Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

End Of Interview With Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA); Slow And Steady Reading From The Fed's Favorite Inflation Guage; Harris Enthusiasm Rises But Some Georgia Voters Still Skeptical; New Details About Officer Accused Of Killing Sonya Massey. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired July 26, 2024 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[14:30:00]

REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D-MA): Because, particularly for younger Americans, they are not seeing the context and the history of Israel and they are not seeing the value of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

And we need somebody who can, I think, elucidate in both moral but also practical terms the value of that relationship. I have confidence that Kamala Harris can do it.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The chairman of the Joint Chiefs yesterday said that he has not seen any details. He's sort of seemed to indicate that there really isn't a day-after plan coming from Israel. Does that concern you?

AUCHINCLOSS: Brianna, it deeply concerns me. I don't -- I'm not even looking for a day-after plan. I'm looking for a day-of plan.

There is this concept that somehow combat operations can stop and then somehow politics can start. And that, to me, is misguided and has mis- learned the lessons of Afghanistan and Iraq.

What we need to do is simultaneously take out Hamas senior leadership, marginalize Hamas militarily. And I support Israels operations to do so.

But also be working through and with Palestinians, funded and supported by Arab states, to provide local security, to start educating Palestinian youth, and also to provide avenues of economic development that give people a real alternative in life.

KEILAR: Yes. I was remiss not to mention you are -- you are a veteran. These are lessons hard learned by you and so many other members of Congress who are.

Congressman Jake Auchincloss, I appreciate your time. Thank you.

AUCHINCLOSS: Thanks for having me on.

KEILAR: And still ahead, a powerful rally for stocks. The Dow, at one point, up about 800 points after a report showed inflation looking team in the latest month but down a bit here. That's got financial markets rooting for back-to-school rate cuts. Plus, a woman shot and killed by a deputy inside her own home after she called 911. This man is now charged with murder. And as we're learning more about his troubled past, we found out it includes previous charges.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:36:41]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: So, the Commerce Department just dropped a critical inflation report today. A key index is showing price hikes are now slowing down, which could mean good news for consumers.

CNN's Matt Egan is here to break down the numbers.

Matt, it looks like Wall Street is liking what it's seeing thus far.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, Boris, Wall Street is loving this. We're seeing the Dow up about 700 points, almost 2 percent. Just a few moments ago, the Dow was up more than 800 points.

This is the Wall Street equivalent of a standing ovation. And the trigger was, yes, this inflation report. We're talking about the PCE Index. This is the Fed's preferred inflation metric.

And it showed that prices we're up by 2.5 percent over the past 12 months. That's slightly better than the month before. And that's really not all that bad when you look at things historically.

We look at the trend, we can see that this metric has really improved. A year ago, it was above 3 percent. Two years ago, it was above 7 percent. So clearly, as that chart shows, there's been a lot of progress here.

But I do want to stress that this does not mean that everything is perfect in the economy, or that life is suddenly getting cheaper. It's not. But prices are still going up, just at a more gradual pace.

No doubt, Americans are still spending more at the grocery store, on rent or on car insurance. But the good news, Boris, is that prices are no longer skyrocketing.

SANCHEZ: Yes, they're -- they're going up at a slower rate, which is nice.

Matt, what are we anticipating is going to come from the Fed meeting soon to come? And what does it mean for September? It looks like a rate cut is likely at this point?

EGAN: Yes, Boris, the Fed is meeting next week. And listen, that's been on hold for the past year. Keeping interest rates at multi-decade highs. That official say they need more confidence that inflation really is under control.

And today's report is another step in that direction. All signs are pointing to a rate cut in the near future. Probably not next week. Just a 5 percent chance priced into the market for a rate cut at the July meeting.

But look at that, 100 percent chance of an interest rate cut at the meeting after that. That's in September. That, by the way, is the final meeting before the presidential election.

And if the Fed does deliver the rate cut, that would be great news for borrowers, right? Everyone who's trying to get a mortgage, on a home equity loan, pay off credit card debt, finance the purchase of a car would catch a break.

One other point here, Boris, is that the fact that inflation has come down and that we're talking about interest rate cuts does show that the economy could be on the verge of something historic, a soft landing.

Which would mean taming inflation without causing a recession. And, Boris, that, of course, would be great news for everyone.

SANCHEZ: Yes, the soft landing that we've been eagerly anticipating for a year-and-a-half, almost two years now.

Matt Egan, from New York, thank you so much for that.

Brianna?

KEILAR: This just in. Former President Trump's former White House physician has just released a new statement about the wound on Trump's ear from the assassination attempt nearly two weeks ago.

In this letter, now -Congressman Ronny Jackson says that, based on his experience as a combat physician and his direct observation of the injury, quote, "There is absolutely no evidence that it was anything other than a bullet that struck Trump's ear."

[14:40:06]

This comes, of course, after FBI Director Christopher Wray testified yesterday that there are questions over whether Trump was actually shot or perhaps hit by shrapnel or glass.

Still ahead, we're hearing from voters in battleground, Georgia. New reporting on how they feel about Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket and why they're expecting more infighting after Biden dropped out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:45:07]

KEILAR: Before President Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, his campaign had largely written off a number of battleground states like Georgia.

Now that Vice President Kamala Harris is at the top of the ticket, some Democrats believe Georgia may be back in play. Some voters say they're still on the fence. Our Nick Valencia has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(LAUGHTER)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If the election were held today, Margarita Eberline doesn't know who she'd vote for.

(SHOUTING)

VALENCIA: The elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris in the race hasn't made things any clearer for her.

MARGARITA EBERLINE, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: No, it's not exciting to me. It's not like, oh, wow, the easy answer. It's not an easy choice for me. It still isn't.

