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Two Students And Two Teachers Killed In Georgia High School Shooting; Liz Cheney Says She's Voting For Harris For President; U.S. Accuses Russia Of Sustained Effort To Influence 2024 Election; NY Gov. Hochul: "Absolute Betrayal" By Former Aide Now Charged With Acting As A Chinese Agent. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired September 04, 2024 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, new details on the mass shooting at a Georgia high school. Authorities revealing that two students and two teachers are dead, and that the 14-year-old suspect will be charged with murder as an adult.

Also breaking, new reaction to the Georgia shooting on the presidential campaign trail as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are both weighing in. Stand by to hear their different reactions.

And the U.S. Justice Department is accusing Vladimir Putin of directly ordering a covert Russian online campaign to try to influence the 2024 U.S. election. We'll discuss the scope of the threat and the Biden administration's response with key White House official John Kirby.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. You're in The Situation Room.

And we begin with the breaking news, two students and two teachers gunned down at a Georgia high school. The nation rocked by yet another mass shooting that's already left nine people injured, also left nine people injured. A 14-year-old suspect identified as a student at the school is now in custody.

CNN's Brian Todd has more on how it all unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Law enforcement officials say they got their first alerts of a shooting at just before 10:30 this morning at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, about an hour northeast of Atlanta.

SHERIFF JUD SMITH, BARROW COUNTY, GEORGIA: I never imagined that I would be speaking to the media in my career over something that happened today, the pure evil that happened today.

TODD: Officials say four people were killed, two students and two teachers. Nine others were taken to local hospitals. The suspect, a 14-year-old male who was a student at Apalachee is alive and in custody. SMITH: Obviously, the shooter was armed and our school resource officer engaged him and the shooter quickly realized that if he did not give up that it would end with an OIS, an officer involved shooting. He gave up, got on the ground and the deputy took him into custody.

TODD: Officials say the alleged shooter will be charged with murder and tried as an adult. Multiple law enforcement officials tell CNN's Mark Morales and John Miller this same high school had received a phone threat this morning before the shooting occurred, the caller warning there would be shootings at five schools and that Apalachee High School would be the first. It's not known who placed the call.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: What they are investigating now is it possible that that threat came from the student who is in custody as the alleged shooter. Is it possible that threat came from someone that he asked to make that phone call at or about the time that he opened fire? The timing here is obviously going to be important.

TODD: This video filmed by a student shows students being led down a hallway by law enforcement with their hands up as the school was being evacuated. Students recounting the horror and confusion inside the school as the shooting unfolded.

JANICE MARTINEZ, STUDENT: I told everybody to get down, because it's like you don't joke around with that, you know? We got in a corner, some girls started crying, and then, like, I was like, calm down, and then the teacher, she was shaking and everything, I was like, no, it's going to be okay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Multiple gunshots, rapid fires, and like two times, maybe like two rounds, like, it was just constant, and it just didn't stop.

TODD: The mother of 17-year-old Apalachee student Ethan Haney shared with CNN his text to her during the shooting. School shooting right now, Ethan texted. I'm scared. Please, I'm not joking. I'm leaving work, his mother texted back. I love you, Ethan replied. His mother asks where he is. Class, he replies. Someone's dead.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (on camera): Sheriff Jud Smith says the alleged shooter has been interviewed by law enforcement officials and that officials have also spoken with his parents, but he would not give any specifics on what any of them said. Asked if there was a connection between the shooter and the victims, the sheriff said none that he was aware of, Wolf, but it is early in the investigation.

BLITZER: It's horrible indeed. Brian Todd, thank you very much for that report.

[18:05:00]

