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Quest Means Business
Hamas-Run Ministry: Gaza Death Toll Has Surpassed 10,000; Biden And Netanyahu Speak; Trump Clashes With Judge; Zelenskyy Invites Trump To Ukraine; Luis Diaz Begs Kidnappers To Release Father After Scoring Goal; Elon Musk To Launch A.I. Chatbot "Grok". Aired 3-4p ET
Aired November 06, 2023 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:31]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. These are live pictures that you're watching, and those are the
words from the U.N. secretary general. The number of people who've died there now is more than 10,000, according to officials in Hamas-controlled
Gaza.
President Biden and President -- and Prime Minister Netanyahu speak for the first time in more than a week. And the judge in Donald Trump's civil fraud
trial tells the former president, "Don't make speeches. Just answer the questions."
We're live in London. It's Monday. It's November the 6th. I'm Richard Quest, and this is "Quest Means Business."
Good evening to you, and we begin with a grim milestone. Live pictures tonight coming to us from Gaza. You can see the missiles, you can see the
flares lighting up the territory as Israel's continued military attack proceeds.
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 10,000 people are now known to have been killed by Israeli strikes. More than 4,000 of those are children.
The heads of the 18 U.N. agencies and aid groups have called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. We'll be talking to one of those who's on
that just in a moment.
Israel has resisted the calls for a ceasefire. It's pressing ahead with its ground operation against Hamas in retaliation for the seventh terror attack
that killed 1,400 in Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces say it's advancing towards Gaza City, and it says that Israeli troops have now divided the
Gaza Strip in two. The Israeli strikes have been catastrophic for those civilians remaining in Gaza.
CNN's Scott McLean with this dispatch. And I must warn you, as always, it includes disturbing and graphic images.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Without power, Gaza City is pitch black at night, now lit up only by Israeli airstrikes
and the terrifying sound that comes with them.
From the ground and from the air, Israel says it hit 450 Hamas targets in the past day. At the beach refugee camp named for its coastal location,
there's sifting through the rubble after a bombing overnight.
(UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN speaking in foreign language.)
MCLEAN (voice over): "I don't know what to say," this woman says. "There is nothing to say. There is no mercy on anyone. Not on children, not on
elderly or women. Complete destruction." The injured were rushed to the nearby Al-Shifa Hospital, where the sky flashes red from strikes nearby.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
MCLEAN (voice over): "I don't remember what happened. It was like a shock," says Mohammed Hayder (ph), who lives in the beach camp. "I don't remember
how I fell down. Suddenly, I felt things fall on my head."
The IDF says it's doing what it can to minimize civilian casualties, but the human toll in Gaza following the October 7th Hamas terror attack on
Israel that killed more than 1400 people has now surpassed 10,000, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza. Hospital
morgues now spill out onto the streets, like this one in central Gaza.
Overnight at that same hospital, victims arrived in the back of trucks; some, clinging to life, others looking lifeless. Arriving ambulances are
packed with as many people as they'll fit.
This girl is one of the luckier ones. Inside, covered and dirt and shaking, she tells the doctor her name is Jenna (ph) and that she is in pain.
(UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE speaking in foreign language.)
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
MCLEAN (voice over): "We, as medical teams, are no longer in a position to be able to fulfill our obligations to our people," says this doctor. "All
the beds are occupied. We may have to announce suspension of services and the hospital at any moment."
The Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza says that these pictures show the aftermath of an Israeli strike on a children's hospital in Gaza
City. Several holes blown through the walls, and one through the ceiling. The IDF told CNN it has not struck any hospitals yet.
Aid is slowly reaching Gaza, but not fast enough for Jordan, which resorted to air dropping medical aid from the sky as Gazans lined up for bread this
weekend in the shadow of another bakery that's been destroyed. They have no idea when the next truckload of essentials will arrive.
Scott McLean, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:05:21]
QUEST: The White House says President Biden has spoken to the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday about the possibility of tactical pauses in
Gaza. The IDF says Israeli troops have reached the enclaves' Mediterranean coast. And the advance has separated northern and southern Gaza from one
another. You can see there on the map.
Troops are also advancing on Gaza City, which is further north. An IDF spokesperson described it as a fortress of Hamas' terrorist activity.
Nic Robertson is in Sderot. Nic, we can see from the map where, you know, Sderot is, so we've got a good idea where you are.
Now, the -- this idea of splitting Gaza in two, whilst at the same time encircling Gaza City, is part of the strategy to do what next?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It seems to be to try to filter out the Hamas fighters from the civilian population. I just want
to help key you and the audience in for what may happen over my shoulder.
