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Kamala Harris Earns Enough Delegation Support for Her Presidential Nomination; U.S. Secret Service Director Grilled by Lawmakers on the Trump Rally Security Mishaps; Israeli PM Arrives in Washington; International Leaders React to Kamala Harris' Possible Presidential Nomination; Illinois Police Released Bodycam Footage of their Deputy Shooting a Black Woman to Death. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired July 23, 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 running start for Joe Biden's chosen successor. The Harris for President campaign is collecting endorsements and raking in cash as she secures enough delegates to win the nomination.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle call on the Secret Service Director to resign during a hearing on the massive security failure at the Trump rally.
And as a hostage deal remains elusive, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is in Washington to speak to Congress and meet with the U.S. President and Vice President.
UNKNOWN (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Rosemary Church.
CHURCH: Good to have you with us. We are now just 105 days from the U.S. presidential election and today the race for the White House looks very different as Kamala Harris picks up enough delegate support to win the Democratic nomination. That is according to a CNN delegate estimate coming just one day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and passed the torch to his vice president.
On Monday, Harris previewed her campaign vision and her strategy for taking on Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I was a courtroom prosecutor. In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump's type. And in this campaign, I will proudly, I will proudly put my record against his.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The Harris campaign says she raised $81 million in her first day as a candidate. She's also seeing a wave of critical endorsements, including from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Sources say Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are also set to endorse Harris very soon.
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has a closer look at the Kamala Harris campaign and her sources of support.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: It is my intention to go out and earn this nomination and to win.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vice President Kamala Harris seizing the reins of the moment.
HARRIS: We have 106 days until Election Day, and in that time we have some hard work to do.
SERFATY (voice-over): Moments after President Biden called her to say he was stepping aside, Harris launching into action, working the phones for 10 hours to trigger her deep network of support.
HARRIS: It is a very special experience to have been, as we all know, a student at the Mecca.
SERFATY (voice-over): Sources telling CNN that she made those calls some of the most important calls of her political career in a Howard University sweatshirt.
HARRIS: When you walk in those rooms, you carry the voice of all of us.
SERFATY (voice-over): A small but symbolic nod to the cornerstone of the coalition.
HARRIS: This sisterhood has been a part of my life since my earliest days.
SERFATY (voice-over): That, along with the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the nation's oldest black sorority, is now being called on to help power her into the Oval Office.
STACEY JOHNSON-BATISTE, CHILDHOOD FRIEND OF KAMALA HARRIS: This fight that we're up against, that I know she's going to be up against, is not going to be easy.
SERFATY (voice-over): The powerful political support within that sisterhood is one that Harris has leaned on for years.
JOHNSON-BATISTE: The Alphas and all of the Greeks, they're like a family. SERFATY (voice-over): And seeing her through her early career as a
prosecutor.
HARRIS: It's what's happening on a street corner that is plaguing the neighborhood.
SERFATY (voice-over): And then to the U.S. Senate.
HARRIS: I am a career prosecutor. I have visited many prisons and jails. That is a prison.
SERFATY (voice-over): Meantime, in the time since Biden's announcement, Harris is getting a boost from social media. As some Republicans are highlighting Harris-isms as a negative.
HARRIS: What can be unburdened by what has been?
SERFATY (voice-over): The memes are also attracting attention from new, younger voters, bringing new energy to even old moments.
[03:05:00]
Harris quoting her mother last year --
HARRIS: You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?
SERFATY (voice-over): Now becoming something of a rallying cry for her campaign, with senators and supporters posting coconut trees as signs of support.
CHARLI XCX, POP SINGER: Very honest, very blunt, a little bit volatile.
SERFATY (voice-over): And pop singer Charli XCX declaring Kamala is brat, a reference to the singer's latest album and viral meme of the summer.
CHARLI XCX: But like, it's brat. You're brat. That's brat.
SERFATY (voice-over): With Harris' campaign quickly embracing and running with the vibe.
