The Lead with Jake Tapper Aired July 17, 2024 - 16:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [16:00:02] … (MUSIC) JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on day three of the Republican National Convention, where just moments ago behind me, we saw former President Donald Trump take the stage for a walk through of head, head of his highly anticipated speech, his acceptance speech tomorrow night. Tonight, we're going to hear from his running mate, J.D. Vance of Ohio, who will introduce himself to a national audience. The new MAGA torchbearer was proceeded last night by speeches from big boldfaced names, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, rivals turned endorsers. It's all a big display of Republican Party unity. In just a moment, I'm going to talk about that with Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, another Trump detractor turned Trump supporter. Democratic Party unity, meanwhile -- well, that seems harder to come by. Earlier today, Congressman Adam Schiff of California, the Democratic nominee for Senate, became perhaps the most prominent elected official to publicly call on President Joe Biden to drop out of the race and pass the torch to a new generation of leaders. But Biden and his acolytes at the Democratic National Committee are ignoring all of these calls and all of the data, proceeding full steam ahead, presumably, with the controversial plan to virtually nominate Joe Biden before the Democratic Convention, next month. That virtual roll call could start as soon as August 1st, despite protests from Democratic members of Congress, we do not know which faction of these Democrats will win this struggle because more polls and more problems have just entered the chat. A 65 percent majority of Democrats now say that Biden should withdraw from the race, according to a brand new AP poll. And I was able to get my hands on polling from the firm BlueLabs, funded by some Democratic donors, polling that shows post-debate, President Biden is losing ground significantly to Donald Trump in 14 key battlegrounds throughout the country, including the five states that Biden flipped against Trump in 2020. Those are, of course, Arizona and Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. But in addition, Mr. Biden is also quite vulnerable post-debate in Colorado and Minnesota and Maine and New Mexico and Nevada and Virginia and New Hampshire. The data also found four Democrats outpaced President Biden significantly in a potential matchup with Donald Trump in these seven key battleground states, those Democrats are Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. President Biden, meanwhile, pressing ahead with his campaign. This hour, he is planning on speaking to a Latino civil rights and advocacy group. We will bring that to you live. Yesterday at an NAACP event, Mr. Biden appeared to lose his train of thought, several times in this speech. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know -- I know they're saying, Joe, you may not have a Congress. Well, guess what? You all told me I couldn't pass the Inflation Reduction Act. You all told me I couldn't face -- anyway, we didn't. We're going to rent down, like I said, we're going to build 2 million affordable homes, cap rent increases of 5 percent a year. So corporate landlords can't -- anyway, I don't want to get going. By the way, not only saves lives, it will save taxpayers just what I did on the first round on dealing with Medicare. It saves the taxpayer $160 billion because they don't have to pay these exorbitant prices to these -- anyway. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: Anyway. Then there's new reporting about a Zoom call on Saturday between Biden and a group of more moderate congressional Democrats which took place right before the rally shooting, the assassination attempt on President Trump. Two participants told Julia Ioffe that Biden in that call was rambling and would lose his train of thought. CNN's Dana Bash learned that Biden lashed out at Colorado Congressman Jason Crow after Congressman Crow bluntly told the president that voters are concerned about his vigor, president told the Crow that he knows Crow is a Bronze Star recipient like his son Beau, but the Crow, quote, didn't rebuild NATO, unquote. At one point, Biden told Crow that, quote, cut that crap out, unquote, and that if Crow wants to walk away from him, then he can walk away. [16:05:06] Crow did say he didn't want to fly the coop, but Biden dismissed it, saying he should. We're going to talk with a former Biden White House communications director coming up. But first, I want to bring in my colleague, Erin Burnett -- Erin. ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Well, Jake, you know, when you talk about what's going on in the Democratic Party, that's why the stakes are so high and their high tonight at the RNC, especially for the now known VP candidate, J.D. Vance. He's going to be delivering that prime time speech at the Republican National Convention. Obviously, all eyes on him, but especially in the context of the disarray that Jake is talking about in the Democratic Party. Let's go to Phil Mattingly, who's at the convention in Milwaukee. And, Phil, you know, when you talk about the context here, that is so important for the fact that this will be the first time that a lot of Americans will hear directly from J.D. Vance, who now formally rounds out the Republican ticket. PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Erin, it's something Vance's advisers, the Trump campaign team, are very aware of, and it's why, at least according to several people familiar with the matter, the speech is going to be very heavy on biography, really trying to introduce himself to the broader American public. Now, yes, a lot is already known about J.D. Vance. He has a best- selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy". His rise in politics was extremely fast and not come up through the Ohio machine or the Ohio Republican Party, has only been in the U.S. Senate for just about 18 months. There's a lot people don't know about him if they haven't been paying close attention to his life. But that life is a story that even some Democrats I've spoken to acknowledge is a very compelling one as he laid out in his book, kind of hard scrabble upbringing in the industrial Midwest, service in the Marine Corps, Yale Law School, venture capital, our colleague for a period of time here at CNN before turning to politics. Where he goes from here is obviously a huge question given the lack of political biography that he has up to this point. But there's also value to that. And I think when you talk to people around the former president, they see that, they understand that. They're aligned politically. They're aligned ideologically. And certainly this is a new generation. BURNETT: And so, you know, all right, you talk about his story and how compelling it is. And it is, right? I mean, it touches on so many issues, broken families, addiction, all of the things that he can talk about. But when it comes to who he is now and what he will do in office, for J.D. Vance, foreign policy is front and center, right? If anyone was hoping that Donald Trump would go the way of Nikki Haley or Lindsey Graham, or the way Marco Rubio usually is, right? And say that America needs to be active in the world. J.D. Vance is a very different worldview, and I know that there are a lot of us allies watching that are very concerned about J.D. Vance and this America First foreign policy that he's embraced. MATTINGLY: Yeah, and it's important to point out there are near-term concerns and then there are longer-term concerns. When it comes to the issue of Ukraine, specifically, there has been no more vociferous opponent in the United States Senate in the Republican Party than J.D. Vance. He took on his party on the Senate floor. He tried to work to block additional Ukraine funding, very supportive of funding for Israel, said he could see the goals there, could see the outcome did not really put much weight into the value of the alliance with Ukraine and the U.S. support for that. That is putting him in a very different place than many Senate Republicans. In fact, once in a Republican said, look, we know he is extraordinarily smart, but he's not exactly an extrovert inside the conference. Now, that may actually be a bonus for J.D. Vance, political establishment, particularly the Republican Party, not super well-liked here. One of the most interesting elements over the course of the last couple of days, seeing Republican senators on the convention floor asking them what they think about the pick, very cautious, very careful, don't know him super well, very concerned about his form from policy. And in the near term, that means he's going to be a voice in the room in the situation room, if President Trump is elected. Talking about these issues, he will have wait there. In the long term, they see this as the direction of the Republican Party. This will become the new standard bearer. This will be the passing of the torch, and this certainly is a direction that is antithetical to where more traditional established Republicans are bent on foreign policy for decades -- Erin. BURNETT: All right, Phil. On such a crucial night to see J.D. Vance, Jake. TAPPER: Right. Erin Burnett. Thank you so much. Let's bring in Republican Governor Chris Sununu of the great state of New Hampshire. Governor, you know polling in New Hampshire maybe better than anyone. How -- how up for grabs is New Hampshire, right now, with President Biden in this weakened position? GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH): A legitimate coin toss. There's no question about it. Some of the polls have Trump up a little bit. I think they kind of hitting a bit of an apex, but the reality is, this is going to be a coin toss come November, assuming Biden stays on the ballot, which again, I'm still like kind of 50/50 on that one. I just think the pressures are building against the current president to get off the ballot when you have all the Democrat disarray that's going on there. That's going to be significant over the next few weeks. So, no, it's definitely a toss up and New Hampshire, hasn't had a -- gone Democrat for the presidential nominee since 20 -- 2000, I believe. But it very well could this time. Trump only lost this state by about 2,500 votes in 2016 and so, there's clearly a much stronger sentiment towards Republican unity to what folks here are seeing on the ground, what they want to see out of their presidential candidate. [16:10:10] TAPPER: You have called J.D. Vance, the new running mate for President Trump, you've called him a strong VP pick. On some of the issues, though, you really are very different with him. He opposes abortion rights, even in the cases of incest or rape. He's been one of the leading opponents of U.S. military support for Ukraine. You on the other hand, you signed a state ban on abortion after 24 weeks. That's basically codifying Roe. And you've also said opposing aid to Ukraine, quote, is not a viable foreign policy. On a policy level, do you think J.D. Vance would take the party in the right direction? SUNUNU: Yeah. Well, again, we can disagree on a few of these policy items and their significant to be sure. But no, I don't think the vice president is going to be driving the policy for Donald Trump, right? Donald Trump drives the policy. I mean, he'll be an adviser but there is on the economics or foreign policy. I'm sure he'll be a voice here. That's fine. There's a lot of voices within the Republican Party, but Donald Trump and his team are going to -- are going to really drive the ship. What J.D. brings, as was just being reported, he brings such a contrast to Kamala Harris, right? As an outsider, someone who doesn't come up to the political establishment. He's only been in D.C. for 18 months. He's a bit of a disrupter, but he's actually quite, quite brilliant. And as a marine, as someone who graduated from Yale, but had a very tough upbringing. And that upbringing matters because that means he understands when someone talks about mental health or the drug crisis or issues of poverty, he's lived it, right? He has these real lived experience and I think that's going to be -- that's a bit of a opposite, if you will, to Donald Trump, right? Donald Trump, we all say, know he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has never really had economic hardship. So in that sense, they are very complimentary team. They bring different perspectives, but with the same goal and vision to unify the country. I'm sure they'll have their differences on policy. I'll see and even personality. That's okay. Last time, I checked Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have a lot of differences on policy and personality, but they make it work. So I think these two are going to be a great team going forward for the next few months and talk about not just unity of the Republican Party, but unity for the American public, right? Because it's about the individual, not just about some big government solutions to take care of everybody. They really believe in allowing individuals to have more say. TAPPER: You've endorsed Trump. Recently, you said you still believe that President Trump contributed to what happened on January 6, 2021. Obviously, Trump's then vice president, Mike Pence, averted likely constitutional crisis by certifying the election results. I know you think that Mike Pence did the right thing. What he did was the opposite of what Trump won. And are you confident that if J.D. Vance were put in a similar situation, forced to make a choice between President Trump or the U.S. Constitution. Are you worried at all about the choice he might make? SUNUNU: No, look, those -- we're not -- I'm not worried about that at all. At the end of the day, I have a lot of faith and confidence in the institutions and the responsibilities that individuals carry. I think Mike Pence did the right thing. You know, look, we're all trying to understand that we never want to see January 6 again. It was one of the low points in modern American history to be sure. I don't think it was a disqualifier. Most Americans don't see it as a disqualifier because all these other pressing issues really drive. So that's obviously a hypothetical. None of us want to see. I think what America is looking for is a way from that polarization, away from that fear, that fear of that messaging, of fear, if you will, and a messaging more of not just hope and optimism. But tell us what you're going to do. Tell us how you're going to fix inflation. How you're going to fix the border crisis. And that's what the Republicans are putting forward in a very positive way. And it isn't unifying a MAGA brand. That's not what this is about at all. I'm not MAGA or an extremist. Nikki Haley isn't some extremist. It's really unifying the Republican Party around what the average American wants to see. And I think, you know, it's come out very well. I mean, this has been one of the more positive and energetic national conventions we've seen here in modern history. It's pretty amazing and it's all in a very positive way. Democrats are going to have a hard time explaining how their convention looks and the disarray that comes from that. And the building like, I think last week, we were thinking a lot of the Democrat leaders were just going to kind of cave and say, well, I guess we're stuck with Biden. Clearly, that's not the case with Adam Schiff coming out. You'll have more individuals coming out, more money being frozen on the Democrat side. That's very real and that's going to build a lot of pressure on the former president and his team to make the right decision and move out the -- move off the ticket. TAPPER: All right. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, always good to see you, sir. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. SUNUNU: You bet. Thank you. TAPPER: We have some breaking news. Special Counsel Jack Smith is challenging the controversial ruling by Judge Aileen Cannon when she threw out the classified documents case against Donald Trump. We're going to talk with one Trump's top attorneys coming up. Plus, the politics at stake as J.D. Vance takes the stage for the biggest speech of his career. What to watch for. That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:18:52] BURNETT: And welcome back to THE LEAD. We are just hours out from J.D. Vance giving his first speech as the Republican vice presidential nominee. The theme of tonight as they've been giving each night a theme, tonight, it's make America strong once again. Republicans will argue America standing on the world stage was stronger under Trump as he pursued isolationist policies. And I want to bring in our political experts, so we're going to be here all night. Shermichael, that's what we're going to hear from him. SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. BURNETT: It's very much that America first. Thank God, we got water all around. SINGLETON: Yes. BURNETT: And a wall on one side. SINGLETON: Well, look, I think the MAGA movement, if you will, for many of Trump's supporters, they view it as sort of a restitution of years the past, where things were better, where you were more confident in what the future would look like, not only for your own kids, but for your grandchildren to come. And so for J.D. Vance coming from a poor, troubled family, not only speaks to poor white Americans, you have a whole lot of poor Americans of color who also understand what it's like to have a family member struggle with drugs, to be raised by your grandparent, to wonder if your dreams as a kid can come to fruition as an adult. So this is a powerful moment for him. [16:20:01] BURNETT: And it's that isolationist policy, Jonah. But I think it comes down to Ukraine says so much. Nikki Haley speaking to 20 percent of the GOP primary voters, said Ukraine matters to who America is, that democracy and J.D. Vance has said the very opposite, right, and just to play for everyone, how stark these differences are. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We cannot possibly support Ukraine and Israel and our own defense needs in the way that these guys demand. So I think we should focus. I think Israel is a much closer ally, is a much more core American national security interests. NIKKI HALEY, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Supporting Ukraine is actually preventing war. (END VIDEO CLIP) BURNETT: So what happens to the 20 percent of GOP voters who believed in Nikki Haley's view of the world? JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean, it's important to point out like you could -- you could ask -- you could actually almost the opposite question. What's going to happen to all of the people who like this coherent, sort of neo-isolationist, non- interventionist, wherever you want to call it foreign policy that J.D. Vance subscribes to, that is not at all clear that Donald Trump subscribes to it, right? I mean, Donald Trump's position on Ukraine is much more opaque and -- BURNETT: Well, he'd solve it on day one. GOLDBERG: Right, right or what, once he gets into office, they'll say, we'll do it in two weeks, because that's what he always does when he says he's got a solution to something. The point is that, I -- J.D. Vance is setting himself up to basically have to defenestrate a lot of his positions based on what Trump decides to do at any given moment. Now, I don't know what Trump's going to do on Ukraine. I think J.D. Vance is completely wrong on Ukraine, but just look at it in terms of like abortion, his position on abortion is a straight down the line, pro-life position. And now he's said, whatever Trump's wants, he gets. And I think a lot of the people, a lot of people I have arguments with the conservative movement on the nationalist, conservative, you know, post-liberal universe, they're putting all this stock in J.D. Vance being their champion and their avatar, but the reason J.D. Vance was picked was that he convinced Trump he would be a blind loyalist to Donald Trump. KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, the reality though, is that with J.D. Vance represents at least in terms of foreign policy, is where the younger part of the GOP is. Whenever I look at data about what Republicans think about foreign policy, on the Democratic side, there's almost no age gap. But on Republicans, it's the biggest issue area where you see older Republicans and younger Republicans very different, older Republicans remembering the Cold War, remembering a time where they say yes of a strong muscular American foreign policy that is out in the world, that does good, that brings about peace. J.D. Vance represents a generation that says, yeah, we supported the Iraq war in 2004 and look where that got us. JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I am so troubled as a Democrat because for years, we all battled against this idea of the Republicans being the strong national security party, and how is it that we're going to compete on national security and foreign policy? And it's like the Republicans are just handing back to this notion of being strong. Their view of America first seems too often too much like America alone. And they give them the power of our example in the soft power influence that America is able to have around the world, and by having somebody like Donald Trump, who people don't really see as a democratic icon, it makes it so much more difficult for us to go to countries and say, hey, we think you guys ought to be doing it this way, when we've got a president who doesn't seem to be following it that way. BURNETT: That was interesting the way you put it first and alone, I think everyone can understand the difference between those two things is important, an important nuance. All right. All staying with us here. And you saw him standing beside Donald Trump for weeks during the New York hush money trial. But now he is at the Republican National Convention. And you will see him right here next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:28:06] TAPPER: We're following some breaking news now just moments ago. Special counsel Jack Smith formally appealed the ruling by Judge Aileen Cannon earlier this week to dismiss the classified documents case against Donald Trump. This sets up a process that is likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. CNN's Kaitlan Collins is down on the convention floor with one of Trump's top attorneys -- Kaitlan. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yeah, Jake, I'm standing here with Todd Blanche, obviously, one of Donald Trump's lead attorneys who was working on that classified documents case. And, Todd, great to have you, especially with the news that Jack Smith is now filing an appeal to what Judge Cannon decided on Monday to try to get this -- to throw this case out. Do you believe that this will stand on appeal or do you think Judge Cannon will be overturned? TODD BLANCHE, DONALD TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: Oh, I think it's going to stand on appeal for sure. I mean, the 11th Circuit, which is the court's going to hear it, there's no precedent, there's no -- there's no case that's ever appeared in front of them consistent with this. And Judge Cannon's opinion, 93 pages, consistent with the law, consistent with the legislative history. It's a really beautifully accurate, well- written decision. We have no fear in front of the 11th Circuit. I think the 11th Circuit is going to affirm Judge Cannon and then we'll see what happens after that. So, when Donald Trump was in office, when he was president, the 11th Circuit did face a case like this with Robert Mueller as special counsel and they upheld his appointment. So why do you think that they'll rule differently now? BLANCHE: Well, that's a D.C. Circuit? So the D.C. Circuit ruled in a different way than the 11th Circuit. Judge Cannon is not bound by the D.C. Circuit and the 11th Circuit, is not bound by the D.C. Circuit. And if you look at Judge Cannon's opinion, all 93 pages of it, and you can compare that and stack up against the other opinions that are out there, we're very confident that the 11th Circuit is going to affirm. And if it goes to the Supreme Court, that Supreme Court will affirm as well. COLLINS: But there are a lot of U.S. attorneys that are not Senate confirmed. So I think for some people may look at this and say, well, why does the special counsel have to be? BLANCHE: Well, that's not true. There aren't a lot of U.S. attorneys who are not -- COLLINS: There are multiple U.S. attorneys who are not Senate confirmed. BLANCHE: No, absolute, that's not true. There's a process that happens when there's a U.S. attorney vacancy, and you can be acting for awhile and then the judges of that district actually make you the U.S. attorney. [16:30:08] It's not -- nothing like what Jack Smith, it's not a situation where the attorney general just says, hey, you're a private citizen and you can come and you can sign indictments and you can prosecute people, and you can take away somebody's liberty. You can take away the president of the United States' liberty. That's not like a U.S. attorney who is temporarily -- who is temporarily appointed, and then the judges actually ultimately approve them if the Senate does not. COLLINS: So, the big question here is whether or not your team plans to use this decision by Judge Cannon to try to get the case in D.C. missed -- dismissed, the election interference case. Do you plan to do so? And if so, when? BLANCHE: Look, we're -- that case is still stayed. We're looking into what the best thing to do about that case. Judge, as you know, Judge Chutkan and the special counsel have lots of deal with what the immunity decision. And so, whether we're going to make a motion under the appointments clause, we're still -- we're still thinking through that. We don't know yet. COLLINS: But why would you think through it if you believe that Jack Smith cannot be in his position as special counsel because he wasn't picked by the president and he wasn't confirmed by the Senate. Why would you not argue that in Washington? BLANCHE: Well, because there's a D.C. Circuit case that has come out the other way. So in theory, Judge Chutkan is bound by that decision. Judge Cannon was not bound by that decision. So -- and I'm not saying we're not going to do it. We're looking into it. Look, these cases should not have been charged, period. And any way we can get them dismissed, the Cannon case, that's dismissed. It's gone. The case in D.C. should be gone as well. And if it's immunity, if it's the appointments clause, we're going to get that case dismissed as well, but we're still looking into it strategically. COLLINS: Todd Blanche, you are here on the convention floor, thank you for joining us. Jake, back to you. JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Thank you, Kaitlan. The divisions among Democratic elected officials over President Biden the remaining at the top of the ticket, those divisions continue to grow and they continue to become even more public as President Biden makes his latest push to try prior to shore up support, and that push itself continues to raise questions. That story next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:36:32] TAPPER: A break-in scene on the campaign trail right now. Moments ago, President Joe Biden made a stop on the trail in Las Vegas. He met with voters that are -- at a restaurant there in battleground Nevada. He's on his way to speak to a Latino civil rights and advocacy group. While Republicans are projecting unity and strength here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Democrats across the country are projecting the exact opposite of unity and strength. Today, CNN is reporting that the Democratic National Committee is moving ahead with a controversial plan to virtually nominate President Joe Biden before the Democratic Convention even begins officially in Chicago next month, despite more and more Democratic elected officials and donors and voters expressing their concerns about President Biden remaining on top of the ticket. Fueling those concerns, new polling from firms such as BlueLabs funded by Democratic donors showing post-debate, President Biden losing ground to Donald Trump in 14 key battlegrounds across the country, not just the seven battleground states, including the five states that Biden flipped against Trump in 2020, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin. But more alarming to Democrats, Biden is now vulnerable in Colorado and Minnesota and Maine and New Mexico and Virginia, and New Hampshire. Now, the Biden campaign has stepped up. The presidents media appearances and an attempt to show critics that the president still has the skills and the vigor to defeat Trump. This includes a taped interview with Speedy Morman on "360 with Speedy" that was taped last Friday and released on Monday. The president's performance will no doubt do little, however, to calm anxious Democrats crowds because there were, as we've seen, for quite some time now, moments where President Biden appeared quite confused. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I didn't plan on running because when I, in 2020, when I -- when Barack asked to be vice president, I joined him, which is a great honor. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: Of course, President Obama tapped Biden to be his running mate in 2008, not 2020. There were also moments where President Biden appeared to lose his train of thought, such as this moment when he was answering a question about Trump's appeal to hip hop artists. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BIDEN: Every time, every election that I ran and whether it was on your off-year, I got over 90 percent of the Black vote and the number of folks participating didn't slow down because it didn't reduce. So, look, I -- you know, Trump -- (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: Here now, former Biden White House communications director Kate Bedingfield. Kate, Biden is losing ground to Trump in 14 -- 14 key battlegrounds across the country according to Democratic funded polling. Just last week, Biden said this when asked if he would consider stepping aside, take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BIDEN: Unless they came back and said there's no way you can win -- me. No one's saying that. No poll says that. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: So that was President Biden saying no one is saying that he can't win and, Kate, there are quite a few Democrats saying that he can't win, most recently, Adam Schiff, who's running for Senate in California, who loves Joe Biden, who is loyal to Joe Biden. Is this information not getting to President Biden? [16:40:02] KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think, look, first of all, there's no question this is not a great state of play for the Biden campaign. I think that, you know, obviously, the polling that we've seen today combined with what you heard from Congressman Schiff, you know, it is clear there is frustration amongst a subset of the party. It's not a great state of play for the Biden campaign. I think -- look, I have no doubt that Joe Biden is hearing this information. He's -- remember he's not somebody who is -- he's not cloistered in a hermetically sealed box. I mean, he reads the papers. He watches television. He's -- he's seeing this information. I think what he needs to do is get -- get on the horse, on a message that is less about the numbers aren't good. You know, these numbers aren't accurate. This isn't right. This isn't where the polling is. And it's more about, you know, nobody knows more about a comeback and how to mount a comeback than I do. I am putting together, come back here, get on board, we're going to beat Donald Trump. I would love to see a message from him that was more about showing some get up and go rather than denying the state of play. And I think that would be a more compelling message for Democrats who want to get on board and want to defeat Donald Trump. And I think he has an opportunity to do that, but I think he needs to do it now. TAPPER: All right. Kate Bedingfield, thanks so much. Here now, the political panel to discuss. David Chalian, the Democratic National Committee, despite having been proven not being honest about what's going on in Ohio because there was questions about whether or not they had to do this virtual nomination because of some law in Ohio, but that's now changed, whether or not the DNC wants to acknowledge that. DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: They don't. TAPPER: They don't want to acknowledge it, right? They're not being honest about it. What are you hearing about this plan to start with this virtual nomination against the wishes of Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, and so many other elected Democrats as early as August 1st? CHALIAN: Right. So the plan had been and it was the Ohio thing that triggered it before resolved to do a virtual or remote roll call, and it would be happening prior to the convention. By the way, this is what happened four years ago because of COVID. When we saw that roll call at the convention, that was not -- he had already been the nominee. They had done this before. So they were doing that again. But this is happening in an entirely new context right now because there's a massive question about whether Joe Biden is going to remain atop the ticket for the Democratic Party. So now, what you're dealing with his, his political arm is trying to say, let's get this done and make him the nominee. But then they're getting blowback, that that's not a very small D democratic process, and why shouldn't this be at the convention? And, of course, those -- some of those people want to buy more time here to try and make the case that he should step down. And Audie Cornish, we talked about this polling from the Democratic donors, showing Biden sinking in 14 states, not just the big seven battlegrounds, but more traditionally Democratic states, reliably Democratic -- New Mexico and New Hampshire and Virginia and Minnesota and Colorado. This poll also found the four Democrats, in particular, did much better in head-to-head matchups with Donald Trump than did Donald -- than did Joe Biden. Those Democrats are Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Now, the Biden theory of the case would say, well, because there hasn't been really anything negative about these people. People only know positive things about them as opposed to what they've been hearing about Joe Biden. What do you think? AUDIE CORNISH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right. There's not a lot of time and as soon as you're in the spotlight, it's 50/50, whether you'll thrive or wither. The fact that they commissioned this, to be armed with data and information to continue to make this case, and we heard this reporting of this meeting with House Democrats where Biden basically starts yelling at them for raising this. So it's still falling on deaf ears. It's still a struggle and sort of surprised that even as donors are speaking out, that there is still this kind of reluctance to hear them because like the money is meaningful. And I think the president is in danger of falling behind. TAPPER: Manu Raju, Congressman Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, Senate candidate for Democrats in California is now the 20th congressional Democrat to call on Biden to step down. For those 20, there are dozens more that haven't done so publicly, but feel the same way. How big a deal do you think is the Schiff announcement? MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's very significant. I mean, he is the highest profile Democrat by far. He's got real poll with the donor communities. He's very close to (AUDIO GAP) is indicating that this was not coordinated with her in any way, but this is going to get a lot of attention. It's going to give more Democrats, this has been quite for the last few days (AUDIO GAP) assassination attempt and the RNC convention, lot of Democrats have been keeping their powder dry for the lat life as few days, not wanting to say anything. Now that Schiff has said something, expect more calls to come forward. [16:45:02] But where are the Democratic leaders in all of this? That is where the frustration is beneath the surface. Nancy Pelosi has not really said a whole lot publicly, neither is Hakeem Jeffries, neither has Chuck Schumer. We do know from our reporting that Chuck Schumer and Jeffries were involved in helping delay this virtual roll cover beyond August 1st for the DNC. But will they come out and take a position one way or the other but keeping Biden atop the ticket? That's going to be a key question in the next two weeks. TAPPER: And, Jeff -- Jeff Zeleny, tell us more about this, the moderate House Democrats' phone call with President Biden over the weekend. JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Look, this was Saturday, just in the hours before the shooting. So, at the time, and this is part of President Biden going through a really (AUDIO GAP) in a conversation with the new Democratic coalition, largely moderate Republicans, there was a very heated conversation and an interesting one (AUDIO GAP) stark information and saying, look, we don't think you can win. Jason Crow from Colorado and Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania, and most importantly, but as our Dana Bash reported earlier today in a conversation with the president and Jason Crow got quite heated. And Crow, you know, who's in -- a military veteran. He has had several tours of duty. He is seen as a leader among House Democrats. He really pressed the president to see if he's still able to serve. There are national security questions. And Biden pushed back quite forcefully. So, now, we know that Biden -- TAPPER: He told him to cut the crap. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah. ZELENY: Now we know Biden is hearing this information, can't just blame it on the media that he's seeing, but the question is, does he believe it and does it comport with the polling he's seeing from Mike Donilon. All eyes right now are in Mike Donilon, the president's longstanding adviser and strategists. HENDERSON: And, listen, what Jason Crow in that meeting said to Joe Biden was Americans expect a strength and vigor in a sense of energy from their commander in chief, right? I mean, if you think about commander in chief, the sense of command. And I think the problem that Biden it has is he's keeping -- he keeps going out there thinking that he's going to quiet these calls, but he keeps giving these interviews where he seems to lose his train of thought. And even physically, there seems to be some sort of infirmity going on with him. His walk is a little bit slower. He seems to have trouble moving his arms in a way that we've seen him move them in years past. So that's the problem. That's why these calls haven't been quieted. TAPPER: Thanks to one and all as J.D. Vance takes the convention stage, the spotlight is also shining on his personal story. Who's his wife? How has she helped shape his political fortunes? That story is next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:51:52] BURNETT: All right. The stage is set. J.D. Vance will be delivering a massive speech tonight. As the country gets to know him, the attention is also turning to is wife. CNN's Brian Todd reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When 38-year-old, Usha Vance, walked onto the convention floor with her husband on Monday, her life may well have changed forever. KATE ANDERSENT BROWER, AUTHOR, "FIRST WOMAN": Now, she's really going to be under the media microscope and we're really getting to know who she is, what she believes in, and more importantly, why she married J.D. Vance. TODD: In an interview with FOX News last month, Usha Vance said this about the prospect of her husband becoming Donald Trump's running mate. USHA VANCE, J.D. VANCE'S WIFE: I'm not raring to change anything about our lives right now. But I really -- I believe in J.D. and I really love him, and so, we'll just see what happened with our life. TODD: She described their victorious 2022 campaign for the Senate seat from Ohio, J.D. Vance's first ever attempt to public office as a shock. VANCE: It was so different from anything we've ever done before, but it was an adventure. Our family story is an Ohio story. My husband J.D. grew up in Middletown and things weren't easy. TODD: And Usha Vance seemed as eager to win the race as her husband, taking the lead role in a campaign. VANCE: He's an incredible father and he's my best friend. TODD: That proclivity to be able to comfortably appear with her husband in public contrast with Melania Trump, who's rarely seen with the former president at public events. BROWER: We don't see Melania Trump humanizing her husband. That's really not a role that she's ever played. And so, perhaps, Usha could be a really big advantage to this campaign, just like her husband is. She's young. She's well-spoken. She's successful. TODD: Born Usha Chilukuri in 1986. She was raised in a San Diego suburb by Indian immigrant parents and met J.D. Vance when they both attended Yale Law School. They married in 2014 and have three young children, which Usha Vance has balanced with some impressive professional accomplishments. She clerked for two Supreme Court justices, Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh, when he served on the U.S. Court of Appeals. She just resigned from a highe powered law firm. In a 2020 podcast, J.D. Vance joked about how tough it is to argue with her at home. SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh my God, it's terrible. It's -- it's terrible. She uses, you know, so much facts and logic. (END VIDEOTAPE) TODD: In fact, when Fox asked J.D. Vance how he would debate Vice President Kamala Harris, he motioned toward Usha and said, well, I have to debate this litigator all the time. So, I think I would do okay there -- Erin. BURNETT: All right. Brian, thank you very much. And next details of the failures and missed warnings before the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. We've got those breaking details after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:59:31] TAPPER: And we're back with some breaking news. Several Republican U.S. senators are blasting today's briefing by federal officials about the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. They're calling the briefing, quote, uninformative, and quote, a cover your ass briefing. In a separate briefing, a House lawmaker says officials told them that the shooter had a major depressive disorder. We also have some new details about the shooting. According to a senior law enforcement official, a counter sniper team saw the shooter looking at their position, through a rangefinder around the same time that witnesses alerted police that the shooter was crawling on the roof. … The Situation Room Aired July 17, 2024 - 17:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: …There are also new images of what was found on the shooters body including a transmitter and a cell phone. All this as investigators are still trying to uncover what was the motive behind the twisted act on Saturday. I will be back tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern for CNN special coverage of night three of the Republican National Convention. The news continues now with one Mr. Wolf Blitzer, as well as Erin Burnett. They're both in the "Situation Room." [17:00:46] WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We are coming down to one of the most anticipated events of the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee. J.D. Vance, the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee about to take the stage just hours from now. We're also following important news surrounding President Biden in a major blow, it's been a major blow to his fight to remain on the ticket. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. This is a special edition of the Situation Room. We're live here in Milwaukee. I'm Wolf Blitzer. ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And I'm Erin Burnett. And Wolf, we're about to hear from President Biden on the campaign trail in Nevada. This is the second day in a row where he's in state, as one of the most prominent Democrats in Congress is now calling for Biden to drop out of the presidential race. Adam Schiff, once of Nancy Pelosi -- one of Nancy Pelosi's closest allies says it's now time for the President to pass the torch saying he has serious concerns about whether President Biden can defeat Donald Trump in November. Now Schiff is the highest profile House Democrat to part ways with the President so far, Wolf. BLITZER: And it comes, Erin, as we're learning incredible new details about a contentious meeting between the President and House Democrats, at one point President Biden snapping at Congressman Jason Crow, who told him voters are concerned about his vigor and strength. President Biden saying and I'm quoting him now, "I don't want to hear that crap," close quote. Kayla Tausche is live in Las Vegas with the President. Kristen Holmes is here in Milwaukee with all of us. Let's start with Kristen. You're here at the Republican National Convention, Kristen. You have been speaking to Republicans there -- here. What do they want to hear from J.D. Vance? KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, a majority of Republicans that I've spoken to in the last several hours say they want to know who J.D. Vance is. They don't know much about the junior senator from Ohio. When he takes the stage tonight he will be really within an on the political scene for only about a year and a half. I talked to Republicans who said they want to know what it is that J.D. Vance stands for. What are the values he brings to the ticket? Remember, Wolf, many of these Republicans all they heard for years when it came to J.D. Vance was what he was saying against former President Donald Trump when he was hitting the airwaves back in 2016 and '17 as a never Trumper. A lot of them, they want to hear this evolution as to how he became such an avid supporter of the former president. But one thing I want to tell you, Wolf, he has a lot to talk about, and he only has about 20 minutes to do it. So, it's going to be a short amount of time to get in his whole life story and speak to all of these Republicans who have questions about the future of the Republican Party. BLITZER: We're all anticipating a major, major speech from the vice presidential nominee of the Republican Party. Kristen, thank you very much. We'll, of course, get back to you. Right now want to go to CNN's Kayla Tausche. She's at Las Vegas with President Biden. Kayla, Congressman Schiff, urging President Biden to leave the race. The campaign saying President Biden isn't going anywhere. What's the latest? KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, certainly Congressman Schiff, coming out against President Biden is the boldest name in the Democratic Party so far, but it has long been the case that there was a belief or there has been a belief within the White House in the Biden campaign hat until or unless Democratic leaders like Hakeem Jeffries in the House or Chuck Schumer in the Senate come out themselves against the President, that he is safe and to be assured that Biden campaign's message has been one of staying the course. They believe in their heart that President Biden just needs to stay out there. And that getting him in front of voters will shore up the support with critical constituencies like black voters and Hispanics, which is one reason why he's here in Nevada counterprogramming, the RNC with policy rollouts on the economy and immigration and sitting for interviews with major media outlets and outlets that reach those constituencies specifically. He said that only a medical condition would cause him to reevaluate his candidacy and he called it gain time right now. We're expecting the President to take the stage in just about an hour's time. We'll bring that to you when it happens. Wolf and Erin. BLITZER: All right, Kayla, thank you very much. Kayla Tausche reporting for us. Our political experts are joining us right now to discuss all of these very significant developments. [17:05:04] And David Chalian, let me start with you Adam Schiff. Clearly the most high profile Democrat yet to publicly call on the President of the United States not to seek reelection. How big of a deal is this? DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Here's one reason why I think it's a very big deal. And I know Manu reported that there was no orchestration here with the Pelosi people. But you cannot separate out how close Adam Schiff is with the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who holds a lot of cards in this scenario. She is somebody with a ton of authority representing the caucus, the party, those running down ballot and can get in Joe Biden's ear. And so the fact that one of her closest political allies in the Democratic Party comes out and says, I just can't separate their relationship from that and the effect that that they have. BLITZER: Let me get Manu to weigh in. Manu, you're our chief congressional correspondent, let me read to you a line from what Adam Schiff is saying. This is a quote from Adam Schiff, "A second Trump presidency will undermine the very foundation of our democracy. And I have serious concerns about whether the President can defeat Donald Trump in November." As we just heard from David, he's a very close ally of Nancy Pelosi, would he have done this without consulting with her? MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, we would -- I would assume that she would have some insight into what he was thinking. Remember yesterday, her -- his private comments at a fundraiser were leaked to the "New York Times." And essentially this led for him to come out publicly and say this. But what he is saying really echoes what Democrats to say privately. The only 20 have come out publicly to call for him to step aside, that's a small fraction of the overall House and Senate Democratic Caucus. And the Biden team will say, look, we have all these other members who haven't call for him to step aside. But they didn't want to say that publicly, even though many of them agree with Adam Schiff. They're seeing polling in their districts, we're seeing what's happening in the swing states, and they believe the Biden himself just simply doesn't get how serious of trouble that he is in, now he could take down the whole party with them. So which makes the next two weeks incredibly critical here before the DNC officially makes Biden the nominee and what the leaders do. They have to make some sort of public statement. Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, where do they ultimately come down, despite what they've been saying so far was not been -- not a whole lot. They're getting pressure to do a lot more. AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: And we'll have to add to that, if you want to take it out of the Capitol for voters, you're hearing all this conflicting messaging. And it is a real risk, I think, for lawmakers to come out and spend a bunch of weeks saying, please step aside, you're going to lose, you're not good for variety of reasons. And if he doesn't, they got to turn around to those same voters and say, well, I mean, he's probably fine. It could work out but vote for -- like it's it is a real mess of messaging. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know heading into the -- BLITZER: You know, it's interesting, Audie, I want to get your reaction, and then we'll move on. The President was asked if there was anything that could convince him to drop out of the race right now. Here's what he said in an interview with BET. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I had some medical condition that emerged. If somebody have -- doctors came to me and said, you got this problem, that problem. But I made a serious mistake in the whole debate. (END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: As you know, in that ABC News interview, he said the only way he would get out if the Lord Almighty, his words, if the Lord Almighty told him to get out. But now he's saying, if I had some medical condition that emerged, he might consider getting out of the race. CORNISH: Right. So for people who want him to step aside, maybe they feel like this is move in the right direction, because it's going from God Himself to just like basic illness. I mean, I think it's interesting that the President just feels as though he is just going to ride this out. Right? He's just going to keep saying no, no, no, until finally someone listens. JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: I think it's -- there's enough evidence now that there -- we've seen a very different response from President Biden, Wolf. You mentioned the Lord Almighty, but the week after that at the NATO press conference, he was asked by a Scripps news reporter, if he was presented with information, if he would get out polling information. And he left the door open to that, he said those polls don't exist. Well, now he is potentially learning that they do. So if you take all the conversations together, I keep going back to last Saturday, I think that's going to be a critical day when we look back at all this. Yes, the assassination attempt happened, the horrible assassination attempt, but right before that, President Biden was on the phone with House Democrats, he got an earful. People expressed directly how dire this is, and then he had an in person meeting with Senator Chuck Schumer. We've gotten very little information out of that, except I'm told it was candid and blunt and clear eyed. And Chuck Schumer does not visit the President. The President does take visitors on Saturday in Rehoboth when he's there for his weekend unless it's sort of serious. So, I think there has been movement actually, as we hit the third week tomorrow. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: And in many ways, the fact that Chuck Schumer and other leaders in the Democratic Party haven't really weighed in that sort of tells you everything you need to know. I think the last thing that Nancy Pelosi said that was Biden is still making up his mind about whether or not to leave the race. This was after he has insisted on many occasions that he is staying in the race. Maybe she doesn't like the answer that he's giving. And that's why she's saying, oh, he hasn't really decided yet. [17:10:22] Listen, I think Biden has gone into this sort of post-debate period, thinking that he would be able to quiet down all his critics, the folks who want him to stand aside by his performance, by a press conference, by an interview with Lester Holt, interviews with BET, he's clearly are relying on African Americans in particular, to sort of pull him back from the brink. But it isn't working. The calls are still coming. BLITZER: As you know, Jeff, and you mentioned poll numbers, these latest poll numbers for the president are pretty awful, 65 percent in this AP poll, 65 percent of Democrats say President Biden should drop out. Nearly half don't think he has the mental capacity to do the job. ZELENY: Look, it's incredibly damaging. I mean, he was viewed as lucky president by escaping and avoiding a Democratic primary. History will show that that's always a very risky thing when a incumbent president has a primary, but he escaped a serious primary. But now what is happening, I would argue is even more serious because we are a month away from the Democratic Convention, about three and a half months away from Election Day here. So nevermind, all these decisions. What we don't know is the President himself and First Lady Jill Biden, have they been swayed by any of these in treaties. That is the missing piece of the puzzle here. But say they have been, then what? The question now is going to be with this very short window of time here, what do people do? So Vice President Harris is -- she was on the road today, has been literally waiting in the wings, sort of a historic holding pattern, you know, doing her day job. But that's the underlying question, all of this. Say he does step aside, then what? HENDERSON: What happens next? Yeah. RAJU: Biden -- you know, Biden's theory of the case has been to make this race about Trump, but is no longer about Trump. It is now about Biden, and that is the real risk as we head into November and Democrats see it. And how does he shift the conversation back to Trump and get the focus away from him? It's hard to see how he does that in this moment when everyone's watching everything that he's doing. HENDERSON: And listen, they've been saying that for a while, right? The campaign hasn't really started yet. Once they go up on the air, the polls will change. But the polls have been fairly consistent. ZELENY: They've spent millions and millions of dollars. HENDERSON: Millions and millions of dollars in swing state ads. The debate was supposed to be another moment, right? They'll build the momentum their way. We see what happened with that debate. Another point was, oh, we'll go out and we'll do these interviews, things will change. And it hasn't happened yet. CHALIAN: And they acknowledge -- the Biden campaign acknowledges that these last three weeks -- UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. CHALIAN: -- have blotted out the sun in a way that they are totally not able to make this what they want to make it about the stakes and about the clear choice with Donald Trump. That is not getting to voters right now. And they understand that that is a huge part of the problem. BLITZER: Excellent perspective. Everybody stand by. We have a lot more coming up, including President Biden about to speak in Nevada trying to shore up Latino support after another major defection. Democratic Senator Cory Booker is our guest. That's coming up. Plus, Ohio senator and bestselling author J.D. Vance about to make the biggest speech of his life as he tries to prove he's the right man for the job. Stay with us. You're in the Situation Room. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:17:37] BURNETT: A breaking news, Republican VP nominee J.D. Vance speaking just hours before he'll address the RNC formally tonight as Donald Trump's running mate. Vance sharing what his first thoughts were after Trump survived Saturday's assassination attempt and saying why he thinks Trump's response so as why he should be president again. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I was pissed. I was as soon as I knew he was OK I felt relief. And then I was like, I cannot believe an assassin tried to take down the president United States. I was mad about it. Was he mad and angry? He called for national unity. He called for calm. He showed leadership. (END VIDEO CLIP) BURNETT: All right, so that was just a little bit ago this afternoon. And obviously he's going to be in just a few hours addressing the RNC, the country, the world, everyone's going to see him, Shermichael. SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. BURNETT: I would assume he'll be a little bit more energetic than we saw there. It'll be a big -- much bigger room. I don't take critically, I mean, it's just going to be a very different vibe. SINGLETON: Yes, it needs to be like Democrats are already painting him in a very, very negative light, Kate. BURNETT: Why are -- OK. Yes. SINGLETON: And I understand why. Look, he needs to use this moment to introduce himself to the American people. He has an incredible story. For the past few days, we've seen the party really tried to focus on outreach to people of color. I would love to see J.D. take his personal story and translate those racial lines, that can be very powerful. I also think he has an opportunity to talk about what the possibilities of the future are for so many people. We've talked about this for several days now, Erin. The future looks bleak. J.D. can say I am an example of what's possible. And if you vote for Trump, you vote for myself. We can make the possibility common for everybody. BURNETT: Well, it was Pence last time around, and you are for Pence. So you know him and you understand, you know, in these moments, Trump and Vance and what's really actually happening, because Vance, his confidence is going to come from that relationship. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, absolutely. By the way, I'm just -- it's still jarring to see they just subbed out two letters on the side -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. GRIFFIN: -- you went from Pence to Vance and kept everything else. BURNETT: I did. That was an early conspiracy theory that I did enjoy. GRIFFIN: But listen, his job tonight is to introduce himself to the country but also not to take too much of the spotlight from Donald Trump. Expect to hear him effusively praise the President. I think he should take head on his former criticisms and talk of the former -- of the President and talk about why he's a convert. Donald Trump loves a convert. There's this notion that like once you're out you can never get back in, so I think you should lean into that. And I think a lot of us feel like we know him of "Hillbilly Elegy" fame. There are going to be so many people in this convention whole who really don't know much about him and millions of people watching. And he has this pull yourself up by the bootstraps story that Donald Trump always wanted something like that for himself. He's tried to even kind of like lean into having like, look what I did, with a very different upbringing. So I expect him to lean into his personal bio and praising the president. [17:20:16] JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, I think he probably -- he's going to tell the story of pulling himself up by his bootstraps. But the history, the recent history has been that he doesn't really believe that for everyone else. When I met him, I only met him once, I met him in 2016, and I was a fan because of the book. And I thought, wow, as somebody who grew up in Michigan in a black community that was very similar to the community he grew up in that was a white community, I felt like, this is amazing. Here's somebody who's talking about the white working class, the struggling the white working class, but he's not pointing fingers at the black people who live on the other side of town. He's not pointing fingers at the immigrants who are coming, everyone says they're taking their jobs. He's saying, we've got to talk about what's happening inside this community and there's space for everybody else. But the new J.D. Vance isn't somebody who's not pointing fingers. He's somebody who's got the eliminating di act, and he wants to get rid of diversity inclusion in federal programming. And the reality is the reason why we have had so much progress on race and gender inclusion is because we've been trying to make progress. And when we stop trying to make progress, we're going to stop making progress. And that's what makes me worried about J.D. Vance. And you just can't trust what flip flop is going to come out of him next from where he was before. KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I mean, I think the other thing that is going to be interesting to see, I know, I believe his wife is introducing him tonight and to this point about, you know, him sort of introducing himself to the world, there's one of the places where the, you know, there's a significant disparity in this race is the gender gap. There -- you know, Trump -- the Trump ticket has problems with women, suburban women. So, I would expect that we'll see, you know, his wife do some of what she's done already and sort of trying to, you know, humanize him and talk about him. But I think an important issue here is going to be -- or an issue that's going to dog him here is going to be his stance on abortion. I mean, he supports, you know, no exceptions for rape or incest. He obviously was an opponent of the ballot initiative in Ohio that wind up passing. And when it passed, you know, he said it was a disappointment. You know, that is certainly a place where Democrats are going to, you know, try to define his position. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. BEDINGFIELD: And so it will be interesting to see the work that they tried to do tonight to reach out to women knowing that that is something that's going to be coming. BURNETT: Of course they're coming with such confidence, right? They think and Democrats think that Trump's going to win. All right? So that's what everybody seems to think. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. BURNETT: Now, I just want -- I put this question in the context, you know, Adam Schiff comes out against Biden today. We don't know what's going to happen. And yet, you wright today, I think it's a little too early to go all in on the election is over Trump landslide confirmed. KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We've got a long way to go. Even though it feels like November is speeding for us rapidly -- BURNETT: Yes. ANDERSON: -- there are a lot of things that could happen. It feels like President Biden is not in good shape and it could get worse. And there's a chance that Democrats will stick with him, despite all of this noise and what I think is a pretty strong and growing coalition of Democrats saying we have to move on or else this is the Titanic and it is going down, let's all get on the lifeboats. But at the same time, there are risks for alternatives. There are risks for throwing Biden over and going with someone new. I don't think the election is over though, because there's still the reality that a lot of voters are not crazy about Donald Trump. They really don't think the last four years have gone well. They don't think that Joe Biden has lived up to the promises that he made to try to unify this country, et cetera. It has created an opening for someone who's favorable or as low as Donald Trump's are to nevertheless come out and say what Lara Trump said last night, which was you don't have to imagine what the next four years would be like, just remember what it was like. That is going to be Trump's message. SIMMONS: Well, Erin, you know, this election already has had three sort of mind bending things that have occurred. We have a presidential candidate who has been convicted of 34 felonies, right? We all thought that was going to matter a lot. BURNETT: That was history making, yes. SIMMONS: It was history making, right? And we weren't even talking about it anymore. We had, you know, the debate. The debate is already starting to fade in people's memories from where it was, and obviously the tragedy of Last Saturday. I'm not sure a month from now, how we feel today about what happened last week is going to be how we feel a month from now. BURNETT: Right. JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. So, I mean -- SIMMONS: Change trajectory. GOLDBERG: Yes. I largely agree with the basic points. I also think Biden's not going to get better, right? The Biden we've seen the last two weeks is the Biden we're going to see till November. That's just the nature -- BURNETT: Well, that's the Biden you saw before the debate. Some great days, some not great days, right? That's what it was. ANDERSON: But that's best case scenario. GOLDBERG: Yes. But that's best case scenario, right. If he has another -- I particularly loved in the Lester Holt interview when Lester Holt said, well, what if you have another episode, like you had a debate? And Joe Biden says, well, I'm not planning on doing that. Did you plan on the last one? I mean, but on the J.D. Vance thing, I agree entirely with Alyssa about the Trump loves a conversion because it shows his strength, right, it shows that I've forced someone to bend to my will and all that kind of stuff. I think they're going to use this conversion in a slightly different way though. [17:25:08] What they are trying to do, sort of like what they did with Amber Rose is they're trying to give people who don't like Trump. Because remember, a majority of Americans don't like Trump. This is the second election in eight years where we have two presidential candidates so unpopular, they have a chance of losing to the other one. And what they're trying to do is give people permission to vote for someone they don't like, someone they have deep reservations for. And I think what he's going to try to do is take his personal conversion, and create a permission structure for voters to have a conversion as well about Trump. That's what a lot of last night stuff was about. It was like, he's a good father, he's a nice man. Here's how he treats women in private, he's a knight -- not -- their versions of how he treats women in private, right? And that's what they're going to try and do is tell people I understand you have problems with some of the stuff Trump says and does, but it's OK. GRIFFIN: But there's a question of authenticity, because I think some people are going to watch Vance and be like, I have a really hard time believing that you thought he might be America's Hitler. And then he governed, he said, anti-Democratic things January 6 happened and you're like, actually, no, this is not the guy. He's much better than I thought he was. SIMMONS: And like a debate. We've seen some of these things with our own eyes. BURNETT: All right. SIMMONS: Better than Hitler. BURNETT: He's hard to convert of that. Next, more on the numerous headlines around Democrats today as President Biden is facing a new defection and an important one from a leading member of his own party. We're going to talk about it all with the New Jersey Senator Cory Booker with us live. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:31:00] BURNETT: Welcome back to a special edition of the Situation Room. As President Biden continues to bleed support, the Trump campaign is piling on saying they can't commit to the VP debate because the actual proposed debate from "CBS" would be quote unfair to Kamala Harris to whoever Kamala Harris picks us her running mate, because it would be before the convention. Joining me now Democratic Senator Cory Booker. So, you know, Senator for a -- for a few days, this quieted down after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. And now we're starting to hear the drumbeat again, Adam Schiff today, the congressman, becoming the most high profile Democrat to call for President Biden to step aside in the election, of course, he's a close confidant of Nancy Pelosi. So do you think this is building again? Do you think that this is going to change the outcome? SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): I think the President has shown extraordinary leadership over his 50-year career and he's facing a real question of what is best for the country. And I think he'll make that decision. A lot of us are doing everything we can behind the scenes to really talk openly and honestly, with the President, with his team about the best way forward. We've had private meetings in D.C. all last week. I don't want to have this conversation in public. I'm just -- I just think that that's not wise right now that the Republicans are having their convention. I want to get everybody to refocus on what we have done over the last four years, congressional Democrats have lowered the cost of insulin and health care, congressional Democrats, along with President Biden have passed extraordinary infrastructure bills, things that made a real difference in the lives of folks. So I know that Donald Trump and his team want to try to pit Democrat against Democrat. I think this is a time where we should be L telling a common story about what we have done together as a party with Joe Biden as our leader with incredible congressional Democrats. BURNETT: So and -- and obviously, Joe Biden is saying the same thing you're saying. But the only thing that you just said there, which actually harkens back to Nancy Pelosi, as you said, a decision to be made. He's made a decision. He tell us every day he's made a decision, yet, we keep hearing from senior members of a party like yourself, that he'll make a decision. So, look, I understand that this is a bit of rhetoric, but it seems like you and others want him to get out. BOOKER: Look, we have a great party with good party rules. Right now, he is our presumptive nominee, there is a process going forward, when he will be the nominee. That process gives him a lot of chance to evaluate things, to look at facts and make the decisions about what's best for the country. And there are a lot of people talking to him, I trust this man, he has been such a solid leader, he will make the right decision because he knows that he has a solid legacy in American history as the most productive president of my lifetime. But he also knows that Donald Trump is an existential threat to his legacy. And so we all know, this is the man that wants to tear down the Affordable Care Act. We know this is the man that has already presided over the ripping down of Roe v. Wade. But he now just chose the vice president that wants to pass a national abortion ban. There are real issues that are bigger than any of us. And I know that Joe Biden is going to make his decisions. But right now, we as a party have to begin in a chorus of conviction, talking to the American public about the existential threat of what Donald Trump represents, because the biggest reason he chose J.D. Vance who's going to speak tonight, you know this, the reason why Michael Pence is not on -- Mike Pence is not on the ballot is because he stood up and did the noble thing of certifying an election that judges and his Trump's top election official all said, was a free fair election, that now he has somebody that said in the same places as Michael Pence. I would not have certified that election. And that is a real threat to our democracy. So I want this conversation to be about what the Republicans are saying at their convention. They're telling us through Project 2025 what they want to do to Social Security Medicaid and Medicare. We need to start letting folks focus on that and not what Joe Biden and others are working through leaning into our convention, where we will nominate a president and vice president, and whoever that ticket is, I'm going to get behind them and fight as hard as I possibly can. [17:35:19] BURNETT: I know, I struggled there. But again, whoever that ticket is, I mean, you know, I -- I -- I understand that. But of course, you know, 14 million Democrats voted for that to be Joe Biden, until the debate, there was no question of anything else. And I understand just keeps being raised as if it's a question, which I realize it is because senior members of your party want to have this conversation. I want to ask you about New Jersey, though, where of course, your fellow Senator Bob Menendez is now a convicted felon, federal corruption charges, the gold bars that -- that story. And -- and you've been very clear on this, senator, you've said you'll lead the charge to expel him, if he doesn't resign? The question is, should the Senate vote next week to expel him when you are back in session? BOOKER: So let's just be clear that this is something that has shaken my state. There are people that have a history of working with Bob Menendez for decades. And I just want to let folks understand that for a lot of us, him being convicted by a jury that was sworn to objectivity that had the highest criminal standard to meet, which is beyond a reasonable doubt that this is something that is should really shake all of us. And so there's some space now before we come back in which I hope Bob Menendez will do the right thing, should he not do the right thing? I've been talking to Chuck Schumer and other colleagues, I know, and I'm confident that we will work for an expulsion. I don't want to talk about the details of that. Because again, I -- I think that these coming days before we're back in session, on Monday or Tuesday, he should use this time to come before the American people and do the right thing. BURNETT: All right. Well, Senator Booker, I appreciate your time. As always, thanks so much. BOOKER: I appreciate you. And, you know, this is a time where I think journalists really have a responsibility. We've seen an assassination attempt. We've seen a lot of pain that's challenging our country. The reason why our democracy is so great is we have the free press. And now more than ever trusted voices like yours are critical. We got to heal. We got to come together as a country. We got to remind ourselves it's not left or right. It's about moving forward. So thanks for being somebody standing in the breach in this tough time. BURNETT: All right. Well, we all -- we all take that and -- and thank you very much, Senator Booker. And we do have alarming details just emerging now about Trump's would be assassin, as we are learning more about what happened. And North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer, he was just briefed on the shooting. He's going to join Wolf live from Milwaukee in the Situation Room. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:41:59] BLITZER: Breaking news we're following right now, more alarming details emerging tonight about Donald Trump's would-be assassin. Sources now telling CNN that Thomas Matthew Crooks had pictures of both President Biden and former President Trump on his phone. And we're also learning he visited the site of Trump's rally twice after the event was announced. This news comes as the House and Senate were just briefed by the U.S. Secret Service on the shooting. Republican Senator Kevin Cramer from North Dakota is joining us right now. Senator, thanks very much for coming in. You listened in to this briefing on this from the Secret Service? SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): I did. BLITZER: What can you tell us? What did you learn? CRAMER: Well, interestingly, Wolf, the -- the details, the timeline details, which we've all been pretty fascinated with, we've probably got a little more detail than has been out in the public to this point. None of it, of course, is classified. And so we -- I think we have a pretty good picture of what happened, when it happened. What we don't have, you know, a clear idea of is, why did it happen? Why wasn't the response better? The -- the FBI was also part of the briefing. So they dug in a little deeper on, you know, the young man's social media, which there wasn't a lot of, other ways of communication -- communicating these pictures that you obviously already know about is what it's painting is a picture of a disturbed young man, in my view, but still not one that seems to have a clear motive that we can, at least at this point, understand. BLITZER: So you were told of the pictures of both Biden and Trump on his phone? CRAMER: We were. BLITZER: And how did they explain that? CRAMER: Just sort of matter of fact, like that, that there were pictures of -- of both presidents that now obviously, there were a lot more pictures of the -- of the venue in -- in Pennsylvania, you know, before the act and whatnot. But clearly, it -- it's just not -- it's not clear that he's got a political philosophy that was driving whatever it is, you know, that he did, or what -- what motivated him to do what he did. BLITZER: The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, he today called on the head of the U.S. Secret Service to resign, do you think that would be appropriate? CRAMER: Well, I'm surprised she hasn't to be honest. I don't know what, you know, she could have done differently, that'll take time to figure out, but it's hard not -- it's not hard not to look at the Secret Service response to this and not question that at the very least at the very top leadership just as an example. My question that did not get through in time for -- for us to hear it was, OK, we know this timeline. We know these 20 minutes to however long it was but at least 20 minutes where the threat was identified. OK. You didn't know how to get to them. The, you know, the -- whether it was state cops or local cops that were responsible, sheriffs, whatever. The -- with the Secret Service what -- what's unclear to me is why did the President remain on the stage for all of these minutes knowing that there was a threat of some sort on the rooftop close by. I just -- I can't understand why -- why he was kept in harm's way like that. BLITZER: Because some of -- some of your Republican colleagues are suggesting the Secret Service may have been more concerned about diversity amongst its ranks than about security in this particular. CRAMER: Well, I -- [17:45:00] BLITZER: You've heard those? CRAMER: I've heard those things. And -- and if -- if that's true and -- and we certainly know that there's a strong emphasis on that sort of thing in the current administration and then certain corporations and whatnot. I don't know that that's the issue today. I don't know that that's an issue we certainly should deal with. But I don't know that that's the issue today or that that's the issue that lit -- led specifically to this, you know, very sad incident on Saturday. BLITZER: Let -- let's get to what's about to happen tonight. CRAMER: Sure. BLITZER: We're all going to be hearing from the vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance. Senator Vance is being described by President Biden as a clone of Trump. Do you agree? CRAMER: I don't agree. I know J.D. fairly well. I mean, you know, I've served with him now for a year and a half for almost two years. He's been -- yes, he's -- he's been -- I've been in the Senate with him. And -- and J.D. is similar in basic -- in basic philosophy, Wolf. But -- but J.D. is -- he's a very intellectual. He's very eloquent on -- on -- he -- I call them oftentimes the conscience of the populist wing of the Republican Party. Whereas President Trump, you know, has this broad philosophy, a -- a populist philosophy. But he's also -- he's much, you know, he projects strength in a way that where J.D. I think, projects more of an intellectual approach to populism. I think he's a -- he's -- he's a certainly a safe, you know, safe pick for the President in terms of somebody he'll work with well. He'll get along with well. He'll probably take good counsel from. But I also think, you know, Donald Trump doesn't answer to the Vice President and I -- I think he'll -- they'll be good partners, but I don't think he's a clone. BLITZER: Senator, thanks very much for coming in. CRAMER: My pleasure. BLITZER: Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, appreciate it very much. Coming up, Erin Burnett speaks exclusively to NFL legend, Terrell Davis, about being handcuffed on a plane all because he says he asked for a cup of ice for his son. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:51:00] BURNETT: All right. Welcome back. We have so much on the Republican convention to talk about tonight. There's also other important news we're following including growing questions about why NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis was removed from United Airlines flight in handcuffs, right next to his children and wife. The two times Super Bowl champion says the incident began after he lightly tapped a flight attendant on the arm to ask for a cup of ice. United Airlines apologizing saying we've reached out to Mr. Davis's team to apologize. We removed the flight attendant from duty. Well, earlier, I spoke with Davis and his wife, Tamiko, and I asked him exactly what happened. Here's part of what they told me. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TERRELL DAVIS, NFL HALL OF FAMER: This happened, the gentleman leans over, he has a big FBI on his shirt -- on his jacket. And he leans over and he's got handcuffs, and I'm looking at looking at -- looking at him and he says, don't fight it, don't fight it. And he puts the cuffs on me. BURNETT: And your boys are there? TERRELL DAVIS: And my boys are there. And my daughter's there. My wife is there. And it's like, I felt so like I was stripped of my dignity, you know, I was powerless. I had -- I couldn't do anything. I'm wondering what's going on? They didn't ask me any questions. It wasn't -- I'd had no chance to even. TAMIKO DAVIS, TERRELL DAVIS'S WIFE: Explain. TERRELL DAVIS: Explain what happened, if anything happened. TAMIKO DAVIS: Or asked. BURNETT: So but -- but I mean, when they say we just don't deal with handcuffs. TERRELL DAVIS: Handcuffs. BURNETT: Your boys are right there, right? TERRELL DAVIS: My boys were right there. BURNETT: -- three in a row coach? TERRELL DAVIS: Yes. BURNETT: And you -- did you -- are you thinking why? TERRELL DAVIS: I am confused. TAMIKO DAVIS: But you're calm. And I think -- TERRELL DAVIS: I'm calm, yes. BURNETT: Yes, you're calm. TAMIKO DAVIS: Terrell, Terrell -- TERRELL DAVIS: Yes. TAMIKO DAVIS: He had no choice but to comply? BURNETT: Yes. TAMIKO DAVIS: And that's a whole another level to this. You know, I -- I think he -- he's not given an opportunity to ask questions or to challenge or to say, wait, what's happening because the FBI agent came right to him. Not asking his name, not giving any type of explanation. The first words that the FBI agent told him was, don't make a scene. Don't fight it. So what can he do? Terrell knows better. Unfortunately, historically, in these situations, interaction with law enforcement -- law enforcement as a black man, you can't fight, you can't resist, you can't act and not everyone is a fight, you can't ask. So thank God, my husband has the wherewithal, the class, the understanding, to know in that moment, all he could do was sit there and comply and be humiliated in front of his sons, and the 200, whatever, how many people were on that plane? He hadn't -- they didn't give him any other options. BURNETT: And you're -- you're talking about being humiliated? Did you feel in that moment, you talk about historically being but did -- did you feel your blackness in that moment? TERRELL DAVIS: Feel -- that's, you know what, that's a perfect word to use in this case, because it's not what you think, it's -- it's how people make you feel. And I certainly felt like, that wouldn't have happened if I were a person of -- of -- of not have, you know, if I was a white person, right? It wouldn't have happened. TAMIKO DAVIS: Right. TERRELL DAVIS: That's what I felt. Now, whether that's true or not, that's a different conversation, but, yes, you felt like that it was no degree of respect or -- TAMIKO DAVIS: Courtesy. TERRELL DAVIS: Courtesy or anything about it. TAMIKO DAVIS: Regard. TERRELL DAVIS: You know. BURNETT: Well, I mean, I -- when I saw this story, OK, I had just flown back. And I also have three kids. So we do the same thing. We do two and one. And all I could think of and -- and I know you don't know exactly what happened or what the motive was or what someone was feeling, but I could just think to myself that I don't think that would have happened to me or my husband. TERRELL DAVIS: Right, right. And they're right, and that's what we talked about. And here's -- here's the other thing, too. Not only do I have my -- my kids there, I'm always trying to tell them how to, you know, be -- be the model, right? Try to be an example to my kids and do the right things. And then you know what, you don't have to worry about anything, but we did the right thing, right? We didn't do anything. But yet I found myself with handcuffs, being printed off of a claim and being treated like a -- like a -- like a -- like a convict, right? And -- and then this kind of you're guilty until you're proven innocent applied in that -- in that -- in that situation. [17:55:11] TAMIKO DAVIS: But the damage had already been done. TERRELL DAVIS: The damage was done already. BURNETT: So did your kids, did you get to say anything to them as you get out on the plane? TERRELL DAVIS: So I -- so -- so I -- so the other heartbreaking part that I still just it -- it loops in my head is when they took me down the -- the -- the hallway they take me out to the jetway, they don't take me through the regular terminal. And at least the FBI agent, you know, had the wherewithal to say, listen, man, he brought my family out, my wife and kids came out and he asked for like a sweater or something to put on my handcuffs so nobody will see me. And I -- the look on my family's face when they saw me in handcuffs, and I was going -- I was going out the back door and they were going out the -- the guess the, you know, the jet bridge. TAMIKO DAVIS: Yes. TERRELL DAVIS: I can see the look on their faces and it broke my heart because my kids are looking at their, their eyes are watery. They don't know what's happening to their dad. He's got the handcuffs on, nobody explained to them what -- what was going on, and I was powerless. I couldn't do anything about it. (END VIDEOTAPE) BLITZER: My thanks to Terrell and Tamiko Davis who -- who chose to -- to cut off their vacation to talk about this because they want -- want people to understand what happened. Please stay with us. Wolf and I will be back as our coverage of the RNC continues next with a special edition of the Situation Room. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) The Situation Room Aired July 17, 2024 - 18:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:00:42] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANNOUNCER: In the 2024 battleground of Wisconsin, Donald Trump's choice for vice president is about to introduce himself to the nation. Senator J.D. Vance, taking his place on the convention stage as heir to Trump's MAGA movement. SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We have got to re- elect Donald J. Trump to the White House. ANNOUNCER: Tonight, in Milwaukee, the Trump Vance ticket puts forward its vision for America. One of the most consequential and tradition shattering presidential races ever shifting into a new gear with these high profile speakers in the spotlight, Donald Trump Jr., Governor Doug Burgum and J.D. Vance accepting his nomination. Night three of the Republican National Convention begins on CNN right now. (END VIDEOTAPE) WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: A live view of the convention center here in Milwaukee, where the Trump campaign is calling this the V.P.'s night. We're standing by for this evening's program to get underway, a potentially pivotal moment for the future of the Republican Party. We are high above the convention hall right now for this special edition of The Situation Room. I'm Wolf Blitzer along with Erin Burnett. Erin, we expect Donald Trump to the arena tonight to see how his running mate performs in his new role on the national stage. ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And, Wolf, there is so much riding on J.D. Vance tonight when the first term senator from Ohio addresses the party faithful and the American people really for the first time for many people, 39 years old, he won't turn 40 until the beginning of August, populist, former Trump critic, super critic, now being tested as a new generation torchbearer for the Trump agenda and as the top advocate and supporter for the man at the top of the ticket. And, Wolf, Senator Vance has a lot to accomplish. Big picture, obviously, there's foreign policy and all of those crucial questions. But the speech, Wolf, we anticipate will be very personal. BLITZER: Yes, indeed, Erin. When J.D. Vance steps on the convention stage tonight, he's expected to focus heavily on his own life story, growing up in a working class family that struggled with addiction. He'll be introduced by his wife, Usha, a trial law lawyer and daughter of Indian immigrants. As all of this is unfolding here in Milwaukee, there are still major new developments ongoing for the Biden campaign, Congressman and U.S. Senate Candidate Adam Schiff becoming the most prominent Democrat to publicly call on the president, President Biden, to drop out of the race. We're also learning that the president lashed out a very tense weekend call with moderate House Democrats after he was bluntly told that voters are concerned about his vigor and his strength. We're awaiting remarks by President Biden also at the same time at a separate event in Las Vegas. Meantime here in Milwaukee, the spotlight is clearly on J.D. Vance tonight. Kaitlan Collins is on the convention floor for us. Kaitlan, what's the thinking in Trump world right now heading into Senator Vance's big speech tonight. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, they're obviously looking ahead to this speech, Wolf, because Senator J.D. Vance, for a lot of people, is not a household name. He's not this well-known political figure. He hasn't been in the Senate for very long. He just entered politics when he ran for that Senate seat in Ohio. So, they're hoping that he can use this stage in front of me tonight to really make the case and to tell people who he is. A little bit how you saw people describing Donald Trump last night, that's what they want is for Senator Vance and for his wife, who is going to introduce him briefly before he does get up on stage, to kind of just let the nation know who it is that Donald Trump has picked to be his running mate. Now, they're also hoping, obviously, that will be someone in November who helps him with delegations like the ones standing right here to my right, Pennsylvania delegation, we've got Wisconsin, Michigan, all of these delegations that they are hoping someone like J.D. Vance with his upbringing is going to be helpful to the ticket come November. And, Wolf, I should note though, as this is going on here in Milwaukee. I am told by sources that former President Donald Trump is closely monitoring what is happening in Washington. And that is this effort that very much still has steam. [18:05:01] It is gathering steam with what you heard from Adam Schiff today, calling for President Biden to drop out of the race. I'm told that in between preparing his speech for tomorrow night, Donald Trump has been focused on this. He's been asking allies if they think that they are going to be successful in pushing President Biden off the ticket. Obviously, Wolf, it's a concern of the uncertainty of who it is that he is going to be facing come November. So, that is something just that Donald Trump is watching closely as he's got the focus of the world here on the Republican convention or at least his party. He's also watching what's going on in the other party and questions about what that's going to ultimately look like, Wolf. BLITZER: Very important developments indeed. Kaitlan, thanks very much. Don't go too far away. Phil Mattingly is also down on the convention floor for us. Phil, what do we know about Senator Vance's preparations for his national debut? PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: You know, Wolf, I'm here right next to where the Ohio delegation is going to sit. You can look. They've actually been taping up the names of the most critical political players in the state of Ohio. The family of Governor Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Governor John Husted, Jane Timken's name is up there as well, Bernie Moreno, who is their top Senate candidate at this point in time. And it's interesting because I've been talking to more than two dozen Ohio Republicans both here at the convention on the floor, but also back in the home state, asking them what they think about this selection. What do they know about J.D. Vance? The support, it is very widespread. The compliments, they are many, but the anecdotes, the personal kind of stories about relationships, they're somewhat lacking, and there's a reason for that. J.D. Vance, just 18 months into his first Senate term, has had a jetpack -- jet-fueled propelled rise to the top of the height of American politics, but he did not come up through the Ohio political system. Obviously, you know about his memoir, you know about his upbringing and what that has meant and his roles leading up to this point, but his connections to kind of the Ohio Republican political machine are very few. Now, some say, that's an advantage. He doesn't have a career politician record or a career politician kind of series of quotes and things that could be used against him. Democrats may disagree with that, of course, but it has also left a lot of questions and raised the stakes for the speech tonight. And when you talk to Republicans, they believe that he will deliver and deliver in good stead, but they recognize the pressure is very high. The stakes are absolutely enormous. And in his short political career, he's never faced any moment like this. BLITZER: All right. Phil, standby. We're going to get back to you soon, but there's some breaking news emerging right now. I want to go to see and that's Kayla Tausche. She's on the scene for us. Kayla, the president of the United States was about to speak, but something has gone on. We've just gotten new information. Tell us about that. KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, President Biden has just tested positive for COVID, that according to the president of Unidos, the leader of the organization that was set to host President Biden here in Las Vegas this afternoon amid a flurry of outreach that the president was doing to black voters and Hispanic voters as he trying to shore up support from critical constituencies. The Unidos president noting that Biden has done many more public events. He's been with crowds. He was just at a local restaurant earlier this afternoon filming an interview with a local Latino media outlet. And it was shortly after that that word began spreading here in the ballroom that the president would not be attending this event to deliver his remarks that, at this point, have now been delayed considerably throughout the afternoon. There was an audible gasp in the ballroom when that news was delivered. But as the leader of Unidos explained that President Biden planned to address the group at some point in the future and said that they will continue to support the president in his policies and his efforts, there was some applause that broke out among the crowd. Remember, the second gentleman tested positive for COVID a little bit more than a week ago, so there has been some exposure in the White House from some people who have tested positive, but it's unclear exactly where President Biden picked this up. We know that he tested positive for COVID last in July 2022. He was treated with a course of Paxlovid at that time. And he experienced a rebound positive test just a few days after beginning of that course of Paxlovid. But we're still awaiting more information from the White House on exactly how the president is feeling, where he had this test conducted amid a time where there have been many questions for the White House about the president's health in particular and at a time where he has been trying to prove to the public that he has the strength and vigor to continue campaigning and for a second term. Wolf? BLITZER: Kayla, stand by for a moment. I want to play the clip, the organizer of this event in Las Vegas, announcing that the president of the United States, President Biden, has tested positive for COVID. Let's listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's unable (ph) to join us this afternoon. The president has been at many events, as we all know, and He just tested positive for COVID. [18:10:00] So, of course, we understand that he needs to take precautions -- (END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: All right, so there you have it, the organizer announcing that the president of the United States has tested positive for COVID. Ana Navarro is on the phone with us. Ana, I take it you're there in Las Vegas. You heard it. What was the reaction of the crowd when this announcement was made? ANA NAVARRO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, yes, I am here. I'm backstage. I was supposed to be saying hello to the president briefly. And, look, this is a very supportive crowd. There is about 2,000 people in the audience. They flooded the ballroom when the doors opened at 11:00 A.M. So, people have been waiting for over three hours. There was a lot of excitement to hear him. He's been here in Las Vegas since yesterday when he did a speech at the NAACP. He had a packed schedule today, Wolf. He was doing events at a Mexican restaurant. He was doing media interviews with Latino media at a Mexican restaurant here in the city. And we were sitting here waiting for him and wondering what was delaying him. And then the news came to Janet Murguia, who is the head of Unidos that he was not coming, that he had tested positive for COVID. President Biden called her. I was next to her. President Biden called her told her how sorry he is not to be here, how disappointed he is, how much this organization means to him. Janet and Unidos, of course, is very disappointed. This is going to be a great event for the president. There was a lot of people who really wanted to show him here that they have his back. And listen, I'll say this. My co-host, Whoopi Goldberg, was out last week with five days because of COVID. It's going around again and this should be a reminder for all of us that COVID is not gone. That there's new strains and that it's coming around again. So, the decision was made for him not to come and not to put anybody at risk. BLITZER: Ana, did they say anything about the symptoms that he may have had that resulted in an actual COVID test being administered? NAVARRO: Yes. Apparently, he wasn't. He started not feeling well. Apparently, he started feeling under the weather. And it must have been today, Wolf, because like I said, yesterday, he was at the NAACP that is also having its annual convention here. And just to put things in context, I would tell you, Unidos is like the Latin version, the Latino version of the NAACP. It's the largest Latino advocacy organization in the country. It's been having annual conventions since 1978. And so the thought was the president was doing the NAACP convention yesterday where he got a rousing applause, a rousing reception. He gave what was a very strong speech He had other events. And then today he had a packed schedule starting in the morning, and about an hour ago, an hour-and-a-half ago, we heard backstage that there was something delaying him that he wasn't feeling well. And then they came back and said he's just tested positive for COVID. People traveling with the president called Janet Murguia and then the president himself called Janet Murguia and told her how sorry he is not to be able to join Unidos. BLITZER: Ana, there was a large audience getting ready to hear the president of the United States when it was announced that he has tested positive with COVID. What was the reaction inside the room? NAVARRO: Oh, great disappointment. This is a Latino organization that has a lot of members and supporters that are very engaged in politics. Wolf, I've been at this convention with John McCain. I've heard George W. Bush address this convention. This is a convention -- Barack Obama addressed this convention. This is a convention that has got a lot of respect, a lot of supporters, and it is not unusual for candidates, presidential candidates, Senate candidates, to come and address this convention, to earn their support, to win their vote. And this is like an organization and an audience with which the president has a lot of goodwill. And I know that Janet Murguia had a great introduction ready for him, touting his accomplishments with the Latino community. I know that we're getting ready to make some announcements. I know that the president was looking forward to coming and talking about what he has done for the Latino community and what he expects to do the next four years. So, I think there's been great disappointment by the audience that's been waiting, by the president who couldn't come and join us, and by the organizers who, you know, just had to pull the plug on his speech, even though there is also gratitude that he was coming here in the first place, that he was giving this organization and, by proxy, the Latino community, the time to come and speak to us at this time. [18:15:23] BLITZER: And we were, of course, planning on listening and taking his remarks live here in The Situation Room until this announcement that the president has been tested positive with COVID. I want to go back -- Ana Navarro, thank you very much. I want to go back to CNN's Kayla Tausche. She's on the scene for us as well. Kayla, I take it the White House has issued a statement explaining what is going on. TAUSCHE: The White House has just issued a statement confirming the president's diagnosis and saying that his symptoms are mild and he will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and follow CDC guidance as far as his activities from there, but he will be carrying out the duties of the presidency remotely from Delaware, according to Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary. The statement also includes a section from the president's doctor that says that he began experiencing some symptoms this afternoon, including upper respiratory symptoms, a runny nose, and a non- productive cough. The doctor goes on to say that he felt okay for the first event of the day, but when he was not feeling better, they decided to administer a COVID test. He says that the president does not have a fever, that his blood oxygen level is 97 percent, and that President Biden has received his first dose of Paxlovid, of course, the treatment for COVID that the president last took in July, 2022 when he last had COVID. But, of course, this is not the only time in recent weeks that the president has been feeling under the weather. He told the hosts of Morning Joe on MSNBC a few weeks ago that he received a COVID test around the time of the presidential debate in late June when he had a cold at that time because he was feeling so poorly, an attribute that he continues to point to to defend his performance on stage that has spurred this crisis of confidence across the Democratic Party. So, the White House confirming the president's diagnosis, saying his symptoms are mild, he's returning to Delaware, and he is currently being treated with Paxlovid. Guys? BLITZER: All right. Thanks very much, Kayla Tausche. David Chalian is with us, our political director. This is the last thing that the president at this sensitive moment with all that's going on that the president needs right now. DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes, he doesn't seem like he can catch a break right now. Listen, obviously he's doing what all the protocols called for. He's going to isolate. He's trying not to expose other people around him, though, you know, he travels with a lot of people around him. So, it's not even, you know, even moving from Las Vegas, Delaware. It's not like he's going to do it by himself. But they'll keep him isolated as best they can. And the symptoms are mild, thankfully, for the president, and that's great to hear, that his fever is normal, his pulse oximeter is normal. But, again, as you know, too, Wolf, like, he can't catch a break right now. There is nothing going on in Joe Biden's world, including now, he's being sidelined by COVID at precisely the time that he keeps saying I'm going to be out there and I'm going to prove to the Democrats that I have the strength and vigor to do this. And anybody can get COVID. I'm not complaining to you. It's just like the timing of this is not great for what he's trying to show his own party as they're questioning whether he should be (INAUDIBLE). BLITZER: I assume everybody around him now is going to start wearing masks like in the old days of COVID, as all of us remember. Audie, give me your thoughts. AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm interested to see if we're going to hear about this from the stage tonight. We know people are capable of sort of, you know, scribbling out the top of their speeches and adding a little joke or quirk. And, certainly, there's always been this kind of running conversation with Republicans that said that Biden campaigned from a basement in 2020 during COVID and it feels like it's ripe for that kind of attack again. And I also want to say his health is under scrutiny, period. I mean, he just said publicly, maybe an illness might be the kind of thing I'd think about. So, it's like he, as you said, can't catch a break, but the scrutiny is so intense, it's very hard to have the conversation. BLITZER: Yes. This is a moment, Jeff, that people are going to be talking about right now, the president of the United States has COVID. JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Right, and just looking at this statement a little closer from the White House that our Kayla Tausche there in Las Vegas was talking about, there's a note from the president's doctor, and this sort of stuck out at me. So, the President presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms to include a runny nose, non-productive coughs, and with general malaise. Now, we have been talking about the president. He's had a busy schedule. He had the Lester Holt interview. He flew to Las Vegas to do the E.T. (ph) interview, but the general malaise is something that, just at this moment, pops out. Not a doctor, you know but in a political context, it's kind of looked like that, actually. But he was at an event earlier this afternoon, just a couple hours ago, with voters there in Nevada. [18:20:03] So, we do know this. He's going back to Rehoboth to his summer beach house, basically, in Delaware. This could also perhaps as well give him a little bit of breathing room, if you will, on the rising calls from within the Democratic Party to reconsider his bid for re- election. I don't think it will give him much time because there isn't a lot of time. But to David's point that he can't catch a break, I think that is certainly true here. But, again, he'll be self-isolating at home. Presumably, the phone still works. I don't know if any Democrats will keep calling on him or not. You'd think they'd give him a little bit of space. BLITZER: I assume they will. Dr. Jonathan Reiner is our medical analyst, a surgeon over at George Washington University Medical School. He's joining us right now. What jumped out at me at, Dr, Reiner, and I'm just overly concerned, he's 81 years old. How does someone who's that age, 81 years old, upper respiratory problems, as described by the White House physician, and other issues are running nose, how does that impact someone at that age? DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, I think, fortunately, Wolf, we're in a different place than we were back in 2020, before we had access to vaccines. Now, you know, the president has received probably at least five doses of vaccine, as a lot of us have, and has also had the virus once. And that has really -- all of those elements serve to increase his immunity. Plus, you know, we also have Paxlovid now, and we've already heard that he could take a dose of that. BLITZER: Dr Reiner, we're seeing live pictures of the president boarding Air Force One right now. And what jumped out at me and I'm sure to others as well, I didn't see him wearing a mask as he was with those other people on the tarmac there. What does that say to you? REINER: Well, I think anyone who has active COVID now should wear should wear a mask. You know, that's not controversial. That's just -- that's courteous. If you have COVID now you are contagious. So, you know, that's surprising that he wouldn't be wearing a mask with COVID at this time. But as I was saying before, we're in a different place than we were four years ago. And I think the risk to the president is fairly low because of the elements that I mentioned prior vaccination, prior infection, and the ability to take Paxlovid. So, you know, most likely this will run this course in a few days. Current recommendations are to isolate for about five days now, or until he tests negative or is asymptomatic. But he'll just have to carry on via remote access, which should not be much of a problem for him. BLITZER: Dr. Reiner, I want you to stand by. Our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on the phone with us as well. Sanjay, give us your analysis, the president of the United States now diagnosed with COVID. And when we saw him walking up those stairs as he was about to get onto Air Force One to return to Rehoboth, Delaware, where he's going to be staying for the next several days, he was walking extremely slowly and carefully. What, if anything, does that say to you? DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it sounds like there was cause for concern, as Dr. Reiner was just talking about, you know, and he had some upper respiratory symptoms, had a cough and what they described as general malaise, just generally not feeling well, tiredness. And that's understandably what prompted the testing. It doesn't sound like he has a fever. It doesn't sound like he has a productive cough, so this is important. I think bodes well. And the Paxlovid, which he has taken before, is something that can certainly help with, with the symptoms that he has. It's interesting, you know, the CDC guidelines, so many people have been following these guidelines along for years now, and they keep changing, but the general guideline is that people should isolate certainly for long enough that they are no longer at risk of spreading to others. And that is generally when they no longer have any symptoms. So, we'll sort of see how they handle that and how they're going to be continuing to do testing to make sure that he no longer tests positive as well. But, to your point, Wolf, he was sick. I mean, COVID is still very real. It can make people sick. It can cause all sorts of different symptoms that hopefully he'll get treated and recover from. BLITZER: I know, Sanjay, that there's been some controversy about Paxlovid, this drug that the president is now receiving, Paxlovid. [18:25:00] At 81 years old, if you're diagnosed, if you have COVID, tested positive for COVID, should everyone start getting Paxlovid who comes down with COVID now? GUPTA: Yes, that's a, that's a great question. I think the controversy that you may be referring to is the concern in some cases of rebound, meaning you sort of recover from the illness, you test negative for the illness, but then it comes back, and you may remember Dr. Fauci had that happen to him when he got sick. But I think it's a very effective drug. It's very effective antiviral. So, for someone who's at highest risk, and the president would be considered higher risk because of his age, it can still be a very effective drug. And I think Dr. Fauci, again, a little bit, I think, right around the same age. He took it many people around the president's age would take Paxlovid if they got sick. It accelerates the recovery and decreases the chance of it becoming more severe. BLITZER: But as I remember, Sanjay, there were some side effects from Paxlovid, right? GUPTA: Yes. I think, you know, one of the big concerns was, again, this rebound. So, you sort of suppress the -- it's working as an antiviral, but people with -- and people might even test negative and feel better, but then the symptoms coming back, the person testing positive again. That was one of the real big concerns. BLITZER: Yes, I remember all that. We thought it was history, but now apparently it's coming back. All right, Sanjay. Dr Reiner, to both of you, please stand by. Much more coming up, the president of the United States now has COVID, the last thing he needs right now given all that's going on right now. He's on his way back to Rehoboth, Delaware, where he has a home and he will be in isolation there at least for a few days as the result of this. We'll stay on top of this story. We're also here in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention. We're waiting to hear from the new Republican vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance. He's going to be delivering his major speech tonight, a lot going on. Our special coverage here in The Situation Room will continue right after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:31:19] BURNETT: Welcome back. It is the third night of the Republican national convention in Milwaukee about to get underway, as we are following breaking news on the Democratic side. Now, President Biden diagnosed with COVID at a moment, of course, of turmoil within his party. Let's go to Kayla Tausche with more on the president's condition. So, Kayla, you are actually in Las Vegas where he was supposed to be speaking. He had been delayed and delayed and then it turns out they say the reason is because he had COVID. What more are you learning from the White House? TAUSCHE: Well, Erin, he was supposed to appear here at this convention more than 90 minutes ago. And there was a very impatient crowd as the time went on before the news was delivered that he would not be appearing, President Biden going to the airport to board Air Force One. And when reporters saw him, he flashed a thumbs up and said, I feel good. He was not wearing a mask before he boarded the plane where he's headed to Delaware to self-isolate and where the White House says he will continue doing the duties of the presidency. But in that White House statement where they acknowledge the diagnosis and disclose his symptoms, there's quite a bit more medical detail about the president's condition and the symptoms that his doctor assessed than in many of the other press releases that we've gotten regarding other ailments that the president has had. In this particular release, it details the president's temperature, which was below 98 degrees. His blood oxygen level, which the White House doctor says it was 97 percent. And it goes into detail about exactly what symptoms he was experiencing and the doctor's opinion on those symptoms compared to when President Biden last had COVID in July 2022, where the White House disclosed the diagnosis and said that he had been receiving a treatment with Paxlovid. There is quite a bit more medical detail, and it should not be understated, Erin, that this comes at a time where the White House is under a tremendous amount of pressure to provide transparency about the president's health, his fitness and exactly what is going on with his health, especially after having to correct some information about visits by a neurologist to the White House around the time of his physical, and in the months preceding that. Erin? BURNETT: All right, Kayla, thank you very much from Las Vegas, where the president was supposed to be speaking now. Let's go over to Dana Bash, because I know, Dana, you've got some new details on the political situation that President Biden is facing in the context of this diagnosis. So, Dana, what are you learning? DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a scramble going on right now, both in Wilmington and at the White House, but right now, mostly in Wilmington, of course, where the president's campaign headquarters is because they're trying to figure out how to salvage as much of if they can do any of the schedule that the president had planned, if they could do any of it remotely, if he can do anything from his home in Rehoboth. They obviously don't know the answer to that primarily because they're not going to know how he feels. But the hope inside the campaign headquarters is that they can at least salvage some communication between the president and voters, voters who he desperately needs to continue to connect with. I cannot understate -- excuse me, underscore what David Chalian stated earlier enough, which is the feeling is, are you kidding me? This is the absolute last thing that they need. And that there is definitely a feeling that President Biden and the campaign around him just can't catch a break right now because this was the moment, especially as this as this convention comes to an end tomorrow. [18:35:01] And the focus hasn't really been totally away from President Biden, but it's been away a little bit, but the focus is going to turn even more to President Biden and what is going on with him, that they needed him to be out, to be robust and to be campaigning. And that's not going to happen, especially given, Erin, the fact that the clamoring from House Democrats in particular, but also other elected officials, it's not going away. And it is becoming even more intense as they get more and more polling and they are pressuring the campaign and the president's inner circle to really try to take seriously their concerns that it's not just about the president, but about their political viability in the House and the Senate, maybe even governor's mansions. BURNETT: All right. Well, Dana, thank you very much, Dana Bash there. And, of course, you know, Dana has been reporting everybody on phone calls that the president had with moderate Democrats and sort of basically telling Jason Crow to, you know, take a hike when he called him out. Can you just talk us through what's happening though, now within the, the Biden team, as he's heading to Rehoboth? I mean, isolating right now is not a good thing for him politically. KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Look, well, I can tell you, as I was White House communications director when he got COVID in the summer of 2022. So, you know, I'm pretty familiar with how the team around him handles this, how he handles this. I can tell you in 2022, you know, he isolated, followed CDC protocols, but continued to work. I mean, he worked full days. He did everything that he needed to do by Zoom. Now, obviously campaigning is a different beast, you know, if you want to be out talking to voters. It is harder to do that while you're isolating, no question. But, you know, my experience was that he did continue to work fully when he was ill you know. And this is also a situation that gets planned for, you know, prepared for. There's kind of a regular testing protocol of the president. So, I think, you know, the White House saying that he has mild symptoms and, you know, being clear that there isn't a more serious threat to the president's health here indicates to me that I would expect he will -- they will do everything that they can do to keep him working, to keep people hearing from him. I think politically, I mean, you know, some of the reporting out of these calls with moderate Democrats getting testy and obviously the polling today, which was tough for Biden. I think the problem that the Biden campaign has right now is that we are sort of back in where we were a few months ago in terms of people not really believing that Joe Biden is going to be the nominee. They need the contrast to be Biden versus Trump. And they need people to believe that Joe Biden is going to be the Democratic standard bearer. And so people who dislike Trump and maybe don't love Joe Biden, but are still not going to vote for Donald Trump, so they see Biden as the alternative. And so all of this churn from members of Congress continuing to raise the prospect that he might not be the nominee is creating more doubt there, which is a problem for them. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And this couldn't happen at a worse time. So, today, there was this A.P. poll that found that almost two-thirds of Democrats would like to see Biden step aside. Now, listen, this is probably the most boosted man on the planet. We wish him well. I'm sure that he's going to recover from this fine, but the juxtaposition, you just have to think of the terrible events of this past weekend, the former president raising his fist, being defiant, walking out to a hero's welcome at his convention, and this taking Joe Biden off the campaign trail. Even I don't love the optics of not having himself isolated at the White House. I think that at least conveys I'm in control, I'm at the command post as the commander-in-chief, rather than being at his beach house. But it's the worst thing that could happen in a cycle that's been just quite bad for them. JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: To me, I take everyone's points. It's probably going to be fine. You know, he's all boosted, you know, and all that. He's well taken care of. It's sort of like imagine if he had a small fall and he was fine and he got back up. Just the image of it reinforces that feeling you have about this guy and his health. And I think just, optically, it's not great. And also on the Adam Schiff thing coming out today, I keep thinking about that line from The Godfather, where Don Corleone says, it wasn't until today that I realized it was Barzini all along. I think it's been Pelosi all along. I think Pelosi is determined, because if she's coordinating with Schiff, it's the second time when the story seemed to be dying down, that it came back up from Democrats. JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I will say I've been talking to some Democrats who are very closely involved in the Senate, and I think the concern here is that there are some states that are on the border, you know, the Arizona, the Montana seat, the Ohio seat. And there's some concern inside the Senate caucus about what's going to happen to those seats. And so the Schiff statement may be more related to that, I think, than it may be to Nancy Pelosi in some way. [18:40:00] But the reality is people vote for a president for judgment. And I think what we've been seeing over the course of the last week, particularly after the Saturday shooting, is that President Biden has extraordinary judgment, right? He's somebody who's been sort of -- BURNETT: Well, you can start with the fact that he had a runny nose and wasn't feeling well, and he actually tested for COVID. SIMMONS: And he tested for COVID. BURNETT: I don't think I'm going on a limb here to say I don't think Donald Trump would be rushing to get a COVID test and tell everybody what it was. SIMMONS: Yes, and I got to say, maybe other people don't feel this way, but when he gave the speech and when I saw him sort of interacting, I felt a level of security that Joe Biden was the one that was managing this crisis after the attempted assassination. He was meeting with the security team. He was informing the public. He's on the phone with Donald Trump, who was the victim in this case. He's trying to make sure -- one of the victims in this case. You know, he's trying to make sure that everybody's up on this. And to me, I think that's more like what being a president is like than standing on stage, having an argument. SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, you know what, being president is also a 24/7 job. It's not an intermittent job. It's not a 10:00 to 4:00 P.M. job. It's not a napping throughout the day job. When I look at President Biden, with all due respect to the president, I see someone who's old and feeble. And then the American people saw Donald Trump, who was nearly assassinated, and stood up with his fist in the air, saying, fight, fight, fight, continue moving forward. So, that dichotomy, that contrast is a clear one. And the American people are watching that now. Democrats are watching that, that's why many in the House, many in the Senate are saying we need to choose someone else. Now if you guys choose to stick with your guy, I'm all for it, but I promise you, your odds of winning the White House, or keeping it rather, are diminishing day by day, and it's very evident to any single person. SIMMONS: Let's not overplay that. Let's remember executive time. And Donald Trump didn't come to the office super early in the morning. He got in about midday. KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Time is something that the Democratic Party doesn't have right now, because right now they are down in the polls. The election is coming. There's still a lot of time, I was just saying, look, the election's not over, but Democrats are running out of time. Because either you need to lock this up, it's Joe Biden, and he's our guy, and we're going down with the ship, or you need to change paths now. And this, in some ways, doesn't this -- isn't this a time out? Isn't this, like let's all wait a couple more days? I feel like this is running more time off the clock that Democrats need to make a decision. BEDINGFIELD: I absolutely agree. Democrats need to make a decision. I also think it's fair to say that Joe Biden has said many, many, many times that he will be the nominee, that he has no intention of stepping aside. So, as Democrats continue to raise these issues, they're doing, I mean, exactly what you're suggesting here. They're pulling focus away from Project 2025. They're pulling focus away from Trump. They're pulling focus away from the Republican convention where, you know, we're going to hear a lot of speakers who don't support positions that most Americans in this country support on things like reproductive freedom. So, I broadly agree with your point here that time is running out for this back and forth and Democrats need to move forward move forward here because they are running out of time. BURNETT: All right. All stay with us, because our special coverage is continuing ahead of a big night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Vice Presidential Nominee J.D. Vance, the headline speaker tonight. And we'll be back after a quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:47:35] BLITZER: You're watching CNN special coverage of the Republican National Convention. It's night three here. The state is now set for tonight's big speech, for Donald Trump's vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance. Republicans hoping the Ohio senator can use his Midwest roots to smash through the blue wall President Biden rebuilt back in 2020 for Democrats. Let's bring in CNN's Jeff Zeleny. He's working the story for us. Jeff, as J.D. Vance gets ready for his big speech tonight, tell us more about his background at how we got to this moment. ZELENY: Wolf, if Senator J.D. Vance were to be elected in November, he would be the third youngest vice president in American history. He's 39-years-old and 39 years younger than Donald Trump. He's getting ready today for his biggest debut yet. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ZELENY (voice-over): He's the new heir to the MAGA movement. Tonight, J.D. Vance takes center stage as Donald Trumps running mate, a young Ohio senator, chosen to reinforce the Trump brand and help carry it forward. SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have got to reelect President Donald J. Trump to the White House, right? ZELENY: The Republican convention and the campaign is still the Trump show. But Vance is now written into the script and settling into his new partnership with the former president. His journey is a remarkable ark from ferocious Trump critic. J.D. VANCE: I'm definitely not going to vote for Trump because I think that he's projecting very complex problems onto simple villains. ZELENY: To ardent Trump loyalist. J.D. VANCE: The president is right. I wasn't always nice, but the simple fact is, he's the best president of my lifetime. Any revealed that corruption in this country, like nobody else. ZELENY: An economic populist at home and an isolationist abroad, whose views are at odds with some Republican orthodoxy of old, but he's squarely in the mold of Trump. J.D. VANCE: It ain't the death of the America First agenda. ZELENY: The ascension of Vance has been astonishingly swift, elected to the Senate less than two years ago with the help of Trump's endorsement. DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: J.D. Vance is your guy. He will do a tremendous job when you cast your vote. ZELENY: At 39, Vance is the first millennial on a major party's presidential ticket. Born in 1984, three months before Ronald Reagan was elected to a second term. Vance served in the marines, graduated from Yale Law School, and rose to fame with the best-selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy", a book about his troubled upbringing on the edge of Appalachia. J.D. VANCE: You can't do this without your family support and especially my beautiful wife, Usha. [18:50:01] Thank you so much. ZELENY: Tonight, his wife, Usha Vance, will introduce him, giving the country a first look at her, too. They met at Yale Law School, married a decade ago and have three young children. USHA VANCE, WIFE OF J.D. VANCE: I'm not raring to change anything about our lives right now but I really -- you know, I believe in J.D. and I really love him. And so, we'll just sort of see what happens with our life. ZELENY: The daughter of Indian immigrants, she was raised near San Diego, a registered Democrat until 2014. She clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh before he joined the Supreme Court. Many Republican delegates here say they don't know much about him. But like what they see. What do you think of J.D. Vance? BARBARA CARLSON, MISSOURI DELEGATE: I'm really excited about him, I think it's a great choice. I think that's a younger -- younger look. I think it's somebody who can carry the torch. I think that he can carry this message. When Donald Trump turns it over, J.D. Vance can take us the next eight years. (END VIDEOTAPE) ZELENY (on camera): And it is clear by our conversations with Republican delegates here, they aren't that familiar with him. Those two Missouri delegates there told me that they actually were not familiar with his book at all. They said they look forward to potentially reading it, but, Wolf, just a short time ago, he was meeting with donors here and perhaps a sense of nervousness in his words as well. He said this: I'm very excited about this evening. I don't want to screw it up -- Wolf. BLITZER: He's got a very, very impressive background indeed, and we'll be hearing a lot more about that over the next few hours. Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much. Erin, back to you. BURNETT: All right, Wolf. And joining me now is Republican donor and business executive Dan Eberhart. So, Dan, let me just ask you, as a donor. I mean, now, you've got this COVID news coming from the president, what have you seen over the past 72 hours for Trump? What's changed? DAN EBERHART, REPUBLICAN DONOR: Well, look, I think we've got a lot of momentum. I think we've got a lot of momentum with the Vance pick and hearing the convention, there's just like some sobriety after the potential assassination attempt. But the campaign has really got a lot of momentum and the -- this convention, this is, I think, my fifth convention, for its convention and there feels like there's a lot more unity here and there has been in the past. BURNETT: So I want to ask you about something, that Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, right, after the assassination attempt on Saturday. He comes out with a formal -- you're learning okay. Don't keep going too much side to side. So, he endorsed Trump, right? EBERHART: Yeah. BURNETT: And I know that he had been pushing Trump to pick Vance in the final hours, so he was in the Vance camp, the endorse Trump. I know that its money had opened up before that as you've talked -- talked about. Does -- does Elon Musk's support matter? I mean, are people jumping on board with money because of Musk? EBERHART: No, look, I think -- I think the money -- in this case, Erin, I think the money is actually falling the voters, not the other way around. You know, look, there's a lot of momentum. I think people -- I think business people smell a winner, and that's why you're seeing a lot of the fence donors get off -- get off the fence in our direction and really in the past three weeks, you haven't seen any big mega donors, you know, fall off the fence and get on the Biden camp. BURNETT: No, and you got Marc Andreessen. You've got Ben Horwitz, where you've got a lot of big names in recent days. That's for sure. But obviously -- (CROSSTALK) EBERHART: No, I was just going to say, I think you're going to see Paul Singer, Ken Griffin, others get, you know, get off the fence too onto our side very soon. BURNETT: All right. So let me ask you about Ken Griffin because, you know, the Yale Chief -- EBERHART: Sure. BURNETT: -- Executive Leadership Institute you know, led by Jeff Sonnenfeld, they said today for many business leaders to know Vance is not to love him. Many of Vance's economic policy stances amount to an American CEO's worst nightmare, a smorgasbord of populist promises, which will expand governments reach into the economy, undermine global confidence, and subvert free markets. That comes from the CEO leadership group. "Washington Post" is, as you mentioned, they say Ken Griffin was part of the anti-Vance chorus. So, what gives you the confidence that someone like Ken Griffin who has serious pockets and cares about politics going to jump in? EBERHART: Because look, this is -- this is about Trump. This is 99 percent about Trump and 1 percent about J.D. Vance. Sure. Tonight's J.D. Vance's night, but look, this election is really a referendum on Biden and a referendum on Trump, which economy do you want? Which future is going to be better for your family? And I think that the momentum is clear. Look, there's money momentum and messaging. Then I think right now, Trump has all three and I think that's going to lead it even more money coming off the sidelines for Donald Trump to help us get -- you know, get our message out and get people to the polls in November, Erin. BURNETT: All right. Dan, thanks so much. Good to talk to you. I appreciate it. EBERHART: Thank you. BURNETT: Dan, joining us as the third night of the Republican National Convention is official kicking off right now. We're counting down to the main event tonight, which is the speech by the Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, who will be introduced by his wife. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) … Erin Burnett OutFront Aired July 17, 2024 - 19:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And this could be the biggest night yet of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, delegates waiting to hear first time from Donald Trump's new running mate, as a vice presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance. Vance will accept Republican vice presidential nomination tonight which positions him as Trump's successor as leader of the party and the MAGA movement. Our live convention coverage continues with the special edition of OUTFRONT. Welcome to all watching. I'm Erin Burnett, along with Wolf Blitzer. And, Wolf, the theme tonight, and they've been feeling (ph) <theming> each night, right, is national security. But in the context of that night, it is J.D. Vance's night, clearly, the most important speech to the first-term senator from Ohio is ever given, Wolf. WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And, Erin, at only 39 years old, Senator Vance is nearly half Donald Trump's age, but he has a very compelling life story that he plans to share with convention-goers who are here in Milwaukee, as well as viewers in the U.S. and around the world. We're told he will focus on his childhood marked by instability of family addiction and his rise to the near pinnacle of American politics. [19:00:05] Senator Vance is clearly the headline speaker tonight. He will be introduced by the way, by his wife, Usha, a trial lawyer, whom Vance describes as a key part of his success. Also appearing in primetime tonight, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who was on Trump's V.P. short list as well. Donald Trump Jr. takes the stage tonight as well, the most prominent Trump family member to speak at the convention so far -- Erin. BURNETT: And, Wolf, even with all of that in this new cycle that we are in, we now have breaking news on President Biden. He was just diagnosed with COVID canceling an event in Nevada. He was 90 minutes late to a speech feeling under the weather tested has COVID and you see him here boarding Air Force One heading home to Rehoboth to self- isolate as he's fighting calls within his party to bow out of the presidential race. So let's get an update right away from our senior White House correspondent, MJ Lee. And, MJ, what more do you know? MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, Air Force One is now wheels up to Delaware after he had to cut his trip short by a couple of hours after testing positive for COVID. And in that clip, you just played, we saw the president not wearing a mask when he was boarding Air Force One. He obviously has been around a lot of people today in crowded settings prior to that, the White House official does tell me that he was wearing a mask in the motorcade over. He is wearing a mask now on Air Force One. And now, he heads to Rehoboth where he who's going to isolate and has already taken the first course of Paxlovid according to his doctor. Just in terms of what the next few days are going to look like as he essentially has to work from home, I am told by a White House official, look, he's done this before. He has had COVID before. His 2020 campaign came to a halt when the pandemic broke out, he did a lot of video calls back then and were expected to see a lot more of the same, but of course the timing could not be worse given how much emphasis there have been from the president himself on him getting out there to show everyone that he can do this. BURNETT: All right. MJ, thank you very much at the White House. Let's go to Kaitlan Collins, who's live on the convention floor where, of course, this is such a crucial night, Kaitlan, for J.D. Vance. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Erin, the first speaker has now gotten kicked off the form of programming is now underway. This is the first speaker, Congressman Brian Mast of Florida. Of course, we all know who the last speaker will be. And that is Senator J.D. Vance, now Donald Trump's pick for vice president to be on his ticket. And, Erin, just to note, when J.D. Vance comes out there tonight, not only will it be his first time addressing the Republican convention, it's actually his first time ever attending a Republican convention. I'm told that Senator J.D. Vance, who is a relative newcomer to politics is actually never attended one of these conventions or obviously in 2020, the Republican convention was held in a modified version on the White House south lawn. The Democratic convention was basically entirely virtual. So he's making his debut and quiet this spotlight, Erin, because he'll be delivering the prime time address here tonight and, of course, we know that address is where he's going to seek to highlight his childhood, those blue collar roots, and talk about his path from there to the ivy leagues of course, as a venture capitalist and now into politics and as he hopes, the White House. So, obviously, everyone's watching that closely. I will say one thing that we've seen Senator Vance leaning into so over the last several days, is this question of whether or not it will ultimately be President Biden and Vice President Harris on the Democratic ticket, Donald Trump himself has been watching that very closely, monitoring all those efforts that are happening back in Washington. Now with the news, of course, that the president has COVID, well see how that changes this dynamic. But all of those are asking its to keep an eye on as everyone's really getting an introduction to Senator Vance here on stage tonight. BURNETT: All right. Kaitlan, thank you very much on the convention floor. Kate, let me just ask you about something. Pam Brown just did an interview with Senator Chris Coons -- of course, very close ally of President Biden, and has remained so throughout this. KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. BURNETT: Senator Coons tells Pam the president is, quote, well aware of the concerns that have been raised on these calls from moderate Democrats, from -- that he's hearing -- that he's hearing them from governors, mayors, senators, House members, but he's saying, I'm confident he is well aware of the concerns that you've raised and that others have raised. Just interesting that this comes from Senator Coons. BEDINGFIELD: Yeah. Well, I think I mean, look, Coons is very close to President Biden. I think he's clearly sending a signal. There's been a lot of question of is President Biden getting is he getting direct information? Is he hearing bad news? Or they presenting him a full picture? And so, you know, this is obviously Senator Coons pushing back on that and saying, yes he has all of the information. And I think it should be seen that way. You know, I mean, I think there is a -- this is a challenging moment for -- well, it's a challenging moment for the Democratic Party, but this is a challenging moment because the argument that people who want to see Biden replaced on the ticket are making gang is basically the polling is awful, and there isn't a path forward. [19:05:02] Joe Biden has said many times that unless he can be shown a poll that says he cannot win in November, he won't step down. There's no poll that can do that. And so, a certainty that's being, you know, asserted by those who are trying to push him off the ticket, that's not an argument that's in the land with him. He's been very clear about. BURNETT: All right. Let's listen to Representative Nancy Mace from South Carolina. She is speaking right now on the convention floor. Let's listen in. REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): My name is Nancy "Don't call me Pelosi" Mace. I'm a congresswoman representing the great state of South Carolina. At the age of 17, I learned that dropping out of high school might not have been the best idea. So I took my first job at a fine dining establishment. Some of you may know as the Waffle House. Denny's was a little too high brow. While Waffle House was an important part of my journey, it would not be my destination. I soon went from making waffles to making history. Twenty-five years ago, this high school dropout became the first woman to graduate from the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. (CHEERS) MACE: A college campus where we don't burn American flags. We salute them. (CHEERS) MACE: I'm a single mom and a rape survivor. To women tonight who can relate, please know you have a friend and a sister in me. And I -- and I will fight like for you. I'm the daughter of an army brigadier general and a school teacher. I've admired my dad's Distinguished Service Cross from Vietnam. I've endured the rigors of a Citadel education. And today, I represent a district that includes Parris Island, where we make Marines. (CHEERS) MACE: What we're witnessing today is proof that strength preserves peace and weakness invites war. We can never project strength around the world when weakness stands in the White House. Nations like China see weakness as opportunity. China's fentanyl invades our borders. Their arms supply Putin's regime. China supports enemies, states like Iran. They oppress their own people, especially their women. The world is watching America and we must show them what were made of. (CHEERS) MACE: And I know a strong leader when I see one. Donald Trump stood up to China before and he will do it again. (CHEERS) MACE: Anyone who thinks they can take on Donald Trump or take down America is now on notice. Just as Trump quickly rose to his speed with a defiant fist in the air in Butler Township, Pennsylvania, when we reelect him as president in November, America will soon be back on hers. We will be courageous. We will be resilient. We will be united, and we will be prepared to take on the challenges of this historic moment. Thank you. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America and God bless Donald J. Trump. Thank you. (CHEERS) [19:10:04] ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, Congressman Ronny Jackson of Texas. (CHEERS) REP. RONNY JACKSON (R-TX): All right. All right, all right. Good evening, everybody. Good evening, good evening. And good evening to my delegation from Texas. (CHEERS) JACKSON: My name is Dr. Ronny Jackson, and I'm the congressman from the 13th congressional district of the great state of Texas. (CHEERS) JACKSON: Prior to being in Congress, I served on active duty in the Navy for 25 years. I was a Navy deep sea diver, an emergency medicine doctor in a combat position in Iraq. During that time, I also had the distinct privilege of serving for 14 years as White House physician. But most importantly I served as the appointed position to the greatest president that this country has ever had, Donald J. Trump. (CHEERS) JACKSON: And not only that, but now I can say I served a president who literally took a bullet for our country. (CHEERS) JACKSON: President Trump, and I've been through a lot together over the years, but I have never ever been prouder of his leadership than I was last Saturday. He has warrior spirit in his display of will to keep fighting for our country even after getting shot down as an all time -- will go down as an all-time moment in American history. I know firsthand from my time at the White House that being president is an unrelenting 24/7 job. Time off truly just doesn't exist. Our president needs to make clear and decisive decisions in a moments notice. When the phone rings in the middle of the night, the president must be ready. Unfortunately, our current president is not ready for that call. Let's not kid ourselves. Father time has not been kind to Joe Biden. And, China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, they do not respect Biden's 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. schedule. And we would not be in this situation where it not for Joe Biden staff and his family. They should have compassion for him and prioritize his health and our country's security, but they have put their own interests above America's interest. Perhaps the greatest blame lies with his own Vice President Kamala Harris. She has not been truthful with us. She has lied to us. She has put party above country and she is as unfit in character as Joe Biden is in body and mind. (CHEERS) JACKSON: Between the wide-open southern border, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, record high inflation, and the devastating crime in our streets, this administration has now produced a legacy of failure, disappointment and danger. There is simply too much at stake to have someone who can barely shuffle to a podium be the one that is responsible for this safety and the security of our country. (CHEERS) JACKSON: Every second, every second that Joe Biden remains in the White House, this country becomes less safe. However, however, under President Trump's leadership, we will restore our standing on the world stage. We will bring back our great economy we had. We will finally secure our southern border. We will rebuild our great military. We will clean up crime in our streets, and most importantly, most importantly, we will have a president who is respected by our allies and who is feared by our enemies, and who leads with strength. (CHEERS) [19:15:12] JACKSON: Let me close by saying, the path forward is simple. It is very simple and straightforward. We need to make America great again, and we need to do everything we possibly can to reelect Donald J. Trump as our president. Thank you all. God bless you. God bless America and God bless Texas! BURNETT: And that is Ronny Jackson, of course, right now, representative from Texas, following Nancy Mace, congresswoman from South Carolina. Tomorrow, though, what you just heard from Ronny Jackson was him putting on his doctor. He started out by reminding people that he was the White House doctor for 14 years. He was. He was White House doctor for President Obama as well. And then -- and then that set him up to just go on about Joe Biden and talking about in barely being able to shuffle to the podium and setting up that image. JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Listen, this is the Republican attack. This is what we're going to hear as long as Joe Biden's in the race. We all know this is what were going to hear that the Democrats are going to get back to talking about Donald Trump being a convicted felon. We're going to hear that 34 times. So this is going to be a -- not an inspiring campaign. I think people should brace themselves. But as I listened to them talking about what the objective is for tonight and talking about strong America, it just -- it needles me, what kind of strong America? Strong America for what, right? What is the point of our strength? Is our strength so that we can hide from these uncomfortable facts and we have book bans in Florida? Are we are strong America that its taking rights away from women around abortion? Are we are strong America that's sort of like cowering from the -- from the world. And were not going out and leading in some way that J.D. Vance saying that he doesn't believe us to go out and defend our values in a place like Ukraine. It just -- it strikes me, look, we're going to be strong for what it just so that we can hide and that to me, I think is something the Republican Party is going to have to wrestle with and they go out to America, that most Americans see our country is being strong and leading and forward leaning into the problems that the world faces. BURNETT: And even less in the room. I mean, sure, there was a response to those two speeches. It wasn't, you know, I mean, overly excited and enthusiastic. I mean, they appear to be sort of waiting for the main act. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right, and Nancy Mace is there because she's a convert. She's been on every side of Donald Trump and she finally came back around, won her race. But listen, the big ticket item is J.D. Vance tonight, and the thing about him is he's a bit of a chameleon. He's an incredible -- he's an intellectual face of MAGA, who's incredibly articulate and eloquent, and is able to speak to the general population and put a final touch on Trump policies. But there's the side of him that praises Alex Jones, that goes on Steve Bannon's "War Room", that's been on Tucker Carlson show when it was on air, saying things I think to most of the population would be offensive and way outside of the mainstream. I think you're going to see the first one show up tonight. But again, the oppo dumps are going be huge. BURNETT: And Matt Gaetz is next. JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. BURNETT: He'll be speaking in a minute or two, another congressman -- GOLDBERG: And who could contain their excitement? (LAUGHTER) BURNETT: But that's the tone that you have early in life, right? When you're looking at Marjorie Taylor Greene the other night, but from Ronny Jackson to Matt Gaetz, you have Ric Grenell in between them. GOLDBERG: Yeah. BURNETT: That is consistent. GOLDBERG: Yeah. So two points, one I think there's not -- it's not a perfect rule of thumb in these speeches, but it's a good rule of thumb. The people who shout over the mic to the crowd, they think they're speaking to the audience in the room, tend to be the rabble- rousers, tend to be the less polished people. The people who know that this is actually a televised thing and tone it down and speak in a conversational voice, relying on the technology of the microphone are the pros. And that the second thing which just going to get out and been waiting to make this point, the more interesting thing about these speeches isn't what you hear, but what you don't hear. Not, I don't believe there has been a single major speech, maybe any speech at all where anybody has said that the 2020 election was stolen. They're not talking about it at all. And that has to be by design because you know Trump would like to hear it. But he's been convinced that that's a bad idea. And it would be interesting to ask some of these people, some of the politicians when they're on, you know, how come none of you guys are talking about it? Was the election not stolen? Isn't that something you should be talking about? KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, something that also stuck out to me from Nancy Mace's remarks, and I think it's important for the folks at home to know who maybe don't follow the ins and outs of Capitol Hill gossip and all that, she's kind of a caucus of one within the GOP caucus these days. She made some enemies of leadership by opposing Kevin McCarthy, but she, one point in time, she's had perhaps a stranger journey to Trump and prism than even somebody like J.D. Vance. GOLDBERG: She's made some enemies of staff, too. ANDERSON: Yes. So, she's a controversial figure, but I bet she made a lot of people in that room very uncomfortable by saying, I'm a rape survivor. But she has had a very interesting voice in that she has always advocated for Republicans being better about how they talk to women. Two years ago, after the Dobbs decision came down, she showed up at the Capitol one day with on her back, taped a message that said my state just voted to ban exceptions, protect contraception. [19:20:11] That's not a message you might think you would expect to hear from Republican. She has carved up is interesting niche of saying our party needs to be more moderate on these issues. BURNETT: Which Trump is sympathetic to. ANDERSON: Yes. BEDINGFIELD: But I think that's going to be -- yes, and I think that is going to be a challenging uphill fight for them across the course of this campaign because the Democrats are going to do everything in their power to define Trump, and the ticket. BURNETT: Here's Matt Gaetz. So let's listen into the Republican congressman from Florida. REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): Donald Trump is unstoppable. Elect him president again, and America will be unstoppable, too. Meanwhile, Joe Biden's been out of it. Democrats have been hiding the real Biden for years. We saw people in the witness protection program more often than we saw unscripted Biden. Under Biden-Harris, America has fallen sicker, lonelier, and poorer. Under Trump, we prospered, we were richer. Inflation was low and there were two genders. Under Biden-Harris, inflation has gotten so bad, you can no longer bribe Democrat senators with cash alone. You have to use gold bars just so the bribes hold value. Oh, the swamp draining will recommence soon and I will be President Trump's strongest ally in Congress to pass term limits, to stop taxpayer funding for political campaigns, to ban members of Congress for life from becoming lobbyists. And for the same reason, you don't let the referee bet on the game, ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks. (CHEERS) GAETZ: I am proud to stand before you, the only Republican in Congress who takes no lobbyist money, no PAC money. It's not good for me. I worked for you, not them. President Trump, you'll never defund our police, but he will defund foreign aid to countries that hate us. And President Trump understands that if it isn't racist to check ID for a hunting license or welfare benefits or a fishing license, than it is okay to demand an ID to vote everywhere in this country, in every election itself. (CHEERS) GAETZ: A Democrat congressman recently said that any criticism of Joe Biden is able-ist. I don't think it's too much to ask that the American president be able to do the job. Kamala Harris is unable to do any job. She was appointed border czar. Appointing Kamala Harris to oversee the border is like appointing Bernie Madoff off to oversee your retirement plan. President Trump has shown the world what he is made of. And now we will show the world what America is made up by having his back. And how about the choice president Trump made for a running mate? (CHEERS) GAETZ: J.D. looks like a young Abraham Lincoln but he's from Ohio, like General Grant. And like General Grant, J.D. Vance knows how to fight. (CHEERS) GAETZ: So they can run, Biden from the nursing home, Harris, George Clooney, Robert de Niro, whoever they want to run, we are on a mission to rescue and save this country, and we ride or die with Donald John Trump to the end. Thank you all so much. Thank you for having my back. Let's go get them. (CHEERS) ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome former United States ambassador to the Holy See, the Vatican, Callista Gingrich. BURNETT: Okay, that was Matt Gaetz. And, Jonah, you just heard him. And now that -- the crowd really did respond to there. GOLDBERG: Yeah. Although he does -- he was shouting at the audience, too. BURNETT: To your point about those who shout versus speak. GOLDBERG: Do not have faith of modern microphone technology. Look, I mean, he's very popular with the kinds of people who would show up in the 2024 Trump nominating convention. I mean, he's -- he's smarter version of Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, and it's the kind of place where you -- you know, you dole out the red meat like it's an avatar, and people were respond to it. [19:25:05] I -- you know, and he wants to be the next governor of Florida and there are people who think that might happen. I would sell my Florida bonds if that was me. But, this is -- this is his home. I mean, this is just natural -- BURNETT: Yeah. SIMMONS: But his home is the Republican, the modern Republican Party, and the modern Republican Party loves Matt Gaetz and I think that's something for everybody to be very sober about. It's not just that Matt Gaetz is getting it. These are people who nominated Donald Trump for president. These are the people who are going to populate all these campaigns around the country and help pick other people who are running for office. This is the half of the party of the country that we're going to be contesting with as leadership. SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, I don't I'm not sure if I'm convinced of that. I mean, the MAGA wing of the Republican Party on the House side, was that 30 members at best. You're not talking about half of the Republican Party. Yes, the congressman does well with those voters, they do like him. He's savvy in some very unique ways. But in terms of having an overall impact on the messaging of the party in the House and legislation in the overall agenda, that's not going to happen, Erin. BEDINGFIELD: He's the guy who tore the Republican Party apart on the Hill. I mean, he's the guy took down McCarthy. Well, but I don't know how you could argue he's not an influential piece of the Republican Party. He destroyed their -- he destroyed their own caucus. SINGLETON: Democrats did help. BURNETT: All right. We'll take a quick pause. Still ahead, a former Trump adviser takes the convention stage just hours after getting out of federal prison. Standby for that. And much more from Milwaukee after a break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:30:35] BLITZER: We're back here at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. We're getting more information, especially on some breaking news involving not the Republicans but the Democrats. I want to go to CNN's Manu Raju right now. You're getting a statement I take it from Chuck Schumer? MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, this is a response to report that came out from ABC saying that in a private meeting that Joe Biden had with Chuck Schumer this past Saturday in Delaware, that according to this report, that Chuck Schumer made a forceful case for Biden to end his candidacy for president. Now, this is what Schumer's office just put out. It says, unless ABCs sources Senator Chuck Schumer or President Joe Biden, the reporting is idle speculation. Leader Schumer conveyed the views of his caucus directly to President Biden on Saturday. So, it's not an explicit denial or just simply saying that they can't know what happened because Biden and Schumer were the only people in the room. Now, the same report talked about how Jeffries, Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader, had a separate meeting and conveyed similar concerns. To Hakeem Jeffries, I'm told by multiple people in Jeffries' orbit that, first of all, they're not commenting about what is -- what the -- what was actually conveyed to the president in a private meeting, but also that they point back to the statement that Jeffries had put up earlier to the Democratic caucus about how they're engaging in this ongoing discussion about what to do next in this presidential race. But clearly, if Chuck Schumer is conveying the views of Democratic Caucus, Wolf, the views of the Democratic caucus are that they are concerned that if he continues with his candidacy, he will not only lose, but could cause some Congress. JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Manu, as you know, one thing that's not in this statement from Senator Schumer has three words, I'm with Joe. RAJU: Yeah. ZELENY: How many times did he say that to you and other reporters on the Hill just last week? Saying it again and again, that is not in here. That is important. But this meeting came on a Saturday, which is a critical day here in the Biden crisis really. And this is what I mean by that there were a series of phone calls that President Biden had with House Democrats, moderate Democrats, and some others. And there were some very strong words there. The president heard directly from Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado, a member from Pennsylvania, as well, Chrissy Houlahan, and they were conveying to him as our Dana Bash reported earlier today, that they fear that President Biden can't win. So this series of conversations at an afternoon is interesting, but even though we do not -- this was a private meeting. Schumer and Biden, I'm told, in the room themselves for a reason, of course, no aides, but it does not say I'm with Joe. So we will see when the Senate comes back into session next week before you ask him again. DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: It certainly feels like we are at a potential tipping point in this story about Joe Biden right now. Don't know if indeed he will decide to step away from his candidacy. Obviously, that decision rests with him. But this is -- we are at a new moment, because this isn't any more about how many members are coming out, or the drip, drip, drip. This is now about the cast of characters who are going to play a central role in bringing this to a resolution one way or the other. Learning about Chuck Schumer's conversation with Joe Biden, Hakeem Jeffries made clear, even though he wouldn't reveal the content of the conversation in his statement after the conversation, he made clear he reflected the views of many in his caucus directly to the president. We know what the views of many in his caucus are because Manu has been reporting on now. And this -- and Nancy Pelosi is another figure in this, will get to the Obamas and the curtains because they may have a different role to play depending on what Joe Biden does here about trying to get the party unified moving forward. But we're no longer talking think about Adam Schiff, which I understand is a key development today or other members. We're talking about the people that are hearing from democratically elected officials that they represent as leaders, having these direct stern conversations with Joe Biden. And I just think we're in a new place, yet again, in this story. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah. And Joe Biden hasn't been able to quiet these calls over the last three weeks. Some of these polls have come from donors, for instance, out in Hollywood, the kinds of people that are needed to fund and effective campaign. You've had Joe Biden try to run against the elites and saying, listen 14 million people are in the primaries, have wanted me to be the nominee, so I'm going to stay and be the nominee. And then today we heard him say, well, listen, if there is some sort of medical issue that comes about maybe that would force him from the race. [19:35:01] And then today, obviously, the COVID diagnosis has come. All the Democrats I'm hearing from are saying, Joe Biden cannot catch a break, that again. I mean, I think today that's point that is this a kind in the final turning point on this door? BLITZER: All right. I just want to point to our viewers, Peter Navarro, who just was released from prison after serving a four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from the January 6 select committee in Congress. Let's listen in briefly. PETER NAVARRO, FORMER TRUMP AIDE: In Miami, Joe Biden and his department of injustice put me there. Tonight, I'm here with you and his beautiful city of Milwaukee. I got a very simple message for you, if they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump, careful, they will come for you. If we don't control our government, their government will control us. If we don't control all three branches of our government -- legislative, executive, and judicial -- their government will put some of us like me and Steve Bannon in prison and control the rest of us. Here's how it went. Here's how I got in prison. The legislative branch came for me first. Your favorite Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, created your favorite committee, the sham January 6 committee, which demanded that I violate executive privilege. What did I do? I refused. (CHEERS) NAVARRO: The J6 committee demanded that I betray Donald John Trump to save my own skin. I refused. (CHEERS) NAVARRO: Here's the thing about the constitution. They demanded that I break the law because they have no respect for it. I refused and a Democrat majority in the House than voted to hold me in contempt. All right. What happened next? The next jackboot to drop was the executive branch. Another one of your favorite Democrats, Democrat Attorney General Merrick Garland, there's a winner -- I mean, Jack Smith indicted and prosecuted me for criminal contempt of Congress. Now, here's what's weird about it. It's something that Democrat prosecutors refused to do against one of their own including two guys with blood on their hands, Eric Holder and Alejandro Mayorkas, the great borders czar, right? They've actually gotten people killed. For decades -- for decades, the department of injustice right now, the Department of Justice policy stated, hear me out on this, if Congress slaps a subpoena on a senior White House adviser like me, the advisors' duty is to politely tell them to go pound sand. (CHEERS) NAVARRO: That's exactly what I did. So, so far, we got two branches legislative and executive. The judicial branch delivered the final blow. Just as -- here's another favorite of yours. Just as Democrat Judge Juan Merchan, you know this guy, did to Donald John Trump in his Manhattan kangaroo court, another Democrat judge, a guy named Amit Mehta, keep your eye on this guy. Amit Mehta, Obama appointee, they stripped me of every possible defense. And then what? Just like in Manhattan with Donald Trump, they threw me that the wolves of an anti-Trump jury in where? The D.C. swamp. They convicted me. They jailed me. Guess what? They did not break me. (CHEERS) (CHANTING) [19:40:09] NAVARRO: And they will never break Donald Trump. They will never break Donald Trump. All right. Now, here's the most important thing I'm going to tell you. You may be thinking this couldn't happen to you. Uh-uh, make no mistake: they're already coming for you. AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah, they are. NAVARRO: Joe and Kamala, they threw out the woke blue carpet across the Rio Grande, opened our borders to, what, murderers and rapists. When Donald Trump said it -- thank you for saying that -- when Donald Trump said murderers, rapists in 2016, they go, oh, racist, whatever. We read the papers. It's murderers and rapists. Murderers and rapists, drug cartels, human traffickers, terrorists, Chinese spies, and a whole army of illiterate illegal aliens stealing the jobs of Black, Brown and blue collar Americans. They put them right on your front doorstep. Now, here's another thing, Joe Biden -- then you got to love this -- the green new scam, we're in the heart here in Milwaukee, around all this. This is where the auto industry. That new scam is destroying our industry, leaving us at the mercy of the battery factories in Shanghai and slave labor in the Congo. Biden inflation -- you're going to hear a lot of this, because it's so freaking true. Biden inflation is coming after what's left of your savings and eating your wages, and the Democrat -- here's the thing, I'm sitting in prison thinking about this, it just eats at me -- as the Democrats come for your kids, they're indoctrinating them with poisonous attitudes on race and gender. And here's the thing, when politics fails, the investigations and prosecutions begin. They did it to me. They're going to do it to Trump. But hear me out, they've also done it to Catholics, pro-life activists and parents -- parents who are just standing up for the kids at school board meetings. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: This is a tale of two Americas and you know it wasn't this way when Donald Trump was president. I remember the days I was there. In Trump's America, you were safe and our borders were secure. In Trump's America, you were more prosperous and you didn't have to choose between, what, food on the table, medicine in the cabinet, and a roof over your head. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: And in Trump's America, you didn't have to worry about being locked up for disagreeing with the government. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: I went to prison so you won't have to. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: I am your wakeup call. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: All right. This is where I'm going to have fun now because I'm going to leave you now with the last three words, the last three words my beautiful fiancee said when I left that morning for prison. They weren't "I love you", that was a given. She simply said "We got this". We got this. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: That's what -- (CHANTING) NAVARRO: Bring my girl out now. That's what these lawfare jackals don't understand. When they put people like me in prison and fire figurative and now literal bullets at Donald Trump, they also assault our families. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: On Election Day, America will hold these lawfare jackals accountable. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: And here's the sweetest thing that's going to come off my lips. Vote Trump-Vance '24 for Trump 47. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) [19:45:12] NAVARRO: I'm Peter Navarro. I went to prison so you won't have to. This is my beautiful girl. She did the time with me. That's what these freaking Democrats don't understand. They do this to our families. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: She's my girl. Yeah. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) NAVARRO: I love you. Let's win. Do not let up. Do not let up. Pedal to the metal (INAUDIBLE). BLITZER: All right. There you have Peter Navarro just a few hours after being released from a prison down in Florida. He's here in Milwaukee. You heard what he had to say. He was convicted of defying a congressional subpoena from the January 6 Select Committee, and that has been his response. I want to go to Kaitlan Collins. She's on the floor watching all of this unfold for his life, for us. Give us a sense of the reaction where you were at seemed to be rather rousey. COLLINS: Yeah, Wolf, I think that was one of the biggest rounds of applause that I have seen from most of the speakers who have been here. I've been on the floor for all three days of the convention, so far. Peter Navarro got a standing ovation when he came out on stage and for those who don't know, he flew straight from Miami to Milwaukee this morning, hours after he was released from prison, where he had been serving that four month sentence for defying Congress after he refused to comply with a subpoena that he got from the January 6 committee, as you heard him reference. And this crowd was on their feet for a lot of Peter Navarro's speech. They were chanting with him as he was talking about this and accusing President Biden, of course, baselessly of using the Justice Department against him. A reminder, Peter Navarro obviously went to prison because he did not comply with that subpoena. He said that President Trump did invoke executive privilege over that. There was no evidence of the court found that he did. But, Wolf, just to give you a sense of what its like here down here on the floor, Peter Navarro is just hours out of prison, but there's also Paul Manafort here. Back in 2016, he had a very different role. He was the chair of Donald Trump's campaign. Of course, he was later convict -- had his sentence pardoned by Donald Trump. So he is not the only convicted felon on stage, Paul Manafort also down here on the delegation floor as well, Wolf, though he did tell me he has no formal role in this convention. He said he just here enjoying it. BLITTZER: Kaitlan, standby. We're, of course, going to be getting back to your right now. I want to bring in our CNN fact fact-checker, senior reporter, Daniel Dale. Daniel, we just heard a lot from Peter Navarro. What stood out to you in Peter Navarro's speech? DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: What stood out, Wolf, was that there was a whole lot of nonsense. So he claimed that Attorney General Garland and Jack Smith indicted and prosecuted him -- prosecuted him. Jack Smith was not involved. This was a prosecution done by regular old DOJ, Jack Smith is the special counsel, specifically for Trump related cases. He claimed he was convicted by an anti-Trump jury. He's assuming based on the voting patterns of yes, barely very Democratic Washington, D.C., but he doesn't know that, and we've reported the jury was comprised of a diverse set of people in D.C, including government consultants, a NASA contractor, someone in mental health services, and a few retirees. And then I think most significantly and Kaitlan mentioned this, he claimed that Democrats wanted him to violate executive privilege. Well, he produced no direct evidence to the court that former President Trump even tried to invoke privilege in his case. He claimed it over and over, never approved it whatsoever. BLITZER: Daniel Dale, thanks as usual. Appreciate it very much. Just ahead, our special coverage will continue from here in Milwaukee as we count down to Senator J.D. Vance, making his big debut on the convention stage following his selection as Donald Trump's running mate. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:52:43] BURNETT: And it is the third night of the Republican national convention in Milwaukee. Donald Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, preparing to take the stage tonight, a celebration and a stark contrast to what's happening in the Democratic Party right now. My panel with me. So, Kate, obviously the president is diagnosed with COVID. He's on a plane right now heading from Las Vegas where he was supposed to give a speech to Rehoboth where he is going to isolate as there are reports that Schumer told him to get out of the race. Schumer says, all I did was tell him what other people were saying in a meeting that happened for the assassination attempt, but its drumbeat. BEDINGFIELD: Yeah, it's -- look, I mean, we've -- we've talked about this a lot tonight. It is not a helpful drumbeat for the Democrats. I think again, you know, Joe Biden has said many, many times, he's going to be the nominee. And so each drip, drip, drip like this, just continues to undermine him, continues to keep the conversation focused on this internal strife amongst Democrats, and makes it harder for Democrats to focus on Trump. And some of the things we saw from Peter Navarro just now who was really giving the heart and soul of the MAGA argument was all about grievance and how the Democratic led government is coming for you. I mean, those are, those are the kinds of things that are at stake in this campaign. And so, what Democrats need to do is turn their focus back to that. And each kind of drip, drip, drip like this makes it harder for them to do that. So they are in a tough spot right now. GRIFFIN: Listen, they've got to decide if they're going to do something. Six in ten Americans did not want this rematch. Donald Trump is strong right now, but he still has massive vulnerabilities. Now, most undecided voters make up their mind and elections in the final three months of an election. There is a world in which Democrats could put forward and next-generation candidate, by the way, the youth vote is up for grabs as well. They're so disillusion with these two nearly octogenarian candidates. There's a world of which Dems could actually pull off a major win here by putting up the next generation of leadership. I don't see how it gotten that. ANDERSON: Listen, if you are a next-generation Democrat, do you want to be anywhere near this? If -- look, I don't have some special portal read the mind of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, or Governor Josh Shapiro, but if I was them, I would be like best of luck to everyone. I'm going to govern my state. I want nothing to do with this. SINGLETON: I mean, look, Erin, Republicans are energized, Democrat are demoralized. It's a great place to be Donald Trump. It is not a good place to be Joe Biden. I think a lot of Democrats right now are trying to figure out what's the best path forward. But Joe Biden is being arrogant. Joe Biden is being prideful. [19:55:00] He doesn't want to leave. So what do you do in that scenario? GOLDBERG: Yeah, I think we're -- you know, there's this old cliche that says if you have the fire in the belly to be president, we should probably not let you be president because it's a weird, you know, statement on your character. It now feels like the problem with Biden is that he doesn't see it, right? And that the reason he should go is because he can't see the argument that he should go. SIMMONS: I mean, I think it's unfair to say he doesn't see it. The truth is probably that you run for president until you're not running for president, right? And if he is not going to go know the day he decides he's not going to. We should just accept that. But there is still an anti-MAGA majority in the United States. And I think we have to remember and we've seen this in election after election since 20 -- 2020, 2018, 2020, 2022, that most people in the country don't want the Trump MAGA agenda. So Democrats are actually in a pretty positive position that they can make that case compellingly, they can win elections all over the country, but they got to do it. And we got to stop talking about it. SINGLETON: Yeah, but the problem is you guys are making the case on any significant issue, that's the issue for Democrats. BURNETT: Well, that's a separate issue than who's at the top of your ticket, which wouldn't -- wouldn't address any of that at all, right? A guy who got 14 million votes. All right. There's much more ahead as Republican who was on Donald Trump's VP shortlist addresses the convention, the North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, speak shortly. Later, the man who beat out Burgum to be Trump's running mate. Of course, tonight, we will hear from Senator J.D. Vance and we're carrying it all here live on the scene. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 17, 2024 - 20:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [20:00:35] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: We are live in Milwaukee getting closer to the main event of this third night of the Republican National Convention, the debut speech by Donald Trump's new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance. This will be an early and significant test of the party's enthusiasm for Vance, once a Trump critic and now the top prospect to lead the MAGA movement into the future. Welcome to CNN's convention coverage from inside the arena, where tonight's program is underway. I'm Anderson Cooper along with Jake Tapper. And Jake, you will have a ringside seat at Vance's speech at your position close to convention floor. JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Hi, Anderson. The 39-year-old, first-term Senator from Ohio, is promising to make a forceful case this evening for Donald Trump's reelection. He also plans to make his high-profile convention speech in an introductory way, introducing himself to the American people. We're told that Senator Vance will focus on his personal journey rising from nothing as he has put it to success, reaching this extraordinary moment in American history where he accepts the Republican vice- presidential nomination. Senator Vance will be introduced by his wife, Usha, a trial attorney, daughter of Indian immigrants. The Vances capping tonight's program, which includes remarks by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a top VP contender who lost out to Vance, as well as a primetime speech by the former president's oldest son, Donald Trump, Jr. At this moment, a celebration for Republicans, we do have some breaking news on the Democratic side, a new setback for President Biden, a diagnosis of COVID in the midst of increasing pressure from fellow Democrats for him to exit the 2024 race. The president abruptly calling off an event in Nevada. His schedule now appearing uncertain at this intense moment of turmoil from his campaign. You see him on your screen there. It looks like he's having some difficulty getting up the stairs. Let us get more on this breaking news from the Democrats. Jeff Zeleny has that. Jeff, what are you picking up? What are you learning? JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, we know as President Biden is flying back to the East Coast tonight, after testing positive for COVID, as you said, and cutting his trip to Las Vegas short. We know that he is facing potentially a new moment in his campaign. He's been hearing for the last several days, from Democratic lawmakers, officials, and others about their concerns about his path forward here. I'm talking to a senior Democratic adviser tonight who is telling me this, he said, he believes the president is being, "more receptive to these calls of concern." He goes on to say this, "The private conversations with the Hill are continuing," this adviser tells me. "He is being receptive, not as defiant as he is publicly." He goes on to saying, talking about Vice President Kamala Harris, who initially he wondered how she may fare in a campaign should it come to that? I'm told now he is asking questions saying, "Do you think Kamala can win?" Again, this adviser offers caution saying this: "It is still unclear where he's going to land, but he seems to be listening." So, Jake, what we do know, this is a new moment for President Biden. Tomorrow marks three weeks since the debate in Atlanta, as you well know. He's heard so much concern from across the Democratic Party. Time is running short. The Democratic National Committee was thinking about starting their nomination process next week, that is now on hold, that will not get and until August 1st. So, there is a bit of time for the president to make this decision. But hanging over all of this is the same thing as it has been for the last three weeks. If not him, who? But tonight, as the president flies back to the East Coast from Las Vegas, it is certainly a new moment for him and his potential candidacy -- Jake. TAPPER: All right, Jeff Zeleny, thanks so much. And I'm here, ring side with Dana Bash and Chris Wallace. There is something that was just in Peter Navarro's speech, Peter Navarro who just did some prison time for contempt of Congress violation and was a top adviser to Donald Trump. He made this argument and I've heard it a few times and it's certainly not in keeping with the -- let's bring the temperature down idea that we've been hearing. And that is, this idea that they keep coming for Donald Trump and tying the "they," whether its impeachment or prosecutions of Trump, tying that "they" to the shooting on Saturday. And again, we still do not know the motives for the shooter, for his twisted and sick act. [20:05:08] But the idea that somehow, the House Committee looking into January 6 -- DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: No. TAPPER: -- or these prosecutions or whatever are in any way appropriately grouped with an assassination attempt is very dangerous language. BASH: It's very dangerous language, but also as we talk about that, and obviously we are at the Republican Convention. If I may, I just want to take a moment to digest what Jeff just reported about President Biden because this is a shift. This is different. He is being told that the president is receptive. So, different from what you have been hearing, from what I have been hearing, from what you have been hearing, which is he's dug in. He doesn't want to listen. Our reporting about the fact that he is been having very combative conversations with House Democrats who are desperate for him to listen to their concerns and their fear, that it's not just him who could lose, but the House and the Senate as well. And this seems to be a potential, again, he was very cautious, but a potential turning point that there's even a remote possibility that the doors opened this much is something we have not heard up until right now. CHRIS WALLACE, CNN HOST: But look at the situation, his political support is falling away. There's a report from ABC News that Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader came in sometime in the last couple of days and said, it would be better if you dropped out. We're told that the financial support is dropping away. The big donors across the country have basically said we're not putting any more money into the Biden campaign with a situation that it is. And then, on top of everything else, with all the concerns about his mental acuity, to now have COVID and I must say it was, you know, the metaphor wrote itself. The caption wrote itself, as you saw him like a very old weak man, struggling to get up the stairs of Air Force One. If he isn't rethinking it, you'd have to say he's out of touch with reality. I'm not saying he's going to drop out. We don't know that, but there's an awful lot that is piling up. One, you know, blow after another that you would think how -- have him and his inner circle rethinking the viability of this campaign. TAPPER: Yes, and the Governor of Texas Greg Abbott is speaking right now. Let me throw it back to Anderson -- Anderson. COOPER: Jake, thanks very much. I am here with the team. David Axelrod this report, Jeff Zeleny reporting. Do believe that this is some sort of a shift? This idea that the president has been asking, you know, do you think Kamala Harris could win? DAVID AXELROD, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that -- I think that that is a question that he has asked, but at this point, it's a question really about him and whether he has any chance in this race. And something has happened, Anderson, in the last several weeks between the debate, the events of Saturday, and the assassination attempt, and the way president -- former President Trump reacted to with the iconic photo. It has crystallized something that has sent the numbers spiraling to the degree they can in a very polarized country. So, look, there are three things that you look at. One is polling and the polling is getting worse. The battleground, which is getting larger, there were seven battleground -- maybe six or perhaps seven battleground states to start. Now, you have 11 or 12. And then, money. Do you have the resources to compete? And that money has dried up. And now donors are not talking about how do we shore up the president? They're talking about how do we shore up the House? How do we shore up the Senate? And that's where they're shifting their resources. This is inexorable and I don't say this with any pleasure at all because I worked with Joe Biden. He has served his country well for most of his life, and this is not the coda that he wants on his career. And I think that's what people are telling him that he can help improve the chances of winning a race that he says is existential, but the way he has to do it is to exit. And look, there will be a discussion about whether it's the vice president or not. She certainly is the likely candidate, maybe not the certain candidate, but what is certain is he is not in a position to win this race any longer. ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: And he has not helped himself at all with these interviews that he's done recently. Thats one thing that I'm getting the sense of from talking to people. [20:10:03] His comments have reinforced the idea that he is not connected to what's happening in the battlegrounds, not just at the presidential level, but as Axelrod was talking about further down down-ballot. The people that I'm hearing from, still believe that the Democrats could go into August with an undecided convention. I don't want to use the word contested. But the question is, will they go in with a clear nominee? Many people that I'm speaking with believe at this moment that they likely will not. COOPER: John King, what are you hearing? JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: To David's point, the White House, the president in his interviews, and the top Biden aides in their conversations back to the Democrats who say, please convince him to get out of the race has been stopped. The president is not going to do that. They were hoping that that will stop it. In the president's public comments, it has not stopped it. Some of the same Senior Democrats are calling back again and again and again, to David's point, the data is getting progressively worse and it's all being sent to the White House. We have zero indication the president is ready to say, okay, let's talk about this. But people who are in touch with his inner circle say the conversations with them in the last 24 hours are a little bit different. That they're not as defiant. They're not getting told, shut up, they're not getting told, go away, they're not getting told you're the problem by asking us to do this. Now, does that mean the president is getting the message? We don't know that. We do know -- I mean, it's sad, the president of United States has COVID, but we now know he's off the road. He's going to be back in Delaware. His wife has going there as well. So, if there are going to be these conversations and people are going to try to break through with him in the place, he is most comfortable, home in Delaware would be the place to do it. KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: There is something going on too, Anderson, with Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker, who is someone who has had a long relationship with Joe Biden. What Adam shifted this morning, where he came out and made this call, is being widely interpreted by everyone -- COOPER: He said the president should -- HUNT: Adam Schiff said that the president should step aside, and that's being widely interpreted as a signal for where Nancy Pelosi is in this time. And she is someone who has credibility with him, that perhaps others don't. She is same age as he is -- AXELROD: Yes. HUNT: He respects her. Her political instincts are second to none. She is widely respected there. And that call that President Biden did with House Democrats and people -- the conversations that I'm having, it's been seen as something of a turning point, particularly back-and-forth that the president had with Congressman Jason Crow, who has been very outspoken on January 6th is a very well-respected -- COOPER: This was a call shortly before the assassination attempt, correct? HUNT: I believe that was -- PHILLIP: About an hour before. AXELROD: Yes, it was, it was. Yes. PHILLIP: About an hour before. HUNT: Yes, it was right before, but it got contentious and Crow is not known as someone who would take that kind of a position. He is very well-respected in the House and for the president to kind of have that demeanor, I think sent a real message to House Democrats. COOPER: John. KING: In all of these conversations, to Kasie's point, Adam Schiff is a significant senior Democrat in California, probably the next senator from California, so close to Pelosi, wouldn't do it without checking with her. What people are saying is they're just hoping the White House gets the message. If not, everyone is talking about next week. There will be polling a few days after this convention. Everyone expects it will be even worse for the president. Plus, there is a private internal polling. Everyone says, we hope the president makes his decision, otherwise, look for early next week to be a tipping point. COOPER: Van. VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, there are a lot of people who want Biden to stay in. I want to just keep pointing out that there's still grassroots love for Joe Biden. Everybody doesn't agree. But today is a terrible day. If you just -- if you pull back and look at this thing, strength versus weakness, a bullet couldn't stop Trump, a virus just stopped Biden. You've got the nominees of this party getting their butts kissed. Biden is getting his butt kicked by own party. The Democrats are coming apart. The Republicans are coming together. That is what's happening. And at some point, this party has to look at the reality of that and move. AXELROD: Let me just say on Pelosi. Nancy Pelosi, first and foremost, no one understands or feels more strongly about the threat that Trumpism represents than Nancy Pelosi. She saw it, she faced it down as speaker and Nancy Pelosi is someone who first and foremost says, how do we win? JONES: How do we win? AXELROD: How are we going to win? DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'll tell you. I'll tell you. AXELROD: And so, I think that's the message that she is driving her and I'm sure it's the message that she brought to the president. COOPER: David? URBAN: Anderson, I would just say, last night, I saw John at the wall. The number was 3-30 to Trump. If that number is 3-30, every one of those potential US senators, the Electoral College. Every one of those potential US senators, you saw come up there last night will be US senators. And so, I think that is what the reality is, again that, that pathway, that polling that came out, that showed those states getting bigger and bigger and their chances of holding the House and holding the Senate are just slipping away rapidly and it's like falling down a slippery slope, if you can't get a foothold quickly, you're off the cliff. SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, it's -- Joe Biden has had the worst three weeks in presidential campaign history, from the debate to today, and Donald Trump probably had the best three weeks. [20:15:06] These two things coinciding are freaking out -- COOPPER: By the way, it's insane that the best three weeks includes an attempted assassination. JENNINGS: I mean, the way this has all come down against Joe Biden. I mean, once again, today, we're going on the air tonight saying, we're praying for Joe Biden. I mean, the best thing you can say about him right now, he's having good days and there's more bad days than good days. (CROSSTALK) COOPER: Dana, then David, we've got to go. AXELROD: I do not -- I think we ought to recognize that Donald Trump is unbeatable in this room. He is a colossus to stride this arena. Outside in the real-world, he is still underwater in his polling. He's not a popular figure -- (CROSSTALK) AXELROD: -- and if there is a change of candidates, this race changes. There's a reason the Trump people haven't run any debate ads against them. Tony Fabrizio, who is a pollster was at an event I moderated today and he acknowledged, yes, we are not trying to push Biden out of this race. And there's a reason for that. If the race changes -- JENNINGS: Do you think Harris, changes the race? AXELROD: I do. I do. HUNT: Trump has people in the fight. PHILLIP: I do feel -- HUNT: People think Harris changes the race. PHILLIP: Yes. AXELROD: But you may not -- they will test the proposition, Scott, but -- PHILLIP: Absolutely, she does. AXELROD: -- I think people are looking for a change at the top of this ticket and I think she would represent it. KING: The conversation to David's point among Democrats, whether it's Harris or someone else is definitely lose with Biden or take a chance and they will take a chance. URBAN: But John, the four people who showed on that poll yesterday, right? KING: Yes. URBAN: Kamala Harris was not in, any of those -- she wasn't in those four. PHILLIP: But she -- URBAN: Mark Kelly -- it was Mark Kelly, Josh Shapiro -- COOPER: Wes Moore. URBAN: Wes Moore and there wasn't Kamala. PHILLIP: But she is still -- but she is still -- the view of it is still that she is still best positioned from a campaign finance position, from Democratic coalition position. Look, it is a real thing what will happen in the Democratic Party, if it is not given serious consideration that the first Black female vice president is the presumptive nominee if Biden steps aside. That is a real thing, but also, I think -- JENNINGS: They can't, they can't do it. PHILLIP: Kamala Harris is also the strongest person who is already established on the best issue for Democrats in this cycle, which is the issue of reproductive rights. AXELROD: Yes. COOPER: Just ahead, more speeches from the convention floor here in Milwaukee. We will hear from North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, who was once a top contender to be Donald Trump's running mate. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [20:21:13] TAPPER: Let's get back to our coverage of the Republican National Convention, here in Milwaukee. We are awaiting remarks from a man who was once on Donald Trump's vice-presidential shortlist, Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota. The man who was ultimately picked of course, is J.D. Vance. Let us listen right now into the Mayor of East Palestine, Ohio where there was that horrific train wreck. Let's listen in. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) TRENT CONAWAY, MAYOR OF EAST PALESTINE, OHIO (R): Good evening. February 3, 2023 began like any other Midwestern day, but in a heartbeat, everything changed. I'm Trent Conaway, the proud mayor of East Palestine, Ohio. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CONAWAY: When the train derailed, spewing flames and toxic chemicals to our town, faced a disaster unlike we'd ever seen. And in the chaos, we witnessed a clear contrast between leadership and incompetence. Our first responders didn't hesitate. They raced to the scene, they battled the flames, and evacuated our citizens. And for that, I want to thank every one of them tonight. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CONAWAY: Unfortunately, the Biden administration's federal response was much different. And constant -- it consisted almost entirely of meetings and press events. They talked and talked, but they delivered little help. Then there was the clear difference between former President Trump and President Biden. For the longest time, the White House was silent, and we never heard a word from Vice President Harris. I guess we weren't their type of folks. No Hollywood elites or Wall Street billionaires live in East Palestine. Just hardworking Americans. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CONAWAY: But Donald Trump cared. First, he called to ask permission to visit, not wanting to intrude. And then he asked how he could help. When he arrived with fresh pallets of drinking water, he met with everyone, from first responders to local officials and residents. He toured the derailment site. He listened to us. And he shared a meal with volunteers at a local McDonald's. His presence was genuine. His concern was real. After a year of criticism, President Biden finally did show up. His appearance was brief, forced, and scripted. He met with a select few and then left. We needed so much, and he delivered so little. I know a thing or two about train wrecks now, and let me tell you, that's what the Biden administration has been. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CONAWAY: Before President Biden derails our entire nation, we need to act. We need a leader who values small town communities as much as big cities. We need a president who loves all Americans. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CONAWAY: We need Donald J. Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CONAWAY: Thank you. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R-ND): Hello, Milwaukee. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: And hello, North Dakota. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: It feels good to be here. The last time I was in Milwaukee, in this building, standing behind a podium was for the debate and I stood on one leg for two hours. You guys might remember I blew my Achilles the day before. But to kick things off, I have a question for you. And I need your help answering so nice and so loud that everyone at home can hear you. Are you ready? Who will make America energy dominant? (CHEERING) BURGUM: Again, who will make America energy dominant? (CHEERING) BURGUM: Again, who will make America energy dominant? AUDIENCE: Trump! BURGUM: Well, that's pretty good, but it's after 4:00 p.m. in D.C. So how about one more time, loud enough to wake up Joe Biden? Who will make America energy dominant? AUDIENCE: Trump! BURGUM: That's right because when President Trump unleashes American energy, we unleash American prosperity, and we ensure our national security. Serving as a governor with President Trump was like having a beautiful breeze at our back. He cut taxes and he cut red tape. Serving as a governor under Joe Biden has been like a gale force wind in our face. Biden's war on energy hurts every American because the cost of energy is in everything we use or touch every day. Biden's red tape has raised the price of the gas in your car, the cost of food on your table, the clothes on your back, and it's even raised your rent. Biden's green agenda feels like it was written by China, Russia and Iran. Let's look at Biden's EV mandates. Where do nearly all the batteries and rare earth minerals come from? China, you know. And the day that Biden halted permits for clean U.S. natural gas export facilities, just think about the party they must have thrown that night at the Kremlin because Biden's policies are making Russia and Iran filthy rich. And they're using that money to fund wars and terrorism against our allies. At home, Biden is acting like a dictator. He's using mandates to shut down reliable base load electricity. That's why your electric bills have soared upwards as our nation's electric grid reliability spirals downward. Four more years of Joe will usher an era of Biden brownouts and blackouts. Imagine no electricity for your fridge, your lights or air conditioning. President Trump will ensure that there's power for you and importantly that we have the power as United States to beat China in the A.I. arms race. (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: Unleashing American energy dominance is our path back to prosperity and peace through strength. Teddy Roosevelt encouraged America to speak softly and carry a big stick. Energy dominance will be the big stick that President Trump will carry. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: Yes. President Trump will make sure that America is selling energy to our allies versus buying it from our adversaries. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: Innovation has always been the source of American greatness, and President Trump champions innovation over regulation. Last year, over that whole year, my wife Kathryn and I traveled all across America. As all of you know, it's rural America that feeds the world, that fuels the world, and defends the world, small towns with a huge impact and rural America is Trump country. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: In North Dakota, we know one thing for sure because we've seen him do it, and that's that the hardest working president in American history is Donald J. Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: President Trump cares deeply about every American -- rig workers, truck drivers, roughnecks, and yes, America's great farmers and ranchers. President Trump cares deeply about you. We know that he'll fight for us. He'll fight for our families. And we know one more thing, he'll let all of you keep driving your gas- powered cars. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) BURGUM: When President Trump unleashes energy dominance, he will make America affordable again. He will make America strong again. And when President Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance together, they will make America great again. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen -- (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: All right, still ahead, more from the convention floor here in Milwaukee. We'll be right back with our special coverage of the Republican National Convention. (APPLAUSE) (COMMERCIAL BREAK) TAPPER: We are coming to you live from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in battleground state Wisconsin. It is night 9:03 and we are counting down to the headline speech tonight Donald Trump's brand new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. My panel is joining with me with more analysis. [20:35:00] And Chris, people might not be entirely familiar with J.D. Vance's for personal story, even if they have read "Hillbilly Elegy." That was a few years ago that it came out, maybe they don't remember. But there is going to be a special guest in the box that's going to help highlight his very moving personal story. WALLACE: Yeah. Just briefly for those of you who haven't read "Hillbilly Elegy" or seen the movie, he was -- came from very humble circumstances in rural Kentucky. The family moved to southwest Ohio; the father left his mother, got into a serious problem with drug addiction and didn't take very good care of him. And J.D. was eventually brought up by his mother's mother and father, the grandfather and grandmother. Well, in any case, Beverly Aikins, his mother, is going to be in the president's box we are told tonight. He is going to make a special call-out to her, where you might think, well, what is going on there, since she had drug problems and ended up turning him over. She has been sober for ten years and he apparently, in talking about and introducing himself to America is going to pay tribute to his mother and the fact that she has gotten straight and kept straight for a decade. And I think there's a feeling in the part of the Trump campaign, this could be a very special moment in terms of introducing to an awful lot of people who don't know him, who exactly Donald Trump's running mate is going to be. TAPPER: And Kristen Holmes, when J.D. Vance submitted the book that became "Hillbilly Elegy," the only part that was autobiographical was the forward, the opening and the rest of it was about policy. And the publisher said, "No, no, no, that first part is the interesting stuff. They would do that book." And that "Hillbilly Elegy" story, his humble beginnings that Chris just discussed, that's going to be a big part of his speech tonight. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is and what I heard from allies is that they were really encouraging him to lean into "Hillbilly Elegy." I mean, it was widely popular book. It resonated with so many people who read it and they believed that his story is so inspiring, that it will inspire so many that don't know anything about him. And thing to keep in mind here is this is his big introduction into the world. He had 48 hours to prepare the most consequential speech of his entire life. And what they have told them to do is lean into your back story. Your back story is at most important thing that made you who you are and they want to teach people about him. TAPPER: And it is interesting and this does come, obviously, at a moment when drug overdoses are a major problem in the United States. They went up under Trump, they continue to go up under President Biden, opioid addiction and overdoses and obviously, fentanyl as well. This is going to be something that has -- this is an issue that has touched so many Americans' lives. And J.D. Vance, Senator Vance discussing it so openly could really be very moving. BASH: Absolutely. That is a big part of his biography, his autobiography, as he is going to give it. It is funny, as you were talking about that, I was thinking because of the tragic reality of addiction in this country, it is very much a -- not just bipartisan, a non-partisan issue. Thinking about Hunter Biden, who is now sober and it is something that President Biden talks about a lot now. You have a personal story of somebody very close to the running mate of the former president, who has similar situation in their family. Obviously, a very different story. But the other thing that I am really going to be interested in is how he talks not just about how he grew up, his childhood, but his service and the fact that he joined the Marines as -- what was he like? He was just a teenager, 18 I believe, when he went he joined, and how that changed his life. So there is so much -- I mean, look, when you kind of think about writing a character of who is a good person, who has a good story, I mean you could not write a better story in terms of his upbringing, his background, and where he took himself after that story. TAPPER: Some of the most closely watched speeches of the night are still ahead. We are standing by to hear from Donald Trump junior and later of course, as we have been discussing, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio steps onto the Convention stage. He will speak for the very first time as Donald Trump's running mate, stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [20:43:25] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST OF 'ANDERSON COOPER 360': And we are back live in Milwaukee where Republicans are getting ready to hear from their new vice presidential nominee and Donald Trump's potential heir in the MAGA movement, Senator J.D. Vance. We are also following the Democrats. President Biden just diagnosed with COVID, plus new reporting that the president is now receptive to discussions about his political future. Kasie Hunt, you can talk to this, I suppose. HUNT: Yeah. No, and I will say that reporting from our Jeff Zeleny has really rippled out across the political universe and is generating a lot of reaction and discussion as we are all sitting here doing this. But I actually was also talking to Republican sources here on the ground in Milwaukee, and one of -- a source familiar at told me that they have been testing, as any smart campaign would do, what a race between Donald Trump and a hypothetical Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket would look like, and some of their sort of preliminary findings are that it does actually potentially help them with the Democratic base, the Democrats with their base if it is Kamala Harris and not Joe Biden, particularly among black women. But for former President Trump, younger white men, especially seem to react better and move more aggressively in Donald Trump's direction if it is Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket as opposed to Joe Biden. But again, this is something that any responsible campaign would be doing given our environment, but it is also -- PHILLIP: There's a lot of addition and subtraction that would happen, right? COOPER: Yeah. PHILLIP: Like, it is not a clean -- I don't think for any of the possible -- HUNT: It is a different race, straight up. PHILLIP: Right -- possible alternatives. It is a clean shift in any one direction. Kamala Harris will add and will subtract. [20:45:00] A Gretchen Whitmer would add and would subtract, and that is one of the things that is causing so much consternation underneath the surface among Democrats, is that there's so many Democrats, maybe more than half who want something else, but the alternative is still incredibly murky and most of them right now, even the ones who I am talking to, who believe that Joe Biden is not the best person for the top of the ticket, are still unclear about what the alternative looks like. They are afraid of what the alternative looks like because of the uncertainties. And it is -- I can't -- you can't blame them, right? You cannot blame them. JENNINGS: I agree with you, by the way, they cannot skip over Harris because it would be a monumental admission that she wasn't qualified when they picked her in the first place. They have to go to Harris; they have to go to Harris. URBAN: But, here's my question. JENNINGS: But let me tell you what you are going to, the idea that you are going to something a little better, I mean, if it is a little it is by a smidge. I mean, her approval rating right now is about 38 percent, not much different than Joe Biden. And she would be tied to the worst and most unpopular parts of the Biden agenda. URBAN: Isn't it simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? You are going to hit the iceberg; the ship is sinking. Does it matter who the captain is? AXELROD: You know, it is so -- what is so interesting to me is that, I hear my friends desperately -- (LAUGH) JENNINGS: Give us advice. (LAUGH) AXELROD: -- try and advise the Democratic Party to -- JENNINGS: We are not the desperate ones -- (CROSSTALK) JENNINGS: Axe, we are not the desperate ones in this campaign, right? (LAUGH) AXELROD: I think with Joe Biden, the Republican Party clearly doesn't want a change. They want to keep Biden in place. URBAN: Biden-Harris. AXELROD: If Kamala Harris is so -- such a vulnerable candidate and would make no difference, I think they wouldn't be as concerned about it. They clearly are. I am not saying that she would necessarily be the best candidate. I am not -- I don't know that that is the case. I do know this, whatever you -- whatever you -- however you play it out on paper or in a projective polling, you have a younger, more aggressive candidate who can take the fight to Trump, which is what you don't have now. And Trump, you want to talk about vulnerabilities, talk about -- let's talk about a candidate who is underwater nationally. There is no great enthusiasm for Donald Trump. You look at most polling and people don't like the choice generally, which would be the argument for a whole new candidate, but -- so I mean, yeah. URBAN: If Biden were to get off the ticket, if he just resigns right now and Kamala Harris becomes president, would that be helpful? Would that help your side? JONES: It's (inaudible). I just want to walk through a couple of things, it is not about whether she is qualified or not. She is as qualified as anybody who has ever served. She was an attorney general, an effective one. She was a Senator, she is a vice president. So she is qualified. The question is, who can win? That's the only question. And I think that Kamala Harris herself, if she could -- look, we are convinced that someone else would have a better shot at winning. She doesn't want Donald Trump to take over this country either. So the question is, who can win? Now, if you would just ChatGPT, if you were (inaudible), if you were a (inaudible), you would look at this situation and you would come at least one set of conclusions, which is this. Democrats have to win Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. We have a governor in Michigan and a governor of Pennsylvania. So ChatGPT would say at least consider putting forward your two swing-state governors. So it is -- JENNINGS: Wouldn't cause a cratering of African-American enthusiasm? JONES: No, no, no, it is almost like -- so then, you have to walk through certain things. Is Kamala Harris so popular with black voters that it would cause a cratering? She is probably not that popular that it would by itself cause a cratering, but it would cause alarm and concern among party activists. Could black party activist be convinced to say, look, let's do the right thing, do a discussion here. But it shouldn't be (inaudible). Then second question would be, could you have a woman, like Gretchen (ph)? Could you have a Jewish person like Shapiro? But you would walk through all of these things and you wouldn't be stampeded by people just saying, if you even considerate it, you're racist. If you even considered it, you are sexist. That wouldn't happen in a rational process and an irrational process, you might come to conclusion that Kamala Harris is the most winnable candidate and you would go from there. (CROSSTALK) PHILLIP: The problem with that, Van, is that there is not enough time for a rational process. HUNT: Yes. (Inaudible). (LAUGH) PHILLIP: That's part of a problem. COOPER: John? KING: That's exactly right, in the sense that think of where we are. We are one month to the Democratic Convention. This Republican Convention is a show of unity and they are improving their position. And as of today, they would win and win convincingly. They would take the Senate and they probably would keep the House. That's what Democrats are looking at right now. So, you have a month to the Democratic Convention, which is why Democrats are telling the president, make this decision and make it now. So they can start that process next week. To get it done before the convention because you don't want the convention to be a fight about this; you want the convention to be a (inaudible). COOPER: What does that process even look like? I mean, just for folks out there, like logistically, what would that look like? KING: You would have -- you could have --- there's different ways to do it. The Democratic National Committee would have to come up with a process, the party would. [20:50:00] The easiest way is actually to do it after the convention because then just the committee picks the candidates, but that would be less democratic. JENNINGS: The party of democracy, ladies and gentlemen. KING: That would be -- exactly. (LAUGH) JENNINGS: The party of democracy. JONES: He is not a member of this party, so -- KING: That would be less democratic because they just get -- the national committee picks after the convention if the candidate steps aside. But if you do it before the convention -- (CROSSTALK) AXELROD: So, you would have a series of forum, the way you would do it is you would have a series of forums across the country. You'd have to find some way to limit or qualify candidates to participate in that. And then the convention would decide -- HUNT: But David -- AXELROD: And Scott is sitting there with this Cheshire cat sheepish smile on his face. (LAUGH) JENNINGS: Right. AXELROD: But the truth of the matter is -- the truth of the matter is that you could argue that, that kind of contest could energize interest and energize a convention, and the person who comes out -- and Kamala Harris because of the nature of the Democratic Party and the delegates and so on, might be the favorite in that process. But if she goes through a process, you could argue that she would be a stronger candidate for having (inaudible). (CROSSTALK) JENNINGS: Let me ask you a question. HUNT: Isn't the deadline -- the actual deadline August 7th though? PHILLIP: No, it is not. HUNT: No, it is not the actual convention? PHILLIP: It is not. That's it -- no, it is not. They can do it at the convention. They are going forward. HUNT: But then, they are not on the ballot in Ohio. PHILLIP: No, they are on the ballot in Ohio. (CROSSTALK) JENNINGS: They fixed it. (CROSSTALK) HUNT: OK. PHILLIP: Fixed that issue. They are saying that they can't trust the Republicans, they can undo the fix. OK. HUNT: Let me ask you. PHILLIP: Maybe, that's possible. But the thing is, they are moving forward as of tomorrow to go forward with a virtual roll call. Some of that is the Democratic Party. They are going to do the virtual roll call -- AXELROD: Their Rules Committee is meeting tomorrow. HUNT: Yeah. PHILLIP: -- to have a roll call on -- AXELROD: No, on Friday. Is it Friday? HUNT: Friday. AXELROD: Friday. PHILLIP: -- on President Biden and Kamala Harris. So they are moving forward with that. But part of that is to take this issue off the table, but they don't have to. They do not have to. They can do this at the convention. That's how -- JENNINGS: Let me ask you guys a question. What about Kamala Harris' forays into presidential politics, has it convinced any of you that this would be anything other than a huge dumpster fire? When she ran for president, it was the literal words, her high watermark was -- PHILLIP: I covered her in 2020. JENNINGS: It was awful. And now, her vice presidency has been awful. What about this (inaudible). (CROSSTALK) PHILLIP: I covered her in 2020. I think that the way that Democrats see it, is that she has, especially recently, in the last year, 18 months, grown into the role, but I also think that most people around Vice President Harris believes that she has untapped political gifts. She is not -- she didn't accidentally end up on the national stage. I mean, she was going all the way back to the beginning of her political career, Barack Obama thought she was a rising star in the party. So, a lot of people around her believed that she has the raw material to be able to do it, but she has not used it in the best way up until this point. (CROSSTALK) COOPER: (Inaudible) quickly hear this from a Democratic member of Congress watching this conversation. This -- let's just see what happens this week. I am getting the feeling now, he may be listening. (LAUGH) URBAN: Hey, Joe Biden. COOPER: Jake, back to you (ph). TAPPER: Thank you so much, Anderson. We see in the audience there, Lauren Boebert, the Congresswoman from Colorado; the speaker of the house, Mr. Johnson; and also Nancy Mace from South Carolina. Obviously, it is an electric experience here for the Republican delegates, excited to hear from President Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance. You see there in Trump's box, Donald Trump Jr. standing there talking with the governor, the Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin; and Senator Marco Rubio, one of the finalists to be VP, Senator from Florida. We are expecting that President Trump is going to come into the arena soon to watch his running mate deliver the speech. He has come here, obviously, every night and this is part of the pageantry. Chris Wallace of convention, you see the nominee, but you don't hear from him until the final night. WALLACE: No, that's right. And for all of the excitement, there's been a good deal, particularly Monday night when Donald Trump showed up here barely 48 hours after he was nearly taken down by an assassin. The highlight and the main thrust of this entire convention will be his speech tomorrow night. We will see what agenda he wants to set forward. He, obviously, as a former president, he has got a record and also a platform. But we'll see the way he wants to contest this campaign, whoever it ends up being against, whether it is Joe Biden or somebody to be announced. And I tend -- one of the things we are all going to be looking forward to is whether or not the near-death experience that Donald Trump went through last Saturday, whether it has changed him. [20:55:00] I don't mean that he is a different person, but whether it has had some emotional impact on him and has perhaps changed the way that he wants to continue his relationship with the American people. I think it is going to be fascinating -- BASH: Here he comes. WALLACE: -- to watch how that plays out. (CROWD CHEERING) BASH: And he is coming in. TAPPER: And the crowd is cheering right now because the nominee of the presidential nominee, who has yet to accept that nomination, that will happen tomorrow night. Donald Trump is walking into the arena. He has the patch on his ear from the attempted assassination on Saturday. There are delegates here who have now put fake -- not fake, but they have put bandages on their ears, even though they don't have injuries, in homage to their leader, President Trump. Here he is coming in to the sound of "It's A Man's World." I believe it is James Brown, right? Who sings this. I might be -- WALLACE: You are on your own here. TAPPER: OK. (LAUGH) BASH: I think you are right. I am going to go with yes. You mentioned that -- soaking it in. You mentioned that it is somewhat tradition for the nominee to be at the earlier days of the convention. Not always though, I remember there were times when the presidential candidate would sometimes be campaigning and beam in from wherever they are, being here for a surprise visit, and this is a very specific kind of event for this individual, for this candidate. Obviously, as we talked about, he wanted to make that hero's welcome entrance on Monday. But also, he loves the pageantry. He wants to be here for every minute that he possibly can be because this is his party, this is his party. What I -- I mean the political party, but also his celebration and there is no strife that we see. And it is a unified Republican Party that he is greeting. WALKER: I have to tell you, I bumped into -- you can see a couple of people down from -- to his right, is his son, Don Jr., who on Saturday night was fishing down in Florida and got the awful word and apparently took him some period of time to get back and to talk to his dad. And when he did and he knew that his dad was in decent shape, his first words to his father were, "But Dad, let's get to the important thing. How is the hair?" (LAUGH) WALKER: And he said that the president enjoyed that, and the fact that he had survived his near-death experience. TAPPER: So let's listen into Donald Trump Jr.'s fiance Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox personality. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER: And I know that God has put an armor of protection over Donald Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: We are all reminded that love for our nation and the beauty of life itself transcends all hatred and political divisions. I stand before you tonight, more convinced than ever, this is the most important election in our lifetime. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: This election will decide the fate of our great nation, and that is why we must elect President Donald John Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: This is not just a choice between Republicans and Democrats. This is a choice between safety or chaos, wealth or poverty, national sovereignty or open borders. This election is a choice between Joe Biden's vision for American weakness and Donald Trump's vision of American greatness. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Donald Trump will once again make our country strong, safe, and prosperous. … CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 17, 2024 - 21:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [21:00:00] KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, FORMER PROSECUTOR, DONALD TRUMP JR.'S FIANCEE: He will make America feared by our adversaries, and respected by our friends. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: And most importantly, he will always put America first. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: After four years of Joe Biden's disastrous America Last agenda, our country is more dangerous, vulnerable, and impoverished, than anyone had thought possible. President Trump handed Biden a booming economy and a strong nation. All Joe had to do was leave it alone and take a nap. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: But Joe just couldn't help himself. Joe Biden cannot lead America. He cannot even lead himself off a stage. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Now Americans are drowning in inflation. Insanity spreads like a cancer in our schools. We are closer to World War III than any time in my life. And we are facing an unprecedented invasion of millions of illegal aliens across our southern border. Rioters and looters go free. While Biden and the Democrats persecute American heroes like Donald Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Tens of millions of Americans are made to feel like enemies, in our own country, an enemy for wanting to defend our border, for not wanting our children indoctrinated in school, for not wanting to erase our history, for praying to our God, saying what we think, and fighting for what we believe. It is no wonder that the heroes, who stormed the beaches of Normandy, and faced down communism sadly say they don't recognize our country anymore. This is not an accident. The powerful elites, in the swamp, will say anything to crush and destroy the America First movement. But we will never give up. And neither will Donald J. Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: I know I speak for patriots everywhere, when I say we are fed up. We are outraged about sex trafficking, and drug trafficking, across our southern border. We are fed up with the forever wars. We are done being told by the radical left to sit down, shut up and obey. The Democrat vision for America is governed by fear, hatred and political oppression. Our vision is defined by our love of our country, love for our fellow citizens, and our love of freedom. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: In our vision, we will secure the southern border and deport the violent criminal aliens once and for all. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: In our vision, America will combat foreign aggressors and ensure our servicemembers are protected, not abandoned, as they carry out their dangerous missions abroad. Because we know we can only have peace through strength. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: We will restore an era of national pride, where freedom of speech is respected, and cancel culture is ended. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Where high school girls only compete with other girls, not biological men. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Where struggling cities never put criminal illegal aliens above our heroic veterans and brave law enforcement. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) [21:05:00] GUILFOYLE: Where our streets are not ruled by gangs and rioters, but governed by law and order, where students are freed from failings schools, and corrupt teachers' unions, through Universal School Choice. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Where our most sacred institutions are not weaponized against political opponents, but are fair, equal and just. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: And where we teach our children to love our country, learn our history, and respect our American flag. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: I believe in America. I believe in our freedom and liberty. And I believe in Donald John Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: And I want Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and all of the radical Democrats, to know this. We will not be bullied into obedience. We will not cower in silence. We will fight for America because we love America. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "USA") GUILFOYLE: I stand before you, as a working mother, a former prosecutor, a Catholic and a proud Latina. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: I know personally what every American has now seen with their own eyes. I know the measure of the man that stands before us. Donald Trump will never stop fighting for you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: So, join me in voting for Donald J. Trump for president again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Victory is in our sights. America's future is in our hands. America's destiny is in our control. And America's prosperity is in our hearts and souls. America, this is your moment. Will you stand up for President Trump? (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GUILFOYLE: Rise up. Rise up. Ladies and gentlemen, lovers of liberty and freedom and the American Dream, this is our last chance to make America great again. God bless you. God bless President Trump. And may God bless America. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: All right, Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancee of Donald Trump Jr., giving one of her characteristically boisterous speeches. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please welcome Congressman Michael Waltz of Florida. (APPLAUSE) TAPPER: We will hear from her fiance, later in the evening. Donald Trump Jr. will speak. Here's Congressman Michael Waltz speaking. Kaitlan Collins. Kaitlan Collins, you are on the floor with-- KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yes. TAPPER: --another member of the Trump family. COLLINS: Yes, Jake. I am standing here with Lara Trump. She is a member of the Trump family, but also the co-chair of the RNC, who closed out last night of the convention. And Lara, great to have you here. I know that RNC has been working really closely with everyone on their speeches. What should we be expecting to hear from the vice president -- presidential candidate that Donald Trump has selected tonight? LARA TRUMP, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: Well, I think this is an opportunity, for America, really need to get to know Senator J.D. Vance. He's obviously a young senator. He's a young man. He's 39- years-old. And I think this is his opportunity, to introduce himself, to the American people. I'm sure you'll hear part of his life story. Some people may have read his book, Hillbilly Elegy, and know that he really is the American Dream. He started out from very humble beginnings. He has dealt with a lot of issues that Americans have, substance abuse in his family, poverty in his family. And he is now a United States Senator. So, I think he's probably going to talk a lot about his story, and it'll be an introduction for America to him. [21:10:00] COLLINS: I wonder given you have to also think about down-ballot races. Obviously, the RNC works for the top of the ticket. But for other Republican races, does it concern you? Is it going to make your job harder, given he has passed support for a national abortion ban, given how animating that issue has been for so many voters? TRUMP: Well, I think Donald Trump's been very clear on his stance on that. And obviously, he is the one running for president. He has said he will not pass a national abortion ban, or will not sign one into law. And I think the most appropriate thing, as Donald Trump himself has said, has happened. It's gone back to the states to decide. And obviously, it's an issue that a lot of people care about. But as far as Donald Trump is concerned, it has been settled by the Supreme Court, to go back to the states, and it's up to each state to decide. COLLINS: Donald Trump Jr. is your brother-in-law. He did an interview with Axios, yesterday, where he said he believed the only way that former President Donald Trump could lose this election is if there is cheating. Do you agree with that? TRUMP: As far as you can feel in this room right now, it certainly feels that way. And I can tell you that we're doing everything in our power, from the RNC, to ensure indeed a free, fair and transparent election. Look, you can't have half of the electorate feeling like their vote doesn't count and their vote doesn't matter. And unfortunately, and coming out of 2020, there are millions of people who feel that way. And our job at the RNC is that we want you, no matter if you're voting Republican, Democrat or third-party candidate, to feel confident in your vote, when you cast a ballot, this, obviously this election season, but all the way up to November 5th. And so, that's what we're really -- working really hard to do. COLLINS: Do you expect mail-in voting to be a big part of your push, given its history that some Republicans say they wish Donald Trump would be more supportive of? TRUMP: He's actually come out, and he's put on Truth Social that anyway, whether it's voting on Election Day, early voting, or mailing in your vote, is a great way to vote in this election. So, he actually has changed his stance on that. And I think we did learn some lessons from 2020. And one of them is that we, as a party, should be embracing things like mail-in voting and early voting. If everyone waits, to go vote on Election Day, look, life happens, right? I have kids. They get sick. You have a job. There's bad weather. Things happen in life. So, our message from the Republican Party is, we want you to go vote. We want you to go vote early. And then, we want you to take people to go vote. Everybody you know, encourage them to get out, and vote, and be part of the process. COLLINS: Lara Trump, thank you for your time tonight. TRUMP: Thank you so much. COLLINS: Jake, back to you. TAPPER: Thank you, Kaitlan. And we are expecting a video about the Gold Star Families, who lost their loved ones during the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, in August 2021. There are both policy and political reasons, to bring up this. Obviously, the policy reasons are -- have to do with America's role in the world. And this evening is dedicated to make America strong again. But in terms of the politics of it all. Joe Biden, President Biden began the month of August 2021, with a 49 percent approval rating, according to Gallup. By the end of August, after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which went very, very poorly, obviously, 13 servicemembers killed in that attack at Abbey Gate, at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, at the end of August, his approval rating was 43 percent. That was a significant slide in just one month. And a lot of people, Dana, think that that was the beginning of the end, when it came to Joe Biden's ability to be reelected. I mean, that's just a theory. It's not proven fact. But that was a bad month for him, politically, and a bad month for the United States, and particularly for those 13 families. VOICE OF DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: And it's how people inside the Biden campaign see it politically, that it was that moment, that horrible, horrible, chaotic withdrawal. That was the point of no return, politically, for Joe Biden, until this point. Maybe he can return. But that was -- he never came back from that politically. But also, just in terms of the policy, which Jake, you've reported so much on, it is going to be interesting to hear the way that they talk about the withdrawal. I mean, that was on Joe Biden's watch. But the recipe and the deal that led to the withdrawal was done by Donald Trump. He wanted to get out of Afghanistan. BASH: I mean, he argues that he wanted to get out. He wouldn't have allowed the withdrawal to be as chaotic, and deadly, as it was. TAPPER: When we -- when we talked to Nikki Haley, about this, during the town hall, Chris, about the withdrawal, because she'd been obviously very critical of President Biden's withdrawal. She said that one of the reasons why Donald Trump never actually did the withdrawal, even though, as you know, his administration negotiated the exit with the Taliban, is because it would have required, in order to withdraw American troops, the correct way, it would have required a surge of more troops into Afghanistan before the withdrawal. And that was her answer, as to why she thought while that -- obviously, she faulted Trump to a degree as well. But while ultimately it was Biden's -- Biden's wrongdoing, and poorly-executed withdrawal. [21:15:00] CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: It also struck, when we look back three years, it struck at the heart of Biden's selling point to the American people, which was the idea he was competent, he had long experience, particularly in foreign policy. He'd been a vice president. He'd been the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And then, to see this hash that was made of it, and the image of the big transport plane with the Americans -- with the Afghans trying, desperately, to get out, and some of them are hanging on to the plane, one of them or two of them, that ended up in the wheel well, and falling to their depth, thousands of feet. And then, of course, the tragic suicide bombing that killed 13 American soldiers. I quite agree with you. It was -- it was a -- certainly, a point right then, where Biden had been quite popular. It seemed like we were getting out from under COVID. Of course, there was a resurgence of that. But it was -- it was a point at which people began to have serious doubts, about Biden's competence, and whether or not he had -- had lived up to the selling points that he had made to the American people, about his foreign policy expertise. TAPPER: And believe it or not, the debate, Dana, the debate was only three weeks ago tomorrow. At that debate, President Biden has said, inaccurately, that no American servicemembers had died under his watch. BASH: Right. TAPPER: Here's the video about the Gold Star Families. Let's take a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HERMAN LOPEZ, MARINE CORPS CPL. HUNTER LOPEZ'S FATHER: August 26, 2021, in Kabul, Afghanistan. ABBY (ph) SANCHEZ, CORPORAL HUMBERTO SANCHEZ'S SISTER: My name is Abby (ph) Sanchez. And I am the voice for my brother, Corporal Humberto Sanchez. CORAL BRISENO, CORPORAL HUMBERTO SANCHEZ'S MOTHER: My name is Coral Briseno. And I am Corporal Humberto Sanchez's mother. STEVEN NIKOUI, KAREEM NIKOUI'S FATHER: My name is Steven Nikoui. I'm here for my son, Kareem Nikoui. I'm here today to give my son a voice. CHERYL JUELS, MARINE CORPS SGT. NICOLE GEE'S AUNT: My name is Cheryl Juels. I am Sergeant Nicole Gee's aunt. She was a U.S. Marine that was killed in the Kabul, Afghanistan withdrawal. CHRISTY SHAMBLIN, MARINE CORPS SGT. NICOLE GEE'S MOTHER-IN-LAW: My name is Christy Shamblin. And I'm here for Sergeant Nicole Gee, United States Marine, who was killed in the Afghanistan exit. KELLY BARNETT, STAFF SERGEANT TAYLOR HOOVER'S MOTHER: My name is Kelly Barnett. I'm here to give a voice to my son, my -- my best friend, Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover. DARIN HOOVER, STAFF SERGEANT TAYLOR HOOVER'S FATHER: And my name is Darin Hoover. And I'm here to give voice as well, for our son, Staff Sergeant Taylor Hoover. JUELS: When we started hearing that the Taliban was moving in, that there wasn't more military being deployed, and that they had decided that the Taliban was our security. That was when I became terrified. They were just kind of left there, hung out to dry. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From Afghanistan, where there are significant casualties, including some Americans from a suicide attack. JIM MCCOLLUM, LANCE CPL. RYLEE MCCOLLUM'S FATHER: I was at work, and heard about it. Instantly, had that just chill go through me, and I started sending messages. BARNETT: I'm talking to people. I'm calling his girlfriend. I'm saying well, have you heard from him? Calling the sisters. Have you heard from him? You know, we're texting, where we're saying please, just send us a text, just whatever. Just let us know that you're OK. JUELS: When all the explosions went off. I had messaged her, and I said, hey, you know, I know you can't say anything but you know, just an emoji. Just a bubble. MCCOLLUM: And then 3:30 in the morning, that night, I got the knock on the door. You know there's no other reason two Marines are standing on your door. BRISENO: Right away, they told me, we have news about your son, and he just passed away. I just started screaming, I throw myself on the floor. ALICIA LOPEZ, MARINE CORPS CPL. HUNTER LOPEZ'S MOTHER: I pull up the street, and I see a white van. And once I saw them, I knew. [21:20:00] It's surreal, seeing all those flag-draped coffins, in the back of a C-17 is something you'll never forget. And it really drives home that you know these young men and women gave the ultimate sacrifice. They had all the families within this large room. The President showed up. And -- and that was -- it wasn't what I was expecting. NIKOUI: You know, this guy is sitting across from me, on that tarmac, and he keeps looking at his watch. BARNETT: Biden did not want to be there. I don't know what he wanted to do. But he did not want to be there. He looked at his watch multiple times. I saw it three times. MCCOLLUM: He didn't say anything about Rylee. And to this day, he has yet to say those 13 kids' names. BRISENO: And that makes me so upset, because those kids were serving their country. Those kids, they were giving their life for this country. And I always said, they were thinking that their Commander- in-Chief was going to have their back, because they were fighting for this country. And that didn't happen. SHAMBLIN: The Administration, the White House-- JUELS: Never once. SHAMBLIN: --our President, has never once mentioned their names, not one of them. HOOVER: Honestly, I -- I don't feel like Joe Biden cared. NIKOUI: He just had no empathy for us at all. MCCOLLUM: I do think incompetence, played a huge factor in what happened. Bad decision, bad leadership. And it all starts at the top, BRISENO: Joe Biden should not be leading this country. JUELS: There was no point in making that hard deadline, August 31st. It was 100 percent a political stunt. BARNETT: He let my son down. He let the 13 down. He let the 45 wounded down. He let those 174 civilians down. He let our country down. BRISENO: And then what it hurts the most is that they could be here. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We fully understand we can't bring back our kids. But there are thousands and thousands more out there that are going to come home the same way, if something doesn't change. We, the United States of America, we can do better by our men and women that are risking their lives for this country. We can do better for them than that. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To this day, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had never mentioned these fallen soldiers' names. President Trump will never forget them. (END VIDEOTAPE) (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage the Gold Star Families of our fallen heroes. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "USA") SHAMBLIN: Hello, America. I'm Christy Shamblin. My daughter-in-law, Sergeant Nicole Leanne (ph) Gee. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) SHAMBLIN: Was the United States Marine, and she was killed at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan, alongside 12 of her brothers and sister in arms. While Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice, Donald Trump spent six hours in Bedminster with us. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) [21:25:00] SHAMBLIN: He allowed us to grieve. He allowed us to remember our heroes. Donald Trump knew all of our children's names. He knew their stories. And he spoke to us in a way that made us feel understood, like he knew our kids. He carried, Donald Trump carried, the weight for a few hours with me. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) SHAMBLIN: Yes. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) SHAMBLIN: And for the first time, since Nicole's death, I felt I wasn't alone in my grief. (CHEERS) SHAMBLIN: Thank you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) SHAMBLIN: I had expected to meet an arrogant politician. Instead, I met a man, who had empathy for us. He was compassionate. And he spent time with us, because he knew it would make us feel better. Thank you, President Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) JUELS: I'm Cheryl Juels, Nicole's aunt. Joe Biden said the withdrawal from Afghanistan was an extraordinary success. (AUDIENCE BOOS) JUELS: An extraordinary success. Look at our faces. Look at our pain, and our heartbreak, and look at our rage. That was not an extraordinary success. The humiliation of our nation was not an extraordinary success. (APPLAUSE) JUELS: Joe Biden may have forgotten that our children died. But we have not forgotten. Donald Trump has not forgotten. (APPLAUSE) JUELS: Joe Biden owes the men and women that served in Afghanistan a debt of gratitude and an apology. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) JUELS: Yes. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) JUELS: Donald Trump loves this country, and will never forget the sacrifice and bravery of our servicemembers. Join us in putting him back in the White House. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) A. LOPEZ: I'm Alicia Lopez. And this is my husband, Herman. Our son, Corporal Hunter Lopez, who's name Joe Biden has refused to say out loud, was killed on August 26th, 2021. He died during Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Hunter was 22-years-old, and planned to come home to California after his tour, to follow in our footsteps. Herman and I work for the Riverside County Sheriff's Office. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) A. LOPEZ: And our family has a tradition of service in law enforcement. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) A. LOPEZ: Hunter was excited to carry it on. Instead, in the nearly three years since Hunter has been gone, there has been silence. Silence from that empty space at the dinner table, where Hunter would have joined his brothers, and sister, and us, for family gatherings. And there has been a deafening silence, from the Biden and Harris administration. (AUDIENCE BOOS) [21:30:00] A. LOPEZ: Despite our pleas for answers and accountability, they have pushed us away, and tried to silence us. The Biden administration has not owned up to the bad decisions. They have not been transparent about their failures. And their so-called leaders work to protect themselves, rather than our sons and daughters who took the oath to defend our country. (APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Thank you. When Hunter and the other servicemembers' bodies were returned to the U.S., in Dover, Delaware, Joe Biden met the plane. But he made the occasion more about his son, lost to cancer than our sons and daughters lost on his watch. Worse than that, he has never said their names out loud. And during -- and during last month's debate, he claimed no servicemembers have died during his administration. (AUDIENCE BOOS) H. LOPEZ: None. That hurt us all deeply. So, Alicia and I are here to say the names of all 13 servicemembers, who lost their lives. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: All 13 servicemembers that lost their lives at Abbey Gate. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Semper Fi. H. LOPEZ: David Espinosa. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Nicole Gee. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Taylor Hoover. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Ryan C. Knauss. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Rylee McCollum. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Dylan Merola. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Kareem Nikoui. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Daegan Page. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Johanny Pichardo. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Humberto Sanchez. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Jared Schmitz. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Maxton Soviak. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: And my son, Hunter Lopez. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: Thank you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "JOE MUST GO") H. LOPEZ: Joe Biden has to go. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) H. LOPEZ: He failed the American people. He failed the Afghan people, and our military servicemembers. He failed our family. And he failed Hunter. Donald Trump has a proven record of keeping the peace, and honoring those in uniform. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "JOE MUST GO") [21:35:00] H. LOPEZ: All of us, on this stage, recognize the efforts of Mr. Trump. We know this firsthand. We've experienced it. Whenever we've met with him, he has demonstrated compassion. He has joined us on our mission for answers. And he has given hope for extended Gold Star Family. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) A. LOPEZ: Now, we have another son, serving in the army. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) A. LOPEZ: And we do not trust Joe Biden with his life. We have faith that Donald Trump, to lead our military. Please join us in supporting Donald Trump for President and Commander-in-Chief. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "USA") TAPPER: A very powerful and politically devastating tribute to fallen loved ones, and endorsement of Donald Trump from those Gold Star Families. We heard from the mother-in-law and the aunt of Marine Sergeant Nicole Gee. And we heard from the parents of Marine Corporal Hunter Lopez. Two of those American servicemembers killed in August 2021, during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Our coverage will continue from Milwaukee, as we wait tonight's headliner, from the man who might be the next Vice President of the United States. Ohio Republican senator, J.D. Vance. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [21:41:27] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: And we are back live in Milwaukee. Donald Trump, in the Republican Convention arena, for a third straight night, getting ready for the first high-stakes speech, by his new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance. Here with the panel. David Axelrod. What we just saw previous to this was the Gold Star families, 13 Americans killed in Afghanistan, incredibly moving. DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It was. COOPER: Incredibly powerful testimony. And to hear, and to be in this hall, I don't know if it came through on the television, but to be in this hall, and to have them saying the names of each of the 13, and those names, reverberating in this hall, from the lips of everybody in this room, is extraordinary. AXELROD: Yes, there's no doubt about it. And look, it underscores what was a real line of demarcation, I think, in the year -- the Biden years. I think the way the manner in which not the fact of the withdrawal, which I actually think was fairly popular, but the manner in which the U.S. withdrew, and the loss of those 13 was something that showed up immediately, in his public support, and he's never really bounced back from that. So, this was an opportunity to-- ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: Can I-- DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's just -- it's just unforgivable, OK? SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. URBAN: Hunter -- I mean, Hunter Lopez's father, when -- Anderson, I got choked up. His father's reading those names. Somebody who's went to West Point, served in the military, been deployed overseas, fought in the war. The fact that Joe Biden never met with those families, the fact that Joe Biden forgot, forgot that those kids died? It's just unforgivable. The fact that the White House has never bothered to clean up, or say we're sorry, it's just unforgivable. It's unforgivable. JENNINGS: David. PHILLIP: And you know, David. JENNINGS: David, the -- I've been to a lot of conventions. I've never seen anything, this politically devastating done at a convention. I mean, they have proven to the American people that the Commander-in- Chief failed these families. If I were Joe Biden, and I saw that tonight, I would resign my office, go outside, dig a hole, get in it, and not come out for a while. PHILLIP: You know, in fact the big-- JENNINGS: This is-- URBAN: Just apologize to the families. Just apologize. PHILLIP: The biggest issue-- COOPER: Abby. PHILLIP: --for Joe Biden, tonight is going to be that foreign policy is front and center. And this actually, I think, is a broad weakness for him, not just among Republicans, but also even among some Democrats, who are not happy, not just with how he's handled the Gaza- Israel conflict, but also just the idea that the United States is engaged in these kinds of conflicts. And so, this is a weak point for the -- for the President. And Republicans are doing a-- COOPER: And we're about to hear from-- PHILLIP: --a fair enough job. COOPER: --Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Jewish student. Let's listen. SHABBOS KESTENBAUM, HARVARD UNIVERSITY GRADUATE, ANTISEMITISM ACTIVIST: My name is Shabbos Kestenbaum. I am a proud first generation American. I am a proud Orthodox Jew. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: And as of five months ago, I am the proud plaintiff, suing Harvard University, for its failure to combat antisemitism. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: I came to Harvard to study religion, the foundation of Western civilization. What I found was not theology, but a contempt for it. [21:45:00] My problem with Harvard is not its liberalism, but it's illiberalism. Too often students at Harvard are taught not how to think, but what to think. I found myself immersed in a culture that is anti-Western, that is anti-American, and that is antisemitic. (AUDIENCE BOOS) KESTENBAUM: After October 7th, the world finally saw what I and so many Jewish students, across this country experienced, almost every day. When I planted 1,200 Israeli and American flags on campus, they were all vandalized within 24 hours. I was harassed by my peers merely for being a Jew, and have received countless death threats online. Students and professors have openly called for new Hamas-style attacks against the United States. And perhaps most damning, when Hamas terrorists butchered 45 American citizens, on October 7th, when they took 12 Americans hostage, Harvard refused to immediately and unequivocally condemn this atrocity. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: My fellow Americans, the antisemitic bigotry, unfortunately, extends far beyond the universities. Although I once voted for Bernie Sanders, I now recognize that the far-left has not only abandoned the Jewish people, but the American people. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: The Democratic Party, the party I registered to vote for, the day I turned 18, has become ideologically poisoned. And it is this poison, it is this corruption that is infecting far too many young American students. Let's be clear. The far-left's antisemitic extremism has no virtue, and the radicalism on our campuses and on our streets has no moral legitimacy. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: Sadly, sadly, the far-left-wing tide of antisemitism is rising. But tonight, tonight, we fight back. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: I am proud. I am proud to support President Trump's policies, to expel foreign students, who violate our laws, harass our Jewish classmates and desecrate our freedoms. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: Let's elect a president, who will instill patriotism in our school, once again. Let's elect a president, who will confront terrorism, and its supporters, once again. Let's elect a president, who recognizes that although Harvard and the Ivy Leagues have long abandoned the United States of America, the Jewish people never will, because Jewish values are American values, and American values are Jewish values. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) KESTENBAUM: God bless the United States. God bless the land of Israel. God bless protect and return the American hostages in Gaza now. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the parents of an American hostage held in Gaza. Orna and Ronen Neutra. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") ORNA NEUTRA, HAMAS HOSTAGE OMER NEUTRA'S MOTHER: Our son, Omer, is an American citizen. For 285 long days and nights, Hamas terrorists have been holding Omer in prison, in tunnels, underneath Gaza. [21:50:00] Omer, which is a biblical name, and means in Hebrew, the first crop, is our firstborn. He was born in New York City, one month after 9/11. Eight months pregnant, I walked across the Queensboro Bridge towards home that day. And here we are, 23 years later. And he's the victim of another vile terrorist attack. Let me tell you a little bit about my son. He's a connector. He's an extremely social person. He loves sports. In high school, he was captain of the soccer ball, volleyball and basketball teams. He's a natural leader. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) O. NEUTRA: And he cares deeply about others, and about helping them grow. He turned 22, on October 14th, 2023. And instead of celebrating with us, and with his friends, he spent his birthday as a hostage of Hamas terrorists. Imagine, over nine months, not knowing whether your son is alive, waking up every morning, praying that he too is still waking up every morning, that he is strong and is surviving. I recite Psalm 23 in his merit every single day. (FOREIGN LANGUAGE). I walk through the shadow of the -- the valley of the shadow of the death. I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") RONEN NEUTRA, HAMAS HOSTAGE OMER NEUTRA'S FATHER: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) O. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. O. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: During the brutal October 7 attack on Israel, over 1,200 people were slaughtered. Of them, 45 were American citizens. Where is the outrage? (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) R. NEUTRA: Where is it? This was not merely an attack on Israel. This was and remains an attack on Americans. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) R. NEUTRA: Omer is one of eight American hostages, and one of 120 hostages still left in Gaza. Citizens of 24 countries, and five different religions, still held by Hamas, denied basic human needs, their lives threatened every day. President Trump called us, personally, right after the attack, when Omer was taken captive. We know he stands with the American hostages. We need our beautiful son back. And we need your support. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) R. NEUTRA: We need your support, to end this crisis and bring all the hostages back home. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") O. NEUTRA: Omer, we love you. We won't stop fighting for you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) R. NEUTRA: Say with us. Bring them home. O. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. O. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. O. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Bring them home. O. NEUTRA: Bring them home. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: Thank you, everybody. (AUDIENCE CHANTS "BRING THEM HOME") R. NEUTRA: God bless Israel. And God bless America. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) COOPER: Another very emotional moment, here at the convention. Still ahead. J.D. Vance's wife, Usha, will introduce him. And then, the Senator will accept the Republican vice-presidential nomination, sharing his moving life story, with the nation. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) … CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 17, 2024 - 22:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [22:00:00] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: And welcome back. You're watching CNN's special live coverage of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On this, the third night, the focus is on Donald Trump's running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, who will soon introduce himself to the American people. Excerpts from Senator Vance's speech were just released. Phil Mattingly has some of that. He joins us now. Phil, what should we expect? Phil, if you can hear me, what should we expect from Senator Vance? PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Sorry, about that, a little loud on the floor. We're just getting the first excerpts of J.D. Vance's speech, a very high stakes moment, a very high stakes speech. And it is a speech that, as we've been reporting, is very heavy on a biography, a biography many of us know, but certainly will be introduced to the country tonight about his upbringing, about his time in the Marines, his law school degree from Yale, his relationship with his wife. But I think what's most interesting, at least in the excerpts I've seen so far, is how he threads together some of the connective cultural and historical moments of his life with where Joe Biden was, the president, during that time. He was in fourth grade when NAFTA was supported by President Biden, and he was in high school when PNTR, the China trade agreement was reached and Biden supported it. He was college when President Biden supported the invasion of Iraq, really threading together Biden's political career with his youth and what happened in those moments, making very clear that those moments, which have really been kind of the driving, accelerating force of what brought Donald Trump to the height of American politics are central to J.D. Vance's speech, also references, of course, the assassination attempt over the weekend, what he saw behind the scenes and what it meant to him as he accepted the selection to be vice president. It is a lengthy speech, very heavy on biography and very heavy on attacks on the current president. COOPPER: Phil Mattingly, thanks very much. We'll be anticipating that. He's going to be introduced by his wife, Usha. ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: This is going to be an important moment for J.D. Vance, who, if you've read his book, is known to a lot of people. But I would actually argue the kind of connoisseurs of Hillbilly Elegy are actually the kind of elite class of people. You know, a lot of Democrats read Hillbilly Elegy in the years after Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election. So, for a lot of regular people, this is going to be largely new to them. The other part about the excerpts that we've seen that I thought was really fascinating, J.D. Vance plans to use Joe Biden's 50 years in politics, 50 years in government against him, tying him at all these different junctures to what he says are policies that hurt, you know, the forgotten Americans, the people that he grew up around in rural Appalachia. So, it's not going to be just the kind of red meat that we're used to hearing about Joe Biden and his, quote/unquote, failed policies, but it's using the biography to make that connection between the policies, his own life experience. And this platform, he's giving us a view, I think, of why perhaps they view this as the MAGA future, because he's articulating MAGA policies but in a way that is more digestible to the average person, doesn't come with Donald Trump's baggage. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I can tell you Republican senators will be watching to see part of what he says about foreign policy, because, obviously, he is someone who has said they don't want to send any more aid to Ukraine. He's been against that. COOPER: Let's listen in to Sergeant William Peckrell, a 99-year-old World War II veteran, awarded two bronze stars and a silver star. (APPLAUSE) (CHANTING) WILLIAM PEKRUL, WWII VETERAN: Thank you very much. My name is Bill Pekrul. I'm a proud Wisconsinite, proud -- (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: -- I'm a proud husband of 76-years-old to my wife Rose Mary. I'm a father of 11 children -- (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: -- six girls, five boys. Our family have crossed five generations and a proud World War II veteran. (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: I'm 90 -- 98-years-old. (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: Some call us the greatest generation. (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: That's -- that's an honor, considering America is the greatest nation in the history of the world. (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: I will never forget and witnessed the horror of the Nazi's war camps in the Battle of the Gulch. My friends and I fought to stop the Nazi's last major portion, the Western Front. (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: A few months later, Hitler was -- Hitler was dead. [22:05:00] The Nazis were defeated. (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: We were -- and we gave thanks to Almighty God for deliverance from evil. (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: But not -- but not many of us came home. I still miss a lot of my friends on that beach, and we're -- there were many of us left. There aren't many of us left today. But for us -- those who of us who are here -- that America is still worth fighting for. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: It hurts my heart to see what our current president and vice president have done to the country I love so well. They humiliated us in Afghanistan. We pushed around in China. Terrorists run wild in the Middle East. And they let our own southern border get overrun. (CHEERS) PEKRUL: America, people say -- people is an -- America is an idea, but I believe America is much more than that. America -- America is our home. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTING "USA") PEKRUL: You know, when I was fighting in Europe, and I came back home, I kissed the ground. Thanked God that I'm back home in my country. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: And where I come from, when somebody comes for me or my home, you dig in your boots in the ground and never look back. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: That's the attitude that saved the free world and those years ago. And President Trump back in commander-in-chief, I would go back to reenlist today. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: And I -- I would storm whatever beach he want -- my country wanted -- needs me to. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) PEKRUL: God bless you. God bless our home, and the United States of America. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) (CHANTING) (MUSIC) COOPER: Coming up, Donald Trump Jr. is going to be the next -- Donald Trump Jr. is going to be the next speaker out, obviously a rising figure in Republican Party politics. Kaitlan Collins joining us from down on the floor. [22:10:00] What do you make of what we've heard tonight, Kaitlan? COLLINS: Well, Donald Trump Jr. obviously is going to come out, and he is going to pump up the person that he helped make the running mate to his father, Donald Trump. He was one of the most vociferous voices, urging his dad to pick J.D. Vance as his running mate. He went to him late last night, last week, they were at a dinner, and I was told Donald Trump Jr. kind of stormed in and was like, you need to pick J.D. Vance, because He knows that his father is often influenced by the last person he speaks with, and he really made this case. Elon Musk and others were also making the case, that this wasn't just an effort by Donald Trump Jr. alone. But I do think you know, when people saw the schedule about a week ago that Donald Trump Jr. was introducing whoever the V.P. candidate was, people were thinking very strongly that it was going to be likely J.D. Vance, not someone that he thought his dad shouldn't pick. I will just say what J.D. Vance's speech to look for is there's a lot of Republican senators who don't like where he is on foreign policy. Senator Lindsey Graham has broken with him a lot. He urged former President Trump to pick either Marco Rubio or Doug Burgum. It'll be interesting to see what he says about foreign policy in this speech because it will give us a road map, potentially, of what that could look like if they are elected. SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think the core of the speech is going to just focus on Vance's narrative and obviously they're sort of a waving a flag about how they intend to use them at the end of the speech. He says. I promise you I'll never forget the forgotten communities of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and every corner of our nation. So, they are laying out that they are going to send J.D. Vance to the blue wall with a jackhammer and see what he can do. DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. I talked to some of the folks in the campaign this morning about this and I anticipate campaigning with Senator Vance in Western Pennsylvania in a few weeks. (MUSIC PLAYING) DONALD J. TRUMP, JR., EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Good evening, America. (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP, JR.: Before I begin my remarks, I'm going to do something a little uncharacteristic. A Trump is going to give up the microphone. It doesn't happen often. You may never see it again. (LAUGHTER) D. TRUMP, JR.: But I got a call on Monday morning from a young lady who said, "Dad, I want to speak at the RNC." (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP, JR.: "I want to speak at the RNC because I want America to know what my grandpa is actually like." (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP, JR.: So for the first time ever on a stage, first time ever giving a speech, I want to bring out my eldest daughter and the eldest granddaughter of the president of the United States, your favorite president, Kai Madison Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome businessman and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, Donald J. Trump, Jr. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (MUSIC PLAYING) DONALD J. TRUMP, JR., EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Good evening, America. (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP, JR.: Before I begin my remarks, I'm going to do something a little uncharacteristic. A Trump is going to give up the microphone. It doesn't happen often. You may never see it again. (LAUGHTER) D. TRUMP, JR.: But I got a call on Monday morning from a young lady who said, "Dad, I want to speak at the RNC." (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP, JR.: "I want to speak at the RNC because I want America to know what my grandpa is actually like." (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP, JR.: So for the first time ever on a stage, first time ever giving a speech, I want to bring out my eldest daughter and the eldest granddaughter of the president of the United States, your favorite president, Kai Madison Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) KAI MADISON TRUMP, GRANDDAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP: Hi, everyone. My name is Kai Madison Trump. I am the granddaughter of Donald Trump. (APPLAUSE) K. TRUMP: I'm speaking today to share the side of my grandpa that people don't often see. To me, he's just a normal grandpa. He gives us candy and soda when our parents aren't looking. (LAUGHTER) K. TRUMP: He always wants to know how we're doing in school. When I made the high honor roll, he printed it out to show his friends how proud he was of me. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) K. TRUMP: I know. (APPLAUSE) K. TRUMP: He calls me during the middle of the school day to ask how my golf game is going and tells me all about his. (LAUGHTER) K. TRUMP: But then I have to remind him that I'm in school and I'll have to call him back later. (LAUGHTER) K. TRUMP: When we play golf together, if I'm not on his team, he'll try to get inside of my head. (LAUGHTER) K. TRUMP: I know. K. TRUMP: And he's always surprised that I don't let him get to me. (LAUGHTER) K. TRUMP: But I have to remind him I'm a Trump, too. (LAUGHTER) (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) K. TRUMP: Even when he's going through all of these court cases, he always asks me how I'm doing. He always encourages me to push myself to be the most successful person I can be. Obviously, he sets the bar pretty high. [22:15:00] But who knows? Maybe one day, I'll catch him. (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) K. TRUMP: On Saturday I was shocked when I heard that he has been shot. And I just wanted to know if he was okay. It was heartbreaking that someone would do that to another person. A lot of people have put my grandpa through hell, and he's still standing. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) K. TRUMP: Grandpa, you are such an inspiration and I love you. (APPLAUSE) K. TRUMP: The media makes my grandpa seem like a different person, but I know him for who he is. He is very caring and loving. He truly wants the best for this country. And he will fight every single day to make America great again. Thank you very much. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (CROWD chanting Trump!) D. TRUMP, JR.: A lot of proud moments this week for my family. Thank you, again, guys. Really appreciate that. That's not easy. That's the first time. I mean, this is what we call a large crowd for a speech. So incredible work, Kai. Now back to business. CROWD: (INAUDIBLE). D. TRUMP, JR.: Thank you, sir. Tonight we gather here in Milwaukee at one of the most crucial moments in American history. Just days ago something that once seemed unimaginable became a terrifying reality. My father came under literal fire as an incredible patriotic rally turned into a tragedy. On a field in Butler, Pennsylvania, a brave firefighter died, others were injured, and as those bullets rained down, we came millimeters away from one of the darkest moments in our nation's history. But we did lose an American hero that day. We wish that he were with us tonight. But his memory will live on forever in the hearts of his family, his community, and the nation that he loved. (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: So I would like to take just a moment tonight to express our gratitude for the life and service of American hero, Corey Comperatore. (APPLAUSE) (CROWD chanting Corey!) D. TRUMP JR.: They say you can't truly know how you'll respond in a moment of danger until you're actually confronted with it. So what was my father's instinct as his life was on the line? Not to cower. Not to surrender. But to show for all the world to see that the next American president has the heart of a lion. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: That the next American president has the courage to put the American people first, once again. (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: And in that moment, my father didn't just show his character, he showed America's character. (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: When he stood up with blood on his face and the flag at his back, the world saw a spirit that could never be broken. (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: And that is the true spirit of America. [22:20:00] America knows what it's like to be down. We know what it's like to be confused and to be afraid. Long before the attempt on my father's life, every American I met was filled with fear and anxiety. They were afraid our country was being torn apart. They were anxious about the massive and chaotic invasion of illegal aliens across our border. They were deeply concerned about partisan lawfare, education indoctrination, and attacks on freedom of speech. Most terrifying of all, they saw that our leaders didn't care. Or worse, that they joyfully aided and abetted the erosion of our rights. (CHEERING) D. TRUMP JR.: And the lies, oh yes, the lies. We won't ever forget the lies from left wing politicians, from their allies in the media. When you hear them in a row, you fully understand the extent they have gone to divide this great nation. They lied about Russia collusion. They lied about Hunter's laptop. They lied about Joe Biden's fitness for office. They lied about the border being secure. They lied about inflation being transitory. They lied about how they would safely withdraw from Afghanistan. CROWD: Yeah. D. TRUMP JR.: They lied about Biden being a, quote, "moderate". CROWD: Yeah. D. TRUMP JR.: And they told one nonstop lie after another about my father. CROWD: Yeah. D. TRUMP JR.: But they could only run away from reality for so long. All hell has broken loose in America, and it's impossible to hide anymore. (CHEERING) D. TRUMP JR.: Remember Build Back Better? Instead, we got Broke Bumbling Biden. Nothing is built, nothing is back, and nothing is better. (CHEERING) D. TRUMP JR.: Bridges are collapsing, our credibility is crumbling, and our money is worth less and less every single day. It was just one giant bait and switch, and normal Americans are the ones left holding the bag. Housing costs, gasoline prices, grocery bills just keep going up. Wave after wave of illegal aliens, deadly drugs keep pouring across our border. Meanwhile, pro crime district attorneys have turned our cities into giant crime zones. They've turned criminals into victims, prosecutors into criminal defense attorneys, and police into public enemies. Left wing activists are pretending to be educators, teaching our kids that there are 57 genders, but they can't even define what a woman is. CROWD: (INAUDIBLE) D. TRUMP JR.: On one hand, they think free speech protects their right to expose your children to explicit drag shows. On the other hand, they want to put you in jail for making a meme. It's like the entire world has been turned upside down. CROWD: Yeah. D. TRUMP JR.: Does any of this sound like a country that's going in the right direction? CROWD: No! D. TRUMP JR.: And honestly, who is actually running the country anyway? CROWD: (INAUDIBLE) D. TRUMP JR.: It's obviously, not Joe Biden. So, who are they asking us to elect? Seriously, who's running things? CROWD: (INAUDIBLE) D. TRUMP JR.: Does anyone really know? Is it Jill? Is it Hunter? Barack Obama? CROWD: (INAUDIBLE) D. TRUMP JR.: Maybe it's the ghost of Corn Pop. (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: Whoever is running the show, the only thing they are effective at is persecuting my father. They twisted, contorted, and corrupted the criminal code to turn bookkeeping errors into felonies. They concocted new legal theories out of thin air. They imposed gag orders on my father because the last thing a defendant should be able to do is defend himself, right? They punished him for merely speaking the truth. CROWD: Yeah. D. TRUMP JR.: They say they hate Vladimir Putin, but it sure seems like they've spent a lot of time copying his playbook. [22:25:00] CROWD: Yeah. (CHEERING) D. TRUMP JR.: In this country, we don't criminalize political differences. We debate them, we vote on them. But we don't make you choose between picking a party or picking a jail cell. (CHEERING) D. TRUMP JR.: There was a time when the Democrats really wanted what was best for America, even if they had a different way of getting there. It was the party of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. You may have disagreed with that party, but at least you could respect it. But this new extreme Democrat Party, they want us to somehow believe that the only way forward is going backwards, where hiring decisions are based solely on race, where justice is only for those with the right opinions, where streets are a luxury only for the elite, where economic opportunity exists only when you know the right people. Right now, the America we all grew up with, the America that we love, feels like an old photograph where you sit down with your children and tell them what life used to be like. You look back at that America and remember a country that was confident and proud, an America that knew who it was and what it stood for. And it could all feel like a distant memory. Somewhere along the way, we stumbled. Somewhere along the way, we lost ourselves. But we can't live on nostalgia. Yes, America was great, but our greatest days are yet to come. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: Because no matter how far off that old photo may feel, it's not the end of our story. (CHEERING) D. TRUMP JR.: We're like that man who stood on that platform and felt the bullet pierce his flesh just days ago in Pennsylvania. He may have moved to the ground, but he stood back up. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: And when he did, my father raised his fist into the air. He looked out at the crowd, and what did he say? (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (CROWD chanting fight!) D. TRUMP JR.: And we will fight. We will fight. We will fight with our voices. We will fight with our ideas. And on November 5th, we will fight with our vote. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: I've always been proud of him, but I've never been prouder of my father than I was in that moment. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. D. TRUMP JR.: That's when the world found out that there is tough, and then there's Trump tough. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: And the good news is America is Trump tough. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CROWD: Trump. Trump. Trump. D. TRUMP JR.: In 1912, more than a century ago, another legendary Republican president came right here to Milwaukee at a political rally less than 1 mile from where we stand tonight, Teddy Roosevelt was struck by a would be assassin's bullet. But he didn't quit, either. He finished his speech, and he kept fighting. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: My friends, I don't believe in coincidences, but I do believe in God's plan. [22:30:02] (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: Today, Teddy Roosevelt's man in the arena has a name, and it's Donald J. Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: Remember, my father didn't have to run for re-election this year. He doesn't need the money, the fame, the power. Frankly he doesn't need the witch-hunts, the phony investigations or the political prosecutions either. But he knew he had to run if there was any chance at saving America. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: He is not doing it for himself. He is doing it for everyone here tonight. For everyone watching at home. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: No matter who you are, you can be a part of this movement to make America great again. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: Look at me and my friend, J.D. Vance. A kid from Appalachia and a kid from Trump Tower in Manhattan. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: We grew up worlds apart, yet now we're both fighting side by side to save the country we love. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: And by the way, J.D. Vance is going to make one hell of a vice president. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (CROWD chanting J.D.!) D. TRUMP JR.: For those of you who have tuned out politics or have never even voted, I want you to know, if you're looking for a better life, a more prosperous future, a safer, more wholesome and patriotic place to call home, there is room for you in this party and in this movement. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: In fact, you're the ones who matter most of all. My father has always said that the people he gets along with best are the people who really work for a living. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: It's because of his background as a builder in construction. In construction, it doesn't matter how smart your architect is if you don't have the best guys laying the bricks. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: People with grit, people who get their hands dirty. That's a big problem with Washington, D.C. Most of the bureaucrats who rule over us have never built anything in their lives. It is time to build something real. Something tangible. Something that will last and leave this country better off for our children. That's my father's mission. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: This November, we have a choice. It's a choice between one team that wants to build this country up and another that wants to tear this country down. It's a choice between people who are proud of America and people who are ashamed of America. And ultimately it is a choice between America last and America first. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: So if you love this country from the bottom of your heart, if you want to bring back common sense, if you want to save the American dream, if you want to stand up and fight for the future of our nation, you must re-elect my father Donald J. Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) D. TRUMP JR.: Together we will make America great once again. Thank you. Thank you, Wisconsin. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) [22:35:00] COOPER: And there you have it, Donald Trump Jr. speaking. Shortly, we'll be seeing a video about the vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance. His wife, Usha, is going to be introducing him at Yale Law School. We'll bring you their remarks, obviously, live. Van, what did you make of it? VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, the granddaughter came out and opened up our hearts and the son just hit us upside the head with a baseball bat. So, I'm not quite sure which way they're going. But that young lady was -- she did her job of warming him up, humanizing him, making people feel that they could actually like this guy. The sun came out and it was the opposite effect. Very effective for the base, frightening for Democrats. And by the way, crime is going down. Unemployment is going down. Energy production is going up. Stock market's going up. The stuff you said wasn't true, but you can see this tension within the Trump coalition. How do you give that raw meat to the base, scare the crap out of Democrats, but also bring people in? And that's what you saw being balanced today. JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: The people who are planning the Democratic convention are taking notes because they got to go to rewrite. These guys are putting on a good show. URBAN: They got to find a Donald Trump. KING: Van's right. Van's right. Donald Trump, Jr. appeals to the base, but it's a show of confidence. Everybody there, putting up there says they're confident. Some of the people they're putting up there are quite controversial. Some of the people up there are saying things that you could cut little ads about or use on social media, but they know that and they're confident. This is a very professional Trump team putting this program together. And what the other thing I would say is that we're about to hear from J.D. Vance, how different this party is. This is "Make America Strong" night. No one has said stand with Ukraine. Not one speaker has said stand with Ukraine. And J.D. Vance is going to criticize Joe Biden for supporting NAFTA. I covered Bill Clinton when he got NAFTA through the Congress. Democrats didn't like it. Unions didn't like it. Bill Clinton got that passed with the support of the Republican Party -- yesterday's Republican Party. DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, I wonder, J.D. Vance, we saw the excerpts of his speech. He's sort of making a lot of the same case, a lot of the same case, but he's making it a little bit more elegantly wrapped in his own story, identifying with other people. The fact is this was a grievance speech. And some of the grievance was the Trump family grievance. You know, the president's been how he's been persecuted and, you know, embracing Putin tactics and so on. That may play in this room, but the country's a lot bigger than this room. I'm not sure that that plays there. PHILLIP: Yeah, I think -- JENNINGS: Most of these things are -- how many conventions have we all watched? Can anyone here remember anything? This was incredibly memorable from the Gold Star families to Kai Trump to the World War II veteran. This was a completely well-staged -- AXELROD: Yeah. JENNINGS: -- and memorable night. AXELROD: Yeah, but -- JENNINGS: It is hard for me, Axe, to imagine a Democratic convention being able to generate one tenth of the energy. AXELROD: Well, we'll see about that. PHILLIP: You know, honestly -- AXELROD: I'm not even arguing about the stage prep. I -- I've said throughout this week that I think they've done a very good job on it. I'm just raising a point about this one particular speech, because there are elements of that speech that I think will remind people what makes them uncomfortable about Trump. URBAN: Listen, I kind of agree with Axe on this a little bit, right? So, Kai Trump did what Sarah Sanders did last night. JENNINGS: Yes. AXELROD: Yeah. KING: Yeah. URBAN: Softened the sharp Trump edges. JENNINGS: Yeah. URBAN: Humanized Donald Trump. Made Donald Trump likable. If you're looking to pick up suburban Montgomery County, suburban Delaware County, Bucks County voters, you want Kai Trump. You want Sarah Sanders. You want that message out there. Donald Trump, Jr. -- PHILLIP: He's the ultimate -- he's the ultimate culture warrior. URBAN: We have those votes. We need more Kai Trump, more Sarah Sanders. PHILLIP: They have been trying to actually kind of sidestep the culture war for the last three days. They didn't sidestep it with Donald Trump, Jr. He is the ultimate face of that for the MAGA movement right now. That is the role that he plays. And that is actually the stuff that I'm not sure -- works for Trump in the areas where he's the most -- COOPER: Let's watch this. We've got J.D. Vance. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNKNOWN (voice-over): -- or a United States Senator, or our next Vice President, but here he is. Born into poverty. His family torn apart by drug addiction. No money, no prospects, no future. J.D. joined the Marine Corps, used the G.I. Bill to attend college, then went to Yale and earned a law degree and shared his heartbreaking story in a best- selling book. Only in America is this story possible. But today, for many families, the American dream is now gone. And this is the team tough enough to bring it back. J.D. Vance understands that working families have become the forgotten families. Under Biden, wages are going down while prices skyrocket. [22:40:02] Forcing the majority of Americans to live paycheck to paycheck, working families will have J.D. Vance fighting for them. Seniors, J.D. will have your backs, too. No more deciding between putting food on your table and paying for the prescriptions you need. As a husband and father, J.D. knows the importance of fighting for a parent's right to protect their children. And you can count on this Marine to stand up for our soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country every day. J.D. Vance's story is one of perseverance, of duty, of commitment to what's right. It's an American story. And it's just getting started. (END VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Usha Vance. (MUSIC PLAYING) (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) USHA CHILUKURI VANCE, WIFE OF VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE J. D. VANCE: Good evening. Good evening. When I was asked to introduce my husband, J. D. Vance, to all of you, I was at a loss. What could I say that hasn't already been said before? After all, the man was already the subject of a Ron Howard movie. (LAUGHTER) U. VANCE: J. D. has shared much of his life through his own eloquent words. In his book, "Hillbilly Elegy," during his Senate campaign, and now, as a sitting United States senator. It occurred to me that there was only one thing to do, to explain from the heart why I love and admire J. D. and stand here beside him today, and why he will make a great vice president of the United States. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) U. VANCE: I met J. D. in law school when he was fresh out of Ohio State, which he attended with the support of the G.I. Bill. We were friends first, because, I mean, who wouldn't want to be friends with J. D.? He was then, as now, the most interesting person I knew. A working-class guy who had overcome childhood traumas that I could barely fathom to end up at Yale Law School. A tough Marine who had served in Iraq, but whose idea of a good time was playing with puppies and watching the movie "Babe." (LAUGHTER) U. VANCE: The most determined person I knew with one overriding ambition, to become a husband and a father, and to build the kind of tightknit family that he had longed for as a child. My background is very different from J. D.'s. I grew up in San Diego in a middle-class community -- (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) U. VANCE: -- with two loving parents, both immigrants from India, and a wonderful sister. That J. D. and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry, is a testament to this great country. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) U. VANCE: It is also a testament to J. D., and it tells you something about who he is. When J. D. met me, he approached our differences with curiosity and enthusiasm. He wanted to know everything about me, where I came from, what my life had been like. Although, he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he adapted to my vegetarian diet and learned to cook food for my mother, Indian food. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) U. VANCE: Before I knew it, he had become an integral part of my family, a person I could not meant -- could not imagine living without. The J. D. I knew then is the same J. D. you see today, except for that beard. (LAUGHTER) U. VANCE: And his goals in this new role are the same that he has pursued for our family, to keep people safe, to create opportunities, to build a better life, and to solve problems with an open mind. It's safe to say that neither J. D. nor I expected to find ourselves in this position, but it's hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream, a boy from Middletown, Ohio. [22:45:07] (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (CHANTING) U. VANCE: Raised by his grandmother through tough times, chosen to help lead our country through some of its greatest challenges, I am grateful to all of you for the trust you have placed in him and in our family. And with that, it is my great privilege to introduce my husband and the next Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance. (APPLAUSE) (APPLAUSE) GOP VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE SEN. J.D. VANCE: Thank you, thank you. Please. Wow. Wow. (CHEERING) CROWD: J.D! J.D! J.D.! VANCE: Yeah. First of all, aren't I a lucky guy? Isn't she lovely, and amazing? (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Greetings, Milwaukee, my fellow Americans and my fellow Republicans, my name is J.D. Vance, from the great state of Ohio. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Tonight... (CHANTING) VANCE: O-H-I-O, O-H-I-O. You guys, we've got to chill with the Ohio love. We've got to win Michigan too here. So... (APPLAUSE) VANCE: My friends, tonight is a night of hope, a celebration of what America once was, and with God's grace, what it will soon be again. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: And it is a reminder of the sacred duty we have to preserve the American experiment, to choose a new path for our children and grandchildren. But, as we meet tonight, we cannot forget that this evening could have been so much different. Instead of the day of celebration, this could have been a day of heartache and mourning. For the last eight years, President Trump has given everything he has to fight for the people of our country. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: He didn't need politics, but the country needed him. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Now, prior to running for president, he was one of the most successful businessmen in the world. He had everything anyone could ever want in a life. And yet, instead of choosing the easy path, he chose to endure abuse, slander and persecution. And he did it because he loves this country. (APPLAUSE) [22:50:00] VANCE: I want all Americans to go and watch the video of a would-be assassin coming a quarter of an inch from taking his life. Consider the lies they told you about Donald Trump, and then look at that photo of him defiant, fist in the air. When Donald Trump rose to his feet in that Pennsylvania field, all of America stood with him. (CHEERING) VANCE: And what did he call us to do for our country? To fight. To fight for America. Even in his most perilous moment, we were on his mind. His instinct was for us, for our country, to call us to something higher, to something greater, to once again be citizens who ask what our country needs of us. Now consider what they said. They said he was a tyrant. They said he must be stopped at all costs. But how did he respond? He called for national unity, for national calm, literally right after an assassin nearly took his life. (CHEERING) VANCE: He remembered the victims of the terrible attack, especially the brave Corey Comperatore, who gave his life to protect his family. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: God bless him. And then President Trump flew to Milwaukee and got back to work. (CHEERING) VANCE: Now, that's the man I've gotten to know personally over the last few years. He is tough, and he is. But he cares about people. He can stand defiant against an assassin one moment and call for national healing the next. He is a beloved father and grandfather. And of course, a once in a generation business leader. He's the man who is feared by America's adversaries. But two nights ago -- and I'll share a moment -- said good night to his two boys, told them he loved them, and made sure to give each of them a kiss on the cheek. And I will say Don and Eric squirmed the same way my four year old does when his daddy tries to give him a kiss on the cheek. Sorry, guys, (APPLAUSE) VANCE: He is all those things. But tonight we celebrate he is our once and future president of the United States of America. (CHEERING) VANCE: Now, I want to respond to his call for unity myself. We have a big tent in this party, on everything from national security to economic policy. But my message to you, my fellow Republicans, is we love this country and we are united to win. (CHEERING) VANCE: Right. Now, I think our disagreements actually make us stronger. That's what I've learned in my time in the United States Senate, where sometimes I persuade my colleagues and sometimes they persuade me. And my message to my fellow Americans, those watching from across the country, is shouldn't we be governed by a party that is unafraid to debate ideas and come to the best solution? (CHEERING) VANCE: That's the Republican Party of the next four years, united in our love for this country and committed to free speech and the open exchange of ideas. (CHEERING) VANCE: And so tonight, Mr. Chairman, I stand here humbled, and I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to say I officially accept your nomination to be Vice President of the United States of America. (CHEERING) CROWD: J.D.! J.D.! J.D.! VANCE: Thank you. [22:55:00] Now never in my wildest imagination could I have believed that I'd be standing here tonight. I grew up in Middletown, Ohio... (CHEERING) VANCE: ... a small town where people spoke their minds, built with their hands, and loved their God, their family, their community, and their country with their whole hearts. But it was also a place that had been cast aside and forgotten by America's ruling class in Washington. When I was in the fourth grade, a career politician by the name of Joe Biden supported NAFTA, a bad trade deal that sent countless good jobs to Mexico. (BOOING) VANCE: When I was a sophomore in high school, that same career politician named Joe Biden gave China a sweetheart trade deal that destroyed even more good American middle-class manufacturing jobs. (BOOING) VANCE: When I was a senior in high school, that same Joe Biden supported the disastrous invasion of Iraq. And at each step of the way, in small towns like mine in Ohio or next door in Pennsylvania or Michigan, in states all across our country, jobs were sent overseas and our children were sent to war. And... (BOOING) CROWD: Joe must go! Joe must go! Joe must go! VANCE: I agree. And somehow, a real estate developer from New York City by the name of Donald J. Trump was right on all of these issues while Biden was wrong. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: President Trump knew even then that we needed leaders who would put America first. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Now thanks to these policies that Biden and other out-of-touch politicians in Washington gave us, our country was flooded with cheap Chinese goods, with cheap foreign labor, and in the decades to come, deadly Chinese fentanyl. Joe Biden screwed up and my community paid the price. Now I was lucky. Despite the closing factories and the growing addiction in the -- in towns like mine, in my life, I had a guardian angel by my side. She was an old woman who could barely walk but she was tough as nails. I called her "Mamaw," the name we hillbillies gave to our grandmothers. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Mamaw raised me as her own -- excuse me, Mamaw raised me as my mother struggled with addiction. And Mamaw was in so many ways a woman of contradictions. She loved the lord, ladies and gentlemen. She was a woman of deep Christian faith. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: But she also loved the F-word. (LAUGHTER) VANCE: I'm not kidding. She could make a sailor blush. (LAUGHTER) Now she once told me when she found out that I was spending too much time with a local kid who was known for dealing drugs that if I ever hung out with that kid again, she would run him over with her car. (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) VANCE: That's true. And she said, J.D., no one will ever find out about it. (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) CROWD: Mamaw! Mamaw! Mamaw! VANCE: Now -- now thanks to that Mamaw, things worked out for me. After 9/11 I did what thousands of other young men my age did in that time of soaring patriotism and love of country. I enlisted in the United States Marines. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Semper fi to my fellow Marines. Now I left the Marines after four years and went to the Ohio State University. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: I'm sorry, Michigan. I had to get that in there. CROWD: (inaudible). … CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 17, 2024 - 23:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [23:00:00] SEN. J.D. VANCE, GOP VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Come on, come on, we've had enough political violence, let's... (LAUGHTER) VANCE: Now after Ohio State I went to Yale Law School where I met my beautiful wife. And then I started businesses to create jobs in the kind of places that I grew up in. Now my work taught me that there is still so much talent and grit in the American heartland. There really is. But for these places to thrive, my friends, we need a leader who fights for the people who built this country. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: We need a leader who's not in the pocket of big business, but answers to the working man, union and non-union alike. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: A leader who won't sell out to multinational corporations but will stand up for American companies and American industry. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: A leader who rejects Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' green new scam and fights to bring back our great American factories. We need President Donald J. Trump. (CHEERING) VANCE: Some people tell me I've lived the American dream, and of course, they're right, and I'm so grateful for it. But the American dream that has always counted most was not starting a business or becoming a senator or even being here with you, fine people, though it's pretty awesome. My most important American dream was becoming a good husband and a good dad, of being able to give -- (APPLAUSE) VANCE: I wanted to give my kids the things that I didn't have when I was growing up, and that's the accomplishment that I'm proudest of. But tonight, I'm joined by my beautiful wife, Usha, an incredible lawyer and a better mom, and our three beautiful kids, Ewan who's 7, Vivek who's 4, and Mirabel who's 2. Now they're back at the hotel and, kids, if you're watching, Daddy loves you very much, but get your butts in bed. (LAUGHTER) VANCE: It's 10:00. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: But, my friends, things did not work out well for a lot of kids I grew up with. Every now and then, I will get a call from a relative back home who asks, did you know so and so? And I will remember a face from years ago and then I'll hear they died of an overdose. As always, America's ruling class wrote the checks. Communities like mine paid the price. For decades, that divide between the few with their power and comfort in Washington and the rest of us only widens. From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again. (CHEERING) VANCE: That is, of course, until a guy named Donald J. Trump came along. (CHEERING) VANCE: President Trump represents America's last best hope to restore what if lost may never be found again -- a country where a working- class boy born far from the halls of power can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America. (CHEERING) CROWD: J.D.! J.D.! J.D.! VANCE: But, my fellow Americans, here on the stage and watching at home, this moment is not about me. It's about all of us. And it's about who we're fighting for. It's about the autoworker in Michigan wondering why out-of-touch politicians are destroying their jobs. It's about the factory worker in Wisconsin who makes things with their hands and is proud of American craftsmanship. (CHEERING) VANCE: It's about the energy worker in Pennsylvania and Ohio who doesn't understand why Joe Biden is willing to buy energy from tinpot dictators across the world when he could buy it from his own citizens right here in our own country. (APPLAUSE) CROWD: (inaudible) [23:05:00] VANCE: You guys are a great crowd. Wow. (CHEERING) CROWD: Yes we are! Yes we are! Yes we are! (LAUGHTER) VANCE: And it's about -- our movement is about single moms like mine who struggled with money and addiction but never gave up. And I'm proud to say that tonight, my mom is here. Ten years clean and sober. I love you, mom. (CHEERING) CROWD: J.D.'s mom! J.D.'s mom! J.D.'s mom! VANCE: And you know, mom, I was thinking it'll be ten years officially in January of 2025. And if President Trump's OK with it, let's have the celebration in the White House. (CHEERING) VANCE: And our movement, ladies and gentlemen, it's about grandparents all across this country who are living on Social Security and raising grandchildren they didn't expect to raise. And while we're on the topic of grandparents, let me tell you another Mamaw story. Now, my Mamaw died shortly before I left for Iraq in 2005. And when we went through her things, we found 19 loaded handguns. They were -- (LAUGHTER) VANCE: Now, the thing is, they were stashed all over her house, under her bed, in her closet, in the silverware drawer. And we wondered what was going on. And it occurred to us that towards the end of her life, Mamaw couldn't get around so well. And so, this frail old woman made sure that no matter where she was, she was within arm's length of whatever she needed to protect her family. That's who we fight for. That's American spirit. (CHEERING) CROWD: USA! USA! USA! VANCE: Now, Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington for longer than I've been alive -- 39 years old. Kamala Harris is not much further behind. For half a century, he's been the champion of every major policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer. And in four short years, Donald Trump reversed decades of betrayals inflicted by Joe Biden and the rest of the corrupt Washington insiders. (CHEERING) VANCE: He created the greatest economy in history for workers. Really was amazing. There's this chart that shows worker wages, and they stagnated for pretty much my entire life, until President Donald J. Trump came along. [23:10:03] Workers wages went through the roof. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: And just imagine what he's going to do when we give him four more years. (CHEERING) CROWD: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! VANCE: Months ago, I heard some young family member observed that their parents' generation, the Baby Boomers, could afford to buy a home when they first entered the workforce. But I don't know, this person observed, if I'll ever be able to afford a home. The absurd cost of housing is the result of so many failures, and it reveals so much about what is broken in Washington. I can tell you exactly how it happened. Wall Street barons crashed the economy and American builders went out of business. As tradesmen scrambled for jobs, houses stop being built. The lack of good jobs, of course, led to stagnant wages. And then the Democrats flooded this country with millions of illegal aliens. (BOOING) VANCE: So citizens had to compete with people who shouldn't even be here for precious housing. Joe Biden's inflation crisis, my friends, is really an affordability crisis. And many of the people that I grew up with can't afford to pay more for groceries, more for gas, more for rent, and that's exactly what Joe Biden's economy has given them. (BOOING) CROWD: Send them back! Send them back! Send them back! VANCE: So prices soared. Dreams were shattered. And China and the cartels sent fentanyl across the border, adding addiction to the heartache. But, ladies and gentlemen, that is not the end of our story. We've heard about villains and their victims. I've talked a lot about that. But let me tell you about the future. President Trump's vision is so simple and yet so powerful. We're done, ladies and gentlemen, catering to Wall Street. We will commit to the working man. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: We're done importing foreign labor. We're going to fight for American citizens and their good jobs and their good wages. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: We're done buying energy from countries that hate us. We're going to get it right here from American workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio and across the country. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: We're done sacrificing supply chains to unlimited global trade and we're going to stamp more and more product with that beautiful label, "made in the USA." (APPLAUSE) CROWD: USA! USA! USA! VANCE: We're going to build factories again, put people to work making real products for American families made with the hands of American workers. Together... (APPLAUSE) VANCE: ... we will protect the wages of American workers and stop the Chinese Communist Party from building their middle class on the backs of American citizens. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Together we will make sure our allies share in the burden of securing world peace. No more free rides for nations that betray the generosity of the American taxpayer. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: Together, we will send our kids to war only when we must. But as President Trump showed with the elimination of ISIS and so much more, when we punch, we're going to punch hard. (APPLAUSE) [23:15:00] VANCE: Together, we will put the citizens of America first, whatever the color of their skin. We will, in short, make America great again. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: You know, one of the things that you hear people say sometimes is that America is an idea. And to be clear... (CHEERING) VANCE: You know, one of the things that you hear people say sometimes is that America is an idea. And to be clear, America was indeed founded on brilliant ideas, like the rule of law and religious liberty, things written into the fabric of our Constitution and our nation. But America is not just an idea. It is a group of people with a shared history and a common future. It is, in short, a nation. Now, it is part of that tradition, of course, that we welcome newcomers. But when we allow newcomers into our American family, we allow them on our terms. (CHEERING) VANCE: That's the way we preserve the continuity of this project from 250 years past to hopefully 250 years in the future. (CHEERING) VANCE: And let me illustrate this with a story, if I may. I'm, of course, married to the daughter of South Asian immigrants to this country. Incredible people, people who genuinely have enriched this country in so many ways. And of course, I'm biased because I love my wife and her family, but it's true. Now, when I proposed to my wife, we were in law school, and I said, honey, I come with $120,000 worth of law school debt and a cemetery plot on a mountainside in Eastern Kentucky. (CHEERING) VANCE: And I guess standing here tonight, it's just gotten weirder and weirder, honey. (LAUGHTER) VANCE: But that's what she was getting. Now, that cemetery plot in Eastern Kentucky is near my family's ancestral home. And like a lot of people, we came from the mountains of Appalachia into the factories of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. (CHEERING) VANCE: Now, that's Kentucky coal country, one of the ten -- (CHEERING) VANCE: Now, it's one of the ten poorest counties in the entire United States of America. They are very hardworking people, and they're very good people. They're the kind of people who would give you the shirt off their back even if they can't afford enough to eat. And our media calls them privileged and looks down on them. But they love this country, not only because it's a good idea, but because in their bones, they know that this is their home, and it will be their children's home, and they would die fighting to protect it. (CHEERING) VANCE: That is the source of America's greatness. As a United States Senator, I get to represent millions of people in the great state of Ohio with similar stories, and it is the great honor of my life. Now, in that cemetery, there are people who were born around the time of the Civil War. And if, as I hope, my wife and I are eventually laid to rest there and our kids follow us, there will be seven generations just in that small mountain cemetery plot in Eastern Kentucky. Seven generations of people who have fought for this country, who have built this country, who have made things in this country, and who would fight and die to protect this country if they were asked to. (CHEERING) VANCE: Now, that's not just an idea, my friends. That's not just a set of principle. Even though the ideas and the principles are great. That is a homeland. That is our homeland. (APPLAUSE) VANCE: People will not fight for abstractions, but they will fight for their home. And if this movement of ours is going to succeed, and if this country is going to thrive, our leaders have to remember that America is a nation, and its citizens deserve leaders who put its interests first. (CHEERING) [23:20:00] VANCE: Now, we won't agree on every issue, of course, not even in this room. We may disagree from time to time about how best to reinvigorate American industry and renew American family. That's fine. In fact, it's more than fine. It's good. But never forget that the reason why this united Republican Party exists, why we do this, why we care about those great ideas and that great history, is that we want this nation to thrive for centuries to come. (CHEERING) VANCE: Now, eventually, in that mountain cemetery, my children will lay me to rest. And when they do, I would like them to know that thanks to the work of this Republican Party, the United States of America it is strong, and as proud and as great as ever. (CHEERING) VANCE: That is who we serve, my friends. That is who we fight for. And the only thing that we need to do right now, the most important thing that we can do for those people, for that American nation that we all love, is to re-elect Donald J. Trump president of the United States. (CHEERING) VANCE: Mr. President, I will never take for granted the trust you have put in me. And what an honor it is to help achieve the extraordinary vision that you have for this country. Now, I pledge to every American, no matter your party, I will give you everything I have to serve you and to make this country a place where every dream you have for yourself, your family, and your country will be possible once again. (CHEERING) VANCE: And I promise you one more thing. To the people of Middletown, Ohio, and all the forgotten communities in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and every corner of our nation, I promise you this: I will be a vice president who never forgets where he came from. (CHEERING) CROWD: J.D.! J.D.! J.D.! VANCE: And every single day for the next four years, when I walk into that White House to help President Trump, I will be doing it for you, for your family, for your future, and for this great country. Thank you. God bless all of you, and God bless our great country. (CHEERING) JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST (voice-over): Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, 39 years old, in the Senate for about a year and a half, introducing himself to the American people and accepting his party's nomination. There he is with his wife, Usha, an attorney and the mother of their three children. There he is hugging his mom, who is about to celebrate 10 years of sobriety. J.D. Vance, basically two parts of his speech. One was autobiographical, explaining who he is, where he comes from, his very compelling personal life story. Already, as his wife pointed out, the subject of a Ron Howard movie, "Hillbilly Elegy," a best-selling book, telling about his hardscrabble roots in Appalachia, his mom with an addiction problem, and a father who disappeared. He was raised by his grandparents. Part of his biography was cementing himself to three battleground states. The son of Ohio talked about Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. I think I counted four or five times that he referred to those three specific states that President Trump and Senator Vance would like to win in November. The second part of his presentation was as clear as the introductory music we heard. Merle Haggard's "America First," which, if you listen to the lyrics, came out in 2005. That song is a protest song against the Iraq War. That is a song that is explicitly a rejection of George W. Bush, saying that George W. Bush should have been rebuilding America, not Iraq. [23:25:06] And in J.D. Vance's message, Dana Bash, not only did he criticize the foreign policy of the Republican Party of old, but the economic policy of the Republican Party of old and the Democratic Party of today, noting how President Biden, as a senator, supported both NAFTA and most favored nation status for China. Those were trade deals that hurt people in Ohio and, if you weren't sure, he did mention Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, the way that he talked about economic policy was so stunning, Jake, because -- (END VIDEOTAPE) -- you almost forgot, for those of us who have covered republican conventions in the past, that we were actually at a republican convention. I mean, he was trashing the free trade policies that Republicans espoused for a very long time, went after Wall Street, went after big corporations, and talked over and over about the working man. I mean, aside from some of the other issues that he doesn't disagree with -- doesn't agree with, Bernie Sanders could have given some of these talking points tonight. Elizabeth Warren could have as well. But the way that he wrapped what I just described into the generational sort of frame, talking about how he was in fourth grade when Joe Biden supported NAFTA, he was a sophomore in high school when Joe Biden gave China a sweetheart deal. So, he not only made himself clearly the populist that he is, and Donald Trump is to a lesser extent, but he reminded people throughout that riff how young he is and what a generational difference there is between him -- I mean, also between him and his -- the guy at the top of the ticket. CHRIS WALLACE, CNN HOST: My favorite line in the speech was what he said, America's ruling class wrote the checks and our communities paid the price. And it seemed to me, it really harked back to the original message that Donald Trump made that was so effective back in 2016, which is the idea that there's a kind of rig game in America. There's a ruling class, he used that phrase, that makes the deals, makes the money, and it's the forgottens. He talked about forgotten people, he talked about forgotten communities like his that end up paying the price. And he really cemented himself as part of that forgotten community and those people who don't feel that they have anybody looking out for them in Washington or Wall Street. I also thought the reference to the cemetery. It specifically was about the idea, it seemed to me, he said America is an idea, but it's a lot more than that, it's a nation, it's a homeland. And I think he was saying, in effect, you know, there's a lot of principles and social policies and all of that out there, but this is a nation, and we have to protect it and cherish it, whether that's in terms of enforcing our borders, whether that's in terms of protecting our jobs and businesses and industries that -- you know, it was a different slant on America First, not isolationist -- BASH: Yes. WALLACE: -- but protecting what we have and holding it dear. I thought it was a very powerful speech, and very well written. BASH: Can I just add one thing that I forgot to mention? You know what we didn't hear at all when it comes to economics? There was no call for tax cuts. There was not a discussion about the national debt, but specifically on tax cuts. When was the last time you heard a Republican give a speech and not call for cutting of your taxes? TAPPER: Yeah. BASH: It has been a long time. TAPPER: He, um, well, that's certainly not in keeping with his message, J.D. Vance's personal message. BASH: Yeah. TAPPER: It is certainly what the guy at the top of the ticket, Donald Trump, has said to big donors behind closed doors, that he wants to give them another big tax cut. It is also interesting, I would note, there was only the briefest of allusions, unless I missed it, about -- he didn't say the word "Ukraine." I don't think -- he is, you know, famously or infamously, depending on your point of view, opposed to military aid from the United States to Ukraine. He did talk about the fact that it is important for the Republican Party to be a place where these ideas can be debated. And I thought that was him, Anderson, leaning into the idea of -- I mean, obliquely, but leaning into the idea of, yes, I look at some of these things differently, but let's hash it out. That's my interpretation, anyway. Anderson? ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Jake, thanks very much. John King, I mean, you've heard a lot of vice-presidential nominees' speeches. What did you make of this one? [23:30:00] JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's start with the most important fact. There is nothing in American political history that says a vice president actually makes a difference. Come election day, people vote for president. You can scour the books, you can scour the data, and you will find no compelling case that any nominee for vice president ever has been the factor in making a difference come election day. However, they can hurt. He didn't do anything to hurt them tonight. He gave a very compelling speech. We can argue about the policy. That's what debates are about. He told a very compelling story. And the forgotten part, where he's from and where he will be. Look, the people of Erie, Pennsylvania and Grand Rapids, Michigan and Oshkosh, Wisconsin are going to see a lot of J.D. Vance. He's going to talk about growing up in Middletown. His family grew up in Kentucky. He grew up in Middletown, which was once an industrial town. There was a canal that ran all the way up the side of Ohio. In the old days, that's where the jobs were. They were all people who worked with their hands, manufacturing jobs. You can go to a lot of those communities across America. Main Street is nothing anymore. And he knows that. He can tell that story. And you find those places in Pennsylvania, in Michigan and Wisconsin. So, he's a very compelling campaigner. We're going to see him on local TV markets and all those places forever. So, he's a good ad. I don't want to overstate the idea that he's going to make any huge difference because there's no history. It has never happened. DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Can I just say something about the -- I mean, you're absolutely right about his story, which is compelling, which makes you wonder why his story wasn't his entry point into this speech. KING: Right. Yeah. AXELROD: This speech had, you know, four or five pages of pay-ons to Donald Trump and his courage and all of that. And I actually was really disappointed. This guy wrote a great book, a great memoir that was moving and filled with stories that told a larger story about the struggles of people. And I was really expecting him to be a great storyteller tonight and really -- ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: This is what you're seeing with somebody who has been on the political scene for less than two years now. It's a work -- it's a work in progress, I think, is the best way to describe it. KING: Yeah. It's also the price of admission to a Trump event, as you say -- PHILLIP: Yeah. The speech was upside down. He should have started with the best part, which is his life, his mama. That story was what lit up this audience. The rest of it kind of fell a little bit flat. But look, I don't think Trump picked him because he was a really great speaker, somebody who could liven up this room. He picked him because he had the right message and the right biography and probably wasn't going to upstage him. And I think he did probably all of those things tonight. SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, look, so J.D. Vance isn't going to be a Vegas act. That's okay. He needs to be vice president. He doesn't need to overshadow Donald Trump. I was listening -- AXELROD: Mission accomplished. (LAUGHTER) JENNINGS: I was listening to the song they played when he finished. "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow." So now they've got Bill Clinton's song. And increasingly, they have Bill Clinton's voters. The people who are gravitating to this ticket are the same people who voted -- that working-class base voted for Bill Clinton in the 90s. They largely gravitated to the Republicans over cultural issues. And now, Vance and Trump are going to give them the economic agenda to go with it, a couple of issues. I think the riff on the seven generations who built things and made things, I thought that was effective and that will resonate in the kinds of areas where he's going to campaign. And I loved the homage to his mother, clean and sober for 10 years. VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That's beautiful. JENNINGS: That was a powerful moment. And that is an issue that every family in this country someway, somehow, is dealing with. PHILLIP: Including the Biden family, by the way. DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I was going to say, look, when J.D. Vance was strongest out there, he was talking about his mom, his grandmother, his mother, he was relating, he was being human. That's what he was the most. When he was giving the kinds of the raw meat to the base, kind of an off message. It really wasn't -- he wasn't his best. I'd like to hear him talk more about his Marine Corps experience. He'll be the first Marine Corps veteran on any major party ticket, which is something in a country that has lots of military veterans. COOPER (voice-over): Van? JONES: Um, I think he put a very friendly face on a pretty disturbing agenda. The good part of his agenda, I could tell him, guess what, you don't have to run for vice president for the good part of your agenda. You can just vote for Joe Biden. He's talking about supply chains. Joe Biden passed a bill called the Chips Act that takes care of that and moves in the right direction without his support. He's talking about not buying energy from people that don't like us. We're a net energy exporter. He's talking about manufacturing. The manufacturing peak under Biden is higher than the peak under Trump. So, if he wants his policy agenda, he can just stay home and vote for Joe Biden. URBAN (voice-over): Joe Biden might not be the candidate by tomorrow morning. JONES: But that's not the problem with the speech. The problem with the speech is he's putting a very friendly face on a very selfish and narrow vision of what America is supposed to be. And unlike Trump, who is an intuitive, impulsive, instinctive nationalist, this is an ideological nationalist. That is a very different strain of the virus. He can sell this stuff to Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and normal people. But his vision will make America smaller, more narrow, and weaker. [23:35:02] That's the problem. AXELROD: But what Dana said earlier is actually true. His economic agenda sounded just like Bernie Sanders. Not Bill Clinton, but Bernie Sanders. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: And it's fascinating because -- AXELROD: The problem is that Donald Trump's program as president was very much a Wall Street-oriented program. It wasn't a populist agenda. COLLINS: Well, that's why it's fascinating. I mean, if they are -- if there is a Trump-Vance administration, the FTC is going to look just like it does now, at least on running it. AXELROD: Exactly. COLLINS: She's actually an ally of J.D. Vance. AXELROD: He's a supporter of her. COLLINS: But can I say, as this speech is going on, the person I was watching was not always J.D. Vance, but Donald Trump, because I think the understated part of what Mike Pence did for four years was how he navigated an incredibly challenging president to work with. I mean, ask half the cabinet. And when he had started out with everything he was saying about Donald Trump, you kind of have to do that if you work for Donald Trump. That is not just happening at the convention. That is going to be his role over the next four years. COOPER: I want to bring in CNN fact-checker, senior reporter Daniel Dale. He has been listening to all of tonight's speeches. Daniel, what stood out to you? DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Anderson, tonight was a fact-check doozy, a whole lot of false and misleading claims. I want to start with a claim that J.D. Vance made in his speech. He strongly suggested that, in contrast to Joe Biden, Donald Trump opposed the invasion of Iraq. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: When I was a senior in high school, that same Joe Biden supported the disastrous invasion of Iraq. Somehow, a real estate developer from New York City by the name of Donald J. Trump was right on all of these issues while Biden was wrong. (END VIDEO CLIP) DALE: This claim is highly misleading at best. In reality, Donald Trump was supportive of the invasion of Iraq. When he was asked six months before the invasion by Howard Stern whether he was for an invasion, he said -- quote -- "Yeah, I guess so. I wish the first time, it was done correctly." Then two months before the invasion, he said on Fox News that President Bush, and this is a direct quote, "has either got to do something or not do something, perhaps." Not the words of an explicit opponent. Now, he did become an opponent of the war in 2004. But Vance's suggestion that Trump was on the opposite side of Biden on the question of starting the war, that Trump got this invasion question right while Biden was wrong, that's just not true. And that was not, Anderson, the only assertion tonight that was misleading or flat wrong, and I'll give you just some of them. A former Trump advisor, Peter Navarro, who's fresh out of prison, falsely claimed Jack Smith prosecuted him. Smith did not. A Florida congressman, Mike Waltz, mocked Biden for allegedly being focused on building electric tanks. That is pure fiction. Biden has made no push for electric tanks, though the army does want some other vehicles to be electrified. Various speakers depicted a country with rampant crime and violence without acknowledging that violent crime is now lower than it was in Donald Trump's last year in office, 2020. A former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, said Trump orchestrated an orderly end to the war in Afghanistan. Trump didn't actually orchestrate a withdrawal at all. Gingrich also claimed no U.S. soldier was killed in nearly two years there. There was not any two-year period under Trump when zero U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan. And finally, conservative commentator Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump, Jr.'s fiancee, declared that Trump handed Joe Biden a booming economy. You might remember what things were actually like in January 2021. The unemployment rate was 6.4%. Anderson? COOPER: Daniel Dale, thanks very much. We're going to take a short break. Just ahead as we wrap up night three of the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee, there's new information just coming to CNN about the deeply or I should say the deepening divisions among Democrats. We're going to tell you what sources are now sharing with us about a recent phone call between President Biden and Nancy Pelosi. We'll have that news ahead in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [23:42:35] TAPPER: Night three of the Republican National Convention just wrapped up here in Milwaukee, in battleground state, Wisconsin. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio introduced himself to the party and to the nation as Donald Trump's running mate. He accepted his party's nomination formally this evening. There's also news on the other side of the aisle from the Democrats' sources, sharing with CNN details of a recent phone call between President Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who remains a very powerful and influential Democrat in Congress. CNN's MJ Lee is joining us from the White House with more. MJ, what can you tell us about this call? MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Jake, we are learning that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Biden spoke again recently and that Pelosi told the president that polling shows that the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and that he could destroy Democrats' chances of winning the House if he were to continue seeking a second term. Now, we are also told by our sources that the president responded by being defensive about the polling, telling Pelosi he has seen the data polling that shows that he can, in fact, win, and that at one point, Pelosi asked Mike Donilon, the president's senior adviser, to get on the line to go over the data. Now, none of our sources said whether in this phone call Nancy Pelosi privately told President Biden that she believes he should drop out of the race, but it's important to note this is the second known conversation now between Nancy Pelosi and President Biden since his debate performance that really shook the party at the end of June. I should also note the White House wouldn't comment on our reporting in this meeting. They said President Biden is the nominee of the party. He plans to win. And a Pelosi spokesperson said Pelosi has been in California since Friday and has not spoken to Biden since. Obviously, Jake, we cannot overstate just how important Nancy Pelosi is to all of this. She has so much sway within the party. She probably has the best pulse on where all of her colleagues are on the Biden situation than probably anybody else. And the big question going forward is, at some point, does she get to a point where she may be publicly says that she believes that the president shouldn't stay in the race? TAPPER: All right. MJ Lee, amazing stuff. Jeff Zeleny also has been reporting on the story. Jeff, tell us more about these conversations between former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Biden. [23:45:00] JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Look, Jake, a lot of Democrats have been taking their worries and fears to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and we have really seen an evolution of her thinking over the last now nearly three weeks since that debate. Now, when President Biden said he is going to run, he's not reconsidering, she reopened the door for him, and that allowed some other House Democrats to have conversations with her. So, she has been trying to handle this behind the scenes, if you will, but what we are hearing is that it hasn't worked, so they are being slightly more public with this. But she's not alone. Last Saturday, a key meeting in all of this. History may show this to be a pivotal meeting here, depending on what happens. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, traveled to Rehoboth Beach. That's where the president was spending the weekend. He had a private one-on-one meeting with the president, expressing concerns of Senate Democrats as well that they do not think that they can win and are worried about him winning in November. So, Jake, taking together all of this, this is a different moment here as we hit the three-week period. As for the president, he's back in Delaware. The campaign tells me tonight he's in this race, he's not changing, and they say he'll be the Democratic nominee. Of course, we'll see about that, Jake. TAPPER: We will. Jeff Zeleny, stick around. Let's talk about this with my panel. Chris Wallace and Dana Bash, I want to show some recent video, the most recent video we have of President Biden. He has COVID. He had to cancel an appearance at an event. Here he is earlier tonight at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware walking down the stairs, looking, I don't know, around, let's say. And it's a very halting procession down the stairs, though. And the reason I wanted to show this video is I'm not sure in all these conversations how much it's being illustrated to President Biden, not just that Democrats worry he cannot turn this around, that he's a drag on the ticket, that he is going to lose, but that the reason he is the drag on the ticket, the reason that his poll numbers are so bad, is irreversible. It is because the American people think he's too old, not competent to do the job. That was highlighted even more in the debate. But that's where the American people, according to polls, have been for months, if not years. This is not something that he can turn around. We've seen him speak before the NAACP and lose his train of thought. We've seen him give interviews to speedy -- WALLACE: Stephanopoulos? TAPPER: No, not Stephanopoulos. No, the YouTuber. BASH: Yeah, the YouTuber. TAPPER: And he loses his train of thought in those interviews as well. This is not something that he can turn around. It's -- you can -- you can beat Donald Trump, but you can't beat father time. BASH: Yeah. Listen, I mean, that is why what you are seeing, the private conversations that MJ was just reporting on, even more so with Nancy Pelosi, what we know, Chuck Schumer, we know that he was very direct with Joe Biden when he spoke with the president on Saturday, and we know about the series of conversations that he's had with House Democrats, particularly the one with some of the front liners, the more centrist Democrats, who were very blunt with him on the polling, but also on the fundamentals that you were just talking about. I mean, now he has COVID. I mean, we both have COVID, have had COVID. I certainly have not felt great. But this is far beyond the moment that we are in right now. Jake, I have talked to House members. I've been texting with them, listening to what has been going on publicly, even in the last 10 hours, 12 hours, knowing what has already been going on privately, seeing it become more public. One said to me, the walls are closing in on the president because the desperation, the frustration, and in some cases, anger is overwhelming that they can't get through to him. WALLACE: You know, sometimes you see an image, and it's almost a perfect metaphor for a situation. And to see Joe Biden looking so slow, so halting, so old as he came down the steps, and when it originally happened, CNN put it on live in a split screen. I forget exactly what was going on at the convention at that point, but, you know, there was energy and excitement and a plan for the future, not saying it's necessarily the right plan. [23:50:00] And you see Joe Biden, as his political support is crumbling, as his financial support is crumbling, as he has suffered a health setback, as he has had a series, as you say, of troubling interviews, as he's making the effort to show that the debate that you co-moderated was somehow a bad night, it isn't going away, and tonight just seemed to be a culmination of it. Having said all of that, you know, it's one thing to say to a guy, hey, your numbers in Ohio or Pennsylvania are really, really bad. It's another thing to say, you're no longer up to the job. That gets to a whole different, not a political level, a personal level, and for him and his wife, Jill, and his family to come to terms with that is going to be very hard, and I'm not sure that he will. TAPPER: Yeah. And Anderson, that's one I'm wondering, these blunt messages that are being given to President Biden from Speaker Pelosi, from Leader Schumer, the Democratic leader of the Senate, and on and on and on. How many of those messages are performance-based as opposed to just your polling numbers are bad? COOPER: Yeah. TAPPER: How many of them are the kind of blunt conversation that so many of us have had to have with parents or grandparents because of the inevitability, the situation, that if we're lucky enough to get to be that old, we all face? COOPER: Yeah, Adam Schiff, as well, has come out very publicly. I mean, David Axelrod, of course, you know, Jake makes the point about conversations people have had with family members, that we've all had with family members, and that's what this may boil down to, conversations with Biden family members. And from all the reporting, it seems that there -- AXELROD: His world has shrunk, Anderson, to his family and a couple of close advisors. And someone has to recognize the reality of the situation. There was a memo circulating today among the congressional leadership done by a PAC for the Senate and House -- PACs for the Senate and House. And in it, it said that 18% of people now say they believe the president is fit to serve. Eighteen percent, including just a third of people who voted for him last time. You put that together with the meeting with Katzenberg, which reflects, I think, the reality. The money has dried up. And I said earlier -- COOPER: There's a report that Jeffrey Katzenberg, a large fundraiser -- AXELROD: Who is his key fundraiser. No one has done more for the president than Katzenberg. He's devoted his life to this project. You know, someone has to say, here is the reality, there is not a path forward. He said in an interview that he would get out if he was told by his advisors that there wasn't a path forward. If his advisors don't tell him that now, they're not doing him a service, and they shouldn't be his advisors. JONES: You know, this is -- this is the endgame now. He may be able to run out the clock and stay on the ticket, but you've got to lead, and we have a big coalition. You have a lot of African-American voters who are still with Joe Biden. They still want him to stick in there. We're used to seeing our leaders stumble. We're used to seeing our leaders be attacked by the media in ways that aren't fair. And we're slow to let go of somebody's hand. So, I'm proud that the Black grassroots are standing with Joe Biden. But the party is bigger than that. The donors are walking away. The best people in our party, the smartest people in our party are looking at the math and saying, the math don't math. And so, it's important, I think, that we recognize that this could be -- this is the endgame. One way or the other, it's the endgame. Tonight -- AXELROD: One more -- just one more thing I want to -- COLLINS: Yeah, and -- AXELROD: I'm sorry. Just one last data point, which is that there was an AP-NORC poll today that said two-thirds of Democrats want him to drop out. And that -- you know, yes, he's got stronger support among African-Americans, but there are a fair number of African-Americans. JONES: Yeah. AXELROD: And it's a reflection of what they see. COLLINS: Well, and Jeff Zeleny makes a great point that tomorrow marks three weeks since the debate. And I talked to White House officials. I was at the White House last week. They really thought they were going to hit the ground running coming out of this. He was going to do a lot of public events. He was going to do a bunch of interviews. Well, now, he's going to self-isolate for a few days. And every interview and public appearance he has done has not done enough to materially change what you were hearing from Democrats behind closed doors, who do believe that it is up to the Pelosis and Schumers and that small group of advisers around him, the Mike Donalds, the Steve Ricchettis, to kind of have that conversation. And even they, behind the scenes, seem to be getting closer to that point. KING: And so, add to that what we heard from J.D. Vance tonight, which is not on Daniel Dale's list because it's true. It is true. We have a big tent in our party. We love this country. We are united to win. The Democrats see this here. This party has rallied around Donald Trump. For all the controversy about Trump in the past, this party has rallied around Donald Trump. So, Democrats are looking not just at the polling, but to David's point and to Jake's point. If you make a policy mistake or you did something out there, you can change that. [23:55:00] You can apologize. You can change your policy. You can have an event. This is a performance question. It's not just that they're telling the president, you're losing Michigan, you're losing Pennsylvania, you're losing Wisconsin, you're losing Nevada, you're losing Arizona. You're beginning to put New Mexico in play? What? You're beginning to put New Hampshire in play? What? You're putting Virginia in play? Hello? It's not just that. They're saying the reason is because the American people, to David's point about the poll and they're showing the data, they do not believe you are up to the job. That's not something you can change. At least if you come out of the debate, you knew they were raising that question. To Kaitlan's point and Abby's point about the interviews and the performances, if you thought you could change it, you have not succeeded because the numbers are getting worse. COOPER: Scott? JENNINGS: I -- I continue to think that this is more than just a political problem. I mean, if Democrats are saying that he's not fit to serve in January and we're seeing the rapid deterioration of the president before our very eyes right now, I still think we need to have a conversation about who's running the country today and is he fit to serve for the next few months. I'm just not satisfied that this is only a political campaign problem. To me, the country still has to operate and he's still supposedly the president. URBAN: I would just say quickly, you know, the split screen of Joe Biden walking off that airplane and the imagery from this evening should have Democrats very concerned. COOPER: Yeah. Stay with CNN as the republican convention heads into its fourth and final night. Laura Coates is at the CNN grill to break it all down. She's coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) Laura Coates Live Aired July 18, 2024 - 00:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [00:00:50] LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We need to talk about what happened tonight when the MAGA heir apparent, he took center stage today. We've got you tied right here from the CNN political grill right here in Milwaukee on day three of the Republican National Convention. The very day when Senator J.D. Vance accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination. Now his speech tried to give you a little bit of this and a little bit of that, saying sometimes reintroducing himself and of course his biography, his childhood in Appalachia, his lower middle-class to the Marines to Harvard trajectory. It also highlighted his deep distrust of Washington and his prescription for ridding the swamp of a fever. He says that solution is Donald Trump. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. J.D. VANCE (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: from Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again. President Trump represents America's life last best hope to restore what, if lost, may never be found again. A country where a working class boy born far from the halls of power can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Well, the Republicans in the room they did not hold back their excitement. They haven't throughout this entire convention, frankly. Whether it plays for Republicans outside the room who say that some no longer recognize their party, we don't yet know how it resonates. But we do know that there is quite a split screen happening. One that is maybe delighting Republicans and the other ticking off Democrats, who desperately want to turn the page because while Democrats are in the middle of a kind of a "Game of Throne" style back and forth over who should be their nominee, Joe Biden, the president, is publicly insisting that he is the nominee, end of story. But CNN reporting tonight says that there are two key pieces of information that might be signaling a kind of sea change. One, Joe Biden has gone from saying that Kamala Harris can't win to asking, can she win? That may seem like a small turn of events, but it does show that he may be more open to possibilities, that it is not him. And number two that former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has apparently privately told the president that the polls show he cannot win versus Donald Trump, and that it will get worse that Biden staying on the ballot will somehow sink any hopes of Democrats winning back the House. But I can't help but wonder which came first, the conversation about him staying or people actually wanting to have that conversation. We'll get to all of that, but first, let's begin with the convention and joining me now is North Dakota governor and former Republican presidential candidate, Doug Burgum. He spoke tonight at the RNC. Governor, thank you so much for being with me this evening. GOV. DOUG BURGUM (R), NORTH DAKOTA: Laura, great to be with you. Quite a party CNN throws here. COATES: I mean, we tried do what we can, but it may pale in comparison to the excitement inside of that convention hall when Senator J.D. Vance took to that stage. People were wondering up until the very last moment whether he would in fact be that vice president running mate. Your name was on that list, Governor. What is your reaction seeing that he is now the Person who will be there? BURGUM: Well, it's all positive because I think President Trump made a great pick with J.D. Vance. You heard his speech tonight. And what an incredible personal story. I had an opportunity to meet his mother, who is -- when I met her she's in recovery and she'll be celebrating 10 years next January. The first lady of North Dakota is also in recovery. We're both celebrating his mom and he even said, look, if we win this race, Mom, maybe we can celebrate your 10th anniversary recovery at the White House. And that was one of the moments tonight when most people were up on their feet. I think this tells us one thing for sure is the, you know, the open borders, the hundreds of thousands of fentanyl deaths that have occurred under Joe Biden, that this is an issue that crosses all party lines. The disease of addiction. And I think he's got a great message. And then of course serving in the Marines. He's got the -- certainly he's got the approach which hey, we're backing the blue, we're backing the military. [00:05:05] But also his identification with the working people, the people that have built America in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, that was a reoccurring theme throughout the night. And those are states that we need to win, and then he kept talking about the energy workers in Ohio and Pennsylvania and President Trump, if we unleash American energy, what that's going to do for the economy of those two states. So he was going right at the blue wall for the minute J.D. Vance started talking until the end and he's got a great story I think that's going to resonate across those five states. COATES: You know, it was a very powerful and poignant moment when his mother stood up and received the cheers from the crowd and the chants of J.D.'s mom and speaking about it, and there was a moment I think that many people wondered whether Senator J.D. Vance would be able to expand the base, you know, you want 100 days out for elections to have a vice president pick who can do that. Do you think that he will be essential to bringing in more voters in the rust belt and beyond given his policy positions? BURGUM: While I think when you're the vice president, your policy positions he might had as a senator go by the wayside and he was -- COATES: Do you really think so? BURGUM: Yes, and he said very clearly tonight, you know, that I'm serving President Trump, honored to be his pick, and President Trump's policies absolutely. The coalition of the Republican Party now is common sense and working class families. If you're someone in our country who gets a paycheck, you're getting crushed by inflation, interest rates, all of these things that are economically -- real wages down under Joe Biden. They were up over $4,000 per family under President Trump. So we've gone from the Trump economic miracle to this malaise that we're in now, and that J.D. Vance is going to be in a position to really speak to those workers, and like we saw earlier this week, the head of the Teamsters endorsing President Trump. And I think, again, when you see truck drivers, it's not just the economics, it's the fact that Joe Biden has got a war on American energy. And the guys that are driving these 18-wheelers, they're not going to ever be driving an electric 18-wheeler because half their load would have to be batteries and it doesn't work in cold weather across these states, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio. So J.D. is representing the policies of President Trump. I think he's going to mow a path all the way through those states. COATES: I do wonder. I mean, obviously you have a kindred spirit. You've said in the past with Donald Trump about your business acumen and that, and J.D. Vance has a different obviously role that he has played including in Silicon Valley. Certainly he's had the working class background. I do wonder to what extent his past professional experiences either alienate or draw in other voters on that point. But let me ask you, because a lot of the conversation has been about the vice president pick, and there is a vice president right now, Kamala Harris, who is being talked about on the other side of the aisle as potentially topping the ticket. One, what do you make of the Democrats having this conversation about a change in ticket possibly late in the game? And also, what would it look like for the policy positions of Trump against a Kamala Harris presidential candidate? BURGUM: Well, the chaos on the Democrat side I don't even know how to describe because, you know, every day who's going to be the candidate, who's going to be the vice president, what will the process be to try to select one. Every day that that party doesn't know who they're supporting is another day closer to the election day in November. It's another day lost of fundraising. It's another day lost to the building party unity. So every day there's that chaos that's good for President Trump and it's good for America because I believe President Trump's policies are unleashing U.S. energy, closing the borders, stopping the wars, turning around inflation, getting our economy going. Those things are good for everybody. They're good for independents, Democrats, good for Republicans. COATES: But would a match-up with Trump and Harris, would the platform fundamentally changed do you think to address her capabilities? BURGUM: I don't think it's about Vice President Harris' capabilities. I mean, one thing Americans know that one of the things that she was asked to do was to be the borders are and the border is one of the biggest issues that Americans are facing. You know, in 2016, it might have been about immigration. Now it's about public safety. Now it's about national security. I don't think that she has an answer on that any better than Joe Biden does, and certainly she doesn't have the background of saying, hey, I've got a plan on how to turn around the economy because she's tied to the policy, Joe Biden has said I'm going to raise everybody's taxes. I mean -- COATES: Well, he has said that the wealthy should pay their fair share and he's pointed to corporate America in particular for that reason. But on the issue of immigration -- BURGUM: And I agree with that. COATES: Well, I know you have in the past. Yes. BURGUM: Yes. And the -- but when the President Trump's tax cuts went in the share of taxes paid by the wealthy went up. And so it's all a talking point that the wealthy should pay more. They are paying more, they've paid more since those tax cuts. There was so much money that was repatriated back to the U.S. when those corporate tax credits went down. [00:10:05] That's part of the reason why the average working family in America benefited economically from the Trump's economic miracle. And so when you get -- when you actually look at the numbers, it's just a fact. People were better off under President Trump. COATES: Well, certainly there are for some economic successes that this administration can tout. But I do recognize that there is the economy overall and there's the personal economy of every individual. And they see their grocery carts, and they have different considerations when they think about the administration, but on the issue of immigration, I really am wanted to know your opinion on this. Immigration as an issue has eluded successive presidential administrations. I mean, to suggest that one person could fix the border is a fool's errand. What precisely do you think could be done to try to change it if the Trump administration were to come back in to power? BURGUM: Well, I think number one is just go back to the policies. When President Trump left office that January, when he left office, that was the lowest illegal immigration that we've had in a long time. And I think the chart just shows it going down and then it shows it going up back up, but now it's what millions a year. And I've been down at the border. I think actually more times. I know I watched the news. More times that either Harris or Biden because we've had North Dakota National Guard down there. I think it's one of the most under-reported stories every day. You know, there's something else going on, we report on that. But at the border with the crossings that are happening, people on the terror watch list, the amount of people that just come through, get processed, they're given a court date that's 2028, 2029. We have no idea. It's not even computer work. They're given paperwork. And how do we sort out where 10 million people are in our country? And so it is just -- it is absolutely, I don't know how you have national security in any nation in the world unless you have border security and of course we're a place where people want to come, where the American dream, but we have to make sure that we're doing that in a way. And I don't think the Republican Party is ready to have a discussion about fixing legal immigration until we secure the border. With the border secure, I think then that conversation has started. COATES: Well, that's part of the concern in Congress. Many elect -- many voters have said when will the conversation be complete, even when there is negotiations on the table. But, Governor, thank you so much for joining. BURGUM: Thank you, Laura. COATES: A pleasure to speak to you. BURGUM: Great to be with you. Thank you. COATES: Thank you so much. Enjoy. Well, you know now J.D. Vance had a lot to say about his background and he did. He set up a pretty stark contrast he believes with President Joe Biden. Listen to what he said. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington for longer than I've been alive. 39 years old. Kamala Harris is not much further behind. For half a century he has been the champion of every major policy initiatives to make America weaker and poorer. Things did not work out well for a lot of kids I grew up with. Every now and then, I will get a call from a relative back home who asked, did you know so and so. And I'll remember a face from years ago and then I'll here, they died of an overdose. As always America's ruling class wrote the checks. Communities like mine paid the price. For decades, that divide between the few with their power and comfort in Washington and the rest of us only widened. From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the great recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Well, look, my panel has a lot of thoughts on all of this. We've got Bryan Lanza, Ashley Allison, Mark Preston, and Harry Enten. Good to have you all here. You know, listen, many people have read book that he wrote, "Hillbilly Elegy." They may have seen the movie with Glenn Close. There may have been those who do the cliff note version of it. I do wonder as he reintroduced himself to the country, do you think people have a better sense of who he is and like him? MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, let me say this. I didn't find his speech energizing. I didn't feel the crowd pulling it down. But what I did see is somebody who's probably relatable to a lot of folks across the nation. Now whether or not they like his politics remains to be seen, but, you know, even though it was kind of a -- it wasn't a mediocre speech, perhaps the delivery wasn't as strong, I still think that he was likeable. I really do. And I think that he will -- his personal story is going to touch the hearts of probably a lot of people across this country. COATES: Well, we met his wife. We saw his mother. We learned a lot about what's going on. What -- you know, when it comes to likability, this is the word that many pollsters hate to hear, about the likability aspect of it. But, Ashley, let me ask you about this. Which is more important to voters you think? Likability on that stage or policy? ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I've been saying for a while that what seems to be happening in politics right now is there are facts and then there are feelings. Right now the voters are feeling they're struggling, but the facts are under Donald Trump, the median household income in Middletown, Ohio, where J.D. Vance is from was $42,000. In 2024 under Joe Biden, it is $63,000. That means people under Joe Biden are making more. The poverty level under Donald Trump was 22 percent in that hometown. Under so Joe Biden, it's 19 percent. So the facts are things are better for people. The reality, though, is that people are not feeling it. And so that is the challenge that Joe Biden and this administration has constantly felt is that they haven't been able to say, you might not be feeling the direct impact, but I am fighting for you. J.D. Vance talks about I'm from Ohio. I went to Ohio State. I think we missed each other by three months, literally. It's a matter of Ohio is a labor union town. J.D. Vance voted against the Pro Act which would protect labor protection. J.D. Vance voted against NLRB, the National Labor Review Board restrictions to help protect workers. So when we talk about who is fighting for the working people, I would agree Democrats haven't done a good job in conveying that message. But the facts are clear that it's Democrats, and it's not going to be J.D. Vance and it's not going to be Donald Trump. COATES: But why do you laugh at that? I saw you smirk a little bit, Bryan. BRYAN LANZA, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, TRUMP 2016 CAMPAIGN: Listen, America is unaffordable for the working class and the middle class. And that's a direct result of result of Joe Biden's policies. So you -- COATES: So what about the numbers she just said? LANZA: Let me finish. So she can cite whatever number she wants, but if you can't afford anything, the number doesn't matter. ALLISON: Facts. I'm citing facts. LANZA: I'll double check the facts. ALLISON: Go ahead. You can Google. LANZA: But if you're going to say America feels better, because the economy is better, people don't feel that and they don't feel that because -- ALLISON: I didn't say they feel better. I said facts versus feelings. LANZA: I understand you're angry. COATES: I hear you. I want to hear your point, and I'm going to come back. (CROSSTALK) LANZA: What I would say is -- ALLISON: I'm not letting you put words on my mouth. LANZA: We have an affordability crisis and Joe Biden has not addressed it. He's actually made it worse. And so going back to the original point. It's great that you say that the race -- the salary has gone up, and I'll double check it, but if inflation goes up higher than that, nobody feels it. And that's why they don't feel if. Joe Biden has not just a number one issue on the economy and that's inflation. For 40 months he's failed to hit his own target of 2 percent. How? He said, it's 2 percent. Said it was transitional. 