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Donald Trump Appears at the First Day of the Republican National Convention; Trump Picks J.D. Vance as His Vice-Presidential Candidate; CNN Investigates the Actual Assassination Attempt of Donald Trump; Donald Trump Officially Becomes Republican Candidate for President; Trump's Classified Documents Case Now Dismissed By a Federal Judge. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 16, 2024 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[03:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world and to everyone streaming us on CNN Max. I'm Rosemary Church.
Just ahead, a bandaged Donald Trump arrives at the Republican National Convention, his first public appearance since the attempt on his life.
And standing by his side in the crowd, his pick for Vice President, Senator J.D. Vance from Ohio, a critic turned ally.
Plus, a CNN investigation breaks down how the assassination attempt on Donald Trump unfolded minute-by-minute.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. And we begin this hour in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Donald Trump has made his first public appearance since the attempt on his life on Saturday.
The former president appeared at the Republican National Convention with a white bandage on his ear. He's not scheduled to speak at the gathering until Thursday, but the crowd welcomed him with thunderous applause.
Earlier in the day, Trump announced his vice presidential running mate would be 39-year-old freshman Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. His memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," was a bestselling book and Netflix movie. Vance revealed what Trump said to him when he asked him to join the ticket.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He just said, look, I think we've got to go save this country. I think you're the guy who can help me in the best way. You can help me govern. You can help me win. You can help me in some of these Midwestern states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and so forth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Meanwhile, investigators say they are no closer to determining why a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at Trump's campaign rally on Saturday. Sources say they have gained access to the shooter's phone and computer, but have not found evidence of a political or ideological motive. A number of convention speakers talked about the assassination attempt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): On Saturday, the devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle, but an American lion got back up on his feet and he roared.
REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): Two days ago, evil came for the man we admire and love so much. I thank God that his hand was on President Trump.
GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD): Prior to this week, we already knew that President Donald Trump was a fighter. He is the toughest man that I have ever met. Nobody has endured more than what he has gone through. They've attacked his reputation, they impeached him, they tried to bankrupt him and they unjustly prosecuted him. But even in the most perilous moment this week, his instinct was to stand and to fight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: And in a surprise move, Judge Eileen Cannon has dismissed the classified documents case against Trump and his co-defendants. She ruled that special counsel Jack Smith's appointment was unconstitutional. The Justice Department is appealing.
With the Republican convention taking center stage, the public calls from Democrats urging Joe Biden to exit the presidential race have quieted in recent days. But several Democratic sources tell CNN that private efforts to nudge the President and his top aides continue.
[03:05:07]
Those efforts include numerous memos from seasoned Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg who claims Mr. Biden is on track to lose the election and potentially lose so big that it hurts other Democratic candidates as well.
Meantime, Mr. Biden won't say if the attempted assassination of Donald Trump has changed the trajectory of the race. The President spoke with NBC's Lester Holt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't know and you don't know either.
LESTER HOLT, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: I don't know, but it's something you've given thought to? BIDEN: No, I've thought less about the trajectory of the case than two
things. One, what his health is, that that was secure, number one. And number two, what happens from here on in terms of the kind of coverage that the President and Vice President and former President and new Vice President get in terms of, look, I've never seen a circumstance where you ride through certain rural areas of the country and people have signs there, big Trump signs with a middle sign saying F. Biden and a little kid standing there putting up his middle finger. I mean, that's the kind of stuff that is just inflammatory and a kind of viciousness. It's a very different thing than say.
Look, I really disagree with Trump's, the way he takes care of taxes, the way he has, wants a $5 trillion tax cut for people who make a lot of money next time around, doesn't focus on working class people.
HOLT: But those are policy issues and we, our history is a country that can thoroughly hash out those issues.
BIDEN: And if you notice, what do I talk about with him? The policy issues where he's dividing the country, the policy issues that relate to democracy.
HOLT: Another question, if I can, about Saturday, of course, the former President was wounded, one of his supporters died, a couple of more people were seriously injured. Was this a massive security failure?
BIDEN: I have had two meetings in the Situation Room with all the intelligence communities, the FBI, Secret Service Center, and I've asked for a totally independent analysis and we'll see what happens when that comes back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: More now on Donald Trump's surprise appearance at the convention from CNN's Kristen Holmes in Milwaukee.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It was a very emotional scene on the ground in Milwaukee, Wisconsin tonight, as former President Donald Trump walked out for the first time in public since that assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania over the weekend. He had a bandage on his ear. He looked at times softer, almost as though he was going to cry.
