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CNN International: Harris Announces Economic Task Force For Puerto Rico As Trump Tally Speaker Disparages Island; Dark Rhetoric, False Claims From Trump In Campaign Homestretch; Trump In Georgia, Harris In Michigan With Eight Days To Go. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired October 28, 2024 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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LYNDA KINKADE, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": Hello, and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Good to have you with us.
Ahead on CNN Newsroom, the final sprint with just over a week to go until Election Day in the U.S. Donald Trump unveils a dark final pitch to voters over the weekend before heading to the battleground state of Georgia. Kamala Harris gets a major endorsement from a rap star and heads to Michigan today to pitch her manufacturing industry plan. Plus, another round of Gaza ceasefire talks begins in Doha. This as Israel conducted retaliatory strikes on Iran over the weekend. We'll go live to Jerusalem for the latest. And McDonald's Quarter Pounder patties are back, as an E. coli outbreak investigation continues.
We begin with new CNN polling that is reflecting growing fears of the possibility that there could be another January 6 insurrection after this election.
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A new CNN poll of registered voters show that nearly 70 percent do not believe Donald Trump would concede if he loses the election. That's compared to just 26 percent who think Kamala Harris would not concede. Also concerning is that 20 percent of Trump supporters surveyed don't believe the loser of a presidential election has an obligation to concede.
Well, in the coming hours, Donald Trump will speak at a national faith summit here in Georgia, which is advertised as an effort to mobilize pastors to shape America's future. Later, he will deliver remarks at a rally in Atlanta, focused on the economy, inflation and prices. Over the weekend, he and his allies ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric and condemned his political rivals during a marathon rally at Madison Square Garden. Trump loyalists who opened for the former President delivering some inflammatory remarks like one Republican politician who called Kamala Harris the anti-Christ, and then this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TONY HINCHCLIFFE, COMEDIAN: I don't know if you guys know this, but
there is literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. Yeah. I think it's called Puerto Rico.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, Trump's campaign distanced itself from that comment after the rally, saying in a statement, quote, "This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign."
Well, during an 80-minute speech, Trump leaned into hardline immigration policies
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The day I take the oath of office, the migrant invasion of our country ends and the restoration of our country begins. November 5th, 2024, nine days from now, will be Liberation Day in America. We will put these wishes and blood-thirsty criminals in jail. We'll kick them the hell out of our country as fast as possible. I'm hereby calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or a law enforcement officer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, even before the inflammatory remarks about Puerto Rico at Sunday's Trump rally, Vice President Kamala Harris had announced a new plan to spur economic opportunities on the island. Just hours ahead of the Trump rally, Harris was visiting a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia. Her campaign has been courting half a million Puerto Ricans who live in Pennsylvania. And earlier Sunday, the campaign released a video message aimed at Puerto Rican voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S., (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will cut red tape, ensure disaster recovery funds are used quickly and effectively. I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, today, the Vice President is headed to the battleground state of Michigan.
We have both campaigns covered for you. We have CNN's Priscilla Alvarez and Alayna Treene. Good to have you both with us.
Priscilla, first to you. We know the Puerto Rican rap star Bad Bunny has, of course, had the most dreamed album on Spotify. He is now endorsing Kamala Harris. Just explain how that could help her. PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is certainly a big moment for the Harris campaign, because, as you mentioned there in laying out the Vice President's visit to that Puerto Rican restaurant in Pennsylvania, there is a sizable number of Puerto Ricans in that crucial battleground state, and the Vice President is trying to shore up support among Latino voters, especially young Hispanic men, where polling has shown there has been some waning enthusiasm.
[11:05:00]
So, with him weighing into this race, it certainly gives the campaign a boost of energy and enthusiasm. I can tell you, I received multiple messages from those close and in the campaign that were pleased to see him share a clip of the Vice President and her plans for Puerto Rico. Now, I was told that behind the scenes, Harris campaign officials and
Bad Bunny's team had been in touch to, again, try to get him to lend support for the Vice President and her plans. But, it was still a surprise to see him weigh in yesterday, because yesterday, ultimately, was a split screen moment the Harris campaign was very happy to seize on.
Well, earlier in the day, the Vice President was trying to court Latino voters in visiting this Puerto Rican restaurant. There was those comments that you played made at the former President's rally in New York City assailing Puerto Rico. And so, the campaign is seizing on that, saying that it shouldn't come as a surprise, but instead, trying to elevate and amplify the Vice President's plans for the island. So, certainly, Bad Bunny being an influential voice in the community is one that they are hoping will help drive out voters for the Vice President.
KINKADE: And Priscilla, of course, Kamala Harris is in Michigan today to talk about manufacturing. Will she delve more into her economic policy?