Right now, you are showing at the top of the program there some live images of flares dropping down in northern Gaza. Well, we were watching those
flares immediately behind me, over my shoulder here. So if you see flares dropping there, then that will probably be what you are looking at, that
area inside Gaza that you are looking at before.
Now, we've just heard heavy detonations coming from that area as well, which gives us an idea of the place you are showing at the top of the
program with the flares above it is having some heavy bombardment around about this time. But to get to your point, and that is towards the coastal
area, but to your point, splitting the Gaza Strip in two, a north and a south, is perhaps one step that the IDF is taking to try to make the
problem of going after all the Hamas leadership a slightly more manageable one by breaking it into two pieces.
We know the IDF controls a humanitarian corridor down the main highway from the link from the north to the south. They've left it open in a couple
hours over the past few days. It gives them a chance to filter, if you will, and control, if you will, the population -- the civilian population
that flees south.
But the picture that really emerges from a military assessment is the next move for the IDF going in on foot if they do, or in armored vehicles into
Gaza City, is a monumentally difficult and dangerous task because this is Hamas' home territory. This is where they will likely set up what the
military call kill zones, where they can draw the IDF in, create a distraction, block a road, make a detonation, and try to put fire on the
IDF troops as they go in. And this is something the IDF is wise, too.
They say today that they have captured 50 of the rockets that Hamas fires out towards Israel, captured firing positions as well. But that doesn't
diminish the difficulty and the dangerous nature of trying to actually go after the Hamas leadership themselves which, for many analysts at the
moment, seems to be a stretch that's perhaps a stretch beyond the IDF's reach at the moment -- Richard.
QUEST: Now, if we look back at the map and we can see the sort of area that we're talking of, do we have an idea of how many civilians are still in
that area north of, if you will, the new split line?
ROBERTSON: You know, it's very hard to know. Number one, the situation is chaotic. The IDF doesn't have that information readily to hand or if they
do, it's not being shared publicly the best indications we have come from the U.N. agencies on the ground. And I should add to that, Hamas is not
making those figures clear either because if they were to say all the civilians have gone from the north of Gaza, then that would make the IDF's
operation much more straightforward. So we're unlikely to get a clear answer from the IDF on that.
But if we listen to what the U.N. has said, they said initially there are about 1.1 million civilians living in the north end of Gaza. They estimate
at the moment, the most recent figures they've had are between 800,000 to 1 million of those have moved to the south, which leaves you with potentially
100,000 to 300,000 civilians still in the north of Gaza and locations unknown. So that's the challenge for the IDF.
It's the challenge for the fighter jets as they go in and drop their munitions. And that's also a huge, difficult challenge for all those
hundreds of thousands of civilians, and we now know more than 10,000 of them have been killed, more than 4,000 of those children, according to the
Hamas-led Ministry of Health inside Gaza -- Richard.
[15:10:22]
QUEST: Nic Robertson, who is in Sderot, which is very close as we can tell, and we'll be back to you, Nic, as and when there's more to report this
evening.
High stakes, high drama in a New York courtroom over the hours. Donald Trump is on the stand in his civil fraud trial. So far, he's attacked the
judge, the New York attorney general, and he's slammed the proceedings. It's the first time the former president has publicly testified in any of
the cases against him. Prosecutors in New York accused him of inflating the value of his properties for financial gain.
And leaving the courtroom during the lunch break, he didn't speak, only gave -- well, you'll see. There you go, thumbs up. But before he went into
court to give evidence this morning, he said this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: "It's very unfair. But in the meantime, the people of this country understand it. They see me, and
they don't like it. They don't like it. It's a political warfare, as you would call it, or political lawfare. Another name -- I got a lot of names
for it, but usually, it takes place in Third World countries and banana republics. Nobody's ever seen that to this extent. We've never seen it
here."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Elie Honig is a former prosecutor. Well, he's on our -- is our senior legal analyst. Elie, look, you know, it's never a good idea to have
an argument with the judge. But it's even worse when the judge is going to be the one because there's no jury there.
Now, I suppose Donald Trump feels he's lost before he's begun, so does it really matter?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: That's the best I can make of it, Richard. Yes, you're right, it's never a bad idea to antagonize a judge.
I've done that a time or two in my day as a prosecutor. It never works out well.
And like you say, in this case, there is no jury. The judge is going to render the verdict and decide the amount of damages.
