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One World with Zain Asher

Harris And Trump To Host Campaign Rallies Today; Putin Threatens War With NATO Over Long-Range Missiles; Sources: U.S. To Expose Its Role In Russian Intel Operations; Justin Timberlake Pleads Guilty To Driving While Impaired; 33,000 Union Workers At Boeing Walk Off Job; El Salvador: From Murder Capital To Safe Space; Aired 12:00-1:00p ET

Aired September 13, 2024 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:00:47]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST: And I'm Zain Asher. You are watching ONE WORLD.

The candidates are back on the campaign trail trying to win crucial votes and, of course, what has become a cliffhanger election.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Just 53 days to go before the November polls, former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to face the press in California this

hour. And then we'll be going to a fundraiser and finally a rally in Las Vegas. The vice president also holding campaign events in the key

battleground state of Pennsylvania.

ASHER: Kamala Harris is continuing to capitalize on her post-debate momentum in North Carolina Thursday. Harris called for a debate rematch.

GOLODRYGA: This as Trump is making it clear that he is done with debates, at least for now.

On Thursday in Arizona, he attacked the ABC debate moderators and put his own positive spin on Tuesday's event. Listen to the candidates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Donald Trump and I had our debates. I believe we owe it to have

another debate. Right? We owe it to the voters.

DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: When a prizefighter loses a fight, you've seen a lot of fights, right? The first words out of that

fighter's mouth is, I want to rematch. I want to rematch. And that's what she said, I want to rematch.

So because we've done two debates and because they were successful, there will be no third debate.

It's too late anyway, the voting's already begun. You've got to go out and vote. We got to vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: The Harris camp has launched new ads capitalizing on Taylor Swift's endorsement. Word is the campaign will focus more on impact than on policy.

Let's take a closer look at the state of politics with our panel. We've got Scott Jennings who's a senior political commentator and former special

assistant to Republican President George W. Bush. We've also got Meghan Hays, a former special assistant to President Joe Biden and a former White

House director of message planning. Thank you both so much for being with us.

So, Scott, Donald Trump's expected to address reporters in about half an hour or so from now. He's expected to do so in California. Obviously, he's

been trying to sort of portray the debate we saw on Tuesday as a win.

When he does talk to reporters, we do expect him to somehow try to change the narrative. What are you expecting him to say here?

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, just about the debates? Well, I mean, look, I think he's going to continue to argue that

he did better than people are saying that he did and that there's no need for another one. I don't expect that message to change.

Generally, what I hope he does is continue to talk about the economy, inflation and immigration. I mean, that's how he's going to win the race. I

mean, people want change because they're not happy with those issues under the current administration.

The correct answer for Trump in any press interaction is to always, always, always pivot to if you're unhappy with what's going on, don't leave the

same people in charge. So I hope he -- I hope he finds a way into that box this afternoon.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Because he only raised that at the tail end of Tuesday night's debate. And, of course, so many of his advisors have been telling

him to focus specifically on this one issue. Let's see in the next 53 days, if he will heed that advice.

Meghan, in the meantime, we know Kamala Harris is getting a lot of pressure to do more interviews. She -- despite what the former president says,

clearly, objectively, is a decisive winner from the debate.

But there are still so many voters, especially in those battleground states, who have questions about her policies, about specifics. They want

to hear more. We're hearing she is going to be giving more local interviews.

What can we expect to see out of those interviews in the battleground state specifically?

MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Yes. I think a local media strategy is actually the smart way to go. I think it reaches

more people where they are, it reaches more voters where they are. A lot of folks tune into their local news at night and in the morning when they're

like getting their kids ready for school.

So I think it makes a lot of sense to do local media interviews. You can also hit all the stations backstage before the event or after the event.

And it's a really effective strategy. And I think that she can talk about her policies on the economy and she can talk about her different policies

on reproductive freedom and even immigration, all the different topics that she sort of touched on in the debate.

I just think it gives her a little bit more nuanced way of addressing local issues as well and reaching people where they are.

I also think they should have a social media strategy and an influencer strategy where she sits down with podcasts and digital marketing influencer

people that are all over TikTok, just like, you know, you see President Trump or former president Trump doing that with podcasting is extremely

effective. And I think she should also engage in that type of strategy.

[12:05:12]

Every vote matters here and every electorate and every voting block matters. And that's just multiple ways to reach all the different

constituency groups that you need to get to.

