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Israel Strikes Targets in Lebanon; Harris Criticized as DEI Candidate; Simone Biles Set to Make Olympic Comeback. Aired 3-3.30a ET

Aired July 28, 2024 - 03:00   ET

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

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[03:00:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN Newsroom.

Israel's military hits Hezbollah targets after horrific attack in the Golan Heights.

Republicans continue their verbal assault against the Democratic frontrunner, why calling Vice President Kamala Harris a DEI candidate could backfire on the GOP.

And as the second day of Olympic competition gets underway, all eyes will be on the gymnast many call the greatest of all time.

Israel is making good on its pledge to retaliate after Saturday's horrific rocket attack against the occupied Golan Heights. It says its warplanes hit Hezbollah targets deep inside Lebanon overnight, including weapons caches and what it describes as terrorist infrastructure. It all came after this attack, which was caught on video. Have a look.

So, that's the moment when rockets hit the village of Mardal Shams on Saturday, killing at least 12 people and leaving 29 others wounded. Israel says many of the victims are children after a rocket hit a football field where they were playing. Israeli officials are pointing a finger at Hezbollah, which denies having anything to do with the strike.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flying home from the U.S. at this hour and plans to convene his security cabinet as soon as he arrives.

Now, we're also getting firsthand accounts of the horrific aftermath of the strike. As Jeremy Diamond reports from the scene, some victims were struck while they were literally meters away from safety.

We are standing in a soccer field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the Golan Heights where at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday evening this area was filled with children and young adults playing soccer on a hot summer evening. And that's the very moment when a rocket landed just right behind me here. 12 people were killed, children and young adults ranging between the ages of 10 and 20 years old. At least 29 other people were injured in what the Israeli military is calling the deadliest attack on civilians since October 7th.

I spoke with one man who was in the area. His home is right nearby and he actually saw the rocket hit. Here's what he described to us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIAMOND: Taymor, you were nearby, you, you heard the sirens and you actually saw this rocket hit right here.

TAYMOR WILI, WITNESS: Yes, I did. I live about 50 meters across from the playground on the fourth floor. So, I have a direct view of what happened here. I was just sitting on my desk. I got my notification. And like two seconds later, maybe less, I heard the sirens. I just rushed to the window. Not even four to five seconds, I opened the window. I was just looking straight. I saw it hit. I saw the kids panicking, running around. And that happened around 6:18 P.M., something like that.

And I just rushed straight here. I got here like two minutes later. And that's when I arrived to the scene. And I had like a clear vision of the impact and of the crater zone. So, that's what I saw.

DIAMOND: And so you heard the, the warning sirens telling you that rockets were coming in, but it was just seconds before the impact.

WILI: No, there's not enough time, it's impossible. If someone tells you otherwise, it's impossible. Even if they were to get to --

DIAMOND: Impossible to get to a shelter.

WILI: No, it's just four to five seconds. What can you do in four to five seconds? You can do nothing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DIAMOND: And one of the most devastating aspects of this attack is when you look at just how close they were to this bomb shelter right behind us. But as Taymor said, they had only a few seconds from the moment when those alert sirens sounded and when that rocket actually hit.

Now, the Israeli military says that Hezbollah was definitely responsible for this attack. They say that they fired this rocket from Southern Lebanon and they describe the type of rocket. They say that it was an Iranian-made rocket only in Hezbollah's arsenal. They describe it as a Falaq-1 Iranian rocket that was carrying a 50-kilo warhead.

Hezbollah, for its part, denies responsibility for this attack. But what is clear is that there is a very real risk now of escalation, the Israeli military, the Israeli government, all vowing to respond and respond forcefully to this attack.

[03:05:02]

The Israeli prime minister himself returning from Washington a few hours early because of this attack, and he said that the state of Israel will, quote, not be silent about this. We will not put this off the agenda. And now the real question is what will come next? How forceful, how severe will that Israeli military response be against Hezbollah in Lebanon? And could this potentially trigger that all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah that has been feared for months, but has yet to actually come?

