u.s. secretary of state antony blinken speaking moments ago during an unannounced trip to iraq as he continues his high-stakes trip through the middle east as the israel-hamas war intensifies. here is what he had to say. >> we just finished meetings here in bagdad. we started with a briefing for our entire team at the embassy about the security situation. as you know, there have been a series of attacks directed at our personnel, both in iraq as well as in syria. job number one for me is to ensure the security of our people. so i got an update on everything we're doing to make sure our personnel are safe and secure. in addition, i had a good, productive, candid meeting with the prime minister. there were two areas of focus. the first was to reaffirm our commitment to our partnership with iraq. we've made tremendous progress with iraq in recent years, particularly working with the iraqi government on everything from economic reform, to energy independence, helping to strengthen its institution, building respect for human rights. not only the security aspect of the relationship, all these different aspects. we call it 360 degrees, and we're committed to it. we did a -- we had a discussion about that and the progress we've made. at the same time it was very important to send a very clear message to anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in gaza to threaten our personnel, here or anywhere else in the region. don't do it. i made very clear that the attacks, the threats coming from mel lish yeah aligned with iran are totally unacceptable, and we will take every necessary step to protect our people. we're not looking for conflict with iran. we've made that very clear, but we'll do what's necessary to protect our personnel, be they military or civilian. prime minister sudani made very clear his condemnation of attacks against our people, threats to our people. he's determined to do whatever is necessary to make sure that doesn't happen. we had a good -- as i said, candid, important conversation. more broadly, we're working very had to ensure the flikt in gaza does not escalate and spread to other places, whether it's here or elsewhere in the region. this is the very vital and urgent work of american diplomacy. that's what we've been engaged in as well throughout this trip. >> blinken's comments come after he also made an unannounced visit to the west bank earlier today where he met with palestinian president mahmoud abbas. they discussed the israel-hamas war and escalating settler attacks. israel is continuing strikes despite the mounting palestinian casualties. today a spokesperson laid out evidence, israel says, proves hamas is using civilian infrastructure to launch attacks. meantime, new video shows the aftermath from a heavy explosion near a hospital today. the blast left several dead and wounded. cnn's jim sciutto is on the ground in northern israel. j jim, we've seen secretary blinken make numerous stops in the middle east the last few days. what do these meet tipgs say about how delicate the situation is from spiraling and growing from hamas gaza conflict to a u.s. conflict? >> reporter: the secretary of state has multiple goals, it appears. let's begin with iraq. u.s. forces have come under attack multiple times by iranian-backed militias in iraq. similar has happened in syria. you heard the secretary of state there say that the security of those personnel is primary, and he connected with the iraqi prime minister about the security of u.s. forces there, but also very publicly said again what u.s. officials have been saying since the beginning, going back to october 7th, and that is, if regional players, especially iran, intend to expand the conflict, don't, in effect. so a warning there to the backers of those militias in tehran, while at the same time trying to strike a balance because the u.s. is making it clear it does not want a broader war in the region. he said that in as many words, that the u.s. does not want direct conflict with iran, even as he delivered warnings about the safety of u.s. personnel. that appeared to be the primary goal of his visit to iraq. but to israel, then amman and america's top diplomat, expressing support for israel in the wake of the october 7th attacks, endorsing its right to defend itself, to root out hamas in gaza while encouraging restraint to reduce civilian casualties. the sad fact is, when he meets with leaders in the region -- with, for instance, the jo jordanian foreign minister, with mahmoud abbas, the palestinian leader in the west bank, what he hears from them, in effect, this shall not stand. that israeli military operations are showing no respect for or concern for civilian casualties there. that has reached a degree of outrage in this region. it strikes me that the u.s. is finding real difficulty addressing. it's not clear his visit here helped to bridge those gaps. we do know negotiations are continuing. and next blinken will be going to turkey. turkey's president has condemned israel's actions in gaza as crimes against humanity. so what might be the goal for blinken's visit there? >> reporter: the turkish leader has been very forward in his support for the palestinian people in the wake of these attacks. he's led massive rallies, attended by many thousands of people, waving the palestinian flag here. turkey is a u.s. ally, a member of nato, but it's often been a fraught relationship, within the alliance and as it relates to the palestinian people long before the october 7th attacks. this will not be his easiest meeting, secretary blinken's meeting during this trip. it's not clear whether he can make more progress with the turkish leader than he made, for instance, with u.s. allies in amman, jordanian leaders, egyptians, et cetera. it is a tall order for trying to act as an honest mediator here between its ally israel, its other allies in the arab world. that appears to be the message they heard directly from the palestinian leader. palestinians want an honest mediator. they'd like the u.s. to be that, but to date they don't see that. >> we've seen more idf tanks on the move inside gaza today. we've seen more action on israel's border with lebanon. what's happening? >> reporter: well, let's start up here on the border. we've been here for the last couple weeks. there's been a regular back and forth, rockets and artillery fire from southern learn none, much of it fired by hezbollah into northern israel, and israeli strikes back both from air strikes, artillery. today we saw more strikes on the southern lebanese side, allegations that an israeli strike struck civilians