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One World with Zain Asher
Harris & Trump Prepare To Meet Face-To-Face For First Time; Gaza Officials: Dozens Dead, Injured After Israel Strikes "Safe Zone"; Ukraine Strikes Moscow Region In Biggest Drone Attack To Date; Police Release Bodycam Footage Of Tyreek Hill; Polls Show No Clear Leader Heading Into The Debate; Storm Nears Hurricane Strength As It Approaches Gulf Coast; Ezra Frech Achieves Paralympic Golden Double. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired September 10, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:00:43]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: We are just hours away from what could be the most pivotal event in the race to the White House. ONE WORLD starts right
now.
Well, today is the day. All eyes on Philly as Harris and Trump meet for the first time on the global stage.
Unprecedented. Ukraine targets the Russian capital in its biggest drone attack to date.
Shocking arrests. One of the highest paid players in the NFL handcuffed just hours before his game. New body cam footage, just ahead.
Hi, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching ONE WORLD.
Well, nine hours from now, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will be standing side by side on a stage for their first and perhaps only debate.
The event is being hosted by ABC News, but will be simulcast by all the major news networks. A recent poll found that more than 70 percent of
registered voters in the U.S. said they planned to watch the debate, and 30 percent think that it will have an impact on their choice for president.
Now, each camp is providing some hints about their strategy for the matchup. Trump spokesman says that Trump is, quote, going to be himself,
but also says there will be some surprises at the debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON MILLER, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISOR: She owns every failure of the Harris- Biden administration. You can't talk about turning the page when you're the one who created our current nightmare. You just can't. You can't prepare
for President Trump. There's just no way to do it.
It's -- imagine like a boxer trying to prepare for Floyd Mayweather or Muhammad Ali.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Well, as for Kamala Harris, her team is clearly trying to rattle Trump. Just a short time ago, they announced that two former Trump White
House officials who now support Harris will be attending the debate, and they have placed ads strategically on cable channels and in local markets
where Trump is likely to see them.
The ads go after Trump in a very personal way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems.
DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Oh, she had a big crowd. Oh, what a crowd.
OBAMA: This weird obsession with crowd sizes. It just goes on and on and on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Let's bring in CNN's senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak with more.
No one's holding back here as we're anticipating this debate just nine hours away. What makes this debate unique is that it comes during what we
now know is the shortest campaign cycle in recent history and could very well be the only debate between these two candidates. A lot at stake here.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, a lot. And I think it's fair to say that there's probably more at stake for Kamala Harris than for
Donald Trump, simply for the fact that she hasn't been in this race very long. Voters haven't had a chance to see her on a debate stage. They have
seen Donald Trump in that debate with Joe Biden.
And so I think if she has a goal tonight, it is really to introduce herself to the American public in a way she just hasn't done until now.
And polls do show that a lot of American voters want to know more about her, want to know more about what she would do as president. And for that
reason, what she's been doing over the last couple of days is preparing with her team in Pittsburgh. Answers concise two-minute answers that sort
of meld her personal biography with some of her agenda items, with some policy items that she's proposing to do as president.
And I think if she has a goal in this debate, it is one to introduce herself, but also to try and find ways to get under Donald Trump's skin.
And they're starting to do that, as we've seen in that ad.
But they really do hope to goad him into sort of a rant, into incoherence, into the type of response that has turned off so many American voters in
the past.
I think for Donald Trump, his goal is very much to tie Kamala Harris to the Biden administration in three particular areas, immigration, the economy,
and foreign affairs, all areas that they think that the Biden-Harris administration is vulnerable on.
And I think that will be a task for Kamala Harris to try and thread the needle to separate herself from Biden in certain areas, but also to embrace
him in other ways. And certainly she is his vice president, and she can only do so much to separate herself from the administration in which she
has served for four years now.
[12:05:15]
You already are starting to see the expectation games setting in. Kamala Harris' team has been very quick to point out that Donald Trump will have -
- participated in seven general election debates by the time tonight is over. That's more than any candidate in history because he's been the
Republican nominee for the last three cycles.
And they're also pointing to this dispute over the microphones about whether they would be muted or not during the debate. The debate rules now
say that they will be muted when a candidate isn't speaking. They say that doesn't work to Kamala Harris' advantage.
So you already see the campaigns trying to manage the expectations. But certainly, the stakes couldn't be higher as these two candidates head into
this debate with the polls now showing them essentially neck and neck. This could really, you know, determine how the next phase of this campaign
looks.
As you said, there's no other debate on the schedule. But at least on the Kamala Harris side, they aren't ruling out if this debate goes well, at
least trying to propose another debate in the days before or weeks before election day in November.
