The Lead with Jake Tapper Aired July 09, 2024 - 17:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:00:18] JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, a House Republican bucking his party and calling for more support for Ukraine from the U.S. as his colleagues urged the U.S. to scale back. That congressman will join us after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who's now here in D.C. Plus, we're also going to monitor the remarks this hour from Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event in Las Vegas. Will she say more to try to defend President Biden and insists that he should stay in the 2024 race, resisting calls for him to step aside? And leading this hour, just moments ago, a seventh House Democrat called on President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey said in a statement, quote, "Because I know President Biden cares deeply about the future of our country. I am asking that he declare that he won't run for reelection and will help lead us through a process toward a new nominee," unquote. Her statement coming as Biden gets ready for a new high stakes moment this hour when all eyes are on him as he speaks on the opening day of the NATO summit here in Washington, D.C. CNN's Kayla Tausche is live outside the White House. Kayla, NATO summit remarks by the President, always a big deal. We do expect, of course, he'll be reading from a teleprompter, which is completely standard to steal a phrase from Biden, though, at this particular moment for him politically and for NATO and for Ukraine, these remarks are a big effing deal in Biden's view. He's trying to hold on to a lot of different threads here. KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They are a big deal, Jake, especially because this is the first time that the public is going to see President Biden since he began that 36 hours sprint to try to shore up support from all corners of his party, including House Democrats, donors, media, Democratic mayors, who he's set to speak with tonight, as well as the congressional Black Caucus, which he spoke with last night. This all out full court press by President Biden is an effort to try to bolster his candidacy for reelection. But even so, many prominent members of his own party are still saying they need to see more. Take Senator Mark Warner, Senator Patty Murray, who have each said that while they appreciate what Biden has done in the four years of his term so far, that they need more evidence to prove that Biden has the physical and mental fitness to continue for four more years and to deliver a victory in November. So Biden has a lot to deliver on in this speech, not only on the world stage with all of these world leaders present, dozens of them commemorating the 75th anniversary of NATO in the same place where former President Clinton honored the 50th anniversary and where the North Atlantic treaty was first signed in 1949. But President Biden has a fractured backdrop here at home where he really needs to reassure members of his own party. Top Democrats have told CNN that this is the week that if Democrats are going to replace Biden on the ticket, it needs to happen soon. And if not, they need to get in line lest they risk irreparably damaging their candidate to a point from which he can't recover going into the fall and the home stretch of the election. We've since learned, Jake, from sources that Biden is set to announce new air defenses for Ukraine and to talk about his leadership expanding and bolstering NATO over the last three years and how important NATO is a bulwark for global geopolitical stability. So certainly common things that we've heard from the president before, but there could not be higher stakes for this particular speech tonight. TAPPER: Kayla Tausche, thanks so much. At the top of the NATO summit agenda, locking in long term military support for Ukraine. A senior NATO official today is warning that Russia will likely carry out more large scale attacks on Ukraine during this summit. This is the death toll from yesterday's attacks across Ukraine rises to 43. One of the places targeted, as we covered, Ukraine's largest children's hospital. CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Kyiv. And, Fred, you were at the site of this hospital attack today. Tell us what you saw and how this is casting a shadow over this NATO summit. FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: What was massive destruction that we saw at the site of that missile strike on that hospital, essentially one of the main buildings of that hospital was completely flattened. And one of the things that we have to point out, Jake, is that this is not just the largest children's hospital in all of Ukraine. It's actually also one of the largest children's hospitals in all of Europe. And so, one of the buildings there completely flattened. We saw a cleanup operation. The search and rescue operation had already ended at that point. But the other thing that we also saw, Jake, on the ground there was a lot of doctors and other staff who were absolutely traumatized by what happened. I spoke to one doctor who said she was in an adjacent building. She felt the explosion immediately ran out and saw part of the building flattened. And of course, one of the things that they were thinking right away is whether or not the colleagues that they have and the patients, of course, who were all children, whether or not they had managed to get out of that building before the missile struck. [17:05:09] One of the things that the Ukrainians have been saying, Jake, is that it's almost a miracle that only two people were killed on site there. Dozens, of course, also injured. That's because the building was actually evacuated when a missile alert was in effect. And all of us, of course, casting a big shadow on Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his presence at the NATO summit. One of the things that Zelenskyy, of course, has been talking about a lot is that Ukraine says it needs more air defense systems, specifically the longer range U.S. made Patriot air defense systems. The Ukrainians say those are the only ones that can intercept a lot of the more sophisticated Russian missiles that are being fired at Ukrainian cities, at Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, like, for instance, that hospital. Of course, the Russians continue to say that they believe that it was a Ukrainian interceptor that hit that building, the Ukrainians absolutely having none of that. They are saying it was a deliberate strike on Ukraine's health care system and on Ukraine's children, Jake. TAPPER: All right. Fred Pleitgen in Kyiv, Ukraine, thank you so much. Turning back to our 2024 lead, we are awaiting remarks from President Biden welcoming NATO leaders to the NATO summit here in Washington, D.C. We will bring you those remarks live as they happen. Later this evening, after his speech to NATO leaders, President Biden plans to address the Democratic Mayors Association. It won't be in person, rather a virtual appearance via Zoom. Joining us now, one of those mayors, Richmond, Virginia Mayor Levar Stoney. He's also a member of the Biden-Harris campaign National Advisory board. Mayor -- Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for joining us. What do you want to see and hear from the president tonight? Obviously, a lot of Democratic officials are very worried about him at the top of the ticket. MAYOR LEVAR STONEY, (D) RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: Well, Jake, what I'm looking forward to hear from the president is how we go about winning over the course of the next 100 plus days. That's what I hear from every mayor. Every mayor is ready to get on the campaign to start winning and defeating Donald Trump. Now, I think sometimes we forget that's the number one goal in this. We're going to encourage the president to continue and to ensure that we have a campaign prepared to run over 100 plus days that will win the hearts and minds of people all across the country and ensure that everyone gets a fair shot. And so, I'm looking forward to encouraging the president to continue to move forward and ensure that we bring home the victory and win the White House again. TAPPER: Do you think that he would be a stronger candidate than Vice President Harris? STONEY: Well, you know, I saw President Biden win in 2020. I was on the ballot with President Trump in 2016. And I can tell you this, the two different administrations, the four years of Donald Trump versus the four years of Joe Biden, are vastly different. We have the most accomplished president in my lifetime, and I believe that he definitely gives us the best opportunity to win the White House once again. And so, I'm going to encourage him to stick to it, put his head down and focus on the hard work and ignore all the noise. Ever since the debate that occurred that we all saw, which he even admitted had a bad night, we need to start focusing on how we go about defeating Donald Trump once again to keep the lawlessness and the chaos out of the White House. TAPPER: So when you say he's the best candidate, I assume you're saying that he is stronger, he would be a stronger nominee than Vice President Harris or anyone else. That's what you mean. STONEY: I have all the respect in the world for Vice President Harris. But you've even heard from the vice president herself, said that President Biden is the best person for the job. She's sticking with the president, and I am as well. TAPPER: What did you hear from your constituents after the debate? Because I've been talking to a lot of Democratic officials all over the country, and they say a lot of their constituents are Democrats in particular, I'm talking, are very, very worried, don't know what's going on. One Democrat told me that constituents talking to him during a fourth of July parade were saying, save us. Do something. What are you hearing? STONEY: Well, you know, I have not heard that from my constituents. Obviously, we all saw the debate. You know, President Biden even admitted he thought he had a bad night. But also, I believe -- I know that President Biden offers the best opportunity to win. We've seen the fundraising out of the president's campaign. We've seen his record as well. We know he just has to focus on winning the hearts and minds over and over again. Let me tell you this real quick, Jake, I believe that one bad night doesn't compare to four years of bad days under the Trump administration. When President Trump was faced with a challenge of combating COVID-19 you saw full on failure and mismanagement. We lost over a half million people and 2.7 million jobs while under his watch. That's why I'm rocking my man, Joe Biden. TAPPER: So polling indicates that with Biden on top of the ticket, Virginia is going to be potentially competitive for the first time in years. Doesn't that worry you? [17:10:07] STONEY: Well, it doesn't worry me, because Virginia were always competitive. And I did know -- TAPPER: He won by 10 points last time. STONEY: -- we can't take anything for granted. Well, you know, I'm a Virginian who's not here just on the presidential years. I'm here on the off years as well. And I know that we can be sometimes fickle. So we have to focus our resources and invest in the state in which President Biden has done. And we would love for him to show up here. But here's the thing, I still believe, I know, I know in my heart that he's still the best candidate to win this election in a matter of 100 plus days. We don't have a lot of time to continue the naval gazing. We have to focus on the victory. This is how we keep lawlessness