ALVAREZ: Well, certainly, and she has done that before in Michigan as well, yet another battleground state. And she also trying to court union voters, of course, that they helped buoy President Joe Biden in 2020. She is trying to lock in that coalition by talking about manufacturing jobs, talking to union workers. She has delivered a similar message in the state before, essentially drawing that stark contrast with former President Donald Trump by saying that he has had big promises but doesn't execute on them, and instead, casting herself as the one that has had manufacturing jobs front and center.
So, certainly, that is part of the message that we will hear from her in Michigan today, as she goes to two of the most closely-watched counties, of course, with an election that is expected to be so tight. The Vice President and her team are looking to the blue wall states of Pennsylvania, where she was yesterday, Michigan, where she is today, and Wisconsin, where she is planning to go to lock in and fortify what is known as the blue wall states. That is the most favorable path to those 270 Electoral College votes that they are vying for.
KINKADE: All right. Priscilla Alvarez, a lot to stay across. Good to have you with us. Thank you. Well, I want to welcome Alayna Treene for more on the Trump campaign.
Alayna, so, it was a very fiery rally last night, hate, racism, retribution against political opponents, all quite vile. How has that gone down with Republicans?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, you're exactly right. And one of the things I keep in mind is that yesterday's speech at Madison Square Garden for Donald Trump was supposed to be his closing argument to voters. Now, when I talked to Donald Trump's campaign about what that closing argument is, it's really trying to have him focus on the issues, to try and leave an impression with voters that on the policies that Donald Trump is the better candidate. That means talking about the economy, about inflation, yes, immigration, but some of the rhetoric we heard from Donald Trump last night was not really as policy-focused, but really having them think about, OK, what do we want to leave the -- what impression do we want voters to have before Election Day?
Now, I will say, talking to some of my sources over the last 24 hours, they have actually argued that they may be worried that Donald Trump himself was upstaged by some of the pre-programming speakers that spoke right before Donald Trump came on. You played some of what they had said, but they had said some very vulgar, profane, racist things. You mentioned the Puerto Rico comment. But, we also heard from radio host Sid Rosenberg, who called Hillary Clinton, quote, "a sick son of a bitch". Others also, David Rem referred to Harris as the anti- Christ. You heard Grant Cardone. He is a businessman. He referred to Harris. He said Harris and her pimp handlers will destroy our country. So, very, very inflammatory, dark rhetoric.
But, all to say, this isn't exactly the message that they're trying to deliver in the minds of voters right before Election Day. Now, when we did hear Donald Trump speak, I want to point out, he referenced a line that has received a lot of controversy in recent weeks, and that is when he has been referring to his political opponents, and mainly Democrats, as the enemy from within. He also repeated lines about believing that the press is the enemy of the people. Take a listen.
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TRUMP: They are smart and they are vicious, and we have to defeat them. And when I say the enemy from within, the other side goes crazy. It becomes the soundbite. Oh how can he say? They've done very bad things to this country. They are indeed the enemy from within, but this is who we're fighting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TREENE: Now, one thing I think to keep in mind here is that Donald Trump himself believes that this language is working.
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I think a lot of people, particularly Democrats online, on television, have been trying to argue that maybe this is showing that he is growing increasingly unhinged. But, what he has been saying at these events, and what he said last night at Madison Square Garden, is a lot of what he says privately. He does believe that there are enemies from within this country that he wants to deal with. This idea of retribution has been a big theme of his entire campaign, and we're really seeing that on full display in this final stretch.
And I will say as well that this dark picture of America that he is painting, that the other speakers last night were painting, that is very similar to the type of rhetoric Donald Trump used in the lead up to 2016 when he successfully won the White House. And when I talked to his team, they argue that they believe that perhaps it could help him deliver him the White House again next week.
KINKADE: All right. Alayna Treene, good to have you with us. We will, of course, follow Donald Trump's rally here in Georgia today. Thanks very much.
Right now, I want to bring in our panel. Doug Heye is a Republican Strategist and the former Communications Director for the Republican National Committee, and Antjuan Seawright is a Democratic Strategist. Good to have you both with us.
DOUG HEYE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning. Thank you.
ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.
KINKADE: I'll start with you first, Doug, and what was pretty much vile rhetoric at the Trump rally last night, Harris was referred to as a prostitute, the anti-Christ. Here is just a snippet of what was said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: They are smart and they are vicious, and we have to defeat them. And when I say the enemy from within, the other side goes crazy. It becomes the soundbite. Oh how can he say? They've done very bad things to this country. They are indeed the enemy from within, but this is who we're fighting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: So, there, obviously, Trump was talking about the enemy from within. We also have a bit of a mash up of some of the comments from some of the speakers. If we can play that sound, if we have it ready. We don't have that ready right now. But, we did hear, certainly, a long list of hateful racist comments. Even some Republicans have come out today and distanced themselves from some of the commentaries, certainly around Puerto Rico. Who was this rally aimed at if -- I can't imagine some of that rhetoric would appeal to undecided voters?
