Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Israel Marks First Anniversary Of 10/7 Terror Attack; Misinformation Swirls Around Helene Recovery; Padres Rout Dodgers In Game Delayed By Fan Misbehavior. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired October 07, 2024 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:31:05]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Five-thirty a.m. here on the East Coast. A live look at Miami, Florida. That state bracing for another hurricane headed for them this week. Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.

We are exactly one year after the darkest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Israel finding itself at war on three fronts this morning. They're hitting Hezbollah targets in Beirut in the southern suburbs with more airstrikes overnight while also continuing to bombard Gaza. Strikes on a -- on Sunday hitting a school and a mosque killing at least 26 people, according to Hamas. Israel is also fighting the Houthis in Yemen making for anxious hours in the Middle East.

This all happening while Israel vows retaliation against Iran for last week's deadly missile strike.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): A year ago we suffered a terrible blow. For the past 12 months we've been changing reality from end to end. The whole world is astounded at the blows you inflict on our enemies. And I salute you and tell you, you are the generation of victory. Together we will fight and together we will win with God's help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: All right, let's bring in CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger. He is also White House national security correspondent for The New York Times. David, welcome.

This, of course, an incredibly somber day as we mark one year since 1,200 Israelis were killed. Obviously, hundreds were taken hostage. Over 100 still remain in Gaza. But the region is aflame today.

What are your, sort of, reflections and reporting about what we expected in the wake of this as we mark the anniversary and where we are today? DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES, AUTHOR, "NEW COLD WARS": Well, first, I think just the sadness of this day sort of sweeps over all of us. You know, you have the images in your mind which we'll never lose of the wonderful young people -- Israelis, Americans, and many others who were killed that morning and the kibbutzes that were obviously invaded.

And it makes you wonder, you know, sort of toward what end. Did Hamas think that they were going to destroy the state of Israel doing this? I mean, that was as crazy a thought as the thought that al Quada had, 23 years ago, taking down the World Trade Center would somehow destroy the core of the United States.

So the futility of it all is the first.

The second is that I just remember on that morning how the world came together around Israel -- not completely universally but pretty solidly -- and how much of that now has been squandered away by the nature of the response. Just the overall brutality of a response that is based on the theory that you can wipe out an entire organization, Hamas or Hezbollah, and the thoughts behind them.

And, you know, the Israelis at this point are running into the same problem the United States did, Kasie, after 9/11, which was that you can create as many terrorists of a new generation as you have wiped out of the old one if the techniques you use along the way end up killing so many civilians and seem to take in so many civilian casualties on your way to trying to get the terrorists.

And so we're wondering a year out what is the strategic objective here.

HUNT: What is the strategic endgame for the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu? Because -- I mean, what does winning look like for him?

SANGER: Well, you raise a really interesting question, which is what should the strategic endgame be for Israel and what it is for Prime Minister Netanyahu? And I think the problem that Israel is running into right now is the suspicion around the world that those two diverge.

[05:35:00]

That for Israel, sooner or later you're going to have to come to some kind of way to live next door to the Palestinians, whether that's the two-state solution which many American administrations have embraced -- really all, except former President Trump. Whether it is some other way of bringing the Arab states together. And remember, the day before the October 7 events we thought that we were on the verge of a deal in which Saudi Arabia was going to recognize Israel and we would be on the way.

The fact that a year out we are now facing what you described there as three separate fronts and the likelihood of an attack on Iran -- a counterattack -- and we don't have a sense from the Israelis yet of what their endgame is.

HUNT: David, let's -- with that in mind, we don't know what the Israeli endgame is. We are in the last crucible of this presidential campaign here in the U.S., something we know Netanyahu is very aware of.

And you write about the potential for "The escalating clashes in the Middle East may mean in the next four weeks we will see an intersection of foreign conflict and a presidential election unlike any in modern times. The remarkable collision of events could shape the final weeks of the presidential campaign both by offering new fuel for Trump's attacks and by putting Harris in a diplomatic and political bind."

Explain.

SANGER: So here's the fundamental bind. We have no doubt that Vice President Harris, along with the Biden administration, is completely committed to the security of Israel and its right to exist, and its right to exist free of violence.