and chaos out of the White House. And so, you know, there's been eight polls, I think national polls out there that show that this race remains unchanged from where it was before the debate. And so, we are exactly where were. We need to focus on winning those who are in the middle, who are unsure who they're going to pick, this is a binary competition. It's between Donald Trump and chaos versus Joe Biden and stability. I'm going with stability all the time. TAPPER: Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond, Virginia, thanks so much. Appreciate your time, sir. The cameras are set for President Biden to speak at the NATO summit. We're going to bring you that. We're also going to monitor Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign event in Las Vegas in the battleground state of Nevada. That should start soon as well. Also ahead, a brand new warning from the U.S. director of national intelligence about Iran just as that country ushers in a new president. We're back with that story next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:15:26] TAPPER: We're back, and we're waiting for President Biden to deliver his opening remarks at the NATO summit here in Washington, D.C. He will make this speech under more of a microscope than normal, given, of course, questions about his health and cognitive abilities. And there is the president right there in the middle. Of course, he is refusing to bow out of the 2024 race despite that baffling debate performance and calls for him to step down from numerous elected officials, although many more are staying silent about it. We're going to bring you his speech as soon as it commences. But in the meantime, let us turn to our world lead, a different consequential election. Over the weekend, Masoud Pezeshkian was announced the winner of the runoff to become the new president of Iran, replacing the late president Ebrahim Raisi, who you might recall, died in a helicopter crash in May. Pezeshkian is a 69-year-old heart surgeon and lawmaker who is trying to cast himself as less of a hard liner than his two rivals. When his victory was announced over the weekend, he promised to be a voice for the voiceless. So, of course, the big question are things really going to change in Iran at all? With us now to break it all down, Karim Sadjadpour, is a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment. Thanks so much for joining us. You're in Sun Valley, Idaho, for a conference. You say despite Pezeshkian's trying to -- his attempt to depict himself as a moderate, we really should not expect any change from the Iranian regime. And we should also note just today the Director of National Intelligence, Avril Haines, issued a warning that Iran is trying to stoke protests in the U.S. related to the conflict in Gaza. Iranian people posing as activists online, in some cases even providing financial support to protesters here in the U.S. Does that fit with what you're seeing and what you expect from this new president? KARIM SADJADPOUR, SENIOR FELLOW, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT: Absolutely, Jake. From the 1979 revolution to the present, Iran has essentially had two pillars of its ideology, its death to America and death to Israel. And there have been perhaps eight, nine different Iranian presidents from 1979 to the present, but none of them have really meaningfully impacted Iran's external conduct, its revolutionary ideology, its internal conduct. So Pezeshkian, in my view, is not going to prove to be a very consequential figure in Iran. The supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, will remain Iran's most powerful official. TAPPER: Tell us more about how he won and beat these two other candidates who are supposedly more hardline to win the presidency. SADJADPOUR: So Iran democracy, obviously, it's one of the most brutal authoritarian governments in the world, but it has pretensions of being a representative democracy, and they carry out these highly vetted, closed elections. So essentially, six different regime loyalists, all men, only men were allowed to run, Pezeshkian was the most moderate of those six. In the first round, there wasn't much popular enthusiasm. Sixty percent of Iranians didn't show up. In the second round, Pezeshkian was running against the guy called Saeed Jalili, who was probably the most hardline figure, most hardline politician in Iran. So, you know, as I wrote in my "Washington Post" piece, voters in Iran basically had a choice between a person like Pezeshkian who wasn't really going to be able to make their lives that much better, versus a hardliner who could potentially make their lives that much worse, because the risk of conflict with the United States, more economic sanctions, would have been higher at a hard liner one. So, that was a choice between two evils. And the Iranians chose the moderate regime loyalists rather than the hardline regime loyalist. TAPPER: Do ordinary Iranians, especially women who suffer from gender apartheid in Iran, do they have anything to possibly look forward to from this new president? SADJADPOUR: I think that people don't have great expectations. The hope is that maybe the morality police will perhaps harass women a little bit less. But I think that Iranians have now been living under this supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, since 1989. And so they're not ignorant. I think everyone is just waiting to see what happens when Ayatollah Khomeini is now 85 years old when he dies. [17:20:06] But I think there's very little expectations that this new president is going to meaningfully improve people's lives or transform people's lives. TAPPER: All right. Karim Sadjadpour, thank you so much for your insights. Really appreciate it. President Biden is about to speak at the NATO summit here in D.C. Vice President Harris about to deliver remarks at a campaign event in Las Vegas in battleground state Nevada. We're going to keep a close watch on both speeches. Also ahead, a House Republican going against the norm in his party, calling for more aid to Ukraine. He'll join us ahead. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) TAPPER: We are back with our world lead as President Biden, at any moment is expected to deliver the opening remarks at the NATO summit. He's not just addressing his audience of world leaders in the room, of course, he's going to be closely watched by everyone around the world, especially voters, perhaps especially who saw that baffling debate performance and now have concerns about his ability to lead the United States, much less the top of the ticket. [17:25:11] While we're waiting on President Biden's opening remarks at the summit, his vice president, Kamala Harris is hitting the campaign trail. She's in battleground Nevada. CNN's Eva McKend is in Vegas. Eva, what is the vice president focusing on there in Las Vegas to cheers, as we hear? And will she likely make any concerns of any of the -- will she likely make any mention of the growing concerns about Joe Biden, President Biden? EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: You know, Jake, she likely won't address it. They are desperately trying to put the debate and the ensuing fallout behind them. She is here in Nevada to mobilize and energize Asian-American voters. That is such a key part of the coalition here in this state. She's also really going to make the case for the threat of Donald Trump. She is expected to say that if former Trump -- President Donald Trump is reelected, he would turn American democracy into a dictatorship and be empowered by the Supreme Court to do so. She's also expected to talk about Project 2025. That is the conservative policy proposal that she would argue would cut Social Security, repeal the $35 cap on insulin. She's talking about it right now. And eliminate the Department of Education. She's no stranger to the state of Nevada. She has visited this state six times. TAPPER: Eva, I'm sorry, I'm going to interrupt. I'm told that we should listen in to the vice president. KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- than ever before in our history. Donald Trump said he was going to stand up to big pharma and lower the cost of prescription drugs. Instead, he bowed down. On the other hand, we took on big pharma and with the knowledge that, for example, South Asians are twice as likely to have diabetes, we capped the cost of insulin for seniors at $35 a month. We are finally making it so that medical debt cannot be used against your credit score. Knowing how many of our relatives have had a medical emergency, something they did not invite or plan, racking up then tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical bills and debt, and that being used against your credit score is just wrong. The credit score is supposed to be a measure of whether you are financially responsible. And so when we do the work that we have done, and, you know, Joe, we do it based on what we believe is morally right when you see the people and understand the struggles and the need for all people to have dignity. So what we've done with medical debt now, not allowing our own credit score, that means it can no longer be used to deny someone a car loan or a lease on an apartment or a home loan. Think about what that means. Then there's the issue of student loan debt. When he was in the White House, Donald Trump tried to end student loan forgiveness for our public servants, including teachers, nurses, firefighters. On the other hand, we have forgiven student loan debt for nearly 5 million Americans and twice as much for our public servants. We have also fought to protect our communities from hate and violence, including bypassing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which made it easier for AANHPI communities to report acts of hate. On the other hand, the former president consistently incites hate, including toward the AANHPI community. I will not repeat his words, I will not repeat his words because they should never be repeated, but I will say that someone who vilifies immigrants, who promotes xenophobia, someone who stokes hate, should never again have the chance to stand behind a microphone and the seal of the president of the United States. TAPPER: All right, that was Vice President Harris delivering remarks to Democrats in Las Vegas, Nevada, the battleground state of Nevada where currently President Biden trail significantly. I saw a poll before the debate that had Biden down seven points in Nevada, and that was obviously before his baffling of June 27 debate performance. [17:30:06] Eva McKend, let's bring you back to talk about the goals of the vice president as she hits the battleground trail. MCKEND: Yes, Jake, she is here to mobilize and energize Asian American voters. She's not talking about that debate. She's not talking about the conversation around President Biden's fidelity for office. Instead, she's making the case to these voters here by talking about the administration's record and then also warning against what a second Trump presidency could bring. Now, as for the voters here, we spoke to some of them, many of them really excited to see her. But what was interesting to me, Jake, is even people so motivated to come out to a political rally like this one and supportive of the administration overall. We spoke to a young voter, a college student, who told us it is time for President Biden to step aside and for Harris to lead the ticket. That is not how all of these voters feel, but that is the sentiment even of some of those who are attending this rally today, Jake. TAPPER: All right, CNN's Evan McKend with Vice President Kamala