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The Situation Room

Delta CEO Speaks Out; Cornell University Jane Doe Facing Threats; Interview With Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Aired 10:30a- 11a ET

Aired October 07, 2026 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, is joining us now from a community that was also attacked on October 7.

President Herzog, thanks so much for speaking with us on this important day.

I don't know if you want to tell us, but can you tell us where you are right now and why this spot is so significant?

ISAAC HERZOG, PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL: Sure, because this is Netiv HaAsara.

It's a beautiful village which was attacked in the most barbaric way three years ago exactly on the day 7th of October; 20 members of this beautiful community were slaughtered and murdered, some of them trying to save their children, some of them fighting the enemy.

And I'm here at their orchard of olives, as well as near their vineyard, and the beautiful vineyard, which is producing wine. And I can tell you that, despite all the agony and pain that they have endured, as well as so many citizens around this region and the country, not far away, the Nova site, the country is rebuilding.

And this community will double itself within no time. People are joining or going back right at the border.

BLITZER: The Israeli prime minister, as you know, Mr. President -- we're talking about Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister. They have warned that Hamas potentially could strike once again today or in the run-up to the Israeli national elections later this month.

Do you share that concern?

HERZOG: Look, we're a nation on alert.

And we're also a nation with PTSD, meaning we had a huge wake-up call on October 7, because this was a tranquil, peaceful border, and we're the biggest peace lovers and supporters of peace with -- our neighbors lived here. They were the first ones to be butchered and slaughtered and raped and taken hostage.

And that is why it's a very big issue in our national discourse as we are going up to the elections on October 27. We are now deliberating and dealing and speaking, and, of course, agonizing and mourning today to remember and reminisce.

And we're in a very solemn day, where we think about what we have gone through and what the future should entail, including that, the possibility of the enemy trying again and again, because terrorists unfortunately never give up. But we should never give up to them in any way.

BLITZER: How much has the war in Gaza, Mr. President, actually weakened Hamas?

HERZOG: It's weakened substantially. Half of Gaza, you know, is still under Israeli control until the United Nations Security Council resolution, which was brought to a vote by President Trump through the initiative of the Board of Peace, will be implemented, which says next step, bring in a government in Gaza, a new government of technocrats, subject to and prerequisite is that Hamas disarms.

So the world community, international community, and everybody else who've all committed to this resolution should implement it. Disarm Hamas and give a future to the people of Gaza. We want to have our neighbors living well, two million Palestinians, but they ought to live well so long as we are not threatened by terror.

And, for this, you have to disarm Hamas and move on with bringing a new government into Gaza and rebuilding this region.

BLITZER: As you know, President Herzog, the Palestinian Ministry of Health says more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war began. From your perspective, has this war in Gaza been worthwhile?

HERZOG: We have to explain some of these data.

First of all, we argue with a lot of the data. Secondly, you have to remember we are fighting an army of terrorists, of tens of thousands of terrorists. And, thirdly and most importantly, because this is the issue at stake, we did not want this war. We did not choose to go to war.

We were attacked, and we have the inherent right, like any nation, to defend ourselves. The enemy picked and chose the terrain of war. They decided to have the terrain of war in people's homes, in their living rooms, in their dining rooms, in their kitchens, in their shops and mosques and whatnot.

And they have launched missiles from there and many terrorist attacks and took our hostages hostage underneath through their homes. So we have to send soldiers in. And we do it according -- strictly according to international law, by alerting, announcing, threatening, sending messages and leaflets, and moving population out in order to clear up the terrain and get the terrorists out.

[10:35:02] So that is the tragedy of this enormous calamity that has befallen the Palestinians in Gaza, because of Hamas taking this horrific attack, barbaric attack, and with an aim, by the way, to tilt the entire region in the Middle East.

They have done so. And Israel has shown that it knows how to fight and change the region with enormous opportunities for a better future.

BLITZER: Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly denied reports that he ignored various warnings before October 7 that Hamas was planning a major attack against Israel.

