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The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN Democratic National Convention; Kamala Harris Officially Accepts Democratic Nomination. Aired 4-5p ET
Aired August 22, 2024 - 16:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[16:00:35]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: A live look inside the United Center here in Chicago on the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention.
If you look on the stage right there, I believe you can see Pink, who will be performing this evening. She has not started any sort of sound check. If she does, I'm sure I will shut up and let you listen to that.
Jubilant delegates have been eagerly awaiting tonight's grand finale. The nominee herself will close out their four-day party.
Hello. I'm Jake Tapper. Welcome to THE LEAD.
We are at the Democratic National Convention. As you see, the place has been hopping all week with lot of joy. Former President Clinton last night dubbed Kamala Harris, the president of joy. Oprah implored Americans to choose Joy in November.
What about policy, though? Will Americans get specifics from Vice President Harris tonight when she delivers I think it's fair to say the biggest speech of her career?
In just hours Harris Chris will formally accept her party's nomination and make the case directly to American voters. Why they should elect her, the 47th president of the United States. A distinct challenge given the unusual nature of her path to the nomination with no primary or caucus process or interviews or press conferences or debates or votes.
Even the party platform is a relic of five weeks ago from President Biden. Biden was still the presumptive nominee. It still refers to the platform a second Biden term.
Now, several aides involved in Harris's preparation tells CNN that she has refined the text different speech extensively over the last few days. And it will have three overarching objectives. One, sharing her story and her record with voters. Two, contrasting her vision with that of Donald Trump. And three, rooting her vision in patriotism.
We're also going to hear Harris point out the, quote, dangers posed by the Project 2025 agenda. That is the conservative blueprint for a second Trump term that the former president is now trying to distance himself from, though we should note Trump aides and allies wrote all of it.
CNN's Kaitlan Collins tells us that Mr. Trump has been furious about all the references to Project 2025 at this convention, including from Harris's running mate, Governor Tim Walz, last night in his primetime debut.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TIM WALZ (D-MN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Is it weird? Absolutely.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
WALZ: Absolutely. But it's also wrong and it's dangerous.
Kamala Harris is going to stand up and fight for your freedom to live the life that you want to lead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Vice President Harris is also expected to address immigration and border security in her remarks this evening, that's a cornerstone of the Trump campaign and particularly, Democratic weakness, at least according to polling.
Trump campaigned at the southern border of Arizona this afternoon, just hours before Vice President Harris takes the stage. We're also going to be watching for how Harris addresses the crisis in the Middle East this evening.
Last night, the anguished parents of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg delivered an emotional plea for their son's return. He is in Hamas captivity. They also acknowledged the pain on all sides of this ongoing conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHANTING)
JON POLIN, FATHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE: This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home is not a political issue.
RACHEL GOLDBERG-POLIN, MOTHER OF ISRAELI-AMERICAN HOSTAGE: Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you. Stay strong. Survive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Some disunity last night here in Chicago with uncommitted delegates. There are 30 of them out of thousands. They were pleading for a speaking slot for a Palestinian American. They staged a sit-in when told no.
A lot to get to this hour. My colleague Erin Burnett is also here in the convention hall -- Erin.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: That's right, Jake. And, of course, Project 2025, "USA Today" giving that claim of Project 2025 being a plan from Trump's team -- from Trump as false, as he is disavowed member of -- parts of it.
But in the lead-up to Kamala Harris's speech tonight. There's going to be a host of prominent political voices taking the stage. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Mark Kelly, the Arizona senator, who was previously in the running to be Harris's running mate. He'll also make his case for her.
His wife will also be on that stage, former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords who narrowly survived an assassination attempt, and a trio of lawmakers known as the Tennessee Three who rose to national prominence last year, Jake, for their protest over gun reform, all going to be here.
[16:05:03]
As we have the honor, is the best part about being a part of your show, Jake, this week is hearing the sound checks and now, Pink.
Let's go to Kaitlan Collins on the convention floor.
Kaitlan, you're learning about more of what we'll see tonight.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Erin, we're here. Everyone has their phones out. It is not for me. I can promise you, it's because Pink is on stage and she's rehearsing and it's kind of been this moment every day where the delegates are starting to make their way into the convention floor, where the musical act is often bit on stage.
Stevie Wonder was here yesterday, John Legend, John -- James Taylor on Monday. Now, it is Pink who is up here rehearsing. Obviously, everyone's getting ready to see that as well.
But the main event tonight, of course, is vice president Harris. We have heard from everyone about her or her allies in the U.S. senate, her colleagues from California, her husband are running mate. But tonight, it is going to be time to hear from the candidate herself, in her own vision, in her own words, laying out her view of this campaign and what the next 70 or so days are going to look like.
You know, most candidates months to prepare for a moment like this, went to speak at their own convention. Vice President Harris has had, one month and she was tweaking her speech yesterday. We did not actually see her here at the convention. She was watching the speeches from her hotel room. And so she's been working on that speech of what she's going to say.
It's another notable point of this tonight is we've seen her out of the campaign drill, a lot holding these rallies as she did just earlier this week on Tuesday night with Governor Walz in Milwaukee. And so, what they're going to be doing tonight, though, is probably one of her longest speeches yet, to hear her views on where this race stands and what this race means from her directly.
And so, of course, that in and of itself will be the headline speech tonight after hearing from everyone else, it will now be Harris's turned so try to stick the landing is everyone else has been making the case for her, she'll be making the case for herself tonight.
BURNETT: All right. Kaitlan, thank you very much.
And that is what all eyes will be on. That is the big event. And we are here for it now -- Jake.
TAPPER: Right, Erin, thanks so much.
I'm joined now by Ambassador Susan Rice. She most recently served as domestic policy adviser in the Biden White House. Previously, she worked as President Obama's national security advisor. She was also the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and also worked in the Clinton administration, and underachiever they call you.
SUSAN RICE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: You're making me old, Jake.
TAPPER: Making you accomplished. So, a source tells CNN that Harris does plan to address immigration and the issues at the border in her acceptance speech, it is one of the thorniest issues for the Biden White House. Former President Trump is at the border today blasting Vice President Harris.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We had a border czar who was the border czar, she loved the title, but she didn't want to do the work because she's lazy and probably more importantly than being lazy, she wants to have an open border.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Lazy, that's a new one. I hadn't heard him use that word. Interesting language there.
You worked with her on Biden's immigration policy. She was specifically in charge of reaching out to the leaders of the countries, the origin countries, not necessarily --
RICE: In Central -- in Northern Central America.
TAPPER: Northern Central, not necessarily the border.
RICE: She was not a border czar, another Trump untruth.
TAPPER: Right. So I do wonder it is -- it is -- it has been an issue the influx at the border and I know there have been some changes. How would you advise Vice President Harris to address it in her speech tonight?
RICE: Well, well see how she chooses to characterize it, but what she's been very clear on is that she supports the bipartisan legislation that would have been the toughest border security legislation in decades that Donald Trump killed because he did not want it to be something that could be characterized as a win for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
You know, him being down on the border today, trying to explain how upset he is about border crossings, if he cared about what's happening at our southern border, if he was dedicated to trying to resolve this issue, he would have supported that bipartisan legislation that Senate Republicans helped to craft. Instead, he wants to politicize the issue demagogue, and as you see him doing today, rather than solved the problem.
So I'm confident that Vice President Harris will make clear her readiness to sign that legislation, her adherence to the executive order, that President Biden issued in the last several months that has brought border crossing down to the lowest levels since before the pandemic in the Trump years. It's been extraordinarily effective along with a number of other border security measures that the administration has taken.
So I think Donald Trump is grasping at straws when in fact, if he really cared about this, he would have allowed that legislation to be enacted.
TAPPER: I have to say he's really tried lots of ways to attack her. I've known Vice President Harris for some time and I know criticisms of her that I think are fair, ones that are not fair. Ive never ever heard her describe as lazy.
That is, of course, a racist -- racist trope about African Americans.
RICE: Yes.
[16:10:00]
TAPPER: And I'm wondering if what you thought of his use of that word.
RICE: You know, I -- we don't have time or the need to get into the mud with Donald Trump. He's called her lazy and many other things.
Donald Trump has no affirmative agenda for this country. And so in the absence of that, all he can do is attack and denigrate and assail his opponents.
Kamala Harris is one of the most accomplished, ready, prepared vice presidents, ready to be president of the United States that we've had in decades.
You know, when you look back, for example, in my area of national security, at the last five presidents of the United States, she is the most experienced and ready to be commander-in-chief of any of them, except Joe Biden, who is the current president.
And so Donald Trump has nothing but a dark, divisive, fearmongering agenda, 20 -- project 2025 is going to take the United States back generations.
TAPPER: But what do -- what do you say -- since we're talking about 2025, they say that's not our campaign policy.
RICE: Yeah, right. And, you know, CNN's own reporting has demonstrated how hundreds of people who are in President Trumps prior administration were the authors of this. Russ Vought, who's, you know, his OMB director and many think might be as chief of staff, were he to be re-elected is the principal author of this.
So this is Donald Trump's agenda through and through. There's no question about that, and we all need to understand how dangerous and dark it is. It would take us back to a period, generations ago, where women in this country had no control over their lives, their voice, their vote, or their bodies.
TAPPER: Let me ask you because you also have expertise as national security adviser. Obviously, literally for centuries, one of the thorniest issues going on is the issue in the Middle East between the Israelis and the Palestinians and I'm wondering what you make of what has happened in the last 24 hours with the 30 uncommitted delegates and I know there are thousands of delegates here, but the 30 uncommitted delegates, they're uncommitted because of President Biden's support for Israel during this war, and they wanted a pro- Palestinian or Palestinian American speaker. And they were -- they were not offered one. They stage to sit in some members of Congress from the squad, AOC, Tlaib, Omar, et cetera, joined the sit in.
What -- what do you make of it all?
RICE: Oh, this is 30 out of some 4,000 delegates. And they haven't pledged their support to Vice President Harris. So demand a seat on or a speaking slot is a little bit rich.
But having said that, look, Vice President Harris is very, very committed to getting a ceasefire as quickly as possible, to bring the hostages home. And we were reminded last night very poignant moment about there are eight Americans and scores of others that after ten months are still being held to Palestinian people are suffering in an unbelievable way, hunger, conflict. This war needs to end, and she and President Biden are deeply committed to doing all they can to end this conflict, bring the hostages home, ensure a lasting ceasefire and relief -- badly needed relief for the people of Gaza.
TAPPER: Would you want if Harris-Walz win -- would you want to serve in a Harris-Walz administration?
RICE: Jake Tapper, you know, better than asked me that question. I am going to do everything I can to ensure that Kamala Harris is the next president of the United States and the Donald Trump never comes back to the Oval Office. And after that, I can kick back and enjoy my life.
TAPPER: All right. Dr. Susan Rice, Ambassador Susan Rice, I should say, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.
Harris campaign officials are already talking about their plans after the party is over tonight, including paths to victory. Are these pads realistic? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:17:50]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEN O'MALLEY DILLON, HARRIS CAMPAIGN CHAIR: You could kind of look at this moment and be so energized and be like, oh, we got it. And we don't have it. We are a polarized nation and a challenging time. And despite all well the things that are happening in this country, Donald Trump still has more support than he has had at any other point. It is going to come down to every single vote.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: That's Harris-Walz campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon saying, despite all the joy and good vibes Democrats are feeling here in the United Center in Chicago, Vice President Harris is far from guaranteed a victory just 75 days from now. Our panel of political experts is here to discuss.
Bakari Sellers, let me start with you. Do you agree?
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, yes. We are underdogs and I think that we have --
TAPPER: Why are you laughing?
DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENATOR: Because he's smart, Bakari's smart.
SELLERS: Put that on --
TAPPER: You actually agree though.
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMETATOR: Yeah.
TAPPER: You think that Trump has the edge.
URBAN: Slight edge.
SELLERS: Yeah. I mean, but we're underdog, and let me also -- let me also tell you this -- and I would love to toss it to Ms. Finney, but we still have 2016 redux like I still stay up at night. I remember I was hosting a party at parking 14th. My wife was there, my daughter was there. You know, the vice the secretary, call me to join her at the Javits Center that night, we were going to have the confetti that looked like the glass as was breaking on us when we left the convention, people were talking about what ambassador ships they were going to get, who was going to be the, you know, the press secretary.
URBAN: Where are you going?
SELLERS: Huh?
URBAN: Where were you going?
SELLERS: Ambassador to Denmark, South Carolina.
(LAUGHTER)
SELLERS: And when we -- you know, came election day, we just got our behinds kicked. And I think people in this room all remember that so it like that race was hours and Donald Trump and David Urban and the rest of them did a hell of a job in 2016.
TAPPER: What do you think?
FINNEY: I agree 1,000 percent. I have the scars to prove it, Bakari, as you do.
But also, I think given the way campaigns are run and the way our country is polarized, I always think about the speech from "Any Given Sunday" that this is a game of inches and you have to fight for every single vote, just you as you well, you have to fight for every single inch on a football field.
TAPPER: You're not going to do a Pacino imitation.
