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Pennsylvania Nuns Falsely Accused Of Voter Fraud; Harris To Focus On Reproductive Rights At Houston Rally; Harris On Trump Calling U.S. the "Garbage Can Of The World". Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired October 25, 2024 - 14:00   ET

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

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: A Texas two-step with just 11 days until the election, both candidates targeting the Lone Star State today on two very different issues. Kamala Harris taking on reproductive rights as Donald Trump talks about immigration. We are live on the campaign trail.

Plus, a blockbuster move in a truly blockbuster case. The LA district attorney officially recommending that a judge reconsider the life sentences for the Menendez brothers nearly 30 years after being convicted of murdering their parents. District Attorney George Gascon will be joining us live this hour to talk about what happens next.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: And a group of nuns in Pennsylvania are fighting back after a Republican operative falsely accused them of voter fraud. The monastery is now speaking out and one of those accused nuns is going to join us live.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN News Central.

BERMAN: And we begin this hour with a show down in Texas. Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are campaigning in this reliably red state, but they have two very different messages out there on the campaign trail.

Any minute now, we're expecting Trump to be speaking in Austin on immigration and border security as he uses these final days of the election to amplify his anti-immigration rhetoric. And then later, he's going to be sitting down for an interview with the very popular podcaster Joe Rogan in a push for even more young male voters.

SANCHEZ: Meantime, Vice President Kamala Harris is going to lean into the issue of abortion rights with a rally in Houston where music superstars Beyonce and Willie Nelson are going to join her on stage. Our correspondents are now with us with more first, the CNN Steve Contorno, who's traveling with this Trump campaign in Austin.

Steve, obviously, an issue that Donald Trump has staked his entire campaign on, immigration. It's one that he's polled well on. What can we expect to hear from him when he takes the podium? STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Well, the Trump campaign basically

saying anything you can do, I can do better. So if you're going to hold a rally in Houston, I'm going to have an event ahead of you in Austin. And that is what he is doing here today. His campaign believes that if the Vice President wants to come to Texas, the biggest border state, then they want to be able to put the issue of immigration front and center. And that is what they will be doing with this event today. You can take a look at the signage behind me. It says, end migrant crime. It also says deport illegals now.

Donald Trump very much believes this is the number one priority for this country. And he previewed that message yesterday at a speech in Arizona. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (R) AND CURRENT U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're a dumping ground. We're like a garbage can for the world. That's what's happened to a -- we're like a garbage can. You know, it's the first time I've ever said that. And every time I come up and talk about what they've done to a country, I get angrier and angrier. First time I've ever said garbage can. But you know what? It's a very accurate description.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Talking to local Republicans here and some of the Texas- based reporters, they never expected the presidential race to come to the Lone Star State, but yet here we do have it, with just a little over a week before the election, both Donald Trump and Vice President Harris are here. We hope this be hear from Donald Trump shortly. We're told he will be speaking any moment now.

BERMAN: All right. And we will be listening very closely to that. Steve Contorno in Austin, Texas, thank you so much. CNN Senior White House Correspondent MJ Lee is with us now.

So MJ, Texas, of course, is not a battleground state. Yet, we fight in both candidates there. And Harris thinks that despite the fact that she almost certainly won't win that state, there's a message that's going to resonate not just there but across the country.

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. You know, the shorthand for tonight that I've heard from some campaign officials is the location is Texas, but the audience is the battleground states. Look, we have 11 days to go. A lot of states are actually already doing early voting.

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And the voters that the campaign would most like to reach right now are the voters who are in the middle of this decision-making process, and ultimately convince them that the vision that Harris is presenting is better than Donald Trump's America. And that's exactly why they've chosen Texas for tonight's rally for the Vice President to talk about the issue of reproductive rights. This has been an issue that she has been out front on for a number of years. Democrats very much believe that this is one of the most politically salient issues that can mobilize voters. And on stage with her tonight will be some families, including women, of course, who will tell their stories of what they say have been devastating experiences that they went through in the post Roe v. Wade world.

They're essentially going to try to say, look, we went through all of this because of Donald Trump. Now, that is a message, of course, that we are used to hearing from the Harris campaign, including in a number of recent political ads.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: For 54 years, they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated. And I did it.

WOMAN #1: He did it.

WOMAN #2: It was pretty devastating.

WOMAN #3: He is bragging.

WOMAN #4: Bragging about the rights that he stole from American women.