Would you like to see a full-scale investigation of what was known and when, a complete commission of inquiry?

HERZOG: So let me explain.

First of all, absolutely yes. And I have said it also in my speech earlier this week at the memorials, the first memorial service held on Sunday to the nation. It's a big issue which has been discussed in our elections. And as head of state who's above politics, of course, I won't deliberate about which solution and what type of inquiry.

I can only say that I have spoken about it numerous occasions. And, clearly, a vibrant democracy like ours ought to investigate and understand exactly what led to it and what happened.

BLITZER: In less than three weeks, Israel will hold its first national elections since that October 7 attack three years ago. How much will this be a referendum on Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding Israel's war against Hamas and the war against Iran, for that matter?

HERZOG: So, first of all, I'm very proud of the Israeli political system and our democracy celebrating democracy, meaning 50 parties at least running and presenting their opinions post-October 7, first time since October 7, with a huge variety of ideas, and, of course, a huge variety of voices, claims, and debates.

This is something enormous, not easy at all, a painful, agonized society with many questions about what happened and what's the future. And I believe that it will be a very important moment. I trust the Israeli voters to take their decisions.

Following that moment, all the parties who are elected to the Knesset will come up to me as president of the state and recommend who they feel, who they recommend will be the -- the head of the government, who will form the government. And I will have to delegate the authority to a member of the Knesset.

So I won't deal with any topics that are debated. All I can say is that this is a very important moment, and I sincerely hope and I'm sure the Israeli voters will come in a major turnout.

BLITZER: As you know, there's also been a very, very serious deterioration in the U.S.-Israeli relationship. The war in Gaza contributed to that. The war with Iran certainly did. In fact, many members of the U.S. house and Senate, especially a lot

of Democrats, they want to withhold or eliminate very sensitive military aid to Israel right now. I have covered U.S.-Israeli relations for a long time. I haven't seen it this bad from Israel's perspective.

I don't remember a time when the relationship was that bad and you had so many members of Congress wanting to completely eliminate military aid to Israel. What's your assessment of where the relationship stands right now?

HERZOG: So, it is definitely disturbing, but I want to make a clear point.

Look, three years ago, in July '23, as president of the state of Israel, I made a speech in front of a joint session of the House, and I got 30 standing ovations from both sides of the aisle, meaning that we have deep emotional relations. Our nations drink from the same fountains, the fountains of the Old Testament and the New Testament and the great values of democracy, liberties, and freedom.

We have a debate and we have many arguments. I know it. And there is also anger. But one has to understand that Israel is a very close ally of the United States, and it's -- and which serves clearly the national security interests of the United States of America and its people.

And I believe that we shall overcome this hurdle. We have to work on it. We have to discuss it in frankness. I invite every viewer and every American citizen to come and see this incredible country, which is doing good for the entire universe in so many fields, which looks to the horizon of making peace and joining with many Arab nations around us in developing this region for the well-being of humanity.

[10:40:00]

There's a lot of things to do together, rather than a blame game. I sometimes hear terrible things which are totally distorted, which are exuberant, which are disgusting at times too.

And I believe in my nation and I believe in our friendship with the United States of America.

BLITZER: Do you support a -- what's called a two-state solution, Israel living alongside a new state of Palestine?

HERZOG: So that is something that has been there for many, many years. However, it never matured.

First of all, it didn't ever mature because of terror. I said it in front of Congress in July '23. Terror is what undermines peace in this region. We are fighting terror endlessly. And I must say that I commend President Trump. We are cooperating with him and his team in fighting terror all throughout, because the main source of terror comes from Iran. This empire of evil with its proxies is trying to lock in on the

entire region. And we have actually pushed back on them big time together. They are rushing to the bomb, the nuclear bomb. They spread terror. They have terror cells all over the place. And look at their proxy the Houthis, who are trying to conquer in Yemen in order to block one of the main arteries of international trade.