HEYE: Certainly, it wasn't designed to appeal to undecided voters. And look, the rhetoric that we heard, whether from Trump or the Adams family cast of characters who spoke yesterday, was appalling, should have no place in American society, much less in our political discourse. But, what we've seen, because we've had these conversations so many times over the past eight or nine years, is Donald Trump or somebody close to him says something stupid and appalling, and we analyze what's the political impact going to be, and we realize not much.
This is now the 5,000th time we've had this conversation, and though it is certainly not the closing message that any campaign should want to have, clearly, Donald Trump is focused on maximizing his base, who not only agree with this rhetoric, but sort of revel in it. It's not designed to win over voters who are undecided at this point. And this is where this should be an opportunity for Kamala Harris not to talk about this or to talk about fascism or whatever, but to go to those issues that voters still have concerns about Donald Trump on, and that's where she can register well on the economy, on job growth, talk about what she would do as President, her first 100 days. Voters still want to hear that. She has an opportunity to increase her vote share, and I'd tell her to take advantage of that right now.
KINKADE: And to you, Antjuan, we heard one of the speakers, a comedian, referring to Puerto Rico as an island of garbage. That was one comment that was caught out by several Republicans. But, Kamala Harris was also speaking about Puerto Rico and appealing to Puerto Rican voters over the weekend. Let's just play that sound.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And I know that Puerto Rico's economic future depends on urgently rebuilding and modernizing the island's energy grid. That's why I will cut red tape, ensure disaster recovery funds are used quickly and effectively. I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: She also got the endorsement of a Puerto Rican rapper who right now has the most streamed album on Spotify. What could that endorsement from Bad Bunny mean to her?
SEAWRIGHT: Well, elections are about coalitions and constituencies. It's about addition and multiplication, not subtraction and division. I think the Vice President, Governor Walz, and Democrats are leaning into the notion that we -- this is going to be a base plus election.
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So, they're doing all the things necessary and required to meet the moment, to galvanize and energize not just the base, but independent thinkers and independent voters. With that being said, that right wing, radical, racial, dangerous, red meat rhetoric we heard last night at that hate rally in Madison Square Garden should be rejected, no matter your politics, no matter how you feel about the individual candidates. I think that was just a warm-up act and setting expectations or pre-heating the oven for the days and weeks to come. That's why the FBI and Homeland Security report that came out just a few minutes ago about how the hate-filled rhetoric and the -- all the extremism in this country should be a warning sign for Americans. It seems as if the speakers who spoke last night had jokes for every
single constituency except white Americans. And the fact of the matter is while I appreciate my friend Doug's comments about what the Vice President should be doing, as a pivot to that, it just speaks to the idea that the journey for her is twice as hard, half as much. She can never get away, or her supporters could never get away with some of the things we've heard last night and what we've heard throughout the campaign. But, Americans should not go numb to this and act as if it's just Donald Trump. It's just the Republicans. We should call these things out. We should deal with these issues at the ballot box. But, certainly, we should be united around the front of pushing back on this extremism at all fronts.
KINKADE: Yeah. Exactly. Michelle Obama certainly calling out those double standards when she spoke over the weekend.
But, to you, Doug, I want to ask you about these conspiracy theories and the questioning that we are hearing about the integrity of the electoral process. We know that Donald Trump continues to say he is going to go after his opponents. We also know that Republicans have filed at least 100 lawsuits already ranging from like voter registration lists to other questions over the integrity of the election -- electoral process. How does that all add to the narrative around election integrity?
HEYE: Yeah. What we've seen is already well over half the country says that they don't believe that Donald Trump will accept the result if he loses. But, the reality is, and I've looked at North Carolina, obviously, an important state, my home state, very closely, and what we've seen in the aftermath of the hurricane is that the State Board of Elections and local county boards of elections have done a tremendous job in getting reopened. There are only two sites now in western North Carolina that are closed. The balloting in North Carolina, and I think we could probably say this about other states as well, will be safe and secure and results that we can trust. Now, that may mean that Donald Trump wins one state, Kamala Harris wins another.
I think we know these elections are going to be close. But, these conspiracy theories only go to undermine our trust in our elections, and ultimately who the winner is, even if that's Donald Trump. Some people may not accept that result. But, the reality is, and again, I'm looking at North Carolina very specifically, they've done a great job on the state and local level to ensure that our vote is one that can be trusted, and I know other states are doing the same as well.
KINKADE: Yeah, and you referenced that that poll, Doug, almost 70 percent of registered voters don't believe Trump will concede defeat if he loses.