Harris in Las Vegas, thanks so much. Let's go back to CNN's MJ Lee. She's at the White House. And, MJ, walk us through what President Biden is expected to say to NATO leaders at the summit and what's at stake here. MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this speech is going to be the President really shoring up NATO support for Ukraine. We expect that the President is going to announce U.S. and its NATO allies will provide Ukraine with patriot batteries and additional air defense systems as Ukraine, of course, continues fighting back Russia's offensive. This is going to be a really important opportunity for President Biden to take the global stage and make an important statement for the first time really since that disastrous debate performance. Not only are the eyes of so many Americans, including a lot of nervous Democrats on this speech, but I mean, you look at the image of that auditorium, there are world leaders and diplomats in that space closely scrutinizing the President's speech and listening in, some of whom have concerns, real concerns that are shared by Americans. Is the president healthy? Is he fit to serve another four years in office? But, Jake, I know we're talking about this before, but frankly, I think it doesn't matter how this speech goes. He could fumble the speech. He could take a physical spill. As far as the Biden team is concerned, this is a discussion that is no longer happening as far as they are concerned. He is in this and he is not going to contemplate any discussions that are happening across the country right now about whether the president should seek a second term. He is all in, his aides have said, and that is just not something that he is interested in talking about anymore. TAPPER: All right, MJ Lee, thanks so much. And we're standing by to hear from President Biden as he delivers remarks at the opening of the NATO summit here in D.C. Keep it here. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:36:53] TAPPER: Welcome back to The Lead. You're seeing live images right now from the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. We're just moments away from hearing President Biden's opening remarks. The NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg is speaking right now. Biden's speech comes amid, of course, growing concerns over his ability to continue in his 2024 campaign. We're going to bring you that speech to you as soon as it commences. Ukraine will be front and center at the NATO summit, and no doubt in the President's speech. Just last week, a bipartisan congressional delegation visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirming America's support. Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales of Texas was part of that delegation. After the visit, he wrote in op-ed titled, quote, supporting Ukraine in war with Russia is putting American interests first, unquote. Congressman Gonzales joins us now. Congressman, to say the least, many of your fellow Republicans in Congress and perhaps even on the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump himself, are not on the same page as you. Gallup polls show many Republicans think the U.S. is doing too much to help Ukraine. You cast your op-ed in the terms of it is putting America first to help Ukraine. What's your message to them? REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): Yes, Jake, thanks for having me back on. It's really two really simple messages. One is I'm concerned with who's in the White House and how the White House is being run right now. But I don't have any interest in throwing rocks at Joe Biden. I'm actually sad with seeing everything occur. And there's a huge vacuum. And that vacuum needs to have clarity. That clarity has to start with Congress. Congress has to lead. Congress has to show the American people that we are absolutely not going anywhere. We have to show our allies that we are going to be strong with them. What I saw in Ukraine, the second part, what I saw in Ukraine were people fighting for their lives, you know, having four hours of electricity a day. I've seen the Russians use every instrument to win this war, to include reports of chemical weapons that they're using on the front lines. You saw them attack innocent civilians, even killing children. This war has no end to it. The human rights violations continue to pile up, and Congress has to lead. We cannot leave our allies on the battlefield to bleed out. TAPPER: You've endorsed former President Trump. It seems as though the Ukrainian government is worried about what he might do were he to win in November regarding Ukraine. Are you concerned at all that Donald Trump will make it more difficult for Ukraine to get the aid that you argue it needs to continue the fight against Russia? GONZALES: I'm not, it really boils down to it's not only about the money. It's about where the money is going. And do Ukraine, does Ukraine have every instrument it needs to fight and win this war? Because you better believe Russia is going to do everything they possibly can, and it's not going to stop with Ukraine. Putin could take over Ukraine today. He would not stop. Every expert that I've talked to has said this is only the beginning. What I also saw in this war, it is a different war, Jake. I spent 20 years in the military. I fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. They're using drones. You've got young people essentially fighting a war as if they're playing Call of Duty. But there's people on the battlefield that are getting killed. We have to adapt. And we have to realize tanks aren't going to win this war. Blank checks aren't going to win this war. America has to be a strong leader for the world to see and the world to circle behind. We cannot allow Ukraine to fall at all costs. [17:40:22] TAPPER: Some former Trump national security aides are proposing a so called peace plan that would require telling Ukraine it would only get more U.S. weapons if they enter into peace talks. A ceasefire based on the prevailing battle lines, which presumably means Ukraine would have to cede territory. Even though Ukraine would not formally cede it would be unlikely to regain control of all that territory in the near term. It will also require Ukraine to give up the possibility of NATO membership for now. Would you support this plan? That doesn't sound like what you're calling for. GONZALES: Jake, I would love to see peace in Ukraine. I think the people of Ukraine would love to see peace. I think President Zelenskyy would love to see peace. But there's a big piece of this puzzle that does not want peace, and that's Vladimir Putin. Russia has zero interest in coming to the table and creating peace. Russia started this war. Russia will not end this war. Once again, they're using chemical weapons. They're targeting innocent children. They will do anything possible to gobble up Ukraine. And when they're done, they'll go to the next country. So this is not about peace. I would love to see peace. This is about us being strong and firm and letting those bullies know you're not going to take an innocent sovereign country, whether it's Ukraine, whether it's Poland, Moldova, or anyone else, we're going to stand firm with those that want democracy around the world. TAPPER: The Republican National Committee just passed a draft platform that does not even address Ukraine, Project 2025. This conservative blueprint for what they would like, a conservative group, a bunch of conservative groups saying what they want from the next Trump administration. Project 2025 says all conservatives must agree that Ukraine has a right to defend itself. But it stopped short of calling for the next president to provide further aid to Ukraine. That really seems to indicate where your party is and that's not where you are. GONZALES: Well, I don't think it's just the party. Americans are tired, Jake. I mean, they're going, hey, what about me? What about my roads? What about my kids? What about my opportunities? And they are not wrong. They're feeling further and further behind. I think as a member of Congress, it's my job to go, wait a second here. Yes, you deserve roads. You deserve jobs. You deserve safety. You deserve a secure border. But you also, we also have a role to play on the national stage. And the world needs to be safe, and the world needs to -- we can't allow these authoritarian dictators to rule because they will not stop. Russia will continue to roll on. And then the last thing I want to see, and I think this is a big part of it, I don't want to see any of our children, our American children fighting a war in Europe. I don't want to see that. I want to prevent that. And the way we prevent that is you bloody Putin's nose and you say no more. That's how it stops. Not just blank checks. It has to go to the right things. These drones that are -- the drone warfare that is occurring is a complete game changer. And we got to make sure Ukraine has every instrument it needs in order to fight and win this war. TAPPER: Right now, I think we're waiting to see is that President Biden walking up to the podium? I'm not sure. We're about a minute away from President Biden speaking right now. What are your Democratic colleagues saying to you privately about their concerns about President Biden? GONZALES: All my colleagues are worried, honestly. To be honest -- everyone is worried about the state of the White House right now. And once again, I have no interest in throwing rocks at the White House. I'm going -- we -- Congress needs to fill this void. We need to come together, and we need to show that we can govern, we can lead in a manner that helps all Americans, that protects all of our allies, whether it's Ukraine, whether it's in Asia. We have to stand firm now. But my colleagues and myself, we're all very concerned, and the American people deserve clarity. This is about going -- Congress is going to be strong. We're going to fill this void that the President is leaving right now. TAPPER: And we should note, Congressman, that more than 2 million people in your state of Texas are without power after Hurricane Beryl slammed into the southern part of the state, which obviously is really tough. Texas summer with no air conditioning amid a dangerous heat wave where the heat index is hitting 105, officials saying it could take days or weeks to restore power to everyone. So I just want to say to you and anybody affected by this horrible storm and heat wave that our thoughts and prayers are going out to your constituents and hope -- I hope that the government of Texas and the federal government are doing what it needs to take. Thank you so much for joining us today. GONZALES: Thank you, Jake. [17:45:00] TAPPER: While we wait for President Biden to come on, I want to bring in the panel. And let me just note that the Cook Political Report just made six changes to their electoral college ratings. For people who don't know, it's a very highly respected non-partisan report that just looks at the state of the race, they're saying, and all of these six changes go in Trump's direction. Arizona, they're saying, was a toss up now, lean Trump. Georgia was a toss up now, lean Trump. Minnesota, likely Biden, changes to Lean Biden. Nebraska's second congressional district, that is, Nebraska and Maine do it differently. They do it by congressional district, goes from likely Biden to lean Biden. New Hampshire likely Biden to lean Biden. Nevada goes from toss up to lean Trump. All of these battlegrounds, all of them headed in Trump's direction. This is the change from the Cook Political Report. They say President Biden was narrowly trailing Donald Trump ahead of the June 27th debate. The gap has grown slightly larger since then, but given the closely divided electorate, even a seemingly small two point shift is significant. We're waiting for President Biden to come on. But Paul, how much longer can the House -- here's President Biden. And I will ask you the question when we come back to you. PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Saved by the President. TAPPER: Saved by the president. Let's listen and take in the pomp and circumstance of this moment. President Biden addressing the NATO Summit here in Washington, D.C. JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good evening. Welcome. In 1949, the leaders of 12 countries, including President Truman, came together in this very room. History was watching. It had been four years since the surrender of the axis powers and the end of the most devastating war the world had ever known. Here, these 12 leaders gathered to make a sacred pledge to defend each other against aggression, provide their collective security, and to answer threats as one. Because they knew to prevent future wars, to protect democracies, to lay the groundwork for lasting peace and prosperity, they needed a new approach. They needed to combine their strengths. They needed an alliance. And here they signed the Washington Treaty and created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the single greatest, most effective defense of the alliance in the history of the world. Mr. Secretary General, leaders of NATO countries, foreign and defense ministers, representatives from partner nations in the European Union, and members of Congress. Distinguished guests, welcome. Welcome to the 2024 NATO Summit. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure to host you in this milestone year, to look back with pride at all we've achieved and look ahead to our shared future with strength and with resolve. Together, we rebuilt Europe from the ruins of war, held high the torch of liberty during long decades of the Cold War, when former adversaries became fellow democracies, we welcomed in the alliance. When war broke out in the Balkans, we intervene to restore peace and stop ethnic cleansing. And when the United States was attacked on September 11th, our NATO allies, all of you, stood with us, invoking article five for the first time in NATO history, treating an attack on us as an attack on all of us. A breathtaking display of friendship that the American people will never, ever forget. Through all this history, when great changes occurred, people would ask, can NATO adapt? And every time we proved we could adapt. And we did, evolving our strategy to stay ahead of threats, reaching out to new partners to increase our effectiveness. And here with us today are countries from the Indo Pacific region. They're here because they have a stake in our success and we have a stake in theirs. Today, NATO is more powerful than ever, 32 nations strong. For years, Finland and Sweden were among our closest partners. Now they have chosen to officially join NATO, and because of the power and meaning of Article Five guarantee. That's the reason. It was the most important aspect of the alliance in 1949 and is still the most important aspect. I'd also note Finland and Sweden joined the alliance not just because their leaders thought it, because their citizens call for it in overwhelming numbers. [17:50:16] Remember, NATO's character is fundamentally democratic, always has been and always must continue to be. And today, NATO is a better resource than it ever has been. I want to pause on this because it's significant. In the year 2020, the year I was elected president, only nine NATO allies are spending 2 percent of their defense GDP on defense. This year, 23 will spend at least 2 percent, and some will spend more than that. And the remaining countries that have not yet reached that milestone will get there soon. This remarkable progress, proof that our commitment is broad and deep, that we're ready, that we're willing, and we're able to deter aggression and defend every inch of NATO territory across every domain, land, air, sea, cyber, and space. My friends, it's good that we're stronger than ever, because this moment in history calls for our collective strength. Autocrats on overturned global order, which is by and large, kept for nearly 80 years and counting. Terrorist groups continue to plot evil schemes to cause mayhem and chaos and suffering. In Europe, Putin's war of aggression against Ukraine continues. And Putin wants nothing less, nothing less than Ukraine's total subjugation to end Ukraine's democracy, to destroy Ukraine's culture, and to wipe Ukraine off the map. And we know Putin won't stop at Ukraine. But make no mistake, Ukraine can and will stop Putin, especially with our full collective support. And they have our full support. Even before Russia, bombs were falling in Ukraine, the alliance acted. I ordered the U.S. reinforcements at NATO's eastern flank. More troops, more aircraft, more capabilities. And now the United States has more than 100,000 troops on the continent of Europe. NATO moves swiftly as well, not only reinforcing the four existing battle groups in the east, but also adding four more in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia, essentially doubling NATO strength on the eastern flank. Together, we've built a global coalition to stand with Ukraine. Together, we provided significant economic and humanitarian assistance. And together we've supplied Ukraine with weapons it needs to defend itself. Tanks, armored fighting vehicles, air defense systems. Long range missiles, and millions of munitions. The United States and nearly two dozen allied partners have signed a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine, and more countries will follow. Today, I'm announcing the historic donation of air defense equipment for Ukraine. The United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Italy will provide Ukraine with the equipment for five additional strategic air defense systems. And in the coming months, the United States and our partners intend to provide Ukraine with dozens of additional tactical air defense systems. The United States will make sure that when we export critical air defense interceptors, Ukraine goes to the front of the line. They will get this assistance before anyone else gets it. All told, Ukraine will receive hundreds of additional interceptors over the next year, helping protect Ukrainian cities against Russian missiles. Ukrainian troops facing air attacks on the front lines. Make no mistake, Russia is failing in this war. More than two years into Putin's war of choice, its losses are staggering. More than 350,000 Russian troops dead or wounded. Nearly 1 million Russians, many of them young people, have left Russia because they no longer see a future in Russia. And Kyiv remember, fellows and ladies, supposed to fall in five days, remember? But still standing two and a half years later and will continue to stand. [17:55:13] All the allies knew that before this war, Putin thought NATO would break. Today, NATO is stronger than it's ever been in its history. When this senseless war began, Ukraine was a free country. Today it is still a free country. And the war will end with Ukraine remaining a free and independent country. Russia will not prevail. Ukraine will prevail. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a pivotal moment for Europe, for the transatlantic community, and I might add, for the world. Let's remember, the fact that NATO remains the bulwark of global security did not happen by accident. It wasn't inevitable. Again and again, at critical moments, we chose unity over disunion, progress over retreat, freedom over eternity, hope over fear. Again and again, we stood behind our shared vision of a peaceful and prosperous transatlantic community. Here at this summit, we gather to proclaim NATO is ready and able to secure that vision today and well into the future. Let me say this, an overwhelming bipartisan majority of Americans understand that NATO makes us all safer. The fact that both Democratic and Republican parties are represented here today is a testament to that fact. The American people know that all the progress we've made in the past 75 years has happened behind the shield of NATO. And the American people don't understand what would happen if there was no NATO. Another war in Europe, American troops fighting and dying. Dictators spreading chaos, economic collapse, catastrophe. Americans, they know we're stronger with our friends, and we understand this is a sacred obligation. As President Reagan put it, and I quote, if our fellow democracies are not secure, we cannot be secure. If you are threatened, we are threatened. If you are not at peace, we cannot be at peace. Reagan knew it then, and we know it now. Our nations will continue to keep faith with what we pledged in years to come. Now, if you'll indulge me, I'd like to end my remarks in a slightly unusual way. NATO is an alliance of nations, but also made up of leaders. And one person in particular has done an extraordinary job leading NATO for the last decade. Secretary General Stoltenberg, would he come forward? So much of the progress we made in the alliance is thanks to the secretary. He's a man of integrity and intellectual rigor, a calm temperament, a moment of crisis, a consummate diplomat who works with leaders across the political spectrum and always finds a way to keep us moving forward. Secretary, you've guided this alliance through one of the most consequential periods in its history. I realize, I've spoken to your wife, I personally ask you to extend your service. Forgive me. And you put your own plans on hold. When the Russian war in Ukraine began, you didn't hesitate. Today, NATO is stronger, smarter, and more energized than when you began. And a billion people across Europe and North America, indeed, the whole world will reap the rewards of your labor for years to come in the form of security, opportunity, and greater freedom. For these reasons, I am pleased to award you the highest civilian honor the United States can bestow, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Ask the medal to come forward. I'm asking to read the citation. [18:00:06] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The President of the United States of America awards this Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jens Stoltenberg, a visionary statesman and ceaseless defender of democracy. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has guided the NATO alliance through the most consequential decade for European security since World War II. When Vladimir Putin launched his brutal assault on the people of Ukraine betting that NATO would break, Secretary General Stoltenberg proved him wrong. Under his stewardship, NATO has become stronger and more united than ever, and Americans for generations to come will benefit from the safer world he helped create. He demonstrates that the core truth of the alliance is as powerful now as it was 75 years ago. Together, we are stronger. First Move with Julia Chatterley Aired July 09, 2024 - 18:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [18:00:00] … (MUSIC PLAYING) JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: You've been listening to President Biden speaking from the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. That's the place where the North Atlantic Treaty was signed back in 1949. Twelve member states, as he mentioned, now, today, 32 members with Sweden and Finland, of course, joining this year. He talked about the role of NATO reinforcing Ukraine, providing humanitarian assistance, and that, of course, culminating in an award for the secretary general of NATO there with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Let's talk about what we saw now. Jeff Zeleny joins us. Jeff, obviously a focus for this for two reasons. The importance of a 75th anniversary of NATO, of course, but also, it becoming a significant test for the president on the world stage. Two aspects of this, I think, that we have to focus on. First and foremost, it was scripted. He was on teleprompter. What did you make of the performance from President Biden himself tonight? JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Julia, I think first the substance that President Biden was delivering there so swept in history, as you said, 1949, when President Truman signed that treaty with 12 nations. And President Biden walked through the history of NATO and the reason for its very importance today, arguing it is more important now than ever and quoting Ronald Reagan, which, of course, is so significant here in the United States because there are indeed deep divisions among Republicans and certainly Former President Donald Trump, who, of course, we're in the middle of a presidential race here. But President Biden using the words of Reagan to mount a defense for his argument for the funding of NATO and the need for the alliance to stay together, saying this, if you are not at peace, we're not at peace. And of course, going through the funding and the weapons and things that the U.S. and other NATO countries are giving to Ukraine. He was talking about the need for Ukraine to really be at the heart of the mission of NATO and said he believes that Ukraine will prevail. Had very harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin. But you're right, Julia. This comes against a backdrop when the world is indeed watching President Biden. Does he have the strength to go on in his own presidential campaign? It's an extraordinary moment for President Biden in the long history of him here in the United States. Of course, as president, vice president, longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, NATO is in his blood. This is one of his top things and is a bailiwick, if you will. So, delivering a very strong and forceful remarks, yes, with the teleprompter. But I would argue -- I would also argue that just certainly the subject matter was something that is near and dear to his heart and delivered, I think, one of the best speeches we've seen him give since that debate. Again, NATO is at the forefront of his goals and wishes here. So, I think all eyes certainly have been on his speech. If he did not do well, we certainly would have talked about it. So, I think we should also say it was a forceful speech. [18:05:00] The question, will it calm any fears or concerns about his health going forward, we shall see. But for today at least, the substance of this, opening the NATO Summit here, certainly important. CHATTERLEY: Yes, and that should certainly be in the spotlight. Jeff, very quickly. I think it is extraordinary to your point, and we should be talking about the substance and the importance of this moment for many reasons, particularly in an election year and how the two parts of potential future leaders could take us, whether it's NATO or anything else. But he is going to be highly scrutinized, every remark, every gesture, every move will be watched, not just in the United States, of course, but by international leaders and beyond as well. It's a lot of pressure. ZELENY: It's an incredible amount of pressure. One longtime ally and admirer of the president told me earlier today, Julia, that really the weight of this campaign is entirely on the president's shoulders alone. He has a very strong apparatus of his campaign, but it is on him. How does he perform in these moments? And world leaders, as you said, are watching very carefully, because that has now become a central question of this campaign. Does he have the fitness? Does he have the stamina? Is he up to this task? Of course, as the summit goes on, the divisions between sort of the U.S. worldview will become very clear if Former President Donald Trump were to return to power, that certainly is alarming to many leaders in the NATO alliance. Thinking back to when President Biden was first elected and was on the world stage at NATO, I was there with him, he said, America is back. But, Julia, the question is for how long? So, it's at the heart of the presidential campaign, but it's certainly at the heart of the global conversation as well. All eyes of the world are on President Biden. That is no exaggeration. Julia. CHATTERLEY: Yes. Certainly not. Jeff. Great to have you with us. Thank you, Jeff Zeleny there. ZELENY: My pleasure. CHATTERLEY: Now, a reminder that you were just seeing a video of the Presidential Medal of Freedom being handed to the NATO secretary general as well. It's a nice moment for both of those, but no one is watching this more closely, I think, than President Zelenskyy, of course, to not only for future support and consistency of support, of course, but what the future decisions that will be made once we get through the election as well. Fred Pleitgen joins us now from Kyiv. Fred, I know you were no doubt watching this very closely as well. More aerial support provided in this week, critical at this moment once again for President Zelenskyy and for the Ukrainian citizens. FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think you're absolutely right. And that's certainly going to be the thing that the Ukrainians were looking at as well. And I think it was a key point that the president also made. It was quite interesting because, of course, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when he arrived in Washington, D.C., he said he was looking for some decisive things for NATO to do and some decisive decision making from this NATO Summit. And certainly, seems as though what President Biden just put on the table there appears to be just that. When you're looking at air defense systems, he was talking about several longer-range air defense systems, not just from the United States, but also from partner nations as well. It appears as though when he's talking about the longer-range ones that he's probably talking about the Patriots, the U.S.-made surface to air missile systems that have been so important for the Ukrainians, not just to protect cities, like the one that I'm in right now, but also in the frontline as well as Russia's air force also becomes a lot more effective in the way that it's attacking Ukrainian frontline troops. But he's also talking about shorter and medium range air defense. So, it seems as though that is one area where NATO, under U.S. leadership, appears to be stepping up. And of course, all of this comes after a major incident here in the capital, in Kyiv, where the biggest children's hospital, not just in Ukraine, but in large -- in almost all of Europe was hit by a missile that the Ukrainians say was Russians. The Russians still deny that. However, the Ukrainians are saying this was a direct attack on their medical sector and on the children of Ukraine. I was actually on site there throughout the better part of the day. And here's what we witnessed on the ground. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PLEITGEN: This is the exact impact site where that missile hit, and you can see that it's completely flattened part of that building, which is, of course, the largest children's hospital here in Ukraine and one of the largest in Europe, sustaining major damage behind me. It's evident to see that the floors here just completely got obliterated, and all that's left over is rubble right now. Now, the Ukrainians say that the death toll currently stands at two, while dozens of people have been wounded in this attack. They say one of the fortunate things that happened is there was a missile alert, and the staff and the children that were being treated here actually got evacuated to a bomb shelter. The staff then immediately came out and started sifting through the rubble. Now, all of this is currently a cleanup operation. But you can see just how powerful that blast must have been. This is one of the floors of that building. And here it's evident that it just flat packed down. Those are some of the supporting beams. And the Ukrainians say that there will be a response to this. [18:10:00] The Russians claim this might have been a stray Ukrainian interceptor that hit the building. The Ukrainians having none of it, saying it was a Russian missile, saying this is an attack on Ukraine's healthcare system and also on Ukraine's children. And if we look over here, you can see this whole complex, was damaged by it. That's another building here as well. And clearly, the facade sustained major damage. (END VIDEOTAPE) PLEITGEN: So, major damage there at that children's hospital here in the capital, Kyiv. But if you look at throughout Ukraine on Monday, the death toll now at 43 people who were killed and hundreds of people who were wounded in air attacks across Ukraine. So, certainly air defense, a big issue for the Ukrainians and definitely something where they say they need NATO to really step up. And it appears as though tonight, the president of the United States has said that that is going to happen. Of course, one of the things where the Ukrainians also, Julia, are at a big disadvantage, is in general, air power. They're still waiting for those F-16s that are apparently going to be coming in the not- too-distant future from European countries. But as they are at a disadvantage, especially on those frontline positions, and the Russians become more capable at using their own air force, the Ukrainians are saying those long-range air defense systems, Like, for instance, the Patriot that's used in the United States so very important to keep Ukrainian frontline troops alive as well. And of course, also to help them stay in the fight, Julia. CHATTERLEY: Yes, and that need all the more poignant in light of this week's events. Fred, thank you for that report. Fred Pleitgen there in key for us. Now, as President Biden hosts the united NATO alliance in one part of Washington, D.C., he faces a fractured Democratic Party in another. House and Senate Democrats held their first conference meeting since President Biden's debate debacle in what was called yet another make or break moment for the president's re-election bid. Biden suffering no immediate political damage, but later in the day, House Democrat Mikkie Sherrill of New Jersey, who took part in today's meetings, became the seventh House Democrat to call for Biden to step aside. Manu Raju has more on the day's high drama on Capitol Hill. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MANU RAJU, CNN HOST (voice-over): President Joe Biden is putting Democrats in a jam. REP. RITCHIE TORRES (D-NY): If the president declines to leave voluntarily, then he's going to be our nominee. And we have to make the best of a complicated situation. I think I'm viewing it pragmatically. RAJU (voice-over): Some resign to supporting the president, even as they fear he may lose to Donald Trump. REP. SEAN CASTEN (D-IL): The stakes of this are about what is the future for our country in two different scenarios. And I think there's a lot of concern about, will we be able to have that conversation in this media environment? But my God, that's the conversation we have to have. RAJU: Do you support keeping him on the top of the ticket, Biden? CASTEN: That's all I can say. RAJU (voice-over): In their first in-person meeting today since Biden's debate debacle, House and Senate Democrats aired out their grievances and left with no consensus. REP. MARC VEASEY (D-TX): My concerns are the concerns that everybody has. What I said this morning and expressed to my colleagues, particularly for members on the front line, is that I think they need to do whatever it is they need to do in order to come back and be re-elected. Yes. And so, if they need to, you know, distance themselves, then that's what they need to do. RAJU (voice-over): Yet some, like Congressman Jerry Nadler, now say they are on board with Biden, despite privately calling for a change on Sunday. REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): He made very clear he's going to run. He's got an excellent record, one of the most existential presidents of the last century. Trump would be an absolute disaster for democracy. So, I'm enthusiastically supporting Biden. RAJU: What did you say on that call on Sunday? NADLER: I'm not going to comment on what I said on a private call. RAJU (voice-over): Several Democrats pointedly refused to say if they supported keeping Biden atop the ticket. RAJU: Mr. Colvin (ph), do you support keeping Biden as your nominee? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No comment. RAJU: Do you support keeping Biden at the top of the ticket? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No comment. RAJU: Do you think that Biden should stay as your nominee? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love that tie. RAJU (voice-over): Biden has won strong support from senior members of the Congressional Black Caucus. REP. MAXINE WATERS (D-CA): All I can tell you is I am a big supporter of Biden. RAJU: But what about the people who believe that he's going to lose? WATERS: I am going to work as hard as I can for him. Biden is going to win. The team Biden-Harris is going to win, win, win. RAJU (voice-over): In the Senate, Democrats like Patty Murray, raising deep concerns about Biden's viability. While some standing firmly by him, including Bob Casey, facing a tight race in Battleground, Pennsylvania. RAJU: Do you support keeping Biden at the top of the ticket? SEN. BOB CASEY, (D-PA): Well, I've said so numerous times. You heard my remarks over a week ago in Scranton. RAJU: The other concern is that he could sink vulnerable Democrats like yourself. What do you say to that? CASEY: I'll leave that to the pundits. RAJU (voice-over): Following an intense afternoon meeting with Senate Democrats, Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, would only say this about Biden. SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): I'm with Joe. I'm with Joe. As I've said before, I'm with Joe. (END VIDEOTAPE) [18:15:00] CHATTERLEY: Now, while many Democrats hope to turn the page and begin focusing attention squarely on defeating Donald Trump others continue to call for Biden to step aside for the good of the party Joining us now Rosa Brooks and Ted Dintersmith the authors of an op-ed in USA Today that says President Biden is "manifestly no longer fit to run." They're proposing a unique dignified and star-studded way for Democrats to choose a new candidate that they say can reinvigorate the party. Welcome to the show both of you. We're 12 days out from that debate performance and there's been a lot of attempts by the president and those around him to push back and say, look, he's still fit to do this. Has any of what you've seen, and we can call it spin or otherwise, Rosa, I'll begin with you, changed your mind about his fitness. ROSA BROOKS, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW PROFESSOR: Unfortunately, no. And I wasn't -- I've been a strong defender of President Biden. I was a volunteer with his 2020 campaign and I have been in small group settings with him. And for the last four years when anyone said, you know, he's losing it, I said, don't be ridiculous. You know, he's a politician. He's got his verbal gaps. That's always been true, but he is absolutely fine. The debate shocked me. It clearly shocked the American public I think this weird storyline of it's not fair. The elites are being mean to him. It's got it completely backwards. The elites here are catching up to the American public, which has been expressing concerns about him for some time. So, unfortunately, no, I think nothing that has happened has done anything other than underscore the deep, deep challenge we have. The only thing I'd quibble with is your framing that some people want to focus on making sure Donald Trump doesn't get into the White House and some people want to talk about Joe Biden. We're talking about having Biden step down because we think that is absolutely critical to maximizing the Democrats chance for beating Donald Trump, which is absolutely I think everybody's top priority. CHATTERLEY: Yes, you're saying they're not mutually exclusive, which I think is an important point from the op-ed indeed. Ted, what about you in terms of changing your mind? What you asked for in the op-ed is an act of "selfless statesmanship," just simply to tell voters that he's willing to pass on the torch. Do you think he's capable of that? Because what we've heard is that he's -- he needs to hear it from the "Lord Almighty." TED DINTERSMITH, VENTURE CAPITALIST: Yes, and we're hardly in that category. Is he capable -- he's a very loyal patriotic individual with the distinguished track record. But my sense is that if he and those closest to him really sat down and talk this through, if they read what we had offered, that he might look at this and say the right thing to do for him, his legacy, the country, and the world is to step down. And the thing we've really tried to do is to not say, this is not the right option, and say, but nothing else is very good. What we've put on the table is something that uniform. We're just getting incredible enthusiasm about something that would energize voters across America, present a dynamic slate of younger, you know, forward-thinking leaders, and give us a real chance to win the election, you know. And if -- honestly, if Biden we're sitting in a great position in the polls relative to a convicted felon who will deliver a wrecking ball to our democracy, you know, he could have drooled applesauce during that debate and we wouldn't be saying anything. You know, the reality is the polling numbers are not encouraging and it's just not OK to roll the dice and hope that the democracy and free world, you know, come out on top with that. CHATTERLEY: Ted, I hope you would have said something even if the opposite candidate wasn't Donald Trump in that case quite frankly. But I want to remind our viewers, I'll tell our viewers what your sort of plan is. You talk about a sort of blitz primary where you come up with six candidates, and that includes vice president, with her blessing, by the way. Because you do make a good point in the article, which is she shouldn't just be handed this, she should have to win this and fight for this in the same way, which I think is an important point. But you have the idea of perhaps Oprah Winfrey hosting town halls and things. I think the greatest amount of criticism about your idea, which I agree, is sparkly, is that there simply isn't time and that's part of the fear factor of seeing President Biden step aside at this moment. Rosa, give us the justification for that argument that there isn't time, even for what you're talking about even if they liked it. BROOKS: It's just -- that's such a bizarre claim. Of course, there's time. You know, if the French and the British can organize elections in a few short weeks, I think we can manage to do this in the six weeks running up to the Democratic Convention, which -- and then, there's still several months between that and actually election day. So, of course there's time. There's absolutely time. In fact, it's not even too late until the end of the Democratic Convention. Although, if we can start this process within the next week or so that, you know, it gives whoever eventually emerges much more of a running start. It doesn't -- you know, if we wait until the convention, it's going to put whoever emerges at a huge disadvantage because, potentially, suddenly, they're struggling to climb out from a hole. [18:20:00] I mean, this is not that complicated. It really isn't. And I think -- I don't -- I'm actually quite genuinely sort of baffled by why this seems to be so hard for so many Democratic leaders to grasp that we have time, we can do this, we can do it in a way that actually makes Americans, including independents and many of the Republicans who are very unhappy with Donald Trump, it -- you know, we can do this in a way that actually makes them feel excited and engaged, that brings younger voters back in to the party. You know, we can turn this into something that is not just the second-best option or the best of a bunch of bad options. We actually have a great opportunity here to really reinvigorate the Democratic Party in a generational way, but they have to get out of their own way and take this. CHATTERLEY: I will balance that up slightly by saying sadly the French and the Brits, and I speak from my own country, have plenty of experience in lots of elections and having to get organized very quickly and the smaller countries. But I think your point is made. Ted, can I make a question speaking as a business journalist about money here? Do you think he can afford to step down? I mean, he's been a career politician. She's a teacher. They've got used to a very expensive lifestyle in what they have. Traditionally, you get a pretty rubbish pension as a former president, but you do lots of wildly expensive speeches and perhaps you write a book and you fund your lifestyle. But based on perhaps the criticisms that are being made of the president now, that might not be an option. So, one of the considerations here is financial. That it's too costly to step down. Can that be solved by some of the big Democratic donors perhaps in sort of paying him to get out of the way? DINTERSMITH: I would bet in the considerations on his mind about whether to step down finances is number 512. You know, you stepped out -- look at Barack Obama. He steps down, he gets over $100 million deal from Netflix. He gets, you know, tens of millions of dollars of book deals. Speaking fees are a million dollars. You actually make a lot more money. CHATTERLEY: Yes, but we're saying this president might not be capable of that. DINTERSMITH: Absolutely. He would -- you know, you can get ghostwriters to help with the book. He would make quite a bit more money once he stepped down than staying in office. So, that's not driving. He's not a financially oriented individual either. He's deeply patriotic. It's not looking at this the right way. CHATTERLEY: Do you think the president -- BROOKS: The one thing I will say -- CHATTERLEY: Go on, Rosa. I was just going to ask, do you think President Trump wins? If he doesn't step down, does President Trump win -- Former President Trump? BROOKS: I don't think there's anything inevitable. I mean, I think there are millions of Americans like me and Ted who will -- at the end of the day, will rally around the Democratic ticket, whoever is on it, because Trump, we do see as an existential threat to Democratic institutions and the rule of law, you know, and we would vote for a dead sloth over Donald Trump, because at least the sloth is not going to try to destroy almost 250 years of American democracy where Trump will. So, I actually think it's not impossible that Joe Biden -- a Joe Biden-led ticket still is elected in November. But, you know, it's the difference between going up a hill, carrying, you