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V.P. Candidate Walz Takes DNC Stage Tonight; Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) is Interviewed about the DNC; Fmr. Pres. Trump and V.P. Candidate Vance to Speak in North Carolina; Night Two of DNC. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired August 21, 2024 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: On immigration. We have also seen Republican - Democrats, especially in the last year, in talk - in becoming more hawkish, more aggressive, more on offense when it comes to border security. Do you have a concern that there could be a view that while moving more towards, I'm just going to use the broad strokes language, more to the right on immigration and border security, that could threaten support on the left?

FRANKIE MIRANDA, CEO AND PRESIDENT, HISPANIC FEDERATION: Well, what we found in our survey is that when we ask the question about who is going to provide a humane treatment to immigrants that are already here, which candidate is going to provide a solution to a broken immigration system, which is the candidate that will represent the interests of the immigrant community, by far Kamala Harris is coming above Donald Trump in our survey. So, what we're seeing is that Latinos understand that the traits and the policies that are humane, that is about family unification, that is about the values of our community are trending much, much higher with Kamala Harris.

This is an opportunity also because doing our poll we also find that because of the short term of these new announcements, many Latino still want to hear more about policy, policy platform, for Kamala Harris ticket. So, this is the opportunity to solidify that and to give some of the answers that our people are looking for. But by far, when it comes to traits and policy about our broken immigration system, Kamala Harris fairs much better.

LUIS MIRANDA, JR. LATINO VICTORY BOARD CHAIRMAN: And one other -

BOLDUAN: And this is - go ahead.

L. MIRANDA: And one other thing that it's also clear, it's the U.S. Latinos for immigration. They're people who are concerned about the border. In fact, 20 percent of Latinos said they were concerned about what's happening in the border. But the same amount were concerned about a path to legalization for the millions who are here without papers because we know that when Trump talks about mass deportation, he's going to round up all of us.

We live in communities where you don't know who has papers and who doesn't. They're going to be looking at us by the color of our skin. And that's how they're going to make determinations.

BOLDUAN: And when you've got - I mean, and the key question will be, and we will all see it together, is what does the turnout look like? Where does the support land when from 2016 he was - Donald Trump had 28. Obviously, Democrats had far more. But as you've seen this gain amongst Latino support for Republicans, specifically Donald Trump in the last two cycles, and we will see what that turnout and what that support looks like this time.

Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming in.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Hello, everyone. I'm John Berman, with Sara Sidner in Chicago. Kate Bolduan is in New York.

And while we are keeping track of who people are and where they are, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is also here in Chicago because this is his day at the convention.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: That is correct. But first, John, I am surprised we still have a roof over our head because Michelle Obama blew most of it off with her speech and then her husband, Barack Obama, took care of the rest. Back to back to back moments from the former president and first lady sent convention goers into a frenzy, laughing, clapping, crying, cheering. We will show you some of the many moments all hour long.

But first, the person who kicked off the hype of this convention in a way that none other had, the award goes to Georgia's son, Lil Jon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIL JON: Yeah! Ladies and gentlemen, we are here tonight to officially nominate Kamala Harris for president. (INAUDIBLE). Turn out (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: I feel like dancing, but my bones hurt. No sleep.

CNN senior political analyst, Mark Preston, is joining us now.

That was just a whole new DNC vibe from Lil Jon there, and he really set the tone for the night.

MARK PRESTON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: No question about that. He took this arena here and electrified it last night. It set the stage, as you noted, for Michelle Obama and Barack Obama to come in and provide some definition to what we've seen in this excitement for the Democratic Party over the past 30 days.

Now, we know Barack Obama is so good at delivering speeches. But it was his wife, as you noted, who tore the roof off last night.

Let's listen to what she had to say. [09:05:02]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: If they lie about her, and they will, we've got to do something.

CROWD: Do something.

OBAMA: If we see a bad poll, and we will, we got to put down that phone and do something.

CROWD: Do something.

OBAMA: If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our face and, what?

CROWD: Do something.

