The Lead ired June 10, 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] JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to "The Lead." I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, the dramatic new video of the rescue mission to save four Israeli hostages over the weekend, showing the very moment the three men and a woman were found alive. Ahead, this brief moment of unity for those leading the charge and how it has quickly turned into political upheaval for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu as he tries to keep his government intact. Plus, a race to watch in Nikki Haley's backyard, South Carolina's Congressional District 1. Donald Trump lost his primary race in that area, and now he's endorsing a woman challenging -- no, now he's endorsing Congresswoman Nancy Mace, but she is being challenged. Is Donald Trump's endorsement in Nikki Haley's backyard hurt or help? I'll ask her. She'll be here on "The Lead," the challenger. We start this hour with the breaking news. The jury in Hunter Biden's federal gun trial is done for the day after deliberating for about an hour. CNN's Evan Perez is outside the courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware. Evan, how effective do you think the prosecutors and the defense were in their various closing arguments today? EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, one indication of how effective things are going, Jake, was the fact that during Abbe Lowell's nearly 90-minute closing argument, we saw at least a couple of jurors seem to nod off. He had a very lengthy series of displays on the screen that he was trying to draw their attention to, saying that all of those showed reasonable doubt. He said that because prosecutors had not been able to prove that there was someone named Mookie. Remember, there was a text message where Hunter Biden talked about meeting a drug dealer named Mookie. Because nobody named Mookie has been produced to the court, he was suggesting there's no indication that person exists. And so that's what Abbe Lowell was trying to do today, was to try to draw some doubt for the jury that because there is no direct evidence from any of the witnesses, the 13 witnesses that we've had in this case over the past week, there's no direct evidence showing that Hunter Biden was using crack cocaine in October of 2018 when he bought this firearm, that because of that, there's reasonable doubt to convict on these three charges. Of course, prosecutors rebutted that. They said that Hunter Biden knew what he was doing when he went to buy that firearm in October of 2018. They say that there's a lot of evidence to show that he was using drugs beginning in 2015 to 2019. They, of course, pointed to the hour of his audiobook that they played for the jury. They also said that it was preposterous for the defense to be arguing that Hunter Biden, a Yale-educated lawyer, didn't understand what he was signing when he filled out the ATF form 4473 that said he was not a drug addict and was eligible to buy that firearm. He also said -- the prosecutor said, choices have consequences. He says someone who holds a crack pipe to his mouth every 15 minutes knows that he is a drug addict. Again, that's some very tough words that you could see landed very roughly with members of the Biden family that filled three rows in the courtroom. You saw them nod their head, shaking their head as the prosecutor, Derek Hines, was finishing his closing joke (sp). TAPPER: All right, Evan Perez in Wilmington, Delaware. Thanks so much. Let's bring in our political panel to weigh in on this and more. Alencia, let me start with you. First of all, this is the first time in American history that the son, the adult child of a sitting president has been tried. What do you think the impact politically will be on this for President Biden? ALENCIA JOHNSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yeah, look, I think there are people who are looking at this with a little bit of potential concern, right? Maybe not enough concern to not vote for President Biden, but they're paying attention to it. I do think there is a stark contrast between how this trial is going and the Bidens participating, as well as the contrast of what's happening on the other side with Donald Trump. And then I think the American people also understand that a lot of Republicans are trying to get after President Biden through his son. And President Biden has kept his hands off of this process so far. [17:05:00] TAPPER: And what do you make of that? Because it is obviously true. I mean, whether or not you believe it, President Biden has said he will not pardon Hunter, even if he is convicted. That is quite a contrast with former President Trump. BRYAN LANZA, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TRUMP-PENCE CAMPAIGN: Yeah, listen, I think, first of all, thanks for having me, Jake. I think this is where I differentiate from President Trump and sort of my party on this. Like, you know, I don't know why this has gone forward. I would not have a problem if Joe Biden pardoned Hunter Biden in this situation. We just don't charge, you know, drug addicts and we don't pursue drug addicts in this particular way. I certainly see the politics behind it. You have somebody who has violated law, state, federal, probably any law you can imagine. He's probably a gross human being at this point. But we do treat drug addicts a different way. And this is something that at least I deviate from President Trump. But, you know, we are where we are. I'm sure it's going to be difficult and he has to be held accountable. But we should be clear. Had this been anybody else, Hunter Biden would have been brought up. Just like in the New York case. Had President Trump and anybody else, that prosecution would have brought up. We've now weaponized our courts with blue and with red and that's a dangerous thing. And Hunter is a consequence of weaponizing the courts. And I just think that sends a sad message to people who are recovering from drug addiction. TAPPER: So let's move forward to the question about Donald Trump, because today he appeared in a brief recorded remarks before the Danbury Institute's Life and Liberty Forum. It's a Christian group. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: These are difficult times for our nation and your work is so important. We can't afford to have anyone sit on the sidelines. Now is the time for us to all pull together and to stand up for our values and for our freedoms. We have to defend religious liberty, free speech, innocent life and the heritage and tradition that built America into the greatest nation in the history of the world. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: So, the former president never mentioned abortion in his remarks, but the group's website does say, quote, "Abortion must be ended. We will not rest until it is eradicated entirely," unquote. Kristen Holmes, what is the Trump campaign saying about the decision to have him speak, to have it be recorded remarks, to have him not mention what is a priority for this group, the complete eradication of abortion? KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I thought it was hilarious that they built this as remarks at all. I mean, it's two minutes long. It was pre-taped and he never mentioned the word abortion. But as we know, Donald Trump doesn't really want to talk about abortion. There are two things that he wants to do. One is to take credit for it and then to just have the issue go away and not be something that he has to deal with politically. We know that Donald Trump has time after time sought to say that he is the reason that Roe v. Wade was overturned. No one else could get it done. Only Donald Trump. But then also steered clear of any conversations around abortion, which I actually think will be very interesting when he is on a debate stage with Joe Biden, because it is one thing that the campaign knows they are concerned about. It is an issue, women's reproductive rights, that people don't view as popular. So it's not surprising to me that that's happening. TAPPER: And it is a big issue that the Democrats are trying to hit home. Earlier today, Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in on Trump's short list of potential running mates, vice presidents. Here is what she said to "Politico" specifically on the issue of abortion, quote, "Everyone on that list has supported a Trump abortion ban in their state or has called for a national ban. In fact, many voted this week in the Senate against the right to contraception. That's how far down the road they are." Alencia and then Brian, weigh in. What do you think? JOHNSON: I mean, look, we are just calling it for what it is. Donald Trump, to what Kristen said, he was bragging about the fact that he appointed the justices that overturned Roe v. Wade. And the party is showing their true colors going after contraception, going after IVF, going after all of these reproductive health care needs that all women have in this country. And so it is a winning issue for Democrats. It's an issue morally that people understand that this is a personal issue. It's also politically a winning issue for us. We've seen it in 2022. We've seen it in 2023. Whether or not the polls say it, we know on Election Day, people are turning out around that issue. And it's moving the needle in red states, which is why you see Donald Trump talking out of both sides of his mouth, trying to appeal to Republicans, knowing that I've got to get you on the side of believing that I'm pro-life while also understanding that it is a losing issue for Republicans. LANZA: Listen, I would say, you know, the Republican Party is pro- life. That shouldn't shock anybody that's been pro-life for nearly 40 years. When President Trump ran in 2016, he actually released judges that would overturn Roe v. Wade and still got elected. TAPPER: Yeah. A list of potential Supreme Court -- LANZA: So, yeah. The public's already chosen. The public knows where President Trump is on the issue, and they actually support him on the issue. They elected him knowing full well that he was going to overturn Roe v. Wade. I think the challenge for the Republican Party in the long term is going to be, is how do they define an acceptable term for abortion? You know, the six-week debate is going to devastate Republicans in Florida. It's going to devastate Republicans in other places. Is it 15 weeks? Is it 20 weeks? Twenty-two weeks is far. But I think, you know, President Trump is very comfortable letting the states define what weeks matters. And there's going to be a huge debate within the Republican Party, and there is today -- JOHNSON: But they're not letting the states define if they're talking about this issue in Congress. [17:10:01] If he gets to office, they will pass a national abortion ban. It is going to happen, and it's not going to be state rights. LANZA: That's a cute soundbite, but we've