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Microsoft Outage Creates Flight Chaos Around The World; Sources: Sr. Campaign & WH Staff Accepting Biden Must Quit; Trump Returns To False Claims During Acceptance Speech. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired July 19, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

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[11:00:20]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. We begin this hour as we follow a massive cyber outage around the world. One tech expert says it's said to be the largest in history. The outage hitting airlines around the globe grounding thousands of flights, bank, stock exchanges, healthcare systems, government offices, also feeling the impact.

And new this morning, President Biden's campaign manager insisting that he is in this race and will be Donald Trump, who just wrapped up his convention last night that's despite growing pressure on the President to drop his reelection bid.

But let's start with the massive cyber outage. Here's what we know right now. It is causing gridlock at major airports of every corner of the world. Thousands of flights have been canceled, more than 1,700 in the U.S. alone. Even the border crossing with Canada is backed up with cars. Look at this, stretching for miles.

And also take a look at this map. These red dots that you're seeing on the screen right now are airports that have partial or full ground stops. You might say OK, that's not a lot of red dots. That's Atlanta, LaGuardia, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis. So I mean those are major airports around the world. And of course passengers are exasperated. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anxiety. When I walked there, I got straight anxiety with all these people because I was online, I couldn't find my flight. I was like did I do something wrong, you know. But apparently when I got here, I don't know if it's a cyber thing or what but I'm just waiting like everyone else.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And the outage is affecting more than air travel stock exchanges, banks and even healthcare systems have all felt the impact of Phoenix and Philadelphia, those cities have had their 911 emergency systems impacted. And the White House says it is looking into the issues and impacts of the outage. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike says the outage is not a cyberattack. And CNN's Isabel Rosales is at the world's busiest airport in Atlanta. And our Tom Foreman is watching developments from Washington. Tom, we'll get you in just a moment. But Isabel, I -- I can't I mean, Hartsfield is already a hot mess on some days getting from one gate to another across those big terminals that they have there at Hartsfield. What's it like now?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: These passengers, Jim, they are trying to keep their cool. So far more than 400 flights have been delayed or canceled here at Hartsfield Jackson. And even when the flights have been resumed, the flights are still on schedule. The big problem is this, the check in and booking process. So you have passengers here who have been waiting in these massive lines for hours trying to get some answers. And they're at the mercy of airline staff essentially checking them in manually.

And they're prioritizing flights based on departure time. So they're yelling out cities like Tampa, Boston, let's get you checked in and they move up to the front because the kiosks are not operational due to this outage. And that is how they get checked in. So let me introduce you now to a passenger, her name is Ashley, you were traveling today for what?

ASHLEY BOSTWICK, FLYING TO BOSTON FOR A WEDDING: A wedding.

ROSALES: A wedding.

BOSTWICK: It's my niece's wedding in Delaware. So we're going to Philadelphia. I know. I know. We're really hoping we get there. But I don't know. They're not telling us anything. And that, well, it's canceled. But we didn't know that until we sat here for two hours.

ROSALES: So you waited in line for two hours trying to get some answers. And then what, what -- they just said no more flight?

BOSTWICK: No, no. They didn't even tell us. So we came in. And I was trying to ask the gentleman about our flight, because, you know, he was announcing another flight and they just kind of like shuffled you back into line. He was like just, get in line, get in line, we're your flight. And then the time came for our flight. And so I was like, I'll better go ask. So I go --

ROSALES: And that's how they told you that it was canceled?

BOSTWICK: I think I've been here for two hours.

ROSALES: How would you describe what travelers just like you are feeling today? What have you seen around here?

BOSTWICK: Frustration, because no one, no one knows when they're going to get called if it's even going out. I think like important, most importantly, like maybe if the flight is canceled, they need to somehow find a way to let people know instead of saying just get in line.

ROSALES: And I've heard of some people just --

BOSTWICK: -- make some -- some -- some plans.

ROSALES: Yes. And I've heard of some people just giving up and saying, heck we're driving.

BOSTWICK: We're thinking about that.

ROSALES: Thinking about that right now?

BOSTWICK: Yes. We are thinking about that. Yes, so.