ASHER: Scott, is it a mistake for Trump not to do another debate? I mean, we saw in 2012 with Obama debating Mitt Romney. Obama clearly lost the

first debate and then the second debate he came roaring back.

Should he do another debate in order to sort of shift the narrative here?

JENNINGS: I don't think so. In fact, I'll take you four years forward from your example to 2016, when the snap poll said that Donald Trump lost every

debate to Hillary Clinton and then he went on to win the Electoral College.

Look, let's just be honest about what happened. Trump missed some opportunities. Absolutely true. The poll said he didn't win, but he was

also debating three people. To a lot of Republicans, it didn't feel like it was a debate. It felt like he was on trial and there were three

prosecutors.

And I promise you that no matter who moderated another debate, the pressure would be on those moderators from the mainstream media to be harder on

Trump than they even were over at ABC.

So if you're Donald Trump and you're looking at like, what am I going to do to change a narrative? What can I do to impact a more positive outcome?

There is no way to get a better outcome out of another set of moderators after what happened with the ABC debate.

And on top of that, if Kamala Harris is going to be allowed to go to debates and ignore questions, flat ignore questions about the economy and

immigration and not be pushed on that, that's not fair.

And if the moderators are going to be able to try to fact check Trump with things that they say that turn out not to be true, that's also not fair.

So to me, there's a ton of risk in it. And I don't think it's necessary.

GOLODRYGA: Meghan, voter turnout, as we all know, is going to be crucial come the election. And I never thought I'd be asking a question about the

Taylor Swift effect. But yet here we are, since she announced her endorsement for Kamala Harris, we've seen over 52,000 Americans registering

to vote. This is via vote.org, 144,000 people have verified their voter registration status.

How do you think Kamala Harris and her campaign can best capitalize on this momentum?

HAYS: Look, I think and over 400,000 people clicked on the link after she posted it. So that's an incredible amount of people that are turning out

and at least interested in registering to vote and trying to figure out where they -- where they do that.

And I think they capitalize on what they're doing right now. They posted those billboards in Times Square from the DNC this weekend or last night

and in Las Vegas. So I think that they continue to do that.

But I do think you have a really good point that this is about voter turnout. And when you're talking about six or seven states with 10,000

votes that decided the last election, you know, 50,000 people registering to vote in the right states, that really could impact the election.

So I do think that this is an -- it's an interesting effect that this is having and her choice of messaging about registering to vote and to vote

early, I think is interesting. And I think incredibly helpful to the campaign. And I think they continue to push that and they continue to get

people to register to vote.

ASHER: And, Scott, you mentioned obviously that it is incredibly risky for Donald Trump to agree to another debate.

When you think about how the dynamics of this race has changed just over the past few months, I mean, obviously one of the sort of major inflection

points was the Biden debate. And you saw a dramatic change after that.

I think a lot of people thought that after Trump survived that assassination attempt that the election was basically over. And then you

had this debate with Kamala Harris.

What do you think is the next inflection point between now and November 5th? You've got 50 plus days or so. If Donald Trump is going to reset this

race or at least not reset, but gain a dramatic lead in this race, what is the next inflection point that could really change the dynamics here?

JENNINGS: Well, you raised a great question because I don't actually think there is another known event that could make a dramatic change in this

race. We'll have a vice presidential debate. I don't think that'll make much of a difference.

So the only major events that could change the flow of the water here, I think would be unknown, unplanned external events. You know, what if

something happens of a national security nature? What if there's a major emergency, you know, things that we just can't know or predict that could

have an impact on how people see the race.

But really, I think we're in a two-month grind right now. And I don't think you're ever going to see, in the polling, Donald Trump ever take a dramatic

lead. He might be tied, which I think he is today or close to being tied, but he's just not running the kind of campaign. And he's not the kind of

candidate I think against Harris that you're ever going to see go ahead by a lot of points.

That doesn't mean that he can't win the race. And in fact, I think if the election were held today, there's a pretty good chance he would win the

race. It's incredibly close.

If I were Republican, I'd be thinking it's going to be close until the end. My candidate's not likely to be ahead in the national polling.

However, in '16 and '20, the national polling didn't quite capture his vote share, nor did it capture it in some of the most important states like

Wisconsin, in particular. So I think if you're a Trump supporter and you're riding the roller coaster at this point, there's no more loopy loops.

There's just the grind all the way until the end of a very, very close election.