I want to go live to CNN's Ryan Young. He's on the scene of the school shooting in Winder, Georgia, right now. Ryan, you've been talking to students. Tell us a little bit more about what they're telling you.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, we've been talking to students and sources about this investigation ongoing. We're hoping for the next hour or so, maybe we'll see a mugshot for this suspect. But I can tell you students and parents both very angry at this hour. A lot of them had to stay outside in the sun for quite some time to try to process exactly what went on. Talking to some students, they heard the shots one after another. I talked to one ROTC member who said he thought he heard six to seven shots. This sent shock waves down their system. Take a listen to some of the students that we talked with after they finally got released to their parents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard gunshots sounded like someone was just banging on the door. And then there's a red alert popped up on the screen and then a light went off. And it sort of hit me what was happening, went into a corner, got down the corner. I just kind of sat there. I started hearing scuffling feet and things like that and then shouting and all that, praying, you know, it wouldn't escalate anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We heard a loud noise and my teacher had just walked out of class to go get some papers off the printer. And so another teacher was watching us. And so she was like, oh, my God, oh, my God. She's like, go in the closet. Everyone go in the closet. And we heard, like, really loud shots.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were approximately like four classes away from mine. We were in a presentation, and then all of a sudden, the hard lockdown screen came on our T.V. And then it looks like a moment of just straight silence. And you just hear gunshots, and everyone just runs to the corner. After about like 15 minutes, the police like unlocked the door and barged in. We had to like put our hands up. They had to like search us and make sure no one in here was like a shooter and they were trying to hide.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Wolf, the system here appears to have worked. You heard several students talk about that hard lockdown came on their screen. They knew to react immediately to the situation. I was talking to students after student who said the teachers did all they could not only to barricade doors but to reassure them while this was going on, and then officers responded very quickly.

Let's not forget, the sheriff says it was a school resource officer that confronted the shooter and that's ultimately how he surrendered. But all this, still think about the teachers that lost their lives in this and the students as well. People were shell shocked as they walked away from the school this afternoon. Wolf?

BLITZER: Thank God for those teachers and those police officers. Ryan Young, thank you very much.

Let's get some more in all of this. Our experts are joining us, experts on law enforcement and gun violence. And, John Miller, let me start with you. Authorities aren't revealing what the weapon the shooter used, what the weapon was and they haven't determined how he got the firearm. Walk us through what investigators are doing to try to answer these questions right now.

MILLER: Well, that begins with ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. They do the enforcement and gun regulations and laws in the United States. But because there is no national gun registry, like you could run the license plate of a car, they're going to have to take the weapon that was recovered, run the serial number, that will make the manufacturer, whoever that company is, tell them what gun store or dealer that was sent to. They go to that dealer, then they have to go through paper records and say, well, here's the person we sold it to. So, that is how that trail begins.

Now, you know, guns are traded and sold from owners and that has even less record associated with it, but 76 percent of guns used in school shootings will have come from the home. So, we'll start with the probability that it probably originated at the home and the records, you know, will direct them otherwise, if that's the case.

BLITZER: Charles Ramsey is with us as well, the former D.C. Police chief, Philadelphia Police Commissioner. Chief Ramsey, law enforcement says to school resource officers immediately encountered the shooter within minutes of the active shooter report. Given what we know so far, what do you make of the response to this shooting?

CHARLES RAMSEY, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: There's no doubt in my mind they saved a lot of lives. The fact that they were in the school at the time and were able to respond immediately, there's just no question it saved a lot of lives and they were able to take this person into custody alive. And I think that had a lot to do with it as well.

Oftentimes, in fact, most times, you know, the shooting is over before police even get there. These things go down in two, three minutes. And it's not unusual for the shooter to take his own life or by cop, where the cop actually winds up killing the individual. So, the fact that this person is alive is something that's going to be beneficial to getting more information by investigators in the future, but those SROs save lives today.

BLITZER: They certainly did. Jennifer Mascia the shooter is, as we say, a 14-year-old student at the school.

[18:10:00]

How unusual is it for mass shooters to be that young? And how significant is it that he will be tried as an adult?

JENNIFER MASCIA, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: 14 is very young, but we just had a situation with Oxford High School in Michigan where we had a 15-year- old shooter. And in that case, the parents supplied the handgun. So, what I'm looking for now is to see, are we going to have another situation where we could see possibly parents being looked at for prosecution. It is extremely young, but as you said, a lot of these guns come from the home and some kind of we don't have nationwide safe storage laws, which actually criminalize leaving guns accessible to children. You have state by state patchwork of laws. Georgia is not one of them. They have a very permissive gun laws. So, we're going to see how all of this wraps up.

We could have a trial, which is kind of rare. As you said, a lot of mass shooters take their own lives, but in recent years they haven't. So, we've gotten a rare insight into the mind of the mass shooter through that process.

BLITZER: And, John, your sources are telling you that the school received a phone call earlier this morning warning that there would be shootings at five schools in the area and that the Apalachee High School would be the first. Should steps have been taken immediately to secure the schools in the area, all of the schools?