OBAMA: We only have two-and-a-half months, y'all, to get this done.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: So, as I talk about giving direction and definition to this excitement, Democrats 30, 35 days ago were in a totally different situation, as we all recall. The excitement behind Joe Biden's candidacy was just not there. We are seeing that now with Kamala Harris.

I have to say, though, I got to tell you, it would be exhausting to be in the middle of a fight between Michelle Obama in Barack Obama, because they're both good orators. I mean I wouldn't - I wouldn't know how to deal with that. But I've got to tell you what, the excitement that the Democrats have been building up over the past month or so, it is now here as we stand in Chicago.

SIDNER: Former President Obama knows exactly how to deal with it. You bow down. That's what you do.

PRESTON: Yes.

SIDNER: And that's what he did last night. He was like, oh, I'm the guy that has to follow Michelle Obama. This is hard.

BERMAN: Mark Preston, great to see you. Thank you very much.

With us now here is Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, Democrat from New Jersey.

Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

You've been here with us for a few minutes watching. And when we said that today is Governor Tim Walz, his day, I saw you nodding. What are you looking forward to? What do you need to hear from the governor? REP. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): Oh, my gosh. I think - I just want to hear

from the governor what I've been hearing from the governor. He is such a great public servant, which speaks to my own heart as a veteran. He served for 24 years in the National Guard, 20 years as an educator, a football coach who thought that it was his job as the macho football coach who won the state championship to make sure he was taking care of all the kids and formed the Gay Straight Alliance at his high school. I mean there's just not much this guy doesn't offer. And I want to hear it all tonight. I am so excited to hear from him.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: You brought up the fact that, you know, he's a veteran, he's a coach, he's a - he's a - wears a lot of hats, a governor.

BERMAN: And a lot of flannel.

SIDNER: And a lot of flannel, apparently. His wife confirming that he still had a lot of those shirts and that they have been worn. But there has been an attack after an attack after an attack about his time serving. And a few different things that they have gone after about some of the things he has said and about leaving when he did after 24 years of service. What do you think that that has done? Has that resonated with the public? Because only about, what, 1 percent of the people in the United States, the citizens here, actually do serve, never mind enlist.

SHERRILL: Yes. You know, I don't think it takes serving in our military to understand that somebody who devoted 24 years to the National Guard, who did so while his kids were young, who year after year really took care of the men and women in the National Guard, and then decided not to simply retire, as he would have been -

SIDNER: As he could have.

SHERRILL: Yes, as he certainly could have, as many people do after 20 years in our military. But to actually then go on to serve again in Congress, to serve on the - the Veterans Affairs Committee. And I - I just - I mean, Tim Walz is someone so special. I have to tell you, here, as a New Jersey congresswoman, I - I did not know - I needed someone raised on a farm to be our vice president. But, man, I feel great about it. I am so excited.

SIDNER: I love it.

BERMAN: One of the things that's interesting is, though she has been vice president for four years, and in the public eye for a few more years than that, in the polls people say they still need to know more. They would like to know more about Vice President Harris. What do you think needs to be conveyed here in the next two nights? What's missing?

SHERRILL: I think - I think people need to see what so many of us have seen for years. When I was at the Munich Security Conference for the past two years, to see Kamala Harris take the stage, to see her stand before our allies and our adversaries allies around the world, to see her own that stage, and to see the respect that she has garnered from people across the world with her impassioned defense of democracy, her impassioned defense of U.S. values, to know that even as - as I was there at the Munich Security Conference with Nancy Pelosi, with a lot of our generals and - and NATO allies, that she was behind the scenes negotiating for the release of the prisoners from Putin with Chancellor Scholz. So, we see somebody who has that gravitas. I want the rest of the world to see it.

SIDNER: Congressman Sherrill, thank you so much for getting up early and coming and hanging out with us this morning.

SHERRILL: I - I don't know if people at home realize what a marathon the Democratic National Convention is.

[09:10:03]

I - I left early at a Jersey event last night, and early meant that I was leaving at one in the morning. So, yes, I hear you. I'm doing a lot of coffee.