[12:10:07]

GOLODRYGA: Scott, it is Friday the 13th. I hope you didn't just open the door and jinx us to a major October surprise. So we'll hold you

accountable.

JENNINGS: I know.

GOLODRYGA: Thank you both, Scott Jennings, Meghan Hays.

ASHER: Thank you, guys.

GOLODRYGA: Appreciate the time.

Well, U.S. President Joe Biden is signaling that he may be open to allowing Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to strike deep inside of Russia.

ASHER: Yes. That topic will be the main focus of discussion when the president hosts a meeting with the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, at

the White House in just a few hours.

If the weapons are approved, it could not only help Ukraine hold the line after seizing territory in Russia's Kursk Region, but it would also allow

Kyiv to strike military targets deep inside of Russia that I use to launch attacks on Ukrainian cities.

GOLODRYGA: Russian President, Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, is warning NATO that a move to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons

would be considered an act of war.

CNN's Alex Marquardt joins us now live from Washington. These are threats that we've heard from Vladimir Putin in the past. And despite the fact that

he hasn't acted on them, there's still serious concern about the fact that he very well made. And those threats should be taken seriously.

Alex, it is a significant moment, if we do expect, President Biden to agree for Ukraine to use long-range weapons. France, the U.K., appeared to have

signed off on that as well.

What's missing, though, is he doesn't seem poised to allow ATACMS. That is US-made long-range weapons.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: And, Bianna, that's a very important distinction to make. But to your point about Putin,

just moments ago, there was a White House briefing in which the National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said exactly what you did, which is

these threats from Vladimir Putin, we have heard these before, that there's -- that there's nothing new there.

What is new is this consideration of the U.S. to allow Ukraine to use these longer range weapons.

Now, make no mistake, Ukraine can already use U.S. weapons inside of Russia in a limited way and missiles that are a shorter range.

What we're talking about now is the longest range missile that the U.S. has given to Ukraine. It's called an ATACMS.

And in parallel to that, we're also talking about French and British missiles that are basically within the same range.

So this is a decision for those individual countries to make, but they like to make these decisions as a collective because they want to show a united

front.

Another thing that Admiral Kirby just said is that we should not expect to hear any kind of announcement from the White House today.

So these two leaders will be talking about this issue of long-range strike capabilities inside of Russia with their weapons, but we should not be

expecting an announcement we are told.

But no doubt there has been a full court press from Ukrainian officials who have come here to Washington, who have met with Secretary Blinken and

Foreign Secretary David Lammy in Kyiv in the past few days.

They are pushing the West, those countries in particular, to allow them to use those weapons. We have heard the door open to the possibility.

Secretary Blinken saying that as the battlefield changes, there's an -- there can be an evolution. We have seen this evolution in the past.

But there are significant reservations. There is the fear that Russia will escalate, whether it's inside Ukraine or elsewhere. That goes back to what

Putin was just saying. There are concerns over the limited supply of these weapons.

There is not an infinite amount of these ATACMS missiles. And the U.S. believes that they could be used better elsewhere, perhaps inside Eastern

Ukraine and Russian occupied territory in Crimea down to the South, rather than these one-off strikes inside of Russia.

So there is a bit of daylight between how the U.S. and Ukraine see the military strategy, but it could also be that Ukraine wants the political

victory, the symbolism of the U.S. allowing them to use these very formidable missiles inside of Russia, which would not only be effective,

perhaps in a limited way, but really send a strong message to Russia and the rest of the world about U.S. support for Ukraine.

ASHER: And so, Alex, if Putin sees this as an attempt by NATO allies to involve themselves directly in this war, and he's saying that this is a red

line, how is the West preparing for some of the sort of escalation scenarios that you just laid out there?

MARQUARDT: Well, I don't think they are really seeing that as all that escalatory, because what he's describing is already what these NATO

countries are doing. They're already providing similar weaponry, albeit at a shorter range, to be used inside of Russia.

They're already allowed to use ATACMS. Ukrainians have already -- have had ATACMS for almost a year now. They've had storm shadows for longer than

that. And the French missile is called a SCALP.

And so I think they're seeing this as rhetoric from Putin, more saber- rattling that might not necessarily be serious.

[12:15:07]

Now, they don't want to downplay that too much because there's always the possibility of Russian escalation. There are all kinds of tools that they

could use, whether it's cyber or sabotage attacks, which we've seen in Europe, nuclear -- they're nuclear -- moving their nuclear weapons around.