I spoke to a number of aides and allies, supporters, all of whom had not seen him yet, and they were shocked at what they saw. They believed that this was almost scary and also, again, incredibly emotional. There were a lot of tears in the audience here, people who felt like this was a patriotic moment.
One of the things that we had heard from a number of people he had spoken to that Donald Trump himself has said over and over again that he feels he is lucky to be alive, that he believes there was some sort of divine intervention. And talking to the people in the crowd here tonight, they think they saw that in his face. A number of them saying they think he is now a changed man.
Now, what we do know is that Donald Trump himself has been focusing on this concept of unity when he is talking to, again, aides, allies, supporters.
But whether or not that holds, that, of course, is going to be the big question moving forward. Donald Trump has not really been one to focus on unity. There have been brief moments of this in the past.
But right now, we are told that he scrapped his entire speech that he had written or at least had an idea of in his head before that shooting took place. And now he wants to focus on unity. And that was also really what we saw a lot of in the speeches today. Maybe not necessarily a big focus on the concept of unity, but really staying away from the more violent rhetoric that we have heard in months past, weeks past from a lot of these Republicans who were on the stage tonight.
Now, of course, we don't know if this is going to be the only time we see the former president before he takes the stage again on Thursday. I know that he has been eager to be interacting with supporters and allies. And that was very clear here tonight, because at one point there was the question of whether or not Donald Trump would actually come yesterday to Milwaukee. But he did show up here.
So very interesting to see how the rest of the week plays out. Of course, the big news again coming out of today was, one, the first time we're seeing him in public. And two, his announcement of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate.
Kristen Holmes, CNN, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: The White House is also reacting to Donald Trump's new vice presidential pick. President Joe Biden says he isn't surprised by J.D. Vance being added to the Republican ticket.
[03:10:07]
Speaking with NBC, the president pointed to Vance's shift in politics in recent years to align closer with Trump's platform. Here's what the president had to say while boarding Air Force One on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: He's a clone of Trump on the issues. A clone of Trump on the issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Biden campaign officials say current Vice President Kamala Harris reached out to Vance and left him a voicemail congratulating him on his selection. She hopes to meet with him at a proposed vice presidential debate, but the Trump campaign has not yet accepted the invitation. Larry Sabato is the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. He joins us now. Thanks so much for being with us.
LARRY SABATO, CENTER FOR POLITICS DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, Rosemary. Always enjoy.
CHURCH: So Donald Trump is now the official nominee for the 2024 Republican presidential race, along with his new V.P. pick, Senator J.D. Vance, as the party kicks off the start of its convention. Trump, we saw, enjoyed a hero's welcome.
His right ear bandaged after Saturday's assassination attempt. He certainly appeared much more subdued than we've ever seen him. He came with a new message of unity, which followed the same message from U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday.
How is that dual message of unity being received and is this a real shift in tone or a flash in the pan, do you think?
SABATO: Politicians are very good at reading the electorate. And they both knew that as Biden and Trump understood that after that assassination attempt and other incidents of violence that we've seen play out over the last few months and years, Americans were ready for some calmer times and for a call to quiet and peace and civility.
And so having read the public correctly, I think they both have done well in giving the public what they wanted. You know, as somebody said recently, this is still a democracy. And so therefore, it's really important to give the people what they want every now and then.
CHURCH: Yeah, indeed. And of course, previously, a never-Trump and a harsh critic of the former president calling him noxious. What would Trump's V.P. pick, J.D. Vance, bring to the table if their ticket were to win?
SABATO: Well, one thing he brings to the table is actually useful to Democrats. He, on the record, said that Trump could be America's Hitler. So it seems to me that that gives a pass to Democrats who've been comparing the authoritarian Trump to the Third Reich. I'm not saying that that's accurate. It probably is extreme.
But the fact that Trump's own running mate actually said that, as far as what he adds to the ticket, it's a generational contrast. He's 39. He would be the third youngest vice president in American history. And oddly enough, the very same age that Richard Nixon was when President Eisenhower, then General Eisenhower, chose him for the ticket in 1952.
