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Interview with Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA): Israel Confirms Hamas Leader Killed in Gaza; Panel Issues Scathing New Report on Secret Service; Liam Payne, Former One Direction Member, Dead at 31. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired October 17, 2024 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: We are following breaking news. President Biden is praising the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of October 7th, the massacre in Israel. And the president says that he plans to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu soon.

Israel's military confirming Sinwar's death earlier today. Two Israeli sources telling CNN that forces encountered Sinwar during a routine military operation. It's unclear what his death will mean for the Israel-Hamas war.

Let's discuss a little bit more here with Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts. Congressman, thanks for being with us. How significant is this?

REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D-MA): Momentous. The world is safer now that this architect of mass murder and mass rape and hostage taking is dead. And it is an inflection point.

For Hamas, it is an inflection point between continued war or the possibility of peace. If Hamas puts forward somebody in the same vein as Sinwar, one, Israel is going to kill that person too, rightfully. But two, there is going to be continued conflict in the region because the mandate of Hamas is the destruction of the Israeli state and the murder of all Jews. And no country is going to live next to a neighbor like that.

But if Hamas puts forward somebody that is willing to start their tenure by unconditionally releasing all of the hostages, there is a pathway for peace.

KEILAR: Well, so American officials are striking a hopeful tone about a hostage and ceasefire deal. Israeli officials are saying that there's an opportunity. But we've heard that so many times. Why should hostage families, including Americans, read this as anything more than lip service?

AUCHINCLOSS: Because Sinwar was the biggest obstacle to peace and to the release of the hostages. Sinwar, even by the barbaric standards of Hamas, was considered a hardliner. And when he took over the political wing of Hamas, in addition to the military command that he had in Gaza, the prospects for a hostage deal and for peace really faded to almost nothing. Which is why it was so critical that Israel retain a military presence in Gaza so that this type of routine military patrol could ultimately take out Sinwar.

There is now a new prospect for a hostage deal. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. I'm not saying it happens immediately. We are still dealing with a terrorist organization. We are still dealing with people who have no moral code whatsoever. But with new leadership, that individual could release the hostages unconditionally. And then there could be an actual prospect of true negotiations to end this conflict.

KEILAR: And I do want to follow on that with a political question, because there's an intersection between this and our presidential election. Vice President Harris has called over and over for a ceasefire in Gaza. That's what a lot of key voters in Michigan, a key state, are demanding.

If there isn't movement, do you think it could cost her the election?

AUCHINCLOSS: No, I don't. I think this election is going to be decided on cost of living and reproductive rights and border security, and most of all, on character and integrity. Who do American voters trust to be in the Oval Office making the decisions that affect their lives and affect global security?

[15:35:00]

And Kamala Harris clearly is the individual that can help steward both the economy and our national defense. That is what's going to be decisive in this election. That does not mean, though, that this issue is not critically important, not just for Israel, but indeed for freedom-loving people the world over. Because we are facing, here in the United States, an axis of authoritarianism.

Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, they all have it together, their intent to upend the rules-based international order and to fight the West. And every time we strike a blow against Iran-backed proxy terror forces, we make the world a little bit safer for civilization.

KEILAR: You served as a Marine. You have American troops right now on their way to Israel to operate this THAAD air defense system. There are so many American troops who are in the region as those defenses have been bolstered amid this conflict.

How does this news of Sinwar's death impact U.S. military personnel on the ground?

AUCHINCLOSS: Well, that is hard to determine, and one of the reasons why we have such a strong forward-deployed security presence is that it's a violent and volatile region. And if you could predict it perfectly, this wouldn't be the situation we were in.

So that's why we are putting forward an air defense system. That's why we have our aircraft carrier strike group in the region, so that we can be prepared for anything. I think, though, that what this does do is it adds another tactical

victory to the last few months for Israel. They've had success in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah. They've had success against Iran.

KEILAR: I'm afraid that we are having a technical difficulty there with the congressman's signal. Congressman Jake Auchincloss, thank you so much for being with us. All right, we're going to have to let him go, unfortunately.

Still ahead, a scathing new report from the Department of Homeland Security recommending a complete overhaul of Secret Service leadership. The report saying, quote, without that reform, another Butler can and will happen again.