GOLODRYGA: That may be the test as to how either side feels that they did coming out of tonight, whether or not they will propose having another face
off.
All right. Kevin Liptak, thank you. We'll have much more on the upcoming debate in about 20 minutes time.
Israeli strikes hit a crowded tent camp, housing tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in a coastal region of Gaza. Officials in Gaza say
dozens of people were killed and injured while many were sleeping. Witnesses say at least five missiles struck the Al-Mawasi area of Khan
Yunis, creating large craters.
The Israeli military says that it struck Hamas terrorists operating a command center embedded in the humanitarian safe zone in Khan Yunis. Hamas
denies that its fighters were in the area.
CNN's Matthew Chance joins us now live from Tel Aviv. These strikes happened overnight, Matthew. So 12 hours later, what more have we learned?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That's right, Bianna. And you can see from those images that we're just putting out there
from the Gaza Strip, the craters that were left by these Israeli airstrikes are absolutely enormous. And so it gives you an indication of how powerful
the munitions were that were rained down on what would have been a very densely populated area that was meant to be a safe zone, of course, a
humanitarian area targeting, according to Israeli Defense Forces, Hamas militants operating a command and control center there, but also civilians
in the surrounding vicinity, paying an extremely high price.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (voice-over): As rescue workers scrambled for survivors, eyewitnesses say the Israeli strikes targeted what was meant to be a safe
zone in the southern Gaza Strip, ripping through tents and makeshift shelters, leaving deep craters and dozens of killed and injured.
They told us this area was safe, says this man. I swear the people here were just normal, he says, not fighters.
By daylight, you can see the extent of the destruction. Israel's military says it conducted a precise strike on Hamas terrorists, operating a command
and control center inside this humanitarian zone.
An IDF statement says, prior to the strike, numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.
But this was a heavily populated area, and civilians were caught up in the powerful blast.
This man says his two daughters were completely buried under the sand, only one survived. He says -- he says, he found the body parts of his neighbors
strewn around.
This 12-year-old girl, who's nursing a broken shoulder, suffered when her tent collapsed, she says, trapping her and her inside.
I was scared because the strikes were so close, she says.
Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields, and insists the Israeli military takes extensive measures to enable civilians in Gaza to
avoid combat zones, but there's little real security in this brutal war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: And, Bianna, the people in that particular humanitarian zone know better than anyone, really, that there's not security anywhere you look,
really, across the Gaza Strip.
[12:10:02]
This location was itself bombed earlier by Israeli forces back in July, in which Palestinian medical officials say at least 90 people were killed,
half of them women and children.
So again, you know, all underlining the very bleak security picture inside the the Gaza Strip as this war with Israel as it targets Hamas militants
continues.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Matthew Chance reporting live from Tel Aviv for us. Thank you.
Ukraine is once again taking the war to Russia with what's being called its biggest drone attack on the Moscow region since the Russian invasion began.
You're looking at video geo located by CNN showing Ukrainian drone attacks in the area surrounding the capital early Tuesday. Russia says that its air
defenses mostly thwarted the deadly barrage, but one person was killed near the capital.
Russian officials also say three Moscow airports were temporarily shut down. Here's the Kremlin's reaction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON: Night strikes on residential areas cannot be associated with military actions. The Kyiv regime continues to
demonstrate its nature. These are enemies. We must continue the special military operation in order to protect ourselves from such manifestations
of such a regime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Last month, Kyiv first took the war to Russian territory with an ongoing attack on the Western Kursk region.
For its part, the U.S. says it's, quote, not enabling or encouraging attacks inside Russia.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen joins us now live from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
And, Fred, it was notable during the early days of the Kursk invasion that the analysis was Vladimir Putin, while possibly bothered and embarrassed by
that incursion, was not as rattled if given that it wasn't one of Russia's major cities, specifically Moscow or St. Petersburg.
This is coming much closer to home, once again, Ukraine utilizing its very nimble weapons, specifically drones.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. And I do think it certainly hit very close to home for a lot of Russians,
especially with the capital city being under sustained, it seemed, drone attack for several hours as those airports had to halt their operations
for, of course, several hours.
And I think there's several things that the Ukrainians have actually shown with this renewed drone attack. On the one hand, they do now have
substantial long distance drone capabilities capable of flying to the Russian capital.
But, of course, also flying beyond that, they've almost come all the way to St. Petersburg in the past. But now also showing that they have a
substantial quantity of those long distance drones as well and that those drones can or at least try to strike sensitive targets inside Russia.
If we look at some of the places that were targeted tonight, it was nine areas actually of Russia. Most of them are in the southwest, like for
instance, the Bryansk area, the Kursk area and the Belgorod area, where of course the Russians do have a lot of military assets around there for their
invasion of Ukraine.