He doesn't have much experience, but that isn't important to Trump. He ran without ever having been in public office and got elected president. So a year and a half in the Senate, a bestseller, "Hillbilly Elegy," Yale Law School, a stint in the Marines, and there you have your nominee. I don't know that it brings much beyond that, because J.D. Vance is from Ohio, and Ohio is guaranteed Republican. It's now solidly Republican.
And I don't think being from Ohio really appeals that much in Minnesota or Wisconsin or Michigan or Pennsylvania. So, you know, it is what it is.
CHURCH: And what was your overall sense of the whole tone of the first day of the Republican National Convention?
SABATO: I never thought I would live to see even a bit of sweetness and light at really either convention, but particularly the Republican convention in the Trump age. But you hardly knew that this was the Donald Trump of 2016 or 2020 or since 2020. But again, I think that was appropriate and it read the public correctly. It is a shock to the system, because I don't think we're ready necessarily for a civil Donald Trump. But maybe we're going to get that.
CHURCH: And then, of course, on the other side of politics, in an interview with NBC Monday, President Joe Biden admitted his earlier use of the word bullseye in a comment about Trump was a mistake as he tried to fight for his position at the top of the Democratic ticket.
[03:15:01]
And this comes as we are hearing from sources that private efforts to nudge President Biden to step aside continue with internal polling data apparently showing the party will be wiped out if he remains. Is that what your numbers are telling you?
SABATO: I don't think it's appropriate to say wiped out. Democrats would not be wiped out. And in the end, this will be relatively close, a point or two or three. Of course, that's enough to produce a substantial margin in the Electoral College for Donald Trump and the Republicans. And that's what Democrats are really worried about.
Right now, Biden would lose almost all the swing states, including the three absolutely has to have: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan. So that's really what the Democrats are focusing on. And you're absolutely correct, Rosemary. They really still want for Biden to step aside.
But he shows no sign of going. I think the question on a lot of people's minds, including mine, is are the Democratic pollsters and officials who aren't in that tight inner circle, are they really sharing the data, the unvarnished data, which are very depressing with President Biden, or are they sugarcoating it?
I wish we had the answer to that -- to that question, because it really does matter. By the way, if Biden slips further behind, which he could after a very positive Republican convention, and there hasn't been polling since the assassination attempt against Trump. If Biden falls substantially behind Trump, this movement to get rid of Biden, to move him out of the ticket will only grow in intensity.
CHURCH: And what impact would you expect the attempted assassination of Donald Trump to have on polling?
SABATO: It's bound to help Trump. You can argue about how much and whether it will last or not. But I think those images are very powerful. And this is the kind of shock to the system that younger Americans are totally unused to. I mean, the last real example of this was in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was shot shortly into his presidency.
So a whole generation, really two generations of Americans have never experienced an attempted presidential assassination or a real assassination. So that's going to last and it will have an impact.
CHURCH: Larry Sabato, many thanks, as always, for sharing your analysis. I Appreciate it.
SABATO: Thank you, Rosemary.
CHURCH: We are learning new details about the investigation into the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and the movements of the shooter ahead of that attack. The latest when we come back.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Investigators are still searching for a motive behind the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
[03:20:05]
Law enforcement sources tell CNN agents have searched the gunman's phone, computer and bedroom and interviewed family and friends. But they have yet to find evidence suggesting political or ideological reasons for the attack on Trump at a rally over the weekend.
However, one official says details are emerging on the movements of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks. The official says Crooks went to a shooting range on Friday to practice firing. And on the day of the attack, he purchased a ladder and ammunition. Crooks was first spotted on Saturday acting suspiciously by local law enforcement. Later, he was seen by rally goers perched on the roof of a building near the event before shots rang out.
Well the shooting at the Pennsylvania rally was especially shocking to those closest to Donald Trump. CNN's Kaitlan Collins sat down with the former president's son, Eric, at the Republican National Convention. He shared how that moment unfolded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: Well, it's terrible. I sat there with my two infant children. I watched the whole thing happening. I can obviously recognize the sound of gunshots. And you hear them come across the TV screens. And it's horrifying, right? He had blood coming out of his ear. He had blood on his face.
He was on the ground. You didn't know where else he had possibly been hit. Obviously, it was a huge sign of relief when he got up, when he put his fist in the air and said, fight, fight, fight. And it was an incredibly courageous moment. But it's heartbreaking as a son. I mean, first of all, it's heartbreaking for this nation. Our nation should not be in that spot ever, ever, ever, ever.