URBAN: It's a great -- I was like great reference.
(CROSSTALK)
FINNEY: I probably -- here in the U.C. but not, in -- but I think it's also an important message because you don't want people getting complacent, right?
[16:20:02]
You don't want people anywhere in this country saying, well, my vote is not going to matter because I think we also all recognize we know what Trump did in 2016. We now know a lot more about what he was doing in 2020 and so, we have to make sure that we deliver a overwhelming victory for Kamala Harris, both to help her legitimacy and the attacks that we know are going to come.
TAPPER: So while we're on the subject, let's talk about the Trump campaign. Last week, former President Trump held and antisemitism event at his golf club in New Jersey.
Yesterday after Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro speech here at the Democratic national convention, Trump posted this. It says, quote: The highly overrated Jewish governor the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, made a really bad and poorly delivered speech.
Trump goes on to say: Shapiro, for strictly political reasons, refused to acknowledge that I am the best friend that Israel and Jewish people ever had. I have done more for Israel than any president. And frankly, I've done more for Israel than any person and it's not even close. Shapiro has done nothing for Israel and never will, unquote.
Today, Governor Shapiro was asked about those comments. And here's part of what he said.
(BEGIN VIDOE CLIP)
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D), PENNSYLVANIA: I think it's is clear over the last few weeks, Donald Trump is obsessed with me and obsessed with continuing to spew hate and division in our politics. He is someone who's routinely peddled antisemitic tropes like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: David Urban --
URBAN: I'm uniquely qualified. I know both -- both those guys.
TAPPER: You know both of them and you're from Pennsylvania.
URBAN: Friends of both.
TAPPER: But I've never heard you refer to Josh Shapiro is the Jewish governor of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Ive just heard you refer to them as the governor.
URBAN: Look, I think right -- Josh Shapiro is a great governor, right? He's everybody's governor, does a great job and that's -- what I think look, I don't -- I'm always inside the presidents head when he's tweeting this, but I think he's kind of maybe taking a poke at the white -- one of the reasons that they allege was not picked was because of his Jewish faith be vice president.
I think he's trying to bring that back up to the surface, but I don't know. Listen.
SELLERS: That's quite a spin, though. How do you get out that pretzel when you do that?
(LAUGHTER)
TAPPER: I've seen conservatives say -- conservatives say that's a great way to alienate Jewish voters.
FINNEY: Yes.
LISTEN: Listen, we shouldn't, we need all voters, right? We need the RFK voters. We need to all voters. As Karen just pointed out, this is a game of inches, a game of inches. This is going to be won or lost in the state of Pennsylvania by 50,000 votes. Probably if we have to guess 50,000 votes could decide this. We can't afford to alienate anyone.
So, Mr. President, let's not -- let's talk about positive. Let's talk about the economy, the border, number one, immigration, inflation, the economy. Let's stick to those three, and then I'll help Bakari -- will give Bakari the ambassadorship ship --
TAPPER: David?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: I also never heard Donald Trump refer to his son-in-law, one who was the White House as his Jewish senior advisor. I mean, I've never -- I've never heard of refer to his daughter as his Jewish daughter.
So, you know, he's clearly -- and I think those conservatives are right, that that will potentially alienate some Jewish voters.
And to your point, about inches, this gets back to Jen O'Malley Dillon's comment that we were just discussing. And anybody who's ever covered a campaign that Jen O'Malley Dillon worked on, like that is classic her. Like, I mean, she does not buy into all the hype here. She's always sort of got her head down on this.
But two things are true. It can be to guard against complacency. It can also be a true fact. This is going to be a very close race.
And I think we do not know right now, this will settle after the bounce that inevitably the Democrats will get out of this. This will then settle after Labor Day in these six battleground states and we'll be able to see then.
One of the things that she was asked is, does she have a clear path to victory? She said, well, we don't have one right now, she said. What she -- I didn't take that to mean, they don't have a path to victory. They do the Harris campaign has viable paths to victory to 270 as does the Trump campaign.
It's just that there's no path for Harris right now that is just in the bag and it's --
TAPPER: Everything is -- everything's within the margin of error, every single thing.
CHALIAN: Precisely.
FINNEY: But you always have to run like everything can to be within the margin.
URBAN: You run scared or unopposed. That's the way you run a race.
FINNEY: But here's the thing. I mean, you know, David, the fact that you and so many other Republicans have to sit here and say to the president over -- the former president, over and over again, let's not talk about race. Let's not talk about who's Jewish or non-Jewish, right?