If the world, the free world, doesn't wake up, the free world is in big trouble. And we in Israel are actually the ones who are defending the free world, defending Europe and defending the United States and its interests in this region.

BLITZER: I want to turn to the Flydubai investigation that is now ongoing.

HERZOG: Yes.

BLITZER: Investigators are examining how the pilot, who had reportedly raised security concerns in a previous job, was still able to end up in the cockpit on this flight with a lot of Israelis on board bound for Ben-Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.

What has the investigation uncovered so far about those failures?

HERZOG: Well, it's under heavy investigation, and there's a lot of intel-sharing and a lot of comparisons on issues that are vital to international aviation security.

It's under lot a lot of security. And we can't disclose information yet. We work with many agencies. Clearly, the United States is very much informed about what's going on. We trust our Emirati partners that they will bring as much information as possible. We work with others.

But it's also something to commend, to commend the heroes in that flight, Israelis who rescued that flight. Tomorrow, I will be in honoring them with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor for bravery and courage, fantastic people.

We thank the captain of the flight, the -- from -- who is originally from India, Machchhar. And, of course, we thank our -- even our -- the Saudis, who hosted the passengers and the plane during that emergency landing.

So it shows you that there could be cooperation in the Middle East and a great horizon, and I hope that the results will bring better safety and security for all of us.

BLITZER: All right, thank you so much, President Isaac Herzog of Israel, joining us on this very special day.

We will be right back.

HERZOG: Thank -- thank you. I'm rushing to the Nova Festival.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [10:45:27]

BLITZER: Happening now: threats against Cornell University's Jane Doe. Her attorney now says the woman at the center of a lawsuit alleging she was gang-raped at a fraternity house on campus back in 2024 is now being targeted with threats on her life.

Thomas Giuffra says Jane Doe's family and friend were also involved in a swatting incident where police drew guns on them. In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, he reacted to one of the threats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THOMAS GIUFFRA, ATTORNEY FOR JANE DOE: Just before I got on with you, somebody called her, made a threat to shoot up her house, shoot her, her mother, her father. She's calling the police as we speak now. I'm absolutely appalled that this has gone so far, that people are doing this, but I see this fire of hate that's being fanned lately, and I'm just shocked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Thomas Giuffra, Jane Doe's attorney.

All this comes as frustrations clearly grow on Cornell's campus over how the university administration handled the sexual assault accusations. Students and community members have rallied around Jane Doe. This afternoon, some groups are planning a seven-hour sit-in in solidarity with Jane Doe.

University officials held a virtual meeting with professors and staff yesterday after some faculty members introduced a resolution calling for a no-confidence vote in the university's leadership.

Here now is Cornell University faculty Senate member Ariana Kim.

Ariana, thanks so much for joining us.

ARIANA KIM, CORNELL UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE MEMBER: Good morning, Wolf. Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: Did you attend yesterday's virtual meeting? And if so, what did you hear from university officials?

KIM: I did attend the town hall. It felt similar to a lot of the messaging that we have been receiving, where they're saying a lot of politically correct buzzwords, that there are intentions and recaps of making sure that they let us know that they did everything correctly and to the best of their ability.

But there still hasn't been a lot of accountability. There hasn't been -- there weren't difficult questions answered. And so I think a lot of people are still hoping for more.

BLITZER: What do you hope this resolution of no confidence potentially will achieve? KIM: So this vote of no confidence resolution is put forth by one

faculty senator who was the author and then co-sponsored by about a dozen other faculty senators.

It'll be presented at a meeting next week, and then again two weeks after that, while we have had time to confer with our constituents, and then a vote will be held. That vote will happen, will occur over the next week following the final meeting.

We hope that, though it's not a binding resolution, where it would have actionable items, that it will inspire resignations, accountability, that we can finally make long-needed systemic change.

BLITZER: What have you been hearing from your students at Cornell?

KIM: It's a really, really difficult time.