learned that Congress -- JOHNSON: No, that's a cute sound bite. It's real. LANZA: -- over the years, when President Trump has empowered the Republican leaders listen. JOHNSON: And why wouldn't they codify access to contraception -- LANZA: And then we have -- and what we have learned is when he has said, listen, I want this to happen, and Congress is going to do that. We'll see what happens when President Trump gets to Congress. JOHNSON: We know what he says. LANZA: But we know what his position is -- TAPPER: All right, to be continued. I'm sure we'll keep talking about this issue. It's one that's certainly on the political menu. Thanks to everyone here. There are protests outside the White House all the time. There was a new moment of vitriol this weekend and ugliness when crowds showed up to demonstrate not just against Israel's war in Gaza, but much worse. You'll see and hear what happens. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) TAPPER: In our "World Lead" just moments ago, the United Nations Security Council passed a United States proposal for a quote, "permanent end to hostilities in Gaza." The resolution calls for an end to the fighting, the withdrawal of the Israeli military, the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners. [17:15:19] This vote comes as we are learning more details about the Israeli operation that rescued four hostages held by Hamas in a population center in Gaza and left many Palestinians dead, civilians, on Saturday. CNN's Oren Liebermann looks at the timeline of the raid and brings us newly obtained footage showing the moment of the rescue. A warning, some of these images you're about to see from a war are quite graphic. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The missiles hit at midday, a daring operation meant to maximize the element of surprise, turning a refugee camp into a battlefield. After weeks of preparation, Israeli forces moved into Nuseirat in central Gaza on Saturday, aiming for apartment buildings in this area. The goal, to rescue four hostages that Hamas held in this densely populated neighborhood. One witness says some Israeli special forces were disguised as Hamas militants or displaced Palestinians. The IDF declined to comment. In this newly released video, you see the moment Israeli forces approach a building and then burst into the apartment with the hostages. UNKNOWN (through translation): Go in, go in. One is with me. UNKNOWN (through translation): Hebrew, Hebrew, where is everyone? UNKNOWN (through translation): Here they are. UNKNOWN (through translation): Name? Name? UNKNOWN (through translation): Almog, Almog. UNKNOWN (through translation): Andrey, Andrey. UNKNOWN (through translation): Three hostages. Three hostages. Everything is fine. We came to rescue you, be calm. Good? UNKNOWN (through translation): Good. LIEBERMANN (voice-over): For Israel, the operation was a success, punctuated by the reunions eight months in the making. Families never gave up hope. ORIT MEIR, MOTHER OF RELEASED HOSTAGE ALMOG MEIR: Yesterday was my birthday and my wish came true. I haven't stopped smiling since my Almog was returned to me. LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Noa Argamani was also rescued, one of the most well-known hostages. Video from October 7 showed her pleading for help as kidnappers drove her into Gaza. Israelis rejoiced at news of the hostage rescue, but unity was short-lived. Hours later, anti- government protesters took to the streets, demanding a ceasefire and a hostage deal. On Sunday, War Cabinet member Benny Gantz resigned. He accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of slow-walking the war for his political gain. The head of the Israeli military's Gaza division also stepped down, saying he failed to protect his country from Hamas' attack on October 7. In Gaza, the Israeli operation came at a staggering cost. Witnesses say the Nuseirat refugee camp became hell on earth. KHALIL AL TIRAWI, NUSEIRAT RESIDENT (through translation): I am 60 years old and I have never experienced anything like this before. It is beyond imagination, a barrage of heavy gunfire, artillery, missiles, rockets. It was something unimaginable to the human mind. LIEBERMANN (voice-over): Inside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, this graphic video shows Palestinians bearing the horrific wounds of heavy bombardment. The hospital filled so fast, patients, including women and children, were treated wherever there was space. Many weren't so lucky. Scores were killed in the Israeli operation, marking one of the deadliest days in Gaza in months. (END VIDEOTAPE) LIEBERMANN (on camera): The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza says 274 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation. They don't differentiate between civilians and fighters. They also say hundreds were wounded. Israel disputes that number, saying there were less than 100 casualties. CNN can't verify either of those numbers. Either way, it underscores the deadly nature of the raid itself. And in the middle of all this, Jake, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is making a whirlwind trip through the Middle East, trying to make some sort of progress on a hostage deal, a ceasefire. Even with that U.N. Security Council resolution that was adopted that, at least in principle, Hamas praised, that seems a very tall order right now, Jake. TAPPER: All right, Oren Liebermann in Tel Aviv, thanks so much. Here in the United