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Obama Planning 27-Day Battleground Blitz for Harris; Israeli Airstrikes Target Potential New Hezbollah Chief; Three Former Officers Convicted on Federal Charges Related to Tyre Nichols' Death. Aired 7- 7:30a ET

Aired October 04, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, bringing in the big guns, former President Barack Obama about to hit the campaign trail for Kamala Harris. What could that mean for the race today?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Labor breakthrough. Port workers returning to work as we speak. A strike that threatened to cripple the economy has been averted for now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR : Country music superstar Garth Brooks accused of sexual assault and battery in a brand new lawsuit, but this morning he says the allegations are all lies.

I'm Sara Sidner with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN News Central.

BOLDUAN: New this morning, there are few bigger names in politics than Barack Obama. For Democrats, there are few voices more popular than Barack Obama, maybe only Michelle Obama. And we just learned he will soon launch a 27-day blitz with every key battleground state in his path to support Kamala Harris.

As for Harris, she's waking up in battleground Michigan this morning, fresh off another endorsement, this time from the boss, Bruce Springsteen, as new reporting from over 30 states finds that more than 1 million Americans have already voted, just 32 days now left to go. Some context to that 1 million number, that is less than 1 percent of the roughly 158 million votes in 2020, because I know that you were counting.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez joins us right now for much more on this. Priscilla, what's the latest?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Kate, there are multiple strategies at play going into Election Day. One of them, campaign aides tell me, looks a lot like what happened yesterday, going to those red rural counties, counties that voted by Trump in some cases overwhelmingly in 2020. But their strategy here is to compete everywhere and lose by less, just narrow the margins in some of these counties, again, including those that voted for Trump in 2020. So, that is one strategy that is unfolding. We're seeing bits of it yesterday, and we will see more of it in the coming weeks. The other part of this, too, is continuing to mobilize voters in those Democratic areas. You'll see that today with the vice president in Michigan, where she is going to have a rally. But, of course, the other part of this is surrogates, and you mentioned it there, former President Barack Obama, he is one of the party's most popular leaders, and he is going to be hitting the trail in a blitz over the next several days where he is going to kick it off in Pittsburgh next Thursday.

It'll be his first public campaign appearance since the Democratic National Convention. And there is no doubt that it is exactly these types of mobilizations that the campaign is looking for to galvanize voters, to get them excited, and most importantly, to get them to the polls, especially with early voting already underway in some states.

Now, aides say that it's an all-hands-on-deck moment. That is certainly what we are seeing unfold. Again, as they target specific areas, those red rural counties, they go to those Democratic areas, keep the voters going and excited there, and then also use Obama across the country.

BOLDUAN: One of the things we're seeing in the image in the wall next to you, Priscilla, is the very big appearance of Kamala Harris with Liz Cheney in Wisconsin, and she's now adding to kind of this Republican centered, focused, surrogate campaign, if you will.

ALVAREZ: Yes. This has been something that the campaign has been very excited to talk about because it goes to their argument that they can appeal to Democrats, independents, Republicans. So, of course, yesterday with the former congresswoman, Liz Cheney, the vice president touting her endorsement as an example of leading by country over party.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: People across Wisconsin and our nation are willing to do what Liz is doing, to stand up for the rule of law, for our Democratic ideals, and the Constitution of the United States. Then together, I know we can chart a new way forward not as members of any one party but as Americans.

[07:05:00]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALVAREZ: Now, CNN is also learning that Cheney, along with former Trump aides, including Alyssa Farah Griffin, Cassidy Hutchinson and Sarah Matthews, will also be participating in what they're calling a fireside chat in Pennsylvania, a crucial state, a battleground state where they will also offer their warnings of former President Donald Trump.

Now, this is not an official event for the Harris-Walz campaign, but certainly the type of thing that the campaign is touting.

BOLDUAN: Priscilla, thank you so much. We've seen those images of Liz Cheney and Kamala Harris side by side at a campaign event. Set aside where Liz Cheney stands within the Donald Trump Republican Party of today, still unbelievable.

BERMAN: There was sort of a weightiness to it. Liz Cheney, as she was delivering the speech, you sort of saw these thought bubbles where you could see like, I can't believe I'm doing this, or how did I get to this point? There was this seriousness that over sort of was hanging over the whole thing. It was really interesting.