But for the time being, the consideration I'm feeling in speaking with sources is really goes to the fact that the U.S. doesn't necessarily

believe it's going to change or have much of an impact militarily to that Ukrainian fight with Russia.

GOLODRYGA: And we are expecting President Zelenskyy to visit the U.S. in a number of days here for the U.N. General Assembly as well.

Alex Marquardt, thank you so much.

MARQUARDT: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: I'm turning now to a CNN exclusive, the Biden administration is expected to unveil new evidence today showing that a Russian media network

is playing a key role in the Kremlin's global intelligence and influence operations.

State Department is set to reveal declassified information that suggests RT and Russian intelligence operations are actively working together to try to

sow division and harm democratic processes.

The White House is also expected to announce a major effort to blunt those efforts.

CNN's Kylie Atwood joins us now live from the State Department.

And, Kylie, the former doesn't seem that surprising. The collaboration between RT, which is part of the Russian propaganda machine anyway with its

own intelligence.

Well, what is a bit notable is that the U.S. seems to have prepared a response. What do we know about that response?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. So they - - we've known this for a long time, as you well point out that RT is deeply enmeshed with the Russian government.

But what's new here is that there's going to be actually declassified U.S. intelligence that makes that case in a more robust way. That points to some

examples of how RT has operated fully integrated with Russian intelligence operations globally for quite some time.

Watch and see what those examples are. One thing that sources tell us is going to be included in what's rolled out today is the fact that Russian

intelligence embedded a cyber-unit inside of RT for quite some time.

That is one example. We'll watch and see, as I said, what more comes out. But it's also significant that the United States is trying to reveal this

information publicly. They're also going to be engaging in a global diplomatic effort to tell other countries the risks associated with having

RT on the airways in their country.

And they're also trying to blunt to the influence that RT has globally. Of course, RT isn't on the airwaves here in the United States. It's not on the

airwaves in the European Union. They banned it after Russia invaded Ukraine, but it is increasingly on the airwaves in places like Latin

America and in places like Sub-Saharan Africa. And so those countries are really kind of the target, the focus of what's going to be announced today.

The backdrop, of course, is that the Biden administration, just last week, rolled out new information, DOJ indictments and the like going after RT's

operations and efforts associated directly with the Russian government, Kremlin-directed here in the United States to try and undermine the 2024

presidential election process.

So what the United States is saying with these two actions, simultaneously, is it's not just happening in the United States, it's happening around the

world and the United States has intelligence to share with folks to make that case more aggressively than they have in the past.

GOLODRYGA: All right. Kylie Atwood, thank you so much.

Well, breaking news we want to just tell you now. Music star, Justin Timberlake, has pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.

ASHER: Yes. The singer was arrested back in June after police say he was observed driving a 2025 BMW in an intoxicated condition in Sag Harbor, New

York.

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Brynn Gingras joins us now live outside the courthouse in Sag Harbor.

Was this plea expected, Brynn?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Not quite, guys. It was actually a very interesting time in court. The judge really incredulous,

not really thinking that this was enough for Justin Timberlake.

Let me get first to what was decided as a plea deal between the Suffolk County District Attorney's office and Justin Timberlake and his defense

team on that single DWI charge.

So they were proposing that that be a lesser charge of driving while impaired and also under the condition that he make a public -- what they

call public safety, not service, public safety announcement, in front of all the cameras just after his court appearance.

Now the judge didn't like that very much. He didn't think it was enough. Actually peppered the ADA's office with so many questions, like, so you're

saying he doesn't have to go to any rehabilitation? You're saying that he doesn't have to do any community service? He wasn't happy about it.

[12:20:07]

And so he went into this whole long spiel about why it's so important for Justin Timberlake to realize what he did, why it's wrong, and show some

sort of retribution.

And so he turned to Justin Timberlake at this point in the courtroom where Justin was very much listening intently to this judge as he was talking for

quite a while.

And he said to him that he thinks that he should spend some time in his own head, is the way he said it, reflecting. And basically said, this is my

condition, not yours. I want you to serve 25 to 40 hours of community service. You can do it within the year. It could be done at the nonprofit

of your choice in this community of Sag Harbor where this arrest took place back in June.

And he said, asked basically Justin Timberlake, are you OK with that? And Justin said, quote, I'd be honored too.