there, and reports that a rocket strike from southern lebanon killed an strait of hormuz civilian. it is still a deadly exchange of fire, not open wore fare, but a very dangerous one. the concern is it expands into something bigger. that said, the bulk of israel's military action very much remains in gaza. we're learning today that forces that came in from, in effect, the eastern side of gaza have made it all the way to the sea, to the mediterranean sea. they're coming from the north as well. they largely have gaza city surrounded. the ground offensive continues there, as do the air strikes. as you showed there, fred, leading into me, often time those air strikes claim civilian casualties as well. >> jim sciutto in northern israel, thank you so much. we'll check back with you. i'm joined by retired u.s. army major general james "spider" marks. good to see you, general. first, your reaction to what the secretary of state said in his surprise visit to bagdad, to anyone threatening u.s. personnel in the region, don't do it. i'm quoting him, don't do it. he says the u.s. will take necessary steps to protect u.s. personnel, military or civilian. how impressive is that to speak like that in the region? >> well, you have to mix diplomatic efforts with a legitimate threat of force, the application of force. that's what the united states has done quite clearly. you've got the presence of the carrier strike group in the eastern mediterranean, and the united states has been very, very forceful in terms of its support for what the idf is trying to achieve. it has also -- understand that the secretary of state has an immensely tough mission here. he has to quell the incredible emotions, the outrage on the arab strait in terms of their reality. their reality is that gaza is being destroyed and that the israelis don't care about the humanitarian condition in gaza. clearly what the idf is trying to do is conduct very precise strikes to get after hamas and to destroy, not defeat, but to destroy hamas' ability to ever exist. the challenge is that hamas is holding palestinians hostage. they launch attacks from civilian areas, they wrap themselves in the population. this task that the secretary has taken on is a myth. he has to be able to speak, not only to the israelis and say we are with you 100%, we are with you, we're going to support you, just look over your shoulder here. we've got this carrier strike group. that really is a message to iran as well. but the broader message is to the arab strait, we are trying to exercise and to convince the israelis that humanitarian support is essential. frankly, fred, you can do both. you can provide humanitarian assistance, and you can conduct very aggressive operations against hamas at the same time. >> we also heard from the secretary of state that they do want some sort of humanitarian pause to take place. not necessarily calling it a cease-fire, but instead advocating for a pause to get fuel into gaza, to get civilians out, to get more aid in, aid he says that has been delivered that's good, but it's not sufficient. how influential is the secretary of state by imploring that there needs to be some sort of pause while he's in the region? >> i think it's a legitimate request, but it's not a practical request. the israelis cannot now with forces in gaza expose conducting tactical operations, completely surrounding gaza city all the way, as jim just reported from the east to the west to the sea, coming in from the north as well as coming in from the flanks. they can't stop what they're doing right now unless they were to evacuate and were to withdraw. frankly, that is not going to happen. that's the only way you take a tactical pause. you can squat in place, but you are a target, and hamas will go nuts over those israeli forces that are only there at that point -- if they were to take a pause, they would be in exclusive defensive positions. they haven't been there long enough to dig in and conduct a defensive operation. they're conducting offensive operations. they're on the move, conducting strong points, they're moving operations in toward gaza city to go after hamas, and we've talked about this a thousand times, and it will come up again, is this network of tunnels that must be addressed. they must be neutralized. they've got to get into them. they're going to try to collapse them. there are ways you can do that. the israelis have tremendous forces. you can't pause a tactical operation when you're exposed like that. >> at the same time, if you have hostages that are in the tunnels -- because we heard that from some of those that were released, their recollection of being in the tunnels. therein lies another big risk if you want to win their release and their safety. >> absolutely. look, really there are three elements that idf is really dealing with and israel writ large is dealing with. number one is how do you eradicate hamas, incredibly tall task, very difficult to do. they're going about the business to make that happen. how do you address the humanitarian concern legitimately, practically? how do you work that? how do you create a humanitarian corridor? how do you get supplies in while you're conducting operations against hamas? and then the hostages. i've got to tell you, hamas is not going to release anymore hostages because that's their leverage. they might drips and drab some of them, but over 200 folks they're holding on to. that's the only reason israel isn't being more brutal in their operations right now. they're truly conscious of trying to rescue, relieve the pressure that exists right now. >> general james "spider" marks, always great to see you. thank you so much. >> fred, thank you very much. still to come, fresh polling numbers out of four key battleground states showing former president donald trump holding a lead in a hypothetical match-up with president joe biden. a closer l look atat the numbeb righght after ththe break. welcome back. on the eve of former president donald trump taking the stand in his civil fraud trial and as president biden grapples with numerous issues including the u.s. response to the israel-hamas conflict, russia's war in ukraine and numerous economic issues at home, new polling numbers are giving us a snapshot into a hypothetical trump/biden match-up one year before the 2024 presidential election. a "new york times"/siena college poll shows former president trump holding the edge. we should note with the margin of error factored in, there's no clear winner in a pennsylvania or wis match-up. in nevada, a state biden won in 2020, former president donald trump