And Donald Trump has gone in this courtroom today and basically just gone all out at the judge. I think the reasonable conclusion from that is Donald
Trump believes he's going to lose. Indeed, he's already lost one of the claims in this case. The judge has already ruled against Donald Trump on a
claim for repetitive fraud.
And so, it looks to me like Donald Trump is in the mode of saying I've already lost, I'm going to turn this into a political spectacle. I'm going
to try to make myself into the victim and try to at least win outside the courtroom if I'm not going to win inside it.
QUEST: Now, as we look at the other cases, and I was reading about the -- this -- the three criminal cases of different types that will be winding
their merry way through, but it's unlikely that any of them will have come to full fruition. I mean that by in terms of potential conviction, first
appeal, second appeal, supreme court appeal before the election -- it's almost impossible before the election of next year. Would you agree?
HONIG: Oh, I 100% agree. I think there's a very good chance we'll see one of the four criminal cases tried. I think the most likely one is the
federal election subversion case in Washington, D.C., which is scheduled for trial in March of 2024.
It looks like the other three are likely not to be tried until after the election. But if you're talking about what we call a final conviction,
meaning, we have the whole trial, a jury comes back with the guilty verdict, then usually you need at least three months until sentencing.
And then as you said, Richard, there's two layers of potential appeal. You get automatically one appeal, and then Donald Trump, if he loses, can try
to get it up to the supreme court. That is, as a scientific matter of fact, not going to be accomplished by one year from now.
All of that is not going to be accomplished by one year from now when we're voting on our next president. But there's a quite good chance that we do at
least get a trial in and a verdict, if not the sentencing and the appeals.
QUEST: Okay. Now, let's go back to this case that we've -- the civil case because, of course, there's no -- this is a civil matter, not a criminal
matter.
Now, take your prosecutors hat off for a moment, Elie, and put a defense attorney's hat on for a second. Is there any merit to what Donald Trump is
saying about the perceived or real bias of a judge who does seem to have already found fraud and seems to be unwilling to accept that he is in a
difficult and unique situation?
HONIG: Here's how I would attack the judge's substantive ruling. I would not attack the judge in any kind of personal way .
QUEST: Sure.
HONIG: . but here's the argument that I would make if I was Donald Trump's lawyer when it comes time for appeal. This judge, before the trial began,
before the first witness took the stand, ruled in favor of the attorney general and against Donald Trump. That's something called summary judgment.
But what a judge has to do in summary judgment is assuming all the facts against the other party, meaning, assuming all the facts in Donald Trump's
favor, he still loses. And my argument is if you look at the judge's ruling, I would argue he does not do that. I would argue he actually does
the opposite of that.
[15:15:11]
QUEST: Okay.
HONIG: He takes all the facts, and he says, well, I believe the AG's version. I disbelieve your version, Donald Trump. Therefore, I'm ruling for
the AG.
Now, I would argue, that's fine on a verdict. But in summary judgment, the judge has to take all facts in Donald Trump's favor. And my appellate
argument, and I think Donald Trump's appellate argument, will be the judge did not do that, and this was an improper grant of summary judgment.
QUEST: So is the same argument, essentially -- I mean, the facts may be marginally different, but we're still talking about the same groundman, if
you will, of the allegations between the idea of inflating.
The judge has already said, you've done it. I found enough of all of this elsewhere in relation to that case. Are we literally going through the
motions here?
HONIG: No, I mean, there are still six other claims that are being adjudicated. But the most important thing, Richard, is the judge is going
to ultimately decide the amount of damages here.
Now, the attorney general has asked for up to $250 million in damages. And so that the judge is going to have to do when all the evidence is in is go
through and say -- well, he's already, like I said, already decided against Trump on at least one count, but he's going to have to decide how much
damages there were. That could be anywhere theoretically from zero up to $250 million. So there still are real stakes here.
Also, at stake is Donald Trump's business certificate, his ability to continue doing business in the state of New York. And as a practical
matter, it makes it difficult if you lose your certificate in New York to do business elsewhere. So there still are real stakes here, to be sure.
QUEST: Grateful for you, as always, sir. Thank you.
HONIG: Thank you.
QUEST: A UN committee has released an open letter demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. They say enough is enough.
Mary Lawlor is one of the UN officials who signed that letter, and there she is. She'll be talking with me after the break. "Quest Means Business."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: The United Nations continues its call for a ceasefire in Gaza as the Palestinian officials in the Hamas-controlled Gaza say the death -- the
number of people who've died is now more than 10,000. The press conference earlier, the head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, called on the international
community to, in his words, "Stop this inhuman collective suffering." And he echoed the sentiment of an open letter released by the UN committee.