[15:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We have some breaking news into CNN out of Georgia. The accused Apalachee High School shooter, Colt Gray, and his father, Colin Gray, have been indicted on numerous counts related to a mass shooting that took place there last month. Both Grays are facing charges, including murder for the incident that left four people dead and another nine injured.

KEILAR: According to CNN affiliates, a grand jury indicted Colt Gray on 55 different counts, including murder, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children. His father, Colin, was indicted on 29 counts, including second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless conduct. The two were scheduled to be formally arraigned, or they are scheduled to be formally arraigned here on November 21st.

And today, a scathing new report about the Secret Service. This after the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the summer. Now an independent panel has reviewed the situation and says that the agency should be restructured, arguing that it's become, quote, bureaucratic, complacent, and static.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Evan Perez joins us now with more. Evan, this was a bipartisan panel.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Right.

SANCHEZ: So tell us about how they got to these findings and now how the agency is responding.

PEREZ: Well, they basically took a look at the structure of the agency. They talked to people who were former agents, people who know the Secret Service inside and out. And really, this is a brutal, brutal report. Right. And it's a very well-written report because it explains really how the Secret Service has kind of lost its way. It has -- it's got a lot of different missions, including, of course, the protective detail.

But it also does, you know, counterfeit. It does cyber investigations. And according to this report, I mean, what you see here, what happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, is really a symptom of a bigger problem with the agency.

And what you're hearing already, though, from Ronald Rowe, who is the acting director, he's saying that the Secret Service is already working on some of these things that are inside this report. Let's listen to a little bit more of what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD ROWE, ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. SECRET SERVICE: Well, what I'm focused on right now is making sure that I'm advocating for the men and women of the Secret Service that are out there doing the mission. And I'm trying to match the level of effort that they're doing right now to make sure that we are successful. And I'm pushing myself and those around me to make sure that we're having those conversations with key decision makers so that I can advocate for them.

And everything is on the table, everything from pay reform, retirement reform, getting an authorization to ensure that our personnel are paid for every hour that they work. That is my focus right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREZ: And look, I mean, part of what the important part of this, one of the important parts of this report, is this suggestion and this recommendation that going forward the Secret Service bring in outside leadership. That includes, of course, that would mean that he would not be serving in his capacity where he is right now.

SANCHEZ: Yes, we'll see how the agency moves forward after that. Evan Perez, thank you so much.

So we have some news regarding this incident in South America last night. A preliminary autopsy report reveals that a former One Direction star, Liam Payne, died from multiple injuries involving external and internal hemorrhages after he fell from a balcony, a hotel balcony, in Argentina.

[15:45:05]

KEILAR: Police say they discovered Payne's body after emergency services responded to a call from hotel staff. A toxicology report for the 31-year-old is still pending. Let's bring in CNN Entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister on this story.

And Elizabeth, CNN has gained access to that call to police that was made by the hotel staff. What does it reveal?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is such a sad and shocking story, of course, to millions of One Direction fans around the world and the exact circumstances of Liam Payne's death are still unclear, but we are getting new details in. Yesterday, around 5 p.m. local time in Buenos Aires, a hotel manager where Liam Payne was staying made a 911 call. I want to read you part of that 911 call, Brianna. The hotel manager said, We have a guest who is overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol. He breaks things up. He is tearing the whole room apart.

Now, they didn't name Liam Payne in that. But after that, of course, is when the police said that Liam Payne was dead after falling from the third floor at that hotel. Now, local police also yesterday told the Associated Press that he had jumped from a balcony.

I reached out just moments ago to the local police, and they declined to give me more details regarding that word jump. But then they referred me to the prosecutor's office in Argentina. The prosecutor's office in Argentina, they are saying that they believe that this fall could have been an accident due to the way that his body was found and the injuries that his body sustained.

They also say the prosecutor's office that he, quote, may have fallen in a state of semi or total unconsciousness.

Now, I want to tell you that local authorities have provided media with photos of what they found in Liam Payne's hotel room. There is a photo of a broken TV, also photos of what appear to be drug paraphernalia. We are not going to show that photo.

But obviously, this is just an incredibly heartbreaking, tragic story. And although the exact circumstances are unclear, this is going to shine a light on mental health, on online bullying and the pressures that these young stars face in the spotlight.