WOMAN #5: And Trump is promising to do more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Now, in addition to persuasion, the other thing that the campaign is urgently trying to do right now in this final stretch is just getting people out to vote. No bigger celebrity than Beyonce to try to help with that effort. They're hoping that this musical performance is going to translate not only to eyeballs, but eventually just convincing people. Yeah, it's worth your time to get out and actually vote this cycle.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. I want to let our viewers know we're actually going to be speaking to one of those women who shared her personal story of how the restrictionist policy in Texas affected her and her health a little bit later this afternoon. So stay tuned for that. MJ Lee, thank you so much.

Let's get some perspective now with Lance Trover, former spokesperson for Doug Burgum's 2024 presidential campaign, and former Democratic Senator of California, Barbara Boxer. Thank you both for being with us.

Barbara, I wanted to ask you about something that MJ mentioned. And that's the approach from the Harris campaign, the belief that it's not about the location necessarily, but it is about the audience. How does this event tonight in Texas translate specifically in those blue wall states in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania? BARBARA BOXER, FORMER DEMOCRATIC SENATOR OF CALIFORNIA: It's going to

be very effective because, you know, I've been around for a long time and now, it's very different. When you went -- when you were a presidential candidate and you went to one state, no one else paid attention. But now, everyone pays attention. And the fact that she's going into Texas where there's a very tight Senate race, Ted Cruz versus Allred, this is really very close, like one point race.

The fact that she's going to show what has happened in Texas since the Trump ban and he takes credit for it. I just checked it. Pregnancy deaths rose by 56% in Texas after their abortion ban. This is real. So every woman in America, in every state, has to pay attention. And every man who cares about a woman should vote for Kamala Harris.

BERMAN: Lance, the former President has been spending a remarkable amount of time not in swing states in the past few weeks, whether it's California, Colorado. He's got a rally in New York this weekend. Do you think that going to Texas is the right move for him in these waning days? And do you think that emphasizing immigration so much in these last few days is the right play?

LANCE TROVER, FORMER SPOKESPERSON FOR DOUG BURGUM'S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: I mean, take a look at the CNN poll that came out today. I mean, it's the number two issue. It's consistently the number two issue, whether it's the Wall Street Journal poll, the CNN poll, you name it.

In today's CNN poll, he leads on that issue by 16 points. And that is the double-edged sword for Kamala Harris going to Texas given all her issues on the border that she has had over the last three and a half years. So yeah, I think it makes a lot of sense for them to be down there. And look, I think the other issue here is the question of what is the Harris campaign's final message in the closing weeks of this campaign. We started this week with her saying Donald Trump is a fascist, Donald Trump is Hitler. Now, today she's in -- according to the New York Times, looking for a viral moment in Texas on this abortion issue.

Well, campaigns who are looking for viral moments 12 days out of an election, that tells me they don't have a concise like message to voters to hand out there. And that's why she continues to struggle in the polls.

SANCHEZ: You don't think that going on Joe Rogan is perhaps seeking a viral moment for Donald Trump?

TROVER: I wouldn't say it's as much seeking a viral moment. You're speaking to a mass audience. It's no different than whether she goes on Call Her Daddy. They are actively, according to the New York Times, seeking some viral moment at this event with Beyonce.

And I'm just saying when I hear that -- I do a lot of campaigns. When I hear that from candidates during a viral moment, they're usually struggling.

SANCHEZ: It just sort of speaks to, I think, the desire for Trump to reach low propensity male voters. Is there any concern that -- are they seeing anything, perhaps, in the polling that indicates that those young men may not show up in the numbers that they're hoping they will?

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TROVER: I think they certainly need -- they obviously need low propensity young men voters to turn out. There's no question about it. But if you look at the CNN poll today, I mean, Axios was reporting this morning that Democrats are really starting to be concerned about the Harris campaign. It's not because of the head to head numbers, it's because of those underlying numbers that economy, Donald Trump leads by double digits, again, immigration leads by 16 points. And it's a generic ballot of R+3 (ph). That's why the Democrats are starting to get concerned in the waning days of this campaign.

BERMAN: Senator Boxer, when you hear those numbers that Lance was just reciting, do you think that the Biden-Harris campaign should have done something sooner so that they are less open perhaps to these kinds of attacks?

BOXER: I say we're going to win this campaign. And this thing about seeking a viral moment, how about this viral moment? Hitler did some good things. That's Donald Trump. How about this one? America is a garbage can. Now, I'll tell you how someone could support that. Somebody as smart as the guest on your show is remarkable to me.