know, 100-pound of rocks in your backpack versus being not weighted down. He's weighing down the ticket. Every single poll shows that. The most -- the latest batch of polls are even more devastating for Biden. There is no question that the Democrats have a better chance with somebody else at the head of the ticket. And I think the tragedy here, you know, I, like millions of people, have had the very painful experience of having to tell a beloved family member, it's not safe for you to drive anymore. And the problem is that when people are experiencing that kind of cognitive decline, their self-awareness and their judgment goes too, frankly, you know. And they don't tend to respond by saying, you know, you're right. That's a fair point. They respond by feeling much of the time defensive and angry. And I think that is unfortunately what we are seeing from the White House. I am saddened to see it extending to his inner circle as well, as well as from the President himself. Because I think this is the point where people have to say, sir, this isn't about you. This is not about you. This is about the good of the country. CHATTERLEY: Ted, very quickly, because I have 30 seconds. Do you think he's getting the truth? Do you think he's willing to listen to the truth? DINTERSMITH: It doesn't appear so, that's for sure. And when he is presented with evidence about the polling numbers and the approval rates and the trend lines, his answer is, I don't believe it. And I'm sure that's a natural response, but at some point, I think those closest to him that he really trusts need to put their arm around him, giving a great big hug and say, it's not what we want to hear, but it is what's happening. CHATTERLEY: Rosa, I think you get the quote of the interview, which is, we would vote for a dead sloth over Trump. Thank you, guys, for saying something of where we are. Great to get your insights. DINTERSMITH: Yes, 2028 candidate, yes. CHATTERLEY: Yes, exactly, wake me up when it's over. Thank you, guys. I appreciate your time. [18:25:00] All right. Straight ahead, a real-life "Top Gun," the U.S. Air Force giving CNN exclusive access to its mighty AC-130, helping keep the peace on the Korean Peninsula. And carriers with no barriers, Delta and Riyadh Air announcing a brand-new partnership to enhance the travel experience between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. I'll speak to the CEOs of both airlines. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move." Tuesday, turbulence on Wall Street and Fed Chair chatter topping today's "Money Move." U.S. stocks finishing a pretty volatile session. Little change, but it was enough to propel the S&P and the NASDAQ to fresh record highs once again. It happened as Fed Chair Jay Powell told a congressional hearing that the U.S. Central Bank continues to make progress on bringing inflation down. And in a marked change in tone, he's now highlighting the risks of keeping rates too high for too long. Red arrows too across the board in Europe, shares of U.K. oil giant BP falling more than 4 percent after a profit warning and that put pressure on the FTSE 100. French stocks falling 1.5 percent too amid the country's post-election political uncertainty. Though the good news is it was a positive day in Asia. Big gains for the Shanghai Composite, the Nikkei rising almost 2 percent too and hitting its first record high in months. Now, from record setting stocks to a record-breaking storm. The U.S. still dealing with the remnants of Hurricane Beryl. The storm was the strongest ever to form this early in the season. For more on this, we're joined by Chad Myers. The question is, Chad, can we garner anything about what we saw with Beryl and push forward to what the outlook is perhaps for the rest of the season? CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Not really. But the next two weeks look very, very good. The next two weeks really don't look like we have anything significant in the water that would make another storm like this for sure. After that, there's no telling, obviously, right? But we still have this now on the ground, the low-pressure center itself, just a remnant of Beryl, but it has a tornado potential tonight. And there have been tornadoes on the ground today in places like Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. And so, yes, that threat is still there right now. We know that there's been damage and injuries with some of these tornadoes. They are usually small and brief, but today, they've been a little stronger than expected with just a land falling, tropical nothing now that it's just a remnant low. But there it goes on up into Ontario eventually even toward Atlantic Canada There will be some rainfall with it as well. [18:30:00] They would like some rainfall here in Houston, but they're not going to get it. 1.9 million people without power and the heat index right now feels like 103 degrees. So, yes, almost 40 degrees Celsius with that heat index. And even Port Lavaca at 108 Fahrenheit. The big heat though is still out west. And this is going to be the story, it's going to be the story for really the rest of the week. Still, we're going to get to 97 in D.C. or so tomorrow. But the big numbers, the triple digit numbers, as we call them here in Fahrenheit, will be out toward the west. Look at Palm Springs, 122 degrees yesterday. And Phoenix, Arizona was 118. These are current temperatures. Seattle 94. That's not supposed to happen. Temperatures all the way down toward Central California, above 110, which is close to 45. You know, I mean, we're pushing 50 in some of these places here. Look at Needles, California, 118 Fahrenheit. Vegas today, 113. On Monday, it was even warmer than that. And we're going to have some warm days coming in a row, all well above 110 in most of these places, Julia. CHATTERLEY: Wow. I have to admit, I missed a lot of that because I fell off my chair when you told me that the next two weeks are going to be very, very good because you never have good news. Thank you. MYERS: I never have good news. CHATTERLEY: Great to chat to you. I know people there have to stay cool. That's the message today. Thanks, Chad. We'll be right back. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHATTERLEY: Welcome back to "First Move" with a look at more international headlines this hour. President Biden announcing new air defense systems for Ukraine at the opening meet of the NATO Summit. He declared that NATO is more powerful than ever in a speech closely watched by world leaders and U.S. voters. He finished his remarks by giving the Presidential Medal of Freedom to NATO's outgoing Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. [18:35:00] And just moments ago, a jury has been seated in Alec Baldwin's trial in New Mexico for involuntary manslaughter. He's been charged for the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film "Rust." Baldwin has pleaded not guilty. The U.S. Air Force is rolling out its big guns to help keep the peace in the Korean Peninsula. Officials granting CNN exclusive access to a joint U.S.-South Korean training mission featuring their so-called Cannon in the Sky. Mike Valerio got a chance to see it in action, and has this. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's one of the latest unmistakable displays of U.S. firepower high above the Korean Peninsula. America's biggest gun in the sky found on board a U.S. Air Force. AC-130J, the Ghost Rider. It's a 105-millimeter howitzer cannon loaded in a matter of seconds with brass 43-pound shells. Powerhouse percussion. Part of a strategic symphony between the U.S. and South Korean militaries. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand by for your game plan. VALERIO (voice-over): U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command granted CNN unprecedented access inside the Ghost Rider. And what we witnessed, Americans in the air talking to Korean service members on the ground, some of them working together for the first time, spotting practice targets below and opening fire. VALERIO: We're a few minutes into the plane. Can you talk to us about what is going to happen and what we're looking at here? JOE GIPSON, U.S. AIR FORCE AC-130 LEAD AERIAL GUNNER: Absolutely. So, right back here, what we have is our 105-millimeter howitzer. So, we're rolling into our live fire range over South Korea right now. VALERIO (voice-over): Today is a training mission, so there are smaller, low yield explosions. But the sound, heard thousands of feet away, is echoing thunder. VALERIO: Why is it important to have an AC-130? VALERIO (voice-over): On the ground, we spoke with Major Josh Burris, once an accountant, now mission commander. VALERIO: And why is it key to have an aircraft like the AC-130 able to deploy here to Korea as quickly as possible? MAJOR JOSH BURRIS, U.S. AIR FORCE AC-130J MISSION COMMANDER: The unique thing about the AC-130 is the amount of fires that we bring, the amount of munitions, the diverse amount of them. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Consent in the box. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Going on two. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Next setting, 070, got you. VALERIO (voice-over): The Air Force says its continued message here is deterrence. And with this aircraft, power. VALERIO: So, when the cannon starts to open fire, the tail where I'm standing recoils a full six feet this way. You know, your heart really skips a beat, when this all starts to happen. And the entire plane feels it. VALERIO (voice-over): The Ghost Rider, just one piece of the U.S.-Korean strategic symphony, as the tempo of these exercises continues, and North Korea watches across the horizon. Mike Valerio, CNN, Osan Air Base, South Korea. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHATTERLEY: OK. And coming up for us, a sky-high marriage of convenience. The joining together of Delta Airlines, the U.S. legacy carrier, and Riyadh Air, the new airline for Saudi Arabia. Both CEOs telling me about the benefits of their partnership for both them and, of course, the travelers. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:40:50] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ED BASTIAN, CEO, DELTA AIR LINES: Congratulations. Welcome to the family. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHATTERLEY: A partnership made in heaven or at least 37,000 feet, that's what the CEOs of Delta Airlines and the newly formed Saudi carrier Air Riyadh believe. The two signing an exclusive to expand connectivity and travel options for passengers heading between North America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond. Now, with the launch date set for the middle of next year, this really is a case of the new kid on the block coming together with a legacy carrier, which actually is about to celebrate its 100th birthday next year. And both CEOs say they'll be learning from each other along the way. And that means trading experiences when it comes to things like digital offerings and A.I. And add to that a sprinkle of little haute couture from Riyadh Air that certainly caught my eye. Before we hear from the CEO, Tony Douglas, I began by asking Delta's Ed Bastian about the benefits of this partnership. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BASTIAN: It's a been a long time coming. We've been looking for just the right partner for many, many years. What Riyadh Air is creating, even though they're not in flight yet, but they will be soon, is the premier service model between the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the world, including North America to Delta. And what we'll be doing on our end is an opportunity to bring U.S. travelers, U.S. business travelers, U.S. leisure travel, which continues to grow, and the demand is very, very strong for experiences around the world to the kingdom. TONY DOUGLAS, CEO, RIYADH AIR: We're super excited about this long-term relationship that we've signed today with Delta, obviously connectivity into North America for Saudi travelers. But importantly, connecting the world into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The tourism agenda there, the investment is nothing short of exceptional. And of course, there is an overarching economic diversification strategy, and a big enabler to that is better connectivity. I made it quite clear that we didn't want to engage in one of the three alliances, but what we did want to do is get the benefit of wisdom, to get the benefits of capability to accelerate our growth. And again, Delta, as far as I'm concerned, this is a marriage made in heaven. CHATTERLEY: It's an interesting marriage. You know, a lot of the challenges in particular too. What -- and you say this in the press release that you announced that this is about enhancing competition. You kind of got stiff competition in the likes of Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar. What does it mean for competition? BASTIAN: We are not shy about looking to compete. We'll compete with any airline in the world, and we consider ourselves one of the finest airlines in the world. And what we don't have at present in the region is a partner. We've had opportunities, of course, to look at other relationships. But the thing that's unique about this is that the entire kingdom actually has a real population base, of 35 million Saudis. It is an economic powerhouse. It is in the top 20 economies in the world, and it's the fastest growing economy in the world. With the GDP, that's a multiple of what either the GDP of Dubai or Doha is for Riyadh itself. So, everything that you look at in terms of the future, and thank you for that advanced birthday wish as we turn 100 years old next year, is looking out to the future. Where do we need to be? And the Middle East is a white spot for us, but no longer. And we'll be launching direct flights from the U.S. to Riyadh sometime in the next 12 to 18 months. CHATTERLEY: It's a tight timeline. It also requires an exacting delivery on planes as much as anything else. Just talk to us about what's got to go right and what can't go wrong between now and when you begin the launch in what the second quarter of next year, certainly by the middle of half of 2025? DOUGLAS: We don't have a plan B because, of course, we can't extend leases. We don't have any. We can't change our network around. We don't have any. [18:45:00] So, we're working very close with our partners in the supply chain. We've taken into account some of the delivery delays that they've got, but we're confident we'll start flying in summer of 2025. And as you said before, the thing that's so romantic about that as well is it's the time when Delta become 100 years old. CHATTERLEY: The romance of it. And to what Tony was saying there about some of the challenges with supply. Obviously, I'm Boeing, we heard this week that they're going to plead guilty for fraud with the Department of Justice tied to the two max jets that crashed. Obviously, the family is still very angry. Those that were lost in those crashes. We spoke to the daughter of one of the victims who had died in the crash, and she said, look, this is not good enough for her. There's no accountability with this pleading of guilty and she wanted more. Trust is a hard thing to get back once you've lost it. And obviously, Boeing's an intrinsic partner for you both at this stage. And how do you explain your comfort and how you continue to maintain trust in such a close partner, such as Boeing? BASTIAN: Delta has never taken the MAX, which is the plane that you mentioned, Julia. And we've decided not to take it. Not for the reasons of safety. We made these decisions many years ago. And we preferred the Airbus model. And that's what we've been taking. At some point in time, we ask ourselves that same question, how do we regain the trust and the confidence and the successful certification of the MAX going forward? The MAX 10, which is that next model, which isn't out yet, is the plane that Delta hopes to take at some point in the future. But we will not take that plane until we have absolute confidence and certainty that we understand everything there is to know about the safety and the features of that plane. And it won't be in the sky on a Delta livery for some years to come. DOUGLAS: As Ed said, we watch with great interest because we need absolute assurance in terms of performance and of course, safety. That's the foundation of the whole of our industry. CHATTERLEY: And I want to talk about happier subjects too. Tony, I know you've done this deal with Artifact as well. And you mentioned it being a digitally native operation that you're planning to run. What difference is A.I. going to make to the customer experience when those flights start happening? DOUGLAS: Towards the back end of this year, we'll release, in the public domain, our version 1.0 of what that digital native airline looks like. And what would you expect? I put it to you like this, probably more in common with the experience you'd see with Amazon or with Airbnb or with Spotify. In other words, how modern online order offer that's profiled to enhance your experience with A.I. It's around us in everyday use at the moment, not as available within commercial aviation. And of course, for us, put quite simply, we could have either have been the last airline to establish ourselves in the conventional way or the first airline to become a true digital native. CHATTERLEY: Now, I have to ask you about the uniforms. It's very important, obviously, to understand the mechanics of how these planes fly and how the airline's going to work. But we have to talk about the uniforms, because it was, Tony, like a catwalk, actually, watching what some of these aircrew are going to be wearing. Did you see the catwalk? BASTIAN: It was fabulous. And actually, it had a little bit of a hint of Delta's passport plum, which the Delta crew wear today. CHATTERLEY: Are you accusing him of copying, Ed? BASTIAN: No, no, no. Tony took it to a whole new level. It's a great look. It's a great look. CHATTERLEY: It's a great breakfast at Tiffany's for the women. Tony, you have to tell us, like, what was the inspiration? Where did this come from? Because I have to say, I'd be offering to, you know, steal one of these outfits, leaving a plane in future. They're really quite cool. DOUGLAS: Some of my favorites are back from the '60s. And that was very much the inspiration, kind of catch me if you can, DiCaprio goes through an airport terminal and they stand out in the crowd. People want to look at them because it's beauty, it's beautiful, it's glamour, it's refinement, but we wanted to have it with a real modernistic twist, which speaks to what the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is all about. It's a young population, a young population that loves fashion and loves technology. And we've actually copyrighted the color, electric amethysts. We feel that it looks absolutely outstanding. But as Ed said, it's another one of those nice little connections because it's got a huge similarity to one of the beautiful colors that the Delta cabin crew wear as well. [18:50:00] So, catch us if you can. Obviously, it's a bit of a theme that went in there, and we're very, very pleased with the look. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHATTERLEY: Catch us if you can. All right. Coming up next, La Roja, Rejoice, Spain are through to the finals of the Euros after a thrilling win over France. All the action, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHATTERLEY: Welcome back. A sensational Spain overpowering France to book their place in the final of the Euros, and they've made history to boot. Spain's Lamine Yamal becoming the youngest goal scorer in men's European Championship history at the tender age of just 16 years old. France scored first, but the Spaniards pushed back for the 2-1 win. Don Riddell is here with more on what was a thrilling, thrilling match. DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Yes, it really was. Great game, great action, great storylines too. Let's show you how it all unfolded. As you say, France going ahead, Julia, in this one. And it was an early goal too. Their captain, Kylian Mbappe, teeing up Randall Kolo Muani. Brilliant assist, good header. France ahead after, I think it was just about nine minutes. But their lead didn't last long. And what happened next is the thing that everybody is talking about. Lamine Yamal, an incredible young player who just seems to be getting better by the minute. And that goal was absolutely sensational. He's had a few assists in the tournament. That was his first goal. Not only was it an amazing goal, but that makes him the youngest scorer in the history of the European Championship tournament. He's 16. He's going to turn 17 on Saturday. The next day, his team will be playing in the final because of that goal from Dani Olmo. Just absolutely brilliant. Spain are now going to be playing either England or the Netherlands, those two play in the second semifinal on Wednesday night. And if you're wondering where Lamine Yamal gets all his talent from. Well, as I say, we've been looking at him for the last year or so since he burst onto the scene. He's getting better and better and better. This photograph, or a series of photographs, have just emerged in the last few days. And that is Lionel Messi, when he was 20, with a five-month-old baby for a photo shoot. And that little baby grew up to be Lamine Yamal. It is just an absolutely extraordinary coincidence. It just must be millions and millions and millions to one that these two would be in an image together and they would both go on to be amazing footballers. Of course, Messi was already very established at this point. He'd already won titles with Barcelona, but he wasn't anything like the player he is now, arguably the greatest of all time. And Yamal seems to be on a very similar trajectory, albeit that he's still 16 years of age. I've actually spoken to the photographer that took this photo. We're going to be doing that story properly later in the week. But we thought we should bring it up now because Yamal just is stealing all the headlines now. [18:55:00] CHATTERLEY: Yes, I can't wait to get more details. Don, we'll talk to you later on in the week. I mean, that was what, 15 and a half years ago. That's pretty insane. He was born to be a star, clearly. RIDDELL: Absolutely, yes. CHATTERLEY: Great to have you with us. Thank you. Don Riddell there. And finally, our "First Move," something that sounds like it came straight out of the movie, "Anchorman." There's been a bit of panda-monium going on at the San Diego Zoo. It's just released the first photos of two giant pandas on loan from China. Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived in California near the end of last month and have been acclimating behind the scenes. Once they've given the all clear, visitors will be able to see them. The five-year-old male and nearly four-year-old female are the first giant pandas to enter the United States in 21 years. Very cute. Look at that. Pandas and babies. Can't get better than that. And that just about wraps up the show. Thank you for joining us. We'll see you tomorrow. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) END