ROSALES: Oh my gosh, and you wouldn't have expected something like this from a global computer outage. When you think about that being the cause, I mean, what goes through your head?

BOSTWICK: Yes, I mean, things happen, I suppose. It's kind of strange.

ROSALES: But you're angry.

BOSTWICK: Yes. Like, either way it's like, you know, OK, this happens. I understand. I understand. They weren't planning for this. And it's a crazy day for them too. But I mean we've got, where we're going we have plans.

[11:05:08]

ROSALES: For sure.

BOSTWICK: And people are, you know, waiting to pick us up. And that's like figure out what we're going to do next and if we're going to go.

ROSALES: I'm wishing you the best of luck with your travels today and hopefully you can get on a flight to make that wedding. And Jim by the way, 300,000 passengers are expected to be here alone today at Hartsfield Jackson between arrivals departures and layover so we still have quite a bit of the day to go through.

ACOSTA: I wish I could buy them all a beer or a beverage of their choice. They're going to need it. All right, Isabel Rosales at Hartsfield.

ROSALES: That's what she's doing in there.

ACOSTA: I know. I don't blame her. I -- I would be in there, too, 100 percent. All right, thanks so much.

Tom Foreman, let me go to you. We just found out UPS now says, there'll be a huge delay as well. You know, when people can't get their packages, you know, you think they're getting mad at the airport? I can't imagine what that might be like, if the -- if folks can't get their packages. Yes.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's just rippling into all sorts of things right now, Jim. And -- and not all of these companies necessarily are -- are relying on Microsoft as their main unit, some are not. But even if the control system you're using relies on some other system that relies on Microsoft, it can trickle down to you. And -- and CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company that apparently triggered all this by installing an update into the Microsoft system that they work with. And -- and there was a conflict that cause this, they're saying that they've worked out the problem.

There's a statement from them, and they basically said we've -- we've found what the defect is, we've sent out the patch, it's being fixed now. But look at this, this is they use tremendous influence. It's used by multiple Fortune 500 companies, they run investigation for the U.S. government. This is a really, really big player in the field here. So just as Microsoft touches a lot of people, and CrowdStrike touches Microsoft, that's where the problem is. It's like a leak in your house. Once the water starts coming in, it runs and runs and runs. And then even when you shut it off, as they say they have now solved the problem, it can persist.

So we have problems with Department of Homeland Security, with Social Security, with the Department of Justice, with banks, retail, things you mentioned before, 911 systems, all out there. And look at this video, they even saw this, the -- the sort of the blue screen of death as they call it, even showed up in time square over there on the right, look at that. One of the huge displays down there.

ACOSTA: Wow.

FOREMAN: So this is -- is really touching us all over the place just anywhere in your life where Microsoft touches you, although they didn't cause the problem. You may see effects of this.

ACOSTA: Yes, it's -- it's an -- we're world right now that wants to do Control, Alt, Delete all at this very moment. Tom Foreman, my goodness. All right, thank you so much. Keep us posted. Really appreciate it.

In the meantime, it has been a grim 24 hours, really the last several days for the Biden campaign. More than two dozen sources telling CNN that White House as well as campaign advisors, a widely accept that the President may not remain in the race. Last night, Montana's Democratic Senator Jon Tester became the second senator in that party to publicly ask the President to quit the race. A short time ago, Congressman Sean Casten of Illinois became the 23rd House Democrats make that call.

And CNN chief investigative correspondent Pamela Brown joins us now. And Pam, you have new reporting. But, you know, one of the questions is, is the President hearing all of these appeals? What are you finding out?

PAMELA BROWN, CNN CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT & ANCHOR: So what I've been told by sources, and we have a whole team reporting this out, we have reporting coming in, it seems like by the minute on this unfolding situation with President Biden, what I'm told is that he is in isolation, as we know, recovering from COVID. And as one source said, this is really a gift for him to actually absorb the data that is coming in. And as you know, as we've been reporting, the data that is coming in, for the most part, does paint a grim picture. Now, that's not to say, though, that President Biden has rolled this out, we heard Jen O'Malley, the campaign chair, say, look, he's still absolutely in this race. He is more determined than ever after Donald Trump's speech. But what I've been told by sources is that he is contemplating the data. He is looking at it. He is thinking it through. He is aware of, for example, this recent AP poll that shows it two-thirds of Americans want him out of the race.

What we're seeing in the battleground states where Trump is ahead. You had Harry -- Harry Enten on recently saying in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, you have Trump up by one, two, three points.

ACOSTA: Yes.

BROWN: He's aware of all this data coming in. He -- he is more focused, I'm told on -- on the data and the picture that paints then these calls, these sort of trickle in calls for him to step down. It's worth noting, even after Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi both went to him privately to convey concerns from the caucus and their skepticism that he can win. He's still forged ahead saying he is still in this race.

ACOSTA: Yes.

BROWN: I think the calls for him to step down are -- are way less on him than what he's seen in the hard data. And even the stretch from donors, you know, he's never put a ton of stock in donors and our reporting indicates that his view is that the donors and the elites as he puts it are divorce from the grassroots, these grassroots voters.

[11:10:03]

ACOSTA: Yes.

BROWN: He -- he believes that they are still firmly behind him and that it may be a limited path but there is still a path for him to pull this off. But I can tell you and speaking to those close to Biden, there is a sense that it's getting more and more grim by the -- by the hour here.

ACOSTA: Yes. And despite all the defiance that we're hearing from the campaign, as you said, Jen O'Malley, dealing with on one of the shows this morning saying he is absolutely staying in this race. So a lot of pressure coming from all sides, yes.

BROWN: And of course, she has to say that right, too, right?

ACOSTA: Yes, yes.

BROWN: The campaign is still operating. And as some aides have said, if -- if they some aides believe they could be working for a Kamala Harris campaign a few days for all they know, right? Although you have other say, nope, he's staying in this race.

ACOSTA: Yes.

BROWN: She could if it does become her, and it's a big if, because President Biden at this hour still hasn't made any announcement.

ACOSTA: Yes.

BROWN: And as one source said, unless, you know, if anyone says they know what he's going to do, they don't know what they're going to do.

ACOSTA: Yes.

BROWN: But they -- but she could get that war chest, so they need to continue to fundraise to the extent they can.

ACOSTA: Interesting. All right, Pamela Brown, we're all going to be watching. Thanks a lot. Really appreciate it. Let's continue this discussion. Let's bring in Meghan Hays. She was director of message planning in the Biden White House and as a consultant for the Democratic National Convention, also with us, Republican strategist and CNN political commentator, Shermichael Singleton. Meghan, you heard Pamela Brown's reporting there just a few moments ago. But you know, earlier this morning I was talking to Veronica Escobar, who was a national campaign co-chair, Jen O'Malley Dillon was on one of the shows this morning. I mean, really insisting that the President is staying in this race. And I have to wonder after watching Donald Trump's speech last night, whether the President might have been more motivated to stay in this race?

MEGHAN HAYS, DNC CONVENTION CONSULTANT: Yes, absolutely. He's always been wanting to draw the contrast. And when Trump goes back out there and is very Trump and does his Trump thing and talks for over an hour and a half and tells a bunch of lies. I think that invigorates the President and draws the contrast of who he is. I think that it's important to note the President has not wavered in his -- his message here that he is not dropping out.

So I think, you know, all these calls for him to drop out. We're just processing information at a different pace. He talked to Pelosi and to Schumer last week, and he still went out on the campaign trail. He's still out in the battleground states talking to people. We're talking to people on the ground. There is a lot of support for him still on the ground in these battleground states. So, you know, the President hasn't wavered in his decision. So it'll be interesting to see in the next couple of weeks.

ACOSTA: Yes, Shermichael. Last hour, I spoke with Veronica Escobar, the national campaign co-chair for Joe Biden. And -- and she was very determined to say that the President is staying on the ticket. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. VERONICA ESCOBAR (D-TX), NATIONAL CO-CHAIR, BIDEN-HARRIS CAMPAIGN: Folks are hard at work. Canvassers are knocking on doors. Folks like me are traveling the country. I just got back from Milwaukee, a great visit to Milwaukee to offer counterprogramming and talk to some of those canvassers. I've been to Arizona, Pennsylvania. While some folks are commenting to reporters anonymously, the rest of us are on the record, and working hard to make sure that we win this election in November.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Shermichael, what do you think? I mean, is Biden staying in this race, do you think?