If the Israelis strike Iran and if they hit the nuclear sites or something and that then leads to a countervailing attack in which the U.S. is going to have to get involved, you're going to see Vice President Harris in a bit of a bind. Because on the one hand she doesn't want to do anything that would suggest that she isn't 100 percent behind Israel.

And yet, on the other hand, if she thinks that they way they have gone about this is not strategically wise -- if they start at the maximum position hitting the nuclear sites or energy and so forth -- then the question is how do you pull the Israelis back some from that? How do you try to urge them back, which President Biden hasn't been very successful at so far, and still insulate yourself from the inevitable critique from former President Trump that she is weak on defending Israel, weak on Iran?

So she really has said very little here, and you can see --

HUNT: Yeah.

SANGER: -- why.

HUNT: And in a strength versus weakness election that's -- it's everything.

SANGER: That's right.

HUNT: David Sanger, thank you so much. I'm so grateful to have you this morning.

SANGER: Great to be with you.

HUNT: We'll see you soon.

All right. Less than two weeks ago Hurricane Helene devasted the Southeast leaving a path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina, killing at least 232 people. The storm's recovery quickly turning into a breeding ground for misinformation online and on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The federal government is doing -- the White House is going nothing. They've abandoned us. And you know it's largely a Republican area, so some people say they did it for that reason. I don't even think they're that bad but they probably -- maybe they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: So those claims are not true. FEMA's administrator pushed back on the allegations over the weekend while the agency is also publishing a webpage aimed at debunking viral rumors spreading after the storm.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEANNE CRISWELL, FEMA ADMINISTRATOR: It's, frankly, ridiculous and just plain false. This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people. You know, it's really a shame that we're putting politics ahead of helping people, and that's what we're here to do.

We have had the complete support of the states. We've had the local officials helping to push back on this dangerous -- truly dangerous narrative that is creating this fear of trying to reach out and help us, or to register for help.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: All right, joining us now to talk about this is Juliette Kayyem. She is CNN's senior national security analyst. Juliette, good morning to you.

We saw this recent piece that you wrote in The Atlantic about the fog of disinformation. And you write this. "X, formerly Twitter, was awash in claims that stricken communities would be bulldozed, that displaced people would be deprived of their home, even that shadowing interests are controlling the weather and singly some areas out --

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST, HARVARD PROFESSOR, FORMER ASSISTANT SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah.

HUNT: -- for harm."

You write, "The Massachusetts Maritime Academy emergency-management professor Samantha Montano declared in a post on X that Helene was 'Twitter's last disaster.'"

KAYYEM: Yeah.

HUNT: Talk to us a little bit more about how we're seeing -- KAYYEM: Yeah.

HUNT: -- this play out in this instance and what we could see in the future.

[05:40:00]

KAYYEM: So we're seeing sort of this horrible combination I think of three factors. One of the technology, as I described, Twitter because of the new algorithms under Elon Musk. The pushing of sort of right- wing conspiracy theories that Twitter itself is unhelpful in a disaster. That not -- that used to not be the case. It used to be the sort of go-to for a lot of communities and a lot of emergency managers to hear what's happening.

You add onto that technology challenge AI. The misinformation, the pictures that aren't real. People putting stuff up saying help my family, they're hurt, and seeking fundraising. So you have the technology problem.

You then have the infrastructure problem, which is communications are down. Local reporters, to the extent that there are any or as impacted as the people that they're covering. It is difficult to communicate in some of these areas.

And then the third piece, of course, is the purposeful politicalization of the narrative led by Trump. I think the good news is you're getting pushback by many Republicans -- the governors and local officials. But that narrative that nothing is getting done -- that is actually harmful. It creates anger, it's noise in the system, and emergency managers and first responders are sort spending all of their time trying to figure out where is truth and where is -- where is this disreality being pushed by Trump and the conspiracy theorists.

HUNT: Juliette, what role does the decline of local media play in all this?

KAYYEM: Yeah. I think -- I mean, I think you're seeing it. I mean, to a certain extent -- I mean, I want to just say it is incredible what these local reporters -- radio, TV, and print -- have done. I mean, they are -- they are getting the story out. But there's fewer of them and therefore, that sort of touchpoint that you want in a crisis.