We have seen escalations. We have seen this conflict go up and down this slow simmering conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, but it has been this very type of event, one in which many civilians were killed. That could potentially lead to that broader escalation that so many have feared. But for now, one thing is clear, this entire community, a very small community of Majdal Shams, devastated by this attack and the mood here just very, very somber as they now prepare to bury their dead.

Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Majdal Shams, Golan Heights.

BRUNHUBER: Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is accusing Hezbollah and Lebanon of starting an outright war with Israel. Bennett says it's up to Benjamin Netanyahu as the head of Israel's government to provide security to the country and says the only way to avoid a greater escalation with Lebanon is if that country's government moves Hezbollah away from the border.

Bennett spoke with CNN on Saturday. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAFTALI BENNETT, FORMER ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We're fed up with lofty rhetoric and the hollow words and accompanied by feeble action. It is time for action. And you asked what it is. What it is, is the state of Lebanon, which Hezbollah is part and parcel of, has started war with Israel. And we will no longer make the distinction between Lebanon and Hezbollah, which is part of Lebanon.

So, the state of Lebanon essentially shot a rocket made in Iran. We know the name of the guy who shot it. His name is Ali Mahmoud Yehia (ph). These rockets were made in Iran, Iranian rockets, 50 kilograms of a warhead. And it's time that we hit back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, just to be clear, Lebanon isn't run by Hezbollah, and Hezbollah says it firmly denies firing rockets into the Golan Heights.

Palestinian officials say at least 30 people, including a number of children, were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a school in Central Gaza Saturday. More than 100 were reported wounded. One official at a nearby hospital says most of the victims treated there were women and children. Israel's military says it was targeting a Hamas command and control center inside the compound, but a Palestinian civil defense spokesperson says the school was sheltering more than 4,000 displaced civilians.

We are now 100 days away from the U.S. presidential election, and a new CNN poll shows former President Donald Trump just three points ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris nationwide, and that's within the poll's margin of error. On Saturday, Trump held a rally in Minnesota with his running mate, J.D. Vance. The state hasn't backed a Republican candidate in more than five decades.

Now, during the rally, Trump lashed out at Kamala Harris, calling her worse than President Biden. Earlier in the day, Trump headlined a cryptocurrency event, where he once again slammed Harris. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: This room is amazing, the people in this room, the high I.Q. individuals. I'm running against a low I.Q. individual, her. I'm not even talking about him, her. I got a low I.Q. individual.

We have a country to run. The problem is that Kamala is worse than Joe. She's worse. She's a radical left lunatic, defund the police, all of the different things. And so far we're doing, she's got a little honeymoon going on right now, but when people hear about her -- and she's against crypto, by the way.

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BRUNHUBER: And Kamala Harris hit the campaign trail as well. The vice president praised the power and leadership of young Americans while addressing Gen Z at the Voters of Tomorrow Summit in pre-recorded remarks, and she's pledging to earn their vote. The presumptive Democratic nominee was also fighting back on Saturday during a fundraiser in Massachusetts. While focusing on issues like reproductive health and gun violence, she took the time to address Trump's attacks. Here she is.

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KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You may have noticed, Donald Trump has been resorting to some wild lies about my record. And some of what he and his running mate are saying, well, it's just plain weird. I mean, that's the box you put that in, right?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And joining us now from Seattle is Ruchika T. Malhotra, who's an inclusion strategist and the author of Inclusion on Purpose, An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work.

[03:10:02]

Thank you so much for being here with us.

So, I wanted to ask you about an accusation, I guess, that's being leveled against Kamala Harris from certain Republicans which is that she's a DEI hire. So when you heard that, were you surprised or did you figure this is, you know, kind of what you expected, that it's predictable? RUCHIKA T. MALHOTRA, INCLUSION STRATEGIST: Yes. Unfortunately, it is quite predictable. We see this happen time and time again. I've been doing this for over a decade where advise organizations on creating more inclusion and often there is this level of pushback, especially when people see those who have been historically marginalized, make a little gain. Suddenly, there's a lot of questions around, what was the process like, was the bar lowered to ensure that someone was just promoted for optics.

So, unfortunately, this attack is pretty old. It's you know, straight out of the right wing playbook. And, unfortunately, it doesn't hold any water at all.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, no, of course not. She's extremely accomplished. But, politically, what do you think the point here is, do you think?

