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CNN's Breaking News on Joe Biden's Withdrawal in the Presidential Race. CNN's Breaking News on Joe Biden's Withdrawal in the Presidential Race. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired July 22, 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)

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.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is seeing a surge of support as she moves to secure the Democratic presidential nomination after Joe Biden's stunning announcement that he would bow out of the race.

A growing number of key Democrats and donors are lining up behind Harris. As Republicans now prepare for a new opponent at the top of the

Democratic ticket, President Biden says it should be Harris and is giving her his full support.

In a letter posted on X, he also said, quote, "it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president." He went on to say he believed it is in the best interest of his party and the country for him to stand down in the race.

In her own statement, Harris said she was honored to have Biden's endorsement and it was her intention to, quote, "earn and win this nomination." CNN's MJ Lee is following developments from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Joe Biden had been so resistant to the calls on him to drop out of the 2024 race until he suddenly was not. We are told that that moment came within the last 24 hours or so and that it was really Saturday night that the president approached this decision. And Greenland, two of his closest advisers, Mike Donilon and Steve Ruschetti, to begin drafting that letter addressed to the American people.

This was so closely held, though, that even some of the most senior advisers in the campaign and the White House didn't know, barely got a moment of heads up before that letter went public.

Even Vice President Kamala Harris, we are told, only found out of the decision today on Sunday.

Now, something that I am learning was not a factor in the president's decision. And all of this were medical issues. The president has not had any medical exams, any serious ones, at least we are told, other than basically the daily check ins that the president has had with his physician to check on the status of his COVID recovery. Now, the reason that we are clarifying that is because as recently as over the last week, the president suggested in an interview that only a new medical condition could sway him to drop out of the 2024 race.

Of course, the reason we are here in the first place is because of the serious concerns about the president's health that really came to light and became amplified after his disastrous debate performance at the end of June.

Now we are learning, of course, that the president at the end of the day could not overcome those concerns. And that is why he is now announcing that he will not be seeking a second term after all. And now he is throwing his full support behind his vice president, Kamala Harris.

MJ Lee, CNN at the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: Democratic fundraisers say donors are reenergized after the announcement that President Joe Biden is dropping out and endorsing Kamala Harris. That includes small donors -- small dollar donors. The Political Action Committee ActBlue says grassroots supporters injected nearly $47 million into the presidential campaign, calling it the, quote, "biggest fundraising day of the 2024 cycle."

Among the biggest names throwing their support behind Kamala Harris, former President Bill Clinton and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. They say they are honored to endorse Harris and will do whatever they can to ensure she wins against Donald Trump.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was also quick to support Harris and to praise President Biden for exiting the race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Today is about what Joe Biden did. He gave America a lesson in patriotism. Donald Trump thinks that to be a leader, it's all about himself and preening in front of the cameras and everyone has to bow down to him. Joe Biden reminded us that true patriotism, true leadership is putting the people of the United States of America first. And that's what this president has done. I admire that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[03:05:02]

CHURCH: Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell says Harris would be the right choice not just because of her age and experience, but also her overall chances of winning. I fully support Kamala Harris, and in fact, she's been trained by the best.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ERIC SWAWELL (D-CA): Joe Biden was a vice president himself, and so she probably had the best mentor to work under. And she's tough, she's smart, she's real, and she's everything that we need as we go up against somebody who would take away every freedom. You know, Trump's Project 2025 would end abortion, force people into marriages. It would ban books and just be an all-out assault on our freedoms. And this vice president, as I said, she's tough, she's real, she's smart and she's got what it takes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Meanwhile, Donald Trump is slamming Joe Biden on social media. He posted this on Sunday. Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for president and is certainly not fit to serve and never was. He went on to say, quote, "all those around him, including his doctor and the media, knew that he wasn't capable of being president and he wasn't."

CNN's Kristen Holmes has more reaction from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Donald Trump, his campaign, his orbit started preparing for the idea they might be running against someone other than President Joe Biden shortly after that debate took place. They started to see what was happening in the Democratic Party and really noting that it seemed to be more intense than they had originally thought.

And that included putting together these sort of research books on each of the people they believed could be potential presidential candidates or nominees for the Democratic Party. That included some Democratic governors, high profile governors. But it also had a big focus on Vice President Kamala Harris.