SIDNER: Is this harder than boot camp, you think?

SHERRILL: But maybe less sleep. Maybe less sleep.

SIDNER: I feel like it might be.

SHERRILL: My daughter just went through some boot camp training and maybe a little less sleep here. She wouldn't agree.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

BERMAN: Congresswoman, great to see you. Thank you very much.

SHERRILL: Thanks so much.

BERMAN: Kate.

SIDNER: Over to you, Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, thanks, guys. So, after years of pushing conspiracy theories about Barack Obama, throwing insults at his family, Donald Trump sounds different today. I want to play what he said to CNN's Kristen Holmes about the former president while campaigning in Michigan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I like him. I think he's a nice gentleman. But he was very, very weak on trade. If you take a look at what happened to our country trade wise, it was a disaster. The - take a look at Japan. Take a look at China. Take a look at what happened with some of these countries, what they did.

But I happen to like him. I respect him and I respect his wife.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BOLDUAN: Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail again today, making - continuing his tour of battleground states. Today he'll be in North Carolina, along with his running mate, J.D. Vance.

And CNN's Alayna Treene is tracking this for us.

Alayna, what are you expecting from Donald Trump today? And what do you make of what he said about Obama?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, I'm going to start with your second part of that question. I mean it was remarkable to hear what he told Kristen Holmes. Of course, those comments came before the Obamas took the stage last night and lobbed their own criticisms at the former president.

But it's very different. I mean, honestly, a complete turnaround from the rhetoric we have come to expect from Donald Trump when it comes to the Obamas. Of course, he had long claimed that - or tried to undermine Obama's legacy, claimed that he had - or blamed him really, I should say, for some of the problems that Trump faced when he was president. And, of course, he was one of the biggest promoters of the birther conspiracies against Obama, essentially having asserted for years that perhaps he wasn't eligible to be president. So, a very different tune from Donald Trump when it came to Barack Obama yesterday.

But I do want to turn your attention to what we expect from Donald Trump today. He is back on the campaign trail. Of course, this is part of his weeklong sprint to try and counter program against Harris, even though, Kate, I can tell you from my conversations with Trump's senior advisers that they recognize they're not getting a lot of media attention this week. That's why they're actually holding their events earlier in the day at 3:00 p.m. rather than when you normally see Trump, which is around primetime. They recognize they can't compete with some of the high profile speakers lined up this week at the convention.

But today he will be in - he will be with Vance in Asheoro, North Carolina. What's fascinating about this is that this is Donald Trump's third stop in North Carolina since Joe Biden ended his campaign roughly a month ago. Which, again, for someone like Donald Trump, who doesn't campaign as often as a traditional presidential candidate, that is huge. And I think it underscores how important they view this state.

Remember, Donald Trump and Joe Biden were very close in North Carolina in 2020. Joe Biden lost by roughly 74,000 points, which was pretty remarkable. So, this is a state that they really want to make sure that they can win, particularly with Harris kind of closing the polls in that state.

So, you're going to see a big push on that. They're talking about national security. You're going to try to see Donald Trump stay on message. We'll see if he succeeds.

Kate. BOLDUAN: Exactly. We shall see together.

It's great to see you, Alayna. Thank you.

Coming up for us, happening just blocks from the Democratic Convention site right now, and escaped inmate who had barricaded himself inside a restaurant has now just been caught. An update on that very scary situation coming up.

And there's new video in showing the moments before a yacht sank after it was hit by what's been described as a freak storm. Search teams bringing in special equipment now to continue searching for the six people that are still missing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:18:35]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG EMHOFF, HUSBAND OF VP KAMALA HARRIS: With your help, she will lead with joy and toughness, with that laugh and that look, with compassion and conviction. She'll lead from the belief that wherever we come from, whatever we look like, we're strongest when we fight for what we believe in, not just against what we fear. Kamala Harris was exactly the right person for me at an important moment in my life. And at this moment, in our nation's history, she is exactly the right president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: And Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff explained how that meeting happened with the words, hey, its Doug.

BERMAN: The voicemail.