SERFATY: And one call among the many, many calls Harris made over that 10-hour period on Sunday was to her pastor from San Francisco, someone who has been in her life for so many years. And we are told this is one of the very first calls she made and that the two spent some time praying together.
Sunlen Serfaty, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Well, meantime, the Trump campaign is already shifting its strategy with a new memo attacking Kamala Harris and calling her dangerously liberal. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance urged voters not to give Harris a shot at becoming president. He also accused Harris and other Democrats of lying about Biden's fitness for office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is not OK, ladies and gentlemen. You cannot, for three and a half years, take a guy who clearly didn't have the mental capacity to do the job. Kamala Harris lied about it. My Senate Democratic colleagues lied about it. The media lied about it. Every single person who saw Joe Biden knew that he wasn't capable of doing the job. And for three years, they said nothing until he became political deadweight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Vance also said it was disgraceful that the president stepped aside in the 2024 race.
For more on all of this, I'm joined now by Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Always a pleasure to have you with us.
LARRY SABATO, CENTER FOR POLITICS DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thank you, Rosemary. Thank you.
CHURCH: So, Larry, we are seeing a re-energized campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris in the wake of Biden dropping out Sunday and endorsing her as the new nominee. She has raised tens of millions of dollars since. And now we hear a majority of Democratic delegates have pledged to support her as the next presidential nominee. Is that what you're hearing? And does that mean Vice President Harris has locked this in before the August convention?
SABATO: Yes, she has locked it in. It is already certain that she'll be the nominee. We call her the nominee presumptive.
And that wasn't certain. It is absolutely amazing that in just one day, you could have Biden step aside, Kamala Harris come in, Biden endorse Kamala Harris, Harris gets the endorsement of virtually all the senior Democrats, as well as a substantial majority of the elected delegates to the Democratic National Convention. She's way over the top. All of this in a day.
And Democrats are really energized by it because they can see that Kamala Harris has the energy they know it takes to defeat Donald Trump. She has made a lot of good moves, even in this very short period of time.
And I have to say, part of it is just relief. It isn't that they turned against Joe Biden. Quite the contrary. They appreciate what he's done. They regard him as a significant president. But they saw, they saw through polls, through their friends and neighbors, in every way you could, that Biden was slipping and Trump was gaining.
And the nightmare of Donald Trump's second term for them had become a reality.
CHURCH: It appears she's injected some element of hope for Democrats, doesn't it? And of course, the big decision to be made now by Vice President Harris is to select a running mate. Who would be a smart pick from some of the names of potential options out there and how urgent is it that this gets done now?
SABATO: The top three for me, and everybody's got a different list, but the top three for me are Governor Shapiro of Pennsylvania. That's 19 electoral votes. And this is all about electoral votes. Governor Cooper of North Carolina, who is just finishing two terms as governor there, and it's tough for a Democrat to win in North Carolina. He'd be a good running mate. And that's 16 electoral votes.
And somebody who has a lot more than electoral votes is Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona. That's 11 electoral votes. Arizona has been slipping to Trump. But beyond that, Kelly is well known as a former astronaut. His brother is also an astronaut. And of course, his wife is a former congresswoman who was severely injured in a wounding while she was in office.
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A disturbed young man came into a constituency meeting and shot her, Gabrielle Giffords. So this is quite a package. So I would say any one of these three would be great. And I'm sure others would add Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky, though there's no chance at all that Democrats will win Kentucky. So there are no electoral votes there.
CHURCH: Right. And meantime, Republicans are finalizing their strategy to deal with this change at the top of the Democratic ticket. House Speaker Mike Johnson now suggesting Republicans will file lawsuits at the state level if Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the nominee to block her name from the ballot. What does this signal to you about just how worried they might be about Harris?
SABATO: Well, it's a tantrum, to be honest. It's pretty outrageous to try and stop the opposition party from replacing a candidate who is ill and probably in no position to continue the campaign.
These provisions are made in the party rules and also in the laws of most of the states. But it really is revealing that they don't want Joe Biden changed out for Kamala Harris. They're worried that Harris can defeat Trump.