BOLDUAN: It really was.

BERMAN: All right. Today, Donald Trump will be in battleground Georgia with someone, I think the kids call a frenemy. Not since 2020 have Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp appear together. Trump has filled the years saying mean things about Kemp until a few weeks ago. Now he needs him.

CNN's Alayna Treene is with us this morning. So, what's the goal for today?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, I can't emphasize enough, John, how remarkable it is that we're actually going to see these two men together. As you pointed out, it's the first time that we'll have they'll have some sort of joint appearance since 2020. But, I mean, I've covered Trump for a very long time. I was on the Hill during the House January 6th committee hearings.

To see Brian Kemp and Donald Trump together today in Georgia is pretty stunning. It's something I never would have imagined four years ago while covering all of this. But they're going to be in Georgia today together for a briefing on the ground about the state's hurricane recovery efforts.

Now, I am told by a source familiar with the planning that the two men were invited separately by officials on the ground in Columbia County, but, of course, they will be appearing together. There's expected to be some sort of press availability after this. And, again, and you mentioned this, John, but Donald Trump has had very, very harsh words and criticism for Brian Kemp over the last four years. Even as recently as August, Donald Trump, during a rally in Atlanta, was criticizing Brian Kemp, calling him a bad guy, you know, claiming that he is not a true Republican, criticizing his wife. I mean, there's been, you know, a lot of love lost between these two men.

However, really, Donald Trump has changed his tune in recent months as he realizes that, one, Brian Kemp is a very popular Republican governor in the state. A lot of voters in the state are fans of Brian Kemp. And Georgia, of course, is a state that both Trump and the Harris campaigns see as crucial to finding victory in their path forward to 270 electoral votes in November.

So, Trump has sort of embraced Brian Kemp in recent months. We've seen Kemp doing some fundraising events for the Trump campaign. I will argue that, you know, over the last -- in the beginning, in the primary, Brian Kemp did not come out and endorse Donald Trump early, but he had always said that he would support the Republican nominee. And so today you're going to see these two unlikely, I guess, allies now appearing for the first time again since 2020. John?

BERMAN: Politics, it brings people together. Alayna Treene, thank you so much. Sara.

SIDNER: Okay, John. All right, coming up new threats this morning from Iran's supreme leader as Israel claimed it has killed a top Hezbollah leader in an airstrike.

And the dockworkers strike that threatened to create shortages of goods on shelves and the economy as a whole has come to an end. What happened, and what that means for all of us.

And a proud papa moment for rapper Eminem. He releases details about a new role he's taking on with a new music video.

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[07:10:00]

SIDNER: Breaking overnight, Israeli airstrikes continue pounding Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Israel says it killed Hezbollah's longtime communications chief. It's also threatening the man, and targeting him, who could become the terror group's next leader. In a sign that Israel is broadening its ground incursion into Lebanon, it has issued more evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs and dozens of villages in the south.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv, Israel. While that is going on and the fight directly between Hezbollah and Israel, Iran's Supreme Leader is speaking up now, saying that Iran's strikes on Israel this week may just be the beginning. What are you hearing?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right. And it's important to note that these remarks from the Supreme Leader Khamenei came during as he was leading Friday prayers, which is a rare occurrence. The last time he did so was about five years ago, following the death of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards chief, Qassem Soleimani. And so not only is that significant because of the importance that he clearly holds for Hassan Nasrallah, the leader who was killed, who he was commemorating in these prayers, but also because of this critical moment at which he is speaking.

[07:15:04]

And he is making -- sending a very clear message, about the potential for additional Iranian strikes against Israel at a moment when Israeli leaders are considering their options for retaliation against Iran, for that ballistic missile attack earlier this week, in which Iran fired at least 180 missiles at Israel, several of which actually hit their targets, Israeli bases, but also civilian areas here in Israel, the sites of which we visited several earlier this week. And so as Israel considers whether it is going to carry out a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, on its oil reserves, or perhaps on some other military target inside of Iran, the Iranian supreme leader saying Iran is capable of firing against Israel again and potentially doing more.

As all of this is happening, you were mentioning the fight between Israel and Hezbollah is certainly intensifying. The Israeli military now has two divisions engaged in this in these combat operations targeted at Hezbollah positions inside of Southern Lebanon, issuing additional evacuation orders for Lebanese villages there, and Hezbollah rocket fire also intensifying against Northern Israel with at least 100 rockets fired just this morning.