SIDNER: Hi. How are you? Making the case that his wife's greatest strength, though, is her empathy, but that she has no problem standing up to bullies.

Emhoff also talked about one of the things he loves most about his wife, her laughter. Something that Donald Trump, not so keen on.

Up tonight, Harris' VP pick, Governor Tim Walz, Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Pete Buttigieg.

Here to discuss, our CNN political commentators, Scott Jennings and Ashley Allison.

None of us have had sleep, so that's no experience at all.

BERMAN: But no one's complained about it during the break at all either.

SIDNER: Not at all.

ASHLEY ALLISON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Except for me.

SIDNER: We all did. Trust.

Let me start with you.

[09:20:00]

What stood out the most? I know what you're going to - I don't even know why I'm asking you this question, but what stood out? What will stay with you long after this convention is over?

ALLISON: Well, I mean, Lil Jon coming down and performing was pretty -

SIDNER: Turned down for what.

ALLISON: Turned down for what. That was like, great.

But just from like a political trolling aspect, Kamala Harris filled an arena with tens of thousands of people. And she wasn't even in the building. And then she was like, I'm actually going to go where Donald Trump gave his convention and I'm going to fill that also. And then I'm going to beam in. I thought that was pretty baller. Like, it was a boss move. And for - particularly if it was like it's - any other candidate it wouldn't matter. But the fact that Donald Trump is obsessed with crowd size, she was like, I'll show you a crowd. I'll build two for you. So, I thought that was cool.

I mean my forever boss, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, wonderful. But I'll say this, there were some people I were - I was with that had never seen Barack Obama speak in person. And they're Democrats. And you'd think that everyone has seen him because he was president twice, for eight years he traveled around the country doing rallies. There are still some people in this country that have never seen the great order of Barack Obama. And they got to see it last night.

And then Michelle Obama, you know, she did what she did.

BERMAN: So, Scott, what specifically, besides Van Jones dancing -

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You got to check it out. It was pretty special.

SIDNER: He's the photographer behind Van Jones dancing to Lil Jon. It's a whole thing.

BERMAN: What did you see from a political standpoint that you think should be of concern to Republicans for the next 70 plus days?

JENNINGS: Well, the Obamas were powerful speakers. I mean there's no doubt. I actually wonder if they should have put one on one night and one on the other because they're - I mean it's like having two Jordans on your team and, you know, having them both at the same time.

I - so, they had a - they had this place rocking. I said last night, we had Hulk-a-mania. They have Obama-mania. And these Democrats who were down and out, feeling depressed, you know, not - not believing they even had a chance to win, all of a sudden now feel like they have a chance to win, and they feel like they've got their old bad back together that delivered, obviously, the Obamas two terms.

I think - so, I think my message for Republicans would be, look, these Democrats are serious. I mean they're not leaving anything on the field and they're energized and you're in a much different race than you were coming out of Milwaukee.

That having been said, I still think Donald Trump can win and I still think it's an extremely close race. It's just the mindset of being down, being - feeling like you have no chance. To go from that to feeling like, we just tied the game at the bottom of the ninth. That's a powerful sort of human emotion, the feeling of hope, like, and momentum. You could see that the Democrats have that here. So, as a political matter, they've achieved it. They still haven't solved for the issue of, well, Kamala's in the White House right now. What has she done about the problems and so on and so forth.

But if they were looking to achieve a momentum shift just for how Democrats are feeling, I think the Obamas delivered it.

SIDNER: Ashley, I am curious about what's going to happen after this. And Michelle Obama spoke to this a couple of times. In fact, she had the crowd chanting with her, do somethings.

ALLISON: Yes.

SIDNER: What is the something that must be done in order for her to get her wish of Kamala Harris as president, Tim Walz as vice president?

ALLISON: Volunteer, register voters, drive people to the polls, make phone calls, knock on doors, talk to your neighbors, talk to your friends. Don't take any vote for granted.

I started my political career as an organizer, which is not the glamorous stuff. It's not being on television. It's talking to your neighbors. It's doing the work. It's doing something.