And they had spent millions and millions of dollars preparing nasty ads to use against Biden. And their entire campaign plan is aimed at Biden and his administration. They can use some of it against Kamala Harris, but not nearly as much as they had planned. So this is a very unpleasant turn of events for Donald Trump and his ticket with J.D. Vance.
CHURCH: And on that topic, Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance is calling on the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment against President Biden, saying if he can't run for president, then he can't serve as president and calling this a coup, stirring the pot, no doubt. House Speaker Mike Johnson saying pretty much the same thing. What is going on here? SABATO: Well, there's absolutely no coup at work. The coup occurred
January 6, 2021, organized by Donald Trump. That is quite literally defined as a coup, an insurrection.
This is nothing of the sort. It's a natural replacement that comes because of an ill nominee. So to me, this is ridiculous. It's illogical.
If you remove one of the two full-time jobs that Joe Biden has, the second one being running for president, he can spend his remaining energy and time and focus on fulfilling his duties as president for the last six months, which is exactly what he's said he wants to do.
So this is an attempt to blow blue smoke and adjust the mirrors so that they can get back to being on the offensive.
But I think to most people, it almost seems cruel. You're going to tell the president who has served faithfully in many jobs over a 50- year career that he's got to leave early because he's ill and can't be both a full-time candidate and a full-time president. Ridiculous.
CHURCH: Larry Sabato, always a pleasure to chat with you. Many thanks.
SABATO: Thank you.
CHURCH: The head of the U.S. Secret Service is facing rare bipartisan calls to resign over the security failures which led to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. It comes after Kimberly Cheatle faced a contentious hearing before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, where she was grilled by both Republicans and Democrats about the shooting at a Trump rally earlier this month. Cheatle admitted the incident was a colossal failure but refused to step down.
CNN's Paula Reid has more now on the hearing from Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. MELANIE STANSBURY (D-NM): Madam Director, with all due respect, the answers that we received here in this hearing today are completely unsatisfactory.
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Republican and Democratic members of Congress frustrated with the head of the Secret Service, many calling for her immediate resignation.
REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): It is my firm belief, Director Cheatle, that you should resign.
REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): The director has lost the confidence of Congress at a very urgent and tender moment in the history of the country and we need to very quickly move beyond this.
REID (voice-over): There are still a lot of unanswered questions after a horrific assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump nine days ago. KIMBERLY CHEATLE, U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR: As a director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency.
REID (voice-over): Kimberly Cheatle facing bipartisan fury over her agency's failures.
REP. NANCY MACE (R-SC): Have you provided all audio and video recordings in your possession to this committee as we asked on July 15th, yes or no?
CHEATLE: I would have to get back to you.
MACE: That is a no. You're full of shit today. You're just being completely dishonest.
REID (voice-over): Both Republicans and Democrats growing frustrated with Cheatle's lack of forthcoming information as she repeatedly stonewalled lawmakers deferring to the ongoing FBI investigation.
[03:15:09]
REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): It has been 10 days since an assassination attempt on a former president of the United States. Regardless of party, there need to be answers.
REID (voice-over): Cheatle acknowledged the Secret Service was told about a suspicious individual several times before the shooting.
REP. ANDY BIGGS (R-AZ): Why didn't they put a security hold on President Trump going on stage at that rally?
CHEATLE: At a number of our protective sites, there are suspicious individuals that are identified all the time. It doesn't necessarily mean that they constitute a threat.
REID (voice-over): She pledged to complete an internal investigation of the incident within 60 days and defended her position.
REP. VIRGINIA FOXX (R-NC): You think you are the best person in the country to head the Secret Service?
CHEATLE: I think that I am the best person to lead the Secret Service at this time.
REID: Cheatle told lawmakers there have been adjustments made to security for other protectees after the Trump assassination attempt. And on Sunday, after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race, the service adjusted security for Vice President Kamala Harris. And she said that they stand ready to provide whatever adjustments they need to security for whoever she ultimately chooses as her running mate.
Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE) CHURCH: Joining me now is CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem. She was also Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and is a Harvard professor. Appreciate you joining us.
JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SR. NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST AND PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Thank you for having me.
CHURCH: U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle refused to answer questions at a congressional hearing Monday on the catastrophic security failure surrounding the attempted assassination of Donald Trump more than 10 days ago now. And her refusal resulted in bipartisan demands for her to resign. Now, if she doesn't do that, she doesn't seem to want to. Should she be fired for full accountability?
KAYYEM: And so the -- she should offer her resignation and let the White House accept it. This is a -- this committee that I know very well. The Homeland Security Committee never agrees on anything. The idea that the -- that the Republican and Democratic-ranking members have joined forces to ask for her or demand her resignation is not only about what happened a week ago Saturday, but also about just this sort of drumbeat of inconsistent statements, statements that -- that seem to throw others under the bus.
And then now the promise of a review or an independent review that will be done only in 60 days, which sort of brings us up straight up to the election.
You know, in my mind, if you run an agency like this, you really do need the support of the committee to the extent that you can get it. And since she's lost the Democrats on the committee, it is hard to say that she is serving the White House as well as someone who might have the support of at least the Democrats on the committee. But she's lost the Democrats. That's the problem.
CHURCH: And Director Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious individual at that rally before the shooting took place. But she said there are suspicious individuals all the time, but that doesn't mean they constitute a threat. But he clearly was a threat in the end. So, what would you have asked at that point?
KAYYEM: Yeah. So it's just basically the question that I really wanted someone to ask is not so much, was there a miscalculation? There clearly was. There was a miscalculation about the threat. There was a miscalculation about whether he was threatening. There was a miscalculation about how to even control the environment, right, that they didn't have that building protected or didn't have the state and locals protecting it.
I think my question that still remains is how could such a fundamental miscalculation occur that would allow essentially a sort of novice assassin, I mean, he wasn't particularly trained, he didn't have military training, he wasn't representing a foreign entity, take advantage of all of those miscalculations and nearly kill the Republican nominee for president and the former president. That to me, I still can't get my head around that right now. And I don't think that maybe they don't know the answers, but that is certainly something that I am very curious about. And then, of course, the subsequent question is, is that cured? Is that miscalculation cured? Do you have confidence leading into this environment with both Trump and Harris now that those gaps are cured?
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CHURCH: Yeah, I mean, it's a good point because Cheatle did reveal that she has made adjustments to the security around Vice President Kamala Harris. But how much faith and trust is there remaining in the Secret Service while Cheatle stays in charge?
KAYYEM: Well, so, you know, I've been in and around D.C. enough that, you know, I didn't hear a lot of statements of support from the White House, which is obviously preoccupied. You have a lot of people, former government officials coming forward. But honestly, I think the big headline today is really Jamie Raskin. For people who don't know who he is, I mean, he is a strong defender of this White House.
He is one of the most supportive members of Congress in terms of just basically their policies and their politics. And he's a spokesperson for them. And so I can't imagine that he sort of said this without deep thought and deep consideration of what it would mean and probably hopes that the White House is listening.
All I know is there was no ringing endorsement of her today from the White House, which, you know, as you read the tea leaves in Washington, D.C., that says a lot.
CHURCH: Juliette Kayyem, always a pleasure to talk with you. Many thanks.
KAYYEM: Thank you.
CHURCH: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington. We will explain why his trip is fraught with tension. Ahead here on "CNN Newsroom."
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[03:25:00]
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington right now. On Wednesday, Netanyahu is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress. And just before leaving Israel, he met with the families of hostages held in Gaza. He also met family members of hostages in Washington and vowed to bring all the hostages home.