I work mostly with students one-on-one, and so I have the privilege of having more intimate conversations with them. And every person I have talked to is feeling the crisis, is feeling the fear, is feeling the sense of not understanding how to parse all the information that's coming at them, not really knowing how to feel safe, not knowing who to trust.

And there's a sense of a lack of community particularly being felt that's not coming from the top down.

BLITZER: I want you to listen to what Julia Chang, an associate professor at Cornell University, told CNN about her trust in the current administration.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JULIA CHANG, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CORNELL UNIVERSITY: I can't say that I have a lot of faith. Every piece of information that gets leaked to the press, the fact that we're finding out the same time that you all are about what's happening on this campus, about what happened in 2024, I think a lot of us have lost faith in this institution.

And, as I said, trust is just completely broken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, what do you think? How can the leadership rebuild that trust?

[10:50:04]

KIM: I think the most important thing right now is a turnover in leadership. I think that's the best tool for starting that process.

This won't be an overnight fix. There are layers of concerns that need to be addressed. And I think the only way to begin that process is to see resignations and a turnover in our upper administration.

BLITZER: So do you think Cornell's president should resign over the handling of this investigation?

KIM: I do.

BLITZER: Ariana Kim, thanks so much for joining us. Good luck to all of the students and faculty, administrators, everybody at Cornell University. This is such a -- such a rough time indeed. Appreciate your joining us.

KIM: Thank you so much, Wolf.

BLITZER: And if you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, there is help out there. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline by calling 1-800-656-HOPE or by texting HOPE to 64673.

And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: As the Iran war sends fuel prices skyrocketing to new records, more airline leaders say they still expect a steady level of travel from the customers. It's as airfares are up. They're up more than 23 percent year over year, with the average ticket now costing more than $400.

CNN's Randi Kaye spoke one-on-one with Delta's CEO in a very rare interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just to have your voice with all that's going on in the world. I think it's really important.

(voice-over): Ed Bastian has been CEO of Delta Air Lines for 10 years and with the company for nearly 30 years.

ED BASTIAN, CEO, DELTA AIR LINES: The Wall Street community had declared us dead. They had us DOA, that we weren't going to make it.

KAYE: He has seen Delta through bankruptcy, restructuring, 9/11, and COVID, and today is dealing with the effects of the Iran war, energy shock, and rising airfares.

(on camera): You have built Delta around this idea that taking care of employees ultimately takes care of customers.

BASTIAN: Take care of your people first, and then they will take care of your customers, who will reward you with loyalty and repeat business. And that virtuous circle that goes around is really important in a high-touch business like we are.

[10:55:00]

KAYE: And you're building Delta now more around that premium customer.

BASTIAN: And I'd say, today, over 60 percent of our revenues are not in our main cabin for the company. It's coming from the premium side. And that's growing double digits. We're focused on the upper end of the K.

And our consumer demographic we talk about has household earnings, a minimum of about $100,000 a year, which is not an elitist definition. That's over 40 percent of the households in the United States fits that definition; 95 percent of our revenues come from that demographic.

And that demographic, if you look post-COVID, has accumulated enormous wealth.

KAYE: What are you seeing from customers who aren't at the top end of the K?

BASTIAN: We still see the those consumer spending and investing. It's younger folks. It's our Gen Z's, our millennials that see Delta and travel as an aspirational brand.

KAYE: When you look at the Iran war, it certainly has sent gas prices higher, jet fuel prices higher, airline tickets higher. Which of your customers would you say are absorbing most of that increase?

BASTIAN: I would say they all are across the board. We expect oil prices to be about $6 billion higher than they were a year ago.

KAYE: Wow.

BASTIAN: And that's a substantial shock to have. We're not meeting any resistance along the way. Consumers understand why prices are up.

KAYE: At some point, do you expect you would see resistance?

BASTIAN: We can see the holidays already. We can see kind of the first part of next year through advanced bookings. There's no slowdown in sight.

