The Lead with Jake Tapper Aired July 18, 2024 - 16:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [16:00:17] … (MUSIC) JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome to THE LEAD live from the Republican National Convention. We are in the midst of a pivotal moment in American history that will determine the fate of our nation's future. Stay right here. We're going to bring you the latest reporting and critical insights to shed light on these tumultuous times here in Milwaukee, in battleground Wisconsin. Donald Trump is poised to take the stage tonight, addressing the nation for the first time since an assassination attempt on him during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. We have been told that that brush with death inspired the former president to throw out his original speech and craft a new one -- a new one that might strike a different tone. That's what we are being told at any rate. Trump, twice impeached, the man whose refusal to accept the electoral defeat resulted in a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, is one of the most divisive and controversial figures in modern politics. He had seen over his political career to revel in that, and in the ire of his opponents. But we are told that he plans to speak tonight about uniting the United States of America. That would be a departure from the tone he's generally taken since he entered the political arena by first pushing the false conspiracy theory that President Obama was born in Africa, or since he descended down that golden escalator in 2015 and entered the 2016 presidential contest, reshaping and remaking the Republican Party in so very many ways. We are told that that horrific incident last Saturday changed him and I guess we'll see. In the next hour, we will bring you a key new reporting on the security failures in Butler, and how we saw this last night here at the convention. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. JOHN BARRASSSO (R-WY): You cannot run away. SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-TN): You cannot hide from us. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: Republican senators chasing the head of the U.S. Secret Service on the convention floor demanding answers for the failures that put the 45th president of the United States an inch away from death. Meanwhile, events no less momentous are playing out in Delaware where President Biden is self-isolating after testing positive for COVID we're told. To hear top Democrats tell it, President Biden is like Bruce Willis is character in the movie "The Sixth Sense", he is the only one who seems on unaware of his grim fate. Former President Obama has told allies recently that Biden's chances of winning have greatly diminished, interesting choice of words, and that Biden needs to seriously consider the path forward, according to "The Washington Post". It follows CNN's reporting that President Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke about the challenges of Biden staying in the race. We can report that key Democrats, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have had blunt conversations with President Biden, relaying Democrats' concerns about his ability to win in November. Of course, moments such as this one where the president seems to continue to struggle with cognition and basic communication. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look at the heat I'm getting because I named the secretary of defense, the Black man. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: Moments like that have to say, the least, not eased concerns about the president's ability to serve a second term. More Democratic lawmakers are also speaking out publicly, such as Congressman Joe Morelle of New York. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. JOE MORELLE (D-NY): His debate performance, I think, has been called many things. I think every person who saw would say it was disastrous. And he's working to try to rebuild and demonstrate to people that he can continue to function. I don't think he's met that standard yet. I think right now, he has failed to meet that standard. He's got a little more time, but he's got to make a decision on whether he feels in his heart that he can win the White House again and not bring down chances of winning a majority in the Senate and winning a majority in the House. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: A House Democrat, they're saying that President Biden has not yet met the standard of demonstrating to people that he can continue to function, his words. [16:05:02] As President Biden weighs what he believes is best for the country and his party, he could look out at the ocean there in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and realize that the tides among Democrats have changed. But again, as the Zen master once said, we'll see -- Erin. ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Yeah, Jake, it is just worth all of us just taking a moment here, as you're doing, I'm doing, anyone watching is doing, that to think about that on this night where you set the stakes for Donald Trumps address to the nation, right, where he's going to be accepting the nomination formally five days after surviving an assassination attempt, right? With an assassination attempt against the guy running for president on the Republican side in this country, and yet, we are beginning tonight. We are beginning talking about the Democrats. And the Democrats are in disarray and they are in chaos over their candidate, President Joe Biden. The president facing growing pressure to abandon his reelection bid as more top lawmakers, even former President Obama, are casting doubt on Biden's ability to win in November. Some of them met with them days ago. He didn't respond. Now, all of a sudden, news of those meetings is coming out. Maybe they think that will be the pressure that will actually finally work. Let's bring in CNN's MJ Lee at the White House. And, MJ, the president is dealing with this incredible moment in his political career as he is following the protocols for COVID at the moment, and isolating. MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Erin, at a moment when the president is physically isolating, he is also starting to grow increasingly politically isolated as well, with the walls really seeming to close in around him from every direction. We, of course, know of the growing up public calls on him to step out of the 2024 race. And the problem there is that from all of our reporting, we know that there are many, many more elected officials who feel this way, but have not just come out yet to say this publicly. We also know that the president has been having some tough conversations behind the scenes, in private, including with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as you guys mentioned, where she as recently as in the last week or so told the president that she's seen polling that shows he simply cannot win in November that she believes that the polling shows that she could -- he could end up bringing the House down with him and that he responded, according to our sources, defensively. We also know that donors are completely freaking out and many of them are saying, we're not writing anymore checks so long as the president continues running and, Erin, the timing of this COVID diagnosis yesterday really could not be worse. You know, for one, we know that this is putting even more attention on the questions that have already been swirling around his health and his age, and his fitness. In the last 24 hours, there have been some notable moments where the president has seemed physically the halting as well, whether it's just getting on and off Air Force One or getting into his car in his motorcade. And then, of course, there's the issue that the president has said ever since that but terrible debate performance. He has said the remedy for his political troubles is for him to just get out there, out into the country and engage, and show people and his skeptics in his career critics that he can do this. Well, the White House is saying how he will actually stay engaged the next couple of days as he is isolating is by doing a lot of video calls as he has done before. A lot of folks are going to be saying, look, video calls is really not going to be the answer to how the president can salvage his campaign. BURNETT: Right. MJ, thank you very much. Jake? TAPPER: Erin, there are a lot of major developments. So, let's bring in the political panel to discuss them all. Kristen Holmes, the Trump campaign seems to really want President Biden to stay in a race. I want you to take a listen to what Trump's former campaign manager and top adviser, Chris LaCivita, said earlier today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHRIS LACIVITA, TRUMP CO-CAMPAIGN MANAGER: This is nothing more than an attempted coup by the Democrat Party. You can't step down as a candidate for president because you're cognitively impaired while still being president. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: So how do you interpret -- how do you interpret those remarks? KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The arguments that they were going to make as soon as this kind of started unfolding, which was that if Donald Trump steps down -- I mean, excuse me, if Joe Biden steps off the ticket that he is not fit to be president, and then he knew they were going to do this. But when it comes to whether or not they want the president to stay on the ticket. Of course, they have sent millions of dollars on modeling and data to run against President Joe Biden, not to run against Kamala Harris, not to run against another Democrat. Now, right now, they obviously see what is going on. There is a fundamental belief within the campaign that Biden wants to stay in this race, but they also know there is a possibility that he could step down, but other than ramping up there attacks on Kamala Harris, we really haven't seen any kind of shift in their posture and that's because they aren't going to spend money or make moves on calculating a new campaign until they actually see how this plays out. Now, this is taking a little bit longer than they would like to determine if continued to spiral. I don't even think they understood how this is going to play out. [16:10:04] But this point, there is still an awaiting in a holding pattern for how this goes before they shift any of their strategy. TAPPER: David Chalian, I want to play something else that Chris LaCivita said, at the "Politico"/CNN grill earlier today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LACIVITA: We grind every single day until it -- I mean, it's not over until he puts his hand on the -- on the -- on the -- you know, on the bible and takes the oath. It's not over until then. It's not over on Election Day. It's over on inauguration day. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: What's your -- what's your take on that? DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, obviously, that is something that like brings back images of 2020 and potentially fighting over the results. I think what -- I do think what LaCivita identifies here. So let's take the most charitable interpretation of that for a moment, which is that our politics have become so engaged that it doesn't end on Election Day. He is right about that. Let's hope it doesn't result in violence or an attempted overturning of -- TAPPER: They were -- they were counting votes through this Saturday after the election, yeah. CHALIAN: Exactly. It's like it takes a while to count on these votes, then they're going to be legal challenges, potentially, totally legitimate legal challenges. Or for a judge to decide if there are legitimate, but there could be challenges. And so I think what he's probably alluding to there is that until he's actually sworn in as president, they won't be done fighting for that outcome. I hope it is not a signal that that means they're inviting another attempted overturning of legitimate results. AUDIE CORNISH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: But you could see how that could happen if you basically feel as though your candidate was blessed or saved my God, right? Which is kind of the perception among some voters in the base, and you feel like you're hearing in the news, seeing in the polls that there's no way Biden can win, it does contribute to what is already a narrative that says Democrats couldn't possibly win unless they've cheated, and therefore, we have to protect again its that, which is why they're putting so many resources into election integrity units and things like that. So it feels sort of inevitable in a way that there'd be a challenge posture. TAPPER: So before Biden tested positive for COVID, he was trying to tamp down concerns about his cognitive skills, his ability to continue. Congressman, you heard Congressman Morelle of New York saying he's working to rebuild and demonstrate to people he can continue to function. I don't think he's met that standard yet. Here's an example of that. Here is Biden talking with BET News. Take a -- take a look. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BIDEN: Look at the heat I'm getting because I named the secretary of defense, the Black man, I named Ketanji Brown, I mean, because of the people I've named. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: I don't think very many Democrats saw that interview and were reassured. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Right, and this has been the story over the last three weeks since the debate, him going out there and really failing to meet the test. There have been verbal gaffes. He referred to Vice President Donald Trump, for instance, he couldn't remember in that clip, Lloyd Austin's name. And, listen, we've all covered Joe Biden. We've covered him since he was a senator and ascending to the vice presidency, and now the presidency, and he has had a tendency to have these kinds of gaffes and these kinds of slip-ups. But in the context of this and he's sort of seeming physical frailty at times, that is what compounds this, that is what has led him to not be able to tamp down on this, and for Democrats to go public with their private concerns about his inability to go forward. I do think there was a larger question that Chris LaCivita raises which is if he does decide he can't continue in this race, can he credibly make the argument that he is fit to continue on in the office of the presidency, right? We don't know what's going to happen. That's the thing. We sort of have to broaden our imaginations about these next couple of days as to what might happen. JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Look, I mean, it's not just one decision that I am or I'm not running for president. Should it be -- you know, should he heed the calls that are being made across the Democratic Party from voters I'm told sending letters to the White House to Democratic lawmakers to step aside. It sets into series a number of questions. One, who would replace him at the top of the ticket? Would he endorse Vice President Harris? What he say it should be wide-open thing. But the bigger question as Nia just pointed out as one that you can already feel Republicans are gearing up for is how can he remain in office? So it's not just a simple decision of, you know, I'm going to -- it's not as 1988 decision to announce he's, you know, not running for president. TAPPER: Suspending his campaign, right. ZELENY: This is a whole different matter because he is president, but there are -- an increasingly, increasingly Democrats think they're running out of time. They have a little bit more time for that virtual roll call August 1st now, but every Democratic official who is in touch with Biden world said they believed the next 72 hours are critical. [16:15:07] TAPPER: Mark, is there even a -- if he were to announce that he's not running for reelection, then what? Is there a process? MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, there is a process. It's never really been put into place necessarily. Thirty years ago for many people here on this panel, don't realize that I worked for Senator Ted Kennedy for a year back in 1994. The reason why I say that is that there's this phrase that still carries on to this day and that whole Kennedy family is the dream shall never die. It was on the back of the softball team T-shirts and it was it was something that kind of reverberated throughout the whole office. The reason why I say that is that he took on Jimmy Carter back in 1980, didn't go very well, what-have-you. Four years later, the DNC put new language into their platform that said that delegates will in all good conscience vote for the person they were selected to represent. Very interesting because four years later, after there was this -- this power struggle, that language was put in, I will say it's never been tested. It's never been interpreted but look, the path is there for somebody to replace Biden. TAPPER: Very interesting. We'll see what happens and we're going to check in with Dr. Sanjay Gupta to help explain what we've been told about both Trump's injuries during the assassination attempt and Joe Biden's current status. Plus, we're going to talk to "The New York Times'" Maggie Haberman. She's going to join us with the latest insights into how Mr. Trump has taken control of the Republican Party and what that means for what we can expect back to here tonight. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:20:35] TAPPER: And we're back. We're live in Milwaukee, in battleground state, Wisconsin, on the final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention. In just a few hours, former President Donald Trump will make his first major speech since Saturday's assassination attempt on his life. Joining us now, "The New York Times'" Maggie Haberman. Maggie, good to see you. So, Mr. Trump says that he completely rewrote his acceptance speech here, that he's going to deliberate tonight following the assassination attempt. What are we expecting him to say this evening? MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It remains to be seen, Jake. My understanding is a lot of people have had their hands on this speech. I think that it is likely to have a bit of a softer introduction. I still think you are going to hear Donald Trump presenting his case against President Biden, which we've heard him do consistently, despite a lot of talk about a change in tone at the convention, a lot of speeches have been very aggressive, and very critical of President Biden and the Trump team has said they think that that's justified, and they think that, you know, Biden has been critical of Trump. And I don't think there's going to be a massive change where I think you will see it changes on the margins on some of the language used to describe his political opponents. But I think on the substance of the policy, it's going to stay the same. TAPPER: An article you wrote with some of your colleagues focuses on how Trump took control over the Republican Party and created a new Republican platform, shutting out delegates from the process. Quote: If he retakes the White House, the platform push maybe a blueprint for how Mr. Trump might govern, aided by a pliant Republican Party, and abetted by a federal judiciary that he himself reshaped during his first term, unquote. Given that, do you think a toned down version of Trump, if that is in fact what we get tonight, and I confessed to being a touched skeptical, do you think that that is really only for tonight and not how he plans on campaigning for the rest of the season, as well as how he might govern should he win? HABERMAN: Look, Jake, I mean, just picking those apart. What happened last Saturday in Pennsylvania was horrific and it was sickening to see, and this is somebody who faced an attempt on -- an attempt on his life that was broadcast on television or on live streams. And we all saw it. And so a lot of people I think are mindful of that going forward, I think that he is aware of what happened, obviously, to him and I think that was a significant moment for him, but to your point, we have often seen moments where Trump has moderated his tone or shifted or made some changes, and it doesn't have a meaningful impact on either how he will govern or how he will leave in campaign. I think that, you know, we will see what the full looks like, but I certainly don't expect massive changes. We also don't know what the general election race is going to look like right now with this question hovering over President Biden. It certainly won't change how he's going to govern. You know, I think that he has looked for ruthless efficiency and full on support and dominance of his party. And he has now achieved that. And I don't think he's going to step away from that. TAPPER: It really came down to the final hours when President Trump pick J.D. Vance, the senator from Ohio, to be his running mate. And you've mentioned how -- how money within the Trump campaign was not a factor, but that chemistry mattered for Trump. What is their relationship like considering Vance was fairly outspoken never Trumper? HABERMAN: He was, although I got to be honest, Jake, it's really hard to find almost anyone except a narrow core of people like Jeff Sessions who Trump, you know, turned on once they were in the White House, who were with Trump pretty early on and were not critical of him in some way, with anyone. He would have picked. There was going to come up these questions about what they had said. We all, you know, are familiar with what J.D. Vance had said. J.D. Vance addressed this with Trump in a meeting that they had in early 2021, their first meeting. They like each other. They get along and there's this -- you know, there is this sort of there is a chemistry factor but for Trump that matters more to him than most other factors in relationships. He simply doesn't have a relationship with Marco Rubio and his relationship with Doug Burgum is new and I just think they're very different people. TAPPER: All right. Maggie Haberman, thank you so much. Appreciate it. Good to see you. HABERMAN: Thank you. TAPPER: President Trump says a bullet skimmed his ear and we've all seen the video of that horrific moment. But why haven't we heard more about his injuries from doctors as one might expect for a major presidential candidate? Our resident medical expert, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is with us next to discuss the candidates and their health. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:29:29] TAPPER: And we're back live in Milwaukee, in battleground state Wisconsin. We're just hours away from Donald Trump taking the stage to give his nomination acceptance speech. Many will be looking to see whether Trump addresses the RNC with that white bandage over his ears? We've seen him with one each night of the RNC since Saturday's assassination attempt, in the five days since the rally shooting. We've only heard briefly from Trump's former White House physician, Ronny Jackson, who's now a member of Congress who says that he assessed the former president right after the shooting, and again, on Monday morning. [16:30:01] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. RONNY JACKSON (R-TX): There was no concussive effect from the bullet and it just took the top of his ear off, a little bit at the top of his ear off as it passed through. (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who is a trauma neurosurgeon, joins us now. And, Sanjay, it's been five days. What do we know about Trump's injury and care so far? DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we really don't know much. I mean, it's kind of remarkable considering, you know, a candidate for president, former president, and this type of injury and haven't really heard much from the campaign, haven't heard much from the hospital. We've been reaching out regularly to the hospital to the doctors over there. No briefings nothing really. So we got this posting from President Trump on true social where he talked specifically about the fact that he says a bullet, he was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of his ear. He knew immediately that something was wrong. He heard a whizzing sound and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. But that's -- that's from him. But we haven't heard from really anybody else. What we do know in the moment and we talked -- you and I talked about it at the time was that we saw what happened. We all saw that, you know, heard the noises. We saw the president reach his hand up to the right side of this face. He goes down but he's going down of his own power. It wasn't like he collapsed or something. He eventually comes back up. He's able to walk eventually to the vehicle. He raises his hand. These are all important clues medically and they were -- they were good, good signs, certainly for him. But when you think about it and we don't even know, was this a primary projectile? Was this a secondary projectile? Was it a combination of both? But when you think about it, you know, this part of the bone over here, which is just behind the right ear, it's very thin bone. So if there's a significant blast from a -- this case, AR-15, if that's in fact what the primary projectile was, you have to really make sure but there's not other injuries to the bone, to the brain underneath the bone, to the inner ear and all that. Now, what we've been told, again, not from the hospital, but from other sources was it the president did have a CT scan and that the CT scan was clear. That -- that's basically -- that's important information because the CTt scan can tell you a lot. If that in fact was clear, it does rule out the possibility of a lot of other possible injuries. But it's kind of -- again, it's kind of remarkable, Jake. I've been doing the job for a long time. Still don't know many details about this pretty awful injury. TAPPER: And let's turn to President Biden and the COVID diagnosis we heard from White House physician Kevin O'Connor, who says Biden is experiencing mild upper respiratory systems, does not have a fever or his vital signs are normal. He continues to take Paxlovid. What more would you like to know about that? GUPTA: Well, you know, he's obviously 81-years-old, so he's at higher risk. There's the concern with repeated infections of things like long COVID, but I think for the most part, there are favorable signs here as well as you mentioned. Upper respiratory symptoms predominate prominently, non-productive cough, general malaise or fatigue, but no fever, normal oxygenation. He's vaccinated, he's boosted and he's had COVID in the past in 2022. And those things all offer protection. We'll see. You know, they said they're going to follow CDC guidelines in terms of what happens with the president next. Typically, nowadays, the guidelines have changed on this so many times, Jake, but if you don't have any symptoms and you're not having a fever and things like that, you can come out of isolation. Symptoms have to be resolved and at that point, they recommend wearing a mask for five days even after you come out of isolation. So we'll see. It sounds like he's still having symptoms today. TAPPER: All right. GUPTA: We'll just have to keep checking and see what happens tomorrow. TAPPER: All right, Sanjay. Thanks so much. We have reached out to the Trump campaign for more information. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much. We're expecting to see Melania Trump at the convention tonight, yet she will not be speaking from the podium. What else should we be watching for? That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:38:27] BURNETT: We're just hours away from former President Trump, giving his first speech since the assassination attempt every night of the Republican National Convention has been filled with energy. They've had a lot of different theme every night. It is, of course, a world away from the quiet Delaware beach town where President Biden is now isolating with COVID although they do expect he'll be back at work, they say next week, meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, along with the Vice President Kamala Harris. It comes as we're learning Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin sent a lengthy letter to Biden earlier this month, urging him to rethink his candidacy. The letter closes by making an analogy to a Warnock baseball pitcher and I quote Mr. Raskin: There is no shame in taking a well-deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd when your arm is tired out. And there is real danger for the team in ignoring this statistics. Caucus with team, Mr. President. Hear them out, you'll make the right decision. All right. My panel of political veterans with me as you all have been all week. So, Kate, I'm going to ask you how President Biden received that and I'm going to put some context on it to make the answer kind of easy. The letter was dated July 6th. That's not like a couple of days ago. KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENATOR: Right. So it wasn't persuasive in the moment in and of itself but, look, he's in a tough -- he's in a tough position right now. You have, you know, respected leaders of the Democratic Party essentially over the last 24 hours with a coordinated push, publicly saying, you should step down and not -- you're not going with your campaign. You know, I can tell you from having worked for him for very long time, he's not somebody who responds to public pressure in that way by wanting to back down. He responds by wanting to dig in and, you know, be tough. [16:40:05] And he's, you know, suffered a lot of tough political moments in his career where he was counted out and you know, was, told there was no way he could win, going all the way back to his very first Senate race in '72. BURNETT: Right. BEDINGFIELD: So, you know, as you're absorbing this and thinking about it, you have to understand his psychology and kind of how he approaches the situation like this. But look, it is not a great situation to be moving toward your convention with the leadership of your party, suggesting that you shouldn't be the nominee. I don't think we can make any bones of that. BURNETT: I mean, you have, Jamie Raskin writes a letter. We don't find out about it until now, but he wrote on July 6, so we wrote it to be private then somebody leaked it, as somebody's not President Biden. I'm not saying it's Raskin, but somebody wanted this out there. Same thing with the Schumer. Same thing with the Pelosi words. SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Pelosi, Obama now. BURNETT: Same thing with the Obama. (LAUGHTER) BURNETT: OK, they all did it in private, didn't like what they heard. And now, we are starting to hear about it. SINGLETON: They're trying to turn up the heat, the public pressure. I would imagine it will work. I mean, if Democrats want to be a bit sagacious here, they're going to move forward in a different direction. I mean, this was a question at this point electorally about maintaining some level of competitiveness headed into November. And I'm not even convinced if even making the change at this point, Erin, will even matter. BURNETT: Does he -- what does he -- is he going to sit here for the next two days? I know he's doing Zoom calls but he's at his beach house., You know, it's hard to imagine coming at this moment saying the things Jamie Raskin said. If you get out now its shameful and humiliating and you tried to stay in and you were told not -- I mean, there is no like to the adoring crowd. BEDINGFIELD: Well, I actually not totally -- yes. I mean, would he be in a position of strength here? No. But I think don't forget that all of this anger and frustration, anxiety is coming from a collective desire to defeat Donald Trump. I think if he came out and said, you know, I am -- I am for the good of the country. I am stepping aside. I think there actually would be well received by a huge number of people who, who want to see that happen. But, you know, the other thing I would say is so I imagine he's taking this all in. He's absorbing it. You know, I think I expect that he's taking a clear-eyed look at where things stand. I think the Biden campaign would argue that there is a disconnect between where the party leadership is and where key components of the Democratic coalition are. I mean, they would make the case that Black voters continue to stand by him. They would make the case that grassroots donations are still coming in. We'll see how that develops. I think it would not be -- I don't think we would be having an honest conversation if we didn't say, you know, we got to see how both of those things develop. But I think they have a theory of the case that says they still have grassroots support and that when this race is Joe Biden versus Donald Trump, which it very much isn't right now because there's all this swirl about who is it going to be somebody else -- BURNETT: Yeah. BEDINGFIELD: -- you know, voters aren't really dialed in on that choice. So that's how they're -- I would imagine that's how they're thinking about a path forward. JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, I want to salute Kate because she has been even-steven on all of this stuff, very calm. BURNETT: Yeah, she has. GOLDBERG: And it feels sometimes like I'm listening to the captain on the Titanic saying, look, no one would call a situation ideal as the water is coming in through the portholes and whatever. BEDINGFIELD: And fact-check, it wasn't an ideal situation. It was not. GOLDBERG: It was a British understatement to it all, but I really admire, but, look, I think the comments from Obama today I think we've passed the point of trying to persuade Biden, and it's now at the point where you're trying to persuade the Democratic Party to give Biden no choice. So I don't think Obama's comments today and Kate would know better about how he would Biden would receive Obama's comments, but the Congressional Black Caucus is probably listening to Obama's comments, right? And I think the scariest poll for a lot of people, Kate said, like they're all unified by desire to beat Donald Trump. I agree that's a unifying desire for Democrats, so is the desire for a lot of Democrats to get reelected. And one of the poll findings I think terrifies them the most is the one that said, voters would not trust politicians who said that Biden was doing just fine. And you can see it like the Real Clear Politics average, right now, has Trump beating Biden in Virginia and some people are freaking out. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah, rightfully so. BURNETT: Okay. And meanwhile, as tonight, you've got Trump who's going to give his address. Melania Trump is going to be there. She's been noticeably absent from pretty much everything. We don't expect her to speak, although I suppose we could see that I know there was stuff swirl around that the last time but, you know, what do you make of the way that she has withdrawn from the public eye? GRIFFIN: She never really liked campaigning political life. She was somebody who would much prefer to be privately with her family. I think she's showing up its part of this grander gesture that were seeing of trying to humanize Donald Trumps. You had his granddaughter speak yesterday. You had Lara Trump talk about what he's its like as a father and, you know, as a grandfather. And I think that is to me actually been the strongest sort of entree to the suburban women who feel very disillusioned by the direction that the Republican Party is going and by language around Donald Trump. [16:45:01] But does it work? That's the thing is I think that we've heard enough from Donald Trump over the years. The rhetoric he uses, the inflammatory statements that I don't know that will privately, he is very different works, but I think its noticed -- notable that she'll be there, I expect Ivanka Trump is going to be there reportedly as well, and it's going to be a show of force of the families with him after these tragic events of the past weekend. BURNETT: All right. All staying with us, of course, as we continue our rolling coverage these hours. Up next, a man who knows J.D. Vance well and will be the one to pick his replacement in the Senate if the GOP ticket wins in November. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BURNETT: And we're back live from Milwaukee, in battleground state Wisconsin on the final day of the 2024 Republican National Convention. [16:50:04] In his first major speech as the Republican vice presidential nominee, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio railed against corporate interests as a way to appeal to working class voters. Take a listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This moment is not about me. It's about all of us. It's about the autoworker in Michigan. It's about the factory worker in Wisconsin. It's about the energy worker in Pennsylvania and Ohio who doesn't understand why Joe Biden is willing to buy energy from tin pot dictators across the world when he could buy it from his own citizens right here in our own country. (APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) TAPPER: With me now, Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine. Governor, thanks so much for being here. So he mentioned Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin like five times. I don't even think he acknowledged any other state except for your great state of Ohio. Is that one of the main reasons you think President Trump picked him so as to pick off those three blue wall states? GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): I think he'll do very well there. I think he relates to people very well. He's obviously from the Midwest. But I think also, Jake, as we heard last night, when he really was introduced so the country for the first time, he's got a story, and his own personal story I think people can relate to. You know, so many people today have someone in their family has an addiction problem or has mental health problem. He's lived that. He's written about it. He's talked about it. I just think he can relate to people. You know, we know him really well. We're just anxious for the rest of the country to get to know him. TAPPER: If he wins, then there will be -- he'll have to resign his Senate seat and you will get to pick his replacement. Already, Vivek Ramaswamy has thrown his hat into the ring as it were. Will you pick him? Do you know who you're going to pick? DEWINE: I don't know who I'm going to pick. I don't want to really get into names until we get after the election, we have -- we have a U.S. Senate race. It's pretty important in Ohio as well. You know, I think I know what I wanted. I served as, you know, 12 years in the United States Senate and I want someone who's going to go there work, wants to make things happen and get things done. That's -- I think I've pretty much know who can -- you know, what type person can do that. This person also though has to, has to run and then run and then run. I will point them, but then they will have to run again in 2026. They would have to run again in 2028. So, it has to be someone who is up so that big challenge, not just the ability to raise the money, but just to go through a nonstop running, it's not an easy thing, particularly in a state like Ohio. TAPPER: 2026 and then 2012. No, 2022, right? DEWINE: No, the way -- yeah. The way it works -- TAPPER: It wouldn't be a six-year term? DEWINE: No, no, no, it flips in. So I only get to two years, then -- they have -- then they can -- TAPPER: Oh. DEWINE: - then they go back right at it, and then they have to run again. TAPPER: Got it. DEWINE: So, it's -- TAPPER: State Senator Matt Dolan, you -- you endorsed him for Senate against a Trump-backed Bernie Moreno. Bernie Moreno won. I mean, you seem to be a fan of Dolan. Might he get the nod? DEWINE: Look, I think we got a lot of good people in Ohio. I really do. I just don't want to get in to the names yet. And, you know, some people asked me, you know, do you have a shortlist and I kind of laugh and sad only have a long list yet, you know? We're kind of -- we'll work on that, but we'll see. TAPPER: The Democratic National Committee is still planning to virtually nominate President Biden as their party's candidate before August 7th. The DNC is saying that they're doing that because of Ohio, even though Ohio passed a bill to ensure that Biden will be whoever the Democratic nominee is, will be on the state. The DNC says, well, Ohio Republicans might still put up a legal challenge and be up to mischief. No? DEWINE: No, we're not going to do that. Look, I called the legislature back to specifically put Democrat nominee on the ballot. We passed that. I signed it. We should move on from that. That's not going to be a problem. Nobody in Ohio is going to stand up and say that the Democrat nominee shouldn't be on the ballot in Ohio. That would be absurd. TAPPER: All right. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, good to see you, sir. DEWINE: Good to see you, Jake. Thank you. TAPPER: Thanks as always. Startling new developments CNN is uncovering in the investigation into the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, which was last Saturday. That's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:59:03] TAPPER: Welcome back. CNN has learned that former President Donald Trump met with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Tuesday to discuss the failed assassination attempt that happened on Saturday. Today, Trump's top campaign adviser called on the U.S. Secret Service director to resign and she will face tough questions about the security failures from angry House Republicans on Monday, including details that CNN is learning that law enforcement had identified the shooter as suspicious a full 19 minutes before the shooting took place, but they failed to locate him. We also have some breaking news now. Lou Dobbs, veteran CNN and then Fox Business new anchor and big business news anchor, and one of former President Trump's most vocal supporters in the media is dead at the age of 78. Also, actor Bob Newhart, a legendary comedian, die today at the age of 94. May their memories be a blessing. I'll be back tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern to anchor CNN's special coverage of night four of the Republican National Convention, which culminates with Donald Trump's acceptance speech. "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer and with Erin Burnett starts right now. The Situation Room Aired July 18, 2024 - 17:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. … [17:00:20] WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: It's the final night of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump's set to take the stage just hours from now and accept the Republican presidential nomination for the third time, just days after an attempt on his life. And we're also told that that assassination attempt will be a major theme of his acceptance speech later tonight, much of which he supposedly has written himself. And we're also following important news surrounding President Biden who's facing a fresh wave of pressure to step down as he isolates in Delaware right now with COVID. Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. This is a special edition of the Situation Room live from Milwaukee. I'm Wolf Blitzer. ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erin Burnett. And Wolf, the calls from inside the House of Representatives growing louder at this hour. Democratic leaders have been sounding the alarm about the President's prospects in November, making it about polling. And CNN has just obtained a deeply personal letter from Jamie Raskin, a top House Democrat that he wrote to President Biden back on July 6, encouraging Biden to reconsider staying in the race. And we are also learning that the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately told Biden that polls show he cannot defeat Donald Trump, and that he could take congressional Democrats down with him to be loses. And then there's another report that reveals that former President Obama has told allies that Biden's path to victory has greatly diminished, Wolf. BLITZER: All that comes, Erin, as we're learning more and more that President Biden is contemplating his president's viability at the top of the Democratic ticket. But his campaign is still holding firmly saying the President of the United States isn't going anywhere. CNN's Kristen Holmes is here in Milwaukee with us. MJ Lee is over at the White House. Let's begin our coverage this hour here in Wisconsin. Kristen, tell our viewers what you're learning about what to expect, first of all, from Donald Trump's speech in just a few hours. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, remember this is Donald Trump's first fully MAGA convention. It is really a convention in which he has cemented his grip on the Republican Party back in 2016. He was still trying to convince people to come out and vote for him. Remember Senator Ted Cruz telling people in 2016 to vote their conscience. In 2020, it was COVID. He did it at the White House. And it was a time he was still trying to hold on to his tenure in the White House trying to get another term when poll numbers were suggesting that might not happen. Here, this is a Republican Party that has completely coalesced around Donald Trump. Now when it comes to what he is going to say tonight, we are told that he completely scrapped whatever plans he had for his speech after that assassination attempt on Saturday in Pennsylvania. Now, he has told people around him he wants to focus on unity. Now, as you mentioned, he has also said and this is according to his senior advisors that he wants to write and dictate portions of the speech himself. He has had meetings with outside allies in which he has said he wants to lean into what happened on Saturday. He wants to lean into the fact that he feels like not only is he lucky to be alive, but there was some sort of divine intervention. He wants to call for unity. But of course, the big question is what exactly that means to former President Donald Trump. We know that Donald Trump is known for his divisive rhetoric, and his advisors insist he is a changed man, that that is not what's going to occur here tonight. We obviously will wait and see. Erin. BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Kristen. So now let's go to MJ Lee. She's at the White House. And MJ, obviously, President Biden is sidelined right now with COVID. And in this moment in that void, it's being filled by more calls for him to step aside. What is the latest on this story? I mean, literally, it seems to be evolving by the hour as we hear somebody else speak out. MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erin, that's absolutely right. And we are seeing the President's physical isolation in Rehoboth after his COVID diagnosis, really clashing with his political isolation, the public calls, as you said, for the President to drop out. They really seem to be just continuing by the day. We also note that there are many more members who feel like they want to call on the President to drop out, but they're really just weighing whether to really do it and when to do that. And then, of course, the private conversations that we're learning about that the President has had in recent days that have been really blunt out, whether it is Chuck Schumer or Hakeem Jeffries, who have been very frank in the assessments that they have offered. We also of course, know about former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who within the last week or so, in a private conversation, told the President that polling appears to show that he simply cannot win in November and that he could really bring down the House with him. We also know of course about many donors who are no longer willing to write checks, they feel like they see the writing on the wall. And this raises some serious questions about whether the campaign can really fund itself through November. [17:05:14] And I just have to underscore, you know, this COVID diagnosis that we learned about last night, it is really coming at a really terrible time for the President. We, of course, know that there has been so much pressure and so much scrutiny about the President's age on his health already. And over the last 24 hours, just a bright spotlight on any moments where the President has seemed to physically halting, where his speech has seemed halting, and then just the question of how does the President try to get through this if he has to isolate and can even be physically out there. I think there are plenty of Democrats who are actually hoping that the President will use the next stretch of days where he is self-isolating to really self-reflect and perhaps come to the conclusion that a lot of Democrats are thinking about, which is that the President should leave the race. BURNETT: All right, MJ, thank you very much. Wolf. BLITZER: Erin, thank you. Our political experts are joining us right now. The drama is clearly continuing. Jeff Zeleny, you're reporting that voters are overwhelming the White House right now with calls and letters about the future of this campaign. Tell our viewers what you learned? JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, we certainly know that the President is getting an earful from Democratic lawmakers. But we're also learning that a lot of citizens are contacting the White House as they routinely do for a variety of things. But in particular, some Democrats and some supporters of the president are reaching out to the White House to express their concern as ordinary citizens. And we got one copy of a letter here obtained by CNN from an Iowa couple who supported the President, and they sent a letter to the White House. This is John and Terri Hale from Ankeny, Iowa, two retirees themselves. Let's take a look at what they said specifically. They said "It's with the utmost respect that we offer this conclusion, you cannot win the race. Not because you're not the better man, but because the public, rightly or wrongly, now sees your age and perceived limitations as the main issue in the campaign." They go on to praise his accomplishments, but urged him to sort of reconsider for the good of the country. So just a snapshot of what this President and his advisers are hearing. Now, we talked to the White House to see if these messages are being conveyed to the President. They said the president has a sense of all of his correspondence he receives but know that he also receives many supportive letters, as well. But the point here is it's not just insiders who are calling for it. Of course, he has supporters. But in terms of what his decision is, we reported yesterday that he is being more receptive to these entries. What we don't know here tonight, is if it's changed his mind at all. He certainly has heard now, we are three weeks ago from that debate, almost hard to believe, he's heard all the information. Again, this decision is his. BLITZER: And he's looking at the polls, I'm sure as well. David Chalian, a lot of leading Democrats, including Schumer, Pelosi, Jeffrey's, even former President Obama all reportedly expressing concerns with Biden. Does this moment feel different to you right now? DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, it's different because these are the voices that matter to Joe Biden, political voices. The voices that will matter in the decision making process is his family and some close advisors that have been with him for decades throughout his career. So yes, we're in a different moment, because the leaders have allowed it to be known publicly, that this is what they feel, Wolf. But that doesn't mean that we're in a different place for Joe Biden's decision making because we don't know that. Walls can be closing in and he may just have to exist in this very tight cubicle of walls. That is his choice too. It is not a fait accompli, we've no indication that he has decided that he's going to step down from this race, though he's keenly aware of all of the pressure and all of the swirl around him. There's no doubt about that. So that factors into his thinking. But I just -- we are in a very different moment. I think it's going to be a day by day kind of thing. This is very intense pressure on him. But this is his decision to make. And I think he's going to want to understand completely what step two looks like. What is if he does step down, what does that process look like? Who is that nominee that really has a better chance than he does at defeating Donald Trump? He's going to want to have his mind wrapped around that before he comes to a conclusion, I'd imagine BLITZER: Yes, important points. Nia-Malika Henderson, on all of these reports that are coming in and so many of them are coming in -- NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. BLITZER: -- Kevin McCarthy just said and I'm quoting him now, "Nancy Pelosi knows exactly what she's doing." HENDERSON: Yes. Listen, I mean, Nancy Pelosi is one of the savviest smartest political strategists we've ever covered and seen in our lifetimes. She knows her caucus. She knows the donor community as well. She obviously is in touch with Obama, in touch with Schumer, in touch with sort of Hollywood elites as well. [17:10:00] And she also knows that average Americans are having the kinds of conversations that you reference from this Iowa couple. I can attest to that in my own life. My mother is having these, you know, internal debates about Joe Biden, huge fan of Joe Biden, voted for him in the South Carolina primary, but now she is kind of shifting her position. My brother on the other hand, I texted him today, what are you thinking about Joe Biden? He says he's 1,000 percent, with Joe Biden. So those are the kinds of conversations that Nancy Pelosi is obviously aware of that average Americans are having, and that all Democrats, you know, whether you're a donor, whether you're a public official, those are the kinds of conversations they're having. We don't know what the conversations that Joe Biden is now having and thinking about in Wayne as he makes a decision. BLITZER: Let me get to Audie into this conversation. The impact of all of this pressure, what's it going to be? How quickly r how soon do you think the President needs to make a decision? AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: I can't say that. This is still his decision. But the thing that actually I want to jump on is what you just said Nia because the AP/NRC poll, which we were talking about earlier this week, found that black American support was a little bit higher for Biden to stay in. But if you actually looked further into the numbers, it showed that within the black community, it was actually a 50-50 split. HENDERSON: Yes. CORNISH: Which means this is a tipping point. So when you go on the complex podcast and basically give the host COVID, which he went on TikTok, and said today, not a good look, right? Like not the takeaway you want from that episode. When you're supposed to go, you need us and speak before all of these Latin American voters and supporters and then you can't go at all, it doesn't help. So it's just sort of like these things that they were doing even to shore up the support of the average voter where they feel like they have the strongest support. They haven't been able to complete the past so to speak. BLITZER: Yes, that's important point. Mark Preston is with us, as well. Mark, the Washington Post, as you know, is building on some CNN reporting that former President Obama, former President Obama is now saying -- he told allies that President Biden's ability to beat Trump has greatly diminished. How significant is that? MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, it's hugely significant because Barack Obama brought Joe Biden to the dance. I mean, he had Brock Obama not selected and him as his running mate, Joe Biden would still be in the United States Senate or quite frankly, as Jake was saying, last hour looking at the waves, you know, crashing into the Rehoboth Beach. The interesting thing I do think of where we are right now, and Jeff hit upon this, we're like three weeks into the debate being over. We are now six days past the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The White House has had the time. Joe Biden has had the time to try to turn this around, especially this week of four days of focused on Donald Trump from every news organization. Now, it's kind of switching back. Joe Biden had a long time to try to fix this. And he was not able to. BLITZER: It's interesting. CNN has obtained, David, a letter from Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland sent to the President urging him to reconsider, urging him to reconsider his campaign, comparing him to a tiring baseball pitcher. CHALIAN: Yes, we should note this letter was sent or dated on July 6. It's becoming public now. Why? Because Nancy Pelosi has indicated that things like that can become public now because she wouldn't say she's leaving her conversations be known. But her conversations with Biden are being known publicly and that is a signal. And so, I think we're going to hear from a lot more members than we have already that have had these kinds of thoughts. And Congressman Raskin's letter is clearly praising Joe Biden for the president that he is and how -- what a good job Jamie Raskin believes he's done. But pleading with him in this moment, because he deems the stakes of this election so high, and that Joe Biden's chances of victory here are so slim. Well, I do just want to say, if Joe Biden stays in this race, is a completely different candidacy than the one he has had the last six months, because now we're at a place where the leaders of his party, where members of Congress are already expressing doubts that he can win. You can't just flip on that and rally the party behind you. And on Yes, Joe Biden -- ZELENY: And never mind that. You're also a different battleground if someone -- CHALIAN: No doubt. That is expenditure. ZELENY: -- than it was before. I mean, we used to talk about those three states, but now with how many. CHALIAN: Now it's four. But yes, he is -- this will be an entirely different kind of Biden candidacy than we've seen. And it's going to be very, if he does stay in the race, I think, a pretty lonely experience for him. HENDERSON: And how do you credibly put on a convention, right? CHALIAN: Right. HENDERSON: All of these people have come out -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. HENDERSON: -- and said they have doubts about whether or not he can win. They couldn't put on a convention like this that's unified that says, you know, that really credibly argues that the party is behind him, and they think he can continue and win the White House. BLITZER: And it says a lot that so much of these private concerns that so many of these Democrats have had are now being leaked to the media and they're becoming public and that's a significant development in and of itself. [17:15:01] Everyone, standby, we have a lot more news coming up. We're watching all of this unfold. We're here in Milwaukee. Coming up, one of President Biden's closest allies who serves as a co- chair of his 2024 presidential campaign is here. Delaware Senator Chris Coons is standing by to join us live. But first, much more on tonight's highly anticipated speech from Donald Trump as he prepares to accept the Republican Party's presidential nomination for a third time. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BURNETT: Breaking news, these are live pictures out of Milwaukee just hours away from former President Donald Trump's speech at the final night of the RNC. Now these are his first publicly televised remarks and surviving the assassination attempt Saturday evening at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Sources telling CNN that he is personally dictating and writing portions of the speech. One source telling us, quote, "He's writing the speech himself. It will be in his words, from his heart. [17:20:07] It'll be about unity and bringing the country together." Actually, that is a typical political speech. It would not be a typical political speech for this particular former president. Everyone is here with me now. So Kristen, let me start with you because obviously, there was a, in that moment, a seismic effect on the country in the world when you saw an attempted assassination of former president and a presidential nominee for a party. So now we're a few days out. I know, you've talked about how polling would show a reaction, what does it show? KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So right now, there's not a lot of data that comes in with that horrible event having already happened. Think about the way a poll work somebody like me, we go into the field, we begin calling people asking people what they think and it takes a day or two for that process to play out than the data comes back. So the polls that we're just starting to see are the first ones that incorporate some of that. There are good polls for Donald Trump. However, the polls were good for Donald Trump, even before -- BURNETT: Right. ANDERSON: -- what had happened over the weekend. The thing that's the real blinking red light that's bad for the Biden team is that there are certain states like Virginia, people don't think of Virginia as a swing state these days, but there's polling that comes out of Virginia that says maybe it is. And so that's what's got to be making Democrats much more nervous. BURNETT: So Shermichael, it also comes as, you know, Trump's, you know, loyalists in that convention hall -- SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. BURNETT: -- right, they have taken -- you know, they're wearing the bandages over their ear, right, to show their solidarity with Trump. And that's -- you know, solidarity is the word we keep hearing. Here's about why. We just play with some of the other side. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SUSAN ELLSWORTH, RNC ATTENDEE: Your helping President Trump's set a new fashion statement, and we're standing in solidarity with him for his wound. STACEY GOODMAN, RNC ATTENDEE: We do it in solidarity with our President Trump, because we love him and we support him 100 percent. RAY MICHAELS, RNC ATENDEE: And if somebody has to wear a cast, we'll wear a cast. If somebody has to have a bandage, we'll wear a bandage. We're behind him 100 percent. (END VIDEO CLIP) BURNETT: So you saw on the knee jerk reaction -- SINGLETON: Yes. BURNETT: -- Elon Musk, he'd already made his decision now, right? But he's already made his decision to support Trump. But after that horrific incident, he came out and said it. SINGLETON: I mean, $45 million a month over the next four months, that's a substantial amount of money. He's asking his other billionaire friends to also contribute so the Trump campaign is going to be flush with cash. I mean, this is like a badge of honor for many of Trump's supporters. Many of them before the former president felt disconnected from the body of politic writ large, including the Republican establishment. We have to remind people that a lot of these voters were detached from the Republicanism as we traditionally think about it. They felt disconnected from the overall society. And here comes Donald Trump being that voice, providing that megaphone for their plight, for their issues, for their struggles. So having him gone through this experience, nearly being assassinated those folks resoundingly with him. And to show it, they're going to wear their badge of honor right on their ears. BURNETT: And he's going to talk about it. It's very clear tonight. He said, it's going to be a central part of his speech, that they say he has written portions of himself, and it's focused on unity. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And Donald Trump can tend to be very hands on with important speeches similar to his Twitter feed used to actually dictate to staff what should go out. He likes things to be in his own words. BURNETT: Yes. GRIFFIN: This is a remarkable moment in his life, something that he hoped he'd never face, he never expected that he did. There's reporting from Bret Baier that allegedly he doesn't even mention Biden's name in the entire speech. That would be remarkable. If he got through an entire convention speech and made it more about his vision, his experience uniting the Republican Party, but he's also going to try to talk about uniting the country. My word of caution is this. Donald Trump is incredibly capable of getting through an hour long speech on prompt or being appearing presidential, but it'll be by the next campaign rally that he kind of diverts back to the rhetoric and language that we've expect to -- come to expect out of would be my expectation. KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. That feels like the big question. I mean, we are seeing them signal that this is going to be a speech where he's going to have a different tone and given the events he went through, and he's going to focus on unity, and tools this point, perhaps he will tonight in this very, you know, there not many speeches on the campaign trail that get more sort of attention on the front end, detail focus, you know, wordsmithing, redrafting than the convention speech. So, you know, let's see where he goes after the convention does. So I think the thing to look for tonight is, you know, does this speech actually lay down the kind of message track that Donald Trump is going to be on for the rest of this campaign? Or is this one night where the cameras are on him and he's very focused in and then, you know, we've kind of pervert to the real Donald. GRIFFIN: But yes. Oh, go ahead. BURNETT: No, I just was jumping in here because we just have a headline crossing here. Dana Bash reporting, here's the headline, already Biden's still thinks he can win and has not seen data yet to convince him otherwise. So this is a source close to President Biden telling Dana, he still has a path to victory, does not believe that the data shown to him by various Democratic lawmakers, we know who they are because it's been leaked by their party. So we know Nancy Pelosi said this. We know perhaps Chuck Schumer said this. This is a senior Biden source that he's open to changing his mind if the data show that he can't win, but he doesn't believe he's seen that, Jamal. [17:25:01] JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, this smells like rhetorical countermeasures. Right? Like, I heard this off putting folks deputy campaign manager earlier saying something somewhat similar. Here's the deal. You're in this campaign and so you're not in the campaign. And what you don't want to have the situation where everybody's circling and they smell blood, and then you signal that you've got a wound, right? So you will -- BURNETT: Well, the minute they smell blood, you're a carcass. SIMMONS: Right. So you got to push everybody off until he can have the chance to make his decision. So I think that's a perfectly appropriate thing for them to do. Everybody back up a little bit and let's give them some space. BURNETT: But Kate, you said yesterday, I think this is really important, because you said this prior to this, that it was going to be data driven, and that there wasn't going to be a poll that was going to show him there isn't a path. And he's explicitly saying he does see a path to 270. BEDINGFIELD: I think that yes, as we were discussing yesterday, I think that's a big challenge with the argument that people are making to him. Because, you know, polls are not -- I mean, Kristen knows more about polls than I will ever know. But polls are not predictive in the sense that you can't look at a poll in July and say definitively, this is what the outcome is going to be in November. Now you can look at the aggregate of numbers, you can say this isn't moving in the right direction. I'm not suggesting that -- you know, I'm not suggesting that he should reject any of this data that's coming in to him. BURNETT: Yes. BEDINGFIELD: But if his benchmark for this, if his benchmark for this decision is, I have to see data that tells me I cannot win in November, that doesn't really exist. So that's a challenge with the way that -- I would just say that's a challenge with the way that they are presenting their argument to him. And I think they're going t have to find other ways to make the case if they want to be persuaded. JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So one way to make the case and I will admit I watched mostly for reasons of shot in Freud, but I watched "Morning Joe" this morning to see where they were, you know, which we know President Biden watches and pays attention to. BURNETT: Yes. GOLDBERG: It feels like President Biden has lost Joe Scarborough. BURNETT: Yes. GOLDBERG: He was saying, look, show me a point where you're behind in 12 battleground states, or whatever it is, at this late date. And Mika Brzezinski, she's still an earlier stages of denial, you know, are coping, but that's the kind of thing that I do think will break through if Joe Biden turns on the T.V. and just can't find people saying he should stay in anymore. SIMMONS: Here's a question that I would ask -- here's a question that I would ask if I was there. It's not just about some of the polls that I can win. What is the moment where you think the polls change trajectory? Right? Because I think we all thought that moment was going to be at the debate, and then it didn't happen at the debate. So now we see the trend line with the President's kind of hovering in this space. BURNETT: Right. SIMMONS: And what I want to see is where's the moment now next that we expect that that those numbers to shift and crossed the other direction and the President takes the lead? BURNETT: And you know, he -- the President makes the point, OK, well, the donors, the elites, he doesn't want to do with it. He wants, you know, what the voters. But you've also said, you don't want to be -- everyone says one thing. You want to question it? Not that you're saying it's wrong to the people who say Biden should get out but you haven't fully -- that you're not comfortable yet. ANDERSON: So I wrote a column two weeks ago, and the headline was no poll can tell Joe Biden what he needs to hear. BURNETT: Right. ANDERSON: Because of the polarization we are in -- BURNETT: Yes, right. ANDERSON: -- there are a lot of Americans who would vote for Joe Biden, no matter how terribly he performed, because he's not Donald Trump. So there is a chance that Joe Biden is thinking I'm waiting to be down by 15 points. BURNETT: Right. ANDERSON: And we may just not live in a world where down by 15 points is a thing that can happen because of our polarization. BURNETT: All right. All staying with us. And next more on President Biden as top leaders in the Democratic Party, some of them have gone public with concerns over his candidacy. We're going to speak with a co chair of the President's campaign, a staunch loyalist, the Delaware Senator Chris Coons. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:33:09] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're back live from Milwaukee. And we're following the mounting pressure for President Biden to bow out of the 2024 race from leaders of his own party. Joining us now Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware. He's the co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign. Senator, thanks so much for joining us. SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): When I say leaders, I'm talking about people like Barack Obama, the former president. Always good to be on with you Wolf. BLITZER: This -- the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, they are all very, very concerned that President Biden will lose to Donald Trump and in the process, take other Democrats down with him. Are they wrong? COONS: Well, Wolf, what you're hearing from many Democrats is concerns that Donald Trump does not belong back in the White House. That unifies all Democrats. Not just Democrats, Wolf, Donald Trump's own vice president, secretary of defense, chief of staff, national security adviser, all the core folks who served right around Donald Trump think he should never be reelected. So as you're there in Milwaukee watching the Republican Convention, my message to my Democratic colleagues is we need to pull together and do everything we can to ensure that Donald Trump is defeated this fall. I respect those who have concerns because the stakes are so high. But when we gather for our convention next month in Chicago, Wolf, I'm confident that we will nominate the best candidate to take on and defeat Donald Trump. For me, that's Joe Biden. For some of my colleagues, they have different views. But there's a national poll that was just released by CBS that shows in the battleground states, the margin between Trump and Biden is the same as a nationwide head to head between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. For those who are talking about polls, they have stayed in the same place in the last three weeks. This is a very close election. It's within the margin of error. [17:35:04] BLITZER: But Senator, I just want to point out it's not just Democrats in Washington leading Democrats in Washington, 65 percent of Democrats and Democratic leaning independents now say President Biden should withdraw and allow his party to select a different nominee. They believe someone else would do better against Trump in November. Are nearly two-thirds of your fellow Democrats wrong? COONS: Well, Wolf, what I've said to lots of Democrats, friends, neighbors, colleagues who've reached out to me is that our president deserves the respect, the recognition of his incredible record of success, his 50 years in public service, to give him the time to hear from trusted partners and leaders, to hear from Democrats around the country, and to make the path forward clear for the American people. I think the contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is sharp. I think Joe Biden's record as president is strong. And I think his ability to represent us on the world stage is unmatched. Wolf, I'm here at the Aspen Security Forum, where leaders from all over the world from our military, from other countries, partners and allies, and from here in the United States, are talking about the grave consequences for our standing in the world, for the defense of freedom in Ukraine, for the message he would send to authoritarians, like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, if we were to return Donald Trump to the White House and turn aside from Joe Biden's strong leadership in the defense of freedom in Ukraine. I continue to support my -- BLITZER: You make very strong points -- COONS: -- in the Senate, my friend and colleague from Delaware. BLITZER: You make strong points, Senator. But how does President Biden win this his reelection in an environment where so many of the top leaders in his own Democratic Party are so deeply concerned and leaking all of this to the news media and the public about his candidacy and the vast majority of his own supporters want him to step aside? COONS: Well, Wolf, what President Biden has been greeted by, in state after state as he's campaigned in the last few weeks is large and enthusiastic crowds in Las Vegas, in Michigan, in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. After the debate, which was admittedly, a disaster, many of us, including me, called on President Biden to do press conferences, to do rallies, to go and hear from grassroots Democrats across the country. He's done that. And he's done that while serving as president, leading our nation, leading the NATO Summit and doing a great job at both. This weekend, he will be resting and reflecting in Delaware, he has COVID now, which will limit the number of events and outreach that he can do. But my message to my friends, my colleagues in the Democratic Party, is that we have a great record to run on. We have a generation of capable and talented Democrats, and we have a talented and capable president, and we need to move forward together. BLITZER: I know you're very, very close to the President, Senator. And I want you to be quick with your answer. Has he 100 percent ruled out the possibility of leaving the race during the course of all of your conversations with him? COONS: In my conversations with the President, he's been asking for input. He's been asking from all of us, who talked to him regularly for advice, for counsel, for input on the polls, on the opinion of our colleagues. But he has communicated to every Democrat in writing that he intends to continue this campaign. BLITZER: Is he even considering it leaving? COONS: Look, I think he weighs very seriously the input of those. He trusts and admires those who've served with him. And beyond that I'm not going to get into the details, Wolf. I think he deserves the respect of being able to reflect on this moment. But I think after the tragic shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, he showed us what kind of a leader he is. He called former President Trump. He expressed the prayers and the concerns for rapid recovery from him and his wife, Jill. And he has called for our country to come together. Since he first got involved in the race for the presidency in 2020, he's been urging our country to tone down the rhetoric and to bring our nation together. That's what he said in his inaugural address. That's how he has led as an effective bipartisan president who has gotten more done than any president in my lifetime. And that's the kind of actions he's taken in recent days, to reach out and to show that he is determined to lead our country forward in a way that respects the best of us and the most optimistic aspects of us as a nation rather than further dividing our country. BLITZER: One final question, is he even considering leaving the -- leaving the race? COONS: Wolf, I haven't spoken to him in the last few days, I shouldn't speak to that without direct knowledge. But I will tell you like every Democrat, he's very concerned by what we're hearing from Milwaukee where an inexperienced anti-abortion zealot has just been placed one heartbeat away from a 78-year-old, who has no new answers for America's challenges on that convention stage in Milwaukee. [17:40:18] BLITZER: Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, thanks so much for joining us. COONS: Thank you, Wolf. BLITZER: And just -- thank you. And just ahead, one of the senator's colleagues in Congress, who has called for President Biden to leave the 2024 race is standing by to join us live. We'll talk with Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley when we come back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to a special edition of the Situation Room. President Biden facing more calls to leave the race and other influential house Democrat, Jamie Raskin. We have learned, sent Biden a four-page letter comparing the president to a tire baseball player. We found out that was sent on July 6th but the news of it is leaking now. Joining me now the Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley, who was among those calling on the President to step aside. [17:45:13] And Congressman Quigley, I know you had a chance along with me to listen to Wolf's conversation with Senator Coons where he unabashedly stands behind Biden. He said that the President has a great record. He's talented and capable President. And he has communicated to every Democrat in writing that he is not considering getting out of the race. His message to his fellow Democrats like you, Biden staying in, let's move forward together. What do you say to Senator Coons? REP. MIKE QUIGLEY (D-IL): Yes. You're a good and loyal friend. And there's a lot to be said for that. And it's perverse to think that. But right now, that loyalty is working against the future of our democracy. I mean, it is horribly sad. I would rather do anything else than work against the second Biden administration. But it can't happen. It won't happen. And -- and I understand people look at polls differently. But, you know, he was down in the swings -- the President was down in the swing states before the debate, and he's much farther down now. I mean, look, just we're looking at one state, there's no way you can do the math where if he doesn't win Pennsylvania, you know, he can win the election. He's down seven points, as many polls in Pennsylvania, and he just no path to go back. So, look, loyalty matters. But right now, not having a second Trump presidency is far more important. BURNETT: You use the words working against it. And I just wanted to give you a chance to put those in context. If he does not get out of the race, what do you do? Are you going to continue to work against him or after everything that you've said and as open and transparent as you've been about how you feel, is there any way you could even climb back on board? QUIGLEY: A lot -- what I've always said throughout this, despite my -- despite my concerns is, you know, President Biden, on his worst days, 10 times better than Donald Trump. I was in the room on January 6th, the last days of the Trump presidency. You know, I really, you know, what I see the opening days and a -- and a Supreme Court willing to greenlight lawlessness. So I get that. I'll -- I'll be honest. The way I'm looking at the campaign right now, I see them in a slightly different place. They're -- they're down in the polls. They're losing public support, political leaders. You know, it's -- I -- I sense that there isn't this virulent? No, this is where it's going to be. I -- I'd like to think the President who deserves the respect and every right to contemplate that decision will take the next couple of days. And, again, save democracy for a second time. BURNETT: OK. So just to -- just to, you know, be very blunt about this. If the president of the United States dies, the vice president takes over. So if the president of the United States were to die, Kamala Harris would be the president -- would be the president, right? That's what would happen now because of the laws of our land. But I know that in terms of how this goes from here, you are not necessarily in the camp. But if the President is not at the top of the ticket that the Vice President should be, you refer to some sort of a process. What does that even look like given the date July 18th? QUIGLEY: Sure. I mean, look, I do think there's some time. And I would extend to my Democrats, the notion that now is the time to be thoughtful, and to be calm, and understand that there is a process where the nominee can relinquish their delegates, and it goes to the convention and the convention those -- those delegates get to vote. If they don't do it on the first ballot, well, now you got super delegates. There is a process as chaotic as some people think it is. It's much favorable to Trump second term. BURNETT: All right. Well, Congressman Quigley, I appreciate your time. Thank you. QUIGLEY: Thank you. [17:49:06] BURNETT: And next here for Wolf and me, new insight into how Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to keep business as usual when business of course is anything but usual. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:53:26] BURNETT: And welcome back to a special edition of the Situation Room. Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail today, amid the growing questions about the viability of her running mate. CNN's Brian Todd has our report. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tonight the Vice President out on the campaign trail, while the President self isolates with COVID in Delaware. Kamala Harris taking on her newly nominated direct opponent Republican, J.D. Vance. KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their plans are extreme. And they are divisive. TODD (voice-over): Harris railing against Vance and former President Trump for their claims to be a unity ticket. HARRIS: You cannot claim to be for unity if you try to overturn a free and fair election. TODD (voice-over): Even amid deepening concerns about the man at the top of the Democratic ticket. The Vice President's appearances now more in the spotlight, as the calls for President Biden to exit the race grow louder. CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports that a senior Democratic adviser said President Biden has, quote, gone from saying Kamala can't win to, do you think Kamala can win? ALEX THOMPSON, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, AXIOS: This is the biggest moment she's had since she was nominated as vice president. And you are seeing her hit the trail not just talking about abortion rights, but really being the main validator for Joe Biden's candidacy. TODD (voice-over): But even with some recent polls, suggesting Harris might do better against Trump than Biden would, some analysts say the Vice President is now walking the finest of lines. TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: She does not want to be perceived as trying to push them out or even suggest him out. TODD (voice-over): Harris has been one of the President's fiercest defenders since his disastrous debate. [17:55:02] HARRIS: Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once and we're going to beat him again. He understands everyday struggles because he has actually lived them. So friends, I say the contrast between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is like night and day. TODD (voice-over): Now, as she navigates maybe the most sensitive moment of her career, a Harris biographer says those who've run against Kamala Harris have underestimated her at their own peril. DAN MORAIN, AUTHOR, "KAMALA'S WAY: AN AMERICAN LIFE": She won statewide three times in California, that's no small feat. You don't do that if you're -- if you're a lightweight. (END VIDEOTAPE) TODD (on camera): Alex Thompson of Axios says right now, there's a sort of twofold tightrope that Kamala Harris is walking. She's got to show voters that she has what it takes to wage an effective campaign against Donald Trump if it comes to that. But at the same time, she's got to show absolute loyalty to Joe Biden to be there for him if he stays in the race, or to get his endorsement for delegates if he doesn't. Erin? BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Brian. And to all of you, 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 18, 2024 - 18:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:00:40] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANNOUNCER: In the crucial swing state of Wisconsin, the Republican's choice for president accepts the nomination for a historic third time, capping a four-night showcase of his steadfast support within the party. Tonight in Milwaukee, Donald Trump puts forward his vision for America. One of the most consequential and tradition-shattering presidential races ever shifting into a new gear with Trump and his family in the spotlight, including Eric Trump and the former president's prime time speech. The final night of the Republican National Convention begins on CNN right now. (END VIDEO CLIP) WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Hello from Milwaukee at this climactic moment for the Republicans and their leader, Donald J. Trump. In this arena tonight, the former president of the United States will take a crucial step toward the goal of returning to the White House, and he will speak to the nation for the first time since the attempt on his life on Saturday. We are live here in the convention hall for this special edition of The Situation Room. I'm Wolf Blitzer along with Erin Burnett. Erin, Donald Trump takes the stage tonight as this roller coaster of a presidential race heads deeper and deeper into uncharted territory. ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: Absolutely. I mean, Wolf, obviously the convention is a high point for Trump. It's been a turbulent few weeks from his unprecedented criminal conviction at the end of May, which many had thought would define the race. It's almost forgotten now, an attempted assassination just days ago. We'll be listening closely to the tone that the former president sets in his speech after saying he threw out the original version after the shooting to focus on the theme of unity. We are told that Trump has personally dictated and written portions of his remarks. And, Wolf, the Republicans carefully scripted celebration of Trump that we have watched over these past few days is a stunning contrast to what's happening on the Democratic side of the aisle. BLITZER: Good point, Erin. The division among Democrats clearly ratcheting up and rather dramatically. There are significant new signs that President Biden is facing very serious pushback from party leaders over his defiance amid growing calls for him to drop out of the race. And there's also new reporting on how the president is feeling about all the pressure to call it quits. We have details coming up. But right now, we're getting new information about Donald Trump's speech tonight. CNN's Kaitlan Collins is joining us from the convention floor. Kaitlan, what are you learning? KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, well, if I'm standing here on the convention floor in between the New York and West Virginia delegations, all the delegates are starting to arrive, Donald Trump's surrogates as well, and they are all preparing for the main event tonight, which is going to be when the former president takes the stage, the first time that he'll be in front of a major audience since that attempted assassination on Saturday night. And given that what happened there, Donald Trump has been rewriting his speech, even working on it, I'm told, as recently as this afternoon, personally involved in changing it in a way that his advisers and his family members say will be different, and that you'll notice that difference when he takes the stage tonight. It'll be a different vibe than what he was expecting to do even just a week ago, Wolf. And so keep a close eye on that, because not only is Donald Trump rewriting his speech, everyone else who has been preceding him and coming out on stage has also been rewriting theirs, though I've been told that a lot of the operatives here have been urging them to not mention the assassination as much. Not every single speaker has talked about it. That's because they wanted Donald Trump to be able to talk about that assassination attempt and to really have the focus be on that. You'll notice, Wolf, we've hardly heard from Donald Trump, at least on camera, ever since that happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. That is designed because they want to essentially let the anticipation build to see what that message they are promising will be of unity. We'll have to wait and see what that looks like tonight. I can tell you, Wolf, it is the final night of the convention. Everyone in the convention hall and on this floor is getting ready for that. You can see just how much this really is Donald Trump's party. When you look at even the small details of this event, there are balloons, obviously, Wolf, as there aren't every Republican in the political convention for that matter. [18:05:02] But if you look at him, Wolf, you'll notice there are red, white, blue, but also gold balloons. And that is going to be a mainstay that you'll see after Donald Trump finishes his speech here tonight. I'm told that speech is going to be about an hour, an hour and ten minutes, applause lines, maybe Donald Trump goes off script. That's what we'll be watching for closely, Wolf, as well as the appearance of the former first lady, Melania Trump, who has not been at this convention this week, but is expected to be here in the convention hall tonight, Wolf. BLITZER: All right, Kaitlan, thank you very much. Don't go too far away. I want to go to Boris Sanchez right now. He's near the podium where Trump will be giving his speech tonight. Boris, tell us about the big themes of the night. What are you learning? BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Wolf, it's so interesting because contrasting with some of the speeches that we've heard over the last few days, people close to the former president trying to sort of humanize him and show his softer side. A lot of the speakers in primetime tonight are famed tough guys or people associated with brawling. Notably, first up, we have Linda McMahon, a former Trump administration official, who was the president and co-founder, alongside her husband Vince, of World Wrestling Entertainment, in which Donald Trump participated in in his years before his foray into politics. Perhaps not a surprise that we're also going to hear from the former world wrestling champion himself, Hulk Hogan, later in the evening. Not exactly someone that's been known to dabble in Republican politics. Also, perhaps not surprising, that later in the evening, right before Donald Trump is introduced, we're going to hear from the president of UFC, the famed MMA organization, in which Donald Trump has attended numerous events, a ringside to witness the combat sport firsthand. We should also point out that a number of MMA fighters have given full- throated endorsements of the former president. And just before Donald Trump takes the stage, we're set to hear from rap rocker Kid Rock. CNN has learned that he's actually adapted some of the lyrics to his hit song, American Badass, to meet the moment. He's going to be leading the crowd in chants of fight, fight, fight, notable, given that the tone of Donald Trump's speech is supposed to be one focusing on unity, Wolf. BLITZER: Unity, unity, unity, fight, fight, fight, we'll see what happens. All right, Boris, thank you very much. We'll get back to you as well. I want to bring in our panel of political experts. And, Jeff, let me start with you. You're learning something new information about the president's speech, the former president's speech tonight. JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, it's such an interesting moment for Donald Trump, he has been in this place before, quite literally, on a convention stage back in Cleveland in 2016 to try and win over Republicans. And then four years later, he was on the South Campus. Lawn of the White House tried to earn a second term there. And in both of those speeches we've gone back to look, he mentioned his opponents, Hillary Clinton, he mentioned some 11 times in Cleveland. Joe Biden, he mentioned him some 42 times in that White House speech. Tonight, we are told that he is not expected to mention Joe Biden's name one time. We will see if that happens. But our Kasie Hunt is reporting that that is what his advisers are telegraphing. What this signals, I think, is he's trying to have at least tonight, for this show tonight, where he has a lot of people watching, to present a softer side, perhaps. We've seen really a run up to this, just a string of family members you know, his granddaughter and others trying to portray Donald Trump, the man. Of course, we have watched Donald Trump a very long time. He has a record in the White House, so you can't completely reinvent yourself. But I think you can decide what side to show. So, we're learning that a lot of the details from that horrific assassination attempt will also be the spine of the speech tonight. But if he goes through without mentioning his rival once, it's probably the last speech he will do that of this campaign. BLITZER: It's carefully written speech, and he'll read it from a teleprompter, although he likes to go off teleprompter from time to time. ZELENY: Sure. AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Just to follow up on that, you said his softer side, it means he can also outsource his tougher side. And I think you see that in Kid Rock coming on stage, who's very much been a long time conservative pop figure. And also Hulk Hogan is an interesting choice because his lawsuit against Gawker, which shut down that sort of odds media blog site, was funded in part by Peter Thiel, who is also a big benefactor to J.D. Vance. I know this sounds like inside baseball, but Thiel is a big time moneyed donor of the Silicon Valley, and his kind of insertion into the inner circle of Trump land via Vance is very significant, and I think something that we'll be hearing about over the next couple of months. DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I mean, we heard Elon Musk dedicating $45 million a month in the fall campaign to his super PAC. BLITZER: A lot of money. Money talks in politics, as we all know. What did you think, David, about this reporting that Trump tonight is not going to mention Biden in his speech? CHALIAN: Yes. So, looking back at his speeches in Cleveland and in 2020, they also -- in addition, to the Biden piece, they had a darker sensibility to them. [18:10:03] And I remember being in Cleveland and a lot of us sort of observed that speech and looked at each other, and it was, it was one of the darker convention speeches I had heard a candidate make, his inauguration followed, that was a pretty dark speech. And the way that the telegraphing is, this is just going to have a different texture and a different tone, perhaps. We'll see. And the fact that Donald Trump, on his third go-round as the head of the Republican Party and the nominee, that he's already served as president, that he is so deeply already ingrained in the minds of Americans, whether they like him or not, is actually trying to play different notes or show a different side of him. I find that fascinating because I think it's a very difficult task given how ingrained perceptions are around him. NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I mean, you can tell he's, in some ways, really trying to erase the Donald Trump that we've all, you know, come to know over these many, many years, most notably his four years in the White House, the years that followed, all of the lies, January 6th, sleeping with a porn star, the felony convictions. He's trying to sort of tear that down and rebuild and remodel himself as sort of a kindly grandfather who likes to dance to YMCA, right? I mean, that's one of the videos that's been played over and over at this thing. BLITZER: They're very good videos. HENDERSON: And so, yes, I mean, we should view this as propaganda, essentially. It's sort of political propaganda. And you can tell it's aimed at a lot of those suburban voters, right, those independent voters. So, there is this idea that somehow the Donald Trump you have come to know after, you know, five or six or ten years isn't really the Donald Trump that exists. This is a new Donald Trump, and I think he'll try to do that tonight in this hour-long speech. BLITZER: We'll see how all of this unfolds. There is so much more just ahead as we stand by for this convention to begin, the program tonight to begin. And countdown to the main event tonight, Donald Trump speaking to Republicans with an eye toward winning over undecided voters. His son Eric also appearing on stage while the rest of the family is coming together on this pivotal night, including Melania Trump, what we're learning about the former first lady's appearance. Lots of news going on, that's all coming up next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:16:35] BURNETT: It's the final night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, and we are now just hours away from Donald Trump formally accepting his party's nomination. In the convention hall tonight will be family. Melania Trump, the former first lady, who has played a much smaller role in her husband's 2024 campaign than the first two runs for the White House, but she will be there tonight in person, although not speaking, not scheduled to speak. Kristen Holmes has a closer look for us. I mean, Kristen, when you look at this campaign this time around, this is a rare appearance for Melania Trump. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Erin, it's not just rare, it is literally only the second time that she has gone to a single campaign event since her husband announced his third presidential bid. It's also one of the few times we've seen them together in public in years. All eyes are going to be on their interactions. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES (voice over): As former President Donald Trump takes the stage tonight at the Republican National Convention, his wife, Melania Trump, will make a rare appearance. But unlike the convention in 2020 -- MELANIA TRUMP, FORMER U.S. FIRST LADY: It seems like just yesterday that we were at our first convention, where my husband accepted the Republican nomination and then became our 45th president of the United States. HOLMES: And the one in 2016 -- M. TRUMP: If you want someone to fight for you and your country, I can assure you, he's the guy. He will never ever give up. And most importantly, he will never, ever let you down. HOLMES: The former first lady is not expected to make a speech, but instead watch from the family box. The elusive Mrs. Trump has attended only one public campaign event during Trump's third presidential bid, his formal announcement at their Mar-a-Lago home. DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: On behalf of Melania and myself and our entire family, I would like to I want to thank you all for being here tonight. HOLMES: The former first lady also not traveling to the debate or joining him at various legal proceedings, instead, opting for rare solo appearances, like a naturalization ceremony and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's memorial service. Both the former president and Mrs. Trump have teased her joining him on the trail. REPORTER: Are you going to return to the campaign trail with your husband? M. TRUMP: Stay tuned. HOLMES: Over the weekend, Trump issuing an emotional public statement after the assassination attempt on the former president, writing, a monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald's passion, his laughter, ingenuity, love of music and inspiration. The core facets of my husband's life, his human side, were buried below the political machine. And imploring the country to look at the human side of her husband, quote, thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family. Melania Trump is not the only family member stepping back into the spotlight. Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom served as senior advisers to the president during his first term, are also scheduled to appear. They have distanced themselves from the campaign this time around. Ivanka holding a key role in past conventions, introducing her father. IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: I could not be more proud tonight to present to you and to all of America, my father and our next president, Donald J. Trump. [18:20:03] HOLMES: This year, that speaking slot held by Trump's longtime friend, UFC CEO Dana White. DANA WHITE, CEO, UFC: He's a fighter. He loves this country. He's doing great things for this country. And we got to win this election again, ladies and gentlemen. (END VIDEOTAPE) HOLMES (on camera): And we have just learned that Donald Trump is coming to the convention arena early. He'll be there just before 8:00. And when he goes to the arena, Melania Trump is not going to be with him. He'll be in the family box later. Closer to his speech, she'll meet him in that family box, Erin. BURNETT: All right. Kristen, thank you very much. And as we're talking about Melania Trump and being there, what her role is, let's go back to Kaitlan Collins, who has new details on why Melania Trump doesn't have a speaking role tonight. What are you learning, Kaitlan? COLLINS: Well, it's all by design, Erin. And really, as we know and witnessed, as Melania Trump, when she was the first lady of the United States and Donald Trump was in office, she does things on her own accord and often cannot be pressured or convinced into doing something if she does not want to do it. CNN's Kate Bennett reported about her independence and what that style looks like. And that is playing out and why you won't see her on this stage tonight like you did in 2016 and 2020. I'm told by two sources that multiple people appealed personally to the former first lady to speak at this convention as we've seen happen in the modern political era, but she declined to do so. She did not want to have a speaking role at this convention. Now, that's notable because, typically we've seen, as we did last night with Senator Vance's wife, political spouses come out to try to reveal a softer side of their spouse. They're not often talking about policy, but we will not be seeing Melania Trump in a speaking capacity tonight to do it, even though she was asked multiple times to do so. Now, I do want to remember back in 2016, she was accused of lifting portions of Michelle Obama's speech at a previous convention. That was a longtime Trump Organization employee that they credited for that. But it is notable that we will see Melania Trump tonight, but we will not hear from her, and that is by her choice, Erin. BURNETT: All right, Kaitlan, thank you very much. And, Shermichael, interesting, by her choice, as Kaitlan is reporting and pointing out, you know, there is context here. There's a conviction in the Stormy Daniels case, and, I mean, you know, it's hard to reveal a softer side for her at this moment. SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sure. Family dynamics are complicated. I mean, her presence there, I think, speaks for itself considering the fact that we haven't seen her in quite some time. My hope is that she will eventually get out on the campaign trail. I mean, spouses do serve as a conduit to humanize the individual. You can put her before women. She's an immigrant. She can sort of speak to that experience as well, particularly when you have seen some of the immigrant numbers move more favorably towards her husband. And so I'm curious to see over the next four months what exactly happens with the first lady. But I am cautious to be critical of her because her husband was nearly assassinated. I think people need to give her an opportunity to get out there, if she so chooses. BURNETT: So, can I ask you, though, about this, Alyssa? You know, it is not as if we do not know this person, Donald Trump, and his history. And so this is not new. This is not a traditional playbook where the family comes out. They had that playbook. They did that in 2016, right? This is different, and I mean in a certain sense, at least she's not pretending. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, that was my thought. So, Melania Trump is a strong-willed person. This was something you saw play out throughout her time in the White House. She would oftentimes put out statements that were kind of contradictory of what the official White House line was. And she's not going to be forced into doing something she doesn't want to. The context here matters. Listen, we're all thinking of the former president. I don't like bringing up the dirty past, but, I mean, we had the E. Jean Carroll ruling. You had the Stormy Daniels trial play out. I think she's very aware that what she says will be parsed, and it will be mocked potentially by his detractors. I think her presence there is a big step. But I would note one of the only times she even appeared with him recently was when he hosted Viktor Orban down at Mar-a-Lago. She's been very, very stepped back. But also the programming tonight is fascinating to me as a woman watching this and somebody who's more of a moderate Republican, Tucker Carlson, Dana White. It is a lineup of, you know, machismo, men who are really there to show how strong Donald Trump is. It would have been a powerful night for her to speak if she were willing to. SINGLETON: But I will say, Erin, really quickly here, you have seen younger men appear to be more open minded and more favorable to President Trump than President Biden. So, I think the Trump campaign recognizes that there's a substantial opportunity here to move the numbers of young men. JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, one really quick point, Alyssa and I were talking about it earlier, last night, huge amount of stuff about what a great grandpa Donald Trump is, what a great father, how great he is to women, you know, that he's helped and he cares for and all that kind of stuff. No one ever used the word, husband, not that I heard in any of those speeches. It was all grandpa, father, all that kind of stuff. And I have no idea. It could be Melania just says, if you -- sort of like in the courtroom, if you enter it into evidence, you know, if you start that line of questioning, it gets to bring all that stuff in. [18:25:07] And so I just thought it was very interesting what they didn't say. BURNETT: Yes. Well, again, because this isn't the first rodeo here for the country for this. All right, just ahead, we're keeping an eye on the turmoil inside the embattled Biden campaign. New reporting on the president's thinking as the clamor for him to drop out of the race grows louder. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BURNETT: And welcome back to our special coverage of the Republican National Convention, as Donald Trump prepares to formally accept his party's third nomination in eight years. [18:30:01] Top Democrats are confronting their own presumptive nominee, with growing concerns over his candidacy. And, you know, there's sort of a drumbeat here and it's getting louder and louder. According to The New York Times, sources close to President Biden say he's beginning to accept he might have to leave the race and that it wouldn't be a surprise if he made an announcement soon endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. Our own Dana Bash has more for us. And, Dana, this report from the Times building off a lot of the reporting that Jeff Zeleny has been doing, and it seems to lead to the defiant posture from the president, perhaps wearing down. DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Perhaps. This is really remarkable and you set it up perfectly, Erin, about the dynamic that is clearly going on here. It seems as though every hour there is a story, either from us, from our fantastic colleagues with their great reporting from The New York Times, The Washington Post, with people trying to get to the president, to get the word to him and to people in his inner circle that they believe that he should go. And now the should is kind of morphing into could. And that started last night, as you noted, with Jeff Zeleny reporting that perhaps the president is more receptive to stepping down. Our colleague, Pamela Brown, is hearing from another source that he is in a contemplative stage as he isolates with COVID-19 in Rehoboth. So, this is kind of coming from the point of view of blind quotes, people who are talking to us with anonymity and to other news outlets as well. And then you have the Jamie Raskin. Erin, who took -- what had been a private letter to the president and made it public, another one of Nancy Pelosi's strong allies and a kind of bold-faced name in Democratic politics. Here's part of what he said, Erin. He said, even the finest pitchers have only around 110 pitches in them before their arms tire and begin to give out. There is no shame in taking a well- deserved bow to the overflowing appreciation of the crowd when your arm is tired out, and there is real danger for the team in ignoring the statistics. So, on that question of the statistics, Erin, here's -- the question is, where is President Biden right now? Here is what I was told just a short while ago, that the president still believes there is a path to victory for him. And he does not believe the data that has been brought to him by various sources, all of which we have been reporting from House Democratic leaders and beyond. And that the source does also say the president is open to changing his mind if the data show that he can't win, but that he doesn't believe he has seen that yet. The other thing I wanted to say, the source familiar with the president's thinking, is that the president is very much consuming us, consuming cable news, consuming news from different sources. And so, yes, people are not necessarily getting through to him directly on the phone as much as they would like, maybe. But the idea that he is not hearing what we are reporting, I'm told, is not true. He is. BURNETT: All right, Dana. Thank you very much. I'm here with my panel. Kate, let me just ask you if you have your time working with the president. So, he has these meetings, okay, with Nancy Pelosi, with Chuck Schumer, he gets a letter from Jamie Raskin, and he takes it all in, and he believes he has a path, and he goes out and says, I'm in, I'm in, and they don't like it. And so now all these things are leaking out. How does that play with him? When he said it feels he had a conversation, and he came to a conclusion, and it was a conversation, I suppose is how it was, right, and now it's all leaking out? KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Well, look, he doesn't like having his back put up against the wall. I mean, he's somebody who feels like, you know, when he's being pushed in that way, his instinct is always to buck up, to fight back. And so having this all come out publicly in this way, I imagine, is probably lighting a fire under him. You know, I think, Dana was saying that someone had told her he is seeing -- you know, he is watching cable news, he's reading the newspaper. That is certainly true, that is true from my time working with him. I think there's been, you know, some discussion about is he really getting, you know, info, is he kind of sealed off in a bubble where he's only hearing things he wants to hear, That wasn't my experience with him, both in terms of people being direct with him, but also he's a consumer of news. So, he is aware that this conversation is ongoing. KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: But one thing that always strikes me about his public comments on this is that for the commander-in-chief of the United States, he likes to pontificate about how unreliable he thinks polls are, and he's not alone in that, right? As a pollster, I hear that all the time. Well, nobody's ever called me. [18:35:00] Well, nobody's picking up the -- and he's not wrong to have skepticism of the polls, writ large. He's not alone in that, and he's not totally wrong in that. The problem is with the consistent drumbeat of numbers we're seeing, they're beginning to get to the point where they're outside of even if the polling industry is wrong, they're usually not wrong by that much. And it's not a guarantee that they'll be wrong in that direction. So, is anything possible? Sure, my beloved Florida Gators could win a football championship this year, but would I stake my career on it? Go Gators, but I don't know. BURNETT: Let me just -- and I want to talk about some Washington Post reporting that's just come out, but, first, you referenced a CBS/YouGov poll, and I don't want to put too much emphasis on it. I don't know if it, you know, meets our standards. I want to put it in this simple context of the point it makes, which is that it had Kamala Harris and Biden only two points apart in terms of how they fared versus Trump. So, I just use it to make the point of Democrats who are hoping for some, you know, Zeus-like lightning strike by switching the ticket. Do the polls show that such a thing would happen? ANDERSON: Not particularly. The one benefit of making a switch is that, right now, let's say Biden is down by five in a poll, you really have to struggle to make the case, what's Biden going to do that's going to be better than the last few weeks? Or you could argue that somebody like Vice President Harris could go out on the trail and vigorously prosecute the case against Trump and perhaps turn a three- point deficit into a three-point lead in a way Biden might not be able to. BURNETT: Quickly before we go, Jamal, The Washington Post is reporting Pelosi has told House Democrats that Biden may soon be persuaded to exit the race, that she believes he can be convinced fairly soon to exit. I mean, just look at the phrasing on this. JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. BURNETT: This is a shift even in the past few hours. SIMMONS: It's certainly a shift. I mean, listen, I imagine, and I'll take Kate's word on this, she knows the man much better than anybody else here, that he is working through this in his own pace. But, you know, when you decide to run for president, it takes a pretty hefty amount of ego to decide, you know what, I'm going to lead the free world. And you have a group of people around you who you kind of in this little conspiracy together about how you're going to capture the White House and what you want to do when you're there. And I mean that in the nicest phrase of the word, conspiracy, not a legal one. And so to come to a conclusion as a group that what you're doing, the time is now coming to the end of that, it's a pretty big decision. And so I think everyone's trying to be respectful of that. Give them space and let them work their way through it. BURNETT: Especially when he looks and says he got 14 million votes in the primaries. I mean, it's hard. All right, all staying with us as our coverage continues in Milwaukee, where the stage is set for Donald Trump to formally accept the Republican presidential nomination. Wolf and I will be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:41:54] BLITZER: The final night of the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee is getting underway right now. You're watching CNN's special coverage live from Milwaukee. Tonight will mark Donald Trump's third GOP presidential nomination, a truly remarkable political comeback for the former president of the United States. We're watching this session just getting underway right now. I want to bring in CNN's Phil Mattingly. He's live on the convention floor. Phil, it's pretty clear that this is Donald Trump's Republican Party now, outfits and all. PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Yes, if there's any question going into this week, it has certainly been solidified with an exclamation point over the course of the last three days. And it's expected to be peak tonight. I'm here with Andy Gibson, a delegate from the state of Mississippi, Central Mississippi, I believe. And you're wearing something right now that has become something we've seen all over the place over the course of the last couple of days. Why are you putting a band on your ear? ANDY GIBSON, MISSISSIPPI DELEGATE: I'm wearing this to stand in solidarity with my president, Donald J. Trump. He came within a millimeter of his life Saturday, but he got back up. He's in the fight and I'm in the fight with him and we're going to fight and we're going to win in November. MATTINGLY: Now you said this is your fourth convention. It's mine as well. I got to say, I haven't seen -- I've seen a lot of accessories at these conventions, never that before. GIBSON: It's a unique one. I mean, it's a new day. There's a new level of energy in this convention that I've never seen. And I think when the president walks out on that stage, not only this convention hall, but all of America is going to shout in celebration of his victory over this close call with death, but also what he stands for. He got back up on his feet. He said, we're going to fight and we're going to join him in that fight in Mississippi and all over this great country and it gets. MATTINGLY: Andy Gibson, we appreciate your time sir. Thank you very much. And, Wolf, it's not just the ear bandages, we've seen cheese heads in Wisconsin. We've seen cowboy hats in Texas. This is definitely, as one delegate told me just a short while ago, this is the night to party. They want to do that. But more than anything else, and we've seen it and it's very tightly scripted last three and a half days, this is a moment of unity and, Wolf, certainly, Republicans want to underscore that tonight. BLITZER: Yes, I've seen cheese heads before at conventions, certainly all sorts of other things. First time we've seen people wearing bandages on their right ear. We're watching all of this very, very closely. And, David Chalian, what do you make of the fact that so many of these delegates now have a bandage on their right ear? CHALIAN: Well, as we have said for several years now, a party remade in the image of Trump. This is the literal manifestation of that in the image of Trump. And, you know, we all know that Donald Trump cares a lot about his appearance and public image, and I can't imagine how much went into before his first walk out onto the floor Monday night of looking at that and seeing if it was okay and if the hair was okay with it. I mean, that's just who Donald Trump is. It's his reality star days. It's somebody who understands the power of maintaining control of your own public image. And he's very, very skilled at that. And even in dealing with this emergency that he had on Saturday, an attempted assassination and the repercussions from it, he turned that into an opportunity for all these delegates to express their loyalty. [18:45:01] CORNISH: You know, one other thing is we're in the third cycle of the party nominating Trump. And so, we're witnessing a political maturation basically. The first year was a food fight. Now, all that's over, everyone's exiled, assumed or succumbed, and so he really can enjoy this moment. BLITZER: Yeah, this convention is beginning, this final night is beginning to get underway right now, a little procession going on. It will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, the "Star-Spangled Banner". We'll watch that as it unfolds. HENDERSON: Yeah. Well, they're doing the colors presentation right now. ZELENY: I think one thing is so notable being down on the floor for the last couple of days watching this. I mean, we've already had a glimpse of Donald Trump, saw him coming in on Monday night, on Tuesday night, Wednesday night. So, it will be the first night -- (CROSSTALK) BLITZER: Hold on for a moment. I want to listen to the Pledge of Allegiance. ANNOUNCER: Please welcome, Gabe Guidarini to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) GABE GUIDARINI, VP OF OUTREACH, COLLEGE REPUBLICANS OF AMERICA: Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Thank you, and may God bless our great nation. (APPLAUSE) ANNOUNCER: Now to perform the national anthem, please welcome award- winning international singer Mary Millben. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (NATIONAL ANTHEM BY MARY MILLBEN) (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) [18:51:57] BLITZER: What a beautiful way to begin this final night of the Republican National Convention. And still ahead, our special coverage will continue from right here in Milwaukee. We're going to bring you more of the lead-up to Donald Trump's big, big he speech later tonight, and the tone we expect him to set tonight. Stay with us. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [18:56:24] BLITZER: Welcome back. The final night of the Republican National Convention is now officially underway. Donald Trump preparing to accept a truly historic third GOP nomination tonight as he looks to unite his party and reached new voters crucial to winning back the White House. Let's get some analysis right now. Jeff, let me start with you, an effort to humanize Trump, that's been going on. And these Republicans at this convention, they're very well- organized. I think they're doing a pretty strong job getting the entire crowd and people watching, their supporters and potentially others behind the former president of United States. I want you to listen and our viewers to listen to his granddaughter, Kai, what she said about her granddad last night. ZELENY: Right. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) KAI TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S GRANDDAUGHTER: 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. 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. GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS (R), ARKANSAS: Our president pulled me aside, looked me in the eye and said: Sarah, you're smart. You're beautiful. You're tough and they attacked you because you're good at your job. (END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: That's the governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, speaking as well, humanizing the former president. ZELENY: Absolutely. And I think the speech from Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the nation's youngest governor, of course, former White House press secretary, will be remembered as one of the strongest ones. She certainly just gave a very full throated argument about what he meant to her and how he treated her positively as a woman. You know, when she was criticized for how she looked by some liberal commentators and others, look, but I think the granddaughter, I also remember he said, you know, he sometimes sneaks me pieces of candy and soda, very humanizing moment. We've seen that every night really. It's been building up to this. I think that that is something that we expect at conventions. Republican audiences. We've already said are going to give him a hero's welcome. They already have. I'm not sure it matters much beyond this convention hall or not. People have a very good sense of who Donald Trump is. But what are the challenges the Biden campaign has experienced this year is trying to remind voters of all of Donald Trump, the entire picture. So I think he is now doing himself some good here, certainly. You know, he's approved every three single piece of this program we're told. He knows what a show is like. This is the Trump show. Beyond this convention, I'm not sure how long that lasts, but for tonight at least, it's a celebration and he's in the middle of it. BLITZER: Yeah. HENDERSON: I think that's right. Listen, I think its great that Donald Trump gets his granddaughter candy, and it's nice to folks he worked swore I think average Americans, as you said, have a history and a knowledge of Donald Trump built up over these last many, many years where he has had publicly disparaging remarks about women. He has had lawsuits involving a terrible behavior regarding women. So that's I think what people remember I do think he's kind of creating this, choose your own adventure, right? Like if you -- you know, if you want to believe that Donald Trump is the kindly grandfather, there's that. You want to go to this? Yeah. BLITZER: And CNN special convention coverage continues right now. … Erin Burnett OutFront Aired July 18, 2024 - 19:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. (MUSIC) [19:00:07] ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: The final night of the Republican National Convention is underway in Milwaukee. Speakers setting the stage for the grand finale for the Republicans, which is Donald Trump will speak to delegates, and, of course, to the nation tonight, just days after surviving an assassination attempt. The former president at a moment of triumph, pursuing one of the most stunning comebacks in political history. You are watching a special edition of OUTFRONT. And welcome to all. I'm Erin Burnett, along with Wolf Blitzer, of course. And, Wolf, no matter how voters view Donald Trump, right? And gosh, knows one of the most polarizing times in our history is political journey is unparalleled. WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: You're absolutely right, Erin. Trump's speech later tonight may give us a sense of how he plans to move forward in that journey. Sources now telling CNN, the former president has been personally and very intensely involved in crafting what he'll say tonight, energizing -- emphasizing unity after the attempt on his life, instead of the more familiar and divisive rhetoric he has offered used in the past. We'll be listening, of course, to every word that's coming up later tonight. And when Trump accepts his third presidential nomination and delivers his remarks in primetime, we'll get a better sense of what's -- what's -- what's -- what's about to happen. His son, Eric Trump, also is speaking tonight and will help tee up his father's speech. We expect former First Lady Melania Trump to be in the hall making her first appearance at this convention -- Erin. BURNETT: All right. And CNN's Phil Mattingly is near the Trump family box in the convention hall. And, Phil, you know, you've seen family members there throughout the week and Melania Trump will be there tonight. So what more do you expect to see from the Trump family this evening? PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. Erin, what's been fascinating about the course of the last several days is there's been two real main stages, the convention stage and then center stage. Right behind me, you can see ringed and outlined in red, that is the VIP box, the family box where just around 8:00 p.m. every single night, the former president walks into raucous of applause, and then as one senior Republican official put it, a mini Mar-a-Lago of sorts, where you have Republican lawmakers, Republican candidates, top players in the Trump inner circle, cycling through seeing who can sit next to him, who can get his attention, who can talk to them, whether his son moves his chair or moves down to more chairs. J.D. Vance's mom was there last night, of what was a very powerful moment in his remarks. And it has become a place where everybody is looking to throughout the course of the night, not just to see who's up there and it's certainly a who's who of Trump world and Trump world adjacent. But also to see the reaction, how the former president is doing certainly in the wake of the traumatic events of the attempted assassination, but also how he responds to people like Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis, former opponents, or his new vice presidential selections. And tonight will be dramatically different. And one really particular sense and that is, as you noted, Melania Trump, Donald Trump's wife will be in attendance, will be sitting up there. Ivanka Trump is expected to be here as well. And these are going to be things they haven't seen before. And all eyes will certainly be on them, Erin. BURNETT: They certainly well, as we watch this evening. Phil, thank you very much. Let's go to Kaitlan Collins now on the convention floor. And, Kaitlan, I know you just spoke to the House speaker a short while ago. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yeah, Erin. I'm standing in front of the Louisiana delegation down here on the floor. Everyone is getting ready for tonight's speakers to come out. You can see House Speaker Mike Johnson actually mingling with members of his delegation right now from his home state. I just spoke to him a few moments ago about what he is expecting to see in his party's leaders tonight. And this is what he told me. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: We hear from President Trump in his speech tonight. REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I think he's going to be inspiring and uplifting, and he wants to talk about unifying the country. That's what the country needs right now. And we're really looking forward to that message. We -- there's a lot of anticipation as you can tell out here, lot of energy and I think that's true across the country. Everywhere we've been in recent weeks, that has been building. But after the assassination attempt, I think there's been an emotional aspect to this that just can't be discounted. So it's going to be a big night for us. COLLINS: What do you think unity means to Donald Trump? JOHNSON: What's that? COLLINS: What do you think -- how do you think he defines unity? JOHNSON: I think -- when he says America first that comes from a deep, sincere place in his heart and he loves this country. I had been with him all over the place and all different kinds of settings. You know, we've talked about it. He loves the American people. He loves what America stands for. And I think he's going to articulate that tonight and have a clear vision for where were going. And I think it's going to resonate with the American people just like J.D. Vance's speech did last night. COLLINS: Thank you, Speaker Johnson. (END VIDEO CLPI) COLLINS: Now, Erin, I will say one thing we have been hearing from all of our sources is about this speech tonight from the former president that he personally helped rewrite after what happened on Saturday is going to revolve around unity. But I think there is a question of what that looks like in Donald Trump's view, how he projects that from the stage compared to how someone else might define unity. It's kind of one of those stay tuned and wait and see speeches to see how he articulates that and what that looks like on stage. [19:05:04] And I'll tell you, I've been hearing from his political advisers who don't want that to just be a theme of tonight. That want -- they want that to be something that resonates throughout the rest of this campaign for the next 100 days or so until November. Of course, the big question is whether or not they can. It's still very early. There are still a lot of time to go, but everyone will be watching closely as a speaker said, to what Donald Trump says when he addresses this convention, but also the nation tonight. BURNETT: All right, Kaitlan. Thank you very much. And you know, its interesting what Kaitlan talks about, Shermichael, the people close to him want, you know, the message again, maybe it will, maybe it won't, but we've had this conversation countless times before. SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. BURNETT: In fact, after the horrific events of Saturday, you know, when he posted a concern general, generous tweet at first, it wasn't even 24 hours later when there was a tweet about throwing out all the cases in witch-hunt, right. Just I'm just -- wasn't a tweet. It was a Truth Social post. So what we here tonight doesn't really mean anything about what we're going to hear down the road. SINGLETON: I mean, it doesn't, Erin, but there is an opportunity for people who don't typically engage in this process to hear what the former president has to say after what happened this past Saturday. I'm thinking about a guy named Paul Tillich. He wrote a book titled "Morality and Beyond". And in that book, Tillich talks about the church. He says the church has to figure out a way to adapt to the issues of today. Well, Donald Trump has to figure out a way to adapt to the issues of today beyond just his base. And this is an opportunity for him to do that. For those skeptical, independent but right leaning voters who want to potentially vote for him this November. KRISTEN SOLTIS ANDERSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: What I'll be interested in seeing is Donald Trump is known for using rallies as message testing, right? He likes to try things out see how the crowd responds if they like it, they'll keep doing it. So immediately after he was shot, he stands up and says, "fight, fight, fight". Already tonight, the theme of this convention, really, is already being introduced by the head of -- BURNETT: The theme tonight is Trump is a fighter. I mean, that's the theme. ANDERSON: Exactly. And so I would imagine that that's going to be the message he drives and he's going to see how it plays and the whole what lines work. The real issue though is that the people in the hall are already voting for him. Does he have the discipline to realize just because something works in the hall doesn't mean it's winning those swing voters. Can he go beyond that? JONAH GOLDBERG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. Look, I'm a longtime critic of the obsession with unity in American politics. Our system was not set up for a unit -- for unity, divided government, separation of powers, checks and balances. The Founding Fathers believed to paraphrase St. Augustine, in essentials is unity, in all else, liberty. That's why we have federalism in this country. And what we need to paraphrase by my colleague at the American Enterprise Institute, Yuval Levin, is we need to be better at how we disagree with each other, not try to impose this false notion that we're going to all unify and rally around some one politician, particularly Donald Trump. The idea that Donald Trump can be a unifying figure in American politics is preposterous, and that's not really a criticism on me. He's simply an avatar of the culture war now. Presidents are avatars in the culture war and the idea that you're going to get a tribalized country that is so deeply polarized and full negative and partisanship to see him as some sort of unifying figure is just literally important. BURNETT: And yet, Alyssa in that room. Okay. He's going to come out and I don't know whether his bandage will be on or what you've got people in that room wearing a bandage in solidarity with him, he is going to come out at a moment like that. None of us have ever seen before, right? The last time he came out, it was a big moment for him. Okay. Let's just play it. This is how Trump walked out in 2016. Last time there's a person in-person convention. (VIDEO CLIP PLAYS) BURNETT: All right. We all remember that moment, and, you know, in that room, there was incredible but it seems like in the room I mean, that's going to look like nothing compared to what you're going to get tonight. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, this is obviously guy who's in the WWE Hall of Fame. He knows showmanship. He knows how to play to his audience. It's going to be ten times more electric tonight in that room. I mean, we heard I talked to people who are there the first night that he came out and they said you could palpably feel the emotion, but I want to point out one thing I've just been observed bring his face as he's been in the box, he's actually spent a lot of time at the convention hall he is on cloud nine. There's this bit of him that I do see sort of a soberness coming off of the assassination attempt, but let's also think, he announced his reelection, no major figures showed up. I think Matt Gaetz was one of the only sitting congressmen. It basically was seen as he was so weakened just 2-1/2 years ago, we thought it was me the summer of a January 6 trial, of a documents case, a Fulton county, none of that appears to be happening now, he's got the Supreme Court immunity ruling. I mean, he could not have had a better, saved for the terrible events of last weekend, last year of his life. And I think he's sinking in and he's really realizing this is literally better than I could have dreamed up, how much people are rallying around. BURNETT: You know, we've seen them a lot this week. JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We have heard him a lot. And, you know, maybe he's been in a good mood. [19:10:02] I also watched him during J.D. Vance's speech last night, where he scowled practically the entire time he went, Vance gave maybe one of the most boring convention speeches I've seen, and I've seen a lot of convention speeches. It was long and it was boring but he can call them, J.D. boring, if I was Donald Trump. GOLDBERG: We can't all be Peter Navarro. We can't all be Peter Navarro. SIMMONS: Exactly because his people come out. But this does strike me that Trump is going to do something that is not unifying, which is that they are really trying to go after a very narrow slice of the American public. This is, this is vertical marketing, not holes. They are trying to get every single person that already agrees with him to try to come out. I don't think they're appealing to many suburban women. I don't think they are appealing to that many African-Americans and Latinos, maybe the ones who are watching WWE or whatever, but they're not going to go. I don't think after the broad swath of the country. And so that means he might be defying in some flowery language. But the substance is going to be the same. GRIFFIN: But it speaks to how confident he is. I think that he's realizing well have long said that this race is between Joe Biden and the couch. I think he realized like he just needs to fight against the couch. If he can activate the core people who've been with him in the past, then he's going to win this thing, just based on all the public polling we have. KATE BEDINGFIELD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I mean, I think this point about he's running a base race is important because you, you know, yes, he may adjust the speech tonight to kind of appeal to unity, but we know deep down, he's animated. I mean, the theme tonight as Trump is a fighter, he's animated by the -- BURNETT: I mean, there's the literal and we had an economic night. We had a national security night. And we have a Trump as a fighter night. BEDINGFIELD: So, there is a fundamental tension between I'm a fighter, and I'm a unifier, and I think, the other key thing is that his base knows him as a fighter and he knows that's what they like about him. So I just think, you know, as he's moving forward in this campaign, it's hard to see him abandoning that kind of like fundamental visceral view of who he is and his belief that that's why people like him. But it's going to be hard for him to maintain this notion of unity. ANDERSON: I don't know that he actually think that there has to be a view that being a fighter and being a unifier have to be opposite. So it just depends on what you're fighting against. If you're fighting for America, that can be very unifying. So, they to be a tension there, but we'll see if Donald Trump -- (CROSSTALK) SIMMONS: -- unifying -- the unifying hi thread of the Trump era is that this is about Trump and his family. It's not really about that -- SINGLETON: Yeah, but, Erin, from an operational perspective, this campaign is the best ran campaign the former president has ever had. SIMMONS: For sure. SINGLETON: Chris LaCivita, Susie, those are very serious people. Brian Jack, who is now running for Congress in Georgia for political director. I know these folks, they know they're doing. And so, if you would want to say, oh, he's only placating to the base, he's only trying to turn his base, that's a naive position. He recognizes that he has to turn out some Latinos. They recognize that the turnout, some African American young men. They recognize that the turnout, some young white men, and they're making those efforts. BURNETT: So, okay, but earlier, there was reporting that he would not say -- you said Bret Baier, would not say Joe Biden's name during the speech. Okay. Now, I'm sure that that was in maybe -- maybe because you don't even want to give it -- you know, you don't even want to deign to do that. But now, even in these past hours, if anybody's watching the headlines about Joe Biden more closely than Joe Biden is Donald Trump, right? And he sees that whole tide turning. So he's looking at a world. Well, maybe it's Biden, maybe it's not Joe Biden. How does that impact him tonight? GRIFFIN: Well, I think it's actually brilliant if he doesn't mention him because he's kind of projecting I'm so far ahead. That would almost be punching down to like, bring his name to this speech, and to make it more about him. He's had this line that frankly as powerful as much as I hate it, but like they're trying to, I'm the only thing standing between them and you. If he wraps that into the story of the attempted assassination, that's powerful to a lot of Americans who are watching. So I think it would actually be a wise call, but I do think that there's a part of him that may be bothered how much of his convention week is being eclipsed by Joe Biden. This, will he, will he not, is it Kamala Harris? But tonight, all eyes will be on him. BURNETT: I mean, you know, he could be debating Kamala Harris in September. I mean, I just say this is a worldview that even for him, it's a precise mix shift in days. GOLDBERG: Yeah. No. Look, I mean, it's got to be very frustrating into Alyssa's point is it's traditionally, there's a rule that the opposite party goes quiet during the conventions and lets the other party make its case. I think Joe Biden would very much like that to be the situation here, right? Its not like you can say, oh, were their tampering or the stealing our news coverage. But this is not the way Joe Biden would want it still the news coverage, right? And so it's kind of brutal. It's like you switch for covering the best-case Republicans can make to the dire straits of the Democrats. And Donald Trump is the only one who doesn't like that. BURNETT: All right. Let's hit pause for just a moment. MJ Lee has some breaking news. She's at the White House right now. So what are you learning, MJ? MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, my colleagues and I have spoken with dozens of sources, both inside and close to the White House and the campaign. And this much is clear right now, many senior most officials inside the White House and the Biden campaign privately believe at this point that the president does need to drop out. [19:15:05] They've simply see the current political situation and as being completely untenable as one senior Democrat put it to us, everyone is saying it privately. People see and feel the walls are closing in. This comes as sources have said that the president has become exceptionally insulated and isolated in recent days, that everyone is familiar with the fact that the president has for you here's relied on a small circle of advisers about what we are seeing, in the picture that has been painted for us since the debate is that that group of the most loyal aides that are really dug in with the president has become stunningly small. Chief among them, of course, Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti, both of whom have of course worked with the president for a number of decades and know him very well. Now, many Democrats, as a result of all of these dynamics, they have been sort of alarmed as they have not really been sure whether the president is getting sort of realistic data from the people that are closest to him. Some of the sources said that many meetings and phone calls where people would be going to the president bearing bad news, that those appear to have largely stopped multiple sources. Also, interestingly said that the president's recent response when presented with bad polling has been to cast doubt on whether anybody else can actually perform stronger than the president. That, of course, is not the first anecdote that we have reported on over the last few days of the president being defensive and dug-in when it comes to data and polling. So, look, there's a lot of reporting coming out about who knows what, who is close to the president. And I think all of this just serves as a reminder that very few people actually have an insight into the president's mind right now, Erin. BURNETT: All right. MJ, thank you very much. One person who does have insight, the most worked with him and knows him, Kate Bedingfield. So, Kate, what's your reaction to MJ's reporting. BEDINGFIELD: Look, one thing I will say about campaign leaks like this, this is not honorable. This is not helpful to the candidate you're working for. I think for people across the party who are raising their concerns, it's a conversation but I would argue needs to be had. I'm not -- I don't question that. But if you are working for Joe Biden's campaign and you were going out right now while the president is clearly, as we've seen from some of his top closest confidants like Chris Coons, reflecting on what he wants to do moving forward, if you were working on his campaign and you were going out and leaking like this, put your name on it and resign because that is just -- that is not an honorable -- honorable way to behave. BURNETT: All right. SINGLETON: I agree with Kate on that. BURNETT: All right. We're getting closer to Donald Trump's night at the convention as this reporting continues to break on Joe Biden. We'll get more information on the former president's speech anticipated here in just a couple of hours. We're going to bring it to you and his family will be there. His son Eric will speak before him as the convention finale kicks into high year. We are also awaiting in the theme of tonight, Trump is a fighter. We're going to hear from Hulk Hogan. Kid Rock is going to be there. Linda McMahon, all of these people going to be here on this theme of fighter Trump coming up live. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:22:10] BLITZER: We're back here at the Republican National Convention and Linda McMahon, the 25th administrator of the Small Business Administration, has just started speaking. I want to listen in. LINDA MCMAHON, FMR. ADMINISTRATOR, U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION: He scooped her up with delight and asked her who's the most beautiful girl in the world and she said, me. Then he asked, and who do you love the most in the world? She said, you, grandpa. And he kissed her on both cheeks. Then she whisked off his hat and mussed his hair. And he smiled and with a love that only a grandfather could have given. I first met Donald Trump when I was the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. (APPLAUSE) MCMAHON: For fun, he became part of some of the most compelling and highest rated storylines in the company's history. And when he became president, I was honored to serve in his cabinet running the Small Business Administration. I traveled the country talking to business owners and job creators. They knew they had a president who understood them and fought for them. He knew that small businesses are the engine of the American economy and the Trump tax cut proved to be like rocket fuel for them. Almost every business owner I spoke with was using their tax savings to grow their businesses. And ladies and gentlemen, the U.S. economy was flourishing. But at no moment during my time in the government was more poignant for me than one that happened in 2018. I traveled with the president to view the destruction which Hurricane Florence had levied on my hometown of New Bern, North Carolina. I stepped off of Air Force One and walked side-by-side with the president of the United States through the hangar where my father had been a shop foreman and my mom had been a budget analyst. I watched Donald Trump walk through neighborhoods of my childhood, comforting those who had suffered such great damages. Because he was a builder, he talked to them about what it would take to rebuild, what kind of materials they should use. And he didn't just show a personal interest. He was one of them. But now Joe Biden and the Democrats want to penalize small businesses by hiking their taxes. But when he's reelected, Donald Trump will make those tax cuts permanent. (APPLAUSE) [19:25:06] MCMAHON: And he will also offer new tax cuts like no taxes on tips. (APPLAUSE) MCMAHON: Instead of taxing American companies, Donald Trump put tariffs on China that raised the billions of dollars and protected American industries. And if reelected, he'll do it again. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) MCMAHON: President Trump is a job creator and the best friend American workers have ever had in the White House. He is a champion of the forgotten men and women as I have experienced firsthand. But the media doesn't like to acknowledge that very often. Donald Trump is not only a fighter, ladies and gentlemen. He is a good man. (APPLAUSE) MCMAHON: He has the heart of a lion and the soul of a warrior. And I believe that, if necessary, he would stand at the gates of hell to defend our country. (APPLAUSE) MCMAHON: He loves this country, and he would do anything to defend it and to protect us from all harm. I am confident that he will make America great again, and why? Because he did it before. (APPLAUSE) MCMAHON: So I ask all of you here tonight and those of you who are watching from home to reelect Donald J Trump as the 47th president of the United States. (CHEERING) MCMAHON: Thank you. And good night. (APPLAUSE) BLITZER: So there you have Linda McMahon speaking, one of the early speakers on this final night of the Republican National Convention. Still ahead, we're keeping an eye on the Trump family box just ahead of the arrival of the former president and his closest relatives. And it's all leading up to his acceptance speech that's coming up later today. Let's take a quick break. Much more of our special coverage right after this. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:31:18] BURNETT: All right. That is floor of the convention hall for the RNC convention in Milwaukee, where they are waiting for the big event tonight and that of course, is Donald Trump returning to the arena. Kaitlan Collins, I believe that Trump has arrived at this point? COLLINS: Yeah, Erin. Donald Trump has arrived. I'm told. He is here. He has not actually made it into the floor yet. Of course, when that happens every night, they show him on the screen, there's a big audience reaction and he goes up to the VIP box, but I am told that he is here on the property. And so, we should expect to see him any moment. We'll be watching closely. And, Erin, one thing to note is how closely involved Donald Trump has been with really the weight is entire convention has been scripted. I'm told by sources that he's been heavily involved in who is speaking and when they are speaking. And just looking lets just speakers were set to introduce him tonight. Obviously, he will be the finale tonight, closing out this convention. With his speech, that's slated to go a little over an hour. But you'll see his son, Eric Trump, Dana White, Tucker Carlson, all of them coming out to speak beforehand, and that is all by design. He has had a role and a direct role in that selecting every single person who was coming out. It really just speaks to obviously, Donald Trump is a showman. You hear a lot about visuals and so its not surprising he's been intimately involved in every aspect of this. We are waiting to see him enter the actual delegation floor. We should expect to do rather her soon, Erin. BURNETT: All right. Kaitlan, thank you very much. And you know what? Kaitlan pointing out was Trump's been involved in who speaks and when. Now, you know, we've been sitting here sort of in the four hours until too late p.m. every night, and you have seen some of the MAGA heavy people, whether it's Marjorie Taylor Greene or Matt Gaetz in the earlier slots. Nikki Haley, you know, some of the -- more kind of you would think reaching out voices have been later, but not tonight. Not tonight. Tucker Carlson, Alina Habba, Dana White, obviously, a UFC. I mean, this is the lead in to Trump is very MAGA tonight. GRIFFIN: It's a choice and it shows that the party is MAGA right now. Why am not super bullish on this idea of a change Trump in this unity message is someone like a Tucker Carlson is the lead up to. I mean, this is somebody who recently traveled to the Kremlin, met with president -- with Putin. He's espoused dangerous conspiracy theories, like the great replacement theory. This is not somebody who anyone would say is a unifying force within American politics. Now, I do expect that the tone and tenor of Trump speech will be different than the campaign speech. I'm not expecting for sharks and lasers and Hannibal Lecter tonight. But I think that this speaks to where the party is, and that pretty much as soon as he's back on the campaign trail, we're going get old Trump. BURNETT: And it's an hour long speech. GOLDBERG: Yeah. I mean, I expect the nudity to be tasteful and integral to the plot, too. But no -- BURNETT: Did you say nudity? GOLDBERG: Nudity. BURNETT: Nudity, okay. Just making sure I heard you correctly. (LAUGHTER) GOLDBERG: No, I think what we're going to see tonight is one prediction is I think Tucker Carlson has gotten in his head. I've known Tucker for a long time, that he's going to be the Pat Buchanan of 1982. BURNETT: All right. Well, I'll get back to you after this brief message, which is Mike Pompeo, former secretary of state. MIKE POMPEO, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Good evening. Good evening, my fellow Americans. It's great to be with you. A special shout-out to Kansas over there, my good friends from Kansas. (CHEERING) POMPEO: You know, I had the incredible privilege to serve as President Trump's CIA Director and Secretary of State. It was -- it was my greatest honor to work with him every single day to serve you, the American people. Now -- now, you all are paying attention. [19:35:03] So, you know what the Trump administration achieved. But it's worth going through a few of these accomplishments. Let's start with this. There were no new American wars. (CHEERING) POMPEO: Our border, our southern border, closed. (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: It may seem like a long time ago, but when we took office, there were people's heads being cut off at the beaches. We destroyed ISIS and its caliphate. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: And, you know, here's another fun fact. We never lost our secretary of defense for two weeks either. (LAUGHTER) POMPEO: You will remember, for those four years, the evil of Vladimir Putin was held at bay. When we walked out, January of 2021, the Iranian regime was afraid, and the people of Israel were strong and secure, and we treated them like the friend and ally that they need to be. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: Everywhere we went, everywhere we went, religious freedom was protected. We held three summits in North Korea, and North Korea was quieted. We had begun too -- we'd begun an honorable exit from Afghanistan. And not a single Chinese spy balloon flew across the United States of America, four years. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: Had I been the secretary of state and a Chinese spy balloon flew across our country, I would have been the former secretary of state, and rightfully so. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: Under President Trump, the Chinese Communist Party, which to this day presents the greatest threat to our nation from outside of our country, we confronted it like never before. Look, ladies and gentlemen, in short, we put America first every single day. (CHEERING) POMPEO: Forty-two months on, what has Joe Biden and Kamala Harris done and their leftist handlers? What have they delivered to us for security and prosperity? Almost nothing. Let's start with this. You saw some of them last night, 13 new Gold Star families from Afghanistan. As an Army veteran, I want to speak to everybody who served in Afghanistan. I'm disgusted by the Biden administration's incompetent pullout from that country. (CHEERING) POMPEO: To those of you who served there, know this. Know that your service was honorable, that you saved American lives, and that the Pompeos love and admire you for what you did for America. Thank you, and God bless each and every one of you. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: Every one of you who has served in uniform and the families of those, you deserve a president, a president who will not check his watch while he is honoring our fallen brothers and sisters. It was indecent. (CHEERING) POMPEO: And, of course, it was that very weakness, that very weakness we saw in Afghanistan that prompted Putin's butchery in Ukraine. Last week, we saw what it meant, a children's hospital bombed, innocents killed. It did not have to be, and now, of course, a second war in Gaza. President Biden won't even talk about the fact that Americans are still being held there by the Iranian regime. Contrast that -- contrast that with what we did when Americans were wrongfully held. President Trump sent me to North Korea to bring home three American pastors. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: We brought them home. We brought them home, along with dozens of others, dozens of other hostages, and we did so without paying one single penny to the terrorists. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: And what about Iran today? When Joe Biden eased up on President Trump's maximum pressure campaign, we gave money to the ayatollah, so he could cut more checks to the genocidal maniacs who conducted attacks, barbaric attacks, in Israel. And now, of course, closer to home, a massive national security challenge. [19:40:02] Our southern border is a welcome mat. It's a welcome mat for Islamist terrorists, drug dealers, Chinese spies, and violent criminals. Ladies and gentlemen, President Biden sold out our citizens and our security and our sovereignty, and we need to get it back. And I am confident that we will get it back. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: I -- I had this incredible privilege to serve as your top diplomat. I saw -- I saw how the world always looks to our nation as the unrivaled example of what a free society should look like. But unfortunately, unfortunately, President Biden struts the global stage. Maybe I should say he shuffles the global stage. He talks a big game about American values but what's he done at home? What's he shown the world? What have he and his leftist base actually shown other nations? He censored free speech here at home. He has put woke into the military that I and you so desperately love. We must reclaim it. He put it in our schools as well. He's weaponized the justice system against our political opponents. And even to this day as we sit here today, he and Vice President Harris are providing appeasement to the pro-Hamas radicals on our streets here inside the United States. And even worse, today this administration treats illegals better than our own citizens. That is indecent. And the entire administration -- the entire administration has failed to tell us the truth, the truth that we all know and is so dangerous to our nation. The truth that Joe Biden can't handle the 3:00 a.m. phone call. Indeed, he won't take a phone call after 4:00 p.m. My call -- my call to you tonight is really straightforward. It's really simple. We can't trust the Biden administration. That means we have work to do to uphold American values. It is up to those of us in the room tonight and those of you watching tonight. Donald trump will every day -- I saw it firsthand -- he will put America first. (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: So -- so let's do what's right and what's important. Let's elect a president who isn't ashamed of our nation and will never apologize for our country. (APPLAUSE) POMPEO: And when we do -- and when we do, we will put a strong America first leader back in the White House, we will reelect Donald J. Trump and we will make America special, exceptional and of course great again. Thank you. God bless you. God bless our veterans and the United States of America. Thank you all. Thank you so much. (APPLAUSE) BURNETT: Former secretary of state, CIA director, Mike Pompeo. We're going to take a brief break as we await the foreign president entering that convention hall. We'll be back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [19:47:19] BURNETT: Our Republican convention coverage is back. This is Pastor Lorenzo Sewell speaking. REV. LORENZO SEWELL, 180 CHURCH SENIOR PASTOR: If President Trump had moved one millimeter, he wouldn't have been here on Monday to talk to us about how America was going to be made wealthy again. If President Donald Trump would have moved just a millimeter, he wouldn't have been here on Tuesday to talk about how he was going to make America secure again. If President Donald Trump would have moved just a millimeter, he wouldn't have been here on Wednesday to tell us how he was going to make America strong again. (APPLAUSE) SEWELL: And if President Trump would have moved just a millimeter, we would not be hearing tonight how he was going to make America great again! (APPLAUSE) SEWELL: Before I take my seat, I've just got to talk to you about something called providence and something called sovereignty. God's sovereignty is his ability to be able to do what he wants when he wants because he's God. And God's providence is when he does what he wants when he wants for all of you. (APPLAUSE) SEWELL: Did you know that President Trump was shot on 6:11? And do you know that Ephesians chapter number 6 verse number 11 says, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power? (APPLAUSE) SEWELL: To all my Democrat friends, I want to ask you one question, do you know anybody that was the 45th president? He was convicted of 34 counts. He raised $53 million in 24 hours, and could be the 47th president of the United States of America. And he was shot one time. Do you know anybody like that? (APPLAUSE) CROWD: Trump! Trump! Trump! [19:50:14] SEWELL: To all my friends back in Detroit who are Democrats, I'm going to ask you just one simple question. You can't deny the power of God on this man's life. You can't deny that God protected him. You cannot deny that it was a millimeter miracle that was able to save this man's life. Could it be that Jesus Christ preserved him for such a time as of this? Could it be -- (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) SEWELL: Could it be when we prayed for him, when he came to the roundtable in Detroit that Jesus asked and he received that we sought him and then he found protection? Could it be that the king of glory, the Lord God, strong and mighty, the God who is mighty in battle protected Donald Trump because he wants to use him for such a time as this? (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) SEWELL: If you believe that, come on, put your hands together and give our great God great glory. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (MUSIC) BURNETT: Jamal, God protected him, the message from Pastor Sewell, where Trump could actually campaigned at Sewell's church in June in Detroit. SIMMONS: He did campaign at Sewell's church. It was billed as an African American outreach event. It turned out when the cameras turned the other direction, the entire church, all the pews were filled with white people, which is fine. You can have could be the case, but that's not an African American outreach event. I got to tell you I was in Detroit last weekend with my family and friends and I talked to a lot of people. I have -- did not -- and I was at a church because we had -- BURNETT: You're from Detroit. SIMMONS: I'm from Detroit. We were at a church and I will tell you, I didn't detect it anybody who's thinking about voting for Donald Trump in the services that I was in. In fact, many of them still supported President Biden, but they were also okay with Kamala Harris. Their idea was whatever the Democrats want to do, solve the problem, get it on with, let's get back to talking about Donald Trump. SINGLETON: Yeah, but there -- but there are African-American who are willing to vote for Donald Trump and we should not be naive about that, nor should we dismiss, or overlook that. We always love to say in our community, we're not a monolith, but anytime a Black person decides to vote for Republican, that we want a cascade them and so you can no longer come to the, quote/unquote, cookout. People are looking at Trump for economic opportunities and other things that they may find intriguing. We should acknowledge it. We should respect it, and we should study why those individuals are moving towards Republicans generally speaking, which is something, Erin, that did not occur with Mitt Romney. I worked on this campaign. It did not occur with John McCain, and we didn't even see these numbers with George W Bush. That's a phenomenon that we should not just dismiss. ANDERSON: Another thing that sticks out to me about what we just saw is the religious fervor of this convention. I mean, political conventions are always a little bit of a tent revival, but the explicit use of such spiritual language to talk about Donald Trump. It's a reminder that he doesn't just have voters. He has followers. He is effectively leading the congregation tonight with his speech. BURNETT: I mean, that was -- wasn't even there was something veil, there was nothing insinuating. So, that was God protected him, God chose him on Saturday. GRIFFIN: And you know what? I think there are a lot of people in that room who very much believed. I think folks that it will resonate within the evangelical community. And I would expect you're not going to hear that direct in Trump's remarks, but I think you are going to hear him allude to -- BURNETT: Here he is. He's walking out right now. Now, obviously, he's not speaking at this very moment. He is speaking this evening, entering the actual convention floor now, and he's going to be going to his box, the red box where his family has been sitting day after day. He has appeared there every single night and also Jonah, Melania Trump is going to be there tonight. Ivanka Trump's going to be there tonight. Ivanka Trump actually, someone that I know saw her at a restaurant at the Jersey Shore on Monday, right? She was -- she was doing other things earlier this week with his convention began, but she is going to be there tonight. We understand as well. Here he is walking up to the box. He's -- the bandage is on. He's going to be speaking obviously later tonight, but he's now going to be there, Jonah, to see what were about to watch. Close friend of his, is golf pro, then Tucker Carlson, Alina Habba, his lawyer, one of his lawyers, right? This is -- these are the people he wanted right ahead of him tonight. GOLDBERG: Right. So part of the theory of Donald Trump's coalition is to get these low propensity voters who are not the typical white working class or even like the sort of African-American men that we've been talking about. It's to get the people who -- I mean, talk about a catch, play video games, watch WWE, who wouldn't occur to them to vote under normal circumstances. [19:55:02] But this sort of reality show, tent revival thing, things about for the excitement. BURNETT: All right. So we see that box. You know, you see Ted Cruz there, harkening back to the last in-person convention and how that went, different time now. Phil Mattingly, you're right outside the box. What do you seeing? MATTINGLY: Yeah, it's been fascinating. We've talked about this couple of times, Erin. Who's in the box as the president arrives. But before we get to that, lets just about the energy tonight, and I think talk to him, a number of Republicans throughout the course of the week brought the unity about other party is very much not just behind Trump, but of Trump at this point in time. But it's also the energy tonight is just different. It was expected to be displayed, planned to build to this moment and the president coming in about an hour-and-a-half early, but he's been coming in over the course of the last several nights. You certainly heard it in the crowd. A lot of expectation for the speech. I want to show you the box right now and kind of walk you through who's actually in it, but the former president, just sitting down to his right, you see Jason Aldean, Brittany Aldean, the country music star and his wife also performing. It's kind of the must go to party of the evening after the events are done this evening here on the convention floor. And then around him, you have a lot of U.S. senators, Republican senators, including Republican candidates, as well as Steve Daines, the NRSC chair. That I'm told was intentional. The senators were told if they were here to be ready to be in the box with the former president. We've talked about how where people sit, who's in the box at which time is actually supposed to send a message, certainly the case now, but the Senate, Senate candidates, the people well around him also, I believe we've -- one more thing, Erin, I just want to say, we've been waiting to see who the family would bring in as well because this is a big moment for Melania Trump. She has not walked in yet. We didn't expect her to do so. Eric Trump is expected to speak tonight. He's there also. The former president's lawyers, including Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, Alina Habba, who is expected to speak tonight. They've been with him most of the week. We've seen them walking as well. BURNETT: It's just fascinating. Shermichael, also, Jason Aldean being there and his wife, Jason Aldean, of course, was performing in Las Vegas -- SINGLETON: Yeah. BURNETT: -- when there was that horrific mass shooting. Obviously, he is no Trump supporter forming but, you know, when you talk about the importance of the night and obviously Trump is appearing speaking for the first time since the attempted assassination, that connection can't go unnoticed. SINGLETON: No, it certainly can't go unnoticed. And look, you saw the pastor talking about the millimeter difference. I was looking at Twitter, seeing where people were posting about it, and a bunch of my Republican, conservative friends were saying how people in that crowd were standing and cheering because to Alyssa's point earlier, there is a religiosity to this. And a lot of those evangelicals they do believe that Trump is somehow ordained by God, whether you agree with that or not, that is the belief of millions of Americans. And I think Trump may play in to that a little bit tonight. BURNETT: It almost in a religious way. I mean, how does that, how does that poll? Obviously, we know how that goes in the room. You know how that works with the base of MAGA. But more broadly, when you're talking about unity and enlarging your voter base. ANDERSON: Well, it's -- it creates the notion that Donald Trump is somehow different and he has always thrived on the idea that I'm not just your average politician. And so, while I don't expect that a majority of Americans look at him as a sort of messianic figure, the idea that he is somehow different. And even if you don't like him, he certainly had a string of luck, that definitely resonates. BURNETT: And obviously an intensity on his face right now as he is watching the head golf pro for Trump International, who he chose, John Nieporte, to introduce, not to introduce him to be speaking here in these moments before his actual address, which is later this evening. And, of course, we will all be there for that. CNN's convention coverage continues right now. (MUSIC) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: We are live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Donald Trump just entered the convention hall. Good evening. Thanks for joining us. As prepares to formally accept his third nomination for president. Trump taking center stage and opening a new phase of an unprecedented, unpredictable presidential election. Trump insiders suggested the former president's speech could be different than any speech he's given since entering the political arena, in nearly a decade ago. This is CNN special coverage in the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention. I'm Anderson Cooper, along with Jake Tapper. And, Jake, everything that has happened to this convention over the past few days has been leading after this night. TAPPER: Indeed. I understand that Donald Trump's grip on the Republican Party appears tighter than ever before as he heads into his big speech after a turbulent few weeks, bookended by the criminal conviction of him by a prosecuted by attorney general, district attorney, rather, Alvin Bragg, not to mention, of course, his survival of an assassination attempt just on Saturday, a shocking and horrific moment. We're told that Mr. Trump has been hands-on, writing and remarks -- writing his remarks until the last minute, with a focus on unity, we're told. That's the message he is said to be embracing since the shooting, in contrast, of course, with a darker and more boisterous tone, he has taken in past speeches, including past convention speeches. … CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 18, 2024 - 20:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [20:00:00] JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: …Whatever the 45th president of the United States says tonight, the show of support he's getting here in Milwaukee is quite different. I think it's fair to say then what's going on, on the other side of the aisle with the Democratic Party. CNN is reporting the top White House and campaign officials now privately believe that President Biden must abandon his reelection bid amid high level calls for him to exit. With the next 72 hours being pivotal to his decision-making, we're following it all. As we count down to the big finish of the Republican Convention featuring remarks by Trump' s second oldest son, Eric Trump, leading up to Donald Trump's climatic speech himself. His wife, Melania, is here. His daughter, Ivanka, expected to also be in the hall. They will be making their first appearances at this convention. Let's go right now to Kaitlan Collins on the convention floor. Trump is in the room, Kaitlan. Tell us what the mood is like where you are. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Yes, Jake, it's very clearly the last night and everyone here is obviously looking forward to what Donald Trump is going to say when he finally addresses the convention tonight. He is seated in his box, right behind me right now. You saw him just enter a few moments ago. But he'll leave that box and not too long from now, to go backstage, as he prepares to deliver what we are told is going to be about an hour -- an hour-and-ten minutes of remarks from the former President. I should just note that as we're in the room, there have been signs every night to kind of fit the themes where it was safety, immigration. Tonight, there are signs that say, "Bring back common sense," "Fire Joe Biden," is really popular one that we've seen tonight and of course, no surprise, "Make America Great Again." Not a ton of Trump-Vance signs. I saw a few of them earlier, but it just speaks to obviously the message of this room is trying to send and what is happening here. Though this is also being scripted for those who are at home. And Jake, we saw Donald Trump go into his box. Two things I do want to note, sitting right behind him, among the lawmakers who are here is Oklahoma Senator James Lankford. Now that's notable because it wasn't all that long ago that James Lankford and some other lawmakers painstakingly crafted an immigration bill. One that was ultimately sunk by Donald Trump, when he came out against it. And then, that gave that permission structure for other Republicans to then subsequently come out against it. It did not actually pass, that was because they wanted him be able to run on immigration in this campaign, which they have been having a slew of speeches revolve around that. Also, another person who is in the box is one of his campaign aides, but also on his legal tea, Boris Epshteyn, who is an aide, who as we know, was indicted in Arizona recently on efforts to overturn the election there and those allegations along with a slew of other aides. So, obviously, watching all that closely, Jake, as Trump is preparing to take the stage not very long from now. TAPPER: All right, Kaitlin Collins on the floor looking at the super box there with senators and at least one country music star. Dana Bash, we're told and I guess you know, the proof will be in the pudding. We'll see when he actually delivers the speech, but were told that President Trump's speech will be focused on unity. We shall see. DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: We shall see. Look, he has said multiple times in multiple venues since the assassination attempt on Saturday that he was ripping up a speech and he was going to give a very different kind of address and message than he had planned to do. He planned to do a rip-roaring speech against Joe Biden and the current administration. It's hard to imagine that he's not going to do any sort of a flick to that, but it's going to be interesting to see how much he leans into that. I ran into Eric Trump, his son, earlier today, who's going to be introducing the former president, his father, who said that he is going to give kind of a similar frame that we heard his wife, Lara, last night, and that we heard from Donald Trump, Jr., maybe even more personal than Donald Trump, Jr. As he introduces his father, he's been working on the speech very, very carefully and that we might be a little bit surprised in what he says. I'm not sure what that means -- TAPPER: Right. BASH: -- not sure what that means, but look, I mean, we are used to the Trump kids, especially being the pit bulls on behalf of their father -- political pit bulls but they like everyone else in their family, had big almost tragedy. TAPPER: Well, yes, that was a horrible day. BASH: Yes. TAPPER: Saturday. Chris, what do you think? CHRIS WALLACE, CNN HOST: Well, it'll be fascinating. There's been a lot of talk, it's going to be more personal that he's got with the unity talk. That will be interesting to see. Today, I thought, what better way to prepare for tonight than to read his acceptance speeches at the last two conventions. In 2016, he talked about the forgotten people of America and said, "I am your voice." He talked about the rigged system in America and sad, "I alone can fix it." [20:05:03] And interestingly enough, in 2020, of the strongest lines he was talking at one point and he said, "All children, born and unborn, have a God-given right to life," which made me reflect on the fact that there has been almost no talk at all at this convention about life and about choice and the whole abortion flight. Obviously, Trump has had a huge victory there in the sense that his three Supreme Court justices were part of a majority that overturned Roe v. Wade, but they have seen the political threat of that because of the fact that all around the country, groups support our right to choice. So, it'll be very interesting to see. I'm curious whether he's going to talk about life, whether we're going to hear these, "I alone can fix it" or whether, it sounds strange to say, whether we're going to see a kinder, gentler Donald Trump tonight. I'm betting against it, but that's the fun of covering these things. We'll see what we see. TAPPER: Absolutely -- Anderson. ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Thanks very much. Here, looking over the floor, Kasie, what do you expect tonight from Donald Trump? KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Well, I think exactly what Jake, Dana, and Chris were outlining that -- I don't expect and a source tells me that he is not planning on mentioning President Biden's name. He is not expected to do that. Now, of course, we know that Donald Trump doesn't always stick to the scripts that he has planned. But at the outset, that's what we're looking at. I think we also can expect to see a source tells me, that he may walk through his experience on Saturday in some detail, more detail than we have heard him walk through it before. Which again, I think may underscore the broader seems that we are talking about here. Yes, of course, unity among -- with the Republican Party, but also this idea that he seems to, and the thing that I'm -- I think going to be listening for tonight is how he describes whether this was some sort of spiritual experience for him. Because we have seen him reference that in some of the interviews that he did right afterward. We saw his face look quite different on that Monday night, whether it lasts, whether it has changed a man who has been on our American stage for however many decades. You know, we're still kind of learning as we go along. But I am told to expect something dramatically different than anything we've seen from him in public before. ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: Well, I mean, I think that this is going to be an attempt by the campaign, by Donald Trump to reset the narrative in public. We should all take that with a grain of salt though, right? Because this is a man who has a long history in public. I think what he says on that stage is going to be important in -- that it tells us how the campaign wants the country to see him. But there's a lot of other data points that matter too, including what he has done and what he plans to do. So, just to put that on the table, but I do think the real question will be talk about unity. It is going to be, what does he say to the American people? Not just to people in this room, but to the rest of the country. There's more than half of the country that believes he's a divisive figure, that is concerned about what he might mean for American democracy. What does he say to those people and does he backtrack on some of his own previous incendiary language? Depicting the other ideological side of the aisle as the enemy of his supporters. So, these are all -- look, I think that with Trump, what he says on a teleprompter is always worth taking into consideration, but it would be foolish of us not to take the fact that when he is off the teleprompter, he often says something completely different. And, the pictures that they are painting this whole week has to be added to all the things that have come before it and all the things that will come after. DAVID AXELROD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, I'm sorry. DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I was just going to say, look, let's -- I give the presumption of grace here. The guy almost got killed a few days ago. I think he is perhaps a changed person. I can't imagine you get shot in the head and you don't come out different. That experience is a very profound experience. So, I think let's listen to his words and see what he says. AXELROD: I don't have the requisite degrees to climb into his head and understand, how that -- URBAN: But I'm saying -- AXELROD: No, no, no, but I just want to make a different point, just a practical political point. In focus groups of swing voters, one guy said, he voted for Trump before. He's not sure he can vote for him again because living with Trump as president was like having a neighbor who ran his leaf blower 24/7. That's the image that people have of Trump. He has a chance to address those people tonight in a large audience and play against hype. SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. AXELROD: And it's very clear, they're signaling that that's what he wants to do. JENNINGS: Axe, I think it's important context to understand that right now in America, we only have one ascendant dominant political figure, it's Donald Trump. The president of United States is diminished. Reporting is he may be considering being on his way out. [20:10:09] Not since George W. Bush grabbed the bullhorn after 9/11, has anybody had a chance to capture the imagination of the country with a moment like he's got, he just almost got shot in the head. They are signaling something new tonight. He's, for all intents and purposes, this man tonight has the entire nation's attention and yes, Abby, half the country has said, we're skeptical of him but that's the bet. Can he rise above it and be something different and just leave this campaign behind? The polling suggests he's on his way. He could cement them. PHILLIP: Yes, I guess my only point is, Scott, I think you're totally right. But with Trump, I mean, we are not operating in a vacuum. He's not a newbie on the scene. With Trump, it is always words against actions, and tonight, it's going to be words. But for the rest of the campaign, it's going to be actions and we will take what he says today and we have to compare it against what he will do, maybe in 24 hours on Truth Social, and that's always the challenge for his own campaign as, as you know, Scott. JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You're going to hear from the candidate tonight who was told was told today, this is yours to lose. JENNINGS: Yes. KING: You are winning this race. Go out there knowing you are winning this race. On election night, in 2016, his old people were texting recrimination saying, were going to lose. They didn't think they were going to win in 2016. In 2020, they knew they were going to lose, which is why the president came out and tried to stop the count and say they were cheating and everything else because he knew he was going to lose. He's going to stand on that stage tonight in a commanding lead in this race. By every hour, his position is getting better and his team has told him, Mr. President, this is yours to lose, keep that in your head. Now, is Trump -- is the granddaughter out there to try to get suburban women? Sure, but that's not what they're looking for. They know the third-party candidates are in the race. They know the president's poll numbers are tanking. They know if Donald Trump can get to 47 percent, he's the next president of the United States in the swing states. And so, yes, they're trying to sand the edges and smooth him out a little bit, but that's not their main goal at this convention. Their main goal at this convention with JD Vance and with the other speakers and what they're doing on social media and how they're targeting in the nontraditional media is to turn out their voters, period. Because they think if they do that, they win. JENNINGS: One quick issue, Van, before you go, I just -- to John. This is the first time Donald Trump's ever been ahead. He was never ahead in '20, he was never ahead in '16, and this is the first time in his life he has ever had truly politically have the tiger by the tail. That's why to me this speech is so fascinating because he's usually in a defensive position, and tonight, he's on a dominant. URBAN: Well, not only the lead, but he also has the party behind him. COOPER: Right. URBAN: In '16, as John alluded to, the party was -- on '16 on the night of the election, the party was making the call, not the campaign. The RNC was trying to undercut him. KING: It wasn't just the RNC. URBAN: It wasn't me, John, it wasn't me. AXELROD: Still waters run deep. Go ahead, will you, Van. VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it is going to be an important speech and I think what Abby is saying is very important. Depending on who you are, this is a very different event. It is a very different moment. I think for the people who are here, this is not just a political figure, he is a movement leader who was almost martyred. And you're going to see that receptivity. I think for half of the country, this is a very troubling moment because we see potentially an authoritarian threat that is rising and is becoming more popular in his using kind of circus and bread and all sorts of stuff to make it cool to be a part of something that we don't trust where it's going. And so, the question for Donald Trump and we don't know, we know it's going to be on teleprompter, it is going to be whatever it is. But he's literally hanging between having almost lost everything and on the brink of gaining everything. I don't know. I don't know what that does to a person. There's very few people in human history that have literally almost lost everything and at the same time, almost gained everything. Something could rise in him. I'm not convinced yet. PHILLIP: Well -- JONES: I think there's a hope that people have. COOPER: He is also 78 years old. And some people change at a certain point of their lives. JONES: Maybe -- I think there's a hope that people have and I understand it, that something this monumental might have something rise in him that is different, but I don't think -- HUNT: I would just say -- JONES: But I don't think that half the country believes it and have a good gun to believe at the end of the speech -- Kasie. HUNT: My reporting suggests that even Donald Trump's staff has been surprised by the way that he has been processing the events of Saturday. Now, that could be spin, it's entirely possible. But, the sort of way in which they are approaching it and talking about it suggested to me that they were a little bit taken aback, that this guy that they had worked for that they understood, they understand how pugnacious he is and how he wanted to change himself, what he's going to say tonight, surprised some people that have worked for him for a long time. Now, well see if that actually plays out. But this quasi-religious question as well, I think is very important and what you said about how -- he is a, now a martyr to this movement. [20:15:10] Donald trump is also very, very good at putting his finger in the wind, understanding what his supporters want and need from him and doing that. And honestly this approach, would line up with both things. COOPER: That's interesting. Just ahead, more from the final night of the Republican National Convention, as we await Donald Trump's acceptance speech. Florida Senator Marco Rubio joins my colleague Jake Tapper, that's next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) TAPPER: The fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention is underway. We're counting down to Donald Trump's acceptance speech here in Milwaukee. The former president went backstage to greet his wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, who will be here this evening. My panel is here with me as well as Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida. As I said, Senator. So good to see you. Thank you so much. SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): Thank you, guys. [20:20:08] TAPPER: First of all -- RUBIO: And you're actually here live. TAPPER: We are here live. RUBIO: I just want to point that out. TAPPER: We are here live, as opposed to some other networks that just have a big LED, who shall remain nameless. So, you've spoken with President Trump since the horrific events of Saturday -- RUBIO: Yes. TAPPER: -- the attempted assassination. What are you hoping and what are you expecting to hear in his speech this evening? RUBIO: Well, look, I don't want to speak for the president. Obviously, anybody -- he said to me what I think he said publicly, and that is I'm not supposed to be here. It's a pretty shocking moment. I think, at least in my view of it, it sort of reminds us that at the end this is not -- we're not in the entertainment business, right? With politics, this thing we do is really about people and about the lives of people and the future of our country, and it is my sense and we'll see how it plays out tonight and I certainly don't have any insights of what the speech is about. But it's my sense that the president views this as an opportunity to define what his movement is about. That at the end of the day, besides all the noise, people that don't like him people that obviously do like him, but he ran for president because he felt that there were millions of Americans whose government was not responsive to what they were saying. They were angry about being left behind by globalization. They were upset that the country seemed to care more about what was happening in other countries and what was happening here. And he gave voice to that. And I think, you will have a chance -- I hope tonight to hear that articulated in the voice of a person who realizes he's probably on the verge of becoming the president of the United States again and it's an enormous responsibility and he knows that because he's been there before. TAPPER: Yes, you are the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on the matter of what happened Saturday, can you give us any sort of update in terms of anything having to do with the investigation, the motive of this twisted killer, would be -- well he's a killer and also what went wrong with the protection of the president? RUBIO: Well, and obviously, the intelligence agencies operate in international realm, not domestic. There's no evidence of any sort that I've seen or heard, public or otherwise, that this had any sort of foreign linkage. The threats from Iran against President Trump and other US officials that they blame for the Soleimani strike, that's been going on for a while and people know about it. It's a very serious one, it's a very significant threat. I believe the Iranians, I think it was about a couple of years ago, actually put out a video of them assassinating Trump on a golf course, but I don't think that's related to this. My perception of this from the calls we've had with the FBI and otherwise, is that clearly there was a massive error committed, irrespective of -- the Secret Service is in charge of the protection in that region, okay. They may outsource some piece of it, but ultimately, they are responsible for it. There is no way that some 20-year-old guy should be able to walk around, crawl on a roof, and get off, how many, three or four shots. That literally came within a millimeter of a live execution of the leading candidate for president at this moment. It should never have happened. My question is, is this part of a systemic internal organizational problem or was this an example of somebody made a big, big mistake in advancing the event? But I will say this, the Secret Service has handled this about as bad as you can handle it. They should be doing press conferences every day. The absence of consistent and clear information is what opens the door for conspiracy theories and all kinds of other things to take off. It's already hard enough to fight against those things. I don't know why they haven't been more forthcoming with all the information they have and they should be doing it on a regular basis now. BASH: Could we just turn back to the politics of what the president's goal -- the former president's goal is tonight. He is so well-known and opinions of him are so ingrained, both very positive and both very negative and we've heard for so many years, as he has campaigned that his advisers want him to try to expand beyond his base. And they're trying clearly with this convention in so many ways, trying to soften his edges, trying to give a perspective of him as a family man. What do you, as somebody who wants him to be elected, want to continue to do from here on out in order to try to reach out to those voters who turned against him or whenever with him? RUBIO: Yes, look, like anything in politics, there are people that are -- they are never going to be with you no matter what you do, and that's fine. That's absolutely appropriate. That's part of the political process. I think in the case of the president, in some cases, he's been caricatured to a level, demonized by some -- to a level has really been unfair. But at the core of his message, if you distill down his message, his message is this, Americans want better jobs that pay enough to afford life. They want lower prices. They want the border to be secure. They want the people who come here to this country to come here legally, and they want to be involved in less wars around the world and to really be more judicious about how US foreign policy is deployed. None of these are radical ideas, these are majority positions in the country and I think reminding people at the end of the day, that's at the core of all of this. [20:25:07] It is a key opportunity that I think he has tonight for people that are going to be listening, that are going to be willing to give them a second look. It's not the sympathy because of a near-assassination. It's a reminder that this guy doesn't have to be in politics, he really doesn't, okay. He was already a celebrity. He was very wealthy. He could have lived a very good life. He didn't have to get into politics. He's paid a huge price or politics. His family certainly has and when you look at a guy that in the midst of all of that stands up and doesn't run off the stage before he does, he has the instincts or the ability to stand up and because he feels like the people that are in the crowd are here to see him and he wants them to know he's okay and he wants them to keep fighting. I think that was a reminder to a lot of people, that this is a man that's in politics because he loves the country, whether you agree with him or not. WALLACE: Senator, you were part of the veepstakes as to who was going to be his running mate and you were one of the top three, so you were the first or second runner up. Theres a lot of talk now that JD Vance is the inheritor of MAGA, that he is the person that Donald Trump has chosen to be his vice president for over the next four years. If he wins and then also kind of the inheritor of this entire movement, do you view JD Vance in that way that he's kind of moves to the top of the line of the post-Trump era. RUBIO: Well, first of all, we haven't even finished this convention. But look, JD was going to be that whether he got picked or not. He's incredibly intelligent. I've been working with JD since 2018 on public policy before he was elected to anything. So, even four years before he ran, I was already interacting with him. And because I'm very impressed, he is very curious guy. I mean, he really loves to learn about it, probes and asked a lot of questions. He has that in common with Trump, by the way. If you ever sit down with Trump just off, he will ask you nine questions before he gives you one statement. He's very probing. He likes to talk to people and makes decisions on the basis of this ongoing dialogue that he has with people. And JD has that similar quality. He likes to learn a lot about things. Obviously, very smart, comes from a very unique background. It's amazing the road he's traveled to get to this point. I'm a huge fan of his and always will really work very well together very closely in the Senate. And, I think he's a very good choice for him. I really do. They have a lot of chemistry between them as well. So, I think he's going to be a really good vice president as well for the president. I mean, you guys should not make -- just think back where we are today six weeks ago, it's such a different race. Think of what has happened the last six years or 10 years. So, to predict anything beyond that at this point is folly, other than to say that JD was going to be in the mix no matter what because of how talented he is. TAPPER: Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, enjoy your good seats there -- RUBIO: Thank you. TAPPER: -- either in the Presidents box or Florida has. RUBIO: You know, I hate these things. I feel like I work at McDonald's, you know but -- TAPPER: I'll have a large fries. Thank you so much, sir. We appreciate you. We are getting closer and closer to what could be a defining speech for Donald Trump. Stay right here. See it live along with the closing celebration at this convention. There might be a few balloons. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [20:32:05] COOPER: And welcome back. We are closing in on one of the most significant speeches of Donald Trump's political career. The former president now in the arena preparing to accept his party's nomination for a third time in eight years. Now, all of this obviously playing out as the turmoil in the Democratic Party is escalating. I want to go straight to CNN's Jeff Zeleny with new reporting on the thinking in Biden world amid growing pressure for the president to bow out of the race. Jeff Zeleny, what is the latest you're hearing? JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, we are hearing, talking to a variety of advisers to President Biden and the campaign, even as we're here at the Republican Convention, that this is a new moment in this decision making process for President Biden. This is still his decision to make. But a Democratic governor said earlier today in a conversation that was relayed to me, that he said the next 72 hours are big. This can't go on much longer. So a variety of people, both inside and outside the campaign, acknowledge the President has been consuming all of this information, of course, hearing calls from Democratic lawmakers to reassess his candidacy. Why? They believe that he simply cannot win in November. Of course, that's an open question, but they are worried about their seats as well. They are worried about being branded as dishonest by trying to keep rationalizing his argument. So, Anderson, the next three days will be significant. We'll be watching them, of course. But the President in Delaware is increasingly isolated, and he's also isolated from his Democratic Party. Of course, he's recovering from COVID-19. But Vice President Kamala Harris was in North Carolina today. She picked up the mantle, really trying to draw a contrast with the Trump-Vance ticket, but all that's been taken away and overshadowed by President Biden's indecision. So, keep your eye on what they are doing. Again, this Democratic governor said the next 72 hours are critical. Anderson? COOPER: All right. Jeff, we'll check in with you throughout the night. I want to bring back my panel, starting with John King. I mean, John, there's a lot of theories, a lot of thoughts. I mean, people commenting, swirling around not -- no names attached to it. Do we know -- I mean, is this information coming from the close inner circle, to Jeff Zeleny is saying that this is a very tight circle now? KING: The entire Democratic Party is having a conversation, a family conversation, and then there are groups within the Democratic Party talking within their groups. Let me go through several different things. To Jeff's point about the governors. I'm told the Democratic governors have had another phone call. Remember, they had the meeting at the White House with the president. That they have had another strategy call among themselves since, essentially making the point that what are we going to do if he doesn't get out? What next steps should we plan if he doesn't take the hint and get out? That's one, and that's a big one. Number two, I'm told the First Lady has canceled an event planned on Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Now, the President is home sick with COVID, right? So, connecting dots there might not be the right, safe thing to do, but that's a fact. A big event in Michigan, Ann Arbor, student area, where the President is struggling. The First Lady's not going to do that event. [20:35:08] Fundraisers, I'm now told, him not only told the Biden campaign, we're done. We're not raising any more big money for you, but now they have told the democratic House and Senate campaign committees we are not raising any more money for you. It was put to me, quote, "They believe if Joe is at the top of the ticket, the House and the Senate are gone too. They don't want to throw good money after bad." A senior House Democrat told me a few moments ago, yes, that card has been played. Donors essentially saying, get him to leave the race, or we're not giving you any money at all. And I just want to show you, look at this graphic on the screen right now. This is where -- this is just the last week. Since one week ago to today, the Biden campaign has spent $8.8 million on television. Donald Trump's campaign has spent $33,000 on television. Nearly $9 million to $33,000. And Donald Trump has gone up in the polls every single day. So the donors are saying, why are we going to give you more money when you're spending money at that rate? The polls say what they say. And you cannot -- this is a hard one for the President. I spoke to a Democrat today who spoke to the President several days ago. He said he was digging it and defiant, had a talk with one of the three or four people closest to the President today who says now there's a sense of inevitability. And if you don't have money, Anderson, you can't run a campaign. Whether you're the president of the United States or not. COOPER: Abby, what do you -- PHILLIP: There is a conversation happening outside of the President and his inner circle, and the conversation happening inside the President's mind and in his inner circle is quite different. President Biden -- this is according to multiple Democrats that I've spoken to today -- he is feeling assailed, obviously -- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. PHILLIP: -- by his own party. He is not convinced by any of this. He's not convinced by the poll numbers that John has reported on and talked about, that he's seen from from Democrats, including according to our reporting from Nancy Pelosi. He's unconvinced that the alternatives that are being talked about are realistic. And he is still in a place where he does not see a reason for him to leave this race. But at the same time, what John is talking about with the donors is very real. And it's actually in some ways seems to be working against the purposes of people who want Joe Biden to step aside. The donors are upping their pressure. They are frustrated. They're angry. They feel misled. They are telling individual races and the party committees that they don't want to spend any more money. But. President Biden, I'm told, feels like that is donor pressure. He's looking at the grassroots of his party and he's saying, they're still with me. He's saying, my delegates are still with me and nobody can take my delegates away from me. So they are in a bind right now. Everybody's in a waiting game because there's only still, as we sit here right now, pressure, the pressure is what it is. But everyone knows only one person can make that decision. And all -- and even as, inside of his campaign, a lot of his aides have moved -- they've moved toward Joe Biden needs to step out. Joe Biden is still not there yet. COOPER: Kasie, what do you think? HUNT: Yes, I would just say briefly -- I mean, I take all of Abby's points, and no one can know definitively, except the people in the room with him, what's in Joe Biden's head exactly right now. I will say there has been a noted shift in posture among the immediate circle that is around him. People that are reaching out to that inner circle are receiving replies and kind of responses that are just notably different than the ones that they have and have received in previous weeks. And I don't think we can, you know, suppose what that means. But any shift like that in this kind of an environment is really noteworthy. COOPER: David? AXELROD: Yes, I kind of hang with -- I've hung with some of these people for a very long time. The general sense is that this thing is on a trajectory. I'm sure what Abby -- listen, Joe Biden is a very strong, defiant guy. He believes deeply in himself. He's defied the odds before. And -- but the confluence of things that are coming in right now are very hard to overcome. And, yes, you can deny the polls and say, well, I don't believe two-thirds of Democrats want me to drop out. You can deny the fundraising numbers until the plane can't get gassed up. And I don't think anybody wants it to come to that point. I think this weekend he's going to hear not from -- not just from people outside his camp, but inside his camp. By the one last point about this, we talked about the fact that the president isn't going to mention Joe Biden tonight. And yes, that may serve his purposes in terms of softening his approach, but it also is, it reflects the fact, as I've said here the last few nights -- KING: Right. AXELROD: -- they don't want to knock Joe Biden out of the race. And there's a reason for that. COOPER: I want to place something that Senator Jeff Coons -- or sorry, Chris Coons said to Wolf Blitzer earlier today on our air. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Is he even considering it leaving? SEN. CHRIS COONS (D), DELAWARE: Look, I think he weighs very seriously the input of those he trusts and admires, those who've served with him. And beyond that, I'm not going to get into the details, Wolf. [20:40:06] I think he deserves the respect of being able to reflect on this moment. BLITZER: Does he even considering leaving the race? COONS: Wolf, if I haven't spoken to him in the last few days. I shouldn't speak to that without direct knowledge. (END VIDEO CLIP) COOPER: John King, I just want to ask you, because we just ran a graphic and it's based on this reporting from MJ Lee saying that senior most West Wing advisers, the President tells CNN Thursday night, they have had no discussions amongst themselves or with Biden about the President dropping out of the race. How do you -- that sounds like they're not talking to him. KING: Well, that's what the campaign is saying on the record. Look, obviously, the President's the candidate. The President gets this. How deep are those conversations? How deep is the pushback? I mean, just to give you a little context, you know, Chuck Schumer's office issued a statement the other night, unless your source is Joe Biden or Chuck Schumer, it's speculation. That's a way of saying it's true. We're just not going to say it's true. Look, of course, one of the questions we've all had for three weeks now since the debate is how candid are the three or four people closest to the President being with him about this. And when he repeatedly, as you've seen in public interviews, Abby's right, in private conversations, he's saying, I can still do this. I've been counted up before. I can come back. I'm still stronger than any other Democrat out there. That's what he says back to them. What we don't know is what they're saying back to him. But one of the things they are telling him now, because they're hearing words, is that people aren't going to show up at your convention. They are publicly going to go out there next week and say, you have to go. Do you want to -- and you're not going to have any money. And so -- and can you -- PHILLIP: Yes. KING: -- you know, yes, look, Joe Biden's stubbornness and resilience has been his greatest character trait. He has been told he lost in '87, he lost in 2008 -- '88, he ran in '87, '88, he's been told he was never going to be president, he's the president of the United States, right? And so tip your hat to this man's resilience. But sometimes -- COOPER: Yes. KING: -- what a lot of people are saying is sometimes your greatest strength, stubbornness, becomes your weakest. COOPER: Van? JONES: You know, dreams become nightmares and nightmares become dreams. You're watching a nightmare become a dream for Donald Trump. He has had a nightmarish summer with, you know, convictions and indictments and all kinds of stuff, almost got shot, and it's becoming a dream for him. Biden's the opposite. The dream that he had for himself as a young man, to stand up and to rescue his country and move it in a positive direction, he actually delivered on that. He delivered on that. He did beat all those odds. He has done extraordinary things. He is an extraordinary man. But by holding on too long, it's becoming a nightmare. And the donors who have written huge checks for him, I mean, the biggest checks are the ones who are stepping back. The smartest peers. Nancy Pelosi is a political genius. Chuck Schumer is a political genius. His peers are now turning on him. And he's now -- tonight he's sick. He's sick and he's watching all this happen. And I think, it may take him a moment, but I believe he will get where he needs to go. This is a terrible, terrible moment for Joe Biden. COOPER: As we get closer to Donald Trump's speech, wrestling star Hulk Hogan will be on stage picking up one of the big themes of the night. Trump as a fighter, that's ahead, along with a musical performance by Kid Rock. CNN's live coverage of the Republican National Convention continues after a quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [20:47:09] TAPPER: The stage is set for Donald Trump's acceptance speech on this final night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Battleground, Wisconsin. You can hear the crowd behind me cheering for Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News personality now conservative. Voice of sorts who has just finished a speech. Right now we're getting some new details about what the former president is planning to say as he prepares to address his party and the nation. And Kristen Holmes is here with us to provide us with the details. Kristen, tell us what you're learning. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jake, it's not just what he's saying, but it's also what he's going to do when he takes the stage. He's going to have both a firefighter's helmet and jacket that belonged to Corey Comperatore, who was killed in that assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. Comperatore was a former fire chief. His viewing was today. Donald Trump was not able to make it. He's speaking tonight, but obviously this goes to what we know that Donald Trump is going to talk about this focus on what happened on Saturday. And it's not just walking through these events step by step and this assassination attempt, but it's also focusing on the fact that he feels lucky to be alive. That he believes that there's some form of divine intervention. Donald Trump is not a religious man. He is not even a spiritual man. But we are told by people around him that he has said over and over again that the only reason he believes that he survived something like this was because he turned his head. He was looking at a chart and he believes that that was because something, some higher spirit encouraged him to do so. Now, again, this is what we are told he is going to really double down on in the speech tonight. We actually heard a clip of him earlier today talking about how an experience like this brings you closer to God, makes you feel like you understand God more. Obviously, we will wait and see what Donald Trump does when he takes the stage. TAPPER: All right, Kristen Holmes, thanks so much. And we are, of course, covering the Republican National Convention here, but there is a lot of drama on the other side of the aisle as well with so many Democratic elected officials coming forward and telling President Biden they do not think he should be seeking reelection. Most of them are conveying the message privately, or thinking it, but not saying it publicly. But increasingly, there have been Republican elected officials willing to come forward. And tonight, we just got news that Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, the senior senator, he is up for re-election. He is in a tough re-election battle. And he has come forward. He has issued a statement that says, "Montanans have put their trust in me to do what is right. And it's a responsibility I take seriously. I've worked with President Biden when it has made Montana stronger, and I've never been afraid to stand up to him when he is wrong. And while I appreciate his commitment to public service in our country, I believe President Biden should not seek re-election to another term." That is only the second Democratic senator to say such a thing publicly. But Dana Bash and Chris Wallace, he assuredly is not only the second Democratic senator to think that. [20:50:07] BASH: That's right, and he is the first who is in a very tough re- election battle. He will be on the ballot just as Joe Biden right now is in November. And Jon Tester is from one of the most conservative red states in the nation. He is kind of a name brand there, which is why he has been able to survive and thrive, even though he is a D in front of his name. But obviously, even he thinks that it is too much and too detrimental, maybe not just for him, but for the country and for the presidency. He is one of three Democratic senators that we reported a couple of weeks ago in a private meeting among Senate Democrats who said already he did not think that Joe Biden could win the White House. So it is significant. I mean, Jake, at this point, it is death by a thousand cuts. WALLACE: What's so interesting, Jake, is that clearly there was a huge feeling on the part of Democratic officials, particularly on Capitol Hill, that they wanted this to happen in a graceful way, and they wanted Joe Biden to go, but to go with dignity. And so, they tried so hard to do this behind the scenes in private meetings, whether it was Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the House, or Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, Nancy Pelosi. But Joe Biden refuses to get the message. And so the fact that you're beginning to see more and more people, Adam Schiff yesterday, very important Democrat in the House and a close ally of Nancy Pelosi, Jon Tester in a key race this November. My guess is that once this convention ends, if the word from Delaware is that Joe Biden is still digging in his heels, you're going to start to see a murmur, and then a chorus, and then a flood of people going out in public and saying, Joe must go, which is, of course, one of the lines here at this convention. They're -- if he's not going to go with dignity, they just are going to want him to go. TAPPER: I wonder if that ship has sailed. I mean, the idea of going with dignity, the way the Democrat, Democratic elected officials describe it to me. President Biden is like the Bruce Willis character in 'the Sixth Sense". He's the only one who doesn't know of his demise. He's the only one who doesn't know it's over. But speaking of godly things, let's turn back to Kristen Holmes' reporting a second ago where she was talking about how President Trump apparently, and we'll hear what he says about this in just a few minutes, believes that perhaps there was some sort of divine intervention. I'm -- that's -- I'm paraphrasing, but the idea that he turned his head at that last second and that's the only the reason why he wasn't killed, it is remarkable and obviously near death experiences have profound effects on individuals. BASH: Yes, absolutely. It is so interesting to hear those words. You heard him speak about it, I think it was today or yesterday, a little bit as Kristen alluded to, given the fact that when he was in the White House, he was certainly in our lifetime. The President who went to church the least, he was never a particularly spiritual person and really privately, I wouldn't say he had disdain for it, but he didn't understand it. Which has always been odd given the fact that in recent years, some of his most ardent supporters are not only sort of evangelical, deeply religious. And I have talked to many of them in various states where they were going out for him and are still going out for him, they genuinely believe that he was sent here by God. And so the fact that he is now seeing that and is going to make that connection, I can't even imagine how the room here and the delegates here are going to eat that up. WALLACE: You know, he's going to get a very receptive audience for that, as Dana mentions. It's been so interesting. There have been a few speakers at this convention who have said they came after him, they tried to bankrupt him, they put him in jail, they even tried to kill him without saying who they is. But the vast majority of the speakers, in the sense you get on the floor, is exactly what Dana says, which is that this is divine providence. This was an act of God, and several of the most people who I think had the greatest impact, said God isn't finished with Donald Trump and wants him to be the president. And that's why he intervened in that field in Pennsylvania on Saturday. I -- look, the idea of him out here with the firefighter who's died Helmut (ph), this is going to be an extraordinarily emotional and powerful scene, and it'll get a very receptive audience, particularly to the degree that he weighs into the spiritual aspect of this. [20:55:01] TAPPER: It will be interesting, no doubt. We're about to hear from a woman named Annette Albright. She's an EDA. That's what we call here, Every Day Americans, an EDA. That's what the campaign and the Republican National Convention is calling them EDA. Annette Albright, she is a former teacher, somebody who's frustrated with how Democrats have failed the African-American community. And she is -- it's interesting how they have sprinkled these EDAs throughout the convention. Let's listen in. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- from North Carolina. (APPLAUSE) ANNETTE ALBRIGHT, FORMER TEACHER & FORMER CORRECTIONS OFFICER: Thank you. Thank you so much. Good evening. My name is Annette Albright. I grew up in the small town of Mount Airy, North Carolina. North Carolina! (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Like my parents and my grandparents, I was a lifelong member of the Democrat Party. Don't worry, the story gets better from here. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: After completing a degree in criminal justice, I started a career working with the North Carolina Department of Corrections. I left my job in the criminal justice system to work for Charlotte- Mecklenburg School District, to engage our youth before they got stuck in the system. It didn't take long for me to realize that public schools are a part of the problem. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Sadly, too many of our schools are more like prisons than places of learning. That must change. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: In one public high school, I witnessed a full blown riot. I saw many violent altercations between students and physical attacks on staff. During my 14 years working with the Department of Public Safety, offenders never laid a hand on me, yet I was violently assaulted by a group of students in a public high school. (BOOING) ALBRIGHT: The uptick in school violence was related to an Obama-Biden policy that directed schools to reduce suspension rates and keep dangerous students in the classroom. (BOOING) ALBRIGHT: President Trump reversed the Obama policy and put the safety of our kids first. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Violence on public school campuses should not be a Democrat issue, it should not be a Republican issue, it is an American people issue. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Sadly, I've repeatedly seen that the Democrat Party cares more about appeasing the teachers union, that they do about prioritizing the needs of our kids. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: They champion safe spaces instead of safe schools. This is completely wrong. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Little by little, I begin to see the truth. While Democrats spend more money on a broken system, Republicans are empowering parents and fighting for school choice. (APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: While Democrats think school resource officers are a threat to our students, Republicans know that they protect our kids. (APPLAUSE) CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 18, 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] (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) ANNETTE ALBRIGHT, FORMER TEACHER: While Democrats won't admit that our schools are failing, Republicans will fix the system and make our schools safe. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: That's why this year, for the first time in my life, I am registering as a Republican. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Thank you. Thank you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: And in November, I will proudly cast my vote for Donald J. Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Only together, we can make America's schools great again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) ALBRIGHT: Thank you. And God bless America. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Annette Albright, who was a former Democrat, is going to be registering as a Republican. Kaitlan Collins is on the floor of the convention, with some members of the New York delegation. Kaitlan. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN HOST: Waiting for former President Trump. But I am here with two House Republicans, as they are watching this. Nick LaLota, and Mike Lawler. What are you hoping to hear from the President -- the former President, tonight, in his speech that could be helpful in November? REP. MICHAEL LAWLER (R-NY): Look, I think Americans are ready to be united, and get behind President Trump, to address the issues facing them, from affordability crisis, to the crisis at our southern border, to the challenges around the globe. The world is a tinderbox under Joe Biden, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the terrorist attack on Israel, to the threats emanating in the Indo-Pacific from China. And I think President Trump has an opportunity, tonight, after the assassination attempt on his life, on Saturday, to really unify Americans, and inspire them. COLLINS: Yes. And obviously, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the attack on Israel, they were not President Biden's fault. But you don't like the way he's handled the response to that. But when you look at this, I've heard from someone today, who said, they feel like they have a lot of momentum, right now, inside the Trump campaign. But the question is, how do you maintain that until November? Obviously, it's still July? What does that look like, over the next several months that can make races like yours better and stronger for you? REP. NICK LALOTA (R-NY): Yes, I'm looking forward to the continued positive, policy-oriented patriotic message, coming from President Trump, to provide solutions on the border and the economy. He's the one Long Islanders want, New Yorkers want, Americans want. Americans want the president to be inclusive, to be a good communicator, to bring us all together. I'm confident President Trump is going to get that done, and help us win these elections in November, but more importantly, to govern the right way, and put America back on the right track in January. COLLINS: All right. Thank you both. Joining me from the House floor, the New York delegation is right over there, Anderson. Obviously, you can really feel the energy on the floor, tonight, I should note. I mean, I've been here every single night, as we're waiting for these speeches. But it does feel a bit more amped up, as they are waiting for the former President to come out, for the first time since -- to be on stage, in front of a big crowd like this one, since Saturday, Anderson. COOPER: Yes. Kaitlan, thanks very much. Here with the team. Scott Jennings, there's a lot of anticipation, obviously, for the President, tonight. SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. This convention is energized. They are unified. They are defiant in some ways. They're optimistic. It's the first time we've been ahead since, end of July, of a presidential, since the year 2000. It's been 24 years. And let me tell you something else. I've been saying this. Van and Axe know. This is a vibes election. We're always doing a vibe check. And let me just reassure the American people. One of our two major political parties is functioning properly. It's the Republican Party. And the vibes on the floor here are simply outrageous. And we're about to have a hell of a lot of fun, because Hulkamania is about to run wild, in Milwaukee. Anderson Cooper, what are you going to do, when the largest arms in the world come out on this stage-- COOPER: Yes. JENNINGS: --and ask all Americans to participate in our democracy? It's outrageous. COOPER: Yes, it's exciting for everybody. DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, Anderson, on a housekeeping note. DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Get it out of here. I want to know what's in Jennings' cup, OK? KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Can I have some? I want some. JENNINGS: It's a big cup of freedom, David Axelrod. HUNT: Pull that down over here. URBAN: So, on an interesting note. What we've been seeing on the -- on the stage behind is playing. John King noted this. There are some videos that Donald Trump has cut-- JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. URBAN: --previously, right? And so, some of them, we're going to hear a nicer, more softer-edged Donald Trump. Some of the videos that are playing are pretty hard edged. [21:05:00] And one of the videos that played interestingly, was something that's very important in the Republican Party, very important in this upcoming election. Voting by mail. Donald Trump has not really been a big proponent of voting by mail, voting early. HUNT: Really? Not a big proponent? COOPER: Really? I think-- URBAN: OK, well. COOPER: --it's an understatement. URBAN: OK. It's an understatement. COOPER: He actively discouraged-- URBAN: OK. COOPER: --not to vote. URBAN: However. Listen. (CROSSTALK) URBAN: However. But in the-- AXELROD: Corrupt -- corrupt, I think, was the word he used. HUNT: I think that's the-- (CROSSTALK) URBAN: Well, but listen, interestingly, interestingly, a video, about a five-minute video-- KING: Right. URBAN: --ran on the screen, for these delegates to see, with Donald Trump espousing how important it was to vote by mail. Get home, vote by mail, vote early, bank your votes. That -- the TV audience may not have seen that. KING: Yes. He-- URBAN: But this crowd did. And it's very important for the election. KING: But -- but in that same video, all this talk about unity and a softer, kinder, gentler, in that same video, he said, we're going to kick them out of the government. We're going to look for them, and we're going to kick them out. We're going to find them, the liberals, the leftists, and the communists, and we're going to kick them out of the government. ABBY PHILLIP, CNN HOST: Meanwhile, the two members-- KING: Right. PHILLIP: --of the New York delegation just said, they want an inclusive message. They want him to be a good communicator. They want him-- KING: Right. PHILLIP: --to focus on policy. URBAN: OK. I'm talking about the vote by mail part. Let's focus on the vote by mail. PHILLIP: I was just saying-- (CROSSTALK) URBAN: Republicans, if you're watching, vote by mail. PHILLIP: --that's what they said they need to hear from Donald Trump, tonight. AXELROD: It is interesting, though, that those guys were here. JENNINGS: Yes. AXELROD: Because those are swing-district Republicans. URBAN: Yes, Lawler, sure. AXELROD: And they are here, because they're making a judgment that he will not hurt them. VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. AXELROD: But in terms of your unity part. I keep having to remind you, it's moving. It's striking to see. But they did boo your guy right out of the arena. JENNINGS: David Axelrod -- Axelrod, you are not going to bring -- I am literally going to come over there and body-slam you. I will suplex you on this set, tonight. I am feeling the vibes of Hulkamania. I'm not holding back, brother. AXELROD: We should -- we should explain to everyone. JENNINGS: Listen to me, David Taxelrod. Listen to me. AXELROD: We may -- I know. COOPER: Taxelrod. AXELROD: He got a chance to meet Hulk Hogan. And he cannot calm down. JENNINGS: Listen, Taxelrod. COOPER: David, in terms-- JENNINGS: You're not bringing me down. COOPER: --in terms of the-- JONES: Hey, can I? COOPER: --Democratic Party watch, you know, folks at home, who are Democrats, watching this, and wondering about what happens next. Whenever the -- President Biden makes a decision of whatever his decision is going to be, assuming it's him getting out of the race, what happens then? AXELROD: Well, I think there's a lot of -- there are a lot of people thinking about that, and what that process should be, whether he'll endorse the Vice President, and somehow there will be a seamless handoff to the Vice President, or whether there'll be some sort of process, whereby candidates compete. We had this discussion a little bit yesterday. There are a -- there are a lot of people, I'm one of them, who believe that it actually would strengthen her to participate in a process on that. HUNT: Well, can I -- can I actually ask you a question, David? Because I've heard it like some different thinking on this. Because there is clearly some concern, among corners of the party, that Kamala Harris might have a difficult time winning a national election, so quickly than there are other people, who turn around and say, of course, she's the Vice President, she's on the ticket, it's way easier. But for the people, who might also be in the arena, like that's what I'm kind of most interested in, like, if you are Josh Shapiro, and you are the Governor of Pennsylvania, and everybody's talking about how you can be President of the United States someday. AXELROD: Right. HUNT: Is it in your interest to try to challenge Kamala Harris? Because I had somebody pretty convincingly argue to me that like, absolutely not is it in your interest. AXELROD: Yes. But let me just make a point about this. HUNT: A would-be-to-be VP. AXELROD: The question the party should ask itself is, and Van said this yesterday, if you actually believe that Donald Trump represents a great threat, then shouldn't you do the thing that you think you need to do to win? And the practical point is, there's only one path for Democrats, and that's through Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. And the question is, who gives you the best chance to do it? If it is the Vice President, who running with her would help? I mean, there are a lot of calculations that are very practical that have to be made. PHILLIP: And this is emerging as-- URBAN: Yes. But particularly, but think about if you're Josh Shapiro. You're a very strong candidate in 2028. You want to jump in the pool now, with a 100 days left? PHILLIP: Well this-- HUNT: But being the VP to Kamala Harris-- PHILLIP: Listen. HUNT: --probably doesn't hurt Josh Shapiro. COOPER: I agree. PHILLIP: This is the biggest-- HUNT: Right? (CROSSTALK) URBAN: Do not. HUNT: Not his fault if they lose in 80 days. PHILLIP: This is becoming one of the biggest divides in the Democratic Party, right now. HUNT: Yes. PHILLIP: Whether there's going to be an open process for the convention, or whether Kamala Harris is going to be the nominee. I spent a lot of time talking about this issue today. One person I talked to suggested to me that the idea, to your point, Kasie, that a Josh Shapiro, or Gretchen Whitmer, or anybody else can just walk into the DNC and say, hey, pick me, is not going to work, because the Democratic National Committee is comprised of real people, like the delegates are real people. KING: Right. PHILLIP: And many of those real people-- HUNT: Yes. PHILLIP: --are Black people. Many of those real people are women. And they -- and it was suggested to me. It's not just a political problem in the media. It would be like an actual problem at the convention for the party. AXELROD: You said it -- you said it-- COOPER: Van, what are you-- PHILLIP: And that's one of the big issues that they're worried about. JONES: Well actual people or actual voters who had a chance to vote-- PHILLIP: I'm talking about the delegates who are casting ballots. JONES: I'm-- PHILLIP: That's what -- that's all I'm saying. [21:10:00] JONES: Actual Democratic Black voters had a chance to pick Kamala Harris, and picked Joe Biden. We skipped over Joe Biden, as Vice President, to get to Hillary Clinton. So, this is going to have to get worked out. And I think that the most important question is who can win? What combination could win? And I think the case to be made for Kamala has to be a winnability argument. AXELROD: Yes. JONES: It can't be as she's Vice President, you got to give it to her. That didn't work for Joe Biden. AXELROD: Right. JONES: Joe Biden got passed over for Hillary. AXELROD: Well-- JONES: It can't be she -- if you don't like her, if you don't go with her, it's because you're a racist or a sexist. Or if you don't like Josh Shapiro, it's because you're antisemitic. We got to have an honest conversation about who can win. AXELROD: Yes. JENNINGS: Guys, this is all-- AXELROD: But like, can I just make a -- let me make one point, though. You know it's our little thing. JENNINGS: I know. I know. We're at the Democratic convention. AXELROD: Abby -- Abby said, the debate is between whether we have the Vice President be the nominee or an open process. And the assumption that you're making is that somehow if there's an open process, the Vice President won't be selected. PHILLIP: Well you know what? (CROSSTALK) AXELROD: And I'm saying-- PHILLIP: Yes. AXELROD: --I think she very well maybe. JENNINGS: Guys. Guys. PHILLIP: And Axe, what I'm saying-- AXELROD: And she'd be a stronger nominee, if that happens. PHILLIP: So that's a -- that's a really important point, because what I am hearing is that the people there -- the reason there's so much anger-- JONES: Getting there. PHILLIP: --about this idea of an open process, is because there is a sense that the subtext of an open process is that at the end of it, the people who want the open process, do not want Kamala Harris. I'm not saying this is what I believe. This is just what people are telling me, is that the subtext is that the open-- JENNINGS: And Abby? PHILLIP: --process means no Kamala Harris. HUNT: And any person-- (CROSSTALK) JENNINGS: Abby? Abby? Guys-- PHILLIP: So that's why people are so mad about it. JENNINGS: Guys, we are like minutes away-- KING: Right. JENNINGS: --minutes away-- KING: Right. JENNINGS: --from Hulk Hogan-- JONES: Yes. JENNINGS: --Dana White, and Donald J. Trump. (CROSSTALK) HUNT: All right. So, who do they want to run against? JONES: I want -- I want-- HUNT: Let's talk about that. JENNINGS: Even look for you guys (ph). JONES: I want to say -- I want to say something about this. JENNINGS: So, we can have an academic discussion-- PHILLIP: And you know what? (CROSSTALK) JONES: OK. You see something -- I want to say something. I want to say something. This spirit that this guy has, you guys think this is because he's drunk? He's not. KING: Right, yes. JONES: This whole thing is like this. And look-- PHILLIP: Yes. He's drunk on the program (ph) tonight. JONES: Hey, listen. Hey, guys. The last time I was in a convention that felt like this was Obama 2008. JENNINGS: Yes, and you know -- yes. JONES: There's something happening-- KING: Yes. JONES: --where-- HUNT: You just wrote a headline, by the way. JONES: What's that? HUNT: You just wrote a headline. (CROSSTALK) JENNINGS: It's just looks like Obama. And just like Obama, Trump is showing in this convention. JONES: Yes. JENNINGS: He has the capacity to alter the composition of the electorate. That is showing-- AXELROD: The difference between 2008 and now-- KING: Yes. AXELROD: --is that Obama was actually popular outside of his own party. And that's not the case with Donald Trump. PHILLIP: I don't think you should overstate it. And that was then. COOPER: Former first lady, Melania Trump, in the convention hall, for the first time. Phil Mattingly is keeping an eye on the Trump family box. Phil, what are you seeing? PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: I'm actually going to bounce off what was just said about the 2008 convention. I've talked to several delegates, including one, just about three people away from me, have asked me, when was the last convention? Or how many conventions have I've been to, and have I ever seen one as energized as this? I think the only one that is a close analog, for me, at least was 2008. And at least from a Republican convention perspective, maybe 2004. But this is something that I just haven't seen in several cycles. And the delegates keep saying the same thing, delegates that have been here for cycle after cycle, convention after convention, that the energy level is just different. And it's not happening in isolation. Obviously, guys, they've been building to this moment throughout the course of this week. And the next group of speakers, as Scott Jennings so eloquently and energetically identified, particularly with Hulk Hogan coming up, are part of that build to the biggest moment of the night, with the former President, giving his third convention speech. But I think it just underscores right now that yes, the unity is there. Yes, the reality of this moment in terms of the energy is very real. But also what's going to set this place on fire, and that's literally what a delegate told me, just a little bit ago, is that family box, right behind me. You'll notice that there are still senators up there. But there are several seats that are now empty. The former President left about an hour ago. He's obviously going to be speaking tonight. But everybody's waiting for those seats to be filled by Trump family members. We have seen Eric Trump. We've seen Don Jr. And tonight, we will see Melania Trump, for the first time. We're likely to see -- we are expecting to see Ivanka Trump for the first time. Guys, the family, always so central, will once again be centerstage in just a matter of moments, Jake. JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. So, thanks so much, Phil. Boris Sanchez is somewhere out there. Boris, tell us where you are and what you're seeing. BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Jake, I'm actually on the podium position, just to the left of the stage. And this crowd is very raucous, right now. And folks are dancing to the cover band. But the next speaker, I believe it's the next speaker that's set to come out, is someone that I know Scott Jennings has been eagerly anticipating, hearing from their murmurs in the crowd that he has been walking around backstage. And that is Hulk Hogan, the former World Wrestling Entertainment, world champion. He's wearing a signature red bandana, and he was flanked by two massive American flags. Very different convention voice than you're used to hear. You're not talking about a former Republican president or even a governor or a lawmaker. You're talking about a wrestler, someone who is linked to Donald Trump, not only through Trump's experience with the World Wrestling Entertainment Group, but also through Peter Thiel. [21:15:00] Obviously, Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley entrepreneur and billionaire donor to Republican politics. He bankrolled Hogan's lawsuit against this tabloid website, some years ago. He's also a big donor to the vice-presidential nominee, J.D. Vance. And he spoke at the 2016 Republican convention. So, worlds sort of colliding there. The message we can expect to hear from Hulk Hogan, he's going to echo what we heard from Donald Trump, after he was shot on Saturday. He's going to call on his supporters to fight. Jake. TAPPER: All right, Boris. Thanks so much. And we should note, in addition to Hulk Hogan, this evening's festivities will also include Kid Rock, as well as Dana White, the CEO and President of Ultimate Fighting Championship, also the owner of Power Slap, a slap fighting championship. Chris, what theme are we discerning here, with this cast of characters? CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: Is that a trick question? Testosterone. TAPPER: Yes. WALLACE: A lot of testosterone, tonight. It's so interesting. I mean, when you think of it, of the people, this is a real prime slot, the people just before the nominee is going to accept the official nomination of the party, and in this particular case, the former President. Hulk Hogan, Dana White, and Kid Rock, and then Donald Trump. And it's not just that Donald Trump likes fighting, and wrestling. But this very much fits into the theory of this campaign, which is that they very much see it as strength versus weakness. Masculine versus hyper masculinity. And you'd say, well, they've got a problem with women. The interesting gender gap that you see in the polls, right now, is not among women. They are -- Biden and Trump run relatively close among women. Biden's ahead, but only by about a half dozen points. The real gender gap is among men, where Trump is far ahead, double- digits ahead of Biden. And so, I think there's a feeling that they can lean into this, increase the gender gap. TAPPER: Oh. WALLACE: So, Donald Trump, likes this. TAPPER: Yes. Interesting stuff. We're going to squeeze in a very quick break. We are expecting President Trump's acceptance speech, this evening. We're also expecting Hulk Hogan, Kid Rock, Dana White, a whole bunch of other, in keeping with the testosterony theme of this evening, testosterony, the real San Francisco treat. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [21:21:47] TAPPER: Welcome back to the Republican convention, in Milwaukee, in battleground Wisconsin. We expect to see members of the Trump family entering the hall soon, as we get closer to Donald Trump's big speech, his acceptance of his party's nomination for president in 2024. Kaitlan Collins is on the floor, talking to delegates. Kaitlan, who's with you? COLLINS: Yes, Jake. I'm standing here with Pam Pollard. She is a delegate from the great state of Oklahoma. We're standing with the rest of the Oklahoma delegation. And Pam and I were just talking, as we are waiting to see someone that we have not seen yet, at this convention, Jake. And that is the former first lady, Melania Trump, who is here. She'll be out here shortly, we're told. She's going to be sitting in that box, right there. And I just wonder, as a Republican, as a delegate, what it means to you, the significance of seeing the former first lady come here, since she hasn't been here, earlier, in the other days this week. PAM POLLARD, OKLAHOMA DELEGATE: Oh, I think it's wonderful that she's here. I didn't know if she was going to come or not, because I know she's been taking care of Barron, and a lot of other things in her family. So, I'm so happy she's here. And I think every family member ought to support each other. And I'm very, very proud that she's here to support her husband and part of her family. COLLINS: And what do you make of the children that we've heard from? Donald Trump Jr., last night. POLLARD: Oh. COLLINS: We'll hear from Eric Trump, tonight. Ivanka Trump is also expected to be on hand. What, from the children's speeches, have stood out to you so far? POLLARD: Especially the granddaughter, I think it just really shows that no matter who we are, no matter running for president, former President, you are still somebody's husband, father, grandpa. And I think that's important for Americans to look at our candidates as human beings. So, I'm glad that they brought that part into the convention. COLLINS: And Pam, before we go, I have to show our viewers your footwear for tonight, because it is amazing. These are slippers that you designed. Is that right? POLLARD: I did. I was in part of a slipper contest. So, I made Uncle Sam and Betsy Ross elephant shoes. COLLINS: Pam Pollard, thank you for your time tonight. POLLARD: Thank you very much. COLLINS: Jake. Back to you. TAPPER: All right. Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much. Appreciate it. And be sure to get a pair of those slippers for yourself, while you're down there. This is going to -- we haven't seen Melania Trump. And we should note, I'm not judging, but it's out of the ordinary, for a presidential spouse, or presidential nominee spouse, to be so invisible. DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Absent. TAPPER: Yes, so absent. She -- we're told that she's here, and that she is going to come out and sit with the President. Usually, by the way, a spouse speaks. BASH: That's right. TAPPER: I mean, she spoke at the 2016 convention. That didn't go so great. Some of her speech have been plagiarized from Michelle Obama. We heard J.D. Vance's wife speak, introduce. Melania Trump is apparently not going to speak. The role of humanizing Donald Trump has been filled by his daughter-in-law, and his granddaughter, but not the wife. BASH: Yes, it's a family affair, when it comes to his children, but not a what-you-need-to-know-about-my-husband moment. [21:25:00] Look, that ship, I think, has sailed, for Melania Trump, it's fair to say. She made no secret about the fact that the -- she did her job, as much as she could, when she had a young son in the White House. But since 2020, and since that election, she has made pretty clear that she has almost no interest in politics at all. And that is based on reporting and it's also-- TAPPER: We're seeing some -- some of the images from backstage. Here he is. BASH: Here he comes back. TAPPER: The 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. He's trying to become the 47th President of the United States as well. He is coming out. We see, there is Donald Trump Jr. I assume those are some of the grandkids as well. It is the Trump family, making an appearance. Donald Trump still has the bandage on his ear, from the awful assassination attempt on his life, Saturday. Seems to be in good spirits. He's mugging for the crowd, applauding. BASH: But again, these are his children and his grandchildren, which -- that's important to-- WALLACE: Yes. BASH: --to sort of soften him, and to show him from the perspective of family. TAPPER: That appears to be Ivanka. BASH: That's Ivanka. TAPPER: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. BASH: Also, two people who have not been visible, or much a part of the Trump political world at all, this cycle. Two people -- well, in the case of Jared Kushner, who ran his campaign in 2016, they are -- much controversy, went into the White House. And since then, particularly since the events of January 6th, 2020 (ph), they have checked out of politics, largely. TAPPER: Yes, the family, much of the family moving to Florida, as President Trump also moved his place of residence from New York to Florida. A much more welcoming state, a pretty solidly Republican state, right now. You see Donald Trump Jr. Again, I see, Ivanka and Jared. Tiffany Trump, his daughter from Marla Maples. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TAPPER: Lara Trump, Eric's wife, right next to him. She spoke the other night. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TAPPER: Still no sign of either former first lady, Melania Trump, or his son with her, Barron Trump. BASH: Yes, not yet. And just back to the -- to the Ivanka and Jared appearance here. I mean, we obviously saw on social media, Ivanka, reacting, as a daughter, to the assassination attempt of her father. And we understand that she went up to Bedminster, to be with him. But again, just on the politics, they were so incredibly involved, and really instrumental in his, not just campaign, but administration. And-- (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TAPPER: Here's Hulk Hogan, I believe. Let's listen in. (CROWD CHANTS "USA") HULK HOGAN, PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINER AND WRESTLER: Well, let me tell you something, brother. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know something? When I came here tonight, there was so much energy in this room. I felt maybe I was in Madison Square Garden, getting ready to win another World title. Or maybe I thought. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: The vibe was so intense. The energy was so crazy. It felt like maybe I was going to press that no-good sticky giant over my head, and slam him through the mat, brother. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: But what I found out, was I was in a room full of a real Americans, brother. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: And at the end of the day, with our leader up there, my hero, that gladiator, we're going to bring America back together. One real American, at a time, brother. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know something? I've seen some great tag teams in my time. Hulk Hogan and, ooh yes, the "Macho Man" Randy Savage. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: But you know something? I see the greatest tag team of my life, standing upon us, getting ready to straighten this country out, for all the real Americans. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know, even though you guys are real Americans, you better get ready. Because when Donald J. Trump becomes the President of the United States, all the real Americans are going to be nicknamed Trumpites. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: Because -- because all the Trumpites are going to be running wild for four years. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) [21:30:00] HOGAN: So, with the power of Donald J. Trump, and all the Trumpites running wild, America is going to get back on track. And like Donald J. Trump said, America is going to be great again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know, when I look out, and I see all the real Americans, I think about how Donald Trump, his family was compromised. When I look out there, and I see Donald Trump, I think about how his business was compromised. But what happened, last week, when they took a shot at my hero. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: And they tried to kill the next President of the United States. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: Enough was enough. And I said, let Trumpamania run wild, brother. Let Trumpamania rule again. Let Trumpamania make America great again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTS "USA") HOGAN: You know something Trumpites? I didn't come here as Hulk Hogan. But I just had to give you a little taste. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know my name. My name is Terry Bollea. And as an entertainer-- UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you. HOGAN: I love you too. (CHEERS) HOGAN: And as an entertainer, I try to stay out of politics. But after everything that's happened to our country, over the past four years, and everything that happened last weekend, I can no longer stay silent. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: I'm here, tonight, because I want the world to know that Donald Trump is a real American hero. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: And I'm proud to support my hero as the next President of this United States. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know guys? I've known Donald Trump for over 35 years. Hold on a second. Hold on. I just had a flashback. I just had a flashback, man. This is really tripping. You know, the last time I was up on stage, Donald Trump was sitting at ringside at the Trump Plaza. I was bleeding like a pig. And I won the World title right in front of Donald J. Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: And you know something? He's going to win in November. And we're all going to be champions again, when he wins. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: And like I said, I've known that man for over 35 years. And he's always been the biggest patriot. And he still is. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: He's always told you exactly what he thought. And he still does, brother. (CHEERS) HOGAN: And no matter the odds, he always finds a way to win. And when he's back in our White House, America is going to start winning again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTS "TRUMP") HOGAN: You know guys, over my career, I've been in the ring with some of the biggest, some of the baddest dudes on the planet. And I've squared off against lawyers. Whoo, yes, savages. And I've even like I said, body slammed giants in the middle of the ring. And I know tough guys. But let me tell you something, brother. Donald Trump is the toughest of them all. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: They've thrown everything at Donald Trump, all the investigations, the impeachments, the court cases. And he's still standing and kicking their butts. [21:35:00] (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know we never had it better than the Trump years. Back then, we had a thriving economy. We had strong borders. We had safe streets. We had peace and respect around the world. But then, we lost it all in a blink of an eye. Crime is out of control. The border is out of control. The price of food and gas, and housing is out of control. And the only person who can clean this up is Donald Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: You know guys, I really, really love this country. And I've lived the American Dream. And I want my kids, your kids, and all those little teeny Hulkamaniacs out there to live the American Dream too. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: This November, guys, we can save the American Dream for everyone. And Donald Trump is the president who will get the job done. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: So, all you criminals, all you lowlifes, all you scumbags, all you drug dealers, and all you crooked politicians, need to answer one question, brother. What you're going to do when Donald Trump, and all the Trumpamaniacs run wild on you, brother? (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) HOGAN: God bless you. And thank you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTS "USA") UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the President and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and President of Samaritan's Purse. The Reverend Franklin Graham. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) FRANKLIN GRAHAM, PRESIDENT & CEO, SAMARITAN'S PURSE: Good evening. I've got the hardest job, and I'd have to follow Hulk Hogan. But I stand here tonight, as a private citizen, who loves this country. I've been asked to say a few words, and then to pray. And we're going to do that. Last Saturday, in Butler, Pennsylvania, President Trump had a near- death experience. No question. But God spared his life. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: And when we go through those experiences, it changes us. It can cause us to examine our lives, and to reevaluate our priorities, as you should. When President Trump rose from that platform, he rose with his fists raised in strength, showing America, his unshakable resolve to fight for them and this nation. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: I cannot explain why God would save one life, and allow another one to be taken. I don't have the answer for that. But one thing I do know is that God loves us. And He wants us to be with Him in Heaven one day. (APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: And that's through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. You see, the Bible says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shouldn't perish but should have everlasting life. (APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: For as long -- for as long as I've known the President Trump, I found him to be a man of his word. Things that he said he'll do. He did. When he told me, and our country, in 2016, that he was going to appoint conservative justices. Guess what? He did. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: In 2016, he said he would defend religious liberty. And guess what? He did. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) [21:40:00] GRAHAM: In 2019, I was with him at the United Nations when the first president of history of this country stood there, to advocate for religious liberty, worldwide. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: When American citizen and Pastor, Andrew Brunson, was being held in a Turkish jail, on false accusations, President Trump demanded that he be released. And he applied economic pressure and sanctions until they did that. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: I'm grateful and thankful for what he did as a 45th President of the United States. And I know that as the 47th president, he will keep his word to the American people, to make America great, once again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: It's an honor, for me to be asked, to pray for Donald Trump, this evening. And so, what I'd like to do, I'd like us to pray. But I'd like us all to stand, as we call upon the name of the God of heaven. Our Heavenly Father, we come before you this evening, with grateful hearts. Thank you for saving the life of President Donald J. Trump. In his own words, it was you, and you alone, who saved him. We pray for the others that were injured on Saturday. For the family who lost their loved one, put your loving arms around them, comfort them, and may they sense your presence. We stand before you tonight, we say thank you, for the provisions you have given to the United States of America. You have blessed this country more than any country in the world. Sadly, as a nation, we have forgotten who is responsible for all the freedoms, the liberties and the bounty that we enjoy. It has all come for you. Thank you. This evening, our nation is in trouble. We're divided politically, racially, economically, with millions of people seeking refuge, and hope in our dry and thirsty land. You're the only one, who can fix the complexity of the problems that we face today. We pray for President Trump, that you would give him wisdom, strength, and a clear vision for the future of this nation, and the task that is at hand. Continue to protect him from his enemies. I pray that you would surround him with men and women, who will give him sound counsel and guidance. We pray for Melania, for Barron, and for all the President Trump's children and grandchildren. We pray for Senator J.D. Vance, his wife, Usha, along with their young family. We're thankful for his strong stand for defending life. As your word instructs, we also pray for the leaders of our nation, whether they're Republican, Democrat or Independent. We know that all authority comes from you. You are a great God. And we ask that if it be thy will, that you will make America great, once again. And we ask that you'll unite our hearts, bring us together, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And we pray this in the mighty name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Amen. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: Thank you. Thank you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: Thank you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) GRAHAM: Thank you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome businessman, and Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization, Eric Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTS " ERIC") ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: Good evening, America. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTS " ERIC") TRUMP: Eight years ago, my father sat our family down. He spoke of a nation in decline, of dreams slipping away, of a future endangered by failed leadership and broken promises. [21:45:00] It was in that moment I knew my father had made a decision that would forever change our lives. We realized he had chosen to step into the arena, to fight for the soul of America. He decided to leave behind the comforts of an unbelievable business empire, to leave behind everything he had ever built, to answer the call to serve our nation. Unlike his predecessor, it was not a decision born out of necessity. Unlike the current president, it was not a decision that would enrich his family. Rather, it was a decision made on love for this country, and a deep concern for America's future. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: My father was clear, would not be easy, that there would be a huge price to pay, and that the attacks would be vicious. Looking back, that was an understatement. The made-up Russia hoax. The sham impeachments. The efforts to destroy an unbelievable company, a company that I run today. The efforts to cancel us, to silence him, to gag his free speech, and to drag him through every radical-left courthouse in America, to take his life. Yet through it all, he's shown unwavering courage and determination, not just in public, but in every private conversation with me and our family. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He stood tall, fueled not by personal ambition, but by a profound love for this country, and a love for all of you, the American people. That man is my father. That man is the 45th President and soon-to-be 47th President of the United States. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: That man is Donald J. Trump. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTS "FOUR MORE YEARS") TRUMP: Each time I've stood on the stage, America has been at dire crossroads. In 2016, many people began to doubt the promise of America. Our economy was struggling. Jobs were scarce. Our standing on the world stage was weak at best. Veterans were forgotten. Our military was in shambles. Our educational system was broken, ranked 30th in the world. He could no longer tolerate an inept administration that handed $150 billion to Iran, a country that chants Death to America; or witness the continued attacks on our Constitution, and our religious liberty; or see the disrespect shown to our unbelievable law enforcement officers, who are being disarmed, defunded and persecuted each and every day. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He could no longer stand to see words like Christmas stripped from public use, or the Pledge of Allegiance removed from our schools. But my father saw potential where others saw despair. Donald Trump built the New York City skyline. He did so during a time-- (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He did so during a time when businesses were turning away from the city he loved. Crime was rampant. The streets were dirty. But he had the Midas touch. And he turned those streets and neighborhoods into gold. He faced every challenge with tremendous vision and grit. As he did during the 2016 election, he rolled up his sleeves, he remained unapologetic, he did not care to be politically correct. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He restored hope. He restored a voice to millions of Americans, who had been ignored. He restored the American Dream. Under my father's leadership, the economy climbed to record heights. Jobs were created at an unthinkable pace. Unemployment reached historic lows, across all demographics. Wage growth soared. He cut taxes for hardworking families and businesses. He slashed regulations. We saw the greatest 401(k) increase in American history. [21:50:00] (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: People bought their first homes in an environment that saw 2 to 3 percent interest rates. They started their families. My father made the United States energy-independent, with the lowest gas prices in decades. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: My father made the United States safe. Our borders were closed. There was peace in the Middle East. Soleimani, al-Baghdadi, the terrorists were dead. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: My father made the United States respected again, with the courage to walk into countries, like North Korea, with the courage to impose tariffs on China, and with the courage to tear up trade deals that cost Americans their jobs. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He brought manufacturing back to America. Small businesses flourished. He did what he promised. He put America first. We were winning. Donald Trump made America great again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But he also created a movement, a movement that threaten -- threatened the special interests and the political elites, a movement that cast a bright light on the institutions weaponized against the American people. You see it in our schools. God bless the moms who fought back. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: You see it in your workplace. You see it on every news station, in every newspaper. You see it in the military. The most iconic military installations on Planet Earth are stripped of their identity and renamed. Fort Bragg, Benning, Fort Hood. You see it in Hollywood. You see it in our two-tiered judicial system. They don't even hide it anymore. My father has been censored, the former President ripped off of Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, while terrorist organizations remained intact. My father has been persecuted, targeted by far-left Democrats, funded by special interest groups, and handpicked judges. My father has been pulled off the ballots of states, radical justices attempting to defy the will of millions of Americans, who adore who he is, and what he stands for. My father even became the target of an assassin, who almost killed America's single greatest hope for our future. The Swamp is terrified of this incredible moment -- movement. They're terrified of it. They're terrified of you, and the tens of millions of people watching us on TV right now. They've tried everything to keep him from you, everything, to destroy his legacy, to destroy his family. They have failed, and they will not win. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: I love my Florida delegation right here. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Thank you. My father stands before you with the most votes of any Republican candidate, in the history of our nation. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He has defied the predictions of every political pundit. He fills stadiums across our country. He energizes Americans to the issues facing this nation, and does so with unvarnished honesty. He is not a threat to democracy. He is a threat to those, who despise our republic, many whom are bought and sold, bribed and coerced. People who have never signed the front of a check, and who have been dependent on the government their entire adult lives. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Today, as it was in 2016, America is at that crossroads again. Energy prices are soaring. Interest rates are crippling. Everything is unaffordable. The U.S. dollar has been diminished. Inflation has made it impossible for Americans to live, to save for their future. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Our border is out of control. Millions are dead and displaced in Russia and Ukraine, a war that has no end, and a war that we are funding. [21:55:00] The Middle East has become a hornet's nest. Our greatest ally, Israel, totally under siege. Fentanyl is killing our youth and destroying families, while the current administration stands idly by, hoping their inaction will import illegal votes. Crime terrorizes our cities and our suburbs as far-left policies handcuffed police. Male athletes, guys my height, six foot five, are swimming in women's sports. (AUDIENCE BOOS) TRUMP: Destroying the dreams of young girls, who have trained every minute of their lives. We no longer trust our elections. We no longer trust our judicial system. And we no longer believe that our government is working in our best interest. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: In spite of where we are today, as a nation, I'd like to speak to every American. To the homeless veteran, sleeping under a bridge, as illegal immigrants are housed in the most expensive hotels in New York. (AUDIENCE BOOS) TRUMP: I'm sorry. We know it's wrong. And we will fix it. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To the single mother, who can no longer afford her rent, afford groceries, and has been forced to work three jobs. I'm sorry. It does not have to be this way. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To the parents who lost a son or daughter to fentanyl, including the incredible woman that spoke the other night, while an administration does absolutely nothing. I'm sorry. Your government can do so much better. And it will. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To the children, who are being brainwashed instead of learning the fundamentals in school. I'm sorry. There are teachers who care. And my father will empower them. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To the law enforcement officers, our brave Border Patrol, Secret Service agents, who work every single day, to protect our communities, knowing damn well that the system will throw you under the bus. I'm sorry. We will stand behind you. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To commuters often petrified to take a bus, take a train, or walk the streets in cities across our nation. I'm sorry. That man, right there, will fix this. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To the construction workers, to the middle-class families, to the families with children with disabilities, families who can no longer afford medical benefits or to take a vacation. I'm sorry. We will make America great again. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And to my father, who has been ruthlessly silenced, slandered and attacked by a corrupt administration. I'm sorry. We know, and America knows, that they're not just after you. They're after all of us. And you just happen to be standing in their way. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To all Americans, watching tonight, the greatest retribution will be our success. Success not just for ourselves but for our grandchildren and our children. Under President Donald J. Trump, the swamp will be drained. America will be respected. Our cities will be safe. Our streets will be clean. And our border will once again be secure. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We will have peace. We will have prosperity. Your hard-earned tax dollars will enrich a better America not be squandered in corrupt foreign nations. Education will be handed back to the states. We will no longer be 30th in the world. We will be first. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE) (CROWD CHANTS "USA") … CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 18, 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] ERIC TRUMP, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: …Our children will understand family. Our children will have values. And our children will love God. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) E. TRUMP: Our country will prioritize free speech, respect freedom of religion and honor our Constitution. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) E. TRUMP: As his son, I've never been more proud of a person in my life. A man who has defied all odds more than once. A man who believed in the promise of America when others turned away. A man who saw a nation in need of a champion and answered that call with unwavering determination and courage. A man who survived a bullet that was intended to eliminate him permanently from our future and from our family. Never have I been more proud to be a Trump. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) E. TRUMP: Never have I been more proud out to stand by my father's side. I remain incredibly honored to be part of this journey, a journey with all of you. A journey to save the greatest country on earth. A journey with the most incredible people I have ever met. Dad, five days ago, Lara, Luke, Carolina and I held our breath as we saw blood pour across your face. By the grace of God, divine intervention, and your guardian angels above, you survived. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) CROWD: We love Trump! We love Trump! We love Trump! E. TRUMP: You are the greatest fighter I have ever seen. You are strong. You are full of life, and you are unapologetic. Your optimism is contagious. Your backbone is unbreakable. Your conviction to fight for what is right and against all that is wrong is truly next level. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) E. TRUMP: The whole world saw your strength as you stood up. You wiped the blood off your -- your face, and you put your fist in the air in a moment that will be remembered as one of the most courageous acts in the history of American politics. You shouted "fight, fight, fight". CROWD: Fight! Fight! Fight! E. TRUMP: I'm honored to be your son. I'm honored to speak to our great nation tonight. You are a true leader. You epitomized strength. Our country loves you. Our country appreciates you. Our country misses you, and on November 5th, our country will reelect you as a 47th president of the United States of America. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) E. TRUMP: Good night, Milwaukee. God bless you all. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (MUSIC) [22:05:00] JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: The oldest son, Eric Trump, the executive vice president of the Trump Organization giving a red meat speech to the delegates, and in some ways setting up his father to give, at least based on the excerpts we've been given, a more positive speech than we're used to hearing from former President Trump at events like this. Dana Bash, we have from these excerpts, and Chris Wallace and Kasie Hunt are with me here too as well, Donald Trump saying that the discord and division in our society must be healed. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate and a shared destiny. We rise together or we fall apart. I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America. This is, at least according to these excerpts, quite different from what we're used to hearing from Donald Trump. And one could, I think, credibly argue it's not how he particularly governed in his first administration. DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. It's a far cry from American carnage, which is what he talked about in his inaugural address in 2017. And, yes, he clearly did change the speech, as he promised he would. It seems as though his old speech was just reworked for his son, Eric Trump. TAPPER: Yes, Eric giving a speech that was a list of grievances. BASH: It was very dark. It was very dark. I mean, he told me that it was going to be sort of warm and there was going to be some warm and fuzzy parts. That did happen at the end, but before we got to warm and fuzzy, there was a lot of dark and stormy. And it was pretty grievance-filled. But it's very clear that they felt that they needed somebody to deliver that classic Trump message, whether it is about the issues of the border or culture war issues, which we actually haven't heard a lot about, certainly not in primetime, about, you know, trans kids in sports and things of that nature. He did it all. And that was a far departure from the tone and tenor that the party and the campaign said that they wanted to put a cross, particularly on the ultimate night. CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: One of the things that struck me beyond that paragraph that you mentioned, Jake, is he never -- at least in the excerpts, and my guess is in the whole speech, never mentions President Biden or Vice President Harris by name, not a single time in the entire speech. Now, he does draw policy contrast, but my guess is that the campaign will say this was their attempt to take down the heat a little bit by not personally going after his opponents. The other thing that is clearly going to be the emotional highlight of this speech is the president says that people have been asking about the shooting and what he went through. And he said, so I'm going to tell you, we don't get the details, that's not in the excerpts, but he says, I'm going to tell you, and I'm never going to say this again, because it's too painful. So, my guess is that's going to be the emotional highlight of the speech. And we're told he's going to carry out the fire jacket and the fire helmet of a volunteer fireman who was killed on Saturday. So, that'll be a very powerful part of this speech. One other, the thing I know in the excerpts at one point he talks about humility and at another point he says, humbly, which are not two words, that wasn't usually associates with Donald J. Trump. KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed. That moment that we are -- we got a little preview of in these excerpts where he does say, I'm only going to tell this story once, you're not going to hear it from me again, about what happened to him that day, is something that the sources that I talked to ahead of the speech were very focused on. And they described it to me as, you know, expect that we will hear a pretty detailed account of that, that it will be a significant -- TAPPER: Let me interrupt for one second, Kasie, I apologize. They're introducing Melania Trump. Obviously the former first lady, they just introduced her as the next first lady, Melania Trump. We have not seen her yet at this event. We have not really seen her on the campaign trail with her husband much at all. (MUSIC) [22:10:00] TAPPER: Here she is. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) She is making her way up to the Trump family box. She is next to her husband's new running mate, Senator J.D. Vance, Republican of Ohio, the vice presidential nominee. And there she is among the other members of the Trump family, Ivanka and Tiffany and Eric and Don Jr. Kasie what were you saying about Melania? I'm sorry. HUNT: No. Well, as we were watching Melania step onto this stage, and I think, sort of, big picture, it also underscores, I mean, she has barely been out on the campaign trail, as we know, she has not really appeared with her husband. But, Chris, just kind of picking up on what you were saying about the different tone of this speech and how it's a different moment for the former president, Donald Trump, he is winning this campaign. He is ahead. She is coming in here getting introduced as the possible future first lady in a situation that's entirely plausible and he's not been in this situation before. BASH: Yes, that's absolutely true. I just want to note that it's not, we haven't seen them together still. He left that box before she got in. And it's interesting stagecraft given the fact that we haven't seen her in a long time. She had her moment, but there was no greeting. Maybe we'll see it later on the stage with the balloon drop and everything else. HUNT: Right, I was going to say, that would be the moment I would be looking for. TAPPER: She did issue a statement after her husband -- after the attempt on her husband's life, in which she said, quote, when I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life and Barron's life were on the brink of devastating change. And she went into say, a monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine, attempted to ring out Donald's passion, his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration, the core facets of my husband's life, his human side, were buried below the political machine, Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times. A very personal statement, the kind of thing we're not really used to hearing from the first lady. And we are not actually going to hear from her this evening, as far as we know. Anderson? ANDERSON COOPPER, CNN ANCHOR: -- about to come out, then Dana White and then introducing the former President Donald Trump for his remarks. I mean, one of the things, Scott Jennings, that clearly stands out is the use of non-traditional folks here at the convention, certainly Hulk Hogan, Dana White. I mean, Dana White introducing the former president is something you would not see in -- SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: They are reaching outside of political culture. It's not just a bunch of elected officials and party types. They are reaching a whole group of people who may be basically disconnected from our normal civics. And this is how you change the composition of the electorate. And remember, a big part of Donald Trump strength in the polling is that he does very well among people who are low propensity voters, people who aren't political and only occasionally show up. My guess is these guys are going to be very impactful for that audience. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. But just a split screen of looking at Melania Trump right now sitting in that box is remarkable. We have hardly seen her at all on the campaign trail this time around, obviously different than 2020 when she was the first lady, and very different than 2016 when she was speaking on that stage at the convention. I was told by sources, they tried really hard to get her to give a speech tonight. They personally -- several people personally appealed to her, and she had no interest in doing so. Of course, a lot has changed since 2016. Donald Trump was convicted in New York in the hush money case, something that became a real point of division between he and the first lady when that story broke when they were in the White House. And so it is notable to see her coming out, as Melania Trump is known for doing, her own style, in her own way, coming out by herself to sit in this box. ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Is it clear to you what role she would have if the former president is re-elected? COLLINS: I don't think it would look like a traditional first lady role. [22:15:00] I mean, it's hard to know until it actually happens and if he's re- elected. But what we've heard from people is that the first lady role may look different than it typically does. It was already different, you know, when she was the first lady at the time before. She would go away and have extended periods of absence without explaining it. Typically, first ladies, you know, you see Jill Biden out a lot. And she was just kind of someone who never felt the need to fit the mold that had existed before and kind of did her own thing with that position. ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: And it's interesting because she used to say Barron Trump was the reason. Now, Barron Trump, you actually see him on the campaign trail while she's absent. DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So I have the text, the unprinted text from Donald Trump, what he's going to say about the shooting, if you want me to read it. So it says, in order -- this is the part that he says too painful and then it's omitted. Says, in order to see the chart, I started to turn to my right and I was ready to begin a further turn, which I'm lucky I didn't. When I heard a loud whizzing sound, it felt something hit me really hard on my right ear. I said to myself, wow, what was that? It could only be a bullet and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down and my hand was covered with blood. I immediately knew it was very serious that we are under attack, and in one moment, proceeded to drop to the ground. Bullets continued to fly as the very brave Secret Service agents rushed to the stage and pounced on top of me for protection. There was blood pouring everywhere, and yet in a certain way, I felt very safe because I had God on my side. Bullets were flying over us and yet I felt serene. But now the Secret Service agents were putting themselves in peril, and then it all stopped. Our Secret Service Sniper from a much greater distance with one bullet took out the assassin. I'm not supposed to be here tonight, but I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God. That's going to come from Donald Trump, a very different Donald Trump than we've ever heard before. COLLINS: Of course, one of the only times we have heard from Melania was a statement that she issued on that. We haven't heard from her directly on camera, but she put out a lengthy statement talking about how deeply that affected her because she talked about how her and Barron's life was almost irreversibly change if that bullet had been an inch closer to Donald Trump. And she kind of talked about in her statement, which is rare for her to have such a lengthy statement, about the personal nature of what they could have lost on that day. COOPER: And I'm -- it's interesting, she has not been on the campaign trail really at all. COLLINS: She didn't -- hasn't been to anything, even when they have massive parties in Mar-a-Lago celebrating when he does well. She has attended a few fundraisers that she's held, but they're private fundraisers other than that. COOPER: All right, let's listen in to Kid Rock. (KID ROCK LIVE PERFORMANCE) [22:20:00] KID ROCK: Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the most patriotic American badass on Earth, President Donald J. Trump. But first, another American badass, my brother Dana White. God bless America. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) (MUSIC) COOPER: Kid Rock. Coming up next will be Dana White, will be then introducing former President Trump. Scott? JENNINGS: And David was talking about him earlier. We've had a chance to review a pretty good chunk of Donald Trump's speech. And, you know, Axe, I hate to be the I told you so guy, but if you read this and Donald Trump delivers it, he is going to rise to the occasion tonight that he has been given by this convention to address the American people about unity. And he's not going to mention Joe Biden, and he's going to lay out something that I think is going to meet the moment, if you read it, and I'm looking forward to it. URBAN: Hey, I just want say this before Axe, I'm sitting here, John came over, we're not in Kennebunkport anymore, okay? That Kid Rock performance, this isn't, this isn't the 41 Presidency, this isn't Mitt Romney's party, this is Donald Trump's party. Kid Rock is here to start it. And it's different. DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And this is more of it right here. COLLINS: Dana White is going to continue it. PHILLIP: Yes. DANA WHITE, CEO OF UFC: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Dana White. I am the CEO and President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (APPLAUSE) WHITE: So two weeks ago, I got a call from President Trump asking me if I'd be willing to speak tonight. As usual, there was no pressure, no demands. He asked me as a friend, and of course, I said, yes. Then, after I accepted his offer, he sent me a text message. And I just want to read to you a little piece of what President Trump wrote to me. "Dana, I'm so honored that you will be doing the introduction at the National Republican Convention. Think of it as the biggest fight you ever had, a fight for our country and even the world. I only wish you didn't have to interrupt your family trip, but I hope they understand. They love you and they know how important this is." (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: Now, think about this. This man's running for president of the United States. He's fighting for the future of the country, and he's concerned about interrupting my family trip. That's the President Trump that I know, a man who truly cares about people. (APPLAUSE) WHITE: The mainstream media likes to push the narrative that he doesn't care about anyone but himself. [22:25:03] I absolutely know that's not the truth because I've been friends with this guy for 25 years. (APPLAUSE) WHITE: And for the people who know me, they'll know this is true. I just want to make something very clear. Nobody in the Trump campaign has ever told me what to say. Nobody tells me what to say, and I'm nobody's puppet. (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) WHITE: And I'm not telling you what to think. I'm telling you what I know. And I know President Trump. I know President Trump is a fighter. I have been saying this since 2015. Now look at what's happened over the last 10 years. We have all seen it with our own eyes. I'm in the tough guy business. And this man is the toughest, most resilient human being that I have ever met in my life. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: The higher the stakes, the harder he fights, and this guy never ever gives up. So what's at stake here? The answer is in President Trump's text, and I quote, "a fight for our country." I know why he's running for president again. Why else would he put himself through everything he's dealt with just to get back here? We all know he doesn't need this. This guy has got a great life, he has a beautiful family, and he has achieved everything that you could possibly achieve in life. I know President Trump is literally putting his life on the line for something bigger than himself and he's willing to risk it all because he loves this country. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: And I know he wants what's best for the American people. All American people. I know he is running for president to save our American dream. I'm living the American dream and I know the American dream is very real. Whether you were born in this country or came here from someplace else, this is the last real land of opportunity. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: President Reagan once said, government's first duty is to protect the people. Not run their lives. And if you're buried in government red tape, how will you ever start your own business? If you're struggling to pay your bills, how can you ever afford to start a family? And if you don't feel safe in your own town, why would you ever buy a house? I know that President Trump is fighting to save the American dream. And that's what's at stake in this election. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: We are choosing who we want to lead us in this fight. I know President Trump is a proven leader, a fearless leader. And this country was in a much better place when he was in the Oval Office. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: In my mind, the choice is clear. But this election, we all get to choose. I know I'm going to choose strength and security. I know I'm going to choose opportunity and prosperity. I know I'm going to choose real American leadership and a real American badass. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: And I'm not telling you what choice to make and I'm not telling you what to think. I'm telling you what I know. I know America needs a strong leader and the world needs a strong America. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) WHITE: I know Donald J. Trump is the best choice for president of the United States. My fellow Americans, it is my honor to introduce the 45th and soon-to- be 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) [22:30:00] (LEE GREENWOOD LIVE PERFORMANCE) DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (R): Thank you very much. Thank you very, very much. Wow. And thank you Dana. Thank you, Kid Rock, sometimes referred to as Bob. And thank you Lee, right from the beginning. Thank you very much. What a talent. What a beautiful, beautiful song. Thank you. Friends, delegates, and fellow citizens. I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope. Four months from now, we will have an incredible victory and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country. Together we will launch a new era of safety, prosperity, and freedom for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed. The discord and division in our society must be healed. We must heal it quickly. As Americans, we are bound together by a single fate, and a shared destiny. We rise together, or we fall apart. I am running to be President for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America. So tonight, with faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination for President of the United States. Thank you. [22:35:00] Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. And we will do it right. We're going to do it right. Let me begin this evening by expressing my gratitude to the American people for your outpouring of love and support following the assassination attempt at my rally on Saturday. As you already know, the assassin's bullet came within a quarter of an inch of taking my life. So many people have asked me, what happened? Tell us what happened, please. And therefore, I will tell you exactly what happened. And you'll never hear it from me a second time because it's actually too painful to tell. It was a warm, beautiful day in the early evening in Butler Township in the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Music was loudly playing and the campaign was doing really well. I went to the stage and the crowd was cheering wildly. Everybody was happy. I began speaking very strongly, powerfully, and happily because I was discussing the great job my administration did on immigration at the southern border. We were very proud of it. Behind me and to the right was a large screen that was displaying a chart of border crossings under my leadership. The numbers were absolutely amazing. In order to see the chart, I started to, like this, turn to my right and was ready to begin a little bit further turn, which I'm very lucky I didn't do. When I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear. I said to myself, wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet and moved my right hand to my ear, brought it down. My hand was covered with blood, just absolutely blood all over the place. I immediately knew it was very serious that we were under attack. And in one movement proceeded to drop to the ground. Bullets were continuing to fly as very brave Secret Service agents rushed to the stage. And they really did. They rushed to the stage. These are great people at great risk, I will tell you. And pounced on top of me so that I would be protected. There was blood pouring everywhere and yet in a certain way I felt very safe because I had God on my side. I felt that. The amazing thing is that prior to the shot, if I had not moved my head at that very last instant, the assassin's bullet would have perfectly hit its mark and I would not be here tonight. We would not be together. The most incredible aspect of what took place on that terrible evening in the fading sun was actually seen later. In almost all cases, as you probably know, and when even a single bullet is fired, just a single bullet, and we had many bullets that were being fired, crowds run for the exits or stampede, but not in this case. [22:40:13] It was very unusual. This massive crowd of tens of thousands of people stood by and didn't move an inch. In fact, many of them bravely but automatically stood up looking for where the sniper would be. They knew immediately it was a sniper. And then began pointing at him. You can see that if you look at the group behind me. That was just a small group compared to what was in front. Nobody ran and by not stampeding, many lives were saved. But that isn't the reason that they didn't move. The reason is that they knew I was in very serious trouble. They saw it. They saw me go down. They saw the blood and thought, actually most did, that I was dead. They knew it was a shot to the head. They saw the blood. And there's an interesting statistic. The ears are the bloodiest part. If something happens with the ears, they bleed more than any other part of the body. For whatever reason, the doctors told me that. I said, why is there so much blood? He said, it's the ears, they bleed more. So, we learned something, but they just, they just, this beautiful crowd, they didn't want to leave me. They knew I was in trouble. They didn't want to leave me. And you can see that love written all over their faces. Incredible people. They're incredible people. Bullets were flying over us, yet I felt serene. But now the Secret Service agents were putting themselves in peril. They were in very dangerous territory. Bullets were flying right over them, missing them by a very small amount of inches. And then it all stopped. Our Secret Service sniper, from a much greater distance, and with only one bullet used, took the assassin's life. Took him out. I'm not supposed to be here tonight, not supposed to be here. (CROWD CHANTING) TRUMP: Thank you. But I'm not and I'll tell you. I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God. In watching the reports over the last few days, many people say it was a providential moment. Probably was. When I rose, surrounded by Secret Service, the crowd was confused because they thought I was dead. And there was great, great sorrow. I could see that on their faces as I looked out. They didn't know I was looking out. They thought it was over. But I could see it. I wanted to do something to let them know I was okay. I raised my right arm, looked at the thousands and thousands of people that were breathlessly waiting, and started shouting, (CROWD CHANTING) CROWD: Fight! Fight! Fight! TRUMP: Thank you. Once my clenched fist went up, and it was high into the air. You've all seen that. The crowd realized I was okay and roared with pride for our country like no crowd I have ever heard before. Never heard anything like it. For the rest of my life, I will be grateful for the love shown by that giant audience of patriots that stood bravely on that fateful evening in Pennsylvania. [22:45:00] Tragically, the shooter claimed the life of one of our fellow Americans, Corey Comperatore. Unbelievable person, everybody tells me. Unbelievable. And seriously wounded, two other great warriors. Spoke to them today. David Dutch and James Copenhaver. Two great people. I also spoke to all three families of these tremendous people. Our love and prayers are with them, and always will be. We're never going to forget them. They came for a great rally. They were serious Trumpsters, I want to tell you. They were serious Trumpsters, and still are. But Corey, unfortunately, we have to use the past tense. He was incredible. He was a highly respected former fire chief, respected by everybody, was accompanied by his wife, Helen. Incredible woman, I spoke to her today. Devastated. And two precious daughters. He lost his life selflessly, acting as a human shield to protect them from flying bullets. He went right over the top of them and was hit. What a fine man he was. I want to thank the fire department and the family for sending his helmet, his outfit. And it was just something. And they're going to do something very special when they get it. But we did something which cannot match what happened. Not even close. But I am very proud to say that over the past few days, we've raised $6.3 million for the families of David, James, and Corey, including from a friend of mine. He just called up. He sent me a check right here. I just got it. $1 million. From Dan Newland. Thank you, Dan. And again, when speaking to the family, I told them, I said, well, I'm going to be sending you a lot of money, but it can't compensate. They all said the same thing. You're right, Sir. We appreciate so much what you're doing, but nothing can take the place in the case of Corey and the other two. By the way, they were very, very seriously injured, but now they're doing very well. They're going to be okay. They're going to be doing very well. They're warriors. So, now I ask that we observe a moment of silence in honor of our friend, Corey. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for others. This is the spirit that forged America in her darkest hours, and this is the love that will lead America back to the summit of human achievement and greatness. This is what we need. Despite such a heinous attack, we unite this evening more determined than ever. I am more determined than ever, and so are you. So is everybody in this room. (CROWD CHANTING) TRUMP: Thank you very much. Our resolve is unbroken and our purpose is unchanged to deliver a government that serves the American people better than ever before. [22:50:03] Nothing will stop me in this mission because our vision is righteous and our cause is pure. No matter what obstacle comes our way, we will not break, we will not bend, we will not back down, and I will never stop fighting for you, your family, and our magnificent country. Never. And everything I have to give with all of the energy and fight in my heart and soul, I pledge to our nation tonight. Thank you very much. I pledge that to our nation. I'm going to turn our nation around, and we're going to do it very quickly. Thank you. This election should be about the issues facing our country and how to make America successful, safe, free, and great again. In an age when our politics too often divide us, now is the time to remember that we are all fellow citizens. We are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And we must not criminalize dissent or demonize political disagreement, which is what's been happening in our country lately at a level that nobody has ever seen before. In that spirit, the Democrat Party should immediately stop weaponizing the justice system and labeling their political opponent as an enemy of democracy, especially since that is not true. In fact, I am the one saving democracy for the people of our country. And very big news, as you probably just read. On Monday, a major ruling was handed down from a highly respected federal judge in Florida, Aileen Cannon, finding that the prosecutor and the fake documents case against me were totally unconstitutional, and the entire case was thrown out of court. With all of that publicity thrown out of court. If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts, which I have been going through for approximately eight years. And they should do that without delay and allow an election to proceed that is worthy of our people. We're going to win it anyway, but worthy of our people. On this journey, I am deeply honored to be joined by my amazing wife, Melania. And, Melania, thank you very much. You also did something really beautiful, a letter to America calling for national unity, and it really took the Republican Party by surprise, I will tell you. It was beautiful. In fact, some very serious people said that we should take that letter and put it as part of the Republican platform. That would be an honor, wouldn't it? Right, Mr. Congressman? But it captivated so many, so I also want to thank my entire family for being here. Don, Kimberly, Ivanka and Jared, Eric and Lara, Tiffany and Michael, and Barron. We love our Barron. And, of course, my 10 wonderful grandchildren. You saw a few of them up there on my lap before. [22:55:00] And how good was Dana? Was Dana good? I mean, was he good? You know, he was on probably the only vacation he's had in about, maybe ever, because he works, but about 10 years with his wife. Very far away. I won't tell you where, but very, very far away. Beautiful place. And my people called and he said, yeah, I won't be able to do it. This is many, many years. I promised my wife I can't do it. And they came in, they said, Dana won't be able to do it because he was my first, second and third choice. I said, well, you know, that's too bad, but I understand. He's away and it's good. It's good for him. And that was it. About 30 minutes later, she came back in. Sir, Dana just called. He's going to do it. And his wife, she said, you can't turn him down. You just can't do it. You have to go. That's a good wife. So, he got on a plane. He got here a little while ago. Now, he's going to get on the plane in a little while and he's going to go back home to his wife. But they're great. And I just want to thank her and him and their whole family because that's not easy. And Kid Rock, same thing. Called, he said, he said, I want to be a part of it. I want to be a part. Because, you know, Kid does his great song. Big, big monster song. I had no idea. You know, he became a friend of mine over the last 10 years. And he's amazing. Everyone loves him. I didn't even know how big he was. You know, he has rallies, 35 -- 40,000 people he gets every time he goes out. I think he's making so much money, he doesn't know what the hell to do with it. You want to know? And then we have my other friend and I've known him so long and we took that song and it was a big success. But we made that. I saw a chart of great songs to America. That was number one on the chart recently. Number one. So, that's Lee Greenwood. Very special, beautiful person. He's a beautiful man. But they all wanted to be here. They called. And how about the Hulkster? How good was he? Is he up? Where is he? Boy, oh boy. You know, they may call it, they may call that entertainment. I know about entertainment, but when he used to lift a 350-pound man over his shoulders and then bench press him two rows into the audience. I say, maybe entertainment, but he is one strong son of a gun. I'm going to tell you. I watched it many times. There aren't a lot of entertainers that can do that, right? You were fantastic. Thank you very much. Followed by Eric. What was that all about? Boy, that was good. I didn't want to really come up here. But he was so great. And he's such a good young man. He went through a lot of trouble. And Don last night was incredible. He went through so much trouble. They got subpoenaed more than any people probably in the history of the United States. Every week they get another subpoena from the Democrats. Crazy Nancy Pelosi. The whole thing just boom, boom, boom. They've got to stop that because they're destroying our country. We have to work on making America great again, not on beating people. And we won. We beat them in all. We beat them on the impeachments. We beat them on indictments. We beat them. But the time that you have to spend, the time that you have to spend, if they would devote that genius to helping our country, we'd have a much stronger and better country. And Jason, the biggest star in country music. Jason, thank you for being here. Jason, thank you very much. Jason Aldean. He's good. I like his wife even better, by the way. She's here. Thank you, Jason. But I'm thrilled to have a new friend and partner fighting by my side, the next Vice President of the United States, the current senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance, and his incredible wife, Usha. [23:00:00] … CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 18, 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] (APPLAUSE) DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's going to be a great vice president. He's going to be great. He'll be with this country and with this movement. Greatest movement in the history of our country. Make America Great Again. When they criticize it, they say, we're going to try and stop MAGA. I said, MAGA is Make America Great Again. What are you going to stop? There's nothing to stop. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: Then they say, oh, that's right. It's very tough to fight it. And all of the people that did try and fight it have failed. But he's going to be with us for a long time. And it was an honor to select him. Great, great student at Yale. His wife was a great student at Yale. They met at Yale. These are two smart people. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: So, J.D., you're going to be doing this for a long time. Enjoy the ride. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And a very special thank you to the extraordinary people of Milwaukee and the great state of -- (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: -- oh, there they are. There they are. That's -- you are so easy to spot. And Green Bay is going to have a good team this year, right? (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: They're going to have a good team. They're going to have a good team. Most of the audience doesn't like it, but it's true. You're going to have a very good team this year. And by the way, Wisconsin, we are spending over $250 million here creating jobs and other economic development all over the place. So, I hope you will remember this in November and give us your vote. I am trying to buy your vote. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: I'll be honest about that. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And I promise we will make Wisconsin great again. We're going to make it. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Thank you, Mr. Governor. Thank you very much. Thank you. I'm here tonight to lay out a vision for the whole nation. To every citizen, whether you're a young or old man or woman, Democrat, Republican, or independent, Black or White, Asian or Hispanic, I extend to you a hand of loyalty and of friendship. Together, we will lead America to new heights of greatness like the world has never seen before. We were right there in the first term. We got hit with COVID. We did a great job. Nobody knew what it was, but nobody has ever seen an economy pre-COVID. And then we handed over a stock market that was substantially higher than just prior to COVID. Coming in, did a great job. Never got credit for that. We got credit for the war and defeating ISIS and so many things, the great economy, the biggest tax cuts ever, the biggest regulation cuts ever, the creation of Space Force, the rebuilding of our military. We did so much. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We did so much. Right to try. Right to try is a big deal. We got right to try. They were trying to get that for 52 years. Somebody is terminally ill. And hopefully, there's nobody in this audience. But it does happen a lot. They're terminally ill and they can't use our new space-age drugs and other things. But we are way ahead. We have the greatest doctors in the world, the greatest laboratories in the world, and you can't do it. They've been trying to get that approved for 52 years. Wasn't that easy? The insurance companies didn't want to do it. They didn't want the risk. The labs didn't want to do it because if it didn't work, people are pretty far down the line toward death. They didn't want to do it. The doctors didn't want to have it on their records, so I got everybody into an office. Fifty-two years they tried. Sounds simple, but it's not. And I got them to agree that somebody that needs it will, instead of going to Asia or Europe or someplace, or if you have no money going home and dying, just die. We got them to sign an agreement, agree to it, where they're not going to sue anybody. They're going to get all of this stuff. They're going to get it really fast. And what has happened is we're saving thousands and thousands of lives. It's incredible. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Right to try. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: It's a great feeling. Under our leadership, the United States will be respected again. No nation will question our power. No enemy will doubt our might. Our borders will be totally secure. Our economy will soar. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We will return law and order to our streets, patriotism to our schools. And importantly, we will restore peace, stability, and harmony all throughout the world. (APPLAUSE) [23:05:00] (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But to achieve this future, we must first rescue our nation from failed and even incompetent leadership. We have totally incompetent leadership. This will be the most important election in the history of our country. Under the current administration, we are indeed a nation in decline. We have an inflation crisis that is making life unaffordable, ravaging the incomes of working and low-income families, and crushing, just simply crushing our people like never before. They've never seen anything like it. We also have an illegal immigration crisis, and it's taking place right now as we sit here in this beautiful arena. It's a massive invasion at our southern border that has spread misery, crime, poverty, disease, and destruction to communities all across our land. Nobody has ever seen anything like it. Then there is an international crisis, the likes of which the world has seldom been part of. Nobody can believe what's happening. War is now raging in Europe and the Middle East. A growing specter of conflict hangs over Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, and all of Asia. And our planet is teetering on the edge of World War III. And this will be a war like no other war because of weaponry. The weapons are no longer army tanks going back and forth shooting at each other. These weapons are obliteration. It's time for a change. This administration can't come close to solving the problems. We're dealing with very tough, very fierce people. They're fierce people. And we don't have fierce people. We have people that are a lot less than fierce, except when it comes to cheating on elections and a couple of other things. Then they're fierce. Then they're fierce. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: So, tonight, I make this pledge to the great people of America. I will end the devastating inflation crisis immediately, bring down interest rates, and lower the cost of energy. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We will drill, baby, drill. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: Can you believe what they're doing? But by doing that, we will lead a large-scale decline in prices. Prices will start to come down. Energy raised it. They took our energy policies and destroyed them. Then they immediately went back to them. But by that time, so much was lost. But we will do it at levels that nobody has ever seen before. We'll end lots of different things. We'll start paying off debt and start lowering taxes even further. We gave you the largest tax cut. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We'll do it more. You know, people don't realize I brought taxes way down, way, way down. And yet, we took in more revenues the following year than we did when the tax rate was much higher. Most people said, how did you do that? Because it was incentive. Everybody was coming to the country. They were bringing back billions and billions of dollars into our country. The companies made it impossible to bring it back. The tax rate was too high and the legal complications were far too great. I changed both of them. And hundreds of billions of dollars by Apple and so many other companies were brought back into our nation. We had an economy the likes of which nobody, no nation had ever seen. China, we were beating them at levels that were incredible. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And they know it. They know it. We'll do it again, but we'll do it even better. I will end the illegal immigration crisis by closing our border and finishing the wall, most of which I've already built. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: On the wall, we were dealing with a very difficult Congress. And I said, oh, that's okay, we won't go to Congress. I call it an invasion. We gave our military almost $800 billion. I said, I'm going to take a little of that money because this is an invasion. We built -- most of the wall is already built. And we built it through using the funds because what's more -- what's better than that? We have to stop the invasion into our country that's killing hundreds of thousands of people a year. We're not going to let that happen. (APPLAUSE) [23:10:00] (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine, which would have never happened if I was president. And the war caused by the attack on Israel, which would have never happened if I was president. Iran was broke. Iran had no money. Now, Iran has $250 billion. They made it all over the last two and a half years. They were broke. I watched the other day on a show called "Deface the Nation." Has anyone seen it? (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: And they had a congressman who was a Democrat say, well, whether you like him or not, Iran was broke dealing with Trump. I told China and other countries, if you buy from Iran, we will not let you do any business in this country, and we will put tariffs on every product you do send in of 100% or more. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And they said to me, well, I think that's about it. They weren't going to buy any oil. And they were ready to make a deal. Iran was going to make a deal with us. And then we had that horrible, horrible result that we'll never let happen again. The election result, we're never going to let that happen again. They used COVID to cheat. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We're never going to let it happen again. And they took off all the sanctions, and they did everything possible for Iran. And now, Iran is very close to having a nuclear weapon, which would have never happened. This is a shame, what this administration, the damage that this administration has done. And I say it often, if you took the 10 worst presidents in the history of the United States, think of it, the 10 worst, added them up, they will not have done the damage that Biden has done. Only going to use the term once, Biden. I'm not going to use the name anymore. Just one time. The damage that he has done to this country is unthinkable. It's unthinkable. Together, we will restore vision, strength, competence, and we're going to have a thing called common sense making most of our decisions, actually. It's all common sense. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Just a few short years ago, under my presidency, we had the most secure border and best economy in the history of our country, in the history of the world. We had the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had never done anything like it. We were beating every country, including China, by leaps and bounds. Nobody had seen anything like it. We had no inflation. Soaring incomes were going. Nobody can believe it. You can't believe what happened four years ago is happening now in reverse. And the world was at peace. Inflation has been a killer for our country. No matter what you make it, it doesn't matter because inflation is eating you alive. People that were putting away money, they were making great wages, the highest they've ever made, but they were putting away a lot of money. Now, they are just being destroyed. They're not putting away anything. They're barely living. They're going into savings accounts. They're taking out their money to live because of inflation. Inflation, remember, it's called a country buster. You can go back to Germany from 100 years ago. You can go back to any country that suffered great inflation. We've suffered the worst inflation we've ever had. But go back and see what has happened to those countries. We've had the worst inflation we've ever had under this person. But in less than four years, our opponents have turned incredible success into unparalleled tragedy and failure. It has been a tremendous failure. Today, our cities are flooded with illegal aliens. Americans are being squeezed out of the labor force and their jobs are taken. By the way, you know who's taking the jobs, the jobs that are created? One hundred and seven percent of those jobs are taken by illegal aliens. And you know who's being hurt the most by millions of people pouring into our country? The Black population and the Hispanic population because they're taking the jobs from our Black population, our Hispanic population, and they're also taking them from unions. The unions are suffering because of it. UNKNOWN (voice-over): Blacks for Trump! TRUMP: Thank you. Thank you. I like you, too. Thank you very much. Inflation has wiped out the life savings of our citizens and forced the middle class into a state of depression and despair. That's what it is. It's despair and depression. We cannot and will not let this continue. Less than four years ago, we were a great nation, and we will soon be a great nation again. We're going to be a great nation again. (APPLAUSE) [23:15:00] (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Thank you. With proper leadership, every disaster we are now enduring will be fixed, and it will be fixed very, very quickly. So, tonight, whether you've supported me in the past or not, I hope you will support me in the future because I will bring back the American dream. That's what we're going to do. You don't even hear about the American Dream anymore. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: With great humility, I am asking you to be excited about the future of our country. Be excited. Be excited. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And, by the way, the news reports, oh, look at all of those big networks. Look at them. They're all here. But every one of them has said this could be the most organized, best run, and most enthusiastic convention of either party that they have ever seen, every single one. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: And it's true. It's true. And there's love in the room. There's great love in the room. So, I better finish strong. Otherwise, we'll blow it, and we can't let that happen. Now, this was great. All of the great people that spoke, and everybody hit a home run. I mean, there's not one that I can think of where I said, oh, gee, that wasn't great. Every single person. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: I refuse to be the only one. Don't do that to me. They're already getting ready. See, I gave them an idea. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: Now, we had a -- this was a great convention. This was -- I think we're actually going to go home and miss it. You know, usually, with a -- first of all, look at these crowds. You'd never have this at a convention. Look at these crowds. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: Love. It's about love. This week, the entire Republican Party has formally adopted an agenda for America's renewal. And you saw that agenda. And it's very short compared to the long, boring, meaningless agendas of the past, including the Democrats. They write these things that are hundreds of pages long, and they never read them after they're done. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: In their case, fortunately, they don't read them because -- (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: -- they're pretty bad. It's a series of bold promises that we will swiftly implement when you give us a republican House. And, Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We have our great speaker of the House with us tonight. Mr. Speaker, thank you very much. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: A republican Senate, we have many senators here. And send me back to our beautiful White House just a few short months from now. We're talking about just months. It can't come fast enough. We have to get it done. First, we must get economic relief to our citizens. Starting on day one, we will drive down prices and make America affordable again. We have to make it affordable. It's not affordable. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: People can't live like this. Under this administration, our current administration, groceries are up 57%, gasoline is up 60 and 70%, mortgage rates have quadrupled. And the fact is, it doesn't matter what they are because you can't get the money anywhere. You can't buy houses. Young people can't get any financing to buy a house. The total household costs have increased an average of $28,000 per family under this administration. Republicans have a plan to bring down prices and bring them down very, very rapidly. By slashing energy costs, we will, in turn, reduce the cost of transportation, manufacturing, and all household goods. So much starts with energy. And remember, we have more liquid gold under our feet than any other country by far. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We are a nation that has the opportunity to make an absolute fortune with its energy. We have it, and China does it. Under the Trump administration just three and a half years ago, we were energy independent. But soon, we will actually be better than that. We will be energy dominant and supply not only ourselves -- (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: -- but we will supply the rest of the world with numbers that nobody has ever seen. [23:20:00] TRUMP: And we will reduce our debt $36 trillion. We will start reducing that. And we will also reduce your taxes still further. Next -- and by the way, they want to raise your taxes four times. Think of it. In all my life, I grew up watching politicians. I always loved politics, I guess. I was on the other side. I'd watch politics. And they were always talking about, we will give you a tax cut, we will give you a tax cut. My whole life, I was watching, I will give you a tax cut. Right, Mr. Congressman? That's all they talked about. This is the only administration that said, we're going to raise your taxes by four times what you're paying now. And people are supposed to vote for them? I've never heard it. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: You're paying too much. We're going to reduce your taxes still further. We gave you the biggest one. As I said, we're going to give you more, and it's going to lead to tremendous growth. We want growth in our country. That's what's going to pay off our debt. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: And next, we will end the ridiculous and actually incredible waste of taxpayer dollars that is fueling the inflation crisis. They spent trillions of dollars on things having to do with the Green New Scam. It's a scam. And that has caused tremendous inflationary pressures in addition to the cost of energy. And all of the trillions of dollars that are sitting there not yet spent, we will redirect that money for important projects like roads, bridges, dams, and we will not allow it to be spent on meaningless Green New Scam ideas. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: And I will end the electric vehicle mandate on day one -- (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: -- thereby saving the U.S. auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now, and saving U.S. customers thousands and thousands of dollars per car. And right now, as we speak, large factories just started are being built across the border in Mexico. So, with all the other things happening on our border. And they're being built by China to make cars and to sell them into our country, no tax, no anything. The United Auto Workers ought to be ashamed for allowing this to happen. And the leader of the United Auto Workers should be fired immediately. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And every single auto worker, union and non-union, should be voting for Donald Trump because we're going to bring back car manufacturing, and we're going to bring it back fast. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: They're building some of the largest auto plants anywhere in the world. Think of it. In the world, we're going to bring it back, we're going to make them. We don't mind that happening, but those plants are going to be built in the United States and our people are going to man those plants. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And if they don't agree with us, we'll put a tariff of approximately 100 to 200% on each car, and they will be unsellable in the United States. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We have long been taken advantage of by other countries. And think of it, oftentimes, these other countries are considered so- called allies. They've taken advantage of us for years. We lose jobs, we lose revenue, and they gain everything and wipe out our businesses, wipe out our people. I stopped it. For four years, I stopped it. And we're really ready to make changes like nobody had seen before. And remember, USMCA, I got rid of NAFTA, the worst trade deal ever made, and replaced it with USMCA which is, they say, the best trade deal ever made. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Actually, probably the best trade deal was the deal I made with China, where they buy $50 billion worth of our product. They were buying nothing. They buy $50 billion worth. They had to. But I don't even talk about it because of COVID. I don't even mention it, frankly, because of what happened with the China virus. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: We will not let countries come in, take our jobs, and plunder our nation. They come and do that. They plunder our nation. The way they will sell their product in America is to build it in America. Very simple. Build it in America and only in America. (APPLAUSE) CROWD: USA! USA! USA! [23:25:00] TRUMP: And this very simple formula, and Congress has to go along with us, and they will, this very simple formula. We will create massive numbers of jobs. We will take over the auto industry again and many, many hundreds of thousands of jobs. We lost so many jobs over the years. If you go back 20, 25 years, they've stolen, going to China and Mexico, about 68% of our auto industry manufacturing jobs. We're going to get them all back. We're going to get them all back, every one of them. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: At the center of our plan for economic relief are massive tax cuts for workers that include something else that has turned out to be very popular, actually. Here, it's very popular. This building and all those hotels that I saw that are so nice, I'm staying in a nice one, it is called no tax on tips. No tax on tips. No tax on tips. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) CROWD: No tax on tips! No tax on tips! No tax on tips! TRUMP: I got that by having dinner recently in Nevada, where we're leading by about 14 points. (CHEERING) TRUMP: Hello. I'll see you there very soon, everybody. And we're having dinner at a beautiful restaurant in the Trump Building on The Strip, and it's a great building. And the waitress comes over. How's everything going? Really nice person. How's everything? Oh, sir, it's so tough. The government is after me all the time on tips, tips, tips. I said, well, they give you cash. Would they be able to find them? She said, actually, I didn't know this. She said, very little cash is given. It's all put right on the check. And they come in and they take so much of our money. It's just ridiculous. They don't believe anything we say. And they've just hired, as you know, 88,000 agents to go after them even more. (BOOING) TRUMP: And I said, this shows the level of my -- you know, most people who are out there hire consultants. They're paying millions of dollars. But I said to her, let me just ask you a question, would you be happy if you had no tax on tips? She said, what a great idea. I got my information from a very smart waitress. That's better than spending millions of dollars. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: And everybody -- everybody loves it. Waitresses and caddies and drivers and everybody. It's a large, large group of people that are being really hurt badly. They make money, let them keep their money. I'm going to protect Social Security and Medicare. Democrats are going to destroy Social Security and Medicare because all of these people, by the millions they're coming in, they're going to be on Social Security and Medicare and other things. And you're not able to afford it. They are destroying your Social Security and your Medicare. Under my plan, incomes will skyrocket, inflation will vanish completely, jobs will come roaring back, and the middle class will prosper like never, ever before, and we're going to do it very rapidly. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But no hope or dream we have for America can succeed unless we stop the illegal immigrant invasion, the worst that has ever been seen anywhere in the world. There's never been an invasion like this anywhere. Third-world countries would fight with sticks and stones not to let this happen. The invasion at our southern border, we will stop it and we will stop it quickly. You heard Tom Homan yesterday. Tom Homan, put him in charge and just sit back and watch. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Brandon Judd of Border Patrol, he's incredible. These guys, you know, they -- really, their job is a lot easier if they don't have to do anything, but they want to. They're patriots. Brandon Judd, Border Patrol. ICE. ICE goes out. You have to see what ICE does with MS-13. You have -- these are probably the worst gang, and ICE goes in there. And I know a lot of people in these rows here, and they're very tough people, but they don't want to do this job. They'll go into a pack of MS-13 killers. They're the worst -- probably the worst gangs in the world. We have thousands of them. I moved thousands and thousands out in my four years. We moved them out, and it was a pleasure. But ICE would go right into a pack of these killers. And you see fists flying, you see everything flying, and then they take them. They put them in a paddy wagon. They take them back and they get them out of our country. And the other countries weren't accepting them back. And I called up and I said, tell them that we're not giving them economic aid anymore. And the next day, I got calls from all of these countries that were terminated. [23:30:00] TRUMP: Billions of dollars we spent on economic aid to countries that does us, frankly, no good. And the next day, I was called by everybody. I couldn't take all the calls. Sir, sir, what's the problem? I said, you won't take your killers back that you sent in caravans into America. You won't take them back. Well, sir, if you'd like us to, we would give very serious consideration to doing that. And within 24 hours, they were being taken back. For years and years, when I first came in, they said President Obama tried to get them to go back and they wouldn't accept them. They'd put planes on the runway so you couldn't leave the plane. They'd close the roads so you couldn't take the buses. It'd all have to turn back. As soon as I said no more economic aid of any kind to any country that does that, they called back and they said, sir, it would be our great honor to take MS-13. We love them very much. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: We love them very much, sir. We'll take them back. At the heart of the republican platform is our pledge to end this border nightmare and fully restore the sacred and sovereign borders of the United States of America, and we're going to do that on day one. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: That means two things on day one, right? Drill, baby, drill, and close our borders. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: And by the way, and I think everybody as a Republican and as a patriot in this room, and most Democrats, we want people to come into our country, but they have to come into our country legally. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: Legally. Less than four years ago, I handed this administration the strongest border in American history. But you can see on the chart that saved my life, that was the chart that saved my life, I said, look at it, I'm so proud of it, I think it's one of the greatest, it was done by the Border Patrol. One of the greatest charts I've ever seen. It showed everything just like that. You know the chart. Oh, there it is. That's pretty good. Wow! Last time I put up that chart, I never really got to look at it. (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But without that chart, I would not be here today. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: Never got to look at it. I said, you got to see this chart. I was so proud of it. And by the time I got to -- there. I never got to see it that day. But I'm seeing it now, and I was very proud. If you look at the arrow in the bottom, that's the lowest level. The one on the bottom, heavy red arrow. That's the lowest level of illegal immigrants ever to come into our country in recorded history. Right there. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And that was my last week in office. And then you see what happened after I left. Look at the rest. And if you go out a little bit further, it's getting to be a little bit old, but I love it anyway, right? But you can go much higher with those numbers. Look what happened. Right after that, the invasion began. We had the opposite. We stopped the invasion. But the invasion that we stopped was peanuts by comparison to what happened after I left. Look at what happened after I left. They took over our country. We ended all catch and release. We shut down asylum fraud. We stopped human trafficking and forged historic agreements to keep illegal aliens on foreign soil. We want them to stay on their soil. Under the Trump administration, if you came in illegally, you were apprehended immediately, and you were deported. You went right back. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: The current administration terminated every single one of those great Trump policies that I put in place to seal the border. I wanted to seal the border. Again, come in, but come in legally. You know how unfair it is? So many people, hundreds of thousands of people, have been working for years to come into our country, and now they see these people pour into our country at levels that are unprecedented. It's so unfair. And we're not going to do it. We're not going to stand for it. They suspended wall construction, end it. Remain in Mexico. We had a policy, remain in Mexico. You think that was easy to get from the Mexican government? But I said, you must give it to us. If you don't give it to us, there will be repercussions. And they gave it to us, but not easy. Cancelled our safe agreements, demolished Title 42, implemented nationwide catch-and-release. That's catch-and-release where we catch them and release them into our country. [23:35:01] TRUMP: I had -- we catch them and release them into Mexico. There's a slight difference. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And took 93 -- this is the previous administration, 93 executive actions to throw open our border to the world. The entire world is pouring into our country because of this very foolish administration. The greatest invasion in history is taking place right here in our country. They are coming in from every corner of the Earth, not just from South America, but from Africa, Asia, the Middle East. They're coming from everywhere. They're coming at levels that we've never seen before. It is an invasion indeed. And this administration does absolutely nothing to stop them. They're coming from prisons. They're coming from jails. They're coming from mental institutions and insane asylums. I say -- you know, the press is always on me because I say this. Has anyone seen "Silence of the Lambs?" (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: The late great Hannibal Lecter. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: He'd love to have you for dinner. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: That's insane asylums. They're emptying out their insane asylums. And terrorists are coming in at numbers that we've never seen before. Bad things are going to happen. Meanwhile, our crime rate is going up while crime statistics all over the world are going down because they're taking their criminals and they're putting them into our country, a certain country. And I happen to like the president of that country very much, but he has been getting great publicity because he's a wonderful shepherd of the country. He says how well the country is doing because their crime rate is down. And he said he's training all of these rough people. They're rough, rough, rough. He's training them. And I've been reading about this for two years. I think, oh, that's wonderful. Let's take a look at it. But then I realized he's not training them. He's sending all of his criminals, his drug dealers, his people that are in jails. He's sending them all to the United States. And he's different in that he doesn't say that. He's trying to convince everybody what a wonderful job he does in running the country. Well, he doesn't do a wonderful job. And, by the way, if I ran one of the countries, many countries, many, many countries from all over, I would be worse than any of them. I would have had the place totally emptied out already. (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But we've become a dumping ground for the rest of the world, which is laughing at us. They think we're stupid. And they can't believe that they're getting away with what they're getting away with, but they're not going to be getting away with it for long. That's what I can tell you. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: In Venezuela, Caracas, high crime, high crime. Caracas, Venezuela. Really a dangerous place. But not anymore. Because in Venezuela, crime is down 72%. In fact, if they would ever win this election, I hate to even say that, we will have our next republican convention in Venezuela because it will be safe. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: Our cities -- our cities will be so unsafe, we won't be able. We will not be able to have it there. In El Salvador, murders are down by 70%. Why are they down? Now, he would have you convinced that because he has trained murderers to be wonderful people. No. They're down because they're sending their murderers to the United States of America. This is going to be very bad. And bad things are going to happen, and you're seeing it happen all the time. That's why to keep our families safe, the republican platform promises to launch the largest deportation operation in the history of our country. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: Even larger than that of President Dwight D. Eisenhower from many years ago. You know, he was a moderate, but he believed very strongly in borders. He had the largest deportation operation we've ever had. Just recently, I spoke to the grieving mother of Jocelyn Nungary, a wonderful woman. A precious 12-year-old girl from Houston who last month was tied up, assaulted, and strangled to death after walking to the convenience store just a block away from her house. Her body was dumped near the side of the road in a shallow creek, found by some onlookers who couldn't believe what they had witnessed. Charged with Jocelyn's heinous murder are two illegal aliens from Venezuela who came across our border, were in custody, and were then released into the country by this horrible, horrible administration that we have right now. [23:40:04] TRUMP: I also met recently with the heartbroken mother and sister of Rachel Morin. Rachel was a 37-year-old mom of five beautiful children who was brutally raped and murdered while out on a run. She wanted to keep herself in good shape. It was very important to her. She was murdered. The monster responsible first killed another woman in El Salvador before he was led into America by the White House. This White House let them in. He then attacked a 9-year-old girl and her mother in a home invasion in Los Angeles before murdering Rachel in Maryland. Traveled all throughout the country, doing tremendous damage. Rachel's mother will never be the same. I spent time with her. She will never be the same. I've also met with the wonderful family of Laken Riley, the brilliant 22-year-old nursing student. She was so proud of being first in her class, who was out for a jog on the campus of the University of Georgia when she was assaulted, beaten, and horrifically killed. Yet another American life was stolen by a criminal alien set free by this administration. These were incredible people we're talking about. These were incredible people who died. Tonight, America, this is my vow. I will not let these killers and criminals into our country. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: I will keep our sons and daughters safe. As we bring security to our streets, we will help bring stability to the world. I was the first president in modern times to start no new wars. You know, we were the toughest, we were the most respected. And you saw this. Hungary, strong country run by a very powerful, tough leader. He's a tough guy. The press doesn't like him because he's tough. And he came out recently. They were asking him at an interview. The whole world is exploding. What's happening? What's going on? Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, very tough man. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: He said, I don't want people coming into my country and blowing up our shopping centers and killing people. But they said to him, tell us what's going wrong? What's happening? What is it? He said, there's only one way you're going to solve it. You got to bring President Trump back to the United States because he kept everybody at bay. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He used a word I wouldn't use because I can't use that word, because you'd say it was braggadocious. The press would say he was a braggart. I'm not a braggart. But Viktor Orban said it. He said Russia was afraid of him. China was afraid of him. Everybody was afraid of him. Nothing was going to happen. The whole world was at peace. And now, the world is blowing up around us. All of these things that you read about were not going to happen. Under President Bush, Russia invaded Georgia. Under President Obama, Russia took Crimea. Under the current administration, Russia is after all of Ukraine. Under President Trump, Russia took nothing. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: We defeated 100% of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, something that was said to take five years, sir. It'll take five years, sir. We did it in a matter of a couple of months. We have a great military. Our military is not a woke. It's just some of the fools on top that are woke. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: I got along very well. North Korea, Kim Jong-un, I got along very well with them. The press hated when I said that. How could you get along with them? Well, you know, it's nice to get along when somebody who has a lot of nuclear weapons or otherwise, isn't it? See, in the old days, they'd say, that's a wonderful thing. Now they say, how could you possibly do that? But no, I got along with them, and we stopped the missile launches from North Korea. Now, North Korea is acting up again. But when we get back, I get along with them. He'd like to see me back, too. I think he misses me, if you want to know the truth. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: Our opponents inherited a world at peace and turned it into a planet of war. [23:45:02] TRUMP: We're in a planet of war. Look at that attack on Israel. Look at what's happening with Ukraine. The cities are just bombed out. How can people live like that where buildings, massive buildings are falling to the ground? It began to unravel with the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the worst humiliation in the history of our country. We have never had a humiliation like that. Thirteen heroic U.S. service members were tragically and needlessly killed. Forty-five others were horrifically wounded. Nobody ever talks about them. No arms, no legs, face explosions, horrifically, horrifically wounded. And by the way, we have a man in this room who's running for the U.S. Senate from a great state, Nevada, named Sam Brown -- (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: -- who paid the ultimate price. Thank you, Sam. Thank you, Sam. Thank you. He paid the biggest price probably ever paid by anybody that is running for office, and I think he's going to do great. He's running against a person that is not good, not respected, a total lightweight. But Sam, I think, paid really. We were talking about it with some of the senators that are working so hard for Sam. But he paid the biggest price of any senator ever to run for the Senate. I don't think anybody has ever heard what he did. He was a real hero, a really great person. And he's running, and I hope that everybody gets out and votes for Sam Brown. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: And we also left behind $85 billion worth of military equipment, along with many American citizens who were left behind. Many, many American citizens emboldened by that disaster Russia invaded Ukraine. They saw this group of people that were incompetent. We took the soldiers out first. No, no, we're going to take the soldiers out second. If they would have followed my plan, we had a great plan. But the plan only kicked in if they did everything perfectly. And they weren't doing things perfectly, so we said it doesn't kick in. You know, 18 months in Afghanistan, we didn't have one soldier. They were killing them left and right, snipers. And I spoke to the head of the Taliban. You've heard this story. Abdul, still there, still the head of the Taliban. The press got on me. Why would you speak to him? I said, because that's where the killing is. I don't have to speak to somebody that has nothing to do with it. And I told him, don't ever do that. Don't ever do that again. Don't ever, ever do that again. You've got to stop. Because during the Obama administration, many great people and soldiers, a lot of soldiers were being killed from long distance. I said, if you keep doing that, you're going to be hit harder than anybody has ever been hit by a country before. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And he said, I understand, Your Excellency. Call me Your Excellency. I wonder if he calls the other guy Your Excellency. I doubt it. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: The other guy gave him everything. I mean, what kind of a deal was that? He walked out, gave him everything. Do you know that right now, Afghanistan is one of the largest sellers of weapons in the world? They're selling the brand new, beautiful weapons that we gave them. But think of it. He actually said to me, but why, but why do you show me a picture of my home. I said, you'll have to ask your people or one of your wives. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: But he could figure it out. And for 18 months, we had not one attack on an American soldier by the Taliban. Eighteen months. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And then we had that horrible day where soldiers were killed. I was not there because of a ridiculous election. But we had that horrible attack. And they also gave up Bagram, one of the biggest bases anywhere in the world, air bases anywhere in the world. The longest runways, most powerful. Hardened, thickened runways. We gave it up. And I liked it not because of Afghanistan. I liked it because of China. It's one hour away from where China makes their nuclear weapons. And, you know, who has it now? China has it now. We were keeping that. [23:50:00] TRUMP: And now China is likewise circling Taiwan and Russian warships. And nuclear submarines are operating 60 miles off the coast in Cuba. Do you know that? The press refuses to write about it. If that were me running this country and we had nuclear submarines in Cuba, I will tell you that the headlines every day would be, what's wrong with our president? You don't even hear this. You're not hearing about this. Russia has nuclear submarines and warships 60 miles away. Mr. Congressman from Miami, by the way, happens to be here. Correct? In Cuba. That would not be stood for if it were somebody else. They don't even -- they don't want to mention it. But now, maybe they will. And the entire world, I tell you this, we want our hostages back, and they better be back before I assume office -- (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: -- or you will be paying a very big price -- (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: With our victory in November, the years of war, weakness and chaos will be over. I don't have wars. I had no wars other than ISIS, which I defeated. But that was a war that was started. We had no wars. I could stop wars with a telephone call. (CHEERING) TRUMP: I could stop wars with just a telephone call. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: If properly stated, it would never start. We will replenish our military and build an iron dome missile defense system to ensure that no enemy can strike our homeland. And this great iron dome will be built entirely in the USA. We're going to build it. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: The USA. And Wisconsin, Wisconsin, just like I gave you that massive ship contract, and you're doing a very nice job, governor, right? Thank you, Governor. And they're doing a great job. In fact, I had a little design change and we gave them a tremendous for essentially what we used to call destroyers. These are now the most beautiful. They look like yachts. They said, we have to take the bow and we have to make it a little nicer and a little point at the top instead of a flat nose. And the people at the shipyard said, this guy sort of knows what he's doing. Most beautiful ships, right, governor? And everybody sitting over there. And it was a big contract that everybody wanted. I gave it to Wisconsin. But we're going to have a lot of that built right here in the state of Wisconsin and all other states. Israel has an iron dome. They have a missile defense system. Three hundred and forty-two missiles were shot into Israel and only one got through a little bit. It was badly wounded. It fell to the ground, but most of them are. And Ronald Reagan wanted this many years ago, but we really didn't have the technology many years ago. Remember, they called it starship, spaceship. Anything to mock him. But he was a very good president. Very, very good. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But now, we have unbelievable technology. And why should other countries have this and we don't? No, no, we're going to build an iron dome over our country and we're going to be sure that nothing can come and harm our people. And again, from an economic development standpoint, we're going to make it all right here. No more sending it out to other countries in order to help. It's America first, America first. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We will unleash the power of American innovation. And as we do, we will soon be on the verge of finding the cures to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and many other diseases. We're going to get to the bottom of it. You remember this gentleman that I don't want to mention other than one time I had to, because when you say you're the 10 worst, I had to do it, I didn't want anybody to be confused. But this man said, we're going to find a cure to cancer. Nothing happened. We're going to get to the cure for cancer and Alzheimer's and so many other things. We're so close to doing something great. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: But we need a leader that will let it be done. We will not have men playing in women's sports. That will end immediately. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: And we will restore and renovate our nation's once great cities, making them safe, clean, and beautiful again. And that includes our nation's capital, which is a horrible killing field. So many things. They leave from Wisconsin. They go to look at the Washington Monument. They end up getting stabbed, killed or shot. [23:55:00] TRUMP: We will be very soon, very proud of our capital. Again, Washington, D.C. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: America is on the cusp of a new golden age, but we will have the courage to seize it. We're going to take it. We're going to make it a current. I mean, we're going to bring this into a golden age like never seen before. Remember this. China wants to do it. Japan wants to do it. All of these countries want to do it. We have to produce massive amounts of energy if we're going to produce the new. If you look at some of the things that have been done and some of the things that we're going to do -- but AI needs tremendous -- literally twice the electricity that's available now in our country. Can you imagine? But instead, we're spending places where they recharge electric cars. They built eight chargers at a certain location toward the Midwest. Eight charges for $9 billion. Think of them as a tank for filling up your gas. Think of it. They spent $9 billion on eight charges, three of which didn't work. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: And if you are going to do this all over our country, this crazy electric mandate, if you're going to do this -- and by the way, I'm all for electric. They have their application. But if somebody wants to buy a gas-powered car, gasoline-powered car or a hybrid, they're going to be able to do it. And we're going to make that change on day one. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: So, to conclude, just a few short days ago, my journey with you nearly ended. We know that. And yet here we are tonight, all gathered together talking about the future promise and a total renewal of a thing we love very much. It's called America. We live in a world of miracles. None of us knows God's plan or where life's adventure will take us. I want to thank Franklin Graham for being here tonight. He's an outstanding man. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: He wrote me a note recently. I have a lot of respect for him. Sir, I love your storytelling. I think it's great in front of these big rallies. But sir, please do me one favor. It won't make any difference. Please don't use any foul language. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: I was a little embarrassed, I said. He said it won't make any difference. Actually, it does. The story is not quite as good, but I've been very good. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: The story is not quite as good, to be honest. I've got to have a little talk with Franklin. But he was great. He's a great gentleman. His father was so incredible, Billy Graham. My father used to love taking me to see Billy Graham. My father would take me to see Billy Graham at Yankee Stadium. He had the biggest rallies you've ever seen. He was a good rally guy, too. (LAUGHTER) TRUMP: But he'd get up and he was a fantastic guy. My father loved Billy Graham. But I love Franklin Graham. I think Franklin has been fantastic. And I'm trying -- I'm just working so hard to adhere to his note to me. I'm working hard on it, Franklin. But if the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is that every single moment we have on Earth is a gift from God. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: We have to make the most of every day for the people and for the country that we love. The attacker in Pennsylvania wanted to stop our movement. But the truth is the movement has never been about me. It has always been about you. It's your movement. It's the biggest movement in the history of our country by far. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: It can't be stopped. It can't be stopped. It has always been about the hardworking, patriotic citizens of America. For too long, our nation has settled for too little. We settled for too little. We've given everything to other nations, to other people. You've been told to lower your expectations and to accept less for your families. I am here tonight with the opposite message. Your expectations are not big enough. Not big enough. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) TRUMP: It is time to start expecting and demanding the best leadership in the world. Leadership that is bold, dynamic, relentless, and fearless. We can do that. We are Americans. Ambition is our heritage. Greatness is our birthright. [00:00:00] TRUMP: But as long as our energies are spent fighting each other, our destiny will remain out of reach, and that's not acceptable. CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 19, 2024 - 00:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, 2024 PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: …We must instead take that energy and use it to realize our country's true potential and write our own thrilling chapter of the American story. We can do it together. We will unite. We are going to come together, and success will bring us together. [00:00:22] It is a story of love, sacrifice, and so many other things. And remember the word -- devotion. It's unmatched devotion. It's unmatched devotion. Our American ancestors crossed the Delaware, survived the icy winter at Valley Forge, and defeated a mighty empire to establish our cherished republic. They fought so hard, they lost so many. They pushed thousands and thousands of miles across a dangerous frontier, taming the wilderness to build a life and a magnificent home for their family. They packed their families into covered wagons, trekked across hazardous trails, scaled towering mountains, and braved rivers and rapids to stake their claim on the wide open, new, and very beautiful frontier. When our way of life was threatened, American patriots marched onto the battlefield, raced into enemy strongholds, and stared down death, and stared down those enemies, to keep alive the flame of freedom. At Yorktown, Gettysburg, and Midway, they joined the roll call of immortal heroes. So many whole -- just so many heroes, so many great, great people. And we have to cherish those people. We can't forget those people. We have to cherish those people. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And building monuments to those great people is a good thing, not a bad thing. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: They saved our country. No challenge was too much. No hardship was too great. No enemy was too fierce. Together these patriots soldiered on and endured, and they prevailed because they had faith in each other, faith in their country, and above all, they had faith in their God. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Just like our ancestors, we must now come together, rise above past differences. Any disagreements have to be put aside and go forward, united as one people, one nation, pledging allegiance to one great, beautiful -- I think it's so beautiful -- American flag. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Tonight I ask for your partnership, for your support, and I am humbly asking for your vote. I want your vote. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: It's going to make our country great again. Every day I will strive to honor the trust you have placed in me, and I will never, ever let you down. I promise that. I will never let you down. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: To all of the forgotten men and women who have been neglected, abandoned, and left behind, you will be forgotten no longer. We will press forward, and together we will win, win, win. (APPLAUSE) CROWD: Win! Win! win! TRUMP: Win, win, win, win, win, win, win. CROWD: Win! Win! win! TRUMP: Nothing will sway us, nothing will slow us, and no one will ever stop us. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: No matter what dangers come our way, no matter what obstacles lie in our path, we will keep striving toward our shared and glorious destiny, and we will not fail. We will not fail. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Together we will save this country, we will restore the republic, and we will usher in the rich and wonderful tomorrows that our people so truly deserve. America's future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, freer, greater, and more united than ever before. (CHEERING) TRUMP: And quite simply put, we will very quickly make America great again. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Wisconsin. God bless you. God bless you, Wisconsin. And God bless the United States of America, our great country. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. (CHEERING) (MUSIC: SAM AND DAVE, "HOLD ON I'M COMING") JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump, accepting his party's nomination for president, joined on the stage here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by his wife, Melania; his children, their spouses and partners; and also some grandkids, I think, are in there, as well as also joined by J.D. Vance, the senator from Ohio, and his wife, Usha. J.D. Vance, his new running mate, been in the Senate for about a year and a half, already on quite the fast track. President Trump spoke for one hour and 32 minutes, which I'm told is the longest speech for a nomination acceptance by a major party figure in modern American political history. For those wondering, his 2016 speech was an hour, 15 minutes. 2020 was an hour, ten minutes. This one, one-hour, 32 minutes. It started off with what we were told was the new tone of unity, and he relayed his harrowing experience during the assassination attempt in Butler Township, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. But then -- and I hope this doesn't sound harsh -- but then it pretty much he became the kind of speech we generally hear from Donald Trump at rallies where he went off-script and riffed and adlibbed. We were told he wasn't going to even mention President Biden's name. He mentioned it at least twice. Very much the same Donald Trump that we are used to. And I will -- just one word before I throw it to you, Dana, to get your thoughts. Senator Marco Rubio told us earlier that Donald Trump had told him this was the biggest balloon drop in the history of balloons. DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: It's a lot of balloons. TAPPER: He said something like 18,000 of them. I -- maybe I heard that figure wrong. BASH: No, he did say that. TAPPER: And Daniel Dale, I hope, will be able to fact check this, if not tonight then maybe tomorrow, although I guess nobody really cares that much about whether or not it's the biggest balloon drop. But that is what's going on. We have some giant gold balls also, beach balls. Anyway, Dana Bash, back to the content of the speech. It was, except for the top of it, pretty -- pretty -- pretty much Donald Trump, greatest hits. BASH: Yes. TAPPER: And if you like it, which all the people in this room do, then you're happy, and if you don't, then you've heard it before already. BASH: So Republicans, some of whom I've been texting with who are here at the convention, are taking solace in the fact that, because it is so late at night, East Coast and even Midwest, that the majority of people likely paid attention to do and tuned into the beginning of the speech, where he did call for discord and division of the society to be healed. [00:10:08] And then, as you said, gave in a detailed way, the narrative and the story of what happened, the harrowing moment that he was almost killed on Saturday night. And of course, the tribute to the gentleman who was killed and two who were severely injured. But just going back to that line, which is -- is very early on, according to the teleprompter, like the fourth line in the speech, that discord and division in our society must be healed he was then vintage Donald Trump, going after Nancy Pelosi, talking about cheating on elections, saying that people used COVID to cheat. Even though he had said that he wasn't going to, or at least his people said he wasn't going to use Biden's name, talked about Joe Biden by name, talked about the immigrant invasion, weaponize -- weaponized Justice Department and so on and so forth. So, so much of the preview of what we got was this is a changed man. This is somebody who's going to be different. TAPPER: His tone was a little bit more subdued. BASH: Well, he said it. It was. TAPPER: A little bit more subdued, but -- but -- BASH: It was subdued. It was. But -- and certainly, we have all seen rallies of Donald Trump where he has given, in his words, a more rip- roaring speech. But there was a lot of that in there. CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: You know, there's something -- a phenomenon in this campaign called Trump amnesia. And that's the idea that a lot of people have forgotten what they either liked or loathed about Trump during his four years as president. And over the course of this hour and a half, you were reminded of what you liked or loathed about Donald Trump. And you're -- you're exactly right, Dana. What -- part of the -- I have to say, for me, disappointment in this speech is because the Trump campaign had talked so much about how we were going to see a softer, more reflective Donald Trump. And he had a line early on. He said, I'm going to be president for all Americans, because there's no victory in winning for half of Americans. And I thought, well, we're off to the races here, and this is really going to be a different Donald Trump. As you say, he then went in, in very reflective, somber, un-Trump-like detail of talking about how God saved him, saved his life, and -- and seemed genuinely reflective. But then, for all of that, it seemed as if he couldn't keep up the act. And so, we started hearing about "Crazy Nancy Pelosi" and cheating on elections, and talking about Biden. Frankly, it was a long speech. It was a rambling speech. It was a speech by an older man. And I couldn't help but think that the people that are going to be happiest tonight are not the people at Trump headquarters, but the people -- the Democrats, maybe at Biden headquarters, maybe at the headquarters of other people who think they're going to replace Joe Biden. But Jake, we have ourselves a presidential campaign again. TAPPER: Yes. Anderson Cooper, just a note. The average film is one-hour and 31 minutes long. This was one hour and 32 minutes long. This speech was longer than the average movie -- Anderson. ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: By Donald Trump's standards, this was the longest GOP convention speech he has given, Jake, as you pointed out. I just want to get some quick tapes -- takes from the panel. David Urban, was this the speech you expected? DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I know. Look, its it started out incredibly strong. I thought in terms of the president's emotional journey when he got shot, you heard from him a lot of really interesting things. And a little subdued to begin with. I think the crowd was expecting a lot more. And so, I think he did what he had to do here, delivered -- delivered red meat to those who wanted red meat; delivered a little, you know -- there's a lot -- this convention was about love. A lot of love in the room. Before, we've never had a unified party like this. And so, the party is unified behind a lot of love in the room. COOPER: David Axelrod. DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, my friend Scott Jennings -- SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Come on. Come on. AXELROD: -- was hop -- hop -- hopping out of his seat before the speech, because he held up the excerpts and said, this -- you wondered whether he could rise to the moment. Well, he's going to rise to the moment. It just turns out that he only -- he read the words on these pages and then spent probably an hour, in aggregate, riffing. And so, people, I'm sure, responded very positively to his appeals to unity that were written on the teleprompter. And then he just riffed the bejesus out of everybody that he was -- all his political enemies and so on. [00:15:02] I have to tell you, you know, Chris Wallace said this. This was the first good thing that's happened to Democrats in the last three weeks. I mean, this -- this really reminded everyone why Donald Trump is fundamentally unpopular outside this room. COOPER: Kaitlan. KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: You know what's interesting, is that a lot of people have not been to a Trump rally. They've never seen what a Trump rally is like. I've been to dozens of them. This is what a Trump rally is like. And what, obviously, this was billed as was a totally rewritten speech focused on unity. There's no denying the beginning was certainly compelling. He recounted in detail what it was like to be on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night. And he spent about ten to 15 minutes doing that. Then we got to the middle, and it sounded like a normal, typical Trump rally that would have happened before Saturday. He called Nancy Pelosi "Crazy Nancy Pelosi." He talked about "They are trying to destroy our country." He called the 2020 election "ridiculous." COOPER: He talked about cheating on elections, using COVID to cheat on elections. COLLINS: He exemplified Hungary's authoritarian strongman leader, who has, you know, scaled back democratic norms in that country. And a lot of that was exactly as a typical Trump speech is. What's interesting is a lot of people don't normally watch that. They all did tonight. COOPER: Abby. ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: I got a lot of messages from people saying, this is a great reminder of why a lot of people were exhausted by the end of the first Trump presidency and will be having second thoughts about whether they want to go through that again. I mean, it was a Trump rally, as Kaitlan said. The American people -- it's after midnight on the East Coast. People are asleep. They are tired. It was a long, rambling speech. And the meat and potatoes of it were all the lines in between the unifying excerpts, the part where he ad-libbed what he really wanted to say. And all of those were things that were filled with lies, misleading statements. And -- and -- and honestly, it was not compelling. His delivery was very problematic. That is what he sounds like in a lot of his rallies. But you easily could get lost in just the monotone nature of what he was saying. In this moment, when he could have lifted this very energetic room up in a really rousing, short, tight speech, that was not what this was tonight. COOPER: Van. VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, that was a mess. That was just a big mess. Trump dodged a bullet on Saturday, and Democrats dodged a bullet tonight. He had the whole world in his hand. He -- if he had just stayed with that unity message, he might have caused some problems. But he just could not help himself. If Biden had given a speech that incoherent, that rambling, that undisciplined, Democrats would have hit Biden with a tranquilizer dart and drug him off. So, we're now back into a normal campaign dynamic, where you -- Trump took what was the most energetic convention, and he was boring. He took the most disciplined convention. He was undisciplined. He basically was the worst part of his own convention. And so that actually is the first good thing that's happened to Democrats. The other thing I'll say is this. Ten minutes of unity talk off the teleprompter, followed by rabid attacks on Nancy Pelosi, on Joe Biden, and talking about Hannibal Lecter, that is not a new Trump. They made a big mistake by -- by -- by overselling this transformation. There has been no transformation. This is Donald Trump, and welcome back to the campaign now. COOPER: Scott, it was a review of some of the -- the stuff we got used to hearing during the White House years. The love for Kim Jong-un, Viktor Orban, and others. JENNINGS: Yes, some of it was the old greatest hits. But the most compelling part was the new part, the part at the top. When he told the story about being shot at, you could have heard a pin drop in this place. It was extremely riveting. I mean, look, Axeman, it was a long speech, no doubt. He used the prepared remarks. And he also used the unprepared remarks. The part that mattered most, though, he nailed. And that's the part that I think people are going to remember. I think the message and tone are basically fine. He hit the issues he's got to hit on inflation and immigration. That's over the target. The national unity stuff was -- the campaign tells me, quote, "We got what we wanted." They're fine with it. The convention served its purpose. The vibe was good in here. The vibe is good right now. The Republican Party, after one week, Van, is still the party of fun. And the party of democracy is down the street, plotting a political coup against the sitting president of the United States. There's a lot of Trump-skeptical Republicans who came into this week going, I don't know if I want to do this again. And I think they're going to leave this week thinking, you know what? It's going to be fine. I think this was mission accomplished for the convention week. COOPER: John. JONES: The convention -- the convention was great, and the candidate was not. COOPER: John. JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But it -- it was foolish for anybody to think that one speech was going to vault Donald Trump into this blowout in an election. [00:20:02] No. 1, we don't live in a country that will have a blowout election. That's not the way the election is divided. No. 2, there is not majority support in the country for Trump or for Trumpism. There simply isn't. All the data says that. However -- however, he doesn't need majorities. He needs to get 46, 47, 48 percent in the swing states. He'll get over 50 percent in the red states. Look down on that floor. Was it a great speech? Of course not. They love it, and they love him. They're unified, and they're going home. The money is flowing into the Republican Party. They're leading in the polls in all the key states. Democratic donors are saying no more money to President Biden right now. Now, we'll see if that holds. It's a month to go before the Democratic convention. They get a month to plan their rebuttal. But we're not even positive if the president will be their candidate. So, he didn't help himself. There is not one line in here that is going to get him new voters. No new voters. COOPER: To me, the most successful parts of this entire week were real people -- JENNINGS: Yes. COOPER: -- talking about -- I mean, those Gold Star families. JONES: Oh, my God. COOPER: And everybody in this room saying the names of those Gold Star family members who were killed in Afghanistan. And even tonight, I mean, Hulk Hogan of all people, probably reached an audience which hasn't paid a lot of attention, hasn't listened to Trump's speeches before, and did it in an extraordinarily compelling way. I mean, I'm not a devotee like Scott, of WrestleMania. AXELROD: A few people are. JENNINGS: But look, but you just hit the nail on the head. It's a whole week of stuff. And in totality this week, it was well-produced. The real people were compelling. The Hulka -- the Hulkster did run wild in Milwaukee. But so did all kinds of other folks who had messages about inflation and immigration. All in, this was a good convention. And the Democrats can't even have one right now. AXELROD: Scott, Scott, Scott, Scott. PHILLIP: I would also say -- AXELROD: Just -- there's no doubt that this has been, in fact, what the whole campaign has been. It's been a very disciplined campaign and a very undisciplined candidate. And that's what we saw again. And the reality is that it's the undisciplined candidate who is unpopular and who has driven people away. John may be right. I mean, this may be enough that, if he just motivates the base, there's -- you know, I don't question that, that he may have accomplished some of that. KING: He's not -- he's not popular. But the president is more unpopular. AXELROD: But they were -- they were calling for something else tonight. They were going to something else tonight with this unity appeal. They were trying to say he's learned; he's grown, he's not going to be the guy who you -- JONES: They oversold that. AXELROD: -- feared last time. And then he -- he read the lines off the prompter, and then threw the whole concept away. COLLINS: That's why it's always important to watch Donald Trump. Covering him, it's not just what people tell you he's going to do. You have to watch what he actually does. Because I think those of us who have covered him for a long time were skeptical of that. But you know what they also had? Is several days of stories saying that Donald Trump was changed by this, and it would be a unifying speech. And it was, with the exception of the beginning, of course, as we've noted, typical of what you see. The question is, what do people see who weren't necessarily watching tonight? What's going to be the highlight and packaged is what he did say at the beginning, which was the recounting of his assassination. PHILLIP: But the question also with Donald Trump is what is he going to do? It is very easy to diagnose the problem of the Biden administration, as seen through the eyes of Republicans, but -- but Trump is not running as some kind of fresh face on the political scene. He is basically an incumbent. So -- so he's coming in with people already knowing what he's like as a leader, what he's done in his presidency. And he has to -- he does have to answer the question, what is he going to do? This speech didn't really answer that question. At least not -- COOPER: Well, he said he's going to end the wars immediately. PHILLIP: At least not truthfully. COOPER: He's going to lower inflation immediately. PHILLIP: Right. (CROSSTALK) AXELROD: And on the seventh day, he'll rest. PHILLIP: -- this week was an attempt, in a lot of ways, to paper over what their agenda is going to be for the Trump presidency. JENNINGS: Abby. PHILLIP: And the problem -- the problem for the Trump campaign -- JENNINGS: Abby. PHILLIP: Scott, the problem with the Trump campaign is that the speech as written was the version that they wanted the American people to hear. But Donald Trump stood there, and he ad libbed about 30 percent of his speech. And he added in -- he filled in all the blanks. JENNINGS: As it relates to the agenda -- PHILLIP: He filled in the blanks in a way that I think was not helpful to his campaign. JENNINGS: OK. But it's not true that he didn't lay out issues. And it's also not true that the convention didn't produce a very clear and concise policy agenda. It came out at the beginning of the week. And so, coming out of this, it's obvious what they're running on. And it's not all that complicated: immigration, inflation, crime, and national security. COOPER: Go. URBAN: What the president -- just real quickly. What the president -- the former president needs to do, shove (ph) the damn rallies. You go to rallies, like Kaitlan says, you go to a rallies, they're too long. The people at the end of the rally, they're leaving for the exits, because it's like a football game where the score's run up. They want to get back to their car and get out before the crowd leaves. Donald Trump needs to cut down about 30, 40 minutes. Go back to the old days. That's the big critique of this speech. Too long. JENNINGS: But a big chunk of it was the shooting. A big chunk of it was the addition of the shooting. [00:25:02] URBAN: The shooting was great. No one -- no one. JONES: Nobody's mad about that. JENNINGS: It's new. It's new. JONES: Can I just say something? URBAN: You could condense the other stuff. If it could have been condensed, it would have been a home run. JONES: Look, right -- right now, you've got three generations of Trump on that stage. And the convention was good. The speech was terrible. The candidate is -- it remains to be seen. But this is a remarkable moment, that this family has somehow managed to survive a whole bunch of stuff, including a near death experience, to be at the center of American life. What they -- what they do with that, I'm terrified; some people are hopeful. But you know, I think that what we saw with the convention itself, with the elements of something that goes beyond the campaign, what you begin to see, it looks like more of a movement. It reminds me of what 2008, where you started having cultural elements. You know, Will.i.am came out were with you guys, Axe, and suddenly there was a cultural element of the Obama campaign. You saw a bunch of cultural elements here, with mixed martial arts, and rock and country. There was a spiritual dimension to the Obama campaign that was very, very present. You hear a lot of evangelical Christianity, kind of spiritual stuff. And then this -- this nationalist political agenda. You start putting together spiritual stuff, cultural stuff, political stuff, it starts to feel more like a movement. Movements are harder to beat. And that's, I think, what Democrats have to look at. This thing -- Trump just -- I don't know what he's doing today, but he's got the elements now. The Democrats need to get serious. Stopping a movement is not the same as stopping a candidate. And we've got to -- AXELROD: But -- but Vance, he is the apex of the movement. And if he's -- if he is defective -- JONES: Yes. AXELROD: Now, and he may motivate the base, but the problem tonight is he -- he's showed the qualities that Americans -- JONES: Can't stand. AXELROD: -- are weary -- grew weary of. COOPER: I want to go back to -- to Jake on floor -- Jake. TAPPER: Thanks so much, Anderson. And the party is still going on here in the arena. Delegates are starting to leave, and the family is obviously starting to leave, as well. Let's go and check in with our correspondents and anchors throughout the arena who can give us a take on what's going on. First of all, Phil Mattingly. So, the longest nomination acceptance speech in modern American history. One hour, 32 minutes. How did the delegates take that? PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: I think the best way to capture it was, as I was walking back up over here to get ready for the balloon drop -- and to confirm, there are a lot of balloons on the floor -- was a delegate who said, It was a good speech. It was just really, really long. And while that sounds somewhat simplistic, I think the reality is, is when you talk to Trump supporters, they knew this was such a good convention in their eyes. The unity was so total and real. And there was a build to this moment. They were hanging on every word as the president described a first-person account of the attempted assassination, an awful, traumatic event. And then I think people just tried to follow along. There were several delegations that stood the entire time. There's no question about that. Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, every member of their delegation was standing throughout. But there are several more, actually, that were seated, kind of waiting for the moment to get riled up, to get excited, to be like they are oftentimes at his rallies. There's no question, at his rallies, the dedication and devout nature of his supporters is, in large part, channeled through the former president himself. And there weren't many moments for that. I could also say, you know, I was watching the teleprompter throughout. And while this is not a shock that the former president would go off teleprompter, it was quite obvious when he left the teleprompter and quite obvious when he went back on. You can know for sure, because I was watching the prompter, that the stories about Kim Jong-un, the stories about cheating in the election, things like that were not in the script in any way, shape, or form. But it seemed to be kind toggling back and forth, trying to figure out a way to connect with the crowd, but also give the speech that he knew he should give, and his advisers wanted him to give, Jake. TAPPER: Yes. And that desire to riff instead of being disciplined and sticking with the speech written for him. We know who won that -- that struggle internally. I want to bring in our CNN fact checker, senior reporter Daniel Dale. Dan -- Daniel, you've listened to quite a few Trump speeches. And I know that the challenge of being a fact checker in this modern era, especially with President Trump, is one, he tells so many -- says so many things that are not accurate within a short period of time. But two, it's quite frequently, you say, the same lies or misstatements over and over and over. How did tonight's speech match up? DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: It was a remarkably long acceptance speech, Jake, and a remarkably dishonest acceptance speech. I counted at least 22 false claims from Donald Trump on first listen. Let's start with one of the wildest claims he made. Listen to what he said about the state of the world when he was president. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: The world was at peace. Our opponents inherited a world at peace and turned it into a planet of war. We're in a planet of war. The whole world was at peace. And now the world is blowing up around us. (END VIDEO CLIP) [00:30:05] DALE: This is false. Trump did not achieve world peace when he was president; certainly wasn't at peace when he left office. There were active wars or armed conflicts in dozens of nations in 2020, 51 by one research institution's count. And then 51 again in 2021. Trump handed President Biden ongoing civil wars in Yemen and Syria. Of course, an unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israeli-Iranian conflict, a war in Ethiopia. I could go on for a while, but I don't have time, because there were so many other false claims. So, let's address some of those. Not even all of them. He repeated his usual lie about Democrats having cheated in the 2020 election. It's nonsense. He said crime is going up. The opposite is true. It's gone sharply down in 2023 and early 2024; is now lower than it was under Trump in 2020. He said we have the worst inflation we've ever had. Again, not even close. It is 3 percent right now. The U.S. record is 23.7 percent. He said there was no inflation under him. It was low, of course, but not nonexistent. It was 8 percent total for his presidency, 1.4 percent year over year in the month he left office. He said the price of groceries is up 57 percent under Biden. It's actually 21 percent. He said Democrats are proposing to quadruple people's taxes. That is imaginary. He said his tax cut was the largest in American history. Not even close, again. He said the Biden administration does nothing to stop migrants. Well, the administration tried to get Congress to pass a bill to tighten the border. And after Trump himself helped to kill that bill, Biden took executive action to tighten the border. Trump said he stopped human trafficking. Again, not true. He said China stopped buying oil from Iran under him. Also did not happen. He said foreign governments are deliberately sending criminals and mental health patients to the U.S. as migrants. His own campaign has been unable to provide proof for that. I certainly haven't found any myself. He said we defeated ISIS, 100 percent of ISIS, in a couple of months. In fact, the ISIS caliphate was declared fully liberated more than two years into his presidency. And there were other exaggerations about trade with China, about North Korean missile launches, about gas prices, about IRS agents. So, it just went on and on and on in terms of falsehood, just like the speech went on and on and on itself -- Jake. TAPPER: All right. Daniel Dale, thanks so much. And you can read more of CNN's fact checks at CNN.com/factsfirst. Quite a -- quite a lot for Mr. Dale to handle there. Dana Bash, as you see the crowd, they're still enjoying the balloons. I have to say that this was, first of all -- one thing that -- that former President Trump said that I think is accurate, is that a lot of media organizations, including people at CNN, have said this is one of the best managed and most enthusiastic crowds we've ever seen at a political convention. I don't know that you can say that every news organization believes that as a matter of fact. But it's certainly true. This was the most enthusiastic, best-run convention I've seen since Obama's in 2008. Not ever, but -- but certainly it's up there. The discipline that Trump's team showed in putting this -- in putting this convention together as well as they did, was kind of offset by the -- by the lack of discipline that the president showed when he gave his speech. I don't know that it would have been a great speech by anyone's measure if he had just delivered it as written. But all the riffing -- I know he loves it, but this is a nomination speech, especially this one, in this moment in history with Biden where he is, with Trump where he is. This moment in history, because of the horrible thing that happened to Trump and his supporters on Saturday. This was a moment and opportunity where, you know, this -- we were sold this idea that he was going to -- it was going to be a big national call for unity. And he was going to rise to this moment. He was a changed man. And again, first 20 minutes or so, OK, sure. Totally met -- met the -- met the promise. But after that, it was -- it was not disciplined. And it was -- it was a -- it was a campaign rally speech. BASH: Yes, and that's sort of Politics 101. And the people around him know this, that if you set expectations, you should set them lower, not higher. TAPPER: Right. BASH: Because -- TAPPER: Right. He's had a traumatic week, et cetera, et cetera. BASH: Right. Which is -- which would make perfect sense. But the expectation -- TAPPER: The convention just -- the convention just gaveled out; the Republican National Convention 2024 is officially over. Sorry. BASH: And he actually said in the speech at some point during the off- script moments that, when he was talking about the fact that the networks were saying how -- how great the convention is then, that he doesn't want to be the one to screw it up. Oops. I mean, that's -- that's definitely the story line. Not to say that there are people who don't love him and who are going to say, oh, this has been vintage Trump, and I love him. But that's not the point of this convention. The point of the convention and a speech like this is to continue to expand his reach. And I'm not sure that he did anything to convince people that he is different from the person that we've seen. [00:35:14] And the word that you used, Jake, "discipline," that is a word -- How many times have we heard over the past eight years his people who have come in and out of his orbit say, Well, he's going to be disciplined this time. You watch. TAPPER: Right. BASH: He's going to be disciplined. The only time I really remember that happening was for a small window in the fall of 2016, as it got closer to the election, which he ended up winning. You certainly didn't see it on display here. WALLACE: You know, it was -- it was a good convention. And I think the people -- the -- the delegates, the Trump supporters who came to this convention go away energized and -- and very much believing that they're on the right side of the issues, that they're going to win this election. I think that the problem is that it could have been so much a better convention when you think of how Trump came into this convention, two days after this near death experience and the extraordinary display of bravery, guts, whatever you want to call it when he put up is fist and said, "Fight, fight." I mean, he really came in as a kind of icon, as a kind -- a martyr. And the excitement of this crowd when he walked into the family box, appeared for the first time on Monday night, it seemed to me -- and I think his people thought that, if they played this convention right and if he gave the right speech tonight, they could have put this election away, that he could have expanded his base, gotten a lot of the 6 percent of undecided voters in a lot of the state -- of the swing states and really solidified them. He didn't do that. And I think that's probably the disappointment of this convention, that -- that he didn't -- I mean, one of the things I've always thought about Donald Trump is he keeps winning the same voters over and over again. BASH: Right. WALLACE: He doesn't expand and get more voters. And I frankly think he leaves this convention in a somewhat weaker position, politically, than he did when he walked up the steps here, arriving on the first night. BASH: Even though he did add a lot of things that he wasn't supposed to add to the speech, one thing he didn't add, which I think it's important to note, is any discussion of Roe v. Wade and taking credit for getting rid of Roe v. Wade. Abortion is something that he understands is going to potentially hurt him in some of those areas where he's trying to expand his vote. TAPPER: We're getting the first reaction to former President Trump's speech from some of the people who matter most -- most: the undecided voters here in battleground state Wisconsin. We're going to hear from them next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [00:41:51] COOPER: And welcome back to Milwaukee. As you can see, people leaving the convention site where Donald Trump just capped the final night of the Republican National Convention with a lengthy and sometimes off- script -- often off-script -- speech, accepting his third GOP nomination. The former president playing to a devoted crowd in the hall, but the question, of course, is how did he play with undecided voters who may still be skeptical about sending him back to the White House? CNN's Gary Tuchman watched the speech with some of those undecided voters here in the crucial swing state of Wisconsin. Gary joins us now. So, what did you hear, Gary? GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, we're in the city of Waukesha, about 20 miles West of you in Milwaukee. The battleground state of Wisconsin with battleground voters. Thirteen Wisconsinites we watched the convention speech of Donald Trump with. I want to tell you, they're very nice people. And they're also very interesting people, because of this group, 11 of the 13 still haven't decided who they're going to vote for for president in November. Two of them have decided. This gentleman right here, Kevin, for Donald Trump. He knows that already. This woman here, Paula, for Joe Biden, or the Democrat who might eventually take his place. She knows that already. But what I want to ask you all first at this point, all 13 of you, what you thought of the speech. Not a yes or no answer if you thought it was good or not good. I want you to give a letter grade to it like you're in school. So, I'm going to start here with you. What letter grade do you give that speech? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "B." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "C." UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "B." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "C." UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "D." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "B." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "A." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "C." UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "B." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "B." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "C." UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "A." UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "B." TUCHMAN: So "B" and "C" seem to be the most prevalent grades. I'm going to start with you, Kevin and Dawn, married couple right here. You are both still undecided about who you will vote for. Tell me what the most important thing you thought about when you watched the speech. KEVIN, WISCONSIN VOTER: I was listening to his tone of voice, to his -- his way of speaking and encouraging us and bringing unity to the country and those individuals that might be outside of the Republican Party. TUCHMAN: And what grade did you give it, again? KEVIN: B. TUCHMAN: Dawn, what grade did you give it again? DAWN, WISCONSIN VOTER: I gave it a C. TUCHMAN: And what did you think of the speech? DAWN: I thought the beginning was really good. I was looking for unity, speaking outside of the Republican Party. And I thought I heard "we" a lot and not so much about himself. TUCHMAN: Kevin, you're supporting Donald Trump. You've already said that. You gave the grade of-- KEVIN 2: A "B." TUCHMAN: What do you think of the speech? KEVIN 2: I thought it was too long. I think it started off slow, but as it progressed, I believe it got a lot better. TUCHMAN: Lena (ph), you gave what grade? LENA (ph), WISCONSIN VOTER: A "C." TUCHMAN: A "C." And Lena (ph) and Rich are also married right here. LENA (ph): Yes. TUCHMAN: Why did you give it a "C"? LENA (ph): Because his rhetoric hasn't changed about the election, 2020 election. And I'm really concerned that we're going to have another issue, depending on who wins. So, you know, I'm just really praying that, if Trump wins, that the guardrails of democracy will hold. TUCHMAN: Rich, what grade did you give it? RICH, WISCONSIN VOTER: So, I gave the speech a "D." TUCHMAN: Tell me why. RICH: It started out great. But then he went into mistruths and grievances and attacks. And it just totally contradicted itself in terms of what he wanted to achieve with unity. TUCHMAN: Paula, the grade you gave it? PAULA, WISCONSIN VOTER: "D." [00:45:01] TUCHMAN: And you're supporting Biden? PAULA: Yes. TUCHMAN: Or whoever takes his place, if that happens. PAULA: Yes. TUCHMAN: What did you think about it? PAULA: I think -- I do believe he started off with a pretty good tone for him. I thought it was -- was good, but then he lapsed back into the Donald Trump of old. TUCHMAN: OK. Up there in the corner, Robin (ph) and Kirsten (ph), mother and daughter. The grade you gave it? ROBIN (ph), WISCONSIN VOTER: I gave it an "A." TUCHMAN: And why did you give it an "A"? ROBIN (ph): The thing I was looking for was a change. And I felt I heard that change in his voice. I was looking for his discussion on getting unity together in the country, as well as the border control and inflation. TUCHMAN: Kirsten (ph), what grade did you give it? KIRSTEN (ph), WISCONSIN VOTER: "C." TUCHMAN: And why? KIRSTEN (ph): It started off strong, just like some other people have said, but the same old thing. It went from him probably just reading the teleprompter and actually reciting the speech to -- into his whole song and dance of just putting his own spin on things. And that's where I feel like a lot of his points get lost. TUCHMAN: Gary and Nancy, you're a married couple, too. NANCY, WISCONSIN VOTER: Yes. TUCHMAN: You gave it what grade, Gary. GARY, WISCONSIN VOTER: I gave it to a "B." TUCHMAN: A good first name, by the way, Gary. Why "B"? GARY: He went into some negativity. I was -- I was expecting much more negativity, but he did go a little bit negativity and also some exaggerated statistics and exaggerated goals of getting this to No. 1 in the world as far as schools go and stuff. Those are just unrealistic. TUCHMAN: And Nancy? What grade did you give it? NANCY: I gave it a "B." I thought it was not negative on women, which I was sort of expecting. I thought his tone was pleasant and something that, as a leader, that maybe I would be proud to have him as a leader with his more relaxed tone. TUCHMAN: Susan, what grade did you give it? SUSAN, WISCONSIN VOTER: A "C." TUCHMAN: And why did you say "C"? SUSAN: Well, I was led to believe that there would be a change in his approach to people. And I don't -- I don't feel that he met those expectations. Like others, I thought he started out strong and then went downhill. TUCHMAN: Ray and Barb, you're a married couple, too. Ray, you give it what grade? RAY, WISCONSIN VOTER: I gave it an "A." TUCHMAN: And why did you give it an "A"? RAY: Because it's Donald Trump. He was who he always has been. And even though, with the incident that happened Saturday, he still came out as himself. TUCHMAN: Barb, what do you -- what grade did you give it? BARB, WISCONSIN VOTER: I gave it a "B." TUCHMAN: And why did you give it a "B"? BARB: I gave it a "B," because like so many people said, he started out good: strong, grateful, thankful. And then into bragging. TUCHMAN: Have any of you changed your mind? Eleven of you were undecided. Any of those 11 made a decision based on this speech, or is it still the same? NANCY: I think I'm more decided. TUCHMAN: And what have you decided? NANCY: I decided that I will support Trump. TUCHMAN: Anyone else make a decision yet? ROBIN (ph): I have. I've made a decision to support him. TUCHMAN: So, two of our eleven. Anyone else? The two of you? BARB: Trump. TUCHMAN: Trump. So, four of our 11. You going to watch Biden in five weeks. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes. TUCHMAN: OK. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. TUCHMAN: It's a pleasure talking to all of you. I will tell you that we're in good company here with these very nice people. Anderson, back to you. COOPER: Gary, thank you. And thank all of them for -- for participating. David Axelrod, I mean, it's always interesting to hear -- hear those focus groups. AXELROD: Look, I think what it vindicates is the eagerness of the campaign to build this unity theme into the front and back of the speech, which he read off a teleprompter, and which people reacted positively to. But as you heard in the group, when he veered into vintage Trump, I think he suffered from that. And the question is, for the duration of this campaign, which Trump are they going to see? The guy who's reading the word "unity" off a teleprompter, or the guy who doesn't practice it regularly in his everyday life. URBAN: I was just going to say, let's not forget: the way this speech is going to be consumed for the rest of the week is not anyone's going to watch it. They're going to get -- you're going to see tomorrow, Dave Portnoy. Everybody on social media is going to get the Hulkster ripping it off. It's going to be the Trump-Vance shirt. It's going to be consumed in snippets on social media. And it's going to look really cool. OK, that's what -- that's what you're going to see. You're not going to see the boring part in the middle. JENNINGS: Yes. URBAN: You're going to see the great snippets, the highlights. That's what's going be pushed out. Nobody sitting around like us eating popcorn and watching the speech. COLLINS: You know what? URBAN: Only the people with Gary Tuchman. COOPER: We have some new reporting on how Democrats are viewing Donald Trump's convention speech, amid the turmoil in the Biden campaign. Jeff Zeleny has that. Jeff, what are you -- what are you learning? JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, Democrats were watching this convention speech with a bit of glee, as well. We're just moments ago getting a new statement in from the campaign chair of the Biden campaign, Jen O'Malley Dillon. Let me just read you a small part of that. She said that "Donald Trump rambled on for well over an hour and a half and failed to mention Project 2025 even once." She said, "He sought to find problems with America, not to provide solutions." Of course, unsaid in that statement is whether the Biden campaign will be able to draw the contrast that they would like to from this. [00:50:02] Talking to Wisconsin Democrats throughout the speech that I've been in -- in touch with, they were also happy to see that but also wondering what the state of their party is. So that, of course, is the question heading out of this convention into the Democratic convention one month from now. Can Democrats capitalize on this? And who will their candidate be to try and do so. COOPER: Yes. Jeff Zeleny. Jeff, thanks very much. I want to go to John King, who's at the Magic Wall for us -- John. KING: Anderson, first just a quick point about where Gary was and why it matters. He was in the city of Waukesha, which is in Waukesha County, which is just to our West. You see Milwaukee's blue, right? Milwaukee's blue. Waukesha is red. It's a suburban suburb area. But Donald Trump got 60 percent, if you round that up, in 2020. If you go back to 2016 when he won Wisconsin, he got 61 percent. You might say that's not much. It doesn't take much. Wisconsin was settled in 2020 by 20,000 votes. in 2016, it was settled by 20,000 votes, 22,000 votes. So small margins matter. Donald Trump doesn't have to gain a ton of voters. Small margins matter. Now, let's go to where we are as the Republicans leave their convention in the race to 270. And Donald -- this is where we ended last year. And one pet peeve of mine, because I've done this for nearly 40 years, is when Donald Trump, at least twice, said this election was rigged or cheating involved, there was none. Joe Biden won fair and square, and he won big. That's then. But this is now. This is now. This is President Biden's problem. This is what the Democrats have to figure out what to do in a month, assuming Joe Biden is still the candidate. Because Donald Trump did not need to gain voters at this convention. He came into it already with a lead and a bigger lead than even our projection shows. Our projection now says deep red, solid Republican. Light red, leaning Republican. If Donald Trump won nothing else. But what we have shaded red on this map, he would be the next president of the United States. And while we have been here in Milwaukee, we have seen poll after poll after poll showing President Biden's ditch is even deeper, meaning Donald Trump is leading right here in Pennsylvania in some polls by five points or more. He is leading here in Michigan -- sorry, I'll keep that one red. And he's leading where we are in Wisconsin. That's the Blue Wall. Donald Trump won those in 2016. He was president. Joe Biden flipped them back, and he was president. Joe Biden also flipped Georgia. Donald Trump is leading there. Joe Biden also flipped Arizona. Donald Trump is leading there. Joe Biden won Nevada, and Donald Trump is leading there. And Donald Trump -- this is Nebraska and Maine, do electoral college votes by congressional district. You'll see this one yellow as a tossup. Biden won it in 2020. At the moment, Donald Trump is getting all of the electoral votes out of Nebraska. And why Democrats have been -- many Democrats have been saying we're not going to give you any more money, Mr. President. We want you to get out of the race, Mr. President, is that the -- there's also polling showing that Trump is at least competitive, is not a little ahead in Virginia. Competitive if not a little ahead in New Hampshire. Democrats are worried about Minnesota. Some are worried about Colorado. Some even say a blue state like New Mexico, look where Donald Trump is there. I'm not saying Donald Trump's going to win 330 electoral votes, but he came into this convention at least over the 270 threshold. And the polling during this convention have shown the president's ditch has gotten even deeper. Why? He's losing in all seven of what we consider the swing states. More than seven in ten Americans say he's too old to be president. Two-thirds of Americans say the country's on the wrong track. So, Donald Trump leaves here in the lead with money flowing into his campaign. And Democrats, Anderson, are still having a debate even about whether Joe Biden should be their candidate. Now they've got a month till this conviction -- convention. They have time to fix it. But Donald Trump leaves here, what I would call a substantial and perhaps even commanding lead. COOPER: Can you just explain to viewers how you can make those projections? Or is that based on polling? KING: Right. So, the red states and the -- the deep red states and the deep blue states are the traditions, although even some Democrats are worried about some of these states. But let's leave those where they are. The other state, it's polling. It's our political team led by David Chalian. It's a great group of people. You look at polling. You talk to both campaigns. You talk to people on the ground who know these states, and you do smart reporting. And I can tell you from my travels, I think this is even -- this is an optimistic map for Joe Biden, based on the travels over the past year. Because like I've said, again, let's just come back to where we are now. You know, you have Joe Biden. The governor of Maine warned the president to his face, I'm worried about that. The Democrats in New Hampshire worried. The Democrats in Virginia worried. The governor of Minnesota is worried. He's among those saying, at least at the congressional and Senate level in those races, they're worried dramatically. But they also have polling in more states than this, that the president is in trouble. That doesn't mean there's not time to turn it around. However, when you look at the swing state polling that has come in over the past week, again, with Trump leading here and Trump leading where we are in Wisconsin, and Trump leading in Pennsylvania, Biden cannot win if he doesn't win the Blue Wall states. Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Are there mathematical ways to get there? Yes. But then you're counting on Joe Biden to win some Republican state somewhere. It's not going to happen. So, our projection is actually, I would say, quite cautious; that if you look at the map -- and we'll see -- we'll see the polling come out after this convention, and we'll adapt as we go through our reporting. But at the moment, it is easy to draw a path where Donald Trump is well over 270, perhaps as high as 330 or more. And he -- so, imagine -- imagine we're being, you know, too kind to Donald Trump there, Anderson, and he loses a couple of those states. He's still above 270. [00:55:10] To get Joe Biden from where he is now, if you come back to the beginning, to get into to 225, he just -- he has to run the board. I mean, he has to run the board here. And this is interesting. When you look at it, even if he runs the board there, he better win that congressional district and get those electoral votes, because he's still at 269. So, the president of the United States has one viable path to 270. In a stretch, I could come up with a second one for you. I could give you a six or eight for Donald Trump. He's that -- that's what makes his -- He has many options. And he has a lot of money flowing in. The president has a very hard path to 270 and, at least for now, donors are saying, prove yourself or no more money. COOPER: Yes. We may hear a lot more about that in the coming days. John King, thank you. Stay with CNN for much more of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump's speech. Laura Coates is at the CNN Grill to break it all down after a short break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CNN Live Event/Special Aired July 19, 2024 - 01:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [01:00:34] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HULK HOGAN, WRESTLING LEGEND: -- enough was enough. And I said, let Trump-a-mania run wild brother, let Trump-a-mania rule again. ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: He did what he promised he put America first. We were winning today. DANA WHITE, UFC PRESIDENT: Often the tough guy business, and this man is the toughest, most resilient human being I've ever met in my life. DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States. Despite such a heinous attack will unite this evening more determined than ever, America's future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, three year greater and more united than ever before. (END VIDEO CLIP) LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: A native Hulk Hogan, Kid Rock and of course Donald Trump capping off the fourth and now final night at the Republican National Convention here in Milwaukee. I'm Laura Coates to the CNN/POLITICO Grill. Thank you for staying up late with us tonight. Everyone is talking about the big show. And we've got a pretty big one ahead for you today on what has been already a big political night in America. My guest this hour Republican Congressman Byron Donalds actor Dennis Quaid, comedian Roy Wood Jr. and historian Douglas Brinkley. For more than 90 long minutes Donald Trump spoke on that stage as the Republican nominee delivering the piece that was billed as unifying and yes, there were some lines that certainly made that appeal. But he also did what Trump does. He went off script with some pretty familiar grievances. And it did though begin with a retelling of the assassination attempt that nearly ended his life. He described it in detail before telling the crowd this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I'm not supposed to be here tonight, not supposed to be here. I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: He also honored the victim from Saturday shooting Corey Comperatore appearing with his firefighter uniform. Then, as his speech went on, and on and on, he sprinkled in some calls for unity before veering into his familiar partisan attacks. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: If Democrats want to unify our country, they should drop these partisan witch hunts which I have been going through for approximately eight years. We have people that are a lot less than fierce, except when it comes to cheating on elections and a couple of other things. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: I want to bring in CNN political commentators, Karen Finney, comedian Roy Wood Jr. and CNN senior data reporter at Harry Enten. David Urban will join us in just a moment. I got to start with you here, Roy, because just listen to the recaps. ROY WOOD JR., COMEDIAN: What's wrong with me? COATES: And you were chuckling. Because you were laughing. WOOD: He was on stage with a bag of cocaine. There wasn't a band, like the Band-Aid you get while you're waiting on the Band-Aid you supposed to get. What Trump did to open up that speech was playing on the sympathy of that. Now yes, there was an attempt on his life. And you do -- you should speak to that. You should talk about that. You should talk about how fortunate you are. But that dovetails perfectly into his message of healing and forgiveness and togetherness. And he's able to play that violin like a damn broke into his face. And that's what he did to me. COATES: I mean that was with him. KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: But then like the love and the hope just went right out the door and down the street and over to I don't even know what the next day over is because I mean, you can tell when he was reading, love and unity and then he just went off and it was the same familiar tropes and then I'll tell you when he said the virus from China wasn't well, you know, all that love and peace and unity is gone. [01:05:06] And we were, sorry, I was going to say, because we've been on we've been saying, let's see how long it really lasts. COATES: Well, that's the point. WOOD: I don't know. COATES: I mean, no, you think about the unity aspect of it. We were talking the other day, Harry -- HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes. COATES: -- it wasn't just the unity of the nation, which is the unity of the Republican Party. ENTEN: Right. COATES: Right, that we are all Republicans are saying, are all on the same page to beat Biden. ENTEN: Right. Right. COATES: But is that message tonight going to expect? You're looking at me for a question, you've already answered in your mind, go ahead and take you want to say. Go ahead. ENTEN: We were all unified and fallen asleep by the end of that speech. My goodness gracious, it was the longest speech in modern convention history. FINNEY: It was. ENTEN: What the heck was that? He could have just ended it after an hour. We all would have been happy. He would have unified the Republican base, most people would have come away, you know, Trump can actually contain his words and stick to it. But instead, we all ended up going, oh, this is why the majority of Americans hold an unfavorable view of both candidates. Oh, Americans are looking for a way out. And this speech is emblematic of the fact that neither of these candidates is well liked by the American public. COATES: Well, I'm going to bring in David Urban on this in a second. But Roy, let me ask you, because, yes, it was a long speech. It was very long. And either way, I don't think I had on my bingo card this evening that I would see Hulk Hogan, rip off a shirt and reveal the Trump-Vance T-shirt underneath. WOOD: Remember when the Republican Convention was normal, and it would just be Herschel Walker trying to read and it would be maybe Jeff Sessions. It was simpler. It was smoother. And I think that this entire week, you've seen a party that is literally willing to put anybody on the stage that is saying exactly what they feel like their base needs to hear. And their base is eaten up. And whether it's Hulk Hogan, whether it was Amber Rose, whether it was Kid Rock, its we're going to put people up there that we believe our base will respond to, regardless of the logic attached to. COATES: What do you think about the Amber Rose conversation? That's been a lot of response to her having gone up there and talk about my people. WOOD: I think if Amber Rose was -- COATES: I mean, that was hurtful, my people. WOOD: Yes. COATES: I mean, read differently. WOOD: Yes. COATES: When I said it, I realized. I heard it and I said it. WOOD: It's about women's. FINNEY: Right. COATES: There you go. Here you go. FINNEY: Let me just dive ahead. COATES: Go ahead. Yes. WOOD: I think Amber Rose has a right to step on the stage and say whatever she believes, and it would have been nice to be able to talk a little bit more about well, what turns you from, where you were with the slut walk and being pro-choice and everything that you were in the last election cycle in 2018, and the women's wallets (ph) and all that stuff. But I think regardless of who the RNC put on that stage, they put up people this entire week, almost, I hate to say a textbook on this is how you give people exactly what they want to hear. And I think that's what Trump did tonight. And of course, he said the same stuff. Lee Greenwood came out and saying the same damn song he's saying the night before. They just give people what they want. They don't care if they've heard it again. Lee Greenwood could have been a remix. He could have done an acoustic version of Public Enemy (ph). No, you're getting the same song I did the night before. COATES: Well, you know what, David Urban. I got news. He agrees everyone. DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Listen. Let me just say this. I do not feel qualified to give an opinion on Amber Rose. I'll just give you that. FINNEY: Come on. UBRAN: I have no opinion. But I think she's a very nice woman. I met her briefly. FINNEY: Did you take a picture of her? URBAN: She came on the set take a picture of all the folks at the set. She's a very nice woman. I'm glad that she's on our team. Other than that, I really have no opinion about her personal history or life, Kanye, anything else. COATES: But you got an opinion on what happened tonight? URBAN: Listen, I think -- COATES: And I bet you thought the speech was successful. What do you think? URBAN: Here's I think why think the speeches successful, because it's going to be consumed not by geeks like us who sat around and watched for hour and a half, right? It's going to be consumed in snippets on Instagram, on TikTok, on reels, people going to have that Hulk Hogan ripping in that shirt off, and people are going to be -- right now on barstool they're selling a Trump-a-mania T-shirt, right? I mean, that's going to be consumed. It's going to be turned viral moments that people are going to think are cool and hip. They're not going to remember that people were bored in the middle of it, right. ENTEN: And the end of it. URBAN: No, the end actually took a dial meter. The focus group said at the beginning was great. The end was great. It was a little boring. ENTEN: Right. FINNEY: Because at the end he went back. You can see he went back to the prompter, right? And you can you could tell the difference in the language. URBAN: Well, the energy level was a little different, too, so. FINNEY: It was, you know, in the beginning, he was on prompt. I mean, I'm just saying, you know, you make fun of Joe Biden for being on prompter, but there's something that (INAUDIBLE). COATES: So let me ask you guys about the substance of it because we can talk about the delivery and there is a lot to say. But substantively, he did go back to talking about Speaker Pelosi. He talked about Joe Biden he said he would not mention by name he did so twice. He talked about election lies. He talked about out the border. [01:10:00] He even began to story where he recited what happened at the tragic assassination attempt by trying to preface it with his own border successes. And so he was trying to weave in a lot of that, did it strike the right tone for unity to bring in a bigger base? URBAN: I'm not sure that the goal was. I think the unity thing may have been oversold a little bit by the campaign. Right. I think that his personal experience I get shot was very moving. When he's saying look there, but for the grace of God, I would have been dead. I'm only here because God spared my life. I mean, that was genuine. And I think people felt that as genuine. Then when he went back to kind of like, this is me at a rally and I'm speaking to the base. You know, people, look, I think he dividend to do to deliver a solid base speech for that convention crowded for the people are going back to campaign and turn out the GOP vote. But is he going to pick up hate Nikki Haley voters because that speech? Probably not. FINNEY: Well, I mean, it kind of speech slightly serious for a moment. I mean, so I had a brain tumor, right. And when you were facing your own death, it is very frightening, terrifying thing. And I would not compare it to what he went through. But that's part of what was a little bit disappointing. It was very moving. I was very moved. But then to hear him go right back into China virus and attacking Pelosi and the election lies. It just -- it was disappointing, especially because the campaign had told us all week, he's really he tore up the speech, he's writing the speech, it's going to be this speech, and it felt like OK, so, on prompter, he was able to deliver it, but for the rest of this campaign it sounds like we're rolling that out -- COATES: But you know what -- you know, sorry, I can't even talk over you. FINNEY: No. No. COATES: You know what's really that Trump is very good at and it is reading the room. URBAN: Yes. COATES: And, you know, he knows how to play to an audience. The problem for strategists looking at it, though, is the room is not going to just be those in the convention. He's -- this is the literal choir that he's preaching to. He's got to make that room the entire electorate. ENTEN: And that was what the great thing for him about the debate was, there was no crowd in the room, and he was able to play to the audience at large. URBAN: He was very disciplined at debate. ENTEN: Very disciplined compared to this, where you had that audience in the room, and he wanted to play to that audience and the room at that particular time. To go back just a little bit further what I will add is there were a lot of people who perhaps expected maybe there'll be a new Trump after the assassination attempt. There's not going to be a new Trump. He is who he is. He's been running for president now for nine years, since all the way back when he came down that escalator in June of 2015. He is going to be the same guy. Yes, he may make a few appeals on the unity. But he is a base guy through and through and anyone expecting anything different should disregard that it's not going to happen. URBAN: But I will tell you. COATES: Did you wait for the epiphany? WOOD: I don't think that why change if you're trying, especially with everything that's happening in the Democratic Party right now. Talk about that later. But why change the playbook? If this is what people like, and then you can keep going. ENTEN: And keep going to it. URBAN: And I was walking over here, and I was asking people, I said, what do you guys think little long? We love it. We love them. You know, the people in that room love that speech. They were there for the speech. They didn't think it was too long. I said you think it was too long? It was the longest speech in the history of speeches. COATES: Yes. WOOD: The Republican Party were number three. URBAN: Oh, yeah. WOOD: Also Trump. URBAN: And you know the folks said, no, we thought it was great. And so -- COATES: Well, he's who they came to see. URBAN: Exactly. FINNEY: That's right. URBAN: So did he check the blocks that he needed to? Absolutely. Is it going to be snipped and clipped and pushed out and social media wise? COATES: Yes. URBAN: Absolutely. So this week, if you're a Republican was a huge success, a big success. And you know, the party is unified. They're leaving here. Everybody's kind of rowing in the same boat, excited to go back to their states, their counties, their towns and campaigns. COATES: And -- yeah. WOOD: How are you measuring success, though, because I feel like the Republican Party is playing like a team that's up by 30 points with a quarter to play and they're playing conservatively. You still have to pick up those Nikki Haley voters. (CROSSTALK) URBAN: Right, because if Trump gets to 47, 48 percent of the vote, right, there's going to be a third party candidate lots of states. Joe Biden's numbers or whoever the nominee might be, right? Aren't that great. So if you're that 47 percent of Trump, this solidifies his base, turns out his base just a little bit more. He's going to win. COATES: Let me ask you though, one way is just success, Roy. I mean, there's a fashion trend that's happened. That's one way to think about it. You saw you mentioned the bandage. It is everywhere in this convention. I don't know if you saw this or not if you walk around, I mean, look, extreme right now. I mean, seriously, this is a show of solidarity. What did you make of this? WOOD: Do you go milk that bandage all the way to November. He never taken it off. He's just going to keep adding red dye to make it worse like you're on a Band-Aid get the spanking after a couple of weeks. FINNEY: Yes. Yes. No pasty (ph). WOOD: Yes. FINNEY: Yes. That's -- URBAN: Listen, I tell him to take it off. COATES: I just ate. URBAN: It's just work now. It's just work. FINNEY: But at some point -- WOOD: It's a suffer mood. Just take it off. [01:15:00] URBAN: All right. Take it off. I'd leave it on till November 6. COATES: Is that what your pockets where it is right now? URBAN: That's my look. COATES: There you go (INAUDIBLE). Hey, stand by everyone. We got a lot more to talk about. Ahead, what does a top Trump ally think about the former president going off script when this was billed as a unity speech? Well, that's the question for GOP congressman Byron Donalds, and I'll ask him if he is being considered for a cabinet role if Trump gets elected. We'll be back in a moment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COATES: The Republican National Convention wrapping up its final night with the longest acceptance speech in history. Donald Trump pitching unity while reviving old grievances. Joining me now Republican congressman from Florida Byron Donalds. Congressman, so good to see you today. REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL): Good to be with you. COATES: This had been the most highly anticipated speech people were waiting to hear what Trump would say days removed from an attempted assassination on his life. We had been promised a message of unity, that it would not be what he originally wanted to speak of. Did this meet the moment and deliver that message of unity in your mind? DONALDS: It absolutely did. I will tell people that they've heard of Donald Trump, they've known Donald Trump, they have opinions of Donald Trump. Tonight, you actually got a window into who Donald Trump actually is. The man that his family knows, the man that his friends know, the man that his team knows. He's actually a very compassionate individual, very empathetic, but he is tough. He's firm. He has his viewpoints and he has a vision. [01:20:00] The American people saw that tonight in that speech and I think the best thing overall was opening up talking about his viewpoint of what happened in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Those of us who've been around have been on the phone with him, he's talked about it with us in bits and pieces. So of a lot of people in that -- in that arena across the street, who have some of the story. Tonight, he shared his version of it with all of America. It's a Donald Trump that people needed to see. Because of my view, he's going to be the 47th President of the United States, it is it's not just about policy, or politics, or political parties. It is about a man who has the ability to lead this country. And I think America saw that tonight. COATES: Well, he began by talking about that it wouldn't be good enough. And I'm paraphrasing him to lead half of the United States of America. Everyone waited with bated breath to hear, hear, hear his description of what took place on a near tragic moment in American history. But there were also moments he went off script and he adlibs. DONALDS: He is. COATES: He is infamous for doing so. I would have been shocked at he just followed a teleprompter, frankly. But in those moments when he adlib and those moments, he talked, there were moments that you could see a an older version of Donald Trump, I don't mean age wise, but one who was going to not pull any punches, one was going to be quite direct to the point of perhaps alienating those who are looking to support a candidate who is going to broaden the base. In those moments, describe to me this tension between campaigning hard campaigning in a way that he points out the flaws he says that Biden has, but also taking a measured tone that people will see as presidential. DONALDS: Well, one thing important, I think he actually made mentioned Joe Biden once his entire time. COATES: He said win at all. I mean it was twice, but I hear your point. DONALDS: So once, twice. Listen, he is focused on the actual issues facing our country. And I also think, obviously, the campaign can, you know, dealing with what's happening for the Democratic Party, they are trying to get themselves ready for what may come and over the next couple days. Next couple weeks. Who knows. But at the end of the day, you got to understand Donald Trump is focused on the issues facing the American people. As Americans, we don't always agree we know this. As families, we don't always agree. In businesses, we don't always agree. I'm quite sure at CNN, you guys don't always agree. But there's a mission ahead that a business, a family, a church, a community pushes towards. Donald Trump has a vision for this country. It is something that has been really put together through his years of working in Manhattan, working around our country, working around the world, developing projects, bringing them online, finding investors, finding people who want to buy property from him. So there is a worldview that he has. The big question for the American people is does that worldview of making our country great, does that help them succeed in America going forward. That's the critical question of this campaign. He answered that tonight. COATES: He is focused quite clearly on beating Joe Biden, you know what's happening on the other side of the aisle? I'm sure there are moments of elation, but there is some chaos on the other side of the aisle when it comes to who will be on top of that ticket. Say it's not Biden, does the Trump campaign need to do a 180 to be able to be successful? DONALDS: Well, two very important things. Number one, he's not just focused on Joe Biden. I know where his mind is on this. I know where the campaign's mind is on this. The focus is on beating whoever the Democrat party puts up. Because at the end of the day, the agenda of the Democrat Party is not changing. It's the same part of this is going to embrace this Green New Deal, or as the President will call it, a green new scam that is actually going to raise electricity prices on the American people, is going to destroy the automobile industry in the United States, which is going to hurt union workers and non-union workers in the Rust Belt in other parts of our country. It's an agenda that's going to raise taxes on the American people. It's an agenda has already raised prices on the American people. And it's an agenda that doesn't have a strong foreign policy, which actually brings us into further conflicts. So whether it's Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, anybody else that they got over there, it won't matter because they're all embracing the same agenda anyway. COATES: But I have to ask is because, of course, but you were on that short list, and everyone was talking about your name. DONALDS: Yes. COATES: First, it was for Speaker when Kevin McCarthy was trying to secure the gavel. Then it was for the vice president. I have to ask you, are you being talked about for a potential cabinet position should Trump win? DONALDS: Well, look, I'm not going to get into that. I think a lot of -- COATES: But why? I given you food at the grill. I've given meals. DONALDS: The cheese curds were good. COATES: I gave you cheese curds. DONALDS: I will live with that. COATES: Cabinet, what's the deal? DONALDS: We'll see what happens. Right now the focus is winning this November. It's really an honor to be put onto these lists and be talked about in this way. Because all I want to do is do the job that people sent me to do from back home in southwest Florida. We'll see what happens in the future. [01:25:02] But tonight is about Donald Trump. Tonight is about the Republican Party. And what I will say is a revamped Republican Party. What you saw not just tonight, but really for the last four days is a Republican Party that is no longer the grand old party. It is the grand open party. We want everybody to be a part of our movement, union, non-union, black or white, Christian, atheist, Muslim, Jewish. Everybody has a home in the Republican Party because our vision is not about creeds or colors or class. It is about making sure that every American can thrive and succeed by following the law, living under merit and making sure that we keep our Constitutional Republic intact. That's our party. That's what we're pushing for. COATES: We'll see if the voters view your party in the same light. The ultimate test will be coming this November, and we'll see what happens. Always good to see you. DONALDS: Great being with you. COATES: Thank you so much, Congressman. DONALDS: Thank you. COATES: Byron Donalds, everyone. Thank you so much. Well, all the attention now turning to President Biden because as the RNC wraps up, and tonight there are new calls for him to step aside and not be at the top of the ticket as one governor's warning, the next 72 hours are big. We're going to discuss this mounting pressure, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COATES: Well, now that the RNC is officially over, the focus is turning to the crisis facing President Biden because tonight, a second Democratic senator, this time John Tester of Montana, along with California Congressman Jim Costa, calling for Biden to step aside and word from inside by the world that the President himself is listening more closely to his polls at any point since the debate. First telling CNN that he's in a, quote, contemplative stage thinking things through and deliberating about what to do next as he's off the campaign trail and now recovering from COVID at his Delaware home. My panel is back with me along with senior political reporter for Puck, Tara Palmeri. Good to have you here. First of all, so many Democrats are frustrated. This is the continued conversation about Biden and the ticket, especially -- KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Whatever do you mean? COATES: I mean whatever do I mean. (CROSSTALK) COATES: -- here at the RNC and they're still talking about Biden. He is saying I am on the ticket. I am there. We are here. We are here. Why is he refusing to listen. FINNEY: Because, you know, we've spent a lot of time focusing on the opposition but there are a lot of people supporting him. There was a letter of 1,400 black women leaders put out yesterday in support of the president and Vice President Harris. And there are others who are coming forward (INAUDIBLE) or others -- there's others who have tweeted or you know, X, whatever we call it these days -- their support. But look, I firmly believe that whatever the president decides he does need to have some time to actually take a step back and think about it because, you know, having been with candidates when you make a decision like that, it is a very hard decision to make. And so whereas we've got some in our party trying to publicly push him but sort of trying -- you know, sort of the inside-outside conversation -- DAVID URBAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Just so you know, I helped circulate that letter to get signatures to support. (CROSSTALK) URBAN: Yes, of course, we elect Joe Biden. I love Joe Biden. (CROSSTALK) URBAN: I was like -- keep going Karen, don't take -- let's get some more signature. COATES: Oh, my gosh. URBAN: I'll drive you around. (CROSSTALK) COATES: Tara you've got -- (CROSSTALK) TARA PALMERI, PUCK SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: I mean, this was a civil -- this was a cold war and it's really escalated to a civil war in the sense that Hill leadership -- I'm told Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, they are really dug in right now. This is a sustained pressure campaign that is not going to end. In their minds it is not when -- it's not Joe Biden steps out, it's when. And it's not going to be just one person like this past weekend when Chuck Schumer went to tell (INAUDIBLE) it's time for you to get out of the race. They realize it's going to be a lot. It's going to be like death by a thousand cuts and you know what? It's going to get to the point where he can't talk to anyone without it leaking. It's going to get to the point where it is difficult for him to be the leader of the party. And it's already happening every single day. It's unsustainable. ROY WOOD JR., COMEDIAN: Then if the question is not a matter of if but when, then when do you get to the question of who? FINNEY: Thank you. WOOD: Because even though it's like the Democrats are doing all this push, you've got to go, you've got to go, you've got to go. But then -- well then, what's the plan on the other side of that? (CROSSTALK) COATES: And how do you decide that? And how do you -- FINNEY: And who -- how do you -- sorry, how do you know that's the right person. I mean, and what does that process look like? I mean this is something I've been saying for a couple of weeks. You can't just say and then have no way to come back to the American people and say -- and here's the planet. COATES: But you know, Byron Donalds you heard. PALMERI: It's Kamala Harris. (CROSSTALK) WOOD: It's shifting. It's shifting. COATES: You heard Byron Donalds say that they want -- they will take anyone. The thought is they only want Biden because that they believed that might be the easiest ticket. But he was saying no, no, they want anyone because the Democratic Party does not do it. PALMERI: They also think they'll get 320 electoral college votes. So I mean I'll take it. (CROSSTALK) URBAN: The Republicans -- my side of the aisle says the following. The titanic is going to hit the iceberg it doesn't matter who the captain is. You want to have Josh Shapiros as the captain, great. It's still going to sink. It's still going down. PALMERI: I don't know. WOOD: I don't about that. URBAN: Remember when the boat goes down -- remember when the boat goes down, it sucks out all those people -- all those House members, all those senators, the potential senators who spoke up here. They're all going to be senators, mark my words. It does not matter who it is. Donald J. Trump on November 6 will be president-elect. COATES: I hear the (INAUDIBLE). WOOD: I think that the conversation, if it's going to be about not if but when, then immediately the conversation has to segue to Kamala because the wild thing is that I think what we're seeing in real time is literally people overlooking the black woman that was qualified for the promotion. FINNEY: Who's also by the way, the sitting vice president. URBAN: Yes, but look -- (CROSSTALK) URBAN: Obama passed up -- FINNEY: You don't have to -- URBAN: -- Joe Biden. FINNEY: -- you don't have to go to race and gender, although it's important. She's sitting vice president, she has been battle-tested, she has been doing the job for the last three-and-a-half years. And whereas Donald Trump wanted a campaigning partner, Joe Biden said I want a governing partner. URBAN: But Joe Biden got passed over by Barack Obama for Hillary Clinton. I'd make the same argument. (CROSSTALK) FINNEY: Your song (ph) had just died. Now, come on. URBAN: Oh, come on. You don't think that guy wouldn't -- he would have chewed (ph) through his arm to become the vice president. [01:34:50] COATES: Well, Karen there is a point tonight that Harris allies are making calls to assess the political environment. I mean, just in case. And you also have "Politico" reporting that some of her allies are worried that we're talking about that she could be passed over for an open convention. If Biden drops out should it go to Harris or should this be an open convention? FINNEY: Look, again I would make the argument that a, there needs -- we're in uncharted territory just by the rules of our party, right. As the party person -- former party person here I'll tell you that. So clearly they have to determine what's the process. What does that look right? So that because we had a Democratic process in the primary, 14 million people voted. Out of that we got our delegates. People ran to be delegates. Those delegates now represent their community. So there needs to be a process where those delegates vote, right? But at the same time, that's why I say I think it's really important to remember that this woman as the sitting vice president, is someone who -- you know, again, she's been doing the job, she's been vetted, she has been tested. And I think she's been on the campaign trail more than they use -- WOOD: If I work at McDonald's and the manager don't come in, the assistant manager -- FINNEY: I'm with you. I'm with you. (CROSSTALK) URBAN: What I think would be -- what I think would be the most powerful in this situation is that Joe Biden leaves, Kamala Harris becomes the president of the United States. You pick a vice -- you pick a vice president, and you run with that ticket. That I think would be very powerful. Kamala Harris is the sitting president. You pick somebody else, Andy Beshear, Josh Shapiro, somebody else becomes the vice president -- WOOD: Get people acclimated. URBAN: Get acclimated, they think of her as the president. COATES: I'm sorry could you please use the McDonald's analogy. I thought I'd say that a thought. I just want to -- (CROSSTALK) WOOD: I pick Shapiro up from draft through. (CROSSTALK) URBAN: He makes my fries. He gets the fries. WOOD: Gavin Newsom will be drive through. He moves in the back. URBAN: Listen, I think it's a much -- if somebody can visualize her as the president and she is the president. I think it makes the argument much more difficult for people to discount her. I think you moved somebody up. If I was running the Democratic Party, that's what I'd do. FINNEY: I'm going to send you a check for that one. PALMERI: What I'm hearing is the operative thinking on the Hill, Democratic leaders who are forcefully trying to get rid of Joe Biden. They see Kamala Harris is the only path. And that's how they see it. She is on the ballot. URBAN: And what's important -- (CROSSTALK) FINNEY: Can I just say it's taken a lot of work to get certain people to understand the rules of this party, to your point. URBAN: Let me just say that as we leave Milwaukee, we introduced this segment, crisis in the Biden White House. Republicans united, it's a love fest here in Milwaukee. PALMERI: It's mind blowing. URBAN: And guess what -- we don't even know who the president is going to be on the Democratic side. FINNEY: Baby, enjoy it while you can. (CROSSTALK) FINNEY: Enjoy it while you can. (CROSSTALK) PALMERI: Republicans worry. COATES: We began talking about a crisis, in the end talking about fries. And now I'm hungry. Thank you, everyone. Trump's speech tonight was built on unity and tonight, two movie stars on different sides of the aisle together right here at the RNC will tell me what they thought about it all and give us the insight they learned from their latest movie about the unlikely friendship between Ronald Reagan and his Democratic Speaker of the House. Dennis Quaid and Dan Lauria join me next. [01:38:02] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COATES: The moment we're in right now could absolutely be made into a movie one day. And President Trump here at the RNC delivering a detailed recounting of an assassination attempt and rallying the Republican Party behind him just days after surviving that attempt on his own life. Now, watching that speech from right here at the RNC, actors Dennis Quaid and Dan Lauria, the stars of the brand-new movie that everyone will be talking about "Reagan". Quaid has expressed his support for Trump in the upcoming election and Dennis Quaid and Dan Lauria are here with me right now. I'm thrilled to have both of you here. Thank you for joining me. DENNIS QUAID, ACTOR: Thanks for having us, Laura. DAN LAURIA, ACTOR: Thanks for having us. COATES: I mean the times that we're in right now. We often talk about art imitating life and life imitating art, but we are in a very important moment. I wonder if you can reflect a little bit on the parallels you have seen even in making this movie about Reagan, whose name is always invoked in every political discussion these days. QUAID: Its true, you know, I have to say these are really the craziest times I think any of us have lived through. LAURIA: Sure. QUAID: We don't know what's coming next. And it's put us off -- off- balance. Our country needs to unite Again, we need to start talking to one another again. And we pass each other on the streets, we're in each other's stores. We -- you know, it's time to go back to really what Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan had back then. LAURIA: And you know what, we're on the abyss -- COATES: You play Tip O'Neill in the movie. Yes. QUAID: Democratic Speaker of the House and he was the new president of the United States. And you know, they really hadn't met before, really didn't know each other. And they decided that look during the day, nine to five, we're going to fight it out over the issues because we disagree. But after 5:00, we're just a couple of Irishmen having a beer. And that led to a friendship. Tip was over at the White House a lot at just to really talk things over. LAURIA: At least three times a week. COATES: You know, we have that clip, and I want people to see what that played like in the film. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) QUAID: Mr. Speaker. LAURIA: Mr. President. Congratulations. Welcome to the (INAUDIBLE). Now you enjoy tonight, because tomorrow we go to work. QUAID: Well, I've been well-briefed on you, Tip. I've been told I better get a pretty good head start. LAURIA: That's very Irish of you. QUAID: Yes. LAURIA: Do you plan on going ten rounds every day? That's how we do things here. QUAID: All right. Just remember every day has a 6:00 p.m. LAURIA: What do you mean by that? QUAID: Well, after six we're not political enemies. We're just two Irishmen having a beer. LAURIA: Deal. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: I do wonder how often that plays out in real-world in Washington, D.C. I suspect -- we've seen some uncanny president in the past. LAURIA: With them it played out. QUAID: Today, it's not as much. COATES: Well, if you think -- LAURIA: They actually became friends. They didn't know what each other that well before. But after working together, they found some common ground, especially on foreign affairs. And they worked together and they actually became friends. QUAID: There was also a time where you had liberal Republicans. You had conservative Democrats and it was a time where people reached across the aisle. [01:44:51] QUAID: And let's face it you know, Republicans, Democrats -- we need each other. We do. We keep each other in check and we have different ideas. But targeting (ph) over those ideas, invading those ideas is what creates greater things for all of us. COATES: Have you felt that? In your time with the RNC? I mean, there's a big theme of unity and he talked about the spectrum of politics for Democrats and Republicans. Are you feeling that here. QUAID: Yes. I do feel that. I feel that not just here, but all over the country. I think that people are -- have gotten confused and downhearted about the inability for all of us to communicate in a grown-up way. And we're all Americans and we -- you know, love and brotherhood, fellowship and working together to make this world a better place. COATES: Have you felt that at the RNC. LAURIA: Yes. In the last few hours while we were waiting to do this I was with a group of people that had seen the movie. And that's what they talked about. Why can't we have more discussions like Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill had. You know, why can we just sit down. There are compromises, but we don't seem to get to them. There's a lot of issues that I feel -- personally, I feel there are areas of compromise. You might not like it, but -- COATES: Well, that's why the things you often see now, especially in Washington D.C., it is often known as the either/or town, if you think about it from my perspective, oftentimes either you're this or you're that and you talked about there's a lot of middle ground, but you don't necessarily feel that and think there is an incentive in the attention economy, I call it, for people to go and be entrenched in their positions. And when you say what you feel, there's a great deal of backlash. I wonder what your experience has been having supported somebody like the former president Donald Trump. He can be very alienating to a large swath of people. QUAID: Well, I'm hoping if that be the case that that he probably have a change of heart because my heart hasn't changed for this country, and I have a lot of Democratic friends, right? Were still friends, always have been. And you know, it's about getting to know one another really and instead of what we -- the labels that we create around each other, getting to know each other as people. LAURIA: plus having a common goal, like the scene we got, a very emotional scene. We're political -- we are both political offices, but Dennis has made it so easy for us to do our best work. He's a real pro. And I feel that in the country, if our goal becomes make it a better place, I think we can all agree on that and start from there. Instead of you believe that, I believe that, well how can we get those two together? COATES: It's well done. It's well deserved to have this conversation. Thank you both for being here. QUAID: Thanks for having us. LAURIA: Thank you. COATES: Thank you. Thank you, Dan and Dennis. And be sure to check out their film "Reagan", it's out next month. Up next historian Doug Brinkley joins us to put into perspective the shooting, Trump's speech tonight, and the chaos in the Democratic Party. We are live from Milwaukee. Stay with us. [01:48:15] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) COATES: President Trump giving his first speech tonight since the failed assassination attempt less than a week ago. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear. I said to myself, wow, what was that. It can only be a bullet. (END VIDEO CLIP) COATES: Well now, to make sense of this moment in our nation, I want to bring in presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, so glad that you're here tonight, Douglas. I do wonder, how do you think people in the future will see tonight. DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: I think the Milwaukee convention will be remembered for the ear bandage. I mean, just having that and in the visual of that. It would also be remembered as a Trump turning Fidel Castro. That was a long rambling speech -- 90 plus minutes. I mean, Mitt Romney would give them 30 minutes, you know -- so it's highly unusual. But from a choreographed point of view, I think the GOP is probably feeling that they got through all this pretty well. There were some highlights throughout the last few days. But somehow it seemed like Trump had a kind of strange glow iconic momentum after being shot after the Butler incident. And it seems to have faded tonight. It was when you get that long winded, you lose people. COATES: You know, the idea of the timing and the way in which one conveys it. There was the ebb and flow of the speech. I do wonder how the greater electorate though outside that room. But then also the greater electorate is looking at what's happening on both sides of the aisle. And President Biden is facing growing calls to step aside from within his own party. Is there any historical precedent to the moment that we find ourselves in. BRINKLEY: When it's getting this close to the convention in the old days you had brokered conventions and wheeling and dealing. 1952 when Adlai Stevenson hold it out for the Democrats. But what's odd here is, is President Biden simply saying he doesn't want to go and it's a snowballing effect that Democrat after Democrat, senators, congresspeople, statesmen saying for Biden to get out, he doesn't have a chance in hell and it's because of the tanking poll numbers. And just the fact that a lot of young people were never thrilled about Biden in the first place. It seems to me that the Obama infrastructure of that famous two terms is starting to move up and perhaps having to run what could be Kamala Harris' campaign for president. She's I think probably headed to be the Democratic Party's nominee. COATES: You know what struck me about the shooter in this instance, this would have been the first presidential election that this 20- year-old would have been eligible to vote in. It just strikes me about that span of time for some reason. [01:54:46] COATES: And we don't know much about that 20-year-old man who tried to kill a former president of the United States but we do have the head images of politicians from both sides of the aisle that were on his phone. I mean he had searched the dates of both political conventions. What did he or other political assassins have in common? BRINKLEY: Well, it seems to be of this variety of just being whack-a- doodle completely I'm not sure if he was targeting Donald Trump per se. It probably would have been any target of opportunity. In his case this one and many of them seemed to be a bullying effect, people mocking and making front of you. There are a lot of reports when he was in school that he was picked on all the time. Add to that taking -- going to a gun range, and having father's weapon. And so, you know, he seems to be typical of a lot of these types of, you know, kind of non-political assassination == would-be assassins. What's weird here is that the -- I don't understand what the Secret Service was doing. I don't think America does. How did we get that kind of void there? How do you just climb atop of the building and have him open fire at a former president. So it's the Secret Service that's really under scrutiny right now. And there's going to be a lot more to come. I look at this as a whodunnit and every day there's going to be a piece to the puzzle of where the security breakdown occurred. COATES: Well, there certainly will be a continued investigation to what has happened to prevent a tragedy from occurring at all. Doug Brinkley, thank you so much for joining me this evening. BRINKLEY: Thank you, Laura. COATES: I want to thank you all for watching because CNN's coverage of the RNC continues next. [01:56:38] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) CNN Newsroom Aired July 19, 2024 - 02:00 ET THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. [02:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK) KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom." (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP (R), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nothing will sway us, nothing will slow us, and no one will ever stop us. (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump makes his case to the American public for another term in office, calling for unity but also making partisan attacks. Meanwhile, the current U.S. president faces increased scrutiny about whether he can win re-election. And a claim of responsibility in the drone attack on Tel Aviv not far from a U.S. embassy office. UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber. BRUNHUBER: Donald Trump has officially accepted his party's presidential nomination days after surviving an assassination attempt. He called on the country to heal the discord and division. Here he is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America. (CHEERING) TRUMP: So, tonight, with faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States. Thank you. (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Trump gave his first major speech since the shooting at his rally on Saturday, wrapping up the fourth and final day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. (VIDEO PLAYING) Now, Trump's was the longest convention address in modern U.S. history. The former president talked about inflation and the immigration crisis while also repeating many false claims as he went off-script. He also vowed to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: Under our leadership, the United States will be respected again. No nation will question our power. No enemy will doubt our might. Our borders will be totally secure. Our economy will soar. We will return law and order to our streets. Patriotism to our schools and importantly we will restore peace, stability and harmony all throughout the world. (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Trump promised to unite the country and bring back the American dream. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: America's future will be bigger, better, bolder, brighter, happier, stronger, freer, greater, and more united than ever before. (CHEERING) TRUMP: And quite simply put, we will very quickly make America great again. Thank you very much. (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Melania Trump made a rare appearance supporting her husband, but she didn't make any remarks on stage. Hulk Hogan, Tucker Carlson, and Eric Trump were among the other speakers on Thursday night. Now the Biden campaign slammed Trump's speech, with one adviser saying it's all about him, adding the former president hasn't changed, but has gotten worse. It comes as more Democrats are calling for Biden to drop out of the race. We have more now from CNN's Phil Mattingly in Milwaukee. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PHILL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF U.S. DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: Well, for Donald Trump, there was no question. His third convention speech, accepting his third Republican presidential nomination was a massive moment, especially after nearly losing his own life just a few days ago. And it was a story he told in detail for the first time to the sold out crowd here in the convention hall in Milwaukee, including saying this, which brought an immediate response from the crowd. Take a listen. TRUMP: I'm not supposed to be here tonight. Not supposed to be here. (CROWD CHANTING) MATTINGLY: But for Trump and for many people in the crowd, that was potentially the most notable high point of the speech that was deeply personal. The rest of the speech was deeply long, frankly. That was the comment one delegate made to me, that it was just good speech in their mind. It was just very long, whether or not it was good. [02:05:08] There was one thing that was very clear. It was definitely not an on script throughout state of remarks. In fact, watching the teleprompter throughout the course of the night, you could see the former president try and stay on script, then make a clear decision that he wanted to go off and start talking about things like he stole an election that was proven to never have happened. His relationships with foreign leaders, he'd start talking about President Biden, even though he said he wasn't going to mention his name at all. It was, in some level, just vintage Trump going off- script, but it was a very long version of going off-script and one that certainly took him off a message that for the better part of four days had been consistent, tightly, tightly controlled, and by all accounts, including some Democrats I've spoken to, quite successful. Where this goes from here, that is certainly an open question. Everybody you talked to in the arena leading up to the speech said it was among the most energized they've ever seen a political convention. Now, with months left in the campaign and, frankly, a lot of uncertainty about who the former president will be running against, he heads off into the campaign trail for a critical fall, the highest of stakes elections. Phil Mattingly, CNN, from the convention floor in Milwaukee. (END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: And joining me now is Caroline Heldman, who's a democratic strategist and professor at Occidental College, and Republican consultant Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project and co-host of the "Latino Vote" podcast. Thank you both for coming on. So first, Caroline, I read the speech excerpts that were released before Trump spoke, and it read great, but that's not what we got. What did you make of the speech? CAROLINE HELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND PROFESSOR, OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE: Well, the first half of it was something we've never seen from Trump, right? This vulnerable side. He invoked God, this kind of messianic idea that God has ordained him as a result of surviving this attempted assassination. But as Phil noted, it just went into rambles vile for the second half of it. And this is a speech that was 90-minutes long, the longest in modern political history. He went into that same rhetoric that we expect from Trump. If you spend any time at his rallies, it felt like a Trump rally. It was rambling, a little incoherent. He made some strange reference to Hannibal Lecter, as he's done in the past from "Silence of the Lambs." Still can't figure that one out. He went after Nancy Pelosi. He called the coronavirus the China virus, a xenophobic reference. So we saw kind of vintage Trump in the second part of it, which didn't help him. But boy, that first part, that was a brand new Trump for about 20 minutes. BRUNHUBER: That's right. And on that, I mean, we were, Mike promised, a new Donald Trump, one who was changed after the shooting, a speech that was meant to unify. But as Caroline said, it was more basically like a long, very long rally. MIKE MADRID, CO-FOUNDER, THE LINCOLN PROJECT AND CO-HOST, "LATINO VOTE" PODCAST: It was a peculiar, rambling, unstructured speech. It's probably one of the worst convention speeches I've seen in 30 years in the business. What he was trying to accomplish was trying to show that he was a steady hand moving away from the extremism that has defined his persona, his political brand. And what he did was he reminded voters of why they rejected him in 2020. He's not competent. There's clearly cognitive decline. And his inability to stay disciplined at the biggest moment of his political career demonstrates, again, why people sent him packing after four years in the White House. So I think this was just one of one of the worst nights he's had politically, probably since 2016. BRUNHUBER: So Caroline, maybe a bad night for Trump, but overall for Republicans, a great week. It seemed, at least for me, it seemed, you know, disciplined and well produced. What did you take from the week? HELDMAN: I agree. I remember back in 2016, it was amateur hour at the RNC. And then in 2020, it was online, so a kind of a different beast. But this was definitely more professional. The themes of each evening, having Trump's biggest competitors endorse him all in one day, and then women appealing, you know, making appeals to women the next day, J.D. Vance the third night. And I think the theme of today was like muscle men and hyper-masculine presidential politics with Tucker Carlson and, you know, Hulk Hogan literally ripping his shirt off. But the whole strategy for the Trump team has been he is strong and Biden is weak. So if we get a new candidate, that means that the strategy that we saw at the RNC, especially the strategy now for this final day four, simply can't be the same if he's up against another competitor. BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Before I turn to that, Mike, I just want to get your take on the convention as a whole. Trump's speech notwithstanding, this kind of launches the Republicans on to the campaign with a lot of momentum. [02:09:59] MADRID: I think certainly the structure of the convention was actually quite good. What you did have was them not talking about the big lie and stolen elections. You didn't have them talking about some of the, you know, conspiracy theories which have defined the modern Republican Party. All of that was kind of hidden in the background. There was some J6, you know, January 6 attendees that were actually there on the convention floor that they did a good job of, kind of, hiding and keeping quiet. And so, you know, for that matter, they did, I think, a great job. The problem is the main event really unspooled the entire three days of what they were trying to accomplish. BRUNHUBER: So I'll say with you, Mike, the, you know, Donald Trump, as Caroline mentioned, barely mentioned Biden possibly because he might not be facing Biden ultimately. The Democratic convention a month from now, Democrats still aren't sure who will be giving the speech much less what they're going to say. MADRID: I think the contrast in this campaign is between an old feeble man, as Joe Biden clearly demonstrated during his debate, and sort of this lunatic, unhinged, off-script, unstable character that Donald Trump showed America who, again, once he was, who he is and why they rejected him. I think Biden wins hands down. I think that the Democrats -- look, this revived Biden's whole momentum. This is the best night for Democrats in three weeks. I just can't imagine that there's anybody who could plausibly say this is, you know, another step in the direction of removing Joe Biden. That makes no sense. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, it might be a good night for Democrats, Caroline, but overall, I mean, looking at the amount of optimism, unity, enthusiasm that we're seeing from the Republicans and then contrasting that with what we're seeing among Democrats who are so divided right now. Again, more in Congress calling for Biden to step down, more anxiety from donors. So where do Democrats go from here? HELDMAN: I think you're right that the Republicans are exuding confidence and, in fact, maybe even an air of inevitability, although hearkening back to 2016 and Hillary Clinton, maybe, you know, this race is far from over, but the Democrats are in disarray. You've got Joe Biden behind Trump in seven out of seven key swing states. He's losing ground in 14 states. Only 28 percent of Americans think that he has the mental and physical fitness to be president, let alone run a campaign. And this is a man who, you know, we now have some internal rumblings that he might be replaced with folks who are polling higher. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. I think his decline has that debate was just undeniable in terms of his cognitive limitations, and he hasn't been able to convince folks since that time. So as we're seeing, you know, everything go right for Donald Trump, whether it's a case getting dismissed or, you know, essentially surviving an assassination attempt and then being able to essentially say you're a messiah. Everything is going right for Trump and the Republicans at this point in time, notwithstanding that kind of rambling speech he just gave. And everything is going wrong for the Democrats. But I would think that we're going to be in a very different place in about three weeks to one month from today. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, still plenty to sort out. But, Mike, I want to hone in on the donors. The fact that donors are getting jittery here. You know, it's one thing for, you know, Democrats to sort of come out, you know, the sort of drip, drip of Democrats in Congress. But once you start sort of, you know, shutting off the money valve for a campaign, you've worked on a campaign. I mean, what kind of impact could this have? MADRID: Well, not only have I worked on a campaign, I've worked on campaigns at the highest levels on both sides of the aisle, which is a little bit unique. What I will say is that it is unconscionable to me that Democrats are, you know, acting the way that they are, kind of creating the circular firing squad. They are absolutely their own worst enemy. So, look, the donor community will come back. The base, as long as the base remains intact, and every bit of evidence suggests that it is, there's absolutely no reason to behave with the panic that's kind of consumed more of the elites in the party. To suggest that somehow being down a few points in the polls when it's largely your own base that is diminishing in mid-July, it's, like I said, it's political malpractice. And I just, I'm not used to this as a Republican watching usually Republican campaigns. This is not the way winning campaigns operate. And it's completely self-inflicted. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, Carolyn, you want to come in on that just before we go? Well, I would say that I think it's well-founded. HELDMAN: I think that we can't deny what we saw at that debate. [02:14:52] And it's looking at polling data. In no time in the modern political age has someone this far down in the polls, numerous polls, been able to win re-election. I mean, Biden's numbers look like, they look like Jimmy Carter's in 1980 or George Herbert Walker Bush's in '92 or Trump's in 2020. So I think the panic is data-driven. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, that is the dismal reality for Democrats. We'll have to leave it there. Carolyn Heldman, Mike Madrid, thank you both for being here with us. I Appreciate it. MADRID: Thanks. HELDMAN: Thank you. BRUNHUBER: All right, still ahead, President Biden and the Democrats are weighing their re-election chances amid growing pressure from donors and disagreements within the party. We'll have those details when we come back. Plus, Uyghur rebels in Yemen are claiming responsibility for a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv. The latest on the investigation in a live report next. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: Allies of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris are making calls to Democrats to assess concerns about President Joe Biden's ability to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box. A source tells CNN the Harris allies are making clear that she expects the president to stay in the race. Several Democrats say tensions in the party are increasing under pressure from donors and what's seen as maneuvering by competing interests. CNN's MJ Lee has the latest from the White House. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MJ LEE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Based on conversations with dozens of sources inside and close to the White House and the campaign, what is increasingly becoming clear is that there are many senior officials both in the White House and the campaign who privately believe that the president must drop out of the 2024 race, that they believe the current situation is not politically tenable for the president and the campaign. As one senior Democrat put it to CNN, everyone is seeing it privately. People see and feel the walls closing in. Now, this comes as sources also tell CNN that the president has become exceptionally insulated and isolated. Everyone, of course, is familiar with the fact that the president has long relied on a pretty small circle of inner circle of advisers. And what has happened since the debate, we are told, is that a stunningly small group of the most loyal and longtime aides are now dug in with the president, chief among them Mike Donilon and Steve Ricchetti. Many Democrats at this point are not sure whether the president is being presented with and getting realistic data. Some of the sources that we spoke to said that many meetings and phone calls where the president would be getting bad news, that those appear to have largely stopped now amid the speculation right now about the president's future and whether he will continue seeking a second term. We are learning as well tonight that senior most West Wing advisers have not had meetings amongst themselves or with the president to discuss the possibility of the president dropping out. [02:20:08] This comes after our Dana Bash also reported that the president still believes that there is a path to victory and that he does not believe that he has seen data or polling so far that prove that he cannot win. MJ Lee, CNN at the White House. (END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: CNN's Isa Soares sat down with former FBI director James Comey and asked him to weigh in on Joe Biden's political future. Here he is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAMES COMEY, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: Reminds me of my dad near the end of his life. I loved my dad. I admire Joe Biden. We should all be grateful for his service. But I really think there has to be a change. And I think most Americans feel that way. And I'm not a political expert, but my common sense tells me it's highly likely that he will not be the candidate, which is a bittersweet moment for him. Again, I'm so grateful he ran in 2020. He did a tremendous service for our country. It's time for a new generation. And I think that's going to be pretty exciting for the American people. We have a woman as vice president who's incredibly talented. That will be an injection of energy and I hope optimism into the system. (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Comey also told Isa that he sees Biden's rival Donald Trump as a potential disaster. Alan Lichtman is a presidential historian and distinguished professor of history at American University and joins me now from California. Thanks so much for being here with us. We just heard there, James Comey thinks Joe Biden will not be the Democratic candidate. Do you agree? ALAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN AND DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: I really don't know. But let me say this. I have summarized American politics in one sentence. Republicans have no principles. Democrats have no spine. Republicans are united behind an insurrectionist, an inveterate liar, a convicted criminal. But what we've been seeing recently is Democrats at their most spineless and self-defeating. At the first sign of trouble, they have publicly trashed their incumbent president, who was nominated not by members of Congress, not by James Comey, not by the pundits, not by the pollsters, but by the Democratic voters. Of course, his poll numbers are going to go down. If his own party is attacking him, why would voters think that they ought to support him? And what all of these critics have in common is they have zero track record in predicting election results, yet they claim to know what the Democrats need to do. They are pushing the Democrats into disaster by eliminating the incumbency advantage and promoting a party contest. Since 1900, the White House party has never been reelected under those circumstances. They are, in effect, recreating the situation in 2016 that led to the election of Donald Trump in the first place. But I do have a plan B for Democrats. If the feckless, spineless Democrats do push Biden out, what he should do is resign the presidency for the good of the country, contrasting him with Donald Trump, who's only in it for himself and whose speech tonight totally violated his notion of promoting unity. Then Harris would become president, ticking off the incumbency key and become the consensus nominee, ticking off the party contest key. That would create circumstances under which the party holding the White House usually wins rather than the disaster of an open seat and a party fight. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, a reporting, as we heard there around the supporters of Kamala Harris, sort of calling Democrats to test the waters. Do you get a sense that the party is actually coalescing around her as the next best choice? LICHTMAN: I think they might be, but who can trust the Democrats, who have done something I have never seen, and I've studied politics from the founding to the present, slitting their own throats right out in public. But simply, you know, trying to make someone the nominee is risky. You don't know if that's going to happen. And if she's not the president, you don't have incumbency either. And you are making it much easier for Donald Trump to win. The feckless Democrats have been playing right into the hands of Donald Trump by creating all of this internal chaos within their party without a good plan. But they need to listen to me and adopt the plan B if they push Biden out. BRUNHUBER: You say Democrats are feckless and that they're sort of pushing Biden out at the first sign of trouble. But I mean, that trouble, to be fair, was remarkable. I mean, we all saw that debate and we saw the numbers post-debate sort of going down. And now, you know, Biden has said that he hasn't seen numbers that say that he should step down because he can't win. [02:25:08] But you have his lack of popularity overall, and the polls in the swing states especially all show him trailing Donald Trump. So any precedent for the type of comeback that would be required for Biden to win a second term now? LICHTMAN: You know, first of all, we don't govern by polls. Polls four months out from the election are unreliable. Polls are not predictors. They're snapshots, and they change. George H.W. Bush was 17 points behind Michael Dukakis in 1988. In the late spring, he went on to win by almost eight points, a 25-point swing. Barack Obama had, in many ways, a more disastrous debate than Joe Biden. Only 20 percent in the CNN poll thought he won. 33 percent thought Biden won in a Republican-tilted poll. But to listen to the media, you would think nobody thought Biden won. The polls shifted 12 points after the Obama debate. He was eight points up. He went to four points down. And the same pundits were saying, oh, my God, he's finished. And of course, all the polls were showing that Donald Trump was going to lose in 2016. So if every candidate behind in the polls quits, Bush, H.W. would have quit, Obama would have quit, and Trump would have quit. And yet they all won. Plus, as I explained, almost immediately after the debate, the polls didn't move at all. There was a big headline, I think it was the "New York Times," saying race static. Moreover, you know, we have seen the worst kind of ableism and ageism from the Democrats, the pundits, the operatives like James Carville. Yes, Joe Biden has a slight disability. He does commit gas, he stutters, he's not that quick in debates. But he's always had that, even back in the 1980s. What is being done here is an insult to the tens of millions of other Americans who also have slight disabilities and like Biden in his presidency, have done their jobs extremely well. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, but they're not running for president and expected to be governing for another four years. LICHTMAN: They haven't proven that Biden can't govern. Look, did you watch the NATO summit? Biden, for an hour and nine minutes, stood there answering difficult, hostile questions with knowledge, precision, with understanding. Could Donald Trump have done that for 10 minutes? Moreover, I am familiar in my own family with senility and dementia. A senile or demented person could not have stood on that NATO summit stage for 20 seconds, much less an hour and nine minutes, without falling into utter chaos. BRUNHUBER: We will have to leave it there, but really appreciate getting your in-depth analysis. Alan Lichtman, thank you so much. LICHTMAN: Thank you. Take care. BRUNHUBER: All right, now, to Tel Aviv, where the city is on heightened alert after a deadly drone attack early Friday. At least one person was killed and 10 injured. The attack occurred near several diplomatic compounds. Houthi rebels in Yemen say they're responsible, but CNN can't independently verify the claim. CNN's Nada Bashir is live in London with the details. So, Nada, what more are we learning about this attack? NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is certainly still an ongoing investigation by Israeli authorities, including the Israeli military. We've heard from a military spokesperson saying that the blast in this central Tel Aviv building was caused by a drone armed with a warhead. This took place in the early hours of Friday morning. As you mentioned, this is a central location, just about 100 meters away from the U.S. embassy compound, though no damage is said to have been caused to the embassy itself. But as you mentioned, this was a fatal attack. At least one person killed, a 50-year-old man, and at least 10 others injured. Two of those injured, according to emergency services and authorities, are said to have suffered shrapnel wounds. And we know that there has been a high presence of authorities and emergency services, as well as bomb disposal experts at the scene, warning local residents not to touch any remnants of any rockets or any shrapnel in the area for fear of the presence of explosives. Now, the city is on heightened alert. There are questions and concerns around the potential for follow-up attacks, questions, of course, around who was behind the attack. And we have in the last few hours heard from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, a spokesman in Yemen, claiming responsibility for this attack. The spokesperson saying that the Houthis had targeted occupied territory using a new drone capable of bypassing Israel's interception systems, that the group is focused on targeting Israel's internal front. [02:30:08] We're also deeper into Israeli territory, also framing this latest attack as being in direct response to Israel's military assault on Gaza. Now, we have seen Houthi attacks for the last few weeks and months along the Red Sea. This would certainly mark a significant development, if indeed it is confirmed that Houthis have carried out an attack within Israeli territory. At this stage, CNN cannot independently verify the Houthi's claims. We are still waiting to hear more from the Israeli military on this. They have acknowledged that this was a drone attack but I have not recognized who may have been behind it. They said that they are open to all possible options at this stage. That investigation is still very much ongoing, but also concern around the city's preparedness according to the military, no sirens were activated while this incident was on going and we've heard from spokesman that's also going on to say that while the drone was actually identified, it was not intercepted due to human error. So that will certainly be a point of investigation for the military as well -- Kim. KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Yeah, significant development as you say. Nada Bashir, thank you so much. Now, earlier on Thursday, Israel's military carried out a number of airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. The IDF says it hit command centers for elite forces, killing at least two commanders who planned numerous terror attacks against Israel, Lebanese media said at least a dozen people were wounded. Now separately, Israel were released this footage showing what it says is a strike on a member of Hezbollah's engineering unit in southern Lebanon. Turning now to Bangladesh, where dozens of people have reportedly been killed and hundreds more injured amid widespread unrest, police in the capital say protesters carried out, quote, destructive activities on several government and telecommunication offices Thursday. The country imposed a nationwide blackout in response, leaving more than 170 million people without Internet. Protesters are demanding an end to civil service job quotas that they claim are discriminatory and country where nearly 20 percent of the population is out of work or school. Donald Trump has formally accepted the nomination of the Republican presidential candidate. His long speech was full of promises, boasts, and several misleading claims. We're checking the facts after the break. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:35:16] BRUNHUBER: Welcome back. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM. The Republican National Convention wrapped up less than two hours ago after former President Donald Trump accepted the nomination of his party. Trump's long acceptance speech came less than one week after he was grazed by a bullet during an attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania. He paid tribute to a firefighter who was killed in the audience at the rally and kissed the man's helmet and uniform that was displayed on the stage. And he asked convention delegates for their votes, vowing to never let them down. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To all of the forgotten men and women who have been neglected, abandoned, and left behind, you will be forgotten no longer. We will press forward, and together we will win, win, win. (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Trump also pledge to protect Social Security and Medicare and to secure the nation's borders. He blamed President Biden, again for doing damage to the U.S. Here he is. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I I say it often, if you took the 10 worst presidents in the history of the United States, think of it, the 10 worst, added them up, they will not have done the damage that Biden has done. I'm only going to use the term once, Biden. I'm not going to use the name anymore, just one time. The damage that he has done to this country is unthinkable. (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Meanwhile, a source close to Joe Biden says the present remains unconvinced that he should step aside. Pressure is growing from big money donors and some top Democrats for him to leave the presidential race. Now, Donald Trump made some false and misleading claims about inflation, tax cuts, gas prices, and other things during his convention speech. CNN's Daniel Dale has been doing the fact-checking. And here's some of what he found. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANIEL DALE, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Donald Trump gave a remarkably long acceptance speech. It was also a remarkably dishonest speech. I counted at least 22 false claims. Here are just some of them. Trump repeatedly said he achieved world peace, which is obvious nonsense. He adlibbed his usual lie about Democrats having cheated in the 2020 election. That's more nonsense. He said, U.S. crime is going up. The opposite is true. It's gone down sharply in 2023 and early 2024. It's now lower than it was under Trump himself in 2020. He said, we have the worst inflation ever, not even close. It's 3 percent right now. The record is 23.7 percent. Trump said there was no inflation a few short years ago, it was low, yes. But not nonexistent when he left office, and it was 8 percent total for his presidency. Trump also said the price of groceries is up 57 percent under Joe Biden, its actually 21 percent. He exaggerated about gas prices, about taxations. He wrongly said he ended North Korean missile launches. He said Democrats are proposing to quadruple people's taxes, which is totally imaginary. He says his own tax cut was the largest in U.S. history, even though it wasn't close. He said the Biden administration does nothing to stop migrants. The Biden administration tried to get Congress to pass a bill tightening the border. And after Trump helped kill that bill, Biden took executive action to tighten the border. Trump said he stopped human trafficking, just not true. He said China's stop buying oil from Iran under him, also did not happen. He said foreign governments are deliberately sending criminals and mental health patients from insane asylums to the U.S. as migrants. His own campaign has been unable to provide proof for that. I certainly cannot find any. He said we defeated 100 percent of ISIS in a couple of months. In fact, the ISIS caliphate was declared fully liberated, more than in two years into his presidency. And he said Russian warships are, in present tense, are operating in Cuba. And that the media refuses to write about this. The ships were there, but they left last month and media outlets, including this one, CNN, covered it quite a bit. Daniel Dale, CNN, Washington. (END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: Ron Brownstein is CNN's senior political analyst and the senior editor for "The Atlantic". And he joins me now from Los Angeles. Good to see you again, Ron. So for Donald Trump, Chris Wallace said something earlier that he thought Trump is weaker now than when he got up onto the podium to speak. I mean, the speech was a chance to expand his base so a lost opportunity here? RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Oh, absolutely. And more, look, Donald Trump is in a strong position in this race. Americans are dissatisfied with inflation. Democrats have ignored for many months the consistent finding and polls at most do Americans think that Biden is too old? But if Joe Biden had delivered that speech tonight, can you imagine the outcry among Democrats? It reminded me in some ways of the debate, where Trump was unfocused, rambling, grievance-filled, all the same things he was again tonight. [02:40:03] He has clearly lost a step as a candidate as well. I mean, we heard all week, including often on our air that there was a new Trump and it was going to be different Trump. This is the same Trump. I mean, this is the Trump who says his greatest regret of his first term is he didn't send federal force into blue cities over the objections of their mayors. I mean or who calls his opponents communists and fascists and vermin. There's a limit to how much he can go beyond who he is again, still on a strong position given the weakness of Biden, but I don't think there's anything tonight. And again, much like the debate that cause Democrats to believe they could not beat him if they had a stronger opponent. BRUNHUBER: Yeah, even though the speech may not have been strong, overall though it caps off a strong week for Republicans as the convention was maybe unusually well-organized and well-produced and certainly sends the candidates and all his folks off onto the campaign trail with a sense of optimism, you'd presume. BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, they have reason for optimism. I mean, you know, Democrat, if Biden stays in the race, you know, as I wrote today in "The Atlantic", I mean, its very hard to see a path toward recovery given that he's been stuck at 40 percent approval rating for over a year and 70 percent of Americans say he's too old. But, you know, the unity in part was because all of the portions of the GOP that have been skeptical of Trump have essentially been driven out. And that is kind of the road the path that is still out there for Democrats. I mean, you know, there's a lot of center right suburban voters who don't feel at home, even in the party that Republicans tried to put forward this week, they're not necessarily willing to vote for Biden, given all their concerns about him, Democrats are going through an exercise trying to figure out if they'd be more willing to vote for someone else, particularly the vice president. You know, look, Donald Trump has strengths as a candidate. He can mobilize his base. He has shown so far in pulling the capacity to cut into Democratic groups, African American voters, Hispanic voters. But ultimately, he is still a grievance politician, and that puts a ceiling I think on his potential support in a way that again, leaves an opening for Democrats, though, it's a harder and harder to see Biden being able to take advantage of that. BRUNHUBER: Yeah. On that, I mean, the title of your piece "Democrats drifting towards disaster", let's -- let's drill into that because you were saying that the path for him is narrowing, but Biden himself says he still doesn't see the data, the numbers that would convince him to drop out, but the polls, especially in all seven of those states that we consider swing states -- I mean, they really don't look good for Biden. So what do you make of the data? And I guess the drift towards disaster that we're seeing? BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, it's not really clear what Biden is referring to because I think when you talk even to his campaign, they have a theory of the case that is not completely imaginary or illusory. I mean, basically, they will acknowledge that the Sun Belt swing states, North Carolina and Georgia in the Southeast, Arizona and Nevada in the Southwest, are very tough climbs at this point for Biden. But he is within range in most polling, although not necessarily in the very latest in the three Rust Belt states that were part of what I ones called the blue wall, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. And there argument is that among the voters who are not fully committed to either side at this point in those states, there are enough of them left and those voters tend to be even more negative on Trump than on Biden. And there is some evidence that that is true. The problem is A, they are really negative on Biden as well. And B, does Biden have the campaigning skills to kind of move them in his direction. I mean, he really has only one path, which is winning, sweeping those three states and one congressional district in Omaha, which we get into exactly to 270, Kim. Can you imagine, a 270-268 election? BRUNHUBER: Yeah. BROWNSTEIN: And it's an uphill climb in all three of those states for him. And I think that's why you see this sense among Democrats, this fear that not only could he lose, but, you know, they're defending eight Senate seats this year, in states that he is unlikely to win today. And that could put them in a deficit that they would have a hard time or reversing anytime before 2030? BRUNHUBER: Yeah. The down-ballot effects could be catastrophic, but who knows? Still so much to play for in the weeks and months to come. Ron Brownstein, thank you so much, really appreciate your analysis as always. BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me. BRUNHUBER: Well, Donald Trump slammed China in his convention speech. So how will China react? We'll find out when we come back. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) [02:47:03] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: And right now, as we speak, large factories -- just started -- are being built across the border in Mexico. So with all the other things happening on our border, and they're being built by China to make cars and to sell them into our country. No tax, no anything. (BOOING) TRUMP: The United Auto Workers ought to be ashamed for allowing this to happen. And the leader of the United Auto Workers should be fired immediately. And every single autoworker, union and non-union should be voting for Donald Trump. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: Because we're going to bring back car manufacturing and we're going to bring it back fast. (APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Well, Donald Trump mentioned China a couple of times in his speech, making specific accusations of electric vehicles, for instance, and other times he referenced China's fear of him, and once again, used the term China virus to describe COVID. So let's go to Beijing where CNN's Marc Stewart is following developments. So, Marc, what's the -- been the reaction there? MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think overall generally speaking, Kim, I think its quite muted, at least at this point. You know, this speech that we heard tonight, this convention speech is very much going to be a blueprint, an appetizer of what we will hear on the campaign trail from the Trump campaign between now and November member. But broadly speaking, China would really like to be hands off on all of this. In fact, its ministry of foreign affairs several times his issued statements to the effect it's opposed to making China an issue in U.S. elections. But the reality is that it's inevitable. And as we heard tonight, a lot of discussion about China on some of these economic issues especially how it relates to the American worker. The president, the former president, did talk about the growth of the Chinese auto industry along with the Mexican auto industry, and how that's impacting the world stage. And the American worker. Let's listen to some more of his remarks. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: Those plants are going to be built in the United States and our people are going to man those plants. (APPLAUSE) TRUMP: And if they don't agree with us, we'll put a tariff of approximately 100 percent to 200 percent on each car and they will be unsellable in the United States. (APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) STEWART: So expect to hear more conversation during the campaign about trade and with tariffs, something that again, the Chinese government really has been refraining on commenting on specifically. The former president also talked about some of the tension in this part of the world, the Asia-Pacific, with Taiwan, with China, the Philippines, and Korea. In particular, he made reference to the escalation of weapons by North Korea. Let me read you one statement, in particular, he said, now North Korea is acting up again. But when we get back, I get along with them. He'd like to see me back, too, referring to Kim Jong-un saying, I think he misses me if you want to know the truth. [02:50:01] Yes. The former president did have a diplomatic discussion with North Korea, however, that broke off after talks in Hanoi in 2019 and North Korea has now continued with some of its military ambitions. As far as though the reaction, generally speaking in China, we're not seeing a lot on social media, not so much in state media as well. We saw one reference to the president's ear, the bandage on his ear. There was mention of a possible trade war but not to a large extent. So far, Kim pretty subdued compared to other topics on the American political scene. BRUNHUBER: It's interesting. All right. Thanks so much Marc Stewart in Beijing, thanks so much. After days of speeches and celebration, Republicans have officially chosen Donald Trump as their presidential candidate. We'll have highlights from week in political theater, next on CNN. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) BRUNHUBER: And we have breaking news right now. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, all Delta and American Airlines flights are grounded due to a communications issue. It's not clear how long would ground stop will last, but the FAA is suggesting an update by 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Now it comes after a significant Microsoft outage brought Frontier Airlines and some competitors to a standstill for hours on Thursday. That ground stop has since been lifted. Court proceedings in the espionage trial of "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich are now underway in Russia. The closed door hearing was unexpectedly moved up by more than a month and it's moving in an unusually fast pace, with witness testimony, taking only one day and all this has some speculating that a prisoner exchange with the U.S. maybe in the works. Moscow accuses Gershkovich of working for the CIA to gather information about a Russian tank company. Gershkovich, "The Wall Street Journal" and the U.S. government all reject Russia's claims. In the coming hours, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will do what no other foreign leader has done in Britain since 1997. He will address the British cabinet at Prime Minister Keir Starmer's 10 Downing Street office. The Ukrainian president is the first foreign leader to visit since Starmer took office this month. Zelenskyy will bring the minister up to speed on the battlefield situation in Ukraine, and press for ramped up European defense production Republicans have officially nominated Donald Trump and J.D. Vance to represent them on the presidential ballot this November. Their national convention was a mix of serious business and political fun. Here are some of the highlights. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MICHAEL WHATLEY, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: This convention will come to order. ERIC TRUMP, SON OF DONALD TRUMP: We hear by nominate every single one of them for the greatest president that's ever lived, and that's Donald J. Trump, hereby declaring him the Republican nominee for president of the United States of America. (MUSIC) SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): On Saturday, the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle but an American lion got back up on his feet and he roared! [02:55:07] HULK HOGAN, FORMER PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER: They tried to kill the next president of the United States, enough was enough. (CHEERING) HOGAN: And I said, let Trumpamania run wild, brother. Let Trumpamania rule again. Let Trumpamania make America great again. (CHEERING) VIVEK RAMASWAMY, FORMER U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you want to restore law and order in this country, vote Trump. NIKKI HALEY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump has my strong endorsement, period. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We do it in solidarity with our President Trump because we love him, we support them 100 percent. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And if somebody has to wear cast, we'll wear a cast. If somebody has to have a bandage, we'll wear a bandage. We're behind him 100 percent. ANNOUNCER: The Gold Star families of our fallen heroes. (CHEERING) CHRISTY SHAMBLIN, GOLD STAR MOTHER: I had expected to meet an arrogant the politician. Instead, I met a man who had empathy for us. He was compassionate and he's spent time with us because he knew it would make us feel better. Thank you, President Trump. CROWD: J.D.! J.D.! J.D.! SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: 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. KAI TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S GRANDDAUGHTER: When we play golf together, if I'm not on his team, he'll try to get inside of my head, I know. And he's always surprised that I don't let him get to me. But I have to remind him, I'm a Trump, too. FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP: With faith and devotion, I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) (MUSIC) (END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: Well, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back in just a moment with more news.