At the White House Monday, families of Americans held hostage by Hamas met with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. They say Sullivan expressed positivity about a hostage release deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN DEKEL-CHEN, SON HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: The time is now. There is no more time for delays. There's no more time for positioning, for jockeying. At this moment, at this moment, what is demanded for the well-being of Israel, of our loved ones and for the people of Gaza is for two leaders, Yahya Sinwar on Hamas' side and Benjamin Netanyahu on Israel's side, to show true leadership, to show that the sanctity of their own people is what's paramount.
RACHEL GOLDBERG, SON HELD HOSTAGE BY HAMAS: It's 290 days too long. There is horrendous suffering going on, obviously, with the families of the 120 hostages who hail from 24 different nations. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, and it is time for them and their families to stop suffering and time for the hundreds of thousands of innocent people who are in Gaza who are suffering.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Meanwhile, at least 81 people are dead and more than 250 others wounded after Israeli strikes near the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Those numbers come from Gaza's Ministry of Health. Ahead of the strikes, the Israeli military ordered people in parts of Khan Younis to evacuate to what the IDF calls an adjusted humanitarian zone.
Some people say they were not told to evacuate before the strikes began. Hospital officials say the dead include a number of women and children. Gaza's health ministry says the Palestinian death toll from the war is now at more than 39,000.
And CNN's Nada Bashir joins us now live from London. Good morning to you, Nada. So, what is expected to come out of Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington this week, and how much more pressure might President Joe Biden bring to bear on the Israeli Prime Minister to ensure an end to the war in Gaza and the return of hostages?
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well look, Rosemary, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been facing immense pressure, particularly at home, from his own citizens in Israel, but also internationally, not least from the U.S., from the Biden administration.
But there are real questions as to how much more pressure Biden can actually put on the course of these ceasefire negotiations, given his announcement that he is now dropping out from the race to become America's next president. But also, of course, given the fact that we have publicly seen Prime Minister Netanyahu and other members of his cabinet vocally contradict statements and foreign policy goals outlined by the Biden administration.
Now, of course, we have heard from a spokesperson from the State Department saying that the current assessment by Secretary of State Antony Blinken is that we are close. They are focused on those finer details. But there are still differences which remain, and it is those key differences which make, of course, all the difference. We've seen that stop-and-start process several times now over the course of these ceasefire negotiations. But interestingly, we did hear from the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday in Washington, D.C., meeting with the family members and representatives of hostages still held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
He told those representatives and family members that, in his words, the conditions now are ripe for some sort of deal to return all the hostages to be struck. He said that that has come about by continued pressure on Hamas by the Israeli military.
But he also noted that this would be a stop-and-start process. There would be phases. This wouldn't be a one-shot deal, in his words. And there has been some, of course, conflicting messages from the U.S. and from the Israeli government with regards to the nature of this deal, how many phases we might see, how long that prolonged truce or ceasefire would actually last before fighting resumed.
[03:30:00]
And a key sticking point has long been that call for a permanent ceasefire. Prime Minister Netanyahu saying again yesterday to those family members that Hamas has to be destroyed, that that is the end goal for the Israeli prime minister, for the Israeli government.
But, of course, there are several meetings scheduled. We are expecting to see the Israeli prime minister meeting with Biden on Thursday. He may well meet with Kamala Harris as well. And, of course, he will be addressing Congress on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see the reaction there from the Democrats on what he has to say about the course of these ceasefire negotiations, if indeed he does address this during his comments to Congress.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Our thanks to Nada Bashir bringing us that live report from London.
Well, there is growing momentum and enthusiasm for Kamala Harris, but many voters are asking, can she beat Donald Trump? We will take an early look at the polls.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, less than two days after U.S. President Joe Biden bowed out of the race for the White House, his vice president is on the cusp of becoming the Democratic presidential nominee.
According to CNN estimates, Kamala Harris already has enough delegate endorsements. They are non-binding, but she has been backed by more than the 1,976 pledged delegates needed to win the nomination. Harris crossed that threshold after a wave of endorsements from state delegations on Monday. But the burning question on so many minds is, can Harris beat former President Donald Trump come November?
CNN's Harry Enten looks at the numbers.