And that was because there is a fundamental belief that exists to this day among the campaign that she will end up being the nominee or that she was going to be the nominee if Biden were to drop out.

Now, obviously, we are in a different situation. They have already started launching their attack ads on Kamala Harris. We expect to see some from the campaign in coming days. But we also know that Trump's super PAC, MAGA, Inc., one of the big super PACs aligned with him, is already running ads hitting Kamala Harris in battleground states. They're going to continue doing that.

But the big thing here to note is that while you might hear from Donald Trump or some of his allies that they are confident they can beat Kamala Harris if she's at the top of the ticket or whoever's at the top of the ticket, there is a lot of concern that we are now in uncharted territory. They know that this could change enthusiasm. Changing enthusiasm going into November could change turnout.

They had created an entire campaign that was going to run against President Joe Biden, and that included millions of dollars in data gathering, in modeling, all of that to beat President Joe Biden and no one else. So when you're talking to the campaign, to outside groups right now, yes, they are running polling against Kamala Harris, but they're also running polling against other potential nominees.

But they're also doing is somewhat in a holding pattern because they are not going to spend that same level of output, that same level of money on Kamala Harris or anybody until they know for sure who is going to be the Democratic presidential nominee.

Kristen Holmes, CNN, Washington, D.C.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And CNN's poll of polls shows there's no clear leader between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. In an average of six recent polls, 48 percent said Trump would be their choice for president, 47 percent chose Harris. All of the polls surveyed registered or likely voters and were conducted after June's CNN presidential debate. Only one of them was done after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Well, joining me now from Los Angeles is Caroline Heldman, a professor at Occidental College and a Democratic strategist. Good to have you with us.

CAROLINE HELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND PROFESSOR, OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE: Good to see you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So it is, of course, a tough and historic time for your party. Joe Biden dropping out and offering his full support and endorsement for Kamala Harris to be the nominee. She has hit the ground running, it has to be said, making these urgent calls to delegates, lawmakers, donors, governors for support with those endorsements still pouring in. Can she lock in that support, though, before next month's convention and avoid a messy vote and who should she pick as her running mate, which will be critical here?

HELDMAN: Yeah, great question. So she's definitely hit the ground running. We've seen some unusual activity. She was raised over $55 million today alone. It is on through ActBlue, which are small donations, which means that there's momentum and a surge.

[03:10:02]

This indicates that money is not going to be a problem. Also, she started the paperwork to transfer the $90 million over from -- from Biden-Harris to Harris, question mark. As you noted, she's gotten a lot of endorsements from high profile Democrats, but perhaps most importantly, a number of folks who might have run against her have turned around and endorsed her, which is a signal that they won't run against her. So Pete Buttigieg, Gretchen Whitmer, obviously Josh Shapiro came out earlier today and Gavin Newsom.

It feels like she's going to coast on this. She's going to coast into this poll position because of Biden's blessing. And I'll just point out one other figure that she now has over 500 delegates just as of today. And all she needs are 1,986. So she's got already a third of the delegates that she needs to clinch the nomination.

CHURCH: And of course, as we just mentioned coming into this interview, CNN's poll of polls is showing Kamala Harris just one percentage point behind Donald Trump. How unnerving would that be for him right now, given her support will, of course, likely increase now? And how do you expect he will change his campaign strategy going forward?

HELDMAN: Well, they've wasted all of this money on Trump's side, strategizing with polls and focus groups against Biden.

And you're right, it's totally shifted. This has now become a competitive race. And interestingly enough, we're in uncharted territory here.

But the momentum seems to be so late in the game that it might really give Kamala Harris a boost against Donald Trump. As you noted, the polls, the snap polls that have been taken show them neck and neck. I think that we are just -- and the Trump camp knows this. We are in a completely different battleground now with Harris at the top of the ticket or likely at the top of the ticket.

And it's interesting, Donald Trump has not attacked Harris yet, but he went after Biden seven times today and pretty vicious -- in a pretty vicious way. And so someone maybe should tell him that Biden's not in the race anymore.

CHURCH: Right. And Caroline, Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson are both calling on President Joe Biden to resign immediately after his historic announcement. Johnson's saying if Joe Biden isn't fit to run for president, then he's not fit to serve as president. He called for the president to resign that office immediately. But President Biden insists he intends to finish his term. So what happens in this sort of situation?