Now there's what happening in a particular community and where can -- where should first responders and others sort of drive their resources. A lot of that came originally, or before the decline of local media -- came from local reporters. They were the eyes and ears in many instances. So there's fewer of them.

And then in that vacuum that's the challenge. In that vacuum comes this unhelpful -- you know, sort of, misinformation and disinformation. And sort of trying to wade through it has become almost impossible. I've never -- I've been in this a long time. There are so many challenges to disaster management --

HUNT: Yeah. KAYYEM: -- and this is sort of now primary. This is like the number one. The -- I said the lies just -- you know, they are sort of flooding in as well.

HUNT: Right -- no. And when I say decline of local media, I meant the decline in the number of them. Because you're right to point out that the work that they do --

KAYYEM: Yes, that's exactly right -- yes.

HUNT: -- is incredible.

Juliette Kayyem, thank you very much for being with us this morning. I really appreciate it.

And straight ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING a somber anniversary. One year later we'll speak to the father of a 19-year-old Israeli American who was taken hostage on October 7.

Plus, in the Bleacher Report, a Sunday full of wild finishes in the NFL.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:47:22]

HUNT: One year ago today 19-year-old dual Israeli American citizen Itay Chen was serving on the Gaza border when Hamas terrorists launched the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Itay, a Boy Scout and avid basketball player, became one of the more than 250 people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

Ever since, his father, Ruby Chen, has been a relentless advocate for his son and the six other Americans held in Gaza, lobbying President Biden directly on their behalf. The president, in turn, has been pushing for a ceasefire deal for months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The hostages being held must be released. And we've got at least a principal agreement. There will be a ceasefire while that takes place.

I've been working nonstop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for six weeks to get all the prisoners released.

We have the basis for a ceasefire. We should move on it, and they should move on it.

And I will keep working to bring hostages home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: And Ruby Chen, the father of the IDF soldier and one of the seven U.S. hostages, Itay Chen, joins me now. Ruby, we're so sorry for what's happened over the course of the past

year. I'd love to hear a little bit more about your son and to tell us how you feel on this marking of the anniversary of him being taken.

RUBY CHEN, FATHER OF ITAY CHEN, U.S. HOSTAGE IN GAZA (via Webex by Cisco): Yeah, thanks for having me.

So we are New Yorkers. Moved to Israel a while ago. Itay is a fun- loving kid, like your neighbor would be as well. He became a Boy Scout counselor for younger children. He became a very avid basketball player. For the love of God, as a proud New Yorker and Knicks fan, he became a Celtics fan. I do not know how.

HUNT: (Laughing).

CHEN: And he has a loving, you know, community. He has a girlfriend and is deemed by many of his peers as their best friend.

And it's been a year since we last spoke to him. A year of holidays such as Thanksgiving and Easter, and birthdays, and he's deeply missed. He has an elder sibling and a younger sibling, so he's the connector inside of the family.

And I cannot explain the psychological warfare that Hamas has put on us by not providing any type of evidence of who is alive and who is not. Providing any type of medical attention, allowing doctors to go in and visit the hostages. And just keeping us in the total dark for one year.

[05:50:05]

And coupling this issue of the hostages with other issues, such as issues that we believe have nothing to do with the humanitarian crisis of getting the hostages out but also end the suffering of the people in Gaza that are human shields being used by this terrorist organization.

HUNT: Sir, what would you like to see President Biden here in the United States and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel do about trying to get the living -- about trying to get the hostages home at this point?

CHEN: Yeah. So we've been blessed with this administration with unprecedented access. We have a weekly call with the White House. We've met the president and the vice president multiple times. We have met Jake Sullivan, national security adviser, about a dozen times.

But to be honest, it's a very black and white scenario and they're not back. And the question is what more or different can be done. And I think that the administration needs to look at its basic assumptions how to get U.S. citizens out of harm's way each day and challenge those assumptions.

And just an example, a couple of weeks ago we met Sec. Yellen, Treasury secretary, and from the background that I've been doing I know for a fact that last month Hamas was able to pay tens of thousands of militants and operatives inside of Gaza tens of millions of dollars. That's totally unacceptable. And where is that money coming from?