What did Hitler do right? He built up-to-date concentration camps and killed so many human beings. What did Putin do right? So, you know, let me tell you something, I think there is a secret women's vote for Kamala Harris. I think that the Trump people are scared to death of it. There's a big young person's vote for Kamala Harris. I am so glad she's going to Texas. and I think Beyonce and Willie Nelson, that unites the country around her. That's how I feel.

SANCHEZ: Lance, I want to give you a chance to respond. I just want to let everyone know that we are set to hear from Vice President Harris in just moments. She's going to gaggle with reporters. So we'll bring that to you as it happens. What would you say to Senator Boxer?

TROVER: Well, look, I respect the senator and her service to her country. But I mean, look, I'm talking about what we see across America. So she wants to disparage me. She's disparaging at least 50% of this country that's supporting and voting for Donald Trump right now. That's what I would say back to that.

SANCHEZ: And how about the --

BOXER: I don't disparage anyone. I'm just saying look in your heart, look in your soul, and just do what you do, you know?

SANCHEZ: When it comes to the comments like the United States is -- I'm going to have to hold that thought. Let's go to Vice President Kamala Harris in Houston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (D) AND U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And we are here to really highlight that, sadly, the elected leaders of Texas, a lot of them, have made Texas ground zero in this fundamental fight for the freedom of women to make decisions about their own body.

So tonight, we will be discussing the impact of that, not only to the women of Texas and their families, but to people around the country because of Trump abortion bans. And I do believe it is critically important to acknowledge that this is not just a political debate. This is not just some theoretical concept. Real harm has occurred in our country. A real suffering has occurred. People have died. And it is important to highlight this issue because this is among the most critical issues that the American people will address when they vote for who will be the next president of the United States.

So I will be talking about the harm. I will be talking about those who have been directly impacted. And I will also tonight be talking with the American people about the power that you, the American people, have to make a decision about the future course of our country. And do we all agree that there are just certain decisions the government should not be making for individuals and their families?

I also do want to address the comment that Donald Trump made about America being the trash can of the world, whatever he said. Something along those lines. You know, it's just another example of how he really belittles our country. This is someone who is a former President of the United States who has a bully pulpit. And this is how he uses it to tell the rest of the world that somehow, the United States of America is trash.

And I think, again, the President of the United States should be someone who elevates, discourse, and talks about the best of who we are, and invests in the best of who we are, not someone like Donald Trump who's constantly demeaning and belittling who the American people are. America deserves better. And I'm happy to take any questions.

WOMAN #6: Ma'am, you're here to talk about reproductive rights in Texas, not exactly a swing state in the last two weeks here. But this is an issue that a lot of voters are coming out to vote potentially for you on. But if you don't have a Congress that will codify Roe like you've been saying on the trail, what specifically is your plan to expand reproductive rights in this country?

HARRIS: Well, when Texans vote for Colin Allred for the United States Senate, we will be in a position where we actually will be closer to being able to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade.

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And as I have said, and it is my pledge, when Congress passes a bill putting back in place reproductive freedom, I will sign it into law.

WOMAN #6: But if you don't have a friendly Congress, there's no plan B? There's no other plan? HARRIS: We keep fighting. And our country, America, has a history of

understanding. We don't give up the fight for freedom. We do not give up the fight when it comes to some of the most basic freedoms any individual in our country has a right to expect, including the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.

MAN #: As Vice President, staying on Congress, Politico is reporting a House Freedom Caucus leader says that North Carolina should consider giving Trump its electors before votes are counted because the Helene damage was in predominantly Trump counties. What's your reaction to language like that?

HARRIS: America deserves to have leaders who respect the importance of one of the pillars and foundations of our democracy, which is free and fair elections, and that they are not manipulated by elected leaders for the sake of their own political future or their own political strategy for how they themselves want to succeed. This has to be about what's in the best interest of the American people.

And one of the big issues in this election. And in the next 11 days is do you want a president who on one hand in the former President Donald Trump, tried to undo the will of the people, incited a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol, where 140 law enforcement officers were injured and some were killed? Or do you want a president who respects the will of the people, free and fair elections, and the right of the people to make a decision about who are their leaders?

WOMAN #7: (Inaudible). Some Democrats are concerned that you've pivoted too far away from talking about the economy and really prioritizing that in these final days of the election that you could end up losing some progressive voters and some working class voters because of that. What do you say to those people, especially ones who might be concerned that, you know, doing a big closing argument speech at a place like the Ellipse, maybe leaning more into talking about the threat of Trump to democracy and not the threats that you see to the economy?