HELDMAN: Well, they don't have any power to remove him. That would require invoking the 25th Amendment and that would be his own cabinet, not members of Congress from the other party.

And there's also a big difference between saying, look, I don't see a path to victory in November and therefore I'm stepping down. You notice that Joe Biden did not cite anything medical, even though I think that was the basis for concern for the past couple of weeks amongst Democratic leadership.

But they essentially have zero power to remove Joe Biden from the presidency.

And why would he consider that if he's stepping down because he doesn't see a path to victory?

CHURCH: And of course, we mentioned the historic moment we're all living through right now. How would you describe the presidential legacy of Joe Biden?

HELDMAN: What a legacy. So he gets into politics as one of the youngest senators ever in 1972, and now he's leaving office as one of the elder statesmen. This is a man who desperately wanted to be president. I don't know if you remember how many times he ran for the presidency and then served eight years as President Obama's vice president and finally got his shot at the top. So he's obviously leaving in a way that he doesn't want to leave.

But I think his biggest legacy will be enacting the Violence Against Women Act. Also, his response to COVID, not only the American Rescue Plan and keeping us out of a global recession, but also passing the largest environmental legislation that we've ever had in the United States and those sweeping and the infrastructure -- infrastructure bill. I think Biden will also go down in the history books as somebody who really did put country or party above his own personal interests. This is just not behavior we see very often, especially not from the leader of the free world.

CHURCH: All right. To Caroline Heldman in Washington, many thanks for joining us. I Appreciate it.

HELDMAN: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: And Kamala Harris is quickly racking up endorsements, but her nomination is not a done deal. We will take a closer look at what still needs to happen ahead here on "CNN Newsroom."

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone, and back to our breaking news story this hour, Kamala Harris is emerging as a front runner for the U.S. Democratic presidential nomination. Now, that comes after President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he's bowing out of the 2024 race, endorsing his vice president instead.

Several top Democrats are praising Mr. Biden for stepping aside, including his campaign co-chair, Senator Chris Coons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): I think today we should focus on Joe Biden's incredible legacy of service to our nation, his selflessness, his accomplishments in his decades in the Senate, leading the Judiciary Committee and Foreign Relations Committee as vice president and now leading the Biden-Harris administration. It bears repeating that together, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and the majority in the Senate and House

managed to put into law earthshaking, historic pieces of legislation.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHURCH: So far, more than 500 Democratic delegates have endorsed Harris, but there are still thousands more to go. Harris says she is honored to get Biden's endorsement and vows to earn and win the nomination.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny is following developments and has the latest now from Washington.

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(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Vice President Kamala Harris receiving support from across the Democratic Party for her to replace President Biden on the Democratic ticket.

In the wake of that bombshell announcement on Sunday, the vice president moving quickly, reaching out to senators, other lawmakers, state officials as well, asking them for her support. Now, she said in a statement that she intends to fight for this nomination.

It certainly is not a done deal. However, the breadth of governors and senators and House members, including some governors who could be on her shortlist for a running mate like potentially Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. The list goes on all through their names to support her candidacy, as did California Governor Gavin Newsom. Of course, he is a longtime potential rival of hers, but he certainly said he supports Harris. So state delegations also weighing in from Tennessee, from South Carolina.

So time is running short for her to choose a running mate. It's a compressed primary schedule, if you will. The voting for her if she becomes the nominee and a running mate would be between August 1st and August 7th, so around two weeks or so to get this worked out.

Now, there is no question there is still a bit of time for some Democrat to step forward in challenging her.

But on Sunday evening, there is no question that Democrats are rallying behind her. This has been a contingency plan in the works, and she set it into motion with President Biden's decision.

Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: So what happens next? The Democratic Convention Rules Committee says it will meet Wednesday to determine the framework for the party's presidential nomination. The heads of the committee are promising a fair, transparent and orderly process. Meanwhile, the Harris team is working quickly to secure an overwhelming number of endorsements and support from delegates. Still, Harris securing the nomination is not a done deal.

To explain why, Franita Tolson joins us now from Los Angeles. She is the dean of the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law. Appreciate you being with us.

FRANITA TOLSON, DEAN, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GOULD SCHOOL OF LAW: Thank you.

CHURCH: So as we just reported, Kamala Harris and her team have wasted no time rallying support for her nomination, and we are seeing more endorsements pour in. But it's not a done deal. So what needs to happen next to lock this in?