I want to go to you, Antjuan, because both campaigns are gearing up for this possibility of a prolonged legal battle after the election. How dangerous could that be if there is no clear winner?
SEAWRIGHT: Oh, I think it's very dangerous, because as Americans, we have to learn how to yell in the places we agree and whisper in the places we disagree, especially when it comes to our politics. Is not pro-America or it's not -- it's not pro-American only when you win. We should be pro-America whether you win or lose, because in this country, we express ourselves and we set our differences and disputes at the ballot box.
We've seen what happened on January 6. We've seen this kind of warm up act for another January 6, or these many January 6 rallies that are starting to happen, and the rhetoric is starting to be increased online by extremists, both some in this country and some outside of this country, and that's where we all have to come together as Americans and just say, look, we accept the results of the election regardless of where they come. But, this is going to be a close election, and with close elections comes all type of anger, frustration and confusion. But, what should be crystal clear for all of us, regardless of how we vote or how we participate at the ballot box, is that we accept the results by the voters in this country, and we rest on that fact, and we certify the election and we move on and we live to fight another day.
KINKADE: And let's hope that happens. Antjuan Seawright, Doug Heye, good to have you both with us. Thanks so much.
SEAWRIGHT: Thank you.
HEYE: Thank you.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, as Israel intensifies attacks on northern Gaza, the UN's humanitarian office warns that the entire population there is at risk of death. Plus, Iran says it doesn't want a wider war, but is vowing an appropriate response to Israel's recent counter-strike.
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More on that next.
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KINKADE: Welcome back. The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs warns that the entire population of north Gaza is at risk of dying, accusing Israel of what it calls blatant disregard for basic humanity and for the laws of war. Israel is pressing ahead with military operations in north Gaza that have forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee. Gaza's Civil Defense says at least 1,000 people have been killed in that incursion so far. The Jabalia refugee camp has been especially hard hit. The IDF says its assault there will last at least a few more weeks. An Israeli airstrike hit a school sheltering families near Jabalia on Sunday, killing several people. The IDF says it was targeting Hamas terrorists.
Egypt's President is proposing a two-day truce in Gaza to allow four Israeli hostages to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. Ceasefire talks resumes Sunday in Qatar, but a source says no significant progress is expected until after the U.S. election.
Let's get more now from Jeremy Diamond, who is live for us in Jerusalem. Good to have you with us, Jeremy. So, let's just start with those operations in northern Gaza. Where do things stand right now?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, the United Nations is really describing the situation in northern Gaza in quite stark terms, talking about life being untenable, and saying that there is a real risk of the entire Palestinian population in northern Gaza dying as a result of these operations. We are talking about humanitarian aid officials raising concerns about a lack of aid getting in, about untenable conditions for the civilian population, hospitals that are struggling to keep the power on and to continue providing critical medical care to the hundreds of wounded people who have been flowing into their hospitals. And there is also no end in sight to this Israeli operation.
Today, I spoke with an Israeli military official who said that they expect this operation in the Jabalia refugee camp to continue for at least several more weeks, this operation, of course, which has already been underway for nearly a month now. We also know that the Israeli military late last week was inside of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of the few hospitals remaining in northern Gaza. During that raid, they arrested dozens of male healthcare workers. According to the Israeli military, there were about 100 Hamas terrorists they said who they arrested. It's not clear whether those medical workers were a part of that number of 100.
But, clearly, many concerns being raised about the types of people who are being detained there, in addition to Hamas militants, and again, this operation expected to continue now for several more weeks.
KINKADE: And of course, Jeremy, the talks for a ceasefire resumed in Doha. Are we expecting to see any progress any time soon?
DIAMOND: Well, it was the first time that we have actually seen in- person negotiations for the first time in weeks now.
[11:25:00]
And so, that, in and of itself, is a positive signal. There isn't that necessarily hope of any kind of immediate progress. But, there are some new ideas being thrown around, namely, the Egyptians, who have put forward a proposal that would be a very short-term ceasefire, even just two days, to see the release of four Israeli hostages in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. But, that would allow for a ceasefire that could perhaps last longer, allow for 10 days of negotiations to try and reach some kind of a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, effectively, starting with something very small that perhaps the two sides can agree upon in order to even get those ceasefire negotiations started in a much more serious place, where you do have a truce in place on the ground.
It's not clear how much traction that has yet. But, I can tell you that U.S. -- American and Egyptian officials have been seriously discussing this proposal, whether or not it can actually get off the ground, and what Hamas' answer to that will be remains to be seen. Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Jeremy Diamond for us in Jerusalem. Good to have you there. Thank you.
We're going to stay on this story. I want to get some perspective now from Natan Sachs. He is the Director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington. Good to have you with us.