HARRIS: One of the things that I love about the American people is we can hold many thoughts at once. And one of the highest priorities for the American people right now is bringing down cost. And that is the priority of my agenda and will be the priority of my work when I'm elected president of the United States.

My priority includes fighting for our democracy, including fighting for the freedom of people to make decisions about their own body, including what we must do to speak out against threats to our democracy, what we must do to speak up in defense of our allies around the world on important international rules and norms such as sovereignty and territorial integrity. All of these issues are issues that affect and concern the American people. And I will continue to speak on all of them.

MAN #1: And Jamie Dimon wants to be a part of your Cabinet. Have you talked to him about that? And do you think should be a part of your Cabinet? HARRIS: We have 11 days to go. I do not have a Cabinet yet. And so the

decisions I am making are all about what I will be doing and what we will be doing to remind the American people of the power of their vote.

MAN #1: So you haven't thought about that yet?

HARRIS:

MAN #1: I have more question.

WOMAN #7: Madam Vice President, have you voted yet? Have you --

HARRIS: I have not voted yet, but it's on my priority list for these next few days.

WOMAN #7: Again, one quick question. Mitch McConnell and Speaker Mike Johnson put out a statement comparing rhetoric that you have been using, comparing it to the man who's accused of an attempted assassination on your opponent, Donald Trump. Do you take their criticism seriously?

HARRIS: Well, listen, we all must speak out against any form of political violence, and I'm very clear about that. No one should be the subject of violence, much less political violence. But the American people deserve to be presented with facts and the truth. And the fact and the truth is that some of the people closest to Donald Trump when he was president, generals, including most recently John Kelly, a four-star Marine general, have been very clear about the danger and the threat that Donald Trump poses to America and the fact that he is unfit to serve. And the American people deserve to hear that and know about that so they can make a decision based on what's in the best interest of themselves and their families.

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WOMAN #8: Madam Vice President --

MAN #2: (Inaudible).

WOMAN #8: -- we talked to a lot of voters, some who are undecided. And while they are turned away from Donald Trump, they also have told us that they felt like they haven't heard enough of your policies specifically. Do you feel that in your messaging in these final days of the election, you're striking the right balance against Trump and talking about the specifics of your own policy enough?

HARRIS: That is a balance that must be struck. There's no question about that. And I invite everyone who is watching to go to kamalaharris.com where you will see 80 pages of our policies on a number of issues that include, again, as my priority, what we're going to do to bring down the cost for American families, including the cost of housing, the cost of groceries, the cost of childcare, the cost of home healthcare for seniors. And I will continue to talk about also what we must do to understand the threat that Donald Trump poses to our democracy, and our future, and our security. Thank you all. WOMAN #8: Ma'am, are you ready for Beyonce?

HARRIS: More to follow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

UNKNOWM: All right. That is Vice President Kamala Harris there speaking with reporters in Houston. She's just arrived in Texas where she's going to be holding a rally tonight with Willie Nelson and Beyonce, so bringing out the star power to help her get out the vote. But the message that she kind of just previewed there was about reproductive rights, and that's what she's really going to be hitting.

Donald Trump is also in Texas, there in Austin talking about immigration. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: It's a great group of people. They love our country. Before we begin, I want to address the unconstitutional decision issued today by a radical judge appointed by Biden and just came down in Virginia illegally allowing non-citizens to vote in our elections.

In fact, a poll came out, 87% of the people disagree. So that's pretty good amount, isn't it, Ted? The outrageous decision goes against the very bedrock of our democracy. And thankfully, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who's doing a terrific job, is working hard to fix this problem. They found thousands of illegal votes. And the judge said you didn't do it in a timely fashion. They did it a long time ago.

As legal scholar Andy McCarthy just said, and very correctly, how can noncitizens be allowed on the voter rolls if they are voting is a federal crime. Constitutional Law Professor Jonathan Turley, two great guys, by the way, also notes that it is a crime to be a non-citizen voter. Removing illegal voters off the voting row should be a big priority for this country. And yet instead, we're scorned by a judge.

This is blatantly un-American and it's election interference. And Kamala Harris is behind it very much. And so I just wanted to bring that to your attention. And obviously, I mean, it's up to the Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, but I assume they're going to be appealing it. I think he's going to. And they feel very strongly about it, so we'll see how it goes.