But then when we take a look at Moscow, we were mentioning that one person was killed on the ground. That happened in the Ramenskoye suburb of Moscow.
That's also the site of a major Moscow airport, the Zhukovsky Airport.
And then we did mention that for several hours, three of the airports in the Russian capitals could not have any outgoing or inbound flights. So
definitely for air traffic, they're disrupted. There was one other airport, the Sheremetyevo airport, which of course the biggest one in Moscow that
apparently still had flight operations.
But, of course, the Ukrainians have said that the Russians use their airport also to resupply their effort against Ukraine, their war against
Ukraine.
So the Ukrainians definitely throwing a wrench in some of the Russian operations, they believe. But at the same time also showing that they do
have those long distance capabilities.
And that, of course, right now for Ukraine is extremely important as they themselves face a protracted aerial campaign by the Russians using
ballistic and cruise missiles and, of course, using drones as well.
One of the things that we should point out is that while this large-scale Ukrainian attack on Russian territory happened last night, at the same
time, there was also a pretty large Russian attack using drones against Ukrainian territory.
The Ukrainians saying they detected some 46 drones in the skies. They managed to take down 38 of those drones. There were also ballistic missile
attacks as well.
So that's something that happens on a daily basis. But now the Ukrainians increasingly showing that they are able to punch back, even though, of
course, their possibilities so a lot less than the gigantic arsenal that the Russians have, Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. And the United States acknowledging reports that the Ukraine is now. I mean that Iran is now arming Russia with ballistic
missiles as well.
Fred Pleitgen, thank you so much.
We're following a developing story. Two Delta airline planes have collided while taxing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
[12:15:05]
A Delta airline spokesperson says that no one is hurt and that the wing tip of a Delta Airbus A350 came into contact with a Delta CRJ-900 regional jet
operated by Endeavor Airlines. The vertical tail of the regional jet was damaged. We'll continue to follow this story.
Meantime, still to come for us, NFL star, Tyreek Hill, speaking out after he was detained by police minutes from Dolphin Stadium.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TYREEK HILL, AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYER: I was shocked man. Like it's crazy because it all happened so fast, man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: New police footage of the traffic stop that ended with Hill on the ground in handcuffs.
Plus, the mother of the suspected Georgia school shooter is speaking out, what she says she did on the morning of the attack.
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GOLODRYGA: Police in Miami, Florida have released the body cam footage of officers detaining one of the NFL's highest paid players during a traffic
stop.
Tyreek Hill was pulled over while on his way to the Miami Dolphins' first game of the season Sunday for what's described as a moving violation. The
video shows officers arguing with Hill over having his window down before dragging him out of the car.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep your window down. Keep your window down, I want to get you out of the car? As a matter of fact, get out of the car. Give me
that. Get out of the car. Get give me that or I'll break the (BLEEP) window.
Get out of the car. Get out of the car right now. We're not playing this game. Get out. Get out. Get out.
HILL: I'll get out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out. Get out.
HILL: Damn.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll put a (INAUDIBLE)
HILL: Hey, Drew (PH). Hey, Drew, I'm getting arrested, Drew. I'm getting arrested. I'm getting arrested, Drew. I'm getting up. God. Damn.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we tell you to do something, you do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Body cam all show -- also shows Hill's teammates Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith at the scene. Campbell says that he was trying to diffuse
the situation. He says an officer told him that he was also under arrest and handcuffed him after he refused to leave.
CNN's Carlos Suarez is covering the story for us from Miami. What more have we learned about this? Hill was on CNN last night with Kaitlin Collins and
talked just about what an emotional experience that really was for him.
[12:20:59]
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bianna. So Hill said that he is shocked and that he's embarrassed about this entire incident that happened
to him over the weekend.
And his comments to CNN came hours after the Miami-Dade Police Department, when they released in nearly two hours of body camera video showing this
encounter between Hill and police officers.
Now, Hill was pulled over near the entrance at the stadium where the Miami Dolphins play in South Florida.
A second Miami Dolphins player who stopped to see what was going on was also detained, but he was also later let go.
A police union rep said that Hill was only detained because he was not cooperative and that he was allowed to leave after he was issued two
traffic tickets.
Here now is Hill on CNN talking to my colleague Kaitlan Collins about how things could have ended very differently for him if not for his celebrity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: The crazy part about it is I hate talking like this man, but because I have a key fan base but the reality of it is it's the truth. If I wasn't
Tyreek Hill worst-case scenario, we would have had a different article, you know. Tyreek Hill, you know, got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium, you
know, or -- that's worst-case scenario or Tyreek Hill, you know, put in handcuffs and take in and book, you know.