[15:20:00]
That letter finished with, "It's been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now."
Mary Lawlor is the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and the sign -- she signed the letter, and joins us from Tbilisi in Georgia. It's
good to see you, ma'am. Thank you for taking the time.
Look, the Israeli government, the prime minister seems to be singularly deaf to this call for a ceasefire and even humanitarian pause, which the US
is putting forward, is not getting far -- very far. Would you accept a pause?
MARY LAWLOR, UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER: Well, I suppose I need to say I come from a human rights perspective, and a rule of
law perspective, and a justice perspective.
So we have seen the atrocities by Hamas, and we know that there's a lot of fear in Israel. We know that the general population are very fearful. And
they're also very fearful of the internal violence. And I condemn unequivocally the actions which created such terror in Israel and the
killings of all those .
QUEST: Right.
LAWLOR: . innocent men, women, and children.
On the other hand, what is happening now in Israel is that anyone who is speaking out even to say -- and I get all this from human rights defenders.
I have contacts with human rights defenders in Israel and in West Bank in Gaza. So anyone who's speaking out, even to say if there are innocent
civilians in Gaza who shouldn't be suffering needlessly has to weigh the risk of whether there will be verbal, if not, physical attacks.
QUEST: Right.
LAWLOR: And we have seen physical attacks. And then when -- you know, they created terror. Hamas created terror for the civilian population in Israel,
but that does not allow the Israeli government, under international law, to do the same thing.
QUEST: Right.
LAWLOR: And what's happening .
QUEST: I mean, we .
LAWLOR: Sorry.
QUEST: . we can -- sorry. We can pretty much sum up the argument in that. And I'm not being unduly simplistic, but we can pretty much sum up the
argument as being two wrongs don't make a right. And Hamas' atrocity does not entitle Israel to basically do the same sort of stuff, but in a
different way.
I mean, that is the gist of the legal argument that is being put forward. The humanitarian point is, in the sense, more tricky because Israel is
going to have to consent even if the aid comes via the Rafah and through Egypt.
LAWLOR: Yes. I mean, the thing is, when you look at it, it really is a wound to the soul is the way I think of it, because when you see the little
bodies in -- wrapped in white of the baby children and the terror on the children's faces, and you think about what they are being subjected to that
the consistent bombing and not knowing, you know, whether they're being saved, and, you know, there are no food, no fuel, no water, no food, and I
understand from a human rights defender in Gaza, Raji Sourani whose house has been -- whose house was bombed, he luckily escaped, but he moved, and
then he was bombed again, the bakeries have run out of bread. And the population needs bread. And he tried to go south, and the Israelis were
bombing from the sea.
So what I'm -- I suppose what I'm saying is that, you know, nothing will happen until there is. Whether it's a pause for a start to let in the .
QUEST: Right.
LAWLOR: . the huge needed humanitarian supplies or whether it can develop into a ceasefire, so that this horrible madness can stop. And some sort of
political resolution -- if not resolution, but advancement, at least, to stop the killing in .
QUEST: Okay. But Israel doesn't want a political solution. Israel wants the evisceration of Hamas. And I can't see any obvious or simple way that you
square that circle with a ceasefire whilst they are prosecuting their goal.
LAWLOR: Of course. And we have seen that in wars around the world. We saw it in my own country, in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It took a very long
time.
[15:25:03]
But at the end of the day, the only thing that have -- like, you know, Israel and Hamas have been at odds for many years. Gaza has been an open
prison for many years. And there have been several bombings, and nothing has worked.
And the -- so clearly, violence isn't the answer there. So there has to be some political renewal of what should happen next. And that means that
there has to be a ceasefire. You know, there has to be monitoring of the ceasefire by an international group.
The hostages have to be released. And the humanitarian aid has to -- that's the first priority. The humanitarian aid has to get in.
QUEST: Do you worry that the complexity now of -- I mean, it was never simple, but, you know -- but the -- that the addition of the hostages
creates a completely unique scenario to that which arguably negotiate what is used to in that sentence and, therefore, will make it much more
difficult? Because the slightest harm to hostages -- I mean, and let's face it, if we look at the numbers from different countries, this is -- and I
was only reading today, the number of people from Thailand who were confirmed dead in the Israeli -- in Hamas's attack in Israel, this was an
attack on the rest of the world as well.
LAWLOR: Yes. And, you know, the thing is you can see how other countries are being drawn into this because .
QUEST: Yes.