MALHOTRA: Yes. Actually, the point of this kind of rhetoric is actually to stoke fears. So, people kind of again, have this idea like my group is losing out because someone again who we've never seen before in this highest office, we've never had a woman, let alone a woman of color, you know, sort of be -- someone who's really the front runner in this situation.

And so, unfortunately, it's not new and what it does (INAUDIBLE) fear- based voting rather than fact-based.

BRUNHUBER: As you say, it's something that many, or maybe I should say, most people of color have experienced at some time being accused of, you know, not earning their success, being labeled a token and so on. So, what do you make of the reaction here? Do you think it might actually backfire and further motivate voters of color who might have been on the fence?

MALHOTRA: I actually think it will, because one of the things that I've seen just in the last one week is this incredible mobilization across various identity groups. I'm thinking of especially women of different identities, you know, white women raised record numbers just over a one-hour Zoom call. I was [art of the South Asian women for Harris on call, raising, you know, over $280,000. Black women certainly led that charge and raised over $1.8 million.

So, what we're seeing is actually mobilize a whole number of people who probably know this familiar attack, who know what it can do to you, especially can really get under your skin. And so I would say, I think that it's probably going to backfire. But I also want to -- I cannot underscore how we do have to be really careful as well, because it does stoke that level of like fear-based questioning of like this person be a candidate, you know, and raise these questions that really have nothing to do with their qualifications, accomplishments, and readiness to lead.

BRUNHUBER: Yes. Associating Kamala Harris with the buzzword of DEI, I suppose, is a winning strategy for Republicans, I guess, because of, you know, their base -- I mean, because the attacks on the -- the concept of DEI seems to be something that resonates with many modern Republicans. I just want to give you a statistic. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, since 2023, 85 DEI -- anti-DEI bills that target programs at colleges have been introduced in 28 states and in Congress. So, it's not just symbolically, but in practical terms, it's something that Republicans are fighting against tooth and nail.

MALHOTRA: Yes. Unfortunately, I've seen it firsthand. We certainly saw it in the previous administration when -- during the Trump presidency as well, where there was this very serious and sort of mounting attack on DEI and, of course, we've seen that with the affirmative action reversal, you know, from the Supreme Court, so definitely something that's extremely concerning, especially when you look at the data. And, again, the facts do not lie, right? Like there's research to show that here in the United States, a black college graduates' household income will typically be less than a white high school graduates' household income.

So, you know, you can't lie -- you can't argue against the numbers and yet, unfortunately, this rhetoric, this narrative of unfair advantage, affirmative action, DEI candidate, it all kind of falls in the same category. And, again, if we lived in a perfect meritocracy, I could understand if it felt like someone was just making gains based on their race or gender, but the reality is, you know, the playing field is very far from being level at this point.

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BRUNHUBER: Yes, in terms of the campaign, this promises just to be, you know, just a step along what we're going to see, I guess, in terms of the racial dog whistles and so on.

We'll have to leave it there for now. Ruchika T. Malhotra, thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

MALHOTRA: Thank you for having me.

BRUNHUBER: The most decorated gymnast of all time. Simone Biles is about to make her return to the Olympics. We'll have more on her comeback and her journey to this incredible moment. That's coming up next. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: Well, with the fun of the opening ceremonies out of the way, many of the world's top athletes got down to serious competition on Saturday as the first medals of the Paris Olympics were handed out. Australia leads with three golds, China is in second with two, and the U.S. has one win. 13more gold medals are up for grabs today. We'll see more action in the pool with Great Britain's Adam Peavy aiming for his third gold in the men's 100 meter breaststroke. The women's street final in skateboarding features Brazil and Japan. And, of course, all eyes on the women in gymnastics. U.S. superstar Simone Biles is competing in her third games, leading the team USA, the defending world champions.

All right, CNN Sports Analyst Christine Brennan joins us now from Paris. Good to see you. I want to start with the pool. You were poolside, plenty of action there. Take us through what you saw.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Kim, absolutely. You know, these Olympics always start with a bang when you start with swimming because you've got races and medals and anthems and flags all within two hours. It's just the entire Olympics encapsulated in those two hours in many ways. And Australia had a great start with two gold medals, their relay, their women's relay, beat the U.S. and China.