But it's crazy that, you know, I -- you know, me and my family have to go through this, you know, so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SUAREZ: So the Miami Dolphins who pay the Miami-Dade Police Department to provide security at Hard Rock Stadium, well, they are backing Hill. In a
statement, the team said, quote, while we commend Miami-Dade Police Department for taking the right and necessary action to quickly release
this footage, we also urge them to take equally swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.
Bianna, the Miami-Dade police director said that one of the officers involved in this incident has been placed on administrative duties and that
an internal affairs investigation into this entire encounter is already underway.
GOLODRYGA: All right. Carlos Suarez, thank you so much.
The mother of suspected Georgia school shooter, Colt Gray, is speaking out about what she did on the morning of the attack.
Marcee Gray says that she called in a warning prior to her son allegedly opening fire. A call log provided by her sister shows that Gray made a 10-
minute long call to Apalachee High School.
Gray says she told the counselor that it was an extreme emergency and for them to immediately find her son and check on him.
MARCEE GRAY, MOTHER OF COLT GRAY: The counselor said, well, I want to let you know that earlier this morning one of Colt's teachers had sent me an e-
mail that said Colt had been making references to school shootings.
Between my gut feelings, the text messages and now this e-mail, you don't need to go like running to the classroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Witnesses have told CNN that a school official did a check on a student in the classroom. Colt Gray was in prior to shooting, but actually
spoke to another student with a similar name.
Still to come for us, in a polarized nation that seems to be evenly divided, you may be surprised to see how many people say tonight's debate
could impact their vote for president.
CNN's polling expert will join us after the break.
And later, meet an incredible athlete who won two gold medals in two days at the Paris Paralympics. His story will, no doubt, inspire you.
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[12:25:48]
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.
Well, when it comes to the presidential election, many people say they know who was going to win.
But one tiny town in the state of Wisconsin can say the same thing because they have an incredible record of picking winning presidential candidates.
Gary Tuchman went there to see just how they do it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Violinists serenade this farmers market in the small town of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, which is
located in the state's eastern most county. A county that seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to presidential politics.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Who are you voting for in this election coming up between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, Kamala Harris.
TUCHMAN (on camera): In 2020, between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who did you vote for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden.
TUCHMAN (on camera): And in 2016 between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who did you vote for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I did vote for Donald Trump.
TUCHMAN (voice over): What this violinist did is what Door County did. Donald Trump won the county when he win the presidency. He lost Door County
when he lost the presidency.
But that's just a part of the story about this bellwether county that sits on a peninsula. The voters here have backed the winning presidential
candidate in the last seven elections since 1996 and have only missed twice in the last 60 years.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Who do you plan to vote for in this election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Harris.
TUCHMAN (on camera): In the last election in 2020 between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who did you vote for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Biden.
TUCHMAN (on camera): The election before that in 2016 between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who did you vote for?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump.
TUCHMAN (on camera): So you've switched around?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mm-hmm.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Just like this county does?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN (voice over): Door County has been one of the most politically accurate counties in the whole country. But because it's in the
battleground state of Wisconsin, it's getting extra attention.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you who you're going to vote for in November for president?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I'll vote for Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I will vote for Kamala and Tim.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kamala Harris.
TUCHMAN (on camera): You are the Door County Democratic Party Chair.
KRIS SADUR, DOOR COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR: I am.
TUCHMAN (on camera): What's the vibe on the ground right now to you?
SADUR: Oh, my gosh. The vibe has never been stronger.
TUCHMAN (on camera): You're the Door County Republican Chair?
STEPHANIE SOUCEK, DOOR COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR: Yes. Correct.
TUCHMAN (on camera): What's the vibe you have in the ground right now for what happens in this county on Election Day?
SOUCEK: It's really intense and there's a lot of people -- dor our side, we have a lot of new people coming in, a lot of people wanting to get
involved.
SADUR: We've gotten 300 new volunteers since Kamala Harris announced that she was running for president, 300 people in this little county of 30,000
people.
SOUCEK: There's a lot of energy right now.
TUCHMAN (voice over): You do feel the energy. Plenty of signs, voters here are engaged and no problem getting them to talk about the race and the
issues.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you know who you're going to vote for in November for president?
JOHN CONTRATTO, DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: I do.
TUCHMAN (on camera): And who's that?
CONTRATTO: Kamala Harris.
TUCHMAN (on camera): And how come?
CONTRATTO: Because I feel she's reliable, trustful, and she's for women's rights. And I think that's one of the big issues right now is women's
rights.