KAYE (voice-over): Delta Airlines began as a Georgia crop-dusting operation in 1925. Last year, Delta celebrated its 100th anniversary, the first U.S. airline to do so.

(CHEERING)

BASTIAN: The promise of the next century of flight, to me, is exhilarating.

KAYE (on camera): We're walking under the Spirit of Delta airplane.

BASTIAN: Well, this is the airplane in 1982 that the employees of the company purchased and gave to the company. And three flight attendants took up a call to action to all of their colleagues and raised $35 million. This is the very first 767-200 that we ever flew, which is at the core of our relationship with our people. It means everything to me. Sometimes, I will just come down to the

museum and walk around. I kind of speak to the Spirit, speak to the airplane. What do you think? It just helps me get settled on priorities.

KAYE (voice-over): As Bastian looks ahead to the next century, that includes figuring out where AI fits into Delta's people-first playbook.

BASTIAN: Our people will always be at the heart of whatever AI provides in terms of benefit.

KAYE (on camera): Is there any part of you that's worried that we're moving too fast with AI?

BASTIAN: Yes, of course it does, when you -- when you hear the -- you hear the stories about what the AI inventors say it could do.

KAYE: How will AI change the Delta experience?

BASTIAN: I think it'll make our people smarter, more efficient, be able to get answers to customers sooner, be able to solve tough problems, because our company, 100,000 people, 1,200 airplanes, 5,000 flights every day, it's like a Rubik's Cube trying to always get the perfect answer in response.

KAYE: What about AI in the cockpit?

BASTIAN: There will never be less than two pilots in a Delta cockpit as long as I'm here. And I think that's going to stand true for a very long time. You want to use the technology to make our pilots jobs as easy as possible and as safe as possible.

KAYE (voice-over): Bastian makes a point to stay directly connected to passengers.

(on camera): When I reached out to you for this interview, I was surprised to find that your e-mail is publicly available. I'm guessing you get a tremendous amount of e-mail.

BASTIAN: I get -- I get -- I get a lot. I hear from everybody about everything every day, I mean, literally thousands a day.

KAYE: So you actually respond to some?

BASTIAN: Oh, many, many, many. Many.

KAYE: Do you ever sit in coach?

BASTIAN: I do. I do. I want to make certain I'm seeing the product, I'm seeing all aspects of our business. I know our customers, when they see me back there, they're first puzzled. And they're kind of curious...

KAYE: Exactly.

BASTIAN: ... why I'm back there. But then they actually enjoy that I'm back there.

KAYE: Do they talk to you, your fellow customers?

BASTIAN: Oh, oh, 100 percent. They talk to me wherever I am.

KAYE (voice-over): Ed Bastian is one of the most recognizable CEOs in the country. And he's still writing Delta's next chapter.

BASTIAN: But there's a whole other world waiting for the next generation.

KAYE (on camera): Speaking of future generations, the grandkids.

BASTIAN: Yes.

KAYE: Do they have do Medallion status yet?

BASTIAN: They're building it. I -- my older grandson, Miles, will turn four in December. He's already had like 50 flights. He loves traveling. And I love that.

KAYE: Does Miles understand when the safety video comes on that that's his grandfather?

(LAUGHTER)

BASTIAN: He does. He does. He finds it pretty odd. And he calls me Big Man, and he will have half the plane saying Big Man's quiet -- tells everybody to be quiet. Listen to Big Man.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: And, Wolf, as Ed Bastian looks ahead to Delta's next century, he's excited about new international routes, but he's also excited about their investment. They have invested millions of dollars in Joby Aviation. That's this electric air taxi.

And he's hoping that makes travel to the airports easier. He envisions people getting in the air taxi, landing on the roof of a sky club, going down, hanging out a little bit, and then making their way to their flight, Wolf. So, that is the future, it seems.

BLITZER: Well, it certainly is.

All right, Randi Kaye, excellent interview. Thank you very, very much. Always good to have you with us in THE SITUATION ROOM.

And the next hour of THE SITUATION ROOM starts right now.

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