TOLSON: So as the prior segment -- segment mentioned, a nominee won't be selected into the Democratic National Convention, which happens towards the end of August. But in the coming days, I think we'll see Vice President Harris trying to line up support from even more delegates than she received today. Right. These delegates who were officially pledged to President Biden.

And of course, if this pre-convention virtual roll call happens, then that will be her opportunity to establish that she has enough delegates going into the convention. And that would avoid the open process that some party elites were kind of hoping for with President Biden's announcement earlier today.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, we know that the Democratic Convention Rules Committee will meet Wednesday to determine the framework for the party's presidential nomination. But how will this likely work? What is that process?

TOLSON: It's kind of hard to tell at this point, but I will say that parties have a lot of discretion at this point in the process in terms of how they structure their process. This is not the same process as when the nominees have already been chosen and we're going into the general election.

So the committee actually has a lot of flexibility in how they can determine what this process looks like. But I will say that they have to be careful. Right. So this is a situation where I think you've seen over the last few weeks, party elites struggle with trying to figure out whether or not the president should stay in the race, whether or not they will anger certain constituencies within the party if they force him out or if he chooses to leave.

And there are also conversations around whether or not Vice President Harris should be the nominee. And so I think that even in crafting the rules, the committee has to tread lightly in constructing a process that doesn't make the core constituencies within the Democratic Party feel like their voices have been unheard.

CHURCH: Right. And of course, in the meantime, Donald Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson are calling for President Biden to resign the office immediately because they say if he's not fit to run for president, then he's not fit to serve as president. What would you say to that and what is the process for a president finishing out his term after dropping out of his re-election and, of course, endorsing a replacement?

TOLSON: Well, there's no obligation that a president run for re- election, right? So unless his cabinet invokes the 25th Amendment or unless he's impeached, then there really isn't grounds to call for his resignation. Being president and running for president is two totally different things.

CHURCH: All right, Franita Tolson, thank you so much for joining us. I Appreciate it.

TOLSON: Thank you.

[03:25:02]

CHURCH: Well, among the many questions looming over the Democratic Party, how will this monumental decision impact Joe Biden's legacy? That and more still to come. Stay with us.

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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone, as we continue to monitor the latest developments following U.S. President Joe Biden's shocking decision to not seek re-election this November.

On Sunday, he announced his endorsement for his vice president, Kamala Harris, who's wasted no time garnering support for her newly minted presidential campaign. For the Democratic Party, the first order of business is to determine how the nomination process will proceed from here. The Democratic Convention Rules Committee says it will meet on Wednesday to discuss the framework for that.

Soon after the president's announcement, party strategists, including CNN's Van Jones, weighed in on what all this will mean for Joe Biden's legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN JONES, CNN SR. POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, it's politics, it's politics, but this is a human moment for one of the great humans in America. This is a huge moment for him, for his family, for all of us who love him, for all of us who wanted him to get across the finish line.

But if you're a young person watching this, this is leadership. This is patriotism. This is what it means to put the country first and put the party first and put the cause first.

When your arm gets tired, you let somebody else finish pitching the game. That's what Joe Biden has done, and he's done that for all of us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., praised President Biden's decision to drop out of the race and called on the Democratic Party to hold an open process to nominate his replacement. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. (I), U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to begin by commending President Biden for a career in public service. A long, long career and representing and serving our country and for his handling of the many difficulties and challenges, personal challenges and tragedies that he suffered during his life with so much admirable conduct.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Kennedy, a former Democrat, followed up with criticism, suggesting the nomination process had become elitist and unfair and implying that was why he quit the party. He went on to blast both parties for being captured by corporate interests rather than representing the American public.

Well, it has been 56 years since a U.S. president dropped out of a re- election race. That was Lyndon Johnson. The year was 1968. The country was embroiled in the Vietnam War and only one state primary had taken place. But this time the Democratic primaries have all taken place and Election Day is less than four months away.

Randi Kaye looks at how things played out back then.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDON B. JOHNSON, THEN-DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 56 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson suddenly ended his campaign, as Joe Biden did today.

JOHNSON: I shall not seek. And I will not accept. The nomination of my party for another term as your president.

KAYE (voice-over): That stunning announcement during what was billed as a speech about Vietnam shocked the country.

DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: When he withdrew from the race, he talked about the in fact that he just wanted to use those remaining months for presidential duties, hoping to bring the war in Vietnam to a close rather than campaigning. And the response was extraordinary.

KAYE (voice-over): At the time, there was widespread disappointment in Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War and his approval ratings were down.

Like with Joe Biden, there were concerns about LBJ's health and there were doubts he could win a second term.

KEARNS GOODWIN: He'd done something for an ambition for the country rather than himself, that in all of his 37 years he had never sacrificed himself this way.

KAYE (voice-over): After Johnson withdrew, Vice President Hubert Humphrey announced his candidacy.

Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York was also in the running for the nomination, but wouldn't survive the primary season after declaring victory in the California primary in June 1968, Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles at the Ambassador Hotel.

KEARNS GOODWIN: Bobby Kennedy was killed, and then that summer they go to the Democratic Convention with the war still going on. Chaos reigns.

KAYE (voice-over): The 1968 Democratic Convention, which also happened to be in Chicago like this year's convention, followed not only the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, but also Martin Luther King. The country was in turmoil and protests had broken out over the Vietnam War.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley called up the National Guard to protect the convention arena and put thousands of Chicago police on 12 hour shifts. There were also tense moments on the convention floor among competing sets of delegates pushing to be seated. Even some of the media was roughed up, including CBS' Dan Rather, while trying to talk with anchor Walter Cronkite from the convention floor.

DAN RATHER, THEN-CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Walter, as you can see.

WALTER CRONKITE, THEN-CBS NEWS ANCHOR: I don't know what's going on, but these are security people apparently around Dan. He's obviously getting roughed up.

RATHER: What happened is a Georgia delegate, at least he had a Georgia delegate sign, was being hauled out of the hall. We tried to talk to him to see why, who he was and what the situation was. And at that instant, the security people, well, as you can see, put me on the deck. I didn't do very well.

CRONKITE: I think we've got a bunch of thugs here, Dan, if I may be permitted to say so.

RATHER: Well, mind you, Walter, I'm all right. It's all in a day's work.

KAYE (voice-over): In the end, Hubert Humphrey won enough support from delegates to become the nominee. But after all the upheaval in the party, it wasn't in the cards for Democrats that year.

Republican Richard Nixon ultimately defeated Humphrey to become the 37th president.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHURCH: And our thanks to Randi Kaye for that report.

Our breaking news coverage continues. After the break, we will have more on how leaders around the world are reacting to President Joe Biden's exit from the 2024 race. Back in just a moment.

[05:35:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, members of President Biden's cabinet are offering words of praise for the Democratic leader after learning he will not run for re-election.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on X he has restored U.S. leadership around the world and delivered historic accomplishments as president.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas thanked President Biden for devoting his life to public service, saying he has taken and directed bold, innovative and decisive actions to help safeguard our communities, secure our borders, all while standing up for our nation's values.

And Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called the president an extraordinary guardian of America's national security, saying the entire Department of Defense stands united in saluting President Biden's service to the country we defend.

I'm joined now by Leslie Vinjamuri in London. She is the director of the U.S. and Americas Programme at Chatham House and just published an article lauding President Biden's decision as, quote, "an act of true leadership." Good to have you with us.

LESLIE VINJAMURI, DIRECTOR, U.S. AND THE AMERICAS PROGRAMME, CHATHAM HOUSE: Thank you, Rosemary.

CHURCH: So Kamala Harris and her team move swiftly in the midst of this historic moment, making hundreds of urgent calls to rally support behind her from delegates to lawmakers to donors. How important is it for Harris to lock in her nomination along with a running mate and avoid an open convention next month and do you think she can do that?

VINJAMURI: I strongly suspect she can and will, and in part because the Democratic Party is really consolidating around her.

[03:39:59]

Those who might have been alternative nominees have said, people like Gretchen Whitmer, that they don't intend to run and it's quite clear that they're looking to back her. I think the Democratic Party has a very strong sense of the urgency of this moment, of the need for unity and the importance of really shining a spotlight on, in this case, Kamala Harris, because she does look set to be their candidate.