And I do agree with Scott, this is a - I mean we're in -

SIDNER: Wait, what? Wait, hold up. Did you just say do agree with Scott? Are we bringing the people together?

ALLISON: You know, every full moon or so it comes around.

JENNINGS: There was one this week.

ALLISON: Yes, that's why I - yes, every full moon I agree with Scott, you know -

SIDNER: It was a blue moon, so very rare.

ALLISON: Right. Right. You know how people start acting a little wacky on full moons. But, no, the do something is organize. And I thought it was great that the Obamas talked about it because the Obamas brought in people like me who didn't understand how you get into politics. I was a teacher when I started - when I changed my career and started working for the Obamas because we want to be a part of something. And that's what's happening with Kamala Harris. People want to be a part of it. They want to be in the moment.

And then they're like, well, what do I do? Well, you talk to your neighbors. You talk to the people in your community. You tell the story of yourself so they can tell their story. Organize and convert that to votes. That's the something. All of this is great, but it doesn't matter if it doesn't convert to votes, and that's what she was talking about.

BERMAN: Kate Bedingfield was with us earlier and she said something about the framing that the Obamas used, that it was less a threat to democracy, which is something that President Biden leaned into directly, and more of a threat to civility?

JENNINGS: Yes.

BERMAN: And I've been thinking about that, trying to distinguish it.

[09:25:00]

And I do think there might be a difference there, Scott. And might that be more effective for Democrats going forward? I think it was what - what Nikki Haley - well, I mean, Nikki Haley wasn't calling Trump a threat to democracy, she was calling him a threat to civility. She lost. But there are those Nikki Haley voters out there.

JENNINGS: Yes, they did try to speak to that. I mean they also had their amount of snark as well. I mean Obama, while decrying polarization in the country, did make a you know what joke, you know, during his speech, which, fine.

BERMAN: It was a single entendre I likened it -

JENNINGS: Yes.

BERMAN: Yes.

JENNINGS: But, yes, I likened it to - they were sort of trying to pit the politics of compassion versus the politics of combat.

Now, the country is angry. And there are people who do want combat because they're put out with the government. They don't think the government can help. Obama talked about this. There are people who don't believe the government can help or that the government is inherently corrupt. And there are a lot of Americans who feel like, after everything they've been through economically, that that is exactly the condition they're in.

And so what I think the Obamas are betting on is that there's slightly more than 50 percent of the people that will go for this, and then there's slightly less than 50 percent that will go for the politics to come.

I don't know who's going to be right, but to me it is a stark contrast. But I do think there are a lot of Americans who don't want to - I mean they don't want to hear it because they feel like they have been absolutely beaten down for years between Covid and inflation and everything else. And they're not here to be uplifted. They're, here to be rescued. And that - that will be, I think, how Trump tries to combat it.

BERMAN: Scott Jennings, Ashley Allison, take this moment where you agree.

SIDNER: We are the world.

JENNINGS: Hi, friend.

BERMAN: Spend some time - you guys go for a nice walk together. Enjoy the morning.

SIDNER: She eye-rolled hard to that.

BERMAN: Here's the thing -

JENNINGS: I will send you a nice fruit basket, Ashley. I love it.

BOLDUAN: I love you guys.

SIDNER: You know what, Kate, look at this.

BOLDUAN: I thought we were -

SIDNER: Look at us bringing us together. We're bringing people together.

ALLISON: Look at what Obama did.

SIDNER: Oh, there she did it.

BOLDUAN: I feel so - I feel so close. I feel so close to you guys.

SIDNER: You are here in our hearts, Kate.

BOLDUAN: We're so - we are so together.

SIDNER: You're here in our heart.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

SIDNER: Love you.

BOLDUAN: Let's - we'll be right back to you guys.

Also this, tonight Minnesota governor, now VP nominee, Tim Walz will take center stage, accepting his party's nomination. He got one major endorsement last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I love this guy. Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics.

You can tell those - those flannel shirts he wears don't come from some political consultant, they come from his closet. And they have been through some stuff. They have been through some stuff, that's right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:00]