TUCHMAN (on camera): You're ready to vote for Donald Trump. What do you think the most important issue in the election is?
ZACH CHRISTIANSEN, DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: I would say just, like, foreign policy, border, southern border. That's probably the biggest thing
to me.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Door County is a very picturesque place, enchanting to residents and tourists alike. But whether it maintains its propensity for
proficient political prognostication remains to be seen.
SADUR: I'm predicting that we're going to win Door County.
[12:30:02]
SOUCEK: I think it's good to be confident, but don't get cocky. So I'm hopeful, but we have to make sure we work hard to, you know, make it
happen.
Gary Tuchman, CNN, Door County, Wisconsin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: So I'm not sure you at home know, but there is a debate tonight. The primary task for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris tonight is to win over
undecided or persuadable voters, but how many voters are there like that at this point?
You may be surprised to hear that about a third of voters say that a debate could have a significant impact on their vote for president, and 70 percent
of American voters say they plan to watch tonight.
For all the numbers to know heading into this debate, we welcome in to CNN's senior data reporter, our numbers grew, my friend, Harry Enten.
Hello, Harry. I don't remember the last time you were on this show, so it's a special treat to have you clearly an important debate that we're going to
be previewing if you took the time to join me.
First of all, let me have you react to Gary's piece is what do you make of Door County as goes Door County, so goes the election?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes, baby. I mean, who the heck knows? I've seen these counties, you get these bellwether counties, and
they pick every, you know, candidate since zippity do-dah day (PH), and then all of a sudden things change in the electorate.
So look, I think it's a fun piece. Look, Wisconsin is, obviously, a very important state. That's going to be an important county in that state, but
it wouldn't shock me, you know. One candidate wins the county by one point, and then loses statewide by a point. That could definitely happen, but
still, it's good to get out on the ground and talk to regular people. I like talking to regular people.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. So do I.
So if that doesn't shock you, does it shock you from this recent poll that some 30 percent of Americans say that their minds could be determined --
their vote could be determined, given what happens tonight at the debate, because there seemed to be a preconceived notion, I thought, that most
people watching, the outcome of a debate would just reaffirm their views going into the debate.
ENTEN: Look, it is even in that poll, right, the majority say, essentially, that the debate really won't actually matter, but I do think, you know,
nearly a third is relatively high. But, you know, the bottom line is there is just so much at stake going into this debate tonight, right?
Normally, we think debates don't necessarily matter, because the bottom line is one candidate has a significant lead over the other candidate going
into that first debate.
You know, if you go back since 1976, you should see the average candidate is ahead by six points in the polls.
But if you look at the polling right now, what you see between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is in the average poll, it's a two-point margin.
We're significantly closer than we normally are going into first debate.
So the bottom line is there's a lot at stake tonight, and there's specifically a lot at stake going on for Kamala Harris. Why is that?
Because if you look at undecided voters, you know me, you know I like to drill deep down into those numbers. Look at this. How do undecided voters
feel? Look at that.
Forty-eight percent say they need to learn more about Kamala Harris. Voters have all pretty much made up their mind about Donald Trump. Just 18 percent
say they need to learn more about Donald Trump.
But look at that view favorably. Just 13 percent of voters at this point say they view Kamala Harris favorably. But there's that such a large chunk,
48 percent who say they need to learn more.
So the real question is, can Kamala Harris go to those voters who've already made up their minds about Donald Trump and say, you know what? You
should go with me, because if she is able to do that, she couldn't back win this election just on the basis of tonight's performance.
And I will say this is a lot about the expectations game, right?
GOLODRYGA: Mm-hmm.
ENTEN: Look, you went into that first debate and a lot of folks thought when it was Donald Trump versus Joe Biden, Donald Trump was the favorite
candidate going into that first debate.
But now you go into this particular debate here. And what you see is in fact when you ask voters who they think is going to win the debate, more
voters say Kamala Harris than Donald Trump.
So the big question, the big question, Bianna, is this, can Kamala Harris come out tonight, continue that momentum that she had for most of the last
month that has only started to slow recently and basically turn the page?
Because as I keep emphasizing, voters have already made up their minds about Donald Trump. Everybody knows who Donald Trump is, but there's still
a lot of voters who are unsure about Kamala Harris. And tonight will go a long way to help determining those opinions going forward.
And that is why I think so many voters say they're going to watch because there is so much at stake tonight.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. High risk, high reward evening and event specifically as you note for Kamala Harris.
Senior data reporter, Harry Enten. Good to see you.
GOLODRYGA: Nice to see you.
And time now for The Exchange. We're joined by two men who have been in their share of debates over the years, former Arkansas Governor, Asa
Hutchinson, who ran for president earlier this year. And former congressman Tim Ryan, who ran against J.D. Vance in the 2022 Ohio State election.