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HARRY ENTEN, CNN SR. DATA REPORTER: Biden is out. Kamala Harris looks to be in. The big question is, can she secure the Democratic nomination and then go on to beat Donald Trump in the fall?
Let's take a look at the numbers to find out.
Let's start off first with the Democratic nomination. Turns out that 76 percent of Democrats nationwide say they'd be satisfied if Harris gets the nomination. So it looks like she's the likely Democratic nominee. Beyond the voters, Harris also has picked up a lion's share of endorsements so far. And it turns out that when it comes to presidential nominations, the person who gets at least 50 percent of the endorsements normally goes on to win their party's nomination.
But let's put aside the primary for a second and let's talk about the general election. Can Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump? Well, when looking at a national polling average from 2024, she can't do any worse than Joe Biden, who led on zero days during the calendar year against the former president.
And indeed, when we look at the net favorability ratings, that is favorable minus unfavorable, in a poll taken by ABC News-Ipsos after the Republican National Convention, we see that while Harris isn't exactly beloved, she comes in with a net favorability rating of minus 11 points. That was actually tied with Donald Trump, both of whom did considerably better than Joe Biden, who came in with a net favorability rating of, get this, minus 23 percentage points.
Of course, elections ultimately are won in the key battleground states. And while we don't have any polling post the Republican National Convention from them, we do know that in pre-Republican National Convention polling, Harris seemed to be doing slightly better than Joe Biden.
She was down just one point to Trump in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, well within the margin of error, while Biden did somewhat worse, being down three points to Donald Trump in the same New York Times-Siena College poll.
That may not seem like a big difference, but remember, elections in this country are determined by the slimmest of margins.
Harris may also be able to put back into play some states that Joe Biden didn't seem particularly competitive in this time around.
I'm talking about states like Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada, states that tend to have younger and more diverse populations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: CNN's Harry Enten with that analysis.
Well, sources tell CNN that the Harris campaign has begun vetting possible running mates. Several high profile Democrats are thought to be potential candidates, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. When asked by CNN, Shapiro would not say if he would accept the job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO (D-PA): Listen, the vice president has a deeply personal decision to make as to who she wants to run with, who she wants to govern with, and who she thinks is prepared to help her lead the nation. She should make that decision free from any sort of political pressure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Joining me now from Philadelphia is Lindy Li. She is a political strategist and member of Vice President Harris's National Finance Committee. Great to have you with us.
LINDY LI, POLITICAL STRATEGIST AND MEMBER OF HARRIS'S NATIONAL FINANCE COMMITTEE: Thank you so much, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Now, you are also a delegate, and we are learning that a majority of Democratic delegates have now pledged to support Vice President Harris as the party's next presidential nominee. How secure does that make her nomination next month? Is this locked in?
LI: Pretty much. In my state, Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state came out unanimously in favor of her. I think she has it pretty much locked down. Again, anyone is free to run, but it looks like the vast majority of Democrats across the country are definitely behind her. We want to make sure that we have as an inclusive and democratic process as possible, because 14 million people around the country did vote for the Biden-Harris ticket.
Vice President Kamala Harris has promised to earn the nomination. She's not expecting the coronation. She's expecting to do the work to convince the American people that she is qualified, and she certainly is. She's eminently qualified to be the next president of America.
CHURCH: But it has been quite surprising the way that everyone has rallied around, the amount of money that's been raised, the endorsements that have come. It's been extraordinary. Has that surprised a lot of people in the party?
LI: It certainly was. It was amazing. It was like an avalanche of support. I was delighted to see it. I don't think anything like this has ever happened before in American history. She's raised upwards of $100 million since the announcement that President Biden was dropping out and endorsing her.
I think it's also a testament to his legacy that we followed his guidance to throw everything we had behind her.
And it's just incredible. And the grassroots energy, her ability to galvanize my generation, millennials and Gen Z, that's vitally important. To galvanize women, to show them how important the fact that our reproductive rights are now on the line, that Trump is on the cusp of appointing two more Supreme Court justices. There's so much on the line. And she's able to be out there every single day effectively prosecuting and litigating the case against convicted felon Donald Trump.