People are assuming that because I'm a Latina woman that, oh, I'm going to be excited about her. And it's not that easy for me because I worry about character.

We had somebody that was the right hand of somebody that was not healthy who was silent about it. And that concerns me.

VALENCIA: Eberline lives in Gwinnett County, a key suburban county in a swing state where she believes her vote is more consequential than ever.

In a recent memo, Vice President Harris' campaign said it sees securing swing voters like Eberline as part of a pathway to victory.

VALENCIA (on camera): Do you think a lot of people are burned out with politics at this point?

EBERLINE: Absolutely.

VALENCIA (voice-over): In 2020, Joe Biden won Georgia by less than 12,000 votes, becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992.

But in 2024, we're finding that Democrats have their work cut out for them if they're hoping for a repeat.

VALENCIA (on camera): How has it changed your opinion seeing her as a potential nominee for the Democrats?

PING SORIANO, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: Oh, yes, 50-50.

VALENCIA: Fifty-fifty?

SORIANO: Yes.

VALENCIA: You still have to learn more and research more?

SORIANO: Yes. VALENCIA: If the election was today, you wouldn't know which way you would vote?

(LAUGHTER)

SORIANO: I am so in doubt right now. But give me a place about three months, and I'll be ready.

SHEILA HOLLEY, GEORGIA SWING VOTER: It's not like, you know, I want to vote for her because she's black. That's not the reason. This year, it's just to make sure Trump is not elected.

VALENCIA: What makes you want to vote for Trump?

VALENCIA (voice-over): Aber Martinez doesn't need any more time to make up his mind. He saw our camera and shouted, "Trump 2024."

ABER MARTINEZ, GEORGIA TRUMP VOTER: I'd rather vote for Trump, no matter what. They're going to keep bringing the liberal agenda. And I'm -- I'm not for it. I'm just sorry.

VALENCIA: For Margarita Eberline, some progressive policies are troubling. But it's Trump's rhetoric, specifically on immigration, that makes it hard for her to support him.

EBERLINE: I'm a conservative person and I just cannot make peace with anybody that uses hatred in their rhetoric, and that uses division as a strategy.

(CROSSTALK)

VALENCIA: Eberline also questions whether either outcome will even make a difference for her and her family.

EBERLINE: I'm not from a privileged background. I was the first in my family to go to college and I went to a really good university and all of that, and I feel like I've checked all the boxes.

But relatively speaking, like my life's not easy. And no matter who wins, the financial implications are not necessarily going to be easy for me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: Our biggest takeaway in talking to voters was just their overall apathy about the upcoming election. Those same voters are just not animated in say they we're four years ago.

And for (INAUDIBLE) it's been handing Joe Biden a victory here four years ago. In 2024, what's clear to us is Democrats really have their work cut out for them.

Of course, Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to change that. She's just announced that she'll be coming to the Peach State for the sixth time this year to underscore just how important Atlanta and its surrounding metro areas are for her -- Boris, Brianna? KEILAR: Yes. That is telling.

Nick Valencia, great report. Thank you for that.

[14:48:52]

And coming up, a woman shot and killed inside her own home after calling 911. What we're now learning about the former deputy who is now charged with her murder.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:53:27]

SANCHEZ: We have new details about the former Illinois deputy accused of fatally shooting a woman in her kitchen.

We've learned that Sean Grayson had worked at six different law enforcement agencies over the course of four years. He'd also been discharged from the Army.

Grayson is now being charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of Sonya Massey. Disturbing bodycam video was released this week showing the deadly encounter. He, thus far, has pleaded not guilty.

Let's get the latest from Chicago with CNN's Whitney Wild.

Whitney, what more are you learning about the case?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Boris, we have learned that there's quite a bit of detail here and several points along the timeline that are raising questions about former Deputy Grayson's experience in law enforcement.

And then just a few points along that timeline that we've learned is -- these are according to several records that CNN has obtained. First is, as you had mentioned, he worked for six different Illinois police agencies.

Additionally, at one point, while working for the Logan County Sheriff's Office, a jail inmate accused Deputy Grayson of trying to intimidate him.

In another incident -- this was in September of 2022 -- Grayson was cited for failing to stop a high-speed chase. This was after a supervisor told him to call off the chase and so he was cited for that.

Again, that was while he was working for the Logan County Sheriff's Office. Again, that was in September of 2022.

Further, Boris, we've learned that, in 2015 and 2016, he was charged with DUIs, two separate incidents, pleaded guilty to both of those charges.

[14:55:04]

This all comes, Boris, as the Massey family is really calling for a deeper investigation into how he was able to get hired by his latest agency, the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office.

And so there are many questions, again, about why he was jumping around in between all of these different agencies.

Some questions, again, that we've learned from these personnel records that were obtained by my producer, Bill Kirchhoff (ph), who is doing excellent reporting on this story.

Again, this is all coming as the Massey family is calling more broadly, Boris, for more accountability. As you can understand, this incident has completely upended their lives.

Here's a family member from earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHADIA MASSEY, COUSIN OF SONYA MASSEY: Her daughter cannot sleep at night. She's in one household. I'm in another household. For her to go to the bathroom, she has to be on Facetime. For her to get a drink of water, she has to call us before she gets out of bed.

Now, this is the hardest thing that we have ever been through as a Massey. It just breaks my heart that our family has to go through this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WILD: Boris, many more questions to answer here as this case unfolds.

Back to you.

SANCHEZ: Whitney Wild, thank you so much for the update.

Still ahead, we have new CNN reporting about the validity of claims that there are legal obstacles to Vice President Kamala Harris getting on every ballot in every state in November. We'll discuss in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)