KAITLAN COLLINS, "THE SOURCE" ANCHOR: It must have been scary, though, as a son. E. TRUMP: It's terrifying. I love the man. He's a remarkable father.
He's been a great guy to me. Obviously, you know, there's no one that supported him the way I have. I've stood on the stage every single day for the last, you know, eight, nine years of politics in our family. I run our company.
He's just a special guy. He's a big part of my life. He's my best friend. And yeah, to see him get shot at, it's unthinkable.
COLLINS: Did it take you a long time to get in touch with him and to be able to actually talk to him?
E. TRUMP: Listen, I know everybody in the ecosystem, as you can probably imagine. So I was in contact with them when they were in the vehicles. But no one quite knew what was happening until they got to the hospital. And finally, he was in the hospital. And I got a call from him. And, you know, he cracked a little joke.
And I knew, you know, the Donald Trump I know, the father I know, is, you know, was back. And it was kind of surprising to have that kind of spirit right after that happened. I mean, his life could have been taken in a heartbeat, almost was. And other people's lives were taken that day. And it was scary. It was incredibly scary. But, you know, again, just a remarkable person.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: A CNN investigation has tracked the moments of the assassination attempt minute-by-minute, using footage from that day. CNN's Alexandra King has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEXANDRA KING, CNN DIGITAL PRODUCER (voice-over): On Saturday, July 13th, at 6:02pm, former President Donald Trump takes the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Approximately 11 minutes later, he will leave the stage having survived an assassination attempt.
Here, we show you what happened in those 11 minutes, from multiple angles and perspectives captured by both CNN's cameras and witnesses at the rally.
CNN has synced footage taken by spectators with the official feed of the Trump rally, by matching the audio of Trump's onstage remarks, which can also be heard in the videos filmed by rally goers.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a big crowd. This is a big, big crowd.
KING (voice-over): Minutes after Trump says this, at 6:09pm, a person just outside the rally spots and begins filming what appears to be a man crawling on a roof.
UNKNOWN: Yeah, someone's on top of the roof. Look. There he is, right there. Right there. See him? He's laying down. See him?
UNKNOWN: Yeah, he's laying down.
KING (voice-over): For several seconds, spectators attempt to draw attention to the man on the roof. The building is located approximately 400 to 500 feet away from the rally stage.
A spokesperson for the United States Secret Service told CNN that the agency did not personally sweep the building, but instead leaned on local law enforcement to conduct security at that location.
The Pennsylvania State Police said that they were not responsible for the area where the building was located. CNN has reached out to the local Butler County Police Department for comment, but has not heard back.
D. TRUMP: They're getting better with time, my guys. Take a look at that chart. Take a look at the arrow on the bottom. See the big red arrow?
KING (voice-over): Trump asks his staff to pull up a chart on a nearby screen to show the audience Border Patrol statistics.
Trump will later say that his decision to turn his head away from the crowd, something he says he rarely does at rallies, so that he can look at that chart, caused the would-be assassin to miss and likely saved his life.
[03:25:08]
At 6:11, shots ring out.
Trump grabs for his ear, then gets down on the stage as he is rushed by Secret Service agents.
About a minute later, a spectator captures footage of other rally- goers calling for medical aid, indicating that an individual has been shot in the head.
The man, who later died, was identified as Corey Comperatore, a 50- year-old volunteer firefighter and father of two from Pennsylvania.
Two other rally-goers were in critical but stable condition two days after the shooting.
During this time, the mic picks up someone saying that the shooter has been killed.
As he gets to his feet, the mic also picks up Trump asking to put his shoes back on.
He later told the "New York Post" in an interview that when the Secret Service came to his aid, they inadvertently tackled him out of his shoes.
After rising to his feet, before leaving the stage, Trump raises his fist and appears to mouth the words, fight.
Trump is then whisked away in a vehicle to safety.
Footage captured after the shooting shows the lifeless body of Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
The Secret Service said that a counter-sniper killed Crooks, the FBI have not yet been able to determine a motive for the shooting, but are investigating it as an attempted assassination and potentially an act of domestic terrorism.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Donald Trump got a legal victory on Monday. A judge dismissed the classified documents case against him, but it's not over yet. We will explain why.