NATAN SACHS, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: So, Israel carried out of its largest strikes on Iran, more limited than what many had feared. I just want to play some sound of what the Israeli Prime Minister had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (Interpreted): The attack in Iran was precise and powerful and achieved all of its objectives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: What was the objective with this retaliatory strike?
SACHS: Well, it has a few objectives at once. On the one hand, it was an attempt to restore some kind of deterrence after Iran's second direct attack on Israel. In that regard, Israel wanted it to be considerable and large. And this was a very large attack with many planes flying. Of course, it's a very long distance. There are two countries between Israel and Iran. So, demonstrating the capacity for a very long range with refueling kind of attack. But, the second was to avoid an attack on what might be very escalatory and what the United States had tried to persuade Israel to avoid, namely attacking critical civilian economic infrastructure, such as oil installations or the nuclear sites.
But, what Israel did there was still very considerable. It was an attack, in particular, on aerial defenses, meaning that the next time if Iran attacked again, many of their very sensitive installations would be even more exposed to Israeli attack. And second, attacks on ballistic missile components and the ability to produce new ballistic missiles, something that's very important for Israel, who has missile defense systems. But, these are not endless. Of course, they're exhaustible, and they need to prevent Iran from overwhelming them, but also perhaps influential for other arenas. Iran is, of course, in alignment with Russia and supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine. This capacity to build ballistic missiles is important and critical.
KINKADE: Of course, Iran is playing down this track. Does that indicate the tit-for-tat retaliation is possibly over, at least for now?
SACHS: It might be. This kind of attack on military, mostly military installations, allows Iran to cover up the extent of the damage and allows them to keep it contained publicly, if they so choose. At the moment, the sounds from Iran sound to be a non-escalatory, but of course, we don't know. This could be part of a long-term game. All eyes are also on the U.S. presidential elections next Tuesday. So, we may still be in store for a major escalation between the two countries. We're already seeing a war between them. At the moment, there seems to be a time where we might see some de-escalation, at least in the short and medium term.
KINKADE: Of course, months of talks have failed to result in a ceasefire deal in terms of Gaza. Just talk to us about, from your perspective, where things stand right now with talks underway in Doha.
SACHS: Well, we've seen so many attempts that a ceasefire that would allow a surge of aid and allow an end to the fighting. It's a very complex proposition, in no small part, because both sides have to agree, and they have very fundamentally different views on what a ceasefire would be. Israel has demanded that Hamas cannot continue to govern or pose a threat from the Gaza Strip. Hamas is intent on keeping its remnants coming back. We've seen these horrific images and bloody exchanges now for over a year.
And two things have changed. The first is the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, and really the main head of Hamas writ large. That, on the one hand, allows Israel to declare victory and allows it to bring that together with the destruction of most of Hamas' military capacity to show to its people that it achieved its main goal. It has not yet achieved its second main goal, which is to return the hostages home, and that could be done via a deal, probably only via a deal.
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However, the killing of Sinwar also means that on Hamas' side and they have to agree to a ceasefire, because this is after all a war, they would have a harder time perhaps agreeing. They need to prove the new leadership is still amorphous. They need to prove that they are as loyal to the cause as Sinwar was. They don't have his authority, quote, unquote, "to make compromises", perhaps. In that sense, it may have complicated things. No one should be optimistic about a ceasefire in the very short term, but we should hope, and everyone should be trying, as they are, to achieve a ceasefire of any kind to allow both the surge in aid, as I said, and food coming in, but also an opening to the end of this very long war.
KINKADE: And it's interesting when you hear some in Israel saying that they believe they're already in the day after the war, essentially because of some of those military objectives that have been achieved. Do you believe that when this war is officially over that the IDF will remain in Gaza? What's your perspective?
SACHS: Well, I think the IDF will either remain in Gaza, or at least remain operating there, so long as it sees a threat, especially of Hamas or similar groups reconsidering (ph) themselves. So, the key question is not so much whether Hamas can be destroyed. It has, to a large degree, been destroyed, even though, of course, it is creeping back up, as we've seen in Jabalia. And the responses then are horrific with their results.
But, the question is, what kind of alternative to Hamas has put in place? And if there is one thing where Netanyahu, among other things, has failed in the last year, is to put in place a clear strategy for what would replace Hamas. The objective of removing Hamas after October 7th was a worthy one for Israel. But, from the very beginning, it needed to have a clear strategy as to what replaces Hamas, not only so that the Gaza Strip could have a chance to recover and start to rebuild itself from this war, but also so that Hamas itself can be weakened. So long as there is no alternative, Hamas remains the only game in town and remains the one able to distribute and steal aid that comes in and the one able to threaten anyone else who would start to create some kind of governance.