is beating biden by 11 points. in georgia where trump faces criminal charges for his efforts to overturn the election results, biden is trailing by six points. in arizona which president trump carried in 2016 and lost in 2020, biden is losing by five points. finally, in michigan, trump is leading biden by five points. cnn's priscilla alvarez is traveling with the president and joins us live from rehoboth beach, delaware. priscilla, what is likely behind these numbers? >> reporter: the voters seem to be dissatisfied with the economy. questions remain over the age of president biden and his ability to steer the country in the next four years. what is notable about these poll numbers is these are four king swing states that president biden won in 2020. now he's trailing behind former president donald trump in this hypothetical scenario. in a statement the biden campaign downplayed the poll saying, quote, president biden's campaign is hard at work reaching and mobilizing our diverse winning coalition of voters one year out on the choin between our winning popular agenda and maga republicans' unpopular extremism. we'll win in 2024 by putting our heads down and doing the work, not by fretting about a poll. another point made by the biden campaign is the 2022 midterm elections. before those elections there was polling that showed democrats wouldn't fair as well as they ultimately did. president biden has been fanning out across the country and trying to tout the economy. they have dubbed it bidenomics, he's made multiple stops across the country, so they're still banking on that moving into 2024. >> priscilla alvarez in delaware, thank you so much. cnn's john king has been talking to voters in those battleground states about the issues that matter to them. recently he traveled to milwaukee, wisconsin where tie turnout is key in the state's largest city. as john found out, voter frustration could be a problem for the biden camp. >> reporter: devontae johnson is a foot solder for democracy in one of its most crucial bloundz. >> i'm happy it's a black man out here going door to door. >> reporter: fellow organizer dez woods gets the response far more common. >> i won't talk about the election. >> reporter: woods is trained to keep trying. >> are you a voter? >> when i want to. >> reporter: the primary neighborhoods on milwaukee's north side can look and feel forgotten. canvassers meet often and share what they're hearing, good paying jobs is scarce, rent is up, the streets used to be cleaner and safer. >> you hear people say ain't nothing happen, i won't affect us? raise your hand. >> that's all they be saying, ain't no change. >> wow. >> reporter: block founder angela lang outlines this week's agenda and next november's stakes. >> there's no way to win a statewide election that doesn't run through the black community. what happens in milwaukee can impact the rest of the state which ultimately can impact the rest of the country. no pressure. >> reporter: the president was last here in august for a green energy event. this old industrial site is being cleaned. the ads don't mention one issue critical here. >> people are wondering what is he doing in terms of police accountability and criminal justice reform. >> reporter: lang also says the president better show up more. >> people always want to see people actually paying attention. sometimes that means being able to physically be able to be here and engage. >> reporter: black turnout soared in the baem years, but dropped in 2016 and was flat in 2020. >> on a scale of one to ten, how would you grade the joe biden presidency in terms of its impact on your life and your community? >> a four. and i love joe. >> reporter: evette baker sees a reason for optimism. >> the alternative is the man whose name i try not to say. >> i'll say it. as we sit here today, the likely alternative is donald trump. >> right. >> would that be enough to motivate people even if they're a little eh on biden? >> i think so. >> reporter: joanna brooks owns a yoga studio across the milwaukee line in glendale. like many we met in the city, she says black voters get taken for granted. >> black voters tend to be pretty loyal to the democratic party. sometimes i wonder, just based on how that party has performed thus far for people of color if we should continue to be. >> reporter: brook says that accountability exercise must wait until after 2024 because of constant republican attacks on abortion rights and voting rights. >> i grew up almost certain that my rights were guaranteed. i took it for granted. now as i sit and watch the work of so many black folks during the civil rights movement, so many women who fought for women's rights, when i see all of their work slowly being undone, that was a wake-up call for me for sure. you have to fight. >> reporter: eric jones is no trump fan, but he thinks it's foolish to bet on trump motivating black turnout. >> i get people say they're not going to vote. that's my fear. that they see those two and they're going to say, screw it, we're damned anyway. >> reporter: we met jones at the fifth anniversary of the brownsville collective. several local artists sell their goods here. a source of hope in a community often defined by poverty and a high incarceration rate. >> when the factories and manufacturing left, the jobs left. when the jobs leave, you have certain things that are domino effects. >> reporter: jones says the president should stop by and learn a lesson. >> you bring opportunities, you bring jobs, you get votes. plain and simple. >> reporter: for the president it is the mood a year from now that matters most, but the mood today is bleak. >> if you're joe biden and you want to be re-elected, he'd have a problem today, right? >> yes, he would. he'd have a big problem. >> johnson's work could well help the president. >> if it were just biden and trump, who would you vote for? >> that's a tough one. >> reporter: a young man who says the country needs big change, determined to boost milwaukee's black turnout, yet not sure who gets his vote. >> john king, thank you so much for that. straight ahead, former president donald trump set to take the stand for a high-stakes testimony that could help decide the fate of his business empire in new york. what to expect from his testimony next. c'mon, we're right there. c'mon baby. it's the only we need. go, go, go, go! ah! touchdown baby! -touchdown! are your neighbors watching the same game? yeah, my 5g home internet delays the game a bit. but you get used to it. try these. they're noise cancelling earmuffs. i stole them from an airport. it's