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[03:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-FL), U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER: Let's make it official. Accordingly, the chair announces that President Donald J. Trump, having received a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the convention, has been selected as the Republican Party nominee for President of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Among the many speakers at the Republican National Convention on Monday night were a number of black Republicans who praised Donald Trump. The Trump campaign is working to win over black voters. While black voters overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, President Joe Biden's advantage among the group is not as wide as it was four years ago. Here's more now from some of the speakers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN JAMES (R-MI): I heard a little bit earlier today, if you don't vote Donald Trump, you ain't black.
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): America is not a racist country.
AMBER ROSE, MEDIA PERSONALITY AND INFLUENCER: I realize Donald Trump and his supporters don't care if you're black, white, gay or straight. It's all love. And that's when it hit me. These are my people. This is where I belong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Controversial Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene used her turn at the microphone to slam Joe Biden's border policies and for helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): The Democrats economy is of, by and for illegal aliens. Our open borders have also unleashed the worst drug crisis in American history. Yet while hundreds of thousands of Americans are suffering, the Democrats spent over $175 billion, your tax dollars, to secure Ukraine's borders. But they tell us the border wall is too expensive.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Since the war in Ukraine began, the U.S. Congress, including the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, approved around $175 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Well Trump called Senator J.D. Vance to offer him the vice presidential nomination 20 minutes before making the announcement on social media. He wrote, after lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of vice president of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the great state of Ohio.
Well Vance posted on X late Monday that he is just overwhelmed with gratitude. CNN's Phil Mattingly has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF U.S. DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENT: For delegates here on the floor, the first day of the Republican National Convention was news-wise, by far the most important issue was J.D. Vance, the senator from Ohio, is now the vice presidential running mate for former President Donald Trump.
That was the big breaking news of the day, the big breaking moment of the night, without any question at all, was the appearance of the former president for the first time in front of a major crowd since the assassination attempt, the attempt on his life that left him with a bandage over his ear.
Joining several top allies and family members in the VIP box to watch several of the speeches tonight, also getting a roaring, roaring welcome from a Republican party that I don't think without any question was unified going into this first night of the Republican Convention, even before the assassination attempt.
Now, there's no question about it, they believe that Donald Trump is not only going to be the next president of the United States, they also believe that he is the party, and there's no question about that, you saw it every single moment of that first day, you're certainly going to be seeing it in the days ahead.
Phil Mattingly, CNN, from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And CNN spoke to some of the Republicans at the convention asking what they thought about the choice of Vance, a first-term senator who once was an outspoken critic of Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEB HUDSON, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION ATTENDEE: He stood out for me is partly because of his age.
SAM, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION ATTENDEE: It shows people that we're not exclusively wrung by the old, right, there are in fact people who are, you know, under the age of 70 who are interested in running this country.
UNKNOWN: Any second thoughts about wanting more diversity on the ticket?
HUDSON: I want the best person. I'd like to see diversity in the cabinet.
LORI SCHAEFER, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION ATTENDEE: I think it's pathetic that the country colorizes everything. Let's put it on the merit of the person. I don't care what color you are, I don't care who you sleep with, I don't care what state you're from.
SAM: He's not for intervention in foreign countries. For me, that's a really big thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:34:55]
CHURCH: To discuss how global leaders are reacting to the Trump-Vance ticket, let's turn now to CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson. He joins me live from London. Good morning to you, Nic. So what are global leaders saying about this and of course the RNC generally?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, we're not getting a lot yet on the J.D. Vance pick, but I think it is instructive and certainly in Brussels, they'll be looking back at J.D. Vance's visit to the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, where he offered his insights for European leaders. And at that event, he said, look, I'm not for pulling out of NATO, but what I must be very, very clear with European leaders is that the United States really needs to and tends to pivot more towards Asia.
And I think that's really seen, at least in these early stages, before perhaps more nuance gets added to that view, that this pick is really reinforcing concerns about a more isolationist United States. Of course, much of that will be up for discussion. President Biden has sort of built his alliance, building out NATO, building up support from European countries for that pivot to Asia, for greater presence, greater strength from these countries in the Pacific.