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, he may. But I think the problem for -- for Democrats, Jim, is twofold. One, you have donors who have stated they will not give to the President's campaign anymore. They're going to focus on Democrats running in the House in the Senate. Some donors have even signaled they won't even give to those Democrats to put pressure on the President to get out of the race.

I think the second issue for Democrats is that you do have about half of Democratic voters who said they want someone else. So you're looking at those two interesting dichotomies here. You're looking at an election that was won in 2020 by 81,000 votes across four states. And the issue that really helped President Biden that pushed him over that finish line that garnered 81,000 votes, was the COVID pandemic, and the fact that we had an increased number of voters who voted by mail that was unprecedented. That will not be the case in November, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes.

SINGLETON: So strategically, I'm looking at those numbers. And I'm looking at my Democratic friends that are saying, you know, the reality is, you guys are really, really facing a very, very tough mountain to climb. And I'm just not convinced that they'll be able to get crossed the finish line. Now, I know, there's been some talks about, well, maybe it'll be Vice President Harris. Maybe it will be someone else. But there -- I haven't seen any data, Jim, that would -- that would lead me to believe that someone else would actually perform better than President Biden.

So if I'm President Biden, I'm looking at the numbers, I -- I understand why the President is saying I'm sticking in this race, because you haven't presented an alternative that leads me to believe someone else.

ACOSTA: Yes.

SINGLETON: Anyone else who will perform better.

ACOSTA: The polling -- the polling is definitely a mixed bag. And -- and -- and Meghan, I mean, if you watched Donald Trump's speech last night, there was a lot of talk that this was going to be a unifying speech, that there was going to be this new tone. How many times are we going to hear that story that there's going to be a new tone from Donald Trump? He always goes back to the same thing. He always goes back to American carnage, that same thing that he laid out in his first inauguration in his inauguration address back in 2017.

When I talked to Veronica Escobar about this at the top of the previous hour, I mean, she was -- she was, you know, getting really feisty about this. Democrats see what Donald Trump is saying and they want to beat him. Does that mean that Joe Biden is the best person to do that though that's the conversation that's being had right now.

[11:15:09]

HAYS: I think, yes, the -- everyone knew that Joe Biden was 81 years old when they cast ballots for him.

ACOSTA: Yes.

HAYS: When they were in the primaries. He had 14 million people vote for him in the primary. So obviously, the electorate thinks that he's the best person to do this. And I think that he just needs to go out there and keep proving his case. We've heard it time and time again, he has not wavered. So I think we need to start focusing on the actual issue at hand here and that's to win the election in November and put our energy back to Donald Trump.

ACOSTA: All right, guys, thanks so much. Time is short. I got to keep moving. Shermichael and Meghan, thanks very much.

SINGLETON: Thanks Jim.

ACOSTA: Appreciate it. Good to see you both.

Still ahead this hour, the RNC 2024 convention is a wrap and the ticket is set. What's next for the Trump-Vance campaign? We'll take you live in the Milwaukee.

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[11:20:31]

ACOSTA: Last night, of course was the climax of the Republican National Convention with Donald Trump taking the stage to officially accept his party's nomination. You got an unorthodox rock star welcome from a who's who of MAGA celebrities.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HULK HOGAN, AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER: Enough was enough. And I said let's have a mania, run wild brother. Let's a have roll again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Hulk Hogan there, the Hulkster. Trump's address was the longest acceptance speech in modern history. More than 90 minutes. His campaign promised a unifying address. Initially his tone was more subdued and he suggested that divine intervention spirit his life last Saturday. But then it returned to a message that was anything but unifying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The Democrat Party should immediately stop weaponizing the justice system. The fake documents case drop these partisan witch hunts.

Crazy Nancy Pelosi.

They are destroying our country.