You're right, that is time that he's not trying to draw a contrast and it is time that when were able to talk about joy and her record and her vision and her values, and make the case that were trying to go forward, not back either, that those are points on the board.
Additionally, I think a lot of us also believe that a lot of Americans, particularly suburban women, where the former presidents had trouble consolidating are really tired of that divisive language.
TAPPER: And speaking of Jews from Pennsylvania, that's not --
(CROSSTALK)
TAPPER: If you're wondering what the noise behind, it's Pink. Another -- another Jew from Pennsylvania.
[16:25:00]
And, Erin Burnett --
URBAN: I've never heard anybody called Pink the Jew from Pennsylvania.
TAPPER: She is. She's a Jew from Philly.
Erin Burnett, second-favorite Jew from Philly. Erin, take --
(LAUGHTER)
BURNETT: All right. Well, Democratic lawmakers, Jake, have been speaking to CNN really about what Kamala Harris is going to say tonight, policy and not Israel and beyond.
And actually, they're saying they don't need to hear specifics or really not even tonight and really not even at all for the rest of the entire campaign.
Manu Raju's speaking to some key players. We're going to be right back with all that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:30:03]
BURNETT: And we are live at the DNC in Chicago and tonight is the night for the biggest speech of Kamala Harris's political career. And she is going to be of course, reaching out to the base in this room and watching, but also undecided voters tuning in to this convention around the country as well as tonight voters who back Robert F. Kennedy Jr. because he is expected just hours from now in the wee hours of tomorrow morning to drop his White House bid.
The Harris campaign today, extending an olive branch to Kennedy supporters for saying, and I quote, if they were looking for somebody who is actually going to fight for their injures, their values, and there is a home for them in the Kamala Harris campaign.
Here to discuss, our star political reporters and anchors, Kasie Hunt and Manu Raju.
So, Kasie, as we had Pink second sound check. I said it's the closest I'll get to a concert, and it's amazing.
KASIE HUNT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I feel the same way, with children.
BURNETT: So, Kennedy's expected to suspend his campaign in Arizona, and Trump has a Phoenix rally tomorrow. So, obviously, that adds to the speculation that that's a twofer, get out and endorse the other.
How does all this play?
HUNT: There's a big question about it, obviously, because it really hasn't been clear to pollsters who Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was really pulling more votes from, from Donald Trump or from Joe Biden. But the calculations really changed since Harris gotten the race. And I think that's part of why you see Kennedy trying the grab some of the attention in particular here, and also trying to find a little bit of a home, the possibility that he could get a job in a future Trump administration and the way he approaches government, that way he talks about government, which is to say, there are lots of conspiracy theories it fits better in Donald Trumps universe.
But the reality here is, I think those double-hater voters are what's important here. So the voters that we were particularly focused on when Biden was in the race, they didn't like Trump, they didn't like Biden. They needed somewhere to go. Seemed to be pulled in Kennedys direction. That seems to have really changed now with Harris.
TAPPER: It's interesting, Manu.
Before Harris got in, let's just be honest, the Democrats didn't like RFK Jr. at all. They did everything possible to make sure that he wasn't going to be a serious contender. And part of the argument that Trump is making an RFK is making is well, you know, it was undemocratic what they did. One point, he was polling at 19 percent. They did everything possible we will not have about that, that whole argument, sort of, you know, David versus Goliath where RFK is David.
Does that play with these undecided voters?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I talked to a lot Democrats about how this could play with RFK Jr. potentially endorsing Trump. They are contending that they're not as concerned as they were, say, as you were saying, a little while ago when RFK Jr. was polling much better because we were seeing those voters come home for Kamala Harris, if people who are voting against the -- voting for RFK Jr., maybe they may not be he gettable.
Maybe they will be gettable. But for the most part, they feel okay. I am asking a bunch of Democrats to what she had the Harris campaign do, if that does happen?
BURNETT: Yeah.
RAJU: Did they go out in the attack RFK Jr.? Should they make a big deal about it? A lot of them are saying no, they believe it will give him more attention, more oxygen and say led Trump own what they call the weirdness of RFK Jr.
BURNETT: Right. RAJU: Rather than engage more.
BURNETT: And you know, when you talk about these votes, I know that there's a point every time they come out, a Harris supporter, they say they're the underdog this -- I get it. Everybody wants to be the underdog because the minute your people don't believe you're the underdog, they might not bother.