MILLER: Well, that question was put to sheriff during the press conference. And the sheriff said, when asked were there any threats in advance, quote, not that I'm aware of, unquote. So, we're going to have to go back on that reporting which came to us from law enforcement sources to find out is it a factor in the investigation that the sheriff is not aware of, or is it part of the fog of war that law enforcement people provided that information to us this morning because they were told by somebody else and it wasn't confirmed?

So, it's something we're going to have to take a hard look at because the implications are obvious. If in fact it did happen, it raises a number of questions. And if it didn't happen then we can just get to, well, why did they think that earlier today?

BLITZER: All right. John Miller, Chief Ramsey and Jennifer Mascia, thanks to all of you for joining us. We're going to stay on top of this story.

But there's other breaking news right now in the presidential race here in the United States. I want to go right to CNN's Priscilla Alvarez. Priscilla, we're learning a major endorsement in the presidential race and you're getting new information. Tell our viewers what you're learning.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's exactly right, Wolf. Our colleague, Jamie Gangel, is reporting that former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney said that she is going to vote for Kamala Harris. This is according to remarks at Duke University. She obtained audio of those remarks.

Now, let me read you what she said. She said, as a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. And because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I voting for Donald Trump -- not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris.

Now, this is notable, of course, Wolf, because over the course of the Democratic National Convention, Democrats repeatedly stressed that Republicans would be backing the vice president, that she would be the bridge going into the next -- going into this election year, and she even told our CNN's Dana Bash that she would also elect a Republican to be on her cabinet.

So, clearly, the message from the Harris campaign is that she can appeal to Democrats and Republicans. And so certainly, an endorsement like this from Liz Cheney is one that her campaign, the Harris campaign, will certainly be seizing on, as they continue to make this argument on the campaign trail that she not only can gain support among Democrats, but also Republicans who are not interested or tired of Donald Trump. Wolf?

BLITZER: And, Priscilla, as you know, Liz Cheney has joined now some other prominent Republicans who are supporting Kamala Harris. How significant is this?

ALVAREZ: Well, this again is certainly going to serve as yet another data point for the Harris campaign when it comes to what they describe as the vice president's appeal. Just yesterday, we also reported that Jimmy McCain would be endorsing the vice president as well. So, what we have been seeing over the course of time is a trickle of Republicans coming out publicly, big name Republicans, to your point, who say that they are going to back her come November.

Now, the big question is, how does that galvanize voters? How can the Harris campaign use that to speak to Republicans across the board? And that is certainly something that we will be watching for over the next few days in terms of how the Harris campaign uses this as part of their momentum. And, of course, Wolf, this comes ahead of the presidential debate happening next Tuesday.

So, certainly, the vice president at that juncture will be before a large television audience, again, trying to introduce and reintroduce herself to voters.

[18:15:05]

And you can imagine that it is these types of endorsements that may come up in the back and forth between her and former President Donald Trump that Republicans are willing to back her and big names at that.

BLITZER: Do we know, Priscilla, why Liz Cheney has decided to make this very dramatic announcement right now?

ALVAREZ: Well, if we do not have that explanation just yet, though, I am sure we will get more reporting over the next few minutes and hours on that. Again, this was audio obtained by our colleague during her remarks at Duke University. So, we'll see if we can get more of that audio to see what more she had to share about this endorsement. But, again, certainly, waiting to hear more from Liz Cheney about how she came to this decision, in this case saying that she did reflect again, saying that she is conservative, but at this point in this election, and this, again, something that we hear from the vice president time and again, the stakes of this election, she has decided that she is going to vote for Kamala Harris.

BLITZER: Do we know whether Liz Cheney is actually also planning to campaign out there with Kamala Harris?

ALVAREZ: I am asking the Harris campaign just that question, Wolf. Again, we are getting this breaking news now. So, certainly, I'm sure we'll get answers to that. But just based off the Democratic National Convention in August, they also slated programming to have Republicans speak at that convention, to talk about their support of the vice president.

And so in this case, with a name like Liz Cheney, you can imagine that this is also perhaps going to feature prominently over the course of the campaign. Of course, Liz Cheney has also spoken forcefully about January 6th. And one of the themes of this campaign has also been protecting democracy and freedoms from our CNN polling today, that also featured prominently and what voters, the issue that voters are thinking about, again, protecting democracy.

So, combine an endorsement like this from a name like Liz Cheney, someone who has spoken repeatedly and forcefully about January 6th, and you can imagine that this is something that the Harris campaign will want to seize on to try to broaden her support, particularly to those Republicans.

BLITZER: I'm sure they will. How is the Trump campaign, Priscilla, likely to react to this dramatic development?

ALVAREZ: Well, again, Liz Cheney has been a prominent voice when it comes to condemning what happened on January 6th. And as we know from former President Donald Trump and a lot of his allies, they don't agree with the way that the January 6th has been described. And so there has already sort of been some tension there.

So, it may not come as a surprise to them, perhaps casting doubt over whether she is conservative instead. But certainly we'll be asking the Trump campaign those questions. But this is really about, and she said so in her remarks, not voting for Donald Trump. And that is the slice of the electorate that the Harris campaign is targeting.

Perhaps it's people who don't know her well enough. Perhaps it is those who are just tired of Donald Trump and Joe Biden. So, these are the people she's going after, and now with Liz Cheney's endorsement, she may make more inroads.

BLITZER: We shall see. All right, Priscilla Alvarez, thank you very much.

I want to bring in CNN's Political Director David Chalian right now. He's joining us on the phone. How significant, David, is this announcement from Liz Cheney that she will be voting for Kamala Harris?

I don't think we're -- we've got David Chalian and we're going to see if we can reconnect.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, it is certainly significant --

BLITZER: Go ahead, David. We hear you now.

CHALIAN: from how the Harris campaign has been building this piece of their narrative to voters. You saw at the Democratic Convention, Wolf, in --

BLITZER: Go ahead, David.

All right, we got a bad connection with David. We'll try to reconnect with him.

I want to bring in Democratic Representative Nikema Williams of Georgia right now. She's the chair of the Georgia Democratic Party. What's your reaction, Congresswoman, to this decision by Liz Cheney, a Republican, a conservative, announcing she is voting now for Kamala Harris?

REP. NIKEMA WILLIAMS (D-GA): Well, Wolf, I think it just underscores what we've been saying all along. Kamala Harris will be president for all Americans, not Republicans, Democrats, or independents. And that's what this country is looking for. They're looking for a leader who will unite people, bring us together and move us forward into the future.

And that's who Kamala Harris is. That's who she's shown us she will be as a president, and this only underscores having Liz Cheney come out saying that she's going to vote for Kamala Harris.

[18:20:01]

We saw that with my former lieutenant governor here in Georgia, Geoff Duncan, who is also voting and campaigning for Kamala Harris.

This president is for all Americans and I invite others to join our team of freedom and opportunity and moving this country forward.

BLITZER: So, Congresswoman, what message do you hope this will send to undecided voters out there and voters who may have previously voted Republican or independent for that matter, particularly in your key battleground state of Georgia?

WILLIAMS: So, Wolf, we've been taking this conversation on the road, not just in my deep blue district here in Atlanta, but across the state, because we know that Georgia's not red or blue. It's periwinkle, and we've got work to do. And that means having conversations with voters on the ground that matter to them, and bringing in those trusted messengers.

Liz Cheney is a trusted messenger for a segment of our electorate. And so when we're having these conversations, it's about, you know, your family being able to actually get ahead, not just get by. And it's about protecting our democracy, and it's about making sure that people believe in the freedom to vote, because when you show up and vote, your vote should be counted. And we know very well here in Georgia, where we only won by 11,780 votes, what it's like to have your vote undermined. Liz Cheney speaks to that audience who wants to make sure that our elections are free and fair. And so we are open to bring anyone into the fold that is willing to have a direct conversation with the voters about what this election means and what's at stake. We know that the American people are tired of the divisive politics of Donald Trump and his Republican Party, and we're looking for a way forward. And Kamala Harris is that path forward.

BLITZER: Do you want to see Liz Cheney actually go out there and campaign directly with Kamala Harris?

WILLIAMS: Well, I think what we do with all surrogates, Wolf, is surrogates speak to an audience that they connect with. And so, as chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Georgia, I know where my strongholds are and I know where there's a segment of the electorate that will be responsive to a message from Liz Cheney. We meet people where they are in this party. That's what a battleground state is about. It's about meeting voters where they are to make sure that we do the work to turn them out to vote.

So, we're going to continue to have those conversations with everyone who is willing to come and be a part of this movement, this movement of opportunity and freedom and a new way for it for our country. And so I welcome my former colleague, Liz Cheney, to talk to those voters who are welcome and receptive to hearing a message from her.

BLITZER: Yes. With those undecided or conservative Republican voters, she may eventually have a significant impact, indeed. Democratic Representative Nikema Williams of Georgia, I want you to stand by. We have more that we want to discuss.