[03:40:02]
CHURCH: And Lindy, how much urgency is there now for Vice President Harris to pick a running mate and who is she leaning toward right now?
LI: I'm really biased, I have to say. I'm good friends with Governor Josh Shapiro. He's been a phenomenal leader of our state. In full disclosure, he appointed me Commissioner of the Commonwealth and he's shown remarkable leadership. We saw that with an I-95 infrastructure collapse, the way that he handled that crisis was majestic. It was just done so well. He had a live stream going and it became a national model for how to deal with crises like that.
I think he's the frontrunner right now. I think he would be a superb choice given the fact that Pennsylvania is so important. The blue wall consists of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. And so we need to do everything we can to make sure that the path to the White House continues to be blue, continues to run through the rust belt. And Josh Shapiro is key to that.
CHURCH: The big issue for Democrats and one that has been neglected by the party of late is that of abortion rights. You touched on this. When might we hear more on that from the Vice President and what's her clear message on that issue because it has been quite muddled of late?
LI: Rosemary, that's such a good point. She's been on a tour, by the way. She's been on a reproductive rights freedoms tour, which has been tremendously successful. You can hear the crowds, they roar with joy when she goes around. It's just remarkable to see.
And I think, again, she's going to bring up the fact that Trump can appoint a Clarence Thomas clone on the Supreme Court. This is an adjudicated rapist. So this is someone who's a sexual predator. He appointed a third of the Supreme Court. We're not just electing a president. We're choosing what the makeup of the Supreme Court is going to look like.
And I think Vice President Harris is going to continue to make that case. Now this is no joke. It's not just reproductive rights, though. It's everything that's been laid out in Project 2025. The fact that he's going to punish critics, that he's going to imprison his enemies. This is just not okay. It completely undermines everything that we hold dear.
CHURCH: And Lindy, what are your numbers telling you about how the Vice President matches up against Donald Trump? Is she looking forward to debating him in September, if all of this works out and is she ready for the attacks that are coming?
LI: I love that he's already trying to wiggle out of the debate. I don't know if you saw, but he's like, oh, it's not fair or whatever, but he clearly doesn't want to debate this very experienced, very seasoned prosecutor. And the way that she took down Brett Kavanaugh, if I were Trump, I would be very terrified of what's to come.
And in terms of numbers, I do want to bring up a personal anecdote. I was able to raise a million dollars in the past five hours for the Harris campaign. This is remarkable. It's never happened to me before. I am stunned. I've been raising money for candidates for years, but it's always been a pulling teeth kind of situation. I've always had to convince people to invest in the campaign, but people were just forking it over. They so much believe in her vision. They so much don't want to have another Trump term.
And they're finally relieved and they're overjoyed to have someone who can effectively prosecute the case against an eminently weak candidate. Trump is a weak candidate. What happened last weekend was heinous and unforgivable. His assassination attempt was unconscionable. Full stop, end of story, but it doesn't erase the fact that he faced 88 criminal charges, four indictments, two impeachments, and a guilty verdict.
CHURCH: Lindy Li, thank you so much for joining us. I Appreciate it.
LI: Thank you so much.
CHURCH: Just ahead, global reaction to Kamala Harris emerging as the presumptive Democratic nominee and the race for the White House. We are live in London.
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[03:45:00]
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CHURCH: U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to become the Democratic presidential nominee. While it's not official yet, we are getting some reaction from overseas.
CNN's Salma Abdelaziz is following this live for us from London. Good morning to you, Salma. What is the latest on international reaction to Kamala Harris' bid for the White House?
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we did see yesterday, of course, Rosemary comments coming in from world leaders pouring in, voicing their support, their concern for President Biden.
Of course, welcoming Kamala Harris' entry into the race. Now, day two, I think that there are signs of progress that world leaders will cling to, including her ability to raise millions of dollars in just the first few hours, her ability to secure the delegates and able to secure the ticket as well.