Creating that kind of alternative is urgently needed. It's many, many months delayed. And again, it may be possible the day after Sinwar, we may have an opening. The U.S. elections, again, will play a role, perhaps with other Arab countries that could come in and help to a certain degree. It's a tall order, and we should not be Pollyannaish about it. But, there is a chance. And again, as I said, it's urgent and very overdue.
KINKADE: All right. Natan Sachs, great to get your analysis. Thanks so much for joining us.
SACHS: Thank you.
KINKADE: Right now, I want to take you to Joint Base Andrews, where Kamala Harris is speaking as she departs from Michigan. Let's listen.
HARRIS: Well, briefly, I think last night, Donald Trump's event in Madison Square Garden really highlighted a point that I've been making throughout this campaign. He is focused and actually fixated on his grievances, on himself, and on dividing our country. And it is not in any way something that will strengthen the American family, the American worker. It is nothing about what he is saying that is actually going to support the aspirations, the dreams and the ambitions of the American people. It is absolutely something that is intended to and is fanning the fuel of trying to divide our country.
And as I've said many times, I'll say tomorrow night in my speech, there is a big difference between he and I. If he were elected, on day one, he is going to be sitting in the Oval Office, working on his enemies list. On day one, if I am elected President of the United States, which I fully intend to be, I will be working on behalf of the American people on my to-do list. I'll take any questions. Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vice President, Michelle Obama said recently that you faced a double standard in this campaign. Do you feel like you've had to clear a higher bar every day than Donald Trump?
HARRIS: My role and responsibility running for President of the United States is to make my case to the American people and to earn their support, and that is why I'm spending time traveling the country to listen to folks and to talk with them about my plans, my plans for strengthening our small businesses, my plans for helping people with home ownership, my plans to help young families with children.
And that's the work that I'm going to continue to do. I'm not taking anyone for granted, but knowing that I have to earn their support and my plans and policies, including economists who have reviewed them, point to one fact, which is that my approach will strengthen America in many ways, including our economy. Donald Trump will weaken America and our economy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're making several stops in Michigan today. Can you talk about your final pitch to Michigan voters today?
[11:35:00]
HARRIS: So, I'll be -- I'm heading back to Michigan to talk with working people, with families, with young people about the issues that they care most about. They want to make sure that we're going to lower prices. They know that the price of groceries, for example, is too high. I know it too. So, I have a plan to deal with that in terms of a number of things, including dealing with price gouging. They want to know that they have an opportunity to live the American dream around home ownership. That's why my plan about giving people a $25,000 down payment assistance, if they're a first-time homebuyer, matters to the people of Michigan.
They care about American manufacturing. I'm going to be talking about that again. My plan includes what we will do to continue to invest in American-based industries, American manufacturing and American workers. That is how we are going to remain strong and globally competitive and win the competition for the 21st Century with China and anybody else.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One follow-up to your remarks about President Trump's rally last night. Some people who watched that made comparisons between a rally that happened at Madison Square Garden in 1939 with Neo Nazis or Nazis back then. Do you see those comparisons? And can you also expand on what he said and what you said yesterday about Puerto Rico?
HARRIS: Donald Trump has -- this is not new about him, by the way. What he did last night is not a discovery. It is just more of the same and maybe more vivid than usual. Donald Trump spends full time trying to have Americans point their finger at each other. It fans the fuel of hate and division, and that's why people are exhausted with him. That's why people who formerly have supported Donald Trump, have voted for him, are supporting me, voting for me. People are literally ready to turn the page. They're tired of it.
In terms of Puerto Rico, I -- even when I was in the United States Senate, I -- knowing that Puerto Rico does not have a United States Senator, I was intentional about doing what I could as a United States Senator to make sure that among my priorities, it included paying attention to the needs of the people on that island, including the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. I have announced also my plan that is about my opportunity economy writ large, but a specific target that will include a task force focused on the needs of Puerto Rico, understanding that it has very specific needs in terms of upgrading and repairing its electric bill grid, what it needs in terms of investment that will be public-private partnerships, and I'm going to continue to do it. I'm very proud to have the support of folks like Bad Bunny and
Jennifer Lopez and others who were supporting me before that nonsense last night at Madison Square Garden, and are supporting me because they understand that they want a President of the United States who is about uplifting the people and not berating, not calling America a garbage can, which is what Donald Trump -- those are the words he has used. There you go. I'll see you later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about tariffs and chips?
KINKADE: You're just listening there to Vice President Kamala Harris there. She is making her way now to Michigan, where she will speak about her manufacturing union plan and dive more into her economic policy. But, just then, she was referring to Trump's rally last night, which she called nonsense. She said Trump fans the flames of hate and division, and she said her responsibility is to make her case to the American people. We will be following her moves in Michigan later this hour. We'll also be watching for Joe Biden, when he is expected to cast his vote in his home state of Delaware.