So we've seen a -- just very rapid movement around the vice president. Of course, things can change, but right now it looks very much like that's the direction of travel and we will wait to see who, assuming she moves forward, who her running mate will be. That's a very crucial decision. CHURCH: Yeah, it certainly will be. And of course, Kamala Harris says she will earn and win the nomination. But as we've been discussing, the big question now is, will anyone challenge her? Joe Manchin says he may do so. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has congratulated her, but not yet endorsed her. We understand he's going on morning television.

Harris will, of course, need to decide which of her potential challengers would be the best running mate. So let's look at that. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro endorsed her Sunday, as did North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, along with many others. Who of those names do you think would be the best choice as her running mate if you look at the numbers?

VINJAMURI: I think both Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania and Mark Kelly in Arizona are getting a lot of attention. We know that the election will be won or lost in those swing states. Pennsylvania is incredibly important. Having a male running mate, given she would be the first female president, I think is very important.

The Democrats and again, I think to your earlier point, it is incredibly important that Kamala Harris has not only the unity of the Democratic Party behind her, but that she seemed to be a legitimate candidate.

Having a running mate who's early on expressed their support and then that can work with her to really battle with the Republicans, both for that white working class demographic that's so critical in the elections, but also to broaden out the base to include non-white Americans, African-Americans, Hispanics. We've seen the Republicans really trying to advance their leverage in that base, but it's traditionally been a stronghold for the Democrats. I think Kamala Harris should do well in that area.

But it's really, again, a very urgent, time sensitive moment moving away from a president and President Biden, who's been a very strong foreign policy president, who's been a centrist, a moderate with decades of experience, but had really come to be seen, especially in recent weeks, as just not the right person to take the party forward, partly because of his concerns over his mental state, his physical state, how he would endure for four more years. But nonetheless, a very significant president with just decades of experience, that simply will not be the case going forward.

CHURCH: And of course, it is worth noting that a CNN poll of polls, average of recent polls testing Vice President Kamala Harris against former President Donald Trump, shows a close race with no clear leader. Trump holding 48 percent support in the average of six recent polls testing the match up, while Harris holds 47 percent.

Now, all of these polls were conducted after the CNN presidential debate in late June. Just one was after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. So how worried would the Republicans, particularly Trump, be looking at those numbers?

VINJAMURI: Well, I suspect very worried. I think they're deeply unsettled by this decision. I think they wanted to see President Biden as their opponent. They felt like they had a very strong hand and the polls were indicating that they did.

And those polls that you've just cited, I don't place a lot of store in them, primarily because these are polls that were taken before this decision, when Kamala Harris has still been very much in the background.

The ground is going to shift very dramatically, very rapidly now as she emerges, very likely to be the candidate. She will be across the broadcast media. She will be across the country at the party rallies around her. The momentum will be significant.

And that polling will begin to shift to reflect that the challenge for former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, who is to see whether they can broaden their message. They really use the Republican National Convention to double down on a very powerful, but very narrow message to the core of the base.

[03:45:10]

And the base is critical, but it's simply not sufficient to win a general election. And that's what this is now about.

CHURCH: Leslie Vinjamuri, joining us live from London. Many thanks. I Appreciate it.

VINJAMURI: Thank you.

CHURCH: And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, leaders around the world have been reacting to the momentous news that U.S. President Joe Biden would no longer pursue a second term in office.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says, my friend Joe Biden has achieved a lot for his country, for Europe, for the world. Thanks to him, transatlantic cooperation is close, NATO is strong, and the U.S.A. is a good, reliable partner for us. His decision not to run again deserves respect.

[03:50:05]

Well, joining me now out of London is CNN's Nada Bashir. But first, let's go to our Kristie Lu Stout. She joins us live in Hong Kong. Good to see you, Kristie. So this news has spread around the world and we are already hearing reaction from leaders in Asia this morning. What's being said?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Rosemary, we have been closely monitoring messages from Asian leaders after U.S. President Biden's bombshell announcement that he is exiting the race. Now, under Biden, the United States has shored up and bolstered ties with allies around the world, especially here in Asia, to counter a rising China. And as such, American allies here in the region, they've been offering

messages of support, including the Australian prime minister who calls Biden, quote, "an honorable man of integrity." Now, Prime Minister Albanese had war words to say. I want you to watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: President Biden deserves today, I think, to be recognized for once again not putting himself forward first, but giving his first consideration to being what he believes is in the interests of the United States of America as he's as he has done his whole public life. And I pay tribute to him today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LU STOUT: Now, the governments of South Korea and Japan say that they don't wish to comment on domestic politics in the U.S., but both governments, they emphasize the need to work with the U.S. In a statement that was released from South Korea's presidential office, it reads as follows. Let's bring it up for you. "The South Korean government will continue to work closely with the U.S. to further develop the South Korea U.S. global comprehensive strategic alliance," unquote.