LAWLOR: . it has been deep and decades' long conflict. But clearly, what happened on the 7th of October pushed it beyond the limits of what had
previously been, I suppose, acceptable in one way or another.
And I do worry. Of course, I worry. But what I really worry about most is that the innocent civilian population -- it's a massacre of the innocents
who are caught between Hamas and the Israelis.
QUEST: Right. I'm grateful for your time tonight, ma'am. Thank you. We will talk more again. It's important. Thank you for taking the time.
LAWLOR: Thanks for having me.
QUEST: Now, Donald Trump has finished testifying in New York. He repeatedly clashed with the judge. We are expecting -- well, we think he might come
out and speak as he leaves court. And when he does, if he does and if he speaks, we will bring that to you, of course.
And what's interesting, of course, and you'll find -- there's the courtroom. You'll -- if he speaks as he leaves, we will take it for --
until you hear it -- will hear it all. But what's really interesting, all these legal shenanigans of one sort or another, they certainly aren't
affecting his poll numbers. Not yet anyway. "Quest Means Business."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:31:54]
QUEST: Hello. I'm Richard Quest. We have a lot more QUEST MEANS BUSINESS together. The crisis in Israel's going to have a major impact on tourism in
the region.
Tonight, you'll hear from Egypt's tourism minister. Also new poll shows Donald Trump leading President Biden in key battles scrapped in
battleground states. I do beg your pardon. How the outcome of his legal battles could sway the election. We'll get to all of it only after the news
headlines, because this is CNN and here the news always comes first.
President Zelenskyy has invited Donald Trump to visit Ukraine that follows the former presidents claiming he could end Russia's invasion within 24
hours. President Zelenskyy said in an interview with NBC that you would need only 24 minutes to show Donald Trump, he can't bring peace because of
Putin.
And the Liverpool football player Luis Diaz has pleaded for the release of his kidnapped father, nine days since his father was captured by a
Colombian rebel group after scoring a late game goal against Luton Town on Sunday. Diaz celebrated by paying tribute to his missing father. He lifted
his shirt, revealing an undershirt revealing freedom for dad.
Elon Musk has introduced a new A.I. chat bot and it's called Grok. It was built by Musk's artificial intelligence company and it's being trained on
data from X. Formerly, of course, Twitter. Elon Musk suggested the chat bot shares his own sarcastic sense of humor will soon be available to X's
premium subscribers.
His business empire is very much in jeopardy. And with that in mind, Donald Trump took the stand and a New York courtroom today. A few months ago, he
finished testifying. This is a live picture of the courtroom room 300. He's now finished testifying in the civil fraud trial. And he's expected to come
out through these doors shortly. I mean, I can't tell you when and nor can I tell you, if he'll speak to the cameras.
All I can try to promise is that we will be there and you'll hear it in its entirety. The former president was examined under oath about allegations he
grossly inflated his net worth to get better bank loans and insurance terms. The drama was everywhere. Trump accused the judge of being biased.
And at one point his lawyers were told to get him under control this after he essentially made a campaign speech as you went into the courtroom this
morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will go along and we will obviously do very well in every regard, we'll win the election to make
America great again. That's what we're going to do. We're going to make America great again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Now Ivanka Trump, his daughter is expected to testify on Wednesday. Put all this together, you'd be perhaps raise an eyebrow if you learned
that these massive legal problems are having a negligible if any effect on his political aspirations and fortunes.
[15:35:01]
Donald Trump seems to hold an edge over President Biden. A new poll from the New York Times and Siena College has asked leading battleground states
that Biden won in 2020. And now you are, then Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. And as you can see, in all of them, Trump is
now beating Joe Biden.
Harry Enten is our senior data man. He joins me from New York. What do you make of that?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Isn't good news for the current president of the United States. That's what I make of it, right? And of
course, we elect presidents in this country through the electoral college. So, these swing states are very important. And, you know, you can break
down the six states that the New York Times pulled in two ways and one of which is look at the Sunbelt swing states.
These are all swing states that Joe Biden won back in 2020. By small margins. Look at these 2023 polls, including in Nevada, where Donald Trump
leads by 11 points. Richard, I went back, there wasn't a single poll during the entire 2020 cycle in which Joe Biden trail Donald Trump in the state of
Nevada. There was also the Great Lake battleground states. These polls slightly better for Donald Trump -- slightly better for Joe Biden.
Again, Joe Biden won all these in 2020. But even in Pennsylvania, you see that Donald Trump lead by five points. Again, you go back to 2020. There
wasn't a single poll during that entire cycle in which Trump led in Pennsylvania. Fact is, that these polls are right and the election were
held today Donald Trump would be the next president of the United States.