We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
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[11:40:00]
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KINKADE: Welcome back. You're watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are some of the international headlines we're watching today.
Georgia's President is calling for mass demonstrations after the country's ruling Georgian Dream party won Saturday's parliamentary elections. The pro-EU opposition is accusing the party of stealing the election with Russian help. Georgia's President called the election, quote, "a complete falsification", saying it was the direct result of Russian interference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALOME ZOURABICHVILI, GEORGIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): We were not just witnesses, but also victims of what can only be described as a Russian special operation, a new form of hybrid warfare waged against our people and our country. As the last independent institution in this country, I must clearly state that I do not recognize these elections. Recognizing them would be tantamount to legitimizing Russia's takeover of Georgia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, the leader of the Georgia Dream party has vowed to ban the opposition if his party won on Saturday. The Kremlin has rejected accusations that it interfered with the election.
Uruguay's presidential election is headed for a run-up following the first round of votes on Sunday. Yamandu Orsi, a former marine teacher from the center-left Broad Front alliance, came out on top, but he failed to secure more than 50 percent needed to avoid a run-off. He finished well ahead of Alvaro Delgado from the ruling conservative coalition. The two candidates will face off on November 24th.
Japan has plunged into political uncertainty after voters delivered a defeat the nation's long-time ruling party in Sunday's election. Japan's Liberal Democratic Party lost its parliamentary majority in the powerful lower house for the first time in 15 years. It's a major blow to the newly minted Prime Minister whose gamble to call a snap election dramatically backfired.
Marc Stewart reports from Beijing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: After this monumental defeat, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is bruised but defiant. He says he is not stepping down. He has two big tasks, one, tackling a long list of issues, and two, winning the support of people outside his coalition and the Japanese public. And as such, he is acknowledging the need for some reflection. Let's listen.
SHIGERU ISHIBA (Interpreted): I recognize that the biggest reason is because people's doubts, distrust and anger regarding politics and money have not gone away.
STEWART: Among his challenges, Japan is reeling from a political scandal involving kickbacks and lawmakers failing to declare their income. There are also economic issues, including a weak yen and high inflation. The Prime Minister also has a strong relationship with the United States, which is important for diplomatic, economic and military reasons. And by the way, Japan's stock index in Nikkei is responding favorably, closing Monday, showing some gains. The yen, however, slumped to a three-month low.
Marc Stewart, CNN, Beijing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: well, still to come, it's shaping up to be another epic day on Wall Street for Donald Trump's Truth Social. We look at what's behind the enthusiasm from investors.
Stay with us.
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[11:45:00]
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KINKADE: We'll call it a monster comeback. Donald Trump's social media company shares are skyrocketing in the final days leading up to the U.S. presidential election. Take a look at this. Right now, the shares are over $47 each. The price up over 250 percent compared to just five weeks ago, when, of course, it hit record lows, leaving many wondering how these numbers are adding up.
CNN Reporter Matt Egan is with us to explain it all from New York. Good to see you, Matt. So, Trump's media stock surging. Just explain what's behind that.
MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Lynda, it's fascinating, and don't look away, because you're going to miss another move from this stock. I feel like every time I take a look, it's higher than it was the last time, you see, up 21 percent today, more than 250 percent increase just since September 23rd when it closed at record low. So, it's more than triple. And this is all being driven by bets on Wall Street that former President Trump is going to be back in the White House, because Trump Media has really become a proxy for how traders think this election is going to turn out. And this is not a new story.
When you look at the trend for this stock, it's been all over the place. It actually fell very sharply in July when President Biden dropped out of the race for the White House, because people were then wondering if maybe Trump would actually lose the election. And now, the thinking has shifted. And some traders on Wall Street are betting that a Trump victory would increase the value of Truth Social. To be clear, just because people on Wall Street are betting that, it doesn't make it so, right? Markets are not omniscient. They get it wrong every once in a while. And the polls suggest that this race could still go either way.
Gene Munster, a venture capitalist, he told me that if Trump wins, this company could be worth more than the $9 billion it's currently worth, and if he loses, it could only be worth a billion dollars. He told me, I've never seen anything quite like this. This company's value is almost entirely based on the outcome of an election. It's fascinating, Lynda.
KINKADE: I mean, it really is, and that's why it is being referred to as a meme stock, right?
EGAN: That's right. Meme stocks trade on hype and on momentum, right? Think GameStop or AMC during COVID. They don't move on fundamentals like earnings or user growth. And what's so fascinating here is that Trump Media is valued at something like $9 billion, even though Truth Social remains a pretty tiny player in social media. It's much, much smaller than Facebook, much smaller than X. It's even smaller than Threads. And the company generates very, very little revenue. So far this year, it's brought in about $1.6 million in revenue.