It's certainly not the feeling out bear right now. The feeling out there is very much hers to lose. Just a feeling -- I'm just saying that's that is the feeling.
Do they really believe that the Harris campaign in their heart of hearts, that it is theirs to lose?
HUNT: Well, I actually think that to a certain extent her path to 270 electoral votes may actually be more narrow than Donald Trumps even now.
BURNETT: Interesting.
HUNT: I actually -- I buy the way Michelle Obama framed it for voters on Tuesday night when she was -- Tuesday night, right? I've lost track of all days.
RAJU: All lost together.
HUNT: Yes, it's all a mess.
When she went to them and said, look, we really have to work at this, right? It's like when they come to you and they say we need you to do this, you need to do it for us because, this is something it's going to be a close election no matter what I mean, this is going to be decided in a handful of states potentially by a few thousand votes.
Now, if Harris goes from here until November without a major mistake and her momentum continues to feel this way, I do think they're on a strong the path, but I don't think anybody's taking anything for granted.
BURNETT: And the question is, and you hear the criticism, oh, she has to do more interviews. She has to talk about policy. Interesting from insiders, you're speaking to, they're sort of like no.
RAJU: Yeah.
BURNETT: Absolutely not, haven't needed to do it so far. Why start now?
RAJU: And that's exactly it. They're concerned about her doing that could potentially trip her up and give Trump some ammunition. In fact, a lot of those Democrats I spoke to today said, avoid those policy prescriptions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLP) REP. NIKEMA WILLIAMS (D-GA): I haven't heard from many voters looking for white papers and policy papers, what they wanted here is what her vision is for this country.
REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA): The American people don't vote on policy prescriptions.
REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): I actually think the way the American people think about this choice is less about the minutia of policy and more about the direction of the country, number one. And secondly, about the personal character, it does matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[16:35:06]
RAJU: And, I -- Gerry Connolly the congressman from Virginia there, I asked him more about that. He said, remember what Elizabeth Warren did when she ran back in 2020. She had a white paper for every policy position under the sun and what happened. She collapsed in the primary. So --
BURNETT: Yes.
RAJU: I believe that perhaps you put more ideas on paper, that's a bad idea, but the question is, voters want to see some of those ideas.
HUNT: Maybe, but you go with the vibes. It's the vibes selection.
BURNETT: Right, that's right.
All right. Jake, do I get to say that I've seen James Taylor, John Legend, and Pink now in concert, do I get to say that sound checks? I think fair?
TAPPER: I think so, especially because the American people didn't get to see James Taylor, but we did good.
BURNETT: That's right. I did, and that is true.
TAPPER: All right. Thanks so much, Erin.
The biggest night of the DNC here in Chicago is still to come. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is going to join me next. They're going to ask him about his billionaire comment from when he addressed the crowd here the other night, and how successful he thinks Chicago's been.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:40:24]
TAPPER: Back here in Chicago with a program for the final night of the Democratic National Convention will get underway. Shortly with me now, the host Democratic governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker.
Governor Pritzker, first of all, I know that when people like me he have shown footage of the Chicago convention 1968 leading up to this, before Biden dropped out, we should note, drawing parallels and talking about protests, it irked to you understandably. It seems as though that it has gone pretty well.
GOV. J.B. PRITZKER (D-IL): Well, I don't want to jinx anything, we've got another eight hours of the convention, but I got to say people forgot that we had a 1996 convention, 28 years after 1968, and that was a phenomenal convention. I mean, you might say that the Macarena was some kind of a crowd --
TAPPER: That was an abysmal event, that was a national tragedy.
PRITZKER: But it was a beautiful week and we re nominated Bill Clinton. It was a great convention, considered one of the great conventions in the history of Democratic conventions. And so people just forgot about that entirely because the video of 1968, I guess, is more exciting to look at, but the reality is that we knew that we could run a stable fun convention. And one in which would protect the protesters and their rights, but also let the 50,000 people that are here to visit for the convention and the people who live in Chicago have a safe time, too.
TAPPER: My mom wants you to know --
PRITZKER: Yes.
TAPPER: -- that she and my dad were here in '68 and that I was gassed in utero, which I know explains a lot of things, I can beat you to the joke. But she wanted me to tell you that.
What do you want to hear from Kamala Harris tonight? What does she need to do? She's famous, but not as well-known as previous nominees, understandably, because of what happened over the last two months.