But you have to get the confidence going for elections. When you have decisions coming down like that, where they allow people to vote that blatantly aren't qualified to vote, it's pretty sad for our country. We have enough problems with the elections. It's about confidence. We're here today in the great state of Texas, which -- I like it. I like it, which under Kamala Harris has been turned into ground zero for the largest border invasion in the history of the world. You're lucky you have your governor, and people like Ted, and Dan, and all other people, Sid (ph). Even John, who's from a different state, but he feels the same way, or you would really have problems. But you've done an amazing job under the circumstances. But the federal government is supposed to be doing that job, and it should be easy. And it's not because of the people.

But over the past four years, this state has become Kamala's staging ground to import her army of migrant gangs and illegal alien criminals into every state in America. And every state is a border state. You've heard that. It's true. Paving a trail of bloodshed, suffering, and death all across our land. And it's only getting worse. It's just incredible when you look at the numbers, 21 million people at least during this three and a half year period. And many of them, as you know, are murderers, drug dealers, people from jails. They're letting their people out of jails and bringing them right into our -- we're like a dumping ground.

What Kamala Harris has done on our border is cruel, it's vile, and it's absolutely heartless. Her policy of importing migrant gangs is a crime against our country. It's actually a crime against humanity.

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And her abolition of our border should disqualify her for even running. I mean, I don't know how you can run for the president of the United States and allow people to pour into our country. And we're talking about seriously criminal people, many of these people. And they come from all over the world. It's not just South America. They're coming in from Africa. They're coming in from the Middle East. The Congo, that's a hot place right now. A lot of people coming in from prisons in the Congo. They're coming into our country.

It's not even believable, actually, when you think. You know, you're standing up here, you're saying this stuff, John Barrasso, but you're saying this and you say to yourself, you know, is it even believable? It's sort of like, actually, in a smaller way, but still very important. Men playing in women's sports. Who would want that? But, you know, 10 years ago, you would never say that. And then you have the transgender operations all over the place, and you're saying this, and you have parental guidance, and we want our child to be parentally guided. And you have to make apologies for the fact that they're not, but they're going to be. And we're going to bring that back. We want our parents -- but, you know, if you go back 10 years or 15 years ago, if you ever made a speech like that, they'd say, this guy is crazy. What is he talking about? Those things would never happen. And they didn't happen until a certain time ago with the radical left.

No person who is responsible for so much bloodshed on our own soil can ever be allowed to become president of the United States. And I think she's coming here today. She doesn't want to go to a swing state because she's losing so badly in those states, so she decided to come to Texas. And I'm sure she'll be treated very nicely. Ted, they -- she picked the wrong place. I think she picked the wrong place. What do I know about politics? I haven't done it that long, actually.

But today, Kamala is here in Texas to rub shoulders with woke celebrities. Isn't that exciting? But she's not going to meet with any of the victims of migrant crime while she's here. We have many of them right here, the families. We have many of them. And they're incredible people. What they've gone through, the hell that they've gone through and will continue to go through unfortunately. She'll not speak to the grieving mothers from whom she has stolen the

brightest light in their lives. She was in charge of this border and she doesn't like being called border czar anymore. She didn't mind it almost four years ago. But now, she doesn't like it. But you don't need that term. She was in charge of the border. She never came here and she never made one call to these people behind me or anybody in the group, not one call. She's in charge. She deals with border patrol. She hasn't made call, not even -- not one call in four years.

So we're joined today by a Texas mom, Alexis Nungaray from Houston, a great woman. This past June -- thank you. Great one. Where is Alexis? Where is she? Come up here, Alexis. Come up here. So this past June, Alexis's 12-year-old daughter, her precious angel, as you say, Jocelyn, we all called her that. We feel we know Jocelyn. And she's had a big impact, Alexis, you know that, right? She's had a big impact. Walked to a nearby convenience store. Jocelyn was kidnapped, tied up, assaulted. And I'm not going any further than that. I'm standing with the mother. And horrible things happened to her, to that young, beautiful -- that young beautiful girl. And the animals arrested for Jocelyn's barbaric murder are two illegal aliens believed to be members of the savage Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren De Aragua. And they're all over the place now. They're all over our country. They were in Aurora, but Aurora is now the least of it. They've taken over buildings in Aurora.

The government, a radical left, Democrat, weak person, doesn't know quite what to do. He's always got a big mouth when he talks about other things, but he has no idea what to do. And they have weapons at military grade. You say, how did they get those weapons? These monsters were in border patrol custody, but under a program Kamala Harris created to abolish detention for fighting aged men, whatever that means. And give them free --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: We've been listening to former President Donald Trump speaking in Austin, Texas. He and Kamala Harris, the Vice President, both there on the same day, both exchanging criticisms. Trump here focusing on immigration. And it is an issue that has been central to each of his presidential campaigns.