Normally, a company like that is valued in the millions of dollars, not billions of dollars. And when you look at it and compare it to other companies, it's pretty staggering, right, because we're talking about Trump Media valued at $9 billion. That means it's actually valued more at a higher level than CBS owner Paramount Global, and Paramount has brought in almost $30 billion of revenue this year. And Trump Media is valued at more than twice what Macy's is worth and triple what Peloton is. It's really fascinating.
And listen, Lynda, we should fasten your seat belts, because this stock could continue to move around in the coming days as we get the results for the election. And if Trump does not win, then you could see the stock price go down very sharply.
KINKADE: Yeah, no doubt. Certainly fascinating seeing those comparisons amongst those other companies. Matt, good to have you with us.
[11:50:00]
We'll watch it closely.
EGAN: Thanks, Lynda.
KINKADE: Thanks.
Well, McDonald's has made a decision about its popular Quarter Pounders, as an E. coli outbreak investigation continues. We'll have the latest next.
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KINKADE: Well, Quarter Pounders will soon return to the menu at all McDonald's restaurants. It comes after an E. coli outbreak left one person dead and dozens sick across at least 13 states. Colorado's Department of Agriculture said beef patties used for the Quarter Pounder were tested and came up negative for E. coli. While federal agencies are still investigating the source of the deadly outbreak, they've also said previously that slivered onions could likely be the source of the contamination. And now, McDonald's says 900 restaurants in 12 states that use onions from the supplier Taylor Farms will start selling Quarter Pounders again, but without the onions.
Well, I want to bring in CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell. Meg, good to have you with us. So, McDonald's was trying to win back customers amid high prices, but this E. coli outbreak, which, of course, led to the death of one and the hospitalization of dozens of people, a major setback. What more can you tell us?
MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. So, U.S. federal health authorities are still trying to determine the actual source of the outbreak. As you noted, they had been homing in on those fresh slivered onions, and that does sound like that is where things are sort of triangulating at this point. McDonald's, for its part, came out with a statement late yesterday, saying that it's ruled out the beef patties for Quarter Pounders. It said, after the Colorado Department of Agriculture concluded its testing and found no traces of E. coli in the beef patties, as well as looking at the CDC's epidemiological data and its own tracing back of information, it's ruled those beef patties out.
Now, they say they're going to start bringing back the Quarter Pounder in all of those locations over the course of this week, but they won't contain those fresh slivered onions, in their statement, saying, quote, "The issue appears to be contained to a particular ingredient and geography, and we remain very confident that any contaminated product related to this outbreak has been removed from our supply chain and is out of all McDonald's restaurants." So, trying to really reassure customers there that it's safe to eat all McDonald's. The CDC has said that this outbreak has reached at least 75 illnesses,
including 22 hospitalizations and one death. This has now reached people in 13 states, although the most cases were found in Colorado. So, we are waiting to hear from CDC and FDA about really the official source of this contamination, but McDonald's really saying there, it's ruled out the beef patties, and it's bringing back the Quarter Pounder.
KINKADE: I wonder how many people are going to buy that, even without the onions. Given that the investigation still isn't conclusive, do we know about the timeframe as to when this outbreak started before the Quarter Pounder, and now the onions were taken off the menu?
TIRRELL: Yeah. The CDC has given a timeframe of the illnesses being detected, between late September and about October 10th. And so, now they're doing that sort of trace back and looking back to see whether illnesses had been reported that they can now tie to this outbreak. And we have heard, they expect potentially to see more cases.
We also know that this supplier that McDonald's has homed in on, Taylor Farms, the supplier of the onions, had other customers. They've initiated a voluntary recall. They've contacted those customers, making sure that they've removed those onions. And as a result, the CDC is saying that the risk to the public right now is, quote, "very low".
[11:55:00]
So, we haven't heard about other cases that have been tied to restaurants or stores other than McDonald's. It's possible we will, and this investigation will continue. But, the end of the timeline, at least in terms of the latest illness reported, was about October 10th.
KINKADE: And are these foods tested on a regular basis, or is it not until you hear of an outbreak that there is testing that takes place?
TIRRELL: I'm not sure about the protocols for these farms and how frequently they're supposed to be testing, but obviously, the oversight of these farms and these suppliers is incredibly important, and the recourse, when something like this happens can be swift and almost fairly brutal, from a business standpoint. McDonald's has said that it stopped doing business with Taylor Farms indefinitely from that Colorado Springs location they're talking about because of this. And so, obviously, it's incredibly important to have an idea of what's going on in supply chain, because there are health and business consequences.
KINKADE: Yeah, absolutely. Meg Tirrell staying across it for us. Good to have you with us. Thanks so much.
And thanks for spending part of your day with me. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stay with CNN. One World is up next.
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