So, yeah, a lot of money was stashed in Gaza beforehand. And they take the humanitarian aid, and they confiscate it and then sell it on the black market, and they skim from the top. But a lot of money is coming still from the outside from U.S. allies, NATO allies, allies in the Gulf -- in the Persian Gulf that are moving money into Gaza.

And I challenged the secretary and her team. That is the oxygen that is allowing Hamas to keep on fighting, and we need to close out. We need to suck that oxygen out.

And more sanctions can happen not only on Hamas but also on Iran. That its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, have been funded by them. And the question is what type of more sanctions can go on Iran to bring them to the negotiation table not only for themselves but for their proxies.

HUNT: All right, Ruby Chen. Thank you very much for your time today. And we, of course, will be thinking of you, your family, and your son on this very difficult and somber anniversary. Sir, thank you very much for your time this morning.

CHEN: Thank you for having me.

HUNT: Yeah.

All right, time now here for sports in a big playoff game marred by unruly fans throwing objects onto the field.

Coy Wire has this morning's Bleacher Report. Coy, good morning.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi, Kasie. So many things to get to. We can't get to all of them.

But this Dodgers-Padres game -- we have these bitter rivals, right, separated by only 120 miles, and things just went too far last night.

Game two of the National League Division Series in L.A. started kind of playfully in the first inning. The Padres watched Jurickson Profar here reach into the left field seats to rob Mookie Betts of a homer. He had a little back-and-forth with the Dodgers' fans.

But later in the seventh, Profar is warming up and here comes a baseball from the stands. Fans are throwing things. Padres' managers discussing things with the ump -- what's happening here. Fans started throwing trash onto the field near Fernando Tatis Jr. there in the outfield. The game was delayed about 10 minutes.

Now, San Diego -- they went on to stomp the Dodgers 10-2. They hit six home runs that tied the Major League record for most in a single postseason game.

Now, the Phillies, they evened up their series with the Mets with a final swing of the bat. Tied in the bottom of the ninth, Nick Castellanos -- watch him come through here with the game-winning RBI single to left, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. The Phillies win 7-6. Game three is tomorrow in New York.

The ALDS take center stage today on TBS. The Tigers and Guardians get things started just after 4:00 Eastern, followed by game two between the Royals and Yankees.

Some bad weather delayed the start last night's Cowboys-Steelers game by about an hour and a half, but it was worth the wait if you stayed up late. Down 17-13 with time running out, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, the highest paid player in the NFL, comes up money. A four- yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Tolbert on a fourth down with 20 seconds to go.

The Cowboys win 20-17. The game didn't end until one in the morning Eastern time.

Now to the reigning league MVP. Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson pulling off a ridiculous play. He bobbles the snap in the fourth against division rival Cincinnati. He scrambles. (INAUDIBLE) six-foot- five, 265-pound Sam Hubbard to the ground, directs some traffic, and then throws a dart to Isaiah Likely for the unlikely touchdown.

[05:55:13]

They call him Lamarvelous Jackson -- 348 yards, four touchdowns as Baltimore wins in overtime 41-38.

And some hoops history last night. In the second quarter of the Lakers' preseason game against the Suns, LeBron and Bronny James became the first father-son duo to play together on an NBA team. LeBron, afterwards, said he didn't grow up with a dad so having these moments with his son just means everything to him.

HUNT: Oh my gosh, Coy, that's so sweet.

Thank you very much --

WIRE: You bet.

HUNT: -- for all of that. It was a tough night in our house with the Mets' loss, but what are you going to do? At least it wasn't Harper that hit that last thing.

WIRE: That's right.

HUNT: OK. See you soon, Coy. Thank you.

And straight ahead here on CNN THIS MORNING our coverage of the one- year anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks continues as Israel battles a multifront war in the region. We're going to ask New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand how tensions in the Middle East are shaping U.S. politics today.

Plus, Kamala Harris pushes back on the right-wing childless criticisms. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All of us understand that, you know, this is not the 1950s anymore. Families come in all kinds of shapes and forms and they're family, nonetheless.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL)