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Israeli Prime Minister Speaks Amid Protests Over Killings Of Hostages; Harris Speaks At Labor Day Event In Battleground Michigan; Biden To Campaign For Harris In Pennsylvania, Wisconsin And Michigan; New Poll: Harris Holds Narrow Lead Over Trump; Military Families With Special Needs Face Relocation Hurdles. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired September 02, 2024 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER( through translation): And the answer is we always tried. We've always tried.

Immediately after we left Gaza in 2005, it continued even after that, even under Mubarak, re-arming Gaza. And we fought them in a few wars. I let some of them, we fought it.

And this thing, of course, brought to the fact that we eliminated thousands of terrorists and their leaders. But there was no international legitimacy, legitimacy to enter, to conquer Gaza, to take over the Philadelphi Corridor again. There was no international -- national or international agreement.

The significance of the Philadelphi Corridor, I told -- I said about that also 20 years ago when Sharon said that we'll leave Gaza in 2003, on the, 26, March 2004.

I -- I said what my demands were, the minimum demands, and I said my first condition is controlling all the entrances to Gaza, the Philadelphi Corridor that separates Gaza and the Strip. And Egypt is not going to be evacuated.

If Israel is going to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor, Gaza will become a terror enclave.

When I redesigned the government, when I found out that they're going to uproot the `Jewish settlements in Gaza, I get my resignation letter to show the prime minister and I said, at a minimum, I demanded that we will keep the Philadelphi Corridor in our hands.

This is not a new thing. It was clear that if we don't have the corridor, there will be rearming. There will be the creation of a monster. The evil access needs the Philadelphi Corridor. And for that reason we must keep control of the Philadelphi Corridor.

This is why Hamas insisted we are not going to be there. And this is why I insist that we are going to be there.

The presence along the Philadelphi Corridor -- Corridor is a strategic thing. We have to make it clear that we are there. And I'm being told, OK, we'll withdraw for 42 days and then we'll come back.

But we've -- we've been there already. We were there when we left Lebanon. People said that, you know, we'll be able to go back there when the first rocket is going to be launched.

But there's no international support for that. We already told them when we left the Strip, we were told what is the problem with the first one that we're going to re-enter Gaza.

Twenty 20 years has passed, has passed, and we haven't re-entered Gaza. Anyone who says that there's no problem re-entering, they're wrong. There is a problem.

It's not an easy thing to do. It's not a military tactic thing. It is a question a huge international pressure that is put on the state of Israel. If we withdraw, we will not be able to go back.

I can tell you how difficult it was to overcome the international pressure to enter Rafah. Look what we had to pay. There was a huge, immense pressure of the ICC, a weapon embargo, we paid with the lives of our soldiers.

But this is nothing compared to what's going to happen if we're going to withdraw. And everyone understands the significance of that. What everyone wants is for us to end the war.

And this corridor is different from all the other access. It's central. It's instrumental to our future. It has a huge significance to us. But for the world, who wants us to end the war, the the last thing the world wants is for us to enter the Philadelphi Corridor.

[13:35:07]

Why do we need to get into this trap?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Rob is going to get back into this conversation.

Facing a lot of pressure, Rob. You have Netanyahu making the case for why it's so important to hold on to this poorest part of the border

into Gaza, which would be the transit, this sort of overland route from Egypt into Rafah, into southern Gaza, where Hamas is able to get so much of its supplies.

And he's trying to sell a very skeptical public who has just seen six Israelis die. He's trying to sell them on we cannot fold even as you want a hostage deal.

I wonder how you think he's able to convince them or not.

ROB D'AMICO, FORMER DEPUTY OPERATIONS CHIEF, FBI HOSTAGE RESCUE TEAM: We'll see. What I see on the negotiation side, he's still passionate about that. You can just tell his body language. He is not -- this has been his -- his setting point that he's not going to give up.

So I think that we know that now. We know why he's coming to the public and saying this is why. Yes, it's cost us Israelis now but, in the future, it's going to cost us a lot more Israelis if they can easily bring weapons in through a border that is not controlled by them.

And he pointed out -- and he goes back in time to where this was also an issue. So I think it's really him looking at a national security thing that he just cannot take off the table because he sees what the cost is going to be down the road.

Everyone -- when your families are involved or you have personal acquaintance involved in the hostage thing, it's so hard if they're involved in the negotiations because you're looking at this from a different point of view. And you can't blame them.

But he's looking at it down the road and the number of Israelis I think that he knows that will be lives will be taken because of the ability to get weapons.

It'd be like opening up our southwest border to the drug dealers if we're trying to go on the war on drugs. That's where it's all going to come from because Egypt is not going to guard it like Israel is.

KEILAR: Yes, he also can't keep his coalition together right now there. They don't -- they don't want him to agree to a deal. And he's going to see his government dissolve, it appears, if he does agree to one.

He's also on the other side facing this wave of public pressure. So it is quite a moment there in Israel.

Rob D'Amico, thank you so much for being with us. We do appreciate it.

And we'll be right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:41:54]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Vice President Kamala Harris just wrapped up in battleground Michigan where she pitched her Labor Day message to some of the largest unions in the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: On Labor Day and every day, we celebrate the dignity of work. The dignity of work. We celebrate unions because unions helped build America.

(CHEERING)

HARRIS: And unions help build America's middle class.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: And later this afternoon, President Biden will join his V.P. on the trail in Pittsburgh. It'll be their first official campaign event together since he dropped out of the race.

KEILAR: Let's discuss this now with our political experts. We have Erin Perrine, who served as comms director for Trump's 2020 campaign. She's a Republican strategist for Axiom Strategies.

Chuck Rocha is a Democratic strategist who served as a senior adviser to Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 campaigns.

Alright, Chuck, how critical is Biden for Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania?

CHUCK ROCHA, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, BERNIE SANDERS' 2016 & 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: Very, very, very. I can't say very enough. Not only happy Labor Day to everybody out there, but I moved here from Pittsburgh. My son is a steam fitter in Pittsburgh.

Joe Biden is loved in Pennsylvania. He beat Donald Trump there. This is one of the places she really needs him.

And another reason why I told folks that she picked Tim Walz, Tim Walz has a great labor record.

And in Pennsylvania, much like Michigan that you were just talking about, and Wisconsin, there's a big -- this is one of the last bastions of old-school white working-class folks who worked with hard hats, work with their hands every day, and take a shower when they're done with work.

KEILAR: That's right

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: I love that.

BROWN: And we know that President Biden will also be campaigning with Harris later this week in Wisconsin.

And, Erin, to bring you in on that.

Is there any risk associated with that?

ERIN PERRINE, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR TRUMP'S 2020 CAMPAIGN: There's certainly risk with bringing Joe Biden out on the campaign trail. The risk was seen and it was felt certainly for Democrats after the early debate, which pushed Joe Biden off the ballot.

Well, it's nice to have him out there. The closer that Democrats and Kamala Harris get to Joe Biden, the more a reminder that this is not a change election, but more of the same.

Kamala has said in interviews that she would continue to pursue the foreign affairs strategy of the Biden Harris administration, that this would not be much of a change election.

And that change idea right now is really what is propelling Kamala forward in the polls.

If they continue to have her with Joe Biden at campaign events, they will begin to lose that change narrative, right now, which is helping them bringing in those marginal Independent swing voters that are so critical to a successful campaign in November.

KEILAR: We see, Erin, the Harris campaign widening the gender gap here, right? Before the convention, she had the six-point lead among women. Now it is 13 points.

How concerned should the Trump campaign be about that?

PERRINE: The Trump campaign needs to be focusing especially on female voters because that is a wide persuadable group and one of the largest voting blocs in this country.

You've seen Donald Trump try to weigh in, try to talk about IVF and supporting a woman's access to health care.

[13:45:04]

But we needs to make sure that we are not treating women as a monolithic group who only vote based on abortion. They care about the economy. They care about access. They care about safety and security.

The more Kamala Harris is able to make inroads into a female voting bloc, the harder it will be for Donald Trump.

And where he's going to need to try and drive up the white non-college educated male voter to try and counteract it this larger subset of female voters.

So this is a perilous time. They need to make be making sure they're talking to female voters as well.

BROWN: It's true that female voters are not a monolithic group when it comes to voting.

But there is this new, "New York Times"/Siena College poll of registered voters. And then actually found that among those swing state voters, female swing-state voters under the age of 45, abortion is actually their top issue.

ROCHA: I'm working in congressional races all over the country. I'm really lucky to have a great firm that's doing a lot of work around the country. So I get to see glimpses of what the Republicans are doing, running ads against us and the ads that we're running.

In every congressional race in America, if it's not the first ad that the Democrats running, it's the second ad, because it's such a mobilizing force to these exact women you're talking about.

This is a place where we thought, oh, my god, we have to use this in 2020. We have to use this issue in '22. It's still very relevant, especially in the suburbs of most major just cities where these marginal congressional seats sit and they overlap with presidential races.

KEILAR: Chuck, what do you think about this recent interview with Trump where he said had every right to interfere with an election? Is that something that's going to sway voters? Is it just baked in?

ROCHA: It is baked in a lot. But there's such a small group of folks in every one of these states that, when you're talking to in focus groups, that are that little sliver of the undecided.

A lot of those are the women you're talking about under the age of 45. And a lot of white working-class -- happy Labor Day -- well, what we started the conversation with.

These are two groups that it is baked in. But on the margins, they -- it's still matters to them.