PRITZKER: I have to say, though, that just over the last month, right, people really have gotten to know where they've seen her a lot anyway which is a great thing. And I think she's shown that she's a better candidate than people thought she would be. I think they want -- don't want to hear what is she going to do for working families --
TAPPER: For them, for the American people, yeah.
PRITZKER: Yes. People want to know what the policies are and the policy differences with Donald Trump. I mean, they've heard some from all the people who've been up on stage over the last three days. But hearing directly from our nominee is very important.
And also the people saw Tim Walz and how -- what a genuine heart he has. And I think you could not watch that last night without feeling like he's a real family man.
TAPPER: Especially with Gus, his son, that was n his daughter Hope, very moving right.
PRITZKER: Right. I mean, neuro divergent, and people, unfortunately in the right wing have been attacking his son today.
TAPPER: Pretty gross.
PRITZKER: No, it is. It's terrible. Look, I think the point I'm making is the Tim Walz showed a lot heart last night and he's a -- he's a Midwestern governor, has done a whole lot. I think what you want to see from Kamala Harris is what's that pair going to look like when they're finally all the policies are out there and people can.
TAPPER: But they need to flesh out the policies. You'll agree that. I get that she's only being the nominee or only announced her candidacy for weeks and four days ago, but there's not a lot of policy on the website.
PRITZKER: But she has talked an awful lot about what she wants to do about the economy. I mean, she put out a number of policies that people could see helping people afford to buy a house now, making sure that she's creating jobs and making it easier for people to go to work.
I just think, you know, we don't need 100,000 pages of white papers that didn't work for Hillary Clinton running against Donald Trump. I mean, have you seen any white papers have of Donald Trump? No.
TAPPER: Except Project 2025.
PRITZKER: Well, that's -- yeah.
TAPPER: But they don't -- they said --
PRITZKER: They disavowed, yeah.
TAPPER: Let me -- before we -- before we run out of time, I want to air some of your just a little snippet from your speech last night, which the delegates seemed to really like, let's run that bite.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRITZKER: Donald Trump thinks that we should trust him on the economy because he claims to be very rich. But take it from an actual billionaire -- Trump is rich in only one thing: stupidity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Good line, people liked it. It was also interesting because you came after Bernie Sanders who's -- who was not a big fan of billionaires.
PRITZKER: No, he's reeling against billionaires. I was standing backstage listening to him, but thinking, how did I end up going right after Bernie Sanders.
TAPPER: That was interesting planning. PRITZKER: It was. I think they had to cut out some things are make sure that, you know, short enough program for the evening. So we weren't going into midnight et it just happened that I was coming right after him.
Look, I -- it was fun to give that speech mean Donald Trump clearly, I get under his skin for some reason or another and I -- it's clear. I've been doing that since I was running for governor in the first place. You know, I started my I campaign for governor, every speech that I gave started with everything we care about is under siege by racist, misogynist, homophobic xenophobe. And that is what he still is.
Strangely enough, I think that because I'm wealthy, I think when I say those things, it really bothered --
TAPPER: Bothers him more you think?
PRITZKER: I don't know why, but I think it's -- I think it's because the guy is such a narcissist that he just compares himself to everybody. You know, if he's wealthier than you, he thinks he's better than you are.
And I guess since I'm wealthier than he is, he must think I'm better than he is.
TAPPER: Well, you're wealthier than me.
Governor Pritzker, good to see you. Thank you so much for -- congratulations. I don't want to jinx it either. I don't want to get gassed again.
Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
How is Kamala Harris preparing for the biggest moment of her political career? Current adviser, a former adviser and a journalist who covers her in-depth will all join me next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[16:50:35]
TAPPER: We're back live from Chicago with our special coverage of the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention. Tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver the most important speech of her life as she formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination. Let's bring in a panel of insiders who have either worked closely with Harris or done intensive reporting on her.
And I'm going to start with Brian.
You're a former campaign manager for her. How do you expect her to lay out her vision for the American people? And honestly to -- she's famous but not well-known, as they say. How is she going to introduce herself? BRIAN BROKAW, FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER, HARRIS CAMPAIGN FOR CALIFORNIA
ATTORNEY GENERAL: I mean, this is a chance for her to introduce herself at a stage where she's never spoken before. But, you know, she's somebody -- it's a simple task for her relatively. She has to talk about her herself introduce herself from her background, the life experiences that led her here. At the same time, this isn't about her, this is about us, and there's a collective excitement palpable thing out there that's happening right now. And I think that the challenge for her is to connect it. What's happening right now in the electorate. It's not about her. It's really about us.