So it was a really interesting point because you know what, listen guys, there were some mothers in there who've lost their children to drunk

drivers. And they were adamant, as they spoke to them in the courtroom there, about wanting him to use his platform to, you know, inform the

public about why drinking while driving is wrong.

But they also didn't want to see another celebrity get away with not doing anything. So actually the woman sitting next to me kind of, you know, did

it a little bit of a clap when the judge went a little bit harder than what was agreed to by the prosecution and the defense on this deal.

So right now, I can tell you we are waiting for Justin Timberlake to go to the microphone and give that public safety announcement where the judge

really wants him to show some contrition and explain what exactly that he did.

And we're understanding if he does so, and the judge is happy with that, he will completely reduce that community service to about 25 hours. So we'll

see how that kind of moves forward.

But that is the extent of the plea deal that we have with this drunk driving while intoxicated charge that happened here in Sag Harbor, part of

the Hamptons back in June where Justin was, you know, seeing leaving a bar not too far from where I am and pulled over basically for blowing through a

stop sign and was arrested on that DWI charge. So we'll wait for his remarks.

But certainly, it was an interesting time in court while Justin really was, you know, not being treated, as they say, like any other celebrity in the

judge's eyes, guys.

GOLODRYGA: All right. And we'll be taking Justin Timberlake's remarks when they happen live.

CNN's Brynn Gingras giving us a detailed account of what went down in that courtroom. Thank you so much.

Well, after almost a year in hiding, one of Israel's most wanted men is breaking his silence. According to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah,

Yahya Sinwar has written them a letter praising their efforts in fighting against Israel and reaffirming his commitment to the war on Israel.

ASHER: Yes. CNN has yet to confirm if the letter was indeed written by the Hamas leader. Sinwar has not been seen since the October 7th attacks and is

believed to be hiding underground in Gaza.

All right. Still to come here, they voted more than nine to one to go on strike, just the latest blow to Boeing. What is behind the impasse?

Also ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RENE MERINO, SALVADORAN DEFENSE MINISTER: If the bad guy know some civilian people say hi to us, they kill them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Once called the murder capital of the world, El Salvador is now a safe haven. A look at how government officials are taking down the gangs

who have ruled the country for decades.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:25:01]

GOLODRYGA: Well, more chaos at one of the world's best-known companies, Boeing has been hit with a massive labor strike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CROWD CHANTING "Strike")

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Thirty-three thousand unionized workers at the troubled plane maker walked off the job just hours ago after rejecting a tentative deal.

ASHER: The new contract included pay rises all at least 25 percent. The aerospace giant has already had a rough few years suffering major problems,

including two fatal crashes. And it's worth noting that Boeing estimates its annual contribution to America's economy at $79 billion.

CNN's business and politics correspondent, Vanessa Yurkevich, is following all of this for us. She joins us live now from New York.

So we know that the work stoppage here holds production on basically most of Boeing's aircraft, including its best-selling, 737 Max. Just explain

where we are in terms of negotiations, Vanessa.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we actually just heard from Boeing's CFO, Brian West, who said that he was

disappointed by the vote results and disappointed by this strike going in. He thought that they put a great deal on the table, but apparently 95

percent of rank-and-file members disagreed, and 96 percent authorized the strike that started earlier this morning.

He also said that this strike would jeopardize production. So orders in the pipeline, the slowdown in production, he says, we can see that, we will see

that if this strike continues.

He also said that the CEO of Boeing is directly engaged in negotiations. Now, Boeing wants to get a deal done. This is a company that has struggled

for the past five years or so seeing losses of $33 billion in operating costs. They want to see a deal. They want this strike to come to an end.

On the flip side, though, guys, the rank-and-file members don't like much of this deal at all. Despite 25 percent wage increases, contributions to

401(k), the commitment to bring a new plan to production, we've heard from members that that is not good enough.

They've given a lot of concessions over the last 15, 16 years or so since the last time we saw a strike, and they believe they are overdue for much

more. As to when both sides are officially getting back together, we still don't know.

But on Boeing's part, they certainly want to get a deal done. The union, though, may have to listen a little bit more to their members to figure out

exactly what would garner a yes vote at the end of the day, ladies.

ASHER: All right. Vanessa Yurkevich -- I have to say, it's been a while since we've had you on the show and somebody became a new mom in that time.

YURKEVICH: Yes.