And we'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

BLITZER: We're getting more reaction right now to the breaking news we're reporting, on the former Republican congresswoman and former January 6th select committee member, Liz Cheney, now saying she will vote for Kamala Harris for president of the United States.

We're joined now by Republican Governor of New Hampshire Chris Sununu. Governor, thanks so much for joining us. Give us your assessment. How significant is this announcement from Liz Cheney that she'll be voting for Kamala Harris?

GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH): Well, it's no surprise, right? I mean, Liz Cheney made her entire political career and her reputation on, you know, going against Trump, trying to get rid of Trump. So, I don't think it should surprise anybody that she's supporting the person running against Trump. And, you know, when it comes to these swing voters that we talk about, 8 to 10 percent of America right now is looking at either candidate. If you weren't already there, you're not there. So, I don't think she's bringing any new votes to the table.

BLITZER: Well, we will see. Potentially, it could be very significant indeed. In our new CNN poll of six key battleground states, these are the competitive states, it's a neck and neck race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Do you think this endorsement from Liz Cheney potentially could help her in these key states?

SUNUNU: Look, I really don't because if you believe in Liz Cheney, if you're the type of person that's going to follow who she endorses and those are folks out there, they're probably already with Kamala, right? They're out party already there. So, I just don't think there's any swing voters that carry the despise that Liz Cheney had for Trump still out there on, you know, in terms of the swing.

So, I'm sure some folks in the base of Kamala's camp are excited about it, but right now, those 8 to 10 percent of swing voters have two things on their mind. Who is going to be the agent of change that helps make their lives more cost effective? Who's going to close the border and get drugs out of their community and ensure public safety? Those are always the top two polling issues with swing voters. And there's not many left, but those are the issues that are there.

Very few of them are big fans of Liz Cheney saying, oh, well, I guess now I'll go with Kamala. I think again, no, I don't want to diminish the endorsement, but at this point in the game, I just don't think it's going to move her numbers at all.

BLITZER: Governor, you and I have spoken many times here in The Situation Room, and you've often been rather critical of Donald Trump. You supported Nikki Haley during the Republican presidential primary. Why have you made a different calculation now from Liz Cheney, shall we say?

SUNUNU: Because it's all about results, right? Look, I appreciate some people put personality and all of that as the top of their priorities. A lot of Americans don't. Right now, a lot of Americans just want a change. They want a fundamental change in Washington. They want rent to be more affordable. They want their groceries to be more affordable. This inflation issue that has come up on them over the past four years and compounded to 25, 35 percent on everyday items, it's too much for them to bear.

[18:30:00]

And so as much as people might not like his personality and be critical, I don't take a single word I've ever said about Donald Trump back. But at the end of the day, government is about getting better results for the citizens and having an agent of change. Doing the same thing for another four years that we've had for the past four years is not change.

And when people go to the ballot box, what I'm looking for, the anxieties that I have, the anxieties that other people have, that is, what is best for their family. And you don't just get, with Donald Trump, look, it's not just Trump and Kamala Harris. Remember, what I'm looking for is that entire Republican administration, a new, much better head of the EPA, a much better head of the Department of Transportation, a much better head of, you know, the different agencies that have so much impact in our everyday lives. And those individuals are going to believe in individual liberties and local control, state's rights, that you are more important than the government, as opposed to that Biden-Harris administration, which is, hey, we're from the government. We'll take care of all your problems. That is not the American way.

And, finally, when you look at Kamala Harris, the surprising thing is now that she has the nomination, she should be going more to the center, but she's not. She's like the first candidate in history that's putting out an economic plan that is much more liberal than anything that has ever been proposed, picking a vice president that is much more liberal and progressive than anyone that has ever been put out there. So, she's going deeper and deeper to the extremes and that divides folks, right?

So, again, there's an opportunity there just to get better results out of government, and that's why I think Trump is going to do well, especially in the swing states, because I think he's going to be able to convince folks, rightly so, that he's that agent of change that folks are just tired of over the last four years.

BLITZER: As you know, Kamala Harris has been in your state, New Hampshire, today, laying out her economic policies. She wants to expand, for example, tax deductions to start a business, removing regulatory hurdles for small businesses, and increasing community- based lending. Do you see these proposals as more moderate economic plans that could appeal to independent voters in New Hampshire as she tries to separate herself From President Biden?

SUNUNU: I do. The problem she has is that she's releasing this because her original idea of price controls would absolutely destroy small and mid-sized businesses across the country. Price controls completely stop innovation. They stop entrepreneurship. They basically say that only the really large companies that sell products en masse can take the really small profits that the government will allow them to have, right, and it crushes competition.

And then you add what she wants to do with the taxes on unrealized gains. I mean, that's crazy. That would destroy the stock market and retirees' 401(k)s and retirement plans. So, her original ideas have been so radical. She had to quickly try to pivot here, but we can't get away from the fact that she thinks the government should put price controls on everything. And once you start that, that process on everyday products, now you've really let, you know, the genie out of the bottle, so to say, in a very bad way. It's very unAmerican. It's not being received very well. Even the why -- when The Washington Post tells Kamala Harris that her economic plan is too liberal and too extreme, you have a major problem. So, I get why she's putting this stuff out, but I think she's already shown her colors.

BLITZER: Do you have any problem at all, Governor Sununu, that Trump is a convicted felon?

SUNUNU: Well, look, I don't like any of that. No one likes any of that. But at the end of the day, that's not driving people one way or the other at the ballot box. I don't like the January 6th stuff. I don't like the election denial. I don't like a lot of that stuff. But I wanted administration, I want secretaries, I want a culture change in Washington that finally believes that Americans, that individuals are more important than the government, that states have more rights and more freedoms than the federal government that the states created. So, let's start acting like the republic that we are.

I just believe in that very strongly as a governor. I can tell you the impact that all these agencies have, it's really under the radar. But they have huge impact, much more impact on people's lives than just the president alone, but it's that team that I'm looking for bringing to the table.

So, again, I don't like any of that stuff but that's what people are looking for. They want change. If you consider that stuff in your voting calculation, you've already picked one side of the other. That swing voter right now is only looking for who's going to lower their cost of living and just make their family's lives a little bit easier.

BLITZER: All right. Governor Sununu, thanks very much for joining us.

SUNUNU: You bet, buddy. Thank you.

BLITZER: All right. And we'll be right back with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:35:00]

BLITZER: We're back with more on the breaking news we're following right now, the former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney revealing she will vote for Kamala Harris for president of the United States.

I want you, our viewers, to listen to what Liz Cheney is now saying at Duke University. She said this just a little while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FMR. REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. And because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Colin Harris.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Big round of applause she got at Duke University in North Carolina.

Let's bring in our political experts for some reaction. And, Charlie Dent, what's your reaction to this announcement, pretty dramatic, from the former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney?

CHARLIE DENT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I'm not surprised she did it because for those of us who knows Liz Cheney, we know that she is very strongly principled and she believes in the Constitution. She believes in the rule of law, and she believes in the peaceful transfer of power. And, sadly, Donald Trump does not and Kamala Harris does. [18:40:01]

And I think that is simply why she is endorsing Kamala Harris today.

Further, I would note that she is speaking for a lot of Republicans who are very dispirited, who believe in the rule of law, who believe in the Constitution, who believe in free markets and are against these silly tariffs and are, you know, against embracing autocrats, like Vladimir Putin, and she's speaking for a lot of Republicans like that.

So, I think she's going to actually have an impact with this endorsement, because a lot of suburban women and many men who are Republicans will likely follow her.

BLITZER: I suspect you're right. But, Megan, let me get your thought. Megan Hays is with us as well. How much do you think this announcement will actually help Kamala Harris with more moderate and undecided voters?

MEGAN HAYS, FORMER DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING, BIDEN WHITE HOUSE: I think it will help a lot. I mean, just what Charlie was saying about these Republicans believe in the things that like the Constitution and the rule of law, she's setting up a permission structure for these more moderate Republicans, the suburban women, to vote for a Democrat probably for the first time in their lives, because they don't want to go back to the ways of Donald Trump. So, I actually do think it will have an impact.

And I also think that it's just showing that the Democrats are a big tent party and bringing in all sorts of people and all types of people and are welcoming to folks that are moderate and not just, you know, super left like Donald Trump is trying to point Kamala Harris out to be.

BLITZER: Charlie, your home state of Pennsylvania is obviously a really important key battleground state in this upcoming election. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are tied there in our new CNN poll from six key states. Do you think it would be helpful for Kamala Harris to campaign with Liz Cheney in Pennsylvania, your state, and potentially other key battleground states?