40 months he has failed. 30 months is almost the equivalent of his entire term. When is he going to stumble on it and get it right? People want to know what he's going to do with inflation and for 40 months he's failed and that's what J.D. said. He's failed the working class communities, he's failed the middle class community by not addressing the most important issue, and that's inflation. COATES: Well, you know, they both have raised interesting point about this feeling versus fact dynamic. And, you know, I do wonder from both their positions why the disconnect, how do voters try to close that, and of course, politicians we're 100 and I think nine days away from the election. HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA CORRESPONDENT: I feel the great frustration that's going on with my Democratic friend over there. And it reminds me of sort of what I see on Twitter, or I guess now X, oftentimes, Republicans will say something about the state of the economy and how people feel. And then Democrats will answer with a graph from the Web site Fred, and it's essentially showing no, the economy is better than you think it is. And it just falls short. And I think it comes down to you can talk about income growth. You could talk about all these different statistics. Low unemployment. But at the end of the day, it's the inflation factor. It's the inflation factor that all of us are feeling. You go to that supermarket. You compare to what the prices are now versus five years ago pre-pandemic, pre-Joe Biden getting into office, and it just the argument isn't working. But I do want to bring this back a little bit and talk about J.D. Vance and talk about the fact that he's from Ohio. I remember when Ohio was a competitive state on the presidential level. ALLISON: Me too. PRESTON: Not very long ago. ENTEN: It wasn't very long ago. ALLISON: 2012. ENTEN: And the rise of J.D. Vance, the rise of the Republican Party in the state of Ohio is reflective of Donald Trump's reach with the white working class communities and now increasingly working class communities and people of color as well. And that is part of the big reason that Donald Trump is ahead in this election right now. I think that's also part of the reason that J.D. Vance was in fact selected as VP because it's reflective of that rise. COATES: Well, Mark, I mean, is it going to make a difference? I mean, will he really be able to get and bring out those voters in that rust belt? PRESTON: Look, I -- vice president doesn't -- COATES: He's going to say no. ENTEN: No. PRESTON: Doesn't win you an election. ENTEN: No, it doesn't. Weve had this discussion. PRESTON: Right. ENTEN: How many times have I gone on air on this network and I showed this table in which it says, OK, extremely important to your 2024 vote, number one is protecting democracy, nearly 50 percent or over 50 percent? The economy number two, well into 40s, and then down in the list, I can get down on the floor, it's Trumps VP pick, like 14 percent. COATES: Yes. But you know why -- I don't want to cut you off, but you know why I don't believe -- I know I don't believe the fact that the VP pick is irrelevant for the fact that, say, a Nikki Haley spent much of her campaign saying that a vote for Biden is a vote for her, and frankly age is such a huge issue in this campaign. It's an important point to raise. PRESTON: So, OK, so look at it this way. I believe that the debate really hurt Joe Biden specifically with white men. You could argue, well, Democrats lost white men, but they still have the white men that are supporting him, and the more of white men that you lose you have to pick that up somewhere else. You're going to pick it up with African-American, you're going to pick it up Asian Americans, Hispanics, whomever, OK. [00:15:04] I think J.D. Vance tonight kind of made an appeal to that white and, forgive me for saying this, kind of bro vote. You know that, I think that, but it works. But it works. I mean, you walk around that convention hall today, I mean, there were bros everywhere. It was like a fraternity party for like 25-year-olds. COATES: Wow. LANZA: But also, I'll say the polling shows that the Democratic Party is having a problem with their young vote, you know, the 35 and under. You know, J.D. appeals to that. And why are they having that problem with the 35 and under? If you look at the data, it says they don't feel hopeful about tomorrow. That is a direct result of Joe Biden's policies. It's not a result of Donald Trump's policies. It's a direct result of the last three years that the young people have lost hope. J.D. has the appeal to that and he's a hopeful appeal. So he's this guy who picked himself up from severe poverty, bootstraps, and achieved success. People under 35 are looking at it and say, maybe it still exist, but it clearly doesn't exist under Joe Biden. COATES: Well, I mean, COVID may have had a little something to do with people feeling a little bit hopeless the last couple of years. ALLISON: Exactly. COATES: We have more to talk about, everyone. Please stand by. There's big, big news on the other side of the aisle tonight. A possible inflection point and the efforts by some Democrats to push Joe Biden out of the race, including a major move by Nancy Pelosi. Plus a stunning scene on the convention floor, a group of Republican senators chasing down the head of the Secret Service. There's the footage. We'll be back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [00:25:27] COATES: Well, we're back at the CNN Political Grill here in Milwaukee, and we have some pretty major breaking news involving a Democratic candidate in what appears to be a possible tipping point for President Biden's state. CNN reports the former House speaker Nancy Pelosi has privately told Biden that the polls show he cannot win in November. and that he will take down the House along with him. We're told that Biden responded with defensiveness, which frankly is expected given that he is the incumbent who's got the delegates. And this all of course also comes as we learned that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has expressed similar concerns. However, we're also learning that Biden has become a little more receptive about the future of the ticket, even asking advisers, do you think Kamala can win? On top of this, Biden is suddenly off the campaign trail. Why? Maybe Mercury is retrograde, I just don't know. But he tested positive for COVID-19 today and he is back home in Delaware for the next few days. We've got Bryan and Ashley with us. They've made up, don't worry about it. Also, Kaitlan Collins and Phil Mattingly are also here as well. I got to ask you, guys, first of all, the fact that this is happening, I mean, I joked about Mercury and retrograde. But Dems can't catch a break. Now, the president has COVID. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR, "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS": Yes, it's because also, you know, we've talked to White House officials and Phil knows this as well, we both have covered President Biden from the White House, is that they were really hoping to hit a few homeruns in this stretch. Tomorrow we have three weeks since the debate, it's hard to think of that. And they were hoping to have him out on the trail, doing interviews, showing that he is capable and that it was just that one bad night. And this kind of just -- you know, the cherry on top of everything where he has struggled to break through I think in those interviews, the one with Lester Holt, the one with BET. These moments where he hasn't really been able to kind of come out and show people that he is the President Biden of 2022 that they saw on the campaign trail then. COATES: But what are they looking for, Phil? Because men people are criticizing this conversation. A lot of voters were out there saying, let it go, number one, or two, you're moving the goalpost. You said you wanted him to go out there and talk to people. He's doing it. What is the criteria that they think is going to impact it? PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Well, they want the president to make a decision, and the president has made the decision. COATES: Right. MATTINGLY: And repeatedly told them of the decision and their response is, no, no, no, that not decision. COLLINS: A different decision. MATTINGLY: Yes. We're just going to wait and we're just going to keep asking you to make the decision. COATES: Think about it. Think about the decision. MATTINGLY: You're the incumbent, you're the candidate, you've got the delegates, we're going to give you time to make the decision. COLLINS: This is Phil and his kids. MATTINGLY: Yes, basically this is me and my kids negotiating it. COATES: I did seem personal just now. He was like, I don't know about the meal for tonight, but go ahead, fine. MATTINGLY: But I think what everybody has been waiting for is for him to reach the point himself and know that if you pressure him, if you pressure his team, that they very much get into a bunker mentality of we've always -- you've always told us we are wrong and we've always proven you wrong. And there is a long list of examples. The problem this time around is that they don't feel like -- the people outside of that inner circle don't feel like they have the time. They're looking at numbers, they're looking at data. The data has totally changed the game for everybody. And now you're seeing leaders, whether it's Hakeem Jeffries or Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi, either privately try and explain to the president what they're hearing from members without getting too far out, or saying kind of ambiguous things on TV that make people say, wait a minute, Nancy Pelosi maybe has some issues here. COATES: But I hate that. MATTINGLY: And the hope that he gets there. COATES: I had to -- I hate -- here, I mean, this is me telling you what I hate, America, but what I hate is that there's all the ambiguity, right? If you have something to say, I'm of the opinion you just say it. Now I know that's not how Washington, D.C. always worked. You can -- everyone is like, Laura, are you kidding me? Yes, that's how the world works. Ashley, the fact that you're hearing about these private conversations, to Kaitlan's point, too, three weeks after the debate and there's still not the definitive statement that there happened to have received. I mean, the fact that it's Pelosi, that it's Jeffries, that it might be Schumer and others, and Adam Schiff we know has said outward that he go do that, want to step down. Is that going to be impactful to Joe Biden? ALLISON: I will just say one of the most frustrating things about Washington, D.C. is people are fake and they don't actually say what they mean and it's why I think our country doesn't get to move forward in the way that it deserves to move forward. Putting that aside, putting aside that everyone is fake, myself thought for the night. COATES: Let's just go back to it. ALLISON: One of many perhaps. Look, I knew and I had told some folks if Joe Biden had a rough night at the debate, some things were going to shake up. Did I think they were going to shake for three weeks or we wouldn't know where we were going? No. Here's the thing that I think is frustrating with people who are out in the country, particularly voters of color. What's your plan B? If Joe Biden steps down, what are we going to do? And it feels questionable when it is not that Kamala Harris would be the next person, because she is on the ticket with Joe Biden already. She is his vice president. [00:30:10] And yet, you have people polling and not even putting her in the race. That, to me, to some voters, a part of that coalition that I helped build in 2020, feels very disrespectful. And so, the question is, what are we going to do? I actually don't care at this point. I just want to beat Donald Trump. Because I am glad that he was saved on Saturday, but I disagree with him in every policy way, and I don't think he is the best path forward for our country. And so, for Democrats to defeat him, we need to decide and go forward. We cannot keep going on this -- through this, not even to the convention. It is very hard, if it's not Joe Biden, for someone to get name recognition on a national stage. So, these people are not amateurs at campaigning, and they really are not just playing -- it's not just politics right now. This is actual people's lives that they're playing with that -- with the outcome of November. COATES: Let me ask you, Bryan -- go ahead. PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Laura, it's just important to note. And I think people need to understand this. And donors, like I'm talking to you. Kamala Harris is the only other option. Like I'm just going to be completely blunt. And the fact that people are thinking, well, maybe we'll do, like, a five-week sprint or debates, or many debates. Well, there is one option. There's one option mechanically from a money perspective, from a message perspective, from an operations perspective. There's one option for the absolutely backbone of the Democratic base, which is if you pass the first African-American woman to serve as vice president, what do you think is going to happen -- it's insane. It's -- you correct me if I'm wrong. You're talking about -- it's insane to me. COATES: I've got to tell you, when Phil Mattingly turns the camera and appeals to donors, I mean, it was a moment. I've got to ask you, Bryan, on this. Let me ask you, because be careful what you wish for. You might just get it. Is Trump going to want anyone but Biden? LANZA: Well, yes, we always -- we only want Biden. But the reality -- COATES: Well, that tells you something about your campaign. LANZA: Well, listen, we only want Biden. But I'll say this, whether it's Kamala or Biden, remember, they were -- they were behind in the polls before the debate. They were behind before the poll -- the debate, because immigration was failing; inflation was failing. We had two wars, and a third one was about to start. That's why they were losing. That's why they asked for the hail Mary. So, the policies that Kamala is going to be judged on are going to be the policies of Joe Biden, which have led to these massive failures for the American people. So, she starts at a disadvantage, in my view. And not only that. For Kamala Harris to be V.P. -- I'm a Californian. So, you always kind of root for California, regardless of who they are. But for Kamala Harris to become the nominee, she actually said become the president. Because Joe Biden said, I'm only going to step down if the doctor says I should step down. Well, the doctor says, Mr. President, you should step down. You don't have the neurological fitness to run for president. How are you going to be president? So, he would have to resign. The pressure would be overwhelming for him to resign, because if doctors say, you can't run for president, and then the Democratic Party says no, no, he can still remain president. Those things don't square, and that becomes a problem for them to solve. COATES: Let me ask you really quickly, because I know we have to go. But why do you only want President Biden? Is it because you think the campaign is lacking fatally to be able to take on anyone else? LANZA: Look at the disarray right now. I mean, it's -- as long as Biden's in there, the Democrats are going -- the Democratic Party are going to continue to eat each other through November. There's going to be another poll that comes out, and they're going to say, see, we told you. There's not going to be as much money as they raised and say, see, we told you so. This is a problem. So that changes their message going from the rest of the campaigns. COLLINS: I also think it's uncertain. LANZA: He can't survive that message. COLLINS: It's uncertainty. Donald Trump has been tracking this very closely, even while here at the convention preparing to speak tomorrow night. He is worried, not necessarily that he's not sure that he can beat one of the alternatives that have been floated: Vice President Harris, namely. But it's -- it's uncertainty in the race that it's not as guaranteed is they feel a Joe Biden defeat would be. LANZA: Well, we have a clear path right now. COLLINS: Yes. LANZA: The path, it's a little but windy when it changes. ALLISON: I just want to say I appreciate -- I said people in Washington D.C. aren't always honest. That -- you saying that you actually want Joe Biden, I have not actually heard a lot of Republicans say that, and I think that that's an important, truthful fact. COATES: Well, there you have it in the CNN Political Grill. LANZA: Put them together. COATES: The truth serum is in every drink, and a cheese curd (ph), too. Everyone, thank you so much. Tonight, new reporting that the Biden campaign is daring big donors and lawmakers to back away, even when Phil Mattingly makes an appeal, saying there'll be helping Donald Trump. So that's not scaring those donors. Well talk about it next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [38:19] COATES: Well, new tonight, a stark message for the Biden campaign, and it's not coming from just former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Top campaign adviser Jeffrey Katzenberg meeting with Biden privately today, warning him that donors' cash is going to dry up amid the increasing doubts around his ability to beat Donald Trump in November. For more, I want to bring in "Semafor" reporter Ben Smith to the conversation. Good to have you here. Tell me what went down in this meeting today between Katzenberg and Biden. BEN SMITH, REPORTER, "SEMAFOR": Well, Katzenberg, who's a huge fundraiser and a real adviser to the family, met with him in Vegas to talk about, among other things, the money -- the challenge of raising money from Wall Street and from Hollywood, which are two big sources of Democratic money. And I think -- I mean, not a surprise. You look at the state of this campaign, and people have stopped writing checks. And they say money is the mother's milk of politics, and it has just stopped flowing. COATES: When did they stop? The debate or the polling or both? When? SMITH: I mean, I think -- I think it's -- it's all the same kind of vicious cycle. But since the debate, everything has been getting harder, and political support is going away. The media is questioning him. And now the money is really drying up. COATES: You know, you mentioned Hollywood. And I -- and I often wonder what role Hollywood plays in influencing the average voter. What role the influence will have. Is it concerning that Hollywood, in particular, is starting to sort of pull back? You saw the George Clooney op-ed. We haven't heard, like, the dam break, among others, who have been vocal. SMITH: Yes. I mean, it's -- you know, I think that's the core power base. And I think what you're seeing, really, in every sector of the Democratic Party is people are reluctant to go out and -- and do more damage to the cause. And they're trying to urge Biden privately to step aside. I think you saw that with the leak today that Chuck Schumer had, five days earlier, told -- you know, told Biden he thought he should go. [00:40:04] And I think that's sort of the usual cycle in politics. You have a private conversation with somebody. And if you don't like what they do, then you leak it five days later. I think we're sort of seeing that cycle. COATES: Is that what you think is happening for the undercurrent of going on, of like, I'm telling you. I'm doing it privately. I'm trying to convey some level of respect to somebody who has been in politics so long? Or is it a matter of, look, it's just not stopping. So now I've got to come out. SMITH: Yes. I mean, I think you're seeing kind of a growing panic. And you're going to see this become increasingly public, increasingly damaging. COATES: Tell me about the impact this might have on down-ballot races. And obviously everyone's looking to the presidential election. We're at the Republican National Convention. We're talking about the tickets -- the Republican side. There's a concern about down-ballot races. And obviously, the impotence of an executive branch without having the legislative branch in their corner. What's happening in the conversations there? SMITH: I mean, look, we don't know. Right? And it's hard to predict. But the senator -- you know, the Senate today, we reported, was looking at some polling that showed them starting to slip, you know, around the country and in these very important races, you know, seeing outcomes where Republicans wind up with 52, 53, 54, 55 seats. And that is the nightmare for Democrats. I mean, I think a lot of them believe that, basically, this country is so divided, so polarized that things can't move that much. And that's the question: I mean, that's what Republicans are going for here, to prove that wrong and say, you know what the country actually can move to a 55-45 Republican victory. COATES: Do you think there would be a reinvigoration in excitement among Hollywood or Wall Street if it were Kamala Harris on top of that ticket? SMITH: You know, I think -- I mean, I think honestly, anybody under 80 is going to, like -- there would be some level of people -- COATES: That's a big field. SMITH: -- coming back to the table? I think what's happening now is it's sort of like a boycott situation. I think there -- there'll be some level coming back to table. But of course, there will also be different candidates, different factions. If it's -- if it is very likely to Kamala, there will probably be some stop Kamala faction that rises up. So, I mean, it's incredibly messy. COATES: Not what you want to be dealing with this close to the eve of the convention for Democrats or the election. Thanks so much for being here, Ben Smith. SMITH: Thank you. COATES: For more on this entire race, I want to bring in 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. Andrew, so good to see you. I was just talking to Ben about this. I mean, you've got Jeffrey Katzenberg, who's now warning President Biden about donor money drying up. And at the same time, the campaign daring donors not to support the president. I mean, this is a tale of two campaigns in some ways, right? ANDREW YANG (D), FORMER 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Laura, I met with a megadonor yesterday, and this isn't just the president. He told Senate candidates in swing states, I will not donate to you until Joe Biden passes the torch. COATES: Really? YANG: And I'm sure he's getting that feedback from others in the party, where if you're a swing senator, imagine having that phone call, being told you will not get a dime for your campaign unless you get Joe Biden out. COATES: I mean, that's a tremendous amount of pressure. And I do wonder if that pressure exerted on that particular senator or member of Congress could actually influence a decision by the president. What would that take to connect those dots? YANG: We're starting to see it, Laura, where Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries are taking the concerns from their members to the president. The donor community has been closing ranks and sending the same message. I think that Joe Biden is going to do the right thing and step aside, because right now, this is untenable. You can't run a campaign without money. You can't have a nominee that most of the party wants to step aside. COATES: Well, here's the concern. There were millions of people who wanted him to be the person who is the nominee. And I do wonder what you think that voters will think if it's the donor class, as opposed to voters, who are determining whether he should stay in the race. That could actually backfire on Democrats who are talking about democratic principles, could it not? YANG: Voters are saying the exact same thing. I think 72 percent of Democrats want Joe to step aside. And one of the -- the things we have to keep in mind is that there's going to be a ton of enthusiasm for the new nominee, because those voters do not want Donald Trump in the Oval Office next January. You're going to see, in my opinion, eight or nine figures of resources, not just from big donors, but from grassroots $20 donors as soon as you have a new nominee to take on the Donald Trump-J.D. Vance ticket. COATES: You know, on the Republican side, you're talking about that ticket. I mean, there are a number of CEOs reportedly feeling scared stiff and spooked about Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance. I mean, he's worked with Dems like Senator Warren to crack down on big banks. He's praised the FTC chair. And back in 2021, Andrew, he made it pretty clear that he is fine with raising taxes on big corporations. [00:45:05] Are these some legitimate fears from these particular donors on the other side? YANG: No. I think J.D. Vance has presented himself as a bit of an isolationist. So, I know there are folks that are concerned about America pulling back from various -- various commitments internationally. I do think that there's an appetite for some of the policies you just described. And one of the problems for the Democratic Party is that they have felt like they haven't been championing the working-class population as much as you might hope. And so, I think there's an opportunity for Republicans to take that case and get some voters from Ohio -- well, Ohio is not really a swing state. But Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, where this election is going to be decided. COATES: I mean, it was once a state that was a swing state. I know it has changed now -- YANG: It was, yes. COATES: -- in a decade or so. But, you know, although Vance, he has claimed to be pro-worker, I mean, last year, he earned, I think, a 0 percent score from the AFL-CIO when it came to backing working people. That's pretty significant. So how does the Biden campaign use this data to their advantage? Is it a missed opportunity by not talking about it? YANG: Well, J.D. Vance has any number of positions that Democrats will, I'm sure, be advertising heavily. And he's something of far- right populist. He has a set of ideas that I think some Americans are going to feel uncomfortable with. It was a competent picked by Donald Trump, in my opinion, in the sense that, if you're going to win, then you get someone in like J.D. Vance, who's going to be the heir apparent. He's 39 years old. He's friends with Donald Trump Jr. I thought that he might choose a Doug Burgum, a Glenn Youngkin, even a Nikki Haley or Marco Rubio to try and broaden the base. I don't think that's J.D. Vance's utility. I think the Trump camp thinks they're going to win. And they think they're going to win, in large part, because their opponent is an 81- year-old incumbent with a 38 percent approval rating. And that's what I think should change, hopefully, in the next 48 hours. COATES: What do you think is happening in the next 48 hours? YANG: I think that Joe Biden is going to be home in Delaware, and people are coming to him. And that he's going to realize that the best thing he can do for the country, his legacy, the party, people that do not want to see Trump have control of the House, the Senate, the White House, and essentially, the Supreme Court. So, I think that we're going to have a lot of pressure come to bear on the president upcoming. I happen to know of another Democratic member of Congress who has not gone public yet, who will do so shortly. But that, to me, is the highest leverage thing that can change in this race. I'm certainly someone who wishes that Joe Biden will pass the torch. And I think that he's going -- COATES: To who? YANG: -- to see it the same way if enough people come to him. COATES: Andrew, to -- YANG: The best thing that -- COATES: -- do you think he should pass the torch? YANG: This is the greatest opportunity that they have, Laura. Imagine a mini primary where the top six contenders show up for a debate or a forum. That will be must-see TV. Maybe it will be on CNN. But the ratings will be sky high, because everyone will want to tune in to see who's going to be taking on the Trump-Vance ticket. And the Democratic Party actually has many up-and-coming governors and other officials. A poll just came out that showed that there are four governors that are outperforming Joe Biden by five points in the swing states that are going to decide this race. Do you get some of those figures up on stage? And then there'd be tons of excitement among everyday Americans that at least one of the parties has managed to move on from its octogenarian or near octogenarian. COATES: I wonder from voters whether you are overestimating or underestimating the role of a contested primary this close to an election. We'll have to wait and see what they say. I do wonder what you make of Elon Musk's commitment to Donald Trump and the Trump-Vance ticket. YANG: I think a lot of folks in Silicon Valley think Trump is going to win. They want to be on the winning team. They think that their business interests will benefit. And they're making a decision to back Trump. Now, I'm someone who does not think that Trump should be back in the Oval Office. And so, it's disappointing. But I know some people in the -- those circles, and many of them feel like they're joining the winning team, particularly in the wake of the debate. I mean, if you think about it, some of these commitments have been made in the last two weeks. COATES: Andrew Yang, we will see what transpires. You're saying 48 hours, but Biden is saying he's going nowhere. We'll have to wait and see. Thanks for joining me tonight. YANG: Thank you, Laura. Great being here. [00:50:01] COATES: We are learning tonight some disturbing new details about the gunman who tried to assassinate Donald Trump, including the pictures of politician that investigators discovered on his phone. Lawmakers say they are very unhappy with what they're hearing. We'll talk about it next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COATES: Tonight, a new and downright frightening readout on the investigation into a would-be Trump assassin. The information comes from a number of places, including a conference call with lawmakers, a private briefing with senators and Congressmen that happened just this afternoon. Here is what we know. The shooter's search history included pictures of Trump, pictures of Biden, pictures of congressional leaders, pictures of Rudy Giuliani, and pictures of Fani Willis. The shooter also visited the rally site twice after the location was announced. Two lawmakers telling CNN that, according to cellphone data, he canvassed the Pennsylvania location for seven the 70, 7-0 -- 70 minutes. The 20-year-old gunman also looked for info on major depression disorders. [00:55:03] Republican lawmakers happy what they learned? In a word, no. Quote, "This was a 100 percent cover-your-ass briefing," Republican John Barrasso said afterwards. The Republicans have called for the Secret Service director to resign. In fact, take a look at this, because lawmakers were chasing the Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle on the convention floor, confronting her with questions. And Cheatle has agreed to comply with a subpoena now from the House Oversight Committee. She will speak at a hearing next week. We'll have more on night three from the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee. That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): We ride or die with Donald J. Trump to the end. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will be united. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did not break me. And they will never break Donald Trump. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who will make America energy dominant? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump! UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump! UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Biden may have forgotten that our children died, but we have not forgotten. Donald Trump has not forgotten. (END VIDEO CLIP) [01:00:00] Laura Coates Live Aired July 18, 2024 - 01:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:00:45] LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Well, night three of the Republican National Convention coming to a close right here in Milwaukee. I'm Laura Coates. Up late as always because I love it at the CNN Political Grill. Cheers on the right, gloom on the left. America's two political parties could not have a more different night. At this very hour, President Biden is recovering from COVID in Delaware. Yes, COVID. He is effectively now sidelined from his campaign and arguably the worst possible time that goes came out just as penning Democrats are trying once again, possibly to have conversations about him stepping aside and out of the race. Stand reporting tonight that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has privately told Biden that polling shows him he simply cannot win. And now we're told there are signs that Biden might be slightly more willing to hear his critics out. But of course, it's his choice in the end, they say. All the while in Milwaukee, there's no hand wringing in sight just fists pumps and applause. Republicans cheering for a third straight night as Donald Trump made his way to his perch in the convention call. Trump in attendance to watch his newly minted running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, take to the stage. His speech was part introduction, maybe reintroduction, part phrase, a lot of it praising his new boss and their share of view of America. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: President Trump represents America's last best hope to restore what if lost, may never be found again. A country where a working class boy born far from the halls of power can stand on this stage as the next vice president of the United States of America. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: I want to bring in former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, CNN political commentator Ashley Allison, political correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Molly Ball and CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, all with us. All right, tonight was the night. I mean, many people have read this book, others have watched the movie. It was sort of allow me to reintroduce myself. It's J.D. Vance. Is this the future of the Republican Party? JOE WALSH (R), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: This is Trump's Republican Party. And they are completely unified. It's not a Republican Party that I recognize or belong to anymore. But it's a unified party, Laura. And it's running against a party right now that is frozen. COATES: Molly, listen to what Vance said about what was his vision of America. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: America is not just an idea. It is a group of people with a shared history and a common future. It is in short, a nation. Now it is part of that tradition, of course, that we welcome newcomers. But when we allow newcomers into our American family, we allow them on our terms. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Let me repeat that. I mean, we allow them on our terms. Molly, what does that tell you about his worldview? MOLLY BALL, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, it's very much this populist, nationalist conservatism that he has really been the avatar of. And that's, I think, why he got the vice presidential nomination. It's very different, as Joe was saying, from the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan, or George W. Bush. It's a, as he said, it's -- it's about a -- a nation as a collection of people and a piece of land. Some critics even would say blood and soil as opposed to a document or a set of ideas, as he said in his speech. And so this is about, you know, it's about restricting immigration, pulling back on foreign adventurism. It's not about free trade and free markets, like we've heard so many Republican vice presidential nominees talked about in the past, very different from a Mike Pence vision, for example. And he really embodies the new populist Trump Republican Party. COATES: How's this play? HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: I -- I don't really get it. I don't get this whole thing with J.D. Vance. Sometimes I feel like I'm on the planet Jupiter, and everyone else is on Earth. J.D. Vance perform worse than any other Republican running statewide in Ohio in 2022. The idea that he's going to go into these great lake battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and somehow draw in voters, there is nothing in the data to support this. [01:05:12] It's bizarro to me. Now the idea that he might necessarily hurt, no, I don't necessarily think so. And I think it's important to digest and sort of look into his speech to understand where the Republican Party is today versus say, 12 years ago when my friend over here was in Congress. And it does tell us a lot about where the Republican Party is. But in terms of how it plays, I don't think it really plays all that much anywhere a week from now, maybe even 24 hours from now, 48 hours from now, we'll be back to talking about Donald Trump. And more than that, we'll be back to talking about Joe Biden, and that whole entire mess that's happening on the left. COATES: Well, what if we're talking not about Trump and Biden, but we're talking more about the vice presidential running mates. I wonder why you think J.D. Vance according to what he's saying tonight. How does he stack up against vice presidential, you know, not only candidate reelection but current vice president Kamala Harris? ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, when you look at the Vice President's record, she is qualified for that job. She was the attorney general for the second largest Department of Justice in the country. She was a Senator for many years, many more than J.D. Vance. And now she's been serving as vice president for four years. Here's how I think the debate will play out. I think J.D. Vance can come in as a young whippersnapper that like I'm going to change the country and could potentially try and make a trope out of Kamala Harris as the Republican Party like Nikki Haley has tried to do making this threat that this woman might come in. Now I had an adjective thrown at me tonight that I was angry and I'm not I just am passionate about my views. And so I could see a J.D. Vance trying to get a Kamala Harris in a position where he could be like, don't be so angry. Kamala Harris is smarter than that. She's savvy. She's a prosecutor. She can handle on her own. And so I think that matchup could actually pair very well. The reality though, is J.D. Vance has to accept the vice presidential debate invitation first. And the -- the -- the language that he put out tonight is that he hasn't and I wonder why. COATES: Well, here's a different adjective to describe Ashley Allison, astute. Tell me what you make of her assessment? WALSH: Look, I don't even know if that more is going to be the matchup. J.D. Vance is -- is so arrogant right now. Assuming he's going to debate Kamala Harris, assuming he's going to run all over Kamala Harris. Laura, they're unified, Republicans are unified but there's an arrogance and a cockiness right now. ENTEN: I agree. ALLISON: Yes. WALSH: I think they are so overplaying their hand. COATES: Well, they're -- well, hold, because I'm -- I'm worried about -- I'm -- I'm wondering about this, they are unified but it wasn't that long ago that people saw them as at each other's throat. I mean, two people who spoke last night, Nikki Haley, and of course, Governor Ron DeSantis, they didn't agree they -- they had to say is it unified about the premise or about the policy? BALL: Well, a couple of things. I would say, first of all, there's a reason that you heard J.D. Vance talk mostly about his biography tonight. He's not talking principally about those ideas that divide the Republican Party and frankly, are somewhat unpopular overall. COATES: What's the reason? BALL: So because his -- his life story is objectively inspiring. Everybody loves "Hillbilly Elegy" for what -- for, you know, as he was saying, the -- the American dream that he embodies, the fact that he was able to come from such hardscrabble and difficult beginnings and a family, you know, mired in tragedy and addiction and have such amazing success. But the ideas are a little bit more divisive. So for example, he didn't mention Ukraine, even though that's been the number one thing he has worked on in the U.S. Senate. The other thing I wanted to say to Harry's point was, this is a political bet, that is defying the conventional wisdom. They are not trying to win back those college educated suburban women that Trump lost over the course of his presidency. ENTEN: Yes. BALL: They're trying to juice up the turnout of working class white men in the Rust Belt and working class minority men all over the country. But they are not making a play for those voters that Trump lost. ENTEN: Two -- two things. Number one, you know, you mentioned "Hillbilly Elegy." And, you know, I got a very fun text from my dear friend, our executive producer here, Suzie Xu. And she said, Harry, have you look at how many more people are looking up "Hillbilly Elegy" on Netflix. Oh, viewership way up. How about amazon.com buying the book? Way up. So people are interested, at least in his biography. So it's not surprising to me that he's playing it up. The other thing that goes back to the Congressman's point is, there's no doubt that Donald Trump is ahead at this point, not just nationally, but in those key battleground states, specifically in the great lakes, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania. But the idea that Donald Trump is up somehow five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10 points, I feel like that narrative has gotten away from the truth. It is entirely true that Donald Trump is in a much stronger position than he wasn't four years ago at this point or even eight years ago at this point. But somehow the idea that this campaign is anywhere close to over, we still have more than a one 100 days to go. I know -- how -- how -- how much polling can change in those final 100 days. Let's get a little bit more down the line. Let's at first see who exactly the Democratic nominee is. And then perhaps some of this cockiness may actually be warranted, but at this particular point, let's calm, OK, just a little bit. [01:10:16] COATES: Well, there was a -- there was a moment today too that was heartwarming for so many, including Don Jr. Because his eldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, made a surprise appearance tonight. And she -- and Trump, well, he looked genuinely happy to see her. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAI TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S GRANDDAUGHTER: When we play golf together, if I'm not as team, he'll try again inside of my head. (LAUGHS) TRUMP: Yes, I know. And he's always surprised that I don't let him get to me. (LAUGHS) (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But I have to remind him, I'm a Trump, too. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: I mean, we're seeing a lot of his effort to try to humanize him differently. And I -- I do wonder if there was a little thunder of stolen or do you think this is something that is productive to voters, left to voters or irrelevant in the morning? WALSH: I -- I -- I think it's too late to try to humanize him. And I don't want to sound too mean with that. But after eight or nine years of Donald Trump in our grill every day, doing the mean, cruel, divisive stuff he does, to pull out his granddaughter now, I -- I -- I don't think that makes much of a difference. COATES: Well, I'll tell you, it must be very hard to get to the crowd of that size. So I do applaud her -- her ability to do so. But I do wonder from the voters' perspective, whether this is the messenger that they will -- influence as undecided voters or not. Everyone, please stand by. We got a lot more to talk about. And one of the questions is, does J.D. Vance help Republicans in critical battleground states? My guest, he's got an opinion on that. Tim Ryan, who went head to head against J.D. Vance, joins me. Plus, could President Biden be willing to reconsider staying in the race because we're reporting and it's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:15:38] COATES: J.D. Vance tonight accepting the GOP's nomination and giving a preview of the fight to come. Criticizing those he says are the, quote, comfortable in Washington for creating a divide between the elites and he says the rest of us. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) VANCE: That is, of course, until a guy named Donald J. Trump came along. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Well, I want to bring in former Congressman Tim Ryan, he ran against J.D. Vance for the Ohio Senate. And Ryan eventually lost the race. But he joins me now, Congressman, so good to have you on. We've just heard from now the running mate of Donald Trump, Senator J.D. Vance, and he has a very compelling backstory to many people. But, you know, you -- you seem to know him better than most. So I'm wondering, from your perspective, what more do you think voters should know about him in light of the fact that his name was now on that ticket? TIM RYAN (R-OH), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: Well, I think he has some very extreme views. This wasn't a pick to try to get to the middle, try to get to independent voters. This was really a double down, I think on the extremism. He's got very, very difficult positions on abortion, very extreme, no rape or incest, exceptions. It one point he said that women should -- COATES: He wants to ban nationally, I understand, right? RYAN: Yes. And he want -- he wants women to stay in violent marriages for the sake of the kids. He -- he called -- he said the American needs a Cesar to come in and take over. Like, these are very extreme views that aren't going to play well in the broad swaths of those six or seven states that are going to be competitive. COATES: You know, I find that so striking, because at this particular point we're, what, 100 and some days away from the presidential election, normally a candidate wants to broaden and widen that tent, right? RYAN: Yes. COATES: But to have someone that you say, might alienate voters is a striking tone to take. And actually, Trump has said that he picked Vance to help him win places like Michigan like Pennsylvania. Is he right about being able to secure those states? RYAN: No. I -- I don't think so at all, you know. He -- he doesn't have any relationship with organized labor with workers, you know, that no -- no real support there for him. I don't think he's comfortable in those, you know, working class states, even it -- it -- because of his background, you would think he would. But he -- he doesn't. And I think it's -- it's -- it's not a great pick in my mind, because it doesn't broaden anything out for him. It doesn't complement Trump in any way to add to it and those industrial states. And so, you know, it'll be interesting to see the next four months how it goes, but I think it -- it leaves him very, very vulnerable to workers. COATES: It makes an interesting choice for that very reason. And, you know, you, unlike many people have this unique experience and having debated J.D. Vance. And so I have to ask you, if Biden stays in the race, and there are questions swirling around that tonight and it still seems, and Harris is the VP nominee and that ticket is complete, what would be your advice to Vice President Kamala Harris in a debate with Senator J.D. Vance? RYAN: I -- I think Kamala Harris is -- is uniquely qualified against him, because you have to pin him down. He tries to deny things that he said I think we had a -- we had a -- a dust up over Alex Jones. He was saying how great Alex Jones was. And I, you know, hit him on that. And he tried to deny he ever said it. And you just have to pin him down. He wants to do the shape shifting. He wants to try to deflect and that's why I think a former prosecutor would do very, very well to just hammer him down and pin him down and -- and expose the lies that -- that will be told. COATES: Well, he's already tried to address in some respects his what -- he -- I think he describes probably as an evolution of thought. I remember maybe in a different era be called flip flopping but people are seeming to try to evaluate and assess it differently. But, you know, interestingly, you and I have been talking for several weeks at least now ever since the debate. And you are one of the first people to call for President Biden to step aside in the reelection campaign. [01:20:12] We're learning tonight at CNN that there was a recent conversation that former Speaker Pelosi privately held with Biden, where she told him that the polling shows that he can't win, and he will take down the House with him if he stays. And four sources briefed on the call say that Biden responded with defensiveness, which frankly, one would expect, I mean he's the incumbent and the one who has the delegates. But if this is coming from someone like Speaker Pelosi, according to reporting, how much damage is this going to do to those down ballot races? RYAN: Well, I, you know, Nancy Pelosi is the godmother of Democratic politics. There's nobody who understands the data, understands the strategy, the inside game better than Nancy Pelosi. So for her to intervene here, I think sends a lot a -- a -- a very strong message to the President and to the White House of how serious this is. I -- I work with Nancy Pelosi, my entire career in Congress, 20 years, there's nothing she cares more about than making sure that people with values hold positions of power, that we would hold the House. And she would make those very difficult decisions that needed to be made in order for us to -- to hold the House or win the House. And so that's what she cares about more than anything, and above any personality. And if she's saying that this could be very detrimental to down ballot races, I think anybody who's concerned about this race should pay very, very close attention because there's nobody more shrewd that would -- would say that and understand that and then hopefully, you know, try to make the kinds of changes we need to be able to win. COATES: Tim Ryan, thank you so much for joining me. RYAN: Thank you. COATES: You know, it's not just Pelosi raising some concerns to President Biden. There apparently also reports that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Biden it would be best if he bowed out. How was Biden responding to the pressure? That conversation, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:25:41] COATES: Well, we're told Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed concerns about Biden's candidacy directly to Biden in a private meeting. Now, sources tell CNN that Biden is, quote, receptive. That's the word they're using to these private conversations with Democrats on Capitol Hill. That's a pretty subtle shift just a few days ago, but then a new interview tonight Biden says he is fit to lead. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But I understand what people say, look -- look, I'm only three years older than Trump. OK. And I'm going to -- I think I'm a little better physical shape than he is. The point is, though, that it's not unreasonable for people who say, wait a minute, you're 81 years old. And so I -- I think it's a legitimate thing from the race. And as long as I can demonstrate that it's not affecting my ability to compete, my the ability to get things done, my ability literally lead the world, lead the world. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: My panel is back with me. Molly, let me ask you, I mean spent nearly a month now since this debate. And now you got Pelosi and Schumer reporting that they're having these conversations, why now and the fact that it's these two Democratic powerhouses, that's pretty impactful? BALL: Well, you would think, but the fact that we are hearing about these conversations means that they didn't work. If they had had a private conversation and it was effective. He might not still be there. But clearly, they -- they -- these things have leaked to the media, because the private nudge that they were hoping would be effective, you know. And this has been going on, as you said, for weeks now that people have been going to the President and private and trying to subtly indicate without being rude about it, without making a public spectacle, without hurting the party in public. And that hasn't worked. So they're having to get more aggressive. And the concern that a lot of Democrats have is that the President is making statements like that, that he believes that. And they -- and every time they see him give an interview, where, you know, he can't read off the teleprompter, he trails off and can't finish sentences, they are not encouraged by his ability to perform in this campaign. And so there's increasing anxiety about the urgency of trying to get him to see the writing on the wall. COATES: You know, I'm not really shocked by ego for a presidential candidate or incumbent. I mean, there takes a lot of, you know, ego to say I -- I can lead the we call the free world. So I'm -- I'm -- I'm wondering why this has so a sustained conversation? He is saying he's going to stay. They're having these conversations. Doesn't it weaken Democrats chances down the ballot if there is some indication if he does stay? And they're telling they don't want them? Doesn't that make undecided voters go if you don't believe in them, why should I? ALLISON: Yes, I do. I mean, I think that's why some Democrats are frustrated for as many people that want Joe Biden out of the race, there are others that don't. And maybe they aren't donors. Maybe they aren't the Democratic establishment, but they're the people who will actually vote in battleground states and support him and -- and potentially send him back to the White House. I've been saying over and over again, they need to decide what they're going to do. If they think that having a contested convention where the sitting incumbent president hasn't stepped down is a good play, no. And I worry that it won't be that people leave the Democratic Party and not vote for Joe Biden and because they're going to vote for Donald Trump is that they just might disengage. ENTEN: Yes. ALLISON: And that is just as damaging. My friend Bakari Sellers always says this is not about people leaving Biden and go for Trump. It's about people leaving Biden and voting for the couch. And we have seen that in past elections. And so folks who are organizing on the ground are saying, cut it out, folks, we're -- you're -- it's already an uphill battle, and you're just making us carry a boulder on top of our backs going up the hill. COATES: Meanwhile, Republicans are very happy. WALSH: They love this. And Laura, you had -- you had the -- the headline at the beginning. This has been a month. This has been a month and we're still talking about that. That's Joe Biden's father. Joe Biden hasn't put this to bed. Look, I'll support whoever the Democratic nominee is. But Joe Biden has not convinced people he's still running. This is on him. He hasn't -- [01:30:00] COATES: But what could he do? I mean in some respects, Joe, I want you to finish your point -- WALSH: Yes. COATES: -- a lot of -- he has gone out there. And he's done interviews. He's had far exponentially more interviews than Donald Trump has had since the debate, I should mention. And his performances post-debate, those interviews, they're not all that different qualitatively than his pre-debate interviews. WALSH: I think they've been progressively worse. He gave a speech yesterday at the NAACP -- HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: He couldn't the prompter. (CROSSTALKING) WALSH: -- on a teleprompter -- ENTEN: He couldn't read it. WALSH: He couldn't read the speed. That set off real alarm bells. ENTEN: He absolutely did. If you can't read a speech off a teleprompter, how the heck are you going to perform in that second debate if it happens. How you can convince people who already think that you're too old to be an effective president, that you're not? Yes, some of these performances in some of these interviews were fine. But you have to be better than fine given that debate performance that he had back in Atlanta. And at the end of the day, though, you know, we're talking about this contested convention, the last two Democratic contested conventions, or conventions at least where we weren't 100 percent sure who the nominee was going to be, but still have a pretty good idea. You could either argue was 1984 with Fritz Mondale and Gary Hart or I think the better argument is 1980 with Jimmy Carter and Ted Kennedy. Well, either way, the result coming out of that convention in 1980, as well as a result in '84 was a Democratic Party that got totally annihilated in November that were easy wins for Ronald Reagan. And honestly in both really 84 and 88 as well, you had a united Republican Party. This is the likes of which a united Republican Party and divided Democratic Party that we have not seen in my lifetime, and for voters under the age of 40, they don't remember. This is truly something a throwback to yesteryears. COATES: Yes. ENTEN: We like nostalgia in this country. And if you like nostalgia I think Republicans really like this nostalgia. COATES: Let me ask you though, I mean, and Ashley -- he's now sidelined. He's got COVID. So how is that going to impact what he can do going forward to have these convincing moments that people say -- think he's lacking. ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I don't actually think we're in a posture of persuasion for people who want Joe Biden to drop out and people who don't. You either -- you've made your decision, you made it probably the night of the debate and you either publicly said it immediately or you didn't. I think that right now Democrats are playing a game of chicken and who's going to blink first. That's a risky bet when we talk about, you know, one thing that I probably will never say again is that Kimberly Guilfoyle said this is the most consequential election of our lifetime. And I agree with. And for different reasons. She's saying that because she thinks that like having a more diverse and equitable and inclusive country is the wrong direction. But we're saying it because we actually want to have another election after this one. And so this chicken game and they're saying, well, we just maybe hope that COVID will take them out and that'll be the blow. That isn't how it works. Like I don't know, Joe Biden like a best friend, but I do know I mean he's the president. He's not just going to going to bow out. COATES: What do you think Molly, in terms of how this is going to play, especially the sidelining aspect of it. And back when he was running back in 2020, he was accused of campaigning from the basement. Obviously not the fault, it was COVID. MOLLY BALL, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL": Well look, I think when you talk about the impact of contested conventions in the past to bring up chickens again, it's a chicken- and-egg scenario right. Because the reason that conventions are contested is because the party is in a panic because they think they're going to lose. So the division in the party has already happened. Whether or not there's a contested convention, they are in a panic because they're afraid they're going to lose to Donald Trump. And because as Ashley was saying to Democrats, that is an existential crisis for our nation. So I think these -- I don't think it's going to end even if, you know, he does make it as clear as he can, even if they had the convention tomorrow and he was definitely the nominee, the panic is not going to end because Democrats do not win -- want to lose this election. And they see that as many of them now see that as all but certain. It is worth doing anything to prevent that. COATES: Well, to bring up chicken again, we have chicken on the menu at the CNN Political Grill. Could I have a chicken sandwich, Bradley, I noticed behind me -- (CROSSTALKING) ENTEN: It's delicious. COATES: -- it's delicious. Standby everyone while we and Harry go explore how to get that food to the actual table. Well anyway, now it's Donald Trump's turn to take center stage. Will he stay above the fray and give a speech focusing on unity, as you said he will do. That's a big question. I'll ask Omarosa Manigault Newman next. [01:34:46] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COATES: All right. We are hours away now from Donald Trump's big primetime speeches as he is intending, of course, to formally accept the Republican nomination for president. A Trump campaign senior adviser saying the former president has been personally dictating exactly what he wants to say, previewing the tone will be notably different. Well, joining me now, former senior adviser to President Trump Omarosa Manigault Newman. She's also the author of "Unhinged: an Insider's Account of the Trump White House". Omarosa, so good to see you this evening. OMAROSA MANIGAULT NEWMAN, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO DONALD TRUMP: Good to see you. COATES: I have to ask you, hearing about a notably different tone, it would have to be a complete 180, frankly. And I'm wondering in light of everything that has happened over just I mean the last week, do you think that Trump is capable of that changed tone or staying above the fray. MANIGAULT NEWMAN: well first of all, thank you so much for having me. You know, Donald is able to stay on message for a very short amount of time. I understand that he has been exercising some discipline in terms of communicating so that he continues to enjoy that bump that he got following the events that happened in the last week. So in terms of tone I believe that he understands how important the moment is. And there are times that he rises to it, but we'll just have to wait and see if he can stay disciplined and stay on message. COATES: One of the big frustrations for so many voters, particularly Democrats has been over the years, has been this idea of a double- standard. [01:39:45] COATES: The characterization of discipline even for a short amount of time being seen as presidential. And yet a sustained discipline for other politicians not viewed in the same way. And I know that the RNC has been making an effort to court black voters with a variety of different speakers. And I just want to play some of the highlights of those moments. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JOHN JAMES (R-MI): You know, I heard a little bit earlier today, if you don't vote for Donald Trump you ain't black. SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): America is not a racist country. AMBER ROSE, TV PERSONALITY: I realized Donald Trump and his supporters don't care if you're black, white, gay, or straight. It's all love. MADELINE BRAME, NATION VICTIMS' RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Poor and neglected communities like mine are suffering. And who else in here is sick and tired of being sick and tired. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Omarosa, Amber Rose getting a lot of publicity about this as well, because she's saying, these are my people, this is where I belong. There's been a lot of backlash and commentary with respect to all the different speakers. I do wonder among the messengers that have been selected, do you find that these will resonate with the very voters they're trying to get to vote for them. MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well you know, I find it very interesting that they selected Amber Rose to carry their message. She doesn't identify as an African-American. She has proclaimed that she is an atheist. And so she is working kind of against what the conservative movement has said that they're about. But she's an influencer and you'll remember that previously they used Diamond and Silk to carry their message. And so with the passing of one of the two ladies, I suppose that they've gone to Amber Rose to carry their message as an influencer, to take the place of Diamond and Silk. So that really was her role. I don't think that she moves the needle very much for African-American voters. But she does have 24 million followers on social media. And so maybe they're relying on her to reach, you know, a group of people who might just be swayed. But I just don't think this she moves the needle, Laura. COATES: You have to wonder about the selection. I know she identifies -- I think she's spoken about being biracial, the idea of obviously there's a lot of conversations happening still surrounding the former president about whether in fact he is racist. His viewpoints, his policies, his history, his family's history as well. This is not an issue that is going away for this candidate. MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Not at all. COATES: Do you think that they are effectively trying to counter that position that he is racist? MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well they have to because so many things have transpired that he has initiated, right. Everything from Charlottesville to his policies that have impacted the community -- African-American community in such an adverse way. But more importantly, Donald Trump is really having to address his past. I mean, we can't forget about the Central Park Five, right? We can never forget about the fact that he equated both sides being good people. And so Donald Trump has to account for the policies that have really impacted African-Americans in a very, very adverse way. So I'll have to see if Donald Trump understands that it's not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. It is his actions that have called to question whether or not he is racist. It's not just people calling it out from the streets just randomly. Its things that he has done. COATES: Omarosa, I wonder as well in terms of what's happening on the other side of the aisle. You know, you're in Las Vegas. You have been attending the National Bar Association, also the NAACP national convention is there where President Biden just recently spoke and talked about that Vice President Kamala Harris could be the president of United States without saying that he was stepping aside. I mean (INAUDIBLE) talking naturally about her qualifications. MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Right. COATES: But CNN is learning tonight that President Biden is being receptive about the future of his candidacy. And an adviser even saying he's gone from saying "Kamala can't win" to "do you think Kamala can win". You attended his speech yesterday for the NAACP, what were people saying about the future of a Biden-Harris ticket or even maybe a Harris something else ticket. MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Well, I attended with a group of African-American attorneys, most of them were black women. So of course, there's an excitement for the possibility of us in our lifetime seeing an African-American woman lead this country. She is a graduate from my alma mater Howard University and she represents for us the future, right. People are excited. The thought, the possibility that a black woman could sit in the Oval Office. [01:44:42] Now in terms of whether or not President Biden recognizes the important asset that she is, the people in the audience at that speech definitely recognize the power, the strength, the possibility that Kamala Harris represents for the African-American community. COATES: Omarosa Manigault Newman, thank you so much for joining us. MANIGAULT NEWMAN: Thank you for having me. COATES: Let's talk about it with my panel who is joining me right now. I mean, first of all, Harry, this has been an effort by this candidate to try to woo black voters in particular. ENTEN: Yes. COATES: I do wonder about the messengers. Are they going to resonate. ENTEN: No. These messages aren't going to resonate. (CROSSTALKING) ENTEN: Good night, everybody. We're done. (CROSSTALKING) ENTEN: No, these messengers aren't going to resonate, but I think we should take a step back and understand perhaps why the Trump campaign, the Republicans are trying to do this. They are looking at public polling that for better or worse, shows Donald Trump in a better position with black voters and Hispanic voters than anybody in at least in a generation. And when it comes to black voters, the best position for a Republican candidate since 1960 and Richard Nixon. Now we can discuss why or why not that is the case. But the fact is the black vote, at least according to the public polling, is more in play for a Republican candidate than at any point in, I believe, any of our lifetimes, I think based upon the age. The only question maybe -- (CROSSTALKING) WALSH: Look at him he look at me, Laura. Look at him -- COATES: I wasn't going to say anything because I think you're young. WALSH: Thank you. COATES: Thank you. Ashley, may I ask you the question though, because there is obviously this enthusiasm gap that we've been talking about, right? I mean, people aren't having the yes. All the time moment, which by the way politics that wasn't always the way it was anyway. Let me ask you, could Kamala Harris fill that enthusiasm gap? ALLISON: She could for some people. When you look at a coalition, you pull 20 percent here, 20 percent here, 20 percent here, you fill in the rest of the map, right? So Kamala Harris definitely could energize young voters, voters of color, women voters. But I think someone said it earlier, maybe not working-class white male voters. She should be able to, she should have a conversation with them and have -- and be able to engage them. But it would be a little harder. Here's one thing I'll just say and I'm going to give some advice to my Democratic friends. Black voters are potentially -- I don't believe the polling that I'm seeing. I'm seeing some other polling where the whole sample are only black voters and the numbers aren't matching when like you have just a smaller portion of the sample and polled being black folks. Black folks are saying deliver for us. Don't take us for granted. And right now, we have a Democratic Party where black voters are telling them just leave the ticket as it is and if you don't, support Kamala Harris. And so if Democrats do something else than that, that's actually heeding the narrative Republicans are trying to say that Dems aren't listening to them. This is a tricky moment that Democrats find themselves in but you cannot say year after year after year that black folks are the base of the Democratic Party and then ignore in one of the most critical moments of this election. COATES: Or black women in particular -- ALLISON: Black women -- we say it all the time. COATES: -- and have that same issue. I mean we ask you about this Molly because I mean, tomorrow is going to be a huge night. Donald Trump will be speaking. He has said he has ripped up one speech following what happened on Saturday. He's going to give another address. There are many different obvious points in the room he's going to have to make. What do you anticipate about his ability to convey a message that will unify, not alienate, and then get the voters he needs. BALL: Well, I am fascinated to hear what he's going to say because of precisely that dynamic that you describe because he has said that he wants to try to set some kind of different tone. And he really has not given any kind of really public remarks since the tragic events of Saturday night. But many people who've spoken to him have said that he's a changed man. Now look, I'm old enough to remember, meaning I'm over 10-years- old, several reported Trump pivots, right over and over and over. Well, he didn't think he was going to get elected president. But surely this will humble and change him. Over and over and over and it never happens. He's always been the same guy. And that's why the poles are so close, frankly. ENTEN: Yes. BALL: Because no matter how bad the Democrats do, people do remember, how much they disliked the Donald Trump presidency. All that being said, if he is going to try to do something different and he does like to surprise people, I'm very, very interested to hear how he thinks he's going to pull that off because he does not have a history of being -- of even trying to be a uniter, a unifying candidate., That was a feature, not a bug, of his candidacy when all the other politicians were coming out and saying this phony stuff about let's all come together, he was the one who said no. I'm not like that. So can he do something different? I'm -- we'll see. [01:49:51] COATES: Particularly when he's got a crowd of people who'll be cheering him on. That will be a test, certainly. Thank you so much, everyone. Hey ahead, new video from our affiliate WTAE appearing to show the Trump rally shooter an hour before his attack. We're going to go through it next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly what we're doing today on the call. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stone-walling. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did nothing. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Anger at the Secret Service boiling over on the floor of the Republican National Convention. A group of GOP senators chasing down the chief of the Secret Service Kimberly Cheatle. And they are demanding more answers over the assassination attempt against Donald Trump and are blaming the Secret Service for a cascade of security failures. And tonight we're getting a new look at what they're upset about. New video here showing what appears to be the Trump rally shooter, just about an hour before opening fire. It was obtained by CNN affiliate WTAE. And you can see a person wearing clothes similar to what the gunman was wearing. The building he's walking around is the same one the shooter climb to carry out his attack. This video coming as CNN is learning that the shooter visited the rally site twice after the event was announced. And one GOP senator, who was briefed today posting that the shooter was identified as suspicious a full 19 minutes before the shooting. That's not all we're learning either. CNN's Jessica Schneider has more about what was found on the shooter's phone, Jessica. [01:54:40] JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Our team is getting a lot more information about that would-be assassin, including the fact that law enforcement authorities found pictures of both former President Trump and current President Biden on the shooter's phone, plus pictures of other political figures, including Rudy Giuliani, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Now the search history of his devices, it also shows him looking at the dates of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, also inquiries about Trumps planned campaign events. Now two of the officials have told our team that Thomas Matthew Crooks did search for information on major depression disorder and treatment. But officials are noting there was actually no indication he was actually diagnosed with depression. And earlier today, lawmakers were actually briefed by law enforcement officials from the FBI and also the Secret Service. The FBI revealing they haven't found any information that might speak to the ideological or political leanings of this would-be assassin. The FBI saying they've already conducted more than 200 interviews. They're vowing to leave no stone unturned as this investigation continues. And as for the investigation, the Homeland Security inspector general did announce that they will be investigating the Secret Service and any security lapses. And the Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle, she is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, Laura. COATES: Jessica Schneider, thank you so much. And hey, thank you all for watching. CNN's coverage of the RNC continues next. [01:56:15] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CNN Newsroom Aired July 18, 2024 - 02:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:00:00] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church. Just ahead on CNN NEWSROOM. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. J.D. VANCE (R), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The most important thing that we can do for those people for that American nation that we all love is to reelect Donald J. Trump president of the United States. Donald Trump's new running mate takes center stage at the RNC singing the former president's praises and pitching a new future to working class Americans. This as President Joe Biden is now sidelined by COVID. And facing more pressure from within his own party to quit the race. And later, how a deadly cocktail of toxic waste stretching across three continents is impacting the planet. ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Rosemary Church. CHURCH: Good to have you with us and we begin this hour with the most enthusiastic day yet of the Republican National Convention. While in contrast, U.S. President Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID amid growing doubts about his political future. First in Milwaukee where Donald Trump once again got a rousing ovation. He will speak to delegates Thursday night officially accepting his party's presidential nomination. But Wednesday night belong to Trump's vice presidential running mate J.D. Vance. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: I stand here humbled, and I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to say I officially accept your nomination to be vice president of the United States of America. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Vance told delegates about his modest upbringing in rural Ohio, and pledged to fight for forgotten working class Americans. The senator from Ohio attacked President Biden on the economy, trade and foreign policy. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: Joe Biden has been a politician in Washington for longer than I've been alive, 39 years old. Kamala Harris is not much further behind. For half a century, he's been the champion of every major policy initiative to make America weaker and poorer. Things did not work out well for a lot of kids I grew up with. Every now and then, I will get a call from a relative back home who asks, did you know so and so. And I'll remember a face from years ago, and then I'll hear they died of an overdose. As always, America's ruling class wrote the checks. Communities like mine paid the price. For decades, that divide between the few with their power and comfort in Washington, and the rest of us only widened from Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Meanwhile, President Biden will spend the next few days isolating at his home in Delaware after testing positive for COVID. He says he feels good and his doctor described his symptoms as mild. A source told CNN privately Mr. Biden is being more receptive to calls for him to quit the presidential race. According to a senior democratic adviser, he has gone from saying Kamala can't win to do you think Kamala can win, referring of course to his vice president. With the apparent change in tune comes as more Democratic lawmakers call on President Biden to exit the race. On Wednesday, perhaps the biggest name so far, Adam Schiff, the representative from California, who's now running for the U.S. Senate became the 20th congressional Democrat to publicly make that call. There's also reporting from ABC News that the Senate's top Democrat Chuck Schumer has advised the president he should drop out. Schumer spokesperson called that idle speculation and it appears a driving force behind the movement to convince Biden to step aside is former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as CNN's MJ Lee reports. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: CNN has learned that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has spoken again with President Biden in recent days, and that Nancy Pelosi told President Biden that polling shows the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and that the president would destroy Democrats chances of winning the House in November if he were to continue seeking a second term. [02:05:08] The president responded, we are told by our sources by being defensive about the polling and told Pelosi, he has the polling that shows that he can, in fact, win. At one point we're told that Pelosi asked Mike Donilon, the president's senior adviser to join the call to talk over all of the data. Now, none of our sources would say whether Pelosi in this conversation explicitly told the president that she believes that he needs to leave the race. This would mark the second known conversation between Nancy Pelosi and President Biden since the debate at the end of June. The White House would not comment on the contents of this conversation as CNN is reporting, they only said that President Biden is the nominee of the party, he plans to win. And a Pelosi spokesperson told CNN that the former House Speaker has been in California since Friday, and that she has not spoken to President Biden since. It is impossible almost to overstate the importance of Nancy Pelosi in the entire conversation that is happening right now about President Biden and his future. She is somebody that has incredible sway within her party and probably has the best pulse of what her colleagues in the House are thinking right now than almost anybody else. MJ Lee, CNN at the White House. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Larry Sabato is the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. He joins me now from Charlottesville, Virginia. Great to have you with us. LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, Rosemary. CHURCH: So, let's start with the breaking news. President Joe Biden just diagnosed with COVID and now apparently receptive to discussions about his political future. This coming of course after Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer told the president, his candidacy imperils the party's ability to win Congress. So, where's all this going? And if not Joe Biden, then who? SABATO: This is really a tremendous breakthrough for those who've been trying to convince Joe Biden to step aside. And it's tough to do, imagine having slogged through all of that politics to win a second term and having slogged through the first term with a lot of accomplishments, and then suddenly, you're told you're not needed anymore. And it's the end of his political career, basically. Now, will he do it in the end? We still don't know. But it's pretty clear that the dam is starting to break. The fact that Democratic leaders finally ginned up the courage to tell him what just about everybody else knows that if he heads a Democratic ticket, it's going to lose not just the presidency, but probably the Senate and the House too. Now that he has heard them say that, and there will be more over the next few days. I think he's going to think long and hard about it and may well come to the decision that makes the most sense, not just for the Democratic Party, but for him. CHURCH: And Republicans apparently prefer that Joe Biden remain at the top of the Democratic ticket, presumably because there are polling shows that Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden easier than any other possible nominee. Is that the case? SABATO: I don't know whether it's that they think they can beat Biden more easily than others. But they have geared their whole campaign around opposing Joe Biden. They have loads of things in the campaign ads and presentations of all sorts and speakers who are going to fan out across the country to attack Biden, and it's possible that Biden will no longer be the opponent. So, a lot of that may have been wasted. Now, they'll say, if it's Kamala Harris, for example, that she is simply a representative of Joe Biden, and they will probably try and use the same attacks, but it may not work. You know, Harris is going to be much more energetic, and she is what people have been asking for, a new face, instead of these two very old faces. CHURCH: And meantime, of course, back at the Republican National Convention, night three saw Donald Trump's V.P. pick, J.D. Vance, take to the stage and share his life story, one of humble beginnings. How will that story resonate with voters? And what about his stand on more divisive issues like abortion and Ukraine? SABATO: J.D. Vance's life story, his resume is much more appealing than some of his actual positions. He is very strongly anti-abortion and has made statements at times opposing abortion for any reason, including rape and incest. This will not sell well. Now, he's trying to back up and change his views to match Donald Trump's. The problem is, you have a videotape and whatever means you use to record people today. And they've got everything that they can use against him. [02:10:13] And it's not just that, he's taken some pretty radical positions on a wide variety of things. So, it won't be as easy as the story he's telling. The story is interesting. But the story isn't necessarily relevant to the issues in this presidential campaign. CHURCH: Yes, of course, because voters care about the issues here. And Republicans have been focusing very much on immigration and crime at the RNC, avoiding these more divisive issues for the party like abortion. So, how likely is it that the party will try to soften their stand on abortion bans? And how critical is this issue now for mobilizing voters on the Democratic side? SABATO: Certainly, the Republicans and Trump in particular understanding how divisive this issue is, it's trying to use the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade to say, well, you see, it's up to the 50 states now, we don't even have to talk about it. But he's going to be held accountable for the fact that his three appointees to the Supreme Court were the key votes in overturning Roe v. Wade, he cannot escape this particular issue or the other social issues. So, you got to remember at a convention, everything is sweetness and light and rainbows and unicorns. But that isn't going to last very long. And then you start getting the other side of the story. The only thing people will remember is they were exposed to this new nominee J.D. Vance. And they saw Donald Trump and the aftermath of the assassination attempt. Those are the two lasting images from the campaign, but they're going to be a lot more images that may well be substitutes for what people already know. CHURCH: So, Larry, overall, how would you assess day three of the RNC and what are you expecting when Donald Trump takes to the stage Thursday night? SABATO: A lot of speeches today by lots of people for different reasons. It was kind of family night and veterans night, Goldstar families and it was -- it was a lot of different things appealing to constituencies that Trump needs and the Republicans need. But again, I don't think it was that memorable. Now, J.D. Vance's speech, at least in part may be memorable. His book has a shot to the top of the -- of the sales list again, Hillbilly Elegy. But we got -- we got to remember, only a tiny portion of Americans have actually read it. So, you can exaggerate the importance of these things. But the story is useful. CHURCH: Larry Sabato, always good to talk with you and get your analysis on all things political. Appreciate it. SABATO: Thank you so much, Rosemary. CHURCH: Night three of the Republican National Convention saw numerous false or misleading claims throughout the evening from speakers including Donald Trump's vice presidential pick J.D. Vance, and others. CNN's Daniel Dale separates fact from fiction. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANIEL DALE, CNN REPORTER: There were a whole lot of false or misleading claims on night three of this convention. Vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance strongly suggested that Donald Trump oppose the 2003 invasion of Iraq that Joe Biden supported. In reality, Trump expressed at least tentative support for that invasion before it happened. When Trump was asked by radio host Howard Stern, six months before the war, whether he was for invasion, he said, "Yes, I guess so. I wish the first time it was done correctly." And then two months before the invasion, Trump said on T.V. that then President Bush a direct quote, has either got to do something or not do something perhaps but that's woefully (ph) sure, but it's not the words of an opponent of the invasion. Now, Trump did become an opponent of the war explicitly in 2004. But Vance's suggestion that Trump was on the opposite side of Biden on the question of starting the war of the invasion. And that's not true. There were other false or misleading claims as well. A former Trump adviser Peter Navarro falsely claimed that special counsel Jack Smith prosecuted him, Smith did not. Florida Congressman Mike Waltz blasted Biden for allegedly being focused on building electric military tanks. That's fiction. Biden has made no push for electric tanks, though the U.S. Army is moving toward some other kinds of electric vehicles. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich claim no U.S. soldier was killed in Afghanistan in the nearly two year period. Under Trump, there was not a single two year period under Trump where no U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan. Various other speakers depicted a country with rampant crime, rampant violence that didn't acknowledge that violent crime in the U.S. today is lower than it was in Trump's last year in office. Conservative commentator Kimberly Guilfoyle, a Donald Trump Jr.'s fiance declare that Trump handed Biden a booming economy. You might remember what things were like in January 2021 when Biden was sworn in, the unemployment rate was 6.4 percent. [02:15:06] And similarly, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley claimed the economy was stronger four years ago than it is today. There's just no reasonable basis for that claim. Four years ago, amid the pandemic, of course, there was 11 percent unemployment, nearly triple the current rate, the economy had just contracted shrunk by an all-time record for a quarter, an annual rate of more than 30 percent. Daniel Dale, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: U.S. President Joe Biden test positive for COVID as calls mount for him to step aside from his campaign. Still ahead, we talked to a medical expert about what it means for the 81-year-old president's health. Plus, Republicans emphasize foreign policy on day three of their national convention. Later this hour, how vice presidential pick J.D. Vance fits into Trump's America First agenda, back with ever more in just a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. U.S. President Joe Biden is giving no hints that he's reconsidering his plan to keep going with his reelection bid. But his senior democratic adviser tells CNN Mr. Biden is, "Being receptive" and has gone from saying Kamala can't win to do you think Kamala can win. Now, this comes as calls for him to drop out of the race grow stronger. A new Associated Press NORC poll says nearly two thirds of Democrats say Biden should drop out. Sources now say that even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately told Mr. Biden that polls show he can't defeat Donald Trump in November and could also destroy the Democrat's chances of winning the House. CNN's Jeff Zeleny, has details. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: A lot of Democrats have been taking their worries and fears to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and we have really seen an evolution of her thinking over the last now nearly three weeks since that debate. Now, when President Biden said he is going to run, he's not reconsidering, she reopened the door for him. And that allowed some other House Democrats to have conversations with her. So, she has been trying to handle this behind the scenes, if you will. But what we are hearing is that it hasn't worked. So, they are being slightly more public with it. But she's not alone. Last Saturday, a key meeting in all of this, history may show this to be a pivotal meeting here depending on what happened. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader traveled to Rehoboth Beach, that's where the president was spending the weekend. He had a private one on one meeting with the president, expressing concerns of Senate Democrats as well, that they do not think that they can win and are worried about him winning in November. This is a different moment here as we hit the three week period. As for the president, he's back in Delaware. The campaign tells me tonight, he's in this race. He's not changing, and they say he'll be the Democratic nominee. Of course, we'll see about that. (END VIDEOTAPE) [02:20:06] CHURCH: Another high profile Democrat is joining the call for Mr. Biden to drop out of the race. Congressman Adam Schiff is praising the U.S. president but says he has serious concerns about whether Mr. Biden can defeat Donald Trump. In a statement, Schiff goes on to say, "While the choice to withdraw from the campaign is President Biden's alone, I believe it is time for him to pass the torch and in doing so, secure his legacy of leadership by allowing us to defeat Donald Trump in the upcoming election." Schiff's statement is noteworthy because he's not in a swing district but running for Senate from heavily Democratic California. And he is close to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who as we just mentioned, recently voiced her concerns directly to President Biden. Meantime, some Democrats are saying that Mr. Biden is aware that he faces doubts from within his own party. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): He attracts people who are very loyal to him. But he is hearing on conference calls from governors and mayors, senators, House members and in press conferences, where he's getting asked about these issues and getting pressed about them. So, I am confident he is well aware of the concerns that you've raised and that others have raised. SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): I think the president has shown extraordinary leadership over his 50 years rear and he's facing a real question of what is best for the country. And I think he'll make that decision. A lot of us are doing everything we can behind the scenes to really talk openly and honestly with the president, with his team about the best way forward. We've had private meetings in D.C. all last week. I don't want to have this conversation in public. I'm just -- I just think that that's not wise right now while the Republicans are having their convention. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We keep hearing from senior members of your party like yourself, that he'll make a decision. So, look, I understand that this is a bit of rhetoric, but it seems like you and others want him to get out. BOOKER: Look, we have a great party with good party rules. Right now, he is our presumptive nominee, there is a process going forward when he will be the nominee. That process gives him a lot of chance to evaluate things, to look at facts and make the decisions about what's best for the country. And there are a lot of people talking to him. I trust this man. He has been such a solid leader, he will make the right decision. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Despite concerns of several key Democrats over having President Biden at the top of the ticket, the Democratic National Committee is moving ahead with its controversial plan to virtually nominate Mr. Biden ahead of the convention in Chicago next month. According to an e-mail obtained by CNN, the rules committee plans to proceed with a previously scheduled meeting on Friday to set in motion the steps for the nomination. The e-mail also says, "No virtual voting will begin before August 1st." Now, this sets up a deadline for Democrats to resolve questions around Mr. Biden's reelection bid. The plan has led to a furious backlash from some Democrats. And as pressure builds for Joe Biden to step aside from the presidential race, he has tested positive for COVID again, he arrived in Delaware after Wednesday's announcement and will self-isolate out his residence there. His doctor says his symptoms are mild and has already received the first dose of the antiviral drug Paxlovid. And Mr. Biden says he is feeling good. The positive test came as many Democrats were hoping to see him on the campaign trail to tamp down concerns about his age. And for more on the medical analysis, we're joined by Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, a Board Certified internal medicine specialist and viral researcher. Thank you, doctor for being with us. DR. JORGE RODRIGUEZ, INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST AND VIRAL RESEARCHER: My pleasure. CHURCH: So, from a political perspective, of course, this COVID diagnosis could not have come at a worse time for President Biden as he fights off efforts to remove him from the top of the Democratic ticket. But what about medically? He apparently had his last booster shot in September last year. But what does he need to be doing now to recover at the age of 81? RODRIGUEZ: Well, firstly, he's at an age group where in the United States, 76 percent of all the people that have died from COVID had been over the age of 65. So, he has that going against them, as does anybody who is above 65 years old. However, what he does have going for him is that he's fully vaccinated. So, this is not the same as it was three years ago. And also, that he has available to him as all Americans do the medication Paxlovid, which has been shown to markedly decrease, you know, the severity of COVID. [02:25:06] What I'm concerned about, is that in order to show that he is vibrant, and that he is, you know, in good health, that he will sort of abandoned the reality of the fact that this can make him very sick. So, I just hope that he convalescence as he should, and doesn't have to prove anything to anybody at this time, except to get better. CHURCH: And Doctor, we're looking at the video now of President Joe Biden going up those stairs of Air Force One, we also saw him coming down the stairs. I mean, he is looking very frail and particularly old, struggling to get up and down those stairs. What are your concerns about his health as you watch him battle COVID and indeed, his own party at this time? RODRIGUEZ: Well, you know, we're talking about two different things. We're talking about COVID, which actually could exacerbate anything that he has going on. And I agree with you and I try not to make diagnoses from afar, which is, you know, I have not examined the president. Of course, it would be an honor. But he does look as if there is something neurological that isn't a hundred percent there. Yes, as we age, you know, our memory gets a little bit worse. And I know that his experience, you know, surmounts a lot of that. But it does appear as if there's something not hundred percent right. Does that mean that he cannot be a competent president? I think that that doesn't necessarily mean that but with his age, and if there is something else going on, COVID on top of that does increase the risk of something really bad happening. CHURCH: And how long should the president remain isolated? And what will this mean for him going forward from a medical perspective given, he may decide to continue with his presidential campaigning, and that means a lot of extra work for him? RODRIGUEZ: Well, if he was my patient, I would tell him that he has to put himself first and foremost. So, you know, the party line is that you can then go out and maybe work with a mask, if you have been without any symptoms, without any fever for 24 hours, that can be three days, that could be five days. I certainly would not put him through an excruciating schedule any sooner than that, and they really have to be very careful that they don't tax him. And even with Paxlovid, for example, there is rebound. So, if he doesn't rest, the five days may turn into 10 days, may turn into three weeks. So, you have to be very careful. CHURCH: And on Paxlovid, I mean, of course, he will take more doses of that, presumably, how many more would you suggest at this juncture? And how long should he rest up before he gets out back on the campaign trail? RODRIGUEZ: Listen, this is not the prescription for Paxlovid. Prescription for Paxlovid to take it for five days. However, others have been known to take it for twice as long for 10 days, even though there is no proof of that, it does tend anecdotally to decrease the possibility of rebound. So, that's a possibility. You know, that -- and he has -- he's the president of the United States, probably, I mean, he does have access to things that perhaps the common man does not. So, that perhaps if I were to advise them, would be something that I would advise. I would say, maybe you need to take 10 days of Paxlovid, and not just five. And again, that's not the recommendation. That is Dr. Rodriguez says, you know, recommendation if I was talking to the president. CHURCH: And we appreciate you, Dr. Jorge Rodriguez joining us there. Thank you so much. RODRIGUEZ: My pleasure. CHURCH: And still to come, J.D. Vance assumes the mantle of the Republican vice presidential nominee and the heir apparent of Donald Trump's America First agenda. So, what does that mean for U.S. foreign policy? We'll take a look. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:31:50] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), UNITED STATES VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Shouldn't we be governed by a party that is unafraid to debate ideas and come to the best solution? That's the Republican party of the next four years, united in our love for this country and committed to free speech and the open exchange of ideas. (APPLAUSE) And so tonight, Mr. Chairman, I stand here humbled and I am overwhelmed with gratitude to say I officially accept your nomination to be vice president of the United States of America. (CROWD CHEERING) (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: J.D. Vance there becoming the Republican vice presidential nominee at the party's convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Wednesday night. Vance delivered a speech that emphasized the populist direction of the Trump agenda and capped a night that saw Republicans go after what they see as President Joe Biden's biggest foreign policy failures. Even before Vance's nomination, many of America's closest allies were already dreading the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House. By choosing Vance as his running mate, Trump has sent a clear signal that if elected, his America First foreign policy will be back in force. Vance, a junior Senator from Ohio, is a staunch critic of sending support to Ukraine as it tries to defend itself against Russia. He has suggested Ukraine should negotiate with Russia because the U.S. and other allies can't support it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: We cannot possibly support Ukraine and Israel and our own defense needs in the way that these guys demand. So I think we should focus, I think Israel is a much closer ally, is a much more core American national security interest. And of course, we got to focus on ourselves. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Russia welcomed Vance's position on Wednesday. The foreign minister said stopping aid to Ukraine is necessary to end the war. Like Trump, Vance has repeatedly criticized NATO and its European members for not spending enough on defense. In his speech, he criticized Joe Biden on trade and America's 2003 invasion of Iraq. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VANCE: When I was in the fourth grade, a career politician by the name of Joe Biden supported NAFTA, a bad trade deal that sent countless good jobs to Mexico. (CROWD CHEERING) When I was a sophomore in high school, that same career politician named Joe Biden gave China a sweetheart trade deal that destroyed even more good American middle-class manufacturing jobs. (CROWD CHEERING) When I was a senior in high school, that same Joe Biden supported the disastrous invasion of Iraq. And at each step of the way, in small towns like mine, in Ohio, or next door in Pennsylvania or Michigan, in states all across our country, jobs were sent overseas and our children were sent to war. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Let's go live now to Amsterdam and to Michael Bociurkiw, former Spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council. Appreciate you being with us. [02:35:00] MICHAEL BOCIURKIW, FORMER SPOKESPERSON, ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE: Thank you for having me. CHURCH: Donald Trump's VP pick, J.D. Vance, officially accepted his nomination Wednesday night and while he didn't mention Ukraine in his speech, we of course know where he stands on the issue, rejecting any U.S. military aid being sent to the war-torn nation. What would a Trump-Vance Administration look like for Ukraine? BOCIURKIW: Sure. Good to be with you, Rosemary. Well, I am sure that's going to be top of discussion as European leaders gather in the United Kingdom to meet with the new prime minister there. I don't think European capitals have ever dealt with a vice president who claims he comes descending from Hillbilly Royalty. And let's not forget, he is calling his future potential boss, cultural heroin, noxious, and things like that. But what we do know is that we can surmise, I think is that Mr. Vance will be the kind of pit-bull for Mr. Trump. He will try to shakedown countries like Ukraine, as Trump did earlier on. He will try to extract more spending for NATO from European capitals. And as those clips indicated, that you played, they'll try to shift attention I think from the Ukraine war to a little bit more to Israel, but especially to Taiwan and China. Now, let's not forget, I mean, the way Trump treated Ukraine when he was president was really obnoxious and terrible. He tried to compromise Mr. Zelenskyy, let's not forget, trying to get dirt on his opponent in exchange for aid to Ukraine. And the other thing we know very well from Mr. Trump's statement I mean says that he is going to claim that he can solve the Ukraine war even before inauguration day. And what we know from statements from Hungary's Mr. Orban is that, that will involve inviting Russia to the table. It will probably involve territorial concessions on behalf of Ukraine. It will mean stopping aid at Ukraine and a number of other issues that will not be in favor of Kyiv. CHURCH: And most of America's allies were already dreading the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House. But now, we are seeing headline suggesting Europe is looking at Trump's VP pick, J.D. Vance, with anxiety. What are some of those leaders across Europe doing to prepare for the possibility of a Trump-Vance Administration, and what their greatest concern? BOCIURKIW: Yeah. Sure. Well, I think we saw this in the lead up to that NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., where leaders were working to their credit -- to their credit, very quickly, running against the clock to Trump-proof or future-proof aid to Ukraine. So that means for instance, setting aside tens of billions of dollars in aid that is not reliant on the United States or U.S. taxpayer that much. Also finally, getting what Ukraine needs in terms of advanced weaponry, those F-16s, more Patriot air defense systems, and also talk now of giving Ukraine the ability to strike further inside Russia. However, that is not enough for Ukraine to win this war. NATO has done things, for example, European leaders setting aside more weaponry, but also sending a senior NATO official to Kyiv, integrating Ukraine's system better with NATO. But things as you know, Rosemary, are very, very bad in Ukraine right now, not only on the frontline, but Ukrainian cities being struck relentlessly. There is not much time left before a potential Trump Administration comes in. CHURCH: And like Trump, Vance has repeatedly criticized NATO and its European members for not spending enough on their own defense. So, what does Vance's nomination signal to NATO allies, do you think? BOCIURKIW: Well, you know, we could take that speculation to the extreme and we could remember what Mr. Trump said that if NATO members don't stump up the change for their membership, that he will give the green light to Russia to do whatever they like with these countries, which is an absurd thing to say, of course. It causes a lot of instability. But I think to be honest, Rosemary, European leaders have already kind of baked in or factored in a potential Trump Administration. Hence, they are making proper moves to become less reliant on the United States for things like aid to Ukraine and here, the feeling -- the fear rather is very palpable. I mean, just a few kilometers from me, yesterday, we had the tenth anniversary commemoration of the downing of MH17 by a Russian rocket, and Europe feels much, much more closer to Russia and much, much more in the threat path of Mr. Putin. [02:40:00] So, they will do everything possible to protect themselves from further Russian advance. But again, they are running a bit too late and that drip, drip, drip approach to aiding Ukraine has not worked very well in the past two years to two-and-a-half years. CHURCH: Michael Bociurkiw in Amsterdam, many thanks for joining us. BOCIURKIW: My pleasure. CHURCH: Special Counsel Jack Smith is pushing back after a judge dismissed the Trump classified documents case. Why he says her argument against the indictment is not valid and what Trump's lead attorney is saying about the appeal, that's next here on CNN. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is exactly what you were doing today (inaudible). (CROSSTALK) SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): This was an assassination attempt. You owe the people answers. You owe President Trump answers. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: A stunning scene there at the Republican National Convention where several Republican Senators confronted the secret service director over the assassination attempt on Donald Trump's life. Senator Marsha Blackburn shooting you owe the people answers. It comes after Senate Republicans were briefed Wednesday on the shooting investigation by secret service and FBI officials, a briefing some criticized as uninformative. Several Republican lawmakers are now calling for the secret service director to resign. New video obtained by our affiliate WTAE shows someone resembling the shooter right outside the very building he would later climb to try to kill the former president. And that video was taken about an hour before the incident. Law enforcement tells CNN, the shooters phone contain photos of U.S. President Joe Biden, Donald Trump, as well as other officials and political figures, and sources in that secret service briefings say the gunman visited the rally site at least twice after the event was announced. Special Counsel Jack Smith is appealing the U.S. district court's decision to throw out the classified documents indictment against Donald Trump. Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Smith's appointment as special counsel was unconstitutional, warranting a dismissal of the case against Trump. The case will now be reviewed by judges from the Eleventh Circuit court of appeals. Our Kaitlan Collins spoke about it earlier with a key member of Trump's legal team. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I'm standing here with Todd Blanche, obviously one of Donald Trump's lead attorneys who was working on that classified documents case. And Todd, great to have you, especially with the news that Jack Smith is now filing an appeal to what Judge Cannon decided on Monday to try to get this -- to throw this case out. Do you believe that this will stand on appeal or do you think Judge Cannon will be overturned? TODD BLANCHE, TRUMP LEAD DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think it is going to stand on appeal for sure. I mean, the Eleventh Circuit, which is -- the court is going to hear it. There is no precedent, there is no case that that has ever appeared in front of them consistent with this. And Judge Cannon's opinion, 93 pages, consistent with the law, consistent with the legislative history. [02:45:00] It is a really beautifully accurate, well-written decision. We have no fear in front of the Eleventh Circuit. I think the Eleventh Circuit is going to affirm Judge Cannon and then we'll see what happens after that. COLLINS: So when Donald Trump was in office, when he was president, the Eleventh Circuit did face a case like this with Robert Mueller, a special counsel, and they upheld his appointment. So, why do you think that they will roll differently now? BLANCHE: Well, that's a D.C. Circuit. So, the D.C. Circuit ruled in a different way than the Eleventh Circuit. Judge Cannon is not bound by the D.C. Circuit and the Eleventh Circuit is not bound by the D.C. Circuit. And if you look at Judge Cannon's opinion, all 93 pages of it, and you can compare that and stack it up against the other opinions that are out there. We are very confident that the Eleventh Circuit is going to affirm. And if it goes to the supreme court, that the supreme court will affirm as well. COLLINS: But, there are a lot of U.S. attorneys that are not Senate confirmed. So, I think some people may look at this and say, well, why does the special counsel have to be? BLANCHE: Well, that's not true. There aren't a lot of U.S. attorneys who are not -- COLLINS: There are multiple U.S. attorneys who are Senate confirmed. BLANCHE: No, absolute -- that's not true. There is a process that happens when there is a U.S. attorney vacancy and you can be acting for awhile and then the judges of that district actually make you the U.S. attorney. It is not -- nothing like what Jack Smith. It is not a situation where the attorney general just says, "Hey, you are a private citizen and you can come and you can sign indictments and you can prosecute people, and you can take away somebody's liberty. You can take away the president of the United States' liberty." That's nothing like a U.S. attorney who is temporarily appointed. And then the judges actually, ultimately approve them if the Senate does not. COLLINS: So, the big question here is whether or not your team plans to use this decision by Judge Cannon to try to get the case in D.C. dismissed, the election interference case? Do you plan to do so? And if so, when? BLANCHE: Look, we are -- that case is still stayed. We are looking into what is the best thing to do about that case. As you know, Judge Chutkan and the special counsel have lots to deal with the immunity decision. And so, whether we are going to make motion under the appointments clause, we are still were still thinking through that. We don't know yet. COLLINS: But why would you think through it if you believe that Jack Smith cannot be in his position as special counsel because he wasn't picked by the president and he wasn't confirmed by the Senate? Why would you not argue that in Washington? BLANCHE: Well, because there's a D.C. Circuit case that has come out the other way. So in theory, Judge Chutkan is bound by that decision. Judge Cannon was not bound by that decision. So -- and I'm not saying we are not going to do it. We are looking into it. Look, these cases should not have been charged. And any way we can get them dismissed -- the Cannon case, that's dismissed, it is gone. The case in D.C. should be gone as well. And if it is immunity, if it is the appointments clause, we are going to get that case dismissed as well, but we are still looking into it strategically. COLLINS: Todd Blanche, you are here on the (inaudible). Thank you for joining us. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Despite his legal troubles, Trump is looking ahead to the November election, but his new running mate, J.D. Vance, could be the future of the MAGA movement. We'll take a look (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) USHA VANCE, WIFE OF J.D. VANCE: It is hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American dream, a boy from Middletown, Ohio -- (CROWD CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) [02:50:00] U. VANCE: -- raised by his grandmother through tough times, chosen to help lead our country through some of its greatest challenges. I am grateful to all of you for the trust you've placed in him and in our family. (END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: Usha Vance, the wife of vice presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, there introducing her husband at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Wednesday night. Jeff Zeleny has more on the man many Republicans hope will be the future leader of their party. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He is the new heir to the MAGA movement. J.D. Vance takes center stage as Donald Trump's running mate. A young Ohio senator, chosen to reinforce the Trump brand and help carry it forward. VANCE: We have got to re-elect President Donald J. Trump to the White House, right? ZELENY (voice-over): The Republican Convention and the campaign is still the Trump show. But Vance has now written into the script and settling into his new partnership with the former president. His journey is a remarkable arch from ferocious Trump critic -- VANCE: I'm definitely not going to vote for Trump because I think that he is projecting very complex problems onto simple villains. ZELENY (voice-over): -- to ardent Trump loyalist. VANCE: The president is right. I wasn't always nice, but the simple fact is, he is the best president of my lifetime and he revealed the corruption in this country like nobody else. ZELENY (voice-over): An economic populist at home and an isolationist abroad, whose views are at odds with some Republican orthodoxy of old, but he is squarely in the mold of Trump. VANCE: It ain't the death of the American First agenda. (CROWD CHEERING) ZELENY (voice-over): The ascension of Vance has been astonishingly swift, elected to the Senate less than two years ago with the help of Trump's endorsement. DONALD TRUMP, (R) FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: J.D. Vance is your guy. He will do a tremendous job when you cast your vote. (CROWD CHEERING) ZELENY (voice-over): At 39, Vance is the first millennial on a major party's presidential ticket. Born in 1984, three months before Ronald Reagan was elected to a second term, Vance served in the Marines, graduated from Yale Law School, and rose to fame with the best-selling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," a book about his troubled upbringing on the edge of Appalachia. VANCE: You can't do this without your family's support and especially my beautiful wife, Usha. Thank you so much for letting me do this (ph). (CROWD CHEERING) ZELENY (voice-over): His wife, Usha Vance will introduce him, giving the country a first look at her too. They met at Yale Law School, married a decade ago, and have three young children. U. VANCE: I'm not raring to change anything about our lives right now, but I really -- I believe in J.D. and I really love him. And so, we'll just see what happens with her life. ZELENY (voice-over): The daughter of Indian immigrants, she was raised near San Diego, a registered Democrat until 2014. She clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts and Brett Kavanaugh before he joined the supreme court. Many Republican delegates here say they don't know much about him, but like what they see. ZELENY: What do you think of J.D. Vance? BARBARA CARLSON, MISSOURI DELEGATE TO THE RNC: I'm just really excited about him. I think he is a great choice. I think it is a younger look. I think it is somebody who can carry the torch. I think that he can carry this message when Donald Trump hands it over, J.D. Vance can take us the next eight years. ZELENY (voice-over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Milwaukee. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: The Nasdaq is looking to rebound in the day ahead after its worst performance since December of 2022. The sell-off comes amid reports the Biden administration is considering plans to impose more sanctions on Chinese tech firms. But it was a landmark day for the Dow, which gained more than 0.5 percent to close above 41,000 for the first time. The Nasdaq lost nearly 3 percent. The S&P 500 was down about 1.4 percent. The U.S. military is ending its temporary pier mission off Gaza's coast after just a little more than 20 days of operational use. A U.S. military official say the floating pier "has achieved its intended effect of increasing the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza." Now, aid will be brought in through the Israeli Port of Ashdod or through land crossings. The pier has been used to deliver more than 19 million pounds of aid into the Enclave since May, but was plagued with issues due to heavy seas and bad weather. China's state news says 16 people are dead after a fire tore through a shopping mall on Wednesday. Smoke was seen billowing from the 14- storey building in central China. Initial reports say there were people trapped inside, but rescue operations are now over and everyone is out. State news reports that early indications are that the fire was caused by construction work. A study by the World Wide Fund for Nature estimates the Mediterranean Sea is heavily polluted by plastic waste. Conservationists say the Mediterranean is particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution since it is semi-enclosed. CNN's Barbie Nadeau has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): The Mediterranean Sea evokes dreams of luxurious vacations and total relaxation, but your perfect holiday comes at a price. [02:55:00] This seemingly idyllic sea is 87 percent polluted according to a new study by the World Wide Fund for Nature. PIERLUIGI CAPOZZI, BUSINESS OWNER (through translator): I still see the young people without any problems throw plastic bottles into the sea, throw rubbish on the ground, leave the rubbish, abandon it everywhere, cigarettes, garbage. NADEAU (voice-over): Under and often above the surface is a deadly cocktail of toxic metals, industrial chemicals, and plastic waste. This enormous body of water, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to Asia and from Europe to Africa, has the highest concentration of micro plastics ever recorded, about 1.9 million fragments per square meter experts say. NADEAU: The Mediterranean Sea is incredibly popular for beachgoers who come here to enjoy these crystal clear turquoise waters, but they're not exactly clean. Every single day, 730 tons of plastic waste are polluting these seas. NADEAU (voice-over): 150 million people live on the shores of the heavily polluted Mediterranean and a further 270 million tourists visit each year. In 2019, water pollution was connected to about 1.4 million pre-mature deaths globally each year, according to "The Lancet" underscoring the risks involved with exposure to polluted water. The fishing industry is also at risk since micro plastics and the toxic contaminants that attach to them are starting to show worrying health consequences for those who catch fish and those who consume it. Plastic is a forever pollutant according to climate crisis experts, meaning once it becomes invasive, it is here to stay. For now, holiday makers who enjoy this peaceful paradise hope others will do their part to stop spreading the scourge. FRANCESCO PACELL, TOURIST (through translator): It is so important to keep the beach, the water clean. It is more beautiful. In my opinion, it is very important, especially for fish, animals, with all the plastic that floats around. NADEAU (voice-over): If humans don't do their part to stop the pollution, the dream Mediterranean vacation will soon turn into a nightmare. Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN, reporting from the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy. (END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. I'll be back with more "CNN Newsroom" in just a moment. Do stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [03:00:00]