Welcome both of you.
Tim, let me ask you, what specifically will you be watching for out of Kamala Harris tonight? What does she need to accomplish?
TIM RYAN, FORMER UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE: I think it's going to be about getting her resume out there. I think, you know, anything that Trump
or Vance are trying to hit her on, I think she can come back with her resume and her experience as vice president, the being AG, being a county
prosecutor in San Francisco when things look much different there, really getting that message out.
[12:35:04]
And I think a little bit about how the VP experience having more of a broad view of the world, a broader view of America around energy policy and some
of these things really allow her to shift her position, say on fracking, understanding what happened in Ukraine, how important natural gas is to our
economy, the increased demand for energy with artificial intelligence, data centers, all the re-shoring.
So some of that getting her resume out and talking about her experience. But I think a little bit about we're re-shoring jobs and we've re-
industrialized, and are re-industrializing the country and taking a little bit of credit for the CHIPS Act, the infrastructure bill and some of the
policy achievements of the Biden administration.
So it's kind of a two-prong thing and just coming off as likable because I don't think the other guy will. And that will score a lot of points with
those undecided voters.
GOLODRYGA: Tim, on a policy front, how much of a disadvantage is it for Kamala Harris going into this debate judging by just recent polling,
suggesting that the majority of Americans view that she is more to the left, more progressive, than they view Donald Trump as being more to the
right and conservative?
RYAN: Well, I think she's got to clear that up to some extent. You know, again, talking about energy in a way that's very pragmatic and not
necessarily, you know, coming from California or running in a presidential primary that was extremely going to the left in 2020.
But saying these experiences have allowed me to see a different way forward, a more pragmatic way forward.
I think on the immigration, got a pushback hard on the fact that she did go to the border. Maybe she had a leadership role there and she came back with
recommendations of which Republicans and Democrats in the Senate both agreed upon and were ready to pass until Donald Trump made calls to
McConnell and others, saying don't pass an immigration bill because I want to use it as a campaign issue.
So he's going to put his campaign before what's in the best interests of America, getting those little details out. Because I think that those
undecided voters that Harry was talking about, they want to know more.
They don't care if you necessarily shift your position --
GOLODRYGA: Yes.
RYAN: -- especially if you're shifting your position in the -- in the -- in the area of agreeing with more people and what's best for America, but
you've got to explain it with confidence and thoughtfulness. And I think if she does that, those independent and undecided voters are going to come her
way.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we know Donald Trump has also shifted his position on a number of issues over the years.
RYAN: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: Governor, Trump's team sees this debate as the best and perhaps last shot they have of knocking Kamala Harris off her game.
I'm wondering, this clearly would require a course correction and some discipline on his part. And he has yet to be able to do that in the past
month and a half.
Do you think you'll be able to -- we'll see that from him tonight?
ASA HUTCHINSON, FORMER GOVERNOR OF ARKANSAS: I think you'll see discipline for at least part of the debate, but whenever you have a 90-minute debate,
he's going to lose his discipline at some point throughout it. He's going to resort to his TV personality and his rally type presentation.
What he needs to do tonight is to stick with his strengths, which is his border security. It is about the economy and what his plans are to
strengthen that economy.
The fact that in his administration, you did not have wars breaking out all across the globe. And so if he sticks with his strength, then he's got a
good message.
Now, the other thing is he has less to gain and less to lose tonight because he is such a known quantity, that point has been made.
Kamala Harris is less known so she has more to gain. And so Donald Trump really has to look for the opening where Kamala Harris stumbles, where she
makes a mistake or where she leaves him an opening and that's where he's got to dive in. And that's where he could potentially show his strength and
have a greater gain.
There's not a more important debate than tonight in this presidential race because this race is going to be on the margins and it could make a
difference tonight.
GOLODRYGA: Well, Donald Trump has shown a real vulnerability with women voters. And on that front, Nikki Haley offered some unsolicited advice to
both Donald Trump and J.D. Vance saying that they need to change their approach to women, saying that they can't go after their intelligence or
their looks, but really stick to substance and policies.
Do you think that's something that Donald Trump, that advice that he will heed tonight?
HUTCHINSON: Well, Nikki Haley is right on point. And Donald Trump, first of all, will try to not attack Kamala Harris personally, not try to demean
her. If he does that, he's going to lose the debate. And he's going to lose further with women.
[12:40:14]
The other thing that he's got to talk successfully about is the abortion issue, a reproductive freedom for women. He's got to be able to explain his
position with some level of conviction and not just political equation.