DENT: I think it would help Kamala Harris enormously. In fact, I would take Liz Cheney into the collar counties of Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, the capital region and suburban Pittsburgh. That's where I would deploy her if I were the Harris campaign. She could actually have an enormous impact, I think, with a lot of independent and swing voters, you know, who just don't -- who just have never been comfortable with Donald Trump.

BLITZER: Yes. Let's see what happens on that front. Charlie Dent, Megan Hays, to both of you, thank you very much for your analysis.

Coming up, a major announcement about the 2024 presidential election and Russia's attempts to meddle yet once again. We're talking to a key White House official, and that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:46:35]

BLITZER: Breaking news this hour, the United States now accusing Russia of a sustained effort to try to influence the 2024 U.S. election, ordering sanctions against Russia and pointing in direct finger at Vladimir Putin.

CNN's Paula Reid is working the story today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Today, the Justice Department announced indictments against two employees of Russia Today, a state controlled media outlet funded and directed by the Russian government, alleging its part of a broader effort to influence the U.S. presidential election.

MERRICK GARLAND, ATTORNEY GENERAL: As part of that effort, RT and its employees, including the defendants, implemented a nearly $10 million scheme to fund and direct a Tennessee-based company to publish and disseminate content deem favorable to the Russian government.

REID: The company then allegedly contracted with U.S. based social media influencers to amplify the content.

GARLAND: The American people are entitled to know when a foreign power is attempting to exploit our country's free exchange of ideas in order to send around its own propaganda, and that's what we alleged happened in this case.

REID: Prosecutors say the goal was to sow divisions in the U.S., to weaken opposition to core Russian interests, particularly its ongoing war in Ukraine, and to help Donald Trump get re-elected.

GARLAND: More generally, the director the national intelligence test -- has testified that Russia's preferences have not changed from the preceding election.

REID: While the attorney general didn't mention the former president by name, he did reference Russia's previous efforts to back him.

The RT spokesman responded to today's indictments with mockery, saying 2016 called and it wants its cliches back and three things are certain in life, death taxes, and RT's interference in the U.S. elections.

Remember this?

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.

REID: The two employees charged in the case allegedly manage the operation from Moscow using fake personas and shell companies.

The department also announced the seizure of 32 domains tied to an alleged Russian propaganda campaign.

GARLAND: These websites were designed to appear to American readers as if they were major U.S. news sites like "The Washington Post" or Fox News. But in fact, they were fake sites.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID (on camera): CNN has just learned that the U.S. company the Justice Department alleges was being funded by Russian operatives working as part of this Kremlin orchestrated influence operation is Tenet Media, which is of course linked to right-wing commentators with millions of subscribers on social media.

Now, note today, the FBI director said that Russia is not the only foreign actor trying to meddle currently in the democratic process. He called out specifically Iran and China -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Paula Reid reporting for us -- Paula, thank you very much.

And joining me now, the White House national security communications advisor, John Kirby.

John, thanks very much for joining us and important day, indeed.

As you know, this was really a sweeping crackdown on Russian disinformation efforts against the United States using Russian state run TV, social media influencers, and artificial intelligence.

Just how much have Russian tactics evolved in scope and sophistications -- sophistication in recent years?

[18:50:05]

JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR: Oh, they've evolved quite a bit. I mean, you mentioned right there in the top there, Wolf, and the use of artificial intelligence. That's certainly a new development here in the Russian disinformation front, but it's also that they've gotten more organized, Wolf, and they've gotten more resources available to them to apply to this task.

I mean, more than 10 million or something like $10 million here to help fund a company in Tennessee to sow this kind of disinformation out into the into the ether here in the United States as well as the more sophisticated way that they are coming up with fake social media persona and really populating that social media space with additional disinformation and falsehoods.

So they have become much more clever and sophisticated. But as I said, they've also become much more organized. I mean what RT is now, used to be just a propaganda outlet for the Kremlin. They have really transformed and morphed into a completely different organization now focused on covert influence activities.

BLITZER: You wouldn't say at today's White House press briefing, whether Russia is actually trying to boost this certain candidate in these latest efforts just that Russia is promoting its own policies, but isn't Trump the candidate who promote some of those Russian positions, for example, the position on the war in Ukraine is closer to Russia than the Democrats positions are? Why not state that clearly?

KIRBY: Well, what I was saying clearly was really where the investigation has taken us and where the where the information is. And that is that we know they're using RT and they're using social media influencers. And artificial intelligence to sow disinformation into push their own policies and programs to try to undermine confidence in Ukraine, outlet political candidates speak for themselves and one of those issues, they might agree with are not agree with.