TAPPER: Interesting.
And, Jasmine, some of your sources are telling you that Harris, quote, feels a lot of pressure understandably so in this moment, what's her process for dealing with pressure? I mean, she's had a lot of high stakes moments in her career, but nothing like this.
JASMINE WRIGHT, POLITICS REPORTER, NOTUS: Yeah, nothing like this, but it is actually pretty extensive, the way that she's prepared herself to these moments. It's a lot of going back and forth with aides. Rohini has been one of them in that room sometimes pitching ideas, pitching to her. She's putting into them, trying to work out the language that eventually we hear in these high pressure moments.
But I wanted to just put another point on it that that pressure is not just because she's going to be in this huge room with all these people at this high-stakes moment, but its also the pressure of being the first Black woman, that really weighs on her in these moments and trying not to be the last, I think that when we talk about her motivation, that's a huge part of it.
TAPPER: Rohini, you served in a lot of different roles throughout her career. There have been times that she didn't quite achieve what you wanted to achieve. Obviously, she dropped out of the 2020 race back in 2019.
What has she learned from her mistakes?
ROHINI KOSOGLU, FORMER DOMESTIC POLICY ADVISER TO VP HARRIS: Well, I think what you're going to hear tonight is someone that's going to talk about their middle-class upbringing, what it all means to them. A lot of times we've talked about her taking on the big banks, taking on big pharma, taking on big oil. And now we get to hear from the vice president what led to all of this, what led to this career where she's been fighting for the middle class for Americans, and how does she want to define herself in terms of making sure that people have more opportunity, not less, moving forward to the future.
TAPPER: Do you think -- is the Harris we've seen? I have to say -- one of the most impressive things that she's ever done has been the last four weeks and four days. I mean, that's not meant as a slam, but like that was -- people -- like what people forget, Biden dropped out. There was all this talk of an open primary, in an open convention and this and that. And it was done, like real quick and she's been very confident on the
stump. Is that the Kamala Harris you've always known or is she even better at this than she was?
KOSOGLU: There's no question that she's obviously risen to the occasion, but I think what you'll hear tonight as somebody that's able to talk about her whole career, put all the pieces together so that America understands that the Kamala Harris, that they see on stage is the same Kamala Harris is going to be fighting for them behind closed those doors to make sure that the middle class and people in America, that she's fighting for them.
TAPPER: You have 15 seconds. Same question to you. Is this -- is this wow, or is this no, this is -- this is who I know?
BROKAW: I think anyone who's known her for a long time is not at all surprised. She's someone who is able to tune out the noise in a way like very few people. So we're not at all surprised. People have noted for a while, and I'm glad the American people are getting to know the same Kamala Harris.
WRIGHT: As somebody that's been covering her for six years, I'm absolutely surprised. She's absolutely resistant occasions. She's an absolute evolution for her. And I think that people like Brian, like Rohini field that when she's in these high pressure moments that she rises to that. And so I'm really curious to see if were going to see that tonight.
TAPPER: Well, I say I've been covering ever since she was an attorney general and --
WRIGHT: OK.
TAPPER: -- I did not know that she had this inner. I'll just say. That she's -- it's been very impressive. It's not meant as a slam.
WRIGHT: No.
TAPPER: It's just like it's been pretty impressive. Thanks one and all.
We're going to go back to the convention floor in Chicago in just a moment. Stay with us.
(COMMRECIAL BREAK)
[16:59:03]
TAPPER: We're back here in Chicago. Just about an hour until the final night of the Democratic National Convention kicks off.
Let's check in with our friend and colleague, Sara Sidner, who's on the floor there -- Sara.
SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Jake, make no mistake. Tonight is Kamala Harris's night. This will be the biggest moment so far in her political career.
But it is also a big night for Democrats, perhaps the second biggest night following when Joe Biden dropped out of the race. And thirdly, it's California's night and you best believe all the heavy hitters, all the big legislators are here just behind me.
I want you to show this man's really creative hat.
Sir, will you do a spin for us? Look at this.
That's Kamala --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want with the mayor and you wan with me.
SIDNER: Yes, I want -- I want your hat. You've done this to yourself, sir. You've done this to yourself.
Turn around, give us a spin, there it is, and then you've got the Harris-Walz 2024 on the back, very creative.
Now, when he said --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've made it with the Christmas ornaments, you have Kamala.
SIDNER: You've made it with the Christmas ornaments. I'm impressed.