QUEST: The Democrats will say, well, it's not being held today. There's plenty of time for the economy to rebound more strongly. And there's plenty
of time for Donald Trump to be convicted or to lose a civil case which might change the public's perception. But his call, unlikely to change.
ENTEN: No, I think that that's right. And -- but here's the thing, I will point out. The New York Times asked a very interesting question, Richard,
which was essentially, if Donald Trump is convicted, at least --
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: I'm going to stop you there. I'm going to stop you, Harry. It looks like he's coming out. Yes. There we go. Let's see if Donald Trump -- let's
listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it went very well. You were listening. And you see what a scam this is. This is a case that should
have never been brought. It's a case that should be dismissed immediately. The fraud is on behalf of the court. The court was the fraudster in this
case.
They made references to assets that were very valuable and they said -- they had no idea. They had no idea what the numbers were when they said $18
million for Mar-a-Lago, and it's 50 to 100 times that amount by any estimation. It's a terrible thing that's happening here. We're taking days
and days and weeks and weeks, it goes on, and then you look at the outside world and what's happening.
But, of course, they're getting their wish, because I don't have to be here, for the most part, but I sort of do have to be here because I want to
be here. This is a scam and this is a case that should have never been brought and it's a case that now should be dismissed. Everyone saw what
happened today, everyone saw what happened with their star witness, who admitted that I never told him what he originally said I did, he admitted
that he lied, and he has absolutely no credibility whatsoever. That's their only witness. That's their only witness.
And I think you saw what I had to say today and it was conclusive. Everything we did was absolutely right. To think we're being sued and
spending all this time and money, and you have people being killed all over the world that this country could stop. With inflation and all of the other
problems that this country has, I think it's a disgrace. And when you look at the numbers, the poll numbers that came out today from The New York
Times and CBS, I'm sure The Times was not too happy, but people are sick and tired of what's happening.
This is a sad -- I think it's a very sad day for America. But, anyway, this is a case that should have never been brought and it's a case that should
be immediately dismissed. Thank you. Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you (INAUDIBLE) from United States?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you (INAUDIBLE) United States?
QUEST: There you have Donald Trump. Hopefully, Harry is still with me. Hey. I just want to say, look, he referred to those poll numbers. He said we
shouldn't be dealing with these things. Inflation, the problems of inflation problems, are people dying around the world, this country, he is
sick and tired. It's a sad case for America. And he refers to those poll numbers that we're talking about. Well aware that the winds in his sails
almost.
ENTEN: He's well aware of those poll numbers. I mean, that shouldn't be much of a surprise to us, Richard, right? I mean, he talked about his poll
numbers throughout the 2016 campaign.
[15:40:05]
He spoke about his poll numbers throughout the 2020 campaign, at least the ones he liked. If he didn't like them, he call them fraudulent, right? That
they were a scam as he just said. 2024, the poll numbers look a lot better for him. So, he wants to talk about them. But I think the real thing is
he's scared a little bit, right? That he feels like one of these court cases could in fact, change the trajectory of this election.
And in fact, the New York Times asked the poll question on this, which is essentially, if he does get convicted in that federal election trial, what
happens? And what we saw in that was that all of a sudden that Donald Trump lead that he had becomes a Joe Biden advantage. A significant Joe Biden
advantage in those six battleground states that we were talking about. Look at that, becomes a nine-point Joe Biden advantage.
So that's why I think Donald Trump's at least a little bit scared why he doesn't want to be in court because he realizes he's ahead. Why upset the
applecart, Richard?
QUEST: The injection of politics into the -- into the --- into the cases here. I mean, it's quite extraordinary, Harry, that as we go into next
year, so much we'll ride on the dates of the election -- of the cases. Whether there are convictions before voting day. I mean, the legal process
stands to have a dramatic effect on the political process here.
ENTEN: It's exactly right, Richard. And this is unprecedented, right? We've never dealt with this before. I mean, I think you'd have to go back, you
know, to Eugene Debs, in the 1920 election, who was in prison and got votes as the Socialist Party candidate. That's really the only thing I can think
of off the top of my head in terms of candidates who, you know, might be convicted of a crime.
And we don't exactly know what's going to happen because the voters may say one thing now, but we've seen Donald Trump go through a lot of legal
trouble.
QUEST: Right.
ENTEN: And he was fine.