And that's a defining issue in many of the Midwestern states in some of the marginal voters and suburban voters. He's got to be able to talk about that
with more compassion, conviction and reasonableness.
GOLODRYGA: Well, we don't know his position on this specific issue, perhaps because we know that he has really upset a core of his constituents by
trying to get into more detail and by offering a bit more openness and compassion on this.
So that'll be a real challenge for him to go into specifics on the issue of reproductive rights. We'll be watching closely.
Asa Hutchinson, Tim Ryan, thank you both for joining us.
RYAN: Thank you very much.
GOLODRYGA: And tune in -- tune in for special coverage of the ABC News presidential debate simulcast right here on CNN. It will air this Tuesday
at 9:00 P.M. Eastern time.
We will replay the debate at 2:00 P.M. Eastern on Wednesday. That's 7:00 P.M. in London, 10:00 P.M. in Abu Dhabi. So there's no excuse to miss this.
We'll be right back with more.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Take a look at this video. It's a Nevada National Guard dropping water on one of the 60 plus wildfires burning through the western U.S. More
than two million acres or 8,000 hectares have been burned so far. Making matters worse, temperatures are rising in California, Nevada, and Idaho.
California fire officials say three people have been injured while thousands have fled the fires, which are destroying homes and businesses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Five years, my grandparents have lived there and just lost everything. They just have the clothes that they left with, but
everything else is gone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's pretty dramatic in a small area. It's kind of heartbreaking because some of these folks are limited income and elderly
and it's going to be tough again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Meantime, Typhoon Yagi continues to leave a trail of destruction behind in northern Vietnam. State media says at least eight people were
killed when a busy bridge collapsed into a river on Monday.
[12:45:06]
Reports say 10 cars and trucks, along with two motorbikes fell during the collapse. This landslide caught on video swept away a bus with about 20
people on board. Officials say landslides and floods triggered by the typhoon have killed more than 60 people with dozens more missing.
And Tropical Storm Francine could strengthen to a hurricane today as it barrels towards the U.S. Gulf Coast. It will bring gusty winds, heavy
rainfall and a storm surge along the coastlines of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Some communities in Louisiana are already beginning to evacuate.
CNN meteorologist, Elisa Raffa joins us now from the CNN Weather Center in Atlanta.
Elisa, how is it looking now?
ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Still a tropical storm, but we're worried about this window that it has to gain strength. It can still do that
because these ocean temperatures are so warm. It's got winds at its center at 65 miles per hour. The outer bands have been lashing the coastline all
day. We have already seen some rainfall rates of one to two inches per hour along the Texas coast. You can see the rain already coming into some places
in Louisiana, like New Orleans.
It's been a little bit unorganized this morning. It's battling some dry air, but it's getting its act together a little bit better because it's got
some very warm ocean waters to work with here in the Gulf of Mexico. So it's got about a 24-hour window to gain strength and will become a
hurricane later on today, which is why we have hurricane warnings in effect for a lot of the Louisiana coastline here.
And it's been shifting a little bit east. We have tropical storm warnings in effect for New Orleans, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of
hurricane force winds there just yet, because we still have this storm that continues to shift east just a little bit and that could bring some of the
worst of the winds into places a little bit farther east.
So again, we'll find these winds really starting as we go into Wednesday morning. Today is your last day to prepare and get all everything down to
completion. We'll find the wind gusts again getting up to 50 miles per hour, even 60 miles per hour in parts of New Orleans as we go into
Wednesday and then starting to work inland on Thursday.
So again, wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour from Morgan City possible. New Orleans, again, can get in on significant winds as well.
Five to 10 feet of storm surge along the Louisiana coastline. And look at the footprint of the terrain working well inland up to a foot possible.
Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: More concerns about flooding as well. Elisa Raffa, thank you.
Well, coming up for us, he's 19 years old and sporting major bling. I'll speak to Ezra Frech, Paralympic star and inspirational athlete. That's
coming up after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:50:14]
GOLODRYGA: U.S. Paralympic athlete, Ezra Frech, was born with congenital limb differences, but that has not prevented him from achieving great
success.
During the Paris Paralympics, he won two gold medals over a two-day period. The first medal came when he won the men's 100-meter sprint. And then he
captured gold by winning the men's high jump event by clearing 1.94 meters, setting a new Paralympic record.
And Ezra Frech joins us now live from Los Angeles.
Ezra, we've been trying to make this interview happen now for a number of days. You've just been a very busy man, my friend. Congratulations on an
incredible Paralympics on two gold medals.
And I understand you just got off the phone with the president of the United States.
EZRA FRECH, U.S. PARALYMPIC ATHLETE: Yes, it's been a whirlwind. The past two days have been unbelievable, just seeping and gratitude. And I can't
believe this is my life now. It's been quite crazy.
