, the wedding venue, will look like. Well, what have they done? They have recreated an entire
Indian city, if you can believe it. They've hired hundreds of musicians, artisans, craftmakers. They want to celebrate the heritage of India, and
they want to bring that to their guests in this huge ceremony in Mumbai. This is only the beginning. The celebrations will continue through the
weekend.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, I guess our invitations were lost in the mail, Salma. I mean, they did have seven months to scramble to find us. But I do have to
say, I mean, they are just really not holding back here. How well known is this couple?
ABDELAZIZ: We are talking about the family of Asia's richest man. The Ambani family is worth more than $115 billion. Their industries span across
multiple sectors. Their connections, their friendships are very deep and very far across the globe. So, people are showing up not just to celebrate
this couple, but to show also their connection to the family.
One person, one journalist in India likened this to historical events in which a royal family would open up their gates of their palace and bring in
everyone to celebrate and welcome that couple. But as you can imagine, there's some controversy.
This is a country that suffers deep poverty. This is an extremely lavish and expensive ceremony. It is exposing that wealth gap. But for this
family, they are also bringing a great deal of pride to India with these huge celebrations. So beautiful to look at.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, I guess eloping wasn't an option. Salma Abdelaziz reporting to us live from London. Thank you. Well, some of the biggest
names in sports and entertainment were in Los Angeles on Thursday to celebrate the year's best players, teams and moments in sports at the ESPY
Awards. The star-studded event was hosted by tennis superstar Serena Williams.
[12:55:02]
One of the many bright moments in the show occurred when Prince Harry accepted the Pat Tillman Award. He was honored for his work creating the
Invictus Games, a tournament for injured veterans. The show also had a bit of tension. Serena Williams, along with her sister Venus and actress Quinta
Brunson, used one moment to take a shot at NFL player Harrison Butker as they were honoring women's sports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VENUS WILLIAMS, U.S. TENNIS PLAYER: So, go ahead and enjoy women's sports like you would any other sports because they are sports.
QUINTA BRUNSON, U.S. ACTRESS AND PRODUCER: Yes.
SERENA WILLIAMS, U.S. TENNIS PLAYER: Except you, Harrison Butker. We don't need you.
BRUNSON: At all. Like, ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, they weren't really settled there. Butker has been widely criticized for making controversial remarks in a recent speech about gender
roles and Pride Month.
Well, that does it for this hour of "ONE WORLD". I'm Bianna Golodryga. I'll be right back in a moment with "AMANPOUR". And remember, we will bring you
my full interview with rescued Israeli hostage Andrey Kozlov. That's after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