QUEST: OK. So, one -- while I've still got you that squeeze the asset as to it -- as they say, for all it's worth. While I've still got you. These --
where does all this leave him vis-a-vis his fellow Republican candidates? They look at this because none of them, none of them would even come close
to those sorts of numbers against Joe Biden. So, is he -- is he right not to be at the next in -- in his view, obviously, in the next debate?
The way in which it's being -- oh, here, we have the A.G. in New York. She just walked straight out. Letitia James didn't stop, didn't talk. Is he
right? Is he taking the right track in his view?
ENTEN: I think he's 100 percent taking the right track, right? In order to face Joe Biden, you have to win the Republican primary.
QUEST: Right.
ENTEN: And he's getting 60 percent of that Republican primary vote right now. Most Republicans believe that these trials are in Donald Trump's
words, "a scam." They think they're trying to derail him. Why should he give oxygen to these other Republican candidates while appearing on the
stage with them? He wants this to be a race between him and Joe Biden, not a race between him and five or six or seven other Republicans.
In his mind and in my mind, to be honest with you, he's taking the right track, at least to win the Republican primary. When we get to the general
election, it may be a different ballgame. But it's these poll numbers that Donald Trump just spoke about and we just showed you, show at this
particular point. He's the favorite against Joe Biden. So, something's going to have to change. Donald Trump wants to keep things steady because
if they're steady, he's a favorite come next November.
QUEST: Harry, good to have you, sir. Always grateful. Thank you.
ENTEN: My pleasure.
QUEST: QUEST MEANS BUSINESS tonight in a moment. We'll turn to the Rafah crossing we opened on Monday. It was closed over the weekend. Now some
foreign nationals and the wounded were allowed to leave.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:46:22]
QUEST: -- to New York, the Attorney General is speaking outside the courthouse where Donald Trump gave his testimony earlier.
LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: -- results but we expected that. At the end of the day, the documentary evidence demonstrated that in fact,
he falsely inflated his assets to basically enrich himself and his family. He continued to persistently engage in fraud. The numbers don't lie. And
Mr. Trump obviously can engage in all of these distractions and that what is -- what exactly what he did what he committed on the stand today.
Engaging in distractions and engaging in name calling. But I will not be bullied, I will not be harassed. This case will go on. We look forward to
hearing the testimony of Ivanka Trump on Wednesday and then we plan on closing our case. And then there'll be some motions on Thursday. And then
the defense will present their case in chief. Justice will prevail. And it's important that all of you understand that we have already been
victorious in our motion for summary judgment.
And now we look forward to discouragement and to the remaining counts in our action against Donald Trump and his repeated and consistent fraud
against the citizens of the great state of New York.
QUEST: Calling Donald Trump's testimony and evidence today distractions, the way in which he comported himself in court. The New York Attorney
General not for the first time said she would not be bullied. But to put it in both sides. Donald Trump describes her activities as scandalous, fraud,
a scam should never have been brought. She describes his actions as a distraction that won't get in the way.
The Rafah crossing has opened on Monday and in doing so, a small number of people were able to leave Gaza. This is according to Egyptian border
officials. 99 foreign nationals were allowed to pass through that are on the initial list when the crossing first open on Wednesday. 15 wounded
Palestinians were also sent through to receive treatment in Egypt. Ambulances were seen waiting for them at the border.
Melissa Bell is in Cairo. Melissa is with you now. And it's the it seems very happenstance as and when the border opens, who gets to cross here. I
mean, I know foreign nationals and the injured but which ones the injured. It seems all of it, but have random.
MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: The system is fairly opaque and difficult for us to see through and understand. Every day, Richard, that
the crossing is open and you're quite right. There was a 48-hour period, nearly 40 hours when it was entirely closed this weekend. But on those days
and that was on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and again today when it's open, essentially a list is put up with several 100 names on it of foreign
passport holders.
They, if they're lucky enough to have the communications that allow them to understand their name is on the list that day are then allowed out. How the
list is drawn out? We don't really have much clarity on. We know that it's a complicated negotiation between Israel-Hamas, Egypt, through the
mediation of Qatar with the help of the United States, the Egyptians keeping a very close eye on who's coming across the border.
Israel also keeping a close eye on which wounded Palestinians are allowed out. We know that the consular services that are on the Rafah side of the
crossing have very little input or insight into how the lists are drawn up or whether or not they're nationals on it on a given day.
[15:50:08]
So, a fairly complicated process. A lot of chaos we understand Richard of that border for the many thousands that remain trapped inside. We're
hearing a lot about families getting their husbands, finding their wives on the list or vice versa, their children, parents and then obliged to say
bind. And I think it's important to bear in mind, the situation, of course, inside the Gaza Strip now and in particular, in the southern part of Gaza.