It's kind of like the Arlington Cemetery thing. That thing kind of -- no matter if you're Democrat or a Republican, you don't want to be disrespecting the Army at Arlington Cemetery.

BROWN: All right, Chuck Rocha, Erin Perrine, thank you both so much.

And still to come right here on CNN NEWS CENTRAL, San Francisco 49er wide receiver, Ricky Pearsall is recovering after being shot during an attempted robbery. How police say it all happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:26]

KEILAR: In our "HOMEFRONT" segment today, we're focusing on a challenge to military families that has some servicemembers questioning whether they can remain in the military, getting their children or spouse with special needs the resources they need despite moving every two to three years on average.

The availability of services for families with special needs can dramatically vary by state or even within a state.

Last year, the military mandated active-duty servicemembers, who meet the criteria, enroll in what's called the Exceptional Family Member Program to help ensure for that their families are assigned to locations that are best suited to accommodate their specific needs.

But according to a Department of Defense survey, only 43 percent of these families are satisfied with the support that they're getting.

We're joined now by Michelle Norman, the executive director and founder of Partners in PROMISE. It's a group that advocates for military families with special needs.

Michelle, thank you so much for joining us to talk about what's really is -- this is a critical issue to the military and keeping people in it.

You started this group after dealing with a gap in assistance firsthand. You're seeing less than half of families surveyed are satisfied. I suspect you were not surprised by that number.

MICHELLE NORMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & FOUNDER, PARTNERS IN PROMISE: Absolutely. So a little bit of background about me. I have been a Navy spouse for over 29 years. And I am a mother of a beautiful adult young adult daughter who has spent her entire life within this military system and in the EFMP program that the survey was made for.

And I was fortunate to testify a little over 4.5 years ago in front of Congress to talk about the issues that our military families with disabilities face.

And our families are struggling. They're struggling for that to have some continuity of care of their loved ones as we move so very often within this highly mobile lifestyle. We move, as you know, every two to three years.

And so that really did lead to a co-founding Partners in PROMISE where we conduct research. And we also are able to use that data to be able to inform, educate and empower our military families.

Because what we're finding through that research is that that really is a gap of support. Every time we move from these station to another, our families, they are waiting.

They're waiting months to get medical care every time that they move from one station to another.

They're waiting months for individual education programs, which are the special-ed programs our kids are in, to be able to receive the supports and services every time they move. And so you can see it's a cycle each and every time you move.

Finally, by the time you do get those services, you're up and moving one more time. So, again, our kids are falling through the cracks. And EFM Program is supposed to be able to make it a little bit smoother.

But as you noted, some of the data supports that that's program is not working the way it's intended to be.

KEILAR: Yes, and I know I've heard anecdotally from families. You know, maybe they put up with one duty station where their kid is not getting what they need.

But often the second time this happens, they're thinking, I'm wanting to get out of the military. Even if that's a career path that they want, they see how it's negatively impacting their kids.

How is this challenge impacting retention in the military?

NORMAN: Well, that's interesting because you do hear that there are some positive stories of those who have been able to navigate the EFM Program.

And I think that if you saw some of the results from this survey, there are some positive notes from the Marine Corps and the Navy. But what is concerning, like you mentioned, 51 percent of the

respondents said it did not make their moves smoother at all, 31 percent of the respondents said they did not receive medical care at all in a timely manner after a move.

[13:55:06]

So those are issues that impact those attention and readiness issues. Again, big quality of life issues for our families.

And let's back up a little bit. This survey, number one, was conducted over a year-and-a-half ago. And there's some questions about the way it was conducted and collected and how the results have been given to us.

And then, secondly, and I think most importantly, DOD failed to survey the military spouses. As you know, Brianna, military spouses are the caregivers. They're the ones that have to coordinate the most care for our families.

And so that does make you wonder how the servicemembers were really answering the questions to this survey.

But really, what it comes down to is that there's some fundamental flaws with this program. I think this was a missed opportunity to see how we can improve this.

We want this program to be a value add for our families. And we maybe need to look at outside of the DOD, maybe do some type of independence review commissions, like has been done for the sexual assault and suicide issues at the DOD has had.

Maybe we need to bring the subject matter experts and really look at the EFM Program. Let's go ahead and evaluate it, come up with or recommendations.

Let's bring in military families and others who have worked in the managed care community to help make lives easier for these families.

Because as you know, less than 1 percent of those actually are in the military. These are quality of life issues that impacts our readiness and retention. We need to do everything we can to support these military families.

KEILAR: Yes, very, very good points there, Michelle. And as you mentioned, some service branches had better luck than others. Big blinking red lights for the Army in this. And they need to take a look at it.

Michelle Norman, thank you so much. We really, really appreciate you being with us.

NORMAN: Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)