States, thousands protested outside the White House this weekend, demonstrating against the war in Gaza. (VIDEO PLAYING) Anti-Israel protesters chanting there, from the river to the sea. Some say that that is just a call for freedom. Others say it's a call to wipe out the state of Israel. [17:20:00] Several statues in Lafayette Park were vandalized. You see that right there, Glory to the Resistance, it says. That's being written on a statue of General Rochambeau. The resistance, of course, is what Hamas considers itself to be. Resistance. And then there was this moment. (VIDEO PLAYING) TAPPER: Kill a thousand Zionists now, and a call for jihad and martyrdom. They were chanting for Hezbollah, which the United States and Israel both consider to be a terrorist group. Zionism is, of course, those who believe in the right of Jews to have a homeland. The White House responded to some of the rhetoric that happened across the street this afternoon, saying, quote, "President Biden has been clear that every American has the right to peacefully express their views. But he has also always stressed that violence, attacking law enforcement, anti-Semitism, advocating for the murder of Jews, any other violent rhetoric, vandalism, or endorsing terrorist organizations like Hamas are all repugnant, dangerous, and against everything we stand for as a country. Joining us now, Frank Foer, staff writer of "The Atlantic." Frank, what goes through your mind when you see these scenes outside the White House? Is there much of a difference between killing Zionists and Jews will not replace us, which is what we heard in Charlottesville? FRANKLIN FOER, STAFF WRITER, THE ATLANTIC: It's all over the piece. I mean, there's a rhetoric of elimination of Jews, of hatred of Jews that vilifies Jews and that use them as dehumanized. And we have to remember, there are two different visions of Palestinian politics. There's a vision embedded in the Palestinian Authority that has committed itself to peaceful coexistence with the Jewish people in one land. And then there's Hamas, which relies on the protocols of Elder of Zion in its manifesto. That in its original charter called for the genocide of Jews, and that has practiced terrorism throughout its history. And in fact, has destroyed every moment where the Palestinians have been close to making a permanent peaceful solution with the Jews in Israel. TAPPER: So I think the park Police said that there were no arrests over the weekend, even though there was vandalism and calls for quote, unquote "resistance," which again, this is not Satyagraha and Mahatma Gandhi. This is not peaceful resistance. This is terrorism. This is Hamas -- FOER: Murderous. Murderous -- TAPPER: Yeah. I mean, they're advocating for Hamas and Hezbollah. That's what they're doing. No arrests. FOER: Yeah. I mean, a bit astonishing to see. I mean, they're defacing the park that is America's park in front of the White House. Hard to imagine how that's not somehow criminal. TAPPER: Some of the response from the progressive left has been interesting. Here's this post on Twitter from author and podcaster post, Crystal Ball. She's a progressive reacting to Saturday's IDF mission to rescue the four hostages. She wrote, "If Hamas committed a bloody massacre of Israelis to rescue four Palestinians, it would be universally condemned. But Palestinian lives are considered so worthless by U.S. officials that they believe this bloodbath is not only acceptable, but worthy of celebration." So that's an interesting construct of that sentence. If Hamas committed a bloody massacre of Israelis. FOER: Yeah. It's hard. I struggle to imagine that Hamas would be capable of it. No. The way in which the left then writes October 7th entirely out of its narrative. There are lots of justifiable criticisms that one could make of Israel and the way that they've conducted this war. TAPPER: Including this mission. Including the rescue mission. FOER: Yeah. Of course. Of course. And Israel should be criticized. But the framework that the groups use to criticize Israel matters. Because you know who's listening to these protests in the United States? Sinwar. Sitting in the tunnels beneath Gaza. I talk to intelligence officials from around the world and they say he's paying attention to these protests. And when he sees that he's achieving this support, this mainstream support in the United States when he's being romanticized by these protesters, his instinct is to continue fighting because he sees that he's winning. TAPPER: Yeah. And their definition of winning is different from what an American definition would be. Sinwar and the Hamas leadership have stated that they don't care how many Palestinians are killed. They consider them to be martyrs. FOER: Right. That's exactly right. That he's considered this war a giant martyrdom mission. He's done nothing to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. In fact, he hides hostages in densely populated places where he knows that if the Israelis are going to come to rescue them, there will be a tremendous unacceptable human cost to doing that. That is his very strategy. That's the thing that these protesters are romanticizing and celebrating. TAPPER: All right, Franklin Foer from "The Atlantic." Thanks so much. Always good to have you on. It can be one of the toughest moments a family can face how new laws in Texas made it even harder for one family to endure. Stay right with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) …