The Lead with Jake Tapper Aired May 20, 2024 - 17:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [17:00:00] … JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: …still fresh and ongoing. And we've many of you. We have parents of someone being held hostage right now, and we're going to get them home. We're going to get them home. 1,200 innocent people slaughtered in their kibbutz, massacred at a music festival, brutally raped, mutilated, sexually assaulted, hundreds taken hostage and thousands more wounded, carrying the scars and the memory of what they endured. Y'all know someone, directly or indirectly, family, friends, who were stolen from you are in harm's way now. And my commitment to safety of the Jewish people, security of Israel, and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad. It really is. My administration is working around the clock to free their main hostages, just as we have freed hostages already. And hero of the day is Hersh Goldberg-Polin, and still he is not here with us, but he is still being held by Hamas, and Rachel and Jon are here with us. Stand up, guys. Their love, strength and compassion inspire the entire world, and I pledge to both of you and I mean it. And I know you know, mom, what I mean, that I will not rest until we bring your loved one home. We got to bring them home. And folks, let me be clear, I will always ensure that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself against Hamas and all of their enemies, just as I did with Iran's unprecedented attack last month. We stand with Israel to take out Sinwar and the rest of the butchers of Hamas. We want Hamas defeated. We will work with Israel to make that happen. And consistent with Jewish values and compassion, kindness and dignity and human life, my team also is providing critical humanitarian assistance to help innocent Palestinian civilians who are suffering greatly because of the war with Hamas, Hamas is (inaudible). It's heartbreaking. As we do this, we're also committed to bring the region together to work toward a two-state solution to provide security, prosperity and enduring peace for Israel and Palestine. Let me be clear, we reject the ICC's application of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. Whatever these warrants may imply, there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. And it's clear, Israel wants to all do all it can to ensure civilian protection. But, let me be clear, contrary to allegations against Israel made by the International Court of Justice, what's happening is not genocide. We reject that. And we always stand with Israel and the threats against its security. Compounding the pain and a vicious surge of antisemitism around the world here in America as well in our streets, social media, college campuses, it's amazing. It's happening. It's absolutely despicable. It's wrong and it must stop. It must stop. In America, we respect and protect fundamental rights of free speech to protest peacefully. That's America. But, there is no place in any campus in America, any place in America for antisemitism, for hate speech that threatens violence of any kind against Jews or anyone else. Nobody should fear going to synagogue or school or walking on a street wearing a symbol of your faith. That's wrong, simply wrong. And that's why long before October 7, I launched the nation's first national strategy to counter antisemitism. Let's mobilize the full force of the federal government to crack down on antisemitism wherever you find it. We recently secured additional $400 million, the largest increase ever in physical security for nonprofits, including synagogues, Jewish community centers, Jewish schools, Jewish nonprofits. My Department of Education has put colleges on notice that antisemitism is discrimination prohibited under Title Six of the Civil Rights Act. Period. And the department has to investigate discriminatory and aggressively -- discrimination aggressively. *** That's my special envoy to monitor cabinet antisemitism, Deborah. Deborah, you are -- where is -- is Deborah here? [17:45:00] Deborah, *** thank you. Lipstadt for furthering our efforts all around the world. It matters. This matters. The Jewish community want you to know. I see your fear. You're hurting your pain. Let me assure you, as your President, you are not alone. You belong. You always will belong. Let me close with this. In moments like this, we do want to remember that this ancient story of Jewish resilience endures because of its people. That's what today is all about, feeling the joy and pride of community, honoring the beauty of your unshakable faith and celebrated heritage and legacy of Jewish Americans who continue to enrich every single part of our life. So, thank you for what you've done for America and for the whole world to make it a better place. May the Jewish people shine their light and shine the light of the -- on the world for generations to come because we need you badly. God bless you all, and God protect our troops. Thank you for being here. TAPPER: President Biden speaking live at a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House. Let's bring in CNN's is Kayla Tausche at the White House for us. And Kayla, President Biden's remarks pretty timely, given today's actions by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court, which he really criticized. KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Jake. You heard the President forcefully reiterating the idea that there is no equivalence between Hamas and Israel. That was the basis of his statement in response to the news broken by Christiane Amanpour that the ICC would be seeking arrest warrants for top Hamas and Israeli leaders. President Biden calling that decision "outrageous", and also saying, which has been the U.S.'s position, that there is no jurisdiction for the ICC to be pursuing this. I asked NSC Spokesman John Kirby about the position of the U.S. in assisting the ICC to document war crimes in Ukraine versus its position in this situation, and he said the real difference is one of intent, Jake. He said that Putin's stated strategy in Ukraine is to wake up and target civilians and infrastructure there, and that the IDF does not do the same, and that any civilian death toll, while still too high, is inadvertent. Jake. TAPPER: All right. Kayla Tausche at the White House, thanks so much. You heard President Biden mention Israeli American hostage 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin. He is one of five American hostages still being held by Hamas. The four others thought to be alive in Gaza, their names and ages when they are kidnapped by the Hamas terrorists on October 7 include 19-year-old Edan Alexander, 22-year-old Omer Neutra, 35-year-old Sagui Dekel-Chen, and 64-year-old Keith Samuel Siegel. The prosecutor at the ICC, in addition to all the other news he made today, said that all of the hostages need to be released as soon as possible. Coming up, this tense political moment for President Biden as he tries to address Israel's action in Gaza, and the call for an arrest warrant from Prime Minister Netanyahu -- for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We're back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) TAPPER: Our World Lead now. We just heard moments ago, President Biden condemning the call by the International Criminal Court prosecutors for the arrest of Israel's Prime Minister and Defense Minister along with three leaders of Hamas. Let's digest it all with our panel. Ayesha, how is the White House balancing the full support for Israel in this case with threats to withhold U.S. weapons for Israel's campaign in Rafah? He says ironclad support for Israel. AYESHA RASCOE, HOST, NPR'S WEEKEND EDITION SUNDAY": Yeah. Yeah. TAPPER: But, there are supporters of Israel who say, not really. RASCOE: Well, look, I mean, I think -- TAPPER: That's not me. I'm just saying. RASCOE: Yes. But, no. But, I think what you saw on that speech was him trying to do the balance. Well, in that speech, he wasn't really balanced. And he was saying, look, we are standing with Israel, period. What the ICC is doing is horrible. And look, we don't agree with that at all. Obviously, in practice, it's a lot more nuanced because there are concerns about the operation in Rafah and what is happening with civilians, and they are trying to put some pressure on it. Now, he is not going to please those on the left who are going to say he is not doing enough, but those who are very -- supporting Israel are going to say that this is not that they are not doing a full support. So, he, as I have said probably many, many times and will say many more, he is trying to balance. But, this is -- he is not Simone Biles. TAPPER: Yeah. RASCOE: It will be a difficult situation. TAPPER: Karen, the balancing act, not only a problem for Biden, but for Democrats on Capitol Hill, who are ready. The Senate has -- Democrats in the Senate have a very, very rough map, and this is -- none of this conflict makes it easier. KAREN FINNEY, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, & FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR, HILLARY CLINTON CAMPAIGN: No. But, I think what you saw, right, from the reporting, Jake Sullivan was still, it seems in his meeting -- TAPPER: The National Security Advisor. FINNEY: -- the National Security Advisor very firm with regard to concerns about Rafah, the ongoing concerns about what's happening with the innocent Palestinian population, while the President was able to be much tougher and take on the ICC, and you saw Secretary Blinken even undermining the credibility of the investigation by the ICC. So, I suspect you will see Democrats also trying to walk that line, particularly in this moment. Ironically, this comes at a time when Netanyahu himself was facing trouble or pressure from within, even in his own work cabinet. But, obviously, it's like, well, we're saying it is one thing, we're criticizing our guy, but you don't get to criticize -- TAPPER: Right. FINNEY: -- our guy with such an outrageous charge. TAPPER: And Marc, we saw Senator Lindsey Graham and many Republicans really issuing lengthy condemnations of the ICC. This afternoon, Senator Tom Cotton, Republican of Arkansas, going so far, and I don't even know if this is legal, that there would be a ban on ICC prosecutors and their families from ever even entering the United States. [17:55:00] Again, I'm not even -- I don't even know if they can do that. But -- MARC LOTTER, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, AMERICA FIRST POLICY INSTITUTE, & FORMER DIRECTOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, TRUMP 2020 CAMPAIGN: Yeah. I don't think. The ICC is one of those rare nonpartisan. I think both sides have condemned it, and rightfully so. It'd be interesting to see if they know some world leaders, like when the late President of Iran tried to come to speak to the United Nations. There is always that give and take about whether the State Department will let them do that or not. But, I'm not sure how any of that works. They always do. So, it's probably a good bumper sticker slogan. TAPPER: I want to take a minute that we have left in the show to remember Alice Stewart. We had actually planned to have Alice Stewart on the panel today, beloved conservative commentator, but she was taken from us far too early, and suddenly, this weekend, we learned on Saturday. I wanted to take a moment, Karen, because I know you guys were very close. And Marc, I know you -- I believe you'd worked with her, to just talk about your time. I mean, I -- it's just such -- it's just so unimaginable that she is not going to be coming onto the set anymore. FINNEY: Yeah. I have that felt when I walked in actually. I'm sorry. I'm going to cry but -- that we're going to walk in here and she is not going to be here again. And that's just shocking. She was such a beautiful, kind person, who just always had a kind word and was encouraging and just with so much integrity, and I really appreciated being able to have conversations with her even though we didn't always agree. TAPPER: I know you never agreed. FINNEY: We never agreed. TAPPER: But, you guys were -- FINNEY: But, we liked you. TAPPER: Agreed on me. But, you were good friends. FINNEY: Yeah. TAPPER: And Marc, you're on her side. You are conservative. But, I mean, it's just -- LOTTER: She was one of the first people I met when I was doing national politics back in 2016, and she was on the Ted Cruz campaign, I think, at the time. Obviously, we worked together and not knowing that I will -- she'd call me two or three times a week asking me, preparing for your show, usually. Like, what do you think if I say this versus that? And we'd always catch up, and knowing that that call is not coming is -- it's -- I don't know what to say. TAPPER: It's just awful and unfair. She apparently died Friday night and she -- her body was found Saturday morning. She was walking her beloved dog. And if there is any comfort in this, it does seem as of now that it was just a horrible, horrible accident, and The Lead is sending its condolences to the two brothers and the sister and all of the friends and there are so many of us of Alice Stewart. May her memory be a blessing. We will miss you, Alice. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BERAK) TAPPER: Our last lead now is our national lead. The cargo ship Dali which slammed into Baltimore's Key Bridge was escorted by tugboats back to the Baltimore's port. The ship lost power and crashed into the span which collapsed the bridge, killing six construction workers, as you know. Now that the Dali has been removed, officials expect to reopen Baltimore's shipping channel by the end of this month. You can follow me on Facebook, on Instagram, on Threads, X, formerly known as Twitter, on the TikTok, @jaketapper. You can follow the show on X, @TheLeadCNN. If you ever miss an episode of The Lead, you can listen to the show once you get your podcasts. I will be back on air tomorrow morning for more coverage of that wild Trump trial. The news continues on CNN with Wolf Blitzer right next door in a place. I would like to call the situation room. I will see you tomorrow morning. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)