KEILAR: Yes, such sad news for so many fans. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much. And we'll be right back.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: California has a history of devastating and destructive earthquakes, but a few recent quakes have really been rattling nerves and raising fears that a big one, the big one, might be coming.

SANCHEZ: Let's discuss with meteorologist Chad Myers and CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam. Thank you both for being with us. And Stephanie, here on set.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So happy to be with you in person.

SANCHEZ: Lovely to be in your presence.

ELAM: Thank you, thank you.

SANCHEZ: Chad, what are you seeing in these quake patterns, and what should the level of concern be?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I mean, concern is probably too big of a word, I think, but prepared and knowledgeable would be one. Everybody's heard of the Ring of Fire, and not the Johnny Cash song. Ring of Fire is 90 percent of the world's earthquakes are made. It's because the Pacific Ocean is getting smaller, the Atlantic Ocean is getting bigger, and so these plates out here are crashing into each other. The two that you were talking about, the 4-4 there in Pasadena and the 4-7 in Malibu, certainly shook a lot of people. And so that was the issue.

This wasn't in the middle of the desert. But there are so many, so many zones here that could shake at some point in time. And it's really just a matter of time.

My lifetime, my son's lifetime, we all don't know, but there you go -- guys.

KEILAR: We see it. We see all that action there. And Stephanie, you, of course, live in California. You've been asking the question we all want to know, is the big one really coming?

ELAM: So the first thing that they will tell you when you go to talk to these experts at like Caltech, where I went to go talk to them there, it's not a question of the big one, but a big one. Because this is a cycle that's been going on for a millennia, and it's not going to stop. Even if we've had a really long time, we are going to see another big earthquake at some point. So it's a matter of people being prepared.

You talk about the January 17th earthquake in 1994 in Northridge. Dozens of people died. Thousands were injured. And that was centered in a very populated area.

And then if you look at October 17th, the anniversary today, 35 years ago, the Loma Prieta earthquake, which people may remember was when the World Series was going on. I was in high school, and it was one of the most terrifying days, right, to have a major shaker like that and all the devastation that will occur.

They will tell you that another one will happen in our lifetime. And in Southern California, what one geologist explained to me is that the way that you see all those mountains and hills underneath every one of them is an active fault. And the world underneath, the earth underneath is moving at about the same pace that fingernails are growing.

So what we can do is prepare. And today was a great shakeout. And so what happens on the third Thursday of every October, today happens to be the anniversary, is a time for people to drop, cover, and hold on to practice and be prepared for an earthquake. So knowing how to do that, where you're going to go, if you're in a wheelchair, locking your wheelchair and making yourself safe in these environments.

You don't want to run outside, which people used to do. When I was a kid, they used to tell us to stand in a doorway. No, you want to drop, cover, get under something sturdy, hold on while that shaking is going on, and protect yourself.

[15:55:00] And then also get the things you need in advance and put them, stash them away. Enough water, that's the most important thing. You also have to have your food and your medicine.

So you want people to prepare, be safe, but also just know for all these -- there's grown Angelenos who've never felt strong shaking because it's been so long. Prepare and get ready. And these little earthquakes are a little reminder.

So not necessarily meaning a big earthquake is coming, but a reminder to just get your ducks in order.

SANCHEZ: Yes, it seems like it's a matter of time, really.

ELAM: It is.

SANCHEZ: Stephanie Elam, Chad Myers, thank you both. Appreciate you seeing you in person.

ELAM: So glad to see you guys in person.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: We leave you this afternoon on a sad note. One of the last survivors of the golden age of the Hollywood musical has passed away. Mitzi Gaynor was the effervescent dancer and actor who starred in South Pacific as Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film belting out classics like, I'm Going to Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair.

In her eight decades long career, she appeared in musicals with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Gene Kelly.

KEILAR: Gaynor's agents said that she died of natural causes.

They said, As we celebrate her legacy, we offer our thanks to her friends and fans and the countless audiences she entertained throughout her long life. Your love, support, and appreciation meant so very much to her and was a sustaining gift in her life.

Gaynor was 93.

I remember watching South Pacific as a kid.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

SANCHEZ: You didn't, right?

SANCHEZ: I can't say I did.

KEILAR: It was so great, though. I loved it.

SANCHEZ: She was obviously beloved. We appreciate you joining us this afternoon. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.

END