Cheating on elections.

We're never going to let that happen again. They use COVID to cheat.

The late great Hannibal Lecter. He'd love to have you for dinner.

Some massive invasion at our southern border. The greatest invasion in history is taking place. And our planet is teetering on the edge of World War III.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: CNN's Alayna Treene is in Milwaukee. Alayna, what is the Trump campaign is saying, yes, it made history as the longest acceptance speech. I think also the first acceptance speech to mention Hannibal Lecter.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: I'm -- I'm not sure if that's entirely correct. But I believe that I would be shocked if anyone else did, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes.

TREENE: I -- I would -- I would argue you probably are correct on that.

ACOSTA: Yes, yes.

TREENE: Look, when I've talked to Donald Trump senior advisors, people close to the former president in the aftermath of his speech last night, they said that they're very pleased, not only with that acceptance speech, but also the convention overall, they particularly pointed to the speeches by Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, of course, Donald Trump's former political foes as being a good example of the unifying image that they wanted to portray.

And really, the goal of this week, I was told was to paint a stark contrast with the Democratic Party and the handling we're seeing regarding President Joe Biden. And as you said, Jim, we really did see two different Donald Trump's on stage last night. At the start of that speech, he recounted a very personal and harrowing story about what it was like to be on stage. And I know you know this as well, but Donald Trump hates to be vulnerable.

I'd argue he was very vulnerable in a rare moment during that -- the beginning of that speech last night, he often thinks vulnerability is weakness. So I found it pretty striking sitting on the convention floor and listening to that. But of course, about 30 minutes in as soon as he started changing gears to his, you know, 2024 agenda, his vision if he were to be elected in the fall, he went right back to the Donald Trump we've all become accustomed to.

He was riffing. He was rambling. He was talking, criticizing Democrats, Joe Biden, he painted a dark picture of America. These are all the themes that we associate with Donald Trump. And what I'm going to be watching for is which version of the former president we will see in Michigan tomorrow, he's going to be appearing there with his running mate J.D. Vance.

And even though Donald Trump's team has repeatedly said that he wants to strike a more uplifting tone in the months to come, he wants to continue to try to find some sort of unity in the country. The end of that speech was anything but. And I think, you know, if I was a betting woman, Jim, I would bet that his speech tomorrow will be more like the Trump we know rather than the Trump at the very start of that speech last night.

ACOSTA: Yes. Oh, yes. Rally Trump is definitely back. And Alayna, I mean we also heard from Chris LaCivita, who made some notable comments, one of the two senior advisors running Trump's campaign, what can you tell us?

TREENE: That's right. He was asked about Project 2025. It's really a blueprint organized by the Heritage Foundation, as well as many of Donald Trump's allies and people who used to work in his administration for what a transition would look like in the fall if Donald Trump were to be elected. I want you to take a listen to what he said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me ask you about Project 2025.

CHRIS LACIVITA, SENIOR TRUMP ADVISER: Never heard of it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

LACIVITA: These people do not speak for him. They do not speak for the campaign.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're hurting your campaign.

LACIVITA: The next Trump --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're jamming you.

LACIVITA: No. They're pain in the ass.

[11:25:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes.

LACIVITA: So the -- the -- because they change -- the -- the issues that are going to win us this campaign or not the issues that they want to talk about.

(END VIDEO CLIP) TREENE: So there you have it, Jim. And you know, he kind of said the quiet part out loud there at the end that these are not the issues that Donald Trump's campaign wants to talk about in the fall. And I will note, you know, we recently did a review of Project 2025. At least 140 people who had worked in Trump's former administration had a hand in Project 2025. But so even though they're trying to distance themselves from this, so many people who are close to the former president are involved in that -- in that blueprint. Jim?

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, the Project 2025 is a pain in the A word, I mean, then that means his own staffers, his own advisers, the people who have, you know, helped him get to the places where he's at right now are also a pain in the A. OK. All right, Alayna Treene, thanks very much. We appreciate it.

Still ahead this hour, more new details about the Trump rally gunman, what he was studying apparently before the shooting including the bio, the mass shooter who is now behind bars. It's coming up.

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