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Coordinated Sabotage Targets Train Lines in France; Historic Olympic Opening Ceremony is Now Hours Away; Harris Enthusiasm Mounts, But Some Georgia Swing Voters Skeptical; One-on-One with USA Flag Bearer and Tennis Star Coco Gauff. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired July 26, 2024 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST (via phone): There's been some stuff related to the Israeli-Hamas war.

We just don't know what this is right now, but we do know that the disruption is significant. And the interesting thing is the police in Paris are now being deployed to outside areas, which then means, of course, that the Olympic opening events just a few hours from now will be impacted as well.

And that explains, I think, why the Olympic Committee cancelled the press conference. They're trying to figure this out.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I just wondered what you thought that might mean for the opening ceremony, because you've also got this rain issue, which was always going to be a threat.

KAYYEM: Yes. Yes, it's a little bit drizzling now and about 45 percent likelihood of rain. I think they had anticipated that could be a possibility.

They have really no legitimate plan B. At one stage, there was talk of moving it from the Seine for security reasons over to a Colosseum. That would be almost impossible to do at this stage.

I was just on the Seine walking around, and music was playing, and it looked like people were testing systems. So I think they're all systems go with the opening ceremonies. But you are going to have two problems.

One is, of course, lots of people can't get into the city who may have tickets. And then the priority for the Olympic Committee has got to get athletes moving. Athletes often stay outside of Olympic villages, you know, basically for comfort levels.

And so each national team will be getting an inventory of where their athletes are to make sure that they can experience what's essentially an event for them.

FOSTER: OK, thank you so much for joining us. And more updates as we get the impact of those attacks. Now, we've also got Christine Brennan, I believe, as well, who's available to us from Paris.

Hi, Christine. I mean, you've got your umbrella up now. I mean, you were worried about this, I'm sure, you know, ruining the opening ceremony.

Now we've got the added disruption. It's such a shame, isn't it, for the, you know, all the French people trying to come in on trains. We've also got an issue with Eurostar. So the Brits coming over are also going to be affected. And you're just not going to have the crowds you were expecting.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: This is really unfortunate. I mean, this is the greatest day. The opening ceremony at any Olympic Games, Max, is the greatest day.

It's just the day that all the anticipation, the seven, the eight years of planning from winning the Games, with the International Olympic Committee saying the name of your city, Paris, is going to host the 2024 Games. All of the days, weeks, months, years planning this. And it is raining, and it's raining harder now than it was an hour ago.

It is a steady little drizzle. But how that will, as Juliet was just saying, how that will impact the events down the Seine, the dancers, all of the show, the music that is expected, we don't know yet. But clearly, this is their worst nightmare in terms of the weather. Hopefully, it will clear in the next few hours.

And then, of course, the disruptions. And as you mentioned, all of the fans, the thousands of people who are pouring into Paris today for the opening ceremony.

Obviously, the events, the sporting events, swimming and other sports get going right from the get-go Saturday morning. This is a major disruption in everyone's life in terms of celebrating the greatest gathering of athletes around the world, which, of course, is the Olympic Games.

FOSTER: You have had some competition, at least, haven't you? Because it's an odd situation where the opening ceremony comes after the opening of the Olympics. Have you had some interesting events so far?

BRENNAN: Well, yes. I think the one from a U.S. perspective, and I think also just in sports perspective, the U.S. women's national soccer team played and won quite easily 3-0 yesterday, a good start for the United States.

The U.S., of course, is really, you know, the best-known women's sports team in the world, the soccer team. And they have had some tough times, including at last year's Women's World Cup. So a new coach, some new players, and a new start for the U.S.

And I think it's important also, Max, I have been in touch with the USOPC, and they have made it crystal clear, as far as athlete movement, the U.S. is not using any trains at all for its athletes. They're all buses, according to the USOPC spokeswoman.

Also, everyone in the U.S. delegation -- going back, obviously, to some of the issues here with the trains. Everyone in the U.S. delegation is on the international SOS system, I have been told, by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee spokeswoman. So the entire U.S. delegation, family, friends, athletes, they are all being kept aware to the minute, by the minute, of anything that is going on here in Paris.

[04:35:00]

FOSTER: I know doping is always the issue that you have to talk about at these events. Do you see a change in systems that's improving things this year?

BRENNAN: Well, certainly, I don't know that anyone, Max, could have done anything more in terms of security. I have had so many conversations over the last year with sources, with authorities, on background, the way you report stories. I have been doing this, too, talking about the Seine River, talking about, is this really a wise thing to do, to have the athletes of the world and all of these others gather on the Seine?

Clearly, this is the first time ever an opening ceremony has not been in a stadium. And a stadium, of course, is so much more secure. You can actually secure an 80,000 seat, 60,000 seat stadium in a way you just cannot secure a river. And that is just a fact. And it's something I have asked over and over.

And I wondered if they would ever want to move the opening ceremony to a stadium. They have said, every man, every woman I have ever spoken with, no, we are going to stick with the Seine River. So what that tells me is that the authorities here, and also in the United States, who I have spoken with, have been so aware that there could be disruptions and protests. They have been so aware of the security issues.

And then here this morning in Paris and around France, this coordinated effort to disrupt the train system, it's almost amazing that it was able to happen because of the incredible focus, as I said, months and months, that I have been hearing in my phone calls and my reporting. But here we are. This is the reality. And it has happened.

FOSTER: Yes, absolutely, Christine. Back with updates from Paris through the day. Thank you.

Plane manufacturer Boeing, meanwhile, forecasting that African airlines could see a quadrupling in the number of passenger traffic numbers across the continent over the next 20 years. It also predicts that it could result in the creation of 69,000 jobs across the sector, according to its commercial market outlook for 2023.

Morocco's Royal Air Maroc is one of those eye expansion across the continent, with an order for more than 200 new planes.

Eleni Giokos sat down recently with the CEO in this edition of Connecting Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ABDELHAMID ADDOU, CEO ROYAL AIR MAROC: Well, we are a nearly 70 years old airline. We've started in 1956. And actually, since the beginning, we have this DNA that is an African DNA.

We've opened the first route that was Dakar in 1958. Since 2000, we have launched new routes to connect the whole continent in order to build a real south-south economy and links and exchanges between Morocco and the other countries of the continent. And today, we cover nearly the three quarters of the continent, mainly North Africa, Central Africa, West Africa.

We don't cover yet East Africa, but it's coming.

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: What are the plans then?

ADDOU: The plans is to expand our fleet from 50 planes to 200 in the next 10 years. So a rhythm of 12 to 15 new planes per year. And to expand the coverage of the continent to reach all the destinations in the continent, starting by Nairobi, N'Djamena in Chad next year, Nairobi the year after, Abuja this year.

If we had flown to Lagos since 20 years now, and then on the rest of the continent. So it's going to be a huge program for us.

GIOKOS: What kind of passenger numbers are we looking at? How many routes?

ADDOU: We have flown 7.5 million travelers, making $2 billion revenues. Our target is to reach 38 million passengers by 2035 in 10 years. So yes, we have a very strong ambition.

GIOKOS: So what kind of opportunities does the African Continental Free Trade Area offer Royal Air Maroc?

ADDOU: To open up the whole continent.

GIOKOS: To open up? So like easy visas?

ADDOU: Easy visas and to fly from a destination to another one without coming via Casablanca. Today, we cannot fly from, I don't know, Lagos to Addis directly. We have to come --

GIOKOS: Is that policy that's the issue?

ADDOU: It is a policy issue, and it has to, and it will change. Look, in Europe, it took maybe 60 or 70 years to reach open skies. In Africa, it will be less time, of course, but we need to speed up the process.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: U.S. authorities have arrested two alleged leaders of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel, who have eluded law enforcement for decades now, including the son of notorious drug lord El Chapo. Joaquin Guzman Lopez was taken into custody in El Paso on Thursday, along with Ismael Zambada Garcia, who is known as El Mayo and thought to be the current Sinaloa leader.