We also heard from Japan's prime minister, Fumio Kishida, who says the following quote, "I recognize that President Biden's decision is based on his desire to make the best possible political decision. The Japan- U.S. alliance is the cornerstone of our nation's diplomatic security. We will continue to monitor it closely," unquote.

Now, in contrast, the president of the Philippines directly responded to Biden's decision to drop out of the race, saying that it was a demonstration of genuine statesmanship. And on X, the social media platform, this is what we heard from Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, Jr. He said this, quote, "we thank for his constant, unwavering support for the Philippines in a delicate and difficult time."

He's making reference there to the tensions that have been simmering between Manila and Beijing over China's claims, its assertions of sovereignty in the South China Sea. And the United States has said that it stands with the Philippines. So as for China, at today's Ministry of Foreign Affairs briefing in Beijing that just wrapped in the last hour or so, a spokesperson said that the U.S. election is America's own internal affair. So China has no comment. Back to you.

CHURCH: And Kristie, just before you go, how is Kamala Harris perceived across Asia?

LU STOUT: Yeah, it's interesting, Rosemary. You know, Kamala Harris is not as well-known as Joe Biden. She has not had a huge international portfolio, but she is of South Asian descent. She has made multiple trips to Asia as vice president, attending regional conferences, you know, here to reinforce America's commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, especially in light of China and its rising powers economically, militarily. And earlier today, I want to mention this. While he was reacting to the Biden news, the prime minister of Australia, Albanese, called Kamala Harris a quote, "good friend of Australia." Rosemary.

CHURCH: All right. I Appreciate that. And Nada, let's go to you in London. What other reaction is coming out of Europe and the Middle East to this historic news? And how will it impact Benjamin Netanyahu's upcoming meeting with President Biden?

NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Rosemary, President Biden has faced huge foreign policy challenges over the course of his time in office, particularly, of course, when it comes to conflicts, both in Ukraine and, of course, in Gaza.

And we have heard from the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing his thanks to President Joe Biden. He said in a statement Ukraine is grateful to Biden for his unwavering support for Ukraine's fight for freedom. And of course, we have seen under Biden's leadership several military aid packages and diplomatic commitments to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, but also, of course, in its continued push for NATO membership.

That has certainly been a key focus for the Biden administration. We've heard from the newly elected prime minister here in the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer. They haven't been in office together for quite a long time. But of course, that relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States is a deeply special one to both nations. Keir Starmer saying in a statement, I respect Biden's decision and look forward to us working together during the remainder of his presidency.

[03:55:04]

But of course, another huge focus at this current point in time for President Biden is, of course, the war in Gaza is, of course, the response to the October 7th attacks on Israel.

We have heard from the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog. He said in a statement that he wants to extend his heartfelt thanks to Joe Biden for his friendship and steadfast support for the Israeli people over his decades-long career.

We've also heard from the Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, again, somebody who has worked closely with the Biden administration over recent months, saying in a statement, thank you, President Joe Biden, for your unwavering support of Israel over the years. Your steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable.

Now, of course, President Biden has faced mixed responses domestically when it comes to the war in Gaza. He has faced mounting pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters. We've seen the huge campus protest, which, of course, took place. He has faced backlash over his foreign policy decisions and backing for the Israeli military's -- military campaign in Gaza.

But again, another deeply close relationship between the United States and Israel that has been deepened under President Biden. So, again, key responses there from Israeli leadership. And we are expecting Prime Minister Netanyahu to visit the United States. He's expected to meet with Biden still on Tuesday and speak to Congress on Wednesday. So, it remains to be seen what comes out of those conversations there and whether he meets with any other key Democratic figures, including, of course, Kamala Harris.

CHURCH: Indeed. Our thanks to Nada Bashir and Kristie Lu Stout for those live reports. I Appreciate it.

And thank you for your company. I'm Rosemary Church as we bring you this news on a historic day going into a second day now. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Christina Macfarlane and Max Foster.

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