So you can imagine a conversation in the future where European leaders will say, well, OK, you want to pivot more towards Asia, but if you actually need our support there, then that may come at a cost of our interests here in Europe. Anyway, that's a discussion yet to be had. But I think in broad terms,
that's the way that it's going to be looked at. Now, President Zelenskyy in Ukraine was asked at a press conference yesterday what he thought about a potential second term for Donald Trump. And he said, look, it's really up to the people of the United States. But he said he wasn't too worried about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I think that if Mr. Donald Trump becomes president, we will work. I'm not afraid of this. Ukraine, we are in a war. We are emotional. And when there is uncertainty, and indeed the Republican Party is different. But I want to tell you that the majority of the Republican Party supports Ukraine and the people of Ukraine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: So the RNC is kind of really giving off a very strong vibe towards Ukraine at the moment. And I think the sense in Europe is that that is something J.D. Vance is behind, along with Trump, that the war in Ukraine cannot go on. And that would mean that pretty quickly they would want to try to end that.
And the only way to do that is, as things stand at the moment, would be to get Ukraine into talks with Russia, basically strong arm Ukraine into a position that it's not, or its European allies aren't prepared to take, which is ceding a massive amount of territory to President Putin.
But yes, we're still waiting to get a better sense of what European leaders make of the J.D. Vance pick. But as they will all say publicly, it is down to the people of the United States to pick their president. And we, these countries, will work with whomever is in the White House.
CHURCH: All right. Our thanks to Nic Robertson joining us live from London with that report.
An astonishing decision in the classified documents case against Donald Trump. A federal judge dismissed the case on Monday, saying special counsel Jack Smith's appointment was unconstitutional. CNN's Evan Perez explains the decision and what might happen next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SR. U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: A federal judge in Florida on Monday dismissed the classified documents case against Donald Trump. It's a surprising ruling that for now clears away one of the major legal challenges facing the former president.
It was a 93-page ruling from Judge Eileen Cannon. And she said the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution because he was not confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
She didn't rule on the specifics of the charges that Trump faces for allegedly mishandling classified documents.
Now, it's a ruling that goes against rulings by multiple other judges in other similar cases, which have upheld the legality of special counsels. Cannon wrote, quote, "In the end, it seems the executive's growing comfort in appointing regulatory special counsels in the more recent era has followed an ad hoc pattern with little judicial scrutiny."
The special counsel's office says that the Justice Department has approved plans to appeal Cannon's ruling. They said, quote, "The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a special counsel."
Smith had charged Trump last year with taking classified documents from the White House and for obstructing the government's attempts to retrieve those materials. He's pleaded not guilty.
The former president also faces charges brought by Smith in Washington, D.C. for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
[03:40:09]
A judge there had rejected the same Trump claims over Smith's appointment.
Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: I'm joined now by Jeff Swartz. He is a professor at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School and a former Miami-Dade County judge. Thank you so much for joining us.
JEFF SWARTZ, FORMER MIAMI-DADE COUNTY JUDGE AND PROFESSOR, THOMAS M. COOLEY LAW SCHOOL: My pleasure. Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: So this case seemed to be stuck on pause. And now federal judge Eileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, it should be noted, has dismissed it altogether. In her ruling, she said the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the Constitution. Can you explain how she came to that decision?
SCHWARTZ: She took one line from a concurring opinion in a case called Relentless versus Secretary of Commerce, which overruled another case called Chevron, which actually authorizes Congress to delegate its powers to federal agencies.
And she claimed, at least in her opinion, as it was in Relentless, that the delegation to the agency, in this case the Department of Justice, did not authorize the appointment of Jack Smith without approval and or confirmation by Congress or by using its own budget appropriations in order to pay him.
And so therefore it violated the Constitution based upon the separation of powers. And it was an interference with the power of the courts to regulate certain things. It was a power grab by the Supreme Court. And she just carried it the next step on here in favor of former President Trump.
CHURCH: Right. And the ruling from Cannon embraced a longshot legal theory that plenty of other judges have already rejected during previous special counsel investigations. The Justice Department said it will appeal Cannon's ruling. So where does this case go from here, do you think?
SWARTZ: We'll take the appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which has in fact reversed Judge Cannon rather directly and in a rather nasty way twice before involving this case when it was a civil case asking for an injunction against the Department of Justice.
I don't hold a lot of hope that Judge Cannon will be affirmed, but it does buy Donald Trump several months while this matter is litigated in front of the Eleventh Circuit with hopes that Donald would have to take it up to the Supreme Court. I don't think the Supreme Court will take it. They might, but I don't think they will.
CHURCH: And while this was considered the most serious case against Trump, there are other cases, of course. What does this mean for other cases against him?