But this is definitely a moment of wait-and-see for many world leaders who've just seen this rollercoaster of an election play out. Nobody's counting their eggs until they hatch. But you know the key issues, Rosemary. You have, of course, the Israel-Gaza conflict that was key for President Biden. He will continue to work on that. We know, of course, Prime Minister Netanyahu is in Washington this week. I know you had an update on that earlier, but also Kamala Harris will be meeting with Netanyahu herself later this week.
That's very crucial to begin to build that relationship, to begin to build her negotiating position. She's not going to attend Netanyahu's speech, so that is significant to see that that's where she stands for now.
But there's a huge foreign agenda as well from Ukraine. There will be considerations as to how she will speak on that issue as well.
Many, including President Zelenskyy, were concerned that Trump's America First policy essentially meant pulling back support from Ukraine. There may be some hope, some optimism that if Harris wins, that continued support could pour in for President Zelenskyy.
But she is, Rosemary, by and large an unknown commodity on the international stage. So there's a lot of question marks as to how she will handle issues, but she is that steady pair of hands that many hope will continue Biden policies. I'll leave you with a comment from German Chancellor Olaf Schultz, who called her experienced and competent. Rosemary.
CHURCH: All right, our thanks to Salma Abdelaziz bringing us that live report from London.
Illinois police have released body cam footage of the moment a woman was shot and killed by police in her own home. Details of her family's call for justice. That's next.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee says it's reviewing the alleged rules violations by Senator Bob Menendez. It comes a week after the New Jersey Democrat was found guilty on all counts in his federal corruption trial. The review is the committee's first step toward a written report, which would include recommendations for disciplinary action and possibly expulsion. Menendez has resisted calls to resign and says he will appeal his conviction.
Police in Illinois have released body camera footage showing the moment an officer shot a 36 year old black woman in her home. Deputy Sean Grayson has been charged with murder in the death of Sonya Massey. Here's part of that footage and a warning, the video you are about to see is disturbing.
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DEPUTY SEAN GRAYSON, MURDERER: Stack right there, maybe.
SONYA MASSEY, BLACK WOMAN KILLED BY DEPUTY SEAN GRAYSON: One second.
GRAYSON: We don't need a fire while we're here. MASSEY: Right. All right. Where you moving?
GRAYSON: Huh?
MASSEY: Away from your hot steaming water.
MASSEY: Away from my hot steaming water?
GRAYSON: Yeah.
MASSEY: I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.
GRAYSON: Huh?
MASSEY: I rebuke you in the name of--
GRAYSON: You better (expletive) not. I swear to God. I'll (expletive) shoot you at your (expletive) face.
[03:55:06]
MASSEY: OK. I'm sorry.
GRAYSON: Drop the (expletive) pot!
SECOND DEPUTY: The (expletive)
GRAYSON: Drop the (expletive) pot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Ben Crump, the lawyer representing Sonya Massey's family says she had called 911 for help, believing there was an intruder in her home. Crump says, quote, "she was dealing with some issues and needed a helping hand, not a bullet to the face." Massey's family says they will seek justice for her death.
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JAMES WILBURN, SONYA MASSEY'S FATHER: You know, you always get the same thing, these platitudes from people. You know, you have my prayers and my sympathy. But you know what I want? I want justice for my baby. You killed the wrong black woman this time.
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CHURCH: Deputy Sean Grayson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first degree murder and remains in jail before the trial.
Days after a massive tech outage caused havoc around the world, some users are still struggling to get back to normal, among them Delta Airlines. The Atlanta-based carrier canceled more than a thousand flights on Monday, far more than any other airline. That's after a rough weekend that grounded thousands of flights around the world, leaving passengers struggling to find a way home. Delta says the Crowdstrike outage disrupted its crew scheduling software and it will take a few more days to get things back on track.
I want to thank you so much for spending part of your day with me. I'm Rosemary Church. "CNN Newsroom" continues next with Max Foster and Christina Macfarlane.
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