So, this fight is certainly intensifying and the prospects, the potential for an intensification of the conflict regionally also growing as well. Sara?

SIDNER: Yes, and that is the huge concern in the region and here, of course, in the United States as well. Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much. I appreciate your reporting. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Coming up for us, convicted and acquitted. Jurors reach a mixed decision in the federal trial of three former Memphis police officers, accused in the beating death of Tyre Nichols. We have details on this coming up.

And a Tennessee plastics company responding this morning after workers say they were forced to stay on the job as Hurricane Helene was bearing down. 11 workers were swept away in the floods, some died, and the company now has a forceful response this morning.

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[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: This is breaking overnight. Three former Memphis police officers have been acquitted on the harshest federal charges that they faced in the fatal beating death of Tyre Nichols last year. Video of the incident showed officers punching and kicking Nichols and also hitting him with police batons after a traffic stop. Autopsy results showed that Nichols died from blows that he suffered after that violent encounter with police.

Though, the officers were acquitted on the most serious charges, all three of them, you see, there were convicted on charges of witness tampering related to the cover up after the fact seen instrument.

Shimon Prokupecz is following all of this. When I first heard about it, I was confused. So, what has happened?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: It was definitely very confusing because this is what happens. You have multiple defendants mixed verdict and on the top count, which really deals with the civil rights violations of Tyre Nichols and his death. All of the officers were acquitted on that. The prosecutors just did not meet their burden.

This was a fairly quick verdict. About six hours in, the jury comes back with their verdict. You know, one of the officers, Demetrius Haley, he's convicted of civil rights violations, but for the injuries to Tyre Nichols, sort of like an assault, and also for not giving him the care that he needed in the immediate afterwards.

And then obviously all of the officers here are convicted of essentially a cover up here. They try to hide what they did with their bosses on body camera footage. You can hear them saying turn off your camera. You can also see them and hear them coming up with a story of what happened here. And so on that, the jurors convicted all three officers.

And keep in mind, there were five officers in total involved in this. Two of them actually pleaded guilty and wound up cooperating with the government, with the United States. This was a federal case.

BOLDUAN: Do those deals still stand?

PROKUPECZ: Yes, those deals still stand, but it's going to be interesting to see, because they pleaded to the top counts. So it's going to be interesting.

BOLDUAN: They pleaded guilty to what they were just, these other guys were just acquitted on?

PROKUPECZ: Correct. And so it's going to be interesting to see. How this wounds up playing out with the judge. It's ultimately up to the judge what the sentencing will be.

So, for the three officers who were convicted they are right now sitting in jail. The judge has held them, remanded them until Monday where there's going to be a hearing on whether or not they should be freed until sentencing, which is going to be in January.

But also there's still another trial. All five officers are facing trial on murder. It's a murder case in there in Memphis. So, the D.A., they're prosecuting that and that's expected at some point to go to trial, hopefully before the end of the year.

BOLDUAN: A big chapter of this now closing. But still there's a lot more to come here. Thanks, Shimon. Thanks very much. Sarah?

SIDNER: All right. Just ahead, the port workers strike that threatened to ding the economy, raise inflation and create a shortage of items, like bananas, is over. But no one has signed on the deal just yet. The hurdles that still exist to keep the ports running.

And, with just over a month to the election, the boss has spoken why he's on fire for Kamala Harris.

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[07:25:00] BERMAN: New this morning, breakthrough, striking port workers are back on the job after union negotiators reached a tentative deal on wages with the management group representing shipping lines, terminal operators and port authorities. This was what President Biden said on the agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: dockworkers are going back to work and the next 90 days we're going to settle everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. The deal still needs to be ratified by rank and file members before it takes effect.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich, who was out on the picket line just seems like a few minutes ago, is here with us now. I mean, that was quick.

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: It was quick. There was political pressure. There was pressure now from consumers who were panic buying, and there was obviously economic pressure.

And this came together yesterday. Our colleague, Kayla Tausche, reporting that President Biden instructed his administration officials to really put the pressure on USMX, that is the group that represents the ship lines, to make a better deal, and ultimately they sort of met in the middle.