SWARTZ: Well, there's one other federal case, and that's the one that's in front of Judge Chutkan in Washington, D.C. It's referred to as the election interference case in federal court. It has four counts that include conspiracy and three others.
In that particular instance, Judge Chutkan has already entered an order denying this same motion. I don't see her changing her mind.
Judge Cannon's opinion and her ruling holds no precedential value whatsoever to any other court.
It doesn't have to be obeyed by anybody even within the Southern District of Florida. It's her opinion and her opinion alone. There have been circuit opinions, those are appellate court opinions, that have in fact upheld the appointment of special prosecutor.
And in fact, the Supreme Court has allowed the special prosecutor to appear several times in front of them. Resultantly, they have basically approved of the appointment and the standing and jurisdiction of Mr. Smith to represent the United States of America in this litigation. So, it really doesn't mean anything for any other case.
CHURCH: Jeff Swartz, thank you so much for joining us. I Appreciate it.
SWARTZ: My pleasure, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Still to come, the widow of Corey Comperatore, the father and firefighter killed in Saturday's rally shooting, opens up about the man she calls her hero and reveals his final words. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, more details are coming to light on the circumstances surrounding Saturday's assassination attempt on Donald Trump. U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheadle has told ABC News that local police were inside the building on which the gunman was positioned.
And a CNN source says a local sniper team was also stationed inside watching over the rally crowd from the second floor. The Secret Service Director is taking responsibility for the security lapse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PIERRE THOMAS, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: What was your reaction when you saw the events unfold on Saturday?
KIMBERLY CHEATLE, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: Shock and then concern, obviously, for the former president. This is an event that should have never happened.
THOMAS: Who is most responsible for this happening?
CHEATLE: What I would say is that the Secret Service is responsible for the protection of the former president.
THOMAS: So, the buck stops with you?
CHEATLE: The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service. It was unacceptable, and it's something that shouldn't happen again.
THOMAS: The president and Homeland Security secretary said today they had 100 percent confidence in you, but there are some members of Congress calling on you to resign.
CHEATLE: I appreciate the secretary's comments, and we're going to continue to be transparent and communicate with people.
THOMAS: Do you plan to stay on, absolutely?
CHEATLE: I do plan to stay on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: A GoFundMe set up to support the family of Cory Comperatore, the father and firefighter killed at Saturday's Trump rally, has surpassed $1 million in just one day. His widow, Helen, told the "New York Post" his last words were, get down, when the shooting began, as he shielded his family from the bullets that ultimately killed him.
She told the paper, quote, "he is my hero. The donations that are coming in across the community and across the country, it's more than I can even imagine. It's more than I can fathom, but he deserves it all. He deserves everything."
CNN's Danny Freeman has details on the investigation into the assassination attempt from Butler, Pennsylvania.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On Monday, we learned a tremendous amount of new information, not only when it comes to what exactly happened and how was this shooting able to happen behind me at the fairgrounds here in Butler, Pennsylvania, but also we learned more information about the shooter's movements leading up to this assassination attempt. But first, I'll start with that question of what happened here.
Well, we did hear from a Secret Service spokesperson earlier on Monday saying that they did not sweep the building that Thomas Crooks, the shooter, was perched on top of when he fired those shots. A spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service said that it was actually local law enforcement who was responsible for searching and covering that area because it was outside of the perimeter of that Trump campaign event.
But the Secret Service did not say specifically who in local law enforcement was responsible for this. Well, what has resulted is a bit of a blame game and finger pointing. We spoke with the Pennsylvania State Police, who told us that they were not responsible for that particular area.
And furthermore, they reiterated that they gave Secret Service all of the resources that Secret Service asked for when they were asking State Police to help provide security for this particular event.
And Pennsylvania State Police emphasized that in these sorts of events, which they've done multiple of, Secret Service is the one who is the lead organization for these types of rallies.
[03:50:02]
Now, I want to move on to the new information that we learned about the shooter's movements prior to the event. We're learning from CNN's John Miller through law enforcement sources that back on Friday, a day before the shooting, Thomas Crooks actually went to a gun range.
And that's important because Thomas Crooks belonged to a particular gun range, a sportsman's club, where there was a range that was about 200 yards. That's notably just a little bit farther of a range than the distance between where the gunman was perched on that rooftop and former President Donald Trump on stage at that rally.