GOLODRYGA: How was the conversation with the president?
FRECH: It was fantastic. It was fantastic. And lovely man. We had an amazing conversation. And I can't wait for everyone to see it.
GOLODRYGA: Lovely man. Listen, I think the world -- the world was in awe by your accomplishments. America, obviously, so proud of what you were able to
achieve. Two gold medals back to back.
And is it true that it was actually the high jump that was the one you thought you would or you were fighting to win the gold for? The sprint just
came out of nowhere? I mean, what was that moment like?
FRECH: That's exactly what happened. The 100-meter came absolutely out of nowhere. I came in, probably ranked sixth or seventh and then just happened
to have the best race of my entire life and ended up winning the gold.
And then the next day, I was high jumping, so I had to go back to my dorm, completely let go of the 100-meter and try to refocus because I had a job
to do the very next day.
GOLODRYGA: I loved watching the announcer who was just as surprised as I'm sure you were when you won that sprint competition. Ezra Frech, Ezra Frech,
I mean, it was down to the wire --
FRECH: Exactly.
GOLODRYGA: -- there at the end. You have an incredible Instagram page. I suggest everyone follow it. And look at your accomplishments throughout the
years.
As we noted, you were born with congenital limb differences and you ran on your first blades when you were just 4 years old. You were soon playing
soccer, basketball, running track, you name it.
What drew you to sports at such a young age?
FRECH: I think living with the physical disability, sports was an escape for me. Everywhere I was going in public, there was people staring and
pointing fingers and whispering and sports was that place, that meditative place to release all of that for me.
And so I fell in love with sports as a young kid. And then when I was 11 years old, track and field became my life.
GOLODRYGA: Yes. By age 11, you were watching the Rio 2016 Paralympics and said, and told your friends, hey, that's going to be me one of these days.
And, yes, you fulfilled -- you fulfilled that goal.
FRECH: Absolutely.
GOLODRYGA: You also said -- you also said this, Ezra, you said that you would trade in every medal, every world record, every national championship
title, if it meant that you could normalize disability in the process. That is what you say you were all about.
I'm wondering over the years now, how much closer you think you've become to achieving -- you've come to achieving that goal? Because that's what I
hear from a lot of Paralympian athletes.
FRECH: Absolutely. I think I was genuinely put on this earth to normalize disability and be an example of what is possible as an amputee. I don't
care about the goals. I don't care about the records. I care about using that to help change the way we perceive disability.
And I'm grateful to play a small role in the Paralympic movement and changing the stigmas around disability globally. And I hope that we can
continue to ride this momentum into LA in 2028. And we can forever change the way our country views people with physical disabilities.
GOLODRYGA: If there were another sport, it would be family cheering sections. And I'm pretty sure your family would get a gold there as well.
It was wonderful watching them react to your wins back to back. But they have been with you and your biggest supporters and champions along the way.
How important has it been for you to have your family on your side, on your team, throughout your career?
FRECH: It's unbelievably special. That is my village that you guys saw in Paris. That is my community. They say, it takes a village to raise a child.
I am nothing without the people behind me, the people supporting me.
So many human beings have played a role in getting me to that point. And so to share such a special moment with all of them, one of the most epic and
special moments of my entire life forever.
[12:55:02]
GOLODRYGA: And now it's coming to your hometown in four years. The Paralympics in Los Angeles 2028. You've already set a goal for yourself.
You said the L.A. Triple Crown goal. Talk about that.
FRECH: Yes. My goal when the game's coming to my hometown in 2028 is to win the Triple Crown, which is a gold in the high jump, a gold in the 100-
meter, and then a gold in the long jump.
So winning a long jump is now my focus. I'm grateful to go out there and Paris get two out of three. But in LA, three out of three, that's the goal.
GOLODRYGA: Quickly, Paris looked amazing, like a huge success. What can we expect in Los Angeles? Again, your hometown.
FRECH: I think we can expect the greatest Paralympics of all time stands to be packed, the energy to be there. We're going to ride this momentum. We're
going to continue to elevate the profile of the Paralympic movement. And we are going to have the most iconic Paralympics of all time, LA 2028.
GOLODRYGA: Can't wait to watch. We'll be cheering you on along the way. I noticed you're wearing your Trojan shirt. You're back in college. Just your
typical average --
FRECH: Yes.
GOLODRYGA: -- everyday college student wearing two gold medals.
I hope you have a wonderful semester at school. Congratulations again, and give your family our best.
FRECH: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
GOLODRYGA: Ezra Frech, champion. Thank you so much.
And that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching.
Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back with "AMANPOUR."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END