But what we wanted to do was clearly articulate what we've seen RT do and what this social design agency also is doing. And that's kind of where we are now.

The other thing I'd say, what is the attorney general said, this is an ongoing investigation, so they they've gotten it this far, but they're still investigating and we'll see where that takes us.

BLITZER: How do Russia's current election interference efforts compare two attempts shall we say by Iran or other foreign actors against the U.S.?

KIRBY: Well, we do see Iran acting and we know that they in fact Iranian cyber actors attempted to hack into emails of people that were close to Mr. Trump and the Trump campaign. We know so there are active in this space as well. Russia has had more time. And as I've said, more resources, more organizational ability to apply to them the problem set. I'm not diminishing the threat by Iran, not at all.

And we've been public about what they did to the Trump campaign and were watching and monitor that very seriously. But certainly Russia has a bit of a head start on a lot of other actors in this space because they've been doing it for a lot longer.

BLITZER: While I have you, John, I want to quickly turn to Israel right now, the war in Gaza, the Israeli newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" obtained documents showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu effectively torpedoed a July hostage deal by making some last-minute demands.

How much are your efforts to reach a deal being derailed by Netanyahu?

KIRBY: I think I'd rather leave are negotiating in private and that the discussions that were having with our Israeli counterparts as well as other counterparts in the region. Not good for me to get into negotiating tactics here publicly.

I would just say that the president remains committed to getting this deal done. He still believes wolf that these gaps can be narrowed, that these final details can be fleshed out. But as he has also said, it's going to take some leadership in the region. It's going to take some compromise. It's going to take continued energy and effort to get people at the

table to make these final decisions to move it forward. We still believe its an outcome worth achieving. In fact, we still believe it's an outcome that can be achieved, but it is going to require leadership.

BLITZER: All right. John Kirby, we'll continue this conversation down the road obviously. This story is not going away by any means.

John Kirby, thanks very much for joining us.

KIRBY: Yes, sir.

BLITZER: And coming up, the governor of New York says she feels betrayed by a former aide now charged with acting as an agent for the Chinese government.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:57:30]

BLITZER: Tonight, New York Governor Kathy Hochul is speaking out about her former aide who has just been charged with acting as a foreign agent for China.

CNN's Gloria Pazmino has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): This is a betrayal of New Yorkers and of the American people.

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Governor Kathy Hochul speaking out a day after her deputy chief of staff was accused of working as an agent of the Chinese government and the Chinese communist party.

Prosecutors alleged Linda Sun who worked for Hochul, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and other state officials over the last 15 years influenced messaging on matters related to China, issued on authorized invitations to Chinese government officials on behalf of the state, and even forged Governor Hochul signature on official documents.

Sun allegedly behind his 2020 tweet from Cuomo thanking China during the COVID. In exchange, prosecutors say Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, who was also charged, collected millions of dollars in kickbacks. They allegedly launder the money by buying property on Long Island, including this $3.6 million home, a condo in Honolulu, and various luxury cars, including a 2024 Ferrari.

Prosecutors say Sun's husband who opened this liquor store in 2021, also reap the benefits, millions of dollars in transactions for his China-based business activities. Even Sun's parents allegedly received gifts, multiple specialties salted ducks prepared by the personal chef of a Chinese government official were delivered to their home.

HOCHUL: The moment we discovered the misconduct, we fired this individual.

PAZMINO: But even after she was fired, Sun continued to attend events, misrepresenting herself as a government official. The couple have pleaded not guilty. Sun's lawyers say the charges are the result of an overly aggressive investigation.

If convicted, Sun is facing up to 65 years in prison, her husband is facing up to 50.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAZMINO (on camera): And, Wolf, the fallout is continuing. Even today, we have learned that after the governor called for the removal of the consul general for China, the State Department said that that he had ended his scheduled tenure here in August and that he had already left the post. The consul was named in the indictment several times. But after we've reached out to the State Department, as well as Chinese officials, we were told that the consul is still here and is still technically working in his position.

So it remains unclear who is saying what here, but just to show you just how much blowback there's been ever since the news of this indictment and the alleged actions that this aid took while she was working on behalf of the Chinese government -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Gloria Pazmino, thank you very much.

I'm Wolf Blitzer in THE SITUATION ROOM. I'll see you tomorrow morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern for CNN NEWSROOM.

Until then, thanks very much for watching.

"ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts right now.