Then, according to CNN's John Miller, the shooter on Saturday morning purchased a ladder, then later in the day purchased 50 rounds of ammunition from a local ammunition store in the area near, not too far, I should say, from his house. But here's the thing. Even though there has been all of this evidence
and all of this investigation, and that has included the cell phone of the shooter that the FBI is now telling CNN they have now finished processing, we have learned that through law enforcement sources, the FBI still has not been able to come up with a solid motive for this case. And that's after searching his phone.
That's after interviews with family, interviews with friends, and going through the shooter's search history leading up to this particular incident. The FBI at this point and law enforcement sources telling CNN that they do not have an ideology and a motivation for this shooting. So that mystery at this point is still open.
Still a number of questions remaining about how this all came to pass.
Danny Freeman, CNN, Butler, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will now be receiving Secret Service protection. President Biden extended the protection following the assassination attempt against Donald Trump. Kennedy thanked Mr. Biden over social media for granting him the help of the Secret Service. Former President Donald Trump had also called for Kennedy to receive Secret Service protection, saying it's the right thing to do given the Kennedy family history.
Still to come, the race to 270. President Biden had more than enough electoral votes to clinch the 2020 election. But do the numbers still favor him in 2024? We'll take a look.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: A hero's welcome for Donald Trump making a surprise appearance at the first night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. It is the first time he's appeared in public since the attempt on his life Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump announced his presidential running mate, Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. Delegates officially nominated Trump as their candidate earlier in the day. He is expected to speak at the convention on Thursday night.
Well at this stage in the U.S. presidential race, the polling suggests that Donald Trump has numerous paths to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to win. And for Joe Biden, it is much tougher. Now, earlier, CNN's chief national correspondent, John King, spoke with Jake Tapper to break down the numbers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT" Take a look between the then and now. This is the then. This is the 2020 presidential election. This is Joe Biden's overwhelming and convincing win in the Electoral College. Yes, the former president was in the room here tonight. Others in the room here tonight still say this was a rigged or unfair election. That's not true.
[03:55:06]
It's just not true. Joe Biden won and he won big. That was that. 306 to 232.
But this is our current CNN projection of where we are now. And look at this. If Donald Trump won, what we have here, dark red states, solid Republican; light red states, leaning Republican. If he won just those right there, he would already have the path to 270. He would have 272 electoral votes. Look what is different.
We have Wisconsin as a toss-up. We have Pennsylvania as a toss-up. Two critical states for Joe Biden.
Michigan right now, another critical state for leaning Republican. Georgia, a state Biden flipped, leaning Republican. Arizona, a toss-up state. That was a state Biden flipped.
Nevada, a state he won, leaning Republican. This is the dire straight for Joe Biden right now on the first night of the Republican convention. Tomorrow is 16 weeks to election day. 16 weeks from tomorrow, we count the votes. It is tough to change a map like this in that amount of time.
And here's why Democrats are so worried, why so many Democrats are saying, Mr. President, please reconsider and get out of this race. Because right now, Trump is leading here. And Trump is leaning here. Leading here. Narrowly, but he's ahead in those states.
Trump is leading here. That's 312 electoral votes. Trump is leading in this Nebraska congressional district. Let me change it that way. Nebraska does it by congressional district. That's 313 electoral votes. And Democrats are warning that Trump may not be well ahead. It may still be margin of error. It might be a tie. But right now, Trump is competitive here. That's blue Virginia. That's blue New Hampshire.
So the warnings to the White House are, Donald Trump could conceivably, if the current dynamics in the race hold, get 330 or more electoral votes. That's what they believe.
Now, if you're a Democrat, if you're in the Biden White House, yes, there are 16 weeks to election day. So can it be done? Come back to this. Can it be done? Yes.
But it's a very narrow path for Joe Biden. He must win this. He must change this.
Michigan has to go blue, and he must win this. Look at that number. Even if he did that, won the three blue wall states, he's at 269.
So he either has to get Arizona on Nevada back, or get Georgia back, and win the Nebraska congressional district. So Joe Biden has essentially one, maybe two, narrow paths to 270. Donald Trump has so many. There are viable paths to get him as high as 330, which means you can take some states away, Jake, and he would still get to 270. Donald Trump on the first night of his convention, and Democratic
people who are studying the data closely say it keeps getting worse for the President. Donald Trump opened his convention tonight in a commanding position in this race, period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Our thanks to John King. And thank you for your company this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. We'll be back for more news after a short break. Please stay with us.
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