Officials say El Mayo boarded a plane thinking he would be inspecting a property facility in Mexico, but that plane went to the U.S., where he was met by the FBI. Both men are facing charges for allegedly running what the attorney general calls one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world.

Kamala Harris' U.S. presidential campaign is beginning to take form, and the vice president has just released her first campaign ad. But will her message resonate with the swing voters that she needs to win over?

Nick Valencia is in Georgia with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If the election were held today, Margarita Eberline doesn't know who she'd vote for.

The elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris in the race hasn't made things any clearer for her.

MARGARITA EBERLINE, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: No, it's not exciting to me. It's not like, oh, wow, the easy answer. It's not an easy choice for me. It still isn't. People are assuming that because I'm a Latina woman that, oh, I'm going to be excited about her and it's not that easy for me because I worry about character.

We had somebody that was the right hand of somebody that was not healthy who was silent about it. And that concerns me.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Eberline lives in Gwinnett County, a key suburban county in a swing state where she believes her vote is more consequential than ever.

In a recent memo, Vice President Harris's campaign said it sees securing swing voters like Eberline as part of a pathway to victory.

VALENCIA: Do you think a lot of people are burned out with politics at this point?

EBERLINE: Absolutely.

VALENCIA (voice-over): In 2020, Joe Biden won Georgia by less than 12,000 votes, becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992.

[04:45:00]

But in 2024, we're finding that Democrats have their work cut out for them if they're hoping for a repeat.

VALENCIA: How is it changed your opinion seeing her as a potential nominee for the Democrats?

PING SORIANO, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: Oh, yes, 50, 50.

VALENCIA: Fifty-fifty?

SORIANO: Yes.

VALENCIA: You still have to learn more and research more?

SORIANO: Yes.

VALENCIA: If the election was today, you wouldn't know which way you would vote.

SORIANO: I am so in doubt right now. But give me a place about three months, and I'll be ready.

SHEILA HOLLEY, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: It's not like, you know, I want to vote for her because she's Black. That's not the reason. This year, it's just to make sure Trump is not elected.

VALENCIA: What makes you want to vote for Trump?

VALENCIA (voice-over): Aber Martinez doesn't need any more time to make up his mind. He saw our camera and shouted Trump 2024.

ABER MARTINEZ, GEORGIA TRUMP VOTER: I rather vote for Trump, no matter what. They're going to keep bringing the liberal agenda, and I'm -- I'm not for it. I'm just sorry.

VALENCIA (voice-over): For Margarita Eberline, some progressive policies are troubling, but it's Trump's rhetoric specifically on immigration that makes it hard for her to support him.

EBERLINE: I'm a conservative person and I just cannot make peace with anybody that uses hatred in their rhetoric, and that uses division as a strategy.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Eberline also questions whether either outcome will even make a difference for her and her family.

EBERLINE: I'm not from a privileged background. I was the first in my family to go to college and I went to a really good university and all of that, and I feel like I've checked all the boxes but relatively speaking, like my life's not easy. And no matter who wins, the financial implications are not necessarily going to be easy for me.

VALENCIA: Our biggest takeaway in talking to voters throughout the day is just the overall lack of enthusiasm about the upcoming election. The voters that we spoke to say they're just not animated in the same way they were in 2020. And for as instrumental as Georgia was in handing Biden a victory four years ago, what's clear to us is that the Democrats in 2024 are fighting against a lot in Georgia, and the name of Vice President Harris just hasn't injected the excitement or enthusiasm into those swing voters we spoke to.

Nick Valencia, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: House Speaker Mike Johnson tackled a familiar Republican theme on Thursday, slamming the Biden-Harris administration for its border policy whilst touring a port of entry along the San Diego border with Mexico. Johnson described it as the epicenter of the Biden-Harris border catastrophe. His visit comes nearly two months after President Biden's executive order on immigration.

New figures from the Department of Homeland Security show the number of migrant encounters is down 55 percent. But Border Patrol members say those numbers don't reflect reality, and that migrants are simply going to other places to turn themselves in.

Millions of Venezuelans are expected to go to the polls on Sunday in one of the most important elections in the country's history. Voters will choose the country's next president, and this time there's a possibility that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez could actually defeat authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro. But there's also a chance that true political change could be thwarted by a corrupt government. And if that happens, many young opposition voters say they're ready to emigrate.

Experts predict if Maduro stays in power, up to one-third of Venezuela's population will be looking to get out of the country. We'll be right back.

[04:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Following news out of Paris where France's state railway company says there were several coordinated malicious attacks including arson that targeted high-speed train lines overnight. It comes hours before the Olympic opening ceremony is set to kick off. The games have also been rocked by the first allegations of cheating.

Bev Priestman, the head coach of Canada's women's football team has been suspended for the remainder of the game over allegations that drones were used to spy on rival teams. The Canadian team beat New Zealand 2-1 on Thursday.

As women's football took center stage with the U.S. easily defeating Zambia, Trinity Rodman opened the scoring for the Americans with a turn and strike. Then two more goals came within eight minutes for a final score of 3-0.

Now just 20 years old, Coco Gauff is the reigning U.S. Open champion and the world number two player. Now the American tennis star is gearing up to make her Olympic debut in Paris.

Plus, she's going to be carrying the flag for Team USA alongside NBA icon LeBron James. Our Coy Wire called up with her to ask how she's processing it all.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm sure she's very excited to be here at her first Olympics. It's a pretty special moment. I want you to walk me through this moment here.

I think because you are so special you have the honor of wearing this jacket during the opening ceremony and being a flag bearer with LeBron James.

What's going through your mind at this point?

COCO GAUFF, TEAM USA FLAG BEARER: At this point, I just thought he, you know, Chris is like a brother to me and he always, you know, talks about how proud he is of me. And so I thought he was just doing a little bit too much talking. And then, yes, once I got told that I was going to be flag bearer, obviously you could see by my reaction, I was just shocked and I didn't really know what to say.

I think a lot of people were laughing at me saying, oh, because I really didn't know what to say.

WIRE: Have you started the process yet that you will be repping your country alongside LeBron James?

GAUFF: No, I like, I don't know when I'm going to meet him, but I'm like already like stressed about it, really.

WIRE: So you've never met him before?

GAUFF: No, no, I've never met him before. I'm excited to meet him and I'm excited to be flag bearer alongside him. There's no other athlete I think I would have chosen to do this with.

WIRE: You talk about the racket has the potential to change the world. As divisive as times are right now with everything going on, what do you make of it all? And also what are your hopes for the game's potential ability to bring people together? That's what sports can do.

GAUFF: Yes, I just hope that me being a person representing Team USA and I think all the, I don't want to speak on behalf of all Olympians on Team USA, but I feel like majority of them will agree that we all just want to promote positivity through our game and through our sport and through our competing.

[04:55:00]

And I think that we all just want to show how passionate we are and share that passion with the supporters that we have that hopefully have a lot of success too.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Now to the stories in the spotlight this hour. Good news for Main Street ended up being a mixed bag for Wall Street.

The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 heading into today's trading in the red with Dow in positive territory.

That's despite yesterday's announcement that U.S. GDP growth beat expectations in the second quarter reaching 2.8 percent, much stronger than economists had actually predicted. Stocks initially surged after the announcement, but they later pulled back as tech stocks fell.

Prince Harry opening up about his court case against a major British tabloid last year. He told ITV that he felt vindicated after a monumental victory against the Mirror Group newspapers. Prince Harry said he believes that his battle with the tabloids was a central piece of the rift that formed between him and his family. Adding that anything he says about his family, quote, results in a torrent of abuse from the press.

And finally, this hour, Billy Joel is moving out of Madison Square Garden. The beloved singer, songwriter, and piano man wrapped up a ten-year residency at the famed New York venue. That was on Thursday night. TV host Jimmy Fallon was on hand to present Joel with a banner marking the musician's record-breaking 150 shows performed at the Garden.

The banner will live on in the rafters. Joel's daughters joined him on stage during one of his songs, a touching moment to cap a legendary run for him.

Thanks for joining me here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster in London. CNN "THIS MORNING" is up next with Kasie.