ASHER: Vanessa, congratulations. We are so happy for you.

YURKEVICH: Thank you. Happy joining you ladies in this motherhood journey.

GOLODRYGA: Yes.

ASHER: Congrats, my darling.

GOLODRYGA: It's a whole new world, Vanessa.

YURKEVICH: It is. Thank you.

ASHER: Vanessa Yurkevich live for us there.

GOLODRYGA: No option for strikes.

Coming up for us, making his case ahead of a key decision. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sits down with CNN to discuss why the use of

long-range Western weapons inside of Russia could be a game-changer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:20]

ASHER: All right. Welcome back to ONE WORLD. I'm Zain Asher.

GOLODRYGA: And I'm Bianna Golodryga.

The White House says not to expect an announcement today on whether the U.S. will approve Ukraine's use of long-range weapons inside of Russia.

ASHER: Yes. It comes as Volodymyr Zelenskyy is stressing the importance of that decision. The Ukrainian president sat down earlier with CNN's Fareed

Zakaria. And he made it clear the weapons would be used for a very specific purpose that would not involve civilians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: Everybody is looking at the decision of the United States. Everybody is waiting for such decisions.

After that, they make decisions. It's true.

And so we wanted very much to use this weapon and just to attack these jets on the military bases, not civilian's infrastructure. Military base.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: So you just want to be able to attack --

ZELENSKYY: Yes.

ZAKARIA: -- the bases that are -- that being used to launch these weapons, these planes, these missiles?

ZELENSKYY: Yes. Because these jets, Fareed, these jets -- these jets, from there, they used not only missiles, they used these jets and jets used, per

month, 4,000 guided aerial bombs on just on the east of our territory, 4,000 bombs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange.

Joining us CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger. David also wrote the book, "New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and

America's Struggle to Defend the West."

David, always good to see you. So no doubt a significant announcement expected, not today, but soon. We would imagine from the White House

President Biden now allowing essentially Ukraine to use long-range weapons, notably not ATACMS, but U.K. long-range weapons as well as French. We'll

see if Germany follows.

But I'm wondering what the significance of that would be aside from symbolic, given that it's taken the U.S. so long to finally sign off on

this.

And there is concern that announcing exactly what you're going to use them for could only lead Russia to have time to really move its assets even

further out of their range to avoid the significant damage which they could inflict.

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That's absolutely right. And I think that, you know, while listening to President

Zelenskyy, what he says makes perfect sense.

When you dig into this with military strategies, there are a few complications that may well affect the decision.

First of all, I would not expect any announcement out of this meeting today with Prime Minister Starmer and President Biden, in part, because President

Putin declared yesterday that if there is the use of long-range weapons inside Russia, it would be considered an act of war. And I don't think they

want to, you know, wave the red flag in front of -- in front of him.

[12:35:09]

The second is they've already moved a good number of those aircraft out of the range of the American ATACMS, which as you noted, would not be allowed

to be used deeply in Russia. And that the range of those missiles is greater than the range of the French and the British missiles.

And the third is there aren't that many missiles around. And that's the biggest problem. We think that the Ukrainians have a couple of hundred. The

U.S. says it does not have enough to give in store here to give them more without affecting readiness if there's a crisis elsewhere in Europe or in

say the Korean Peninsula. The British and French have some, but not enough to make a strategic difference.

So as some American officials put it to me, if you were going to spend that kind of money, a million dollars a missile, couldn't you do more, giving it

to the Ukrainians to build, say, 25 drones, or maybe 50 or maybe 100 for that kind of money. Of course, the drones don't pack that kind of punch.

ASHER: Just in terms of Vladimir Putin's next move, I mean, he said that these long-range missiles are, of course, a red line. He's saying that he's

going to follow this move by the West with, quote-unquote, appropriate decisions.

What does he mean by that? And what does escalation actually look like here?

SANGER: Well, Zain, that's been the mystery throughout the past 31 months of this war. President Biden's been very cautious, as we've all discussed

before, because at each step, he is worried that each of these steps would be escalatory.

This one's a little bit different. The previous weapons they provided were pretty much for use in Ukraine or right on the border.

And when you're talking about a move inside somebody's country, it's harder to guess what their reaction is going to be.

I actually think the Russians have been milder on this, so far, than I would have expected. But President Putin's statement yesterday was pretty

fiery in saying that this would be an act of war.