We've been hearing over the course of the weekend from the U.S. envoy for the Middle East saying the result of those huge movements of population
from the north to the south mean that there are 800,000 to a million Palestinians and foreign nationals now trapped in the southern part of Gaza
with no humanitarian services at all. So, the humanitarian situation is dire. We heard Antonio Guterres describe it not so much as a humanitarian
crisis, as it is a crisis of humanity.
And of course, that applies also around the Rafah crossing to those who are desperately trying to get out, Richard.
QUEST: Melissa Bell in Cairo where it's coming up for 11:00 at night. Thank you. This is CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: COP 28 begins on November the 30th. The largest climate change conference in the world. This year's event is in the UAE and it promises to
be more inclusive so they say by giving a voice to people from a multitude of background.
In India now, to see how a young activist hopes to represent his community at COP.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANKALP SUMAN, SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE SENIOR MANAGER, INDIAN SUGAR MILLS ASSOCIATION: On the outside, the sugarcane crop looks so green
and sturdy but when you look closely you see signs of decay that is being caused by climate change.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): Sankalp Suman is trying to make a difference in the agriculture sector. In his home country India is at the
center of the world's food production. But the country is expected to be one of the worst hit by climate change. From recurrent heavy rains to
scorching heat waves. Livelihoods are being impacted season by season.
SUMAN: People are not resisting the fact that, you know, climate change is actually a very big problem for the industry. But the seeing it with their
own eyes now they want to do their bit, they just don't know how.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): Sankalp hopes to be able to help them adapt to a new reality.
SUMAN: We are trying to develop varieties and so that the crop uses less water. It's drought resistant, it's resistant to this disease called red
rot which is again a consequence of climate change.
[15:55:09]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): But beyond what happens in the fields, Sankalp believes that the real change depends on the world's largest
roundtables.
SUMAN: I've been to so many conferences about agriculture and climate change. But not one of them had any formal presentation.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): This year, the United Nations Climate Change Conference has announced inclusion as one of its key themes. Part of
the agenda is to discuss how small entrepreneurs and communities are dealing with the climate crisis.
IAN HIGHAM, RESEARCH OFFICER, ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICS, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE: Having different groups represented is
really important because it ensures that as we transition to sustainability, that it is more just and more fair, and thus more durable
and more widely supported. There's a real push from the hosts of COP to make sure that these smaller scale entrepreneurs are represented because
otherwise, they're not necessarily represented just because their stakeholder group is there. They might be overshadowed by bigger players in
their field.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): Sankalp will be at COP on behalf of his country, as a youth international delegates.
SUMAN: We would actually have to go there and negotiate. And as representatives of the youth, we are the real stakeholders of the climate.
So, we need to go there and make sure that we are heard
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): Sankalp hopes that his presence at COP can help give more voice to a future generation of farmers.
SUMAN: These are the people who are actually interacting with the forces of nature every day. Having to work in the fields in this heat, having to
suffer through the water scarcity in everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voiceover): As the world awaits a more inclusive COP, Sankalp has kicked off his preparations. And for him, the most important
thing is not to feel alone on this journey.
SUMAN: It's easy to not think about climate change when the temperature is 30 degrees. But there are places in India where the surface temperature
reached even 60 degrees this year. It will affect you one way or the other, your food security will be threatened and water security will be
threatened. It's not my problem. It's not your problem. It's our problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: We'll take a profitable moment after the break. QUEST MEANS BUSINESS.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Tonight's profitable moment. When I spoke to Harry Enten earlier in the program, I really wanted to give you a feeling not as to what is
particularly happened with Donald Trump in this civil case but really the unusual set of circumstances. The unique nature, the uncharted territory.
The unprecedented. You can think of any sorts of words and phrases to use. Because as this progresses in the days and weeks and months ahead, we're
going to find ourselves in a territory where nobody really knows what happens next.
What does happen if a former president is convicted of a felony if, if, if and then goes on to win the next election? What happens if he's just told
that he can't run a business in New York and all his properties? We really just don't know. And in many cases, whatever the rights and the wrongs of
the case and how it was brought and who's done what to whom, the mere fact it's taking place at all takes us into an area that's both fascinating and
I suppose deeply worrying because the uncertainty is enormous.
[16:00:06]
And that's QUEST MEANS BUSINESS for tonight. I'm Richard Quest in London. Whatever you're up to wherever you are, I hope it's profitable.
END