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China, by the way, with two of the four athletes on their relay team, the women's relay and the 4 by 100 were part are part of the Chinese 11, the ones that had their doping tests not revealed back in 2021, positive doping tests. So, that's a story we keep watching, of course, but Australia won that.

And then Ariarne Titmus defeated Summer McIntosh, the 17-year-old from Canada, and, of course, the great Katie Ledecky, 27 years old, the greatest female swimmer in history. Titmus for the second Olympics in a row, Kim, won the women's 400 freestyle. That was a terrific race by her, dominating all the way through. Ledecky with the bronze, her 11th medal overall at the Olympics, four Olympic Games for Katie Ledecky, classy and just wonderful.

At one point, there was a conversation and someone asked about the rivalry between Titmus and Ledecky, and Ledecky said, you know, I, I wouldn't call it a rivalry. I'd call it a friendship. What a lovely way to start the Olympics and Katie Ledecky handling that bronze, which was expected, frankly. She's got better chances to win gold later in the Olympic Games.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, it's interesting that moment there that sort of encapsulates the Olympic spirit, I guess. So, listen, I want to go now to gymnastics in just a few moments, I guess not too long from now, Simone Biles is set to compete. So, what are you expecting from her and what's on the line here in terms of her legacy?

BRENNAN: Greatness, Kim, I'll say that. I'm expecting greatness. You know, the greatest of all time and she's back and she's looking better than ever. And this is remarkable. Like Katie Ledecky, she's 27. 27 is old for a gymnast, folks. That is not a young, normal age, although thankfully the gymnasts are getting older just with the concerns about body and image and what have you and health with these athletes.

But this is remarkable what we're seeing, just absolutely remarkable. Simone Biles coming back after the twisties three years ago in Tokyo. Many people remember, of course, all the difficulties that her honesty, her bravery, talking about the courage, talking about mental health issues. She's back. We've got the -- qualifying for the team competition. The U.S. is expected to win the gold, led by Simone Biles. Simone Biles is expected to win the women's individual all- around in a few days. And then, of course, there will be the event finals later on. She could pick up another three medals, probably gold, in those two if things go well. And, of course, that's the key issue here. As we saw with Ledecky last night, as we saw with Biles three years ago, sometimes they don't win, right? And the way they handle it can be so illuminating. And also such a positive, you know, image and role model opportunity for those athletes.

So, Simone Biles again, greatest of all time, and you get a chance to see her again doing it as well as anyone has ever done gymnastics. It's truly a remarkable, extraordinary day in the Olympic Games to be able to have her back and competing and looking so good in these -- as she starts her competition.

BRUNHUBER: Yes, she's been through so much and under so much pressure. We'll see how she handles that coming up later.

Christine Brennan in Paris, thank you so much. I really appreciate that.

BRENNAN: My pleasure, Kim. Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right. And much more ahead here on CNN Newsroom, please stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: In just a few hours, millions of Venezuelans will start heading to the polls to cast their ballots in what could be the country's most consequential election in more than a decade. Concerns are already growing over the fairness of the election with the last minute barring of some international observers.

Authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro has agreed to allow election monitors in exchange for the U.S. easing sanctions. Maduro, who assumed the presidency after Hugo Chavez's death 11 years ago, faces off against Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, a former diplomat who's built a strong following after the opposition's two preferred candidates were barred from running.

For the second time this year, Russian Navy ships are visiting longtime ally Cuba. Moscow's embassy in the Caribbean nation says the training ship, a patrol ship, and a tanker are expected to remain in Havana until Tuesday. Cuba calls the visit routine, but details aren't clear. Russian media reports the ships will observe Russian Navy Day on Sunday with the public allowed to visit. Just a few weeks ago, Moscow sent another group of warships, including a submarine, to Havana.

All right, thanks so much for joining us. I'm Kim Brunhuber live in Atlanta. I'll be back with more news in half an hour. In the meantime, Marketplace Africa is next.

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