They could well help -- the Russians could well help the Iranians or Iranian proxies work on better targeting against American forces in the

Mid-East. And that's something the American intelligence community is quite worried about.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. No doubt there could be a threat in menace to U.S. interests outside of the European area there. And as you noticed in the

Middle East as well, all over the world.

David, what have the Ukrainians reaction been to what we've heard Donald Trump say repeatedly? But again, Tuesday at the debate when asked a number

of times directly if he wants Ukraine to win this war. It's a simple yes or no answer. And he's not able to say it.

And J.D. Vance, this week, said a vision that he sees for a peace settlement would align with a lot of what Vladimir Putin wants. And that is

Ukraine's seating control that Russia has already taken.

The two nations separated by a demilitarized zone. And the notion of Ukraine possibly joining NATO at some point, not being an option.

How are Ukrainians responding to that?

SANGER: So for the Ukrainians, at least as they have defined their war objectives, this would be the biggest defeat short of having the Russians

take over the entire country.

The biggest missing element of the Trump plan is the --

ASHER: All right. David, I'm so sorry. We have to interrupt you because Justin Timberlake is speaking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, AMERICAN SINGER AND SONGWRITER: I don't how many of you were in the courtroom and heard what I had to say in the courtroom, but

I'll reiterate that and say this to you.

Many of you have probably been covering me for a lot of my life. And as you may know, I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. And this

was not that. This was not that.

I found myself in a position where I could have made a different decision, but I've had some time to reflect on that.

And I also understand by, you know, the fact that all of you are here, that I have a platform, you have a platform, we share that platform.

And so what I'd like to say to everyone watching and listening, even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car. There's so many

alternatives: call a friend, take an Uber, There's many travel apps. Still, take a taxi.

[12:40:23]

This is a mistake that I made, but I'm hoping that whoever's watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly

have. And like I said, even one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car.

I also said this in the courtroom before, but I grew up in a small town. So I can -- I can appreciate and understand the strain or unique nature that

this must have been on the people of Sag Harbor.

But I just want to say to everyone who's been involved, from everyone in the courtroom to everyone outside, including the police department, that

I'm very grateful and I thank them.

And I guess in closing, I'd like to say we can all be more safe out there and I'm going to do my part. I hope that everyone else does their part.

And thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What charity will you be working with?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right. A very contrite Justin Timberlake there, speaking to cameras, speaking to reporters after he pled guilty to driving while

impaired. He essentially said that he likes to hold himself to a higher standard than that he could have made a different decision.

And then he ended with a piece of advice for everyone, just in terms of how important it is not to get behind the wheel of a car, even if you've had

just one drink.

GOLODRYGA: All right. We'll be right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GOLODRYGA: El Salvador was once labeled the deadliest country in the world, but recent data shows that there has been a dramatic drop in crime.

[12:45:06]

ASHER: Yes. Its president boasts the highest incarceration rate in the world, while human rights groups argue civil rights are being violated.

CNN's David Culver takes us inside the controversial prison system that has changed the country.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): We're layering up to walk through a notoriously gang-infested part of El

Salvador's capital.

The country's defense minister is our tour guide.

CULVER: And this area especially was --

RENE MERINO, SALVADORAN DEFENSE MINISTER: Was very, very, very dangerous area.

CULVER: He said go back three or four years, and the folks who lived in this area didn't even want to look police and military in the eye.

MERINO: If the bad guys know that some civilian people say hi to us, they kill them.

CULVER (voice-over): For decades, gang violence suffocated nearly all aspects of life in El Salvador. But now, walking these once deadly streets

with the defense minister, feels more like a victory parade.

Handshakes, hugs, photos, even carrying babies.

For some, even asking about the past brings out tears.

Only God knows what it was like here before, she says.

Less than a decade ago, El Salvador was labeled the deadliest country in the world. Murders have since plummeted, according to government data. From

more than 6,600 in 2015 to 154 last year. Life has seemingly returned to these streets.

CULVER: Now, I feel a little bit silly even having to wear this. The biggest threat is a slowdown in going to where you need to go because of

taking photos and saying hi to people.

CULVER (voice-over): But how did it all change so quickly?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bukele.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bukele.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Bukele.

CULVER (voice-over): Most crediting Nayib Bukele, the country's president.

In 2019, he came into office. His actions, controversial, consolidating power, tightening his grip of control, and essentially eliminating any

political opposition.

Under a state of emergency, more than 81,000 people arrested. Bukele even boasting that El Salvador now has the highest incarceration rate in the

world.

The government says the most hardened gang members end up here at the Terrorism Confinement Center. Government images from inside have been

widely shared on social media.

But most of those arrested are actually kept in facilities like these. A side of El Salvador's prison system a few have seen.

CULVER: You can actually see just over where we are, there's row after row after row.

CULVER (voice-over): This facility alone holds roughly 30,000 inmates.

Prisoners are put to work, tasked with rehabilitating themselves and their country.

CULVER: You can even see there's a police vehicle that they're working on.

CULVER (voice-over): We tour another facility where inmates are making government uniforms and building desks for local schools.

Some inmates are sent into communities to help heal the nation.

By erasing parts of a painful past. President Bukele ordered the inmates to shatter gang tombstones.

CULVER: So, this is one of them here, and you can see this is all broken off. They're still buried here, and they still have a plot.

CULVER (voice-over): But any mention of their past gang affiliations and nicknames destroyed.

Driving through the capital, we see kids playing, parks packed with vendors and families, and lots of traffic. It all might seem normal. But locals

stress to us, this is all new to them.

CULVER: It's calm. Before, nobody would visit here, not even your own family.

CULVER (voice-over): Though feeling safer, this woman tells me the drastic changes have come at a devastating cost.

CULVER: She's saying her son, who helps her normally financially, is in jail. So, for her, yes, it might be safer here, but economically, it's no

better.

CULVER (voice-over): She says her son is being held at one of the work prisons we visited, but that he's innocent and has not been given the

opportunity to defend himself. It's a claim many have made against the government.

But the Bukele administration is adamant that they've taken lawful and necessary steps to liberate this country.

We meet this woman who says she's been able to move in thanks to the changes.

CULVER: And so for her to be here in this space now to have a little business, she says it's been a blessing.

[12:50:01]

CULVER (voice-over): Keeping the gangs out has meant military patrols at all hours. Though now, even the sight of armored trucks with flashing

lights surrounded by heavily armed soldiers, no longer intimidating for residents, so much as fascinating.

CULVER: They're just curious and wanting to take a picture and video of the inside of some of this military equipment.

MERINO: Mr. President says this is a miracle, he says. This is a miracle.

CULVER (voice-over): And perhaps like a miracle, El Salvador's transformation has its skeptics and doubters. But most everyone we find

here, for now at least, devout believers. Hopeful this change will last.

CULVER: But it seems the impact of President Bukele's crackdown is going beyond the borders of El Salvador.

In fact, we looked at the numbers from customs border protection here in the U.S. And starting in roughly early 2022 or around the same time that

that controversial state of emergency began in El Salvador, up until 2023, the number of encounters of folks from El Salvador at the U.S. southern

border dropped 36 percent. Now it's on track to drop even further this year.

What's more is when we were down in El Salvador, we met a lot of folks who, for years, lived in the U.S. and who, in the past few years, have decided

to uproot their lives in the United States and cross the border south until Salvador where they're now building a new life for many of them back home

where they started. David Culver, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EWAN MCGREGOR, SCOTTISH ACTOR: You know I don't like it when you do that.

HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN, MCGREGOR'S "STAR WARS" CO-STAR: Sorry, master. I forgot you don't like flying.

MCGREGOR: Well, you've lost it.

CHRISTENSEN: If you'll excuse me.

MCGREGOR: I hate it when he does that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: That clip was from the "Star Wars" film franchise featuring legendary actor Ewan McGregor, playing the character Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was

honored Thursday on the Hollywood walk of fame with a star. His loved ones were there to cheer him on during the ceremony.

ASHER: Oh. Yes. Listen as one of McGregor's co-stars praises him for his body of work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTENSEN: To watch him embody this character, it's like watching magic, you know, and the best kind of magic, you know. Not the kind that involves

any like trickery or sleight of hand, but the kind that really makes you believe in something bigger.

[12:55:11]

Because he wasn't just playing Obi-Wan, he was Obi-Wan. I mean, he is Obi- Wan.

(LAUGH)

And I really hope we get more Obi-Wan because this man is just "Star Wars" gold.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: McGregor said he was really touched to receive that star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

GOLODRYGA: So lovely. Well, that does it for this hour of ONE WORLD. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. Appreciate you watching. Don't go anywhere. Bianna will be back with "AMANPOUR" in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END